Greener Pastures Sanctuary
James, a lovely black baby pig, is only a few weeks old, but he's already become quite fond of snuggling up next to Phoenix Parker, the youngest helper at Australia's Greener Pastures Sanctuary. He's the newest addition at the sanctuary after surviving extremely sad circumstances. Greener Pastures Sanctuary "He was found in a forest," Rachael Parker, founder of the sanctuary and Phoenix's mom, told The Dodo. "Some caring people came across a clearing where he was running around on his own amongst the bodies of his [dead] family and some dead kangaroos." Dodo Shows Cat Crazy Fluffy Cat Wants To Sit On His Dad At All Times Greener Pastures Sanctuary Apparently, someone had been out shooting the animals for sport, but James miraculously managed to escape getting caught in the line of fire. But he was suddenly left without a mother or siblings - and it's currently winter in Australia. "It has been freezing at night here lately so he would not have survived very long out there on his own," Parker said. Greener Pastures Sanctuary James's rescuers brought the orphaned pig to the sanctuary, where he was welcomed with open arms. Since the piglet is still far too young to join others like himself, James currently lives indoors with Parker and her children, who have fallen in love with him. A recent video shows Parker's youngest daughter, Aurora, happily petting and cuddling James. Parker said James is very "confident" and "bossy," but also extremely smart - just the other day, he learned the "sit" command. He also happens to be a fashionista in the making. Greener Pastures Sanctuary "He sleeps in the house at night and helps us outside during the day," Parker said. "He has just started to play, doing spins, running and jumping. He will eventually be introduced to our 17 other rescued pigs so he'll have lots of friends to play with and will live a long, happy life with us." Parker jokingly added that there is one thing about James that concerns her husband. "My husband is worried we will have a 100-kg pig living in the house still in a couple of years time," she said. But it is pretty hard to say no to a face like James's. Greener Pastures Sanctuary OTTAWAThe European Commission has again pushed off a decision on whether to require Canadians to have a visa to enter the EU. The commission says its now looking ahead to the Canada-EU summit this fall to see more progress on the issue of Canada removing visa restrictions on citizens of Romania and Bulgaria. The EU insists that since Canadians dont require visas to go to Europe, EU citizens should not need them to come to Canada. In April, the Commission urged the European Parliament and council to take a position on the issue by July 12 but neither did. The commission notes that high-level political talks including a visit last week by Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum have demonstrated progress, but they still want the issue resolved. Top EU interior affairs official Dimitris Avramopoulos says the commission will continue to apply pressure. Achieving full visa waiver reciprocity for citizens of all member states is the objective for the European Commission and a fundamental principle of our common visa policy, he said in a statement Wednesday. To decide whether to lift visa requirements, the Canadian government looks at several factors including how many visa applications are refused as well as immigration violation rates. Officials from McCallums department travelled to Romania last month to examine progress by that country and are making a similar trip to Bulgaria this month. Pressure to lift visas on those citizens is twofold. First, the Liberals recently announced they will lift visa requirements on Mexican nationals. And EU officials say if it can be done for Mexicans, it should be done for Europeans. Second, full ratification of the Canada-EU free trade agreement is at stake, with the possibility that Romania and Bulgaria will refuse to sign the deal if the visas remain. McCallum travelled to Brussels last week to smooth some ruffled diplomatic feathers on both counts. Our dialogues underline the importance of the strong bonds between Canada and the European Union, McCallum and Avramopoulos said in a joint statement after the meeting. Officials from the immigration department have already travelled to Romania to assess issues on the ground there. They will be making a similar trip to Bulgaria this month. Canada and the EU are to hold a summit in Brussels this October. The Commission looks forward to the EU-Canada Summit, which will take place on 27-28 October 2016, as the occasion to confirm tangible progress on the lifting of the visa requirement for Bulgarian and Romanian citizens, Wednesdays statement said. Read more about: SHARE: OTTAWAThe plane carrying former cabinet minister Jean Lapierre went out of control after the autopilot was switched off, banking sharply and descending rapidly into the ground, killing all on board, safety board investigators revealed Wednesday. Now, safety investigators are trying to better understand what caused the Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, a twin-engine turboprop aircraft, to sharply bank and descend just seconds before landing. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada provided an update Wednesday on its investigation into the March 29 crash that killed Lapierre and six others. The high-profile Quebecer had been a long-time MP, cabinet minister and journalist. He had departed Montreals St. Hubert airport headed to Iles-de-la-Madeleine and his hometown for the funeral of his father. Also onboard were his wife, Nicole Beaulieu; his sister, Martine Lapierre; his two brothers, Marc and Louis Lapierre; as well as pilots Pascal Gosselin and Fabrice Labourel. The weather for landing was challenging with poor visibility, low clouds and gusty winds. With the weather bad, the plane was making an instrument approach to the airport, using electronic aids to navigate. Yet investigators also revealed Wednesday that the landing approach was unstable with the plane above the glide path to the runway and flying far faster than recommended. For example, just seven kilometres from the runway, the plane was going around 400 km/h, well above the recommended approach speed of 231 km/h. The safety board has previously warned about the danger of so-called unstable approaches because they increase the risk of landing accidents concerns driven home by this crash. We need to change our philosophy about recognition of unstable approaches and timely decisions to execute go-arounds, lead investigator Mike Cunningham said in an interview, referring to the decision to abort an approach that is going badly. In this case, he said, continuing the approach might not have been the best option. The update reveals that in the final stages of the approach, the pilot lowered the landing gear and, soon after, disconnected the autopilot, which had controlled the aircraft for much of the flight. Almost immediately, the aircraft departed from controlled flight. It rolled quickly into a steep right bank and descended rapidly, the update said. The aircraft continued its rapid descent into the ground, where it crashed in a near-level attitude, causing fatal injuries to everyone onboard. Cunningham said it was too early in the investigation to discuss potential reasons for the abrupt loss of control. We need to understand that event as well as we can . . . more work needs to be done, he said. You got to look at every possible scenario. However, that loss of control is consistent with a stall when an aircraft loses aerodynamic lift. As well, the weather forecast for the airport had signalled the potential for moderate icing in cloud, especially at lower altitudes. Icing on an aircrafts wings can disrupt the airflow and impede their ability to generate lift. Investigators said they have so far found no mechanical issues with the engines, flight controls or navigation systems. Gosselin, the pilot, was qualified for the flight and had logged about 140 hours in the MU-2. The MU-2 can be a challenging aircraft to fly. In 2005, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration instituted a new regulation requiring that pilots who fly it complete a specialized training program. Gosselin had taken that training, the safety board said. Though the aircraft can be flown by one pilot, Labourel had come along on the flight to assist. Cunningham said the investigation so far has underscored two concerns the need for stabilized approaches and the benefit of flight data recorders on board aircraft. Though not required by law, the MU-2 was equipped with a lightweight recording system that has provided critical understanding to the events leading up to the crash information that otherwise would not have been available. Though larger commercial aircraft carry flight data and voice recorders, the safety board has previously recommended that all commercial planes be required to have some form of data recording system. Read more about: SHARE: HALIFAXWhether theyre at a desk or on the couch, anyone with an interest in visiting the windswept dunes of Nova Scotias remote Sable Island can now do so without getting sand in their shoes. Parts of the crescent-shaped island, situated roughly 290 kilometres southeast of Halifax, can now be seen on Google Street View. From Google Maps, one click triggers a dizzying switch from the generic blue and green shapes of the map to crisp, 360-degree photographic images. Dozens of seals can be seen lounging in the white sand and blue surf on the expansive shoreline, and horses nibble on sparse grass among the shifting sand dunes. An onscreen x guides the user through a short stroll around a portion of the islands midsection, with breathtaking views in all directions but especially out over the Atlantic. Danielle Hickey of Parks Canada said the 42-kilometre long, 1.5-kilometre wide island isnt the first national park to appear on Google Street View, but she said its addition is especially unique and exciting because it is largely inaccessible to the general public. This seemed like a wonderful opportunity to allow people to connect to this very remote and also very special place, said Hickey in a phone interview on Thursday. Theyll see the beach, the Sable Island horses, seals, the Bald Dune which is a 90-foot high sand dune. It gives these incredible vistas and a full view out to the sea. Hickey said Parks Canada has been working with Google since 2013 to capture Canadian sites with Google Street View technology. Other such places that can be explored on street view include Kluane National Park and Reserve in Yukon, Forillon National Park in Quebec and the Pingo Canadian Landmark in Northwest Territories. Its a great way to help Canadians connect to our countrys majestic protected areas, said Hickey. To document Sable Island, a Parks Canada employee was trained to use the Google Trekker, a backpack with a camera system on top. The Trekker essentially did a loop of a section of the island, beginning at the south beach and making its way up to the north shore before passing freshwater ponds on its way back to the south shoreline. So when people go online, they can basically follow a path, said Hickey, adding that it happened to be a beautiful sunny day for the Trekkers visit to the island, once dubbed the Graveyard of the Atlantic. More than 350 vessels have been wrecked due to the rough seas, fog and submerged sandbars surrounding Sable Island. It was once inhabited by life-saving crews who rescued and recovered ship wrecks during the mid-19th to mid-20th century. Evidence of those early occupants everything from pots, pans and toiletries to stoves, bathtubs and horseshoes are sprinkled around the island and archeologists have been working to survey and document those artifacts in recent years. Read more about: SHARE: OTTAWACanadas army has the capacity to help its NATO allies deter Russia on Europes eastern border and launch a substantial United Nations peacekeeping mission, military officials and experts say. The governments decision last week to contribute 450 soldiers, light-armoured vehicles and other equipment to Latvia as part of a 1,000-strong multinational NATO force has raised questions about whether the Canadian Armed Forces can still make good on mounting a major UN peacekeeping mission, a core foreign policy goal of the Trudeau Liberals. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said Wednesday that containing the spread of terrorism across Africa is a consideration as Canada mulls where it will contribute to a UN peacekeeping mission. Sources say Mali, where the French are leading a UN mission that has seen at least 19 peacekeepers killed this year, is one destination under consideration. Sajjan and Foreign Affairs Stephane Dion insist Canada can mount a major UN peacekeeping mission. Now, the commander of the army, and a leading Canadian peacekeeping expert who is helping to advise the government, are both backing those political assertions. We will be able to deliver whatever the government wants us to do, said Lt.-Gen. Marquis Hainse, who turns over command of the army today to Lt.-Gen. Paul Wynnyk. Theres room to manoeuvre there, to contribute to somewhere else. But it wont be easy, said Walter Dorn, a professor at the Canadian Forces Staff College in Kingston. The NATO commitment puts a strain on the number of forces that are available for UN deployments, but I think we can do both, Dorn said. The benchmark for whats sustainable for a Canadian Armed Forces mission is essentially 3,000 military members deployed abroad at any given time, said Dorn, who cites the fact that a pool of 3,000 was needed for any given rotation to Kandahar in recent years, while a record 3,300 forces members served in UN peacekeeping missions in the early 1990s. Canada already has about 400 troops in Ukraine and Poland, and another 800 military personnel in Iraq and Kuwait, drawn mainly from special forces and the air force. That means Canada could supply up to 1,000 troops to a UN mission and not be stretched too thin, Dorn said. Numbers up to 1,000 are sustainable for many years. Peacekeeping missions, or peace operations, as the government now calls them, would likely draw heavily from the regular army. Hainse said the army is broken into three brigades of about 5,000 soldiers who rotate through a 36-month training cycle. The training cycle during the Afghanistan war was accelerated to 18 months, he said. The end of the combat mission in Afghanistan in 2011, and budget cuts, imposed in more recent years, resulted in the cycle being slowed. While Hainse said he wouldnt want to scale it back any further, the army can sustain many missions at once, he said. Theres enough flexibility there to be able to cover a lot, he said. Read more about: SHARE: In 2013, Mathur had written a letter to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alleging that Naik had links to terror organisations like the Lahkar-e-Taiba and was misusing foreign funds to conduct illegal religious conversions. By Indrajit Kundu: Kolkata based blogger Anand Mathur has expressed his disappointment over the lack of timely action by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. Speaking to India Today TV, Mathur claims no action was initiated against Zakir Naik despite the PMO's intervention over the alarms raised by him. In 2013, Mathur had written a letter to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alleging that Naik had links to terror organisations like the Lahkar-e-Taiba and was misusing foreign funds to conduct illegal religious conversions. Acknowledging Mathur's letter, the PMO had written to the MHA directing the then Home Secretary RK Singh to probe Naik's activities in March 2013. However, depite repeated follow-ups, Mathur says he received no response from the MHA which finally led him to give up. advertisement Q: What response did you get from the Prime Minister's Office when you wrote the letter in 2013? A: They acknowledged my letter so it gave me a feeling that they have an understanding that this is a serious issue. But after that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) did not respond at all, though they were clearly marked in the PMO's response. My repeated phone calls evoked no response from them, the media showed no activity on the MHA's part to control this growing menace, so I was very dejected that they did nothing about it. Q: Three years after you complained against Zakir Naik and his organisation, both under the government's scanner. How do you feel? A: I am very disappointed that it took so long. The other very disappointing thing is that he (Zakir Naik) is outside the country now. We are not even sure if he is going to come back ever. He can also play his victim card across the Muslim world. Q: You did a lot of research on Naik and his organisation. What were the main charges you levelled against him in your letter to the PMO? A: There were two main charges against him, one was that he had violated the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act because when you get foreign funding, you cannot use it for religious conversions. But Zakir Naik has been doing just that. There are several videos of him on YouTube where he is seen converting people. This calls for a cancellation of his license and taken to book. Another charge was that the Lashkar-e-Taiba website mentions his organisation Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and even has links directing to the IRF website. This is a very serious issue. Q: Naik is a very influential person so don't you think it is baffling how the central agencies did not trace his activities for so long? A: They knew about it and they should know. This is the work of all intelligence agencies, so he must be having some kind of protection he gets from the establishment. Thus such people should also be brought to book. There's definitely some kind of negligence and they did not do their job well. Q: It took one year for the MHA to respond to your letter, even after the PMO directing them to look into your complaint. Did you follow it up? advertisement A: I made innumerable calls, no body spoke to me. And it took them a year to even respond. I felt dejected and thought that we have to wait for a long time. Q: What do you have to say about the recent developments in the backdrop of the Dhaka terror attack? A: I think it is good that his activities have now come under scrutiny. My only regret is that he has already left the country. He should've been here and we should have nailed him early. Also Read Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's Bihar connection exposed Zakir Naik seeks support from Muslims on FB, Twitter against media trials EXPOSED: Zakir Naik's link to 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed --- ENDS --- A Canadian teacher convicted in Indonesia on child abuse charges marked the second anniversary of his detention on Thursday as his family called for an impartial review of his case. Neil Bantleman has maintained his innocence ever since he was accused of abusing three children at an international school in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. In February this year, Indonesias Supreme Court overturned a lower courts acquittal of Bantlemans charges and he was put back in prison with an 11-year sentence after being out of prison while his case was heard. The 47-year-old has called his case a complete miscarriage of justice and his lawyers are now preparing an application for a judicial review of the matter. We are focused on getting Neil out and that will happen, we know that for a fact, its just how long that will take, Bantlemans brother, Guy Bantleman told The Canadian Press in an interview. Were obviously frustrated that weve had to mark a two-year anniversary, but we are pleased that Neil is in good health and he is relatively safe and that we seem to be making some progress. Regular calls with the federal government and Global Affairs Canada for updates on Ottawas efforts, and the work being done for his judicial review are all seen as positive developments, Guy Bantleman said. Theyre all small steps but at least theyre moving in the right direction, he said, noting that working with the Liberal government after they were elected last fall appears to have made a difference. Better access, more proactive nature, more feedback, just taking steps to have this resolved. A panel appointed by Indonesias Supreme Court will look at Bantlemans arguments for a judicial review, his brother said. If that avenue eventually fails, Bantlemans family will shift its focus to petitioning for a presidential pardon and further diplomatic intervention. Its a situation of unsubstantiated accusations with no physical or medical evidence, and a trial that lacked transparency that has really led to this situation. In the Canadian and the U.S. judicial system we wouldnt even be talking about this, his brother said. We will continue to push for a fair and impartial judicial review process. The case has dragged through the Indonesian justice system since Bantleman was arrested in July 2014. He was first convicted and handed a 10 year prison sentence last April and then freed in August when the conviction was overturned. But Bantleman returned to prison earlier this year when the Indonesian Supreme Court quashed his acquittal and added a year to his sentence. At the time, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion issued a statement saying the government was deeply dismayed and shocked that the acquittal ruling was overturned. Bantlemans family has maintained that he was the victim of a corrupt Indonesian justice system. A peaceful demonstration was planned outside the Indonesian Consulate in Toronto and a vigil was planned in Calgary for Thursday evening to draw attention to Neil Bantlemans ordeal. Read more about: SHARE: OTTAWACanadian troops will soon be headed to Africa as the federal government makes plans for a new peacekeeping mission. Gen. Jonathan Vance, chief of defence staff, mentioned the coming deployment as he paid tribute to the work of the Canadian army during a change-of-command ceremony Thursday. The armys been preparing for the future. Weve seen a shift toward foundational training, preparing for a wide range of future tasks, Vance told dignitaries and military officers gathered in the rain on Parliament Hill. Internationally, the army is at the forefront, managing conflicts around the world, contributing to operations in Iraq, building capacity with allies and partners in Poland, Ukraine, and very soon in Africa. Vance offered no other details, but his comments come just a day after Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan confirmed that the Liberal government is committed to deploying soldiers on a peacekeeping mission, likely to Africa. Combating violent extremism, already the focus of Canadas mission in Iraq, could be the motivation for a new mission in Africa, notably Mali which has emerged as a likely destination for Canadian soldiers. Thats where a United Nations stabilization mission has been working with local forces in a deadly fight to contain Islamic extremists. Thursdays ceremony saw command of the Canadian army transferred to Lt.-Gen. Paul Wynnyk from Lt.-Gen. Marquis Hainse. In his address, Vance told Wynnyk the two shared a room at military college that his mission was to keep the army, agile, ready to be employed across the full spectrum of operations. Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Wynnyk said that the army has enough personnel for the missions at hand, but just where soldiers may go next is up to politicians to decide. Its hard to say where its most likely. Thats what the government of Canada will determine, he said. Having served on a number of peacekeeping missions myself, both in Africa and Asia, our outstanding troops can undertake missions like that anywhere, said Wynnyk, a 35-year veteran of the military. If and when the government decides they would like us to deploy somewhere, the army stands ready to prepare troops for that particular theatre. Retired military officer and defence analyst George Petrolekas has told the Star that the military could sustain a new deployment of between 600 and 1,000 soldiers, in addition to the commitments its fulfilling now. Vance said additional details would be coming soon about the just-announced deployment to Latvia, where Canada has pledged to supply 450 soldiers to assist with a NATO mission to bolster its presence in Eastern Europe. SHARE: OTTAWAThe Liberal government is considering proposals to deploy Canadian troops on a peacekeeping operation, likely to Africa, as part of its pledge that Canada is back on the world stage. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said Wednesday that defence planners are looking at various possibilities but signaled that soldiers could be destined to Africa to help curb Islamic extremists. We will be moving ahead on this because its very important to send a message to our multilateral partners that Canada will play a responsible role in the world, Sajjan told reporters in a conference call Wednesday. When we said we would be a responsible partner in the world, we meant it, he said. But just where and when the new deployment will occur is still being decided, he said. Were at the very early stages of making our actual assessments of where we need to put the right resources, Sajjan said. We are looking at all the various requests in the different regions. Canada already has some 800 military personnel in northern Iraq and Kuwait involved in the mission to help combat Daesh extremists. Another 470 troops are involved in missions in eastern Europe. At a meeting of the leaders of NATO leaders in Warsaw last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed Canadas commitment to dispatch 450 troops to Latvia as part of the alliances response to pushback against what it deems Russian aggression. But even with those commitments, the military still has the capacity to do more in the world, Sajjan said. We will have the flexibility to do more in peace operations, he said. In the fall election that swept them to power, the Liberals accused the Conservatives of scaling back Canadas contributions to international peace operations. As the number of violent conflicts in the world escalates, demand for international peace operations has never been greater, the Liberal platform declared. As of April, 2016, Canada had just 79 personnel dedicated to UN peace operations, ranking 73 out of 123 nations, according to the United Nations. Canadas long engagement in Afghanistan was guided by the so-called 3 Dsdevelopment, defence and diplomacy that emphasized assistance was more than just military action alone. Sajjan said a similar philosophy will shape the coming deployment as the Liberals seek to do more than just put boots on the ground but look to programs such as training police officers, improving the judicial system or shoring up government institutions. We need to have a meaningful impact. Its not just about going somewhere and providing troops, he said. Sajjan said the decision where to deploy could also be shaped by the need to curb the spread of Daesh extremism out of the Middle East. We need to look at the root causes of the problem, how certain radical groups will feed into other conflict zones, Sajjan said. Certain parts of the world . . . havent gotten the right amount of attention and thats why we are looking at Africa, he said. Any number of trouble spots beckon. Across Africa, potential deployments could include South Sudan, Central African Republic, Somalia and Congo. But George Petrolekas, a retired senior military officer and defence analyst, says Mali, where Canada has assisted French forces in the past, is a logical choice. Its no secret that the French have asked many times for more Canadian assistance, Petrolekas said in an interview Wednesday. Africa has been top of mind. Given existing deployments, he said the military could support a mission with up to 1,000 troops. Local forces in Mali, aided by foreign troops including the French, have been targeting Islamic extremists active in the former French colony. The French have deployed some 3,500 troops as well as fighter aircraft, drones and armoured vehicles into the region on a counter-terror mission known as Operation Barkhane. The United Nations has a stabilization mission in Mali involving more than 10,000 troops. In June, the United Nations agreed to add another 2,500 soldiers to the mission, which now ranks as the deadliest of its peace operations. In May, five Togolese peacekeepers serving on the UN mission were killed in an ambush. Sajjan spoke to reporters from Kuwait, where he visited with troops there and in neighbouring Iraq serving on Operation Impact to help combat Daesh. SHARE: The theory of relativity explains our universe. It also underpins a new doctors deal announced by Queens Park this week, following two years of open warfare between the rival healers at the Ministry of Health and the Ontario Medical Association. The appeal of relativity is that it offers certainty to physicists. Physicians and politicians, not so much. Ontarios relativity gap refers to the relative fees doled out to medical specialists at the top of the pay scale, versus family practitioners at the bottom end. In theory, relativity means recalibrating stark differences in the OHIP fee schedule to reflect advances in cutting edge medicine and traditional primary care. In practice (especially private practice), relativity spells trouble for highly paid specialists such as the 500 doctors earning more than $1 million a year in Ontario. Think of eye surgeons who earn millions of dollars for slicing and dicing your cornea in mere minutes, thanks to advances in laser technology. Ophthalmologists like to play dumb on this point, but you dont have to be a rocket scientist to see technological change occurring at warp speed while fees decline at a crawl if at all. How to persuade an overpaid medical specialist to give up his cushy fees so that an underpaid family doctor might be better compensated for spending more time with her patients? At stake is $11.5 billion in OHIP fees the biggest single item in a $50-billion health ministry, which soaks up the biggest share of the provincial budget. Divvying up those fees anew remains a daunting challenge. Especially for the Ontario Medical Association a fractious, factionalized quasi-union with a membership of 33,000 physicians accustomed to calling the shots at work. Doctors dont sing Solidarity Forever at OMA meetings. Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins, demonized by his fellow physicians after imposing unilateral clawbacks to fees, realized that future health reforms required buy-in from doctors. The OMAs newly elected president, pathologist Dr. Virginia Walley, looked at the moribund process with a fresh set of eyes and could see more clawbacks coming if she didnt do a deal. Despite its seductively soft advertising campaigns on bus shelters, and full-page appeals in newspapers, the OMA wasnt winning much public sympathy. Hoskins put doctors on the defensive last April by revealing that hundreds of specialists earned more than $1 million a year and sometimes much more. That little bit of divide and conquer putting the fat cats among the physician pigeons may have paid off. No one begrudges dedicated doctors earning a handsome income given their long years of medical training and indebtedness. Its worth repeating that the oft-quoted average gross payment of $368,000 a year is highly misleading, because significant overhead expenses reduce net compensation to little more than $225,000. But Ontarios 500 ophthalmologists typically take home double what the provinces roughly 16,000 family practitioners do. Many might have wondered why 2 per cent of OMA members were earning 10 per cent of the fees. Two-per-centers? We will see next month, when doctors vote on the tentative deal, whether proponents of relativity are in the majority. Its not going to be an easy conversation by any means, Walley said in an interview. We know that some fees are overvalued. On the other end of the spectrum, there are other fees that are undervalued. Hoskins has long known that if he is to get a grip on rising health-care spending with a growing and aging population, he must extend a hand to doctors who act as gatekeepers in the system. Disclosing the deal, he went out of his way to be conciliatory after two years of rivalry. No, this agreement is not a panacea, but it provides for a healthier process in trying to modernize an outdated health-care system. For all the propaganda emanating from both sides these last years that doctors were selflessly fighting for their patients, while politicians were fearlessly protecting the public interest we now have a fresh remedy from the rival doctors on either side of the battle. Not just relativity, but a new resolve to work jointly instead of unilaterally. Physicians, heal thyself. Martin Regg Cohns political column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. mcohn@thestar.ca , Twitter: @reggcohn SHARE: One man in his 20s has died and another is suffering from minor injuries following a drive-by shooting near Laura Rd. and Sheppard Ave. Wednesday afternoon, police say. Police responded to a call about the sound of gunshots at around 4:50 p.m. According to police, the caller indicated that the occupants of two vehicles were seen shooting at one another; about eight to 10 shots were heard. Police later confirmed that at least one vehicle fired at another vehicle that was carrying two occupants, both in their 20s. Upon arrival in the area, west of Downsview Park and east of Highway 400, police found a car with multiple bullet holes and the two men inside. Police say the second vehicle had fled the scene. One man in his 20s was transported to the trauma centre with life-threatening wounds, according to paramedics. He later succumbed to his injuries. Paramedics say the second male, also in his 20s, suffered from minor injuries. According to police from 31 Division, the two men seem to be related. Police are investigating the shooting and are canvassing the area. There is still no information on the second vehicle described by police as a black motor vehicle. Police say it was last seen heading eastbound on Sheppard Ave. More to come. SHARE: The man shot to death in a car in North York Wednesday afternoon has been identified as 20-year-old Abdirizak Hersi. Toronto Polices homicide unit has taken over the investigation of the daylight slaying that also left Hersis cousin who was with him in the same car that was riddled with bullets with minor injuries. Police responded to a call about the sound of gunshots near Laura Rd. and Sheppard Ave. at around 4:50 p.m. According to police, the caller indicated that the occupants of two vehicles were seen shooting at one another; about eight to 10 shots were heard Upon arrival in the area, west of Downsview Park and east of Highway 400, police found a car with multiple bullet holes and the two men inside. Police say the second vehicle had fled the scene. Hersi was transported to the trauma centre with life-threatening wounds, according to paramedics. He later succumbed to his injuries, becoming Torontos 37th homicide. Police told media on scene that the two men were cousins. Police are investigating the shooting and are canvassing the area. There is still no information on the second vehicle described by police only as a black motor vehicle. Police say it was last seen heading eastbound on Sheppard. They are asking anyone with information on the incident to contact police at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477). SHARE: A woman says she was hit by a Beck taxi driver who then drove off, leaving her injured on the street. Yael Gottesman was crossing the intersection of Queen St. and University Ave. in her wheelchair on June 25, when she said a taxi, turning right, came out of nowhere and hit her. I didnt realize I had been hit until after the fact when I saw the cab on the right side of my wheelchair, Gottesman said. Rather than stopping to check on her, Gottesman said the driver kept going. A witness chased after the cab and briefly spoke to the driver, and took down the licence plate, before the cab drove away, she said. I was scared and shocked. I couldnt believe he had just driven off. I was shaking, she said. Though she had no serious injuries, Gottesman went to the hospital to get checked out for some minor pain. (The wheelchair wasnt substantially damaged.) After that, she filed a police report, and contacted Beck taxi. The company first told her they couldnt trace the plate number back to a Beck driver, but apologized for the incident. In a statement, Beck spokesperson Kristine Hubbard confirmed Beck has since identified the driver and forwarded the information to Toronto Police. Hubbard also said the companys GPS system showed the driver remained on the scene. She wouldnt confirm whether the driver had been suspended, only saying they always suspend drivers pending an investigation after a serious report. Beck did run an internal investigation and appropriate measures have been taken, Hubbard said. Toronto Police spokesperson Const. Caroline de Kloet said police had opened an investigation into the incident, but wouldnt say whether charges had been laid or would be in the future. The investigation was ongoing, de Kloet said. Gottesman said shes unhappy with the lack of information. He could still be out there driving, for all I know, she said. He doesnt know what he did to me. SHARE: Alicia Taylor was heading home from a friends birthday party a rare night out for the 24-year-old single mother when she was suddenly attacked and slashed twice across the face by a stranger. She blacked out, and when she woke up she was in hospital and had lost a litre and a half of blood in the attack, which happened near Pape and Danforth Aves. Then a wonderful thing happened. Moved by Taylors story, a Facebook group of Toronto mothers rallied around the young mom and her five-month-old son, giving her food, gifts and offers of child care. I was in disbelief, Taylor said of the unexpected show of support. But that was just the beginning. In the week afterward, Taylor said she received dozens of Facebook messages from strangers who had heard of the attack. Tiffanie Yarema was among them. Yarema, a 32-year-old mother of two, read about Taylor in the news and immediately wanted to help. She enlisted the assistance of East Toronto Young Mothers, an online community of new parents in east Toronto. She explained the mothers group had provided her with incredible support since she joined six months ago, help that compelled her to reach out. It really inspired me to do something, Yarema said. Within minutes of posting on the groups Facebook page, there was an overwhelming response. Yarema quickly organized several drop-off points across the city to collect gifts for Taylor. Taylor said that of all the messages she received, Yaremas stood out. She came right out and said, Were having a fundraiser for you, and asked when she could deliver donations, Taylor explained. On Sunday, Yarema picked up Taylor and drove her to Shore Leave bar on the Danforth, where the moms got to meet Taylor and present her with the donations. Some of them tried so hard to get there, Yarema said, explaining that two moms took rotating shifts watching their sleeping children so they could both attend. Most of them wanted to give her a hug, Yarema said of Taylor. She carries herself with such grace. For her part, Taylor said that she was in awe of all the offers of help. I feel so supported by women that I dont know, that Ive never met, she said. According to Yarema, such an outpouring of support is typical for the East Toronto group. Created by Emily Weinmann in 2012, East Toronto Young Mothers provides a platform to share advice, support and resources. I saw a massive lack of support for modern parenting . . . theres no village any more, Weinmann said, explaining that the group includes fathers and same-sex couples and is open to anyone raising young children. Since its inception, the groups membership has grown from one person Weinmann to more than 2,500 and currently has 800 names on a waiting list. I needed people, and boy, did I get them, Weinmann said with a laugh. The group is one of many for young parents, but according to Yarema, this one is different. There is a huge sense of kindness and compassion, she said. I feel like its 2,400 of my best friends in one group. Group members offer advice and words of encouragement, frequently dropping off food and gifts at each others houses often for complete strangers. Its a beautiful, pay-it-forward community, Weinmann said. Yarema attributes the groups strength to Weinmann, whom she says really puts her heart and soul into it. Weinmann constantly reviews members posts and discussions, ensuring there is no judgment within the group. As of Wednesday, police said no suspect has been identified in the slashing attack on Taylor. But Taylor said the support of the group has made all the difference in the coping with the aftermath. It was a blessing, she said. A complete blessing. SHARE: Revelers can do almost anything at Canadas Wonderland: surge in a train car at highway speed down a near-vertical incline, swoop on a gargantuan swing, scarf down pounds of bulk candy and free-fall 70 metres while strapped in a chair. But if youre gay and you hug your partner? Not so fast, apparently. Barrett Morrison and Brandon Hamilton went to the Vaughan amusement park on June 18 to mark the annual Gay Day at Wonderland, organized this year by advocacy group PFLAG and Pride Toronto. Waiting in line for the Lazy River, Morrison said he and his partner hugged as any couple might on such an occasion. Apparently somebody didnt like that. Morrison said they were approached by a Wonderland worker who told them there was a complaint. The worker asked them to stop hugging and said we should check our behaviour because its a family park, Morrison said. The parks general manager has since apologized to the couple and has reiterated the importance of the incident to employees several times, according to spokesperson Soulla Lindo. She said the staffer in question has not been disciplined because they havent been able to figure out who it was. All we were doing was hugging, Morrison, 37, recalled in an interview. Its not like we had our hands down each others pants. It was just natural touching like any other couple in the park. The magic thats supposed to happen at Canadas Wonderland was lost to us, he added. It didnt exactly ruin the day, but it put a dark taint on it. Morrison said they told off the employee at the time, and the worker promptly backed down and apologized. But the bad taste from the interaction lingered, so they wrote to Wonderland general manager Norm Pirtovshek to express their disappointment. That prompted a written apology and an assurance that discrimination is not tolerated at the park, according to an email that Morrison provided to the Star. Pirtovshek was not available for an interview Tuesday, but park spokesperson Lindo called the no-hugging request an isolated incident, and said Wonderland has hosted the PFLAG group for the past 10 years without any issues. But we do understand the sensitivity, and are taking this matter very seriously as we do not tolerate discrimination here at the park, Lindo said. She added that all of the parks 4,000 employees receive human rights training. Anne Creighton, president of PFLAG in Toronto, called the incident discouraging and devastating, and contended that it shows the parks staff training hasnt worked well enough. Staff need to go under some sort of sensitivity training so that they understand that this is Canada and people are allowed to openly show affection, she said. That customers didnt like seeing two men hug is their problem. It doesnt require park enforcement. Morrison, meanwhile, said that even though his anger from the confrontation has waned, he still believes he should speak out. Its not a huge ordeal. Its not like we were assaulted or kicked out, Morrison said. Its just the point, the point that that s--- shouldnt happen from an employee of a major corporation. SHARE: Who is the masked bride? Spotted around Toronto in a wedding gown and white mask, the woman pens troubled notes about a prince turned into a monster and drops them around the cityscape. The letters, dated and addressed To Whom It May Concern, seem to revolve around her former partner and the drugs, the alcohol, the women he allegedly abused. I fear for the other women you will meet in your lifeIt gives me nightmares, reads one letter dated July 16 and written in a downtown coffee shop. The emotional notes whether earnest or performance art, or both speak to the complex nature of abusive relationships, with the author admitting she is still in love with her ex. You are also the man who draws baths, gives massages, runs errandsinvents delicious dishes based on my whims of the moment, watches rom-coms snuggling late into the night. The man supposedly runs several restaurants. He pursued almost every woman in his three restaurants for eight years and I never knew. The letters allege worse, accusing the man, whose identity is unclear, of sexual assault and drug-induced rape. The would-be brides heart-stricken notes take on a poetic tone at times, alluding to caddish characters out of Jane Austen novels like John Willoughby and George Wickham. I am helpless, so helpless to help protect any of your future victims and I am sorry for that, the most recent letter concludes. I will forge on. Mike Bates caught her veil from the corner of his eye as he was driving south on Ossington toward Dundas around 12:30 a.m. Monday. I almost crashed my car when I saw her, he told the Star. Eight hours earlier, Jesse Hair watched the blank-faced bride sit down and break out her pen on the Bloor line near Bathurst station. I might be in an old Dr Who episode, he tweeted at the time. He emerged with a positive take on the encounter Thursday. It can be really fun to see something truly surprising when youre just going about your business, he said. The Weird Toronto Facebook group posted a photo of the mysterious woman July 10, with other members commenting theyd seen her around town. A bridal manifesto? asked one Facebook commenter. Live art performance? posted another. A third accused her of littering. One letter warning of the Bad Seed dates back to June 30. Its not clear whether the masked matron shes been spotted from Christie station to Yonge and Queens Quay is one person or several, garbed in the same mask and bridal gown. Have you seen the masked bride? Do you know her identity? Contact Star reporter Chris Reynolds at creynolds@thestar.ca or tweet photos @ChrisAReynolds on Twitter. SHARE: An editorial titled Blustering US a paper tiger in S China Sea in the state-run Global Times said that the US has voiced the strongest support for the verdict against China on Tuesday by The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. By Press Trust of India: Branding the US and Japan as "paper tigers" and "eunuchs," China's state media today said that the military should remain ready for "counter attack" if American warships hold exercises near islands claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea to enforce the UN-backed tribunals verdict. An editorial titled Blustering US a paper tiger in S China Sea in the state-run Global Times said that the US has voiced the strongest support for the verdict against China on Tuesday by The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. advertisement The US has said that the award was legally binding. Part of the ruling Communist Party publications, the daily is known of its nationalistic rhetoric. WHAT THE EDITORIAL SAID More politicians and congressmen from the House and Senate have also made fiercer remarks, demanding regular challenges to Chinas excessive maritime claims through naval and air patrols. Japans stance is precisely the same as that of the US, as if they have discussed their lines. The tabloid daily said that on the contrary the attitude of the Philippines - which filed the petition against China at the tribunal - is relatively mild as it called for restraint. An old Chinese saying goes the emperor doesnt worry but his eunuch does, meaning the outsider is more anxious than the player. In this case, Washington and Tokyo are the worrying eunuchs," it said. The calls for the use of force have only been heard when the US clamoured to safeguard the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, which mirrors that the US hasnt made the determination to use the arbitration for a showdown with China in the waters. The Peoples Liberation Army should enhance its military deployment in the waters of the Nansha Islands (Spratly islands) and be fully prepared to counterattack if the US makes further provocations. We do not wish for any direct confrontation or friction between the military powers. But if Washington insists on doing so, we will never flinch. The strongly-worded editorial came as China asserted that it would not abide by the verdict, which quashed its claims on parts of the South China Sea on the basis of historic rights. It said many Chinese scholars believe that after the final award, the issue will gradually cool down. If there are no big moves from Manila, Washington and Tokyo, the case will literally become nothing but a piece of paper it said. China yesterday flew two civilian aircraft to assert its claims to the artificial islands built in the disputed area. It successfully tested two new airfields on the disputed islands with civil flights a day after an international tribunal struck down Beijings claims over the region. With this the number of airfields open to civil aircraft has gone up to three, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. China claims almost all of the South China Sea over which the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have rival claims. Another state-run newspaper China Daily called the verdict a "travesty of international justice". "Washington has been so uneasy, and eager to contain Chinas rise. All the fanfare stirred up in the South China Sea, in essence, is part of that strategy," it said. --- ENDS --- QUERETARO, MEXICOA Mexican lawyer who denounced her countrys human rights record last month in advance of the Three Amigos summit in Ottawa says authorities have taken away her bodyguards in retaliation. Brenda Rangel Ortiz visited Ottawa a week before the official visit of President Enrique Pena Nieto for the North America leaders summit to share the story of her brothers disappearance, and of the pain and suffering of the families of Mexicos 27,000 disappeared. On July 6, less than two weeks after she returned to her home in Queretaro, two officials with the protection unit of the Attorney Generals Agency of Criminal Investigation came in person to say her bodyguards in place since 2013 were being withdrawn. That same day, state officials told her they were closing the investigation into her brothers case. I am very worried about my future safety, said Rangel, crying at her desk in her cramped law office, above a clothing store. This is an act of repression and an attempt to obstruct my search for the truth about my brother, and other cases of disappeared. Rangel, who is five months pregnant, has taken refuge in a hotel. Amnesty International said in a statement released Wednesday that it is deeply concerned that Rangels protection has been suddenly and inexplicably discontinued and is calling on the Mexican government to reverse the decision. That this comes in the aftermath of the release from prison of two police officers held in connection with the disappearance of her brother is doubly troubling, said Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada. This leaves Brenda exposed to danger and has caused her considerable distress and anxiety. Rangel was part of a delegation to Canada sponsored by Amnesty International to highlight the issues of violence, corruption and injustice in Mexico and pressure Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss these problems with their NAFTA partner Pena Nieto. Rangel, her husband and two young children have had state protection since 2013, following repeated death threats and acts of intimidation from both cartel members and state officials. As the founder of Desaparecidos Justicia, Rangel pressures federal and state officials to investigate cases of forcibly disappeared people. Of the 43 families she works with, eight have found missing relatives alive and five have found human remains in unmarked graves (their identities confirmed through DNA testing). The rest, like Rangel, are still searching for loved ones. Why is the Mexican government leaving ordinary citizens like me without any protection when I am doing the work the state should be doing? Rangel said. This week, she went to the office of the deputy attorney general for human rights, in Mexico City, to formally request her bodyguards be reinstated. It is out of my hands, Rangel was told. The Star did not receive comment from Pena Nietos international media office by late Wednesday night. The Star also raised Rangels case with the Agency of Criminal Investigation in Mexico City but did not receive a response. Rangel said her 27-year-old brother, Hector Rangel Ortiz, disappeared on Nov. 10, 2009, in Monclova, in the state of Coahuila. Earlier that day, she said the family received a call from Hector, saying police had impounded his car. The Rangel family began their own investigation, finding that a drug cartel had likely taken their brother. During her visit to Canada, Rangel said: This is something that the government doesnt like. They dont like people who are trying to make the truth visible or who, in their eyes, would throw dirt in Mexicos beautiful face. The three amigos In 1994, Canada, Mexico and the United States signed the North American Free Trade Agreement, creating one of the worlds largest free trade zones. The North America region has a combined population of almost 530 million and the three countries are amongst each others largest trading partners and sources of foreign investment. In 2015, North American trilateral merchandise trade amounted to $1.3 trillion. The combined GDP has more than doubled over the past two decades to $26.2 trillion today. Read more about: SHARE: Since the Brexit vote on June 23, British politics has been in meltdown. Its forced out the Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, brought intense pressure on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and ended or suspended the careers of successful Brexit leaders Nigel Farage and Michael Gove. Like the final act of Hamlet, virtually all the principal players have fallen, with the survivors awaiting the arrival of their new leader. After a dizzying couple of weeks, it turns out that this will be Theresa May. May, who has built a career out of keeping her head down, has kept her head down all the way to 10 Downing Street. She was home secretary until taking over as prime minister Wednesday. She rations her public pronouncements carefully and is not even particularly well-known in her own country. That is not simply a result of preferring a low profile: May has calculated, correctly as it happens, that the route to the top of the greasy pole lies in determined pursuit of an objective. Mays talent for quiet steeliness was in evidence during what proved to be the final few days before her victory. Voting among Conservative MPs left two candidates for the leadership: May and the far less politically experienced Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom. Party rules called for an election among party members, the results of which were not expected until September. Over the weekend, however, Leadsoms campaign imploded following some ill-judged remarks by her about the political virtues of motherhood. I dont really know Theresa very well, Leadsom said. But genuinely I feel that being a mom means you have a very real stake in the future of our country. (May is childless.) May made no high-profile riposte. Meanwhile, social media tarred and feathered her opponent. On Monday, Leadsom threw in the sponge. The episode epitomized Mays ability to sit back and watch rivals hoist themselves with their own petard. Born in Sussex, the daughter of an Anglican clergyman, May is a change from Bullingdon club-raised elites like Cameron and Boris Johnson. After attending a Roman Catholic primary school she went to state-funded grammar school, and then studied geography at Oxford. Her parents died when she was in her mid-twenties, and she has no siblings. Her marriage is reportedly very happy. She has eminently sensible hobbies, such as walking and cooking. Mays ambition has expressed itself over the years less in overt lobbying for herself than through diligence and professionalism. She rose rapidly to become the Tory Partys first female chairman (the posts title is so gendered), and progressed through various shadow portfolios during the partys lean years until she was made home secretary in 2010. By common consent, the Home Office is a career graveyard. Few incumbents survive more than two or three years. The brief requires an ability to juggle many balls at once. Careers can be derailed by a single misjudgment in a deportation case, negligence in a terrorist attack, or ill-judged intervention in social policy. May managed to chalk up six years over the two Cameron administrations, building her the reputation for competence that is her defining trait. Throughout, May bided her time, managing to remain just high-profile enough to be consistently mentioned as a possibility to become prime minister. She has picked up a few enemies but has managed, without being much loved, at least to avoid having inspired a Stop May campaign in the leadership stakes. During the Referendum campaign, May was hardly delirious in favour of Remain far less so, for instance, than the chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne, another one who was once touted as a future PM but who has since become untenable. By keeping quiet while nominally backing government policy May has dodged the blame for its failure, even though much of the debate on security, cross-border policing and counterterrorism falls squarely within the Home Secretarys brief. A low profile suits both Mays austere, no-nonsense personality and her political ambition: Her one concession to personality is an ever so slightly vampish taste in shoes, a favourite being her leopard-print heels. May will be Britains second woman prime minister, but the inevitable Comparisons with Margaret Thatcher are not wholly to the point. They are both daughters of lower-middle class parents who went to grammar school, and then to Oxford. But May is no Thatcher-like ideologue. May is a pragmatic, largely unideological one nation Tory that phrase evoking the idea that Conservatives have a duty of care towards the worst-off; that what works is more important than ideological rigour. As with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, this pragmatism extends to the effortlessly executed backtrack: As recently as April, she was calling to withdraw the U.K. from the European Convention on Human Rights; last week, when launching her bid for the top job, May changed her mind. She pitches herself as a workhorse someone who is not a showy politician, who doesnt go drinking in Parliaments bars, but just get(s) on with the job at a time when the (mostly) men around her are either knifing one another or committing seppuku. In a famous speech in 2002, as the new chair of the Conservative party, she said that the Tories had lost power because they were perceived as the Nasty party, saying that label could be shrugged only by avoiding behaviour and attitudes that play into the hands of our opponents. No more glib moralizing, no more hypocritical finger-wagging. The speech made her reputation, but May is not above a bit of nastiness herself. She condoned the detention in 2013 of journalist Glenn Greenwalds partner David Miranda under the Terrorism Act. And in 2011, May, who has taken a hard line against immigration, implied falsely that a foreigner had been permitted to stay in the U.K. simply because he owned a cat, using the case as an example for why the British Human Rights Act had gone too far. (For that, May found herself slapped down by the Royal Courts of Justice, who said that the cat had nothing to do with the decision.) In the launch event for her leadership campaign, staged before Johnson flamed out, she mocked her rivals negotiating skills, whose one achievement, May said, was to secure the city of London three nearly-new water cannon from Germany in 2014 to help control unrest (the cannon, never used, are now slated to be sold off). Like all home secretaries she has extended the ludicrous hard line on drugs, in ways both silly a 2014 ban on khat, for instance and sinister: she allegedly tried to alter the contents of a government report that came to the conclusion that tough laws had no effect on drug use. Mays premiership will be focused on the issue that brought her to power, and felled so many before her. Those who believe May a nominal Remainer will find a way to keep Britain within the European Union are likely to be disappointed. Brexit means Brexit, she said on the campaign trail and she reiterated the point on Monday. The immediate question is when to triggering the EUs article 50, which initiates the two-year process of separation. May has said there will be no early election. But even if she goes to the country before the scheduled date of 2020, it will surely not be before the Brexit talks are well underway. By all accounts, she will play hardball in the negotiations. In a much-cited and supposedly impromptu remark recorded by Sky TV, the Tory grandee Kenneth Clarke described May as bloody difficult. May has since turned the remark into a quip, pledging to turn her talents for being difficult against European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, in service of the issue whose success or failure will define her time in office. Read more about: SHARE: LONDON Hes insulted everyone from the president of the United States to the people of Papua New Guinea. Now the remarkably undiplomatic Boris Johnson, his political career miraculously revived, has become Britains top diplomat. The reaction to his surprise appointment as foreign secretary in British Prime Minister Theresa Mays new Conservative Cabinet has been swift and blunt: His French counterpart called him a liar, the Germans say hes irresponsible, and a British legislator believes its the worst political appointment since Roman emperor Caligula made his horse a senator. And those are Britains allies talking. May came to power with a reputation for acting with careful calculation, but with her choice of the voluble, publicity-craving Johnson as Britains representative on the world stage, she appears to have thrown her customary caution to the winds. Instead of choosing a team player, May chose a politician who prides himself on being different. So different he insulted President Barack Obama by making fun of his ancestry. So tone deaf he also wrote an extremely vulgar limerick about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, using debasing sexual imagery to mock the leader of a mostly Muslim country. Johnson, 52, was a prominent leader of the successful leave campaign to take Britain out of the European Union who harboured his own leadership hopes, making him a factor for May to deal with as the new prime minister tries to unify the sharply divided Conservative Party. But her decision to put Johnson on the world stage dealing with foreign leaders is raising questions, largely because of Johnsons propensity for saying exactly wrong thing at the wrong time, sometimes in the most provocative way. In France, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault Thursday branded his British counterpart a liar. Did you all see what his style was like through the campaign? He lied a lot to the British. Now, its him with his back against the wall to defend his country and to clarify his relationship with Europe, Ayrault said. The French minister said he needs a negotiating partner who is clear, credible and reliable for the upcoming negotiations on Britains stated desire to leave the 28-nation EU. Others took a more conciliatory view with the belief that Johnson as foreign secretary would be more temperate than his previous incarnations as Johnson the journalist, Johnson the legislator or Johnson the London mayor. Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed inclined to let bygones be bygones even though Johnson had described him as a ruthless and manipulative tyrant and suggested he looked like a Harry Potter character, the wizened elf Dobby. The burden of his current position will undoubtedly, certainly, lead him to use a bit different rhetoric, of a more diplomatic nature, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. When it comes to U.S. Democrats and Republicans, Johnson seems an equal opportunity offender. There was no word from Hillary Clintons camp on whether she had forgiven his 2007 description of her as resembling a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital. And Donald Trump didnt indicate his feelings about Johnsons statement that he would avoid certain parts of New York City because of the real risk of meeting Donald Trump. After Obama in April said he hoped that Britons would vote to stay in the EU, Johnson described Americas first black president as a part-Kenyan with an ancestral dislike of the British Empire. Many British commentators questioned the wisdom of insulting the leader of Britains most important ally. As a newspaper columnist, Johnson used a derogatory term for black children when describing people in the Commonwealth and characterized people from Papua New Guinea as cannibals. While in Parliament, he offended an entire British city when he complained that people from Liverpool were wallowing in victim status after one of their own was taken hostage and slain in Iraq. In a bizarre twist, Johnson has also offered unusual praise for Syrian leader Bashar Assad, calling him a vile dictator but hailing the success of his forces in beating back Islamic State extremists. Johnson has apologized many times for a string of insensitive comments dating back to his early days in journalism, and he seems likely to do so again he said after his surprise appointment that the United States of America will be in the front of the queue for his next apology. His language was an apparent reference to Obamas earlier warning that Britain would be in the back of the queue for those seeking trade agreements with the United States if it left the 28-nation EU. When Johnson returned to his London home after the appointment, a neighbour placed a sign next to his house saying: SORRY WORLD. Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said he could not believe Johnson will now represent Britain abroad. He said Johnson must first apologize to Obama and then apologize to EU leaders for saying their plans for Europe were similar to Adolf Hitlers. At this incredibly important time that will determine Britains economic and cultural relations with Europe, it is extraordinary that the new prime minister has chosen someone whose career is built on making jokes, Farron said. The cheerful, extroverted Johnson has had some notable successes. He was seen as an effective cheerleader for London during his stint as mayor, a tenure that included the successful 2012 Summer Olympics. After the leave campaign scored a surprise victory in the June 23 referendum, he seemed well positioned to succeed David Cameron as prime minister. But he was undercut by key ally Michael Gove, who pronounced Johnson unfit to serve and ran unsuccessfully for party leader himself. The treachery left Johnson out of the Conservative leadership race. In another seemingly political disaster, Johnson then announced he supported Mays challenger to become the next prime minister, not the home secretary herself. Mays move bravery or folly, time will tell means Johnson will be able to command TV news coverage with a series of foreign trips. But how he moulds his new job is anyones guess. Foreign secretaries in Britain have traditionally stayed in a supporting role, refraining from saying anything remotely off-the-cuff or contentious but that may be a stretch too far for Johnson. I wish it was a joke but I fear it isnt, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt tweeted at the news of Johnsons appointment. Read more about: SHARE: Brazils list of pre-Olympic woes is getting longer. In addition to a political system in chaos, an economy in crippling recession and a public health crisis around Zika virus, new data suggests petty crime in Rio de Janeiro is on the rise. Muggings rose 14 per cent citywide from January to May, according to the most recent data. In parts of the city, its been much worse: The region that includes downtown business district is reporting a 26 per cent increase in street crime. In and around the Copacabana beach area, its up 44 per cent. Rio has long been notorious for purse-snatching, pick-pocketing and mobile phone theft. More than 48,700 muggings took place in Rio last year, nearly three times the number reported by New York, which has 30 per cent more residents. A slew of YouTube videos capture some of the brazen muggings that take place downtown on a regular basis. Olympians have not been immune, and recent assaults have brought new attention to the citys crime. A group of Spanish sailors were assaulted at gunpoint while they were training on-site in May. The Australian Olympic team called on the Rio 2016 organizing committee to increase security for athletes after a pair of Paralympics athletes were mugged in June. The authorities have promised to protect the expected influx of hundreds of thousands of Olympic visitors by putting 85,000 police and military personnel in important corridors, venues and tourist areas. Soldiers in https://www.thestar.com/sports/2016/07/09/brazilian-soldiers-in-camouflage-begin-patrolling-rio-olympic-venues.html camouflage fatigues END have already been stationed at places like the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, where rowing events will take place and a known target for small-scale criminals. Its less clear how they will guarantee the safety of those who wander off the beaten path and Cariocas who live outside Olympic areas. Paradoxically, the situation may worsen for some locals, said Robert Muggah, a security analyst at the Igarape Institute in Rio de Janeiro. Were going to see a significant police redeployment from some of these hot-spot areas. Petty crime aside, Rio is a far less violent place than it used to be, and one of the Brazils safer cities when it comes to violent crime. The murder rate in the capital dropped by about half to 18.5 per 100,000 people in the last decade, making it safer, statistically speaking, than New Orleans or St. Louis. The drop corresponded in part with an economic boom that lifted tens of millions of Brazilians out of poverty. It also coincided with the rise of a program of aggressive policing in the poor, hillside communities known as favelas. Those efforts often resulted in violent confrontations between gang members and police, and the program, known as pacification, has been losing popular support amid concerns about police brutality. A Human Rights Watch report last week said police in Rio state have killed more than 8,000 people in the past decade, many of them in the informal settlements. We need real political courage to take on structural reforms, said Muggah, the security expert. Public security is a holistic exercise. It requires a huge investment in prevention, as well as law enforcement. Read more about: SHARE: EXETER, N.H.An elite New Hampshire prep school says it has grave concern about the reported assault of a female student and the way it in which it was initially resolved: with the male student accused of groping her having to bake bread for her as an act of weekly penance. The Boston Globe reported Wednesday the 17-year-old girl told two Phillips Exeter Academy deans in the fall about her allegations. She later met with a campus minister, the Rev. Robert Thompson, and the boy. Thompson urged her to reconcile with the student and having him do penance by bringing her weekly batches of his bread, which he baked and sold on campus, the newspaper reported. The girl first agreed to the arrangement, but eventually felt additional stress by seeing the student every week, the Globe reported. She went to police in May. The male student, Chukwudi Ikpeazu, 18, of Parkland, Florida, is scheduled to be arraigned on a misdemeanour sexual assault charge on Aug. 16. His attorney declined to comment to the Globe and did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press on Thursday. Phillips Exeter spokeswoman Robin Giampa said in statement Thursday that this incident and the manner in which it was handled, which left one of our students feeling that she was not well served, are both of grave concern to the leadership of the school. She added: This case is in the hands of legal authorities who are still investigating, and we dont yet have all the facts. As a result, we cannot comment further, other than to say we approach this investigation with humility, openness and a sincere desire to improve. Exeter Police Chief Bill Shupe said his department is working with the Rockingham County Attorneys office on all aspects of the investigation. The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests has called for Thompson to be fired, saying he made an arrogant, self-serving and perhaps illegal decision to stay silent about a sexual assault and take it upon himself to fashion a ridiculous agreement that minimized the horror experienced by the girl. Thompson didnt immediately return a phone message left Thursday. The Portsmouth Herald reported that hundreds of alumni have signed an open letter to the schools board of trustees that says the administration is more focused on concealing sexual assault than on addressing it, more interested in favourable press coverage than in the health of its students. This year, two teachers at Phillips Exeter acknowledged sexual misconduct and a former admissions officer pleaded not guilty to sexual abuse charges. Police are investigating other accusations. SHARE: It was not unusual for the two alligators to lurk in the pond behind Fire Station 3 in Reedy Creek, Fla. Neither reptile was full-grown one was a young juvenile and the other was about 4 or 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 metres) long, whereas an adult male American alligator can stretch to about 11 feet (3.3 metres). Perhaps it was the gators smallish size. Perhaps it was ignorance about the dangers of feeding alligators. Whatever the reason, two Reedy Creek firefighters were spotted giving the predators food. Reedy Creek is the tax district, the equivalent of a county government, for Walt Disney World Resort. Fire Station 3 sits just outside the Magic Kingdom, to the west of Splash Mountain. It is about half a mile from Seven Seas Lagoon, which curves around Disneys Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. There, two months after the firefighters were admonished for feeding the animals, a gator thought to be between 4 and 7 feet (1.2 to 2.1 metres) long fatally attacked a boy wading in the lagoon. Claude Rogers, a communications captain, had warned that staff needed to stop giving food to the animals, in an email obtained by the Orlando Sentinel. It was brought to our attention firefighters are feeding the alligators (this is illegal), Rogers wrote on April 20. The communicators have found [one alligator] by the station, near the dumpster, and where they park their cars. As you can imagine this is making the communicators nervous because they are fearful of walking to their car and their leg becoming dinner. We have notified Animal Control to remove the alligator. In the interim could you ask your crews to stop feeding the gator. This was on the heels of another email from Dan Lewis, a Fire Station 3 dispatcher, who complained that the animals were scampering into the parking lot. WE are the ones who have to walk in that parking lot every day and in the dark, said Lewis in an email, per the Sentinel. They are not docile gators, they are mean and they are out looking for food because people are feeding them. Its getting uncomfortable, he wrote. Two months later, for the first time in Disney World history and a rare event in all of Florida an alligator killed a child, a Nebraskan boy visiting with his family. On a Tuesday night in June, an alligator ambushed a 2-year-old boy, Lane Graves, who was wading in the artificial lagoon very close to shore. Matt Graves, Lanes father, attempted to save his son from the animal, believed to be between 4 and 7 feet long. But it succeeded in pulling Lane into the dark water. During the attempted rescue in the lagoon, Matt was bitten by a second alligator, requiring antibiotics and stitches. In the wake of the tragedy, Disney installed warning signs about the presence of alligators and snakes, and removed crocodilian characters. Lanes parents sought privacy. It is not apparent if the firefighter feedings in the station pond, which is an isolated body of water, are connected to the June attack. But avoiding attacks like this are one reason it is illegal to feed alligators in Florida. No person shall intentionally feed, or entice with feed, any crocodilian unless held in captivity under a permit issued by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission according to a Florida rule. Crocodilians, which include alligators, are instinctively wary of people. When people feed gators, however, the animals may lose their fear of humans. So-called nuisance gators can in turn become aggressive, including biting off the hand that feeds them. Throughout Florida, environmental activists warn that feeding wild gators, particularly as a tourist attraction, has become too common. Should an alligator be spotted on park premises, Disney World told The Associated Press in June its policy was to relocate small gators and call in a licensed trapper for larger animals. In an interview with the Sentinel, John Classe, the district administrator for Reedy Creek, said that he did not know if the larger gator behind the fire station had been removed. But he was skeptical the fire station animal was the killer. The gator would have to travel across a couple roadways to get over to the Seven Seas water body system, so its not likely, he said. A half-mile is a feasible travel distance for an alligator, though the creatures spend the vast majority of time in water. And the wanderlust of any given gator can vary. A 2013 study tracking alligators as they moved through western Florida Everglades found quite a bit of diversity in river ranges. Many alligators were unable to be tracked either because they did not move far enough or their acoustic tags broke. Of those that were tracked, some barely shifted in location, staying within a third of a mile. Others were roamers, using 40 miles (64 kilometres) as a home range over the course of the study. The average gator stuck to about a 10-mile (16-kilometre) stretch of river. A Disney representative said Wednesday she did not know if the larger alligator had been relocated, according to The Associated Press. Disney Worlds security team, when contacted late Wednesday night by The Washington Post, declined to comment as the public relations department had gone home for the day. SHARE: NAIROBI, KENYAA Kenyan police officer went on a shooting spree Thursday, killing seven colleagues including a hostage response team member before the standoff ended in a shootout, a police report said. The suspect, Abdihakim Maslah, was shot, said the report provided to The Associated Press. Police at first suspected an extremist with the al-Shabab group based in neighbouring Somalia. The police report says Maslah, a station guard, got off work Wednesday night but returned to the Kapenguria station shortly after 5 a.m. Thursday and started shooting. A separate police statement to the media said the officer for yet unknown reasons, went berserk and grabbed a firearm and started shooting. That statement said the officer wore a turban that covered his whole face, leading to the previous suspicions that he was an extremist. Police commandos were deployed to rescue prisoners held at the station and end the standoff, Kenyas police chief, Joseph Boinnet, said before the crisis ended. Boinnet said the gunmans escape was thwarted by quick arrival by other officers. All but one of the officers killed worked at the station. The station commander was among them, West Pokot County Commissioner Wilson Wanyanga said. SHARE: ST. PAUL, MINN.Philando Castile, resting in a white casket upon a horse-drawn carriage, led a procession to St. Paul Cathedral, where mourners paid their respects to the man killed by police last week in Falcon Heights. The public service for the St. Paul man lasted about 90 minutes at the house of worship, which sits high upon a hill on the edge of the capital citys downtown. Some of the departing mourners lined up on either side of the cathedrals long stairs holding Unite for Philando signs as Castiles casket passed by, while a drizzle began to fall and bells peeled. The casket was returned to the carriage for its trip to a private burial. Gov. Mark Dayton, who suggested race played a role in the 32-year-old black mans death, attended the service. Lt.-Gov Tina Smith, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison and St. Paul city leaders were among the more than 1,500 people on hand. Many were dressed completely in white or black, and several wore T-shirts with pictures of Castile and messages, including Rest in heaven and RIP Philando. Castiles death came the same week as that of a black man in Louisiana, also from police gunfire. Their deaths sparked protests nationwide and intensified the long-running debate about how law enforcement interacts with blacks all around the country. At one protest in Dallas last week, five police officers were killed by a sniper who said he wanted to kill white officers. As the ceremony started, everyone in the cathedral was encouraged to hug the person next to them. After a resounding round of applause for Philando Castile, the Grammy-winning ensemble Sounds of Blackness broke into song. The memorial was filled with songs, and stories and poems read by family members. (Castile) was a young, loving, handsome, giving, caring individual, his uncle, Clarence Castile, said. Im just amazed at how many people care about Philando and care about what happened to him, Clarence Castile said as he looked out at the crowded cathedral. He urged family and friends to stay strong for Phil. The Rev. Steve Daniels, Jr. of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in his eulogy questioned why racial profiling still occurs in the United States. He said he grew up in Mississippi in the 1950s and 1960s and understands the frustrations of todays protesters. They want to feel respected, valued and are tired of being wrongfully murdered, Daniels said. He also said he is thankful for police and their service, but said people need to find a way to come together. Overall, faith leaders and musicians focused on messages of hope during the service, telling attendees that things will get better. This day will have been a good day, the Rev. John Ubel said, if it brings people of different backgrounds together and gives them a tiny measure of peace. Before Castiles procession began, several people shouldered the casket, draped with red and white roses, onto the carriage outside Brooks Funeral Home. Once in place, a 10-year-old Belgian horse named Frank took the first steps with family members walking behind and many cars behind them. Dozens of people from the sidewalk, some on bikes and some carrying umbrellas, fell in and joined the procession to the cathedral under escort of a police squad car. As the first late-morning raindrops fell, the carriage climbed up the hill to the cathedral roughly 40 minutes later. Attendees in black suits and white gloves lowered Castiles casket off the back of the carriage while family members went inside the cathedral through one door and the public around to another ahead of a two-hour visitation before the service. The line of people who wanted to stop by Castiles casket to pay their respects stretched outside of the church and down the front steps. Friends hugged and wept as they looked at Castile, who was dressed all in white, his dreadlocks pulled back from his face. A line of women, also in white, handed tissues to onlookers. An occasional cry echoed off the marble walls. The funeral program contained notes from family members, including sister Allysza Castile. My brother my hero, your heart was so pure and solid as gold ... I love you forever and your legacy will continue to live on. You made history, you opened their eyes, she wrote. Diamond Reynolds, who live-streamed the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook, the video of which has been viewed millions of times, arrived dressed in black. Her 4-year-old daughter, who was in the back seat of the car during the shooting, played outside the cathedral before they entered. Reynolds left about 30 minutes before the service ended. ____ SHARE: CLEVELAND Never Trump forces pushed Thursday to allow a conscience clause at next weeks Republican National Convention, potentially freeing delegates to vote for whomever they wished in a move that could thwart the first-ballot nomination that Donald Trump is widely expected to get. Their proposal to the convention rules committee was expected to eventually fail, but prompted behind-the-scenes negotiations throughout the day. Others, led by former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a backer of former Trump rival Ted Cruz, were inching away from the Never Trump movement, and instead were reportedly trying to craft a deal that would make the 2020 GOP primaries easier for a conservative such as Cruz to win. Cuccinelli was reportedly urging some primaries be closed to independent voters who would be less inclined to back a staunch conservative but party officials were not enthusiastic. Months ago, changes in the rules were seen by Trump opponents as their best way to topple the partys front-runner. Cruzs forces pushed hard for sympathetic delegates who were bound to Trump but who would abandon him should the rules change or a second ballot be needed. But a defeated Cruz left the race in May, and Republican officials have since pushed hard to unify the party. They believe they have enough convention votes to squelch any uprising, and have been waging a vigorous behind-the-scenes lobbying effort to squelch the whole Never Trump movement. John Ryder, the partys general counsel, told delegates the law binds them to the candidates their voters and state parties selected. Party leaders argue the politics, saying a push against Trump would be lethal in a year when Republicans have a decent shot at winning the White House. Trump has 1,543 delegates pledged to vote for him on the first ballot, well above the 1,237 needed to win. The Never Trump forces claim that if everyone were free to vote their consciences on the first ballot, Trump would drop to about 900. Trouble is, they have no replacement for Trump, and they risk overturning the will of the 13.3 million people who voted for Trump this year. No prominent Republican has come forward as an alternative. Cruz has not endorsed Trump, but will speak at the convention. Trump promised him during a private meeting last week that Cruz would have a say in judicial policy. Gov. John Kasich of Ohio plans to be in Cleveland most of next week, but has no plans to attend the convention. Nor has he shown any interest in relaunching his campaign. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is not attending, as he seeks re-election. None is close to Trumps delegate strength. If anyone but Trump won, hed have a legitimate claim to say he was robbed, said Morton Blackwell, a veteran Virginia GOP committeeman whos been to every rules committee meeting since 1972. To unbind the delegates would be saying, Im so omnipotent and Im so wise, Im going to substitute my judgment for that of the voters of my state, said Steve Duprey, a rules committee member from New Hampshire who is close to GOP leadership. We do that and all we need is to add a smoke-filled room. Chairman Reince Priebus, who was in private talks with the dissidents Thursday, made clear the need for a unified front when the Republican National Committee, the partys governing board, met Wednesday for its summer meeting. The 112-member rules committee, one man and one woman from each state, territory and the District of Columbia, are regarded as mostly Priebus loyalists. It would take 28 members to advance a minority report endorsing the vote of conscience. Led by Kendal Unruh, a delegate from Colorado, its backed by a series of new organizations with names such as Free the Delegates. The report would free delegates to vote however they wished, in effect unbinding them from any state or party requirements. Even if Unruhs team gets convention floor action, their bid would then have to survive a series of procedural steps. The full convention could wind up voting on their plan next week, but the chances of succeeding are dim. Paul Manafort, Trumps campaign manager, said Thursday hes not worried. It would take 1,237 convention delegate votes to approve a change. The fear among the party insiders is that a floor fight would dominate coverage of the convention all day, reaffirming the notion that Republicans are only reluctantly embracing Trump. That image would be a sour opening to a convention in need of enthusiasm and momentum. With Cruz, you were 99 per cent sure where he was coming from, said Saul Anuzis, a Michigan committeeman who ran Cruzs campaign in his state. With Trump, you dont know. But hes taking some steps. While skeptics remain wary, all that, plus a fervent desire to defeat Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, are enough to quash serious talk of a coup. Henry Barbour, a Mississippi committeeman who has been a fierce Trump critic, was wearing a small Trump pin. He didnt want to elaborate. Were here to nominate Donald Trump. Thats my statement, the usually talkative Barbour said. Read more about: SHARE: LAHORE, PAKISTANThe United States has put a $10 million bounty on his head, labelling him a terrorist. He is one of the most wanted men in India. Yet, Hafiz Saeed walks free in his home country of Pakistan, denouncing Washington and New Delhi in public speeches. Now the man identified by the U.S. as a founding member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group is weighing in on the flare-up of violence in Kashmir, the mountainous region divided between Pakistani and Indian control, where dozens have died in clashes with protesters after Indian security forces killed a top rebel leader. In an interview with The Associated Press, Saeed accused the U.S. of giving India a free hand to crush the anti-India protests in its Himalayan territory, warning that will only lead to an escalation of violence. America is supporting this oppression by India by saying it is an internal matter, the 66-year-old Saeed said in the interview, which took place Wednesday at his two-story home behind a steel barrier separating it from the narrow streets of the eastern city of Lahore. This has given India encouragement, and because of this, the killings and violence will continue, he said. He said he will lead nationwide demonstrations in Pakistan to force its government to sever ties with the U.S. if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades-old Kashmir dispute. The two countries, which also possess nuclear weapons, have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir. Militants demand that Kashmir be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. At least 31 people have been killed in Kashmir in street protests after Indian troops last week killed Burhan Wani, a charismatic Kashmiri insurgent. Washington has said it will not intervene, adding that Kashmirs future is a problem for Pakistan and India to work out. As recently as Wednesday, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. wants to see dialogue between India and Pakistan on how to resolve the conflict in Kashmir, and our policy hasnt changed. India declared the death of the 22-year-old Wani to be a major victory over the insurgency. But his killing has galvanized young Indian Kashmiris to stage daily protests. It has also sparked massive demonstrations in Pakistan and forced Pakistans government and military to make daily statements in support of demonstrating Kashmiris. When India martyred him, then the common Kashmiri joined the movement, said Saeed, who has been a key figure in the often-brutal insurgency in Indian-ruled Kashmir. On Pakistans side of the disputed border, residents say Saeed is the only force who can liberate the territory from Indian rule. One resident, Muhammad Ishaq of the capital of Muzaffarabad, said Lashkar-e-Taiba is more of a threat to India than any other group, including Wanis organization, which is called the Hezbul Mujahedeen. Human Rights organizations have accused Indian soldiers of widespread abuse, including forced detentions, rape and torture. India, meanwhile, has repeatedly assailed Pakistan for sending fighters over the border to incite violence. The United States identifies Saeed as a founding member of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a U.S.-declared terrorist group that is widely believed to have been a creation of Pakistans military and intelligence service, known by its acronym ISI, to wage a proxy war against India. It is considered one of the largest and most effective of the insurgent groups fighting in Indian-ruled Kashmir. Lashkar-e-Taiba is often referred to as an Al Qaeda affiliated group whose name means Army of the Pure and it belongs to the Salafist movement, an ultra-conservative branch of Islam. It has plotted to blow up sites in Australia, recruited from existing terrorist groups in Europe and has been a source of inspiration for radicalized Muslims in the West, according to intelligence officials in the U.K. and France. It is suspected of carrying out the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, that targeted a Jewish centre, the main railway station and a five-star hotel frequented by foreigners. The attack killed 166 people. The only person arrested in the Mumbai attack was Ajmal Amir Kasab, a Pakistani national who testified he was trained at a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp in Muridke, outside Lahore. He also said Saeed was among the inspirational speakers who would visit the training camp. Kasab was hanged in India in 2012 for his part in the attacks. The $10 million bounty on Saeed was imposed by the U.S. State Departments Rewards for Justice Program. India has issued an Interpol Red Corner Notice for his capture, accusing him of offences including masterminding the Mumbai attack. The Indian government has long demanded that Pakistan arrest Saeed, but when he has been detained, his incarceration has been brief, and Pakistani courts, including its Supreme Court, have cleared him of terrorism charges. Many times I have been arrested on the order of America and India . . . (but) the Lahore high court freed me and also my organization, saying we were innocent of terrorism charges and did not participate in any terrorist activities, Saeed said. Pakistan outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba after Washington declared it a terrorist group. However, its charity wing Jamaat-ud-Dawa still operates, even though both the U.S. and the United Nations also declared it a terrorist organization, describing it as a radical Islamist group. Jean Louis Bruguiere, a former French magistrate who had spent more than two decades investigating terrorism and is credited with hundreds of arrests and convictions, has said he found evidence of Lashkar-e-Taibas network in East Asia, Australia, the United States and Europe. Saeed said he has written to the State Department, complaining about the $10 million bounty. He denies any connection to Lashkar-e-Taiba, despite having given interviews as its chief at its headquarters in Muridke before it was outlawed. Security remains a concern for Saeed, and the interview only took place after a series of phone calls that increased in frequency as a reporter was driven to his home that was guarded by several men with long beards, although only one displayed a weapon. Inside, the heavy-set, wispy-bearded Saeed sat amid other men in a small room stuffed with couches. Most of his entourage chatted together in small groups, while others were on their mobile phones throughout the interview. Saeed dismisses the allegations against him as India propaganda. He traced the troubled history of Kashmir and blamed the U.S. and India for the violence but denied his own role or that of Pakistan in the insurgency. Saeed also expressed concern about the growing influence of Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, in Pakistan, where several arrests have been made both in eastern Punjab province and in the southern port of Karachi. I am highly worried about Daesh . . . with their particular focus on Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, he said. He said the group was trying to divide the Muslim world. Read more about: SHARE: By PTI: Nashik, Jul 14 (PTI) The trade union wing of CPI(M) today opened its three-day national meet, where various issues related to the working class and labour policies of the Modi government will be discussed. The Centre of Trade Unions of India is holding the meeting of its All-India Working Committee at CITU Bhawan in Satpur area. Various issues, especially the labour policies of the BJP-led NDA government will be discussed at the conclave, senior CITU leader D L Karad said. advertisement CITU President A K Padmanabhan inaugurated the meet being attended by its senior functionaries like Basudev Acharya, Manik Dey, Tapan Chakraborty and Shankar dutta, among others. PTI HVJ RSY SRY --- ENDS --- MALAKAL, SOUTH SUDANThe dead were being counted in South Sudans capital on Thursday, after UN bases fell under fire and swaths of the city turned into an urban battlefield. The civil war, it appeared, had returned to the capital. Even though the fighting had mostly stopped by Tuesday, many of the 45,000 people who fled the clashes searched for food and water, often without success. The United Nations had reached a critical shortage of basic aid supplies, officials said. Fear of continued fighting left markets bare and provisions scarce. In the wake of yet another violent collapse of the worlds youngest country, the fate of the government and the international humanitarian mission here were thrown into question. Just months ago, the countrys most prominent leaders, President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar, signed a peace deal that was meant to put an end to more than two years of fighting between their respective forces. It fell apart last Friday when their soldiers shot at each other outside the presidential palace, where both Kiir and Machar had come for a news conference. That clash sparked a larger battle that left nearly 300 dead, according to government figures, including 33 civilians. But U.N. officials and aid groups said they believed the death toll was higher. Zlatko Gegic, Oxfams South Sudan country director, said in an interview from Nairobi that he had seen photos of bodies piled on the streets of Juba and doubted the official death toll. I hope the number will not reach 1,000 or more, but we may never know, he said. Relatives are collecting the bodies and burying them before they can be counted. The rift between Kiir and Machars groups is deep, driven by the countrys sometimes vicious ethnic politics, as well as a fight for access to the government coffers, including hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign assistance. Few expected the peace deal to hold, but the recent schism nonetheless stunned the city because of the shocking level of violence and lack of concern for civilian lives or United Nations facilities. There are around 13,000 peacekeepers stationed in South Sudan, and many civilians have sought refuge on U.N. bases. The question of the day is whether Kiir and Machar have the ability to prevent a return to large-scale conflict, said Gegic, who was evacuated this week along with other foreigners based in Juba. Leer, Machars hometown, is said to be burning, and fighting is ongoing in Equatoria. The future is very hard to predict for us. What is predictable, to an extent, is the weather. South Sudan is currently in its wet season, which should last for another two months. The rains render large-scale troop movement difficult, analysts say, as the rough track roads that cross the riverine country become muddy and impassable. That means fighting in the near future will likely be limited to cities. Last weekend, two major U.N. bases in Juba were struck by heavy weapons and small arms fire, even as thousands of civilians were running toward them for safety. U.N. officials asked repeatedly for the fighters to respect the international laws that protect their sites and personnel, but the calls were ignored. At least two Chinese peacekeepers were reported killed. They sacrificed their life in order to protect the world peace and regional peace, the Chinese ambassador to neighbouring Uganda, Zhao Yali, told The Associated Press. It is unclear now what further progress can be made under current conditions, said Herve Ladsous, the UN undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations in a news conference in New York on Wednesday. Government leaders from Kiirs side claimed that the United Nations was knowingly harbouring opposition fighters and said that was one of the reasons the compounds were struck. The UN will say what it wants, but it knows that there are (opposition) fighters there, said Martin Lomuro, South Sudans minister of cabinet affairs, in a telephone interview on Thursday. The United Nations denies taking sides in the conflict. South Sudan became independent from Sudan almost exactly five years ago, after a referendum that was lauded by the international community, even as signs of internal fractures emerged in the countrys leadership. In late 2013, the country exploded into civil war that took on ethnic overtones between the Dinka tribe, which Kiir belongs to, and the Nuer, Machars tribe. Tens of thousands were killed. While both Kiir and Machar have said they still back the peace process, many here are worried that cycle of violence could repeat itself, with battles spreading outside the capital. In recent days there has been fighting in Leer, a small city in northern Unity State. Fighting also escalated in Eastern Equatoria state, and aid groups were forced to suspend their work there. Though those clashes appeared to be limited, other cities across the country waited nervously as rumours swirled that Machars men were moving north. Aid groups continued to evacuate employees from the country. The United States sent 47 troops to help protect the American Embassy in Juba. In parts of the country, the tension between factions is grounded in local feuds, often over land rights. The town of Malakal, for example, changed hands roughly a dozen times during the course of the civil war and is now controlled by Dinkas. But leaders of a third ethnic group, the Shilluk, who are loosely aligned with Machars Nuer forces, have vowed to take it back. The U.S. government played an integral role in the countrys creation, and has been at the centre of post-independence peace negotiations. The U.S. government is the largest provider of aid to South Sudan, and Riek Machars wife is an American citizen, both of which give the United States extra leverage if it decides to impose new sanctions. But some analysts say that U.S. officials have failed to realize the intensity of the hostility between the countrys leaders. Having worked so closely with Kiir and Machar in achieving independence, U.S. officials have been reluctant to acknowledge that their proteges havent lived up to expectations, said J. Peter Pham, the director of the Atlantic Councils Africa Center. The U.S. engaged in a bit of wishful thinking: they arranged a shotgun marriage between two men with a history of animosity toward each other. Several months ago, the United Nations brokered an agreement allowing 1,300 of Machars troops back to Juba, which was seen as a move toward peace. But it was that same force that participated in the weeks fighting. South Sudanese officials on both sides of the divide have said that the agreement that mandated that both forces have a presence in Juba only made the city a tinder keg. You cant unite two forces that have no trust, that do not share commands, said Deng Dau, a member of parliament. The agreement created many unresolved issues. SHARE: Some political leadership candidates are truly inspirational, energetic and brimming with bold, innovative ideas. Others are stiff, lack charisma, recycle shopworn ideas and are delusional about their chances of winning. Guess which category Tony Clement falls into? Clement, who represents the riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka, is the fourth candidate to enter the race to replace Stephen Harper as head of the federal Conservatives. He formally launched his campaign Tuesday in a veterans hall in Mississauga, telling the small crowd of invited loyalists that he is tested and ready. Clement showed up with a new haircut and glasses, but offered nothing new. He issued no campaign promises, no policy ideas other than to cut taxes and be hard on terrorists, no glimpse of the optimistic modern conservatism that he talked about and no real path forward for the Conservatives. This is Clements third bid to head a political party and it likely will be the third time he fails miserably, even in a field filled with so undistinguished and uninspiring opponents as are lining up for Harpers old job. In 2004, he finished a distant third to Harper and Belinda Stronach in the race to be the first leader of the reformed Conservative party. In 2002, he ended up in third place on the first ballot in the Ontario Tory leadership contest won by Ernie Eves. Despite his long career as a provincial and federal cabinet minister and party foot soldier, polls on the leadership race put him in single digits, far behind former cabinet colleague Peter MacKay, who has yet to enter the race. In Clements case, there are five key factors that will haunt his leadership dream and likely will be impossible to overcome. First, Clement deservedly earned the title of The King of Pork-Barrel Politics for his disgraceful role in doling out $50 million in special projects in his riding that were to be related to the 2010 G8 summit in Huntsville. Instead, most of the money went to totally unrelated projects far from the summit site, such as renovating bandshells and gazebos, planting flowers, repairing public washrooms and paving roads in his riding. Auditor General Sheila Fraser later blasted Clement in a report for breaking rules and a lack of paperwork on hundreds of projects. In announcing his candidacy on Tuesday, Clement promised that if he becomes prime minister he will respect taxpayers money. He made no mention of how he failed to do just that during his G8 pork-barrel follies. Second, Clement became an international joke when he enthusiastically killed the important long-form census of 2011. He saw it as an invasion of privacy for asking such delicate questions as how many bathrooms are in your home. The move so outraged Munir Sheikh, the countrys chief statistician, that he quit in disgust. On Tuesday, Clement made no mention of the census, but has in recent months suggested that if he had to do it over again, he would have done it differently. Third, Clement is talking up his immigrant background, but he has a lot to answer for on immigration. Despite being a senior cabinet minister, he did and said nothing over the last few years as the Harper government deliberately dragged its heels in allowing Syrian refugees to come to Canada. He also kept his mouth shut when his cabinet colleague Kellie Leitch proposed a snitch hotline clearly aimed at Muslims where people could report barbaric cultural practices. On Tuesday, Clement insisting that as 55-year-old white guy who came from England as a child that he understands the needs, challenges and desires of newcomers. He made no mention of Syrian refugees or the snitch line. Fourth, Clement is a Harper clone and happily so. Like Harper, he is stiff, devoid of charisma and uninspiring. He is well-liked by the out-of-favour Harperites and offers voters nothing fresh, from his call to stop funding the CBC to Iran-bashing that voters didnt see and reject in Harper himself in the last election. Fifth, Peter MacKay will enter the race. MacKay, who is working at a Toronto law firm, is seen by many Tories as more modern, appealing and saleable to voters than any other former Harper cabinet minister. Businessman Kevin OLeary, a star on the TV program Dragons Den, has teased Tories by hinting he might run. He wont, though. In fact, OLeary has invited Clement to his Muskoka cottage on Friday to talk politics. So why is Clement doing this? Ego? Delusional? A sense of calling? Only Clement knows for sure. Bob Hepburn's column appears Thursdays. bhepburn@thestar.ca Read more about: SHARE: If we read about this in a clerical novel wed think it rather far-fetched. A little like Anthony Trollope laced with Robert Ludlum. Canadas Anglican Church held its triennial synod in the last few days where more than 200 delegates debated various issues. Contrary to what the media seemed to think there were all sorts of subjects on the agenda this is a diverse and relevant church but it was the resolution to change the marriage canon to allow for the solemnization of marriages of same-sex couples that was obviously the most controversial. To become Church law such a resolution requires a two-thirds majority in the three houses, or orders, of Anglicanism: lay, clergy and bishops. When the results were declared it seemed the bishops had approved the motion by 68.42 per cent, the laity by a resounding 72.22 per cent but the clergy only by 66.23 per cent. In other words, the vote had failed by a tiny 0.43 per cent. Agonizingly close. But the following day it was announced there had been an error in the voting procedure not all of the votes had been recorded and a hard copy of the electronic voting proved the motion had now officially passed. Its rather embarrassing for the administrators of all this but not altogether unusual when it comes to electronic voting similar errors have been encountered in secular elections the world over. The point, however, is that the countrys third largest church has decided equal marriage, the union of two people of the same gender in a loving, sacrificial union, is holy, Christian and to be recognized and celebrated. Mind you, the decision has to be affirmed by the next Synod in 2019 but thats probably about right. Countless people are euphoric right now but there are others in the Anglican Church, and beyond, who are upset and incredulous. This is significant. While there are opponents of same-sex marriage within Christianity who can be stunningly hateful and hurtful believe me, I have the bruises to prove it there are also fine people who out of a genuine goodness and devotion to their faith do not embrace the concept. It is arrogant and simply un-Christian to dismiss them and their concerns. Some of those very opponents will doubtless be considering their future within the Anglican Church, which is tragic. Equal marriage is not the defining issue of ones faith and for too long it has dominated Christian discourse. What is required now is not triumphalism but humility, not shouting but listening. In many ways this is not the end but the beginning of what can be, if all goes well, a beautiful conversation. But all may not go well. The U.S. Episcopal Church was given a temporarily restricted role by the Anglican global fellowship when it did something similar, if perhaps with less consideration, and Anglican churches internationally are often far less progressive. This is particularly the case with some of the African nations. While we have to realize the appalling reality for African Christianity of AIDS, poverty and war, the homophobia exhibited by some of that continents churches is truly shocking. Writing about all of this last year I predicted the vote would fail. I dont think I have ever been happier to be wrong. The quintessence of the life and teaching of Jesus was inclusion, acceptance and the permanent revolution of love. Those of us who support the Anglican move are fully aware of the handful of Biblical passages that refer to homosexuality but also know not only of modern interpretation and the dangers of stagnant understanding and literalism but also of the inspiring examples of committed same-sex relationships. A great many people have suffered for far too long simply for being what they are. The Christian church is supposed to represent and reflect Gods love on Earth and it has failed too often and in too many cases. This holy transformation will not always be easy and there will surely be further problems ahead, but this is a time for joy. We can dance out of the wilderness with our heads held high and our hearts bursting. Oh, and thank goodness for delegates who pay attention and for good old pen and paper. Michael Coren is an Anglican whose new book is Epiphany: A Christians Change of Heart & Mind over Same-Sex Marriage. mcoren@sympatico.ca Correction - July 19, 2016: The photo caption on this article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said the Anglican Church held its General Synod at St. George's Cathedral in Kingston. SHARE: Never mind that it took a confusing and embarrassing recount to get to the final result. That will be quickly forgotten. This weeks decision by the Anglican Church of Canada to allow same-sex marriage is an important step toward making sure LGBT people feel accepted in all parts of society. Those who are involved in the church the third largest in the country, with more than half a million people in some 2,800 congregations will certainly feel more welcome. Even more important is the message the decision sends to the wider world that gay people are to be fully included in one of the most sacred sacraments of the Christian community. That will resonate far beyond the church itself. The decision was far from easy. It comes after decades of bitter wrangling inside the church over issues of sexuality. It passed by a hairs breadth after an error in the complicated voting procedure was discovered and corrected. And it still must be confirmed by yet another meeting of the churchs General Synod in 2019 before becoming official policy. But its hard to imagine that a church that wants to be taken seriously on vital moral issues would reverse itself on such an important and symbolic decision. If it did, it would badly undermine its credibility and put its own unity at grave risk. Indeed, when it appeared for the better part of a day that the church had actually rejected same-sex marriage by the tiniest of margins, several bishops declared they would go ahead with it regardless. Bishops in Ottawa, Montreal and Niagara said they would allow priests to solemnize same-sex unions, threatening an open split on the issue in the national church. Bishop John Chapman of the Ottawa diocese said he was extremely disappointed in the apparent rejection of gay marriage and called for change because it is past time. That kind of division has been averted, though some diehard conservatives may yet defect rather than accept the full recognition of same-sex marriage. Just as important, the decision by the Canadian church will echo loudly in the wider Anglican Communion, which is even more deeply divided on these issues. Canadas Anglicans can expect pushback from bishops in other parts of the world, especially Africa, where most Anglicans live and cultural attitudes toward homosexuality are much more negative. The U.S. Episcopal Church (the Anglican body in the United States) felt the sting of international disapproval last year when it voted in favour of same-sex marriage only to be tossed out of the worldwide churchs decision-making councils. Theres no easy solution to such a fundamental divide. Canadas Anglicans are right to follow their collective conscience and their understanding of what is most appropriate in this society, regardless of what some in other countries might think. Whatever the consequences, they can take comfort in knowing they are on the right side of history. Society as a whole and Christianity in particular are moving, albeit slowly, toward greater inclusiveness. Several other national Anglican churches have either affirmed the validity of same-sex marriage or edged closer to it by blessing gay unions. Even Pope Francis has reached out in his own way to gay people (who am I to judge? he famously asked). Canadian Anglicans can be justly proud of their church this week. Next time, though, they might want to get the counting right the first time. SHARE: Bernie Sanders acknowledged on Tuesday that he will not be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States. That outcome once seemed like a foregone conclusion. Sanders is not, after all, a Democrat and that was the least of his handicaps. Pugnacious and rumpled. Seventy-four years old. A self-proclaimed socialist. He once delivered an eight-and-a-half-hour speech in the Senate, where he sits as an independent, condemning a proposed tax cut. A cut. Surely this man was never going to be president. And yet he came closer than almost anyone thought he could. He began his campaign 57 percentage points behind Hillary Clinton, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, and climbed to within 12, winning 22 primaries and caucuses along the way. He coalesced a grassroots movement comprised largely of traditionally disengaged young voters and raised more money from small individual contributions than any previous presidential campaign. He did all this not in spite of his perceived weaknesses his unpolished manner, his refusal to accept the conventional terms of debate, the single-mindedness of his critiques but largely because of them. He didnt win, but his impact is undeniable. Sanders tapped into a sense among a growing portion of the population that the U.S. economy is rigged by the few against the many. For 40 years, he had been warning of the pitfalls of trickle-down economics, the way it subverts democracy by entrenching inequality and granting outsized influence to the very rich. Having experienced the 2008 financial meltdown and the strange resilience of the policies that prompted it, many Americans were finally ready to hear him. Like Donald Trump, Sanders capitalized on an anti-establishment moment in his countrys politics. But unlike Trump, he proposed an alternative based in democracy and inclusion, rather than division and fear. Ironically, it was arguably less his radicalism than its limits that hurt Sanders politically. His somewhat soft stance on gun control and his slowness to understand race as a crucial prism put him on the wrong side of Clinton on two of the defining issues in America today. He never caught on among African American voters, which proved his undoing. But even as he endorsed Clinton for president, effectively admitting defeat, Sanders victories were evident. The Democratic platform includes a significant minimum wage hike, Wall Street regulations, climate change policies, college tuition breaks and health-care reform that would have been unthinkable were it not for his unabashedly progressive candidacy. Yes, his critics rightly argued that many of his proposals could never have been implemented, but Sanders focus and his greatest achievement was on expanding what political theorists call the Overton window, the understanding of whats possible. When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, he was smeared as a socialist by Republicans. Sanders took the sting out of the word. He challenged the idea that a politician would be mad to propose tax hikes or question trade deals or put the environment above resource extraction. Whatever one thinks of those positions, the country is enriched by the conversation. Read more about: SHARE: Re: Military-only response to Russia is dangerous, Opinion July 12 Military-only response to Russia is dangerous, Opinion July 12 I could not agree more with NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is wrong to get involved militarily in Russia/Ukraine without consulting Parliament on this issue. All the adoration for the prime minister is giving him an over-inflated ego. He might be wise to pay more attention to resolving domestic issues like high unemployment, lack of decent affordable housing and crisis in some First Nations communities. Dorothy Low, Richmond Hill SHARE: Eddie Papczun on a 1946 Indian Chief motorcycle in his store, the Great Republic, in downtown Washington. (J. Lawler Duggan/For The Washington Post) Eddie Papczun loaded up his newly purchased Mercedes-Benz cargo van and set off to Cleveland for the Republican National Convention with a very American goal: to make money. I tell people Im not going there as a Democrat or a Republican, said Papczun, owner of the Great Republic, a store in downtown Washington that specializes in U.S. memorabilia. Im going there as a capitalist. Stowed in the back of his van, and in a rented U-Haul trailer behind that, were historical documents, pre-Civil War flags and 200-year-old oil paintings Papczun plans to sell at this weeks convention. They include a copy of the Declaration of Independence printed in 1818 (price tag: $48,500), an autographed manuscript of the Battle Hymn of the Republic ($138,500) and a first-edition copy of The Federalist Papers ($225,000). I really wanted to take items that are, well, kind of sexy and create excitement about the history of the nation, Papczun said as he drove his van through Indiana last week. Things that will make people go wow. [Being buried underground gave him time to think about a second career in Americana] Flags of Valor, a veteran-owned company in Ashburn, Va., will also have a booth at the convention. The flag here, called Welcome Home, was created to honor Vietnam veterans. (Chris Coppock/Flags of Valor) Papczun will have a 300-square-foot booth at the conventions Freedom Marketplace, where he and three employees plan to sell collectibles for 17 hours a day from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday to Thursday. This is the first year outside retailers are allowed at the convention. Among the 22 vendors are chocolatiers, furniture-makers, the clothing company Vineyard Vines and Flags of Valor, an Ashburn, Va., company that makes American flags out of wood. As soon as we heard about this opportunity, of course we said yes, said Brian Steorts, 39, an Air Force veteran and owner of Flags of Valor. Steorts, a registered Republican, says he is not quite sure what to expect from the convention: We could be busy, or we could be bored, he said. But he is hoping the event will bring some attention to the company he founded in October. He has five employees, all service-disabled combat veterans, who make and sell flags priced between $99 and $399. For Papczun, a 55-year-old Air Force veteran, the convention seemed like the perfect place to find new customers. Most of his clients in CityCenterDC and at the Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs are affluent men and so, he thought, what better venue than the Republican National Convention? In addition to high-end memorabilia, Papczun also plans to sell campaign buttons for $20 and cuff links and lapel pins for $50. You dont have to be wealthy to take away something unique from our booth, he said. But it certainly helps especially if you have your eye on a set of documents signed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison (priced at $17,500) or a 19th-century oil portrait of Abraham Lincoln ($35,000). Also in Papczuns arsenal are 18 fountain pens handmade with wood from the original White House by a father-son duo in Bowie, Md. Those will sell for $2,450 apiece. Papczun took out a special insurance policy to cover his trip to the convention. After all, he said, he is driving valuable American memorabilia across the country and back. This is a crazy new frontier for me, he said. Well have a captive audience at the convention, but will they want to spend money on this stuff? Theres just no way to know. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) Delhi Chief Ministers former Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar and six others, arrested in an alleged corruption case, were today sent to judicial custody till July 27 by a special court after CBI submitted that they were not required for further investigation. Kumar also moved a bail application before court, saying he is no more required for the investigation. advertisement The court sought reply from probe agency on his plea and fixed it for hearing on July 21. Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar sent Kumar, a 1989 batch IAS officer of UT cadre, former Deputy Secretary in Kejriwals office Tarun Sharma, Kumars close aide Ashok Kumar and owners of a private firm, Sandeep Kumar and Dinesh Kumar Gupta, to the jail after they were produced from CBI custody. The court also sent R S Kaushik and his predecessor G K Nanda, present and the former Managing Directors of a PSU respectively, to judicial custody till July 27. While producing them, the CBI told the court that their custodial interrogation was over and they be sent to the judicial custody. (More) PTI UK ARC --- ENDS --- Shows: Tuesday at Kennedy Centers Millennium Stage. Show starts at 6 p.m. 202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org. Free. July 21 at Bossa Bistro. Show starts at 9:30 p.m. 202-667-0088. bossadc.com. $10. In Oran, Algerias most cosmopolitan city and home of the band Democratoz, local folk music blended with Western rock to yield rai. The style, whose name means opinion in Arabic, is known for social commentary. As the groups name suggests, Democratoz is as politically engaged as any of rais more veteran acts, but it also offers rousing melodies and exuberant beats. After the lifting of the countrys 19-year state of emergency in 2011, the band began to draw crowds with such rollicking multilingual anthems as Je Suis Algerien (I am Algerian). If such songs mix of protest and affirmation recalls Bob Marley, thats by design. Marley was the initial inspiration for the band, which alternates reggaes funky gait with traditional Maghreb rhythms. During Algerias turbulent 1980s, many rai stars fled to Europe. But Democratoz frontman Sadek Bouzinou and his cohorts are rooted in their country and represent its new era. Theyve even accepted roles as cultural ambassadors: Their U.S. tour is sponsored by the State Departments Center Stage program. The band isnt coming here just to sing about change in its own land, though. Like Marley, Democratoz has a global message and a universal groove. Erika Goergen, collections manager for the Heurich House Museum, dusts a bed frames gold leaf. The master bedroom is cleaned about once every three months. June 28, 2016 Erika Goergen, collections manager for the Heurich House Museum, dusts a bed frames gold leaf. The master bedroom is cleaned about once every three months. Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post One museum official calls Christian Heurich, who built the house, the original hipster. He was also one of the areas largest private landowners. One museum official calls Christian Heurich, who built the house, the original hipster. He was also one of the largest private landowners in the District. One museum official calls Christian Heurich, who built the house, the original hipster. He was also one of the largest private landowners in the District. The words Victorian mansion often conjure visions of Scooby-Doos haunted houses or waistcoat-wearing Dickens characters crouched on uncomfortable sofas. But at Dupont Circles Heurich House Museum, a new energy (as well as nearly perfectly preserved 1894 Romanesque revival brownstone) gives the impression that turn-of-the-century Washington wasnt just corsets and ornate carvings. I like to call Christian Heurich the original hipster, says museum executive director Kimberly Bender, of the homes original owner. He had this fabulous mustache; he brewed beer, smoked meat and furnished his house with the latest technology. On a guided tour of the softly lit manor (1307 New Hampshire Ave. NW), youll feel as if youve met Heurich, a German immigrant and beermaker who was, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the largest private landowner and employer in the District. Heurich, who married three times and had three children who survived to adulthood, had a love of European style and American ingenuity. The three floors that are open to the public will please historic-house geeks, fans of District lore and beer buffs alike. The houses ornate elements (15 carved fireplaces, gilded furniture) exist alongside state-of-the-art technology for the era, including central heat and gas-electric hybrid lamps. Heurichs more humble childhood in Germany as the child of tavern keepers is evident in the beer cellar with walls emblazoned with quotes about drinking. Everywhere are signs that a real family and its patriarch lived here. On the main level, the high-ceilinged music room holds a recently restored 1901 model C Steinway piano played by the Heurich children. Another room features family photos (thats Heurich himself with the pointed beard, round glasses and sharp suit) and labels from his brewery, which crafted European-style ales from 1872 through 1956. Theres such a connection between Heurich and the city, particularly when you think about this new brewery revolution going on now, says Emma Stratton Bray, the museums director of public engagement. Every third Thursday of the month, Heurichs sudsy successors, a.k.a. area brewers, show up for History & Hops evenings. Docents lead beer-focused tours of the house, while outfits such as DC Brau or Viennas Caboose Brewing Co., pour their wares. Carly Spring and her girlfriend, Stephanie Stilson, who live on Capitol Hill, have been to several History & Hops events. Its a nice way to get to know local breweries in a beautiful setting, and weve met so many other people who love beer here, Spring says. Other events include concerts year-round, an Oktoberfest in the fall and a German-style Christmas market with local crafts and mulled wine. The year-old Brewmaster Studio is also drawing fresh buzz and creative crowds to Heurichs old stomping grounds. The workspace for local artists is in the propertys carriage house, a two-story stucco and brick building. Heurich was very into the arts, so its a nod to him to bring creativity back into the space, says Mallory Shelter, a jeweler in the studio who works alongside such creative outlets as a documentary film company and Sea Heart City Press, a letterpress card company. (Regular tours of the mansion are Thursday through Saturday with a suggested donation of $5.) June 19 Issue THe Can-Do Senator ... By steven Pearlstein I am a person who has always voted for a candidate mainly on his or her character, and reading your story about Michael Bennet gives me hope. As far as Im concerned, Michael could be the dark horse that we all have been looking for in this presidential campaign! The news today is always so negative, so I thank you for writing such positive words about a politician. Mary Jane Garner, Arlington, Va. I urge you to reconsider the suggestion that his time as superintendent of Denver public schools was in any meaningful way a success. Denver schools were a mess when he got there. They were a mess when he left. They are a mess today. They will remain a mess so long as so many of their students must live the 50,000 hours between conception and kindergarten among adults who treat them more like an annoyance than a treasure. Daniel Patrick Moynihan was right. Schools and teachers will never be a successful substitute for a failed family. Rob Bligh, San Antonio Just when youve given up hope of anyone worthwhile making it to Capitol Hill, you find out there is someone who should actually be president up there already. Maybe I can do a write-in! Desiree Judge, Alexandria, Va. Just Asking By Rachel Manteuffel Applause to Washingtons Markus Batchelor on his impeccable record of political involvement and community service. I wish more 23-year-olds were like Mr. Batchelor. Now if only he would surprise me and say he is a registered Republican and not a Democrat! David Tulanian, Los Angeles @work Advice By Karla Miller May I raise one voice in favor of being family unfriendly? When people choose to have children, the need for labor at their workplaces doesnt go away. The people who do not have children are still in there, covering for absent employees, learning new skills and contributing to the firm or government office. Why do parents think that they can waltz back in and pick up where they left off, with the same seniority, titles and prospects for promotion of the people who have been doing the work? Why do they think it is unfair when they cant? Having children is a good thing, but it has consequences. When people decide to have families, they should recognize the consequences and be willing to make the trade-offs. Its unfair to their co-workers when they claim that a non-work-related activity should give them special privileges in the workplace. David Vandenbroucke, Alexandria, Va. Lee Camp, 35, is the host and creator of Redacted Tonight, a twice-weekly political comedy show mocking dysfunction in media and the American political system. The cable show on RT America (available from such carriers as Verizon, RCN and Dish in the D.C. area) films live near Metro Center. He lives in Washington. Im the mainstream media. Tell me all the ways I suck. The hard questions are not often asked because you dont want to alienate the people youre talking to. I think a lot of Americans, not just me, are screaming at the TV. Like, They avoided the question! They ducked the question! How did you get here, hosting Redacted Tonight? I did stand-up comedy for about 15 years. I still do it, but it was my full-time gig for a long time. Like, it paid the bills? It did pay the bills. I was doing a YouTube show, and RT America asked if I could create a comedy show. Past six months, its been a big jump in the fans. We had one clip that had 2 million views on Facebook. Stuff that goes a little bit viral. A lot of the bump is that Im willing to talk about election fraud. It seems like the exit polls on the Democratic side have not been matched up very closely to the machine results. People are hungry for that news. Do you think the Democratic primary was stolen? I think its not fair. Even if this election is accurate, who in their right mind thinks we should have a computer system you can never check? These elections should be fully accountable. Yeah, I dont like Hillary Clinton and I dont like Donald Trump, but I want it to be fair. What do you see as your mission? I want a society that lasts for a while. The system we live in is unsustainable short-term. Root of a lot of it is money in politics. The congressperson who spends the most wins 90 percent of the time in the House and Senate. If you have the person spending the most money winning, thats the person getting the most money most of the time, and whos giving it to them? Corporations. Does the show sell ads? One of the reasons Im at RT America is because theres no advertising. If there were advertising, no channel really wants someone who goes after corporations as much as I do. When you offend the sponsors you arent on TV. Where does the money come from? Its Russian. The Russian government funds you? Yeah. Is that weird? They knew what kind of comedy I did, and I was picked for that reason. I would do this show for any network that would let me. Were you looking for funny in this? I gave you zero funny. Tell me a joke. Im gonna suggest a topic: Vladimir Putin and what a thug he is. Every time someone says, Tell me a joke, I tell people stand-up comedy is not like a strip dance. It doesnt work one-on-one. More Just Asking 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. A gender neutral sign is posted outside a restaurant bathroom in North Carolina. One of the nations largest school systems is considering regulations that would affirm the right of transgender students to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with. (Sara D. Davis/Getty Images) The Fairfax County School Board is weighing new regulations that spell out how schools should accommodate transgender students, rules that would affirm the students right to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity and direct teachers to refer to them by their preferred pronouns. The board last year approved a policy barring discrimination against transgender students and staff, a move that spurred vocal protests and a lawsuit from an unnamed student who accused the board of overstepping its authority. While the policy has been on the books for a year, the new proposed regulations, released to board members July 1, would clarify for teachers and administrators their obligations to safeguard the rights of transgender students. [Fairfax school board approves transgender protections] The board votes on policy changes but typically does not weigh in on the regulations that implement them; school system regulations usually go into effect without board approval. But the board chairman, Pat Hynes (Hunter Mill), said the board would have the opportunity to change the proposed regulations if they are presented to the board for consideration. Hynes scheduled a School Board work session for July 21 to discuss the regulations. [Read the draft regulations here] Some parents have complained that school system officials have not been transparent enough as they drafted the regulations and have asked for more opportunities to provide input. This is a topic thats very sensitive, said Meg Kilgannon, who has three children in Fairfax schools. She said she thinks that schoolchildren are too young to be switching genders and that the school system needs to be careful in considering how the policies affect all students. This is a new area of public debate in our country, and we need to have a debate. Those who back the new regulations say they are an extension of the policy passed last year, which already was at the center of heated debate. LGBT advocates say the regulations are an important step in the right direction, a move that could help transgender students feel more comfortable at school and allow them to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity. Itll change the culture in a huge way. Culture is top-down in schools, said Robert Rigby, a Latin teacher at West Potomac High and an advocate for LGBT students. He said the new regulations also would give clarity to teachers, who might struggle to understand how they should accommodate transgender students. This will mean a lot to teachers. Teachers will now feel safer accepting their trans kids. . . . This is a big wide neon sign to all administrators and all staff: Accept your trans kids. While the regulations have been in the works for more than a year, they represent an effort to navigate the new and complex legal landscape of an issue that has proved deeply polarizing in Fairfax County and across the country. Transgender students say being allowed to use bathrooms that match their gender identity is a critical element of their well-being. But some people worry that allowing transgender students into restrooms that conflict with the sex on their birth certificates is a breach of privacy and traditional values; some argue that it is also a safety risk. [Transgender students access to bathrooms is at front of LGBT rights battle] The Obama administration in May directed public schools across the country to allow transgender students to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity and to respect transgender students who wish to be referred to by pronouns or names that differ from their birth certificates. The directive was met with immediate backlash: 21 states have sued to have it overturned. [Another 10 states sue Obama administration over bathroom guidance for transgender students] The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in April sided with a Virginia transgender student who is suing for the right to use the boys bathroom at his high school, saying his lawsuit could move forward. The court also deferred to the Obama administrations position that bathroom prohibitions for transgender students violate Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in public schools. [Federal appeals court sides with transgender teen, says bathroom case can go forward] Hynes, the Fairfax School Board chairman, said the developments might have created new legal obligations for the school system. She added that she thinks Fairfax already was complying with the new policy to not discriminate against transgender students, but the regulations will make the countys nearly 200 schools more consistent and efficient, she said. The proposed regulations would give transgender students access to bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identities. In classes that are sex-segregated such as sex education transgender students would be able to remain with classmates who match their gender identity. The regulations also would give all students the right to request private changing areas, regardless of the reason. Transgender student athletes are bound by the rules set by the Virginia High School League, which requires transgender competitors to appeal to the organization and provide documentation of their transition if they wish to compete on teams that match their gender identity. Critics accused the district of moving too hastily and without enough information. Board member Elizabeth Schultz (Springfield) said she wants to see more information on model policies and best practices and to hear from an expert on the matter. She questioned whether it was prudent to require students who feel uncomfortable with a transgender classmate to seek alternate arrangements. What weve done is shifted the burden . . . to 99 percent of the students, Schultz said. What happens if 60 girls in PE want private showers? Now what? She called the new regulations a redefinition of what sex is an argument that conservative lawmakers in several states have made in challenging the Obama administrations guidance on transgender students and said the board has not given serious consideration to the implications of such a change. She said that the notion that you can think your sex runs contrary to science. If its now no longer a scientific thing and its now something a person can change by thought process . . . what are the implications of moving forward with that kind of public policy change? Schultz said. THE DISTRICT 3 charged in pursuit that caused lockdown D.C. police charged three men Wednesday who allegedly were in a car during a high-speed police chase Tuesday when a passenger opened fire with a Mac-11 handgun. Nobody was hit by gunfire, which police said occurred as the pursuit entered the Third Street Tunnel near the U.S. Capitol, causing the Capitol to be placed in a lockdown for about an hour Tuesday. Authorities said the men were Keyante Edwards, 19, of Southwest, charged with assault on a police officer, carrying a gun without a license and discharging a firearm; Alpha Jalloh, 18, of Southwest, charged with fleeing police, reckless driving, being in a vehicle with a firearm and resisting arrest; and Keith Jones, 20, of Southeast, charged with being in a vehicle with a firearm and resisting arrest. Peter Hermann MARYLAND Man is fatally shot in Upper Marlboro A 22-year-old man was fatally shot Tuesday in Prince Georges County, officials said. Officers were called to the 12100 block of Hunterton Street in Upper Marlboro about midnight Tuesday for a reported shooting, where they found a man shot outside a home. He was later identified as Andre Stocks of Upper Marlboro. Dana Hedgpeth VIRGINIA Arlington man dies in motorcycle accident A Virginia man died in a motorcycle accident after running off Interstate 66 early Wednesday, police said. Sohail Khawaj, 28, of Arlington was traveling west on I-66 in Fairfax County when he lost control and struck the guardrail several times, Virginia State police said in a statement. Justin Wm. Moyer THE REGION Infant in Amber Alert is found safe in Md. Authorities said that a woman who allegedly abducted her 6-week-old daughter Wednesday was in custody and that the child had been found safe. At about 12:40 p.m., police issued an Amber Alert for Liz Khatun, who was last seen in Annandale, Va. Police said the child probably had been abducted by her mother, Flora Khatun, 31. A Fairfax County police spokesman said Khatun left the county Department of Family Services on Little River Turnpike on Wednesday morning after a meeting in which she was told that her child, who was not present, would be removed from her custody. At about 5:40 p.m., Prince Georges County police said that the child had been found unharmed with her mother in the Hyattsville area and that Khatun was in custody. Fairfax police said Khatun was found based on information from WUSA9 news reporter Andrea McCarren. Parole and probation agents in Maryland said Thursday that the state is woefully ill-equipped to deal with the hundreds of nonviolent prisoners who could be released next year under the states new criminal-justice reform law. Union members expressed their concern at a news conference in Baltimore. They argued that many agents carry more than 100 cases and that the numbers are likely to climb when the new sentencing law goes fully into effect in October 2017. Union officials say the agency is supposed to keep the caseload at about 82 cases per officer, but the state Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services said there is no such standard, and union officials acknowledged that it is not a hard-and-fast rule. [How Maryland came to repeal mandatory minimums for drug offenders] We are not able do the job we are called to do because we are inundated with work, said Helen Humphries, a senior parole and probation agent in Baltimore. She and other agents said they routinely have to take on tasks that should be completed by support staff, such as answering phone calls and receiving urine for analysis. State officials estimate that about 1,600 prisoners serving long sentences will become eligible for early release starting in October 2017 as a result of the new law. Known as the Justice Reinvestment Act, the law was designed to reduce the prison population and costs and to help offenders reenter society. Humphries said the department needs to address the shortage in order for the law to be successful. We want to uphold public safety, but we cannot do it . . . because we dont have enough staff, she said. Gary McLhinney, he corrections departments director of professional standards, said the state is hiring agents and will be prepared to deal with the new law. That assessment is simply not true, McLhinney said of the unions charges. He said the state plans to hire 60 agents, who will enter a training academy in August. I dont know why they are saying this when they were briefed on the issue two weeks ago, he said. Both McLhinney and union officials said the Division of Parole and Probation has been understaffed for years, dating back to the previous administration. But union leaders said the problem has recently worsened. There were 14 fewer parole and probation agents in April than there were in January. There are supposed to be 695 agents, according to the union, but 67 positions are vacant. Seven of those vacancies are in the process of being filled. They are trying to hire, but they are just not doing a good job of it, union spokesman Jeff Pittman said. Last month, the union that represents Maryland correctional officers said its facilities are short about 1,000 employees. Firefighters from around the D.C. region lined up in April to pay their respects to firefighter John Ulmschneider. (Lynh Bui/The Washington Post/Lynh Bui/The Washington Post) A grand jury on Thursday indicted a man who fatally shot a Maryland firefighter on illegal handgun charges but declined to hand up a murder charge in the death, which occurred as firefighters responded to a 911 call. The five-minute incident in April occurred when responders to a medical call arrived at the Temple Hills home of Darrell Lumpkin, 61. Prosecutors on Thursday said Lumpkin has a 1980 conviction for assault in the District, a crime of violence that should have prevented him from owning the handgun he used in the shooting of firefighter John Ulmschneider, 37. Lumpkin had been sleeping when firefighters, fearing a medical emergency, broke into his home, Prince Georges County States Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said. When Lumpkin awoke, Alsobrooks said, he thought the firefighters were intruders. He told authorities he shot in self-defense. This is a tragedy that none of us expected, and to be quite candid, one we hope we will never see again, Alsobrooks said. The indictment comes three months after the April 15 shooting of Ulmschneider and the wounding of fellow firefighter Kevin Swain and the brother of the shooter. The brother met firefighters at the house after calling 911 because he was worried about Lumpkins health. Lumpkins brother asked authorities to check on the welfare of Lumpkin, who is diabetic and might have experienced a blackout or a seizure, authorities have said. [Emergency crews honor Md. firefighter who died answering 911 call] After firefighters knocked several times and announced themselves three times, they made a forced entry, county authorities said. The three men were shot. Alsobrooks said Lumpkin awoke and thought that there was a criminal break-in. When deciding whether to indict Lumpkin on a murder charge, the grand jury had to consider his state of mind at the time of the shooting specifically his intent when he fired the gun and whether he was reasonable in his belief that he fired in justified self-defense. Self-defense shootings in Maryland use a reasonable person standard to determine whether someone should be charged with manslaughter or murder. To avoid charges, legal experts say, the shooter must reasonably believe he was under imminent threat of death or severe bodily harm and that the force used was necessary and reasonable. After the shooting, Lumpkin gave a lengthy statement to police. Authorities recovered the weapon used in the shootings and two other handguns from his home, Alsobrooks said. He was disqualified from owning those firearms because he had been previously convicted of a crime of violence, Alsobrooks said. Lumpkin was charged with three counts of firearm possession with a disqualifying conviction and three counts of firearm possession with a crime of violence conviction. Lumpkin faces up to 45 years in prison on the six counts of weapons charges, Alsobrooks said. Lumpkin could not be immediately reached for comment and online court records did not indicate who his attorney was in the case. A court date has not been set. Since April, leaders in the Prince George's County fire department have said that firefighters who answered the call for the medical emergency did exactly what they were trained to do the night of the shooting. [Ballistic vests? Survival-skill classes? After firefighters death, a department reflects on safety.] We still stand firm that our personnel did not do anything wrong that evening, Deputy Chief Benjamin Barksdale said Thursday. We had extenuating circumstances from a loved one at the scene saying that their brother was inside and needed medical assistance. And that is when we went in there to render aid, unfortunately to a tragic outcome. The department has been reviewing policies and procedures to improve firefighter safety after Ulmschneiders death. Barksdale said the department will move forward with a full internal review of the incident once the criminal investigation into the case is complete. Morningside firefighter Swain, then 19, who was also shot that night, is still recovering but doing well, Barksdale said. Baltimore Police Lt. Brian Rice, the highest-ranking officer charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, steps out of a vehicle as he arrives at a courthouse for opening statements in his trial in Baltimore on July 7. (Patrick Semansky/AP) Prosecutors made their final effort Thursday to convince a judge that the highest-ranking officer charged in Freddie Grays death committed a crime, saying that Lt. Brian Rice intentionally failed to safely secure Gray in a police van because he wanted to punish and humiliate him. But defense attorneys argued that Rice acted as any reasonable officer would have, loading Gray into the van without a seat belt because the 25-year-old was combative and officers were wary of the crowd that had gathered to witness his arrest. Rice, 42, faces counts of manslaughter, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office related to Grays death last year from a severe neck injury suffered in police custody. Judge Barry G. Williams is set to deliver a verdict at 10 a.m. Monday. If he finds Rice guilty of any of the charges, it will mark the states first conviction in the case, which is playing out amid national debate over the deaths of black men during encounters with police. Rice is among six officers charged and the fourth to stand trial. Two were recently acquitted, and a third is awaiting a retrial after a jury deadlocked in December. A mural depicting Freddie Gray is seen in Baltimore on June 23, at the intersection where Gray was arrested. (Patrick Semansky/AP) [Complete coverage of the Freddie Gray case.] Police arrested Gray the morning of April 12, 2015, after he fled officers on a bike patrol. Rice and other officers shackled the his wrists and legs and loaded him into a police van without putting his seat belt on. Gray broke his neck during the ride to jail and died a week later, sparking protests and riots in the city. In closing arguments Thursday morning, prosecutor Janice Bledsoe told the court that Rice, as the senior officer on the scene during Grays arrest, was responsible for Grays safety and needs to be held accountable for his death. She said that the lieutenant deliberately chose not to buckle Gray up not because he had a combative prisoner, but because he wanted to punish and humiliate him. Bledsoe said that Rices actions "formed a chain" that resulted in Grays death. If he had taken one small measure of compassion or humanity, Freddie Gray would still be alive, she said. Bledsoe said that Rice was well aware that department policy required officers to put detainees in seat belts, saying he had received emails and memos from the department with specific instructions to restrain prisoners in the back of transport vehicles. She disputed claims by the defense that Rice and other officers rushed to load Gray into the van and leave because Gray was combative and an angry crowd had converged around them. Surveillance video showed only a few people gathered near the van, she said, adding that the vehicle didnt appear to be shaking. Rices attorneys took a different view entirely. Defense attorney Michael Belsky said onlookers had circled the van just after Gray was detained, yelling and cursing at officers as they tried to haul him away. Belsky said that Rice, fearing for the safety of other officers as well as his own, had nine seconds to assess the situation. What he did was professional, it was correct, it was right and it was reasonable, Belsky said. Williams seemed dissatisfied with both accounts. Throughout closing arguments, he interrupted the attorneys, challenging them on their clashing descriptions of the crowd of people and the threat they posed to officers. Both sides want this court to look at it from only one side, Williams told prosecutor Michael Schatzow during the states rebuttal. Theyre saying its the most horrible situation going on. Youre saying it was a walk in the park. Williams pressed prosecutors to explain what about Rices actions was unreasonable given the circumstances and questioned whether the failure to belt Gray in was a crime worthy of a manslaughter conviction. How can you say that the crowds actions are a reason not to seat-belt? Schatzow responded. Thats where he failed in his duty. The judge was hard on the defense as well, grilling Belsky on his argument that prosecutors failed to prove that the departments seatbelt policy applied to Rice. Hes a police officer, Williams said. Why wouldnt it apply to him? In any case, Belsky said, Rice still had the discretion not to seat-belt Gray. Last month, in the trial of another officer charged in the case, the judge found that the van drivers failure to seat-belt Gray didnt amount to a criminal offense, even if it violated department orders. Williams acquitted Officer Caesar Goodson Jr. of murder, manslaughter and other counts after an eight-day bench trial, rejecting the states claim that Goodson gave Gray a rough ride. In May, Officer Edward M. Nero was acquitted of assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office, also after a bench trial. Officer William G. Porter is scheduled to be retried in September after a jury was unable to reach a decision in his case in December. Merri McGregor, a former officer with the Detroit Police Department, writes an 800-word emotional plea on her Facebook profile, as someone who has seen both sides of the spectrum. By India Today Web Desk: On July 8, two snipers opened fire on police officers during protests in Dallas, killing five officers and injuring seven others. The incident is believed to be a sign of protest to two fatal police shootings last week, one in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and another in suburban St Paul, Minnesota. Merri McGregor served in the Detroit Police Department for 17 years before retiring last year. Now 39 years old, McGregor wrote an 800-word-long Facebook post on Monday calling for peace, compassion and understanding between civilians and police officers in the light of Dallas shooting, and she does this as someone who has seen both sides of the spectrum. advertisement McGregor's emotional post has moved thousands of people and the post went viral with over 1,40,000 shares in less than four days. With the post, she also shared a photo her mother snapped on the night she was leaving to report for her first tour of duty. She was 21 years old then. In her post, she writes, "I go to work every night, knowing that I was going to do the best I could to keep good people safe, even if that meant that I died doing so," and "We ALL need to start being more understanding and compassionate toward one another. Violence doesn't cure violence and hate doesn't cure hate. I've seen and experienced both sides of the spectrum since I left the PD and I get it. I truly do. But this all has to stop." Here's McGregor's full post: "This is me at 21 years old. This is the day I graduated from the Detroit police academy at 4:00 PM, went home and took a couple hour nap, woke up at 9:30 that night and reported to my first tour of duty at the 12th Precinct for midnight shift. Look at that smile on my face. I couldn't have been more excited, more proud. Armed with my dad's badge that he wore for 25 years on my chest, one of my mom's sergeant stripe patches in my pocket, my lucky $2.00 bill tucked into my bulletproof vest, a gun I was barely old enough to purchase bullets for on my hip and enough naive courage for a small army, I headed out the door...my mom snapped this photo on my way. Merri McGregor. Photo: FacebookMerriMcGregor The next 17 years would bring plenty of shed blood, black eyes, torn ligaments, stab wounds, stitches, funerals, a head injury, permanent and irreparable nerve damage, 5 ruptured discs, some charming PTSD and depression issues and a whole lot of heartache. They brought missed Christmases with my family, my absence from friends' birthday get-togethers, pricey concert tickets that were forfeited at the last minute because of a late call and many sleepless nights. advertisement I've laid in wet grass on the freeway for three hours watching a team of burglars and orchestrating their apprehension, I've dodged gunfire while running down a dark alley in the middle of the night chasing a shooting suspect, I've argued with women who were too scared to leave their abusive husbands until they realized they had to or they would end up dead. I've peeled a dead, burned baby from the front of my uniform shirt, I've felt the pride of putting handcuffs on a serial rapist and I've cried on the chest of and kissed the cheek of my dead friend, coworker and academy classmate even though it was covered in his own dried blood and didn't even look like him from all the bullet holes. I know what a bullet sounds like when it's whizzing past your ear, a few inches away, I know what the sound of a Mother's shrilling scream is like when she finds out her son has been killed in the middle of the street and I know what it's like to have to tell a wife and mother of 3 that her husband was killed in a car accident while on his way home from work. advertisement Smells, pictures, sounds and sights are burned and engrained into our minds...things we can never forget, no matter how hard we try; things that haunt our sleep at night and our thoughts during the day; things that we volunteered to deal with so that you don't have to. Things I don't want my sister, little cousins or YOU to even have to KNOW about. I never once went to work thinking, "I'm gonna beat someone tonight."; "Hmmm...I think I'm gonna kill someone tonight." I DID, however, go to work every night, knowing that I was going to do the best I could to keep good people safe, even if that meant that I died doing so. We ALL need to start being more understanding and compassionate toward one another. Violence doesn't cure violence and hate doesn't cure hate. I've seen and experienced both sides of the spectrum since I left the PD and I get it. I truly do. But this all has to stop. Are cops perfect? No. Are there bad cops? Yes. But please...understand that the vast majority of police are good, loving, well intentioned family people. They have husbands and wives and children and parents and pets and cousins and mortgages and electric bills and lawns that need cutting, just like you. They have hearts and consciences. They aren't robots, they're not machines and they just want to help keep the wolves away from the sheep. I KNOW there's people who don't deserve to wear the badge but they're SO VERY few and far between. It breaks my heart to see all this hatred and anger flying around. All it's doing is encouraging more of the same. advertisement If you've read this far, thank you for listening. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that if you hate or don't support one side or the other, to unfriend me and never speak to me again...I hope those are the people who come straight TO me. Because I'll be more than happy to hug you and pray or meditate with you. I'll be more than happy to listen to your concerns and let you vent and empathize with your feelings. But then I'll encourage you to help me find a solution to end all this nonsense because if we're not part of the solution, we're part of the problem. Love to all of you. ALL OF YOU. We're all SO much better than this." --- ENDS --- A man was killed early Thursday when a jack apparently failed and a vehicle fell on top of him in Northwest Washington, according to D.C. police and fire officials. The incident occurred about 5:15 a.m. in the rear of a rowhouse in the 4400 block of Kansas Avenue NW, in the Petworth neighborhood. The D.C. fire department posted the call on its Twitter feed saying that the person was trapped under the vehicle and was pronounced dead on the scene. Police said the investigation is continuing and no further information was immediately available. The name of the man who died has not yet been released. SafeTrack. Arcing insulators. Random explosions and assaults on passengers. To Metros list of woes, add another: A court ruled Monday that the agency must pay more than $50,000 in attorneys fees to counsel for a musician who successfully sued for the right to play near Orange Line stations. [D.C.-area busker wins round in suit against Metro ban on accepting tips near stations] Alex Young, who said he was tired of being hassled by transit police for playing his acoustic guitar near the Vienna, West Falls Church and Ballston stations, sued the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in 2014. All Im doing is, Im entertaining people, Young said after the suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. And by having my guitar case open, what Im saying is, Im just trying to brighten your day, and if youd like to support my music, you can donate. Alex Young performs outside the Vienna Metro station on Aug. 18, 2013. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post) Young, who didnt ask for monetary damages, won the case in 2015. But there was an outstanding issue: his lawyers bill, which Metro argued should be substantially smaller than what was billed. In a case that partly was about how much lawyers should be compensated depending on their levels of experience, Judge Beryl A. Howell disagreed. WMATA contests two categories of hours billed by the plaintiffs attorneys in connection with his successful First Amendment action, Howell wrote. However, WMATA fails to demonstrate that either category of hours was unreasonably billed. Metro will now have to pay $50,145 to Youngs counsel. Metro officials declined to comment on the case Wednesday. Jeffrey Louis Light, a private civil rights attorney who represented Young in conjunction with the Rutherford Institute, a Charlottesville group that advocates for civil liberties, said Metros decision to contest the fees increased them by about $20,000 as the issue was drawn out in court. Theyre a business, said Light, who will take home $33,447.10 in the case at hourly rates of up to $661. They need to make sensible business decisions. This is not one of them. Light also pointed out that the agency had the opportunity to settle the case for nothing. They spent time arguing over whether this guy should have his guitar case open, and for what? he said. Untreated groundwater in Maryland and almost a dozen other states carries a very high risk of being so corrosive that it could contaminate drinking water, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Officials warn that the groundwater being pumped to homes through wells could leach lead from pipes. About 1 million people in Maryland rely on wells for their water about one in six state residents. While water that flows through county or municipal treatment plants or pipes is subject to lead testing, water from wells is not. The review is the first nationwide examination of the corrosivity of groundwater, prompted by the lead contamination of drinking water in Flint, Mich., the studys lead author said. The study found the highest risk of corrosive water along the Atlantic coastal plain, said Kenneth Belitz, chief of groundwater assessment for the geological surveys National Water Quality Assessment Program. That plain includes Marylands Eastern Shore and parts of the western shore that are close to the Chesapeake Bay, to the south and east of Interstate 95. In addition to Maryland, researchers found the highest risks of corrosive groundwater in Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Delaware, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Corrosive water could cause lead to leach into water from lead pipes or fittings used in homes built before 1930, lead solder used as recently as the late 1980s, and some brass and steel plumbing components, according to the study. Maryland Department of the Environment officials declined to comment on the findings Wednesday, saying they had not yet had time to thoroughly review the report. Surveys indicate that many Americans who drink from wells arent aware the water should be tested. About 44 million people across the country get their water from wells. Researchers emphasized that there are many other factors that affect tap-water quality, but urged residents to check for lead. It is an essential factor that should be carefully considered in testing for water quality in both public and private supplies nationwide, Stephen Moulton II, chief of the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Program, said in a statement. The federal government does not regulate private wells for water quality. In Maryland, the state Department of the Environment requires permits to dig or install wells, but there is no statewide water-testing mandate. Residents in Anne Arundel and Washington counties must have water tested to obtain certificates of potability after wells are dug, but after that, there is no continuing requirement for water-quality testing, according to state officials. The National Ground Water Association urged well users to have their water tested and emphasized that no level of lead concentration is safe. If lead is found, residents should find and remove sources of lead or have their water treated before drinking it. The Maryland Geological Survey conducted a study of lead levels in Harford County wells in 2013 and found unsafe levels of the toxic heavy metal in 7.5 percent of first draw samples, taken after water was left sitting in pipes overnight. Samples taken after leaving faucets running for 30 seconds contained levels below an Environmental Protection Agency threshold of concern. In Flint, municipal water became contaminated with lead when officials switched the citys supply from Lake Huron and the Detroit River to the Flint River, which contains corrosive water. Virginia state Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel has raised $560,000 to fund her 2017 bid for lieutenant governor since announcing her candidacy in March, bringing in a near-record amount for this stage of the campaign. Only former Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) raised more than Vogel (R-Fauquier) over a comparable period, taking in $727,000 over the first six months of 2008. And that was when Bolling was an incumbent seeking a second term as lieutenant governor in the 2009 election, with only token opposition for the GOP nod. I am grateful to the hundreds of supporters across the Commonwealth who are inspired by our message of bold conservative leadership, Vogel said in a statement. It was not immediately clear how Vogels haul, which she disclosed to The Washington Post on Thursday, compared with that of one Republican rival, state Sen. Bryce E. Reeves (Spotsylvania). The deadline for filing campaign finance reports covering the first six months of 2016 is Friday. Reevess campaign has not released its figures. Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-Fauquier) addresses the members of the Virginia Senate at the State Capitol in February. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) [State Sen. Bryce Reeves to run for Va. lieutenant governor] Vogel far surpassed fundraising by another GOP hopeful, Del. Glenn R. Davis Jr. (Virginia Beach), who has largely self-funded his campaign and has not begun to solicit donations. He said he has put in about $30,000 of his own money and received about $5,000 in unsolicited contributions. Davis said the more significant figure for his campaign is 8,000: the number of miles he has put on the 27-foot recreational vehicle he has used to tour the state. I believe in running the state like a business, and the first thing you do when you decide to start a business is not raise money; its go out there and make sure you have a viable idea, that your product resonates, your message resonates, and you know you can commit the time necessary to be successful, said Davis, a telecommunications management entrepreneur. We said were doing this differently and we meant it. [Va. Del. Glenn Davis to run for lieutenant governor] Only one Democrat has announced a bid for lieutenant governor: Justin Fairfax. The former federal prosecutor and 2013 attorney general candidate raised $194,000. [Democrat Justin Fairfax to run for Va. lieutenant governor] We are excited about the early enthusiasm for Justins candidacy for lieutenant governor of Virginia, Fairfaxs campaign manager, Zakiya Thomas, said in a statement. We look forward to continuing to build upon this great momentum. Justin continues to run an amazingly strong campaign all across the Commonwealth, and his message of fighting for economic security and opportunity for all Virginians is resonating. Vogel, managing partner of a law firm specializing in campaign finance law and the former chief counsel of the Republican National Committee, and Reeves, a Spotsylvania businessman, former Army Ranger and former Prince William County narcotics detective, have been crisscrossing the state as well. Vogel noted that her efforts to build conservative grass-roots support are being led by E.W. Jackson, a Chesapeake minister who was the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in 2013. Jackson, who lost that race to now-Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam (D), has made a series of controversial comments suggesting, for instance, that birth defects are caused by sin and that yoga-style meditation presents an opening for Satan. But he has been popular on the right as a charismatic defender of conservative values. His support could help Vogel with conservative GOP activists, who would play an outsize role in choosing the nominee if the decision is made, as planned, at a party convention rather than through a statewide primary. Virginias lieutenant governorship is a part-time job with only one constitutionally prescribed duty: presiding over the state Senate, with the power to break most tie votes. The Senate has been closely divided between Republicans and Democrats in recent years, resulting in more ties for the lieutenant governor to decide. The position is often viewed as a steppingstone to higher office. Northam is running to succeed Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), who is term-limited. Rep. Robert Hurt, R-Va., is blaming President Obama for the recent violence that killed five police officers in Dallas. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP) U.S. Rep. Robert Hurt (R-Va.) said President Obama is responsible for fanning the flames of anti-police sentiment that contributed to the shooting deaths of five Dallas police officers. Hurt, a three-term congressman who is not seeking re-election this year, added that Obama reap[ed] what he sowed by legitimizing the Black Lives Matter movement and accused him of exploiting the nations racial divide to suit his political agenda. He made the comments during a conservative radio show on Monday, the day before Obama spoke at a Dallas memorial service alongside former president George W. Bush. In his speech, Obama praised the five slain officers and attempted to defuse racial tensions that have erupted across the nation in the past week. He spoke about the important role that police play in society, and the dangers of their work. And he acknowledged the fear and pain of African Americans who feel targeted by police. Hurts comments contrasted sharply with those of Obama and Bush, as many of the nations leaders are calling for unity and healing after a spate of shootings by white police officers of unarmed black men. A spokeswoman for Hurt did not respond to a message seeking comment. In a 14-minute-long interview with John Fredericks, who is vice chairman of Donald Trumps presidential campaign, Hurt said the nation has progressed from days of systemic discrimination. This president over his eight years, strictly in my opinion for political purposes, to misuse that history in a way to promote his own political agenda, I just think its wrong, I think its despicable frankly, Hurt said. Now were seeing him reap what he has sowed. The comments, first reported by the website Right Wing Watch, jibe with those of Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart, a Republican who plans to run for governor, who blamed Democrats, including presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton and Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, for the police massacre. Stewart is chairman of Trumps campaign in Virginia. Hurt, a lawyer from Pittsylvania County who has earned praise from Democrats for bipartisanship on local issues on local issues, said children are growing up in a country with less overt racism than their grandparents knew. Yet, Obama tosses all that aside and pretends that we have all of this horrible racial strife where frankly its hard for me to see that we have it, certainly to the degree that he suggests, he said. He has fanned these flames. Virginia Democratic spokeswoman Emily Bolton said Hurts comments were unacceptable and appalling. [Unarmed and black: Police are still killing unarmed black men at higher rates than whites] A Washington Post analysis published last week found black Americans are 2.5 times as likely as white Americans to be fatally shot by police officers. In theory, Sen. Timothy M. Kaine of Virginia is Hillary Clintons ideal wingman. A scandal-free former governor from a crucial swing state, Kaine would be a genial antidote for a Democratic presidential nominee tarred by decades of controversy. Even Republicans struggle for ways to attack Kaine, a Harvard Law School graduate who is fluent in Spanish and who volunteered as a missionary in Honduras. As he emerges as Clintons potential running mate, Kaines tenure in public office lauded by Republicans and Democrats alike is evidence that nice guys can finish first in American politics. But 2016 is not the year of the nice guy. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) will campaign Thursday in Northern Virginia with Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, who is considering Kaine as a running mate. (Molly Riley/AP) In the most hard-bitten, vitriolic presidential campaign in generations, it is far from certain that Kaine would be ferocious enough to combat Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee who tramples all manner of political decorum. Speculation about a Clinton-Kaine ticket gained momentum Thursday when the senator gave a bilingual welcome to Clinton at a rally in Annandale, in Northern Virginia. Hillary is ready to make history, Kaine said with an intensity that was more Bunsen burner than bonfire. The joint appearance was a chance for Clinton to audition a potential running mate from a pool that includes Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez. It was also an opportunity for voters across the country to take the measure of Kaine, whose unabashed earnestness can startle even the most jaded Washington observers. The boy is cleaner than the board of health, said Dave Mudcat Saunders, a Democratic political consultant who says he is voting for Trump and whose clients have included Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and the 2008 presidential campaign of then-Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.). If its one thing Hillary needs, its clean. A pragmatist with proven political savvy, Kaine had the foresight to endorse then-Sen. Barack Obamas 2008 presidential campaign more than a year before his nomination. Kaine distinguished himself in Virginia a decade ago, seizing on Virginias seismic demographic shifts to defeat a Republican and become governor. Kaine, 58, who declined through a spokeswoman to be interviewed for this article, is not without potential vulnerabilities. As governor and lieutenant governor, Kaine accepted $160,000 in gifts, all of them legal under Virginia law and all of which he declared in public disclosure statements. About three-fourths of the gifts were Kaines work-related travel expenses, according to his spokeswoman, including about $45,000 to attend Obama campaign events in 2008. The gifts also included Kaines week-long use of a friends Caribbean vacation home in 2005, valued at $18,000. He also accepted $5,500 in clothes from a friend who owned a chain of clothing stores. Although his spokeswoman, Amy Dudley, said Kaine went beyond the requirements of Virginias disclosure laws, Republicans are eyeing the gifts as a way to sully the senator. Chris LaCivita, a GOP consultant, said that Kaine, who was elected to the Senate in 2012, is unknown beyond Virginia, a fact that will make it easier for Republicans to define him to a national audience. A lot of people are going to go Tim who?, and anytime you have a blank canvas in politics, you have a lot of people standing around with paintbrushes, LaCivita said. Tim Kaine will not take the negatives off Hillary Clinton. He will incorporate hers. They run as a team. They run as one. At the same time, Republicans acknowledge that Kaine is not an easy target. Its hard to find any flies on Tim Kaine, said former congressman Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.). Hes a thoroughly honest and decent man. On Wednesday, GOP officials in Virginia hosted a telephone call for reporters during which they planned to criticize Clinton and Kaine on the eve of their joint appearance. After listening to the officials question Clintons character and intellect, a reporter asked about the senator. Twelve seconds of silence elapsed before Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) said, I really dont have any comments on Senator Kaine. John Whitbeck, the state GOP chairman, characterized as very sad that Kaine, with his reputation for integrity, would align with Clinton. He is going to be called on to defend the indefensible, Whitbeck said. Too boring? A contemplative man, Kaine speaks in measured cadences, his round cheeks framing a cherubic smile. His choice of words can be disarmingly retro. Hey! What a treat! he said when greeting a stranger recently. Even Democratic partisans fret that the senators sunny, aw-shucks style may be unfit for a campaign dominated by anti-establishment bombast. Tim Kaine Is Too Boring to Be Clintons Running Mate was the verdict rendered in a recent headline by the left-leaning New Republic magazine. Already disenchanted with Clinton, allies of Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), her Democratic primary rival, worry that Kaine wouldnt be able to rouse ardent progressives. If you want to inspire Sanders voters, hes a zero, said Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for Americas Future, a Washington-based progressive advocacy group. If you want to ensure that the African American vote turns out, hes a zero. If you want to make a boring, safe choice, you can choose him, but hes not going to turn out anyone to vote. Yet Kaines affability should not be confused for a bland biography. In the case of African Americans, for example, Kaine forged a strong bond with Richmonds black community by joining a predominantly black Catholic church and eventually becoming mayor of the majority-black city. Richard Harpootlian, a Sanders supporter and former chairman of South Carolinas Democratic Party, said Kaine could get folks like me excited about the Clinton campaign. If Tim Kaine were the vice-presidential candidate, he said, Im someone who would knock on doors and write checks. During a recent appearance on NBCs Meet the Press, Kaine acknowledged his own lack of sizzle, declaring, I am boring. But he added jokingly, Boring is the fastest-growing demographic in this country. A week later, the senator demonstrated his studiousness when he hosted a roundtable on the Zika virus in Richmond, summarizing the crisis for 15 minutes without referring to notes. Im particularly interested in vector control solutions, Kaine told a panel of medical experts, one of several moments when he easily slipped into the jargon of disease prevention. At the roundtables conclusion, he took nearly a dozen questions from a cluster of reporters, more than half of which concerned his potential candidacy for vice president. The only role Im playing is were trying to help her win Virginia, he said of Clinton, his grin in place as he repeated an answer he had just given to another question. A spiritual focus On his way to the exit after the Zika event, Kaine interrupted a reporter who began to ask how he felt being considered for the vice presidency after starting in relatively humble Richmond city politics. Speculation is nice, but Im a local guy, Kaine said. If Im good at anything in politics, its because I learned it being a city councilman on the Richmond City Council. The senators humility is rooted in a childhood spent in the suburbs of Kansas City, Mo., as the oldest of three boys whose father owned an iron-welding shop. His Catholic parents were so devout, the senator joked during a recent C-SPAN interview, that if we got back from a vacation on a Sunday night at 7:30 p.m., they would know the one church in Kansas City that had an 8 p.m. Mass that we can make. By his own account, Kaine was a nerdly student in high school, after which he attended the University of Missouri. He majored in journalism until he decided the budding reporters were too cynical and switched to economics. At Harvard Law School, Kaine took a year off to work as a missionary in Honduras, where he ran a program teaching carpentry and welding. I do what I do for spiritual reasons, Kaine said during the C-SPAN interview. Im always thinking about the momentary reality but also how it connects with bigger matters of whats important in life. At Harvard, Kaine met his future wife, Anne Holton, whose father, A. Linwood Holton Jr., had been a Republican governor of Virginia. As governor, Holton helped integrate Richmond public schools by sending his children to all-black schools. After law school, the couple moved to Richmond, where Kaine worked as a civil rights lawyer specializing in housing discrimination. In 1994, he won a seat on Richmonds City Council, whose majority-black members selected him as mayor four years later. In 2001, Kaine was elected lieutenant governor. (Warner was elected governor.) Four years later, Kaine became governor. During the campaign, he broke with political tradition by largely ignoring the states conservative rural outposts to focus on the Northern Virginia suburbs, where his fluency in Spanish helped him bond with an exploding Latino population. An opponent of the death penalty, Kaine was able to convince conservative voters that he would not allow his personal beliefs to interfere with the states law. He also convinced abortion rights advocates that he would not impede on a womans right to choose despite his personal opposition to abortion. Just after he became governor, Democratic leaders in Washington confirmed Kaines status as a rising star by drafting him to respond to then-President George W. Bushs State of the Union speech. Kaines remarks were sufficiently wooden that Jon Stewart of The Daily Show said they lacked passion, insight or any sign of carbon-based life. Others poked fun at his left eyebrow, which floated incongruously high on his forehead as he spoke. Tim Kaine Eyebrow Watch: Still Arched, Weeks Later, wrote Wonkette, an online blogger. Increasing influence Nevertheless, Kaines status among Democrats grew. He was a finalist in the 2008 vice-presidential sweepstakes. Kaine was really well liked by Senator Obama and all of us, said David Axelrod, a senior Obama adviser at the time. But he was only halfway through his term as governor at that point and had little foreign policy experience. Because of term limits, Kaine left the governors mansion in 2009 with few signature achievements, in part because of partisan gridlock. You ended up with a governorship that didnt have huge policy legacies, said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. Obama persuaded Kaine to lead the Democratic National Committee in 2009, after which Democrats lost several key statewide races. Because of the defeats, L. Douglas Wilder, a former governor of Virginia, urged Obama to fire Kaine as DNC chair. Kaine remained in his job but announced the following year that he was running for the Senate seat relinquished by Democrat Jim Webb. After defeating Republican George Allen, Kaine became the first senator to deliver a speech in Spanish from the floor of the Senate. His cause was immigration reform. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said Kaine has impressed him for having the ability to work with people without sending up partisan flags. King thinks Kaine would make not only an excellent vice president but also president a sentiment he has shared with his colleague. I told him Id manage his campaign, said King. He added that his friends understated response was not altogether unexpected. He rolled his eyes. Jenna Portnoy contributed to this report. Quinyetta McMillon, the mother of Alton Sterling's eldest son, talks about the last moments she had with Sterling before he was fatally shot by Baton Rouge police. (Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post) Alton Sterling, the black man whose point-blank shooting by white police set off a fresh round of national protest against police aggression against black people, was born and raised in this impoverished and racially divided Louisiana state capital and barely knew a life without police in it. His mother died when he was 14, and his father by the time he was 19, Quinyetta McMillon, the mother of Sterlings oldest son, said in an interview Tuesday. Alton pretty much raised himself, she said. And trouble was never far away. Sterling, who lived a life of poverty and instability, in and out of jail, was in many ways the embodiment of an American and particularly, a Louisianan justice system that legal experts say is skewed heavily against black Americans and that protesters have rallied against over the past week. [Murder, plain and simple: Grief in Baton Rouge days after Alton Sterling shooting] Two Baton Rouge police officers shot and killed Sterling outside a store here in the early hours of July 5. The incident, caught on video by an onlooker and the store owner, captured national attention and turned Baton Rouge into a flash point for protest and scrutiny of racial disparity in policing. Police said in a search warrant affidavit released Monday that they were responding to a call about someone making threats with a gun in the parking lot of the Triple S Food Mart, where Sterling sold CDs, and that they moved to restrain him after he refused to comply with their orders. The police said that the officers shot Sterling after he reached for a gun in his pocket. Sterling left behind five children, the oldest of whom is 15. All have secured legal representation, and at least two are planning to file civil suits against the police, said J. Chris Stewart, who is representing 15-year-old Cameron Sterling and his half-brother, 10-year-old NaQuincy. Cameron Sterling told CBS News on Tuesday that he wanted the nation to know that his father was a good man, no matter what anyone else has to say about him. On July 5, two white Baton Rouge police officers fatally shot 37-year-old black man Alton Sterling. Here's what you need to know. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post) Little is known about Sterlings life, beyond that it was hard and that he had repeated run-ins with the law. At the time of his death at 37, Sterling had amassed a 46-page arrest record with charges ranging from failing to wear a seat belt to burglary and domestic battery. Between stints in jail, he struggled to make ends meet, and each charge carried with it new and hefty fines as well as other requirements such as maintaining gainful employment, which proved difficult to meet. Sterling never graduated from high school, and despite a court order to pursue a GED or trade school as well as to pay $50 a month for his own supervision, pay $200 for a special assessment at a high school, pay child support, perform community service and attend the courts Effective Decision Making School, among other things as part of one of his early probation rulings, the lawyers representing his eldest son were not aware of whether Sterling ever managed to do that. [Money pouring in to support children of Alton Sterling, family of Philando Castile] A few months before he died, Sterling had moved into the Living Waters Outreach Ministry Drop-In Center, a transitional housing program run by a local Baton Rouge church that houses other struggling men like Sterling many of them formerly homeless, formerly incarcerated and black. There, Sterling paid $90 a week for a private bedroom, a building manager said. He cooked for fellow residents, biked to go fishing on the Mississippi River and took cabs to the Triple S Food Mart, where he sold CDs and DVDs, eking out a living and saving money to provide for his children and buy a car, fellow residents and those who knew him said. His customers spoke fondly of him. I saw him every day, said Jaime Triplett, 36, who lives half a block from the Triple S. He always kept a smile. He was the guy that when people came into the store disgruntled, the owner would say, Big A! Talk to your people. 1 of 41 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad The scene in Baton Rouge after a police officer fatally shot a black man View Photos A video captured the shooting of Alton Sterling, 37. Outrage spread across the city. Caption A video captured the shooting of Alton Sterling, 37. Outrage spread across the city. July 11, 2016 Dakeria Anderson, 9, protests with the help of her sisters D'liyah, 6, and D'anyriah, 8, across the street from the Triple S market. The girls father, Dewayne Anderson, said that he had been protesting since the beginning and the girls wanted to know what it was all about. Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. McMillon said she would sometimes chauffeur Sterling around so that he could spend time with Cameron and his other children. On Sterlings birthday, June 14, he asked McMillon if Cameron could spend the day with him, and Cameron actually sat out with him and sold CDs that whole day, she said. When he went away to jail, he communicated with his son by phone, she said. On several occasions, he took Cameron fishing. Sterling had talked about wanting to take all of his kids to the movies this Fourth of July, McMillon said. But that never happened. That night Sterling stood in the parking lot of the Triple S, selling CDs, as he usually did. By early the next morning, he was dead, and video of the shooting had spread across the country. Cameron is now just coping with the situation and hes trying to become a normal 15-year-old child again. He just wants to know why? Why did they do that to his Dad? McMillon said. Its unclear what Sterling told his son about his own history with law enforcement and whether he ever warned his son about the police in this town where black residents say they routinely feel victimized by a police force that is predominantly white. Asked about it on Wednesday after he spoke briefly to the media at the scene of his fathers killing, Cameron stayed silent, his face expressionless and staring straight ahead. Last week, he broke down in tears when he stepped before TV cameras for the first time. The night of Sterlings death wasnt the first time that police say they confronted him about a firearm. On two occasions, in 2009 and 2011, Sterling was charged with being in possession of an illegal weapon, according to his criminal record. Those times, he was arrested, Stewart said. Not shot. Officers Blaine Salamoni and Howie Lake have been placed on administrative leave. The local district attorney has recused himself because of his personal relationship with one of them, and the Justice Department has taken over the investigation. Well be finding out about these officers, Stewart said, adding that he was concerned about the implications of one of them, a third-generation police officer, having deep ties to the city and people in power. A spokesperson for the Baton Rouge Police Department did not respond to questions about the officers background. Will this family actually get justice when one of the officers who did this is such a fixture in the police department? Stewart said. Read more: Dallas had finally shaken the nickname City of Hate Super-fishy: Man who posted video of Alton Sterling killing claims he was targeted by vengeful police Outsiders descend upon Baton Rouge to mixed reception Police in Fresno, Calif., released body camera videos from two police officers showing the officers fatally shooting Dylan Noble, an unarmed white teenager (Editor's note: This video contains graphic content). (Fresno Police Department) Police in Fresno, Calif., released body camera videos from two police officers showing the officers fatally shooting Dylan Noble, an unarmed white teenager (Editor's note: This video contains graphic content). (Fresno Police Department) California Police release footage of officers killing man The chief of the Fresno Police Department took the rare step of publicly releasing the body-camera footage of officers fatally shooting an unarmed 19-year-old man last month a shooting that has generated fierce protests amid a roiling national debate over police brutality. Chief Jerry Dyer said at a news conference Wednesday that he decided to release the graphic videos of officers firing four gunshots into Dylan Noble, a white man, because of the intense public interest in the shooting. His decision is expected to heighten the debate about whether video from body-worn cameras on officers should be routinely made public, something that many law enforcement agencies and police unions have strongly opposed. Dyer acknowledged that the footage is extremely disturbing to watch, but he said he hoped it would clarify what led officers to stop Noble on June 25 and eventually open fire. I anticipate that some of this video will answer many of the questions out there in this community, Dyer said. However, I believe this video is also going to raise questions in the minds of people, just as those questions exist in my mind. The videos show officers spotting Nobles black pickup and pursuing the truck with police sirens blaring. Dyer said officers had been responding to a report of a man armed with a rifle. 1 of 25 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Photos from the funeral procession of Philando Castile View Photos The Minnesota man, who was killed by a police officer last week, will be remembered at an ecumenical service at a stately Catholic cathedral in St. Paul. Caption The Minnesota man, who was killed by a police officer last week, will be remembered at an ecumenical service at a stately Catholic cathedral in St. Paul. July 14, 2016 The funeral procession for Philando Castile passes the Cathedral of St. Paul in Minnesota, where services are scheduled to take place. Eric Miller/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue. Noble led police to a Chevron gas station where he stopped his truck, with officers parked a few yards behind him. One officer is seen brandishing his gun on the steering wheel shortly before driving into the gas station a decision the officer made because he believed the pickup driver was armed, Dyer said. Reuters Florida Families of the slain in club to get bulk of fund The families of the victims slain at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando will get the most money from a fund established to help the victims families and survivors of the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, said a proposal released Thursday. The fund has about $20 million. The amount each family will get is to be determined by how much is raised by Sept. 30. Omar Mateen opened fire at Pulse on June 12, leaving 49 victims dead and injuring 53 people. Police have said there were as many as 320 patrons at the club at the time. Orlando police said Thursday that someone broke into the club Wednesday night, hours after law enforcement had turned control of Pulse over to the clubs owners. The club had been under police custody as part of the investigation. Associated Press Michigan Environmental chief draws flak for BP ties A former BP lobbyist who Gov. Rick Snyder says has good crisis-management skills will lead Michigans environmental agency in the wake of fallout from the Flint water crisis, a move that drew criticism Thursday because of her ties to the company responsible for the disastrous 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Heidi Grether of Williamston will become Department of Environmental Quality director, effective Aug. 1, barring any unlikely objection from the Republican-controlled Senate. She has been the deputy director of the Michigan Agency for Energy for more than a year. She worked at BP for about 20 years, mostly as state government affairs director, before managing external affairs in the Gulf after the oil spill. Associated Press Louisiana Civil War mansion destroyed by arson Arson destroyed an antebellum plantation house that served as the governors mansion for nine months during the Civil War and damaged a museum less than a mile away on Thursday, the Louisiana State Fire Marshals Office said. The Old Governors Mansion burned to the ground, but the fire at the Louisiana Orphan Train Museum apparently burned out fairly quickly, said Brant Thompson, chief deputy for the fire marshals office. The Louisiana Orphan Train Museum commemorates the trains that brought abandoned or homeless children from New York to rural homes from 1854 to 1929, and the children who rode on them. Associated Press The great barrier of Comb Ridge forms the east margin of the proposed Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. The Abajo Mountains are the background. (Robert Fillmore/Robert Fillmore) Utah Republican lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday that would protect 1.4 million acres of a sacred Native American site in the states southeast, as Interior Secretary Sally Jewell toured the area to solicit ideas on how to address the threats it faces. Bears Ears an expanse of land in San Juan County that boasts both archeological treasures and critical environmental habitats has come under pressure from looters and vandalism over the years. Utahs congressional delegation has spent three years working to craft a compromise bill that would encompass not only that area but six other counties, providing opportunities for energy development, grazing and motorized recreation while designating some parts for conservation. The new flurry of activity, including the bill introduction and Jewells four-day visit to meet with tribal leaders, local officials and environmentalists, underscores that time is running out to forge a legislative deal. President Obama is weighing whether to designate Bears Ears as a national monument under the 1906 Antiquities Act at the request of the Hopi, Navajo, Uintah and Ouray Ute, Ute Mountain Ute and Pueblo of Zuni, who argue that state lawmakers have not given them sufficient input into their lands plan. While many of these nations no longer live in Utah, they date their connections to the land back more than 3,000 years, when ancestral Pueblo communities lived there. [A sacred archeological site prompts a quandry for Obama] Ancestral Puebloan structures in an alcove in Lime Canyon within the boundaries of the expanse known as Bears Ears. (Robert Fillmore/Robert Fillmore) Rob Bishop, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, both Utah Republicans, said they needed to weigh the demands of this group against local residents desire to have greater say over land in the state, 65 percent of which is owned by the federal government. The bill would consolidate 311,000 acres of state land into more compact areas, for example, making it easier to allow energy development that could generate revenue for education. It also would give the state permitting authority over energy development on federal land in four counties. The measure makes some concessions to environmental groups by expanding the Bears Ears conservation area from 1.1 million acres to 1.4 million acres and by jettisoning controversial provisions that would have changed the definition of wilderness and blocked any future use of the Antiquities Act in the counties affected by the legislation. I think weve demonstrated we can bring along the environmental community, as well as energy developers, outdoors recreationalists and elected leaders, Chaffetz said Thursday, adding: The administration is fully engaged with us at this point. Thats a sea change from where we were a few months ago. Interior officials said they were reviewing the bills provisions. Three environmental groups the Pew Charitable Trusts, Nature Conservancy and Friends of Cedar Mesa offered qualified support, saying that while they still had concerns, the bill could be the basis for further negotiations between Congress and the Obama administration. Theres recognition by the Utah delegation that places like Bears Ears deserve protection, said Mike Matz, Pews director of U.S. public lands. Theyre going to have to make some improvements to get this through the Senate, let alone get it to the presidents desk in a shape where he can sign it. Several other organizations, including the Wilderness Society, said the legislation still falls short. Paul Spitler, the groups wilderness policy director, noted that the measure does not encompass the full 1.9 million acres outlined in the tribal proposal. It would require that grazing and motorized-vehicle use be permitted even in national conservation areas. The management language completely undermines the conservation purposes of the protected areas, Spitler said. People tweeted photos on social media showing water up to the window level in some roads. A man rides a motorcycle through a flooded street after a heavy monsoon rain shower in New Delhi. (Photo: Reuters) By India Today Web Desk: Heavy rain virtually brought the national capital to a standstill today as roads got waterlogged and the city saw jams that lasted for hours. People tweeted photos on social media showing water up to the window level in some roads. Several flights have also been delayed. One user @thewildwildfire shared a scary photo in which even a bus seemed to struggle to move on an inundated road. advertisement Tempers were high and many angry tweets targeted the Kejriwal government as well as Delhi Traffic Police for the chaos and lack of management. No policeman in sight in Chanakyapuri, complained one user, while another wrote about travelling barely 1.3 km in over an hour. Meanwhile, the Met Department has forecast more rain in the next 24 hours. Total jam in Chanakyapuri @dtptraffic . No policeman in sight. Stuck for hoursanjali garg (@Anjaligarg7Garg) July 14, 2016 Complete breakdown of city with a 30 mins rain. Brar square to Mayapuri - distance 3 km - time taken 1 hr @dtptrafficArvind Joshi (@ajoshig39) July 14, 2016 Delhi is never ready for monsoons! #delhitraffic @dtptraffic Major traffic on kailash colony metro station main road. Chaahat Kohli (@TheChaWorld) July 14, 2016 @dtptraffic @RidlrDEL Delhi comes to a stand still.At hauz khas flyover for last 1.5 hrs towards https://t.co/sSAqHKQsrN class city my footPunit Mathur (@punitmathur) July 14, 2016 I should have got my swimming trunks. @ArvindKejriwal Sir will their be life vests for non swimmers. @dtptraffic pic.twitter.com/4v8GVMttXpRahul Malhotra (@rahulmalhotra_) July 14, 2016 @dtptraffic kindly airlift me from DND flyway@ArvindKejriwal what the hell you are doing about road infra? pic.twitter.com/HEJAd0wc8kTajinder Singh (@TXingh) July 14, 2016 1.5 kms in 43 mins! Welcome to Delhi infrastructure in rains! Roads clogged with water! Traffic not moving! #bjp #aap Mayank Singhvi (@IamMayankS) July 14, 2016 Delhi: Waterlogging in areas after heavy rainfall, visuals from Delhi's Minto Road. pic.twitter.com/51OcdrPtX4ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 Heavy at isol places over Himachal Pradesh,UKD, Punjab,Haryana,Chandigarh & Delhi,East Raj,Arunachal Pradesh and NMMT during next 24hrs.IMD-Weather (@IMDWeather) July 14, 2016 Plenty of commuters having trouble on Delhi's roads today. Rain is still bucketing down as roads turn to rivers. pic.twitter.com/Cu2I3ZoA1eShaun Star (@ShaunJStar) July 14, 2016 --- ENDS --- CAMEROON Boko Haram suspects allegedly abused, killed Cameroonian security forces have unlawfully killed dozens of civilians and tortured and forced the disappearances of others in mass arrests of suspects in the campaign against the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency, Amnesty International said Thursday. The London-based organization accused forces operating in Cameroons Far North province, bordering northeast Nigeria, of crimes under international law. Cameroons information minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, said that the report was biased and that Amnesty has never raised concerns about the more than 2,000 Cameroonians killed in the Boko Haram uprising. Amnesty said it interviewed more than 160 people, including victims, witnesses and a senior military officer, during three trips to Cameroon in 2015. The Boko Haram uprising has killed more than 20,000 people over seven years. The report also accused Boko Haram of crimes under international law. Associated Press THAILAND Junta tightens controls on media ahead of vote Thailands military government has tightened its control of media ahead of a referendum next month on a draft constitution, allowing the shutdown of any radio or TV station whose broadcasts are judged to threaten national security. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha authorized the move Thursday by invoking a catch-all article in the countrys temporary constitution that gives the ruling junta absolute power to carry out virtually any action in the name of national security. The army seized power in May 2014 from an elected government. The junta had already declared that inappropriate campaigning to affect the referendums outcome is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Critics charge that the draft charter is undemocratic. Several activists mounting a vigorous Vote No campaign have been arrested but not yet tried. The new order gives the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, primarily a regulatory body, the power to order broadcast media closed. Associated Press Brazil deputies pick new speaker: The lower house of Brazils Congress elected conservative deputy Rodrigo Maia as the new speaker. Maia won 285 votes against 170 for Rogerio Rosso, who is close to disgraced former speaker Eduardo Cunha. Cunha led impeachment proceedings against suspended president Dilma Rousseff and expected Rosso to help him avoid losing his congressional seat over corruption charges. New power network lights Jordans Zaatari camp: Jordans largest camp for Syrian refugees has switched on a revamped electricity network, equipping 80,000 residents with nine hours of steady power per day. The new grid is the latest sign that the Zaatari camp, set up in 2012, is transforming into an established community with some paved streets and busy shopping areas. Kuwait sets minimum wage for its maids: Kuwait has set a minimum monthly wage for maids working in the oil-rich emirate, the first time it has established such a rule for its foreign workforce of domestic helpers. A notice on the Interior Ministrys website listed the minimum salary as 60 Kuwaiti dinars, or $198, a month. In 2015, Kuwait approved a law giving domestic workers rights such as a weekly day off, 30 days of annual paid leave and a 12-hour working day with rest. Kuwait has the second-highest number of domestic workers in the Persian Gulf region, according to Human Rights Watch. Yemens rebels head to Kuwait for talks: Yemens Shiite rebels have headed to Kuwait to resume U.N.-mediated peace talks, amid threats of boycott by the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government. Negotiators who will attend the talks are representatives of Ansar Allah, the political arm of the rebel Houthi movement. Previous talks failed to bridge the gap between the warring parties. From news services Anthony D. Romero is executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. Donald Trumps proposed policies, if carried out, would trigger a constitutional crisis. By our reckoning, a Trump administration would violate the First, Fourth, Fifth and Eighth amendments if it tried to implement his most controversial plans. On immigration policy, there is simply no way a Trump administration could deport more than 11 million people within two years of taking office. To achieve such a feat, Trumps deportation machine would have to arrest 15,000 people a day on immigration charges, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The only way to accomplish this would be to shred the Fourth Amendments protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. To carry out such an order, immigration agents would have to engage in suspicionless interrogations and arrests, unjustified traffic stops, warrantless searches of workplaces and homes, and door-to-door raids in immigrant neighborhoods. There can be little doubt that agents would rely on racial profiling and target people of Latino and Hispanic descent disproportionately, violating their right to equal protection under the law regardless of their race or national origin. After rounding up undocumented immigrants in a very humane way, a very nice way that would inevitably include U.S. citizens by mistake the Trump administration would run face-first into the due process protections afforded every person inside the United States under the Fifth Amendment. It is inconceivable that 11 million undocumented immigrants could go before a judge in any reasonable amount of time. The immigration system is already seriously backlogged and under-resourced, with immigrants facing removal already waiting 635 days for an immigration hearing. And if Trump keeps them locked up, as he has proposed, hell deprive these people of their liberty possibly for years without due process of law. The Southwest border region under Trumps proposals would become a police state. In the realm of counterterrorism policy, Trump wants to do many unconstitutional, frankly unthinkable things. He would cast a dark shadow of suspicionless surveillance over Muslim communities and their houses of worship, simply because of their faith. By doing so, the Trump administration would infringe upon American Muslims First Amendment right to exercise their religion freely without fear or intimidation, as well as trespass against the establishment clause, which forbids the government from singling out certain religions for disfavored treatment. This was already tried by the New York Police Department, with disastrous results. The NYPDs Muslim surveillance program struck fear into the hearts of Muslim New Yorkers and made them less trustful of the police. Afraid of informants and undercover cops, mosque attendance declined. People watched what they said and mistrusted each other; some even went so far as to change their dress and trim their beards to look less Muslim. In its settlement of an ACLU lawsuit against the program, the city explicitly recognized that law enforcement can do its job without resorting to discriminatory practices. But Trump wants to resurrect this unconstitutional program and take it national. Donald Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the U.S. in December. But since then, his commitment to a "total and complete shutdown" has wavered repeatedly. Here's how. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) And his proposals dont stop there. In a misguided effort to prevent foreign attacks on the United States, Trump has proposed temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country and reintroducing torture. But once again the Bill of Rights constrains him. While the president does in fact have a lot of authority in immigration matters, the office cant violate the First Amendment by unfairly singling out an entire group of people, based on their religion, for collective punishment. Then theres torture, the tool of tyrants. Although the George W. Bush-era torture program has been widely discredited as barbaric and ineffective not to mention illegal Trump has been unequivocal that he would bring back waterboarding and a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding. Waterboarding, along with the rest of the Bush administrations enhanced interrogation techniques, violates the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits the government from inflicting cruel and unusual punishments, and international law. The same goes for methods he would approve that go beyond waterboarding. Perhaps Trumps most ignorant proposal, though, is his promise to open up our libel laws so that when the media writes things he doesnt like, we can sue them and win lots of money. This is preposterous. There are no federal libel laws to open up. Legal claims for libel arise under state laws, over which a President Trump would have no control. But his proposal is nothing to laugh about, because it shows his contempt for First Amendment values and the free press. For 96 years, the ACLU has not opposed or supported any candidate for office. We are not going to start with Donald Trump. But in the face of such an agenda, our job will be to muster all the legal arguments we can to derail and deter the presumptive Republican nominees patently anti-civil-liberties proposals should he become our nations 45th president. If Trump does win the White House in November, the Constitution and the system of government it created will survive his presidency. Our institutions particularly our courts are stronger than the will of one man. But we need to be prepared because the very freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution could come under a sustained attack by a President Trump in the Oval Office. If that day comes, make no mistake: Well be seeing him in court. Dennis C. Vacco, a Republican, was attorney general of New York from 1995 to 1999. I was one of 46 state attorneys general who signed the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement in November 1998. On behalf of New Yorks taxpayers, I filed one of the suits that eventually pushed the cigarette makers to settle. I can tell you from experience that our fight against the tobacco industry has almost nothing in common with todays campaign by several state attorneys general against ExxonMobil despite what supporters of the effort would like you to believe. In the case of tobacco, we made a powerful argument that decades of lying by the companies had led to intractable addiction of millions of Americans who suffered devastating illnesses and death, all of which cost the states billions every year in Medicaid expenses. In the current action, a group of Democratic attorneys general, acting as part of a campaign launched by well-heeled special interest groups and financial backers of alternative energy companies, have a different goal: using the power of state attorneys general to curb honest debate. (Disclosure: My law firm is representing two New York state municipalities that are challenging the siting of wind turbine projects on the shore of Lake Ontario.) The tobacco campaign was highly successful. The settlement agreement included not only direct payments to the states (currently $9 billion a year) but also imposed severe marketing restrictions to limit outreach to young smokers. Largely as a result, the proportion of high school student smokers dropped from 36 percent in 1997 to just 16 percent in 2013; adult smokers, from 25 to 17 percent. I was proud to play a major role in holding tobacco companies responsible for the damage they caused and in setting America on a healthier path. We had a clear, convincing legal case and a noble cause. The same cannot be said for attorneys general involved in the current crusade. Its unlikely they will be successful in their legal actions, and their actions may have already chilled free speech in this country. ExxonMobil was subpoenaed last fall by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) in an effort to find out whether the company misled investors and the public on the impact of climate change. Massachusetts joined in. Then, in March, the Virgin Islands, a U.S. territory, started investigating ExxonMobil, as well as think tanks and other institutions that received the companys support, under an anti-racketeering law. Later that month, 16 state attorneys general, all Democrats, held a news conference under the banner, AGs United for Clean Power, to announce they too will pursue energy companies that challenge the global-warming orthodoxy. But increasingly, Schneiderman appears to be on his own. Last week, Claude Walker, the attorney general for the Virgin Islands who opened a racketeering probe of ExxonMobil, withdrew his subpoena. And Maura Healey, attorney general for Massachusetts, delayed action on her own subpoena of ExxonMobil, meaning that case has paused. It is important to note that the fight against the tobacco industry was bipartisan and that never, during our battle to require the tobacco companies to meet their obligations, did we align ourselves with the industrys business competitors. In the current campaign, the attorneys general have linked up with investors in renewable energy in an unseemly alliance that presents serious conflicts of interest. As a June 15 letter signed by 13 AGs critical of their colleagues noted, The media event [in March] featured a senior partner of a venture capital firm that invests in renewable energy companies. If the [AGs] focus is fraud, such alignment by law enforcement sends the dangerous signal that companies in certain segments of the energy market need not worry about their misrepresentations. Attorney General Schneidermans theory is apparently that ExxonMobil pulled the wool over Americas eyes by manipulating public opinion. There is confusion, he said, sowed by those with an interest in profiting from the confusion and creating misperceptions in the eyes of the American public. One could argue that the same confusion and misperception has been caused by alternative energy proponents. Causing confusion if thats what happened is hardly a crime, but to hold one party to a national debate to a higher standard tilts the debate unfairly in the other direction. Notably, the attorney general is pursuing his investigation under the Martin Act, a sweeping New York law that I know well. It gives the attorney general broad subpoena power, and it allows charges to be filed even without evidence that the defendant intended to commit fraud. It is a powerful tool to protect investors but can have unintended negative implications to the very investors it seeks to protect. In the case of tobacco, we found that the companies knew about the life-threatening, addictive nature of smoking but covered up that knowledge. In the case of global warming, ExxonMobil began research as early as the 1970s and was open about what it found in more than 50 papers published in scientific journals between 1983 and 2014, according to company documents. ExxonMobils scientists have participated in the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change since its inception and were involved in the National Academy of Sciences review of the third U.S. National Climate Assessment Report. In its news pages, even the New York Times, a forceful environmental advocate, has drawn a clear line between the tobacco and energy industries. Reporters Justin Gillis and Clifford Krauss wrote in a Nov. 5 article, In the 1950s and 60s, tobacco companies financed internal research showing tobacco to be harmful and addictive, but mounted a public campaign that said otherwise. . . . The history at ExxonMobil appears to differ, in that the company published extensive research over decades that largely lined up with mainstream climatology. The tobacco companies were deceivers. ExxonMobil has been open. But that doesnt seem to matter to the politicized attorneys general pursuing the company. A chilling impact on public debate is not in our collective interest. CHINAS COMMUNIST regime is reacting with rhetorical frenzy to a ruling by an international tribunal rejecting its expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea. President Xi Jinping, who has aggressively pushed what has now been formally deemed as illegal construction of bases on contested islets, issued a statement saying that China will never accept any claim or action based on these awards. Hes right that the judgment, in a case filed by the Philippines, is unenforceable. But it is a major blow to Mr. Xis attempt to establish Chinese hegemony in the region and presents him with a fateful choice: embark on a dangerous escalation, or slowly and quietly back down. Beijings insistence that the court decision is invalid and has no binding force only goes so far. The Philippines sued under the Law of the Sea treaty, which China has ratified. That means the decision is legally binding whether Mr. Xi recognizes it or not. Nations far beyond Asia will watch to see if the rising superpower violates a treaty it agreed to be bound by. If it does, the damage to Chinas international standing and influence could prove considerably greater than whatever it might gain from fortifying a few coral reefs. Though the unanimous court judgment was more sweeping than some experts expected, it wasnt particularly surprising. China has been claiming up to 90 percent of the South China Sea, an area larger than the Gulf of Mexico, based on a vague 1940s map with a nine-dash line sketched across it. But the treaty it ratified voided such historical claims and awarded sovereignty over waters based on their distance from coastlines. Scarborough Shoal, the fishing ground that China seized from the Philippines three years ago, is about 500 miles from the Chinese mainland; the tribunal found that Beijing had engaged in multiple unlawful actions in Philippine waters. Having decisively won its case, the Philippines new government is reacting prudently. Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. held out the possibility of negotiations with the Xi regime and said the two governments had agreed not to take provocative action in the meantime. The Obama administration, which has beefed up its military alliance with the Philippines in an attempt to deter further Chinese aggression, also responded temperately. Thats fine for now: Mr. Xi, who is due to host a summit of the Group of 20 nations in September, must be given a chance to change course without losing face. The United States nevertheless must be prepared for the possibility that Mr. Xi will double down on his adventurism, perhaps hoping to take advantage of a president in his last months of office who has responded weakly to red-line crossings in other parts of the world. For some time experts have been concerned China would attempt to militarize Scarborough Shoal, placing planes or missiles 150 miles from Subic Bay in the Philippines; it has also threatened to declare an air defense zone over the South China Sea. Any such action must be contested by the United States. The alternative would be to sanction Mr. Xis use of raw power to advance his nationalist aims and open the way to serious conflict in East Asia. While the Obama administration works to shift its Syria policy away from pressuring the Assad regime, Congress is taking a markedly different approach and working on a large sanctions package meant to punish the regime for mass atrocities and set the stage for the prosecution of war criminals in the Syrian government. On Thursday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will mark up bipartisan legislation called the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which gets its title from the code name of a Syrian military photographer who was forced to document the torture and murder of thousands of Syrian civilians in the custody of the Assad regime. Caesar escaped from Syria in 2013 and brought with him 55,000 images that the State Department and FBI have verified as evidence of mass torture and mass murder by the Syrian army and intelligence forces. Caesar testified before the committee in 2014 and pleaded for the U.S. government to do more to protect civilians in Syria, including the thousands of innocent civilians still in President Bashar al-Assads jails. In a statement to me this week, he said he was disillusioned and depressed because of the lack of international action to stop the atrocities shown in the evidence he risked his life to bring to the worlds attention. I fled my homeland, putting my life and the lives of my loved ones at risk so we could bear witness to the crimes of Bashar Assad, who has drowned Syria in the blood of innocent civilians, Caesar said through a translator. I endangered my life by coming to the U.S., testifying before Congress in hopes for justice and appealing to the moral conscience of free Americans. . . . I now believe that with this bill [Congress has] taken the first step toward justice and accountability in my wounded nation. The legislation faces a long and uncertain path. It does have backing from leaders in both parties, including committee leaders Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.). Their staffs worked with Syrian American groups in Washington and consulted with the State and Treasury departments when crafting the sanctions measures. Theres some interest on the Senate side but no clear idea of exactly when either chamber might bring the legislation to the floor. Overall, the bill would impose new sanctions on the Assad regime and its supporters, spur investigations meant to fuel the prosecution of war crimes in Syria, and encourage a process to find a negotiated solution to the crisis. Several members and staffers told me that while they were drafting the legislation, Caesar and the victims in his photos were on their mind. When Caesar appeared before our committee, we saw the brutal, unvarnished images of Assads abuses against the Syrian people, and we know that type of violence continues unabated, Engel said. American leadership is desperately needed to help bring this conflict to an end. Specifically, the bill would require the president to impose new sanctions on anyone who does business with or finances the Syrian government or its military or intelligence services, which definitely includes Russia and Iran. It would also require sanctions on anyone who does business with several Syrian government-controlled industries, including in the airlines, telecommunications and energy sectors. The president could suspend sanctions if the Syrian government engages in meaningful negotiations to end the war and stops violence against civilians. The bill would also authorize the administration to support collecting and preserving evidence of war crimes in Syria and require the president to report on Syria officials who are complicit in gross violations of human rights. Lastly, the president would be required to report to Congress on the effectiveness, risks, costs and options for a no-fly zone in Syria, an idea that both Engel and Royce have supported for years. The Obama administration is right now trying to join forces with Russia in Syria, offering increased military cooperation in exchange for Moscow putting pressure on Assad. The congressional action would seem to work against that policy. But congressional leaders maintain that more has to be done now to protect civilians and that only more pressure on Assad will lead eventually to peace. Millions of innocent civilians have been on the receiving end of Assads gruesome brutality brutality the world has rightly recognized as war crimes, Royce said. He added that the bill works to cut off Assads access to the resources [the Syrian government] uses to annihilate its own people by targeting key backers like Russia and Iran. For the past three years, Congress has been told by members of the Obama administration not to pursue Syria sanctions because it would interfere in their delicate diplomacy. But now, with that diplomacy focused on killing more terrorists rather than protecting civilians, Congress is going its own way. "We have to realise that patients come to us at their lowest and weakest, and you have to reach out and give them dignity and respect." Gut feeling Sanjay De Bakshi, 61 Head Of Department, Division of Surgical Gastroenterology, Calcutta Medical Research Institute and Vice-President, West Bengal Chapter, Associations of Surgeons of India. Dr Sanjay De Bakshi, gastroenterology surgeon. Photograph by Subir Halder Taking up medicine "I had always had a natural inclination to study biology ," says Doctor Sanjay De Bakshi, 61. His mother was the driving force who inspired him to read books like Citadel by AJ Cronin, a groundbreaking book that talks about medical ethics. Another story that left a mark on him was story called Forty Dollars, Forty Dreams that came out in Readers Digest. advertisement "It was a very moving account by a journalist who sacrificed her chance to study in college so that her brother could study medicine. The cost of that education was forty dollars," he says. Being "made to read and re read the biography of Albert Schweitzer and films like Agniswar that eulogised doctors" was another source of inspiration while studying in St. Xavier's Collegiate School in Kolkata in 1974. Best learning experiences: One of De Bakshi's first forays into the world of surgery, taught him about treating patients with dignity and respect. "During a class in Thyroid disorders in Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital, a student, who was presenting said "this patient has rough hands because of her disorder". The tone was not exactly complimentary. The then consultant Dr Jayanta Sen, sat on her bed took the patients hands in his and said "if I had to look after the entire family in my village and do the washing, I would be proud to have hands like these." These are the lessons that he believes he will carry throughout his life. "We have to realise that patients come to us at their lowest and weakest and you have to reach out and give them dignity and respect," says De Bakshi. Coming back home: "I feel very sad when India loses its medical graduates to other countries. There is so much to be done for India. After all, what makes a country great are its people," he says. Serving those very people is what drove him to come back to his country. "It is difficult and challenging to offer the best treatment where finances are so limited. However, when you do manage to do that, the rewards are immense. And what better way to do so but with the skills that I had acquired in UK," he says. Turning Point: One incident confirmed his beliefs about serving the country. "I happened to be walking down Freeschool Street after catching a movie with my wife. "We bought peanuts from a roadside vendor and when I tried to pay him he refused to take money and instead touched my feet. He told me that I had saved his son's life when I was at the Calcutta Medical College three years ago," he said. That day in 1985 just proved to him the need to serve his own country. Career High: My experience here in Kolkata, helped me contribute to a Chapter in the textbook called Bailey & Love's Short Practice of Surgery, which is considered to be a Surgical Bible internationally. Radio star Shuvro Roy Choudhury,47 Interventional Radiologist for the NH group of hospitals in Eastern India; Joint secretary of the Indian Society of Interventional Radiology and VP of Indian Association of Interventional Oncology. Dr Shuvro Roy Choudhary, invterventional radiologist. Photograph by Anindya Saha Dr Shuvro Roy Choudhary, invterventional radiologist. Photograph by Anindya Saha advertisement Taking up medicine: Like all bright students of his time, Doctor Shuvro Roy Choudhury had given engineering and medical entrance tests. "My father was an engineer and I was quite into physics, so even though I cleared the medical entrance tests, I was pretty set on studying engineering and even did classes in Jadavpur University. On the day of the interview in Calcutta Medical College, I was cajoled into coming along by my friends because my name was in the list and they wanted company," he remembers. He was charmed by the colonial architecture of the college. "Its beautiful columns and red brick buildings, shiny brass knobs were far cry from the JU campus. That should have given me a clue that perhaps my real love was architecture but I ended up in medicine. Having done it now I realised I probably shouldn't have done anything else," he laughs. advertisement Turning Point: After "trundling through" Calcutta Medical College and appearing for medical science entrances, he also went to England to take entrance tests. While there, he was persuaded to take on some locum work which in turn lead to a six months appointment. "I ended up staying and went for surgical rotation and was quite a good surgical trainee," he says. It wasn't meant to happen that way. "I was supposed to have done my MS in Kolkata getting a hands down training, and fine tuning it in England like all other surgeons do. And then I did the unthinkable. Interventional radiology was a very nascent field then but I fell in love with it and decided to specialise in it. My then surgical boss called me a disappointment," he says. He describes radiology as a field that was "looked upon as a bunch of weird guys who stayed in dark rooms and looked at films." The surgeons were the real stars. Radio wooed the surgery star: But things were slowly changing in UK. "The 90s was when hospitals were getting six to eight CT scanners and a lot of diagnosis was being done by radiologists and the concept of using radiology and imaging for intervention in surgical procedures was coming in. I had a feeling that this was the subject of the future," he says. He went on to become a fellow in Guys and St Thomas, under interventional radiologist Andreas Adam who was then the president of the Royal College, London, the European Congress and British Society and thus Choudhury got access to the best of minds in radiology through Adam. advertisement Coming back home: Even as he lead a professionally satisfying like in UK, a part of him remained in Kolkata. "Every night before going to bed, I'd look up this blog called Kolkata Skyscrapers. I'd know more about the newest pillar added on a certain Metro connection than the then Kolkata residents. I think that was my litmus test. In these last five years in Kolkata I haven't looked up Birmingham, my home for the seven years before that, even once," he says. After all, home is where the heart is. But it's not just petty sentiment. "In Birmingham there were about 28 of us Interventional radiologists serving a population of 1.5 million. Kolkata has ten times the people and not even half that many IR specialists. Irrespective of how much I may miss my UK team and practice, I can't help but admit that I make more of a difference here," he says. Making no bones Saumyajit Basu,47 Consultant Spine Surgeon, Park Clinic and Kothari Medical Centre, Managing Trustee, Spine Research Foundation. Dr Saumyajit Basu, spine surgeon. Photograph by Subir Halder Taking up medicine: Doctor Saumyajit Basu claims his reasons are quite banal. A 6th rank in medical, along with a lineage of doctors-both his father and grandfather were doctors-helped seal the decision. "I had seen the respect that my father and grandfather had earned and the challenge of treating human beings was something that drew me close to the medical profession," says Basu. A Bone To Pick: After securing the second position in Calcutta University, for his MBBS (as well as the University gold medal), Basu started his internship in 1992 with an aim to take up a surgical career. "I was quite awed by the art of surgery, the manual dexterity and alacrity involved in a surgical career challenged my young mind," he remembers. He grew enamoured of orthopaedics, because of the "principles of physics and biomechanics involved." "I spent much of the internship in the orthopaedics department and was mesmerised by the subject. I took up a housesurgeon job in Orthopaedics after my internship in 1993," he says. After cracking the Medical Council of India entrance in the first attempt, with a rank of 75 he "cruised into MS Orthopaedics from 1994". The gruelling three years saw him study doggedly, train and submit a thesis on a new Russian surgical technique at that time (Ilizarov technique). He passed out as a University topper and received the President's Gold Medal of West Bengal Orthopaedic Association. It was in its final year that Basu got involved in spinal surgery, a "major subspecialty of orthopaedics which was slowly developing in our country at that time." Feel it in your bones: Basu went for his Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FCRS) to Royal College of Edinburgh in 1997 and after a year started working there. "I had a very clear focus and intention while I was in the UK. I didn't want to waste time enjoying. I just wanted to do my work and get back to my own country," he says. "I could have stayed on but came back to Kolkata and gave up on all nominal spinal aspects of orthopaedics," he says. Back in 2003, to give up a lucrative practice of orthopaedics for something so specialised was quite unheard of. "Perhaps understandably most of my peers, laughed and jeered at me, because back then, it was unthinkable to sustain and survive, practicing a single sub-specialty only. But I was quite determined and it paid off after a few very tough years," he says. High Point: With 1500 spinal surgeries under his belt, his list of memorable case studies is quite long. One in particular, stand out for being not just the first in the city, the country perhaps even the south East Asian Region. Inna Quaieser, 10 was born with or congenital scoliosis or a sideways curvature of the spine. She's perhaps Basu's youngest patient having been his patient since she was but two days old. Her condition later gave rise to Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome which was causing her lungs to develop unequally. Basu had met and worked inventor of a specialised prosthetic called VEPTR or vertical expandable prosthetic titanium ribs in Philadelphia, US. Through Spine Research Foundation, a non profit organisation, he's the managing trustee of, he was able to arrange the implant for her and carried out the operation successfully (and free of cost). Inna is now a cheerful young girl who goes to school in Darjeeling and comes for regular checkups with Basu. "He isn't just our doctor but our family," says her father Naushad Quaieser, a shopkeeper in Darjeeling town. It's serving patients like these that Basu finds most satisfaction in. --- ENDS --- A frame grab taken from footage released by Russia in 2015 shows a pilot of the Russian air force during a sortie in Syria. (Reuters) The Obama administrations new proposal to Russia on Syria is more extensive than previously known. It would open the way for deep cooperation between U.S. and Russian military and intelligence agencies and coordinated air attacks by American and Russian planes on Syrian rebels deemed to be terrorists, according to the text of the proposal I obtained. Secretary of State John F. Kerry plans to discuss the plan with top Russian officials in a visit to Moscow on Thursday. As I first reported last month, the administration is proposing joining with Russia in a ramped-up bombing campaign against Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaedas Syria branch, which is also known as the Nusrah Front. What hasnt been previously reported is that the United States is suggesting a new military command-and-control headquarters to coordinate the air campaign that would house U.S. and Russian military officers, intelligence officials and subject-matter experts. Overall, the proposal would dramatically shift the United States Syria policy by directing more American military power against Jabhat al-Nusra, which unlike the Islamic State is focused on fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. While this would expand the U.S. counterterrorism mission in Syria, it would also be a boon for the Assad regime, which could see the forces it is fighting dramatically weakened. The plan also represents a big change in U.S.-Russia policy. It would give Russian President Vladimir Putin something he has long wanted: closer military relations with the United States and a thawing of his international isolation. Thats why the Pentagon was initially opposed to the plan. Yet for all this, its not at all clear that the plan will be accepted by Putin or that Russia will fulfill its terms if he does. Administration officials caution that no final decisions have been made and that no formal agreement has been reached between the two countries. Negotiations over the text are ongoing ahead of Kerrys arrival in Russia. On March 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would begin pulling its military from Syria, potentially winding down nearly six months of airstrikes. The alliance between Russia and the regime of Bashar al-Assad goes back decades. Here's a bit of historical context that explains why Russia was fighting to prop up its closest ally in the Middle East. (Ishaan Tharoor and Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) The proposed Joint Implementation Group (JIG) would be housed near Amman, Jordan, with the mission to enable expanded coordination between the United States and the Russian Federation beyond the established safety of flight procedures. Under the Obama proposal, the United States and Russia would establish separate headquarters at the new operation and a shared coordination office. Each side would be required to deploy at that location senior national representatives, intelligence personnel, subject-matter experts and operations personnel with expertise in national procedures for strike planning, targeting, weaponeering, operational law and other functions. Both countries would deploy support staff as well, to manage logistics, force protection, communications and other requirements. Theres no estimate in the proposal for the exact number of personnel required. The participants, through the JIG, should enable coordination between the participants for military operations against Jabhat al-Nusra, the document states. First, the United States and Russia would share intelligence. Then, if both governments agreed, the participants should coordinate procedures to permit integrated operations. The initial mission would include the United States and Russia developing Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State targets together and then deciding which air force would fly which missions. Later, if both governments agreed, the two air forces could begin integrated operations that include assisting each other in the fight. In exchange for U.S. assistance against Jabhat al-Nusra, the Russian side would be required to limit airstrikes to targets both sides agreed on and also to ensure that the Syrian air force would stand down and not bomb targets in agreed-upon designated areas. The proposal provides some large exceptions for the constraints on the Russians and the Assad regime, however. The Russian air force would still be permitted to strike Jabhat al-Nusra unilaterally if there were an imminent threat to their personnel. The Syrian regime would be allowed to bomb Jabhat al-Nusra if the group tried to advance beyond designated areas in which they already operate. Also, if Jabhat al-Nusra attacked the regime, even from the designated areas, the Russians could come to the aid of the regime, according to the proposal. The details of the designated areas are not spelled out in the document. All actions should be consistent with the terms of the cessation of hostilities, the document states, referring the cease-fire. The State Department admits neither Russia nor the Assad regime are adhering to the cease-fire now. In the second part of the proposal, called the Approach for Practical Russian-American Cooperation against Daesh and Jabhat al Nusra and Strengthening the Cessation of Hostilities, the administration spells out details about how it wants the United States and Russia to work together on the ground. Within five days of establishment of the JIG, the two sides are to come up with a common map of all Jabhat al-Nusra locations and begin sharing intelligence on leadership targets, training camps, logistical depots, supply lines and headquarters. They will then set about developing targets for strikes in the designated areas. Designated areas include areas of most concentrated Nusrah Front presence, areas of significant Nusrah Front presence, and areas where the opposition is dominant, with some possible Nusrah Front presence, the proposal states. The process of target development through the JIG and airstrikes against Nusra targets by Russian Aerospace Forces and/or U.S. military forces will be ongoing and continuous. The document concludes by declaring that the United States and Russia should complete another agreement by July 31 on military and intelligence cooperation, a plan for a nationwide cease-fire and a new framework for a political transition in Syria. One senior administration official described the document as prudent planning. We have long said we would welcome Russias increased focus on ISIL and al-Qaida in Syria, said the official. It is not surprising that the Department of Defense, as a matter of prudent planning, would devise draft procedures to implement any enhanced coordination. Kerry sees the proposal as a way to reduce the violence in Syria and ground the regimes air force. The risk is that attacking Jabhat al-Nusra in conjunction with the Russians will spur terrorist recruiting, increase civilian casualties and put the United States firmly on the wrong side of the revolution in the eyes of the Syrian people. Also, theres no enforcement mechanism if the Putin or Assad regimes violate their commitments as they have consistently done until now. Even in the best-case scenario, where Russia and Syria hold up their end of the bargain, the result could be major advances for the Assad regime. While Jabhat al-Nusra is a problem, teaming up with the Russian air force might not be the best solution. Regarding the July 9 Metro article With latest near miss, Metros red signal problems continue: The late, great industrial consultant and guru W. Edwards Deming would say, I think, the following: It is not the operators fault. They are not to be blamed. It is rather a systemic, built-in problem that needs to be cured in a global fashion that makes this sort of error impossible or extremely unlikely. I am no technical expert, but it is hard to believe that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, with all the electronic gadgetry it uses, cannot come up with a device that would automatically stop trains under red-light conditions. Alan H. Dorfman, Bethesda The July 10 Metro article In search of a silver lining for Metros Silver Line observed that the Silver Line is not living up to ridership expectations and perhaps should not have been built at all. Lower-than-anticipated Silver Line ridership is simply the result of almost no parking in the vicinity of three of the stations in Tysons Corner, compounded by the delay in construction, largely because of the 2008 financial crisis, of three major developments that eventually will surround three of the stations. No parking and few local residents or workers means no one to ride. Once the developments with new offices, residential condos, and rentals and retail are operational, the Silver Line will more than carry its weight. Jean Garneau, Vienna Ryan Park clerked for Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter during the Supreme Courts 2013 term and is an associate of the Boies, Schiller & Flexner law firm in Washington. Lori Alvino McGill clerked for Ginsburg during the courts 2005 term and is a partner of the Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz law firm in Washington. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for whom we both clerked, has been roundly panned for her comments criticizing Donald Trump, with editorial boards and legal scholars across the country characterizing the justices comments as transgressing an ethical norm whereby the justices are to speak and act as though they are politically agnostic. Ginsburg herself, upon reflection, agrees that her comments were ill-advised and that judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. Nonetheless, while consistent with prevailing political norms, the criticism of Ginsburgs comments overstates the law and ignores much of this nations history and constitutional tradition. First, the suggestion that Ginsburgs comments violated ethical rules is demonstrably incorrect. The Code of Conduct for United States Judges, by its terms, explicitly does not apply to the Supreme Court. As Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has explained, moreover, while the code is a source of guidance for Supreme Court justices, the application of [its] principles can differ due to the unique circumstances of the Supreme Court. Nor does the justices expression of her personal views on a particular presidential candidate impair her ability to consider fairly any concrete legal issue she might be asked to consider, even one related to the election. In the unlikely event that a Clinton v. Trump election dispute were to come before the court, it would present a discrete legal issue for resolution, not a referendum on whether Trump would be a good president. Ginsburg would not be disqualified to preside over such a case any more than a justice who would prefer to see Trump in the White House, whether or not that view had been publicly expressed. More broadly, the supposed tradition of justices appearing to be cloistered from the nations political life is of relatively recent vintage. Our founders let alone the political establishment of the 1950s, when Ginsburg attended law school would be bewildered to learn that Supreme Court justices were expected to refrain from dipping their toes in political waters. Historical examples of justices plunging headfirst into electoral politics are legion. John Jay, the nations first chief justice, twice ran for governor of New York from his seat on the court. The great John Marshall briefly served simultaneously as chief justice and John Adamss secretary of state. Charles Evans Hughes resigned his post as a justice to run as the Republican candidate in the 1916 presidential election, and, after losing, was again appointed to the high court in 1930. In 1944, Justice William O. Douglas lost a convention fight to be Franklin Roosevelts vice-presidential candidate. Four years later, Douglas turned down Harry Trumans offer to be his running mate, reputedly because Douglas wanted the top job for himself. Yet norms have indeed changed, and by prevailing standards of decorum, Ginsburgs comments were anomalous. But should this anomaly be condemned? The principal virtue of the federal judiciary, which the Supreme Court leads, is its independence. Alexander Hamilton, writing in the Federalist Papers, aptly described judicial independence as requisite to guard the Constitution and the rights of individuals from the effects of those ill humors, which the arts of designing men, or the influence of particular conjunctures, sometimes disseminate among the people themselves, and which may occasion dangerous innovations in the government, and serious oppressions of minorities. Independence, ensured through life tenure, frees justices to buck popular conventions, even when operating outside their strict judicial role. Considered through this lens, Ginsburgs transgression of todays fickle norms of judicial decorum was significant but not necessarily improper. Ginsburg has served on the court during five previous presidential election cycles without, to our knowledge, making similar public comments. But Trump is not just any presidential candidate. Trumps disdain for the rule of law and our constitutional system is a central tenet of his political philosophy underlying, for example, his flagrantly unconstitutional proposal to ban Muslims from entering the country and his calls for loosening libel laws, notwithstanding the First Amendment. Trumps overt racism and his contempt for the Constitution were on full display as he attacked Judge Gonzalo Curiel a district court judge presiding over two civil cases involving Trump University solely based on the judges ethnic background. Speaking only for ourselves, we believe the nation is facing a unique constitutional moment. A major political party will soon choose a presidential nominee whose election if he governs as he campaigns could feasibly precipitate a constitutional crisis of a magnitude the 83-year-old justice has not witnessed in her lifetime. We agree that justices should rarely voice their political opinions on a particular candidate or election. But when a justice does decide to speak, we should listen. Regarding the July 10 editorial Mr. Trump is wrong about Saddam Hussein: It is chilling that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump would invoke Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein as being good at killing terrorists. However, the editorial ignored the role our government played in supporting Hussein when it was convenient to do so. Specifically, under the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, the United States provided technology, direct military-related exports and tactical military advice to Husseins army. After Hussein gassed Kurdish civilians, U.S. aid to his regime continued. U.S. policy under President George W. Bush was responsible for the deaths of perhaps hundreds of thousands of Iraqi soldiers and civilians, killed under the pretense that Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction which he did not. Our saber-rattling politicians squandered the lives and limbs of our soldiers in a war that we did not have to wage. Our government denounces the cruel ruler of Syria but provides critical military support for Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi and, worse, for the despotic dictators of Saudi Arabia. These irrational policies do not go unnoticed by the jihadists, who use them to justify their campaign of terrorism in the region and around the world. Mr. Trump does indeed display a profound and disqualifying ignorance of foreign affairs. However, the track record of our hawkish foreign policy experts in the region is not much better. Ross Wells, Takoma Park I KNOW of no example in American history of a moment where the leader and the American people came together as fast as they have in the last year with Donald Trump, former House speaker Newt Gingrich said. He is someone who has connected with everyday Americans like no one since Ronald Reagan, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said. He is the person who I firmly believe will serve this country best, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said. In every presidential election, politicians campaign to become their partys vice presidential pick, often by heaping undeserved praise on their partys presidential nominee. It is rarely more than mildly embarrassing. But when the presidential candidate is Donald Trump, the slobbering is repulsive. Every time they praise Mr. Trumps leadership skills, these political opportunists should be asked about the candidates apparent ignorance of the Constitution and his contempt for essential principles such as freedom of speech. Every time they talk about how Mr. Trump would keep Americans safe, they should be asked about which Americans they mean surely not minority groups who would feel under constant scrutiny and threat in Mr. Trumps America. Every time they attack Hillary Clinton for dishonesty, they should be asked about Mr. Trumps constant, flagrant lying about basic facts, as when he claimed that he saw thousands of American Muslims celebrating the 9/11 attacks. For good measure, they should also be asked how they could support a man they know is unqualified to be commander in chief. Before endorsing Mr. Trump, Mr. Christie criticized him for acting like a child and insisted he is not suited to be president of the United States. National Review reported that Mr. Pence privately loathes the presumptive GOP nominee. Mr. Gingrich called Mr. Trumps attacks on a judge for his ethnicity inexcusable. Treating Mr. Trump as a normal candidate is a grave insult to the countrys democratic tradition. This election year presents an unusually clear moral choice. Not only are Mr. Trumps supplicants on the wrong side of history, but they are also actively and knowingly aiding the candidacy of an unacceptable, dangerous demagogue for their own personal gain. The fact that Mr. Trumps vice presidential shortlist contains two unpopular governors and a disgraced ex-speaker of the House shows that his judgment is as poor as it seems to be or, more likely, that only desperate, unprincipled panderers would consider joining his ticket. The mills of justice grind slowly, but life plunges on, leaving lives blighted when justice, by being delayed, is irremediably denied. Fortunately, Californias Supreme Court might soon decide to hear four years after litigation began the 21st centurys most portentous civil rights case, which concerns an ongoing denial of equal protection of the law. Every year, measurable injuries are inflicted on tens of thousands of already at-risk children by this states teacher tenure system, which is so politically entrenched that only the courts can protect the discrete and insular minority it victimizes. In 2012, nine Los Angeles students, recognizing the futility of expecting the legislature to rectify a wrong it has perpetrated, asked Californias judiciary to continue its record of vindicating the rights of vulnerable minorities by requiring the states education system to conform to the states Constitution. After 10 weeks of testimony, the trial court found the tenure system incompatible with the California Supreme Courts decision, now almost half a century old, that the state Constitution, which declares education a fundamental state concern, guarantees equality of treatment to all K-12 pupils. It shocks the conscience, the trial court said, that there is no dispute that a significant number of grossly ineffective teachers perhaps more than 8,000, each with 28 students are doing quantifiable damage to childrens life prospects. Technically, California teachers are granted lifetime tenure after just two years. Actually, they must be notified of tenured status after just 16 months. (Thirty-two states grant tenure after three years, nine states after four or five. Four states never grant tenure.) When incompetent or negligent teachers gain tenure, dismissal procedures are so complex and costly that the process can take up to 10 years and cost up to $450,000. The trial court called the power to dismiss illusory. Each year approximately two teachers are dismissed for unsatisfactory performance 0.0007 percent of Californias 277,000 teachers. Instead, school districts are forced to adopt what is called the dance of the lemons, whereby grossly ineffective teachers are shuffled from school to school. Another facet of the tenure system the teachers last hired are the first fired when layoffs are required reinforces the powerful tendency for incompetent teachers, who must teach somewhere, to accumulate in schools with the most teacher vacancies. These are disproportionately schools attended by low-income minority children. Abundant research demonstrates that teacher quality is the most important school variable determining academic performance. This is why there is more variation in student achievement within than between schools. This variation is especially dramatic among students from educationally disadvantaged families. A single grossly ineffective teacher can deprive students of a full year of learning, with consequences that include lower graduation and college attendance rates, and lifetime earnings more than $250,000 lower than for pupils without a single incompetent teacher. Because teachers unions insist that financial appropriations are the all-important determinants of schools successes, they are perversely reluctant to acknowledge the importance of quality teachers. The appeals court responded with a judicial shrug to the trial courts factual findings. It said Californias tenure system does not constitute a denial of equal protection because the identifiable class of people being injured have no shared trait. Oh? What about their shared injury? The injured pupils share a susceptibility to injury because of their shared trait of being economically disadvantaged. This trait concentrated them in schools that themselves have a shared trait disproportionately high numbers of bad teachers. The appeals court breezily said the injured were merely an unlucky subset of pupils, a random assortment produced not by the tenure laws but by the administration of them. This, however, is a distinction without a difference: The tenure laws purpose is to dictate outcomes by depriving administrators of discretion. Systemic results cannot be dismissed as random. Even if the tenure laws were neither written with a discriminatory motive nor administered with a discriminatory intent, the system is now known to produce not invariably but with a high probability predictable patterns of disparities. Liberal and conservative legal luminaries, from Harvards Laurence Tribe to Stanfords Michael McConnell, have urged Californias Supreme Court to do what the appeals court neglected to do apply heightened scrutiny to the tenure laws that prioritize teachers job security over pupils constitutional right regarding education. Californias Supreme Court will have national resonance if it affirms that public schools are established to enable children to flourish, not to make even dreadful teachers secure. Read more from George F. Wills archive or follow him on Facebook. AN ASTONISHING number of Virginians have had their drivers licenses suspended, and about two-thirds of them some 940,000 people, or 1 in 6 of the states drivers have suffered that sanction for failing to pay court-ordered fines and fees stemming from convictions, often for misdemeanors. The trouble is that many or most are indigent, meaning their failure to pay, which can also result in jail time, arises not from indifference or defiance but from financial inability. Thus has Virginia criminalized poverty. Nationally, courts have become part of a pervasive problem by imposing debilitating fines and fees, frequently in service of revenue-hungry states and localities. Yet Virginia has gone a step further and a rung lower. It is one of a minority of states that suspend driving privileges in most cases, automatically for failing to pay court costs and fines arising from offenses completely unrelated to driving. Often, in a state where huge numbers of job sites are unserved by public transportation, the result is that drivers are left with a Faustian choice: risk jail time for driving without a valid license or sacrifice their ability to support themselves and their families. The Obama administration has warned courts and judges that they may run afoul of the Constitution by imposing fines and fees without regard to defendants ability to pay. In Virginia, state law requires courts to establish payment plans for impoverished defendants. But in practice, the schemes are inconsistent from locality to locality and, in many cases, a work in progress. Community service in lieu of payment is generally not an option; nor are creative means of assessing payment amounts, such as multiples of an individuals hourly wage. A nonprofit group, the Legal Aid Justice Center, has filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court, alleging that Virginias practice of depriving many of its neediest residents of licenses has the effect of trapping them in debt and poverty. The lawsuit notes that an analysis of the states district courts, which handle minor criminal and traffic cases, indicates that most have not adopted programs designed to help low-income residents pay off court costs and fines, as the states Judicial Council recommended last year. And Virginias Department of Motor Vehicles does nothing to assess drivers financial circumstances or ability to pay before suspending their licenses. The senselessness of the states penalty structure is apparent. A conviction for reckless driving carries no more than a six-month license suspension. Yet someone who fails to pay court costs including for a range of minor offenses unrelated to driving faces an indefinite suspension, which may last years. People convicted a third time of driving on a suspended license and most such convictions stem from suspensions based on a failure to pay face a mandatory minimum of 10 days of jail time. Thats on top of an up to $2,500 fine that would only plunge destitute people further into debt. Its folly to treat poverty as a crime. Its also unconstitutional. President Obama pauses as he speaks July 12 in Dallas during a memorial service for the five law enforcement officers killed last week. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) President Obama met behind closed doors for four hours Wednesday with 33 representatives from civil rights groups, law enforcement and state and local government, seeking to forge a consensus on how best to address racial bias in policing. The extraordinary session came a day after Obama delivered remarks in Dallas that honored the five police officers killed a week ago during a peaceful protest that came in response to recent shootings of two African American men in Baton Rouge and suburban St. Paul, Minn. On Thursday, the president is scheduled to participate in a town-hall event on race that will be simultaneously televised on ESPN and ABC. Speaking to reporters Wednesday after the meeting, the president said the tensions between many police departments and the communities they police will continue for some time. As I said yesterday, I do not want to gloss over the fact that not only are there very real problems, but there are still deep divisions about how to solve these problems, he said. We have to, as a country, sit down and just grind it out, solve these problems. And I think if we have that kind of sustained commitment, Im confident we can do so. [Obama speaks at Dallas memorial] The list of invitees included four mayors, five chiefs of police and more than half a dozen civil rights leaders. Some of those attending hailed from communities that have experienced violence in the past couple of weeks, including Pastor Frederick Haynes of South Dallass Friendship-West Baptist Church and Mayor Chris Coleman of St. Paul. Others hailed from cities and states with large minority populations, such as Los Angeles, Newark, Georgia and Maryland. As Obama spoke, the group of men and women dressed in everything from police uniforms to three-piece suits sat around a large rectangular table in an Eisenhower Executive Office Building conference room. And I want to emphasize that theres still a diversity of views around this table, the president said. That was by design. Maryland Senate Minority Leader J.B. Jennings (R), one of the participants, said in an interview that Obama asked everybody to be honest and frank, and thats what we were. African American activists spoke about racial profiling, according to several participants, while law enforcement officials and some politicians spoke of the need for protesters to demonstrate more respect. Rashad Robinson, executive director of the black political advocacy group ColorOfChange, said he and others challenged police officials to acknowledge misconduct within their ranks. At some point, they need to start speaking up about bad cops to protect good cops, he said. I think they listened. In part, Obama convened the meeting to ensure that the issue of gun violence and racial inequities does not fade the way it often does once Americans turn their focus away from high-profile shooting incidents to other matters. On Tuesday, he lamented how quickly the public reverts to habitual complacency once it gets a little distance from searing events. And Ive seen how a spirit of unity, born of tragedy, can gradually dissipate, overtaken by the return to business as usual, by inertia and old habits and expediency, he said. I see how easily we slip back into our old notions, because theyre comfortable, were used to them. On Wednesday, the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors announced they would work with the White House to convene 100 community conversations on race relations, justice, policing and equality. Here are some of the people who are speaking at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland and some who've opted to skip the event. (Sarah Parnass,Danielle Kunitz/The Washington Post) Here are some of the people who are speaking at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland and some who've opted to skip the event. (Sarah Parnass,Danielle Kunitz/The Washington Post) Donald Trumps convention will feature an eclectic mix of cultural figures, including the first woman to command a space shuttle mission, survivors of the attacks in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 and an underwear model. But while several Republican Party establishment figures will take the stage next week in Cleveland, the national convention to officially make Trump the partys presidential nominee will be devoid of some of the GOPs most seasoned leaders and brightest new stars. Republican officials on Thursday released a long-awaited list of convention personalities billed as non-conventional speakers who emphasize real world experience. The conventions theme will be Trumps campaign slogan, Make America Great Again, with a core focus on national security, immigration, trade and jobs. The program includes more than a dozen current and former elected officials, including the leaders of the partys congressional wing, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.). A whole host of influential Republicans have decided not to attend next week's Republican National Convention in Cleveland. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) [Analysis: The stumbling blocks for an anti-Trump mutiny] A handful of governors and other lawmakers are scheduled to give addresses, including former primary opponents Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Theres going to be a unified convention, Trump spokesman Jason Miller told reporters Thursday, adding that the announced agenda was only a partial list of speakers. People are going to be united behind Mr. Trump. The unusual collection of nonpolitical speakers seems designed to broaden Trumps appeal. Roster names include retired astronaut Eileen Collins, the first female space-shuttle pilot and mission commander; Mark Geist and John Tiegen, two survivors of the 2012 attacks on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi; and Antonio Sabato Jr., a former Calvin Klein underwear model, soap-opera actor and reality-television star. Some sports figures will take the stage here, including pro golfer Natalie Gulbis and Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White. Tim Tebow, a 28-year-old former National Football League quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, was expected to speak at the gathering, according to GOP officials. Tebow is admired by many conservatives because of his outspoken evangelical Christian beliefs. But Tebow said Thursday night in a Facebook video that he would not be speaking: Its amazing how fast rumors fly. And thats exactly what it is, a rumor. 1 of 11 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad These Republican leaders wont be going to the Convention in Cleveland View Photos Some will be campaigning. Some will be mowing their lawn. Caption Some will be campaigning. Some will be mowing their lawn. Ohio Gov. John Kasich Kasich has declined to endorse Trump and is spending convention week meeting with state delegations and other Republican groups. Gary Landers/AP Wait 1 second to continue. But some sports heroes of decades past whom Trump has said he would like to see at the convention such as former Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight and boxing promoter Don King are not listed as speakers. [Cleveland cold shoulder: The senators staying away] Also notably absent from the list of speakers was Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who was identified by Trump allies Thursday as the candidates likely vice presidential pick. If chosen, Pence would deliver an acceptance speech after being formally nominated for vice president. Two other vice-presidential finalists, Christie and former House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.), are listed on the program, as is Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.), who also was vetted as a vice-presidential prospect. Not speaking in Cleveland are the GOPs past two presidential nominees, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), as well as its only two living former presidents, George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush. None will be in Cleveland for the week-long festivities. Also excluded from the speakers list are many of the partys more diverse rising stars, including South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Tim Scott (S.C.), and Rep. Mia Love (Utah). By contrast, the Democratic National Convention the following week in Philadelphia is expected to feature a full assortment of party stars past, present and future including President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden, former president Bill Clinton, and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (Vt.). The disparity in political star power between the conventions speaks volumes about the state of the two parties, with Republicans divided over their controversial new standard-bearer. [Cleveland braces for spillover on the streets] Looking ahead to Philadelphia, Republican strategist Rick Wilson said of the Democrats, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Warren theyre all going to be out there swinging for the fences. But the Republicans, itll be like a hostage video of people forced on stage. The Cleveland convention will be orchestrated to help expand Trumps appeal to the general electorate. To that end, several members of his family are expected to give speeches, including his wife, Melania, and his four oldest children: Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany. In addition, other speakers who have known Trump and his family through the years plan to take the stage. They include Haskel Lookstein, a rabbi in New York who converted Ivanka Trump to Judaism; Tom Barrack, a wealthy California-based investor who has worked with Donald Trump on real-estate deals; and Kerry Woolard, the general manager of Trump Winery in Virginia. With the public on edge following a spate of shootings by police and last weeks killing of five officers in Dallas, Trump has sought to brand himself as the law-and-order candidate. Some speakers at the Cleveland convention could help him make that case, including Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, a Democrat who is an outspoken critic of the Black Lives Matter movement and is a frequent Fox News Channel guest; former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani; and two female attorneys general, Pam Bondi of Florida and Leslie Rutledge of Arkansas. Several early Trump backers are being rewarded with convention speaking slots, among them Jerry Falwell Jr., the president of Liberty University, a college founded by his late televangelist father. Falwell campaigned frequently at Trumps side leading up to the Iowa caucuses. But one especially prominent Trump surrogate is not listed as a speaker: Sarah Palin, a former Alaska governor and 2008 vice-presidential nominee, who has garnered mixed reviews for her campaign-trail appearances supporting Trump. Here in Cleveland, the Republican National Conventions Rules Committee convened early Thursday and met late into the night to review the 42 rules governing the party structure and the selection of a presidential candidate. The big undecided issue remains whether or not to continue binding convention delegates to the results of caucuses and primaries or to unbind delegates and allow them to vote however they want. Another subject of talks, which eventually collapsed with no resolution, centered on whether to return the party to closed contests meaning that only Republicans could vote in presidential caucuses and primaries. A group led by Ken Cuccinnelli, the former Virginia attorney general, also wanted to make other changes to party operations. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and several members of the partys leadership generally support the idea of reverting back to closed contests by awarding more convention delegates to states that hold closed contests. Cuccinnelli said he proposed giving 20 percent more delegates to states that opted to hold a closed contest. Priebus and his team considered the offer, cut ultimately declined, according to people familiar with the talks. Ed OKeefe and Dan Balz contributed to this report. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today issued a notice to the District Collector, Chennai, seeking information about steps taken to deal with the alleged sale of drugs mixed with toffees to students and teenagers across the city. "The Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that a huge quantity of toffees having drugs was seized from a godown at Kandasamy layout in Villupuram in Chennai. advertisement "A huge quantity of such toffees was also found abandoned near a burial ground in Kovilpatti area. A few days back, a school boy was hospitalised after he had consumed chocolates having drugs that he had bought from a shop in R K Nagar area in Chennai," NHRC said in a statement. The Commission said it has issued a notice to the District Collector, Chennai, seeking a report on the matter within four weeks. He has been asked to inform about the steps being taken to deal with the situation, it said. "The Commission has observed that the menace is a serious threat to the life and safety of youths, mainly students and teenagers, who can be easily lured by antisocial elements," NHRC said. PTI DEY GVS SK GVS --- ENDS --- Downtown Cleveland looms beyond the Tremont neighborhood, where old factories and warehouses are quickly being replaced with new housing and businesses. Downtown Cleveland looms beyond the Tremont neighborhood, where old factories and warehouses are quickly being replaced with new housing and businesses. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post What Cleveland looks like as it prepares for the Republican National Convention What Cleveland looks like as it prepares for the Republican National Convention As they worked through the language of their 2016 platform, delegates to the Republican National Convention commented over and over that this was to be seen as a marketing document designed to sell their party. What they produced is a far cry from what the party establishment thought was needed only a few years ago. The platform that emerged over several days of deliberations here this week reinforced some of the partys most conservative planks, rejected efforts to appeal forcefully beyond the GOPs traditional base and, to the extent that it reflects the thinking of Donald Trump, is most noteworthy for including language to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. As a rule, platforms dont seem to matter much. Few voters will search, find and read through the many pages of party doctrine for either the Republicans or the Democrats, whose newly drafted platform reflects a significant left turn. Trump, as with some other previous nominees, will probably ignore it and carry on his campaign as he wishes. The document will be presented early next week, ratified and put on a shelf. Yet platforms reflect the collective thinking of the party and its activists. The platform that was written here this week, but that has not yet been formally released, will be remembered chiefly as having reinforced a conservative shift that has taken place since the partys 2012 defeat in the presidential race, and underscored the power of the constituency that fueled Trumps victory in the nomination battle. After Mitt Romneys loss to President Obama in 2012, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus ordered up an autopsy of what had gone wrong and what the party needed to do to avoid a third consecutive defeat in 2016. Much of the analysis that was produced dealt with mechanical issues, and Priebus has spent the past years trying to correct them. Here are some of the people who are speaking at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland and some who've opted to skip the event. (Sarah Parnass,Danielle Kunitz/The Washington Post) [Platform reinforces views of party base] What drew the most attention, however, was a frank appraisal, written from the perspective of the party establishment, of the state of the GOP coalition and what needed to be done to correct deficiencies in the partys outward face to the electorate. The perception, revealed in polling, that the GOP does not care about people is doing great harm to the party and its candidates on the federal level, especially in presidential years, said the report, called the Growth and Opportunity Project. It is a major deficiency that must be addressed. The report put special emphasis on finding ways to appeal more successfully to two groups of voters who are considered crucial to the partys future success in presidential campaigns Hispanics, the fastest-growing segment of the population; and young people. 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, the report said. When someone rolls their eyes at us, they are not likely to open their ears to us. In the intervening years, and especially after the success of Trump, the party convening here in Cleveland is putting its emphasis on sending messages to constituencies far different than those highlighted in the autopsy report. With Trumpian language on trade and immigration, the platform document reflects the concerns of socially conservative Americans and of white working-class voters who have responded to Trumps nativist and protectionist messages. The 2016 platform turns much of what was recommended in the autopsy document on its head. Rather than reaching out, it draws the party inward, particularly on immigration and social and cultural issues. 1 of 11 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad These Republican leaders wont be going to the Convention in Cleveland View Photos Some will be campaigning. Some will be mowing their lawn. Caption Some will be campaigning. Some will be mowing their lawn. Ohio Gov. John Kasich Kasich has declined to endorse Trump and is spending convention week meeting with state delegations and other Republican groups. Gary Landers/AP Wait 1 second to continue. Trumps wall sends a loud and clear message to the Hispanic community that is the opposite of what the 2013 RNC-sponsored autopsy report proposed. That report called for enactment of comprehensive immigration reform. The possibility of enacting comprehensive reform, though still favored by some Republicans, died long before the 2016 campaign began. But in the presidential campaign, Trump, with his harsh talk about Mexicans and his determination to erect a border wall, moved the party ever farther from meaningful outreach to Hispanics. By inscribing Trumps proposal in the party platform, the party has acknowledged the strength of his core appeal as a candidate. But it also has taken the risk of building a rhetorical and policy wall between the GOP and the Latino community that could last for years. A newly released Univision survey shows Trump with the support of just 19 percent of Hispanic voters, lower even than the 27 percent Romney won in 2012. [Eclectic list of speakers for Republican convention] In the time since the RNCs autopsy report was issued, the politics of same-sex marriage and other LGBT issues moved dramatically. Today, same-sex marriages are legal, thanks to the Supreme Courts ruling. Transgender issues have risen to prominence, and with that change has come a backlash. The Republican platform takes clear stands on these issues in opposition to the changes taking place. Public opinion on same-sex marriage has moved significantly over the past few years, and one thing thats clear from all the survey research is that younger voters support such unions in higher numbers than older voters. Thats true across the population, regardless of party. Nonetheless, every effort to soften the platform language on LGBT issues was rebuffed, both at the subcommittee level and later in the full committees deliberations. The rejections came despite a plea for understanding from Rachel Hoff, an openly gay delegate from the District of Columbia. Hoff, a member of the platform committee, told other delegates that she was not asking for the party to change its position opposing the high courts decision on same-sex marriage, only to find a way to acknowledge more clearly that there were differing views within the party. There could be one more attempt next week to jettison some of the most contentious language in the platform, but it is likely to get no farther than the efforts during the platform committees deliberations. The document that has emerged from the platform committees deliberations now reflects views of the two candidates who finished one-two in the nominating process Trump and his cross-cutting, white, working-class supporters, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and his religious and social conservative loyalists. Both the Trump and Cruz constituencies are important to the partys hopes in November and to its future. But so, too, are those groups that were highlighted in the 2013 autopsy. The delegates to the 2016 convention did not find a way to reconcile the two. That remains unfinished business for a fractured Republican Party. The supposed short lists for potential vice presidential nominees in both parties suggest a certain end of a 16-year run for a particular political species in the vice presidents office the Washington elder statesman with vast experience on Capitol Hill. As different as they are ideologically and personally, Joseph R. Biden and Richard B. Cheney got plucked for the No. 2 job not because they provided any key electoral map leverage their home states, Delaware and Wyoming, have just three electoral votes each but because their longtime contacts in Congress and their deep knowledge of global leaders were a help in governing. Among todays Democratic contenders for vice president are Sens. Timothy M. Kaine (D-Va.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), both of whom have just 3 years under their belt in the Senate; Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez, an accomplished lawyer whose highest elective office was four years on the Montgomery County Council in Maryland; and Housing Secretary Julian Castro, in that post less than two years and previously San Antonio mayor. The Republican shortlist is topped by three familiar figures but ones whose experience dealing with legislative bodies is mixed: Newt Gingrich, whose four-year run as House speaker included multiple coup attempts by his own party; Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, whose 12 years in the House were marked by taking strident positions against his party leadership; and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who famously ended a negotiation session with Democratic legislators by going home to order pizza. View Graphic Trump picked Pence for VP. Heres who he passed up. Biden was 64 when President Obama asked him to be his running mate eight years ago. He had spent 36 years as a senator, including a dozen years as the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee. Cheney was 59 when George W. Bush asked him to serve, having logged a 30-year career in politics that included stints as White House chief of staff, a congressman for a decade and secretary of defense. As vice president, Biden served as a go-to deal-maker, particularly with Senate Republicans who barely knew Obama but trusted his vice president. In an event last fall with former vice president Walter Mondale who also had long service in the Senate Biden said that he carved a similar role to Mondales four years as the last man to talk over key issues with Jimmy Carter, a former Georgia governor with no Washington experience before his presidency. Cheney became a more controversial figure in Congress because he was viewed as a sharp partisan who ignored Democrats and pushed his administration deep into the Iraq War. In his early years, however, Bush dispatched him to try to settle disputes on matters such as techniques used to interrogate terrorism suspects. Every Tuesday that he was in Washington, when Senate Republicans convened for their weekly policy luncheon, Cheney took a seat at a far table. He rarely spoke, but senators used the opportunity to get in a few words, on everything from global to parochial matters. Congressional veterans often prefer such an emissary to Capitol Hill, someone they can count on to deliver messages that are sometimes difficult to send directly to the leader of the free world. What I would urge our nominee is to pick somebody who would do the best to help her in dealing with the Congress, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), the longest-serving current senator, said in a recent interview. He cited Mondale, who served 12 years in the Senate before Jimmy Carter chose him, and George H.W. Bush, a former congressman and CIA director before Ronald Reagan selected him, as perfect models for the vice-presidential role as helping to govern. I dont know if either one of them made much difference in the general election, but they made a huge difference in their relationship with Congress, Leahy said of Mondale and Bush. View Graphic We narrowed Clintons vice presidential possibilities to 27. Now you pick one. It is not surprising that in an era where outsiders with anti-establishment credentials tend to overperform with an angry electorate, the potential running mates lack resumes that look anything like Bidens or Cheneys. Clinton, in particular, is such a Washington figure, after 25 years in the national spotlight, that she faces pressure to find a fresh face. One telling example of how much times have changed is Kaines situation; today he is considered Clintons safe choice, when eight years ago he was a risky pick for Obama. He became Virginias lieutenant governor in 2002 and then governor in 2006. Kaine, now 58, was on Obamas final list, but he had no foreign-affairs experience, and that presented a potential weakness when matched with Obamas own brief tenure in the Senate. Obama picked Biden. Now, after three-plus years on the Senates Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, Kaine is presented as the old hand compared with the competition. Trump, after running a brutal campaign against the GOP establishment, finds himself searching for party unity and thinking an insider would help him. I dont need two anti-establishment people, Trump told The Washington Posts Fix blog in an interview Monday. Someone respected by the establishment and liked by the establishment would be good for unification. But the insiders with good, bipartisan reputations in Congress, including Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the current Foreign Relations Committee chairman, withdrew from consideration. So Trump is left mostly with iconoclasts with uneven track records on Capitol Hill. Gingrichs unsteady stewardship of the House led to his ouster at the hands of his own party in 1998 after four tumultuous years as speaker. Pence was popular among Christian conservative activists but not with his colleagues. When Republicans lost the House majority in 2006, Pence challenged John A. Boehner (Ohio) for the job of minority leader. The outcome was so embarrassing 168 votes for Boehner, 27 for Pence that House Republicans decided from then on never to release vote totals in leadership races. After a two-year stint in a lower-level leadership post, Pence returned to the rank and file and ran for governor in 2012. In 2014, Republicans ousted Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the first senator to endorse Trump who is in the vice-presidential mix, from his post atop the Budget Committee. Republicans had more trust in Sen. Mike Enzi (Wyo.), whose seniority was based on drawing straws when the two senators arrived together in 1997. Whoever the choices are, they will mark a turn from the Biden-Cheney years. United Nations peacekeepers from Rwanda wait for orders at the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) base in Malakal, South Sudan on Thursday. (Jane Hahn/For The Washington Post) The dead were being counted in South Sudans capital on Thursday, days after U.N. bases fell under fire and swaths of the city turned into an urban battlefield. The civil war, it appeared, had returned to the capital city of Juba. Even though the fighting that tore through the capital last weekend had mostly stopped by Tuesday, many of the 45,000 people who fled the clashes searched for food and water, often without success. The United Nations had reached a critical shortage of basic aid supplies, officials said. Fear of continued fighting left markets bare and provisions scarce. In the wake of yet another surge of violence, the fate of the government and the international humanitarian mission here were thrown into question. Just months ago, the countrys most prominent leaders, President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar, signed a peace deal that was meant to put an end to more than two years of fighting between their forces. It fell apart last Friday when their soldiers shot at each other outside the presidential palace, where both Kiir and Machar had come for a news conference. That clash sparked a larger battle that left nearly 300 dead, according to government figures, including 33 civilians. But U.N. officials and aid groups said they believed the death toll was higher. [South Sudan struck by aid shortage after days of fighting] Zlatko Gegic, Oxfams South Sudan country director, said in an interview from Nairobi that he had seen photos of bodies piled on the streets of Juba and doubted the official death toll. I hope the number will not reach 1,000 or more, but we may never know, he said. Relatives are collecting the bodies and burying them before they can be counted. Deepmala Mahla, the South Sudan country director for the aid group Mercy Corps, said there was a worrying lack of food and water for residents who had fled their homes in fear. At one camp, Kator, in Juba, there are 10,000 people and 6,000 of them are children. Mothers are telling us their children havent eaten in days. It is just too difficult to get supplies to these camps, said Mahla, who was evacuated to Nairobi on Wednesday but is in touch with local staff in Juba. She said that there was more movement of civilians in Juba in recent days and fewer military checkpoints, but that the atmosphere was very tense. The rift between Kiirs and Machars groups is deep, driven by the countrys sometimes vicious ethnic politics, as well as a fight for access to the government coffers, including hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign assistance. Few expected the peace deal to hold, but the recent schism nonetheless stunned the city because of the shocking level of violence and lack of concern for civilian lives or U.N. facilities. There are about 13,000 peacekeepers stationed in South Sudan, and many civilians have sought refuge on U.N. bases. The question of the day is whether Kiir and Machar have the ability to prevent a return to large-scale conflict, said Gegic, who was evacuated this week. The future is very hard to predict for us. What is predictable, to an extent, is the weather. South Sudan is in its wet season, which should last for two more months. The rains render large-scale troop movements difficult, analysts say, as the rough track roads that cross the riverine country become muddy and impassable. That means fighting in the near future will likely be limited to cities. Last weekend, two major U.N. bases in Juba were struck by heavy-weapons and small-arms fire, even as thousands of civilians were running toward them for safety. At least two Chinese peacekeepers were reported killed. Government leaders from Kiirs side claimed that the United Nations was knowingly harboring opposition fighters and said that was one of the reasons the compounds were struck. The U.N. will say what it wants, but it knows that there are [opposition] fighters there, Martin Lomuro, South Sudans minister of cabinet affairs, said in a telephone interview on Thursday. The United Nations denies taking sides in the conflict. South Sudan became independent from Sudan almost exactly five years ago, after a referendum that was lauded by the international community, even as signs of internal fractures emerged in the countrys leadership. In late 2013, the country exploded into civil war that took on ethnic overtones between the Dinka tribe, to which Kiir belongs, and the Nuer, Machars tribe. Tens of thousands were killed. While both Kiir and Machar have said they still back the peace process, many here are worried that the cycle of violence could repeat itself, with battles spreading outside the capital. In recent days there has been fighting in Leer, a small city in northern Unity state that is Machars home town. Fighting also escalated in Eastern Equatoria state, and aid groups were forced to suspend their work there. Although those clashes appeared to be limited, other cities waited nervously as rumors swirled that Machars men were moving north. In parts of the country, the tension between factions is grounded in local feuds, often over land rights. The town of Malakal, for example, changed hands roughly a dozen times during the course of the civil war and is now controlled by Dinkas. But leaders of a third ethnic group, the Shilluk, who are loosely aligned with Machars Nuer forces, have vowed to take it back. The U.S. government played an integral role in the countrys creation and has been at the center of post-independence peace negotiations. The U.S. government is the largest provider of aid to South Sudan, and Machars wife is an American citizen, both of which give the United States extra leverage if it decides to impose new sanctions. But some analysts say that U.S. officials have failed to realize the intensity of the hostility between the countrys leaders. The U.S. engaged in a bit of wishful thinking: They arranged a shotgun marriage between two men with a history of animosity towards each other, said J. Peter Pham, the director of the Atlantic Councils Africa Center. American officials say privately that they have become increasingly frustrated with the two South Sudanese leaders. The State Department has expressed grave concern about the fighting and called on Kiir and Machar to instruct their forces to refrain from violence. Several months ago, the United Nations brokered an agreement allowing 1,300 of Machars troops back to Juba, which was seen as a move toward peace. But it was that same force that participated in the weeks fighting. South Sudanese officials on both sides of the divide have said that the agreement that mandated that both forces have a presence in Juba only made the city a tinder keg. You cant unite two forces that have no trust, that do not share commands, said Deng Dau, a member of parliament. The agreement created many unresolved issues. Bearak reported from Washington. Read more South Sudan thought it solved its child soldier problem. It hasnt. From Indiana to South Sudan: a proud immigrants wrenching journey home Three important points to help you understand South Sudans crisis Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Bernardo Provenzano, the convicted Cosa Nostra boss of bosses who reputedly led the Mafias powerful Corleone clan, died July 13, 10 years after his capture in Sicily following decades of hiding in the countryside, a lawyer said. He was 83. Italian media reported that he had bladder cancer and died at a hospital in Milan. The lawyer, Rosalba Di Gregorio, had cited his increasing physical frailty and mental infirmity in several unsuccessful attempts to persuade anti-Mafia prosecutors to ease prison conditions intended to prevent mobsters from wielding power while behind bars. Mr. Provenzano, the reputed capo dei capi, or boss of bosses, was arrested in 2006 after 43 years as a fugitive. He had been convicted in absentia of more than a dozen murders, as well as being part of the Mafia leadership that ordered bombings in 1992 that killed Sicilys top two anti-Mafia investigators, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Mr. Provenzano was also convicted of taking part in plotting Mafia bombings in 1993 in Rome, Milan and Florence, including one attack near the Uffizi art gallery. Bernardo Provenzano in 1963. (AP) Mr. Provenzano was born Jan. 31, 1933, in Corleone, the hilltop Sicilian town that inspired the name of the fictional crime family in Mario Puzos The Godfather. In his youth, he received the nickname The Tractor for the determination he displayed in a mob career that began as a hit man. He was believed to have taken over the leadership of the Sicilian crime syndicate after the 1993 arrest of another longtime fugitive boss, Salvatore Toto Riina. Investigators say that, while in charge, Mr. Provenzano helped the Mafia dig deeper into the lucrative world of public works contracts in Sicily, turning the mob into more of a white-collar industry of illegal activity and lessening its dependence on traditional moneymakers such as drug trafficking and extortion. He essentially thumbed his nose at authorities, who were trying to hunt down a man whose last photo, taken decades earlier, showed a confident-looking young man in a jacket and tie, his hair brushed back from a broad forehead. The man who had for years been Italys No. 1 fugitive was betrayed not by an informer or a rival mobster, but by clean laundry. Police tracked a package of clothes to a farmhouse on the outskirts of Corleone. They had watched the package leave his wifes house in Corleone, then be delivered to a series of addresses until it was driven to the farmhouse. When someone put a hand through the door to take in the laundry, police swept in, nabbing Mr. Provenzano, who had been living with a shepherd who doubled as his housekeeper. In his decades on the run, Mr. Provenzano had counted on Sicilians centuries-old mistrust of the state to help him, as he slept in islanders homes. His children were born in local hospitals. He sent the national public health-care system a bill for prostate treatment he had abroad under a false name. A complete list of survivors was not reported. Investigators said Mr. Provenzano gave his henchmen orders with written notes, not trusting phone conversations for fear of being monitored by police. The notes, found at the farmhouse along with a typewriter Mr. Provenzano was believed to have used to write them, later became the basis of the book You Dont Know by Sicilian best-selling author Andrea Camilleri. Associated Press Goran Hadzic, a former leader of rebel Serbs in Croatia, died July 12 at a hospital in Novi Sad, in northern Serbia. He was 58. His death, from brain cancer, was confirmed by the hospital. Mr. Hadzic was arrested in 2011 and faced war crimes charges for his leadership of a campaign to carve off one third of Croatia and join it to Serbia. The U.N. war crimes tribunal in the Hague dropped the case against him because of his terminal illness and released him from jail last year. Mr. Hadzic had pleaded not guilty to involvement in the murder of hundreds of Croats and the expulsion of tens of thousands more from their homeland during Croatias war from 1991 to 1995 in which ethnic Serbs rebelled against independence from the Serb-led Yugoslavia. Mr. Hadzic, who had been a warehouse worker before the war, was a fugitive for seven years prior to his arrest in 2011. Associated Press A large truck rammed into a crowd in Nice, France, during a celebration for the French national holiday. At least 80 people were killed and dozens more injured before the driver was shot by police. Here's what we know so far. (Jenny Starrs,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) A large truck rammed into a crowd in Nice, France, during a celebration for the French national holiday. At least 80 people were killed and dozens more injured before the driver was shot by police. Here's what we know so far. (Jenny Starrs,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) A truck rammed into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the French Riviera city of Nice on Thursday night, killing at least 84 people in an apparent terrorist attack in which the driver also opened fire on revelers before being shot dead by police. The truck struck the crowd after a fireworks display for the French national day on the Promenade des Anglais, a seaside walk in this southern French city. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced early Friday that in addition to the dead, another 18 people were in critical condition. The victims included a vacationing father and son from Lakeway, Tex. The citys childrens hospital said it had treated more than 50 minors in the attack, including some that still hung between life and death, said communications director Stephanie Simpson. In the aftermath of the attack, the large white truck remained on the palm-lined boulevard, its screen riddled with bullets. Witnesses described total chaos, with the crackle of gunfire and people screaming as they fled the scene. Graphic video and photographs flooding social media showed the bodies strewn for a mile along the boulevard where the truck plowed into the crowd. Revelers ran while sirens blared. 1 of 19 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Photos from the scene after truck plows into Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France View Photos A truck rammed into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the French Riviera on Thursday night, killing at least 30 people in an apparent attack, French news media reported. Caption Police and emergency workers investigate the area after the horrific attack that killed dozens. July 15, 2016 Police stand near the truck that slammed into revelers late Thursday in Nice, France. Luca Bruno/AP Wait 1 second to continue. I saw bodies flying, recall witnesses to Nice attack France has declared three days of mourning beginning Saturday and flags will fly at half-mast. Christian Estrosi, president of the regional council told French television channel BFM TV that the driver fired on the crowd and his behavior appeared to be completely premeditated. He said more than 10 children were killed in the attack. In a series of Twitter messages, he added that the truck was carrying arms and explosives when it struck the crowd about 10:30 p.m. local time. The attack was the latest in a string of horrific incidents that have unfolded across Europe in the past 18 months. In March, Islamic State attackers killed 32 people in suicide bombings at the Brussels airport and a metro station. France was rocked by a devastating terrorist attack in November, when heavily armed suicide bombers killed 130 people in several places around Paris. The Islamic State asserted responsibility for that attack, the worst bloodshed on French soil since World War II. A police source confirmed to Reuters the suspect was a 31-year-old French-Tunisian man born in Tunisia who was known to French police for committing common crimes but was not known to outside intelligence sources. In an address early Friday morning, President Francois Hollande condemned the attack whose terrorist nature cannot be denied. He announced that France would ramp up its military efforts in Syria and Iraq and that the countrys state of emergency, which had been imposed after Islamist militants killed 130 people in Paris last November, would be extended three months. All of France is under the threat of Islamic terrorism, said Hollande, who returned to Paris to deal with the crisis after a private visit to Avignon, France. She [France] is strong. She will always be stronger, I assure you, than the fanatics that want to attack her today. The nearby city of Marseille, one of Frances largest, cancelled its own fireworks display in response to the attack. In Washington, President Obama released a statement Thursday night condemning the attack and said he had directed his team to get in touch with French officials to assist with the investigation. We stand in solidarity and partnership with France, our oldest ally, as they respond to and recover from this attack, the statement said. From Moscow, Secretary of State John F. Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov said the attack underscored the need to end the violence in Syria, the home of the Islamic State. The U.S. is proposing greater intelligence coordination with Russia on Syria. The problem, a solemn Kerry told Lavrov, is you and I and other foreign ministers are doing this now on almost a weekly basis. And nowhere is there a greater hotbed or incubator for these terrorists than in Syria. [One woman helped the Paris attacks mastermind. The other turned him in.] The Islamic State has previously called for attacks using vehicles, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist statements. It said supporters of the radical Islamist organization, also known as ISIS or ISIL, were sharing the news of the Nice attack and celebrating the massacre. Pro-Islamic State forums posted old messages in which the terrorist group urged followers to carry out lone-wolf attacks against France. Police said people in the vicinity should stay home and follow instructions from authorities. Police urged people not to spread rumors or broadcast shocking videos of the scene. The Associated Press quoted Wassim Bouhlel, a Nice native, as saying that after slamming into the crowd, the truck driver emerged with a gun and started shooting. There was carnage on the road, Bouhlel said. Bodies everywhere. A reporter for Agence France-Presse called it absolute chaos. We saw people hit and bits of debris flying around, he said. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump quickly took to Twitter, writing: Another horrific attack, this time in Nice, France. Many dead and injured. When will we learn? It is only getting worse. He later tweeted he would postpone his vice presidential announcement. Within half an hour of initial reports of the incident, Facebook had activated its safety check feature for people in Nice. On Twitter, others used the hashtag #PortesOuvertesNice (OpenDoorsNice) to find and offer refuge to those who needed a place to stay. Meanwhile, taxis in the city were providing free rides to people seeking to leave the scene. The attack came on one of Frances most treasured holidays, the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. In Paris, the occasion is marked by a military parade down the Champs-Elysees, the oldest such parade in Europe. On Nices Promenade des Anglais, which skirts the Mediterranean coast where thousands of revelers had gathered to watch a fireworks display, music mixed with the sounds of laughter and the crackle of fireworks for most of the night. Then gunshots were fired into the crowd. Maryam Violet, an Iranian journalist visiting Nice on vacation, told the Guardian that she saw the truck running into people as they left the fireworks show. I saw that suddenly people were fleeing and shouting, she said, speaking by phone from Nice. People were shouting, Its a terrorist attack! Its a terrorist attack! It was clear that the driver was doing it deliberately. I was walking for nearly a mile, and there were dead bodies all over the place, she continued. Violet said she saw bodies covered in blue sheets and families mourning loved ones two sisters and a brother from Poland who had lost two siblings; a family whose mother had died. She guessed that the family was Muslim, because some members were wearing headscarves. Zeynep Akar, who had watched the fireworks from her balcony, told CNN that the truck drove into crowds right outside her home. I suddenly heard the crash and people shouting, she said. When I went to the balcony, there were so many people on the ground. When she heard the crack of gunfire, she hurried back inside her house and turned off the lights. I didnt know what was going on, she said. As everyone who could sought shelter, only emergency responders and relatives of those killed remained at the scene. Photos showed horror-stricken mourners crouched over blanket-covered bodies. A Reuters photographer captured a small figure covered in a foil sheet; a childs doll lay next to the body. Among the dead were two Americans: Sean Copeland, 50, and his 11-year-old son Brodie from Lakeway, Texas, just outside of Austin. The two were vacationing around Europe together on a trip that began in Pamplona and through Barcelona. They had stopped in Nice to celebrate Bastille Day. We are heartbroken and in shock over the loss of Brodie Copeland, an amazing son and brother who lit up our lives, and Sean Copeland, a wonderful husband and father, the family said in a statement released by family friend Jess Davis which was obtained by the Austin-American Statesmen. They are so loved it was a terrible loss. Souad Mekhennet in Frankfurt, Germany, James McAuley in Paris, Yanan Wang in Toronto and Travis Andrews and Mark Berman in Washington, Carol Morello in Moscow contributed to this report. Read more: Two Americans among the dead in Nice attack What we know about the Paris attacks and the hunt for the attackers How Belgium became the hub of terror in Europe Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Secretary of State John F. Kerry, carrying a new U.S. proposal for coordinated U.S.-Russia counterterrorism operations in Syria, met with President Vladimir Putin here Thursday night in the latest Obama administration effort to salvage a failing cease-fire and revive suspended peace negotiations in the Syrian civil war. Kerrys motorcade went directly from the airport to the Kremlin, a sign of the urgency he places on testing Moscows intention to abide by its commitments in Syria. Putin, speaking at Kerrys side before the closed-door talks, said a telephone conversation last week with President Obama had convinced him that its our sincere desire . . . to yield tangible results. I hope after todays consultations, youll be able to advise [Obama] of the progress made and possible headway for us to make, Putin told Kerry. The meeting ended after three hours. Kerry, a State Department statement said, expressed concern to Putin about Syrias repeated violations of the cease-fire, and the leaders discussed the need to increase pressure on terrorist groups there. The statement said Kerry emphasized that absent concrete, near-term steps, diplomatic efforts could not continue indefinitely, and that discussions would continue Friday with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Senior State Department officials said before the meeting that Kerry was not optimistic that the trip his third here in the past 12 months would produce a breakthrough. At present, we are not conducting or coordinating military operations with Russia, nor is it clear we will reach an agreement to do so, one official said. In Geneva, senior United Nations officials expressed support for the controversial proposal, which is designed to integrate U.S. and Russian air operations against terrorist targets, while stopping attacks against civilians and moderate opposition forces by Syrian and Russian aircraft. I hope there is clearly some kind of general understanding and progress on it, U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura said. He voiced hope that the proposal which would delineate moderate opposition positions from those of al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra would resolve what he called non-constructive ambiguity about the extremist groups locations. Russian and Syrian bombing of what they say are joint positions has been one of the main problems for sustainability of the cessation of hostilities, de Mistura said, referring to a U.S.-Russian sponsored cease-fire agreed to in February. The opposition is a party to the truce; Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State are not. Failure of the cease-fire, and the Syrian governments refusal to allow humanitarian aid into besieged areas where hundreds of thousands of civilians lack food or medical care, led to a suspension of political negotiations over an end to Syrias civil war. Barrel bombing and aerial bombing of civilian areas, de Mistura said, cannot continue if we are to have serious, constructive talks. The U.S. proposal would require Russia to use its leverage to ground the air force of its Syrian ally and restrict its own strikes to agreed terrorist locations. Kerry declined to comment on the proposed U.S.-Russian Joint Implementation Group, the terms of which were first reported by The Washington Post. Well have plenty of time to talk about it after the meeting with Putin, he told reporters in Paris before flying to Moscow. Kerry has expressed frustration that what he thought were common understandings with Moscow have not produced the desired outcome. Instead, Russian assistance to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has helped restore Assads ability to go on the offensive against the opposition and shrug off demands for political change. The reality is the Syrian regime has violated every commitment it has made or that Russia has made on its behalf and has squandered every opportunity to build confidence with the Syrian people, the State Department official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the U.S. proposal to Russia has not been finalized. In the meantime, the Assad regime continues to destroy its own country and people in order to cling to power. Officials said repeatedly that U.S. patience is running thin. We will not commit indefinitely to diplomacy that does not achieve real results, one insisted. We cannot provide political cover for those seeking to pursue a different agenda. . . . Its long past time that Russia decides whether it is serious about advancing such shared objectives in Syria. The proposal Kerry is discussing with Putin and Lavrov would expand U.S. targeting in Syria to include Jabhat al-Nusra as well as the Islamic State, which is only tangentially involved in the civil war against Assad. Jabhat al-Nusra is a direct party to the conflict against the government, operating primarily in the same areas of northwestern Idlib and Aleppo provinces as U.S.-backed opposition forces. U.S. jets, to avoid involvement in the civil conflict and for legal reasons, have targeted Jabhat al-Nusra only a few times since the United States began bombing in Syria in September 2014. A U.S. document outlining what it called an Approach for Practical Russian-American Cooperation against the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra and a strengthening of the truce indicated that the Joint Implementation Group, headquartered in Amman, Jordan, would include U.S. and Russian military officials, at the level of colonel, and equally senior intelligence. Its first task, to be completed within five days, would be to map locations of concentrated Jabhat al-Nusra presence and those areas where opposition forces are concentrated with little or no Jabhat al-Nusra presence. Sharing intelligence, members of the Joint Implementation Group would jointly identify actionable Jabhat al-Nusra targets, including leadership, training camps, logistical depots, supply lines and headquarters, and designate them for airstrikes by either Russian or U.S. forces. Other areas would be off limits to both. Once an initial set of targets is agreed upon and all combat air activities by Syria have ceased, coordinated U.S.-Russian airstrikes would begin. The plan sets July 31 as a target date for implementing the joint counterterrorism plan, establishment of a durable, nationwide cease-fire, and making progress toward a political transition in Syria. De Mistura has said he hopes to restart the talks by Aug. 1. A separate document describing terms of reference for the JIG describes it as a liaison body designed to expose portions of a participants targeting and airstrike planning functions to the other participant. The United States and Russia, it says, should inform one another through the JIG of final plans for operations against a mutually selected target no later than the day before execution. Information to be exchanged includes the general time of the strike, the intended method of target attack, general force composition, routing of the strike and precise details of the target being struck, and commitment to ensuring that the intended actions are deconflicted by time and/or geography and will not be targeted by either sides air defenses or that of the Syrian regime. A number of U.S. military and intelligence officials, as well as outside experts, have expressed concern about the proposal, saying that it would reward Russia for its violation of earlier agreements and help solidify Assads position. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he would not comment on the U.S. offer before Moscow sees what the Obama administration is proposing. But there is a widespread sense that time is running out on a solution to the protracted Syrian conflict, which the administration has said is detracting from its efforts against the Islamic State. In describing the humanitarian situation, U.N. envoy Jan Egeland said that one-third of the war wounded are women and children. Its not fighters, its women and children, and they are bleeding to death because they cannot be evacuated, or dying because there are no medical personnel, or dying because they are attacked in their beds. This is how low it has sunk in Syria. DeYoung reported from Washington. Read more: A year after the nuclear deal, Iranians disappointed If Trump tore up the Iran nuclear deal Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world By PTI: Bengaluru, July 14 (PTI) Staging a day-night protest in Karnataka Assembly in support of its demand for a CBI probe and sacking of minister K J George in connection with the alleged suicide by a DySP, Opposition parties continued to disrupt the House proceedings today. As the Assembly met, BJP and JD(S) members entered the well and shouted slogans against the government after staging the overnight dharna, which they launched yesterday rejecting the judicial probe announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Refusing to give into the BJPs demand for a CBI probe, Siddaramaiah had said the case would be probed by a judicial commission headed by a retired High Court judge, even while dismissing the call for Georges resignation, saying there was not even an iota of evidence against him. advertisement Slamming governments decision to hand over the inquiry to a judicial commission and not to drop George, Opposition BJP Leader Jagadish Shettar said, "The government is insensitive and arrogant." He alleged that honest officials had no security under the government and demanded to know why Siddaramaih was showing "special affection" towards George. Opposition members shouted slogans, demanding sacking of George. Ganapathy (51) was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room at a lodge in Madikeri on July 7, prior to whichhe gave an interview to a local TV channel, saying the minister and A M Prasad (IG-Intelligence) and Pranab Mohanty (IGP-Lokayukta) would be responsible "if anything happens tome." Intervening as opposition continued its protest, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said a judicial inquiry has been ordered and one has to wait for its findings. As the ruckus continued, Speaker K B Koliwad adjourned the house for some time. When the House met later, unrelenting Opposition members continued with their protest shouting slogans "George go back". Amidst the din, the Speaker allowed Ministers to table four bills, even as Shettar objected to this, citing that the House was not in order to conduct proceedings. Once the bills were tabled, the Speaker adjourned the House for lunch and called floor leaders for a meeting. Karnataka Legislative Council was also adjourned till tomorrow, following a similar protest by the Opposition. PTI KSU RA APR DV --- ENDS --- Salvadoran ombudsman David Morales speaks during a news conference at the Monument to Memory and Truth in San Salvador on July 14. (Oscar Rivera/European Pressphoto Agency) El Salvadors Supreme Court has struck down a 1993 amnesty law enacted after the countrys devastating civil war, clearing the way for possible prosecutions of war crimes at the risk of reopening old wounds. The amnesty has contributed to more than two decades of impunity for crimes committed during the 1980-1992 civil war, which claimed 75,000 lives. It helped end the conflict between the government and leftist guerillas, but it has blocked access to justice and reparations for victims. The courts constitutional chamber ruled 4 to 1 Wednesday that the amnesty violates international law and El Salvadors constitution. The ruling said the government has an obligation to investigate, identify and sanction the material and intellectual authors of human rights crimes and grave war crimes and to provide reparations to victims. Human rights advocates celebrated the decision Thursday at a ceremony in San Salvadors Cuscatlan Park in honor of David Morales, El Salvadors human rights ombudsman since August 2013. If prosecutors and judges are willing to comply with the ruling, it will generate for the first time in El Salvador the first glimmers of reconciliation, Morales said. He added that many Latin American countries have already abolished their amnesty laws and begun to prosecute crimes dating to the civil wars and military dictatorships of the late 20th century. Salvadoran women attend a news conference at the Monument to Memory and Truth in San Salvador after the Supreme Court declared an amnesty law unconstitutional. (Oscar Rivera/European Pressphoto Agency) [Why El Salvador became the hemispheres murder capital] Behind Morales stood a 275-foot granite wall etched with the names of 30,000 civilians killed in the war and the locations of nearly 200 massacres committed between 1970 and 1991. The worst massacre occurred in the village of El Mozote and surrounding hamlets in December 1981, when the U.S.-trained Atlacatl battalion machine-gunned more than 800 villagers, about half of them children. Rosario Sanchez, whose mother and 12 other relatives were killed in El Mozote, said she was relieved to hear that the amnesty law had been declared unconstitutional. For years weve been hearing that because of the amnesty, the soldiers who killed our relatives cant be tried, and we cant receive any kind of reparations for our loss, she said.In April 2015, government forensics investigators dug up the bones of Sanchezs family and two dozen other victims of the massacre, but the investigation has since stalled because of a 1993 decision to archive the case in light of the amnesty law. With this ruling, we can return to the judge and say that the decision to close the case was illegal, said Ovidio Gonzalez, a lawyer with the human rights organization Tutela Legal, which has been representing the massacre victims for more than two decades. The court suggested that prosecutors begin with about 30 cases highlighted by a U.N. Truth Commission in March 1993. The cases include massacres, assassinations and kidnappings by combatants from both the armed forces and the guerrilla army called the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front. Some Salvadorans fear that the decision could lead to a political witch hunt. Its not just a few cases; there are dozens or even hundreds of cases, said Salvador Samayoa, a political analyst who represented the guerrillas in the peace process. Todays political parties stem from the two sides in the war. Every time a case is brought against someone from one side, the other side will respond with a case of its own. Mauricio Ernesto Vargas, a retired general who represented the armed forces in the peace negotiations, said Wednesdays ruling could intensify political polarization in a country with no shortage of problems: a gang-violence epidemic, a migration crisis, crop failures and economic stagnation. [El Salvadors gangs call a cease-fire amid doubts it can hold] The country doesnt have the economic and social conditions to add one more destabilizing ingredient to the mix, he said. Justice for war-era crimes now depends on El Salvadors prosecutors and judges, who have historically been reluctant to take on these controversial cases. It will take resources, expertise and political will, said Naomi Roht-Arriaza, a law professor who has held workshops for Salvadoran government prosecutors and judges. It will take a degree of maturity and discretion on the part of the prosecutors office. But if its achieved, it could crack the culture of impunity in El Salvador in a way that will allow it to confront todays problems. Twenty-five years after the wars end, El Salvador has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, and 95 percent of homicides go unsolved. Read more Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world New British Prime Minister Theresa May wasted no time Thursday ushering in a new era for Britain and putting her own stamp on the government as she jettisoned a number of top figures from her predecessors six-year run. The mass firing of top lieutenants to David Cameron marked a more determined break in direction for May than many political observers had anticipated, or than May herself had advertised. In this summers brief contest for the nations top job, she had campaigned as the continuity candidate the one who would embrace Camerons legacy even as she took the country in the radically different direction that voters demanded when they endorsed an exit from the European Union in last months referendum. [Frances chilly welcome for Britains new top diplomat: He lied a lot] But on her first full day on the job, she left little doubt that she wants her government to take a different course, with new personnel. At least a half-dozen top Cameron-era cabinet officials were left without jobs by the time she was finished beckoning lawmakers one-by-one to her new home on Downing Street so they could learn their fate. Theresa May will take over at 10 Downing Street today. Heres what the next prime minister will be facing as she begins to navigate a British exit from the European Union. (Adam Taylor,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) It tells us shes her own woman, said Tony Travers, a politics professor at the London School of Economics. Shes trying to show us that she can think in a way thats refreshing, that she will do what she wants and put her own stamp on government. Travers said that May had an even more difficult task than most prime ministers, who have to form a cabinet that reflects geographical, gender and ethnic balance. May had the additional burden of trying to balance remainers and leavers as she attempts to heal the bitter divisions within the Conservative Party that came to the fore during last months vote. [May and Merkel: Europes two most powerful women have a lot in common] May who campaigned for remain made good on an earlier vow to appoint prominent leave politicians to top posts. Chief among them was the flamboyant and ever-undiplomatic Boris Johnson, former mayor of London, who was awarded the plum job of foreign secretary late Wednesday. The move spawned head-scratching worldwide, given his past critical comments about President Obama, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and many others. Other prominent pro-Brexit politicians were left on the sidelines. Michael Gove, the justice secretary who was seen as the intellectual architect of the Brexit campaign, was among those left out of Mays cabinet. Gove had earned the tag of Britains Brutus after ambushing his friend and fellow Brexiteer, Johnson, and knocking him from the race for the countrys top job. 1 of 17 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad David Camerons last day as Britains prime minister View Photos The departing leader attended his final session of Prime Ministers Questions before visiting Buckingham Palace. Incoming prime minister Theresa May inherits the reins of a country caught in uncertainty as it hurtles toward an exit from the European Union. Caption The departing leader attended his final session of Prime Ministers Questions before visiting Buckingham Palace. Incoming prime minister Theresa May inherits the reins of a country caught in uncertainty as it hurtles toward an exit from the European Union. July 13, 2016 Britains prime minister, David Cameron, leaves number 10 Downing Street for his last Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons in London. Peter Nicholls/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue. [Full transcript of Mays first speech as prime minister] The firings were not limited to the leave side. George Osborne, a remain politician who had been the countrys top finance official and was long seen as Camerons preferred successor, was among those banished to the backbenches. Cameron, Osborne and Gove had together been known as the Notting Hill set, a group of relatively young, Oxford-educated men who sought to modernize a party long known for its fustiness. May also studied at Oxford but was never considered part of that clubby grouping. Other top officials who lost their jobs Thursday were Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, Culture Secretary John Whittingdale and Oliver Letwin, who was to have served as a point person in Brexit talks. The thorough sweep came just a day after May curtsied before Queen Elizabeth II and became the countrys prime minister, ending a weeks-long vacuum at the top of the government that was triggered by the E.U. vote and Camerons subsequent resignation. In her first speech as the countrys leader, May indicated she would chart a new course, emphasizing the need for social justice and saying she would govern on behalf of the poor, minorities, women and others who have traditionally not been given a strong voice in government. In at least one early nod to that vision, she created a new post Thursday, one that combined the business and energy departments under one umbrella but also added a third mission: industrial strategy. The phrase is more associated with the active government intervention in the economy advocated by the Labour Party left than with the hands-off policies of the Tory right. Personal rivalries may explain some of Mays personnel decisions. She and Gove, for instance, were famously at odds when they both served in Camerons cabinet. [One queen. Thirteen prime ministers.] But in some cases, the new prime minister was able to overlook old and not-so-old grudges. Just last week, for instance, her then-adversary for Britains top job, Andrea Leadsom, suggested to the Times of London that her own status as a mother would make her a better prime minister than the childless May. Whatever offense May took, she overlooked it on Thursday, appointing Leadsom to be the new environment secretary. Mays picks were praised by her fellow Conservatives, who have largely stopped attacking each other after months of intra-party skirmishing over Brexit. But not everyone was impressed; her pick for foreign secretary came in for particular scrutiny. Yvette Cooper, a prominent Labour member of Parliament, called the selection of Johnson a very, very unwise appointment and suggested that the new prime minister plans to use him as a scapegoat if things go wrong with Brexit. Maybe Theresa May is looking for someone else to blame, she told the BBC. Read more Britains finance minister heads to Wall Street to reassure investors The undemocratic result of Britains Brexit referendum Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world This week Socialist Equality Party vice presidential candidate Niles Niemuth took his campaign to the former steelmaking region of western Pennsylvania. In the 1950s, the greater Pittsburgh area accounted for one half of all the steel produced in the United States. Over the past several decades, however, this region has been economically devastated by the wholesale closures of steel mills. One example is the fate of the town of Vandergrift, 30 miles northeast of Pittsburgh in the Kiskimenitas River valley. The population of Vandergrift has fallen from 11,500 in 1930 to just over 5,000 today. Even with the presence of a steel mill operated by Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI), the median household income is $32,900, compared to the state average of $52,500. Nearly 17 percent of the population lives below the poverty level, two percentage points above the national average. Last year, ATI locked out its workforce after demanding huge concessions. Hundreds of workers at the ATI Vandergrift facility joined a total of 2,200 steelworkers on lockout for eight months, between August 2015 and March 2016. The ATI workers were systematically isolated and betrayed by the United Steelworkers (USW) union, which kept their struggle separate from hundreds of thousands of other steel, auto, and telecommunications workers who were facing contract battles at the same time. After keeping workers on starvation rations through the winter, the USW rammed through a concession contract that gave in to all the companys major demands. In nearby Leechburg, seven miles from Vandergrift, another ATI plant, the Bagdad facility, was closed during the lockout and never reopened. It is one of only two plants in the US that makes silicon steel. The more than 200 workers there, and another 200 in nearby Midland, have not been called back to work. The USW has attempted to divert the anger of workers over these conditions by promoting economic nationalism, blaming imported steel from China for destroying American jobs. This nationalist demagogy on the part of the USW dovetails with the politics of right wing demagogue Donald Trump, who promises to make America great again. Economic nationalism has also been promoted by the democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, who won the support of many steelworkers during the primary election campaign. Niles Niemuth spoke to workers during shift change outside the ATI plant in Brackenridge, on the Allegheny River. The town had a population of 5,697 according to the 1960 census report. That had fallen to 3,260 by 2010. Niemuth and campaign supporters held an extended conversation with an ATI steelworker, who wished to remain anonymous. When asked to comment on the pending presidential election contest between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Trump, the worker told the SEP candidate. I am against Hillary Clinton completely. Trump is also out of the question. Niemuth replied, The purpose of this campaign is to build the SEP as the mass party of the working class. That is why we are here. Hillary Clinton does not speak for the working class. She defends the interests of Wall Street and the banks. The worker talked about conditions at the plant since the end of the lockout in April. While the USW had hailed the contract settlement as a victory, workers had in fact been saddled with onerous concessions that reduce the status of the workforce to little more than casual laborers at the mercy of the companys demands. They are shipping a lot of our work out. I found out from a truck driver its going to a nonunion shop. I am watching them. I am trying to keep track of what is going on. But when I take it to the union, they are not interested. I dont expect anything from our union. They wont do anything about it. They are in with the company. They are the company. Niemuth then asked, What do you think about Sanders endorsing Clinton? The worker responded, It is depressing. It was bad enough when [Senator] Elizabeth Warren starting cheering for Clinton. That made me sick. They knew what they were doing with Sanders. They knew he was tapping into something. I have been talking to some people. He had a lot of people worked up. Maybe some people will get their eyes opened to what is happening in this country and try to change it. I consider myself a democratic socialist. Now I can hardly watch what is going on. Niemuth responded, Sanders was supposed to be a lightening rod to channel workers back into the Democratic Party, but that is not an easy task. It turns out millions of people have turned sharply to the left. Wages have gone down. Very few people have good jobs. We have to build independent organizations that represent the interests of the working class, for the working class to take political power. The unions are not going to do it. The unions are not working class organizations. We are building the SEP as the party of the working class. The worker replied, I am frustrated. I was not a big union person. I have seen what they have done for the last 30 years. They sold us out. Where do you turn? Niemuth said, The problem is not just in America and the solution will not be found just in America. Workers in China, Canada, Mexico and Latin America are all confronting the same problems. The working class is an international class. The unions promote nationalism, which divides the working class. They say you need to buy American and your enemy is the Chinese, because they are dumping steel here. What is making you lose your jobs is not the Chinese, it is the capitalist system. I understand that, the worker responded. I have a lot of friends who lost their jobs that were outsourced. The corporations are getting rich and the workers are being exploited. Niemuth said, The only progressive way forward is the international unity of the working class. They are setting up a war with China. That is being promoted by both the Republicans and Democrats. It is crucial that the working class be organized against the capitalist system. The worker undertook to consider voting for White and Niemuth. I know what is going on with politics around this country. I am against the capitalist system and I am certainly not voting for Hillary Clinton. In the wake of the Permanent Court of Arbitrations sweeping ruling on Tuesday in The Hague, negating all Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea, there has been a chorus of US-led condemnations of Chinas illegal activities, demands that Beijing abide by the court decision and calls for US diplomatic and military action to enforce the verdict. A New York Times editorial entitled Testing the Rule of Law in the South China Sea declared that the signs are troubling that Beijing has defiantly rejected an international arbitration courts jurisdiction and will not accept the path-breaking judgment. It gave its stamp of approval to the Obama administrations building of closer security ties with Asian nations and mounting increased naval patrols to counter Chinas assertiveness. In its editorial, the Wall Street Journal declared that the tribunal dealt a necessary rebuke to Chinas sovereignty claims and aggressive attempts to enforce them, which threatened the rules-based order in Asia. It called for an increase in scope and frequency in the US Navys provocative freedom of navigation intrusions into waters surrounding Chinese-controlled islets in the South China Sea. The hypocrisy involved is staggering. The United States has nothing but contempt for international law and has never been called to account by any international tribunal for its illegal wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya, which have resulted in the deaths of millions. As part of its pivot to Asia against China, the Obama administration is chiefly responsible for transforming longstanding, low-key regional disputes in the South China Sea into a dangerous flashpoint that threatens to trigger a new and even more devastating war. Washington has refused to ratify the international law under which the case in The Hague was heardthe UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)and does not even recognise the UN's International Court of Justice, also in The Hague. It used the Philippines as a proxy before the Permanent Court of Appeal to advance its own aggressive agenda in the South China Sea. The final outcome, which accepted the Philippine submissions virtually in toto, was a foregone conclusion. The lengthy ruling not only dismissed Chinas historic claims to large areas of the South China Sea, but severely circumscribed its claims to waters around reefs and islets under its control and condemned various of its activities, including land reclamation, as illegal. Washington will now work to further exacerbate the territorial disputes within the South China Sea, which have been a convenient pretext for its huge military build-up there, and to strengthen its strategic alliances and partnerships in South East Asia. Over the past five years, the US has established new basing arrangements in northern Australia and the Philippines, stationed the latest littoral combat vessels in Singapore, boosted ties with Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, and ramped up its joint military exercises throughout the region. At the same time, the US will insist on further freedom of navigation operations. These have nothing to do with protecting regional trade, but rather seek to ensure access for US warships and aircraft in strategically sensitive waters close to the Chinese mainland. The Pentagons strategy for war with ChinaAirSea Battleenvisages a massive air and missile assault from ships, submarines and bases in the western Pacific, supplemented by a naval blockade to cripple the Chinese economy. The build-up in South East Asia is part of a broader expansion aimed at encircling China. By 2020, 60 percent of American military aircraft and ships will be deployed to the Indo-Pacific. The United States government may not necessarily want a war with China, but it is determined to use every available means to maintain its global dominance, and it regards China as the chief obstacle. Its increasingly reckless confrontation with China, and also Russia, is aimed at ensuring their subordination to American interests with the ultimte aim of breaking them up and reducing them to the status of colonial protectorates. The Hague decision has underscored the complete political bankruptcy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime in Beijing, which represents the interests of a tiny ultra-wealthy capitalist elite, not the vast majority of working people. By whipping up Chinese nationalism, expanding its armed forces and threatening to impose an Air Defence Identification Zone over the South China Sea, the CCP leadership plays directly into the hands of US imperialism and sows divisions in the international working class. The court ruling marks a dangerous turning point that will inevitably heighten the risk that a minor incident, whether deliberate or not, involving rival claimants in the South China Sea, spirals out of control and triggers a conflict between the US and Chinatwo nuclear-armed powers. As the global economic crisis of capitalism worsens, humanity is once again being plunged toward world war by the bankrupt profit system and its outmoded division of the world into rival nation states. The only social force capable of halting the drive to war is the international working class, on the basis of a unified struggle to abolish capitalism and fundamentally restructure society along socialist linesso as to meet the urgent social needs of the majority, not the profit requirements of the super-rich few. We urge all our readers to support the International Committee of the Fourth International and its sections, which are alone in campaigning to build an international anti-war movement of workers to fight for this socialist internationalist perspective. The United States militarys Africa Command (AFRICOM) deployed dozens of Marines to South Sudan Wednesday, amid clashes between opposed factions of the Sudanese government that have left more than 270 dead over the past week. These deployed personnel will remain in South Sudan until the security situation becomes such that their presence is no longer needed, an Obama White House statement said. Some 130 additional US troops are on standby to reinforce the Marine deployment if necessary, the White House said. Wednesdays deployment, carried out in the name of protecting US citizens, marks the latest escalation in the decades-long drive of US imperialism to assert control over Sudan and its massive oil resources, estimated by Chevron research to include more oil than Iran and Saudi Arabia together. Over the past decade, the US ruling class has sought to repartition Sudan, cultivating elements of the local elite in the countrys oil rich south and continuously ratcheting up pressure against the northern government. The US-orchestrated Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed between Sudans government and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) in January 2005, was designed as an initial step toward opening the southern oil fields to US and European firms. It came as the culmination of protracted efforts by Washington and London aimed at weakening Sudans central government and imposing more direct neocolonial rule. Washington forced the agreement on the Khartoum government by backing the SPLM with ample weapons and military aid, a policy which was continued in secret even after the 2005 CPA officially ended the civil war. As late as 2008, the continuing US aid to the separatist forces, including tanks and anti-aircraft systems, was exposed by the seizure of a boatload of Sudan-bound weapons by Somali pirates. In 2010, the Obama administration moved to force the question, offering to remove Sudan from Washingtons state sponsors of terrorism list, in exchange for government backing of the southern independence referendum sought by the US and European powers. When finalized in June 2011, the formal partition of Sudan established South Sudan as the worlds newest internationally recognized country. The main effect of the partition was to transfer some 80 percent of the countrys oil resources into the hands of the US-proxy government in Juba, dealing a punishing blow to Chinese economic interests in Sudan, where the Chinese National Petroleum Company has invested more than $20 billion to develop oil production. At the time of the partition, Sudanese petrol accounted for nearly one-third of Chinas total oil imports, and Chinese producers controlled as much as 60 percent of Sudans oil resources, benefiting from the exclusion of American corporations by Washingtons imposition of sanctions against Sudan after 1993. Given the scale of Chinese interests involved, the numerically small deployment of US troops carries outsized significance and points to the global dangers posed by increasingly aggressive American military encroachments against Beijings economic influence on the continent. As the bloodletting in recent days made clear, the imperialist-orchestrated partition has paved the way for further eruptions of civil war, fatally undermining the economy of northern Sudan and propelling the Khartoum and Suba governments into clashes over control of contested border provinces of Abyei and South Kordofan. Thousands of South Sudanese have been killed and over 2 million displaced as a result of internal faction fighting since the passage of the US-backed independence referendum in 2011. The European powers are seizing on the violence, which has the appearance of the initial stages of a re-eruption of full-blown civil war, to enlarge their military and security presence. Germanys air force launched new patrols over Sudan this week, in the name of protecting and evacuating German nationals. On Monday, an official French government statement threatened new sanctions against Sudanese elites and announced the establishment of a crisis cell in Juba. Last October, the British government announced plans to deploy troops to Somalia and South Sudan. The renewed intervention in Sudan is the latest chapter in the protracted drive of Washington and the European powers to reassert unchecked military and political domination over their former colonial holdings. This agenda has been carried forward at every step with unconcealed contempt for African lives. In August 1998, the Clinton administration provocatively demonstrated the determination of the American ruling class to subjugate Sudan and steal its natural riches, attacking the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory, the largest such medicinal plant in Khartoum. The factory, one of the few components of advanced social infrastructure owned by the impoverished African nation, was claimed to be a chemical weapons factory run by al Qaeda. It since became clear that the bombing was a deliberate effort to degrade Sudans infrastructure and terrorize its population, as the US government proved unable to muster any evidence in support of claims that Al-Shifa was manufacturing nerve gas. The bombing of Al-Shifa foreshadowed the brutality that has come to characterize US Africa policy since 9/11 and the launching of the Global War on Terror. The crimes of the Clinton administration against Africa pale by comparison with those perpetrated by the latest Democratic administration of President Barack Obama, which has overseen the complete destruction of Libya and the ever growing militarization of Central and West Africa, including the establishment of a massive new anti-terror war zone centered around the Lake Chad Basin. The fate of Sudan shows in microcosm the agenda being pursued by Washington throughout the entire ex- and semi-colonial world, which is to be smashed apart and redivided in accordance with the needs of the dominant capitalist governments. At a time of strained police-community relations, a group of four cops chose kindness when a couple refused to sit near them at a Pennsylvania restaurant. A server at the Eat'n Park diner in Homestead said a couple wanted another table after being brought to one near the group of officers last weekend, the restaurant confirms to PEOPLE. "A table goes to sit down and the guy looks over at one of the police officers and was like, 'Nah I don't want to sit here.' " server Jesse Meyers told WTAE. As the couple moved to the other side of the restaurant, Officer Chuck Thomas of said he told the man and woman that it was okay to sit near his group and that "we won't hurt you," the Homestead Borough Police Department confirms to PEOPLE. "He looked at me hard again and said he's not sitting here and walked away," Thomas recalled. Tensions between the public and police have been high in the wake of high-profile police shootings and the sniper attack on officers in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, which left five officers dead. "A lot of people were coming up to us and shaking our hands and thanking us, but you could just feel tight air through the community," Thomas told the outlet. The officers discussed the interaction as they ate their meal. "Officer Strang thought, 'Well, we should pay his tab,' " said Thomas. On the bill, they wrote: "Sir, your check was paid for by the police officers that you didn't want to sit next to. Thank you for your support." They also included a $10 tip on the almost $30 meal. Thomas posted the note on Facebook and it's since gone viral. I paid the guys check that didn't want to sit next to us! I left this note for him! Posted by Chuck Thomas onA Friday, July 8, 2016 The officers said they got a smile and a thank you from the couple as they left. "Essentially, the whole goal of it was to let him know that we're not here to hurt you, we're not here for that," said Thomas. "We're here for you. We work for the public. And we just want to better the relationship between the community and the police." Death comes in many forms. It may arrive suddenly without warning or approach slowly after a long illness. In the latter case, families have time to prepare for the inevitable. What's more, they may have access to hospice care, which can simplify life by bringing doctors directly to patients and providing myriad support services. [See: 10 Things You Need to Know About Medicare.] Unfortunately, not everyone who is eligible makes use of hospice. "The truth is half of patients never get hospice at all," says Joe Rotella, chief medical officer with the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. "What we see is patients either avoid hospice or call it very late." Some people may not use hospice because they are unaware or misunderstand it. Other times, people may not want to go into hospice because it means ending all attempts to cure a patient. "A lot of times, doctors are reluctant to give up," says Ellen Windham, author of "Hospice: The Last Responder," a guide to hospice care. When the end is in sight, here are 10 things hospice experts say seniors and their family members should know. Hospice is not a place but a type of care. While it's true some hospice organizations operate facilities, hospice itself refers to a type of comfort care that can be provided in any setting. "A team of professionals provide emotional and spiritual support to a patient and family anywhere," says Richard Fife, president of the Foundation for End-of-Life Care. Medicare pays for almost everything. Seniors who receive Medicare will find their hospice care is covered almost completely. That coverage includes everything from doctors and nurses to social workers and homemakers. Patients must pay a $5 copayment for prescriptions and 5 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for respite care, should they need it. In exchange for this level of coverage, Medicare stops paying for any medical care outside of hospice. Story continues You need to have a life expectancy of six months or less. Under Medicare rules, a hospice doctor and a person's primary care doctor need to certify a person has a life expectancy of less than six months before hospice care can begin. [Quiz: Test Your Medicare Knowledge.] If you live longer, that's OK. Six months or less is the life expectancy required to enter into hospice, but estimating a person's lifespan is an imperfect process. "It's not always easy to predict for a patient with Alzheimer's, for example, when they've entered their last six months of life," Rotella says. As a result, it's possible for some people to remain in hospice long after six months have come and gone. Michelle Riddle, a patient advocate at Complete Dignity in Phoenix, says people don't need to worry about losing their coverage if they do outlive expectations. "If you haven't passed in six months, they don't cut you off." It isn't only for those with certain illnesses. Some people might mistakenly believe hospice is only for those with certain diseases, such as cancer. However, this type of care can be used by people of all ages with terminal illnesses of any kind. Hospice is about more than medical care. A critical component of hospice is the support services they provide to family members. "Loved ones don't have to run out to the drug store to get supplies," Riddle says. Hospice organizations are available 24/7 with on-call nurses and doctors who can make home visits at whatever time they are needed. Plus, hospice staff coordinates prescriptions, arranges for respite care and meets other needs families might have. Once people are able to stop juggling appointments or worrying about the logistics of their care, they may find their quality of life increases. "People equate hospice with immediate death, Windham says. However, she advises people enter into this care as early as possible. "Going into hospice sooner rather than later gives patients and family members more quality time together." Services continue after someone dies. After a person passes away, hospice typically offers grief counseling or other bereavement services to family members. "Many hospitals have a chaplain, but that doesn't mean you're going to get the emotional support you get with hospice," Fife says. You can choose the hospice you want. Hospice isn't offered by a single entity, but is a form of care offered by thousands of providers. In 2014, there were 4,000 hospice care agencies in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "A lot of nursing homes have a hospice they use, but it's OK to pick a different one," Windham says. She recommends families interview at least two hospice providers before making a choice. During those interviews, the most important question may be to ask whether the hospice is Medicare-certified. If not, Medicare won't pay for its services. Beyond that, patients and families should ask about the type of services provided, frequency of care and who will serve as the family's point of contact. "If they are getting irritated with your questions, look at a different hospice," Riddle says. "Don't be bullied into a choice you don't want." More transparency may be coming to hospice organizations. The government doesn't publish hospice information for consumers as it does for nursing homes. That may be changing, Rotella says. It could be years before it's fully implemented, but a move is underway for Medicare to publish quality measures of hospice organizations to make the process of selecting one easier for consumers. Hospice is focused on life, not death. Entering hospice might feel like quitting on life, but those who work in the field say accelerating death is not the focus of this type of care. Instead, it's intended to help people live fully and comfortably in the time they have left. [See: 10 Medical Services Medicare Doesn't Cover.] "[People] think it's morbid and focused on giving up," Rotella says. Instead, he says "it's focused on quality of life while facing the reality of what's going on with an illness." Rather than feeling like they are at the mercy of a medical process that entails countless appointments and tests, people in hospice care may finally feel like they are back in control of how they live. Former US president George W Bush's jolly jive to a hymn at Dallas memorial, conducted for the five police officers who died in last week's shooting, has invited a barrage of criticism. By India Today Web Desk: As politicians and police chiefs gathered to pay respect to the five officers who were slain during the Dallas shooting, former President George W Bush broke into a jolly dance to a hymn. Bush was flanked by his wife Laura and Michele Obama, as he started to sway with a wide smile on his face while the choir sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Both Laura and Michele were taken aback by Bush's inappropriate conduct, yet they passed a cautious smile. President Barack Obama chuckled. advertisement Almost all other dignitaries looked sombre, except Bush who seemed unusually energetic. As expected, this led to a huge outcry on social media with many condemning his 'moves' at the funeral as extremely disrespectful. On July 8, two snipers opened fire on police officers during protests in Dallas, killing five officers and injuring seven others. A 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson opened fire during a peaceful protest which followed the killings of two black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, by law enforcement officers. Here are a few reactions from Twitter to former President's impropriety: LAURA: George, be on your best behavior. GEORGE: Of course I will! LAURA: No dancing. GEORGE: ... pic.twitter.com/qNnyTWbe6i Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) July 12, 2016 Something is seriously wrong w/ #GeorgeWBush. Totally disrespectful. Poor #FLOTUS. She doesn't know what to do. https://t.co/Z9BFdEBs1H Bob Bordone (@bobbordone) July 13, 2016 George W. Bush is officially going senile. https://t.co/HZvULtiK0o Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) July 13, 2016 --- ENDS --- For Harrison Freeman, reaching out to friends, strangers and associates has been a large part of his strategy for finding summer internships as a law student -- and it's worked. "Networking literally got me my 1L internship," says Freeman, who just finished his second year at Boston University School of Law. During his first year of school, Freeman discussed his career goals with a BU grad who was his mentor. "I was very active in reaching out to him," he says. "We went for coffee. We met for lunch. We spoke on the phone numerous times, and I told him my interests and he connected me with one of his friends." [Understand which area of law fits your career goals.] The connection led to a summer internship at the Massachusetts Securities Division. To get his next summer gig, the Canada native decided to explore his personal network by reaching out to anyone he knew in the United States and asking for advice to reach his professional goals. He landed a position at the law firm Brown Rudnick -- which he did not get through networking -- but the skills he developed through phone calls, coffee meetings and email exchanges while networking prepped him for the interview process that would lead to his current job. "I had this experience of speaking with lawyers, asking them pointed questions, telling them about myself. All these things that go on in the interviews, I had done a hundred times before the formal interview process where it actually mattered," he says. Law career experts say that networking is key when pursuing summer internships -- which often lead to full-time job offers -- or long-term employment. "It's extremely important," says Karen Sargent, assistant dean and executive director of the Office of Career Services at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law. "It's maintaining relationships that are going to carry you throughout your career. And you never know when those relationships are going to come into play." Story continues [Advance a law-related career without passing the bar.] In March, the unemployment rate for 2015 law graduates at schools under the purview of the American Bar Association was 9.7 percent. Learning how to meet and approach people in your legal area of interest as a soon-to-be lawyer and ask for advice, experts say, can help with finding job leads. Prospective students interested in gauging a school's network and its ability to teach networking skills have several options for finding this information. "See whether there is an explicit component of the programming around networking and networking skills," says Fiona Trevelyan Hornblower, the assistant dean for career development and public service at BU Law. This information can usually be found online, she says. Applicants can also ask an admissions team if the school has an alumni database available for students and if the school offers formal or informal mentoring with alumni, experts say. Schools teach law students networking skills in various ways. In February, the Marshall-Whythe School of Law at William and Mary for the first time held an all-day professional development day, says Michael Ende, the school's associate dean for career services. "We focused on communication skills and styles, and understanding how people communicate and how to adjust your communication style to the people around you, how to present information in a persuasive way," he says. Ende also regularly runs programs on how to forge connections through LinkedIn, the popular social networking site for professionals. At Boston University, the career development department helps students learn their preferred networking style and environments, says Hornblower. The environment for networking can vary, she says, from a holiday party to cold outreach to alumni. [Find out how to start a career at a law firm as a law student.] Law students should keep in mind three factors when it comes to networking, experts say. -- Target alumni: "Connecting with alumni from the law school is particularly effective since you have the shared experience to call upon," says Hornblower. Schools such as Boston University often pair students with alumni to foster mentoring relationships and have a database with contact information for alumni who welcome the opportunity to help students. "We also do individual outreach to students when we know that alums are going to be on campus," she says. -- Don't be afraid: Law career experts say students sometimes worry about the awkwardness that can come with approaching someone you don't know well to discuss your career. But it doesn't take much to get a conversation started, Ende says. "Just jump right in," he says. "You can start a lot of conversations just by saying 'hello' and introducing yourself." -- Ask for advice: It's taboo to ask for a job and can put a potential employer in an awkward position, experts say. Instead, law students should try to gather information. "If they don't have a job available, they may not want to talk to you, because they may not want to have that uncomfortable conversation," Ende says. "But somebody can always give you advice, they can always give you information and if the conversation goes well they can always give you a referral." Searching for a law school? Get our complete rankings of Best Law Schools. Delece Smith-Barrow is an education reporter at U.S. News, covering graduate schools. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at dsmithbarrow@usnews.com. A ruling from an international tribunal this weekthat Chinas expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea (SCS) have no legal standingdealt President Xi Jinping a minor setback and generated headlines around the world. But its inside Chinas borders where Xis considerable strength will be tested. These five facts explain the challenges ahead for China and its formidable president. 1. Slowing Growth For decades, the source of Chinas economic strength has been its breakneck manufacturing pace. Between 2011 and 2013, China used more cement than the U.S. did in the entire 20th century. Impressivebut wholly unsustainable, since there is only so much cement a country actually needs. So Chinas leadership decided to shift its economy away from an investment- and export orientation to a consumption-based one to ensure growth can continue at a more sustainable rate. Private consumption only accounts for 38 percent of Chinas total GDP, according to reporting by the New York Times last fall; it needs to surpass 60 percent to bring it in line with the worlds more advanced economies. The transition has been rocky at times, but its well underway. Consumption is fueling a much bigger piece of the economy than it has in the past, driving 66 percent of growth in GDP in 2015, according to Chinese state officials. Chinas growth has slowed to a mere 7 percent, according to Beijing. The World Bank expects Chinese growth to slow to 6.3 percent by 2018; that still means it would be growing at three times the rate of the U.S. economy and four times the Euro area. But this slowdown has the world on edge, because few outsiders have complete faith in official Chinese statistics. (Washington Post, New York Times, CCTV, Wall Street Journal, World Bank) Read More: The Meaning of Chinas Defeat In the South China Sea 2. One Belt, One Road To counter this slowdown at home, Xi knows that China must open new markets for its products abroad. Abruptly shutting down all those factories would put a lot of people out of work and set back consumption spending. Better to sell that concrete in other countries. In late 2013, Xi proposed the centurys most ambitious geopolitical venture to date: a series of infrastructure projects that will ultimately connect China (and more importantly, its exports and imports) to the West. Called One Belt, One Road (OBOR), the initiative is a network of roads, railroads, ports and pipelines that Beijing says will add $2.5 trillion to Chinas trade account by 2025. Beijing also established the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to fund many of these projects. This is Beijings alternative to the Washington-based World Bank and International Monetary Fund. China has already spent more than $235 billion funding the various projects; if successful, OBOR will connect 65 countries, 4.4 billion people and 40 percent of the worlds GDP by both land and sea. Story continues (Reuters, World Bank) 3. Strategic Foreign Engagement Trade doesnt just fuel industry, create jobs, and boost a countrys bottom-line; it also helps build political relationships and goodwill. China invested a record $23 billion in Europe in 2015, a 28 percent uptick from the year before. And it did so at a moment when Europe was shaken by a succession of crises that forced other investors to flee. Europeans noticed that the Chinese stuck around. Its a similar story in Africa, where the total stock of Chinese investment grew 20 times over between 2005 and 2014 to $32 billion. Six months ago, Beijing promised another $60 billion in development assistance to the continent to help build up Africas infrastructure. In Latin America, Chinese banks dispatched $30 billion in loans to governments in 2015 alonemore than the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank combined. China is using trade and investment to strategically engage new partners in every corner of the world. And not for nothing, but China is crucially important to the economies of Malaysia (accounting for 15.75 percent of its overall trade), Vietnam (20 percent), and the Philippines (13.1 percent, as of the first half of 2015). Why is that important? Because these are the rival claimants in the South China Sea. And thats a big part of the reason that friction there is highly unlikely to boil over into actual conflictand why Xi and China can afford to take that court ruling in stride. (Financial Times, The Economist, New York Times, CNN, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (a), Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (b), Vietnam Customs, Philippine Statistics Authority) Read More: China Will Never Respect the U.S. Over the South China Sea. Heres Why 4. Anti-Corruption Campaign Yet engagement abroad does not prevent Xi from wanting a tighter grip at home. Xi knows that the only way forward for China is reform, and firm control of reform is only possible with firm control of the Communist party. To that end, Xi has presided over an extensive anti-corruption drive. By the spring of 2015, more than 400,000 officials had been disciplined; 200,000 had been indicted. But as China braces for leadership changes at next years 19th Party Congress (Xi himself will stay on at least until 2022) many expected the corruption drive to slow down. The opposite has proven true, with the corruption campaign moving from the peripheries of provincial governments and state-owned enterprises to investigating central government and Communist Party officials. Xi has effectively used the anti-corruption push to sideline rivals, silence critics, and to try to restore the partys image in the eyes of the people. (The Atlantic) Read More: Adrift in the South China Sea on a Boat Called Wonder Boy 5. Information Lockdown Xis authoritarian streak is not limited to Chinas political and economic elites. Chinas president is working to beat back potential domestic threats by controlling the spread of information within the country, and hes doing as well as can be expected in a 21st century digitized world. There are more than a dozen government agencies tasked with limiting the information accessible to Chinese citizens on a daily basis. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are blocked outright; others like LinkedIn are only allowed to operate if they play by Beijings rules. Then theres the intimidation of journalists last year, there were 49 journalists detained or imprisoned in China. Reporters Without Borders ranked China as the 176th most free country in the world out of 180 total, behind only Syria, Turkmenistan, Eritrea and North Korea. But in a world rocked by complicated and interlocking crises, having an authoritarian leader has its benefits. If there is a can to be kicked down the road, Xi can kick it further and harder than anyone else while he figures out next steps. That matters a lot. (Council on Foreign Relations, Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporter Without Borders) Britains new Prime Minister, Theresa May, wasted no time in making a notable mark on government she named former London mayor and fervent Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson as the new Foreign Secretary. To put it mildly, Johnson is a colorful character. Now the man who has had to apologize to entire countries for offending them will act as Britains top diplomat (and is subsequently responsible for MI6). Brits and non-Brits alike immediately began pointing out some problematic moments in Johnsons past pertaining to foreign places or people. Here are a few of the most questionable things that Boris Johnson has said or done to people across the entire world: 1. Watermelon smiles When Johnson wrote about then Prime Minister Tony Blairs trip to the Congo in 2002, he sparked outrage for calling local residents piccaninnies. No doubt the AK47s will fall silent, and the pangas will stop their hacking of human flesh, and the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down, he continued. 2. Upsetting the entire country of Papua New Guinea Johnson offered an apology to the country for writing in 2006, For 10 years we in the Tory party have become used to Papua New Guineastyle orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing, and so it is with a happy amazement that we watch as the madness engulfs the Labour Party. 3. Hillary Clinton Johnson was particularly insulting of the presidential candidate in a 2007 column for the Daily Telegraph, in which he wrote, Shes got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital. 4. Donald Trump Johnsons insults are not bound by party lines: he also said recently, The only reason I wouldnt visit some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump. 5. Dobby the house elf He compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to the knobby-looking Harry Potter character in December: Despite looking a bit like Dobby the House Elf, Johnson wrote, he is a ruthless and manipulative tyrant. Story continues 6. President Barack Obama In a column for right-leaning British tabloid the Sun in April, Johnson implied that Obama removing a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office was a symbol of the part-Kenyan Presidents ancestral dislike of the British empire of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender. The argument drew critiques of being both inconceivable and racist. 7. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Not only did Johnson enter an open contest to pen offensive poetry about Erdogan, but the Spectator selected his poem as the winner. In it, he introduced a goat as a romantic partner for Erdogan, and shamelessly rhymed Ankara with wankerer. And if thats not enough, he has a tendency to knock young children down. Even for those who aced middle school French (un, deux, troiz; chat en chien, etc.), pronouncing famous brand names isnt easy. So Yahoo Style called on Pauline Dumora, a teacher at the French Institute Aliance Francaise, for a language lesson. Never fear mispronouncing La Roche Posay, Yves Saint Laurent, or Hermes again. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Harare (AFP) - Pastor Evan Mawarire was barely known beyond his small congregation in Harare when he posted an unscripted video on the internet in April passionately denouncing the failures of Zimbabwe's government. The clip of Mawarire wearing a national flag around his neck marked the birth of the "ThisFlag" protest movement that has shaken the all-powerful regime of President Robert Mugabe. Mawarire, who stresses he has no political affiliations, spoke out in desperation after struggling to pay school fees for his two young daughters in a country that has suffered years of economic collapse. Now he finds himself as the public face of a wave of opposition to Mugabe -- and his family fear the consequences. "You could really call him an accidental activist, he has never been into politics," his sister Telda Mawarire, who is a researcher based in Johannesburg, told AFP. "This is not something that was planned or that he had a prior discussion about with anyone. "As a family we are alive to the danger that he is in, but this is not about making him a hero or thinking that he can fix things overnight -- he can't. "My brother is really an ordinary person. He is not immune to fear, he is a very sensitive person, he cries easily if he is upset." Telda said their parents are devout Christians who had two sons and four daughters and who still do church community work in Harare. Their eldest child, Evan, is now 39 and married to Samantha. He was a clever youngster, taking the role as "president" in Zimbabwe's youth parliament in 1994 and becoming a young pastor with the evangelical Celebration Church. The couple worked for the church in Britain between 2007 and 2010, and returned to Zimbabwe to set up their own church called "His Generation" that has a congregation of about 90. - An unexpected role - "He is dedicated, hardworking and lots of fun," Tutsirainyasha Kativhu, a church administrator, told AFP. Story continues "He knows how to speak to the young. He is always running around as he juggles his multiple roles. The guy does not sit still." Mawarire preaches most Sundays and patches together an income working as a master of ceremonies at weddings, parties and other functions and as a motivational speaker. He has also written a frank book about marital relations called "What He Wants", and was known to some before his current fame for video clips doing comedy impressions of President Mugabe and Nelson Mandela. Since the ThisFlag movement took off, Mawarire has embraced his unexpected role -- though he steers clear of directly criticising Mugabe. Instead, Mawarire has focused on calling for non-violent shutdowns -- when workers stay at home and shops and offices are shut in a passive expression of protest. "I ask as many Zimbabweans as possible to carry our national flag as a way of saying to our government 'enough is enough'. This is how political reform is going to happen," he told AFP last month, describing himself as "just a regular guy who likes to express himself." Mawarire's profile rocketed this week after he was arrested by police, held overnight and then released when a judge threw out a case against him of attempting to overthrow the government. He was engulfed by a jubilant crowd of thousands outside the courtroom. "Reminiscent of the Arab Spring, Mawarire appears to have no political program beyond overcoming Zimbabwean passivity about a rotten regime," analyst John Campbell wrote on Thursday. But the stakes are high for Mawarire, who was held in handcuffs while his home and office were searched on Tuesday. His calls for further national shutdowns this week fell flat however and the ThisFlag movement faces a difficult challenge to keep up momentum. With Mugabe aged 92 and increasingly frail, Zimbabwe looks on the brink of change. The protest pastor may play a prominent part in its future. By Holly Rubenstein (Reuters) - British actor Idris Elba made a surprise appearance outside a London pub on Thursday where street artist Jim Vision had created a giant graffiti mural featuring characters from Elbas new movie, Star Trek Beyond. Elba, 43, climbed onto a scissor lift and was elevated to the top of the building where he added the finishing touches to the mural, spraying his signature underneath his "Star Trek" character, the villain Krall. Elba had found out moments before arriving that he had been nominated for an Emmy award for his performance in the TV series Luther. Very good, I'm very excited, and congratulations to everyone else who's been nominated," he told Reuters. The London actor has long been considered one of the front-runners to be cast as the next James Bond. Earlier in the week, actor Matt Damon told Reuters that he would back Elba's casting as Bond. He makes everything he's in better and he would make that franchise better," said Damon. "He's awesome." Elba said that he had seen the clip of Damon, and said it was amazing. Listen, any compliment from Matt Damon is a very big compliment because he's an incredible actor, so thank you, Matt, he said. In June, Elba was named as one of the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars. Forty-one percent of invitees to the organization were people of color, following the Oscars So White controversy that dominated last years awards. Saying that he had yet to speak on it, Elba remarked that it was a really nice moment. I think it's a very bold move for the academy to do that, and, of course, I'm a part of it, so that's great," Elba said. "Moving in the right direction, we love that." "Star Trek Beyond" will begin rolling out in cinemas worldwide starting on July 20. (Reporting by Holly Rubenstein in London and Melissa Fares in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) By PTI: Mumbai, Jul 14 (PTI) The fourth instalment of the highly successful comedy franchise "Golmaal" will release during Diwali next year. Titled "Golmaal Again", the film will see Ajay Devgn reunite with director Rohit Shetty to take forward the franchise after three previous blockbusters, a statement from the makers said. The announcement was made to celebrate 10 years of "Golmaal", the first part, which released on this date in 2006. advertisement Apart from the "Drishyam" star, the film featured Arshad Warsi, Sharman Joshi, Tusshar Kapoor, Paresh Rawal and Rimi Sen in lead roles. The film spawned two sequels-- "Golmaal Returns" in 2008 and "Golmaal 3" in 2010-- both of which were also released during Diwali. "Golmaal Again" will mark the reunion of Shetty and the 47-year-old actor after hit films like "Bol Bachchan" and the "Singham" franchise. Devgn, meanwhile, will be next seen in his directorial venture "Shivaay". PTI JUR NRB PSH --- ENDS --- The Daily Beast Las Vegas Metropolitan Police DepartmentA 28-year-old Las Vegas woman was arrested Wednesday on allegations she killed her motherjust months after she reportedly told police she was too good looking to be arrested.Hend Bustami was nabbed in California, shortly after police responded to a 2:34 a.m. call from a frantic female who told dispatchers that her mother was dead then hung up, Las Vegas Metro Police Lt. Dave Valenta said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.In a statement, police Aleppo (Syria) (AFP) - Air strikes killed at least 12 civilians including children in two rebel-held neighbourhoods of Syria's divided city of Aleppo on Thursday, a monitoring group said. Nine people were killed in the Tariq al-Bab area, and another three in the district of Salhin, both in eastern Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. The Britain-based group said it was unclear whether the strikes were carried out by warplanes of the Syrian government or its ally Russia. In Tariq al-Bab, civil defence workers sifted through debris for survivors. "A missile hit... and two whole families lost their lives," said one of them, Mohammed al-Ismael. "We pulled four martyrs from the rubble, including children and women, and until now there are another six victims under the rubble." The work proceeded slowly because of ongoing air strikes in the area, each raid forcing the workers to scatter and shelter in nearby buildings. An older woman sat on the pavement watching the workers dig through the remains of a pancaked building. "One of my children has been rescued but another one is still underneath the rubble," she told AFP. Nearby, a distraught Mohamed Qattan dug through debris with his bare hands. "My family are beneath the rubble," he said, calling out to them in the hope of hearing a reply. "I was praying at the mosque when the strike happened. My wife and two of my children -- my son and daughter -- are underneath the rubble," he told AFP. In Salhin, the strikes also wrought destruction, with video obtained by AFP of the aftermath showing smoke billowing from the front of a multi-storey building shorn of its facade. The charred skeleton of a car, its windows blown out, sat in front of the building. Civil defence workers battled a fire sparked by the attack, while civilians with ladders retrieved belongings from the ruins. "Total destruction," said resident Jomaa Hassan, gesturing to a smoking building behind him. Story continues "These are civilians: a taxi driver, a municipal worker. These are the terrorists in their eyes." Aleppo city is divided roughly between government control in the west and rebel control in the east. Last week, government forces advanced to within firing range of the only remaining supply route into the rebel-held east, effectively cutting it off and prompting food shortages and spiralling prices. The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that 19 trucks loaded with aid entered rebel-held Waer in the central city of Homs, the second such delivery in a month to the regime-besieged district. More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria since its conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests that were met with a regime crackdown. By Rory Carroll July 14 (Reuters) - Alaska Governor Bill Walker on Thursday painted a dire picture for the state if lawmakers fail to adopt new sales and income taxes, but said he was pessimistic that a deal would be reached during the current special legislative session. A collapse in oil prices has left Alaska with a $4 billion budget gap. Despite some spending cuts, new taxes are required to stave off devastating cuts to public services, Walker said during a news conference in Juneau, the state capital. "We cannot resolve this issue solely with reductions in spending," Walker, a Republican turned independent, told reporters. Walker said that if the legislature takes no action, there will be a 75 percent reduction in public safety services, a 67 percent cut to education, and an 80 percent reduction in transportation services. "The reductions are so significant they are really hard to fathom," Walker said. The cuts would require laying off 100 state troopers - bringing the total number down to 200 troopers - as well as laying off 14,000 teachers and closing rural airports and greatly curtailing the state's ability to tend to roadways. "I don't say this because we're trying to scare somebody; this is what we are facing," he said. Walker has proposed a 5 percent tax on oil produced from the state's North Slope when the crude rises above $55 a barrel has and called for a reduction in the number of tax credits available for some oil companies. He also proposed a 6 percent income tax, which would be the state's first in 35 years, as well as a 3 percent sales tax starting in 2018. Those proposals have yet to gain traction with lawmakers in Juneau. Some of them have said they would rather take up the issues when the legislature reconvenes in six months, as opposed to tackling it during the special session. If the legislature refuses to act during the special session, it could come to a close as soon as Friday, Walker said. (Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) July 14 (Reuters) - Troubled diagnostics company Alere Inc said it was looking to file its 2015 annual report "as soon as practicable," while cutting its revenue estimate for the year. The company, which was subpoenaed by the U.S. Department of Justice over its sales practices, has delayed filing its annual report as it is analyzing revenue from Africa and China for 2013, 2014 and 2015. Alere said revised statements for these years are expected to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in its upcoming annual report. The company now expects 2015 revenue of $2.45 bln, down from its previous estimate of $2.48-$2.5 billion. Alere, which had agreed to be bought by Abbott Laboratories for $5.8 billion earlier this year, said in April that it had rejected a request by the company to terminate the deal for a breakup fee. Alere makes tests for infections such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and dengue. The company began withdrawing its anti-clotting monitors on Monday as the systems were likely to give inaccurate results. (Reporting by Amrutha Penumudi in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva) Within hours, the photo of Ieshia Evans in a flowing dress, confronting with stately dignity police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, had been elevated by social media commentators to iconic status. Of course, in all such matters, perspective is everything. Not just the perspective of the photographer, but that which is provided after the photograph is taken interpretations, observations, and the opinions of commentators, professional or otherwise, on the web and in the media worldwide. And its not just what they see, but where they are sitting when they see it that gives meaning to the images or events of the day. In the case of the Baton Rouge photograph, immediately comparisons were made by observers of a certain age suggesting the images of Evans were akin to those of that lone Chinese protestor standing up to the tanks in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Comparisons like this can be a bit of a double-edged sword. They can be used to excuse or justify the inexcusable. For example, it should come as little surprise that Chinas state-owned Peoples Daily immediately picked up the story and the photo (from the U.K.s Daily Mail online) and tweeted it out to the world to make a not-so-subtle point. The headline it used was: Woman captured silently confronting heavily-armed police in LA, USA is a 28-year-old mom and nurses assistant who spent 24 hours in jail for her crime. You can almost imagine the glee on the editors faces as they posted it. Aha, they thought, this proves that America is deeply hypocritical and every bit as flawed as the rest of us. Actually, I did not have to imagine this. Im writing this column from China where I have been for the past week, and that is precisely the reaction of many of the people I have been speaking to here in the Shanghai area. The same is largely true of everywhere else I have been in the world the past few months from the Middle East to Australia, North Africa, and Europe. It seems the world is having its schadenfreude moment with America as a consequence of everything from the unrest in U.S. streets to the rise of Donald Trump. Our national narrative in 2016 not to mention the trials and tribulations of the past decade-and-a-half, from Iraq to the market crash to Ferguson is reinforcing not only long-standing views of the countrys troubles, from race to the domination of politics by plutocrats. But it has also regularly enabled nations that America has criticized in the past from the Persian Gulf to the South China Sea to point to the headlines coming out of the United States and say, Who are you to judge us? Story continues Frankly, it is a reasonable question to ask. Theres a lot wrong with America today. We are riven by racial tensions. We have allowed the creation of an underclass with little hope of advancement. They are trapped in inner cities (where half of all minority students dont graduate high school and thus are effectively disqualified from real participation in our economy). We have exacerbated this problem of social tension with our deep and perverse national pathology about guns. And we have effectively made institutional and lasting change regarding both these problems impossible with a corrupt system of financing political candidates who empower special interests, all but ensuring the needs of the economically disenfranchised will be ignored. These are the drivers behind the upheaval across the country during these past few weeks in places like Baton Rouge, Dallas, and Minneapolis. But, of course, the forces underlying the shootings, protests, and political debates have been festering in the United States for a long time. They are so deeply entrenched that those in leadership positions have been unable to do anything meaningful about them and that includes President Barack Obama. He speaks eloquently and with real heartfelt passion about race relations, gun control, and his disgust with the power of special-interest groups. But by any measure, these problems have grown worse on his watch. Candidly, his inaction on the plight of the underclass, guns, and campaign financing is one of the greatest defects on his record, rivaling his mishandling of Syria and the Middle East or the rise of the Russian threat. The ascent of a racist, misogynist, authoritarian buffoon like Trump, who has become the standard-bearer for one of Americas two major political parties, is also something to which Americans should devote some serious introspection. It suggests deep flaws not only with our process for picking candidates, but also with the quality of Republican leadership. It also hints at a deep anxiety-driving anger among a substantial portion of the American electorate and represents a nationalist, hate-driven component to U.S. politics that will outlive this election for years to come. But these are not just domestic issues. They shape perceptions of America on the international stage. Here in China, two primary components to the local reaction are worthy of note. One is the schadenfreude. Experts on the United States I spoke with in Shanghai would shake their heads commenting on headlines like those about the shootings in Dallas, offering a message of commiseration that was infused with no small amount of condescension. Candidly, it was all a bit hard to swallow. Trump may be authoritarian but China is an authoritarian state. We have racial tensions but so do they. Our system is corrupt but so is theirs. (Though it should be noted that Chinas top authoritarians are a far cry more accomplished, gifted, and possess better economic track records than Trump. And they dont exacerbate social tensions by allowing the populace to arm itself to the teeth. And they are at least making a show of cracking down on their corruption; most American leaders barely dare utter the words campaign finance reform.) The other notable thing about Americas problems is that they seem so distant and peripheral here. Shanghai is the most populous city in the world (when measured separated from its surrounding suburbs) and has a top-ranking educational system, a vibrant, growing economy, a modern skyline and numerous neighborhoods boasting leading companies from everywhere on the planet, and, contrary to most American perceptions, a creative community (visit Shanghais M50 arts district or its world-class performing arts infrastructure) that is doing more fascinating new work than found in most places in the world. This place is about the future, a future with China at the center of it, and Americas domestic struggles not only do not seem to be a worthy distraction, but they actually support a narrative that seems to underlie many conversations one has here: We are the future; you are the past. Get used to it. The sophisticated international experts I spoke with at places like the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies know that is not exactly true. They continue to see the U.S.-China relationship as one that is central to their future and that of their region and the world. Not only is the United States a global stabilizer that costs China very little (they are delighted we are taking the lead in fighting terrorism), but it is also a vital economic partner upon which China depends and will depend for decades to come. The United States and China are the worlds first utterly interdependent superpowers. Indeed, the punch line closing out one conversation I had with these experts was that the next president of the United States is really going to have to spend some quality time helping to develop a doctrine of interdependence between our countries, because the zero-sum Cold War models that are often applied are so inappropriate to the reality of two powers that draw much of their strength from one another. That said, talking to these experts about Trump produced a reaction I did not expect one that was echoed in conversations with a variety of Shanghais citizens. Unlike my recent visits to places in the Middle East, as well as in Australia and Europe, there is no shock or ridicule of Trump here. The experts I spoke with seem to think he might be better for the U.S.-China relationship than Hillary Clinton. This is in part because many do not much like Clinton. Since her tough comments on human rights here when she was first lady through her tenure as secretary of state, they have seen her as an unrelenting critic of the Chinese on issues like rights and respect for international law, and they are concerned she will be tough to deal with. On the other hand, Trump is seen erroneously as it happens as a Republican, and they believe traditional, pro-China GOP advisors will ensure he is easy to deal with. (I did my best to disabuse them of this last point given that literally no senior serious GOP foreign-policy advisor supports Trump.) But there is one other thing about Trump that has captured peoples attention in China. As one longtime resident and businesswoman put it, He is rich. And Chinese people think that means he is successful, that he is good at what he does. Never mind how Trump became rich or his woeful track record and multiple bankruptcies. It is a glimpse into modern China that I heard this comment over and over. Being rich is a sign of hard work, intelligence, and competence. It is tempting to be a bit condescending toward this simplistic and wrong-headed, but common, Chinese analysis. But it again raises the question: Which of us has grounds to feel superior? Our metrics are clearly not much better than theirs. After all, in a few days, Donald Trump will become the official candidate of the party of Abraham Lincoln. He has no political bona fides quite the contrary. He has no moral or ethical bona fides quite the contrary. All he has is wealth, and, as important in America as wealth is in China, he has fame. That has been enough for a plurality of GOP primary voters. It is enough to make him one of two people on planet earth with a real chance of being the next president of the United States. Worse, when it comes to metrics, when we look at the deeper crises affecting the United States right now, we have to ask: Which seem to be driving our political debate and political action? Are they the metrics of compassion, morality, or common sense? Or are the money metrics of special-interests politics, metrics that put the needs of the National Rifle Association far ahead those of the poor or disenfranchised in America, that have us massively overspending on defense and massively underspending on education, job-training programs, infrastructure, and other aspects of support for those who need it most? It is uncomfortable traveling overseas as an American these days. Sure, we can take some pride in the degree to which our popular culture is embraced and celebrated from music to Starbucks to T-shirts that seek to mimic American slogans (albeit with typos and bad translations). But the message Americans are sending out about who we are and what is important to us, the message about our values that has often, if not always, made America a force for good in the world for much of the past century, is being quietly but profoundly altered. We may in our minds still be the America of our Constitution, our forefathers and mothers, and of our freedoms. But we are also the America of Ferguson, Baton Rouge, the NRA, assault weapons, and Donald Trump. This has a cost. In geopolitics, one of our great advantages throughout World War II and the Cold War was our command of the moral high ground. We were imperfect to be sure. But we seemingly always aspired to do better acknowledging our defects and seeking to improve them. This position enabled us to lead a global coalition promoting democracy, free markets, and improved human rights. But beginning with the decisions of the first George W. Bush administration to cast aside some of our most fundamental principles with regard to torture and the rule of law, to fight an unjust war, we began losing that moral high ground. And now with the decay from within and the embrace of a hate-mongering demagogue as one of our political leaders, we have lost even more. This will cost us in a new international landscape where our rivals are countries like China. How do we promote the rule of law in the South China Sea when we have abused it in the Middle East? How do we pressure them to grant more rights to their people when we dont seem to care about our own? How can we combat corruption globally when our own money-driven political system gives more clout to gun merchants than to those who would care for the needy and more political power to the rich than to the people at large? When my friend Tom Friedman wrote The World Is Flat, he was talking about an economic leveling. But what I worry about is that we are also seeing a moral leveling, a world in which we may still have power but in which we dont know what we stand for. It will also be a world in which our missteps will make it harder for us to lead like-minded countries and influence our rivals. Comparing the photo of Ieshia Evans to the picture of the Tank Man in Tiananmen Square might be problematic, but it should also be thought-provoking. The reality of the ascension of Donald Trump should be as well. This is not domestic business conducted behind, well, as Trump might have it, a wall. This is the erosion of the high ground that has not only been a source of our power but that so many generations of Americans fought so hard to win and hold. Image credit: Jonathan Bachman/Reuters/Jeff Widener/AP/Foreign Policy illustration American Airlines Group Inc. AAL, based in Fort Worth TX, reported a modest growth in air traffic in the month of June. Traffic measured in revenue passenger miles (RPMs) was 20.9 billion, up 2.2% from 20.4 billion recorded in last June. On a year-over-year basis, consolidated capacity (available seat miles/ASMs) inched up 2.8% to 24.6 billion. However, the load factor or the percentage of seats filled by passengers decreased to 84.9% from 85.4% in Jun 2015, as capacity expansion exceeded traffic growth. In the first six months of 2016, American Airlines on a year-over-year basis recorded 1.9% growth in RPMs to 110.1 billion, while ASMs inched up 2.7% to 135.8 billion. Also, the load factor declined 60 basis points year-over-year to 81.1%. Moreover, total passenger count (Enplanements) remained increased 1% in June and increased 0.5% in the first six months of 2016. We believe that the companys route expansion plans, introduction of ancillary products and improvement of customer service bode well for the future. Further, the company has been reaping considerable benefits from its joint ventures and code share agreements. Guidance Trimmed American Airlines anticipates its PRASM (passenger revenue per available seat mile: a key measure of unit revenue) to decline in the band of 6%-7% for the second quarter of 2016. The company continues to expect a pre-tax margin of 14-16% for the second quarter. The decrease in PRASM is most likely due to the of higher capacity growth amid a drab demand environment. The carriers totally capacity is expected to rise by 2% from the year ago level (down 0.5 points from previous guidance). Fuel price (mainline: inclusive of taxes) is projected in the band of $1.39 to $1.44 per gallon for the second quarter. Improved Loyalty Program and Wi-Fi Service American Airlines recently announced changes to its award-winning AAdvantage customer loyalty program. The company will begin to award miles based on the price of tickets instead of distance. The redesigned program will become effective as of Aug 1, 2016. Story continues In order to improve the Wireless services available to its customers, American Airlines recently selected ViaSat Inc. VSAT to provide Wi-Fi services on its Boeing 737 MAX fleet. The award-winning company is expected to provide a much faster, optimized and high quality Internet service to American Airlines passengers. Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider American Airlines currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). Better-ranked stocks in the same space include GOL Linhas GOL and Air France-KLM SA AFLYY. Both companies carry a Zacks Rank #2 (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 GOL LINHAS-ADR (GOL): Free Stock Analysis Report AIR FRANCE-ADR (AFLYY): Free Stock Analysis Report VIASAT INC (VSAT): Free Stock Analysis Report AMER AIRLINES (AAL): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Juicy, crispy, crunchy fried chicken is undoubtedly delicious. But it's also complicated, in ways that go far deeper than the science behind that perfect crust. From slavery to entrepreneurship and from yard fowl to Gospel bird, the story of fried chicken is filled with challenging contradictions. Grab a drumstick and listen in. More From Our Partners Gastropod 2016 is, according to Eater, the year of the fried chicken. America is in the middle of a "fast casual fried chicken explosion," while Britain's transatlantic love for Southern-style fried chicken is being blamed for the decline of traditional roast beef. Meanwhile, Korean, Japanese, and many other global variations on the battered bird are finding new fans in the West, too. Inspired, Gastropod decided to take a closer look at the science and history behind this iconic dish. It turns out the origins of fried chicken are largely unknown, according to John T. Edge, author of Fried Chicken: An American Story. Psyche Williams-Forson, author of Building Houses out of Chicken Legs: Black Women, Food, and Power, says that, while we can no longer be sure whether it was African slaves or Southerners of European descent who first decided to bread and fry these stringy yardbirds, we do know that West Africans have a tradition of frying food in hot oil, and that fried chicken as we know it today originated in the South. Recommended: Why Turtles Evolved Shells: It Wasn't For Protection Former slaves, particularly women, eventually used their hard-won chicken-frying expertise to become successful entrepreneurs, Williams-Forson tells Gastropod. And then, decades later, a certain Harland Sanders bleached his beard white and dressed up in a white suit with a bolo tie in order to sell his own fried chicken, capitalizing on racist nostalgia for the old plantation-era South. Today, fried chicken offers a key to the American dream for immigrants from around the world, all of whom put their own spin on the bird. Story continues From racist stereotypes to the sustenance and hope embodied in Chicken Bone Express, this episode of Gastropod follows the complicated, often contradictory stories of fried chicken in America. Sacrifice, entrepreneurial zeal, ethnicity, assimilation, racism and its impacts on Americathese are the powerful narratives embedded in fried chicken, according to John T. Edge, and they are the reason the dish has become iconic. Its savory gastronomic pleasures are, he says, just a bonus. From the collection of Psyche Williams-Forson. The caption reads: "Jes' dis Niggah's fool luck!bofe arms full an' dat rooster a beggin' to be took along. (Nicola Twilley) Nonetheless, there's some science to reliably achieving poultry perfection and avoiding the disappointment of soggy, under-cooked, or dry drumsticks. We invite Kenji Lopez-Alt, author of The Food Lab, back on the show to share his surprising technique for perfectly crispy, juicy fried chicken. Everything else about the dish may be complicated, but biting into that hot drumstick is pleasure, pure and simple. This article appears courtesy of Gastropod, a podcast co-hosted by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley that looks at food through the lens of science and history. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. A media organisation employee was today stabbed by her live in partner because she didn't agree to marry him. By Shashank Shekhar: A gym owner was arrested for allegedly stabbing his 32-year-old live-in partner multiple times at an apartment at Sector 72 locality on Tuesday night. According to the police, victim works with a media organisation and is said to be out of danger. Gym owner was identified as Varun Goyal (28) who was arrested from Ghaziabad. WHAT HAPPENED Police said, the neighbours of the couple informed the police about the incident after hearing screams of the victim. "After receiving the information, the police team reached the spot and found the victim lying in a pool of blood. She was stabbed multiple times and her boyfriend had fled from the spot," senior police officer said. "During his interrogation, Varun said the victim wanted to marry him but he was not willing as she is 4-5 years elder to him," a senior police officer said. The Police offcier added: "Varun confessed that he stabbed the victim multiple times and fled from the spot. The neighbours heard the distress calls of the victim and called the police." --- ENDS --- advertisement President Obama intends to sign the drug-treatment and prevention legislation that emerged from Congress on Wednesday, designed in part to combat the epidemic of opioid addiction that has swept the country and emerged as a major campaign issue. The high-profile bill approved by the House and Senate would greatly enhance prevention and treatment practices of medical professionals, community health centers and law enforcement agencies and increase the availability of a drug that can be used by first responders and medical workers to reverse the effects of drug overdoses. The Senate cleared the bill on Wednesday by an overwhelming vote of 92 to 2. Related: Paul Ryan Is Taking a $30 Billion Gamble With the GOPs Budget But Obama and congressional Democrats are greatly troubled by a glaring omission in the legislation: there is no money in the authorization to pay for these and other initiatives to begin to rein in the rampant abuse of prescription drug pain killers. The president had requested including at least $920 million in the legislation to underwrite the cost of state-sponsored treatment of addicts, but congressional Republican leaders said that Congress would approve overall funding this fall as part of the regular appropriations process. House Appropriations Committee chair Hal Rogers (R-KY) promised there would be at least $600 million dedicated to opioid addiction over the coming year. Theres plenty of money to finance all the programs, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) added. But that was cold comfort for Obama and Democratic leaders, who worry that opioid addiction spending will somehow get caught up in another partisan, election-year budget pileup in September, just weeks before the deadline for new fiscal 2017 spending to keep the government operating. While the President will sign this bill once it reaches his desk because some action is better than none, he wont stop fighting to secure the resources this public health crisis demands, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement. Story continues As political tensions mount in a campaign year with control of the White House and Senate at stake, finding bipartisan agreement on almost any major spending bill is highly problematic. Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar with the American Enterprise Institute, warns that House and Senate Democrats and Republicans may be inadvertently heading into a political box canyon this fall. Related: Why the GOPs Budget Plans Are Going Off the Rails I think they have a huge set of headaches, Ornstein said in an interview Thursday. I dont see how they can avoid at least the threat of another government shutdown in October on many of the appropriations bills. For example, absent a last minute miracle, Congress will depart on Friday for the summer without agreeing on a $1.1 billion spending measure to combat the spread of the highly dangerous Zika virus throughout the continental United States, which can cause grotesque birth defects in pregnant women and paralysis of adults who come in contact with mosquitos carrying the disease. While both parties recognize the importance of getting funding approved six months after Obama first submitted a request, the legislation is bogged down in the Senate, where Democrats are blocking a final vote unless Republicans drop several poison pill amendments, including one that would cut off federal funding to Planned Parenthood. The latest effort to break the deadlock failed this afternoon when Republicans fell well short of the 60 votes they needed to cut off a Democratic filibuster and approve the measure. At the same time, Senate Democrats have blocked action on a new Defense Department appropriations bill in a dispute with a House Republican accounting gimmick that would add $18 billion to the spending legislation. Related: The Senate Dithers Again as Zika Virus Continues to Spread For now, both sides are engaging in finger-pointing and seem unwilling to back down. When they were in the majority, they didnt want to pass appropriations bills. When they were in the minority, they dont want to pass appropriations bills, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) complained about the Democrats. I gave it every opportunity this year to succeed. We have spent weeks and weeks and weeks trying to get a regular order of process on appropriations through the Senate. Things are no better across the Capitol, where the House approved a $32 billion Interior spending bill for fiscal 2017 Thursday afternoon that Obama already has vowed to veto. The bill, approved 231 to 196, includes a raft of measures to roll back the administrations clean air and clean water regulations, according to the Associated Press. Ironically, this was supposed to be a relatively easy, just-follow-the-dots kind of budget season. Late last year, Congress and the president struck a two-year, bipartisan budget deal providing for $1.07 trillion annually in discretionary programs other than entitlements and interest on the debt. Related: Congress Is Taking an $18 Billion Gamble With the Pentagons War Fund As part of the deal that was negotiated by outgoing House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), the two parties agreed to raise legally imposed spending caps on defense and domestic programs. In that way, the agreement would simultaneously appease Republican defense hawks who wanted more spending for the Pentagon and Democrats eager to protect spending for key social and economic programs. Yet the House and Senate have yet to agree on even one of the dozen annual spending bills necessary to put that budget blue print into law. And lawmakers may be forced once again to roll essential spending into one, massive continuing resolution to keep the government operating beyond the start of a new fiscal year Oct. 1. For Boehners successor House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), the biggest challenge may be trying to draw his partys staunch conservative wing in line to pass spending bills in keeping with the budget deal. Leaders of the 40-member House Freedom Caucus, who were instrumental in forcing Boehner into an early retirement, are defying Ryan by demanding that Congress cut $30 billion off the topline of the trillion-dollar annual budget agreement. They blocked passage of the budget plan drafted by Ryan and House Budget Committee Chair Tom Price (R-GA) and vowed to oppose major spending bills unless they are trimmed back and offset by cuts in other programs. Related: Trumpification of the Congressional Agenda Begins "We want to help with the process, we want to have a budget [but] we want to have a budget that complies with what we promised the American people, Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), a leader of the Freedom Caucus, said earlier this year, according to Politico. "The budget right now ... does not take into reality how the American people feel." Unless Ryan can find a way to bring Labrador and other far-right Republicans on board, it will be almost impossible for him to pass major spending bills this fall, when there will be little time for extended negotiations and wrangling. Ornstein said that the Freedom Caucus has begun to rebel against Ryan in a number of ways, including its latest efforts to force a House vote to impeach IRS Commissioner John Koskinen over the objections of Ryan and other House leaders. They dont want to vote for any spending bills and they dont like the budget deal that Boehner struck to help out Ryan, Ornstein said. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Cleveland (AFP) - As Cleveland braces for the Republican convention next week, anti-Donald Trump forces are mounting a last-gasp effort to block the billionaire from securing the party's White House nomination by urging delegates to vote their "conscience." The "stop Trump" movement began its final stand early Thursday, seeking to change party rules in order to unbind most of the convention's delegates and allow them to break from primary election results supporting the New York billionaire. Trump's campaign and Republican leaders thought they had safely averted such a divisive showdown in Cleveland. But if the insurgent movement is able to draw support from 28 delegates in the convention's 112-member Rules Committee that gaveled in for its meeting Thursday, it would send a so-called "minority report" to the convention floor for a vote early next week. It is their moment of truth, and a long-shot to be sure, given they are aiming to accomplish something that 16 Republican presidential candidates could not: defeat Donald Trump. But organizers like Regina Thomson, a co-founder of the Free The Delegates movement, say they have wind in their sails going into the crucial rules meeting. Thomson declined to offer specific numbers -- "we're not going to tell the Trump camp and the world where we're at with it," she told AFP in the corner of a downtown hotel lobby, where she worked her smartphone and urged fellow delegates to vote against their presumptive nominee. But she made a stunning claim that, should it prove true, could thoroughly upend Trump's convention. "About 70 percent of those that we're talking to do not want to have to cast a vote for Donald Trump," Thomson said. "The momentum is phenomenal," Kendal Unruh, a Colorado schoolteacher and delegate on the rules committee who aimed to introduce the "conscience clause" to committee members, told MSNBC on Wednesday. Story continues Thomson said Unruh is confident they have the votes to advance the minority report. Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus has stressed that the chances of such an effort succeeding are slim, but the RNC offered a neutral assessment. "We will support the will of the voters and the delegates," RNC spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said on Wednesday. - If not Trump, who? - Unruh, Thomson and their teams have mounted a furious -- and well-funded -- whipping effort to help convince delegates to block Trump. "You already have the right to do this," Thomson said she was telling delegates, citing evidence of 248 previous times during national conventions in which delegates insisted on casting rebellious votes according to their conscience. "Yes, there will be angry people," Thomson acknowledges about how her fight could traumatize many in the party. "But we firmly believe that the number of committed conservatives who will not vote for him (in November) will make those three million evangelicals who stayed away from Mitt Romney in 2012 pale in comparison." Even though recent national polling shows the race between the billionaire real estate mogul and Democrat Hillary Clinton narrowing, anti-Trump operatives fear his divisive and combative rhetoric could lose them millions of core conservative voters. But if not Trump, then who? Thomson and Unruh both backed US Senator Ted Cruz in the primaries. But Thomson refused to put forward a name, saying the movement was simply there to open a door for a potential candidate to walk through. - 'A way out' - This week the conservative-leaning editorial board of The Wall Street Journal urged Trump to welcome the unbound delegate challenge, saying it would be a welcome test for the candidate in Cleveland after such a provocative primary season. "Winning on the floor would add to the legitimacy of his nomination and help unite the party despite his critics," the board said. If Trump can't win over a majority of delegates, "he's probably a loser in November." New Hampshire delegate and former US senator Gordon Humphrey has worked feverishly to help the reject Trump camp. On Thursday in an office tower overlooking Lake Eerie, he acknowledged the sensitivities of upsetting the political apple cart. But he insisted he was doing the right thing by accommodating perhaps several hundred delegates or more "who are not enthusiastic about Trump and would love a way out" of voting for him. He also acknowledged it would be better if the movement had an actual candidate waiting in the wings. Humphrey supports Ohio Governor John Kasich, who dropped out of the race in May and has remained at arm's length from the drive to stop Trump. "It's hard to get them to abandon that ship if there isn't another ship standing by that they can board," Humphrey told AFP. "They don't want to be left in the water, you know?" A few weeks ago, the Student Loan Ranger summarized the Department of Education's recently proposed draft rules that would make it easier for defrauded student loan borrowers to have a portion or all of their federal student loans discharged. Within that same draft rule, the Department of Education also proposed some additional changes that are intended to help protect students and the federal taxpayer by increasing transparency, installing some financial protections and ensuring that consumers have multiple avenues for potential relief if something should go wrong. These changes will also make it easier for those who pay for education expenses out of pocket or with private student loans to obtain relief if their school misrepresents itself or educational outcomes. [Read about three changes that will help student loan borrowers.] Arbitration is a process where claimants have agreed to have a third party rule on their dispute. The draft rule would in some cases prohibit schools that are participating in the federal direct loan program from using mandatory predispute arbitration. Although, as we discuss below, predispute arbitration can be harmful to consumers, not all arbitration or mediation is bad. Once finalized, the draft rules will only bring possible relief to those students who financed their higher education with federal student loans. However, defrauded students have often paid for a portion of their expenses out of pocket or through private or state loans. Because the discharge rules don't allow for recovery for those amounts, arbitration or legal proceedings may be students' only way to possibly receive reimbursement in cases of school fraud or misrepresentation. The Trouble With Predispute Arbitration Clauses In recent years, some industries, including educational institutions, have begun inserting mandatory predispute arbitration clauses in their contracts with consumers. Since 2011 when the Supreme Court affirmed the use of such clauses, hundreds of higher education institutions have added them, or similar restrictions, to the enrollment contracts students are required to sign to attend. Story continues The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently found that such clauses are especially prevalent in the consumer finance area -- with almost half of all credit card accounts subject to mandatory predispute arbitration clauses. [Learn how a new student loan repayment process may help end confusion.] Courts often encourage arbitration as a way to save costs for both the claimants and the court system in cases of routine disputes, especially those that arise between businesses. Opponents of such clauses claim that mandatory arbitration often favors the business that required the clause in the first place. Some arbitration clauses, for example, require the hearing to be held in a location that may be convenient for the business but inconvenient to the consumer. In addition to these travel costs, some consumers may incur hundreds of dollars in filing fees just to initiate the process. In the higher education world, the school often pays for or at least chooses the third-party arbitrators, making it difficult to prevent bias if the arbitrator has the possibility to obtain a repeat customer. The other problem with these clauses is that they can cost the consumer many of their rights to bring any future disputes to court, effectively preventing many class-action suits. Due to their very nature, though, class-action suits can put the consumer on more equal ground with the business because they consolidate resources and the potential evidence related to multiple claims with the same complaint. Class-action suits can also be an effective way for consumers to pursue relief when the same conduct or behavior has harmed them. If finalized, the draft rule would prevent a school from forcing students to use arbitration or an internal process in cases where students feel they have a case that the school violated state laws in relation to the students' federal direct loans or the educational services the school provided. However, because of the Department of Education's limited authority, the rule would not prevent a school from requiring arbitration and prohibiting participation in a class action lawsuit for other types of claims. [Learn three ways a student loan could be discharged.] The Case for Arbitration As we mentioned above, the Student Loan Ranger wants to be clear that not all arbitration or mediation is bad. In fact, in many cases, arbitration between two parties who are on equal footing can be a much more reasonable and even fairer option than going through the often lengthy and expensive court process. Many businesses choose to use a mutually agreed-upon arbitrator to resolve a dispute after it arises to avoid the costs of litigation. And many states encourage such action to relieve the burden of these cases on the court system. This is why we support that the draft rule does not prevent arbitration across the board but rather ensures that arbitration can only be used if both parties are agreeable to it. Even then, the draft rule would require schools to communicate such cases of voluntary arbitration to the Department of Education to ensure the department is aware of any potential borrower defense claims, even if the borrowers never file for discharge. Proponents of mandatory arbitration clauses argue that prohibiting the clauses will put many schools out of business due to increased legal expenses. Draft rule supporters, though, point out that a majority of nonprofit colleges and universities don't have such clauses and they seem to be doing just fine. Regardless of how the Department of Education finalizes the draft rule, the trend for mandatory predispute arbitration clauses in higher education may be waning. In May 2016, Apollo Group -- the University of Phoenix parent company -- announced it would no longer use these clauses with students. We hope this is just the beginning of other schools following suit. Betsy Mayotte, director of regulatory compliance for American Student Assistance, regularly advises consumers on planning and paying for college. Mayotte, who received a B.S. in business communications from Bentley College, responds to public inquiries via the advice resource "Just Ask" and is frequently quoted in traditional and social media on the topics of student loans and financial aid. Sao Paulo (AFP) - Argentine film director Hector Babenco, who won international acclaim with movies such as "Kiss of the Spider Woman," has died at age 70, a hospital official said Thursday. Babenco, who had lived in Brazil since the 1960s and also had citizenship there, was admitted to a Sao Paulo hospital for surgery Tuesday. He appeared to be recovering well, but died late Wednesday after going into cardiac arrest, Brazilian media reports said, citing sources at his production company. A hospital spokeswoman confirmed his death to AFP. Babenco was nominated for an Academy Award for best director in 1986 for "Kiss of the Spider Woman," which also earned a nomination for best picture and won a best actor statuette for William Hurt. The film explores the horrors of Argentina's 1976-1983 military dictatorship through the stories of two prisoners jailed by the regime. His films also included "Pixote" (1981), about a young Brazilian boy caught up in a hellish underworld of crime and police corruption, and "Carandiru" (2003), about a bloody crackdown on a 1992 prison riot in Brazil that left 111 inmates dead. His last movie, released this year, was "My Hindu Friend," starring Willem Dafoe, a semi-autobiographical chronicle of Babenco's battle with lymphoma. Hafiz Saeed said he will lead nationwide demonstrations in Pakistan to force its government to sever ties with the United States if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute. By AP: The founder of Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba warned in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press that violence in Kashmir will escalate. Hafiz Saeed, designated a terrorist by the United States with a $10 million bounty on his head, also said he will lead nationwide demonstrations in Pakistan to force its government to sever ties with the United States if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute. advertisement The US-declared terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba is suspected of carrying out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and was banned in Pakistan in 2015 but Saeed, who leads its charity arm in Pakistan, travels freely and gives speeches inciting people to attack Western and Indian interests. India has long demanded Islamabad arrest Saeed. Militants are demanding that Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. At least 31 people have been killed in Kashmir amid recent street protests after security forces last week killed Burhan Wani, a Kashmiri insurgent. "America is supporting this oppression by India by saying it is an internal matter," Saeed said in the interview, which took place on Wednesday at his home in Lahore. "This has given India encouragement and because of this the killings and violence will continue," said Saeed. Pakistani national, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was the only person arrested in the Mumbai attacks. Kasab testified that he received training at a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp in Muridke, located outside Lahore, where Saeed now lives. Kasab, who was hanged in 2012 for his part in the attacks, also said Saeed was among the inspirational speakers that would visit the training camp. Also Read: Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin's unholy alliance behind Kashmir unrest Hafiz Saeed at it again, spews venom against India during Eid meeting EXPOSED: Zakir Naik's link to 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed India has repeatedly demanded Pakistan arrest Saeed but when he has been detained, his incarceration has been brief and Pakistani courts, including its Supreme Court has cleared him of terrorism charges. "Many times I have been arrested on the order of America and India...(but) the Lahore high court freed me and also my organisation saying we were innocent of terrorism charges and did not participate in any terrorist activities," said Saeed. --- ENDS --- Los Angeles (AFP) - Arizona police believe a serial killer may be responsible for a series of shootings in the Phoenix area that have left seven people dead, and are urging witnesses to come forward. "Someone out there knows who did this," Phoenix police chief Joseph Yahner said in a statement on Tuesday. "We need our community to call us... and help us solve these cases, bring justice to these families and victims, and prevent more violence from occurring." The assaults, which have left seven people dead and several injured, began in March when a 16-year-old was shot and wounded while walking in the street. Several similar incidents followed through June 12 with most of the victims who died shot outside their home at night, police said. Yahner said detectives are working to establish whether other similar incidents in the Phoenix area since the start of the year could be related to the same serial killer. Investigators have released a sketch of the suspect -- believed to be a white or Hispanic man in his 20s -- based on information provided by a witness. A $30,000 reward has also been offered for information that leads to an arrest. Arthur Reed demands the resignation of Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden at a recent press conference near where Alton Sterling was shot dead by police on July 5, 2016. (Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Reuters) Arthur Reed pulled up to his house in Baton Rouge, La., one recent afternoon to find two FBI agents waiting at his door. Reed is no stranger to law enforcement, having bounced in and out of prison during the 22 years he spent as a gang leader in Louisiana and California. But this time, the reformed criminal wasnt in trouble. The agents were on his doorstep because they needed his help. Days earlier, Reeds antiviolence organization Stop the Killing Inc., had released a cellphone video that showed Baton Rouge police officers fatally shooting a 37-year-old black man named Alton Sterling in a convenience store parking lot. The video, which quickly went viral, propelled Sterlings death into a national news story and ignited protests against police violence across the country. Within days, the U.S. Justice Department had opened a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting. Now, Reed told Yahoo News, the FBI wanted to know who shot the cellphone footage and if there was more where that came from. Did he give up his source? No, of course not, Reed replied. We gave them what we had, thats all we can do. Since 2005, thanks to the help of a wide network of amateur documentarians many of whom, he says, listen to his weekly radio show on the local hip-hop and R & B station Max 94.1 FM Reed has logged countless hours worth of violent footage from around Baton Rouge and beyond. He continuously compiles the videos into a multipart documentary called To Live and Die in Amerikkka, which can be viewed on YouTube. The Sterling video was the first to go viral. In recent years, the combination of camera-equipped smartphones and virtually instantaneous social media technology has created an increasingly powerful weapon against police secrecy. In particular, cellphone footage that emerged following the deaths in 2014 of Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York City, kicked off a steady stream of videos that have helped raise national awareness about the issue of police violence, prompted widespread demonstrations calling for accountability and given rise to the Black Lives Matter movement. Story continues The American Civil Liberties Union has even released a Mobile Justice app in 14 states, through which users can upload videos of police misconduct directly to their local ACLU affiliate. Activists have also started assembling into groups like CopWatch and Photography Is Not a Crime, patrolling the streets with cameras to catch officers behaving badly. Unlike these other groups, though, Reed and his crew arent focused on filming police brutality, but instead chase sirens and track police scanners for all reports of murders and gang violence in Baton Rouge which the FBI regularly ranks among the most violent cities in the U.S. Reed first came up with the idea to record these incidents in 2005, two years after the near-fatal car crash that motivated him to abandon his life of crime and create Stop the Killing, a nonprofit that works with kids in Baton Rouges public schools and juvenile courts to discourage violence. He was out in the Louisiana capital when he spotted two young men in a car playing around with a gun. The gun went off and the bullet hit one of the young men in the head. When they pulled him out the car, his brain was spilling out the side of his head, Reed recalls. It was the kind of gruesome scene Reed had grown accustomed to seeing during his more than two decades as a gang leader. This time, though, Reed happened to have a camcorder with him. The Lord actually spoke to me and said, You can show the world what I see every day, Reed said. That started me recording the murders in the community, the gun violence. The idea, Reed explained, was not to glorify violence but to present these images of real-life horror as a mirror to his own community. Our aim was to stop black people from doing what they were doing to [other] black people, he said. We want people to look at the self-destruction theyre doing to their own selves. Yes, black lives matter, says Reed, but he distinguishes his work from the national movement with that name. Black lives do matter, but it wont matter if it doesnt matter to black people first. Reed said he was compelled to circulate the Sterling video once it became apparent that the Baton Rouge police had no plans to release footage of the incident from the convenience stores security camera or their own body cameras. We are not antipolice, we are antiviolence, he said. When the police are wrong, we have to hold them accountable same way we do with any other criminals. Yet even with all the attention the Sterlings death has received because of the video, Reed is not optimistic that any of the officers involved will be held accountable. Police stick to their codes better than most street-gang members, he said. But that doesnt mean hes not going to push for justice. Reed was one of more than 100 people arrested during protests across Baton Rouge last weekend. He was released from jail early Monday morning and within a few hours, he had resumed demonstrating outside City Hall. As long as the people are here, were gonna continue to do what were gonna do, he said, noting that hes been using his radio show to call on more people to come join the protests. Theyre not going to wear us out. Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Southeast Asia will not issue a statement on the rejection of Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea by an international tribunal, regional diplomats said Thursday, blaming the no-comment on pressure by Beijing. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had weighed whether to speak out on Tuesday's ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, said Southeast Asian diplomats with knowledge of the matter. But 10-member ASEAN, whose unity has been increasingly strained in the face of Chinese expansionism, could not find common ground, they said. "ASEAN officials had prepared a draft text but there was no agreement to release a joint statement," said a Southeast Asian diplomat, adding that China was believed to have leaned on its ASEAN allies Laos and Cambodia to prevent a statement in the highly charged affair. "Some ASEAN countries are definitely not happy. Beijing's action can be seen as interference in ASEAN's centrality," the source said. Another senior Southeast Asian diplomat said China has "succeeded in splitting ASEAN through its allies on the South China Sea issue," referring to Laos and Cambodia. Chinese pressure was blamed last month for a startling diplomatic U-turn by ASEAN, which swiftly disowned a joint statement released by Malaysia after an ASEAN-China meeting. That statement had expressed alarm over Beijing's activities in the South China Sea. The fiasco highlighted the bloc's inability to maintain a united front on the issue. China claims nearly all of the strategic sea -- home to some of the world's most important shipping routes -- and has steadily strengthened its toehold by converting reefs and sandbars into islands. The Philippines brought an international arbitration case over China's growing assertiveness, resulting in this week's thorough repudiation of Beijing by the Hague tribunal, which said Chinese claims had no legal basis. Story continues China has in turn rejected the ruling and reiterated its positions. ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as Taiwan, have competing claims to parts of the resource-rich sea. While the Philippines and Vietnam have been particularly critical of China, Laos and Cambodia are generally regarded as preferring to side with their giant neighbour and benefactor. Laos holds ASEAN's chair this year. Asked about the lack of an ASEAN statement, Philippine foreign affairs department spokesman Charles Jose said Thursday: "Kindly direct your query to the chairman, Laos, because it is the one consolidating views and positions, being the chair." Cambodia had said before this week's ruling that it would not back any ASEAN comment, effectively ruling out a statement since the bloc doesn't speak without full consensus. ASEAN has in recent years released joint statements expressing increasing alarm over South China Sea island-building, while taking care not to single out China. But those days may be over given the issue's potential to divide ASEAN, said former Philippine UN representative Lauro Baja. "We should no longer expect in the future that there will be an ASEAN statement on China," Baja said. Guide dog mobility trainer Zara Linehan and Ria the guide dog. Photo: Jeremy Ho/Yahoo Singapore Guide dogs are still a rare sight in Singapore. But if the Guide Dogs Association of the Blind (GDAB) has its way, we can expect to see many more of the pooches leading the visually impaired around. The GDAB is aiming to bring 20 more guide dogs into Singapore within the next two years. The association feels the ground is ready and that Singaporeans are now more receptive to the canines, said Alvin Ching, a community partnership executive at GDAB. We have made great progress in the past two years. We even get organisations like shopping malls asking us what they can do to make their venues more guide dog friendly, said Ching, who spoke to Yahoo Singapore at a community event in Woodlands last Sunday (10 July). Video by Jeremy Ho Ever since Singapores first guide dog was brought here in 1982, it has been a long process of educating the public about their role. As recently as last April, guide dog owner Cassandra Chiu was involved in a high profile altercation at a Zara store, when she alleged that she was verbally abused by a security guard after trying to enter the store with her dog. But in January, the GDAB saw the number of guide dog-friendly establishments increase to 70 this year, an increase of about 50 per cent from 2013. Ching noted, We need the dogs to be on the street, to get people used to them. If you see them more, you wont find that it is such a big deal anymore. The education of Ria Ria at a recent GDAB event in Causeway Point. Photo: Jeremy Ho/Yahoo Singapore There are currently eight guide dogs in Singapore. The latest is Ria, a 15-month old Labrador retriever from Melbourne, who is almost ready to start work. The dog has been training for a month. Rias like that kid at school whos scared to get things wrong, and whos got all the ability, but just needs nurturing to get that confidence going, said Zara Linehan, 34, who is currently the only guide dog mobility instructor in Singapore. Story continues Ria is only the second locally-trained guide dog after Jordie, a labrador who completed training under Linehan last year. Linehan puts the dog through its paces five days a week, two hours a day. Ria is taught to walk in a straight line, to stop at kerbs, and to locate objectives such as lifts or MRT gantries. Most importantly, Ria is taught intelligent disobedience. The instructor, who has eight years of experience, explained, If were about to cross the road and I tell her forward but theres a car coming, she needs to have the confidence to disobey me and not go forward. When her training is completed in six weeks time, Ria will be paired up with a visually impaired client. He or she must also be trained to handle Ria, which will typically take three weeks. Theres a lot of responsibilities (when you have a guide dog), noted Linehan, who has trained about 50 dogs. But those that do want to take that on, then they get a fluidity of mobility that you simply cannot get with a cane. Guiding the guides Linehan puts Ria through her paces at a community event. Photo: Jeremy Ho/Yahoo Singapore From birth to completion, it costs the GDAB $35,000 to import and train just one dog. Guide dogs in Singapore are sourced from Australia-based Guide Dogs Victoria. The dogs are picked from birth, and usually come from a lineage of guide dogs. While labradors and golden retrievers are most commonly used, breeds such as German shepherds and Dobermans have also been used. Breeders look for calm and responsive puppies, as well as curious ones. The dogs are sent to professional puppy raisers for the first year of their lives before going to training school. They are taught not to bark or bite, as well as to relieve themselves on command. After the training period, they typically work for the first decade of their lives before being adopted by their handlers or other owners. As many as a third of the canines may be found to be unsuitable for the work, medical or behavioural reasons. Drawing on her previous experience in the UK, Linehan said such dogs may be re-deployed as sniffer or hearing dogs, or given up for adoption. Dont touch the dog Admire from afar if you want, but just leave them to it, is Linehans advice to members of the public who see a guide dog on the street. The mother of two noted that the pooch needs to concentrate on its guiding role, and may put its handler in danger if it is distracted by people touching it, calling it or offering it food. Im so proud of my dogs when someone says hello to them and they completely ignore them. Thats when Im at my happiest, said Linehan with a smile. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, in Annandale, Va., on July 14. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) ANNANDALE, Va. Potential vice presidential pick Sen. Tim Kaine called Donald Trump a me first trash-talking candidate at a rally in Northern Virginia with Hillary Clinton Thursday. Kaine is considered a frontrunner on Clintons list of potential vice president picks, but progressives in the party have raised concerns he is a safe choice who lacks the liberal cred and ability to motivate the base of Sen. Elizabeth Warren and others on the short list. He debuted his attack lines on Trump Thursday, contrasting Trump to Clinton. Do you want a trash-talker president or a bridge-builder president? he asked the crowd. He trash-talks women, he trash-talks folks with disabilities, he trash-talks Latinos. He then asked if the crowd wanted a youre fired president or a youre hired president, a me first or kids and family first president. Kaines attack lacked the ferocity of Warrens, who called Trump a small, insecure money-grubber who will crush you into the dirt to get whatever he wants when she appeared with Clinton in May. (At one point, Kaine said it gets me steamed when Trump called the U.S. military a disaster, sounding a bit like a character from a 1950s sitcom.) But Clinton doesnt necessarily need her vice president to be an attack dog, given she has Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders and both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in her corner and eager to go after Trump. Kaine radiates niceness, which could help the candidate with her trust issues with voters, and hes fluent in Spanish, a boon with Latino voters. (Im boring, he admitted in a recent interview, before joking that boring people are the fastest growing demographic in America.) The senator and former Virginia governor, who spent a year as a missionary in Honduras, showed off his Spanish at the beginning of the rally, saying Estamos listos para Hillary we are ready for Hillary. He then explained the subtle difference between the meaning of the word ready in English and Spanish. Story continues Clinton referenced Kaine several times in her speech, saying he was absolutely right to frame Trump as a president who is out for himself. Do you want a trash-talker or a bridge builder? I like that one a lot, she said. Dawn Kirton, a travel agent and Clinton supporter who attended the rally, said she thought Kaine was mediocre but that Clinton was a superwoman. She said she wanted Clinton to pick Warren as her vice president. Shes a shaker and a mover, Kirton said. I thought he was pretty good, said Janet Schreiber, an independent voter who supports Clinton. Very pleasant. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Tim Kaine (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) Some progressives in the party say they dont like Kaines past support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal and his personal opposition to abortion. They would like Clinton to pick a more liberal running mate to further rally Sanders supporters to her side for the general election. So far the Clinton campaign has been surprisingly bold in the progressive positions theyve carved out, said Adam Green, founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. And to go an extremely cautious route with a VP pick would cut against their pattern so far. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., who co-chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told Reuters he would prefer a running mate whos really going to signal to the progressive base that were going to make some advances on this income inequality people have been suffering from. Choosing Kaine right before the Democratic National Convention, which begins in Philadelphia on July 25, could also put a damper on the partys unity attempts. But others downplayed the importance of a progressive vice presidential pick for Clinton. The most important moment until late fall is really Clintons nomination acceptance speech, whether the VP is announced a week before that or three weeks before that, all that becomes ancient history once the nominee takes the stage and lays out the argument, said Ben Winkler, Washington director at the grassroots activism group MoveOn. Michael Feldman, who was a top aide to Al Gore, said there will be plenty of time for Clintons team to introduce Kaine to voters if he is chosen. At the end of the day, its the top of the ticket that matters, he said. The choice is going to be Clinton somebody versus Trump somebody. And theres going to be a lot at stake there. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - CIA director John Brennan said on Wednesday recent attacks in Saudi Arabia bore the hallmarks of Islamic State, and that the militant group was a very serious threat to the kingdom. Suicide bombers struck three cities across Saudi Arabia earlier this month, killing at least four security officers in an apparently coordinated campaign of attacks on the penultimate day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "Those attacks bear the hallmarks of ISIL," Brennan said at an event hosted by the Brookings Institution think tank, using an acronym for Islamic State. The explosions struck in Jeddah, Qatif and a security headquarters in the holy city of Medina, an attack Brennan described as "unprecedented". The attacks were not claimed by any group although the Saudi government believes Islamic State is responsible after detaining 19 suspects linked to the five attackers. Brennan said that while al Qaeda still posed a threat to Saudi Arabia, which had launched a fierce crackdown on the militant group in the early 2000s, Islamic State posed a greater danger to the kingdom. Islamic State militants have carried out similar bombings in the U.S.-allied, Sunni Muslim-ruled kingdom in the past year, targeting minority Shi'ites and Saudi security forces. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Writing by Yara Bayoumy and Ism'ail Kushkush; Editing by Chris Reese and Alistair Bell) VIENNA - Austria's conservative interior minister rejected a proposal for more unified asylum rules in the European Union under which all member countries would grant asylum seekers the right to work, according to a newspaper interview published on Thursday. Austria took in 90,000 asylum seekers during the influx of migrants to Europe last year, but has since capped its intake and imposed border controls. Currently asylum applicants are allowed to work in community jobs. But the proposal made by the European Commission on Wednesday would include a rule allowing refugees and migrants to obtain work permits six months after making their asylum application. "I consider it unthinkable to issue working permits for asylum seekers," Wolfgang Sobotka told German daily Die Welt. "It would be a call to people in crisis-ridden countries to come to Austria. Our job market would not be able to absorb that." Anti-immigration sentiment among Austrians has risen as result of the migrant crisis, the biggest to affect Europe since WW2, and helped swell support for the far-right Freedom Party. The government, a coalition between the Social Democrats and center-right People's Party (OVP) of which Sobotka is a member, is divided on immigration, with the OVP taking a harder line. A spokesman for Chancellor Christian Kern, a Social Democrat, said on Thursday that Kern supported the idea of asylum applicants getting legal work faster, without elaborating. This contrasted with Sobotka's stance, who said all EU countries should apply the principle that asylum seekers should not be allowed to work. "Different regulations are not good in this matter and send a wrong signal to the refugees' countries of origin," he was cited as saying. Austria introduced a cap of 37,500 asylum claims for this year and cooperated with its Balkan neighbors in the closure of the main migrant route. Sobotka and Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil agreed to support Hungary in securing its Schengen border and were in Budapest on Wednesday to discuss further measures. (This story has been refiled to add name of newspaper in fourth paragraph) (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) Vienna (AFP) - A Muslim preacher at the centre of an Austrian jihad propaganda network was sentenced to 20 years in jail for recruiting young fighters to the Islamic State group. The 34-year-old "brainwashed" dozens of people aged between 14 and 30, according to the public prosecutor, and recruited a number of them to fight for the jihadist organisation in Syria. A court in the southern city of Graz found the preacher, who goes by the name of Ebu Tejma, guilty of belonging to a terrorist organisation and of inciting terrorist attacks following a trial that has been running since February. Tejma fled from Bosnia to Vienna following the break-up of Yugoslavia and preached in various Austrian and southern German cities, becoming a "key figure" in pushing IS propaganda, the prosecution said. He was arrested during a far-reaching crackdown on Austrian jihadist networks in 2014 and denies the charges against him. A second accused was sentenced to 10 years for his involvement in recruiting fighters, as well as taking part in IS attacks in Syria. Several trials are currently under way in Austria for involvement in or incitement to jihad. Authorities suspect some 250 people of jihad-linked activities, the majority of them from Chechnya or Bosnia. At least 40 people who travelled from Austria have died fighting alongside IS, according to the interior ministry. The rise of a sometimes violent anti-Muslim movement has tarnished Burmas transition from a military dictatorship toward democracy. But the countrys hard-line nationalists now find themselves isolated. Members of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) have openly criticized the most prominent group responsible for spreading Islamophobia. And the countrys officially sanctioned council of monks this week declared that the group the Organization for the Protection of Race and Religion, known by the Burmese-language initials Ma Ba Tha should be disbanded. Could Burma finally be squaring up to its bullying Buddhists? Tensions between Buddhist and Muslim communities in Burma, formally known as Myanmar, have heightened since a military junta began handing over power to civilian leaders. In 2012, violent clashes in the west of the country saw scores killed and about 140,000 people displaced, mostly from the Muslim Rohingya community whose claims to citizenship in the country are angrily contested. As outbreaks of communal violence then spread to towns across the country, a contingent of Buddhist monks claiming the countrys dominant faith was under threat from Islamic interlopers used their sermons to call for a boycott of Muslim-owned businesses and to push legislation restricting religious conversion and inter-faith marriage. Some of those monks, most prominently the cherubic-faced Wirathu (who featured on a TIME cover story titled The Face of Buddhist Terror), formed Ma Ba Tha to organize this movement. Read More: Burmas Hard-Line Buddhists Are Waging a Campaign of Hate That Nobody Can Stop After setting up branches nationwide, the group had success in getting the military-backed administration of former President Thein Sein to pass four race and religion laws that clearly targeted Muslims (one law allowed the government to attempt to stem population growth; the nationalists hallmark scare story is that Muslims will eventually outnumber Buddhists in parts or the whole of the country). But when Ma Ba Tha threw its weight behind the then ruling party at elections last November, most people ignored its call to vote for candidates who will not let our race and religion disappear. After the elections, a senior Ma Ba Tha monk left the group, denouncing its political activities. Anti-Muslim sentiment has continued to simmer, however. The NLD and its leader, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, have been accused of not standing up for the Muslim minority. The party purged Muslim candidates from its lists ahead of the polls and, since it came to power in late March, has been labeled cowardly for its approach to the Rohingya issue. In just the past few weeks, mobs in two separate areas of the country attacked mosques, setting one on fire. Story continues But the tide appeared to turn earlier this month when Phyo Min Thein, the NLDs new chief minister of Rangoon, was recorded during a trip to Singapore openly criticizing Ma Ba Tha. The group responded by calling for the official to be punished. (In the not too distant past, an NLD official was jailed for insulting religion after he criticized the group.) But a senior NLD member said the party would not heed Ma Ba Thas demands. And when Phyo Min Thein, arrived at Rangoons airport last week, greeted by reporters and a handful of proMa Ba Tha demonstrators, he refused to roll back on his statements. He had meant what he said: Ma Ba Tha was unnecessary, given the existence of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, a panel of 47 of Burmas most senior monks that oversees the practice of Buddhism in the country. On Tuesday, the committee itself came to the same conclusion, throwing the future of the saffron-robed nationalists into doubt. Read More: Why Burma Is Trying to Stop People From Using the Name of Its Persecuted Muslim Minority Its another sign that Ma Ba Tha has probably overreached its self-importance and overestimated its public appeal, says David Mathieson, a senior researcher on Burma with Human Rights Watch. Chastised by their weak showing of political clout around the election, the movement has tried to move back to some nationalist and defender-of-the-faith credibility, but [they] are seriously hobbled by some of their prominent monk leaders and their shrilly racist and clearly unspiritual messages. Although Ma Ba Tha may be weakened, that doesnt mean Buddhist nationalism is going away, Mathieson says. Tensions between Buddhist and Muslim communities stretch back to when Burma was under British colonial rule, and later were fanned by dictators seeking legitimacy. Theres no reason to think anti-Muslim sentiment has vanished overnight, in recent years there has been a drastic uptick in Islamophobic messages spread on social media, and by other means. Mathieson says that a network of schools giving nationalistic instruction to Buddhist children also warrants concern. The Dhamma School Foundation which has links to 969, a movement focused on identifying Buddhist businesses, in contrast to Muslim-owned ones is setting up schools all over the country. An even more virulent anti-Muslim movement also remains in the countrys western Arakan state, where local Buddhists continue to seek further marginalization of the Rohingya. As for Ma Ba Thas front man, Wirathu has indicated that he wont go quietly. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, he branded Suu Kyi, the countrys de facto leader, a woman dictator, according to Agence France-Presse. I have seen that the ruling party and the new civilian government is stepping forward to target me as enemy No. 1 to destroy the whole Ma Ba Tha group to the end, Wirathu wrote. The Takata Airbag scandal just refuses to die down for Honda with the carmaker releasing information that a fresh set of cars that will be recalled to fix the issue. By India Today Web Desk: Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) today announced that it will voluntarily replace Takata passenger front airbag inflators of 190,578 vehicles of previous generation of Accord, CR-V, Civic, City and Jazz as part of Honda's precautionary global recall campaign concerning Takata front airbag inflators. Also Read: Honda, Takata settle airbag suits The replacement will be carried out free of cost at HCIL dealerships across India in a phased manner. While the campaign for CR-V and Civic will begin immediately, the replacement of inflators for other affected models would begin from September 2016, and the company will communicate with customers directly. Model Manufacturing Period No of Affected Vehicles advertisement Accord (2003 - 2011) - 22,483 CR-V (2009 - 2011) - 1,514 Civic (2007) - 2 Civic (2009 - 2011) - 13,603 City (2008 - 2011) - 137,270 Jazz (2009 - 2011) - 15,706 Total -190,578 The customers can check whether their cars are covered under this campaign by submitting their 17 character alpha-numeric Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the special microsite which has been created on the company's website (www.hondacarindia.com). Also Read: Scientists find cause of Takata air bag explosions --- ENDS --- BRUSSELS, July 14 (Reuters) - Rules governing bank rescues provide for exceptions where financial stability is threatened, Europe's competition commissioner said on Thursday, but added that no situation had yet been judged serious enough to trigger them. Margrethe Vestager's remarks could indicate there is little appetite in Brussels to avoid imposing losses on private investors in ailing Italian banks, as requested by Rome. The European Union adopted new regulations for bailing out banks after governments and taxpayers spent billions rescuing lenders in the wake of the 2007-08 financial crisis. The rules say creditors must take losses before public money can be used, although waiver provisions mean private investors can be spared if bailing them in "would endanger financial stability or lead to disproportionate results". "The rules say if there is risk (to) financial stability, then there are exceptions for burden sharing and bail-in," Vestager said at a news conference in Brussels. "The important thing is to figure out what is financial instability. So far during very serious circumstances in Spain, in Greece, in Slovenia the exceptions were never triggered." Recent bank rescues have seen the Commission ask for a minimum degree of losses for private investors -- mostly hitting subordinated debt holders -- in return for public support. But Italy is seeking to spare all private investors in a planned public recapitalisation of its weakest banks, including Monte dei Paschi di Siena. When Rome hit banks' creditors as part of the rescue of four small lenders in November, mass protests and the suicide of one saver followed. The government of Matteo Renzi is stressing that the Brexit vote on June 23 has made things worse for Italy's banking sector, which has seen a bigger share price collapse than in any other European country following the British referendum. That argument did not seem to have convince Vestager, however. "So far obviously things are troublesome, but the stock market does no tell the full story of financial stability," she said on Thursday, underlining that Brexit had also caused turmoil outside Italy. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Catherine Evans) A bar owner featured on Spike TVs reality series Bar Rescue was sentenced to two to five years in prison for failing to pay sales tax on his business earnings, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said Thursday. Michael Flore, 43, was also ordered to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution. According to Schuette, Flore pocketed more than $700,000 in sales tax from his bar The Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In all, he was charged with 120 counts of failure to file taxes over a 10-year period. Also Read: 'Bar Rescue' Boss Jon Taffer Sued for Allegedly Favoring Attractive Women on Staff The Department of Treasury opened an investigation into the bar in 2013, after which the Department of Attorney General took up its own investigation. An auditor found that the bar racked up more than $9 million in taxable sales. Flore originally pleaded guilty in July 2015. He was given an 11-month delayed sentence in order to pay toward his past due and current sales tax obligations. Flore did not complete the delayed sentencing requirements, leading to Wednesdays sentence The restitution include a 100 percent fraud penalty and interest. Bar Rescue features bar consultant Jon Taffer helping bar owners whose establishments are teetering on the brink of financial ruin, providing them with advice and revamps to turn their businesses around. Also Read: 'Bar Rescue' Host Jon Taffer Reveals 'Vendetta' That Drove His TV Success Watch a clip from a Season 4 episode of Bar Rescue featuring Flore below. Related stories from TheWrap: 'Bar Rescue' Boss Jon Taffer Sued for Allegedly Favoring Attractive Women on Staff 'Bar Rescue' Host Jon Taffer Reveals 'Vendetta' That Drove His TV Success 'Bar Rescue' Hurricane Sandy Episode Gets Stormy Inside and Out (Exclusive Video) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said the United States is not serious about defeating ISIS, while voicing optimism about an end to Syrias war. In an interview with NBC News in Damascus on Wednesday, Assad predicted the Syrian army would retake control of the country in a few months and credited Russian support for its recent territorial gains in a war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. He called U.S. airstrikes against ISIS illegal and counterproductive and accused the U.S. of seeking to overthrow the Syrian government. We wanted to defeat those terrorists, while the United States wanted to manage those groups in order to topple the government in Syria, Assad said, criticizing U.S. President Barack Obama. Hes failed, but that doesnt mean I win because for him the war is to remove me for me the war is to restore Syria, Assad said. If we can get rid of those terrorists, if we can restore the stability in Syria, this is where we win. Otherwise, you cannot talk about winning. Assad also defended himself against accusations of war crimes, arguing there hasnt been evidence of using chemical weapons or targeting civilians. We didnt take any decision to attack any area that doesnt include terrorists, he said. Read more: How Bashar Assad Is Trying to Win the Peace in Syria Assad said he hasnt paid much attention to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during their campaigns, arguing theyll act differently as president than as a candidate. We always hope that the next president will be much wiser than the previous one, he said. Thats what we hope, but we never saw. Watch the full interview above, and read more on NBC News. Khartoum (AFP) - Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday reshuffled senior military officers after his troops carried out intense operations against rebels across war-torn regions, including in Darfur. The changes -- the second such within six months -- follow a flare-up of deadly violence in neighbouring South Sudan, which split from the north five years ago. Bashir declared in June a four-month ceasefire in the states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, where recent fighting between troops and rebels left scores of casualties. His troops continue to fight rebels in Darfur's mountainous area of Jebel Marra, although Khartoum says the overall unrest in Darfur has ended. On Thursday, Bashir issued a decree appointing new minister of state for defence, new army intelligence chief, new commander for infantry and new chief of joint operation. Ali Mohamed Salim has been named as the new minister of state for defence, the army said in a statement late Thursday. Salim, who was the army intelligence chief, takes over from Ibrahim Al-Hassan, who in turn replaces Salim as the army intelligence chief. Bashir also named Naser Awad al-Kareem as the new chief of joint operation and Elsier Bashir as the new chief of infantry. In Blue Nile and South Kordofan, Bashir's forces have been battling the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement - North (SPLM-N) since 2011. Neither side has decisively gained an upper hand in the fighting in the two states. The ceasefire does not extend to Darfur as Khartoum says "there was no rebellion now" in the region. Sudan held a referendum in Darfur in April, with officials saying almost 98 percent of voters opted for retaining the region as five separate states. Darfur has been gripped by conflict since 2003, when ethnic minority rebels rose up against the government in Khartoum, following which Bashir launched a counter-insurgency in the region. At least 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur, the United Nations says. Another 2.5 million have fled their homes. Story continues Bashir himself is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges related to Darfur, which he denies. Meanwhile in South Sudan, hundreds have died in the latest round of violence that broke out in the capital ahead of the country's independence anniversary last week. South Sudan voted for independence from Sudan under a peace agreement in 2011, but the world's newest country fell into a civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people. Although a ceasefire has held since late Monday, the United Nations has warned of tension and the possibility of fresh fighting in Juba. Specially chartered evacuation flights have been taking foreign nationals out of the country since Wednesday Kigali (AFP) - Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the world's top criminal court, is "very welcome" in Rwanda for a summit of the African Union starting this weekend, the country's foreign minister said Thursday. Rwanda has "no obligation" and "no right to arrest anybody" as it has not subscribed to the treaty founding the International Criminal Court (ICC), Louise Mushikiwabo said at a news conference. She also dismissed out of hand an ICC request, sent to the Rwanda government two days ago to help it arrest Bashir, calling it "a distraction". "We are too busy to pay attention to that kind of thing," she said at the media conference held ahead of the gathering of the 54-nation group. The summit takes place on Sunday and Monday. "Rwanda is the host of African leaders invited by the African Union," she said. "Unequivocally, anybody who is invited by the African Union will be here in Kigali and would be very welcome, would be under the protection of this country as should be customary." The ICC issued arrest warrants for Bashir in 2009 and 2010 for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide over the Darfur conflict, where more than 300,000 people have died, according to the United Nations. But he continues to travel, including to some nations that ratified the Rome treaty setting up the ICC. Controversy erupted last year when South Africa failed to arrest Bashir when he attended an AU summit in Johannesburg. African leaders in fact have become increasingly resentful of the ICC's authority, accusing the Hague-based court of targeting only countries on the African continent. Mushikiwabo said there would be discussion at the AU summit in Kigali of whether the court's African members should withdraw. On Tuesday the ICC said it was referring Uganda and Djibouti to the UN Security Council after the two east African countries failed to arrest wanted Bashir during visits in May. In the days after the Dallas police massacre, American civility took a few small steps forward. A good part of this was attributable to the relative silence of the usual suspects, the partisans, the politicians, the professional protesters, the talk-radio blowhards. Donald Trump canceled his rallies and tweeted an unobjectionable call for national unity. Hillary Clinton, who cannot be compared to Trump as an incendiary force in American life, canceled her rallies too, but showed her limitations by making an entirely banal statement on the need for a national conversation about race. At that very moment, a sophisticated and sensitive conversation about raceto my mind, the most thoughtful one weve had in yearswas already breaking out. It was visible on cable television, where a succession of journalists interviewed a succession of Dallas citizens and civic leaders who expressed neither hate nor anger nor intemperance, but sadness and empathy. Even the local extremists seemed moderate: an African-American protester named Mark Hughes quietly explained to a boggled Craig Melvin of MSNBC that he had brought his AR-15 to the protest march to exercise his Second Amendment rights, but when the shooting started he surrendered the rifle to a police officer so that he wouldnt be confused with the shooter. (His face was tweeted out as a possible suspect anyway.) The complexity of it all was typically American, confounding the notion of a binary black-white race war. The police officers involved in the incidents were a melange of races; the freaked-out cop who shot Philando Castile in Minnesota was Latino. There were police officers being photographed, smiling with the protesters in Dallas; there were police officers of various races arresting Black Lives Matter leader DeRay Mckesson in Baton Rouge. War in Dallas, screamed the Drudge Report, but the reality seemed quite the opposite. Indeed, it could be argued that Dallas was a metaphor for the true state of race relations in the countryimproving slowly, painfully but surely, after the explosions of police violence these past few years. The shooter, Micah Johnson, was a metaphor tooa radical, mentally disturbed outlier grabbing the headlines, distorting the actual state of the nation. In that way, he was reminiscent of Omar Mateen, the sexually confused and enraged loner who perpetrated the Orlando gay-bar massacre in June. Both were disturbed men who wrapped themselves in the cloak of larger movementsand the media, especially in the Orlando case, chose to portray the events as acts of terrorism rather than of individual derangement, abetted by the easy access of deranged individuals to powerful firearms. Story continues All of which raises the question: What if we are not falling apart as a nation? What if we are, in fact, doing what democracies are supposed to dogradually learning, through experience, how to solve our most vexing problems? The very presence of the cameras that recorded the apparently flagrant police shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling is a sign of progress: in the future, given the use of police cameras and concerned citizens with phones, virtually every interaction between the police and the public will be filmed. (Given the presence of cameras in both those shootings, it is remarkable that the police reacted as outrageously as they did.) There were also some helpful voices in the crowd. There was Newt Gingrich, in a Facebook conversation with Van Jones, saying that if you are a normal white American, the truth is you dont understand being black in America, and you instinctively underestimate the level of discrimination and the level of additional risk. And there was Dr. Brian Williams, part of the surgical team that treated the wounded Dallas officers, who admitted that as a black man, he was afraid of the police, and then recounted a time when he and his daughter had bought ice cream for an officerjust to show the police that they were appreciated by the community. Those panic mongers who would compare the current moment to 1968 should note that there were few, if any, integrated surgical teams back then, and few black police chiefs or mayors in major American cities. There was no African-American Attorney General or Homeland Security director, like Loretta Lynch and Jeh Johnson, who set the civil, mournful tone in the hours after the massacre. And there was certainly no black President. There were few black journalistslike Craig Melvinto report the situation with empathy, and there was a much smaller black middle class, people with homes and jobs and property to defend, to serve as a voice of stability. Those who argue that the fundamental hydraulics of race relations havent changed in the past 40 years, like the intellectual Ta-Nehisi Coates, are deluding themselves and misleading their followers. The problem of racial extremism remainsas does the tendency of the media to give the loudest, angriest voices the most attention. There are white racists aplenty. There is the tangled question of Black Lives Matter, which Rudy Giuliani inaccurately called racist. It is, as the videos of the protests make clear, an integrated ad hoc group. Its protests have been largely peacefuland effective to a degree that its leadership refuses to admit because of its ideological need to be pessimistic. The presence of the cameras, the efforts of many police departments to reduce community tension, is partly attributable to the protests led by Black Lives Matter. At the same time, it is a movement that has been flawed from the start by its myopic focus on police violencewhich, as Giuliani accurately asserts, is minuscule compared with the level of black-on-black violence in poor communities. It is stating the obviousthough few liberals ever state itthat police of all colors are going to react more warily and be more panicky in areas that are violent. The cops who overreacted disastrously in Baton Rouge were responding to a report of a crazy man brandishing a gun in front of a convenience store. The police officer who inexcusably shot Castile as he reached for his drivers license was reacting to Castiles statement that he had a gun. The gun craziness of this society is a conversation that hasnt progressed nearly as far as our racial discussion. The silence of the politicians was a blessing in the days after Dallas. In the past, both partiesand this is not a false equivalencehave exploited the racial divide. On the Monday after Dallas, Donald Trump re-emerged and gave what was, for him, a pretty reasonable speech, acknowledging the need for fairness in the application of justice, but reviving code words like law and order from the museum of Republican race-baiting; and ultra-conservative media sources like Drudge and Rush Limbaugh did their usual dirty work. The Democratsand their media surrogates like Al Sharptonalso indulged in their usual undifferentiated acceptance of any and all micro-grievances. If nothing else, the progress in Dallas implies that the Democrats divisive identity politicsthe sorting of constituencies according to ethnicity, gender and sexual orientationis beginning to seem dated too. Racialismthat is, the attempt to make benign distinctions according to raceisnt as obnoxious as racism, but it inhibits the movement toward an egalitarian society. In the end, there was President Barack Obama. His Dallas speech wasnt the most memorable of his staggering 11 public eulogies after mass shootings. That honor goes to his talk in Charleston last year, when he sang Amazing Grace. But it was brilliant all the same, an appeal to reason on all sides that beggared the left- and right-wing sniping of recent days, and the past seven years, about Obamas being somehow deficient in these instances, a vehement partisan taking the side of the protesters, a leader who had somehow made race relations worse. Far from being partisan, Obama has been accurate and proportionate in his statements about racejust as he has been accurate and proportionate in his candid statements about American mistakes overseas, which have been derided by the hateful as an apology tour. This President once again proved himself a moderate in Dallas, a balanced teller of plain truths. He acknowledged that he had seen how inadequate my own words have been when it comes to lowering the temperature, but also that, paraphrasing Scripture, suffering produces perseverance, perseverance to character, and character to hope. There can be no gainsaying his message; it was impeccable. And there can be no denying that neither of the choices we face in this election, Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, has the rhetorical wherewithal or emotional intelligence to lead, as Obama has, on this most painful of issuesor that either political party has found the right balance of candor and empathy. The country is, slowly, becoming a better place because of Obamas leadership, and because of the willingness of local officials, like those in Dallas, to work at reconciliation. His passionate sanity will be sorely missed. This appears in the July 25, 2016 issue of TIME. Independence and the right of self-determination is our supreme goal, Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in the north of Iraq, declared late last month. It was an uncharacteristically blunt statement, but the Kurdish aspiration for statehood is nothing new. The Kurds have long pointed out that they are the largest people without a nation. And much like their compatriots in Syria and Turkey, Iraqs Kurds spent much of the 20th century battling a hostile central government in this case Baghdad for their independence. Saddam Hussein repeatedly tried to crush their insurgency. In 1991, in the wake of the first Gulf War, he withdrew his forces and blockaded the region, gambling that Iraqs Kurds wouldnt be able to survive on their own. But he was wrong, and they have largely governed themselves ever since. After the United States toppled the Baghdad government in 2003, the countrys new constitution guaranteed them continued autonomy, within a federal Iraq, for the foreseeable future. But today, they have never been closer to winning full independence. Part of the reason is generational change. The Iraqi Kurds entering university this year were in kindergarten when Saddams rule ended. The countrys median age is 20, so more than half of the population has known only Kurdish self-government. Many struggle to speak Arabic, and few have been to Baghdad. They can also draw inspiration from their fellows across the regions porous borders: Syrias Kurds are running their own autonomous experiment, Turkish Kurds are again battling President Erdogan, and Kurdish insurgency is on the rise in Iran. International sympathy is also high. Businessmen and oil speculators have flocked to Iraqi Kurdistan; it is a region of luxury hotels and fancy restaurants rather than car bombs. But what kind of state will Iraqi Kurdistan be if it becomes independent? The KRG has lobbied hard in Washington sometimes relying on its friends and business partners to promote its reputation as an oasis of freedom and security in a hostile land. Iraqs most stable and democratic region is Kurdistan, wrote former U.S. diplomat Peter Galbraith in the New York Times (while neglecting to mention that he held a claim to Kurdish oil worth tens of millions of dollars). Indeed, the KRG has spent $6 million on lobbying since 2010, more than even Pakistan. In reality, however, Kurdistan is anything but democratic. Just consider how few changes in leadership it has seen. In Baghdad, where authority lays primarily with the prime minister, four men have held the post since 2004, when Iraq regained its sovereignty after the U.S. invasion. In Iraqi Kurdistan, where authority lies with the president, there has only been one Barzani. And not only did Barzani refuse to step down at the end of his term last year, but he has also expelled officials of a reformist opposition party from the government. He even blocked the speaker of parliament, who by law is the interim president, from entering Erbil, the regional capital. Rather than maturing as a democracy, Iraqi Kurdistan has begun to slip backwards. Political space has shrunk and political violence has increased. Spurious lawsuits and threats have silenced some independent outlets. Efforts to unify the government have floundered. Elections are delayed. True, Masoud Barzanis governing Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has always been a family affair his nephew Nechirvan is prime minister, his oldest son Masrour heads not only the security council but also the intelligence services (which civil society activists say he has used to target journalists and other critics), and his second son is a general. Other close family members run the local cell phone company (a private concern purchased with public money), serve on the KDPs leadership council, or represent its interests abroad. The regions other major political player, Jalal Talabanis party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), once positioned itself as an antidote to KDP tribalism while trumpeting its meritocracy and commitment to progressivism. In recent years, however, it, too, has become a family enterprise. Talabanis wife, Hero Ibrahim Ahmed, controls both the PUKs media and its business empire. His oldest son Bafil commands the groups anti-terrorist force and his younger son Qubad an auto mechanic still in his 30s has become deputy prime minister. Other family members lead the PUKs anti-terror force, which they use as much to intimidate political opponents as to fight terrorism, while yet another heads the PUK faction in parliament. Meanwhile, relative reformers like former Prime Minister Barham Salih and technocrats like Kirkuk governor Najmaldin Karim are marginalized within the party. To support any real democratic opposition in Kurdistan can be dangerous. In 2005, a KDP mob burned an opposition partys office in Duhok, killing its office director; the episode was subsequently repeated. In 2011, young Iraqi Kurds began protesting corruption and authoritarianism much like their Arab brethren in Tunisia and Egypt. When an independent television station broadcast footage of Kurdish spring demonstrations in Sulaymani, government vigilantes burned it down as well. Both parties security forces have reportedly murdered with impunity journalists who have reported on corruption and nepotism. Sometimes, vehicles belonging to the security forces were used in their kidnappings; other times, senior politicians threatened them directly before their murders. Many in the KDP argue that, given the threat posed by the Islamic State, now is not the time to discuss democracy. When the country is going through war and elections cant be held on time the president will continue running his office with the full powers he currently possesses, Vala Farid, a KDP lawmaker, told Al Jazeera. Masrour Barzani said that having his father step down during the fight against the Islamic State could be destabilizing. The last thing Kurdistan needs is another crisis, he said. Special Envoy Brett McGurk, who remains the U.S. governments de facto point man on the Iraqi Kurdish question, continues to recognize Barzani as president, despite the fact that he is now in his post extralegally. So does the White House. But to excuse his autocracy as a necessary evil in the fight against terrorism ignores the fact that Barzani began consolidating power long before the rise of the Islamic State. For him to rule beyond his term in the name of security is, in effect, to govern via emergency law, even if party members would not describe it that way. Emergency laws can be addictive: Dictators will always find an excuse to maintain them, but they never bring stability. Quite the contrary, they lead to regimes like that of the Assads in Syria or Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. Others suggest that such problems would fall by the wayside, if only the Kurds had their independence. The independence of Kurdistan is bigger than parliament and political parties, Masoud Barzani said in a March 2016 interview. This is not only wishful thinking, but dangerous. Between 1994 and 1997, KDP and PUK militias fought a civil war over division of revenue and resources, and that was before the large-scale discovery of oil. Thousands died in the conflict, and hundreds more disappeared after arrest by both sides security forces. Both Barzani and Talabani also invited outside forces Saddam Husseins Republican Guard and Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps respectively to come to their aid. So long as the Kurdish militias and intelligence services remain subordinate to personalities and political parties rather than to the state, they will erode rather than promote stability. Besides, the Kurds have yet to answer some very basic questions about the basis for citizenship in any new state. Would citizenship in an independent Iraqi Kurdistan be based on geography or ethnicity? If the former, does that mean it would exclude Kurds born in Baghdad or Diyarbakir? If the latter, will Arabs and Turkmen be second-class citizens? Would Kurdistan recognize dual citizenship? These questions might seem nitpicky, but their answers could foreshadow population transfers, ethnic cleansing, and potential seeds of conflict which could last generations. Whether or not the new independent Kurdistan would tolerate real political competition the foundation of democracy is uncertain. Iraqi Kurdish political culture leans more toward power-sharing arrangements in which parties maintain local monopolies rather than true competition. If Iraqi Kurds seek a greater Kurdistan that includes their brethren in Turkey, Syria, and Iran, would their main political forces make room for new players? Then theres the oil. Rather than propelling Kurdistan to peace and prosperity, its oil resources could lead to disputes over sharing arrangements that would undercut Kurdish unity. Would Iraqi and Syrian Kurds be willing to share their oil wealth with their Turkish and Iranian brethren who live in energy-poor areas? If not, could that mean Kurds could seek four states instead of just one? There is a precedent of ethnic unity being undercut by geopolitics and local political disputes. After all, there are two Romanias (one called Moldova) and two Albanias (one named Kosovo), two Palestinians administrations, and 22 Arab states. Either way, unwillingness to compromise on territorial claims could be a problem. Both in Iraq and Turkey, Kurdish leaders whip up nationalist rhetoric to distract from their domestic failings. This could set the stage for decades of war against Turks, Iraqis, Iranians, and Syrians over disputed territories. Kurds see precedents in Czechoslovakias peaceful divorce or Britains move to withdraw from the European Union. Others compare themselves to Scotland or Catalonia. In reality, they have much more in common with the most recent secessionist states: South Sudan, Kosovo, Timor-Leste, and Eritrea. Each won independence after years of struggle, but then squandered liberty after descending into dictatorship or lawlessness because leaders fought over resources, resisted separation of powers, or refused to disentangle the security forces from parties or personalities. Kurds have sought a state for almost a century. If they do not begin to clean their own house, however, they may find that independence, freedom, and democracy are not synonymous. In the photo, Iraqi Kurdish policemen stand guard outside the United Nations offices in Erbil during a pro-independence demonstration on August 23, 2014. Photo credit: SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images Berlin (AFP) - German pharmaceuticals and chemicals giant Bayer said Thursday it had raised its offer to take over US biotech seeds and pesticides maker Monsanto. "Bayer has raised its all-cash offer to Monsanto shareholders from $122 to $125 per share" this month, the company said in a statement. Bayer, whose previous $62 billion (55 billion euro) bid was rebuffed by Monsanto in May, did not specify the valuation of the new offer, saying the US company's debt obligations would have changed since. Merger talks between the two groups to create a new world leader in seeds, pesticides and genetically modified (GM) crops have been gridlocked. Bayer, inventor of the painkiller Aspirin, said that over the past several weeks, it had "engaged in private talks with Monsanto". Bayer CEO Werner Baumann said: "We are convinced that this transaction is the best opportunity available to provide Monsanto shareholders with highly attractive, immediate and certain value. "Bayer is fully committed to pursuing this transaction." Bayer said it had "comprehensively addressed Monsanto's questions concerning financing and regulatory matters and is prepared to make certain commitments to regulators, if required, to complete the proposed acquisition of Monsanto." It said it had also offered a $1.5 billion reverse antitrust break fee -- payable if a proposed deal fails to gain antitrust approvals -- saying this was "reaffirming its confidence in a successful closing". - Mega-mergers - Leverkusen-based Bayer said its offer "fully captures the intrinsic value of Monsanto, and shares the synergy benefits that the combination would create". Monsanto in a brief online statement "acknowledged that it has received a revised, non-binding proposal from Bayer AG for a potential acquisition of Monsanto. "The Board of Directors of Monsanto will review the proposal, in consultation with its financial and legal advisors." Story continues On June 30, Germany's Handelsblatt business daily reported that St Louis, Missouri-based Monsanto had suggested a higher increase from Bayer's initial $122 per share offer -- of between $10-15 per share. Earlier Thursday, Bloomberg News, citing anonymous sources, reported that Monsanto was also in talks with Bayer's German rival BASF over a possible merger of their two agrochemicals divisions. "Discussions are at an early stage," Bloomberg reported, while "talks with Bayer are continuing" at the same time. The Bayer-Monsanto dance comes in the wake of announced proposed mega-mergers involving US companies DuPont and Dow Chemical and Swiss company Syngenta and ChemChina as low crop prices depress demand for many agricultural products. The deals have sparked worries among farmers who fear that consolidation will lead to higher prices for seeds. German civil society groups have meanwhile protested against Bayer's plan to buy a producer of GM seeds and of Roundup, the world's leading but also highly controversial weedkiller that is suspected of being a carcinogen. By PTI: Pune, July 14 (PTI) Police have raided an eatery, reportedly owned by the brother of Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, located in tony Koregaon Park area and seized hookah apparatus and flavoured tobacco, an officer said today. "We have booked the owner of The Mug Shot Lounge, Siddharth Chopra (26) and the manager of the restaurant, Prakash Chaudhary (24) under the relevant sections of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act," said DCP (crime) P R Patil. advertisement The raid was conducted last night on a tip-off about consumption of hukkah (a tobacco pipe with a long, flexible tube which draws the smoke through water contained in a bowl) at the pub-lounge. "Acting on a tip-off, the team raided the premises and seized 16 hookah apparatus and flavoured tobacco," he said. In May this year, 10 people were arrested by police from the same lounge for allegedly betting during Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad. PTI SPK NSK KJ RDS --- ENDS --- After serving nearly a year in prison, Teresa Giudice was ready for a fresh start. In an exclusive clip of Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Giudice and former best friend Jacqueline Laurita make an extremely awkward attempt at burying the hatchet on New Year's Eve just days after Giudice returned home from prison. In fact, it's Giudice, 44, who wants to mend fences, telling new Housewife Dolores Catania: "You never know, maybe we can rekindle our friendship new year, new beginnings." When Laurita answers her phone call, Giudice says, "Dolores is here, she's on her way to your house so I just figured let me call you and say happy New Year. I know our paths are going to cross soon." "New year, new beginning, I like that," echoes Laurita. "I bet you're very happy to be home with your kids. I'm happy for you." But when Laurita, 46, realizes her conversation with her longtime foe isn't exactly private (several people are listening in via speaker phone), that's when things get .... well ... uncomfortable. Giudice and Laurita were friends for 13 years, Laurita explained, but fell apart while filming the fourth and fifth season of RHONJ because they were arguing over, among other things, Giudice's desire to keep her legal battles quiet. Catania and fellow newbie Siggy Flicker, who have close friendships with both women, told PEOPLE Now recently, "We're not in kindergarten and it's not like, 'I'm going to take your side, I'm going to take your side.' But, she added, "There are so many highs and lows [between Teresa and Jacqueline] a this is the real deal." The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs on Sundays (8 p.m. ET) on Bravo. Beijing faces an international dressing down Friday at a gathering of leaders from across Asia and Europe after it vehemently rejected a UN-backed tribunal's dismissal of its extensive South China Sea claims. The biennial Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, is supposed to be a venue for increasing cooperation across the Eurasian continent and exploring ways to strengthen the global system of agreements that govern everything from trade to civil aviation. But this year's gathering in Mongolia is the first major international conference since the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled that Beijing's claims to much of the strategically vital South China Sea have no legal foundation. The Asian giant, which boycotted the hearings, says the tribunal has no jurisdiction, and has poured scorn on the verdict. It says the subject should not be brought up at ASEM. But the Philippines, which brought the case, plans to raise the issue anyway. Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay will discuss Manila's "peaceful and rules-based approach" to the dispute and "the need for parties to respect the recent decision" during the meeting, his office said. Vietnam, whose own South China Sea dispute with Beijing may also benefit from the PCA ruling, will also talk about "all kinds of issues" at the summit, its foreign minister Pham Binh Minh said. "We welcome the arbitration award," he told AFP as dignitaries gathered in Ulan Bator. Tokyo -- which is embroiled in a separate territorial dispute with Beijing -- said it too would weigh in, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saying he would "discuss the importance of reaching a peaceful resolution under the rule of law" in the South China Sea. The criticism comes as Beijing, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, seeks a greater presence on the global diplomatic stage. It hopes to use the ASEM summit -- which brings together countries from Ireland to Indonesia -- as an opportunity to showcase its global initiatives, such as the One Belt, One Road programme, an ambitious plan to build infrastructure projects across the Eurasian region. Story continues At a briefing this week, Chinese assistant foreign minister Kong Xuanyou said that ASEM was "not an appropriate venue" to discuss the South China Sea issue. China has sought to assert its claims in the region by building a network of artificial islands capable of supporting military operations, and this week re-iterated its right to declare an Air Defence Identification Zone in the area, which would demand civilian flights submit to the authority of its military. At the start of an EU-China summit in Beijing earlier this week, EU Council President Donald Tusk called on his hosts to protect the "rule-based international order", saying the task "may be the biggest challenge ahead of us." Other issues likely to come up at ASEM include international trade and Britain's vote to leave the European Union, but London will not have any ministerial representation at the meeting in the wake of a cabinet reshuffle that made Brexit campaign leader Boris Johnson its new foreign secretary. (Adds context on potash market, share activity, analyst's comment) MINSK, July 14 (Reuters) - Belarusian Potash Company (BPC) said on Thursday it had signed an overdue deal with a consortium of Chinese firms to sell potash at $219 per tonne for 2016, a 30 percent drop from last year. The supply contract came months later than usual, with prices for the crop nutrient hovering around the lowest levels in a decade due to excessive capacity and soft demand. China's price traditionally establishes a global floor, with spot prices in the United States and Brazil set higher. BPC, the trading division of state-owned miner Belaruskali, added that actual volumes for Sinochem Corp, CNAMPGC and CNOOC Ltd would be decided later. In June, Belarus agreed to sell 700,000 tonnes of potash to Indian Potash Limited at $227 per tonne. The price is in line with market expectations and positive for potash producers aiming to meet their projections for demand, BMO analyst Joel Jackson said in a note. In late April, BPC warned that it may export as much as 18 percent less of potash this year, in an interview with Reuters. The other major potash sellers, Russia's Uralkali and Canada's Canpotex Ltd, typically settle Chinese contracts at the same price as BPC. Canpotex is owned by miners Potash Corp of Saskatchewan, Mosaic Co and Agrium Inc . Uralkali declined to comment, and Canpotex could not be immediately reached. Potash Corp shares were up about 2 percent in New York and Toronto. Mosaic also gained 2 percent, a day after idling one of its Canadian mines. Agrium shares were 2 percent to 3 percent higher in Toronto and New York. (Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky; Additional reporting by Rod Nickel and Polina Devitt; Writing by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Dmitry Solovyov and Jonathan Oatis) In the wake of last week's deadly shootings in Dallas, Minnesota and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott delivered a powerful speech about the "deep divide between the black community and law enforcement" on the Senate floor in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Scott, one of two current black members of the U.S. Senate and the only black Republican senator, told his colleagues that he had been pulled over seven times in one year as an elected official. "Was I speeding sometimes? Sure. But the vast majority of the time I was pulled over for driving a new car in the wrong neighborhood or something else just as trivial," he said. Scott, 50, also opened up about one incident in which an officer stopped him on suspicion of his car being stolen. "I started asking myself, because I was smart enough to not ask him, 'Is the license plate coming in as stolen? Does the license plate match the car?' " Scott recalled. "I was looking for some rational reason that may have prompted him to stop me on the side of the road." Related Video: Obama Condemns 'Vicious, Calculated and Despicable' Dallas Shootings He added, "While I thank God I have not endured bodily harm, I have, however, felt the pressure applied by the scales of justice when they are slanted. I have felt the anger, the frustration, the sadness and the humiliation that comes with feeling like you're being targeted for nothing more than being just yourself a There is absolutely nothing more frustrating, more damaging to your soul than when you know you're following the rules and being treated like you're not." "I do not know many African-American men who do not have a very similar story to tell no matter the profession, no matter their income, no matter their disposition in life," he continued. "Imagine the frustration, the irritation, the sense of a loss of dignity that accompanies each of those stops." Scott closed his speech by urging his colleagues to "recognize that just because you do not feel the pain, the anguish of another, does not mean that it does not exist. To ignore their struggles, our struggles, does not make them disappear. It simply leaves you blind and the American family very vulnerable." By Ned Parker NEW YORK (Reuters) - The chairman of the New Black Panther Party issued a statement on Wednesday saying that the organization was not instructing its members to carry weapons at a black unity rally this week in advance of the Republican national convention in Cleveland. The New Black Panther Party is not instructing anyone in any way, shape, form, or fashion, to bring weapons to Cleveland, Hashim Nzinga said in the statement. Any person (outside of NBPP) who exercises that 'right', only does so as a personal choice, not by the instructions of the NBPP National Chairman, any of our National staff, or membership. Reached by phone on Wednesday evening, Nzinga said a Reuters story published on Tuesday misrepresented his statements. "The truth and honesty don't sell," he said. In a taped interview with Reuters by telephone on Monday night, Nzinga said that the group would bear arms in Cleveland if it was legal to do so under Ohio law. "If it is an open state to carry, we will exercise our Second Amendment rights because there are other groups threatening to be there that are threatening to do harm to us," Nzinga told Reuters on Monday. "If that state allows us to bear arms, the Panthers and the others who can legally bear arms will bear arms." Nzinga said on Monday that he expected a couple hundred members of the New Black Panther Party to participate in and protect a black unity rally -- called the National Convention of the Oppressed -- that is scheduled to begin in Cleveland on Thursday evening. Nzinga also said on Monday that he and the Panthers plan to leave Cleveland on Sunday, the day before the Republican convention officially opens. Police in Cleveland are bracing for an influx of groups that plan protests. Officials in Ohio have said it will be legal for protesters to carry weapons at demonstrations outside the convention under that states "open carry" law, which allows civilians to carry guns in public. (Reporting By Ned Parker. Editing by David Rohde) By Trevor Hunnicutt NEW YORK (Reuters) - BlackRock Inc's profit fell 3.7 percent in the second quarter as global market turmoil spurred investors to shift from stocks to cash and bonds, hurting fee income at the world's largest asset management company. New York-based BlackRock said on Thursday the revenue it takes in from fees for managing money and lending out securities fell 1.8 percent to $2.49 billion from the same period a year ago, even as the total assets it manages rose to nearly $5 trillion. On June 23, Britain's shock vote to leave the European Union briefly sent the financial markets into a tailspin. BlackRock's second quarter ended June 30. "Equity markets have rebounded a lot," BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said in an interview. "We have a lot of wind at our back today." BlackRock's net income fell to $789 million, or $4.73 per share, from $819 million, or $4.84 per share, a year earlier. Revenue was down 3.5 percent, to $2.8 billion. On an adjusted basis, the company earned $4.78 per share, roughly in line with the average analyst's estimate, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Even so, BlackRock shares slipped 0.6 percent to $355.19, compared with a gain of about 0.8 percent by its peers in a Dow Jones index tracking U.S. asset managers. Analysts said sales of BlackRock funds were lower than they had expected. BlackRock attracted $1.54 billion in "long-term" net flows in the second quarter, compared with outflows of $7.30 billion in the year-earlier quarter. "The environment is just that challenging," said Edward Jones analyst Kyle Sanders, who nonetheless rates the stock a 'buy'. "People are accustomed to pretty good growth numbers and they didn't get that this quarter." Money that shifted aggressively into bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs) helped, accounting for about two-thirds of the $15.67 billion in new cash that moved into the iShares ETF business, up from $10.85 billion a year earlier. BlackRock's overall assets under management rose to $4.890 trillion from $4.721 trillion a year earlier. ACTIVE OUTFLOWS But those strong sales of bond ETFs were offset by the results in its actively managed business, where portfolio managers work to beat the markets. Active outflows totaled $12.8 billion in the quarter. A key focus for BlackRock has been boosting performance in its active stockpicking business, which generates higher fees than index-tracking ETFs. The company has focused on integrating new stock fund managers and boosting team performances. During a reshuffling announced in January, Fink and BlackRock President Rob Kapito combined the "scientific" and more traditional "fundamental" stock team under four managers. In May, BlackRock revealed it recruited Mark Wiseman, the head of Canada's biggest public pension fund, to oversee its stockpicking operations. BlackRock's Fink described the performance of the active stockpicking strategies as "a mixed bag." About 63 percent of assets in the company's "fundamental" active equity business outperformed over the last year, BlackRock said, while the "scientific" team's figure was 40 percent. That group mines reams of data for insights on how to pick stocks. Inflows of $5.5 billion to fixed-income products and $1.4 billion into higher fee "alternatives" such as hedge funds helped offset $2.2 billion in withdrawals from equity strategies, and $3.1 billion that moved out of strategies that invest across many assets. (With additional reporting by Nikhil Subba in Bengaluru; Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson) London (AFP) - Diplomatic is not a word often associated with Boris Johnson, new British Prime Minister Theresa May's surprise choice for foreign minister. The former London mayor has a history of using his rapier wit -- often in his regular newspaper columns -- to mock other leaders and peoples, making for some awkward moments in the months to come. Not all of his tackles have been rhetorical. During a trade visit to Japan in October 2015 he accidentally took out a 10-year-old boy during a game of street rugby. The bumbling mop-haired politician known internationally as simply "Boris" also has a knack for being photographed in unflattering poses. One of the most iconic images shows him dangling in mid-air, a British flag in either hand, after getting stuck on a zip wire during the 2012 London Olympics. - Hitler-inspired EU - In May, Johnson accused the EU of trying to create a superstate, continuing what he called a thousand-year-old tradition of trying bring the continent together under a single government. "Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically. The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods," Johnson told The Sunday Telegraph in remarks that caused outrage in Brussels. - 'Sadistic nurse' Hillary Clinton - Writing in the Daily Telegraph in November 2007, when Clinton was running against Barack Obama for the US Democratic presidential nomination, Johnson described her as follows: "She's got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital." Before meeting Clinton last year he sought to paper over the comment, saying he was sure the "very distinguished" White House hopeful would take it "in the light-hearted spirit in which it was intended". - 'Part-Kenyan' Obama - In April, Johnson created a storm by suggesting that Obama had removed a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office because of anti-British feelings linked to his African heritage. Story continues "On day one of Obama's administration it was returned, without ceremony, to the British embassy in Washington," Johnson wrote in the Sun newspaper. The ensuing row dominated the first day of Obama's visit to London where he pushed for Britain to remain in Europe. "Some said it was a snub to Britain. Some said it was a symbol of the part-Kenyan president's ancestral dislike of the British empire, of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender," he added. - 'Wankerer' Erdogan - In May, Johnson won a prize for most rude poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from the Spectator magazine which organised a contest in support of a German comedian facing charges for mocking the Turkish leader. Johnson, whose great-grandfather was Turkish, came up with the following rhyme. "There was a young fellow from Ankara/Who was a terrific wankerer/Till he sowed his wild oats/With the help of a goat/But he didn't even stop to thankera." - African 'piccaninnies' with 'watermelon smiles' - Writing about then Tony Blair's globetrotting ahead of a visit by the then prime minister to Africa in 2002, Johnson said he would be hailed by "flag-waving piccaninnies" with "watermelon smiles". "No doubt the AK47s will fall silent, and the pangas (machetes) will stop their hacking of human flesh, and the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down in his big white British taxpayer-funded bird," he wrote. Johnson apologised for the remarks when challenged about them six years later. Alter ego of the Hulk, scientist Dr Bruce Banner, has been killed off in Marvel's third issue of the Civil War II comic series. By Press Trust of India: Actor Mark Ruffalo's Avengers character The Hulk's scientist alter ego, Dr Bruce Banner, has been killed off by Marvel comic bosses. Banner died after he was shot in the head by an arrow fired by his fellow Marvel Avenger Hawkeye in the new third issue of the Civil War II comic series. Banner, who has been The Hulk's alter ego since the character's creation in 1962, has been self-medicating in a bid to control his temper tantrums, which bring his monstrous alter ego to life in the series. GIF courtesy: GIPHY advertisement "This is uncharted territory for us. Only two things are for certain: It will take a long, long time for our heroes to come to terms with his loss, and the circumstance surrounding his death will leave a huge scar on the superhero community," Marvel's editor-in-chief Axel Alonso said. In the comic, Hawkeye fires the shot that kills his friend, believing Banner is about to lose control, turn into The Hulk, and harm mankind. Banner had recently asked his friend to kill him in the event of any disaster. Unlike Captain America and Spider-Man, Marvel bosses have no plans to bring Banner back from the dead. Ruffalo isn't the only actor who has portrayed Bruce Banner. GIF courtesy: GIPHY Bill Bixby created the character for the late 1970s/early 1980s TV series The Incredible Hulk, while Eric Bana and Edward Norton have played the scientist behind The Hulk on big screen. --- ENDS --- London (AFP) - Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May showed several of her former cabinet colleagues the door Thursday, including top Brexit campaigner Michael Gove, while fellow "Leave" supporter Boris Johnson was crowned top diplomat. Former justice minister Gove, who ran against May for the Conservative Party leadership, is among a handful of heavyweights to leave the government. He was replaced by former environment minister Liz Truss. The biggest casualty of Wednesday's handover of power from David Cameron, Britain's leader of six years, was Cameron loyalist, former finance minister George Osborne. Osborne, who riled colleagues with his stark warnings over the risks of Brexit before the vote, was replaced by Philip Hammond, previously the foreign minister. While Gove and Osborne crashed out, Johnson landed on his feet, being named foreign minister in one of May's first choices, which stunned observers at home and abroad. Just two weeks ago Johnson had appeared doomed to the political wilderness when he withdrew suddenly from the race to succeed Cameron, despite having been the favourite. Meanwhile, two arch eurosceptics were put in charge of disentangling Britain from the 28-nation EU and forging new alliances outside the bloc. David Davis, a former Europe minister, was appointed head of a new Brexit ministry while former defence minister Liam Fox was put in charge of a new international trade department. Women also made gains under Britain's second female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher. May's own interior ministry job went to former energy minister Amber Rudd and outgoing international development minister Justine Greening was promoted to the education job. Greening is the first openly gay woman to serve in cabinet. She revealed she was in a same-sex relationship during last month's Pride Festival in London. - 'Reports of my death exaggerated' - High-profile Brexit campaigner Priti Patel took Greening's old job while former energy minister Andrea Leadsom, another "Leave" proponent who was May's last rival for leader to throw in the towel on Monday, moved to environment and food. Story continues While significantly overhauling the government May also left some ministers in situ. "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated," Health Minister Jeremy Hunt tweeted as he was confirmed in his post, despite being embroiled in a protracted dispute with junior doctors over pay and conditions. Defence minister Michael Fallon also kept his post. May, who backed Britain remaining in the EU, has said she is committed to giving effect to the will of the majority that voted to end the 43-year relationship. She has also pledged to tackle growing inequality and try reverse Britain's industrial decline. Berlin (AFP) - Pragmatic, childless pastors' daughters with killer instincts who were long underestimated by their blustering male peers -- the parallels between new British Prime Minister Theresa May and Germany's Angela Merkel are striking at first glance. But analysts warn that resemblance may mask more fundamental differences that will complicate talks on Britain's divorce from the EU, pitting its newest leader against its longest-serving. May took office Wednesday as Britain's second woman to occupy 10 Downing Street after Margaret Thatcher, the "Iron Lady" with whom both she and Merkel have frequently been compared. Like May, who was depicted this week in a Times cartoon on a blood-stained carpet surrounded by erstwhile rivals with daggers in their backs, Merkel's rise also came after years lying in wait until the time was ripe to snatch the crown. "Beyond being surrounded by immature men who magically commit public harakiri, what May seems to share with Merkel is the caution, the general aura of biding her time," Constanze Stelzenmueller of the Brookings Institution told AFP. "There's also a degree of seriousness about May that I think she shares with Merkel, and after the bonfire of the vanities in the Tory party, that now seems particularly appealing." - 'Ruthless streak' - The Financial Times as early as 2014 wrote an admiring profile of May entitled "Britain's Angela Merkel?" which said each was a "non-ideological politician with a ruthless streak who gets on with the job". Beyond noting their shared passion for mountain hikes and cooking, it quoted a 2012 interview May gave the Daily Telegraph in which she hailed Merkel's no-nonsense approach. "If you think of what (Merkel)'s achieved, you know, there are still people who don't rate her, are a bit dismissive, perhaps because of the way she looks and dresses. What matters is, what has she actually done?" Story continues Germany's top-selling daily Bild asked this week "How much Merkel is in Mrs. Brexit?" and noted the "surprising" number of similarities between the 61-year-old German leader and May, 59. "Neither is yielding, let alone submissive, in negotiations -- both preachers' daughters are seen as strong-willed, almost to the point of stubborn." However it noted that one crucial point of divergence was their stance on migrants, contrasting Merkel's "We will manage" mantra during last year's record refugee influx to Germany with May's "uncompromising" calls for stricter controls on new arrivals to Britain. Bild, which has generally backed Merkel's liberal policy, said May had flirted with "crude right-wing populism" in touting a hardline immigration policy. May, who discreetly backed the Remain campaign ahead of last month's shock EU referendum result, has said immigration controls would have to be included in any deal for Britain to access the EU's single market. "The key question is whether they can keep their cake and eat it -- in other words, single market access and immigration restrictions," Stelzenmueller said. "It would be very, very difficult for Merkel to make that kind of concession. The risk of setting a bad example that then encourages and enables the fragmenting forces in Europe is more than Merkel can responsibly incur." - 'Save what can be saved' - Merkel called this week for patience with May as she settles in. "I look forward to meeting her," she told SAT.1 television. "(But) there has to be time for the new government to decide 'what relationship do we want to have with the European Union?' We can't define that for them." However Merkel, who is expected to run for a fourth term next year, has urged Britain not to leave the EU in limbo for too long. Daniela Schwarzer of the German Marshall Fund think tank said Merkel would play a "decisive" role in the upcoming negotiations once Britain has triggered Article 50 to exit the bloc. "Germany has a strong interest in keeping Britain as close to Europe as possible," she said, noting that eight percent of German exports head to the country. Looking ahead, news weekly Der Spiegel said Merkel had "no illusions: (May's) pragmatism won't make the negotiations any easier", while Bild ran the headline "They must save whatever can be saved". "In the end, the Brexit duo May and Merkel will be sitting across the table from each other during an EU summit night in Brussels, for a final that hopefully will have no losers." London (AFP) - The appointment of leading Brexit campaigners to her new government emphasises Prime Minister Theresa May's commitment to pulling Britain out of the EU, despite her own reservations, analysts said Thursday. Taking office three weeks after the vote to leave the bloc, May, who campaigned to stay in the EU, installed "Leave" leader Boris Johnson as foreign minister, despite his history of diplomatic gaffes. "His appointment is a gamble," said Peter Snowdon, a long-time observer of the ruling Conservative party who co-authored a book on May's predecessor, David Cameron. "She sees him as the frontman of the 'Leave' campaign and also she sees his popularity a- even if he is a divisive figure," he told AFP. With EU leaders pressing for a clear timetable on exiting the bloc, May has created a new ministerial job dedicated to Brexit, which she handed to eurosceptic lawmaker David Davis. Another hardline critic of the EU, Liam Fox, becomes minister for international trade, reflecting the need to forge new alliances if Britain leaves the EU single market. The two men are "unlikely to tolerate any backsliding on the promise that 'Brexit means Brexit'," said Mark Wallace, executive editor of the Tory website Conservative Home. "There will be Remainers at the top of government," he wrote in a commentary, noting that May's new finance minister Philip Hammond campaigned alongside her to stay in the EU. "These appointments show that true 'Leavers' will be alongside them with specific power over the process of escaping the EU -- good news for the 17.4 million voters" who chose Brexit and want to ensure it "really happens". Nigel Farage, the former leader of the anti-European UK Independence Party (UKIP), said the choice of Fox and Davis was "inspired". He had previously voiced fears that the government might try to renege on the popular vote but said: "I feel more optimistic now." Story continues By dividing up responsibility for Brexit, however, Snowdon said May had ensured she could keep overall control. "I suspect May will take a firm grip of her ministers and will lead the strategy," he said. "She will be delegating to such an extent that she will retain the overall direction." - Containing Boris - The return of Johnson, a charismatic but divisive figure who had seemed finished after pulling out of the race to replace Cameron at the last minute, stunned onlookers. But Simon Usherwood, senior politics lecturer at the University of Surrey, said it could be a canny move. "May has taken the emblematic Brexiteer and stuck him in a position that plays to his strengths, while also limiting his capacity to cause trouble, either for the UK or for May," he wrote in a blog posting. In her speech on entering Downing Street, May promised to promote social justice, reflecting the fact that many voters who backed Brexit feel left behind in modern Britain. The departure of George Osborne, Cameron's finance minister for the past six years and an aggressive campaigner for the "Remain" camp, is another boost for the Brexit camp. May now faces the tough job of extricating Britain from its 43-year membership of the EU. She is under pressure from EU leaders to quickly begin the formal exit process, but she has yet to reveal her timetable. She had said it would not happen until next year. May spoke to the German and French leaders on the phone late Wednesday, and will "probably have informal discussions with other heads of state", Snowdon said. "She doesn't like to rush into decision, she listens to everybody, that was her style of leadership in the interior ministry -- there is no reason to change," he said. Long before Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson waved high-tech meters to detect ghosts and donned 50-pound proton packs to capture them in the original 1984 Ghostbusters movie, early attempts at ghost-busting tended to be much more low-tech operations. Folk tales and superstitions about ghosts go back centuries, so its no surprise that ghost-hunting techniques do so as well. As the new reboot of Ghostbusters arrives in U.S. theaters Friday, a few authors of books on the history of so-called ghost sightings (and the search for proof of ghosts existence) explain some early strategies that people are said to have used to banish the supposed phenomena: Clergymen If the Who you gonna call? ad from Ghostbusters existed between the 16th and 19th centuries, the answer would be clergymen. According to Owen Davies, professor of history at the University of Hertfordshire and author of Ghosts: A Social History, Roman Catholic priests engaged in exorcisms and were considered the best at warding off ghosts. After the Reformation, however, Protestants thought only God could do thatwhich didnt stop Protestants from asking their clergy to help in situations where a ghost was suspected. All they could do, however, was pray. Roger Clarke, author of Ghosts: A Natural History: 500 Years of Searching for Proof, describes the Protestant version of such an exorcism as singing, reading psalms, countless Bible readings for days, basically just boring or annoying ghosts to death. Proper burials According to a letter written by Roman author Pliny around the year 100 CE, the philosopher Athenodorus was staying at a house in Athens when he heard a rattling sound and found a ghost with chains on his feet and hands. The spirit led him to another spot of the house, then vanished. When the writer had the spot dug up, there lay the ghosts bones. Once they were publicly buried in a proper ceremony, the spirit never came back. Story continues Its the most famous and frequently repeated ghost story of the ancient world and one of the bases for western beliefs in ghosts, because it created the notion that you can dispel a ghost by finding out what they really want, says Lisa Morton, author of Ghosts: A Haunted History and president of the Horror Writers Association. (A common answer to that question, experts say, was thought to be that the ghost was angry about the way a will had been executed.) There has also been a longstanding idea that criminals and other people with nasty dispositions had to be buried upside down because they were most likely to haunt people, according to Davies. If youre face down, he says, thats the direction the spirit would go, preventing it from going up and tormenting a community. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter Witch-marks To ward off evil spirits in 17th century Britain, people carved witch-marks or witching marks circles; interlocking Vs, possibly meaning Virgin of Virgins; or the symbol M for the Virgin Mary into potential entryways of buildings, such as doors, windows, and fireplaces, according to curators at Historic Royal Palaces. For instance, carpenters are believed to have carved such marks (see below video) in the attic of Kew Palace, Britains smallest royal residence built in 1631. Back then, ghosts were just expression of witchcraft, according to Clarke, and the marks were thought to have worked like nets that would disorient them, making them feel so uncomfortable that theyd leave the place. Chores Another way to get rid of a ghost, according to some superstitions, was to give it something to do. In British folklore, you banish the ghost [by telling it] to empty a lake with a sieve, or count the sand on a beach, impossible tasks to occupy a spirit so it doesnt bother anyone else, says Davies. Another legend says spirits would be sent to the Red Sea because bad spirits could not escape such a prison once the sea closed in again. Beans? Food historian Ken Albalas Beans: A History claims some adherents of ancient Roman religions are thought to have tossed beans over their shoulders during the May festival of Lemuria (or Lemures). In it, the father of the household goes out barefoot at midnight and tosses beans over his shoulder saying nine times shades of my ancestors, depart while banging on pots, according the book. The beans and the souls they contain are meant to substitute for the family members whom the ghosts might snatch, or the ghosts consume the spirits contained in the beans and are sated. The notion of a hungry ghost that will go away if fed has been popular in some east Asian cultures. One Chinese tradition says restless spirits are on the prowl on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. During a Hungry Ghost festival, participants will try to appease them by putting out food, even burning fake money that the ghosts could use in the afterlife. London (AFP) - Britain's Prince Harry underwent an HIV test on Thursday to raise awareness about combating the virus. Harry has made highlighting the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS a major part of his public work, continuing the efforts of his late mother, Diana, princess of Wales. Harry, fifth in line to the throne, declared he was "nervous" before the test -- a finger-prick procedure conducted at a London sexual health clinic. The 31-year-old's test came back negative. Ian Green, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust charity, which campaigns on HIV and AIDS issues, called it a "groundbreaking moment in the fight against HIV" which would help normalise testing. Diana helped to break down the stigma surrounding HIV back in 1987 when she held an AIDS patient's hand. "I can understand the fear; I cannot get my head around the stigma part," Harry said. "Twenty years ago I could understand it, but now?" Harry highlighted what he saw as the general view of HIV testing. "The thinking seems to be: 'why do I need to get tested?'," the prince said. The latest data from Public Health England show in 2014 there were an estimated 103,700 people living with HIV/AIDS in Britain, with 17 percent of these not aware of their infection. Next week Harry will speak at an international AIDS conference in South Africa and share the stage with pop star Elton John, a leading AIDS campaigner. Brightcove: When new British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was Mayor of London, he wrote a book boasting about the citys charms and history, called Johnsons Life of London. With a little bit of fact checking, TIME was able to uncover a few instances in which the book was not completely accurate about that citys achievements and ask the author about them. As you can see from the video below, apart from a view furtive looks to camera, Johnson was unrepentant. During the interview, which was filmed just before the London Olympics in 2012, Johnson also talked about giving speeches under the influence of painkillers, his admiration for how much the Americans love the British Queen, how he wished Brits would deal better with failing at things and why London was a superior metropolis to New York City, where he was born. (Side note: He mistakenly suggested that the 16th century reformation leader Huldrych Zwingli was from Geneva, when in fact hes mostly associated with Zurich. Cue the Swiss outrage!) In the print version of the interview, which ran on the 10 Questions page, Johnson was asked what advice he would give to the mayors of towns that were still struggling with the results of the recession. My hero is the mayor in Jaws, he said. Hes a fantastic guy, and he keeps the beaches open, if you remember, even after its demonstrated that his constituents have been eaten by this killer fish. Of course he was proved catastrophically wrong in his judgment, but his instincts were right. Brown-Forman Corp. BF.B is doing well on its strong portfolio of premium American whiskey brands, along with its Jack Daniels trademark. The company expects to grow on the back of strong demand for its authentic American whiskey brands worldwide, consumer interest in flavored whiskey and a growing trend in premium spirits. Alongside, the company remains focused on expanding operations and the reach of its premium brands to drive growth. Further, Brown-Forman has a solid track record of outperforming earnings estimates. With an earnings beat in fiscal fourth-quarter 2016, the company delivered an average earnings surprise of 3.7% in the trailing four quarters. However, the company has been battling foreign currency headwinds for a while now, along with tough economic conditions in emerging markets and soft travel retail network, which is weighing on its top line. Adverse currency movements hurt the companys top-line growth for the fiscal by 6 points. Also, Brown-Forman indicated that future projections have become difficult in the face of an uncertain global economic environment and its effect on business. The company expects currency headwinds to persist in fiscal 2017, which is expected to bear about a 7 cent per share negative impact on its earnings per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate also witnessed a downtrend in the last 60 days. All these factors raise concerns over the companys future performance. Moreover, stiff competition from other players and any rise in excise taxes remain concerns. Nonetheless, we expect Brown-Forman to gain from its portfolio of more than 25 premium brands, alongside its focus on pricing, product innovation and expanding operations in emerging markets. These traits are likely to boost its operational performance and strengthen its market position. Add to this, the companys consistent record of returning cash to its shareholders through regular dividend payouts and share repurchases, which demonstrate its ability to boost earnings and cash flows over the long term. The company also proposed a two-for-one stock split for Class A and B shares on May 26, marking the seventh split in the last 35 years. Overall, we remain positive about Brown-Formans business and portfolio strength, along with its solid surprise history. But how far will these strengths help the company to tackle the current economic scenario is a matter of dispute. Zacks Rank Brown-Forman currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked stocks in the beverage-alcohol industry include Compania Cervecerias Unidas S.A. CCU with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and Constellation Brands Inc. STZ and Molson Coors Brewing Company TAP, each holding 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 BROWN FORMAN B (BF.B): Free Stock Analysis Report MOLSON COORS-B (TAP): Free Stock Analysis Report CERV UNIDAS-ADR (CCU): Free Stock Analysis Report CONSTELLATN BRD (STZ): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. A priest has been arrested for raping a 45-year-old woman on the pretext of performing a special pooja. A priest has been arrested for raping a 45-year-old worshipper visiting him for special prayers at a city temple, police said. On Wednesday morning, K. Rama Rao, 26, noticed the worshipper sobbing atthe sanctum of the Sai Baba temple at Vittalwadi. When he inquired about her anguish, the woman, hailing from Delhi, disclosed that her daughter had been arrested two months ago for suspected drug smuggling, police said. advertisement Here is what we know so far Rao offered to perform special prayers to help the woman overcome her troubles. He then asked her to bring turmeric and five lemons in order to carry out the rituals to appease the gods, police said. When the woman arrived back with the prayer material the same afternoon, K. Rama Rao took her to his room in the temple compound and raped her, investigators said. The woman was shattered after the incident, she somehow managed to approach the police and filed her complaint. The police lodged the complant and filed the FIR in the case. Rao was immediately taken into custody under charges of rape. --- ENDS --- By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Warren Buffett, the billionaire chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, has donated another roughly $2.86 billion of his holdings in the company's stock to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and four family charities, as part of his plan to give away nearly his entire fortune. Buffett's 11th annual donation to the five charities comprised 19.61 million Class "B" shares of Berkshire, according to a regulatory filing on Thursday. The Gates Foundation, which focuses on improving education and health and reducing poverty, received about 14.96 million shares. The donations were made on Wednesday, and brought Buffett's total contributions to the charities to more than $24.3 billion since 2006. Also receiving donations were the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named for Buffett's late first wife, and the Howard G. Buffett, Sherwood and NoVo Foundations, respectively overseen by his children Howard, Susan and Peter. Buffett, 85, remains the world's third-richest person, according to Forbes magazine. Buffett still owns about 18 percent of Berkshire's stock, down from 32.3 percent before the donations began in 2006. He controls about 31.7 percent of the Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate's voting power. Before the donations were announced, Forbes estimated Buffett's net worth at $68.4 billion, trailing Bill Gates' $77.6 billion and Spanish retailing magnate Amancio Ortega's $74 billion. Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos followed Buffett, at $64.3 million. Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft Corp, has known Buffett for a quarter century and counts him as a close friend. He is also a Berkshire director. Buffett typically makes his donations in July, reducing the number of shares by 5 percent from the prior year. The charities usually sell the Berkshire shares to finance their activities, reflecting Buffett's desire that his money be spent. Buffett also makes smaller donations to other charities. Berkshire has roughly 90 subsidiaries including Geico car insurance, the BNSF railroad and Dairy Queen ice cream, and has large stakes in companies such as Kraft Heinz Co, Wells Fargo & Co, Coca-Cola Co and IBM Corp. Buffett has run Berkshire since 1965. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler) Madrid (AFP) - Tensions over bullfighting are growing in Spain, where the death of a matador in the ring broadcast live on television has added fuel to a national debate over the centuries-old but controversial tradition. Animal rights activists renewed calls for a total ban on bullfighting after Victor Barrio, 29, was gored in the thigh and chest during a bullfight in the eastern town of Teruel on Saturday. Many took to social media to celebrate Barrio's death, the first for a matador in the ring since 1985. The critics also hurled online insults at his widow, Raquel Sanz, who wrote on Twitter that her husband had lost his life in "glory". Conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who had paid tribute to Barrio after his death, on Wednesday condemned the outpouring of hate for the late matador, calling the insults "barbaric". Earlier this month dozens of semi-naked animal rights activists daubed themselves with fake blood and stood outside of Pamplona's bullring, one of the biggest in the world, to protest against the start of the week-long San Fermin bull-running festival which wraps up Thursday. Years of similarly dramatic protests preceded the regional government of Castilla y Leon's ban in June of killing of bulls at town festivals, in a move that targets the northern region's controversial Toro de la Vega festival where horsemen chase a bull and spear it in front of onlookers. The centuries-old event, which takes place in the heartland of conservative Spain, had drawn increasing protests in recent years, with demonstrators turning up and taking to Twitter to denounce what they feel is an anachronistic national tradition. - Matadors are 'heroes' - "We succeeded in positioning all of Spanish society against this celebration," said Silvia Barquero, president of Spain's animal welfare party PACMA which won nearly 285,000 votes in a June 26 general election, a record for the 13-year-old formation. Story continues But supporters of bullfighting, known as "aficionados", are not giving up without a struggle. They see bullfighting as an art that is an integral part of Spanish culture, like flamenco. Spain's first pro-bullfight lobbying group, the Bull Foundation, made up of breeders, matadors and "aficionados", was set up last year. Protest rallies in favour of the controversial past-time have been held, such as one in the eastern city of Valencia, a major bullfighting city, which drew thousands of people in March. Rajoy's Popular Party government voted to attach "national cultural interest" status to bullfighting in 2013, granting the industry staunch legal protection. Bullfighting is "the culture of our people", said Diego Sanchez de la Cruz, a financial journalist and co-founder of La Economia del Toro, an independent platform that conducts economic analyses of bullfighting. Matadors are "heroes, capable of fighting, again and again, animals that weight 500 kilos (1,100 pounds)", he added. For their part in this long-running national debate, animals rights activists disagree with the practice's place in their culture, seeing matadors as "torturers". "We can hide behind words like culture, art, ritual, but in practice it's a bull that we stab with banderillas and a sword, that we kill and torture," said PACMA spokeswoman Laura Duarte. There are some signs of growing political will to stop bullfighting. New far-left party Podemos, which came in third place in last month's polls, is against it. Following municipal elections in May 2015 several cities where the party won power such as Madrid and A Coruna in the northwest have pulled public funding for bullfighting events or stopped including bullfights as part of their annual fiestas. Bull spectacles are expected to be banned later this year on Spain's Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean which is ruled by a coalition including Podemos. The move comes six years after northeastern Catalonia became the first region on mainland Spain to ban bullfights. Valencia, Spain's third largest city, banned the tradition of setting bulls loose with lighted torches attached to their horns called "bous embolats". The city's councillor for culture, Gloria Tello, said the practice was "abuse" and an "aberration that violates animal rights". Opponents of bullfighting point with pride to culture ministry figures that show the number of events involving bulls fell to 1,736 in 2015 from 2,290 in 2011. July 14 (Reuters) - The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Thursday, said it had rejected Southern California Gas Co's request to build its North-South Pipeline Project. The regulatory agency said it rejected the project as "there are more cost-effective alternatives for supporting the utility's southern natural gas system". The North-South pipeline project would have consisted of a new natural gas pipeline between the town of Adelanto and the Moreno Pressure Limiting Station, according to the CPUC. The leak at Aliso Canyon left little stored gas available to support deliveries on the southern system and that reduces the value of such a project, particularly in the light of lower cost alternatives, according to the regulator. A pipeline rupture, detected on Oct. 23, was not plugged until mid-February and was ranked as the largest methane release in U.S. history, equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of nearly 600,000 cars, researchers found. (Reporting by Nithin Prasad in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler) By Rory Carroll SAN FRANCISCO, July 13 (Reuters) - California's chief air regulator on Wednesday rejected a proposed recall plan from Volkswagen AG to fix 16,000 3.0-liter diesel Volkswagens, Audis and Porsches in the state equipped with devices designed to cheat emissions tests. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) said the plan to fix the VW and Audi luxury vehicles, which range from model years 2009-2016, was insufficient. "VW's and Audi's submissions are incomplete, substantially deficient, and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles to the claimed certified configuration," CARB said in its letter. The regulator said it will not have enough data at least until December to make a determination on whether a 3.0-liter fix would work for all of the diesel vehicles. If no fix is possible, the company may have to buy back the vehicles, which could add billions to the cost of its buy-backs. The vehicles include the Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne and Audi A8. CARB's announcement came as a surprise because VW lawyer Robert Giuffra last month said the German automaker believed it could fix 85,000 polluting 3.0-liter vehicles nationwide, and said the fix would not be "complicated." A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson said the agency agreed that VW has not presented an approvable proposed recall plan for the 3.0-liter diesel vehicles. A Volkswagen spokesperson said the company continues to work with EPA and CARB to secure approval of a technical resolution. Volkswagen last month reached a settlement worth up to $15.3 billion with regulators and owners over its 2.0-liter diesel vehicles that were also equipped with the devices that covered up the vehicles' true output of air pollution. That included up to $10.033 billion to buy back as many as 475,000 polluting 2.0-liter vehicles. (Reporting by Rory Carroll; Additional reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler) By Rory Carroll SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California's chief air regulator has rejected a proposed recall plan from Volkswagen AG to fix 16,000 3.0-liter diesel Volkswagens, Audis and Porsches in the state equipped with devices designed to cheat emissions tests. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) said on Wednesday the plan to fix the VW and Audi luxury vehicles, which range from model years 2009-2016, was insufficient. "VW's and Audi's submissions are incomplete, substantially deficient, and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles to the claimed certified configuration," CARB said in its letter. The regulator said it will not have enough data at least until December to make a determination on whether a 3.0-liter fix would work for all of the diesel vehicles. If no fix is possible, the company may have to buy back the vehicles, which could add billions to the cost of its buy-backs. The vehicles include the Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne and Audi A8. CARB's announcement came as a surprise because VW lawyer Robert Giuffra said last month the German automaker believed it could fix 85,000 polluting 3.0-liter vehicles nationwide, and said the fix would not be "complicated." VW shares ignored the CARB's reaction and were trading up 2.3 percent at 117.6 euros as of 0845 GMT (04:45 a.m. EDT). A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson said the agency agreed that VW has not presented an approvable proposed recall plan for the 3.0-liter diesel vehicles. A Volkswagen spokesperson said the company continues to work with EPA and CARB to secure approval of a technical resolution. A spokesman for Audi, which designed and assembled the V6 diesel engines, called CARB's announcement a "procedural step under California state law" that affects recall plans for all 85,000 larger diesel vehicles with illicit software that are on U.S. roads. Discussions and tests will continue to try to resolve the fate of the vehicles which could take months and experts from VW, Audi and Porsche will resume talks with U.S. regulators later this month, a source at VW in Germany said. A key question in the talks is how to bring the V6 engines into compliance with U.S. law after turning off the so-called auxiliary emissions control devices (AECD) which Audi didn't disclose to U.S. authorities, the source said. U.S. regulators view one of those devices as a defeat device. Volkswagen last month reached a settlement worth up to $15.3 billion with regulators and owners over its 2.0-liter diesel vehicles that were also equipped with the devices that covered up the vehicles' true output of air pollution. That included up to $10.033 billion to buy back as many as 475,000 polluting 2.0-liter vehicles. (Reporting by Rory Carroll; Additional reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Andreas Cremer in Berlin; Editing by Leslie Adler and Adrian Croft) Washington (AFP) - California regulators on Wednesday rejected a plan by Volkswagen to fix some 16,000 diesel vehicles involved in the carmaker's costly emissions-cheating scandal. The measures proposed by Volkswagen for recalling its 3-liter diesel cars were "incomplete, substantially deficient and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements," the California Air Resources Board said in a letter to the automaker. Authorities would "continue the on-going technical discussions" with Volkswagen to "ensure a legally and technically acceptable resolution is reached which fully mitigates the excess emissions," the board said in a statement. Volkswagen called the rejection by regulators a "procedural step" and said it would continue to work closely with federal and state authorities to find a way to resolve the problem. The issue involves some 16,000 3-liter diesel Volkswagens, Audis and Porsches sold in California. The California proposal is separate from a huge compensation plan presented in US federal court late last month by the German automaker -- which involves a record $14.7 billion (13.2 billion-euro) settlement -- that pledges to buy back or fix some 480,000 2-liter engine vehicles that tricked pollution tests and payments to each owner up to $10,000. A US court was set to rule on the compensation plan on July 26. US authorities broke the scandal last September when they exposed how VW had installed emissions-testing cheating software into some of its diesel engines, enabling the vehicles to spew up to 40 times the permitted amounts of nitrogen oxides. Volkswagen subsequently admitted that it had installed the suspect software in as many as 11 million vehicles worldwide. Elsewhere around the world, VW is facing a number of regulatory probes and lawsuits filed by car owners who feel they have been duped and investors who are seeking compensation for the massive drop in the value of their shares. Despite the rejection of the fix, in Frankfurt VW shares were trading up 3.3 percent to 128.88 euros ($143.28) in afternoon deals. (Adds comment from Audi, VW source and shares) By Rory Carroll SAN FRANCISCO, July 14 (Reuters) - California's chief air regulator has rejected a proposed recall plan from Volkswagen AG to fix 16,000 3.0-liter diesel Volkswagens, Audis and Porsches in the state equipped with devices designed to cheat emissions tests. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) said on Wednesday the plan to fix the VW and Audi luxury vehicles, which range from model years 2009-2016, was insufficient. "VW's and Audi's submissions are incomplete, substantially deficient, and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles to the claimed certified configuration," CARB said in its letter. The regulator said it will not have enough data at least until December to make a determination on whether a 3.0-liter fix would work for all of the diesel vehicles. If no fix is possible, the company may have to buy back the vehicles, which could add billions to the cost of its buy-backs. The vehicles include the Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne and Audi A8. CARB's announcement came as a surprise because VW lawyer Robert Giuffra said last month the German automaker believed it could fix 85,000 polluting 3.0-liter vehicles nationwide, and said the fix would not be "complicated." VW shares ignored the CARB's reaction and were trading up 2.3 percent at 117.6 euros as of 0845 GMT. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson said the agency agreed that VW has not presented an approvable proposed recall plan for the 3.0-liter diesel vehicles. A Volkswagen spokesperson said the company continues to work with EPA and CARB to secure approval of a technical resolution. A spokesman for Audi, which designed and assembled the V6 diesel engines, called CARB's announcement a "procedural step under California state law" that affects recall plans for all 85,000 larger diesel vehicles with illicit software that are on U.S. roads. Discussions and tests will continue to try to resolve the fate of the vehicles which could take months and experts from VW, Audi and Porsche will resume talks with U.S. regulators later this month, a source at VW in Germany said. Story continues A key question in the talks is how to bring the V6 engines into compliance with U.S. law after turning off the so-called auxiliary emissions control devices (AECD) which Audi didn't disclose to U.S. authorities, the source said. U.S. regulators view one of those devices as a defeat device. Volkswagen last month reached a settlement worth up to $15.3 billion with regulators and owners over its 2.0-liter diesel vehicles that were also equipped with the devices that covered up the vehicles' true output of air pollution. That included up to $10.033 billion to buy back as many as 475,000 polluting 2.0-liter vehicles. (Reporting by Rory Carroll; Additional reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Andreas Cremer in Berlin; Editing by Leslie Adler and Adrian Croft) Ariel Winter, Tituss Burgess, Rob Lowe, and Alec Baldwin have taken their beefs to the masses. (Photos: Getty Images) When youre rich, famous, and have an ample Twitter following, who needs the Better Business Bureau? Celebrities love social media. Its a place for them to promote their projects, clear up rumors about their personal lives, connect with fans, thank companies for free swag, and, in some cases, share the occasional NSFW photo. More and more, though, its also the place for stars to call out (what they deem) bad business practices. Hell hath no fury like a Tituss scorned, Burgess tweeted. (Photo: Getty Images) As we type, a Yelp review posted by Tituss Burgess, the Emmy-nominated star of Netflixs Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, has gone viral. The actor said he enlisted the services of a Brooklyn-based moving company, Franks Express, to transport a sofa and no one ever showed. Things went south from there in a big way, leading to him sharing his scathing review: My name is Tituss Burgess. Im an Emmy Nominated Actor for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt currently streaming on netflix. https://t.co/wwQe99cDTQ Tituss Burgess (@TitussBurgess) July 13, 2016 Plus tweets to his 51,000 Twitter followers, like this one: Doing it..He just texted and called me a Faggot. Poor thing doesnt know hell hath no fury like a Tituss scorned https://t.co/IfEGdluqTs Tituss Burgess (@TitussBurgess) July 13, 2016 Yesterday, Ariel Winter, of Modern Family fame, resolved a feud she had with Paulee Body Shop in L.A. after the business failed to fix her Mercedes-Benz in a timely fashion. In a post for her 2.2 million Instagram followers, she lashed out about the companys unprofessional, intolerable, and sketchy staff, saying she was appalled by its customer service. Story continues Were not sure how it happened, but an olive branch was extended by one side. On Wednesday, Winter took it all back and even posed for a photo no, not a sexy one with the owner and her G-Wagon, which she now says looks great. Regarding my post from the other dayPaulee Body Shop and I have resolved our issues and are past the misunderstanding! Eric the owner was very lovely and rectified the situation ASAP:) Very grateful to put the misunderstanding and miscommunication behind us because my car looks great. Thanks guys :) xo A photo posted by Ariel Winter (@arielwinter) on Jul 13, 2016 at 6:45pm PDT Both of these instances involved small businesses, but celebs dont discriminate. In fact, more often we see them rail against big businesses. Frequently that list includes airlines. Karlie Kloss, model and Taylor Swift squad member, is often on the go for work, as many celebs are, but dont expect her to ever strut down the aisle of a Philippine Airlines plane again. In June, she griped about the high-flying company to her 1.4 million Twitter followers and even exercised her photo app skills to make a point. @flyPAL has the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE OF ALL TIME. Most BUDGET AIRLINE. Rude & disrespectful. Shame on You @flyPAL pic.twitter.com/5vEul2HyTY Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) June 7, 2016 A customer service rep at the company tried to make it up to her perhaps the staff was hoping for an invite to Swifts next Fourth of July party. Andie MacDowells complaint to American Airlines in January was a classic. Using 140 characters or less isnt easy, so the Four Weddings and a Funeral actress sounded pretty obnoxious tweeting to her 37,000 or so followers, I paid for first class & they put me in tourist because of my dog that I pre-booked & paid for. The tourist comment was followed by a tweet about "the rudest person I have ever had to deal with while checking in for her flight in Charlotte, N.C. @AmericanAir HELP I paid for first class & they put me in tourist because of my dog that I pre-booked & paid for pic.twitter.com/KmKX4ZTQqj Andie MacDowell (@AndieMacDowell3) January 22, 2016 Times have changed: Russell Crowe sent an angry tweet instead of throwing a phone. (Photo: Getty Images) Another #firstworldproblem complaint to an airline came from Russell Crowe, who has 2.1 million people following his tweets. Ridiculous @VirginAustralia. No Segway boards as luggage? Too late to tell us at airport.Kids and I offloaded. Goodbye Virgin. Never again. Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) December 29, 2015 Luckily, the Oscar winner can afford to send his sons to therapy to get through the trauma of being separated from their hoverboards. Something we can relate to a little bit more, though, are celebs blasting cable companies. Who hasnt been there? Saturday Night Lives Colin Jost, the Weekend Update co-anchor, took on Time Warner Cable last summer in a series of hilarious tweets after he had service issues that required three visits from technicians in a week and still no resolution to his problem. The main reason I believe in the concept of Hell is because I know the people who work at Time Warner Cable will go there when they die. Colin Jost (@ColinJost) June 18, 2015 My new goal in life is to be the Mother Theresa of getting people to switch from Time Warner Cable to Fios.#SpiteSpokesman Colin Jost (@ColinJost) June 18, 2015 If you cancel your #TimeWarnerCable and switch to another provider and send me photographic evidence, I will send you a check for $50. Colin Jost (@ColinJost) June 18, 2015 .@TWC_Help or the 4th technician who came a month ago, tried five different cable boxes, then genuinely suggested that I get @VerizonFiOS Colin Jost (@ColinJost) June 18, 2015 Dont even get Patrick Stewart or Colin Jost started about the cable company. (Photos: Getty Images) Patrick Stewart could relate. All I wanted to do was set up a new account with @TWCable_NYC but 36hrs later Ive lost the will to live. Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) September 14, 2012 Tall, grande, or venti? Rob Lowe will have none of them. (Photos: Getty Images) You cant avoid Starbucks, which is on practically every city block in Manhattan. But Rob Lowe officially had enough of the coffee company over the holidays amid the whole cup flap. Between their program to have baristas lecture me about race and now their removal of Merry Christmas Im officially over @Starbucks #done Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) November 10, 2015 Last word on the subject: I take my coffee with as much caffeine as I can get and with as little political agenda as I can get. Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) November 10, 2015 It was Alec Baldwin vs. the barista. (Photos: Getty Images) One fewer person in (the long) line at Starbucks isnt the worst thing in the world. Make that two fewer. We dont think Alec Baldwin is a customer any longer after he took to twitter to bash an uptight Queen barrista named JAY at an Upper West Side store who had an attitude problem. Starbucks on 93 and B'way. Uptight Queen barrista named JAY has an attitude problem. ABFoundation (@ABFalecbaldwin) September 7, 2011 He took his complaint from Twitter to the telephone, calling the corporate office to officially gripe and were guessing this wasnt the first time he had ever done that. We all know there are so many positives and negatives to social media. Now we can add to the plus and minus columns the fact that we can hear celebs complain about very mundane things. We were missing that in our lives. By Brijesh Pandey: IFS officer Devyani Khobragade has been appointed as the private secretary to Minister of State (MoS) for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale. According to sources the decision to appoint her as PS to Athawale was taken today around 1 pm on Thursday.VISA FRAUD CHARGES AGAINST DEVYANI This 1999-batch IFS officer caused a major diplomatic row between India and USA when she was arrested in New York on December 12, 2013 over visa fraud charges. She was also charged for allegedly providing false declarations in visa application for her maid and was later released on a USD 2.5 lakh. advertisement UTTAM KHOBRAGADE Her father Uttam Khobragade, a former IAS officer, is the national executive president of RPI-A and had joined the party in September 2014. RPI-A is part of the BJP- Shiv Sena led Grand alliance in Maharashtra. Also Read Have done nothing wrong, won't resign: Devyani Khobragade --- ENDS --- Yaounde (AFP) - Arbitrary arrests and prisoners dying from disease, malnutrition and torture -- Amnesty International accused Cameroon of rights abuse during its battle to clear the far north of Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists. "In seeking to protect its population from the brutality of Boko Haram, Cameroon is pursuing the right objective; but in arbitrarily arresting, torturing and subjecting people to enforced disappearances the authorities are using the wrong means," Amnesty's regional director Alioune Tine said in a statement. A report by the rights group said more than 1,000 people accused of supporting Boko Haram were currently detained in desperately overcrowded prisons lacking food and water. In Maroua prison for example, poor conditions were causing the deaths of six to eight people each month. And more than 100 people had been sentenced to death in Maroua's military court in the past year, though none had yet been executed. Amnesty said it had documented the cases of 29 people tortured by security forces between November 2014 and October 2015, six of whom subsequently died. A source close to the government who asked not to be identified said "we reject this report". "Amnesty International knows that we have lost more than 2,000 people (killed by Boko Haram)," the source added. More than 8,000 Cameroonian soldiers are currently deployed in the far north, where Boko Haram fighters from across the border have carried out repeated attacks over the last three years. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is making good on her promise to help break the taboo of domestic abuse. The royal hosted an emotional reception for survivors of domestic abuse at Clarence House, the official London residence she shares with husband Prince Charles, on Thursday. After visiting SafeLives, an organization that works to safeguard those at risk from harm from partners or family members, in January, Camilla was visibly moved and pledged to help victims after hearing their powerful stories. Thursday's reception brought together domestic abuse survivors, representatives from charities working on behalf of the issue, politicians, representatives from the police and ambassadors for the cause, including Sir Patrick Stewart, who witnessed his father's violence against his mother and is now a patron of the charity, Refuge. The Duchess held a reception for domestic abuse survivors, those working in the field and charities helping to raise awareness of the issue at Clarence House today. It was a visit to SafeLives, a charity committed to ending domestic abuse, that made The Duchess want to do more to support survivors. The Duchess was joined by Sir Patrick Stewart who has campaigned on behalf of domestic abuse survivors since witnessing the abuse his mother experienced when he was a child. A photo posted by Clarence House (@clarencehouse) on Jul 14, 2016 at 7:17am PDT "Domestic abuse remains a hidden problem in our society," Camilla said in a moving speech. "It is characterized by silence silence from those who suffer, silence from those around them and silence from those who perpetrate abuse. "This silence is corrosive: it leaves women, children and men carrying the burden of shame, it prevents them from speaking out about their abuse and it prevents them from getting help. And at its worst, it can be fatal. "I hope very much that today might mark a moment when we start to pull back that shroud of silence," she continued. "I hope we can talk about what is happening behind closed doors across the country and I hope that these brave people have the courage to speak out and to be, in the words of one of our guests, 'victors not victims.' " Story continues Why Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles Are the Most Fun Royal Couple At the reception, Stewart told reporters, "To hear the Duchess speak and to hear of her support for what Refuge and other groups are doing will have such an impact that she has spoken out. "People have the mistaken sense that domestic violence only happens in rundown council flats or in bad estates somewhere itas a working-class problem angry, drunken, violent men. Not at all. It is across all society. No matter education, income, environment, quality of life, class, the work that you do, it is everywhere. But it is the great unspoken problem, which the Duchess mentioned." Earlier in the week, Camilla shined a light on another cause close to her heart literacy. Alongside Lucy Dahl, Camilla helped unveil a special sculpture in London's St James's Park that was inspired by the dream jars used by The BFJ in Roald Dahl's inspired book. "The power of a good story is immense. It starts a voyage of discovery into different worlds that broadens and stimulates our minds. My dream is that every child learns to read and discovers the lifelong pleasure of books," she said at the event. Want to keep up with the latest royals coverage? Click here to subscribe to the Royals Newsletter. Camilla is a patron of Roald Dahl 100, a series of events based around the date that would have been his centenary. "She's absolutely lovely she's just like you and me," Dahl's daughter, Lucy, told reporters of Camilla, adding, "When Dad was alive, he was such a humble man. To have all these people inspired by him and so much written about him and so much celebration now of him and his work his genius, really I think he would have been absolutely delighted, but might secretly have gone and hidden in his hut!" (Adds details of release, background) OTTAWA, July 14 (Reuters) - Canadian new home prices in May grew at their fastest pace in almost nine years, soaring 0.7 percent from April on strength in the booming markets of Toronto and Vancouver, Statistics Canada said on Thursday. Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted a 0.2 percent advance. May's increase was the largest since the 1.0 percent jump recorded in July 2007. The Liberal government is concerned about rapidly rising prices in Toronto and Vancouver and is mulling more restrictions on mortgages. The combined region of Toronto and Oshawa - which accounts for 27.92 percent of the entire Canadian market - posted a 1.9 percent gain, the highest in 27 years. Builders cited market conditions and the price of land. Market conditions also helped drive up new home prices in Vancouver by 1.1 percent. Overall, housing prices increased by 2.7 percent from May 2015, the largest year-on-year rise since the 2.7 percent advance seen in September 2010. The new housing price index excludes apartments and condominiums, which the government says are a particular cause for concern and which account for one-third of new housing. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Guatemala City (AFP) - Exports from Central America to prime trading partners Europe and the United States shrank in the first quarter of this year, an economic grouping of regional countries said Wednesday. Revenue from goods sold to the United States fell four percent and to Europe 2.2 percent compared with the previous quarter, according to a trade report by the Central American Secretariat of Economic Integration. Two-thirds of exports from Central American nations are sent outside the region, with nearly half going to the United States and nearly a quarter to Europe. Much smaller amounts go to Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Canada. The total value of the region's exports for the first three months of the year was $7 billion. Nicaragua suffered the worst fall in exports, down 22 percent. Guatemala, the region's biggest exporter, saw a four percent decline. Costa Rica, the second-biggest exporter, was the only country to increase sales abroad, by six percent. Central America's main exports are: coffee; bananas; medical instruments; medical, dental and veterinary services; and sugar. Over the same quarter, the value of imports to Central America fell seven percent compared with the previous quarter, to $15.3 billion. By Tom Esslemont LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - In his final days as prime minister, David Cameron hailed Britain's 12 billion pound (12 billion pounds) foreign aid budget as one of his greatest achievements. Britain last year enshrined in law its commitment to spend 0.7 percent of its national income on aid every year, making it the first major industrialised nation to do so. But with climate change, conflict and disease all major concerns, how will Britain's international aid policy change under new Prime Minister Theresa May and her chosen international development secretary, Priti Patel? Patel, who campaigned for Britain to leave the European Union, takes office at a time when the fall in the value of the pound, following the referendum, is predicted to slash the spending power of British aid by roughly $1.9 billion, according to the Overseas Development Institute. As she takes command of the international aid purse strings, here is some reaction from British charities and aid experts: KEVIN WATKINS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE "Theresa May has made a bold commitment to fight what she described as the 'burning injustice' experienced by disadvantaged people in the UK. (Her) incoming secretary of state has a unique opportunity to take that fight to the world stage. The Department for International Development (DfID) is a global leader in combating poverty, expanding opportunity and tackling inequalities linked to wealth and gender. We look forward to working with Priti Patel in ensuring that the UK remains an outward looking country that works for fairness at home and abroad." VICKIE HAWKINS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES UK "I would expect the incoming DfID secretary of state to champion the responsibilities of the UK, and indeed governments around the world, to respect the lives of civilians and the protection of medical facilities dedicated to providing them with essential healthcare. I also hope that she will prioritise the resources and capacity of their department to ensuring an appropriate response to humanitarian crisis and emergencies." PAUL COOK, ADVOCACY DIRECTOR, TEARFUND "Priti Patel's in-tray will be heaving, but high on the to-do list must be helping developing nations respond to the impact of climate change. The poor communities Tearfund is working with around the world are experiencing more extreme storms, flooding, erratic seasons and growing deserts, all of which are devastating to every aspect of their lives. At a time when the world will be watching to see whether (Britain) turns inwards, it is essential the government remains strong and committed to the fight against global poverty." MARK GOLDRING, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, OXFAM GB "I warmly welcome Priti Patel's appointment to lead Britain's vital work fighting extreme poverty worldwide. We look forward to working with her to extend Britain's proud record helping millions of people who are trapped in poverty or hit by disasters or conflicts and who get the chance of a better life thanks to our aid." (Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org) By Jonathan Barrett and Colin Packham SYDNEY, July 14 (Reuters) - A China-led consortium seeking to buy Australia's S. Kidman & Co will hold off on a fresh bid for the country's largest agricultural land owner amid concerns it could be derailed by a more protectionist new government, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. Australia rejected a A$371 million ($282 million) bid by the group - headed by Hunan Dakang Pasture Farming Co Ltd (Dakang) with a minority 20 percent Australian interest - in April, concluding the offer for Kidman and its agricultural land, about the same size as Ireland, was not in the national interest. Dakang had been expected to revise its bid shortly after Australia's July 2 national election, boosting the local component. However, the new-look coalition government has even more foreign investment sceptics than the previous one, with the rural-centric Nationals party increasing its numbers in the ruling centre-right coalition. Although Kidman and Dakang are eager to complete the sale, three people familiar with the process said any deal may prove insufficient to win over key Australian government figures and a rising tide of anti-foreign investment. "I think we are in for a period of protectionism government," a source familiar with the negotiations said. "Things have been parked until the government has settled in and we try to get some sort of understanding of their sentiment towards foreign investment and in particular levels of comfort around thresholds of offshore involvement." Foreign ownership of farmland and rural businesses is a sensitive issue due to concerns that cashed-up overseas companies can out-bid smaller local players for key assets. Local ownership of agriculture is also seen as crucial for Australia to cash in on global food demand and keeping tax revenues onshore. Kidman refused to comment on the sale. Ernst and Young's South Australia managing partner Don Manifold, who is handling the sale for the Kidman shareholders, said the process was still going. Story continues "Kidman is for sale and we are talking with interested parties," Manifold said. Foreign investment in agribusiness valued at more than A$55 million is screened by Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board where a bid is subjected to a national interest test. This includes considering the impact on local employment and tax revenue. While a final decision rests with Treasurer Scott Morrison, prominent members of the coalition, including Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, have long opposed an escalation in foreign investment in agricultural assets. A source close to Joyce said there was no definitive threshold for Australian participation, but a Dakang deal with 49 percent local ownership stood a better chance of winning favour. The Kidman business includes 10 cattle stations with an average herd of 185,000, covering more than 100,000 square kilometres (25 million acres), or 1.3 percent of Australia's total land area. Morrison rejected the consortium's bid to buy nine Kidman cattle properties in April, in the lead-up to the federal election, the second foreign-based offer for Kidman refused by the government. The rejection came even after the bidders included locally owned Australian Rural Capital Ltd (ARC) as a 20 percent minority stakeholder and carved out an area bordering sensitive military testing grounds. Other interested parties include wealthy Australian business people, a source familiar with the sale process said, without giving details, while crowdfunder DomaCom and local consultants Lloyds Business Brokers have put together an ambitious joint offer. Lloyds Victoria director Chris Butchers said the broker could raise A$160 million to purchase the cattle operations, while Domacom was still raising the anticipated A$210 million it required to buy the land. ($1 = 1.3170 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Jonathan Barrett and Colin Packham; Editing by Richard Pullin) ULAANBAATAR (Reuters) - China and the European Union agreed to establish a bilateral mechanism to deal with overcapacity in steel, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday. China is by far the world's biggest steel producer and its annual output is almost double that of the 28-nation EU. Rival producers have accused China of selling into export markets at below cost after a slowdown in demand at home, causing a crisis for the industry that has led to job cuts and plant closures. "Through this bilateral mechanism, the two sides can have ... in-depth discussions to find solutions acceptable to both parties and in this way maintain free trade and sustainable development of the global economy," Wang said. Wang did not provide details on the planned mechanism. He was speaking during a bilateral meeting with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on the sidelines of an event in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar. (Reporting by Steve Wang and Sue-Lin Wong; Editing by Gareth Jones) Prior to the July 12 ruling of an international tribunal in the Hague, which many observers correctly predicted would reject Chinas sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea, China launched a massive global public relations campaign to discredit the tribunal. It is not surprising that China has been able to mobilize its global state-run media to support its foreign policies. More remarkable, however, is how Chinese legal academics who specialize in the study of international law have rallied to Beijings cause. State broadcaster China Central Television America recently reported that 300 Chinese legal experts reached a unanimous opinion that China should abstain from participating in the case, because the arbitration panel has no jurisdiction over the dispute [and] China has legitimate rights under international law to reject the arbitration. State news agency Xinhua noted that the China Law Society, an organization which represents all academic lawyers in China, released a similarly unanimous and supportive statement of Chinas legal position. Xinhua also recently touted an open letter endorsing Chinas legal position signed by hundreds of young Chinese international law scholars studying overseas. And leading Chinese scholars have written essays defending the governments position. Sienho Yee, a professor at Wuhan University and a former professor at the University of Colorado, told Reuters that [o]bjectively the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the dispute, while Cai Congyan, a scholar of international law at Xiamen University and a visiting scholar at Humboldt University in Germany, called the process of appointing arbitrators obviously unjust. According to my own research, scholars within the Chinese legal establishment have indeed either expressed support for Beijings position or have kept silent. I have searched Chinese databases and the internet for articles or scholarship produced in China even indirectly critical of Beijings legal position in this arbitral dispute. But I have only found one Chinese-born and educated scholar of international law who has offered a dissenting opinion: Professor Bing Ling of the University of Sydney Law School in Australia. In an essay distributed widely in Chinese social media in December, Ling sharply criticized Bejings refusal to participate in the arbitration and its claims that it has no legal obligation to comply with the arbitral award. Ling does not advocate Chinas compliance with the award, but he suggests that China might have been able to prevail on jurisdiction if it had participated in the proceedings. As far as I know, no other scholar or advocate who was born and educated in China has published support for Lings views. Moreover, as a chaired professor at an Australian university, Ling is not a part of the Chinese academic legal establishment. Story continues While I do not believe that China can legally ignore an arbitral award issued under a treaty system that it freely agreed to, I recognize that legal scholars can have different opinions about Chinas legal position. Both China and the Philippines agreed in UNCLOS Article 279 to give the Hague arbitral tribunal mandatory binding jurisdiction to resolve disputes about the interpretation of UNCLOS except for disputes concerning maritime delimitation and sovereignty. The tribunal accepted the Philippines argument that simply determining the status of land features such as whether a Chinese-claimed island is really a rock or underwater reef does not make this dispute about maritime delimitation or sovereignty. China vehemently disagrees and cites this disagreement as justification for ignoring the award. But as I have argued, when China acceded to UNCLOS in 1996, it also agreed to comply with whatever the arbitral tribunal decides falls within its jurisdiction. This means that China is now in violation of its UNCLOS legal obligations by refusing to comply with the arbitral award. Scholars in the United States and Europe who have studied this case evince a diversity of opinion, although none that I could find have argued that China can legally ignore a jurisdictional award. This only makes the unanimity of Chinese legal opinion on this question more startling. One might assume that Chinese academics are unwilling to dissent on an issue of importance to the government for fear of censorship, or even soft retribution in the competitive domestic academic job market. Yes, this pressure certainly drives some of the remarkable unanimity within the Chinese legal academy on this question. But there is another reason for the unison within China. It is likely that most Chinese legal academics genuinely believe that the arbitral tribunal erred in asserting jurisdiction in this case. Chinese international law scholars are not immune to the siren calls of nationalism, and the Philippines arbitral claims have become an issue of patriotism within China. Given their preference for vindicating Chinas interests in the region, scholars might persuade themselves that Beijings position is correct. In the United States, by contrast, rallying to ones own country on hotly contested issues of international law is far from commonplace. The 1986 case that pitted Nicaragua against the United States in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the U.N.s principal legal body, is a neatly analogous example. The U.S. government refused to comply with the ICJs judgment declaring U.S. military support for rebels in Nicaragua illegal. But the reaction of U.S. legal scholars then was very different from that of Chinese legal scholars today. Not only did a U.S. lawyer represent Nicaragua the very same Paul Reichler who represented the Philippines in its case against China but a leading U.S. law professor Michael Glennon served as a chief witness for Nicaragua. Other leading U.S. international law scholars publicly criticized the U.S. governments legal position. For instance, Anthony DAmato, a professor at Northwestern University Law School, published a scathing essay in the American Journal of International Law denouncing the United States for relinquish[ing] its leadership role in promoting world peace through the rule of law. Reading the academic literature of the period, it is striking how few U.S. legal scholars actually endorsed or supported the U.S. governments legal position in that case. Indeed, it is hard to imagine a unanimous opinion of U.S. legal academics either for or against the U.S. government position. This diversity of opinion in the U.S. legal academy is a strength, not a weakness. Scholars in the United States are not afraid to challenge the U.S. governments foreign policy and international law arguments, even on a matter of national security. U.S. legal scholars repeatedly issue open letters criticizing U.S. government policy in the war on terrorism and have helped to file lawsuits on behalf of suspected terrorists. The willingness of U.S. legal scholars to take on their own government helps to build and maintain their credibility among scholars outside the United States. But as long as China practices soft censorship and its academic culture promotes nationalist conformity, it will be hard for Chinese legal academics to build and maintain credibility with scholars in other countries. Nearly 40 years ago, an essay by Columbia University Law School Professor Oscar Schachter famously described international lawyers as a professional community, though dispersed throughout the world and engaged in diverse occupations, constitut[ing] a kind of invisible college dedicated to a common intellectual enterprise. Schachters invisible college has been more of an ideal than a reality, but it remains an influential description today of how international law professionals and academics can influence and shape state behavior. National and regional societies such as the American Society of International Law, the International Law Association, and the European Society of International Law count as their members leading international law scholars who often serve in governments or as part of international organizations. Such scholars therefore have a key role in negotiating and fleshing out the practical details of global treaties such as UNCLOS. China is eager to bolster its standing in this invisible college. The Chinese Society of International Law, a China-based organization founded in 1980, edits the Chinese Journal of International Law, an English-language journal which describes itself as an independent, peer-reviewed research journal. Oxford University Press, perhaps the leading English-language academic publisher of international law materials, publishes it. Chinese legal scholars also travel the world to speak at international conferences and visit at leading foreign universities. Chinas Xian Jiaotong University appointed one of the worlds leading international law scholars, James Crawford, as an honorary professor. China has aggressively pushed for its scholars to join leading international law institutions, both governmental and non-governmental. This worthy effort is undercut by the remarkably and suspiciously uniform support of Chinas legal position in the Philippines case. This points to the true cost of Chinas efforts to mobilize its legal civil society in favor of its non-compliance with the UNCLOS tribunal award. Not only has it injured the reputation of Chinese universities, but it has also damaged the credibility of Chinese legal scholars. How persuasive will their scholarship be on any issue related to the South China Sea to scholars outside of China? This damage to the credibility for the Chinese legal academy is far from the most serious consequence of Chinas rejection of the UNCLOS arbitral award but it is not a trivial one either. JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images The Chinese government is believed to have infiltrated computers belonging to a US banking regulator, which employees then tried to cover up, a Congressional report released Wednesday said. The computer system at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which guarantees US banking deposits, was "hacked by a foreign government, likely the Chinese" the document said. According to the report, which was released by the Republican-led Science, Space and Technology Committee, the agency then tried to hide the attacks. "The FDIC's repeated unwillingness to be open and transparent with the committee's investigation raises serious concerns about whether the agency is still attempting to shield information from production to Congress," the report said. According to the committee, the first hacking was detected in 2010, and the problem reared its head again in 2011 and 2013. "In all, 12 workstations were compromised and 10 FDIC servers were penetrated and infected by a virus created by a hacker," the committee said. "Even the former chairwoman's computer" had been compromised, it added. National Security Agency chief Michael Rogers told Congress in April that Chinese hackers remain "engaged in activity directed against US companies." He said that the "jury is still out" on whether China then passes the intel to the business world. FDIC chairman Martin Gruenberg will be grilled before the committee on Thursday. Interim inspector general Fred Gibson will also testify. Two women decided to end their lives in two separate incidents on the same night. A post doctoral student, Maheswari, 34 years and Varalakshmi, 47 years, were the two who committed suicide. By Akshaya Nath: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras campus was in a state of silence and shock. The generally happening campus was filled with tight security check, following two shocking incidents on the night of July 13, 2016. Two women decided to end their lives in two separate incidents on the same night. A post doctoral student, Maheswari, 34 years and Varalakshmi, 47 years, were the two who committed suicide. advertisement NO SUICIDE NOTE FOUND The investigating officials have said that these two separate incidents have happened due to respective personal reasons. However, the police have not found suicide note in both the incidents. According to police, the post doctoral student's husband is the head of the department of a university in Villupuram and the couple have a 11-year-old son. It is also reported that Varalakshmi, who committed suicide in the staff quarters was the wife of a professor at IIT Madras. Varalakshmi is said to have been depressed about the health of her child who was mentally challenged. WHAT THE INSTITUTE SAID IIT Madras officials are shocked by the two incidents and have sent out the following message: "IIT Madras reports with deep sadness, the death of a post-doctoral research scholar in the campus. The scholar's family has been informed. The institute is taking necessary action and is extending full cooperation to the civil authorities. The institute extends its deep felt condolences to the family and the near and dear ones of the scholar for the unfortunate, untimely and devastating loss. We are sure that the media is with us in respecting the privacy of the individual and giving due consideration for the feelings of the bereaved family and friends during this difficult time." Also read: Woman commits suicide after morphed images of her were put up on Facebook Two sisters commit suicide in Rohini area of Delhi --- ENDS --- * China targets capacity cuts in sectors such as steel, coal * Liabilities for 6 such sectors 10 trln yuan in 2015 -UBS * Coal and steel industry key to some local governments and banks * Beijing wants banks to cut lending to overcapacity sectors * Local governments urging banks to keep lending By Shu Zhang and Matthew Miller BEIJING, July 15 (Reuters) - China's provinces are pushing back against Beijing's efforts to restrict credit to loss-making enterprises with excess capacity, and are enlisting the support of local bankers to keep financing the targeted sectors, such as steel and coal. As part of China's economic efficiency goals, the State Council earlier this year set capacity reduction targets for regional and central government enterprises in such sectors, and China's banks have been ordered to slash lending to loss-making and delinquent corporate borrowers. But local governments in China's rust belt have been singing from a different hymn sheet in documents and speeches urging local lenders to keep funding firms central to the regional economy. In Shanxi province, China's top coal producing region, the government told financial institutions to maintain coal sector lending at least at last year's levels, increase awareness of the industry's "pillar and strategic status" and not recall loans to seven local government-owned coal groups, according to a document released on the government's website in May. Shanxi's deputy governor Wang Yixin told banks at an industry event on Wednesday that it was in their mutual interest to support the seven, which at the end of 2015 reported total liabilities of more than 1 trillion yuan ($150 billion) and an average liability-to-asset ratio of about 83 percent, according to Reuters calculations. "What Shanxi's good coal companies need the most right now is the confidence of investors and the help from financial institutions - as we cross the river on the same boat," Wang said, and urged banks to roll over the companies' loans and buy their bonds. Story continues Three senior executives at China's top coal producers all said they could secure loans at a rate equal to or lower than the central bank's benchmark rate, suggesting banks were lending a sympathetic ear to that call. "In China, the most important thing is stability," said a manager at the Shanxi branch of one of China's big four state-owned asset management companies that help banks dispose distressed loans. He said banks had nothing to fear in lending to such state-owned companies and were not about to treat the coal companies' debts as non-performing. "Actually, some of those loans are already non-performing, but banks can arrange new loans to repay old loans and interest," he said. In Henan the provincial government has asked local bankers to help companies in coal, steel, metals and construction materials to switch industry classification so they don't fall into categories covered by lending restrictions set by banks' headquarters, according to a document published on the Henan government's website in May. The document urged locally headquartered financial services companies, including Zhongyuan Bank, Bank of Zhengzhou and rural commercial banks, to demonstrate their support for local companies. Zhongyuan Bank and Bank of Zhengzhou didn't respond to requests for comment. At the end of June the Shandong government in eastern China warned lenders in a document on its website that they would be "denounced" or "sanctioned" by creditors' committees and China's banking association if they unilaterally recalled loans to key borrowers. The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) did not immediately respond to requests for comment. BALANCING ACT Beijing has noticed the footdragging. "Some regions' determination to remove over-capacity is shaky," Xu Shaoshi, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planning body, was quoted by state media as saying last week. "The practical problem is that some regions are under big economic downward pressure and face difficult fiscal income and employment situations," Xu said on a teleconference that aimed to urge local leaders to cut over-capacity. Total liabilities for six over-capacity sectors amounted to 10 trillion yuan in 2015, including 4.9 trillion yuan in bank loans and 3.8 trillion yuan in shadow credit, according to UBS research. China's banking regulator has given lenders some latitude to manage their lending to over-capacity industries. "It doesn't mean there will absolutely be no new loans to the coal industry," an official from the CBRC said. "Banks can decide for themselves from a risk management perspective how to change their loan structure, after taking into consideration the central government's policy and local government arrangements," the official said. That is proving a difficult balancing act. Last Wednesday, Hebei province, home to a quarter of China's steel manufacturing, renewed its pledge to meet steel and coal reduction targets for 2016 following a central government environmental inspection, according to a notice on the province's website. Just two weeks earlier, provincial party secretary Zhao Kezhi praised Yi Huiman, chairman of Industrial and Commercial Bank Ltd , the country's biggest bank, for "thinking from the big picture" by strengthening lending to the heavily industrialised region, state media reported. "Those outdated steel mills, local governments and local banks are lingering in the last gasp," said Xu Zhongbo, head of Beijing Metal Consulting, which advises Chinese steel mills, adding that they were doing all they could to delay the capacity cuts. "They live or die together," he said. ($1 = 6.6897 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting By Shu Zhang and Matthew Miller; Editing by Will Waterman) A Chinese businessman was sentenced to nearly four years in U.S. prison for attempting to hack into the computer networks of U.S. defense contractors including Boeing, according to reports. The hacking attempt by Su Bin, 51, was part of a plot by Chinese defense officials to gain access to designs of military aircraft, prosecutors said. Su, who prosecutors said worked with two co-conspirators, traveled between the U.S. and China at least 10 times between 2008 and 2014 to obtain the data. Chinese defense officials denied that the countrys government was involved in the hacking. The so-called case of Chinese soldiers being involved in stealing secrets from the United States is acting on hearsay and has ulterior motives, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, according to a Reuters report. Chinese hackers have infiltrated federal computer networks in the past and U.S. security officials view hacking as a top threat. (Adds Chinese Foreign Ministry comment) By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES, July 13 (Reuters) - A Chinese businessman who pleaded guilty in March to conspiring to hack into the computer networks of Boeing and other major U.S. defense contractors was sentenced on Wednesday to nearly four years in prison, prosecutors said. Su Bin, 51, was charged with taking part in a years-long scheme by Chinese military officers to obtain sensitive military information. In addition to the 46-month prison term, a judge in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ordered Su to pay a $10,000 fine. "Su Bin's sentence is a just punishment for his admitted role in a conspiracy with hackers from the People's Liberation Army Air Force to illegally access and steal sensitive U.S. military information," John Carlin, assistant attorney general for national security, said in a statement. "Su assisted the Chinese military hackers in their efforts to illegally access and steal designs for cutting-edge military aircraft that are indispensable to our national defense," the statement said. In an August 2014 indictment, prosecutors said Su traveled to the United States at least 10 times between 2008 and 2014 and worked with two unidentified co-conspirators based in China to steal the data. The trio were accused of stealing plans relating to the C-17 military transport plane and F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, and attempting to sell them to Chinese companies. According to prosecutors, in pleading guilty Su admitted sending emails to his co-conspirators telling them which persons, companies and technologies to target with their hacking and translating the stolen material from English to Chinese. Su admitted taking part in the crime for financial gain, prosecutors said. The Chinese government has repeatedly denied any involvement in hacking. Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang repeated that the Chinese government opposes and punishes any form of hacking. "The so-called case of Chinese soldiers being involved in stealing secrets from the United States is acting on hearsay and has ulterior motives," Lu told reporters, without elaborating. Story continues Su was arrested in Canada in 2014 and ultimately consented to U.S. extradition. He pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiring to gain unauthorized access to a protected computer and to violate the Arms Export Control Act. (Reporting by Dan Levine and Dan Whitcomb; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Grant McCool and Richard Chang) By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Chinese businessman who pleaded guilty in March to conspiring to hack into the computer networks of Boeing (BA.N) and other major U.S. defense contractors was sentenced on Wednesday to nearly four years in prison, prosecutors said. Su Bin, 51, was charged with taking part in a years-long scheme by Chinese military officers to obtain sensitive military information. In addition to the 46-month prison term, a judge in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ordered Su to pay a $10,000 fine. "Su Bin's sentence is a just punishment for his admitted role in a conspiracy with hackers from the People's Liberation Army Air Force to illegally access and steal sensitive U.S. military information," John Carlin, assistant attorney general for national security, said in a statement. "Su assisted the Chinese military hackers in their efforts to illegally access and steal designs for cutting-edge military aircraft that are indispensable to our national defense," the statement said. In an August 2014 indictment, prosecutors said Su traveled to the United States at least 10 times between 2008 and 2014 and worked with two unidentified co-conspirators based in China to steal the data. The trio were accused of stealing plans relating to the C-17 military transport plane and F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, and attempting to sell them to Chinese companies. According to prosecutors, in pleading guilty Su admitted sending emails to his co-conspirators telling them which persons, companies and technologies to target with their hacking and translating the stolen material from English to Chinese. Su admitted taking part in the crime for financial gain, prosecutors said. The Chinese government has repeatedly denied any involvement in hacking. Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang repeated that the Chinese government opposes and punishes any form of hacking. "The so-called case of Chinese soldiers being involved in stealing secrets from the United States is acting on hearsay and has ulterior motives," Lu told reporters, without elaborating. Story continues Su was arrested in Canada in 2014 and ultimately consented to U.S. extradition. He pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiring to gain unauthorized access to a protected computer and to violate the Arms Export Control Act. (Reporting by Dan Levine and Dan Whitcomb; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Grant McCool and Richard Chang) (NEWARK, N.J.) The former chairman of the agency that controls New York City-area airports conspired with a United Airlines lobbyist to get the airline to run direct flights to South Carolina so that the executive could more easily visit his vacation home, prosecutors said Thursday. David Samson a political mentor to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie pleaded guilty to a corruption charge that he wrongfully used his Port Authority of New York and New Jersey post. The ex-lobbyist, Jamie Fox, was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery. The Democrat went on to become Christies transportation commissioner after ending his lobbying work for United. Samson and Fox both should have known better. They both did know better, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said. It was an unacceptable abuse of public authority. Fishman also announced that United would pay a $2.25 million fine for the role its officials played in the scheme. Uniteds then-CEO, Jeff Smisek, and two other executives left the airline last year after United conducted its own investigation. None of them has been charged with any criminal wrongdoing. The company said in a statement that it accepted responsibility for certain conduct that led to the flight and agreed to continue to enhance its compliance, anti-bribery and anti-corruption program policies and procedures. Samson admitted that he conspired with Fox to pressure United to reinstate the chairmans flight to Columbia, not far from Samsons vacation home in Aiken, by removing from a board agenda discussion of a hangar that United wanted at Newark Liberty International Airport, Fishman said. Prosecutors will recommend that Samson get a sentence of probation to 24 months behind bars under a plea agreement. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 20. His attorney, Michael Chertoff, said he wouldnt have any comment until then. Samson left the courthouse after posting $100,000 bond and surrendering his passport. Story continues Foxs attorney Michael Critchley said his client would never jeopardize his reputation by engaging in illegal behavior and was part of an arrangement that he thought was appropriate. A spokesman for Christie didnt immediately respond to a request seeking comment. United ended the half-filled Columbia flights three days after Samson resigned his Port Authority post in March 2014 in the wake of the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal that led to criminal charges against three other Christie allies. Samson wasnt charged in the bridge investigation, in which the Christie allies were accused of causing traffic problems to exact revenge against a politician. But an email from a Port Authority official to a Christie aide, both of whom were later charged, described Samson helping to retaliate after Port Authority executive director Patrick Foye ordered the lanes reopened. Samson, a former state attorney general, led the governors transition team in 2009, and Christie appointed him to the Port Authority chairmans post in 2011. He resigned from the Port Authority a day after a law firms taxpayer-funded report cleared Christie of wrongdoing and laid much of the blame for the lane closures on the Christie aide. Samson wasnt interviewed for the report. The bridge investigation, combined with an earlier audit that called the Port Authority challenged and dysfunctional, trained a spotlight on the powerful agency and eventually led to questions about Samsons interactions with United Airlines. When Samson was chairman, United resumed direct flights to the South Carolina airport. Around the same time, Chicago-based United was pressing for concessions from the agency, including the new hangar at Newark, rent reductions and a commuter rail-line extension that would connect the airport directly to lower Manhattan. The Port Authority also wanted to increase flights to Atlantic City, while New Jersey struggled to revitalize the seaside gambling resort. United began those flights between Houston and Chicago in April 2014, but they were typically half full and United canceled the service that December. It undermines the already eroded confidence the public has that government is being operated for their benefit, said New Jersey Assemblyman John Wisniewski, a Democrat who helped lead an investigative committee that investigated the bridge case. The governor is either a bad judge of character when it comes to making high level appointments or is not as forthcoming as hed like us to believe. CIA Director John Brennan arrives on Capitol Hill in June to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on ISIS. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP) It was just a few hours after terrorists had attacked the airport in Istanbul. The cable channels were once again filling up with scenes of chaos and bloody terror. CIA Director John Brennan greeted me in a small waiting room outside his seventh-floor office, with his usual grave demeanor accentuated by the pronounced limp he has developed. That impression was only slightly leavened by a desiccated wit. Youve had to endure so many of these grim rituals, I remarked, referring to the Turkey suicide bombing. Dinner with reporters? he deadpanned. Soon we were sitting in the directors private dining room, where Brennan told me the airport attack for which no group has claimed responsibility had all the hallmarks of ISIS, and he predicted that the group was planning similar atrocities in the United States. While acknowledging important territorial gains against ISIS, which he calls Daesh, an acronym for the Arabic name of the Islamic State, he bluntly said the U.S. has made no dent in their ability to strike abroad. And he was similarly gloomy about the Syrian civil war ending any time soon, admitting that President Bashar Assad is stronger on the battlefield now than he was a year ago. (Those remarks can be found in this story, which appeared on Yahoo News the day after the June 28 interview.) Over the course of our nearly two-hour interview, over a dinner of lobster tails, red trout with rice and beans and paired wines, Brennan touched on a wide array of topics he deals with as the nations 21st CIA director, including the future of the U.S. governments targeted killing programs, a major reorganization of the agency for the digital age and his frustration over tech industry leaders failure to cooperate with the intelligence community. He waxed nostalgic about his years as a student and case officer in the Middle East, when he could travel anywhere and was embraced as an American. And he reminisced about Robert Ames, the legendary CIA spy and Arabist who was killed in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. Near the end of the interview, Brennan contemplated every spymasters darkest fear: the possibility that a mole has penetrated his service. One should never assume there is not a mole in your organization, he said. (This interview has been edited for clarity and length.) Yahoo News: Daesh (ISIS) has been aggressive recently not just in Iraq and Syria but outside those countries, in Turkey, Jordan, Yemen. What do you think their strategy is right now? How concerned are you about their ability to attack in so many different places? John Brennan: Daesh does have, unfortunately, an extensive presence outside of the Iraq-Syria theater. In Africa, the rest of [the] Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, there are cells and franchises. I think they are trying to carry out attacks outside of the Syria-Iraq theater to make sure their impact is felt. Over the last four to six months, theyve had some setbacks in the battlefield; I think its important for them to try to offset those with attacks they can claim credit for. Some people say thats a sign of weakness on their part. Is that how you read it? I think its a recognition on their part that they need to do something to offset those battlefield setbacks. It shows they have a capability to project outside in the streets of Europe, in airports in Turkey, or other places. Theyre lashing out because theyre losing territory and they have to get wins on the board? Do we have intelligence that shows that? Our intelligence is that over the past year and a half, they have made a more determined effort to carry out attacks abroad and we see [this] in their preparations, movement of people, propagandizing outside, extorting, exciting. We know there are individuals inside of Syria who are orchestrating and directing these foreign operations. I wouldnt say that this is all just to compensate for lost territory in Syria, Iraq. This was already underway. Weve talked a lot lately about lone-wolf attacks. In your judgment, is Daesh capable, right now, of pulling off a complex attack, like a Paris attack or a Brussels attack, in the United States? How concerned are you about their ability to strike in this country? I am worried from the standpoint of an intelligence professional who looks at Daesh, as well as al-Qaida, who are still out there, and their determination to kill as many people as possible in attacks abroad. You look at what happened in the Turkish airport; these were suicide vests. Its not that difficult to construct a suicide vest. If you have a determined enemy, individuals going into it with a sense that, I am going to die and I want to kill as many other people as possible, that complicates your strategy. Daesh, I believe, is going to try to carry out more of these high-profile attacks abroad. They have a core inside Syria and Iraq. They also have a lot of investments outside. Theyre putting chips down on different parts of the table. Passengers embrace at the entrance to Istanbuls Ataturk Airport early on June 29, following their evacuation after a terrorist attack. (Photo: Emrah Gurel/AP) You worry, as an intelligence professional, that beyond inspiring people like [Omar] Mateen [the perpetrator of the Orlando attack], they might want to carry out [their own] attacks here? I think that if they could, they would do it. I have great confidence in our law enforcement, intelligence, [and] Homeland Security professionals to make it very difficult for them to do it. I would be surprised if Daesh is not trying to carry out that type of attack. In the United States? In the United States. Is there intelligence that they are? We are very vigilant. I think the FBI and Homeland Security and the White House have done a good job of trying to make the public aware of areas of concern. In recent Senate testimony, you said: Our efforts have not reduced the groups terrorism capability. My assessment is that were making important progress on the ground inside Syria and Iraq. We have yet to really thwart Daeshs ability to reach beyond the Syria-Iraqi borders to carry out attacks. That external operations element doesnt take much resources. It just takes some very determined individuals who are willing to kill themselves. Whether we are talking about Orlando, which I do think was incitement, or were talking Paris or Brussels, or taking down the plane that left the Sinai, we have not had the success against Daesh there that weve had in the core areas of Syria and Iraq. Drone operations across the board have plummeted. According to most estimates, there were fewer than 10 in all of 2016 outside of conventional battlefields. Why is this happening? Im not going to comment on that. The president has given direction to the appropriate departments to take action as appropriate against terrorist organizations, in war zones or outside of war zones. The president has made clear what we try to do is take whatever actions short of kinetic to mitigate threats. Any type of decrease or increase in those types of actions [by] the U.S. government can be the result of a variety of factors, depending on the conditions of the country, the nature of the threat, whatever. The plan to shift drone operations being run by the CIA to the military do you think that will be largely completed by the time President Obama leaves office? I certainly support the president when he has said that he believes that if we strike terrorist targets abroad that the U.S. government should acknowledge those strikes, and thats what the U.S military is best at. When they take those strikes, they will be acknowledged. I want to talk about the root causes of extremism. You said the fight against extremism wont be won on the battlefield, ultimately. Slowly. The change is slow. Trying to enhance the counterterrorism capabilities of our partners is a critically important part of this effort. But [we] also [aim] to give time and space to our diplomats or aid givers or advisors to tackle these much more insidious problems the corruption, the very weak institutions of governance. The inability of a lot of these countries to govern much of their country. The fact that they dont have any real judicial systems, very poor penal systems, very poor educational systems. In the Middle East, from Libya down to the Horn, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Iraq these are countries that have been wracked by instability. Central governments are central governments in name only, in many respects. The dynamic is the people in these societies, I think youve said, are disfranchised from their governments. They are not identifying with their governments international identity. A lot of them identify with subnational groups. Theyve lost confidence and trust that their government is able to provide for their needs and their families. Im not saying that causes terrorism. What Im saying is that it has led individuals to gravitate toward extremist elements that have an ideological dimension to them. When all else fails, people go to the basics, and religion is one of the basic instincts of man. Unfortunately, in a lot of countries in the Middle East and beyond, a perverted interpretation of Islam has become the only real political ideological movement. You dont have those secular movements you had years ago, Nasserism, Baathism, communism, socialism, whatever. The only -ism out there now is this perverted interpretation of Islamism. Antigovernment protestors demand the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, in April 2011. (Photo: Muhammed Muheisen/AP) Lets talk about when you started going to the Middle East as a young man. [In] 75. I went to school in Cairo. At the American University of Cairo? Yep. I fell in love with the culture, the language, the people. It was two years after the 73 war, and there was still a fair amount of tension between Israel and Egypt. I remember traveling from Cairo to Amman over the Christmas holiday, and then making my away across the Allenby Bridge so I could spend Christmas in Bethlehem. I was struck by the beauty of Jerusalem. Theres so much rich history in that part of world. At that time, as an American, I could travel anywhere. I was embraced by people. Even though there was great anger at the United States for supporting Israel, there was tremendous respect and admiration for American society. Unfortunately, this distorted ideology has [today] affected the perspectives of so many people in that region. But in retrospect, can you see a direct line from the way those regimes ran their societies, the economic stagnation, the political repression, the inability to prepare their people for globalization? Yeah, I dont think anybody can deny that a lot of the elements of authoritarianism in the area, the great disparity between the haves and the have-nots, the lack of economic reform I think did allow these problems to fester and then emerge in the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring was a real indication of how dry the tinder was. When the Tunisian salesman self-immolated, that was the spark that not just killed him but just set off the Middle East. I think we are going to continue to see this for a number of years to come. In retrospect, do you sometimes think we shouldve been tougher in pushing those regimes to reform? Do you sometimes think that we shouldve done things differently? I think a lot of governments shouldve done things differently. Its unknown what would have happened, but when I think about the Israeli-Palestinian problem that continues to this day, allowing that problem to fester Im not saying that is the reason why the Middle East is in the shape its in, but it certainly was a significant contributing factor. Do I think the U.S. government, over the course of the last 50 years, should [have] become more engaged? Yeah. At the same time, I dont think the United States ever had a magic wand. We can influence, we can encourage, we can lead but at the end of the day, a lot of times, it came down to Yasser Arafat taking advantage of an opportunity and playing the risks, to a Netanyahu or others [realizing] that the status quo might be tactically comfortable in the near term but strategically unsustainable. And I do think it is unsustainable. Sometimes I think there are individuals in Washington that do not understand fully the Middle East environment and the effort and interest in democratizing that part of the world. The concept of Western democracy in many of those areas is truly a foreign concept, literally and figuratively. Democracy, economic and structural reform, is a journey and a process over time. I think our expectations are run by election cycles, or the imperative to have it done tomorrow. Two generations ago even one generation ago [these were] nomadic societies deeply rooted in tradition with a very provincial view of the world. Their vistas have been opened up amazingly over the last several decades. Mass communication has been jarring and traumatic in these aspects. Just because in some areas they dress in the latest French fashions and drive cars doesnt mean that societally and culturally they are ready to adapt to Western-style democracy. You knew Robert Ames [the legendary CIA spy and Arabist], who was killed in the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983]? You were a young officer when you met him? I started out in 1980 in the agency, in the operational side of the house [the clandestine service]. Ames spent his career, most of his career, until the very end, in the operational side. He was an exceptionally well-known operations officer who spent a lot of time in Yemen and working with the Palestinians. Shortly after I became an analyst, he was the national intelligence officer for the Near East and then became the head of the office of Near East and South Asia analysis. At the time, I was just preparing to go to Saudi Arabia. In fact, I was in full-time language training. He was the head of my office, so I would go in and see him, sometimes on the weekends. He would be there, he would quiz me on my Arabic, which was quite intimidating since I was still not nearly as good as he was. In many respects, he was a role model. I went out to Saudi Arabia the first time, I think, in early September of 1982, and he died the following spring in Beirut, when he was on TDY [temporary duty]. I remember when I was in the embassy [Riyadh] and I saw initial list of names and it said Robert Ames, I thought it was somebody with the same name because I didnt know he was there. Then I found out that in fact he was killed. My interaction with Bob was brief, it was limited, but it was during a very formative stage in my career. Robert C. Ames (Photo from The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames by Kai Bird) What were his unique qualities as a spy? I think he was willing to live among the people, spend time becoming part, almost, of the landscape. He was very much a people person; I think thats one of the key traits of an operations officer you need to enjoy engagement with people. He did. But he was a student of history and understood the nuances. He famously cultivated the chief of Palestinian intelligence. Yeah. Salameh Ali Hassan, in the 70s. That was a little controversial. The PLO was considered a terrorist organization. Now that youre director, is there anything from that experience that informs what you think case officers should be doing now? I think the lesson is that there are a lot of unsavory characters in the Middle East. If we had our druthers about who we want to sit around the dinner table with, we probably would not select some of these people. Its critically important to our national security that we know them. Sometimes you have to do it clandestinely; sometimes you have to do it in a liaison capacity. I think what [Ames] demonstrated was that there were certain elements of Middle Eastern and Arab society that the United States, given our global responsibilities, needed to interact with, needed to have insights about, and he would push the envelope in some of these areas. CIA officers are known for going outside the fence line. We try to always adhere to the law in terms of what our responsibilities are, but risk is inherent in our business. We need to be able to identify individuals who are influential, the good or bad, to inform our policy makers about who they are and what theyre doing, to mitigate threats or take advantage of opportunities. As director, you give your case officers a little bit of running room to do some of those kinds of things. I absolutely want them to be risk-takers. We have very, very courageous people who are taking risks today. The CIA has traditionally played an important role in back-channel diplomacy. Is that still a vital role that the CIA plays? As I look at the future, I believe that the future of HUMINT [human intelligence] and the future of CIA is going to depend on how creative, innovative and risk-taking we are going to be to go outside the fence line to talk, listen and observe whats going on in some of these areas, including in denied areas. Would it be appropriate for a CIA officer to reach out to some part of [a terrorist organization like] AQAP [al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula] or al-Shabab that we believe to be more preoccupied with the local fight and could potentially be a useful source of information in our intelligence? I think its appropriate to be able to be at the center of the storm, whether were talking about political organizations, terrorist organizations, whatever. CIA needs to be able to have the access to gain that perspective and intelligence. In a recent interview you said the CIA doesnt steal secrets. I would never do something that would be inconsistent with our legal authorities here in this country. I just want to make sure our officers, in everything they do, they do it to the letter [and] the spirit of law. Stealing secrets is a nice catchy phrase, but I want to make sure people understand that there is tremendous skill associated with obtaining those secrets that are necessary to our national security. Sometimes spies have to do things that are ethically ambiguous, right? They have to do things that are certainly consistent with our legal authorities and obviously ethics and morality is subject to tremendous subjective interpretation and whether or not something the means justify the ends, and so on. Youre Jesuit-educated. Yes, Ive wrestled with these issues over the course of my career. I have to ask about our presumptive Republican You dont have to. nominee, about some of the things he has said about banning Muslims, about Muslims knowing that their neighbors are involved in terrorism but not telling the authorities. Hes made some sweeping comments about our Muslim population and about the need to keep Muslims out this country, this temporary ban that he talks about. How do you react to that, and is that in the interest of our national security? Im not going to talk about anything that a particular candidate says, but let me address the issue of how whole religions or peoples are too often maligned because of the actions of a few. There are individuals who call themselves Christians and Catholics who have bombed abortion facilities and have killed doctors. Do we call them radical Catholics? No. To me, who was born and raised a Catholic, I consider them anything but a Catholic. Thats why we dont ascribe to these individuals the moniker of radical Muslims. Protesters near a Donald Trump rally in Orlando, Fla., March 2016. (Photo: Brynn Anderson/AP) Do you think those kinds of comments also feed the narrative of groups like Daesh? I can tell you [that] when I speak to my counterparts in the Middle East, they have expressed concern that the narrative that may be coming from some political quarters is exacerbating the problem. Daesh wants to create this great divide between the Islamic world and the rest of the world. They are trying to fuel that fire. I think individuals who take the bait make that situation worse. The day after the Republican National Convention, the Republican nominee will be, I believe, eligible to have a briefing from the CIA. The past practice has been and the DNI [director of national intelligence] is the one who has a lead on this that with the direction and approval of the White House and the president, the candidates of the two parties are offered briefings. It is up to those individuals to decide whether or not they want to get a classified briefing. Would you have any concerns about briefing Donald Trump? I will, the agency will, carry out its responsibilities as appropriate in the aftermath of the conventions. So if Donald Trump is the nominee and he wants a classified briefing, he will get it? I dont make that decision. It is up to the president and the DNI. Trump has said he would bring back waterboarding and a hell of a lot worse. You know this workforce well; how would they react to bringing back waterboarding, and would they do it? As director, as long as Im director, no agency officer will be authorized to carry out waterboarding and some of those other EITs [enhanced interrogation techniques]. That used to be part of the agencys interrogation program, and I will not speak for the workforce, but I know there is a fair amount of concern that the hit on the institution as a result of some of those things is something that we dont want to go through again. Besides, I think a lot of people would agree with me that these tactics are neither necessary nor appropriate to carry out. I want to talk a little about your reorganization of the CIA and the creation of the new mission centers. This is about fusion, right? I have long been an admirer of the concept of integration within a workforce, and I studied a bit the Goldwater-Nichols [Reorganization Act of 1986] at the Pentagon and how it brought together the services. I cannot envision how the U.S. military would operate as independent services and not in these combined commands. I also had the great opportunity in my previous agency life to be part of the stand-up of the National Counterterrorism Center, where we brought together the networks, databases, expertise, experiences and personnel of multiple agencies. Having that broader perspective and bringing different types of expertise, I found, was a force multiplier. When I was at the White House, I felt as though the agency, in a number of instances, did not have as much influence and impact that it could have and should have. Sometimes individuals from single components here would attend meetings I chaired, and they only did the analytic part of the work or the operational part of the work and they were not able to contribute as much as I think they needed to. When I came back here, I wanted to make sure that we were able to tap into the tremendous capabilities and expertise throughout the agency. Thats why the concept of the mission centers is very similar to the combatant commander, which is you bring together the Army, Navy, Air Force, [and] Marines under leadership that has these elements complement one another to fulfill a mission. We have now these functional centers: Counterterrorism, Counter-proliferation, Counterintelligence. Weve added a Global Issues Function Center and six regional centers, [each] headed by an assistant director. Those ten assistant directors [and I] orchestrate the capabilities of the agency. This transformation will allow the CIA to contribute more meaningfully in the future. The lobby of CIA headquarters in McLean, Va. (Photo: Larry Downing/Reuters) Theres a perception that the traditional directorates are being weakened, will be marginalized, [and] will lose status and prestige. The directorates are responsible in a way for a kind of policymaking function of espionage or training and recruiting, and some of these kinds of non-operational functions. With all due respect, I disagree vehemently with those who make this argument. The five directorates are the mother ships of these disciplines, the trade craft. I consider the heads of those five directorates my senior leadership team. Have the Marines or the Army, Air Force or Navy lost prestige or influence or identity as result of the structure put in place by Goldwater-Nichols? No look to them to make sure that the training, the standards, the capabilities are going to be top-notch, so they can bring those skills to war. Another criticism is that when you put operators and analysts together, there is the danger of losing analytic objectivity or that that paramilitary actions are going to drive analysis. Analytic integrity and objectivity is critically important to this agency. I think its a valid question. I think sometimes analysts [dont receive] sufficient credit for their independence. Any analyst really worth his or her salt is sometimes theyre stubborn to a fault is going to resist that input. I find that if analysts are able to interact with operations officers whove served in a region, who have actually smelled and tasted the dirt in the country and have interacted with people being able to bounce ideas off the individual who really knows the environment enriches the analysts assessment. We teach the techniques and tools to make sure that theyre mindful [and] that theyre not going to be subject to even unconscious bias or influence. It takes special precautions? Yes, and there is a review process to make sure analytic objectivity and integrity is maintained. Talk about the new Directorate of Digital Innovation. You have said that you wanted to make sure the CIA didnt go the way of Kodak. I think for too long, CIA intelligence officers tried to stay away from technology because we were unsure about the vulnerability of it. But we cannot resist the technological revolution. Would you hope that by the time you leave the CIA, your employees here would be able to bring a smartphone into the building? I believe we need to be as mobile as possible with the various technological innovations and tools. Isnt that inevitable? You cant hermetically seal a building like this from the best technology that every American uses every day, including iPhones. Well, sometimes you can do that. I guess the question is whether you should, and how to mitigate the risks. Let me ask it this way: Is that something youre looking at? Would you hope that CIA could figure out a way to be able to do that? I want CIA to be agile and as mobile and technologically savvy, and using all the technical tools that are available, not just at CIA headquarters but around the globe. So, yes, Id like to break down some of the traditional hesitance to doing some of this. Nothing is risk-free. Its fascinating is that youre recruiting this new generation of digital natives, and they have large digital footprints and theyre on social media. People youre recruiting now probably are on Twitter and Facebook, and that presents a challenge in terms of maintaining their cover. How have you dealt with that? Thats one of the reasons why we stood up this director of digital innovation. We need to recognize that a lot of the people who come into the agency have a forensic history that we need to be aware of. What are the implications of that for the intelligence mission? For some of our clandestine activities? How are we going to hide within the cacophony of digital activity? The digital domain is ubiquitous. How are we going to engage in it as securely and as competently as possible? Militant Islamists take part in a military parade in northern Raqqa province in Iraq, June 2014. (Photo: Reuters) This is also related to technology. The biggest difference between ISIS and its predecessors, besides its brutality, is its proficiency online its use of social media for propaganda and recruiting. There is a perception that the United States government is losing in the information battle space. Is that a fair perception? I wouldnt say its losing the war, but I would agree that Daesh has made extensive and sophisticated use of social media. That generation grew up during this technological revolution, much more so than al-Qaida. They follow the literature and the news, and they know whats encrypted, whats not, [and] whats more difficult for intelligence and security agencies to access. Theyve been very cunning. The U.S. government has certain limitations in terms of what it can do, but also it conveys the truth. Daesh frequently conveys anything but the truth. Are you frustrated with some of the technology companies [reluctance] to take down extremist content from their sites? You testified recently about Twitters decision to block intelligence agencies from using its data-mining service, Dataminr. Im frustrated that [in certain parts of] the private sector, theres insufficient understanding of just how serious the threat is to national security. Believe me, people here at CIA have fought their whole lives to protect liberties. [Censorship] is the last thing we want, but I I think a lot of these companies, because of their attitudes and their positions, are frustrating the rule of law. What are their attitudes? Theyre going to develop certain types of technologies that are going to be impenetrable to anybody, and even if they Whats the attitude? The attitude is that the U.S government is them almost a we versus them. I think as American citizens, whether in the public or the private sector, there needs to be a recognition that the government has obligations to protect the general welfare and public security. Who do they think makes up the FBI and CIA and NSA? American men and women from every state, carrying out their responsibilities as faithfully as they can to protect their fellow citizens. For many, they consider the government almost as an enemy that is really trying to invade ones privacy for some type of prurient or whatever interest. Thats not the case. Have mistakes been made? Absolutely. Are there some individuals who have abused their authority? Yes. But in the grand scheme of things, what the government can do to safeguard the country and protect its citizens is more [important]. Let me ask about Edward Snowden. Theres a new campaign to pardon Snowden. Would you support a pardon? I would only support his coming back and facing the charges that have been levied against him, and to let a court of law determine his fate. In a podcast interview with David Axelrod, Eric Holder he was very critical of Snowden, but he also said that he actually performed a public service. It began and accelerated a debate in this country about these issues. Do you agree that he performed any public service? I do not believe that at all. I respectfully, but vehemently, disagree with the former attorney general. Edward Snowden talks with journalist Jane Mayer via satellite at the 15th annual New Yorker Festival, October 2014. (Photo: Christopher Lane/AP Images for The New Yorker) Youve had to make life-and-death decisions, and you operate under a tremendous amount of stress. Youve been doing this for close to eight years. How do you unwind? How do you deal with it? We do interviews like this. Yeah, right. [Chuckles.] Partly you get into a rhythm; its the normal. Sometimes its very difficult to relax and unwind. Im hoping to be able to do that at some point when I retire. So you dont relax and unwind? I try to work out everyday. What do you do? I go to a gym. I alternate between weights and cardio. You have a gym here? I have a gym somewhere, and I prefer not to say where. Did you ever watch a movie about something completely different from your work or. ? I dont watch movies about my work. I rarely watch movies. I try to catch the last couple innings of the Nationals game when I go home. Finally, do you ever worry about or think about the possibility of there being a mole inside the CIA? If youre part of an intelligence organization, counterintelligence needs to pervade everything that you do. You need to make sure that youre taking steps on the technological front as well as in the insider-threat front. We have some very competent and capable individuals. Weve learned a lot over time, but one should never assume that theres no a mole in the organization. Thats part of the intelligence business understanding that what you may be endeavoring to do against your adversaries, your adversaries are trying to do against you. Imagine traveling on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, the ship that its makers famously bragged was unsinkable. The ship has just hit a massive iceberg, its famed compartment design has failed to contain the breach, and the bow is getting dangerously close to the water. Suddenly, one of the crew rushes up to you and says, I know exactly what will save us . Another iceberg! This week, that is exactly what advocates of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, prescribed for the ailing, byzantine Obamacare system. As the few remaining Obamacare co-ops collapse, despite billions in federal subsidies, Democrats want to revive a controversial component of their partys original plan: the public option. Related: Obama Opens the Back Door to a Single-Payer Nationalized Health Plan Citing competition concerns, Obama urged lawmakers to revive a Medicare-esque government plan, at least in smaller markets. Adding a public plan in such areas would strengthen the marketplace approach, giving consumers more affordable options while also creating savings for the federal government, Obama wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association. I think Congress should revisit a public plan to compete alongside private insurers in areas of the country where competition is limited. The Daily News reported over the weekend that Hillary Clinton has backed the idea, although she has been less explicit about the idea. During the Democratic primary, Clinton opposed Bernie Sanders demand for Medicare for all as far too costly. Her campaign now says that she favors state-based, government-run plans to provide more competition. Recall that the initial ACA proposals included the public option to combat the supposed corporate greed that drove health-insurance underwriters. A government-provided plan in each market, based loosely on Medicare, would act to keep excessive profits in check by forcing insurers to lower premiums. Profit margins for health insurers at that time were hardly at windfall levels; the average was a modest 3.3 percent in 2008, far lower than, say, the legal profession (14.3 percent). Story continues Related: Get Ready for Huge Obamacare Premium Hikes in 2017 Opponents of the public option accused the Obama administration of using the public option as a Trojan horse for nationalized health care by undercutting prices and forcing insurers out of the industry. Even some advocates admitted as much. At that time, Rep. Anthony Weiner (then D-NY) told Joe Scarborough in August 2009 that of course single-payer was the end game. You actually do want the federal government to take over all of health care, the MSNBC host said. I want Medicare for all Americans, Weiner replied a slogan that reappeared during Bernie Sanders campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2015. A month after Weiners admission, the Democrat-controlled Senate Finance Committee put an end to the public option. In its place, however, came federally subsidized co-ops. They filled the same role as the public option where they existed, and had two purposes one explicit, the other less so. The more explicit purpose, or at least the one touted by ACA advocates, was to provide more choice outside of the for-profit industry, in exactly the same manner that Obama demanded in his JAMA argument. The less explicit purpose was to prove that the government could run a health insurance plan better than private-sector corporations, despite their experience and investment in risk-pool management. Related: Obamacare Insurers Are Looking for a Taxpayer Bailout Unfortunately for Obamacare cheerleaders, almost every co-op has hit their own icebergs over the past year. In the past two weeks alone, two of the few remaining (in Oregon and Illinois) have closed their doors, leaving both patients and providers in the lurch. They have blamed a decision by Congress to limit risk-corridor payouts to taxes collected on excess profits by other insurers, but that acknowledges a core criticism of the public-option concept: they are incapable of sustainable operations without large infusions of federal subsidies. As critics predicted in 2009, the public option in the form of co-ops turned out to be unsustainable. The biggest problem for Obamacare advocates is that they turned out to be far less sustainable than private-sector insurance, even under the onerous conditions imposed on insurers in the ACAs mandates. The icebergs turned out to be so large that the governments ships sunk immediately without general-fund dollars to keep them afloat, making arguments that the government could operate better than private-sector insurers. The irony of using the competition argument for the public option should not be overlooked. As noted, the underlying motive of establishing the public option was to crowd out private insurers, but even apart from that, Obamacare has been the biggest threat to choice. During the debate over the ACA in 2009-10, Democrats argued that setting up exchanges and establishing national mandates on coverage would improve competition. Republicans argued that eliminating laws barring interstate sales of insurance would work better. Related: Obamacare: Costs Go Up, Insurers Drop Out and Consumers Get Screwed The results speak for themselves. After three years of attempting to work within the ACAs framework, insurers are now walking away from numerous markets, and some suggest that an exit from Obamacare altogether may not be far off. They can see the icebergs on the horizon better than the government, and know that they cannot avoid them forever. The argument for a public option now amounts to a back-door opening for the single-payer system that Democrats wanted all along. Unlike the co-ops, which didnt have direct access to general-fund spending, public-option plans would allow the executive branch to direct funds on a nearly unlimited basis as an entitlement program, removing the barriers to a sea of red ink. All it does is rearrange the deck chairs on a sinking ship and like the Titanic, there wont be nearly enough lifeboats for the rescue needed from the coming disaster. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: By Amanda Becker In a speech weighted with Americas complicated racial history, Democrat Hillary Clinton laced into Republican presidential rival Donald Trump on Wednesday, accusing him of fueling divisions among Americans over race and religion. "His campaign is as divisive as any we have seen in our lifetimes," Clinton said at a campaign appearance at the Illinois state house in Springfield. "It is built on stoking mistrust and pitting American against American. It's there in everything he says and everything he promises to do as president." Clinton ticked off Trumps proposals to ban Muslims from entering the country, create a database of Muslims already in the country and step up deportations by creating a special deportation force as policies intended to drive Americans apart. She lambasted Trumps decision to re-tweet an image from a neo-Nazi and his statements about women. We need a president who can help pull us together, not split us apart, Clinton said. The two presumptive nominees are heading into July nominating conventions where they are to formally become the Democratic and Republican candidates who will square off in the Nov. 8 presidential election. Clinton's speech comes a week after a sniper shot and killed five Dallas police officers during a protest of police killings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. She addressed these incidents and other race-related deaths in Springfield. Clinton's speech on Wednesday carried the echo of history. The state house in the Illinois capital of Springfield was the site where President Abraham Lincoln delivered an anti-slavery speech during his campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1858, warning that a house divided against itself cannot stand. As the 16th president of the United States, he went on to guide the country through most of the Civil War. Clinton acknowledged that while the challenges we face today do not approach those of Lincolns time, the countrys long struggle with race is far from finished. The Illinois state house is also where President Barack Obama, the first African-American to hold the highest office in America, launched his first campaign for president in 2007. Trump spent months "trying to discredit the citizenship and legitimacy of our first black president," Clinton said. Trump was loudly fixated on the issue of Obama's birthplace during the 2012 presidential campaign and had also suggested that Obama was a Muslim, despite clear evidence that the president was born in Hawaii and is a Christian. Clinton acknowledged that she has made some missteps on race. She faced early criticism from the Black Lives Matter movement for past statements, such as one in the 1990s, when she was first lady, calling violent minority youth super predators. She told the Washington Post earlier this year that she shouldnt have used those words. "As someone in the middle of a hotly fought political campaign I cannot stand here and claim that my words and actions haven't sometimes fueled the partisanship that often stands in the way of progress, so I recognize I have to do better, too," she added. (Additional reporting by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Leslie Adler) Indian government today issued the fourth set of clarifications on the income declaration scheme to net the tax evaders ensuring the penalty for a violator. By Devina Gupta: Taking their fight against blackmoney one step ahead, the Government today issued fourth set of clarifications on the income declaration scheme to net the tax evaders, ruling out any softening of stand on the penalty. Income tax declaration scheme is not a seasonal sale that we can make it more attractive. The violator cant be given a facility better than honest tax payer??, said Arun Jaitley, Union Finance minister while interacting with the industry representatives. advertisement Already the government has lowered the tax penalty from to 45 percent (including surcharge) after it failed to attract tax evaders in its last amnesty scheme, but the road ahead is challenging. I think if this time Government would have introduced the income declaration scheme with the GST we would have seen much more success. The need of the hour is to widen the tax base and hopefully we will achieve that??, said Sidharth Birla, Former President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. But ceding to the industry demand, the government today decided to give more time for the penalty payment. So now a defaulter who has come clean, will have time till September 2017 to pay his dues and tax in tranches. I think it definitely removing one practical obstacle as ready cash flow is an issue. The real thing is if the tax defaulters are going to step up or if the tax base going to widen??, said Sidharth Birla, Former President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry While the efforts are on to ensure voluntary tax disclosers, NDA government is mulling tightening the noose further. Special Investigation Team on blackmoney has now recommended a total ban on cash transactions above 3 lakh rupees. It makes sense but whether it will be an absolute ban or there will be an extra tax if you exceed three lakh rupees payment will have to be seen??, said Dinesh Kanabar, CEO, Dhruva Advisors LLP. Not only that, the SIT has also recommended upper limit of Rs 15 lakh for cash holdings in an attempt to curb blackmoney transactions. Also read: Arun Jaitley cuts short China visit. Subramanian Swamy to blame? Arun Jaitley declares assets, wealth declines by Rs 6.02 crore in 2015-16 Brexit will only have temporary cascading effect on India: Arun Jaitley in Beijing --- ENDS --- In an interview with the FOX Business Networks Cavut: Coast to Coast Tuesday, the CME Groups executive chairman and president said if presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump selects Indiana Governor Mike Pence to be his running mate, it would be a smart move. I think Mike Pence would be a brilliant pick for Donald Trump, Terry Duffy said. Donald Trump has always said he needs to get a traditional politician around him. Mike Pence is just that. I think the governor is a good choice if in fact thats the direction he goes. Just days ahead of both party conventions, speculation has been rampant about who Trump will select to run alongside him as a vice presidential candidate. However, Duffy said the most important part isnt the man or woman topping the ticket or even the name on the second line but who the candidates, should they win, surround themselves with. Whats critically importantis that they have good strong people around them. You need to have a cabinet to advise the president where the president will take that advice and do whats in the best interest of the American people. So, whether thats Secretary Clinton or Mr. Trump, I think its important to have good people around them. Anti-Wall Street rhetoric has also ramped up on the campaign trail, something Duffy called low-hanging fruit. I know Wall Street has taken its lumps, and some of them are rightfully justified without question. But all in all, when people are trying to build new hospitals, new schools, new sidewalks, across America, we need someone to finance that. And thats exactly what Wall Street does, he said. Related Articles It's one of the more bizarre details in the lawsuit by Hyperloop One co-founder Brogan BamBrogan against the company's leaders. BamBrogan, in a suit filed Tuesday, alleges that in retaliation for informing investors about breaches of fiduciary duty by company leaders, former chief legal officer Afshin Pishevar brother of board chair Shervin Pishevar allegedly "strolled through Hyperloop One's office and placed a hangman's noose on BamBrogan's chair," according to the complaint. Afshin Pishevar allegedly left the noose on BamBrogan's desk after chair Shervin Pishevar met with several of the company's Russian investors, who had been informed by BamBrogan of the company's alleged infractions. The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that the company's leaders have misused funds, breached their fiduciary duty and conspired "to augment their personal brands, enhance their romantic lives, and line their pockets and those of family members)." The defendants are well-known in technology. Shervin Pishevar, a Hyperloop co-founder, was an early investor in Uber and hosted President Barack Obama at his San Francisco home last year. Joe Lonsdale, Hyperloop vice chairman, is a co-founder of Palantir Technologies and a well-known venture capitalist. And Robert Lloyd is Hyperloop's CEO and was previously on the short list to succeed John Chambers as CEO of Cisco. Lead plaintiff BamBrogan, who co-founded the company along with Pishevar in 2014, was forced to resign last month for reasons that to date haven't been made clear until now. BamBrogan was joined in the suit by three other early executives. CNBC has asked for comments from both Pishevar brothers as well as Lonsdale and Lloyd. None have yet responded. These photos are in the complaint. Read the entire lawsuit below. CNBC's Ari Levy contributed to this report. Correction: This story has been revised to reflect that Afshin Pishevar is Hyperloop One's former chief legal officer. More From CNBC (The writer is a Reuters columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.) By Mark Miller CHICAGO, JULY 14(Reuters) - You have heard of greedy geezers: that mythical army of militant seniors out to defend their Social Security benefits at any cost, even if it robs their own children and grandchildren of their futures. The greedy geezer trope, invented by now-retired Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming back in 2012, is just the most colorful example of the way that politicians have tried to pit young against old in policy debates about the future of Social Security. But these arguments are nonsense, because Social Security does much more than provide retirement benefits to the elderly. It is a broad social insurance program, and what it insures against is the risk of lost income in a household - everything from retirement to disability or death of a breadwinner. And children are important beneficiaries of the Social Security program. A study released this week underscores the importance of Social Security's multigenerational impact - in particular, the program's outsized impact on poverty rates among children of color. Nine percent of all American children under age 18 benefited from Social Security in 2014 either directly or indirectly, according to research by the Center for Global Policy Solutions (CGPS), a nonprofit research and advocacy group. That translates to approximately 6.4 million children - and it was equivalent to 11 percent of all Social Security beneficiaries. Social Security Administration data shows that 3.2 million children received Social Security benefits directly in 2014, usually as the surviving dependent of a deceased parent or guardian (43 percent) or a disabled worker (42 percent). The remaining 15 percent were children of retirees. But the CGPS study went further, using additional federal data sources to measure the number of children who live in extended families that receive Social Security. That wider lens reveals the aforementioned figure - 6.4 million children. Story continues The study underscores Social Security's importance in fighting poverty rates, especially in households of color. These rates are far too high already, and would soar to stunning levels in the absence of Social Security benefits. CGPS found that 40 percent of African-American children live in poverty - a figure that would jump to 58 percent without Social Security. In Latino households, 28 percent of children live in poverty; the figure would be 45 percent absent Social Security. And reliance on Social Security in minority households is on the rise. The number of indirect child beneficiaries in Latino households, for example, rose by 42 percent on average annually between 2001 and 2014. "We often talk about Social Security reform in the context of retirement," says Maya Rockeymoore, CEO of CGPS. "The fact of the matter is that skews our understanding of who the program serves. Social Security serves people of all ages, from birth to death - and the number of dependent children is too often ignored." DEBATE SHIFT The takeaway here: Social Security is a multi-generational program, so do not believe the zero-sum game arguments that often are raised in the context of Social Security reform discussions. That debate has shifted significantly in recent years. The program has a long-range solvency problem: the combined trust funds for Social Security's retirement and disability benefits are projected to be depleted in 2034. At that point, Social Security itself would have sufficient revenue from current taxes to pay only 79 percent of promised benefits. The problem can be avoided by raising additional tax revenue, cutting benefits or through some combination of both approaches. Arguments in favor of cutting benefits have been countered over the past three years by a growing movement in favor of reforms that would couple restoring long-range solvency with some modest benefit expansion targeting households most in need. And hard-core progressives are pushing for a broad expansion of benefits. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both oppose benefit cuts, and Clinton favors modest expansion. President Obama, who flirted with benefit cuts earlier in his administration, said in June that he, too, supports expansion. More than 20 expansion bills have been floated in Congress, with proposals ranging from targeted increases for vulnerable retirees to larger increases in benefits for all retirees. Targeted expansion could include adjusting Social Security's progressive benefit structure to deliver higher amounts to lower-income retirees, lifting Social Security's minimum benefit for very low income seniors, or enhancing the program's survivor benefit. The CGPS report adds weight to arguments for expansion - because it underscores the program's broad, positive economic impact. "Policymakers should understand that this is an important program for vulnerable people across the age spectrum," says Rockeymoore. "So when people argue that Social Security should be cut, our counter is that the data shows that would be devastating for our country - it needs to be expanded." (Editing by Lauren Young and Andrew Hay) Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f144817%2ftea_for_trumo In an audacious marketing stunt for its green tea, an Indian company has sent 6,000 tea bags to Republican nominee Donald Trump to help him "cleanse" himself and make him "smarter". SEE ALSO: Donald Trump gets a bizarre birthday party from his Indian fans The consignment of green tea from the state of Assam was sent by the Te-A-Me Tea company, which is based in the eastern city of Kolkata. The message is simple: Mr Trump, its never too late to cleanse yourself, the company told reporters. We believe that green tea with all its goodness can help Mr Trump and in turn benefit his country and the world at large, The quantity of tea bags is enough to let Trump drink three cups a day for four years. The company has said that if Trump runs out of tea, it is more than happy to supply more. "Dear Mr Trump, namaste from India, we are sending you lots and lots of natural green tea. It fights against harmful free radicals. It helps purify mind and body and regain a healthy balance. It has also proven to make people smarter. Please Mr Trump drink the tea. For your sake, for America's sake, for the world's sake," an accompanying video titled states. Called "Trumping Donald", the video shows representatives from the tea company personally delivering the tea bags to Trump Tower in New York City. Donald Trump has the whole world worried we cant stop him, but maybe we can change him, the video adds. Te-A-Me has also set up a website called "Trumping Donald" as part of the campaign. KINSHASA (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo is unlikely to hold a presidential election as scheduled in November, the U.N. head of mission there said on Thursday, something that U.N. experts have warned could trigger violent political unrest. President Joseph Kabila, in power since 2001, is bound by term limits to step down after having won elections in 2006 and 2011, but opponents accuse him of deliberately delaying the Nov. 27 poll to cling to power. "I do not see the elections (taking place) on Nov. 27," U.N. mission chief Maman Sidikou told a news conference in Kinshasa. In March, the U.N. Security Council called on the country to organize the election this year, but the government says logistical and budgetary obstacles make it unrealistic. The election commission has said it needs more than a year to update voter rolls. The country's highest court ruled in May that Kabila would remain in power until the election is held. "It is the Congolese who will decide when the elections will take place," Sidikou said. He urged political leaders to join a national dialogue called for by Kabila but which has been boycotted by leading opposition parties. The largest opposition party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, said this week that its president, 83-year-old Etienne Tshisekedi, would return to Congo to attend a July 31 rally and participate in an eventual dialogue. Tshisekedi, the runner-up to Kabila in the 2011 election that observers said was tainted by widespread fraud, has been in Belgium since August 2014 receiving medical treatment. (Reporting by Aaron Ross; Editing by Nellie Peyton and Robin Pomeroy) By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chairman of the U.S. Senate committee that oversees auto safety issues wrote Tesla Motors Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk on Thursday, asking the automaker to brief the committee on a fatal May 7 crash involving its Autopilot software. Senator John Thune, a South Dakota Republican who heads the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, asked the automaker to brief the committee by July 29 on the accident and Tesla's response to it, according to the letter seen by Reuters. The request from Thune, signaling increased scrutiny on the Silicon Valley heavyweight, came as Consumer Reports magazine urged Tesla to disable the automatic steering function on its electric vehicles due to the crash, which U.S. safety regulators are investigating. The magazine, which has 8 million subscribers and influences buyer decisions with its annual vehicle ratings, also asked Tesla to change the name of its Autopilot driving-assist system to fully test safety systems before public deployment. Thune wrote that he was interested in hearing about Tesla's efforts to ensure its technology is "deployed safely." He added that "manufacturers must educate consumers not only about their benefits but also their limitations." A Tesla spokeswoman said she had not seen the letter and did not have an immediate comment. Separately, Musk said in a tweet that a recent crash in Pennsylvania, in which the driver said he was in Autopilot mode when he crashed, was not due to the software. "Onboard vehicle logs show Autopilot was turned off in Pennsylvania crash. Moreover, crash would not have occurred if it was on," Musk wrote. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said last week that it was reviewing the Pennsylvania crash. The Pennsylvania State Police said on Tuesday that the Tesla driver, Albert Scaglione of Farmington Hills, Michigan, had been charged with careless driving. Consumer Reports said the Autopilot name promotes "a potentially dangerous assumption" that the vehicle is capable of driving on its own. But California-based Tesla defended the product and its name, saying Autopilot functions like the systems that airplane pilots use when conditions are clear. "The driver is still responsible for, and ultimately in control of, the car," the company said. NHTSA is investigating the May 7 crash and death in Florida of a Model S driver who was using Autopilot. Consumer Reports said it wants Tesla to require drivers to keep their hands on the wheel as part of an updated driver-assist system. "By marketing their feature as Autopilot, Tesla gives consumers a false sense of security," said Laura MacCleery, vice president of consumer policy and mobilization for Consumer Reports. "Were deeply concerned that consumers are being sold a pile of promises about unproven technology. Autopilot can't actually drive the car, yet it allows consumers to have their hands off the steering wheel for minutes at a time." Tesla said that while it appreciated well-meaning advice, the company would make its decisions "on the basis of real-world data, not speculation by media." Tesla shares were little changed on Thursday, trading at $222.90. Tesla, in a June blog post about the Florida crash, described Autopilot as being in a "public beta phase" and said customers have to opt in before activation. Earlier this week, NHTSA said it wants records of how many times the system told drivers to put their hands on the wheel. Tesla said on Tuesday its autosteer software, the steering function in Autopilot, was enabled during a Sunday crash involving a Model X in Montana. Tesla said data suggested "the drivers hands were not on the steering wheel." A New York woman who wants to become a nun has been told she'll have to wait to take her vows until she pays off her student loans. Alida Taylor, 28, told New York's CBS2 that her desire to become a nun happened after she graduated from the University of Louisiana, moved to New York and took a job with a Broadway costume designer. "When I moved to the city, I had all these desires. I wanted to have a career, a family and marriage, but your heart begins to shift," she told CBS2. Alida was hoping to join the Sisters of Life Convent on the city's Upper West Side, but was told she has to pay off her student debt first. "That financial debt, having that be resolved allows her to freely enter into her vocation," Sr. Mariae Agnus Dei of the Sisters of Life told CBS2. Alida had planned to pay off her student loans over the next 10 years. Now, she's set up a Go Fund Me page to help pay off the $18,000 in time to make the convent's September deadline. Why is the convent so strict about the debt? A job outside the convent is not an option, and the convent does not provide a salary or stipend for nuns. "Religious life is a full-time job, so to speak, so she wouldn't be able to work and enter into religious life," Sr. Mariae Agnus Dei told CBS2. Dealing With Student Loan Debt If your student loans are standing in the way of you achieving your personal or financial goals, you can consider ways to pay off your student loans early, or you can see if you qualify for student loan forgiveness. If you've fallen behind on student loan payments, keep in mind that they could have a direct impact on your credit scores. You can do serious damage to your credit, particularly if your loans go into default. To see how your payment history is impacting your credit, you can check your two free credit scores, updated monthly, on Credit.com. More from Credit.com The Income Tax department today conducted multiple searches on the premises of Indiabulls group in connection with its probe against the firm on charges of alleged tax evasion. By India Today Web Desk: Shares of Indiabulls Group companies tumbled over 10 per cent in trade on Wednesday following media reports about the country-wide income tax raids on their offices. The Income Tax department today conducted multiple searches on the premises of Indiabulls group in connection with its probe against the firm on charges of alleged tax evasion. According to reports, 1000 I-T officials conducted the searches that covered multiple premises of the firm in Mumbai and Delhi after the department received "actionable evidence" to mount the action. advertisement They said some instances of "asset transfers" are also under their scanner. They added documents and computer peripherals have been seized by I-T sleuths even as the action is continuing. Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited acknowledged the development in a clarification to the BSE. "With reference to todays email received from the exchange, we would like to state that this morning, officials of the Income Tax Department came to some of our offices to check our books, in the normal course. We are extending all assistance to the team of officials. We are confident that the officials will find our corporate practices and books satisfactory. "At Indiabulls group, we follow the ethical and legal standards of the highest order in all our businesses and have robust institutional measures to monitor as well as implement corporate governance of the highest standards. We are confident that these on the spot check, in the normal course, will vindicate the same," it said. It added there was "no information which has not been announced to the Exchanges under Regulation 30 of SEBI (LODR) Regulations, 2015. The stock of Indiabulls Real Estate slipped to Rs 86.20, down 9.92 per cent, stock of Indiabulls Housing fell 7.83 per cent, while Indiabulls Ventures dipped 9.93 per cent on the BSE. Shares of Indiabulls Wholesale Services shed nearly 5 per cent on the BSE. Indiabulls Group has interests in real estate development, financial services and lending. --- ENDS --- By Heather Somerville SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Venture capital firm DCM Ventures, which invests primarily in China and the United States, has raised a new $500 million fund to back early-stage technology startups. DCM Ventures, one of the few firms that has straddled China and Silicon Valley since its founding 20 years ago, has joined a rush of venture capital fundraising that put this year on pace to be the most lucrative since 2000, according to Thomson Reuters data. Venture capital firms have raised more than $22.8 billion so far this year, with the lion's share of that in the first quarter. The $500 million pot is DCM's eighth fund dedicated to early-stage technology companies and is accompanied by a $170 million fund for growth-stage deals, which allows the firm to double down on existing portfolio companies, and a $100 million fund for seed-stage deals. With its flagship fund, DCM Ventures looks to invest roughly $5 million to $10 million per company. The firm is particularly interested in bets on artificial intelligence startups, messaging platforms, software-as-a-service, drones, virtual reality and cross-border technology, such as apps to teach a foreign language, said co-founder and general partner David Chao. He added that corrections in the public and private markets have helped drive down prices and slowed the pace of investment, making some deals more feasible than they would have been just a year ago. "Now people are more price sensitive," Chao said in an interview with Reuters. "Now entrepreneurs don't expect us to put a term sheet down in two weeks." Some of DCM's previous investments include medical marijuana delivery startup Eaze, fitness tracking device maker Jawbone and anonymous messaging app YikYak. The firm says it now has more than $3 billion under management. It raises money from traditional limited partners such as pension funds, but also some of Asia's top internet companies, including Tencent, Baidu, SoftBank and Yahoo Japan, Chao said. The Menlo Park, California-based firm invests not only in China but also Japan and South Korea. Twelve exits - initial public offerings and acquisitions - from its portfolio have returned $1.5 billion to the firm's limited partners over the last three years, DCM Ventures said. Those deals include 1 Mainstream, a cloud video platform acquired last year by Cisco, and 58.com, a Chinese online classifieds company that raised $187 million in its 2013 public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Heather Somerville; Editing by Andrew Hay) The death of a 2-month-old girl in a Connecticut home-based daycare has been ruled a homicide, PEOPLE confirms. According to a statement obtained by PEOPLE from Stamford police, Bella Redondo who was born on April 24 was left in the care of at least three employees of the Little Bears Beginners in Stamford, Connecticut. Officers were called to the daycare on Tuesday afternoon, responding to reports of an infant who was having trouble breathing, the statement says. Bella was rushed to a nearby hospital, where emergency medical workers tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate her. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. An autopsy showed Bella died from blunt force trauma to the head. Thus far, there have been no arrests stemming from Bella's death, but investigators hinted that criminal charges could be filed before the end of the week. "We've narrowed it down to three people in the day care that could have the means to do this," Lieutenant Diedrich Hohn of the Stamford Police Department explained during a press conference Wednesday. "We're looking at a fall. We're looking at any mechanism of injury that could have caused this kind of trauma to the skull." Records show Little Bears Beginners opened for business just over a year ago. PEOPLE's calls to the daycare were not returned. "I'm not going to rule out accidental at this point, however some person caused this injury to happen to this baby," Lt. Hohn told reporters. Bella's death marks Stamford's first homicide of 2016. The daycare has been closed as detectives proceed with their investigation. By Stephen Kalin and Phil Stewart BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The death of Islamic State's "minister of war" may disrupt its operations, a senior U.S. military officer said on Thursday, and an Iraqi security expert said it could damage the group's important recruitment efforts in ex-Soviet republics. Abu Omar al-Shishani (the Chechen), a close military adviser to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in combat in the Iraqi district of Shirqat, south of Mosul, Amaq, a news agency that supports IS, said on Wednesday. It was the first confirmation of Shishani's death, which the Pentagon said in March had probably occurred as a result of a U.S. air strike in eastern Syria. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said on Thursday that Shishani had been the target of an attack on Sunday against an Islamic State leadership meeting near Mosul. Cook said the department was aware of reports Shishani had been killed but was not currently able to confirm that. Cook said the United States believed Shishani was killed in March but learned recently that he might still be alive and decided to carry out a strike targeting him. He said the Pentagon was still assessing the results of the strike. Hisham al-Hashimi, who advises Iraq's government on Islamist armed groups, said Shishani had been wounded in the March attack but was treated at a hospital in Shirqat, an Islamic State stronghold about 250 km (160 miles) north of Baghdad. He said Shishani was killed earlier this week in a nearby village along with an aide by an air strike during combat with U.S.-backed Iraqi forces closing in on the area. The commander of the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland, expressed confidence in the intelligence that led to the recent strike on Shishani in the Tigris River valley where Shirqat is located, but declined on Thursday to declare him dead. "We're being a little conservative in calling the ball on whether or not he's actually dead or not. But we certainly gave it our best shot," MacFarland told reporters in Baghdad. Iraqi military officials had no immediate comment. Some analysts speculated that Shishani might in fact have died in March but Islamic State delayed its announcement to allow time to line up a successor. Yet there was no immediate word from IS about who would take over for the ginger-bearded jihadist who held as many as three senior posts and was a strong force for recruitment from Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus region and Central Asia. "(IS) lost something important: the charisma that he had to inspire and seduce Salafists from Chechnya, the Caucasus and Azerbaijan - the former Soviet republics," Hashimi said. Asked about the potential impact, MacFarland said it could disrupt Islamic State operations if Shishani were indeed dead. "They would have to figure out who's going to pick up his portfolio," he said. RUSSIAN SPEAKERS Born in 1986 in Georgia, then still part of the Soviet Union, Shishani once fought with Chechen rebels against the Russian military in the Caucasus province. He then joined independent Georgia's military in 2006 and fought in its brief war with Russia two years later before receiving a medical discharge, according to U.S. officials. Shishani was one of only a few Islamist leaders with a professional military background and had several hundred fighters, mostly from ex-Soviet republics, under his command when he came to prominence in a 2013 battle against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces in northern Syria. His role in the capture of Menagh air base, which since has been ceded to regional Kurdish forces, was one of the first big victories by Russian-speaking militants in Islamic State's rapid capture of large swathes of territory in Syria's civil war. Hashimi said it was not clear who Islamic State would choose to replace Shishani, but it was likely to be someone with a similar ethnic background. "The replacement must be Chechen because there was an agreement between (IS) and the Army of Muhajireen and Ansar that this position must be filled by a Chechen," said Hashimi, referring to a Syria-based militant group that split when Shishani pledged allegiance to Baghdadi. According to photographs circulated online, road signs erected in areas controlled by Islamist State are sometimes written in three languages - Arabic, English, and Russian - testifying to the important role of Russian speakers. In many cases those rebels have been influenced by Islamist insurgencies at home, pushed out of their own countries by security crackdowns, and won advancement in Islamic State through their military skills and ruthlessness. In June, a Russian official said up to 10,000 militants from ex-Soviet republics were fighting in the ranks of jihadist groups in the Middle East. Shishani's group grew to about 1,000 fighters by the end of 2013, according to a notice issued by the U.S. government, which offered up to $5 million for any information that would help to track him down. Shishani also may have helped Islamic State seize the Iraqi city of Mosul in 2014, the victory that established the group as the most potent Islamist security threat in the Middle East. The suspected attackers in last month's attack on Istanbul airport had ties to Islamic State and were from Russia and the formerly Soviet Central Asian states of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Turkish officials say. (Reporting by Stephen Kalin; Additional reporting by David Alexander in Washington; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Peter Cooney) My friends all know that I'm not a new car buyer. I can't rationalize the instant depreciation signing new car paperwork creates. It would probably keep me up at night. Recently, a client came to me dead set on buying a new Lexus ES. Then she asked my opinion. She wasn't pleased with my answer, which ended with me saying "... a complete waste of money you and I have worked so hard together to preserve and grow." It was clear she had made up her mind on a new car. So I suggested and alternative: why not by a brand new Toyota Avalon? It's the same car. Everyone knows that Lexus is the luxury brand of Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM). And, like their American counterparts, Toyota builds its brands on the same basic platform. A 2016 Lexus ES 350, built on the Avalon platform, has a base price of around $39,000. The Toyota Avalon has a base price of around $33,000. An 18% premium for basically the same automobile. Not a good way to deploy money. I'm also seeing similar behavior as equity markets grind higher. As markets hiccupped recently with the Brexit crisis, cautious investors who wanted to own stocks gravitated to more defensive sectors such as utility and consumer staples stocks. The companies have steady, all-weather businesses and pay regular dividends. Naturally, the "flight to quality" bid these names up significantly. On average, the SPDR Utilities ETF (NYSE: XLU) and the SPDR Consumer Staples ETF (NYSE: XLP) have risen an average of 10% in just three months versus an 8.7% gain for the S&P 500 Index; an outperformance of nearly 15%. [More from StreetAuthority.com: Buy These 'Dogs' For Growth And High Income] When sectors get popular, valuations get stretched. Investors chasing those perceived defensive sectors are now probably paying too much. However, there are still some decently priced, blue chip quality stocks out there with decent dividend yields. Plus, their businesses have a defensive bias. Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW) -- The largest chemical company in the United States, household name Dow provides chemical, plastic and agricultural products to many consumer markets. While historically the chemical business has been cyclical, Dow has been shifting the focus of its product portfolio to specialty chemicals and plastics that are less cyclical, as well as expanding its agribusiness division. Specialty products now account for 60% of the company's revenue and agribusiness has room to grow at just 13%. Story continues Achieving this goal required selling assets deemed non-core by management. The largest transaction involved the sale of Dow's chlorine based business to Olin Corp. (NYSE: OLN) which generated $2 billion in cash and $2.2 billion in Olin stock, with the result that Dow shareholders now own 50.5% of Olin. But the biggest synergy event is yet to come. Dow has agreed to merge with fellow chemical giant DuPont (NYSE: DD) to create an even larger specialty chemical and agribusiness leviathan. The combination is expected to create $3 billion in cost synergies and over $1 billion in revenue growth synergies. Dow shares trade near $51, a 10.6% discount to their 52-week high, with a forward P/E of 14.5 and a 3.7% dividend yield. [More from StreetAuthority.com: Two Surprising Winners In The Wake Of Brexit] International Paper Co. (NYSE: IP) -- When you're the largest paper and forest products company in the world, your market share numbers are pretty staggering. Currently, IP produces about 20% of the world's free sheet paper used in copiers, desktop and laser printers as well as in digital imaging. However, as that market continues to shrink thanks to the proliferation of email and electronic messaging, IP has successfully shifted its focus to where the real money is: packaging. The company currently controls 25% of the global coated paperboard market. Granted, stocks of papermakers are considered cyclical. However, the dynamics of the growing global middle class and IP's enormous scale turn this stock into a steady, long-term growth story with a value priced stock. IP shares trade at an 11% discount to their 52-week high at around $44 with a forward P/E of 12.7 and an attractive 4.1% dividend yield. HP, Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) -- Honestly, I hadn't seriously looked at this stock since the mid 90's. The company has made just too many stupid moves from bad management hires to not shifting product focus soon enough. But with the spinoff of the enterprise computing business (NYSE: HPE), HP has emerged as a much more focused entity charged with the goal of returning capital to shareholders. While the HPQ's core printing business is, indeed a long shrinking proposition, the supplies portion of the business is the most intriguing. Comprised mostly of consumable items such as ink and cartridges, supplies generated 26.5% of the company's 2015 revenue of $53.3 billion. What's more, this division generated operating margins of 17% versus the hardware division's measly operating margins of just 3.5%. The supply business is viewed by analysts as almost annuity like in that it's a steady, predictable, long term stream of income. [More from StreetAuthority.com: Buy This Emerging Market Leader For Growth And Income] The result of the strength of this business line and the separation from the enterprise (i.e. cloud) business should result in the company generating free cash flow between $2.3 billion and $2.6 billion for 2016 which would help fulfill management's vision of capital return. The stock looks incredibly cheap at $13.81 with a forward P/E of just 8.5 and a dividend yield of 3.8%. Risks To Consider: While these stocks can be viewed as an alternative to the perceived "safety" of expensive looking consumer staples stocks, they are not officially in that sector. However, all three have strong franchises, consistent operating histories, and positive macro trends to benefit from. Also, there is the risk of the unknown with the success of the Dow/DuPont merger. Action To Take: These three blue chip stocks are a value-priced opportunity for investors who feel they may have missed the run up in more defensive stocks. The alternative that these stocks offer is a greater opportunity for growth. As a basket, these stocks have a blended forward P/E of 11.9 and a combined dividend yield of 3.8%. A P/E expansion to 14 combined (very reasonable) with the dividend would result in a total return in excess of 20%, which offers a better opportunity than consumer staples or utilities. Editor's Note: Looking to play defense in your portfolio? We've identified the top "Crash-Protection" stock to buy now. It's been around since the 1800s... and thrives during bad times. During the 2007 to 2009 recession, it had record profits. In fact, every time investors panic, this company increases its profits. Get the name of this stock here. Disclosure: Adam Fischbaum owns IP in managed client portfolios. Related Articles By Kieran Guilbert DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - More than 1,000 people accused of supporting Boko Haram in Cameroon are being detained in military bases and prisons, often without any evidence, and dozens are dying from disease, malnutrition and torture, a rights group said on Thursday. Since a regional offensive last year drove Boko Haram from most of their strongholds, the Islamist militants have waged a guerrilla-style campaign targeting civilians. In Cameroon, teenage girls have killed dozens in suicide bombings carried out by the group. But a crackdown by the government and security forces on the Islamist militants has fueled the widespread abuse of civilians across Cameroon's Far North region, said Amnesty International. Cameroonian government officials were not immediately available for comment. "We are not necessarily talking about Boko Haram fighters - but about normal people who happened to be in the wrong place in the wrong time," said Amnesty researcher Ilaria Allegrozzi. "In the fight against Boko Haram, innocent people are paying the price," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Many people are held at illegal detention sites in military bases run by Cameroonian troops before being transferred to official prisons, Amnesty said in a report. Several detainees in the military bases told Amnesty that they were tortured and beaten with sticks, whips and machetes, sometimes until they lost consciousness. "Two prisoners were beaten up so badly that they died in front of us," Amnesty quoted a 70-year-old man as saying. "The men kicked them, slapped them violently, and hit them with wooden sticks." In the main prison in Maroua, the capital of the Far North region, between six and eight people die every month in dirty and overcrowded cells where malnutrition is rife, Amnesty said. Detainees suspected of supporting Boko Haram who are brought to trial risk being convicted and sentenced to death, despite there often being little or no evidence, the rights group said. More than 100 people have been sentenced to death in Maroua's military court since July 2015, although none have yet been executed, said the "Right Cause, Wrong Means" report. Most defendants are charged under an anti-terrorism law passed in 2014, which is ambiguous and vague, Amnesty said. A 27-year-old who was arrested after sending a text message to his friends, joking about Boko Haram recruiting graduates, could face the death penalty, the rights group said. "If a student can face the death penalty for sending a sarcastic text message, it is clear that there is a serious problem with the design and use of Cameroon's anti-terrorist legislation," said Alioune Tine, Amnesty's regional director. More than 15,000 people have been killed and 2.4 million uprooted in Nigeria and neighboring Chad, Niger and Cameroon during Boko Haram's seven-year campaign to carve out an Islamic caliphate in northeast Nigeria. (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) In a move towards the right direction, a website exclusively dedicated to the transgender community has been launched, which also boasts of the facility of live discussions. By Press Trust of India: A first of its kind website offering round-the-clock support to the transgender community and providing a forum for them to share experiences was launched today. The website--www.transgenderindia.com--was launched by Neysara Rai, a 33-year-old transgender from Mangaluru. "The website provides a forum for transgenders all over the country and aims to become an important tool as the first line of action to fight discrimination and increase acceptance within families for the people," Rai said in a statement. advertisement "There are about 30 lakh transgenders in India, but as per the Union government's figures, this population is only 5 lakh," she claimed. Rai added that transgenders in India live an obscure life trying to hide the transition they face. It is important to change public perception about them and bring positive role models of the community to the limelight, she said. The website would also publish real-life experiences of other such persons and their families who had been through similar experiences. It has a discussion forum, Transgender Talk, which has live discussions and online support. --- ENDS --- Barcelona (AFP) - France international Lucas Digne hailed the start of a "big adventure" at his unveiling as Barcelona's latest signing on Thursday. The 22-year-old defender joined the club on Wednesday from Paris Saint-Germain on a 16.5 million, $18.26m (plus bonuses) five-year deal after a successful loan spell at Serie A's Roma. "This is the greatest club in the world, it's the start of a big adventure for me," the stylish Lille-trained player told a press conference. Digne was part of Didier Deschamps' 23-strong France squad for Euro 2016. But he didn't play a single minute, with the experienced Patrice Evra preferred in the Les Bleus' starting XI. Digne, sporting bandages on his face after nose surgery, added: "I think this is the perfect club to evolve and to stay for a long time." At the prospect of playing alongside the likes of Neymar and Lionel Messi he said: "It's an extra motivation and it'll help me make enormous progress". Digne's arrival comes on the same week as another French defender, Samuel Umtiti, joined The Catalans from Lyon in a deal worth 25 million euros ($27.7 million). Tyrannosaurus rex wasn't the only meat-eating menace with teeny-tiny arms. Like its distant relative, T. rex, a newly identified dinosaur, named Gualicho shinyae, sported small arms and hands with two clawed fingers. "We're slowly getting more information on this sort of pattern of limb reduction, and getting at this question of why tyrannosaurs and some other theropods shortened their forelimbs," said study corresponding author Peter Makovicky, curator of dinosaurs at the Field Museum in Chicago. [See Images of the Tiny-Armed Gualicho shinyae] G. shinyae belonged to a group called the allosaurs and lived about 90 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. That's a good 23 million years before T. rex entered the scene between 67 million and 65 million years ago. Because they are only distantly related (both are considered theropods, which are bipedal and mostly carnivorous dinosaurs), the two species likely developed their tiny arms and two-digit hands independently due to similar evolutionary pressures a process called convergent evolution, the researchers said. Bony discovery Study lead author Sebastia?n Apestegui?a, a paleontologist with the Natural History Foundation (AZARA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and a team of researchers discovered the dinosaur along the northern edge of a large reservoir in Patagonia, Argentina, in 2007. (In fact, five other predatory dinosaurs have also been found in that area, called the Huincul Formation.) "Unfortunately, it's one of those specimens that was discovered probably 50 years too late," Makovicky told Live Science. "We have the hind limbs and the forelimbs, we have the section of the back and the tail, a little bit of the hips." But they couldn't locate the skull and much of the vertebral column, likely because of erosion. However, based on what they found, as well as the anatomy of other allosaurus dinosaurs, they estimate that at its hips G. shinyae was about 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall, and that it measured about 25 feet (7.6 m) long and weighed about 1 metric ton (1.1 tons), Makovicky said. Story continues "It's not a giant animal by dinosaur standards, but not small, either, so [it's] a midsize predator," he said. G. shinyae is also a bizarre mosaic of different dinosaurs. It looks a bit like Carcharodontosaurus, another carnivorous theropod, as well as Deltadromeus (delta runner), a carnivorous dinosaur with slender arms found in Africa, which is possibly a close relative, the researchers said. [Photos: Dinosaur's Battle Wounds Preserved in Tyrannosaur Skull] Divine inspiration Researchers named the dinosaur Gualicho shinyae after two women: The genus honors Gualichu, a goddess of animals who was revered by the Tehuelche people of Patagonia. When Europeans brought Christianity to the area, the newcomers reinterpreted Gualichu as a demonic entity, the researchers wrote in the study. The paleontologists joked that Gualichu had put a curse on them during their fieldwork, after their truck flipped over (no one was seriously hurt), Makovicky said. The species name honors Akiko Shinya, who discovered the specimen. The newfound dinosaur is an exciting find, said Thomas Carr, an associate professor of biology at Carthage College in Wisconsin, who was not involved in the study. "It really provides a sharper focus on the whole phenomenon of forelimb reduction and finger loss in theropods," Carr said. "It clearly occurs across many different lineages for different reasons and in different ways." It also shows that "tyrannosaurs' [arms] really aren't unusual," Carr said. "It's not just a one-off." The new study was published online today (July 13) in the journal PLOS ONE. Original article on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. By Caroline Copley BERLIN (Reuters) - London-based online money transfer business Azimo is considering switching its headquarters to mainland Europe because of Brexit, which it says could threaten Britain's position as a global hub for the financial technology - fintech - industry. Financial services firms operating out of London rely on the EU's "passporting" system, which allows them to sell their services across the bloc while being registered and regulated just in Britain, thus saving huge amounts of money by not having to set up shop in each member state. However Britain has to negotiate new trading terms with Europe after it voted last month to leave the bloc. Given the uncertainty over whether the country will keep its passporting powers, Azimo is looking at being registered and regulated in another EU country, said its British co-founder and Chief Executive Michael Kent. The aim is to ensure it can continue to easily offer its services across the bloc, he told Reuters in an interview during a visit to Berlin. "Whilst we are regulated out of the UK at the moment, we're talking to regulators in other jurisdictions about changing that, because we have hundreds of thousands of customers in continental Europe and we're not about to give up on them." For regulated financial services businesses, Kent said the obvious alternatives to London were Ireland, Luxembourg and Amsterdam followed by Berlin and Barcelona. London has worked hard to cultivate its reputation as a top global location for fintech firms by marrying the city's longstanding strength as one of the world's top financial capitals with its more recent success as a tech startup hub. Britain's fintech sector was the biggest in the world last year, earning 6.6 billion pounds in revenue to beat California and New York, according to a report by accounting firm EY commissioned by the British government. But Kent said he believed the uncertainty stemming from the shock vote to quit the European Union could hurt the sector. Story continues "To become a fintech hub, you need people, capital and the regulatory environment. Unfortunately, Brexit puts a question mark next to all of those," he said. Azimo has already received interest from other European regulators, the CEO said. "The French have said we'll roll out the red carpet, we got a thing from (another) one of the regulators recently saying, have you considered this jurisdiction," he added. Many other finance firms have said they may have to relocate divisions and staff into another EU country following Brexit, with France, Ireland and Germany in particular making vocal pitches to lure them to their capitals. 'CAN'T WAIT TWO YEARS' Founded in 2012, Azimo is backed by Japanese e-commerce group Rakuten which invested $15 million into the firm in May, as well as U.S. venture capital fund Greycroft Partners, Britain's Frog Capital and Germany's e.ventures. Along with fellow UK-based rivals WorldRemit and TransferWise, online providers like Azimo are shaking up the established retail-based money transfer business dominated by Western Union and MoneyGram by delivering money at lower cost to people on their mobile phones. The remittance firm allows customers to send money to more than 190 countries in over 80 currencies. One advantage of the UK is that its financial services watchdog is relatively innovative when it comes to adapting regulation for new business models, said Kent. In contrast, Germany's Bafin tends to be less progressive, he added. Despite the uncertainty, the Azimo CEO remains bullish about the prospects for the UK market, even if Britain goes into a recession, since remittances tend to be non-discretionary payments. The average transaction size for Azimo is around 500 euros (420), he said. The UK accounts for remittance flows of $17 billion (12.8 billion) a year, according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (Ifad), making it the second biggest money-sending country in Europe after Russia. "We will never leave the UK completely; we will always have a presence in London because a lot of our customers are British and we don't think they're going anywhere. But we will think about the deployment of our financial and our staff resources," he said. "And we're thinking about it now, because I can't wait two years to find out what happens." (Editing by Pravin Char) Days before the Cleveland convention, GOP leaders and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump have found a rare bit of common ground: ditching decades of bipartisan U.S. foreign policy calling for the creation of an independent Palestine. The shift came when the Republican Platform Committee unanimously approved an Israel-Palestine provision Tuesday night that had a striking omission: any reference to a two-state solution to the long-running conflict. The platform instead uses staunchly pro-Israel language that promises to oppose any outside efforts to force Jerusalem into a deal. The new platform language was drafted with not only the blessing but the intimate involvement of two of Trumps closest aides, Jason Greenblatt and David Friedman, according to several sources behind the effort. The two men are Trumps primary Israel advisors. The successful push to eliminate the two-state language was led by a broad if seemingly unlikely coalition that included Sen. Ted Cruzs national security advisor; a Mormon state representative from South Carolina; and a Jewish former media executive who runs a super PAC called Iron Dome Alliance, a reference to Israels storied Iron Dome missile defense system. Members of the ad hoc alliance didnt know where Trump, the infamously inconsistent businessman and presumptive nominee, stood on Israel-Palestine generally or the two-state question specifically. In the end, they were pleasantly surprised to see Greenblatt and Friedman, presumably with Trumps blessing, working alongside them to craft the new language. The U.S. seeks to assist in the establishment of comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East, to be negotiated among those living in the region, the new plank reads, according to a copy obtained by Foreign Policy. We oppose any measures intended to impose an agreement or to dictate borders or other terms, and call for the immediate termination of all U.S. funding of any entity that attempts to do so. Story continues The Republican National Committee has yet to publicly release its platform, which will be formally adopted at the convention, but the Mideast language is a striking departure from what had been stated GOP policy as recently as four years ago: We support Israels right to exist as a Jewish state with secure, defensible borders; and we envision two democratic states Israel with Jerusalem as its capital and Palestine. The significantly different new language raises the thorny question of whether Trump is in fact ready to take to the trail with a foreign policy that breaks with about 30 years of established thinking on one of the most fraught issues in American politics. Trump tweeted Wednesday, The Republican platform is most pro-Israel of all time! and Greenblatt and Friedman quietly published a post noting their involvement from conception to approval. We stand resolutely with Mr. Trump in his belief that no country should pressure Israel into making peace, and we are gratified that this conviction is expressed in the platform, they wrote, emphasizing Trumps alignment with the party base. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks did not respond to requests for comment Thursday on whether he supports a two-state solution, but Thursday afternoon, the campaign announced the formation of the Israel Advisory Committee. Greenblatt and Friedman are co-chairmen. The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians runs deep. Every president in modern history has tried and failed to resolve this conflict, Trump said in a statement. We mustnt fear taking new, constructive and mutually beneficial steps to advance the cause of peace in the region. Jeff Ballabon, whose Iron Dome Alliance was a significant player in the push, said Trump has been somewhat of a cipher on policy. He doesnt have a foreign policy record to look at, Ballabon told Foreign Policy on Wednesday. But he said he got the very strong sense from working with his Israel advisors that they are exactly where the Republican Party is. There was active involvement in contributing to this plank and moving it away from where it was, he said, speaking of Greenblatts and Friedmans work. During the Republican primary, the Manhattan real-estate magnate came under fire from his opponents for saying he wanted to remain neutral on the Israel-Palestine conflict and indicating fault lay with Israelis. A lot will have to do with Israel and whether or not Israel wants to make the deal whether or not Israels willing to sacrifice certain things, Trump told The Associated Press in December. Trump has tried to regain ground by giving a well-received, Obama-bashing speech in March at the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (whose leadership later condemned the remarks) and taking pains to sound more clearly pro-Israel, rejecting a nasty comment on Israel from a June town hall attendee by saying, We are going to protect them 100 percent. Still, the campaign hasnt been able to shake the widespread perception that its willing to use anti-Semitic dog whistles and court the support of neo-Nazis and other extremists. On July 6, Trump posted, then deleted, an image on his Twitter account depicting Hillary Clinton and a six-pointed star with piles of money in the background, feeding into Jewish stereotypes. He later said he regretted removing it. Elliott Abrams, a longtime Republican foreign policy hand, said the two-state solution was implicit U.S. policy during the Camp David peace talks at the tail end of Democratic President Bill Clintons administration. The creation of an independent Palestine became the stated policy of the United States in 2002, during the administration of President George W. Bush. The Republican handed off the policy to Democratic President Barack Obama, who in the ensuing years has developed a frosty relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Alan Clemmons, the Mormon South Carolina Republican legislator, and Ballabon met for the first time in 2011 while they were in Jerusalem. They believed the Republican base had moved away from the two-state solution, and they decided the partys platform would be the ideal place to make that statement very publicly, Ballabon told Foreign Policy on Wednesday. In 2012, Ballabon said that AIPAC and other groups dedicated to what he called lockstep bipartisanship on U.S. policy toward Israel teamed up with supporters of nominee Mitt Romney to retain the two-state language. AIPAC did not respond to requests for comment. So what changed in 2016? Barack Obamas second term showed ever greater schisms between the parties, Ballabon said, pointing to the heated debate around the Iran nuclear deal. In the Republican primary, Ballabon advised several campaigns on Israel policy but eventually endorsed Cruz. In a March debate before Super Tuesday, the Texan called out Trump for saying hed be neutral between Israel and Palestine. Trump doubled down, saying, I would like to at least have the other side think Im somewhat neutral as to them, so that we can maybe get a deal done. Once Trump had emerged as the last man standing, Ballabon reached out to his team and was similarly surprised that they were already on board with their Israel policy recommendations, including cutting the two-state language. Clemmons, a South Carolina delegate, said in the last few weeks that hes become acquainted with Trump, though he didnt support him during the primary. While hes only required to vote for the nominee on the first convention ballot, he said: I am pleased to report that I will cast each and every vote for Donald Trump. He sees Israel as I see Israel, and as I believe a majority of Americans, and certainly the base of the Republican Party, see Israel. Trumps advisors vetted and tweaked the plank language, he said. While AIPAC expressed initial concern, it ultimately did not object at the final drafting committee meeting on Tuesday, according to Clemmons. The new language was adopted unanimously. Despite the apparent convergence of Trumps advisors and GOP leaders, that doesnt mean removing the two-state solution from the platform will be without controversy or risk. A number of Republicans, including Abrams, have said Trumps statements on foreign policy demonstrate dangerous inexperience a point Clinton is hammering. And though only symbolic, the move still could reinforce fears in the Arab world about a potential Trump presidency, given his Islamophobic comments and on-again, off-again Muslim ban. Abrams acknowledged that the new language could communicate to Palestinians, Yeah, were OK with permanent occupation. Still, he said the change was worthwhile because removing the two-state language says to the next U.S. president, Dont repeat what has failed time and again in the past: reaching for a comprehensive agreement not currently available, he said. Ballabon argued that omitting the two-state solution creates an incentive for Palestinians. That may be why Trumps advisors were so supportive, he said: If Donald Trump is anything, he is not someone who likes to lose. This story has been updated. Photo credit: The Washington Post/Contributor NEW YORK Multiple reports on Thursday indicated that Donald Trump is set to pick Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his vice presidential running mate. But in an abrupt change of plans, the presumptive Republican nominee late Thursday postponed a Friday morning news conference to unveil his pick, citing a deadly truck attack in Nice, France. In light of the horrible attack in Nice, France, I have postponed tomorrows news conference concerning my vice presidential announcement, Trump said in a Twitter message. CNN, ABC News and NBC News all reported late Thursday that Trump had offered the job to Pence, and that the Indiana governor had accepted. Pence landed in New York Thursday evening and had been expected to meet with Trump aides before joining the candidate at Fridays news conference. But about a half hour after the governors arrival, Trump, in Los Angeles as part of a two-day fundraising swing, suddenly canceled the event. A short while later, around the same time reporters observed Pence being escorted into a hotel near Trump Tower, Trump called Fox News, where he told host Greta Van Susteren that he was still undecided on who should join him on the GOP ticket. I have not made my final, final decision, Trump said. A Trump spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment. It was yet another unexpected development in a wild day of rumors and drama surrounding Trumps VP pick. Citing unnamed sources close to the campaign, both Roll Call and CBS News reported shortly before noon that Trump was expected to offer Pence the job in a phone call Thursday afternoon. The New York Times also reported that campaign officials had signaled to Republicans in Washington that Pence was Trumps pick. And the Indianapolis Star, Pences hometown paper, also reported the Indiana governor was Trumps pick, citing unnamed sources. But Trump campaign officials quickly moved to tamp down those reports. A decision has not been made by Mr. Trump. He will be making a decision in the future, Jason Miller, a spokesman for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said on Twitter. A spokesman for Pence did not respond to an email requesting comment, but the governors deputy campaign manager for his reelection campaign was spotted by reporters on a flight from Indianapolis to New York on Thursday morning. Story continues By mid-afternoon, reporters began to wonder if the early reports were wrong. Sources told NBC News that Trump had not made a decision and that there was a split among members of the Trump family over whom the candidate should pick. Donald Trump Jr. told NBC that three choices remained and his father would make the decision sometime Thursday afternoon. In a subsequent message on Twitter, Trumps son denied reports of drama and joked that his sister, Ivanka Trump, was the pick. At the same time, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said to be on Trumps shortlist, said in a Facebook video that he had not yet heard from the presumptive Republican nominee about his VP choice. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, another finalist, similarly told MSNBC he had not heard from Trump. Donald Trump and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence at a July 12 campaign rally in Westfield, Ind. (Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images) The last-minute intrigue over Trumps running mate came after a whirlwind two weeks in which Trump held what amounted to public auditions for the job. Last week, the New York real estate mogul appeared with Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker who subsequently took himself out of the running for the position. That appearance was followed by a joint rally with Gingrich in Cincinnati, while Christie introduced Trump at a policy speech Monday in Virginia Beach, Va. Pence was the last prospective candidate to appear with Trump, joining him on stage Tuesday night at a rally outside Indianapolis. The next morning, Trump met privately with Pence again in Indianapolis this time joined by his adult children in a flurry of meetings with prospective running mates, including Gingrich and Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, both of whom flew to Indiana to meet with the GOP presidential candidate. On Wednesday, a Republican source close to the Trump campaign said most of Trumps senior advisers, including his campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, were urging him to pick Pence, arguing that the former Republican congressman and staunch conservative could help Trump win over mainstream Republicans still wary of his candidacy. Manafort had privately expressed concern about whether Christie and Gingrich, two powerful personalities with their own political brands, had the ability to be disciplined team players behind Trump heading into the fall. But Trump has privately wavered on whether to go with Pence, someone he does not know well, or with longtime friends like Gingrich or Christie, who have been loyal defenders of his campaign. Though he has had a team of people vetting his potential running mates, including longtime GOP hand Arthur Culvahouse, Trump has repeatedly said he will go with his gut on the pick. If Trump picks Pence, critics would be sure to zero in on the Indiana governors policy breaks with the top of the ticket. Pence, who briefly entertained his own run for the presidency before endorsing Texas Sen. Ted Cruz late in the GOP primary, publicly criticized Trumps proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States as offensive and unconstitutional. He is also a vocal supporter of free trade and strongly backed the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership two trade deals that Trump has repeatedly railed against as total disasters for the country. At the same time, Pence has a mixed record on the national stage. While polls suggest he is largely unknown to most Americans, he made headlines in 2015 when he signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a bill that was widely criticized as allowing legal discrimination against gays and lesbians. After a national outcry, including threats from major corporations to stop doing business with Indiana, Pence signed an amended version of the bill. But the controversy soured his relationships with the business community and even many Republicans in the state, who felt he had gone too far. The controversial bill is widely viewed as what killed Pences initial 2016 presidential aspirations. Still, the Pence pick could potentially be a boost for Trumps campaign in Indiana, a crucial swing state, and could also help solidify his standing with evangelicals a key bastion of voting support for Republicans that Trump desperately needs to turn out this fall. But late Thursday, Trumps decision making seemed to be shrouded more in drama than certainty. The Indiana governor, who is seeking a second term, cannot run for both reelection and as Trumps VP. He faces a noon deadline on Friday to remove himself from the gubernatorial ballot if he were to join the GOP ticketand Trumps public announcement could likely come after that deadline. Additional details to follow, Trumps campaign said in a statement to reporters canceling Fridays event. There is no further information at this time. Donald Trumps likely running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, doesnt just contrast with him on style, but also on substance. Unlike the New York real estate mogul, Pence is a fairly typical Republican, a social and economic conservative who espouses traditional small-government ideas. Heres a closer look at three issues where they differ. On abortion In March, Trump said he backed punishment for women who get abortions if they are banned. He later backtracked, saying women who get abortions illegally punish themselves. Trumps initial statement attracted widespread condemnation, including criticism from Pence. Governor Pence does not agree with the statement made by Donald Trump, Pences office said in a blunt statement in March. The Governor believes that its important to focus on policies, as we advance the sanctity of life on those that are performing the abortions. On free trade A cornerstone of Trumps campaign has been his assertion that, if elected, he will make it difficult for foreign manufacturers to compete by placing tariffs on goods made abroad and shipped to the U.S. Last month, Trump blasted the Trans-Pacific Partnership in a speech on trade at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, calling the TPP the greatest danger yet. Pence has been a longtime campaigner for free trade. He is opposed to tariffs on imported goods, supports TPP and also supported the North American Free Trade Agreement. In 1991, Pence ran an Indiana think tank that advocated for free-market policies. Trade means jobs, but trade also means security. The time has come for all of us to urge the swift adoption of the Trans Pacific Partnership Governor Mike Pence (@GovPenceIN) September 8, 2014 On Muslim ban In the wake of the San Bernardino shooting, Trump called for a ban in December of all Muslims entering the U.S. He reiterated that call in the wake of the Orlando nightclub shooting. Trump has since said the ban would only apply to Muslims from terrorist countries. Pence reacted strongly to Trumps call for a ban. In December, he called the idea offensive and unconstitutional. The governor doubled down on those comments earlier this week. Pence said he still did not agree with the ban but nonetheless would support Trump. Kinshasa (AFP) - The Democratic Republic of Congo said Thursday it was expelling two investigators from the British environmental watchdog Global Witness, accusing the pair of fomenting revolt against the logging industry. "The government of the Republic has tasked me with declaring (them) undesirable... and to ask them to leave the country by tonight," Environment Minister Robert Bopolo told a press conference, where he showed the two to the media. Global Witness has gained a widening reputation for detailed investigations, sometimes under cover, into environmental and human rights abuses. Its campaigns cover so-called "conflict" diamonds and minerals and illegal logging of tropical forests. Global Witness identified the two as Jules Caron, a Canadian, and Reiner Tegtmeyer, a German national. Bopolo said the two had been in the country since June 22 with "irregular" visas and had visited five sites where logging was carried out. "They took the liberty of telling lies to local people, seeking to make them rise up against the holders of logging rights, with all the negative consequences that this entails for peace in this country, for poverty, health, education, and even for the political regime," Bopolo said. "Deceitful behaviour of this kind is a threat to the country." The two went to Orientale Province in the northeast of the vast country, and to the provinces of Bandundu, in the southwest, and Equateur, in the northwest, Bopolo said. In a statement, Global Witness said its two employees were innocent and were being expelled "on false pretences" -- a sign, it said, the authorities were trying to limit external scrutiny of its forestry sector. "This was a routine trip," the statement quoted Alexandra Pardal, a Global Witness campaign leader, as saying. "Global Witness was in DRC to meet with communities living on the edge of logging sites in Equateur Province to find out whether the benefits promised by logging companies had materialised." Story continues Under DRC law, logging companies are required to meet local communities to discuss social and economic benefits from their business, which can include the construction of roads, schools or medical clinics, the group said. "We were in the country legitimately, on authorised visas, and with all of the relevant documents outlining our intended work. "The fact that our staff has been expelled from the country on false pretences is a worrying sign the DRC government is trying to limit the critical role played by civil society in ensuring the countrys forest sector is transparent, lawful and corruption-free." Bopolo criticised those who sought to carry out external checks. "We are able to monitor our logging concessions ourselves," he said. UNITED NATIONS/BAMAKO (Reuters) - Dutch forces are preparing to withdraw seven "essential" helicopters from the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, with no clarity yet on how they will be replaced, the United Nations said on Thursday. "The Netherlands has indicated its intention to withdraw its attack and military utility helicopter units," U.N. peacekeeping spokesman Nick Birnback said. "The four attack helicopters are essential for the mission, to deter and to respond to attacks," he said, adding that three utility helicopters were also being taken off the mission. He said the U.N. was consulting with other countries to determine what options may be available. The withdrawal, which officials said was owing to their equipment being overstretched, comes as insecurity is worsening in northern Mali. Islamist groups are increasingly staging attacks against the more than 11,000 peacekeepers there, as well as civilians and Malian government officials. The United Nations plans to increase the mission by 2,500 peacekeepers. Two Dutch peacekeepers were killed by an accidental mortar explosion during a training exercise last week, the latest casualties in the world's deadliest place for peacekeepers to serve. There are around 400 Dutch troops serving in Mali. French forces intervened in 2013 to drive back Islamist fighters who had hijacked a Tuareg uprising to seize Mali's desert north in 2012, but Islamist attacks continue, including one that killed two peacekeepers at the end of last month. Besides Islamist attacks, social unrest linked to dissatisfaction with a peace deal signed a year ago is also undermining peacekeeping efforts. Protests turned violent this week when the military opened fire on a crowd. Mali's President Ibrahim Keita "expressed deep regret" in a special televised address on Thursday for the killing of three youths by soldiers at that protest, and for other violence dogging Mali. "The incidents are regrettable and could have been avoided," he said. "I call on all the members of our society to remain calm and cultivate dialogue as .... as way out of this crisis." (Reporting by Thomas Escritt in Amsterdam, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations and Adama Diarra in Bamako; Writing by Tim Cocks; editing by Grant McCool) Here are a few overseas destinations, including in Europe that can make an Indian traveller feel richer with minimum damage to the wallet. Most of the travellers like to combine Hungary with other destinations such as Germany, Czech Republic, Austria or Italy. Picture courtesy: Mail Today By Adila Matra: Gone are those days when travelling abroad remained a dream until savings piled up, kids were sent off to colleges and you had crossed over to the other side of 40. Young, middle class travel buffs are now on the lookout for international destinations that offer the best value for money and packages. Many trends such as the Brexit and One Hungarian forint, which is now equal to 0.24 rupees have prompted Indian travellers to pack their bags. advertisement Says Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings, "Hungary is one of the most cost-effective destination in Europe now. Travellers can enjoy here some old world charm with majestic architecture, hot springs, good wine and great spas. And all of these with no holes in their pocket. Hence, the destination has become quite popular among Indians. Most of the travellers like to combine Hungary with other destinations such as Germany, Czech Republic, Austria or Italy, Slovenia, Austria." The travel packages come relatively cheap now. Cox and Kings' Eastern Europe Treasures package that includes a seven-day six-night stay in Prague, Vienna, Budapest starts from Rs 46,453, which is 10 per cent less than what it used to be. The weakening of the pound due to Brexit is fuelling UK holidays. Picture courtesy: Mail Today Says Ranjeet Oak, Chief Business Officer-Holidays, MakeMyTrip, "Due to better air connectivity, some European countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria are emerging as clear winners. We have seen a lot of traction for Russia as well. And if one were to look at beaches, Bali has moved up the ranks and is amongst the ranks of a Mauritius and Maldives today. Undoubtedly, cost plays a huge part here, however, it is also a combination of the ease with which one can get a visa, the novelty of the destination as well as the activities one can indulge in (which is a huge determinant when it comes to targeting segments/age groups) which draws interest from Indian travellers." Also see: National Geographic's best travel photographs of 2016 For Russia, the cost is around Rs 75,000 for 6N/7D and Bali is trending at around Rs 45,000 for 5N/6D. This includes flights, accommodation (standard category hotels), transfers, and visa (only for Russia). UK is one of the most sought after destination for Indian travellers. The weakening of the pound due to Brexit is benefitting Indians travelling to the UK as hotels and other services are getting less expensive. As a result, more number of Indians are expected to visit UK this year. advertisement "Nepal and Sri Lanka are all time popular among Indian travellers. They are also showing great interest in the other budget friendly exotic destinations such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Mongolia and Costa Rica," says Anand. Angkor Wat is one of the most popular destinations among Indian travellers. Picture courtesy: Mail Today Cox and Kings' Gems of Britain package for eight days and seven nights in London, Cardiff, Manchester, Liverpool, York starts from Rs 72,862. Oak says the effects of Brexit are yet to reflect on packages but it has brought down the overall expenditure of a holiday. He adds, "The angle of affordability combined with buzz around these destination is encouraging honeymooners, young corporates and couples with small children to travel to these countries. Young aspiring India travellers today not just look at visiting the destinations but want to make their travel much more experiential." Popular destinations Hungarian Forint = Rs 0.24 Czech Crown = Rs 2.75 Euro = Rs 74.43 Costa Rican Colon = Rs 0.12 Zimbabwean Dollar = Rs 0.185 Indonesian rupiah = Rs 0.0051 Vietnamese Dong = Rs 0.0030 Mongolian Tugrik = Rs 0.033 --- ENDS --- advertisement The Hague (AFP) - A man was on Thursday sentenced to 30 days in prison for insulting the king of the Netherlands on Facebook, prosecutors said, after being convicted of breaking seldom used royal defamation laws. The 44-year-old Dutchman "intentionally insulted King Willem-Alexander", accusing him of being a murderer, thief and rapist, the Dutch judiciary said in a statement. The man also doctored images of executions online to include the king's face in place of those of the actual victims, it said. He was found to have violated the king's dignity, "specifically relating to the king's constitutional position and its importance for the national interest". "This behaviour is unacceptable in our society and demands that a penalty be imposed on the suspect." Although the court in Overijssel, in the country's northeast sentenced him to 30 days imprisonment, of which 16 were suspended, the man will not face any further time in prison having already spent 14 days in preventative custody last year. The Netherland's progressive D66 party has proposed scrapping the so-called "lese majeste" laws that make it an offence to defame the king, according to Dutch news site Nu.nl. King Willem-Alexander, who according to Nu.nl supports an examination of the laws, has pledged to accept the outcome of any debate on the issue. The issue of the laws banning defamatory speech against the royals last flared up in November 2014 when an activist shouted "Fuck the King, Fuck the Queen and Fuck the Royal House" during a protest. Though the prosecutor initially filed a suit against the protestor, the decision was subsequently reversed after an outcry over the move that was condemned as an assault on freedom of speech. The law banning defamation of the royal household has been on the statute books since 1881 and carries a penalty of up to five years in prison or a fine of 20,000 euros ($22,000) for those convicted. In practice prosecutions are rare with just 18 brought between 2000 and 2012 -- only half of which resulted in convictions, according to public television. By Polina Devitt and Oksana Kobzeva MOSCOW (Reuters) - Last month, three major banks rescued industrialist Igor Zyuzin's coal and steel firm Mechel from what would have been Russia's biggest ever corporate collapse. The bailout was unusual in a country where so many decisions often lead back to President Vladimir Putin or his inner circle. Zyuzin has long been an outsider, a multi-millionaire who built his business empire by staying out of the reach of the Kremlin. Eight years ago, Putin publicly humiliated Zyuzin after the businessman failed to show up for a meeting. The rescue deal shows how much Russia has changed since then. The commodity price slump and sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine have hurt the economy and unsettled Putin's grip on power. Thirteen people involved in the Mechel rescue deal have given Reuters new details about the Kremlin's involvement in the bailout. Some said the decision to save Zyuzin's company was taken mid-way through last year when the Kremlin realized that the firm's failure could threaten two of the pillars of Putin's Russia: social stability and the financial health of a bank close to the Kremlin. The Kremlin, those sources said, feared that if Mechel went bankrupt it could lead to layoffs among the firm's 66,000 workers, many of them in rust-belt regions where local TV has shown riot police training to put down worker protests. "There was a lot of politics in this situation," said Maxim Poletayev, first deputy chairman of Russian state lender Sberbank, a major Mechel creditor. "No one wanted to save Zyuzin, but everything had to be done without social unrest." The Kremlin was also worried about Gazprombank, one of Mechel's biggest creditors. The brother of Putin's son-in-law sits on Gazprombank's board, and the bank has previously financed projects for Kremlin allies. People familiar with the Mechel debt talks said the Kremlin feared Gazprombank would struggle to cover its exposure if Mechel failed. Those involved in brokering the deal included Igor Sechin, a Putin lieutenant and chief executive of state-owned oil giant Rosneft, according to one source. Sechin told Reuters he did not want to disclose his discussions with Putin, but said he was aware of Mechel's difficulties. "I did not feel any great joy about this. I thought, and I think, that Mechel deserved support, which was given in the end," he said. Zyuzin declined to answer questions for this story. A person familiar with his thinking said that he was driven by a sense of responsibility to his company and its workers. Mechel denied it sought or received any direct intervention from the Kremlin. It said its creditors acted on a commercial basis only, and that the company was helped by a fall in the value of the rouble, which reduced its debt in dollar terms. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any instruction was given to rescue Mechel. "Such discussions are not taking place in the Kremlin and are not agreed with the Kremlin," he said. Gazprombank did not respond to Reuters questions, while state lender VTB, another big Mechel creditor, said its decision to restructure Mechel's debt was motivated by business interests. It called the idea of political intervention "pure nonsense." MODEST TASTES Russian business moguls mostly fall into one of two camps: long-standing Putin associates, many of whom, like the president, once worked in the security services; and entrepreneurs, who favor a market economy but remain loyal to the Kremlin. Zyuzin, 56, is in neither. A former mine overseer, he is known for charting his own path and his modest tastes. He owns only one house and drinks $12 bottles of New Zealand wine, according to a person who knows him. He also hates debt, and in his early days avoided borrowing from state-controlled lenders. Around a decade ago, though, Mechel borrowed to modernize its plants and expand internationally. In 2008, allegations surfaced that Mechel was selling to foreign customers more cheaply than at home. Putin, who was then prime minister, summoned Zyuzin to a meeting. The businessman sent word he could not come because he was ill. Video footage of the planned meeting shows Putin, his face taut with anger. If Zyuzin did not get better, "We'll have to send a doctor to him to clear up all these problems," Putin said. Mechel's share price plunged. Later that year, when the global financial crisis hit and coal and steel prices slumped, Mechel struggled to repay its loans. In 2014, some of the firm's major creditors decided they could not keep restructuring Mechel's debt. The creditors tried to renegotiate the loans, offering to take Mechel equity in return. But Zyuzin would not give up any of his company. To break the deadlock, creditors launched legal action to recover their money. One industrial source said the government wanted the company bankrupt to set an example." Zyuzin fought. To make sure Mechel did not run out of money, he insisted on personally approving any spending over 1 million roubles ($15,617), according to a second source who knows the Mechel boss. LOBBYING OPERATION Sometime in the last year or 18 months, a group of Kremlin insiders began to push Zyuzin's cause with Putin. The insiders included Putin lieutenant Sechin, according to one source familiar with the deal. That source and one other said Vladimir Yakunin, then boss of Russia's state railways, and Alexander Shokhin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, also lobbied on behalf of Zyuzin. The involvement of Sechin and Yakunin two of the most influential powerbrokers in Putin's Russia has not been reported before. Yakunin told Reuters "the country's leadership" had raised the question of Mechel after a meeting with a large industrialist union. A representative for the union declined to comment. After the lobbying, the banks' attitude to Mechel changed dramatically. A source at one of the creditor banks said the law suits were suspended in September last year, opening the way for a deal in which creditors deferred repayments and wrote off most of the penalties Mechel owed. An agreement was approved by Mechel shareholders on May 30. "Zyuzin decided it was a miracle," said the source who knows the Mechel boss. Of all Mechel's creditors, Gazprombank was the most exposed. Russia's third biggest lender by assets, it has close ties to Putin's inner circle. Sergei Ivanov, son of Putin's chief of staff, sat on the Gazprombank board until earlier this year. Yuri Shamalov, brother of Putin's son-in-law, Kirill Shamalov, is head of Gazprombank's biggest shareholder and also sits on the bank's board. The $1.8 billion Mechel owed Gazprombank as of February this year amounts, according to Reuters calculations, to about 20 percent of Gazprombank's current capital. Russia's central bank rules stop a bank lending more than 25 percent of its capital to a single client. Two banking sources said Moscow pressed for a deal because it feared Gazprombank would be damaged by a Mechel bankruptcy. Under the deal, Gazprombank bought a stake in Mechel's Elga coal project, so Mechel could use the revenue from the sale to pay back Sberbank. WORRIED WORKERS Outside, Mechel's plant in the city of Chelyabinsk one recent afternoon, workers filed out at the end of a shift, past a long metal panel that featured photographs of employees named as "champions of productivity." Vladimir Ponosov, a trade union boss at the plant, said a Mechel collapse would have hurt workers. He said over 110,000 people depended, directly or indirectly, on Mechel for a living. "Some would have found work, but we would have faced big difficulties," Ponosov said. He said the last two years had been "psychologically very difficult. The people expressed their concerns, but there were no protests or demonstrations, because wages were paid on time." But authorities are still worried about unrest, especially in Russia's rust-belt. In May, state television showed riot police in the Chelyabinsk region training to put down potentially violent protests. Police officers playing the role of protesters built barricades out of car tyres, threw stones and sticks, and took an officer hostage. VTB Chief Executive Andrei Kostin told Reuters that while the Mechel deal was decided by the creditors, "Of course it (the government) wanted us to reach an agreement. The social problem is important to it." When Zyuzin's troubles first started, he stuck a quote on the wall of his office: "Loans, like sins, weigh on your soul." In June, he attended an investor conference in St. Petersburg, where Russia's political and business elite came to hear Putin speak. In a corridor, a Reuters reporter spotted Zyuzin, once the scourge of Russian bankers, greeting an executive from lender VTB with an enthusiastic hug. (Additional reporting by Natalya Shurmina in Chelyabinsk, and Oksana Kobzeva, Katya Golubkova, Darya Korsunskaya, Svetlana Burmistrova, Vladimir Soldatkin and Gleb Stolyarov in Moscow; Edited by Simon Robinson) JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Six children and two adults were killed in a fire in an orphanage in South Africa on Thursday, rescue officials said. Emergency service officials said the fire broke out at the Lakehaven Children's Home in the coastal city of Durban, killing six children aged between eight and 10, a 19-year-old and an older adult. Four people were hospitalized with serious or lesser injuries while 10 others escaped unharmed. "Paramedics received a call just after 2 o'clock this morning to respond to the scene and formed part of the emergency services team that included fire fighters as well as the police," said KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Medical Services' spokesman Robert McKenzie. Although fires in South African townships, where some people live in tin shacks, are common in winter when residents use paraffin heaters and stoves to keep warm and cook, they are unusual in public buildings. McKenzie said the cause of the fire, which was put out this morning, is not known and police were investigating. (Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; editing by Ralph Boulton) By Amanda Becker WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday called for a regulatory probe into whether short-term rental websites such as Airbnb are taking housing away from long-term renters and pushing up prices. Warren, joined by Senators Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Dianne Feinstein of California, urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to examine the rapid growth of such businesses as Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO and FlipKey and determine their impact on housing. "We are concerned that short-term rentals may be exacerbating housing shortages and driving up the cost of housing in our communities," the senators said in a letter to FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. "We have also read troubling reports of racial discrimination on some short-term rental platforms." The senators asked Ramirez to study and quantify the degree to which individuals are using short-term rental sites to operate businesses. They acknowledged that short-term lodging firms have sparked innovation, increased competition and provided new means for earning extra income. Warren, a Massachusetts senator who leads the Democratic Party's populist wing, is thought to be on the short list of individuals presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is considering as a running mate. Warren was the only Democratic woman in the U.S. Senate who did not endorse Clinton during her primary campaign against her populist rival, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Warren endorsed Clinton last month and the two campaigned together at a raucous event in Cincinnati, Ohio, that focused on improving the U.S. economy. (Reporting by Amanda Becker; Editing by Richard Chang) By Amanda Becker WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday called for a regulatory probe into whether short-term rental websites such as Airbnb are taking housing away from long-term renters and pushing up prices. Warren, joined by Senators Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Dianne Feinstein of California, urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to examine the rapid growth of such businesses as Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO and FlipKey and determine their impact on housing. "We are concerned that short-term rentals may be exacerbating housing shortages and driving up the cost of housing in our communities," the senators said in a letter to FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. "We have also read troubling reports of racial discrimination on some short-term rental platforms." The senators asked Ramirez to study and quantify the degree to which individuals are using short-term rental sites to operate businesses. They acknowledged that short-term lodging firms have sparked innovation, increased competition and provided new means for earning extra income. Warren, a Massachusetts senator who leads the Democratic Party's populist wing, is thought to be on the short list of individuals presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is considering as a running mate. Warren was the only Democratic woman in the U.S. Senate who did not endorse Clinton during her primary campaign against her populist rival, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Warren endorsed Clinton last month and the two campaigned together at a raucous event in Cincinnati, Ohio, that focussed on improving the U.S. economy. (Reporting by Amanda Becker; Editing by Richard Chang) FXs The Americans achieved a rare feat Thursday morning: It finally broke into the top ranks of Emmy contenders in its fourth season. The Cold War drama starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys drew a nomination for best drama, alongside veteran Emmy fixtures such as HBOs Game of Thrones and PBSs Downton Abbey. Rhys also drew an acting nomination. Also Read: 'The Americans' to End After 2 More Seasons FX president John Landgraf acknowledged that it was unusual for a show to break into the Emmy derby at such a relatively late stage. But he credited the writers and producers. Theyve done something even more rare theyve taken a great show and made it better every year, he said. For its first three seasons, Americans drew only minor Emmy consideration, in writing and guest acting categories. However, the show has been a critical favorite, with some reviewers calling it among the best series on TV. Also Read: 'The Americans' Review: Season 4 May Be Series' Best Yet Created by former CIA officer Joe Weisberg, The Americans stars Russell and Rhys as Soviet KGB agents posing as an ordinary suburban family in Virginia during the Cold War. FX has already announced that the series will end after two more seasons. Landgraf said the Emmy news, welcome as it was, probably wouldnt change those plans. The length of the show was chosen by the writers, he said. They designed it so this story has a beginning, a middle and an end. Related stories from TheWrap: 'The Americans' to End After 2 More Seasons 'The Americans' Review: Season 4 May Be Series' Best Yet 'The Americans' Season 4 Trailer Teases Trouble for the Jennings (Video) The 2016 Emmy nominations were announced Thursday, and featured, as always, snubs and surprises aplenty. Surprise: The Americans After three seasons as a critical and cult darling, The Americans finally broke through the Emmy barrier with three major nominations, for Best Drama Series, Best Actor for Matthew Rhys and Best Actress for Keri Russell. Snub: The Good Wife Perennial Emmy favorite The Good Wife went out with a whimper as it got no nominations in major categories, including for Julianna Margulies, who was shut out of the Best Drama Actress race after winning twice before for her role as Alicia Florrick. Surprise: Master of None Aziz Ansaris understated Netflix dramedy was beloved by critics and fans, but it seemed to fly under the radar, especially compared to Netflixs other splashier marquee shows, like House of Cards and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. But on Emmy nomination morning, it scored four nods, including Best Comedy Series and Best Comedy Actor for Ansari. Snub: Key & Peele The Academy apparently played favorites with the very funny comedy duo, and nominated Keegan-Michael Key for Best Supporting Comedy Actor but not his partner-in-crime, Jordan Peele. Surprises: Game of Thrones actors Game of Thrones leading the way with the most nominations (23 this year) is certainly no surprise, but this year, they really cleaned up in the acting categories, with usual suspects Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey joined by newcomers Kit Harington and Maisie Williams. Emilia Clarke, who was nominated for the first time last year, picked up her second nomination as the Mother of Dragons. Snubs: Emmy veterans Despite winning Best Supporting Actress two years in a row, Orange Is the New Black star Uzo Aduba was not even nominated in 2016. Ditto for Modern Family star Julie Bowen, a perennial nominee and 2-time winner for Best Comedy Actress, who was shut out this year. And in Downton Abbeys final year on the air, it managed only one nomination, for Maggie Smith. Story continues Surprise: Laurie Metcalfs Hat Trick The Getting On actress was not satisfied with just getting nominated for HBOs departing comedy, and picked up nominations in two more acting categories, for guest-star work on The Big Bang Theory and Horace & Pete, respectively. Snubs & Surprises: Late Night Edition James Corden picked up his first Emmy nomination for The Late Late Show, but his fellow CBS newcomer Stephen Colbert, who took over The Late Show from David Letterman, was shut out of the Outstanding Variety Talk Show category. Snubbed also were Jon Stewart proteges Trevor Noah and Samantha Bee, whose Daily Show and Full Frontal were shut out, respectively. Snub: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Just like predecessor Jane The Virgin, The CWs newest Golden Globe-winning dramey was shut out in the major categories at the Emmys, picking up neither Best Comedy Series nor Best Comedy Actress, the category star Rachel Bloom won at the Golden Globes. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend did pick up four Emmy nominations for choreography, music and its main titles. Surprise: black-ish This probably wasnt much of a surprise to fans and critics alike, who have embraced ABCs family sitcom, but Anthony Anderson, who was nominated for his first Emmy last year for the show and was nominated again this morning, certainly acted surprised when the show picked up two additional nominations this year, for Best Comedy Series and Best Comedy Actress for Tracee Ellis-Ross. Snub: Girls A very strong Season 5 of Lena Dunhams HBO dramedy was shut out completely at the Emmys in 2016. Previously, Girls had been nominated every single season it was on the air. Allison Williams snub for the Marnie-centric Panic in Central Park episode seems especially egregious. The Pentagon said in March that Abu Omar al-Shishani had likely been killed in a US air strike in Syria, but this was the first time the group appeared to confirm his death. By Reuters: Abu Omar al-Shishani, who the Pentagon described as Islamic State's "minister of war", was killed in combat in the Iraqi city of Shirqat, south of Mosul, a news agency that supports the militant group said on Wednesday. The Pentagon said in March that Shishani had likely been killed in a US air strike in Syria, but this was the first time the group appeared to confirm his death. advertisement Reuters could not independently verify the statement from Amaq news agency, which Islamic State regularly uses to issue reports and which denied Shishani's death after the Pentagon's comments in March. CONFLICTING REPORTS Islamic State supporters exchanged notes of praise and condolence on social media, including pictures of the ginger-bearded fighter, and pledged to launch a fresh offensive in his honour. Incredible Hulk from Iran, all of 175 kg, set to take on ISIS forces Officials at the Pentagon said they were aware of Wednesday's report but could not confirm or deny it. Hisham al-Hashimi, a Baghdad-based security expert who advises the Iraqi government, said a source in Shirqat confirmed Shishani had been killed there along with several other militants. Iraqi forces are advancing towards Mosul, the largest city still under the control of Islamic State. They have mostly surrounded Shirqat, 250 km (160 miles) north of Baghdad, and last week retook a major air base from the militants to use in the main push on Mosul, 60 km further north. But Rami Abdelrahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Shishani had been wounded in March and died soon after in the countryside east of Raqqa. ISIS burns 19 Yazidi women alive for refusing to have sex with fighters "I confirmed from the doctor who went to see him," said Abdelrahman, who tracks the war in Syria through a network of contacts. He told Reuters Islamic State likely delayed announcing his death to allow time to line up a successor. WHO IS ABU OMAR AL-SHISHANI Shishani, also known as Omar the Chechen, ranked among America's most wanted militants under a US program that offered up to $5 million for information to help remove him from the battlefield. Born in 1986 in Georgia, then still part of the Soviet Union, Shishani had a reputation as a close military adviser to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was said by followers to have relied heavily on him. Shishani once fought in military operations as a rebel in Chechnya before joining Georgia's military in 2006 and fighting against Russian troops before being discharged two years later for medical reasons, according to US officials. He was arrested in 2010 for weapons possession and spent more than a year in jail, before leaving Georgia in 2012 for Istanbul and later Syria. He decided to join Islamic State the following year and pledged his allegiance to Baghdadi. The State Department said Shishani was identified as Islamic State's military commander in a video distributed by the group in 2014. advertisement Also Read: ISIS plans to attack India through its bases in Bangladesh and Pakistan As Islamic State's income drops 30 per cent, crazy fines imposed --- ENDS --- The Emmy nominations were kind to The Late Late Show with James Corden on Thursday, which scored four nominations after just over a year on the air. The late-night shows executive producers, Ben Winston and Rob Crabbe, spoke with TheWrap about why the British host has resonated so strongly with American audiences. Hes such an all-around talented guy with singing, dancing, acting, interviewing, Crabbe said. And while he was a household name in England, he wasnt known here in America. So for a guy to step into your living room who can do so many things so well, that resonated with a lot of people. Hes such a charming, genuine person that people feel real affection for. Also Read: Emmy Nominations 2016: The Complete List And while everyone dreams of hoisting the statuette on awards night, Winston is remaining skeptical about the shows chances of upsetting favorites like The Tonight Show. I think that us winning is an impossibility, he said. We werent in this Emmys race to win. We were in it to get a nomination, so today feels like the win. I think thats what really makes us excited. We were readying ourselves for a disappointment because a show in its first year usually doesnt get a nomination, he added. The fact that we got fourour reaction was loud and excited. Also Read: Emmys: Nominations Reflect an Age of American Paranoia (Analysis) The 68th annual Emmy Awards will air on Sept. 18 on ABC with host Jimmy Kimmel. Related stories from TheWrap: Emmy Nominees Reaction Scorecard: An Orgy of Gratitude Emmy Nominee Sarah Paulson on Playing 'Fearless' Prosecutor Marcia Clark Emmys' Diverse Noms Prevent #OscarsSoWhite-Type Catastrophe (Analysis) Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult in Equals. (Photo: A24) You only have to glance at recent headlines to see that emotions are running high in America right now. That makes the sci-fi drama Equals a particularly timely futuristic parable. Set in a society where human emotions have been forcibly eliminated from our genetic makeup, the movie follows two citizens of this gleaming dystopia Silas (Nicholas Hoult) and Nia (Kristen Stewart) who succumb to that debilitating disease known as falling in love. Its a star-crossed romance in the tradition of Romeo & Juliet and Like Crazy, the 2011 film from Equals director Drake Doremus. That Sundance-winning feature starred the late Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones as a couple who cling to a summer romance much longer than is healthy for either of them. Similarly, Silas and Nia just dont know how to quit each other, even though their feelings make them outcasts in their society. Thats what interests me, Doremus tells Yahoo Movies. The idea that you only know that somebody is your soulmate when you cant get rid of them, even when you try. In separate conversations, we spoke with Doremus and Equals stars Stewart and Hoult about the experience of creating a future ruled by logic, rather than emotions. Watch the trailer: On the pros and cons of living in a world without emotions Drake Doremus: Im such an emotional person that I cant imagine being in this world. But I think its fascinating to remove the thing that makes us the most human, which is the capacity to love. And then its really fascinating to think, Should we find a way back to that? Is it more productive for a society to focus on exploration and curiosity, without the things that hold us back? And the answer is no, not really. Life is messy, and relationships are messy. Its not perfect, and accepting that is really important. Kristen Stewart: Its a hypothetical question thats good for conversations sake and good for this movie, but I genuinely dont think you could have this kind of world. We would just be fleshy masses of uncaring people that never got out of bed; we would have no human response to anything. There would be no intellectual curiosity or desire for progression at all. I wouldnt even know how to be alive without that. Story continues Nicholas Hoult: It would be an easier society to live in, and there would be a lot more peace without the terrible things that make people feel so deeply. But you cant have the good without the bad. Related: Kristen Stewart on Woody Allen, Twilight, and Those Boos at Cannes The specific sci-fi influences on the film Doremus: Full disclosure: Ive never seen THX-1138, and Ive never read 1984. But I have seen and loved Francois Truffauts Fahrenheit 451. That movie was made in the 60s, but it feels like it could have been made today, because theres nothing that ties it to that era. Blade Runner is also an influence from the standpoint of its ethereal music and visuals. Its kind of a tone poem. With Equals, I always tell audiences before the film to turn your brains off and your hearts on. Its not a thinking film, its a feeling film. Hoult, Stewart, and Doremus at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival premiere of Equals. (Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage) On shooting the films intimate scenes, including a steamy encounter in a bathroom stall. Hoult: Drake gives you a space and an environment where you feel secure to explore and do your thing. But within that, hes very encouraging and cares so much. It was strange to go from zero to 100 in a sense, jumping between scenes where you cant feel anything and scenes where youre experiencing things for the first time. Stewart: These people know how to walk and talk, and they have jobs. So theyre not infants. Yet they are emotionally and sexually [stunted]. If you just put two people who were born as adults in front of each other, what would they do especially if they were attracted to each other? They wouldnt know how to kiss or classically procreate, but theyre still humans. Its a weird hypothetical, but I can imagine it. Doremus: Kristen and Nic threw themselves so fully into the film. It was amazing being around that energy. Theyre so different; Nic is kind of shy, and Kristen is very passionate and intense. They brought out things in each other that I dont think other people would have had. You dont want to direct them too much. On set, I wasnt saying much, to be honest. I just tried to let the camera roll and let them explore the dynamic that exists and get out of the way more than anything. Related: How Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult Lost Themselves Shooting That Sexy Equals Scene On shooting on location in Asia Doremus: We shot all over Japan, in Tokyo, Kobe, and Osaka, as well as Singapore all of these amazingly beautiful places. Most of the locations were museums or collages or institutes. I wanted everything to be practical; I didnt want a green-screen movie. It needed to feel like a tangible version of 10 years from now. 2016 in Los Angeles and 2016 in Japan are so different; when I was there, it was like, I dont even know what century Im in! Its such a different world and better world in some senses. Hoult: The architecture and the look of [those locations] is very much a part of this world. You notice how lean and precise they were but also how void of any human touch or personality. Watch a scene from Equals: Doremus on the tragic loss of his Like Crazy leading man Anton Yelchin in a June accident Its a nightmare to be honest. I keep waking up in the middle of the night. It doesnt seem real. Every day on set, and with every shot and every scene set-up, Im thinking about all the things Ive learned from him. Hes in every movie Ill ever make. We were family, and Im more inspired than ever to make movies the way he would have inspired me to make them. I thought that Green Room was an amazing movie, mostly because of him and how special he is in it. To call it a tragedy isnt even right. Its so wrong on so many levels. Its impossible to comprehend. He was such a unique and incredible human being you can never replace. Doremus and Yelchin at the BAFTA Los Angeles 2011 Britannia Awards. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) Doremus on his Like Crazy leading lady, Felicity Jones, joining the Star Wars universe in the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story I just spoke with her recently about her character, and what shes doing. Shes kicking so much ass! Im so proud of her. Its so cool, and shes such a badass. Theres nothing she cant do. I cant imagine us going through the rest of our careers without working together again. Im sure that when the right project and character comes along, well definitely collaborate again. I dont think it would be on a Star Wars movie, but you never know! If theres a love story between an Ewok and a Stormtrooper, Im there. [Laughs] (Adds commentary from antitrust experts) By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, July 14 (Reuters) - EU regulators have brought a third antitrust charge against Alphabet Inc's Google, accusing it of blocking rivals in online search advertising, a move that raises the pressure on the company to modify its practices or face hefty fines. The European Commission on Thursday also reinforced an existing charge against the world's most popular Internet search engine that its search results favour Google's own shopping service over those of rivals. "Google has come up with many innovative products that have made a difference to our lives. But that doesn't give Google the right to deny other companies the chance to compete and innovate," European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager told a news conference in Brussels. The Commission said it had sent two charge sheets known as "statements of objections" to Google. The first accuses Google of having abused its 80 percent market share in the placement of search advertising on third party websites. This relates to Google's "AdSense for Search" platform, in which Google acts as an intermediary for websites such as those of online retailers, telecoms operators or newspapers, with searches producing results that include search ads. "We have also raised concerns that Google has hindered competition by limiting the ability of its competitors to place search adverts on third-party websites, which stifles consumer choice and innovation," Vestager said. The second accusation, which built on a charge sheet sent to Google in April last year, rejected the company's claim that the EU watchdog had failed to take into account competition from online retailers Amazon and eBay. Google has 10 weeks to respond to the AdSense charge and eight weeks to the shopping service case. The company could face fines up to 10 percent of its global turnover for each case if found guilty of breaching the bloc's antitrust rules. Google said it believed its innovations had increased choice for European consumers and promoted competition. Story continues "We'll examine the Commission's renewed cases and provide a detailed response in the coming weeks," a Google spokesman said. U.S. CONCERNS British price comparison site Foundem, whose complaint triggered the EU investigation, urged the Commission to take speedy action. "We are concerned that if it does not act conclusively in the near future there may be little competition left to protect," Foundem CEO Shivaun Raff said in a statement. Lobbying group FairSearch, whose members Expedia and TripAdvisor complained about Google, said the issue is global. "At stake is fair competition across Europe and beyond, because the on-line market and innovation are global," FairSearch lawyer Thomas Vinje said in an email. The EU's pursuit of Google, along with probes into other U.S. multinationals over tax issues and control of personal data, has caused irritation in Washington, with President Barack Obama last year accusing Europe of veering toward protectionism. Vestager, a former Danish economy minister who took over as the EU's powerful antitrust commissioner in late 2014, insists she is simply applying the law and promoting free competition. Google's AdWords and AdSense programmes have been on the Commission's radar since 2010, under Vestager's predecessor, after rivals complained about unfair advertising exclusivity clauses and undue restrictions on other advertisers. They form the core of Google's business which posted about $75 billion in revenue last year, generating 90 percent of Alphabet's total annual revenue. The latest round of charges underscores the European Commission's commitment to the case and signals that serious penalties against Google are likely, said Albert Foer, a senior fellow at the American Antitrust Institute. "My sense is that we are talking about something more substantial than a slap on the wrist, and also that's why this has been going on for so long," he said. The investigation has been dragging on for so long that more serious action will be needed to restore competition in the market, said Gary Reback, an of counsel at Carr & Ferrell LLP, who represents complainants in the EU case. "If you step in rapidly, you can take a rifle shot, you can make a surgical incision and stop the bad behavior before it causes enormous harm," he said. Now, he said, "just stopping the harm is not good enough." Enough competition remains that rivals could step in to deliver ads alongside search results on third party sites, Reback said. But there are few European alternatives for comparison shopping, he added. (Additional reporting by Julia Fioretti, Phil Blenkinsop and Julia Love; editing by Alistair Macdonald and Adrian Croft) Paris (AFP) - European leaders heaped pressure on Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May to launch the country's divorce proceedings from the EU, while Russia's Vladimir Putin said he was ready for "constructive dialogue" with David Cameron's successor. EU president Donald Tusk was among the first to congratulate May, who will have the tricky task of overseeing her country's departure from the European Union after Cameron resigned following last month's shock Brexit referendum result. In a brief letter to May, Tusk said he looked forward to a "fruitful working relationship" with the former home secretary. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker urged May not to delay the start of the Brexit talks. The outcome of the vote to leave the EU "has created a new situation which the United Kingdom and the European Union will have to address soon," Juncker said in a letter published on his Twitter account. His comments were echoed by European Parliament President Martin Schulz. "Leadership issue settled, now I expect we work quickly to deliver certainty," he said. Hollande also pressed May not to delay the divorce discussions, which can only begin once Britain has triggered the bloc's Article 50, the formal process for withdrawing from the EU. Hollande "reiterated his wish for the negotiations on Britain's departure from the European Union to be undertaken as soon as possible", the president's office said in a statement after the two leaders spoke by phone. Germany's Angela Merkel also spoke by phone with May to congratulate her on the appointment, the chancellor's spokesman said. Both agreed that "friendly ties between the two countries should continue, including in the upcoming negotiations on Britain's departure from the EU", he added. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel added his voice to those pleading for a speedy start to the Brexit procedure, following three weeks of financial and political turmoil triggered by the vote. Story continues "We can't afford a long period of uncertainty," he said. Russia's President Putin for his part sent a message to May confirming "his willingness to have a constructive dialogue and to collaborate with the British prime minister about current issues concerning bilateral relations and the international agenda," the Kremlin said. Putin -- whose country has had testy ties with Britain in recent years -- also sent a telegram to Cameron, saying: "I hope that your rich political experience will be put to good use for the United Kingdom and the whole world." A White House spokesman congratulated May on her new position, adding that President Barack Obama was hoping for an "orderly process and a good-faith negotiation between the UK and the EU". Berlin (AFP) - Dubbed a liar by his French counterpart and lampooned as a "political jester" in European newspapers, chief Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson faced a wave of criticism and mockery Thursday after being named Britain's foreign minister. In a shock move, new Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday appointed the eccentric former London mayor, known for his gaffes and buffoonery, as the top diplomat to lead the country out of the EU. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that as a "Leave" campaigner Johnson had "lied a lot" and said his appointment "reveals the British political crisis" following the referendum. Ayrault claimed he was not worried about working with Johnson but stressed the need for a "clear, credible and reliable" negotiating partner. The outspoken European Parliament chief Martin Schulz also slammed May's new cabinet, saying it was based on solving internal party splits rather than the national interest. "The United Kingdom has to break this dangerously vicious cycle which has direct impacts on the rest of Europe," Schulz said. There is widespread animosity in Europe toward Johnson who recently compared the EU's aims to those of Adolf Hitler. After the Brexit vote, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker labelled Johnson and other Leave campaigners "sad heroes". - 'King of Blunder' - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier had said a day earlier he was outraged by Britain's "irresponsible politicians who first lured the country into Brexit, then... got out, refused to take responsibility, and went off to go and play cricket". A senior German Social Democrat, Ralf Stegner, said an undiplomatic Johnson would now "negotiate the Brexit. Bon Voyage!" The party's Rolf Muetzenich said he wouldn't be surprised if, next, "Britain appoints Dracula as health secretary". Story continues Many governments, in line with protocol, congratulated their new counterpart, who will make his diplomatic debut in Brussels next week. US Secretary of State John Kerry called Johnson, and both "agreed that the US-UK special relationship is as essential as ever", said the State Department. Kerry "stressed US support for a sensible and measured approach to the Brexit process and offered to stay engaged as the UK government develops its plans", added spokesman John Kirby. - 'Ambitions, power plays' - The foreign ministers of Canada, Norway, Latvia and Estonia also said they looked forward to meeting Johnson. In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov voiced hopes that "the weightiness of his current position, of course, will certainly prompt a somewhat different rhetoric of a more diplomatic nature". Many newspapers and social media users, however, treated the appointment as the latest act in a political theatre of the absurd. Germany's Handelsblatt called Johnson a "political jester", the daily Sueddeutsche labelled his appointment an example of "British humour", while the French L'Obs news magazine's headline was simply "King of the Blunder". Germany's Die Welt said many initially thought the "bombshell" appointment was a joke. "The fact that Theresa May is... appointing, of all people, this undiplomatic, unpredictable and disloyal hotshot as foreign minister seems absurd at first glance," it said. But it also saw the move as calculated, arguing that "the pressure now rests upon him -- and his undoubted ambition -- to prove himself". Germany news magazine Der Spiegel, in an online commentary headlined "House of Cards in Britain", was withering. "Those who thought the shamelessness with which Britain's political class play their power games could not be surpassed were disabused of that notion yesterday," it said. "Boris Johnson, King of Brexit, has now been rewarded with the post of foreign secretary, having initially stuck his head in the sand after the vote. "Now, finally, there can be no more doubt that British politics is not concerned with the country's welfare, but with haggling for positions, personal ambitions and power plays." In an article from London, Der Spiegel said Johnson "himself seemed surprised", having been widely regarded as "Britain's greatest bogeyman" after the vote. But it also said May had appointed him "to heal the party and to show the voters... that she takes the referendum outcome seriously". France's Liberation reminded its readers that Johnson "has never held a ministerial post and a few days ago he pathetically withdrew from the race to lead the Tory Party". On social media, French writers let rip too, with one tweeting "a clown as the new foreign minister -- comedy or Shakespearean tragedy?" while another proposed that Johnson "recruit Mr Bean as an adviser". By Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) - Britain's Nigel Farage will be at the Republican convention in Cleveland next week to dole out lessons from his Brexit campaign. So will Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Freedom Party, who sees Donald Trump as an ally in his crusade to prevent an "Islamization" of the West. But some mainstream European conservatives who have traveled to previous Republican gatherings admit in private to being horrified at the prospect of a Trump presidency and are boycotting this year's spectacle, which runs from July 18-21. Many of the center-right politicians making the trip from Europe admit to secretly rooting for Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. They are going not to support Trump, they say, but to witness "the Donald" in the flesh and experience what is shaping up to be one of the rowdiest, most unpredictable Republican conventions in decades. "We will see whether Trump can reinvent himself at the convention," Guenter Krings, a senior lawmaker from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives who will make the trip with just one other Bundestag colleague, told Reuters. "One can only hope so, but I have my doubts." Politicians from around the world are invited every four years to attend the Republican and Democratic conventions as part of a formal visitors program that includes briefings with campaign managers, pollsters and foreign policy experts. They also spend time in the main convention hall. This year, nearly 120 politicians from center-right parties outside the United States are expected, roughly half of them from Europe. Trump's candidacy has presented European parties with traditional links to U.S. Republicans with a dilemma. Many view his positions -- on issues like immigration, security, trade and the divisive Brexit question -- as closer to those of upstart far-right parties whose rise they are struggling to contain. EPP BOYCOTT Four years ago, when Mitt Romney was the Republican candidate, the center-right European People's Party (EPP), the largest grouping in the European Parliament, sent a delegation of eight members to Tampa. This year there will be no EPP delegation because no-one from the group expressed an interest in attending. Despite the wariness, there is a reluctance to criticize the famously thin-skinned Trump too openly, in part out of fear he could win the election in November and punish his foreign critics, as he threatened to do when David Cameron, the recently departed British prime minister, slammed Trump's proposal for a temporary U.S. ban on Muslims as "divisive, stupid and wrong". While the conservative mainstream is leery, Europe's array of nationalist, anti-immigration parties seem fascinated by Trump, even if some are uneasy about embracing the New York real estate businessman, who has vowed to "make America great again". A spokesman for Britain's UKIP party in Brussels confirmed that Farage would attend to "give them some lessons" on Brexit. And Wilders told Reuters that he would be in Cleveland and wanted to meet Trump there. "I hope Donald Trump becomes America's next president," Wilders said. "Such a victory would be good for Europe. America and Europe are threatened by the same danger of cultural relativism and Islam." Austria's far-right Freedom Party, France's National Front and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) are not planning to send anyone to Cleveland, the parties said. "We are neutral," Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache told Reuters when asked if he supported Trump. "He defends American interests. He is saying some things that need to be said."Also absent will be Italy's Northern League, whose leader Matteo Salvini describes himself as an enthusiastic Trump fan but learned earlier this year that the admiration was not necessarily mutual. Salvini traveled to Pennsylvania in April to attend a Trump rally. He was photographed shaking hands with the Republican candidate and his party said Trump had endorsed Salvini to become Italian prime minister. But a month later, Trump denied in an interview ever having met Salvini and said he had no interest in doing so. SHOCK AND HORROR Eirik Moen of the International Democrat Union, which coordinates trips to the convention by center-right politicians across the world, said that numbers could be dented this year because countries like Britain, Spain and Australia are in the midst of political transitions, making it difficult for some to travel. Still, eight British Conservatives who sit in the European Parliament are expected to be in Cleveland. On the continent, France's main center-right party, les Republicains, is not sending a delegation. And the contingent from Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) is unusually small. In Germany, political debate is conducted in a sober, reserved manner and personal attacks are rare, even during election campaigns. Hence the mix of shock and horror at the tone of the U.S. race. Trump has dismissed Merkel as "insane" for letting hundreds of thousands of refugees into the country. And his idea to build a wall along the Mexican border elicits shudders in Berlin, a city that was divided by its own wall for nearly three decades and will celebrate the 27th anniversary of its fall a day after U.S. voters cast their ballots on Nov. 8. "Many of Donald Trump's positions -- for example his stance toward Muslims, toward immigration from Mexico and gun ownership -- are simply not compatible with the positions of the conservatives and other parties in Germany," said Juergen Hardt, a CDU lawmaker who also acts as the government's coordinator for transatlantic relations. Hardt said he is planning to go on vacation with his family next week and won't be able to attend the convention. (Additional reporting by Alastair Macdonald, Crispian Balmer, Kirsti Knolle, Ingrid Melander, Julien Toyer, Anthony Deutsch and Robert-Jan Bartunek; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall) By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European governments are torn over how to respond to China's defeat in a legal battle over the South China Sea, fearful of alienating their second-largest trading partner and hampered by a maritime dispute among their own members. China angrily vowed to ignore the ruling by a court in The Hague dismissing its claim to much of the South China Sea. Its envoy to Washington said the verdict would "intensify conflict and even confrontation", though he also said Beijing remained committed to negotiations in disputes over the vital trade route. Despite U.S. pressure on the European Union to take a stand on the issue, the bloc has so far been unable to agree a common statement, leaving diplomats to argue over the wording acceptable to all 28 member states. The EU says it takes no position in the dispute between China and the Philippines, whose accusation that Beijing has violated its economic and sovereign rights was upheld in Tuesday's ruling by a five-judge tribunal under the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNLCLOS). But the EU remains concerned by China's militarization of islands and reefs in the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. It says it wants to see international law upheld. A maritime dispute between EU members Slovenia and Croatia has hampered the bloc's response. Croatia pulled out of an arbitration process in 2015 at the same court that ruled on the South China Sea case, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). Croatia wants no mention of UNCLOS in the final statement, leaving other governments frustrated just as senior EU officials head to a summit of Asian and European leaders, known as ASEM, in Mongolia on Friday, wanting a common position. "We should be able to say that the finding of an international tribunal should be respected," said one diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because discussions were still underway. "This is not about apportioning blame." LUCRATIVE CONTRACTS Adding to the difficulties, eastern European countries including Hungary have been heavily lobbied by China in recent months. Beijing has offered lucrative contracts and investment in return for supporting the Chinese position on issues ranging from the South China Sea to Beijing's bid to be treated more favorably in trade disputes with Brussels, diplomats say. Britain and France have been most vocal in calling on China not to escalate tensions in the area, diplomats say. However, British diplomats in Brussels have taken a lower profile since Britons voted last month to leave the European Union, they say. Such divisions leave the EU looking timid to speak up for international maritime order and could undermine its standing, some analysts say. Even though a statement may eventually come, the wording has been significantly watered down in meetings over the past few days, and top EU officials largely side-stepped the issue at an EU-China summit in Beijing this week. At stake for the EU are China's long-awaited investment in the bloc's new infrastructure fund, negotiations to curtail Beijing's production in steel that European industry says is destroying local jobs and efforts to win European companies greater freedom to invest in China. While Donald Tusk, head of the European Council which represents national governments, did mention the issue in public remarks in Beijing, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini was careful to say the bloc did not take a stance on sovereignty in South China Sea, although she also urged all countries to respect UNCLOS rulings. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker kept the focus of his public remarks firmly on deepening investment ties and seeking to resolve the issue of steel overproduction. (This story corrects to show Mongolia meeting in 7th paragraph among ASEM, not ASEAN, nations) (Reporting by Robin Emmott; Editing by Gareth Jones) By Nate Raymond NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - The former chief executive of Kit Digital Inc was extradited on Thursday from Colombia to face U.S. charges that he engaged in a wide-ranging market manipulation and accounting fraud scheme at the now-bankrupt technology company, prosecutors said. The extradition of Kaleil Isaza Tuzman, a former Goldman Sachs analyst who achieved brief fame as an internet entrepreneur, came a day after prosecutors announced charges against three other people connected to Kit Digital. Those newly-announced defendants include Omar Amanat, an investor in media, finance and technology companies, who authorities say participated in fraudulent schemes involving Kit Digital. He pleaded not guilty. Tuzman, 44, arrived in the United States on Thursday afternoon, according to a spokeswoman for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. Lawyers for Tuzman did not respond to requests for comment. Tuzman was arrested in September in Colombia, where he had been working on a luxury hotel project, at the request of U.S. authorities. Tuzman was then detained in conditions that at times drew his lawyers' complaints. His arrest came after he was indicted along with Robin Smyth, Kit Digital's former chief financial officer, for engaging in a scheme from 2010 to 2012 to deceive investors and regulators about the company's financial health. Prosecutors also alleged that Tuzman, as CEO of the digital video company, helped run a scheme with a hedge fund manager from 2008 to 2011 to artificially inflate Kit Digital's share price and trading volume. After Tuzman and Smyth resigned in 2012, the company that November announced it would restate financial results going back to 2009. The company was later delisted and ultimately filed for bankruptcy in April 2013. Two individuals have pleaded guilty in the Kit Digital investigation and have agreed to cooperate with authorities, including Smyth, who pleaded guilty in March to charges including securities fraud. The case is U.S. v. Tuzman, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 15-cr-536. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Tom Brown) Former One Tree Hill star Chad Michael Murray is all grown up now and almost unrecognizable in his new film, Outlaws and Angels, which opens in theater this weekend. The 34-year-old actor spoke to ET exclusively about his upcoming projects and, for the first time opened up on how becoming a father has changed his life. "Having a family just changes your perspective on everything," Murray told ET's Katie Krause. "I mean it's a world changer." EXCLUSIVE: Lauren Graham Wants to 'Retire' After 'Gilmore Girls', Says Having Melissa McCarthy on Set Was 'Beautiful' Murray and his wife, Sara Roemer, welcomed their first child last May. "For me, it was the greatest thing that's ever happened to me," he gushed. "Having kids is a game changer and I think you're always walking around with the mentality that you want to make sure that they're proud and you want to represent them well and just be a great leader." The Agent Carter star also explained how after the birth of his son he makes sure to take a closer look at every new project that comes his way. "Just last week a project came up, and just due to the content alone, it wasn't something that I [want] my son to see when he grows up," he said. "It's not the type of material and I didn't feel like the payoff was worth it. You really have to weigh each choice, but at the same time, it is a job and it is just a craft - it's art performances. I don't take it too seriously but I also want it to creatively push me. I want to take chances and I want to do things that are going to scare the crap out of me." For now, Murray is busy promoting Outlaws and Angels, which also stars newcomer Frances Eastwood, Clint Eastwood's daughter. Set in 1887, the film follows three violent fugitives who hold a couple and their children (Eastwood, Madisen Beaty) hostage in their isolated New Mexico farmhouse. Story continues NEWS: 'One Tree Hill' Cast to Reunite This Fall In Chicago This fall, the actor will also get to reunite with the cast of One Tree Hill. Murray, James Lafferty, Jana Kramer and Antwon Tanner are all confirmed to appear at the EyeCon convention in Chicago. "I'm totally excited! At the end of the day, everything is about the fans and it's about the people that brought you to the party," he confessed. "It's amazing the way that this show has really created a life and just reached and touched so many people and so it's an honor at the end of the day and it's a part of my life and you know it's just a piece of me - it's always flattering." As to whether or not he would return to the show if it came back in the future, it could happen. "You know, for me, I think that there would be a lot of question marks," he explained. "What is the content? What is the material? What can I do? What haven't I done that I can do? As an artist, you can get snuffed very quickly if you're kind of doing a lot of the same. I like changing it up a bit, so if I was going to come back into a world that was very different and stir [things up], yea, I would love to." Outlaws and Angels hits theaters and VOD on July 15. Related Articles By Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Tatiana Bautzer SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Spanish fashion and fragrance firm Puig SA is in advanced talks to buy a minority stake in Grupo Granado SA, a Brazilian manufacturer and retailer of high-end beauty care goods that wants to pursue global expansion, four sources with knowledge of the matter said. Barcelona-based Puig, the owner of the Carolina Herrera and Jean Paul Gaultier brands, could pay about 1 billion reais ($306 million) for a stake of up to 30 percent in Granado, said the first two sources, who asked for anonymity because talks remain private. Former banker Christopher Freeman, who bought Granado from the company's namesake founding family in 1994, wants a partner to help the Rio de Janeiro-based company bolster an overseas push that began three years ago with the opening of a small shop in Paris, a third source told Reuters. Both parties are working to announce a deal within days, all the sources said. They said Puig has consistently stood out over a number of private-equity firms and strategic rivals that showed preliminary interest in Granado. Freeman began to look out for a minority partner at the beginning of the year, the sources said. Media representatives for Puig did not respond to a an emailed request for comment. Granado's investor relations division declined to comment. The Granado stake could help Puig grow in Brazil, a country of 200 million that ranks as the world's No. 3 cosmetics and beauty care market. A third-generation family-owned business, Puig manages licenses such as Prada and Valentino and markets celebrity fragrances in over 150 countries. Founded in 1870 by Portuguese pharmacist Jose Antonio Coxito Granado, Granado has managed to dribble the impact of Brazil's harshest recession in eight decades by targeting sales of the company's glycerin soaps, shave balms, creams, nail polish and body powders to an affluent clientele. FATHER AND DAUGHTER Granado, which had revenue of 380 million reais last year, has achieved compounded average growth of 20 percent over the past decade, according to the third source. Story continues Freeman and Granado hired the investment-banking units of Itau Unibanco Holding SA (ITUB4.SA) and Grupo BTG Pactual SA (BBTG11.SA) to advise them on the transaction, the sources said. The banks did not comment. A former Citigroup Inc investment banker, Freeman and his daughter Sissi Freeman have spent the past decade honing the company's business focus and retro image, represented by vintage logo designs and old-styled store decoration mimicking early 20th century pharmacies. Granado's three divisions run a web of 47 stores across Brazil, a distribution network and a plant where the company's flagship products are manufactured. Granado's most recognised products include Phebo, Brazil's first luxury perfumery and glycerin soap brand, which Freeman bought in 2004. On its part, Puig's presence in emerging markets has grown, helping the company decouple from years of weak growth in Spain. Currently, 47 percent of revenues come from emerging market countries outside of the European Union and North America. Last year, Puig had net income of 126 million euros ($140 million) on revenue of 1.645 billion euros. Puig expects annual revenue to reach 2 billion euros by the end of next year. (Editing by Stephen Coates and Grant McCool) Twenty-eight-old Jigisha, who was working with Hewitt Associate Pvt Ltd as operations manager, was abducted and killed on March 18, 2009 after she was dropped near her home in Vasant Vihar area of South Delhi by her official cab around 4 am. By India Today Web Desk: A Delhi court has convicted all three accused in the Jigisha Ghosh murder case. Delhi's Saket Court held accused Ravi Kapoor, Baljit and Amit Shukla guilty of abducting and murdering Jigisha in March, 2009. The court will announce the quantum of punishment on August 20. "No escape from the conclusion that the crime was committed by the accused person. It stands proved on record that Jigisha Ghosh left home at 12 noon for office but didn't return. She was dropped by the office cab. Robbed off gold chain, two mobile phone and rings. Credit and debit card. Amit, Ravi, and Baljeet committed the murder. All three held guilty under IPC sections 364/302/201/394/ 468/469/471/34 Arms act," the court said while announcing the verdict. advertisement WHAT HAPPENED ON MARCH 18, 2009 Twenty-eight-old Jigisha, who was working with Hewitt Associate Pvt Ltd as operations manager, was abducted and killed on March 18, 2009 after she was dropped near her home in Vasant Vihar area of South Delhi by her official cab around 4 am. Headlines Today woman journalist shot dead in car in Delhi The accused had used Jigisha's ATM card to buy expensive goggles, wrist watches and shoes from Sarojini Nagar market, police had said. Her body was recovered on March 21, 2009 from a place near Surajkund in Haryana ACCUSED LINKED TO JOURNALIST SOUMYA VISHWANATHAN'S MURDER The recovery of the weapon allegedly used in the murder of the IT executive had led to the cracking of the murder case of India Today Group journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. Soumya was shot dead on September 30, 2008 while she was returning home by her car from the office at 3 am Police had claimed robbery as the motive behind the killing of Jigisha and Soumya. During interrogation, Ravi reportedly told the police that he and his associates consumed liquor at Amit's residence, following which they went to PVR Priya in a stolen Wagon-R. While the four were standing outside the complex, they noticed Soumya drive past and decided to target her. They chased her car, but she accelerated. This irked Ravi, who was driving, and he opened fire at Soumya on Nelson Mandela Marg in South Delhi. Soumya was shot in her head. Also Read: Mystery shrouds Headlines Today journalist's murder Soumya Vishwanathan murder: Father to testify in court Jigisha murder case: Victim's father testifies in court --- ENDS --- By Jonathan Saul and Maha El Dahan LONDON/ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Many areas of Yemen are close to famine partly because importers are unable to buy new food stocks from abroad as over $200 million is stuck in banks due to the civil war disruption, trade and aid sources involved say. Western banks had already cut credit lines for traders shipping food to Yemen, fearing they would not be repaid due to the security chaos and fragile financial system. Now, they are increasingly unwilling to offer letters of credit, which guarantee sellers will be paid on time. They are reluctant to offer guarantees because the banking system has seized up. An international commodities trade source involved in the food trade with Yemen, who has knowledge of the country's financing troubles, said as much as $260 million - held in different foreign currencies in Yemeni banks - cannot be transferred abroad partly because relations with many Western banks had broken down. An aid official also confirmed the amount of funds frozen was at least $260 million. This means that traders must withdraw the money in Yemen, and then send it abroad, usually by plane, a solution fraught with difficulties at a time of war. Without imported staples such as wheat and flour, the United Nations says many areas of Yemen are now close to famine as most buffer stocks have been drawn down. "This problem is getting worse and no Yemeni bank can transfer money out directly. They have to fly funds out to the nearest country and make deposits in accounts abroad," the international commodities trade source said. "These funds are probably likely to remain stuck for the foreseeable future. For private importers - this is just another hurdle and a further sign of the worsening crisis in bringing goods in." Officials at Yemen's central bank declined to comment. Last month a central bank spokesman said it had decided not to conduct interviews during the crisis. The aid source, also familiar with the financing issues, confirmed separately there had been efforts to fly out funds to be used to pay for goods. "There are still sizeable funds stuck inside Yemen due to a lack of correspondent banking or access to basic trade finance for Yemeni importers," the aid source said. "There is no external financing they can get hold of to provide guarantees for the other companies they are buying from that they will get paid. Flying money out is one way but this is also proving hard to do." Over the past year, a Saudi-led coalition has tried to reverse a bid for national power by Houthi rebels - seen by many Gulf Arabs as a proxy for regional arch-rival Iran in a conflict in which thousands have died. A shaky ceasefire has brought some respite from the war which started when the Houthis pushed the government into exile in March 2015. But clashes regularly flare up on various battlefronts throughout Yemen. At the same time, Islamists militants have gained territory - deepening a security vacuum. An official with a Yemeni government bank said the Saudi-led coalition allowed as much as $100 million from three commercial banks to travel by plane to Bahrain earlier this year. The official and the trade source both said the funds were deposited in an account with Yemen's Tadhamon International Islamic Bank in Saudi Arabia - a process which took months to complete. "The banks did however lose a lot of money through doing this as the rent of the plane that transferred the funds was around $600,000," the official said. Tadhamon could not be reached for comment. Other separate officials with commercial Yemeni banks said there were moves to try and make further transfers of funds to Bahrain. "LIVING THROUGH A TRAGEDY" The United Nations has said the economy is close to collapse and many areas are at risk of famine, a word the agency uses sparingly and only when certain criteria have been met. It said 10 out of Yemen's 22 governorates were currently in a phase 4, or emergency, situation. If an area reached phase 5 famine is declared. "Food imports have been going down which should translate into lower stocks," said the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation's regional representative Abdessalam Ould Ahmed. Ahmed said while it had not reached phase 5 yet, there was nevertheless "significant deterioration", especially in the city of Taiz in central Yemen. A famine is declared when at least 20 per cent of households in an area face extreme food shortages with a limited ability to cope; acute malnutrition rates exceed 30 per cent; and the death rate exceeds two persons per day per 10,000 persons. Out of Yemen's 28 million people 21 million people need some form of humanitarian aid and over half the population suffer from malnutrition, the UN said. Out of a 3 million-tonne cereal import requirement from the commercial sector for 2016, only 580,000 tonnes of wheat had been imported so far this year due to foreign exchange problems, a lack of hard currency and disruptions at the country's ports - some of which have been damaged due to fighting. "A virtual economic blockade is deterring traders from doing business in Yemen and unfair banking restrictions are making it difficult for Yemeni traders to buy food on international markets," Sajjad Mohamed Sajid, country director in Yemen for aid group Oxfam, said. "Unless banking regulators re-open Yemens bank accounts and allow food companies to trade, it wont be long until warnings of catastrophe become a reality." In February, Yemen's central bank stopped providing favorable exchange rates for local traders importing rice and sugar, say the sources. This also hindered food supplies. Mohammed Abdul Latif, a 28-year old unemployed telecoms engineer who lives near the central city of Ibb said the price of a 40 kg sack of flour had risen to 7,000 Yemeni riyals, about $25, in cities and 8,000 riyals in rural areas from 5,000 riyals previously. "People are living through a tragedy. We cant provide our families the food they need due to the surge in prices, especially here in the countryside, where thousands of people have fled," Latif said. ($1 = 3.7501 riyals) (Additional reporting by Mohamed Ghobari in Cairo, Michael Hogan in Hamburg, Michelle Nichols in New York, Stephanie Nebehay and Tom Miles in Geneva, writing by Jonathan Saul; editing by Anna Willard) By Alister Doyle OSLO (Reuters) - An expansion of farmland has damaged nature beyond a "safe" limit on 58 percent of the world's land surface, threatening natural services such as crop pollination by insects, scientists said on Thursday. Grasslands, such as in United States, Argentina, South Africa or Central Asia, are among natural systems most affected by declines in animals and plants caused by human activities, they wrote in the journal Science. Northern pine forests and tundra are least affected, they said. Overall, the study said the diversity of animals and plants on 58 percent of the world's land area, home to 71 percent of all people, had fallen below a safe threshold, driven mainly by an expansion of farmland as well as by roads and bigger cities. They defined "safe" as places where the local abundance of species was at least 90 percent of levels in comparable regions untouched by human activity. They based the conclusions on 2.38 million records for 39,123 species at 18,659 sites. The declines raise risks for natural services such as pollination of food crops by insects, production of nutrients by soils, or the ability of forests to absorb carbon dioxide as a natural brake on climate change. "If we keep degrading biodiversity there will be a point where it's very difficult to support agriculture," lead author Tim Newbold of University College London told Reuters. Still, the study said there was uncertainty about the 90 percent threshold for damage - some other scientists believe nature can withstand bigger declines. "Given the stakes it's best to be precautionary," said Newbold, who previously worked at the U.N. Environment Programme. Intact natural systems are most resilient to shocks such as droughts, floods, disease or global warming. "Decision-makers worry a lot about economic recessions, but an ecological recession could have even worse consequences," Andy Purvis, another author of the study at the Natural History Museum, London, said in a statement. "Until and unless we can bring biodiversity back up, we're playing ecological roulette," he said. The report complements work by a separate group of scientists seeking to outline planetary boundaries, or safe limits for human prosperity in areas such as biodiversity, climate change, ocean acidification and freshwater use. Sarah Cornell, who coordinates research into planetary boundaries at the Stockholm Resilience Center, welcomed Thursday's findings as a step to pin down links between biodiversity and ecosystems. Loss of biodiversity "means a much more fragile system," she said. (Reporting by Alister Doyle; editing by Mark Heinrich) Paris (AFP) - Public health experts called Friday for far-reaching measures against prison "incubators" of HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis. Inmates are much more likely to carry infectious diseases than the general public, they said, and will spread the deadly germs as soon as they are released. Yet the response to the HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis epidemics in prisons had been "slow and piecemeal", said Chris Beyrer, president of the International AIDS Society and lead author of a series of papers published by The Lancet. "The majority of governments continue to ignore the strategic importance of prison healthcare to public health," he added. The series was published ahead of Monday's opening of the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa. It called for improvements in prison sanitation and overcrowding, the issuing of condoms, sterile needles to drug users, and for inmates to be vaccinated and given antiretroviral drugs against AIDS. "Prisons can act as incubators of tuberculosis, hepatitis C, and HIV and the high level of mobility between prison and the community means that the health of prisoners should be a major public health concern," said Beyrer. "Yet, screening and treatment for infectious diseases are rarely made available to inmates." The series authors said HIV infection levels were 20 times higher among prisoners than civilians in western Europe, and about three times higher in parts of Africa and North America. TB prevalence was higher in prisons everywhere. At any given time, there are some 10.2 million people behind bars, both pre- and post-sentence, nearly 2.2 million in the United States alone. An estimated 30 million people move in and out of prisons worldwide every year. A major factor in virus and bacteria spread, the experts said, was injecting drug use among inmates, who often share needles. - Zero-tolerance 'does not work' - As the number of injecting drug users in prison has soared, partly because of the global "war on drugs", so has infectious disease. Story continues According to recent estimates, "up to half of all new HIV infections over the next 15 years in eastern Europe will stem from increased HIV transmission risk among inmates who inject drugs", said a statement from The Lancet. Furthermore, "imprisonment could be responsible for three-quarters of new tuberculosis infections among people who inject drugs, and around six percent of all yearly tuberculosis infections." The authors said between 56 percent and 90 percent of people who inject drugs will be incarcerated at one point or another. In parts of Europe, where 0.3 percent of the general population inject drugs, the percentage among inmates was 38 percent, while in Australia (0.2 percent) it was more than half. But there was a dearth of treatment programmes for prison drug users. And only one percent of prisoners worldwide who need legal medicines to replace hardcore drugs such as heroin, receive it. "Most strategies for dealing with infectious diseases in prisons focus on a zero-tolerance approach to drug users," said Beyrer. The fact that infection rates are still climbing confirms that this approach does not work." The authors called for a reform of laws that criminalise drug use, and for non-violent addicts to be given treatment instead of jail time. "The most effective way of controlling infection in prisoners and the wider community is to reduce mass imprisonment of injecting drug users," according to Beyrer. (Reuters) - Two explosions, at least one of them set off by a bomb or bomb-making materials carried in a car, rocked a small farming town in eastern Nevada on Wednesday night, killing a suspect in the vehicle and injuring another person, authorities said on Thursday. The circumstances behind the two large blasts at about 8 p.m. in the community of Panaca, about 190 miles (300 km) northeast of Las Vegas near the Utah border, were not immediately clear. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office issued a statement confirming one fatality and one "non-life-threatening injury" from the first blast, which according to dispatcher Toni Lytle resulted from the detonation of explosives in the car. Lytle said a person in the vehicle who was believed to have been the perpetrator behind the incident was killed in the blast. It was not immediately known whether the injured person was involved with the suspect or an innocent bystander, she said. The cause of the second explosion also remained murky. Local news outlet the Lincoln County Record reported the two blasts shook homes several blocks away. According to one account cited by the newspaper, the explosion left a vehicle and telephone pole in flames and a nearby home heavily damaged. "Details from the incident last night in Panaca are still emerging, but I am fully committed to helping assist the victims, residents and Lincoln County community as they respond to this shocking event," Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval said in a statement provided to Las Vegas television station KVVU-TV. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Panaca is Southern Nevada's oldest permanent settlement, founded by Mormon settlers in 1864, the year Nevada became a state, and now home to about 800 residents. (Writing and reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Sandra Maler) By Yasmeen Abutaleb and Sai Sachin R (Reuters) - Facebook Inc's employees are still mainly white or Asian males as the world's largest social network made little progress in hiring a more diverse talent pool over the past year, it said on Thursday. The findings in Facebook's annual diversity report reflects the scant progress made by Silicon Valley heavyweights in employing more women and minorities. Last month, Alphabet Inc's Google released data on diversity, saying it had more black, Latino and female employees than last year, but still lagged its goal of mirroring the population. Women represented 33 percent of Facebook's global workforce as of June 30, compared with 32 percent a year earlier, the report said. Women held 27 percent of senior leadership roles, up from 23 percent a year earlier. (http://bit.ly/29Vvr9W) Facebook said 3 percent of its senior leadership in the United States was black, up from 2 percent a year earlier. Among its U.S. technology workers, Facebook made no progress among two groups. In both 2015 and 2016, Hispanics made up 3 percent of tech employees while blacks made up 1 percent. Facebook's overall U.S. workforce includes 4 percent of Latinos and 2 percent of blacks, unchanged from last year, the report said. Asians represented 38 percent of Facebook's U.S. workforce and 21 percent of its senior leadership. The majority of Facebook's global tech employees, at 83 percent, are men, down marginally from last year's 84 percent. In a voluntary survey of Facebook's U.S. employees about sexual orientation, 7 percent self-identified as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender or asexual. It was the first time the company released LGBTQ data about its staff. Facebook is taking several steps to hire more minority workers, Maxine Williams, global director of diversity, said in a blog post on Thursday. These include a $15 million grant over five years to code.org, which expands computer science training to women and underrepresented populations. (Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb in San Francisco and Sai Sachin R in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Richard Chang) By Emily Stephenson (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump will name Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his vice presidential running mate on Friday, U.S. news organizations reported on Thursday. Here are five facts about Pence, a Republican who previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives: LATECOMER ON TRUMP BANDWAGON Pence did not initially support Trump. Shortly before Indiana's Republican primary election in May, Pence endorsed Trump's rival, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Pence praised Trump at the time, but he compared Cruz to former Republican President Ronald Reagan and called him a "principled conservative." Trump won the state anyway, and Cruz dropped out of the Republican race. Trump and Pence have since met to discuss the running mate position. WELL-CONNECTED WITH DONORS Pence has strong ties to billionaire donors Charles and David Koch, including current and former staff members who have worked for them. After saying he was primarily self-funding his campaign during the Republican primaries, Trump has been holding fundraisers during the general election, with support from the Republican National Committee. The New York businessman comes to the money race at a considerable disadvantage, however, compared with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. A SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE Pence sometimes describes himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order." Pence in 2015 signed a religious freedom law that critics said opened the door to anti-gay discrimination. When he was in Congress, he opposed repealing the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy on sexual orientation. He also has pushed restrictive abortion regulations and has pushed for Congress to defund Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit women's health provider that performs some abortions. CRITIC OF WALL STREET BAILOUT He was a vocal opponent of the 2008 Wall Street bailout. In September 2008, Pence, then a U.S. House member, argued against the $700 billion package to stabilize the U.S. financial system, saying it would "nationalize almost every bad mortgage in America." Pence also said the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation passed in 2010 would hurt jobs. Trump has vowed to dismantle Dodd-Frank, though he has not said how he would replace it. OPPOSITION TO SYRIAN REFUGEES Pence opposed allowing Syrian refugees coming to the United States to settle in Indiana. In November 2015, the governor directed state agencies to suspend the resettlement of Syrians there. A family that was supposed to arrive in December was instead sent to Connecticut. A federal judge later ruled the order "clearly discriminates" against refugees from a particular country. However, Pence tweeted disapproval in 2015 for plans to ban Muslims from entering the United States, an idea Trump has advocated. Pence called it "offensive and unconstitutional." (Editing by Caren Bohan and Jonathan Oatis) In this week's showdown for Billboard's Fan Army Face-Off, Rihanna's Navy takes on 5 Seconds of Summer's #5SOSFAM. Boy bands are known to have the craziest fandoms, but with a nearly 20,000-vote lead, the Navy might be too strong for the Australian group's mega-following. With only five years under their belt, pop/rock band 5 Seconds of Summer first started rallying fans on YouTube. The boy band gained more traction with their Billboard 200 No. 2 EP She Looks So Perfect and their self-titled debut album 5 Seconds of Summer. The boys received the support of One Direction, joining their Take Me Home Tour in 2013 and Where We Are Tour in 2014. Since, the #5SOSFAM has brought the Australian heartthrobs worldwide stardom. Billboard's Fan Army Face-Off: Vote! Rihanna's Navy, on the other hand, is more than a decade in the making. Rihanna was first recognized as a top-selling dance-pop artist with her hit "Pon de Replay" in 2005 from her debut studio album Music of the Sun. The pop star's third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) was RiRi's start as a charts regular. It was Rihanna's 2012 appearance in the film Battleship that coined the fan army's name The Navy. Within the last year, Rihanna released Anti (which peaked at No. 1) and started the Anti World Tour. Rihanna Fan on Being Part of the RihannaNavy: 'She Knows That She's Not a Role Model' While the Navy sees their commander as the "Only Girl (In the World)," the #5SOSFAM "Don't Stop" when it comes to supporting their favorite mates. There are three days left for the current round of Billboard's Fan Army Face-Off -- vote for your fave now! WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI has arrested four people within the last month in order to disrupt Islamic State-inspired plots, FBI Director James Comey told a panel of U.S. lawmakers on Thursday. At the same hearing, U.S. National Counterterrorism Director Nicholas J. Rasmussen said Islamic State's ability to carry out attacks in Iraq, Syria has not significantly diminished even as the militant group has lost ground militarily. (Reporting by Julia Edwards; Editing by James Dalgleish) The Hindi remake of Tamil film Kalyana Samayal Saadham, which was rumoured to be shelved, is very much happening. By India Today Web Desk: Kalyana Samayal Saadham is a Tamil romantic comedy directed by debutant RS Prasanna, which was released in 2013. Based on big fat south Indian wedding, the film broke the stereotypes and pushed the boundaries of unexplored characters. ALSO READ: Kabali-Teaser of Rajinikanth's film sets YouTube record, crosses 25 million views The film opened to excellent reception from critics and audience for the newness in its storytelling. advertisement Ever since the release of the film, reports indicated the possible remake of the film in Bollywood, although there wasn't any official confirmation regarding the same. Now, the producer of the film CV Kumar, has clarified that the Hindi remake of Kalyana Samayal Saadham, which was rumoured to be shelved, is still on cards despite the delay of the project. Speaking about the project, CV Kumar said, "The project is not shelved. Anand L Rai will be co-producing the Hindi version and the work on the same is currently underway. Although Imran Khan and Shruti Haasan were approached, we haven't signed anyone yet." The Hindi remake is likely to be helmed by RS Prasanna, who directed the original. However, the cast and crew are yet to be finalised. --- ENDS --- By Julia Edwards WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers on Thursday that they were preparing their agencies for the possibility of violence, both from unruly demonstrators and terrorists, at the upcoming Republican and Democratic nominating conventions. Speaking before the House Homeland Security Committee, Johnson said he was concerned that demonstrations at the events could get out of hand. In an interview with Reuters following his testimony, Johnson said he knew of no specific or credible threat to either convention but that it was important to be prepared. Johnson said the Department of Homeland Security would be sending more than 3,000 personnel to each convention. Recent clashes between attendees and protesters at rallies for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump have led to physical assaults and arrests. The Republican National Convention being held July 18-21 in Cleveland and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia from July 25-28 follow a string of high-profile shootings. In June, an Islamic State sympathizer committed the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, killing 49 people in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Last week, five police officers in Dallas were killed by a black man angry about police shootings of unarmed black men. Comey told the committee that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was monitoring the threat of violence at the conventions "very, very carefully." "Anytime there is a national spotlight on a political event in the United States, there is a risk that groups that aspire to do just that, engage in acts of domestic terrorism, will be attracted," Comey said. (Reporting by Julia Edwards; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) Washington (AFP) - Senior US national security officials on Thursday warned about a possible rise in extremist violence with the spread of a "terrorist diaspora" once the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria is defeated. "We all know there will be a terrorist diaspora out of the caliphate as military forces crush the caliphate," FBI Director James Comey told a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee, referring to the Islamic state proclaimed by the jihadist group. Thousands of fighters will spread worldwide "and our job is to spot them and stop them before they come to the United States to harm innocent people," he added. The IS group's defeat in Iraq and Syria will make it "desperate to demonstrate its continued vitality, and that is likely to take the form of more asymmetric attacks, of more efforts at terrorism," Comey said. CIA director John Brennan estimated last month that some 18,000 to 22,000 IS fighters remained in Iraq and Syria, and he predicted they would probably intensify attacks around the world even as they come under pressure in Iraq and Syria. The jihadi group has ceded an increasing amount of territory in recent weeks, especially in Iraq, where it lost control over the Sunni city of Fallujah and a major air base in Qayyarah, some 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the city of Mosul, the IS group's de facto capital in Iraq. However, that has not stopped the jihadists from staging deadly attacks in Baghdad and elsewhere. Although the Islamic State group's grip in Iraq and Syria is weakening, there may be a significant lag between the US-led coalition's battlefield victories and reducing the IS group's capability to stage attacks, Nicholas Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, told the committee. Brennan said on Wednesday that three suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia last week bear the hallmarks of IS. July 14 (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said it would invest more than $1 billion in its assembly plants in Illinois and Ohio to retool them to boost production of its Jeep Cherokee and Wrangler. The automaker will invest $350 million in its assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois to produce Jeep Cherokee. The SUV's production will move to the plant from its current location in Toledo, Ohio, in 2017. The company will invest $700 million in its Toledo facility to prepare the north plant to produce redesigned Jeep Wrangler, Fiat Chrysler said. Sales of Fiat Chrysler's Jeep brand rose 17 percent in June and accounted for 42.5 percent of the company's total U.S. sales. (Reporting by Arunima Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel) MONTEVIDEO, July 13 (Reuters) - UPM-Kymmene, the world's biggest producer of graphic papers such as newsprint, is in talks with Uruguay on developing what would be its second pulp mill in the country, the company said on Wednesday. The investment would require improvements to Uruguayan infrastructure, including possibly roads and a railroad to link expanded operations to a deep sea port, the Finish company said. "If these challenges can be solved in the coming few years, Uruguay could be a competitive alternative for addressing UPM's pulp market opportunities in the 2020s," Jaakko Sarantola, UPM's senior vice president for Uruguayan development said in a statement. Ramping up infrastructure investments might be hard for Uruguay as it faces a fiscal deficit that was 3.7 percent of gross domestic product in May. Wood pulp exports from Uruguay, where UPM operates one of two mills, rose 7 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2016 to $625 million. (Reporting by Malena Castaldi; Writing by Mitra Taj; Editing by Sandra Maler) LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May will travel to Edinburgh on Friday to discuss the implications of Brexit for Scotland with Nicola Sturgeon, head of the pro-independence Scottish government, May's office said in a statement. May's decision to visit Sturgeon on her own turf less than 48 hours after taking office underlines her determination to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom after the Brexit vote revived the issue of independence. Scotland voted by a large majority to stay in the European Union in the June 23 referendum that saw the United Kingdom as a whole vote to leave the bloc. Sturgeon says Scots must not be dragged out of the EU against their will and she will explore all options for preventing that from happening, including a referendum on independence from the rest of the United Kingdom. "I believe with all my heart in the United Kingdom the precious bond between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland," May said in a statement issued by her office ahead of the visit. "This visit to Scotland is my first as prime minister and I'm coming here to show my commitment to preserving this special union that has endured for centuries." May has made it clear she is profoundly opposed to the idea of Scottish secession, saying during her first speech as prime minister on Wednesday that the word "unionist" was very important to her. Sturgeon said on Wednesday she wanted May to enable the Scottish government to explore options for Scotland to remain in the EU as a central part of the overall negotiations with the bloc over the terms of Britain's exit. She has also repeatedly said that Scotland should be able to conduct talks directly with EU counterparts, and met several EU leaders in Brussels during a visit there days after the referendum. She is unlikely to find May receptive to her arguments. May's predecessor David Cameron, asked hours before leaving office on Wednesday what solution he saw for the Scottish conundrum, said his advice to May was to seek as close as possible a relationship with the EU after Brexit. Scots rejected independence by 55-45 percent in a referendum in 2014, but since then, Sturgeon's Scottish National Party has gone from strength to strength, winning 56 of Scotland's 59 seats in the British parliament in the 2015 election. May's Conservative Party, hugely unpopular in Scotland for decades, holds only one of those 59 seats, although it has recently improved its standing, coming second to the SNP in the Scottish parliamentary election in May. It is now the official opposition to the SNP in Edinburgh, having beaten the once dominant Labour Party into third place. (Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Alison Williams) (The following statement was released by the rating agency) SINGAPORE/HONG KONG, July 13 (Fitch) Maritime disputes in the South China Sea underscore the growing importance of geopolitics in shaping the international policy agenda of countries in the Asia Pacific. Fitch Ratings believes shifts in the regional and global balance of power mean geopolitical risks will remain prevalent in the long term. These risks have the potential to cause significant economic and political instability, though are not currently a direct ratings driver for sovereigns in the region. Diminishing US geopolitical influence and strength in Asia in the past decade, concurrent with China's efforts to expand its presence, are fundamentally changing the region's security paradigm. Recurring frictions among states are likely to be a consequence of the changing geopolitical dynamics. Recent territorial disputes involving China, Philippines and Vietnam in the South China Sea are a case in point; a UN tribunal's ruling regarding maritime claims on 12 July highlights ongoing tensions over control and sovereignty in the area. More longstanding issues, including from North Korea, territorial disputes over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea between Japan and China, and cross-strait relations between Taiwan and the mainland remain have the potential to flare up. In the case of Korea, North Korea-related issues have been a longstanding risk factor that has weighed on South Korea's credit profile. Terrorism and related security risks are also likely to remain pertinent for the region. Major -and repeated - terrorist attacks have the potential to affect important drivers of economic growth including tourism or sectors that rely heavily on foreign investment. Major geopolitical risks have largely been contained in Asia in recent years, but the potential economic implications could be severe in the event of a sudden escalation. Tensions between states could lead to impaired bilateral trade and investment and, depending on the severity, could affect investor confidence. The potential risks go beyond the region as well. Recent events in Europe related to the "Brexit" referendum results demonstrate political events can have global repercussions for markets and economies. Nonetheless, Fitch believes deepening globalisation in recent decades means incentives to maintain an orderly international environment are powerful. Contacts: Andrew Colquhoun Senior Director Sovereigns +852 2263 9938 Fitch (Hong Kong) Limited 19/F Man Yee Building 68 Des Voeux Road Central Hong Kong Justin Patrie Fitch Wire +65 6796 7232 Media Relations: Leslie Tan, Singapore, Tel: +65 67 96 7234, Email: leslie.tan@fitchratings.com; Wai-Lun Wan, Hong Kong, Tel: +852 2263 9935, Email: wailun.wan@fitchratings.com. The above article originally appeared as a post on the Fitch Wire credit market commentary page. The original article can be accessed at www.fitchratings.com. All opinions expressed are those of Fitch Ratings. 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. A 20-year old food-stamp requirement that was waived during the Great Recession has been reinstated by more than 40 states in an effort to curb spending. As a result, the benefit that serves the poor and unemployed has begun to eliminate hundreds of thousands of people from the rolls just within the past three months. The food stamp program has been steadily shrinking from its peak of more than 46 million beneficiaries or nearly one in seven Americans. As the economy improved and congressional lawmakers and state officials pressed to cull the rolls, about 3.1 million fewer Americans received food subsidies in January 2016 than in January 2013, according to government figures. Related: Food Stamp Use Is Falling, and the GOP Wants to Cut It Even More Now, as the country approaches full employment, many states have reinstated a controversial 1990s era requirement that able-bodied single adults with no children find a job within three months of receiving benefits and work an average of 20 hours a week in order to stay in the program. About 20 of the 40 states that reinstated that requirement announced their decisions in January. In the wake of those actions, the Department of Agriculture recently reported that the number of food stamp recipients dropped by 773,000 in April alone. That was the largest one-month decline in the federal and state supplemental nutrition program since temporary benefits for Hurricane Katrina victims ended in 2005, according to experts. An analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) says 45 states in all show some declines in program participation in April, including a majority that ordered the reinstatement of the work requirement. Related: $74 Billion Food Stamp Program in Budget Crosshairs Eight of the ten states with the largest percentage caseload drop that month implemented the time limit in January, including Florida, Missouri, Alabama, and Arkansas, the analysis stated. Caseloads fell by 2.8 percent in the states that began cutting people off [food stamps] in April due to time limits, while falling 0.8 percent in the other states. Story continues Other states that re-imposed the work requirement in January include New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, North Carolina and South Carolina. The current total caseload of 43.6 million people is at the lowest point since 2010, according to CBPP. The liberal-leaning policy research organization said the Agriculture Department data for April is consistent with its own estimate that more than 500,000 people will lose benefits in 2016 due to the time limit for finding work. The food stamp program, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is an anti-poverty program that provides low-income families and adults with an average of $192 a month to purchase groceries and other necessities. College students who work 20 hours a week are also eligible. The roughly $74 billion a year program is largely financed by the federal government, although states share in the administrative costs of processing applications and providing the electronic benefit transfer cards to beneficiaries. Related: The Surprising Fact of Hunger in America GOP lawmakers have called for a major overhaul of the program to save money. Many have complained that the program increased by nearly 50 percent since President Obama first took office, although that is hardly surprising considering the country was going through the worst economic downturn in modern history. Food Stamps Critics also complained that the food stamp program has been rife with fraud both by beneficiaries including college students and merchants. Earlier this year, the House Budget Committee adopted a plan that would slash food stamp spending by more than 20 percent over the next decade and convert the program into block grants to the states. In his June 7 set of proposals for combating poverty, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said that the government must insist that able-bodied people find work as a condition of continuing to receive SNAP benefits. Related: Why Half a Million People Will Lose Their Food Stamps This Year Ed Bolen, a CBPP senior policy analyst, said, When you talk about a welfare safety net, for this population in many cases youre just talking about SNAP. Some people might be getting unemployment compensation for a little while and other types of benefits. But this is the main strand of the safety net. So when they lose their benefits just on a household level, it can be devastating, he added. Department of Agriculture data shows that the low-income people who are most likely to be dropped from the food stamp program after three months have an average monthly income of about 17 percent of the poverty level. However, children and disabled people, and people who are unable to work because of physical or mental reasons, pregnant, care for a child or incapacitated family member, are exempt from the general work requirements, according to the USDA. If an individual cant fulfill the 80-hour a month work requirement, they can qualify for food stamps by participating in education and training activities for 80 hours per month or by entering an approved unpaid workfare program. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: By Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - The former head of Afghanistan's main intelligence agency released documents on Thursday which he said showed that Pakistani intelligence services helped leaders of the Taliban and the feared Haqqani network in 2014 and 2015. Rahmatullah Nabil stepped down from the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in December last year after opposing Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's efforts to improve relations with Pakistan and include Islamabad in peace talks with the Taliban. Nabil told a group of journalists in Kabul that he had released the documents to provide concrete evidence of Pakistan's collusion with the Taliban and the associated Haqqani group, which has been blamed for a series of kidnappings and high profile suicide bombings in the capital. Pakistan's foreign office and the army's media wing did not respond to several written and telephoned requests for comment in which Reuters outlined the accusations leveled against Pakistan. Neither the NDS nor the Afghan government was available for immediate comment on the letters. The Afghan Taliban insurgency has in the past said it is fighting against the government and Western allies with the support of the Afghan people, and has no need of outside help. Nabil did not say how the letters had been obtained. Reuters could not independently verify their authenticity. Since retiring from the intelligence service, Nabil has been strongly critical of Pakistan, which is routinely accused by Afghanistan of sponsoring the Afghan Taliban, a charge it has consistently denied. "For the past 14 years, no one has disclosed documents of this kind. Here, I'm proving it," he told reporters, to whom he released the letters. "They kill us every day and commit all kinds of atrocities, we have to show them." One letter, addressed from a section of Pakistan's military intelligence service in the northwestern city of Peshawar, is headed "Arrangements of Secure Houses and Protection to Afghan Taliban and Their Leadership". In the letter, dated August 2014, an official arranges for safe houses and vehicles to be provided for Afghan Taliban commanders forced out of a remote area of northern Pakistan while an army operation is conducted. Another letter, dated March 2015, requests an update on Haqqani network personnel in Nowshera, Mardan and Swabi, in the border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A third letter addressed from the Directorate General Military Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, dated July 2014, is headed "Kabul Airport Attacks and Release of Payments". The letter says four members of the Haqqani network are to be paid 2.5 million Pakistani rupees ($24,000) each for the "successful and comprehensive execution of assault on KB AP". VICTIM OF TERRORISM Authorities in Islamabad have long rejected accusations that Pakistan has provided support and sanctuary for the Afghan Taliban and its leaders, saying it has for years itself been a victim of terrorism, much of it from groups based in Afghanistan. The release of the documents comes amid worsening tensions between the neighboring countries in recent weeks, with days of clashes last month during which troops on the border exchanged artillery fire. It also came days after Pakistan faced heavy criticism in a Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in Washington. Afghan President Ghani sharply criticized Pakistan during a visit to a NATO summit in Warsaw last week, and has accused it of conducting an "undeclared war" against Afghanistan. In response, Islamabad said that Afghanistan was playing a "blame game" instead of cooperating effectively to stop terrorism. Pakistan's critics say that it supports Islamist militants in Afghanistan to maintain influence and counter attempts by arch-rival India to gain a foothold, effectively surrounding it. (Additional reporting by Drazen Jorgic and Mehreen Zahra-Malik in Islamabad; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Mike Collett-White) The National Award-winning actor was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday night after fracturing his leg. By India Today Web Desk: Actor Kamal Haasan was hospitalised after he slipped and fell in his Chennai office resulting in a fracture in his leg on Wednesday (July 14) night. According to The News Minute, The Nayakan actor has reportedly been admitted to Apollo Hospital to undergo surgery. His condition is presently stable. Close sources say that the actor has fractured his right leg. advertisement Kamal Haasan will be next seen in a tri-lingual comedy film Sabash Naidu. The film is being directed by him after an unfortunate turn of events led to director T.K Rajeev Kumar moving away from the project. ALSO READ: Kamal Haasan will bring Balaram Naidu of Dasavatharam back in Sabash Naidu ALSO READ: Kamal Haasan teaming up with Ilaiyaraaja after a decade for Sabash Naidu ALSO READ: 42 minutes of Sabash Naidu is complete The film will simultaneously be shot in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. Veteran writer-actor Saurabh Shukla is penning the Hindi script and dialogues. Majority of the film is being shot in the United States and the crew will reportedly leave soon and come to India to shoot the remaining portions. But before that Haasan's passion project Vishwaroopam II will hit the screens. The sequel to the the spy thriller film will hopefully release during Diwali, this year. Meanwhile, the release date of Sabash Naidu has been locked. The film co-starring Kamal's daughter Shruti Haasan and Ramya Krishnan will release on December 1 this year. --- ENDS --- A grand jury has indicted a 21-year-old former Cornell University fraternity president arrested four months ago for an alleged sexual assault in a fraternity house bedroom, PEOPLE confirms. In late February, Wolfgang Ballinger a resident of Ghent, New York, whose father owns the music venue Webster Hall in New York City was detained on attempted rape, sexual abuse, and criminal sexual act charges. Soon after his arrest, Cornell suspended him and prohibited him from returning to campus. While he has consistently denied any wrongdoing, a formal indictment was returned against the onetime president of Psi Upsilon Chi's chapter at Cornell Thursday morning. Ballinger was also indicted Thursday on a felony sexual abuse charge, according to his criminal defense attorney, Sarah Wesley. "We are disappointed, but confident that we will prevail at the eventual trial," Wesley tells PEOPLE. The indictment claims Ballinger "subjected another person to sexual contact by forcible compulsion." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. In May, Ballinger's attorney filed a motion with New York's Tompkins County Supreme Court seeking a temporary suspension of Cornell's ongoing internal investigation into the alleged attack. The motion, which was obtained by PEOPLE, argues that Cornell's administrative policies have violated Ballinger's due process rights by denying him the chance to have a fair hearing because "it does not provide the accused student a fair and reasonable opportunity to defend himself." MILAN, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. asset manager Fortress will integrate two Italian debt collectors it owns to create the country's biggest independent bad loan manager. Under the deal, doBank, a debt collector Fortress and Eurocastle Investment purchased from Italian bank UniCredit last year, will acquire Italfondiario, already controlled by the U.S. asset manager, doBank said in a statement. The two companies together will manage around 100 billion euros ($111 billion) of bad debts, half of the whole amount weighing on Italian banks' balance sheets. DoBank and Italfondiario will maintain their own loan management businesses, while they will integrate non-core activities to generate synergies, doBank said. The Bank of Italy will have to give its green light to the transaction, it said. ($1 = 0.9004 euros) (Reporting by Francesca Landini; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle) LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - Four people were killed in a crash of a small 6-seat plane in western Slovenia on Thursday, the Slovenian police said. "There were no survivors. The police are still investigating the circumstances of the crash," spokesman Dean Boznik told Reuters. He added the plane, which was registered in the United States, was traveling from Italy's Venice to Germany's Leipzig. The identity of the victims had not yet been established. (Reporting By Marja Novak; Editing by Toby Chopra) The former head of the European Commission has invoked the ire of the French government for his decision to join Goldman Sachs, with several ministers saying it violates the spirit, if not the letter, of the EUs rules on conflict of interest. Jose Manuel Barroso is being urged by France to back out of a job advising the U.S. banking giant on Britains decision to leave the EU, the BBC reports. Although Barroso, a former Portugese Prime Minister, is joining Goldman Sachs 20 months after stepping down (the minimum waiting period for ex-commissioners to take up new roles is 18 months), his move has been slammed as scandalous, shameful and ill-timed for coming so close on the heels of Brexit. Its a mistake on the part of Mr Barroso and the worst disservice that a former Commission president could do to the European project at a moment in history when it needs to be supported and strengthened, Harlem Desir, Frances Europe Minister, told the countrys parliament, according to the BBC. If you have loved Europe, you shouldnt do this to it, especially not now, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin added. But this doesnt surprise me from Mr. Barroso. [BBC] By Michel Rose PARIS (Reuters) - President Francois Hollande used the last Bastille Day address of his mandate, less than a year before presidential polls, to paint himself as France's guardian through a time of joblessness and violence that he had brought under control. "I must protect France, it's fragile, it can crack at any moment," he told journalists on the national day commemorating the storming of the Bastille and the liberal ideas that gave birth to the French Revolution. He said the Western world and democracy was under threat from terrorism and from wars as well as a rise in populism. "I have gone through tremendous difficulties: the crisis, Greece, the banks, and the attacks of course, but that was my responsibility," he said at the Elysee presidential palace. Hollande, elected in 2012 when the eurozone was suffering the fallout of a Greek financial crisis, expressed confidence he could achieve the cut in French unemployment he has promised. Unemployment hovers still close to 10 percent and France has suffered a number of Islamist militant attacks, culminating in the November bomb and gun attacks that killed 130 people. He has consistently proved unpopular in opinion polls. Opinion polls show far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen would likely come first in the first round of the 2017 presidential election. Although she would lose in a run-off of the two top placed candidates, Hollande himself could struggle to reach that run-off ahead of candidates of the mainstream right, the polls show. Hollande said Britain's decision to leave the European Union showed, by causing economic turmoil, the dangers of policies such as Le Pen's plan to leave the currency union. After weeks of strikes and protests against a labor reform bill he rammed through parliament in an effort to curb unemployment, he said he would not apologize for the choices he made. "I made the right choices for the French economy," he said, defending a pro-business U-turn a year and a half into his mandate after having risen to power in 2012 vilifying the financial sector as his biggest enemy. He said taxes would be lower at the end of his mandate than in 2012 but set a condition that further tax cuts for households would depend on growth of about 1.7 percent next year, which he said depended on the consequences of the fallout from Brexit. Hollande also warned his youthful economy minister, Emmanuel Macron, who was harshly criticized by other ministers for holding a political rally that smacked of rivalry to his president, that he should respect the rules of cabinet solidarity, but he struck a broadly forgiving tone. (Additional reporting by Sophie Louet; Editing by Andrew Callus and Ralph Boulton) PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande on Thursday became the most senior critic to date of former European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso's decision to take a job at the investment bank Goldman Sachs. Hollande noted that Barroso was running the European Union's executive arm at the time of the U.S. subprime home-loans crisis, which has been blamed for the 2007-2008 global financial crisis. He said Goldman Sachs was "one of the main institutions" involved in selling subprime debt, and also noted the U.S. bank's role helping Greece establish credibility about its finances in the early 2000s. Worries about Greek debt later rocked the currency bloc. "It's not about Europe, it's about morality," said Hollande in his annual interview to mark Bastille day, France's national day. "Legally, it's possible, but morally, it's about the person, it's morally unacceptable." The bank said earlier this month it had hired Barroso, a conservative Portuguese ex-premier who headed the European Union's executive arm from 2004-2014, to be an adviser and non-executive chairman of its international business. Barroso was hired 20 months after stepping down, shortly after an 18-month "cooling off" period when ex-commissioners must seek clearance for new jobs to avoid conflicts of interest. Earlier this week the French government called on Barroso to walk away from the job and the European Ombudsman called for the EU to tighten rules on commissioners taking appointments on leaving office. (Reporting by Sophie Louet; Writing by Andrew Callus; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) Harare (AFP) - The Zimbabwean pastor who has emerged as leader of a new protest movement against President Robert Mugabe's authoritarian government called on Thursday for further strikes and shutdowns. Evan Mawarire, who started the popular ThisFlag internet protest campaign in April, was an organiser of a one-day nationwide strike last week that closed offices, shops, schools and some government departments. "Tell everyone that you know... tell them that the pastor said we carry on with our 'stay-away' and shutdown," Mawarire said in a Facebook video, the day after a court threw out a case against him of attempting overthrow the government. "There is a hope inside you that this country needs, and if you don't get involved you are robbing us of that hope," he said, wearing the national flag around his neck. "We are not just hating the government for nothing. We actually want you to know the reality on the ground." A recent series of demonstrations, the largest in years, have been driven by an economic crisis in Zimbabwe that has left banks short of cash and the government struggling to pay its workers. Mugabe, 92 and increasingly frail, has previously used his ruthless security forces to crack down on any public show of dissent. Mawarire was arrested on Tuesday but released the following day after a magistrate dismissed the case against him. Laval (France) (AFP) - Thousands of people gathered in France Thursday to smash two records, for the world's longest picnic and the world's longest table cloth. The sun shone on the record breakers in Laval, north west France, as they unravelled their 20 kilometre-long (12 miles) red and white check table cloth alongside the Mayenne river towpath. Hungry supporters of the attempt also brought ample quantities of bread, cheese and wine to try to break a second record -- for the world's longest picnic. The picnickers managed to stretch out for 2.5 kilometres, beating the 1.7 kilometres previously managed in South Africa. Both new records have yet to be verified by Guinness World Records. The length of the table cloth -- 20,427 metres to be precise -- was measured on a motor scooter by Isabelle Bouvet. The "slightly crazy" idea was the brainchild of Anne-Marie Amoros, the head of a local radio station who wanted to use the stunt to promote the area. "It's an excuse for people to meet, to share an experience," she said. She used a fundraising website to persuade supporters to buy metres of tablecloth for 5 euros a piece ($5.50). The Hurriyat spokesman said Bilawal Bhutto condemned the 'killings of dozens of Kashmiris and injuries of hundreds at the hands of Indian forces.' By Naseer Ganai: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari today phoned Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to express 'deep concern over the abject human rights and deteriorating situation in Kashmir'. The Hurriyat spokesman said Bilawal Bhutto condemned the 'killings of dozens of Kashmiris and injuries of hundreds at the hands of Indian forces.' Bilawal told Mirwaiz that expressing solidarity with people of Kashmir, the PPP will organise programmes throughout Pakistan on July 15. "Bilawal assured Kashmiri leadership and people of Kashmir that PPP and entire Pakistan stands with them in these difficult times", the spokesperson said. advertisement The Hurriyat said Bilawal also pledged to Mirwaiz that like his grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his mother, Benazir Bhutto, he and his party stand for the resolution of Kashmir issue as per the wishes and aspirations of the people of Kashmir. "PPP and Pakistan are duty bound to help in the resolution of this long-standing issue," Bilawal told Mirwaiz. On Wednesday Pakistan's army chief, General Raheel Sharif condemned what he called the "brutal killings" of youths in Kashmir. "Condemning Indian brutal killings of innocent Kashmiri youth, Chief of Army Staff (Gen Sharif) reiterated that the world needs to recognise the aspirations of Kashmiri people, their struggle for freedom and help resolve the long standing dispute for lasting amity in Kashmir and enduring peace in the region," said a Pakistani army statement, issued after Corps Commander Conference at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, Pakistani Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday said it welcomes the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's offer to mediate Pak-India peace talks. --- ENDS --- Body hair is perfectly natural. (Photo: Getty Images) Most research shows us that upwards of 90 percent of women remove their body hair, mainly because they are stigmatized if they dont a reality that 16-year-old Adele Labo knows firsthand. The French teen told the Guardian she had suffered enormously from teasing about her body hair by her peers and wanted to turn the tables on social media. Labo recently launched the body positive hashtag #LesPrincessesOntDesPoils (#PrincessesHaveHair) on Twitter, where it quickly became the platforms top trending topic. More than 25,000 mentions have poured in over the past several days and, prompted by Labo, French women shared their thoughts and photos showing off their natural hair growth in support of the teens campaign. I think society stigmatizes women, she explained. There is massive social pressure over body hair. Teen Adele Labo is fighting back against the social pressure to remove body hair. (Photo: Instagram/Adele Labo) For hundreds of years, women have sought to eliminate more and more hair from their bodies. Ancient Egyptian and Greek women used natural waxes to take it all off, while women from Rome used razors and depilatory creams. During the Renaissance, gals had a book of household recipes that contained methods for hair removal. By the 1900s in America, with the dawn of bikinis and female-specific razors, women were plucking and shaving even more. Due to hair removals long and storied past, body hair is not typically seen as feminine and is definitely stigmatized, according to psychologist and counselor Karla Ivankovich, PhD. Many girls learn very young that there is an entire depilatory business out there of waxing, threading, bleaching, laser removal, and so on, she tells Yahoo Beauty. No expense too great, because it is [seen as] humiliating. Excess hair is considered a male trait, and its a stigma that is pervasive across cultures. That pervasive image of the hairless beauty is tough to change. We will likely continue to wax, shave, pluck, and zap our way toward that ideal, says Ivankovich. However, social media campaigns like #LesPrincessesOntDesPoils remind us of a couple of important points. Story continues First and foremost, as evidenced by all of the photos of support, lets not forget that body hair is totally natural on the arms, legs, upper lip, underarms, brows, and tons of other locations, in varying amounts and colors. Every woman has hair before she picks up her first razor or set of tweezers even the smooth-skinned and lasered stars we see on TV and in magazines. People dont get that celebrity beauty is not always achievable, Ivankovich says, noting they have teams of people who help them remain hairless (or just appear that way in airbrushed photos). Second, its important to recognize this hairy stigma has been placed upon a womans natural state. What has become normalized is the extreme ideal, erring on the side of impossible perfectionism. We need to learn to cut each other slack, Ivankovich says. That takes age, experience, and awareness to offer and accept. We also need to try and focus on the things that matter and at the end of the day, the body doesnt matter as much as what you do in it. Hats off to Labo for starting a little body-hair revolution. The tweets are still swarming in. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Montpellier (France) (AFP) - Tour de France leader Chris Froome said he won't be going all guns blazing up Mont Ventoux on Thursday as he wants to save energy for Friday's time-trial. Thursday's 12th stage, finishing on iconic mountain Mont Ventoux, is expected to produce a crucial battle in the fight for overall victory. But with a 37km individual time-trial to come the next day, Froome said he'll be keeping his powder dry. "To win, not on top of but halfway up, on the Ventoux stage really is something special," said the 31-year-old Briton, who claimed a stage victory on the mythical climb in 2013, when he won his first of two Tours. "It's certainly at the back of all our minds that it's the time-trial the next day. "Whoever goes really deep on Ventoux will pay the price the day after. "Every consecutive GC (general classification) days you have to think of the day after, and any big efforts are going to cost you the next day. "That's certainly on my radar. Maybe my rivals are approaching it differently and going for the maximum advantage on Ventoux and trying to hold it in the time-trial." However, it is twice now that Froome has put in a big effort at the end of stages when normally overall contenders are merely trying to stay safe and conserve energy. He's gained time on both those stages -- 23sec on stage seven and 12sec on Wednesday, bonuses included -- but acknowledged that the extra effort could work against him. "I was asking myself that today (Wednesday) in the last 10km, wondering if it was worth expending that energy," admitted Froome. "But in this moment, I'm going to take any advantage I can get knowing that Nairo (Quintana) in particular is really strong in the third week. "If I can take any seconds in this point, I will." Young Briton Adam Yates is second overall but now 28sec behind Froome. "I expected guys to attack (on Wednesday) but I didn't expect Froome to be one of them," said the 23-year-old Orica climber. Story continues "The way he takes seconds every day, he'll be hard to beat. "Tomorrow (Thursday) I'll just do my thing. If I'm on a good day, I'll ride at the front." - Many mountains - Quintana certainly hasn't lost confidence despite drifting out to 35sec off Froome's lead. The 26-year-old Colombian is convinced he will be able to take back that time and more later on in the race, in particular four Alpine stages after next week's rest day. "He (Froome) took advantage of this moment and took some seconds but nothing has been decided yet," said Quintana. "The race is still on and there are lots of days left in the Tour, many mountains and the two time-trials." Third-placed Dan Martin is now 31sec off the lead but he was happy not to lose more time to Froome on Wednesday. And the Irishman thanked his time-trial specialist team-mate Tony Martin for guiding him safely to the finish. "With 15 kilometres to go, things became totally crazy, but Tony saved me at that point and rode five kilometres in the wind for me," he said. "I lost some time on Froome, but so did everybody else, and to be quite frank it's a small gap, not the end of the world." VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2016 / Galileo Petroleum Ltd. (GPL.V) (the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement of up to $100,000. The private placement will consist of up to 2,000,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.05 per Unit and is subject to regulatory approval. Each unit will consist of one common share of the Company and onehalf of a common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.10 within one year of closing. A 7% finder's fee may be paid in cash on a portion of the private placement. The net proceeds of the private placement will be used for working capital and corporate purposes. Subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company plans to change its name to "Galileo Exploration Ltd." The Company may, in connection with the change of name, change its stock symbol. Further information on the name change and symbol will be announced at a later date. ON BEHALF OF GALILEO PETROLEUM LTD. "David Hottman" David Hottman CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this News Release. This news release has been prepared by management and no regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. For further information contact: David Hottman, President & CEO at 604-629-1929 E-mail: info@galileopetroleum.ca SOURCE: Galileo Petroleum Ltd. Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Palestinians in Gaza were on Thursday eyeing the opening of a key crossing to cars for sale to see if it could signal a wider loosening of the blockade, though Israeli officials have downplayed the idea. The Erez crossing point between Israel and Gaza, run by the Islamist movement Hamas, was opened on Wednesday to allow the transfer of vehicles for sale for the first time in nine years. Located in the northern Gaza Strip, Erez is nearer to major Israeli cities than Kerem Shalom and could make bringing goods from Israeli port cities such as Ashdod easier. The move has been welcomed by car traders, who are hopeful more vehicles will be allowed through. Ismail al-Nakhala, head of Gaza's Automobile Importers Association, said he was hopeful it was the beginning of "more cars and the entrance of other goods". Maher Abu al-Ouf, an official with Gaza's Ministry of Civil Affairs, said 54 trucks and buses entered on Thursday. "We expect in the next phase other goods will be allowed in from Erez, including fruit and freezers, and that is a positive thing," he said. COGAT, the defence ministry body responsible for implementing government policies in the Palestinian territories, did not reply to a request for comment, but on Wednesday downplayed the significance of the opening. Erez has been restricted to individuals since 2007, with goods going through Kerem Shalom in southern Gaza. Residents of the Israeli towns near Kerem Shalom had for months complained about the hundreds of trucks passing through the area. In May, then defence minister Moshe Yaalon said Erez would be opened in order to enable a better flow of goods into Gaza and ease congestion at Kerem Shalom. Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for a decade, saying it is necessary to prevent Hamas from rebuilding its military forces and positions. The blockade has crippled the economy of the Strip and contributed to deteriorating conditions there, UN officials say. Wedged between Egypt, Israel and the Mediterranean, the Gaza Strip is home to about 1.9 million Palestinians. By David Beasley ATLANTA (Reuters) - A man convicted of beating a friend to death with a stick during a drunken fight over a woman 34 years ago is scheduled to be executed in Georgia on Thursday. John Wayne Conner, 60, admitted killing J.T. White on Jan. 9, 1982 after White said he wanted to have sex with Conner's girlfriend, according to court documents. The two men, both in their 20s at the time, had been drinking heavily and smoked marijuana earlier that night in the southern Georgia town of Milan, according to a court synopsis of the case. "There was a stick right there at me, and I grabbed it and went to beating him with it," Conner told police, the synopsis said. Conner would be the 16th person executed in the United States this year and the sixth in Georgia, according to the non-profit Death Penalty Information Center. He is slated to die by lethal injection at 7 p.m. EDT at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson. On Wednesday, Georgia's State Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Conner's request for clemency. The inmate's lawyers had asked the board to commute his punishment to life in prison, noting in their petition that he "grew up in a home where vicious physical assaults, incest, sexual abuse and alcoholism were the norm." The jury that convicted Conner never heard any of that, the lawyers said. The 26-year-old attorney who represented him at trial had no experience in death penalty cases and presented no evidence of Conner's traumatic childhood or mental disability, according to the parole board petition. Conner now spends his spare time painting and reading the Bible, his attorneys said in the petition. He is remorseful for killing White, as well as another man, Jesse Smyth, whose murder he pleaded guilty to in 1982 after his arrest in the White case. Conner was sentenced to life in prison for Smyth's murder, prosecutors said. During decades of appeals, Conner's lawyers have argued that he should be spared from execution because he is mentally disabled, but the courts refused to overturn his sentence. (Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Chizu Nomiyama) Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Thursday confirmed the swirling rumors that he has been on presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps shortlist of potential running mates. Gingrich is no stranger to being scrutinized by the general public and the news media. He first ran for office in 1974, ran for president in 2012 and served as House speaker for four years. But, he said, the process of being vetted for a vice presidential run is actually much more rigorous. Using Facebook Live on Thursday afternoon, the Georgia Republican told viewers that the Trump campaign asked if he and his wife, Callista Gingrich, would be open to the possibility of him signing onto their campaign as his running mate. Its a great honor, and I felt like we should make ourselves available. Im a very strong supporter of Donald Trump and believe that defeating Hillary Clinton is vital to our countrys survival. I think shed be the most corrupt person ever to be put in the White House, Gingrich said. Addressing the elephant in the room, he said its pretty clear that the Trump campaign has whittled down the list to him and his old friend, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, whose Religious Freedom Restoration Act sparked fierce debate about LGBT rights last year. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is also said to be on Trumps shortlist, and other names bandied about include Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. A.B. Culvahouse, a prominent lawyer in Washington, D.C., who served as counsel to former President Ronald Reagan, called Gingrich and said he had been asked to vet him for the position. Culvahouse told Gingrich that the process might be more intensive than he would have expected because vice presidential candidates are not in the public eye as much as presidential candidates and dont need to go through primaries. I pointed out to him probably if he just Googled my name hed have more material than he needed. He laughed and said, Yeah, but they have a process. Over the years, this process has evolved into 113 questions. Its really quite amazing, Gingrich recalled. Story continues Among other things, Gingrich said, he had to list everything he had written and gather all of his taxes dating back to 2004. Then Culvahouse and three other lawyers asked Gingrich and his wife questions for three hours to see if anything embarrassing from their past might blow up in the media. If you have three or four really good candidates, the people who do the vetting are sort of able to point out, Here are the strengths, here are the weaknesses, here are the complexities, he said. So its a very serious, very elaborate process. Subsequently, Gingrich said he spoke at length with several people in Trumps organization and met for 2 hours with Trump and his team on Wednesday. What Mike Pence and I have gone through until now, he said, has been a very substantial process of trying to sort out where we are, what were doing and what we should be concerned about. According to Gingrich, there are three major issues to take into account when looking at potential vice presidents: Can they serve as president if need be, do they avoid hurting the campaign and what is their chemistry with the presidential candidate? When asked what he found most impressive about Trump, Gingrich said he admires the businessman-turned-politicians courage. He lauded Trump for establishing himself in New Yorks challenging real estate market and then succeeding in reality television with The Apprentice. Hes had the courage again and again to take on new projects, new approaches, and hes had the courage to run for the president of the United States and speak his mind and be who he is, with strengths and weaknesses, Gingrich said. And done it in a way that I think is very impressive, and apparently many Americans think is impressive. By PTI: After three days of repeated attempts by Pakistan to internationalise the Kashmir issue, India hit back with full force. From the platform of United Nations to the making statements in New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs it seemed had coordinated its move. The day began with India's permanent representative at the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin giving a strong rebuttal to Pakistan's allegations of 'extrajudicial killing' of 'Kashmiri leader' Burhan Wani. advertisement Ambassador Akbaruddin termed it as 'regrettable' that Pakistan was seen attempting to 'misuse' the UN platform. He said, "the attempt came from Pakistan; a country that covets the territory of others; a country that uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end; a country that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists; and a country that masquerades its efforts as support for human rights and self determination." He also highlighted how Pakistan's track record has failed to convince the international community to gain membership of the Human Rights Council in this very session of the UNGA. He added that cynical attempts such as these find no resonance in this forum or elsewhere in the United Nations. Pakistan has raised the matter with envoys of the P5 nations and OIC, the EU and also at the UN two days ago. Meanwhile, in New Delhi the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Vikas Swarup, called Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's cabinet meeting on Kashmir "a self serving exercise for narrow political ends." On being asked whether this closes the doors for any talks with the neighbour at the moment he said "India has never shied away from dialogue. However, it is incumbent on Pakistan to create the right atmosphere for a productive dialogue to take place." With that New Delhi once again reiterated that talks and terror cannot go hand in hand. The Ministry of External Affairs also confirmed that a demarche was made on the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad, Gautam Bambawale on the 11th of July on the situation in the Indian state of J&K. The High Commissioner responded that the matter is a domestic issue, internal to India and that Pakistan has no locus standi in the matter. He also stated that India rejects the demarche. However, the spokesperson did not respond directly to whether the Pakistan envoy in India, Abdul Basit would be summoned over his country's interfere --- ENDS --- By Magdalena Mis ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A new global standard for recording land information will help to improve land rights, food security and boost economic development, the backers of the initiative said on Thursday. Land and property rights are key to tackling poverty but some 70 percent of land and property around the world is not officially registered. At 90 percent, the number is even higher in Africa, experts say. The International Land Measurement Standard will be the first to create a globally-recognized system to record key land information such as registration, ownership or land classification, its creators said. "Having a simplified land reporting process means that (land) rights will be formalized on a much quicker basis," said James Kavanagh, director of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a member of the coalition developing the new measure. "It should help smallholder farmers realize their rights a lot quicker and enable them to pass those rights on a lot easier," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. According to experts, securing land rights of smallholder farmers is essential for food security because when their right to land is protected by a legal document, farmers are willing to invest in it, assured that the food they grow is theirs to eat or sell a powerful incentive to grow as much as possible. Formalizing people's property through an internationally adopted land standard would also help to encourage investment in poor countries, he said. "In the developing world, particularly Africa and South and Central America, and Southeast Asia there's a real need to be able to compare like-for-like across borders," he said. "So if you're looking at a piece of property or land for investment in Ghana then you can compare the same kind of principles in Botswana." Kavanagh said the standard, which he hoped would be ready for implementation by the end of next year, would also help governments with issues including land acquisitions and compensations for land. The 28-member International Land Measurement Standards coalition includes the RICS, U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Bank, among others. (Reporting by Magdalena Mis; Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org) Athens (AFP) - Greece's privatisation agency Taiped on Thursday said it had accepted a 45-million- euro ($50-million) offer from Italian train company Ferrovie Dello Stato (FS) for Greek rail operator TrainOSE. The Italians had tendered the only binding offer in a sale that was three years in the making, reflecting tepid interest by foreign investors in a key Greek state asset. Earlier non-binding expressions of interest for TrainOSE -- including from France's national operator SNCF -- petered out three months ago, and there were no bids for the country's rail maintenance company Rosco. The contract of sale will be signed once the court of auditors and regulatory authorities have given their approval, said Taiped. "The privatisation of Trainose secures not only the viability of TrainOSE, but more importantly, its further development," Taiped said in a statement. TrainOSE operates all passengers and freight services on lines owned by the national railway company, OSE. It was spun off from OSE in 2008. Taiped described the sale as "an important milestone" for resolving a European Commission state aid dossier on debt owed by TrainOSE to OSE -- more than 700 million euros. Noting that FS is the third largest railway company in Europe, Taiped indicated it would use its expertise and experience to integrate TrainOSE in the "pan-European rail map." FS is itself scheduled for privatisation with the Italian finance ministry having indicated it will be listed later this year. TrainOSE personnel have held a series of strikes in recent weeks to protest at the selloff. Under the terms of its third EU bailout agreed with Brussels, the IMF and creditors last July Greece must dispose of 6.2 billion euros of state-owned assets by 2018. Greece raised 400 million euros from selloffs last year. LONDON (Reuters) - Greg Clark has been appointed head of a newly formed British ministry for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Prime Minister Theresa May's office said on Thursday. Clark was previously the Communities and Local Government Secretary. There were no immediate details on the remit of the new department or whether the existing Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and Department of Energy and Climate Change were being abolished. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan) Cleveland (AFP) - Once every four years, the United States is the scene of two major acts of political theater: the Republican and Democratic party conventions. This year, they take place in a tense climate -- marked by a wave of nationwide protests over policing and race relations -- and following a particularly bruising primary election cycle. The Republican convention opened Monday in Cleveland and will run through Thursday, while the Democrats will gather July 25 to 28 in Philadelphia. What's the purpose of these meetings? What happens? What role do they play in setting up the November 8 election showdown between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton? Here are the basics: NOMINATION The party delegates vote state-by-state to officially nominate their candidate for the November 8 election. The process takes hours and is punctuated with speeches. Delegates vote according to the results of their state's primary election, the last of which took place in June. On the Republican side, an attempt by anti-Trump forces to block him from the nomination -- by changing party rules to allow delegates to vote their "conscience" -- fell short on day one as they failed to force a vote on the issue, triggering protests on the convention floor. The Democratic convention also has more than 700 "superdelegates," party heavyweights and elected officials who have the right to vote as they choose. By winning a majority of delegates in the primaries, Trump and Clinton ensured they will each be their party's candidate for the White House. The convention delegates also endorse the candidate for vice president, selected by the presidential hopeful and announced a few days before the start of the convention. RATIFYING THE PLATFORM The party's platform, a declaration of principles and policies, will be ratified at each respective convention. The hard work of putting together the program is all done beforehand, and there are generally few surprises. Story continues The Republican platform was more stridently right wing than usual, with hardline stances on everything from pornography to climate change. The Democratic platform is essentially finalized and also tilts away from the center, thanks to the clout of Bernie Sanders. SHOWTIME The political carnival features plenty of balloons and confetti, eye-catching outfits and quirky merchandise in support of each candidate. Since the 1980s, the conventions have been predictably choreographed and made for television. This time, they are sure to be documented live on social media. SPEECH Speakers usually represent a mix of party veterans as well as up and comers. To win over skeptical delegates, Trump has tapped wife Melania, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany and son Donald Trump Jr. The most coveted speaking spot is the keynote address, which the parties normally award to rising stars. Barack Obama's keynote address at the Democratic convention in 2004 rocketed him into the American public consciousness, leading him to the White House just four years later. The newly-minted presidential nominee is normally the final convention speaker, but Trump has declared that the traditional format is "boring" and may mix things up. SURPRISES This year's Republican convention is likely to break from the script in more ways than one, with the inflammatory Trump failing to win the full support of the party leadership -- and Cleveland braced for a wave of protests. Trump's divisiveness has driven away Republican heavyweights like the two former Presidents Bush, and former presidential candidates Mitt Romney and John McCain. But if there's anything Trump knows, it's reality TV, after his years as star of "The Apprentice." The Democratic convention should follow a more predictable theme, especially after Sanders endorsed his primary opponent Clinton earlier this week. OPPORTUNITY The conventions are a chance for the parties to put on a show of unity after a heated primary cycle, and to create enthusiasm for two candidates who both rate poorly in terms of likeability. The events are a "time for the party to market themselves to the American public -- to try to gin-up support for the party, for the nominee and to try (to) let the country know what they stand for, not just at the presidential level, but at the very important senatorial level this year, at the house, state and local levels" said Jeanne Zaino, a political science professor at Iona College in New York. Candidates typically record a "bounce" in polls following the convention. OTHER HAPPENINGS In Cleveland groups representing causes as varied as denuclearization and "black power" are expected to protest. Anti- and pro-Trump camps are likely to face off. Complicating the work of police, some protesters have indicated they would be carrying firearms openly, as allowed by Ohio law. In Philadelphia, Sanders supporters planned to protest in force. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 13, 2016 / Gulf Shores Resources Ltd. (GUL.V) ("GSR" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Goldplat PLC ("Goldplat"), an AIM-listed public company, to earn an interest in the Anumso Gold Project (the "Project") in Ghana (Figure 1). The LOI provides GSR with the right to earn 75% of Goldplat's interest in the Project by expending US$3.0M on exploration over 2.5 years. An initial 51% interest will be earned through expenditure of US$1.5M in the first 18 months, and the remaining 24% interest can be earned through expenditure of an additional US$1.5M in the following 12 months. The government of Ghana has a carried 10% interest in all minerals and mining concessions in Ghana, thus the 75% interest in Goldplat's 90% interest will reflect a 67.5% net interest for GSR. GRS will enter into a formal option agreement with Goldplat within 30 days following a normal due diligence period, and will be subject to approval by the Boards of Directors of both companies and the TSX Venture Exchange. GSR will be the operator of the exploration and development program during the option period. Upon completion of its earn in rights, GSR and Goldplat will form a joint venture whereby each party will contribute proportionally to the Project's development, or have its interest diluted. If either party's interest is reduced to 10%, that interest is then converted into a 1.5% net smelter return royalty which the other party has the right for one year to purchase by paying US$100,000 for each 0.1% of the NSR. The Anumso Gold Project is a 29.63 km2 Mining Lease within two blocks that cover 5 km of strike length of the well-known Birimian series auriferous Tarkwaian Banket strata within the highly productive Ashanti Belt of Ghana. This portion of laterally continuous Tarkwaian conglomerate strata has produced gold for over 100 years from the colonial Ntronang Mine 7 km to the east and from artisanal miners in more recent years. These same beds are famous in the southern Ashanti Belt for gold produced from the Iduapriem and Teberebie mines of AngloGold Ashanti and the Tarkwa and Demang mines currently in production by Goldfields. The Anumso - Ntronang area is the only location outside of the Tarkwa vicinity where gold has been mined from Banket conglomerate. Gold in these rocks is considered similar to that in the conglomerate-hosted gold deposits of the ~2,800 million year old Witwatersrand of South Africa, except these rocks are younger, being approximately 2,115 million years old. Story continues Figure 1. Map showing the location of the Anumso property. Cannot view this image? Please visit [https://www.accesswire.com/uploads/21607_a1468456372341_3a.jpg] to view Figure 1. Approximately 1,500m of mineralized conglomerate beds have been drill tested by previous explorers including Goldplat, with wide (200m) to moderately-detailed (40m) drill spacing providing the basis for historic resource estimates up to 136,000 oz of Au @ 2.07 g/t. The remaining strike portions of Banket beds not tested by drilling reveal anomalous gold in soil samples. Select drill intervals within 2012 Goldplat drill holes (Table 1) indicate the presence of multi-gram gold mineralization within multiple stratigraphic horizons within the tested area. It is anticipated that further drilling will expand the strike and dip dimensions of this mineralization as well as improve confidence in correlating gold-bearing beds between drill holes. Importantly, similar parallel but untested conglomerate beds occur to the west. It is unclear whether these layers are fold repetitions of the same mineralized conglomerates or represent similar but parallel stratigraphic horizons. Hole ID Easting* Northing* Total Depth (m) Azimuth Dip Depth from (m) Depth to (m) Interval Grade (g/t) AGDD004 698602 697094 168 321 -50 72.50 75.00 2.50 8.04 107.50 109.00 1.50 4.15 140.00 140.50 0.50 4.60 AGDD005 698572 697130 179 321 -50 76.50 77.00 0.50 7.23 167.50 168.00 0.50 3.03 AGDD011 698770 697415 180 317 -50 18.00 18.50 0.50 3.33 47.50 48.00 0.50 7.25 AGDD015 698998 697689 135 315 -50 71.50 72.00 0.50 12.40 AGDD027 699763 698605 159 323 -50 133.70 135.15 1.45 5.02 148.00 149.50 1.50 3.58 153.70 154.50 0.80 4.26 AGDD031 698474 696789 420 317 -65 258.00 258.50 0.50 10.65 317.50 318.00 0.50 6.76 379.00 379.50 0.50 11.65 AGDD032 698413 696664 411 315 -65 310.50 311.00 0.50 57.90 322.00 323.00 1.00 3.17 326.50 327.00 0.50 6.38 359.50 360.00 0.50 3.73 1. UTM WGS84 30N Table 1. Select drill results from drilling by Goldplat plc. The concession also straddles the sheared Ashanti Belt margin which hosts the >7 M oz Newmont Akyim gold deposit along the same sheared margin approximately 15km to the east. This belt-margin shear zone is not adequately explored and represents untested opportunity. GSR intends to assess and expand the resource area down dip and along strike to the east and southwest as well as investigate the potential for gold in parallel stratigraphic horizons and along the sheared belt margin. Following the negotiation and execution of a formal option agreement, GSR will commission an NI 43-101 compliant technical report on the Project, and make application for TSX Venture Exchange approval. It is GSR's intention to raise sufficient funds, by way of a non-brokered private placement, to be able to undertake the initial US$1,500,000 of expenditures on the Project so as to earn a 51% interest therein. Details will follow in a subsequent news release. In addition, GSR anticipates it will engage new management to see the Company through this new opportunity. Details will be released as known. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Michael Turko" Michael Turko, President and CEO Contact Information Gulf Shores Resources Ltd. 1631 Dickson Ave. Suite 1100 Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 0B5 TEL (604) 683 3309 FAX (778) 478 1016 EMAIL info@gulfshoresresources.com Qualified Person The information presented in this Press Release has been reviewed by Dr. Paul Klipfel CPG of Mineral Resource Services Inc. and Qualified Person as defined by Canadian NI 43-101. Dr. Klipfel is not an Independent Person, as he is a shareholder of GSR. The data presented has been generated by historic explorers and is stated by them to be compliant with JORC rules of disclosure, however the Company has not independently verified such data, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance thereon. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information 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 includes "forward-looking statements", including forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company and are considered "forward-looking information for the purposes of Canadian Securities laws. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. There is no assurance the Company will be successful in negotiating a final agreement with Goldplat, that the Company will be successful in raising the funds necessary to earn any interest in the Project, that the Company will be successful in maintaining tenure to the Project due to political or legal changes that are at the discretion of the Ghanaian government, that historic drill results will be verified by the Company, or that any economic resource will be located within the Project. SOURCE: Gulf Shores Resources Ltd. By PTI: personnel Srinagar, July 14 (PTI) Over 3100 people, including 1500 securirty personnel, have been injured during the ongoing unrest in Kashmir that began after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last Friday, the Jammu and Kashmir government said today while releasing the data. Majority of the injured people have either been discharged from hospitals or treated for minor injuries in Out Patient Department (OPD), while 244 patients are still admitted in various government run hospitals, an official spokesman said. advertisement He said 276 surgeries have been performed in various hospitals which received 1640 civilians injured during the last five days. Of the wounded, 134 people have eye injuries and a large number of them have been discharged after specialised treatment, the spokesman said adding 46 such patients are currently admitted in SMHS hospital here and have undergone eye surgeries. While tackling the unruly crowds, over 1500 security personnel have also received injuries and have been provided treatment, he said. He said government has been regularly reviewing the arrangements, particularly for the treatment of the injured persons. "The required facilities including the availability of medical specialists, para medical staff and medicines have been ensured in all the hospitals, to facilitate timely and free treatment to all the patients," the spokesman said. He allayed the apprehensions in certain quarters with regard to inadequacy of health care services for the injured. Meanwhile, Health Minister Bali Bhagat today chaired a high level meeting here and reviewed the availability of medicine and other medical supplies in hospitals across the Valley. Expressing satisfaction over the adequate stocks of medicines and blood in the hospitals, the minister directed the concerned to extend every possible medicare to the injured for their early recovery. He also directed for ensuring free supply of medicines to the patients. Bhagat said the team of senior ophthalmologists from AIIMS, which is on tour of Valley, expressed satisfaction over the healthcare facilities being provided to the injured persons. "There is no shortage of medicines and other surgical appliances in the hospitals," he said. PTI MIJ TA AKK AKK --- ENDS --- TORONTO (Reuters) - A heatwave covered large parts of Canada on Wednesday, bringing unusually high temperatures and humidity to the country's biggest cities and sparking a health alert. The Environment and Climate Change Canada agency issued a heat warning for much of the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, including the major cities Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. The hot weather first moved in on Tuesday and also covered parts of the eastern province of New Brunswick. The agency said temperatures could get as high as "the low thirties" but high humidity means some parts will feel like 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). The environment agency also warned against heat illnesses and urged Canadians to check up on friends and family members, "especially those who are chronically ill," to make sure that they are cool and hydrated. "Never leave people or pets in your care inside a parked vehicle or in direct sunlight," the agency said. There were no immediate reports of heat-related injuries. Canadians can expect some respite on Friday, when a cooler air mass will arrive, the agency said. (Reporting by Ethan Lou; Editing by Alistair Bell) A new ad for Hillary Clintons presidential campaign criticizes Donald Trump, saying hes not an acceptable role model for kids. The ad, which was released on Thursday morning, is called Role Models and will in battleground states Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, New Hampshire, Iowa, Florida, Nevada and North Carolina, according to CNN. The one-minute spot features gloomy music behind sound bites of controversial things Trump has said during his campaign. Audio of the presumptive GOP nominee saying in the old days protestors would be carried out on a stretcher, and his infamous line about being able to shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue without losing support, are prominent. Also Read: Tim Tebow, Peter Thiel to Speak at GOP Convention - But Not Tom Brady Trumps campaign announcement referring to Mexican immigrants as rapists bringing crime across the border, as well as his anti-Megyn Kelly comment about blood coming out of her eyes, are played as video of sad-looking children rolls. Video of Trump allegedly mocking a disabled reporter is also shown during the ad. The screen eventually fades to black and says, Our children are watching. What example will we set for them? The music then picks up and features video of Clinton discussing the future of the nations youth. The ads release is timed to a big few days for Trump, as he is scheduled to announce his running mate on Friday and the GOP convention starts on Monday in Cleveland. Check out the ad above. Related stories from TheWrap: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Regrets Bashing Donald Trump Listen to Donald Trump Say Hillary Clinton Would 'Make a Good President' Fox News, Newt Gingrich Cut Ties as Donald Trump Mulls VP Pick An ancient town in central Mali has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list of endangered sites due to growing insecurity in the country, the U.N. announced Wednesday. The Old Towns of Djenne include nearly 2,000 pre-Islamic mud houses that have been inhabited since 250 B.C. But the World Heritage Committee said that instability from Islamist militants groups active in the West African country is thwarting necessary measures to preserve the site. This situation is preventing safeguarding measures from addressing issues that include the deterioration of construction materials in the historic town, urbanization, and the erosion of the archaeological site, said UNESCO in a statement. Djenne became a market center and was an important link in the trans-Saharan gold trade during the 15th and 16th centuries. According to UNESCO, it was one of the centers for the propagation of Islam. The Malian government is coping with a lot of challenges, Edmond Moukala, the head of UNESCO World Heritage in Africa told Reuters. What is needed right now is to ensure that institutions are in place and receive financial support. In 2012, a radical Islamist militia known as Ansar Dine destroyed shrines and tombs at the world-famous historic Malian city Timbuktu. And in November, 20 people were killed and more than 100 taken hostage by militants in a hotel siege in the countrys capital Bamako. Eleven years before Hal got cranky in 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Hollywood was mining high-tech angst in 1957's Desk Set. The romantic comedy concerned itself with the giant EMERAC "electronic brain" causing fear and havoc after it's introduced into a TV network's research library. This was the eighth film Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn made together. (Hepburn would go public with their 26-year offscreen love affair three years after Tracy's wife died in 1983.) She played the librarian whose livelihood is threatened by EMERAC; he was the "efficiency expert" with the computer. "The movie was about a machine taking people's jobs," says A. Scott Berg, author of the Hepburn biography Kate Remembered, of the forward-thinking plot. "And there are some jobs that require the human touch." Tracy and Hepburn were major stars, perhaps a bit long in tooth at 57 and 50, respectively, for rom-coms. But they had a solid box-office track record - enough so that Fox was willing to offer the pair 20 percent of any gross more than $4.75 million plus $250,000 ($2.1 million today) to Tracy and $150,000 ($1.3 million today) to Hepburn. (Unequal pay for actresses has deep roots.) "Tracy and Hepburn - and he always had top billing - had a good 10-year run starting in 1942, with Woman of the Year, that went until 1952, with Pat and Mike," says Berg. "They worked separately for five years, and then they did this. It's possibly the least important of their pairings, but it delivers some of the goods." The Walter Lang-directed film originated as a Broadway hit that was adapted by Henry Ephron, who also produced, with wife Phoebe. (Their daughter Nora went on to glory by writing When Harry Met Sally and writing and directing Sleepless in Seattle.) THR was thrillefd with the end result, saying Desk Set has "romance and beauty and should be one of the year's top comedies." (THR was wrong: The film cost $1.8 million and grossed $1.7 million.) Tracy had a sense that something wasn't going right. On the 16th day of production, he wrote in his diary: "Lang is a nice man but childish director. Ephron - producer - dumb. Bad pic. K bad. Me bad." Story continues This story first appeared in the July 22 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. (Photo: FameFlynet Pictures) Its been nearly a year since Jim Carreys ex-girlfriend committed suicide, and a source says the actor is slowly moving on with his life. The actors ex, Cathriona White, 30, overdosed on prescription pills in September 2015, and was found with a note addressed to Carrey, according to her autopsy report. Hes doing good now but hes still very much affected by her death, a source tells PEOPLE in this weeks issue. In Whites letter, she explained why she was ending her life and apologized to the actor, with whom she had split a week before. Whites suicide was extremely difficult for Jim. There was a lot of sadness and many what if questions, says the source. It hit him very hard. He went through a long grieving period. For more on how Carrey is coping after Whites death, pick up this weeks issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday Carrey, 53, and White, an Ireland native, first met on a film set in 2012 and had been dating on and off ever since. According to the autopsy report, Dennis Bradshaw, a friend of Whites, told officers that she was normally happy and upbeat, but was prone to get really down. The Carrey source says the actor understands depression, its Jim. He has struggled with this, too. Thats why he and Cathriona did work. They both shared these up-and-down personalities. Though Carrey is now trying to move on, he remains in contact with Whites family. He really felt for them, adds the source. They werent able to grieve in peace and it was all a spectacle. He felt terrible about it. He did what he could to help her family out. Budapest (AFP) - After impressing at Euro 2016, Hungary midfielder Adam Nagy has signed for Serie A side Bologna, his club, current Hungarian champions Ferencvaros, confirmed on Thursday. "Adam Nagy will continue his career in the Italian top flight with Bologna, who have signed him for 1.5 million euros ($1.7M)," said a statement on the Budapest-based club's website. The 21-year-old Nagy, widely regarded as the brightest talent Hungary has produced in years, gained attention during the Magyars' run to the last-16 round at Euro 2016 last month. Clubs including Portuguese champions Benfica and Olympique de Marseille in France had also expressed interest in the youngster who finally agreed terms with the Italian side who finished 14th in Italy last season. In the early 1990s, the idea of planets around other stars was squarely in the realm of science fiction. Now, astronomers have already confirmed thousands of extrasolar planets exoplanets, for short and we've barely begun the search. In this edition of Mobile Astronomy, we'll look at how they are discovered, whether they could host life and how you can use your astronomy app to see some of the host stars with your naked eyes or backyard telescope. Plus, we'll highlight some exoplanet apps filled with the latest news and data. To make them easier to envision, exoplanets are categorized by comparing them to Earth's own family of planets. At the large end of the scale are the super-Jupiters: massive gas giant planets between one and 10 times the size of Jupiter. Below this are the Neptune-size planets, which may be gaseous, icy, rocky or a combination of all three. At the lower end of the size scale are the super-Earths and the smaller, Mercury-size rocky planets. Exoplanet systems break all the rules that we're used to: Hot Jupiters broil as they speed around their stars in orbits smaller than Mercury's, and some planets even orbit two or more stars at the same time, like the "Star Wars" planet Tatooine! For more examples, visit Space.com's Gallery of Strangest Exoplanets. But what everyone really wants to find are nearby Earth-like planets that could host life. [How Do You Spot an Alien Planet from Earth? (Infographic)] How do we detect exoplanets? Apart from a few special exceptions, directly observing planets hidden in the glare of their stars is beyond our current technology. So we have to rely on indirect methods to detect and characterize them. By far, the easiest methods involve measuring the small effects that the planets have on their star. The most fruitful of these techniques has been transit photometry: measuring the dimming of a star's light when its planets pass between us and the star. Radial velocity and stellar astrometry are two alternative methods, which detect the subtle motions of stars caused by orbiting planets tugging on them gravitationally. Which method is used depends on the orientation of the planetary system. When stars form, they retain a rotation direction determined from the angular momentum of their original source gas cloud, and their planets' orbits sit in the same rotating plane. The angles are completely random, and independent of the plane of the host galaxy. If we could look up at the stars and see their solar systems, they'd be oriented in all possible directions some face-on to us (like archery targets), some edge-on at any angle of the clock, and every combination in between. Our solar system is almost edge-on to the center of our galaxy, but it's tilted 62.6 degrees away from the Milky Way's plane. You can demonstrate this in SkySafari, and some other astronomy apps, by enabling the galactic coordinate system option in the app. In the small percentage of star systems oriented edge-on toward Earth, the planets pass in front of the star, temporarily causing a slight reduction of the star's light (on the order of 1 part in 10,000) as viewed from here. The amount of the reduction is proportional to the size of the planet. The dip in light recurs every time the planet completes an orbit. By recording the brightness of the starlight continuously over a long period, we can determine the length of its year and the radius of its orbit. Combined with the star's luminosity and spectral type, we can estimate the surface temperature of the planet. (We'll come back to this later.) Moreover, if an exoplanet has a translucent atmosphere, or is a gas world, the light dims gradually, while one that is rocky and airless diminishes in brightness more abruptly. The graphs of starlight versus time, known as light curves, can be complex if multiple planets are transiting each with a different dip amount, duration and interval, all summed together. Many stars exhibit inherent variability in their brightness, too, but the exoplanet transit dips happen much more quickly than those changes in brightness. Small, Earth-size planets produce tiny dips in light intensity as they cross their stars. If a star is being examined using a ground-based telescope, daytime prevents continuous measurements, and atmospheric interference (i.e., twinkling) adds noise to the light curve, limiting the sensitivity and preventing the detection of small planets. To overcome this, the Kepler Space Telescope was launched into orbit in 2009 to detect and characterize exoplanets, especially Earth-like ones, by using transit photometry continuously on a single small patch of sky. It has discovered thousands of exoplanets, including many hot Jupiters and Neptune-size planets, and a good number of Earth-size planets. (Kepler's current K2 mission observes broader patches of sky for around 80 days at a time.) The radial velocity method can also be applied to transiting cases, but it is used primarily when a planetary system is nearly edge-on, but not enough for transits to occur. The majority of the early exoplanet discoveries, mostly of heavy Jupiter-size planets, were made this way using ground-based telescopes. For situations where the planets are orbiting face-on to us, stellar astrometry is used to look for a periodic wobble, corresponding to the planet's year, in the star's coordinates. To aid in this work, the European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft is currently mapping the precise positions of more than 1 billion stars and other objects. The Kepler mission and the main exoplanet detection methods are very well explained in two Space.com stories: 20 Years On, Future Bright for Exoplanet Science and 1,284 Exoplanets Found: NASA's Kepler Space Telescope Discovery in Pictures. Someday, with larger and better telescopes and some special tricks, we also expect to directly photograph exoplanets. Exoplanet names Starting recently, some of the more prominent exoplanets have been given proper names. Otherwise, exoplanets are designated using their host star designation plus a lowercase letter, starting with "b" and increasing with discovery order. Most exoplanet host stars are faint, so they have hard to remember names like HD219134, from the Henry Draper star catalogue (see my April 11, 2016, column for more about star designations). The "Gliese" exoplanets orbit stars in the Gliese Catalogue of Nearby Stars, whose proximity to the sun make them easier to detect. Exoplanets discovered by the Kepler mission are all named using "Kepler," plus a number indicating the order of discovery, then the letter "b" (or higher, to indicate multiple planets in a system). "WASP" exoplanets were detected by the ground-based robotic telescopes in the "Wide Angle Search for Planets" network. Is anyone out there? Extrapolating from the numbers we have today, astronomers estimate that our galaxy could be home to 40 billion Earth-size planets, 11 billion of them orbiting sun-like stars! Many exobiologists believe that the sustained presence of liquid water is necessary for Earth-type life to be possible on an exoplanet. At reasonable atmospheric pressures, stable liquid water occurs between about 0 degrees and 100 degrees Celsius (32 degrees and 212 degrees Fahrenheit). If the orbit of an exoplanet around its host star keeps it close enough for water to avoid freezing, yet not hot enough to boil it away, it's considered to orbit within the star's habitable zone. [How Habitable Zones for Alien Planets and Stars Work (Infographic)] The habitable zone for our sun extends from Venus' orbit almost out to Mars. To avoid overheating an exoplanet, the habitable zones of hot stars have to be farther from the star, so the planet's year will be longer. But hot stars live fast and die young some with lives spanning only tens of millions of years, which is probably too short to allow time for life to originate and evolve. Cool stars, especially red dwarfs, shine for hundreds of billions of years. Their habitable zones are compact, and there is plenty of time for life to arise. Unfortunately, orbiting closer to a star also exposes a planet to increased harmful radiation and space weather events like flares and coronal mass ejections from the system's star. Finally, the mass of the planet must be sufficient to exert enough gravitational attraction to hold on to a protective atmosphere and volatiles elements and compounds with low boiling points, like water. Mars is not large enough to have kept its atmosphere and water for long, resulting in its cold, dry state today. It's not surprising, then, that scientists talk about the "Goldilocks Zone" for extraterrestrial life. The planet has to be large enough, not too hot, and not too cold just right, for life! Spotting some stars with planets While exoplanets themselves are not observable visually, you can have some fun by looking at the host stars that are bright enough to see with the naked eye, binoculars and telescope (a naked-eye star is one visible without any special equipment). Here are a few to get you started. Use your favorite astronomy app to search for the named stars and/or Messier object signposts (in BOLD). Alrai, or Gamma Cephei, is an easy-to-see naked-eye star of magnitude 3.2 that is orbited by a hot Jupiter named Tadmor. It was actually postulated by a Canadian team in 1988, and would have been the world's first known exoplanet, but they weren't confident enough in their data to publish. Its existence was confirmed in 2002. Upsilon Andromedae is a magnitude 4.1 naked-eye star that sits above and between the brighter stars Almaak and Mirach in Andromeda. It is orbited, somewhat chaotically, by at least four hot Jupiters, and was one of the first exoplanet discoveries, in 1996. 47 Ursa Major is a naked-eye sun-like star of magnitude 5.0 that is known to host three hot-Jupiter-type exoplanets (the first of which was discovered in 1996), and perhaps some Earth-like planets, too. 51 Pegasi is a magnitude 5.5 star, visible with the naked eye from a dark site, that rises in late evening now and remains visible through fall and winter. It is orbited by a hot Jupiter, dubbed Dimidium, the first confirmed exoplanet around a sun-like star. HD219134, also known as Gliese 892, is a magnitude 5.6 star in Cassiopeia, near the limit for the naked eye but easy to spot with binoculars. It's about 4.5 degrees south of the open cluster Messier 52. It has seven Earth, super-Earth and Jupiter-size planets around it, and it's only 21 light-years away. Fomalhaut is a magnitude 1.2 bright star visible low in the southern evening sky from August into autumn. In 2008, the Hubble Space Telescope was able to image a circumstellar disk around Fomalhaut that included, for the first time, an exoplanet seen in visible light. Subsequent images have shown the planet moving through its orbit. The planet, dubbed Dagon, may still be coalescing. Wolf 1061 is a dim, magnitude 10 red dwarf star located in southern Ophiuchus. Of three known Earth-size rocky planets, "c" is just within the habitable zone, and "d" is marginally hospitable. At 13.8 light-years away, these are among the nearest Earth-like planets. It's only 39 arc-minutes northwest of the bright globular cluster Messier 107. The patch of sky analyzed by the Kepler mission is well-positioned for observing between now and autumn. Use your favorite astronomy app to search for the bright star Vega in the constellation of Lyra. Moving toward Deneb in Cygnus, look for the modest star Rukh, marking part of the swan's upper wing. In that 14 degree- square of sky between Rukh and Vega, are thousands of known planets! Exoplanet apps The free apps Exoplanet for iOS and Exo Planets Explorer 3D for Android feature an extensive list of known exoplanets that is kept current as new discoveries are announced. On the Exoplanet app's main page, select the Milky Way option to see a dynamic 3D rendering of the distribution of known exoplanets in the galaxy, then rotate and zoom in. A search option allows you to select a planet and fly there, seeing its system in motion. You can also fly to Earth and enable a mode that uses your GPS location and your device's compass and gyroscope to point out the exoplanets in the sky. Paid add-ons allow other types of objects to be added and displayed this way. In the Database menu, select a planet by scrolling through the list or typing in the search box. Each entry brings up a summary page from which you can navigate to a full page view of the detection technique, an animated graphic comparing the size and rotation rate with our solar system, a star chart, a plan view of the orbits for the planets in that system, and an extensive list of facts and figures about the planet and the host star. Clicking on the thumbnail image of the planet fetches a photographic image of the host star from the web. You can filter the extensive list by planet type, detection method, and sort using different parameters. I highly recommend this app. The Exo Planets Explorer 3D app also contains plenty of data, and will add new planets as they are discovered, but it's geared to the younger crowd, with an option to enable virtual joysticks and fly around the planetary systems. On the main screen, you can rotate and zoom a 3D rendering of the exoplanet stars in our local volume of the galaxy, and tap any system to fly there. Like Exoplanet, the database is searchable and allows for extensive sorting and filtering of the results. One useful feature is the 3D display of the habitable zone for each star, and an excellent rendering of the orbital inclinations of the various planets, all of which can be rotated and zoomed. Another terrific app. Going Beyond To learn about some unusual exoplanets, check out Scientific American's Top 10 Exoplanets, keep your exoplanet apps up-to-date and watch the science news as new discoveries are announced all the time. If you want to help in the search for exoplanets, you can sign up for the Planet Hunters program run by Yale University. After a brief training exercise, the online portal will display light curves for you to label with any exoplanet dips you may find. Your answers are compared with other individuals' and, if a consensus is reached, the star will be flagged for professional analysis. It's fun, and you are contributing to real science. There's plenty more to come in future editions of mobile astronomy, including astro-gadget reviews, advanced smartphone photography and columns about using apps to teach astronomy. Send me your ideas, too. Until then, keep looking up! Editor's note: Chris Vaughan is an astronomy public outreach and education specialist, and operator of the historic 1.88 meter David Dunlap Observatory telescope. You can reach him via email, and follow him on Twitter as @astrogeoguy, as well as on Facebook and Tumblr. This article was provided by Simulation Curriculum, the leader in space science curriculum solutions and the makers of the SkySafari app for Android and iOS. Follow SkySafari on Twitter @SkySafariAstro. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Editor's Recommendations Copyright 2016 SPACE.com, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. In the wake of protests that erupted after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffer Wani, 32 protesters were killed and 1,400 wounded. Of the 105 victims hit by pellets during the protests, 90 have almost lost their vision. By Naseer Ganai: At ward-16 of the SMHS hospital in Srinagar, 12-year-old Omar Nazir of Rajpora Pulwama, has got pellet injuries in both eyes. His left eye was operated to maintain ocular structure. Omar says he has no vision in his left eye. His right eye, according to doctors, is likely to lose the vision due to sympathetic ophthalmia. Sympathetic ophthalmia is a kind of inflammation of both eyes following trauma to one eye. It can leave the patient completely blind. He suffered pellet injuries in eyes and on his abdomen, when the paramilitary CRPF and the police, fired pellets and tear smoke shells on the protesters at Pulwama. advertisement A 14-year-girl of South Kashmir district Shopian is battling for life at the ICU in the same hospital after being hit by pellets, which the state government and security agencies describe as a non-lethal weapon. She was in her kitchen when pellets fired by the security agencies at the protesters hit her. Both her eyes were critically injured in the attack. "There is no possibility of her gaining vision again," a doctor treating her said. She has now developed respiratory problem due pellet wounds in her body and has been shifted to the ICU. "She is critical. Very critical," the doctor said. In the hospital, out of 105 people hit by pellets, 90 have been operated and almost all of them have lost their vision. A 25-year-old youth succumbed to pellet injuries. "Pellet had hit his heart and he succumbed in the hospital," the doctor said. KASHMIR AFFECTED AFTER WANI'S ENCOUNTER In the wake of protests that erupted after the killing of Hizbul Mujahedeen commander Burhan Muzaffer Wani, 32 protesters were killed and 1,400 wounded. Of the 1,400, over 330 injured are being treated in a district hospital in Pulwama, 200 in Kulgam, 115 in Anantnag, 100 in Baramulla in north Kashmir, 120 in Bandipora, 49 in Srinagar, 40 in Shopian, 30 in Budgam district hospital. According to the Principal Government Medical College, Dr. Qaisar Ahmad, there are 340 wounded people hit by bullets and pellets, who are being treated at his College and associated hospitals. According to a government spokesperson, a specialised team of surgeons from New Delhi and other parts of the country are being rushed to Kashmir to take care of the injured reflecting the crises in the Valley. MEHBOOBA MUFTI ASKS FOR SPECIALISED DOCTORS FOR THE INJURED Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti spoke to Union Health Minister JP Nadda this morning requesting him to send a specialised team of doctors, including retina surgeons, to Kashmir to take care of the injured who have suffered ophthalmic and other traumas," the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, one more youth was killed on Wednesday in a clash between a stone-pelting mob and security forces in Kashmir, raising the toll in the five-day unrest to 35. advertisement Also read: Are Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir denied minority benefits? Mehbooba Mufti pays homage on 'Martyrs' Day', seeks people's support to safeguard Kashmir from bloodshed --- ENDS --- By Hyunjoo Jin SEOUL (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor's <005380.KS> unionized workers in South Korea voted to go on strike for a fifth year in a row after wage talks broke down, adding to the automaker's troubles as it battles a sales slowdown. A prolonged strike could hurt sales of high-demand cars such as the Tucson sport utility vehicle as the company heads for an expected 10th consecutive drop in quarterly profit in the April-June period, weighed by an emerging market slowdown, analysts said. Hyundai Motor, the world's fifth-biggest carmaker together with affiliate Kia Motors <000270.KS>, posted a 0.9 percent fall in sales in the first half. Union negotiators led by Park You-ki on Thursday decided to stage a partial strike for four days next week after 77 percent of Hyundai's 48,806 unionized workers in South Korea approved the strike action, the spokesman said. "The overwhelming support is a natural result of the anger of our 48,000 union workers," the union said in a statement. Hyundai Motor shares ended down 3 percent and Kia Motors shares declined 1.3 percent in a wider market <.KS11> that was up 0.2 percent on Thursday. "A strike is an annual event for Hyundai Motor, but this is weighing on investor sentiment," Eim Eun-young, an auto analyst at Samsung Securities, said. The company has been hit by strikes in all but four of the union's 29-year history. The automaker usually makes up for lost production later each year. This year, the union is demanding a 7.2 percent rise in the basic monthly wage and performance pay totaling 30 percent of the automaker's 2015 net profit. Other demands include giving employees the right to refuse to be promoted so that they can maintain their union membership. The company is pushing to freeze wages, revamp the wage structure and expand the so-called "peak-wage system," the union said. Citing ongoing business uncertainty, Hyundai Motor said it expects that "the union would cooperate in reaching an agreement as soon as possible through a reasonable dialogue." Wages talks were underway at Kia Motors and if the union failed to reach a deal it planned to hold a strike vote on Aug. 8, a union official said. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Additional reporting by Daehee Kim; Editing by Stephen Coates) It covers a range of 19 different cuisines. Michelins inaugural Singapore Michelin Guide has awarded 17 local hawker stalls with the Bib Gourmand award. According to a media release by Michelin, longstanding favorites like New Bridge Roads Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, Maxwell Road Food Centres Tian Tian Chicken Rice and Whampoa Market Places Balestier Road Hoover Rojak make the list. In total, the Singapore Michelin Guide hails 34 Singapore restaurants and street food outlets distinguished with a Bib Gourmand. This distinction picks out establishments offering a high quality menu at a reasonable price, which Michelin specifies should come no higher than $45. The list spans street food to more traditional restaurants and stalls in popular hawker centres offering local and Asian cuisine. Overall, the list covers 19 styles, including Indian, Cantonese, and even Vietnamese. A true crossroads, a mix of cultures with Chinese, Malaysian and Indonesian influences, Singapores history is reflected in its cuisinethe variety, simplicity and authenticity completely won over our inspectors, shares Michael Ellis, Michelin Guides International Director. So with 19 styles represented, including Indian, Cantonese, and even Vietnamese, the first Bib Gourmand selection is testimony to the richness and diversity of the citys culinary landscape. Photo: Ronnie Chua/Shutterstock.com More From Singapore Business Review New Delhi (AFP) - An Indian company Thursday said it had sent 6,000 green tea bags to White House hopeful Donald Trump, believing they would help him to become "smarter" and cleanse his soul. The unusual gift -- which equals four years supply if drunk four times a day -- was from Kolkata-based Te-a-Me Teas, its executive director Sumit Shah told AFP. Shah also said the company had set up a website -- www.teafortrump.com -- where people could tweet a message to Trump and urge him to drink the tea daily. "We firmly believe green tea can do a lot of good to people. We thought green tea will help him (Trump) cleanse his mind, body and soul," he said. "Green tea is also proven to make people smarter. So our message is, please Mr Trump drink the tea. For your sake, for America's sake, for the world's sake." Trump, a political novice and a real estate tycoon, has riled critics with his radical views on Muslims and immigrants during an often vitriolic presidential campaign. Next week, Trump is set to be formally nominated to run against his Democratic rival, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. The Indian tea company said it wanted to instil responsible leadership among famous personalities across the world and denied the move was a publicity gimmick. "We don't even sell in the US. I guess with Trump it's just about the timing (of our gesture)," Shah said. Washington (AFP) - Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has asked Indiana Governor Mike Pence to be his running mate, and Pence has agreed, US networks reported on Thursday. CNN and ABC both reported, without naming their sources, that Pence, a 57-year-old Christian evangelical and stalwart of the American right, had accepted the vice presidential slot. Trump will formally announce a decision on his choice of running mate on Friday, with three days to go until Republicans gather in Cleveland, Ohio to officially select their White House nominee. By Rina Chandran MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - India's ambitious plans to develop infrastructure, mining and renewable energy threaten to force more of the most marginalised groups from their homes, widening inequality and fanning tensions, a global research group warned on Thursday. Development activities uproot about 15 million people in their own countries every year, with India accounting for some of the highest numbers of those displaced, the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said in a report. About 65 million people were displaced in India by dams, highways, mines, power plants and airports between 1950 and 2005, the IDMC said, but less than a fifth of those have been resettled, leading to protests, hunger strikes and conflict. India's development plans, requiring 11 million hectares of land over the next 15 years, is likely to stoke tensions, IDMC cautioned. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan to create 100 "smart cities" that provide hi-tech solutions to urban living, will also lead to "significant" displacement, it said. "Development is set to continue causing displacement, and on an unprecedented scale," said IDMC, which is part of the Norwegian Refugee Council. "Displacement caused by development projects tends to affect the poorest and most marginalised groups, and paradoxically makes inequality worse rather than better. It also causes tensions that in some cases have fuelled violent conflict." Displaced people suffer from poor access to adequate housing, land, food, water and livelihoods, and are often restricted in their movements. Women and indigenous people suffer disproportionately. While indigenous people make up only about 8 percent of India's 1.2 billion population, they account for at least 40 percent of those displaced by development projects, including coal mining. India's land acquisition process lacks transparency, with fair compensation, resettlement and rehabilitation "the exception rather than the rule", IDMC said. Story continues A survey of nine projects in the states of Gujarat, Kerala and Jharkhand, as well as the national capital region of Delhi, revealed failed regulation and harm to communities, it said. A law to compensate farmers adequately for land bought for industry and infrastructure was passed in 2013, replacing a law dating back to the 19th century, which activists say displaced and impoverished millions. The new law is unlikely to be enforced evenly, as implementing the new federal provisions would require major changes to state laws which govern land acquisition, activists say. But a senior government official said he was confident the law would address all concerns. "The legislation is comprehensive and more than fair," Hukum Singh Meena, a joint secretary at the ministry of rural development in New Delhi, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "We shall see that the law is rigorously applied and enforced," he said. (Reporting by Rina Chandran, Editing by Katie Nguyen and Ros Russell 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 to see more stories.) By Fergus Jensen JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the South China Sea to which China says it also has claims. President Joko Widodo has launched an unprecedented campaign to bolster fishing, oil exploration and defense facilities around the island chain after a series of face-offs between the Indonesian navy and Chinese fishing boats. "We are aware that if we don't do this there could be many claims that disrupt the integrity of Indonesian territory," Chief Maritime Minister Rizal Ramli told reporters on Wednesday. The announcement of the plan came a day after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague rejected China's historic claims to almost all of the South China Sea and said it had breached the Philippines' sovereign rights by endangering its ships and fishing and oil projects. Indonesia is not part of the broader dispute over claims in the South China Sea and it has remained neutral following the ruling, calling for peace and stability. But Indonesia objects to China's inclusion of waters around Natuna being included within its "nine-dash line", a demarcation on China's maps to show its claims. Ramli said he would seek cabinet approval this month for the relocation of fishermen from the crowded island of Java to Natuna. Under the plan, the government would move about 400 wooden boats of 30 tonnes or more to Natuna by the end of October. Fishermen who go could get subsidized housing, while the island's ports, power supply and internet will be upgraded. The program is expected to boost fishing in Natuna waters from 9.3 percent of sustainable catchment levels to 40 percent in less than a year. "We will build cold storage there. We hope this will become the biggest fish market in Southeast Asia," Ramli said. Ramli, who also oversees energy as part of his portfolio, said he also would review oil and gas concessions in Natuna and revoke permits from companies that are not developing their blocks. ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, and PTT Exploration and Production are among foreign oil companies with stakes in Natuna, which holds one of the world's largest untapped gas reserves. Indonesia's foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, said no one wanted conflict in the South China Sea and she called on all parties to avoid raising tension. "We are sure that if all sides respect international law, then it will be easier to achieve regional and global peace and stability," she told reporters. (Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Robert Birsel) By Harro Ten Wolde and Maria Sheahan FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German chipmaker Infineon Technologies has agreed to buy Wolfspeed Power and RF for $850 million from U.S. company Cree, betting on new energy efficient chips it expects will dominate the market in the next decade. Wolfspeed helps to make electronic devices operate more efficiently as its products are smaller, thinner and faster, lowering power losses in the process. These silicon carbide chips are expected to gradually replace conventional chips in the coming years and will be in demand for on-board charging in electric and hybrid cars, Infineon's Chief Executive Reinhard Ploss said. Chips for the automotive industry comprise almost half of Infineon's sales. The acquisition of Wolfspeed in a cash deal will immediately start boosting Infineon's adjusted earnings per share and margin, the Munich-based group said in a statement. The company has gross margins of around 55 percent and is expected to grow by an average annual rate of 20 percent until 2020. Wolfspeed, based in North Carolina, also supplies technology which is needed for the roll-out for the next generation of mobile networks, known as 5G, to enable self-driving cars and to connect consumer electronic devices to the internet. CONSOLIDATION WAVE Cree said last year that it planned to list Wolfspeed separately but changed tack after several potential buyers made approaches, the U.S. company said. "Selling Wolfspeed to Infineon speeds our transition to a more focused LED lighting company while providing significant resources to accelerate our growth," said Chuck Swoboda, Cree chairman and CEO. A wave of consolidation is reshaping the global chip industry, as rival NXP bought Freescale while ON Semiconductor has agreed to buy Fairchild. Shares in Infineon rose on the news and were trading 2.5 percent higher at 13.62 euros by 1330 GMT after rising as much as 2.8 percent to 13.67 euros. "Infineon strengthens its market position in markets which are set to experience structural growth with its attractive product and customer portfolio," said DZ Bank analyst Harald Schnitzer, reiterating his "Buy" recommendation on the stock. Story continues The deal comes only 18 months after Infineon bought power management company International Rectifier for about $3 billion, its biggest ever deal. The integration of the company went so smoothly that chief executive Ploss told reporters in November that he was eyeing fresh M&A deals. Infineon will fund the deal with bank financing of $720 million and $130 million of cash on hand. (Editing by Christoph Steitz and Keith Weir) After the arrival of low-cost airlines shook up ticket pricing, Wi-Fi looks like the latest battleground for airlines competing to meet passengers' needs and expectations. A recent American poll is categorical on the importance of the service, as 45% of those surveyed said they would not remain loyal to their preferred airlines if they didn't provide the best Wi-Fi service. Inflight Wi-Fi is the service most airline passengers dream of these days. In fact, 68% of Americans now book their flights based on Wi-Fi availability. Airlines will need to raise their game to keep passengers happy, since 21% of those polled admitted to having already abandoned their preferred airline for a carrier with better inflight Wi-Fi. Plus, 45% said they wouldn't remain loyal to their preferred airline if they didn't provide the best Wi-Fi. Six in 10 Americans even said they would be disappointed or frustrated on a flight with no onboard Wi-Fi service. Demanding passengers Wi-Fi is now an essential service for airlines who are working hard to equip their fleets with wireless connectivity. Quality of service is an important aspect too, as 84% of travelers said they expect the same kind of experience as when surfing the web at home or at the office. What's more, 90% expect a reliable and fast connection throughout their flight, no matter where in the world that might be. Demand for inflight Wi-Fi is largely driven by a new generation, known as "millennials" (born between 1982 and 1998). In this age group, 73% said that the availability of Wi-Fi influenced their choice when booking flights (compared with 63% for older generations). Connection speed was also important for 89% of millennials, compared with 77% of older flyers. The most recent announcement in the field comes from Finnish flag carrier Finnair, which plans to bring inflight Wi-Fi to all long-haul services from October. Lufthansa is actively working on rolling out the service, first of all to its Airbus A320 planes. The German airline hopes to have its full fleet equipped by mid-2018, followed by other airlines in the group, such as Brussels Airlines. The Honeywell survey, conducted between April 11 and 20, 2016, polled 1,008 Americans aged 18 and over who had used inflight Wi-Fi in the last 12 months. Thete wanted to address a press conference from the IAS Association Guest House but was not allowed to by the staff. He then sat down under a tree. By Rahul Noronha: Controversial IAS officer Ramesh Thete today addressed a press conference sitting under a tree outside the IAS Association Rest House in Bhopal saying that a 'Rohit Vemula kind of episode' can take place in Madhya Pradesh. He added that if the state government does not stop 'harassing' him and in case his demands are not met by today evening, he can 'take any step'. advertisement The 1993 batch IAS officer has often been in the news for his utterances against the state government. Thete was earlier dismissed but was reinstated after the Supreme Court intervened. In the latest confrontation, Thete, a Dalit, had accused his boss, Additional Chief Secretary RS Julania, of discriminating him. Thete has demanded that an FIR be registered against Julania but the state government instead issued a show cause notice to him. Today, Thete, presently posted as Secretary, Rural Development, wanted to address a press conference from the IAS Association Guest House but was not allowed to by the staff. He then sat down under a tree addressing the media just outside the Guest House in the Char Imli Locality of Bhopal. Thete said that CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan claims to be a follower of Ambedkar but has not done anything to protect dalits and therefore he doubts Chouhan's claims. Thete demanded that the state government should withdraw the show cause notice issue to him and should register a case against Julania under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Earlier too, Thete had locked horns with Lokayukta Justice PP Naolekar. Thete is being probed by the vigilance department but the state government has not yet forwarded the application for prosecution sanction sought by the Lokayukta to the union government and has not given any reasons for it either. --- ENDS --- When Instagram first launched in 2010, it set itself apart from other photo-sharing apps with its signature square photos and range of custom filters. Back then, the iPhone 4 was considered state-of-the-art and it wasn't necessarily easy to take good-looking photos on a cellphone. But filters gave everyone the tools to turn their photos into professional-looking posts. Looking back, Systrom calls Instagram's combination of filters and social distribution "the magical combination" that helped the app take off. Instagram's filters have become so popular that even lesser-used filters have devoted followings. In THR's cover story, Systrom says that users became angry when he decided to discontinue the Gotham filter, which was the company's least-used filter at the time. "I remember walking down the street in San Francisco and people being like, 'Bring back Gotham.'" Filters have also caused a rise in new (and sometimes unusual) baby names. A report published by Baby Center last year revealed that Instagram-inspired names like Juno, Reyes, Valencia and Willow are all on the rise. The name Ludwig, for instance, is up 42 percent on the website's list of boy names. Juno, meanwhile, is 30 percent more popular for girls. Systrom jokes that he feels bad for anyone named after Instagram's original filter, X-Pro II. "I'm feeling responsible for the poor kid's high school experience." Read More: Instagram's CEO Is Counting on Selena Gomez, Kevin Hart and 500 Million More to Win Digital Media's New Game: Video Today, Instagram has 23 filters, which Systrom says receive their classic names - like Willow and Inkwell - based on a company voting process. But in the early days, Systrom would create and name all the filters based on "random associations." He tested out X-Pro II on the first-ever Instagram photo during a vacation with his now wife in Mexico. Many of them are named for places or things that had special meaning to Systrom and his co-founder, Mike Krieger. A photo posted by Kevin Systrom (@kevin) on Jul 16, 2010 at 2:24pm PDT Here's Systrom on the meaning behind some of the early filters: Hefe - Says Systrom: "I think I was at a bar with a friend, working on the filter and I was drinking a Hefeweizen." Amaro - "It's a type of Italian liquor, and my co-founder and I were really into cocktails at that time," he explains. "There were all these speakeasies that were opening. So we named it Amaro." Brandon - Before Instagram sold to Facebook in 2012, it was headquartered in San Francisco. Brandon was the name of the street their office was on. Valencia - Systrom says its named after Valencia Street, which runs through the heart of San Francisco's Mission District. Clarendon - Named for the Clarendon Heights neighborhood south of Golden Gate Park where Systrom says he and his wife, clean energy investor Nicole, walk their dog Dolly, who is quite famous in her own right, with 19,000 Instagram followers. While calls for policy change on gun control go unheeded in Congress, people who want to vote with their pocketbook have a few options. One of the main market-based solutions is to invest in socially responsible funds. Socially responsible investments consider both financial return and social good when evaluating investments. Studies from Morningstar, Lipper and other researchers find that SRI returns before fees are similar to mutual funds and exchange-traded funds that don't add the social-good layer. "The best way to clean your portfolio is to go into SRI funds. It is a $7 trillion AUM (assets under management) pool of capital for the U.S.," says Sylvia Maxfield, dean of the School of Business at Providence College, a Catholic Dominican college whose endowment fund uses SRI funds. Historically, faith-based investors used socially responsible funds to screen out weapons in their investments. Meg Voorhes, research director at US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment, says there's been a big increase in secular investors seeking out socially responsible funds for this purpose. [See: 10 Ways to Play in the Asia-Pacific Stocks Pool.] While it's well-documented that gun manufacturers such as Smith and Wesson Holding Corp. (ticker: SWHC) and Sturm, Ruger & Co. (RGR) are seeing record sales and their stock prices are high, US SIF data shows there's an increasingly strong market view regarding divesting of gun stocks. "People aren't willing to accept the status quo anymore. Orlando just set something off. It's so horrific to people -- schools, aren't safe, theaters aren't safe, nightclubs aren't safe," she says. According to the MassShootingTracker.org, there were 371 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2015, which they define as an incident where four or more people are shot in a single shooting spree, killing 469 people and wounding 1,387. This year, there are 337 killings and 841 woundings, the data shows. Story continues Growing influence. US SIF issues a biennial report to measure the size of socially responsible investing in the U.S. In its 2014 report, which included the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, Voorhes says more institutional and money managers incorporated investment criteria related to weapons production versus the 2012 report. Money managers saw a four-fold increase in assets, to $588 million. For institutional managers, the amount of money they manage that restricts or excludes weapons increased by five-fold, to $355 million. "Part of the increase in the institution asset owner side we saw came from public funds. The city of Chicago, for instance, and CalPERS (California's pension system) adopted screens on gun manufacturers," she says. They will release new research later this year on the state of the SRI sector and she says this trend of restricting investing in weapons may continue. As of 2014, overall money using SRI criteria was about $6.7 trillion, she says. However, she adds that simply combining the two management categories to tally how much money is steering clear of gun manufacturers isn't exact since there's some overlap between those two groups. How to invest. Kate Huntington, managing director of research, Athena Capital Advisors, says investors can talk to their financial advisers about building portfolios suited to their beliefs. Her firm published research for financial advisors that uses SRI investing based on modern portfolio theory. Outside of publicly traded stocks, for people who are qualified to invest in private equity, she says there are some private companies looking to impact the sector, such as Clipfort, which is trying to create sensors for guns to prevent unauthorized use of weapons. Maxfield says investors who want to use mutual funds can quickly find which ones restrict or eliminate gun manufacturers from their holdings as the SRI funds are transparent on their holdings. [Read: Is It Time to Stash Some Gold Coins Under Your Mattress?] According US SIF data, there are several large mutual funds with over a billion in assets spanning different aspects of the U.S. stock market, each with their own view of how to screen gun industry investments. A few examples include the Ariel Fund (ARGFX), a $1.9 billion mid- to small capitalization fund that does not invest in corporations whose primary source of revenue is derived from the manufacture of handguns. Its year-to-date return is down 2.29 percent. The Calvert Equity Portfolio A (CSIEX) is a large-cap fund with $2.2 billion under management. It does not invest in firms that manufacture or sell firearms and/or ammunition, and it excludes firms that manufacture, design, or sell weapons or the critical components of weapons that violate international humanitarian law. Its year-to-date return is 0.1 percent. Neuberger Berman Socially Responsible Investment (NBSRX) is a $2.2 billion large-cap fund does not invest in defense or weapons and has a year-to-date return of 1.33 percent. TIAA-Cref's Social Choice Equity Retail (TICRX) seeks to reflect the overall stock market with a focus on environmental, social and governance criteria, a form of SRI, which has $2.7 billion under management. Although the fund says that weapons are not automatically excluded, they don't include most defense/weapons firms because they have poor overall ESG performance. Its year-to-date rate of return is 4.05 percent. John Streur, chief executive officer at Bethesda, Maryland-based Calvert Investments, says they hear anecdotally from financial advisers that clients want to avoid gun manufacturers after fresh news about shootings. Other tactics. There's been some effort by SRI funds to persuade major retailer firms to either eliminate or restrict the guns they carry via proxy voting, but with little effect so far, says Daniel Kern, chief investments strategist at TFC Financial in Boston, and who has conducted much research about fossil fuel divestment. "As long as they're not violating any laws, they have the right to sell guns as long as they meet the state requirements," Kern says. Instead, some SRI funds try to talk with the retailers about their products, says Erica Lasdon, Calvert's vice president of research and advocacy, which is one way they try to engage with corporations. Streur says people can engage with corporations both from an investor and a consumer standpoint and not shop at stores that sell weapons as another market-based solution. But that's not all, he stresses. [Read: Pokemon Go: Collecting All the Data?] "Just not shopping is one thing. Send an email to the CEO or the chairman of the board and tell them why you're not shopping there. It gets through," Streur says. Debbie Carlson has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and has had bylines in Barron's, The Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, The Guardian, and other publications. Follow her on Twitter at @debbiecarlson1. Tesla Motors Co. (TSLA) is easily one of the most enthralling companies on Wall Street. Sprung from the brain of a once-in-a-generation genius, Tesla is almost singlehandedly taking electric cars mainstream with the looming late 2017 release of the Tesla Model 3. Never lacking on ambition, the company hopes to cripple our reliance on fossil fuels, eradicate the need for human drivers, change the way we get our energy and make cars safer than ever before. None of that would mean much if people didn't think it was at least theoretically possible. If the gyrations of the stock market are any indication, many investors seem to agree. The 2010 Tesla initial public offering took the automaker public at a price of $17 per share; now shares are around $220. Despite that miraculous run-up, Tesla shares could still turn out to be a steal. In 2015, it began making large batteries, dubbed Tesla Powerwalls, meant to store energy. Considering Tesla recently made a bid for SolarCity (SCTY), a leading retailer of solar panels and the energy they produce, Tesla could be deemed a utilities stock in a few years' time. As far as the whole car business thing, growth prospects are pretty juicy in that industry, too. While Tesla aims to deliver between 80,000 and 90,000 vehicles in 2016, CEO Elon Musk said it should be able to produce 500,000 vehicles in 2018. [See: 10 Ways to Invest in Driverless Cars.] As if that weren't enough, Tesla is also widely considered a technology pioneer, and in the race to develop fully autonomous vehicles, Tesla's focus on software and machine learning have put it firmly in the driver's seat, so to speak. That gives Tesla, an exciting mishmash of futuristic opportunities, potential few other companies on the planet can relate to -- and potential that Wall Street is enamored with. Billionaire investor Ron Baron, for one, has said he thinks TSLA stock could multiply in value by 20 times over the next 10 to 20 years. The excitement around Tesla, its brand, and its enigmatic, Tony Stark-like leader create more than just intangibles and billionaires talking their book, says Scott Galloway, founder and chairman at L2 Inc., a leading intelligence firm that benchmarks overall brand performance. Story continues "You could argue that Tesla has access to the cheapest capital in the history of the automobile industry ... it makes sense from a capital allocation standpoint" to take on expensive endeavors like the gigafactory. Galloway points to Tesla's price-sales ratio, which is 7.8, and notes that General Motors Co.'s (GM) P/S is a mere 0.3, making secondary offerings a less attractive way to raise money. With that said, there's no such thing as a perfect stock, and Tesla's ability to fundraise has a major downside -- one of many that could make buying Tesla shares an absolute disaster for investors. Raising money by issuing more stock dilutes existing shareholders as each existing unit of stock represents a smaller ownership stake in the business. Just such a dilution occurred in May, when Tesla raised $1.7 billion in a secondary offering to fund its expansion. Unfortunately, dilution wasn't the only negative that came from the issuance: The SEC is investigating the auto manufacturer to see if it violated securities laws by failing to disclose before the offering a fatal wreck that occurred when a Tesla driver was using its autopilot mode. Other issues also swirl around Tesla and cast serious doubt over whether it can match the wider market in the long term. Most conspicuously, Tesla is emphatically not profitable and generates negative cash flow. Its execution is notoriously unreliable -- the Model X release was delayed for a full two years, for example. What if Elon Musk is hit by a bus? For that matter, what if a car using autopilot runs into a bus? Two recent wrecks, one fatal, involved drivers using autopilot technology, and Tesla now needs to convince consumers that its technology is safe. And while electric vehicles and autonomous cars are coming whether we like it or not, the commercial winners in those industries are not a foregone conclusion. [Read: GM Stock: How General Motors Will Respond to the Tesla Model 3.] "It's very difficult to predict who the eventual winners will be in a new technology space," says Robert R. Johnson, president and CEO of The American College of Financial Services in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. "For example, look at how pervasive web search engines are in today's market, yet there were many big failures in that space." So while a laundry list of risks and concerns pop up when thinking about buying and holding Tesla stock for the long run, perhaps the biggest risk of all hasn't even been explored yet: the SolarCity deal. Barry Randall, portfolio manager of the Crabtree Technology portfolio for Covestor, a Boston-based registered investment advisor, says the proposed acquisition is a financial nightmare. "SolarCity, like Tesla itself, is both deeply indebted and operating cash flow-negative. While Tesla does sell battery packs to SolarCity customers, the thing that Tesla and SolarCity most have in common is the roughly $3 billion in debt on each of their balance sheets," Randall says. SolarCity and Tesla both have $2.8 billion in long-term debt on their books, but Tesla logged revenue of $4.1 billion last year, while SolarCity grossed just $400 million. "SolarCity has massively negative cashflow," says Alexander Gladstone, author of a recent story on SolarCity on Debtwire, a financial news and intelligence service. "There's been an increase in competition, and there have been a few adverse regulatory moves." Most notably, he says, is Nevada, which reduced the incentives for SolarCity customers to use their solar panels, essentially rendering their operations in the state worthless. About 550 workers lost their jobs, Gladstone says. "It's essentially a business that has to keep raising more money because its operations are not bringing in positive free cash flow," he says. In fact, these are risks that the market acknowledged the day after the SolarCity offer was made, with Tesla shares plunging 10.5 percent that day. The reduction in Tesla's market cap, Gladstone notes, was greater than the value of the offer itself. [Read: 7 Stocks That Should Grow With Millennials.] On the other hand, second-guessing Elon Musk has rarely been a lucrative way to make money in the past. Just know that by betting on him and Tesla, you're also taking a healthy dose of risk. More From US News & World Report Tehran (AFP) - Iran has summoned Egypt's top envoy in Tehran to "strongly protest" against the attendance of Egyptian lawmakers at an annual rally of an exiled opposition group, state media said. An Iranian foreign ministry official called the presence of a group of Egyptian MPs at the National Council of Resistance in Iran (NCRI) gathering in France on Saturday "a clear interference in our domestic affairs". Tehran accused the parliamentarians of supporting the "terrorist group", which includes the former rebel People's Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK). "Egyptian authorities are expected to adopt responsible and principled policies and take steps toward preserving peace and stability in the region," the Iranian official said, quoted late Wednesday by the official IRNA news agency. It did not identify the envoy but Egypt's diplomatic mission in Tehran is headed by Khalid Emara. Ibrahim Abdel Wahab, an Egyptian lawmaker and member of the foreign relations parliamentary committee, confirmed he had participated in the rally along with nine other Egyptian MPs and public figures. "This is not a formal participation. We received personal invitations and decided to participate to support the Iranian opposition," Abdel Wahab told AFP from Paris, without giving more details. He said the parliament deputy speaker Suleiman Wahdan and another member of the defence and national security committee had also attended the rally. The Egyptian foreign ministry said on its Facebook page that the MPs who attended the rally did not represent the Egyptian government. Their participation was not in any "official" capacity, it said, stressing that the Egyptian parliament is "fully independent as it represents the legislature power which is independent from the executive power". Tehran broke off diplomatic relations with Cairo in 1980 a year after Iran's Islamic revolution, in protest at Egypt's signing of a peace treaty with Israel and hosting of the deposed shah. Story continues The two countries maintain only interests sections in each other's capitals. The envoy for his part stressed that Egypt does not meddle in the domestic affairs of other countries, IRNA reported. Tehran has also summoned the French ambassador over the annual rally held at Le Bourget, near Paris, by the NCRI, which said that 100,000 Iranians had attended. Baghdad (AFP) - Iraqi security forces paraded through Baghdad on Thursday to celebrate victories over the Islamic State jihadist group, but an unannounced rehearsal two days earlier put a damper on the festivities. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi reviewed the forces from a pavilion as they passed through central Tahrir Square, and military jets and helicopters overflew the city. The parade was held to mark "the liberation of Fallujah and Ramadi and all the Iraqi territory that was liberated," defence ministry spokesman Brigadier General Tahseen Ibrahim told AFP, referring to two key cities recaptured from the jihadists. But an unannounced rehearsal for the parade held on Tuesday, in which many roads were closed and military vehicles drove through the city, inspired fear rather than celebration. Some speculated on social media that it was a message to protesters planning a demonstration on Friday that Abadi has called on them to delay, while others speculated that it could be a military coup. Iraq announced the full recapture of Fallujah, a city 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad that had been outside government control for more than two and a half years, at the end of June. Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, was declared to have been recaptured at the end of December, but fighting in the area continued into this year. More recently, Baghdad's forces seized a key military base south of Mosul from IS that the Pentagon has said will serve as a "springboard" for the push to retake the last IS-held city in Iraq. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and training have since regained significant ground. Baghdad (AFP) - Iraqi security forces warned people to stay away from a major protest planned for Friday, saying the demonstration is "unauthorised". In a statement issued on the eve of the planned demonstration, the Joint Operations Command said anyone who appeared with weapons would be dealt with "as a terrorist threat". Powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called for a major demonstration to be held in Baghdad's Tahrir Square to push the government to carry out reform, after a multi-week break in protests during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. At previous demonstrations, protesters broke into Baghdad's fortified Green Zone area where the government is headquartered, but the demonstrations were largely peaceful. The government had already asked demonstrators to stay home, saying protests at this stage could distract security forces from their fight against the Islamic State group and ultimately aid the jihadists. Sadr has called for a government of technocrats to replace the current party-affiliated ministers -- a measure proposed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi -- and has organised demonstrations calling for that change. Abadi first called for a cabinet including technocrats in February, but has faced significant opposition from powerful political forces that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds. Some of Abadi's cabinet nominees were approved in April, but in a blow to the premier, a court later scrapped the session, from which some lawmakers who sought to disrupt it were barred from attending. DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland is not predisposed to issuing longer term debt just because yields are low and it is comfortable with its maturity profile, the head of its debt agency said on Thursday. The National Treasury Management agency last year issued its first 30-year bond and this year raised 100 million euros (83.4 million) of 100-year debt. But most of the 5.5 billion euros of debt it has raised so far this year has been 10-year bonds. "Having lengthened the maturity to the extent that we have, we are very comfortable with the profile we have right now," Conor O'Kelly, chief executive of the National Treasury Management Agency told a news conference. "I don't think we'd necessarily be predisposed to go longer just for the sake of it and that gives us the ultimate flexibility," he said. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Toby Chopra) Andria (Italy) (AFP) - An Italian train station manager admitted partial responsibility for a head-on collision that killed 23 people as investigators on Thursday probed the fatal delay in upgrading rail safety. The crash happened Tuesday on a single-track stretch of railway run by station managers who communicate directly with train drivers, a system Italian authorities described as outdated and "risky". "I'm the one who sent the train on its way," Vito Piccarreta, head of Andria station in the Puglia region in southern Italy, told journalists. "There was some confusion, the trains were late. But I'm not the only one at fault." Hundreds of mourners held a candle-lit procession to the station late Wednesday, after relatives of victims spent the day at a hospital morgue, providing identification details to help doctors put names to the mangled dead. - 'Goodbye angels' - One of the four-carriage trains was supposed to have waited at Andria to let another through from the nearby town of Corato, just 10 minutes ride away. The collision flung several carriages into fields and olive groves bordering the track. "The olive groves are stained red," read one message left at Corato with flowers and candles. Another read: "Goodbye angels". An extra train had been reportedly slotted into the timetable at the last minute because of delays on the line Tuesday, which may have resulted in the confusion for the Andria station chief. The delays worsened after one of the trains coming north from Corato had to turn back because it had forgotten to let a disabled girl off at the previous stop, the Repubblica daily said. Piccarreta, 57, is under investigation for having lifted the green "Go" signalling sign. But the Corato station master, Alessio Porcelli, 62, is also in the spotlight because Piccarreta reportedly warned him the train was on its way. Trade unions had filed complaints saying the recent increase in traffic on the line with no extra staff was a safety risk, the Repubblica paper said. Story continues A slight bend in the track reduced visibility, leaving the trains -- which were travelling at more than 100 kilometres (62 miles) an hour -- with fewer than 50 metres in which to brake to a stop, when they needed 250 metres, the Corriere della Sera said. But assistant prosecutor Francesco Giannella insisted the station managers would not become scapegoats. "We will absolutely not stop at the first version of the truth. Human error is only the starting point of this drama," he said. - Warning sign - A call for tenders to modernise the security system and lay a second track had been scheduled to open later this month after a two-year delay. About 55 percent of the rail network in Italy is single track. A pot of 150 million euros ($166 million) allocated by the European Regional Development Fund in the 2007-2013 budget to add second tracks was only partially used, La Stampa daily said. A spokesperson for the Commission said Thursday that the funds for improvements to the track in question had been earmarked "but there were some difficulties and challenges related to the permissions in the region". "When a region spends four years discussing with Brussels whether a project is ok or not, it's clearly a sign of something wrong," Transport Minister Graziano Delrio said. As Italy's financial police opened an investigation into the project delays, the head of the nation's anti-bribery authority pointed the finger at endemic corruption in the country which has poisoned the well of public infrastructure procurement. "The tragedy is probably the result of human error, the judiciary will establish the facts. But it is without doubt also the result of an old problem in our country, the difficulties in putting in place suitable infrastructure," Raffaele Cantone said. "And one of the reasons for these difficulties is precisely corruption". Italian consumer association Codacons also insisted Piccarreta and Porcelli could not shoulder the blame alone. "It is frankly unacceptable. If the control and warning systems had been installed, none of this would have happened," it said. A 53-year-old man died after his wife caught hold of his testicles and squeezed them hard. Ouch! By India Today Web Desk: This is perhaps the strangest way to die. A 53-year-old Vietnamese man died after his wife caught hold of his testicles and squeezed them hard for nearly five minutes. The man, identified as Le Kim Khai, was reported to have choked on his own vomit after his wife caught hold of his private parts and jumped on his stomach during the altercation. Source: WhatifGIFs advertisement It all began when Khai, the head of the neighbourhood security unit, returned home to find the door closed and his wife, Phan Thi Kim Chuong, and two daughters refusing to open the door for him. Furious at Chuong's refusal, Khai cut open the lock with a handsaw and proceeded to beat up his wife. Desperate to save herself, Chuong grabbed Khai's testicles and squeezed hard and at one point even jumped on his stomach to hold him down. Within minutes, Khai began vomiting and turned purple. By the time the neighbours, who heard his screams, rushed into the house, he was unconscious. The neighbours managed to get Chuong to let go of Khai's testicles and rushed him to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Chuong said that Khai had beaten her in the past as well. She said that she had grabbed Khai's testicles only to warn him. --- ENDS --- By Loucoumane Coulibaly YAMOUSSOUKRO (Reuters) - Ivory Coast aims to roughly double oil and gas output by 2020 as it pushes for foreign investment in offshore exploration, the head of state oil and gas company Petroci said on Wednesday. While it has developed natural gas deposits for domestic consumption, French-speaking West Africa's largest economy has ignored its energy sector for decades as the government concentrated on developing agricultural exports. Authorities are now seeking to develop offshore reserves in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea. "Today we have around 60 blocks. We've awarded about 20," Petroci's Managing Director Ibrahima Diaby said on the sidelines of an energy conference in Ivory Coast's capital Yamoussoukro. "With current exploration our ambition is to reach 200,000 BOE (barrel of oil equivalent) in 2020," he said. That's around twice current output levels. Companies either currently conducting exploration in Ivory Coast or preparing to do so include France's Total, U.S. firms Exxon Mobil and Anadarko, and Africa-focused Tullow Oil. Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil withdrew from its Ivorian operations earlier this year. [nR4N14X016] Ivory Coast has also been expanding its existing oil and gas production. It has one of West Africa's most reliable power grids, with few blackouts, allowing it to export electricity to its neighbours. But since 2012 an economic boom has seen demand balloon by around 10 percent annually, straining capacity. Diaby said Canadian Natural Resources and Ivory Coast's Foxtrot International had raised daily natural gas production to 250 million cubic feet from 220 million three years ago. Ivory Coast's daily crude oil output meanwhile has risen to 53,000 barrels per day (bpd) from around 30,000 bpd last year, he said. The country is also pushing forward with plans to begin importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) to supplement domestic supply to its gas-fired power plants. Deals are still being finalised and Diaby declined to give further details, but said the first LNG shipments were expected to arrive in 2018. Houston, Texas-based Endeavor Energy said in March that it was seeking to secure financing by the end of the year for a $900 million gas-fired power project in Ivory Coast that would be fuelled by imported LNG. [nL5N16U61Q] (Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Susan Fenton) By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - Reports that Japanese Emperor Akihito intends to abdicate within a few years could re-open debate about female succession, but any such move is likely to provoke strong opposition within the current conservative ruling party. The 82-year-old monarch, who has had heart surgery and been treated for prostate cancer in recent years, expressed his intention to abdicate in a few years to the Imperial Household Agency, public broadcaster NHK said on Wednesday. No reason was cited and agency officials later denied the earlier reports. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other officials on Thursday declined to comment, but Akihito has been cutting back on official duties recently. His place has been taken by his heir, 56-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito. But Naruhito has only one daughter, so since only males can inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne, the throne after Naruhito would pass to nine-year-old nephew Hisahito. No Japanese emperor has abdicated since 1817 and the Imperial Household Law governing the royal family system would have to be revised to allow this, a process requiring parliamentary debate that could take years and might spill over into other areas, such as female succession. "This is something that has needed to be fixed," said Kenneth Ruoff, head of the Center of Japanese Studies at Portland State University, of the laws on abdication. "When they open up the debate they will have to debate all kinds of things." Before Hisahito, no male had been born into the imperial family for more than four decades. This prompted discussion of equal inheritance for women, a move opposed by traditionalists eager to preserve a male line they believe goes back more than 2,000 years. Most Japanese backed the proposed change and advisors to then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi recommended that women be given equal rights to inherit, but debate was shelved when Hisahito was born the next year. In March, Japanese officials including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe protested when a U.N. committee said it intended to criticize male-only inheritance as discriminatory. They said the U.N. move was "totally inappropriate" and disregarded Japanese history. The committee withdrew its criticism. Key parts of Abe's political base want him to steer the nation back towards a traditional ethos including pride in the ancient imperial line. Given that Hisahito is the only male of his generation and women in the imperial family leave it upon marriage, long-term succession remains far from assured. Proposed solutions include allowing women to remain and set up branch families, but debate has languished. "There's only two ways to continue an all-male line. One is to have concubines, which I don't think the people of Japan would accept ... The other would be to have lots of collateral families, which would get complicated," Ruoff said. "If they aren't going to change the law, this will happen again, there won't be a male heir. Maybe not for one hundred, two hundred years - but why not change the law now?" (Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Michael Perry) Japan's ancient monarchy was in tumult Thursday with the imperial household insisting its ageing emperor had no plans to abdicate after reports he wanted to step aside. Respected national broadcaster NHK -- citing palace and other sources -- said Wednesday that 82-year-old Akihito, who has reigned for almost three decades, wanted to pass the throne to his eldest son sometime within the next few years. Any such abdication would be the first in around two centuries, and would be a severe jolt to a country where the 2,600-year-old royal family symbolises stability and continuity. Media watchers say NHK and Kyodo News, which separately carried a similar report, would be extremely careful before committing on such an explosive story. However the Imperial Household Agency, the tradition-steeped government body that runs royal affairs, was categorical in its denial. "It is absolutely not true," Vice Grand Steward Shinichiro Yamamoto told reporters late Wednesday. The emperor "has long refrained from discussing systematic issues out of consideration for his majesty's constitutional position," he told reporters. But in the early hours of Friday, Kyodo cited government sources as saying the government had begun preparations to revise the law governing the imperial family system in response to the emperor's desire to possibly abdicate. Currently under Japan's Imperial Household Law there is no legal mechanism for abdication. Kyodo said the government set up a special task force last month under strict confidentiality, with the aim of compiling a draft outline by the emperor's 83rd birthday in December. It also said that the Imperial Household Agency was considering getting the emperor to express his own thoughts about possible abdication soon, according to agency officials. The throne, which Japan claims to be one of the world's oldest, is held in deep respect by much of the public, despite being largely stripped of its mystique and quasi-divine status in the aftermath of World War II. Story continues Akihito's father, Hirohito, in whose name Japan's military campaigns of the 20th century were prosecuted, was treated as a living god until defeat in 1945. He died from cancer in 1989. While the role of emperor is now largely ceremonial, it remains intensely important to right-wingers, especially because of the monarch's position at the apex of the native Shinto religion. Among their number is Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who at the weekend scored an election win that may give him the momentum to soften Japan's pacifist constitution. An abdication could throw a spanner in the works, tying up legislators and preventing any such constitutional backsliding. - 'Mistakes' - Hidehiko Kasahara, professor of politics at Keio University, noted that Akihito has made clear his ceremonial workload was getting harder to perform. One of his sons in 2011 floated the idea of a retirement system for emperors after one of Akihito's illnesses, and a weekly magazine in 2013 carried a report similar to the current wave of speculation. The emperor, who has suffered from numerous health issues, including prostate cancer and heart problems, himself spoke late last year of his growing limitations. He acknowledged making "mistakes" in his duties, which range from native Shinto religious ceremonies to visiting residents in regions hit by Japan's frequent natural disasters. Akihito's reign as emperor, now in its 28th year, has been characterised by an unprecedented openness. He has made efforts to acknowledge suffering caused by Japan's 20th century warring in visits to the Philippines and other Pacific battle spots, and last year in Tokyo expressed "profound remorse" for the war. Jeff Kingston, professor of Asian Studies at Temple University Japan, said lost in discussions was not so much the technical issue of abdication but rather what Akihito has meant to his country as domestic "healer in chief" and "emissary of regional reconciliation" abroad. "His acceptance of Japan's war responsibility and his apology diplomacy have done a great deal to raise Japan's stature in the comity of nations," he said. (Reuters) - Shares of Japanese messaging app operator Line Corp soared as much as 36 percent in their U.S. market debut on Thursday, valuing the high-profile tech startup at $9.34 billion in the biggest tech IPO this year. The offering of 22 million American Depository Shares (ADSs) at $32.84 each topped the upper end of the expected price range of $28.50-$32.50, raising about $723 million. The Tokyo-based companys shares hit a high of $44.49 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Line, controlled by South Koreas Naver Corp, will list its stock on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Friday. The company sold 13 million shares at 3,300 yen per share in Japan, raising about $426.92 million. Including an overallotment of 5.25 million shares, the company raised 132.8 billion yen ($1.27 billion), making the offering Japans biggest this year. After the offering, Navers ownership dropped to 80.8 percent. Line, the seventh-most used messenger app globally, said it would use the funds to expand outside Japan and Southeast Asia. The app has a lot of ground to cover in major Western markets, where Facebook Incs Messenger and WhatsApp are dominant, and in China, where Tencent Holdings Ltds WeChat is popular. As of March, Line had 218 million monthly active users (MAUs). WhatsApp leads the pack with about 1 billion MAUs, while Facebook Messenger is No. 2 with 900 million. Lines messaging app was launched in the aftermath of Japans 2011 earthquake and tsunami to overcome downed communications, growing unexpectedly to become the countrys dominant mobile messaging platform over the next few years. The bulk of Lines revenue comes from games and sales of emojis and electronic stickers. The companys revenue and other operating income rose about 28.3 percent to 120.88 billion yen in 2015. Line reported a loss of 7.97 billion yen in 2015, compared with a year-earlier profit of 2 billion yen. Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Nomura are among the underwriters to the IPO. (Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta) A New Jersey woman was arrested over more than $16,000 in unpaid tolls and fees. At 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, police attempted to stop Denise Simien, a 55-year-old woman from Verona, New Jersey, near the Holland Tunnel, which has a $15 toll. Simien skipped the tunnels toll fares more than 500 times, NJ.com reports. Instead of stopping for police, Simien passed through another toll without paying. But an officer stopped her on the other side. Simien was charged with theft of serves and obstruction of justice. She is due back in court on Tuesday. Simien is not the only person recently charged in New Jersey for habitually skipping tolls. Willie Reyes, 34, was arrested at the Holland Tunnel on July 7, and owed $37,000 in unpaid tolls in fees. Spidron Fragoulias, 45, was arrested on July 8 owed more than $78,000 in tolls and fees on multiple accounts, according to NJ.com. [NJ.com] (Adds quotes, background) LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Thursday that Britain could play an even greater role in Europe despite voting to leave the European Union, a view he said was shared by the United States. "There's a massive difference between leaving the EU and our relations with Europe, which if anything I think are going to be intensified," Johnson, who was appointed to his post on Wednesday, told reporters. "I was very pleased to receive a phone call from Secretary (John) Kerry of the United States who totally agreed with that analysis. His view was that post-Brexit and after the negotiations, what he really wants to see ... is more Britain abroad, a greater global profile." Johnson, a leading figure in the campaign for Brexit, has a history of using undiplomatic language about international figures including U.S. President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, whom he once likened to "a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital". His appointment was met with dismay across Europe's political class, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault accusing him of lying during the EU referendum campaign. "The French foreign minister has sent me a charming letter just a couple of hours ago saying how much he looked forward to working together and to deepening Anglo-French cooperation," Johnson said. "After a vote like the referendum result on June 23, it is inevitable there is going to be a certain amount of plaster coming off the ceiling in the chancelleries of Europe. It wasn't the result that they were expecting. Clearly they are making their views known in a frank and free way." (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Kate Holton and Mark Trevelyan) By PTI: New Delhi, July 14 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated Theresa May for taking over as the Prime Minister of United Kingdom and said he looked forward to working with her for stronger bilateral ties. "Congratulations to @theresa_may on taking over as the new UK PM. Looking forward to working with her for stronger India-UK ties," Modi tweeted. advertisement He also praised the outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron, saying he had contributed significantly in strengthening the India-UK ties. "I also appreciate the significant contribution of @David_Cameron in strengthening India-UK ties," Modi added. 59-year-old May yesterday became Britains second woman Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher. PTI AKK AKK --- ENDS --- Here are some of the stocks the Yahoo Finance team will be tracking for you today. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) shares were up sharply in early trading after the largest US bank by assets posted a beat on both its top and bottom lines for the second quarter, as revenue jumped nearly 3% from a year ago thanks to an increase in fixed income trading, loan growth and lower expenses. Yum Brands (YUM) shares got a nice pop this morning. The company behind KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut raised its profit outlook for this year after same-store sales growth in China continued to improve in the second quarter. The fast food giant now projects core operating profit growth of at least 14% this year. This comes ahead of its spinoff of its China operations later this year. The company is also reporting better-than-expected earnings, but revenue slightly missed estimates. Viacom (VIAB) may be going ahead with plans to sell a 49% stake in its Paramount Pictures movie studio to Chinas Dalian Wanda Group, according to various reports. This comes amid a bitter courtroom battle between Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman and Shari Redstone, Viacoms vice chairman and the daughter of ailing controlling shareholder Sumner Redstone. Alphabet, the parent company of Google (GOOGL), in focus this morning. The European Union is filing new charges against the tech giant. The EU claims Google is violating antitrust rules by implementing restrictions on how independent websites show search ads from their rivals. The EU says this prevents existing and potential competitors from growing in the market place. PARIS (Reuters) - U.S Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday congratulated Boris Johnson on his appointment as Britain's new foreign secretary and urged a sensible approach to Britain's exit from the European Union. "The Secretary stressed US support for a sensible and measured approach to the Brexit process and offered to stay engaged as the UK government develops its plans," State Department spokesman John Kirby said. The pair also agreed that the special relationship between the United States and Britain was as essential as ever and that they would work closely together as NATO allies on a range of challenges ahead. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; writing by Costas Pitas in London; editing by Guy Faulconbridge) PARIS, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday congratulated Boris Johnson on his appointment as Britain's new foreign minister and urged a sensible approach to Britain's exit from the European Union. "The Secretary stressed US support for a sensible and measured approach to the Brexit process and offered to stay engaged as the UK government develops its plans," State Department spokesman John Kirby said. The pair also agreed that the special relationship between the United States and Britain was as essential as ever and that they would work closely together as NATO allies on a range of challenges ahead. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; writing by Costas Pitas in London; editing by Guy Faulconbridge) By Yara Bayoumy and John Walcott WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry heads to Moscow on Thursday to again seek closer Russian cooperation in the war against Islamic State in Syria, but he faces strong opposition from defense and intelligence officials who argue that Washington and Moscow have diametrically opposite objectives in the country. Kerry's trip, which State Department officials say is his second to the Russian capital this year and his third in 12 months, takes place as U.S.-Russian relations have worsened with tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions, aggressive Russian maneuvers toward U.S. aircraft and vessels, and a disregard for a cessation of hostilities in Syria, where Russia has bombed U.S.-backed rebels. Relations between Moscow and Washington also remain strained over the Ukraine crisis and what the Kremlin considers NATOs unjustified activities along its borders, raising fears that disagreements could escalate into confrontations, either accidental in Syria or the result of miscalculations in the air and naval encounters from the Baltics to the Black Sea. Yet Kerry, it seems, still hopes for closer collaboration with Russia, to the disbelief of many officials who say the Obama administration has no strategy on how to deal with the challenges Russia poses in Europe and Syria. "It isn't clear why the secretary of state thinks he can enlist the Russians to support the administration's goals in Syria," said one U.S. intelligence official. "He's ignoring the fact that the Russians and their Syrian allies have made no distinction between bombing ISIS and killing members of the moderate opposition, including some people that weve trained," the official said, using an acronym for the militant group. "Why would we share intelligence and targeting information with people whove been doing that?" The targeting problem is compounded by the fact that rebels groups often operate in close proximity with one another and at times have fought both for and against one another. The Nusra Front, an offshoot of al Qaeda, has frequently operated in close proximity to rebels deemed moderate by the West, including some that have received military training and support from the CIA and Arab members of the U.S.-led coalition. ANGRY SPIES U.S. intelligence officers are incensed by the administration's continued overtures to Russia, in part because they say the Russians knew that two rebel camps they bombed last month and again this week were far from any Islamic State fighters and housed U.S.-backed rebels or their families. Last month a U.S. official said Russia launched a second air strike on U.S.-backed Syrian fighters battling Islamic State, even after the U.S. military used emergency channels to ask Moscow to stop after the first strike. Another attack on Tuesday killed at least 12 people at a nearby base, four U.S. intelligence officers said. The camps, the officials said, are in a no-mans-land on Syrias border with Jordan devoid of any Syrian troops or Islamic State fighters, and the Russians attacked it deliberately, the officials said. It was not immediately possible to seek comment from officials in Moscow. Other officials argue it is naive to think that because the Russians say they, too, are seeking a negotiated end to Syrias civil war - which, according to the United Nations, has claimed some 400,000 lives - Moscows goal is compatible with that of the United States and its Arab and European allies. "Its pretty obvious that their agenda is not 100 percent aligned with our own," U.S. Army Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland, the commander of the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State, told a small group of reporters in Baghdad on Thursday. "Id be a little leery about giving too much information to the Russians, but I fully trust that our government officials understand this and know theyll arrive at something that makes sense." "The Russians want a settlement that would keep (Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or some replacement acceptable to them in power," said a defense official, who like others who discussed the schism in the administration agreed to do so only on condition of anonymity. "The president has said that Assad has got to go, and our allies, especially the Saudis, hold that view very strongly. In fact, they keep asking us why were cozying up to Moscow."Assad said in an interview broadcast on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has never talked to him about leaving power, despite pressure from Washington for Assad to step down. "They never said a single word regarding this," Assad told NBC News when asked whether Putin or Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had talked to him about a political transition in Syria, where a civil war has raged since 2011. "ANOTHER GO" State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Kerry was going to Russia "yet again" to have "another go" at getting Moscow to buy in to a process that could lead to a nationwide cessation of hostilities. "There are areas with regard to Syria and how to resolve the conflict on which we agree," he said. However, he added: While we have reached those overarching agreements, we have not seen the practical reality on the ground yet. But even some of Kerrys own State Department subordinates question why their boss is trying to move forward, meeting on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and on Friday with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, no less, said one when U.S.-Russian relations are slipping backward. The latest evidence of that came on Wednesday, when Russia refused to let Jeff Shell, chairman of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees Radio Free Europe and other government-backed news outlets, enter the country. A board statement said Shell was denied entry and detained in a locked room at Moscow's Sheremetevo Airport for several hours on Tuesday despite having a valid passport and Russian visa. Accompanied by Russian security officials, he later boarded a flight to Amsterdam and was told he was subject to a "lifetime ban" from Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Shell had been on a 'stop list' for a long time, adding that he was "one of the organizers of lying anti-Russian propaganda, financed from the American budget, that is implementing the political decisions taken at the very top of the U.S." His treatment is consistent with his name being on a blacklist of individuals Russia has decided to block, though Moscow has shrugged off accusations that U.S. officials in Russia were facing increased harassment. Last month, Washington expelled two Russian officials in response to what it described as a Russian policeman's attack on a U.S. diplomat in Moscow earlier that month. A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow did not have immediate comment. "I think quite frankly (Kerry's) visit is a microcosm of the confusion about U.S. policy toward Russia," said Heather Conley, director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington. "It's a lot of political capital to send the secretary of state if you don't have a clear objective of what you want to accomplish," she told Reuters. (This story corrects timing, details, death tolls of strikes in paragraphs 8-10) (Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Jonathan Landay in Washington, Andrew Osborn and Jason Bush in Moscow, Phil Stewart in Baghdad and Dominic Evans in Beirut; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Michael Perry) By David Brunnstrom and Denis Dyomkin MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry took a proposal to boost military and intelligence cooperation against Islamic State and al Qaeda in Syria to Moscow on Thursday, despite doubts among U.S. defense and intelligence officials. U.S. officials described the visit as a test of Moscow's willingness to use its influence on the Syrian government to help revive the country's peace process, and time was running out for that. Kerry met President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday evening and both said before the meeting they hoped they could make progress on Syria. Kerry was also to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday. Putin said his last conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama had convinced him that both sides were sincere in the efforts to find a solution in Syria. "I hope after today's consultations you'll be able to advise him of the progress made and possible headway for us to make," he told Kerry, according to a pool reporter at the start of the talks. Kerry said Obama thought his last call with Putin was "constructive." "Hopefully we'll be able to make some genuine progress that is measurable and implementable and that can make a difference in the course of events in Syria," Kerry said. The extent of coordination with Russia proposed by Kerry and set out in a leaked U.S. document published by the Washington Post would represent a major shift after years of rivalry between Washington and Moscow, who support opposing sides in Syria's five-year civil war. The document called for intelligence sharing to identify leadership targets, training camps, supply lines and headquarters of the Nusra Front, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria. Strikes against those targets could be carried out by U.S. or Russian jets and expanded coordination would be channeled through a Joint Implementation Group based in the vicinity of the Jordanian capital Amman. The United States and Russia would establish separate headquarters and a shared coordination office, where they would deploy senior officials, intelligence personnel and experts in strike planning and targeting. They would decide on a date to simultaneously begin strikes against Nusra Front targets and to stop all Syrian military air activities in designated areas, except for non-combat purposes and against areas where Nusra Front has acquired territory. The proposal also allows for Russia to use air power to defend Syrian forces from attack from Nusra Front within a designated area, if agreed in advance with the United States. Kerry declined to comment when asked about the document before leaving for Moscow. HUMANITARIAN ACCESS Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he would refrain from comment until Russian officials had heard from Kerry. He said in general Russia favored cooperation with the United States over Syria, while the RIA news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying that Moscow was not satisfied with the current pace of this. A senior U.S. official said Kerry would discuss how to deal with Islamic State and al Qaeda in Syria, as well as efforts to reduce the violence, allow humanitarian access and move towards political transition. "At present we are not conducting or coordinating military operations with Russia, nor is it clear we will reach an agreement to do so," the official said. U.S. officials said there were two major problems leading to the breakdown of Syria's cessation of hostilities - the failure of the Syrian government to respect it and Nusra Front activity. "We are here to test in what is pretty much close to the end stage of whether this is going to work, to take a shot with the Russians at whether we can solve those two major problems with the cessation of hostilities and get this back on track," a second senior official said. A third U.S. official said expectations were "very low", but added: "Either we find a way to do something about it or not. And if we dont, the entire things breaks down. That would be an end of the cessation of hostilities and that would not be a good thing for Russia, or the United states, or the world, or, most importantly, for the Syrian people." Kerry faces some strong opposition to his efforts to woo Russia from U.S. defense and intelligence officials who say Washington and Moscow have diametrically opposed objectives in Syria. Kerry's trip, his second to Moscow this year, comes amid a worsening of U.S.-Russian ties due to tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions, U.S. allegations of aggressive Russian maneuvers toward U.S. aircraft and vessels and what Washington has said is a disregard for a cessation of hostilities in Syria, where Russia has bombed U.S.-backed rebels. Relations also remain strained over Ukraine and what the Kremlin considers NATOs unjustified activity along its borders. That has raised fears that disagreements could escalate into confrontations, either accidental in Syria or the result of miscalculations in the air and naval encounters elsewhere. On Thursday, the commander of the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland, voiced U.S. military concern about Russias intentions in Syria. "Id be a little leery about giving too much information to the Russians but I fully trust that our government officials understand this and know theyll arrive at something that makes sense," MacFarland told reporters in Baghdad. (Additional reporting by Dmitry Solovyov, Polina Devitt and Andrew Osborn in Moscow, Lesley Wroughton and David Alexander in Washington, and Phil Stewart in Baghdad; Editing by Christian Lowe and Ralph Boulton) Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult sweep into the room at the London Hotel, both proclaiming "It's really dark in here!" at almost the exact same time. They rush over to different switches in an attempt to bring in some light to the swanky London Hotel room on the July 8 afternoon. Unfortunately, they can't figure it out. The room, while nice, isn't like the setting of their latest film, Drake Doremus' Equals, set in a futuristic society where emotions don't exist but technology has made life very minimalist and streamlined (the film was shot primarily in Japan and Singapore). Still, even in the dark hotel room where the interview takes place, it's clear that the duo, who play two young people who find themselves with a "disease" that allows them to regain their emotions and fall in love, have developed a strong friendship, easily laughing at each other and referencing inside jokes from set. It makes sense that they've grown so close. Doremus put them both through a rehearsal bonding process that involved exercises like staring at each other and just saying hello over and over, and looking into each other's eyes for a long time while only being allowed to tell the truth or a lie. They also spent time sharing their thoughts with each other an a variety of subjects like love and relationships. Plus, as Stewart and Hoult tell THR, they went skateboarding at 4 a.m., late-night drinking in a bar and go-kart racing on their days off. Ahead of the release of Equals on July 15 via A24, the stars spoke to THR about their adventures, shooting in Asia and what it feels like to fall in love. Read more: TIFF: Kristen Stewart Talks Process of Love in 'Equals' Tell me about the very first time you met. Hoult: It was here in L.A. It was Kristen's birthday. I just went along with a friend and I bought her a shot of tequila to say, "Happy Birthday." This was years before we were put in this movie. She doesn't remember it. Story continues Stewart: [Laughs.] I don't remember this at all. So did you remember this when you re-met for the film? Stewart: No, I just found out today actually when we were doing interviews [Laughs.] So when did you meet for the first time for the movie? Hoult: It was at Drake's house. We all just sat and talked about the script. That was the first time I was like, "Damn, this girl's so clever. She's got great ideas." But I was also very hungry because I hadn't eaten. There was this cheese board, and I ate all the cheese. Stewart: He was subtle about taking the cheese too. It was like when a nice lull would happen, which was rare, he'd take a piece. [Laughs.] Drake kind of developed this [project] with Nick in mind. And I was cast more traditionally. So, I came in so ready to prove that I should have the job. Hoult: But I don't think either of us would have done it without the other because Drake needed people that matched and worked. Other than the exercises Drake had you do, was zip-lining and go-kart racing also part of the bonding experience. Hoult: Oh, no, that was just for fun. Stewart: It was all-inclusive, though. It was really like all-encompassing, the experience. Every onetoomany drinks we had it was like we were better the next day because of that. Drake was so encouraging of anything that was even kind of scary. He likes to pretend that he was scared that we were skateboarding, but he loves the fact that we would go off at 4 a.m. and barrel down a hill rather than go to bed or learn our lines. Just to know that because we had fun the night before that the work would be better the day after is such a cool way of working. Is there anything from the cultures in Singapore or Japan you wish was over here? Hoult: There's much more respect in Japan in terms of ... Stewart: - for each other. Hoult: For each other and the elders particularly, as well. It's a very different system. Stewart: Anciently speaking, they are obsessed with balance. You can feel that. Literally, in the food it's so balanced. There's a harmony that I don't feel so palpably in other places. Because we're in this weird position of being known publicly, people reveal the worst and best sides of themselves faster than us, so being there was, like, lovely because everyone was quite lovely. There's a social dynamic over there that's nicer because it's balanced. How do you describe falling in love for the first time? Stewart: The first noticeable thing to me is how physical it is. But I've had it a couple times, so it's not just the first time, which is actually encouraging. We were trying to describe this feeling in rehearsal. It's just you feel like you're being ripped in half and it hurts in the best way. And it's like this dropping pole that also floats and it burns and it's cold. It's like just all every contradictory feeling at once imploding. You know what I mean? Hoult: I agree, but I also I think before that I sense like a stillness. It's not the moment of clarity, but, you know, it's like a ... pause. Stewart: Really? I'm the other way around. I feel like that might be a guy thing. Do you think about what happens to your characters after a movie ends? Stewart: It kind of dependent on the project, but in this case for sure. The movie is not just about falling in love for the first time and coming into your own as an emotional being because people always have that in different stages of their lives. It's like some people are in tune with themselves at five and some people don't wake up till they're, like, f - ing 50. It's that within a relationship that starts off really hot and strong and real and visceral. That love exists for a reason. And to be aware that it's going sort of drop sometimes and that there's a reason that it exists in the first place. And you can actually take part in sustaining it.The ebb and flow of sustaining love and whether or not it exists forever. Read more: 'Equals' Premiere: Kristen Stewart, Nicholas Hoult Talk Director's Unique Rehearsal Methods, 'Twilight' Comparisons LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - Britain should vote again on whether to remain in the European Union once a Brexit deal is agreed, Owen Smith, one of three candidates vying to lead Britain's opposition Labour Party, the Guardian newspaper reported on Thursday. Smith, who announced his candidacy to succeed Jeremy Corbyn at helm of the centre-left party on Wednesday, said many Britons who backed leaving the EU believe they were misled and should be given a second chance to vote. "That does mean a second referendum or a general election when the terms are clear. The Labour government should be committing to that," he told the Guardian newspaper. (Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Guy Faulconbridge) LONDON (Reuters) - Britain should vote again on whether to remain in the European Union once a Brexit deal is agreed, Owen Smith, one of three candidates vying to lead Britain's opposition Labour Party, the Guardian newspaper reported on Thursday. Smith, who announced his candidacy to succeed Jeremy Corbyn at helm of the centre-left party on Wednesday, said many Britons who backed leaving the EU believe they were misled and should be given a second chance to vote. "That does mean a second referendum or a general election when the terms are clear. The Labour government should be committing to that," he told the Guardian newspaper. (Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Guy Faulconbridge) Tiger Shroff and his Baaghi director will fight it out with courts against plagiarism charges by aspiring filmmaker. By India Today Web Desk: The Flying Jatt actor Tiger Shroff and his Baaghi director Sabbir Khan will have to fight it out at court to prove the originality of their upcoming project Munna Michael. ALSO READ:Tiger-Shraddha taking Kalaripayattu to Shanghai this time in Baaghi 2 ALSO READ: Tiger Shroff fights Mad Max villain in new superhero film A Flying Jatt advertisement According to a report in The Times of India, a Mumbai-based filmmaker Kritik Kumar Pandey filed a complaint at the Versova Police Station against Tiger Shroff and Sabbir Khan. Pandey alleged the duo of "creative theft" for stealing the storyline of Munna Michael from him. Pandey said that he was deceived by Shroff and Khan. The aspiring director, in a press note, said, "Tiger took my story a year ago and kept coaxing me to give him more details about my project titled 'MJ Return'. He had committed to doing the film with me, but he has now gone on to announce another project with a similar storyline." Then the newspaper contacted Sabbir Khan, he said that he would make a comment only after consulting his lawyer. A source close to the makers of Munna Michael, however, told the newspaper that Shroff and Khan had a prolonged meeting with their lawyer on Wednesdat (July 13) afternoon. The source said, "Tiger and Sabbir haven't even heard of a man called Kritik. He is doing it just for publicity. More often than not, filmmakers don't take the legal route due to lack of time. But this news has come as a shock to Tiger and Sabbir as being embroiled in a needless controversy just after their announcement is the last thing they wanted. They are finalising paperwork to file a defamation case against this man." Incidentally, of late, Bollywood has been plagued with plagiarism charges. After accusations and counter-accusations between the makers of short film Kriti (director Shirish Kunder, actor Manoj Bajpayee, etc.) and Aneel Neupane, the director of short film BOB, recently, Hrithik Roshan's upcoming film Mohenjo Daro also got caught in controversy. Allegedly, writer-director Ashutosh Gowariker wrote his script based on major portions of writer-director Akashaditya Lama's play Mohenjo Daro, that was written in 1995. Tiger Shroff will be next seen in the superhero film A Flying Jatt co-starring Dishoom actor Jacqueline Fernandez, and directed by Remo D'Souza. The trailer which was released six days back has amassed almost 3 million views. The film will release in theatres on August 25, this year. --- ENDS --- advertisement * Argentine issuers jostle for attention in crowded market * Argentina's first Basel III compliant T2 bond priced * Petrobras Argentina draws a crowd * Usiminas nears debt deal with banks By Mike Gambale NEW YORK, July 14 (IFR) - Below is a recap of primary issuance activity in the LatAm primary market on Thursday: Number of deals priced: 3 Total issuance: US$950m PETROBRAS ARGENTINA Petrobras Argentina announced a US$500m 7NC4 bond. Citigroup and Deutsche Bank are acting as lead managers on the senior unsecured bond. The 144A/RegS security will be listed in Luxembourg and governed by New York law. Expected ratings are B3/B- by Moody's and S&P. Proceeds are being used to redeem series 5 notes and for capex. IPTs 8% area GUIDANCE: US$500m 7NC4 7.75% (+/- 1/8) LAUNCH: US$500m 7NC4 at 7.50% PRICED: US$500m 7NC4: 99.329; 7.375%C; 7.50%Y BANCO DE GALICIA Y BUENOS AIRES Argentina's Banco de Galicia y Buenos Aires announced a US-dollar-denominated Tier 2 10NC5 bond. The bank is looking to raise US$250m through the Basel III compliant bond. Deutsche and JP Morgan have been mandated as joint bookrunners, with Standard Chartered coming in as lead manager. The issuer rating is B3/B-, while the expected issue rating is Caa1/CCC. IPTs: Very high 8%s GUIDANCE: T2 10NC5 at 8.625% area (+/- 1/8) LAUNCH: US$250m T2 10NC5 at 8.25% PRICED: US$250m T2 10NC5: par; 8.25%Y CLISA Compania Latinoamericana de Infraestructura & Servicios SA (CLISA), expected ratings Nr/B-/B-, announced a US$300m 7-year nc4 senior unsecured note offering via BCP/SANT. 144a/RegS. UOP: To repay existing debt. IPT: High 9% GUIDANCE: USD 7NC4 bond at 9.75% LAUNCH: US$200m 7NC4 at 9.75% PRICED: US$200m 7NC4; 98.753; 9.5%C; 9.75%Y PIPELINE: Mexican state-owned petroleum company Pemex is likely to price a 80bn (US$771m) Samurai on Friday. Final guidance for the 10-year offering was set at 0.54%, after initially marketing at 0.53%-0.57%. Pemex, rated Baa3/BBB+/BBB+, will receive a guarantee for the notes from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley, Mizuho and SMBC Nikko are joint lead managers. Story continues Argentine electric utility company Albanesi has picked banks to meet investors as it seeks to market a possible 144A/RegS US dollar bond. Fixed-income investor meetings started on Wednesday through global coordinators and joint bookrunners Credit Suisse and JP Morgan. UBS has also been selected as a joint bookrunner. Expected ratings are B3/B+ by Moody's and Fitch. The Province of Chubut was scheduled to wrap up investors meetings on Thursday after mandating Bank of America Merrill Lynch and BNP Paribas ahead of a potential US dollar-denominated bond sale. It is seeking to raise US$500m through amortizing notes due 2026, according to Moody's, which assigned a B3 rating to the issue earlier this month. The notes will be secured by a percentage of hydrocarbon royalties to be paid by the Argentine branch of Pan American Energy to the province, the rating agency said. Argentine power company Pampa Energia plans to hire four banks to lead a new international bond sale that will refinance debt taken out to fund its acquisition of Petrobras's Argentine assets. The company plans to hire Deutsche Bank, Citigroup, ICBC and Banco Galicia to lead the bond sale, which will refinance a US$700m bridge loan extended by the same lenders. Mexican real-estate developer Grupo GICSA has finished investor meetings through JP Morgan and Santander. The company had been marketing a US dollar bond, which is expected to be rated BB/BB-. Bolivia is hoping to sell an up to US$1bn 10-year bond in the coming months, according to Economy Minister Luis Arce Catacora. Proceeds would go mainly towards investment in healthcare, specifically hospitals. Bolivia is rated BB by S&P and Fitch and one notch lower at Ba3 by Moody's. (Reporting by Mike Gambale; editing by Shankar Ramakrishnan) As directed by the PM, NSA Ajit Doval spoke to the ground commanders dealing with the situation. It is learnt that the NSA directed them to observe maximum restraint in dealing with mob. By Manjeet Negi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today directed the authorities to send a team of qualified doctors, particularly trauma experts and eye specialists to Kashmir. Following this, a team of doctors rushed to Srinagar, where they will assist the local health service officials. NSA SPEAKS TO GROUND COMMANDERS As directed by the PM, NSA Ajit Doval spoke to the ground commanders dealing with the situation. It is learnt that the NSA directed them to observe maximum restraint in dealing with mob. He, however, asked the ground commanders to first identify trouble makers and then neutralise them in whatever ways which is feasible, sources said. advertisement DOVAL BRIEFS MODI ON CURRENT SITUATION The NSA also asked the commanders to ensure that their forces do not lose calm, which is very important in dealing with such situations, sources said. Besides giving instructions to the forces, Doval also took input on the current situation and later briefed PM Modi about the same. Also read: Over 1,400 people injured in Kashmir violence, Mehbooba Mufti asks for specialised doctors Kashmir unrest: JK govt issues SOS after pellets fired by forces blind nearly 100 --- ENDS --- Beirut (AFP) - Lebanese Interior Minister Nuhad Mashnuq on Thursday warned law enforcement agents against abusing Syrian refugees after pictures showing some being mistreated by municipal police were posted online. Mashnuq said in a letter to heads of municipalities that officers would face "disciplinary measures" if they abuse their power when dealing with citizens and Syrian refugees. "Lately, there has been a rise in the abuses committed by members of the police in several municipalities concerning Syrian refugees," Mashnuq wrote. He ordered the heads of municipalities to give "strict instructions" to police officers "to respect rules and regulations". Human rights activists have said that policemen in the Amchit municipality carried out nighttime raids in several homes, detaining Syrian refugees. The activists posted pictures online showing refugees kneeling or lined up facing a wall, their hands crossed behind their backs, as municipal policemen checked their identity documents. The images have sparked outrage and prompted the authorities to arrest five municipal policement from Amchit, who were later released after being interrogated. Lebanon hosts more than one million Syrian refugees, roughly a quarter of the Mediterranean country's population. Their presence has been a burden on Lebanon's economy and a source of tension, with rights groups saying the refugees face many restrictions. At the end of June, troops raided a makeshift refugee camp near a predominantly Christian village on the border with Syria after suicide attacks. More than 280,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since Syria's civil war erupted with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. New York (AFP) - A Hyperloop One co-founder is suing the startup and accusing former colleagues of nepotism, threats and mismanagement, igniting a drama that could stall the company devoted to revolutionizing transport systems. Brogan BamBrogan, who left the company in June,was among complainants in a civil suit filed in a California state court on Tuesday. "It became apparent that those in control of the company continually used the work of the team to augment their personal brands, enhance their romantic lives, and line their pockets," the lawsuit said. Orin Snyder, an attorney representing Hyperloop One, called the lawsuit an "unfortunate and delusional" effort by employees behind a failed coup at the startup. He vowed a swift and strong legal response. "Hyperloop is on track, its board and team are united and today's bogus lawsuit will have no impact on its goal of becoming the first company to bring the Hyperloop to the world," Snyder said in a statement. The case comes two months after Hyperloop One held its first public test in the desert outside Las Vegas, trying out engine components designed to rocket pods carrying people or cargo through tubes at speeds of 700 miles per hour (1,125 kilometers) or more. The company hopes to realize a futuristic vision for transportation at near-supersonic speeds laid out three years ago by billionaire Elon Musk, the entrepreneur behind electric car company Tesla and private space exploration endeavor Space X. Backers for Hyperloop One include the French national rail company. - Nepotism - The lawsuit charged that "money men" at the company marginalized those with technical expertise, turning the startup into a marketing-driven enterprise. BamBrogan accused fellow co-founder Shervin Pishevar and other leaders of creating an autocratic culture "rife with nepotism" and squandering the company's cash. Pishevar, chief executive Robert Lloyd and board member Joseph Lonsdale were named as defendants. Story continues BamBrogan contended that Pishevar nearly tripled a public relations employee's pay to $40,000 a month after getting romantically involved with her, then terminated the arrangement when wedding plans fell apart. Pishevar's brother, Afshin, was hired as general counsel and given pay and stock options that were out of reach for top engineering talent, according to the suit. - Uncertainties - BamBrogan maintained in the suit that he was subjected to threats. Afshin Pishevar left a hangman's noose on BamBrogan's desk after complaints that company resources were being misused, the suit said. BamBrogan was told to take a leave of absence, another employee who complained was fired, and a third was demoted. BamBrogan said he resigned in June out of fear for his safety. The lawsuit accuses the company of wrongful termination, breach of contract, assault and more. Demands include an apology, unspecified damages and reinstatement to prior positions at the startup. Shervin Pishevar and BamBrogan founded Hyperloop One, originally named Hyperloop Technologies, in 2013. During the component test in the Nevada desert, BamBrogan promised a "full-scaled, full-speed" demo by the end of the year. Hyperloop One was so confident in the speed at which the project was moving that it announced a global challenge in which businesses, governments, citizens, academics and others could submit proposals for where the systems should be built. BamBrogan's lawsuit could be an obstacle for that ambitious timeline, spooking investors and partners. Tianjin (China) (AFP) - Chinese university tutor Xie Shu's core subject is Communist ideology, but he has diversified from the dry annals of political doctrine for a more hands-on subject: seduction. His "Theory and Practice of Romantic Relations" course at Tianjin University includes lectures on pick-up techniques, self-presentation and how to entice the opposite sex. "How should you react when you've been rejected?" Xie asked his young charges at one lecture, in a cafe on the campus in the northern port city. "Clearly, dont throw the roses that you bought the girl at her - keep calm." Tianjin is China's first university to integrate such a course into its curriculum, giving students credit towards their degrees for attending -- an indication of slowly loosening social norms in China after decades of more straight-laced traditionalism. It also demonstrates officials' increasing concern over the social acumen of the country's youth - many of whom grew up as pampered "Little Emperors" without brothers or sisters as a result of Chinas one-child policy. "The generation of only children lack relationships with people their own age," China's most prominent sexologist Li Yinhe told AFP, adding: "A boy who has a sister might have a better understanding of how to interact with a girl." At the cafe Xie flipped through Powerpoint slides, showing the boys how to "upgrade their look" by avoiding "tank tops and long shorts", and urging them not to "ask girls questions like its a police investigation". "Be courteous. Serve the girl before yourself. But don't go overboard, either," he advised. His female charges, he suggested, should run their hands through their hair and "look the boy in the eye even if they feel intimidated". Sitting towards the back of the pack, Zijun Qian, 23, who has never had a relationship, diligently typed up the teacher's advice on her laptop. Story continues "When I learned that a class like this existed, I thought it was incredible," she said. Xie occupies a particularly Chinese academic role as a fudaoyuan, who instructs students in Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought as well as social counselling, but his authority on the issue of relationships is open to question. He is single, he admitted sheepishly. "I don't have a wife or a girlfriend," he laughed, "which is a bit embarrassing". - 'Clueless' - Many young Chinese entering university have little practical experience in matters of the heart. Conservative attitudes are widespread and most simply have not had time to date in high school, due to the intensive study necessary to pass the dreaded "gaokao" exam, which determines college placement and is seen as a key to one's future. Parents generally frown upon relationships that might distract their children from their all-important studies. As soon as students graduate from university, however, the opposite becomes true: families often push for them to marry quite quickly -- preferably before 27 for girls and before 30 for boys - prolonged singledom can prompt taunts, concerns, and unrelenting pressure. Even as China's economy boomed between 2000 and 2015, transforming material wealth, the average age for first time sexual intercourse declined only fractionally, from 22.7 years to 22 years, according to a study from the Renmin University Institute of Sexology. "The Chinese are reserved. This is why when students begin a relationship, they're certainly enthusiastic, but they're especially clueless," said Cang Jingnuan, an author who writes on gender relations. "Often, their parents married more for social convention than for love, and are unable to advise their children when it comes to matters of seduction," she added. For many parents, the ideal son-in-law is one capable of providing material comfort to their daughter, particularly in the form of an apartment. "Thanks to its high-speed development of the past 30 years, China is not only in a state of economic transition, but also a romantic one," said Pan Xingzhi, a high-profile Chinese relationship counsellor. "Girls, in particular, often don't know how to balance their feelings and outside expectations." - Televised love - The Tianjin programme is the brainchild of Wang Rui, 23, the co-founder of a student social club at the university. "Some students are desperate to have an experience while in university, at any cost, no matter with whom," she said. "But we teach a correct take on love." Other than flirtation, the course includes seven other sessions on topics ranging from the psychological to the pragmatic, with titles such as "Before You Love Others, You Must Love Yourself" and "The Legal Problems of Romantic Relationships". But sex is not on the curriculum. The country's traditionalism means only a minority of its schools have sex education and Xie explained: "We dont teach the students to kiss; just how to break the ice and communicate with the opposite sex." Even so student Wang Huan, 22, welcomed Xie's classes. "Before I went to university, my parents refused to allow me to have a boyfriend," she explained. "When you have no experience, the main source of information about love is South Korean TV dramas." By Eric Onstad LONDON (Reuters) - The London Metal Exchange (LME) took action on Thursday against surging costs at its approved network of warehouses, announcing plans to freeze maximum rental rates for five years. The move was the latest in a series of reforms at the 139-year-old exchange's global network of more than 600 warehouses at 37 locations, which have included tough rules to slash delivery backlogs. The metals industry has expressed concerns over the headline rates charged by LME-registered warehouse operators," Matthew Chamberlain, the LME's head of business development, said in a statement. "The simple solution we are proposing today... we believe will bring clarity and stability to the industry, with minimal market disruption, says Chief Executive Garry Jones. The LME plans to launch the rent freeze in April next year after a consultation. Under the proposal, the exchange would set the initial schedule of warehouse rents and free-on-truck (FOT) charges by calculating the average of the highest published charges for the years 2015-16 and 2016-17. A set of charges would be set for each metal and each country, said the LME, which is owned by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd. . The LME has previously said that the average stock-weighted increase in rents this year was 7 percent, against 3 percent in the previous two years. FOT charges rose by 9 percent, up from 2 percent for the past two years. The exchange, the world's oldest and largest market for industrial metals, added that once the freeze ended, rates would rise annually based on the consumer price index. The LME launched a consultation on the proposal, which will close on Aug. 19, with plans to publish its conclusions by the end of September. (Reporting by Eric Onstad; Editing by Susan Fenton and Alexandra Hudson) By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Boris Johnson's shock appointment as Britain's foreign secretary has given European counterparts an immediate diplomatic headache -- over whether to have dinner with him on Sunday in Brussels. EU diplomats said ministers had planned a quiet chat on post-Brexit relations with Johnson's predecessor, expecting Philip Hammond, who campaigned to stay in the EU in last month's referendum, to reassure them on continued cooperation in crises such as Libya. But those supper plans, proposed by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to precede a routine ministerial council she will chair on Monday, have been thrown into disarray by the sudden acceleration in the British political process and the appointment of controversial Brexit campaigner Johnson. Four EU and British sources told Reuters on Thursday it was unclear the dinner would go ahead and if so, who among Johnson and the 27 other EU ministers would attend. "The dinner and its timing is starting to look awkward," one EU diplomat said. "It may yet be canceled, although that is for Mogherini to decide." Mogherini's office declined to comment. A former Brussels journalist and mayor of London, Johnson cultivates a clownish public image but also caused deep offense in the European Union during the referendum campaign by comparing its aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler. Hours after May appointed him in an apparent effort to heal rifts in her Conservative party, France's foreign minister called Johnson a liar and the German foreign minister described Johnson's behavior as "outrageous". Among Brussels diplomats the response was more muted: "He's a surprise choice and there are questions about whether he is credible," one envoy said. The others still expect to see him at Monday's council, he said, adding: "Ministers will try to keep an open mind." (Additional reporting by Noah Barkin in Berlin; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Philippa Fletcher) By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Boris Johnson's shock appointment as Britain's foreign secretary has given European counterparts an immediate diplomatic headache -- over whether to have dinner with him on Sunday in Brussels. EU diplomats said ministers had planned a quiet chat on post-Brexit relations with Johnson's predecessor, expecting Philip Hammond, who campaigned to stay in the EU in last month's referendum, to reassure them on continued cooperation in crises such as Libya. But those supper plans, proposed by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to precede a routine ministerial council she will chair on Monday, have been thrown into disarray by the sudden acceleration in the British political process and the appointment of controversial Brexit campaigner Johnson. Four EU and British sources told Reuters on Thursday it was unclear the dinner would go ahead and if so, who among Johnson and the 27 other EU ministers would attend. "The dinner and its timing is starting to look awkward," one EU diplomat said. "It may yet be cancelled, although that is for Mogherini to decide." Mogherini's office declined to comment. A former Brussels journalist and mayor of London, Johnson cultivates a clownish public image but also caused deep offence in the European Union during the referendum campaign by comparing its aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler. Hours after May appointed him in an apparent effort to heal rifts in her Conservative party, France's foreign minister called Johnson a liar and the German foreign minister described Johnson's behaviour as "outrageous". Among Brussels diplomats the response was more muted: "He's a surprise choice and there are questions about whether he is credible," one envoy said. The others still expect to see him at Monday's council, he said, adding: "Ministers will try to keep an open mind." (Additional reporting by Noah Barkin in Berlin; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Philippa Fletcher) With the Supreme Court refusal to interfere in the matter, the NEET-II for admission to medical and dental colleges across the country will be held on July 24, as per schedule. the NEET-II for admission to medical and dental colleges across the country will be held on July 24, as per schedule. By Ahmad Azeem: The Supreme Court today took a strong note of the government issuing an ordinance in connection with the common medical entrance test, National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) sidelining its order over the issue. The apex court, however, refused to intervene in the matter for now. NEET - II on July 24 With the Supreme Court refusal to interfere in the matter, the NEET-II for admission to medical and dental colleges across the country will be held on July 24, as per schedule. advertisement NEET 2016: All you need to know in 10 quick points SUPREME COURT SLAMS GOVERNMENT "What you (Centre) have done is not in good taste. It shouldn't have been done after the Supreme Court's verdict. Why did you do this? This is not proper," Justice Anil R Dave said while hearing a petition challenging the government's ordinance notification. "This is disturbing," noted Justice Shiv Kirti Singh. "We are not interfering as it will create more chaos," the top court said. "We are not interfering as it will create more chaos," the top court said. "By bringing ordinance you (Centre) wanted to tell that SC order can be disobeyed. This issue is not only related to students but it is a matter of larger interest of society," the bench added. The court was hearing a PIL by one Anand Rai contending that the May 24 ordinance was brought to upset the April 28 judgement of the top court laying down a 'one nation, one test' for admission to undergraduate medical courses The Supreme Court had earlier ruled that admission to MBBS/BDS courses would be done only through NEET. It scrapped the entrance tests conducted by the state governments and private medical colleges. The court had revived NEET after recalling its 2013 order by which the common entrance test was declared unconstitutional. Also Read: NEET ordinance to defer medical entrance exam by a year cleared by government NEET rollout not likely to benefit poor students in private colleges --- ENDS --- By Kristen Haunss NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - Citigroup was the top arranger of US Collateralized Loan Obligations (CLOs) in the second quarter as issuance fell more than 41% from the same three-month period in 2015, according to Thomson Reuters LPC Collateral data. The bank arranged US CLOs this past quarter for managers including Apollo Global Management, Voya Investment Management and Octagon Credit Investors, according to the data. It ranked sixth for the first three months of the year after topping the league table in 2015. As the biggest buyers of leveraged loans, CLO volume affects appetite for the US$880bn loan market. Institutional loan issuance fell 35% to US$294.47bn in 2015 from 2014, according to Thomson Reuters LPC data. CLO volume is forecast to fall in 2016 by more than 60% from the US$98.5bn arranged in 2015 - JP Morgan predicts as little as US$35bn this year - as the market prepares for risk-retention rules, which take effect in December and require managers to hold onto 5% of their funds. There was about US$18bn of CLO issuance in the second quarter, up from the first three months of the year when US$8.2bn of deals were arranged, according to LPC Collateral. There was US$26.9bn of US CLOs arranged this year through July 8, not including refinancings, down 56% from the US$61.4bn during the same time period in 2015, according to the data. "There has been less demand for CLO equity," which has been affecting volume, Bjarni Torfason, a CLO analyst at Deutsche Bank in New York, said in a telephone interview. He forecasts 2016 issuance of US$45bn to US$50bn. Risk-retention may also be affecting volume, especially for smaller managers, he said. Wells Fargo ranked as the second most active CLO arranger this past quarter on US$2.2bn of volume, up from fifth after the first three months of the year, according to LPC Collateral data. JP Morgan came in third, down a spot from the first quarter, with about US$1.5bn arranged. Story continues Morgan Stanley, which topped the first quarter league table after arranging four US CLOs for 19% market share, ranked fifth in the most recent quarter, according to the data. CLOs, which pool loans of different credit quality, sell slices of the fund of varying seniority, from Triple A to B, to investors including insurance companies. The most junior and riskiest portion of the fund, the equity slice, is paid last with what is left over after the fund's bondholders receive their distributions. Spokespeople for Citigroup, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley all declined to comment. (Reporting by Kristen Haunss; Editing By Michelle Sierra and Jon Methven) By PTI: Washington, Jul 14 (PTI) A new, minimally invasive, procedure without potential side effects can replace the need for a corneal transplant for treatment of eye diseases, researchers have said. Scientists led by Kathryn Colby from University of Chicago in the US showed that removing a few square millimetres of a single layer of cells on the inside of the cornea allowed rejuvenation of the surrounding tissue, without the need for a corneal transplant. advertisement This simple procedure restored clear vision to three out of four patients suffering from Fuchs endothelial dystrophy (FED), researchers said. Over the past two years while at Harvard Medical School in the US, Colby performed the new procedure, known as Descemet stripping, on 11 patients, aged 51 to 91. Two patients had the procedure in both eyes, one at a time. When assessed six months after the operation, ten of the treated eyes (77 per cent) had clear corneas and eight had 20/20 vision or better (two patients had retinal disease that limited their final vision), researchers said. "It is quick, inexpensive and it spares patients from having someone elses cells in their eyes, which requires local immunosuppression," said Colby. The first patient to undergo Descemet stripping, Eric Thorp, 69 called it a "breakthrough." His vision, now 20/20 in that eye, "is equivalent to what I had as a boy," he said. Descemet stripping involves removing a small patch of the corneal endothelium (the pumping cells that stop working in FED) attached to an underlying layer (the Descemet membrane). In patients with FED, water accumulates in the cornea, the clear front window of the eye, because of the dysfunction of the pumping cells, causing reduced vision, glare and haloes. If left untreated, the condition progresses to painful blindness, researchers said. Removal of the central dysfunctional cells enables healthier peripheral cells to migrate to the centre of the cornea, where they reestablish pumping capacity and removal of fluid from the layers above. This gradually restores clear vision, they said. "Although Descemet stripping is a relatively simple procedure, its potential is revolutionary," said Colby. The findings were published in the journal Cornea. PTI SAN UZM --- ENDS --- The documentary will feature a series of interviews with experts. By Indo-Asian News Service: Subhas Chandra Bose: The Mystery, a new TV documentary attempts to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The one-hour special, to be aired on Discovery Channel on July 18, will follow Siddhartha Satbhai, an enterprising NRI, who commissioned Neil Millar, a former veteran of the Royal Signals Regiment of the British Army, to conduct an image analysis on video and photographic material supplied to him by internet group Anonymous, read a statement. advertisement The footage pertains to an individual referred to as 'The Tashkent Man', who was present during the India-Pakistan Tashkent Declaration of January 10, 1966. Through modern scientific and facial analysis, the investigation points to the possibility that the man could be Bose. The spectacled man believed to be Bose present during Tashkent Agreement. The investigation report also infers that if Bose was present at the Tashkent Declaration in 1966, he could not have died in the plane crash on August 18, 1945, as officially reported. The documentary will feature a series of interviews with experts including Purabi Roy, author and visiting professor at Moscow State University, and Alexandr Kolesnikov, retired Major General of the Warsaw Pact forces, who draw upon critical information from Russian archives regarding Bose's presence in post-World War II Russia. Video & facial analysis of the Tashkent Man. Subhas Chandra Bose: The Mystery will also feature Ashish Ray and Abhijit Ray, Bose's grandnephews. Abhijit retraces Bose's steps and narrates his meticulous and planned escape in 1941 from his ancestral house at Elgin Road, Calcutta, to Berlin under a new Italian identity and further raising a Regiment in the German Army, the Wehrmacht. The film is commissioned by Discovery Channel India and produced by Iqbal Malhotra, AIM Television Pvt Ltd. --- ENDS --- See you later, alligator... or maybe not. A Florida man may have found himself on the wrong side of the law as he was informed his 13-foot cookie-devouring pet gator has become too large for his enclosure. Read: Police Pull Body From Lake After Alligator Was Seen With Human Remains in Its Mouth David Van Buren, a retired firefighter living in Coconut Grove, was just 9 when his family took in Gwendolyn, who's now lived with him for 47 years. The reptile accompanied him to college and enjoys snacking on pizza and Chips Ahoy, he told WSVN. Gwendolyn, who can usually be found cooling off in Van Burens backyard pool, drew the scrutiny of Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) officials, who believe the gator requires more secure fencing. The FWC is currently working with Mr. Van Buren toward a lawful solution regarding the caging and license requirements for the alligator, Robert Klepper, a public information coordinator with the agency, told InsideEdition.com via email. The FWC, which is reportedly keen to fashion a solution that allows Gwendolyn to stay with Van Buren, said that for the time being, the animals current living arrangement would remain unchanged. Read: Lady Wrangler Traps 12-Foot Gator in Mall Parking Lot as Boys in Blue Keep a Safe Distance Van Buren, who was unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon, told WSVN that he would do what he could to make sure he kept his beloved pet. Its not the first time Gwendolyn has made headlines. In 1994, the state tried to remove the alligator from Van Burens custody in a case that ultimately went all the way to then Gov. Lawton Chiles. A state court eventually ruled the reptile could return home. Van Buren insists his beloved pet is safe and its current enclosure is secure. Watch: iPhone Nearly Becomes a Snack for Hungry Alligator: 'No! Don't Eat It!' Related Articles: Paris (AFP) - Bare-chested Maori soldiers joined more than 3,000 other troops and dozens of helicopters and fighters roared overhead as France honoured Australia and New Zealand in its Bastille Day parade in Paris on Thursday. The sight of six barefoot Maori soldiers in traditional dress with their faces painted brought an exotic touch to the annual parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue. They were part of an 85-strong contingent from New Zealand who marched alongside 140 Australian soldiers to mark their countries' role in the World War I Battle of the Somme, a century ago. President Francois Hollande arrived in an open-top jeep surrounded by the Republican Guard on horseback to join US Secretary of State John Kerry, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and Australian Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove in the presidential stand. Jets from the Patrouille de France air display team blasted overhead, flying in the shape of the Eiffel Tower to support Paris's bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games as they trailed red, white and blue smoke behind them. They spearheaded more than 70 jets and helicopters in the skies above the French capital. The pomp and splendour of the parade places the spotlight on the French military, which is involved today on more fronts than at any time in the last half-century. - Aircraft carrier re-deployed - On the eve of the parade, Hollande said the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier will return to the Middle East "in the autumn" to support Iraqi forces in the fight against the Islamic State group. Iraqi forces are attempting to re-take the Iraqi city of Mosul from IS forces. It will be the third time since the beginning of 2015 that the French carrier has been used to launch airstrikes against IS targets. Hollande dispatched the carrier to the region in November following the terror attacks on Paris which killed 130 people. Islamic State claimed responsibility. "We will intensify the army's efforts to support the Iraqis as they try to recapture Mosul," he said. Story continues Hollande also announced on Wednesday that France would end its military mission in the strife-torn Central African Republic in October. Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will go the country in October to officially declare the end of Operation Sangaris, which was launched in December 2013 in a bid to quell violence between Christian and Muslim militias that left thousands dead and drove half a million people from their homes. And with Britain set to leave the European Union (EU), Hollande said France would announce a proposal to strengthen European defence policy. "I note that our German friends are also prepared to be involved. We will therefore be able to launch this initiative together," Hollande said. His announcement came after Germany's defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, said the EU should take advantage of Britain's vote to leave the bloc to forge a common security policy. London had long "paralysed" European efforts to have a more closely integrated security policy, Von der Leyen said as she presented Germany's first big-picture defence paper in a decade, pledging Berlin's willingness to play a greater role in the world. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Maryland man suspected of shooting dead a firefighter and wounding another in April has been indicted on weapons charges, a prosecutor said on Thursday. The suspect, Darrell Lumpkin, of Temple Hills, said he shot the men in suburban Washington because he thought they were breaking into his home, authorities have said. "This is a tragedy that none of us expected," Prince George's County State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks told reporters. Lumpkin is suspecting of killing John Ulmschneider, 37, a firefighter and medic, and wounding Kevin Swain, 19, a volunteer firefighter. The firefighters had been asked to check on Lumpkin's welfare and tried to force the door open when there was no response to their knocks. Lumpkin's brother was also wounded. A grand jury indicted Lumpkin on six counts of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a crime of violence in the District of Columbia. (Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Leslie Adler) By PTI: Chennai, Jul 14 (PTI) Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports about prevalence of toffees laced with intoxicating substance, National Human Rights Commission has asked the Chennai District Collector to apprise it of the steps taken to handle the situation. Referring to a 13-year-old boy falling ill after allegedly consuming a candy which was reportedly laced with an intoxicating substance (bhang), the NHRC said in a notice, "a school boy had to be admitted to a hospital after consuming drug chocolates which he purchased from a shop in Chennai." advertisement "A huge quantity of toffees having drugs was seized from a godown in Tamil Nadu," it said, quoting media reports, in a press release. NHRC said it has sent notice to Chennai District Collector returnable in four weeks, directing the authority to "inform about the steps being taken to deal with the situation." The commission observed that the "menace, as reported in the newspapers, is a serious threat to the life and safety of the younger generation, mainly the students and teenagers, who can be easily lured by the anti-social elements." "Seizure of such a large quantity of drug chocolates in the area also indicates the laxity on the part of the department concerned," the NHRC noted. PTI VGN VS KIS TRK --- ENDS --- Designer Feng Chen Wang at New York Fashion Week: Mens. (Photo courtesy of VFiles) This week in New York, predominately American menswear designers many of them based in either Manhattan or Brooklyn showed their spring/summer 2017 collections. But a few international designers, like Feng Chen Wang from China, participated in New York Fashion Week: Mens. At Wangs presentation on Wednesday afternoon, which was an extension of her menswear show in London last month, the designer explained that the clothes were inspired by people. This collection was really inspired by how people connect with each other nowadays, she told Yahoo Style and this was evident in the clothing, very literally. Details. (Photo courtesy of VFiles) On her clothes, Wang included small connectors via drawstrings that either accentuated or loosened the baggy jackets, shirts, and trousers. See, if you loosen the drawstring, the clothes become like a big parachute, she said. Models at Feng Chen Wang. (Photo courtesy of VFiles) Additionally, Wang made a point to cast an eclectic group of models because she considers her clothes to be unisex. We really tried to mix different ethnicities and genders too, she said. Despite only having shown three seasons, Wangs business is thriving. We believe the future is bright, she said reassuringly. Follow us on Instagram , Facebook , and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. On The Kelly File Wednesday, host Megyn Kelly had comedian, author, and activist D.L. Hughley on her show to discuss the anger over the recent police shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. Hughley thinks the shootings are yet another indication of systemic racism in U.S. police departments. The Fox News host claimed that there were still too many unanswered questions and brought up the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., as an example of what she perceived as narrative outpacing evidence. Im saying we dont know the facts, argued Kelly. We saw this happen with Michael Brown in Ferguson. And we still dont know the facts there, Hughley replied. We have a police officers word and a grand jurys word. No, we have the Department of Justices word, countered Kelly. The Department of Justice shut down Ferguson, Hughley responded. The tension only escalated, and as so many disagreements on cable news do, it resulted in two angry people talking over each other in something that was more of a shouting match than a debate. Many hours on Fox News have been spent on the demonization of the Black Lives Matter movement. Feeling that frustration, Hughley voiced his disgust with the cable news network. The only place racism doesnt exist is Fox News and the police department, Hughley said angrily. Come on, an irate Kelly responded. Thats insulting. You just insulted millions of people watching this channel. You know what? Hughley said. Im insulted by the things I hear on this network. So were even. I could care less about people that insult me on a daily basis. At the end of their segment, no common ground was found, and it ended tersely, to say the least. Its very dangerous when you get to the point where you paint an entire group with the same brush based on the bad actions, Kelly said. That is interesting to hear on this network that really is. Amazing to hear on this network, responded Hughley sarcastically. Kelly quickly ended the segment but not before giving a wide-eyed look to camera. Story continues A powerful message from LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul: Share your thoughts with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram or leave your comments below. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday she had invited Britain's new prime minister Theresa May for talks in Berlin and that she was looking forward to working with her. "It's our task to work very closely with governments of ally countries," Merkel told a news conference after talks in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, adding there were many problems in the world that made such close cooperation necessary. The chancellor said she spoke to May on the phone late on Wednesday and invited her for talks in Berlin. "I look forward to working together," she added. Merkel declined to comment on May's surprise decision to appoint Boris Johnson, a leading Brexit campaigner who had until recently been seen as her main rival for the prime minister's job, as foreign secretary. On Wednesday, May's office said that she had told Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on the phone that her government would need time before beginning talks on Britain's exit from the European Union. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Toby Chopra) The families of the 298 people who died when flight MH17 was downed over Ukraine are steeling themselves for a slew of bitter legal battles, on the eve of the tragedy's second anniversary. Sunday marks the deadline for relatives to launch action against Malaysia Airlines, which operated the passenger jet that was shot down with a surface-air-missile over war-torn eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. The Boeing 777 was on a routine flight between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a Russian-made BUK missile, fired from territory held by pro-Russian separatists locked in a fierce conflict with Kiev. Dozens of Dutch relatives are close to filing a lawsuit by the weekend if negotiations fail to secure compensation for "psychological trauma", news reports said. A 1999 convention allows bereaved families to launch claims against airlines for up to two years, but "psychological trauma" does not qualify. Malaysia Airlines "will also be reluctant to set a precedent" if it pays damages for psychological trauma, added Pablo Mendes de Leon, an air and space law professor at Leiden University. The ailing Malaysian national carrier is already facing a legal challenge by families of six crew members who are blaming the airline for the tragedy. Yet another claim could be added this week, lawyer Mathew Thomas Philip told AFP. Elsewhere, a suit by 33 next-of-kin from Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia was filed against Russia and President Vladimir Putin in the European Court of Human Rights in May. The claimants are suing for 6.8 million euros ($7.6 million) for each lost relative, their lawyer Jerry Skinner said. Thirty families are also getting ready for a US-based lawsuit against "several people and entities that support the separatists on Ukrainian soil", lawyer James Healy-Pratt told AFP. Other relatives want a pro-Russian separatist leader to pay 779 million euros in damages, while the mother of a German victim is suing Kiev for allowing passenger planes to fly through its airspace -- even though it knew there was an ongoing war. Story continues - 'Justice not done' - Sunday marks the second anniversary of the crash that saw 298 passengers -- the majority of them Dutch -- and crew lose their lives. The largest gathering will be in the small Dutch town of Vijfhuizen near Amsterdam's Schiphol international airport, where relatives plan a future memorial for the victims. At the gathering, the names of all the victims will be read and there will be a minutes' silence, the organisers have said. Relatives are also looking forward to the initial findings of a criminal investigation later this summer, which is expected to shed light on the exact type of missile used to shoot down the plane and where it was shot from. An international inquiry concluded in October that the Boeing 777 was shot down by a BUK missile fired from a zone held by the pro-Russian separatists, but stopped short of saying who was responsible. The criminal investigation's findings could open the way for further lawsuits in future. "There will always be legal resorts and procedures available... once the facts have been established," Jill Coster van Voorhout of the Hague Institute for Global Justice think-tank said. But relatives' main concern is not money. Lawyer Healy-Pratt said: "No amount of money can bring back their loved ones. They want the truth. Justice has not been done." (Adds Microsoft comment, federal efforts to improve data collection) By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday said the U.S. government cannot force Microsoft Corp and other companies to turn over customer emails stored on servers outside the United States. The 3-0 decision by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan is a defeat for the U.S. Department of Justice and a victory for privacy advocates and for technology companies offering cloud computing and other services around the world. Circuit Judge Susan Carney said communications held by U.S. service providers on servers outside the United States are beyond the reach of domestic search warrants issued under the Stored Communications Act, a 1986 federal law. "Congress did not intend the SCA's warrant provisions to apply extraterritorially," she wrote. "The focus of those provisions is protection of a user's privacy interests." Microsoft had been challenging a warrant seeking emails stored on a server in Dublin, Ireland, in a narcotics case. It was believed to be the first U.S. company to challenge a domestic search warrant seeking data held outside the country. Thursday's decision reversed a July 2014 ruling by then-Chief Judge Loretta Preska of U.S. district court in Manhattan requiring Microsoft to turn over the emails. It also voided a contempt finding against the company. "We obviously welcome today's decision," Brad Smith, Microsoft's president and chief legal officer, said in a statement. He said the decision gives people more confidence to rely on their own countries' laws to protect their privacy, rather than worry about foreign interference, and helps ensure that "legal protections of the physical world apply in the digital domain." Peter Carr, a Justice Department spokesman, said the agency was disappointed by the decision and reviewing its legal options. "FREE-FOR-ALL" WAS FEARED The case has attracted strong interest from the technology and media sectors, amid concern that giving prosecutors expansive power to collect data outside the country could make it harder for U.S. companies to compete there. Story continues Dozens of companies, organizations and individuals filed briefs supporting Microsoft's appeal, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc, Cisco Systems Inc, CNN, Fox News Network, Gannett Co and Verizon Communications Inc. Had the court gone the other way, "it would have been like the Wild West, with no clear, stable legal rules applying," Greg Nojeim, senior counsel with the nonprofit Center for Democracy & Technology in Washington, D.C., said in an interview. Microsoft had said the warrant could not reach emails on the Dublin server because U.S. law did not apply there. The Redmond, Washington-based company also said enforcing the warrant could spark a global "free-for-all," where law enforcement authorities elsewhere might seize emails belonging to Americans and stored in the United States. MODERNIZING A 30-YEAR-OLD LAW Federal prosecutors countered that quashing warrants such as Microsoft's would impede their own law enforcement efforts. But Judge Carney said limiting the reach of warrants serves "the interest of comity" that normally governs cross-border criminal investigations. She said that comity is also reflected in treaties between the United States and all European Union countries, including Ireland, to assist each other in such probes. Some law enforcement officials have said obtaining such assistance can, nonetheless, be cumbersome and time-consuming. The Justice Department is working on a bilateral plan to streamline how U.S. and British authorities request data from companies in each other's country. A bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate in May to clarify when and where law enforcement may access electronic communications of U.S. citizens. Circuit Judge Gerard Lynch, who concurred in the judgment, urged Congress to modernize the "badly outdated" 1986 law to strike a better balance between law enforcement needs and users' privacy interests and expectations. Lynch said the law, as it stands now, lets Microsoft thwart an otherwise justified demand to turn over emails by the "simple expedient" of choosing to store them outside the United States. "I concur in the result, but without any illusion that the result should even be regarded as a rational policy outcome, let alone celebrated as a milestone in protecting privacy," he wrote. The case is In re: Warrant to Search a Certain E-Mail Account Controlled and Maintained by Microsoft Corp, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 14-2985. (Reporting by Nate Raymond and Jonathan Stempel in New York, and Diane Bartz and Dustin Volz in Washington, D.C.; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Steve Orlofsky) Washington (AFP) - Mike Pence, a devout evangelical Christian and stalwart of the American right, is being tipped as a likely Donald Trump running mate in November -- but the two men have not always seen eye-to-eye. Here are a few of the positions taken by the 57-year-old, who has been governor of the Midwestern state of Indiana since 2013. Abortion "By enacting this legislation, we take an important step in protecting the unborn, while still providing an exception for the life of the mother. I sign this legislation with a prayer that God would continue to bless these precious children, mothers and families." A longtime foe of abortion since his days as a US lawmaker, Pence in March signed restrictive new measures into law, making Indiana only the second US state to prohibit terminating pregnancies because the fetus suffers abnormalities. LGBT Rights "I believe marriage is the union between one man and one woman, and I am disappointed that the Supreme Court failed to recognize the historic role of the states in setting marriage policy in this country. Nevertheless, our Administration will continue to uphold the rule of law and abide by the ruling of the Court in this case." A steadfast opponent of gay marriage, Pence publicly expressed dismay at the US Supreme Court's decision last year to legalize it. He also drew the ire of activists in March 2015 by enacting a so-called religious liberty law which critics said would permit businesses to refuse to serve gay customers. "This bill is not about discrimination," Pence was quoted as saying at the time. "And if I thought it legalized discrimination, I would have vetoed it." Protectionism "Trade means jobs but trade also means security. The time has come for all of us to urge the swift adoption of the Trans-Pacific Partnership." This September 2014 tweet reveals one of the basic disagreements between Pence and Trump. The presumptive Republican nominee, a protectionist, has denounced the free trade agreement signed by the United States with 11 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region as a threat to American jobs. Pence, on the other hand, adheres to the laissez-faire economic views that are more conventionally Republican. Story continues Muslims "Calls to ban Muslims from entering the US are offensive and unconstitutional." Pence has strongly denounced Trump's proposal last December to close the US borders to Muslims. He downplayed the disagreement this week when questioned by reporters, saying: "I've taken issue with our candidates from time to time but I'm supporting Donald Trump to be president of the United States of America" For Republicans who have been convinced by the liberal media that Donald Trump is too erratic and unpredictable to have his finger on the button, his apparent choice of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as a running mate should come as a welcome surprise. He could, after all, have nominated Ivanka, or Tom Brady, who is supposedly a friend. But no, Trump decided to take the safe path, which should be reassuring to those who have bought Hillary Clintons Goldwater-era attack line that Trump is dangerous. As the veep selection process wore on, the betting had focused on Pence, Newt Gingrich and Chris Christie, with Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, considered a long shot. Related: Pence Would Bring a Lot to Team Trump, at Great Political Risk Many in Trumps inner circle were apparently pushing Gingrich, though he carries nearly as much baggage as Hillary Clinton. Multiple marriages and romantic escapades, ethics charges and eventually fines and reprimands from the House and some shady business dealings cloud Gingrichs past. Its hard to convincingly go after Crooked Hillary when youve got some explaining of your own to do. On the other hand, the former House speaker was considered a rare advisor who was capable of standing up to Trump, and he came with the backing of big-time GOP donor Sheldon Adelson. Perhaps most important, Gingrich is popular with Trumps family and has the Hill experience that the billionaire will sorely need if he becomes president. From the start, Trump had intelligently put legislative expertise at the top of his criteria for picking a running mate. Its one thing to talk about reforming Obamacare, its quite another to craft and guide the bills that might actually make our health care system acceptable, or even solvent. Newt was an early Trump supporter, which was considered by many an invaluable asset in winning the VP nod; Pence, on the other hand, was not. In fact, when Indiana became (improbably) the critical state in finishing off the GOP primary battle, both the Trump and Cruz camps fought for Pences endorsement. Ultimately Pence picked Cruz, which turned out to be a non-event, as Trump nonetheless trounced the Texas senator, 53 percent to 37 percent. That choice, many of us reckoned, would have doomed Pences chances. Story continues Related: Trump Plays It Uncharacteristically Safe as Reports Point to Mike Pence as VP Instead, steady voices in the campaign (and apparently in the family) saw Gingrich as too risky, too provocative and possibly too eager to reassert himself onto the national stage. Sharing the limelight is one thing; hogging it is quite another. At the same time, Christie seemed a poor choice. His star started to fade in the primary battles the minute Trump showed up. Christies tough guy New Jersey persona, willingness to go off script and ability to slam opponents was trumped by Trump. You dont need identical twins running for the Oval Office. So Pence it appears to be a sound conservative, a six-term Congressman who is close to House Speaker Paul Ryan and others in the conservative GOP establishment, and a running mate who will help solidify Trumps standing among white evangelicals and could help in the Midwest. Hes articulate (he used to have a radio show) but not a screamer; hes measured and, by the standards of this election, understated. Related: Sin, Sex and Bathrooms the GOP Crafts a Platform The biggest knock on Pence, a born-again Christian, is that last year he signed into law a "religious freedom" bill, which was criticized as crimping gay rights. After some backlash, which the Chamber of Commerce and others claimed threatened the states economy, the governor signed a watered-down version of the bill, which angered conservatives. Undoubtedly, the Left will pounce on Pences strong anti-abortion stance as buttressing what they call the GOP war on women; opponents will also hammer his underwater approval ratings in Indiana, where he is judged to be in a tight reelection race. Pences history of waging culture battles makes him fair game for liberals but a valuable warrior for the Trump ticket. Trump needs to woo conservatives; picking Pence will help him do that. Most important, the pick deflates the characterization of Trump as unhinged; more of the same will help him woo the country. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: A senior health department official said at the district hospitals across Kashmir number of the injured hit by pellets or tear smoke shells, after the initial treatment prefer to move out of the hospital as quickly as possible. By Naseer Ganai: Fearing police profiling, scores of injured persons after an initial treatment, are leaving hospitals, a senior health department official said. He said at the district hospitals across Kashmir number of the injured hit by pellets or tear smoke shells, after the initial treatment prefer to move out of the hospital as quickly as possible. A senior police official said for every incident of stone throwing in any area an open FIR had been registered. In my area I have registered two FIRs. They are open FIRs and I think in each FIR around ten people accused will be named??, the officer said. He said technically, whosoever, was injured would be construed as accused by the police. advertisement Most of the wounded admitted in the hospitals refuse to disclose their names to the visiting scribes as they apprehend once their name will come out they would be called to the police stations and the cases would be registered against them. A doctor treating an injured in the SMHS hospital said the wounded persons have a serious concern that the police is after them. Since Friday after the killing of Hizbul Mujahedeen commander, Burhan Muzaffer Wani, according to te sources nearly 37 people were killed and 1600 wounded in police and paramilitary CRPF action. A government spokesman said so far 31 civilians were killed. He said 1640 wounded persons were being treated for injuries in various government hospitals. A senior police official said around 10,000 FIRs had been registered between 2008 and May 2016 involving the law and order mostly the stone throwing at the police and paramilitary forces. He said in these 10,000 FIRs registered across Kashmir valley around 15000 youths were booked. Of 10,000, the highest number of FIRs had been registered in 2010 followed by 2013. After February 9, 2013 when the Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Gurus was hanged, widespread protests erupted in the valley. He said there are around 1000 persons against whom more than 20 FIRs are registered. The police identify them as chronic cases?? and say these individuals were involved in the stone throwing at the various places. According to the police since 2008 the stone throwing at the police and paramilitary forces become a popular mode of angst across Kashmir and the trend picked up in 2010, when the valley rose against series of killings of the youngsters at the hands of police and paramilitary forces. The police are also worried that the stone throwing is now reaching to the villages from being specific to towns and urban centres. This time stone throwing incident took place in areas having no such past. In areas like Damhal Hanjipora, Aharbal- Noorabaad in north Kashmirs Kulgam massive protests erupted after the killing of Hizbul Mujhideen commander. In areas like Kund, Waltengoo, Kellam, Aakhran, Nowpora protests took place surprising police and security agencies. On Eid eve Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti ordered the revision of the stone-pelting cases. The police picked up 104 FIRs from 2008-2009 involving 634 persons for the revision. The police had said FIRs will be withdrawn after the accused persons and their parents will give an undertaking that they will not indulge in any such activities in future. --- ENDS --- advertisement Economists are still debating the limited data that exists on whether raising the minimum wage leads employers to lay off a significant amount of workers. But what about the impact on other areas of life, outside the labor market? This is another elusive question that a growing number of academics have been exploring in recent years. For instance, the White Houses economic advisors recently found a correlation between increasing the minimum wage and reduced crime rates. A new working paper, published last month by researchers at the University of Iowa, the University of Illinois, and Bentley University, shows that a wage hike in a given area can benefit the health of newborn babies born there. The study is one of the first to explore the impact of minimum-wage hikes on infant health. It found that, between 1988 and 2012, increases in the minimum wage were linked to an increase in newborns fetal growth and birth weight, specifically among babies born to mothers without a college degree. The study also shows that those mothers were slightly more likely to seek prenatal care and smoke less during pregnancy. Recommended: Poor at 20, Poor for Life The researchers analyzed 45.8 million birth records for pregnancies from 1988 through 2012, during which the federal minimum wage nearly doubled, from $3.35 to $7.25. During that same period, wages in states whose minimums exceed whats mandated federallythats 29 states, plus the District of Columbiaalso roughly doubled. Some of those 29 states raised their wages as the federal bar was raised, but others didnt. After comparing data on the pregnancies of women living in states where the minimum wage increased to similar data for women living in states where it remained the same, the researchers found that the marginal $1 increase in the minimum hourly wage was associated with a 0.4-ounce increase in birth weight and a 2 percent decrease in the risk of a baby having a low birth weight. Of all the health impacts to measure, the researchers picked birth weight because health during pregnancy can be observed during a clearly delineated time frame and matters greatly to a childs long-term health. And because the researchers could not be sure that the women whose pregnancies they were analyzing had gotten raises (or were even working at all), they focused their analysis on those who were more likely to be working low-wage jobsnamely, mothers without much education. Specifically, the researchers found that the health gains during pregnancy were largest for young single mothers of color. So many disadvantages begin at birth, says Dhaval Dave, an economist at Bentley University, and one of the authors of the study. Low birth weights are associated with lower incomes, lower educational attainment, and could have many adverse consequences throughout adulthood. Recommended: Why Some Cuisines Are More Expensive Than Others: A Theory The study does have its caveats. As noted above, the researchers did not know for sure that the women they were studying were in fact holding jobs whose pay was affected by minimum-wage hikes. Also, smoking during pregnancy is often underreported, because of the accompanying social stigma and well-known health risks, so theres a chance that this study overstated the actual reduction in expectant womens smoking. That said, the study does add to other evidence that increasing the income of Americas lowest-paid workers can affect infants health. One study, published in 2012 in the American Economic Journal, found that a $1,000 annual increase to the Earned Income Tax Credit was associated with a 7 to 11 percent decrease in low birth weights among pregnant single mothers. Researchers say the evidence should make lawmakers look at the broader benefits of raising the minimum wage. We shouldnt just focus on the immediate cost-benefit analysis, but how does this affect someones health and well-being? says Dave. What policy makers will do with this information is another question. The latest version of the Democratic Partys platform includes a proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, but Democratic members of Congress have been unable to get support for minimum-wage increases from Republicans and some Democrats. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. Berlin (AFP) - US seeds and pesticides maker Monsanto is in talks with German chemicals giant BASF over a possible merger of their two agrochemicals divisions, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday quoting anonymous sources. Acquiring BASF's agriculture solutions unit is just one of several transactions Monsanto is exploring as an alternative to a takeover offer from German chemicals and pharmaceuticals group Bayer. "Discussions are at an early stage," Bloomberg reported, while "talks with Bayer are continuing" at the same time. BASF's agricultural solutions division could be worth as much as 17 billion euros ($18.9 billion), analysts at DZ bank estimated on Thursday. But they add that the German firm may not be tempted by Monsanto's offer, reportedly all in newly-issued shares rather than cash. Talks between Monsanto and Bayer have been stalled for weeks after the German company refused to increase its initial offer of $62 billion unless it was allowed to look into the US firm's books -- which Monsanto said it would only agree to in exchange for a higher offer. Monsanto may face unrest among its shareholders if it chooses to buy up part of BASF rather than accepting Bayer's $122 per share offer -- which represents a 37-percent premium over the value of Monsanto's shares before the first media reports of a possible bid emerged. BASF has also previously been rumoured to be interested in making a possible bid for Monsanto. A BASF spokesperson told AFP on Thursday that the company would not comment on rumours. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Five UN staffers have returned to the UN mission in disputed Western Sahara, the first in a group of 25 heading back four months after Morocco expelled them, the UN spokesman said Thursday. Morocco cut back the staff of the MINURSO mission in angry retaliation over UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's use of the term "occupation" to describe the status of the territory it claims as its own. The five UN personnel arrived in Laayoune, where the MINURSO mission is headquartered, on Wednesday evening. "We expect additional staff members to be returning in the coming days," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Dujarric described talks with Morocco on restoring the full Western Sahara mission as "constructive" and said MINURSO should be fully up and running soon. The Security Council is due to discuss Western Sahara on July 26. The council in April adopted a resolution demanding that the mission be brought back to full operations and set a three-month deadline for measures to be taken. Morocco maintains that Western Sahara is an integral part of the kingdom despite a UN resolution that tasks MINURSO with organizing a referendum on self-determination. MINURSO was established in 1991 after a ceasefire ended a war that broke out when Morocco sent troops to the former Spanish territory in 1975 and fought Sahrawi rebels of the Algerian-backed Polisario Front. The UN envoy for Western Sahara, Christopher Ross, is expected to pay a visit to the region although no firm date has been set, Dujarric added. Forget Fido. Dog names are sounding to start a lot like human names (it's no wonder we often call our kids by the dog's name). Now a new survey highlights just how big the overlap is. According to HomeAdvisor, a website and app that offers free resources for home improvement, Spot and Rover are out, and Bella and Lucy (the 74th and 55th most popular U.S. baby names, respectively) are in. The company gathered dataincluding name, breed, and location of more than 50,000 dogs in the U.S.from Packdog.com, an online community for dog lovers, to determine the most popular names and breeds across the country. Below are the 20 most popular dog names in the U.S., which could easily be mistaken for a preschool class roll call. 1. Bella 2. Lucy 3. Charlie 4. Zoe 5. Lily 6. Max 7. Daisy 8. Molly 9. Bailey 10. Maggie 11. Lola 12. Sadie 13. Buddy 14. Penny 15. Cooper 16. Sophie 17. Jack 18. Roxie 19. Luna 20. Oliver The data confirmed that the Labrador retriever is Americas most popular breed (favored by nearly 7 percent of Americans), followed by the Chihuahua, the Pit Bull, and the Welsh Corgi. Bella was the most popular name for these four breeds (potentially due to the popular Twilight series), as well as for Australian Cattle Dogs, French Bulldogs, and Bulldogs. Beagle owners tend toward the name Daisy, while Boston Terriers are most often named Zoe. Lola came in first for Pugs, while Charlie is the most popular Golden Retriever name. Hoping your dog will have a different name than your neighbors? You may want to pay attention to the trending name in your state. Bella takes the cake in 18 states: California, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, New York, and Connecticut. Lucy dominates 10 states, Charlie is the frontrunner in six, and Molly, Lily, and Zoe all reign supreme in three. Some states stand alone, such as Hawaii, which favors the name Maka. Be sure to check out the full results of the study, which include the most popular dog breed in every state. This article originally appeared on RealSimple.com. http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/family/pets/most-popular-dog-names-america By Javed M. Ansari : After months of dithering the Congress leadership finally made up its mind and announced a well rounded team that will lead its electoral challenge in UP. In a departure from its established practice it also decided to project a Chief Ministerial candidate in the state elections in the form of the 78-year-old Sheila Dikshit. The three time former Delhi Chief Minister was finally persuaded to give up her initial reluctance primarily by Priyanka Gandhi. It's no secret that Sheila Dikshit was initially less than enthusiastic given the paucity of time .Uttar Pradesh is slated to go to the polls in 6 months time. However she was persuaded to come on board and promised all possible help by the central leadership, including a vigorous campaign by Priyanka Gandhi. advertisement Her candidature is in line with the strategy that is being pushed in place by poll strategist of project a prominent Brahman leader as the face of the party in UP, and then hope to win over the minorities and other castes. Kishore would have ideally preferred the younger Gandhi sibling to be projected, however that possibility was ruled out for her. According to him, Sheila Dikshit has all the right credentials. Apart from being a Brahmin, she has the image of being a development-oriented leader, having changed the face of the capital in her 15-year stewardship of Delhi. It's clearly all hands on the deck for Congress. For a party not exactly spoilt for choices, almost all the leaders that matter have been entrusted with some responsibility or the other. Sanjay Singh will head the campaign committee, Pramod Tewari is in charge of coordinating the election campaign. Salman Khursheed, RPN Singh, Jitin Prasad and Sri Prakash Jaiswal are all part of the party's election team. Appointing office bearers is a lot easier than winning elections. Congress is down and almost out in UP, since 1987. In the last assembly elections it came forth managing to win only 28 of 404 assembly seats. For a state that once was its pocket borough, it has now been reduced to the status of a peripheral player. The organization is moribund and party morale is at an all time low. Sheila Dikshit has asked for her ancestral home Hazrat ganj in Lucknow to be dusted up and readied, as she intends to set up home in the UP capital. For the 78-year-old, this could be her toughest political battle yet. She will need more than the promise of Priyanka Gandhi's to win back the Congress party's lost ground in UP. --- ENDS --- July 14 (Reuters) - The following financial services industry appointments were announced on Thursday. To inform us of other job changes, email moves@thomsonreuters.com. BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORP The investment bank named Frieda Rakhman as wealth director for BNY Mellon Wealth Management's Atlanta-based team. CREDIT SUISSE GROUP The Swiss bank has hired Cathal Deasy to head its mergers and acquisitions business in Europe, Middle East and Africa. AVIVA INVESTORS The asset management arm of Aviva Plc appointed Bryony Deuchars fund manager in its emerging market equities team. CVC CAPITAL PARTNERS The Luxembourg-based private equity firm hired Cathrin Petty as a partner and head of its European healthcare business. UNICREDIT The Italian bank has appointed head of markets TJ Lim to a new role as deputy risk officer, tasked with accelerating disposals of its non-core loans. MFS INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT The U.S.-based global investment manager appointed Anton Commissaris managing director for Switzerland and Austria. (Compiled by Nikhil Subba in Bengaluru) In November 2014, the Sony hack made Hollywood quake. The massive data compromise may have served to wake up the industry to some of the glaring blindspots in its security practices, but it's still as important as ever to understand how - whether it's through your work or personal devices - you might be vulnerable online. "I don't think much has changed from a production standpoint," says Kor Adana, a writer and tech consultant for USA Network's critically adored hacker drama Mr. Robot. "There's a machine in place for how to promote content - whether it be TV or films - and there's so much information that gets passed through without security in mind, and it's very slow to change." It's why Adana, a former hacker himself, suggests everyone take these five simple - and only slightly paranoid - steps to stay safe online. 1. Robust Passwords Use a different password for each account you have and make sure they're all long and strong. That means a combination of uppercase, lowercase, numbers and special characters. Don't give an attacker out there the ability to compromise all of your accounts just because they compromised one. Even Mark Zuckerberg isn't immune to this. When his Twitter account was hacked recently, it was via a simple password ("Dadada"), which the hacker was able to try on every single other Zuckerberg account he could find - and he was successful with the Pinterest account. Oh, and while we're talking about passwords, do not store them in a folder or document named "passwords." This is one of the reasons the Sony hack was so devastating: The hackers found a folder called "passwords" that consisted of spreadsheets, text documents and other files that were packed with user credentials for social media accounts. Nothing was encrypted or protected either! 2. Complex Phone Pins This is a big one. Your smartphone is a gateway to your email, social media accounts and sometimes your bank account. The only thing stopping an attacker with physical access to your phone from getting into those accounts is your mobile device's PIN code. So be smart about what you use for this and make it as long as your phone allows you. Personally, I'm very paranoid about this. Every time I unlock my phone, I look around to see who is staring at my screen, and I often shield it with my hand in case there are any cameras pointing at it. Story continues I also won't wear a smartwatch (or fitness tracker) because, believe it or not, it's possible that hackers can steal your credit card and ATM info using by using its accelerometers and gyroscopes if you're wearing it on the same hand you use to enter your PIN. Normally I don't trust new tech until it has been out for a while and the kinks have been worked out. 3. Two-Step Verification Think of it this way: Three 1-foot walls are better than one 3-foot wall. Two-step verification is part of a security concept called "defense in depth," which simply means adding multiple layers of security that defend each other. Nowadays, most email and merchant services offer some form of two-step authentication that relies on the combination of your account password plus a new, one-time password that is usually sent to you via text each time you log in. Hacking actually used to be a lot easier, but now there are more safeguards like this. 4. Security Questions Social media - Facebook and Twitter, especially - has made it easier to take advantage of people because they're willfully giving up details about their life, posting photos of family members and offering up other personal information. That's why I don't post that much on social media. If I can guess an answer to one of your security questions by looking at your Facebook timeline, you should beef up your security answers and/or stop sharing so much on social media. For example, one common security question is, "What's your mother's maiden name?" If I wanted to hack you, I'd scour everything you've ever posted on your social media accounts and try to find a picture of your mom for Mother's Day where you might have included her maiden name in the caption. Another thing that I do is flat out lie on my security answers. That way, even if someone guesses the right answer, it still won't give them the ability to reset my password. The risk with this is forgetting your lie. 5. Covered Webcams Webcam hacking, like that in Mr. Robot last season, is a real threat. Hackers target webcams and baby monitors all the time. One of the more notable cases of this was when a hacker captured nude images of Miss Teen USA winner Cassidy Wolf through a webcam. That's why I keep tape over mine. But the reality is that if a hacker has access to your webcam, they've owned your whole machine at that point. They can arm your microphone and listen in to your conversations at any time, access files on your computer and even infect it with more malware. They've already hit the jackpot. This story first appeared in the July 22 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. A murder trial has started for a man accused of fatally shooting an Ohio woman, one of a string of deaths and disappearances that have hung over the city of Chillicothe, Ohio, PEOPLE confirms. Jason McCrary, 38, is charged in the May, 2015 death of 38-year-old Timberly Claytor, court officials tell PEOPLE. Claytor's death is one of several cases in Chillicothe that have garnered national attention: Six women have been killed or reported missing since May of 2014, a disproportionate figure for a town of less than 25,000, which is located about 45 miles outside Columbus. The cases were the subject of Investigation Discovery's docu-series, The Vanishing Women. It is believed at least three of the missing or dead women from Chillicothe knew each other "in passing," and ran in the same social circles where drug abuse was prevalent, police previously told PEOPLE. McCrary has pleaded not guilty, according to court officials. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. On Tuesday, three witnesses for the prosecution testified, placing Claytor, a mother-of-five, in the car McCrary was allegedly driving hours before her murder, the Chilicothe Gazette reports. One witness, Jessica Lowry, testified that she was partying with Claytor, McCrary and two other women the night of Claytor's death and that Claytor and McCrary got into an argument about Claytor's alleged use of the last of their supply of crack cocaine, the paper reports. Lowry said McCrary slowed the car to a crawl in a lot outside an abandoned building, and when Claytor tried to get out, McCrary allegedly shot her, The Columbus Dispatch reports. The paper reports Lowry was trembling and crying during much of her testimony. McCrary's attorney, Gregory Meyers, could not be reached for comment by press time. (Reuters) - Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will miss Britain's Davis Cup quarter-final clash against Serbia with captain Leon Smith naming Kyle Edmund and James Ward as his two singles players on Wednesday. Murray was instrumental in helping Britain to their first Davis Cup victory for 79 years last November, but had suggested it was unlikely he would feature against Serbia, who are also missing their talisman Novak Djokovic. In the doubles, Andy's brother Jamie, ranked fifth in the world, will partner doubles specialist Dominic Inglot. "This date is a real nightmare for everybody, not just for him (Andy Murray), because it's not easy to change surface again," Smith told reporters. "I was hopeful last week that he would play but then he goes and wins Wimbledon and has Olympics and U.S. Open coming up and I hope he does well there also. As a team we are all delighted for him. "I hope he comes out Thursday or Friday to support the team." World number 73 Daniel Evans, who was named in the initial squad, also missed out due to personal issues and a shoulder injury. Murray has committed to playing at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he will look to defend his title. The quarter-finals will take place between July 15-17 at the Tasmajdan Stadium in Belgrade. (Reporting by Nivedita Shankar in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganguly) Showing how simple it can be, Prince Harry took an HIV test at a London clinic Thursday morning and broadcast the event live on Facebook. The royal sat for the test and got his results back in just a minute it was negative. Harry took the test to help "de-stigmatize" the issue and to show how easy it is to be checked. And for Harry, who underwent the finger-prick test at the Burrell Street Sexual Health Centre in London and broadcast it on the royal family's Facebook page, it was still a tense moment. The prince, who was talked through it by Robert Palmer, a psycho-sexual counselor, confessed to being "still nervous." Prince Harry is live from Guys and St. Thomas' Hospital on The Royal Family's Facebook page now, showing how easy it is to get tested for HIV. Posted by The Royal Family on Thursday, July 14, 2016 "Even being the person I am and knowing the type of people I'm around, I'm still nervous. Which is interesting," he said. Told to relax as he was given the test, he then said, "Weirdly, that didn't even hurt." As he waited for the results to come through a single blue dot for negative, and two spots for a positive result he asked Palmer, "What's the biggest fear for people who come in?" Palmer said it was the "not knowing. It's our job to let people know about their help and make sure we keep people well and healthy." When he was told his result was non-reactive, the prince quickly switched gears and said, for the sake of those watching "back home," that he appreciated it as a "life-changing moment." RELATED VIDEO: Prince Harry Follows in Princess Diana's Footsteps at HIV Hospital as Patient Recalls, 'Your Mother's Lap Was So Comfortable' "If you're a man, woman, gay, straight, black, white, whatever even ginger why wouldn't you come and have a test?" the prince added. Last week, on a visit to another London hospital, he spoke about his desire to smash the stigma about being tested. "Once you've got people through the door that's the hardest bit out of the way," he said Thursday. Next week, Harry heads to South Africa to take part in the worldwide conference on HIV and AIDS in Durban. Those close to the prince point out that while many strides have been made against the disease, there are those, especially among the younger generation, who mistakenly think that the battle has been won. It is hoped that Harry, who has passionately said how he wants to follow in the footsteps of his late mother Princess Diana in tackling issues like HIV and AIDS, will be a new beacon on the issue for younger people around the world. And HIV rates in the U.K. continue to rise despite years of progress in treating the illness. One of the biggest factors has been that up to 17 percent of HIV positive patients are unaware of their status and so can unintentionally pass on the virus to partners. Around the world there is an estimated 17 million people are unaware that they have HIV. Late diagnosis also means people not getting early treatment to enable them to lead healthy lives. In a recent move to develop infrastructure at the sites that form a part of the Ramayana circuit, the Centre has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sri Lankan government which says both the neighbouring nations will work jointly to promote mutual tourism interests. By Soudhriti Bhabani: The Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is now initiating Ram diplomacy in the land of Ravana, following the sanction of a multi-crore project promoting the mythological significance of Ramayana. In a recent move to develop infrastructure at the sites that form a part of the Ramayana circuit, the Centre has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sri Lankan government which says both the neighbouring nations will work jointly to promote mutual tourism interests. advertisement WHAT DOES SRI LANKA OFFER TO INDIA Sources in the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) said the Lankan counterparts have offered 4-5 destinations to be included in the Ramayana circuit to complete the religious trail. These destinations would be Ravana's palaces, Ashok Vatika, Hanuman's entry point that is called 'Nagadeepa', 'Donara' where god king Ram first attacked Ravana, 'Yudagannawa'- the main battle ground which is now stands as a wild life sanctuary etc. "The MoU was inked in the third of June this year in which it was decided that Indian tourists visiting the Ram tourism circuit in Sri Lanka will be facilitated by the Lankan government. On the other hand, visitors from Sri Lanka, which is predominantly a country following the Buddhist religion, will be offered a smooth passage while visiting various Buddhist circuits in India," an official said. These Buddhist circuits are such as Saravasti, Kushinagar, Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Nalanda and Lumbini located in southern Nepal where queen Mayadevi gave birth to Prince Siddhartha. "The facilities will comprise issues like easy transit, processing of visa and security from the tourist point of view," the official said. HOW DID THE PROJECT START Taking forward the collaboration on establishing the Ramayana trail in Sri Lanka and the Buddhist Circuit in South Asia, the initiative was taken up between the two neighboring nations. India's assistance for the Ramayana trail in Sri Lanka was finalised between both the governments on religiously reciprocal grounds. To remember, India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had led an inter-ministerial delegation to Colombo in February this year for the 9th session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission. She co-chaired the Joint Commission meeting, held after a gap of three years, with Sri Lankan foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera reviewing the progress and developments in bilateral relations, especially in the sector of tourism. The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has already planned to develop a Hindu religious cluster in and around the temple city of Ayodhya in phases. Sources said the cost of the project would be a whopping Rs. 244.51 crore only for the first two phases. advertisement INDIAN CITIES ON RAMAYANA TRAIL The ministry identified four cities like Ayodhya, Nandigram, Shringverpur and Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh where it will develop facilities highlighting the living experience of Lord Rama and various religious proofs of episodes pertaining to his life and that time. A detailed project report (DPR) was also prepared in the last week of June this year on the matter. Sources said destinations like Sitamarhi, Buxar and Darbhanga in Bihar, Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh, Bhadrachalam in Telangana, Hampi in Karnataka and Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu are also likely to be added later in the Ramayana circuit. It will first start off with four destinations in UP but will be extended to Rameshwaram in future. Also Read Stunning images of South India and Sri Lanka captured from space: Read to know more --- ENDS --- TEL AVIV, Israel -- When Danielle Mini read the news on May 18 from Germany and saw what was happening back home in Israel, she thought to herself, "This is not a democracy." On that day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had essentially fired Israel's respected defense minister, Moshe Ya'alon, after he had backed the military in a spate of disagreements with Netanyahu's right-wing government. Netanyahu replaced the decorated general and political moderate with the ultranationalist politician Avigdor Lieberman, an outspoken critic of peace efforts with the Palestinians who has little military experience. In a country where every man and woman is required to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Lieberman's appointment to the top defense post was met with perplexity. Lieberman's appointment jolted Mini, who four months earlier moved to Berlin, a place where thousands of liberal-minded Israelis have made their home in recent years. She moved, she says, because she could no longer live in a climate of fear and hopelessness. "Bibi is responsible for this fear," says Mini, referring to Netanyahu by his Hebrew nickname. Netanyahu's move also was seen as confirmation of his campaign promise to never allow a Palestinian state to form under his watch. Lieberman is well-known for controversial statements about Palestinians and Arabs. Last year he suggested that disloyal Arab citizens of Israel should have their heads chopped off. He is also a member of the settlement movement that the international community -- and Israel's own security establishment -- considers an obstacle to peace. More than anything, though, the political fallout laid bare the gaping rift that has for years been growing between Netanyahu and the security establishment. It also signaled a weakening of the military's historically monumental role in Israeli politics. "The status of the military elite in Israeli politics is in decline, and this is a clear sign of it," says Gideon Rahat, a professor of political science at Hebrew University. Story continues In most Western democracies, a prime minister distancing himself from military leaders might be viewed as a liberal development. In Israel, the opposite is true. Under Netanyahu, Israel's national security community has become one of the country's most vocal advocates for moderation and reconciliation with the Palestinians. Meanwhile, politicians have grown more extreme. The current government is considered the most right-wing in Israeli history. Rahat pointed to a member of Netanyahu's governing coalition who recently accused Israeli intelligence officials of being "leftists." "The military elite are supporters of the two-state solution, but the current government prefers a different stance," says Rahat. Military officials, he adds, "are more pragmatic than politicians, who have visions that aren't as realistic as those who work in the military or intelligence." Ya'alon's ousting followed a series of events that showcased the divisions between the Israeli government and military. Amid an eight-month wave of Palestinian terror attacks, the military's previously unquestioned code of conduct suddenly became a central topic of public debate. In March, the IDF opened an investigation into an Israeli soldier who shot a Palestinian attacker to death after he had already been subdued by another soldier. Following public demonstrations in defense of the 19-year-old soldier, who has since been charged with manslaughter, then-Defense Minister Ya'alon said, "Those who back the soldier don't back our laws and values." At first Netanyahu condemned the soldier's actions, but under pressure from his right-wing base, he backtracked. "Our soldiers are not murderers, they take action against murderers," he told a news conference in April. He also called the soldier's father, vowing fairness for his son. New Defense Minister Lieberman had played an active role in protests against the military's charges against the soldier, even going to court to show his support. "In the past the norms of the IDF were very much in consensus and not part of political debate," says Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute and a former member of Israeli parliament. "Now we're in this wave of violence where people feel that the right moral outcome for those trying to kill is that they shouldn't survive," says Plesner. "Soldiers and Israeli citizens are very much affected by sentiments of fear, and by a political leadership which rather than uniting and trying to tame those emotions, finds itself heeding them." In fact, a survey conducted at the height of this debate found that 66 percent of Israeli Jews believe "it is a commandment to kill a terrorist who comes at you with a knife." Discord traces to 1990s While recent events have accelerated the growing rift between Netanyahu and the security establishment, these fundamental differences date back to the 1990s, when Netanyahu was the fiercest political opponent of the Oslo Accords, the same peace treaty that won his assassinated predecessor, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the Nobel Peace Prize. The Oslo Accords, like many peace efforts since, garnered widespread support from Israel's security establishment, which is today Israel's most powerful supporter of the two-state solution. Days after Netanyahu ousted Ya'alon, a group of more than 200 former heads of Israel's military and security agencies issued a report criticizing the government's handling of national security, insisting that the only way to maintain a Jewish and democratic state is to reach a political solution with the Palestinians. The report by Commanders for Israel's Security calls for, among other things, an end to settlement expansion, and increased economic benefits for Palestinians. "Terror cannot be stamped out by force alone," the report argues. "Terrorism draws on a variety of social, nationalist and religious sources, and is amplified by a sense of despair." Ami Ayalon, who directed the Shin Bet -- Israel's internal security service -- during Netanyahu's first term, is among the authors of the report. Ayalon said that he often clashed with his former boss over their fundamental disagreement: the idea that settlements are crucial to Israel's security. This month, after a series of terror attacks in the West Bank, Netanyahu responded by announcing plans to strengthen settlements. He approved the construction of 800 new housing units in several contested areas, including Kiryat Arba, the settlement where a 13-year-old Israeli girl was stabbed to death by a Palestinian teenager. Last week, the government advanced a $13 million plan to strengthen Kiryan Arba and other settlements. "The concept that we are building settlements in order to secure ourselves is not accepted by any generals today," says Ayalon, who co-founded Blue White Future, an Israeli non-governmental organization that develops alternative approaches to resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Since his departure from the current Israeli government, Ya'alon has declared his intention to challenge Netanyahu in the next election. Yet it's unclear how successful Ya'alon can be in this political climate. Some analysts say that Netanyahu's own rift with the security establishment is reflective of a widening divide between the Israeli public and its historically revered military leadership. "Netanyahu is the problem, but he is in a way a symptom of the wide changes that have occurred in Israeli demography and Israeli society," says Ayalon. When he announced his political plans at a conference in Israel on June 16, Ya'alon told the audience, "Israel's leadership needs to stop scaring its citizens, and start dealing with the real problems facing the country." Yardena Schwartz is a journalist based in Tel Aviv, Israel. If you only read one thing: A blown aircraft tire stranded Donald Trump in Indiana Tuesday night, and set off a fury of vice presidential speculation, as the presumptive GOP nominee met with veep finalists Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. He also spoke by phone with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was in D.C. for meetings for the Trump transition, and summoned Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions to his side. Trump has yet to finalize his selection, according to people close to him, with aides, family members, and GOP insiders calling for Pence, while Trumps gut leads him more toward Christie or Gingrich. One of them will be awarded a rose Friday morning at 11 a.m. in New York, when Trump makes his selection public. Its #NeverTrumps last stand. As the GOP Convention rules committee convenes in Cleveland, the anti-Trump movement is set to exhaust all of its options to dump the bombastic presumptive nominee. The RNC made clear that an amendment would be necessary to unbind the delegates, and thereby open up the possibility of a different selection, but those in favor of the move suffer from a lack of support on the key committee. Stacked with RNC loyalists, party institutionalists, and Trump supporters, the Free the Delegates coalition is struggling to come up with the 28 signaturesin the 112-person bodyrequired to send a minority report to the full convention. And even in the unlikely event it get to the floor, the same forces would conspire to defeat them, keeping Trump safely as the nominee. Hillary Clinton is conducting her own vice presidential audition process, appearing with Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine on Thursday in his home state. It follows similar joint appearances with Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Julian Castro and Sherrod Brown, all listed as possible contenders for the slot. In TIMEs special GOP Convention issue, on newsstands tomorrow: The man whos photographed Trump more than any other. What Donald Trump needs to know to be president. And meet the Trump kids. Story continues Here are your must-reads: Must Reads What a President Needs to Know Jon Meacham on Donald Trumps novice candidacy [TIME] The Apprentices TIMEs Alex Altman on Donald Trumps closest advisers: His kids. Hillary Clinton: Americas Long Struggle With Race Is Far From Finished Clinton calls for unity and laments Donald Trumps rise [TIME] For Whites Sensing Decline, Donald Trump Unleashes Words of Resistance The Trump effect [New York Times] Sen. Tim Scott reveals incidents of being targeted by Capitol Police Black Republican speaks out in powerful speech [Politico] Judge attacked by Trump weighs releasing key video in Trump University case Candidates testimony could be political weapon [Washington Post] Sound Off If I had to vote for cancer or heart attack, why would I vote for either? Charles Koch to Fortune All of you have received emails that say no delegate is bound. Thats not true. RNC General Counsel John Ryder, shooting down one popular #DumpTrump theory Bits and Bites Donald Trump to Name Vice President Friday in New York [TIME] Ive Photographed Donald Trump More Than Anyone Else [TIME] Watch Hillary Clinton Turns Donald Trumps Speeches Against Him in Her New Ad [TIME] Joe Klein: After Baton Rouge, Minneapolis and Dallas, Signs of Passionate Sanity [TIME] First Openly Gay Republican on GOP Platform Committee: Why Am I Even Here? [TIME] Trump Seeking $10M From Fired Aide [TIME] 44 Fake Presidents From Worst to Best [Wall Street Journal] What Newt Gingrich Really Thinks of Donald Trump [ProPublica] House Democrats Unveil Campaign Agenda in Hopes of Gaining Ground [New York Times] Three Nonprofits, Former Koch Brothers Associates, Fined by F.E.C. [New York Times] Sen. Angus King: I cant vote for Donald Trump in good conscience [Politico] You may know Riz Ahmed from big screen stints like his supporting role in the 2014 Jake Gyllenhaal-led thriller Nightcrawler, or his forthcoming gigs in the Jason Bourne and Star Wars flicks. More recently, he plays leading man Naz Khan on HBO's new crime thriller The Night Of. Beyond the screen, though, the London-based actor also has a rap catalog. Born Rizwan Ahmed, the British-Pakistani rapper, better known as Riz MC, frequently airs out his thoughts on racial tensions and immigrant-related issues in England on wax. With Episode 2 of The Night Of less than a week away, tune into four fast facts about his MC career below. Riz launched his rap career at an open mic night The Wembley native rocked the mic on local pirate radio stations, club nights and rap battles in the U.K., according to the official website of his label home, Tru Thoughts. He won several competitions in 2005 like Hit & Run night in Oxford, the Jump-Off (the club night that also discovered Mr. Hudson), Battlescars, and DJ Nihal's "Bombay Bronx." Riz tackles identity on Englistan Riz doesn't shy away from sensitive topics like racism on his previously released mixtape Englistan. On the title track, he spits, "This is England/ The bridge we living in/ A kicharee simmering/ Women in hijaabs, syringe popstars/ And the promise of a Patel as a 'Man U' star." The video for "Englistan" arrived on the heels off Brexit, where the U.K. voted to leave the European Union. Englistan also contains the seven-minute spoken word piece called "I Ain't Being Racist But..." about immigration to the U.K. The project follows his first album, 2012's MICroscope, which also contains opinionated bars about Islamophobia on "Sour Times." Riz is a member of the Swet Shop Boys Alongside Heems of Das Racist, Riz MC serves as one-half of Swet Shop Boys. The tandem rolled out their 2014 Swet Shop EP, which was partly inspired by Hindi language and Sufi poetry. Heems explained to Stereogum the cultural significance of the project. "My being a New Yorker of Indian descent and [Riz] being a Londoner of Pakistani descent kind of just connects the dots in a certain way," he said. "Historically this is two countries and two groups of people who have never gotten along. It was just a cool idea for us to come together." Riz is also a part of Halflife The Oxford alum is a collaborator magnet. In addition to his contributions to the Swet Shop Boys, Riz is also a member of Halflife, a dance-rap collaboration with dubstep producer Distance. Their debut single was 2015's sonically spacey "Subtle." Do you have a question about history? Send us your question at history@time . com and you might find your answer in a future edition of Now You Know. The Dakota Territory was formed in 1861including what we now think of as North Dakota and South Dakota, as well as parts of Wyoming and Montanaand took on the boundaries of the two Dakotas in 1868. It was entirely expected that such territories would eventually join the U.S. as states after meeting certain requirements, like hitting a population count of more than 60,000 and drafting a state constitution. So why did the two halves of the territory reach statehood separately? Steven Bucklin, a professor of history at the University of South Dakota, points to regional differences in trade routes and population size as the two main factors. Those differences, with the addition of some territorial government politics, meant the populations felt some resentment for each other. Or, as Kimberly Porter, a history professor at the University of North Dakota, puts it, the south half did not like the north half. (While were going to focus on why there are two Dakotas, its worth noting that theyre not the only states to share a namethe Carolinas separated in the first half of the 18th century, and West Virginia split from Virginia during the civil war because delegates from the western part of the state opposed secession.) In terms of population size, the two parts of the territory were different from the beginning. There were always more people in the southern part of Dakota territory, which grew from about 10,000 in 1870 to about over 98,000 in 1880. By that point, according to the U.S. census, northern Dakota was home to only about 37,000 people. That meant that southern Dakota had the population necessary to join as a state, all on its own, years before the northern part of the state did. Perhaps not coincidentally, there was also a bit of a personality difference between the two regions: the south thought the north was a bit disreputable, Porter says, too much controlled by the wild folks, cattle ranchers, fur traders and too frequently the site of conflict with the indigenous population. Story continues Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter Meanwhile, a year after the Dakota territory was formed, the Homestead Act passed. This new law encouraged settlement in the West, as did railroads that connected new farmers to markets for their crops. But the trade routes supported by these railroads connected North and South Dakota to different commercial hubs, says Bucklin. The northern part of Dakota territory became more closely tied to Minneapolis-St. Paul, via Fargo and Bismarck. In contrast, the southern counties along the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers were more closely tied by trade to Sioux City, and from there to Omaha or over to Chicago. These diverging economic ties left residents of different parts of the territory less connected to each other. In terms of politics, the way the territory system was set up, legislators were appointed by the federal government in Washington, D.C., and tended to remain in the region only while they served their terms. The larger population of the southern region began to resent those carpetbaggers, Bucklin says, but the northerners tended to emphasize that it was cheaper to be a territory, with the feds funding a wide range of state functions. It didnt help that the state legislators were sometimes notoriously corruptlike Nehemiah Ordway, who moved the capital in 1883. He essentially helped steal the state territorial capital from Yankton, now in South Dakota, to Bismarck, now in North Dakota says Porter. The capital grab, which moved the capital even farther from the majority of the population, only fueled more resentment from the south. By that point, South Dakotans had the necessary population for statehood and quickly moved to become an independent state. However, many attempts to form an independent state failed, Porter says, as the federal response was either do it as one very large state, Dakota, or wait until you have enough people on both sides to be two separate states. That second option would play out before the decade was over. But why did they both choose to keep the name Dakota? South Dakota wanted to be called simply Dakota Porter says, and then the northern half would become either the territory of Pembina, which is a community right on the Canadian border, or else they thought we could be called the territory and ultimately state of Lincoln, as in the president. But Porter says Dakota had already become a trademark of sortsa source of quality products, like California raisins or Florida orange juiceand neither side wanted to give it up. On Nov. 2, 1889 President Benjamin Harrison signed the papers to admit North and South Dakota as two separate states, along with Montana and Washington. Though North Dakota is generally considered the 39th state to South Dakotas 40th state, its actually unclear which one was admitted first says Bucklin: apparently President Harrison shuffled the paperwork first, and signed the documents blindly. Washington (AFP) - The White House said Thursday that President Barack Obama had been briefed on an apparent attack in Nice that French authorities say has killed at least 60 people. "The president has been apprised of the situation in Nice, France, and his national security team will update him, as appropriate," said National Security Council spokesman Ned Price. As Americans looked on in horror at the latest attack across the Atlantic, Republican candidate Donald Trump took to Twitter. "Another horrific attack, this time in Nice, France. Many dead and injured. When will we learn? It is only getting worse." French ambassador to the United States Gerard Araud also tweeted: "Our democracies are besieged. Let's stick more than ever to our values. Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite. Vive la France, vive les Etats-Unis!" WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama telephoned new British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday and looks forward to working with her on shared goals through the end of his term, the White House said. "The president called to offer his congratulations to her on her new leadership position; the president reiterated our oft-stated commitment to not just protecting but deepening the special relationship between the United States and the UK," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said at a news briefing. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) Washington (AFP) - President Barack Obama on Thursday called to congratulate new British Prime Minister Theresa May, as the White House offered a tepid response to her choice of foreign secretary. "The president certainly looks forward to working with Prime Minister May in the six months he has remaining in office," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. The White House said that Obama offered his "full support" for efforts to "lead the United Kingdom through a smooth, orderly and transparent negotiation over its exit from the European Union." Asked about the appointment of Obama critic Boris Johnson as foreign secretary, the White House said the "special relationship" between the two countries "transcends any single personality." Earnest said it was up to the British government to select its representatives. "The decision we will make is to seek to deepen and strengthen our special relationship with the UK, regardless of who serves in a position as prominent as foreign minister." Earnest likened the situation to the appointment of Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer, who has had a rocky relationship with the White House. Ranveer Singh has returned to Mumbai after three months. By India Today Web Desk: While most of the actors are jet lagged after their long flights, Ranveer Singh was as energetic as ever as he stepped out of Mumbai airport. The Bajirao Mastani actor, who was in Paris to shoot for Aditya Chopra's Befikre, has finally returned to Mumbai after three months. ALSO READ: Deepika and Ranveer are tying the knot early next year? advertisement ALSO READ: Ranveer Singh couldn't help but dance while watching Sultan in a Paris theatre The live wire, who wrapped up the shooting for the upcoming romantic drama in July starting, reportedly took off to Austria with girlfriend Deepika Padukone to ring in his 31st birthday. And after spending three months in Europe, Singh is now back in town. Clad in a grey-striped track suit and round shades, the actor looked his quirky best. Ranveer not just posed for the shutterbugs stationed outside the airport, but also obliged the fans with a few selfies. On the work front, Ranveer will be next seen in Befikre opposite Vaani Kapoor. (Photos: Milind Shelte) --- ENDS --- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Friday, July 22, at the White House, the White House said. Obama and Pena Nieto will discuss "a range of issues," the White House said in a statement on Thursday. The visit follows the two leaders' meeting during the "Three Amigos" summit in Ottawa last month. (White House corrected statement to show meeting on July 22, not July 15) (Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Eric Walsh) By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will sign legislation passed by Congress aimed at combating a nationwide epidemic of heroin and other opioid addictions, the White House said on Wednesday. After months of wrangling, the Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday, 92-2, to pass the bill that has also been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. The measure aims to help communities develop treatment and overdose programs at a time when fewer than half the estimated 2.2 million Americans who need help for opioid abuse are receiving it, according to the U.S. Centers for Human and Health Services. The White House said in a statement the bill "falls far short" of the necessary funding, but Obama would sign it "because some action is better than none." Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, a leading proponent of the legislation, said that it marked "the first time that weve treated addiction like the disease that it is, which will help put an end to the stigma that has surrounded addiction for too long." While its passage marked a rare bipartisan effort in this election year, Democrats complained that it does not provide enough resources to effectively address the drug problem. "This bill is like a Hollywood movie set - something that appears real on the surface but has no substance and no life behind its facade," said Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the No. 3 Senate Democrat. U.S. deaths from drug overdoses hit a record high in 2014, propelled by abuse of prescription painkillers and heroin, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 28,000 people died from opioid overdose in 2014. At least half, HHS said, of those deaths involved a prescription opioid. Among the common prescription drugs are oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl that are used for pain treatment. Heroin-related deaths have also increased sharply, more than tripling since 2010. In 2014, more than 10,500 people died from heroin, the agency said. The bill authorizes $181 million a year for new programs it creates. Democrats said that with disagreements in Congress over next year's funding for HHS, it was uncertain whether the money contained in the bipartisan bill actually would be delivered. They called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, to back up this legislation with $600 million in immediate emergency funds. Obama has requested $920 million for opioid treatment programs over two years. The bill, if enacted into law, also would provide new training for emergency personnel in administering drugs to reverse opioid overdoses and help communities purchase those drugs. (Reporting By Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Diane Craft and Andrew Hay) Obamacare Health Plans get canceled due to many issues. CMS reports 17,000 lost coverage due to citizenship or immigration issues; ezHealthMart.com's agent's help people upload documents directly into the Marketplace system electronically; this is something navigators working for the Marketplace are not able to do MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2016 / Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said enrollment fell to about 11.1 million, down from the 12.7 million before the end of the 2016 Open Enrollment Period. CMS said 87% of enrolled consumers remained signed up, within the 80% to 90% retention that was expected. The administration projected that about 10 million people will remain signed up by the end of the year. Also, in the first 3 months of the year, 17,000 people lost coverage because of citizenship or immigration documentation issues, which is down 85% from last year. People are looking forward to new plans, as the Open Enrollment for health care is arriving on November 1st. Insurance companies are planned to opt out of Obamacare this next enrollment period as well, making people eager to find Obamacare coverage for 2017. Owner of ezHealthMart says "There's 3 very important things to know before people applying for a 2017 Obamacare Health Plan, that if not done correctly may cause their plan to never go into effect or may fall off completely at some point during the year; especially because of not uploading documents correctly. ezHealthMart.com's agent's help people upload documents directly into the Marketplace's system electronically. This is something navigators working for the Marketplace are still not able to do. We always have clients that walk through our doors asking why did the Marketplace not accept the original document and is there another way to send my documentation to the Marketplace." EzHealthmart is going to cover 3 important aspects of Obamacare coverage. The first things to know before applying for coverage is that it is almost impossible to keep coverage if documentation is not uploaded or sent to the Marketplace correctly. Uploading documentation is required in order to qualify and keep the financial assistance (tax credit or subsidy) offered by the marketplace. If consumers do not send in the requested documentation to the marketplace Subsidies can fall off. Consumers are usually given 3 months to get this information into the marketplace. If they do not submit the documentation in time, their subsidy will be cut off and they will be billed automatically by the health insurance company for the full amount after the subsidy falls off, in most cases. This could result in a consumer going from paying $20 a month to $300 or more a month. Second is Household income and size. These are the number one things that will drive a family's health insurance plan up when applying for ACA coverage (Obamacare). The Affordable Care Act's benefits off of two thing mainly. The subsidy (tax credit that is paid monthly to the health insurance company on behalf of the consumer) & Cost Share Reduction (the benefit that lowers out of pocket costs like the deductible, copay, and co-insurance) depending on how close the consumer is to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The FPL Starts at $11,770-$47,080 for an individual in 2016. Although this may seem simple, many people enter this information wrong when completing their application on the marketplace website because it is based on the modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), not the gross income. Example: (using the FPL Chart) if a 40 year old male that is self employed and made $40,000 for the year, entered his gross income instead of his MAGI, he would have paid $264.84 for a silver plan in the state of Florida, but if the same consumer would have entered the correct MAGI amount they would only have paid $129.03 and the deductible would have been lower. Third, After a consumer completes the application correctly, picking the right carrier in their local area is KEY. Picking the wrong carrier could result in a very small network and the consumer could struggle to find a doctor. It is mainly based on the county a consumer lives in. Example: a consumer may pick the most well known Insurance carrier, but that carrier in their area may only have clinic use available to them for their primary care physician & that clinic may be overrun with patients, while the smaller carrier could actually have 3000 primary doctors in the consumer's area and have a much more efficient network. HMOs are more restrictive (some areas only have HMO's available), PPOs are more lenient at a higher fee, and POS plans make a good hybrid between the two. For cost-efficiency, seek options of an HMO, rather than a POS, and if the favored doctor still isn't covered, PPOs will offer maximum flexibility, but at a much higher cost. When choosing an HMO, people must stay in network to keep out of pocket costs down. All in all, finding a great plan that is affordable with a good network is not so simple. ezHealthMart.com offers free assistance to consumers to help them figure out what might be best for them in their area. For more information, please visit http://www.ezhealthmart.com/ Contact Info: Name: Brian Miller Organization: Benavest Address: 3043 Johnson St Phone: 8779628332 SOURCE: Benavest PAMPLONA, Spain (Reuters) - Eight people were taken to hospital with minor injuries, though no one was gored on Thursday during the last bull run of the nine-day San Fermin festival in the northern city of Pamplona. Thousands of runners travel from all over the world to take part in the 875-metre race, in which white-shirted, red scarved runners are chased by specially-bred fighting bulls through the narrow streets of the medieval city. This year's festival left a total of eleven runners gored, with the worst day being July 8 when six people were caught on the horns of the half-tonne animals, though there were no fatalities. Injuries during the run are common but it has been seven years since the last death in Pamplona when a Madrid man, Daniel Jimeno Romero, 27, was gored in the neck. While Pamplona is the best known of the bull-runs in Spain and was made famous world wide after featuring in Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises", smaller summer runs are conducted throughout the country. This year, in the southeastern village of Pedreguer near Valencia, a 28-year-old Spaniard was killed during a local bull-run. Also, professional bull fighter Victor Barrio, 29, was fatally gored live on national television on Saturday after the bull's horn pierced his chest during a tournament in the eastern region of Aragon. The run on Thursday in Pamplona, which starts at 0800 local time (10.00 a.m. ET), lasted 2 minutes 20 seconds and included bulls from the Miura ranch. (Reporting by Susana Vera; Writing by Paul Day, editing by Deepa Babington) BUENOS AIRES, July 14 (Reuters) - Pan American Energy LLC , a unit of BP, is planning to invest $1.4 billion in Argentina's biggest oil field and other areas this year, two sources said on Thursday. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity and said President Mauricio Macri and company executives planned to make an official announcement later on Thursday. Pan American operates in four hydrocarbon basins in Argentina, including the South American country's most productive oil field Cerro Dragon. One source said the investment would be in Cerro Dragon and in the provinces of Neuquen and Tierra del Fuego. Pan American extracts shale gas in the province of Neuquen and started exploring for unconventional oil there in 2011. The company has reported a 34 percent rise in its oil output in Argentina from 2001 and 2015, bringing it to 108,000 barrels per day. Its production of gas rose 67 percent to 19 million cubic meters per day in the same period. (Reporting By Eliana Raszewski, Additional Reporting by Nicolas Misculin, Writing by Mitra Taj; editing by Grant McCool) By PTI: Londons Oxford Street to be traffic-free by 2020 From Aditi Khanna London, Jul 14 (PTI) Oxford Street, one of the worlds most famous shopping destinations in the heart of London, is to be completely pedestrianised by 2020 in a bid to tackle air pollution. London Mayor Sadiq Khans office said today all traffic including buses and taxis will be banned from the shopping street as part of the mayors plans to tackle air pollution. advertisement The shopping hub is one of the busiest in the UK capital and is visited by more than four million people each week. The new plan will be rolled out in two stages to reduce disruption on the 1.2-mile (1.9 kilometres) stretch of road. "Sadiq has made the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street a priority as it will contribute to his aim of improving air quality and it will also make it a far safer and more pleasant place to visit," the mayors spokesperson said. "Pedestrianising Oxford Street from Tottenham Court Road through to Marble Arch will require a phased programme of work that will take several years, as it will need a great deal of coordination and a close working relationship with Westminster as well as local businesses and residents. But London deserves an iconic pedestrianised shopping street and when work is complete the mayor believes it will be a truly world beating environment," he said. Valerie Shawcross, Londons deputy mayor for transport, told the London Assembly this week that the plan was to ban all vehicles from Tottenham Court Road to beyond the iconic Selfridges store. The pedestrianisation will coincide with the opening of Crossrail ? a new east-west train line for the city. Cars are already banned on most of Oxford Street between 7 AM and 7 PM rpt 7 PM every day except Sunday, but it remains a major thoroughfare for buses and taxis. This is not the first time that the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street has been proposed as plans had been considered under the leadership of Londons first elected mayor Ken Livingstone who had introduced pedestrian-only Christmas shopping days on Oxford Street in 2005. Traffic-free shopping days have been a feature on both Oxford Street and Regent Street ever since. PTI AK CPS --- ENDS --- By Marco Aquino LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's anti-narcotics agency Devida said it is now ready to destroy coca plants in a lawless jungle region where most cocaine in the Andean country is produced, urging the incoming government to take action. Peru reduced the area for growing coca, a key ingredient in cocaine, by 6.1 percent to 40,300 hectares (99,583 acres) in 2015, the fourth straight year of cuts as planting surged in neighboring Colombia, according to a report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crimes published on Wednesday. However, the pace of reducing the crop's coverage in Peru slowed from previous years as the government held off on mandatory eradication in a remote Amazonian region known as the VRAEM, home to remnant band of Shining Path rebels. "Today I can say that the conditions are now entirely there for a drastic reduction in the coverage of coca in the VRAEM," Devida chief Alberto Otarola said in a news conference. "No part of Peru should be exempt form the rule of law." Otarola estimated that 78 percent of cocaine produced in Peru comes from the VRAEM, an area about the size of Puerto Rico. The government of outgoing President Ollanta Humala, whose term ends July 28, planned to forcibly destroy coca fields in the VRAEM for the first time in 2014. But it backpedaled on worries about clashes with coca farmers backed by the Shining Path. Peru relies on manual eradication of the plant on the ground, rather than aerial spraying, making it dangerous for workers tasked with destroying the crops when farmers resist. Earlier this year Peru passed a law allowing the military to shoot down planes suspected of carrying drugs, a blow to traffickers who now struggle to find alternate smuggling routes, said Otarola. The resulting glut of coca leaf has cut its price in Peru to $26 per arroba, a unit of measurement equal to 11-12 kilos, said Otarola. "Coca leaf is not good business anymore, because traffickers can no longer fly without consequences," Otarola said. Humala's government has overseen a 36 percent drop in the planting of coca since 2011, said Otarola. As a candidate, President-elect Pedro Pablo Kuczynski promised to stamp out the Shining Path in the VRAEM and nearly halve coca planting to 25,000 hectares by the end of his term in 2021 compared with last year's level. He proposed bringing sorely needed infrastructure to the region and giving coca farmers credit and technical assistance to switch to other crops. (Reporting by Marco Aquino, Writing by Mitra Taj; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) Manila (AFP) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he would send ex-leader Fidel Ramos to China for talks after an international tribunal ruled against Beijing's claims to most of the disputed South China Sea. Duterte said he would ask former president Ramos "go to China to start the talks" with Beijing after the UN-backed tribunal's ruling on the strategically vital waters, though he did not specify a timeframe. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he would send ex-leader Fidel Ramos to China for talks after an international tribunal ruled against Beijing's claims to most of the disputed South China Sea. Duterte asked former president Ramos "go to China to start the talks" with Beijing after the UN-backed tribunal's ruling on the strategically vital waters, though he did not specify a timeframe. "War... is not an option. So what is the other side? Peaceful talks. I cannot give you the wherewithals now," Duterte said at a college alumni meeting that was also attended by Ramos. "I have to consult many people, including president Ramos. I would like to respectfully ask him to go to China and start the talks." Duterte's remarks came after a UN-backed international tribunal on Tuesday ruled against China's claim to most of the South China Sea in what is widely seen as a diplomatic victory for the Philippines. However the decision has also raised tensions with China refusing to recognise it and warning its rivals that too much pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich waterway into a "cradle of war". Ramos, who served as president from 1992 to 1998, is known to favour close ties with China. But the 88-year-old hinted he might not accept the offer, citing his age and other commitments. Aides have said Duterte is now open to bilateral talks with China, suggesting the Philippines is in better position to negotiate following the Hague-based tribunal's decision. The Philippines had initially refrained from asking China to abide by the verdict -- in line with Duterte's directive to achieve a "soft landing" with Beijing on the issue. Duterte, who took office on June 30, has said he wants better relations with China and to attract Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects. China claims almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, even over territory also claimed by the Philippines as well as Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. By Kylie MacLellan and William James LONDON (Reuters) - Theresa May became Britain's prime minister on Wednesday with the task of leading it out of the European Union, and quickly named leading 'Brexit' supporters including former London mayor Boris Johnson to key positions in her new government. The former Conservative interior minister, 59, said after being appointed by Queen Elizabeth that she would champion social justice and carve out a bright new future for Britain after last month's shock referendum vote to quit the EU. "We will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us," she said outside 10 Downing Street, vacated hours earlier by David Cameron. Cameron stepped down after Britons rejected his entreaties to stay in the EU, a decision that has set back European efforts to forge greater unity and created huge uncertainty in Britain and across the 28-nation bloc. May faced immediate pressure from EU leaders to serve formal notice of Britain's withdrawal and set the clock ticking on a two-year countdown to its final departure. In phone calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, May said she needed time. "On all the phone calls, the prime minister emphasised her commitment to delivering the will of the British people to leave the European Union," a spokeswoman for May said. "The prime minister explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke of her hope that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit." Just over an hour after entering her new office, she started naming ministers, appointing the steady and experienced foreign minister Philip Hammond to take charge of the finance ministry. He replaces George Osborne, whose determination to balance Britain's books made him synonymous with austerity. In a major surprise, May named Johnson, a leading eurosceptic who had until recently been seen as her main rival for the prime minister's job, to take over as foreign secretary. Other prominent 'Leave' campaigners were also rewarded. One, David Davis, took the key role of Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Another, Liam Fox, was named to head a new international trade department. May herself had sided with Cameron in trying to keep Britain inside the EU, so needed to reach out to the winning Leave side in order to heal divisions in the ruling party and show her commitment to respecting the popular vote. "Brexit means Brexit" has quickly become her new mantra. By awarding such a senior job to Johnson, she also showed a conciliatory side. The two had clashed over policing in London while Johnson was serving as mayor. And since last month's vote, for which he campaigned vigorously, Johnson had suffered widespread criticism and ridicule for failing to present a clear Brexit plan and swiftly dropping out of the leadership race. With his unkempt blonde hair, bumbling humour and penchant for Latin quotations, the man known to Britons simply as 'Boris' will be the government's most colourful figure, but a controversial choice for conducting sensitive diplomacy with world leaders. Asked by a reporter whether he would apologise to U.S. President Barack Obama for controversially saying the "part-Kenyan" president was biased against Britain because of "an ancestral dislike of the British empire", Johnson said: "The United States of America will be in the front of the queue." The quip was a reference to a comment by Obama during Britain's EU referendum campaign that the country would be at the back of the queue for trade deals if it voted to leave the bloc. Among other appointments, rising star Amber Rudd switched from the energy ministry to take May's old job as Home Secretary. 'BURNING INJUSTICE' May is Queen Elizabeth's 13th prime minister in a line that started with Winston Churchill. An official photograph showed her curtseying to the smiling monarch. She is also Britain's second female head of government after Margaret Thatcher. Seen as a tough, competent and intensely private person, already being compared to Germany's Angela Merkel, she must now try to limit the damage to British trade and investment as she renegotiates the country's ties with its 27 EU partners. She will also attempt to unite a fractured nation in which many, on the evidence of the referendum, feel angry with the political elite and left behind by the forces of globalisation. In comments addressed to ordinary Britons, she spoke of the 'burning injustice' suffered by large sections of society: poor people facing shorter life expectancy; blacks treated more harshly by the criminal justice system; women earning less than men; the mentally ill; and young people struggling to buy homes. Acknowledging the struggles faced by many, May declared: "The government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives." She spoke of the "precious bond" between the nations of the United Kingdom, implicit recognition of the tensions generated by the referendum in which England and Wales chose to quit the EU, but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay, raising the possibility of a new Scottish vote on independence. Outside Downing Street, a group of demonstrators chanted: 'What do we want? Brexit! When do we want it? Now!' The United States congratulated May and said it was confident in her ability to steer Britain through the Brexit negotiations. "Based on the public comments we've seen from the incoming prime minister, she intends to pursue a course that's consistent with the prescription that President Obama has offered," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. May's predecessor Cameron, appearing earlier in Downing Street with his wife Samantha and their three children, delivered his parting remarks to the nation after six years dominated by the Europe question and the aftermath of the global financial crisis. "It's not been an easy journey and of course we've not got every decision right," he said, "but I do believe that today our country is much stronger." In his last parliamentary session as leader, Cameron took the opportunity to trumpet his government's achievements in generating one of the fastest growth rates among western economies, chopping the budget deficit, creating 2.5 million jobs and legalising gay marriage. Yet his legacy will be overshadowed by his failed referendum gamble, which he had hoped would keep Britain at the heart of a reformed EU. (Additional reporting by Kate Holton, Estelle Shirbon, William Schomberg, Karin Strohecker, Michael Holden, Paul Sandle, Andy Bruce, Steve Addison and Ana Nicolaci da Costa; Editing by Mark Trevelyan, Philippa Fletcher, James Dalgleish and Guy Faulconbridge) DNC 2008 (credit: Wikimedia Commons) DNC 2008 (credit: Wikimedia Commons) Producers Note: This episode is the first part of a three-part series on political parties and the Constitution. Later this month, the Republican Party will gather in Cleveland, Ohio, to hold its national convention and confirm its presumptive presidential nominee, businessman Donald Trump. Just days later, the Democratic Party will gather in Philadelphia, Pennsylvaniahome of the National Constitution Centerfor its own convention, welcoming its nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. What do the parties stand for? And what is at stake in the 2016 election? First, one must go back to the Founding, to the text of the Constitution, and to American history, to understand the role of parties in the American constitutional system. James Ceaser is Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia and a member of the Centers Coalition of Freedom Advisory Board. Luis Fuentes-Rohwer is Professor of Law and Harry T. Ice Faculty Fellow at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Download this episode (right click and save) Attention, We the People listeners! Become a Member of the National Constitution Center at the $125 Constitution Framer level or higher by July 31 and you will receive a signed complimentary copy of Jeffrey Rosens new book, Louis D. Brandeis: American Prophet. Make your gift today! Please email membership@constitutioncenter.org and let Jeff know how you would like him to sign your complimentary book! The National Constitution Center is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit, nonpartisan private organization. This show was engineered by Jason Gregory and produced by Nicandro Iannacci. Research was provided by Josh Waimberg and Tom Donnelly. The host of We the People is Jeffrey Rosen. Get the latest constitutional news, and continue the conversation, on our Facebook page and Twitter feed. We want to know what you think of the podcast! Email us at editor@constitutioncenter.org. Story continues Please subscribe to We the People on iTunes. While youre in the iTunes Store, leave us a rating and review; it helps other people discover what we do. Please also subscribe to Live at Americas Town Hall, featuring conversations and debates presented at the Center, across from Independence Hall in beautiful Philadelphia. We the People is a member of Slates Panoply network. Check out all of our sibling podcasts at iTunes.com/Panoply. Despite our congressional charter, the National Constitution Center is a private nonprofit; we receive little government support, and we rely on the generosity of people around the country who are inspired by our nonpartisan mission of constitutional debate and education. Please consider becoming a member to support our work, including this podcast. Visit constitutioncenter.org to learn more. Recent Stories on Constitution Daily When does the Supreme Court get involved in settling presidential elections? Transgender rights dispute reaches Supreme Court Podcast: A deep dive on the Supreme Court Whether youre a Republican National Convention delegate or a party VIP, a demonstrator or a journalist, the city of Cleveland is ready for you to have a safe and peaceful visit. So, go ahead and bring your funny hats and big signs. If you want to march for a cause, the city of Cleveland will accommodate you. If you want to preach your political points of view, youre welcome to. Heck, if youd like and have an open-carry permit you can even carry your handgun or rifle. Ohio is an open-carry state, and gun-toting is a permissible activity. But keep this in mind: If you step out of line, there will be local, state and federal police officers thousands of them, including officers from across the nation ready to keep you in check. And, if necessary, Cleveland police Chief Calvin Williams says there is adequate jail space in his city. We want people to stay within the law and make sure they stay peaceful, Williams said. But if you get outside the law, and definitely if youre not peaceful, then its not going to be good for anybody. Cleveland police Chief Calvin Williams, left, and Mayor Frank Jackson in May 2015. At a July 8 news conference, Williams said the city is prepared for the Republican National Convention and will have enough police officers. (Photo: Tony Dejak/AP) Williams, as well as representatives of the Secret Service, city administration and the RNC organizing committee, on Wednesday gave a last security briefing before the convention begins on July 18. We are prepared, said Ronald Rowe Jr. of the Secret Service. We are ready to welcome the world to Cleveland. Everyone expressed optimism and confidence in the security plan thats been in the works for the past couple of years and amended as recently as this week to take into account last weeks sniper attack that left five Dallas police officers dead at a demonstration against police violence. Officials wont say specifically whats been changed after Dallas, but Williams did say that police officer safety has been given extra consideration. Dallas was a wakeup call, he noted. Police bomb squad technician Sgt. Tim Maffo-Judd demonstrates a Remotec F5A explosive ordnance device robot near the site of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on Thursday. (Photo: Rick Wilking/Reuters) Demonstrators like Citizens for Trump organizer Tim Selaty Sr. of Texas and Stand Together Against Trump organizer Bryan Hambley of Cleveland will be among the crowds in Cleveland next week. Politically, Selaty and Hambley are worlds apart, but they share a common concern about the Republican National Convention: security. Story continues Thousands of emotionally charged people will pour into downtown Cleveland next week, and Selaty and Hambley said during interviews with Yahoo News that they have big worries that the convention organizers have not done enough to separate the groups with opposing positions on presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. Its a recipe for disaster the way they are handling it right now, Selaty said. While Hambley said he hoped the city would have created buffer zones between opposing groups and segregated where they could assemble, city officials said that was not possible. A vendor sells shirts as mounted police look on prior to a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Cleveland in March. (Photo: Aaron Josefczyk/Reuters) Instead, local officials have regulated where and when political groups can march. There is also a podium in Public Square, the citys central gathering spot two blocks from the convention hall at Quicken Loans Arena. People can sign up for time at the microphone to share their opinions and whoever wants to listen, can. And, yes, violence is a real possibility, Williams said on Wednesday. Demonstrators will be given some leeway to express themselves. I cant predict whats going to happen, so we plan for the worst and hope for the best, Williams said. The security plan is based on prior conventions as well as recent Trump rallies, which occasionally have turned violent. It also takes into account recent Black Lives Matter protests surrounding police-involved shootings across the nation. Police forces will be monitoring threats from cyberspace as well as terror threats by air, land or Lake Erie. Some 4,000-plus officers and agents from national, state and local law enforcement agencies will be on patrol. Visitors can expect uniformed and plainclothes officers on the streets. Weve had lots of practice, said Nicole Mainor, assistant special agent in charge for the Secret Service. Weve been working with all the partners to ensure every aspect of every event has been covered. Although the security forces and organizers seem optimistic that people will behave themselves and are confident with the security plan, at least one city consultant has waved a caution flag over the convention. AON Risk Services, Clevelands insurance adviser, recommended that the city up its liability insurance coverage to $50 million from $10 million, which is what the city initially purchased. That insurance covers claims made against law enforcement officers from other jurisdictions and damage to private property, whereas the city of Cleveland, which is self-insured, is responsible for any claims against its officers and damage to city property. Cleveland took the consultants suggestion as a matter of prudence, said city spokesman Dan Williams. The city also has reinforced its armory with all sorts of protective gear: 2,000 riot-gear suits, tactical batons, helmets, bulletproof vests for firefighters, some 4 miles of barricade fence and 300 police bicycles, according to a report from Yahoo News Jason Sickles. Who decides when that equipment gets put to use? Williams points to his commanders. Our commanders out there in the field, theyre seasoned, theyve been through this before, they know what to do if we get to a point where we have violence. Theres no reason for it unless all hell breaks loose. The city is also regulating what people regardless of whether theyre protesters, tourists or local office employees can and cannot bring downtown during the four days of the RNC. Banned items include umbrellas with metal tips, drones, bike locks, steel chains and gas masks. Guns, despite reservations by local authorities, are fine, as long the carriers have permits as required by state law. The Secret Service, however, prohibits guns from being brought into the convention hall and the area immediately outside the Quicken Loans Arena plaza that has been designated a secure zone. Meanwhile, in preparation for violence during the convention, several media outlets that are sending reporters and editors to Cleveland have reportedly given their staffs training on what to do should riots break out. Cleveland police officials also addressed the safety of journalists on Wednesday, suggesting they carry proper credentials and cooperate with police officers. If you want to put on something bright and neon, thats your fashion choice, said Williams. Our main thing is that you have something that you can show that you are part of the media. _____ Related slideshows: On the ground at the RNC Convention A photo report >>> Melania Trump in the convention spotlight >>> Convention floor erupts when no roll call taken to change rules to unbind delegates >>> Demonstrators protest outside the RNC >>> Donald Trumps America >>> On July 5, ASI Yudhveer Singh received a secret information that Mohd Intjar Ali, who was wanted in a robbery and carjacking case would come near Goyla Dairy in Dwarka area of Delhi to meet his associates. By Tanseem Haider: Crime Branch has arrested robber Mohd Intjar Ali, a resident of Trilokpuri, Delhi, member of dreaded Danish-Monu gang operating in Delhi and NCR. He was involved in a robbery case in Noida, in which he alongwith his associates had robbed a Honda City car near Wave Mall. TRAP LAID TO NAB ACCUSED On July 5, ASI Yudhveer Singh received a secret information that Mohd Intjar Ali, who was wanted in a robbery and carjacking case would come near Goyla Dairy in Dwarka area of Delhi to meet his associates. Accordingly, a team of special police officers was constituted and a trap was laid at the expected place of his arrival. advertisement At about 11:10 am, the accused was successfully intercepted by the Crime Branch team when he came in Uber Cab from Dwarka side. Sensing presence of police, the accused tried to flee away, but was successfully apprehended by the team. He was arrested and the Uber cab recovered from his possession was also seized. The accused was earlier involved in a case of robbery of Pandav Nagar area of east Delhi. UBER CAB USED IN CRIME Intjar Ali belongs to a lower middle class family. He studied up to 7th standard. However, he fell in bad company and quit his studies. Meanwhile, he learnt driving and worked as a taxi driver. Presently, he was operating a taxi with Uber Cabs. About one year ago, he joined 'Danish-Monu' gang which was active in east Delhi and NCR. The gang would use his Uber cab while committing crime to distract police attention. About 2 months ago, he alongwith his gang members robbed Honda City car near Wave Mall Sector-20, Noida. A case was registered in this regard. The gang was involved in various cases of robbery and Arms Act. --- ENDS --- A disturbing body cam video showing the shooting death of a California teenager at the hands of police has left his family frustrated and saddened by the 19-year-old's final moments. In the video shot late last month, 19-year-old Dylan Noble can be seen ignoring instructions from Fresno police to put up both his hands and lie down on the ground. Read: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade Call for End to Police Brutality, Gun Violence He backed away from the cops and appeared to reach for something behind his back before taking steps toward them. An officer then admonished the teen: Drop whatever you have in your hand. If you come forward you're going to get shot, man! Noble can be heard saying "I hate my life" before cops opened fire. As he laid wounded police shot him two more times saying he was still reaching for something in his waistband. But Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says he has questions about whether the final two shots were necessary. Were the last two rounds fired by the officers necessary? Based on a reasonable fear, did the officers have to use deadly force? I do not have the answer to that today, he told reporters. Read: Services Held for Slain Dallas Cops as Widow Tells 'Coward' Shooter 'Your Hate Made Us Stronger' The teen's mother, Veronica, spoke to Inside Edition Thursday. "He was fun, loving, loved life. His brothers looked up to him," she said. "Nobody should be dealt with like this... There are so many things they could have done." Veronica says she has not viewed the video of her son's death, saying: "I can't watch it." The video of the shooting has been released on the heels of two other controversial police shootings in Baton Rouge and Minnesota, where the funeral for 32-year-old Philando Castile was held Thursday. Tension remains high in America as a new New York Times / CBS News poll says 69 percent of Americans believe race relations are generally bad. Story continues Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina-says he was stopped seven times by police in one year. The cop, hand on his gun came up to my car and said, boy, don't you know your headlight isn't working? I was scared. Very scared, the only black Republican senator declared Wednesday on the Senate floor. Watch: Hero Mom Wounded While Shielding Her Sons From Gunfire During Dallas Sniper Attack Related Articles: BERLIN (Reuters) - Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski warned in a German newspaper that other countries could follow suit after Britons voted to leave the European Union. "There is the danger of a domino effect," Waszczykowski told the online edition of German newspaper Die Welt. He said it was therefore necessary to urgently think about what reforms were necessary in the EU, adding that the bloc needed to find new answers to economic challenges and migration as well as internal and external security. Waszczykowski said no serious political group in Poland had called for a referendum on EU membership yet but he added: "I hope that we won't be forced to take drastic measures due to imprudent actions taken by 'European reformers'." He also criticized Germany for a post-Brexit meeting that German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier held with the European Union's six founding members. Waszczykowski said small groups should not be able to make decisions and then force these on to others. "That's a recipe for catastrophe," he said. He said he thought Britons had voted to leave the EU due to "thoughtless actions by the European elite who want to push through 'even more Europe'". He said another feeling that had probably played a role in Britain's decision was "that Europe interferes in areas that should be solely controlled by the member states themselves". (Reporting by Michelle Martin; Editing by Alison Williams) President Obama held a four-and-a-half hour meeting on Wednesday inviting civil rights advocates and law enforcement to offer solutions to mend their relations. In the midst of national tension surrounding the death of two black men by law enforcement and the Dallas shooting that left five police officers dead, President Obama held a conference in the White House aimed at relieving tensions between both groups. According to attendees, the meeting was more solution-focused, a tone Obama set in his opening remarks. Not only are there very real problems but there are still deep divisions about how to solve these problems, Obama said, according to a pool report. There is no doubt that police departments still feel embattled and unjustly accused. And there is no doubt that minority communities, communities of color, still feel like it just takes too long to do whats right. We have to as a country sit down and just grind it out. Solve these problems, he later added. The meeting, that reportedly began at 2:45 p.m. and ended roughly at 7:15 p.m., allowed for law enforcement, activists and administration officials to share their stories and offer solutions. Many of the attendees stressed the importance of the presence of diverse voices. Law enforcement, elected officials, civil rights leaders, protesters, all of us needed to be in a room and talk bluntly to each other.This is a time we need to talk frankly to each other, said civil rights activist Al Sharpton. We were able to say to law enforcement what we felt, they said what they felt, protesters what they felt, those of us that had been through this before, those that had never been through it. And the president giving some leadership and guidance. And I think we learned a lot about each others real feelings. We leave here not in agreement on every issue but agreeing that the dialogue is important. But it must lead to change. Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, echoed that sentiment. The meeting allowed us to hear one another, he said. Not to agree on everything, but to find a place where we can make sure our voices were heard and, most importantly, where some sort of common humanity was reestablished between us all. Congress sent President Barack Obama a compromise bill Wednesday to address the abuse of heroin and opioids, and the White House said Obama would sign the bill. Senate voted for the bill 92-2, the Associated Press reports. The bill creates grants and other programs to address drug abuse, especially heroin and opioids. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2014, over 25,000 people died from prescription drug overdose, and over 17,000 people died from illicit drug overdose. While the President will sign this bill once it reaches his desk because some action is better than none, he wont stop fighting to secure the resources this public health crisis demands, the White House said in a statement. Congressional Republicans have not done their jobs until they provide the funding for treatment that communities need to combat this epidemic. The President will continue to press Republicans to respond to the drug abuse crisis, the White House said. [Associated Press] Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan have denied undergoing a sex determination test ahead of the birth of their first child. Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan are expecting their first child together By India Today Web Desk: Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, who are expecting their first baby, have rubbished reports of having undergone a sex determination test in London. Saif, 45, married the 35-year-old Kareena in 2012. ALSO READ: Saif's ex-wife Amrita Singh gets furious when asked about Kareena's pregnancy ALSO READ: Kareena's pregnancy won't lead to any delay in Veere Di Wedding, says Rhea Kapoor advertisement According to some media reports, the couple visited a doctor in London for a check-up and the sex determination of the baby recently. "The report is completely baseless and the couple strongly denies any such incident. There was no such discussion with any doctor in London and the report is purely a figment of someone's imagination," spokesperson of both the actors said in a statement. "Kareena and Saif are both mature adults and are above all this. We would like to request everyone not to unnecessary sensationalise a private issue," the spokesperson added. Earlier, superstar Shah Rukh Khan had faced similar accusation when his son AbRam was born. Saif has two children - daughter Sara and son Ibrahim - from his previous marriage to actor Amrita Singh. On the work front, Saif will be seen next in Vishal Bharadwaj's Rangoon while Kareena will begin work on her next film Veere Di Wedding alongside Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania in August this year. --- ENDS --- July 14 (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 North Sea oil workers to strike over pay cuts of up to 30 pct Up to eight North Sea oil platforms owned by Royal Dutch Shell Plc were facing the threat of strike action last night after rig workers rejected plans for further steep pay cuts. (http://bit.ly/29zp89U) The Guardian Co-op sells 298 small shops to McColl's The Co-operative Group has sold 298 small shops to convenience store specialist McColl's Retail Group Plc for 117 million pounds ($153.53 million). The deal, which is subject to approval by the competition watchdog, leaves the Co-op with about 2,450 stores after the sale of 100 properties including 36 stores to Hilco in May. (http://bit.ly/2aaGzz2) The Telegraph Deutsche Boerse reaches halfway point in vote for London Stock Exchange merger Deutsche Boerse AG has reached the halfway point in signing up investors to support its merger with the London Stock Exchange Group Plc, enabling a wave of investors tied up in tracker funds to join in to back the deal. The Frankfurt-based markets operator said 53 percent of its investors have now tendered their shares in support of the 21- billion-pound ($27.56-billion) tie-up, after a month-long tender process that has now been extended. (http://bit.ly/29EaQdN) Towergate fined 2.6 mln stg for failing to ring-fence client money Towergate has been fined 2.6 million pounds ($3.41 million)by Financial Conduct Authority for failing to ring-fence client funds, leaving accounts with shortfalls totalling 12.6 million pounds ($16.53 million) between 2005 and 2013. The Financial Conduct Authority has also fined the firm's former chief financial officer, Timothy Philip, 60,000 pounds and banned him from overseeing client and insurer money. Mr Philip left the firm in 2012. (http://bit.ly/29ELRTP) Sky News Poundland Agrees Takeover Deal Worth 597 million stg Story continues A South African retailer has agreed terms to enter the UK's single price discount market in a 597-million-pound ($783.38-million) takeover of Poundland Group Plc. Steinhoff International said the chain, which has more than 900 stores across the UK and Ireland, would be a "complementary fit" for its growth ambitions across Europe. (http://bit.ly/29QV9zL) The Independent Aberdeen lifts property fund suspension Aberdeen Asset Management Plc has lifted the suspension on its 2.7 billion pounds ($3.54 billion) UK property fund, the company said in a statement today. The fund manager was one of six funds that froze withdrawals last week after uncertainties about UK property prices saw investors rush to withdraw their cash. In total, around 18 billion pounds of client money was affected. (http://ind.pn/29vtt2w) ($1 = 0.7621 pounds) (Compiled by Rama Venkat Raman in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler) Madrid (AFP) - Spanish prosecutors have appealed a judge's decision to shelve a fraud case against Brazilian superstar Neymar and his father in relation to the player's 2013 transfer to Barcelona. A week ago a judge ruled that irregularities in the high-profile transfer were detected, but said it was an issue for a civil court, not a criminal court to settle. "We cannot share the judge's point of view that the facts do not reveal fraud," the public prosecutor said on Thursday when lodging the appeal. The prosecutor explained they felt the judge had not taken into account several documents that could prove fraud between Barcelona and Santos to the detriment of DIS, the Brazilian investment who are the former owners of the rights of the player. DIS, which held 40 percent of Neymar's sporting rights when he played at Santos, had claimed it was cheated out of its real share of the transfer due to parallel contracts that Barcelona and Santos allegedly used to hide the true cost. High court judge Jose de la Mata ruled that while the case "could have sporting, ethical and disciplinary repercussions", it "cannot be pursued in the criminal courts", the court said in a statement. Barcelona originally published the fee in the transfer as 57.1 million euros, with 40 million euros of that given to the player's family. But Spanish authorities believe the true transfer figure was at least 83 million euros. Santos -- the Brazilian club of a young Pele and where 24-year-old Neymar started his career -- received 17.1 million, 6.8 million euros of which went to DIS. But Spanish judicial authorities believe another 26 million euros from the parallel contracts were shared between Neymar, his family and Santos, with the DIS and the taxman missing out on their cuts. DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar Airways is to buy 49 percent of Meridiana in a move that could bolster the Italian carrier's ability to compete in the European market. The agreement was reached at the Farnborough International Airshow and the deal will close in early October, subject to certain conditions, Qatar Airways said in a statement on Thursday. The airline gave no further detail on the conditions or the price. Meridiana had asked labour unions to agree to 900 job cuts - nearly half its workforce - as part of a planned partnership with Qatar Airways, a person involved in the talks told Reuters in February. Last month, the Italian government, unions and Meridiana reached an agreement opening the way for the deal to go ahead. The agreement included the loss of about 400 jobs and a 20 percent wage cut compared with those stipulated in national collective contracts for the sector, union officials said. Meridiana, which offers flights to and from the island of Sardinia and other destinations in Italy and elsewhere, is owned by the Aga Khan, a businessman and spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims. "Today, an intense working period starts thanks to this agreement," Meridiana Chairman Marco Rigotti said in a statement. "I'm confident that all the Meridiana staff ... will know how to take advantage of this important opportunity to create a new phase for our company." The airline is operating under a government-sponsored restructuring plan to help turn it around. "Partnering with Meridiana would only make Meridiana prosper, grow and actually increase the working population of Meridiana," Qatar Airlines Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker said in April. "But for the initial period there will be some pain on the part of employees." Qatar Airways holds around a 15 percent stake in British Airways parent IAG (ICAG.L) and has been open to making further investments to help to expand its reach. The Middle East carrier is also considering taking a 25-49 percent stake in Morocco's Royal Air Maroc, Baker has said. (Reporting by Tom Finn in Doha and Agnieszka Flak in Milan; editing by Jane Merriman and David Clarke) Queen Elizabeth, pub-goer? The monarch surprised diners in a Scottish pub when she popped in for a meal while she was staying in Edinburgh. The Queen, 90, and two guests dined at the historic Sheep Heid Inn (the oldest pub in Scotland) in Duddingston last Friday. The monarch was staying at her official residence in Scotland, Holyroodhouse, which is about three miles from the pub. Earlier in the day, she visited the racecourse at Musselburgh on the outskirts of the city as part of the track's 200th birthday celebrations. The 650-year-old pub ("Heid" means "Head" in the Scots language) said they could not comment on the dinner, and a Buckingham Palace spokesman told PEOPLE that the "Queen spent the evening privately." But it is reported that the Queen and her companions ordered main courses of two portions of lamb (served with asparagus, chorizo, peas, baby onions, dauphinoise potatoes and jus) and one filet of sea bass which normally comes with mashed potatoes, green vegetables, brown shrimp and Devon crab sauce. Want to keep up with the latest royals coverage? Click here to subscribe to the Royals Newsletter. The Queen rarely slips away for a night out, but when she does, it hardly ever becomes public. In March, she and husband Prince Philip and some friends dined out at a Mayfair restaurant to mark the birthday of an old friend. What Did Queen Elizabeth II Do for the First Time in 63 Years? During her memorable visit to the Scottish capital, she was given some fun gifts, including a silver Post-it note holder for her office desk. On Wednesday, she was back in London at Buckingham Palace to welcome Britainas new prime minister, Theresa May, after spending the morning with grandson Prince William at the new base for his air ambulance charity. Hours after assuming her role as the new U.K. Prime Minister on Wednesday, Theresa May unveiled key figures in her new cabinet. The key figures on her top team include Philip Hammond as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Amber Rudd as Home Secretary, and in a controversial move, Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary. Liam Fox returns to government as head of a new Department for International Trade while the newly created role of Brexit minister, officially known as the Secretary of State for European Union Relations, will be filled by David Davis. George Osborne and Michael Gove are among those who have lost their frontbench jobs. The second-female prime minister in Britains history is also expected to balance her cabinet with more female members of parliament (MPs) in senior positions. Till those announcements are made, heres what we know about her top team: Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer The former Foreign Secretary and long-time ally of May will take the position traditionally seen as second in command. He is seen as a safe pair of hands who will guide the countrys economy through the uncertainty sparked by the Brexit vote. The 60-year-old, who has been an MP since 1997, has handled complex ministerial briefs first as Transport Minister in the 2010 coalition government before becoming Secretary of State for Defence in 2011 and finally Foreign Secretary in 2014. In contrast to what outgoing Chancellor George Osborne said before the EU referendum, Hammond told the BBC on Thursday that there would be no emergency budget to address the votes economic aftershocks. Osborne had warned during the campaign that Brexit would trigger tax rises and budget cuts. Amber Rudd, Home Secretary Rudd, who was a prominent Remain campaigner and protege of Osborne, has taken over Mays former role where she will oversee Britains counter-terrorism efforts, immigration and the police. At 52, Rudd becomes the most senior woman in government after May but joined the Cabinet only last year as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. The former investment banker, financial journalist and venture capitalist is a relative newcomer to politics having only become an MP in 2010. Story continues Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary The former Mayor of London, who had never held a cabinet position prior to his Wednesday appointment, was the leading campaigner for Britain to leave the E.U. The newspaper columnist and former Brussels correspondent, who has a history of diplomatic gaffes, began the initial stages of the Conservative Party leadership bid before dropping out unexpectedly when his ally Gove challenged him for the job. The New York-born Johnson studied at the prestigious all-boys boarding school Eton College before studying classics at Oxford University. He worked as a journalist for the London Times, the Telegraph and The Spectator, becoming an MP in 1999 and going on to become Mayor of London in 2008. David Davis, Secretary of State for European Union Relations This long-standing Euroskeptic will take up a new role already nicknamed Brexit minister. Davis, 67, once attempted to win the Conservative Party leadership in 2005where he came in second to Mays predecessor David Cameron. He served as Foreign Office minister under John Major in 1994 followed by a number of shadow roles while Labour was in power from 1997 to 2010. He has been called an untraditional Conservative, having being brought up by a single mother on a council estate in London, and has clashed with May in past over her proposed surveillance legislation. He has a masters degree from Harvard University, and from a recent article written in Conservative Home, it is suggested he will seek to keep Britains access to the single market. Liam Fox, International Trade Secretary The prominent Euroskeptics new mandate will be to secure new trade deals with the world, which the Leave campaign touted as a benefit to leaving the E.U. Fox, 54,who worked as a doctor before becoming an MP in 1992, has made two stabs as the role of leader of the Conservative Party: the first in 2005 against former Prime Minister David Cameron and the second, against May at the end of June. He resigned from his previous cabinet position as defence secretary in 2011 and voted against same-sex marriage in 2013. Fox was mentioned in the sleeve of the debut album of Natalia Imbruglia. Elizabeth Truss, Justice Minister and Lord Chancellor The former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs takes up Goves former role as Justice Minister. Truss, usually known as Liz, is also the first woman to become Lord Chancellor. Truss, 40, became a MP in 2010, when she was elected to her South West Norfolk seat. The qualified management consultant co-authored a 2012 booklet entitled Britannia Unchained that argued for more deregulation and alleged the British are among the worst idlers in the world. Unlike many of her cabinet colleagues Truss campaigned for Britain to remain in the E.U., arguing that the E.U. was responsible for major global environmental breakthroughs such as the reduction of acid rain and reducing the hole in the ozone layer. Justine Greening Education Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities The former international secretary became the first openly gay cabinet minister when she revealed in June that she is in a same-sex relationship. Born in the South Yorkshire town of Rotherham, the 47-year-old is also one of the few education secretaries to have attended a state school or a public school, in the U.S. without a selection criteria for students. The former accountant and finance manager was first elected as a Conservative Party MP in 2005, and went on to gain five years of cabinet experience under the 2010 coalition government. She too campaigned to remain within the E.U, and said after coming out: I campaigned for Stronger In but sometimes youre better off out. Michael Fallon, Defence Minister Fallon stays in his role of Defence Minister. The ally of Cameron and Osborne became an MP in 1983, and has had stints as business minister and energy minister. He was also forced to apologize to London Mayor Sadiq Khan after alleging Khan associated with a Muslim cleric who supported ISISa claim that was not true. The former director of gym chain, Bannatyne Fitness, is seen as a steady hand in government and gave May his backing during her leadership bid. Patrick McLoughlin, Party Chairman The long-serving transport secretary, who was Camerons chief whip, has taken the role of Conservative Party Chairman. This means the 57-year-old is now responsible for the Cabinet Office, which is responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and her cabinet. Gavin Williamson, Chief Whip The 40-year-old was Camerons former parliamentary private secretary and campaign manager for Mays Conservative leadership bid. His promotion to chief whip, who is concerned with the discipline of the Conservative Party members, is considered a big step-up for Williamson. Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary Hunt stays on in his role as Health Secretary his department is currently in a standoff with junior doctors, who are striking over recent attempts to impose a new contract on them. Hunt is a contemporary of Johnson and Cameron from Oxford University. It was mistakenly reported on Thursday morning that he lost his job, and Hunt did not shy away from pointing out the error: https://twitter.com/Jeremy_Hunt/status/753560479658901504 Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary The 54-year-olds latest role is seen as sideways move, not a promotion. As Justice Secretary, the Euroskeptics attempts at prisoner and court reform were criticized and largely done away with by successor Gove. Grayling also had roles as the employment minister and leader of the House of Commons. He was a television producer and management consultant prior to becoming an MP in 2001. He is seen as an adept political survivor who has shaken off a series of political controversies. Damien Green, Work and Pensions Minister The former Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice, a friend of May from university days and worked with her in the Home Office, is promoted to Secretary of the Department of Work and Pensions. He takes over from Stephen Crabb who resigned from the position following allegations about his private life. Green, 60, worked as a journalist before joining then Prime Minister John Majors Policy Unit in 1992 and getting elected as an MP in 1997. Andrea Leadsom, Environment Minister Leadsom, who was Mays leadership rival just days before, has been promoted within her department to Environmental Secretary.The darling of Brexiteers dramatically left the leadership race on July 11 following reports that her C.V. was embellished and a London Times interview where she said being a mother, unlike May, gave her a a very real stake in the future of Britain a claim she later apologized for. Sajid Javid, Communities Secretary Javid was previously business secretary and his move is seen as a demotion. He was criticized in recent months for his handling of negotiations with Tata Steel over the sale of its U.K. operations, a move that could cost 11,000 jobs. The son of a bus-driver from Pakistan, Javid went on to become Chase Manhattan Banks youngest vice-president at the age of 25. He moved into politics in 2010, working in the Treasury, Equalities Office and a stint as the Culture Secretary before the 2015 general elections. James Brokenshire, Northern Ireland secretary He replaces Theresa Villiers, who resigned on Thursday. Brokenshire, 48, worked under May as the Immigration Minister and was in favor of remaining within the E.U. He was a partner at an international law firm prior to becoming an MP in 2005. He has also served as Security Minister in the Home Office between 2011-2015, with responsibility for the countrys counter-terrorism strategy. Priti Patel, International Development Minister Patel, who had previously suggested the Department of International Development be scrapped, has been given the responsibility for overseeing international aid. The daughter of Ugandan-Indian immigrants was one of the first Conservative ministers to support Brexit, campaigning for control over the U.K.s immigration policy. Greg Clark, Business and Energy Secretary The former Communities Secretary has been appointed the head of the newly-created Ministry of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy which suggests parts of Leadsoms department is being merged with the Business Ministry. Karen Bradley, Culture Minister Former Minister for Preventing Abuse, Exploitation and Crime minister Karen Bradley, who worked under May in the Home Office, is the new Secretary of State for Culture. Bradley, 46, is a former chartered accountant and will now oversee the government review if the BBC. Alun Cairns, Welsh Secretary Cairns, 45, remains as the Secretary of State for Wales. He campaigned for Britain to remain in the U.K. Smoke House Deli recently hosted its second 'Festival of Sangria', and here's a look at what was on offer. By Mohini Mehrotra: Smoke House Deli, known for its scrumptious offerings, is onto something new. The deli recently hosted its second edition of 'Festival of Sangria', an ode of sorts to the Spanish, Portuguese inspired concoctions of red and white wine infused with chopped fruits and heady fragrances. The festival celebrated the carefully crafted sangrias that were accompanied by special subtle earthy aromas. advertisement Also read: 2 wine spritzer cocktail recipes that are super easy to make at home, and ideal for summer Bar head and mixologist at Impresario, Vijay Prakash, who's the brains behind these distinct drinks, took inspiration from summer female fragrances based on fruity and floral notes such as lilies, jasmine, orchids, peaches, plums, pears and more, to create edible perfumes that he's used in the sangrias. A sip of this sangria can easily transport you to Spain. Picture courtesy: Smoke House Deli His passion for his craft is evident when he animatedly talks about all the research that went into making these unique edible perfumes which include patchouli, sandal, saffron and oudh. On this special menu curated by him with the guidance of Riyaaz Amlani, C.E.O. & managing director, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd--were beautiful wine-based concoctions such as Cher Rouge--Cabernet Sauvignon with Cointreau, mixed with fresh maraschino cherry and black grapes--an absolutely delightful fruity drink that leaves a sweet aftertaste in your mouth, and the Kiss of Ceylon--Merlot with chunks of fresh plums and black grape, infused with Sri Lankan cinnamon and smoked pomegranate--exotic and delicious. Fruity and floral notes elevate this sangria to gourmet level. Picture courtesy: Smoke House Deli Fruity and floral notes elevate this sangria to gourmet level. Picture courtesy: Smoke House Deli Paired with small delectable bites like assorted Bruschetta and Curried Cottage Cheese Skewers, the meal turned out to be quite the gourmet lunch affair. Also read: Electric blue wine is the new in thing Even though the festival might be over, there's a lot more for you try at Smoke House Deli. Smoke House Deli's sangrias were inspired by classic Spanish and Portuguese flavours. Picture courtesy: Smoke House Deli Take a pick from their cocktails such as Thyme & Berry Martini or Mango & Ginger Margarita, all made using fresh ingredients and garnished with edible flowers. So, head out this weekend for a lazy Sunday brunch with friends and family as you satiate your cravings with pancakes, eggs, salads, burgers and more. At Shop No 17, Middle Land 1 & 2nd Floor, Khan Market, Rabindra Nagar, Khan Market; Shop No 252/253 DLF Place Mall, Saket; Village Near-Dear Park, 12, Hauz Khas Tank, Deer Park, Hauz Khas; Shop No 125 GF DLF Promenade Mall, DLF Promenade, Vasant Kunj Website: smokehousedeli.in/ --- ENDS --- BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Philip Hammond's remarks that British financial services should retain access to the European Union's single market are "reasonable," German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Thursday. He added that he would have a phone call with Hammond who was appointed as Chancellor by Prime Minister Theresa May after Britain voted to leave the EU last month. Schaeuble said the G20, whose finance ministers meet in China next week, was determined to contain the negative effects of Britain's eventual exit from the EU. (Reporting by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Caroline Copley) BERLIN (Reuters) - A record 2.14 million people moved to Germany last year, a 46 percent increase from 2014 after an influx of refugees, the Federal Statistics Office said on Thursday. It said around 45 percent of the 2.14 million immigrants who arrived in Germany last year were citizens of other European Union countries, 13 percent were from non-EU European countries, and 30 percent were from Asia, mainly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Five percent were from Africa. The Interior Ministry said earlier this year that 1.1 million migrants entered Germany last year with the aim of seeking asylum but the number of migrants who applied for asylum last year was much lower at 476,649. Those who wish to seek asylum have faced delays in making their applications. It was not immediately clear whether the numbers from the statistics office were based on that data. A record 998,000 people left Germany last year, a 9 percent increase compared with 2014. That led to net migration of 1.14 million, also an all-time high figure, the Statistics Office said. (Reporting by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Alison Williams) (Reuters) - A Tennessee state lawmaker was accused of inappropriate sexual conduct with 22 women over a four-year period in a state attorney general's report released on Wednesday. Republican Representative Jeremy Durham repeatedly made unwelcomed advances toward female legislative staff, interns and lobbyists since being elected in 2012, according to a report issued to a legislative committee investigating his conduct. Durham declined to be interviewed by investigators, the report said, and he was not immediately available for comment. "The investigation has been a politically motivated, unfair and unconstitutional process," said Durham's attorney Bill Harbison in a statement to the Nashville CBS affiliate News Channel 5. The report details interviews with 22 unnamed women who described numerous occasions when the married legislator flirted and made suggestive sexual comments or physical advances toward them. In one case, Durham had sex with an 20-year-old campaign worker in his legislative office and again in his home. On several occasions, he sent text messages or used social media to make "inappropriate" comments to several women. One of the women described the messages as "terribly inappropriate" while another said his behavior "creeped her out." A lobbyist told investigators that Durham suggested he would vote for a bill she was promoting if she entertained his advances. "I'm for your bill but I'm going to expect something in return," he told her according to the report. In a memo attached to the report, the committee said it will leave Durham's fate to the voters as he is up for re-election in November. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Tom Heneghan) By PTI: Srinagar, July 13 (PTI) Separatist groups today extended the shutdown call in Kashmir till July 15 to protest against the killing of civilians in the aftermath of gunning down of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last Friday. "People are appealed to observe a complete strike on July 14 and 15," said a joint statement issued by Hurriyat Conference factions led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq as also JKLF headed by Mohammad Yasin Malik. advertisement The separatists had initially called for shutdown till July 11 and then they extended it by two days till today. The statement also condemned the detention of Geelani and Mirwaiz who tried to lead separate marches towards Martyrs Graveyard from their respective residences today. PTI MIJ AKK AKK --- ENDS --- Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus (Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP) CLEVELAND After days of assurances from the Trump campaign and the RNC that the Rules Committee meeting starting Thursday would go off without a hitch, the session began with a five-hour delay while the parties met behind closed doors. Rules Committee Chair Enid Mickelsen laughably blamed the delay on a problem with the printer. One meeting was between Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who is a key figure among the 112 members of the convention Rules Committee. Other committee members met separately, as the RNC sought to beat back not only a motion to unbind the delegates which could unleash chaos on the convention floor next week but also a series of proposals from former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli that would weaken the RNC chairman and change the way the committee operates. Priebus meeting with Lee was to talk about the unbinding proposal, also known as the conscience clause, a key goal of the effort to block Trumps nomination. It was not clear whether Lee supported it, but he has not endorsed Trump. His spokesman told Yahoo News earlier this week that he had decided days ago about how he would vote on the convention Rules Committee. If Lee supports the unbinding motion, it could open the door to a contested convention in which Trump fails to win on the first ballot and other names are put in nomination, setting off a floor fight. Hoping to avert that, the RNC appeared to be willing to cut a deal with Cuccinelli to keep his forces from aligning with the conscience clause movement. When the committee reconvened at 1 p.m., Mickelsen acknowledged that the long delay had not been due to a broken printer. A number of delegates asked for a period of time to work out their differences. I dont know what they have or have not decided, Mickelsen said. Outside the meeting, Cuccinelli and former RNC member James Bopp huddled with aides and talked occasionally with RNC staff, including chief of staff Katie Walsh. Story continues The RNC reportedly was offering Cuccinelli a deal in which the first four primary states Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada would not allow Democrats or independents to take part in primary voting and would offer delegate bonuses to other states that closed their primaries. However, other sources who talked to people in the meeting between Cuccinelli and Priebus said the idea of closing those primaries was offered by Cuccinelli, but rejected by New Hampshire committee member Steve Duprey and others. Instead, the delegates approved a resolution creating a commission to study the nominating process, in hopes that Cuccinellis reforms could be deferred until then. By midafternoon, talks between Cuccinelli and the RNC had fully broken down. But as it relates to the coming motion to unbind the delegates, the Trump and RNC whip operation was confident after a test vote went their way. Lee spoke in favor of a proposal to revoke a rule, created four years ago, that gave the 168-member RNC more power over rules changes, at the expense of the 2,472 delegates at the convention. But the motion, opposed by the Trump forces and the national committee, failed by a large margin in the Rules Committee. If that vote is any indication, Lee, who was widely viewed as one of the most influential members of the committee, may not be able to swing many voters his way. Because of the long morning delay, the Rules Committee meeting, which was scheduled to end at 6 p.m., seemed likely to last late into the night before starting back up Friday morning. _____ Related slideshows: On the ground at the RNC Convention A photo report >>> Melania Trump in the convention spotlight >>> Convention floor erupts when no roll call taken to change rules to unbind delegates >>> Demonstrators protest outside the RNC >>> Donald Trumps America >>> Beirut (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Thursday he has never faced pressure from Russia to step aside, as Moscow prepared to host US Secretary of State John Kerry on reviving peace efforts. Speaking to NBC News in Damascus, Assad insisted his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had never raised the issue of his departure or a political transition. "Only the Syrian people define who's going to be the president, when to come, and when to go. They never said a single word regarding this," he said. Assad's fate is a key question in efforts to bring about a negotiated settlement to Syria's five-year civil war. Moscow and Washington have backed a roadmap that calls for a nationwide ceasefire and Geneva-based talks on a "political transition". But there has been little progress towards a hoped-for resumption of talks this month, and the prospects for such a transition now appear slim. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura on Thursday urged Moscow and Washington to push for a resumption of the talks next month. The talks "have a target date of August," De Mistura said, adding that they need to be "a credible beginning of a roadmap towards a political transition." Kerry was due to arrive later Thursday in Moscow, a close ally of Assad's government that launched air strikes in support of regime forces in September last year. - Kerry 'extremely frustrated' - Moscow and Washington brokered a landmark partial ceasefire in Syria in February but it has since all but collapsed amid continued heavy fighting. Kerry said before leaving Washington that he would meet Putin "to see if we can somehow advance this (the peace process) in the important ways that people want us to." Kerry's spokesman John Kirby told reporters his boss was "extremely frustrated" with the failure of peace efforts. In Washington, many observers have criticised Kerry's outreach to Russia on Syria, arguing he has been strung along by Putin as he seeks to protect his client Assad. Story continues Syria's conflict began in 2011 with the repression of anti-government demonstrations and has evolved into a multi-front war that has left more than 280,000 dead and forced millions from their homes. Efforts to bring an end to the war have taken on greater urgency since the emergence of the Islamic State group, which seized control of large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in mid-2014. The jihadists have committed widespread atrocities and organised or inspired a wave of attacks across the Middle East and in Western cities. A US-led coalition is carrying out air strikes against them in Syria and Iraq, and recent months have seen IS lose significant territory. Moscow has also been bombing the jihadists, and on Thursday said it had carried out more than 50 strikes against IS near the Syrian city of Palmyra in the past two days. On Thursday alone six Tupolev bombers flew out of an airbase in Russia and conducted strikes east of Palmyra, near the cities of Arak and Sukhna, as well as in the Homs region, it said. IS fighters were forced out of Palmyra by Syrian regime forces in March with Russian backing, but Arak and Sukhna remain out of the government's control. - Colvin 'responsible' for death - The Washington Post reported Thursday that Washington was to offer to cooperate with Moscow in joint military action against IS and the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra Front. In Paris before heading to Moscow, Kerry did not deny the report, but refused to discuss the proposal in detail until he had been to the Kremlin. According to the Post, which cited sections of what it said was a draft agreement, US and Russian commanders would set up a joint command and control centre to direct intensified air strikes against the groups. Despite repeated announcements of ceasefires, Syrian government forces have continued offensives on a range of fronts, with fighting especially heavy around second city Aleppo in recent weeks. Fresh air strikes on two rebel-held neighbourhoods of Aleppo killed at least 12 civilians on Thursday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. In his interview with NBC, Assad also said Marie Colvin, a US reporter killed in alleged Syrian government bombardment in the city of Homs in 2012, was responsible for her own death. "She worked with the terrorists, and because she came illegally, she's been responsible of everything that befall on her," Assad said, speaking in English. His comments came days after relatives of Colvin filed a lawsuit in a US court alleging Assad's regime targeted her to stop her covering government atrocities. Moscow (AFP) - Russia has conducted more than 50 air strikes since Tuesday against Islamic State (IS) jihadists near the Syrian city of Palmyra, the defence ministry in Moscow said. "The Russian air force has increased the intensity of its strikes against targets of the armed units of international terrorist organisations near the city of Palmyra," the ministry said in a statement Thursday on its Facebook page. "Since July 12, Russian air force planes have conducted more than 50 strikes against Islamic State personnel and material in this area." Six Tupolev bombers flew out of an airbase in Russia on Thursday morning and conducted strikes east of Palmyra, near the cities of Arak and Sukhna, as well as in the Homs region, the statement said. The ministry said the strikes had destroyed "a command centre, a field camp for IS fighters, two oil processing plants and a large quantity of the enemy's personnel and military hardware." IS fighters were forced out of Palmyra by Syrian regime forces in March with Russian backing, but Arak and Sukhna remain out of the government's control. Arak, located 35 kilometres (21 miles) east of Palmyra, is a small town that has strategic importance because of a nearby oil field, while Sukhna, 70 km northeast of Palmyra, is an IS bastion. Russia is stepping up its bombing campaign in Syria as US Secretary of State John Kerry is set to meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday in Washington's latest bid to revive the stalled Syrian peace process. Kerry's visit to Russia -- his second this year -- comes as bloodshed continues in defiance of a series of failed ceasefires. Russia and the US appear increasingly at odds over the way forward amid heightened diplomatic tensions. MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court postponed until Friday a preliminary hearing on the death of the ex-boss of French oil major Total who was killed when his jet collided with a snow plough in a Moscow airport. At a session of the court on Thursday, lawyers for the five airport employees who are defendants in the case said the investigation had missed crucial evidence. Prosecutors said they needed more time to respond to the defense claims, and the judge gave them until Friday. Christophe de Margerie, chief executive of France's largest listed company, was killed in October 2014 along with three air crew when his jet hit the snow plough as it was taking off from Moscow's Vnukovo airport in the middle of the night. The trial of the five airport employees has been postponed several times and Russia's IAC civil aviation investigative body has yet to release its report about the crash, which critics say exposed the country's patchy air safety record. Alexander Karabanov, the lawyer for snow plough driver Vladimir Martynenko, said lawyers for the defense had put forward a motion for further investigation in the case. "At the moment motions were put forward in court on additional investigation because there were major breaches of laws," Karabanov told reporters outside Moscow's Solntsevo District Court on Thursday. "The prosecutor asked for more time so that he can prepare and give a substantive response," he said. The lawyers believe that the investigation had not taken into consideration the actions of the flight crew, including how the pilots should have acted, said Leonid Kurakin, the lawyer for Vnukovo airport's head of flights Roman Dunayev. "These issues were not worked through by the investigation." (Reporting by Reuters Television in Moscow; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov and Maria Vasilyeva) By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's FSB security service said on Thursday it would punish dozens of new agents who celebrated graduating from the agency's training academy by ostentatiously driving through Moscow in a luxury convoy allowing themselves to be photographed. Millions of Russians have watched footage of the incident, with many, including veteran spies, branding it a shameful display of wealth and power at a time of economic crisis. "For four years they were taught conspiracy, corporate ethics and that one must not reveal secrets," retired FSB Major-General Alexander Mikhailov told the Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid. "So pompous and arrogant. If that's how they start their careers, they won't do any good." The newly minted agents hired dozens of black Mercedes jeeps which they drove through the Russian capital's streets last month, blocking traffic, honking their horns, and hanging out the windows filming each other on their mobile phones. They also organized a group photograph, which showed some of the young men clutching champagne flutes. The photograph found its way onto the internet along with video footage of the convoy. (http://bit.ly/29B6SND) The new agents' faces are clearly visible, handing a possible gift to rival foreign intelligence agencies, a fact that angered veteran Russian agents, some of whom said it amounted to treason. PUTIN'S PROFESSION The FSB is the main successor to the KGB, romanticized in Soviet times as the warriors of the invisible front, but feared by any who questioned authority. The FSB and the overseas intelligence organization, the SVR, retain great influence under President Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB officer. The Kremlin, preparing for September parliamentary polls, was unamused by the FSB graduates' exuberance. Opinion polls show a yawning gap between rich and poor is one of Russians' top worries and there are growing signs the authorities want to curb overly showy displays of wealth which might stir tension. The FSB, whose activities include internal and border security, counter-terrorism, and surveillance, said in a statement it had conducted an inquiry into the scandal and had decided to take tough action. "For the first time in many years of celebratory events outside work, students allowed actions to take place which attracted heightened public scrutiny," it said. "Their indecorous showy personal behavior linked to hiring luxury vehicles rightly caused outrage among citizens and was harshly condemned inside the security services who regarded it as incompatible with our code of ethics and service behavior." The FSB said the agents involved would be punished by having the conditions of their assignments changed, that some of the Academy's trainers had been demoted and others would be fired. The academy teaches students foreign languages, counter-intelligence and investigative skills, and cryptography. Students also participate in shooting, martial arts and hand-to-hand fighting competitions. (Editing by Ralph Boulton) After considerable backlash, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg apologized on Thursday for her recent comments on presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them. Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect, Ginsburg said in a statement, obtained by the Washington Post and other outlets. The left-leaning justice had called the real estate magnate egotistical and inconsistent. She also joked about possibly leaving the country should he be elected president. She made the comments in interviews with the New York Times, the Associated Press and CNN. Many people feel that a Supreme Court justice publicly condemning or supporting a candidate for the Oval Office could call into question his or her impartiality. And her critics were not exclusively from the Republican Party. Many liberals who actually agree with her assessment of Trump argued that she should have refrained from commenting publicly because of her role within the United States democratic system. The editorial boards of both the New York Times and the Washington Post published opinion pieces earlier this week criticizing Ginsburg for her remarks. Like clockwork, Trump also waded into the discussion about himself on Twitter, attacking Ginsburg and demanding an apology Wednesday night: Is Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg going to apologize to me for her misconduct? Big mistake by an incompetent judge! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2016 Even the @NYTimes and @WashingtonPost Editorial Boards condemned Justice Ginsburg for her ethical and legal breach. What was she thinking? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2016 If I win the Presidency, we will swamp Justice Ginsburg with real judges and real legal opinions! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2016 The Code of Conduct for United States Judges clearly prohibits judges from publicly endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. Story continues However, members of the Supreme Court are technically exempt from the code, even if they consult it for guidance. In recent years, several politicians have pushed for the Supreme Court to adopt its own code of ethics. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaking at Georgetown University Law Center in 2015. (Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) Top brass in the Republican Party, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said it was inappropriate for someone on the Supreme Court to enter the public discourse over presidential campaigns. But she did have her defenders. Lawrence ODonnell, a political pundit for MSNBC, argued that Ginsburg did not cross any line and that there is nothing preventing her from running for president herself. After all, he said, three justices ran for president in the 19th century. None of their campaigns was successful. According to Lyle Denniston, the constitutional literacy adviser for the National Constitution Center, a Supreme Court justices First Amendment right to political commentary would be limited only if it revealed that he or she would be biased when deciding a lawsuit. He said that most judges refrain from making comments that might be interpreted as an attempt to sway voters to vote for one candidate or another. This stems from the publics general opinion that judges and justices should stay above the fray of the sometimes petty nature of American politics. The people of America are not at all squeamish about holding strong views and making strong statements about politics and political candidates, Denniston wrote, but they do seem to be squeamish about having judges do the same. This justice got served. Donald Trump has received an apology from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who spoke out against the soon-to-be Republican nominee. Read: Dollars and Pence: Is the Indiana Governor Donald Trump's Pick for VP? "On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them," Ginsburg said in a statement. "Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect." Ginsburg had trashed Trump in a New York Times interview Tuesday, saying: I can't imagine what the country would be with Donald Trump as our president. In a CNN interview earlier this week, she called the presumptive GOP nominee a faker who really has an ego. Read: Reporter Working for Trump's Son-in-Law Slams The Donald's 'Undeniably Anti-Semitic' Ad Following her comments about Trump, the billionaire went off on his favorite social media platform Twitter. Is Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg going to apologize to me for her misconduct? Big mistake by an incompetent judge! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2016 Even the @NYTimes and @WashingtonPost Editorial Boards condemned Justice Ginsburg for her ethical and legal breach. What was she thinking? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2016 If I win the Presidency, we will swamp Justice Ginsburg with real judges and real legal opinions! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2016 On Tuesday, he also spoke to The New York Times where he said: I think its highly inappropriate that a United States Supreme Court judge gets involved in a political campaign, frankly. I think its a disgrace to the court, and I think she should apologize to the court. I couldnt believe it when I saw it. Story continues Watch: Naked Model Yells About Donald Trump, Taunts Cops on Times Square Staircase Before Falling Off Related Articles: Shahid Kapoor shared an adorable photo with his pregnant wife Mira Rajput on Instagram. By India Today Web Desk: Shahid Kapoor is a doting husband, and the pictures posted by the 35-year-old actor is a proof of it. Shahid, who is expecting his first child along with wife Mira Rajout, shared an adorable picture of him taking care of his pregnant wife. ALSO READ: Shahid Kapoor dines out with pregnant wife Mira Rajput ALSO READ: Shahid Kapoor finally opens up on wife Mira Rajput's health Beautiful moments. ?? A photo posted by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) on Jul 13, 2016 at 4:33am PDT advertisement The Haider actor, who has wrapped up the shooting of Vishal Bhardwaj's period drama Rangoon, hasn't signed any new project till the time Mira delivers the baby. Buzz has it that baby Kapoor is expected around Mid-September and Shahid is trying to spend as much time as possible with his wife. In fact, the soon-to-be parents recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary. In a recent interview, Shahid revealed that he is happy to have Mira around him as he always wanted to settle down. He added that Mira has made him a better person. On the work front, Shahid will be next in Rangoon. The period drama also stars Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan. --- ENDS --- By Curtis Skinner SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A San Francisco police sergeant involved the deadly shooting of a homeless man will no longer work in a unit set up to oversee reforms of the department, which has been under fire over a string of police shootings and racist text messages sent by officers. Sergeant Nate Steger was transferred to the San Francisco Police Department's Professional Standards and Principled Policing Bureau within weeks of an April incident in which he and another officer shot and killed Luis Gongora, who witnesses said had been waving a knife, police spokesman Michael Andraychak said late Wednesday. Amid criticism from Gongora's family and anti-police brutality activists, who questioned whether Steger would be able to implement reforms while under review himself, the sergeant agreed to be transferred to another unit, Andraychak said. "Sgt. Steger agreed to be transferred from the Professional Standards Bureau," Andraychak said in a statement. "He understands the family's concerns." The transfer was announced by Acting Police Chief Toney Chaplin at a meeting of the city's police commission on Wednesday night, Andraychak said. Steger's initial move into the bureau had been planned before the Gongora shooting, he said. The trouble in the San Francisco Police Department came amid heightened racial tensions in the United States following protests sparked last week by police killings of black men in Baton Rouge and near St. Paul, Minnesota, as well as a sniper attack against police in Dallas that killed five officers. The San Francisco department has been racked by scandals and protests since the December shooting of 26-year-old Mario Woods, a black man who was a suspect in a stabbing and whose shooting was videotaped. Since then, Gongora and a black woman named Jessica Williams have also been killed by police during altercations, prompting protests. In Gongora's case, police said Steger and another officer responded to an April 7 call about the homeless man waving a knife, and shot him with multiple bean-bag rounds before opening fire with their handguns. In addition, two separate scandals have broken out over racist and homophobic text messages sent by some officers to their colleagues within the past two years. The former police chief, Greg Suhr, resigned under pressure from Mayor Ed Lee. (Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Sharon Bernstein and Jonathan Oatis) If theres something strange in the neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, so they can turn strange into funny. The two Saturday Night Live players are starring in this weekends Ghostbusters reboot. The movie itself has attracted a lot of (undeserved) controversy, but nobody can argue with Jones and McKinnons comedy chops. Related: 15 Things You Never Knew About the Original Ghostbusters Weve witnessed their hilarity week after week on SNL, particularly on Weekend Update. The women really shine with their recurring characters, like McKinnons Olya Povlatsky, a small-town Russian woman who comments on her countrys current affairs. On the Sochi Olympics, Olya wondered why anybody would want to go to Russia, when shes been trying to leave all her life. When Seth Meyers notes that Sochi is considered a resort town, Olya snorts. The last resort. The only time she ever went to Sochi was to throw herself into the sea. As for Jones, shes appeared as a relationship expert with a refreshingly candid take on modern-day romance, like the perils of texting. When a man rejected her via text, Jones noted that even her Uber driver was like, damn, thats cold. See McKinnon and Jones bust ghosts alongside SNL alum Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy this weekend. SNL returns for its 42nd season this fall. Beirut (AFP) - The Islamic State group claimed its fighters shot down a Syrian regime warplane near the eastern city of Deir Ezzor and killed its pilot, in statements on jihadist websites. The extremist group said the MiG fighter jet was downed over the south of Deir Ezzor city after it had carried out several raids on villages in the area. The pilot died when the plane crashed, it said. There was no immediate confirmation from the Syrian government. But state-run SANA news agency reported that Syrian warplanes had carried out several sorties on Thursday to the east and south of Deir Ezzor city. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that IS fighters shot down the regime plane as it flew over an area adjacent to a military airport. IS controls large parts of Deir Ezzor city and most of oil-rich Deir Ezzor province, but has so far failed to overrun the airbase. The Observatory -- which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information -- says it determines what planes carried out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved. It said the plane downed on Thursday was the fourth shot down by IS fighters since April. By David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. missile defense system to counter attacks from rogue states like North Korea has no proven capability to protect the United States and is not on a credible path to achieve that goal, a science advocacy group said on Thursday. The ground-based midcourse missile defense system, which has deployed 30 interceptors in Alaska and California, has been tested under highly scripted conditions only nine times since being deployed in 2004, and failed to destroy its target two-thirds of the time, the Union of Concerned Scientists said in a report. "After nearly 15 years of effort to build the GMD homeland missile defense system, it still has no demonstrated real-world capability to defend the United States," said Laura Grego, a UCS physicist who co-authored the report. Deficiencies in the program, which has cost $40 billion so far and is being expanded to include 44 interceptors by 2017, are due largely to a Bush administration decision to exempt the system from normal oversight and accountability, to rush it into service by 2004, Grego said in an interview. "Instead of getting something out to the field that worked well or worked adequately, in fact this has been a disaster. It's done the opposite," she said. The Obama administration's efforts to improve oversight while keeping the system outside the normal development and procurement process have contributed to the problems, she said. "The lack of accountability has had and will have real lasting effects, especially for a system ... that's strategically important. It should be held to the highest standards, the highest rigor," she added. The Missile Defense Agency said in a statement the rapid deployment requirement in the law that created the system was "a driving factor" in the delivery of a ground-based interceptor with "reliability challenges." The agency said the problems had led to changes in the interceptor's design and a program to improve reliability, including use of more mature technologies. The MDA said it was seeking ways to reduce the risks of deploying equipment still under development. The UCS report echoed criticisms the homeland missile defense system has faced from other quarters. A Pentagon assessment in 2015 found that flight testing of the system was still "insufficient to demonstrate that an operationally useful defense capability exists." A February report by Congress's Government Accountability Office said the MDA was taking a "high-risk" approach by buying interceptors still under development for operational use. (Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by David Gregorio) EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Brian Sears appears on the ballot for harness racing's Hall of Fame for the first time later this summer. Sears could burnish his credentials with another victory Saturday night in the $732,050 Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-olds when he drives Control The Moment. Sears won the Meadowlands Racetrack's signature event with Rocknroll Hanover in 2005. It was one of the career highlights for Sears, a third-generation horseman, who has won over $172 million to rank fifth all time. Sears, 48, is closing in on 10,000 wins. He was the only candidate approved by the Hall of Fame screening committee earlier this month at Goshen, N.Y. Previous Hall of Fame inductees and members of the United States Harness Writer's Association will consider Sears' candidacy in August. He needs 75 percent of the votes cast for induction. ''No doubt, it is a big honor,'' Sears said. Until then, Sears is focused on more immediate goals - starting with the Pace. Control The Moment, the 5-2 second choice, captured the Pace elimination last week with a lifetime-best 1:49 2/5 mile. It was a welcome return to form for the colt voted best juvenile pacer in Canada last season. And for the first time, Sears was in the sulky. ''He had been in a number of tough situations with a lot of pressure put on the horse due to the fact he was such a great colt coming back as a 3-year-old,'' Sears said. ''There were a lot of expectations.'' It was an impressive win, with Control The Moment rocketing past rivals in deep stretch to log his 10th victory in 15 starts. ''I was really pleased with the effort,'' Sears said. ''It was a nice trip. Those horses were coming back to me a little bit. My horse hadn't been used.'' Control The Moment starts from post 3. Racing Hill, the 9-5 favorite, starts alongside in post 4. The winner of the Hempt Stakes at Pocono Downs received a bye into the Pace final. Story continues Speed is Racing Hill's best asset, setting up what could be a lively battle for the early lead. ''With my spot, I'm obviously in a position where we have to go forward,'' Sears said. ''I have to be aggressive myself and make decisions from there. I'm sure there will be a few of them leaving out of there.'' The biggest supporting event on the Pace night card is the $471,800 William Haughton Memorial for older pacers featuring the big three in the division: Always B Miki, Freaky Feet Pete and Wiggle It Jiggleit, the defending Harness Horse of the Year and the 2015 Meadowlands Pace winner. The full field for the Meadowlands Pace, in post position order with drivers and odds: Another Daily Copy, Trace Tetrick, 30-1; Good Living, Corey Callahan, 30-1; Control The Moment, Sears, 5-2; Racing Hill, Brett Miller, 9-5; Lyons Snyder, David Miller, 9-2; Boston Red Rocks, Tim Tetrick, 6-1; Manhattan Beach, Joe Bongiorno, 20-1; JK Will Power, Yannick Gingras, 8-1; Check Six, Matt Kakaley, 15-1 and Talk Show, Scott Zeron, 25-1. Veteran New York Sen. Chuck Schumer knows a thing or two about guns. The chair of the Democratic Policy Committee and potential next Senate Minority Leader co-authored the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, the latter of which he told Billboard he considers "one of the most important things I've done in my career as a legislator." That helps explains why Schumer, along with his Democratic colleagues in the House, refuses to stop pushing efforts to pass new common sense gun measures in the wake of a string of mass shootings, including the most recent in Orlando and Dallas. Among those provisions are expanded background checks covering online and gun show sales and the so-called "no fly, no buy" provision, which would block suspected terrorists on the no-fly list from buying weapons. Nancy Pelosi Calls House Republicans a 'Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Gun Industry' "I think the inability to do the slightest and most rational things about guns, which have the support of up to 90 percent of all Americans is an affront to the American people," Schumer says of the thwarted efforts to pass new gun restrictions in Congress over the past three weeks. "The proliferation of guns with people who shouldn't have them: felons, people who have mental illness, spousal abusers is just incredible. But I do think there's a sea change occurring." Schumer is more hopeful than he has been in years about the possibility of new gun laws, and in a conversation with Billboard, he explained why and gave some tips on what you can do to help. What do your constituents tell you about what they want to see happen with new gun laws? Just this past Sunday I went up to street fairs in upstate New York, I go every year. One in Utica, one in Rochester, one in Buffalo and I see thousands of people. In the past, the number of people who would comment to me on the gun issue was small and it would be mostly pro-gun people. I'd get 5-6 comments at each of the street fairs: "Don't take away my guns." "I've heard from the NRA and I don't like what you're doing." Story continues This time [for the] first time, I got 50 comments saying "pass some rational laws on gun control do something about guns." And no one was on the anti-gun control side. I think the accumulation, starting with Sandy Hook, almost the weekly news reports of people having guns and killing people and culminating in San Bernardino, Orlando and the horror in Dallas, people have said "enough already!" And lots of the voters who came up to me were Republicans. I think we're at a sea change and this is the moment if there ever was for people to hold their representatives responsible. There are a good number of vulnerable senators, mainly Republican, who are up for re-election this year who have voted against rational laws on guns. All you have to do is go to websites and see how your legislator voted and call them and protest. It will have an effect this year in a way that it hasn't had effect in previous years. You hear that a lot: call or email your legislator and let them know how you feel. Some voters have expressed frustration, though, because they call and email and yet the same things happen again and again. How do you break that cycle? First, the number of people who call on the side of pro-gun control has always been smaller than NRA activists, even though the number of NRA activists is small, they've been more active. So in a state like New York many weeks my calls are more pro-gun than pro-gun control. Second, we've started this campaign, Buck the NRA, and Republicans are feeling the heat for the first time. They used to march lock, stock and barrel, now they don't. And in Ohio, the NRA is doing commercials for the Republican candidate who voted against the rational measures we had (no fly, no buy and universal background checks) and those commercials are backfiring. It's a different world. A call today will mean much more than a call last year, but you've got many more people aroused than you did last time. Rep. Scott Peters, Who Introduced Congress to Periscope During Sit-In, on How People Can Push for Gun Control When you talk to families of gun violence victims, how do you explain to them why you can't get anything done in Congress? I say "you've got to keep trying." We're making slow progress. I was the author of the Brady Law and I carried the assault weapons ban in the House [the Brady Law] is one of the most important things I've done in my career as a legislator. We've had good periods and bad periods and we're in a good period again. It shows you how scared the NRA is [that] they're paying for ads for Trump that don't mention guns. They know the tide has turned against them. In the past all their ads have mentioned the gun issue. You talked about 90 percent of Americans agreeing on expanding background checks and barring people on terror watch lists from buying guns. Isn't that the definition of the people's will? And yet you can't pass those two bills. The reason is very simple, the 90 percent, until this time, none of them let their legislators know. So the legislators said, "even though I know they disagree with me they're not going to vote against me on this issues." Now, the 90 percent are still there, but it's moved up in the hierarchy. "I'm going to base my vote on how my senator votes on guns." Whereas in previous years they'd look at many other issues first. Mass shootings have become, sadly, almost a fact of life in this country. They happen, we grieve, efforts are made and then we move on until the next headline. What can voters do to keep the issue of gun violence front and center every day? Talk about it to their friends, get their friends to call, get their relatives to call. Sometimes the concentration of people is in states like New York or California, where both senators are voting the right way in terms of supporting these two measures. Call friends and relatives in other states. Any state that has a Republican Senator is susceptible to this. If you come from Kansas and you moved to California, or you come from Tennessee and you moved to New York, call your relatives and friends there. A New Yorker calling someone from Tennessee won't matter. But the New Yorker's first cousin who lives in Tennessee calling his or her senator matters a great deal. Can citizens break this allegedly iron grip the NRA has on so many members of Congress to get some gun legislation passed? Our greatest enemy is apathy. When people say "we can't do anything. I give up," that's when we lose. The world is changing. Sandy Hook was so horrible I think everyone thought we could move things on that. But I think the average citizen is more scared by terrorism because it's random and can happen almost anywhere and it's a worldwide force. So the combination of terrorists being able to buy guns has given this issue a new drama. The No Fly, No Buy proposal put forth by Sen. Feinstein last month seemed like a no brainer. How are we even debating that given the amped up fears of terrorism in this country? It's amazing that we are. But then Sen. Cornyn comes in with a bill drafted by the NRA and they say, "this is our solution." So they try to fog things up. If you read blogs and things like the Huffington Post that tell the story straightforward you'll know that there are bills that are positive and bills that are just smokescreens. People should go to Everytown.org or Bradycampaign.org and see how their legislator voted and just log in an email. It'll matter. It's a new world. I am for the first time optimistic in a while that we can really pass some good legislation. As horrific as it might be for the families and for us, do you think showing people the pictures of the 20 murdered children from Sandy Hook might have some real value to get the needle moving? Whatever moves people is what I'm for. I keep pictures of the families of six Sandy Hook victims on my desk. I look at them every day. A lot of celebrities have come out in support of new gun legislation, including, obviously, your famous cousin Amy Schumer She's truly committed on this issue, she's great. I wish more celebrities would put the energy and effort in that she has. Do you think they have a chance to move the needle? Yes because celebrities the average senator's number of followers on Twitter or Facebook is in the hundred thousands, but the average number of followers for these celebrities in in the millions or tens of millions. So they're reaching people we don't reach and it's a very important voice. I'd encourage anyone reading this interview who cares about this issue to get involved. It's doesn't take much effort and it will have a huge effect. One of the toughest, no-holds-barred Republican presidential primary seasons Ive ever witnessed will culminate next week in Cleveland at the Republican National Convention. While Ill be covering the convention for Fox News, I will also have another mission. On July 19, I will be co-hosting a benefit concert to support Make Room, an initiative aimed at drawing national attention to our nations rental affordability crisis. The event is sponsored by the J. Ronald Terwilliger Foundation for Housing Americas Families along with several other housing organizations. Thanks to country-music superstars, Big & Rich, for headlining the concert and to my daughter Ayla, a country-music artist in her own right, who will also be performing. The continuing problems in housing represent some of the most important challenges facing America, but they are also among the least discussed by our nations leaders and in the media. The Terwilliger Foundation calls whats happening in housing the silent crisis. Today, a record number of renter households, 21.3 million, spend in excess of 30% of their income just on housing. Of this number, 11.4 million devote more than half their income to rent and utilities. For countless numbers of families across the country, the first day of each month has become a moment of truth: Can we afford to pay the rent? This often means having far less to spend on other life essentials like nutritious food, transportation to a job, clothing for children, and necessary medical care. While rents are rising across the country, the national homeownership rate has plummeted sadly, its approaching a 50-year low. In part because of high rents, many young adults, especially Millennials, are finding it increasingly difficult to save for a mortgage down payment. For some, the idea of owning a home has become nothing more than a distant aspiration. The issue of housing is deeply personal for me. By the time I turned 18, I had lived in 17 different homes. My mother suffered through a string of abusive relationships. Money was always a problem. Constant moves with new schools to attend and new friends to make were the norm. For my sister and me, the sense of stability and comfort that a home should provide was in very short supply. Story continues As a result of Gods grace and some lucky breaks, I was somehow able to rise above these difficult circumstances. But I know most people in similar situations are not so fortunate. For me, doing nothing in the face of record-high rent burdens and a near-record low homeownership rate is simply not an option. The good news is that solutions to the crisis in housing are not locked in a vault somewhere. Recognizing the great need that exists, communities across the country are beginning to make affordable housing a higher priority, often revising their land use and zoning policies to encourage greater housing density to accommodate more affordable homes. We can learn from these experiences and scale them up where appropriate. At the federal level, Congress can do its part by substantially increasing support for the Low-Income Housing Credit program, which encourages private investment in the production and preservation of affordable rental homes. A greater supply of these homes should relieve some of the pressure on rents. There are plenty of other good ideas to tap, but first we need to get the conversation started. A focus on housing can also be a smart political strategy. If you look at some of the key presidential battleground states, the percentage of renter households in these states who pay in excess of 30% of their income on housing and are considered cost-burdened under federal affordability standards is very high: Florida (55.6%), North Carolina (47.7%), Ohio (45.9%), Pennsylvania (48.5%), and Virginia (47.1%). Effectively speaking to the concerns of these voters should pay dividends at the ballot box. Next week, as I head to Cleveland to offer my commentary, I will also be working to elevate the subject of housing on our nations policy agenda. In my view, achieving this goal would be a big win for America. Republican Scott Brown represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate for three years where he was a ranking member of the Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees. He is a Fox contributor and a supporter of the Trump campaign. Related Articles Sheila Dikshit, who ruled the national capital Delhi for 15 years, has been named as party's CM candidate for Uttar Pradesh. Assembly elections are due in this crucial state early next year. By India Today Web Desk: She is 78. Many wrote her political obituary after Congress's humiliating defeat at the hands of a fledgling party (read Aam Aadmi Party) in 2013. However, the grand old party still believes that Sheila Dikshit has it in her. Sheila, who ruled the national capital Delhi for 15 years, has been named as party's CM candidate for Uttar Pradesh. Assembly elections are due in this crucial state early next year. advertisement Announcing a CM candidate months ahead of an election is not what the Congress is used to. Sources within the party say it was chief strategist Prashant Kishor who wanted Sheila to be Congress's face for the UP polls. While Kishor, who has to his credit two massive election victories (BJP - 2014, JD(U) - 2015), may know the maths better, the fact remains that Sheila failed to win her own constituency in Delhi in 2013. SHEILA'S UP CONNECT "I am a bahu of Uttar Pradesh and there's no retirement age in politics," Dikhsit had told journalists just days ago. Sheila Dikshit: Lost in oblivion Not many know that Sheila is the daughter-in-law of Umashankar Dikshit, who was considered to be close to Jawaharlal Nehru. Sheila was married to Dikshit's IAS officer son Vinod. After the sudden death of Vinod in the 80s due to a heart attack, Sheila not only had to look after her two children - son Sandeep and daughter Latika - but also carry forward the political legacy of her father-in-law. THE DEFEAT AFTER WHICH SHEILA NEVER RETURNED TO UP Sheila contested the 1984 general election on a Congress ticket and registered a massive victory from Kannauj - a Brahman stronghold. She defeated Chote Singh Yadav. However, the Janata Dal leader took his revenge five years later. Riding on an anti-Congress wave in the wake of Bofors scandal, Yadav crushed Sheila by nearly 53,000 votes. Sheila never returned to Uttar Pradesh politics after this humiliating loss. She was pushed to the back benches of the party. However, with Sonia Gandhi taking over the party's reigns of the party in 1998, Sheila made a comeback and so did several old and trusted members of the party. THE DELHI DREAM RUN In 1998, Congress rewarded Sheila for leading her party to a famous win over the BJP in Delhi (a small credit for her victory should also go to the unprecedented rise in onion prices in the national capital). She was made the chief minister. She continued to rule Delhi for the next three terms. Her Delhi dream run was ended in 2013 by activist-leader Arvind Kejriwal. Months after the defeat, she was sent to Kerala as the state's governor. But she resigned from the post in 2014 after the BJP returned to power. Insiders say it was Prashant Kishor who wanted Sheila as party's face for UP elections. (Photo: Vikram Sharma) Insiders say it was Prashant Kishor who wanted Sheila as party's face for UP elections. (Photo: Vikram Sharma) advertisement SHEILA - CONGRESS'S SACRIFICIAL LAMB? While many would debate over the Congress's decision to present Sheila Dikshit at the CM candidate for Uttar Pradesh, the veteran leader has actually nothing to lose. The party may have roped in Prashant Kishor to propel itself to success in Uttar Pradesh, but it will only be a miracle if the Congress's seat tally column has a double digit figures next year. The party cannot afford to put the blame of defeat on either Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka. So has Sheila has been made a sacrificial lamb? The answer will come in February/March 2017. Also Read: Ex-Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit says ready for UP role Delhi says goodbye to Sheila Sheila Dikshit wants Signature Bridge done before polls --- ENDS --- As the U.S. grapples with a renewed debate over race and policing after the events of the past two weeks, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott has cited his own encounters with the police to throw light on the relationship between black people and law enforcement in the country. In a candid speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, Scott described several instances where he felt he was targeted specifically for his race, Politico reports. The most recent instance, he said, was last year during a stop by a Capitol Police officer who seemed to imply that he was impersonating a Senator. The pin, I know, Scott recounted him saying, referring to Scotts senatorial lapel pin. You, I dont. Over the course of a year in office, the 50-year-old Republican Senator says he was stopped seven times, the vast majority of which were for nothing more than driving a new car in the wrong neighborhood or some other reason just as trivial. He also detailed the similar experiences of his brother, a sergeant major in the U.S. army, and one of his former staffers. Scotts remarks come during a tumultuous time for U.S. race relations, after the recent separate shootings of two black men Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police officers was followed by an attack on a protest march in Dallas where five policemen were targeted and killed. I have felt the anger, the frustration, the sadness and the humiliation that comes with feeling like youre being targeted for nothing more than being just yourself, Scott said, according to Politico. Recognize that just because you do not feel the pain, the anguish of another, does not mean it does not exist. [Politico] By Richard Cowan and Amanda Becker WASHINGTON/ANNANDALE, Virginia (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton campaigned with potential vice presidential running-mate U.S. Senator Tim Kaine in his home state of Virginia on Thursday, testing whether the person widely seen as the "safe choice" can propel her to the White House in November. Kaine's 16-minute introduction of the presumptive Democratic nominee in a community college gymnasium in the Washington suburb of Annandale reflected Clinton's need to reach out to Hispanic voters with her vice presidential pick. Kaine, a former missionary in Honduras who speaks Spanish, peppered his introduction with Spanish phrases and criticism of Republican Donald Trump's statements regarding Latinos. "He trash talks Latinos - to him it doesn't matter if you are a new immigrant or you're a worker who has been here for a long time or a DREAMer or if you're a Latina governor of New Mexico or a federal judge," Kaine said to applause. Kaine was referring to statements Trump has made about young immigrants brought to the United States by their parents, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez and the judge overseeing a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump University. Kaine could help Clinton check a lot of boxes in the list of requirements for a running mate. The former civil rights lawyer is a Virginian, which could help Clinton win a battleground state in the Nov. 8 race against Trump. Such states are hotly contested because their populations can swing either to Republicans or Democrats and play a decisive role in presidential elections. Kaine is also affable, savvy about foreign policy and has executive experience as a former governor of Virginia and a former mayor of Richmond, the state's capital. Though the Clinton campaign is keeping the vice presidential selection process tightly under wraps, many Democrats in Washington see Kaine as the front-runner. Some Democrats in Congress and in outside groups want to see Clinton make a more unconventional pick for her already historic run as the first female presidential nominee of a major party. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a fierce critic of Wall Street, and Julian Castro, a Latino who is the U.S. secretary of housing and urban development, are two possibilities mentioned by Democrats who want to see Clinton go with a bold choice before the Democratic convention in Philadelphia July 25-28. Labor Secretary Tom Perez, Representative Xavier Becerra of California, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and, more recently, retired Navy Admiral James Stavridis have also been mentioned as possibilities. Asked about Kaine, Artie Blanco, a superdelegate from Nevada, said he would not be her top pick. Excited, no. OK with, you know, sure, she said. Blanco said she likes Becerra and Perez as potential picks. She said Warren would be fantastic and she likes Brown's stance on worker issues. CAN HE FIRE UP VOTERS? Thursday's event with Kaine gave Clinton an opportunity to gauge whether the 58-year-old, Harvard-educated senator would help her fire up a crowd and make for a comfortable fit on the campaign trail. Cynthia Smith, a registered nurse from Cleveland, was at the event because her nephew is a volunteer with the campaign. She said she was not familiar with Kaine and would like to hear more from him, but at this point preferred Warren. "I'd like to see two women," Smith said. Clinton had lunch with Democratic senators on Capitol Hill on Thursday. After the session, the lawmakers were mostly mum. When Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the top Democrat, was asked by a reporter what the takeaway from the lunch was, he responded: "She's going to be president." Clinton spoke to the senators about returning the Senate to Democratic control and about how to create jobs in all 50 U.S. states. Some Democratic senators have been rallying around colleague Kaine, while others are holding out for a bolder pick. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with Kaine, said in a brief interview: "If you look at the totality of Tim's life and his work, I think there are elements that would bridge that divide" between progressive Democrats and more establishment Democrats who have fostered Clinton's drive for the White House. (Reporting By Richard Cowan in Washington and Amanda Becker in Annandale; Additional reporting Luciana Lopez in New York and Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Editing by Caren Bohan and Jonathan Oatis) BEIJING (Reuters) - China is making good progress on a feasibility study of a stock trading link between the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE.L) (LSE), vice chairman of China's top securities regulator said on Wednesday. Fang Xinghai, vice chairman of China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), made the remarks during a meeting with visiting LSE chief executive Nikhil Rathi on Tuesday, the regulator said in an online statement published on Thursday. Rathi said Britain's decision to leave the European Union had created some uncertainties for the British economy and financial policies, but the total impact was limited. (Reporting By Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Jacqueline Wong) NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2016 / Levi & Korsinsky announces it has commenced an investigation of EXCO Resources Inc. (XCO) concerning possible breaches of fiduciary duty by the board of directors of the company. To obtain additional information, go to: http://zlk.9nl.com/exco-resources-xco 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. Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut 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 and shareholder lawsuits. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP 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 From Cagney & Lacey to The Closer, Hollywood has long dreamed of powerful women police officers, unfortunately the reality on the ground is nothing like what we see on the screen. In 2013, the most year where statistics are available, just 13 percent of police officers nationwide were women, according to the National Center for Women & Policing. That number is likely lower in rural areas as the group tended to survey urban forces, which are more likely to hire women. I use the past tense here because the Center, due to lack of funding, has essentially been defunct for the last three years, leaving America with no national association for female police. And yet America has never needed female cops more. In an era of Ferguson, riots in Baltimore and record high police shootings, increasing the number of female cops would go a long way to solving many of these problems. Women police almost never use excessive force, though they use the same amount of regular force. Studies show they draw their weapons less, tend to look for non-physical solutions and are much better at community outreach. What women never think is: Can I wrestle this guy to the ground? Shes more likely to control the situation with voice and presence than any kind of physical tool, former Houston Mayor Anise Parker told me for my chapter of women in law enforcement in my book, Broad Influence: How Women Are Changing the Way America Works. Women officers tend to save their municipalities a substantial amount of money. Lawsuits alleging the use of excessive force by police cost taxpayers millions of dollars every year. Female officers are the defendants far less often than men, and male officers cost between 2.5 and 5.5 times more to taxpayers because of payouts to settle such suits, according to a study by the Feminist Majority Foundation and the National Center for Women & Policing. For example, the City of Los Angeles paid $63.4 million between 1990-1999 in lawsuits for excessive force and other violent complaints against male officers. By contrast, it paid $2.8 million for similar allegations against female officers, but not one of those complaints was for excessive force. Male officer payouts in cases of brutality and misconduct were 23 times the amount paid in cases involving women; in cases involving killings, settlements for male-involved lawsuits were 43 times of those involving women; and 32 times the amount paid to settle female-involved assault and battery cases. Story continues While this does reflect the fact that there are simply more male cops than females cops, notably, there was no difference in the amount of routine force reported by gender, only in the use of excessive force. Incidents in which suspects are maimed or killed in custody are subject to an excessive force investigation. Generally, there are substantially fewer public complaints against female police, according to another study, such as for rudeness or other bad behavior. Almost all of the high-profile cases in recent memoryEric Garner, Michael Brown, Laquan McDonald, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Alton Sterling, Philando Castilehave involved male police officers. (The exception: One of the officers involved in the Freddie Gray case in Baltimore is a woman, though the criticism of her was that she did not call for medical attention when she saw he was unresponsive.) Women have a long history of social work and community outreach, and female police officers tend to excel at community building. Ever since women started serving on the police force, they have focused on community outreach. The first female police officersLola Baldwin in Portland, Oregon, in 1908 and Alice Stebbins in Los Angeles in 1910were former social workers, and most early female officers dealt almost exclusively with women and children. Study after study show that the tools of social workan overwhelmingly female occupationis critical in modern policing, and that womens softer skills may counter the escalation of conflicts. Yet women remain underrepresented in law enforcement because of widespread discriminatory hiring and selection practices, according to the National Center for Women & Policing. Advancement has been slow. From 1971, when women accounted for just 1.4 percent of police departments to 13 percent of police officers nationwide in 2013. There is also a dearth in any recent research on women in police forces. Most studies are from the 1980s or 1990s when the first waves of women were integrating. There are no current statistics on women in police academies and there are no discernable, ongoing moves to add women to police forces. Despite the evidence that women help make policing better, little is being done beyond efforts by individual forces, which vary by city and state. Some programs are vigorousDallas, for example, has 26 percent women on its police force. Others are nonexistent. Nationally, next to nothing is being done to change hiring policies, develop training programs, or launch recruitment drives. And the Federal Bureau of Investigation remains one of the most challenging workplaces for women in Washington; only 19 percent of agents are women. As President Obama on Thursday sits down with activists and cops at the White House, the discussion has largely revolved around race. What is lacking is a discussion of how gender might also impact, and help solve, the problem. Jay Newton-Small is author of the recent book, Broad Influence: How Women Are Changing the Way America Works. Available on Amazon.com and bookstores everywhere. Dont count on Q2s uplift to extend. While the second quarter of 2016 may have seen Singapores manufacturing sector land its first on-year growth since 3Q14, there remains a real risk for the sectors growth to soften into 2H16. According to a report by OCBC, the manufacturing purchasing manager index (PMI) in June remains in contraction territory. Elsewhere, the ongoing global issues including the sustained Chinese economic slowdown and post-Brexit political/economic uncertainty in Europe will likely persist into H2. Do note that China (13.6% of total NODX) remains to be Singapores top destination for non-oil domestic exports (NODX), followed by the Europe (12.6%) and US (9.5%) in the first five months of this year, OCBC asserts. Thus, the speed-bumps in these respective economies could prove to be significant hindrances to Singapores small and open economy, let alone its export-dependent manufacturing sector as well, it adds. More From Singapore Business Review SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said it had been informed the Singapore Exchange (SGXL.SI) had ceased trading in its securities market on Thursday due to a technical issue, and the central bank was monitoring the situation closely. "We understand that SGX is currently working with affected members to rectify the issue. MAS is monitoring the situation closely," the central bank said in an email. The Singapore Exchange Ltd had said securities trading was suspended just before midday due to duplicate trade confirmation messages being generated. Trading would not resume on Thursday. (Reporting By Aradhana Aravindan; Editing by Kim Coghill) Here we are. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Moscow to deliver a bold new proposal to President Vladimir Putin that calls for the two countries to begin coordinating military activities in Syria, including sharing daily intelligence on Islamic State and Nusra Front targets. The plan, which was leaked to the Washington Post, (document here) includes establishing a Joint Implementation Group near the Jordanian capital Amman, staffed by military and intelligence officials from both countries. They would share intel that identifies leadership targets, training camps, and supply lines for the Nusra Front, al Qaedas Syrian franchise. Either Russian or American planes would then hit those targets. The coordination would come in exchange for Russian pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down. The plan comes after months of harsh U.S. criticism of Russian actions in Syria, and claims that Russian planes are directly supporting the Assad regime by bombing a variety of anti-Assad rebel groups, including U.S.-backed fighters, as opposed to targeting ISIS. Just last month, Russian bombers dropped cluster munitions on U.S.-backed Syrian rebels at their camp in southern Syria. And Defense Secretary Ash Carter has said that Russian support for Assad is leading to the prolongation of the civil war in Syria, and the Russians have been way off track since the very beginningThey have not done what they said they were going to do and theyre not doing what is in their interest to do in terms of fighting ISIL. Me, worry? Assad, for his part, isnt worried. He told NBC News Thursday that neither Putin nor Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has never talked to him about leaving power. They never said a single word regarding this, he said. He also claimed to be unconcerned about the potential for greater coordination between Russian and the U.S., because their politics, I mean, the Russian politics, is not based on making deals. Its based on values, Assad said. Story continues Scooping up the data. Speaking of intelligence, new British Prime Minister Theresa May entered No. 10 Downing St. on Wednesday after six years ensconced in the British national security apparatus, FPs Elias Groll writes, and thats something that gives many privacy groups some pause. May has championed intelligence legislation the Investigatory Powers Bill that Privacy International, an advocacy group, calls the most draconian surveillance law in the democratic world. And when she opens the door to No. 10, shell bring it with her. Groll writes that the U.K. government, under the provisions of the bill, will be able to set up a search engine to query that huge pile of metadata to pull up location data, call records, and internet browsing data. And that will give police on-demand access to an Orwellian array of personal data. Dead again, for the first time. Abu Omar al-Shishani, widely described as Islamic States minister of war, was killed in battle with Iraqi troops near Mosul, an ISIS affiliated news agency says. The Pentagon claimed back in March it was confident it had killed Shishani in an airstrike, but apparently he made it out alive. The Pentagon also said Wednesday that it had killed killed Umar Khalifa, a terrorist linked to the Pakistani Taliban who was reportedly responsible for a 2014 attack on a Pakistani school. The attack killed 150 people, primarily children. The strike which killed Khalifa took place in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. Strategery. At a think tank event Wednesday, CIA Director John Brennan said that the world is an unstable place and risks becoming more so, thanks to urbanization, sluggish economic growth, climate change, and rapid technological advances, FPs Elias Groll passes along to SitRep. And the CIA must become a become a more expeditionary agency, in both spirit and practice, he argued. And in this silly season, Brennan recited what is becoming a standard line for him after Donald Trump called for the CIA to bring back waterboarding and other forms of torture. The CIA interrogation and detention program set up after 9/11 yielded important insights, Brennan argued, but if ordered to bring them back, Im not going to be the director of CIA that gives that order. Policy and money. President Barack Obama has been given all the authorization he needs to fight the Islamic State because Congress has always fulfilled his funding requests for the war. At least thats what two administration lawyers argued this week. The president has determined that he has the authority to take military action against ISIL, and Congress has ratified that determination by appropriating billions of dollars in support of the military operation, the lawyers write in a new brief. Congress has made these funds available over the course of two budget cycles, in connection with close oversight of the operations progress, and with knowledge of the authority under which the operation is being conducted, the brief states. Hey there! Good morning and as always, if you have any thoughts, announcements, tips, or national security-related events to share, please pass them along to SitRep HQ. Best way is to send them to: paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or on Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley China A Chinese national has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for his role in an espionage campaign aimed at stealing U.S. military secrets, the Washington Post reports. Su Bin pled guilty to working with Chinese military officers to steal export-restricted technical secrets about the C-17 military transport plane and American fighter jets. Su, through his company Lode Technology, acted as an inside man, directing Chinese hackers towards sensitive technologies. France Frances aircraft carrier, the Charles De Gaulle, is headed back into the fight against the Islamic State, says French President Francois Hollande. Hollande told reporters that the De Gaulle and its battle group will head out in the fall as part of Frances Operation Chammal. The De Gaulle sailed into the Mediterranean shortly after the November 2015 terrorist attacks carried out by the Islamic State in Paris to carry out airstrikes in Syria. Hollande also added that France will Intensify [its] ground forces to support the Iraqis, within the perspective of retaking Mosul. Russia Moscow is making some bold claims about its next generation of fighter jets. Defense Tech reports that Russian defense officials are claiming that their sixth generation fighter jet, still very much on the drawing board, will be able to command swarms of five to ten drones which can fire electromagnetic cannons. Vladimir Mikheev, an official with Russias state-run defense corporation, said the as-yet unnamed jet will make an appearance as early as 2025. Russias fifth generation fighter jet, the Sukhoi PAK FA, is scheduled to enter service sometime around 2018. Belarus is signaling that, despite a close relationship with Moscow, its not exactly sweating NATOs eastward expansion. Newsweek reports that Deputy Foreign Minister Elena Kupchina said NATOs recent announcement that it will rotate 4,000 troops through Poland and the Baltics isnt a direct threat to the security of Belarus. Russia is a close military ally of Belarus, with whom it shares an air defense network, and has recently transferred S-300 air defense missiles to Minsk and is working on a deal to host a Russian air base. Experts say Belarus is looking to hedge against its reliance on Moscow by opening up warmer relations with the west. Russian officials say theyll fly over the Baltics with their transponders on. Sometimes. Russias ambassador to NATO Alexander Grushko made the offer at a meeting of the NATO-Russia council this week. The move is part of an apparent attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to turn down the volume on NATO-Russia conflict after the recent NATO summit in Warsaw. NATO countries have been concerned about the potential for escalation in the face of a series of provocative incidents in the Baltics involving Russian jets buzzing American spy planes and ships. CIA The contract that led to the CIAs torture program used deceptively anodyne language asking for applied research in high-risk operational settings. The Washington Post got its hands on the document, which began with a thousand dollar a day rate for the torture programs architect, James E. Mitchell, and later ballooned into an $81 million payday for the CIA psychologist. Mitchell and his partner Bruce Jessen were initially hired by the Agency to develop psychological profiles of al-Qaeda terrorists after 9/11 but quickly evolved into a role in assisting with interrogations despite a lack of experience in the field from Mitchell and Jessen. Snooping Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists flags some open source imagery showing how the headquarters complex of Russias Foreign Intelligence Service has expanded pretty dramatically over the past decade. A collection of the photos can be found here. The new buildings look to roughly double the size of the complex. The expansion began the same year Mikhail Fradkov was named director of the agency in 2007. Fradkov was given a mandate by President Vladimir Putin to help Russian corporations abroad, perhaps indicating a new mission emphasis, Aftergood writes. Supply chains The Pentagon is wary that counterfeit computer chips could, either through poor quality or malicious design, compromise the performance of weapons systems and military equipment. And despite new regulations designed to curb the use of counterfeit chips in sensitive equipment, National Defense magazine reports that the Pentagon is still worried about the threat of hacked or defective chips winding their way into the defense supply chain. In order to cope with the threat, the Departments Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy is working on a study of how to gain access to a reliable supply of authenticated chips. Photo credit SERGEI KARPUKHIN/AFP/Getty Images The recent rebound in oil prices, improvement in job numbers and favorable manufacturing data have all infused some optimism in the market. Investor confidence was further bolstered with the International Monetary Fund affirming negligible impact of Brexit on U.S. markets and the positive influence of the overwhelming victory of Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Additionally, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) has declined 3% year to date to nearly 13.5, reflecting low volatility in the U.S. markets. While these factors have already propelled a number of large and mid-cap stocks to their all-time highs, the small-cap space is still largely untapped. This is because, investors resorted to safer bets first. Small-cap stocks are considered inherently risky on account of low trading liquidity, limited access to capital, brief operational history and lack of publicly available information. However, small cap stocks with good fundamentals have much higher growth potential than their large-cap counterparts. As an evidence, the Vanguard Small Cap ETF clocked a return of 7.75%, conveniently topping the S&P 500's 5.51% over the last 10 years. Historically, small caps have outperformed in an expanding economy when the risk of recession is low. That is why many believe this is the right time to build positions in small-cap stocks instead of continuing to invest in the mid- and large-caps that have already appreciated to their highs. Nonetheless, identifying the right small-cap stocks could be quite a challenge. Here, we have handpicked 5 attractive small cap stocks that are yet to reach their highs with the help of our new style score system.The stocks below have the combination of a favorable VGM score, a favorable Zacks Rank, a market cap below $2 billion and a projected long-term EPS growth of above 20%. BG Staffing, Inc. BGSF is a national provider of temporary staffing services across a diverse set of industries. Its present business segments offer temp services in the Multi-Family, Professional and Commercial sectors. The expected EPS growth rate over the next 5 years stands at 20%. Story continues Forward P/E: 12.91 MiX Telematics Limited MIXT provides fleet and mobile asset management solutions. It offers vehicle tracking services for the consumer and commercial vehicle market worldwide. The expected EPS growth rate over the next 5 years stands at 22.5%. Forward P/E = 18.47 Stamps.com Inc. STMP provides easy, convenient and cost-effective Internet-based services for mailing or shipping letters, packages or parcels anywhere anytime in the U.S.The expected EPS growth rate over the next 5 years stands at 20%. Forward P/E = 17.05 Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC VNR is an independent natural gas and oil company, focused on the acquisition, exploitation and development of natural gas and oil properties. The expected EPS growth rate over the next 5 years stands at 22.7%. Forward P/E = 3.17 Air France-KLM SA AFLYY is an airline company. The company's core business is passenger transport, cargo transport, and aircraft maintenance services. The expected EPS growth rate over the next 5 years stands at 28.8%. Forward P/E = 3.53 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 AIR FRANCE-ADR (AFLYY): Free Stock Analysis Report STAMPS.COM INC (STMP): Free Stock Analysis Report VANGUARD NATURL (VNR): Free Stock Analysis Report MIX TELEMATICS (MIXT): Free Stock Analysis Report BG STAFFING INC (BGSF): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research According to sources, it was Congress's master strategist Prashant Kishor who had insisted on making Dikshit the CM candidate. By India Today Web Desk: Sheila Dikshit, the former Delhi chief minister, will be Congress's chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh where Assembly elections are due early next year. The Congress, however, yet to decide what role Priyanka Vadra will play in the crucial state polls in 2017. "Sheila Dikshit has been selected for her experience and good work," senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi told mediaperson while announcing his the party's decision. advertisement Congress prepares ground for Priyanka Gandhi's bigger role in Uttar Pradesh "It's a huge responsibility and I want to thank Congress high command. I hope I live up to the expectation of the party. I am not a stranger to Uttar Pradesh. I have had a lot of political involvement in the state," Dikshit said reacting to the announcement. "I am a bahu of Uttar Pradesh and there's no retirement age in politics," Dikhsit, 78, had told journalists earlier. Announcement of Dikshit's nomination came on a day the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi sent a notice to her asking her to join the investigation in connection with the alleged Rs 400-crore water tanker scam. Dikshit called the allegation "politically motivated". Born in a Punjabi Khatri family, Dikshit, is the daughter-in-law of late Congress veteran from UP Uma Shankar Dikshit, a tall Brahmin leader who had served as a Union minister and governor for a long time. Her 15 year tenure in Delhi as CM ended with the emergence of AAP in 2013 polls in which Congress lost power. SHEILA WAS PRASHANT KISHOR'S PICK According to sources, it was Congress's master strategist Prashant Kishor who had insisted on making Dikshit the CM candidate. She will be projected as a pro-development leader because of her achievements as chief minister of Delhi for three successive terms. The party is expecting that her being Brahmin will also play a key role in the state with over 10 per cent Brahmin voters. APPREHENSIONS AGAINST SHEILA But several Congress leaders also believe that another Brahmin and former union minister Jitin Prasad could have been a better choice as the 42-year-old leader "could have connected better with the young voters." Some leaders in the party are also apprehensive that allegations of corruption and an FIR against her in connection with the water-tanker scandal of Delhi will go against Dikhsit. But party high command seems to have ignored such skepticism. Also Read: Sheila triggers talk of being Uttar Pradesh CM face advertisement Sheila Dikshit has no idea who Kapil Mishra is --- ENDS --- While a new CBS/New York Times poll shows Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in a dead heat at 40-40 in the wake of the decision not to prosecute her in the email scandal, initial anger on social media has dramatically dropped off. Related: FBIs Comey Makes It Clear: Hillary Clinton Is Above the Law On July 5, FBI Director James Comey announced that the Bureau did not think Clinton should be prosecuted, but he publicly shamed her and her colleagues, saying there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information. A number of stories speculate that the results of the CBS/Times survey conducted from July 8-12 reflect fallout from the FBI investigation into Clintons use of private email to conduct official business while she was Secretary of State. Social media sentiment and the Real Clear Politics average of recent national polls tell a different story. Related: Investigating Clinton: How Many Millions Were Spent on Email, Benghazi Probes? The RCP average has Clinton at 44 percent and Trump at 40.9 percent. Most of the 10 polls in that average have Clinton ahead by from 2 points to 6 points, but two have wildly different results. The Reuters/Ipsos poll taken July 2-6 puts Clinton ahead by 11 points; the Rasmussen Reports survey taken July 12-13 has Trump leading by 7 points. And on the social-media sentiment site 30dB, Clintons positives over the past 14 days have gone from a furious low of 22 percent on July 9 to a more forgiving 44 percent today. At least part of that was a big Bernie bump. Positive sentiment started climbing after she was endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who had doggedly challenged her for the Democratic presidential nomination. Source: 30dB.com - Hillary Clinton Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f144489%2fc42a4c8ab5ce4dba9d303e498b922134 Have some tissues on standby. SEE ALSO: Craigslist missed connections are now basically PokeStops A Japanese Twitter user tweeted a touching post about someone encountering Pikachu on Pokemon Go, while visiting the grave of their deceased sibling. According to the caption of the tweet, the person's younger brother was a huge fan of Pikachu. For anyone remotely familiar with Pokemon Go, Pikachu is quite a rare find and difficult to catch. The creature is a central character of the Pokemon anime series and is widely regarded as the brand's mascot. Rocketnews24 reported that it's possible that the person who tweeted the pic isn't the sibling of the boy since the caption is in quotation marks. Reddit users have confirmed this theory and are speculating from the picture that the late boy is of Dutch nationality. While most netizens are reacting to the post with heartfelt sympathy, some are also questioning the authenticity of the picture. Madrid (AFP) - An installation by Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei portraying his experience in solitary detention in China will go on display at a cathedral in Spain later this month, organisers said Thursday. The exhibit, which consists of six hulking, iron boxes containing sculptures depicting scenes from his 81-day incarceration in 2011, will be on show in the nave of cathedral of the central city of Cuenca from July 26. The work, entitled S.A.C.R.E.D., show him sleeping on a white cot, being interrogated by officers and watched as he used the bathroom. The installation was first displayed in 2013 at the Venice Biennale. It will remain on diplay in Cuenca until November 6. This is the first time that the Gothic cathedral will host a modern art exhibition, said a spokeswoman for the regional government of Castilla La Mancha which is organising the display. The exhibit is part of commemorations held across Spain to mark the fourth centenary of the death of its most famous author, Miguel de Cervantes who spent five years in captivity in Algiers and stints in prison. "There are important parallels between Cervantes and Ai Weiwei," Carmen Olivie, the general director of cultural management firm Eulen Art which is staging the exhibition, told AFP. "Both suffered captivity, both suffered deprivation of liberty, and that profoundly marked their lives and their vision of art," she added. China's most prominent contemporary artist, Ai helped design the Bird's Nest stadium for the Beijing Olympics and has been exhibited around the globe, but his works have often fallen foul of China's authorities. He was detained in 2011 over his advocacy of democracy and human rights as well as other criticisms of the government in Beijing. By Lisa Jucca, Benjamin Kang Lim and Greg Torode HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) - Pope Francis is leading a determined push to fundamentally alter the relationship between the Vatican and China, which for decades has been infused with mutual suspicion and acrimony. Interviews with some two dozen Catholic officials and clergy in Hong Kong, Italy and mainland China, as well as sources with ties to the leadership in Beijing, reveal details of an agreement that would fall short of full diplomatic ties but would address key issues at the heart of the bitter divide between the Vatican and Beijing. A working group with members from both sides was set up in April and is discussing how to resolve a core disagreement over who has the authority to select and ordain bishops in China, several of the sources told Reuters. The group is also trying to settle a dispute over eight bishops who were appointed by Beijing but did not get papal approval - an act of defiance in the eyes of the Vatican. In what would be a dramatic breakthrough, the pope is preparing to pardon the eight, possibly as early as this summer, paving the way to further detente, say Catholic sources with knowledge of the deliberations. A signal of Francis deep desire for rapprochement with China came last year in the form of a behind-the-scenes effort by the Vatican to engineer the first-ever meeting between the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. Aides to the pope tried to arrange a meeting when both Francis and Chinese President Xi Jinping were in New York in late September to address the United Nations General Assembly. The meeting didnt happen. But the overture didnt go unnoticed in Beijing. While the two sides have said they are discussing the issue of the bishops, Catholic sources gave Reuters the most detailed account yet of the negotiations and the secret steps the Vatican has taken to pave the way to a deal. The current talks come more than six decades after victorious Communist Party leaders, having vanquished the Nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek, expelled Vatican envoy Antonio Riberi from Beijing in 1951 as they banished missionaries and began a crackdown on organized religion. The Vatican remains the only Western state that does not have diplomatic ties with Beijing, maintaining instead formal relations with the Republic of China, based in Taiwan, which Beijing views as a renegade province. For the Vatican, a thaw in relations with China offers the prospect of easing the plight of Christians on the mainland who for decades have been persecuted by the authorities. It may also ultimately pave the way to diplomatic relations, giving the Church full access to the worlds most populous nation. An official relationship with China would crown a dream that the Catholic Church has cultivated for many centuries: to establish a regular presence in China through stable diplomatic ties, said Elisa Giunipero, a researcher at the Catholic University of Milan who has studied the history of the Catholic Church in China for 20 years. For China, improved relations could burnish its international image and soften criticism of its human rights record. It would also be an important step in prizing the Vatican away from Taiwan, handing China an important diplomatic victory in its efforts to isolate the self-governing island. Spokespeople for the two sides acknowledged the talks are continuing but declined to answer detailed questions about them. The aim of the contacts between the Holy See and Chinese representatives is not primarily that of establishing diplomatic relations, but that of facilitating the life of the Church and contributing to making relations in ecclesial life normal and serene, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told Reuters. We are willing, on the basis of the relevant principles, to continue having constructive dialogue with the Vatican side, to meet each other halfway and jointly promote the continued forward development of the process of improving bilateral ties, Chinas Foreign Ministry said. (We) hope the Vatican can likewise take a flexible and pragmatic attitude and create beneficial conditions for improving bilateral relations. A PAPAL INVITE Forging an agreement wont be easy. There is resistance on both sides. Among Chinese leaders, there is concern that a deal would give the Vatican a powerful foothold on the mainland, challenging the Communist Partys absolute authority. In the underground church in China, whose members have been systematically persecuted for decades by the authorities, many devotees may feel betrayed by a Vatican deal with Beijing. Catholic clergy belonging to the underground church have been detained and jailed through the years, and several bishops have died in prison, according to Catholic sources who monitor the situation on the mainland. The Catholic Church in China, where there are an estimated eight to 10 million devotees, is divided into two communities: the official church, which is represented by the state-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, and the underground church, which swears allegiance solely to the pope in Rome. Scholars estimate the number of Christians in China belonging to all denominations may be as many as 70 million. Despite resistance in some quarters of the Catholic Church, including in Hong Kong, Pope Francis has made improved ties with China a priority, and a tight-knit circle of envoys and advisers around the pontiff are working on a deal, multiple sources told Reuters. After he was elected pope in March 2013, Francis sent a message to Xi congratulating him on having become president of China. Then, while flying over China in August 2014 on the way to Seoul the first time Beijing had allowed a pope to enter its airspace the pope sent his best wishes to Xi and the Chinese people. The next month, Francis sent a letter to Xi via Argentinean politician Ricardo Romano, who had met the future pope when Francis was the archbishop of Buenos Aires, inviting the Chinese leader to a meeting, Romano told Reuters. In early February this year, the pope sent wishes to Xi for the Chinese New Year, the countrys most important holiday. And on his way back to Rome from Mexico two weeks later, the pope told a news conference on the plane that he would really love to visit China. An official relationship with China would crown a dream that the Catholic Church has cultivated for many centuries: to establish a regular presence in China through stable diplomatic ties, said Elisa Giunipero, a researcher at the Catholic University of Milan who has studied the history of the Catholic Church in China for the past 20 years. NEW YORK RENDEZVOUS An early indication that Pope Francis was serious about improving relations with China was his appointment in August 2013 of then Archbishop Pietro Parolin as his Secretary of State, the highest ranking diplomat in the Vatican. Under Pope Benedict XVI, Francis predecessor, Parolin had been the Vaticans chief negotiator with Beijing and was near to hammering out a deal with China on the appointment of bishops in 2009, people with direct knowledge of those negotiations say. In 2009, Parolin came very close to an agreement (with China), said Agostino Giovagnoli, a professor of contemporary history at the Catholic University of Milan who closely follows the Vaticans relationship with China. Ultimately, an agreement on the bishops wasnt reached as the Vatican considered it too narrow, say Catholic Church sources. Parolin then moved to Venezuela in 2009 as the Vaticans representative there. His departure marked the start of a period of chilly relations with China. In June 2014, the sides restarted contacts with a meeting in Rome, according to a Catholic official. A year later, the Vatican made its attempt to get Francis and Xi Jinping together in New York. The pope was scheduled to fly from New York to Philadelphia on the morning of Sept. 26 last year, departing from John F. Kennedy Airport, his itinerary shows. Xi was heading to New York from Washington. The airport, three Catholic officials told Reuters, could have provided a discreet venue for a meeting between the two leaders, away from the media glare. Catholic officials and clergy, and sources in China with knowledge of the contacts, offer differing accounts of why the leaders ultimately didnt meet, but all agree that the pope wanted to meet Xi and that this message was communicated clearly to China. According to a Chinese source with direct knowledge of the matter, Beijing could not make up its mind whether it should take place before or after the signing of an agreement. In October, though, a six-person Vatican delegation made a visit to Beijing, followed by another meeting in January. A breakthrough came in April this year when the sides agreed to set up a working group, according to two Catholic Church officials. The group is modeled on the Joint Liaison Group that Britain and China adopted to iron out issues before the handover of Hong Kong to the mainland in 1997, according to one of the officials. The pope, says one Catholic official, has given clear instructions to continue the dialogue (with China) and find a resolution. The working group, which met in May, has been charged with hammering out technical solutions to the dispute over the ordination of bishops in China. It is currently discussing how to resolve the issue of eight bishops who were ordained in China without papal consent, according to Church officials and other Catholic sources with knowledge of the deliberations. Going forward, the Holy See wants to prevent a situation in which bishops are appointed by an authority other than the pope. EXCOMMUNICATED BISHOPS Catholic officials say there are 110 bishops in China, most of whom have been sanctioned by the Communist Party. There are about 30 bishops who are part of the underground church and have pledged allegiance only to the pope. Most of the bishops recognized by Beijing have also sought the popes blessing and received it. But there are eight bishops who were ordained in China and dont have papal approval. They are considered illegitimate by the Vatican. Three bishops in this group of eight have been officially excommunicated by the Vatican, according to public statements issued by the Holy See. The other five were told through informal channels that the pope opposed their ordination as bishops, according to Catholic sources. The issue is further complicated by the fact that at least two of the eight bishops allegedly have children or girlfriends, according to two Catholic sources. Thats a direct affront to the celibacy pledge taken by Catholic priests. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the personal status of these bishops. Catholic Church officials and Catholic clergy with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters that the pope is preparing to pardon these eight bishops. The papal pardon would coincide with the Jubilee of Mercy, a year in which Catholics are urged to seek forgiveness for their offenses and forgive those who have offended them. The Vatican hopes a pardon would be interpreted by China as a goodwill gesture. I believe Pope Francis wishes to use the occasion of the Holy Year of Mercy to force a breakthrough, says Father Jeroom Heyndrickx, a Belgian missionary and member of the Vatican Commission for the Church in China, which was set up under Pope Benedict to advise the Holy See on relations with China. The jubilee year ends in November. The eight bishops whom the Vatican considers illegitimate can be readmitted to the Catholic Church if they receive a papal pardon. By the end of June, two out of the eight had not yet sent Francis a clear request for pardon, Catholic Church officials said. Since the Vatican does not consider these eight bishops fit to run a diocese, the two sides are discussing a possible compromise that would allow them to retain their titles but be assigned to other tasks, according to Catholic officials. Chen Jianming, director of the foreign affairs office of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, told Reuters it would be difficult to arrange interviews with any of its bishops. Theyre very busy people, often out in the field. Interviews would be very difficult, Chen said. The Patriotic Association and the State Administration for Religious Affairs in Beijing did not respond to questions from Reuters about the negotiations with the Vatican. A BISHOPS CHANGE OF HEART The joint working group is also discussing another vexing issue a mechanism whereby new bishops will be selected. The sides have failed to resolve this matter in nearly 30 years of on-off contacts. Attempts to find a solution under Benedict and Pope John Paul II failed. In line with centuries of Catholic tradition, bishops are appointed by the pope. But China adopts a model whereby bishops are chosen by the local Chinese clergy, who are members of the Communist Party-controlled Patriotic Association. Under a solution currently being discussed, the bishops would be selected by the clergy in China. The pope would have the power to veto candidates he considers unfit, but the Vatican would need to provide evidence that the person in question is unqualified for the position, according to Catholic Church officials and clergy. A key concern for Rome is that priests in China could face pressure or be offered inducements to favor candidates. A source in Beijing with ties to the leadership said the sides have reached a tentative agreement on the future appointment of bishops, but did not provide details. If a deal can be forged on the selection of new bishops, the Vatican then hopes to focus on an agreement that would see Beijing recognize the bishops who are members of the underground church. A sudden reversal last month by a high-profile Chinese bishop underscores the sensitivity of this issue. Thaddeus Ma Daqin, the auxiliary bishop of Shanghai, angered Beijing when he announced that he couldnt remain in the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association at his ordination ceremony in 2012. But Ma, who has since been under house arrest at the Sheshan mountain seminary on the outskirts of Shanghai, wrote in a June 12 blog post that in retrospect, the move had been unwise. It is unclear why Ma recanted, but some Catholic officials are concerned that the bishop was pressured into making the statement by the Chinese authorities. That could be interpreted as an affront to the pope, one Catholic official told Reuters. Other Catholic sources speculated that Ma may have acted voluntarily in an effort to defuse his confrontation with Beijing and help smooth the way to a deal. The Chinese authorities did not reply to questions from Reuters about Mas decision. FEAR OF FOREIGN INFLUENCE In his effort to forge a breakthrough with China, Pope Francis will have to overcome deep-seated fears. China views the Church with suspicion, says the source in Beijing with ties to the Chinese leadership. For the Communist Party, which is officially atheist but recognizes five religions Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism and Catholicism the existence of a religion that recognizes a foreign leader as its moral authority is viewed as a potential threat. Communist Party leaders, who were traumatized by the disintegration of the Soviet Union, are acutely aware of the role played by the Catholic Church in the fall of communist regimes, such as the 1989 revolution in Poland, the homeland of the late Pope John Paul II. Within China there are also competing forces that could trip up an agreement, say Chinese and Catholic officials. The Foreign Ministry views detente with the Holy See as a way to isolate Taiwan, as the Vatican would likely have to sever ties to Taipei in the event of full diplomatic relations with Beijing. But the United Front Work Department, a party body whose mission is to spread Chinas influence, is less enthusiastic, fearing the threat of foreign religious infiltration. Internally, there is division over whether the Pope can be trusted or not, says the source with leadership ties. For centuries, the Catholic Church has struggled to make inroads in China, where foreign influence, including Christianity, has been met with suspicion. That distrust erupted at the turn of the 20th century with the outbreak of the Boxer Rebellion, which targeted foreigners, including Christian missionaries, as well as Chinese Christians. But relations have not always been fraught. Matteo Ricci, a Jesuit like Pope Francis who arrived in the country in the late 16th century, embraced Chinese culture and became fluent in Mandarin, earning him access to the court of Ming dynasty Emperor Wanli. Ricci, who died in 1610, was buried in Beijing with the approval of the emperor. In some quarters of the church, there are varying degrees of opposition to a deal with China. While Parolin is spearheading the drive for an agreement, the Vatican department in charge of foreign missionary work is more cautious about a deal, according to Catholic sources. 'WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE POPE' Criticism is especially strong in Hong Kong which, along with Macau, has long served as a beachhead for Catholicism on the mainland. The former British colony is home to missions and clergy that maintain extensive networks among both foreign and Chinese priests working in China, many underground. The most outspoken opponent is Cardinal Joseph Zen, a former bishop of Hong Kong, who is a member of the Commission for the Catholic Church in China, the advisory body set up by Benedict. Some members of the commission opposed the draft deal the Vatican hammered out with China in 2009, according to several people with knowledge of the deliberations. The Chinese government has no intention to give in on anything, Zen, a respected figure in Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement, told Reuters. Under Francis, the commission has been sidelined. While it hasnt been dismantled, the body hasnt convened since he became pope. And the talks with China are being led by Rome-based Vatican officials. Chinese Catholics want to be reunited in a single church, said a Chinese bishop who was appointed by Beijing and is also recognized by the pope. But it is difficult to think of a deal that could satisfy everyone. Some members of the underground church, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, are especially dubious about a deal with China. Many have faced harsh persecution. Catholic clergy are closely watched by Chinese security forces, and priests have been pressured to register with the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, Catholic sources say. China Aid, a Texas-based group that monitors the governments treatment of all Christian denominations in China, said in its 2015 annual report that repression by the Chinese state had escalated. In areas where state repression was particularly strong, it pointed to the forcible closure of secretive house churches, the detention of large numbers of pastors, church leaders and Christians, and the confiscation of church property. Chinas Foreign Ministry did not respond to questions about religious persecution. Bishops in the underground church have been jailed and subjected to forced labor, according to reports in the Catholic media. Shi Enxiang, the underground bishop of Yixian in northeast China, died last year after having been detained in 2001, according to UCANews, a Catholic news service focused on Asia. The bishop, who was 94, had been confined to prison or labor camp for about half his life, UCANews said. A full reconciliation needs time. If you go too fast, some segments of the underground Church could feel betrayed, says Antonio Sergianni, a former Vatican official who worked on the China desk in Rome for 10 years until 2013. But if the pope shows a new path, we need to follow the pope. (Reporting by Lisa Jucca, Benjamin Kang Lim and Greg Torode. Additional reporting by Philip Pullella in Rome, Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Hugh Bronstein in Buenos Aires. Editing by Peter Hirschberg.) On Thursday, popular coffee chain Starbucks Corp. SBUX announced that it will be creating a new, high-end brand of stores, dubbed Starbucks Reserve-only. The new stores are set to offer premium, small lot reserve coffee in a space twice the size of a typical Starbucks. In a press call, CEO Howard Schultz said "We recognize our customers expect and desire a higher level of product and we want to give it to them. Schultz also said the Starbucks Reserve-Only stores are the next evolution of the Starbucks Roastery experience. Located in Seattle, the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room provides customers with an immersive, visual coffee bar experience, offering five different methods of coffee preparation. Starbucks plans to open new Roastery stores in Shanghai next year, with one in New York slated for 2018. As for Reserve-only stores, the company did not provide a number of planned locations, though Schultz said there were "hundreds of opportunities [for] Reserve storesin the U.S. alone." In addition to the elevated coffee experience, Starbucks announced its investment in high-end Italian bakery and pizzeria chain Princi. The deal allows Starbucks to develop and operate all new Princi locations outside of Italy and in the U.S. By 2017, Starbucks Reserve-only stores will begin serving Princi baked goods, and a new Princi location is set to open next year in Seattle. "Given the response we've had to the Roastery and Reserve coffee, we believe that there's an opportunity to build a coffee-forward store," said Schultz. "This is an opportunity for us to elevate food in a way we never have before." This partnership with Princi will help Starbucks boost its food sales, a quickly growing facet of its business that has surpassed even its coffee sales. In the past, Starbucks food had drawn complaints about taste and consistency, but its acquisition of the La Boulange brand in 2012 helped the company turn around its food business. The Princi deal should enhance it even more. Story continues Princi was founded by Rocco Princi in 1986, and currently has five locations in Milan and London. 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 STARBUCKS CORP (SBUX): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research (Members of the State Opera ballet dance during a dress rehearsal of Etudes in Vienna December 12, 2013. The performance is part of Ballet-Hommage which will premiere on December 15, 2013.Heinz-Peter Bader/Reuters) US stocks hit all-time highs again on Thursday, rallying for the fifth straight day. Early in the morning, the Dow jumped by over 130 points, while the S&P 500 ticked up by 13. As for how they finished, lets head to the scoreboard: Dow: 18,506.41 (+0.7%) S&P 500: 2,163.75 (+0.5%) Nasdaq: 5,034.06 (+0.6%) WTI crude oil: $45.48 (+1.6%) 10-year Treasury yield: 1.539 (+4.9%) 1. Producer prices rose more than expected. The producer price index (PPI) for final demand rose by 0.5% in June, according to the Labor Department. Economists were expecting a 0.3% increase. The jump in prices was led by the index for final demand services, notably those related to securities brokerage and dealing, which increased 7.7%. Meanwhile, the index for final demand goods jumped by 0.8%, the most since May 2015, and was led by a 9.9% jump in the gas-price index. 2. Initial jobless claims held steady. Initial jobless claims held steady at 254,000 from the prior week. Economists were expecting them to rise slightly to 265,000. Claims have not risen above 300,000 for 71 straight weeks now the longest stretch since 1973. 3. Consumer reports wants Tesla to turn off part of its Autopilot technology. The influential consumer review magazine said the recent fatal crash that occurred while the Autopilot feature was engaged on a Tesla Model S should give pause to the companys aggressive roll-out of self-driving technology. The report continued: "Consumer Reports experts believe that these two messages your vehicle can drive itself, but you may need to take over the controls at a moments notice create potential for driver confusion. 4. JPMorgan beats. The firm reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.46 on revenue of $25.20 billion. Analysts were expecting adjusted earnings of $1.43 a share on revenue of $24.50 billion, according to Bloomberg. "Throughout the recent uncertainty and turbulence in the markets, we continued to be there for our clients solid and steadfast to meet their needs, execute their transactions and provide liquidity, CEO Jamie Dimon said in a statement. Story continues 5. Delta just said the B word Delta Air Lines announced adjusted earnings per share of $1.47 (versus $1.42 expected, according to Bloomberg) on operating revenue of $10.4 billion ($10.5 billion forecast.) And then the company announced one of the impacts that Britains unexpected decision last month to leave the European Union would have on its operations: With the additional foreign currency pressure from the steep drop in the British pound and the economic uncertainty from Brexit, Delta has decided to reduce 6 points of U.S.-U.K. capacity from its winter schedule. Its not unlikely that other firms will be referencing Brexit as well as we move through earnings season. 6. Multiple sources report that Donald Trump will select Indiana governor Mike Pence as his VP choice. Capital Hill newspaper first reported on Thursday morning that Trump is expected to pick Indiana governor Mike Pence as his running mate, citing a Republican with direct knowledge of the decision. However, a senior Trump communications adviser cautioned on Twitter that Trump had not yet made an official decision on his vice presidential choice. 7. The biggest tech IPO of the year soared in its debut. Shares of Line, a Japanese mobile-messaging app, jumped by as much as 30% in their debut on Thursday. The stock opened at $42 a share and had been priced at $32.84. Line is putting up 22 million shares in New York, and 13 million shares on the Tokyo stock exchange. Its been a relatively slow year for IPOs, and Line is only the fifth tech company to go public in 2016. Additionally: Art Cashin says a conspiracy theory is going around that explains the latest stock rally. The world isnt drowning in debt, even though theres more of it than ever before. Vietnams students perform mysteriously well on tests, and a new paper investigates why. Hong Kong is on the path to an outright recession. LinkedIn was just the beginning of internet M&A. The life of Boris Johnson in pictures. NOW WATCH: Virtual reality could help the stock market reach all-time highs in 2016 and 2017 More From Business Insider The Indian Army has been deployed across the country under the aegis of United Nations Mission In South Sudan (UNMISS). By Jugal R Purohit: South Sudan, world's youngest nation is in the news and again for the wrong reasons. Upon landing at the international airport in Juba on Thursday morning, Minister of State in the External Affairs ministry, General VK Singh (Retd) posted pictures of meeting stranded Indians and kick-starting Operation Sankat Mochan. While the Indian government's move to ferry two C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to extricate those stranded in capital Juba has attracted attention, the action of the other uniformed Indians already at work there hasn't. advertisement Operation 'Sankat Mochan': IAF to airlift 600 Indians from war-torn South Sudan IDPs intrusion in UN house compound The Indian Army has been deployed across the country under the aegis of United Nations Mission In South Sudan (UNMISS). The locations include capital Juba and provincial locations of Jonglei, Malakal and Pibor among others. Eviction of IDPs in coordination with NEPFPU On account of the re-erupted fighting between troops from the Sudan People's Liberation Army and Sudan People's Liberation Army In Opposition who pledge loyalty to President Salva Kiir and his former Vice President Riek Machar respectively, the UNMISS estimated deaths of over 270 people in the current round of violence which began last week. Reports of sporadic firing continue to emanate. UN compounds in Juba too have been hit prompting Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to condemn the 'indiscriminate attacks'. SPLA APC destroyed and burnt by SPLA-IO just outside northern perimeter. According to a source, the fighting affected a camp for the Internally Displaced People (IDP) in Juba. That drove refugees to breach the United Nations House, a compound holding the residences and offices of UN officials. "The situation was quite bad. We heard firing from helicopters, tanks among others. Our men were kept in reserve at the UN House and were asked to take charge," said a source. From curbing the inflow of IDPs, ensuring evacuation of UN staff, ensuring safety and escorting IDPs back, the peace keeping reserve troops from 7 Kumaon regiment of the Indian Army operating as 'INDBATT-2' were the ones who accomplished the task over the next few days. It was learnt that troops also secured the perimeter which was smashed by the IDPs and ensured the armed militiamen were weeded out. "Several weapons including machetes and guns were recovered from the army of people who had broken into UN House," said a source. Outside the camp, violence has subsided. "A few days back in Juba, we had drastic scenes where we found military vehicles were burnt, civilians killed indiscriminately, residential spaces charred. Things seem to have cooled down a but there is uncertainty," explained a source. IDPs being controlled and protected near perimeter of POC 1 IDPs being controlled and protected near perimeter of POC 1 advertisement Upon contacting the Indian mission, the Ambassador refused to comment on the matter. It was learnt that the UNMISS Force Commander had personally congratulated the Indian contingent's response. Till date, India has had ten fatalities of its personnel deployed under UNMISS. A total of 2249 personnel from the Indian Army have been deployed in South Sudan. The deployment is of troops from the medical corps, engineering corps, army supply corps and other infantry units. As on April 30, 2016, Ethiopia is the largest contributor to the UN Peace Keeping Operations worldwide with 8321 troops followed by India with 7696 troops and Pakistan with 7298 troops. Deployment for such peace keeping operations consists of policemen, military experts and troops. WRITER IS A SENIOR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT WITH INDIA TODAY TV --- ENDS --- By Matt Siegel SYDNEY (Reuters) - Aviation, maritime and public transport workers in Papua New Guinea went on strike on Thursday before a no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who has refused to resign over corruption allegations. The strikes have effectively cut off Papua New Guinea after a groundswell of political unrest in recent weeks in the rugged, mountainous country, which relies heavily on air travel. Friday's scheduled no-confidence vote against O'Neill has sparked fears of more unrest. Last month, weeks of peaceful protests by university students ended in violent clashes with police in which officials said nearly 40 people were injured, including four with bullet wounds. Although the strike in the three main urban centers of Port Moresby, Lae and Mount Hagen involves more than one industry, it is the aviation strike that is having the greatest impact, said Martyn Namorong, head of the PNG Resource Governance Coalition. Poor roads through the thickly forested highlands that separate its few large cities mean that travelers are effectively stranded without air travel, Namorong told Reuters. "For those who are traveling it's a major impact on people about to commute throughout our country because our country is severely dependant on air transport," he said by phone from Port Moresby. Human Rights lawyer Moses Murray, a spokesman for the strikers, told Radio New Zealand that the action was peaceful and focused on the aviation, maritime, public transport and banking sectors. O'Neill came to power in 2011 promising to rein in corruption but is facing allegations he authorized millions of dollars in fraudulent payments to a leading law firm. In 2014, an anti-corruption watchdog issued an order for his arrest over the incident, which O'Neill denies. He refused to submit to the warrant and ordered the watchdog stripped of its funding. At least one academic has accused O'Neill of using the power of his office to avoid facing charges. The strikes have contributed to a growing sense of unease in Port Moresby ahead of Friday's no-confidence vote, said Noel Anjo, a leader of the student protests. Papua New Guinea is developing lucrative resource projects with energy majors ExxonMobil and Total that have made it a major gas producer. However, corruption and violence are endemic in the island nation of seven million people, raising concerns about its long-term stability. (Reporting by Matt Siegel; Editing by Paul Tait) Khartoum (AFP) - Sudan will begin evacuating its nationals from Juba on Friday after fears that fresh fighting could erupt in South Sudan, which split from the north five years ago. South Sudanese voted for independence from Sudan under a peace agreement in 2011 but the world's newest country fell into a civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people. Hundreds have died in the latest round of violence that broke out in the South Sudanese capital ahead of the country's independence anniversary last week. Although a ceasefire has held since late Monday, the United Nations has warned of tension and the possibility of fresh fighting in Juba. Specially chartered evacuation flights have been taking foreign nationals out of the country since Wednesday. "The first flight evacuating Sudanese from South Sudan will arrive tomorrow," said a statement issued by Sudan Media Centre, an outlet close to the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service. "We have registered 2,000 Sudanese who want to return to their homeland," the statement quoted Sudanese government official Hajj Magid Suor as saying. He said Sudan will operate three to four flights daily to bring home its nationals. "Most of them are traders and those working in international NGOs. They are in thousands," Suor said. Commercial flights resumed to the South Sudanese capital on Thursday morning, with planes arriving almost empty and leaving full of people desperate to get out. Four days of intense battles last week between soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir and former rebels backing Vice President Riek Machar left hundreds dead in Juba and forced around 40,000 to flee their homes. - No jump in refugee influx - Aid agencies are warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis with a lack of both water and food. But the latest bloodshed had so far not triggered a jump in the number of South Sudanese refugees arriving in Sudan, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said. Story continues "No substantial increase in the number of arrivals into Sudan has been observed since the eruption of violence in Juba on 8 July," OCHA said. UN officials say a key reason for this was that the latest fighting was not in areas along the border between the two countries, which otherwise would have led to a jump in refugee influx into Sudan. Also those South Sudanese who wanted to flee were possibly finding it difficult to travel to Sudan from Juba, a UN official told AFP. South Sudanese refugees have been entering Sudan since a civil war erupted in their country at the end of 2013. OCHA said 80,758 South Sudanese arrived in Sudan between January 1, 2016 and July 10, fleeing conflict and food shortages in their war-torn country. It did not say how many entered the country since the violence erupted in South Sudan. The majority of new arrivals have taken refuge in East Darfur. The latest violence marks a fresh blow to last year's deal for ending the conflict, which erupted when Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup. Kiir is a member of the Dinka tribe, while Machar is a Nuer, and the dispute has split the country along ethnic lines. Machar's sacking set off a cycle of retaliatory killings that split the poverty-stricken, landlocked country along ethnic lines. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than two million have been driven from their homes. The conflict has been characterised by horrific rights abuses, including gang rapes, the wholesale burning of villages and cannibalism. By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Thursday said she regrets making critical comments about Republican presidential contender Donald Trump. "On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them," she said in a statement issued by the court. Ginsburg, the 83-year-old senior liberal member of the high court, inserted herself into the U.S. presidential election in recent days by making negative remarks about Trump in a series of media interviews. Her earlier remarks prompted criticism from Trump, who said she should resign. In one of a series of Twitter posts, he also said Ginsburg's "mind is shot." The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Ginsburg's statement. Legal ethics scholars also questioned Ginsburg's actions, saying Supreme Court justices should stay out the political fray in order to maintain their judicial integrity. The New York Times and the Washington Post chided Ginsburg in editorial articles. "Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect," Ginsburg said. In a CNN interview posted on Tuesday, Ginsburg called the presumptive Republican nominee "a faker." In a separate interview with the New York Times, Ginsburg joked about moving to New Zealand if Trump wins the White House. Under a code of conduct that federal judges - but not Supreme Court justices - are required to follow, judges are forbidden from publicly endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. Supreme Court justices generally shy away from discussing politics or other divisive issues in public. Ginsburg is one of the more outspoken members of the court but had never before made such pointed remarks about a political candidate. The controversy erupted as Trump prepared for the opening of the July 18-21 Republican convention, which will formally make him the party's presidential nominee for the Nov. 8 election. The Supreme Court has been ideologically split between four liberals and four conservatives since conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died in February. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) NAIROBI (Reuters) - A suspected recruiter for the Somali militant group al Shabaab shot dead at least four Kenyan policemen in the station where he was being held on Thursday after he snatched a weapon from a guard, police said. He was later killed by an elite squad, which specializes in hostage situations, after holding other prisoners hostage as police surrounded Kapenguria police station in west Kenya, officials said. The squad was flown in from Nairobi. "The siege has finally ended," John Musiambu, the regional government coordinator, told reporters at the scene. He said all the inmates in the police cell at the station were safe while one officer of the special squad was wounded. The man was suspected of links to terrorism, police chief Joseph Boinnet said, without being more specific. The number of casualties was not clear, officials said. Another police officer, who declined to be name, told Reuters at least four officers were killed and that figure could rise. He said the man was suspected of recruiting for al Shabaab. Al Shabaab has launched a series of attacks against Kenya in recent years, including using local recruits. The group says the attacks are aimed at driving Kenyan forces out of Somalia, where they are part of an African force fighting al Shabaab. Kenyan television channel KTN said as many as six officers had died in the stand-off in Kapenguria. Boinnet said that police had also repulsed an attack by al Shabaab militants on a camp in the Lamu region of eastern Kenya, near the Somali border. Several militants were believed to have been killed or escaped with severe injuries from that assault. He did not give figures. (Reporting by George Obulutsa, Humphrey Malalo in Nairobi and Joseph Akwiri in Mombasa, Editing by Duncan Miriri and Angus MacSwan) (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview broadcast on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has never talked to him about leaving power, despite pressure from Washington for Assad to step down. "They never said a single word regarding this," Assad told NBC News when asked whether Putin or Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had talked to him about a political transition in Syria, where a civil war has raged since 2011. Assad also said he is not concerned that Putin and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who travels to Moscow on Thursday, will make a deal that would force him from power. "Because their politics, I mean, the Russian politics, is not based on making deals. It's based on values," Assad said. Russia has been a major ally of Assad while the United States, which backs rebels seeking to overthrow Assad, has called for him to leave power. Kerry heads to Moscow seeking greater Russian cooperation in the war against Islamic State militants in Syria, but he faces strong opposition from U.S. defense and intelligence officials who argue that Washington and Moscow have diametrically opposed objectives in the country. (Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington; Editing by Sandra Maler) Tartus (Syria) (AFP) - When the farmers of Syria's Tartus province went off to war, their famed tomato vines were left to wither. This summer, the crops are being revived -- not by returning soldiers, but by displaced farmers from other parts of Syria who have found refuge in the relatively peaceful coastal province. In a field of tangled plants covered with plastic sheeting, men, women and children from Aleppo province walked along the rows seeking out red fruits ready to be picked. Aleppo, to the northeast of Tartus, has been ravaged by a five-year conflict that has left at least 280,000 people dead and displaced half the country's population. Ahmad Farhat Ismail, 48, fled Aleppo with his family and found work in the fields of Tartus. "After the fighting intensified in Aleppo, we thought our best option was to flee to Tartus because it's an agricultural area and all we know how to do is farm," he told AFP. "I want to work so that I don't become a refugee." Thousands of men from Tartus, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad, have taken up arms in support of the government since the conflict began. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, says some 30,000 soldiers from the province have died in the conflict. Many locals have multiple family members fighting for the government and were forced to leave their land untended. "When some members of my family enlisted in military service, we didn't have enough working hands," said 55-year-old Abdel Karim Kaneej as he took a break from picking. "So the tomato harvest suffered until the newcomers came this season to help us improve the situation and fill the labour gap." Kaneej's two brothers serve in Homs and Damascus, and his young nephew is fighting for the regime in Aleppo. "We give our men and blood to Aleppo, and Aleppo gives us its men and women, too," he said. - 'A safe haven' - Story continues Syria's conflict, which broke out in March 2011, has devastated the economy. Syria was heavily dependent on agriculture. Farming provided a livelihood to roughly half the population before the war, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation. Tartus's farmers produced a million tons of tomatoes a year, making it one of the world's top producers, says the FAO. But last year, that figure had dropped to just 300,000 tons, according to the provincial agricultural department. The World Food Programme and the FAO, working with the government, have offered technical training, irrigation supplies and other support to 2,000 farmers this year. That has created work for over 6,000 workers, including displaced Syrians, according to the WFP. The organisation is helping Syrians become self-sufficient by producing their own food and selling their product through local distributors, WFP logistics officer Ivo Junior Santi told AFP. An estimated 700,000 people have fled to Tartus from other parts of Syria -- around 60 percent of them from Aleppo province, according to a provincial source. Many live in difficult conditions, sleeping in cramped sheds near the land they work. "I lost my husband last year when he left our house in Aleppo city and never came back," says Nour al-Abdallah, a female worker arranging tomatoes into white cardboard boxes. Nour shows her daughter Tima, six, how to stack the boxes on top of one another so they can be moved to distribution centres inside Tartus city. "I switched from being a hairdresser to a farmer, and I'm very happy about it because I found somewhere safe where my children can eat and drink," she said. "Even if the war ends, I want to stay here in Tartus." Mohammad Shahhadi, 40, says Tartus has also become his new home since he fled the town of Al-Safirah in Aleppo province in 2013. "In Tartus, I learnt a new way to farm and I benefitted from the expertise of the coastal people like they benefited from my expertise," he tells AFP. "But planting tomatoes is only one of the things that makes me want to stay in Tartus, even though my town has returned to the control of the Syrian army," he said. "I found a safe haven here and a decent living wage." By Andrea Shalal FARNBOROUGH, England (Reuters) - Technology transfers and commitments to build and buy equipment locally have become key determinants in which companies win global arms sales orders, U.S. industry executives say. For years, U.S. and European weapons makers funded a wide range of so-called "offset agreements", or projects to sweeten weapons deals that ranged from construction of hospitals and hotels to giant orders of frozen chicken, as well as simple one-off production orders for local firms. But purchasing countries are now demanding more complex technology transfers and a share of work on ongoing weapons programmes in order to cement deals, industry executives told Reuters at the Farnborough Airshow this week. Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), Boeing Co (BA.N), Raytheon Co (RTN.N) and other U.S. companies have boosted their foreign orders sharply in recent years as demand for U.S. weapons has increased. The U.S. government is on track to approve nearly $40 billion in foreign military sales in the 2016 fiscal year that ends Oct. 1, a drop from $46.6 billion last year but still well above levels seen just five years ago. "If you want to be successful in any country, you have to have content in that country," said Steve O'Bryan, head of business development for Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) Mission Systems and Training, which includes Sikorsky helicopters. "And the ones who move faster ... do better." O'Bryan, a former top executive with the Lockheed F-35 fighter jet programme, said that project helped create the new paradigm since it was structured from the start to allow local companies in countries that funded the jet's development and bought airplanes to compete for work on the whole aircraft. Ensuring work for domestic suppliers is a key factor in a big missile defence competition in Poland, and will likely play a huge role in a long-delayed fighter competition in Canada. Lockheed's Sikorsky helicopter unit has also responded to the changing market, and is now building H-60 Black Hawk helicopters in Poland, Turkey and Japan. It also signed an agreement that could lead to a similar set up in Saudi Arabia. Story continues Boeing Co (BA.N), the world's largest planemaker and the No. 2. U.S. weapons maker, says it leveraged its 70-year commercial history in India to win large military orders when that market opened up a decade ago. "We were able to draw on the knowledge and relationships from our commercial business to build a local manufacturing and supply base," said spokeswoman Caroline Hutcheson. "We hit the ground running and grew quickly because of the depth of our experience." Boeing broke ground last month on a joint venture with India's Tata that will build AH-64 Apache helicopter fuselages in India as part of the government's "Make in India" campaign. David Melcher, who heads the U.S. Aerospace Industries Association trade group, said his group is urging the U.S. government to streamline and accelerate often slow approvals of arms sales and technology transfers to adjust to the shifting realities of the global arms sales market. AIA wants Washington to make it easier to export technologies that are already available elsewhere, including satellites and night vision military equipment, warning that U.S. firms could otherwise losing business to overseas rivals. "Im making an argument for increasing the level of capability that were allowed to sell to our allies, and when were allowed to sell it, to do it expeditiously and streamline the processes," he said. U.S. officials are trying to improve the process and deal with record-high levels of arms sales requests, but say they must work through requests on a case-by-case basis to safeguard U.S. security and technology. (Editing by Alexandra Hudson) By PTI: passed in Assembly Kohima, Jul 14 (PTI) The Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) today passed St. Joseph Catholic University (Nagaland) Bill 2016. The Bill was introduced in the Assembly on July 12 by Parliamentary Secretary of Higher and Technical Education Deo Nukhu and passed by voice vote today. The main objective of the University is to provide high quality and industry relevant education in the areas of Accounting, Financial analysis and Management. advertisement Nukhu said the University will stress on Business Management, Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Agriculture, Architecture, Law Education, Medical Sciences and related areas approved by the University. The University establishment will be sponsored by the Daughters of Mary Immaculate and Collaborators, DMI, Foundation, Nagaland. It has also been stated that the establishment of the University would not cost any financial obligation in any manner on the Government of Nagaland or its agencies as all the act and the regulations would be exclusively borne by the University. The Bill was brought to the House following a letter written to the Chief Minister T R Zeliang by Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, Bishop of Kohima on January 7 requesting to pass the Catholic University Bill. In his letter, the Bishop stated that the Catholic Church in Nagaland has been on the forefront in providing quality education, particularly at primary, middle, high and higher secondary levels at an affordable and accessible ways to the people in every nook and corner of the State. Presently, he said, the Church runs 125 primary / elementary schools, 57 high schools, 27 higher secondary schools, 4 degree colleges, 1 teachers? training institute, 1 B Ed College and 1 MSW college. Before the passing of the Bill today, Deo Nukhu explained to the House that the state requires more private universities so as to facilitate the students. He also said that building educational institute is a major economic investment for improving human resource development. PTI NBS MM --- ENDS --- Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is finding it hard to find supporters in Silicon Valley. In fact, the list of supporters is quite short but does contain one notable name: billionaire investor Peter Thiel. In an open letter to Trump, a group of inventors, entrepreneurs, engineers, investors, researchers and business leaders in the technology sector collectively agreed that a Trump presidency will be a "disaster for innovation." The letter can be viewed in its entirety here and was written by Katie Jacobs Stanton.XL The letter states that 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or children of immigrants. Meanwhile, Trump is "openly hostile to immigration" and has heavily campaigned on building a wall, mass deportation and profiling. Related Link: 8 Reasons Donald Trump Could Be A Modern-Day Joe McCarthy However, Trump supporters will point out a flaw in the letter as he merely wants to enforce already existing immigration laws, and secure the southern border with Mexico. The letter adds that Trump proposed "shutting down" parts of the internet as security strategy - a move that demonstrates "both poor judgment and ignorance about how technology works." Again, Trump supporters will point out another flaw in the letter. As noted by conservative-leaning political site Breitbart, Trump was referring to shutting down the internet in certain regions in Syria where the Islamic State is operating from. "Donald Trump articulates few policies beyond erratic and contradictory pronouncements," the letter added. "His reckless disregard for our legal and political institutions threatens to upend what attracts companies to start and scale in America. He risks distorting markets, reducing exports, and slowing job creation." The letter also didn't formally offer support to the presumed Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. See more from Benzinga 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Brasilia (AFP) - Brazil's lower house of Congress elected an ally of interim president Michel Temer as its new speaker Thursday, replacing the embattled Eduardo Cunha, an architect of impeachment proceedings against suspended president Dilma Rousseff. Rodrigo Maia of the right-wing Democrats party was elected with 285 out of 460 votes in a second-round election in the Chamber of Deputies. That puts the 46-year-old banker first in line to succeed the president in Latin America's largest economy. After months of political upheaval, Temer, Rousseff's vice president, took over from her on May 12, when the Senate suspended her to face an impeachment trial over accusations of fudging the government's accounts to make them look better in an election year. There is currently no vice president as Temer, the head of the center-right PMDB party, governs the country while Rousseff fights an impeachment push that political analysts give her little chance of surviving. Cunha, a fellow PMDB member, resigned from the powerful speaker's post a week ago under fire for allegedly taking millions of dollars in bribes and stashing money in secret Swiss accounts. He had already been suspended from the job in May, just days before the impeachment vote he helped orchestrate. Cunha, an inveterate backroom operator, is often called Brazil's Frank Underwood, the dark, manipulative politician in the hit Netflix series "House of Cards." Critics say Cunha sought to use his power to trigger impeachment proceedings against Rousseff to save his own scandal-plagued career. The suspended leftist president's popularity had plunged amid a deep recession and an explosive corruption scandal at state oil giant Petrobras. Maia called for dialogue in the deeply divided Congress as he took his post. "We must bring peace to this plenary, dialogue with the majority and the minority," he said. Temer congratulated him and wished him success in a Twitter message. These days, terrorism seems not just more lethal and more common, but more widespread. The death toll in recent weeks speaks for itself: 22 people dead in Bangladesh, 49 gone in the United States, 44 gone in Turkey, 292 gone in Iraq, then another 37, another 12, yet another 12. And by one oft-cited measurethe Institute for Economics and Peaces Global Terrorism Indexthats true. As a rough representation of the global threat of terrorism nearly 15 years after the 9/11 attacksnearly 15 years after George W. Bush declared that his war on terror would not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and defeatedthe findings are extremely disheartening. War, they suggest, has only brought more terror. Deaths From Terrorism, 2000 2014 In 2015, terrorist attacks occurred in almost 100 countriesup from 59 in 2013according to the University of Marylands Global Terrorism Database, which the Institute for Economics and Peace relies on for its analysis. ISIS, for its part, appears increasingly to be training its sights on overseas targets as it loses territory in Iraq and Syria. Recommended: A Short History of British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson Insulting Foreign Leaders Fear has spread as well. In June, the Pew Research Center reported that ISIS was viewed as the top threat in eight of 10 European countries that it surveyed, edging out other dangers like climate change and global economic instability. Around the same time, CNN polling revealed that Americans were more likely to expect terrorist attacks in the United States in the near future than at any point since March 2003, shortly after the U.S. went to war in Iraq. But why is that? Why, 15 years after Bush vowed to defeat terrorism, does it seem like the world is awash in it? According to Daniel Byman, a terrorism expert at Georgetown University, one of the key explanations boils down to two words: civil war. Byman argues that the severity of the terrorist threat depends on where you look. Story continues Its worth noting that the graph above has its flaws. Collecting data on terrorist attacks is difficult and subjective. (How, to begin with, do you define terrorism?) The chart is from the most recent Global Terrorism Index, which does not include statistics from 2015 and 2016. More recent data indicates that the total number of deaths from terrorist attacks actually decreased slightly between 2014 and 2015, with fewer fatalities in Iraq, Pakistan, and Nigeria. Nevertheless, terrorism is in fact significantly worse in the Middle East than it was several years ago, before the rise of ISIS, Byman told me. Europe has a serious problem, though its had serious problems in the past with terrorist attacks in Madrid and London, for example. And the United States has a problem, but in context with past terrorist attemptsexcluding 9/11, which was off the chartsthis is in line with that. ... The attacks that have happened [have been carried out by] lone wolves who are dangerous. But thats actually less dangerous than trained infiltrators like we saw [during the 2015 attacks] in Paris. Between 2000 and 2014, less than 3 percent of deaths from terrorism occurred in Western countries, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace. Donald Trump asks why they hate uswhy jihadists have it out for Americans. But the data shows that terrorism today is not about us, at least not primarily. Though they may profess hatred of Westerners, terrorists are largely tormenting conflict zones like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. Civil wars like the ones in these countries are particularly potent breeding grounds for terrorist groups, Byman has arguedand this is one reason terrorism has gotten so bad in the greater Middle East. Recommended: Poor at 20, Poor for Life In explaining why this happens, Byman compared terrorism to robbery. You can think about robbery in terms of grievances: Why do people steal? Because theyre poor and they want something. Or you can think about it in terms of capability: Why do they do it? Because they can. You and I might steal, if there was no penaltyif we could walk into a jewelry store and take stuff and there were no cops. Civil wars increase both grievances and capability, Byman said. They produce vicious cycles of grievancesyou could be displaced from your home, your brother could be shot. And they produce capability by gutting government authority. If 40 people tried to overthrow the U.S. government, he said, they might kill some people, but theyd also be arrested. But if the U.S. government isnt functioning because the countrys gripped by civil war, those same 40 people can overtake a town and swell their ranks. Wars in general create opportunities for groups, and at the same time create grievances that groups feed on, Byman noted. Which is why one of the signature features of the war on terrorthe invasion of Iraqended up unleashing more terrorism. When a stable government is destabilized and collapses, thats very bad from a counterterrorism point of view, said Byman. This is true with or without massive U.S. involvement, as Syrias civil war demonstrates. Both civil wars offer muddled lessons for how a future President Trump or Clinton should design U.S. counterterrorism policy, according to Byman. He suggested an approach not unlike that which Barack Obama has pursued: I end up with: Bad things are going to happen, and what we need is some degree of offensive [military] capability to keep the bad guys off balance, we need aggressive global cooperation to go after the global web [of terrorists], we need some homeland defenses, and we need domestic resilience because some attacks will happen. I look at [the attack in] San Bernardino in particular and say, I dont know what really could have been done [to prevent] that one, with all the benefit of hindsight. Trump asks why they hate us. But the data shows terrorism is not about us. Not primarily. Still, Byman noted, Americans may perceive terrorism as an acute threat because the 9/11 attacks primed them to view most security issues through the lens of terrorism, whether or not it makes sense to do so. He pointed out that during the Vietnam War, the Viet Congs terrorist tactics were generally interpreted as elements of revolutionary or guerrilla warfare, not terrorism. And Europe and the United States experienced far more terrorist attacks in the 1970s and 80s than they do now, though most of these were less deadly than todays suicide bombings. Once you discover something that seems new, all of a sudden its everywhere, Byman said. On September 12, 2001, Americans looked at the world anew. Recommended: How the CIA Hoodwinked Hollywood And yet focusing on terrorism blurs other parts of the picture. Yes, ISIS practices terrorism, but it also governs territory, devoting much of its budget and personnel to maintaining an army and police force, minting money, establishing law and order, offering some semblance of social services, and so on. Saying ISIS is a terrorist organization is like saying the Department of Defense is a health-care organization, Byman told me. It is. Its the largest health-care bureaucracy in the U.S. government. But oh, by the way, they do something else. The recent car bombing in Baghdad, for example, represented something in between terrorist tactics used in conventional war (ISIS sending suicide bombers to kill enemy forces) and clear-cut terrorism executed outside a war zone (the Paris attacks). The bombing was clearly directed against civilians, its clearly terrorism, but part of the purpose is to advance the Islamic State in a war, to demoralize the Iraqi military and police, Byman said. In several countries in the Middle East, he said, people have good reason to feel gravely threatened by terrorism. But elsewhere in the world, its more that people are paying greater attention to the terrorist threat than they used to. Were labeling things terrorism, where before it would have been seen in the context of civil wars, Byman argued. It screws up our basic understanding of the most important question, which is: Are things getting worse? Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. TEL AVIV, July 14 (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will raise between $20 billion and $25 billion next week to finance its $40 billion acquisition of Allergan Plc's generics business, the Globes financial news website reported on Thursday. The bond offering is aimed at foreign investors, Globes said. A spokesman for Teva declined to comment immediately on the report. Teva in October said it would sell $22 billion of bonds, mostly dollars but also euro and pounds, in a number of markets to help fund the deal. Teva on Wednesday said it would hold investor calls in the United States and meetings in Europe ahead of a potential multi-currency bond sale, Thomson Reuters' IFR Markets reported, citing a lead bank on the deal. The Israel-based company is expected to issue senior unsecured debt in U.S. dollars, euros and/or Swiss francs, IFR said. Teva Chief Executive Officer Erez Vigodman said on Wednesday he expected the acquisition to close soon. "We expect the closing of the ... generics deal at any time now," Vigodman said during a conference call with analysts to discuss the drugmaker's 2016-19 financial outlook. The deal was first announced last July and had been expected to wrap up last month, but it has taken longer as the companies have arranged sales of more drugs than anticipated to satisfy antitrust regulators. (Reporting by Tova Cohen. Editing by Jane Merriman) By Alisa Tang KLONG SAI PATTANA, Thailand (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Along a mud road deep inside oil palm and rubber plantations in the southern Thai province of Surat Thani, handwritten signs tag grim evidence of a struggle for land that began two decades ago, and then turned violent and deadly. One sign points to the area illegally used by a palm oil company. In a grove of banana trees, a sign for "bunker" indicates a low, palm-leaf camouflaged mud hut built six years ago for women and children to sleep in while men patrolled forests ringing with gunfire. Further on is a ruined, one-room shack with bamboo floors and rusted roofing, marked as the home of Somporn Pattaphum, born 1957, died 2010. Somporn was the first of four people from Klong Sai Pattana who were killed by unidentified gunmen. "He was sitting at this house next door when he was shot," said Khuan Panmuang, a fellow land rights defender from a nearby village. "They keep his home in case his children want to join them here." These landmarks are just some of the evidence collected by villagers since Thailand's 1997 constitution granted the right to access official information - for the first time allowing people to demand documentation for murky land deals across the country. With this constitutional right - and the subsequent Official Information Act of 1997 - land rights campaigners wielded a key weapon to investigate government property that had long been in the grip of investors, in the hope that it would be redistributed to farmers as part of Thai land reforms. "As soon as we had the right to access this information, we were able look at the information on land owned by the government and see, was it legally held or not? Who was holding it?" said Suraphon Songruk, of the Southern Peasants Federation of Thailand (SPFT). They uncovered expired and illegal concessions on land owned by the government's Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO), stockpiled reams of documents, and in the case of Klong Sai Pattana, helped the ALRO to win a court case to reclaim the land from the trespassing palm oil company. Today, with Thai politics in turmoil after a decade of troubled elections, protests, two coups and now military rule, land rights campaigners fear the right to access information hangs in the balance. Thailand is set to hold a referendum for a new constitution in August. Section 41 of the draft constitution retains the right to access information, and the government says the new charter will not affect the existing law. "They still have this right, according to the law of (1997)," Jirachai Moontongroy, deputy permanent secretary of the prime minister's office, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, after a walking tour of the Klong Sai Pattana on July 1. "It is clearly defined what information the people can ask for, and what information civil servants must provide." EXPIRED CONCESSIONS Klong Sai Pattana is one of six villages in the south where the SPFT is pushing for a community land title, which legally permits collective management and use of state-owned land for residents' livelihoods. As land rights activists who have occupied the 160-hectare plot, many villagers are well-versed in their rights and the history of their struggle. They say the movement to reclaim expired concessions and encroached areas from companies - as in Klong Sai Pattana - began in 2002 with the construction of a dam in Surat Thani. Several villagers were going to be displaced by the dam, so the government looked for areas to relocate them. Provincial officials mentioned expired concessions on state-owned property as a possibility, residents of Klong Sai Pattana said. However, when villagers asked for documents as evidence to reclaim these lands for redistribution, officials withheld the information. "When we wanted to take the land from the investors, then the information was blocked again, so we protested," Teeranet Chaisuwan, a resident, said as he pored over copies of the documents collected by the community over the years. In 2003, the government agreed to investigate the palm oil plantations. Villagers say they helped to compile the necessary legal evidence. In 2014, a court ruled that the ALRO could evict the palm oil company in Klong Sai Pattana. RIGHTS IN THE BALANCE The land rights campaigners in Klong Sai Pattana began moving into the area in 2008, occupying the land - with the government's consent - and pressuring the investors to leave. Two years later, the first of the land rights activists Somporn - was killed. Over the years, three more people were fatally shot, while another resident was shot and wounded in April. Residents blame the shootings on mafia linked to the plantations, but no one has been convicted or jailed. Insisting that they sacrificed their lives to help the government win the court case against the palm oil company, the residents believe they deserve this ALRO land to be redistributed to them. However, the ALRO says these villagers are also illegal occupants and must leave because all Thais have an equal right to vie for the 160-hectare plot. The ruling military junta last week issued an order allowing the ALRO to reclaim land that has been occupied illegally. Meanwhile, even though Klong Sai Pattana residents say they helped to oust the palm oil company, they are accused of being the company's dependents - who must also be evicted. A court is set to rule on Friday on whether this is the case. Suraphon, of the SPFT, says that even if the land is not given to those who live there and have fought for it, the fact that the Thai people will get the land is a victory. "Future generations will benefit from the SPFT's efforts. At least the government has to take back land from the investors and give it to poor people. That is one step toward development - at least we changed the policy, even if we don't get the land," he said. With Thailand currently under military rule, Suraphon's concern now is a clampdown on information. "They can write in the fine print... they can hide different ways to make it hard for people to access information," he said. "Some information is easily accessible, but for some you have to ask for permission from officials. Sometimes they say the boss is not in today, so you have to come back tomorrow - then we go home empty-handed, and waste another day." (Reporting by Alisa Tang @alisatang, Editing by Paola Totaro and Jo Griffin. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, corruption and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories) The Kardashian sisters are suing a cosmetics company that used their name for a makeup line. (Photo: Getty Images) Celebrity collaborations are big business, and carefully working on products to bring to market can be a major part of building a stars brand. In terms of endorsing products and collaborating with companies, theres no name more eye-catching than the Kardashians, but the sisters are crying foul over a new beauty line. Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe are suing Hillair Capital-owned Haven Beauty for releasing a new cosmetic line under the Kardashian Beauty name, allegedly without their consent or involvement. First, lets explain the history behind the current lawsuit. In 2012, the Kardashian sisters made a deal with Boldface Licensing + Branding to create a makeup line. However, after disagreements over the lines direction and, according to the Kardashians, mismanagement internally at the branding company, Boldface folded. This is when Hillair Capital Management LLC dove in, bought Kardashian Beauty assets, and launched Haven Beauty as a presumptive joint venture with the three sisters. Hillair initially wanted to revive and save Kardashian Beauty, but Kim, Kourt, and Khloe did not seem to want to work with the cosmetic company now governing the line. In March, Hillair filed a $180 million lawsuit for breach of contract and fraud, among other claims, stating that the Kardashians were profiting from the beauty line but not fulfilling their obligation to promote or market the venture. Read This Next: Talking Bee Venom With Kourtney Kardashian Ever since, the Kardashians and Hillair have been involved in a bitter legal dispute about the sisters involvement (or lack thereof). Fast-forward to this past weekend, when Haven Beauty pushed ahead with a new Kardashian Beauty drop, allegedly without the sisters blessing or input. The product announcement appeared across Kardashian Beauty social media, including photos of and statements from Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe. Story continues This prompted the Kardashians to file a suit of their own against Hillair for trademark infringement. The three Kardashian sisters are not in business with this cosmetic company, a Kardashian spokesperson told TMZ. The people selling the Kardashian Beauty brand and their predatory owners knew this and are attempting to mislead the Kardashians fans by stating that the Kardashians are still involved. This outrageous conduct is a legal matter and will be dealt with accordingly. According to Julie Zerbo, founder and editor in chief of the Fashion Law, its not uncommon for celebrities to file lawsuits against parties that use their name or likeness without consent to turn a profit. Just this year, Kardashian sis Kendall Jenner filed suit against skincare company Cutera for using her name and photo in an advertising campaign. Scarlett Johansson sued a French publisher for unauthorized use of her name in a novel in 2013. Read This Next: This Is Why the Kardashians Are All Wearing Braids Two years ago, Reese Witherspoon filed a lawsuit against a jewelry company for using her name and likeness to sell a look-alike of her engagement ring from first husband Ryan Phillippe, which was settled out of court earlier in 2016. Sofia Vergara brought a multimillion dollar case against Venus Concepts, which proclaimed the actress had tried and endorsed a skin-tightening massage treatment; the lawsuit claims she did try it, but did not like the treatment and would never promote or endorse it to fans. The recent Kardashian dispute is much stickier, though. What complicates this case is the past dealings these parties have had and the acquisition of Boldface assets by Hillair, Zerbo tells Yahoo Beauty. But with this new suit, the girls are citing trademark infringement, essentially saying Hillair and Haven currently lack the legal right to use their name and they are not tied to the companys venture. Zerbo says a key driver of a celebrity trademark infringement lawsuit is wanting the party to stop promoting, marketing, and selling using the stars moniker and photo. Sometimes, monetary damages are also awarded based on profits, but Zerbo says it may be hard to prove Hillair profited from this recent makeup line since the products were just announced. Read This Next: How the Kardashians Went From Contour to Nontour Who has the best case? Its almost impossible to tell, says Zerbo, without seeing the actual agreements made by the Kardashians and Boldface, as well as Hillair and Haven. However, Hillair bought Boldface in trouble, and one of their biggest assets was the Kardashian name, Zerbo explains. Intellectual property rights and trademarks are a big part of these acquisition deals. That said, Zerbo says the Kardashians will have a strong and competent legal team onboard to fight for their rights and protect their trademarks, which will definitely affect the cases outcome. Time will tell exactly how this all plays out, but now you know just who is alleging what in this overly complex beauty battle royal and that the Kardashians claim not to be involved with this new makeup line that bears their name. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Francois Hollandes latest controversy involves one very pricey stylist. (Photo: Getty Images) Francois Hollande is bringing new meaning to the term tax cuts. The president of France is at the center of a growing controversy over his high-priced haircuts. According to the New York Times, Hollande has been paying his personal hairdresser 9,895 euros the equivalent of more than $10,000 each month since he took office in 2012. And French taxpayers are footing the bill. The controversial leader promised to be a normal and exemplary president during his campaign, but his wasteful ways dont exactly set the best example: 9,895 euros is more than half the annual salary of a French citizen making minimum wage. For many people in France that really, really, really is a lot of money, Thierry Mandon, the junior minister for higher education and research, told the LCP news channel. Wed really have to agree! The hairy situation made its way to Twitter, of course, and the hashtag #CoiffeurGate (coiffeur is French for hairdresser) became a trending topic on Wednesday. Whats funnier. The aide who justifies it. The exorbitant cost. Or the lack of hair to style #buyacomb, wrote @thedanburdett, pointing out the obvious: Hollande doesnt have a whole lot of hair to begin with. Related: Bigorexia: How a Male Body-Image Disorder Can Get So Extreme If this debacle sounds familiar, thats probably because its not the first time a politician has been called to the carpet for forking over an exorbitant amount of cash for haircut. Back in 2007, former Senator John Edwards came under fire when a Beverly Hills stylist revealed he was paid $1,250 to cut Edwardss healthy head of hair. The hefty fee covered the cost of the stylists commute to Atlanta and compensated him for missing two days of work to tend to the senator. Around the same time, Hillary Clinton was criticized for paying $2,500 for two styling sessions while campaigning, and Bill Clinton had his own diva moment when he shut down two of four runways at LAX airport so that Air Force One could fly the president in for a $200 trim in a controversy dubbed Hairgate. Story continues But thats peanuts compared with what the Sultan of Brunei forks over to fly in his favorite stylist for a snip. In 2009, the Daily Mail reported that Hassanal Bolkiah hired a private jet to fetch a hairdresser from an upscale London salon to tend to his tresses. The bill came out to an extravagant 15,000 euros chump change for a billionaire like the Sultan. Related: British Reality Star Shamed for Having Hair on Her Thighs And whats a political controversy without input from Sarah Palin? The former Alaska governor faced the heat when she spent more than $165,000 during her campaign with former GOP nominee John McCain. Palin actually traveled with her stylist, Angela Lew, paying her $42,615 over the course of two months, according to the New York Times. She found the hairdresser on the recommendation of Cindy McCain, who frequented Lews salon. As for Hollande, its uncertain whether he knew how much money he was actually paying for his pricey cut; his former chief of staff signed the contract. Hollandes former companion Valerie Trierweiler came to his defense though, tweeting: Lets be fair: F. Hollande was not aware of the hairdressers salary. I can attest to his anger when he learned about it later. No doubt social media critics will be splitting hairs over the debate for weeks to come. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Thousands of veterans, many of whom served in Afghanistan and Iraq, were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) by medical personnel at Veterans Affairs hospitals who were unqualified to make such judgments, according to Military Times. And an investigation by a Minnesota TV station discovered that more than 300 vets at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, some of whom were denied benefits, were examined for TBI by doctors who did not have the proper credentials. Related: More than 125,000 U.S. Veterans of the Middle East Were Denied VA Benefits The investigation by KARE11News in Minneapolis said only one out of 21 medical personnel who conducted examinations at the local VA hospital was qualified to do so. At a hearing on Wednesday by the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee, Chairman Ralph Abraham (R-LA), a physician, called TBI the signature injury from Afghanistan and Iraq. But David McLenachen, deputy under secretary for disability assistance at the VA, testified that between 2007 and 2015 about 24,000 vets were examined for TBI by VA personnel and contractors who did not meet the departments requirements. He said they would be re-examined. Since 2000, more than 325,000 troops have been diagnosed with TBI. Of those, 170,000 applied for benefits but only 75,000 disability claims have been approved, subcommittee ranking member Dina Titus (D-NV) said. She asked why there is this great gap, and Abraham suggested that some vets with meritorious claims may have been denied benefits. Related: Facing $1 Billion in Cost Overruns, VA Hospital Execs Head for the Exits Committee staff has been trying to get to the bottom of what happened and who is responsible, but even after four separate briefings, the answers are not clear," Abraham, said. "The only issue that is clear to me is that the VBA [Veterans Benefits Administration] and VHA [Veterans Health Administration] created a royal mess by not communicating with each other ... and that senior VA employees once again failed to hold subordinates accountable. Story continues Titus did point out that the VA has taken the lead in treatment of TBI and will spend $2.2 billion over the next 10 years on treatment and research. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Though Thursday's Emmy nominations are arguably the most across-the-board on-target they've ever been, THR critics Tim Goodman and Daniel Fienberg took some time getting used to all the warm fuzzies, and then located the oversights they found most annoying or troubling. Fienberg: Holy cow, man. This is just about as close as the Emmy voters have come to my dream ballot in years. The Americans! Louie Anderson! Black-ish! Bokeem Woodbine! Sterling K. Brown! I mean, it's not a perfect list of Emmy nominees, but it's a very good list of Emmy nominees. Nobody, however, is here to watch us be happy. So ... how easy is it for you to find points of disgruntlement with this year's nominees? Who got snubbed? Goodman: It's probably easy for both of us because we're well-oiled professional machines, Dan. Wasn't it harder to be all warm and fuzzy? But yeah, despite this being a huge step forward for the Television Academy, there were snubs (or, in some cases, let's just say dark horses that didn't come in). Instead of giant lumps of show titles, let's start with Orange Is the New Black. I think that stands out, even if season three wasn't the strongest. Yes? Read More: Emmys by the Numbers: Nominations by Series, Network, Studio Fienberg: As somebody who believes the Emmy blue ribbon panel screwed up in not letting Orange submit as a comedy - don't tell me it's less of a comedy than Transparent and Shameless - this is the unfortunate side effect. When even Uzo Aduba isn't getting nominated, that means the bloom is off this rose for Emmy voters. It's baffling that Emmy voters keep going to the House of Cards well over and over and over again, but they tired of Orange this quickly. OK. Fine. I can get angry about something if I need to, Tim. Goodman: Well I've got plenty of anger about House of Cards, Homeland and Downton Abbey - series that are fine enough if you want to argue with their fans, but not quite up to the standards of the category. I think the same thing about The Good Wife. I have no energy to argue about whether they are more than just good shows. But I've got all the venom necessary to argue them out of the best drama category. To me, with all the great improvements in this year's nominations, it's this drama class that stands out as really being the Television Academy's biggest stumble this year. The Leftovers could have been in there, for starters. (I would just say as an asterisk as we go forward, that a lot of the reasons why I'm not outraged in other categories is that a lot of people/series that didn't get in are ones that I either didn't realistically expect to get in or those that had enough representation from the show in question to temper any upset.) Do you have others or should we shift to comedy? Story continues Fienberg: There is the old saw that you shouldn't complain about snubs if you aren't prepared to say whose spot they should have taken, and I'm right there with you that House of Cards, Homeland and Downton Abbey all could go and The Leftovers is the first thing I'd put in their place, with Carrie Coon and Regina King both deserving acting nods there as well. A lot of the things I would have personally included there didn't have a realistic chance, including Rectify, so that's a category that really doesn't fuel my snub rage. And guess what? I'm not angry at the comedy category either. I knew Review and Survivor's Remorse weren't getting nominations and that Broad City and Carmichael were long shots. So my snubs are nit-picking. Black-ish deserved at least one writing nomination. It would have been nice to make a place for Rachel Bloom and/or Gina Rodriguez. Tim Simons could have gotten a nomination, but I have no objections to Matt Walsh and Tony Hale getting the Veep love. Etc. You? Goodman: I certainly think Jane the Virgin deserved a nomination - and Modern Family would have been the one I kicked out (not because it's a bad show, because it's still quite funny; it's just not in the top tier any longer). I agree, though, that at some point the series I wanted here were glorious wishes - Catastrophe, Casual, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Goldbergs, Fresh Off the Boat. But it would be hard to oust others. I think Gina Rodriguez could have easily and deservedly been slotted in there for lead actress, and Jaime Camil would have been my choice over Will Forte, but elsewhere (and especially in supporting) there wasn't much wiggle room. It's like wanting the whole casts of Silicon Valley and Veep nominated, which would be fine with me, but then I would yell at myself for leaving out other people I really liked. So, yeah, truly hard to quibble at some point. Limited series might be another matter because of Show Me a Hero and Oscar Isaac and Patrick Wilson for Fargo. But there was so much goodness, it neuters me again. Damn it, Dan! Fienberg: Catastrophe did get a writing nomination, so I considered that to be worthy acknowledgement enough. And The Narrator (Anthony Mendez) got another nomination, so that's the love for Jane. I'll fight on behalf of Will Forte and against the contention that Modern Family is still funny, but that's a different fight. So let's go to the limited field, which I continue to find more interesting than drama series. My biggest surprise: John Travolta was nominated, which I still find ridiculous, but with Bokeem Woodbine and Sterling K. Brown both still getting nominations, I can't be resentful. OK, fine. I can be resentful: No acting nominations for Roots? That's a sham. But it's a sham brought about by such a great assortment of options. There could have been five different Fargo and People v. O.J. Simpson nominees and that would have been warranted (and Roots still would have been shut out). The Patrick Wilson exclusion is the one that irks me, especially with the voters star-pandering with Cuba Gooding Jr.'s inconsistent turn as O.J. And poor Oscar Isaac. He definitely deserved a nomination, but I guess now we know why he's not called Emmy Isaac. Why are you snubbing my joke with a lack of laughter? Read More: Emmy Nominations: Redemption for Some, A Cold Shoulder for Others (Analysis) Goodman: I think Roots might qualify for the "Hey, glad you noticed!" star/smiley face that the Television Academy gets for these steps forward it's making. I mean, given my previous asterisk about being satisfied, I could have bitched about Happy Valley and Sarah Lancashire or, in this category, The Last Panthers, but happiness is winning the day it appears. (We're wearing it well, by the way!) Agree that Isaac and Wilson are the biggest surprises but actual, non-debatable snubs are to be found in the variety category, right? Or are we going to have to debate that? I'll let you riff first on the oversights. Fienberg: The variety category is just weird. So much of the narrative this past year was about how Samantha Bee, Trevor Noah and Larry Wilmore had made the late-night field into something new, something that wasn't exclusively the domain of white men anymore, and then you look at the six nominees and all hosted by white guys. And Wilmore was always a long shot and I know I'm going against the grain in my support of Noah, but Full Frontal With Samantha Bee was such a no-brainer that the show got a writing nomination but not a series nod? Nope. Not accepting this one. Go back to the drawing board here, Academy. Now I'm mad. Goodman: I figured that would do it. I'm with you on Sam Bee, though. She came out like a Roman candle and hasn't stopped yet. I don't think either Noah's show or Wilmore's show reached the heights necessary to be included here. As the category currently stands, I'd dump Maher for Bee in a heartbeat, but also Fallon for Seth Meyers and Late Night. Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee is pretty damned inspired, actually. I really like that series and I applaud the Emmy voters for actually going further than maybe even I would here. I like it, though. I certainly think Stephen Colbert qualifies as a snub. If nothing else, it was a shock. But it's also a show with problems, and while CBS is addressing those, this is both a wake-up call and partly an embarrassment. While I think The Late Show is right now marginally better than both The Daily Show and The Nightly Show, trying to "figure out" Colbert and the show is definitely a thing Emmy voters seem to be stuck on. I am, too. It's how I really like Wilmore but the show isn't compelling enough (and he can sometimes disappear in it), and I really like Colbert but can't stop contrasting him with his unsettled show. Maybe next year on that one. (And no, I don't think CBS is going to give up on him). Fienberg: And so we're gonna conclude with our frustration about BoJack Horseman not getting any nominations in the animation and voiceover categories, right? Or a classic Survivor season getting left out for another subpar run of The Amazing Race? Tim? Tim? Goodman: Oh, sorry, I had circled back to Eva Green plus residual Leftovers anger and man, I don't have much else. You know, being mostly satisfied is weird. I think we can both agree on that. Read More: Emmys: 'The Americans' and 'Mr. Robot' Emerge as Formidable Fresh Faces Britain's newly elected Prime Minister, Theresa May, had an awkward start to her career at 10 Downing Street when she took the wrong turn. But she laughed off the momentary embarrassment and joyfully waved to the press. By India Today Web Desk: Theresa May's mistake of heading in the wrong direction after stepping out of 10 downing street has brought much amusement. Former Home Secretary and Britain's newly elected PM joyfully shrugged off the awkward moment with a huge smile. May had just left the final cabinet meeting chaired by David Cameron when she headed towards a black car to the right of No 10. advertisement As soon as she realized her mistake, she laughed it off, happily posed for the media gathered outside Downing street and proceeded the right way. Many empathized with May's momentary embarrassment and compared the incident to an awkward first day at work. Watch the video below: ALSO READ: Just doo doo, doo doo it: Cameron hums merry tune after announcing resignation --- ENDS --- VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2016 / TNR Gold Corp. (TNR.V) ("TNR" or the "Company") held its Annual General Meeting on July 13, 2016 and is pleased to announce that all resolutions proposed in the information circular were passed. In addition, all agenda items, as outlined in the circular, were approved and all directors standing for election were elected. The Directors re-elected for the ensuing year were Mr. Gary Schellenberg, Mr. Kirill Klip, Mr. Paul Chung and Mr. Greg Johnson and new Directors for the ensuing year are Mr. John Wisbey and Mr. Ross Thompson. Mr. Wisbey started his career as a banker at Kleinwort Benson after graduating from Cambridge University. He had various roles there including corporate lending and was later a director in the derivatives group and head of options. Mr. Wisbey is also a technology entrepreneur founding two companies that have gone public on the London AIM market, namely IDOX plc (software for Local Authority Planning Applications) and Lombard Risk Management plc (software for risk management and regulation) and more recently an early stage private company Convendia Ltd. He has acted as a public company chairman, CEO or director for 16 years. Mr. Thompson is a speaker and expert in marketing behavioural science. In 1995, he started a company Giftpoint Ltd. which is now one of the largest specialist promotional merchandise businesses in the UK with offices in London and Shanghai, whose clients include L'Oreal, Oracle, Ocado, and Pernod Ricard among others. Mr. Thompson was President of IGC Global Promotions for seven years, one of the world's oldest and largest global network of premium resellers. He is an active investor having a special interest and understanding of natural resources businesses. Mr. Gary Schellenberg was reappointed President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Kirill Klip was reappointed Non-Executive Chairman of the Board. Mr. Jerry Bella was reappointed Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. John Harrop was reappointed Vice President of Exploration and Mr. Anthony Kovacs was reappointed Chief Operating Officer. ABOUT TNR GOLD CORP. (www.tnrgoldcorp.com) Over the past twenty-one years TNR, through its lead generator business model, has been successful in generating high quality exploration projects around the globe. With the Company's expertise, resources and industry network, it is well positioned to aggressively identify, source, explore, partner and continue to expand its project portfolio. TNR is also a major shareholder of International Lithium Corp. (TSX:ILC.V) ("ILC"), a company created by TNR to advance its internationally acquired lithium prospects. TNR currently holds about 21.1% of the outstanding shares of ILC. At its core, TNR provides significant exposure to gold and copper through its holdings in Alaska and Argentina and is committed to continued generation of in-demand projects, while diversifying its markets and building shareholder value. For further details please see our website at http://www.tnrgoldcorp.com/s/NewsReleases.asp. On behalf of the board, Gary Schellenberg President For further information regarding this news release contact Caroline Klukowski (Corporate Communications) at (604) 687-7551. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE: TNR Gold Corp. Tom Hiddleston is finally responding to the rumors about his relationship with Taylor Swift, which has taken the internet by storm. While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter over the phone in Australia, where he is filming Thor: Raganok, about his Emmy nomination for his role in The Night Manager, the 35-year-old touched on his very high-profile relationship. When asked whether or not it was all a publicity stunt, as several outlets have speculated, the actor responded with an unequivocal no. Well, um. How best to put this? said Hiddleston, chuckling. The truth is that Taylor Swift and I are together, and were very happy. Thanks for asking. He even went on to clarify: Thats the truth. Its not a publicity stunt. Read the full interview with Hiddleston about his Emmy nomination to find out who he plans on bringing with him to the Emmys, how hell celebrate the nomination with Thor co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo and how he first heard the big news. Read More: The Best Hiddleswift Conspiracy Theories, Ranked Paris (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry called his new British counterpart Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Thursday as the anti-EU minister's appointment raised heckles in Europe. New Prime Minister Theresa May appointed the former London mayor head of British foreign policy in her first cabinet after Britain voted to quit the European Union. One of the leading figures in the Brexit campaign, Johnson was once seen as a possible prime minister himself, but failed to win the support of party colleagues. Washington was disappointed when Britain voted to leave the EU and Kerry has called for a careful exit process that does not damage Western unity or the world economy. But the United States is keen to preserve what remains of its vaunted "special relationship" with London, and Kerry was among the first foreign dignitaries to call Johnson. "The secretary and Foreign Secretary Johnson agreed that the US-UK special relationship is as essential as ever," State Department spokesman John Kirby said. "They pledged to work closely together as NATO allies to address the full range of challenges we face and to meet our responsibilities around the world," he added. "The secretary stressed US support for a sensible and measured approach to the Brexit process and offered to stay engaged as the UK government develops its plans." Johnson is not a popular figure among European foreign ministers. On Thursday, France's Jean-Marc Ayrault accused him of having "lied a lot" about Europe to British voters. Kerry will meet Johnson this weekend, when foreign ministers gather in Brussels for a policy forum, and is due in London on Monday for crisis talks on Syria and Yemen. British politics is not an arena for the faint of heart. Theresa May has only been prime minister for 24 hours, and already the David Cameron era seems long ago. The new prime minister has wasted no time in making her mark. This is a new government that must define itself against its predecessor while also accommodating itself to a changed world in which much is uncertain. Britains decision to leave the European Union ended one set of political careers, but it has been the making of May. As just the second female British prime minister, comparisons with Margaret Thatcher are as obvious as they are unavoidable. Already the tabloid headlines scream Maggie May. We shall see how apt that proves. In one sense, the comparison is appropriate: May cheerfully concedes that, in the words of the veteran Conservative Party MP Kenneth Clarke, she can be a bloody difficult woman. This, she says, is something Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, is about to discover for himself. Brexit means Brexit, and there will be no turning back. The new prime ministers cabinet appointments confirm as much. David Davis, a veteran right-winger who served as Europe minister in John Majors government, will oversee the tortuous task of exiting the EU. Meanwhile, Liam Fox, another tribune of the right, will be responsible for negotiating trade deals with foreign countries. This will take time, not least since U.S. President Barack Obama warned that Brexit would automatically relegate Britain to the back of the queue in trade-negotiating terms. Like Davis, Fox backed Brexit. So did Andrea Leadsom, the last of the five contenders May defeated en route to her Downing Street coronation. Leadsoms reward is the environment portfolio. May herself was a reluctant Remainer, but her appointments go some way toward healing Tory divisions on Europe. That is a question of party management and political mood music, however. The idea, much cherished by Tory Leavers such as Leadsom and Davis, that Britain is poised to become the Singapore of the West, an island nation reclaiming its ancient trading birthright, is a conceit yet to be proved by the realities of life after Brexit. And it is ultimately Mays vision that will count most of all. It is now her responsibility to describe an achievable vision for the countrys new era. Story continues Mays headline appointment, of course, was giving London ex-Mayor Boris Johnson the plum position of foreign secretary. Guy Verhofstadt, the former prime minister of Belgium, tweeted that Johnsons appointment suggested that [c]learly British humour has no borders, while Carl Bildt, the former Swedish foreign minister, said, I wish it was a joke, but I fear it isnt. Such concerns are easily understood. Johnson has made a career of casually insulting foreigners; the idea that he now represents Britain on the international stage is just the latest mind-boggling development in a month of mind-warping events. Just this year, he suggested Obamas Kenyan parentage helped explain the American presidents alleged ancestral dislike of Britain. He has also compared Hillary Clinton to a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital. Clinton, he wrote, represents everything I came into politics to oppose. More recently still, he wrote a limerick about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that merits quoting in full: There was a young fellow from Ankara, Who was a terrific wankerer Till he sowed his wild oats With the help of a goat But he didnt even stop to thankera. Well, indeed. In truth, Johnsons appointment is less significant than it might appear. Shorn of responsibility for EU affairs and trade, the Foreign Office is not the great office of state it once was. Johnsons role will be more than merely ceremonial, but the heavy foreign-policy lifting will be done elsewhere and by other, more trustworthy, people. Making Johnson foreign secretary, however, satisfies Mays need to give a big job to a prominent Brexit campaigner while also, conveniently, ensuring one of her biggest rivals is forced to spend significant time overseas and far away from Westminster. Still, in just 24 hours, the new prime minister has dismantled her predecessors legacy. All of Camerons closest allies have been sacked. The most notable casualties being George Osborne, his chancellor of the Exchequer, and Michael Gove, the former justice secretary whose surprise decision to run for the leadership himself torpedoed Johnsons own prime ministerial ambitions. Cameron, and the Cameroons, have quietly but ruthlessly been purged. They are yesterdays men. Tomorrow belongs to May. Speaking outside her new Downing Street residence, May promised a new kind of government, one that went further than simply patching up the divisions inside the Conservative Party. Her government, she said, will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. When we take the big calls, well think not of the powerful, but you. When we pass new laws, we will listen not to the mighty, but to you. When it comes to taxes, well prioritize not the wealthy, but you. The message was clear: May intends to lead a one-nation government in which when it comes to opportunity, we wont entrench the advantages of the fortunate few. We will do everything we can to help anybody, whatever your background, to go as far as your talents will take you. The prime minister plainly intends to occupy the center of British politics, capitalizing on the void left by a Labour Party opposition that, under Jeremy Corbyns leadership, has moved sharply to the left. Corbyn himself now faces a leadership challenge as polls report just 23 percent of voters think he has what it takes to be a good [prime minister]. (By contrast, 55 percent of voters think May can be an effective premier.) Labours own crisis gives May an opportunity to entrench the Tories as Britains dominant party of government once again. The possibility Labour might split can no longer be avoided. If, as most observers expect, Corbyn survives his latest crisis, Labour moderates may be tempted to form a new party of the center-left, leaving Corbyn to lead a smaller, hard-left party more interested in changing the way we do politics, as Corbyn puts it, than winning elections. That is the great prize awaiting May. Even so, if the opportunity is clear, so too are the risks. She leads a government with a working majority of just 16 votes. That alone ensures the margin between parliamentary success and failure is precious thin. Moreover, the urgent need to define the terms and meaning of Brexit is likely to overshadow every other matter of business. The economic costs of Brexit also cast a long shadow. Philip Hammond, the new chancellor of the Exchequer, will not balance the budget in this parliament. Indeed, Britains budget deficit is forecast to increase to help ease the immediate costs of Brexit. A recession seems probable, and it will, the country may feel, be a recession of choice, not simply an unfortunate but inevitable turn of the economic cycle. On the contrary, it will be a recession imposed on Britain by the British people themselves, a recession made and nurtured by a Conservative Party that privileged leaving the EU over Britains economic well-being. This, however, is deemed a price worth paying for regaining parliamentary control over Britains borders. It remains to be seen whether voters will continue to think of this as a good bargain. That there has been a changing of the guard, however, is not in doubt. Mays government will look and feel very different from that of her predecessor. The old boys are out, and a new woman is in charge. It is a truism that any politician lacking flair and pizazz is automatically assumed to major in technocratic competence, but Mays reputation while at the Home Office, where she served for six years, offers some evidence that, in this instance, it is a merited estimation. The new prime minister is, as she often says, the daughter of a Church of England vicar and the granddaughter of a regimental sergeant major. Public service, she insists, is in her bones. But if her predecessor was unmistakably a member of the patrician officer class, her own background is that of the grammar-school-educated, non-commissioned-officer class. Her party will offer a common-sense conservatism and the leadership of a woman who knows what she wants and who, once she has chosen her course, will not be diverted from it. The challenges are formidable, but so too is the opportunity. The streets of Westminster are strewn with still-smoldering political wreckage after the most remarkable few weeks anyone can remember. The country thirsts for a period of comparative calm and stability. If May can deliver that, if she can preside over a return to normalcy, she will have achieved something significant. An anxious country may even thankera. A difficult woman, perhaps, but then these are bloody difficult times. Photo credit: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Toys "R" Us employee pleaded guilty in a Brooklyn, New York federal court on Thursday to a criminal fraud charge, after being accused of stealing nearly $2 million meant to help truck drivers cover their costs and putting it on a debit card. Daniel Chon, a former Toys "R" Us director of inbound and outbound transportation, admitted to one count of access device fraud at a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Levy. Chon, 28, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 27, and could receive 37 to 46 months in prison under recommended federal guidelines. "He has accepted responsibility from the moment he was arrested, and has begun making restitution to his former employer," Jeffrey Lichtman, a lawyer for Chon, said in an interview. Lichtman also said his client is being treated for alcoholism, which "certainly contributed to his conduct and the lack of judgment that occurred here." Prosecutors accused Chon of repeatedly exploiting a Toys "R" Us program, known as Fleet Card, that the privately-held company set up to defray lodging, food and repair costs for drivers who ship merchandise. According to court papers, Chon loaded $1.92 million of "eCash" onto a debit card by logging into the system without permission 117 times between May 2013 and March 2016, and later withdrew most of it from automated teller machines. Video surveillance showed Chon using a Fleet Card at ATMs in New Jersey, and a Fleet Card was used in 2015 in London, Madrid and Berlin on dates corresponding to Chon's travel there, prosecutors have said. The case is U.S. v. Chon, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, No. 16-cr-00375. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York) A reader in London, David Durant, takes out the cowbell but adds a lot more: Without doubt, my favourite totally transformed cover song is Apollo 440s version of the classic Blue Oyster Cult 1976 hit Dont Fear the Reaper. (The Bangles cover of Simon and Garfunkels Hazy Shade of Winter is also awesome, but Apollo 440 takes the crown here.) I love the way the timeless smoothness of Blue Oyster Cults lyrics remains in place but is enhanced by the high energy of a rhythm section. This is what I want played at my funeral. (Submit your own via hello@. Track of the Day archive here. Pre-Notes archive here.) Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. Tracy Morgan could not be more grateful. After the comedian received a 2016 Emmy Award nomination for an outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for the Saturday Night Live episode he hosted last October, Morgan was quick to share his thoughts. "I am just so happy and want to share this with so many people and am nominated with some extraordinary company," Morgan, 47, said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. "I love you guys. I just want to thank everyone who helped me and my family after that horrific night and the months after Lorne [Michaels] and everyone at SNL for having me come home, the doctors at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital who saved my life, the staff at JFK Medical Center who got me back on my feet, the first responders who helped me and my friends that fateful night, my AMAZING wife and kids, Lira, who helped my wife, and my father, who is looking down on me right now." He added, "I feel like Cuba [Gooding Jr.] at the end of Jerry Maguire! But most importantly a this is for you Jimmy Mac. I love you. Thank you to everyone who made this possible." A little more than two years ago, Morgan was involved in a fatal car crash that left him with severe brain injuries and a broken leg. Among the passengers was good friend James McNair (also known as Jimmy Mac), who died. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Morgan admitted that he had once considered suicide during his recovery process. "My thoughts I was in a very dark place. I was sitting right here, contemplating suicide. I couldn't walk," Morgan said of his time spent bedridden. He added, "Emotionally, it's hard for me to deal with. I asked everybody to be there that night. I have to live with that. But I had to forgive myself. I know Jimmy would want it like that." After a long recovery, Morgan returned to SNL with some help from his former colleagues from 30 Rock. "I was in a terrible car accident more than a year ago. It was awful, but it also showed me how much love and support I have in this world," Morgan said during the show. "People are wondering, 'Can he speak? Does he have 100 percent mental capacity?' The truth is, I never did. I might even be a few points higher." The 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, are airing live on ABC from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 18. A terrorist gunman killed 80 people and wounded scores when he drove a heavy truck at high speed into a crowd watching Bastille Day fireworks in the French Riviera city of Nice late on Thursday, officials said. In a pre-dawn address to the nation, President Francois Hollande called up military and police reservists to relieve forces worn out by an eight-month state of emergency begun after the Islamic State militant group killed 130 people in Paris. The state of emergency has been extended. France is filled with sadness by this new tragedy, Hollande said, noting several children were among the dead in what he said he had no doubt was an act of terrorism. He called the carnage, which came as France celebrated the anniversary of the 1789 revolutionary storming of the Bastille, an attack on liberty by fanatics who despised human rights. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said 80 people died and 18 were in a critical condition, with many more also wounded. Counter-terrorist investigators were seeking to identify the driver, who a local government official said opened fire before police shot him dead. The official said weapons and grenades were found inside the 25-tonne, unmarked articulated truck. Officials said hundreds were hurt as the driver wove along the seafront, knocking them down like skittles. The attack, which came eight months and a day after Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers struck the French capital on a festive Friday evening, seemed so far to be the work of a lone assailant. Newspaper Nice-Matin quoted unidentified sources as saying the driver was a 31-year-old local of Tunisian origin. A SCENE OF HORROR The truck careered for hundreds of meters along the famed Promenade des Anglais seafront, slamming into spectators watching the fireworks, listening to an orchestra or strolling above the beach toward the grand, century-old Hotel Negresco. Its a scene of horror, member of parliament Eric Ciotti told France Info radio, saying the truck mowed down several hundred people. Jacques, who runs Le Queenie restaurant on the seafront, told the station: People went down like ninepins. Story continues Bystander Franck Sidoli, who was visibly shocked, said: I saw people go down. Then the truck stopped, we were just five meters away. A woman was there, she lost her son. Her son was on the ground, bleeding, he told Reuters at the scene. Nice-Matin posted photographs of the truck, its windshield starred by a score of bullets and its radiator grille destroyed. Major events in France have been guarded by troops and armed police since the Islamic State attacks last year, but it appeared to have taken many minutes to halt the progress of the truck as it tore along pavements and a pedestrian zone. Police told residents of the city, 30 km (20 miles) from the Italian border, to stay indoors as they conducted further operations, although there was no sign of any other attack. Hours earlier, Hollande, who raced back to Paris from the south of France after the attack, had said the state of emergency would end in two weeks. He has now extended it by three months, calling up former troops and gendarmes. Islamic State militants killed 130 people in Paris on Nov. 13, the bloodiest in a number of attacks in France and Belgium in the past two years. On Sunday, a weary nation had breathed a collective sigh of relief as the month-long Euro 2016 soccer tournament across France ended without a feared attack. Four months ago, Belgian Islamists linked to the Paris attackers killed 32 people in Brussels. Vehicle attacks have been used by isolated members of militant groups in recent years, notably in Israel, as well as in Europe, though never to such devastating effect. U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement: On behalf of the American people, I condemn in the strongest terms what appears to be a horrific terrorist attack in Nice, France, which killed and wounded dozens of innocent civilians. The United Nations Security Council said it condemned in the strongest terms the barbaric and cowardly terrorist attack. HIDING IN TERROR One woman told France Info that she and others had fled in terror: The lorry came zig-zagging along the street. We ran into a hotel and hid in the toilets with lots of people. Journalist Damien Allemand had been watching the traditional seaside firework display when the truck tore by just as it ended. After taking cover in a cafe, he came back out on the promenade: Bodies every five meters, limbs, he wrote on the Nice-Matin website. Blood. Groans. The beach attendants were first on the scene. They brought water for the injured and towels, which they placed on those for whom there was no more hope. Officials have warned in the past of the risk of Islamist attacks in the region following the Paris and Brussels attacks. Nice, a city of some 350,000, has a history as a flamboyant, aristocratic resort but is also a gritty metropolis. It has seen dozens of its Muslim residents travel to Syria to fight, a path taken by previous Islamic State attackers in Europe. Neither the place nor the date are coincidental, a former French intelligence agent and security consultant, Claude Moniquet, told France-Info, noting the jihadist presence in Nice and the fact that July 14 marks Frances revolution. Tragic paradox that the subject of Nice attack was the people celebrating liberty, equality and fraternity, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Twitter. (Additional reporting by Michel Rose, Bate Felix, Brian Love and Andrew Callus in PARIS; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Sandra Maler, Leslie Adler and Paul Tait) By PTI: Mumbai, Jul 14 (PTI) Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, facing multiple probes over alleged provocative speeches, will address the media through video calling service Skype tomorrow, his aide said today. "Dr Zakir Naik will address the press conference via Skype at around 10 am," he said in a statement here tonight. The press meet will take place in a small hall in Mazgaon area of South Mumbai, he said. advertisement The 50-year-old Mumbai-based televangelist, who is currently abroad, was slated to interact with the media today but cancelled his press briefing, citing pressure from management of the venue where it was organised. "The management of the Mehfil hall in Agripada, around 11 last night, told our team present at the venue that they cannot allow the press conference to go ahead. Given no choice, our team removed arrangements made for the meet and left by around midnight," Naiks aide said earlier in the day. The preachers media interaction was first scheduled earlier this week at Trident Hotel in South Mumbai, but the venue was subsequently changed to World Trade Centre. Later, it was shifted to Mehfil hall. The organisers of Naiks press briefing had yesterday claimed Mumbai Police have instructed top hotels in the city not to provide space for his conference, a charge they later retracted. There were media reports that Naiks "provocative" speeches had inspired some of the Dhaka attackers. The sermons of Naik are under the scanner of the state and the Central agencies in India. The radical preacher, a medical doctor by professional training, has denied promoting terrorism in anyway. His sermons are telecast on Peace TV, run by his Islamic Research Foundation, and he also organises public lectures. His speeches on Peace TV were said to be popular in Bangladesh, where the network has been banned post the terror attack. PTI MM GK GSN --- ENDS --- Washington (AFP) - White House hopeful Donald Trump will announce his pick for vice president in New York Friday, he said on Twitter, as speculation runs rampant over a handful of potential running mates. Among those believed to be at the top of the Republican's list are Indiana Governor Mike Pence, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. "I will be making the announcement of my Vice Presidential pick on Friday at 11am in Manhattan. Details to follow," the 70-year-old real estate mogul posted on Twitter late Wednesday. In an interview earlier in the day with Fox News, Trump said that he had narrowed the field down to "three, potentially four, but in my own mind, I probably am thinking about two." The announcement comes just one day after Trump finished campaigning in Indiana alongside Pence, the 57-year-old governor who is seen as someone with a steady tone who might soften Trump's combativeness. "I'm honored to be considered and humbled to be considered," Pence told reporters Wednesday. "The conversations that we have had between two families is something we'll cherish the rest of our lives, no matter the outcome." Pence, a former radio host, served six terms representing his home state in Congress. A fiscal conservative and lawyer by training, he was House Republican Conference chairman from 2009-11. According to CNN, Trump and three of his children had breakfast with Pence in the governor's mansion Wednesday. Gingrich also met with Trump during the day, while Christie talked with him on the phone. Christie, 53, a tough-talking politician described as a political bruiser, already campaigned with Trump in Virginia on Monday. Trump meanwhile has voiced support for Gingrich -- a 73-year-old political veteran who himself ran for president in 2012 -- telling The New York Times that "Newt is Newt. He's a good guy." Gingrich packs the political punch that Trump lacks. He was in Congress for 20 years and speaker of the House of Representatives from 1995-99 during Bill Clinton's presidency. Trump's vice presidential pick could be one of the most important decisions he makes on the campaign trail as he seeks to present a competent, steady wingman or woman to US voters after a turbulent primary season during which his provocative rhetoric frustrated many conservatives. Next week, the Republican Party will head to Cleveland, Ohio for a national convention at which Trump will be formally nominated to run against his Democratic rival, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. For months, Donald Trump has singled out one company in Indiana when unleashing attacks on corporations shipping American manufacturing jobs overseas. And now hes tapped as his running mate the states governor, Mike Pence, who has a long history of backing precisely the sorts of free trade deals Trump insists allow companies like Carrier Corp. to move those jobs out of the country. In February, Carrier announced it was shutting down its air-conditioner factories in the state and moving 1,400 jobs to Mexico. Trump pounced on the news as evidence of the damage done by free trade deals, vowing to get tough with U.S. firms outsourcing jobs and to impose tariffs on goods coming from Mexico, China, and other competitors. But Pence, Trumps vice presidential pick, does not blame Carriers move on free trade. And his selection as Trumps wingman calls into question how two men with such opposing views on trade and issues like Trumps calls to ban Muslims from entering the United States will reconcile their differences on the campaign trail. As a congressman from Indiana from 2001 to 2013, Pence, 57, established himself as a mainstream conservative, taking establishment positions on the U.S. invasion of Iraq, free trade, and hot-button social issues like abortion and gay marriage. For more than a decade, Pence repeatedly backed trade deals with partners in every corner of the globe. In 2001, Pence heaped praise on the North American Free Trade Agreement which Trump has said destroyed the U.S. economy and is a disaster on the floor of the House. Pence also voted for the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement and has voiced support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the massive trade deal with 12 Pacific nations that Trump says benefits China and has likened to rape. Trade means jobs, but trade also means security, Pence tweeted in 2014. The time has come for all of us to urge the swift adoption of the Trans Pacific Partnership. Story continues Pence also has strongly endorsed the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a free trade deal between the United States and European Union. As Indianas governor, Pence led trade missions to both China and Japan, and in a 2015 letter to Indianas congressional delegation, he wrote that Congress must reduce tariffs and other trade barriers so that Indiana businesses can compete globally. He also used the letter to urge the lawmakers to support any other trade-related measures when they are brought before the Congress for consideration. China has long been the ultimate villain in Trumps campaign speeches, with the real estate mogul accusing Beijing of currency manipulation and unfair trade tactics. But Pence has staked out a much different view, voting twice in favor of trade agreements with Beijing. By tapping Pence, Trump bypasses a pair of other Republicans who seem much closer to the moguls views on Islam and the war on terror. Echoing similar remarks from Trump, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has criticized American Muslims, saying they have an obligation to help clear out the mosques that are radical. And another Republican on the short list for Trumps running mate, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, spent years as a federal prosecutor, giving him at least a measure of credibility when discussing how best to fight terrorism. Despite their differences on trade, though, Trump and Pence are fairly closely aligned on immigration. While Pence denounced Trumps calls to ban Muslim immigrants as offensive and unconstitutional in December, just a month earlier he issued an order to state agencies telling them not to assist Syrian refugees trying to resettle in Indiana. The directive was slapped down by a federal judge in February. Pence, however, will face some awkward questions trying to explain how he reconciles Trumps unorthodox and often isolationist stances on foreign policy with his own conventional conservative views. Unlike Trump, who has portrayed Americas foreign wars as costly quagmires and slammed the 2003 invasion of Iraq as a mistake, the Indiana governor has been a consistent Republican hawk and warned of the dangers of turning away from the world. It is imperative that conservatives again embrace Americas role as leader of the free world and the arsenal of democracy, Pence said in a speech last year. While in Congress, Pence voted for the 2002 Iraq War authorization and delivered a speech shortly before the invasion, asking: How could any decent human being, knowing the official barbarism of the regime of Saddam Hussein, ever deign to defend it? He also backed then-President George W. Bushs handling of Afghanistan and the broader war on terror. Trump, by sharp contrast, has blasted Bush for having the 9/11 terrorist attacks occur on his watch and expressed praise and admiration for Saddam, Vladimir Putin, and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The moguls latest dictator-related controversy flared this month when he said Saddam had been so good at killing terrorists. Pence, who also has some experience as a talk radio host, can help craft a bit of political theater when needed. In an effort to show how the security situation in Baghdad had purportedly improved during the U.S. troop surge there, Pence and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) flew to Baghdad in April 2007 to tour the Shorja market, which had been the scene of a devastating suicide bombing just two months earlier that killed at least 60 people. It was just like any open-air market in Indiana in the summertime, Pence wrote later. Lots of people, lots of booths and a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. In the days following the visit, interviews with locals proved the visit was anything but a stroll through an open-air market. The U.S. military had shut down the market and surrounding streets for the visit, which was overseen by the then-commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus. And the lawmakers were guarded by more than 100 U.S. troops and a protective bubble of armored vehicles, as attack helicopters buzzed overhead. This post has been updated. Photo credit: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call Donald Trump's response to provocation has been a problem for the presumptive Republican nominee throughout his unexpected run for the presidency. Florida Sen. Marco Rubios jabs about the size of his hands drove Trump to discuss the size of his own privates on national television. More recently, Trumps insistence on defending his campaigns decision to Tweet out a picture that many criticized as obviously anti-Semitic kept the unflattering story in the headlines for nearly a week. This time, however, Trump decided to make an example of former campaign adviser Sam Nunberg who, like everyone else working for Trump, signed an airtight confidentiality agreement. Trump fired Nunberg in the summer of 2015 after Nunbergs racist Facebook posts became public. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that Trump has filed a $10 million arbitration case against Nunberg in New York state court. Related: Republicans Brace for Impact as Convention Battle Lines Take Shape Not only does the suit remind voters of the chaotic nature of the Trump campaign, it also dredges up claims by Nunberg, made in a court filing, that Trumps lawsuit is driven by a misguided attempt to cover up media coverage of an apparent affair." The alleged affair Nunberg is talking about -- and for which he supplies no actual evidence -- supposedly involved Trumps former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who is married, and the campaigns press secretary, Hope Hicks. But affair or not, the decision by Trump to file a lawsuit against a former adviser in the middle of his presidential campaign is remarkable because it creates a wholly unnecessary and unflattering distraction from his effort to best presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. And Trump should have been unaware that Nunberg, given the opportunity to throw sand in the gears of his campaign, would seize it. The former aide, a protege of former Richard Nixon dirty-tricks specialist Roger Stone, has made no secret of his antipathy toward Team Trump in general and Lewandowski in particular. In an interview with GQ earlier this year, Nunberg vowed revenge rather colorfully against Trumps former campaign manager. Story continues Related: Ginsburgs Fury Shows Just How Much Trump Has Changed Politics I literally will suck the f***ing blood out of his skull by the time Im done with him, Nunberg promised. Whats more, the timing of the suit reinforces the impression that Trump has an uncanny ability to provoke headlines that step all over other news that could benefit his campaign. The news about the Nunberg suit broke on the same day that new polling showed Trump leading Clinton in the polls in key primary states. Nunberg attorney Andrew Miltenberg told the AP that Trumps decision to file suit against his client is a cautionary tale of what the American people face if Mr. Trump is elected president." In a statement released Wednesday, Trump attorney Alan Garten said, As is standard practice for all major businesses, organizations and other entities dealing with proprietary information, Mr. Trump requires employees to sign and adhere to strict confidentiality agreements. When the agreements are not adhered to, he will enforce them to the full extent of the law, and Mr. Trumps litigation track record on such matters is outstanding. With regard to Mr. Nunberg, this agreement specifically calls for arbitration, and Mr. Nunberg is simply looking for free publicity using categorically false claims." If Nunberg really is looking for free publicity, well, Trumps lawsuit is giving it to him. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Senator Theodore Bilbo, a dominant figure in Mississippi politics through the first half of the 20th century, is deplored in historys eyes as a Klan member and racist bitter-ender. After Bilbos time, racist arguments in national-level campaigns had generally become coded (Southern Strategy, Willie Horton) rather than overt and explicit. Now the press is dealing with the reality that Donald Trump (theyre sending rapists) is making them explicit once again. (Library of Congress, Public Domain) Among the challenges the Trump campaign has raised is one for the press. Reporters are most comfortable sticking to the Im just reporting mode: This candidate says X, that candidate says Y, and its up to you, the voter, to decide which you prefer. Whats up to me, the reporter, is just to let each side have its say. Even in the best of circumstances, this pose of willed neutrality has its limits and distortions (as chronicled here over the years). The 2016 campaign offers nothing like the best of circumstances, in that one of the two remaining major candidates simply invents, fantasizes, re-writes, distorts, omits, and generally lies about great portions of his utterances each day. Recommended: The Party of Donald Trump? (How can I say that? Two quick illustrations from last nights speech in Ohio. Donald Trump baldly asserted that after the murders of police officers in Dallas, political-correctness-minded people were calling for a moment of silence for the killer. That did not happen. To be more precise, theres no evidence that it occurred. Trump also repeated his claim that he had opposed the Iraq war even before it began. He did not. He keeps saying it, but it is not true. Each day brings its own fresh supply of flat-out falsehoods.) The natural tendency for the mainstream press and believe me, this is by far the most comfortable place to be when doing a newspaper story or TV or radio report is to avoid saying, One of these people is lying. Instead you want to lay out both sides and hope the contrast doesnt need to be spelled out. But in a campaign like this, the result of this structural even-handedness can be to normalize the side that is lying. Mr. Trump says there is no drought in California and that its all a fiction by environmentalists. Scientists in California disagree. Well leave it there. Story continues *** Thus the occasion for todays time-capsule entry is a series of three items showing the press resisting normalization. 1) A long, thoroughly reported piece by Nicholas Confessore in the NYT, on how Trump has deliberately courted white racial resentment against blacks, Latinos, Muslims, and others. The story doesnt pussy-foot around by saying, Critics wonder whether . It comes right out about what he is doing: In countless collisions of color and creed, Donald J. Trumps name evokes an easily understood message of racial hostility. Defying modern conventions of political civility and language, Mr. Trump has breached the boundaries that have long constrained Americans public discussion of race. Mr. Trump has attacked Mexicans as criminals. He has called for a ban on Muslim immigrants. He has wondered aloud why the United States is not letting people in from Europe.... In a country where the wealthiest and most influential citizens are still mostly white, Mr. Trump is voicing the bewilderment and anger of whites who do not feel at all powerful or privileged. But in doing so, Mr. Trump has also opened the door to assertions of white identity and resentment in a way not seen so broadly in American culture in over half a century, according to those who track patterns of racial tension and antagonism in American life. 2) An item by Greg Sargent in the Washington Post, under the headline One of the candidates is actively trying to divide the country. This is presented as an opinion item rather than a news-analysis piece like Confessores, but it urges readers to move past hand-wringing about extremists on both sides to concentrate on Trumps flat-out appeals to racial/tribal divisions, which are unlike anything the other side is doing. Sargent writes that: Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. By Valerie Volcovici and Grant Smith WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump's expected selection of Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate cheered the U.S. energy industry and dismayed green advocates on Thursday, with both sides citing Pence's support for coal mining and defiance of President Barack Obama's climate-change agenda. Trump has called climate change a hoax and promised to gut U.S. environmental regulations in order to help the ailing oil and coal sectors. A Trump-Pence ticket would quash any expectation that the New York businessman might soften that stance heading into the Nov. 8 election. "Governor Pence has been a vocal opponent of the administrations Clean Power Plan," said Laura Sheehan, spokeswoman for the Washington-based lobby group American Council on Clean Coal Electricity. "We would hope to see a continuation," she said. Advisers to Trump's campaign have told Republican officials he picked Pence, 57, as his vice presidential running mate, two Republican sources said, but Trump officials said he had not yet made a final decision. Trump is due to announce his choice on Friday morning. Pence is listed on Obama's call out the climate change deniers website for arguing that the science behind climate change has not yet been resolved. In June 2015, Pence wrote to Obama saying that Indiana, Americas eighth largest coal-producing state, would not comply with the Clean Power Plan regulating power plant emissions, calling it "ill-advised." Indiana is one of more than 25 states that have challenged the centerpiece of Obama's environmental agenda. In 2014, Pence alarmed local environmental groups by overturning an energy efficiency program enacted by his Republican predecessor, Mitch Daniels, saying it was too expensive for the states manufacturers. The Indiana Public Utility Commission had estimated the program would create more than 18,600 jobs. "The choice of Pence shows Trump has little interest in appealing to anyone outside of his extremist base and Big Polluters," said Clay Schroers, a director at the League of Conservation Voters environmental group. SUPPORT FOR TRADITIONAL ENERGY Trump has long signaled his support of traditional energy production - part of his broader appeal to blue-collar American voters. He outlined plans in May to sweep away environmental regulations ushered in by Obama, scrap the Paris Climate Accord, and revive the Keystone XL pipeline proposal moves that would reverse years of gains by the green movement. His Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, in contrast, has promised more stringent regulation of the energy sector, efforts to boost renewable fuels use, and a commitment to join other nations to combat global climate change. Pence ran for governor in 2012 after serving in the U.S. Congress. His campaign for governor received more than $850,000 from the energy sector, about 3 percent of the total, according to campaign finance disclosures. More than $300,000 of that came from the billionaire Koch brothers, strong advocates of small government and fiscal conservatism who took a liking to Pence. Both David and Charles Koch have said they will not support the Trump ticket. Trump has alarmed many Republican establishment figures with his fiery rhetoric on immigration and trade. But a former high-ranking operative in the Koch political organization who is close to both brothers said Pence could help make the donor network more receptive to Trump's campaign. (Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Peter Cooney) New York (AFP) - Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a Christian conservative widely reported to be Donald Trump's pick for a running mate, would add precious experience in Washington politics -- and a dose of good manners -- to the ticket. Governor of the Midwest state since only January 2013, the 57-year-old is a lawyer by training and used to host a radio talk show, so his communication skills are strong. And he knows his way around Washington: He held a seat in the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013 and served as chairman of the House Republican Conference -- the party's third most important position on Capitol Hill -- from 2009 to 2011. Seen as disciplined and relatively discreet, Pence was apparently the favorite of Trump's children, who exercise much influence over the brash billionaire and political novice as he campaigns for president. US networks reported Thursday that Pence has already accepted the VP slot. Trump had planned to formally declare his running mate pick Friday, but has now postponed that announcement in light of the deadly attack in Nice. Pence's qualities stand in contrast to the more unpredictable personalities of two other politicians who were considered by Trump: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former House speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia. The current House speaker, Paul Ryan, whose relations with Trump are delicate, says he himself considers Pence a friend. - Smooth ruffled feathers - Pence's connections could help to ease tensions with a Republican Party still having a hard time digesting Trump, and to raise funds for the campaign. And Pence's quiet, low-profile personality, shaped in large part by his Christian faith, poses little threat of overshadowing that of Trump, who values loyalty in the people who work with him. Until now Trump and Pence did not know each other particularly well. Pence is a conservative defender of family values, very religious, against abortion and gay marriage, and opposed to the idea of the US taking in Syrian refugees. Story continues He has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order." As governor he has signed bills making it harder for women in Indiana to have abortions, with Indiana the second US state to prohibit ending a pregnancy because the fetus suffers abnormalities. And he has drawn criticism for a law that critics say discriminates against the LGBT community. Trump has met with Pence several times in recent days and campaigned with him Tuesday evening in Indiana. On Wednesday, Trump and his children met with Pence, who is not well known outside of Republican circles. Pence is seen as helping Trump boost support among traditional conservatives and especially evangelical Christians wary of Trump, and perhaps even in the Rust Belt -- the decaying former industrial area that includes Indiana and neighboring Ohio. Some Republican lawmakers say they like the idea of Pence as Trump's running mate, saying the decision would improve "the tone and tenor of the debate." "I'm a big fan of Mike Pence, and I think he has probably has a better chance of moving the candidate, perhaps, where he should be," Jeff Flake was quoted as saying. He is an Arizona Senator who took part in a tense meeting last week between Republicans and Trump. "He's conservative, and he's smart, and he's been good on trade and immigration as well," Flake said. While Trump has campaigned on a protectionist platform, Pence adheres to the laissez-faire economic views that are more conventionally Republican. He has also denounced Trump's proposal to close US borders to Muslims as "unconstitutional." But some experts say the choice of Pence would not help Trump expand his voter base, especially among independents and moderate Republicans, to whom the Democrat Hillary Clinton is expected to reach out. Until now Pence has been waging an uphill battle to win re-election in Indiana. (Recasts lead; adds details on interlocking directorate, background) WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday that a restructuring of Tullett Prebon Plc's proposed $1.5 billion acquisition of ICAP Plc's voice-broking business addresses its concerns that the deal would create an interlocking directorate. Under the original deal structure, ICAP would have owned 19.9 percent of Tullett Prebon, a British interdealer broker, and had the right to nominate a member of Tullett Prebon's board of directors. Because the companies would have continued to be competitors, the Justice Department said it was concerned that ICAP's ability to nominate a Tullett Prebon board member would have violated the Clayton Act provision on interlocking directorates. "The revised agreement will provide that ICAP will not own any part of Tullett Prebon after the transaction and will have no right to nominate a member of Tullett Prebon's board of directors," the Justice Department said in a statement. ICAP, a British broker, in June offered to sell its London-based oil desks to address competition concerns raised by Britain's competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority. The CMA said it had until Aug. 16 to decide if the proposed sale would satisfy its concerns, or if it would refer the deal for further investigation. In its trading statement on Wednesday, ICAP said the deal with Tullett Prebon was on track to complete later this year. Interdealer brokers, which match buyers and sellers of currencies, bonds and other tradable instruments, have been hit in recent years by regulation designed to rein in the riskier trading activities of their traditional investment bank clients. (Reporting by Tim Ahmann in Washington and Rama Venkat Raman in Bengaluru; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Leslie Adler) DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey imposed round-the-clock curfews on 16 villages in its mainly Kurdish southeast on Thursday as security forces tried to root out militants nearby and sacked two co-mayors it accused of supporting the fighters. Authorities in the province of Diyarbakir imposed the lockdown as security forces searched for members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the hills and woods near the town of Silvan, the provincial governor said in a statement. Security forces have been battling the PKK since a ceasefire collapsed last year, destroying a two-year peace process that was meant to end a three-decade conflict. The government says thousands of militants and about 500 soldiers and police officers have been killed since the ceasefire broke down. Human rights groups say about 400 civilians have also been killed. People will not be allowed to enter or leave the area near Silvan during the curfew, the governor's statement said. "It is important for citizens to follow the ban for the security of their lives and property," it said. New York-based Human Rights Watch this week accused the government of preventing independent investigations into alleged rights abuses during the lockdowns that include unlawful killings of civilians, displacement of civilians and destruction of private property. Separately, the Interior Ministry ordered the co-mayors of the town of Mazidagi in Mardin province be removed from office, security sources said. A prosecutor is investigating the elected officials' potential culpability after a municipal vehicle was allegedly used in a car-bomb attack on a gendarmes outpost that killed two soldiers and wounded another 12 on July 9. In the past year, authorities jailed 22 mayors and sacked another 31 for their alleged support for the PKK in the southeast. All are members of a regional party, the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), which denies collaborating with the PKK. Separately, the district governor in the town of Nusaybin said its four-month curfew would be lifted on July 19. Clashes with the PKK there ended on June 3, but authorities have barred residents from returning as they continued weapons searches and conducted cleanup operations. It said in a statement 495 PKK militants were killed in the clashes. Officials previously said 70 police and soldiers were killed in Nusaybin, which sits on the Syrian border. (Reporting by Seyhmus Cakan; Writing by Ayla Jean Yackley; Editing by David Dolan and Raissa Kasolowsky) This had become an issue when several pilots started complaining of distraction due to use of laser lights near the airport. By Atir Khan: After drone sightings near Indira Gandhi International Airport had created a big headache for the investigating agencies, now its laser lights which is giving sleepless night to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Delhi police. Following a series of drone sightings near the airport several meetings between Bureau of Civil Aviation Security with Delhi Police a decision was taken to ban use of drones near the airport. But of late BCAS and Delhi Police were confronted with another problem. advertisement There are a number of banquet halls near IGI airport which are used for weddings and other functions. During the celebrations organisers have a tendency of using laser lights as an added attraction. Not knowing that it could cause serious interruption in the flight operations. This had become an issue when several pilots started complaining of distraction due to use of laser lights near the airport. There were serious hindrance during take off and landing operations. The matter was reported to Air Traffic Control, which in turn informed BCAS. BAN LASER LIGHTS After holding meetings with senior Delhi Police officers and finding that laser light beams were emanating from banquet halls near the airport, a decision was taken to ban use of laser lights. Use of unmanned aircraft system, flying objects including drones, para-gliders, aero models has already been banned. Although lasers have many legitimate outdoor uses, such as in astronomical research, deep-space communications, orbital satellite imaging, and outdoor displays to attract and entertain the public. However, the misuse of laser devices poses a serious threat to aviation safety. According to the US Federal Aviation Administration, aviators are particularly vulnerable to laser illuminations when conducting low-level flight operations at night. The irresponsible or malicious use of laser devices can threaten the lives of flight crews and passengers. HAZARDEOUS LASER BEAMS Sudden exposure to laser radiation during a critical phase of flight, such as on approach to landing or departure, can distract or disorient a pilot and cause temporary visual impairment. Permanent ocular damage is unlikely since the majority of incidents are brief and the eye's blink response further limits exposure. Delhi Police has also instructed all its units to give a feed back about drone sightings near the airport. Recently several drone sightings had been reported near the airport. And the moment such sightings are reported to ATC, flight operations are suspended due to safety concerns. Often there is a delay on the part of district police to provide feedback to ATC on the police follow up action after the sightings. Until ATC gets a feedback flight operations cannot be resumed which leads to delays. Therefore the district police have been asked to give a prompt feedback in this regards. --- ENDS --- advertisement Turkeys Prime Minister delivered a shock to the Syrian opposition leadership based in his country, after saying Wednesday that the Turkish government could potentially mend relations with the authoritarian government of Syrias President Bashar Assad. I am sure that we will return ties with Syria to normal, the Guardian quoted Binali Yildirim as saying during a televised speech. In order for counterterrorism efforts to succeed, there has to be stability in Syria and Iraq, Yildirim added. We normalized our relations with Israel and Russia. Im sure we will go back to normal relations with Syria as well. His comments mark a significant shift albeit one that senior government figures insist is not official in Turkeys stance of pushing for Assads ouster. But Turkish officials said Yildirims comments did not mark a change in policy on Assad. We hope, at some point, relations between Turkey and Syria will get back to normal, a senior official told the Guardian. Thats what it is. Thats all it is. Last month, Turkey mended ties with Israel, six years after 10 Turkish activists delivering aid to Gaza by ship were killed by Israeli soldiers. And last week, Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized for downing a Russian fighter jet on the Turkish-Russian border in November. [Guardian] ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have stepped up security across Istanbul, CNN Turk and other local media reported on Thursday, a day after France said it was closing its diplomatic missions in both Istanbul and the capital Ankara over security fears. Turkey is on high alert after a series of deadly bomb attacks this year, some claimed by Kurdish militants and others blamed on Islamic State. A triple suicide bombing at Istanbul's main airport last month killed 45 people. Police were individually checking all passengers before allowing them to ride the Marmaray railway that runs under the Bosphorus strait connecting the European and Asian sides of Istanbul, CNN Turk and the Hurriyet newspaper reported. No one was immediately available to comment at the Istanbul governor's office. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said heavily armed special forces had been deployed on the Marmaray, as well as at the airport and train stations. However, it is rare to see police checking individual passengers and their bags on Istanbul's commuter trains. Photos posted on social media on Wednesday showed special force members patrolling Istanbul's Istiklal street, a popular shopping area for locals and tourists. Three Israeli tourists and one Iranian were killed in March when a suspected Islamic State bomber blew himself up on Istiklal. France shut its diplomatic missions in Turkey's two main cities until further notice on Wednesday and canceled planned events to mark its July 14 National Day due to security concerns. It also said there was information suggesting a "serious threat against plans for celebration of the July 14 national holiday in Turkey". Turkey is grappling with multiple security threats. It is a member of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State militants in Syria and is fighting a Kurdish insurgency in its mainly Kurdish southeast. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Ayla Jean Yackley; writing by David Dolan; editing by Mark Heinrich) The gig economy -- with its flexible side jobs -- is helping students earn extra cash between classes to pay for college. Andrew Noll is one college student who has reaped the benefits of the on-demand economy, using the neighborhood social network website Nextdoor to connect with neighbors in Columbus, Ohio, for lawn care jobs. "I'm debt-free going into next year," says the 19-year-old Ohio University student, who makes around $17.50 an hour doing yard work. "I'm hoping to pay for my next year, which is $23,000 for tuition and housing." Running errands under TaskRabbit, making deliveries for Postmates or driving for ride-booking services Uber Technologies and Lyft -- to name a few -- are a couple ways students are funding their education. "On-demand jobs are a good fit for college students due to the high flexibility of the work and the low barriers for entry," says Neal McNamara, a spokesman for TINYpulse, a Seattle-based firm that gauges employee satisfaction and engagement. "For many services, all you need is a smartphone." The so-called gig economy in the U.S. has grown rapidly in recent years, creating more independent contract work, and younger workers -- those ages 18 to 34 -- are the most receptive to working in this sector, according to a recent survey by Philadelphia-based Beyond, The Career Network. Students say they can earn more through on-demand work, which experts say ranges from $10 to $20 an hour, compared with hourly wages in retail or traditional jobs in the food and beverage sector. In general, an hourly worker in the food and beverage industry makes around $9.16, according to the Bureau of Labor statistics for May 2015. "On-demand definitely pays more than a lot of the traditional retail or service jobs," says Harry Campbell, a Los Angeles-based aerospace engineer who has driven for Uber and Lyft and runs a driver blog called The Rideshare Guy. Students can explore some of these on-demand jobs to earn money in the summertime or during the school year. Story continues [Find ways to turn summer jobs into scholarship opportunities.] -- Ride-hailing services: Of the 450,000 active "partners" who drive for Uber, more than 10 percent are students, according to a 2015 Benenson Strategy Group survey conducted for Uber. Uber and Lyft, for example, require drivers to be at least 21 years of age. Most of the Uber drivers who are in school are college seniors or grad school students, an Uber spokeswoman told U.S. News. "I used to take jobs at shoe stores, but the biweekly checks weren't going far enough," says Joshua Ridley, 22, of Baltimore, who switched from retail to Lyft, Uber's competitor, earlier this year. The senior marketing major at Morgan State University, located in Baltimore, says he's able to work up to 30 hours a week through the service -- making enough money to pay his living expenses. [Learn the differences between a co-op and an internship.] "It's a great source of income for a college student," he says. Lyft advertises on its website that its drivers can make up to $35 an hour. -- Delivery services: Postmates, an on-demand delivery service similar to its competitor DoorDash -- which mainly delivers food -- dispatches couriers to pick up and drop off items from local stores to clients. Unlike Uber or Lyft, the minimum age for these on-demand delivery services is 18. And students may not need a pair of wheels to make deliveries, experts say, since these services operate in densely populated areas -- delivery locations include Bethesda, Maryland, and West Hollywood, California, to name a few. Shane Ham, 18, who just finished his first year at New York University, says he just started delivering items for Postmates by foot around the streets of Manhattan for extra spending money. "It's perfect for students actually," he says, though he couldn't imagine anyone doing it as a full-time job. "I could get a retail job to cover my expenses or do Postmates -- which is a lot easier because I don't have to schedule time away." The NYU marketing major says he makes about $30 or $40 in two hours on a "good stretch," delivering mainly food to different addresses around the West Village and SoHo. [Explore 10 ways that incoming freshman can save for college.] -- Running errands and completing odd jobs: On-demand experts say many users are looking for a "trusted person"-- whether it's a neighbor, as on Nextdoor, or someone vetted, as with TaskRabbit -- to do errands or odd jobs such as moving heavy furniture. Most of those who run on-demand errands are ages 18 to 34, according to a 2016 TINYpulse survey about on-demand workers, which finds that their reason for choosing this type of work is schedule flexibility. "If you're in college and in class or that type of thing, on-demand work is a natural fit," McNamara from TINYpulse says. Sometimes Noll, the Ohio University sophomore, drives home from Athens, Ohio, on weekends during the school year to do paid tasks for Nextdoor connections. "It's a great way to make money if you're hard-working," the debt-free engineering major says. "It's hard on my body, but I know that I'm not going to do this all my life because I'm going to be an engineer." Trying to fund your education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for College center. More From US News & World Report Berevoesti (Romania) (AFP) - Romanian authorities remanded 38 people in custody on Thursday suspected of holding dozens of vulnerable young men and boys like slaves, chaining them up and forcing them to fight, authorities said. They were arrested followed large-scale police raids on Wednesday in Berevoesti, 170 kilometres (105 miles) north of Bucharest, when five people including two boys aged 10 and 12 were freed. The captives were "attached with chains and straps... beaten (and) humiliated", starved of food and fed on scraps, prosecutors from the DIICOT organised crime investigation unit said. They were "left fully naked, cold and hot water being thrown alternatively on them. Their hands and feet were tied and they were told to eat off the ground or to fight each other to amuse the suspects," they said. Since 2008, some 40 victims were "captured in public places, near churches or train stations, or at their homes" and forced to do household chores, look after animals and do illegal logging, prosecutors said. Ninety people from Gamacesti, a Roma district within the municipality of Berevoesti in the Arges region, were initially thought to have been involved. "Their treatment was terrible," said Mihaela Porime, a spokeswoman for the DIICOT. Some of the victims are believed to have suffered sexual abuse as well, prosecutors said. Those freed on Wednesday "had visible traces of open wounds all over their bodies, particularly their scalps. They appeared physically and psychologically traumatised," Adrian Macovei from the DGASPC child protection agency told local media. Local inhabitants told journalists on Thursday that they didn't believe the claims, saying that the boys had been homeless orphans and that they were not mistreated. "These people, if they came to work in our home, we'd give them food, we gave them shelter, we didn't do anything bad to them," said one woman who refused to give her name. Story continues "They were unhappy, with no mother or father. We felt sorry for them. They were like our children," she told AFP. Berevoesti's mayor Florin Proca said he was "stunned". "I couldn't imagine that in 2016 such soulless people could exist. I have seen shocking photos of the slaves, people held against their will, abused," he told AFP. (Rewrites to add comments in congressional hearing by FDIC chairman on allegations of cover-up) By Jason Lange and Dustin Volz WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - The head of a U.S. banking regulator on Thursday said he was unaware of any efforts by his staff to cover up hacking of the agency's computers by a foreign government in 2010 and 2011, as outlined by a congressional report. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chairman Martin Gruenberg told a hearing of the committee that published the report that he first learned of the security breach in 2011 when he was the FDIC's acting chairman. Lawmakers questioned Gruenberg about his knowledge of what the report described as a cover-up by a senior FDIC executive who ordered staff not to disclose the hacks for fear of endangering Gruenberg's confirmation to the chairman's post by the U.S. Senate. "I can't speak to the accuracy" of those allegations, Gruenberg said. He said repeatedly he did not know of staff efforts to conceal the intrusions. The House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology report issued on Wednesday said the Chinese government appeared likely to have been behind the hacks. It cited an investigation by an internal watchdog of the FDIC, which is a major banking regulator that keeps confidential data on U.S. banks. Gruenberg said he made personnel changes after receiving a report in 2013 informing him that he was not fully briefed about the hacks. The Republican-led committee has been critical in recent months of the FDIC's handling of cyber security incidents under Gruenberg, who was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2012. "There is a culture of concealment at the FDIC," said Lamar Smith, a Republican from Texas who heads the committee. Asked what damage a foreign government could do with stolen FDIC information, the regulator's inspector general pointed to details on bank contingency plans for bankruptcy, known as living wills, which could be used against U.S. financial institutions. Story continues "That information could be extremely valued by an adversary," FDIC Inspector General Fred Gibson told the hearing. Gruenberg said the FDIC was updating cyber security policies after a subsequent 2015 data breach in which a former employee kept copies of living will information after leaving the regulator. Neither the FDIC nor lawmakers have said the hack by the foreign government was connected to the data breach involving the former employee. Gruenberg said policy changes were being taken to address such "insider threats" with a governance structure to be finalized by Oct. 28. (Reporting by Jason Lange and Dustin Volz; editing by Grant McCool) By Jason Lange and Dustin Volz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of a U.S. banking regulator on Thursday said he was unaware of any efforts by his staff to cover up hacking of the agency's computers by a foreign government in 2010 and 2011, as outlined by a congressional report. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chairman Martin Gruenberg told a hearing of the committee that published the report that he first learned of the security breach in 2011 when he was the FDIC's acting chairman. Lawmakers questioned Gruenberg about his knowledge of what the report described as a cover-up by a senior FDIC executive who ordered staff not to disclose the hacks for fear of endangering Gruenberg's confirmation to the chairman's post by the U.S. Senate. "I can't speak to the accuracy" of those allegations, Gruenberg said. He said repeatedly he did not know of staff efforts to conceal the intrusions. The House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology report issued on Wednesday said the Chinese government appeared likely to have been behind the hacks. It cited an investigation by an internal watchdog of the FDIC, which is a major banking regulator that keeps confidential data on U.S. banks. Gruenberg said he made personnel changes after receiving a report in 2013 informing him that he was not fully briefed about the hacks. The Republican-led committee has been critical in recent months of the FDIC's handling of cyber security incidents under Gruenberg, who was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2012. "There is a culture of concealment at the FDIC," said Lamar Smith, a Republican from Texas who heads the committee. Asked what damage a foreign government could do with stolen FDIC information, the regulator's inspector general pointed to details on bank contingency plans for bankruptcy, known as living wills, which could be used against U.S. financial institutions. "That information could be extremely valued by an adversary," FDIC Inspector General Fred Gibson told the hearing. Gruenberg said the FDIC was updating cyber security policies after a subsequent 2015 data breach in which a former employee kept copies of living will information after leaving the regulator. Neither the FDIC nor lawmakers have said the hack by the foreign government was connected to the data breach involving the former employee. Gruenberg said policy changes were being taken to address such "insider threats" with a governance structure to be finalized by Oct. 28. (Reporting by Jason Lange and Dustin Volz; editing by Grant McCool) By Lisa Lambert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio on Wednesday unveiled legislation to tax financial trades that will likely wither in Congress but could stoke partisan fires in the presidential election. The Oregon Democrat's bill would levy a 0.03 percent tax on most financial trades, and is intended to discourage "risky trading behaviors." DeFazio expects that will collect more than $417 billion in revenue in the next decade, which he said could be used to fund free higher education or infrastructure repairs. When the Democratic Party gathers in Philadelphia for its national convention at the end of the month, it will adopt a platform that calls for taxing trades. Many liberals in the party embrace the proposal as a way to curb speculative trading, which they say led to both the 2007-09 financial crisis and the 2010 stock market "flash crash." The party's left wing, led by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who ran against Hillary Clinton for the presidential nomination, meanwhile, has pushed for free university education. "Thanks to the reckless greed of Wall Street over the past few decades, the American economy is a grossly unbalanced playing field," said DeFazio. "The only way we can level it is if we rein in reckless speculative financial trading and curb near-instantaneous high-volume trades that create instability in the stock market and our national economy." The legislation is supported by Democratic Party stalwarts, including the AFL-CIO labor union federation, the Americans for Financial Reform coalition, the Communications Workers of America union, and advocacy group Public Citizen. The Center for Economic and Policy Research said it also backs the bill. It will likely not get far. Republicans control both chambers of Congress, and most say that Wall Street regulation passed in the aftermath of the financial crisis has been overly restrictive. In addition, the Republican Party generally favors having fewer taxes. Story continues "I am opposed to any taxes that would raise the cost of financial transactions, said Randy Neugebauer, the Republican chairman of a House subcommittee on financial institutions, noting that the bill would tax stock, bond and derivatives trades. Currently, the top U.S. securities regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission, charges a tax on security futures of less than half of a penny to recover the costs of regulating markets and financial professionals. The idea for the tax can be traced back to economist John Maynard Keynes, who wrote in 1935 after another devastating financial crisis - the Great Depression - that a transfer tax on all transactions might mitigate speculation. (This version of the story corrects reference to Center for Economic and Policy Research in 7th paragraph, which had been incorrectly described as a Democratic stalwart) (Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Thursday paved the way for a lightning-fast next generation of wireless services in a move that made the United States the first country to set aside an ample amount of airwaves for so-called 5G wireless applications and networks. In an act that could have far-reaching effects for American consumers and businesses, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to open nearly 11 gigahertz of high-frequency spectrum for mobile, flexible and fixed-use wireless broadband. Companies including Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc already were moving closer to adopting 5G, the fifth generation of wireless technology. New 5G networks are expected to provide speeds at least 10 times and maybe 100 times faster than today's 4G networks, the FCC said. There is a worldwide race to adopt 5G. South Korea and Japan plan to deploy it by the time they host the Olympics, in 2018 and 2020, respectively. The European Commission, South Korea, China and Japan are all working on 5G research efforts. "This is a big day for our nation," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said. The agency's action, Wheeler added, makes "the United States the first country in the world to identify and open up vast amounts of high-frequency spectrum for 5G applications. The big game-changer is that we are using much higher-frequency bands than previously thought viable for flexible uses, including mobile." Verizon and AT&T have said they will begin deploying 5G trials in 2017, and the first commercial deployments at scale are expected in 2020, Wheeler said. T Mobile US, a unit of Deutsche Telecom, and Sprint Corp are also undertaking trials. Wheeler said 5G will help more Americans access high-speed internet. Policymakers and mobile phone companies have said the next generation of wireless signals needs to be much faster and far more responsive to allow advanced technologies like virtual surgery or controlling machines remotely. Story continues 5G technology could have a broad impact beyond things like speeding up movie downloads. For example, it could improve road traffic by monitoring sensors in streetlights, roadside architecture and cars. It could even help detect air pollution using sensors in trees. 'NO LIMIT' "There is seemingly no limit on how what we refer to as 5G could impact our everyday existence," FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said. "A refrigerator that not only alerts you to a near-empty egg carton, but automatically adds that item to a virtual shopping list, enabling a delivery to your door by week's end, without any action from you." There are other questions to be answered, including a standard definition of 5G and exactly how much spectrum is needed, FCC commissioners said. The FCC said the new rules balance spectrum use between new wireless services, satellite operations and federal government use. Boeing Corp told the FCC last week the company and "the rest of the satellite industry have supported common-sense rules that would promote true sharing." "Consumers and businesses are going to start benefiting from 5G much faster than generally expected, and the FCC's bipartisan decision today is crucial to accelerating this phenomenon," said Intel Corp Chief Executive Brian Krzanich. Facebook Inc told the FCC in June that the rules could set "an example for the rest of the world." Facebook said one solution would be for the FCC to "adopt a use-or-share requirement that would require licensees to share any unused spectrum after five years." The FCC will make spectrum available and rely on a process led by the private sector for producing technical standards. "We are on the cusp of cars that drive themselves, streets that can be safer, emergency services that are more effective, healthcare that is more personalized, and more capability across the board because we are more connected," FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Will Dunham) By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Thursday paved the way for a lightning-fast next generation of wireless services in a move that made the United States the first country to set aside an ample amount of airwaves for so-called 5G wireless applications and networks. In an act that could have far-reaching effects for American consumers and businesses, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to open nearly 11 gigahertz of high-frequency spectrum for mobile, flexible and fixed-use wireless broadband. Companies including Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc already were moving closer to adopting 5G, the fifth generation of wireless technology. New 5G networks are expected to provide speeds at least 10 times and maybe 100 times faster than today's 4G networks, the FCC said. There is a worldwide race to adopt 5G. South Korea and Japan plan to deploy it by the time they host the Olympics, in 2018 and 2020, respectively. The European Commission, South Korea, China and Japan are all working on 5G research efforts. "This is a big day for our nation," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said. The agency's action, Wheeler added, makes "the United States the first country in the world to identify and open up vast amounts of high-frequency spectrum for 5G applications. The big game-changer is that we are using much higher-frequency bands than previously thought viable for flexible uses, including mobile." Verizon and AT&T have said they will begin deploying 5G trials in 2017, and the first commercial deployments at scale are expected in 2020, Wheeler said. T Mobile US, a unit of Deutsche Telecom , and Sprint Corp are also undertaking trials. Wheeler said 5G will help more Americans access high-speed internet. Policymakers and mobile phone companies have said the next generation of wireless signals needs to be much faster and far more responsive to allow advanced technologies like virtual surgery or controlling machines remotely. Story continues 5G technology could have a broad impact beyond things like speeding up movie downloads. For example, it could improve road traffic by monitoring sensors in streetlights, roadside architecture and cars. It could even help detect air pollution using sensors in trees. 'NO LIMIT' "There is seemingly no limit on how what we refer to as 5G could impact our everyday existence," FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said. "A refrigerator that not only alerts you to a near-empty egg carton, but automatically adds that item to a virtual shopping list, enabling a delivery to your door by week's end, without any action from you." There are other questions to be answered, including a standard definition of 5G and exactly how much spectrum is needed, FCC commissioners said. The FCC said the new rules balance spectrum use between new wireless services, satellite operations and federal government use. Boeing Corp told the FCC last week the company and "the rest of the satellite industry have supported common-sense rules that would promote true sharing." "Consumers and businesses are going to start benefiting from 5G much faster than generally expected, and the FCC's bipartisan decision today is crucial to accelerating this phenomenon," said Intel Corp Chief Executive Brian Krzanich. Facebook Inc told the FCC in June that the rules could set "an example for the rest of the world." Facebook said one solution would be for the FCC to "adopt a use-or-share requirement that would require licensees to share any unused spectrum after five years." The FCC will make spectrum available and rely on a process led by the private sector for producing technical standards. "We are on the cusp of cars that drive themselves, streets that can be safer, emergency services that are more effective, healthcare that is more personalized, and more capability across the board because we are more connected," FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Will Dunham) Actor Dhanush-starrer Vada Chennai, is likely to feature Vijay Sethupathi as a baddie in the upcoming trilogy. By India Today Web Desk: After much delay, Dhanush's gangster film Vada Chennai, had recently gone on floors. The team is currently shooting in Chennai, where a massive jail setup has been erected, says reports. Earlier, reports suggested that actor Daniel Balaji, was likely to play the antagonist in the film. ALSO READ: Vada Chennai-Amala Paul to replace Samantha in the upcoming trilogy? advertisement ALSO READ: Vada Chennai-Daniel Balaji to lock horns with Dhanush again The latest buzz is that the makers have approached actor Vijay Sethupathi to play the role of an antagonist in the film. Vada Chennai, is directed by National Award winning director Vetrimaaran, which will track the life of a gangster for 30 years in North Chennai. Notably, Vijay Sethupathi has previously expressed his desire to act in Vetrimaaran's direction. The film is also believed to have been inspired from a real life story and the Aadukalam director has reportedly done a lot of research for Vada Chennai. Interestingly, Vetrimaaran decided to make Vada Chennai as a trilogy after consulting with Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap. Vada Chennai also stars Andrea, SamuthiraKani and Daniel Balaji in pivotal roles. The film marks Dhanush's third collaboration with Vetrimaaran and is being produced by Dhanush's banner Wunderbar Films. --- ENDS --- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. presidential race is tied going into the major parties' national conventions and Democrat Hillary Clinton has been damaged by the FBI investigation into her email use while secretary of state, a new opinion poll showed on Thursday. The New York Times/CBS News poll showed 67 percent of voters surveyed said Clinton was not honest and trustworthy, up 5 percentage points from a CBS poll conducted last month before the FBI made its findings public. As Donald Trump prepares to accept the Republican presidential nomination next week, the poll showed him in a dead heat with Clinton in a general election matchup. Each candidate drew 40 percent of the vote, compared with the 6 percentage point lead enjoyed by Clinton in last month's survey, the poll showed. The margin of error was 3 percentage points in the CBS News/New York Times poll, which was conducted by telephone July 8-12 among a random sample of 1,600 adults nationwide, including 1,358 registered voters. The survey showed 62 percent of voters surveyed distrust Trump as well. "But Mrs. Clintons shifting and inaccurate explanations of her email practices at the State Department appear to have resonated more deeply with the electorate," the Times wrote. FBI Director James Comey said last week Clinton was "extremely careless" in the handling of classified information but the investigation found no evidence she or her colleagues intended to violate laws. The Times/CBS poll echoes the finding of a Quinnipiac Poll released on Wednesday that showed Trump pulling just ahead of Clinton in the so-called swing states of Florida and Pennsylvania as the former U.S. senator and first lady lost ground on honesty and moral standards. In contrast to the New York Times/CBS News poll, a Reuters/Ipsos online opinion poll released on Tuesday showed Clinton leading Trump by 13 points at a national level, with 46 percent to Trump's 33 percent support among likely voters. The election is on Nov. 8. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Frances Kerry) By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. State Department officials told members of Congress on Tuesday that legislation that would allow families of Sept. 11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia is opposed by important U.S. allies and posed a national security risk. But many members of a House of Representatives Judiciary Committee subcommittee expressed strong support at a hearing for the "Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act," or JASTA, which the Senate passed in May by unanimous voice vote despite President Barack Obama's veto threat. The Saudis, who deny responsibility for the 2001 attacks, strongly oppose the legislation. Other governments have also raised objections. The Dutch parliament warned that JASTA would represent a breach of Dutch sovereignty. A member of the British parliament wrote a column opposing it. Anne Patterson, the State Department's assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs, and Brian Egan, its legal counsel, testified that the measure could lead to lawsuits against the United States and discourage security cooperation such as intelligence sharing between governments. "We cannot win the fight against ISIL without full international cooperation," Patterson said, using an acronym for the Islamic State militant group. But the bill's supporters say it would provide justice to those who lost loved ones in the attacks 15 years ago. They argue that if Saudi Arabia was not responsible for the attacks, it would win any lawsuits. Representative Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat who represents New York City, said worry about retaliation should not keep the measure from becoming law. "That is no reason to deny justice to the victims of 9/11 and their families," he said. If it became law, JASTA would remove sovereign immunity preventing lawsuits against governments for countries found to be involved in terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. It would allow survivors of the attacks, and relatives of those killed in the attacks, to seek damages from other countries. In this case, it would allow lawsuits to proceed in federal court in New York as lawyers try to prove that the Saudis were involved in the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. There was no immediate word on when the House might vote on JASTA. The House was due to adjourn later on Thursday for its summer recess and will not return to Washington until September. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Phil Berlowitz) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Wednesday that it had deployed 47 troops to South Sudan to protect U.S. citizens and the U.S. embassy after an outbreak of deadly violence in the country. "These deployed personnel will remain in South Sudan until the security situation becomes such that their presence is no longer needed," the White House said in a statement. The combat-ready troops arrived in South Sudan on Tuesday. An additional 130 military personnel currently in Djibouti are also prepared to provide support as necessary, the White House said. (Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Sandra Maler) BERLIN, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew urged European Union and British officials to be pragmatic and flexible in talks on Britain's departure from the EU, and said he would meet new British finance minister Philip Hammond later on Thursday. "I will be meeting with the new chancellor (finance minister) this afternoon, I look forward to it," Lew told a news conference after meeting German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble in Berlin. "We believe that it is in the best interests of Europe, of the United States and the global economy to end up with a result that produces a highly integrated relationship between the UK and the EU," he said of negotiations on Britain leaving the EU. "We think it is critical that negotiations take place in a pragmatic, transparent and smooth manner and for both sides to demonstrate flexibility," Lew added. (Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Madeline Chambers) BERLIN (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew urged European Union and British officials to be pragmatic and flexible in talks on Britain's departure from the EU, and said he would meet new chancellor Philip Hammond later on Thursday. "I will be meeting with the new chancellor this afternoon, I look forward to it," Lew told a news conference after meeting German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble in Berlin. "We believe that it is in the best interests of Europe, of the United States and the global economy to end up with a result that produces a highly integrated relationship between the UK and the EU," he said of negotiations on Britain leaving the EU. "We think it is critical that negotiations take place in a pragmatic, transparent and smooth manner where both sides to demonstrate flexibility in order to produce results that are the right outcome," Lew added. "Let us have a mutually acceptable and amicable outcome." The U.S. economy is performing "in a stable way" despite global headwinds, he said, adding that the Group of 20 leading economies should use "all of the tools, including structural reforms, and fiscal policies as well as monetary policy." "We think it's important that the G20 continues to consult on exchange rates and to work closely and to make sure that we don't see competitive devaluations," Lew added. (Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Madeline Chambers and Toby Chopra) Third-ranked lightweight Tony Ferguson extended his winning streak to eight consecutive fights on Wednesday when he su bmitted Octagon newcomer Landon Vannata in the UFC Fight Night 91 co-main event. Vannata accepted the bout on short notice when Fergusons original opponent, Michael Chiesa, was forced out of the fight due to injury. Ferguson emerged the winner by D'Arce choke, but was tested by the 24-year-old Jackson-Winkeljohn trained Vannata. The opening round was one of the most action-packed of the year. Ferguson knocked Vanuata down with a stiff jab in the early going, but was wobbled by a spinning back fist seconds later. Vanuata delivered a head kick toward the end of the round that had Ferguson in all sorts of trouble. Ferguson staggered around trying to regain his balance while Vanuata looked to finish. Ferguson isolated a leg and worked to secure a heel hook. Vanuata defended the submission attempt, and Ferguson survived the round. RELATED > UFC Fight Night 91: McDonald vs. Lineker Full Live Results and Fight Stats Vannata slowed in the second frame and began taking damage. Ferguson repeatedly landed his jab. Vannata, ducked down and Ferguson quickly applied a guillotine choke. Vannata worked to defend it but found himself trapped in a D'Arce choke unable to escape. He was forced to tap out, suffering the first loss of his career. A lot of respect to Lando, said Ferguson after the win. This is what I wanted. I wanted a firefight. I wanted to get hit a couple of times. I didnt fight my last fight. I got injured, which sucked. I kind of missed that feeling of getting hit in the face. Ferguson is on an eight-fight winning streak and poised for a title shot. He said he'd fight whoever signs the contract, but wants a crack at newly crowned champion Eddie Alvarez. Whoever signs on the dotted line, he said about whom he wants to face next. A lot of these guys dont want to fight me, but they dont have a choice when Im right there next to them. Well see whos next. Give me that title shot. Eddie Alvarez, I know you want to fight me. If you want an easy fight, go ahead and get Conor (McGregor), but Im right here at your front doorstep, and Im ready to sign on the dotted line. Follow MMAWeekly.com on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Juba (AFP) - A heavily-armed Ugandan military convoy crossed into South Sudan on Thursday to evacuate citizens trapped in the capital Juba as fears persist that days of fierce fighting might reignite despite a ceasefire. The United Nations has warned of tension and the possibility of fresh fighting in Juba, where a ceasefire has held since late Monday. President Salva Kiir on Thursday called on arch-rival Riek Machar to meet for talks to salvage peace. "I don't want any more bloodshed in South Sudan," Kiir said. Kiir spoke in public for the first time at the bullet-scarred presidential palace where four days of fighting erupted on Friday, standing alongside ceasefire monitoring chief Festus Mogae, a former Botswanan president, and African Union special envoy Alpha Oumar Konare, a former president of Mali. Earlier Thursday a convoy of around 50 Ugandan trucks escorted by machine gun-mounted armoured vehicles crossed the border at Nimule to open up a secure corridor for fleeing civilians on the 200 kilometre (120 mile) Juba-Nimule road. Uganda's army chief Brigadier Leopold Kyanda said the mission involving 2,000 soldiers would likely last "two to three days" but an intelligence officer said some Ugandan troops may remain in Juba. "Why not? We have the capacity to support the government of South Sudan and we were there before," said the plain-clothed officer accompanying the convoy. - One city, two armies - The Ugandan army joined the conflict in South Sudan soon after it began in December 2013, fighting on Kiir's side against a rebel force led by Machar, now the country's vice president. The troops only pulled-out late last year. While the situation remained calm in Juba on Thursday concerns remain that fighting might flare once again. "The current situation in the country remains fluid and uncertain," UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the Security Council late Wednesday. Story continues Four days of intense battles in the capital left hundreds dead and forced around 40,000 to flee their homes. Aid agencies are warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis with a lack of both water and food. The recent violence in the capital echoed the fighting that triggered the civil war and marks a fresh blow to last year's deal to end the bitter conflict that began when Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup. Kiir is a member of the Dinka tribe, while Machar is a Nuer, and the dispute has split the country along ethnic lines and caused tens of thousands of deaths. The August 2015 agreement paved the way for Machar's return to the capital in late April to take up the deputy post in a so-called unity government. Machar's return with a 1,400-strong bodyguard meant there were two hostile armies in the city. A shoot-out between Kiir's and Machar's guard units triggered the fighting that began on Friday afternoon. It appears that Kiir's forces -- which outnumbered Machar's in both troops and heavy weaponry in the city -- dominated the battles, with Ladsous stating they were in "full control" of the capital while Machar's former rebels were "scattered" nearby along the city's western outskirts. - 'Further clashes' - "Further clashes, therefore, cannot be ruled out," he said. One of Machar's spokesmen said the former rebels' base was "destroyed" and Machar is "a vice-president in hiding" not far from Juba. "He's trying to survive. His life is in danger," claimed Goi Jooyul Yol in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. However, Kiir insisted that neither Machar nor his allies were in danger. "If there was anyone hunting for them, they could find them," Kiir said. "I am ready to protect Machar if he comes." Outside Juba there were reports of fighting in the towns of Leer in Unity State and Wau in Western Bahr el Ghazal and of army and rebel forces mobilising around Malakal in Upper Nile. "We remain very worried about the potential for the resumption of violence and spill-over into other parts of the country," said Ladsous. Commercial flights resumed to Juba on Thursday morning, with planes arriving almost empty and leaving full of people desperate to get out of the city. Specially chartered evacuation flights have been taking foreign nationals out of the country since Wednesday. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) Vice President Hamid Ansari today left for Mongolia leading an Indian delegation to the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit. The two-day ASEM Summit will be held in Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia from tomorrow. The theme for the Summit is "20 Years of ASEM: Partnership for the Future through Connectivity". At the Summit, Indias efforts would be inclined towards more successful outcomes and the building of a resilient and multidimensional web of interconnectivity between the two continents - Asia and Europe, officials said ahead of the meeting. advertisement ASEM comprises of 53 entities - 51 countries from Asia and Europe and two regional bodies - the European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat. It represents around 62.3 per cent of the worlds population, 57.2 per cent of the global GDP and almost 60 per cent of the worlds trade. ASEM is a unique platform that serves to bridge the two continents of Asia and Europe for constructive partnership and exchange, under the three key pillars of political dialogue, economic collaboration and socio-cultural exchanges, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. The 11th ASEM Summit assumes special importance in view of the fact, that 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the dialogue forum, officials said. Since the Summit is the first ever international event of such stature that Mongolia is hosting, the participation of Vice President Ansari signifies the importance India attaches to its strategic partnership with Mongolia, they said. Ansari will also hold bilateral meetings with a few other participating leaders on the sidelines of the Summit. PTI AKJ PMS --- ENDS --- Farnborough (United Kingdom) (AFP) - This year's Farnborough air show was not a vintage year for aircraft orders, analysts say, a gloomy outlook clouded by Brexit and further darkening as European giant Airbus slashed output of its A380 superjumbo. Airbus' announcement late Tuesday that the Franco-German planemaker would halve A380 production to one a month from 2018 caused some turbulence at the show, but chief executive Tom Enders hoped the cutbacks would last "just a year or two". Orders at the last Farnborough event in 2014 hit $201 billion whereas this year organisers said they came in over $85bn by the close of day three, suggesting a steep falloff -- albeit actual deals usually go through some way below official list prices. Both Airbus and Boeing were nonetheless bullish after a fleet of orders principally from Asia and low-cost carriers. Despite the lower apparent overall volume of show orders, Airbus could point to an early $12.5-billion jets deal from AirAsia, Malaysia's low-cost airline AirAsia, which placed a blockbuster order for 100 single-aisle fuel-efficient A321neo jets, worth some 11.3 billion euros ($12.1 billion) at list prices. Airbus on Thursday announced that low cost carrier Norwegian had ordered 30 single-aisle long range A321 LR jets after Boeing had unveiled an order for six 787-9 Dreamliners worth $1.59 billion at list prices from Chinese domestic carrier Ruili Airlines. John Leahy, Airbus' commercial director, unveiled $35 billion of sales in all -- $25.3 firm orders - for 279 planes. - Boeing trails Airbus - Boeing failed to beat Airbus, notching up 182 sales worth a total of $26.8 billion, including $19 billion in new orders with buyers largely chasing medium haul business. Since the start of the year, Airbus has boosted its firm orders on its books to 380 planes from 183 at the end of June while Boeing, celebrating its centenary on Friday, lifted its firm orders to 321 from 276 last month. Story continues With lead-in time of up to a decade for new models the industry's top players are playing a long game as they look to meet delivery demand. "It's not orders that count but deliveries," noted Leahy in an industry whose size historically doubles every 15 years. Boeing director of marketing director Randy Tinseth likewise maintained that deliveries were king. - Brexit clouds outlook - Britain's vote to leave the European Union has not gone unnoticed amid fears of the commercial consequences for medium-term demand, Warren East, chief executive of Rolls-Royce, told reporters at a Tuesday briefing. "I was fairly clear on the downsides and the fact that we would have preferred the Brexit vote to have gone the other way," said East. "We have a major partner in Airbus that's a Franco-German client. And so movement of people and products around our supply chain in Europe goes on all the time. We are making decisions about where to build things and so on, and we could do without the uncertainty." But he added: "Three quarters of our business over the next decade or so is from outside of the EU and the UK, and we are a global business, so we will simply get on with it." Over the coming 20 years, key sector trends are seen as rising Asian demand as the middle class expands exponentially as well as continued low-cost carrier growth. "It seems low-cost companies in emerging markets are still growing," says independent analyst Howard Wheeldon. On the military aircraft front, the US military's supersonic F-35 warplane -- the most expensive in history -- made its Farnborough debut in a deafening roar, fresh from an appearance at the Royal International Air Tattoo last weekend. The F-35 -- whose programme has a ballooning price tag of almost $400 billion -- was supposed to fly in Farnborough in 2014 but was grounded following an engine fire. LONDON (Reuters) - UK equity funds suffered nearly $5 billion (3.7 billion) in outflows in the two weeks after the country voted to leave the European Union, according Societe Generale and EPFR. Assets under management at funds that supply data to EPFR shrank more than 9 percent to $450 billion, SocGen says, with losses concentrated in equity and money market funds. "The data should be viewed with caution and as only a partial estimate of the damage to the fund industry," said the broker in a note to clients, warning that the numbers do not capture the consequences of last week's property fund suspensions. SocGen maintained a grim outlook on the UK economy and continues to see further losses for the sterling and banking stocks. (Reporting by Vikram Subhedar) LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has yet to decide when to trigger Article 50 to begin the formal process of leaving the European Union, newly appointed Chancellor Philip Hammond said on Thursday. When asked by LBC radio whether Article 50 would be invoked by the close of this year, he said: "No, that's a decision that we haven't made yet." "We've now got the key players who will be involved in this decision-making process in place and when the prime minister has finished making her appointments later today I am sure that we will sit down and start to talk about Britain's negotiating strategy and how we are going to take it forward," he said. When pressed on when Britain would trigger the formal divorce procedure, he said he could not answer that question yet. Hammond also said that the decision to vote for Brexit would mean Britain leaves the single market but Britain would then have to negotiate a new deal as trading partners, rather than members. "We will come out of the single market as a result of our decision to leave the European Union," he said. "The question is how we negotiate with the European Union not from the point of view of being members but from the point of view of being close neighbours and trade partners" (Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Guy Faulconbridge) ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will draw a line under disparaging comments by Britain's new foreign secretary Boris Johnson about President Tayyip Erdogan and his nation, a senior official said on Thursday, but warned relations would be damaged if he repeated such insults. Johnson, the former London mayor who was appointed foreign secretary late on Wednesday by new Prime Minister Theresa May, won a "President Erdogan Offensive Poetry competition" run by Britain's Spectator magazine earlier this year. He was the most prominent figure in the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, which played on voters' fears about immigration. This included a warning of dire consequences if Turkey, a largely Muslim nation of 79 million, joined the EU. The campaign culminated in a vote for 'Brexit' on June 23. "His negative comments on Erdogan and Turkey are unacceptable ... However we're sure of one thing, that British-Turkish relations are more important than that and can't be hostage to these statements," the Turkish official said. "With his new responsibilities we are expecting a more positive attitude from Mr. Johnson," said the official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. Turkey's leaders have repeatedly warned about rising xenophobia and anti-immigrant views in Europe. They complained that the British referendum campaign was marred by anti-Turkish sentiment fueled by mainstream politicians. The pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper described Johnson as known for "his anti-Turkey and eurosceptic stance as the mayor of London" and said his appointment "raises questions about the future of Britain's international relations". TURKISH ROOTS Other mainstream newspapers talked about Johnson's Turkish roots but made no mention of his poem about Erdogan. Johnson's great-grandfather was an opposition figure in the late Ottoman period, who was lynched during Turkey's War of Independence in the early 1920s. Speaking ahead of Johnson's appointment, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim also signaled his government would be ready to work with the former London mayor. "What would I say to him? Well, may God help him and reform him and I hope that he won't make any more mistakes and try to make it up with the Turks," Yildirim said in an interview with the BBC recorded at the weekend and broadcast on Thursday. "But the campaign is over, the referendum was held and there's no reason to discuss this anymore." Turkey began its EU accession talks in 2005 after decades of knocking on the door but progress has been slow due to disagreements over Ankara's human rights record, Cyprus and other issues. It is not seen joining the bloc for many years. Despite the referendum campaign rhetoric Britain was for a long time one of the main champions of Turkey's EU bid. (Reporting by Orhan Coskun; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by David Dolan and Gareth Jones) Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f144859%2fap_277224427062 Andrea Leadsom, the newly-appointed environment secretary, once said that she had to ask whether climate change was real. Yes, you read it right. Leadsom, a former banker and fund manager who served as energy minister in the previous government and campaigned for Britain to leave the EU, recounted the episode to a parliamentary fracking group. SEE ALSO: Good news: The ozone layer is finally healing "When I first came to this job, one of my two questions was: 'Is climate change real?' and the other was 'Is hydraulic fracturing safe?' And on both of those questions I am now completely persuaded," she told the All Party Parliamentary Group on unconventional gas and oil in October 2015. This occurred just two months before world leaders, including then-prime minister David Cameron, signed onto the Paris Climate Agreement to address global warming. Leadsom pulled out of the Tory leadership race on Monday, saying the UK needed a "strong and stable government" and that Prime Minister Theresa May was "ideally placed" for the job. In her first full day as prime minister, Theresa May has made several cabinet and government appointments. As environment, food and rural affairs secretary Leadsom, a vocal Leave campaigner, will be responsible for dealing with farmers and work out subsidies in the post-EU scenario. LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Thursday that although Britain had voted to leave the European Union it could play an even greater role in Europe, a view he said was shared by the United States. "There's a massive difference between leaving the EU and our relations with Europe which if anything I think are going to be intensified," Johnson, who was appointed to his post on Wednesday, told reporters. "I was very pleased to receive a phone call from Secretary (John) Kerry of the United States who totally agreed with that analysis. His view was that post-Brexit and after the negotiations what he really wants to see ... was more Britain abroad, a greater global profile." (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Kate Holton) Geneva (AFP) - UN mediator Staffan de Mistura on Thursday called on Moscow and Washington to push for a resumption of Syrian peace talks, which he hoped could resume next month. De Mistura told reporters in Geneva he wanted to "ensure that we have enough, sufficient, critical mass in order to give a sufficient chance for a concrete and effective beginning of the third round of the intra-Syrian talks." The talks "have a target date of August," de Mistura said. "These talks ... are meant to be a credible beginning of a roadmap towards a political transition, so they need to be well-prepared," he said. De Mistura, who had previously spoken about resuming the talks in July, made his comments as US Secretary of State John Kerry was on his way to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin and test his commitment to the stalled Syrian peace process. Washington and Moscow have backed a roadmap that calls for a nationwide ceasefire and Geneva-based talks on "political transition." But there has been little progress towards a hoped-for resumption of talks this month, and the prospects for a political transition beginning by August, as laid out in the road map, now appear slim. De Mistura pointed to the partial ceasefire that Moscow and Washington brokered for Syria in February, saying that when the two "agree on something that helps a lot the political process and even the humanitarian process." De Mistura said he hoped Washington and Moscow could help reduce the "non-constructive ambiguity" surrounding the Al-Nusra Front. Like the Islamic State group, the Al-Nusra Front is defined as a terrorist group by the UN Security Council, but is not party to the much-breached ceasefire. That ambiguity, he said, "has been one of the main problems for the sustainability of the cessation of hostilities." While until now all sides have agreed on targeting IS, Al-Nusra -- an affiliate of Al-Qaeda -- has been more tricky since it is mainly battling Assad alongside other rebel groups backed by US allies. The Washington Post on Thursday cited sections of what it said was a draft agreement showing that Washington planned to offer to cooperate with Russia in joint military action against the two groups. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The United Nations expects the Saudi-led coalition bombing Yemen to take concrete measures in the coming weeks to address UN alarm over the deaths of children in the war, the UN spokesman said Thursday. Saudi Arabia reacted angrily when the coalition was added to a UN "list of shame" of child rights violators in June, demanding to be taken off. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accused the Saudis of threatening to cut off funding to UN aid programs and agreed to remove the coalition from the list pending a review. That review is due to come up in the Security Council on August 2. "We hope that in advance of the debate on August 2, the coalition will be able to provide us with some information on the concrete actions they have taken," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Saudi Foreign Minister Abel al-Jubeir met with Ban at UN headquarters on Thursday to discuss the situation in Yemen just as peace talks were scheduled to resume in Kuwait on Friday. During the meeting, Jubeir said the coalition was ready to take "the necessary concrete measures to end and prevent violations against children," Dujarric said. Jubeir told reporters that the coalition was waging its air campaign "with great care in order to avoid damages to civilians and in particular children." "We have explained this to the United Nations and our dialogue is ongoing," he added. A UN official, speaking on background, said the row could be resolved if Riyadh takes action on three fronts: "big movement" in the Yemen peace talks, procedures to lessen civilian casualties and remedial measures. The United Nations had blacklisted the coalition after concluding in a report that it was responsible for 60 percent of the 785 children's deaths in Yemen last year. The coalition launched an air campaign in support of Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in March 2015 to push back Huthi rebels after they seized the capital Sanaa and many parts of the country. The war has killed some 6,400 people and exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the impoverished country, according to the United Nations. NEWARK, N.J. (Reuters) - United Airlines has been fined $2.25 million in connection with a bribery scheme stemming from the "Bridgegate" scandal in New Jersey, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday. Jamie Fox, who was a paid consultant for United, was charged with conspiring to commit bribery, prosecutors also said. (Reporting by Mica Rosenberg; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Steve Oerlofsky) How bad and debatable is kissing your own kid on the mouth, really? By India Today Web Desk: Victoria Beckham is under fire again, and this time, it's for kissing her youngest child, Harper, on the lips. The former Spice Girl uploaded a picture on Instagram kissing her five-year-old daughter, Harper, on her birthday, which was on the previous Sunday. While you may think there is nothing wrong in kissing your child on the lips, many think otherwise, clearly. advertisement Soon after posting the picture, Victoria was slammed with comments like, "Eww sorry I'm old-fashioned, it looks like they're making out," wrote one Instagram user. "It looks like lesbians," wrote another. Also read: Happy birthday: Five incredible pictures of Victoria Beckham that will make you do a double take While most of the comments were positive, many were of the view that Harper is getting too old for such displays of affection. "If you don't give your child the chance to grow out of [kissing their parents] and realize it's something couples do...what happens when they go to school and learn the good touch/bad touch stuff? More confusion," one wrote. But that's not all; many prime-time new channels even went on to invite guests and social-etiquette experts to comment on the same. Since then, the fashion designer's comment section has been flooded with supportive messages from mothers, who obviously coming to her rescue. One user wrote, "The fact that so many people sexualize a photo of a mother with her child is so disgusting. This is a beautiful photo and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it." Other moms also started posting their own photos kissing their kids to support Victoria: More power to you, Victoria! --- ENDS --- By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Thursday it will move non-critical staff out of South Sudan after an eruption of violence and has received reports accusing President Salva Kiir's troops of targeting U.N. staff and foreign aid workers amid the fighting. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric described the reports as "highly disturbing" and called on South Sudanese authorities to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice. He said the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, was also investigating the incidents, including its own response. "The reports include allegations of the killing of at least one South Sudanese national working for an international NGO, as well as rapes, including of international NGO staff. U.N. staff members have also been assaulted," Dujarric told reporters. He said the allegations were made against South Sudanese army troops, who are loyal to Kiir. The South Sudanese mission to the United Nations was not immediately available to comment on the accusations. Fighting between rival troops began a week ago in the capital Juba, which has been calm since Monday evening when Kiir and Riek Machar - the former rebel leader and now vice president - ordered their respective forces to cease hostilities. But residents remain tense and many foreigners have been leaving. "The U.N. mission, as well as other U.N. agencies, funds and programs are preparing for the temporary relocation of non-critical staff from Juba," said Dujarric, adding that they would likely be moved to Nairobi, though he did not have any figures. U.N. peacekeepers have been deployed in South Sudan since the country gained independence from Sudan in 2011. There are currently some 13,500 troops and police on the ground. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the Security Council on Monday to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan, sanction leaders and commanders blocking a peace deal and fortify the peacekeeping mission. Kiir and Machar have long been rivals in politics and on the battlefield. A civil war that began in December 2013 came a few months after Kiir dismissed Machar as his deputy. They signed a peace deal in August 2015, but implementation has been slow. Uganda's army began evacuating citizens from inside neighboring South Sudan, while the United States has deployed 47 troops to South Sudan to protect U.S. citizens and the embassy in Juba. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols) Washington (AFP) - The Pentagon Thursday acknowledged targeting a top Islamic State group commander, Omar al-Shishani, in an airstrike, but stopped short of confirming his reported death. The militant group itself announced Wednesday that Shishani, whose nom de guerre means Omar the Chechen, had been killed. The Pentagon had already claimed in early March that coalition forces had killed the high-profile rebel leader. However, Defense Department spokesman Peter Cook said Thursday that the latest strike had been conducted on Sunday and had targeted a leadership meeting near Mosul in Iraq. "We believe that Omar Shishani was present" with 16 other Islamic State group leaders, he told reporters. "We believe this was a successful strike but we are not in a position to be able to confirm that he was killed," Cook said. News of Shishani's death had been carried Wednesday by Amaq, a news service linked to the Islamic State group. The report did not say when or how he had been killed, simply stating that he died in Shirqat while defending Mosul, the principal city held by the group in Iraq. Cook acknowledged that American officials had until recently believed Shishani to be dead. But defense officials learned that he was present at the meeting and decided to strike again. A man in his thirties distinguished by a thick red beard and known as a hardened fighter, Shishani had been in the crosshairs of American officials who portrayed him as an experienced warlord and a kind of minister of defense within the Islamic State group. The United States had put a $5 million bounty on his head. Among fellow combatants, he had a reputation as a battle-hardened warrior. A biography produced by an Islamic State group sympathizer and published on the internet described him as an undefeated strategist. The coalition against the Islamic State has undertaken a campaign to eliminate Islamic State group officials. President Barack Obama's anti-Islamic State envoy Brett McGurk recently said that the coalition was killing them at a rate of one every three days. Paris (AFP) - The United States is to offer to cooperate with Russia in joint military action against the Al-Nusra Front and Islamic State extremist groups in Syria, the Washington Post reported Thursday. US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was on his way to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin, did not deny the report, but refused to discuss the proposal in detail until he had been to the Kremlin. According to the Post, which cited sections of what it said was a draft agreement, US and Russian commanders would set up a joint command and control centre to direct intensified air strikes against the jihadist groups. Currently, Russian forces in Syria are operating in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime against a variety of rebel factions while a US-led coalition focuses its fire on the Islamic State group. Any deal between the great power rivals would be controversial, since for many -- including critics of US President Barack Obama in Washington -- it would amount to a tacit acceptance of Putin's efforts to shore up Assad's regime. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the report before Moscow had received Washington's proposal. He said the Kremlin has reiterated the need for "the coordination of joint efforts" in the fight against jihadist groups in Syria and regretted Washington's reluctance to cooperate with Russia militarily in the war-torn country. Kerry was due in Moscow later Thursday and was to hold talks first with Putin at the Kremlin followed by a meeting with his opposite number Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday. Asked if he wanted to comment on the reported US offer of a military pact, Kerry said: "I don't right now. I'll have comments. I'm going to Moscow, meeting with President Putin tonight, and we'll have plenty of time to talk about it." "I'll give you all a sense of where we are," he added. According to the Post, Kerry was to propose to Putin that Russia and the United States set up a "Joint Implementation Group" or JIG to "enable extended coordination" between their militaries on the Syrian battlefields. Story continues Both the Islamic State and the Al-Nusra Front are defined as terrorist groups by the UN Security Council, and they are not party to the much-breached ceasefire in place between Assad's forces and more moderate rebel groups. But, while the Islamic State's so-called "caliphate" has global ambitions, Al-Nusra -- an affiliate of Al-Qaeda -- has concentrated on battling Assad, fighting alongside other rebel groups backed by US allies. Any deal between Russia and the United States to fight both groups would in effect strengthen Assad's position, and could undermine US efforts to press him to agree a negotiated political settlement to the civil war. Washington (AFP) - US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg apologized Thursday for publicly disparaging Donald Trump as a phoney with a big ego. The left-leaning 83-year-old judge shocked the US political establishment with her remarks: on Monday she called Trump "a faker" who "says whatever comes into his head at the moment." She also told The New York Times in an interview published last weekend that she "can't imagine" what the United States under Trump as president would be like. Ginsburg issued a statement Thursday saying she was sorry. "On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them," Ginsburg said. "Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect," she added. In response to the criticism, Trump had suggested the judge was getting senile and should step down. "Justice Ginsburg of the US Supreme Court has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me. Her mind is shot - resign!" he tweeted Wednesday. Ginsburg drew widespread ire from Republicans for breaking with a code of conduct under which US judges are not supposed to publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for office. The Washington Post and The New York Times both ran editorials saying she had erred. Ginsburg, seen as a tough as nails figure, was appointed to the court in 1993 by then president Bill Clinton, a Democrat, and is the darling of the progressive community in America, especially young people. She has lots of clout. Last year, she was named to Time's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. As a lawyer, Ginsburg was a pillar of the fight for women's rights in the 1960s and '70s. She has survived cancer several times. But her departure from judicial custom in slamming Trump raised eyebrows everywhere, even among ideological allies. The Washington Post, which rarely goes easy on Trump, said in an editorial that while it may agree with what Ginsburg said about him, her candor was "inconsistent with her function in our democratic system." The New York Times offered a similar editorial, saying, "Washington is more than partisan enough without the spectacle of a Supreme Court justice flinging herself into the mosh pit." LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - Finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 group of countries will focus on using all tools at their disposal to promote economic growth when they meet in China next week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said on Thursday. "Secretary Lew noted the importance of using all tools available - monetary, fiscal, and structural - to continue to promote shared growth," a U.S. Treasury spokesperson said in an emailed statement after Lew met Britain's newly appointed finance minister Philip Hammond in the British capital. "The use of all available policy tools will continue to be the focus at next week's G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Chengdu, China." Speaking about future negotiations between Britain's new government and the European Union to hammer out their a new relationship following Britain's vote to leave the bloc last month, Lew said its was critical they would "take place in a smooth, pragmatic, and transparent manner". "The secretary emphasized that a result that produces a highly integrated relationship between the UK and EU is in the best interests of Europe, the United States, and the global economy," the statement added, echoing comments made earlier this week by Lew. (Reporting by Karin Strohecker; editing by William Schomberg) He was slated to interact with media via Skype today, for which arrangements had been made at a small hall in South Mumbai. By PTI: Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, facing heat over allegation of inspiring some of the Dhaka attackers through his speeches, has cancelled his press briefing again, citing pressure from authorities of the venue where he was slated to interact with the media via Skype. He was slated to interact with media via Skype today, for which arrangements had been made at a small hall in South Mumbai. advertisement "The management of the Mehfil hall in Agripada, around 11 PM last night, told our team present at the venue that they cannot allow the press conference to take place and that we should dismantle and pack up all the venue arrangements we had made. Given no choice, our teams dismantled everything and left by around midnight," an aide of Naik said in a statement issued here. REPEATED DODGING Naik's media interaction was first scheduled earlier this week at Trident Hotel in South Mumbai, but the venue was subsequently changed to World Trade Centre. Later, the venue was again changed and a hall in the congested Agripada area of South Mumbai was chosen for the press briefing, which has also been cancelled now. The organisers of Naik's press briefing had yesterday claimed that Mumbai Police has instructed top hotels in the city to refrain from providing space to hold a conference, a charge which they later retracted. Facing heat over allegation of inspiring some of the Dhaka attackers through his speeches and under scanner of the state and the central agencies, Naik was expected to clarify his position during the media interaction. There were media reports that "provocative" speeches had inspired some of the terrorists who carried out Bangladeshs worst terror attack at a cafe in Dhaka that left 22 dead. A top Home department official in Maharashtra had earlier said that a report on Naik would be submitted to the state government, before the commencement of Monsoon session of the state Legislature, which starts on July 18. "Contrary to media reports, Zakir Naik has not been given any clean chit by the Mumbai Police. All angles are being probed and a report will be submitted to the government before the Monsoon session of the state Legislature," a senior government official had told PTI, requesting anonymity. Also read: Zakir Naik seeks support from Muslims on Twitter, Facebook against media trials --- ENDS --- Nice (France) (AFP) - Up to 30 people were on Friday feared dead and around 100 injured in an "attack" in the French Riviera resort of Nice after a truck ploughed into a crowd of people leaving a Bastille Day firework display, city officials said. Witnesses described hearing gunfire, although this was not immediately confirmed by the authorities with images on social media showed casualties lying in the street, some being tended by paramedics. The incident comes as France remains badly shaken by November 2015 attacks which killed 130 people at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris and nightspots across the city. Describing it as a "major criminal attack", Sebastien Humbert, the sub-prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes region, told BFMTV the driver had left "several dozen, perhaps around 30 people dead" and "around a hundred injured". Police and ambulances went to the scene and authorities from the local Alpes-Maritimes prefecture urged residents to stay indoors. An AFP reporter described seeing a white truck driving at high speed onto the famed Promenade des Anglais as people were leaving after the annual Bastille Day celebration display. "We saw people hit and bits of debris flying around," he said. Terrified pedestrians screamed as they fled the area. "It was absolute chaos," he added. The incident came just hours after France announced that a state of emergency declared after last November's attacks would come to an end later this month. Speaking on the national July 14 holiday, President Francois Hollande said the decree after the November 13 attacks would not be renewed beyond July 26, because a law bolstering security in France was adopted in May. Nice city mayor Christian Estrosi urged residents to stay in doors. "The driver of a van appears to have killed dozens. Stay in your homes for now. More info to follow," Estrosi wrote on Twitter. Local authorities from the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture also urged people to remain indoors following what appeared to be a deliberate attack. By Joy Wiltermuth NEW YORK, July 14 (IFR) - Verizon Wireless this week priced the first US rated bond using cellphone contracts as collateral, a milestone issue that may pave the way for a new asset class in the ABS market. Verizon and peers such as AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint already sell unrated securitizations of phone payment and lease plans to banks in private deals. But the runaway success of Verizon's public US$1.169bn trade, which saw order books peak around US$12bn, could open a new and potentially massive avenue of funding. This looks especially attractive as the companies have to pay upfront for the phones - and then wait it out through months or years of customer payments to recoup that money. "Clearly they want to get rid of that working capital," said Michael Dimler, a senior credit analyst focused on technology and telecoms at Morningstar. But he cautioned that the nascent sector would have to prove itself through a credit downturn before it would get mainstream buyside acceptance. "Everybody thought that nobody was going to default on their mortgages," Dimler said. CHANGING MODEL With the move toward a monthly payment plan model in the cellphone industry, the major carriers have huge inventories of contracts ripe for securitization. Moody's Investors Service said in February that the phone contract sector could potentially grow into an ABS asset class worth tens of billions of dollars. Verizon has already been securitizing about US$2bn of phone finance plans per quarter through private deals sold to banks, CFO Francis Shammo told an industry conference last month. But he said the plan was to phase out those trades and replace them with public ABS financing. Verizon and AT&T are both rated BBB+ by S&P - and with their focus on phone sales and high corporate ratings - would seem to be especially likely candidates to grow the market. "Verizon could be blazing a trail here," another telecoms analyst said. According to S&P Global Ratings, the trade was backed by roughly three million cellphone payment plans to borrowers with an average FICO score of 708 and monthly payments of US$28. Story continues Its top US$1bn class of 2.52-year Triple A notes cleared at 55bp over interpolated swaps to yield 1.431%, or 10bp-15bp tighter than guidance, bankers and investors said. Two 3.22-year classes of Double A and Single A rated notes were retained, according to one banker on the trade. "I think this deal was a success beyond anyone's expectations," one banker involved in the transaction said. "I'd be very surprised if other telcos didn't follow suit." Alessandro Pagani, head of securitized assets at Loomis, Sayles & Company, said the trade was a positive milestone for a market still struggling to shake off its tarnished image. "There have been so many years of bad publicity around ," he said. "This shows it can be used for good too." Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays and MUFG led the transaction. (Reporting by Joy Wiltermuth; Editing by Marc Carnegie) How do you reinvent music television for a generation that grew up not watching MTV, but YouTube, Vine and Snapchat? Thats a question that Vevo has been trying to answer ever since former BBC and Intel Media executive Erik Huggers took over the leadership of the major-label-owned music video platform a little over a year ago. Before Huggers, Vevo was primarily known for supplying YouTube with music videos from its owners Sony Music and Universal. Since then, the company has significantly built out its product team, which is housed in a massive new office in San Francisco, relaunched its website and launched new apps for mobile and TV devices. The company has also announced that it will launch a paid tier later this year, and hinted at more original programming. On Thursday, Vevo took another step towards building out that next-generation music video platform with a brand refresh, a number of new features for its apps and the addition of a slate of curators that is supposed to turn Vevo into a platform where you not just watch the videos you know, but also discover new music. The company billed those new features as the first steps of a company-wide reboot. To outsiders, that may sound like over-promising. In many ways, Vevo is just playing catch-up with other music and video services. But the company is also in a very unique position to essentially start from scratch. With all of Vevos content also being available on YouTube and elsewhere, almost no one made the effort to visit Vevos website or apps in the past. That also means Vevo has no baggage, no assets to protect, as it is trying to figure out: How, exactly, do you watch music videos in 2016? Case in point: Vevo introduced a new news feed in its iPhone app Thursday thats all about vertical viewing on the go. Vevos team has extracted 15-seconds snippets from the services videos that play fullscreen without the need to turn the phone to its side. People like to hold their phone in portrait, said Vevos head of product Mark Hall during a recent interview. Story continues Users can also watch the entire video in portrait mode, which gives the app a very Snapchat-like feel, and easily switch from a full-screen view that cuts off the corners to a traditional player that shows the full video and also lets users browse for the next track. Its not the first time Vevo has borrowed some ideas from other popular social apps: For its onboarding process, Vevo lets users swipe left and right on artists, just like one would with potential dates on Tinder. At launch, Vevos team has selected just a single 15-second preview snippet for each and every video, but Hall said that the company wants to start extracting multiple clips in the near future and then test them with its audience to figure out which one performs the best something that Netflix recently started to do with many of its media assets. To do things like that, Vevo now has an internal team of data scientists. These folks are also behind personalized recommendations, which Vevo started to add to its website and apps Thursday as well. If you are a heavy metal fan and we are serving you the Top 40, you wont be happy, said Hall. Vevo is also launching personal profiles that allow users to share favorites and playlists, but again with a Snapchat-generation twist: By default, those profiles are private. That sounds counter-intuitive for a web property looking to boost engagement, but Hall argued that todays audiences prefer to keep things amongst their friends. Maybe they are guilty of that sin of having watched that Taylor Swift video too many times, joked Hall. In addition to its product updates, Vevo also announced a more subdued branding Thursday, and added a number of music and social media personalities to the site. This includes three hosts that will appear in some of Vevos upcoming original music content think interviews and artist portraits as well as number of curators that are going to share video playlists on the platform. But eventually, Vevo wants to make anyone a curator. Hall said that the company is going to build out profiles and allow users to connect more directly with each other to turn Vevo into a social music platform. Getting this right wont be easy, admitted Hall, who argued that its not about simply letting users connect with everyone they know on Facebook or Twitter. Your music graph is not your social graph, he said. Will all of this help Vevo to turn the tide, and actually build a sizable audience on its own platform? Whats more, will it be able to steal some of its audience back from long-term frenemy YouTube? There are good reasons to be skeptical. Audiences may not actually care enough about yet another social platform, and decide to instead watch music videos through the same app that also serves up clips from their favorite social media stars. But at least Vevo is trying and who knows: Maybe it will get lucky, leapfrog YouTube and actually figure out how the next generation of music television is going to look like. Related stories Vevo and MUBI Launch Video Apps on Sony's PlayStation 4 Ariana Grande Previews New 'Dangerous Woman' Album for Vevo Concert Vevo Relaunches Website With Focus On Personalization, Kills Vevo TV By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump neared the end of his vice presidential search on Thursday and appeared to be leaning toward Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a conservative with the potential to unify divided Republicans. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee tweeted on Wednesday night that he would announce his choice on Friday at 11 a.m. (1500 GMT) in Manhattan. The New York businessman is to be formally nominated as the party's candidate for the Nov. 8 election at the Republican National Convention next week in Cleveland. Traditionally, the vice presidential choice is used to build enthusiasm among party loyalists. Trump's choice of running mate is seen as critical because his defeat of 16 rivals in the Republican primary race left the party divided and some party leaders are still uneasy about some of his campaign positions, and his style. Sources familiar with campaign operations cautioned that while Pence and former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich were finalists, Trump could always have a last-minute change of heart and choose someone else from his short list. A source close to the campaign said Trump appeared to be leaning toward Pence but could easily change his mind. Gingrich told an ABC News correspondent he expected to hear Trump's decision after 1 p.m. EDT and would not be surprised if Trump chooses Pence. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, 53, a former rival to Trump in the presidential race, is also high on the list of potential running mates and provides the kind of counterpunch to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton that Republicans like. Pence, 57, a former congressman, is seen as a safe choice, not too flashy but popular among conservatives, with Midwestern appeal and the ability to rally more party faithful behind Trump. Gingrich, 73, is a close adviser to Trump with a wealth of ideas and deep experience in the legislative process from his time as speaker of the House of Representatives in the 1990s. In what has been an unusually public process, Trump, 70, sat down with both Pence and Gingrich separately in Indianapolis on Wednesday. He also met with a fourth potential No. 2, U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, 69, of Alabama, who has been one of Trump's closest advisers. The New York businessman had dinner with Pence on Tuesday night after they appeared together at a rally. Trump, joined by daughter Ivanka and sons Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, had breakfast with Pence and his wife, Karen, on Wednesday at the governor's residence in Indianapolis. Trump adviser Ed Brookover told CNN that Trump "first and foremost" wants a running mate who he has good chemistry with and someone who can help him govern best. (Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Peter Cooney and Frances Kerry) Katherine and Jesse Oldfield are now parents of two little internet celebrities after their Harry Potterthemed baby photo shoot went viral on Facebook, with 54,000 likes and nearly 90,000 shares. The Medford, Oregonbased mom and dad re-created a scene from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for the July 2 shoot, and enlisted the help of Lune de la Rogue Photographys Kelsey Clouse. Sebastian, 2, took on the role of the bespectacled Harry Potter, while Theodore who was just 4 days old at the time played the screeching mandrake, a plant with a babylike root. PHOTOS: Harry Potter Stars as Kids According to Jesse, his toddler didnt want to cooperate at first. Sebastians facial expression in the photo pretty much sums up how he felt the whole time about a new sibling coming into the household, the 31-year-old certified financial planner tells Us Weekly. It wasnt until we dressed him up as Harry that he was willing to sit and get his picture taken. Meanwhile, sleepy newborn Theodore was so content in the pot, Jesse and Katherine, 29, were worried they wouldnt get their wailing shot. But when I began to lift him out he started to fuss, says Jesse. And thats when the magic happened. PHOTOS: Ten Years of Harry Potter Premieres! Jesse and Katherine dressed up as Harry Potter and Hermione for their first Halloween together. And when Sebastian was 8 months old, Katherine staged a Harry Potterthemed graveyard shoot. PHOTOS: Emma Watson's Style Evolution: How She's Grown Up We have not yet read Harry Potter to our kids, but once they get a little older, we will definitely begin the series, Jesse tells Us. Household rule: They are not allowed to watch the movies until they read the books first! You may have noticed more drones taking off in western Pennsylvania. People are using these flying cameras to boost business, but even more hobbyists are doing it for fun. New rules that just went into effect can be confusing, as they differ for commercial and recreational users. The regulator said that cost per MB in Wi-Fi Network could be less than 2 paise per MB while consumers on an average are paying around 23 paise per MB for the data usage in the cellular network like 2G, 3G and 4G. By Press Trust of India: Telecom regulator TRAI on Wednesday sought public views on allowing non-telecom companies to participate in setting up public Wi-Fi hotspots, and said low-cost Wi-Fi access infrastructure could slash Internet rates by up to 90 per cent, while offering faster speeds. The regulator has sought public views by August 10 on slew of issues including regulatory hurdles, licensing restrictions, business models, interoperability between Wi-Fi networks and delicensing of more mobile airwaves. advertisement "In this paper, 'public Wi-Fi networks' has broader meaning and not limited to the Wi-Fi hotspot created by licensed TSP/ ISP at public places. There could be small entrepreneurs or even a very small entity which would like to participate in common and shared Wi-Fi network for larger public use," TRAI said in its paper on Proliferation of Broadband through Public Wi-Fi Networks. Other issues that would be deliberated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India include policy measures to encourage policy measures required to encourage the deployment of commercial models for city-wide Wi-Fi networks as well as expansion of Wi-Fi networks in remote or rural areas. The public views have also been sought on adoption of a "hub-based model" where a central third party Authentication, Authorization and Accounting hub will facilitate interconnection, authentication and payments and who should own and control such hub. The regulator said that it is estimated that cost per MB in Wi-Fi Network could be less than 2 paise per MB while consumers on an average are paying around 23 paise per MB for the data usage in the cellular network like 2G, 3G and 4G. "This shows that the consumer tariff for data may reduce as much as one-tenth in Wi-Fi compared to mobile data. From the above, it is obvious that deployment of Wi-Fi network will not only enhance the speed of Internet but also it will make data affordable to consumers," TRAI said. The regulator said that status of Wi-Fi hotspots in India is not encouraging as while the country represents one-sixth of the world population but its share in Wi-Fi hotspots is less than one-thousandth. Globally, the increase in number of Wi-Fi hotspots from 2013 to 2016 has been 568 per cent whereas India has an increase of 12 per cent only. At present, there are only 31,518 with 13,967 installed in cafes, TRAI said. --- ENDS --- Less than a day into her new role as British prime minister, Theresa May has already turned heads with a brutal reshuffle of her top cabinet. Having taken the reins Wednesday afternoon, she promptly sacked the chancellor of the exchequer, or finance minister, George Osborne, and, to the amazement of many, named former London mayor Boris Johnson - considered the scruffy-haired ringleader behind the Brexit decision - as foreign minister. The latter move prompted Ricky Gervais to tweet his amazement: "Just when Britain was starting to become a laughing stock around the world, Boris Johnson is appointed foreign secretary." But on Thursday, more major names were removed from the upper echelons of British politics, among them culture secretary John Whittingdale, a man who has been at the forefront of the government's push for major cutbacks at the BBC and attempts to curtail the public broadcaster's scope. He once joked that the demise of the BBC was a "tempting prospect." Such is the BBC's impartiality, any pleasure found at Whittingdale's own demise as culture minister is unlikely to find its way into its news reports. But it seems one employee couldn't contain his excitement. In a swiftly deleted tweet, Ed Ram said there were "whoops and cheers in the BBC Newsroom" after Whittingdale was fired. The journalist and filmmaker later said he was simply "joking around," and a BBC spokesperson said there wasn't a comment on the matter. While future comment from BBC employees is likely to remain scarce, given the amount of backlash from the British creative industries to Whittingdale-led attacks on the broadcaster (Armando Iannucci told the Edinburgh TV Festival last year it was akin to asking the BBC to consider "assisted suicide"), the culture secretary's departure may well have seen whoops and cheers far and wide. No immediate replacement for Whittingdale was named. Read More: 'Veep' Creator: "Were Living in Both the Golden Age of TV and a Global Bucket of Swill" New York (AFP) - Donald Trump may be far from uniting Republicans ahead of their convention in Cleveland next week, but he's assured the full support of at least one powerful group of people: his family. Highly involved in the campaign of the presumptive White House nominee, the telegenic Trumps are popular among Republican voters. All four adult children and Trump's wife will take the stage in Cleveland. Together, they provide a picture-perfect campaign image: former model wife, two daughters with long blond hair, three sons and eight grandchildren, all well-dressed. Beyond the smiles, however, Trump's two elder sons, daughter and son-in-law are also among his closest advisers. While Trump's critics excoriate him for his fiery diatribes, his children appear courteous and well-behaved. Here's a who's who of Trump's family, built over his three marriages to two models and an actress: - MELANIA TRUMP: A 46-year-old Slovenian former model who is 24 years Trump's junior, she married him in 2005. A full-time mother to Trump's youngest son Barron, 10, Melania provides an elegant and usually quiet presence in the campaign. When she speaks, it's always to defend her man. "He's kind. He has a great heart. He's tough. He's smart. He's a great communicator. He's a great negotiator," she said during a rare campaign appearance in April. She has also defended Trump in several interviews, saying he is neither racist nor anti-immigrant. A naturalized American since 2006, Melania Trump hasn't indicated how she would see herself as First Lady. However, she would be unlikely to play a major public role in the White House. - IVANKA TRUMP: Trump's 34-year-old daughter with his first wife, Ivana Trump. A married mother of three young children, she is vice president of development and acquisitions in her father's company, The Trump Organization. She has also created her own eponymous clothing and accessories brand. Story continues Graceful and well-spoken, Ivanka is almost always present in Trump's campaign. She speaks at some events, advises her father -- who adores her -- and defends him when he's attacked. He has "total respect for women," she said in May when he came under fire for comments widely criticized as misogynist. Senator Bob Corker, who declined to be considered as a candidate for vice president on Trump's ticket, said Ivanka would make a great running mate for her father. She pushed for sacking Corey Lewandowski, Trump's controversial former campaign manager, and was heavily involved in the selection process for a vice presidential candidate. She likes to say that "Trumps play to win." - JARED KUSHNER: Ivanka's husband, 35, is a Harvard graduate, real-estate developer like his father and father-in-law, and owner of the New York Observer newspaper. Ivanka converted to Judaism to marry him. Trump sees Kushner as a young version of himself. His son-in-law is involved in almost all aspects of the campaign, and has drafted various speeches, created an online fundraising platform, recruited a communications director and helped in the search for a running mate. Typically discreet, Kushner was criticized for writing in the Observer that Trump is neither racist nor anti-Semitic. - DONALD TRUMP, JR: Trump's eldest son from his marriage to Ivana is also a vice president of The Trump Organization. The 38-year-old campaigns for his father and gives interviews explaining the Republican candidate's decisions, including Lewandowski's departure, in which he also played a role. An avid angler and hunter, Donald Jr married a model, Vanessa Haydon, in 2005. They had five children between 2007 and 2014. - ERIC TRUMP: Trump's third child with Ivana, he has long been the most discreet, and is also a vice president of The Trump Organization. "My father is my best friend. He's my idol and my boss," Eric, 32, declared in October, criticizing the media as treating him unfairly. He gives interviews defending his father, and can also be seen on the campaign trail. He has been married to CBS producer Lara Yunaska since 2014. - TIFFANY TRUMP: Trump's daughter with his second wife, the actress Marla Maples, lives in California. Raised by her mother, the 22-year-old poses in family photographs and has given interviews along with her half-brothers and sister praising her father. - BARRON TRUMP: Donald and Melania's 10-year-old son lives in Manhattan's Trump Tower and rarely appears in public. Martin Luther King Jr. famously credited the strategies of Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian leader who led the decades-long movement against British rule. But the history between Black people and Indians, or desis, doesnt begin or end there and one Berkeley-based couple would be pleased to explain how. The work of Barnali Ghosh and Anirvan Chatterjee, married for nearly 12 years, has touched nearly every issue you can think of: climate change, greening urban spaces (Ghoshs day job), LGBT rights, caste. Some of their most powerful projects though are pure non-ideological narrative. Chatterjee, a software engineer, built a website, Black Desi Secret History, that records surprising dialogues between South Asians and Blacks across the centuries. They also run a Radical South Asian History walking tour in Berkeley (next one: July 16) that is famous among a sect of desis. I called the two up to ask what their my community means in the face of #BlackLivesMatter. After all, our history includes both moments of solidarity and moments of betrayal: In 1923, an Indian man claimed to be white before the Supreme Court, and even Gandhi demanded to be treated as white during his South African days. The pairs answer, boiled down? Think globally, act locally. And obviously, they told me some great stories. This interview has been edited and condensed. OZY: Were you activists before becoming community historians? How do the roles inform each other? Ghosh: Definitely an activist first. But being an activist without knowing our communitys history makes you feel like an outsider within the South Asian community. Desi activists are one person at a wedding, another when protesting in the streets. History gave me a feeling of standing on the shoulders of giants. Chatterjee: I was an activist before too. I grew up in the Bay Area. (Barnali grew up in India.) And a lot of uncles in my community had stories just a little bit, but enough. People 100 years ago did these things. Just knowing that made a difference. When people talk about history with a capital H, we think it happened a long time back. But it was going on in the 60s and 70s. Story continues OZY: What historical tales caused your aha! moments? AC: In 2000, before 9/11, I read this book called The Karma of Brown Folk by Vijay Prashad. Theres this picture of women wearing saris and brown paper masks holding signs saying things like Long Live the Revolution. It was taken in the 1940s! I thought, someone who looked like my mother could have been wearing her sari and a revolution mask. It was this exciting mystery to uncover. Later, I met the person who took that photo, a student organizer at Berkeley in the 70s, documenting the movement of Indian students protesting the Emergency back in India. And they got the idea of those masks from Iranian students. They were sharing tactics. BG: I was in the library at Berkeley, and these images of Punjabi-Mexicans in the early 1900s caught my eye. I didnt know there were desis in California so early. This was an amazing sort of cross-cultural relationship. OZY: Thats just one example of early globalization bringing together unusual communities. BG: The 1965 immigration act undid a ban on Asian-American immigrants. We dont often think about who was responsible. We think the government saw our merit and let us in. But the civil rights movement impacted the immigration act. Our existence in this country is a direct result of African-Americans fighting for the rights of not only themselves, but ours as well. We owe a debt to African-Americans. AC: Class is also important. I grew up in a sheltered, suburban, largely white community. For many South Asians, thats not the case. The Punjabi-Mexicans were unable to get rights; many married Mexican women, building this rich hybrid community. There were also poor communities of primarily Muslim East Bengalis, who moved as far down as Texas from the northeast, a generation of folks marrying into Black or Puerto Rican families. Theres one story of a Bangladeshi man married to a Black woman, living with his mother-in-law, the daughter of slaves. OZY: How does this translate into your ideas about #BlackLivesMatter? AC: Take Asians for Black Lives and groups trying to do the work of ally-ship in ways that are grounded in who we are. We dont have to delete our South Asian-American identities or our struggles to be allies. BG: Weve been trying to own up to the fact that there is anti-Blackness. Its really important that we accept that we participate in oppression in the system that makes it dangerous to be a Black person. Asians for Black Lives did an intervention during Chinese New Year in San Francisco. Interventions dont have to be big. In the 1930s, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was traveling on a train in the South. The conductor said she couldnt sit there. She refused to move. She realized, oh, wait, shes not Black, shes something else. Then he comes back and says, Oh, you can actually sit here. Her response is, No, I am a colored person. Her solidarity was with African-Americans. AC: Its sometimes hard to see yourself in big stories with big heroes. Were interested in everyday people whove made critical choices at the right time. OZY: Amid a landscape of loud ideology, how can activists or laypeople inform their beliefs by sharing stories, data or otherwise? AC: A lot of our walking tour has come from irritating-to-read academic books. Its unreasonable to ask everyone to read those. We find ways to tell them in ways that are easier to digest, using storytelling, visuals and the desi tradition of street theater. People feel theyre just listening to a story. Related Articles Users of increasingly popular street drugs called K2 or spice, which are made from mixtures of herbs laced with synthetic cannabinoids and other chemicals, are showing some incredibly strange behaviors. Indeed, as the use of these so-called synthetic-marijuana drugs escalate among U.S. teens and young adults who typically smoke or vape the drugs TV and newspaper accounts report that users are passing out on sidewalks, stumbling out into traffic, and "looking and acting like zombies." People on synthetic cannabinoid products can act anywhere from a bit confused to completely out of their minds, depending on the dose of K2 used and an individual's susceptibility to the drug, said Dr. Anthony Scalzo, a professor of pediatrics and chief of toxicology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri. [3 Dangerous New Drug Habits in Teens] "This is extremely dangerous stuff, and it's getting more dangerous" as manufacturers continually find new ways to tweak the chemicals in the drug to skirt laws that made some compounds used in K2 illegal since March 2011, Scalzo said. He first discovered the health dangers of K2 in 2010, after noticing a spike in calls to the Missouri Poison Center about young people who had smoked K2. He said these users thought the drug's effects would be similar to those of marijuana, but they instead experienced stronger symptoms, including hallucinations, extreme agitation, a rapid heartbeat and extremely high blood pressure. Other changes in mood, thinking and perception have been linked with synthetic cannabinoids. Their use has been associated with paranoia, which is an unreasonable distrust of others; anxiety; panic attacks; and psychotic episodes. Together, these mind-altering behaviors have been labeled as the "zombie effect," according to K2/Zombie DC, a public-education campaign based in Washington, D.C., that uses zombie-themed messages to raise awareness among teens and parents of these drugs' dangers. Story continues "Synthetic cannabinoids have chemicals in them that were never meant to be inside the human body," Scalzo told Live Science. [11 Odd Facts About Marijuana] Some versions of the drugs are illegal and are sold on the street, but the versions that are legal are sold in stores, where their glitzy packages marketed to young people may make them look mainstream, natural and safe, Scalzo noted. But the herbal blends, which may resemble potpourri, "can make people do what they normally would not do either to themselves or to others," Scalzo said. Unpredictable effects In 2011, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) placed five compounds that are commonly found in K2 on its list of illegal substances, to help clamp down on sales. But manufacturers responded by tinkering with the chemicals to sidestep the regulations. This led to the creation of newer versions of K2 that are even more harmful than early versions, Scalzo said. The newest products on the street can cause low blood pressure and a slow heart rate, and may even result in coma, seizures and kidney damage, he said. And because the compounds in the drugs can constantly change, their effects on users can be unpredictable and, in some cases, deadly. Exactly how the compounds in K2/spice work to produce their effects is unclear, Scalzo said. They may act directly on the specific receptors in the brain that can bind these chemicals, and they may change how the brain works in the short term and, potentially, the long term, Scalzo explained. For example, Scalzo said, when synthetic cannabinoids attach to receptors in the brain and then interact with dopamine a brain chemical that affects movement it may cause users' arms and legs to feel stiff or locked up. But when the drugs interact with serotonin a brain chemical responsible for sleep and dreams it may cause users to feel zombie-like and out of it, he said. Catastrophic psychosis reactions Experts don't fully understand what's happening in the brain to cause these bizarre behaviors, agreed Dr. Deepak D'Souza, a professor of psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine who has studied the effects of cannabinoids and its links with psychosis for the past 20 years. One possibility is that the drugs lack a compound found in marijuana that may act as a brake, preventing bizarre behaviors. Regular marijuana contains the cannabinoid THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which can attach to receptors in the brain to activate the release of chemical messengers that can make people feel paranoid or anxious, he explained. But the marijuana plant also produces another compound known as cannabidiol, or CBD, which stops the brain from continuing to release these chemical messengers, he said. As a result, when people smoke pot, "CBD reduces the negative effects of THC," D'Souza said. However, this is not the case when people use K2 or spice, he said. Although synthetic cannabinoids contain THC, they don't contain CBD, so the release of chemical messengers in the brain goes unchecked, thus creating more undesirable effects, D'Souza speculated. When young people hear the term "synthetic marijuana" or "fake weed" to describe synthetic cannabinoid products, it gives them the false impression that spice or K2 will have effects similar to those of marijuana. "But there is a massive difference between spice and marijuana," D'Souza said. The compounds found in spice can be anywhere between 10 and 200 times more potent than THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and they can produce more robust effects, he said. And although the use of regular marijuana has been linked with psychosis, or a loss of touch with reality, users of synthetic cannabinoids may have more severe psychosis reactions that involve more out-of-control behaviors than users of marijuana do, D'Souza said. Constantly moving target Moreover, researchers aren't sure what happens after the compounds in spice activate the brain's cannabinoid receptors to cause users of the drug to lose control of their thoughts and actions, D'Souza. This may be related to differences between synthetic and plant-based cannabinoids, or to other components of spice, he said. But a major challenge in understanding the effects of spice on the brain is that "the chemical composition of the drug is a constantly moving target, " D'Souza said. Unlike marijuana, whose basic makeup is generally similar no matter where the plant is grown, the compounds in a batch of spice can be very different from one day to the next, even if you buy the drug from the same place, he said. "Users of spice or K2 don't really know what chemicals they are getting," D'Souza said. The name is slapped on a range of products that mostly contain at least some synthetic cannabinoids or combinations of them; the products are also sometimes spiked with other drugs, such as amphetamines or the tranquilizer benzodiazepine, D'Souza said. [The Drug Talk: 7 New Tips for Today's Parents] In addition to the tremendous variability in the type and amount of compounds from batch to batch and product to product, spice users may not be familiar with the amount of the drug needed to get high, D'Souza. This may cause people to use too much of this potent drug, which can also provoke altered behavior, he said. Originally published on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. They make an improbable pair: the entertainer and the ideologue; one brash, one mild; a billionaire Manhattanite and a Midwestern Boy Scout. But Donald Trump is preparing to announce Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate, according to two top Republican officials familiar with the decision. Trump wasnt hunting for a kindred spirit in a running mate. And by tapping Pence for the role, Trump is getting a movement conservative out of central casting, a seasoned politician whose selection may soothe Republicans still skeptical that Trump is one of them. Pence was the preferred choice of GOP insiders, and on paper its not hard to grasp why. The snowy haired Hoosier, 57, is a steady pro whos run a state house in a vital region for the party. He can help Trump navigate the halls of Congress, where he rose during his dozen years of service to chairman of the House GOP Conference as well as the Republican Study Committee, a powerful incubator of conservative policy. Pence is a foreign policy hawk with ironclad fiscal credentials, a squeaky-clean image and extensive ties to the religious right. And while hes more comfortable in the church pews than the C-suite, hes also a favorite of superrich GOP donors like the billionaire Koch brothers, who have so far refused to crack open their wallets for Trump. All of which is why allies pushed for the understated pol to complement the mold-breaking outsider on the Republican ticket. The guy might have been born to be Vice President, says Cam Savage, a veteran GOP strategist from Indiana. Theres plenty in his resume for Republicans to like. Pence was a rare conservative ideologue to climb the party ladder while checking its leadership. He compiled a record of cutting taxes and spending, and opposed big-spending bills backed by other Republicans, including No Child Left Behind, the Troubled Asset Relief Program and Medicare Part D. He was known on the Hill as a principled conservative and a shrewd operator. Story continues He would bring a slate of experience on Capitol Hill that clearly Mr. Trump doesnt have, says Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, a powerful Republican congressman who knows Pence well. His voice comes as close to Ronald Reagans voice as any. Pences addition to the ticket, says former Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona, will impose a message of discipline on a campaign with a penchant for controversy. If the pick is an olive branch to the party hes crashed, its also a rare case of Trump going with safety over flash and guidance over gut instinct. Campaign chairman Paul Manafort led a cadre of allies, including senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, in pushing for Pence, whom Trump did not know nearly as well as the other members of his vice-presidential short list, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Their whirlwind courtship in recent daysincluding joint campaign events and meetings over shared mealswas a chance for not only Trump but also his family to take stock of the prospective partnership. Trumps three eldest children and son-in-law Jared Kushner have emerged as some of his most powerful advisers. As a senior Trump adviser explained: Its a family decision. Pence clearly won them over. Its less obvious how hell help Trump win the White House. Trump told the Wall Street Journal he wanted an attack dog, a fighter skilled in hand-to-hand combat who would defend him from withering criticism and help wage an unorthodox campaign over the television airwaves. In Christie he had a pit bull perfect for the role, a brawler who would eagerly spend the next four months savaging Hillary Clinton. Gingrich is a national figure with a similar fondness for florid partisan attacks. Though Pence came up through the ranks of conservative talk radiohe once described himself as Rush Limbaugh on decafhe lacks that same feel for rhetorical combat. Both Christie and Gingrich would have brought personal baggage to the race that Pence does not. But the Indiana governor is not quite the safe choice that his allies claim. Indeed, his lack of a national profile means that many voters would be finding out about his political liabilities for the first time. Last spring the Indiana governor blundered into a disastrous social battle by signing a controversial bill known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The law codified the right of individuals and businesses to assert their religious beliefs against government burdens. Critics cast it as license to discriminate against gays and lesbians. During the ensuing uproar, Pence managed to alienate virtually everyone. Liberals were infuriated. Indiana corporations and business lobbies revolted. Some social conservatives, eager to go to battle over RFRA in the wake of the same-sex marriage defeat, felt betrayed when Pence softened the language on the bill. It was the worst weve ever been stabbed in the back by a Republican, conservative radio-host Steve Deace complained to Politico. Gay-rights groups will use Pences record on social issues as a rallying cry. In 2006, during a speech on the House floor urging a Constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, Pence said that societal collapse was always brought about following an advent of the deterioration of marriage and family. He supported the Defense of Marriage Act, opposed the Supreme Courts ruling that made marriage equality the law of the land, and considered amending Indianas constitution to outlaw marriage equality until he was dissuaded by his own party. Pence opposed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell, and a hate crimes-prevention bill that he decried as a radical social agenda. Trump has been careful during his campaign to avoid offending LGBT groups. Now his vice-presidential pick will galvanize gay voters and their wealthy supporters, sparking a social backlash that could damage the Republican ticket. Even in conservative Indiana, Pences welcome has worn thin. Polls show him locked in a tight re-election battle, and some of the voices calling for Trump to enlist his services came from Indiana Republicans hoping to swap in a fresh gubernatorial candidate. This being Trump, he dragged out the drama. Four years ago, Mitt Romney treated his clandestine meetings with vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan like a state secret; by the end, Ryan was dodging reporters by jogging through the Wisconsin woods as he prepared for his roll-out. Trump eschewed the elaborate subterfuge. As he got to know Pence over meals and campaign rallies, he turned the Conrad Hotel in downtown Indianapolis into a de facto campaign war room and walked through the front door of Pences red-brick home in full view of the cameras, his children in tow. By Thursday morning, a presidential candidate who rose through the primaries by shredding conservative orthodoxies had closed in on picking one of the most conservative members of the party as his running mate. Just over two months ago, Pence endorsed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz over Trump before the Indiana primary. Though the scheduled Friday morning announcement in New York was delayed because of the attack in Nice, France, a rescheduled announcement is expected soon, with the two standing together, political polar opposites, as the Republican presidential ticket. With reporting by Zeke J. Miller/Cleveland, Ohio, and Will Drabold/Washington Human efforts to slow biodiversity loss are falling short across the globe, which could in turn harm future human development and wellbeing, according to new research. Researchers behind study, published in the journal Science, found that human-caused pressures like land use changethe destruction of natural habitats often for timber, agriculture or residential developmentshave cause biodiversity to fall to unsustainable levels more than half of the worlds surface. On average, human activity has driven away 15% of species that would have been present otherwise in locations across the globe, according to the study. Decision-makers worry a lot about economic recessions, said author Andy Purvis, a professor at the Natural History Museum in London in a press release. But an ecological recession could have even worse consequencesand the biodiversity damage weve had means were at risk of that happening. Read More: Why Restoring Nature Could Be the Key to Fighting Climate Change Determining exactly what level of biodiversity loss can be sustained without damaging human wellbeing is a difficult challenge. Previous research has suggested that a decline of more than 10% in the number of species in a certain area could be a dangerous threshold, but even that study notes that the figure is far from certain. Healthy biodiversity plays a crucial role in a number of functions that support human life, including pollination and pest control, both of which support agriculture. Other vulnerable specieslike some types of trees and plantssuck up carbon dioxide that would otherwise contribute to climate change. It is a tricky problem to say how much biodiversity loss is too much, says Tom Oliver, an associate professor in landscape ecology, in an opinion piece accompanying the study. However, we can be certain that inaction commits us to a future with substantial costs to human well-being. Story continues Read More: How Drought and Extreme Heat Are Killing the Worlds Crops Researchers looked at nearly 2.2 million records on 39,000 species around the globe, making the study the most detailed work evaluating how land change affects biodiversity. Locations inhabited by humans tend to be the most vulnerable to declines in biodiversity, according to the study. A number of initiatives are underway to address biodiversity loss, including the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity, an international treaty that establishes a framework for dealing with the issue. But, with biodiversity showing no signs of slowingand other phenomena like climate change worsening the problemchange may not come soon enough. By Alan Valdes Another day, another intraday all-time high. For most Americans, summer started with the Labor Day weekend. But for traders on Wall Street, the summer season always begins with the 2Q jobs report andjust as (if not more) importantsummer earnings season. That season started with Alcoa on Monday, which saw a beat on both its top and bottom lines. But unfortunately for Alcoa, the stock has been stuck in a $10 trading range for many years. Its numbers did not move markets. Wednesday, traders took a breather with market volume extremely weak. Today, its back to risk on. The $3 trillion the markets made back since the British vote is back to work. Traders have watched the Dow Industrials (^DJI) gain over 1,200 points since Brexit, and those sitting on the side line are now jumping back in. JPMorgan (JPM) started the day with much better-than-expected numbers. Tomorrow could set the tone for the remainder of the summer. We get Citi (C), Wells Fargo (WFC), PNC and US Bancorp. If these four beat (except for some profit taking), it will be hard to stop this rally. Why? Well, if you look at the numbers from JPM, it did better in loans and credit card business, plus it had a 10% jump in its consumer deposit business. Traditionally, loans and credit card business tend to do better from August to December (back-to-school shopping, home furnishings and renovation, holiday sales, etc.) than from April to June. So we could see a sustained rally for the remainder of the summer. Right nowtodaymy clients are back to buying. RISK ON for today. Next week, banks will be in the rear-view mirror, as traders start to focus on the techs (XLK). Techs, which have be lagging, got a boost this week from Pokemon and the Line IPO, both adding millions of dollars to the companies bottom lines as well as lining their investors pockets. Apple (AAPL), which has fallen out of favor with investors, and Microsoft (MSFT), which looks to post solid numbers, have a lot riding on this quarter. If they surprise to the upside, expect to see funds getting back into this sector. After years of dealing with gossip and speculation about her love life and pregnancy status, Jennifer Aniston is speaking out. The actress wrote an op-ed for the Huffington Post saying she is fed up with the sport-like scrutiny and body shaming that occurs daily under the guise of journalism, the First Amendment and celebrity news. If you think this is just another celebrity whining about being a celebrity, think again. What Aniston writes actually applies to women everywhere: The objectification and scrutiny we put women through is absurd and disturbing. The way I am portrayed by the media is simply a reflection of how we see and portray women in general, measured against some warped standard of beauty. Aniston goes on to say that if female celebrities continue to be ruthlessly objectified, girls will internalize the message that theyre not pretty unless theyre incredibly thin, that theyre not worthy of our attention unless they look like a supermodel or an actress on the cover of the magazine. Aniston calls out the media for obsessively covering her fertility status, instead of important news like mass shootings and the election. The sheer amount of resources being spent right now by press trying to simply uncover whether or not Im pregnant (for the bajillionth time... but whos counting) points to the perpetuation of this notion that women are somehow incomplete, unsuccessful, or unhappy if theyre not married with children. That Anistonliterally the most beautiful woman in the worldfeels the standards our culture perpetuates are unfair and unreasonable is a powerful indictment. We are complete with or without a mate, with or without a child, she writes. We get to decide for ourselves what is beautiful when it comes to our bodies. That decision is ours and ours alone. We couldnt have said it any better. You can read the entire article here. RELATED: How to Be Brave, According to 8 Insanely Courageous Women This article originally appeared on RealSimple.com. http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/entertainment/jennifer-aniston-oped By India Today Web Desk: Samsung will launch the Galaxy Note 7 - yes, it is not calling it the Galaxy Note 6, this year -- on August 2. The Note 7 has been subject to far too many leaks and rumours already, ahead of launch. Everything from the phone's design scheme, to its twin curved display to its iris scanner has been leaked. A new report now cements further, the fact the Note 7 will indeed have a curved screen and an iris scanner. advertisement A bunch of photographs of the alleged Note 7 doing the rounds on the internet, show off the device in all its glory, front, back, sides, you name it and you have it. The most prominent highlight of the device is its display that strategically curved along the edges, unlike the previous Note device that was ridiculously flat in comparison. Also, prominent are a set of extra sensors, next to the earpiece on the front. These are likely to represent the phone's new iris scanner recognition mojo. The Note 7 will have more or less a similar design scheme as the Note 5, as per the images, with slim bezels and physical capacitive buttons at the bottom of the display. Sadly, the S-Pen is nowhere in sight. Also Read: iPhone 7 is coming but Samsung Galaxy Note 7 may steal its thunder According to aGSM Arena report, the images in question are those of "preliminary Galaxy Note 7 units being sent out from Samsung to its partners and testing labs." Samsung recently cleared the air why it was calling this year's Note, as Note 7 and not Note 6. It is because the company wants to unify and bring order to its entire flagship line-up. A name like the Note 6 would give the impression of last year's technology, and Samsung wants to avoid that. The Note 7 is further said to come with a 5.7/5.8-inch quadHD Super AMOLED display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820/821 processor with up to 6 gigs of RAM under the hood. It will likely run Android N-based TouchWiz UI. --- ENDS --- * Sale could fetch $1 billion-$2 billion -sources * Bidders include Enbridge, Pembina, CPPIB By John Tilak TORONTO, July 14 (Reuters) - Williams Cos Inc's Canadian unit has attracted at least seven bidders, including Enbridge Inc and Pembina Pipeline Corp, that could bring the U.S. pipeline company up to $2 billion, people familiar with the situation said. Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams, whose deal with Energy Transfer Equity fell through last month, is working with Barclays Plc and Toronto Dominion Bank on the sale, the sources said. Interest has come from pipeline companies Enbridge, Pembina, Keyera Corp and Inter Pipeline Ltd, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the process is private. Pension funds including the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, as well as U.S. companies, also expressed interest, the sources said. Enbridge, Pembina, Keyera, Inter Pipeline, CPPIB and TD Securities declined to comment. Williams, Teachers, OMERS and Barclays did not respond to requests for comment. The Canadian unit could fetch more than $1 billion and as much as $2 billion, the sources said. The sale process for Williams Canada is at an advanced stage, and a deal could result by the end of the month, they said. It is still not clear whether the buyers will be able to match the company's price expectations, one source said. Earlier this month, Williams' board stood by Chief Executive Officer Alan Armstrong and named a new chairman after six directors resigned following a failed attempt to unseat him. With operations in Fort McMurray as well as Sturgeon County near Edmonton, Williams has invested more than $2 billion in Canada. In an undated video on its website, the company says it could invest up to $2.8 billion in new Canadian projects. Interest from buyers has been robust, the sources said, highlighting demand for midstream assets that offer a steady cash flow despite volatility in the price of oil. Midstream companies are involved in the processing and transportation of oil and gas. Story continues The two-year slump in oil prices has hurt the Canadian energy industry, weighing on production plans, driving down share prices and triggering a range of cost-cutting measures. CPPIB teamed up with Wolf Infrastructure Inc last year to create an investment vehicle focusing on energy infrastructure assets. (Additional reporting by Matt Scuffham in Toronto, Nia Williams in Calgary, Mike Stone in New York; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn) Skip breakfast and come hungry; the Windy City Smokeout returns to Chicago for the 4th time year this weekend. Born of the efforts of Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group and chef Doug Psaltis, the BBQ festival brings in the best of out-of-town pitmasters to mingle with Chicago favorites. The result is smokier, saucy goodness in one place than you could ever eat your way through. It started out simply enough. Psaltis, the head chef at Bub City, wanted to do more with BBQ in the city. I wanted to introduce Chicago to some of the countrys best BBQ teams and introduce the teams to Chicago, he said. The inaugural festival in 2013 was held in a parking lot on Rush Street with a handful of vendors and a single stage for country music acts. The second year saw the festival moved to a bigger location on Grand Avenue and the Chicago River, making more room for even more BBQ. Last year the festival expanded across more of the Grand Ave parking space, adding a second stage, a dedicated craft beer bar, merchandise booths, and food trucks. We never really thought of how big it could or would get, Psaltis said. The biggest challenge has been to make sure that we can continue to provide the same great personal experience for each guest and team that made the Smokeout weekend so great when we first started four years ago. Despite the growth, they aim to please with their increased offerings; 2016 will feature 22 eateries and 19 musical acts. Its the food that really drives the Windy City Smokeout, and Psaltis cant be more thrilled. Im excited to get all of the big personalities together and watch them pour their heart and soul into cooking the best barbecue in the country, he enthused. Not too often do you get to taste all of these BBQ legends in one weekend. Look for Mississippi favorite Ubons, Nashvilles Peg Leg Porker, legendary The Salt Lick BBQ from Texas, as well as Chicago names like Smoque, Lillies Q, and Psaltiss Bub City. The Windy City Smokeout is likely to have their biggest year yet as the Chicago crowds get their annual taste of what pitmasters across the country have to offer. BBQ is the epitome of comfort food, said Psaltis. People from all over the world come together for meals that are similar to great American barbecue. Get a sneak peek of the menu and grab tickets on the website. For more Chicago dining and travel news, click here. This Ohio woman didn't just receive 86 candles on her birthday cake, she now has that many great-grandchildren. Read: Daughter Walks Down the Aisle in Wedding Dress Worn by Her Grandmother and Her Mother Blakely Grace Frey became the 86th great-grandchild for Marie Frey in late June, just days before the proud great-grandma turned 86. Blakely is the fifth daughter for Marie's grandson, Kenny Frey. "I don't think we'll quite make [a family] as big as grandma's," he told InsideEdition.com, "but it'll be big in its own right." The 36-year-old is one of Marie Frey's 68 grandchildren. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his new daughter became the second in the ever-growing family to be given the first name Blakely, even though the name does not hold significant meaning for the family tree. There are also five Logans in the familyanother name that doesn't hold particular significance. In fact, the great-grandmother is expecting baby number 87 and 88 to follow closely in the upcoming year. The 87th great-grandchild is due in three weeks, and will become the 7th grandchild to 49-year-old Rosanne Goodrich, who was the 13th of Marie's 15 children. Read: Woman Gives Birth to Second Leap Day Daughter, Four Years After the First The 49-year-old said there was never a dull moment growing up on the family farm in Upper Sandusky. "We milked cows every night and every morning 5 o'clock and 5 o'clock," Goodrich explained. "We all worked the field but the boys did the majority of the tractor drawing." She remembers sharing 21 loaves the bread man would drop off weekly with her 9 sisters and 5 brothers, and making the rest of the milk and butter on the farm with her family. Even though their family members are numerous, Marie's kindness extended past her flesh and blood. Goodrich said growing up, they often had other people in the community at their home, in addition to everyone who lived there. Story continues "Everyone flocked to our house," she said, noting that their door was always open, "if someone needed a place to live or if they were struggling with home life." To this day, Marie continues to welcome her growing family to the farm, where she still lives. Every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, Marie Frey hosts a celebration there. Over time, the party grew, and now, each holiday includes up to 200 guests. "Most of them are there every holiday. It's just a madhouse," Goodrich said. "Mom makes the main dish, and everyone brings at least one dish. Most bring three to share." The home's basement is set up like a cafeteria, with long communal tables and a huge buffet table to accommodate the family and friends that arrive. "It's just an open invitation," Goodrich said. "There's always somebody from the community here that doesn't have anywhere else to go." Read: Mom Meets the Daughter She Gave Up 34 Years Ago for First Time: 'I Was Afraid She Would Hate Me' The one thing Goodrich said there was always enough of was noise: "There's always kids running around and everyone trying to talk over each other. We would be arguing one moment and five minutes later, sitting and playing a game together." But in general, Goodrich said the entire family gets along. Though there are so many of them, they all know each other by name, and know exactly how they are related. "We all live within the same area. No matter where we go, we pass someone related to us," Goodrich explained, joking, "I got into a bad car accident once, and it was my cousin that hit me." Watch: Grandfather Asks For 98 Facebook Likes for His 98th Birthday... And Gets 22,000 Likes and Counting Related Articles: By Sonali Paul MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia's Woodside Petroleum is expanding its push into West Africa, agreeing to buy ConocoPhillips' deepwater stakes off Senegal, including one of the world's most promising recent oil finds, for up to $430 million. The move brings a deepwater expert into the SNE field off Senegal and removes uncertainty over its ownership, which may help speed up development of a billion barrel resource that is expected to start producing within the next five years. Australia's FAR Ltd owns 15 percent of the fields and Senegal's state-owned Petrosen holds 10 percent. FAR Ltd Managing Director Cath Norman could not be reached for comment on Thursday, but told reporters on Wednesday that the SNE field could start producing as early as 2019 if plans go ahead for a floating production operation. FAR's shares fell as much as 20 percent on the Woodside announcement, then rebounded slightly to end down 10.7 percent at A$0.075, valuing it roughly in line with the price Woodside agreed to pay for ConocoPhillips' Senegal stake. Woodside shares fell 1 percent. The acquisition includes a 35 percent interest in the 560 million barrel SNE deep water oil discovery and the FAN oil discovery further offshore, with Woodside gaining the option to become operator for development and production of the fields, for what one analyst said was a cheap price. "We are taking advantage of our balance sheet to acquire a world-class asset that fits well with our capabilities, offers significant future upside in exploration and line-of-sight to near term oil production," Woodside Chief Executive Peter Coleman said in a statement. The deal, for $350 million plus payments of up to $80 million, is key for cashed-up Woodside, as it is short of growth prospects after scrapping multi-billion dollar plans to develop gas off Israel, postponing plans to develop the Browse gas project off Australia and being spurned in a takeover offer for Oil Search. "We see the deal pricing as an attractive entry point for Woodside given that the 560 million barrels-plus is relatively well appraised," RBC analyst Ben Wilson said in a note. Woodside has already targeted the area off Senegal for exploration, with a stake in the AGC Profond block in a zone between Senegal and Guinea Bissau. ConocoPhillips flagged last year that it was looking to sell its deepwater exploration stakes and said on Thursday the sale of the Senegal holding was an "important milestone". The fields' operator is currently Britain's Cairn Energy Plc, which owns 40 percent and is looking to sell down its stake to cut its funding obligation for exploration and appraisal. Cairn shares fell by more than 4 percent by 0925 GMT as the implied value of its Senegal asset took a material hit following the deal announcement, according to Jefferies analyst. The "only way to sugar coat this is to see a clean exit/entry for cash with a reputable deepwater operator," Jefferies said. (Additional reporting by Ron Bousso in London; Editing by Joseph Radford and William Hardy) Woody Allen has nothing but kind words for Kristen Stewart. The actress stars in Allen's upcoming 1930s drama Cafe Society, and the esteemed director said he knew Stewart was the perfect actress to play the role of Vonnie, the secretary of a celebrity agent who claims to reject the Hollywood game "She had the right quality for this part, there were very few people who did," Allen told reporters at the Cafe Society premiere on Wednesday. "She had a very beautiful look that could be a girl from Nebraska, you know simple and cornfed and naive, and could be transformed easily into very sophisticated and elegant, and not every woman can do that." Allen said Stewart's costar Jesse Eisenberg also had the perfect versatility needed for the role. "I needed Jesse and Kristen to play those kinds of characters, and they both could do it," he added. And when asked about his ability to write strong female leads into his films, Allen said that he's able to relate to the characters he creates, calling himself a "fragile flower." "I identify with the women. When I see A Streetcar Named Desire, I identify with Blanche because I am also a fragile flower, so it's not hard for me to write females because the interesting ones in films are the ones that are neurotic, ones that are fragile, the ones that are screwed up," he said. "They make the ones that give you the stories." RELATED: Mariel Hemingway Reveals Woody Allen Was Her First Kiss Cafe Society's Kristen Stewart Can Go from 'Simple' to 'Sophisticated': 'Not Every Woman Can Do That'" data-ad-channel="Brightcove" data-ad-subchannel="" data-auto-play="no"> The director said he would much rather create characters with depth rather then focusing on "boring," everyday type of people. "To write about competent men and competent women is boring you want to write about neurotic men and murderers and neurotic women," he explained. "These are the ones that give you the dramatic stories. So it's perfect for me." Also starring Blake Lively, Cafe Society will be released on July 15 by Amazon Studios and Lionsgate. Reporting by MAGGIE PARKER After cutting his teeth on titles like Avatar: The Last Air Bender and Superman, Gene Yang is breaking ground with his new comic. Yang's latest project, New Super-Man, hits stands today and is an all-new, all-different take on the iconic hero. After the death of Clark Kent, a brash young man from China named Kenan Kong inherits part of Superman's powers, becoming the new Man of Steel - and he's got a lot to learn. Yang's Chinese Super-Man comes at a time of increased diversity in the comics world, with Tony Stark to be replaced by an African-American woman as Iron Man, and Miles Morales, the half-black, half-Latino Spider-Man who deputed in 2011, ranking as among Marvel's most popular new characters. The writer of this New Super-Man spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about his hero and where he's flying off to after issue No. 1. Read More: Superman's Comic Book 'Final Days' Comes to an End How did you pitch New Super-Man to DC Comic? I did not pitch this idea, they pitched me. From my understanding it was [DC co-publisher] Jim Lee and [chief creative officer] Geoff Johns. Each had some sort of a hand in the idea and they actually pitched it me in late December, early January. My first reaction was, no I did not want to do that, but I flew down to the Burbank offices, I had a couple meetings, one with Jim Lee and another one with Geoff Johns, and that's kind of how I got on board. How did artist Viktor Bogdanovic come on board? The editors who are on the book and I had discussions about what the visual tone would be and they are the ones who found Viktor. Viktor had been doing some work [for] DC, mostly on the Bat-side of things. He's such a good artist, he's incredible story teller, very nuanced in the way he lays things out. I wanted the visual tone of the book to be bright, to be colorful and to be hopeful, and I think he has really captured it all. I wanted there to be a balance between the dramatic and humorous as well and I think he's done all of that. Story continues When we're first introduce to Kenan, he's kind of a bully ... Yeah ... he's kind of a bully. There are a couple of thoughts behind that; the big one was this: If you read early comics from the '30s and '40s, Superman starts of as kind of a jerk. He's really brash, he's really condescending, especially to the people he saves. He kind of thinks he's always right. I think [Superman creators Joe] Siegel and [Jerry] Shuster almost set him up like a bully of bullies. He would make fun of people who couldn't figure out his secret identity and there's even this one scene where he took this slum lord and he left him on this dessert island to starve to death. As the decades went on, he became this moral standard we all think of today. So we wanted Kenan Kong's character arc to be a reference to that, but there is also an interesting overlap too. Are familiar with the Monkey King character? Can you explain who he is? He's this Chinese legendary figure. His story was first written down in a Chinese novel called Journey To The West. He has a very similar character arc. He's really brash, he starts off really arrogant, he thinks he's better than everybody else, kind of selfish. Then the story's all about learning humility and learning to put others before himself. There's this story arc, and you can look at a lot of Western stories, the character always starts off as the opposite of Western cultural ideals. If you look at Luke and if you look at Frodo and even Harry Potter, they're kind of riddled with self-doubt and the story is all about how they find their confidence and how they find their inner strength. If you look at a lot of Eastern stories, like Journey To The West or I am reading this story Slam Dunk right now, which is this really popular manga. The main character starts off as the opposite of the hopeful ideal; so they're super brash and full of themselves and the story is about the cultural ideal of humility and wisdom. Would you say Manga was an influence on you work? It has been. I think Eastern stories in general. I was not a big Manga guy when I was growing up, but when I was in my early 20s, I started developing a early appreciation of it. So it's definitely an influence on me. My favorite artist is Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy. They call him the god of Manga in Japan, so that is definitely in my mind; the Eastern story structure expressed through Manga. Read More: 'Batman v. Superman Ultimate Edition' Trailer Teases New Scenes, Clearer Focus Will Clark Kent be a shadow that hangs over the series? In true DC Universe fashion, really complicated things have happen to Clark Kent recently. He was killed, he developed a new super power called the solar flare and died. Some of his powers went into Lois Lane and some went into Kenan Kong and then this other Superman from a different reality came and kind of replaced him. His presence is definitely there. One of the questions we played with early on - why even do this story in the DC Universe? We just could create a Chinese superhero and have him in a stand-alone series. What's the benefit of doing this in the DC Universe? One of the benefits is there is this whole superhero mythology that already exists. So Superman in particular, he's suppose to fight for truth, justice and the American way. How do those values translate into text in a modern Chinese culture? That is what I am interested in playing with. So I don't really think of Clark Kent as a shadow. I think of him as a story element I can play with. What can you tease out for upcoming storylines for readers? We're going to slowly reveal a group of Chinese supervillains who acutely pattern themselves after a group of well known American DC comics heroes. New Super-Man No. 1 is on sale now. Riyadh (AFP) - Yemen's government threatened Thursday to boycott UN-brokered peace talks, on the eve of their expected resumption in Kuwait, unless Iran-backed rebels commit to the terms of a United Nations resolution. The UN said however that it still had not been informed of any boycott from any side while affirming that the talks were scheduled to resume on Friday after a two-week break. More than two months of negotiations between President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's Saudi-backed government and the Huthi rebels and their allies have failed to make any headway. "Our delegation will not travel to Kuwait until the United Nations fulfils its commitments" to pressure the rebels to "implement (Security Council) Resolution 2216," a presidency official told AFP from Riyadh. Security arrangements under Resolution 2216 require the rebels and their allies to withdraw from areas they have occupied since 2014, including Sanaa, and hand over heavy weapons. For the talks to resume, UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed must obtain "written guarantees from the other party to commit to the references of the talks that have been agreed on," including the resolution, said the source who requested anonymity. Hadi on Sunday warned his government would boycott the talks if the UN envoy insists on a roadmap stipulating a unity government that includes the insurgents. But in response to an AFP enquiry, a spokesman for the UN envoy said Ould Cheikh Ahmed "will return to Kuwait tomorrow (Friday) and the talks will resume as planned". "No delegation has yet announced that it will not participate," the source added. A government official said, however, that "a decision on the return to the negotiating table will be taken after the Arab summit," scheduled to take place in Nouakchott late this month. The UN envoy was still in Sanaa where he met with rebel leaders after holding consultations with Hadi in Riyadh on Tuesday. Story continues Hadi's government wants to re-establish its authority across the entire country, much of which is rebel-controlled, and restart a political transition interrupted when the Huthis seized Sanaa in 2014. The rebels have conditioned their withdrawal on both sides agreeing on a new president to manage the transition. More than 6,400 people have been killed in Yemen since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi's government in March last year. Another 2.8 million people have been displaced and more than 80 percent of the population are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, according to UN figures. For Immediate Release Chicago, IL July 14, 2016 - Stocks in this weeks article include: Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (APOG), AMN Healthcare Services Inc. (AHS), Liberty Interactive Group (QVCA), Post Holdings Inc. ( POST) and Tokyo Electron Limited (TOELY). Screen of the Week of Zacks Investment Research: Look Beyond Profits Bet on 5 Stocks with Rising Cash Flows In the impending second-quarter earnings season, one would find it easier to crunch profit numbers and evaluate surprises to scoop up big gains. But a companys profit doesnt necessarily channelize to the reserves to fund future growth. In fact, a profit making company can have a deficiency of cash flow and go bankrupt while meeting its obligations. Therefore, to ensure that one is investing in the right stocks, a look at the companys ability to produce cash is warranted. Cash gives a company the flexibility to make decisions, the means to make potential investments and the fuel to run its growth engine. Cash also shields a company from market turmoil. In any business, money flows in and out, but net cash flow indicates how much money the company is actually generating or burning. Having positive cash flows indicates enhanced liquidity, giving the company more means for debt repayment, expenses, dividend payouts, stock buyback and finally reinvestment in business. On the other hand, a negative cash flow implies that a companys liquid assets are decreasing, resulting in reduced flexibility to support these moves. So putting your hard earned money in stocks with less cash does not make any sense at all. However, positive cash flows alone are not sufficient to predict a companys future growth. If the cash flow is increasing over time, it indicates a companys competency in growing. In fact, rising cash flow implies managements efficiency in regulating its cash movements, reaping more money from its business, depending less on outside financing and finally its improving fundamentals. So, while picking stocks this earnings season, dont look at profits only. Make sure to look for stocks with dependable and increasing cash flows. Screening Parameters: To find out stocks that have seen increasing cash flow over time, we ran the screen for those whose cash flow in the latest reported quarter was at least equal to or greater than the 5-year average cash flow per common share. This implies a positive trend and increasing cash over a period of time. In addition to this, we chose: Zacks Rank 1: No matter whether market conditions are good or bad, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have a proven history of outperformance. Average Broker Rating 1: This indicates that brokers are also highly hopeful about the companys future performance. Current Price greater than or equal to $5: This screens out the low priced stocks. VGM Score of B or better: This score is also of great assistance in selecting stocks. Importantly, this scoring system helps in picking winning stocks in their individual industry categories. Here are five out of 10 stocks that made it through the screen: Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (APOG) is a leader in technologies involving the design and development of value-added glass products and services. The company is based in Minneapolis, MN. Presently, Apogee has a VGM score of A. Its expected EPS growth rate for 3 to 5 years currently stands at 10.0%. AMN Healthcare Services Inc. (AHS) is a San Diego, CA-based company that offers healthcare workforce solutions and staffing services in the U.S. The company has a VGM score of B. The company has a decent earnings surprise history, having surpassed estimates in each of the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 23.59%. Liberty Interactive Group (QVCA), with a VGM score of B, owns interests in subsidiaries and other companies that are mainly engaged in the video and digital commerce industries. Its expected EPS growth rate for 3 to 5 years currently stands at 20.0%. Post Holdings Inc. (POST) is a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of branded ready-to-eat cereals in the United States and Canada. The company is based in St. Louis, MO. Post Holdings currently has a VGM score of B. The company has mostly recorded positive earnings surprises in the trailing four quarters. Tokyo Electron Limited (TOELY), with a VGM score of B, together with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the development, manufacturing and selling of semiconductor and flat panel display production equipment. Get the rest of the stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and backtesting software. The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out. Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today . Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance . Zacks Restaurant Recommendations: In addition to dining at these special places, you can feast on their stock shares. A Zacks Special Report spotlights 5 recent IPOs to watch plus 2 stocks that offer immediate promise in a booming sector. Download it free Sign up now for your free trial today and start picking better stocks immediately. And with the backtesting feature, you can test your ideas to see how you can improve your trading in both up markets and down markets. Dont wait for the market to get better before you decide to do better. Start learning how to be a better trader today: https://at.zacks.com/?id=111 Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. About Screen of the Week Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine. But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use. Each week, Zacks Profit from the Pros free email newsletter shares a new screening strategy. Learn more about it here https://at.zacks.com/?id=112 About Zacks Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Click here for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zacksresearch Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZacksInvestmentResearch Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates. Contact: Jim Giaquinto Company: Zacks.com Phone: 312-265-9268 Email: pr@zacks.com Visit: https://www.zacks.com/performance Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer . Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. 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 APOGEE ENTRPRS (APOG): Free Stock Analysis Report AMN HLTHCR SVCS (AHS): Free Stock Analysis Report LIBERTY M INT-A (QVCA): Free Stock Analysis Report POST HOLDINGS (POST): Free Stock Analysis Report TOKYO ELECTRON (TOELY): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. For Immediate Release Chicago, IL July 14, 2016 Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses MedTech, Part 2, including Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Smith & Nephew (SNN), Medtronic (MDT), Abbott Laboratories ( ABT) and St. Jude Medical (STJ). Industry: MedTech, Part 2 Link: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/85844/medtech-tailwinds-at-a-glance-which-stocks-to-buy Over the past few years, the U.S. medical device market has undergone a substantial transformation. While there are a lot of thorny regulatory and financial issues that hardly look resolved anytime soon, the powerful long-term tailwinds, including mergers & acquisitions, emerging market expansion, positive demographic trends and new product innovation have been the vital force behind the continued uptrend of the sectors performance. In addition, the recent change in consumer demand and market dynamics have led to a dramatic transformation in the healthcare system. This is evident from the growing prevalence of minimally invasive surgeries, rising demand for liquid biopsy tests, use of IT for ensuring quick and improved patient care and the shift of the payment system to a value-based model, among others. Adding to the advantage is the temporary two-year suspension of the controversial and dreadful 2.3% medical device excise tax which took a toll on the entire MedTech industry since its enactment in 2013.Data published in a report in FierceMedical Device stated that in 2014, Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ) made a payment of $180 million in medical device tax payments, while Medtronic (MDT), legacy Covidien and Smith & Nephew ( SNN) paid $112 million, $60 million and $25 million, respectively. Lets go through some of the major long-term tailwinds of the MedTech sector. These include M&A, Divestment and Emerging Market. M&A Boom Continues Going by the last available EvaluateGroup data, the first half of 2015 saw 86 mergers and acquisitions, totaling $83 billion, a rise of 166% from the year-ago period. Although the next report is not yet released, the unofficial talk is that the full-year target of $100 billion of M&A valuation was effortlessly reached with the legacy continuing into 2016. Story continues Medtronic (MDT), after its path breaking $42.9 billion acquisition of Irish rival Covidien (in Jan 2015), has not taken a breather from strategic M&As. Among many others, the company recently entered into an agreement to buy Heartware International for a total value of $1.1 billion. This acquisition is expected to significantly boost Medtronics cardiac rhythm and heart failure business, alongside providing a strong foothold in the global niche. Some other significant consolidation deals of recent times are discussed below: Abbott Laboratories (ABT) - St. Jude Medical ( STJ): In April, Abbott announced its decision to consolidate with St. Jude Medical for a deal value of $25 billion. Post completion, this will create a leader in high-growth cardiovascular markets, including atrial fibrillation, structural heart and heart failure as well as earn a leading position in the high-growth neuromodulation market. Zacks Industry Rank Within the Zacks Industry classification, Medical Device is grouped under the Medical sector (one of 16 Zacks sectors) and further sub-divided into four industries at the expanded level: med instruments, med products, med/dental-supp and medical info systems. We rank all the 260-plus industries in the 16 Zacks sectors based on the earnings outlook and fundamental strength of the constituent companies in each industry. To learn more visit: About Zacks Industry Rank. As a guideline, the outlook for industries with Zacks Industry Rank of #88 and lower is 'Positive,' between #89 and #176 is 'Neutral' and #177 and higher is 'Negative.' The Zacks Industry Rank for medical info systems is #20, med instruments and med products both being #88, while the med/dental-supp is #34. Analyzing the Zacks Industry Rank for different Medical Device segments, it is obvious that the outlook for all these four medical device industries is positive. Earnings Trend of the Sector Of the S&P 500 members, the Medical companies have yet to report their second quarter results as of July 8. In the second quarter of 2016, only 6 among all the 16 Zacks sectors are expected to report positive year-over-year earnings growth, Medical being one of them (increase of 0.5%). With respect to the quarters revenues, year-over-year growth is expected to remain strong at 7.7% for Medical. For more information about earnings for this sector and others, please read our Earnings Trends report. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> About Zacks Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Click here for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zacksresearch Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates. Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com/performance Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. 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 JOHNSON & JOHNS (JNJ): Free Stock Analysis Report SMITH & NEPHEW (SNN): Free Stock Analysis Report MEDTRONIC (MDT): Free Stock Analysis Report ABBOTT LABS (ABT): Free Stock Analysis Report ST JUDE MEDICAL (STJ): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. The Zika virus outbreak spreading through the Americas could go on for three years, according to a new study published in the journal Science. Scientists from Imperial College London and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimate that the current Zika epidemic will be largely over in Latin America in three years. Thats because so many people are being infected, and therefore become immune to the virus. Herd immunity will likely then cause a delay of over a decade until further large epidemics are possible, they write in the study. The Zika virus is confirmed to cause the severe birth defect microcephaly, and its estimated millions of people are infected in the Americas. In the continental U.S. there are over 1,000 people infected due to travel, including 320 pregnant women. There are also 2,534 people in U.S. territories who are infected, including 279 pregnant women. On Wednesday it was reported that the first baby in Texas with Zika-related microcephaly was born. The U.S. Congress on Thursday failed to pass the $1.9 billion in funding to fight Zika that was requested by the White House in February. The researchers note that some countries where the virus is spreading have advised people to avoid pregnancy, which the study authors write has been criticized for being infeasible for many womenespecially long term. Understanding a countrys local context through monitoring could be helpful, they suggest. Mosquito control can also help prevent some spread, but the authors argue that expectations should be realistic, and that traditional insecticide use has not necessarily prevented other serious mosquito-borne diseases like dengue from spreading in the past. Like Ebola, Zika is a public health crisis in which policymakers have had to make decisions in the presence of enormous uncertainty, the study authors conclude. The current epidemic is not containable; at best, interventions can mitigate its health impacts. More optimistically, the natural dynamics of the epidemic are now likely to give a multiyear window to develop new interventions before further large-scale outbreaks occur. By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Zika outbreak rampaging through Latin America will likely burn itself out in the next two to three years, based on the fact that people develop immunity to the virus after an initial infection, British scientists said on Thursday. The researchers, whose work is published in the journal Science, estimated that infections from the mosquito-borne virus will become so widespread in affected countries that populations will develop what is called "herd immunity." This occurs when a high percentage of a population has become immune to an infection either through developing natural immunity or through vaccination, making a wider outbreak less likely. That would prevent further transmission of the Zika virus for at least a decade, with only smaller, intermittent outbreaks, they said. "Because the virus is unable to infect the same person twice - thanks to the immune system generating antibodies to kill it - the epidemic reaches a stage where there are too few people left to infect for transmission to be sustained," study author Neil Ferguson of the School of Public Health at Imperial College London said in a statement. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for Zika. The study was based on mathematical models of the virus, which has been shown to cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,600 cases of microcephaly that it considers related to Zika infections in the mothers. The researchers compared data from Zika's transmission across Latin America to data on similar viruses, such as dengue, to create a model of projected Zika transmission. They forecast that large-scale transmission will end in two to three years and not resume for a decade. Similar patterns have been seen in related viral infections, including chikungunya, Ferguson said. Ferguson said it may be too late to try to control mosquito populations to prevent widespread Zika transmission, and mosquito abatement efforts might delay and prolong the outbreak, which will eventually die out naturally. "Slowing transmission between people means the population will take longer to reach the level of herd immunity needed for transmission to stop. It might also mean that the window between epidemics - which we predict may be over a decade - could actually get shorter," he said. (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Will Dunham) Harare (AFP) - Zimbabwean authorities Thursday deported two Sky News journalists for entering the country without permission, a senior government official said, as the country faces a wave of anti-government protests. "They breached our laws and we kicked them out. You don't enter a country without accreditation," said George Charamba, a senior official in the Ministry of Information. Charamba, who is also President Robert Mugabe's spokesman, told AFP that their deportation should serve as a warning to foreign journalists who may attempt to sneak into the country without permits. The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) said Sky News correspondent Alex Crawford and a cameraman, whose identity was not given, were arrested at a lodge in Harare on Wednesday. The media watchdog said the two were travelling on British passports and were detained overnight at Harare international airport before their deportation Thursday morning. "They were allegedly raided at a Harare lodge on the night of Wednesday 13 July, 2016 and detained at the Harare Airport overnight before being deported this morning," MISA said in a statement. Under Zimbabwes media laws, foreign journalists need accreditation before arriving in the country to work. Over the years authorities have used the draconian legislation to arrest independent journalists, shut down newspapers and expel foreign correspondents. Zimbabwe is experiencing rare demonstrations against the government of President Robert Mugabe in the wake of an economic crisis that has left banks short of cash and the government struggling to pay its workers. Mugabe, 92, who is increasingly frail has been in power since 1980. Los Angeles (AFP) - US actress Zoe Saldana launched a four-letter tirade apparently aimed at James Bond writer Anthony Horowitz, after the novelist said Idris Elba was "too street" to play the fictional spy. Saldana, 38, who appears with Elba in the upcoming "Star Trek Beyond," didn't name Horowitz, but said she was angered by "cowardly" and "stupid" comments made in a newspaper interview last year by "one of the writers" of Bond. "What kind of ignorant comment to make is that? Just say 'I don't see James Bond as a black man.' I would respect that more than hiding behind some cowardly, stupid answer," Saldana, who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage, said in an interview with AFP. Saldana, in Los Angeles to promote the latest installment of the "Star Trek" franchise which opens in the United States on July 22, was almost certainly referring to 61-year-old Horowitz, who was commissioned by the estate of Bond creator Ian Fleming to write the 2015 novel "Trigger Mortis." Horowitz was asked in an interview published by Britain's Daily Mail in August last year for his thoughts on 43-year-old Elba, the favorite at the time to replace outgoing Bond actor Daniel Craig. "For me, Idris Elba is a bit too rough to play the part. It's not a color issue. I think he is probably a bit too street for Bond. Is it a question of being suave? Yeah," he was quoted as saying. Saldana said Craig, too, was known to have "a hard edge to him" before being hired for 2006's "Casino Royale," the first of his four Bond films, but had not been held back by his reputation. The actress, who plays communications officer Nyota Uhura in the movie trilogy which rebooted the iconic "Star Trek" sci-fi film and television series, accused Horowitz of insulting Elba's character. "Just because (Idris) is black and he's a DJ and he has one of the coolest walks I've ever seen in man he's thuggish? Really? So when he played Mandela he played him like a thug?" Saldana told AFP. Bruno Magli is planting flags in Asia. The Italian luxury firm has inked new partnerships with Sitoy Retailing Ltd. in China and with Bruno Magli Partners Co. Ltd. in Japan. The agreements will allow Bruno Magli to develop its business in China and Japan. In addition to wholesale distribution, Sitoy Retailing Ltd. will open the first Bruno Magli shop-in-shop in the SOGO department store at Causeway Bay in Hong Kong in August. Also, at least 15 mono-branded stores are scheduled to open throughout China. In September, Bruno Magli Partners Co. Ltd. will launch an e-store in Japan, historically a solid market for Bruno Magli. Brick-and-mortar stores are slated for 2017 and beyond. This is an incredible time for Bruno Magli, said Cory M. Baker, chief operating officer of Bruno Magli parent company Marquee Brand. As we celebrate the brands 80th anniversary, our expansion into China and Japan with these strategic partners will help solidify our global growth with an already loyal customer base. Andrew Yeung, executive director and head of retailing at Sitoy Group, underscored the brands classic Italian heritage and reputation for unique design and quality craftsmanship. The partnership, he said, will offer style-conscious consumers an undeniable choice in quality. With 55 years in Japan, Bruno Magli has built a brand synonymous with classic styling, quality craftsmanship, and exceptional comfort, noted Kyle Nakamura, president at Bruno Magli Partners Co. Ltd. Nakamura said that, as investors, the partners were confident that Bruno Magli will continue to grow as a leading lifestyle brand in the Japanese market. The brand is already present in South Korea. For fall, the company will relaunch its womens footwear line after a three-year hiatus, with actress Lucy Liu as the categorys brand ambassador. It will also unveil a global ad campaign. For the holiday season, Magli will also launch new categories ranging from mens tailoring, mens bags and small leather goods to mens hosiery, womens handbags, and mens and womens timepieces. Story continues In January 2015, Baker and partner Michael DeVirgilio, president of Marquee Brand, which is an acquisition, licensing and development company sponsored by Neuberger Berman Private Equity and founded in 2014, acquired the Bruno Magli brand and related intellectual property assets from Bruno Magli SpA. This marked Marquees first acquisition; it has since taken on Ben Sherman. The purchase followed nearly two decades of uncertainty for Bruno Magli. During that time, the company founded in 1936 by siblings Marino, Maria and Bruno Magli underwent an extended game of musical chairs with owners. In 2001, Luxembourg-based investment fund Opera acquired a controlling interest from the family; in 2007, it was sold to U.K.-based private equity fund Fortelus Capital, and in 2014, it was acquired by Da Vinci Invest AG, a Swiss fund. Around April 2004, the brands U.S. unit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, from which it exited in January 2005. Related stories Bruno Magli Launches Sweepstakes To Win Limited Edition Siro And Santo Luxury Sneakers The Real Story Behind The Infamous O.J. Simpson Shoes Bruno Magli Relaunches Women's, Taps Lucy Liu By Caroline Copley BERLIN (Reuters) - London-based online money transfer business Azimo is considering switching its headquarters to mainland Europe because of Brexit, which it says could threaten Britain's position as a global hub for the financial technology - fintech - industry. Financial services firms operating out of London rely on the EU's "passporting" system, which allows them to sell their services across the bloc while being registered and regulated just in Britain, thus saving huge amounts of money by not having to set up shop in each member state. However Britain has to negotiate new trading terms with Europe after it voted last month to leave the bloc. Given the uncertainty over whether the country will keep its passporting powers, Azimo is looking at being registered and regulated in another EU country, said its British co-founder and Chief Executive Michael Kent. The aim is to ensure it can continue to easily offer its services across the bloc, he told Reuters in an interview during a visit to Berlin. "Whilst we are regulated out of the UK at the moment, we're talking to regulators in other jurisdictions about changing that, because we have hundreds of thousands of customers in continental Europe and we're not about to give up on them." For regulated financial services businesses, Kent said the obvious alternatives to London were Ireland, Luxembourg and Amsterdam followed by Berlin and Barcelona. London has worked hard to cultivate its reputation as a top global location for fintech firms by marrying the city's longstanding strength as one of the world's top financial capitals with its more recent success as a tech startup hub. Britain's fintech sector was the biggest in the world last year, earning 6.6 billion pounds ($8.7 billion) in revenue to beat California and New York, according to a report by accounting firm EY commissioned by the British government. But Kent said he believed the uncertainty stemming from the shock vote to quit the European Union could hurt the sector. "To become a fintech hub, you need people, capital and the regulatory environment. Unfortunately, Brexit puts a question mark next to all of those," he said. Azimo has already received interest from other European regulators, the CEO said. "The French have said we'll roll out the red carpet, we got a thing from (another) one of the regulators recently saying, have you considered this jurisdiction," he added. Many other finance firms have said they may have to relocate divisions and staff into another EU country following Brexit, with France, Ireland and Germany in particular making vocal pitches to lure them to their capitals. 'CAN'T WAIT TWO YEARS' Founded in 2012, Azimo is backed by Japanese e-commerce group Rakuten which invested $15 million into the firm in May, as well as U.S. venture capital fund Greycroft Partners, Britain's Frog Capital and Germany's e.ventures. Along with fellow UK-based rivals WorldRemit and TransferWise, online providers like Azimo are shaking up the established retail-based money transfer business dominated by Western Union and MoneyGram by delivering money at lower cost to people on their mobile phones. The remittance firm allows customers to send money to more than 190 countries in over 80 currencies. One advantage of the UK is that its financial services watchdog is relatively innovative when it comes to adapting regulation for new business models, said Kent. In contrast, Germany's Bafin tends to be less progressive, he added. Despite the uncertainty, the Azimo CEO remains bullish about the prospects for the UK market, even if Britain goes into a recession, since remittances tend to be non-discretionary payments. The average transaction size for Azimo is around 500 euros ($554), he said. The UK accounts for remittance flows of $17 billion a year, according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (Ifad), making it the second biggest money-sending country in Europe after Russia. "We will never leave the UK completely; we will always have a presence in London because a lot of our customers are British and we don't think they're going anywhere. But we will think about the deployment of our financial and our staff resources," he said. "And we're thinking about it now, because I can't wait two years to find out what happens." (Editing by Pravin Char) Microsoft has transformed from a company focused on software installed on home and business computers to making money from services hosted on the internet and available from a broad array of devices (AFP Photo/Vesa Moilanen) (Lehtikuva/AFP/File) San Francisco (AFP) - Microsoft on Thursday scored a big victory on a keenly watched privacy battlefront, with a US appeals court exonerating the company for refusing to give police user data stored overseas. A three-judge panel in a US court of appeals in New York City ordered that a finding of contempt against Microsoft be tossed out along with the warrant in the case. The December 2013 warrant directed Microsoft to turn over the contents of an email account used by a suspected drug trafficker. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft handed over account information it kept on US soil, but said the content of emails was off-limits because it was stored on servers in Ireland, according to a summary of the case. The citizenship and location of the suspected drug trafficker were not revealed. The warrant had been issued under provisions of Stored Communications Act (SCA) legislation enacted as part of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986. Judge Susan Carney of the appeals court said that the SCA does not give US courts authority to force internet companies in the United States to seize customer email contents stored on foreign servers. "We conclude that Congress did not intend the SCA's warrant provisions to apply extraterritorially," the judges said. "The focus of those provisions is protection of a user's privacy interests." - Local law rules - Microsoft welcomed the decision, saying it helped insure people's privacy rights are protected by laws in their own countries. The case had been closely watched by those who feared that a ruling against Microsoft would pave the way for countries to force internet firms to disclose user data no matter where in the world it was kept. "This decision provides a major victory for the protection of people's privacy rights under their own laws rather than the reach of foreign governments," Microsoft chief legal officer Brad Smith said in an email. Story continues "It makes clear that the US Congress did not give the US Government the authority to use search warrants unilaterally to reach beyond US borders." Knowing personal information will be protected by local law is also imperative for people to trust technology companies, Smith reasoned. The long-running case has been a key point of concern for online service providers and their users. If the Department of Justice had triumphed over Microsoft in the case, other countries would have easily seen it as a green light to use their own laws to demand data stored in the US, said Greg Nojeim, a project director at Washington-based nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology. "It would have been like the Wild West and disaster for privacy," Nojeim said. - Matter of how - The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington-based tech policy think tank which supported Microsoft's case, said data stored in other countries should be sought under auspices of a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty designed to let police agencies around the world to help one another. "The question here isn't whether the US government can gain lawful access to this data, but rather the process it should use to do so," said ITIF vice president Daniel Castro. The US has such mutual assistance treaties with more than 50 countries, including Ireland, according to Castro. Microsoft's legal win came with the risk that foreign governments would begin forcing tech companies to rely on local servers to keep information away from US authorities, the ITIF warned. The group was among several urging US political leaders to speed efforts to improve the MLAT process and create a global framework for governments to legally access data stored in the cloud. By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday said the U.S. government cannot force Microsoft Corp and other companies to turn over customer emails stored on servers outside the United States. The 3-0 decision by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan is a defeat for the U.S. Department of Justice and a victory for privacy advocates and for technology companies offering cloud computing and other services around the world. Circuit Judge Susan Carney said communications held by U.S. service providers on servers outside the United States are beyond the reach of domestic search warrants issued under the Stored Communications Act, a 1986 federal law. "Congress did not intend the SCA's warrant provisions to apply extraterritorially," she wrote. "The focus of those provisions is protection of a user's privacy interests." Microsoft had been challenging a warrant seeking emails stored on a server in Dublin, Ireland, in a narcotics case. It was believed to be the first U.S. company to challenge a domestic search warrant seeking data held outside the country. Thursday's decision reversed a July 2014 ruling by then-Chief Judge Loretta Preska of U.S. district court in Manhattan requiring Microsoft to turn over the emails. It also voided a contempt finding against the company. "We obviously welcome today's decision," Brad Smith, Microsoft's president and chief legal officer, said in a statement. He said the decision gives people more confidence to rely on their own countries' laws to protect their privacy, rather than worry about foreign interference, and helps ensure that "legal protections of the physical world apply in the digital domain." Peter Carr, a Justice Department spokesman, said the agency was disappointed by the decision and reviewing its legal options. "FREE-FOR-ALL" WAS FEARED The case has attracted strong interest from the technology and media sectors, amid concern that giving prosecutors expansive power to collect data outside the country could make it harder for U.S. companies to compete there. Dozens of companies, organizations and individuals filed briefs supporting Microsoft's appeal, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc, Cisco Systems Inc, CNN, Fox News Network, Gannett Co and Verizon Communications Inc. Had the court gone the other way, "it would have been like the Wild West, with no clear, stable legal rules applying," Greg Nojeim, senior counsel with the nonprofit Center for Democracy & Technology in Washington, D.C., said in an interview. Microsoft had said the warrant could not reach emails on the Dublin server because U.S. law did not apply there. The Redmond, Washington-based company also said enforcing the warrant could spark a global "free-for-all," where law enforcement authorities elsewhere might seize emails belonging to Americans and stored in the United States. MODERNIZING A 30-YEAR-OLD LAW Federal prosecutors countered that quashing warrants such as Microsoft's would impede their own law enforcement efforts. But Judge Carney said limiting the reach of warrants serves "the interest of comity" that normally governs cross-border criminal investigations. She said that comity is also reflected in treaties between the United States and all European Union countries, including Ireland, to assist each other in such probes. Some law enforcement officials have said obtaining such assistance can, nonetheless, be cumbersome and time-consuming. The Justice Department is working on a bilateral plan to streamline how U.S. and British authorities request data from companies in each other's country. A bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate in May to clarify when and where law enforcement may access electronic communications of U.S. citizens. Circuit Judge Gerard Lynch, who concurred in the judgment, urged Congress to modernize the "badly outdated" 1986 law to strike a better balance between law enforcement needs and users' privacy interests and expectations. Lynch said the law, as it stands now, lets Microsoft thwart an otherwise justified demand to turn over emails by the "simple expedient" of choosing to store them outside the United States. "I concur in the result, but without any illusion that the result should even be regarded as a rational policy outcome, let alone celebrated as a milestone in protecting privacy," he wrote. The case is In re: Warrant to Search a Certain E-Mail Account Controlled and Maintained by Microsoft Corp, 2ndU.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 14-2985. By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday said the U.S. government cannot force Microsoft Corp and other companies to turn over customer emails stored on servers outside the United States. The 3-0 decision by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan is a defeat for the U.S. Department of Justice and a victory for privacy advocates and for technology companies offering cloud computing and other services around the world. Circuit Judge Susan Carney said communications held by U.S. service providers on servers outside the United States are beyond the reach of domestic search warrants issued under the Stored Communications Act, a 1986 federal law. "Congress did not intend the SCA's warrant provisions to apply extraterritorially," she wrote. "The focus of those provisions is protection of a user's privacy interests." Microsoft had been challenging a warrant seeking emails stored on a server in Dublin, Ireland, in a narcotics case. It was believed to be the first U.S. company to challenge a domestic search warrant seeking data held outside the country. Thursday's decision reversed a July 2014 ruling by then-Chief Judge Loretta Preska of U.S. district court in Manhattan requiring Microsoft to turn over the emails. It also voided a contempt finding against the company. "We obviously welcome today's decision," Brad Smith, Microsoft's president and chief legal officer, said in a statement. He said the decision gives people more confidence to rely on their own countries' laws to protect their privacy, rather than worry about foreign interference, and helps ensure that "legal protections of the physical world apply in the digital domain." Peter Carr, a Justice Department spokesman, said the agency was disappointed by the decision and reviewing its legal options. "FREE-FOR-ALL" WAS FEARED The case has attracted strong interest from the technology and media sectors, amid concern that giving prosecutors expansive power to collect data outside the country could make it harder for U.S. companies to compete there. Dozens of companies, organizations and individuals filed briefs supporting Microsoft's appeal, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Amazon.com Inc , Apple Inc , Cisco Systems Inc , CNN , Fox News Network , Gannett Co and Verizon Communications Inc . Had the court gone the other way, "it would have been like the Wild West, with no clear, stable legal rules applying," Greg Nojeim, senior counsel with the nonprofit Center for Democracy & Technology in Washington, D.C., said in an interview. Microsoft had said the warrant could not reach emails on the Dublin server because U.S. law did not apply there. The Redmond, Washington-based company also said enforcing the warrant could spark a global "free-for-all," where law enforcement authorities elsewhere might seize emails belonging to Americans and stored in the United States. MODERNIZING A 30-YEAR-OLD LAW Federal prosecutors countered that quashing warrants such as Microsoft's would impede their own law enforcement efforts. But Judge Carney said limiting the reach of warrants serves "the interest of comity" that normally governs cross-border criminal investigations. She said that comity is also reflected in treaties between the United States and all European Union countries, including Ireland, to assist each other in such probes. Some law enforcement officials have said obtaining such assistance can, nonetheless, be cumbersome and time-consuming. The Justice Department is working on a bilateral plan to streamline how U.S. and British authorities request data from companies in each other's country. A bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate in May to clarify when and where law enforcement may access electronic communications of U.S. citizens. Circuit Judge Gerard Lynch, who concurred in the judgment, urged Congress to modernize the "badly outdated" 1986 law to strike a better balance between law enforcement needs and users' privacy interests and expectations. Lynch said the law, as it stands now, lets Microsoft thwart an otherwise justified demand to turn over emails by the "simple expedient" of choosing to store them outside the United States. "I concur in the result, but without any illusion that the result should even be regarded as a rational policy outcome, let alone celebrated as a milestone in protecting privacy," he wrote. The case is In re: Warrant to Search a Certain E-Mail Account Controlled and Maintained by Microsoft Corp, 2ndU.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 14-2985. (Reporting by Nate Raymond and Jonathan Stempel in New York, and Diane Bartz and Dustin Volz in Washington, D.C.; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Steve Orlofsky) Smart home company Nest unveiled Thursday an Internet-connected security camera designed for outdoor use, the firms first hardware release since the departure of its high-profile chief executive. The $199 Nest Cam Outdoor, available for preorder immediately and on sale this fall, comes after founder and former CEO Tony Fadell left the company in June. Nest, which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet, says it has seen significant demand for an outdoor product, with 30% of users pointing their indoor cameras outside. The Nest Cam Outdoors camera and power adapter are weatherproof, helping to protect against the elements. While other outdoor surveillance cameras can withstand adverse weather, Nest claims its device is one of few that include a similarly resilient adapter. Like competing devices, Nests new product includes night vision capabilities and comes with a built-in microphone and speaker. The company said it has improved the quality of its cameras night vision by making sure the Cam Outdoors LEDs were placed to distribute light evenly. In a demo of the product, most of the environment captured in the cameras feed was clearly visible in night mode. The Nest Cam Outdoor captures footage in high-definition 1080p resolution. Owners can also choose to receive smartphone alerts that notify them when the camera spots a potential threat through a new feature called Person Alerts. The cameras software can tell the difference between people and other subjects, like animals, to reduce false alarms. Nest says the new camera should be able to recognize people within a 15 to 20 foot distance so long as its view isnt obstructed. Person Alerts will work with Nests indoor and outdoor cameras as well as Dropcam models when the Cam Outdoor ships this fall (Google and Nest acquired Dropcam for $555 million in 2014). To use Person Alerts, Nest owners will need to sign up for a Nest Aware subscription, which costs $10 for a 10-day subscription or $30 for 30 days. The subscription is necessary for viewing older video and saving clips as well. The pricing structure can be ideal for those who just want to review footage when theyre out of town and are content with just viewing a live feed otherwise. Without a subscription, Nest Cam owners can view a live feed showing what the camera is seeing and will get alerts when motion or sound is detected. Story continues When Nest launched its indoor camera last year, some reviewers criticized it for its lack of onboard storage and because owners could only receive movement notifications once every 30 minutes. The latter of those concerns will be addressed later this year when the Person Alerts system launches, which eliminates such limitations. But the company says it doesnt include local storage on its devices in order to prevent burglars from obtaining footage should they steal the camera. An update for Nests app, which can be used to control and monitor devices like the new Outdoor Cam, is also coming later this month. The app refresh will bring a feature called Spaces, which lets users view their Nest devices by location. A new Private Sharing mode lets owners share a password-protected link to a cameras feed with others. Nests latest product comes amid reports that the company is underperforming financially and struggling to retain employees. Former Motorola Mobility executive Marwan Fawaz was named CEO following Fadells departure. A woman points her smart phone at the Brandenburg Gate as she plays the Pokemon Go mobile game in Berlin (AFP Photo/Sophia Kembowski) (dpa/AFP) Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Could hunting for a Pokemon get any hotter? Maybe in Rio, so the city about to host the Olympic Games is urging makers of the popular app to come down to Brazil. The app, based on a Nintendo title that debuted 20 years ago, uses GPS and mapping capabilities in smartphones to let players roam the real world to find "PokeStops" stocked with supplies and hunt cartoon monsters to capture and train for battles. "Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody's coming. You should come on down too," Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Facebook Wednesday, with the welcoming hashtag #PokemonGoNoBrasil (Pokemon Go in Brazil). Since its release in the United States, Australia and New Zealand last week, the free Pokemon Go smartphone game that overlays play on the real world has triggered a major craze. Some, like Paes, think people might enjoy hunting around the city's landmarks like Copacabana beach. Half a million foreign tourists are expected in Rio for South America's first Olympics from August 5-21. Ex-supermodel Gisele Bundchen will be in her native Brazil to host the opening ceremony. * PermaKat Eleonora Rosati received the 2022 Adepi Award * PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the World Intellectual Property Review's "Influential Women in IP" of 2020. * PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2018. * IPKat founder and Blogmeister Emeritus Jeremy Phillips listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014. * Recommended by the European Patent Office as reading material for candidates for the European Qualifying Examinations, 2013. * Listed as "Top Legal Blog" in The Times Online, March 2011. 2010 ABA Journal 100. * One of the only two non-US blogs listed in the Blawg100. * Court Reporter Top Copyright Blog award winner, November 2010. * Number 1 in the 2010 Top Copyright Blog list compiled by the Copyright Litigation Blog, July 2010. * Selected by the United States Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Legal Blawgs as of 2010. * Top Patent Blog poll 2009: 3rd out of 50 in the "Favourite Patent Blog" poll and 2nd out of 50 in the "Most-read" poll. Blog of the Year, 20 August 2008. * ComputerWeekly IT Law and Governance, 20 August 2008. In a cruel chain of events, the nine victims were placed in solitary confinement in the days prior to what can only be described as their mass execution. In a joint statement signed by more than 270 Members of the European Parliament last month, the European Union was called upon to condition its relations with Tehran in an effort to improve human rights for the Iranian people. They said they are concerned about the rising number of executions in Iran after Hassan Rouhani took office as President three years ago. Amnesty Internationals annual Death Penalty report for 2015 period wrote: Iran put at least 977 people to death in 2015, compared to at least 743 the year before. The human rights group added, Iran alone accounted for 82% of all executions recorded. Over 2,400 executions have been carried out under Hassan Rouhanis Presidency. In March, The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran stated that in 2015 the number of executions in Iran was greater than any year in the last 25 years. The executions are Gods commandments, according to Rouhani, but many Iranians wouldnt agree with him. The Free Iran gathering was also featured on Arab-language television channels such as Al-Arabiya, Al-Hadath, and Sky News Arabia, broadcasting Rajavis message throughout the Arab world. Given that over the past year it was once again proven that no solution exists within the regime, as both factions failed to find a way to preserve it, Mrs. Rajavi declared that the solution offered by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, namely the overthrow of the ruling theocracy, is the most viable one. Although it was believed that the nuclear deal with the US would bring peace to the region, instead it brought barrel bombs, and unleashed 70,000 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members on the people of Syria; it resulted in ethnic cleansing of Sunnis by the terrorist IRGC Quds Force in Iraq; and it led to the spread of extremism under the banner of Islam in the whole region. She pointed out that both the mullahs and Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) espouse a similar ideology, which has little in common with the teachings of Islam. She added, They have a similar modus operandi when it comes to barbarity and savagery. They need to rely on one another to survive. For this reason, so long as the regimes occupation of Syria, Iraq and Yemen continues, we cannot confront Daesh effectively, Mrs. Rajavi criticized the U.S. policy on Iran and the Middle East, saying that it has jumped from one mistake into the next. and that it is, enabling the religious dictatorship. This policy has brought calamity to our nations and crisis to the U.S. Its not too late, according to Mrs. Rajavi, who believes that policy can be corrected through the right of the Iranian people to overthrow the religious dictatorship and attain freedom and democracy. She concludes that, This solution does not only benefit the Iranian people; it also amounts to a breakthrough for the region and for the world. [July 13, 2016] Global Speech Generating Devices Market Forecast to 2022 - Key Players are Dynavox, Jabbla Bvba & Words+ Inc. - Research and Markets Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Speech Generating Devices Market Insights, Opportunity Analysis, Market Shares and Forecast 2016 - 2022" report to their offering. The global speech generating devices market is expected to witness an exponential growth over the forecast period. The regional outlook market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia pacific and rest of the world. Currently United States dominates the market of global speech generating devices. In United States region, individuals and institutions are purchasing speech generating devices which is usually refunded by third party sources, such as, local and foreign Government initiatives that include Medicare and Medic-aid, managed care plans as well as the private insurance plans. Apart from that, in the United States, sales of speech generating devices are boosted by demand from public schools that depend on funds provided by local, foreign, federal, and state Governments. As technology continues to boosts various industries across the world, the speech generating devices major players are focusing on developing innovative products that can offer high level of user-friendliness and accuracy. Arrival of touch screen user interface devices, such as android phones, iPads, iPhone (News - Alert), and other devices along with advanced alternative and augmentative communication based applications have transformed the global speech generating devices market. Companies Mentioned: Advanced Multimedia Devices Inc. Dynavox Inc. Jabbla Bvba Lingraphicare America Inc. Mayer-Johnson Prentkeromich Company Saltillo Corporation Tobii Technology Ab Toby Churchill Limited Words+ Inc. Zygo-Usa. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Market Overview 3. Market Determinants 4. Market Segmentation 5. Geographical Analysis 6. Company Profiles For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/pk9j8m/global_speech View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160713006296/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 13, 2016] Fitch Affirms Greenwich Hospital's (CT) Rev Bonds at 'AA-'; Outlook Stable Fitch Ratings affirms the 'AA-' rating on the following hospital revenue bonds issued by the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority on behalf of Greenwich Hospital (the hospital or Greenwich): --$35.1 million series 2008C. The Rating Outlook is Stable. SECURITY The bonds are secured by a pledge of the gross receipts of the obligated group. KEY RATING DRIVERS EXCELLENT DEBT COVERAGE: The hospital has a very modest debt burden with maximum annual debt service (MADS) equating to very low 1.1% of revenue in fiscal 2015 (year-end Sept. 30). Philanthropy has funded significant portions of the hospital's capital needs, reducing the need to issue debt. MADS coverage by EBITDA remains excellent at 14.5x through the eight-month interim period ended May 31, 2016. ROBUST LIQUIDITY: At March 31, 2016, unrestricted cash and investments, not including more than $63 million of restricted endowment funds, translated to a robust 570% of long-term debt offsetting the risk associated with the hospital's 100% variable rate debt profile. CONSISTENT PROFITABILITY: Greenwich Hospital has a consistent record of operating profitability despite the negative impact of the Connecticut hospital provider tax and relatively flat inpatient volumes. The hospital is able to maintain strong margins by effectively managing costs and taking advantage of its affiliation with the Yale-New Haven Health System (YNHHS), allowing for consolidation of various services. Through the eight-month interim period ending May 31, 2016, the hospital achieved strong operating and operating EBITDA margins of 8.1% and 15%, significantly exceeding Fitch's 'AA' category medians. INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE: Westchester County has seen a considerable amount of activity involving hospital affiliations and strategic relationships with New York based hospital systems. Additionally, Stamford Hospital is about to open a new patient tower with a portion of the space to be leased to Hospital for Special Surgery. To date, the more consolidated and competitive environment has not had a measurable negative impact on Greenwich Hospital's market share, but Greenwich is proactively responding by closer integration with its physicians and strategic placement of outpatient facilities. MEMBER of YALE-NEW HAVEN HEALTH: The hospital continues to benefit from an affiliation with Yale-New Haven Health System (YNHHS), which provides Greenwich Hospital with supply chain savings, managed care contracting, certain management services and clinical support in several subspecialties. RATING SENSITIVITIES MAINTENANCE OF CREDIT PROFILE: Fitch expects that Greenwich Hospital's operating performance will be stable through the medium term due to the strength of the hospital's market position, its low debt load, and the benefits from the Yale-New Haven Health affiliation. CREDIT PROFILE Greenwich Hospital consists of an acute-care hospital (206 beds) operating in Greenwich, CT. The hospital provides medical, surgical, dental and other health care services in its primary service area of Fairfield County, CT and portions of Westchester County, NY. Fitch's analysis is based on the consolidated entity, Greenwich Health Care Services, Inc. and subsidiaries, which had total revenue of approximately $359.7 million in fiscal year 2015. Greenwich Hospital is a member of YNHHS, comprising Yale-New Haven, Bridgeport Hospital, and Greenwich Hospital, but is not part of the YNHHS obligated group. MEMBER OF YALE NEW HAVEN HEALTH SYSTEM The relationship with YNHHS has continued to be a positive driver. The cancer program at Greenwich Hospital has been successful through leveraging the system's brand name and using the protocols of the Smilow Cancer Center at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Several oncologists were recruited for the Northeast Medical Group (NEMG), which allows Greenwich to remain competitive with Memorial Sloan-Kettering (rated 'AA'), which opened a new outpatient treatment center in Harrison, NY in 2014. NEMG is a 470-physician multi-specialty medical group affiliated with all three YNHHS hospitals. LOW DEBT BURDEN Due to its very modest debt burden, Greenwich Hospital continues tohave robust MADS coverage by EBITDA, most recently 12.9x in fiscal 2015 and also better than Fitch 'AA' category medians are Greenwich's MADS at only 1.1% of revenues and cushion ratio of 42.8x. All leverage metrics compare favorably to Fitch's respective 'AA' category medians of 5.7x, 2.4% and 27x, respectively. Through the eight month interim period, MADS coverage by EBITDA was reported at 14.5x and MADS as percent of revenues further declined to 1%. CONSISTENT PROFITABILITY Greenwich Hospital has been a significant net loser in the Connecticut provider hospital tax established in 2012. For the current fiscal year Greenwich was assessed $19.5 million, but is expected to receive only approximately $1 million in Medicaid Disproportioned Share Payments. Additionally, inpatient volumes have been relatively flat, with the exception of obstetrics; births increased by close to 45% since 2013. Management's response has been to set expense improvement targets to offset the impact of the provider tax deficit during the years that it has been in effect, for all hospital operations including clinical, labor and non-labor areas. In fiscal 2015, the $19.3 million target had been exceeded with expense savings of $20.2 million. As a consequence, Greenwich's profitability has been consistently strong and improving. The hospital produced operating income of $26.7 million in fiscal 2015, up from $15.7 million in fiscal 2013 and $25.1 million in fiscal 2014. The 2015 results translate to operating margin of 7.1% and operating EBITDA margin of 13.9%, both better than Fitch's medians of 4.9% and 11.5%, respectively. Profitability has been maintained through the interim period with operating income of $20.4 million, exceeding budgeted $16.1 million, and equal to operating EBITDA margins of 8.1% and 15%. Budget for next year is for a somewhat lower 2% operating margin due to several factors including an increase in the Connecticut provider tax, startup expenses of the new outpatient facility in Stamford and a temporary loss of revenues from terminating a joint venture (JV) partnership with a physician group. A new JV partnership has already been identified, but the revenues had not been incorporated into the 2017 budget. EVOLVING COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE Greenwich Hospital has managed to maintain a steady market share of 36% of its primary service area, despite declining inpatient utilization across the service area and an increasingly competitive environment with a number of the metropolitan New York based systems acquiring and affiliating with stand-alone facilities in Westchester County. Stamford Hospital, with which Greenwich's service area somewhat overlaps, is opening a new patient tower later this summer and has entered into a relationship with the New York City based Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). The entry of the orthopedic program, which will be operated by HSS at Stamford Hospital, could potentially have some impact on Greenwich's orthopedic volume. Greenwich is planning to mitigate this by opening a musculoskeletal center through the Yale School of Medicine along with multiple ancillary services in Stamford. As the competition in Greenwich Hospital's service area continues to evolve, the hospital will continue to leverage its relationship with the Yale New Haven affiliated Yale Medical Group and Northeast Medical Group, which have specialist and subspecialists practicing in Greenwich's service area. DISCLOSURE Greenwich Hospital covenants to disclose annual audits within 150 days of fiscal year-end to MSRB's EMMA system. Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'. Applicable Criteria Revenue-Supported Rating Criteria (pub. 16 Jun 2014) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=750012 U.S. Nonprofit Hospitals and Health Systems Rating Criteria (pub. 09 Jun 2015) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=866807 Additional Disclosures Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr_id=1008835 Solicitation Status https://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=1008835 Endorsement Policy https://www.fitchratings.com/jsp/creditdesk/PolicyRegulation.faces?context=2&detail=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 (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/20160713006443/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 13, 2016] Dynamic Communities Announces Scott Guthrie, Microsoft Executive Vice President, as Summit 2016 Keynote Speaker TAMPA, Fla., July 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynamic Communities, Inc. announces Scott Guthrie, Microsoft Executive Vice President, Microsoft Cloud and Enterprise Group as the official Summit 2016 keynote speaker. Summit is the leading conference for organizations powered by Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Dynamics GP, and Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Attendees engage in peer-to-peer knowledge exchange through hundreds of educational sessions on current product versions and unmatched networking opportunities. With Microsoft's involvement, attendees will also gain insight into the future of Dynamics through Guthrie's keynote and additional Microsoft product roadmap sessions. Guthrie's keynote address will feature Microsoft Dynamics 365 announced recently by Microsoft in this blog post. "Summit is dedicated to educating organizations using Dynamics to be more proficient in their use of the technology thereby propelling business success," said Janet Lampert, Dynamic Communities, Inc. President and COO. "As such, we are thrilled to welcome Scott Guthrie to share the future direction of Dynamics with Summit attendees who will be among the firstto see Dynamics 365 in action during Tuesday's compelling keynote experience." As executive vice president of the Microsoft Cloud and Enterprise Group, Scott Guthrie is responsible for the company's cloud infrastructure, server, database, CRM, ERP, management and development tools businesses. His engineering team builds Microsoft Azure, Windows Server, SQL Server, Microsoft Dynamics, Active Directory, System Center, Visual Studio and .NET. For more information about Scott Guthrie, Summit 2016 Keynote, please visit one of the following webpages: Microsoft Dynamics AX Users & Partners, click here . . Microsoft Dynamics CRM Users & Partners, click here . . Microsoft Dynamics GP Users & Partners, click here . . Microsoft Dynamics NAV Users & Partners, click here. About Summit: Summit 2016 will be held October 11th -14th in Tampa, Florida and provides a professional haven for thousands of Microsoft Dynamics AX, CRM, GP, and NAV users. For more information, visit www.dynamiccommunities.com/summit. About Dynamic Communities, Inc: Dynamic Communities, Inc. (DCI) is the supporting organization behind the Dynamics AX User Group (AXUG), Dynamics CRM User Group (CRMUG) Dynamics GP User Group (GPUG), and Dynamics NAV User Group (NAVUG). Dynamic Communities is independent from Microsoft; however, its close working relationship positions its groups to be a collective voice to Microsoft on user concerns, needs, and requests. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160713/389281 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dynamic-communities-announces-scott-guthrie-microsoft-executive-vice-president-as-summit-2016-keynote-speaker-300298264.html SOURCE Dynamic Communities Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Fisher earns distinction, completes degree WICHITA, Kan. -- Andrew C Fisher of Charleston has been named to the Wichita State University dean's honor roll for spring 2016, and has also completed his bachelor of music, music performance-voice degree. To be included on the dean's honor roll, a student must be enrolled full time (at least 12 credit hours) and earn at least a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Local students named to spring term dean's list ROCK ISLAND -- Augustana College announced 913 students were named to the dean's list for the 2016 spring term. Students who have earned this academic honor have maintained a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher on a four-point scale for courses taken during the term. The following students area students were named to the dean's list: Taylor Campbell of Tuscola, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders Natalie Staton of Charleston, majoring in Pre-Medicine, Biochemistry and Psychology Lindsey Tripp of Shelbyville, majoring in Biology Alethe Vassay of Charleston, majoring in Accounting China-Mongolia business ties will look to enhanced regional connectivity to stimulate trade and attract investment as they pursue measures to improve economic integration, Chinese officials said. Zhi Luxun, deputy director of the Department of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Commerce, said regional connectivity is a top priority for the Mongolian government when it comes to promoting development in investment, trade, infrastructure and tourism. Mongolia is a landlocked country with a sparse population, vast territory and abundant resources. It relies heavily on China and Russia for access to ports. The country exports mainly minerals and agricultural products to China and global trade partners. To help the country boost exports, Mongolia has been allowed to use part of Tianjin Port in China, and it has setup an office in Tianjin. "We think Dalian is another port that will probably become open to Mongolia," said Khaliunbat Myagmarjav, executive director of the Silk Road Foundation, a Mongolian civil economic organization. China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region has also made aproposal to the central government to make itself a free-trade zone based on cross-border trade. "The two countries are highly complementary in economic structure and enjoy a huge potential for economic and trade cooperation," said Luo Renjian, a researcher at the Institute of Transportation Research under the National Development and Reform Commission. Luo said Mongolia has realized that better rail connections and enhanced port services could have meaningful economic and political implications for its economic growth. Wang Lihua, director of the publicity department of Erenhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, said Mongolia needs a largenumber of goods and products from China. Erenhot is now China's only trading hub with Mongolia. "About 2 million Mongolians enter China through the land port of Erenhot each year," Wang said. "The economic connection between the two countries is going to be even stronger with the Belt and Road Initiative in place." Contact the writers at zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 07/14/2016 page5) CHARLESTON -- After years seeking the rights for the musical, the Central Illinois Stage Company will put on their production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Scott Brooks, musical director, said he had been hoping to take on this play for a couple of years but was denied the rights to the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. We couldn't get the rights to it last year because of the national tour (performing the musical), Brooks said. Brooks, a veteran director, said he had a big interest in directing the musical simply because it was a great production to tackle for him. Everybody asked if there was any particular reason that I wanted to direct this show as much as I did, and it really just came down to the music and the type of show it was, Brooks said. It is a great family show. This almost entirely sung show follows the biblical figure Joseph from the Book of Genesis with his coat of many colors through his adventures. For those unfamiliar, in this story, Joseph, who is his father Jacobs favorite son, is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams. As a result, his brothers harbor jealousy of this favoritism, leading them to sell Joseph into slavery, and he is taken to Egypt. Through many more misadventures, he lands in jail. When news of Josephs gift to interpret dreams reaches the pharaoh, Joseph is well on his way to becoming second in command. Later on, his brothers, who have suffered greatly, find themselves groveling at his feet for assistance, not knowing he was the brother they betrayed but no longer recognize. Throughout the show, this large ensemble cast of about 30 takes the stage taking on a music that weaves in and out of differing styles from country-western and calypso to bubble-gum pop and rock 'n' roll, according to a CISCo press release. Brooks said this ensemble production proved challenging but well worth it. The ensemble is on stage for almost the entire time, Brooks said. It is moving a lot of people (on stage at one time)... They have been very attentive, though. Leading this ensemble of people as Joseph, Richard Jones, an associate professor of communication studies at Eastern Illinois University, will take on the role he has come to know from the several times he has watched the musical. He will portray Joseph after first watching the musical for the first time in 1998 when he was 18 years old. The fact that I am now playing (as Joseph) 18 years later is a really cool part, Jones said. Harkening back to previous performances as goofy or lackadaisical characters, Jones said his interpretation of the biblical figure will show Joseph as a naive but lovable character. Six performances are planned for this Old Testament tale with modern elements like 1920s mobster-style costumes strewn throughout. These performances will run today through July 17 at the Salisbury Church, 2350 Madison Ave., Charleston. There are four evening performances at 7:30 p.m., as well as Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $13 for adults and $8 for children ages 12 and under. The lobby opens 90 minutes prior to each performance for those who want to purchase tickets early. The house opens 30 minutes prior to each performance. SPRINGFIELD -- Speaking in the room where Abraham Lincoln delivered his house divided speech, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Wednesday called for unity and mutual understanding at a time of deep racial, economic and political divisions. In the wake of the deaths of two black men last week at the hands of police officers in Baton Rouge, La., and suburban St. Paul, Minn., and the fatal shootings of five police officers in Dallas, Clinton said Americans need to come together to address issues of racial injustice, police officer safety and gun control. And a day after receiving the endorsement of former Democratic rival U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who made income inequality a centerpiece of his campaign, Clinton continued her call for making sure the U.S. economy works for everyone, not just those at the top. The challenges we face today do not approach those of Lincolns time, Clinton said at the Old State Capitol in downtown Springfield, where Lincoln served as a state representative and delivered his famous speech about a country divided over slavery in 1858 while running for U.S. Senate. Not even close. And we should be very clear about that. But recent events have left people across America asking hard questions about whether we are still a house divided. Despite our best efforts and highest hopes, Americas long struggle with race is far from finished. And despite being the richest country on earth, we have too much economic inequality, and that also undermines the foundation of our democracy. The challenges facing the country require a president who can help pull us together, not split us apart, Clinton said, pointing to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps divisive comments about women, Muslims, immigrants and others. This man is the nominee of the party of Lincoln, Clinton said. We are watching it become the party of Trump. And thats not just a huge loss for our democracy -- it is a threat to it. Above all, Clinton said, people need to take the time to listen to others, including those who hold opposing views, and find common ground. She spoke to an invited audience for about a half-hour before holding a brief private meeting with a smaller group of supporters. Among that group was state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, who will attend the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia later this month as an elected Clinton delegate. Manar said Clintons speech helped define the differences between her and Trump. She delivered a very strong message of unity, a positive message that I think all Americans from all walks of life, all races, can digest, he said, adding, That is in stark contrast to the message of Mr. Trump and his campaign, which is a daily campaign about division. Its a daily campaign about blaming other people for the challenges we face in the country. State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, was less full-throated in her support of the former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state, noting that they disagree on some issues. But Scherer said she appreciated the somber tone of Clintons speech and backs her because of her strong commitment to middle-class and working-class families. Im right there with her on that, and I feel like this is the direction our whole country needs to go, Scherer said. We need to look out for our majority of our people. Bob Flider, former director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, said Clinton might not be the obvious choice for downstate voters, who have leaned Republican in recent presidential elections. But he said Trumps opposition to trade agreements could prove disastrous for central Illinois farmers who rely on the North American export market. His policies would devastate trade for farmers, Flider said. It would hurt agriculture. Wednesdays speech was Clintons second stop of the campaign season at the Old State Capitol, which is also where Barack Obama officially launched his first presidential campaign in 2007. Clinton came there in March on the eve of the presidential primary in her native state to tape a town hall-style event for MSNBC. Editors note: Ground Zero traditionally visits restaurants outside of Lincoln during July. HALLAM -- Karen Grothen-Neff worked as a mortgage broker, but her passion lay elsewhere. So 3 years ago, she made the leap and became a restaurant owner. She and her husband, Patrick Neff, purchased the Hallam Steakhouse, a small-town eatery that draws diners from Lincoln, Beatrice, Fairbury, Hickman, Firth and other Southeast Nebraska locations. The venture has proven so successful that Grothen-Neff left the mortgage company in June to run the restaurant full time. She served my friends and I when we stopped in for dinner Saturday evening. This always has been a dream of mine, Grothen-Neff said, who drives in from Lincoln virtually everyday. I was looking in my hometown (she grew up Hastings), but everything was so high-priced. I really wanted to own a building and not lease. Then she heard the Hallam restaurant was for sale. It sits on the main drag in the tiny town, which is now pretty much barren of trees after the 2004 tornado. That tornado took the roof off the metal building eatery, forcing an extensive indoor remodel, Grothen-Neff said. Twelve years later, the steakhouse looks practically new, with a knotty pine interior, well-maintained carpeted floors and comfortable attractive booths that surround the main dining area filled with tables and chairs. Theres also a long bar for single seating. Diners make the trip, Grothen-Neff said, for the rib-eye-for-two special. For $30.95, the meal features a 24-ounce rib-eye served with 2 plates, a choice of a side and a trip to a salad bar featuring homemade salads, fresh fruit and more. Also popular is the 8-ounce filet ($16.95), bacon-wrapped and braised with lemon herb and garlic seasoning. I enjoyed the thick cut medium rare, knowing I would order it again when I return. Outside of one breaded walleye filet that was dry from overcooking, our meals were superb. The grilled walleye one of my friends ordered was spot on, and the 12-ounce ribeye another friend ordered came out juicy and tender. The salad bar featured eight or so items, including a potato salad I really enjoyed and freshly cut beets. We ordered a couple of appetizers -- gizzards and fried green beans. They were typical bar-type food, which kept us busy between the salad bar and our entrees. Jeremy Bates is the kitchen manager, the only holdover from the previous owner, Grothen-Neff said. She let Bates tinker with the menu to put his stamp on it. Its a mix of steaks and seafood (walleye, tilapia, etc.) served after 5 p.m., gourmet burgers and sandwiches. Prices are reasonable, with burgers and sandwiches right around $7.95 and most dinner entrees between $13 and $17. Ive fallen in love with this community, the people and with this restaurant, Grothen-Neff said. It shows. Shes giving Hallam something to be proud of. OMAHA -- Investigators believe Timothy Clausen set up plans to escape from the Lincoln Correctional Center by using a cellphone smuggled in for him by a prison caseworker. Clausen and Armon Dixon left the prison on June 10 in a laundry truck. Dixon was caught the next day in Lincoln, but Clausen managed to stay out for five days until he was arrested in Omaha. New details in the case appear in a search warrant written by Nebraska State Patrol Investigator Nathan Malicky and obtained by the Journal Star. A caseworker at the prison is accused of giving Clausen the cellphone about a month before the escape, according to the document filed in Douglas County Court. She has not been criminally charged. An inmate told investigators he saw Clausen with a black smartphone with the letter G on it. Investigators believe the caseworker was paid $500 to bring in the phone, documents say. The caseworker was living beyond her financial means and may have been smuggling other contraband into the prison as well, documents say. Investigators are trying to identify a woman on the outside who called LCC about 15 minutes after the escape to say Dixon had called her asking for a ride. The woman thought it was a joke and asked if Dixon had escaped. The correctional officer in charge of the housing unit in which Dixon lived told her he had not. Clausen and Dixon's escape from LCC triggered a massive manhunt in Lincoln and Omaha that has cost at least $34,400. Court documents filed recently in Omaha also offer new details on how Clausen was found. On June 12, the state patrol got an anonymous tip that he was staying in a garage in the 2600 block of Patrick Avenue in Omaha with the permission of the person who lived there. Officers spoke with a witness who said she saw Clausen nearby, documents say. Police talked to another man at the home who said Clausen was sleeping on his bed and he was upset about it but had not called 911. Three days later, the U.S. Marshals Metro Area Task Force got additional information that Clausen was at 3226 N. 26th Ave. When officers knocked on the door there, a woman answered and they saw Clausen close the bathroom door, documents say. They found him in the apartment with at least three other people. Officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson revolver on the toilet in the bathroom. The gun was not registered or reported stolen, documents say. After he was arrested, Clausen acknowledged having the cellphone and said Dixon also used it. He said Dixon was supposed to make arrangements for a ride with the woman he called after the escape. Prosecutors have charged an Omaha woman with helping Clausen escape. They believe Wanda Minor, 51, picked him up in Lincoln and drove him out of the city. State officials called in help from out of state to investigate the escapes, and Gov. Pete Ricketts and Corrections Director Scott Frakes vowed to track down and fix errors that led to two dangerous inmates being on the street. Clausen and Dixon, both convicted sex offenders, have been taken to Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. The following editorial was written by Bloomberg View editors: The open-carry movement faced a very public test in Dallas last week. It failed. While concealed carry can be championed ostensibly as a means of self-defense, open carry prioritizes performance over pragmatism. After all, openly carrying a firearm is an ideological statement more than a self-defense posture: It cedes the crucial element of surprise to an armed assailant. Open carrys true goal is to normalize extreme gun culture by making firearms familiar, visible and ubiquitous. Last Thursday, more than a dozen participants in Dallass Black Lives Matter protest came prominently armed. When shots from a sniper rang out, police officers had to discern instantly working in chaotic conditions, at night, under fire whether the armed protesters were murderous criminals or something else. Police stopped some of those carrying guns, and designated one a person of interest. Trying to divine the intentions of the armed marchers diverted time and energy from the pursuit of the sniper. This led Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to observe that, in a shooting situation, open carry can be detrimental to the safety of individuals. Thats true as far it goes, which is not nearly far enough: Open carry is detrimental to public safety, period. In addition to exposing the danger of open carry, the mayhem in Dallas revealed once again the inanity of the National Rifle Associations good guy with a gun talking point. The simplistic assumption that the world can be divided between good guys and bad guys bears no relationship to reality. Before he went on a murderous rampage, there was nothing to identify the Dallas sniper as anything but a good guy with a gun. Likewise, a man carrying a rifle down a street in Colorado Springs, Colo., last fall was deemed a good guy right up until the moment he started killing. In Dallas last week, open-carry activists did not serve as protectors. Instead, they heightened the risk faced by police officers and civilians and made a fraught, uncertain and dangerous situation all the more so. SAN DIEGO -- Shortly after last week's ambush of police officers in Dallas, many of my followers on social media were imploring me to control my rage. But, as the son of a cop who spent 37 years on the job, I pushed back and asserted my right to be furious. I watched in horror the images out of Dallas. After 25-year-old Micah Johnson, an African-American Army veteran, slaughtered five officers and wounded seven others, all I could think about was what was coming next -- thousands of fellow officers saluting flag-draped coffins, the haunting sound of bagpipes, children growing up without their fathers all because of something absurd. Racism is always absurd, no matter who practices it. Dallas Police Chief David Brown told reporters that Johnson was upset at recent killings of African-American men by police and "wanted to kill white people, especially white officers." And while Brown said that Johnson was not affiliated with any group, the chief did say he shared the anger of the Black Lives Matter movement. And while the media are going the extra mile to try to exonerate Black Lives Matter in the killing of the police officers, it's not that simple. Not when leaders in the movement advance the inflammatory accusation that police are "hunting" African-Americans and marchers, some of them affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement, call for "dead cops" and chant "pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon." So, as you can see, like a lot of Americans, I have much to be angry about. And I expressed some of it on social media. In response, one person wrote: "Your anger is justified, but it's time for light not heat." I'm all for light. But there is a time for heat. If activists -- no matter what their cause -- didn't believe that, they wouldn't do what they do. Another person wrote: "You also have a responsibility to tone down the hysteria. These urgent times call upon us to create the space for dialogue and understanding. Demonizing will only get us closer to the abyss." Now we're getting to what it was about these comments that bothered me. As an opinion writer, I don't have a responsibility to tone down anything. Look around. Do you see many people in my business toning down their rhetoric, on any topic? I don't. So I wrote back: "Hear me now. I am not your priest. I am not your mayor. I am not your leader. I am not your social worker. I am not your teacher. I am a JOURNALIST -- an OPINION journalist, in fact, whose job is to challenge you and everyone else, on the right/left/center to confront things you don't want to confront." One thing I must confront is unfair expectations. As the son of a retired cop, it's not up to me to create a space to understand cop killers. State officials insist that theres no contest between the state brand and the slogan for tourism. But if there were, Good just ran Nice across the wrassling ring and smashed its head against the turnbuckle. Nice is out cold. Good is strutting around the ring, arms raised in victory. Good, you may have guessed, refers to Nebraska the Good life, the 70s phrase that has taken root in the state psyche. Now it lives on in Nebraskas new unified state brand: Nebraska. Good Life. Great Opportunity. Nice is Nebraskas scandal-tainted, multi-million-dollar albatross of a tourism slogan: Visit Nebraska. Visit Nice. In comparison, the new state brand was developed by Lincoln-based Firespring for $62,500. From the beginning, Firespring President Dave Snitily said, people voiced an attachment to The Good Life slogan. Gov. Pete Ricketts and Courtney Dentlinger, state economic development director went with it. It captures the essence of Nebraska, Dentlinger said. Ricketts said the new state brand reflects how Nebraskans feel about themselves. Theres no doubt that the new state brand will fare better in the court of public opinion than the controversial tourism slogan referring to Nebraska nice. In the first place, Minnesota already owned the phase, more or less. Theres even a Coen brothers movie with the title Minnesota Nice. And in the second place the Nebraska nice slogan is now stained by the scandal of a $4.4 million cost overrun by the advertising firm that helped develop it. It looks like its on its way out. "It's turned into more of a joke," Nebraska Travel Association President Todd Kirshenbaum said earlier this year. In Iowa they sell a T-shirt that says, Nebraska: Nice try. And some are championing use of the good life phrase for tourism. "I have been a strong proponent for returning Nebraska to 'the good life' for years," said Kevin Howard, director of the Alliance Visitors Bureau. "It resonates with the citizens of the state of Nebraska." The phrase still adorns some highway welcome signs at the states borders. A Facebook page Nebraskans for keeping The Good Life slogan has more than 12,000 members. Needless to say, the page was humming this week. Ricketts said the good life phrase is flexible enough to be tweaked for specific purposes. The Roads Department, for example, plans to use Good Life. Great Journey. When he unveiled the new brand, Ricketts paraphrased a quote from the John Steinbeck novel, East of Eden that goes No story has power, nor will it last, unless we feel in ourselves that it is true and true of us. Its hard to argue that the quote does not apply to the new state brand Cherry County and its insurance provider are suing a Valentine woman to try to recoup $180,000 she stole from the county while working as a deputy county clerk between 2012 and 2015. Monica Bristow, 45, used her access to county credit cards and bank accounts to embezzle more than $198,000, Lincoln attorney Vince Valentino said in the lawsuit filed Tuesday. She pleaded guilty to theft and unauthorized use of a financial transaction device and is serving a two-year sentence. Valentino represents the county and its insurer, the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association, which has a contract to cover damages from acts of employee dishonesty, according to the lawsuit. A routine audit in June 2015 found more than 1,000 credit card transactions totaling $83,000 that appeared to be for Bristow's personal use. Auditors also found discrepancies in claim procedures, payroll issues and county expenditures. In the lawsuit filed in Lancaster County District Court, Valentino said she spent the money on airline tickets for vacations, home decor and groceries, among other things. Bristow was arrested in July 2015, and the $18,000 she paid in bail has been forfeited as part of the $20,300 in restitution she was ordered to pay, Valentino said. She is at the Community Corrections Center-Lincoln and will be eligible for parole in January. DURHAM, N.C. LED designer and manufacturer Cree announced Thursday an agreement to sell its Wolfspeed Power and Radio Frequency Division to Infineon Technologies AG for $850 million in cash. The division includes the silicon carbide substrate business for power, radio frequency and gemstone applications. In 2015 Cree which includes the former Ruud Lighting and has offices and manufacturing at 9201 Washington Ave. announced its strategy to become a more focused LED lighting company. As part of that, it also announced a proposed initial public offering of Wolfspeed to create a more focused power and radio frequency management team, raise capital to fuel Wolfspeeds growth and create value for shareholders. After that announcement, Cree was approached by several parties interested in acquiring the business directly, and Cree concluded that selling Wolfspeed to Infineon was the best decision for shareholders, employees and customers. Selling Wolfspeed to Infineon speeds our transition to a more focused LED lighting company while providing significant resources to accelerate our growth, stated Chuck Swoboda, Cree chairman and CEO. Divesting Wolfspeed is targeted to reduce short-term profits, but increase free cash flow. Cree expects approximately $585 million of net proceeds after tax and other deal-related costs. Crees product families include LED lighting systems and bulbs, blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lighting-class power LEDs, power-switching devices and RF devices. Crees products are used in applications such as general illumination, electronic signs and signals, power supplies and inverters. RACINE COUNTY A petition has been filed to waive the 16-year-old suspect arrested Wednesday in connection to the Racine Hyundai burglary into adult court, according to Racine County District Attorney Rich Chiapete. The 16-year-old suspects arrest came hours before four more juveniles were arrested in connection to the Sturtevant burlary, according to a Milwaukee Police Department press release. Chiapete said the other juveniles arrested in Milwaukee County are being held in Milwaukee because they have active Milwaukee County juvenile orders. The 16-year-old suspect is being held in the Racine County Juvenile Detention Facility. Chiapete said the suspect is being charged with four counts of burglary, five counts of felony theft, two counts of attempted felony theft, and six counts of felony criminal damage to property. We take these crimes very seriously, Chiapete said in an email. There is no place for this in our community. We will be taking a hard stance on these matters. The four suspects taken into custody Wednesday night were two 17-year-old males, a 16-year-old female, and a 15-year-old female. The police also recovered the second car, a 2016 blue Hyundai, four-door hatchback. Both the 2016 blue Hyundai and black Hyundai Elantra, which the 16-year-old suspect was driving, were recovered. The cars were stolen from Racine Hyundai, 9503 Washington Ave. early Wednesday morning. Milwaukee Police identified the second Hyundai that was stolen from Racine Hyundai at about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday in the 3100 block of N. 74th Street in Milwaukee. While attempting to stop the vehicle, the four occupants jumped from the vehicle while it was still in motion, the release said. Officers pursued on foot and apprehended the subjects. One officer pursued the still-in-motion vehicle instead of the subject to prevent injuries to citizens or cause property damage, the release said. In his attempt to stop the vehicle, he lost his balance and was dragged by the car. The vehicle stopped when it crashed into a light pole. The 51-year-old officer received several injures from the dragging and was taken to a local hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the release. Milwaukee Police will present this case to the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office. Milwaukee Police are also working with Sturtevant Police in the investigation. 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. A fresh start It is important that the Madhesi parties are represented in the new government Apex court issues show cause notice against govt The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a show cause notice against the government over the appointment of Maha Prasad Adhikari as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Investment Board Nepal (IBN). Bajhang folks free two engineers after 22 hours Two engineers of the Divisional Road Office were freed from Malumela VDC in Bajhang on Wednesday after 22 hours. Bangladesh cafe siege: Fate of detained hostages 'unknown' Twenty hostages and two police officers died in the attack. Cannot risk natl interests in the name of good neighbourly relation: PM Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who now faces a no-confidence motion in the parliament, said he cannot compromise national security in the name of maintaining cordial relationship with neighbours. Dahal set to make comeback as 39th prime minister CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal looks set to make a comeback as the 39th prime minister, possibly in the next few weeks, with the Nepali Congress and Madhes-based parties pledging to throw their weight behind him. DiCaprio's foundation to donate $15 mn for cause Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio's foundation is to donate $15.6 million to help solve environmental issues. DRI summons Kanak Dixit, his wife Shanta The Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) has summoned Sajha Yatayat Cooperative Chairman Kanak Mani Dixit and his wife Shanta Dixit as what it calls part of investigation into matters related to foreign exchange. EU provides Rs 6b out of Rs 12b pledged for rehabilitation of quake-affected communities The European Union (EU) has provided Rs 6 billion to Nepal as the first tranche of the Nepal - EU Action for Recovery and Reconstruction (NEARR) budget support programme. Four arrested for abduction attempt The Nawalpur Area Police Office arrested and made public four people who were involved in abduction attempt of a minor for ransom. Hospital apathy worries NHRC The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the deteriorating health of Dr Govinda KC, who has been staging fast-unto-death for the last four days, and the hospital administrations apathy towards making necessary medical arrangements. India refrains from making comments on recent political development in Nepal India has refrained from making any formal comments regarding the recent political development in Nepal. Indias SSB threatens Paklihawa villagers for questioning girls death People in Paklihawa village of Nawalparasi have requested the District Administration Office to provide them security, claiming that they are being threatened by Indian security personnel from across the border after they raised suspicion following the death of a local girl. Islamic State confirms key commander Omar Shishani dead A news agency linked to so-called Islamic State has confirmed the death of key leader Omar Shishani, who the US said it killed in March. Majority of Tanahu brick kilns breaching govt rule A number of brick factories operating in Tanahu district have been found not abiding by the government rule. Many firms vanish without paying taxes, says IRO A large number of enterprises in Rupandehi district have been evading taxes by not filing their tax returns, the Inland Revenue Office (IRO) said. According to IRO officials, many of these firms go out of contact of the tax authorities after carrying out their businesses. NA airlifts 19 stranded locals of Sindhupalchowk to safe place The Nepal Army on Thursday airlifted locals of Tatopani and Vanpark-4 from Sindhupalchok district, who were stranded due to floods and landslide triggered by the incessant rainfall for the past few days, to the safer places. No-confidence motion filed against PM Oli A day after pulling out of the coalition, the UCPN (Maoist Centre), backed by the Nepali Congress and CPN (Samyukta), on Wednesday registered a no-confidence motion in the Legislature-Parliament against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who now faces the challenge to prove its majority. One nabbed with drugs Police here have arrested Bhageshwar Yadav of Pipra-5 of Siraha district with 30 bottles of corex, police said. Peshawar school massacre leader 'killed in US air strike' A militant who masterminded a deadly attack on a Pakistani school in 2014 has been killed in a US-led air strike, US and Pakistani officials say. PM Oli offers premiership to NC senior leader Poudel, gets rejected With the recent political developments heading towards toppling of the incumbent government, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that his partyCPN-UMLwill support the Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel for the premiership. Poet Bhanubhakta remembered The Bhanu Foundation on Wednesday organised a programme at the Nepal Academy to commemorate poet Bhanu Bhakta Acharyas contribution to the development of Nepali language and literature. Political row put on hold 3 key bills on budget Three bills related to the budget for the next fiscal yearFinancial Bill, Bill on Raising Public Debt and Loan an Guarantee Billcould not be passed on Wednesday following opposition from the newly formed alliance of the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN (Maoist Centre). Strange bedfellows Politics will become more interesting once it expands from the streets into the realm of ideas Toilet talk The Open Defecation Free campaign sounds impressive, but little has changed on the ground 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 NEMO Equipment, Inc., was recently recognized with the OutDoor INDUSTRY AWARD 2016 for its Escape Pod 1P Bivy. At just 7 oz., the Escape Pod 1P Bivy delivers bug protection and a sense of security, essential elements for a good nights rest, according to a recent NEMO press release. Awarded at the OutDoor Show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, 37 outstanding product and material innovations were selected from over 343 entries in this years competition. The expert panel was composed of international designers, apparel and equipment experts from retail and industry associations, journalists and alpinists. "The high level of expertise and experience that comes together for the OutDoor Industry Award judging process is completely unique. It was impressive to witness the in-depth nature of the judges discussions. There were differences in opinion and serious debatewhich is a welcome part of the process. In the end though, the judges were able to reach a consensus and select the innovative products they saw as deserving winners of the award, said OutDoor Project Manager Dirk Heidrich. NEMOs lightweight and proven AirSupported Technology (inflatable airbeam) provides structure. The two-thirds length bivy with zippered entrance and drawstring closure seals out bugs while still offering starlight views. Escape Pod packs to the size of a grapefruit and orally inflates -- no pump required. It retails for $119.95. South Korea's ruling and opposition parties on Thursday agreed to hold a parliamentary session to ask policymakers about the planned deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system in the country. Under the agreement, the National Assembly will request key governmental officials, including Defense Minister Han Min-koo, to attend a plenary session to respond to lawmakers' questions on the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, sources said. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, and Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho will also join the session, parliamentary sources added. Local pundits expect lawmakers will concentrate their questions on the safety of the THAAD's powerful radar, along with solutions on the potential diplomatic discord with China and Russia. South Korea and the United States agreed to station the THAAD system in the country last week to better respond to Pyongyang's on-going nuclear development and missile provocations. The session is planned for Tuesday and Wednesday. While the ruling Saenuri Party supports the deployment, the minor People's Party has been claiming the plan should first win the National Assembly's approval. The main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea currently remains neutral about the plan, although some of its lawmakers voiced their discontent. Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party, who is a potential candidate for the next presidential election, also urged President Park Geun-hye to hold a meeting with representatives from each party on the "grave issue." "Parliament should pave the way for the public discussion on the deployment plan," the politician said. (Yonhap) No Yes, a light case Yes, two or more light cases One serious case Two or more serious bouts Vote View Results The West Salem School Board held its annual organizational meeting Monday night to find consensus among the board members and help direct the board toward common goals. The board discussed in great deal over a potluck meal the direction of the district and strategic goals over the long run. The board also discussed the performance of the architectural and construction management firms hired to help design, bid and manage the renovation and expansion of the middle school should a planned November referendum pass. A chief concern of several board members, including Greg Brickl, Tom Grosskopf and Catherine Griffin, was that Myron Construction couldnt be trusted. They havent changed from day one, Grosskopf said. Day 1, what they said was $24.5 million. He said even after they asked Vantage to go back and offer them another solution at a lower cost, they came back with something that stripped out a lot and cost nearly the same. Ken Schlimgen said he though Vantage was going to come to the board with a quote and Myron would comeback with a quote. Brickl said he believed the problem was Myron was hired at risk. He said Myron has a vested interest in getting the school district to borrow as much money as possible so they can make a decent profit. Brickls solution involved hiring a third-party consultant to oversee Myrons quotes. Im advocating for a pure play construction manager to come in to be our advocate, he said. Personally, I dont trust Myron. Brickl said he asked his estimator at Brickl Brothers Construction to check Myrons estimates for errors. Ive had my estimator estimate it and they are way off, he said. Grosskopf agreed with Brickls suggestion. I would rather see one contractor go against another contractor, he said. Anther concern Brickl brought to the table was that Myron Construction was under investigation by the Department of Justice for its billing practices in five Wisconsin public school building projects. Superintendent Troy Gunderson said given the amount of money involved, the board should be confident in who it hired. Griffin said she felt the district should release Myron and find a new construction management firm instead. Board member Jane Halverson agreed, saying she never thought they should hire a construction manager in the first place. Because the nature of the agenda item, the board could take no action, but requested Gunderson review the districts contract with Myron so the board could make a decision at the next meeting. Operating cost The board also discussed in detail the need to pass an operating referendum in the near future. According to the districts long-range planning, by the 2017-18 school year, the district will have an operating deficit of $900,000. Gunderson said the reason for this is the property values in the district have gone up, and as a result, the districts state aid is diminished. He said the state has said aid will increase slightly next year, but the districts spending authority will remain the same. This means that despite the increase in state aid, the district wont have any extra money and will be forced to balance the difference by either cutting taxes or prepaying its loans. Gunderson said the district will eventually get boxed in and be forced to cut programs if it doesnt pass an operating referendum. I look at them as a death spiral, board member Ken Schlimgen said. He said once a district is dependent on holding operating referendum every few years, if one doesnt pass, a school may have to cut dozens of positions. Advanced placement Among these included the availability of advanced placement credits and post-secondary education. Brickl said he believed the lack of AP credits was a problem for the district. Until recently, Gunderson has shied away from AP credits. My fundamental believe is that the credits are fake, he said. He said from conversations with people from the university, AP courses didnt adequately prepare students for college. Gunderson instead had fostered relationships with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Western Technical College and Viterbo University, where students could take college classes for credit and faculty were trained as adjunct professors to teach students college classes in the high school. The other factor was that with AP classes, students do not earn college credit. They must take a test and if they score high enough, the college or university may or may not award credit to them. Gunderson said he recognizes with open enrollment students look for these opportunities. West Salem currently offers three AP courses, in addition to the numerous college in the classroom offerings. Brickl said he wasnt against students taking college classes, but felt that AP courses should at least be offered. Now, a growing number of families can get instant access to grades and other school information through online "parent portals." But just because a grade can be posted hours after a test, does that mean parents should rush to the portal and discuss the B minus with their child that evening? How often should they check on grades, and what's the best way to handle the real-time academic updates? "My suggestion is for parents to not make themselves crazy checking every day," said Nancy Hill, a developmental psychologist and education professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. "Too much information can make a parent overbearing rather than facilitating their student's sense of autonomy" and planning, she added. "It's how parents use the information that becomes essential." Parents should start by checking the portals once a week (more if a child is struggling) and see how it goes, advises Hill, who studies parental involvement in education during adolescence. "But not on Friday," she said. You don't want "to brood over it over the weekend." Parent portals, which let schools securely post information on attendance, class schedules, report cards and even lunch menus, along with grades, have gone into use in school systems around the country over the last decade, experts say. Hill says the portals can be empowering, especially for parents of adolescents. Parents can monitor kids' progress behind the scenes, and not always have to ask to see the graded papers and tests. "They can see it and know how their children are doing and give space for independence and autonomy that the middle schoolers really crave," she said. Some parents check the portals every day; others never sign up at all. Neil Shapiro, a father of two from Marlboro, New Jersey, describes himself as "a very vigilant checker," who logged on at least once a day last school year when his son was a high school senior and his daughter in eighth grade. "They think it's ridiculous," he said of his children, both high-achievers. "They think I'm nuts." But using the portals meant that he and his wife could provide support when they felt their kids needed it, and before it was too late. "You can nip things in the bud," Shapiro said. "I don't want to find out my son or daughter missed three homework assignments at the end of the marking period. I want to find out why they missed the homework now" and what to do about it. He believes his kids were motivated to do well because they knew he was checking, but he tried to avoid using the information to stress them out. "It's definitely a balance," he said, adding that "you have to pick and choose how and when you confront your children about it." Juliet Babros of Los Angeles logs into the portals much less frequently to check on her daughters, who enter ninth and 11th grade this fall. She encourages them to try to improve their grades by, for example, asking to retake a test if they didn't score well. "I consider my approach balanced because I'm not constantly checking daily or even weekly, but more sporadically or when I suspect there might be an issue, or if they don't seem to be managing their time well," said Babros. "As my kids have gotten older, they don't always want to talk about assignments and test grades," she said. "The parent portal gives me a glimpse into what's going on in school without me having to bug them." Hill advises parents to do nothing if they see their child is doing fine. The portals, she said, allow for both celebrations and course corrections. "If the child did better than expected, say, 'Hey I think you did really well. You worked hard. Tell me more about what worked for you,'" she said. "If they're not doing well or had a poor grade, I wouldn't blow it out of proportion or change your weekend plans," Hill said. "I would ask them what happened and give them space to explain themselves, and then ask them what their plan is and if they need help." Don't take every grade too seriously. "Understand that a poor grade early on doesn't define them," Hill said. "It gives them an opportunity to see how they can improve." Cory Notestine, a school counseling facilitator in Colorado Springs, Colorado, also suggests that parents check on grades about once a week, noting that frequent checking and negative comments could strain the parent-child relationship. "Over time," he said, "what we want for children to do is take ownership of their education, with support from parents." FRIEDBERG, Germany With businesses closed over the weekend, our delegation moved into cultural-enjoyment mode, which is a business terms for "the fun part." Friedberg's festival did not disappoint. Nearly everyone in Friedberg dresses in costumes, often indicative of their profession and class. Those of higher prominence have more detailed costumes from the Middle Ages, while others wear simple and more comfortable attire. It is clear our sister-cities relationships are in full bloom in Friedberg, as the personal connections are made and newcomers are greeting warmly and quickly enfolded in this sister-cities family. Those who have hosted or been connected to the student exchange program get to reconnect, and those with business ties are eager to discuss the differences and similarities, with opportunities in La Crosse and Friedberg. English is very prominent in this area of Germany, so communication has been easy. German food is, as expected, heavy, but the quantity and frequency has taken many of us by surprise. We opted to take a walk instead of sitting and eating during a group dinner one evening while visiting the lovely village of Lansberg, a historic and charming river city. We toured Augsburg, which is the larger city next Friedberg. Much of the city was destroyed during World War II, but it has been rebuilt, often replicating the original buildings. We toured the Fugger-Welser Museum, where we received a lesson about how sea-trading entrepreneurs began what we call capitalism and land acquisition. Today, The Fugger family also owns a prominent bank in Europe that requires a minimum of $1 million initial deposit. HOLMEN The Holmen Area Fire District Association Board announced Wednesday it has selected former Onalaska Fire Chief Paul Menches as its new fire chief. Menches is the departments 12th fire chief. He will fill the job previously held by Chief Doug Schober, who resigned in December after serving as the departments fire chief for 15 years. Menches will assume his new duties Sept. 14. Department association board secretary/treasurer Chuck Olson said Menches was highly recommended to the board, which is made up of representatives from the village of Holmen and the towns of Holland and Onalaska. Menches was the only applicant the board interviewed. We feel very fortunate to have found Mr. Menches available and interested in returning to the Coulee Region, Olson said. He comes to us with experience and high recommendations. In reviewing the 20 applications submitted for the position, Olson said it became apparent the department needed an individual with experience and track record of managing a transitioning department. As many of you know, this department has faced some challenges in the past year, Olson said. In working through these challenges over this time, one of the charges we faced was to do a search for a new fire chief. In doing so, one of the major factors was to find a leader that could develop a long-range strategic plan, organize our training program and strengthen our relationship in the community. Although the newly selected fire chief currently works as a consultant in Washington, D.C., Menches isnt unfamiliar with the Coulee Region. He served as the Onalaska fire chief and EMS director from January 2003 to June 2006. Menches expressed delight in returning the Coulee Region. Im back, he said. Its an honor and Im looking forward to working together. Itll be a challenge, but Im looking forward to it. In addition to his time at the Onalaska department, Menches has served as the Milwaukee County Fire Chief, and as deputy chief and the chief for Wisconsins Department of Military Affairs. Hes been recognized as fire chief of the year in 2006 by the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin. He served 20 years in the military, becoming the fire chief for the U.S. Air Force. Along with his experience, Menches brings extensive education in fire science, public safety and administration in organizational development and strategic planning. Hes a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program and is a certified safety professional. The Holmen department has a roster of three full-time and 28 part-time firefighters/EMS personnel. Since late last year, assistant fire chiefs Bill Bulawa and Wes Linberg have taken on the fire chiefs duties after Schober resigned. An opiate abuse bill that includes Veterans Administration reforms inspired by events at the Tomah VA Medical Center is heading to the presidents desk. The bill, originally drafted as the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, expands the availability of the opioid overdose antidote naloxone, bolsters prescription drug monitoring programs and shifts some criminal justice resources toward addiction treatment. It was later amended to include language from bills crafted by Wisconsin lawmakers Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Rep. Ron Kind in the wake of 2015 media reports that doctors at the Tomah facility were over-prescribing narcotic painkillers. Both bills were named for Jason Simcakoski, a 35-year-old Marine Corps veteran who died in 2014 while at the Tomah VA from a toxic combination of prescription medications. The bill requires the VA to update its guidelines for opioid therapy and pain management, provide additional training for VA prescribers, and gives Congress more direct oversight of the department. It also creates a new office of patient advocacy so that people who are supposed to intervene on behalf of veterans dont report to the directors of their particular facility, one of several measures pushed for by Simcakoskis family. The Senate voted 92-2 Wednesday to pass the CARA bill, which last week cleared the House on a vote of 407-5. Marv Simcakoski said the vote shows the importance of the bill, which he hopes will help veterans like his son. He said his family is looking forward to meeting with President Barack Obama when he signs the bill. Every time I hear a phrase like both sides agree in reference to Black Lives Matter and police, it makes me bristle. Not because there arent usually two or more sides, and not because agreement isnt a good thing. But because some folks, including in the press, want to make a binary equation between the unprovoked killing of five Dallas police officers by an enraged black man, on one side, and the unprovoked killings of multiple black civilians by multiple police officers on the other. The two are not parallel: The killing of random police by a black civilian, though deplorable and heartbreaking, is not a widespread phenomenon. No one from Black Lives Matter or the shooters family justifies it. Quite the opposite. The mother of Minnesotan Philando Castile, whose shooting death by police is being protested, said anyone resorting to violence to avenge her sons death disrespects him. The enraged Dallas police killer, Micah Johnson, had his own issues. Accused of sexual harassment, hed been let go by the Army and was reportedly planning a much larger attack but rescheduled it to capitalize on the Black Lives Matter rally. Johnson may have had more in common with Adam Lanza, Dylann Roof and the other mentally unstable mass shooters from Columbine to Newtown to Orlando than with the Black Lives Matter movement. The latter is a bunch of ordinary citizens calling for an end to police stops, detentions and violence against suspects that are prompted at least partly by racial stereotypes. And not all of its supporters are black. A rally in Louisville, Ky., Monday by a group called White People for Racial Justice underscored that fact. I show up today because until black lives matter, all lives matter is a lie, declared a white female participant. What triggered the marches in many cities, including Dallas, were the apparently unprovoked killings by police of black men in Baton Rouge, La., and St. Anthony, Minn. In Baton Rouge July 5, police shot Alton Sterling, 37, to death while holding him down on the ground in the parking lot of a convenience store, where he had been selling CDs. Cellphone video shows someone yelling of the suspect, Hes got a gun! and then an officer shooting Sterling. Although Sterling did have a gun in his pocket, the video shows he would have been unable to reach for it while pinned down, as police have claimed he did. The convenience store owner said he saw police remove the gun from Sterlings pocket after the shooting. The federal Justice Department is investigating civil rights violations. And in Minnesota, 32-year-old Philando Castile was pulled over by police July 6, according to the officers attorney, because his car had a broken tail light or brake light and Castile matched the description of an armed robbery suspect from a few days earlier. But on tape, the only similarity the officer notes is that both men had wide noses. Castile had a valid permit to carry a gun, and tried to tell the officer he was carrying one, according to his girlfriend, who was there. But officers evidently took that as a threat and shot him. If black men are already regarded as a threat, black men with guns are regarded as a menace. But in truth, anyone carrying a gun should be a threat. Situations like this just show what can happen when the carrier is the hunted one. Yet lawmakers in Texas and elsewhere, enticed by campaign contributions from the gun lobby, are increasingly allowing just anyone to openly carry a weapon. The Dallas police-killer used a high-powered rifle and also carried two semi-automatic pistols, all bought legally. Rudy Giuliani doesnt like the sound of Black Lives Matter. The former New York City mayor and past Republican presidential candidate calls the very notion inherently racist and anti-American. Interesting that Giulianis concerns over racism center on a slogan rather than the actual racial profiling of black men. Castile, who had dreadlocks, had been pulled over at least 52 times in the last 14 years, according to the Associated Press. About half of the citations issued to him were later dismissed. Could Giuliani or anyone say with a straight face that Castiles race had nothing to do with it? And thats all that Black Lives Matter means: That black people have an equal right to move freely without being stopped and suspected. That before rushing to judgment and aiming a gun at a black subject over something trivial, remember that black lives matter, too. The language we use matters. It should be precise. Yet too often in reporting, Black Lives Matter, the movement, is used as synonymous with black people as a group, leaving the impression that black people are perpetually disgruntled or in protest. A radio newscast on Monday reported that while Dallas police mourned the loss of their officers, black activists protested callously, it implied. But those protests also began with grief over people who were killed. Lets not reduce this to a case of blacks vs. cops or Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter. As the events in Dallas unfold, Ive been wondering how it feels to be Dallas Police Chief David Brown. He has gracefully juggled his role as head of law enforcement with that of a black man who might, in different clothes and circumstances, be racially profiled himself. On top of that, hes a law enforcement officer concerned, he has said, about the challenges that arming civilians have brought. You could see all those factors at play when he told a protester Monday to become part of the solution. Were hiring, Brown said, several times. China's Global Newspaper Sorry, the page you requested was not found. Please check the URL for proper spelling and capitalization. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Chinadaily.com.cn, try visiting the Chinadaily home page The morning after five Dallas police officers were killed, a New York Times article described an Iowa elementary teachers TV vigil. While she watched, Shanel Berry obsessed over a question: Was the gunman black? If he was, Berry worried that police shootings of black men could become easy to justify. While she hurt for the officers and their families, she sank even lower when the gunmans photo flashed on the screen. The need to love our neighbors is linked with scenes repeatedly played on TVs, computers and phones. Racism, violence, poverty and drugs are interrelated issues. In his recent book, Jim Wallis says, Racism is Americas original sin and must be named as such. Brought here in chains, Africans were first enslaved by a narrative of racial difference crafted to justify captivity and domination. Incarceration has moved from slave cabins to modern jails. The Department of Justice projects that one in every three black males born this century will go to jail or prison at some point during his life. Only in a country where we have learned to tolerate evidence of racial injustice would this be seen as something other than a national crisis. We cannot deny the pervasive presence of racism. It lingers in implicit and covert ways in our institutions, culture and society not to mention our unconscious attitudes. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, We are faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. How does one respond to the tragedies witnessed in city after city for days, weeks and months? One of Jesus prime teachings concerns our relationship with our neighbors. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind: and your neighbor as yourself. The good Samaritan is perhaps the most familiar example of unconditional love for a neighbor. This parable of one mans mercy for another forces us to ask ourselves, who is my neighbor? We do not relate to God on our own, as much as we might try; our relationship with God is expressed through relationships with those around us. God enables our relations with neighbors, whether they sit beside us in the pew or live in a shelter. Our church has neighbors in Haiti; Garissa, Kenya; Harare, Zimbabwe; and All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan. The United States is a unique country with people of many races, ethnicities and religions. It paints a rich tapestry of who we are in the 21st century. We are a majority of minorities, as there is no one race in majority. We live in a multiracial society. Such a demographic shift in America does not make it easy for us, and it can even lead to more and more confrontations. While our nation was dealing with racial riots in the 1960s, Martin Luther King Jr. asked a pivotal question in his book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? It is time for a conversation on race relations in America in places of worship, in schools and city councils for in the new reality of todays America, we must acknowledge the sin of racism and learn to live in harmony and peace. There is no easy answer to the interracial crisis in America. Let us come together to pray, to forgive and to love that people know we are One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. As congressional Democrats hammer Republicans for blocking President Barack Obama's choice for the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is scolding her Senate colleagues for leaving another judicial vacancy unfilled: this one on the federal appeals court that covers Wisconsin. Baldwin, D-Madison, urged fellow senators this week to vote to confirm Donald Schott for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The Chicago-based court covers Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, and a vacancy for a Wisconsin judge was created in 2010. Since then the court, missing an 11th judge, has split 5-5 on key votes, including a request to reconsider a legal challenge to Wisconsin's voter ID requirement. Baldwin and her Republican U.S. Senate colleague, Ron Johnson, have squabbled over how to propose candidates to Obama to fill vacancy. Finally in January, Obama nominated Schott, a Madison lawyer, for the post. Schott was one of two finalists approved by a bipartisan commission established by Baldwin and Johnson, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The nomination since has languished in the Republican-controlled Senate. On Tuesday, Baldwin told her colleagues: "I am calling on the Senate to do its job and vote on this nomination." "This Wisconsin seat on the 7th Circuit has been vacant longer than any other federal circuit court judgeship, for more than six years. That is unacceptable," Baldwin said. Last month Baldwin wrote Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, urging him to schedule a vote on Schott's confirmation. The nomination had been holed up in the Senate Judiciary Committee until it passed out of that panel last month -- which came after Johnson blessed the move. Johnson spokesman Patrick McIlheran said with that step, Johnson "proactively moved the nomination forward" and showed he supports it. "He has taken absolutely no steps to block it," McIlheran said. FORT MCCOYWater bodies located next to Pine View Campground on Fort McCoys North Post have been renamed to Suukjak Sep (pronounced sook-junk-sep) Lake and Suukjak Sep Creek to honor the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin a federally recognized tribe indigenous to the installations area of Wisconsin. The water bodies were formerly known as Squaw Lake and Squaw Creek. The new name, Suukjak Sep, translates to black wolf in the Ho-Chunk language. The lake is a man-made impoundment on the creek. The creek itself was named Squaw Creek sometime in the mid-1800s. The old name of the creek and lake was a product of a very different time in American history and is seen as offensive by the Ho-Chunk people, said Natural Resources Branch chief Mark McCarty with the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division. Fort McCoy was asked for assistance by the Ho-Chunk Nation to see what steps were needed to get the name changed. The original naming dates back more than 150 years. It was labeled as Squaw Creek on an 1858 map of Monroe County, said Alexander Woods, Ph.D., an archaeologist with Colorado State Universitys Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands under contract with Fort McCoy and the NRBs cultural resources project manager. The name is supposedly due to the presence of a large Ho-Chunk camp nearby. The Ho-Chunk did in fact have a large village site in the area, and it is known as Suukjak Sep. Since the name Squaw Creek was originally referencing the presence of this Ho-Chunk community, it is fitting that the new name reflects this. The Pine View Recreation Area, formerly named Squaw Creek Recreation Area, was renamed in 1992. Fort McCoy did not have the authority to rename the creek and lake. McCarty, the installations Native American coordinator, said the effort to rename the lake and creek increased in recent years. The Ho-Chunk Nation was the applicant in (the renaming) process, and Fort McCoy assisted them in completing the paperwork and sending forward to state and federal levels, McCarty said. Official notification that the renaming of the 7.5-mile creek and 14-acre lake was approved came in a letter from Executive Secretary Lou Yost with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names of the U.S. Geological Survey to Monroe County Administrator Cathy Schmit in Sparta in mid-May. The changes have been made in the Geographic Names Information System, the nations official geographic names repository. The use of the Ho-Chunk name is especially appropriate given current efforts to revitalize the Ho-Chunk language, McCarty said. Updates to signage, maps, GIS layers, documents, regulations and other items to reflect the new name should be completed by the end of the year. We also recognize the fact that as regulations come up for review, names will need to be changed at that time so there is a chance that some of these changes may fall outside of the end-of-year time frame, McCarty said. Fort McCoy and the Ho-Chunk Nation have enjoyed a positive and productive working relationship, McCarty said. For example, Fort McCoy recently worked with the Ho-Chunk Nation to harvest tamarack trees for the Ho-Chunk Nation to build traditional lodges. We will continue to work together into the future to ensure there is never a conflict with military training, prehistoric archaeology and the rights of the modern Ho-Chunk people, McCarty said. The U.S. Army is proud of its diversity and inclusivity its a source of strength and part of what makes this country great. The Ho-Chunk Nation also has a proud history of military service and has a great respect for veterans. As most of Suukjak Sep Creek is located on the installation, and with this great relationship, we were happy to work with the Ho-Chunk Nation to make this name change possible. Ho-Chunk Nation President Wilfrid Cleveland said the lake and creek renaming effort is appreciated. Its a great honor to have the leadership of Fort McCoy recognize the rich history and culture of the Ho-Chunk Nation, Cleveland said. Renaming the lake (and creek) in our sacred language is a show of great respect and also signifies the strong relationship weve had through the years. For more information about the Ho-Chunk people, go online to ho-chunknation.com. For more information about Fort McCoy cultural and natural resources management, call 608-388-2252. The use of the Ho-Chunk name is especially appropriate given current efforts to revitalize the Ho-Chunk language, Mark McCarty, Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Veterans Administration reforms championed by Wisconsin lawmakers cleared the House of Representatives Friday. Aimed at curbing an epidemic of heroin and opioid overdose deaths, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, sponsored in the House by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, would expand the availability of naloxone, an opioid overdose antidote, improve prescription drug monitoring programs and shift resources toward addiction treatment for people in the criminal justice system. Included is language requiring that veterans receiving narcotics be subjected to random drug tests at least once a year, that VA pharmacies make naloxone available to outpatients receiving opioids, and that VA prescribers participate in state drug monitoring programs. After media reports in 2015 that doctors at the Tomah VA were over-prescribing opioid painkillers, Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Rep. Ron Kind, Democrats who represent the area in Congress, pushed bills that would require the VA to update its guidelines for opioid therapy and pain management, provide additional training for VA prescribers and give lawmakers more direct oversight of the department. Both bills were named for Jason Simcakoski, a 35-year-old Marine Corps vet who died in 2014 while at the Tomah VA from a toxic combination of prescription medications. A committee charged with reconciling different versions of the addiction bill inserted language from the Simcakoski bills into a new version released Wednesday. It passed the House Friday morning and now heads to the Senate. Among other VA reforms, the bill would create a new office of patient advocacy so that people who are supposed to intervene on behalf of veterans dont report to the directors of their particular facility. Thats something Marv Simcakoski thinks could have helped his son. Theyre going to better be able to serve the veterans now and work just for the vets and not worry about the facility theyre working for, he said. I didnt see that with the patient advocate. Simcakoski, whose family helped craft the bill, said hes optimistic it will make it to the presidents desk this summer thanks to bipartisan support. The House bill, sponsored by Florida Republican Gus Bilirakis, also drew support from Wisconsin Republicans Reid Ribble and Sensenbrenner. The Senate bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican who spearheaded a 17-month investigation of the Tomah facility and VA management. Tomah City Council members were asked to halt the Hug-A-Pig contest scheduled for the Monroe County Fair. Lynn Pauly of the Madison-based Alliance for Animals and the Environment voiced her disappointment Tuesday with the council for not getting involved with her groups petition against the event scheduled for Wednesday, July 23 at city-owned Tomah Recreation Park. The alliances petition has garnered about 130,000 signatures, Pauly said. The alliance has also purchased billboard space in Tomah. Pauly said the event is cruel to pigs. I attended a pig wrestling event a few years ago, and I got to (have) a firsthand look at the contest, and it was disturbing to me the pigs were blindsided, they were chased, cornered, tackled by multiple people and also dragged, she said. They screamed, they were obviously terrified, and they tried to get away. The word that came to my mind was basically just bullying. Paulys also said it sends a bad message to children. Im a retired teacher. Ive been in education my whole life, and I know that children learn from what they see, she said. When they see groups of people gang up on an animal, it sends a message that we are not really serious about how wrong it is to bully someone weaker than us. She added that the treatment of the animals goes against the National Pork Boards humane handling guidelines that state at all stages pigs should be handled with care, gentleness and patience. Pigs are alert and curious when put into a new situation, even small disturbances in their surroundings can frighten them. Pauly said a similar event was halted in Stoughton by city council action. They discussed the event openly at their June meeting where they listened to pros and cons about pig wrestling, she said. They asked the fair organizers to cancel the event, and with some prodding they did. Pauly asked the council to reconsider its decision to stay uninvolved or to at least have an open discussion about the topic at a later council meeting. Tomah city councilman Lamont Kiefer asked Pauly if she had spoken to the Monroe County Agricultural Society. Pauly said she hasnt. I just was told to do that recently, so I have not spoken with them yet, she said. To tell you the truth, I have been told theres all these various people that we should be talking with, and the city council to me seemed like a good place to start because the fair takes place in city limits. City administrator Roger Gorius said he spoke to her about the Agricultural Society earlier and said that should be her point of contact. Only one other council member spoke, and the council didnt take any action. The Agricultural Society last week had no comment on Hug-A-Pig other than to say it would be held as scheduled. More than 1.6 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. For Linda Martin of Warrens, that statistic became personal when she heard the words you have cancer. Martin is this years Relay For Life of Monroe Countys honorary chair. This years Relay For Life of Monroe County will be held Friday, July 22 at Tomah High School starting at 5:30 p.m. with the luminaria ceremony at 9:30 p.m. Registration is free and open for survivors, participants and teams. Community members are invited. Martin was diagnosed with breast cancer May 19. She had been getting mammograms every year since turning 40. Her employer, The Toro Company, brings in a mammogram van every year so employees are able to get their yearly mammograms while at work. This year I had written down the wrong date on my calendar and was about to call the office to cancel my appointment because I was off that day, Martin said. She realized at the last minute she could make it and was grateful for it. Her mammogram last year was negative, but this year she found out she was at Stage 3 breast cancer. Please get your mammograms, Martin said. If you feel something, dont be afraid to go get it checked if you get it early there are so many medical options. Martin has been a supporter of Relay For Life of Monroe County for many years but said this year will be different. I had never been close to anybody thats had cancer, she said. Martin said she wants to help others by fighting back at the relay. Thousands of cancer survivors participate in American Cancer Society Relay For Life events each year. They and their caregivers take the first lap of every event as community members cheer them on and celebrate the progress that has been made against cancer. Teams raise funds in the months leading up to the event. Last year, the Relay For Life of Monroe County raised over $22,000. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2014 there were nearly 14.5 million cancer survivors in the U.S. Visit relayforlife.org or www.relayforlife.org/tomahwi to learn more about the event, or contact Lindsey Purl at 608-783-5001 ext 102 or lindsey.purl@cancer.org. Last week I was talking to a relative about the shooting of Philando Castile. This relative listened, shook his head and then changed the subject. It wasnt an uncommon response, I think, especially for a white person who feels separated from issues of police violence or from Black Lives Matter. Being able to change the subject, just like that, is so easy. Like switching the channel, or licking an index finger and turning over the front page of a newspaper, it is so easy to avoid these upsetting stories. It is easy to be the bystander and stay out of it all. Probably no one will blame the bystander for what happened, at least not until long after the fact. When Janaya Khan, an organizer for Black Lives Matter Toronto, visited my college this spring, Khan said that someday people will ask, What were you doing when Black Lives Matter was changing the world? So how will you answer? Although Black Lives Matter is at its core a movement against violence, its connections to issues of race and racism have made it a dividing movement. Or, at least, it is a movement that many seem apathetic toward. Maybe it would help to start with what everyone can agree on. We can agree, I think, that we live in a country afflicted by acts of violence. Last week that was felt particularly, with the fatal shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, and the fatal shooting of five police officers and wounding of nine others at a Dallas protest. It has been felt over and over in recent months, even years, in news reports of police violence, mass shootings, civilian casualties caused by U.S. drone strikes abroad, controversy over rape cases and in a hundred other stories that show our American society, as part of a greater, global society, to be saturated with violence. Regardless of political values, one thing that most Americans can agree on is that this is not what we want for our country. We do not want our home to be a violent place; we want it to be a place where a persons freedom and safety are not dependent on race, sexual orientation, religion or any other social factor. Black Lives Matter is focused on ending police brutality against African-Americans, a group disproportionately affected/targeted by acts of violence. A study by The Guardian found that in 2015, young black men were nine times as likely as any other group in America to be killed by police officers. The same study found that unarmed minorities were more likely to be killed by police than unarmed whitesalthough minorities comprised 37.4 percent of the population, they counted for 53.6 percent of unarmed people killed by police. We can agree that we live in a country afflicted by acts of violence. While Black Lives Matter focuses on ending one form of violence, that does not mean other issues are less important or that other lives are less important. The phrase All Lives Matter misses the point#BlackLivesMatter declares, Black lives matter, too. As a blogger on the American Friends Service Committee website wrote, You wouldnt run through an AIDS fundraiser with a Breast Cancer sign. Black Lives Matter isnt starting a competition over which lives matter the most it is pointing out the dangers that black people face in the United States, not saying that no one else experiences violence. We can agree that we value ending violence, but little will change when a good portion of the country is not even paying attention. Maybe we are afraid of caring too much, of feeling powerless. Maybe we are desensitized. Maybe we are more concerned with the dead black mans criminal record than his innocence. For whatever the reason, a lot of (white) people are changing the subject when Black Lives Matter comes up. In this moment, it is not enough to shake our heads and go on with our lives. It is not enough to dismiss police violence as a few-bad-apples problem; it is not enough to section off Black Lives Matter as an African-American movement. The prevalence of violence, in its many forms, is an American burden, and changing that reality an American responsibility. We are responsible for what we do in this moment, for how we educate ourselves. We have got to start paying attention. So many times I have seen others rush to help someone physically struggling, by opening a door or carrying a heavy boxthis movement needs people like that to figure out a way to contribute. There is nothing worse than standing around and watching someone else work. I believe in Black Lives Matter as a movement against violence, and that as Americans we all have something to give to it. I believe in better-late-than-never for Americans who have not yet decided to listen up. Adrianna Jereb attends Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota and is a summer intern for the Tomah Journal. State Sen. Julie Lassa, in a recent editorial for the Tomah Journal, paints a misleading picture of the funding for public schools and voucher schools in Wisconsin. Lassa suggests that the state is prioritizing students in voucher programs over those in public schools by simply comparing state aid in per pupil funding. But that doesnt tell the entire story. When all public dollars are accounted for, funding per student in the voucher program remains significantly lower than the funding for the average public school student both in Tomah and statewide. What the Senator conveniently leaves out is that funding for public school students in Wisconsin does not simply come from the state level. Rather, public schools are funded through a combination of state, local and federal dollars. On the other hand, school vouchers are funded entirely at the state level. When the total funding for public schools is taken into account, public school students receive at least 40 percent more funding than students in the voucher program. According to the most recent data available from the Department of Public Instruction, total revenue per student at a public school was $13,031 statewide for the 2014-15 school year. This exceeds the amount of the highest school voucher by more than $5,000. In Nekoosa, average revenue per pupil was $13,813, exceeding the amount of the voucher by more than $6,000. In Adams-Friendship, the difference also exceeds $6,000. In Wisconsin Rapids, it was nearly $5,000 more and in Tomah it was nearly $4,000. In every case, students in public school receive several thousand dollars more funding than students in the voucher program. Far from harming public schools, some area school districts in the past year have actually benefitted from the statewide voucher program due to the ability of local school boards to raise property taxes higher than the cost of the voucher. This funding beyond the cost of the voucher represented a skim to school districts that was not used on the voucher students. While Tomah and neighboring towns did not have voucher schools in 2014-15, there are examples of nearby school districts that took advantage of this skimming opportunity. For example, La Crosse schools skimmed more than $130,000 from local taxpayers over the cost to the district of the voucher. Statewide, this skim totaled more than $3 million dollars according to the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Rather than a yolk around the neck of school districts, vouchers in La Crosse have arguably been a boon to the district. While Senator Lassa presents misleading information to argue that the state legislature has misplaced priorities favoring students in voucher programs over public school students, the case can be made that students in the voucher program are actually being unfairly underfunded once all funding is taken into account. After all, is it fair to value the children of Wisconsins poorest families, those who are simply seeking a better educational opportunity for their children, $5,000 less than other students in the state? Will Flanders is the Education Policy Research Director at the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. Two rural Viroqua residents were arrested and are suspects in a methamphetamine production operation, Tuesday, July 12. According to the Vernon County Sheriffs Department, Donald L. Bell, 29, and Taeryn K. Johnson, 35, were arrested at their residence on Tri-State Road. The arrest was the result of an investigation by the sheriffs department and the West Central MEG Unit. Also assisting were the Vernon County Hazardous Materials Response Team, Viroqua Fire Department, Vernon County Department of Human Services and Vernon County Health Department. Both Bell and Johnson are currently on probation. According to the Wisconsin Circuit Court System, Bell was convicted of felony burglary in 2014 and Johnson has previously been convicted of felony bailjumping and felony theft in 2009. She also was found guilty of several other felony charges. Charges will be sought through the Vernon County District Attorneys Office. The case remains under investigation by the Vernon County Sheriffs Department. On 13 July Tulio Arce, the director of Chiles gendarmerie, which is tasked with providing security in the countrys prison and judicial systems, resigned. End of preview - This article contains approximately 419 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options British Prime Minister Theresa May took office Wednesday, becoming the countrys second woman leader after Margaret Thatcher. May was formally appointed by Queen Elizabeth after a meeting at Buckingham Palace. The new prime minister succeeded David Cameron, who stepped down after Britain voted to leave the European Union. May is already being compared to Thatcher, the iconic former leader known as the Iron Lady. Leading at an important time Thatcher, a Conservative, was Britains longest-serving prime minister of the 20th century, holding office from 1979 to 1990. Besides being Britains first female prime minister, she was also the first woman to lead a major Western democracy. One of the main comparisons between the two women is that May, 59, will be leading Britain through a historically important time. She will be in charge of overseeing the countrys complex transition out of the EU. Before last months referendum, also referred to as Brexit, May campaigned with Cameron for Britain to stay in the EU. Since the vote, she has pledged to help the country forge a new role for ourselves in the world. Britains stock market and currency plunged after the Brexit vote and economists have predicted more challenges ahead. This week, the EUs economic affairs commissioner warned Britains economic growth could drop 2.5 percent as a result of Brexit. Britain will also be faced with negotiating separate trade and political relationships with EU member nations. Cameron called May a brilliant negotiator Wednesday and urged her to maintain close ties with EU states. Earlier this week, May said her goal would be to negotiate the best deal for Britain in leaving the EU. She said she would also aim to make a success of Brexit. Historical parallels It is clear that May will need to rely on her negotiating skills, as well as those of others, to lead Britain through the Brexit process. Thatcher was considered a tough negotiator from day one and she built on that reputation throughout her career. Thatcher maintained a firm stance on separatist movements in Northern Ireland. She also used strong language when addressing the Soviet Union and its nuclear expansion during the Cold War. Whether May will adopt this same approach to her public statements and negotiating style remains to be seen. On her first day in office, May appointed Boris Johnson, a leading supporter of Brexit, as the new foreign secretary. She is expected to appoint a special minister to guide the Brexit process and be a chief negotiator. Perhaps the most interesting parallels the two women share can be seen in a historical context. May faces Brexit uncertainties and a declining economy. Thatcher came into office at a time when Britain was going through political and economic turmoil. Labor disputes throughout the 1970s led to widespread strikes and high unemployment. There was public anger over high taxes, power shortages and trash in the streets. In 1976, economic conditions got so bad that Britains currency collapsed and nearly led the country into bankruptcy. Thatcher was elected on a platform of fighting the recession and dealing strictly with labor organizations seen as causing unrest. May will also have to deal with the global problem of terrorism, which has directly hit Britain in the past. Thatcher faced persistent terror problems and was targeted herself in a bombing in 1984. Thatcher was not hurt in the attack, which was claimed by the Irish Republican Army. Just weeks before she took office, Thatchers spokesman on Northern Ireland was killed in a car bombing as he drove out of a parking garage. The IRA claimed responsibility for that attack too. Both Thatcher and May started as cabinet ministers in Conservative governments before winning as prime minister. Thatcher served as education secretary under the government of Edward Heath. In her six years as Home Secretary, May has been in charge of the countrys immigration, citizenship and national security. All of those areas were big issues during the campaigns of both sides during the Brexit debate. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Additional information came from the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story iconic adj. relating to a well-established and recognizable person referendum n. a vote of a single political question brilliant adj. very impressive or successful reputation n. the beliefs or opinions generally held about something or someone turmoil n. a state of confusion or disorder platform n. a declaration of principles and policies by a political party or candidate Donald Trump called for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to resign, after her critical comments about him. In interviews with the Associated Press, the New York Times and CNN, Ginsburg spoke about Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president. Ginsburg told the Associated Press she did not want to think about the possibility of Trump winning the election. She added with a smile, "It's likely that the next president, whoever she will be, will have a few appointments to make. Hillary Clinton is the likely Democratic nominee. She will likely run against Trump. In the New York Times interview, published on July 10, Ginsburg said, I cant imagine what our country would be with Donald Trump as our president. She also joked about moving to New Zealand. In a follow-up interview on Monday with CNN, Ginsburg called Trump a faker who has no consistency about him. Ginsburg also criticized Trump for not making his recent tax returns public. Most candidates running for president do this. Traditionally, Supreme Court justices like Ginsburg do not comment on presidential candidates. They keep their feelings about the candidates to themselves. One of the reasons is that the Supreme Court is sometimes called upon to help decide an election. That happened in the year 2000, when the results of the election between Al Gore and George W. Bush were not clear. Reactions to Ginsburgs comments In response to Ginsburgs comments, Trump said the justice, who is 83, should resign from her position. Ginsburg is the oldest justice currently serving on the highest court in the U.S. Trump used Twitter to say her comments about him were dumb, and Her mind is shot resign! Other Republicans were also critical of Ginsburg. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said her comment shows bias. And Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it was totally inappropriate for Ginsburg to criticize Trump. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic candidate for president, said he agreed with Ginsburgs comments about Trump. But the senator from Vermont declined to say whether they were appropriate. On Wednesday, the New York Times editorial board wrote a column saying it agreed with Trump. The newspaper said it is vital that the court remain outside the presidential process. The Washington Post agreed with her comments, but said it would be better if a Supreme Court justice kept her thoughts about the election private. Ginsburg has served on the Supreme Court since 1993. President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, appointed Ginsburg. At the time, she was the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court. Ginsburg has also criticized the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate for not acting on President Barack Obamas nomination of judge Merrick Garland. Right now, the court only has eight justices, instead of nine. Justice Antonin Scalia died earlier this year. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English based on reports from VOANews.com, AP and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. What do you think the justices comments about Donald Trump? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story fake v. to make something seem true or real in order to trick someone consistency n. the quality or fact of staying the same at different times dumb adj. not showing or having good judgment or intelligence : stupid or foolish appropriate adj. right or suited for some purpose or situation column n. an article in a newspaper or magazine that appears regularly and that is written by a particular writer or deals with a particular subject vital adj. extremely important baffling adj. confusing The agreement limiting Irans nuclear program in return for easing international restrictions on the country is now one year old, but fragile. The United States, six other world powers and Iran finished nearly two years of negotiations on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on July 14, 2015. The agreement set out steps Iran had to take to prevent the country from being able to make nuclear weapons. It also ended many of the Wests financial, trade and oil sanctions that had hit Iran's economy hard. Recently, Secretary of State John Kerry said the agreement contained Irans nuclear program. It really wasn't long ago that we saw a rapidly expanding nuclear program in Iran, only months away from having enough weapons-grade uranium to build 10 to 12 nuclear weapons," said Kerry. Iran has shut down thousands of centrifuges for enriching uranium. It also has exported almost all of its bomb-making material, according to the Associated Press. The Obama administration and some independent experts say if Iran were racing to make a nuclear weapon, it would need at least a year. The U.S. and its partnersBritain, China, France, Germany and Russiasay that is enough time to discover it and stop it. Irans moves mean the threat of a military conflict is gone, for now, according to the Associated Press. However, upcoming elections in the U.S. and an election next year in Iran could bring new leaders who want to undo the deal. In the U.S., Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton supports the deal, but Republican candidate Donald Trump says he would renegotiate it if he wins. In Iran, President Hassan Rouhani and his government, which helped negotiate the agreement, could be replaced. And in the Middle East, Israeli leaders still strongly oppose the deal although there is little talk of airstrikes or military intervention against Iran. For now, the agreement is holding. The U.S. and Iran also are expanding cooperation. The American company, Boeing, reached a deal with government-owned Iran Air to buy passenger airplanes. That agreement could be worth as much as $25 billion. That suggests some of the agreements early problems may be easing. However, in the U.S. Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, who opposed the nuclear agreement want to stop the airplane sale. Last week, the House passed two measures to block the sale. The Senate has not acted yet. President Obama would likely veto the bill blocking the sale. Supporters say the deal is a success because Iran does not have nuclear weapons. Those opposed, however, warn that this is just year one, and there are seven more to go, in the eight-year agreement. Im Jonathan Evans. Anne Ball adapted this story for Learning English from the Associated Press. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section below and find us on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story fragile adj. easily broken or damaged ballistic missile n. a weapon shot through the sky over a big distance and then falls to the ground and explode uranium n. a radioactive element used to make nuclear weapons cusp n. the edge of something centrifuge n. a machine that spins substances inside a container around very fast, causing the heavier substances to move to the bottom or sides of the container. veto n. a decision by a person in authority to not allow or approve something Baton Rouge police say 11 people were hurt in a shooting at a fraternity house near Southern Universitys campus in Baton Rouge and two people are in custody. Authorities initially said nine people were injured early Friday at the party held just off campus. The Advocate reports Deputy Chief Myron Daniels confirmed at a news conference late Friday that two others were wounded. Police said the 11 victims have injuries that are not life-threatening. News outlets report the two men arrested each face 11 counts of being accessories after attempted first-degree murder and illegal use of weapons. No motive for the shooting has been released. Daniels said investigators believe it was an isolated incident. COZAD, Neb. - The largest collection of Henri paintings on display in the world can now be found at the Robert Henri Museum in downtown Cozad. Late last month, the museum welcomed the addition of two original paintings by Henri, "Laughing Gypsy Girl" and "Dutch Girl. Both paintings were purchased thanks to a large gift from Larry and Tammy Paulsen of Cozad. The gift from the Paulsens was given last year to the museum in honor of Larrys parents, Ike and Shirley Paulsen. The gift was designated for acquisitions with the approval of Paulsen and the museum's board of directors, said Caroline Gaudreault, executive director of the Robert Henri Museum. Gaudreault said Paulsen's mother, Shirley, was a very influential volunteer for the museum in the 1980s. "Shirley Paulsen was a driving force of the museum in the early 1980s. She was on the board, she did everything from peeling paint to raising money," she said. A lot of the success of the museum is due to people like Shirley who got the museum going and moving forward, Gaudreault said. Shirley and Ike died in 1985, she said. The two paintings were purchased by Gaudreault and Paulsen during a live stream of an art auction held at Sotheby's in New York City, she said. Having done research on the "Laughing Gypsy Girl" painting, once she saw it was up for auction, Gaudreault knew she wanted to bid for it. This painting was close to the price range the museum could afford, so she then contacted Paulsen and friends of the museum to ask for enough financial pledges to purchase it, Gaudreault said. The funds came through, she said. Gaudreault said the "Laughing Gypsy Girl" painting showcased Henri's style brilliantly. "It is very Henri-esque. This is Henri at his finest, when he painted people, he called them my people. He liked painting gypsies, Native Americans, immigrants, the common every day people. He found beauty in all of them," she said. Later in the same auction, Gaudreault said Paulsen told her to keep on eye on and bid on "The Dutch Girl" painting. Although she was not as familiar with this painting, Gaudreault said she found out that this painting was showcased during the Memorial Exhibition after Henri died. Both purchases would not have been possible without the strong support of generous donors and friends of the museum, she said. It wasn't until after the purchase of both paintings that both Gaudreault and Paulsen learned that "The Dutch Girl" painting was the favorite Henri painting of Paulsen's late mother, Shirley. Both new paintings join the five other original Henri paintings already on display at the museum's art gallery. The Queen Mariana painting is owned by the Robert Henri museum and displayed in the art gallery. Also on display this year are four paintings by Henri of himself, showing his father John J. Cozad, his mother Mrs. R. H. Lee and his brother John A. Cozad. These four paintings of Henri's family are on loan to the Robert Henri Museum until October from the Sheldon Museum of Art, located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. "A total of seven paintings and 33 sketches by Henri means the collection at the Robert Henri Museum is the largest collection currently on display in the world, Gaudreault said." After 11 months as the museum director and a growing collection of Henri paintings, Gaudreault said she was optimistic for the future of the museum. The museum's inclusion in the Nebraska Tourism Department's 2016 Nebraska Passport Program this summer has also helped draw a lot of local and Nebraska people who might not otherwise have visited or heard about the museum, Gaudreault said. "The addition of the paintings is incredible. But what is even more exciting to know is what is in our future. We have a lot of big plans and we are becoming more well known in the state and country," she said. Hillsborough County deputies are looking for a woman they say battered a mall security guard inside a Victorias Secret store at the Citrus Park Town Center last week. Woman sought for battery of mall security guard Guard told woman to leave because store was closing Deputies say she hit the guard in the face with a pair of pants On July 7, deputies say the woman gave employees a hard time when they asked her to leave because the store was closing. A mall security guard responded and told the woman she had to leave. Deputies say while leaving the store the woman expressed her agitation by using a pair of Victoria's Secret Pink brand pants to hit the guard on the left side of his face. She then fled the mall through the main south exit. The guard was in full uniform, with a badge, and he was acting in an official capacity at the time of the incident, according to deputies. The suspect is described as a black female, 5'6", approximately 200 lbs., wearing a white tank top with "USA" on front and blue jean shorts. Anyone with any information is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200. Los Angeles: Power-and-blood fantasy saga Game of Thrones ruled the Emmy nominations Thursday with a leading 23 bids, including best drama, while a real-life epic of murder and celebrity, The People v. O.J. Simpson, was close behind with 22 nods. Game of Thrones gets the chance to win its second top Emmy, while Veep, 2015's top comedy winner, also will get another shot at holding office. Breakthrough nominations include a best comedy series nod for sophomore Black-ish, which brought the African-American family comedy back to network TV, with bids as well for its stars, Anthony Anderson who announced the awards Thursday and read his own name with glee and Tracee Ellis Ross. They were among a number of black actors recognised by TV academy voters, who have started to keep pace with TV's growing diversity in sharp contrast to the moviedom's Academy Awards, which were slammed as "OscarsSoWhite" this year. Viola Davis, the How to Get Away with Murder star who last year became the first woman of colour to win a best drama actress trophy, was nominated again. So was Empire star Taraji P. Henson. Aziz Ansari received a lead comedy acting bid for his series Master of None, a first for an Indian-American actor. Rami Malek, of Egyptian descent, earned a top drama acting nomination for his role as a renegade hacker in freshman Mr. Robot, which got a best drama nod. But there was no acting nods for the stars of Fresh Off the Boat or other Asian-American actor, or for Latinos, which has been a recurrent Emmy pattern. Game of Thrones and Mr. Robot will compete with Better Call Saul, Homeland, House of Cards, The Americans and Downton Abbey, the last a nod for its farewell season. But the final season of The Good Wife was not recognised, and star Julianna Margulies also was snubbed. The Americans, which gained in attention last season, also earned bids for its stars, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys. Besides Russell, Davis and Henson, lead drama actress bids went to Claire Danes for Homeland and Tatiana Maslany for Orphan Black. Malek and Rhys will be competing with Kevin Spacey for House of Cards, Kyle Chandler for Bloodline, Bob Odenkirk for Better Call Saul and Liev Schreiber for Ray Donovan. On the comedy side, Veep, Black-ish and Master of None will tussle for the trophy with five-time champ Modern Family, Transparent, Silicon Valley and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. A top acting nod for Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who plays a US vice president now elevated to the Oval Office, gives her the chance to score her fifth consecutive win and set a record. She and Ross will be competing with Ellie Kemper in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Laurie Metcalf in Getting On, Amy Schumer in Inside Amy Schumer and Lily Tomlin in Grace and Frankie. Black-ish star Anderson, who got his second nod, will be competing with last year's winner, Jeffrey Tambor of Transparent, along with Ansari, Will Forte for The Last Man on Earth, William H Macy for Shameless and Thomas Middleditch for Silicon Valley. The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, which recounted the football legend's sensational, racially charged trial for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, is a best limited series nominee and earned a number of acting awards for its cast's portrayal of well-known figures. Lead nominations went to Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson, Courtney B Vance as defence attorney Johnnie Cochran and Sarah Paulson as prosecutor Marcia Clark. Supporting bids were given to Sterling K Brown as prosecutor Christopher Darden, David Schwimmer as Simpson's friend Robert Kardashian patriarch of the now-famous family and John Travolta as defence attorney Robert Shapiro. Gooding and Vance will compete with Bryan Cranston as President Lyndon B. Johnson in All The Way, Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (Masterpiece), Idris Elba in Luther and Tom Hiddleston in The Night Manager. Paulson's rivals are Kirsten Dunst for Fargo, Felicity Huffman and Lili Taylor for American Crime, Audra McDonald as Billie Holiday for Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill and Kerry Washington as Anita Hill in Confirmation. The 18 September Emmy show will be broadcast live on ABC from 8-11 p.m. EDT, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. As the Gujarat HC rejected the plea to stop screening Sultan in the state, in view of his rape remark, on Thursday, the National Commission for women has claimed that Salman Khan, through his spokespersons and lawyers, has refused to apologise for his rape remark. MSCW chief Vijaya Rahatkar has spoken to TV channels about Salman's response, claiming that while he has refused to apologise, it will be incorrect to comment on his response as of now while they are still analysing it. Salman Khan has filed his response to Maharashtra State Commission For Women notice issued yesterday: MSCW chief Vijaya Rahatkar ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 Maharashtra State Commission For Women is going through contents of Salman's reply & will soon decide it's next course of action- MSCW Chief ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 According to CNN-News 18 TV reports, Salman Khan has said that the Maharashtra Women Commission has no jurisdiction. Just in: #SalmanKhan refuses to apologise over rape analogy; says Maharashtra women commission has no juridisction | @CNNnews18 Firstpost (@firstpost) July 14, 2016 Meanwhile, Salman Khan's co-star from Sultan Anushka Sharma spoke about his comments in an interview with film critic Anupama Chopra. Upon being asked what her thoughts were on his analogy (he had said in a print interview that after a taxing scene in the film, he felt like a "raped woman"), she said, "a lot has been spoken about it. We obviously understand that it was rather insenstitive, something that I was a bit surprised by. What it made me realise that each and every one of us has a responsibility of what we say not just in public but even among friends. Celebrities more so. Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan have refused to comment on Salman's analogy, Aamir Khan had also called it insensitive, while Rishi Kapoor said, "I'm sure he didn't meant it." Priyanka Chopra has started shooting for the second season of her American TV series Quantico. The 33-year-old, who made her debut in the American showbiz industry with the first season of the thriller series, posted an image on Instagram capturing a moment from day one of the shoot. Day 1 on set for #Quan2co ! Ready for Tom!! Gn world.. #AlexParrish on her way to ur tv screens in September. C u soon. Zzzzz #NYC #CatchMeIfyouCan #quanticoS2 A photo posted by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jul 12, 2016 at 7:17pm PDT The photograph shows Priyanka dressed in grey trousers teamed with a similar coloured jacket and a black bag. She also posted a picture from her second day at shoot saying she's happy to be back on the set. Hour 14 on day 2 of #Quan2co !! And it's that kinda welcome back!! But Happy to be on set! A photo posted by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jul 13, 2016 at 4:43pm PDT Quantico features Priyanka as young FBI recruit Alex Parrish, who is suspected of committing a terrorist attack. The second season's shoot is going to keep Piggy Chops busy until March 2017. The first season of the show will be back in India from the mid-season break on channels Star World and Star World HD next month. (With inputs from IANS) It is good season for black money holders. On Thursday, the Narendra Modi government said those who would want to declare their ill-gotten wealth by 30 September (when the window closes), doesnt need to hurry to make their payments by 30 November. They can do it so in three easy installments -- 25 percent by 30 November, another 25 percent by 31 March 2017 and the balance amount by 30 September 2017. The 45 percent penalty black money holders need to pay include tax, surcharge and penalty. Taking into consideration the practical difficulties of the stakeholders, the Government has decided to revise the time schedule for making payments under the Scheme as under, said the government statement. It has also been mentioned that for making payment by November 30, 2016, the declarants may have to opt for distress sale of the assets," it added. In other words, the government doesnt want those who generated unaccounted wealth by painstaking efforts of years to go through mental stress thinking how to pay penalty immediately. They can take own sweet time to sell off their ill-gotten assets and pay their penalty. Arguably, there was never a time in the past when black money holders were given such relaxed terms to disclose their ill-gotten wealth. Those honest citizens who regularly pay their taxes before the deadline would be tempted and jealous to see their not-so-honest counterparts who are being dealt with kid gloves by the government. Finance minister Arun Jaitley in the Union Budget 2016 had announced a four-month (1 June to 30 September 2016) amnesty-like scheme for black money holders to disclose their unaccounted wealth by paying a total of 45 percent tax. Jaitley hasnt called it an amnesty, but in principle, it is nothing but an amnesty offered to the outlaws. This is the second such scheme for black money holders announced by the Indian government in the recent years. The first was in 1997, during the Congress-led government, when P Chidambaram was the finance minister (when the government collected Rs 10,000 crore). Besides that, after the Narendra Modi government came to power, it announced a 90 days amnesty-like window for foreign black money holders charging them 60 percent tax. A total of Rs 4,147 crore of undeclared wealth was declared and the government garnered Rs 2,500 crore from the whole exercise, a paltry sum considering the kind of black money stashed abroad. This time, the window is open for both resident and non-resident black money holders. As Firstpost noted in an earlier article, most likely, the fate of this current exercise too wouldnt be too different. But the larger point here is by extending a helping hand to the black money holders, the government is being unfair to the honest taxpayer. This will send a signal to him that it doesnt make sense to pay tax anymore. Instead, the better idea is to stash it in real estate or gold (where black money is easily accepted), below the bed or safe in the septic tank and wait for the next round of amnesty to come clean. There arent two opinions about the intention of the government behind such schemes. It wants to bring back the unaccounted cash to the system. But, chances of this black money window too turning flop like the earlier occasions are high for the simple reason that the cronies and crooked would know how to take care of their wealth. Its foolish to imagine that they would let go of their booty paying half of it to the government as penalty. But, the bigger concern is that when the governments announce amnesty schemes for outlaws repeatedly, it will send a wrong signal to the honest taxpayer. This is something experts have warned in the past. Both the justice K N Wanchoo committee 1971 and the Shankar Acharya Committee in 1985 had pointed out the ill-effects of black money voluntary declaration schemes in an economy if there is no compelling reason in the economy to resort to such schemes. Resorting to such a measure during normal times and that too frequently, would only shake the confidence of the honest taxpayers in the capacity of the government to deal with the law breakers and would invite contempt for its enforcement machinery, the Wanchoo panel had said in 1971. This time, the government has already come with two amnesty-like schemes for ill-gotten wealth holders, that too with such relaxed payment terms. The short point is that caution is warranted when law breakers are pampered by the government beyond a point. New Delhi: Air passengers have a reason to smile as the revised norms that caps ticket cancellation charges and bars airlines from levying additional amount for refund process are coming into force from 1 August. "Cancellation amount not to exceed basic fare plus fuel surcharge; all statutory levies and taxes to be refunded under all circumstances," Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said on Wednesday as he announced that the new cancellation norms for fare refund would become effective from 1 August. Issuing the revised regulations, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also made it clear that airlines cannot levy additional charge to process the refund. The move would come as a relief to air passengers against the backdrop of many carriers hiking the cancellation charges in recent times. The regulator said carriers should refund all statutory taxes and User Development Fee (UDF)/Airport Development Fee (ADF)/Passenger Service Fee (PSF) to the passengers in case of "cancellation/ non-utilisation of tickets/no show". "This provision shall also be applicable for all types of fares offered including promos/special fares and where the basic fare is non-refundable," DGCA noted. The changes were first proposed by the Civil Aviation Ministry in June as part of putting in place passenger friendly measures. These norms would be effective from 1 August, according to the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) issued by DGCA chief M Sathiyavathy on Tuesday. In a tweet, Raju said the process of refund would be completed within 30 days even when booked through travel agents or online portals. "Cancellation charges to be clearly displayed on every ticket. The policy to be prominently displayed on the website of the airline," Raju said in another tweet. No charges can now be levied by airlines for corrections in errors of names of the passengers, he added. Separately, DGCA has also revised the rules with respect to persons with disability and reduced mobility whereby airport operators should make provision for such people to embark or disembark from a flight without inconvenience. Carriers would be required to indicate the refund amount in case of ticket cancellations. The amount and its break-up may be indicated on the ticket itself or through separate form used for the purpose. Also, the policy and amount of refund shall be displayed by the airlines on their respective websites, DGCA noted. Further, passengers can choose whether the refund money should be kept in the airline's credit shell or not. "Airline shall not levy any additional charge for correction in name of the same person, when error in his name spelling is pointed out by the passenger to the airline after booking of his ticket," the regulator said. For tickets booked through travel agents or portal, the onus of refund would be on the airlines. "In case of purchase of ticket through travel agent/portal, onus of refund shall lie with the airlines, as agents are their appointed representatives. The airlines shall ensure that the refund process is completed within 30 working days," the regulator said. At present, in cases of ticket purchases from travel agents, the arrangement for refund is left to the passenger and the travel agent. "The option of holding the refund amount in credit shell by the airlines shall be the prerogative of the passenger and not a default practice of the airline," it noted. In the case of foreign carriers operating to and from India, the refund process would be in accordance with regulations of their country of origin. The latest CAR prescribes minimum requirements for refund of ticket purchased by persons with respect to air transport undertakings including scheduled and non-scheduled domestic operators as well as foreign carriers operating to/from India. As per the revised the rules with respect to persons with disability and reduced mobility, airlines, upon advance request, have to make provisions for carriage of stretchers and associated equipment for passengers who cannot use the standard airline seat in a sitting/reclining position. "Such a request shall be made at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure of the flight. Airlines shall develop a procedure for making advance request of stretcher and the same should be displayed on airline's website," DGCA said. Under the new norms, airport operators should make provision for ambulift at the aerodrome for people with disability or reduced mobility to embark/disembark the aircraft without inconvenience. "Such provision may be made in coordination with Ground Handling Agencies (GHAs), if required. Airport where ambulift or aerobridge facility is not available, provision of towable ramp should be made," the revised CAR (Civil Aviation Requirments) in this regard said. Further, the watchdog said the airport operator should ensure that persons with disability or reduced mobility are transported "within the airport in the same condition, comfort and safety as those available for other passengers". DGCA also noted that airlines, airport operators, security, customs, and immigration bureau organisations at airports should conduct training programme for personnel engaged in passenger services. This is for "sensitisation and developing awareness for assisting persons with disability or reduced mobility and to ensure they are well briefed about their responsibilities," it added. PTI India on Wednesday relaxed the rules for its tax on gold jewellery sales that was introduced earlier this year in an attempt to address concerns raised by the industry, the government said in a statement. Jewellers in the world's second biggest gold consumer went on strike for six weeks after the government imposed one percent excise duty on gold jewellery from March onwards. To address jewellers concerns the government formed a committee and accepted its recommendation. According to the new rules, jewellers with turnover up to 150 million rupees ($2.2 million) a year will be exempt from the excise duty, the statement said. Earlier, the exemption limit was for jewellers with turnover up to 120 million rupees. The government statement also said that in the first two years, government agencies will not audit jewellers that have turnover of less than one billion rupees. Washington: An Indian tea company has delivered a huge consignment containing 6,000 bags of famous Assam green tea to Donald Trump with a message to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee that it is never too late to "cleanse yourself". "Dear Mr Trump, namaste from India, we are sending you lots and lots of natural green tea. It fights against harmful free radicals. It helps purify mind and body and regain a healthy balance. It has also proven to make people smarter. Please Mr Trump drink the tea. For your sake, for America's sake, for the world's sake," Kolkata-based Te-A-Me Teas said in a video explaining the idea of sending green tea to Trump. "The message is simple: Mr Trump, it's never too late to cleanse yourself," the company said yesterday, a day after its representatives delivered a consignment of some 6,000 green tea bags to the Trump Towers in New York. "Donald Trump has the whole world worried... we can't stop him, but maybe we can change him," the video said. While the cost of the tea consignment, sufficient for four years, was not made public, Sumit Shah, Managing Director of the company said its health potential is immense. "We believe that green tea with all its goodness can help Mr Trump and in turn benefit his country and the world at large," Shah said, adding that the consignment of tea bags is based on the presumption that the real estate tycoon would drink three cups a day. "If he needs more, we'll be happy to provide. Green tea has been proven to fight against harmful free radicals and cleanse the mind and bodies, helping one regain a healthy balance," Shah said, adding that these green teas can help change Trump for the better. The Trump Campaign did not respond to questions on the green tea bags from India. Nirupabai, a Kawar Adivasi woman from Barkuta village in Korba district of Chhattisgarh, had a harrowing time when her house was demolished in 2014, by South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) in order to expand their coal mines, without adequate notice. Without being compensated, she had to rebuild her house from the rubble. She ran from pillar to post, but it didnt help her in getting any justice. But prior to this, in 1996 my father had to part ways with the land we had, as Coal India Limited acquired it. Despite promising a job, the company didnt give any job to us for our livelihood. After that my father died, leaving behind my old mother, whos 85 now and my mentally challenged brother. After fighting almost for 20 years, out of 150 affected families, only 60 got jobs. And, I have been left out, Nirupabai lamented while speaking to Firstpost. Nirupabai is not a unique case, there are thousands of tribals and poor villagers across the country who have faced similar consequences or even worse. Amnesty International India in its report When Land Is Lost, Do We Eat Coal?: Coal Mining and Violations of Adivasi Rights in India released in New Delhi on Wednesday has reported rampant violation of human rights in coal mining areas in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha. The report is based on surveys, research and interviews of affected people the Adivasi communities of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha. About 70 percent of Indias coal is located in these three states in central and eastern part of the country. This is the story of 26 million members of the Adivasi (tribal) community, who dont know when they might get displaced and lose their source of livelihood. The three coal mines SECLs Kusmunda mine in Chhattisgarh, Central Coalfields Limiteds (CCL) Tetariakhar mine in Jharkhand and Mahanadi Coalfields Limiteds (MCL) Basundhara-West mine in Odisha all subsidiaries of CIL, have been profiled by Amnesty International India which has found 9,250 families at high risk. Development versus Exploitation The report shows how in the name of development and growth, the Adivasis the real owners of forest land where these mines are located have to face exploitation at the hands of government agencies, coal companies, corporates and private mining companies. Blatant violation of laws, failure to ensure meaningful consultation with Adivasi communities on land acquisition, not following the rehabilitation and resettlement act, and ignoring the environmental impacts of mines all these factors have seriously affected the lives and livelihood of these communities. The government plans to nearly double coal production by 2020, and Coal India wants to produce a billion tonne of coal every year. Yet both the company and central and state governments dont seem to care to speak or listen to vulnerable Adivasi communities, whose lands are acquired and forests destroyed for coal mining, said Aakar Patel, Executive Director, Amnesty International India, while releasing the report. Abusive laws, poor enforcement of existing safeguards, and corporate neglect of human rights are now leading Adivasi communities to oppose the expansion of the very mines they once thought would bring employment and prosperity, until they receive remedy for violations, he said. Mineral reserves, a national property Former Union Minister for Tribal and Panchayati Raj Affairs, V Kishore Chandra Deo termed mines and mineral reserves as nations property during the presentation of the report. Does our concept of development include the poorest of poorthe rightful owners and stakeholders of land? he questioned. Mineral reserves are not the property of any government. They are merely custodians. The development that does not include the Adivasi and that leaves out the poorest of the poor is not development, but exploitation, Singh Deo asserted. Citing the report, the former minister said, It exposes a pattern of human rights violations in open-cast mines run by different Coal India subsidiaries be it SECL, CCL or MCL. In addition to this, while most of the mining lobbies act as mafias, many state governments are not interested in the welfare of the tribals. Laws diluted to suit the purpose In spite of having legal provisions like Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, commonly known as PESA; Forest Rights Act, 2006; Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; and Land Acquisition: Coal Bearing Areas Act, 1957, the Adivasi communities have been deprived of their rights. The report observes that instead of using public hearing (a mandatory clause) as an opportunity to hear and address community concerns, the state and central government authorities and companies consider it as a bureaucratic hurdle. The role of Gram Sabhas is often ignored and violated. The existing laws were diluted both by the UPA and NDA governments, remarked Shailesh Rai, senior policy advisor, Amnesty International. Theres an unwritten strategy of not to give pattas (legal right) to Adivasis for the land on which they have been living for decades by the government. A Supreme Court bench judgment said that the tribals living in Schedule V areas are also the owners of the land, but its violated and ignored. We should have a national mineral policy, so that Adivasis couldnt be exploited for quick bucks, added Singh Deo. Theres blatant violation of laws both by CIL and private sector companies. We need to ask whether we really need so many power plants for which so much mining of coal takes place. Due to this land grabbing is taking place in many forms. Contractualization of employment in mines is a major concern and no permanent job is given to the Adivasis after acquiring their land. Moreover, the compensation offered to them is petty, pointed out Sudha Bharadwaj, Chhattigarh-based human rights lawyer and general secretary, Peoples Union for Civil Liberties. Amnesty International India has recommended that the central government must introduce a notification in the Parliament ensuring any land acquisition for coal mining involves social impact assessment and, inform and seek approval from Adivasi community prior to mining. Were not against development. But, development at what cost? By violating laws and exploitation of Adivasis? Well take up these issues with all the ministries and the state governments concerned. Violations should be stopped and focus should be on adhering to existing laws. Weve to make sure that the tribals living in these areas should be heard and do not face the situation that others have faced. Theres a strong need to make Adivasis aware of their rights and laws that would protect them from being exploited, Patel told Firstpost. A court on Thursday ordered an FIR against the family of Mohammad Akhlaq over cow slaughter, reported CNN-News18. "Judicial Magistrate Vijay Kumar acting on application moved under 156(3) CrPC for registration of a case, has ordered investigation and lodging of an FIR of cow slaughter against Akhlaq's family," said DSR Tripathi, Senior Prosecution Officer. Residents of Bishada village in Dadri had met the Gautam Budh Nagar SSP on 5 June to press their demand for registration of an FIR against Mohammad Akhlaq's family for alleged cow slaughter, following which he had ordered a probe into the charge. Jaan Mohammad, brother of Akhlaq, said the investigation should be fair. "Whatever decision the court has taken is to be respected. We respect the judiciary. We do not have any problem with investigation but the investigation should be fair," he said. Police began probe into the complaint against the family of Mohammad Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, on the suspicion of possessing and eating beef. Sanjay Rana, the father of one of the accused, said, "The court has rightly ordered lodging of the FIR. The UP government was taking one-sided action. Now the court order has provided justice to other side too." The final report sent by the Central Forensic and Scientific Lab in Mathura confirmed that the flesh was that of a cow. Akhlaqs family had decided to challenge the forensic report in court. Yusuf Saifi, Akhlaq family's lawyer, said that the report is not related to the case. "The report will be challenged in Surajpur court soon." However, as Vivek Awasthi points out in this Firstpost piece, the preliminary report of the lab test of the pieces of meat recovered from Akhlaq's house suggested that the flesh was that of a goat. This report was issued by the deputy chief medical veterinary officer of the Government Veterinary Hospital, of Dadri, Disrtict Gautam Budh Nagar. Fifty year old Akhlaq was killed by an infuriated mob, after an announcement was made from a loud speaker of a local temple that his family was consuming beef at home. About 200 people immediately gathered outside the house and Akhlaq was beaten to death. It is interesting to note that an FIR has been ordered against Akhlaqs family just ahead of the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections. With inputs from PTI. Editor's Note: This article was originally published on 14 July. It is being republished to reflect former home secretary RK Singh's letter to Firstpost and our contributor's response. Former Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh asked the then home secretary RK Singh to probe Zakir Naik, the controversial televangelist blamed for inciting terror attacks in Bangladesh? It appears so, if old letters dating February 2013 from the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) offer any indication. The PM had even written to Singh on 8 March, 2013, asking him to look into the issue, raised by a blogger, Anand Mathur, from Kolkata. Mathur is an active blogger, does a private business and has been raising issues of both national and international importance. He often writes on these issues to people in power. Some reply, many avoid. But that has not stopped him from writing. In the letter, Mathur offered details of Naiks conversations and also attached ample documentary evidence to prove what he (Mathur) was saying merited attention from the countrys internal security officials. Mathur got a response on 8 March, 2013 (the letter, dated 8 March, reached him on 11 March). Anand Mathurs complaint and PMOs reply "The second letter, this one an acknowledgement from the Home Ministry, came on 30 July, 2013. By then, Singh had retired as the home secretary. And that was the last I heard from the Home Ministry in Delhi," Mathur said in a telephonic interview from Kolkata. In short, it means the then PM Manmohan Singh reacted immediately on the alarm letter sent from Kolkata but the Home Ministry, then under Sushil Kumar Shinde, did not pay attention. Asked if he (Mathur) raised the issue with the state government of West Bengal, he replied in the negative. "I had a feeling no one will react because Muslims are a strong vote bank in Bengal and no government will react against them," Mathur said. Mathur said he waited for long for the Home Ministry to revert, even made countless calls, but eventually gave up. "And then the new government came in and Rajnath Singh became the new home minister. And one day, I saw Zakir Naik making headlines. If his speeches were investigated in 2013, Naik would not have grown to his current stature," added Mathur. Mathur said he followed Naiks speech and also read about nations which banned him. In 2011, Britain's High Court banned Naik from the UK following a number of incendiary statements aimed at Jews and Christians. Naik also had said Osama bin Laden was 'not a terrorist. The court also found his speeches were among material shared by the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks. Mathur said the Home Ministry should have taken note of his letter. He is banned from UK but continues to operate from Mumbai. Interestingly, the home secretary, who retired in three months time in June, 2013, could not even reply to the letter. The one Mathur got was from the office of Anil Goswami, who succeeded Singh as the new home secretary. Its important to note that Goswami was fired from his seat for trying to influence the CBI in the Saradha scam that involved, among others, former minister Matang Sinh. I have no idea why Singh did not respond to the letter despite an alert from the PMO, I do not know why Goswami fell silent, said Mathur. Singh, currently a BJP MP from Bihar, said he would not like to comment on the issue which has snowballed into a huge controversy. Senior Congress officials said they were unaware if former PM Manmohan Singh had alerted the Home Ministry about Naik, whose sermons are already banned in Canada and the UK. Naik is now under investigation in both Bangladesh and India, which have both pulled his Peace TV channel from the air. He claims to reach more 100 million people worldwide, with his sermons available via satellite TV and online. He has promised to cooperate with authorities when he returns to India in two weeks time from Saudi Arabaia. Internal security expert Arun Bhagat said if probe into Naiks activities is delayed, the consequences could be huge. "India is already feeling the heat, the social media is in uproars over what needs to be done. Why not act on time?" Bhagat told this writer during an interview. In a 2009 sermon uploaded to YouTube, and still available, Naik was asked if a suicide attack could ever be justified. He said it is normally forbidden, he said, but added: "If the situation demands, like in Palestine and they cause a damage to the opponent, as a last resort, with guidance from a scholar, so with guidance from the Koran, as a last resort, it can be used". But he sang a different tune after being banned by Dhaka and India. In a video statement posted on Monday, Naik denied supporting violence. I'm totally against terrorism. I condemn all acts of terrorism, including killing innocent human beings. Killing innocent human beings is the second major sin in Islam, he said. Bhagat said though the Indian government has acted against Naik, a crackdown on material posted online would be "more difficult". You could troll him or condemn him for (allegedly) spreading hatred through religious preaching but it would be a tough one to prove in a court of law. Over the years, the Supreme Court has meticulously differentiated between public perception and facts. It has insisted on hard facts to substantiate charges of causing communal disharmony under IPC Sections 153A and 295A of IPC. As demands to prosecute Naik, whose speeches allegedly inspired two Dhaka killers, former attorney general Soli Sorabjee has already made a statement: What is necessary is a fair probe and after that expeditious application of law, not before. If only the probe had happened earlier. On 18 July, RK Singh wrote to Firstpost: Statement from R K Singh Our contributor's response: Once I received the papers from my sources, I called the office and residence of RK Singh on the following numbers (096-61-399999/096-50-666155/ 095-55-888395). I deliberately did not mail him because I did not want to share the letters on mail. But my telephone records, and those of Singh would show I made all the calls and expended all efforts needed to put a news story in place. I repeatedly asked his staff for Singhs comments to the letter sent from the PMO regarding Zakir Naik. After nearly a week, I was told that the MP has said: "He has no comments". I asked if I could use this as his quote. I was told, again, that Singh would not like to comment. The road ahead for Delhi University professor Dr GN Saibaba who was arrested and faced trial for alleged Maoist links seems to be full of hurdles. Even after getting unconditional bail from the Supreme Court (SC) in April 2016, this assistant professor at Ram Lal Anand (RLA) College, Delhi University, is yet to be reinstated. Saibaba was arrested by the Maharashtra police in May 2014 and was granted bail in July 2015 (which the Bombay High Court cancelled in December 2015). He was finally granted bail by the SC in April this year, yet, there is no respite for the wheel-chair bound professor. Post his bail, when Saibaba visited his college on 25 April, he was allegedly heckled by a right-wing group with slogans like Deshdrohi wapas jao (Traitor! Go back!). Within a period of five days, three attempts were made to attack Professor GN Saibaba inside the college campus allegedly by the members and goons of the right-wing affiliated students union. It didnt end there. To his utter surprise, Saibaba received a letter from the RLA College management on Tuesday (12 July), mentioning Saibabas suspension from services would continue till the criminal case against him in Maharashtra is settled. I had been waiting for the report of the one-man enquiry committee appointed to look into my case and reinstatement. But, the letter I received from college principal was shocking as the governing body ensured my ouster from the job by not allowing me to join, GN Saibaba told Firstpost. There are thousands of cases where employees, after getting bail, get reinstated. I got unconditional bail from the apex court, in spite of that I havent been allowed to join the college. They are using allegations against me to prevent me from joining, fearing that I would question several cases of irregularities and corruption, which I had questioned earlier as well. There are cases where students belonging to SC, ST and OBC categories havent been given admission. The roster was manipulated, he added. While Saibaba, allegedly considered to a Naxal ideologue, is yet to decide his further course of action, an independent body Committee for the defence and release of Dr GN Saibaba comprising of academicians, college professors, editors, and writers, has questioned the governing bodys decision. What the Committee for defence of Saibaba has to say Condemning the decision, the committee in its statement said, The College is trying to frame, criminalise and intimidate Dr Saibaba, who has been an unrelenting and tireless fighter for the rights of the oppressed and the downtrodden. Dr Saibaba has got unconditional bail from SC, which allows him to teach. Theres no complaint from his students against him; rather they have extended support to him and wrote articles in his favour. There are many cases in academic world, where one has been allowed to join classes after getting bail. This governing body is not a legitimate body and the one-man committee is a sham. Well appeal to the Delhi University vice chancellor against this decision, Prof G Haragopal, Committees chairperson and ICSSR National Fellow, TISS Hyderabad, told Firspost. What is Prof Saibabas case all about? Saibaba was arrested by the Maharashtra (Gadchiroli) police for alleged Maoist links in 2014. After the arrest, he was suspended from RLA College. It was on the afternoon of 9 May 2014, when Saibaba was heading back home from the university, that a group of policemen in plainclothes stopped his car, dragged his driver out and drove him out of the university campus. The next morning, after his arrest from Delhi, he was flown to Nagpur, where the District Magistrate heard his case and sent him to prison. He spent 14 months in jail before the Mumbai High Court granted him bail for six months in July last year, in view of his deteriorating health condition. He had to surrender and again go back to jail in December. He was finally granted bail by the Supreme Court in April this year and the RLA Colleges governing body constituted a one-member committee to revoke his suspension and reinstate him. What RLA College management says? Dr Vijay Kumar Sharma, principal, RLA College, told Firstpost, The decision of the governing body has been communicated to GN Saibaba through a letter. It is based on the recommendations of the one-member inquiry committee. The governing body has mentioned that he cant be reinstated unless theres approval from the vice chancellor. According to sources, the inquiry committee went through the documents related to Saibaba that allegedly shows his strong Maoist links. What the Right-wing student body says? Meanwhile, the right-wing student body Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) that had been objecting the presence of Saibaba in the college campus due to his alleged Maoist links, said the law would decide the course of action. Its a known fact that Saibaba has strong Maoist links and he is the face of Naxals in Delhi. The Maharashtra police, on the basis of evidence, arrested him and sent him to jail. The matter is subjudice and the law will take its course. In April, it the ABVP members were blamed for attacking him, which is false and baseless, national spokesperson and media in-charge of ABVP, Shreerang Kulkarni told Firstpost. Lahore: Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), on Wednesday warned that violence in Indian-ruled Kashmir will escalate. Saeed, designated a terrorist by the United States with a $10 million bounty on his head, also told AP that he will lead nationwide demonstrations in Pakistan to force its government to sever ties with the US if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute. The US-declared terrorist group LeT is suspected of carrying out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and was banned in Pakistan in 2015 but Saeed travels freely and gives speeches inciting people to attack Western and Indian interests. Indian government has long demanded Islamabad arrest Saeed. Gurgaon: The inquiry commission constituted to probe the loss of life and property during the February Jat pro-quota agitation in Haryana has extended the time limit for filing complaints till the end of this month. The two-member Commission led by former chief justice of J&K and the Rajasthan high courts SN Jha had on 17 June issued public notice inviting complaints within 30 days from the general public. The commission will now receive complaints till 31 July, said Sanjiv Kumar, Secretary to the Commission. The Commission has former IPS officer NC Padhi as its member. On Tuesday, Jha had told a press conference here the Commission had received only one CD in the name of complaint till then despite loss of lives and vandalism in several districts during the agitation. After the chairman's statement some people came forward expressing their willingness in the media to file complaints. The Commission has been asked to submit its report within six months from the date of its first sitting. The Commission will look into circumstances relating to occurrence of violence leading to loss of lives and damage to properties and alleged violation of human rights from 18 to 23 February in Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonepat, Jind, Hisar, Kaithal and Bhiwani districts. It will also probe if there was any conspiracy to damage the social fabric. The Amarnath Yatra was suspended yet again on Wednesday due to fresh unrest reported from Anantnag, reported DNA. According to Business Standard, a fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed to leave from Bhagwati Nagar Yatra base camp. The yatra had just resumed on 12 July under a heavy security blanket, reported The Indian Express IANS reported that the ongoing curfew in most places of the Valley continued on Thursday as the separatists decided to extend the protest shutdown for another two days. Curfew has been imposed in the Valley since 9 July to control large-scale violence following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last week, the report said. One protester identified as Hilal Ahmad Shah was killed in Anantnag district's Harnag area on Wednesday when an unruly mob surrounded an army vehicle and tried to torch it. The death toll in the six-day long spate of violence has increased to 37. UPDATE: Death toll of J&K protests over #BurhanWani's killing, rises to 37. ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 On Wednesday, the death toll in the on-going Amarnath Yatra spiked to 10 after a bus carrying pilgrims collided with a truck at Sangam near Bijbehara, 45 kms from Srinagar, reported The Economic Times. Twenty-three pilgrims also received injuries in the accident. The bus was on the way to Jammu from Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district. But, in a small bit of positive news, local Muslims defied curfew restrictions on Wednesday and risked their lives to rescue the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims injured in a road accident on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway-1A and carried them to hospitals, said an IANS report. The driver of the mini-bus carrying the pilgrims died of injuries after the vehicle met an accident near Bijbehara town in Anantnag district. Locals in Bijbehara town, who were mourning two deaths due to recent violence in the Kashmir Valley, ignored their personal grief and the curfew to rush to the accident spot and rescue the injured pilgrims. On 11 July, hundreds of Amarnath pilgrims were stranded as Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained out of bounds, as per a PTI report. Many of the pilgrims, who performed the yatra through Baltal route in Sonamarg area of central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, were stranded near the Tourist Reception Centre in the city. The pilgrims left the Baltal base camp at around 1 am and reached Srinagar in the wee hours. "We performed the yatra on 8 July. Around midnight tonight, we were told to leave the base camp. They told us to leave for Srinagar where buses were waiting for us to take us to Jammu," Pramod Kumar, a resident of Bihar, said. The pilgrims also complained of inadequate arrangements and accused cab drivers of charging exorbitant rates. However, deputy commissioner, Ganderbal, Tariq Hussain Ganai told PTI that the administration had made proper arrangements for about 24,500 pilgrims to leave Baltal for Jammu. "We arranged 1,700 vehicles for about 24,500 yatris to leave for Jammu. The vehicles left Baltal straight for Jammu and not for Srinagar. Those yatris are on their way to Jammu right now," Ganai said. "We reached here at around 3 am and since then we are waiting. There are no buses. How do we move to Jammu?" he asked. Another pilgrim, Bansi Lal, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, said, "We have not been told anything after we reached Srinagar. There is no information available. We want to leave for Jammu but do not know how." He said pilgrims stranded in Srinagar must have been "tricked" by cab drivers at Baltal. "What I can understand is that they must have been tricked by the cab drivers there. We cleared the last three days' yatra last night and sent the pilgrims directly to Jammu. Some left the state by air as well. We never told anyone that buses will be waiting in Srinagar," the deputy commissioner said. With inputs from agencies Srinagar: A mob on Thursday set ablaze the house where Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and his two associates were killed on last Friday in a gunfight with the security forces in Kokernag, about 83 kms from here. A large crowd attacked the house of Manzoor Ahmad, reportedly relative of one of the slain militants, at Bumdoora and set it ablaze, a police official said. The house was burnt down apparently because the mob felt that the tip-off to security forces about the presence of Burhan had come from its inmates. The mob also damaged an orchard of high density apples before dispersing, the official said. The situation in the area is "very tense" and being monitored by the authorities, the official said. Burhan, 21-year-old poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen, and two other militants were killed by security forces who moved into the village after a specific information about their presence in a house. The security forces had gathered information about the presence of one Hizbul Mujahideen militant Sartaz raising hopes that Burhan may also be present as earlier intelligence inputs suggested that both used to move together. When the encounter ended, security forces were jubilant on finding among the three dead terrorists Burhan who had shot to fame with series of videos and pictures on social networking sites asking youths to join militancy. The official said some stray and intermittent incidents of stone pelting were reported from Qaimo Kulgam and Khudwani in south Kashmir, Trehgam, Lalpora, Battergam, Kupwara, Hyhama, Hatmulla, Warpora, Sopore, Arampora, Cement bridge, Baramulla and Palhalan in north Kashmir, Suzaith and Narbal in Budgam, Parimpora, Chinkral Mohalla in Habakadal in Srinagar. However, there was no report of any casualty in the the clashes, he said. A decade ago, India had all but declared victory over poaching in Kaziranga, a 430-square-kilometre (166-square-mile) protected area of forest in the northeastern state of Assam that is home to around 2,500 rhinos. But recent years have seen an alarming upsurge in the slaughter of the animals. But like other rhinos these animals are under threat with only around 3500 left in the wild, all in India and neighbouring Nepal. Their horns are prized in China and Vietnam where some believe they have aphrodisiac and cancer-curing properties. This demand fuels poaching and at least a dozen rhinos have been killed here this year. Yes, it's a pretty sick story. Just imagine or better yet don't a guy who gets his kicks by riding around in such an illegal matter. And no, we're not talking about the fact that he wasn't wearing a helmet. But before we get into it, here are some anecdotes from the women who work at Firstpost, and the common feeling shared by all these women is that they wanted to beat the living daylights out of the creep in question and then take him to the police. "It was 1999, I was riding my bicycle and this guy came out of nowhere, stark naked. He flashed me, I just rode my bicycle right towards him and he had to run." "It happened to me twice. Once when I was really young, my parents had gone to pick up groceries and I was waiting in the car when a man came and stood in the shadows in front of the car and started to masturbate in front of me and then he flashed me. I ran to my parents but by the time we came out, he ran away. The other time was when I was studying in a girls college in Delhi and there were just way too many creeps who would routinely cycle through the road in broad daylight and flash women. This went on for a month before they increased vigilance and he didn't return then." "We were a big group of girls on a trip, we got into a train at Kochi and a guy began walking down the aisle, we didn't really understand why he was traipsing till we saw that he had his penis out and was probably masturbating." "In the first year of college, a guy followed me in his car with the windows open while he was masturbating. I showed him a middle finger and changed my route." And when on Tuesday evening, two girls had the misfortune of being followed by a biker who was clearly throwing himself a party in his pants, the girls helped the police catch the creep. They quickly captured an image of the pervert in action and got their friend to tweet at the Mumbai Police's Twitter handle: @MumbaiPolice. And this photo-tweet helped the police nab the pervert in just three hours. @ZChashteh We have followed you. Please share the details on Direct Message. We will certainly look into this. Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) July 12, 2016 Mid-Day reported that the incident took place on Tuesday evening when they were waiting at a signal 16th road, Khar West. In addition to tweeting the photo, the girls had also taken the details of his bike number. The creep has been identified as a 35-year-old Rais Likayat Qureshi from Bandra, after they figured out his details from the RTO. Last year, there was another man, Colaba Masturbator aka Gopal Valmiki who flashed an American woman, who posted a photo of him on Twitter. However, he denied the allegations levied against him and maintained that he was merely urinating and that the woman misunderstood him. As for this motorcycle masturbater, he's probably trying to find a lawyer who works 'pro-boner'. The official Twitter account of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed was suspended on Thursday. We condemn the use of Twitter to promote terrorism and the Twitter Rules make it clear that this type of behavior, or any violent threat, is not permitted on our service. Since the middle of 2015 alone, weve suspended more than 125,000 accounts for threatening or promoting terrorist acts, primarily related to ISIS, a Twitter spokesperson told Firstpost. The spokesperson also said that the micro-blogging site does not comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons. A report in The Economic Times said the suspension comes after Indian security agencies reported that his account @hafizsaeedlive was being used to ignite violence following the killing of Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani last week. Twitter blocks 'HafizSaeedLive' account, account had frequent updates from the JuD Chief ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 According to a DNA report, Saeed, at a meet in Lahore, said that the ongoing protests on the Indian side of Kashmir would be stepped up. He also warned that the deaths in Kashmir would not go in vain. But it looks like @hafizsaeedlive isn't Saeed's only Twitter account. We found @hafeezsaeedjue, among many others. The Economic Times report added that the JuD chief has more than one accounts maintained by his cyber team. In February 2016, it was reported that Saeed might (or might not have) tweeted on the JNU row. The Indian government then wrote to Twitter India asking for details of the account @HafeezSaeedJUD that tweeted in support of the JNU student stir, reported The Hindu. By Mandara Vishwanath We are so used to bad news in the girls and dress code department that we were pleasantly surprised to hear sensible things in the new notifications by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). These are meant to combat sexual harassment in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). The UGC and AICTE have separately notified new regulations that ban the imposition of 'discriminatory' rules like dress codes and hostel curfews on the pretext of women's safety. Concern for the safety of women students must not be cited to impose discriminatory rules for women in hostels as compared to male students. Campus safety policies should not result in securitisation, such as over monitoring or policing or curtailing the freedom of movement, especially for women employees and students, the regulations say. Violating them may lead to the withdrawal of recognition by the two bodies. While its great news that the Centre believes women should wear what they want to colleges and have the same hostel rules as men, we arent ready to celebrate just yet. In April 2016, according to a news report, Hindu College, Delhi University set up its first women's hostel (although the college was established more than a 100 years ago) with a whopping fee of Rs 82,000 (as opposed to the men's hostel fee of Rs 47,000) and ridiculous rules demanding women dress according to the 'norms of the society' and not have any visitors, including women visitors. Perhaps the new notification is meant to prevent such drastic instances of curbing women's autonomy. But the new notifications by the UGC and AICTE are meant for central universities affiliated to them and some state universities which receive funding from the UGC all private universities do not necessarily have to follow it. As a recent graduate from a private university in Bangalore, I know that sometimes autonomous universities have even stricter moral codes than central universities: I am certain my former classmates agree with me when I say that women being forced to wear only long kurtas with patialas so that their body shape and skin were all covered up, and forcing men to wear formal shirts and sport trimmed beards and military haircuts does zilch to ensure the safety of women on campus. What does make women students feel unsafe is that if they do accuse someone of sexually harassing them, there isnt enough of a support system to deal with the issue sensitively, as the withdrawn case against Ajay Pavitran, accused of harassing several young women at Christ University, showed. Last year, the administration of Jamia Milia Islamia, Delhi a central university set the hostel curfew at 8 pm and withdrew earlier permission for women to have two late nights a month, while no such restriction was laid out for the men's hostel. Thankfully, the Delhi Commission for Women issued a notice stating that such rules were discriminatory for women. Subsequently, the Pinjra Tod movement began protesting the sexist rules governing hostels across universities in Delhi. In other private universities like OP Jindal Global University in Sonipat, Haryana where no dress code exists, there are stricter, unspoken rules for women. While the hostel curfew of 10 pm is the same for both men and women, female students there say the womens hostel warden rarely gives permission for them to step out of campus after 6 pm in the interest of their safety. Its still the kind of over-securitisation that the Centre is now seeking to avoid. Stopping universities from formulating discriminatory rules is a great step, but hostel administrations also need to be educated about not moral policing students, and ensuring their safety by treating them as adults who can make their own decisions instead of infants who need protecting. That is something the UGC itself has trouble with: in a previous notification, which came out in April 2015, the Centre laid down guidelines for safety of students. Some of these guidelines include building a high boundary wall around hostels or colleges, topped by barbed wire with a minimal of three entry points; each of these entry points are to be guarded by security personnel, of whom at least one should be a woman "so that physical security check of girl students or visitor can be undertaken". It appeared that they wanted to frisk female students for their own safety. Such a rule could be easily implemented by over-protective or conservative woman security guards who could impinge on female students' privacy with their own biased judgements of who should and should not be allowed to enter the premises, even if the visitor is accounted for by the student. Another guideline suggests setting up a university police station with frequent patrolling: if campus police are anything like civil policemen, Id be more likely to be judged and moral policed for my choices than made to feel safe. I feel like I am often scrutinised for what they consider to be immoral behaviour smoking, loitering on the streets, wearing indecent clothes all reasons that come back to pointing out my character rather than trying to keep me safe. Nikita Agarwal, a human rights lawyer in Delhi, believes that the UGC is trying to portray itself as a progressive institution with the new notification. She adds, it is definitely important that all, including trans students, have the freedom to wear what they want to, but the real malaise is not the code: the real malaise is the ideology that perpetuates this dress code. Were hoping that despite the mixed signals were getting from the Centre about how it views approaches to womens safety, the new notification is the start of something bigger. With this baby step, lets believe that the Centre is genuinely making an effort to ensure the safety of students, rather than caging them on the pretext of caring about their well-being. The Ladies Finger is a leading online feminist magazine. It was just two weeks ago that the nation was shocked by a video of a medical student throwing a dog off the roof of a three-story house in Chennai. In another incident, an Australian man bit off a rats head for a Facebook Live video just three days ago. Animal cruelty seems like an endemic issue. We are all humans, but do we remember how to act humane? Mumbaikars say a resounding 'no'. Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Governor Tathagata Roy on Thursday reinstated Nabam Tuki as Chief Minister and asked him to prove his majority on the floor of the assembly by July 16, an official said. "In obedience of the Supreme Court judgement of July 13, the Governor has informed Nabam Tuki that he stands reinstated as the Chief Minister of the state on and with effect from that date," Raj Bhawan Spokesperson Atum Potom said. In order to ensure that the proceedings of the assembly may take place peacefully and otherwise appropriately, Roy, who is the acting Governor during the absence of Governor J.P. Rajkhowa, desired that proceedings be videographed throughout and the majority as aforesaid proved by division and not by voice vote, Potom said, adding that a note to this effect has also been sent to the assembly secretary. "The Governor emphasised that the conduct of the proceedings, including the videography, in the House shall strictly follow the principles laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in its order dated May 6, 2016 in the matter pertaining to the matter of imposition of President's Rule in the State of Uttarakhand (SLP C 11567/2016) Union of India Vs Harish Chandra Singh Rawat," he said. Delivering a major blow to the BJP government at the Centre, the Supreme Court on Wednesday restored Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh after quashing the Presidents Rule. The Supreme Court's verdict, which came on Wednesday morning, will mean Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa's December 2015 decision to advance the state assembly session by one month has been quashed. This came as a major boost for Nabam Tuki, who was restored as chief minister. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Delhi Committee has been on a hunger strike near ITO metro station since Tuesday morning, to protest the Delhi governments alleged negligence towards the issues related to the poor in its recent budget. The AAP government in a complete U-turn from its promises made during the election, neglected the issues related to the working class and Dalits, said Pushpinder Grewal a member of the central committee. The Aam Aadmi Party, in its election manifesto promised regularisation of contractual labourers with jobs of a permanent nature. It also promised to implement of minimum wage laws in the state. Contrary to its promises, a number of contractual jobs have increased in the government sector and business owners have been allowed to contractualise jobs, during the partys regime, he added. Even the labour department of the state has been made toothless, by keeping a number of posts vital for implementing the labour laws vacant he further explains. In a leaflet published by the party to publicise its protest campaign, the CPM also accused the Delhi government of neglecting issues related to Dalits living in the city-state. This budget has no separate allocation meant for the Dalits, said the leaflet. As per the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan, the government should have allocated Rs 7,400 crores separately for the 16.72 percent Dalit population of Delhi. Instead, the government has allocatd Rs 1,381 crore clubbing Dalits, Muslims and Other Backward Classes into one category thus depriving them of their rights, it said. The party also accused the Kejriwal government of deterring implementation of the Food Security Mission. In a recent circular, the government has ordered that the Fair Price Shops will not open in the absence of Circle Inspectors. By this order, the government has ensured that no Fair Price Shop opens in time, since there are only 70 Circle Inspectors whereas the total number of Fair Price Shops is 2,530, said the leaflet. The party raised a series of issues related to the poor. The party also alleges that during its one-and-a-half-year rule in Delhi, the Aam Admi Party has failed to prove itself to be different from Congress and BJP, the parties it fought tooth and nail in the election. Party leaders said that the protest programme begun on Tuesday will involve six to seven persons everyday, who will continue the hunger strike till Thursday. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu caused some consternation amongst God-fearing bureaucrats in May 2016 at a Collectors Conference in Vijayawada, when he said that temple funds could be utilised in the same manner as the Christian missionaries use the church funds for health, education and anti-poverty programs. Naidus off-the-cuff remarks caught several bureaucrats unawares. Many senior IAS men were aware of the attempts already made in the past by power lobbies to use temple funds which they termed as growing faster and higher than the states growth rates. Not for temples in Andhra Pradesh, joked Naidu. A 27 percent increase over last year in collections at shrines is natural here. People are committing sins and to get rid of them, they are going to temples and offering money, he said. Naidu, in a light vein also lamented that thanks to the vow of abstinence taken by devotees before visiting Sabarimala (in Kerala), alcohol revenues too had come down in the state. More people are taking Ayyapa Swamy 'deeksha' and abstaining from liquor consumption for 40 days. To that extent our liquor sales are going down, he laughed. His vision of intention expressed in the Collectors Conference has been acted upon in the recent months when the Chittoor district collectorate asked the TTD - Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams - the custodian of Balaji temple at Tirumala, to take the lead in funding several populist programs of the government, like the Neeru-Chettu (water-trees) project. Though it was vouched that temple funds were not utilised under the Haritha project, the TTD shortlisted 100 tanks for development, out of the 139 present in the extended limits of Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA). High voltage publicity was unleashed during the program that the TTD aimed to address the water bodies dotting the highways leading to the temple city in an effort to improve the citys aesthetics and also offer respite to the pilgrims. Every government is exploiting TTD funds for its populist programs and the present government depends more on TTD for urban infrastructure development in Tirupati, said S Gopal Rao, a former sub judge and a resident of Tirupati. In undivided Andhra Pradesh, temple lands totalled 4.2 lakh acres owned by temples in Vishakhapatnam, Kakinada, Guntur, Kurnool, Warangal, and Hyderabad. Of these, 60,843 acres were occupied illegally by politicians and also land grabbers. According to a report, the TTD, in 1985 itself, owned around 3.4 lakh acres. However the Endowment Minister P Manikyala Rao, informed Assembly in the last budget session in February, that the market value of properties owned by TTD was Rs 9,800 crores of which only 4,657.51 acres of land remained in undivided AP and another 125.75 acres in Nepal, Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Haryana and Odisha. There are three IAS and one IPS officer, a separate law and a property cell in TTD but yet the TTD officials are failing to protect its properties, said Peddireddygari Ramachandra Reddy, a former Congress minister and sitting Punganur MLA who belongs to the opposition YSR Congress party. In July 2015, the Andhra government had already issued a diktat to the TTD to fund the establishment costs salaries of priests of all 12,000 temples - in the 13 districts of bifurcated AP. TTD has been asked to cough up Rs 100 crores to the Rs 250 crores corpus fund created in the endowment department. An account has been separately created for this purpose in Andhra Bank, former Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao, and a former senior official of TTD, had clarified last year. In the latter half of June this year, the AP government had also issued another diktat that it had plans to sell off all idle properties of temples to raise funds for development activities including urban and rural infrastructure. As part of the same exercise, the temple lands belonging to AP in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu are being sold off. What is Tirumala Temple worth? The TTD has reported that it clocked a hundi collection of nearly Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 crore every day along with offerings of a minimum of 2 kilograms of gold ornaments. The temple sees footfalls of one lakh devotees every day and is also adorned with at least 65-70 kilograms of gold ornaments. A single crown studded with diamonds and rubies weighs about 30 kilograms and is worth many crores. In fact, there are a dozen similar crowns, including the one donated by the iron ore mafia king and former Karnataka BJP minister Gali Janardhan Reddy. The dome of the 1900 year old Srivari Temple is studded with gold plates donated by Vijayanagara King Sri Krishnadevaraya. Lord Balaji also has cash deposits worth Rs 10,000 crore and his annual budget for 2016-17 was Rs 2678 crore, a hike of 27 percent over last year, with a record collection from devotees estimated at Rs 1010 crores this year. The temple is estimated to earn Rs 150 crore from the sale of tonsured hair alone, which has become a popular brand in France and UK as Tirupati hair, coveted for the long, shining tresses. TTD estimates Rs 778.93 crore as interest on investments and a salary bill of Rs 500 crore. It also plans to spend Rs 120 crore for propagation of Hindu religion. It earns Rs 175 crore from the sale of Laddu Prasadam three lakh laddus are made and sold every day. It spent Rs 88 crore on education and Rs 62 crore on hospitals. Up until now, TTD has deposited 4.3 tonnes of gold in three public sector banks under the Gold Deposit Scheme. The scheme, launched in 1999, will be replaced by the Gold Monetisation Scheme. But deposits outstanding in the old scheme will be allowed to continue. A majority of the 4.3 tonnes deposited by TTD is held by State Bank of India, an official said. Of the 750 tonnes of gold reserves in India, TTD alone has 200-300 tonnes and rings in a weekly collection of 10 kilograms of gold, say TTD officials. Temple gold is preserved, catalogued and maintained under heavy guard at Bokkasam (safety vault) and a separate wing is in charge of the Thiruvabharanams (holy jewels). Several old-timers in TTD say that attempts by successive governments to utilise its vast funds have already taken place. In spite of the constitutional guarantees and the AP Endowment and Charities Act, many governments since 1984 have been trying to use TTDs funds for the needs of the state. It is no more a religious or spiritual organisation but a mini-government run by a handful of IAS and IPS officers and a governing body where everyone is nominated by the government and the ruling party in power, said a former TTD member and current YSRCP MLA from Chandragiri, Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy. Cash-Strapped AP Government? Since the bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh has been a cash-strapped state. It is entitled to Rs 13,000 crore as a legacy of bifurcation and loss of revenue from Hyderabad, which accounted for over 40 percent of the overall earning of the combined state. All that the Centre has so far granted is just Rs 2803 crore, merely a drop in ocean. But the state growth rate, according to the government, is on the rise notwithstanding the lack of capital and other hurdles in administration. In 2015-16, APs own tax revenue had gone up from Rs 29,857 crore to Rs 44,423 crore. However, non-tax revenue and regular annual flow from the Centre were at Rs 5,341 crore and Rs 40,104 crore respectively in the same period. State Finance Secretary PV Ramesh says that the state has made an exemplary 49 percent jump in own tax revenue. But immediate support from the Centre is crucial in view of the huge development agenda and expenditure line-up for urban infrastructure and Amaravati capital, he said. As a result, the AP government under Chandrababu Naidu has chosen the path of Swiss Challenge and also land grants to developers from Singapore, Malaysia and China in the territory of new capital city of Amaravati. With a weak opposition in the form of the YSRCP, the ruling Telugu Desam Party has a free hand to exploit all the available resources of the state, including that of the TTD. Bureaucrats and TDP leaders though say that nothing was being done to hurt the sentiments of devotees and no transfer of funds took place from the TTD account to that of the government treasury. Way back in 1983, when TDP founder NT Rama Rao was Chief Minister, such an attempt was indeed made. The state government had directed TTD to keep its fixed deposits in the AP government treasury instead of in commercial banks. Rama Rao offered to pay the TTD the same rate of interest as commercial banks for every paisa kept in the state account. NTRs move was stalled by the TTD board which went on appeal to the AP High Court and got a stay amidst a furious public and political uproar. Then BJP MLA, now Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Venkaiah Naidu had slammed the NTR government stating that it was an encroachment on the affairs of a Hindu religious endowment. Former Janata Party legislator and later UPA minister S Jaipal Reddy had cautioned that the consequences would be bad and said a Hindu backlash can be worse than minority communalism. NTR dropped the move after public furore. Although the state government and the ruling party profess innocence, insiders in the TTD and the Endowment Department contend that the writing is on the wall. They say that in the winter session of Assembly a definite move could be made to legalise the process which has already begun in TTD. TTD is likely to be asked to fund all needs of the Tirupati Municipality and also that of Chittoor district programs. What has already begun in implementation of the populist schemes will be legalised soon, said YSRC legislator Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy. TDP leaders though argue that there is nothing wrong in using TTD funds for public welfare activities like developing urban and rural infrastructure for education, healthcare and toilets. They point out that during the Congress regime of YS Rajasekhar Reddy, the government had made TTD conduct Kalyanamastu (weddings of BPL families of SC/ST and BCs). In six functions of Kalyanamastu conducted at Rs 4.86 crores for each, nearly 36,000 weddings were performed by the TTD over all 23 districts of united Andhra Pradesh. After YSRs death the program was abandoned by the TTD on ground of lack of transparency and accountability. Our government is not after funds of Lord Venkateswara temple. We will only ask TTD to invest in government programs and schemes just like other concerns or private individuals, said AP Forest Minister Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy. Though there is no clear idea of how the Lords funds will be utilised by the cash-strapped AP government, one thing is certain. Money managers and financial experts are coming up with many devious designs to put the huge contributions made by devotees of Balaji in the form of gold and cash to fulfill the populist poll promises of the ruling parties, whoever they may be. Nanded: Seizing on the Supreme Court verdicts on Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarkhand, Congress president Sonia Gandhi accused the Narendra Modi government of disrespecting the popular mandate in its "greed for power" and tearing apart the Constitution to topple elected ministries. "The present government, in its greed for power, has torn apart the provisions of the Constitution of India and has dislodged the elected governments of Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh by disrespecting the people's mandate," Gandhi said, addressing a party rally on Thursday, a day after the Supreme Court ordered the restoration of the Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh. Gandhi was in Nanded to unveil a statue of Congress stalwart and former Union minister Shankarrao Chavan and inaugurate a library named after him at his home town. "Had Shankarrao been alive today, he would've been deeply hurt to see all this and would have objected to these unconstitutional steps. But we are proud of the Supreme Court which protected the spirit of the Constitution and restored democracy in these two states," she said. Describing Chavan as a "true crusader" of farmers who went the extra mile to secure their welfare, the Congress chief said the NDA dispensation had put farmers and vulnerable sections at a disadvantage by diluting the welfare schemes launched during the previous UPA rule. "It is sad that today, welfare schemes made by our Manmohan Singh government for farmers, tribals, minorities and women are being weakened. As a result, lakhs of families are bearing the brunt," she said. "The Modi government has to be reminded that there is drought in the country. Due to your (Modi government's) policies, farmers have been alienated. You have waived off thousands of crores of loans of capitalists but left farmers to their fate," Gandhi charged. "The BJP government is weakening welfare measures taken in last 60 years for benefit of farmers," she said, adding Congress would not allow farmers' voice to be stifled. Former Prime minister Manmohan Singh, who was also present at the function, recalled his working days with Chavan. Congress has hoisted Sheila Dikshit as the face of the party for the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh. With analysts having written her off ever since her defeat to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Assembly election 2013 and a water tanker scam that significantly marred her political legacy, she was sent in exile to Kerala by the Congress high command in 2014 but in politics it's not over until it's over. Congress party high command pointed out that Sheila Dikshit was chosen as the chief ministerial candidate for her "good work, and experience". While there can be debate about the former, when it comes to experience, Dikshit has been in the political arena for close to 32 years, including 15 long years as a lawmaker for Delhi. However, the big question is: Will the Uttar Pradesh electorate warm up to the idea of Sheila Dikshit or not? According to Sheila Dikshit, "Whether I go to Uttar Pradesh or not, I can't deny that I am the bahu of the state." Dikshit was married to the son of Uma Shankar Dikshit, one of the stalwarts of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh who was close to Nehru family and was also a central minister. Interestingly her stint in politics started with UP; Congress had swept the 1984 elections riding on the 'Indira wave' and Sheila Dikshit won the Kannauj parliamentary seat. Her next stint as a law maker was in Delhi. In 1998, she became the Chief Minister of Delhi and for the next 15 years she ruled the NCR with an iron fist. In 2013, when the whole country seemed to be swayed by Narendra Modi's prowess, Dikshit she was defeated by BJP, though Arvind Kejriwal formed the government. This was termed as a debacle in her political career one that led to her political exile and sent to Kerala to be its Governor. Dikshit had to resign after just five months, but it was her exile away from the capital which proved to be costly for the party. She said,"They didn't want me in Delhi, they faced the results." In the run-up to the UP 2017 polls, Dikshit garnered support from the Gandhi family along with Prashant Kishor, the chief political strategist for the Uttar Pradesh polls, who the Congress has roped in after observing how he single-handedly changed Mahagatbandhan's fortune in Bihar. Dikshit's Brahmin lineage could help clinch UP polls Prashant Kishor had recommended that Dikshit should play a major role in the party's poll campaign in the state as she is a prominent Brahmin face and could help Congress regain support of the electorally sizeable and significant community, whose support determines the poll outcome in several seats. The community, a traditional vote bank of the Congress, shifted allegiance to BJP in the aftermath of the emergence of Mandir-Mandal politics. A large chunk of Brahmin votes had also gone to Mayawati's BSP in the past when she gave tickets to many candidates belonging to the community.The Brahmin community plays a significant role in election outcome in central and eastern Uttar Pradesh as it is the dominant caste in these areas. It's not going to be a plain sail for this septuagenarian politician. She's neither a dominant force like Narendra Modi, nor a maverick like Arvind Kejriwal or as willy as Mulayam Singh Yadav but along with the backing of Prashant Kishor and the 'blessings' of the Gandhi family, she could prove to a formidable candidate she survived her exile and at the fag end of her late 70s, she is looking at one last shot at glory. Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party have all claimed Congress's decision of naming Sheila Dikshit its chief ministerial candidate for next year's Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh would not cut much ice with the voters. Calling the decision an "internal matter" of the Congress, senior SP leader CP Rai said, "It has to be seen as to how Dikshit can mobilise the party workers who have remained demoralised for over two decades." BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said the "package" announced by Congress is not going to change its policies or its future in the politically-crucial state. "Congress has been piggy-backing the SP in UP and will continue to play as the B team of SP," Pathak said. The AAP said Dikshit's nomination as the Congress's face in Uttar Pradesh indicated that the Grand Old Party has accepted defeat even before going to the battlefield. Congress chose 78-year-old Dikshit, a Brahmin, as its face for the polls considering "her strong credentials as chief minister of Delhi for three consecutive terms", to enable the party regain the support of the electorally-sizeable community. The Brahmin community, a traditional Congress votebank, is believed to have shifted its allegiance to the BJP in the aftermath of the Mandir-Mandal politics. A large chunk of Brahmin votes had gone to Mayawati's BSP in the past when she gave tickets to many candidates belonging to that community, whose support determines the poll outcome in several seats in central and eastern UP. The announcement comes days after the Congress appointed actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar as the party chief of the state. The party also announced coordination and campaign committees for Uttar Pradesh, which will be headed by Sanjay Singh and Pramod Tiwari respectively. Dikshit thanked the party leadership for entrusting her with such a "big responsibility" and said Congress will take on ruling Samajwadi Party, BJP and BSP equally. Senior AAP leader Dilip Pandey said people across the nation have cornered the Congress which has no credible, honest and clean face available in Punjab and the same was happening in Uttar Pradesh. "A tainted former chief minister, who is facing serious allegations of corruption and inquiry against whom is going on, is being made the party's face in Uttar Pradesh. This shows that like Punjab, the Congress has accepted its defeat in Uttar Pradesh even before going to the polls," Pandey said. "With this move, the Congress is indirectly trying to help the Bharatiya Janata Party in the elections in Uttar Pradesh," he added. With agency inputs Missile frigate Yuncheng launches an anti-ship missile during a military exercise in the water area near South China's Hainan Island and Xisha islands, July 8, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] The Philippines' arbitration case in the South China Sea dispute is a political farce enshrouded in a legal cloak. Its true purpose is to deny China's sovereignty and maritime interests. When laws become political tools, their impartiality instantly disappears. On looking at the arbitral tribunal's actions it is impossible to escape the conclusion that the tribunal was acting as an agent of external powers. A core appeal of the Philippines' case initiated by the government of former president Benigno Aquino III was to request the arbitral tribunal rule that China's historic rights in the South China Sea violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and deny China's Nine-Dash Line and maritime rights in the region. To serve the external powers' needs, the tribunal ignored the rules of customary international law. China's historic rights in the South China Sea according to general international law were formed before the birth of the convention itself. International experience shows the historic rights that evolve along with long-term practices are diverse and complicated. That's why the convention does not have unified rules on historic rights, and does not say its rules can replace historic rights. On the contrary, the convention leaves historic rights to the jurisdiction of general international laws, and shows its respect to historic rights in many places in the convention. For instance, Article 298 of the convention excludes "historic ownership" from the convention's compulsory jurisdiction. The arbitration tribunal forcibly included historic rights in the convention's explanation and application. Thus the tribunal has actually gone beyond the convention's judgment authorization. That's why the tribunal only ambiguously recognized the Philippines' appeal constitutes a dispute that is applicable or explainable according to the convention, without clarifying which articles of the convention are relevant. The other core requirement of the Aquino III administration in its appeal was to request the tribunal should give a ruling on the legal status of some islands and reefs in the Nansha Islands. The arbitration tribunal knows it has no jurisdiction to handle a dispute over land sovereignty. Yet, to pervert the law for its final predetermined award, the tribunal was selectively blind to the true intention of the Philippines, which is to deny China's sovereignty. That intention is clear, the foreign affairs ministry of the Philippines issued a document the same day it initiated the arbitration procedure, clearly announcing that the case was initiated to "protect our country's land and sea". It is obvious the case concerns sovereignty and therefore is not subject to the convention. The arbitral tribunal intentionally ignored the issue of sovereignty, and expanded its power beyond its legal rights to judge the legal status of the islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands, intentionally breaking up the geographical whole of the Nansha Islands into separate islands and reefs. Some arbitrators' points of view on the islands and reefs' legal status and maritime demarcation in this case were totally opposite to their long-term views. Their "self-betrayal" obviously cannot be explained from an academic or theoretical angle. Thus there are reasons to doubt their legal conscience and the impartiality of the tribunal. Meanwhile, the whole process of the arbitral tribunal completely drifted away from the principle of procedural justice. The Chinese Society of International Law and many other academic agencies questioned and criticized the procedure of the tribunal in this regard. Rather than evaluating the merits of the argument to reach its conclusion, the tribunal had a preset conclusion that it "proved". While quoting similar international arbitration cases, the arbitrators intentionally avoided the general practices established by the majority of cases, and only quoted the minority of cases that were useful to them in supporting their predetermined conclusion. And while confirming facts, the tribunal turned a blind eye to the facts favorable to China, or deliberately belittled their weight. In the process of admitting evidence, the tribunal neglected the authenticity, relevance and probative force of the evidence, and uncritically accepted evidence that supported the Philippines' stance. The value of international jurisdiction and arbitration lies in impartiality and objectivity. As a public tool for justice, arbitration tribunals should not take sides or they will become a private tool of one contending party. That's exactly how the South China Sea arbitral tribunal has behaved in this case. The article first appeared in People's Daily on Wednesday. Amaravati or New Delhi? That is the dilemma before Chandrababu Naidu. As the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led government in Andhra Pradesh moves into the second half of its term in office later this year, pressure is mounting on the chief minister to convince his son Nara Lokesh, the present TDP general secretary, to take up a role either in the Andhra Pradesh government or in New Delhi. Indications are that 33-year-old Lokesh, who it is widely believed will succeed his father after 2019, could be drafted into the Andhra cabinet, in a reshuffle around Dasara. But before that decision can be taken, a lot of discussion will take place on whether Lokesh should spend time in New Delhi, like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter Kavitha does, as Nizamabad MP. Doing so would help Lokesh familiarise himself with the central leadership of different parties, interact with young MPs, be his father's voice in the national capital and acquire a national profile. There was also talk about Lokesh being sent to the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh in June, but the idea was dropped subsequently. A senior TDP leader, aware of what has happened, reasoned that if Lokesh became a Rajya Sabha MP, the expectation would be that he should also feature in Narendra Modi's government. "But at a time when we are not getting much financial assistance from the Centre, we will be accused of compromising Andhra's interests just to bag a berth for Lokesh," the leader said. Naidu himself was apparently not keen on lobbying for another berth in addition to the one cabinet berth (civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju) and MoS (science and technology junior minister YS Choudhary) that the TDP has in the NDA government. Lokesh was recently made the head of a coordination committee which will enable him to summon senior Andhra Pradesh ministers and discuss whether the government schemes are in tune with the party ideals and how they are being taken to the common man. This was in addition to his role in the party where he along with other key leaders, played an important role in wooing disgruntled YSR Congress MLAs into the TDP fold. It had the twin effect of boosting TDP numbers and lung power in the assembly besides weakening YS Jaganmohan Reddy in many districts. But while acknowledging his clout within the TDP, party leaders argue that Rahul Gandhi's decision to stay out of the Manmohan Singh government did not work for the Congress and do not want Lokesh to go down the same road. One of them, MLC Buddha Venkanna, has already offered to quit his post to enable Lokesh to get elected. However, Naidu and the TDP are also conscious of the fact that Lokesh's entry will pit him in direct competition with Telangana's minister for IT, industry, municipal administration and NRI affairs, KT Rama Rao. Being given portfolios like IT and industry would make the comparison even more pronounced. At a time when Telangana, mainly because of capital city Hyderabad, is way ahead in terms of attracting investment in IT and other industries, TDP leaders fear that Lokesh, in public perception, may end up looking second best. The final word has not been said yet. K Rammohan Rao, Andhra's special representative in New Delhi, saw his term end on 17 June, and not get an extension. This post comes with a state cabinet rank and the fact that Naidu has not extended the tenure of his trusted ally has sent confusing signals. But most TDP leaders believe that the job, despite Rao's very good personal rapport with politicians cutting across party lines, is merely "clerical" and would not be in keeping with Lokesh's profile as the number 2 in the party. WASHINGTON CIA Director John Brennan said on Wednesday he would resign if the next president ordered his agency to resume waterboarding suspected militants, an apparent reference to comments by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump embracing the banned interrogation method."I can say that as long as I'm director of CIA, irrespective of what the president says, I'm not going to be the director of CIA that gives that order. They'll have to find another director," said Brennan, who did not mention Trump by name. Brennan, who has been director since 2013, tacked his comment to the end of his response to a question about drone strike policy after speaking at the Brookings Institution, a Washington policy institute.Brennan said previously he would refuse to resume the practice, which simulates drowning and was used by the CIA on three suspected militants detained in secret foreign prisons during President George W. Bush's administration. But his pledge to resign if ordered to revive waterboarding was his most emphatic affirmation of his position to date. Trump, set to be formally nominated next week as the Republican nominee for the Nov. 8 election, has said he would reauthorize waterboarding immediately if elected, contending that "torture works." At an April 20 rally in Indianapolis, he recalled being asked about waterboarding during a debate the previous week. They asked me: 'What do you think about waterboarding, Mr. Trump? I said I love it. I love it, I think its great. And I said the only thing is, we should make it much tougher than waterboarding," he said. Democratic President Barack Obama signed an executive order after taking office in January 2009 that banned waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques," or EITs. Such executive orders can be rescinded by a president's successors. Obama, other top U.S. officials, many lawmakers and human rights groups have denounced waterboarding as torture. Some former Bush administration and CIA officials have defended waterboarding and other EITs, denying they are torture and saying they elicited valuable intelligence. Brennan told his confirmation hearing in 2013 he had not tried to stop harsh interrogation techniques such as waterboarding when he was at the spy agency earlier in his career, but had objected to them privately. A Senate Intelligence Committee study, issued in 2014, concluded that EITs failed to elicit any significant intelligence. Brennan said on Wednesday it was not possible to "establish cause and effect" between the use of EITs and the acquisition of reliable information. (Additional reporting by John Walcott; Editing by Peter Cooney) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Republican Donald Trump will name Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his vice presidential running mate on Friday, U.S. news organizations reported on Thursday. Here are five facts about Pence, a Republican who previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives: LATECOMER ON TRUMP BANDWAGON Pence did not initially support Trump. Shortly before Indiana's Republican primary election in May, Pence endorsed Trump's rival, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Pence praised Trump at the time, but he compared Cruz to former Republican President Ronald Reagan and called him a "principled conservative." Trump won the state anyway, and Cruz dropped out of the Republican race. Trump and Pence have since met to discuss the running mate position. WELL-CONNECTED WITH DONORS Pence has strong ties to billionaire donors Charles and David Koch, including current and former staff members who have worked for them. After saying he was primarily self-funding his campaign during the Republican primaries, Trump has been holding fundraisers during the general election, with support from the Republican National Committee. The New York businessman comes to the money race at a considerable disadvantage, however, compared with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. A SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE Pence sometimes describes himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order." Pence in 2015 signed a religious freedom law that critics said opened the door to anti-gay discrimination. When he was in Congress, he opposed repealing the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy on sexual orientation. He also has pushed restrictive abortion regulations and has pushed for Congress to defund Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit women's health provider that performs some abortions. CRITIC OF WALL STREET BAILOUT He was a vocal opponent of the 2008 Wall Street bailout. In September 2008, Pence, then a U.S. House member, argued against the $700 billion package to stabilize the U.S. financial system, saying it would "nationalize almost every bad mortgage in America." Pence also said the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation passed in 2010 would hurt jobs. Trump has vowed to dismantle Dodd-Frank, though he has not said how he would replace it. OPPOSITION TO SYRIAN REFUGEES Pence opposed allowing Syrian refugees coming to the United States to settle in Indiana. In November 2015, the governor directed state agencies to suspend the resettlement of Syrians there. A family that was supposed to arrive in December was instead sent to Connecticut. A federal judge later ruled the order "clearly discriminates" against refugees from a particular country. However, Pence tweeted disapproval in 2015 for plans to ban Muslims from entering the United States, an idea Trump has advocated. Pence called it "offensive and unconstitutional." (Editing by Caren Bohan and Jonathan Oatis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Paris: French President Francois Hollande congratulated Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May on her appointment Wednesday and urged her to quickly begin talks on the country's divorce from the EU, the Elysee Palace said. Hollande "reiterated his wish for the negotiations on Britain's departure from the European Union to be undertaken as soon as possible", the president's office said in a statement after the two leaders spoke by phone. Both also expressed their commitment to the further development of the amicable ties between their countries, it added. One of May's first decisions will be when she plans to trigger Article 50 the formal procedure for withdrawal from the EU which would set a two-year deadline for completing exit negotiations. While she supported Britain staying in the bloc, she maintained a low profile during the referendum campaign and insists she will honour the popular vote, stressing repeatedly: "Brexit means Brexit". May said last month that if she became prime minister she would not invoke Article 50 this year, despite pressure from EU leaders to do so swiftly. Earlier Wednesday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Parliament President Martin Schulz also urged May not to delay the Brexit divorce proceedings. May's first meeting with key EU leaders could be at the G20 summit in China on 4 September, but her first encounter with all of the other 27 EU leaders will be at the next European Council summit on 20-21 October. GUATEMALA CITY Guatemalan police captured 106 suspected gang members in a series of raids against warring gangs responsible for a wave of drug violence, authorities said on Thursday. The operation involved 146 raids in 12 states in which police seized ammunition, firearms, bank receipts and cell phones used by gangsters in the Central American country to threaten to kill their victims, officials said. "We concentrated our efforts on criminals who commit crimes within the country and also more than 30 people inside prisons who belonged to these criminal structures," Guatemala's Interior Minister Francisco Rivas told a press conference. He said police had dismantled 53 criminal rings since June. The raids targeted members of the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 gangs, which for years have been locked in a bitter rivalry for power. Jairo Chocon, a Mara Salvatrucha capo, was among those who were captured, police spokesman Jorge Aguilar told reporters. Lawyers for the suspects were not immediately available for comment. Guatemala, which sits on Mexico's southern border, is strategic territory for cartels who use small planes, trucks and even makeshift submarines to move Colombian cocaine to consumers in the United States. (Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by Natalie Schachar; editing by Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Juba: South Sudan's President Salva Kiir called on arch-rival Riek Machar on Thursday to meet for talks to salvage peace after days of intense gun battles in the capital Juba. "I don't want any more bloodshed in South Sudan," Kiir said, speaking in public for the first time since fighting erupted on Friday. "I want Dr Riek Machar, the first vice president of the republic, to be near me, so we can chart the way forward." Kiir spoke at the bullet-scarred presidential palace, standing alongside ceasefire monitoring chief Festus Mogae, a former Botswanan president, and African Union special envoy Alpha Oumar Konare, a former president of Mali. He called for Machar to meet him for talks to save the peace deal but acknowledged the deep mistrust that led to days of intense fighting that has left hundreds dead. "I talked with Dr Machar today, in the morning, and I asked him to come, but it was difficult for him to accept," Kiir said, adding that he did not know Machar's exact whereabouts but that neither he nor his allies were in any danger. "If there was anyone hunting for them, they could find them," Kiir said. "I am ready to protect Dr Machar if he comes." New Delhi: The two Indian Air Force C-17 Globe Masters that the government has sent to evacuate Indians stranded in South Sudan, which has been hit by violence that has claimed hundreds of lives, will be back in India on Friday, first stopping at Thiruvananthapuram and then proceeding to New Delhi, the External Affairs Ministry stated on Thursday. Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh reached South Sudan on Thursday, leading the government's 'Operation Sankat Mochan' to evacuate Indians from the African country. He is being accompanied by Amar Sinha, secretary (economic relations in the ministry of external affairs), Satbir Singh, joint secretary (West Asia and North Africa) and other officials. "The evacuation has been meticulously planned in coordination with the local authorities as well as the support of the Indian peacekeeping contingent in Unmiss (UN Mission in South Sudan)," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a media briefing here. He said Singh, soon after landing on Thursday, met with South Sudan foreign minister Deng Alor Kuol and the country's vice-president James Wani Igga. According to Swarup, the first aircraft was scheduled to depart from South Sudan's capital Juba at 1 pm on Thursday. "Both aircraft will first travel to Entebbe, Uganda, for a re-fuelling halt of approximately three hours," he said. "From Entebbe they will depart for India, first landing in Thiruvananthapuram early on Friday morning and then come to Delhi." There are around 600 Indian nationals in South Sudan and 450 of them are in Juba. It is reliably learnt that of the 600, only 300 have said that they wanted to leave in the wake of the recent violence. Swarup said that the entire operation was being carried out under the direct supervision of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who had formed a high level task force to monitor the situation in South Sudan. "In our assessment this was an opportune moment to arrange for the evacuation, especially since the ceasefire is holding and there is a lull in hostilities," Swarup said. South Sudan president Salva Kiir ordered a ceasefire on Monday evening, following days of heavy fighting between government troops and forces loyal to vice-president Riek Machar in Juba. Kiir directed all commanders to cease all hostilities, control their forces and protect civilians, information minister Michael Makuei said in a televised speech on state broadcaster SSTV. The ceasefire took effect from 6 pm on Monday and any member of the Machar-led forces who surrendered must also be protected, Makuei said. The latest bout of violence started on 7 July after a localised gunfight outside Kiir's residence in Juba, when he was holding a meeting with Machar. The UN has said 36,000 South Sudanese civilians have fled their homes due to the fighting. Embassies and aid organisations in South Sudan were moving to evacuate staff from Juba amid the tenuous ceasefire. The US military in Africa said it has sent 40 additional soldiers to Juba to help secure American personnel and facilities in the war-torn city, Fox News reported on Wednesday. United Nations: Strongly hitting back at Pakistan for raising in the UN the issue of the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, India has said Pakistan "extols" the "virtues" of terrorists and uses terrorism as a state policy towards the "misguided end" of coveting the territory of others. The attempt came from Pak; a country that covets territory of others; a country that uses terrorism as state policy..cntd: Syed Akbaruddin ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 (Cntd) a country (Pakistan) that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists: Syed Akbaruddin ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 India's Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin responded strongly to the remarks made by Pakistan's envoy Maleeha Lodhi on Kashmir and Wani's killing during a debate on human rights in the 193-member UN General Assembly Wdnesday. In her statement, Lodhi, apart from raising the Kashmir issue, also mentioned the "extra-judicial" killing of Wani, whom she described as a "Kashmiri leader", by Indian forces. In his statement, which sources termed as perhaps the hardest-hitting against Pakistan in recent times, Akbaruddin said Pakistan "extols" the virtues of terrorists and could not gain membership of the UN's human rights body because of its "track record." Lashing out at Lodhi's raising of the Kashmir issue at the multi-lateral world body, Akbaruddin said it is regrettable that Pakistan attempted to "misuse" the UN platform. "Regrettably, earlier on Wednesday we have seen an attempt at misuse of this UN platform. The attempt came from Pakistan; a country that covets the territory of others; a country that uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end; a country that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists; and a country that masquerades its efforts as support for human rights and self determination," he said. Akbaruddin asserted that Pakistan's "track record" failed to convince the international community that it should gain membership of the Human Rights Council in this very session of the UNGA. The attempt came from Pak; a country that covets territory of others; a country that uses terrorism as state policy..cntd: Syed Akbaruddin ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 Pak, is same country whose track record has failed to convince international community..cntd: Syed Akbaruddin (India's permanent Rep to UN) ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 (Cntd) to gain membership of Human Rights Council in this very Session of UNGA: Syed Akbaruddin (India's permanent Representative to UN) ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 "The international community has long seen through such designs. Cynical attempts, like the one this morning therefore, find no resonance in this forum or elsewhere in the United Nations," he said. Akbaruddin asserted in his statement that as a "diverse, pluralistic and tolerant" society, India's commitment to the rule of law, democracy and human rights is enshrined in its founding principles. As a diverse,pluralistic&tolerant society,Indias commitment to democracy&human rights is enshrined in its founding principles-S Akbaruddin ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 "We remain strongly committed to the promotion and protection of all human rights for all through pursuit of dialogue and cooperation," he said. India remains committed to promotion & protection of all human rights for all through pursuit of dialogue & cooperation: Syed Akbaruddin ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 At least 30 people have been killed and more than 250 injured in the clashes between protesters and security personnel after Wani's killing in an encounter last week. The UN has expressed concern over the tensed situation in Kashmir, with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calling on all parties to exercise "maximum restraint to avoid further violence and hopes that all concerns would be addressed through peaceful means." Ban's spokesman had said the UN Chief was closely following the recent clashes in Kashmir and "regrets" the loss of dozens of lives and injuries to many others. Islamabad: Upping the ante, Pakistan on Thursday described slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wani and other militants as people "fighting for freedom" and accused Indian security forces of committing "state-terrorism" in Kashmir. "The Indian security forces are involved in state- terrorism in Kashmir and the international community should take notice of it," Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said at his weekly briefing here. In response to a question, Zakaria described slain Hizbul commander Wani and other militants as people "fighting for freedom." He said Pakistan has informed the international community including the OIC, P-5 and EU about alleged atrocities by the Indian forces and human rights violations in Kashmir. Zakaria said Pakistan's ambassadors have been tasked to brief the host governments and human rights organisations on the issue. He also asked the UN to get its resolutions on Kashmir implemented as it was UN's responsibility to solve international disputes including Kashmir. "We want resolution of Kashmir in accordance of UN resolutions. If you (UN) want to intervene in helping resolution of Kashmir then it is your obligation," he said. He said Pakistan wants to resolve all outstanding issues including Kashmir with India through talks, as war is not a solution to any issue. "We have fought wars over Kashmir and also have been in talks but there was no result. So, the international community should put pressure on India to hold talks with Pakistan for resolution of Kashmir issue," he said. Zakaria claimed that India was not qualified to become a permanent member of UNSC as it was constantly violating UN resolutions. To a question, he said that the planned SAARC Summit will be held in November in Islamabad. Colombo: Former Sri Lankan Army chief Sarath Fonseka, who led government troops to victory over the LTTE, on Thursday endorsed the view of President Maithripala Sirisena that there will be no foreign judges for war crimes investigation. "We have a Constitution and it does not allow foreign judges to operate in the country," Fonseka, now the Cabinet Minister of Provincial Development told reporters on Thursday. "It will be a domestic mechanism but we are not averse to obtaining foreign expertise as appropriate," Fonseka said. Tamil rights groups have accused Fonseka and his troops for gross rights abuses during the final phase of the conflict they ended in 2009. The UN Human Rights Council in 2014 called for an international investigation with foreign judges, investigators and prosecutors. The Tamil political groups also demand international judges in war crimes probe claiming that Sri Lankan judiciary had historically failed to deliver justice. New York: Once every four years, the United States is the scene of two major acts of political theater: the Republican and Democratic party conventions. In 2016, they take place in a tense climate marked by a wave of nationwide protests over policing and race relations and following a particularly bruising primary election cycle. The Republican convention will be held 18 to 21 July in Cleveland, while the Democrats will gather 25 to 28 July in Philadelphia. What's the purpose of these meetings? What happens? What role do they have in setting up the 8 November election showdown between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton? Here are the basics: Nomination The party delegates vote state-by-state to officially nominate their candidate for the 8 November election. The process takes hours and is punctuated with speeches. Delegates vote according to the results of their state's primary election, the last of which took place in June. On the Republican side, though, anti-Trump forces are mounting a long-shot effort to block him from securing the nomination by changing party rules to unbind delegates and allow them to vote their "conscience." The Democratic convention also has more than 700 "superdelegates," party heavyweights and elected officials who have the right to vote as they choose. By winning a majority of delegates in the primaries, Trump and Clinton ensured they will each be their party's candidate for the White House. The convention delegates also endorse the candidate for vice president, selected by the presidential hopeful and announced a few days before the start of the convention. Ratifying the platform The party's platform, a declaration of principles and policies, will be ratified at each respective convention. The hard work of putting together the programme is all done beforehand, and there are generally few surprises. Although the Democratic platform is essentially finalised, details of the Republican platform were continuing to trickle out with just days to go before the convention kicks off. Showtime The political carnival features plenty of balloons and confetti, eye-catching outfits and quirky merchandise in support of each candidate. Since the 1980s, the conventions have been predictably choreographed and made for television. This time, they are sure to be documented live on social media. Speech Speakers usually represent a mix of party veterans as well as up and comers. To win over skeptical delegates, Trump has this time tapped wife Melania, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany and son Donald Trump Jr. The most coveted speaking spot is the keynote address, which the parties normally award to rising stars. Barack Obama's keynote address at the Democratic convention in 2004 rocketed him into the American public consciousness, leading him to the White House just four years later. The newly-minted presidential nominee is normally the final convention speaker, but Trump has declared that the traditional format is "boring" and may mix things up. Surprises This year's Republican convention is likely to break from the script in more ways than one, with the inflammatory Trump failing to win the full support of the party leadership and thousands of protesters expected to descend on Cleveland. Trump's divisiveness has driven away Republican heavyweights like the two former Presidents Bush, and former presidential candidates Mitt Romney and John McCain. But if there's anything Trump knows, it's reality TV, after his years as star of The Apprentice. The Democratic convention should follow a more predictable theme, especially after Bernie Sanders endorsed his primary opponent Clinton earlier this week. Opportunity The conventions are a chance for the parties to put on a show of unity after a heated primary cycle, and to create enthusiasm for two candidates who both rate poorly in terms of likeability. The events are "a time for the party to market themselves to the American public, to try to gin up support for the party, for the nominee and to try let the country know what they stand for not just at the presidential level, but at the very important senatorial level this year, at the house, state and local levels," said Jeanne Zaino, a political science professor at Iona College in New York. Candidates typically record a "bounce" in polls following the convention. Other happenings Thousands of protesters are expected in Cleveland, including groups representing causes as varied as denuclearisation and "black power." Anti- and pro-Trump camps are likely to face off. Complicating the work of police, some protesters have indicated they would be carrying firearms openly, as allowed by Ohio law. In Philadelphia, Sanders supporters planned to protest in force. New Delhi: India on Thursday evacuated more than 146 of its nationals, stranded in war-torn South Sudan's capital city Juba, who will reach Delhi on Friday after a halt in Thiruvananthapuram. However, the evacuation exercise faced a hurdle as many Indians, who had registered with the External Affairs Ministry for leaving South Sudan, refused to return, despite an appeal by Minister Sushma Swaraj on Twitter asking them to move out. "If situation worsens, we will not be able to evacuate you," she had further tweeted. Indians in South Sudan - Pls move out. We have sent two aircrafts for you. If situation worsens, we will not be able to evacuate u. Pl RT Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 14, 2016 "Operation #SankatMochan Safely out of the danger zone. The first flight makes a technical halt at Entebbe, Uganda," Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh tweeted. It was not immediately known how many Indians were onboard the second aircraft. Earlier briefing reporters, MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the aim is to evacuate all the Indian nationals who have expressed their interest in leaving. "The evacuation has been meticulously planned in coordination with the local authorities as well as the support of the Indian peace keeping contingent in UNMISS. Soon after landing, Singh met the Foreign Minister of South Sudan Deng Alor Kuol. He also met Vice President James Wani Igga." Both aircraft first travelled to Entebbe, Uganda for a re-fuelling halt of approximately three hours, Swarup said, adding from Entebbe they will depart for India, first landing in Thiruvananthapuram early on Friday morning and thereafter coming to Delhi. "This entire operation has been under the direct supervision of Swaraj who had formed a high level task force to monitor the situation in South Sudan," he added. In government's assessment this was an opportune moment to arrange for the evacuation, especially since the ceasefire is holding and there is a lull in hostilities. Singh is accompanied by Amar Sinha, secretary (economic relations) in the external affairs ministry, joint secretary Satbir Singh and director Anjani Kumar. According to the ministry, there are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of them 450 are in Juba and nearly 150 are outside the capital. South Sudan is witnessing heavy fighting between former rebels and government soldiers in several parts of the city. Strongly hitting back at Pakistan for raising in the UN the issue of the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, India has said Pakistan "extols" the "virtues" of terrorists and uses terrorism as a state policy towards the "misguided end" of coveting the territory of others. India's Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin responded strongly to the remarks made by Pakistan's envoy Maleeha Lodhi on Kashmir and Wani's killing during a debate on human rights in the 193-member UN General Assembly Wdnesday. In her statement, Lodhi, apart from raising the Kashmir issue, also mentioned the "extra-judicial" killing of Wani, whom she described as a "Kashmiri leader", by Indian forces. Here is the full text of Syed Akbaruddins speech at the UN debate: Mr. President, We thank you for organizing this High Level Thematic Debate. It comes at a time when we mark 70 years of the UN; five decades since the adoption of international human rights covenants; three decades since the Declaration on the Right to Development and also the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Human Rights Council. Todays discussion provides us an opportunity to assess the status of our quest to work towards both promotion and protection of human rights across the world. Mr. President The idea of human rights is rooted in several ancient traditions and religions. As the more contemporary notions of the State evolved, notions of individual rights also started to crystallize. Colonization and the subsequent major wars between colonial powers provided another context to the evolution of the rights of peoples and individuals. The United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights became transformative in their impact by bringing the concept of human rights firmly into the international domain. Mr. President, While much of the success of the human rights agenda has been achieved because of its underlying consensus, unanimity is often difficult to achieve because of complexities and inherent contradictions on many other issues. For instance between individual rights and common good; the role of state sovereignty; the relative merits of pursuing civil vs political vs more expansive rights; the highly divergent contexts and immediate concerns of the UN member states, whose number itself has multiplied four times in the last seven decades; emphasis on thematic vs country-specific efforts; and the politicization and select targeting of countries. Mr. President, Despite the establishment of the Human Rights Council as a deliberate replacement of the earlier Commission, for a variety of reasons, the human rights agenda appears to be again turning increasingly contentious. A more constructive and non-confrontational approach that is sensitive to the genuine concerns and capacity constraints of countries is needed to assist them improve their implementation of human rights agenda among their citizens. An aggressive naming and shaming exercise has its limits, is often counter-productive and tends to divide member states into opposing camps. The primacy of national efforts in the realisation of human rights along with due consideration for the values and other specific contexts of individual countries must guide our efforts. Sustained efforts are needed to overcome inherent ambiguities in governance and administrative arrangements of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights including in funding, geographical representation and strategic planning that are hindering its optimal performance. The Special Procedures mandate holders are an important mechanism. However, their proliferation and duplication of mandates is not helpful. The independent, unbiased and impartial nature of the Special Procedures must be maintained to avoid any perception of bias. Transparency about their funding would lay to rest these apprehensions. It may be advisable that the conclusions and recommendations of Special Procedures be first shared with the country concerned before being made available publicly. Mr. President, The challenges of poverty eradication, armed-conflict, terrorism, democracy deficit and impunity continue to deprive millions of people from full enjoyment of their human rights. Democracy, good governance, rule of law and access to justice and civil society engagement are essential for safeguarding fundamental freedoms and promoting and protecting human rights for all. It is imperative to recognize the Right to Development as a distinct, universal, inalienable and fundamental human right that is applicable to all people in all countries to build collective and sustainable peace and prosperity across the world Mr. President, Regrettably, earlier today we have seen an attempt at misuse of this UN platform. The attempt came from Pakistan; a country that covets the territory of others; a country that uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end; a country that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists; and a country that masquerades its efforts as support for human rights and self determination. Pakistan, is the same country whose track record has failed to convince the international community to gain membership of the Human Rights Council in this very Session of the UNGA. The international community has long seen through such designs. Cynical attempts, like the one this morning therefore, find no resonance in this forum or elsewhere in the United Nations As a diverse, pluralistic and tolerant society, Indias commitment to the rule of law, democracy and human rights is enshrined in its founding principles and we remain strongly committed to the promotion and protection of all human rights for all through pursuit of dialogue and cooperation. Thank you. New Delhi: Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed him on regional developments in East and Southeast Asia. His visit comes just days after a recent ruling by a UN-backed tribunal which said that China has no legal basis to claim "historic rights" to islands in South China Sea. During the call on, Modi condoled the loss of life of Japanese citizens in the terror attack in Dhaka earlier this month and called for greater bilateral and multilateral cooperation against terrorism, a PMO statement said. Nakatani briefed the Prime Minister on the bilateral defence cooperation initiatives, it said. The Japanese Minister also briefed the Prime Minister on regional developments in East and Southeast Asia, the statement said. Modi welcomed Japanese participation at the International Fleet Review in Vishakhapatnam in February this year and and in the Malabar Exercise off the Japanese coast last month. Modi said that he is looking forward to his visit to Japan later this year for the Annual Summit. MOSCOW The Kremlin is not satisfied with the pace of cooperation between the Russian and U.S. militaries on Syria, the RIA news agency quoted the spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, as saying on Thursday. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Moscow on Thursday with a proposal to boost military cooperation and intelligence sharing with Russia against Islamic State and al Qaeda camps in Syria, despite doubts among U.S. officials. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by Andrew Osborn) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Manila: The Philippines urged Beijing on Thursday to respect an international tribunal's ruling that rejected Chinese claims to most of the South China Sea, escalating a row that has raised the prospect of conflict. China reacted furiously to the verdict by a UN-backed tribunal on Tuesday, insisting it will ignore the decision while warning its rivals too much pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich and strategically vital waterway into a "cradle of war". The Philippines, which launched the legal challenge, had initially refrained from asking China to abide by the ruling. This followed President Rodrigo Duterte's directive to achieve a "soft landing" with the Philippines' much more powerful Asian neighbour. But Manila hardened its stance on Thursday with a statement detailing Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay's priorities when he attends an Asia-Europe summit, known as ASEM, in Mongolia this week along with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. "Secretary Yasay will discuss within the context of ASEM's agenda the Philippines' peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision," the foreign affairs department said in a statement. Even just raising the issue at the two-day summit starting on Friday will anger China, which has long bridled at Philippine efforts to have the dispute discussed at multilateral events. Chinese assistant foreign minister Kong Xuanyou insisted on Monday the ASEM summit was "not an appropriate venue" to discuss the South China Sea. But China appears to be in the minority Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said Thursday as he left for Mongolia that he wanted to discuss the South China Sea at the summit. 'Unlawful' China China claims nearly all of the sea which is of immense military importance and through which about $5 trillion worth of shipping trade passes annually even waters approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. China justifies its claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named and exploited the sea, and outlines its territory using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940s. However the tribunal in The Hague ruled China's claimed historic rights to resources within the nine-dash map had no legal basis. It also declared that China had acted unlawfully by violating the Philippines' sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone waters extending 200 nautical miles from the Filipino coast. China had done so by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration within the exclusive zone, as well as by building artificial islands there. China has in recent years undertaken giant land reclamation works in the Spratlys archipelago, one of the biggest island groups in the sea which partly falls within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. The United States and Australia were among Philippine allies this week to call on China to respect the ruling. But the Chinese government and state media instead unleashed a tirade of vitriol against the tribunal, and vowed never to give up its claims to the sea. "Do not turn the South China Sea into a cradle of war," vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday in a warning to rivals. He also said China may introduce an air defence zone over the sea, which would give its military authority over foreign aircraft, depending on the "threat" level. The English-language China Daily said: "Beijing certainly should, and has to, ready itself for worst-case scenarios, including potential military collisions". China and the United States had already deployed significant naval firepower in the sea ahead of the verdict. Taiwan, which has a very similar claim to the waters as China, sent a warship into the waters on Wednesday to protect its interests. The Philippines filed the legal challenge against China in 2013 under Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino. Relations between Beijing and Manila plummeted over the row. Duterte, who took office on June 30, has said he wants better relations with China and to attract Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects. Unlike Aquino, Duterte has said he wants to talk directly with China over the issue. Beijing also wants to negotiate, but at the same time insists it will never concede on sovereignty. Syed Akbaruddin is the man widely credited with infusing the idea of 'digital diplomacy' into India's Ministry of External Affairs while serving as the ministry's spokesperson. It was in April last year that Vikas Swarup replaced Akbaruddin in this role and took the MEA's social media outreach to the next level. What became of Akbaruddin? Not a whole lot. He only took up the role of India's permanent representative at the United Nations in January this year. Only. And ever since, he's been eloquently and lucidly laying out India's case on the floor of the world body, taking very few prisoners and suffering even fewer fools. One of the more shining examples of the fiery articulations of India's viewpoint by Akbaruddin came at the high-level "UN@70 Human Rights at the centre of the global agenda" on Wednesday. The speech is recommended viewing: Or if you'd prefer, recommended reading: 81141pr_ga_hrc_13jul by Firstpost on Scribd It was a landmark speech for three key reasons: 1. It was the ideal expression of India's simmering frustration that had been threatening to spill over for a while 2. It told our neighbour exactly what it needed to hear 3. It provided the perfect example of how to make an argument starting broad and zooming in on the target Considering the theme was human rights, it made sense to speak uncompromisingly about the state of human rights in the world. It also set the right tone for what was to come: While much of the success of the human rights agenda has been achieved because of its underlying consensus, unanimity is often difficult to achieve because of complexities and inherent contradictions on many other issues. For instance between individual rights and common good; the role of state sovereignty; the relative merits of pursuing civil vs political vs more expansive rights; the highly divergent contexts and immediate concerns of the UN member states, whose number itself has multiplied four times in the last seven decades; emphasis on thematic vs country-specific efforts; and the politicisation and select targeting of countries. (emphasis added) By laying out these contradictions, Akbaruddin not only highlighted the problems, but demonstrated his understanding of why these incongruities exist. While on the subject of 'why', he went on to succinctly outline the sort of global situation that creates the shrinking of human rights: The challenges of poverty eradication, armed-conflict, terrorism, democracy deficit and impunity continue to deprive millions of people from full enjoyment of their human rights. Democracy, good governance, rule of law and access to justice and civil society engagement are essential for safeguarding fundamental freedoms and promoting and protecting human rights for all. For those in the know, the phrases 'democracy', 'good governance', 'rule of law' and 'access to justice and civil society engagement' were probably a dead giveaway about what was to come next. But, he minced no words in stating that human rights cannot be protected in the absence of those elements. And where are those elements most prominently absent? In answering that question came Akbaruddin's coup de grace as he addressed one of the biggest causes for the shrinking of human rights in our region: Pakistan. Regrettably, earlier today we have seen an attempt at misuse of this UN platform. That can be read as the little jab that comes moments before a boxer lands a haymaker square on his opponent's jaw. The attempt came from Pakistan; a country that covets the territory of others; a country that uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end; a country that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists; and a country that masquerades its efforts as support for human rights and self determination. There's that haymaker. Gone was the "India strongly condemns state-sponsored terrorism" of old. This was a full-frontal, fire-breathing, barnstormer of an accusation. In 55 words, Akbaruddin spelt out what is arguably on the mind of a majority of Indians and millions others from other countries. Also, there's no way this can be considered to be an unprovoked lashing-out, because in the days leading up to Akbaruddin's speech, Pakistan had made statements that, it can be argued, sought to take advantage of the situation unfolding in the Kashmir Valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. "India cannot suppress the voice of Kashmiris who are struggling for their just right of self-determination by using brutal force and committing human rights violations in the Occupied Kashmir," said Pakistan's advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz. Let's look past the sheer bizareness of Aziz's reference to 'Occupied Kashmir'. Akbaruddin's haymaker targeted this exact sentiment that is expressed by Pakistan every time there is violence in Kashmir the notion that the actions of a few militants in some way represent the will of the people of Kashmir. But Akbaruddin didn't stop there: Pakistan is the same country whose track record has failed to convince the international community to gain membership of the Human Rights Council in this very Session of the UNGA. The international community has long seen through such designs. Cynical attempts, like the one this morning therefore, find no resonance in this forum or elsewhere in the United Nations. The attempt 'this morning' presumably refers to Pakistan's attempts to raise the issue of India's 'brutalities' with the United Nations Human Rights Council, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the European Union at the UN. And then came the Muhammad Ali-esque post-fight jig: As a diverse, pluralistic and tolerant society, Indias commitment to the rule of law, democracy and human rights is enshrined in its founding principles and we remain strongly committed to the promotion and protection of all human rights for all through pursuit of dialogue and cooperation. A nice and classy way to go out. But what does it all mean in the long run? Absolutely nothing. That's right, nothing at all. Akbaruddin's speech doesn't mean the Sartaj Azizes of the world will run and hide. If anything, they'll come back with more venom and spite the next time. It doesn't mean that terrorism will cease to exist. It doesn't mean that other countries will suddenly begin to call Pakistan out on its antics. International diplomacy, as its practitioners state, isn't about overnight changes. The value of these statements by India's permanent representative at the UN lies in the fact that it put India's position out there in clear and crisp manner, by tying it into the issue of human rights. Not many countries will feel much empathy for India's suffering in light of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. But human rights is a language in which most countries are fluent even if they don't practice it themselves. Couching the Pakistan issue within the narrative of human rights is a way to get the world's ear in a meaningful way. And while Akbaruddin may have won this bout for India, the big question is whether this victory will help the country win the tournament (to push this analogy further forward)? It's hard to say, but it's a good start. New Delhi: Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh on Thursday left for South Sudan leading the government's 'Operation Sankat Mochan' to evacuate Indians from the African country which has been hit by violence that has claimed hundreds of lives. #OperationSankatMochan begins at crack of dawn. Two C 17 aircraft leave for Juba with @Gen_VKSingh on board. pic.twitter.com/DsmQJK5eHz Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 14, 2016 External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said that Singh would be leading the evacuation mission accompanied by by Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the External Affairs Ministry, Joint Secretary Satbir Singh and Director Anjani Kumar. She said India's Ambassador in South Sudan Srikumar Menon and his team were organising this operation on the ground. There are around 500 Indians in the country. South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Monday evening ordered a ceasefire after days of heavy fighting between government troops and forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar in Juba. President Kiir directed all commanders to cease all hostilities, control their forces and protect civilians, Information Minister Michael Makuei said in a televised speech on the state broadcaster SSTV. The ceasefire took effect from 6 p.m. on Monday and any member of the Machar-led forces who surrendered must also be protected, Makuei said. The latest bout of violence started on July 7 after a localised gunfight outside Kiir's residence in Juba when he was holding a meeting with Machar. The Indian embassy in Juba said in a statement on Wednesday the aircraft were expected to land at 11 a.m. and Indian nationals with valid travel documents would be allowed to board. The return flights would be only up to New Delhi, the statement said. The UN has said 36,000 South Sudanese civilians have fled their homes due to the fighting. Embassies and aid organisations in South Sudan were moving to evacuate staff from Juba amid the tenuous ceasefire. The US military in Africa said it has sent 40 additional soldiers to Juba to help secure American personnel and facilities in the war-torn city, Fox News reported on Wednesday. Washington: The US has said that it wants dialogue between India and Pakistan for resolving the Kashmir issue, amid a war of words between the two countries over the the unrest in the Valley after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. "We want to see dialogue between India and Pakistan on how to resolve the conflict in Kashmir, and our policy hasn't changed," state department's deputy spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference. Toner was responding to a question on protests in Kashmir after the killing of Wani in an encounter by security forces last week. Pakistan has deplored "excessive" force against civilians in the latest wave of violence in the Valley while expressing "deep shock" over the killing of Wani. India has asked Pakistan to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs. Pakistan had also summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale and conveyed its "serious concerns over the recent killings" of Wani and civilians in Kashmir "by the Indian military and paramilitary forces." GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. Aminopeptidase N is a protein that acts as a receptor for coronaviruses, the family of viruses behind recent epidemics of SARS and MERS, among others. Researchers found evidence that this protein has adapted repeatedly during mammalian evolution to evade binding by coronaviruses. Credit: David Enard The constant battle between pathogens and their hosts has long been recognized as a key driver of evolution, but until now scientists have not had the tools to look at these patterns globally across species and genomes. In a new study, researchers apply big-data analysis to reveal the full extent of viruses' impact on the evolution of humans and other mammals. Their findings suggest an astonishing 30 percent of all protein adaptations since humans' divergence with chimpanzees have been driven by viruses. "When you have a pandemic or an epidemic at some point in evolution, the population that is targeted by the virus either adapts, or goes extinct. We knew that, but what really surprised us is the strength and clarity of the pattern we found," said David Enard, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University and the study's first author. "This is the first time that viruses have been shown to have such a strong impact on adaptation." The study was recently published in the journal eLife and will be presented at The Allied Genetics Conference, a meeting hosted by the Genetics Society of America, on July 14. Proteins perform a vast array of functions that keep our cells ticking. By revealing how small tweaks in protein shape and composition have helped humans and other mammals respond to viruses, the study could help researchers find new therapeutic leads against today's viral threats. "We're learning which parts of the cell have been used to fight viruses in the past, presumably without detrimental effects on the organism," said the study's senior author, Dmitri Petrov, Ph.D., Michelle and Kevin Douglas Professor of Biology and Associate Chair of the Biology Department at Stanford. "That should give us an insight on the pressure points and help us find proteins to investigate for new therapies." Previous research on the interactions between viruses and proteins has focused almost exclusively on individual proteins that are directly involved in the immune responsethe most logical place you would expect to find adaptations driven by viruses. This is the first study to take a global look at all types of proteins. "The big advancement here is that it's not only very specialized immune proteins that adapt against viruses," said Enard. "Pretty much any type of protein that comes into contact with viruses can participate in the adaptation against viruses. It turns out that there is at least as much adaptation outside of the immune response as within it." The team's first step was to identify all the proteins that are known to physically interact with viruses. After painstakingly reviewing tens of thousands of scientific abstracts, Enard culled the list to about 1,300 proteins of interest. His next step was to build big-data algorithms to scour genomic databases and compare the evolution of virus-interacting proteins to that of other proteins. The results revealed that adaptations have occurred three times as frequently in virus-interacting proteins compared with other proteins. "We're all interested in how it is that we and other organisms have evolved, and in the pressures that made us what we are," said Petrov. "The discovery that this constant battle with viruses has shaped us in every aspectnot just the few proteins that fight infections, but everythingis profound. All organisms have been living with viruses for billions of years; this work shows that those interactions have affected every part of the cell." Viruses hijack nearly every function of a host organism's cells in order to replicate and spread, so it makes sense that they would drive the evolution of the cellular machinery to a greater extent than other evolutionary pressures such as predation or environmental conditions. The study sheds light on some longstanding biological mysteries, such as why closely-related species have evolved different machinery to perform identical cellular functions, like DNA replication or the production of membranes. Researchers previously did not know what evolutionary force could have caused such changes. "This paper is the first with data that is large enough and clean enough to explain a lot of these puzzles in one fell swoop," said Petrov. The team is now using the findings to dig deeper into past viral epidemics, hoping for insights to help fight disease today. For example, HIV-like viruses have swept through the populations of our ancestors as well as other animal species at multiple points throughout evolutionary history. Looking at the effects of such viruses on specific populations could yield a new understanding of our constant war with virusesand how we might win the next big battle. Explore further Scientists uncover history of ancient viruses as far back as 30 million years ago More information: David Enard et al, Viruses are a dominant driver of protein adaptation in mammals, eLife (2016). Journal information: eLife David Enard et al, Viruses are a dominant driver of protein adaptation in mammals,(2016). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.12469 The United States should cut off financial and military aid to Pakistan's government, a U.S. lawmaker said this week, because Pakistan's powerful military establishment and intelligence services have not broken off their links to terrorist groups. Fifteen years have passed since September 11, billions of dollars have been spent and far too little change has occurred in Pakistan, according to Congressman Matt Salmon of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He was speaking Tuesday at a hearing of the foreign-affairs group's Asia and Pacific subcommittee, which he chairs, titled: Pakistan: Friend or Foe in the Fight against Terrorism. The United States has spent tens of billions in taxpayers dollars in the form of aid to Pakistan since September 11, all in the hope that Pakistan would become a partner in the fight against terrorism, said Salmon. "Unfortunately, despite the significant investment, Pakistani military and intelligence services are still linked to terrorist groups." A Pakistan-based analyst, retired brigadier Saeed Nazir, objected to Salmon's remarks and even the title of the hearing, since he contends the United States does not consider Pakistan a real friend. On the one hand, Washington keeps favoring Pakistans arch-rival India, but on the other, Pakistans loyalty is questioned," Nazir told VOA. "The United States also went ahead with a civil nuclear deal with New Delhi which has been a great source of concern for Pakistan, Nazir said. The analyst, who is affiliated with Institute of Policy Studies in Islamabad, said the financial assistance Pakistan receives from the United States to fight terrorists is no substitute for the lives lost and economic damage it has suffered in recent years. Pakistan was forced into the war when Bush administration declared, You are either with us or against us," Nazir said. "Since then, the country has suffered enormously, by losing thousands of lives and damage to its economy. Testifying at the congressional hearing, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad agreed with Salmon and other critics of Pakistan. He accused Islamabad of giving shelter to militants attempting to destabilize Afghanistan. It is also clear that the Pakistani military and intelligence provide sanctuary and support to the Taliban, Khalilzad said, adding that Taliban extremists have provided sanctuary for members of the al-Qaida network. The veteran U.S. diplomat noted that al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has pledged allegiance to the new Taliban leader in Afghanistan. Nazir rejects the notion that Pakistan is not a partner in peace. Pakistan is trying to play a role to facilitate talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, he said. Islamabad denies that it favors any militant or terrorist groups, and says it is making across-the-board efforts against all militants. U.S. Senator John McCain, a recent visitor to both Pakistan and Afghanistan, told VOA he informed Pakistani leaders that the United States wants to see progress in their fight against terrorist groups. The Arizona senator said he is deeply concerned about relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and that the two countries need to work together. The Afghan government, as well as the Pakistani government, as well as the American government should understand the fundamentals of the warfare. And that is when the enemy has a sanctuary, as in the case of some of these organizations in Pakistan, you are not going to win the conflict, McCain told VOA. I am encouraging dialogue - discussion, not public condemnation of each other. "Everybody knows what the situation is. I believe that it is important for Pakistan to show progress. I believe they should be given an opportunity to do so, McCain added. The shooting deaths of two black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota last week have again put a spotlight on U.S. police procedures and training. Two years ago, protests rocked Ferguson, Missouri, following the shooting death of an unarmed black man by a white officer. VOA's Chris Simkins reports from Ferguson on a community still healing and working on its problems. After a nearly four hour-long meeting at the White House Wednesday with leaders in law enforcement and prominent members of the black community, President Barack Obama said that America is still nowhere close to healing the decades-long build up of mistrust between the two sides. We're not there yet, we're not even close to being where we want to be, Obama said. We're not at a point yet where communities of color feel confident that their police departments are serving them with dignity and respect and equality and we're not there yet where police departments feel adequately supported at all levels." A large and diverse group participated in the exchange of ideas, including Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, NAACP President Cornell Brooks, other elected officials, police chiefs from several major cities, activists representing the Black Lives Matter movement, and several faith leaders. The president said he wanted to bring people into the room with different perspectives to listen to each other. The meeting was called in response to events last week that have many Americans concerned. Two black men were shot by white police officers at point-blank range in the states of Louisiana and Minnesota; five white police officers were then shot at a rally in Texas protesting against those shootings, by a black gunman who said he wanted to kill white people. After the White House meeting, which went on much longer than planned, the president said the good news is that progress has been made in many police departments across the country. He said Wednesdays conversation would build off his administrations Task Force on 21st Century Policing, and would share solutions from communities that have already found ways to build trust and reduce racial disparities. But he added this sober assessment: "There is no doubt police departments still feel embattled and unjustly accused. There is no doubt that minority communities - communities of color - feel it just takes too long to do what's right. The pace of change is going to feel too fast for some, too slow for others. Because this is a big country, he added: I think it is fair to say we will see more tension between police and communities this month, next month, next year, for quite some time." The president said progress on preventing shootings like last week's incidents will not happen overnight, because the roots date back not just decades, but centuries. He said what we can do is to set up a series of respectful conversations to make sure we hold ourselves accountable for getting better. As a country," Obama said, "we have to sit down as a country and just grind it out. The meeting produced a list of priorities that Obama said everyone at the table agreed on, which included working with police departments to improve training and de-escalation techniques and creating a system of accountability that would grant citizens greater access to data on law enforcement actions. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said the conversation on race was extremely urgent, and that although not everyone agreed on everything, the activists, police officers and elected officials present were able to re-establish a sense of common humanity. Several participants spoke of a breakthrough moment, saying every single person had a chance to speak, and people felt like they were truly being heard by those normally on the opposite side of the divisive issue of race and law enforcement. Mayor Garcetti said a breakthrough moment for him was when one of the Black Lives Matter activists turned to a police officer and told him he was sorry for the loss of five police officers shot in Dallas last week by a sniper. The conversation on race took place on the same day funerals were held in Dallas for three of the five police officers killed last week. In the U.S. Senate, Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas introduced legislation that would make it a federal crime to kill a police officer. In a statement, Cornyn said: As our country continues to grieve following last weeks tragedy in Dallas. We must come together in support of those who risk everything to keep us safe. On Facebook, Obama asked Americans from all walks of life to share their own ideas for healing racial wounds and keeping people safe: Going forward, I want to hear ideas from even more Americans about how we can address these challenges together as one nation. That means you. Whether you're a police officer working to keep our communities safe, an activist marching and organizing, or anyone else, you can share your story and ideas here: go.wh.gov/VDPvKz. When President Barack Obama delivered remarks this week at an interfaith service for the five slain police officers in Dallas, Texas, he tried to soothe a nation jarred by a series of killings of black men by police and a sniper who turned a peaceful protest into a mass shooting. I understand how Americans are feeling, the president said. But Dallas Im here to say, we must reject such despair. Im here to insist that we are not divided as we seem. But a new New York Times/CBS poll about race relations released just one day after Obama's speech suggests a far more bleak picture. According to the survey, optimism about race among blacks and whites has declined to its lowest level since 1992, when riots erupted in Los Angeles after the acquittals of several police officers who were filmed beating African-American Rodney King. Sixty-nine percent of Americans view race relations negatively. And only 26 percent of those surveyed said relations are mostly goodan 11 point drop from just a year ago. The poll (conducted over four days and reaching 1,600 adults) also found more than half of black Americans say they were not surprised by the Dallas killings; nearly half of white Americans polled said the same. On the question of whether or not race relations are improving, the results were just as discouraging. CBS News posted the poll on its website, reporting the joint poll found that just nine percent of Americans think relations are getting better, a notable drop from last year, when 21 percent believed relations were improving. Obama hosted a nearly four-hour meeting Wednesday at the White House between leaders in law enforcement and prominent members of the black community, afterward saying that "we're not even close to being where we want to be," appearing to contradict the rosier picture he spoke of during his Dallas address. The gloomy assessment of racial harmony began a steady decline in 2014 following highly publicized incidents between African-Americans and the police such as the shooting of Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson Missouri. Since then, there have been numerous other violent confrontations with police (not all of them white), culminating in the two back to back episodes the ended with the deaths of African-Americans Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana by police last week. A day after Castiles girlfriend released her annotated video of the aftermath of his shooting on Facebook, protesters gathered in Dallas and sniper Micah Johnson opened fire on police officers sent to manage the peaceful demonstration. The conflict in eastern Ukraine has claimed civilian lives with rampant impunity in what may have constituted "war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to a U.N. report. The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine says very limited accountability that has taken place, since fighting began in 2014 in the Donbas region between pro-Russia separatists and government forces. Close to 90 percent of conflict-related civilian deaths have resulted from indiscriminate shelling of residential areas. It says up to 2,000 civilian lives have been lost. In general, the report concludes that impunity for killings remains rampant, encouraging their perpetuation and undermining prospects for justice. It particularly pointed out armed conflict in certain districts of Ukraines Donetsk and Luhansk regions, fueled by the inflow of foreign fighters and weapons from the Russian Federation, accounts for the majority of violations of the right to life in Ukraine over the last two years." A significant numbers of people, including civilians, have also been summarily executed or died in custody, the report says, with most such killings occurring in 2014 and early 2015. According to the report, armed groups mainly executed individuals with pro-unity views or those believed to be supporters of Ukrainian forces, while Ukrainian forces targeted people affiliated with the armed groups or those who had separatist or pro-Russian views. The 26-month uprising against the pro-Western Ukrainian government has killed nearly 9,500 people and plunged Moscow's relations with the West to a post-Cold war low. The 20-page report, which has an additional 31-page annex describes more than 60 cases, focusing mainly on alleged killings of civilians, and people otherwise protected under international humanitarian law. In the West, Russia is largely seen as having fomented and supported the unrest in eastern Ukraine as retribution for mass protests in Kyiv, which in February of 2014 toppled a pro-Moscow president. Russia denies charges of any official involvement. The United States has named two Russian militants "specially designated global terrorists," linking them to deadly attacks by the Islamic State group. One of the two men reportedly is in custody in Turkey. The State Department named the two global terrorists Wednesday as Aslan Avgazarovich Byutukaev, who is also known as Amir Khamzat, and Airat Vakhitov, who has a number of aliases, including Salman Bulgarsky. Vakhitov, a Russian-speaking ethnic Tatar, was captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2001 and held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba until 2004, when he was released and returned to Russia. VOA learned last week that Vakhitov was among a large group of suspects rounded up and detained in Istanbul on suspicion of involvement in a triple suicide-bomb attack at the city's airport on June 28. Sources in Istanbul who know Vakhitov's family told VOA early Thursday that he was still in custody in connection with the devastating bomb attack, which killed 41 people and wounded 250 others. Turkish authorities blamed Islamic State militants for the bombing, which killed more than a dozen foreign travelers, and they seized about 30 suspects within a few days including Vakhitov, 39. The State Department announcement naming Vakhitov a global terrorist did not list his involvement in the Istanbul attack, but it was based on an executive order Secretary of State John Kerry issued on June 29, presumably before Vakhitov's presence in Turkey was known. VOA's Fatima Tlisova reported that a Russian court cleared Vakhitov of terrorism charges soon after he was released from Guantanamo 12 years ago, but he later was detained by the Russian Federal Security Service on unspecified charges. Subsequently, he left Russia and renounced his Russian citizenship. The second man named by U.S. authorities as a global terrorist, Byutukayev, reputedly has been Islamic State's leader in Chechnya and nearby Russian republics in the North Caucasus region for the past year. Most recently, he was linked to a major bomb attack planned in the republic of Ingushetia last November; that plot was foiled by Russian special forces who uncovered a large cache of explosives hidden on a roadside. Prior to his activity on behalf of IS, U.S. officials say Byutukayev directed multiple suicide-bomb attacks against Russia and symbols of Russian power. Among these was an attack in January 2011 on the international arrivals hall at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport that killed 35 people and wounded over 100 others. The State Department said Vakhitov has fought in Syria and recruits via the internet militants willing to travel to join Islamic State forces in the civil war there. However, members of the Russian-speaking diaspora in Turkey told VOA they had no knowledge of such activities by Vakhitov. The global-terrorist designation by the U.S. State Department is intended to sound a worldwide alarm about Vakhitov's and Byutukayev's activities. It also prohibits any contact between the two men and American citizens, and freezes any assets they may have that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Lawmaker Pereira Coutinho held a press conference yesterday at the headquarters of the Macau Civil Servants Association to reiterate his stance that the Land Law currently under discussion should not be amended. He added that his draft law for the continued protection of Coloanes green areas must be approved in order to safeguard the future quality of life of residents. Coutinho believes that the Land Law, which was approved in 2013 and introduced a year later, has not been in force long enough to fully determine its effectiveness. He has made clear his intention to vote down the proposed amendments to the law, which he says stem from a conflict of interest of certain lawmakers. The law was only published in the Official Gazette about two years ago. The ink is not yet dry, he told the Times in an interview. We must remember that this law was created by the government not by the legislators which means that the government is the father of the law and it is not correct for some legislators to interpret or to explain its meaning. The lawmaker and head of the Macau Civil Servants Association questioned the urgency to present the draft amendments to the Land Law before the proponents of the change the government had explained the necessity of the amendments. He said that the government has not yet had the chance to voice their reasoning. Alluding to a conflict of interest of certain lawmakers in the Legislative Assembly, Coutinho suspects that some legislators may not be acting in the interest of the general population, but for their clients or business partners. We have received many complaints from lawyers and lawmakers and the owners of the rights to certain land plots, who say that they are suffering losses because of the way that the government is conducting the process of reclaiming the land, he said. This surprises us however, as it is these same lawmakers who unanimously approved the law [a few years ago] and they are now complaining. Supporters of the amendments to the Land Law argue that the reason for the non-development of certain sites is to do with a lack of timely response and approval from the government, which has proven slow in coming to a final decision regarding issues of urban planning and cultural heritage. However, Coutinho disputes whether this is the actual reason behind lawmakers change of heart, causing them to now oppose the law. It is very clear that they have clients that feel that this law is not helping them. So we come to one issue: that Macau does not have a law that [forces lawmakers] to declare the interests of every government official and every lawmaker, he claimed. We only have laws to declare the wealth of officials, but we dont have one to declare interests. Thats why these sorts of situations occur. A statement issued by the Office for the Lawmakers Pereira Coutinho and Leong Veng Chai said that they are of the opinion that it is up to the courts to determine the possible liability of the government and its responsibility in the matter, and to assess whether any companies should be compensated for their losses. They should also determine whether the missed deadlines were the result of external and uncontrollable factors, and whether such claims are valid. We think that this law should not be touched, Coutinho insisted. We will vote against any kind of change coming from anywhere. We dont think changes are necessary. Separately, Coutinho is presenting his own amendment to a 1981 law from a pre-handover administration, which designated almost 200,000 square meters in Coloane to be used by the forest and agriculture services. His change, which has already failed approval processes twice, would see the inclusion of a provision explicitly prohibiting the use of such land for any other use or occupation other than for environmental and ecological purposes. I am submitting, for the third time, a decree law from the 1980s [] that protects 198,000 square meters that should not be used [for construction development], but protected as an environmental area, said Coutinho. Yesterday at the press conference, he stressed the necessity of the amendment in protecting the green spaces of Coloane, which are often termed the green lung of Macau due to a lack of air pollution. The amendment would also provide protection to several species of birds that still exist in the territory. The current draft law is very important in protecting the land, thats why we are submitting it for the third time. And we can see [by its previous failures] that the other legislators are not interested in protecting this land. Thats why in 2013 it did not receive enough support to be approved, Coutinho told the Times. The change is necessary, he explained, to prevent businesses and colluding officials from circumventing the stipulations of the 35-year-old law, and for maintaining the quality of life. The statement issued from the joint offices of the two lawmakers added that the third submission of the draft law is timely as residents are becoming increasingly concerned with environmental and ecological issues. In particular, young people are beginning to associate the future of Macaus development and the quality of their physical environment with their own health and quality of life. We urge all residents, for the sake of their children and grandchildren, to support the draft law, the statement concluded. Asias hunger for travel gave a lift to Airbus Group SE and Boeing Co. on Day 1 of the Farnborough Air Show. Carriers in China and Vietnam ordered new planes while those in India and Malaysia are zeroing in on the manufacturers workhorse single-aisle jets. Xiamen Airlines agreed to buy 30 Boeing 737 Max 200s worth USD3.39 billion at list prices, while Donghai Airlines followed up by saying it will get 25 Max 8s valued at $2.75 billion. Jetstar Pacific in Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding for 10 Airbus A320 ceos, while Standard Chartered Plcs leasing arm ordered 10 current-generation 737-800s worth $960 million. Malaysian discount giant AirAsia Bhd. is meanwhile poised to order as many as 100 Airbus A321neos valued at $12.6 billion, and Go Airlines India Pvt. is examining the purchase of 70 smaller A320neos worth about $7.5 billion that could also come at the show, according to people familiar with their plans. Asia is very important to Airbus and Boeing, said Mohshin Aziz, an analyst at Malayan Banking Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur. The airlines that are showing strong growth are in Asia. They are looking at the long-term growth with their orders. Asian carriers are making the running in Farnborough as economic growth spurs demand for new routes and extra frequencies. The trend is prompting low-cost operators that have already amassed large order backlogs to add even more planes, with Indias SpiceJet Ltd. also weighing an order for as many as 100 737s or A320s, though not certain to reach a decision this week. John Leahy, Airbuss chief salesman, said at the show that a growing middle class in China, India and other emerging economies such as Indonesia will become increasingly central in driving demand for jetliners. When you have greater discretionary spending its been proven that you buy airline tickets with it, Leahy said, adding that by 2035, 75 percent of people in what are currently viewed as emerging nations will be taking at least one flight a year. Thats an awful lot of demand for seats in an awful lot of planes. Boeing and Airbus were united in suggesting that recent economic turmoil, from Britains vote to leave the European Union to a commodities crash, will do nothing to dent long-term sales prospects. Boeing lifted its 20-year forecast 4.1 percent from a year earlier, predicting demand for 39,620 new jetliners worth $5.9 trillion across the industry, with slightly more than half of that value coming from planes in the 737 and A320 category. Airbus sees a need for 33,000 more planes, with the overall in-service fleet more than doubling from 19,500 to almost 40,000. While a slowing of Chinas economy has made headlines, travel has continued to expand at double-digit rates as the country undergoes a fundamental shift to consumption and services and away from industrial production, Randy Tinseth, a Boeing vice president for marketing, said in an interview at the air show. The part thats growing above expectations is where aviation falls, he said. Xiamens memorandum of understanding envisages the supply of Max 200s based on the 737 8 but with an extra door that permits a capacity of 200 to its low-cost Jiangxi Airlines and Hebei Airlines units, according to a statement issued at the show. The airline, a subsidiary of state-backed China Southern Airlines Co., already had 737 Maxs on order and operates an all-Boeing fleet. In the wide-body sector, billionaire entrepreneur Richard Bransons Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. announced a long-awaited deal for Airbuss largest A350 model as it seeks to replace aging A340s and Boeing 747 jumbos. Shenzhen-based Donghai Airs letter of intent also includes five Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner wide-bodies, giving the order a total value of more than $4 billion. The AirAsia deal may be announced as early as Tuesday, with at least some of the A321s set to provide a stepped-up service to India, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because talks are ongoing. Indian passenger demand grew 20 percent last year, versus 10 percent in China and less than 5 percent in the U.S., International Air Transport Association figures show. AirAsia is already the top Airbus customer by aircraft numbers, and at the 2014 Farnborough show bought 50 A330-900neos in one of the years biggest deals. GoAir, among eight budget airlines operating in India, is one of only three carriers worldwide that have begun using the Neo upgrade of the A320, so that a follow-on order would provide a vote of confidence in a model dogged by issues with its Pratt & Whitney turbines since last year. Even with Asia sales, analysts dont expect an order rush at this weeks expo since neither Boeing nor Airbus are offering new planes. The 2015 Paris show, with which the U.K. event alternates, ran up more than $100 billion of deals. Top-up deals for upgraded narrow-bodies aside, the Airbus A350 and Boeings competing 777X and 787 wide-bodies should help swell backlogs that have already reached record levels and pose a major manufacturing challenge. Virgin Atlantics agreement to take 12 A350-1000s worth $4.4 billion includes eight planes purchased outright and four to be sourced from Air Lease Corp., with an option on a fifth, according to the U.K. airline. Los Angeles-based Air Lease separately announced orders for three A350-900s and an A321. Andrea Rothman, Julie Johnsson and Christopher Jasper, Bloomberg China warned other countries yesterday against threatening its security in the South China Sea after an international tribunal handed the Philippines a victory by saying Beijing had no legal basis for its expansive claims there. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said Beijing could declare an air defense identification zone over the waters if it felt threatened, a move that would sharply escalate tensions. But Beijing also extended an olive branch to the new Philippine government, saying the Southeast Asian nation would benefit from cooperating with China. The Philippines, under a U.N. treaty governing the seas, sought arbitration from an international tribunal on several issues related to its long-running territorial disputes with China. The tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, rejected Chinas claims in a landmark ruling that also found the country had aggravated the seething regional dispute and violated the Philippines maritime rights by building up artificial islands that destroyed coral reefs and by disrupting fishing and oil exploration. While introducing a policy paper in response to the ruling, Liu said the islands in the South China Sea were Chinas inherent territory and blamed the Philippines for stirring up trouble. If our security is being threatened, of course we have the right to demarcate a zone. This would depend on our overall assessment, Liu said in a briefing. We hope that other countries will not take this opportunity to threaten China and work with China to protect the peace and stability of the South China Sea, and not let it become the origin of a war. In 2013, China set up an air defense identification zone over disputed islands in the East China Sea, requiring all aircraft entering the area to notify Chinese authorities or be subjected to emergency military measures if they disobey orders from Beijing. The U.S. and others refuse to recognize the zone. While blaming the previous Philippine government for complicating the dispute by seeking arbitration, Liu also sought to strike a conciliatory note with the Southeast Asian nations new leadership. Liu said China remains committed to negotiations with the Philippines and noting new Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes positive remarks on the issue. After the storm of this arbitration has passed, and the sky has cleared, we hope this day [of negotiations] will come quickly, but whether it can come, we still have to wait, Liu said, adding that China believed that cooperation would also bring Filipinos tangible benefits. He said, however, that China hoped the new government would not use the arbitration results which China has declared null and void as a basis for negotiations. China believes cooperation with other South China Sea neighbors, whether in fishing or in exploiting oil and gas resources in the waters, could be achieved by negotiations, he said. Duterte has not directly responded to Chinas overtures since the ruling was issued Tuesday. China has been on a charm offensive and Duterte is navigating a tightrope in which he wants to revive relations with Beijing while being seen as defending the major victory the country has won through arbitration. Although the decision is seen as a major legal declaration regarding one of the worlds most contested regions, its impact is uncertain given the tribunal has no power of enforcement. While the findings cannot reverse Chinas actions, they still constitute a rebuke, carrying with it the force of the international communitys opinion. It also gives heart to small countries in Asia that have helplessly chafed at Chinas expansionism, backed by its military and economic power. The Philippines strongly affirms its respect for this milestone decision as an important contribution to ongoing efforts in addressing disputes in the South China Sea, Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said Tuesday, calling on all those concerned to exercise restraint and sobriety. Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, who brought the case against China in 2013, said the decision brought clarity to the disputes that now establishes better conditions that enable countries to engage each other, bearing in mind their duties and rights within a context that espouses equality and amity. Cooperation, however, would remain elusive if conflicts over claims persist, he said. Six regional governments have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, waters that are rich in fishing stocks and potential energy resources and where an estimated USD5 trillion in global trade passes each year. The disputes have increased friction between China and the United States, which has ramped up its military presence in the region as China has expanded its navys reach farther offshore. White House spokesman Josh Earnest encouraged all parties to acknowledge the final and binding nature of this tribunal. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as President Barack Obama was flying to Dallas, Earnest said the United States seeks a peaceful resolution to disputes and competing claims in the region, while preserving freedom of navigation and commerce. Earnest also urged the parties not to use the ruling as an opportunity to engage in escalatory or provocative actions. The five-member panel from the Permanent Court of Arbitration unanimously concluded China had violated its obligations to refrain from aggravating the dispute while the settlement process was ongoing. It also found that China had interfered with Philippine petroleum exploration at Reed Bank, tried to stop fishing by Philippine vessels and failed to prevent Chinese fishermen from the Philippines 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. China, which boycotted the entire proceedings, reiterated that it did not accept the panels jurisdiction. China solemnly declares that the award is null and void and has no binding force. China neither accepts nor recognizes it, the Foreign Ministry said. Beijing says vast areas of the South China Sea have been Chinese territory since ancient times and demarcated its modern claims with the so-called nine-dash line, a map that was submitted under the U.N. treaty. The tribunal said that any historical resource rights China may have had were wiped out if they are incompatible with exclusive economic zones established under the U.N. treaty, which both countries have signed. It also criticized China for building a large artificial island on Mischief Reef, saying it caused permanent irreparable harm to the coral reef ecosystem and permanently destroyed evidence of the natural conditions of the feature. Gillian Wong, Jim Gomez, AP In a carefully orchestrated political ballet, David Cameron left his job and his home at 10 Downing Street yesterday, resigning as prime minister soon afterward at Buckingham Palace. Theresa May then became Britains new leader, accepting an invitation to govern from Queen Elizabeth II. The palace confirmed in a brief, formal statement that the Right Honorable David Cameron MP had an Audience of The Queen this evening and tendered his resignation as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, which Her Majesty was graciously pleased to accept. Soon afterward the palace released a photo of May curtseying to the monarch at the palace. In the traditional change of government ceremony, Cameron met the queen at the palace and recommended that the monarch invite May his successor as Conservative Party leader to form a new government. Cameron resigned after making a brief statement outside the prime ministers residence, his home for more than six years. It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve our country as prime minister over these last six years, and to serve as leader of my party for almost 11 years, he said, accompanied by his wife Samantha and his children 12-year-old Nancy, 10-year-old Elwen and 5-year-old Florence. Its not been an easy journey and of course we have not got every decision right, but I do believe that today our country is much stronger, Cameron said. He said May would provide strong and stable leadership and wished her luck in negotiations for Britain leave the European Union the issue that caused his demise. Earlier, Cameron made his final appearance as prime minister in Parliament, turning the usually raucous prime ministers questions session into a time for praise, thanks, gentle ribbing, cheers and a sprinkle of criticism. The warmth in the House of Commons culminated in loud applause and a standing ovation from his Conservative colleagues for Cameron, 49, who resigned after voters rejected his advice and decided to leave the European Union. I will miss the roar of the crowd. I will miss the barbs from the opposition, Cameron said, promising to watch future exchanges as a regular Conservative lawmaker on the back benches. He even poked fun at himself, reminding legislators of a barb he directed at then-Prime Minister Tony Blair more than a decade ago: He was the future once. As I once said, I was the future once, Cameron noted, as his wife and children watched from the public gallery. Despite the suddenness of Camerons exit less than three weeks after the June 23 referendum on Britains membership in the EU he appeared relaxed and confident as he absorbed both praise and carping from opposition lawmakers. Replying to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is facing his own leadership challenge from two Labour lawmakers, Cameron poked fun at Labours leadership turmoil, noting that the Tories had had resignation, nomination, competition and coronation while Labour is still working out the rules for its contest. May, 59, has been Britains Home Secretary in charge of immigration and law and order for the past six years. She has the tough task of calming the country and global financial markets after the upheaval that has followed Brexit vote. Although May backed remaining in the EU, she has reassured leave supporters that Brexit means Brexit, and we will make a success of it. She is expected to quickly unveil a new Cabinet lineup, including a minister in charge of implementing Brexit. Observers are keen to see if she appoints former London Mayor Boris Johnson or Justice Secretary Michael Gove to new jobs. The two Conservatives headed the leave campaign but then turned on one another in the leadership contest. She is under pressure both from pro-Brexit Conservatives and other EU leaders to start formal exit talks with the bloc. But Tony Travers of the London School of Economics said May would likely not rush to trigger Article 50 of the EU constitution, which starts a two-year countdown to a final exit. I dont detect Theresa May being an impulsive person, Travers said. I think shes a cautious person, and the British political establishment needs to come to terms with this massive decision. There is also speculation that May, Britains second female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher, will boost the number of women in top posts. MDT/AP EUs Juncker says he will miss Cameron despite rocky start European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday said he would miss Britains outgoing prime minister despite a rocky start when David Cameron warned that Junckers appointment could lead to Britons voting to leave the EU. Two years ago, Cameron had unsuccessfully tried to block Juncker from becoming president of the commission, the body that proposes EU legislation and represents the bloc on the international stage. Juncker told reporters in Beijing that the two of them had had an excellent professional and personal relationship since I am president of the commission, but not before, and that he had no beef with Cameron. I have experienced a man who is serious, who is a fan of no-nonsense policy and who was delivering at each and every moment when things started to become serious, Juncker said. Cameron had said that Juncker was a longtime Brussels insider who was chosen in a backroom deal. He had warned other EU leaders that electing him would undermine his attempts to persuade Britons that the EU could be reformed and make them more likely to vote to leave the union. MDT/AP A group of Iraqi army officers have staged a coup in Iraq and overthrown the monarchy. Baghdad Radio announced the Army has liberated the Iraqi people from domination by a corrupt group put in power by imperialism. From now on Iraq would be a republic that would maintain ties with other Arab countries. It said some 12,000 Iraqi troops based in neighboring Jordan have been ordered to return. Major-General Abdul Karim el Qasim is Iraqs new prime minister, defense minister and commander-in-chief. Baghdad Radio also announced that Crown Prince Abdul Illah and Nuri es Said, prime minister of the Iraq-Jordan Federation, had been assassinated. It said the body of the Crown Prince, the powerful uncle of 23-year-old King Faisal, was hanging outside the Defence Ministry for all to see. Reports from the US Embassy in Baghdad say the British Embassy has been ransacked and set on fire. The ambassador, Sir Michael Wright, and his wife were held at the embassy until late this afternoon when they were released. They are now in a Baghdad hotel. Unconfirmed reports suggest King Faisal himself has also been killed. His cousin, King Hussein of Jordan, has declared himself head of the Arab Federation the five-month alliance between Iraq and Jordan in the absence of King Faisal. In a broadcast to his subjects, King Hussein condemned the coup as the work of outsiders. While Iraqis are celebrating on the streets of Baghdad, the news is a cause for concern for western powers worried about their oil interests and instability in the region. The insurrection was probably inspired by a similar uprising staged in Egypt by Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser six years ago. In February this year he formed a political union between Egypt and Syria known as the United Arab Republic (UAR). Radio stations in the UAR are naturally delighted by news of the Iraq coup. But leaders of Jordan and Lebanon fear it might inspire Arab nationalist rebellions in their own states and have appealed to Britain and the United States to send troops to their countries. The US President Dwight D Eisenhower is said to be extremely disturbed by the Iraqi revolt and has called for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council. Officials in Washington fear the Iraqi coup will mean the end of the Baghdad Pact whose members include Turkey, Persia and Pakistan. It was intended to stem the influence of the Soviet Union in the region. There are fears the Iraq coup will have a domino effect and that the pro-Western oil regimes of Kuwait, Bahrain and the Trucial States may fall to Arab nationalists. Courtesy BBC News In context The following day 1,700 Marines of the US Sixth Fleet arrived in Lebanon and two days later 2,000 British paratroopers were flown into Amman after reports that Syrian troops were massing on the border with Jordan. The Soviet Union supported Arab nationalist Colonel Nasser, president of the United Arab Republic (now Egypt), so tensions rose further when the USSR announced major manoeuvres close to the Persian and Turkish borders On 19 July, barely a week after the coup, President Nasser signed a defense pact between the UAR and the new Iraqi regime. The UAR collapsed in 1961 when Syria withdrew from it after a military coup, but Egypt kept the name until 1971. The Baghdad Pact was renamed CENTO (Central Treaty Organization) in 1959 after Iraq pulled out and Ankara in Turkey became its headquarters. Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan withdrew in 1979, spelling the end of CENTO. They felt the US and UK were more interested in the pact as an anti-Soviet alliance than as a way of improving the economy of the region. Iraqs coup leader and prime minister, Abdul Karim el Qasim, was ousted and killed in 1963 in a coup led by the Arab Socialist Baath Party. Germanys president said Tuesday that he regrets his countrys diplomats failed for years to act on human rights violations at a secretive colony of German immigrants in Chile. Germany recently ordered documents about Colonia Dignidad, or Dignity Colony, from 1986 until 1996 to be unclassified for research purposes. For three decades from 1961, the enclave was the site of torture, slavery and child abuse. German diplomats didnt take seriously the human rights violations at a concrete time, Gauck said at a joint news conference with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. The leaders met earlier and Gauck said they spoke about dark chapters in their countries past. We hope that the declassifying of these documents will help contribute to knowing the truth about the many disappeared and executed at Colonia Dignidad and its surroundings, Bachelet said. The colony was founded by Paul Schaefer, a former medic in the Luftwaffe. After his World War II service, Schaefer became an evangelical preacher. He fled Germany after being accused of molesting boys at the orphanage he ran and began what became home to hundreds of Germans and Chileans in the enclave about 400 kilometers southeast of Santiago. Schaefer also allowed Gen. Augusto Pinochets security forces to operate a clandestine prison on the grounds where they tortured and executed dissidents during the 1973-1990 military dictatorship, according to witnesses testimony in court documents. The enclaves history was featured in a recent movie starring Emma Watson and Daniel Bruehl. MDT/AP The company that runs the Beijing Imperial Palace Hotel could now push for the sale of the Greek Mythology casino that shut down last year, reported TDM, since the Court of Final Appeal (TUI) has rejected an appeal over unpaid VIP gaming commissions. The company is fighting a dispute over money allegedly owed to Hoi Cheng Nga, who runs Macau-based Energy Travel Agency. She is now in a position to demand the sale of the hotel in order to recuperate the debt. Her lawyer, Lou Weng, told TDM that Hoi just wants to get back her money, in response to being asked about a possible sale. Operators of the casino have previously said that the shutdown was temporary and that the resort would shortly be reopening. However, the operating companys financial woes have caused mounting problems for owners, including protests from hotel staff who claimed last year to be missing multiple months of wages. Japans Emperor Akihito, the first to serve from the outset in a purely ceremonial role, signaled his wish to step down in a matter of years, national broadcaster NHK reported. The emperor, 82, has reigned for 28 years, after succeeding his father, Hirohito, in 1989. He would be succeeded by his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, who is 56. NHK yesterday cited unidentified people at the Imperial Household Agency and said the Crown Prince and other family members accepted Akihitos wishes. Akihitos reign is called the Heisei era whose name translates as achieving peace in the Japanese calendar. While Japan also uses the Western calendar, years are traditionally counted from the start of the reign of each emperor. This year is Heisei 28. Serving in a strictly symbolic role as prescribed by the U.S.-imposed constitution, and the first to marry a commoner, Akihito has been credited with helping modernize Japans monarchy. His reign began as the nation was at the zenith of its economic power and just a year before its bubble economy burst, ushering in decades of economic stagnation. This would be huge because Akihito is enormously popular with the public; he is a voice of reconciliation and looks at dealing with the lingering grievances from World War II as his fathers unfinished business, said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University in Japan. He has done more than all of Japans politicians put together in terms of raising Japans stature in the region he is known as the peoples Emperor. Kingston said it was likely the decision was driven by the Emperors advancing age and deteriorating health. Akihito underwent almost four hours of surgery for a successful heart bypass in 2012, and was hospitalized for pneumonia the previous year. The Crown Prince served as regent while his father was recovering. The Emperor also had prostate surgery in 2003. In visits across Asia and beyond, Akihito addressed the issue of the past aggression Japans military carried out in his fathers name. In 1990, he apologized for Japans colonization of Korea from 1910 to 1945. Two years later, during the first visit by a Japanese monarch to China, he acknowledged that Japan had inflicted great suffering on its neighbor in the first half of the century. Prior to Japans defeat, emperors including Hirohito had been traditionally regarded as living deities, directly descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu. The nations people were considered their subjects. In a speech last year to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Emperor Akihito expressed deep remorse over his countrys actions in the conflict. The remarks his first such expression of regret since coming to the throne in 1989 contrasted with those of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who said in a statement at the time that Japan shouldnt be expected to continually apologize. Its not an economic issue but the Emperor is very widely respected, Robert Feldman, chief economist at Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co. in Tokyo, said on Bloomberg TV. In Japan the notion of the Emperor as a symbol of the state is very important. From an economic point of view, its very important for social cohesion. Japans currency was little changed after the news, trading at 104.63 per dollar as of 8:29 p.m. in Tokyo. The yen has climbed almost 15 percent this year, escalating the challenges for Akihitos nation, which tumbled into stagnation and deflation in the early years of his reign. Emperor Kokaku, who gave up the throne in 1817, was the last emperor to abdicate, NHK said. There is no provision in the Imperial Household Law for such a move, and a legal change is likely to be required, according to the public broadcaster. His successor, Naruhito, is married to a former diplomat, Crown Princess Masako, and has one child, Princess Aiko. Naruhitos successor would be the son of his younger brother, as women cannot succeed to the throne. James Mayger and Keiko Ujikane, Bloomberg The Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) has released its investigation report on the land exchange case related to the site of the Iec Long Firecracker Factory. The investigation found that not only does the supposed owner, Baia da Nossa Senhora da Esperanca Company, hold no rights to most of the land plot, but that the land exchange agreement is null and no compensation from the MSAR government is due. According to a statement released yesterday by the CCAC, the primary justification for the ruling is that the individual who granted the rights to the land, the former director of the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT), was not vested with the statutory power to grant the land by lease, as per the old Land Law. On August 10, 2015 the Secretary of the DSSOPT sent a letter to the CCAC and disclosed the file concerning the land exchange case of the Iec Long Firecracker Factory for investigation. The CCAC says it then proceeded to investigate the case in order to clarify the procedures involved and the legality and reasonableness of the decisions made. The report found that, in the 1950s, an additional land concession was granted to the company, so that it could consolidate its other plots and expand its business. However, by the 1980s, the company was close to shutting down. By 1986, the Portuguese administration had declared the concession contract void, and the ownership of the land was transferred to another party. The CCAC statement does not specify who owned the land at this point, but says that they applied for the rights to construct commercial and residential buildings on the site. No agreement was reached, however. Then, in January 2001, the MSAR government, represented by the director of the DSSOPT, Jaime Roberto Carion, and the Baia da Nossa Senhora da Esperanca Company signed a commitment of land exchange, under which the government agreed to grant a plot of land in Taipa to the company (measuring more than 150,000 square meters), in exchange for the return of other land plots believed to be owned by the company. According to the analysis of the CCAC, The commitment is the most important and core document concerning the land exchange of the Iec Long site. However the form of signing and the content of the commitment obviously violated the principle of legality [ as] according to the old Land Law, the director of the DSSOPT did not have the competence or was not vested with the statutory power to grant the land by lease. The commitment and the relevant files were not sent to the Land Commission for discussion, the statement adds. Thus the commitment does not comply with the stipulation concerning the necessary procedure for disposition of land of the Macau SAR. Furthermore, as the rights to the land had already been transferred in 1986, the CCAC believes that when the commitment was signed in 2001, the Baia da Nossa Senhora da Esperanca Company did not own the rights for most of the land that was to be transferred back to the government. This implies that the company did not have the right to promise to transfer all [of] the parcels within the site to the Macau SAR government free of burden. Therefore, the content of the commitment is unable to be implemented and never was, CCAC concludes. It is not necessary and not possible that [the government would have] to obtain from the company the other parcels within the Iec Long site that are state property in the first place. From a legal perspective the commitment is impossible, stated the CCAC in their report summary. The CCAC submitted the report to the Chief Executive (CE) who, according to the Government Spokespersons Office, has now decreed that the relevant government departments ought to follow-up with the corruption watchdog. He also said that the CCAC should investigate whether any evidence of criminal activity can be found in the commitment made in 2001, such as corruption or fraud. Coutinho criticizes report Lawmaker Pereira Coutinho has criticized the CCAC report for placing the blame on a single individual: the former DSSOPT director, Jaime Roberto Carion. Coutinho says that the way in which the CCAC has assigned responsibility is simplistic and not elegant. It is insulting to a man that has served the public interest for so long, he added. IC accepts responsibility, agrees with suggestions The CCAC also pointed out in its report that the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) paid out more than MOP5 million in restoration and remediation costs for conservation work on the former firecracker factory. The IC regards the factory as a cultural icon of the MSAR and is attempting to have it listed as a cultural heritage site. There is not any basis for the IC to pay on the owners behalf and to be reimbursed later, rather than the expenses being paid [directly] by the owner, concluded the CCAC investigation, adding that no evidence had been found of an attempt by the IC to recover the expenses. The CCAC warned that, the ownership disputes of the Iec Long Firecracker Factory should not become a hindrance in starting the evaluation process, since the current Cultural Heritage Protection Law has already set institutional norms on the solving of the ownership of real estate that is under evaluation or to be evaluated. If the conservation and evaluation of the Iec Long Firecracker Factory was carried out in strict accordance with the provisions of the law, it is believed that the result would have been much more effective, assessed the CCAC in its summary report. In a statement released last night, the IC said that they are paying great attention to the CCAC report and agrees with the suggestions provided over how to protect the factory as a cultural site. The IC said that the factory, which is over 90 years old, has important cultural value and that the bureau will expedite the process of its listing. Experts have calculated the cost of pollution in China for years, weighing the drag on productivity from medical costs, factory closures and traffic restrictions. Now economists say they know exactly how much consumers are willing to pay to clean their own air. Chinese consumers are willing to pay USD5.46 on average to remove each microgram of pollutant per cubic meter of air, according a new paper by environmental economists Koichiro Ito from the University of Chicago and Shuang Zhang of the University of Colorado at Boulder. That works out to spending about $213 over five years, according to their study tracking air purifier buying habits in 81 Chinese cities over seven years. Pollution in Beijing and other large cities regularly triggers health warnings and occasionally soars to hazardous levels when particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter PM2.5 reach concentrations above 250 micrograms per cubic meter. The study reflects rising concern about breathing clean air as shown by more purchases of air purifiers, many of them imported, by wealthy and increasingly middle-class consumers. Having a barometer for peoples willingness to pay for clean air can help leaders determine which policies are most effective in improving welfare, Ito, an assistant professor at the Harris School of Public Policy, said in a research summary. It sheds light on the degree to which citizens prioritize economic growth over environmental regulations a subject of constant debate and importance in emerging economies. Average top-of-the-line models can cost hundreds of dollars each, and wealthier Chinese in more polluted areas are more willing to pay more for clean air, the researchers said. Pinning down how much consumers are willing to pay to breathe clean air has important policy implications for emerging economies, where striking a balance between economic development and environmental protection has proved a crucial task, Ito and Zhang write in their working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Bloomberg The Collective Wisdom Policy Centre published the results from a survey of the opinions of local residents towards the new taxi regulation proposal that was submitted earlier this year by the Transport Bureau (DSAT). The survey shows that nearly 60 percent of participants praise the new proposal, and 72 percent support the government in carrying out sting operations. The results were obtained from 1,012 questionnaires handed out in May, according to a report by Jornal Cheng Pou. In order to better regulate the taxi industry, the new regulation proposes the start of sting operations, the revoking of taxi licenses, and license suspension. Forty eight percent of the respondents even supported the idea that the unacceptable behaviour shown by some drivers should indeed be criminalized. Additionally, 80 percent of participants supported the introduction of a mobile-phone taxi-booking service. Thirty percent did not agree with the extra charges attached to phone calls to dispatch a taxi, while 51 percent said they are willing to pay the extra fees as long as they remain below ten patacas. Concerning the installation of surveillance systems in taxis, 53 percent voted in favour. Fourty nine percent supported the installation of voice-recording systems in the vehicles. An advanced U.S. missile defense system will be deployed in a rural farming town in southeastern South Korea, Seoul officials announced yesterday, angering not only North Korea and China but also local residents who fear potential health hazards that they believe the U.S. system might cause. As words of the location for the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, spread even before the governments formal announcement, thousands of residents in the town of Seongju, the site for the U.S. system, rallied and demanded the government cancel its decision. A group of local leaders wrote letters of complaint in blood and gave them to the Defense Ministry. We oppose with our lives the THAAD deployment, one of the letters said, according to Seongju local council speaker Bae Jae Man, one of the 10 people who wrote the letter. Seoul and Washington officials say they need the missile system to better deal with what they call increasing North Korean military threats. Earlier this week, North Korea warned it will take unspecified physical measures once the location for THAAD is announced. Seouls Deputy Defense Minister Ryu Je Seung told a news conference that Seongju was picked because it can maximize the THAADs military effectiveness while satisfying environmental, health and safety standards. He said the defense chiefs of the countries approved the decision. Ryu said a THAAD system to be stationed in Seongju by the end of next year would cover up to two-thirds of South Koreas territory from North Korean nuclear and missile threats. No other details were given, although U.S. military bases are in nearby areas. China and Russia oppose the system that they believe helps U.S. radar track missiles in their countries. Seoul and Washington say the system targets only North Korea. Many South Koreans worry China, South Koreas biggest trading partner, might take economic retaliatory measures. Residents in Seongju and several other villages previously rumored to be candidate sites for the THAAD system have already launched protests, citing fears that the electromagnetic waves that THAAD radar systems emit can possibly cause health problems. Seongju is a town of 45,000 people, many of them grow yellow melons for a living. South Korean media reported the THAAD system will be placed on a mountain where a South Korea air defense artillery unit is based. About 200 Seongju residents made a protest visit to Seouls Defense Ministry yesterday. You cant make a unilateral decision like this when about half of all Seongju residents live within 2 kilometers of where the THAAD system is said to be deployed, Bae said before a meeting with defense officials. Defense officials have disputed that, saying the system will be located on a mountain, not in a residential area, and is harmless if people stay at least 100 meters away from it. Seoul and Washington launched talks on the THAAD deployment after North Koreaconducted a fourth nuclear test and carried about a long-range rocket launch earlier this year. The United States stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea as deterrence against potential aggression from North Korea. China assisted North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, while American-led U.N. troops fought alongside South Korea. Hyung-Jin Kim, Kim Tong-Hyung, AP Donald Trump is wildly unpopular among young adults, in particular young people of color, and nearly two-thirds of Americans between the ages of 18 and 30 believe the presumptive Republican nominee is racist. Thats the finding of a new GenForward poll that also found just 19 percent of young people have a favorable opinion of Trump compared to the three-quarters of young adults who hold a dim view of the New York billionaire. Trumps likely general election opponent, Hillary Clinton, is also unpopular with young people, but not nearly to the same extent as the real estate mogul and realty TV star. A mere 6 percent of young African Americans, 10 percent of young Hispanics, 12 percent of young Asian Americans and 27 percent of young whites see Trump in a favorable light, ratings that suggest the celebrity businessman faces a staggering task this summer to win their backing in his bid for the White House. I think if you want to be a moral young person, you cant support Trump, said Miguel Garcia, 20, of Norwalk, California. The grandson of Mexican immigrants and a college student who also works at a tire shop, Garcia is a registered Democrat who has not chosen a candidate to support this fall but is resolute in his disdain for Trump. Its really hard to back anything Trump does, Garcia said. He just says prejudiced stuff. GenForward is a survey by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. vThe first-of-its-kind poll pays special attention to the voices of young adults of color, highlighting how race and ethnicity shape the opinions of the countrys most diverse generation. The GenForward survey is a poll of adults between the age of 18 and 30, not necessarily registered or likely voters. Those surveyed may not end up voting, or casting a ballot for either major party candidate for president. The poll found that only 39 percent of young people have a favorable opinion of Clinton to 54 percent who have an unfavorable view of the presumptive Democratic nominee. Desiree Batista, a former supporter of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, said she was picking the lesser of two evils in backing Clinton, a decision she reached in part because she believes Trump was unqualified to be president. I just dont think hes fit to be a presidential candidate, said Batista, a 21-year-old college student from Colonia, New Jersey. I understand people like him as a businessman, even though I dont feel the same way. I do not favor all of [Trumps] rhetoric, but hes a smart businessman who will help the nations economy, said El Hanly, a Republican. He said he favored Trumps plan to strengthen security along the U.S. border with Mexico, but doesnt think Trump will follow through on any sort of plan to bar Muslims from the country. Most of my friends dont agree, but I think he is the best choice, he said. The depth of animosity toward Trump among young Americans may be driven by the two-thirds of those who believe he is racist. That includes nearly 6 in 10 whites, and more than three-quarters of African Americans, Hispanics and Asians. About 7 in 10 oppose Trumps proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from other countries from entering the United States. Seven in 10 oppose his plan to build a wall along the U.S. southern border. Six in 10 say immigrants in the country illegally should be allowed to stay, including large majorities of young Hispanics, African-Americans and Asian-Americans and about half of young whites. MDT/AP We found unexpected aid for a trek across central Idaho mountains trail maintenance by wild goats and elk on the high passes. To prepare for our Idaho traverse, a Hailey-Salmon trek planned to start July 11, weve been checking out segments shown as trailless. In early June, we hiked the ridge behind Hailey. A few weeks later we crossed the Boulders and Pioneers. No trails show up on the Sun Valley Idaho Trail Map or topographic maps, but a Forest Service contact had mentioned old trails/goat routes. We drove over Trail Creek summit (Sun Valley Road from Ketchum), turning left on FR-140 to West Fork Loop Trail 126. Wed try to cross the Boulders, then the Pioneers. In July wed reverse the order. Rock Roll Canyon topo map showed a loop trail, but a newer Sun Valley map showed only a right fork. After David danced across a wet log (and I forded the creek in sandals), we went left. The trail became an elk route ascending through flowery meadows and slumps high above the creek, then met a better trail. To the south, snowy basins gleamed below Hyndman Peak maybe a wet Pioneer crossing. We found no trail through the basin passing four shallow lakes, but distinct paths forked to two passes above. We went left. No snow on the pass. To Davids delight, a skittery, narrow goat route contoured into the basin. I crept down the foot-wide path as he skipped ahead. At the basin, we turned back. We crossed the second pass for a loop. At the head of the basin, a dozen elk grazed. Otherwise the return trip was forgettable. We missed the main trail out of the steep basin and, after several false starts, took a blazed but vague route. Rejoining the main trail, we plodded endlessly refreshed only by falls and clear runs of Trail Creek alongside. Parking at the summit we hiked dusty, well-used Summit Creek Trail two miles to camp creekside in a meadow cleared by avalanches by a pool dammed up by white bark pine from ridges far above. The next morning we ascended to alpine basins through purple shooting star flowers and dark stands of spruce and fir. Maps show a trail descending Kane Creek, but we saw only a path across snowfields and scree to a saddle below Devils Bedstead. Goat work again! After an 1,800-foot scramble down to Wilson Creek, we found remnants of trail we hoped to hike from Pioneer Cabin. No time to investigate further. Lunch break and back up the mountain. En route up, we found a steep old trail to the pass, hidden in a grove of subalpine fir. David thinks the trails were human-made, but goat/elk maintenance has cut most switchbacks. I skidded down tiny pebbles on dry soil; skid marks showed even goats were sliding. For the umpteenth time I told David to find a hardier hiking buddy. Dramatic dark skies loomed over the Boulders, and a hailstorm met us. Donning my raincoat, my mood lightened. Rain would soften dry goat paths for better traction. Sorry, July campers. Im praying for rain. Topographic maps used: Rock Roll Canyon, Amber Lakes, Ryan Peak, Phi Kappa Mountain, Hyndman. Several blogs note Summit Creek route to Devils Bedstead; perhaps hikers have helped goats maintain this route. Check out www.theoutbound.com/idaho/hiking/hike-to-devil-s-bedstead-west and http://bit.ly/29FI7nD. TWIN FALLS Theres no need to feel daunted by the skills and equipment needed for Idahos outdoor recreation. The College of Southern Idaho and its Outdoor Recreation Center offer a lineup of low-cost opportunities to learn, and theyre open to the public. The next offerings: Hike & Yoga with Community Ed: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. July 23. Participants will hike with mats to a destination along the way, spend an hour doing sun salutations and morning stretches, then finish the loop and head back. Trip includes transportation and yoga mats. Bring a backpack for snacks, extra clothing layers and personal items; water, lip balm and camera. Cost is $29. Register: communityed.csi.edu. Fisher Creek Mountain Bike Ride: 8 a.m. departure on July 23. This day trip to Sun Valley will include three to four hours of obstacles, climbing and downhill descents, so experience is required. Recommended for, but not limited to, intermediate riders and up. Transportation and all mountain biking gear provided. Bring a backpack for snacks, extra layers and personal items; water, lip balm and lunch that can be eaten on the trail. Cost is $93 (minus $15 if you bring your own gear). Reservations: 208-732-6470. CSI students, faculty and staff get discounts; the prices shown are for everyone else. STANLEY The nonprofit Sawtooth Interpretive and Historical Association will offer special events today through Sunday. The program Deep Backcountry: A Vision of the Idaho Centennial Trail, with Clay Jacobson, is at 7 p.m. today at the Redfish Center and Gallery. In 1990, a small group of Idahoans envisioned a 900-mile hiking trail across the state with the purpose of showcasing Idahos wilderness, alpine lakes and scenic rivers the Idaho Centennial Trail. Tonights discussion explores the state of the trail today, what the future of the ICT might hold and how a 900-mile hike will strengthen bonds to Idaho. Jacobson is a long-distance hiker and longtime Idahoan. After hiking the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails, he set out to bring thru-hiking home to the nearly forgotten ICT. Since completing the ICT in 2015, he has been working with the Idaho Trails Association to improve awareness and trail conditions across the state. Join regional artists and art lovers for the Sawtooth Associations Scones and Scenery at the Redfish Center & Gallery from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. The original works, inspired by the Sawtooth Valley, include photographs, sculpture, paintings and other art, which is all for sale. Continuing with the 9th annual Forum and Lecture Series theme Water in Idaho, speaker David Skinner will give a presentation on beaver in Idaho, ecology and management, at 5 p.m. Friday at the Stanley Museum. Skinner has worked as the district wildlife biologist for the Fairfield and Ketchum ranger districts of the Sawtooth National Forest for the past 15 years. During that time, he has been chairman of the Wood River RC&Ds Interagency Beaver Committee for Blaine, Camas, Lincoln and Gooding counties. Over the past 15 years, the committee has been responsible for transplanting more than 180 beavers into watershed areas that needed improvement. Skinner will discuss the committees activities and the importance of beaver in the ecosystem. The 40th annual Sawtooth Mountain Mamas Arts and Crafts Fair in Stanley is Saturday and Sunday, bringing more than 100 artists and craftsmen from throughout the Northwest. Stop by the Sawtooth Associations ice cream booth to learn about its work. The fair is on Idaho 21 on the grassy area west of Mountain Village Mercantile. BUHL Two boys were injured Tuesday morning west of Buhl when they crashed and were thrown from an all-terrain vehicle. The crash, which happened about 9 a.m. near 4000 N. 800 E., sent an 8-year-old boy to St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise with significant injuries, the Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. Witnesses told deputies they saw the boys driving the ATV when the driver, a 12-year-old boy, looked over his shoulder, drifted off the right shoulder of the roadway and struck a power pole, the sheriffs office said. Both boys were thrown from the ATV and landed at the edge of a corn field and irrigation ditch. The 8-year-old passenger was flown to the Boise hospital while the 12-year-old driver went to St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center in a private car, the sheriffs office said. Neither boy was wearing a helmet. After the sheriffs office posted about the crash on Facebook, several users criticized the parents for letting the boys ride without helmets. But Stephanie Lemmons, the mother of the 12-year-old driver, said the boys have helmets and always wear them, but they forgot them Tuesday in a rush to eat breakfast. They had stayed the night camping out, as boys do, on the property of the family (of the younger boy), and they were going back to the house to eat breakfast, Lemmons said. She said comments about the boys being left unsupervised were untrue they were camping on the familys property and heading back to the house where the younger boys mother was. It wasnt far from the house, Lemmons said. But they took the main road when they should have taken the property road ... It was an accident, it happened unexpectedly and unintentionally. We are just praying for the recovery of his friend. She added that both boys are experienced riders who made a costly mistake. In a comment on the Facebook story in response to some of the negative comments, the sheriffs office said, Our thoughts and prayers are with the families as they go through the difficulties regarding the injuries that the juveniles sustained. The office also said the crash highlights the importance of wearing helmets whether or not you are an adult or juvenile. Volunteers Idaho Home Health and Hospice needs volunteers who will bring compassion, support and dignity to those facing a serious, life-limiting illness and their families. Volunteers can choose between offering respite to family caregivers or provide support with administrative tasks. Information: Heidi Walker, 208-734-4064 or Heidi.Walker@LHCgroup.com.. Drivers The American Cancer Society is looking for volunteer drivers for its Road to Recovery program in Twin Falls. Volunteers will drive patients to and from medical treatments. Commitment is flexible. Information: Renae Delucia at renae.delucia@cancer.org or 702-891-9023. Volunteers The Twin Falls County Historical Society is seeking volunteers for various programs and general support. Volunteers are needed to paint, weed, clean or work on docent projects and fundraising. No minimum amount of hours, commitment is flexible. Fill out an application at the Twin Falls County Historical Museum (Union School at Curry), open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Information: 208-736-4675. Volunteers Interlink Volunteer Caregivers provides volunteers to help elderly, disabled and chronically ill people live safely and independently in their homes. Volunteers assist with transportation to health-related appointments and essential errands, light housekeeping chores, friendly visits, yard maintenance and simple home repairs. Carpenters and handymen are also needed. Volunteers are reimbursed for mileage and covered with excess auto liability insurance. Commitment is flexible with no minimum hours required. Information: Edie, 208-733-6333 or ivcofmv@gmail.com. Volunteers The Senior Companion Program at the CSI Office on Aging needs volunteers, age 55 and older, to assist homebound seniors by providing friendly visits and transportation as needed. Information: Marisol, 208-736-2122, or toll free, 800-574-8656. Volunteers The Foster Grandparent Program at the CSI Office on Aging has openings for volunteers, age 55 and older, to read to children ages 2 to 9 and assist with their academic and social skills. Placements are available throughout the Magic Valley in Head Start programs and public elementary schools. Information: Marisol, 208-736-2122 or toll free, 800-574-8656. Information: Marisol, 208-736-2122, or toll free, 800-574-8656 Volunteers St. Lukes Home Health and Hospice needs volunteers to share compassion and increase the quality of life for patients and their families. The program is designed to offer companionship and socialization to patients, plus respite and support for the caregivers. Information: Marie Sharp, 208-814-7603 or sharpm@slhs.org. TWIN FALLS A Twin Falls man accused Pizza Hut employees of poisoning his food and threatened to beat and kill them with a wrench, police said. Seth Samuel Brooks, 38, was arraigned Tuesday in Twin Falls County Magistrate Court on a felony count of aggravated assault. Police were dispatched about 5:30 p.m. to the Pizza Hut at 1099 Blue Lakes Blvd. N. for the report of a man threatening to kill employees with a large wrench. Later, after Brooks was arrested about three miles away, the restaurants staff told police what happened. An employee said she was outside behind the restaurant on a smoke break when a silver Mitsubishi Lancer drove at her aggressively, court documents said. Brooks got out of the Lancer and started yelling at her about poisoning his food. She said Brooks got a large wrench from his car and threatened to kill her if she poisoned his food again. I believe he would have killed me if he would have used the wrench to hit me, the employee told police. It was bigger than my arm. He got very close to me, two feet away at some points, when he was telling me he was going to kill me and beat the (expletive) out of me. A Pizza Hut delivery driver saw the altercation and approached Brooks, who turned and threatened him too, court documents said. Brooks then got in his car and left. Officers caught up with the Lancer at 880 Shoshone Street W., about three miles from the Pizza Hut, and found a large wrench in the center console, court documents said. Brooks admitted to being angry at the Pizza Hut staff and told the officers he went there to confront them, but he said he didnt believe he committed a crime because he didnt hurt anyone, court documents said. Police told him its still a crime to threaten to kill someone and display a weapon. Brooks is being held in Twin Falls County Jail in lieu of $50,000 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 22. 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 BOISE Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter announced the recipients Wednesday of the 2016 governors cup scholarships to Idaho colleges and universities. In total, 40 recipients including four from south-central Idaho were chosen from among more than 700 applicants. Selections were made based on the applicants commitment to public service, academic achievement, leadership and community involvement. South-central Idaho recipients are: John Lancaster Wendell High School attending Idaho State University Mariah Lezamiz Richfield High School attending the College of Idaho Macie Merrill Minico High School attending Idaho State University Madeleine Quast Twin Falls High School attending Brigham Young University-Idaho The award is $3,000 per year, renewable for up to four years, or two to three years for professional-technical programs, contingent upon the availability of funds. Its an honor to work with the generous sponsors who make the Governors Cup Scholarship program possible, and its a privilege to watch great Idaho students get the chance to reach their academic goals right here at home, Otter said in a statement. They are the leaders who will build stronger Idaho communities for the future. The civic virtue and commitment to sustainably investing in Idahos future thats expressed by everyone involved in the Governors Cup program is as inspiring to me as it is critical to our success. The governor and First Lady Lori Otter participated in a reception June 22 honoring the recipients. TWIN FALLS A small electrical fire Wednesday evening shut down Maxies Pizza and Pasta in Twin Falls. The fire was reported a little before 5:20 p.m. Tuesday and the restaurant at 170 Blue Lakes Blvd. N. was immediately evacuated. An electrical box sparked, shutting down the restaurants power and burning some electric components, Twin Falls Fire Department Battalion Chief Brian Cunningham said. All the lights went out and the boss came and told us all to get out, waitress Hannah Holman said. There was some sort of electrical fire. There were no flames when firefighters arrived, according to scanner traffic. Cunningham sent several of the firefighters onto the roof to check for smoke or signs of a fire just to be thorough, he said. Employees gathered outside the back of the restaurant and were told they could leave about 5:30 p.m., Holman said. The restaurant typically closes at 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and was not expected to reopen Wednesday. Chinese didnt waste any time venting their anger at the Hagues ruling against their countrys territorial claims in the South China Sea. Within minutes of the news, Chinese social media was flooded with thousands of comments parroting a testy, often profane nationalism. What China hasnt witnessed yet, however, is any semblance of the mass protests that roiled dozens of Chinese cities, sometimes violently, in 2012 after a similar territorial dispute with Japan erupted into the headlines. And the fact is, thats not likely to change. Unlike in 2012, Chinese censors almost immediately began deleting the most inflammatory posts about the verdict, such as calls for war in the South China Sea. At times, officials blocked people from even searching the term South China Sea on leading social media outlets. Authorities also quickly threw up a police cordon around the Philippine embassy in Beijing to thwart any demonstrations. That hardly means that the Chinese government agrees with the tribunals verdict (which its denounced as null and void), or even that officials are all that squeamish about anti-foreign sentiment. In 1999, following the accidental U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, then Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao explicitly authorized protests outside the U.S. embassy. In 2012, the government initially seemed to be encouraging popular rage against Japan. And as recently as 2014, after a Malaysian Airlines jet carrying 152 Chinese passengers disappeared in the South Pacific, authorities allowed an angry crowd to besiege the Malaysian embassy and demand compensation for the families of victims. But several things are different about the current nationalist outburst. Earlier protests took place against a backdrop of healthy economic growth. Today, President Xi Jinping, who assumed power weeks after the 2012 protests, manages a country where mass layoffs from previously secure state-owned companies have become common, and where demonstrations over air and water pollution have grown in size and frequency. The last thing the government wants to see is nationalist anger merging with discontent over pocketbook and lifestyle issues. The way anti-Japanese protesters turned against authorities in 2012 clashing with riot police, destroying government-owned vehicles and attempting to break into government buildings remains fresh in leaders minds. The current government also has instinctively less tolerance for the open expression of views, however patriotic. Last year, authorities went so far as to arrest women planning an anti-sexual harassment protest for International Womens Day. Before Xis ascent to power, Chinas social media had developed into a proverbial town square; discussion flowed freely enough that protests could be and were planned on various platforms. Today, after an extraordinary, years-long crackdown, its become a much more circumscribed place. In 2011, for example, users of Sina Weibo coordinated online protests and petitions against the Chinese government over air pollution. A similar campaign now would likely lead to closed accounts and possibly worse. Where exactly Chinese should focus their fury may also be unclear to many citizens. Few harbor the same hatred for the Philippines as is commonly expressed for Japan, whose brutal World War II occupation of the mainland remains a touchstone for all Chinese. Japan, Asias second-largest economy, is also a geopolitical rival in a way the Philippines are not. Indeed, the Philippines are increasingly not even viewed as the aggressor in the Hague case, despite having filed it. In one widely circulated cartoon, the Philippines are depicted as a marionette manipulated by Uncle Sam, while Japan applauds from behind a screen. For aspiring Chinese protesters, that makes choosing a target the Hague? international law? the U.S.? a more complicated exercise. None of this means that nationalist passions over the South China Sea which have been deliberately stoked by state media over the last few years arent deep-seated and widespread. But the government seems to have decided that its interests lie in modulating that anger, at least for the moment. With luck, thatll give Chinese leaders the room to forego a more aggressive response and pursue negotiations with the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. The region, no less than Chinas streets, could use a bit of calm right now. This ran Wednesday in the Idaho Press-Tribune: Some of Idahos top business, government and agricultural leaders are taking what might be an unpopular position with some Idahoans in their push to end the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba. Nonetheless, its the right position to take. Other efforts are underway in other heavily Republican states to promote the effort. The Engage Cuba Idaho State Council has members from the Idaho Farm Bureau, Idaho Potato Commission, Idaho Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and United Dairymen of Idaho and is chaired by Gov. Butch Otter. The governor has visited the island nation south of Florida many times, including a trade mission he led in 2007. Cuba is hardly popular in Idaho, considering the fact it is still, at least in some respects, a communist nation with questionable human rights practices. President Obamas visit there in March, the first for a sitting U.S. president since 1959, did little to quell suspicions here that the visit was just a symbolic show, and the president isnt exactly Mr. Popular around here, anyway. But doing business with someone shouldnt be construed as a sign that you like them and approve of everything they do. It simply means you see an opportunity for a mutually beneficial exchange. Thats what business should be. There are plenty of other nations the United States does business with that have abundant faults of their own. China is certainly no model citizen when it comes to human rights, yet our country did an estimated $654 billion worth of trade with the Peoples Republic also a communist nation in 2015 alone. Granted, we bought much more than we sold (by an almost 3-to-1 margin), but look at it this way: we get products our citizens want, and the people in China put food on their tables. Politics seems fairly inconsequential compared to such basic necessities of life. We also get some of our oil from people who arent exactly model citizens. Is trading with Cuba really anything worth getting our feathers ruffled over? Besides, the more we increase openness with other nations, the more likely they are to increase human rights, freedoms and democracy. China is a good example. Even though they are still far from our model of openness and freedom, they have dramatically improved their openness in government, human rights and citizen freedoms. Having another customer for Idaho products, particularly food, could be a potential boon for our the state and bring in valuable revenue and employment. We strongly support the effort to end the trade embargo with Cuba. The world is a diverse place with very diverse people living very diverse lives with diverse beliefs and values. You dont have to follow the news too closely to know that there is no shortage of people hating and killing each other over differences in those values and beliefs. One of the best ways to at least put a cap on the hate and killing is through trade. When you have a valuable trade relationship with someone you otherwise wouldnt like, its a great incentive to find ways to at least be civil with one another. And in todays world, we need as much of that as we can get. Italy on the Brink of a Full Blown Banking Crisis As several articles over the past few days have indicated (here, here, here and here), Italy is on the brink of a full-blown banking crisis. Bad debts, or "non-performing loans," held by the banking sector total 360 billion euros, which is a remarkable 17 percent of all the outstanding bank loans in Italy and equal to about one-fifth of the annual Italian GDP. It is also many times the level of bad debt held by Italian banks at the peak of the financial crisis in 2008. Since the beginning of 2016, prices of bank stocks have decreased by more than 50%. In the case of Italy's oldest and most troubled bank, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, its share price has declined more than 75%. It doesn't help that the Italian economy is struggling mightily to recover from the last financial crisis and is still 8% smaller than it was in 2008 and roughly the same size as it was at the end of the twentieth century. The Italian government is considering bailing out the banks in defiance of EU rules concerning "bail-ins." These rules require that a bank's creditors, especially bondholders, "take haircuts" before taxpayer funds can be used to "recapitalize" the banks. The Italian government is reluctant to follow these rules because almost half of the banks' junior, or subordinated, bonds, about 31 billion euros worth, have been sold on the retail market to households and individuals rather than to professional investors. In the case of insolvency, the holders of junior bonds are the last of the bank's creditors to be paid. In its appeal to the EU to suspend its bail-in rules, the Italian government is portraying the retail purchasers of these bonds as small and naive savers. But this does not ring true. In 2015 the Italian government rescued four small banks. In compliance with EU rules it put the burden of the rescue on bank creditors rather than taxpayers. As a result, 12,500 "small savers" lost a total of 430 million euros on junior bonds. That is an average of 34,500 euros lost per bondholder. Let us consider these "small savers" whom the Italian government is so eager to protect. In 2013, net wealth of the median Italian household was 145,469 euros, including real and financial assets. It is hard to believe that a household which was savvy and disciplined enough to accumulate this amount of net wealth would be so naive as to rashly invest almost one quarter of it in risky junior bank bonds, especially considering that total bank bonds constituted around 3% of gross household wealth in 2013. The reasonable inference is that subordinated bank bonds are a small part of the diversified portfolios of those households whose net wealth is far in excess of the median, that is, rich and likely politically connected households. This would explain why the Italian government is so hell bent on using taxpayer funds from the get-go to bail out the banks. Negotiations between the Italian government and the EU on this issue may soon be rendered pointless, however, if "various unconfirmed rumors of Italian cashless ATMs end up being true." Joseph Salerno is academic vice president of the Mises Institute, professor of economics at Pace University, and editor of the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics. He has been interviewed in the Austrian Economics Newsletter and on Mises.org. Send him mail. See Joseph T. Salerno's article archives. Comment on the blog. 2016 Copyright Joseph Salerno - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. The Egyptian national carrier announced Wednesday acquisition of nine Boeing planes in an attempt to beef up its fleet at a time the airline is challenged by aviation incidents. The deal, worth $864 million, is mostly sponsored by the United Arab Emirates. The Gulf countrys Dubai Aerospace Enterprise will sponsor the purchase of eight of the aircrafts, the Associated Press reports. The 9 aircrafts of 700-800 types are reliable, cost-effective and perform well, EgyptAirs boss Safwat Musallam noted. EgyptAir reputation has been stained by two incidents this year. Its flight Ms804 went missing in May after it took off from Paris for Cairo with 66 people on board. The plane A320 was later found in the Mediterranean, in the Egyptian waters. There were no survivors. Analysis of the black boxes revealed that there was some smoke in the aircraft before it hit the sea. The investigation committee of the tragedy last week indicated that it would take time to establish the true causes of the crash. In March, an Egyptian National wearing a fake suicide belt hijacked an EgyptAir flight, forcing the plane to land in Larnaca airport, on the southern coast of Cyprus. The 81 people on the plane were safely rescued after the hijacker surrendered to local authorities. U.N Secretary Generals special envoy for Libya, Martin Kobler, acknowledged that the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) lacks national legitimacy and there is political stalemate, and the security is not good, and there are grave humanitarian problems in the country. Admitting that assuring security is vital to launching a credible transitional process, Kobler stated that the several armed militias groups need to be disbanded and disarmed to prevent a civil war because you cant have a united Libya with two or three armies. He further stated that three regional military councils could be established probably under the demarcations of the historic Tripolitania (west), Cyrenaica (east) and Fezzan (south.) He said he however remains supportive of a united Libyan army structure. Kobler made the statements in an interview with Associated Press after meeting with various Libyan leaders in Cairo as part of talks to end the rivalry between the different groups. Although Kobler did not go into details, the proposal to form regional militia groups could be a huge challenge as groups within the same region are divided and are loyal to different political authorities. The Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) headed by Ibrahim Jodhran supports the GNA and is opposed to Khalifa Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army. The Zintan brigades in the west are loyal to Haftar. The situation is complicated in the south as well where different areas are held by different groups. So far, Kobler had not meet Haftar, who has repeatedly declined Koblers requests for a meeting. MP Tareq Jaroushi said that Hafter did not have time for political horse-trading and that he was following the battle against the terrorist column moving against Benghazi. Despite their political and military differences, the different Libyan groups are against the presence of the Islamic State in the country. President Assad stated that talks with one of its major allies in fighting terrorism has never touched on his leaving power but rather focused on fighting terrorism, as he stressed that only Syrians will determine who will be their leader. Only the Syrian people define whos going to be the president, when to come, and when to go Assad told NBC News, asserting that Russia never said a single word regarding this. Syria has been torn by war for the past five years and rebel groups want the President to step down from power. The Syrian president alleged that the US is not serious in its fight against terrorist groups because, he said, Washington wanted to manage those groups in order to topple the government. He credited Russian forces for their contribution in fighting terrorism as the Syrian Government began recovering territories following Russias intervention. Assad said Russian politics is not based on making deals. Its based on values. A confident Assad vowed that it wont take more than a few months for his forces to take full control of Syria if it wasnt for the support given by other states to the rebel groups. He also discouraged travelling to Syria illegally, saying that Sunday Times reporter Marie Colvin who was killed in 2012 came illegally worked with the terrorists and shes been responsible of everything that befell on her. Colvin was reporting from the rebel-held area of Baba Amr, in Homs, when she was killed by government artillery. Morocco has embarked on a massive diplomatic campaign to prepare its return to the African Union (AU) thirty two years after it walked out of the then Organization of African Unity (OAU) over the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR,) self proclaimed by the separatist Polisario, as a full-fledged member of the organization. The announcement of the North African countrys return to the African fold could be made during the July 17-18 AU summit meeting in Kigali, in Rwanda. Moroccan newspaper in Arabic Akhbar Al Yaoum on Thursday quoted Moroccan diplomatic sources as saying that the recent diplomatic trips by the countrys foreign minister in several African states were meant to pave the way for the Kingdoms return to the AU. Last week trips undertaken by Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar to hand over messages from King Mohammed VI to a number of African Heads of State were aimed at preparing Moroccos return to the African Union, wrote the daily. Yet, Rabat conditions its return to the AU to the withdrawal of SADRs recognition by the pan-African organization. The daily, quoting other unofficial sources, said the Moroccan monarch could attend the AU summit meeting. A well informed source stated that Mezouars tour was aiming at preparing a landmark participation of King Mohammed VI in the African Union Summit, the daily wrote. Mezouars African tour took him to Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Senegal, Cameroon, Cote dIvoire, Libya, Ethiopia and Rwanda. In statements to the media, Mezouar said a number of Moroccos friends in the continent are demanding the return of the Kingdom to the African Union. Morocco would respond to such calls once the conditions for reintegration are met, said the Foreign Minister. Although Morocco withdrew from the Organisation of African Unity in 1984, it has steadily strived to strengthen ties with countries in the continent. Tunisian political parties, civil society and trade unions have inked on Wednesday the Carthage Accord, laying down foundations for the formation a unity government announced one month ago. Several political parties along with two powerful labor unions namely the UTICA (Union of Tunisian employers) and the UGTT (Tunisian labor Union) endorsed a single document called Carthage Accord aiming at the formation of a unity government to be tasked with lifting the country out of its current economic, political, social and security uncertainty. The document was inked in the absence of Prime Minister Habid Essid, expected to be sidelined in the future cabinet. The formation of the future cabinet and the document is yet to be voted by the countrys parliament. President Caid Essebsi on June 2 took many by surprise when he called for the formation of unity government at the time Essids cabinet started scoring points in addressing the countrys difficulties. Habid Essid has maintained that he would not step down and that a change in the current political situation will be detrimental to the country. Tunisia has been unable to recover from the 2011 revolution, which toppled former President Ben Ali. Many foreign investors, mainly in the tourism sector left the country. The national economy has fared badly since the revolution, resulting in a spike in the unemployment rate. The situation worsened last year after the country was hit by three terrorist attacks that claimed lives of 71 people mostly foreign tourists. Critics of the Presidential move argue that Essebsis call for the formation of the unity government was personal ambition as it replaces a government of the people by a future government hashed out of a deal. A governmental source under condition of anonymity argues that the move hides political manoeuvres of the Presidents son; Hafedh Caid Essibsi appointed recently as the first secretary of the ruling Nidaa Tounes party. Hafedh Caid Essebsi, at odds with Prime Minister Essid, has recently called for his replacement. With the head of the Russian Aerospace Forces Viktor Bondarev earlier citing the development of the country's sixth-generation fighter jet, it is worth reflecting on the feasibility of this project on the whole. The debate on the development of a sixth-generation fighter jet has lasted since head of the Russian Aerospace Forces Viktor Bondarev said in March that the work on the creation of such a warplane is already underway in Russia, according to RT. Historically, jet fighters are often categorized in generations so as to underscore improvements related to aircraft design, avionics and weapon systems. Most experts believe that right now, there are five generations of jet fighters embracing the period from 1950, when high-speed subsonic planes were created, to nowadays. As for the fifth-generation warplanes, they are only represented by the US Air Force's F-22 Raptor, with Russia's T-50 PAK FA, the US's F-35, China's J-20 and J-31 as well as Japan's Mitsubishi ATD-X currently performing flight tests. Meanwhile, Vladimir Mikhailov of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation said that the sixth-generation fighter, which he said is expected to be created by 2025, will be able to fly at hypersonic speeds, according to RT. While Mikhailov said that the requirements for the sixth- generation plane are yet to be formulated, some experts believe that such jet fighters should overcome the Mach 5 threshold in terms of speed and be able to conduct long-range flights without refueling. At the press conference on Russia's future jet, Bondarev, for his part, said that the plane, which will be made of composite materials, would have both a manned and an unmanned version. He added that drone equipment is "much more functional and low-maintenance," and "can withstand any g-force," referring to the human body's inability to survive plane maneuvers, leading to death or loss of consciousness. Importantly, experts said, the sixth-generation jet fighter should be a multi-purpose super maneuverable plane, carrying out tasks as an interceptor, a bomber and a ground attack aircraft armed with hypersonic missiles and equipped with stealth technology. As for the United States, the idea of creating the sixth-generation warplane has been floated by the Pentagon since 2010, and a new such fighter codenamed F-X should reportedly enter service after 2030. Unlike the Russian-made sixth-generation plane, the F-X may be equipped with powerful batteries and electric motors. Such a hybrid would take advantage of a jet engine's speed and use electric generators so as to give power to directed-energy weapons, including lasers. It would also fly at low speeds, according to RT. Needless to say, the concept of such a plane is just being developed by a number of US companies, including Lockheed and Boeing, which have reportedly made major breakthroughs in the matter. In this regard, RT quoted military expert Alexey Ramm as saying that speaking of the Russian sixth-generation jet fighter's main targets is irrelevant given that such a warplane has yet to be created. "If we proceed from the assumption that the sixth-generation plane will be tasked with fighting the F-22 and the F-35, we should bear in mind that the tasks should be implemented by the T-50 plane," he said. Ramm added that only after the T-50 plane enters service will it be possible to make any conclusions about the feasibility of the Russian sixth-generation jet fighter. In February 2016, it was reported that the fifth generation T-50 fighter jet, also known as the PAK FA, is set to enter service with the Russian Armed Forces later this year. The plane is expected to be equipped with highly advanced X-74M2 cruise missiles. Nineteen candidates including the incumbent president Ali Bongo have filed their candidacy to the August 27 presidential polls in the central African nation, the electoral commission said on Tuesday. The list must be validated by the Election Commission (Cenap) no later than 30 days before the election date, according to the constitution of the oil-producing central African nation. Bongo won a disputed election in 2009 after the death of his father Omar Bongo and is now nearing the end of his first seven-year mandate. There are no presidential term limits in Gabon. Bongo Fils, or Bongos son as he is known locally, has sought to reform and diversify the former French colonys oil-reliant economy and increase public investment, although some of his ambitious programs have been hit by falling commodity prices. Two of the main opposition parties, the National Union (UN) and the Rally Heritage and Modernity party, claim that Ali Bongo is ineligible. They lodged a complaint with the Cenap to challenge the presidents candidacy. Bongo is expected to face a stiff challenge from the former African Union Commission chairperson Jean Ping and ex-Gabon Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima. In April, Bongo stressed the need to fight a system of privileges in a country where much of the oil wealth has historically flowed to a small elite. Both Bongo and his main rival former African Union chairman Jean Ping belong to this group and they may therefore struggle to persuade voters that wealth distribution is a priority. The electoral list published last week identified 628,124 voters, down from the 2009 presidential elections, which had 813,164 voters. United States President Obama has ordered 47 U.S. troops to South Sudan to help protect the American embassy in the country, days after an outbreak of violence in the newly formed nation. In a letter sent to the Congress, Obama said that the troops arrived on Tuesday and are tasked with protecting U.S. personnel working in South Sudan, the U.S. Embassy in Juba and American property in the country. Obama said another 130 U.S. forces equipped for combat are positioned in nearby Djibouti, ready to be sent in to South Sudan if needed. Fighting erupted four days ago in the capital Juba between loyalists of President Salva Kiir and supporters of Riek Machar, the former rebel leader who became vice-president under a deal meant to end a two-year civil war. The fighting has raised fears of a return to the civil war that erupted in late 2013 and broadly ran along ethnic lines, pitting Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, against Machar, a Nuer. The conflict killed thousands of people, forced more than 2.5 million from their homes and left almost half the population of 11 million people struggling to find food. UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged the security council to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan, sanction leaders and commanders who blocked the implementation of the peace deal, and fortify the UNMISS mission. There has been no official death toll from the recent flare-up but at least five soldiers died last Thursday and a health ministry source said 272 people, including 33 civilians, were killed on Friday. Fighting was fiercer Sunday and Monday. German government plans to formally apologize to Namibia for the extermination of its indigenous citizens a century ago, senior official of the German foreign ministry told reporters on Wednesday. Bilateral talks about a joint government declaration, which explicitly refers to the massacres as genocide, are due to be concluded before the end of the current year, according to the German Foreign Ministry. We are working towards a joint government declaration with the following elements: common discussions on the historical events and a German apology for the action in Namibia, the spokeswoman for the German Foreign Ministry, Sawsan Chebli, told reporters. German troops killed more than 75,000 members of the Herero and Nama tribes between 1904 and 1908 in what was then called South-West Africa. Germany ruled the African country as a colony from 1884 to 1915. It was not until 2004 (a century after the massacre) that Germany formally apologized for the atrocity. Namibia is today a poor country of less than 2-million people. A small minority of some 100,000 or so are whites (many of them descendants of the original German settlers.) Some still own vast farmlands illegally seized more than a century ago. However, Germany said the apology would not carry any obligation of reparations. The two countries are also to set up an investment program, which would oversee the development of new infrastructure in Namibia, such as a sea water desalination plant. African Union (AU) Executive Council has earmarked peace and security discussion in the Rwandan capital, Kigali on Thursday in efforts aimed at facilitating the enhancement of socio-economic well-being of Africans. Dr. Dlamini Zuma, the outgoing AU Chairperson, called for efficiency and robust implementation of decisions taken at the continental level. In her words, security was a key factor that needed to be considered if the continent is to be transformed from its current economic status. We made a Solemn pledge during the 50th anniversary that we shall not bequeath wars and violent conflicts to future generations of Africans, and to silence the guns by 2020. We must all do more to honor this pledge, Dr. Dlamini Zuma said. She bemoaned on-going conflicts particularly the situation in South Sudan, saying the continent cannot stand by and witness the suffering inflicted on the children, women, men and young people of South Sudan, inflicted on fellow Africans. The AUs Executive Council comprises Foreign Affairs Ministers from across the continent. They deliberate and draft the agenda to be discussed by Heads of State at the AU Summit scheduled on July 17-18 in Kigali, Rwanda. This years summit is held under the theme: 2016: Year of Human Rights with a particular focus on the Rights of Women. The summit is expected to launch the AU Passport, a flagship project of Africas Agenda 2063 with the view to facilitate free movement of persons, goods and services around the continent. Credit: Anne Lowe/public domain Misunderstandings about prognosis between patients with advanced cancer and their doctors was common, in a study reported in JAMA Oncology, and the vast majority of patients didn't know that their doctors held different opinions about how long they might live. "We've discovered two important things happening between oncologists and patients with advanced cancer," said co-author Ronald M. Epstein, M.D., professor of Family Medicine, Psychiatry, and Oncology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and one of the nation's leading authorities on doctor-patient communications. "First, some patients might know the doctor's prognosis estimate but the patient chooses to disagree, often because they believe other sources," Epstein said. "And second, some patients think that their doctor agrees with their opinion about prognosis but, in fact, the doctor doesn't." "When people think they'll live a very long time with cancer despite evidence to the contrary, they may end up taking more aggressive chemotherapy and agreeing to be placed on ventilators or dialysis, paradoxically reducing their quality of life, keeping them from enjoying time with family and sometimes even shortening their lives," Epstein added. "So it's very important for doctors and patients to be on the same page." Researchers surveyed 236 patients with stage 3 or 4 cancer whose doctors "would not have been surprised" if they died within a year and half of whom died within 16 months. Fewer than five percent would be alive in five years, according to medical evidence. The 38 oncologists who treated these patients independently completed similar questionnaires to measure their own opinions about the patients' survival. Doctors were asked: "What do you believe are the chances that this patient will live for 2 years or more?" Whereas the patients were asked: "What do you believe are the chances that you will live for 2 years or more?" Additional survey questions gauged whether patients knew their prognosis opinions differed from their doctors, and to what extent treatment options were discussed in the context of life expectancy. Among the 236 patients, 68 percent rated their survival prognosis differently than their oncologists. In nearly all cases the patients were more optimistic than their doctors. Of the 68 percent, only one in 10 realized that their opinions differed from their oncologists. The study results highlight a difficult communications issue that arises often when the conversation is about cancer. Discordance almost always leans toward patients being overly optimistic, Epstein said. "Of course, it's only possible for doctors to provide a ball-park estimate about life expectancyand some people do beat the odds," Epstein said. "Positive thinking by patients can improve quality of life. But when a patient with very advanced cancer says that he has a 90-100% chance of being alive in two years and his oncologist believes that chance is more like 10%, there's a problem." The challenge, according to the researchers, is that talking about a cancer prognosis is not a straightforward exchange of information. It occurs in the context of fear, confusion, and uncertainty, and in the best cases it should be carried out in several conversations about personal values and treatment goals. But when doctor-patient communication is poor, it can result in mutual regret about end-of-life circumstances. For example, nearly all of the survey participants said they wanted to be involved in treatment decisions. And 70 percent said they preferred supportive care at the end of their lives as opposed to aggressive therapybut, the study authors pointed out, making an informed decision requires knowing when death is approaching. Another important finding was that non-white patients were much more likely than white patients to have expectations about their prognosis that were out of synch with their doctors. However, the sample of non-white patients was small and included individuals from many different racial groups, which limited the researchers from drawing any conclusions. The study had other limits, too, according to the authors. Researchers reported that they do not understand why discordant patients didn't know their oncologists' opinions and why it differed by race. The scientists believe several factors could have been at play, such as patients not wanting to discuss prognosis, or having poor recall, or avoiding talk of death because of personal beliefs. The study concluded that having differing opinionsespecially when both sides don't realize they differis a marker for inadequate communication and calls for an "urgent clinical and societal need" to better understand what it means to communicate well. The University of Rochester Center for Communication and Disparities Research in the Department of Family Medicine is among the few academic centers to extensively study this issue and propose improvements. Previously the group pinpointed and studied compassionate words and actions by doctors that could be used to guide medical education. The Center is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue studying how to improve communication between physicians and patients with cancer. Lead author of the JAMA paper, Robert E. Gramling, M.D., is a former associate professor at URMC who recently left to join the University of Vermont Medical Center as the Holly and Bob Miller Chair in Palliative Medicine at UVM. Gramling had been co-director of URMC's division of palliative care. Other co-authors from the UR and the Wilmot Cancer Institute include Paul Duberstein, Ph.D.; Kevin Fiscella, M.D., M.P.H.; Supriya Mohile, M.D.; Sandy Plumb, B.S.; and collaborators from the University of California, Davis, and Tulane University in New Orleans. Explore further Decision-makers hold overly optimistic expectations for critically ill patient outcomes Provided by University of Rochester Medical Center (HealthDay)People crossing time zones may assume jet lag is something they have to endurelike airport delays and lost luggage. But there are several ways travelers can prepare for and minimize jet lag's troubling effects, a sleep specialist says. First, flying from west to east, such as from the United States to Europe, will result in worse jet lag than the reverse trip, explained David Earnest, who studies circadian rhythms at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. "You will always be hit harder by jet lag when making a four- to six-hour time jump eastbound," Earnest said in a university news release. "This is because our body clocks are trying to advance to an earlier time, which is not as easy as adjusting to a later time gap," he said. Earnest provided the following recommendations on how to ease jet lag: Catch the red eye. Sleeping through an overnight flight is one of the best ways to reduce the effects of jet lag. Earnest noted, however, those who aren't able to sleep on an overnight flight will be tired once they land in the early morning. Sleeping through an overnight flight is one of the best ways to reduce the effects of jet lag. Earnest noted, however, those who aren't able to sleep on an overnight flight will be tired once they land in the early morning. Avoid sleep aids. These drugs can confuse the body clock and may worsen jet lag. They also remain in the bloodstream and can make travelers feel groggy or hung over. These drugs can confuse the body clock and may worsen jet lag. They also remain in the bloodstream and can make travelers feel groggy or hung over. Pass on the alcohol or caffeine. It's a good idea to avoid these beverages on overnight flights. "It is acceptable to consume caffeine to help you stay awake at the new location, though," Earnest said. It's a good idea to avoid these beverages on overnight flights. "It is acceptable to consume caffeine to help you stay awake at the new location, though," Earnest said. Plan ahead. People who adjust their current schedules ahead of time to accommodate the time zone of their destination may not feel as jet-lagged. This should be done at least four days before traveling. Sleep and meal times can be gradually moved about one hour per day. People who adjust their current schedules ahead of time to accommodate the time zone of their destination may not feel as jet-lagged. This should be done at least four days before traveling. Sleep and meal times can be gradually moved about one hour per day. Consider melatonin therapy. Melatonin is a hormone that circulates in high levels at night. It tells the body when it's nighttime and time for sleep. Unlike sleep aids, melatonin doesn't stay in the bloodstream long. Travelers may want to consider taking an over-the-counter melatonin supplement five days before traveling at the local time that coincides with evening at their destination. It will acclimate you to feel sleepy at the new location's time. It's best to check with your physician before taking any new supplement. Melatonin is a hormone that circulates in high levels at night. It tells the body when it's nighttime and time for sleep. Unlike sleep aids, melatonin doesn't stay in the bloodstream long. Travelers may want to consider taking an over-the-counter melatonin supplement five days before traveling at the local time that coincides with evening at their destination. It will acclimate you to feel sleepy at the new location's time. It's best to check with your physician before taking any new supplement. Try to adjust right away. "Walk around, drink some coffee and explore the new city," said Earnest. "It's better to tough it out and wait to sleep until night." Exposure to sunlight will help the body adjust to a new time zone. It's fine to get to bed on the early side but avoid trying to "sleep off" jet lag. Delayed adjustmentnot allowing your body clock to sync properlyups your risk of illness. And that's especially true since you've already been in the closed environment of the airplane, Earnest added. "Your immune system is probably already compromised. There are merits to doing the right thing and waiting until dark to sleep it off, even though that's not necessarily what your body is telling you to do," he noted. Explore further Study finds possible new jet-lag treatment More information: The National Sleep Foundation provides more information on The National Sleep Foundation provides more information on jet lag Copyright 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Overlapping geographic ranges of bat species that have tested positive for filoviruses (top), and additional bat species predicted to carry filoviruses in the 90th percentile probability (bottom). Credit: From "Undiscovered bat hosts of filoviruses," by Han et al., originally published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. An international team of ecologists has identified the bat species with the greatest potential to harbor filovirusesa family that includes Ebola virus. Writing in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, they suggest that areas where many of these species overlap, notably in Southeast Asia, should be targeted for disease surveillance and virus discovery efforts. "Using machine learning methods developed for artificial intelligence, we were able to bring together data from ecology, biogeography and public health to identify bat species with a high probability of harboring Ebola and other filoviruses," said the paper's lead author Barbara Han of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. "Understanding which species carry these viruses, and where they are located, is essential to preventing future spillovers." Filoviruses, which originate in animals and can be transmitted to humans, pose a serious threat to human health and to primate conservation. Ebola virus disease has a 50 percent human fatality rate, according to the World Health Organization, and among great apes like gorillas and chimpanzees that rate is even higher. Identifying which animals serve as Ebola virus reservoirssources from which it can spread to humans and other susceptible animalsis critical for preventing future outbreaks. This has proven difficult in part because of the enormous geographic range of the virus across equatorial Africa and the sheer number of potential reservoir species within that range. There is mounting evidence, however, that certain bats are the likeliest culprits. Han and colleagues from the University of Georgia and Massey University in New Zealand set out to develop a "trait profile" of filovirus-susceptible bats. Looking at more than 50 biological and ecological traits of the 21 bat species known to harbor filoviruses, they found several that distinguish them from other bats with 87 percent accuracy. These include earlier maturity, more frequent litters, and pups that are larger at birth. Their geographic ranges are also larger, and overlap with more mammal species, than those of other bats. They used machine learningcomplex computer programs that can analyze enormous amounts of data and find hidden patternsto compare all 1,116 of the world's bat species to the profile. This allowed them to determine which other species share those traits and are therefore potential filovirus hosts. Finally, they mapped the geographic ranges of all the species that fit the trait profile to pinpoint potential filovirus hotspots. Their results contained some surprises. Magnifications of hotspots of filovirus-positive bat species in sub-Saharan Africa (left), and hotspots in Southeast Asia show overlapping geographic ranges for predicted new filovirus carriers within the 90th percentile probability (right). Credit: From "Undiscovered bat hosts of filoviruses," by Han et al., originally published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. While many of the species that most closely fit the profile are found in sub-Saharan Africa, the top 10 percent of likeliest hosts are much more widely distributed than the researchers expected. Species range across Southeast Asia and Central and South America. Several hotspots, where a number of potential reservoir species overlap, are outside Africa, most notably in parts of Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Vietnam and Northeastern India. The findings provide information that could be used to target surveillance more efficiently by focusing on the likeliest filovirus carriers, many of which have never been tested. Senior author John Drake, director of the new UGA Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases at the Odum School of Ecology, said that the results also highlight the importance of the multidisciplinary approach that is the center's hallmark. "One thing the center aims to do is to perform synthetic (multi-disciplinary) research that reaches from basic science all the way out to wildlife management, public health and clinical practice," he said. "This work exemplifies how the center supports such endeavors by bringing together subject matter experts (in this case David Hayman of Massey University) with 'big picture' scientific visionaries like Barbara Han via the methodology of modern data science (UGA's Drake and J.P Schmidt)." In addition, UGA undergraduate Laura Alexander, now a doctoral student at the University of California, Berkeley, reviewed the primary literature to compile a comprehensive picture of what was and wasn't known about the subject area, and UGA doctoral student Sarah Bowdennow a postdoctoral scientist at the Cary Institutedeveloped the maps. The findings have raised questions for future research that will require a similar multidisciplinary approach. "We suspect there may be other filoviruses waiting to be found," Drake said. "An outstanding question for future work is to investigate why there are so few filovirus spillover events reported for humans and wildlife in Southeast Asia compared to equatorial Africa." Explore further Progress towards protection from highly lethal Ebola, Marburg viruses More information: "Undiscovered bat hosts of filoviruses," PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0004815 Journal information: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases "Undiscovered bat hosts of filoviruses," Scientists at the Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) have discovered a new genetic mutation linked to osteonecrosis of the hip, specifically the femoral head the spherical-shaped mass at the top of the femur. This breakthrough could allow doctors to identify and treat the disease before symptoms arise and potentially avoid hip replacements. Osteonecrosis or "bone death" of the femoral head is a serious disease that is caused by interruption of blood flow in the hip bone. Patients experience pain as the disease progresses and the bone and surrounding joint collapse. Ultimately, in end-stage osteoarthritis, the patient becomes unable to walk and the hip joint must be replaced. "It is a severely debilitating disease that is usually linked to identifiable risk factors such as glucocorticoid treatments, blood cancers and in some rare cases, to a genetic cause," explains Dr. Chantal Seguin, Hematologist-oncologist at the Bone Engineering and Vascular Biology Research Lab of the RI-MUHC, and senior author on the scientific paper published recently in the Journal of Medical Genetics. Through the specialized Osteonecrosis Clinic established at the MUHC's Montreal General Hospital, led by Dr. Seguin and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ed Harvey, the researchers diagnosed advanced osteonecrosis in 4 out of 6 siblings in a family of European descent. Their team discovered a novel genetic mutation on a gene called TRPV4 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 4). The TRPV4 gene is known to play a critical role in blood flow control and bone cell development. Until this new discovery, only one other mutation had been identified in a few families of Asian descent and the findings have had limited potential for early diagnosis and new targeted therapy. "The mutation was found to be common to all affected family members and absent in the unaffected family member, linking this new mutation to osteonecrosis," says Dr. Seguin. "While it was known that pathogenic TRPV4 mutations affected the skeleton and the nervous system, this is the first time it has been associated with osteonecrosis of the femoral head." Osteonecrosis can affect the young Although the true prevalence of the disease is unknown, as many as 30,000 new patients are diagnosed each year in the United States, and the incidence is increasing. Many patients are under the age of 25 when diagnosed. The lack of knowledge surrounding osteonecrosis places a major financial burden on the Quebec and Canadian healthcare system. "If we consider all Europeans and their distribution worldwide, it is likely that this mutation could be found in larger populations," explains Dr. Seguin. "The identification of this novel mutation will help to reveal the biological pathways that lead to the disease, and aid in the development of new treatments that target its cause rather than its symptoms." This novel discovery could also help to better understand the biological mechanisms in the much more common form of osteonecrosis of the femoral head, namely osteonecrosis induced by the use of glucocorticoids, or more commonly, steroids. Glucocorticoids are a family of medications used worldwide as either an anti-inflammatory agent, or as an important drug in many chemotherapy regimens used to treat patients with blood cancer. It is also well known that people who are using steroid medication for various illnesses are also at risk and it is estimated that greater than 60 million people are presently taking this medication worldwide. Explore further Genetic variants tied to increased risk of bone complications in young leukemia patients More information: Wayne Mah et al. Gain-of-function mutation inidentified in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head, Journal of Medical Genetics (2016). Wayne Mah et al. Gain-of-function mutation inidentified in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head,(2016). DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2016-103829 HIV infecting a human cell. Credit: NIH Researchers from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center (CRCHUM) have identified cells that provide "safe houses" for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during antiretroviral therapy (ART). "We have found cell markers to target HIV reservoirs. This discovery has opened new treatment perspectives to eliminate these reservoirs and perhaps one day cure people infected with the virus," said Nicolas Chomont, CRCHUM researcher and principal investigator of a study to be published July 14 in the journal PLOS Pathogens. ART prevents progression of the infection to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, the virus persists in a small pool of cells called "reservoirs" during ART. "Antiretroviral drugs work well. Generally, viral loads fall to undetectable levels in hospital blood tests. The problem is that if the person stops ART, the virus returns quickly, because it was hidden in these pools. The goal of my laboratory is to identify the cells in which the virus hides and eliminate them. If we succeed, then infected people may eventually be able to safely stop ART, which is not without its side effects," said Chomont, also professor at University of Montreal. HIV needs to be "housed" in a cell, a safe haven, so to speak, to live and replicate. It usually lives in CD4+ T lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell whose role is to activate the body's defence against infections. But finding an HIV pool is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Within the large population of CD4+ T lymphocytes, there is only one cell pool in a million cells. Chomont's team has demonstrated that cells that harbour the virus have common immunological characteristics. Remi Fromentin, a research associate at the CRCHUM, has identified three cell markers that typify these pools. The proteins, called PD-1, LAG-3, and TIGIT, are expressed at the surface of cells that harbour the persistent virus. "Using the house analogy, PD-1, LAG-3, and TIGIT are the chimney, door, and fence, for example. The goal is to destroy all the houses that have these characteristics, in order to eliminate the virus," said Chomont. "This discovery is important because, until now, no combination of markers has had the potential for therapeutic treatment against HIV pools. The advantage is that anticancer drugs that specifically target these markers already exist. We believe we could use the same drugs to destroy HIV reservoirs," said Fromentin. The researchers will test antibodies in the laboratory that specifically bind to these markers. Since some of the drugs, known as immunomodulators, are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada, their use could be transferred relatively quickly to clinical practice. Along with this promising application, Chomont and Fromentin continue their work in refining their knowledge about these "safe houses" for HIV pools. The goal is to aim as accurately as possible by destroying the "right houses" and therefore all the cells that harbour HIV despite ART. More information: "CD4+ T cells expressing PD-1, TIGIT and LAG-3 contribute to HIV persistence during ART" PLOS Pathogens, July 14, 2016. Journal information: PLoS Pathogens "CD4+ T cells expressing PD-1, TIGIT and LAG-3 contribute to HIV persistence during ART", July 14, 2016. dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005761 Provided by University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) (HealthDay)Researchers have developed a blood test that might allow doctors to know quickly whether a cancer drug is working. The technique is in the early stages of testing, and not ready for "prime time," scientists said. But they were also hopeful that the research will help advance the use of so-called liquid biopsies in treating cancer. Doctors have long used invasive biopsy procedures to get tumor samples, study them, then use the information to make treatment decisions or monitor a patient's response to treatment. But those procedures can be uncomfortable and carry some risks, like bleeding and infection, said Dr. Erica Mayer, a breast cancer expert with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Plus, she noted, some tumors are difficult to reach, and some patients are not healthy enough to have an invasive biopsy. So there's been "great interest," Mayer said, in liquid biopsy technologywhich allows doctors to detect and analyze tumor DNA in a blood sample. "It's much more favorable for patients because it doesn't have the potential risks of traditional biopsies," Mayer said. It's also easier for doctors to take repeat blood samples over time. There are already some liquid biopsy tests on the market. Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first such test that can detect particular gene mutations that affect some lung cancer patients. If they carry the mutationsin a gene called EGFRthen they may benefit from the cancer drug Tarceva. Also last month, a large study presented at ASCO's annual meeting reported that liquid biopsies can be a reliable alternative to traditional biopsies when it comes to detecting mutations in patients' cancer. That study focused on finding tumor mutations that can be targeted with available drugs, said senior researcher Chwee Teck Lim. "For our [test], we go one step further, to see how a patient's cancer cells will actually respond to a given drug treatment," explained Lim, a professor of biomedical engineering at National University of Singapore. The technique involves using "microwells" to grow clusters of tumor cells from a patient's blood sample. Lim's team tested the approach using blood samples from 55 women in various breast cancer treatment trials. They exposed the women's tumor cells to a standard cancer drug called doxorubicin and found that the better the cell clusters established themselves in the microwells, the worse a patient's prognosis. The technique could give feedback as quickly as two weeks after treatment has begun, the researchers report online July 13 in the journal Science Advances. That, Lim said, means that doctors could get "crucial information" on whether a patient's cancer is responsive or resistant to a drugand then make a switch if needed. But, he stressed, this was only a "proof-of-concept" study. He said his team is planning to see how the test performs when other cancer drugs, and other types of tumors, are used. Liquid biopsies are part of the wider drive toward more "individualized therapy" for cancer, said Mayer, a medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston. More and more "targeted" drugs are being developed, with the aim of zeroing in on specific abnormal proteins on cancer cells. Liquid biopsies are seen as a simpler, less invasive way to find out whether patients have mutations that are vulnerable to those drugs. But the biopsies can also be used in other ways, Lim said. That includes monitoring a patient's response to treatment. "The rapid feedback provided by this [test] potentially allows detection of an onset of drug tolerance or resistance during the course of treatment," Lim said. "This will enable us to immediately intervene and change treatment." It's "premature," Mayer said, to speculate on whether or how this test could eventually fit into cancer care. For one, she noted, "what researchers see in a lab dish may not reflect what's going on in a living being." But in general, Mayer said, the work being done on liquid biopsy technology is "exciting and promising." More information: The U.S. National Cancer Institute has a fact sheet on Journal information: Science Advances The U.S. National Cancer Institute has a fact sheet on common lab tests Copyright 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Presidents Parliamentary Secretary criticizes High Council of Justice By Messenger Staff The Presidents Parliamentary Secretary, Georgias ex-Deputy Defence Minister Anna Dolidze, claims the countrys justice system requires fundamental reform, as otherwise the system might lose the public's trust.Dolidze made her remarks on July 6 following her meeting with Georgias civil sector representatives at the President's Administration office in Avlabari.The Presidents Parliamentary Secretary especially criticised Georgias High Council of Justice, the judiciary body responsible for appointing judges, assessing their qualifications, specifying salaries for courts staff and similar matters.The Council has a range of drawbacks, starting from technical shortcomings to bad management, Dolidze said, and stressed the importance of continuing the judicial reform launched under the current Government of Georgia.Dolidze highlighted Parliaments role in the fast-adoption of relevant changes.The head of Georgias Young Lawyers Association Anna Natsvlishvili shared Dolidzes view about the High Council of Justice and said the body failed to appoint high-quality court staff.She stressed that justice reform was not just an ordinary reform, but state-important reform.Georgia has been independent for 25 years and during this time the country has faced a range of complications, a civil war, various matters of civil unrest and political strife.The previous state leadership pushed the countrys European development forward, but several years after coming to power they started establishing a police regime.Almost all non-governmental organisations stated the courts became a victim of the previous state leadership and that judges were forced to issue verdicts that were in the interests of the United National Movement (UNM) government.When coming to power in 2012, the Georgian Dream government decided to carry out justice reforms but without dismissing incumbent judges.Now there are many judges in the current justice system who served the previous regime, including some in senior positions.If the country fails to cleanse the judicial system, there will always be question marks over the courts' verdicts. The News in Brief Georgia-Russia road reopens with restrictions The main road connecting Georgia and Russia has reopened today, but drivers must adhere to several rules when driving on it, announced Georgias Ministry of Infrastructure. The Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Larsi Road (Georgian Military Highway) initially reopened on July 4 after being closed for 10 days when a section of the road was washed away in a landslide in late June. One day later the road closed again. The decision to close the road was based on suggestions by meteorologists, who claimed the weather would worsen and another landslide could occur, and potentially affect the road and other infrastructure. This did not eventuate and the road was reopened today with certain restrictions. This includes: The road is open to all vehicles from 5:30am to 8pm; Vehicles can only drive on one lane of the road, not the whole road; Vehicle must not stop while driving along the road; The road will be completely closed from 8pm to 5.30am. Officials said if heavy rain fell in the coming days, the road will close again. The Ministry stressed a range of agencies were on alert to act in response to all potential situations or complications. (agenda.ge) Road in Dariali Gorge Partially Reopens to Traffic A section of the road in the Dariali Gorge at the border crossing point with Russia, which was damaged by mudflows and floods two weeks ago, has been partly restored and is now reopen to traffic, but with a number of restrictions. Kazbegi-Zemo Larsi, the only border crossing point between Russia and Georgia which is under Tbilisis control - and which is also the only available land link for Armenia with Russia - was closed on June 23 after an 800-meter long section was swept away by the Tergi river, which changed its course after mudflows from Devdoraki glacier on the slope of Mkinvartsveri (Mount Kazbek). Traffic is allowed only during the daytime and is closed from 8pm to 5:30am local time, the Georgian Roads Department said. The partially restored road cannot handle two-way traffic for cargo trucks and as a result they have to move one direction at a time. The Department of Roads said that the traffic will be closed in case of intense precipitation. After the closure of traffic on June 23 on this section of the road, where disruptions are not rare, Armenia tried to negotiate with Tbilisi and Moscow reopening of another road linking Georgia and Russia, which runs through breakaway South Ossetia, but differences over the status of the breakaway region thwarted the attempt. Armenias Minister of Transport and Communication Gagik Beglaryan visited Tbilisi and held talks with Georgian PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili on July 5. Traffic via the Dariali Gorge, as well as cooperation in development of other transit routes in accordance with the international standards were discussed during the meeting, according to the Georgian and Armenian officials. (civil.ge) Konstantin Kosachev comments on John Kerry's visit to Georgia A Chairman of the Foreign Committee of Russian Federation"s Council states that the US has weakened its support to Georgia and stated that the visit served to encourage sad Georgians. Russian MP Konstantin Kosachev believes that John Kerry's statements do not mean that Georgia is really close to NATO membership. According to him, the alliance does not have enough courage to support this idea after recent developments in Ukraine. Mr. Kosachev evaluated the Memorandum signed between Georgian and the US in Tbilisi and underlined that Georgia should not expect military support from the United States in any military venture. (rustavi2) Issue of Giga Otkhozorias murder to be raised at Gali meeting The issue of murdered Georgian citizen Giga Otkhozoria will be raised again during the Group on Incidents Prevention and Response Mechanisms meeting in Gali today. As reported, Sokhumi demands additional materials regarding the case from the Georgian side. According to the head of the de jure government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, Vakhtang Kolbaia, there is all evidence for a concrete decision to be made. The process continues but we cannot say yet that we have reached any tangible results, he added. We will intensify our demand on the meeting on July 6. Sokhumi requests the Georgian side to provide them with additional material for more precise investigation, said Kolbaia, adding the corpse's exhumation may be discussed in this context. He said this is only his personal opinion and nobody has asked whether Otkhozorias family agrees with it. Giga Otkhozoria, 31, was murdered by a so-called border guard on Georgia-Abkhazia administrative border on May 19, 2016. (1tv.ge) @doug_hanks A top Miami-Dade administrator is helping run a company close to securing about 120 acres at the countys Opa-locka airport and a $5 million county subsidy under a foundation created by her famous mother: former congresswoman Carrie Meek. Lucia Davis-Raiford, who earns about $197,000 as Miami-Dades social-services director, serves on the board of a for-profit company that the Carrie Meek Foundation recently formed to jump-start an Opa-locka commercial project thats been stalled since 2008. Thats when county commissioners approved the Meek Foundations lease of the 120 acres at the airport in order to create an economic-development center and commercial complex to provide jobs for the working-class neighborhood. Eight years later, the foundations new for-profit arm is set to partner with a commercial developer to build an undisclosed project on the public land and use county funds to subsidize some development costs. Raiford-Davis briefly attended Wednesdays negotiations between the foundation and the countys economic-development officials, but did not speak and left minutes after arriving. The negotiations are public, and a reporter was already seated in the County Hall conference room when Davis-Raiford entered and took a chair by the wall. @alextdaugherty The man managing Democratic state Rep. Daphne Campbell's state Senate campaign is well known in Miami political circles -- but not for a good reason. Nacivre Charles is three months removed from serving probation for campaign violations related to illegal expenditures. Charles pleaded no contest last June to charges of authorizing illegal campaign expenditures when he ran the 2013 campaign of former North Miami Mayor Lucie Tondreau. According to the arrest warrant, Charles approved $12,000 in withdrawals from Tondreau's campaign account days after she won her runoff election in 2013. That's well above the $500 limit. Read more here: The infamous elections history of Daphne Campbell's campaign manager @MichaelAuslen We don't know how Floridians feel about Mike Pence as a potential vice president, but it's clear the Republican governor of Indiana has a lot of reasons to like the Sunshine State. As buzz grows about Donald Trump naming Pence his vice presidential pick, Pence's campaign finance reports offer an early look at a massive network of Florida donors. From 2009, when Pence was running for his final term in Congress, through March of this year, Pence collected $888,645 from more than 300 Florida residents and businesses, according to data from the National Institute on Money in State Politics. Hes picked up more campaign cash from Florida than any other state, except Indiana and Washington, D.C. By and large, Pences donors are big players in Florida politics as well. They include major companies, lobbyists even the governor. In February, Florida Gov. Rick Scott gave Pence $5,000. Three days earlier, the governors both attended an event at the Tripp Scott law firm in Fort Lauderdale. Tripp Scott donated $5,000 to Pence and its founder Norman Tripp gave $1,000. The governors check is unusual. Scott has never given more than $500 to a Florida candidate other than himself. The two Republican governors have crossed paths before at Republican Governors Association events. Melissa Stone, Scotts former chief of staff-turned political consultant, did not immediately respond to requests for information about the contribution. Pences biggest Florida boosters are Palm Beach County multimillionaires Lawrence DeGeorge and Suzanne Niedland-DeGeorge. The couple has given Pences gubernatorial re-election campaign $200,000. Indiana has no maximum campaign contribution. Charter Schools USA, which is based in Florida, donated $12,000 to Pence. Its CEO, Jonathan Hage, threw in another $10,000. Lawmakers in both Indiana and Florida have aggressively pursued charter schools, and the company operates three schools in struggling Indianapolis neighborhoods. Private prison operator GEO Group gave Pence $37,500, and the companys CEO, George Zoley, gave $5,000. The Boca Raton-based company runs two prisons in the Hoosier State. Even Florida's famous grocery store, Publix, has given to Pence, though the nearest place for Hoosiers to get their Pub Sub fix is in Clarksville, Tenn. In 2010, when Pence was running for his final term in Congress as chair of the conservative House Republican Conference, Publix gave him $5,000. (Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam chaired the conference just before Pence.) Tampa Electric Company donated $5,000 just last year. Red Apple Development, which wants to build a 41-story tower in St. Petersburg, gave $10,000. Akshay Desai, founder of the now-bankrupt St. Petersburg company Universal Health Care, gave Pence $5,000 in 2012 as his company was starting to crumble. FCCI Insurance Group, based in Sarasota, gave $16,000. John Childs, a Vero Beach mega-donor to Republican causes, donated $125,000. Even one of Tallahassees most influential lobbyists has given to Pence: Ron Book, whose daughter Lauren Book is about to become a Democratic state senator, donated $5,000. Photo: Damon Winter, New York Times @PatriciaMazzei Tuesday marked the grim, one-month anniversary of the massacre at Orlando's Pulse nightclub. The parents of one of the victims, Jerry Wright, wrote that they planned to mark the night in Washington D.C., pushing for more gun control. "In the wake of Jerry's murder, while we've been mourning, we've watched as our nation's elected leaders listened to the calls of their constituents to rise up and fight to change our nation's weak gun laws," Maria and Fred Wright of Miami wrote in an op-ed published by MSNBC. "Historic moments like a 15-hour filibuster by Sen. Chris Murphy and an overnight sit-in started by Congressman John Lewis did not go unnoticed." The Wrights publicly thanked two Florida politicians -- Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo -- for backing tighter gun laws. They said they planned to ask Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who has generally opposed restrictions to gun ownership, to change his mind. "We decided to spend this very sad anniversary urging our elected leaders in Congress to pass common-sense laws that will keep guns out of dangerous hands," the couple wrote. "We decided to thank leaders like Senator Bill Nelson and Representative Carlos Curbelo for standing up for public safety. Well ask Senator Marco Rubio who as fellow Republicans, we have supported in the past to stand with our family and put the safety of Floridians ahead of the extremist gun lobby." Read the full op-ed here. via @learyreports UPDATE: 9:07 p.m. Murphy's office responds. "As soon as our office became aware of Martin County's desire to make the announcement on Wednesday, we fully supported them. It is deeply disappointing that Governor Rick Scott's office would take out of context this standard request to coordinate a media strategy with a federal agency." It was the SBA, however, that raised the question of a delay, attributing it to Murphy. More on that below. ORIGINAL: Rep. Patrick Murphy's office sought to delay news about relief for businesses affected by the toxic algae crisis so he could announce it at a news conference Thursday, records show. "Is it possible for you to hold the announcement until Thursday and allow Congressman Murphy to announce it at a press conference?" Murphy's legislative assistant wrote in an email Monday to an official at the Small Business Administration. She said that Murphy, a Democratic candidate for Senate, was holding an "algal bloom panel discussion this Thursday along with a press conference." The SBA said it had "no problem" holding off but asked Gov. Rick Scott's administration, noting a prompt response was desired "as we have personnel and supplies en-route to Florida." No way, Scott officials replied, noting the governor wanted the relief "made available immediately." For two decades, the Missoula Colony playwriting conference has gathered local and national scribes for workshops and staged readings to further their craft. For its 21st year, organizers are taking somewhat of a pause to reassess what the event should look like in the future, said Greg Johnson. Johnson is the artistic director of the Montana Repertory Theatre, a 50-year-old professional theater-in-residence at the University of Montana that produces a nationally touring play each year, in addition to other activities such as the Colony. For the nonwriting public, the Colony will still feature staged readings of new works by emerging and established writers, such as Samuel Hunter, an Idaho native who won a MacArthur "Genius" Grant in 2014. (See related story for more information and a schedule.) Behind the scenes, participants will develop the staged readings and discuss new avenues for the Colony. To Johnson, those cover about five key questions. The first? "What's the balance between visiting writers and local writers?" Johnson said. The second is finding the right balance between staged readings and workshops to develop writers. The third is further incorporation of Native American writers into the Colony. One of the visiting artists this year is Kevin Kicking Woman, a Blackfeet veteran, musician and writer. The fourth is the balance between keeping writers indoors, or perhaps spending more time out in western Montana's outdoors, part of the draw for many of the visitors. The last is whether they'd like to keep the event relatively "under the radar," as it is now, or begin promoting it more widely on national level. *** The public will also be invited to an open forum on Friday, July 22, at the Masquer Theatre at UM. "We're inviting the community to come and talk to us about what their feelings of the Colony are," Johnson said. "I would love to have all the local writers or people who are interested in the Colony to come voice their thoughts to us about what works, what doesn't work, what they'd like to see the Colony become." Johnson said local writers have not been shy about sharing their opinions, good or bad, and he's looking for more feedback. Some local writers have said they want fewer workshops or different ones; while others savor the development they provide. "I think it's incumbent upon us to keep it fresh," Johnson said. There's also room for more thematic workshops. One year focused entirely on television writing, including professional visiting writers. Another successful year featured women writers. Future themes could target comedic writing, or adaptation: bringing books, short stories or movies to the stage. In a first for the Colony, they've arranged for a keynote speech from Hunter, who will discuss the needs of playwrights in the developmental stage. Johnson said many writers want to press their work into production, while others want more developmental readings. That's a balance that Johnson is trying to find for the Colony, and one that local writers have spoken to him about. "They're not shy. They do speak their mind, which I appreciate. Good and bad, which is always hard to hear things that don't work, but it's important to hear them," he said. For the general public, the draw to next week's Colony is the staged readings of new works from the guest artists. The first one on Thursday comes from Sam Hunter, a native of northern Idaho. Hunter, who studied at New York University and Juilliard School, joined an exclusive club in 2014: the MacArthur Grant, awarded by the foundation to provide more than $100,000 a year for five years to fund the projects of their choosing. Hunter, now a resident of New York City, works off-Broadway, but his work has filtered back across the country, including his play "The Whale," which has become popular with regional theaters. In awarding him the MacArthur, the organization said "he sets much of his work in his native region, within the nondescript confines of staff break rooms, cramped apartments, and retirement homes inhabited by ordinary people in search of more meaningful human connections." For the Colony, Hunter brings a new script called "The Harvest," which Johnson said has a cult-related theme. The next night's reading also touches on religion. Chelsea Marcantel's "Everything is Wonderful" is set in an Amish community. "It's in the air: What is our relationship to the spiritual at this point in time?" said Greg Johnson the director of the Colony and the Montana Repertory Theatre. He'll step in to direct that play. An Amish family takes in the driver who killed their sons in an accident, and their excommunicated daughter returns and questions of family, faith and the past arise. On Saturday, Heather Benton and Molly Rice are presenting their collaboration, "Dark Matter," which relates to the deep web, technological anxiety, and mythology. The work will rely heavily on development work here in Missoula with the actors. Benton, who's toured with the Montana Rep and numerous other theaters, is known for a "physically vigorous" style of playwriting. Rice has had works produced and developed by the Rep and with numerous outfits in New York. The Sunday closing day features two plays by Missoula writers. Laramie Dean's "Bronte to the Future!" melds Emily Bronte and Jane Austen in a science-fiction setting. John DeBoer of the University of Montana theater faculty will direct the script, which Johnson said has a delightful "Fractured Fairytales" vibe. Kevin Kicking Woman will direct and perform in "The Sun As My Witness," which Johnson said is a contemporary look at Native American culture. Kicking Woman is a Blackfeet veteran and writer. The staged readings will be enacted by actors from Missoula, New York and Whitefish, including David Ackroyd of the Whitefish-based Alpine Theatre Project, who has credits on Broadway; Mark Metcalf, a Missoula transplant perhaps best known as the Maestro from "Seinfeld"; Anna Stone of Seattle, a returning Colony actor; plus Kendra Mylnechuk, a UM graduate who worked professionally in New York before moving to Missoula; Tyler D. Nielsen, who directed "Leveling Up" for the Montana Rep, and local theater fixture Jeff Medley. The Montana House is hosting another in the series of Look, Listen & Learn programs at the Montana House in Apgar Village inside Glacier National Park. The featured speakers are authors Ren and Helen Davis, who recently released the book "Landscapes for the People: George Alexander Grant, First Chief Photographer for the National Park Service." Their presentation begins at 7 p.m. Friday, July 22. The book, published in honor of the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Park Service, provides a biography of Grant and features more than 170 of his iconic black-and-white images made during his 25-year career with the National Park Service. Included in the collection are 17 photographs from Glacier National Park. A reception will follow the 45-minute presentation. This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited, so reservations are required. Call 406-888-5393, email 1960mthouse@qwestoffice.net or visit montanahouse.info to reserve your seats. Learn to Survive in the Outdoors class sponsored by the Montana Chapter of the Sierra Club will be offered 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Missoula Public Library, 301 E. Main St. This class will cover the basics of survival, including the three priorities shelter/warmth, water and signaling and putting together a survival kit. A Montana-based environmental group has sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bonneville Power Administration over bull trout mitigation policies across the whole Columbia River basin. The Alliance for the Wild Rockies also named the federal Bureau of Reclamation in its suit, which was filed in Portlands U.S. District Court on July 11. It accuses the agencies of failing to properly work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the threatened trout species by modifying hydroelectric dams from Hungry Horse to Oregon. Wed been talking to the agencies for a while; they promised they would consult and never did, Alliance director Michael Garrity said Wednesday. Were just forcing them to do what they said they would do. The three agencies operate power dams on the Flathead, Clark Fork, Columbia and related waterways. The bull trout was listed as a threatened species in 1998 under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and its critical habitat was designated across the Columbia Basin in 2010. That law requires those agencies to take special steps when their projects affect places critical to bull trout survival, Garrity said. Bull trout have a unique life cycle where they live adult lives in lakes or large rivers, but return to tiny mountain streams to spawn. Several dam operators, such as Avista Corp. and NorthWestern Energy, have modified their dams at Thompson Falls, Noxon Rapids and Cabinet Gorge to assist bull trout passage. The suit alleges dams at Libby, Dworshak, Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower Monumental, Ice Harbor, McNary, John Day, The Dalles, Hungry Horse, Albeni Falls, Grand Coulee, Chief Joseph, Bonneville, Cougar, Dexter, Lookout Point, Hills Creek, Blue River, and Fern Ridge should be reviewed to see how they affect bull trout survival and what can be done to improve conditions for the fish. BPA spokesman Kevin Wingert said his agency was aware of the lawsuit and reviewing possible responses. He added BPA had been involved in numerous bull trout mitigation projects with state, federal and private partners in the region. An initiative aimed at expanding the availability of medical marijuana in Montana was certified for the November ballot Wednesday after supporters gathered more than 24,000 signatures in 58 days. Montana I-182 would reverse new restrictions going into effect on August 31 that limit medical marijuana providers to just three patients, eliminating access for more than 12,000 Montanans who now use the substance. The restrictions are the result of legislative and legal action that gutted the 2004 voter-approved law, passed with a 64 percent majority, legalizing marijuana for medical use. Medical marijuana providers would be unable to sustain viable businesses if the restrictions go into effect, said Jeff Krauss, treasurer for Montana Citizens for I-182. I just dont think there are that many good Samaritans out there, Krauss said. Its really saying cancer patients or MS sufferers have to learn to grow medical marijuana and research what plants help which diseases most. Its really a return to prohibition. Krauss said I-182 would lift those bans, but would also require providers to obtain licenses and submit to unannounced, yearly inspections. It would allow for product testing to ensure safety, consistency and accurate dosages. And it would allow sales of medical marijuana to veterans and other patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Were not just rolling back to the laws we had before, Krauss said. Its an improved law. Katie Mazurek, a 33-year-old Bozeman attorney who is battling breast cancer, said she is looking forward to voting for I-182 in November. For Mazurek, medical marijuana seems like the safer option when compared with the large amounts of addictive pain pills she is prescribed. Chemotherapy takes such a physical and mental toll on me, Mazurek said. Some days are hard and medical marijuana helps me to deal with the side effects of the chemo. Signatures also are being gathered by Safe Montana to put a second initiative on the November ballot. This one would repeal the state's medical marijuana program entirely. Mazurek said she finds the idea of a total repeal offensive. I dont think they understand what their legislation will do to sick people like me, Mazurek said. I would urge people to look very closely at any legislation thats coming up so they understand it. I think I-182 has safer access and I would encourage anyone to get educated on what the options are. If both initiatives make it onto the November ballot and both pass, the future of medical marijuana in the state is likely to end up in court. If you're hungry, sick, not fully awake or afraid of being bullied, paying attention in class is the least of your worries. The Student Wellness Leadership Council, a collaboration between local health and wellness organizations and Missoula County Public Schools, is trying to shift school culture around physical fitness, nutrition, personal health and behavior. What we know is that healthy kids are better learners, said Mary McCourt, school wellness coordinator with the Missoula City-County Health Department, and a member of the council. The effort began five years ago, when Let's Move Missoula partnered with MCPS for a summit on childhood obesity. As the discussion got underway, University of Montana professor Steven Gaskill came forward with a 2007 study he had conducted in MCPS and Frenchtown schools. He found that students with the lowest physical activity had the lowest grade point averages: about 2.7 on a 4.0 scale. Those with more physical activity had higher GPAs, about 3.1. The same was true regarding attendance. A 2014-2015 MCCHD report found that nearly one-third of Missoula County third-graders were overweight or obese. Personal health refers to each individual students health: allergies, diabetes, chronic health problems, etc. Behavior focuses on mental health and substance abuse. In June, 11 MCPS schools earned recognition at the Montana Behavioral Initiative awards ceremony. The council doesnt have funding. Instead, organizations bring what they're already doing to the table to figure out what they can do in schools. The council includes MCPS, Lets Move Missoula, MCCHD, American Heart Association, Eat Smart Missoula, UM, United Way of Missoula County, hospitals, nutritionists and more. They report to the Graduation Matters Missoula executive committee. "When we asked kids who had dropped out of school some of the factors that led to their decision, a lot of that was health-related, including depression, obesity which can lead to bullying and absenteeism, because who wants to go to school when you're being made fun of and taunted and substance abuse on the parts of the students and their caregivers that interfered with their ability to get to school," said Susan Hay Patrick, United Way CEO and chair of the GMM executive committee. "We realized that if we're really looking at the whole student, we have to look at health," Patrick said. *** McCourt said Missoula is considered a physically fit and active community. Thats true for these people, she said, holding her hands about a foot apart. But what about these families out here? she said, expanding the gap. The past two years, 600 teachers countywide were instructed on Brain Break and TAKE10, models for classroom-based physical activity. Lets Move Missoula coordinator Lisa Beczkiewicz calls them dosages of physical activity. Children need those small breaks, McCourt said. In fact, so do adults. They encourage active recess. A perfect physical activity day for a child, McCourt said, would be walking to school, brain breaks, an active recess in the morning, an active recess before lunch, brain breaks in the afternoon and physical activity after school. Let's Move Missoula and MCCHD surveyed Missoula County teachers this spring, with 83 percent saying they have more classroom physical activity than they did two years ago. Of those who offer four or more breaks, 98 percent reported improved student attention, 96 percent reported improved behavior and 97 percent reported improved learning. Were tickled with these results, McCourt said. *** Nutrition seems to be a more difficult shift. School meals are healthier now, said Eat Smart coordinator Rebecca Morley, thanks in part to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Smart Snacks in School rule, which went into effect in 2014-2015. Any food sold at school during the school day has to meet nutrition standards. Its the food that competes with school food thats tricky (snacks, classroom parties, fundraisers, etc.). Its relatively easy to make elementary schools compliant they dont have vending machines or school stores but middle and high schools are tough. "I don't want to be the person who says 'I'm here from Graduation Matters and I want to take away your cupcakes,' " Patrick said. Instead, it's about introducing options. Over time, the hope is that students will more often than not choose the healthier option. "It's not like with tobacco and getting people to quit smoking," Patrick said. "There's one enemy with tobacco. But with a more sedentary lifestyle, you can point your finger at everything: increased use of electronics, the way food is marketed to kids, a decline in physical activity in the schools." A perfect nutrition day looks like a child getting a healthy breakfast at school, fruits and vegetables as snacks, and recess before a healthy lunch. Culture shifts are never easy. Seat belt use, for example, McCourt said. Really hard at first and then it got rolling. I think were right at the top of the hill, and we're ready to roll down. *** Council members say this collaboration stems from Graduation Matters. When Graduation Matters was created, it opened the district up to the community, McCourt said. Its a really nice marriage of the community and the district. We shouldnt expect the district to be experts in physical activity and nutrition. This is the only place we can reach these kids. The council acts as the clearinghouse for MCPS, said Carol Ewen, the districts student wellness coordinator. "It's confusing for the community: how do we enter into a school and be efficient in what we're doing," she said. "It's really hard for an outside agency to come in, know where to go and know how to impact a school. They don't know who to talk to or what to do. This helps us be more user-friendly with the community ... and as a district not feel so inundated by all these different agencies wanting to come in." This coming school year, there will be a new push to get kids moving before school. Theyll encourage students to walk or bike to school (Safe Routes to School maps are on the MCPS website). That feeds into attendance. If kids are excited about coming to school to participate in the activity before they go to learn, they actually might come to school more often," Beczkiewicz said. "That's our hypothesis." Theyll continue Brain Break trainings, and active recess in the elementary schools. K-2 students dont typically have a problem in that arena, McCourt said. Theyre itching to get to recess. But as they grow up, their activity levels go down. Bringing in balls, jump ropes, hula hoops and other activities gives kids options. The council is looking for volunteers and business sponsorship, including an option for a business to "adopt" its neighborhood school. Call the Missoula City-County Health Department at 406-258-4770 for more information. "It's changing the culture, and that's like turning around the aircraft carrier," Patrick said. "You can do it, but you can't do it quickly and you have to bring people along the way." In active retirement I decided to devote a portion of my time to volunteer work. This includes participation in an organization deeply concerned about our changing climate and its consequences. The other day I drove to the Missoula Public Library where our group sometimes meets. At 5:15 p.m. I ran against the tide of the days going-home traffic. Even though I was in a hurry to be on time I studied the faces of the drivers in the flow of oncoming traffic. People looked tired and harried. I tried to imagine the internal conversations: What will I fix for dinner Are the kids safe? How am I going to make that loan payment? How will I cope with houseguests? It seemed as if peoples mental bandwidth was entirely crammed and there was no room for an additional concern. As hard as it is to stretch our bandwidth, out of concern for our overall well-being I ask us to devote a portion of our attention to signs and signals that we are tempted to cast out of our field of view. Notice when our rivers release the clamp of ice and the mountains their snows. Consider when our blue ribbons of life become unfishable because of low water, heat and algae. Dont overlook the day when grasshoppers rise from our fields. Take note of when mounts Sentinel and Jumbo lose their green wash of color and the wildflowers begin to desiccate. Notice when the robins are returning to our skies and that there are subtle shifts in avian migration, perhaps that we do not see a black tern, a longspur or a Swainsons hawk where we have always found them. Notice how we have added a fifth season to our four, referring almost casually to smoke season, or the increase in respiratory distress among friends and family members. Take note of when our trees bloom, shed their blossoms, and on what day they show signs of stress due to drought. See that people from Texas, Arizona, California, and Japan have adjusted their vacation schedules so as to visit Montana earlier in the summer, hoping to avoid our fires. Like the proverbial frog in a pot of warming water, we humans are so good at adjusting ourselves to changes in our environment that we miss the meaning of subtle changes and what they portend. In this case, we are adjusting ourselves to changes in our physical environment that presage dramatic, costly, socially disruptive events to come. What then must we do? At the very least we need to ask ourselves a few questions and ponder their answers. We need to find the courage to ask what choices are likely to improve our future and that of our children in a warming world, and the parallel, what choices are likely to exacerbate the problems we already see. These choices surely present themselves as immediately as the next legislative session, as soon as we make the next purchase at the grocery or hardware store, as immediately as whom we choose to elect in November. We need to find the courage to ask ourselves if we are willing to place our trust in someone who makes promises no mortal can fulfill, who promises to assume responsibility for our future while absolving us of responsibility for it, or who distracts us from our most grave challenges. Or, will we deepen our trust in democracy and dialogue, risk difficult conversations about what we value most, committing ourselves to solve our collective problems? On some level we are all sensitive to the changing face of nature in western Montana, as well as sensitive to shifts in our relations with each other, especially a tendency to harden the arguments of those with whom we agree. Our times call us to pay attention to the margins of that sometimes-small circle. This is a time to remember that there will be no well-being for us or our children if we do not consider the foundations of our life together, the living systems and rhythms on which life depends, as well as the conversations we are willing to have with each other about what we value, not just what we fear, or hope vainly, to escape. BILLINGS They came seeking justice for Joker. On Wednesday morning, about 35 people stood on the sidewalks adjoining North 27th Street in downtown Billings to protest the sentence given to a man convicted of beating to death Joker, a small mixed-breed dog. The protest rally was organized by two volunteers from Billings Animal Rescue Kare. Anthony James Allen, 21, was sentenced Monday to serve four days in jail the maximum is a year and the maximum fine of $1,000. He appeared before Billings Municipal Judge Sheila Kolar on a charge of cruelty to animals. Kolar also ordered Allen to take an anger management class, and she banned him from owning an animal for up to a year. He must return to court on Thursday to arrange payment for restitution to the family, which is to be determined, and for his fine. That seemed inadequate to the protesters who showed up Wednesday morning next to the Yellowstone County Courthouse lawn, waving signs at passing motorists. We want laws with teeth for animal abusers, one sign read while another one declared that All dogs matter. Blue, a blue heeler that BARK volunteer Heather Mayo rescued two years ago, stood next to his owner wearing a small sandwich board with the words, Animal Lives Matter. We have to question whether that punishment was fit for the crime, Mayo said. The protesters called out Four days is not OK. Motorists drove by, honking their horns in support of the demonstrators. Montana isnt known for having stiff laws for animal abusers, said Nancy Moore, another BARK volunteer and one of the rallys organizers. When I read in the newspaper about what happened to Joker, I was heartbroken, she said, These animals dont have a voice, and I cant do a lot, but I can call attention to the fact that weve got to do something here in Montana. Moore, who owns three dogs, spends Fridays at BARK, cleaning the kennels, walking and feeding the dogs, giving them medicine and showering them with love. She said she couldnt live without dogs and cats. I have MS, so I spend a lot of time at home, Moore said. They are so much company for me, and they know when Im upset and comfort me. MJ Burkland, of Billings, also showed up for the protest. Burkland coordinates the 8,000-member Found on Facebook page, where area people post messages about lost or found dogs and cats. For a dog to be beat to death just because somebody got mad makes me mad. Thats why Im here, she said. Four days is not long enough. Not everyone understands how passionate people can get about their pets, said Burkland, who owns three cats and a dog. A lot of people say theyre just animals, and theyre not just animals, she said. They have feelings, they cry, theyre sad, theyre happy and theyre part of the family. Katie Viig, Jokers owner, showed up at the rally with her husband, Nick. She owned the Pomeranian-beagle-dachshund mix for slightly more than a year. Its overwhelming, it really is, that so many people would come out to help us fight for this, Viig said, standing near one of the lines of protesters. She described the smiling, white-furred dog on display in the protesters' photos as outgoing. He was very interactive and playful, she said, emotion in her voice. Anybody who came around, he always just wanted to play. And if you wouldnt give him the time or pay attention to him, hed sit there and whine until you did. Joker was especially kind to her two children, Viig said. My kids just loved him, she said. They could crawl all over him, they could play with him and he was just like, 'OK.' " Viig lives in a two-bedroom apartment, and she and her husband are looking for a bigger home. In the meantime, Joker was staying at her stepmothers home. Witnesses told investigators that on Sunday, Allen, a member of the extended family, was in the house with Joker. Allen grew angry after the dog began to bark at him, the witnesses said. He struck the dog at least twice with a cane and then kicked him, while swearing at the dog for barking. The witnesses said they took the dog outside after the attack, and that is where the animal died. Like the others at the rally, Viig remains unhappy with the sentence Allen received. I dont think its right, and any way I can, Im going to get (the law) changed, she said. BILLINGS - Authorities beefed up search operations Wednesday for 12-year-old Taeva Hawkins, who disappeared near the Huntley Diversion Dam on Saturday. She remained missing through the early evening despite about 100 people scouring an 11-mile stretch of the Huntley Project Irrigation District canal. Huntley Irrigation District employees lowered the canals flow rate by 150 gallons per second Wednesday morning to aid search efforts. Divers and search dogs also returned to the area, said Lt. Roger Bodine of the Yellowstone County Sheriffs Office. Crews started the search at about 8 a.m. and split into teams to cover assigned sections of the canal. By 3 p.m. some of the teams had left the scene, and about 50 people remained. By about 7:45 p.m. as darkness increased and both divers and search dogs grew tired the day's search was called off, Bodine said. "We couldn't devise a new plan at this hour," he added. Thursday and Friday's approach will involve flyovers and a handful of people on the ground, according to Bodine. "We accomplished a lot today, so the numbers that we had today won't be necessary," he said. "We eliminated a lot of areas so (tomorrow) we'll be focusing on certain areas throughout the ditch." Three search dogs were still assigned to the effort and indicated at a spot near the tunnels where Hawkins initially disappeared. Divers, K-9 units and other crews focused on the area surrounding the Diversion Dam on Wednesday afternoon. Bodine said many of the groups present wont return Thursday if Hawkins isnt found. However, if the search continues into Friday and Saturday there is a possibility another large search party could be formed. BOZEMAN (AP) A Manhattan man who saw a judge dismiss charges that he killed his wife while driving under the influence is suing the investigators and prosecutors in the case. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle report that Michael Soule filed his lawsuit Monday alleging negligence, malicious prosecution, violation of his constitutional rights and infliction of emotional distress. Soule was charged with felony vehicular homicide while under the influence in the January 2012 death of his wife, Jennifer Soule, in a crash near Bozeman. Gallatin County District Judge Mike Salvagni dismissed the case in December 2014, ruling investigators didn't preserve key evidence and gathered some evidence without warrants. Salvagni also found the prosecutors did not have probable cause to charge Soule. Officials with the state's Risk Management and Tort Defense Division declined comment as did Gallatin County Attorney Marty Lambert. ___ Information from: Bozeman Daily Chronicle, http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com Copyright 2022 HT Digital Streams Ltd All Right Reserved DILLON A 49-year-old sheriffs deputy was justified in the shooting death of a Dillon man in November 2015, a jury decided at a coroners inquest Wednesday. The jury of four women and five men in Dillon district court returned the verdict around 4 p.m., about 10 minutes after testimony from a dozen witnesses including the officer in question: Beaverhead County Sheriffs Deputy Michael Miles. Andrew Blake, the 22-year-old victim, did not die of criminal means, the jury determined in a unanimous decision. The jurors saw dramatic body camera and dash camera videos Wednesday morning. The 40-minute-long body-cam video shows Blake telling the deputy who shot him that it wasn't his fault. Miles is seen holding Blake's hand after the shooting and urging him to keep breathing. Miles shot Blake after stopping him on a frontage road east of Interstate 15 on Nov. 10. Authorities said Blake exited his silver 2010 Chevy Silverado pickup truck, returned to retrieve a rifle and refused to comply with Miles' demands for him to put down the weapon. Blake died six days later at a hospital in Salt Lake City. Coroner Ron Briggs presided over the inquest, with evidence presented by County Attorney Jed C. Fitch. The first witness called to testify was John Sullivan, an agent with the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, who investigated the deputy-involved shooting. He recalled the late-autumn night was windy, cold and about 7 degrees. Sullivan showed jurors the bolt-action rifle brandished by Blake. Utah Assistant Medical Examiner Pamela S. Ulmer testified via remote video link that the bullet's entry wound was to Blake's upper back near the shoulder area. The bullet traveled diagonally from his right side to his left, lodging near the spine. Ulmer testified the bullet "certainly would have" caused immediate paralysis. Blake's blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit. She said she considered him "intoxicated." The toxicology report also noted caffeine and tobacco-related chemicals in Blake's blood. Kiel Olson, a friend of Blake's, testified that he visited him the night of the shooting, and said that Blake was very intoxicated. "Basically he said he was going to end his life," Olson testified. At one point, Olson said, he took Blake's pickup keys and tried to calm him down. Olson's girlfriend, Niccole Olsen-Epping, said she called 911 to report Blake as a drunken driver after he left in his truck. And a third friend and witness also testified that Blake was drunk and suicidal that evening. Ryan Otto, 23, a childhood friend of Blake's, had been following the victim out of concern for his well-being. Otto testified that, given the fact that Blake was drunk, it was dark, and he went for his rifle, he thought Miles responded appropriately. "Any officer would have done it," said Otto, whose father is a Great Falls police officer. During a break in Wednesdays proceedings, Blakes father, Mark Blake of Great Falls, said he was glad Montana has an inquest process and that it brings a level of transparency to the situation. He said it alleviates a lot of concern. Our family appreciates all the great support and cooperation, he said. Miles was the final witness called to the stand. The dispatcher had relayed the report of a possible drunken driver who was suicidal. Miles testified that when he saw Blakes parked pickup truck, he had a terrible feeling. After repeated commands to comply, which the young man initially did, Blake returned to his truck and retrieved a rifle. Ill never forget it, Miles testified, adding that when he saw the rifles barrel things got really real then. With his back to Miles, Blake began to turn toward the deputy rifle in hand. Miles testified he was out of options and discharged his firearm. He said he thought it was four times, but investigators determined it was seven. One bullet hit Blake. I desperately wanted him to live, Miles testified. Were helpers and protectors, adding that driving under the influence has a direct impact on public safety. Audio on the body cam indicates Miles broke down in tears after the shooting, and that he told responding officers he had begged Blake to drop the weapon. Dillon police officer Joe Horrocks attempted to console Miles saying, its what we do. You did what you had to do. You gotta understand that. The deputy's job that November night was to stop Blake, Miles told jurors. Mr. Andrew Blake turned us into something else. I will always wish that he was still here. I know if I could have talked to him I could have helped him, Miles said. Last month, two anti-public lands bills came up for vote in the House Natural Resources Committee in Washington, D.C. One of these bills, Rep. Don Youngs State National Forest Management Act of 2015, would allow states to acquire up to two million acres of national forest lands for the primary purpose of being logged and mined. The second bill, Rep. Raul Labradors Self-Sufficient Community Lands Act, would transfer control of up to two million acres of national forest lands in Montana to a state-appointed advisory committee, also for the purpose of being logged and mined without having to adhere to bedrock environmental laws. Both of these lands transfer bills passed the committee. Rep. Ryan Zinke voted against the Young bill. Unfortunately, he voted for the Labrador bill. The passage of these bills in the House Natural Resources Committee is the latest eruption in what has been a tumultuous year for public lands, a year that started with armed, anti-government zealots seizing Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon and demanding that the refuge and surrounding public lands be handed over to private local interests. After Malheur and the latest votes in the House Natural Resources Committee, its become abundantly clear that Montana needs a pro-public lands agenda that can counter the well-funded and virulent anti-public lands movement happening in Washington and within our own state. Last month, Governor Steve Bullock unveiled the agenda Montana needs. This agenda recognizes and bolsters the crucial role public lands play not just in our culture, but in our economy as well. It includes: Opposing the lands transfer agenda in Montana at every turn Unfreezing and fully restoring Habitat Montana, the states premier big game management resource, paid for by out-of-state fishing and hunting license fees Creating a state position that will help ensure that Montanans enjoy all the stream and public lands access they're legally entitled to Launching a Montana Office of Outdoor Recreation Outdoor recreation on public lands generates $6 billion annually, accounts for $403 million in tax revenue, and sustains 64,000 jobs. The Office of Outdoor Recreation would help boost those numbers and augment the economies of Libby, Lincoln, Ekalaka, and other small towns across the state to help them take advantage of their proximity to the world-class fishing, hunting, hiking, and other types of recreation that draws visitors to Montana from around the globe. Earlier this year, Utah voted to set aside millions of taxpayer dollars in its legal quest to seize ownership of American public lands. Behind that vote and all other efforts to seize public lands in Utah is the American Lands Council. This Utah-based group is now led by a Montana legislator Senator Jennifer Fielder. Its fair to assume that she and her cohorts will again launch a legislative attack on our public lands and outdoor way of life at next years legislative session, as they have the last two sessions. American public lands provide an outdoor way of life that defines us as Montanans. Thats what makes these threats to public lands so insidious. If these threats to our public lands come to fruition, life in Montana as we know and love it would cease to exist, at least for the majority of us who wouldnt be able to afford access to the lands that were once public but now belong to only the elite rich. Thats why were supporting Governor Bullocks public lands agenda. It offers Montana the assurance we need that our states outdoor legacy will live on. Please visit mtgreatoutdoors.org for more about Governor Bullocks plan and to offer him thanks and suggestions. -- Brian Sybert, Helena, executive director of Montana Wilderness Association; Clayton Elliott, Missoula, executive director of Montana Conservation Voters; Caroline Byrd, Bozeman, executive director of Greater Yellowstone Coalition. An open letter to businesses: It is once again summertime in Montana and for many businesses that means time to reseal and/or re-stripe their parking lots. Before taking on this task, however, there is one very important aspect of this process that I feel the need to bring to the attention of business owners ensuring that accessible parking spaces are usable by people with disabilities and meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Specifically, When a business or State or local government restripes parking spaces in a parking lot or parking structure (parking facilities), it must provide accessible parking spaces as required by the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (2010 Standards) (ADA Compliance Brief: Restriping Parking Spaces, US Department of Justice, 2015). Yes, restriping a parking lot is considered an alteration and when doing so, must be brought into compliance with current accessibility standards. Resealing and restriping a parking lot creates a simple and inexpensive opportunity to ensure accessible spaces are configured properly. This may seem like a no-brainer to many, however, all too often businesses are still failing, even 26 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide accessible parking spaces, in particular van accessible parking spaces, that meet the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. This failure to bring parking lots into compliance with accessibility standards means that many patrons who require the use of accessible parking simply will not be able to access your business and instead, will choose to shop elsewhere. For a designated accessible parking space to be considered "van accessible," the parking space must either measure 8' wide and have an adjacent access aisle that also measures 8' wide or measure 11' wide and have an adjacent access aisle that measures 5' wide. Van accessible parking spaces must also have a vertical clearance of at least 98" and have a sign indicating they are van accessible. One of every six (or fraction of six) accessible parking spaces, but always at least one (the first one), must be van accessible. For further guidance on the accessibility requirements of parking lots when it comes to restriping, please refer to https://www.ada.gov/restriping_parking/restriping2015.pdf or contact Montana Independent Living Project (www.milp.us) 1-800-735-6457. When restriping your parking lot(s), please do the right, and lawful, thing and make sure you provide accessible parking spaces that are in compliance with the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. -- Lloyd Sparks, Butte, advocacy specialist, Montana Independent Living Project COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa -- Bev Nielsen had one word for Columbus Junction city officials Wednesday, but she repeated it three times for emphasis. Volunteers, volunteers, volunteers, the citys parks and recreation commission chair told the city council during her report on RABGRAI preparations. We need them, she said. Nielsen, who has been working with community development director Mallory Smith to prepare for the more than 10,000 bicycle riders and support personnel expected to pass through the community on the last day of the annual ride across Iowa, said local officials had been working to prepare for the influx, but now more bodies are needed. Nielsen said local planners had been told by RAGBRAI officials that signage and directions are important for riders, so those would receive special attention. She said a sign center will be set up at the Louisa County Conservation Boards Eden Park to provide riders with information on what will be available in the Columbus area. She said volunteers are needed July 18 and 19 to help create the signs. Anyone wishing to help can meet at city hall beginning at 8 a.m. either day. The group will work until 5 p.m. on July 18 and 8 p.m. on July 19. Volunteers are also being asked to help paint windows in downtown businesses on July 29. Nielsen said that effort is planned to begin in the early afternoon, so the windows can be done when the county fair parade is held later in the day. Nielsen also reminded the council that local nonprofit organizations will be busy staffing booths and other areas and indicated these organizations would need help. Included in this list are the Louisa County Ambulance Service, Columbus Fire Department, Louisa County 4-H Council, Monarchs of Eastern Iowa, local churches and other groups. Mayor Dan Wilson agreed the need for volunteers is high. We do need volunteers, he said, explaining Columbus Junction Police Chief Donnie Orr is seeking help to staff road barricades and serve as guides for the riders at tricky corners and turns. He suggested anyone wishing to volunteer contact Nielsen, Smith or Orr. Wilson also warned local residents to expect some road closures and other inconveniences while RAGBRAI passes through. He said the riders will be coming in on Louisa County Road X17 and then turning onto State Highway 92 at what is locally known as Cummings Corner. Riders will follow Highway 92 into town and then turn south onto 3rd Street and bike past the citys historic Swinging Bridge. Nielsen said riders could walk across the bridge for a freewill offering. Wilson said no one will be allowed to ride a bike across the bridge and the number of walkers on the bridge will be controlled. From the Swinging Bridge the riders will proceed east on Elm Street to 2nd Street and then turn south and bike to Maple Street. At Maple Street the riders will turn east, join Main Street and head north through the downtown. At East Walnut the riders will turn east again, join East Access Street and bike south for a short distance before rejoining State Highway 92. They will then follow the highway across the Iowa River, turn north on County Road G40 and ride into Fredonia. They will then continue onto Letts and eventually end their ride in Muscatine. CEDAR COUNTY, Iowa Republican congressional hopeful Christopher Peters held a meet and greet in southern Cedar County Wednesday evening, and criticized U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack for his early Hillary Clinton endorsement. Peters, an Iowa City physician who is challenging Loebsack in this year's 2nd District race, said Loebsack should have waited for the FBI investigation into Clinton's emails to be completed, and said not doing so was "an indictment of his character." "He knew these concerns were ongoing; he knew there was an investigation. He knew a decision might be coming one way or the other that might go against Hillary Clinton, and yet he was one of the first super-delegates to endorse Hillary Clinton," Peters said. Peters said the endorsement upset many district Democrats. "Do you endorse somebody just because they have a 'D' behind their name, because they are most likely to win?" Peters asked. He said equality was not part of the FBI's decision not to charge Clinton. "It seems that a lot of Americans are feeling like the system isn't fair, that there's different sets of rules for different classes of people, whether you're a political elite or whether you're you or I," Peters said. He compared the situation to his own experience as a physician, saying not safeguarding patient records could mean prison time. "And that's patient records, and I think that's vitally important, but I think even more so are the top secret records that affect our national security," Peters said. Attempts to reach a spokesman for Loebsack's campaign for comment were unsuccessful late Wednesday. On his own party's presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump, Peters said he has yet to make a decision. "He has three months to win my vote," he said. Residents of Cedar, Muscatine and Johnson counties attended the meet-and- greet, and provided their views on GMO labeling and other issues. Iowa State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann introduced Peters, and said he was confident in Peters as a candidate. MUSCATINE, Iowa Sass and song combined to make Muscatine Show Choir Camp an exciting week full of music and dance. The 10th Annual Muscatine Show Choir Camp brought more than 50 elementary and middle school students to Muscatine High School to learn dance moves and sing on Wednesday. The middle school students said they loved the dancing, and enjoyed learning from the high school counselors assisting Johnathan Ryan, the director of choral activities at MHS. Brevin Buster, 13, attended the camp for the first time this year, and said the old and new songs, singing and dance moves made the camp "a blast." "There is the cooperation with every group of voices, and how the music flows with new songs and old songs is really amazing. Overall, this has been one of the best camps I've ever been to," he said. Bayley Hawkins, 12, who was attending the camp for the fourth year, said she plans to keep coming back. "I like the fact that we get to sing and dance at the same time," she said. Mallory Reed, 12, attended the camp for the first time, and said she enjoyed the challenge of singing and dancing at the same time. "I also enjoy working with all of the counselors and them not just being adults, they're just like kids because they understand you, too," she said. Lucas Burkamper, 14, said that although the camp was his first, the opportunity to connect with high school choir teachers and students is helpful as he prepares to enter high school. "It's really fun to have a choir to do during the summer," he said. McKenna Riess, 13, enjoyed her first year at the camp. "I think it's fun to extend things that I like during the year because I can build on it," she said. Caylie McConnaha, 13, said she loved learning new dance moves, and talking with other students from both Central and West middle schools. "It's fun because you get to talk about school and what we think is going to happen next year," she said. Allison Ryan, who is helping with the choreography, will be a senior at MHS during the coming year. She has participated in show choir camp since she was a fourth-grader, and said she loves passing on her knowledge. "It's super fun to be a counselor for something I've been involved in so long as a camper, too," she said. In his first year as a counselor, junior Trey Broderson said he remembered attending the camp as an eighth-grader. "It's fun helping the kids," he said. Mollie Juehring is a Muscatine High School graduate, and said she was glad to have the chance to be a counselor and encourage younger students to pursue their dreams. Juehring plans to attend Simpson College in Indianola in the fall, and will study vocal performance and piano. "It's been really fun to teach the kids something that I was a part of," Juehring said. Johnathan Ryan said he was happy to have so many elementary and middle school students participate in the program. "It's awesome. We have a lot of returning students but some newer ones, too, and some who've never done something like this," Ryan said. 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 [] Seven ANN7 reporters were denied legal representation at the start of their disciplinary hearings, one of them said on Thursday. The journalist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they arrived at the hearing with lawyers in tow on Wednesday. The employer told them they were not allowed representation. They asked for a postponement, but that too was refused. The seven have been charged with offences including picketing, ill discipline and singing inflammatory songs on the companys premises. Neither the broadcaster nor its owner, Oakbay Investments, could be reached for comment. The reporter said the company argued that the employees took part in an illegal picket after the Communication Workers Union (CWU) misled them. They put the argument that the seven charges have to stick because the union deceived employees, and that the picket rules and applications were not properly followed. As a result it was an illegal picket, constituting a protest, the reporter said. Workers are frustrated and there was no way workers could not picket to support nine of their colleagues that were dismissed. On June 29, 11 employees picketed outside the company gates after nine of their colleagues were suspended and fired for chasing ANC Youth League leader Collen Maine off the premises. He visited Oakbays offices to hear about employee concerns. They allegedly shouted Maine must fall as he made his way back to his car. He said he had received an open letter from Oakbay employees, addressed to the ANCYL and the ad hoc committee on finance in Parliament. In it, they asked Absa to reopen Oakbays bank account for the sake of its employees. The countrys major banks all refused to continue doing business with the Gupta-owned company following allegations that the family was influencing Cabinet appointments. CWU president Clyde Marvin said they had written to management to ask for a meeting before the next hearings on Friday. They would ask for a postponement so the workers could be represented. Their rights were being infringed, he said. The SACP in Gauteng said they would protests outside the companys offices in solidarity with the workers on Friday. The partys Gauteng secretary Jacob Mamabolo said the Gupta-owned company was undermining labour laws. News24 More on ANN7 This is how big the Anonymous attacks against ANN7 really were Oakbay confirms disciplinaries at ANN7 What do you do when you have co-founded one of the most successful ISPs in South Africa and are looking for a new challenge? Simple: take on Airbnb. This is what Webafrica co-founder Rupert Bryant did when he became CEO of Accommodation Direct in 2013. Accommodation Direct was started in 2006 by local entrepreneurs Oliver Bryant and Ric Meulemans, who were behind KrugerPark.com and Guzzle.co.za. The company grew to become one of South Africas largest accommodation portals, with over 10,000 listings across Africa by 2010. Bryant and Meulemans were stretched running multiple businesses, and in 2013 convinced Rupert to head up Accommodation Direct. Shortly after Bryant took over, they relaunched the website. Two years later, sales were up ten-fold. The company currently has 20,000 listings, 2,000 user reviews of places to stay, and 2,000 destinations. Focussing on South Africa Bryant told MyBroadband they want to differentiate themselves from their competitors especially international players like Airbnb by focussing on South Africa. Our strategy is to focus locally and ensure we always have the best booking experience for South Africans, with the best, highest-quality places to stay, said Bryant. Our belief is were not just selling accommodation, but travel experiences which hopefully become cherished memories, so we want every booking to be special. He said Accommodation Direct is looking at expanding into other African countries in the coming years. More on tech companies Best South African tech companies to work for Most attractive South African tech and engineering companies to work for The most in-demand job skill in South Africa Crowds routinely throng Line Corps two-storey shop in the youth-culture mecca of Harajuku to browse everything from stationary to air purifiers featuring the companys cutesy animal mascots, or to have their photos alongside them. It might seem unusual for a company whose main product is a mobile messaging app to operate cartoon-themed retail outlets. But Line has delved into all kinds of businesses in its home market, leveraging the 50 million active users it has built up here. Mobile instant messaging, which offers a free, internet-based alternative to sending conventional text messages, has become big business as more smartphone users spend a greater amount of their time on them. And Line is the first such company to go public, hoping to generate as much as $1.3bn through a double listing in Tokyo on Thursday and in New York a day later. It shows how mature the messaging market has become, and the high engagement rate that smartphone users are showing when it comes to chat applications, Serkan Toto, a mobile and gaming analyst in Tokyo, says of Lines initial public offering. The move comes two years after rival WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for $22bn and Viber was bought by Japanese online retail behemoth Rakuten for $900m. While some rivals have struggled to turn a profit, Line has been buoyed by its ability to generate revenue across a range of products such as downloadable games, and via services that allow users to do everything from hailing taxis to sending money using their smartphones. The company generated about $1bn in revenue in 2015, up 40 percent from the previous year , according to its filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. It says most of that money came from sales of games and virtual stickers which are similar to emojis as well as from web and mobile advertising. Line started out humbly as a messaging app to deal with communication problems in the wake of the triple disaster in Japan five years ago earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear plant meltdown . Today, it has nearly 220 million monthly active users worldwide, 70 percent of whom live in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia. But many analysts say the company, which is based in Tokyo but owned by South Korean internet giant Naver, faces stiff competition from rivals who are vying for a bigger piece of the global market. Mobile messaging in South Korea is dominated by KakaoTalk, which has 49 million active users worldwide, according to market research firm Statista. In China, by far the most popular messaging app is WeChat, which has 760 million users globally. Both operate in a similar fashion to Line, having branched out into a variety of online services to make money. But Toto says the most serious threat may be from Facebook, which has about two billion active users between WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Its going to be very difficult for Line in the coming years to defend themselves against much more scaled, much more international competitors, he says. These geographical silos might also become one day unified by a big company and I would bet my life on Facebook in that case. Line acknowledges that opening up new markets will be a challenge, saying in its SEC filing that it expects to continue expanding into other countries but that it may be difficult due to the presence of established competitors. The companys service-based approach also means it isnt as readily able to snap up users in new markets as are some of its competitors, says Neha Dharia, an analyst based in India with technology research and consulting firm Ovum. Its not just communications. They have payments. They have e-commerce. They have everything connected to their platform, she says. But to replicate the Japanese model they need to have a whole ecosystem of partners and vendors in each market catering to the local culture. Because of that, it was harder for them to grow in new markets, where WhatsApp could come in with the same vanilla service and grow faster. Messaging apps also have to conform to the local laws, Dharia notes, which can affect the services they provide in different countries. Line and WeChat users have faced censorship issues in China, according to a series of reports by researchers at the University of Torontos Citizen Lab. In the case of Line, the researchers were able to compile a list of keywords often relating to sensitive political issues of minority groups that would keep messages from being delivered. Their findings illustrate that any company, whether domestic or foreign, operating within the Chinese market has to follow Chinese law and regulation around content filtering and information controls, says Masashi Crete-Nishihata, research manager at the Citizen Lab. A request to Line for comment on the censorship findings went unanswered for this story. But the company issued a statement to the researchers that said in part the company had to conform to local regulations during its expansion into mainland China. Government pressure on mobile messaging services will likely increase as their user bases continue to grow in new markets, Crete-Nishihata says. A case in point may be Russia. President Vladimir Putin signed a surveillance bill into law last month that, among other things, demands that messaging apps keep records of all transmitted content for six months or face hefty fines. The best thing companies can do is be transparent about this and help ensure that users are making informed decisions about their own communications, Crete-Nishihata says. Al Jazeera More on messaging How to use two WhatsApp accounts on one phone Zimbabwe taps SIM cards in WhatsApp clampdown According to a recent study released by Akamai, the most popular line speeds in South Africa is 4Mbps, with 42.2% of South African This is in contrast to over 12.9% of South African who have a 10Mbps line and 7.7% who have a line speed of 15 Mbps. Those of you who are quick with calculations may point out that these percentages dont quite add up to 100%, with 37.2% of South Africans having above 15 or below 4 Mbps. This is also significantly lower than the average broadband speed in South Africa, which is 6.5Mbps. A total of 12 countries up from 9 in the previous quarter enjoyed 4 Mbps broadband adoption rates above 90% with several more in close range. Despite its strong quarterly gain, South Africa again had the lowest 4 Mbps broadband adoption rate in the group by far with just over one in four IP addresses connecting to Akamai at or above the threshold speed. Israel had the highest average connection speed in the Middle East and Africa with 13.5Mbps, followed by the United Arab Emirates at 8.8Mbps, and Qatar at 8.4Mbps. Kenya was the top country in Africa, with an average connection speed of 7.3Mbps, followed by South Africa on 6.5Mbps. How do you compare to South Africas (and the rest of Africas) line speed? Let us know in the comments below and in our forums. More gaming news Where to buy the AMD Radeon RX 480 South African prices revealed Pirates may have broken through un-crackable Denuvo DRM The worst marketing ideas in videogame history Displaced people receive food parcels at a joint UNICEF-WFP Rapid Response Mission (RRM), which delivers critical supplies and services to those displaced by conflict, in Nyanapol, northern Jonglei, March 3, 2015. [Photo/Agencies] Africa is upbeat that instability rocking South Sudan would be resolved soon. Talking on the sidelines of the ongoing 27th African Union (AU) Summit, the continent's leaders said their optimism has been bolstered by recent cessation of hostilities observed in the last three days. "We are happy that the guns have been hushed," said Amina Mohamed, Kenya's foreign minister referring to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an eight-country trade block consisting of countries found in the Horn of Africa and the Africa Great Lakes. Africa's youngest country was rocked by violence on Thursday following fighting among rival guards allied to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar. The communique that condemns the violence has been issued after an extraordinary meeting by IGAD ministers of foreign affairs. The ministers called for cessation of hostilities and reinforcement of United Nations Mission in South Sudan(UNIMISS)'s mandate to protect civilians. "We are actively engaged with the government of South Sudan in this matter and have been holding conversations. Juba has positively responded and opened up humanitarian corridors. A summit will probably be held on Saturday here in Kigali to review progress," said Mohamed. The minister urged the international community to support IGAD. "South Sudan is a sisterly nation to us and we want to be as supportive as before to ensure that the contentious issues do not recur. South Sudan has resolved its issues before and we expect them to rise to the occasion and do so again for its people," said the Kenyan minister. In agreement, Tedros Adhanom, Ethiopia minister of foreign Affairs said return of peace in Juba was encouraging. He said South Sudan government had positively responded to IGAD's demands and called for the transitional government to engage in dialogue that would revive their commitment to the peace agreement. South Sudan was just settling down after three years of conflict. IGAD negotiated a peace deal that saw Dr Machar reinstated as First Vice President in April. The two armed robbery suspects who were caught in Calistoga on Tuesday are facing charges of attempted murder, armed robbery and conspiracy in Sonoma County Superior Court, according to the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office. Serge Gutsu, 24, of Antelope and Ivan Morales, 23, of Lakeport are scheduled to be arraigned on the charges in court on Thursday, said Sgt. Cecile Focha. The men may also be facing additional charges in Napa County, including attempted murder of a police officer, said Napa County Sheriffs Capt. Keith Behlmer. Gutsu and Morales are suspects in an armored car robbery that occurred in Windsor Tuesday afternoon. When deputies arrived to the scene of a reported bank robbery at Chase Bank in Windsor shortly after 1:50 p.m., they found the armored car employee suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies were told that two men had confronted the armored truck guards when the vehicle stopped at the bank, Focha said in a press release. The men started shooting at the guards and fled with an undetermined amount of money, she said. A "Be On The Lookout" notice was sent to neighboring law enforcement agencies and the vehicle, a dark-colored SUV, was spotted by Calistoga Police Officer Luis Paniagua around 2:30 p.m. Paniagua was pulling the vehicle over when one of the men began shooting at him, Behlmer said. In response, the officer hit Gutsu, who was out of the vehicle, with his patrol car. Paniagua then crashed into a nearby tree, Behlmer said. Gutsu was treated and released from the hospital and arrested. The officer only sustained superficial injuries from airbag deployment, Behlmer said. The other suspect, Morales, fled on foot, leading to a manhunt that lasted almost five hours. He was found hiding in a brushy culvert in a rural area near the crash, Focha said. Morales and Gutsu were booked into the Sonoma County jail on suspicion of attempted murder, armed robbery and conspiracy, Focha said. Theyre being held without bail. Behlmer said that attempted murder charges will be filed against the man who shot at the Calistoga Police officer, who has not been identifed publicly. The details about who shot at the officer, Morales or Gutsu, were still under investigation, he said. When or if the men will be seen in Napa County Superior Court anytime soon is still up in the air, Behlmer said. Agencies are still trying to figure out jurisdictional issues, he said, like which agency will hold which evidence. Napa County District Attorney Gary Lieberstein said that he expected reports from the Sheriff's Office by Wednesday afternoon. Lieberstein confirmed that the charges will most likely be charges of attempted murder of a police officer. "Bottom line," he said, "we'll be filing charges in our county, theyll be filing charges in their county." It is likely that Morales and Gutsu will go through the Sonoma County system before facing their charges in Napa County, Lieberstein said. The Napa County Sheriffs Office is assuming the investigation of the scene in Calistoga, with assistance from FBI. Focha said in a press release on Tuesday. The Sonoma County Sheriffs Office Violent Crimes Investigation Unit has the responsibility for the armed robbery in Windsor. Ensenada, Baja, Mexico From the balcony at the Hotel Coral, my idyllic views of the harbor, the glittering lights of Ensenada, and the Pacific Ocean were nearly upstaged by my dilemma. Thirty of us -- restaurateurs from Napa, wine writers from Los Angeles, sommeliers from Chicago -- had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border into Baja California for this inaugural journey to discover Baja Uncorked. I knew we could only take two bottles of wine back over the border, legally, but the Baja vintners were willing to give us labels for the wines we were tasting. Id decided Id collect a label from each wine I liked, and half-way through the trip, I had enough to paper my house in Napa. I had no idea how Id ever chose two bottles only. Few of us on the trip had been to Baja; everyone was curious. Im not sure anyone expected what we discovered, beginning with our first dinner at Santo Tomas winery, set on a hillside amidst vineyards and groves of olive trees. There, against the dream-like vista of desert hills at sunset, the winemakers of Baja began pouring their wines. This is when I started collecting labels. Each one had a story. The Baja Uncorked story itself begins with the two people who collaborated to create it: Tom Bracamontes, owner of La Compentencia Imports, based in Napa, and Michelle Martain of La Mision Associates in San Diego. I first visited Valle de Guadalupe in 2015, Bracamontes said. It didnt take me long to realize the potential opportunity that existed, with more than 100 wineries in El Valle and few of their wines in the U.S. Bracamontes had worked in the the music industry before taking his marketing expertise to wineries. Hed been a brand and sales consultant for Renteria Wines, Delgadillo, Gallegos and Maldonado Vineyards, and a long-time director of sales and marketing for Mi Sueno Winery in Napa, when he discovered Baja. Intrigued, he made several subsequent trips, and Michelle Martain. Born in San Diego and raised in Baja where her parents own the Calvas Valmar winer, Martain started her import business 12 years ago with only three wineries in my catalog. One was her parents winery. Literally I started from nothing, not even a car, she said. I went to visit accounts and knocked on doors all through San Diego. The first years were really, really difficult; people wouldnt even try the wines. They just thought Mexico was not a place for making wine or knowing about wine. With patience, hard work and persistence, she finally persuaded San Diegos Wine Bank to become the first shop to dedicate a section to Baja wines. Today, she represents more than 20 wineries and 80 labels. Among the shops that carry wines she imports is Sunshine Market in Napa Valley. Building a successful brand is less about sales and more about developing strong relationships and connecting the dots, Bracamontes said. This is what he decided to do for Baja Wines when he launched La Competencia _The Competition Imports in 2015. I named it after my grandfathers Mexican tiendita (shop) in the city of Orange, Bracamontes said. He believed that competition was good for the community since it encouraged all of the local store owners to provide a better product at a better price. He and Martain decided, however, that joining forces was the way to get the word out about the wonderful wines of Baja. Creating an honest and open dialogue with the Baja wine community provided an opportunity to work together as we collectively developed a long-term strategy, he said, and it helped the winemakers understand the American wine market. He is now bringing wines into California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and Chicago. And little by little, we have grown in distributing the wines not only in San Diego, but to other markets in a great team effort with Tom, Martain said. Through all the accounts and events visited through the years, we have always tried to let people know about our philosophy in the Valle, our passion for making wine, our strength to survive even when its difficult due to costs and complicated (Mexican) tax laws, how all the family is involved in the process, and how happy and proud we are of showing off our wines. Most of the Baja wines are sold in Mexico, especially Mexico City, but the word is spreading about the quality of wines being produced in Mexico. I think the perception and focus to our region changed about three or four years ago, when people started to consume more local (Baja) products, Martain said. Now, Americans are travelling again to our region, after so many years of having fears of crossing the border. They decided it was time to create Baja Uncorked for the trade and media. With a group this size we were staying at different hotels, some in the Valle, others in Ensenada, from which is it a short drive inland to the Valley. I was assigned to the lovely Hotel Coral, an elegant ocean-front resort and spa, which offers lavish Mexican breakfasts, in addition to its stunning views. What we saw and tasted was state of the art with a distinct sense of adventure. The only thing more impressive than the wines of Baja, was the hospitality, warmth and inspiration of the people making it. A region still defining itself is not afraid to take risks, said Pedro Poncelis, a sommelier who with his father, a renowned sommelier from Mexico City, makes wine at Vincola DPoncelis. Among their wines is a 50/50 blend of cabernet sauvignon and tempranillo. Diversity is our style, Poncelis said. It gives you liberty to explore new blends not everything works well, but were having fun that way. There is space and freedom here, said Victor Segura, a scientist from Hermosillo who decided he liked the climate of Baja, became intrigued with wine. With two partners, founded Las Nubes winery, a thoughtful place whose colors repeat those of the surrounding hills. Segura was a strong promoter of Baja Uncorked. My feeling is the more you share, the more you learn, he said. There is a sense of: lets see what we can do, said winemaker Santiago Lopez, who studied engineering at Penn State and winemaking at UC Davis before going to work at Solar Forun, founded by his father, Alberto, an astrophysicist. One of their wines is a blend of mourvedre, cabernet sauvignon, syrah and petit verdot. People from Europe will say Why would you do that? Its wrong. Then they taste it and say, Oh, maybe not so wrong. Right now, we can take risks. They also make a 100 percent cab. Its Baja, there are no rules, explained Jorge Maciel of Cava Maciel. Born in Ensenada in 1970, he began making wine as a hobby, went to Italy to study, and today is making seven single variety wines as well as three blends. We are in a stage of discovery. The younger winemakers all pay tribute to Camillo Margoni, the immigrant from Italy who has been making wine in Baja for 49 years and is still exploring. He grows 120 varietals of grapes. Here you will find blends you never heard of, Margoni said. We are believing in quality not quantity, he added. In a year in Mexico, we produce what Gallo sells in a week. The diversity is apparent in the architecture as well as the unusual blends of wines. Alximia, Vino Elemental, was built by an astronomer, whose son is a mathematician- turned-winemaker. Its no coincidence, one must conclude, that the winery looks like a spaceship landed in the desert. One of the Baja Uncorked travelers, Mike Landucci, who produces wine video commentaries through his company, WineWeirdos, said, I was most impressed with the architecture and overall gorgeousness of the valley. The views from the covered patios were spectacular, and the weather in June was perfect. As for the wines, they are diverse. I prefer the single varietal approach because I felt it better captured the terroir down there, even though the vines are generally quite young. Ali Yildirim, owner of Napkins bistro in Napa, proclaimed the Baja wines amazing and is adding them to his wine list. We found some wonderful wines. And wonderful food. And wonderful people. I believe that making events like Baja Uncorked, and by keeping this great teamwork, we can make such an impact and share all of our stories, Martain said. Each time you grab a bottle of Baja wine, you will know what is behind it the dreams and passion of families that work together and that want to share a piece of them at your table. You have an American dream, Pedro Poncelis concluded. Guess what? We have a Mexican dream. Camillo Magoni added, Perhaps you can tell that to Mr. Trump. United States Marine Sergeant Kirstie Ennis, a helicopter gunner, lost her leg while serving our country. Nationally syndicated The Bobby Bones Show is dedicating certain proceeds from its merchandise store to aiding Sgt. Ennis in receiving a wheelchair that can be used anywhere and on all terrains (track chair). According to the shows website, they would: like to help her. Any proceeds from our America Strong Tees will go to help her get a track chair. Listen to the audio from The Bobby Bones Show below and grab your America Strong tee to help give a life-changing gift to a true hero. AXE Stage Pass is a music platform that features exclusive performances and interviews from todays hottest musicians, like Grammy-nominated Charlie Puth, Sam Hunt, and now Dierks Bentley. The historic Georges Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, Arkansas was, according to their website, the first bar to integrate in the late 50s, the first bar in Northwest Arkansas to offer color television, and the first pizza delivery service in Northwest Arkansas. Now it has a new distinction because on Saturday, April 30th, it became THE best place to be to see Dierks Bentley thanks to Walmart and #AXEStagePass. While the show was a private event, thanks to the magic of the internet you now have the best seat in the house because you can watch (and rewatch and rewatch) the best parts of the evening from the comfort of your own couch. Aside from treating its viewers to performances of three of Dierks hit songs including Somewhere on a Beach, What the Hell Did I Say?, and Drunk on a Plane, the team at AXE Stage Pass shared several up-close and personal conversations with the hit-maker. In the first of the four interview clips, Dierks talks about the inspiration for the title track off his new album, Black. I wrote the song Black, a song about the passion of moment with somebody. Its a pretty intense song. I love the song and I love the fact that the title Black is also my wifes maiden name so it kind of had this double meaning for me. That became the inspiration for the album, just looking back at the relationship Ive been in for the last ten years and just the crazy things love will make you do and how it kind of forces you to grow up when youre with somebody for a long time. On his collaborations with Elle King, Maren Morris, and the other women who helped make his album Black what it is. This is the first record where Ive really had this many collaborations. I didnt think about this at the time, but its really kind of a cool thing to have all of these girls on the record with me because its about relationships, so why not bring a girl in to kind of have this conversation. Dierks also talks about what its like performing his #1 song, Somewhere on a Beach, how he makes his personal life and touring work together, and the one person in country music he looks up to the most (hint, hes a fellow pilot). During his three performances, Bentley dances along with the eager fans to Somewhere On a Beach, rocks out to What The Hell Did I Just Say?, and gets the disco party going during Drunk on a Plane. So be sure to visit AXE Stage Pass today to grab a front row seat for Dierks up-close-and-personal party. Click here for your ticket! About AXE AXE body wash, the #1 male body wash brand in the world, is celebrating uniqueness, individuality and making guys feel their best. Theyve launched a variety of new products and scents that work for a wide-range of guys and encourage guys to find what makes them unique to Find Your Magic Putin warns Seoul about risk of ruining relations with Russia by supplying weapons to Ukraine Putin: Russia will not abandon the historical legacy of the USSR and the Russian Tsarist Empire Putin sees no point in nuclear strike on Ukraine Olaf Scholz says solution can be found to curb speculative spikes in gas prices Putin calls Russians and Ukrainians one people who find themselves in different states Putin: We proposed Armenia give 5 districts Putin: Washington version provides for recognition of Azerbaijan's sovereignty over whole Karabakh Putin calls Erdogan consistent and reliable partner, although not easy one Italy plans to double national gas production to 6 billion cubic meters a year Putin: The West, as a minority, has no right to impose values on the world Putin: As long as nuclear weapons exist, there is always a danger of their use Putin outraged by US assassination of General Soleimani: What is this all about? FM Abdollahian: Iran will not allow its interests to become plaything of terrorists Mirzoyan and Lavrov discuss preparations for CSTO Collective Security Council Putin proposes to discuss changing structure of UN and UN Security Council Pashinyan's wife accompanied in Tavush by mothers of servicemen who died in first and last days of war Shell reports almost $9.5 billion in profits Putin calls on West not to shift blame on intrigues of Kremlin Hungarian PM expresses readiness to buy electricity from Azerbaijan via Georgia Newsweek: The biggest foreign threat to the U.S. is not Russia or China. It's the EU Putin: In recent years, West has taken steps to exacerbate situation in world Armenian Defense Minister and French delegation discuss possibilities of developing defense cooperation Australia to send 70 soldiers to UK to help train Ukrainian troops Scholz condemns Turkey's stance questioning Greek sovereignty Armenian Defense Ministry: Azerbaijan hands over 10 bodies of killed servicemen to Armenian side Dollar, euro lose value in Armenia Turkish Central Bank raises inflation forecast for the end of 2022 to 65.2% U.S. State Department official visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan Prime Minister Pashinyan sends letter of condolence to Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi Secretary of Armenian Security Council and representatives of French Ministry of Defense discuss cooperation prospects Israel and Turkey to resume defense cooperation Scholz says solidarity is the only way to deal with the energy crisis Israeli and Turkish defense ministers meet in Ankara Turkey to rewrite inflation forecasts again after rate cut Azerbaijan does not want checkpoint on border with Armenia, it wants only 'corridor' Putin plans to attend meeting of CSTO leaders CSTO special session to be held Friday, assistance to Armenia to be discussed Estonia urges Rishi Sunak to increase UK defense spending Moscow perplexed by information about ban to enter Armenia for Konstantin Zatulin and Margarita Simonyan Armenia PM honors October 27, 1999 parliament tragedy victims U.S. and Western officials finalize plans to limit Russian oil prices EU seeks Armenia-Azerbaijan peace for its own energy interests? World economy is approaching recession US Armenians demand Senate member candidate Mehmet Oz to stop his Armenian Genocide denial Azerbaijan president, Russia deputy PM discuss prospects for unblocking South Caucasus communications Armenia opposition MP: Azerbaijan attempting to fulfill much bigger task with its attacks of aggression Armenia opposition pledges to become active again Syria MFA: Terrorist attack in Shiraz shows that terrorism has become U.S. policy main tool Lebanon and Israel approve maritime border agreement Pashinyan to Sunak: Armenia attaches great importance to further development of cooperation with UK U.S. accelerates deployment of modernized version of nuclear bomb at NATO bases in Europe Armenian Foreign Ministry expresses condolences to Iran over Shiraz terrorist act Premier: Armenia set new absolute record in income-salary jobs Armenia premier: We need to ensure 7% economic growth in 2023 also Gazprom: Creating gas hub will benefit Russia, Turkey, Europe and Azerbaijan Ruling force MP: Azerbaijan must withdraw its troops from sovereign territory of Armenia Armenia parliament speaker: We hope Uzbekistan will also remain part of building peace in our region CNN: CIA Director visits Ukraine OSCE needs assessment mission briefs deputy FM on their work in Armenia European Parliament report amendment condemns Azerbaijan policy of erasing Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh Armenia to provide around $50M loan to Artsakh EU monitors in Armenia set off on first patrol on Azerbaijan border Armenia to introduce system of transition from compulsory to contractual military service Newsweek: American troops are preparing for war with Russia Azerbaijan and Russia discuss increasing number of checkpoints on border between 2 countries Ombudsperson to attorneys of Frances Montpelier: POWs trials in Azerbaijan are aimed at terrorizing Armenian society Karabakh parliament to convene special session Sunday Today marks 23rd anniversary of Armenia parliament tragedy Newspaper: October 31 trilateral meeting in Russias Sochi to not be groundbreaking US State Department: Armenia-Azerbaijan direct dialogue is key to resolving issues, reaching lasting peace Armenia MOD: No wounded soldiers in military hospitals who are in severe or critical condition Ukraine Presidents Office: Kherson direction situation changing unpleasantly for Kyiv Raisi: Terrorist attack in Shiraz will not go unanswered Turkey arrests doctor who called for investigation into chemical weapons use in northern Iraq Blinken: China has decided that the status quo in Taiwan is no longer acceptable Steven Mnuchin says China will face significant economic downturn that will affect rest of world German government allows Chinese company to buy reduced stake in Hamburg port terminal 'Corridor' between Armenia and Azerbaijan becomes subject of heated debate in European Parliament Awkward lunch: Macron humiliates Scholz in Paris Polish government prepares for 'potential use of nuclear or chemical weapons' by Kremlin Iran: Unknown shoot and kill 2 IRGC members EU calls on defense ministers of bloc countries to coordinate arms purchases What will Israeli defense minister discuss in Turkey Erdogan: We cannot allow 'terrorist organizations' to take the issue of Sweden's membership in NATO hostage KGB: Opponents of authorities will begin to rock situation in country in November-December Finance Ministry: Armenia plans to increase pensions in July next year Terrorist who carried out shooting in Shiraz is foreigner Saudi Arabia slams countries for using emergency oil reserves to manipulate prices Azerbaijani who fought in ranks of AFU killed in Kiev as result of Iranian drone strike Konstantin Zatulin: You don't have to be Armenian to love Armenia and Armenians Biden's approval rating approaches lowest level of his presidency just 2 weeks before election White House tones down its previous optimism about the midterm elections Ford Motor leaves Russian market by selling its stake in Sollers joint venture Council of Lazarev Club considers ban on Konstantin Zatulin to enter Armenia outrageous trick The New York Times: Saudi Arabia pissed off U.S. by derailing a secret deal Samvel Karapetyan: Various forces are pushing Armenia away from Russia, this cannot be allowed Dubai Silicon Oasis interested in cooperation with Armenia in IT sector Jens Stoltenberg announces his intention to visit Turkey Wiktorin: EU observation mission will ease tensions Saudi Aramco: European embargo on Russian oil increases uncertainty in global oil market Turkey did not only threaten Germany as a result of recognition of the Armenian Genocide. In January of 2001, Turkey was threatening France even more, and later closed the Renault plant, due to which thousands of Turks became unemployed , reports La Tribune . In less than a month, it was a decision of the Turkish Kanal D (controlled by the government) to cease cooperation with the German ZDF that has became the only penalty. "Those kind of threats are in the style of Erdogan. They are directed towards his own electorate, "says the economist of Lili University Denise Akagyul. Those threats are purely symbolic and do not affect the Turkish-German economic relations, he added. "We cannot but notice similarities between 2001, when the French parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide. The Turkish reaction was much stronger. They threatened to boycott the French products," recalls Akagyule. In addition, there took place public demonstrations. However, the economic reality took the primary place. The Turkish boycott had serious consequences. The decision to stop production of the Oyak- Renault, left thousands of employees unemployed, not only employees of the Renault factory in Bursa , but also in the equipment factory in Turkey. It will not be easy for Turkey to continue being fastidious with such a partner like Germany, which purchases 10 percent of all the Turkish exports. In 2015, that amount increased by 8.4 % to 14.4 billion euros, as the German Foreign Ministry reports. Germany has become the second largest investor in Turkey in 2014 (10.7 % of all investments in the Turkish economy ), after the Netherlands ( 17.6 %). For Germany it is not beneficial to impair relations with Turkey as well. According to the German Federal Bureau of Statistics, in 2015 , Turkey has been the 14th among the largest markets for Germanys exports, (22.4 billion euros , or by 16 percent more than in 2014 ) . Genocide resolution about the Armenian Genocide has put Merkel in an awkward position. She and the German Foreign Minister Zigmar Gabriel did not vote. However, several days before that, on May 31, Merkel approved the text. Ceri-Sciences-Po Paris Research Center analyst Bayram Balchi comments, Merkel supported the initiative but wanted to lead a delicate game, if she would still like to discuss with Erdogan the issue of refugees. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); COCOA, Florida The Cocoa Police Department has been notified of a planned Black Lives Matter march that will occur on Friday, July 15, 2016, at 6 p.m. The approximately half-mile march will depart from the intersection of Fiske Boulevard and State Road 520, and then head north to Anderson Park in Cocoa, Florida. The march will then return the original starting point at Fiske Boulevard and State Road 520. BREVARD COUNTY, Florida Radial announced its plan to hire an additional 3,200 workers in Merritt Island and Melbourne, Florida, to support a 10-fold increase in demand during the upcoming holiday season. Radial helps retailers and brands meet their customers needs while delivering a seamless shopping experience. Radial operates customer care centers on Floridas Space Coast in Melbourne and Merritt Island that are in need of workers to help support its retail clients. Through peak season and everyday interactions, Radial employees will be trained to represent brands and retailers of all sizes, and cultivate a base of loyal, happy customers. This includes: 1. Leveraging technology that defines the gold standard of customer care, from phone to chat; 2. Handling customer issues that drive sales, as well as satisfaction; 3. Keeping response times short and customer satisfaction scores high; and 4. Achieving higher customer satisfaction scores than competitors and industry benchmarks. The holidays are a highly anticipated time for families and the busiest time of year for retail. Radial works behind the scenes to ensure our clients are exceeding their customers expectations year round, and particularly during the holiday season, said Ricardo Layun, General Manager, North American Customer Care, at Radial. Were adding thousands of workers across our network so consumers get their orders when and where they want, and get the service they expect of a seamless shopping experience. Radial is focused on service and customer convenience, and were looking for people who are excited about working with some of the worlds favorite brands. To learn more about job openings in Brevard County, Florida, visit www.radial.com/jobs From Dinosaurs to People: Reliving Orange Countys Past will be presented Sunday, July 17, at the Heritage Museum of Orange County. The free family event features paleontology, archaeology, fossils and more. Hosted by the John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center a partnership between Cal State Fullerton and OC Parks the event will be held from 11 a.m. 4 p.m. The event offers visitors the chance to learn about the regions cultural and natural history, prehistoric animals and plants and Native American culture. Other activities include guided hikes, panning for gold, childrens zone and exhibits. The Heritage Museum of Orange County is located at 3101 W. Harvard St., Santa Ana, 92704. For more information, visit the Cooper Center online. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations said that the US Commander of the Resolute Support Mission General John Nicholson called Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Wednesday and confirmed the death of terrorist Umar Mansour in Afghanistan. According to Pakistan security officials, he was killed on July 9 in a US drone attack in the Bandar area of Afghanistans Nangarhar province, Dawn online reported. Mansour masterminded the December 16, 2014, attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar which killed 122 students and 22 teachers. Mansour belonged to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) Tariq Geedar group and used to operate in Peshawar and adjoining Frontier Region Peshawar and Darra Adamkhel. Mansour fled to Afghanistan following a military operation in Khyber tribal region and continued to operate from there. He was held responsible for the September 2015 attack on a Pakistan Air Force base in Peshawars Badaber area, which killed 29 people. He was also behind the January 2016 attack on the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda in which 18 students and faculty members lost their lives. He was not considered as a threat to the US until it declared him a global terrorist on May 25 - four days after the US targeted Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a drone strike in Balochistan. --IANS ksk ( 258 Words) 2016-07-14-08:44:00 (IANS) The clashes flared up after the Taliban militants targeted security checkpoints in some villages. The security forces retaliated, forcing militants to flee, leaving behind eight bodies on the battle ground, Xinhua news agency reported. --IANS ask/ksk/vt ( 64 Words) 2016-07-14-12:18:03 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday complimented the Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) for having upheld the unique brand name of 'Darjeeling Tea' which is a welcome item on the breakfast table of people in many countries. "Tea is an important export commodity of India and promotion of tea exports a major element of India's planned economic development. India ranks second in the world in tea production next only to China," Mukherjee said while speaking on the occasion of the annual general meeting of the DTA. "Darjeeling Tea has unique place amongst all varieties of tea, especially for connoisseurs," he added. Congratulating the DTA and the Gorkha Territorial Administration for having worked in association with the central and state governments as well as the Tea Board to register Darjeeling tea as the countrys first geographical indication, Mukherjee said Darjeeling tea is Indias first product recognized by the European Commission as a Protected Geographical Indication. The President said now Darjeeling tea has become synonymous with one of the best brands of tea in the world, originating from one of the most beautiful tourist destinations of India, that is Darjeeling. --IANS bns/rn/bg ( 196 Words) 2016-07-14-15:00:01 (IANS) On the other hand, the Sensex was up 126.93 points or 0.5 percent at 27942.11. Shares such as ICICI Bank, Maruti, BHEL, SBI and ITC were amongst the top gainers while ONGC, Infosys, Sun Pharma and Dr Reddy's Labs were losers in the Sensex. Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Narendra Modi government on Thursday reached out to the principal opposition party Congress over the contentious issue of Goods and Service Tax Bill. Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu spoke to senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma. Both Congress leaders assured Naidu that they will get back to him soon after consultations within their party. The Monsoon Session will begin from July 18. Top Congress leaders had on Wednesday discussed its strategy in parliament on the GST Bill at party president Sonia Gandhi's residence. Congress has been pressing for a cap of 18 percent as part of the Constitutional Amendment bill to which government is not agreeing. Meanwhile, IT services company Tata Consultancy Services announced that its first quarter (April-June) profit is likely to fall 4.7 percent sequentially to Rs. 6,038 crore but revenue may increase three percent to Rs. 29,300 crore, according to average of estimates of analysts polled by CNBC-TV18. Company's dollar revenue is seen rising 3.8 percent quarter-on-quarter to USD 4,367.5 million in quarter ended June 2016 and three percent in constant currency. (ANI) India has given Nepalese Rs 219.9 million for the construction of a Dharmshala at the revered Pashupati Nath temple that is visited by thousands of Hindus from across the world. The Nepal Bharat Maitri Pashupati Dharmashala Building is being built at Tilganga in Kathmandu. The construction of the Dharmshala will be completed in 18 months. The Dharmashala would have provision for dormitories, family rooms, kitchen, dining hall, library and some multipurpose halls to meet the requirements of the groups and families on pilgrimage to Pahupatinath. "Apart from construction of the Dharmashala at Tilganga, the government of India has made a commitment of more than NRs 500 crore towards reconstruction of important cultural heritage sites that were damaged during the devastating earthquake of April-May 2015," said an Indian Embassy statement. In the past, as part of India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme, the Government of India has been extending financial assistance towards restoration, preservation and creation of necessary facilities at different sites of religious-cultural importance in Nepal such as Museum building, Lumbini, Dharamshala at Muktinath, ponds at Janakpurdham, water-reservoir at Manokamana etc. Indian Ambassador Ranjit Rae and Govind Tandon, Member Secretary, Pashupatinath Area Development Trust (PADT), other officials and representatives from different Ministries and PADT were present during the signing ceremony. --IANS giri/lok/rn/vm ( 222 Words) 2016-07-14-21:46:00 (IANS) Bollywood actor Salman Khan has finally filed his response with regard to his much-controversial "raped woman" analogy before the Maharashtra State Commission for Women here today. "Salman Khan has filed his response to the notice issued by Maharashtra State Commission for Women yesterday" said MSCW chief Vijaya Rahatkar. Rahatkar further said the commission is going through the contents of his reply, adding the next course of action will be decided accordingly. "Maharashtra State Commission for Women is going through the contents of Salman's reply and will soon decide its next course of action," she said. The 50-year-old actor had failed to appear before the Commission twice earlier after being summoned. On June 22, the MSCW had issued a notice asking Salman to appear before it on June 29 to explain his position on the 'raped woman' analogy. When he failed to appear, the MSCW had issued summons to him on June 29 asking the actor to appear before it on July 7. The actor after being summoned for the first time had sent a letter to the MSCW panel through his lawyer in which he stated that the case was already being heard by the National Commission for Women (NCW), adding the matter cannot be heard simultaneously at two places. However, Salman later defied the NCW's summons and failed to appear before it on July 8 to clarify his remark. The 'Dabangg' actor landed in a soup last month during the promotion of the recent blockbuster movie 'Sultan'. "When I used to walk out of the ring, after the shoot, I used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn't walk straight," he said. Although Salman was quick to apologise immediately after the comment, his statement irked women activists and other human rights groups, who demanded an apology from the actor. The actor's father Salim Khan and brother Arbaaz Khan had earlier come out in his support along with some other B-Town celebs stating that the intention behind the 'rape' remark was not wrong. (ANI) After drawing flak for tweeting about a film shoot last month when Mathura in her Lok Sabha constituency was engulfed by violence and tension, veteran actress-politician Hema Malini has said she would "restrict" her Twitter updates to "film and dance activities". In the violent confrontation between the police and encroachers, 24 persons, including two senior police officers, were killed in firing by encroachers. It caused disruption of life in Mathura and its neighbourhood. It was only after her party leaders directed her that Hema Malini rushed to Mathura from Mumbai. "Good afternoon everyone! I am fine and I always read all your comments! Thank you all for your patience and for encouraging me every day! After giving it a lot of thought I have decided to restrict my Twitter updates to my film and dance activities. I am an artiste and will always remain one," Hema tweeted on Thursday. Hema added that she started tweeting for her fans and will continue to give them news of her activities "other than politics". "As an MP I have always worked sincerely for my constituency and will continue to do so without being prompted by anyone. My conscience is clear," she added. The 67-year-old actress shared that her upcoming film "Shimla Mirchi", which also stars Rajkummar Rao, is ready for release. She said: "And now for something for my fans. 'Shimla Mirch' is ready for release. A lovely light-hearted film, it is bound to find favour with everyone." The Bollywood "Dream Girl" actress says she has completed dubbing for the film and is happy with the results. "Working with Ramesh Sippy ji was a pleasure and I'm looking forward to the release too," she added. --IANS dc/ank/vt ( 297 Words) 2016-07-14-16:30:01 (IANS) He was rushed to a private hospital where he was diagnosed to have sustained a fracture on his leg. A surgery was performed this morning on the fractured leg. He was admitted at the Intensive Care unit and his condition was said tobe normal. Kamal returned from the United States a couple of days back after shootingfor his upcoming trilingual comedy 'Sabaash Naidu'. Sources close to the actor said, since Kamal Hassan was under treatment, he would not participate in the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF) this weekend where he was scheduled to receive the Lifetime Achievement award.UNI GV CS 1048 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-835048.Xml Soumya Jain, the daughter of Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain, today resigned from the post of advisor to the Mohalla Clinic project of the Delhi government after her appointment came under criticism from the Congress and the BJP, sources said. She was appointed as adviser to the project of the Delhi government, under which 1000 mohalla clinics are to be set up across Delhi to make health services acceptable to all. Her appointment came under criticism from the BJP and the Congress who charged AAP with encouraging nepotism. Mr Jain had earlier defended Soumya's appointment saying that she had joined the project as an adviser on a voluntary basis and would not draw any benefits or remuneration from the Delhi government.UNI AR SV SB 1120 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0103-835066.Xml Consul General of France in Puducherry, Phillipe Janvier Kamiyama, Puducherry District Collector Sathyendra Singh Dursawat (on behalf of the Lt.Governor), representatives of the French lower house from Puducherry, and retired French Defence personnel were among those who have placed wreaths at the "Monument Aux Morts" (Monument of the unknown soldier) on the Goubert Avenue here on the occasion. India and French National Anthems were sung on the occasion and French National flags were hoisted atop on all the French buildings. Mr Kamiyama will be hosting a party at the consulate here this evening in which senior functionaries of the administration will take part. A lantern carrying procession called "retraite aux flambaux" was organized by the French consulate here late last evening in which French citizens enthusiastically participated.UNI PAB CS 1230 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-835209.Xml Police said acting on a tip off, a "Q" branch police team, led by Inspector of Police R.Kennedy nabbed the quartet, identified as Kannan (29) of Virudhunagar district and three Sri Lankan Nationals--- Yogeswaran (33), Mohammed Kanzur (39) and Mohammed Nibbas (59). The cops seized 850 grams of heroin from them, suspected to be meant for smuggling to Sri Lanka. Investigation revealed that Yogeswaran and Mohammed Kanzur were the inmates of Sri Lankan Tamils Refugee Camp at Kandiyapuram in Virudhunagar, while Mohammed Nibbas was residing at Thirupalaikudi. Later, the quartet was handed over to Town police for further investigation. UNI GSM CS 1331 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-835352.Xml "Congratulations to @theresa_may on taking over as the new UK PM. Looking forward to working with her for stronger India-UK ties," Modi tweeted. The Prime Minister also appreciated former British Prime Minister David Cameron for his contribution toward India-Britain ties. "I also appreciate the significant contribution of @David_Cameron in strengthening India-UK ties," he said in another tweet. Theresa May on Wednesday became Britain's second female Prime Minister. --IANS bns/ask/rn/bg ( 111 Words) 2016-07-14-14:42:01 (IANS) BJP today termed the silence of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi over the suicide incident of Mangaluru Deputy Superintendent of Police M K Ganapathy in Karnataka as ''unfortunate''. ''Rahul Gandhi's silence over DySP Ganapathi suicide issue is unfortunate,'' BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma told reporters here. The BJP leader questioned that why Mr Gandhi has not visited the state till now. DySP Ganapathy had committed suicide alleging harassment by a Minister and two IPS Officers on July 7. In a interview with a local TV news channel, Ganapathy had alleged harassment at the hands of minister K J George and two other IPS officials before committing suicide on July 7.UNI NY RSA AE 1442 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0099-835412.Xml In a submission in this regard, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that Nair was named as a second accused in the Rs 5 crore cheating case. Without the knowledge of other Directors, Sreedharan Nair pledged 6.12 acres of land belonging to Nilambur Institute of Medical Limited to secure Rs 5 crore loan, he added. The other directors came to know this only when a notice was issued to attach the property, he said. Demanding his ouster, he alleged that Mr Pinarayi Vijayan was keeping a tainted official in a top post. In his reply, the Chief Minister clarified that "the court had not directed to file a case against him, But, it had only started hearing the petition." Replying to Opposition allegation over legal advisor M K Damodaran appearing for lottery king Santiago Martin, the Chief Minister said Damodaran, who is appearing in the case as his own choice, was not receiving any remuneration from the Government. Questioning the Government stand on the issue, the Opposition leader asked the Chief Minister "what is the guarantee that Damodaran may not appear for Jisha murder accused?"UNI DS CS 1443 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0324-835456.Xml As part of the European Higher Education Virtual Fair India and South Asia 2016, a series of webinars are being organised from July 13-16 to provide a virtual dialogue platform between European higher education institutions (HEIs) and Indian students. The series of webinars will have subject sessions on popular courses sought by Indian and international students in European universities such as Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology, Business management and marketing MBA and medicine and health. "Each subject webinar session comprises a two-hour session with four slots during which different European universities will address the students about the opportunities they offer to international students," a statement issued by the organisers said here. The student will thus be able to talk to different European universities in real time, from the comfort of his or her home or hostel and without spending any money whatsoever. The first ever such Virtual Fair was held last year in November which attracted the participation of more than 3200 Indian and South Asian students in 75 webinar sessions involving more than 30 EU HEIs. The webinars are aimed at Indian high school and college students looking to go abroad for higher education.There were over 4000 universities in Europe having 19 million students. Every year, some 200,000 international students go to Europe, of which some 50,000 are Indian.UNI MK RSA AE 1623 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0090-835706.Xml Shouting slogans, Kashmiri Pandits, settled in the Valley in various state government departments under Prime Minister Rozgar Yojna this morning protested outside the office of the Relief Commissioner here. The protestors demanded security at their work places alleging that the situation in the Valley is worst and they are being targeted by the 'fanatic' elements. "Government has totally failed in keeping its words and its only an exercise on experimental basis by the Centre to rehabilitate the Kashmiri Pandit community in the Kashmir Valley," R K Bhat, president Youth All Samaaj Kashmiri Pandits told UNI. He said that if the government cannot take care of 1600 employees, then how it will be possible to settle over 60,000 members of the community in the Valley. "The present situation has cleared the dust that the Kashmiri Valley is not ready to accept the Pandits and the 90s like circumstances are being repeated," Dr Ajay Chrungoo, Panun Kashmir chairman said. Dr Chrungoo said that there is no scope of rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the Homeland and the government is making mockery of the promises and the assurances they made in the recent past.UNI VBH JW AE 1606 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-835663.Xml After having led the Congress to three consecutive victories in the national capital in 1998, 2003 and 2008, Sheila Dikshit will now steer the ship of the party in Uttar Pradesh, where it is looking to make a comeback after being in wilderness for over three decades.Ms Dikshit, who was today chosen by the Congress party as its Chief Ministerial candidate, has behind her an impressive electoral record, having led the party to three consecutive electoral victories in Delhi, before losing in December 2013 elections to the Delhi Legislative Assembly, at the hands of Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, who replaced her as Delhi's chief minister.The 78-year-old Dikshit is credited with bringing about the transformation of Delhi through introduction of the CNG and Metro and lining the city with flyovers.Ms Dikshit is also a known face in UP politics, being the daughter in law of Uma Shankar Dikshit, a veteran Congress man and former Minister. During the period between 1984 and 1989, she represented Kannauj parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh. As a Member of Parliament, she served on the Estimates Committee of Lok Sabha. Ms Dikshit also chaired the Implementation Committee for Commemoration of Forty Years of India's Independence and Jawaharlal Nehru centenary.She represented India at United Nations Commission on Status of Women for five years (19841989). She also served as a Union Minister during 19861989, first as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and later as a Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office. In Uttar Pradesh, Ms Dikshit and her 82 colleagues were jailed in August 1990 for 23 days by the state government when she led a movement against the atrocities being committed on women. Earlier, in the early 1970s, she was chairperson of the Young Women's Association and was instrumental in the setting up two of the most successful hostels for working women in Delhi. She is also the Secretary of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.In her career spanning decades, Ms Dikshit also had her share of controversies. Questions were raised when she privatised Delhi Electricity Board and handed it over to Reliance and other private companies.This decision was made an election plank by AAP, which accused her of doling out favours to private companies. She is married to Vinod Dikshit, son of independence activist and former West Bengal Governor Uma Shankar Dikshit, who came from Ugu village of Unnao.UNI AR/RG RP1710 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0377-835790.Xml The European Commission proposed on Thursday measures to boost the size of the EU market for venture capital in a bid to diversify access to capital for smaller companies in Europe.Venture capital funds invest in riskier, emerging firms that are usually shunned by banks and other more conservative investors. The industry is seen as important to foster innovation but remains a small player in Europe with a market of 5 billion euros ($5.55 billion), five times smaller than in the United States.Small and medium companies in Europe receive 75 percent of their funding from banks, and have recently struggled to get capital as the banking sector faced higher capital requirements.In an attempt to expand the venture capital market, the Commission, the EU executive arm, has proposed to allow larger funds to invest in riskier start-ups without facing higher requirements.So far, only funds with assets under management up to 500 million euros could operate across the EU with the lower legal requirements granted to European Venture Capital Funds (EuVECA) and European Social Entrepreneurship Funds (EuSEF). This threshold will be abolished.The Commission also proposed to expand the assets in which venture capital funds can invest, to include smaller firms. Red tape and fees for venture capital managers will also be lowered.The fund industry supported the Commission proposal. EU states and the European Parliament will have to approve the proposals before they can take effect.Brussels is also planning to use the EU budget to create a venture capital fund of funds with a size of at least 500 million euros which could attract major investors.The average size of European venture capital funds is 60 million euros, half the size of the US. The public contribution to the possible fund of funds is still to be defined. REUTERS SDR RAI1626 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-835738.Xml Hardik Patel, the 23-year-old leader of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), who is in jail since last nine months for spearheading the pro-quota agitation, is expected to be released from Surat's Lajpore Jail tomorrow. Hardik's supporters have planned celebrations of his freedom during his two days of stay in the state allowed by the Gujarat High Court which has granted him a conditional bail, saying he should remain outside the state for the next six months. "Hardik would set a record of sort, covering 2,150 km in 48 hours addressing 12 public meetings, seven road shows and two maha-rallies. He would meet roughly 1.5 million people in these two days," PAAS spokesperson Brijesh Patel said. "He would do so in Surat, Rajkot, Botad and Viramgam," he added "Gabbar is back," scream posters and banners that have come up in Surat and Rajkot, the two major centres of the pro-quota agitation. Hardik would be welcomed in his hometown Viramgam with shower of flowers from a helicopter. Hardik has been given permission to visit his hometown to collect his belongings before he leaves the state for a six month exile and an additional three month exile from his hometown. He would also be appearing in Ahmedabad sessions court on July 16 to submit a fresh affidavit as per the orders of Gujarat High Court last Monday. His family members are expected to arrive at the Lajpore jail tomorrow morning. "Girls from Patidar community will welcome Hardik outside the jail and then he will be taken across Surat city by a sea of humanity in a procession," Dharmik Malaviya, PAAS Surat convenor said. However, even before Hardik steps out of jail, his freedom has created a flutter, with talks of his public gathering and rally in Surat unlikely to get local government permission. The reports coming in from Surat suggest that the talks between the local administration and PAAS representatives continues. "We are being told that the chief minister is going to be in Surat for several scheduled public functions and it would be difficult to grant permission. However, she herself is daughter of a Patel and we are sure she would respect the feelings of the community and let us celebrate this event in grand scale," Dinesh Bhamaniya, PAAS leader and close aide of Hardik told mediapersons. The state government on its part claimed that it was keeping a close watch on the activities of Hardik and supporters. "We have withdrawn cases and facilitated bail as per the law. It is responsibility of everyone to follow the law," Nitin Patel, senior Cabinet minister in Anandiben Patel government said. UNI ND JW AE 1840 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-836126.Xml President Pranab Mukherjee conveyed his greetings and felicitations to Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzadin Waddaulah on his birthday which falls tomorrow. In a message, the President said, "On behalf of the Government, the people of India and on my own behalf, it gives me immense pleasure to extend to Your Majesty warm greetings and felicitations on the happy occasion of Your Majesty's 70th birthday. ''We wish Your Majesty all success in the fulfillment of the aspirations of the friendly people of Brunei Darussalam. Bilateral relations between our two friendly countries have been strengthened thanks to the recent high level exchanges between the two countries and I am confident that our ties will continue to be further deepened for the benefit of our two peoples in the years to come.'' ''Please accept, Your Majesty, my best wishes for Your Majesty's good health and for the well-being, progress and prosperity of the friendly people of Brunei Darussalam,'' the President said.UNI AR RSA AE 1845 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0377-836060.Xml Met Department has predicted moderate to heavy rain in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and North Eastern region during the next 24 hours. Weathermen have also forecast showers in Goa during next five days. South west monsoon has covered the entire country a couple of days ahead of its schedule. Weathermen said, the country received 24 percent above normal rainfall in July and four percent above normal showers since June one. According to them, monsoon rain is likely to intensify in the Himalayan region, eastern and northeastern parts of the country. Rain lashed the national capital which kept the mercury within comfortable range today but pushed humidity levels up making life difficult for Delhiites. Meanwhile, life is limping back to normal in flood-ravaged parts of Madhya Pradesh, while heavy rain lashed some places in Rajasthan and central Maharashtra. The flood situation in Assam continued to remain grim in Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Morigaon, Barpeta, Biswanath and Jorhat districts where the deluge has affected 1.11 lakh people. Two persons died in landslides in Guwahati today. A local official said, while one girl died at Noonmati area, another person lost his life due to landslide at South Sarania. District administration has set up a team to monitor construction in Guwahati city and find out unsafe residential areas.UNI TEAM SHK 1805 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0430-835990.Xml As thousands massed at the Idgah at Achabal town to mourn the death of Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani, a speaker roared: "It is time for jehad." In no time, unprecedented mass fury engulfed the southern part of the Kashmir Valley. This was the morning of July 9, a day after security forces had gunned down Wani, a top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen and one of the most wanted men in Jammu and Kashmir. But the government didn't get to celebrate. Since all connectivity was cut off after Wani's killing, people used loudhailers in mosques to urge everyone to take to the streets. In no time thousands, women and children included, responded. The call for "jehad" followed prayers in absentia for the fallen militant at the Achabal Idgah. As an IANS correspondent watched, the entire area resounded with full-throated pro-freedom, anti-India slogans. Unlike in 2008, 2009 and 2010, elders and women too joined the protests this time. Young men and the not so young began pelting stones at police and paramilitary personnel. As security forces responded with tear gas, women offered water to the street fighters. A crowd reached the small Achabal police station, which also houses a company of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and a handful of young men unfurled a Pakistani flag there. This irked the security forces and their retaliation suddenly escalated. They began using pellet guns and live bullets. This resulted in the first casualty of Anantnag district: 14-year-old Yawar Manzoor who was shot in the head. He died instantly. The situation was no different in the other three south Kashmir districts -- Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian. In all four districts including Anantnag, telephone and Internet lines had been cut, roads were sealed, curfew was imposed and other restrictions followed after Wani was killed. Wani, who had recruited over 100 educated Kashmiri youths to his organisation, was popular on the social media. Till he died, the whole of southern Kashmir was in a festive post-Ramadan mood. As soon as it became known that he had been killed in the tiny village of Waibam Doora, some 20 km from here, shops were shuttered, public and private transport went off the roads and people began marching towards the area from the entire region. At Achabal, seven km from Anantnag town and where this correspondent was present, a frenzied mob tried to invade the police station and set it on fire. A watch tower was pulled down. Security forces kept firing. Four more people fell dead. More than 100 people were injured, many critically. There was chaos on the streets as the injured and the dead were rushed on handcarts and stretchers to the area's only primary health centre, which quickly ran out of beds. Most of the injured were shifted to the Anantnag Hospital in ambulances which alone could ply during curfew. Anantnag district accounted for 16 deaths in all. It was the first time mosque loudspeakers had been used to fuel mass protests. One announcement named a local policeman who was accused of firing at the mob. The crowds were egged on to set fire to his house. In no time, this was done. None of the neighbours came to the rescue of the policeman's family as the house got razed. A hotel owned by a MLA in Kokernag, some 10 km from Achabal, was also gutted similarly. So was a judiciary building at Dooru, 20 km from Anantnag. Wani's killing suddenly turned the region, known as a tourist paradise because of lush green meadows and springs, into a war zone. The tourists fled. For long, Wani had harried the security forces. Even in death, he became a major headache, his burial at Tral attracting massive crowds that police sources said were more than 100,000 strong. According to police, 17 militants joined the burial, openly flaunting their weapons. In Anantnag, no one really knows when the region will see "normalcy" again. (Aadil Mir can be reached at aadil.hussain@ians.in) --IANS ahm/mr/bg ( 686 Words) 2016-07-14-19:20:01 (IANS) Police today identified the body, which was found as unidentified, bereaved over an old 'kabristan' (Mosque cemetery) at Peringodi Jumamasjid at Mammimukku near Thalassery. Police has also taken into custody of three cemetery employees and investigation is going on. Prima facie it is suspected that burial employees killed the business man to loot the money when he arrived at the mosque for evening prayer on July 9. According to New Mahe police, They identified the body of P P Sidhik (69), who was resident of 'Tahiras house' at New Mahe near Grama Panchayat office. He was the owner of a hollow bricks company and also engaged for the sale of other essential commodities for the burial function . Police said, last evening an unidentified body was found partially buried over an old burial grounds while searching the missing Sidhik since July 9 evening. The local people and police conduct a search at 'kabristan' following a foul smell. This morning, Thalassery DYSP Shaju paul, Deputy Collector T Biju and people representative led team examined the body, identified it and conducted post-mortem. The new burial was conducted just three feet above the old kabirstan of M K Abdhulla, who died on 2012, after removing the name stone. Police also found a shirt, mobile phone and a purse at burial ground. The locals also noticed from a CCTV installed a company that Sidhik was gone to the mosque on July 9 but not seen the return from mosque. Police took into custody of three people, who are engaged as burial employees in this mosque and prima facie suspected that thousands of money were kept Sidhik in his pockets every time. This is known to the the burial employees, Ali his brother Yousef and grandson Akbar and they murdered while try to loot the money. UNI AK JW AE 1923 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-836105.Xml Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said the state government will set up a skill development centre in collaboration with Netherlands to provide modern technology to farmers on potato, dairy and floriculture.Besides, the Netherlands government will help in cleaning Yamuna in Agra and help UP government in sprucing up sewerage treatment in the Taj city. An MoU was signed today between Netherlands and Government of UP. On behalf of Netherlands, its Ambassador in India Alphonsus Stoelinga and Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Deepak Singhal signed the MoU in presence of Chief Minister and other senior officials. Under the agreement, Netherlands will help in solid waste management, development of infrastructure in cities, water management, revival of water bodies, transport management besides reclamation of 1500 acre land in Kanpur basin area. The Chief Minister said the main objective of the agreement is to involve Dutch agribusiness in the opportunities identified by the UP agriculture, food processing, and agri-logistics sectors. "Both parties agreed to do so by investigating and jointly establishing training and knowledge centres on horticulture, potato production, agrilogistics, cold chain and value addition (processing). One of the main objectives of the UP administration is the development of knowledge and skills for farmers in UP,"Mr Yadav said Chief secretary Deepak Singhal said, in September 2014 CM had visited Netherlands and he got inspired by the Dutch system to improve production, marketing, distribution and processing of its food products. "CM has asked officials to use that knowledge to increase income of the farmers. This MoU will help in translating the dream of Chief Minister to reality," he said.UNI MB JW AE 2000 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-836338.Xml Shortly after being declared as chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh, senior Congress leader Sheila Dikshit today exuded confidence that the party would be able to improve its performance in the assembly polls, scheduled early next year.Addressing mediapersons after the announcement, Ms Dikshit said, ''I am confident that with hard team work, the party will be able to improve its tally in state assembly polls.''The three-time Delhi Chief Minister Ms Dikshit also thanked the party leadership for making her the party's face for state assembly polls even as she admitted that conquering this Hindi heartland state will be a challenging task for her. ''It's a big responsibility. I want to thank party high command for believing in me. UP is a big state, it will be a challenge. ''Accepting a challenge is a good thing, and we accept it,'' said Ms Dikshit in her first reaction. She said she will try her best to live up to the expectation of Congress, which has entrusted her with mammoth task for reviving party's electoral fortunes in the most populous state. The 78-year-old Dikshit said the Congress will go into fray in Uttar Pradesh with a clear hope to win this time. Pressing for a bigger role of Nehru Gandhi scion Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in UP polls, Ms Dikshit stressed that the former was quite popular among party workers and masses and that she wants that Ms Vadra contribute in polls. Speaking about the state politics, Ms Dikshit said, ''People of UP should not tolerate anymore. The state should be number one.'' Ms Dikshit is no stranger to UP politics, being the daughter-in-law of Uma Shankar Dikshit, a veteran Congress man and former Minister. During 1984 and 1989, she represented Kannauj parliamentary constituency of the state.Earlier, Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor had advised party's top brass to make a Brahmin party's face in Uttar Pradesh. Many are seeing Ms Dikshit elevation in this context. UNI RG/AR RSA AE 1935 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0377-836241.Xml Terming the Congress a ''sinking ship'', the BJP today said the party cannot change its poll prospects, by projecting Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial candidate for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. BJP's reaction came soon after senior Congress party leader and three-time Delhi Chief Minister Ms Dikshit was named the CM candidate for the UP assembly polls to be held early next year.Addressing reporters, BJP leader and Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said, "No point on changing pawn on a sinking ship."Another BJP leader and party national secretary Shrikant Sharma said that appointment of Ms Dikshit will have no impact as the Congress has no presence in Uttar Pradesh. After weeks of speculation, the Congress today declared senior party leader Ms Dikshit as its chief ministerial candidate for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls to be held early next year.Ms Dikshit is also a known face in UP politics, being the daughter-in-law of Uma Shankar Dikshit, a veteran Congress man and former Minister.During the period between 1984 and 1989, she represented Kannauj parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh. As a Member of Parliament, she served on the Estimates Committee of Lok Sabha. Ms Dikshit also chaired the Implementation Committee for Commemoration of Forty Years of India's Independence and Jawaharlal Nehru centenary.The 78-year-old Dikshit is credited with bringing about the transformation of Delhi through introduction of the CNG and Metro and lining the city with flyovers.UNI NY RSA AE 1956 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0427-836347.Xml New Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Thursday that the issue to uplift the welfare of minorities in the country should be taken up as a "duty" and not a mere formality. "We will have to treat the issue of uplift of minorities as a duty and not a formality. For the last several decades, only formality was done in the name of development of minorities," Naqvi said in a press statement here. Due to such policies, he said, the minorities were left behind on the path of progress and prosperity. "We have to work towards empowerment of minorities with complete honesty," Naqvi said. The minister asserted that there is no lack of funds for the welfare of the minorities but what is necessary is effective implementation and for this officials have to play an important role. Naqvi, who was earlier this week given the independent charge of the ministry after resignation of Najma Heptullah, said he would soon meet officials and review the implementation of various schemes of the minorities. --IANS nd/vd ( 189 Words) 2016-07-14-20:46:01 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, expressing concern over the breakdown of administrative and constitutional machinery in the state and alleged attacks on Amarnath pilgrims, today appealed to Governor N N Vohra to intervene and assess the situation under powers conferred upon him under Section 92 of the constitution of the state. JKNPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh lampooned the government for having failed to respond appropriately to the situation created in the wake of killing of Hizb Commander and the resultant turbulence witnessed in the valley. He regretted that with dozens of people killed, more than 1500 injured and religious pilgrimage being assaulted, it was virtually a case of anarchy and lawlessness prevailing in Kashmir with no signs of government on the ground. ''The Ministers who ought to have come out of their hiding and made them-selves available to the civil society had deliriously shun their responsibility thus allowing the situation to further deteriorate,'' the JKNPP leader here told reporters. Alleging total collapse of law and order with administration having lost control over the fast deteriorating situation, Mr Singh said the separatists, subversives and anti nationals had virtually taken control of the situation with repeated calls for extensions of violent protests. He said most alarming was the dis-arming of the security personnel who were ordered by the BJP-PDP govt. not to use force despite the gravest provocations of the saboteurs or inspite of the violent attacks by them. Holding the appeasement Policy pursued by the incumbent government responsible for the prevalent crisis, Mr Singh said the government had taken several unsavoury decisions at the behest of separatists and others anti national forces which had emboldened such elements. ''The decision taken for release of 634 stone pelters reportedly linked to ISI and other terror outfits, consent for opening of Nepal route for return of militants, vacation of land from Army, refusal of Abhinav Gupt Yatra, denial of Sainik Colonies and KP Townships were all under the explicit dictates of separatists thus encouraging them to intensify their fissiparous tendencies,'' he asserted. UNI VBH PY SW 2112 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-836463.Xml Describing the recent incident in Jammu and Kashmir as "internal affair" of India, the Congress today said Pakistan should not interfere in the matter."Whatever is happening in Jammu and Kashmir is the internal matter of India. Pakistan should not interfere in it. Pakistan has been doing this since 1947. It should not stop doing this,'' Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters here.Describing the situation in the Valley as 'serious', he appealed to all sections to maintain peace and calm.He also urged the television channels to air news in a balanced manner and said they should not telecast anything that was likely to have an adverse impact on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir."The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is the same as was the case in 1989. It is everyone's responsibility to bring the situation under control,'' he said.He also urged the police and armed forces to observe restraint and draw a distinction between the militants and common man.Noting that several people had died and nearly 1600 people injured in the violence in Jammu and Kashmir in the past few days, he said the seriously injured should be flown to Delhi for treatment.UNI AR SW 2036 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0377-836420.Xml Minister for Information and Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday spoke on the phone with Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and sought the Congress party's support to pass the GST Bill, BJP sources said. The GST Bill has been pending for long in the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks a majority. According to BJP sources, the government is likely to hold talks with Congress leaders to sort out differences on the issue. A meeting of top Congress leaders with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on the issue is likely to be held in a day or two. Azad said that meetings in this regard will continue but didn't specify the party's stand. "We are meeting and more meetings will take place in the next few days," he said. The Lok Sabha had cleared the GST Bill in May 2015. --IANS aks/rn/vm ( 186 Words) 2016-07-14-21:54:04 (IANS) Twenty six-year-old accused K Rama Rao alias Ramu, who yesterday noticed the woman weeping in front of the temple in Vittalwadi area, told the victim that he will perform a special puja to enable her to get rid of her problems. Accordingly, as instructed by the temple priest, the victim came to the temple with turmeric and five lemons, Narayanguda police said here today. The accused took the victim into his room located on the temple premises on pretext of performing special puja and allegedly raped her. Based on the complaint lodged by the victim, a case of rape, wrongful confinement and cheating under relevant sections of IPC was registered and the accused was arrested. The woman has been sent for medical examination, the police added.UNI KNR PY SW 2216 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-836532.Xml Vietnam respects China's stance on the South China Sea arbitration case, which was unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, and maintains that such disputes should be solved peacefully through negotiations, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Thursday night. During a meeting with Premier Li Keqiang in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, Phuc also said Vietnam stands ready to push forward bilateral maritime negotiations and properly manage differences with China, in order to contribute to regional peace and stability. Li called on Vietnam to jointly safeguard peace and stability with China in the South China Sea. The meeting was held at the hotel where Li and his delegation are staying on the eve of the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting summit. Phuc said the common interests of Vietnam and China far override their disparities, and Vietnam ranks its ties with China as a top priority in its foreign relations. He added that Vietnam is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with China and enhance cooperation in various fields. Li also met with Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis on Thursday. They also will attend the ASEM summit, scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Ulaanbaatar. Li reiterated Beijing's stance on the South China Sea, saying the issue should be resolved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Li said China has been very clear on its stance of not recognizing or accepting the ruling issued by the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague on Tuesday. The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea has helped maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea for more than a decade, Li said. Xu Liping, a senior research fellow with the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the meeting of Li and Phuc, which came at the peak of tensions in the South China Sea, has sent an important signal to the outside. "It shows that China and Vietnam, two countries that also have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, have the political will to solve the issue,"said Xu. "That means there is a strong political foundation between the two nations to solve the issue through a bilateral and peaceful way. The situation in the South China Sea is in control, unlike what is described by foreign media. Pan Jin'e, an expert on Vietnamese studies with the academy, said that besides the discussion on the South China Sea, the meeting was important because it was the first between the two leaders after Vietnam's key Party conference elected the new leadership. "The new Vietnam prime minister's remarks can be seen as a promise that the previous framework of bilateral cooperation, including that on maritime negotiation, will go on under the new administration." ''Two battalions comprising over 1500 Army troops of Infantry Battalion were rushed this morning from Nagrota based White Knight Corps (16 Corps) to Srinagar,'' defence sources here told UNI. Sources said the troops will be under the act on the directions and supervision of Srinagar based Chinar Corps (15 Corps). ''The troopers will be a reserved force and 'standby' in the violence hot Kashmir, unless the peace prevails," sources added. Kashmir is on boil since January 8 after Burhan's death in a fierce gun battle and so far 37 people have been killed and over 2500 are injured in protests.UNI VBH PY SW 2308 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-836564.Xml Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday called for a new session on August 8, Xinhua news agency reported. Lebanon has been without a president since the term of former President Michel Suleiman ended on May 25, 2014, and the sharp political division among the Lebanese parties hindered the elections of an incumbent. "The political decision blocking the election of a president is still ongoing and history will pin the blame on those who are obstructing this vote," independent MP Butros Harb told the media after the session. Only 37 MPs arrived at the parliament building to take part in the session, while two thirds of the 128-seat parliament represents the required quorum. According to the National Pact, the president should be a Christian Maronite while the speaker is a Muslim Shia and the premier is a Muslim Sunni. The constitution stipulates that in case of the absence of a president, the Cabinet takes charge of running the country until the election of a president. However, the Hezbollah and some of their allies have been boycotting the electoral sessions, demanding a prior agreement on the president. --IANS ksk ( 216 Words) 2016-07-14-08:14:01 (IANS) A Chinese man who pleaded guilty to conspiring to hack into the computer networks of Boeing and other major US defense contractors, was sentenced to nearly four years in prison, prosecutors said.Su Bin, 51, was charged with taking part in a years-long scheme by Chinese military officers to obtain sensitive military information. In addition to the 46-months-long prison term, a judge in US District Court in Los Angeles also ordered Su to pay a 10,000 dollars fine."Su Bin's sentence is a just punishment for his admitted role in a conspiracy with hackers from the People's Liberation Army Air Force to illegally access and steal sensitive US military information," John Carlin, assistant attorney general for national security, said in a statement."Su assisted the Chinese military hackers in their efforts to illegally access and steal designs for cutting-edge military aircraft that are indispensable to our national defense," the statement said.Su was arrested in Canada in 2014 and ultimately consented to US extradition.He pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiring to gain unauthorized access to a protected computer and to violate the Arms Export Control Act. REUTERS RSD 0420 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-834918.Xml The United States is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalize on an international court ruling that denied China's claims to the South China Sea, several US administration officials said."What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally," said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages.Some were sent through US embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said."This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the US is leading a coalition to contain China," the official added.The effort to calm the waters following the court ruling in The Hague on Tuesday suffered a setback when Taiwan dispatched a warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend Taiwan's maritime territory.The court ruled that while China has no historic rights to the area within its self-declared nine-dash line, Taiwan has no right to Itu Aba, also called Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys. Taipei administers Itu Abu but the tribunal called it a "rock", according to the legal definition.The US officials said they hoped the US diplomatic initiative would be more successful in Indonesia, which wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the South China Sea to which China says it also has claims, and in the Philippines, whose fishermen have been harassed by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels.'UNKNOWN QUANTITY'One official said new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains "somewhat of an unknown quantity" who has been alternately bellicose and accommodating toward China.Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ahead of the ruling he had spoken to Carter, who he said told him China had assured the United States it would exercise restraint, and that the US government made the same assurance.Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Lorenzana added.Meanwhile, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed yesterday at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a move the State Department said would increase tensions rather than lower them."We don't have a dog in this fight other than our belief ... in freedom of navigation," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Wednesday. "What we want to see in this very tense part of Asia, of the Pacific, rather, is a de-escalation of tensions and we want to see all claimants take a moment to look at how we can find a peaceful way forward."CONTINGENCY PLANHowever, if that effort fails, and competition escalates into confrontation, US air and naval forces are prepared to uphold freedom of maritime and air navigation in the disputed area, a defense official said yesterday.Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own."I don't think China wants a confrontation with the United States," he told reporters. "They don't mind a confrontation with a Vietnamese fishing boat, but they don't want a confrontation with the United States."The court ruling is expected to dominate a meeting at the end of July in Laos of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.US Secretary of State John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, will attend the ministerial.Sino-American relations suffered two fresh blows yesterday as a congressional committee found China's government likely hacked computers at the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the United States challenged China's export duties on nine metals and minerals that are important to the aerospace, auto, electronics and chemical industries. REUTERS RSD 0423 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-834919.Xml Republican Donald Trump conducted last-minute talks with his top potential picks for his vice presidential running mate, trying to choose among three experienced politicians, each with unique strengths and weaknesses.In Indianapolis, Trump had a breakfast meeting with Indiana Governor Mike Pence, and later sat down for talks with former US House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich. His family met on Tuesday with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who speaks to Trump on a near-daily basis.In addition, US Senator Jeff Sessions, 69, of Alabama, a fourth potential candidate for the No. 2 spot who has been a close adviser to Trump, was seen going into the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis, where Trump was.A source close to the campaign said Trump appeared to be leaning toward Pence but that he could always change his mind. "It's not done until it's done," the source said yesterday.Trump seemed to be trying to decide between Pence and Gingrich, the source added.Trump is to be formally nominated at the Republican National Convention next week in Cleveland. Traditionally, the vice presidential choice is used to build enthusiasm among party loyalists.Pence, who faces a Friday deadline on whether to have his name on the ballot to seek another term as governor, said he was humbled to be considered for Trump's running mate."I think he's giving it very careful consideration, and we're humbled to be a part of that," Pence told reporters later. "There are a number of other noteworthy Americans that they are considering, and I'm just honored to be on that list."Trump is expected to announce his choice on Friday. Republicans close to the campaign said they believed the New York businessman had narrowed his short list to Pence, Gingrich and Christie.He has campaigned with all three in recent days as he girds for perhaps the most consequential decision of his campaign ahead of the November 8 election.In a sign of how seriously the campaign is considering Pence, Trump was joined at the governor's residence for breakfast by his daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. Kushner and Trump's children have played important roles in the campaign.Trump's children met with Christie on Tuesday, a source close to the governor confirmed, describing the meeting as good and saying both parties had an existing relationship and were already friendly.Trump, who wants an experienced politician to join him on the ticket, campaigned with Pence at a rally on Tuesday night in Westfield, Indiana.'MORE ATTENTION THAN USUAL'The presumptive Republican nominee has a tough choice to make.Pence, a 57-year-old former congressman who has flirted in the past with a presidential run of his own, would be perhaps the safest choice for Trump given the governor's popularity among conservatives and his experience in government. He would also bring Midwestern appeal.But Pence has had a couple of missteps as Indiana's chief executive. A religious freedom law he signed had to be revised because it was seen as discriminating against gays and lesbians, and he had to abandon plans to create a state-run news agency."Throughout history vice presidential selections seldom make much difference in the election. Because Trump has never held office and people are anxious to see how he would assemble a government, this pick might get more attention than usual," said Republican strategist Charlie Black."Pence would be a very good pick from the standpoint of having federal and state government experience, and also he has been a card-carrying member of the conservative movement his whole life," Black said.Trump is clearly comfortable with both Gingrich and Christie, a factor that Trump advisers say is important to him. Both Gingrich and Christie have been supportive of Trump throughout much of his bitter feud with establishment Republicans.Gingrich is popular among many Trump advisers because of his grasp of policy and his counsel. He was House speaker when Democrat Bill Clinton was president in the 1990s, and they achieved welfare reform, among other legislative achievements."Trump has staked his candidacy on revolutionary change in Washington and there is no one being considered who has actually achieved revolutionary change like Newt Gingrich," said Rick Tyler, a former spokesman for Gingrich. "If Trump picks him, I'll know that Trump is serious about reforming Washington."But at age 73, Gingrich could have trouble appealing to younger voters. Trump is 70.Christie, 53, is seen as a kindred spirit of Trump who would be a strong attack dog against Democrat Hillary Clinton, 68. But many conservatives doubt he really is one of them.REUTERS RSD 0433 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-834922.Xml Republican Donald Trump conducted last-minute talks with his top potential picks for his vice presidential running mate and said he would announce his choice on Friday in New York."I will be making the announcement of my Vice Presidential pick on Friday at 11am in Manhattan. Details to follow," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee tweeted yesterday night.Trump had a breakfast meeting yesterday with Indiana Governor Mike Pence, and later sat down for talks with former US House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich. His family met on Tuesday with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who speaks to Trump on a near-daily basis.In addition, US Senator Jeff Sessions, 69, of Alabama, a fourth potential candidate for the No. 2 spot who has been a close adviser to Trump, was seen going into the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis, where Trump was.A source close to the campaign said Trump appeared to be leaning toward Pence but that he could always change his mind. "It's not done until it's done," the source said.Trump seemed to be trying to decide between Pence and Gingrich, the source added.The New York businessman is to be formally nominated at the Republican National Convention next week in Cleveland. Traditionally, the vice presidential choice is used to build enthusiasm among party loyalists.Pence, who faces a deadline tomorrow on whether to have his name on the ballot to seek another term as governor, said he was humbled to be considered for Trump's running mate."I think he's giving it very careful consideration, and we're humbled to be a part of that," Pence told reporters later. "There are a number of other noteworthy Americans that they are considering, and I'm just honored to be on that list."Republicans close to the campaign said they believed Trump had narrowed his short list to Pence, Gingrich and Christie.He has campaigned with all three in recent days as he girds for perhaps the most consequential decision of his campaign ahead of the November 8 election.In a sign of how seriously the campaign is considering Pence, Trump was joined at the governor's residence for breakfast by his daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. Kushner and Trump's children have played important roles in the campaign.Trump's children met with Christie on Tuesday, a source close to the governor confirmed, describing the meeting as good and saying both parties had an existing relationship and were already friendly.Trump, who wants an experienced politician to join him on the ticket, campaigned with Pence at a rally on Tuesday night in Westfield, Indiana.'MORE ATTENTION THAN USUAL'Trump, a political outsider before entering the presidential race last year, has a tough choice to make.Pence, a 57-year-old former congressman who has flirted in the past with a presidential run of his own, would be perhaps the safest choice for Trump given the governor's popularity among conservatives and his experience in government. He would also bring Midwestern appeal.But Pence has had a couple of missteps as Indiana's chief executive. A religious freedom law he signed had to be revised because it was seen as discriminating against gays and lesbians, and he had to abandon plans to create a state-run news agency."Throughout history vice presidential selections seldom make much difference in the election. Because Trump has never held office and people are anxious to see how he would assemble a government, this pick might get more attention than usual," said Republican strategist Charlie Black."Pence would be a very good pick from the standpoint of having federal and state government experience, and also he has been a card-carrying member of the conservative movement his whole life," Black said.Trump is clearly comfortable with both Gingrich and Christie, a factor that Trump advisers say is important to him. Both Gingrich and Christie have been supportive of Trump throughout much of his bitter feud with establishment Republicans.Gingrich is popular among many Trump advisers because of his grasp of policy and his counsel. He was House speaker when Democrat Bill Clinton was president in the 1990s, and they achieved welfare reform, among other legislative achievements."Trump has staked his candidacy on revolutionary change in Washington and there is no one being considered who has actually achieved revolutionary change like Newt Gingrich," said Rick Tyler, a former spokesman for Gingrich. "If Trump picks him, I'll know that Trump is serious about reforming Washington."But at age 73, Gingrich could have trouble appealing to younger voters. Trump is 70.Christie, 53, a one-time rival to Trump in the presidential race, is seen as a kindred spirit of Trump who would be a strong counterpuncher to Democrat Hillary Clinton, 68. But many conservatives doubt he really is one of them.REUTERS RSD 0717 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-834944.Xml In the backdrop of Islamabad's tacit support to the ongoing unrest in the Kashmir valley, India has denounced Pakistan as a country that covets the territory of others, uses terrorism as an instrument of state policy and provides sanctuary to UN designated terrorists. Speaking at the high-level thematic debate on "UN@70 Human Rights at the center of the global agenda'' yesterday, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin said Pakistan was the same country whose track record has failed to convince the international community to gain membership of the Human Rights Council. Pakistan was ''a country that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to UN designated terrorists; and a country that masquerades its efforts as support for human rights and self-determination,'' he added. Mr Akbaruddin's strong comments came after Pakistan raised the issue of the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in the valley. Pakistan's envoy Maleeha Lodhi had described him as a 'Kashmiri leader' and termed his killing as 'extra-judicial'. The Indian envoy said cynical attempts by Pakistan, like the one made by Ms Lodhi earlier in the day, would find no resonance in this forum or elsewhere in the UN. Asserting that India as a diverse, pluralistic and tolerant society, he said the country's commitment to the rule of law, democracy and human rights was enshrined in its founding principles. ''We remain strongly committed to the promotion and protection of all human rights for all through pursuit of dialogue and cooperation.'' India and Pakistan have been engaged in a war of words since the killing of Wani. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had described Wani's killing as a violation of human rights and the country's Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif also condemned the killing. On its part, India has asked Pakistan not to interfere in its internal affairs. UNI XC AT SB 1234 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0103-835218.Xml German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today she had invited Britain's new prime minister Theresa May for talks in Berlin and that she was looking forward to working with her."It's our task to work very closely with governments of ally countries," Merkel told a news conference after talks in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, adding there were many problems in the world that made such close cooperation necessary.The chancellor said she spoke to May on the phone late yesterday and invited her for talks in Berlin. "I look forward to working together," she added.Merkel declined to comment on May's surprise decision to appoint Boris Johnson, a leading Brexit campaigner who had until recently been seen as her main rival for the prime minister's job, as foreign secretary.On Wednesday, May's office said that she had told Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on the phone that her government would need time before beginning talks on Britain's exit from the European Union.REUTERS PR SB1230 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0105-835202.Xml A US Congressional panel has demanded cutting off all US assistance to Pakistan to persuade Islamabad to act against the Afghan Taliban groups which allegedly are using its territory to launch operations into Afghanistan, a move that PM's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz says is motivated by "baseless concerns of a section of US lawmakers". Some US lawmakers and witnesses also suggested declaring Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism and imposing economic sanctions, if, Islamabad did not eliminate the alleged terrorist safe havens on its territory. The Tuesday afternoon hearing--'Pakistan: Friend or foe?', produced more heat than expected and at some points it came close to challenging the country's very existence as a sovereign state, a report in the daily Dawn from Washington said. More than once Pakistan was called manipulative and accused of treating the United States like chumps. "They are making chumps out of us..,..They see us we are being so stupid..,..It seems like paying the mafia," the newspaper report quoted Congressman Matt Salmon, Chairman of the Asia and Pacific Subcommittee of House Foreign Affairs Committee, as saying. "If I may use an undiplomatic term, we have been patsies," said former US ambassador to Kabul, Baghdad and the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad. Mr Khalilzad, who is an ethnic Afghan, claimed that Pakistan leaders had gamed the American system for decades. "Patsies chumps..,..Most Americans see out of this and yet our so-called leaders do not really get it," said Mr Salmon while endorsing Mr Khalilzad's views. The comments, broadcast live on the internet, prompted the Pakistan embassy in Washington to clarify that the United States and Pakistan were still allies and there is "positive counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries", the report added. Mr Aziz downplayed the move, describing it as motivated by 'baseless concerns of some US legislators'. The statement recalled the October 2015 joint statement of US President Barack Obama and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in which the US leader "affirmed Pakistan's role as a key counter terrorism partner and recognised the sacrifices that Pakistani civilians, military, and law enforcement personnel have made over the years as they confront terrorism and militant groups", the newspaper report noted. The embassy also noted that both leaders also renewed their common resolve to promote peace and stability throughout the region and to counter all forms of extremism and terrorism. It pointed out that after a recent visit to Pakistan, Chairman of the Senate's Armed Services Committee, Senator John McCain, saw first-hand the results of military operations in North Waziristan, and acknowledged the results saying "I am impressed by the progress on ground", the newspaper report added.. "We need not remind the sceptics that no country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan," the reportquoted the embassy's spokesman Nadeem Hotiana as saying. "Pakistan's resolve to fight back the menace of terrorism is second to none. The extraordinary success of operation Zarb-i-Azb is a testimony to Pakistan's unwavering commitment to eliminate terrorism from its soil," he added. But there was no mention of Pakistan's commitment to fighting terrorism at Tuesday's joint hearing of the House subcommittees on Terrorism, Non-proliferation and Trade and Asia and the Pacific. Ambassador Khalilzad and Bill Roggio, senior editor of the Long War Journal, called for cutting aid to Pakistan and placing it on the list of state sponsor of terrorism. "At the end they are treating us like chumps. And we are more than willing to keep on handing out money to Pakistan," Mr Roggio said in his testimony."Pakistanis are very clever in manipulating us. I have to say that," added Mr Khalilzad. He claimed that Pakistani leaders and officials reached out to US lawmakers, invited them for visits and charmed them with promises that were never implemented. Pakistan's ability to manipulate US legislators and policy makers ensured the continuation of US military and economic assistance to the country, he added."My experience in dealing with Pakistan is that they will only give you something when they know that they are going to get something," said Mr Khalilzad, who dealt with Pakistani officials as a senior diplomat of the Bush administration.Congressman Dana Rohrabacher said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia 'created' the Taliban and the Haqqani network and Pakistan was protecting them, the report added.He said the continuation of US aid to Pakistan was "ridiculous" and urged the US administration to reach out directly to people of different Pakistani regions instead."People of Balochistan should understand that the US is on their side for their independence and self-determination from a corrupt, viscous terrorist supporting regime," Mr Rohrabacher said. "Same with the Sindhis, same with other groups in Pakistan."He claimed that the Pakistani "regime" was repressive and was "corrupt with their own people." And yet "we continue to give them some type of support ... absolutely absurd," he added.Congressman William Keating, a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade, focused on Pakistani intelligence agencies and asked panelists if the agencies were "a state within a state". "It is by no means a rogue institution within Pakistan. It does not operate independently or on its own. It is an instrument or an arm of the Pakistani army," said Tricia Bacon, an assistant professor at the American University."It is implementing the policies of the Pakistani army. It is implementing on behalf of the Pakistani army.""I concur with my colleagues," Mr Khalilzad said.Congressman Salmon suggested that as the first step, the United States should completely cut off aid to Pakistan."That would be the right first step. If we do not (make) any changes, we move some of the other suggestions, state sponsor terrorism, possible economic sanctions," he added."I have never heard such harsh comments being used against a US ally," said a Western journalist after the hearing.The two subcommittees are associated with the House Foreign Affairs Committee. They can be instrumental in passing legislations that persuade the administration to take the action they require.Tuesday's hearing, held by known anti-Pakistan elements within Congress, aimed at bringing pressure on Pakistan to act against the Taliban groups allegedly based inside the country. UNI XC ADG SS -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0103-835228.Xml China said today it had issued a formal protest after Australia announced it would continue to exercise its right to freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea following a court ruling against China's claims.The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague concluded this week that China had no historic claim to the waters and it had violated the Philippines' economic and sovereign rights.China rejected the ruling, having declined to participate in the case saying the court had no jurisdiction.Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop urged all South China Sea claimants to resolve their disputes peaceful, saying Australia would keep exercising its international rights to freedom of navigation and overflight, and support the right of others to do the same.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China had formally protested against Australia's "wrong remarks", and that China hopes Australia does nothing to harm regional peace and stability."Honestly speaking, I'm a bit shocked at Bishop's comments," Lu said.Australia should join the majority of the international community in not taking the result of the "illegal outcome" of the case as international law."We hope that Australia can set more store by international law, and not treat it as a game," Lu added, repeating that China respected freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law.While China and Australia have close business ties, including a free trade agreement, Canberra is also a strong security ally of the United States.Bishop told ABC radio yesterday that China's reputation would suffer as a result of the court ruling, insisting relations with the international community were crucial to its rise as a superpower."To ignore it would be a serious international transgression," she said.Asked today by reporters what Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's message to his ministers was in a cabinet meeting immediately after Tuesday's ruling was delivered, Budget Secretary Benjamin Dioko answered, quoting Duterte."Let's be magnanimous in victory. Let us not do anything. They are already piqued and you taunt them more. It is really hard to enforce that decision. How do you enforce it? But he said we will start the bilateral talks and now we're starting from a better position. Because of that decision we are on a better place."China claims much of the South China Sea, through which more than 5 trillion dollar of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims. REUTERS SDR RAI1451 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-835504.Xml US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew urged European Union and British officials to be pragmatic and flexible in talks on Britain's departure from the EU, and said he would meet new finance minister Philip Hammond later today."I will be meeting with the new chancellor (finance minister) this afternoon, I look forward to it," Lew told a news conference after meeting German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble in Berlin."We believe that it is in the best interests of Europe, of the United States and the global economy to end up with a result that produces a highly integrated relationship between the UK and the EU," he said of negotiations on Britain leaving the EU."We think it is critical that negotiations take place in a pragmatic, transparent and smooth manner where both sides to demonstrate flexibility in order to produce results that are the right outcome," Lew added."Let us have a mutually acceptable and amicable outcome."The US economy is performing "in a stable way" despite global headwinds, he said, adding that the Group of 20 leading economies should use "all of the tools, including structural reforms, and fiscal policies as well as monetary policy.""We think it's important that the G20 continues to consult on exchange rates and to work closely and to make sure that we don't see competitive devaluations," Lew added.REUTERS SDR RAI1710 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-835851.Xml India cannot call the situation of Jammu and Kashmir an internal matter, as the issue is recognised under the UN, the Pakistan foreign office spokesman said today.Amid tensions between India and Pakistan after the top Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani's killing by the security forces in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir last week, Pakistan Foreign Office (PFO) welcomed United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's offer to mediate peace talks between both the countries.Spokesman of the PFO, Nafees Zakaria here said that it is the responsibility of UN to intervene in the issue concerning both the countries and get it resolved, Pakistan's daily Dawn reported. "UN body should play its role for implementation of its resolutions," he added. Earlier, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the Secretary General's 'good offices' worked only when both parties agreed to mediation.Mr Zakaria rejected the Indian government's view that ongoing unrest in Jammu and Kashmir is an 'internal' matter and strongly condemned the fresh wave of violence and atrocities committed against Kashmiris by the security forces."Only option to resolve this issue is 'dialogue'," Mr Zakaria said. UNI XC DS RP1718 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0177-835824.Xml France will end a three-year military peacekeeping operation in Central African Republic in October, Franois Hollande has said, although security remains volatile.The operation was launched in December 2013 to try to end a cycle of tit for tat killing that began when mainly Muslim Seleka fighters toppled the then-president, prompting reprisals by Christian anti-Balaka militias.The defence ministry says Operation Sangaris currently commands around 350 troops in CAR, down from a peak of 2,000, and supports a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping force.Hollande announced the operation's end date late yesterday. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had announced in January the operation would end this year.Clashes have continued since President Faustin-Archange Touadra took power in March in an election intended to draw a line under intercommunal and interreligious violence."Next October Jean-Yves Le Drian ... will go to Central African Republic to officially announce the end of operation Sangaris," said Hollande in a speech in Paris."I want to state clearly that deciding to intervene is a great responsibility, but knowing when to end an operation is also a major concern," the president added."You can't do it too fast, too early, or too late," he said.REUTERS SDR AS1717 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-835873.Xml Two soldiers have been arrested in Ivory Coast accused of failing to denounce suspected members of an al Qaeda cell that killed 19 people in a March attack on a beach resort town, military officials said today.The raid on Grand Bassam, 40 km from the commercial capital, Abidjan, by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the jihadist group's North African affiliate, was the furthest yet from its traditional desert base.Authorities in Ivory Coast and neighbouring Mali have arrested a number of suspects since the attack.Ivory Coast's military prosecutor Colonel Ange Kessi said the soldiers were not accused of participating directly in the Grand Bassam plot."The two soldiers knew certain members of the unit that attacked the beach in Grand Bassam and did not signal that to their hierarchy, which is a serious offence under the military code of justice," he said.They are due to stand trial at the end of August, Kessi added.The attack in Grand Bassam, during which gunmen shot swimmers and sunbathers before storming into several hotels, also harmed French-speaking West Africa's largest economy, a rising star on the continent.AQIM has killed dozens of people in a series of attacks against high-profile civilian targets in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast since late last year. It says they are intended as revenge for a 2013 French-led intervention against Islamist groups in Mali. REUTERS SDR VN1749 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-835957.Xml UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura voiced hope today that a US-Russian meeting would achieve progress on the Syria peace process, including a halt to indiscriminate bombing and a formula for political transition."Let's see what happens in Moscow in the next few hours. Let's hope there is some type of general understanding or progress," he told reporters in Geneva as US Secretary of State John Kerry prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Secretary Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.De Mistura is waiting for certain conditions to allow him to call a new round of peace talks in Geneva, with the goal of delivering a road map for Syria's political transition in August. The talks' chief sponsors, the United States and Russia, have conducted a lot of informal diplomacy, de Mistura said."I think the next few days are crucial in order to make sure we know where they stand. When the two co-chairs agree on something..., that helps a lot."A US- and Russian-backed ceasefire agreed in late February has largely fallen apart, partly because there is no agreement over the exact location of fighters belonging to the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, which is a legitimate target in UN eyes.Opposition groups have accused Russia, the main ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, of carrying out air strikes on rebels who should be protected by the ceasefire arrangement.Agreement on stopping indiscriminate bombing and a formula for a political transition would create the necessary conditions for a new round of talks and the possible basis of a peace deal, de Mistura said.He declined to comment on a Washington Post report that the United States was proposing increased cooperation and intelligence-sharing with Russia to identify and target Islamic State and al Qaeda operations in Syria.Jan Egeland, who chairs the United Nations weekly humanitarian task force, said fighting had prevented access to besieged areas and that the government continued to remove medical supplies from aid convoys.The rebel-held east of the city of Aleppo, where at least 200,000 people are cut off from aid, is meeting conditions to be considered Syria's 19th and largest besieged area, Egeland said. In some besieged areas such as Madaya, malnutrition was worsening. "Starvation is next," he said. REUTERS SDR RAI1751 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-835976.Xml General Singh, who is on a five-day tour of Australia, visited the Australian School of Military Engineering and appreciated the combat engineering skills and professionalism, a defence ministry release said. "The army chief has extended an invitation to the Australian Army to participate in the inaugural Joint Special Forces Training Exercise being planned in India in October 2016," the release said. General Singh was also briefed on the largest Australian LHD (landing helicopter dock) -- HMAS Adelaide. The Australian Army showcased some of its best facilities and institutions during the visit. --IANS rak/ps/bim/vm ( 148 Words) 2016-07-14-19:30:01 (IANS) Uganda's army began evacuating citizens from inside neighbouring South Sudan today where fighting between forces loyal to the president and his rival has plunged the nation into its worst crisis since the end of a two-year civil war.After the civil war erupted in 2013, Uganda's forces also crossed into South Sudan to assist with evacuations, but in that case they also stayed on to help President Salva Kiir secure the capital Juba. At the time this raised worries about the conflict widening but the forces withdrew late last year.This time, Uganda said its troops, who witnesses said entered South Sudan in trucks and armoured vehicles, would stay in a town outside Juba and focus on evacuations.But a Ugandan official said a fresh flare-up could mean a longer stay, without giving a timeline.Juba has been calm since Monday evening, when Kiir and Riek Machar - the former rebel leader and now vice president - ordered their forces to cease hostilities. But residents remain tense and many foreigners have been leaving."It's a short-term mission but it can be complicated by new developments," Uganda's government spokesman Ofwono Opondo told Reuters, adding that "you can expect us to stay" if fighting flared again and more people wanted to leave.The regional African grouping IGAD has called for the UN mission UNMISS to be given a stronger mandate to enforce peace in South Sudan and called for extra troops to keep order.The United Nations said it was ready to work with IGAD on the proposals after thousands of civilians in Juba fled to U.N. bases in the capital to seek refuge.HOPES FOR CEASEFIREKiir said there was no need to add to the 12,000-strong UNMISS force. "UNMISS here has so many foreign troops, so we will not accept even a single soldier here," he told a news briefing.Festus Mogae, the former Botswana president who heads the international mediation and monitoring body JMEC, met Kiir today and said he wanted talks.Many foreigners have been evacuated from South Sudan, the world's newest nation which is still recovering from the civil war which killed thousands of people and drove more than 2.5 million from their homes.Some shops opened up today and more people were on the streets. The airport has reopened and Kenya Airways resumed scheduled flights today."We all hope the ceasefire will hold ... But at the moment the situation is very unstable," deputy German ambassador to Uganda, Petra Kochendoerfer, said in Uganda's capita Kampala late yesterday where evacuated German citizens were arriving.Washington said yesterday it had deployed 47 troops to South Sudan to protect US citizens and the embassy in Juba.Kiir and Machar have long been political and military rivals. Kiir's decision to sack Machar in 2013 led to the civil war erupting a few months later. They signed a peace deal in August 2015 and then argued over details amid sporadic fighting.Machar finally returned to Juba and resumed old post as vice president in April. But other moves outlined in the peace deal, such as integrating their forces, have stalled.REUTERS SDR RAI2000 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-836368.Xml BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The international community has continued to criticize the biased arbitration on the South China Sea dispute, while calling for bilateral negotiations to solve the issue. On Tuesday, the Hague-based tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award, denying China's long-standing historical rights in the South China Sea. ILLEGAL ARBITRATION, VOID AWARD Chinese government, white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea" -- The Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law. Ashfaqur Rahman, former Bangladeshi ambassador to China -- What the tribunal has done can never be called an arbitration. Chang Ya-chung, professor of politics at Taiwan University -- The award is totally nonsense and malicious, a result of political maneuvering. Omar al-Mekdad, Syrian expert on Chinese affairs -- The decision taken by the tribunal in The Hague is politicized and has deliberately overlooked the historic facts about China's sovereign right over the South China Sea territory. Shahid Qureshi, London Post editor and political analyst -- I am of the view that the tribunal must review its position and jurisdiction for the sake of the institution it stands for; otherwise it will become a joke in the legal history as they did not follow the due process of law. CHINA TO GIVE PROPER RESPONSE Liu Zhenmin, Chinese vice foreign minister -- The ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) is not a Chinese invention, but rather that of some big powers. If our security were threatened, of course we have the right. It depends on our comprehensive judgment. Qu Xing, Chinese ambassador to Belgium -- If other parties insist on creating tensions, China will have no choice but to deal with tensions in a proper way. But I am convinced that peace and stability in the region will be maintained. Chheang Vannarith, chairman of the Cambodian Institute for Strategic Studies -- Regional tensions are going to rise. It would be a mistake to calculate or assume that China will scale down its sovereign claims and activities in the South China Sea after the ruling. BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS NEEDED Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the United States -- China remains committed to negotiation and consultations with other parties (in the South China Sea). This position has never changed and will not change. Butch Valdes, former undersecretary, Philippine Department of Education -- The negotiation must start immediately. And the arbitral ruling is both useless and irrelevant. Tom Zwart, professor of law at Utrecht University in the Netherlands -- I hope that after a day of celebration perhaps in Manila, they will come to their senses and pick up the phone to contact the leaders in Beijing and say "we have to resolve this peacefully." Mohamed Mustafa Al-Daw, head of external relations committee, Sudanese parliament -- We back China's call for resolving the South China Sea dispute through dialogue and negotiation as the most appropriate means to safeguard the world peace and security. ZAGREB, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Although the tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government has announced its so-called final award, the decision won't have any serious consequences, Croatia's former president Stjepan Mesic told Xinhua on Wednesday. Mesic said although he didn't follow the case thoroughly and doesn't want to interfere in the dispute, he still believed both parties had to participate in the arbitration, otherwise the arbitration has no sense. "I have always advocated an implementation of the international law. But a custom is that both parties in the dispute have to agree to participate in the arbitration," Mesic said. The arbitration was unilaterally initiated in 2013 by the former Philippine government and its award was issued on Tuesday. China has refused to participate in the proceedings, reiterating that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case. "Only when both countries agree to appear before an international tribunal can the ruling be acceptable," he added. He thinks parties have to agree not only to take part in arbitration, but they mutually have to elect judges and decide how to implement the court decision. On Wednesday, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic in an e-mail to Xinhua expressed the belief that the best solution is one in which both sides agree. Enditem ST. PETERSBURG, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The crew of the Russian Ropucha class landing ship Alexander Shabalin successfully passed the navy exam during the military training exercise on Wednesday. According to the press service of the Western Military District of Russia, the crew completed a gun practice with 57-mm artillery units and an amphibious assault landing, which included the landing of ten armored personnel carriers. The Project 775 Ropucha class landing ship, Alexander Shabalin, 112.5 meters in length and 15 meters in beam, can carry 450 tons of cargo, and with a capacity of 10 main battle tanks and 340 troops. Enditem RABAT, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Morocco has taken all the necessary security measures to ensure the success of the climate summit COP 22 slated for November in Marrakech, a senior official said on Wednesday. Cherki Drais, Moroccan Minister delegate for the Interior, underlined that preparations are going smoothly, and Moroccan security services are paying the highest levels of vigilance in the kingdom's ports and airports. He made the remarks at a meeting in Rabat with a delegation of 27 reporters from 15 African countries, on a visit to Morocco to cover the preparations under way for holding the climate summit. The COP 22, or the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is to take place from November 7 to 18 in the Moroccan city of Marrakech. Morocco has a great experience in the field of organizing international, Arab and African summits and conferences which had attracted thousands of participants from around the world, the official said. He added that the government is striving to facilitate media coverage for this worldwide event and making sure that journalists are working in good conditions. The UNFCCC entered into force in 1994, aiming at reducing greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. The Conference of the Parties (COP) was designated as the supreme governing body of the convention. Enditem BUENOS AIRES, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Around 4,000 Argentinean tourists who travelled to Chile at the weekend were now stuck there as the Cristo Redentor border crossing was closed due to heavy snow, local media reported on Wednesday. "Thousands of people enjoyed the long weekend and the start of winter holidays (in the southern Hemisphere) crossing into Chile," said daily Clarin. "The international Cristo Redentor crossing has been closed since July 10 due to intense snow and at least 4,000 people cannot return to their country," the report said. On Wednesday, the Argentinean transport ministry confirmed the closure of the crossing, saying that it was "is due to the accumulation of snow and strong winds on Chilean territory." The passage could remain closed for the next few days as heavy snow is expected to hit the mountain area on Thursday, Clarin quoted a local source. Two other border crossings, El Pehuenche in the Argentinean city of Malargue and El Jama in the province of Jujuy, were also closed. Enditem WASHINGTON, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The White House said on Wednesday the United States had sent additional U.S. military personnel to South Sudan to boost security of the U.S. embassy in the country. "The first of these additional personnel, approximately 47 individuals, arrived in South Sudan on July 12, 2016, supported by military aircraft," said U.S. President Barack Obama in a letter to the U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan. According to the letter, though equipped for combat, these additional military personnel's main mission would be to protect U.S. citizens and property amid the deteriorating security situation in South Sudan. "Additional U.S. Army Forces, including approximately 130 military personnel currently pre-positioned in Djibouti, are prepared to provide support," the letter added. South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013 following a falling out between President Salva Kiir and his then sacked deputy Riek Machar. Under a peace deal signed by the two under UN pressure last August, a unity government was formed in April with Machar returning to his old post. However, tension again rose in past weeks between government troops of Kiir and forces loyal to Machar, raising concerns that the war-torn country could again descend into war. Enditem BRATISLAVA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Every EU member state has a right to use their own way on how to adopt to climate change and meet energy agenda targets, said Slovak Economy Minister Peter Ziga here on Wednesday. The words of Ziga came at a press conference following an informal session of EU ministers of energy and climate change on Wednesday in Bratislava. The first item on the session's agenda was energy charges and their impact on EU competitiveness. The second half of the talks revolved around the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG), underground gas reservoirs and their contribution towards EU energy security. According to Ziga, EU member states concurred in the need to draft comprehensive analyses on the impacts of all newly-approved measures, particularly with an eye towards the competitiveness of European companies. "We emphasised that every country has a right to choose own measures in order to meet climate-related and energy aims, in line with the principle of technological neutrality," said Ziga. He added that the EU must continue the construction of infrastructure connections to that end and develop dialogues with third countries on a global scale. LNG represents an "area with significant potential" for the EU. "This issue was discussed at the highest political level for the first time here today in Slovakia," said Ziga. He stressed that carrying out measures designed to diversify gas sources via LNG is necessary for member states and important particularly in terms of energy security. Enditem This photo taken on July 1, 2016 shows children resting as people wait to be registered as displaced persons in a South SudanRedcross compound in Wau, South Sudan. (AFP/CHARLES LOMODONG) UNITED NATIONS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The UN under-secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, Herve Ladsous, on Wednesday called upon the UN Security Council to give a stronger mandate for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) against a backdrop of the current unstable security situation in the world's youngest country. In his briefing to the UN Security Council on South Sudan, Ladsous said that the securing freedom of movement for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) "remains an uphill battle" as security forces limit the mission's movement every step of the way. He proposed that the UN Mission there be extended until the end of August to allow a rapid assessment on the need for a stronger mandate. The current mandate of UNMISS will expire on July 31. The 15-nation UN body is expected to adopt a resolution to renew the mandate of UNMISS later this month. "The current situation in the country remains fluid and uncertain," Ladsous said. "The secretary-general's recommendation for a technical roll-over of the UNMISS mandate remains valid and necessary, while we conduct an assessment of the requirements to address the situation on the ground." The temporary arrangement should be for one month to give the UN Secretariat time to do a quick assessment, consult the region and the African Union and make recommendations to the Security Council, he said. The clashes between government and opposition forces took place in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, leaving some 272 people, including 33 civilians, killed on Friday. Ladsous said that UNMISS had been able to conduct limited patrolling again to assess the security situation, and the safety and security of personnel and assets at United Nations compounds. He urged the South Sudanese government to allow UNMISS and humanitarian actors freedom of movement and access to provide vital assistance to the affected civilian population. Ladsous said that, as of Wednesday, humanitarian partners are estimating that at least 42,000 civilians have been displaced by the fighting in Juba. Seven thousands of those are accounted for at the two UNMISS compounds and the remaining approximately 35,000 are sheltering between the World Food Programme compound, non-governmental organization (NGO) compound and several churches in the city. Meanwhile, he expressed great concern about the potential for the resumption of violence and spill over into other parts of the war-torn country. The country again plunged into conflict in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup, which the latter denied, leading to a cycle of retaliatory killings. President Salva Kiir and former rebel leader and now First Vice President Machar signed a peace deal in August that paved way for the formation of the transitional unity government to end more than two years of civil conflict. UNITED NATIONS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Some 226,000 people in the highlands of Papua New Guinea face severe food insecurity due to El Nino induced drought, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Wednesday. The humanitarian community, supported by donors and private sector contributions, is supporting the government's drought response efforts, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here, citing OCHA. Macharia Kamau, one of the two UN special envoys on El Nino and climate, visited Papua New Guinea earlier in July, and called for a greater focus on both immediate response and preparedness for future climate shocks. El Nino, the Little Boy in Spanish, and its sister La Nina, the Little Girl, contribute to changes in climate and weather. They have been blamed for doubling of major droughts in the world in 2015. by Jia Anping, Carlos Acat Koch LIMA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Peru's President-elect Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has said that his government will maintain an open-door foreign policy in order to boost economic development and attract investment from countries like China. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua at his home in Lima, Peru's capital, Kuczynski said the last three governments all promoted good investments while demanding environmental responsibility in areas like mining. "There will be no change," he said, adding that his foreign policy would be "to maintain good relations with all countries. Obviously, as I have said, as China is our main trading partner, we will put special emphasis there." He said that he was greatly looking forward to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Lima in November. During the presidential election campaign, the leader of Peruvians for Change, a center-right party in Peru, pledged that one of his first state visits abroad will be to China. "China is the largest country in the world in terms of population and market size, that is why I want to go there. I want to speak with President Xi Jinping about the market we have, about we can offer in terms of mining and other products," he said. "We have a free-trade agreement and I want to encourage Chinese industrial investments in Peru, especially in mineral processing," he added. According to Kuczynski, large Chinese mining projects in Peru such as Toromocho and Las Bambas are exporting concentrations with as much of 50 percent of earth. "We have everything we need to handle the processing here," he said. While Peru is a self-sufficient country, Kuczynski said, it requires capital and advanced technology that it currently does not have. Concerning the possible Trans-Oceanic Railway project to link the Pacific to the Atlantic and a collaboration between China, Peru and Brazil, Kuczynski said "it was an interesting idea that needs deep study as some people believe it should go through the north of the country and some believe it should go through the south." "The project must also guarantee that traffic will flow in both directions," he added. Kuczynski admitted that Peru has a severe lack of infrastructure, with a list of potential projects covering new railway lines, including a massive expansion of Lima's urban railway. He added that Lima's urban railway will be revised, on the model of Tokyo and Shanghai, as part of its urban planning strategy. Acknowledging that previous governments have been friendly toward investors and seeking to follow in their footsteps, Kuczynski said his administration will seek to modify Peru's export basket and orient it toward higher value-added content. However, "this will happen while requiring investments with reasonable environmental standards. If they are not reasonable, they cannot come here." This is why Kuczynski's government will rapidly outline clear investment rules and help foreign companies in their negotiations with communities in Peru. The president-elect will accompany this with a "social step forward", especially in mining areas, with the government providing the funds to build schools and electricity grid expansions, alongside foreign investments. Despite weakening global demand for minerals, Kuczynski said Peru remains very competitive "by being the largest producer of low-cost copper in the world." MEXICO CITY, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Mexico has taken a major step towards meeting its clean energy goals, Energy Minister Pedro Joaquin Coldwell said Wednesday. Addressing an energy reform forum in the eastern state of Tabasco, Coldwell said a recent government tender, which was won by China's Jinko Solar and 10 other firms, would ensure the country's future supply of clean energy, regional daily Tabasco Hoy reported. "We carried out a tender so that the CFE (Federal Electricity Commission) can buy clean energy in the future and fulfill the commitments to reduce the greenhouse effect," said Coldwell, referring to Mexico's pledge to contribute to the fight against global warming. The 11 winners of Mexico's first clean energy tender signed contracts on Tuesday for the 18 projects they will take on to provide clean energy. Chinese solar company Jinko Solar, along with companies from Mexico, Spain, Italy and the U.S., have all benefited from Mexico's energy reform, which allows private interests from around the world to take part in this sector for the first time. The 18 projects involved in this first round of contracts will add 2,085 megawatts of installed capacity at a total investment cost of 2.6 billion U.S. dollars over the next three years, according to an official release from the Ministry of Energy. Of the 18 projects, 12 are solar projects while six are wind farms spread across the states of Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Tamaulipas and Yucatan. China's Jinko Solar won the right to operate three of the solar projects, with a joint installed capacity of 188MW, with two of them located in Yucatan and one in Jalisco. Mexico aims to generate at least 25 percent of its electric energy from clean sources by 2018, with that rate rising to 35 percent by 2024 and 50 percent by 2050. During the signing ceremony in Mexico City, Coldwell said all these companies were being trusted to take the Mexican electric market to unprecedented heights of clean energy. According to Coldwell, this first tender marked an international first given the low prices being charged to the winners for the generation of renewable energy, a trend which will continue during the second tender in September. Undersecretary of Electricity Cesar Emilio Hernandez added that 88 firms had signed up to take part in the second tender but that this number could go up to over 100. As part of the energy forum hosted by the People's University of Chontalpa, officials unveiled the first solar panel PV (photovoltaic) system to be installed at a public university, the regional daily said. UNITED NATIONS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned the assassination of Hafsa Mossi, former Burundian minister for East African community affairs, in the capital Bujumbura early in the day. The secretary-general extended "his deepest condolences" to Mossi's family, said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman. "This despicable act of violence only serves to promote divisions, entrench mistrust, and destabilize the country." Mossi was ambushed by gunmen when she was driving along Nyankoni Avenue in Bujumbura. Burundian Police Spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye said that Mossi died later when she was evacuated to hospital. The UN chief "reiterates the need to intensify efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the crisis in Burundi and calls on all parties concerned to engage fully and in good faith in the peace process led by the East African Community (EAC)," the statement said. The United Nations will continue to provide assistance to the EAC-led dialogue process and its Facilitator, former President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, it added. Mossi was Burundi's information minister and government spokeswoman between 2005-2007, and was, at the time of her death, a member of the East African Legislative Assembly, a regional parliament. WUHAN, July 13, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Armed police soldiers prepare for the breach of the embankment on the dike of Niushan Lake in central China's Hubei Province, July 13, 2016. The Hubei provincial government Tuesday decided to break the embankment between Liangzi Lake and Niushan Lake, to prevent possible flood overflow over the dike. The operation will be executed on July 14. (Xinhua/Cheng Min) WUHAN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Armed police blew up a dike between two lakes in central China's Hubei Province Thursday morning to disperse surging floodwater. In the southeastern suburbs of Hubei's capital Wuhan, the 3.7-km-long embankment separating Liangzi Lake and Niushan Lake was destroyed at about 7 a.m., according to local authorities. This move is supposed to bring down the water level of Liangzi below safety level. Liangzi is the second largest lake in Hubei, which has been among the regions worst hit by the recent deadly downpours. Due to persistent rain since mid-June, water level of the lake hit record high, 0.12 meters above the safety level. A total of 1,658 people were evacuated for the explosion. SYDNEY, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Australian dollar is in a wait and see mode as market participants eye key local jobs data after finding support from Chinese trade data in the offshore session. At the Asian open on Thursday, the local unit was trading at 76.07 U.S. cents, up from 75.92 U.S. cents at Wednesday's close, though had eased further to 75.94 U.S. cents by 0959 local time (AEST). A slight ease in the greenback following the release of the U.S. Federal Reserve's Beige Book overnight and strong Chinese iron ore import data supported the Australian dollar overnight, but it was not enough to send the unit in the mid 76 U.S. cent region. Traders are eyeing key employment data to be released mid session, with some market participants expecting the numbers to come in below consensus due to sample rotation. "Softer Australian employment conditions, as we expect, can weigh on the Australian dollar today because it will reinforce the case for more Reserve Bank of Australia rate cuts," Commonwealth Bank of Australia senior currency strategist Elias Haddad said. "Still, the downside will be limited." The prospect of more accommodative policy and fiscal stimulus from major central banks and economies is supportive of the Australian dollar and there is also strong technical support for the unit at 75.50 U.S. cents, Haddad said. BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Following is the full text of a statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's top legislature, National People's Congress, issued on Thursday, on the award of the arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the unilateral request of the Philippines. Statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress on the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration Established at the Unilateral Request of the Republic of the Philippines On the award of 12 July 2016 of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration established at the unilateral request of the Republic of the Philippines, the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress solemnly states as follows: 1. The Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China on the Award of 12 July 2016 of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration Established at the Request of the Republic of the Philippines and the Statement of the Government of the People's Republic of China on China's Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights and Interests in the South China Sea have already stated China's position that the relevant award has no binding force on China. The Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress firmly supports this position. 2. China has sovereignty over the South China Sea Islands, consisting of the Dongsha Islands, the Xisha Islands, the Zhongsha Islands and the Nansha Islands. In the South China Sea, China has internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, based on the South China Sea Islands. China has historic rights in the South China Sea. No country, organization or institution is entitled to deny China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. 3. The Philippines' unilateral initiation of arbitration breaches the agreement between China and the Philippines to settle the relevant disputes through negotiation, violates the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, goes against the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), abuses the arbitration procedures under UNCLOS, severely infringes on China's right as a sovereign state and a State Party to UNCLOS to seek means and procedures of dispute settlement of its own choice, and seriously undermines the integrity and authority of UNCLOS. The Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration established at the unilateral request of the Republic of the Philippines has no jurisdiction over the relevant matters. Disregarding the history of and basic facts about the South China Sea, the Arbitral Tribunal misinterpreted and abused the power given by UNCLOS, and arbitrarily expanded and exceeded its jurisdiction by hearing the merits of the case. Such acts violate the general legal principles of international law and arbitration including UNCLOS. The award of the Arbitral Tribunal is thus invalid and China does not recognize the award. MELBOURNE, July 14 (Xinhua) -- An Australian-first high speed rail network connecting major cities Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney is a step closer to becoming a reality on Thursday, as private company Consolidated Land and Rail Australia (CLARA) Pty Ltd. prepares to submit an ambitious proposal to the government. CLARA believes a high speed network, which would reportedly connect Melbourne with Sydney in less than three hours, would cost 150 billion U.S dollars, but has said the government - and the taxpayer - won't need to pay a cent. The proposal, to be tabled on Thursday, has suggested the 'construction' of six new "advanced, sustainable, smart cities" along the train's future corridor in Victoria and New South Wales (NSW), with the windfall from home and land sales to fund the project through "value capture". CLARA has reportedly already begun signing land deals near population centers in regional Australia so the cities can be constructed. According to CLARA's website, the company "has the land" for the new cities, and there should not be any need to "call on taxpayer funding". "CLARA's pre-feasibility business model has the city sites and rail infrastructure being privately funded through the use of land value capture," the website says. "Unlike other proposals for high speed rail in the past, CLARA's infrastructure can be paid for from the city development rather than from government coffers." Company chairman Nick Cleary told News Corp on Thursday the profit margin from selling developed land in the new cities would mostly pay for the rail network. He said land which is, for example, purchased by CLARA for roughly 750 U.S dollars per lot, could be sold for 120,000 U.S dollars once developed. CLARA believes they can sell the developed land for such a profit margin when key infrastructure such as roads, schools, supermarkets and healthcare is constructed in the high-tech cities. While no government funding has been requested by CLARA, Cleary said it was important for all levels of government to assist the company in planning the cities. "What we really need is the assistance to plan out these communities to secure the corridors of the rail which state governments have to do," Cleary said. "We are under no illusions as to how difficult it is, and we are buoyed by the fact that both Commonwealth and state government are open to enter into co-ordinated discussions." He said if the local, state and federal governments can work together to support CLARA's pitch, construction on the corridor could begin within five years, while the first of the new cities could be "online" within a decade. Both sides of politics have previously been vocal in support of high-speed rail in Australia; former Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard both set aside funding for a fast train, but cost blowouts abruptly ended any Commonwealth-funded plan. Incumbent PM Malcolm Turnbull has also said he would support a privately-funded project such as the one proposed by CLARA. Currently Australia is the only continent aside from Antarctica not to have its own high-speed rail network, despite the vast and empty landscape. A high-speed rail network would ease air congestion between Australia's two most populous cities Melbourne and Sydney; currently it is the fourth-busiest air route in the world. MOSCOW, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The award issued by an arbitral tribunal denying China's long-standing historical rights in the South China Sea is illegitimate, and the dispute should be resolved through bilateral talks, a leading Russian political expert has said. "The tribunal's decision can be legitimate only if it is recognized by both parties to the conflict. In this case, China has said it will not recognize the award from the very beginning," Anatoly Smirnov, president of the Russian National Institute for Research of Global Security, said in a recent interview with Xinhua. On Tuesday, The Hague-based tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award, amid a global chorus that the panel has no jurisdiction and its decision is naturally null and void. In the 479-page award, the five-member tribunal sweepingly sided with the claims filed by the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III. In response, China, in a government statement, while reaffirming its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, said it "stays ready to work with other coastal states and the international community to ensure the safety of and the unimpeded access to the international shipping lanes in the South China Sea." Smirnov said that the Permanent Arbitration Court, which established the arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea, should not have considered the dispute, as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) clearly stated that the settlement of disputes under the convention should be made with the consent of both sides. "Therefore, China's position is absolutely correct," the expert added. The arbitration was conducted according to unwarranted procedure and application of law, and was based on flawed evidence and facts. Such as it is, it will never be accepted by the Chinese people. Nor will it be recognized by anyone in the world who stands on the side of justice, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday. Noting that there are "interests of extra-regional players" behind the Philippines' claims, Smirnov said Manila intended to internationalize the dispute, which should be resolved through bilateral dialogue and negotiations. Moreover, Smirnov said that the United States has not ratified the UNCLOS yet. "It appears that the UN Convention lays down rules of behavior for many countries, but not for the United States," he said. The expert said he found it surprising that no attention has been given to the fact that the United States has not joined the convention yet. "International law is being eroded, primarily by the Americans," Smirnov said. WELLINGTON, July 14 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister John Key on Thursday congratulated Theresa May on becoming Britain's new prime minister. "The United Kingdom and New Zealand have a long standing and close relationship. The trade and economic links between our two countries are already strong and we have shared interests in a number of areas, including global defense and security," Key said in a statement. "I met Theresa May in London last year and I am confident we will be able to work together to strengthen the links between our two countries." May replaces David Cameron who resigned in the wake of Britain's referendum vote to leave the European Union. CARACAS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Covert interests of the United States were behind an arbitration case against China over the South China Sea, Venezuelan analysts have said. The arbitration award, which denies China's rights over maritime territories that have historically fallen under Chinese jurisdiction, abets U.S. efforts to hinder the Asian country's progress to a global economic power, the analysts said. "In recent years, the United States has launched an assault against China, especially by stoking historical disputes it has had with other countries in the region," Basem Tajeldine, an expert in international relations, told Xinhua. Tajeldine believes Washington aims to use similar territorial disputes in the South China Sea -- where Vietnam and Malaysia, among others, also have competing claims -- to curb China's growth and at the same time spread its own sphere of influence in the region. The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on Tuesday announced its decision against China and in favor of the Philippines in an arbitration case initiated unilaterally by the Philippines. "The United States seeks to establish a foothold in the region, including a military one, in an effort to fence in China and diminish its influence in the region," said Tajeldine. Fueling the disputes also serves Washington's desire to cap Beijing's geopolitical rise, he said. Washington's ultimate goal could be an international blockade against China, he said. China has from the beginning declared that the PCA does not have jurisdiction over the case and insisted that bilateral disputes should be resolved through negotiations between parties directly concerned. Political observer Abraham Delgado notes that organizations such as the PCA "have historically served the interests of the dominant powers, their goals and political ends." In fact, the court's decision is essentially "part of the foreign policy of the United States," and it's a move to stem China's growing presence worldwide, said Delgado. WELLINGTON, July 14 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Thursday he had discussed his country's trade and economic interests with his Italian counterpart in the run-up to talks on a New Zealand-European Union (EU) free trade agreement. Key said he had a successful meeting with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in Rome where they discussed a wide range of issues, including the regional economy, trade and counter-terrorism. "New Zealand and Italy share similar views on many political, environmental and international security challenges, and there's enthusiasm on both sides to strengthen the relationship further," Key said in a statement from his office. "Italy is in the world's top 10 largest economies and today's meeting was a good opportunity to discuss further trade and economic opportunities, including through a New Zealand-EU Free Trade Agreement," said Key. "Prime Minister Renzi expressed strong support for a New Zealand-EU Free Trade Agreement and the opportunities it would provide," he said. "We agreed to stay in close contact as we continue to move towards the launch of formal negotiations." "Italy is an important partner for New Zealand, and we work closely together on key global challenges, such as counter-terrorism and the fight against ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant)," said Key. WELLINGTON, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand navy has found 36 breaches of fisheries rules around small island nations since the beginning of June as part of the effort to stop illegal fishing in the southwest Pacific, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) said Thursday. Fisheries patrols conducted by the NZDF with New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Pacific Islands countries had seen 34 commercial fishing vessels boarded during the inspections, said a statement from the NZDF and MPI. The boarding teams, comprising crew from the New Zealand offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Otago and compliance officers from MPI and Pacific island countries, boarded the vessels during patrols in the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of Fiji, Niue, Tokelau and Tuvalu. The breaches included unmarked fishing gear, licensing issues and the discarding of rubbish, and would be fully investigated by each Pacific island country and supported by New Zealand if requested, Lieutenant Commander Andrew Sorensen, of HMNZS Otago. "The operation is significant in terms of raising compliance levels within the Pacific region and also for the direct support that the Pacific nations receive," MPI chief operations officer Andrew Coleman said in the statement. "Although the number of breaches detected was disappointingly high, it showed the importance of 'at sea' boarding and inspection as a tool for raising compliance levels and of implementing measures that ultimately support the effective management of Pacific tuna fisheries." HMNZS Otago left New Zealand on June 5 to conduct fisheries patrols in the southwest Pacific over two months. New Zealand offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington is to sail to the south Pacific on July 18 to conduct further fisheries patrols. The navy has been checking that fishing boats are monitoring fishing activity and complying with the rules, and then reporting back to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency. Overfishing of tuna is a major problem in the southwest Pacific, where small island nations lack the resources to properly patrol their vast territorial waters. TIRANA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The award of The Hague-based arbitral tribunal over the South China Sea case has shown itself to be a strongly biased body, said an Albanian expert and former official. Dorian Ducka, an energy strategist and former deputy minister of Energy and Industry of Albania. The South China Sea case was motivated politically for populist purposes by the former Philippine government, Ducka said in a written interview with Xinhua on Wednesday. Former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III initiated this political farce in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which has undermined global trust in international law and breached the good faith of diplomacy and negotiations, Ducka said. "This tribunal, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), cannot rule on issues concerning territorial sovereignty. The only solution to these complicated matters is through dialogue, diplomacy and consultation through bilateral, open and transparent talks between the directly concerned parties," the expert said. "The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, under good faith and trust, signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea; that has to be the framework for discussing and negotiating matters of concern for the South China Sea, as all other means of solving them would be detrimental to the stability of the region," he said. "The South China Sea ... could be the oasis of energy diplomacy, economic cooperation and raised common prosperity for the countries and parties surrounding this area, but this potential could be realized only via sticking to the rules of trust, diplomacy and negotiations," said Ducka. He noted that the South China Sea could be a win-win platform if the countries concerned, in this case the Philippines, use sound reason and engage constructively in dialogue and consultations with China. China's door is always and will forever be open for direct discussion, dialogue and consultation over the South China Sea issue, with the concerned parties, and by this China shows to the world that it does not try to solve the disputes unilaterally, but it is interested in a stable region that produces prosperity and peace for all neighboring countries, said Ducka. China shall and will not be intimidated by any decision or ruling of any court that does not have jurisdiction over its sovereign rights, and especially in this matter, Ducka said. VIENTIANE, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The prime minister of Laos has called on the country's regulatory authorities to improve management of social media for constructive and ethical use as a "global library and knowledge hub" for the benefit of the nation and its youth, local media reported Thursday. Sharing of information and points of view among social media would help reduce misunderstandings and arguments among members of the public if conducted in a constructive and ethical manner, Lao News Agency KPL quoted the country's Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith as saying. Thongloun's comments were made to officials from departments and organizations under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, including representatives of the country's state-run media, who gathered in the Lao capital Vientiane for a two-day meeting that concluded Wednesday. SEOUL, July 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's exports of information and communications technology (ICT) products fell for nine straight months through June as demand for tech items weakened amid global economic slump, a government report showed on Thursday. ICT exports, the country's main export engine, reduced 5.1 percent from a year earlier to 13.48 billion U.S. dollars in June, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. It posted the ninth straight month of decline since October last year. Mobile phone shipments tumbled 36.5 percent to 620 million dollars, pulling down the June tech exports, but outbound shipments of computers and relevant items increased 19 percent to 690 million dollars. Semiconductor exports inched down 0.5 percent to 5.28 billion dollars in June, but the decline slowed down from a 4.4 percent slide in May. Exports of display panels plunged 24.4 percent over the year to 2.12 billion dollars in June, keeping a falling pace of more than 20 percent since February. Tech exports to China, South Korea's largest trading partner, dipped 6.7 percent to 7.14 billion dollars, with those to the European Union (EU) slipping 9.1 percent to 760 million dollars. But, shipments to Vietnam and India logged a double-digit fall. ICT imports inched down 1.1 percent to 7.29 billion dollars, sending the June trade surplus in tech sector to 6.19 billion dollars. For the first six months of this year, ICT exports amounted to 76.39 billion dollars, down 10.4 percent compared with the same period of last year. The imports fell 2.4 percent to 43.28 billion dollars, leading the first-half trade surplus in the tech sector to 33.11 billion dollars. By Yoo Seungki SEOUL, July 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's decision to comply with the U.S. Pivot-to-Asia strategy by deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system may help the government draw public attention on security threats, experts here said. "The Park Geun-hye government may have approached the THAAD issue in consideration of the lame duck period," said Kim Yong Hyun, professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University. Kim said at a forum hosted on Wednesday by the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) that President Park Geun-hye may have thought of the THAAD deployment as an issue capable of drawing public attention on security threats. When tensions get high on the Korean peninsula, South Korean people tended to vote for conservative candidates. The THAAD deployment caused groundless fears here among the general public that South Korea's territory cannot be protected without the U.S. missile defense system. Seoul and Washington announced their decision last Friday to deploy one THAAD battery to U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) by the end of next year. Just five days later, the Seongju county, some 300 km southeast of the capital Seoul, was designated as the deployment site. The ruling Saenuri Party was shockingly defeated by the main opposition Minju Party at the April 13 general elections as public dissatisfactions mounted with a soaring unemployment among college graduates and a widening income inequality between the rich and the poor and between the regular and irregular workers. The governing party regained its parliamentary majority with those who had defected from the party during the election period returning, but concerns remained ahead of next year's presidential election as President Park's approval rating hovered low following the parliamentary election defeat. According to a local pollster Realmeter, Park's support rate continued to fall to 33.1 percent in the first week of this month after emotional disputes among people in the country's southeastern region, a traditional home turf for Park and the Saenuri Party, to build a new international airport in their hometown. To recover the lost support from conservative voters, Park may have sought to attract public attention into security issues by hurriedly announcing the THAAD deployment decision. Park is forecast to make an active use of the THAAD deployment as an engine to bring together her conservative supporters, said Kim at Dongguk University. However, it will not be easy for Park to gain more approval for her management of state affairs as the site for the U.S. missile defense system was fixed in North Gyeongsang province, Park's political hometown. It enraged people living in the region, with some writing in blood to express strong oppositions to the deployment of the THAAD, whose X-band radar is known to emit super-strong microwave detrimental to human body. The Realmeter's February survey showed that public opinion over the THAAD deployment was divided neck and neck, with 49.4 percent in favor and 42.3 percent against it. But, it would change if the deployment worsens China-South Korea relations, especially economic ties. On July 8 when Seoul and Washington announced the THAAD deployment decision, stocks in South Korean companies which heavily depend on Chinese consumers and tourists lost a deep ground. On the day alone, over 3 trillion won (2.6 billion U.S. dollars) of market value was wiped out from stocks in cosmetics, tour agencies and so on. Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior researcher at the private Sejong Institute, said last week that the THAAD decision would cause a drop in Chinese tourists visiting South Korea, a cooling in the popularity of the so-called Korean Wave and the possible boycotting of South Korean products in China. Lotte Duty Free, South Korea's largest duty-free operator, generated 70 percent of its revenue from Chinese tourists in the first half of this year, according to Yonhap news agency report. The percentage kept rising from 59 percent in 2014 to 62 percent in 2015. Moon Jae-in, former Minjoo Party leader and presidential candidate during the 2012 election, said in his Facebook account Wednesday that the THAAD deployment was a decision causing more losses than gains from the perspective of national interests, calling for the issue to be re-examined and made open to the public debate. He said the mismanaged THAAD issue by the government created crisis, rather than managing it, and the administration's adherence to the THAAD endangered international coordination in resolving the peninsula's nuclear issue. Related: China urges halt of THAAD deployment in ROK BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday urged the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to halt the the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system in the ROK. Earlier in the day, the ROK's defense ministry announced an agreement with the United States to deploy the U.S. missile defense system, called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), to its southeastern region despite continued opposition from neighboring countries. Full story News Analysis: S.Korea to enter U.S. missile defense network with THAAD deployment SEOUL, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Experts here voiced serious concern about South Korea entering a U.S. missile defense network by deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) to its soil, boosting expectations for escalating regional tensions and arms race amid strong oppositions from neighboring countries. KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia and Singapore will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the long anticipated high speed rail linking the two countries, local media reported Thursday. The signing will be witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, according to a report by the New Strait Times. The newspaper reported that the MoU will be followed by detailed negotiations, on areas such as planning, development, execution of the project and future operations, targeting a formal bilateral agreement by the end of the year. The New Strait Times reported earlier that the project is expected to start in 2018. The proposed high speed rail is expected to cut the traveling time between the Malaysian capital and the city state to 90 minutes. SEOUL, July 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korean exports of industrial parts and materials declined in the first half of this year on the back of global economic slump, a government report showed on Thursday. The industrial component exports reached 121.8 billion U.S. dollars during the January-June period, down 9.2 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The decline came amid the delayed global economic recovery, which led global demand for industrial materials to weaken. The industrial parts shipment accounted for more than half of the country's overall exports in the first half. Industrial parts shipment to China, South Korea's largest trading partner, tumbled 14.9 percent from a year earlier to 39.7 billion dollars in the first half. Those to the United States inched down 0.8 percent to 13.6 billion dollars, with those to Latin American nations plunging 23 percent to 5.8 billion dollars. Exports to Vietnam jumped 15.1 percent over the year to 9.8 billion dollars in the first half as the free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and Vietnam came into force. Electronic parts exports dipped 15.0 percent from a year earlier to 40.0 billion dollars in the first half, and shipments of chemical products slumped 8.3 percent to 18.0 billion dollars. General machinery parts shipments shrank 6.6 percent to 11.7 billion dollars, but those for computer components grew 2.4 percent to 2.7 billion dollars. Imports of industrial parts and materials retreated 8.2 percent to 74.2 billion dollars, sending the first-half trade surplus in the parts and materials sector to 47.5 billion dollars. WUHAN, July 14, 2016 (Xinhua) -- A dike between the Liangzi Lake and the Niushan Lake is blown up in central China's Hubei Province, July 14, 2016. Armed police destroyed the 3.7-kilometer-long embankment separating the Liangzi Lake and the Niushan Lake on Thursday to disperse surging floodwater. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) WUHAN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Armed police blew up a dike between two lakes in central China's Hubei Province Thursday morning to reduce pressure after heavy rain resulted in record high water levels. In a southeastern suburb of Hubei's capital Wuhan, the 3.7-km manmade embankment, separating Liangzi Lake and Niushan Lake, was destroyed with 27 tonnes of dynamite at about 7 a.m., according to local authorities. Liangzi is the second largest lake in Hubei, one of the regions worst hit by the recent fatal bout of rain since mid-June, which has seen the water at the lake rise to 0.12 meters above the warning level. Water at the adjacent Niushan Lake was lower, making the removal of the dike feasible. Following the explosion, Niushan Lake merged into Liangzi, increasing the surface area of the latter by more than 100 square kilometers to about 370 square kilometers. A total of 1,658 people were evacuated for the explosion, they will be re-settled. Zhu Peijiao, 51, was one of the residents to be resettled. She had earned more than 100,000 yuan a year from her fish and crab farms. "We lived on that for the past 30 years," she said. "After we are relocated, we will have to find another source of income." Chen Xiexin, Communist Party of China chief with Jiangxia District, Wuhan, said that buildings for those displaced will be constructed in the district. "We will also take into consideration their lives, social security and employment situations," Chen said. Niushan and Liangzi lakes were actually connected before the 1970s. The dike was built in 1979, splitting them into two separate bodies of water. "We did that to support aquatic farms," said villager Luo Huixian, 84, who helped build the dike. "But water quality decreased due to industry activity." According to Li Changan, a professor with China University of Geosciences, the size of lakes in Wuhan shrank from 371 square kilometers in 1987 to 265 square kilometers in 2013. "This resulted in waterlogging and floods," he said. Yu Dan with the School of Life Sciences under Wuhan University has called for removal of the dike between Liangzi and Niushan for years, as it "affected not only the lake's flood control ability, but also the ecological environment". This view was echoed by Chen Min, an official with the Water Resources Commission of Yangtze River. "With the removal of the dike, we expect to see improvements to the water diversion and storage ability of the lake," he said. Regarding the future, Yu said "people could grow lotus and water chestnut after water quality improves, and they could also profit from tourism." BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has congratulated Theresa May on her new role as British prime minister. In a message dated Wednesday, Li said that China-Britain relations have maintained momentum in recent years, as shown by frequent exchange of high-level visits, steady development of pragmatic cooperation and more people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China appreciates Britain's pioneering spirit in its effort to boost cooperation with China, and is ready to work with Britain to expand and deepen bilateral relations so as to better benefit the two peoples, Li said. China is looking forward to May's attendance at the Group of 20 summit in Hangzhou, China, scheduled for September, said Li. He also expressed the hope that a new round of annual prime ministerial meeting could be held at a time convenient to both sides. MONTEVIDEO, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay bolstered its reputation as Latin America's most progressive nation as the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference opened in Montevideo on Wednesday. The conference, co-chaired by the Netherlands, aims to "share information, best practices and lessons learned in the promotion and protection of equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people around the world," reads the event's website. "We are gathered to ratify cultural changes for our countries, recalling the universality of human rights and basic freedoms which are intrinsic to everyone without exception," Uruguayan Foreign Minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa told this three-day event. "We also invited governments to join the coalition for the equality of LGBTI people to provide continuity to the effort of this and previous conferences." Uruguay legalized same-sex marriage in 2013. While Latin America's overwhelmingly Catholic countries are known for being conservative, they have also shown great acceptance towards LGBTI communities. PHNOM PENH, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A Cambodian court has banned deputy opposition leader and lawmaker Kem Sokha from leaving the country after he has been charged with "refusal to appear" in a prostitution case involving his alleged mistress. According to an order signed by Phnom Penh Municipal Court's Investigating Judge Thann Leng on July 8 and released to the media on Thursday, Kem Sokha "must not leave the territory of the Kingdom of Cambodia." The order instructed the competent authorities to keep an eye on Kem Sokha and must report to the court in case he violated the order. It said that Kem Sokha could be temporarily detained if he intentionally disrespected the order. Kem Sokha, deputy leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, was charged by a court prosecutor on May 26 with "refusal to appear" over a prostitution case involving his alleged mistress. Under the charge, he could face a prison term of between one and six months. He has been holed up inside his party's headquarters in Phnom Penh since then in fear of the arrest. The accusation against Kem Sokha stems from leaked audio clips of telephone conversation between him and his alleged mistress in February. In the clips, they discussed sex, pregnancy and paying for an apartment. by Naim-Ul-Karim DHAKA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh exports inched up 10 percent to 34.24 billion U.S. dollars in the just concluded 2015-16 (July 2015-June 2016) fiscal year. With the final months' robust income growths, Bangladesh reached the highest export earnings in 2015-16 fiscal year, said an Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) official Thursday. The EPB official who did not like to be named told Xinhua that "2015-16 fiscal year exports reached 34,241.82 million U.S. dollars, setting a new record." With 3.58 billion U.S. dollars export earning in June, up 16.74 percent over the same period a year ago, the official said the country's overall export earnings in the last fiscal year also exceeded the target of 33.50 billion U.S. dollars by 2.21 percent. Bangladesh's export income in the previous 2014-15 fiscal year (July 2014-June 2015) was registered at 31.21 billion dollars. As always the growth in 2015-16 fiscal year largely attributed to demand for ready-made garments. Bangladesh's earnings from garment exports, which make up more than three fourths of the country's annual incomes since the beginning of this decade, surged to 28 billion dollars in 2015- 16 fiscal year, according to EPB. The EPB data showed knitwear garment export grew 7.47 percent to 13,355.42 million dollars while woven garments increased 12.81 percent to 14,738.74 million dollars, comparing with the same period of last fiscal. Although the ready garment sector has flourished at a rapid scale, the EPB official said, many other traditional major exportable items, like frozen foods, home textiles, leather and leather products and footwear, could not perform well in the last fiscal year. Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed Thursday expressed the hope that Britain's exit from the European Union and the latest terror attack in Dhaka will not affect the export business of Bangladesh. He said this at a press conference which was arranged to announce export target for the current fiscal year. After achieving a 9.72 percent export growth in the immediate past fiscal, he said, "We've surged its export target by 8 percent to 37 billion for the current 2016-17 fiscal year (July 2016-June 2017). " BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. refusal to implement an international court ruling 30 years ago for encroaching on Nicaragua's territorial integrity and sovereignty showed Washington's double standards in international law, experts said. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), based in The Hague, issued a ruling to order the United States in 1986 to pay reparations to Nicaragua for training, arming and financing Contra rebels and mining Nicaraguan ports. U.S. INTERFERENCE IN NICARAGUA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS Nicaragua, located in the northern part of Central America, became home to a puppet regime under the U.S. control after Liberal President Jose Santos Zelaya was forced out of office and Juan Jose Estrada became president with the official recognition of the United States in 1910. In 1979, forces led by the Sandinita National Liberation Front (FSLN) overthrew the dictatorial regime of the pro-American Somoza family, which was founded by Anastasio Somoza in 1936 and fueled by U.S. funds. The change provoked strong reaction from the United States and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency began to interfere in Nicaragua's internal affairs by supporting anti-government forces to topple the Sandinista government. The U.S. interference in Nicaragua was reinforced in 1984. From the beginning of that year, the United States laid mines in several Nicaraguan ports. In more than three months, many merchant ships from the Netherlands, the Soviet Union and Japan were destroyed by the mines and Nicaragua's imports and exports were totally stagnated. In April 1984, the Nicaraguan government brought the case to the ICJ accusing the United States of interfering in its internal affairs. On June 27, 1986, the ICJ ruled that the U.S. acts of laying mines in Nicaraguan ports violated U.N. conventions and the United States should stop its illegal acts and pay reparations to Nicaragua. But Washington refused to implement the ruling. DOUBLE STANDARD ON INTERNATIONAL LAW Thirty years have passed, but the United States has never expressed any regret about the crimes it committed in Nicaragua, not to mention paying any reparations. Jose Figueroa, a senator from the ruling FSLN, told Xinhua recently that the U.S. invasion caused great damage to the Nicaraguan economy and society, and the debt the United States owed Nicaragua always exists. Miguel D'escoto Brockmann, former president of the U.N. General Assembly, said in a recent statement that the biggest fruit the case yielded was unveiling the U.S. double standards in international law. Brockmann's viewpoint was echoed by Carlos Garcia, former Nicaraguan ambassador to Mozambique and former president of Nicaragua's state news agency. If the law conforms to the interests of the United States and its allies, Washington will persuade its allies to bring bilateral contradiction to an international court; if the law is not in their interests, Washington will immediately change its attitude, ignoring any court ruling or arbitral award and putting its code of conduct above international law, Garcia said. On the South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines, Garcia said the dispute was actually part of the U.S. policy of rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific, and was "ridiculous and contradictory." Garcia said China and the Philippines should solve their disputes on the basis of bilateral negotiation and should not let the South China Sea issue become Washington's political bargaining chip. Noting the slow development of the Nicaraguan economy due to the U.S. interference in Central America in the 1980s, Garcia said the U.S. meddling in the South China Sea issue will only make it more complicate. "Both the Chinese and the Philippine peoples should not become the victim of the U.S. conspiracy," Garcia said. Observers said that the arbitration over the South China Sea issue is part of the "lawfare" that the United States has waged against China, by manipulating lawsuits and legal systems to tarnish China's claims and rights. Although the arbitration was initiated by the Aquino III administration in 2013, U.S. support and abetment were crucial to its being carried forward. The 3,000-page documents that the Philippines handed over to the tribunal were compiled with the help of U.S. legal experts who also participated in the process of deliberations. The tribunal, The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration, handling the South China Sea case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award on Tuesday, sweepingly side with the Philippines. Related: Interview: Covert U.S. interests behind South China Sea arbitration -- Venezuelan experts Source: Xinhua | 2016-07-14 11:51:27 | Editor: huaxia CARACAS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Covert interests of the United States were behind an arbitration case against China over the South China Sea, Venezuelan analysts have said. MANILA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 Muslim rebels have been killed in a military offensive in southern Philippine province of Maguindanao, an Army officer said said Thursday. Cirilito Sobejana, the Army's 601 brigade commander, told reporters that clashes broke out Wednesday in a village in Datu Unsay between government troops and insurgents belonging to the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and that fighting continued early Thursday, spilling over to the next town of Shariff Aguak, which is also in Maguindanao. "We are maintaining the momentum of the clearing operation," said Sobajana, adding the military is pursuing around 70 to 80 rebels in the area. He said at least 19 others were wounded in the clashes including two soldiers. He said the situation is a bit tricky because the rebels are mobile, trying to escape from pursuing troops. "They (the rebels) are on the move, so there are sporadic fighting," he said. The BIFF, founded by former MILF commander Ameril Umbra Kato, broke away from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in late 2010 after the latter dropped its call for an independent Islamic state and in March 2014 forged a comprehensive peace deal with the Philippine government. MANILA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Three Marine soldiers were killed when they were ambushed by a group of Abu Sayyaf Group members in south Philippine province of Sulu on Thursday, said local authorities. Filemon Tan, spokesperson of the military's Western Mindanao Command, said the soldiers were assigned with the Marine Battalion Landing Team 10. He declined to name the killed and said notification of their families is still pending. Citing initial reports from ground units, Tan said the three soldiers were procuring supplies in Indanan town at around 8 a.m when they were waylaid by the undetermined number of suspects. He said the soldiers were on foot at that time and were not able to fire back at the Abu Sayyaf attackers. Tan said the bodies of the slain troops were brought to the Camp Teodulfo Bautista in Jolo town. Government soldiers have intensified operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu and Basilan in the wake of President Rodrigo Duterte's pledge to wipe out the group. The Philippine government has been fighting the Abu Sayyaf rebels since the 1990s. Past administrations have labeled the group, numbering about 400, as bandits or criminals that carries out illegal activities including kidnappings for ransom, killings and bombings in Mindanao in southern Philippines. BAGHDAD, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Thursday presided over a parade in central Baghdad as Iraqi security forces made significant progress in battles against Islamic State (IS) militants to free the last major IS stronghold in Mosul. The parade is also marking the July 14 anniversary of the 1958 overthrow of the Hashemite monarchy and declaration of the republic of Iraq. With fighter jets roaring overhead, including U.S.-made F-16s, hundreds of soldiers, policemen and paramilitary units of Hashd Shaabi marched in front of a platform set up in Tahrir Square in downtown Baghdad. Different kinds of cannons, tanks, armored vehicles, rocket launcher trucks and air defense rockets were on display in the parade, attended by Abadi, who is also the country's commander-in-chief of security forces, and other military officials and heads of foreign diplomatic missions. The parade was held under tight security, with hundreds of soldiers and policemen blocking the main streets leading to central Baghdad. The celebration came after last month's recapturing of the city of Fallujah from IS militants. Troops are continuing their advance northward for the long-awaited assault on the last major IS stronghold in Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. Iraq has been hit by waves of violence since the IS terrorist group took control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions in June 2014. Many blame the current chronic instability, cycle of violence, and the emergence of extremist groups such as the IS group on the United States, which invaded Iraq in March 2003 under the pretext of seeking to destroy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the country. The war led to the ouster and eventual execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, but no WMD was found. BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China will aim to keep its urban registered unemployment rate below 5 percent between 2016 and 2020, under a plan released on Thursday by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. It said the country will aim to create job opportunities for more than 50 million people in cities during the period. China's urban registered unemployment rate stood at 4.05 percent at the end of June. MOSCOW, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Russia's external debt increased by 3 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2016 to 521.5 billion dollars, Central Bank of Russia said on Wednesday. "The increase of the external debt of the country resulted from more active nonresidents' purchases of ruble-denominated sovereign debt instruments in the secondary market," it said. According to the central bank, declaration of shareholder dividends by Russian companies, which are reflected as companies' foreign liabilities before actual payments are made, has also contributed to the growth of the external debt. The composition of external debt continued to be dominated by private sector liabilities, of which one third was accounted for by banks and two thirds by other sectors of the economy, it said. ULAN BATOR, July 14, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) holds talks with Mongolian Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, July 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo) ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Mongolia in all respects and forge closer ties between the two neighbors, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday. During his talks with Mongolian Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat, Li, who is on his first official visit to the landlocked country, congratulated Erdenebat on his appointment as Mongolia's prime minister. Li said that China and Mongolia are neighbors, friends and partners, and the two countries have maintained a good momentum in building a comprehensive strategic partnership, the highest rank in Mongolia's diplomatic relations reached with China in August 2014. The two sides respected each other's core interests and major concerns, Li said. China respected Mongolia's state sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as the development path chosen by the Mongolian people. China appreciated Mongolia's stance of upholding the one-China policy, the premier said. "China looks forward to working with Mongolia's new government in continued efforts to consolidate political mutual trust and maintain exchanges between high-level officials, so as to deepen cooperation in all respects," Li said. Li said the two neighbors are economically complementary and new opportunities in deepening cooperation have become available. China stands ready to dovetail its Belt and Road Initiative with Mongolia's Steppe Road program. China is willing to start a feasibility study on a free trade pact with Mongolia, he added. China stands ready to make new progress with Mongolia in such fields as the processing of farm and pasture products, housing and infrastructure, Li said. The Chinese premier also suggested the two sides strengthen financial cooperation and expand currency-swap scale, and enhance people-to-people exchanges. Erdenebat, for his part, welcomed Li's first official visit to Mongolia and his attendance to the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, which will be held in Ulan Bator from July 15 to 16. Expressing his gratitude for China's long-standing aid to Mongolia, Erdenebat said the new government is committed to keeping traditional ties with China and pushing forward the comprehensive strategic partnership. Economic cooperation and trade is one of the pillars in bilateral ties and the Mongolian side is willing to advance cooperation with China in such fields as agriculture, livestock farming, energy, minerals and infrastructure, Erdenebat said. Erdenebat welcomed more investment from Chinese firms, adding that Mongolia is positive with starting the feasibility study of a free trade pact. Following the talks, Erdenebat and Li witnessed the signing of 15 cooperation agreements ranging from trade, technology and infrastructure to radio and TV broadcasting. The two leaders also attended the launching ceremony of a facility project dedicated to help Mongolian disabled children, which is donated and built by the Chinese side. Related: China, Mongolia agree to boost cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure construction ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China and Mongolia agreed to speed up the alignment of their development strategies and boost bilateral practical cooperation in major fields for better accomplishment of mutual benefits and win-win results, visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Thursday. SYDNEY, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Papua New Guinea's embattled prime minister on Thursday called for stability as he faced vote of no confidence after his chief secretary established a taskforce to investigate "threats to national security" amid civil unrest. Simmering tensions are beginning to boil over in the pacific nation after business and unions make good on their promise to strike, calling for Prime Minister Peter O'Neill to step down over corruption allegations. PNG local media reported there was chaos at the country's international airport in Port Moresby on Thursday as some pilots took industrial action, while there have been other disruptions at the major centers of Lae and Mount Hagen. The strikes are adding to the social unease in Port Moresby where a parliamentary debate for a vote of no confidence against O'Neill will be held on Friday. The PNG Supreme Court ordered parliament to resume sitting after the suspension of parliament on June 8 following clashes between student protestors and police was deemed unconstitutional. O'Neill on Thursday continued to stand firm against the mounting pressure to resign although political instability in the resource rich nation becomes greater. "I urge my fellow citizens right across the nation to appreciate just how vital political stability is to our future. The reckless behavior by the Opposition must not put our stability, and our future, at risk," O'Neill said in a statement. O'Neill's political opposition also claimed there has been a deliberate and criminal mismanagement of the country whose economy is suffering from the downturn in global commodities. Essential services in health and education have been cut to limit the budgetary impact, which has caused some unrest and political grandstanding due to impact of the worst El Nino induced drought on record. Adding fuel to the fire, a special taskforce has been established to investigate "threats to our national security" under the control of police commissioner Gari Baki, supported by the PNG Defence Force and intelligence organizations, chief secretary Isaac Lupari said, PNG Loop reported. "Politicians, landowners, public, students, landowners and any members of the community who issue threats will be investigated, arrested and prosecuted," Lupari said. JOHANNESBURG, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The African National Congress (ANC) on Wednesday condemned a grotesque painting in which President of the ANC and the Republic of South Africa, Jacob Zuma is illustrated in a demeaning and hyper-sexualized manner. "The ANC condemns this form of commentary and views it as an abuse of the right to freedom of speech and media. Mabulu's exhibition is a grotesque act of vulgarity and disrespect; and a blatant violation of the right to dignity of those portrayed," the party's national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said in a statement. The painting, by artist Ayanda Mabulu, depicts Zuma performing analingus on Atul Gupta, a leading member of the Indian Gupta family which allegedly keeps close ties with Zuma. An ANC flag hangs in the scene, a plane's cockpit, a not-so-subtle metaphor for capital flight. "While the Bill of Rights promotes the right to freedom of expression, the right to human dignity of all individuals, regardless of their standing in society, is inherently of equal value. In our hard-won democracy, it should not be that artistic license should trump or be used as an excuse to trample on the human rights of others," Kodwa said. Mabulu has consistently, over a long time, relied on a particular symbolism to advance his commentary. Common amongst these include the portrayal of black leaders in the form of baboons, according to Kodwa. "These are all symbols of colonial anthropology that views black people as hyper-sexual beasts who think through their genitalia and are only intellectually competent on a scale similar to baboons," said Kodwa. Mabulu defends his painting, saying the art work is a response to allegations of state capture by the Gupta family which allegedly exerts undue influence on Zuma in the appointment of cabinet ministers and to the constitutional court ruling in March which found Zuma having failed to uphold, defend and respect the Constitution in regards to the Nkandla scandal in which Zuma is accused of abusing public funds to pay security upgrades at his private home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal Province. "Why must I hide the truth when it is as blatant as the sun," Mabulu said in response to a question about his use of sexual scenarios in depicting the political leadership of the country. Members of the public have expressed justifiable anger at these works, Kodwa said. The ANC calls on all defenders of media freedom, freedom of expression and the arts to also condemn this excessive conduct, he said. This call extends to institutions such as the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) who must not turn a blind eye on media practices that offend the very principles that they seek to defend, he said. BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Finance has allocated 199 million yuan (29.8 million U.S. dollars) to support weather modification operations by local authorities. The move aims to minimize the impact of meteorological disasters on economic and social life, the ministry said in a statement on its website on Thursday. The money will be used to relieve drought, bring about artificial rain and prevent hailstones by using aircraft, guns and rockets. Due to El Nino, the world has seen a dramatic increase in extreme weather events such as heat waves, drought and torrential rain this year. China's south has suffered severe flooding, while the northwest is likely to be hit by drought. As of Wednesday, over 1,508 counties across 28 provinces have reported floods, with 237 fatalities and 93 missing. Weather modification usually refers to cloud-seeding practices that involve shooting various substance into clouds, such as silver iodide, salts and dry ice, to bring on the formation of larger raindrops and trigger downpours, as well as clear smog and clouds. LAGOS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Security situation has improved in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Wednesday. The president stated this in northwest Nigeria's Zamfara State during a one-day working visit to the state. Buhari said security situation would continue to improve under his leadership. He expressed confidence in the ability of the Nigerian security agencies to contain any form of terrorism in any part of the country. He told his audience that the government, through its micro economic and monetary policies of the Central Bank, would soon revitalize the nation's economic sector. President Buhari said part of his visit to the state was to encourage the military that were currently in the state for the 2016 Nigerian Army Day celebration. He said this year's event aimed partly to root out cattle rustlers and armed bandits in the state as well as in neighboring states of Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina and Sokoto. Earlier, Governor Abdul'Aziz Yari said the president had rekindled the hopes of Nigerians through his policies and programs. He appealed to the government to continue to come up with meaningful programs that would be replicated by the states for the benefit of Nigerians. by Meiju Yang COLOMBO, July 13 (Xinhua) -- As China is becoming the largest tourists source country and still increasing, the whole world, especially including Sri Lanka should value Chinese tourist market, Mr. Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the UNWTO told Xinhua during an interview on Wednesday in Passikudha, the east coast of Sri Lanka. The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), an international travel and tourism body, jointly held the 2016 conference with Sri Lankan Tourism Ministry in Passikudha from 12-14th July. Talking about the relation between tourism and development, Mr. Rifai said, since the country's conflict ended in 2009, Sri Lanka had achieved a lot in progress of economy, society and national reconciliation. However, he said the tourism industry did not play its important role as supposed in this process. "Sri Lanka still has a long way ahead for tourism booming, which encourage this island present its best to attract more and more tourists." Rifai said. "I have too many reasons to suggest that all the countries, especially Sri Lanka, value Chinese tourists," Rifai said, noting China is the largest tourists source country with gradual growth, and Chinese tourists are so loyal to the destinations that they will come back with family or friends once they love the place. Last year, Sri Lanka was able to attract 200,000 Chinese tourists, with the total amount of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka reaching almost 1.8 million. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has targeted 2.5 million arrivals for 2016. An increase in tourists mainly from China and India will help strengthen Sri Lanka's fragile economy as tourism is poised to become the No. 1 foreign exchange earner, an official has told Xinhua in an recent interview. KIGALI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The South Sudanese government was committed to the peace agreement signed in August 2015 that ended nearly two years of civil war, said James Pitia Morgan, South Sudan's permanent representative to the African Union. "Our Government has agreed to implement the August 2015 agreement and we have welcomed the opposition to come home and we are working with them but I think this kind of agitations are what causes problem sometimes," he said in an interview with Xinhua at the sidelines of the on-going 27th AU Summit in Rwanda capital Kigali. Morgan urged the country's opposition to work jointly with the government as stipulated in the peace deal so as to see lasting peace in the oil rich country. "The future of south Sudan depends on the South Sudanese people. They have to be committed to peace," he said, while calling on the international community to scale up pressure on the Riek Machar-led opposition to work jointly with the government to avoid such ugly incidences. Fierce fighting broke out Friday between troops loyal to South Sudan President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar. More than 300 people were reportedly killed during days of fighting. On Monday evening, Kiir and Machar ordered respective ceasefire which appears to be holding. The AU is holding its 27th Ordinary summit in Kigali Rwanda and is being attended by representatives from the 54 member states. ULAN BATOR, July 14, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) and Mongolian Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat attend a press conference after their talks in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, July 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China and Mongolia agreed to speed up the alignment of their development strategies and boost bilateral practical cooperation in major fields for better accomplishment of mutual benefits and win-win results, visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Thursday. Li made the remarks during a joint press conference with his Mongolian counterpart Jargaltulga Erdenebat. Li said the two sides pledged to effectively accommodate their complementary advantages with each other's demands, propelling practical cooperation in such fields as the deep processing of agricultural and animal products, housing and infrastructure construction, and building materials. "We both agreed to steer the development of bilateral ties into the right direction," said Li. Among rising uncertainties and instabilities hindering the recovery of global economy, the European refugee crisis, along with the spread of regional terrorism, have posed challenges to regional peace and stability in Eurasia, Li told reporters. "They are affecting the whole continent, and the impact of Brexit on the global financial market has also emerged," said the premier. Against this backdrop, Li said China stands ready to work with other parties to address these challenges, shore up confidence and unleash positive signals of growth, so as to make contribution for the peace, stability and prosperity in Eurasia and the whole world at large. Hailing Li's visit as important and significant, Erdenebat said the visit injects new impetus into the development of Mongolia-China ties. To bring benefits to the two peoples, Mongolia is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with China, deepen practical cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, infrastructure construction, energy, investment, agriculture and finance, said the prime minister. He noted that Mongolia is full of confidence in the future development of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership -- the highest rank in Mongolia's diplomatic relations. Li arrived here Wednesday for an official visit to Mongolia and the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting summit. This is Li's first trip to the landlocked Asian country since he took office as Chinese premier in 2013, and the first official visit by a Chinese premier to the country in six years. ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Thursday. Li made the remarks while meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The two leaders will attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, which will be held in Ulan Bator from July 15 to 16. The Chinese premier called on Vietnam to value the hard-won momentum in the development of bilateral relations and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea with China. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, for his part, said Vietnam respects China's stance on the arbitration, which was unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, and Vietnam maintains that the disputes should be solved peacefully through negotiations. On the award issued Tuesday by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague, Li said China has been very clear on its stance of not recognizing or accepting the award. The DOC has helped maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea over the past years, he said. The DOC, signed in 2002 by China and The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, including the Philippines, stipulates that the parties concerned undertake to resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned. FUZHOU, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Nepartak has left at least 21 people dead and 13 other missing in east China's Fujian Province. Nepartak landed in Fujian on Saturday afternoon, unleashing downpours. According to an official with the provincial flood control office, precipitation hit a record high in two counties, Yongtai and Minqing. The water level in 11 rivers rose above warning lines but has subsided as the typhoon moved away. Half of Yongtai and a quarter of Minqing were flooded. Huge damage has been inflicted, especially in Minqing and Yongtai, where water and power supplies were cut. Nearly 400 flights and over 300 bullet train services were canceled. Six cities were flooded. The typhoon also destroyed 8,300 houses, forcing the evacuation of about 506,700 people. Economic losses from the disaster totaled more than 7 billion yuan (about 1 billion U.S. dollars). by Xinhua writers Lyu Qiuping, Li Jinhua and Deng Huaning HAIKOU, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Sixteen-year-old Pan Hong (not her real name) is expecting her second child. The five-month pregnant teenager spends most of her time watching TV while caring for her two-year-old girl. "Eating, feeding the baby, watching TV, that's all I do, every day," she says calming her crying baby with one hand while switching TV channels with the other. Like other teenagers, Pan likes playing with her smartphone, watching Korean TV series, and eating "latiao," a spicy snack favored by kids. Pan lives in a fishing village on China's island province of Hainan. Her "husband," 17, fishes with his father everyday, while her mother-in-law, 40, stays at home with Pan and the baby. In China, the legal age of marriage is 20 for a woman and 22 for a man. Yet, teenage parents, like Pan, are not unusual in Lingao County. According to the county hospital, 20 girls aged under 16 delivered babies from May 2015 to February 2016, equal to two to three teenagers becoming mothers every month. The youngest mother was only 13. As underage marriage is illegal, there are no official statistics on the true size of the problem. FRUIT, NOT FORBIDDEN Pan and the father of her child met at an Internet cafe when she was 13, and soon a relationship developed. According to Pan, underage sex is "no big deal," as many of her classmates "did it" already. She dropped out high school when she was three month's pregnant. "I was vomiting every day, I had no idea what was wrong until the doctors told me I was pregnant," she laughed. Supported by her parents, she moved into her boyfriend's family home and the couple started their "married life," albeit without a legal marriage. Her father-in-law owns a boat and employs a dozen fishermen. Fishing brings the family almost 10 times the local average per capita income, which is around 8,800 yuan (1,300 U.S. dollars) a year. "I'm pleased with my life, and I think I am a good mother," she smiled. According to Chen Jideng, dean of Xinying Township High School, as children are often left at home alone when their parents fish for long hours, underage sex is not rare. Chen said the school has banned public displays of affection on campus, but, yet, female students like Pan, continue to drop out of school after falling pregnant. According to Chen, many parents turn a blind eye, and some even expect their children to produce a grandchild as early as possible. Fishermen in China are aware of the dangers of their profession, and there is a tendency for those in the community to marry and have children young to carry on their family line as a tradition in the country. "Fishing is seen as a 'big money' job," Chen said, adding that half of the teenagers from the township's villages had left school early. To "secure" an ideal daughter-in-law, parents are known to wait at the school gate to identify a perfect match for their sons. "If they see a girl they like, they will visit her family to talk about an engagement," said Chen. "Others will get the best girls if we don't act fast," said one parent waiting outside the school, who only wanted to be identified as Mr. Chen. He said in the eyes of his peers, girls are considered "leftover" if she is not married by the time she is 20. CALLS FOR GOV'T INTERVENTION Wang Chenghui, deputy head of Diaolou Township Health Center, said labor at an early age will not only do harm to the young mothers, but also increase the risks to their babies. Teen mothers are more likely to experience hemorrhaging and a difficult labor, he said. Population control officials have tried to educate the locals, but to no avail. "What can we do about it once they are already pregnant?" said an official with the county's population and family planning bureau, who asked not to be named. "All we can do is fine them." Xinying Township in 2015 generated more than 1.2 million yuan from fines of 210 babies of these teen parents without marriage permit. The official also noted because these youngsters lacked legal protection of their "marriage," many ended up separating before they had even come of marriage age, resulting in many single parents. "Some find a new partner, while others just leave for the city and never come back," he said. Liao Hui, head with Hainan Lawyers' Association, said local-level officials were to blame for the number of underage mothers, and unregistered "marriages." He called related authorities to improve their education strategies to protect the area's young girls. "Motherhood is too heavy a burden for such a young shoulder," he said. JUBA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Monica Kiden remains hesitant. It is not yet time to return to her permanent home from her temporary residence, a makeshift camp for those displaced by the fierce fighting which started on July 7 in Juba, the South Sudanese capital. "I cannot go home. I am better off here. Let me stay here," Kiden, mother of five, told Xinhua on Wednesday at the St. Joseph Primary School, a Catholic Church-run institution which is now hosting scores of people freshly displaced by the fighting in the capital. President Salva Kiir declared a unilateral ceasefire after nearly four days of fighting between forces loyal to him and a contingent of bodyguards assigned to First Vice President Riek Machar. "There is no shooting and the situation appears good. However, I will leave this place only if our leaders tell us that there is no more fighting coming the next day," Kiden said. The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) estimates that the latest fighting in Juba has internally displaced at least 40,000 people, adding the number of the displaced people in Juba and other towns to 160,000 people. Most of the people displaced by three-day fighting remain skeptical of returning home despite declaration of ceasefire by the country's rival leaders. The ceasefire appears to be holding. Louis Sakwana, who fled her home on July 10 at the height of the fierce fighting, which took place in the middle of crowded neighborhoods, fears returning home but remains anxious about the safety of her personal belongings. Sakwana, mother of nine children, also sought refuge at St. Joseph Primary School after being uprooted by the fighting. "I will return home to check on my property and other belongings during the day and return to sleep at the school at night because the situation remains volatile around Juba. President Kiir and Machar both declared a ceasefire and resolved to work toward the restoration of full confidence within the forces after an incident in which five soldiers were killed a day before the full-blown fighting broke out in Juba. East African leaders, including Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, called on the South Sudanese leaders to move heavy weaponry outside the neighborhoods with civilians and ceasefire. The fighting brought a serious humanitarian situation which has affected parts of the capital, including those who fled for their personal safety to the makeshift camps for the internally displaced. "I have been here without food for the past three days. My nine children feed on biscuits brought by an organization. They said food is coming, but it is not reaching us. I feel like going home, but I still fear because the soldiers may still fight again and chase us away," Sakwana said. Sakwana called on the leaders of South Sudan to end their differences by embracing dialogue to serve the people of South Sudan from the ongoing suffering. "Hospitals are all closed. People are dying. Children cannot go to school," Sakwana lamented. "Many ordinary people like us are suffering due to lack of food. Even with the little money I carried, I cannot buy any food because the few open shops around are empty. They should stop this fighting. We want our children to go to school." There was some intense fighting around the camps under the UNMISS management. On Tuesday, UNMISS called on the government to grant access to humanitarian agencies to deliver assistance to displaced persons who are in dire need of help. South Sudan descended into full-blown conflict in December 2013 after fighting between rival forces loyal to President Kiir and Machar spread across the country. More than 2 million people are thought to have been displaced and thousands killed during the civil conflict. An internationally brokered peace deal was signed in August 2015 leading to the formation of a national unity government. WUHAN, July 13, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Armed police soldiers prepare for the breach of the embankment on the dike of Niushan Lake in central China's Hubei Province, July 13, 2016. The Hubei provincial government Tuesday decided to break the embankment between Liangzi Lake and Niushan Lake, to prevent possible flood overflow over the dike. The operation will be executed on July 14. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China said Thursday it will "prepare for the worst and strive for the best" after more than 200 people died following floods across the country. "Although the water levels in middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are slowly dropping, most are still above warning levels," Zhang Jiatuan, a spokesperson for the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, told reporters. He said the situation was "still quite critical" as central and eastern parts of China are expected to see a fresh round of heavy rain over the days to come. Over 1,508 counties across 28 provinces have reported floods, with 237 fatalities and 93 missing as of Wednesday. Some 147,200 houses have been destroyed, Zhang said, adding that over 5.46 million hectares of farmland had been inundated. Direct economic losses, he said, were at 147 billion yuan (22 billion U.S. dollars). So far, the central and southeastern parts of China have been worse hit by floods. As the rainy season continues, "the possibility of flooding in northern rivers can not be ruled out," Zhang said. Safeguarding dikes, especially old and ill-maintained ones, is a "major yet difficult" task in the near future, he added. Huang Xianlong, another official with the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, echoed Zhang's remarks and said there was one time that over 800,000 people were working on the dikes. Meanwhile, authorities will closely monitor potential typhoons, and address hazards. Typhoon Nepartak, the first to hit this year, made landfall in Fujian Province on July 9, claiming 21 lives and leaving 13 others missing, local authorities said Thursday. Regarding the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower project built a decade ago to reduce the potential for floods, Huang dismissed some misleading reports alleging it to be useless or counterproductive. "In fact, the more critical the situation is, the more obvious and positive the dam exerts its role," he said. DAMASCUS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said the U.S. administration wants to lead terror groups to bring down the Syrian state. In an interview with the American NBC TV, whose content was published by state news agency SANA on Thursday, Assad said the Syrian state is serious in fighting the Islamic State (IS) group and other terror groups that are linked with al-Qaida in Syria. He said while Syria wanted the elimination of all the terrorist groups, the U.S. administration wanted to run those groups in a bid to see the downfall of the Syrian government. Assad questioned the real intentions of the United States, saying if Washington was serious about fighting the terror groups, Damascus would have found mutual interest with the United States. "Unless they really want to fight those terrorists and defeat them, we cannot talk about a mutual interest," he said. "They didn't do that," Assad said. "IS has been operating in Iraq since 2006, and they didn't try to defeat them." "Why does the U.S. fight IS now? It's not fighting them," he said. "The IS has expanded also in Syria under the sight of aircraft of the U.S.-led coalition, which could have seen the IS convoys using Syrian oilfields and transporting the oil into Turkey, but they didn't try to attack even one convoy." He said the Russian military intervention against IS has dropped the mask hiding the intentions of the United States. Assad said U.S. officials say something and do something different. "They don't have good intensions toward Syria." Meanwhile, he stressed that only the Syrian people are to determine who the president of their country is, who will the president be, and when he should leave office. Asked about the death of veteran U.S. journalist Marie Catherine Colvin, who was killed during shelling on rebel-held areas in the central city of Homs in 2012, Assad said the Syrian troops had no idea Colvin was there at the time. He said Colvin was responsible for her death because she entered the country illegally. BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Thursday urged Australia not to treat the illegal conclusion of an unlawful arbitration court as the international law. "We hope that the Australian side will take international law seriously, instead of as a trifling matter," Lu Kang told a daily news briefing. After an arbitral tribunal issued on Tuesday a so-called award on the South China Sea arbitration, which was unilaterally initiated by the former government of the Philippines, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop warned China there would be "strong reputational costs" for ignoring the ruling. "I am a little shocked to hear Bishop's remarks," Lu said. "We hope Australia can respect the fair position of majority members of international community." China respects international law -- if any country violates it, the consequences will not be only reputational costs, Lu said, noting that China upholds the sanctity of the international law and rejects any action that violates the international law. China urged Australia not to regard the violation of the international law as international law itself, Lu said. It is reported that on Wednesday Bishop called on all parties to respect the so-called ruling, which she described as final and legally binding, and she also said Australian ships and aircraft would continue to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight rights. "We have lodged solemn representations with the Australian side," Lu said. As the largest coastal state in the South China Sea, China respects the freedom of navigation and over-flight in the South China Sea to which all countries are entitled under international law, Lu said. China will take firm responses to any provocative action that undermines China's sovereignty and security interests in the name of navigation and over-flight freedom, according to the spokesperson. Australia is not a party concerned in the South China Sea issue, Lu said, adding that China hopes Australia will keep its promise of not taking a stand on sovereign claim disputes, and refrain from moves that might damage bilateral ties and regional peace and stability. When commenting the so-called ruling, Lu said the arbitration unilaterally filed by the Aquino III government, which violated international law, is a political farce under the cloak of law. What the arbitral tribunal did severely deviated from the common practice of international arbitration. The ruling is null and void with no binding force, Lu said. He said it will in no way affect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. China opposes and refuses to accept any proposition or action based on the ruling. Lu said China will continue to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. He said China will continue to endeavor to peacefully resolve relevant disputes in the South China Sea with parties directly concerned through negotiation and consultation on the basis of respecting historic facts and in accordance with international law. BUJUMBURA, July 14(Xinhua) -- Visiting Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto Wednesday met with Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza and discussed security as well as business in the East African region, Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto said after meeting the Burundian president. "We discussed peace and security in the East African region. We discussed the situation in South Sudan which is a concern on the Africa continent and in our region specifically," said Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto. According to Ruto, the other issue discussed was trade and investment in East Africa. Ruto said, "We discussed the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with the European Union (EU) that we are soon concluding." He added that those agreements will open up the market in East Africa and in Europe. "There are benefits for our engagements as a bloc instead of as individual countries. As a bloc, we help carry each other and we make less possible for any of our EAC countries to be isolated or penalized individually," said Ruto. He stressed that other trading blocs will respect the EAC bloc if member states stand together as they will be able to negotiate better. "If we are negotiating as 150 million people of the EAC bloc, we will be stronger than individual countries," said Ruto. In 2007, EAC countries namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda agreed to sign the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with the European Union (EU) and in 2014, negotiations were concluded and all the five EAC countries accepted to put their final signature on the EPA. Photo taken on July 13, 2016 shows the white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea" issued by Chinese government in Beijing, capital of China. "The Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law," said the document issued by the State Council Information Office on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua) MOSCOW, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The award issued by an arbitral tribunal denying China's long-standing historical rights in the South China Sea is illegitimate, and the dispute should be resolved through bilateral talks, a leading Russian political expert has said. "The tribunal's decision can be legitimate only if it is recognized by both parties to the conflict. In this case, China has said it will not recognize the award from the very beginning," Anatoly Smirnov, president of the Russian National Institute for Research of Global Security, said in a recent interview with Xinhua. On Tuesday, The Hague-based tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award, amid a global chorus that the panel has no jurisdiction and its decision is naturally null and void. In the 479-page award, the five-member tribunal sweepingly sided with the claims filed by the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III. In response, China, in a government statement, while reaffirming its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, said it "stays ready to work with other coastal states and the international community to ensure the safety of and the unimpeded access to the international shipping lanes in the South China Sea." Smirnov said that the Permanent Arbitration Court, which established the arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea, should not have considered the dispute, as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) clearly stated that the settlement of disputes under the convention should be made with the consent of both sides. Deputy head of the State Council Information Office Guo Weimin (L) speaks at a press conference on the white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea" in Beijing, capital of China, July 13, 2016. The Chinese government on Wednesday issued the white paper. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua) "Therefore, China's position is absolutely correct," the expert added. The arbitration was conducted according to unwarranted procedure and application of law, and was based on flawed evidence and facts. Such as it is, it will never be accepted by the Chinese people. Nor will it be recognized by anyone in the world who stands on the side of justice, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday. Noting that there are "interests of extra-regional players" behind the Philippines' claims, Smirnov said Manila intended to internationalize the dispute, which should be resolved through bilateral dialogue and negotiations. Moreover, Smirnov said that the United States has not ratified the UNCLOS yet. "It appears that the UN Convention lays down rules of behavior for many countries, but not for the United States," he said. The expert said he found it surprising that no attention has been given to the fact that the United States has not joined the convention yet. "International law is being eroded, primarily by the Americans," Smirnov said. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A local Bruneian man is facing up to seven years in prison and a 50,000 brunei dollars (37,200 U.S. dollars) fine after being charged in court for falsely reporting a bomb threat to the police, local media reported Thursday. The defendant, 39-year-old Ak Ariffin Pg Mohammed, was charged with the offense under Brunei's Telecommunications Order 2001 after he called the police emergency hotline 993 on Monday and said there was a bomb at a supermarket in the sultanate's commercial center. As a result, the Royal Brunei Police Force sealed off a busy section of the commercial center, including shops and nearby restaurants, forcing the commercial center to a standstill for nearly five hours. The defendant was ordered to be remanded at the central police station in the capital until his next appearance in court. In the prosecutions's application to have the defendant remanded under police custody, the deputy public prosecutor said that it was to allow investigators more time to question the defendant, his family members and other persons of interest in relation to the case. The prosecution also said the defendant's mental health would be reviewed. South Sudan President Salva Kiir looks on during a press conference prior to the shooting outside the presidential palace in Juba on July 8, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Charles Atiki Lomodong KIGALI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The South Sudanese government was committed to the peace agreement signed in August 2015 that ended nearly two years of civil war, said James Pitia Morgan, South Sudan's permanent representative to the African Union. "Our Government has agreed to implement the August 2015 agreement and we have welcomed the opposition to come home and we are working with them but I think this kind of agitations are what causes problem sometimes," he said in an interview with Xinhua at the sidelines of the on-going 27th AU Summit in Rwanda capital Kigali. Morgan urged the country's opposition to work jointly with the government as stipulated in the peace deal so as to see lasting peace in the oil rich country. "The future of south Sudan depends on the South Sudanese people. They have to be committed to peace," he said, while calling on the international community to scale up pressure on the Riek Machar-led opposition to work jointly with the government to avoid such ugly incidences. Fierce fighting broke out Friday between troops loyal to South Sudan President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar. More than 300 people were reportedly killed during days of fighting. On Monday evening, Kiir and Machar ordered respective ceasefire which appears to be holding. The AU is holding its 27th Ordinary summit in Kigali Rwanda and is being attended by representatives from the 54 member states. COTONOU, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday donated agricultural materials and equipments valued at 15 million Yuan (2.25 million USD) to Benin government to help reinforce the country's agricultural performance. The Chinese Ambassador to Benin Diao Mingsheng handed the batch to Benin Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery Delphin Koudande on Wednesday in Abomey-Calavi, a city located about 30 km north to Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin. The donation is expected to strengthen Benin's agricultural production capacities and it comprises 100 wheeled tractors, 100 trailers, 85 ploughs, 30 rice mills and 100 maize mills. The Chinese diplomat said the donation is part of the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. "The supply of these materials by the Chinese government clearly shows China always attaches importance to the strengthening of its relations with Benin," Diao explained. "Through this donation the government of China is contributing unquestionably to the strengthening of agricultural production capacities so as to enhance food safety in Benin," Koudande commented. A dike between the Liangzi Lake and the Niushan Lake is blown up in central China's Hubei Province, July 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) WUHAN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Armed police blew up a dike between two lakes in central China's Hubei Province Thursday morning to reduce pressure after heavy rain resulted in record high water levels. In a southeastern suburb of Hubei's capital Wuhan, the 3.7-km manmade embankment, separating the Liangzi Lake and the Niushan Lake, was destroyed with 27 tonnes of dynamite at about 7 a.m., according to local authorities. Liangzi is the second largest lake in Hubei, one of the regions worst hit by the recent fatal bout of rain since mid-June, which has seen the water at the lake rise to 0.12 meters above the warning level. Water at the adjacent Niushan Lake was lower, making the removal of the dike feasible. Following the explosion, the Niushan Lake merged into Liangzi, increasing the surface area of the latter by more than 100 square kilometers to about 370 square kilometers. A total of 1,658 people were evacuated for the explosion, they will be re-settled. A dike between the Liangzi Lake and the Niushan Lake is blown up in central China's Hubei Province, July 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) Zhu Peijiao, 51, was one of the residents to be resettled. She had earned more than 100,000 yuan a year from her fish and crab farms. "We lived on that for the past 30 years," she said. "After we are relocated, we will have to find another source of income." Chen Xiexin, Communist Party of China chief with Jiangxia District, Wuhan, said that buildings for those displaced will be constructed in the district. "We will also take into consideration their lives, social security and employment situations," Chen said. The Niushan and Liangzi lakes were actually connected before the 1970s. The dike was built in 1979, splitting them into two separate bodies of water. "We did that to support aquatic farms," said villager Luo Huixian, 84, who helped build the dike. "But water quality decreased due to industry activity." According to Li Changan, a professor with China University of Geosciences, the size of lakes in Wuhan shrank from 371 square kilometers in 1987 to 265 square kilometers in 2013. "This resulted in waterlogging and floods," he said. The water flows after the dike between the Liangzi Lake and the Niushan Lake was blown up in central China's Hubei Province, July 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Cheng Min) Yu Dan with the School of Life Sciences under Wuhan University has called for removal of the dike between Liangzi and Niushan for years, as it "affected not only the lake's flood control ability, but also the ecological environment". This view was echoed by Chen Min, an official with the Water Resources Commission of Yangtze River. "With the removal of the dike, we expect to see improvements to the water diversion and storage ability of the lake," he said. Regarding the future, Yu said "people could grow lotus and water chestnut after water quality improves, and they could also profit from tourism." HANOI, July 14, 2016 (Xinhua) -- A model shows the new smartphone P9 of Huawei in Hanoi, Vietnam, July 14, 2016. New dual-lens P9 smartphone of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei will be available for sales in Vietnam from Sunday, the company said during a press conference held Thursday in Vietnam's capital Hanoi. (Xinhua/Le Yanna) HANOI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- New dual-lens P9 smartphone of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei will be available for sales in Vietnam from Sunday, the company said during a press conference held Thursday in Vietnam's capital Hanoi. As of July 12, there were nearly 400 purchase orders on websites of its distributors in Vietnam, showing the product's attraction in Vietnamese market, said a press release. Huawei's partnership with German firm Leica has created a smartphone with a groundbreaking dual-lens camera that can shoot vivid color and crisp black-and-white to produce images with greater depth and clarity. The P9 smartphone has been praised by Vietnam's famous photographers for its camera features during the press conference. HANOI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- According to information provided by Vietnamese authorities, fisherman named To Hong Ngoc of Vietnam who was assumed to be missing in the shooting incident by Thai navy has arrived safely back home, said a Vietnamese official on Thursday. The remark was made by spokesperson of Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Le Hai Binh at a regular press briefing held in Vietnam's capital Hanoi. Earlier, Vietnam said Thai navy have fired at three Vietnamese fishing boats with 18 fishermen on board, injuring two fishermen, and two other Vietnamese fishing boats sank while being escorted to land, leaving a captain missing. The incident took place at around 14:00 local time (0700 GMT) last Friday, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand. The fishing boats were chased off by Thai naval police after they were allegedly found illegally operating in Thailand's waters earlier on the same day, according to Nguyen Hai Ngoc, first secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy. "Following request from Vietnam, the Thai side has actively launched the search for the missing fisherman," Binh said, adding that after learning the information that the fisherman had returned home safely, Vietnamese MOFA's consulate department requested Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand to notify Thai side to end the search for the fisherman. "Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand is working closely with Thai authorities in order to verify relevant information and the embassy will also continue to take actions to protect Vietnamese citizens," Binh said. It was the second time Thai naval vessels shot at Vietnamese fishing boats causing casualties. In September 2015, they opened fire on Vietnamese boats, killing a fisherman. A file photo showing two Kenyan attendants display a Chinese yuan currency note and a Kenyan shilling note. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) NAIROBI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's CFC Stanbic Bank on Wednesday became the first bank in the country to avail the Chinese currency, yuan, at its branches to facilitate trade between China and Kenya. CFC Stanbic Bank Chief Executive Philip Odera told media that Kenyans trading with their Chinese counterparts often face obstacles in accessing the Chinese yuan, "Kenyans will now be able to freely access the RMB." The trading facility aims to reduce financial intermediaries in the foreign currency trading. CFC Stanbic is a member of the Standard Bank Group which is 20 percent owned by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). Odera said this partnership between African and Chinese bank means that CFC Stanbic Bank has the capacity to deal directly with China. He noted that the importance of Chinese yuan keeps growing on a global scale in stature and value. "The levels of Chinese investments in Kenya continue to rise and there is need to facilitate cross-border business between the two countries with a unique foreign currency proposition," he said. Odera said the availability of the yuan currency at CfC Stanbic branches is expected to enhance business operations for Chinese enterprises as well as to ease access to funds for Chinese tourists coming into the country. At present, Kenyans seeking to trade with China are required to acquire foreign currency such as the U.S. dollar which they then convert to the Chinese yuan. "These increases the complexity and cost of trading with China," he said. CFC Stanbic Bank plans to simplify Sino-Kenya trade by offering yuan currency directly without having to undergo multiple foreign currency transactions. The CFC Stanbic, which has affiliates in 20 African countries also plans to launch direct payments between Kenya and Chinese bank accounts. This service is already available in South Africa. Odera noted that direct bank transactions will eliminate the need for Kenyans to carry large amounts of cash when they go to China to source for goods. Kenyan government data indicates that in 2014 and 2015, China was the East African nation's largest trading partner. China has become a major destination for a range of African exports as well as an increasingly significant source of a wide range of manufactured goods imported by many African countries. CfC Stanbic Bank is thus positioning itself to be the financial partner of choice for Chinese investors and Kenyans with business interests in the Asian country. JERUSALEM, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Three Israeli teenagers were arrested this week for allegedly setting ablaze Arab Israelis' cars in northern Israel last month following a Palestinian shooting attack in Tel Aviv. The three 15-year-olds, from northern Israel, allegedly set fire to two vehicles in a parking lot on June 10 on the outskirts of Yafa an-Naseriyye, an Arab town in northern Israel, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said in a statement on Thursday. Arab Israelis are Palestinians who stayed in Israel after the 1948 war and are citizens of the state, constituting 20 percent of the population. The suspects also spray painted the words "price tag" and "revenge" on nearby walls, Samri added. During the investigation, the three said they were motivated by the June 8 attack at the Sarona dining and retail center in Tel Aviv, in which four Israelis were killed by Palestinian gunmen. Setting cars on fire and spray painting racial slurs is part of what came to be known in recent years as "price tag" attacks, in which extremist Jews, often youth, carry out bouts of vandalism against Palestinians, Arab Israelis and sometimes at Christian or Muslim religious sites. "Price tag" acts are usually carried out following unfavorable decisions by the Israeli government regarding the settlements, or after Palestinian attacks, or protesting arrests of extreme settlers. Israelis and Palestinians have been mired in a wave of unrest since October, which has claimed the lives of 34 Israelis and 216 Palestinians. Also on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the arrest of six Palestinian suspects in overnight operations in the West Bank. Security forces seized two weapon manufacturing machines in the area of Hebron, and arrested six Palestinian suspects, three of them in Hebron, and two others in Jenin. The sixth, an activist of the Hamas Islamist group, was arrested west of Hebron, the IDF said in a statement. According to the IDF, since the beginning of 2016, Israeli forces have seized 19 weapons manufacturing machines and over 200 firearms in the West Bank. Israeli leaders accuse the Palestinian Authority of inciting violence, whereas the Palestinians say the latest wave of unrest is the result of 49 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip territories, home to several million Palestinians, and where they wish to establish their own state. NAIROBI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A suspected insurgent working for Somalia's al Shabaab militant group opened fire at a police station in northwest Kenya on Thursday morning, killing at least six policemen during the shooting and the following stand-off, Kenyan television channel KTN said. Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet confirmed the attack at the Kapenguria police station. The suspect was detained on Wednesday for questioning. On early Thursday, the suspect snatched a rifle from a guard during a routine roll call and started to shoot indiscriminately. He then fled to a room at the police station and locked himself up there. Police officers and reinforcements surrounded the police station and was trying to get him out of the room. The KTN said as many as six officers had died in the shooting and the continuing siege. Al Shabaab has been attacking Kenyan military and police in recent years to drive the Kenyan forces out of Somalia, where the Kenyans are part of an African army inside Somalia fighting al Shabaab. RIGA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Latvian economic police have detained three foreign nationals for money laundering via a shell bank they had been running in Riga, law enforcement authorities said. Dairis Anucins, a representative of the Latvian State Police, said the three foreigners were held in June as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. A shell bank is a credit institution that has no physical presence in any country and whose operations are not monitored by a supervisory body. Shell banks are banned in Latvia. Investigators of the economic police established that such an illegal bank had probably been operating from a rented office in Riga. A probe revealed that several people had been involved in an illegal financial business, laundering large amounts of money through the shell bank. Peteris Bauska, the head of the economic police, told reporters that the illegal bank had been catering mainly to various offshore firms. The shell bank also had a number of technical staff tasked with drawing up sham contracts, carrying out transactions on the suspected criminal's orders and providing IT support. The shell bank used companies in Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Russia and other countries and their bank accounts to cover up the unlawful deals. The amount of transactions carried out by the shell bank could reach millions of euro a day. The economic police, backed up by officers from Latvia's Omega counter-terrorism unit, raided the shell bank's office, seizing evidence like payment instruments, computers, money, documents and bookkeeping records, as well as arresting three foreign nationals. The investigation into the money laundering case is ongoing, authorities said. CANBERRA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The arbitration award on the South China Sea, coming out on Tuesday, is fatally flawed and China neither accepts nor recognizes it, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye said in an article published on The Australian on Thursday. In this article, titled "Arbitration on the South China Sea dispute is fatally flawed," Cheng said Chinese position is "fully justified." "To start with, the arbitration unilaterally initiated by The Philippines' Aquino government runs counter to the clear consensus between China and the Philippines," it said. As early as August 1995, the article recalled, the two countries agreed in a joint statement to settle their disputes in the South China Sea in a peaceful and friendly manner through consultation. China and the Philippines subsequently reaffirmed this agreement through a number of bilateral documents such as the March 23, 1999, Joint Statement of the China-Philippines Experts' Group meeting on Confidence-Building Measures, the May 16, 2000, joint statement on the framework of bilateral cooperation in the 21st century, the September 3, 2004, joint press statement and the September 1, 2011, joint statement. What's more, China and the 10 ASEAN member states -- the Philippines included -- signed in 2002 the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Article 4 of this declaration clearly stipulates that territorial and jurisdictional disputes should be resolved through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned. The above bilateral instruments between China and the Philippines and relevant provisions in the DOC are mutually reinforcing and constitute a binding agreement by which China and the Philippines have chosen to settle the relevant disputes through negotiation, Cheng said. By initiating arbitration, the Philippines goes back on the above consensus and contravenes its own serious commitment in the DOC. This is a violation of the principle of "pacta sunt servanda" (agreements must be kept) in international law and an abuse of the dispute settlement mechanisms of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Second, the arbitral tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case. The essence of the subject matter of the arbitration is territorial issue and the issue of delimitation of some maritime areas in the South China Sea. Territorial issues are not subject to the UNCLOS. With regard to maritime delimitation issues, China made, pursuant to article 298 of UNCLOS, a declaration in 2006 excluding them from arbitration and other compulsory dispute settlement procedures, the ambassador said in the article. Similar declarations have been made by some 30 countries, including Australia and all the permanent members of the UN Security Council with the exception only of the United States, which is yet to accede to UNCLOS. "It is abundantly clear that China and the Philippines have agreed to settle disputes through negotiation and consultation and that China has made a declaration pursuant to article 298 of UNCLOS excluding compulsory arbitration. Yet in disregard of these facts, the arbitral tribunal has chosen to admit and hear the Philippines' case," said the ambassador. "Since the tribunal has all too obviously gone beyond its mandate, its decision is fatally flawed. The arbitration initiated by the Philippines is completely politically motivated. Its main purpose is to deny China's sovereignty and ensuing rights and interests in the South China Sea. The decision of the tribunal, being null and void, has no binding force," the ambassador said in the article. "China rejects the award to safeguard not only its own lawful rights and interests under international law but also the integrity and authority of UNCLOS. China's response is absolutely reasonable and legitimate," added the ambassador. The ambassador said that more and more international legal experts have expressed their concerns and doubts about the case, and over 60 countries have registered in public their understanding and support for the Chinese position. "China has solid historical and legal basis for its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. The award will not in any way affect China's sovereignty over the islands and reefs and its maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, nor will it shake China's resolve to defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," said the ambassador. While China will not accept any claim or action based on the award, it remains committed to resolving the relevant disputes through negotiation and consultation with the countries directly concerned, on the basis of respecting historical facts and in accordance with international law, with a view to maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, the article said. Related: Full Text: China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China on Wednesday published a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea". Following is the full text of the white paper: Full story Philippines repeatedly take moves that complicate disputes in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines, turning a blind eye to bilateral consensus, has repeatedly taken moves that complicate the relevant disputes, gradually intensified the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. The Philippines built military facilities on some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands) it has invaded and illegally occupied, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China is an important force for maintaining peace, stability in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China is an important force for maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. While firmly safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, China adheres to the position of settling disputes through negotiation and consultation and managing differences through rules and mechanisms, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story South China Sea Islands are China's inherent territory: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Nanhai Zhudao (the South China Sea Islands) are China's inherent territory, said a white paper issued Wednesday. The activities of the Chinese people in the South China Sea dated back to over 2,000 years ago, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." The document was issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Islands groundless: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The core of the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea lies in the territorial issues caused by the Philippines' invasion and illegal occupation by force, starting in the 1970s, of some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands), said a white paper issued Wednesday. "The Philippines has concocted many excuses to cover up this fact, and to pursue its territorial pretensions," said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China issues white paper on settling disputes with Philippines BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Wednesday issued a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." "The Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law," said the document issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Spotlight: Law-abusing tribunal issues ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration, draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award on Tuesday, sweepingly siding with Manila's cunningly packaged claims. The process and outcome of the three-year-long arbitration have drawn criticism from dozens of countries and numerous experts across the world, who pointed out that the panel has no jurisdiction and its decision is naturally null and void. Full story Spotlight: Ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- An arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea rendered ruling on Tuesday, resulting in a deluge of criticism from China and other countries. The 479-page award issued by a five-member tribunal is sweepingly in favor of the claims filed by the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, which unilaterally lodged the arbitration. Full story China refutes U.S. statement on South China Sea arbitration award BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China is strongly displeased with a press statement issued by the Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department on Tuesday on the award issued by the South China Sea arbitration tribunal unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement that China is firmly opposed to the U.S. statement and has lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side. Full story Chinese foreign minister says South China Sea arbitration a political farce BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea arbitration, unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, is a political farce made under the pretext of law, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday. Wang made the remarks after an Arbitral Tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case issued its final award on Tuesday. Full story International law dishonored by illegal award on South China Sea arbitration: Chinese diplomat THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The ruling on the South China Sea arbitration issued by a court in The Hague is a disgrace to international law, Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands Wu Ken told the press on Tuesday. "Today is a 'black Tuesday' for The Hague, 'the capital of international law'," Wu commented. Full story China asks Japan to stop interfering in South China Sea BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China has asked Japan to stop interfering in the South China Sea issue, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. China hopes Japan will bear in mind the terms of China-Japan relations and of regional peace and stability, and reflect on its position on South China Sea disputes, Lu Kang said. Full story China resolved to defend territorial sovereignty, maritime interests: People's Daily BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese people are resolved to defend the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, said the People's Daily in a commentary to be carried on Wednesday. ANKARA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's Syria policy will not change unless its leader, Bashar al-Assad, changes, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Thursday. "Surely things need to change in Syria but first of all, Assad should change," the prime minister said in an interview with BBC, which was also reported in Turkish media outlets. Yildirim's remarks came one day after he hinted at normalizing relations with Damascus. In a speech at a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party's provincial leaders on Wednesday, the prime minister said, "I'm sure that we will return to normalise relations with Syria." In the BBC interview, Yildirim stressed that any shift in Turkey's policy toward Syria depends on Assad. "Unless Assad changes, nothing changes in Turkey," he said. The prime minister said that even if the Islamic State (IS) was expelled from Syria, the problems in the country would not be solved as Assad would still be in power and another terror organization would come into prominence. "As long as Assad is there, the problem won't be solved," he said. by Lan Xi, Tang Zhiqiang, Yan Feng BERLIN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- "How often is acupuncture applied in pain treatment" and "How effective is traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in infertility treatment?" were questions doctors from Hanover Medical School (MHH) put to a delegation of TCM experts from China on Monday. The delegation from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS) paid a visit to Hanover Medical School for TCM cooperation with Germany where they discussed academic research and clinical practice in areas including pain treatment, gynecological diseases, and rehabilitation therapy. Both academic institutions plan to explore scientific TCM research with concerted efforts in areas such as kidney disease, hypertension, gynecological diseases, and pain treatment, as well as training and exchange programs of medical personnel in TCM. Zhang Boli, the president of CACMS, told Xinhua that international cooperation was an effective way to promote TCM development and introduce China's TCM research achievements to the rest of the world. At the same time, advanced technologies in other countries could be used to work towards the modernization of TCM. The delegation, headed by Boli, was here to implement a memorandum of cooperation signed with MHH during German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to China in June. Boli said the medical community in Europe was gaining deeper insight into TCM. "I notice such a trend. In the past, TCM conferences in Europe were mostly attended by Chinese, but now, things have changed; most of attendees are Europeans." "An increasing number of German doctors are beginning to accept TCM," Liu Yang, project representative of the German Association of TCM said. "If western medicine does not work in some cases, they would seek help from TCM." Due to Germany's import restrictions on Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture plays a key role in TCM therapy in Germany. Currently, the German Doctors' Association for Acupuncture (DAEGfA) headquartered in Munich has over 8,700 members. "At least 9,000 practitioners of western medicine with prescription rights are applying acupuncture as a therapy in Germany," said Zheng Wen, a gynecologist of Hanover Medical School. Zheng has been treating patients using acupuncture for over five years. As the number of patients has risen, her work time has increased from half a day per week to five days per week and she now has a room set up exclusively for TCM. However, it is still a great challenge for TCM to gain full recognition from the medical community in Germany. In spite of a huge number of successful clinical cases, the theory behind it still remains inexplicable to western science. "This is one of the hurdles in the way for TCM development in Germany and one immediate consequence is the exclusion of TCM from the medical insurance system." At present, medical insurance companies in Germany only cover acupuncture fees for knee pain and back pain treatment. All other TCM treatments must be paid for by the patients themselves. Therefore, TCM can be too costly for Germans whose western medical treatments are usually fully covered by insurance. Zheng said cooperation with top medical schools and universities on scientific research could help boost the general recognition of TCM. Both sides can start with areas where TCM demonstrates good curative effects in clinical practices. Joint efforts should be made to conduct research on the functioning mechanisms behind it and publish related academic papers. "TCM boasts a long history of development. In many cases, how it works cannot be explained. Through cooperation from both sides, we may have some new findings," said Christopher Baum, the president of MHH. BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Many countries and world organizations have expressed support for China's position on the South China Sea and called for solving relevant disputes though dialogue and negotiations. On Tuesday, the arbitral tribunal issued an award over a case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government, denying China's long-standing historical rights over the South China Sea. China had from the very beginning refused to participate in the proceedings, insisting that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case, which is in essence related to territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation. Chinese President Xi Jinping said China will not accept any proposition or action based on the award, and that China's territorial sovereignty and maritime interests in the South China Sea will under no circumstances be affected by it. "Negotiation must start immediately. And the arbitral ruling is both useless and irrelevant," said Butch Valdes, former undersecretary of Philippine Department of Education. Valdes said former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III led the country in the wrong direction. He said most Philippine people don't want to enter conflicts with China. Although the arbitral tribunal has announced its so-called final award, the decision won't have any serious consequences, Croatia's former President Stjepan Mesic told Xinhua on Wednesday. "Only when both countries agree to appear before an international tribunal can the ruling be acceptable," he added. In an e-mail to Xinhua on Wednesday, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic expressed the belief that the best solution is one to which both sides agree. The Sudanese parliament on Wednesday declared its support for China's call to resolve the South China Sea dispute through dialogue. "Sudan's Parliament stands with justice and right, and we encourage dialogue as a means for resolving international issues," Mohamed Mustafa Al-Daw, head of the external relations committee in the Sudanese parliament, told Xinhua. Ashfaqur Rahman, former Bangladeshi ambassador to China, found it very funny to see the work of the tribunal. "What the tribunal has done can never be called an arbitration," he said. "Arbitration is a process in which both the disputed parties agree to argue their cases and agree to accept a verdict whatever it is," he explained. In this case, "we all know that China was not a party. It did not take part in the process. So how can it be called an arbitration?" The award of the South China Sea arbitration solves nothing and the dispute between the Philippines and China can only be solved through bilateral dialogue, Nirj Deva, vice chairman of the European Parliament's Development Committee and chairman of the EU-China Friendship Group in the European Parliament said Tuesday. The lawmaker said Aquino III made "a wrong decision" to have started the arbitration. It broke the country's own commitment made in the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). Deva praised China for abiding by its international commitments. "On the whole, if you look at China' s history, China has been a very good obeyer of international laws and has kept to all international treaties that it has signed," he said. The Serbian foreign ministry said in a press release late Tuesday that the country supports interested parties in the South China Sea to have a dialogue. "Directly interested parties should settle peacefully the dispute in the South China Sea," ministry stated. "The full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea should by all means be stressed," said the government of Thailand in a statement on Tuesday. Thailand believes that the ultimate goal should be to render the South China Sea a sea of peace, stability and sustainable development, it said. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Tuesday said UN chief Ban Ki-moon has consistently called on all parties to resolve their dispute in a peaceful and amicable way through dialogue. "I think while the dialogue continues, it's important for states to exercise restraint on the conduct and contentious activities in the South China Sea," he said. Related: China sticks to two-way talks by relevant parties in solving South China Sea disputes ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Thursday. Li made the remarks while meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The two leaders will attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, which will be held in Ulan Bator from July 15 to 16. Full story Full text of statement by NPC Foreign Affairs Committee on award of South China Sea arbitration initiated by Philippines BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Following is the full text of a statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's top legislature, National People's Congress, issued on Thursday, on the award of the arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the unilateral request of the Philippines. Statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress on the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration Established at the Unilateral Request of the Republic of the Philippines Full story Arbitration on South China Sea dispute fatally flawed: Chinese ambassador to Australia CANBERRA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The arbitration award on the South China Sea, coming out on Tuesday, is fatally flawed and China neither accepts nor recognizes it, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye said in an article published on The Australian on Thursday. In this article, titled "Arbitration on the South China Sea dispute is fatally flawed," Cheng said Chinese position is "fully justified." Full story Full Text: China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China on Wednesday published a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea". Following is the full text of the white paper: Full story Philippines repeatedly take moves that complicate disputes in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines, turning a blind eye to bilateral consensus, has repeatedly taken moves that complicate the relevant disputes, gradually intensified the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. The Philippines built military facilities on some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands) it has invaded and illegally occupied, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China is an important force for maintaining peace, stability in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China is an important force for maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. While firmly safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, China adheres to the position of settling disputes through negotiation and consultation and managing differences through rules and mechanisms, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story South China Sea Islands are China's inherent territory: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Nanhai Zhudao (the South China Sea Islands) are China's inherent territory, said a white paper issued Wednesday. The activities of the Chinese people in the South China Sea dated back to over 2,000 years ago, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." The document was issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Islands groundless: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The core of the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea lies in the territorial issues caused by the Philippines' invasion and illegal occupation by force, starting in the 1970s, of some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands), said a white paper issued Wednesday. "The Philippines has concocted many excuses to cover up this fact, and to pursue its territorial pretensions," said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China issues white paper on settling disputes with Philippines BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Wednesday issued a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." "The Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law," said the document issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Spotlight: Law-abusing tribunal issues ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration, draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award on Tuesday, sweepingly siding with Manila's cunningly packaged claims. The process and outcome of the three-year-long arbitration have drawn criticism from dozens of countries and numerous experts across the world, who pointed out that the panel has no jurisdiction and its decision is naturally null and void. Full story Spotlight: Ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- An arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea rendered ruling on Tuesday, resulting in a deluge of criticism from China and other countries. The 479-page award issued by a five-member tribunal is sweepingly in favor of the claims filed by the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, which unilaterally lodged the arbitration. Full story China refutes U.S. statement on South China Sea arbitration award BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China is strongly displeased with a press statement issued by the Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department on Tuesday on the award issued by the South China Sea arbitration tribunal unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement that China is firmly opposed to the U.S. statement and has lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side. Full story Chinese foreign minister says South China Sea arbitration a political farce BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea arbitration, unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, is a political farce made under the pretext of law, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday. Wang made the remarks after an Arbitral Tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case issued its final award on Tuesday. Full story International law dishonored by illegal award on South China Sea arbitration: Chinese diplomat THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The ruling on the South China Sea arbitration issued by a court in The Hague is a disgrace to international law, Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands Wu Ken told the press on Tuesday. "Today is a 'black Tuesday' for The Hague, 'the capital of international law'," Wu commented. Full story China asks Japan to stop interfering in South China Sea BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China has asked Japan to stop interfering in the South China Sea issue, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. China hopes Japan will bear in mind the terms of China-Japan relations and of regional peace and stability, and reflect on its position on South China Sea disputes, Lu Kang said. Full story China resolved to defend territorial sovereignty, maritime interests: People's Daily BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese people are resolved to defend the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, said the People's Daily in a commentary to be carried on Wednesday. BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Ancient Chinese civilization not only invented papermaking and the compass, but also the decimal system, rockets and variolation, China's top science academy said Thursday. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on Thursday published a list of 88 major scientific and technological achievements in ancient China, which are separated into three categories: engineering, scientific findings and technology. Pinhole imaging and linear equations are among major scientific findings; rice and wheat cultivation, the crossbow and stirrup are listed under technological achievements, with the Dujiangyan irrigation system and the Great Wall among major engineering feats. Zhang Baichun, head of the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences at the CAS, said the selection criteria focused on originality, and the significance to world civilization. Foreign experts were invited to share their opinions, Zhang added. Ancient Chinese civilization made great achievements in science and technology, and is famous for the "Four Great Inventions": papermaking, gunpowder, the compass and printing. The book is published by China Science and Technology Publishing House. BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Prosecutors should be prudent when dealing with cases involving scientific research so as to encourage technological innovation, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said on Thursday. Researchers' legal income earned through consultancy services, equity dividends and intellectual property should be protected and distinguished from embezzlement and bribe-taking, the SPP said in a statement. Prosecutors should also establish a clear line between well-intentioned research projects that fail to bear fruit and those that gain funds through deception, it added. "The scientific research sector has its own operating mechanism and specialties, and prosecutors should be prudent in handling new issues such as financing of innovation and commercialization of research findings," said Song Hansong, an anti-corruption official with the SPP. The procuratorate vowed to be tough on breach of intellectual property rights and corruption related with administration of science and technology research. BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The law-abusing tribunal put on a farce when it issued an ill-founded award on the South China Sea arbitration case amid a global chorus that the panel has no jurisdiction. On Tuesday, the five-member tribunal's award sweepingly sided with the claims unilaterally filed by the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, which in the eyes of many observers, is a mockery of justice. The Philippine-initiated arbitration against China represents a dangerous tendency in current international relations. Some experts have pointed out that some countries are trying to use the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the only standard and deny the principle that territorial sovereignty is sacred and inviolable, which is enshrined in international law, including the UN Charter, and they attempt to cover up the fact that they are illegally occupying China's islands and reefs in the Nansha Islands. It seems that these countries need to be reminded that inviolability of territorial sovereignty is a basic principle in the international law, and it is the bedrock for stable international relations. Meanwhile, the arbitration has set a bad example for settling sovereign disputes, as it not only violated international rule of law, but also undermined the existing international order. One of the negative fallout of the Philippine-initiated arbitration is that it jeopardizes the international consensus of resolving disputes through peaceful negotiations, the principle also advocated by the UN Charter as well as the international law. By unilaterally initiating the arbitration, the former Philippine government broke its own commitment made in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in 2002, which was signed between China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to settle disputes through consultation and negotiation, and the move also hampered the active efforts of parties concerned to push forward consultations of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). Negotiation and consultation are the only viable way to resolve the South China Sea disputes. The act of the Philippines, which violates the basic norm of the international law and infringes on China's right to independently choose methods for dispute settlement, will however, constitute a grave threat to peace and stability in the region. The arbitration, which abused the UNCLOS' compulsory procedures for dispute settlement, is nothing but a political farce under a legal cloak. I can neither change the "old order" nor create a "new reality." Related: China sticks to two-way talks by relevant parties in solving South China Sea disputes ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Thursday. Li made the remarks while meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The two leaders will attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, which will be held in Ulan Bator from July 15 to 16. Full story Full text of statement by NPC Foreign Affairs Committee on award of South China Sea arbitration initiated by Philippines BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Following is the full text of a statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's top legislature, National People's Congress, issued on Thursday, on the award of the arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the unilateral request of the Philippines. Statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress on the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration Established at the Unilateral Request of the Republic of the Philippines Full story Arbitration on South China Sea dispute fatally flawed: Chinese ambassador to Australia CANBERRA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The arbitration award on the South China Sea, coming out on Tuesday, is fatally flawed and China neither accepts nor recognizes it, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye said in an article published on The Australian on Thursday. In this article, titled "Arbitration on the South China Sea dispute is fatally flawed," Cheng said Chinese position is "fully justified." Full story Full Text: China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China on Wednesday published a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea". Following is the full text of the white paper: Full story Philippines repeatedly take moves that complicate disputes in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines, turning a blind eye to bilateral consensus, has repeatedly taken moves that complicate the relevant disputes, gradually intensified the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. The Philippines built military facilities on some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands) it has invaded and illegally occupied, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China is an important force for maintaining peace, stability in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China is an important force for maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. While firmly safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, China adheres to the position of settling disputes through negotiation and consultation and managing differences through rules and mechanisms, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story South China Sea Islands are China's inherent territory: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Nanhai Zhudao (the South China Sea Islands) are China's inherent territory, said a white paper issued Wednesday. The activities of the Chinese people in the South China Sea dated back to over 2,000 years ago, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." The document was issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Islands groundless: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The core of the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea lies in the territorial issues caused by the Philippines' invasion and illegal occupation by force, starting in the 1970s, of some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands), said a white paper issued Wednesday. "The Philippines has concocted many excuses to cover up this fact, and to pursue its territorial pretensions," said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China issues white paper on settling disputes with Philippines BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Wednesday issued a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." "The Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law," said the document issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Spotlight: Law-abusing tribunal issues ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration, draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award on Tuesday, sweepingly siding with Manila's cunningly packaged claims. The process and outcome of the three-year-long arbitration have drawn criticism from dozens of countries and numerous experts across the world, who pointed out that the panel has no jurisdiction and its decision is naturally null and void. Full story Spotlight: Ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- An arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea rendered ruling on Tuesday, resulting in a deluge of criticism from China and other countries. The 479-page award issued by a five-member tribunal is sweepingly in favor of the claims filed by the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, which unilaterally lodged the arbitration. Full story China refutes U.S. statement on South China Sea arbitration award BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China is strongly displeased with a press statement issued by the Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department on Tuesday on the award issued by the South China Sea arbitration tribunal unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement that China is firmly opposed to the U.S. statement and has lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side. Full story Chinese foreign minister says South China Sea arbitration a political farce BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea arbitration, unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, is a political farce made under the pretext of law, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday. Wang made the remarks after an Arbitral Tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case issued its final award on Tuesday. Full story International law dishonored by illegal award on South China Sea arbitration: Chinese diplomat THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The ruling on the South China Sea arbitration issued by a court in The Hague is a disgrace to international law, Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands Wu Ken told the press on Tuesday. "Today is a 'black Tuesday' for The Hague, 'the capital of international law'," Wu commented. Full story China asks Japan to stop interfering in South China Sea BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China has asked Japan to stop interfering in the South China Sea issue, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. China hopes Japan will bear in mind the terms of China-Japan relations and of regional peace and stability, and reflect on its position on South China Sea disputes, Lu Kang said. Full story China resolved to defend territorial sovereignty, maritime interests: People's Daily BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese people are resolved to defend the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, said the People's Daily in a commentary to be carried on Wednesday. YEKATERINBURG, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia on Wednesday agreed to step up cooperation so as to improve their practical work in all areas. At a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang said during President Vladimir Putin's visit to China last month, both countries reached fresh consensuses. Wang, who is here attending the third China-Russia Expo, said governments and businesses on both sides should work harder to improve bilateral practical cooperation, which has huge potential. Wang, who is also chairman of Committee of China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting on the Chinese side, named industrial capacity, high technology and innovation, infrastructure, logistics, as well as agriculture as the potential areas for cooperation. Wang believed bilateral high-level political ties, support from both governments and the innovative work of their business communities will guarantee that bilateral cooperation will have a bright future. Rogozin said Russia-China ties are at their best, and mutual trust can be found not only at the high levels of the two sides, but also in the particular fields of bilateral cooperation. On Tuesday, Wang and Rogozin also discussed bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy, civic aerospace, aeronautic development and satellite navigation. COTONOU, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday donated 15 million yuan (2.24 million U.S. dollars) worth of agricultural machinery and equipment to the Beninese government. The donation comprises 100 wheeled tractors, 100 trailers, 85 ploughs, 30 rice mills and 100 maize mills. It strengthens bilateral relationship and represents a fruitful result of the Summit of Forum on China-Africa cooperation in December 2015, Chinese Ambassador to Benin Diao Mingsheng said during a ceremony in Abomey-Calavi, a town just outside the commercial capital Cotonou. "The Chinese government is contributing unquestionably to the strengthening of agricultural production capacities so as to enhance food safety in Benin," Beninese Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery Delphin Koudande said. South Sudan civilians settle down at UN house in Juba, South Sudan, July 12, 2016. Tense calm returned to South Sudan's capital after the two leaders called onceasefire and ordered all commanders to lay down arms and report to their unit bases. (Xinhua) JUBA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Fresh fighting has dealt a major blow to South Sudan's efforts to recover from months of civil unrest, leading to fresh population displacements and the escalation of a humanitarian crisis in the world's newest state, analysts have said. "This fighting has taken South Sudan back to half a year or maybe more than three months of the Transitional Government of National Unity," James Alic Garang, Associate Professor at the University of Upper Nile in Juba told Xinhua. Garang, an economic analyst, said the fighting in Juba since July 7, has left the country with an uncertain political and economic future following the destruction of key facilities and installations in the capital. "The future of investment will be affected because real investors will not have second thought on whether to rush to South Sudan to invest. They will wait and see the political situation stabilized," he added. The latest flare-up of fighting between the forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, which left scores of people dead, has raised questions about the political stability. The South Sudanese leaders signed an agreement in August 2015 to form a unity government. The unity government was formed in April to run the country until elections are held within 36 months. However, the latest fighting, three months into the unity government, has led analysts to believe that the slow implementation of the August peace agreement was leading to tensions. "More generally, this conflict could be attributed to the lack of implementation of the peace agreement which perhaps led to the violence on Thursday, Friday and the days that followed," Garang said. The analyst said the fighting has also constrained the government's ability to provide basic services to the citizens who have been severely affected by the past violence in Juba and other provincial towns. "The ability of the government to provide basic services to the citizens has already been destabilized and shaken," Garang warned. The conflict severely affected the ability of the international humanitarian agencies to reach people caught up in the crossfire. Dr. Augustino Ting Mayai, senior political analyst at SUDD Institute, a local government policy think-tank, said the fighting has displaced several people, adding to the existing humanitarian challenges and affected the distribution of food and basic needs in and around the capital. "There are great and gradual consequences of this violence and so the question is how to deal with it," Mayai said. The analyst said the South Sudanese leaders have taken the initial steps to declare a ceasefire, which has held in the interim period. The ceasefire has allowed several residents of Juba to venture out in search of basic commodities and food. However, the consequences of the latest fighting are expected to be felt widely in the coming months. "The two leaders should be appreciated for going through the need to hand their forces not to fight each other. The second aspect is that there is need for humanitarian interventions," Mayai said. Mayai said civilians have been newly displaced and the general population is living without food and water. He said the international community and the government should develop a plan to deal with the humanitarian situation. South Sudanese are witnessing shops run out of essential supplies days immediately after the fierce fighting. Garang said he visited shops around a place called Jebel-Dinka, where the shelves remained empty because the city residents took leave of the ceasefire to stock up essential supplies. "I have seen families moving toward Gurei and Gudele in Juba, to look for food. This is one clear impact of the conflict already. There is already displacement of families to places like Lemon-Guba and Jebel-Luri among other areas," Garang told Xinhua in an interview. The fighting has left Juba uncertain following the destruction of fuel stations in the capital, which is likely to impact the town's transport system, according to Garang. "There is a lot of uncertainty. The transport is going to disband because some fuel stations have already been destroyed," Garang said. According to him, transport along the main highway from Uganda to South Sudan has been affected by the fighting, leading to the disruption of the essential food supplies. The conflict is also a true test to the effectiveness of the unity government formed after the 2013 political crisis between President Kiir and his First Vice President. Analysts say the declaration of the Monday ceasefire has partly shown the effectiveness of the unity government to restore stability but the reforms are still required to restore political stability. BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China said on Thursday that the tribunal which handled the South China Sea arbitration is not an international tribunal. The constitution and operation of the arbitral tribunal, established by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), lacks legitimacy and representativeness, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang at a daily press briefing. Therefore, the award rendered by the tribunal, without authority and credibility, is completely void and with no-binding force, he said. The United Nations made it clear on Wednesday that it has nothing to do with the PCA in The Hague, which issued an award on Tuesday in the case unilaterally initiated by the Philippines in 2013. In a post on its Sina Weibo account, the UN pointed out that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the UN's principal judicial organ. In fact, the PCA in The Hague just happens to be the neighbor of the ICJ, both being in the Peace Palace in The Hague. The ICJ also made clear on its website that it is a totally distinct institution and has had no involvement in the case. The PCA, established in 1899, writes on its official website that "unlike the International Court of Justice," the Permanent Court of Arbitration "has no sitting judges" and its sessions "are held in private and are confidential." Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, said on Tuesday "The UN doesn't have a position on the legal and procedural merits" of the South China Sea arbitration case. Some Western media had claimed that the court is backed by the UN. Lu said he hoped that the media mistakes were made out of mere carelessness. Related: China sticks to two-way talks by relevant parties in solving South China Sea disputes ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Thursday. Li made the remarks while meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The two leaders will attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, which will be held in Ulan Bator from July 15 to 16. Full story Full text of statement by NPC Foreign Affairs Committee on award of South China Sea arbitration initiated by Philippines BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Following is the full text of a statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's top legislature, National People's Congress, issued on Thursday, on the award of the arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the unilateral request of the Philippines. Statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress on the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration Established at the Unilateral Request of the Republic of the Philippines Full story Arbitration on South China Sea dispute fatally flawed: Chinese ambassador to Australia CANBERRA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The arbitration award on the South China Sea, coming out on Tuesday, is fatally flawed and China neither accepts nor recognizes it, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye said in an article published on The Australian on Thursday. In this article, titled "Arbitration on the South China Sea dispute is fatally flawed," Cheng said Chinese position is "fully justified." Full story Full Text: China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China on Wednesday published a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea". Following is the full text of the white paper: Full story Philippines repeatedly take moves that complicate disputes in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines, turning a blind eye to bilateral consensus, has repeatedly taken moves that complicate the relevant disputes, gradually intensified the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. The Philippines built military facilities on some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands) it has invaded and illegally occupied, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China is an important force for maintaining peace, stability in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China is an important force for maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. While firmly safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, China adheres to the position of settling disputes through negotiation and consultation and managing differences through rules and mechanisms, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story South China Sea Islands are China's inherent territory: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Nanhai Zhudao (the South China Sea Islands) are China's inherent territory, said a white paper issued Wednesday. The activities of the Chinese people in the South China Sea dated back to over 2,000 years ago, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." The document was issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Islands groundless: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The core of the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea lies in the territorial issues caused by the Philippines' invasion and illegal occupation by force, starting in the 1970s, of some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands), said a white paper issued Wednesday. "The Philippines has concocted many excuses to cover up this fact, and to pursue its territorial pretensions," said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China issues white paper on settling disputes with Philippines BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Wednesday issued a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." "The Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law," said the document issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Spotlight: Law-abusing tribunal issues ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration, draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award on Tuesday, sweepingly siding with Manila's cunningly packaged claims. The process and outcome of the three-year-long arbitration have drawn criticism from dozens of countries and numerous experts across the world, who pointed out that the panel has no jurisdiction and its decision is naturally null and void. Full story Spotlight: Ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- An arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea rendered ruling on Tuesday, resulting in a deluge of criticism from China and other countries. The 479-page award issued by a five-member tribunal is sweepingly in favor of the claims filed by the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, which unilaterally lodged the arbitration. Full story China refutes U.S. statement on South China Sea arbitration award BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China is strongly displeased with a press statement issued by the Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department on Tuesday on the award issued by the South China Sea arbitration tribunal unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement that China is firmly opposed to the U.S. statement and has lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side. Full story Chinese foreign minister says South China Sea arbitration a political farce BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea arbitration, unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, is a political farce made under the pretext of law, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday. Wang made the remarks after an Arbitral Tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case issued its final award on Tuesday. Full story International law dishonored by illegal award on South China Sea arbitration: Chinese diplomat THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The ruling on the South China Sea arbitration issued by a court in The Hague is a disgrace to international law, Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands Wu Ken told the press on Tuesday. "Today is a 'black Tuesday' for The Hague, 'the capital of international law'," Wu commented. Full story China asks Japan to stop interfering in South China Sea BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China has asked Japan to stop interfering in the South China Sea issue, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. China hopes Japan will bear in mind the terms of China-Japan relations and of regional peace and stability, and reflect on its position on South China Sea disputes, Lu Kang said. Full story China resolved to defend territorial sovereignty, maritime interests: People's Daily BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese people are resolved to defend the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, said the People's Daily in a commentary to be carried on Wednesday. HAVANA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Cuban President Raul Castro on Wednesday replaced his Economy Minister and Vice President Marino Murillo by Ricardo Cabrisas. An official announcement said the replacement was made so that Murillo, who has headed reforms under President Castro for the last few years, will "concentrate his efforts on tasks related to updating Cuba's economic and social model." Higher Education Minister Rodolfo Alarcon was replaced by Deputy Education Minister Jose Saborido. Last week, Castro replaced Culture Minister Julian Gonzalez, and appointed his advisor on cultural matters, Abel Prieto, who had already headed that ministry for over 20 years. Related: Cuba faces tough economic outlook: Raul Castro HAVANA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Cuban President Raul Castro on Friday said a "reduction in oil imports", falling prices of traditional exports, along with other financial restrictions caused a "tense and stressful" economic situation that will bring limitations in the second half of 2016. BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The international community has continued to criticize the biased arbitration on the South China Sea dispute, and called on the United States to stop interfering in the issue and leave it to the parties concerned. On Tuesday, The Hague-based tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award, denying China's long-standing historical rights in the South China Sea. Here are some notable opinions on this issue. Basem Tajeldine, Venezuelan expert on international relations -- In recent years, the United States has launched an assault against China, especially by stoking historical disputes it has had with other countries in the region. Washington aims to use similar territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Abraham Delgado, Venezuelan political observer -- Organizations such as the Permanent Court of Arbitration have historically served the interests of the dominant powers, their goals and political ends. In fact, the court's decision is essentially part of the foreign policy of the United States, and it's a move to stem China's growing presence worldwide. Anatoly Smirnov, president of the Russian National Institute for Research of Global Security -- There are interests of extra-regional players behind the Philippines' claims. Manila intended to internationalize the dispute, which should be resolved through bilateral dialogue and negotiations. The United States has not ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea yet. It appears that the UN Convention lays down rules of behavior for many countries, but not for the United States. Pierre Picquart, renowned French sinologist -- The award may potentially fuel third-party alliances and anti-Chinese sentiment, undermining peace in the South China Sea and in the world. Policymakers from the United States, Europe or elsewhere could be tempted to indirectly attack China via other countries, especially China's neighbors. Related: China sticks to two-way talks by relevant parties in solving South China Sea disputes ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Thursday. Li made the remarks while meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The two leaders will attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, which will be held in Ulan Bator from July 15 to 16. Full story China challenges Arbitral Tribunal's authority BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China said on Thursday that the tribunal which handled the South China Sea arbitration is not an international tribunal. The constitution and operation of the arbitral tribunal, established by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), lacks legitimacy and representativeness, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang at a daily press briefing. Full story Full text of statement by NPC Foreign Affairs Committee on award of South China Sea arbitration initiated by Philippines BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Following is the full text of a statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's top legislature, National People's Congress, issued on Thursday, on the award of the arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the unilateral request of the Philippines. Statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress on the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration Established at the Unilateral Request of the Republic of the Philippines Full story Arbitration on South China Sea dispute fatally flawed: Chinese ambassador to Australia CANBERRA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The arbitration award on the South China Sea, coming out on Tuesday, is fatally flawed and China neither accepts nor recognizes it, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye said in an article published on The Australian on Thursday. In this article, titled "Arbitration on the South China Sea dispute is fatally flawed," Cheng said Chinese position is "fully justified." Full story Full Text: China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China on Wednesday published a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea". Following is the full text of the white paper: Full story Philippines repeatedly take moves that complicate disputes in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines, turning a blind eye to bilateral consensus, has repeatedly taken moves that complicate the relevant disputes, gradually intensified the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. The Philippines built military facilities on some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands) it has invaded and illegally occupied, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China is an important force for maintaining peace, stability in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China is an important force for maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. While firmly safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, China adheres to the position of settling disputes through negotiation and consultation and managing differences through rules and mechanisms, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story South China Sea Islands are China's inherent territory: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Nanhai Zhudao (the South China Sea Islands) are China's inherent territory, said a white paper issued Wednesday. The activities of the Chinese people in the South China Sea dated back to over 2,000 years ago, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." The document was issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Islands groundless: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The core of the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea lies in the territorial issues caused by the Philippines' invasion and illegal occupation by force, starting in the 1970s, of some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands), said a white paper issued Wednesday. "The Philippines has concocted many excuses to cover up this fact, and to pursue its territorial pretensions," said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China issues white paper on settling disputes with Philippines BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Wednesday issued a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." "The Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law," said the document issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Spotlight: Law-abusing tribunal issues ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration, draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award on Tuesday, sweepingly siding with Manila's cunningly packaged claims. The process and outcome of the three-year-long arbitration have drawn criticism from dozens of countries and numerous experts across the world, who pointed out that the panel has no jurisdiction and its decision is naturally null and void. Full story Spotlight: Ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- An arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea rendered ruling on Tuesday, resulting in a deluge of criticism from China and other countries. The 479-page award issued by a five-member tribunal is sweepingly in favor of the claims filed by the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, which unilaterally lodged the arbitration. Full story China refutes U.S. statement on South China Sea arbitration award BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China is strongly displeased with a press statement issued by the Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department on Tuesday on the award issued by the South China Sea arbitration tribunal unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement that China is firmly opposed to the U.S. statement and has lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side. Full story Chinese foreign minister says South China Sea arbitration a political farce BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea arbitration, unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, is a political farce made under the pretext of law, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday. Wang made the remarks after an Arbitral Tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case issued its final award on Tuesday. Full story International law dishonored by illegal award on South China Sea arbitration: Chinese diplomat THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The ruling on the South China Sea arbitration issued by a court in The Hague is a disgrace to international law, Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands Wu Ken told the press on Tuesday. "Today is a 'black Tuesday' for The Hague, 'the capital of international law'," Wu commented. Full story China asks Japan to stop interfering in South China Sea BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China has asked Japan to stop interfering in the South China Sea issue, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. China hopes Japan will bear in mind the terms of China-Japan relations and of regional peace and stability, and reflect on its position on South China Sea disputes, Lu Kang said. Full story China resolved to defend territorial sovereignty, maritime interests: People's Daily BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese people are resolved to defend the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, said the People's Daily in a commentary to be carried on Wednesday. Crew members of China's largest and most advanced patrol vessel Haixun 01 take part in a rescue drill on the South China Sea, April 4, 2016. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) CARACAS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Covert interests of the United States were behind an arbitration case against China over the South China Sea, Venezuelan analysts have said. The arbitration award, which denies China's rights over maritime territories that have historically fallen under Chinese jurisdiction, abets U.S. efforts to hinder the Asian country's progress to a global economic power, the analysts said. "In recent years, the United States has launched an assault against China, especially by stoking historical disputes it has had with other countries in the region," Basem Tajeldine, an expert in international relations, told Xinhua. Tajeldine believes Washington aims to use similar territorial disputes in the South China Sea -- where Vietnam and Malaysia, among others, also have competing claims -- to curb China's growth and at the same time spread its own sphere of influence in the region. The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on Tuesday announced its decision against China and in favor of the Philippines in an arbitration case initiated unilaterally by the Philippines. "The United States seeks to establish a foothold in the region, including a military one, in an effort to fence in China and diminish its influence in the region," said Tajeldine. An aerial photo taken on Sept. 25, 2015 from a seaplane of Hainan Maritime Safety Administration shows cruise vessel Haixun 1103 heading to the Yacheng 13-1 drilling rig during a patrol in south China Sea. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingquan) Fueling the disputes also serves Washington's desire to cap Beijing's geopolitical rise, he said. Washington's ultimate goal could be an international blockade against China, he said. China has from the beginning declared that the PCA does not have jurisdiction over the case and insisted that bilateral disputes should be resolved through negotiations between parties directly concerned. Political observer Abraham Delgado notes that organizations such as the PCA "have historically served the interests of the dominant powers, their goals and political ends." In fact, the court's decision is essentially "part of the foreign policy of the United States," and it's a move to stem China's growing presence worldwide, said Delgado. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Argentina's President Mauricio Macri in Washington D.C., the United States, April 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BUENOS AIRES, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Argentina is exploring expanded economic, commercial ties with China, the Argentinean Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. Argentinean and Chinese authorities concluded on July 11-12 a complete revision of the two countries' trade and investment agreements during the 20th meeting of the two countries' Joint Economic and Commercial Commission (COMIXTA) in Beijing. The two sides "made proposals to build up bilateral exchanges" and "discussed improving access conditions for Argentinean foodstuffs and the incorporation of high value-added products to China," the foreign ministry in a statement. The two countries concluded sanitary and phytosanitary negotiations to allow access for Argentinean grapes to China, advanced negotiations for new beef and poultry requirements and began talks to export Argentinean cranberries to China. The Chinese government will soon send an inspection mission to Argentina to set up protocols for beef and poultry exports. The two sides are also in the process of discussing sanitary regulations for biotechnology, dairy, seeds, and veterinary drugs. In the statement, Argentinean Secretary of International Economic Relations Maria Cristina Boldorini said "our main interest is to open markets and improve the access conditions for our products. We are optimistic about these successes." China and Argentina enjoy a comprehensive strategic partnership, with China being Argentina's second-largest trading partner after Brazil. MANILA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday said he was asking former President Fidel Ramos to help start talks with China over disputes in the South China Sea. The president, during a testimonial dinner hosted by the San Beda College, reiterated that war was not an option and he wanted to pursue peaceful solutions to the maritime disputes with China like bilateral talks. He said he would still consult Ramos about it and eventually asked him to "go to China to start the talks." The announcement came after an arbitral tribunal in The Hague issued an award Tuesday on an arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the Philippines against China regarding their disputes in the South China Sea. Dismissing the ruling "null and void with no binding force," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it will not accept any proposition or action based on the award. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said China will continue to endeavor to peacefully resolve disputes in the South China Sea with parties directly concerned through negotiation and consultation on the basis of respecting historical facts and in accordance with international law. Ramos, who was the Philippine president from 1992 to 1998, acknowledged Duterte's decision, but did not say if he would accept the president's request. Duterte earned his law degree from San Beda while Ramos is an honorary alumus of the San Beda College of Law. Earlier in the day, Duterte was reportedly ready to start direct talks with China on the South China Sea disputes. "(Duterte said) we'll start the bilateral talks," Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno told reporters, saying the president made the remarks during a cabinet meeting shortly after the ad hoc tribunal's award on Tuesday. He added that the president had said the country should avoid "taunting and flaunting" the decision if it favors the Philippines. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II also confirmed that the president during the cabinet meeting mentioned about talking to China. He said it was mentioned when the cabinet was talking about the different responses and options that the Philippines might do following the award. Related: China sticks to two-way talks by relevant parties in solving South China Sea disputes ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Thursday. Li made the remarks while meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The two leaders will attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, which will be held in Ulan Bator from July 15 to 16. Full story China challenges Arbitral Tribunal's authority BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China said on Thursday that the tribunal which handled the South China Sea arbitration is not an international tribunal. The constitution and operation of the arbitral tribunal, established by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), lacks legitimacy and representativeness, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang at a daily press briefing. Full story Full text of statement by NPC Foreign Affairs Committee on award of South China Sea arbitration initiated by Philippines BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Following is the full text of a statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's top legislature, National People's Congress, issued on Thursday, on the award of the arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the unilateral request of the Philippines. Statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress on the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration Established at the Unilateral Request of the Republic of the Philippines Full story Arbitration on South China Sea dispute fatally flawed: Chinese ambassador to Australia CANBERRA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The arbitration award on the South China Sea, coming out on Tuesday, is fatally flawed and China neither accepts nor recognizes it, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye said in an article published on The Australian on Thursday. In this article, titled "Arbitration on the South China Sea dispute is fatally flawed," Cheng said Chinese position is "fully justified." Full story Full Text: China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China on Wednesday published a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea". Following is the full text of the white paper: Full story Philippines repeatedly take moves that complicate disputes in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines, turning a blind eye to bilateral consensus, has repeatedly taken moves that complicate the relevant disputes, gradually intensified the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. The Philippines built military facilities on some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands) it has invaded and illegally occupied, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China is an important force for maintaining peace, stability in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China is an important force for maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. While firmly safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, China adheres to the position of settling disputes through negotiation and consultation and managing differences through rules and mechanisms, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story South China Sea Islands are China's inherent territory: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Nanhai Zhudao (the South China Sea Islands) are China's inherent territory, said a white paper issued Wednesday. The activities of the Chinese people in the South China Sea dated back to over 2,000 years ago, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." The document was issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Islands groundless: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The core of the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea lies in the territorial issues caused by the Philippines' invasion and illegal occupation by force, starting in the 1970s, of some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands), said a white paper issued Wednesday. "The Philippines has concocted many excuses to cover up this fact, and to pursue its territorial pretensions," said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China issues white paper on settling disputes with Philippines BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Wednesday issued a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." "The Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law," said the document issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Spotlight: Law-abusing tribunal issues ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration, draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award on Tuesday, sweepingly siding with Manila's cunningly packaged claims. The process and outcome of the three-year-long arbitration have drawn criticism from dozens of countries and numerous experts across the world, who pointed out that the panel has no jurisdiction and its decision is naturally null and void. Full story Spotlight: Ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- An arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea rendered ruling on Tuesday, resulting in a deluge of criticism from China and other countries. The 479-page award issued by a five-member tribunal is sweepingly in favor of the claims filed by the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, which unilaterally lodged the arbitration. Full story China refutes U.S. statement on South China Sea arbitration award BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China is strongly displeased with a press statement issued by the Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department on Tuesday on the award issued by the South China Sea arbitration tribunal unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement that China is firmly opposed to the U.S. statement and has lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side. Full story Chinese foreign minister says South China Sea arbitration a political farce BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea arbitration, unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, is a political farce made under the pretext of law, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday. Wang made the remarks after an Arbitral Tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case issued its final award on Tuesday. Full story International law dishonored by illegal award on South China Sea arbitration: Chinese diplomat THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The ruling on the South China Sea arbitration issued by a court in The Hague is a disgrace to international law, Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands Wu Ken told the press on Tuesday. "Today is a 'black Tuesday' for The Hague, 'the capital of international law'," Wu commented. Full story China asks Japan to stop interfering in South China Sea BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China has asked Japan to stop interfering in the South China Sea issue, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. China hopes Japan will bear in mind the terms of China-Japan relations and of regional peace and stability, and reflect on its position on South China Sea disputes, Lu Kang said. Full story China resolved to defend territorial sovereignty, maritime interests: People's Daily BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese people are resolved to defend the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, said the People's Daily in a commentary to be carried on Wednesday. MANILA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday said he was asking former President Fidel Ramos to help start talks with China over disputes in the South China Sea. The president, during a testimonial dinner hosted by the San Beda College, reiterated that war was not an option and he wanted to pursue peaceful solutions to the maritime disputes with China like bilateral talks. He said he would still consult Ramos about it and eventually asked him to "go to China to start the talks." The announcement came after an arbitral tribunal in The Hague issued an award Tuesday on an arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the Philippines against China regarding their disputes in the South China Sea. Dismissing the ruling "null and void with no binding force," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it will not accept any proposition or action based on the award. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said China will continue to endeavor to peacefully resolve disputes in the South China Sea with parties directly concerned through negotiation and consultation on the basis of respecting historical facts and in accordance with international law. Ramos, who was the Philippine president from 1992 to 1998, acknowledged Duterte's decision, but did not say if he would accept the president's request. Duterte earned his law degree from San Beda while Ramos is an honorary alumus of the San Beda College of Law. Earlier in the day, Duterte was reportedly ready to start direct talks with China on the South China Sea disputes. "(Duterte said) we'll start the bilateral talks," Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno told reporters, saying the president made the remarks during a cabinet meeting shortly after the ad hoc tribunal's award on Tuesday. He added that the president had said the country should avoid "taunting and flaunting" the decision if it favors the Philippines. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II also confirmed that the president during the cabinet meeting mentioned about talking to China. He said it was mentioned when the cabinet was talking about the different responses and options that the Philippines might do following the award. Related: China sticks to two-way talks by relevant parties in solving South China Sea disputes ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Chinese PremierLi Keqiangsaid here Thursday. Li made the remarks while meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The two leaders will attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, which will be held in Ulan Bator from July 15 to 16. Full story China challenges Arbitral Tribunal's authority BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China said on Thursday that the tribunal which handled the South China Sea arbitration is not an international tribunal. The constitution and operation of the arbitral tribunal, established by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), lacks legitimacy and representativeness, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang at a daily press briefing. Full story Full text of statement by NPC Foreign Affairs Committee on award of South China Sea arbitration initiated by Philippines BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Following is the full text of a statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's top legislature, National People's Congress, issued on Thursday, on the award of the arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the unilateral request of the Philippines. Statement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress on the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration Established at the Unilateral Request of the Republic of the Philippines Full story Arbitration on South China Sea dispute fatally flawed: Chinese ambassador to Australia CANBERRA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The arbitration award on the South China Sea, coming out on Tuesday, is fatally flawed and China neither accepts nor recognizes it, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye said in an article published on The Australian on Thursday. In this article, titled "Arbitration on the South China Sea dispute is fatally flawed," Cheng said Chinese position is "fully justified." Full story Full Text: China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China on Wednesday published a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea". Following is the full text of the white paper: Full story Philippines repeatedly take moves that complicate disputes in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines, turning a blind eye to bilateral consensus, has repeatedly taken moves that complicate the relevant disputes, gradually intensified the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. The Philippines built military facilities on some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands) it has invaded and illegally occupied, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China is an important force for maintaining peace, stability in South China Sea: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China is an important force for maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday. While firmly safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, China adheres to the position of settling disputes through negotiation and consultation and managing differences through rules and mechanisms, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story South China Sea Islands are China's inherent territory: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Nanhai Zhudao (the South China Sea Islands) are China's inherent territory, said a white paper issued Wednesday. The activities of the Chinese people in the South China Sea dated back to over 2,000 years ago, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." The document was issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Islands groundless: white paper BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The core of the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea lies in the territorial issues caused by the Philippines' invasion and illegal occupation by force, starting in the 1970s, of some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands), said a white paper issued Wednesday. "The Philippines has concocted many excuses to cover up this fact, and to pursue its territorial pretensions," said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." Full story China issues white paper on settling disputes with Philippines BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Wednesday issued a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." "The Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law," said the document issued by the State Council Information Office. Full story Spotlight: Law-abusing tribunal issues ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration, draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award on Tuesday, sweepingly siding with Manila's cunningly packaged claims. The process and outcome of the three-year-long arbitration have drawn criticism from dozens of countries and numerous experts across the world, who pointed out that the panel has no jurisdiction and its decision is naturally null and void. Full story Spotlight: Ill-founded award on South China Sea arbitration draws worldwide criticism THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- An arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea rendered ruling on Tuesday, resulting in a deluge of criticism from China and other countries. The 479-page award issued by a five-member tribunal is sweepingly in favor of the claims filed by the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, which unilaterally lodged the arbitration. Full story China refutes U.S. statement on South China Sea arbitration award BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China is strongly displeased with a press statement issued by the Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department on Tuesday on the award issued by the South China Sea arbitration tribunal unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement that China is firmly opposed to the U.S. statement and has lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side. Full story Chinese foreign minister says South China Sea arbitration a political farce BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea arbitration, unilaterally initiated by thePhilippines, is a political farce made under the pretext of law, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday. Wang made the remarks after an Arbitral Tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case issued its final award on Tuesday. Full story International law dishonored by illegal award on South China Sea arbitration: Chinese diplomat THE HAGUE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The ruling on the South China Sea arbitration issued by a court in The Hague is a disgrace to international law, Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands Wu Ken told the press on Tuesday. "Today is a 'black Tuesday' for The Hague, 'the capital of international law'," Wu commented. Full story China asks Japan to stop interfering in South China Sea BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China has asked Japan to stop interfering in the South China Sea issue, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. China hopes Japan will bear in mind the terms of China-Japan relations and of regional peace and stability, and reflect on its position on South China Sea disputes, Lu Kang said. Full story China resolved to defend territorial sovereignty, maritime interests: People's Daily BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese people are resolved to defend the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, said the People's Daily in a commentary to be carried on Wednesday. KIGALI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is free to attend the African Union's (AU) Head of States meeting in Kigali later in the week, said the Rwanda foreign minister on Thursday. Rwandan Minister for Foreign Affairs Louise Mushikiwabo said that as a member state of the AU, Sudan's leader will be accorded the necessary security like any other President who will be attending the sessions. "President Bashir is a leader of African country and is free to attend the meeting since Rwanda has no right to arrest him," Mushikiwabo said in Kigali. President Bashir is accused of organizing war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an international arrest warrant by the countries he visits to enable him to stand trials in the Hague. Mushikiwabo noted that since Rwanda is not adhered to the Rome statute, the country has no right to arrest President Bashir. She said that many governments in Africa are dissatisfied by the ICC because it has become a politicized court against the expectations that it was founded upon. "ICC issue is part of the agenda to be discussed during the Heads of States meeting and some countries have hinted at withdrawing from the court," she said. She observed that countries that intend to withdraw are in the process of following the right procedures before pulling out. She also confirmed that the ongoing tension in Southern Sudan is due to be discussed with the heads of states with a view to sending peacekeepers in the country, adding the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is also expected to meet with African leaders on the South Sudan issue later in the week. Mushikiwabo also allayed fears that the anticipated postponement of the elections of the AU chairperson and commissioners will proceed as earlier planned. This follows a request by a section of member states from the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) to have the elections postponed for a few months. "Six out of eight commissioners' terms of service are ending and therefore postponing the elections will leave unnecessary gap in the leadership," she said. WASHINGTON, July 14, 2016 - In comments to the EPA, CVR Energy, which owns merchant refineries in Kansas and Oklahoma, charges the agency with failure to remove the market constraints that are preventing more renewable fuel from being blended. Independent merchant refiners are primarily small-to-medium-sized operations. The majority of the fuels produced at these operations are distributed through a third-party pipeline where the refiner has no control of its fuels once in the pipeline. As the battle continues over whether EPA should raise or lower its annual Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume requirements for blending ethanol and biodiesel into the nations transportation fuel supply, CVR and several other petroleum refiners insist that the best way for EPA to increase biofuels use is to correct the fundamental flaw in its regulations. In his comments letter to EPA related to the agencys proposed rule for 2017 volume requirement, CVR President and CEO Jack Lipinski calls on EPA to change the point of obligation for compliance with the RFSs renewable volume obligations (RVOs). Under current RFS rules, the obligated parties are petroleum refiners and importers. CVR wants that obligation switched to the rack sellers that own petroleum fuel at the bulk terminal or truck loading terminal just prior to retail. CVR says that switching the compliance obligation from refiners and importers to an equally small number of rack sellers would align the obligation to blend renewable fuel into the transportation system with the persons who have the ability to do so and would properly align incentives. Lipinskis comments conclude that any blenders currently exempt from compliance would be incentivized for the first time to increase renewable fuel blending to ensure that they generate sufficient Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) for compliance. Gina Bowman, vice president of government relations for CVR, said the company believes that changing the point of obligation will help the program do what it is intended to do increase the use of renewable fuels in the transportation fuel supply. As a refiner and fertilizer producer, we see the RFS as positive for the Midwest, Bowman said. We believe changing the point of obligation helps support the overall intent of the RFS program. CVR is not alone in pressing for switching the point of obligation. Valero, a leading U.S. producer of gasoline, ethanol and renewable diesel, submitted a detailed 119-page petition to EPA on June 13 asking for changes in its proposed rule. The petition argues that the current point of obligation is misplaced and has created multiple problems that impair the RFS programs proper functioning and prevent it from ensuring that renewables enter the transportation fuel market. CVR, Valero, Alon USA, HollyFrontier, Small Business Refiners Coalition, and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers trade association all want EPA to switch its RFS point of obligation from some 200 petroleum refiners and importers to an equally small number of major above the rack blenders that supply transportation fuels to wholesalers, retailers or ultimate consumers. However, refiners that are currently blending above the rack would remain obligated as above the rack blenders. As confirmed at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing June 22, EPA is considering petitions asking EPA to change the point of obligation from petroleum refiners to fuel marketers. Janet McCabe, EPAs acting administrator in the Office of Air and Radiation, testified that the requested switch is very much on our minds and presents an important issue to look at. Valero repeated its call for change in its June 30 comment submitted to EPA, concluding that Moving the Point of Obligation a simple definitional change to the rule will allow greater market penetration of renewable fuels and may be the single most effective reform of the RFS program. Valeros petition urging EPA to make the switch argues that placing the compliance obligation on refiners and importers often benefits speculators at the expense of both biofuels and consumers. Valero adds that because it prevents the value of renewable identification numbers (RINs) from being passed through to consumers, it only minimally encourages renewable fuel consumption. Valeros petition urging EPA to make the switch argues that placing the compliance obligation on refiners and importers often benefits speculators at the expense of both biofuels and consumers. Valero adds that because it prevents the value of renewable identification numbers (RINs) from being passed through to consumers, it only minimally encourages renewable fuel consumption. Valero insists EPA could make the switch easily and that the benefits would: increase penetration of biofuels into the market, helping to effectively overcome the supply constraints associated with the blend wall; remove the market distortion that harms independent refiners, small retailers and small renewable fuel producers; create a level playing field in all fuel-market sectors, thus generating greater competition for renewable fuels on all levels; substantially reduce the opportunity for RIN fraud and RIN speculation because the parties with RFS obligations would be those who generate RINs; and lead to reliable, third-party verification for the obligated parties RVO and most RIN- generation, using federal excise tax documents, a remarkably simple solution to the major challenges to verification today. Bowman pointed out that as a petroleum refiner, CVR is obligated under current RFS rules to either generate or purchase RINs to comply with the national biofuels volume mandate. However, as an independent merchant refiner, CVR does not have control over its fuels once distributed in the third-party pipeline, which means it has no control over the fuels being blended. Therefore, CVR must purchase RINs. She said one costly result is that RINs are CVR Refinings single biggest expense, exceeding our labor costs, our maintenance costs and even our fuel costs. The CVR comments letter states that since 2013, CVR Refining has spent nearly $500 million on RINs and, at current prices, CVR Refining estimates that its RINs exposure is likely to approach $200 million for 2016. Key biofuels supporters reject the multiplying appeals to EPA to make blenders rather than refiners responsible for RFS compliance. Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs with the National Biodiesel Board, told Agri-Pulse that her members dont think that theres really anything wrong right now with the point of obligation where it is. And Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, said that moving the point of obligation would put the power of the program in the hands of the people who are most interested in killing the program. 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. Dinneen said the change would open the door for refiners to simply decide against sending the right product to the newly obligated parties, whose hands would then be tied. If they change the obligation, they are rewarding the people that didnt make (infrastructure investments) and have tried not to make the program work, he said. That just doesn't make a great deal of sense to me. Bowman said that there is a misconception out there that small-to-medium-sized independent merchant refiners should invest in infrastructure. I dont think there is a strong understanding of what that truly means. CVR would have to purchase a retail chain in order to add the needed infrastructure, which is impractical and impossible. We are not a retailer nor are we set up to be one. #30 For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com TOKYO, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The so-called award of the South China Sea arbitration violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as well as international law, and it will never be accepted by the Chinese people, said former Chinese foreign minister Li Zhaoxing. Li, president of the China Public Diplomacy Association, made the remarks on Wednesday at the Tokyo Sun Yat-sen Forum commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Sun Yat-sen, a great forerunner of China's democratic revolution. "The so-called South China Sea arbitration is a political farce from the very beginning, and it will not be recognized by anyone in the world who stand for justice," Li said. "The arbitration, and the ill-disposed hyping up and political manipulation that ensued, have led the South China Sea issue to growing tension and confrontation," he added. "It is detrimental to peace and stability in the region, and it does not serve the common interests of China, the Philippines and countries in the region as well as the international community." The forum, co-sponsored by China Public Diplomacy Association and Japan Sun Yat-sen Cultural Foundation, was attended by a number of celebrated politicians and scholars from China and Japan. The former top diplomat also pointed out that China's position of non-acceptance and non-participation in the arbitration is aimed at upholding the international rule of law. "Under international law, each country has the right to choose on its own will the means of dispute settlement," he said. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) gives the state parties the right to exclude relevant disputes from compulsory dispute settlement procedures. The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) signed by China and the 10 ASEAN countries manifestly stipulates that relevant disputes should be resolved by countries directly concerned through dialogue and negotiation, said Li. "Thus, China's non-acceptance of and non-participation in the arbitration has full legal basis, and is consistent with the norms and rules of the international law of the sea. China is acting in strict accordance with the law," he said. by Maria Spiliopoulou ATHENS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Italian railway company Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane S.p.A was formally declared on Thursday to be the preferred investor for the sale of Greek railways operator TrainOSE, Greece's privatization fund announced. The board of directors of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) approved the binding offer for the acquisition of a 100 percent stake in TrainOSE submitted by the Italian railways last week. Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane S.p.A, the third largest railway company in Europe, was the sole bidder in the last phase of the international tender launched earlier this year. The amount of the offer price is 45 million euros (50 million U.S. dollars), according to the fund's press release. "The HRADF is completing a process that began three years ago. The privatization of TrainOSE secures not only the viability of TrainOSE, but more importantly, its further development. Furthermore, this is an important milestone that lays the foundations for the successful closure of the European Commission state aid dossier on the debt that TrainOSE owes to OSE, which amounts to more than 700 million euros," the press release added. Following the green light by HRADF, the transaction is subject to final approval by the authorities. The completion of the privatization of Greece's railways after several delays in recent years was expected to open the way for the sale of the railway carriage maintenance company ROSCO. The latest international tender on the sale of ROSCO closed on July 6 with no interest expressed by investors. The first international tender for TrainOSE last year had also ended inconclusively. Greece intends to raise at least 2.5 billion euros from its privatization program this year as part of efforts to restore the growth of the ailing Greek economy. (1 euro=1.11 U.S. dollars) by Osama Radi GAZA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians are urged to go for an immediate comprehensive review to their entire cause after the current Palestinian political situation has sharply worsened amid fast dramatic regional and international developments, according to analysts and observers. In separate statements made to Xinhua, they warned that the sharp worsening situation in the current Palestinian political situation "would bring the Palestinian cause to a deadlock" due to a retreat in the foreign concerns to their cause and the dramatic developments in the region, mainly the Israel-Arab ties. The current developments occur as the Middle East peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has been stalled since April 2014 without having real signs for a solution in the horizon, besides an endless internal Palestinian division that has been going on for ten years. Nabil Amro, a prominent Palestinian diplomat and politician, said the Palestinian situation was hit with a series of setbacks that clearly showed a major failure of the Palestinian diplomatic bets on the international positions. "One of those setbacks was the United Nations General Assembly's position to elect Israel to chair one of the most important committees, which is the legal committee," Amro said, adding "this was a coup against the traditional influence of the Palestinians in the UN General Assembly." He went on saying that the second setback was "emptying the French peace initiative of its context, which was in the beginning a strict warning to Israel, but has turned into a call for holding an international conference." "The third setback came after the International Quartet issued its long-awaited report. The expectations were high, but the report equaled between the victim and the executioner," said Amro, adding "the only choice remained for the Palestinians is to immediately end their internal division." Early in July, the Quartet, which comprises the U.S., Russia, the UN and the European Union, issued a report that called on Israel and the Palestinians to get back to the negotiation table, and considered "the Palestinian violence and the Israeli settlement as two major factors that would undermine the peace process." "Besides ending the internal Palestinian division (between Hamas and Fatah), the Palestinians are urged to immediately go for a comprehensive review that leads to a unified strategy aimed at reviving their just cause in the region and in the world," said Amro. Hani al-Masri, a Ramallah-based political analyst, explained that the International Quartet report "took the Palestinian cause down to an unprecedented level and increased the danger on the just Palestinian cause, adding "this would make the Palestinians lose their international support in the UN Security Council." "Issuing the Quartet report coincided with media reports unveiling that Israel is trying to start ties with some Arab states and other countries under the pretext of fighting terrorism," said al-Masri, adding that "this would turn the Arab-Israel peace a priority on the expense of the Palestinian cause." The political analyst also referred to the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to four African countries, an event that hasn't happened for decades, adding "this situation would serve Israel to get closer to the African countries to become a member in the African Unity Organization." "The Israeli-Turkish normalization agreement was also a new setback to the Palestinians," said al-Masri, adding that "the deal obliges the two sides to avoid carrying out any diplomatic steps that may influence the interests of the other. This simply restricts the Turkish support to the Palestinian cause." The current regional and international developments coincide with an ongoing wave of field violence between Israel and the Palestinians. This wave broke out in early October last year and has so far killed 215 Palestinians, while Israel said the Palestinian violence killed 40 Israelis. The Palestinians also complain that amid all these developments, Israel keeps enlarging its settlements in the West Bank and in east Jerusalem, which foils once and forever the possibility of establish a one geographical Palestinian unity of lands for an independent Palestinian state. "Israel would never abandon its policy of enlarging and expanding settlements and violating the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people," said Oukal, a Gaza-based political analyst. "This means that any world or Arab peace initiative won't succeed in achieving an everlasting comprehensive peace in the region," he added. by Alessandra Cardone ROME, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The award delivered Tuesday by the arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea set up at Philippines' unilateral request might complicate things in the disputed region, but it does not preclude chances of further negotiations between China and the Philippines, a renowned Italian expert on political science and international relations has said. Tenured Prof. Giuseppe Sacco made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua. "The arbitration award might complicate things, of course," Sacco said, however, adding that China's national sovereignty and maritime interests in the area would not, in any circumstances, be affected by the ruling. As a researcher in political science and international relations for Rome University and Luiss University in Rome, Sacco said he believes there are chances for China and the Philippines to return to the negotiation table for better and practical solutions. "Yet, I expect the Philippines' newly-elected President (Rodrigo) Duterte to keep pursuing his own line, which is to favor negotiations and not take China head-on," he said. "Furthermore, the dialogue among the countries in the region is ongoing, thanks to the various associations and forums, such as the ASEAN group, as well as the Belt and Road initiative proposed by Beijing," Sacco added. Resorting to arbitration was much the decision of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, who was considered a strong U.S. ally, the expert noted. "It was Aquino who raised the arbitration issue, and he passed on the cumbersome heritage to Duterte. Yet the current president has undoubtedly the intention to be more independent from the U.S., and has repeatedly voiced his will to set peaceful negotiations with Beijing," Sacco said. The political aspects behind the South China Sea dispute between the Philippines and China were indeed very relevant, according to the professor. "The subject making the action is Manila, but the party most concerned is the U.S." One reason is that, on the Philippine mainland exactly facing the Huangyan Island, "which has been at the center of the dispute, lies Subic Bay, that has long been a main U.S. naval base, and is at the center of an area were American military presence is again very relevant," he explained. Subic Bay held strategic importance during the Cold War, the expert said. It has again become very relevant to the U.S. in recent years, after President Barack Obama's administration launched the "pivot to Asia" strategy, marking a shift in U.S. foreign policy from Europe and the Middle East to the Asian Pacific region. "Within this context, the U.S. signed various agreements and military treaties with some countries in the region, including the treaty to enhance defense cooperation with the Philippines in 2014," he said. The government of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III filed the arbitration against China in 2013, despite the agreement his country had reached with China on resolving their disputes in the South China Sea through bilateral negotiations. The tribunal issued its final award on Tuesday, sweepingly siding with Manila's cunningly packaged claims. Among other conclusions it reached in the 479-page award in blatant disregard of historical facts and general international law, the five-member tribunal denied China's long-standing historical rights in the South China Sea. China has refused to participate in the proceedings, reiterating that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case, which is in essence related to territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation. The Chinese government has pointed out that territorial issues are not governed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and that it has -- in line with UNCLOS -- excluded disputes concerning maritime delimitation from mandatory dispute-settlement procedures. Some 30 other countries have also made similar exclusions. Describing the arbitration as a political farce under the pretext of law, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that by not participating in and not accepting the arbitration, China is upholding international law and regional rules. QINGDAO, July 14, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Members of the expedition team prepare to disembark from Chinese research vessel Dayang Yihao (Ocean No. 1) in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, July 14, 2016. Dayang Yihao has successfully completed China's 39th oceanic expedition mission and returned Qingdao Thursday. The 216-day, 30,957-nautical-mile voyage has taken the vessel to the Indian Ocean to conduct a series of oceanic surveys on polymetallic sulphide, bio-resources and the environment. (Xinhua/Zhang Xudong) QINGDAO, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese research vessel Dayang Yihao returned to its home port in Qingdao on Thursday afternoon after a voyage covering 31,000 nautical miles and lasting 216 days. On China's 39th oceanic expedition mission, the vessel traveled to the Indian Ocean to conduct oceanic surveys into polymetallic sulphide and sea floor rare earth, as well as to take sea water and geological samples. China and the International Seabed Authority signed a contract in 2011 granting China exclusive rights to search for polymetallic sulphide in a 10,000-square-km area in the southwest Indian Ocean for 15 years. Li Huaiming, chief scientist of the expedition team, said breakthroughs made during the mission included obtaining sulphide core samples from hydrothermal zones for the first time. AMMAN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Thursday arrested an Israeli who was trying to infiltrate into Jordan, according to a statement by the army. The Israeli was caught as he was trying to illegally enter Jordan at dawn Thursday, the Jordanian army said, adding he was arrested and referred to concerned legal authorities. Also on Thursday, Jordan arrested four Syrians as they were trying to smuggle large quantities of narcotics from Syria into Jordan. They were referred to court, the army said, adding that it will deal with any suspicious movement at its borders with Syria. Last month, Jordan announced its norther borders with Syria a closed military zone after a terrorist attack that killed seven Jordanian soldiers. A part of King Khufu's papyri is displayed for the first time at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt on July 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe) CAIRO, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Cairo's Egyptian Museum showcased for the first time a collection of papyri that date back to King Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty in the first half of the Old Kingdom period (26th century BC) in ancient Egypt. The papyri were discovered in 2013 at the Red Sea Wadi El-Jarf port, 120 km south of the town of Suez, by a Franco-Egyptian mission led by French Egyptologist Pierre Tallet and Egyptian Egyptologist Sayed Mahfouz. The papyri, the oldest ever written ones found in Egypt, were placed at the heart of the Museum under spotlights in a glass display case. "The papyri talk about the daily life of the workers who used to work in the Wadi El-Jarf port," Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany told reporters during a ceremony at the Museum, adding "they are almost the same workers who constructed the Great Giza Pyramid of King Khufu." This indicates the highly efficient administrative system during Khufu's reign, he said. The minister stressed that the papyri predate the El-Gebelein papyri, which date back to the end of the 4th dynasty, and the Abusir papyri, which date to the end of the 5th dynasty. The most important one among the papyri is that of a middle-ranking official called Merer, who was in charge of a team of sailors. Named the "Log of Merer," the papyrus is composed of two fragments measuring originally 1.5 to 2 meters long. The papyrus gives an everyday account of the work of this crew in transporting limestone blocks from the quarries of Turah on the east bank of the Nile in Cairo to the pyramid of Khufu at the Giza Plateau through the Nile and its canals. It also indicates that there was a logistics center; called Ro-She Khufu, where most of the executive procedures were ended. King Khufu's papyri are displayed for the first time at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt on July 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe) The center was under the authority of vizier Ankh-Haef, half-brother of Khufu, who was probably in charge of building the pyramid at the end of King Khufu's rule. Along with the discovery of the papyri, the Franco-Egyptian team also discovered an ancient harbor complex, the oldest harbor ever found in the world, another proof that Khufu was a great ruler with a well-organized bureaucratic system. The Wadi al-Jarf harbor complex contained docks, stone anchors, storage jars, fragments of rope and pieces of pottery as well as caves used as accommodations for the port workers. Museum curator Sabah Abdel-Razek said that most of these papyri are accounting documents, and that they indicate that Khufu held power for 26 years, which contradicts earlier estimates on how long he was pharaoh. "These discoveries should not be hidden in boxes...We need to attract the attention of the whole world to Egypt; that is why I decided to showcase the papyri because such relics will revive tourism in Egypt," he said. Tourism in Egypt was dealt a heavy blow following the Russian airplane crash in North Sinai in October, after which several countries, including Britain and Russia, suspended their flights to Egypt. The North African country is striving to revive the ailing tourism industry. However, anti-government terror attacks by Islamist militants have led many countries to warn their residents of traveling to Egypt. Since the 2011 uprising that toppled former long-time leader Hosni Mubarak, Egypt has descended into political, economic and social chaos, causing a recession to its tourism industry, one of the main sources of the country's national income and foreign currency reserves. The peak of tourism in Egypt was in 2010 when 14.7 million tourists visited the county, providing revenues of nearly 12.5 billion U.S. dollars. Turkish Prime Minister and leader of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Binali Yildirim gestures as he delivers a speech during the AKP's 110th provincial chairpersons' meeting at the AKP headquarters in Ankara on July 13, 2016. (Xinhua/AFP) ANKARA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's Syria policy will not change unless its leader, Bashar al-Assad, changes, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Thursday. "Surely things need to change in Syria but first of all, Assad should change," the prime minister said in an interview with BBC, which was also reported in Turkish media outlets. Yildirim's remarks came one day after he hinted at normalizing relations with Damascus. In a speech at a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party's provincial leaders on Wednesday, the prime minister said, "I'm sure that we will return to normalise relations with Syria." In the BBC interview, Yildirim stressed that any shift in Turkey's policy toward Syria depends on Assad. "Unless Assad changes, nothing changes in Turkey," he said. The prime minister said that even if the Islamic State (IS) was expelled from Syria, the problems in the country would not be solved as Assad would still be in power and another terror organization would come into prominence. "As long as Assad is there, the problem won't be solved," he said. Photo taken on May 15, 2016 shows a green energy base which provides both wind and solar power in Yiyang County, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Tian Yiwei) MEXICO CITY, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Mexico has taken a major step towards meeting its clean energy goals, Energy Minister Pedro Joaquin Coldwell said Wednesday. Addressing an energy reform forum in the eastern state of Tabasco, Coldwell said a recent government tender, which was won by China's Jinko Solar and 10 other firms, would ensure the country's future supply of clean energy, regional daily Tabasco Hoy reported. "We carried out a tender so that the CFE (Federal Electricity Commission) can buy clean energy in the future and fulfill the commitments to reduce the greenhouse effect," said Coldwell, referring to Mexico's pledge to contribute to the fight against global warming. The 11 winners of Mexico's first clean energy tender signed contracts on Tuesday for the 18 projects they will take on to provide clean energy. Chinese solar company Jinko Solar, along with companies from Mexico, Spain, Italy and the U.S., have all benefited from Mexico's energy reform, which allows private interests from around the world to take part in this sector for the first time. The 18 projects involved in this first round of contracts will add 2,085 megawatts of installed capacity at a total investment cost of 2.6 billion U.S. dollars over the next three years, according to an official release from the Ministry of Energy. Of the 18 projects, 12 are solar projects while six are wind farms spread across the states of Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Tamaulipas and Yucatan. Photo taken on May 15, 2016 shows a green energy base which provides both wind and solar power in Yiyang County, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Tian Yiwei) China's Jinko Solar won the right to operate three of the solar projects, with a joint installed capacity of 188MW, with two of them located in Yucatan and one in Jalisco. Mexico aims to generate at least 25 percent of its electric energy from clean sources by 2018, with that rate rising to 35 percent by 2024 and 50 percent by 2050. During the signing ceremony in Mexico City, Coldwell said all these companies were being trusted to take the Mexican electric market to unprecedented heights of clean energy. According to Coldwell, this first tender marked an international first given the low prices being charged to the winners for the generation of renewable energy, a trend which will continue during the second tender in September. Undersecretary of Electricity Cesar Emilio Hernandez added that 88 firms had signed up to take part in the second tender but that this number could go up to over 100. As part of the energy forum hosted by the People's University of Chontalpa, officials unveiled the first solar panel PV (photovoltaic) system to be installed at a public university, the regional daily said. Pupils practice acupuncture during a class in the School of Naturetherapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine (ANMO) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on May 21, 2016. (Xinhua/Martin Zabala) by Lan Xi, Tang Zhiqiang, Yan Feng BERLIN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- "How often is acupuncture applied in pain treatment" and "How effective is traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in infertility treatment?" were questions doctors from Hanover Medical School (MHH) put to a delegation of TCM experts from China on Monday. The delegation from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS) paid a visit to Hanover Medical School for TCM cooperation with Germany where they discussed academic research and clinical practice in areas including pain treatment, gynecological diseases, and rehabilitation therapy. Both academic institutions plan to explore scientific TCM research with concerted efforts in areas such as kidney disease, hypertension, gynecological diseases, and pain treatment, as well as training and exchange programs of medical personnel in TCM. Zhang Boli, the president of CACMS, told Xinhua that international cooperation was an effective way to promote TCM development and introduce China's TCM research achievements to the rest of the world. At the same time, advanced technologies in other countries could be used to work towards the modernization of TCM. The delegation, headed by Boli, was here to implement a memorandum of cooperation signed with MHH during German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to China in June. File photo taken on July 13, 2006 shows an obese child reading a book as he receives an acupuncture treatment for obesity in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Zhou Chao) Boli said the medical community in Europe was gaining deeper insight into TCM. "I notice such a trend. In the past, TCM conferences in Europe were mostly attended by Chinese, but now, things have changed; most of attendees are Europeans." "An increasing number of German doctors are beginning to accept TCM," Liu Yang, project representative of the German Association of TCM said. "If western medicine does not work in some cases, they would seek help from TCM." Due to Germany's import restrictions on Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture plays a key role in TCM therapy in Germany. Currently, the German Doctors' Association for Acupuncture (DAEGfA) headquartered in Munich has over 8,700 members. "At least 9,000 practitioners of western medicine with prescription rights are applying acupuncture as a therapy in Germany," said Zheng Wen, a gynecologist of Hanover Medical School. Zheng has been treating patients using acupuncture for over five years. As the number of patients has risen, her work time has increased from half a day per week to five days per week and she now has a room set up exclusively for TCM. However, it is still a great challenge for TCM to gain full recognition from the medical community in Germany. In spite of a huge number of successful clinical cases, the theory behind it still remains inexplicable to western science. "This is one of the hurdles in the way for TCM development in Germany and one immediate consequence is the exclusion of TCM from the medical insurance system." At present, medical insurance companies in Germany only cover acupuncture fees for knee pain and back pain treatment. All other TCM treatments must be paid for by the patients themselves. Therefore, TCM can be too costly for Germans whose western medical treatments are usually fully covered by insurance. Zheng said cooperation with top medical schools and universities on scientific research could help boost the general recognition of TCM. Both sides can start with areas where TCM demonstrates good curative effects in clinical practices. Joint efforts should be made to conduct research on the functioning mechanisms behind it and publish related academic papers. "TCM boasts a long history of development. In many cases, how it works cannot be explained. Through cooperation from both sides, we may have some new findings," said Christopher Baum, the president of MHH. JOHANNESBURG, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has no jurisdiction over territorial issues and maritime delimitation, a well-known South African commentator wrote in The Star newspaper on Thursday. The West sees the South China Sea arbitration as an important crossroads in China's rise as a global power, but there are misperceptions, Shannon Ebrahim wrote in the commentary titled "How West misperceives and misconceives Chinese politics." "It is not; it has already risen. China is actually 10 steps ahead of the West in most cases, and Shanghai makes New York look like the old world," she said. One mistake the West has made is to view the arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea issue as a legitimate process in international law, but there was no legal basis for the tribunal to begin with, Ebrahim said. The compulsory arbitration was unilaterally initiated in 2013 by the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, whose term ended on June 30. It issued an award on July 12 that sweepingly sides with Manila's claims. The arbitration was not only outside the jurisdiction of UNCLOS, Ebrahim wrote in the popular South African newspaper, "it also disregarded the preference of China for direct negotiations and consultations with the Philippines." The new president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has indicated a readiness to discuss with China about the South China Sea issue. "This leaves open the possibility of negotiations, which China has always called for, China will not, however, accept the tribunal's ruling as the basis for settling the dispute," Ebrahim said. "The Western media is used to rallying around a cause without dissecting the credibility of that cause, and this is one such instance where the Western media has arguably been on the wrong side of history," she said. The Washington Post has carried frequent headlines suggesting that China intends turning the South China Sea into an internal lake or a Chinese lake, without providing any proof to back up such claims. "The intended effect was to create the impression that China is the aggressor and not prepared to operate within the confines of international law," Ebrahim said. She also noted that the reality of the situation is that the arbitral tribunal has no mechanism for enforcing its decision, and China will do exactly as it has stated all along -- simply ignore its findings. In 1986, the United States ignored a ruling from the International Court of Justice that declared its mining in the harbors of Nicaragua illegal. Washington is not a UNCLOS member. This leaves it with little credibility in terms of commenting on matters regarding adherence to UNCLOS. "It is an even greater double standard for the U.S. to have provided the rear guard support to the Philippines to unilaterally initiate the arbitration," Ebrahim said, adding that the arbitration is itself in violation of UNCLOS. SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Local authorities said on Thursday they were taking all efforts to treat people injured in ongoing clashes in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir. "As per the confirmation received from various agencies, so far 31 civilians have lost their precious lives, during the law and order disturbances in the past few days," a government spokesman said. "1,640 persons have been treated for injuries in various government hospitals." Of the injured, according to government, 134 persons were hit by pellets in eyes and have undergone eye surgeries. Doctors who performed the eye surgeries of the wounded at SMHS hospital in Srinagar said majority of them would lose eyesight. The federal government has sent a team of eye specialists to treat people who have suffered ophthalmic and other traumas. While the government said 31 people were killed in the since Saturday, local media reports put the death toll at 38. Protests broke out in the Muslim-majority region after Indian troops killed top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) Burhan Muzaffar Wani, along with two associates. The 22-year-old Wani was the poster boy of HM, the region's indigenous militant outfit. Life in Muslim majority areas of the region including the capital city of Srinagar remained paralyzed for the sixth straight day due to curfew and separatist call for shutdown. Hundreds of Indian paramilitary troopers and police personnel were deployed across towns and some villages to enforce restrictions and prevent clashes. However, reports of clashes between irate youth and government forces continued in various places. The youth threw stones and brickbats on contingents of police and paramilitary, who responded by firing tear smoke shells, pellets and bullets. In 2010, a similar wave of violence hit the region and claimed over 100 lives during clashes that lasted for months. Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the psyche of majority of Kashmiris. A separatist movement and guerrilla war challenging New Delhi's rule has been going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. by Fei Liena, Han Mo BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration is nothing but a puppet tribunal established at the unilateral request of the former Philippine government, and its so-called "award" by no means represents international law. To the arbitral tribunal's great embarrassment, on July 13, the United Nations declared that it has nothing to do with this makeshift panel, and then the International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ) said they are two totally different organizations. After the award was issued on July 12, some Western countries such as the United States and Japan were eager to urge China to "comply with the obligation under the award," saying "China must abide by international law." However, the question is: Can this arbitral tribunal and its award represent international law? Clearly, the answer is definitely no. First, the arbitral tribunal doesn't even have a solid standing. Though it operates in The Hague, it has nothing to do with the ICJ, a principal judicial organ of the United Nations, nor does it belong to the system of The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). The arbitral tribunal is just a paper tiger consisting of five judges tasked with processing the Philippines' unilaterally initiated South China Sea case. Under the practice of international law, this type of arbitral tribunal needs full consent of parties concerned to be set up and operate. Yet the one in the South China Sea arbitration hasn't been approved by China from its inception, thus the organization is invalid. Second, the arbitral tribunal is biased regarding the selection of arbitrators. Among the five arbitrators, one was appointed by the Philippines, and all four others were appointed by Shunji Yanai. Yanai has helped Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lift the ban on Japan's collective self-defense right and challenge the post-WWII international order. Yanai's political leanings rules out the possibility of a fair judgement. Under such circumstances, it's only natural to believe that the five arbitrators shared similar views with those who had appointed them or were inclined to be influenced by those who had appointed them. In that case, where is justice in this arbitration? Third, in this arbitration, money was involved. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin pointed out that the five arbitrators were paid by the Philippines, and possibly even by others to take on the case. The Philippines was even "generous" enough to offer to pay for China, and the arbitral tribunal gladly accepted the money. Not surprisingly, the tribunal reciprocated the Philippines' "nice gesture" by giving it a favorable ruling. A few years ago, Dutch professor Alfred Soons published his opinion at least twice, saying that the status of islands was closely associated with demarcation and sovereignty issues. Yet when serving as an arbitrator in Yanai's team, Soons completely reversed his stance. Judging by its standing, arbitrator selection and paid service, the arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration is clearly nothing but a mere puppet tribunal and is a joke in legal history. CANBERRA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Australia's visitor economy is on track to generate 127 billion AU dollars (97 billion U.S. dollars) by 2020 backed by a surging Chinese visitor market, the Tourism Research Australia (TRA) said Thursday. The latest forecasts released by TRA has seen upward revisions in domestic and international visitors and expenditure over the 10-year forecast period. TRA expects the international visitor growth rate to be at 6.7 percent in 2016-17 and 5.9 percent in 2017-18. It is within the target range of 115 to 140 billion AU dollars (88 to 107 billion U.S. dollars) in overnight visitor expenditure set by the government's Tourism 2020 strategy. By 2024-25, about 12.3 million international visitors are expected to travel to Australia each year. According to TRA forecast, China is expected to overtake New Zealand as Australia's largest visitor source market by 2017-18, two years earlier than previously forecast. Of Australia's total international visitors, Chinese visitors are estimated to increase from 13 percent in 2014-15 to 26 percent by 2024-25. "Today's report should be a catalyst to spur the Federal Government into action to move the visitor economy to the heart of its economic plan for the nation. Tourism is a serious economic driver delivering jobs for Australians and wealth for the country," Tourism & Transport Forum Australia (TTF) CEO Margy Osmond said. By 2024-25, one in every four international visitors travelling to Australia will likely be from China. But with more than 200 million Chinese travellers expected to be heading overseas by 2020, Australia will still be capturing less than 1 percent of this lucrative market. "We shouldn't be willing to settle for this result. We can do much better than this if the Federal Government is willing to back our successful industry with an economic strategy that allows the sector to reach its full potential," she said. MOSCOW, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said here Thursday that the South China Sea disputes should be settled through consultations. "We believe that the involved parties must hold relevant consultations and negotiations in the format determined by themselves," Zakharova told reporters. She said that Russia's "consistent and invariable" stance is that relevant countries should not resort to force but continue pushing forward a political-diplomatic settlement on the basis of international laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). "We support efforts of China and member states of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) towards working out a code of conduct in the South China Sea," Zakharova said. The spokeswoman meanwhile stressed that Russia in principle doesn't take any sides, as the country is not an interested party and would not be dragged into the dispute. "We highly value the role of the UNCLOS in ensuring supremacy of law in the Earth's oceans. It is important to have the provisions of this universal international treaty applied consistently," Zakharova added. On Tuesday, the arbitral tribunal issued an award over a case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government, denying China's long-standing historical rights over the South China Sea. China had from the very beginning refused to participate in the proceedings, insisting that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case, which is in essence related to territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said China will not accept any proposition or action based on the award, and that China's territorial sovereignty and maritime interests in the South China Sea will under no circumstances be affected by it. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday during a visit to Mongolia that the South China Sea issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua)-- Mongolia is fully prepared for the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit to be held on July 15-16 in the capital of the landlocked East Asian nation. Ulan Bator is determined to look its best to welcome some 5000 international guests for the summit. The streets have been tidied, and massive flower beds gleam downtown along with newly-built houses and renovated hotels. Security is beefed up. Residents are encouraged to leave for a summer vacation in the countryside. Traffic is being strictly regulated with some roads closed. Major markets and shopping centers are expected to shut down during the summit. "We are all excited that this international meeting will take place in Ulan Bator. Although it is causing some inconveniences to us, it is good for our country," said a local, Batdorj Namjil. Tourists will hardly find any hotel downtown to stay overnight during the summit. Students who can speak foreign languages have been enlisted to work as guides and volunteers who can be easily identified by their uniforms, bright blue T-shirts. The preparations have put pressure on Mongolia's economy that is experiencing its worst crisis since 2008, with loans largely granted to private contractors of construction projects intended for the summit. Mongolia has received help from China in its efforts to make the summit a success. Donations from its next-door neighbor include equipment much needed for the summit and related training of personnel. The country is trying to serve as a bridge connecting the East with the West, in the hope of hosting more international meetings and conferences ahead. SINGAPORE, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sent a congratulatory letter on Thursday to his British counterpart Theresa May on her appointment. "Singapore is a longstanding partner and friend of the United Kingdom. We share deep historical ties and common interests in many areas," he wrote, adding that both countries have strong security and economic cooperation and they will continue to seek opportunities that provide shared prosperity for both peoples. Lee further stressed that Singapore has welcomed the expansion of major British corporations into the growing Asian market through the lion city. "All these relationships are underpinned by the strong people-to-people ties and the historical and cultural links we share. I am sure that these longstanding links will continue to flourish under your leadership," he wrote. May became the 13th British prime minister Wednesday under Queen Elizabeth II's reign. She replaces David Cameron who stepped down after leading a failed campaign for Britain to remain in the European Union. SANYA, July 9, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Missile frigate Yuncheng launches an anti-ship missile during a military exercise in the water area near south China's Hainan Island and Xisha islands, July 8, 2016. Chinese navy conducted an annual combat drill in the water area near south China's Hainan Island and Xisha islands on Friday. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming) Click for more photos SANSHA, Hainan, July 14 (Xinhua) -- An emergency drill involving 13 ships and a helicopter was held Thursday morning at seas near Sansha in southern China's island province of Hainan, the city's marine bureau said. It is the first comprehensive emergency drill on such large scale after Sansha was established in 2012. The drill included air-sea search and rescue, emergency treatment and sea fire-fighting. Two cargo ships "collided" near Sansha and left seven mariners missing. Fire broke out on one of the ships, threatening the lives of eight other sailors onboard. Upon receiving the SOS, the city's maritime search and rescue center initiated an emergency plan, dispatching cruise, salvage and coast guard ships near the area to search for the missing sailors and put out the fire. Over 200 people from 10 departments participated in the drill. The seven mariners were saved and the fire extinguished, according to the bureau. The maritime search and rescue center in Sansha was established in July, 2013, and has since rescued 1,201 people in 49 emergencies. According to deputy mayor Chen Rumao, the city plans to normalize such emergency drills and expand their area into Nansha waters. Related: Full text: Chinese State Councilor's interview on so-called award by arbitral tribunal for South China Sea arbitration BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) -- On 14 July, State Councilor Yang Jiechi gave an interview to state media on the so-called award of the Arbitral Tribunal for the South China Sea arbitration during which he elaborated on China's position. The full text of the interview is as follows: Reporter: On 12 July, the Arbitral Tribunal for the South China Sea arbitration issued its so-called award, which attempts to deny China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. In response, China issued a Statement on the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration Established at the Request of the Republic of the Philippines, Statement on China's Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights and Interests in the South China Sea and a White Paper entitled China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, stating China's solemn position of non-acceptance and non-recognition of the award and reaffirming China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. How do you view the award by the so-called Arbitral Tribunal for the South China Sea arbitration? Full story China's former FM dismisses South China Sea arbitration as political farce TOKYO, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The so-called award of the South China Sea arbitration violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as well as international law, and it will never be accepted by the Chinese people, said former Chinese foreign minister Li Zhaoxing. Li, president of the China Public Diplomacy Association, made the remarks on Wednesday at the Tokyo Sun Yat-sen Forum commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Sun Yat-sen, a great forerunner of China's democratic revolution. Full story Philippines to send former president to China for talks on South China Sea MANILA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday said he was asking former President Fidel Ramos to help start talks with China over disputes in the South China Sea. PYONGYANG, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Thursday accused the United States and South Korea of deploying heavy arms in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) next to the Military Demarcation Line, saying this would cause an "unpredictable military clash." The state media KCNA reported that a spokesman for the Panmunjom Mission of the Korean People's Army said that according to a report made public by local South Korean media last week, the United Nations Command has revised the armistice rules to allow U.S. and South Korean troops to carry heavy weapons like machine guns, recoilless rifles and mortars into the DMZ and the revision went into effect on Sept. 5, 2014. "Such undisguised breach of the armistice agreement has turned the DMZ into a heavily armed zone ... and this is a product of the ceaseless U.S. moves to ignite another Korean War," the spokesman said. He blamed the United States for "paying lip service" to observing the armistice agreement signed in 1953 following the end of the Korean War and for aiming to incite military confrontation between the two Koreas. The DPRK military is keeping a close eye on the military actions of the "enemies" along the demarcation line, he said. The Korean Peninsula remains technically in a state of war because the 1950-1953 Korean War was ended with an armistice rather than a peace agreement. The DMZ, 250 km long and four km wide along the demarcation line, serves as a buffer zone between the North and the South and originally, only small individual arms were allowed into the zone. YANGZHOU, July 14, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Bikers travel in heavy rain in Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 14, 2016. Heavy rain hit most parts of Jiangsu as the National Meteorologival Center issued a blue rainstorm alert on Thursday. (Xinhua/Meng Delong) BEIJING/HEFEI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China said Thursday it will "prepare for the worst and strive for the best" after more than 200 people died following floods across the country. "Although the water levels in middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are slowly dropping, most are still above warning levels," Zhang Jiatuan, a spokesperson for the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, told reporters. He said the situation was "still quite critical" as central and eastern parts of China are expected to see a fresh round of heavy rain over the days to come. Over 1,508 counties across 28 provinces have reported floods, with 237 fatalities and 93 missing as of Wednesday. Some 147,200 houses have been destroyed, Zhang said, adding that over 5.46 million hectares of farmland had been inundated. Direct economic losses, he said, were at 147 billion yuan (22 billion U.S. dollars). So far, the central and southeastern parts of China have been worse hit by floods. As the rainy season continues, "the possibility of flooding in northern rivers can not be ruled out," Zhang said. Safeguarding dikes, especially old and ill-maintained ones, is a "major yet difficult" task in the near future, he added. Huang Xianlong, another official with the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, echoed Zhang's remarks and said there was one time that over 800,000 people were working on the dikes. The Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) sent another 600 men to reinforce rescue and relief efforts in the city of Anqing, Anhui Province on Thursday. The theater command has so far sent more than 23,000 troops to Anhui, Jiangxi, Fujian and Jiangsu, and some of whom have been fighting floods for two weeks. The military authority asked all troops to be ready for a "protracted war." Meanwhile, authorities will closely monitor potential typhoons, and address hazards. Typhoon Nepartak, the first to hit this year, made landfall in Fujian Province on July 9, claiming 69 lives and leaving six others missing as of 6:00 p.m. Thursday, local authorities said. Regarding the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower project built a decade ago to reduce the potential for floods, Huang dismissed some misleading reports alleging it to be useless or counterproductive. "In fact, the more critical the situation is, the more obvious and positive the dam exerts its role," he said. Related: Flooding deaths along Yangtze pass 160 WUHAN, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Rain in the Yangtze River basin has left 161 dead with 61 people unaccounted for since China entered the flood season in March. The basin has been through 27 rounds of strong rainfall since March this year, with precipitation nearly 20 percent more than average, said Chen Min, an official with the Yangtze River flood control headquarters, at a press conference. Full story More rain to create Yangtze flood control pressure WUHAN, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Four rounds of rain are forecast to batter the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River later this month, creating further challenges for already intense flood control efforts, according the Yangtze's flood control and drought relief headquarters. The earliest storm is expected to arrive on Wednesday and last until Saturday, while another three are forecast by the end of July, said a spokesperson for the headquarters at a press conference on Monday. Full story 32,300 armed police in flood relief BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- More than 32,300 armed police are fighting the floods that have killed more than 160 people. ULAN BATOR, July 14, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, July 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday reiterated China's solemn position of non-acceptance of and non-participation in the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the Philippines. Wang made the remarks while meeting with Federica Mogherini, the European Union (EU)'s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. Wang said the South China Sea arbitration is a politically manipulated case and China's position is in fact defending the solemnity of international rule of law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The disputes between China and the Philippines, he added, should be resolved through dialogue and consultation. Prior to the meeting, Mogherini also stayed in Beijing and held talks with Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan on the sidelines of the 18th China-EU summit from July 12 to 13. Wang said China and the EU reached broad consensus on strengthening cooperation under the new circumstances. China has sent a positive signal that it supports the European integration and is willing to see a united, stable and prosperous EU, he added. Wang noted that China is ready to work with the EU to further promote the development of bilateral relations, have closer communication and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and jointly promote global trade liberalization and sustainable development of the world economy. For her part, Mogherini said the China-EU summit has achieved positive results. The two sides have conducted sound coordination and cooperation on international and regional affairs, she said, adding that the EU attaches great importance to China's role in settling the Iranian nuclear issue and issues concerning Afghanistan and the Middle East. The EU is willing to continue constructive cooperation with China, Mogherini noted. SHENZHEN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police said on Thursday that they have detained 12 people in Shenzhen suspected of smuggling gold bars worth 21 million yuan (3.1 million U.S. dollars). Customs officers at Shenzhen Bay Port noticed several people with very little luggage at around 7 p.m. on June 28. They were eventually found to be carrying 76 gold bars, each weighing 1 kg, hidden in pockets, pants and dresses. The group of six men and six women were all Chinese, five of them Hong Kong residents. Each was carrying six to seven gold bars and according to one of them, they expected to be paid 80 yuan for each gram. The 12 are all in custody. The gold they carried has been found to have a purity of 999.9 per mille. Travelers leaving the country with more than 50 grams of gold require certification from the country's central bank or a declaration form for a matching amount issued upon entering the country. Smuggling of precious metals is subject to prison terms ranging from five years to life. Deputy head of the State Council Information Office Guo Weimin (L) speaks at a press conference on the white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea" in Beijing, capital of China, July 13, 2016. The Chinese government on Wednesday issued the white paper. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua) MOSCOW, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said here Thursday that the South China Sea disputes should be settled through consultations. "We believe that the involved parties must hold relevant consultations and negotiations in the format determined by themselves," Zakharova told reporters. She said that Russia's "consistent and invariable" stance is that relevant countries should not resort to force but continue pushing forward a political-diplomatic settlement on the basis of international laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). "We support efforts of China and member states of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) towards working out a code of conduct in the South China Sea," Zakharova said. The spokeswoman meanwhile stressed that Russia in principle doesn't take any sides, as the country is not an interested party and would not be dragged into the dispute. "We highly value the role of the UNCLOS in ensuring supremacy of law in the Earth's oceans. It is important to have the provisions of this universal international treaty applied consistently," Zakharova added. On Tuesday, the arbitral tribunal issued an award over a case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government, denying China's long-standing historical rights over the South China Sea. China had from the very beginning refused to participate in the proceedings, insisting that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case, which is in essence related to territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said China will not accept any proposition or action based on the award, and that China's territorial sovereignty and maritime interests in the South China Sea will under no circumstances be affected by it. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday during a visit to Mongolia that the South China Sea issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The pursuit of justice unites all countries. With regard to the findings of the recent arbitration award, however, a concern for justice was conspicuous by its absence, and this sets a dangerous precedent. The tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case, initiated by the previous Philippine government, issued its final award Tuesday, and many countries joined China in highlighting that it had no jurisdiction. The award itself also lacked common sense and indicates poor professionalism. For instance, the award said Taiping Island is a "rock." On which rock there have been fresh water, cultivated land, human residents and livestock? Moreover, the arbitration occurred at the same time as increased U.S. military presence in the South China Sea: Is this just coincidence, or are the two connected? For those reasons, China has the right to not accept or recognize the award. Experts, lawyers and ordinary citizens from all walks of life in China snubbed the award, calling it ridiculous and questioning how the arbitration could get it so wrong. For those reasons, the arbitration is nothing but a farce and has nothing to do with justice that arbitration should pursue. And more importantly, China's attitude toward the so-called award is also for safeguarding international justice, because China may not be the only state to be on the receiving end of a biased, false and ridiculous process. What is Justice? It is not invading a country on the allegation of it holding a weapon of mass destruction, nor is it violating other countries' territorial waters on the pretence of "freedom of navigation." The "award" has done nothing but make the South China Sea issue more complicated. China still stands by the settling of disputes through negotiation between those involved -- dialogue is the best possible way to pursue international justice and maintain regional stability. ARUSHA, Tanzania, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania got a standing ovation during the 40th World Heritage Committee meeting in Istanbul, Turkey due to the country's well-preserved World Heritage site and the fact that even the latest UNESCO's declaration was announced from here. Tanzania took part at the global meeting for the first time as the member of the World Heritage Committee, representing Africa together with Angola, Zimbabwe, and Burkina Faso. At the Turkey held WHC meeting, according to Major General, Gaudence Milanzi, Tanzania's Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. The ten-day occasion which kicked off on July 10, this year, went in line with the side event to commemorate 10 years of the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF). Tanzania has seven world heritage sites, including Selous Game Reserve, Serengeti National Park, Kilimanjaro National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The country was also represented by Ambassador Taj Begum from the Embassy of Tanzania in France, Director of Antiquities, Donatius Kamamba and Conservator of Ngorongoro, Dr. Freddy Manongi. In his statement, which was made available here on Thursday, the Tanzanian official reminded members of the World Heritage Committee meeting that the Ngorongoro Declaration on Safeguarding African World Heritage as a Driver of Sustainable Development was officially adopted at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, last June. Owing to its outstanding universal natural and cultural heritage value, Major General Milanzi informed the delegates that Ngorongoro was the first Tanzanian site to be inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979 and as mixed property in 2010. He informed the delegates that, internationally, the Ngorongoro is also recognized as a part of the Serengeti-Ngorongoro Biosphere Reserve under knitted Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Man and the Biosphere Program since 1981 and it is an aspiring Geo-park. Major General Milanzi informed the delegates that the Ngorongoro Declaration, different from other common Declarations, is characterized by its attempts to describe the concept of sustainable development in the contents and contexts of development challenges facing African states, drawing its mandates from the vast experiences of the continent in conservation and management of natural resources. "The declaration addresses, in broader terms, the issues of capacity in the management of the heritage sites; it promotes social cohesion within and outside their borders using heritage values and promotes gender equity; it recognizes that social capital (partnership and networking) important for conservation and management of the sites; it reiterates the role of the local communities in the conservation and management and their dependence on World Heritage Committee," the Permanent Secretary told the delegates. The Ngorongoro Declaration of 2016 also recognizes the massive direct and opportunity costs affecting the rural population for the protection of the sites, and a need to effectively and efficiently mitigate these costs. "But in order to ensure that the Ngorongoro Declaration is implemented and tangible benefits are gained from the sites as well as ensuring balanced approach in heritage conservation and sustainable development, we need action plans that are consistent with the Declaration; undertaking of strategic environmental appraisal of the plans; and monitoring and evaluation of the development plans." Major Generally Milanzi emphasized that Tanzania understands that every development action has an impact and that there is no impact free development. He reiterated that every decision about the heritage sites, including 'no go decision' or 'no action decision' promoted by developed nations, had impacts on our natural and cultural heritages. He was on view that science and technology have advanced so much over the decade, and therefore, with appropriate science and technology, African states can optimize conservation and use of the world heritage sites with minimum possible adverse effects and without compromising the values of these sites, and in essence, this is sustainable development. The World Heritage Committee comprises representatives from 21 States Parties to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage elected by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention. Enditem A Yemeni man stands near the grave of a relative at a cemetery in the capital Sanaa on July 6, 2016 after Eid al-Fitr prayers, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (Xinhua/AFP) by Fuad Rajeh SANAA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- One afternoon in January 2013, Ali Ali Al-Qawili, a 33-year teacher, left his workplace, the Khlaid Ibn Al-Waleed School, and went home to have lunch with his family. After lunch, he called his cousin, Saleem, a 22-year-old college student who had a pickup truck, to take him and several friends to buy khat from the market. After chewing khat later on the day, Ali and Saleem decided to take the friends to Sanhan, a district outside Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, recalled Ali's brother, Mohammed. And then came the drone strike, which killed Ali, Saleem, and six others, about 4 km from Mohammed's village, Jihanah. When Mohammed rushed to the site of the U.S. bombing, the Toyota Hilux was still burning, and the victims were beyond recognition. "It was the most tragic scene," Mohammed Al-Qawili said. "I decided then to found the National Organization for Drone Victims." That was only one of hundreds of such drone strikes in Yemen that were supposed to target terrorists but actually killed and maimed many civilians, including women and children. "In our district, drones have also killed army officers, by mistake," Al-Qawili said. Sometimes authorities would visit families of civilian victims, say sorry and offer financial compensation, he said. "But apologies and money cannot bring back the dead." Since 2009, the United States have killed several hundred civilians through drone strikes and other covert counter-terrorism operations, reports said. In two mis-directed strikes admitted by the Yemeni authorities, at least 56 civilians, including 24 children, were killed. The two attacks occurred in the provinces of Abyan in 2009 and Baidha in 2013. On July 1, the White House announced that between 64 and 116 civilians, and between 2,372 and 2,581 combatants, were killed in U.S. strikes outside areas of active war zones from 2009 to 2015. In its first public assessment of civilian casualties of U.S. counterterrorism strikes, the White House said as many as 473 U.S. strikes were conducted in Pakistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and North Africa. Al-Qawili's National Organization for Drone Victims and rights organizations such as the Britain-based Reprieve, and the Bureau for Investigative Journalism, also headquartered in Britain, say many victims killed in U.S. drone operations were civilians. "In almost every drone operation we have documented, there were civilian casualties, "Al-Qawili said. The statistics published by the Bureau for Investigative Journalism put the number of confirmed drone strikes in Yemen at between 126 and 146. Yemenis take part in celebrations marking the 26th anniversary of Yemen's 1990 reunification in the capital Sanaa on May 22, 2016. (Xinhua/AFP) It said between 550 and 802 people were killed in the strikes, including between 65 and 101 civilians, and between 96 and 226 others were injured. The Bureau said there were also between 89 and 106 other possible drone strikes that were not confirmed in Yemen, in which between 351 and 503 were killed and between 82 and 109 injured. Civilian casualties from those strikes were between 26 and 61. The ongoing civil war and Saudi-led bombings have prevented organizations from following up on drone strikes in Yemen and getting accurate statistics. "We can't give a statistic about it as we have been unable to go for field visits in Yemen," said Baraa Shaiban, a Yemeni rights activist and coordinator for Reprieve. "What we are sure of is that there were civilian casualties in the past two years," Shaiban said. "We are communicating with relatives of victims." And it appears that the drone attacks will not end any time soon. The latest strike took place in Marib early this week, and in the past few weeks, several strikes were also reported in Shabwa, Mukalla and Abyan. According to the London-based Reprieve, U.S. drone strikes in Yemen killed between 1,073 and 1,533 people during the period from 2009 to 2014. As many of the drone strikes occur in remote locations, and due to the complete lack of transparency in the U.S. drone program, it is often difficult to accurately determine the number of casualties, especially civilian ones, Katherine Taylor, a Reprieve official, told Xinhua in an earlier interview. Some observers said that the drone strikes are counterproductive not only because most strikes hit wrong targets but especially because they breach the sovereignty of other countries. Mohammed Al-Ahmadi, a legal consultant for the Al-Karama, a rights organization, said the drone attacks are a collective punishment in countries like Yemen, as innocent people might fall victim at anytime. "The drone war is illegal and violates all international laws," he said. "Laws call for arresting suspects, not executing them extrajudicially." "Moreover, the post-strike trauma represents a huge problem," he added. "Many people suffer after drone strikes." Hassan Arfaj, a college student in his 20s, is one of many Yemenis that would have to live with the nightmares of U.S. drone strikes for the rest of their lives. Three of Arfaj's brothers were killed by drones in 2013; the fourth brother was killed by a drone in 2015. In 2014, a drone targeted a car near his house, injuring three children. One of the three, a girl, died later of her injuries. BEIJING, July 15, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi takes an interview from Chinese state media on the so-called award of the Arbitral Tribunal for the South China Sea arbitration in Beijing, capital of China, July 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) -- On 14 July, State Councilor Yang Jiechi gave an interview to state media on the so-called award of the Arbitral Tribunal for the South China Sea arbitration during which he elaborated on China's position. The full text of the interview is as follows: Reporter: On 12 July, the Arbitral Tribunal for the South China Sea arbitration issued its so-called award, which attempts to deny China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. In response, China issued a Statement on the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration Established at the Request of the Republic of the Philippines, Statement on China's Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights and Interests in the South China Sea and a White Paper entitled China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, stating China's solemn position of non-acceptance and non-recognition of the award and reaffirming China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. How do you view the award by the so-called Arbitral Tribunal for the South China Sea arbitration? Yang Jiechi: The Arbitral Tribunal for the South China Sea arbitration has issued its so-called award. This award is illegal and invalid in every sense. The Chinese government has released relevant statements and a White Paper stating its solemn position of firmly opposing the arbitration and not accepting or recognizing the award. This position of the central government has the strong support and endorsement from people of various social sectors in China. They have expressed their unequivocal attitude of opposing the illegal arbitration and safeguarding sovereign rights and interests by contributing articles and articulating views through the press, TV and SMS as well as online platforms like WeChat and Weibo. The South China Sea arbitration has been a political farce all along, staged under the cover of law and driven by a hidden agenda. Certain countries outside the region have attempted to deny China's sovereign rights and interests in the South China Sea through the arbitration. They have even brought other countries into the scheme to isolate and discredit China in the international community with a view to holding back China's peaceful development. But such attempts are futile, to say the least, and in so doing, they are only lifting a stone to drop it on their own feet. I must point out that the arbitration runs counter to the spirit of international rule of law, puts regional peace and stability in jeopardy, and undermines the interests of the international community. Most countries in the world see this clearly. Over 70 countries and international and regional organizations have made statements showing their understanding of and support for China's position. This speaks volumes about the attitude of the international community toward the political farce, proving the futility of certain countries' scheme to hem in and smear China. Sovereignty is a bottom line for China. Big as China is, we cannot afford to give away a single inch of territory that our ancestors have left to us. China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea have been formed over the course of over two thousand years. They are fully backed by historical and legal evidence. Under no circumstances can they ever be negated by a so-called award that is full of nonsense. The award can neither change historical facts nor deny China's claims of rights and interests in the South China Sea. Still less can it waver our resolve and determination to safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. China's position of not accepting or recognizing the award will not change. At the same time, China will stay committed to following a path of peaceful development, to resolving the disputes in the South China Sea through negotiation and consultation, to developing friendly relations and win-win cooperation with its neighbors, and to working with others to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. Reporter: Why do you believe that the Philippines' initiation of arbitration is against international law? Yang Jiechi: A basic requirement of international rule of law is that actions must be taken in strict accordance with the law. The crux of disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea are issues concerning territory and maritime delimitation. Territorial issues are not governed by UNCLOS. On maritime delimitation, China made a declaration on optional exceptions in 2006 pursuant with UNCLOS stipulations, excluding it from the dispute settlement mechanisms of UNCLOS. By unilaterally initiating arbitration, the Philippine government under Aquino III has gone against its long-standing bilateral agreement with China that disputes in the South China Sea shall be settled through negotiation, violated the DOC signed in 2002 by China and ASEAN countries, the Philippines included, and breached international law and UNCLOS. Hence, this arbitration has been illegal since the very beginning. It cannot be seen as an application of international law. Reporter: Why do you think that the Arbitral Tribunal lacks legitimacy and impartiality? Why is the award illegal and invalid? Yang Jiechi: If you look at the composition of the Arbitral Tribunal, most of the arbitrators were appointed by Shunji Yanai, the then President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and a right-wing Japanese intent on ridding Japan of post-war arrangements. In the proceedings, some arbitrators and experts even backtracked from their long-held views to make the case for the Philippines. Anyone with good sense can see the tricks. In disregard of China's staunch position, the Arbitral Tribunal willfully went beyond its authority, turned a blind eye to the history and reality of the South China Sea and misinterpreted relevant stipulations of UNCLOS. It has deviated from UNCLOS from the very beginning and overstepped and expanded its authority to render this award. Naturally, such an award can only be illegal and invalid. The Tribunal can in no way represent international law, still less equity and justice in the world. Reporter: How will the award affect China's dotted line in the South China Sea? Yang Jiechi: History brooks no distortion and law no abuse. China's sovereignty, rights and relevant claims in the South China Sea are gradually formed and developed by the practice of the Chinese people throughout millennia and have been upheld by successive Chinese governments. As early as in 1948, the Chinese government marked the dotted line in the South China Sea on its officially published map, which affirmed China's sovereignty over the South China Sea Islands and maritime rights and interests in their adjacent waters. This is a historical fact beyond any doubt. As a state party to UNCLOS, China is fully entitled to its rights under UNCLOS. China's claims of rights and interests in the South China Sea long predate the signing of UNCLOS. They shall by no means be denied by UNCLOS, still less by an unwarranted and flawed award. China' s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea are protected by both international law and UNCLOS. Reporter: Given that the award has been rendered, how will China safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea? Yang Jiechi: The South China Sea, important to the Chinese people since ancient times, is our heritage to which our forefathers devoted their wisdom and even lives. The Chinese government remains unwavering in its resolve to safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. The Chinese people do not covet other countries' interests or envy their development. At the same time, we will never give up our legitimate interests. No country should expect us to trade our core interests away or swallow the bitter consequences of our sovereignty, security and development interests being undermined. The Chinese government and people will remain united and act resolutely to safeguard every inch of our land and every swath of our waters. Reporter: Some people accuse China of defying international rules by not accepting or recognizing the award of the Tribunal, believing that China has changed its policy of peaceful development. How will you respond to that? Yang Jiechi: The South China Sea arbitration initiated by the Philippines violated the bilateral agreements between China and the Philippines. It breached regional rules as embodied in the DOC and international rules, including those under UNCLOS. China's position on the arbitration fully complies with international law. This basic fact has been thoroughly elaborated in a series of position papers issued by the Chinese government. The attempt to mount an all-out smear campaign against China by distorting this basic fact has once again exposed the nature of this arbitration, that is, a farce in which certain countries use international law as a cover to pursue their own hidden agenda. China has all along been an active player in building up and enhancing the regional and international order. Over 70 years ago, China participated directly in the design and building of the post-war international order. Over the past 70 plus years, China has consistently upheld the international order and system based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter with the United Nations at the center, and steadfastly safeguarded and promoted international rule of law. China will work with other countries to maintain and build a sound international order and international system. The arbitration will not in the slightest way shake China's resolve to pursue the path of peaceful development. To seek peaceful development is not a matter of expediency. It is a strategic choice China has made in line with the trend of the time and its own fundamental interests. China remains committed to developing friendly relations with other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, and deepening win-win cooperation and connectivity with its neighbors. It adheres to negotiation and consultation as a means for addressing relevant territorial and maritime delimitation issues, and resolutely safeguards peace and stability in the region. Reporter: What impact will the arbitration case have on China-ASEAN relations? How do you see the prospect of this relationship? Yang Jiechi: The South China Sea issue is not an issue between China and ASEAN. In fact, ASEAN has long made clear its neutrality on this issue and its position of not intervening in specific disputes. Therefore, it should not take sides on issues related to the arbitration. China and ASEAN member states have maintained candid and friendly communication regarding the South China Sea issue. The two sides are ready to fully and effectively implement the DOC and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea through continuous dialogue and consultation. In the meantime, we will steadily take forward consultations on the Code of Conduct to promote early conclusion of the COC based on consensus. As for specific disputes, China will maintain communication and consultation with those ASEAN member states who are directly concerned to address them in a proper way. China means what it says and follows a consistent policy. China-ASAEN relations enjoy sound momentum of growth and broad prospects. This year marks the 25th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations. Over the past quarter century, the China-ASEAN relationship has withstood test of time and produced fruitful outcomes. Two-way trade has grown from less than US$10 billion 25 years ago to nearly US$500 billion, making China and ASEAN each other's major trading partners. The growth of this relationship has brought tangible benefits to the people of all countries in the region, setting a fine example of countries, big or small, treating each other as equals and working together for common development. In the coming September, China will be represented at the leadership level at the Summit marking the 25th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations to be held in Laos. The Chinese leader will work with leaders of ASEAN countries in drawing a blueprint for the future development of China-ASEAN relations. They will endeavor to deepen political mutual trust through enhanced strategic communication, and strengthen practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges to achieve peaceful development for mutual benefit. Reporter: How do you view the future of China-Philippines relations? Yang Jiechi: China and the Philippines are close neighbors across the sea. Our friendly exchanges date back over 1,000 years. In recent years, however, bilateral relations have run into serious difficulty as a result of the previous Philippine government's hostile policy toward China on the South China Sea issue and its unilateral initiation of the arbitration. The arbitration violates both the agreement between China and the Philippines and international law, and goes against the common interests of the two countries and peoples. It is a major political obstacle to the improvement of bilateral relations. We call on the new Philippine government to bear in mind the common interests of our two countries and the broader picture of bilateral ties and properly handle relevant issues. As long as China and the Philippines remain committed to the principles and spirit of the DOC, to properly settling differences through dialogue and consultation and growing friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation, our bilateral ties will enjoy a bright future. Reporter: What is your comment on the frequent intervention by countries outside the region in the South China Sea issue and how will China respond to that? Yang Jiechi: The arbitration is a case in point of how non-regional countries interfere in the South China Sea issue. It is an issue between littoral countries and should be left to the countries concerned to resolve through peaceful negotiations. Thanks to the concerted efforts of China and the relevant ASEAN countries, the South China Sea has long remained peaceful and stable, laying ground for regional development and prosperity. In recent years, certain countries outside the region, driven by their own agenda, have frequently intervened in the South China Sea issue under the pretext of upholding "freedom of navigation" and "maintaining regional peace", leading to an escalation of tension. Such highly irresponsible moves have become the major source of risks that affect peace and stability in the South China Sea. We have always maintained that China and its neighboring countries in the South China Sea have the wisdom and capability to manage differences and build the area into a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship. We have never rejected the legitimate rights and interests of non-regional countries in the South China Sea. This is what we have been saying and doing. We hope relevant countries will respect the independent choice of China and its neighboring countries in the South China Sea and do more to facilitate sustained peace and stability in the South China Sea, not the contrary. Reporter: What is China's approach to resolving the South China Sea issue? Yang Jiechi: China firmly follows a path of peaceful development, a foreign policy of pursuing friendship and partnership with its neighbors, and a policy of settling disputes peacefully through negotiation and consultation. Thanks to these policies, since the founding of the PRC, China has settled boundary issues left over from history with 12 of its 14 neighbors on land. The settlement has been achieved based on historical facts and basic principles of the international law and through bilateral consultation and negotiation. Borders of over 20,000 kilometers have been demarcated, accounting for over 90% of the total length of China's borders. Moreover, China and Vietnam have delimited the maritime boundary in Beibu Bay through negotiation and consultation. China and the ROK have also launched negotiation on maritime delimitation in the Yellow Sea. As a major country in the region, China is fully aware of the importance of upholding regional peace and stability and its responsibility in the region. China has all along been firmly opposed to the illegal occupation of some islands and reefs of Nansha Islands by certain countries and their infringement of China's rights in relevant waters under China's jurisdiction. That said, China is ready to settle the disputes through peaceful negotiation with countries directly concerned on the basis of respecting historical facts and in compliance with international law, UNCLOS included. China is ready to discuss with countries concerned about temporary arrangements pending final settlement of the dispute, which include joint development in relevant waters in the South China Sea for mutual benefits and win-win outcomes, so that together we can maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. WASHINGTON D.C., July 14, 2016 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson(C) testifies before the House Homeland Security Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, July 14, 2016. U.S. Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson warned on Thursday of possible violence during the upcoming Republican National Convention. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan) WASHINGTON, July 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson warned on Thursday of possible violence during the upcoming Republican National Convention. "I am concerned about the prospect of demonstrations getting out of hand," said Johnson here during a congressional hearing. "I am concerned about the possibility of violence." According to Johnson, some 3,000 personnel from his agency will be dispatched for the security of both the Republican National between July 18-21 in Cleveland, Ohio and the Democratic National Convention slated for July 25-28 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "I know that there will be at least another 1,000 or so U.S. Government personnel in hand in both places... as well as probably thousands in terms of state and local law enforcement," he added. The Republican Convention will come at a time when the country was still reeling from series of racially charged shooting incidents which threatened to pit the country's African-American community and law enforcement officials against each other. During his year-long campaign, Donald Trump, the New York billionaire developer expected to formally accept the GOP presidential nomination, frequently raised eyebrows across the political spectrum after uttering racially controversial words. Meanwhile, FBI Director James Comey said on Thursday at the same hearing that the authorities were monitoring closely possible acts of domestic terrorism during the two conventions. "There is a concern anytime there's an event like this that people from across a spectrum of radical groups will be attracted to it," said Comey. Enditem People visit the Google exhibition booth at the CeBIT IT fair in Hannover of Germany, March 6, 2012. (Xinhua/Ma Ning) BRUSSELS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission, the European Union's executive arm, on Thursday filed new antitrust charges against Google to include its advertising business, saying it had artificially restricted third-party websites from displaying search advertisements from Google's competitors. The EU also filed a supplementary statement of objection to reinforce its preliminary charges that Google had abused its dominant position in search engines for online shopping, which the company has eight weeks to respond. "Google has come up with many innovative products that have made a difference to our lives. But that doesn't give Google the right to deny other companies the chance to compete and innovate," said Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in-charge of competition policy. Google has ten weeks to respond to the charges on its ad service. BAGHDAD, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Thursday are preparing to free two towns from the Islamic state (IS) militants in south of the IS stronghold in Mosul, while a senior IS leader and two of his aides were killed in airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition aircraft in south of Mosul, security sources said. The troops took control of the areas of Dawajin and Mahha in west of the IS-held town of Shirqat after the withdrawal of the IS militants, bringing the troops to new positions close to the edges of Shirqat, which located some 280 km north of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition on condition of anonymity. The security forces and allied paramilitary units, known as Hashd Shaabi, are preparing to wage an operation to liberate Shirqat soon, the source said, adding that the town is the last IS stronghold in north of Iraq's northern central province of Salahudin. Meanwhile, the security forces fought the IS militants and drove them out of an abandoned residential district belonging to Qayyara airbase, just east of the militant-seized town of Qayyara, some 50 km south of Mosul, leaving at least 18 IS militants killed, along with destroying two car bombs and a vehicle carrying heavy machine gun, the source said. The battle in the district brought the troops to new positions closer to the outskirts of Qayyara, and they are now ready to carry out operation to drive out IS militants from the town, the source added. The advance toward both towns of Shirqat and Qayyara are part of a major offensive aimed at liberating the last major IS stronghold in Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. Separately, a security source in Salahudin province told Xinhua that Muwafaq Hawijah, leader of the IS group in the town of Shirqat was killed with his two aides when the international aircraft carried out an air strike on their car near the village of al-Mrear outside the town of Shirqat. "The bodies of the IS leader and his aides were evacuated Shirqat hospital," the source said, citing intelligence report. In addition, a roadside bomb went off near a vehicle carrying Shakir Amerli, leader of a Shiite paramilitary Hashd Shaabi paramilitary unit, near the town of Tuz-Khurmato, some 90 km east of Salahudin provincial capital city of Tikrit, killing him and one of his guards and wounding two more guards, the source added. Iraq's security situation has drastically deteriorated since June 2014, when bloody clashes broke out between Iraqi security forces and IS militants. The IS took control of the country's northern city of Mosul and later seized territories in Nineveh and other predominantly Sunni provinces. A U.S.-led international coalition has been conducting air raids against the IS targets in both Iraq and Syria. Many blame the current chronic instability, cycle of violence, and the emergence of extremist groups, such as the IS, on the U.S. that invaded and occupied Iraq in March 2003 under the pretext of seeking to destroy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the country. The war led to the ouster and eventual execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, but no WMD was found. Enditem ULAN BATOR, July 14, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) holds talks with Mongolian Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, July 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo) ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China and Mongolia Thursday agreed to speed up the alignment of development strategies and boost cooperation to forge closer ties, as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was visiting this landlocked country. "We both agreed to steer the development of bilateral ties into the right direction," Li told a joint press conference after talks with his Mongolian counterpart Jargaltulga Erdenebat. Li, in a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, reiterated China's stance on the South China Sea issue, saying that any dispute should be solved through bilateral negotiations by parties directly concerned. SINO-MONGOLIAN TIES Li arrived in Ulan Bator on Wednesday afteroon to pay an official visit. It was his first trip to Mongolia since he took office in 2013. Sharing a 4,710-km-long borderline, China and Mongolia have witnessed warmer relations in recent years thanks to closer economic links and political trust. During his talks with Erdenebat, Li said that China and Mongolia are neighbors, friends and partners, and the two countries have maintained a good momentum in building a comprehensive strategic partnership reached by both sides in August 2014. Li said that the two countries respected each other's core interests and major concerns. China respected Mongolia's state sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as the development path chosen by the Mongolian people. "China looks forward to working with Mongolia's new government in continued efforts to consolidate political mutual trust and maintain exchanges between high-level officials, so as to deepen cooperation in all respects," Li said. Li said the two neighbors are economically complementary and new opportunities in deepening cooperation have become available. China stands ready to dovetail its Belt and Road Initiative with Mongolia's Steppe Road program. China is also willing to start a feasibility study on a free trade pact with Mongolia. Besides, China stands ready to make new progress with Mongolia in such fields as the processing of farm and pasture products, housing and infrastructure, said Li, who also suggested the two sides strengthen financial cooperation and expand currency-swap scale, and enhance people-to-people exchanges. Erdenebat, for his part, said that economic cooperation and trade are major pillars in bilateral ties and the Mongolian side is willing to advance cooperation with China in such fields as agriculture, livestock farming, energy, minerals and infrastructure, he said. Erdenebat welcomed more investment from Chinese firms, adding that Mongolia is positive with starting the feasibility study of a free trade pact. China has for years been Mongolia's largest trading partner and largest source of foreign investment. According to official statistics, two-way trade has expanded 50 times over the past two decades. Following the talks, Erdenebat and Li witnessed the signing of 15 cooperation agreements ranging from trade, technology and infrastructure to radio and TV broadcasting. Li also met with Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and Chairman of the State Great Hural Miyegombo Enkhbold in the day to discuss ways to improve bilateral ties. TWO-WAY NEGOTIATION ON SEA DISPUTES On Thursday, Li also met with leaders of Vietnam, Latvia and Laos, all of whom will attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit to be held in Ulan Bator from July 15 to 16. Li told his Vietnamese counterpart that the South China Sea issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). The DOC, signed in 2002 by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, including the Philippines, stipulates that the parties concerned undertake to resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned. On the award issued Tuesday by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague, Li said China has been very clear on its stance of not recognizing or accepting the award. The DOC has helped maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea over the past years, he said. The Chinese premier called on Vietnam to value the hard-won momentum in the development of bilateral relations and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea with China. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, for his part, said Vietnam respects China's stance on the arbitration, which was unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, and Vietnam maintains that the disputes should be solved peacefully through negotiations. On bilateral ties, Li said China-Vietnam relations have shown a positive momentum since last year, with early results yielding in maritime, land and financial cooperation. Phuc said Vietnam and China enjoy a "comradely and brotherly" relationship with common interests significantly overriding differences. Vietnam stands ready to push forward the mechanism of bilateral maritime negotiations and properly manage differences with China, so as to contribute to regional peace and stability, Phuc said. In a meeting with Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis, Li said China is ready to join hands with Latvia to synergize their development strategies, promote cooperation in such areas as transportation, infrastructure construction and trade, achieve dynamic equilibrium of bilateral trade, and boost people-to-people exchanges in youth, media, tourism and other areas at different levels. China supports Latvia in hosting the fifth leaders' meeting between China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. China is willing to work with Latvia to promote cooperation within the China-CEE framework -- known as 16+1 -- so as to benefit both sides, Li added. ULAN BATOR, July 15, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, July 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said here Thursday that Laos supports China's stance on the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government. Thongloun made the remarks in a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who expounded China's principle and stance on the arbitration case. The Lao prime minister said his country stands ready to work with China to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region. Li appreciated the efforts made by Laos, which holds the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, in boosting the development of ASEAN, safeguarding regional peace, and promoting regional cooperation. China is willing to work with Laos to jointly push forward pragmatic cooperation within such framework as China-ASEAN dialogue relations, so as to make positive contributions to the welfare of the people in both countries and in this region. Thongloun, for his part, said Laos is willing to join hands with all relevant parties to make the activities marking the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relationship a success, and promote the development of ASEAN-China relations. On bilateral relations, Li said China is ready to increase high-level exchanges with Laos, continue to firmly support each other, deepen pragmatic cooperation in various areas, and strengthen coordination and collaboration in international and regional affairs, so as to further enrich the connotation of their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Li said the two countries should propel the comprehensive construction of a bilateral railway project, strengthen cooperation in production capacity and investment, and build more demonstrative projects in such areas as infrastructure, electric power and energy. Thongloun spoke highly of the development of Laos-China relations and the sound communication and coordination the two sides kept in international and regional affairs. The Lao side stands ready to work with China to strengthen the alignment of their development strategies and strives for a comprehensive construction of the Laos-China railway project within this year, he said. The two prime ministers will join other Asian and European leaders on Friday and Saturday at the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Ulan Bator. JUBA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan police said on Thursday that the security in Juba and other parts of the country has significantly improved since the declaration of the cease-fire by President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar on Monday. Police Spokesperson Brigadier Daniel Justine Bolo said the security situation has generally remained calm since Monday with no major incidents of insecurity being reported. "We have not experienced any security threat in Juba. The police and Juba City Council have put measures to reduce crime especially looting of houses and markets by deploying special force in public places. So we don't have any problem," Bolo told Xinhua. He said the police have made several arrests in the city following looting of homes and markets during the fierce fighting in Juba that displaced thousands of civilians from their homes. "We have arrested many people who looted people's property and the markets of Jebel, Gudele and Checkpoint. But now we can't give accurate figures of those arrested because the number of criminals caught looting keep on changing. So we are going to update the public about the arrests when we get the right figures," Bolo said. He said the police are helping humanitarian organizations in collecting bodies of those who were killed during the clashes. More than 300 people are believed to have died in the fighting. "We (police) are also removing dead bodies from the streets and residential areas. We shall reveal the figures when we complete the operation," he said. Shops in Juba that survived looting have reopened and citizens are beginning to carry on with their daily lives, but many public and private organizations remain closed in Juba. Despite the calm in Juba, there have been pockets of reported cases of fighting and civilian displacements in Lainya County of Yei River State and gun attacks along the juba-Kampala high way in the past three days. Augustino Kiri Gwolo, Lainya County Commissioner, confirmed to Xinhua via phone that thousands of civilians have fled the town after eruption of gunfire Wednesday morning, adding that the identity of those fighting remains unknown. "Yes there are no civilians in Lainya as I talk to you now. I don't know the cause of the fighting yesterday but what we are seeing are the soldiers patrolling the town. I have no information about the people fighting," Gwolo said. However, when contacted for comment about reported fighting in the country, South Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) Spokesperson Brigadier General Lul Ruai Konag said: "I have no reports of fighting in the country and I'm yet to get a very good update, so I have no comment." Renewed fighting between rival forces loyal to President Kiir and his deputy Machar that started last week has left the 2015 August peace agreement in the balance. Fighting ended Monday after the two rivals issued orders for ceasefire which looks to be holding but thousands of civilians still live in temporary camps across Juba after fleeing the conflict. The head of South Sudan's Peace and Reconciliation Commission (PRC), Chuol Rambang Luoth called on South Sudan's leaders to act and save the August 2015 peace pact from unraveling. "We are urging the principals to the peace agreement to urgently come together so as to arrange the way forward to fix what happened because the situation now require a decision," Luoth told journalists in Juba Thursday. Luoth appealed to aid agencies to provide humanitarian assistance to thousands of people affected by the recent fighting in Juba. "People lost a lot of their belongings during the crisis and there is need for immediate intervention for food and non food items for the people of Juba. The early the better otherwise the situation is very bad and can lead us into a very bad situation," Luoth said. More than two million people are thought to have been displaced and thousands killed during a civil war that erupted in December 2013. The United Nations and regional blocs such as the Inter-government Authority on Development (IGAD) which brokered the August peace deal this week proposed punitive actions like targeted sanctions on the country's leaders if they fail to adhere to the provisions of the agreement. Enditem ENTEBBE, Uganda, July 14 (Xinhua) -- UN on Thursday evacuated its fourth injured Chinese peacekeeper and an Ethiopian peacekeeper who sustained serious injuries in the recent fighting between two South Sudan rival army factions in the capital, Juba to Uganda for further specialized treatment. Chen Ying and Birhan Gabrekidan who were among the eight injured peacekeepers under the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in the fighting between government troops of President Salva Kiir and forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar in Juba were airlifted to Entebbe International airport and evacuated to Nakasero Hospital in the capital, Kampala, a UN Level three Hospital for further treatment. Rosa Malango, UN Resident Coordinator in Uganda told Xinhua that her organization had to secure a specialized plane to airlift the two seriously wounded peacekeepers on Sunday after a armoured vehicle travelling on duty around UN compound in Juba was hit by a mortar shell. "Their condition was very fragile. But now they are in better hands. They will get the best treatment and will recover,"said Malango. Maj. Gen. Su Guanghui, Acting Director of the Peacekeeping Affairs Office of the Chinese Defense Ministry who arrived in the East African country on Thursday with his delegation, dispatched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in preparation for bringing back the remains of the two Chinese peacekeepers killed, paid a courtesy visit to the four injured Chinese soldiers at Nakasero Hospital. The delegation, which includes officers from China's Central Military Commission, the Chinese Foreign Ministry as well as medical experts were received by Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, Zhao Yali at Entebbe International Airport, about 40 kilometers, south of the capital, Kampala. Three of the injured Chinese and Rwandan peacekeepers who were also wounded in the Sunday attack were airlifted to Uganda on Wednesday for further treatment. South Sudan's Health Ministry says at least 271 people were killed in Friday's clashes. The exact number of those killed in fighting since Sunday to Wednesday is not yet known. There are fears that the war-torn country could descend into civil war again. President Kiir and former rebel leader Machar have fought a civil war which broke out in December 2013 and left tens of thousands of people dead. A peace deal signed by the two men last August under UN pressure led to the formation of a national government in April with Machar returning to his old post. The local media reports show that the Monday evening ceasefire ordered by President Kiir and Vice President Machar was holding. President Kiir directed all commanders to cease hostilities, control their forces and protect civilians. Enditem South Sudanese refugee children look through a window at the Nyumanzi transit centre in Adjumani on July 13, 2016. Thousands of people on the South Sudan side are eager to leave following days of intense battles in the capital Juba, 200 kilometres (125 miles) to the north, which have threatened a return to war. The United Nations said that a total of at least 36,000 people have fled their homes in Juba since the latest bout of fighting erupted, while three quarters of the population need humanitarian aid. (AFP/Isaac Kasamani) UNITED NATIONS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and partners are providing urgent life-saving assistance to thousands of people displaced by last weekend's heavy fighting in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, UN officials said here Thursday. The fighting broke out on July 7 between rival army factions in the capital of the world's youngest country, reportedly killing more than 270 people, including 33 civilians, and displaced at least 36,000 civilians. "The people hit hardest by this fighting are struggling to cope in appalling conditions," said Mahimbo Mdoe, UNICEF's representative in South Sudan. "They are desperate for water, food and in need of medical assistance." "We are responding and that response will continue to grow, but it is vital that we are able to reach everyone in need and for that we must have unrestricted humanitarian access," said Mdoe. Uganda military personnel are seen atop military and police trucks driving towards Juba, South Sudan, at Nimule border point on July 14, 2016. The Ugandan Army have started an evacuation mission to extract 3000 ugandan civilians stranded by the recent fighting between army loyal to President Salvar Kiir and first Vice-president Riek Machar. (AFP/ISAAC KASAMANI) Fighting around Juba has subsided after five days of conflict between army factions, but aid workers attempting to help thousands of internally displaced people were hampered after discovering their warehouses looted, chief of the UN mission in the capital said on Wednesday. "Shooting (Tuesday) was quite sporadic and (Wednesday) it has been even calmer," said Ellen Margrethe Loj, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's special representative and head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), told reporters here at UN headquarters during a teleconference. For the first time since fighting erupted a week ago, aid workers emerged from their shelters. Also on Wednesday, the UN under-secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, Herve Ladsous, told the UN Security Council that the fighting between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those backing First Vice-President Riek Machar made the movement of UNMISS difficult although the Mission was able to conduct limited patrolling. Teams from UNICEF and partners are also working to assess the extent of humanitarian needs and have begun family tracing for children who became separated from their parents as families fled the fighting. Plans are in place to assist up to 50,000 people affected by the conflict. South Sudan, which won independence from Sudan in July 2011, plunged into conflict again in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup, which the latter denied, leading to a cycle of retaliatory killings. President Kiir and former rebel leader and now First Vice President Machar signed a peace deal in August that paved way for the formation of the transitional unity government to end more than two years of civil conflict. DOHA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Qatar Airways announced on Thursday it will buy a 49 percent stake in Italy's second largest carrier Meridiana, bringing months of negotiations with the troubled Italian airline to a close. The Gulf carrier said in a statement on its website that it has signed a contribution and shareholders agreement with Alisarda, the parent company of Meridiana. The agreement provides for Qatar Airways to purchase 49 percent of Meridiana fly's shares, subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions, before the closing which is planned for early October, said the statement, without disclosing further details. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said "this agreement sets the path to lead our work towards a strong resolution that benefits both the staff and passengers who travel with Meridiana fly." "Qatar Airways continues to expand its business opportunities around the world, increasing travel options for our passengers while also enhancing our investment portfolio," he added. Meridiana has been coping with financial losses for years. Talks to rescue the struggling airline from collapse have been going ahead for months with Qatar's flagship airline signing a preliminary agreement back in February. The negotiations stalled in June over the conditions of the Italian labor unions, but Italy's Transport Minister Graziano Delrio worked hard to bring it back to the table. The announcement follows a successful week at the Farnborough International Airshow, where Qatar Airways also disclosed that it is to acquire up to 10 percent of Latin America's largest airline LATAM Airline Group's total shares, according to the statement. Meridiana has an extensive national and European network, which connects the main Italian airports with Sardinia and provides connectivity with hubs in Europe as well as in the U.S. and Africa. Its fleet consists of Boeing 737s, 767s and MD-82s. On the other hand, Qatar Airways has a modern fleet of 188 aircraft flying to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across six continents. It owns 15.67 percent stake of IAG, British Airway's parent company, and is also considering a stake in Morocco's Royal Air Maroc, as it continues to expand its global network by investing in other airlines. On July 11, the company announced a 445 million dollars profit for the 2016 fiscal year ending March 31, with 9.6 billion dollars of revenue. Enditem Jonathan Youtt, of Oakland, performs a puppet show during a rally in support of the state's upcoming Proposition 37 ballot measure in San Francisco, California October 6, 2012. (REUTERS/Stephen Lam) WASHINGTON, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed the nation's first federal legislation that requires mandatory disclosure of foods that contain genetically modified ingredients. The bill, which passed with a vote of 306 to 117, has earlier won approval from the Senate, so it now will be sent to President Barack Obama, who has indicated he will sign it into law. The bill will allow food manufacturers to choose which method they use for disclosure -- a text, symbol, or the industry-favored QR code which consumers can scan with smart phones. "While there is broad consensus that foods from genetically engineered crops are safe, we appreciate the bipartisan effort to address consumers' interest in knowing more about their food, including whether it includes ingredients from genetically engineered crops," White House spokeswoman Katie Hill told U.S. media Wednesday. "We ... anticipate the president would sign it in its current form." The U.S. Department of Agriculture will have two years to develop the bill and set rules for implementation. William Hallman of the Rutgers University said the wording of the bill is both rather specific and ambiguous at the same time. One example is about the definition of "bioengineering" in the bill, which would exclude any genetic modifications that don't involve so-called recombinant techniques, Hallman said. As a result, the new technique of gene editing called CRISPR would not qualify, he said. Some farmer organizations expressed support of a legislation that establishes federal pre-emption of a patchwork of state-by-state mandatory labeling laws for genetically engineered foods. "The bill is far from perfect, but it correctly puts the federal government in the driver's seat in important areas such as protecting interstate commerce and new crop development techniques," President Zippy Duvall of the American Farm Bureau Federation said in a statement. "There is no public health or scientific justification for the bill's mandatory disclosure provisions, but the national uniformity established by this bill is paramount," Duvall said. Some consumer groups opposed the bill, saying it gives companies the power to hide genetically modified labeling behind digital QR codes that can only be read by smart phones. Investigation launched into lifeguards arrest Public Information Officer, Michael Pierre, confirmed yesterday that the matter is being investigated from all angles, but the lifeguard has already been arrested and charged for using annoying language in front a police officer. A caption posted along with the video stated: Just imagine this lifeguard was doing his job and got arrested for obscene language...because the officer was told where he was bathing is not safe to bathe. In the video the officer accuses the lifeguard of resisting arrest, but the lifeguard retorted, saying that he was telling the officer to come out of the water for his own safety. WOMAN STABS MAN Neal Sharma, 46, died on the spot from the stab wound, while his 33-year-old companion has been taken into custody by police as they continue their investigations. Yesterday, tales of abuse, drinking and fights were related by relatives of both the victim and his detained companion. Sharmas relatives complained that he was subject to varying threats and wanted the woman out of his life. Those behind the young woman, including her attorney, are saying she was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Sharma, who was also before the courts on the matter. Relatives told Newsday it was common for the couple to be seen fighting and arguing, but one side claimed the woman was the aggressor. Speaking to relatives of Sharma at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, Newsday was told this was the fatal end to a volatile and abusive relationship which began four years ago. Nicholas Sharma, one of the victims two son, said, He constantly begged her to leave but she refused. She used to threaten to sneak into the house from the back and stab him if he ever put her out of the house. His entire life changed when he got together with her. Newsday understands that during the day on Tuesday, the two were seen drinking heavily while liming with friends and neighbours. At about 11 pm on Tuesday, the couple were heard arguing at their house. Suddenly, the argument and shouts ended. When neighbours checked they saw Sharma running into the living room, bleeding from a stab to the left side of his chest. He fell to the floor and died. When police arrived, the woman who also suffered injuries, was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope, where she was treated before being discharged. She was then taken into custody. According to relatives, Sharma ended his relationship with his wife, with whom he had two sons, and began a relationship with the 33-year-old woman. The woman who at the time lived in Bamboo Settlement #3, moved in with Sharma. Since then, they had been in several confrontations, which Newsday understands, occurred mostly while they were drinking. We are his sons, but she didnt like him talking to us, Nicholas claimed. So they would get into fights and she would say she would kill him and then kill the two of us. She always used to say things like that. Relatives said that this was not the first time Sharma was stabbed during altercations with the woman. According to family members, Sharma was stabbed once in the shoulder and on another occasion, in the waist. Defense attorney Fareed Ali yesterday confirmed the 33-year-old woman, who is also a mother of two, is currently at the Arouca Police Station, where Homicide officers are conducting investigations. The knife which was used to kill Sharma was also found by Crime Scene Investigators and taken into evidence. Ali said that over the past three years, the deceased had been brought before the courts on related domestic violence charges. These allegations have now arisen and draws the question as to what effective steps are being taken to assist women who are the victims of domestic violence, attorney Ali said. Very often when men are brought to answer to the courts for their alleged actions and the matter isnt fully litigated or resolved, what transpires are unfortunate instances like the one, Ali said. An autopsy performed at the Forensic Sciences Centre yesterday revealed Sharma died from a single stab wound to the chest. Investigations are ongoing. 12 years for rape In recalling the case, Justice Maria Wilson said the then teen victim was taking water from downstairs her home to the kitchen on the top floor. in February 2000, when Ramnath offered to help her. She refused and continued on her way, carrying the container of water to the kitchen as he followed behind. After professing his love for her, the court heard, Ramnath proceeded to rape her during which he covered her mouth to muffle her screams. Following the ordeal, he threatened to kill her and subsequently wrote a letter which stated, he was not finished with what he was doing. It further warned the girl that if she got sick, she was not to tell her parents about him. Fearing for her life, the teenager did not tell her parents about her ordeal. The court heard that Ramnath, then 26, wrote another letter to the girl threatening to chop her up, for failing to respond to his letters. The traumatised teen then went to the mans home to find out what he meant by, finishing what he started, when for the second time, he raped her. Outlining the aggravating factors as it related to the offences committed, Justice Wilson noted that the court considered the seriousness and prevalence of the offence; the age of the victim; the psychological scars left; the fact that violence was used; the accused had threatened the victim several times and there was a breach of trust. The only mitigating factor found by the court was that the matter was 16 years old. Justice Wilson, in identifying the aggravating factors, said Ramnath was 26 and fully aware of what he was doing. Additionally, the court noted, Ramnath was not remorseful for his actions. The Judge noted that the mitigating factors considered by the court as it related to the offender, was that he had no previous convictions and is the sole breadwinner of his home. Referring to the impact of the offences on the victim, the judge added that the victim still relives the painful experience and has become weary of the judicial process. Justice Wilson added that the court must send a clear signal to potential abusers that attacks on young, vulnerable victims; victim blaming and shaming and any attempt to silence a victim will not be tolerated Women must be respected. Any form of resistance must be respected as meaning No!, said Justice Wilson. The starting point for such an offence in terms of a sentence is 15 years but having considered aggravating and mitigating factors, Justice Wilson said the punishment for Ramnath will be 12 years in prison with hard labour. State attorneys Hema Soondarsingh and Kimberly Gunness prosecuted Ramnath while attorney Ramesh Deena defended him. Tableland fire leaves family homeless, $12M in losses Over 12 million dollars in damage were reported as the flames also gutted three of the familys business establishments in the vicinity. At the time of the fire, businessman Narine Rampersad and his 76-year-old mother Dulcie Rampersad were at home while his wife Deokie and three children Anandel, Arianna and Avani were attending vacation classes. According to police reports at about 5.15 pm the fire started in the front room of the familys two storey home. Reports said that Dulcie raised an alarm after seeing smoke in the front of the building. Fire appliances from Mon Repos, Rio Claro and Princes Town Stations arrived on the scene but the buildings were destroyed. While the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, Rampersad believes it may have been electrical in nature. A traumatized Rampersad yesterday recalled being outside the family home when his mother called out to him. She shouted that there was fire upstairs and when I reached upstairs the bedrooms were already on fire. Rampersad said that he along with a worker and a customer attempted to use extinguishers to douse the flames, but the fire continued to spread rapidly. The father of three also sustained second degree burns to his head during the blaze while attempting to salvage equipment and vehicles. The three establishments on the compound included a tyre shop, warehouse and wheel alignment centre - were gutted. Rampersad said that fire officials also experienced a water shortage, while trying to extinguish the blaze. There was no water and there is a school next door. Firemen had to wait for water while my businesses and house were burning to the ground, Rampersad explained. He added he worked day and night to see his business flourish and now the flames had not only left him without a means to earn a living, it has also left him homeless. When people say that they have nothing after a fire, they really have nothing, because this clothes I have on now is not even mine, he cried. With his wife and children at his side, Rampersad said that he may have suffered burns to his head but is very thankful his life was spared. I am glad to be alive because although we are homeless and have lost everything, we are alive and there is always hope. But I am not ashamed to say that I really need help to get back on my feet. Investigations are continuing Legal advice too slow Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Donna Ferraz and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development Jacinta Bailey-Sobers both aired concerns to Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Stuart Young. The Solicitor General falls under the Ministry of the Attorney General. Ferraz said while officials were awaiting legal advice in relation to Freedom of Information Act matters, a deadline passed. There was a particular lawyer who sent a number of FOI requests across a number of ministries and we were waiting on that opinion, Ferraz said. It only came yesterday. We would have gone way beyond the 30- day time frame. The PS further said there was a backlog at her ministry. We frequently have 15-20 requests right now outstanding. I think there is a gap that needs to be dealt with. There is an issue. It is not for want of collaboration. We all know of the problem that we are being faced with, she said. Bailey-Sobers said advice from the Office of the Solicitor General conflicted with previous advice sourced from the same department. How do we deal with it if this opinion is conflicting with an opinion that came out of the Solicitor Generals Office sometime before? she asked. Which opinion do you take as the opinion? Young urged all to maintain lines of communication and expressed the view that legal positions should not conflict. However, he was not aware of the details of the matter raised but said it was something he would personally examine. There is also now a political element, Young warned, citing increased litigation activity. That is being done to embarrass all of us in this room and ultimately the Government. New plans for Cabildo Chambers While he would not say what Cabildo Chambers will be used for, he ruled out the Office of the Prime Minister occupying the site, saying No when asked about this possibility by a reporter. On moving into the Legal Affairs Tower, Young said, I am hoping that there are not going to be any more difficulties after some meetings that I had recently. Things were just taking a bit longer than I had expected. I think maybe it is because there was a merger of the two ministries and the Attorney Generals Office was a separate office to Legal Affairs before. That was part of the whole reconciliation process taking place. Asked for a timeline for the move, he said, a couple of months. Of Cabildo Chambers, Young said there are plans that will be announced at the appropriate time. Young promises SWMCOL backpay soon There have been conversations with the unions with respect to the SWMCOL workers and arrangements are being made for payment consistent with other payments that are being made with respect to back pay, consistent with the percentage payments that are being made with back pay, Young told reporters after addressing a retreat for public servants at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain. My understanding is that access to all of the dumps has been sorted out and the various regional corporations and contractors who have been charged with the responsibility of collecting the garbage should have been continuing with their jobs as usual, he said. However, Young said a timeline of payment was a matter for the Minister of Finance. Young said early yesterday morning he was informed of a situation. My understanding is that there were a few hours when access may have been difficult or not allowed into the various dump sites, Young said. That was resolved within the space of three or four hours. Of course that would have led to some backing up. But once it was resolved and access was given then it should be back to business as normal. Earlier, Young had raised the matter when he addressed permanent secretaries, urging them to keep open lines of communication with each other. TT Express to sail again tomorrow Yesterday, according to Public Relations and Marketing Officer of T&T Port Authority, Vilma Cockburn, the T&T Express encountered engine problems which resulted in the stranding of over 300 passengers in Tobago who were scheduled to be on the 6.30 am sailing. Cockburn explained, Because the 12 noon sailing had some space, we were able to accommodate them on the 12 oclock sailing. Some of the passengers opted to go on the 10 oclock sailing of the Warrior Spirit that was in Tobago. Young: UNC being irresponsible The DPP was asked to advise whether there are any parts of the report that can be published. He continued, This Government has acted responsibly and will continue to do so. In his statement, Rowley said that in the report a number of adverse findings of criminal misconduct of a kleptocratic nature were found and recommendations made which would be for the DPP to consider. Against this background, Young said, This Government will not do anything that may prejudice any criminal investigation and/or prosecution and awaits the receipt of the DPPs advice. Declaring the actions of UNC will not be condoned by the Government, Young said the FOIA application forwarded by UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar on behalf of UNC chairman David Lee was done on a letter bearing the address of attorney Gerald Ramdeen. He said this matter is currently receiving appropriate legal attention. Ramdeen, who has served as a temporary Opposition senator since last Septembers general elections, is one of the attorneys named in the $78,488,943.30 paid to attorneys retained to assist the Colman Commission of Enquiry into Clico and the Hindu Credit Union. Ramdeens fees were $5,855,468.00. Letters dated July 11, bearing the title Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC attorney at law, Persad-Bissessars email and signed by Persad-Bissessar, were sen t from #7 Cornelio Street in Woodbrook, to Rowley and the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister. Checks by Newsday showed this address as being officially listed as Ramdeens office Charles: PM playing extempo He stepped down from that post to be the UNCs campaign manager in last Septembers general election and contest the polls as the UNCs candidate for Naparima. In a statement, Charles claimed that Rowley has not articulated Governments foreign policy, either in or out of Parliament. With Rowley due to visit Jamaica from July 17 to 21, Charles said, is incumbent on Dr Rowley to pursue a clearly defined, data driven policy agenda in Jamaica and not simply ad lib. He also claimed that Government has no plan of action after the United Kingdoms Brexit referendum. What you need to know about the Octagon Art Festival on Sunday in Ames news Victims families hit Facebook with a $1BILLION lawsuit for abetting Hamas terrorism The current $1 billion dollar lawsuit against Facebook is for providing a platform for [Hamas] militants to spread incitement and violence, and this lawsuit isnt the first. Facebook received similar charges in 2015, after a sharp increase of deadly Palestinian terrorist attacks in Israel and the West Bank. At that time, as reported by The Epoch Times, the Israel Law Center represented 20,000 individuals and filed a class action lawsuit against Facebook for being complicit in the attacks. Using algorithms to connect terrorists and sympathizers The premise used by the Israel Law Center was that Facebook didnt just publish information based on free speech. They claimed that Facebook didnt effectively monitor its content, and it flat out used its algorithms connect the terrorists to the inciters, just like Facebook does connecting anyone with just about anybody, while they keep track of just about everybody. No word yet on the outcome of the 2015 class action lawsuit, although Facebook did remove some of the more incendiary Hamas pages from their site shortly after that lawsuit was initiated. Does the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act trump free speech? Should it? This new billion dollar lawsuit, according to Bloomberg.com, was made on the behalf of five families, four American and one Israeli, who all lost relatives in random terrorist attacks. One victim, as reported by the Jerusalem Post, was three year old Chaya Braun, who was in her stroller when she was intentionally run over by a Palestinian driver. Another was Taylor Force, a 28 year-young American military veteran, who was stabbed to death by a Palestinian while vacationing in Israel. The lawsuit representing these individuals and three other families was filed in the United States utilizing statures of the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act. As per The Seattle Times, prosecutors claim that Facebooks platform gives assistance to the Palestinian group Hamas by helping them raise money and share instruction in recruiting, radicalizing . . . creating fear and carrying out attacks. Hamas has been considered a terrorist organization in the U.S. since 1997. Who determines where free speech ends? Facebook has its own method for controlling unquestionable content called Community Standards. Here they discuss their rationale to allow witness type footage as in the recent murder of Philando Castile; Facebook also claims to not allow any video from a group or individual who is celebrating the shooting. Yet it is precisely this type of Hamas celebratory video that the lawsuits are claiming have not been restricted. If the provisions of the U.S. Anti Terrorist Act are not accepted as applicable, under other U.S. law, internet companies are not generally liable with regards to their content. Does this ring a familiar bell, like those pharmaceutical companies not being responsible for what they put in their vaccine syringes? And what about those purposely placed Facebook Trends? It will take time for these lawsuits to wind their way through the halls of justice and the courts of public opinion. Its an interesting side note that while Facebook is being called out for abetting and aiding terrorist groups, former employees have blown the whistle on practices undertaken when another social movement, the Black Lives Matter, was just beginning. Stories about the then fledging group were being manually inserted by Facebook employees so Black Lives Matter would gain popularity and trend higher. The Daily Caller reports that there is some question about the true organic growth of the Black Lives Matter movement vs. what agenda Facebook had it making it a top social engineering trend. Who is Zuckerberg really working for? Rather then rely on Facebook news feeds, why not put stock in organic seeds? Sources: TheEpochTimes.com TheEpochTimes.com IsraelLawCenter.org Bloomberg.com Jpost.com SeattleTimes.com Newsroom.Fb.com Science.NaturalNews.com DailyCaller.com (Photo credit: pixabay.com) Submit a correction >> Russia set to ship Iran new batch of sophisticated S-300 air defense missiles (NationalSecurity.news) The Russian government is set to sell Iran another batch of technologically advanced S-300 air defense missiles just as soon as Tehran can come up with the money, according to reports in Russian media. We delivered the first batch. On our side, [the S-300 system parts] are, in fact, ready for shipment, Alexander Fomin, director of Russias Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, told Izvestia. I hope that we will carry out the receipt and delivery of [the S-300 parts] with our partners soon. As soon as [Irans] financial obligations are fulfilled, the delivery will take place. The pending shipment is tied to a deal inked in 2007 between Russia and Iran for five S-300 systems, worth $800 million. Russia halted the sale in 2010 under pressure from the West, but President Vladimir Putin revived the agreement in 2015 after Iran signed a nuclear pact with world powers. Russia delivered the first shipment of S-300 components to Iran this spring, The Weekly Standard reported. President Obama downplayed the sale, remarking that he was surprised that Putins self-imposed ban held for so long since Russia was not prohibited by sanctions from selling these defensive weapons. However, the State Department said earlier this year that the S-300 sale could lead to U.S.-levied sanctions, while officials promised to monitor the agreement closely. However, the White House hasnt sanctioned the sale though it has the legal authority to do so, and despite some criticism from Congress. The Iran-Iraq Arms Nonproliferation Act and the Iran Sanctions Act provide authority for you to sanction individuals or countries that you determine are aiding Irans efforts to acquire or develop destabilizing numbers and types of advanced conventional weapons,' Ohio congressman Steve Chabot wrote in a May letter to the White House. Irans acquisition of these systems would embolden Tehran to adopt a more threatening regional posture and to pursue offensive activities detrimental to regional stability. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has counterd that the missile system was defensive in nature in an attempt to quell fears about the agreements ramifications. The S-300 is exclusively a defensive weapon, which cant serve offensive purposes and will not jeopardize the security of any country, including, of course, Israel, Lavrov told Russian media last year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Putin during a meeting in April that the sale of the missile defense systems to Iran undermined stability in the region. The sale of advanced weapons to Iran is the result of the dangerous agreement that is emerging between Iran and the [six world] powers, Netanyahu said. After this arms deal [for the S-300], is there anyone who can seriously claim that the [framework] agreement with Iran will increase the security in the Middle East? More: NationalSecurity.news is part of the USA Features Media network. Get caught up on ALL of the days most important news and information here. Submit a correction >> Shameless Rolling Stone blames Texas victims and gun culture for the racist mass shooting in Dallas Any semblance of a positive reputation that Rolling Stone once had has been completely and utterly destroyed over the past few years. From glamorizing Boston Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to writing a damaging expose on a rape that never actually occurred, the once popular magazines public perception has plummeted on both sides of the equation. Both liberals and conservatives alike have grown fed up with the publications pandering, factually incorrect nonsense. And things are only getting worse. Its accepted fact at this point that the mainstream media outlets are doing everything in their power to prevent law-abiding American citizens from keeping their Second Amendment rights. Theyre so ferociously anti-gun that they seem to be championing gun control every minute of every hour of every day, even when its completely inappropriate to do so. In the wake of the Dallas terrorist attack that left five police officers dead and many more injured, Rolling Stone blamed Texas gun culture on the shooting. Christopher Hooks, the author of the article entitled Texas Gun Culture and Politics Made Dallas Shooting Inevitable, writes, Were putting guns in more places, and letting more people flash them, with the idea that guns can cancel each other out, like a subtraction problem: bad guy with gun + good guy with gun = no problem. It shouldnt come as much of a surprise that a liberal journalist uses a simple math equation to try and explain a cultural issue that is much deeper than that. This is the kind of classlessness one should expect from the publication that lionized a despicable terrorist, but that doesnt prevent it from leaving a bad taste in ones mouth. Texas is a region with a rich history of independence and liberty. Insulting the states residents for honoring the Constitution is poor form. When Rolling Stone eventually nosedives directly into the ground, well know exactly what was responsible and it isnt gun culture. Sources: RollingStone.com USAToday.com Submit a correction >> Michael Greve is an internet entrepeneur turned venture capitalist with a long-standing interest in aging and longevity, and yesterday he pledged $10 million in support of SENS rejuvenation research: $5 million for the science, and a further $5 million to fund startups for clinical development. This money will help speed the development of therapies that can repair the forms of cell and tissue damage that cause aging, and thus prevent age-related disease, rejuvenate the old, and significantly extend healthy life spans. Michael Greve runs the Forever Healthy Foundation and the Kizoo venture fund, and has become ever more involved in the SENS rejuvenation research community over the past few years. If you attended any of the recent SENS conferences you might have met him. He was one of the generous matching fund donors for last years Fight Aging! SENS fundraiser, and this year his venture fund has invested in companies Oisin Biotechnology and Ichor Therapeutics, both of which are carrying out the clinical development of biotechnologies relevant to the SENS approach. The $5 million that Greve has pledged to research will be the founding donation for Project|21, which is the new SENS Research Foundation high-level fundraising program aiming to pull in exactly this sort of support: millions for specific programs, to complete the first prototype SENS rejuvenation therapies and push this industry into existence Not so very long ago the SENS Research Foundation engaged a specialist in high-end medical non-profit fundraising, and Project|21 is the outgrowth of that relationship, a program to raise the millions needed to take the first SENS therapies to readiness for human clinical trials over the next five years. To get to the point at which such a program is possible and practical required the years of groundwork and grassroots support that we as a community have provided: large donations always follow the crowd, and high net worth donors require advocates and thousands of supporters to light the way and to continue those efforts. In effect, this launch of Project|21, alongside the advent of the first startups working on senescent cell clearance, marks a transition to a new stage of development for rejuvenation research following the SENS vision of repairing the cell and tissue damage that causes aging. Starteups working on SENS area of clearing old cells Gensight Gensight is a French company with tens of millions in venture funding that is built on technology for allotopic expression of mitochondrial genes originally partly funded by the SENS Research Foundation. They are focused on generating a robust commercial implementation for one mitochondrial gene, initially to deploy gene therapies to treat hereditary mitochondrial disease. Creating such a robust implementation is an important foundation for a future effort in which all mitochondrial genes can be backed up to the cell nucleus, and thus the contribution of mitochondrial DNA damage to aging can be eliminated. Human Rejuvenation Technologies Human Rejuvenation Technologies is a venture run by philanthropist Jason Hope, who you may recall funded a sizable chunk of the ongoing work on glucosepane cross-link breaking at the SENS Research Foundation back a few years ago. Glucosepane cross-link breaker drug candidates seem to be a few years in the future yet, so Human Rejuvenation Technologies is instead working with a drug candidate for clearing a form of metabolic waste key to plaque formation in atherosclerosis. This candidate is one of the results produced by the long-running SENS Research Foundation LysoSENS program. Ichor Therapeutics Ichor Therapeutics has been around for a couple of years, and has done a good job in setting a sustainable lab business on the side. The interesting work here, however, is the continuation of SENS research programs aimed at removing the buildup of A2E, one of the components of lipofuscin that builds up in cells and interferes with cellular garbage disposal. Unusually among the forms of cellular damage, even those involving buildup of metabolic waste such as lipofusin, A2E is linked very directly and solidly to some forms of age-related disease that involve retinal degeneration. In most cases the fundamental damage that causes aging is separated from the end stage of disease by lengthy and barely understood chains of cause and consequence, but here it is very clear that getting rid of A2E is a good thing. Oisin Biotechnologies Oisin Biotechnologies is developing a senescent cell clearance therapy, an approach to treating aging that has definitely arrived with a splash: there are multiple methods demonstrated in mice, and a number of different groups at the point of launching commercial development efforts. The company was funded more than a year ago by the Methuselah Foundation and SENS Research Foundation, and youll be hearing much more about them in the year ahead, I predict. Pentraxin Therapeutics Pentraxin Therapeutics is the oldest and slowest of these companies, founded way back in 2001. The SENS-relevant work started in 2008 or 2009 with a partnership with GlaxoSmithKline to develop a treatment to clear transthyretin amyloid, a form of metabolic waste that builds up with age and is linked to cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and death by heart failure in the oldest human beings. A human trial recently produced very positive results, showing significant clearance of amyloid in patients, and this is consequently probably the furthest advanced of all SENS technologies. Unfortunately it is also the most locked up within the slow regulatory system and a Big Pharma partnership. It is hard to say what is going to happen next here, but dont hold your breath expecting to see anything in the clinic soon. Unity Biotechnology Unity Biotechnology has emerged from the first successful efforts to clear senescent cells via gene therapy, back in 2011, as well as ongoing programs such as those of the Campisi laboratory. They have a sizable staff for a startup, good venture backing, and are developing treatments based on these methods, but which will be more suitable for use in human patients. It is great to see such a large number of people pushing the SENS line of damage repair as the approach to treatment of aging. SOURCE Fight aging In July 2016, the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation rolled out two more low rate initial production (LRIP) J-20 stealth fighters. This brings to a total of four J-20 fighters built for service into the Chinese air force, as opposed to the original eight J-20 prototypes, which are still undergoing a rigorous flight testing regimen. At this rate of production, China may have 12 production J-20 ready to hand off to a PLAAF squadron for operational and flight familiarization, with an initial operating capability (IOC meaning those fighters can conduct combat operations) in 2017-2018. If the J-20 meets its 2017-2018 IOC target date, it will give China a technological edge in air to air combat over all its Asian neighbors, who do not yet have 5th generation planes. As a heavyweight stealth fighter, it is armed with long range missiles, electronic warfare, advanced radar and passive sensors, making it a respectable competitor to even the new US F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters. CAC is already planning a series of future updates to keep the J-20 state of art; domestic WS-15 engines are just one of them. The J-20 will be stealthy, fast, heavily armed with long range air to air missiles, and state of the art radar and infrared sensors. Perhaps more than any other weapon, the J-20 represents Chinas military modernization. via China Defense Forum Also Improved J-31 fighter Chinas second fifth generation fighter, the J-31 is a twin engine, medium weight stealth fighter built by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. It is undergoing testing, while waiting for firm domestic and export orders. A display floor model of an improved J-31, with a larger fuselage, improved indigenous engines, stealthier features and improved sensors, was prominently displayed at the Zhuhai 2014 Airshow. The second J-31 prototype, incorporating those improvements, is expected to make its first flight soon, if it already hasnt done so. A first flight of the improved J-31, just in time for the 2016 Zhuhair Airshow, would greatly improve its sales prospects at home and aboard. Lovely Swift at mil.qq.com. The new J-31 prototype (the one in lighter gray paint) is expected to be larger, have a nose mounted infrared search and tracking sensor, and stealthy features (such as clipped horizontal and vertical stabilizers). As Chinese defense exports grow, the J-20 and J-31 could start making the rounds at foreign airshows, and possibly even in foreign air forces. SOURCES- Popular Science, China Defense Forum, mil.qq.com A lightweight telescope that a team of NASA scientists and engineers is developing specifically for CubeSat scientific investigations could become the first to carry a mirror made of carbon nanotubes in an epoxy resin. Led by Theodor Kostiuk, a scientist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, the technology-development effort is aimed at giving the scientific community a compact, reproducible, and relatively inexpensive telescope that would fit easily inside a CubeSat. Individual CubeSats measure four inches on a side. Small satellites, including CubeSats, are playing an increasingly larger role in exploration, technology demonstration, scientific research and educational investigations at NASA. These miniature satellites provide a low-cost platform for NASA missions, including planetary space exploration; Earth observations; fundamental Earth and space science; and developing precursor science instruments like cutting-edge laser communications, satellite-to-satellite communications and autonomous movement capabilities. They also allow an inexpensive means to engage students in all phases of satellite development, operation and exploitation through real-world, hands-on research and development experience on NASA-funded rideshare launch opportunities. Under this particular R and D effort, Kostiuks team seeks to develop a CubeSat telescope that would be sensitive to the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared wavelength bands. It would be equipped with commercial-off-the-shelf spectrometers and imagers and would be ideal as an exploratory tool for quick looks that could lead to larger missions, Kostiuk explained. Were trying to exploit commercially available components. Potential Advantages of carbon nanotube mirrors * a lot lower cost * no time consuming and expensive polishing needed * lighter * Can be applied to very large space telescopes as well * carbon-nanotube mirrors can be made into smart optics, actuators can be put during initial fabrication This laboratory breadboard is being used to test a conceptual telescope for use on CubeSat missions. Credits: NASA/W. Hrybyk While the concept wont get the same scientific return as say a flagship-style mission or a large, ground-based telescope, it could enable first order of scientific investigations or be flown as a constellation of similarly equipped CubeSats, added Kostiuk. With funding from Goddards Internal Research and Development program, the team has created a laboratory optical bench made up of three commercially available, miniaturized spectrometers optimized for the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelength bands. The spectrometers are connected via fiber optic cables to the focused beam of a three-inch diameter carbon-nanotube mirror. The team is using the optical bench to test the telescopes overall design. First-Ever Carbon-Nanotube Resin Mirror By all accounts, the new-fangled mirror could prove central to creating a low-cost space telescope for a range of CubeSat scientific investigations. Unlike most telescope mirrors made of glass or aluminum, this particular optic is made of carbon nanotubes embedded in an epoxy resin. Sub-micron-size, cylindrically shaped, carbon nanotubes exhibit extraordinary strength and unique electrical properties, and are efficient conductors of heat. Owing to these unusual properties, the material is valuable to nanotechnology, electronics, optics, and other fields of materials science, and, as a consequence, are being used as additives in various structural materials. No one has been able to make a mirror using a carbon-nanotube resin, said Peter Chen, a Goddard contractor and president of Lightweight Telescopes, Inc., a Columbia, Maryland-based company working with the team to create the CubeSat-compatible telescope. This is a unique technology currently available only at Goddard, he continued. The technology is too new to fly in space, and first must go through the various levels of technological advancement. But this is what my Goddard colleagues (Kostiuk, Tilak Hewagama, and John Kolasinski) are trying to accomplish through the CubeSat program. Advantages Abound The use of a carbon-nanotube optic in a CubeSat telescope offers a number of advantages, said Hewagama, who contacted Chen upon learning of a NASA Small Business Innovative Research program awarded to Chens company to further advance the mirror technology. In addition to being lightweight, highly stable, and easily reproducible, carbon-nanotube mirrors do not require polishing a time-consuming and often times expensive process typically required to assure a smooth, perfectly shaped mirror, said Kolasinski, an engineer and science collaborator on the project. To make a mirror, technicians simply pour the mixture of epoxy and carbon nanotubes into a mandrel or mold fashioned to meet a particular optical prescription. They then heat the mold to to cure and harden the epoxy. Once set, the mirror then is coated with a reflective material of aluminum and silicon dioxide. After making a specific mandrel or mold, many tens of identical low-mass, highly uniform replicas can be produced at low cost, Chen said. Complete telescope assemblies can be made this way, which is the teams main interest. For the CubeSat program, this capability will enable many spacecraft to be equipped with identical optics and different detectors for a variety of experiments. They also can be flown in swarms and constellations. Other Applications A CubeSat telescope is one possible application for the optics technology, Chen added. He believes it also would work for larger telescopes, particularly those comprised of multiple mirror segments. Eighteen hexagonal-shape mirrors, for example, form the James Webb Space Telescopes 21-foot primary mirror and each of the twin telescopes at the Keck Observatory in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, contain 36 segments to form a 32-foot mirror. Many of the mirror segments in these telescopes are identical and can therefore be produced using a single mandrel. This approach avoids the need to grind and polish many individual segments to the same shape and focal length, thus potentially leading to significant savings in schedule and cost. Moreover, carbon-nanotube mirrors can be made into smart optics. To maintain a single perfect focus in the Keck telescopes, for example, each mirror segment has several externally mounted actuators that deform the mirrors into the specific shapes required at different telescope orientations. In the case of carbon-nanotube mirrors, the actuators can be formed into the optics at the time of fabrication. This is accomplished by applying electric fields to the resin mixture before cure, which leads to the formation of carbon-nanotube chains and networks. After curing, technicians then apply power to the mirror, thereby changing the shape of the optical surface. This concept has already been proven in the laboratory. This technology can potentially enable very large-area technically active optics in space, Chen said. Applications address everything from astronomy and Earth observing to deep-space communications. SOURCE- NASA Russia is developing a hypersonic strategic bomber capable of striking nuclear blows from space. The aircraft will be able to reach any part of the globe in one or two hours. Representative of the Military Academy of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN), Colonel Alexei Solodovnikov, told RIA Novosti that the prototype of the engine of the new aircraft is to be created by 2020. The idea is as follows. The aircraft will take off from conventional airfields to patrol airspace. It will be able to fly into space when there is an appropriate order for it. The aircraft will be able to strike targets from space, including with the use of nuclear weapons, before flying back to its airfield. This is a strategic aircraft, Solodovnikov. According to the Lieutenant Colonel, the bomber aircraft will be able to reach any location in the world in one or two hours The new aircraft will be developed by the Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute. Specialists currently work on the characteristics of the aircraft. I think that the starting weight will be around 20-25 tons, so it could be an attack aircraft. It will be a hypersonic rocket mode machine, the official added. Colonel-General Sergei Karakayev, commander of Russian Strategic Missile Forces, confirmed the model engine for the bomber has been built and successfully tested at the Serpukhovo branch of the Military Academy. The units operational ability had been proven, he said. In October 2015, a representative of the Russian Military Academy reported plans to combine an air-rocket ramjet engine with a pulsating combustion chamber. The new aircraftequipped with an engine able to work both in airspace and outer spacewas, at the time, conveniently needed for delivering supplies to an international orbit station, the representative explained. Judging by recent developments, a lot has changed. Just one day after NATOs Warsaw Summit came to a close, Russia announced to the world she was aggressively building a hypersonic aerospace bomber to make nuclear strikes from outer space possible. The engines projected speed will allow the bomber to reach any point on Earth in under two hours. Right now we are reviewing the nuances, Karakayev said, which will take approximately one year. Then we will make a blueprint, which could be completely different [from the current one]. Once we agree on the plans, we will start building the engine itself. In the second year of development2018we will build the hardware. Perhaps I am rushing thingsand some issues may arisebut by 2020 we should have a fully-functioning product. Two enginesone for the airplane and another for the spaceshipwill be combined within the bombers engine setting. According to the Academy of Strategic Missiles Forces, in plane mode, the engine will use kerosene fuel. For space flight, it will use methane and oxygen. When we sort the basic aspects out, we will proceed to making the engine. During the second year of our work, in 2018, we will work on the hull. The aircraft is to fly in 2020, the specialists said, adding that the aircraft will have a turbofan engine. The engine will be able to operate both in the atmosphere of the planet and in near-Earth space, where there is no air. It will be one platform for both aircraft and rocket engines, the specialist said. Currently, Russia does not have such engines, he added. In July, Russian officials said that the sixth-generation aircraft will be produced in a manned and unmanned version. It will be able to operate in a group of other aircraft and fly into near-Earth space. SOURCES- the Observer, Pravda Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the worlds largest foundry, said it will fully implement extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography to make 5 nanometer chips by the end of this decade. We estimate that EUV will be a cost-effective tool for high-volume manufacturing by 2020, in time for our 5nm ramp, TSMC Co-CEO Mark Liu said at an event to announce the companys second-quarter results. We plan to use EUV lithography extensively in 5nm to improve density, simplify process complexity and reduce cost. The company said it has been using 7nm as a development vehicle for EUV, achieving what it called good integration of EUV scanners, masks and photoresist. TSMC said it is running four state-of-the-art EUV scanners for infrastructure development and will move in another two NXE:3400 EUV production tools from ASML in the first quarter of 2017. TSMC said it has implemented a 125 watt EUV source in its ASML NXE:3350 equipment to improve productivity. In the meantime, the company has also developed in-house EUV mask, material, inspection and repair technology to integrate its EUV lithography. Up to now, the commercial viability of EUV has been in question. TSMC competitors such as Samsung appear more convinced about the commercial viability of EUV. A press report in South Korea said that Samsung plans to use EUV at 7 nanometers. TSMC said it will see its first revenue from 10nm during the first quarter of 2017, and it expects 10nm to ramp steeply throughout next year. Our 10nm has been transferred from R&D to production, Liu said. Our first 10nm customer product has been produced with satisfactory functional yield. So far, three customer products have been taped out to us. At the 7nm node, TSMC said its yield improvement on a 256 megabit SRAM test device is ahead of schedule. We believe our 7nm power, performance and area density (PPA) is ahead of our competitors, Liu said. TSMCs mobile and high-performance computing customers all have aggressive product tape out plans in the first half of 2017 with volume production planned in early 2018, he added. Boosting Capital Expenditure TSMC said it will raise its capital expenditure target for 2016 from an earlier range of $9 billion-$10 billion to a new range of $9.5 billion to $10.5 billion because expectations for 2017 mobile revenue have improved. The company is expected to have the second-largest capex in the semiconductor industry this year, following Samsung. While analysts are saying the overall semiconductor industry may be headed for a slump this year, TSMC is maintaining a more sanguine outlook. EUV Is Required for 7 nm Technology, But Will Be Implemented When Its Done In general, the industry remains rather optimistic about EUV lithography thanks to two years of solid progress. All leading makers of semiconductors, including Intel, TSMC, Samsung and GlobalFoundries plan to use EUV tools as soon as it makes sense. All four chipmakers indicated on various occasions in the recent months that EUV lithography will be required for 7 nm manufacturing technology. At the SPIE conference, TSMC and Samsung re-affirmed plans to insert EUVL into 7 nm production. By contrast, Intel indicated that while it would prefer to use EUVL for critical layers at 7 nm, it would only use the tech when it is completely ready. At present, Intel is experimenting with EUV on its 14 nm pilot fab line and the results have been encouraging, according to the company. Nonetheless, Intel believes that to make EUV a reality, in addition to many other things, the industry needs to improve yields, decrease costs and develop an ecosystem of EUV photomasks. SOURCES- TSMC, Samsung, EEtimes, Cymer, Intel, Anandtech 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. Click the photo to write a caption and have a chance to win a free subscription to the Norfolk Daily News. Head of UNSMIL Wednesday indicated that the future Libyan army may be decentralized in a move to end divisions among regions failing to form a single army. The opposed regions, namely western, southern and eastern, may be given chances to form their own military forces, Martin Kobler told Associated Press. Libya has seen its national army almost disintegrated following the fall of former ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Various regions of the country have erected their own military forces, fragmenting the countrys unity and allowing the Islamic State to sneak in as of 2014. Other regions have rejected Gen Khalifa Hafters authority at the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA) backed by the House of Representatives (HoR) and the Bayda Government, both based in Tobruk. Gen. Hafter has refused to recognise the UN-sponsored Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Prime Minister Faiez Serraj and the HoR has so far refused to give formal go-ahead to the GNA. Rivalries among the regions have also crippled the efficient functioning of the GNA, which is still stumbling to impose its authority. Moroccos Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar is on an African tour to step up diplomatic ties with a host of African nations in a bid to pave the way for a return of Morocco to its empty Seat at the African Union ahead of its upcoming summit in Rwanda, Moroccan Media reported on July 14. A diplomatic source that requested not to be named told Akhbar Al Yaoum Daily newspaper that Morocco is preparing to fill its empty seat at the 27th African Unions summit scheduled on July 17-18 in Kigali. The paper added that Mezouar handed, during his African trips, messages from King Mohammed VI to several African heads of state concerning a return of Morocco to the pan-African organization conditioned on the withdrawal of the membership of the self-proclaimed SADR republic of the Algerian-backed Polisario front. The withdrawal of SADR membership is expected to be subject to a vote during the upcoming summit. According to the same diplomatic source, the Moroccan Monarch may attend the summit. This will represent a ground-breaking event departing from the tradition of sending the Foreign Ministers to hold talks on the sidelines of the African event. During his visit to Sudan, Mezouar made it clear that Moroccos friends in Africa are demanding the return of the Kingdom to the African Union. He said Morocco will promptly respond to such a call once the conditions for reintegration are met. The Minister said that despite its withdrawal 32 years ago from the predecessor of the African Union, the Organisation of African Unity, Morocco spares no effort to strengthen ties with countries in the continent. During his African tour Mezouar held talks with Presidents of Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Senegal, Cameroon, Cote dIvoire, Libya, Ethiopia and Rwanda. Earlier in June, Rwandas President, whose country will host the next African summit, was given a Royal reception in Morocco. The visit was interpreted as a diplomatic headway by Morocco in its attempt to regain its seat in the pan-African body. Morocco withdrew from the Organisation of African Unity in 1984 on grounds of the biased decision of the organization, which violated neutrality in the Sahara conflict by admitting the Algeria-based SADR separatist entity as a full-fledged member. Since then Morocco has been conditioning its return to the pan-African body on the withdrawal of the Polisario membership and the respect of the UN-brokered process to settle the Sahara issue. An Algerian administrative court on Wednesday upheld its last month provisional ruling cancelling the multimillion dollar takeover of the private El Khabar media group by Ness-Prod, a subsidiary of agribusiness group Cevital owned by billionaire Issad Rebrab. The court ruled that the agreement reached between the two parties is null and that El Khabars newspaper in Arabic and TV channel should be returned to the initial owner. The court ordered the press group to pay all the legal costs. El Khabar chief Cherif Rezki decried the ruling as a trend towards authoritarianism while the Governments lawyer Nadjim Bitam said he is very satisfied with the decision. Cevital through Ness-Prod acquired 80% of the stakes in El Khabar for 40 million. Rebrab, owner of Cevital, also owns Liberte, a daily in French. According to Forbes 2015 ranking, he is the richest man in Algeria and ranks ninth in the African continent. The government argued that the acquisition is against the anti-monopoly law to control more than one media and Brahim Benhadid, a lawyer for the communication ministry, said the verdict is in line with the law. Cevitals lawyers did not attend the hearing but promised to appeal the ruling at the high court. Reporters without Borders (RSF) condemned the ruling and stated that it was extremely worrying. Critics say the ministrys effort to block the takeover was politically motivated because Rebrab, though not an active politician, is critical of the government. They claim that the governments effort to stop the acquisition of one of the most independent media houses by Rebrab is a measure to restrict press freedom. RSF said the media group has been subjected to repeated harassment by Algerian authorities. The North African country is ranked 129th out of 180 countries in the organizations 2016 World Press Freedom Index. Moroccan security services have dismantled another terror cell linked to the Islamic extremist group ISIS. The six-member cell was active in the cities of Agadir, Amezmez, Chichaoua, Ait Melloul and Laqliaa (south central Morocco) According to a press release issued by the Interior ministry, investigations showed the cell was planning to join secretly ISIS branch in Libya through the Sahelo-Saharan region, as one member of this group had already been in Libya. This terror cell was preparing homemade explosive devices to be used in bloody terrorist operations in Morocco. Last April, Moroccos Bureau of Central Judicial Investigations (equivalent to US FBI) announced the arrest of three ISIS operatives who were planning to launch terrorist attacks and set up a local ISIS branch in Morocco. Moroccan authorities are waging tireless war against Islamist extremists and fanatics. As the international coalition intensified its airstrikes against the terrorists in Iraq and Syria, the extremist group started moving to North Africa and particularly to Libya where the jihadists have enhanced their influence and presence. Neighboring Tunisia and Egypt have already suffered numerous deadly attacks by militants of the Islamic State. Morocco has worked out a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy that includes vigilant security measures, regional and international cooperation, and counter-radicalization policies. The North African country has placed counterterrorism at the top of its priorities following the Casablanca terror attacks in 2003 and the subsequent attacks of 2007 and 2011. In 2015, Moroccos counterterrorism efforts mitigated the risk of terrorism but the country continues to face threats, largely from numerous small, independent violent extremist cells. The Moroccan authorities have dismantled multiple groups with ties to international networks that included ISIS. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and ISIS continue efforts to recruit Moroccans. According to foreign intelligence reports, approximately 1,500 Moroccans are believed to have joined terrorist organizations since 2011, with 719 fighting alongside ISIS. The Moroccan government is concerned about the potential return of veteran Moroccan jihadist fighters from those conflict zones to conduct possible terrorist attacks at home. Police and EMS rushed dozens of people to the hospital after an alleged K2 overdose. Photo: Todd Maisel/NY Daily News via Getty Image A land of zombies. People passed out on sidewalks and sitting on curbs, heads lolling, eyes out of focus. Disoriented, disheveled. That was the scene on Tuesday where Broadway slices into Myrtle Avenue at the border of Bed-Stuy and Bushwick. A mass overdose of the synthetic marijuana K2 sent more than 30 people to the hospital. Police responded swiftly Wednesday. Cops raided five bodegas in search of the substance, including the Big Boy Deli, which police and locals had tagged as the main seller in the area. They did not find K2 there, or anywhere else. But cops did make three arrests all for improperly taxed cigarettes, according to the New York Times. A woman is treated by paramedics. Photo: Todd Maisel/NY Daily News via Getty Image The police flooding the area also cracked down on K2 users, seeking out people suspected of smoking the substance, witnesses told the New York Post. Theyre picking up everybody! Alexander Iliev, a 20-year-old visitor, told the Post. Its getting crazy down here! Cops said, Youre getting in the ambulance or youre coming downtown. So I got in the ambulance. At least four people were taken away from the intersection in ambulances; two of those were soon released. Woodhull Medical Center, which treated most of Tuesdays K2 patients, told the Times that two people were admitted to the hospital Wednesday who appeared to have overdosed on synthetic weed. But residents say Tuesdays overdose was a crisis reaching its breaking point: K2 and its users have flooded the area in the past year. Residents report seeing people smoking the substance usually herbs sprayed with types of chemicals that are supposed to give users a marijuana-like high in broad daylight. No Smoking K2 signs are posted throughout the area. They are not a deterrent. Ive lived here for more than 20 years, and its terrible now, a resident, Trevor Tyrell, told DNAinfo before the mass overdose. Its an epidemic, every borough, every hood. Just look at the people on the corner, they look like zombies. An individual suspected of smoking K2 on Wednesday, the day after the mass overdose. Photo: Todd Maisel/NY Daily News via Getty Image Officials think a bad batch of K2 likely caused the horrific reactions among Tuesdays victims. Users can get the drug for as little as a buck at bodegas and shops, though the drug is starting to pop up in the street trade more. Much of the product gets to New York streets by way of China and then gets packaged and peddled as everything from spice to Mojo to Black Mamba. But its effects are unpredictable and potentially dangerous: In New York City, about 6,000 emergency-room visits since 2015 have been linked to K2. This stuff is mixed by bathtub chemists, DEA agent James J. Hunt told the Times. Thats why you see what happened yesterday. Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams, who visited the Broadway-Myrtle intersection Wednesday, likened the K2 problem to that of the citys crack-cocaine crisis. We dropped the ball during the early 80s with the crack epidemic, he said. Were not gonna drop the ball now with K2 and heroin finding a new foothold in our communities. The Doe Fund, an organization that helps homeless men access employment and social services, is protesting in the intersection Thursday. K2, gotten easily and at a bargain, has hit New Yorks homeless population hard, especially men who suffer from mental-health or substance-abuse problems. (About 90 percent of the K2 hospital visits were men, says the Department of Health.) The group, dressed in blue polos, chanted No more K2, no more K2 over and over again. Mayor de Blasio and the City Council pushed through legislation last year to crack down on the manufacture and sale of K2, by banning any substance sold as synthetic weed. (The drug had technically been illegal in New York City since 2012, but manufacturers would change up the formulas and chemicals to try to skirt laws.) The city also upped the anti-K2 awareness campaign with signs and flyers in bodegas. The new penalties and NYPD crackdown in areas like East Harlem where the area around 125th Street was dubbed K2 nation last summer did yield serous gains. The NYPD successfully busted a $10 million K2 shipment coming into the Bronx in September, the largest synthetic-marijuana bust in the citys history. K2-linked emergency-room visits dropped 85 percent in March 2016. We will throw the book at anyone selling K2, Mayor de Blasio said on Wednesday. The NYPD is very focused. But K2 is a cheap and potent high. One hot spot may cool off, but another pops up. According to CBS 2, a pocket of the Bronx at Willis Avenue and 149th Street is now known as K2 alley. Medics carted away at least one overdose victim from that block Wednesday. If Donald Trump was serious about considering Flynn as a running mate, he should have given him advice on key Republican litmus tests. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images Before he disappears from sight as a national political figure when Donald Trump names someone else as his vice-presidential choice, let us pause for a moment of awe at the utterances of former general Michael Flynn, who somehow manages to dig himself into a deeper hole every time he opens his mouth. First and most famously, Flynn eliminated himself from serious consideration for a spot on the national ticket by going on a Sunday show and, via an incoherent ramble, appearing to endorse a womans right to have an abortion. The next day, Flynn tried to recover by labeling himself a pro-life Democrat whose mother was an anti-abortion activist, but then wandered back into a swamp by suggesting the Supreme Court had for the time being resolved the issue. Then he made matters infinitely worse by saying that people who viewed the abortion issue as the most important priority for America should just stay home and let others decide the election. And then, for his encore, Flynn allowed as how he was fine with same-sex marriage, deploying his signature clean and concise talking style: On the gay issue, hey, you know what, if people love each other, Jesus, I mean, come on, Flynn told San Diego KOGO radios Morning News. Im not afraid of it. Thats my point. And Im not afraid to tell you what I believe in. This statement was made at roughly the same time the Republican convention Platform Committee was beginning to approve a notably homophobic expression of GOP principles. Flynn also commented about his position on abortion, saying it doesnt matter that he has previously said women have a right to choose whether to have an abortion. I mentioned it yesterday, Im one of these people that I dont like, on the abortion issue, its not something thatIm very uncomfortable talking about it. Im not gonna kid you. Its a very uncomfortable thing. I think, that, its a legal issue. Definitely a legal issue. Its been decided upon by our Supreme Court. In case anyone out there is in doubt about this, let me be plain: Anyone joining a Republican national ticket has to be solidly and unambiguously in favor of outlawing virtually all abortions. Yes, some wiggle room is allowed over the tiny number of abortions performed in cases where pregnancy is caused by rape or incest, but thats absolutely it. And nothing offends social conservatives much more than suggestions that their issue should be subordinated to others. Indeed, their primary grievance with the GOP is that its leaders do exactly that far too often. To be clear, these are people who believe, or at least claim to believe, that legalized abortion is an ongoing American Holocaust and that same-sex marriage is an attack on the fundamental wellsprings of Western civilization. So no, these are not legal issues to them, or divisive topics to be put on the back burner. Now, its fashionable this year, as in most years, to contend that the Christian right is a spent force in American politics, and maybe this time, unlike all of the other times, the prophecy is correct. But, for the moment, the people who say abortion is genocide or that gay people defy all of the laws of God and nature absolutely have the power to blow up Donald Trumps convention and wreck his slim chances of becoming president. Im guessing Trump was never serious about Michael Flynn as a running mate or he would have dispatched someone to make sure the man knew what to say on very basic ideological litmus tests like abortion policy. Once the actual veep is announced, poor Flynn can stop digging and go back to being a national-security adviser to Trump, if he hasnt made himself so toxic that even that kind of role becomes impossible. Remorseful RBG. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images Ruth Bader Ginsburg does not want Donald Trump to be president, and she isnt afraid to say so. Or, rather, she wasnt afraid to say so, until now. In three separate interviews earlier this week, the 83-year-old Supreme Court justice made her antipathy for the mogul unambiguous. This was a significant violation of Americas political norms. Trump called for her resignation. The editorial boards of the New York Times and the Washington Post called for her to apologize. On Thursday, Ginsburg honored the latter request. On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them, she said in a statement. Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect. Photo-Illustration: Photo: Michael Krinke Photography/Getty Images Donald Trump has enjoyed a moderately positive week, with the director of the FBI bringing Hillary Clintons email scandal back into the headlines, and next weeks Republican convention offering a chance to unify his party. So its time for another completely insane Trump maneuver. The Republican candidate is now suing his fired former aide Sam Nunberg for violating a nondisclosure agreement. According to court filings, Nunberg replies that the lawsuit is a misguided attempt to cover up media coverage of an apparent affair between senior campaign staffers. Whatever effect Trumps lawsuit has, it probably will not make the national media less curious about this alleged affair. So Trump is now running for president as both the plaintiff in one legal case and the defendant in another. Also, the Republican platform has officially changed its use of the term illegal immigrants not to adopt a less offensive term, but to adopt a more offensive one. The Republican Partys official preferred nomenclature is now illegal alien, in the Trumpian spirit of giving maximal offense to crucial demographic groups for no good reason. In other garbage-fire news, the Trump campaign continues to barely exist. Sam Stein and Elise Foley attempted to contact the Trump campaign in all 50 states: A few of the state operations had no websites or no numbers listed. Many of the other numbers didnt work. When we left voicemails, we didnt get callbacks. On only six occasions did someone actually answer the phone. And in several of those instances, the person who picked up explained that a physical office would be opened up only after the convention. Also, Breitbart News reports that Bikers for Trump will patrol the streets in Cleveland during the Republican convention. Bikers for Trump arent going to Cleveland looking to cause trouble, the right-wing site assures readers, but will be on hand to counter thousands of professional leftwing agitators planning to disrupt the Republican nominating convention. So relax theres no way a riled-up paramilitary gathering of rabid bikers could react in any way that reinforces middle Americas concerns about the Republican nominee. Hes met the man he wants to spend the rest of his campaign with. Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images If you want the best taco bowls in town for your Donald Trump vice-presidential-announcement viewing party, youd better run out to the Trump Tower Grill right now. The presumptive Republican nominee just revealed when hell announce whos won a spot on the GOP ticket: I will be making the announcement of my Vice Presidential pick on Friday at 11am in Manhattan. Details to follow. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2016 When last we left our hero, Trump was torn between Mr. Right Indiana governor Mike Pence and a pair of bad boys former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey governor Chris Christie. Wednesdays installment of the Trump veepstakes was chock-full of the drama and confusion weve come to expect from his campaign. CNN reports that Trumps plane popped a tire when it landed in Indiana Tuesday night, leaving him stranded in the Hoosier state for much of the day. That meant more time with Pence, who even got to meet the family; Trump and his kids had breakfast at the governors mansion. However, the other contestants wouldnt give up without a fight. Christie called Trump to chat about their future, then Gingrich overshadowed him with a big, romantic gesture: He flew to Indianapolis on a private jet just to meet with Trump. According to CNN, He was later seen leaving a hotel in the same motorcade as Trumps children. Saucy! It was later revealed that Gingrichs friend, Sean Hannity, hatched a plot to convince Trump that Gingrich is the one. The Fox News host provided Gingrichs private jet, drawing criticism for his matchmaking efforts. Hannity, who has been openly pushing for Gingrich as VP on his show, defended himself on Twitter: I have known New Gingrich since 1990 (I emceed his event the night the became Speaker of the House in 1994) he has been a long term, Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 14, 2016 very dear friend of mine and is a private citizen. Whatever favors I do for my friends is my business. Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 14, 2016 And he underscored that he feels theres nothing unseemly about his involvement in the Trump campaign by interviewing Gingrich about the meeting on Wednesday night. Hannity rattled off his criteria for vice-president, pointing out that Gingrich is clearly political-marriage material. I check all the boxes and youre right there at the top, and I think youd be the right choice, Hannity said. I dont say it as a friend, Im speaking objectively here. Gingrich responded by confirming that hes essentially a contestant on The Bachelor. What it really comes down to in the end, one of the reasons people focus on vice-presidential selections is it becomes a question of chemistry, he said. Trump has to find the person he is comfortable with, that he wants to potentially spend eight years working side by side [with]. So, could Gingrich be the one?! As you know, he and I have a great relationship, the former speaker said coyly. It looked pretty close in Cincinnati last week! Hannity teased. Tune in Friday at 11 a.m. to find out! Cleveland rocks. Photo: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump looms over Cleveland like Godzilla over Tokyo. For more than a year, the mogul has been stoking Americas latent conflicts as though our country were a reality show and he its lead producer. His demagogic attacks on Muslims, undocumented immigrants, and the ISIS sympathizer in the Oval Office have already inspired violent clashes between his supporters and detractors. Protesters and Trumpists tussled in Chicago. White nationalists and anarchists had knife fights in Sacramento. Now the Republican Party is preparing to hold Trumps coronation in a city riven by racial inequity, one in which the legitimacy of law enforcement has recently come into question. Political conventions are always magnets for protest and disorder. But, this year, authorities are expecting something a bit louder and more dangerous and unpredictable than normal which is to say, something Trump-tacular. Heres a guide to the security challenges Cleveland faces, and how the city plans to meet them. The threat level. FBI special agent Stephen Anthony told reporters Tuesday that there is no evidence of specific, credible threats to security at the convention. However, Anthony did say that he was concerned about the possibility of a lone-wolf attack, akin to the one perpetrated against the Dallas police last week. The safety gear. They are ready. Thats the three-word answer Secret Service director Joseph P. Clancy gave to The Plain Dealer when asked to assess the Cleveland PDs state of preparations. And theres no question that the department is fully geared up. The federal government provides convention hosts with a $50 million gift certificate to be spent on the security contractors of their choice. The Washington Post has catalogued some of the big-ticket items from Clevelands spending spree: 2,000 sets of full riot gear 2,000 26-inch retractable steel batons 2,500 steel barriers stretching about 3.7 miles 2,400 portable and wearable hydration pacs 15 motorcycles and 310 sets of protective clothing for riders 310 police bikes and protective gear Three horse trailers 10,000 sets of plastic handcuffs Two night-vision devices Body armor, including anti-ballistic helmets, groin, arm, chest, and leg protection 16 Pointer Illuminator Aiming Lasers A video surveillance system The city has also been stocking up on an unspecified amount of tear gas. Politicians from both parties may occasionally argue that police departments shouldnt resemble occupying armies, but when the going gets tough, the police get militarized. The lit match dangling above the kerosene. The police will establish a 1.7-square-mile secure zone where convention events and protests will be concentrated. Here are some things police will not allow in the secure zone, to ensure the safety of the political leaders, reporters, and citizens who pass through it: swords, axes, hatchets, brass knuckles, slingshots, and BB guns. Here are some things police will allow in the secure zone: actual guns. Since the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a firearm-themed fantasy life, the state of Ohio has barred itself from regulating the carrying of guns. Wield a slingshot outside the RNC, youll find yourself trying on a fresh pair of plastic handcuffs. But you can carry your licensed Glock right up to the convention gates (as a private entity, Quicken Loans Arena has the right to restrict the possession of firearms within its confines and has exercised that prerogative). After last weeks attack in Dallas, some former supporters of open-carry laws have started to wonder if there might actually be a flaw in the more guns = more safety equation. If you had some mass confusion, even if you had a civilian who was carrying who would attempt to help out, I think the mentality of any law enforcement officer would see an individual with a gun, would see an individual possibly shoot and would react to that, Brian Kazy, a member of the Cleveland City Council, told the New York Times. But the laws arent changing any time soon. And Ohios permissive gun policies are not lost on some of the extremist groups who are making their way to Cleveland, a point well return to in just a bit. The best places to commit crimes in Cleveland next week. Pretty much anywhere outside the immediate vicinity of Quicken Loans Arena. According to Cleveland police chief Calvin Williams, the city will dedicate 500 of its 1,500 police officers to the convention itself, while many others will be ready to join them at a moments notice. Those 500 will be backed up by an unspecified number of officers from neighboring jurisdictions. The siege-proof hospitals. Clevelands hospitals are barring their trauma surgeons from vacationing next week, setting up incident command centers to centralize decision-making in the event of an emergency, and stockpiling enough equipment to survive 96 hours without re-supply, just in case large portions of the city fall under siege. At the suggestion of the Secret Service, we need to be able to act independently for four days, Robert Wyllie, the chief medical operations officer at the Cleveland Clinic, told STAT News. The latest developments at the department of pre-crime. Since the middle of June, FBI agents and Cleveland cops have been doing community outreach with some of the citys left-wing activists. Or, as the activists see it, stifling their rights to free expression through deliberate intimidation. In preparation for the upcoming RNC, the FBI along with numerous federal state and local law enforcement agencies are working collaboratively with members of the community, FBI spokesperson Donna Sullivan told The Plain-Dealer. As part of this preparation, law enforcement is conducting outreach with many individuals to ensure a safe and secure environment for the RNC. An organizer with the local chapter of Food Not Bombs, a left-wing group that plans to distribute food (not bombs) at the RNC, was less enthusiastic about the door knocks her fellow activists had been receiving. Theres an implication of force behind [the visits], Maggie Rice told the paper. They say that theyre friendly and just talking, but it still implies that there could be consequences there. A few days ago, I received a call from "No Caller ID" number. I answered, and it was an FBI agent. Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) July 14, 2016 The agent said he had just knocked on my door, but I wasn't home (somehow he entered the building through a key card activated door). Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) July 14, 2016 He asked me whether I had any plans to go to Cleveland for the GOP Convention, and then warned me not to go. Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) July 14, 2016 In preparation for mass arrests, Cleveland has set aside enough jail facilities to house more than 975 unruly protesters and will keeps its courts open for 20 hours daily to process cases, the New York Times reports. At the 2012 RNC in Tampa, Florida, local police were able to infiltrate and, in some cases, become the leaders of the citys protest organizations. The outside agitators. The New Black Panther Party is one of Americas largest and most influential African-American political movements in Fox News fevered imagination. In truth, the organization is a ragtag collection of aging activists, with little buy-in from the ascendant generation that has powered the Black Lives Matter movement. Nor are the New Black Panthers held in high regard by many of the old Black Panthers. Nonetheless, the Southern Poverty Law Center deems the radical black-nationalist group a virulently racist and anti-Semitic organization whose leaders have encouraged violence against whites, Jews and law enforcement officers. And theyre heading to Cleveland, with guns in tow. If it is an open state to carry, we will exercise our second amendment rights because there are other groups threatening to be there that are threatening to do harm to us, Hashim Nzinga, chairman of the New Black Panther Party, told Reuters on Wednesday. Bikers for Trump, a group of 20,000 motorcycle-riding, Donald Trumpsupporting leather enthusiasts will also be descending on the North Coast. And like the New Black Panthers, theyre bringing firearms, for the sake of self-defense. We are not looking for a fight, but at the same time, if someone starts one, we wont back down, the groups founder (and celebrated chainsaw artist) Chris Cox told the Daily Beast in April. Another biker expressed his commitment to protecting his comrades more emphatically, saying, If that means us having to protect ourselves by taking someone elses life, thats what were going to have to do. Three months ago, the bikers were preparing to defend Trumps right to the nomination against traitorous delegates. Now theyre focused on protecting their rights of free expression against paid thugs and leftist idiots. Big Jim Williams of Phoenix, Arizona, will be in Cleveland for the festivities and he has implored his fellow bikers in Riders U.S.A. to join him, in a letter obtained by Breitbart: The fact of the matter is we have become a nation of slaves Now more than ever we need to come together as a nation and stand against tyranny and corruption. We need to stand against paid thugs and show them that things are done differently in America. If we dont stand now, in Cleveland we are giving it to the third world thugs and will never get it back. We will soon be like every other cess pool of socialism or communism that these people are coming from and the things that we are so addicted to, that kept us from standing up will be gone and we will be powerless, living life the way we are told to live it. Our lives will be worthless and meaningless. Citizens for Trump, a comparatively moderate pro-Donald organization, will try to keep Big Jim from giving the third world thugs too hard of a time. The groups director, Tim Selaty, has banned AR-15s and sniper rifles from the The America First Unity Rally, a celebration of Trumps incipient nomination scheduled for Monday. (Regular handguns will be welcome). The event, which the Daily Beast has nicknamed Woodstock for Wingnuts, will offer police their first major security challenge. Aside from the band of bikers, alt-right group Eternal Sentry, InfoWars host Alex Jones, and African-American R&B duo Stump for Trump girls will also be in attendance. The Coalition to Stop Trump and March on the RNC, an umbrella group of left and liberal organizations, has its own rally planned for Monday. Meanwhile, the Traditionalist Worker Party, a kinder, gentler white-nationalist group (the organization officially opposes white supremacy, but argues that the races should be kept separate), will also be making the trek to Cleveland. The group is best known for getting in a stabbing fight with left-wing protesters in Sacramento last month. There are hundreds of other outside groups, on both the left and right, who plan to make their presence felt. In total, authorities expect 50,000 people to visit the city next week. The Drew Carey Show opening theme. The elephant in the precinct. Cleveland will be the first city to host a national, major-party convention while its police force is under a consent decree with the federal government. Since October 2015, a federal monitoring team has been overseeing the citys police department, after a Justice Department investigation found that Cleveland cops engaged in a pattern or practice of using unreasonable force in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Such practices included: The unnecessary and excessive use of deadly force, including shootings and head strikes with impact weapons; weapons; The unnecessary, excessive or retaliatory use of less lethal force including tasers, chemical spray and fists; fists; Excessive force against persons who are mentally ill or in crisis, including in cases where the officers were called exclusively for a welfare check; and and The employment of poor and dangerous tactics that place officers in situations where avoidable force becomes inevitable and places officers and civilians at unnecessary risk. The most infamous recent example of the Cleveland polices affinity for deadly force was the 2014 killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. As Mother Jones notes, the monitoring team released a report in June that described the departments capacity for investigating officer misconduct as dire. While the city has agreed to reform its use-of-force policy and internal-review protocol, these changes have yet to be fully implemented. In this context, many of the measures that the Cleveland police are taking to maintain the peace the military gear, tear gas, and 10,000 handcuffs to facilitate mass arrests threaten to undermine it, by exacerbating the local communitys sense of alienation from its law enforcement. Alfred Porter Jr., president of Black on Black Crime, Inc., a decades-old anti-violence organization, told CNN that he expects the police to be dressed up like RoboCop, with snipers on the roof. Our message is not only against Donald Trump, its issue based, Porter said. Our speaking will deal with the fact that the city of Cleveland spent $54 million on the downtown area and our inner cities are bleak. Photo: Charles Thatcher/Getty Images Do you want to become pregnant in the next year? Its a telling question, and one that women of reproductive age in Delaware will be asked at doctors appointments going forward, even at primary care providers. If the answer is yes, then great; we can get them into preconception care right away, which is fabulous, says Mark Edwards, co-founder of Upstream USA, a nonprofit that trains healthcare providers on how to prescribe the full range of birth control, including how to place and remove intrauterine devices and implants. But if the answer is no, then it kicks off a conversation about contraception. If a woman wants an IUD or an implant, shell be able to get it inserted during that visit from the stock that all trained doctors will be required to keep on hand. It doesnt work like that now: Women who want such long-acting reversible contraceptives have to see a gynecologist and come back for the procedure after a device is ordered and when theres time in the doctors schedule. This new contraceptive world will be the result of a collaboration called Delaware CAN. Upstream USA will train providers at publicly-funded clinics as well as 30 to 40 of the largest healthcare providers across the state. The goal is for all women, whether they have insurance or not, to be asked about their pregnancy plans and given birth control if they want it, at no cost. Billing staff will also be trained on how to code for procedures not usually done in these offices so that theyre reimbursed properly. Delaware governor Jack Markell asked the group to develop a plan to lower the states unintended pregnancy rate: about 57 percent of pregnancies are unintended, higher than the national average, Edwards says. Its an ambitious-sounding effort, but Markell told the Cut he sees preventing unintended pregnancy as an opportunity issue that must be addressed. So many women, and for that matter, a lot of men, see their life trajectory change dramatically as a result of an unintended pregnancy that leads to a birth, Governor Markell says, noting that people often put education plans on hold or get a second or third job or drop out of the workforce entirely. Then of course theres the impact on so many children who, because of these circumstances, may get off to a rougher start. I really do believe that getting this right, the project with Upstream, could be perhaps the most important thing we do to help more people achieve their full potential. Delaware CAN wont be fully implemented until the end of 2017 (though there are already some participating providers), and it will take an additional two years to complete an evaluation. A public awareness campaign will launch this fall. A similar program in Colorado has made headlines in recent years for providing free IUDs and implants to teens and low-income women at nearly 70 family planning clinics across the state. Yes, birth control is free under the Affordable Care Act for those with non-grandfathered health plans, but that doesnt cover people who remain uninsured, or teens who want birth control but dont want to tell their parents. The Colorado effort not only lowered the teen birth rate and abortion rate by 40 and 42 percent respectively, but the state saw a similar decline in the number of unintended pregnancies in unmarried women under 25. Colorados six-year initiative was funded by a $23.5 million grant from the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, though the state added $2.5 million to the 2016-2017 family planning budget to keep it going. Delaware, on the other hand, is financing its program by reallocating about $1.75 million from the public health budget the project is also supported by significant private funding and the governor expects it will result in Medicaid savings that will then be reinvested into Delaware CAN. (After three years, Colorado saw Medicaid savings of about $5.85 for every $1 invested. The states Medicaid program covers more than 75 percent of teenage pregnancies and births.) This is why Markell describes the initiative as win-win-win: He believes it will help expand opportunity and improve the quality of birth outcomes as well as save some money in the long run. And he doesnt even have to ask the state legislature for a budget increase. This is one of these things where Im highly confident that there will be significant savings to make it sustainable, he says. The partnership with Upstream has helped identify other areas where the state can improve womens access to care, like the fact that Medicaid payments for labor and delivery didnt cover the placement of contraceptive devices while the mother is still in the hospital. If a woman delivers a baby its not a bad time to have the conversation. And until we changed our policy a few months ago in Delaware, and this is true in many places, theyd have to schedule a follow-up appointment, Markell says. All told, Edwards says there will be 80 to 90 Upstream-trained offices in the state, which is home to about 950,000 people nearly 200,000 of whom are women of reproductive age. Both he and Markell hope that other states will take a closer look at contraception. Our aim is to bring reproductive health into the center of womens health, Edwards says. All women should be asked this question as a standard part of their care. If they are, Edwards will need to find another gig; but thats the point. Our goal is that, over the next 15 years, we can take this work around the country. We hope that in doing so we will ultimately be out of business. Black Lives Matter demonstrators at mens Fashion Week. Photo: Matthew Sperzel Just to the right of the menswear peacocks angling their Yeezys toward street-style lenses yesterday was a line of silent figures with raised hands, wearing shirts with slogans including Stop Killing Us, Walter Scott, and Sandra Bland. This small-scale Black Lives Matter demonstration, held all day in front of mens Fashion Weeks HQ, was the brainchild of Hannah Stoudemire, a blogger who works in sales at Lanvin. Stoudemire was moved to protest after she noticed the paucity of designers posting about the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the Alton Sterling and Philando Castile shootings. She spoke to the Cut about the thinking behind the demonstration and the surprising reactions both heartwarming and frustrating that the group elicited from Fashion Weeks attendees. What kind of reaction did you get from people? Did anyone initiate conversations? I came to mens Fashion Week to get the CFDA to recognize us, because theyre an American organization and black American designers have graduated through [the CFDA Incubator] and won CFDA Awards. For them not to issue a statement or offer any acknowledgment hurts. They use black culture, our music, and our models, so they should at least acknowledge that its happening. And that mission was accomplished when [CFDA CEO] Steven Kolb approved the CFDA [account] posting our picture. I ran over to him and I told him I really do have to thank him, because I had been in love with fashion since I was 4 years old, and I was very disheartened to find out that the thing that I loved the most didnt love me back. I broke down on him, crying, and he just embraced me. He took the time, he listened to me. He commented under the CFDA photo on Instagram, Thanks for the hug. You made my day. Do you feel like you accomplished what you wanted to with this demonstration? Absolutely. This is a major first step, and I think it only goes up from here. Steven is a major person, and whatever he does or says, [fashion] people look to him. All we needed was someone to acknowledge it. Maybe theyll be inspired by his boldness to stand up for something thats right. Its not political, its bipartisan were humans. Were your fellow demonstrators also in the fashion industry? Some were, but I mainly reached out to strangers. A girl that I didnt know came all the way from Westchester. She got up at 6 a.m. to come to New York City and put $30 in a meter to stand with us today. And someone that I invited from Brooklyn who is my friend, who is black, did not leave their house and come out. Why do you think some people were reluctant to be involved? I think a lot of people are selfish and are worried that their association with this will be viewed as militant and angry. And I wasnt angry at all today. But I think theyre afraid, and I think they think that theyll lose endorsements or partnerships. Or followers. Yes, especially black bloggers, black stylists, theyre afraid to associate with what we were doing because they didnt want to be that type of black. Im the cool black [person], Im not that, you know? We got a lot of scoffs, handshakes, eye-rolls, a lot of people arrogantly walking past. People purposely sat in groups [in front of us] and took photos of their shoes and discussed where their latest jacket was from. Lives matter more than clothes. If we arent alive to create these things, then you wont get the art. You were near a lot of people who were shooting street style and who were posing hard, which was kind of an ironic placement. I called [Public School designer] Maxwell Osborne out. I saw him by our meetup spot, which was DVF on West 14th and Washington, and he was by the High Line. He saw us gathering, looked to see what was going on, and saw our shirts, and he kind of disappeared behind a building. Then we saw him again at the venue he walked right past, him and his partner [Dao-Yi Chow], and theyre both minorities he dodged us, he ducked his head, and he didnt acknowledge us at all. He wouldnt even look at us. And [Brother Vellies designer] Aurora James, thats another one Im calling out. She posted something on her personal Instagram, and it was very subtle. It was a safe post about having a discussion at the Brother Vellies shop. And then I went to the brands Instagram, because the brand is what matters. You source from South Africa and Kenya; youre not going to put #BlackLivesMatter, are you serious? You profit off of it it, but you wont post about it? I would love for them to respond. [Note: We reached out to a rep for Osborne, who had no comment. We have also reached out to a rep for James and will update this when we hear back.] I used to like them. Not anymore. Unfollow. Was there anyone else you really engaged with? A photographer came from the pit, with his tripod and all his equipment. He took his shot, and then he came back across the street and he stood with us. And the workers at Skylight Clarkson Square came out and brought us water. It was a beautiful thing. Will you be demonstrating again? I will do it again for womens Fashion Week, but Im not going to say when or where. Thats the No. 1 thing: the element of surprise. [The crowds] reaction was priceless because it was unexpected. This interview has been edited and condensed. Photo: Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office Brock Turner, the former Stanford swimmer who was convicted in June of felony sexual assault, will have to undergo drug counseling in addition to random testing after his release, the Associated Press reports. Turner is set to appear again in court at a later date, where he will be ordered to seek counseling, according to internal communications from the probation department overseeing his case. Turner, a 20-year-old former swimmer at Stanford, was convicted in June of three counts of felony sexual assault. He faced a maximum of ten years in prison after his conviction, but was sentenced to six months jail time after the judge overseeing the case thought a longer sentence in prison would have a severe impact on him. At his sentencing, Turner was also ordered to be registered as a sex offender for life and to undergo random drug-and-alcohol testing. Counseling, however, was not mandated or recommended, according to the AP. The new emails obtained by the AP reveal that the probation department wants to show that it recommended counseling in the event that Turner does test for drugs or alcohol. Probation manager Jana Taylor wrote in an email that Turner needs the counseling, and that they do not want to be in a position where [Turners] attorney argues we never modified probation to include counseling. Turner had initially blamed the whole ordeal that led to his conviction on the party and drinking culture at Stanford, saying he had never experienced the likes of it. That was later revealed to be false. During the hearing, the prosecutor pointed to evidence from text messages that showed Turners statement was a lie he did indeed drink and use drugs in high school, according to the Mercury News. In his statement to Judge Persky at his sentencing hearing, however, Turner wrote that, coming from a small town in Ohio, I had never really experienced celebrating or partying that involved alcohol. That, along with letters from his father and friends, factored into Judge Perskys final decision. Persky, who has come under scrutiny for his handling of the case, is currently facing a recall effort in California as well as death threats. He will not oversee the modifications in the probation. Turners case has drawn national attention because of the months-long sentence he received, which many including a juror in the case see as being too lenient. The victim in the case also read a statement at the hearing and later shared her own moving account of what happened, helping fuel criticism. These are the ends of days, aren't they? Reply Thread Link Tbh isnt all of this stuff kind of how WW1 started? I don't remember much about what started that War, aside from the assassination, but wasn't extreme nationalism a factor? Reply Parent Thread Link extreme nationalism is nearly always the reason wars start. at least a biiiiiiiiiig factor. which is why it is NEVER a good sign when a country starts with this shit imo. it's not as if we don't have history books full of cautionary tales Reply Parent Thread Expand Link The initial conflict that set the WWI wheels in motion was more isolated, but it became a bloated pan-European war because of all the alliances between countries (largely thanks to all the royals marrying each other for centuries). But yeah, I mean, the whole point of creating the EU was to promote cooperation and cut down on the nationalism and separatist attitudes that lead to conflicts like that. Reply Parent Thread Link I mean, yeah, nationalism played a role. So did imperialism and the conflicts in the colonies. There were a lot of bilateral wars leading up to WWI and the system of alliances that was in place lead to automatisms. tbh today's situation doesn't remind me of it at all and I'm always irritated when people act like WWIII is knocking on the door. Reply Parent Thread Link i've been watching this shitstorm go down and omg uk are you ok? how far will you sink in the following months? Reply Thread Link I feel like we're not long for this world :( Reply Parent Thread Link we're not ok please send help Reply Parent Thread Link Lots of hugs from Belgium <3 Reply Parent Thread Expand Link We've fallen and we can't get up Reply Parent Thread Link I think we need a "god help us" tag, and I dont even live there Reply Thread Link U.K serving global secondhand embarrassment and cringe Reply Parent Thread Link ikr I feel so bad for British people and I'm not even one :/ Reply Parent Thread Link /in all seriousness jfc. Between this and Theresa Mayfucking yikes. Save us, BoJo./in all seriousness jfc. Between this and Theresa Mayfucking yikes. Reply Thread Link she's great, imo. A german friend of mine described her as running the country 'like you run a maths classroom' - everyone has their job, and things just progress as they need to. Obv i dont live there so i could be wrong but she seems very moderate which is probably exactly what germany needs Reply Parent Thread Link I remember this. He's such a fucking lump. Reply Parent Thread Link This year is a novel-sized Onion article Reply Thread Link LOL I swear The Onion is turning into more real and honest paper than most "serious" ones. Reply Parent Thread Link yes it is Reply Parent Thread Link That is a hilarious yet perfect description. How is this even real life? Reply Parent Thread Link LMAO @ Cher's triple balls emoji usage. The audacity to name someone who proudly stood for xenophobia as the foreign secretary. This has to be an elaborate joke. Edited at 2016-07-14 01:49 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link is this a fucking joke??? is britain playing a month long prank on itself and everyone else? waht is next, farage as immigration minister? Reply Thread Link dont let them hear you Reply Parent Thread Link tbh at this point, i'd be more surprised if that isn't the next news to come out of that sinking ship of a country Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Delete this comment sis! They will see this and decide that since the Magic 8 Ball told them to fuck off, they should troll for suggestions on ONTD. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Ambassador to the US. He'll be making important connections at the GOP convention. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Dear god. I laughed at the thought, but it was mainly to keep the fear at bay. Reply Parent Thread Link Omg what have you put into the world, take that back!!! Reply Parent Thread Link I can't even. Also, poor Palmerston the Foreign Office Cat. Reply Thread Link Laugh it up Americans, just wait 'til President Trump announces his cabinet! Reply Thread Link I hope his cabinet is all Celebrity Apprentice cast members. La Toya Jackson for Secretary of State! Reply Parent Thread Link If La Toya was sos we wouldnt be in Iraq , she would find the truth insert LaToya magnifying glass gif Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Edited at 2016-07-14 02:33 am (UTC) teresa for secretary of defense! Reply Parent Thread Link I'm really surprised I haven't seen "Don't make the same mistake the UK did" signs. Reply Parent Thread Link He won't be. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I appreciate this comment because it gave me the kick in the ass I needed to register for an absentee ballot. Reply Parent Thread Link "sorry world" i love boris' neighbour. what the hell is that may person thinking??? surely there is someone more capable than boris to do the job. like a rubbish bin. or my belly button lint. Reply Thread Link He's most probably playing a long game - offered to drop out of the leadership running (he was favourite to be new PM) in exchange for this position. If he came in now he would be stuck with the difficult task of carrying out Brexit and probably be out after one term. Instead, it puts him in a position of part leadership at the forefront of cabinet, but allows him to not get bogged down in difficult domestic issues that wear away at a sitting government's favorable rating. He can play a populist role of putting the "UK first" on a global scale and building his personal popularity. When May wears all of her political capital thin doing the hard yards of carrying out Brexit, he can swoop on into the Prime Ministership with the ability to be there long term. Reply Parent Thread Link Oh god i hate when evil people are actually smart. Reply Parent Thread Link fuuuuuuuuuuck :( Reply Parent Thread Link Pretty sure she did a deal with him so he wouldn't run, this is actually pretty good for her because it means he won't be in England to be a threat to her leadership, she essentially sending him off so she doesn't have to deal with him causing issues. It just sucks for how Britain will be presented to the rest of the world :/ Reply Parent Thread Link First Theresa May and now this... Reply Thread Link I don't want to hear ANY Brit talk shit about American politics again after this. President Trump with Vice President Omarosa or whoever is still 100x better than whatever you guys got going on. Reply Thread Link She'll be 35 just in time for the election, so that is a possibility. I think, though, if she truly wanted to go into politics, she'd be smart enough to not attach herself to this mess of a campaign. Even if he doesn't lose in a huge landslide like it's looking now, people are not going to look back fondly at Trump or anyone associated with his campaign years from now. Reply Parent Thread Link No..it'll be Mike Pence, Newt, or Chris Christie Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i fucking hate ivanka trump and her shady ass husband. i agree she is more subtle with her fuckery but she does the same shit as her father including shamelessly putting her name on shit products. she converted to judaism but doesn't check her own father's anti-semitism when she has jewish children and a jewish husband. and her husband had to have his father buy his way into harvard with a 3 million dollar donation. and i'll never understand how she was a model, she's basic as hell Reply Parent Thread Link trump and may are equal levels of evil/useless. With them combined, we are heading for WW3 Reply Parent Thread Link I mean...I wouldn't call a President Trump sitch better by any means but we'd definitely be two cars within the same train wreck. Reply Parent Thread Link I don't think even a President Trump could beat UK's stupidity at this point. Reply Thread Link i wish this were true Reply Parent Thread Link What is it with the platinum mops and people full of bad decisions and rotting brains? Reply Thread Link omg this world we live in... Reply Thread Link uhhhhh Reply Thread Link for appropriating french culture orrr? Reply Parent Thread Link some people think that french braids are appropriate black people's hairstyles Reply Parent Thread Expand Link the girl that looks like moaning myrtle?? that post fucking kills me, it's so dumb. lmao Reply Parent Thread Link girl... let's tackle Taco Tuesday first Reply Thread Link Let's dismantle the system. Down with french fries! Reply Parent Thread Link Soul kissing! Reply Parent Thread Link No pizza for anyone who isn't Italian! I mean it, don't make me smack that pie out of your hands. The U.S.'s general public consists of a mixture of many cultures, this appropriation BS is going to be a problem for everyone. What angry, idiotic fool thought this up? Reply Parent Thread Link The Oberlin students I know make my bleeding liberal heart look like Trump in comparison sometimes. Reply Parent Thread Link This truth right here. Reply Parent Thread Link ikr??? talk about extreme... Reply Parent Thread Link Agreed but have you met any Hampshire College students? I believe this is the school that doesn't believe in grades/GPAs. It's in western Massachusetts and I believe it was started in the 70s as an "alternative education experience". My friend's ex went there and he literally can't form opinions, but perhaps it was from enormous amounts of pot. Reply Parent Thread Link lol M F T E! Reply Parent Thread Link But they don't have international students that have said food as their normal food? When I was in college there was a special area in the cafeteria for Asian students. Reply Thread Link Ikr lol guilty white people I guess Reply Parent Thread Link my uni dining hall has indian/halal food offered as well as sushi - it's in a very diverse area and has a lot of asian exchange students (we also have a korean campus so) Reply Parent Thread Link My old school has kosher/halal food so this is type dumb tbh. I wish I could walk to the cafeteria and find some decent rice & beans and stewed chicken shittttt Reply Parent Thread Link I miss my old uni just for their cafeteria. The Asian food was made by actual Asian students, same with Mexican. The whole food was really good/I'm a fatass, I know :( Reply Parent Thread Link I have a friend who goes there -- he's Chinese and he has to go to the shitty Chinese restaurants in the town oberlin is in to get anything that remotely resembles what he wants to eat. :( Reply Parent Thread Link I went to a smaller school, and the only Asians I remember were the Chinese exchange students. The vast majority of the students were white and often I think all the students in my classes were white (and my only non-white professor was American Indian). I checked with college data and currently at the school I went to the demographics are still primary white students (1.4% Asian, 8% black, 78% white). Even in the town surrounding the school the Asian population is like 1.2%, but the black population is higher (around 23% or so). My senior year they did start selling sushi prepackaged outside the dining hall, but I don't like sushi and never purchased any. Edited at 2016-07-14 04:34 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link A special area? Reply Parent Thread Link she would waste time on this instead of real cultural appropriation Reply Thread Link ^ Right? are the people at this dining hall white folks who pretend like they know how to make sushi better than Japanese people who have studied this? or are they just buying it from a Japanese person at the supermarket and shoving it into the display cooler? What if your campus is diverse, you don't serve international food to the people who might like it because it's culturally appropriative? People say that being merciless and unyielding is hurting sj causes but it's shit like what she's doing that hurts it too tbh. There's lots of americanized food that people in it's country of origin wouldn't be able to recognize. Anyone who really cares about SJ knows that happens. Reply Parent Thread Link right?!! she's such a loser Reply Parent Thread Link right, put her as the example image next to white feminism. Reply Parent Thread Link ikr Reply Parent Thread Link how ignorant you are about cultural appropriation Reply Parent Thread Link Also, what white nonsense is this? SJW cliches at their best. Reply Thread Link um Reply Thread Link I bet like 95% of those protesting were white Reply Thread Link Duh lol Reply Parent Thread Link The source article specifically quotes an Asian student. Reply Parent Thread Link Oop Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah I was about to say that it seems like this movement is being led by Vietnamese men and women. Reply Parent Thread Link Always food with this one Reply Thread Link lmao Reply Parent Thread Link ia Reply Parent Thread Link She's basically us, lbr Reply Parent Thread Link Lol Reply Parent Thread Link omfggg Reply Parent Thread Link Oh hey mom Reply Parent Thread Link meanwhile 80% of this community are bigger than she is. bye Reply Parent Thread Link this is so lame, you can drag her without talking about her appearance Reply Parent Thread Expand Link imo, if you think there is cultural appropriation, food is also on the table. We butcher japanese and vietnamese cuisine here. Reply Thread Link except koreans do the exact same thing to western food. every country does this. it's not some uniquely white people thing so stop. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Naw, I always get sushi from a Japanese grocery store in my city and it's delicious tbh Reply Parent Thread Link Kroger actually has bomb sushi. It's because they usually have Asian sushi chefs in the store who make it fresh. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lmao @ all the pressed whites in your thread conflating imperialism + appropriation without acknowledging historicized power dynamics that one user talking about natives appropriating pants and t shirts killed me LOL Reply Parent Thread Link Isn't everything Americanized? I like take out Chinese food but as I understand it it's not what they actually eat in China. The Mexican food tends to be Tex-Mex rather than true Mexican. We call lasagna and spaghetti Italian, but tomatoes are native to the Americas, not Europe. Reply Parent Thread Link Agreed. ONTD is getting their panties in a twist because they don't want to be implicated, but when the California roll exists, its quite obvious. Reply Parent Thread Link I kind of agree - I'm Swiss and once went to a "mexican" restaurant here called Indiana Jones which was decorated with sombreros, cowboy hats, plastic statues of "indians" and other random stuff that Europeans seem to associate with Native Americans, of which there is only one kind of course! I'd say that's a clear example for CA but if, say, the chef was actually Mexican then the food wouldn't be, just the rest of it. It's hard to draw a clear line when something is CA but imo it depends on context and intent. Reply Parent Thread Link College dining hall sushi is a lot of bad things but not cultural appropriation. Reply Thread Link yes it is you would know that if you and most of ontd would do your research Reply Parent Thread Link U.S. shale is the lowest cost option for new oil production and is likely to be more competitive than conventional offshore drilling, according to a new report from Wood Mackenzie. The U.S. shale industry has weathered the oil price downturn, tweaking drilling practices and cutting costs in order to stay in business. A new report from Wood Mackenzie finds that the industry is proving to be resilient and flexible in the face of the worst oil market crisis in three decades. The report concludes that U.S. shale companies have managed to cut costs by as much as 40 percent since 2014. Much of that comes from lower costs from equipment suppliers and oilfield services firms. But it also comes from improved productivity from the average shale well. Instead of drilling anywhere and everywhere, U.S. shale companies are getting better at finding the sweet spots. Intriguingly, the report finds that conventional oil drillers have not had as much success in reducing costs. Non-shale drilling projects only achieved cost reductions on the order of 10 to 12 percent, Wood Mackenzie found. That means that a lot of large oil projects are not economical with oil prices at $60 per barrel. By comparison, the Eagle Ford has an average breakeven price of $48 per barrel for Brent, and the Wolfcamp in the Permian Basin has a breakeven price of just $39 per barrel. In other words, Americas shale industry is now more competitive than places like the North Sea, West Africa or other deepwater drilling areas, places that have seen high levels of interest and investment for a much longer period of time. There are more opportunities to invest in the U.S., and thats where the investment will take place, Simon Flowers of Wood Mackenzie said. Related: EIA Reports 2.5M Barrel Draw To U.S. Crude Oil Inventories Wood Mackenzie found that 60 percent of the oil production that is profitable with oil at $60 per barrel comes in the form of shale production, compared to only 20 percent that is deep water. As a result, the number of megaprojects that have been given final investment decisions has dropped off a cliff recently. Between 2007 and 2013 the global oil industry greenlit 40 large projects per year. But that figure fell to just eight in 2015 as large projects became unviable with oil prices less than half of what they were in 2014. A Wood Mackenzie estimate from earlier this year found that the industry has put off investment decisions on about 68 major projects across the globe, deferring some $380 billion in investment. In short, future investment dollars will increasingly find their way into U.S. shale at the expense of deepwater. This backs up recent data from other outlets, such as Rystad Energy, which a few weeks ago released data showing much greater interest in smaller, short-cycle drilling projects as opposed to the megaprojects of the past. Shale is comparatively lower risk, as giant oil projects require years of investment and billions of dollars while they also tend to suffer from cost overruns and frequent delays. But not all shale drillers are made the same. Low oil prices have forced the default rate for U.S. shale drillers to a record high, according to Fitch Ratings. Fitch says that almost one in three oil producers in the U.S. that used high-risk debt to finance their drilling frenzy have now defaulted on a combined $29 billion in debt. By the end of the year, the defaults could encompass $40 billion in debt. In the five years before oil prices started to crash in 2014, the shale industry took on $500 billion in risky debt, The Houston Chronicle reports. Related: Can OPEC Supply The Tighter Oil Market It Predicts? The result is a major shake out in the industry. The exact tally is a little murky, but at least 130 North American oil and gas companies have declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy since the beginning of 2015, a number that is surely set to rise as oil prices fall back from $50 per barrel. And the outlook for oil prices is not exactly bright. The market has been oversupplied for quite some time, and while supplies have retreated, demand is now suddenly looking not quite as robust as many had thought. Chinese demand continues to show signs of weakness. And as the IEA noted in its latest Oil Market Report, exceptionally high volumes of gasoline sitting in storage is dragging down oil prices. "It doesn't look as though we'll put much of a dent in global (oil) inventories until the second half of 2017," Tim Evans, energy futures specialist at Citigroup, told Reuters in an interview. "The market is making considerable progress relative to the surplus of the past two years, but it's going to take more time to bring inventories back down to more normal levels. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: If youre looking for evidence that this is a great time to be a major oil buyer, look no further than India. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi maybe a friend to the U.S., especially as the two countries share a common threat in the form of an increasingly belligerent China, but the Indian Prime Minister is still happy to display an independent streak when it suits him. That independence is allowing Modi to cut outstanding deals on behalf of India for natural resources projects with a variety of sources around the world. In May for instance, Modi traveled to Tehran to sign a deal with Iran and Afghanistan to develop a port on the Gulf of Oman. India will provide $500 million in financing for the port. While $500 million is a trivial amount of money for a major project in the U.S., in cash-starved Iran, its a major investment. India accounts for almost a third of Irans oil exports in recent months which explains Tehrans interest in currying favor with Modi. India is also cutting deals with the Russians Indian oil company Oil & Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) bought a 15 percent stake in Russias Vankor oil field in a $1.3 billion deal, while 3 other Indian oil firms agreed to buy a ~24 percent stake in the field in June. Russias Rosneft owns the remainder of the field. Indeed, the Indians are reportedly interested in buying a major stake in Rosneft itself as well. All of this activity reflects an important reality oil is crucial to the future of India and India is crucial to the future of oil. For all of the talk about the rise of China, India will be a larger country than China within 5 years, India is growing faster than China, and India has significantly better demographics than China does. Related: Offshores Next Big Headache: Breakable Bolts As a result of these factors, demand for oil is growing faster in India than just about anywhere else. That demand jumped 400,000 barrels a day in 1Q2016 to 4.4M bpd. That was almost a third of the increase in worldwide consumption. Indias car market is growing rapidly and sales are likely to keep moving higher as a larger and larger portion of the populace can afford motorized transportation for the first time. Equally importantly, unlike many other large countries, India has very limited oil and natural gas reserves of its own. The country imports about 75 percent of the petroleum it consumes. That means domestic demand increases all directly draw from international suppliers like OPEC, Russia and U.S. shale producers. India is making moves to explore for more oil, but frankly the country will be lucky to keep domestic production on par with domestic growth as a percentage of total consumption. The broader point here for investors is that India is capitalizing on crude weakness at an opportune moment. India sees the current environment as a great opportunity to secure energy supplies at advantageous prices for the future. Investors might consider following suit. By Michael McDonald of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Iran pumped 3.63 million barrels of crude daily in June, which is the highest since 2011, Platts reports. The cumulative increase since December has been 740,000 bpd. Earlier this week, Iran announced it has regained 80 percent of its pre-sanction market share, exporting some 2 million bpd of its total. OPECs former number-two exporter has left no doubt as to its ambition to make a full return to international crude markets as soon as possible. In May, market data from Reuters showed that Iranian crude oil exports in April reached 2.3 million bpd, exceeding forecasts, while May exports were expected to be around 2.1 million bpdor almost 60 percent higher than a year earlier. In May last year, by way of comparison, Iran was exporting about 1.3 million bpd, according to Reuters. Logistics were one thing that was holding up Iranian exports, with tankers being a key problem and indications that this has been partially resolved. That was in May. Now, Iran is leasing tankers to international companies. An official from the National Iranian Oil Tanker Company, Ali Akbar Akhund Kazami, said on Monday that continuous negotiations are held between NIOTC and various companies though domestic needs remain as top priority. Yesterday, government officials said the long-awaited new Iranian Petroleum Contract has been approved by the governments chief advisory body, the Resistance Economy Headquarters, specially set up to implement President Ali Khameneis reformist views. The new contracts are crucial for an Iranian energy industry seeking to expand following the removal of international sanctions last January. Oil accounts for less than 15 percent of government revenue and around 1.4 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) were exported in 2015. Yet Iran is currently exporting 2.6 million bpd, and Deputy Petroleum Minister for International Affairs and Trading Amir Hossein Zamaninia recently estimated that US$40 billion to US$50 billion of investments would be made in the Iranian oil industry this year. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Preview Canadian swimmers look to continue World Cup success this weekend in Toronto Canada kicked off the FINA World Cup circuit last weekend in Berlin with 10 podium appearances. The national team will be looking to build on that performance this weekend at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. On June 22, Justin Johnson, CEO/founder of scratch-food and sustainability-focused consulting firm Sustainable|Kitchens headquartered in Milwaukee partnered with Wausau native Dan OHearn. The purpose of the partnership is to expand the reach of Sustainable|Kitchens services to the national stage with a particular focus on elevating menus, recipes and training for healthcare and school nutrition. Rather than simply providing investment dollars, OHearn will also play an active role in the growth of the business. Johnson will remain in the role of CEO while OHearns title will be "Director of Strategic Initiatives." "I am excited and honored to have someone with the experience and passion of Mr. OHearn supporting our mission and helping to take us to the next level." said Johnson. Sustainable|Kitchens company objective will continue to be transitioning all segments of foodservice to scratch-cooking systems and ending any reliance on canned, frozen or manufactured convenience foods. Dan OHearn, president and CEO of Celtic Financial with offices in Fond du Lac and Nashville, has over 20 years of experience providing area employers holistic, results driven strategies while propelling Celtic Financial as a market leader. OHearn sees Sustainable|Kitchens as a "true pioneer" and its founder, Justin Johnson, as a "Renaissance man with his finger on the pulse of a rapidly changing industry." Sustainable|Kitchens current client roster includes hospitals, senior homes, restaurant groups and school districts all in Wisconsin. Through the partnership with OHearn, Sustainable|Kitchens will set its sights on servicing prospective clients from across the country. The opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of OnMilwaukee.com, its advertisers or editorial staff. The following is an op-ed from Wauwatosa Support Our Schools (SOS) President Mary Young. Theres a perfect storm heading toward our kids Wisconsin public schools. If nothing is done, the damage will be widespread. For most urban and suburban kids, there may be no shelter to hide. The damage done would be 100 percent man-made by Madison politicians. Let me share three reasons why Im so worried, why you should be too and what we can do about it. 1. State revenue is down way down Wisconsins budget is already underwater. Governor Scott Walker has already delayed $101 million in debt payments. And according to the Wisconsin Budget Project (WBP), state revenue which funds our kids public schools among other priorities is $90 million below projections as of May 2016. Despite low unemployment, the state isnt seeing increased tax revenues. Why? WBP speculates that either the jobs numbers being touted are wrong or "the jobs being added are low-wage and not adding much to income taxes." If we dont have revenue, we cant support our kids K-12 schools. Without correction, the storms floodwaters will deepen our states already-underwater budget. The floodwater looms despite repeated promises from State Representative Dale Kooyenga of Brookfield, who infamously predicted in 2014 that the states tax cuts would beam sunshine on the economy and drive new revenue to fund schools. Those blue skies never came. A year later, in a room filled with concerned public school parents, including me, Mr. Kooyenga again predicted that tax cuts would create plenty of revenue, bring budgets above water and fully-fund our kids K-12 schools. Again, those blue skies didnt come. We nonpartisan suburban public school parents arent ideological advocates for either tax cuts or tax increases. But we do believe in sound budgeting. We do it all the time and we put our kids needs first. If a politician looks parents in the eye and says, "Believe me, there will be blue skies over your childs school," and then deeper darkness arrives twice that politician should apologize and work to right his wrongs. Politicians like Dale Kooyenga will inevitably leave citizens to fight over the life rafts. Theyll say theres not enough resources to help protect all Wisconsinites from the storm. We cant have schools, roads and care for seniors, theyll say. But we have news for the politicians. We parents will not be lured into a false fight with our friends. We will stand together and question politicians who appear unable to manage our states finances and keep our states priorities afloat. 2. Locally elected school boards cant fully-fund their own schools Legislation currently prevents locally-elected school boards from levying enough property tax revenue to adequately support our kids schools. A "revenue cap" set by politicians regulates how much revenue Wisconsins school boards can raise. When the storm hits, budget floodwaters deepen, and our kids schools are cut or closed, surprised parents may turn to their school boards for support. However, these local officials are currently forbidden by the state to offer shelter from the storm. One simple solution would be to raise the revenue cap, enabling locally-elected school boards to raise enough revenue to protect their schools. For so many reasons, it can and it must be done. 3. The expansion of private school vouchers Every dollar we spend on private school vouchers is one dollar that no longer supports our kids public schools. And over the next decade, the state will spend hundreds of millions of dollars on this program that despite 25 years of trying hasnt improved education in Wisconsin by any meaningful measure. One simple solution is for Madison politicians to stop the expansion of private school vouchers until Wisconsins budget isnt underwater. Man-made storm clouds are heading towards our kids schools but the good news is that there are solutions. We need leadership from politicians like Dale Kooyenga if were going to keep our kids public schools safe from the storm. This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source. Operation Gladio (Image by lunaticoutpost.com) Details DMCA Corporate media messaging about the war on Syria is corrupt to an unprecedented level, despite years of sustainable evidence that contradicts the lies. The "West", including U.S.--led NATO, the Persian Gulf Monarchies, and Israel, are waging a proxy war against Syria. ISIS or Daesh is the designated enemy, but it has long been (publicly) acknowledged that the real enemy is President Assad of Syria, not ISIS. All of the invading, un-islamic mercenary terrorists are the West's "strategic assets," including ISIS. Engineered islamophobia is all part of the Western psy- op to demonize all Muslims, to create fear, to create racism, and to create hatred -- vital components for illegal wars of aggression. Empire seeks to replace the democratic, pluralist, progressive government of President Assad with a Wahhabi-inspired, compliant, stooge government. We have witnessed Empire's genocidal handiwork in Iraq, Libya, Ukraine, and beyond -- all part of a neo-con project for global dominance, globalized war, and globalized poverty, but Syria and its allies, including Russia and Iran, have seemingly drawn a red-line with Syria. Empire's unipolar ambitions are being frustrated on Syrian soil. The war is not a "clash of civilizations" as some warmongers might profess; it is a clash of one civilization, Syria's, against Western barbarism. Criminal mainstream messaging, however, has created a state of mass political imbecilization amongst Western media consumers. In a classic case of "reverse-projection", people's engineered perceptions present President Assad and Syrians as the "bad guys", while the invading terrorists are viewed as the "good guys". Repeated messaging of these false narratives, coupled with sophisticated confusion-mongering, continues to weld these lies into the collective political consciousness of Western media consumers. How did the "Establishment" orchestrate such a coup? Ostensibly "neutral" information sources are not neutral at all. So-called "Non-Governmental Organizations" (NGOs), including very governmental sources such as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) the CIA, Mossad etc. as well as oligarch (ie Soros) funded foundations, are all embedded with the terrorists, and these are the sources that are the foundation for corporate/mainstream media (MSM) "news" stories. The White/al Qaeda Helmets, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), and Avaaz are just a few of the many corrupt NGOs lying about the War on Syria. Add to this Qatari -based Al Jazeera, and Western media's modus operandi of trotting out "experts" who have conflicts of interest, but who nevertheless pose as "neutral" sources of information, and we see that the media serves as an agency for imperial war, rather than as an agency for truth and justice. Meanwhile, voices of truth, justice, and peace are suppressed. Writer/Professor Tim Anderson, an expert on the war, and author of The Dirty War on Syria, recently posted these words: "In my country (Australia) we have seen five years of a near monolithic war narrative on Syria, and associated wartime censorship of dissenting views. Although I have probably written more than any other Australian academic on the conflict in Syria, I have been effectively black-listed from the Australian corporate and state media, because what I say does not fit the official line." Not only are the lies enabling the siege of Syria and its peoples, but they are also propelling us blindly towards a possibly cataclysmic nuclear war against Russia and its allies. The stakes are high, and there are ominous forebodings that Washington-based warmongering circles -- namely, the Military Industrial Complex (MIC) -- are intent on provoking the unthinkable -- cataclysmic nuclear warfare. The "Strategic Deterrent Coalition", a non-profit organization, with funding from war-profiteering companies such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Orbita AK, and BAE systems, is one such "circle". It aims to "educate" decision-makers and "build a consensus" in favour of the "pre-emptive"/first strike use of nuclear weapons. The jargon sounds almost benign, but the premise upon which the fear-mongering is based is patently absurd. Prof Michel Chossudovsky explains in " 'The Doomsday Forum': Senior Military, Nuclear Weapons Officials Convene" America's '$1 Trillion Nuclear Weapons Plan'. Take out Russia, Iran and North Korea? " : Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). The last time a major American political party fell completely apart, it did so over the expansion of slavery. The split between the Whig Party's northern and southern factions resulted in the party's dissolution, the ascendance of the Republican Party (the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, was a former Whig), and the Civil War. Between 1854 and 1856 the Whigs faded from the second largest party in Congress to non-existence. The last time a major American party came anywhere close to falling completely apart, the divisive issue was racial segregation. Several southern state Democratic Parties split off to form the States' Rights Democratic Party (the "Dixiecrats"), running Strom Thurmond instead of Harry Truman in the 1948 presidential election, carrying four states and racking up 39 electoral votes. Truman won anyway. The Dixiecrats were more or less an historical footnote by 1952, although a "National States' Rights Party" persisted for awhile. Alabama governor George Wallace appealed to the same constituency in his independent presidential campaigns, and 2008 Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr tried to dog-whistle up a Dixiecrat resurgence. Next week's Republican National Convention in Cleveland may be ground zero for America's next great partisan implosion. The issues involved are both more numerous and more nebulous -- foreign policy, immigration policy, trade policy, gun policy, tax policy, what have you -- than in similar previous episodes. In the past a few of those internal policy disputes could be kicked down the road every four years for the sake of party unity and political victory. This year something's changed. The rise of Donald Trump has brought all of them to a single head in one moment. In addition, the man himself scares the bejabbers out of the party establishment with his garish, faux-populist, medicine show style. For that establishment, the closest thing possible to victory is for Trump to lose, either to revolting delegates in Cleveland or to Hillary Clinton in November. The party can't win the White House with Trump, then go back to being the party of George W. Bush, let alone Ronald Reagan. If Trump wins, the establishment loses and the GOP becomes, more overtly than ever and probably irreversibly, the party of banana republic nationalism. For Trump's supporters, victory looks like " well, like winning with Trump and making the GOP, more overtly than ever and probably irreversibly, the party of banana republic nationalism. That signpost reads "all downhill from here." In this election, the functional equivalent of the 1948 Dixiecrat ticket are the Libertarian Party's nominees, two "moderate Republicans" who will be on the ballot in at least 40-odd states rather than four. But where the Dixiecrats were a menace to the Democratic establishment, Gary Johnson and William Weld may be the Republican establishment's only hope. (Image by Judith Gilles) Details DMCA On October 10, 2015, over 100 Turkish activists were killed by twin explosions at a peace rally in Ankara, the country's capital. Three months later, 10 were killed in a popular tourist area in Istanbul. Then 28 in a military convoy. Then 37 in a public square. Then 4 in Istanbul. Then 11 in Istanbul. Then 45 in Istanbul. Since I started writing this article three days ago, further terror attacks have claimed 22 in Bangladesh , over 250 in Iraq , and 4 in three separate bombings across Saudi Arabia. I could fill a textbook dissecting Turkey's tumultuous past year of terrorist attacks, its longstanding conflict with its Kurdish minority, and its place in the Syrian Civil War and resulting relationship with the Islamic State, but that is not what this article is about. This article is about Istanbul, a city that has persisted through six regimes, two name changes, and over 2,500 years of dynamic history. This article is about why we were all Paris when a terrorist attack killed 130 people, but so many of us are not willing to be Istanbul (or Dhaka or Baghdad or Medina). I was born at the tail end of 1995. I vaguely remember learning that our President was a man named Bill Clinton, but I do not remember anything significant about the political world until it was redefined on September 11, 2001. Since then, it feels like one of the only constants in my life has been, unfortunately, instability in the Middle East. I know now that the roots of radicalism in the Middle East extend even further back and that US and Western intervention has fanned the flames for many decades, but what I and many others tend to forget is that these places are more than war zones on our TV screens, that life goes on everywhere. In studying international affairs and being constantly surrounded by white Americans studying international affairs, I have noticed that even among the highly educated, misperceptions of the third world are widespread and pervasive. Vast, transcontinental differences in language and culture are painted over when we discuss the Muslim world as a monolithic entity. The media's use of terms like "radical Islamic terrorism" conflate the political and the religious, the Arab world and the Muslim world, which are overlapping but definitely not identical geographic spheres. More importantly, neither is what it seems. I understand why it was so easy for Americans to "be" Paris--Paris is a city just like our cities, a city many of us have been to, and the Parisians who lost their lives attending a rock concert on a Friday night were no different than any of us or our friends. In the days following the tragic attack last November, millions of people around the world expressed solidarity through hashtags like #PrayForParis and #JeSuisParis. Landmarks on every continent lit up with the colors of the French flag, including the White House, the Sydney Opera House, Burj al-Khalifa, Christ the Redeemer, and dozens more. Our collective shock and sympathy for Paris is not the problem; in fact, it should be the norm. The problem is that our shock and sympathy seem to have a geographic boundary. Decades of war and violence combined with xenophobic and Islamophobic propaganda advanced by politicians and the media have dehumanized innocent people and made it difficult for Americans to connect with suffering in many parts of the world. We fail to understand the fundamental truth that makes our hearts ache for Paris: we are no different from them. We are so used to hearing about places like Iraq in the context of violent extremism that when we hear about suicide bombings in marketplaces and mosques, we do not register these events as unusual. To widen the divide between us and our fellow human beings even further, politicians and the media equate the actions of an extreme minority with the beliefs of over a billion people in a way that numbs us to the nuances between Muslim nations. Turkey is a developed, secular democracy. Istanbul's Ataturk Airport is the third busiest in Europe and the eleventh busiest in the world. Thousands of flights between the US and Asia stop in Istanbul every day. Those who went to the airport on June 28th did not intend to make a statement or become martyrs; all they did was go to the airport. Dhaka, Bangladesh, with its infuriating traffic, is more similar to New York than it is different. Medina is a historic and holy city just like Jerusalem. And Baghdad, despite decades of conflict and negative media coverage, used to be known as the city of peace. There is no doubt that our collective distance from the Middle East and its citizens make it easy for us to allow war to go on with US-made weapons, US drones, and even US soldiers on the ground. When they are not our friends and neighbors, we are not invested in their lives, but I am telling you this is not how it has to be. We can stop the cycle by challenging our politicians and our own prejudices. We can learn how to combat Islamophobia in our day-to-day lives, lift up the voices of Muslim artists and activists, and cultivate a culture of peace and understanding. We should not need to share a culture, skin color, religion, or system of government with another human being to mourn their loss. All people suffer at the hands of endless war, as do our planet and our sense of common humanity, and all people deserve peace. A dubious website, the SITE Intelligence Group, has quoted Hamza bin Laden, a son of Osama Bin Laden, as threatening revenge against the U.S. for assassinating his father. The SITE Intelligence Group referred to an audio message of Hamza posted online where he said: "We will continue striking you and targeting you in your country and abroad in response to your oppression of the people of Palestine, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and the rest of the Muslim lands that did not survive your oppression. "As for the revenge by the Islamic nation for Sheikh Osama, may Allah have mercy on him, it is not revenge for Osama the person but it is revenge for those who defended Islam. What is SITE Intelligence Group? According to Wikipedia, Bethesda, Maryland-based SITE Intelligence Group was known as the Search for International Terrorist Entities (SITE) Institute from 2002 to 2008. SITE is led by the Israeli analyst Rita Katz. Her group relies on government contracts and corporate clients and she is among the most controversial of the cyberspace monitors. While some experts praise her research as solid, some of her targets view her as a vigilante. Several Islamic groups and charities, for example, sued for defamation after she claimed they were terrorist fronts, even though they were not charged with a crime, the New York Times reported on September 23, 2004. On 30 May 2008, The Daily Telegraph published an article reporting that SITE had wrongly identified footage from the post-apocalyptic computer game Fallout 3 as being created by terrorists considering a nuclear attack against the West. According to the official website of the SITE Intelligence Group, Rita Katz is the Executive Director and founder of the SITE Intelligence Group, a non-governmental counterterrorism organization. Katz has testified before Congress and in terrorism trials, and had personally briefed government officials at the White House, as well as investigators in the Departments of Justice, Treasury, and Homeland Security. Born in Iraq and a graduate of Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University, Katz is fluent in Arabic. This is not the first time the SITE Intelligence Group has released Hamza's statement. On August 16, 2015 the group referred to Hamza's video message where he called for lone wolf attacks in the US and in countries that are its allies. Al-Qaeda hopes to renew its popularity by "reviving the brand" of Bin Laden, SITE Group's Executive Director Rita Katz said. Hamza, now in his mid-twenties, was at his father's side in Afghanistan before the 9/11 attacks and spent time with him in Pakistan after the U.S.-led invasion pushed much of al Qaeda's senior leadership there, according to the Brookings Institution. "Hamza provides a new face for al Qaeda, one that directly connects to the group's founder. He is an articulate and dangerous enemy," says Bruce Riedel of Brookings. Osama bin Laden had 23 children. Hamza is the youngest son of Osama and Khairiah Sabar. His mother and two other wives were living at the Abbottabad compound when US forces launched "Operation Geronimo" in which Osama Bin Laden was allegedly killed. Hamza, believed to be in his mid-20s, was not at the residence at the time. Was Osama Bin Laden really buried at sea? Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Reprinted from WSWS Bernie Sanders ended his presidential campaign Tuesday, not with a bang but a whimper. The Vermont senator formally endorsed his rival in an undignified prostration before the Democratic Party establishment and Wall Street's favored presidential candidate, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The unity rally featuring Sanders and Clinton in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, had all the spontaneity and enthusiasm of a going-out-of-business sale. The funereal atmosphere was perhaps fitting, because with the demise of the Sanders campaign, the Democratic Party has demonstrated, for the thousandth time, its historical role as the graveyard of progressive movements and efforts to achieve reform through the capitalist two-party system. The Sanders campaign has provided a major lesson in politics to millions of young people and workers who rallied to support the Vermont senator because he called himself a "democratic socialist" and because he denounced Wall Street and the domination of US politics by "millionaires and billionaires." The mass support for a self-proclaimed socialist shocked the US ruling elite, the Democratic Party establishment, and, no doubt, Sanders himself. It demonstrated that, despite decades of incessant media propaganda against socialism and communism, the experiences of masses of working people and youth are driving them to the left. This was particularly true among the younger generation. Sanders won by huge margins -- 70, 80, even 90 percent -- among primary and caucus voters under 30 years of age. More than 1.5 million people attended his rallies, with college students and youth of college age predominating. The Sanders campaign did not create the broad radicalization demonstrated in these figures. The Vermont senator's bid for the Democratic Party nomination rather served to uncover what was already developing, the product of decades of deepening economic inequality, ceaseless war, attacks on democratic rights and the growing realization that the profit system is leading mankind toward catastrophe. Once the Democratic primary campaign was fully engaged, however, Sanders' political task -- in the eyes of the US ruling elite -- became clear. It was his responsibility to put the genie back into the bottle. He had to deliver his millions of supporters, particularly the youth, to the candidate chosen by the Democratic Party establishment. In the beginning was the end. From the start of his campaign, Sanders understood the role assigned to him. He abandoned his longstanding pretense to being a political "independent," and pledged to remain within the framework of the Democratic Party regardless of the outcome of the contest for the nomination. Throughout the Sanders campaign, the Socialist Equality Party has welcomed the broad shift to the left that it revealed in the thinking of millions of working people and youth, while warning that the Vermont senator would inevitably disappoint his supporters. We drew attention to two key aspects of the Sanders campaign: his silence on foreign policy and the growing danger of war, and his refusal to criticize the Obama administration for bailing out Wall Street and spearheading the corporate attack on the jobs and living standards of working people, beginning with the 50 percent wage cut imposed on new hires in the auto industry at the insistence of the White House. Tuesday's "unity" rally with Hillary Clinton demonstrated both these tendencies. Sanders spoke for 30 minutes without ever mentioning foreign policy, only days after Obama announced an extension of the US military intervention in Afghanistan and approved the dispatch of another 560 US troops to Iraq. In his tribute to Clinton, Sanders never referred to her four-year tenure as secretary of state, where she was consistently the most hawkish member of the Obama cabinet, instigating the US-NATO war with Libya and advocating even greater US intervention in the Syrian civil war. As for the Democratic Party's domestic record, Sanders praised Obama's actions during the 2008-2009 Wall Street crash. "I thank President Obama and Vice President Biden for their leadership in pulling us out of that terrible recession," he said, although Obama and Biden saved the bankers and billionaires at the expense of the working class. Similarly, Sanders hailed Clinton's agreement on several minor and meaningless changes in the Democratic Party platform, on health care, student debt and the minimum wage, claiming that the result was "the most progressive platform in the history of the Democratic Party." Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). by Sen. Doug Whitsett The Paris Agreement on Climate Change (Agreement) is being hailed by its proponents as a huge step forward in reducing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and saving the environment. However, further review of what the Agreement will actually accomplish raises several questions about its effectiveness, true costs and impacts on energy availability, grid reliability and the average citizens standard of living. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) director Gina McCarthy called the Agreement an incredible achievement during recent testimony before the Congressional House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. But in response to direct questioning by committee members, she was unable to even estimate its potential cost and repeatedly failed to explain how much its implementation would delay any increase in global temperature. A joint statement on the Paris Agreement was issued by the presidents of Canada, Mexico and the United States following their recent meeting in Ottawa. They declared in the statement that the Agreement was a turning point for our planet. North America has the capacity, resources and the moral imperative to show strong leadership building on the Paris Agreement and promoting its early entry into force, they stated. However, their collective statement also failed to address either how effective the Agreements implementation would be in reducing global warming, or its potential cost to working people, businesses, industries and families in their three nations. Bjorn Lomborg, a former Greenpeace activist, actually did answer questions regarding cost and efficacy in a peer-reviewed article that was recently published in Global Policy Journal. Dr. Lomborgs research reveals enormous costs with little, if any, benefit to either the planet or its people: Even if every nation fulfilled every Paris Agreement promise by the year 2030, the total global temperature reduction would be less than one-tenth of one degree Fahrenheit by 2100. Even if every nation would extend that commitment for another 70 years, the entirety of the Paris promises would reduce temperature rises by only three-tenths of one degree F. by 2100. Even if U.S. climate policies were fully achieved by 2030, and continued until the end of the century, global temperature rise will decrease by less than six one-hundredths (0.06) of one degree F. Even if China climate policies were fully completed and continued throughout the century, global temperature rise would be decreased by less than five one-hundredth (0.05) of one degree F. by 2100. Lomborgs graph depicts the miniscule effects if every signatory nation on Earth complied with every feature of the Paris Agreement by 2030 and continued to adhere to those policies until the end of the century: In short, Lomborg alleges the Agreement will fail because it makes promises that are individually expensive, will have little impact even in a hundred years and that many governments will try to shirk. In other words, it will cost a fortune while producing virtually no measurable change in either global climate or temperature. Meanwhile, China has been putting a new coal-fired electricity generating plant on line every seven to ten days and has immediate plans to construct more than 150 new coal-fired plants. Japan also has 47 more coal fired plants in the pipeline. In the U.S., the EPA adopted administrative rules in August of 2015 attempting to enforce its Clean Power Plan by bureaucratic fiat. The agency plans to invoke provisions of the 1970 Clean Air Act that the Agency construes to authorize the forced replacement of coal-fired generation with non-fossil fuel sources such as wind, solar, nuclear, geothermal and other renewables. Its aim appeared to be to virtually eliminate the generation of coal-fired electricity in the U.S. The Plan specifically deters the shift to the use of our abundant and inexpensive supply of natural gas. The purposeful obstruction of the market-driven change to natural gas generating is particularly troubling because it is the increasing use of natural gas that is primarily responsible for the reduction of the U.S. share of global GHG emissions to late 1990s levels. In a stinging rebuke to the Obama administration, the United States Supreme Court placed a hold on the Clean Power Plan earlier this year. It was one of the final official acts of longtime Justice Antonin Scalia, as he passed away days after that decision was issued. The February 7, 2016 stay suggests the Court does not believe the Clean Air Act authorizes the regulatory activities that EPA included in its rulemaking. That stay will remain in place until an Appellate Court rules on its merits. The Supreme Court may subsequently either rehear the case or allow the lower court ruling to stand. The hold is likely to remain in effect for at least 18 months or longer, depending upon how quickly the appellate process proceeds. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court stay does not affect Oregons first-in-the-nation Coal to Clean law enacted during the 2016 session. House Bill 4036 virtually doubles the States Renewable Portfolio Standard, prohibits coal-fired generation within the State and phases out the Oregon use of electricity generated from out-of-state coal fired plants. The Oregon Public Utility Commission pointed out the law will result in little, if any, overall reduction in GHG emissions. The only coal-fired plant in Oregon, the Boardman facility, is already scheduled to be closed. Coal-fired plants located in other states, currently supplying electricity to Oregon, will continue to operate into the foreseeable future. Those plants will not cease to operate, will not stop using coal and will not reduce their GHG emissions as a result of Oregons Coal to Clean law, despite its proponents constant claims to the contrary. Although the scheme will serve to help meet Oregons GHG reduction goals, neither regional nor global GHG emissions will be measurable reduced. The costs to Oregon households and businesses will be enormous. It is worth noting that Oregon currently produces only about four ten-thousandths of one percent (0.04 percent) of global GHG emissions. That represents an unmeasurable one part in 2,500, and does not count the emissions from catastrophic wildfires that seem to burn every summer in our rural, unmanaged government-owned forests. Most informed proponents of Clean to Coal understand even the complete depopulation of Oregon would not result in a measurable change in global GHG emissions. However, they assert that Oregons first-in-the-nation leadership in GHG emissions is worth the certain impending cost and anti-business effects. In his aforementioned article, Lomborg explains that subsidizing inefficient renewables is expensive and doesnt work. The International Energy Agency estimates that we get 0.4 percent of our energy from wind and photovoltaic solar right now, and even in optimistic scenarios the fraction will only rise to 2.2 percent by 2040. Over the next 25 years, well spend about $2.5 trillion in subsidies and reduce global warming temperatures by less than 0.02C. According to the Oregon Department of Energy, solar renewables currently provide only 0.17 percent of Oregons electric generating capacity. This is despite the massive public subsidies given to so-called green energy companies by our state government over the last decade. Lomborg further explains how countries are on the wrong track in their efforts to reduce GHG emissions. Instead of trying to make fossil fuels so expensive that no one wants them which will never work we should make green energy so cheap everybody will shift to it, he wrote. At the Copenhagen Consensus on Climate, 27 of the worlds top climate economists and three Nobel Laureates agreed the smartest, long-term climate policy is to invest in green research and development to push down the price of renewable energy. The Global Apollo Program also recognizes that this approach is less expensive and much more likely to succeed. Until those renewable energy sources become economically feasible, the continued shift to natural gas for generation of electricity and transportation fuels is our best bet to reduce GHG emissions. It is both abundant and cheap. Effective technologies for its use are already in place. Most important, little or no government interference or subsidies will be required. The change will be market-driven because, in most situations, the change to natural gas will actually reduce the consumer cost of energy. Our leaders will soon have to decide what kind of energy future they want for this state. Deliberately using the heavy hand of government to create artificial scarcity, where there is currently abundance, will result in further struggle for middle and lower-class Oregonians far into the future. Attempts to transform the market through regulation and subsidies have failed by most objective measures and have largely only served to divert limited public funds and resources away from critical areas like law enforcement and education. In contrast, we already have the ability to reduce GHG emissions through voluntary means that will better serve consumers and businesses alike. Hopefully, common sense will prevail over ideology and enable us all to keep the lights on and our homes adequately heated. Because as history shows, having the government pick winners and losers ultimately creates more losers than winners, and will cost all of us dearly. Senator Doug Whitsett is the Republican state senator representing Senate District 28 Klamath Falls As Colleen Chien and Michael Risch recently wrote for the Washington Post, [t]he staggering concentration of patent cases in just a few federal district courts is bad for the patent system.[1] It is imperative that Congress address patent venue reform to return basic fairness, rationality, and balance to patent law. Specifically, venue reform that treats plaintiffs and defendants equally by requiring a substantive connection to the venue on the part of at least one party is critical to ensure fairness and uniformity in patent law. As a result of current venue rules, though there are 94 federal judicial districts, a single district is home to nearly half of all patent cases. Of the 5,819 patent cases filed in 2015, nearly half 2,541 caseswere filed in the Eastern District of Texas,[2] and 95% of those cases were filed by non-practicing entities (NPEs).[3] And the Eastern District of Texass percentage of patent cases has been steadily increasing over the last several years, rising from 11% in 2008 to 44% in 2015.4 By comparison, the Northern District of California, home of Silicon Valley, saw only 228 patent cases filed in 2015.[4] A single judge in the Eastern District of Texas had 1,686 patent cases filed assigned to his docket in 2015in other words, a single judge handled two-thirds of the patent cases in that district, and nearly one-third of all patent cases nationwide. If all of those cases were to go to trial, that single judge would have to complete 4 to 5 trials every day of the year (including weekends)not counting any time for motions or other hearings. The burden of this overwhelming number of cases leads, unsurprisingly, to a high reversal rate on appeal. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed only 39% of the decisions from the Eastern District in 2015.[5] One reason for the disproportionate number of patent filings in the Eastern District of Texas is that the district employs procedural rules and practices that attract plaintiffs, including by delaying or denying the ability of defendants to obtain summary judgment to terminate meritless cases early.[6] For example, the district requires parties seeking summary judgment in patent cases to first seek permission before filing any summary judgment motion, the effect of which is to delay and deter early resolution of cases.[7] While parties can seek transfer out of the district, some NPEs have opened offices in the district simply for the purpose of bolstering their arguments to stay in their preferred venue. The average grant of transfer in this venue took over a year (490 days), and the average denial of a transfer motion took 340 days, meaning that even cases that are ultimately transferred remain pending in the district for nearly a year.[8] Local discovery rules permit discovery to go forward even while a motion for transfer is pending, so even successfully moving to transfer only partially relieves the expense of litigating in a distant venue and the burden on the court. The disproportionate number of patent plaintiffsand NPEs in particularbringing cases in a single venue ultimately results in wasted judicial resources, as more of those cases are overturned on appeal. For accused infringers, the costs of innovation are increased when they have little or no connection to the venue and are forced to litigate from a distance. The harm caused by abuse of the system and the resulting loss of trust in the uniformity and justness of the U.S. patent law system is unmeasurable. This type of dynamic is bad for patent law, and bad for United States innovation. It is thus critical that Congress act now to pass targeted patent venue reform. [Read the PDF Letter] = = = = = [1] Colleen Chien and Michael Risch, A Patent Reform We Can All Agree On, Wash. Post, (June 3, 2016, 3:07pm). [2] Data from Lex Machina (analysis as of June 7, 2016). [3] Joe Mullin, Trolls made 2015 one of the biggest years ever for patent lawsuits, arstechnica (Jan. 5, 2015). DocketNavigator Analytics, New Patent Cases Report, (report run June 2, 2016). [4] Lex Machina, Patent Litigation Year in Review 2015, at 5 (Mar. 2016). [5] Ryan Davis, EDTX Judges Love of Patent Trials Fuels High Reversal Rate, Law360.com (Mar. 8, 2016). [6] Daniel Klerman and Greg Reilly, Forum Selling, 89 S. Cal. L. Rev. 241, 252-53 (Jan. 2016) (Eastern District judges are particularly hostile to summary judgment in patent cases. Patent litigators, but not other litigants, are required to seek permission before filing summary judgment motions . . . and are prohibited from moving for summary judgment if permission is denied.) [7] See, e.g., Judge Rodney Gilstrap, Sample Docket Control OrderPatent. [8] Lex Machina, Patent Litigation Year in Review 2015, 10 (Mar. 2016). The woman who is in police custody for allegedly selling human meat has informed the police that she was directed to engage in the trade by her spiritual pastor. Greater Accra regional Police Commander, ASP Afia Tenge said on Adom FMs Morning Show, Dwaso Nsem Thursday that 60-year-old Florence Appiah said she was instructed to sell meat to make a living by her spiritual Pastor. She said she bought her meat at Makola and was coming to sell at Adabraka market but she was new in the marketshe said selling the meat was a direction from her Spiritual Pastor and that it was a cow meat she had bought from Makola to come and sell at the market, she said. The Adabraka Police in Accra on Wednesday arrested a woman believed to be in her 50s for allegedly selling human meat. The woman, according to the market women, was carrying a tray with some pieces of meat, and was moving strangely in the market. The Police PRO continued that the Adabraka police had to move in swiftly to prevent the mob from lynching her on the suspicion of selling human meat. The police, she said took the woman and the meat to their station but could not immediately tell the kind of meat she was selling from just a look at it. We only know its grilled meat but it is difficult for the police to determine whether it is human meat or otherwise, so we forwarded the said meat to national CID for forensic testing to show if it is human meat or not, she said. She called on the public to remain calm as the forensic report is still yet to come out. Source: Adom News 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 Even single cells are able to remember information if they receive the order from their proteins. Researchers at the University of Basel's Biozentrum have discovered that proteins form pairs to give the signal for storing information in the cell's memory. The results of the study have now been published in Cell Reports. Like our brains, individual cells also have a kind of memory, which enables them to store information. To make this possible, the cells require positive feedback from their proteins. The research group led by Prof. Attila Becskei at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel in Switzerland has now discovered that the proteins need to form pairs in these feedback loops to store information. Cellular memory works only with protein pairs The feedback by protein pairs works properly under specific conditions: "For dimerization the proteins must be present in the right concentration," says Attila Becskei. If there are too few proteins, no pairs form and the cell does not store information. But when the protein concentration is too high, coupling does not work either. "It's similar to us humans. In large cities, packed with people, dating is difficult. But living alone in the countryside does not make it easier to find a partner. So we also need to be at the right place at the right time," illustrates Becskei. Once the protein pairs are formed they give the cell the signal to store information in its memory. This makes the cell more sensitive to remark environmental stimuli and to respond to these more quickly in the future. Paired protein also essential for cell differentiation The cell not only requires the appropriate feedback from protein pairs in order to remember information but also for cell division and cell differentiation - the development of specialized cells. The understanding of the functioning of such feedback loops can reveal how to erase the cell's memory. This is necessary, for example, for being able to turn a specialized cell, such as a skin cell, back into an unspecialized stem cell. "For cellular reprogramming the cell must first forget that is was a skin cell," says Becskei. "Using mathematical models we have developed, we now want to investigate, which other feedback loops contribute to cellular memory." Explore further Study shows how the protein controls the development of fruit fly wings A federal appeals court delivered a victory to U.S. companies housing customer data overseas, ruling Thursday that prosecutors cannot force Microsoft to reveal content from a customer's email account stored in Ireland. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan overturned a lower court order finding the company in civil contempt for not handing over the data. Microsoft offers storage through its "public cloud," which places data from over 1 billion customers and over 20 million businesses on servers in over 40 countries, the court noted. The appeals court said Congress passed the Stored Communications Act in 1986 to protect user privacy when new technology causes service providers to store electronic communications for customers. It said Congress expressed concern then that technology developments could erode the privacy interest Americans traditionally enjoyed in records and communications. "Neither explicitly nor implicitly does the statute envision the application of its warrant provisions overseas," the appeals court said in a decision written by Judge Susan L. Carney. "We see no reason to believe that Congress intended to jettison the centuries of law requiring the issuance and performance of warrants in specified, domestic locations, or to replace the traditional warrant with a novel instrument of international application." The appeals ruling acknowledged that so-called cloud computing had changed the landscape for storage, letting companies hold customer data in distant lands. "Three decades ago, international boundaries were not so routinely crossed as they are today, when service providers rely on worldwide networks of hardware to satisfy users' 21st-century demands for access and speed and their related, evolving expectations of privacy," the three-judge wrote. The Justice Department said it was disappointed and considering its options. "Lawfully accessing information stored by American providers outside the United States quickly enough to act on evolving criminal or national security threats that impact public safety is crucial to fulfilling our mission to protect citizens and obtain justice for victims of crime," Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft Corp. sees the ruling as a "major victory for the protection of people's privacy rights under their own laws rather than the reach of foreign governments," Brad Smith, its president and chief legal officer, said in a statement. He said it also "helps ensure that the legal protections of the physical world apply in the digital domain." He said people around the world want their personal information protected by the laws of the country in which they live. "We hear from customers around the world that they want the traditional privacy protections they've enjoyed for information stored on paper to remain in place as data moves to the cloud," he said. "Today's decision helps ensure this result." U.S. prosecutors got a warrant for the information in December 2013, saying they believed the account in a Dublin facility opened in 2010 was being used to further narcotics trafficking. The court record doesn't address the citizenship and location of the customer, but Microsoft generally stores data close to users' reported locations. Dozens of businesses and news organizations supported Microsoft's arguments. In one court submission, 29 major U.S. and foreign news and trade organizations said journalists and publishers worldwide rely on email and cloud-storage services provided by Microsoft and others to gather, store and review documents protected by the First Amendment. U.S. prosecutors had argued Microsoft could retrieve information stored overseas from its U.S. offices and that "powerful government interests" override potential negative effects on Microsoft's business. "Microsoft should not be heard to complain that doing so might harm its bottom line," the government argued. Explore further Federal appeals court set to hear Microsoft 'cloud' case 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Forest in Luzon. Forests like this are home to the greatest concentration of unique mammal species in the entire world, but Luzon is heavily deforested. Credit: Larry Heaney, The Field Museum Where is the world's greatest concentration of unique species of mammals? A team of American and Filipino authors have concluded that it is Luzon Island, in the Philippines. Their 15-year project, summarized in a paper published in the scientific journal Frontiers of Biogeography, has shown that out of 56 species of non-flying mammal species that are now known to live on the island, 52 live nowhere else in the world. Of those 56 species, 28 were discovered during the course of the project. Nineteen of the species have been formally described in scientific journals, and nine are currently "in the works." "We started our study on Luzon in 2000 because we knew at the time that most of the native mammal species on the island were unique to the island, and we wanted to understand why that is the case. We did not expect that we would double the number already known," said Lawrence Heaney, the project's leader, who is the Negaunee Curator of Mammals at The Field Museum in Chicago. Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines; at about 40,000 square miles, it's a bit larger than Indiana. According to the authors, Luzon has never been connected to any continental landthe species have been isolated, like the animals that live in Hawaii. But Luzon is much larger and at least five times older than the oldest island in Hawaii, and so has had time for the few species that arrived from the Asian mainland to evolve and diversify greatly. On islands, scientists sometimes see a "sped-up" version of evolutionwhen animals are closed off from the rest of the world, in places where there are few or no predators or competitors, they are able to branch out into special adaptations, eventually forming new species. And not only is the island of Luzon isolated, but it's covered in mountains. The mountaintops form what scientists call "sky islands"little pockets of distinctive habitat that the animals further adapt to. "The animals are isolated high on the scattered mountains, so they inevitably diverge. Given enough time, you begin to see huge biodiversity," explained Heaney. "In the process of trying to understand how that happens, we doubled the number of known species on Luzon." This tree-dwelling mouse, which has whiskers that reach all the way to its ankles, is one of the 28 new species unique to Luzon discovered by Larry Heaney and his team in the course of this study. Credit: Larry Heaney, The Field Museum Among the 28 new species discovered by the team are four species of tiny tree-mice with whiskers so long they reach nearly to their ankles, and five species of mice that look like shrews and feed primarily on earthworms. Most of the new species live in tropical cloud forest high in the mountains, where frequent typhoons can drop four or five meters (12 to 15 feet) of rain per year. "All 28 of the species we discovered during the project are members of two branches on the tree of life that are confined to the Philippines," according to Eric Rickart, a team member who is based at the Natural History Museum of Utah. "There are individual mountains on Luzon that have five species of mammals that live nowhere else. That's more unique species on one mountain than live in any country in continental Europe. The concentration of unique biodiversity in the Philippines is really staggering." Luzon also supports 57 species of bats; most live in the hot, humid lowlands. These include the golden-crowned flying fox, which is one of the heaviest bats in the world at up to two and a half pounds. Another, the lesser flat-headed bat, is so tiny that it can roost inside the hollow spaces inside bamboo stems. Cloud rats like these are just some of the 93 percent of Luzon land mammals that are found nowhere else in the world. The cloud rats in this image were drawn with colored pencil by The Field Museum's scientific illustrator Velizar Simeonovski. Credit: Velizar Simeonovski, The Field Museum "We also wanted to learn more about the conservation status of these wonderful animals," said Danny Balete, a Research Associate at the Field Museum who is based in the Philippines. "The Philippines is one of the most heavily deforested countries in the tropics; only about seven percent of the old-growth tropical forest is left. We learned that quite a few of the species are seriously threatened by habitat loss and over-hunting, but none are yet extinct." Luzon has a human population of about 50 million, including about 23 million in greater Manila, the country's capital. "Protecting all of these species from extinction is going to be a big challenge. The good news is that when the native forest is allowed to regenerate, the native mammals move back in, and the pest rats get kicked out." Other co-authors of the paper are based at the University of the Philippines, the University of Minnesota, and Florida State University. Heaney, Balete, and Rickart are also authors of a book about the mammals of Luzon Island, just published by Johns Hopkins University Press, that will be used in the Philippines as a college-level textbook. The team works closely with conservation organizations and the Philippine government, and many of their recommendations regarding expanded and new national parks have been adopted. "Learning about the tremendous diversity of mammal species present on Luzon is crucial to conservation efforts," explained Heaney. "In order to be effective at conserving an environment, we have to know what's out there." Explore further DNA reveals 7 new mice species Provided by Field Museum India's biggest IT sourcing firm Tata Consultancy services reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Thursday, boosted by rising demand for its cloud computing services. The firm, based in India's financial capital Mumbai, said net profit for the three months to June 30 rose to 63.17 billion rupees ($944 million) from 57.09 billion rupees for the same period a year ago. That was above the 60.6 billion-rupee average from a survey of analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg News and marked an increase of over nine percent on-year. "Strong execution and accelerating customer adoption of Cloud, Big Data & Analytics has driven broad-based growth across key markets and industries," TCS chief executive N. Chandrasekaran said in a statement. "Our investments in platforms are gaining significant traction as customers look to boost business agility and enhance their time-to-market advantage to gain a competitive edge." Chandrasekaran told a press conference he remained optimistic about future earnings and said the firm recorded digital revenues at 15.9 percent in the first quarter. TCS added 17,792 new employees during the just-ended quarter. India has become a back office to the world as companies, especially in developed nations, have subcontracted work to firms such as TCS, taking advantage of the country's skilled English-speaking workforce. The flagship industry has made India a top business destination by offering software development and information technology, engineering and design and other services. TCS competitor Infosys is due to release its quarterly results on Friday. Explore further India's TCS profits rise 12 percent despite flood damage 2016 AFP Built by Lockheed Martin, the WorldView-4 satellite will expand DigitalGlobes industry-leading constellation of high-accuracy, high-resolution satellites, and double the availability of 30 cm resolution imagery for commercial and government customers around the globe. Credit: Lockheed Martin Final preparations are underway at Lockheed Martin to ship DigitalGlobe's WorldView-4 earth imaging satellite to Vandenberg Air Force Base for a Sept. 15 launch. The Lockheed Martin team is completing final satellite testing and checkout before shipment. Testing includes calculating the weight and center of gravity of WorldView-4, completing a health check of major systems, and testing out image collection and downlinking capability. "The high resolution and high accuracy images taken by WorldView-4 will support DigitalGlobe's worldwide customer base," said Carl Marchetto, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Commercial Space. "DigitalGlobe's smart imagery serves hundreds of thousands of end-users charged with the safety and security of nations, and enables the maps and geospatial applications relied on by billions of consumers." "Only the DigitalGlobe constellation, with the addition of WorldView-4, offers the highest quality, and most comprehensive global coverage of our changing planet through 2030, so our customers can be confident they will have the information to make critical decisions," said Dr. Walter Scott, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, DigitalGlobe. "WorldView-4 will help us continue to transform the way we see the world, and advance our mission of keeping our planet and its people safe and secure." Once launched, WorldView-4 will double DigitalGlobe's coverage of the world's highest resolution imagery and increase the rate at which it grows its 15-year library of time-lapse high-resolution imagery. WorldView-4 will orbit Earth every 90 minutes, traveling 17,000 miles per hour and capturing more 680,000 square kilometers of the Earth's surface daily (19.5 terabytes) the equivalent of the land area of Texas. With an orbit approximately 400 miles from Earth, the satellite will be launched aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket provided by Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services. Explore further High-res photo satellite launched from California Salk researchers and collaborators provide new benchmark for generating the most primitive type of stem cell. Visualized above is a naive human ESC line (WIN1, pictured left) and, for comparison, a primed human ESC line (WIBR3). Both of these lines were used in the study. Credit: Salk Institute Whitehead Institute scientists have created a checklist that defines the "naive" state of cultured human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Such cells can mature into almost any cell type and more closely resemble the unique molecular features of pluripotent cells in the early human embryo than conventional ESCs in later stages of development. Although scientists have been very interested in working with naive stem cells, they have lacked a common definition of what makes a cell truly naive. "In our opinion, most of the published protocols to generate so-called naive stem cells are not convincing because they produce cells that very much like the starting cellsthere's not much difference in gene expression," says Whitehead Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch, who is also a professor of biology at MIT. "The naive ESC state that we have defined is, based on gene expression, DNA methylation and X chromosome inactivation, very close to that of the human cleavage stage embryo." For years, most ESC research focused on mouse cells because they are readily available and survive well in the lab, whereas human ESCs have been difficult to obtain and culture. However, mouse and human ESCs fundamentally differ in appearance and gene expression, and the numerous tools used to study mouse ESCs do not necessarily translate to human ESCs. Recently, scientists in the lab of Whitehead Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch developed a method to revert and maintain human ESCs in a naive state that closely resembles that of mouse ESCs. Now researchers from the Jaenisch lab, Didier Trono's lab at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, and Joseph Ecker's lab at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have assembled a checklist of characteristics human ESCs must have to be considered naive. Their work is described online in the journal Cell Stem Cell. First, the team used technology developed by the Trono lab to look at the expression of transposable elementsalso known as "jumping genes"whose expression in ESCs is tightly regulated. Because the human genome contains about four million transposable elementssignificantly more than its 25,000 genesthe team compared the transposable element profiles of naive human ESCs to cells from early stage human embryos. They identified significant overlap between the two cell states, whereas the profiles of conventional human ESCs are highly divergent. With a transposable element profile in hand, the team examined the methylation of the ESCs' genomes. By adding and removing methyl groups to their DNA, cells can control gene expression. Scientists from the Ecker lab mapped the methylation of naive ESCs down to individual DNA bases and compared it to early ESCs. Like early stage human embryos, naive ESCs displayed a genome-wide reduction in methylation levels, which is not seen in conventional ESCs. The team then investigated another method for controlling gene expressionX chromosome inactivation. Female human and mouse cells have two copies of the X chromosome, but during development, one copy is turned off to prevent overexpression of the X chromosome's genes. Usually, expression of the Xist gene is associated with one of the X chromosomes' inactivation, but surprisingly, both X chromosomes are active in naive ESCs and early human embryos, despite upregulation of Xist. The final test to assess naive human ESCs' flexibility is implanting them into a mouse in order to form a chimera, which is considered the "gold standard" for demonstrating that mouse ESCs are pluripotent. The team found that naive human ESCs incorporate very inefficiently into mouse embryos. Therefore, the scientists say that this test is not a good criterion to define naive ESCs. Thorold Theunissen, a postdoctoral fellow in the Jaenisch lab and co-first author of the Cell Stem Cell paper, sums up the team's findings this way: "If you compare naive human ESCs to their human embryo counterparts, there is a lot of convergence. If you compare them to mice, there are a lot of differences. But you really shouldn't be comparing them to mice. Otherwise you're just drawing the wrong conclusions." This work was supported by the Simons Foundation (SFLIFE #286977), National Institutes of Health (NIH RO1-CA084198), Swiss National Science Foundation, European Research Council (KRABnKAP, No. 268721), Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF3034), Mary K. Chapman Foundation, a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship (098889/Z/12/Z), a Foundation Bettencourt Award, the Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARC), and a grant from the Fonds de la Recherche en Sante du Quebec. Jaenisch is co-founder of Fate Therapeutics and an adviser to Stemgent. Explore further Scientists identify "naive-like" human stem cell More information: "Molecular Criteria for Defining the Naive Human Pluripotent State" Cell Stem Cell, online July 14, 2016. Journal information: Cell Stem Cell "Molecular Criteria for Defining the Naive Human Pluripotent State", online July 14, 2016. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2016.06.011 For Immediate Release NBC News released an interview with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier today. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has the following statement as a response, attributable to PHR Executive Director Donna McKay: Throughout the interview, President Assad demonstrated that he is a serial liar. He says he is permitted to use any tactics he wants to purportedly fight terrorism. But he knows better. Kidnapping, torturing, and murdering doctors is a war crime. Dropping barrel bombs on civilians is a war crime. Gassing your own people is a war crime. Besieging civilian areas is a war crime. During the interview, Assad calls evidence that we and other organizations have gathered propaganda and part of media campaigns. He denies the use of chemical weapons, despite clear evidence that his forces gassed children to death in 2013. He claims he only targets terrorists, despite our unequivocal evidence that he and his allies have attacked hospitals universally recognized as protected facilities 365 times since the war began. But, perhaps most cruelly, Assad believes that the photos of children starving to death, wasting away in Syrias besieged areas, are fakes that organizations like PHR cant prove they came from besieged areas. And yet we can. Our partners in Madaya, a town of 40,000 people under siege since last year, took those photos. They watched those children become listless, unresponsive, and slip away before their eyes. In the interview, Assad claims that the people in besieged areas cant possibly be starving because theyre still alive. How could they live without food? he asks. To that we say: Mr. Assad, youre right. They cant survive without food. Across Syria, people are dying slow-motion, torturous deaths with the knowledge that just outside the besieged towns beyond the landmines and checkpoints there is food that you are actively withholding as a weapon of war. In a report PHR published just this week, we have clear evidence that in the town of Madaya, 65 people succumbed to malnutrition and starvation in just seven months including at least a dozen children. Starvation is a painful, psychologically devastating way to go. No one deserves such a cruel fate. Intentionally depriving children and families of basic necessities like food and medical aid is a war crime. In fact, its mass murder. While Assad claims he doesnt fear a war crimes trial, we look forward to the day that the overwhelming evidence gathered by PHR and other partners globally will be used to make him pay for his atrocious deeds. 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. Unify for Infusionsoft Automatically Syncs e-Commerce Sales Data to QuickBooks or Xero, Dramatically Increasing Financial Accuracy and Reducing Workload for SMBs SAN FRANCISCO, CA and CHANDLER, AZ(Marketwired July 14, 2016) Webgility today announced a new integrated solution, Unify for Infusionsoft, which empowers small businesses to simplify their e-commerce financial workflows, reduce costs while dramatically reducing bookkeeping time. Unify for Infusionsoft lets businesses automatically download all their e-commerce orders and seamlessly post them to QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, or Xero, saving time and money while significantly increasing financial accuracy. Unify for Infusionsoft automates sales and product data into QuickBooks or Xero on an automatic schedule or on demand, no data entry needed. With this new solution, companies can centralize order data across their Infusionsoft online sales channels and marketplaces, gaining perspective on their entire e-commerce business from one place. Webgilitys Unify for Infusionsoft lets SMBs stay focused on marketing, selling, and growing their businesses all with the peace of mind that comes with knowing their accounting is squared away. Infusionsoft has made a real difference for SMBs looking to streamline their sales and marketing processes, letting them capture more leads, better communicate with customers, and develop loyalty programs with significant ROI, said Parag Mamnani, Founder and CEO of Webgility. We are excited to bring Unify to help Infusionsoft customers automate the financials for their e-commerce business. Webgilitys Unify is the first e-commerce solution that connects and unifies all revenue streams and expenses so multi-channel businesses can have better perspective, make smarter decisions, and run all operations from a single view. Unify allows e-commerce retailers to conquer the challenges that come with being multi-channel and lets them run and scale their businesses exactly the way they want by unifying their business data rather than forcing them to switch platforms. ABOUT INFUSIONSOFT Infusionsoft is leading the small business success movement. Unlike other software providers, Infusionsoft is solely focused on small business and provides one powerful sales and marketing solution. Combining CRM, marketing automation, e-commerce and payments solutions, with a vibrant marketplace of apps, integrations and partners, Infusionsoft helps small businesses scale their sales and marketing and accelerate growth. The privately held, eight-time Inc. 500/5000 company is based in Chandler, Arizona and is funded by Goldman Sachs, Bain Capital Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures and Signal Peak Ventures. For more information, visit www.infusionsoft.com, or the Infusionsoft Blog. ABOUT WEBGILITY Webgility, Inc. is the leading provider of software for multi-channel e-commerce companies, managing millions of transactions for 10,000-plus online stores every month. Webgilitys mission is to empower online retailers to focus on their passion by simplifying operations. Its Unify solution connects all revenue streams, expenses, and business systems so businesses can have better perspective, make smarter decisions, lower costs, and simplify bookkeeping. Webgility is a certified partner of Intuit, QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite, and works with more than 70 e-commerce platforms and SaaS providers (including Amazon, eBay, Bigcommerce, Shopify, and Magento), payment processors (PayPal, Stripe, Shopify Payments, Square), and hosting providers. Founded in 2007, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with an international branch in Indore, India. For more information about Webgility, visit http://www.webgility.com. Other Point of Sale blogs that may interest you: Democratic congressional candidate Mike Derrick said he fully supports a provision of the draft Democratic presidential platform calling for an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour, but he would not commit to increasing it at the federal level. New York has taken a very far-sighted approach in coming in with this moving up incrementally so that everybody can plan for it. And then they have a regional approach to that the wage in New York City is not the same as in Warrensburg, he said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. I fully support the increase in the minimum wage, he continued. Its good to see that now recognized in this party platform. I think this is one of the very good things thats happened in the Democratic Party. In January, Derrick said it would be a little heavy handed for the federal government to increase the minimum wage to $15. Asked if he has changed his position, Derrick said: Right now were very fortunate in New York state that we have a forward-looking state that has done it. Im going to stay focussed on this region. At this point Ive got everything I need to do to get elected in this region and this region is first and foremost. Im very pleased with what New York state has done. Ill just leave it at that. Asked speficially if he supports increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, Derrick said: When I get to Washington I will consider that. At this point, again, Im more focussed on whats going on in this district. Everyone wants to pull me into the presidential debate. Everyone wants to pull me into national issues. Im focussed on winning this election in this region. Derrick is running in the 21st Congressional District against U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, and Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello, a bread company owner and political activist from Hudson Falls. Kevin was the life of the party and loved by so many. He loved to travel to his second home in Orlando and sometimes went to Las Vegas. He was the most generous and kind person you could ever meet. His family was his entire world and was forever changed when his son passed away in 2003. He was a dedicated employee of C.R. Bard. His favorite moments were spent traveling with his daughter, son-in-law, and three grandsons. They frequently visited Boston and just took the boys on their first trip to Disney. He will be missed by all who knew him. QUEENSBURY The lawyer for a Johnsburg man who has been accused of murder and manslaughter in the death of his weeks-old daughter has asked a judge to dismiss the charges against his client, arguing the evidence is insufficient for murder and authorities improperly subpoeaned documents and videorecorded him. The lawyer for Nicholas D. Jones asked Warren County Judge John Hall to toss out the indictment against him, arguing that the murder charge is not supported by the facts, because Jones did not have depraved indifference to human life. He has not been charged with intentionally killing 22-day-old Gabriella Jones. Police said he admitted shaking and throwing her when she awoke early the morning of March 28. Lawyer Tucker Stanclift also claimed in court papers that were filed Friday that authorities recorded Jones and his former counsel in a room at the Warren County Sheriffs Office when they were told they would not be recorded. He also wrote that authorities did not follow proper procedures by sending subpoenas by fax when seeking medical records from those who treated the baby after she was injured and when preparing search warrants for Jones Route 28 home. Stanclift wrote that evidence was obtained illegally, and that should result in dismissal of the indictment. Warren County Sheriff Bud York said no videotaping was conducted without the consent of the parties involved. The depraved indifference issue has been litigated exhaustively in recent years, and appeals courts have generally found that a person who shows care or concern for their victim or tries to help them even after injuring them may not be found to have reached the legal threshold for depraved indifference charges. In requesting dismissal, Stanclift pointed to the 2007 Glens Falls child death case in which mother Alicia Lewie was prosecuted. An appeals court found Lewie did not have depraved indifference and dismissed a reckless endangerment count against her. Her manslaughter conviction was upheld, however. Stanclift said Jones sought help for his daughter after she was hurt. Even if Mr. Jones was found to have acted recklessly as charged, his immediate and appropriate response to the emergency situation shows clearly that he cared whether his daughter lived or died and that he did not possess the rare and utter disregard for her life that is necessary to establish he acted with depraved indifference, Stanclift wrote. He asked that the prosecution be barred from using any evidence gleaned from the recorded meeting. It was unclear what was said during that meeting, and whether it was used against Jones during the grand jury proceeding that resulted in his indictment. Jones and his then-lawyer, Robert Gregor, were told that the room had recording equipment but they would not be recorded. Stanclift said there were some preliminary plea deal discussions in the case, but nothing substantive is likely until after the motion to dismiss is decided. The district attorneys office is seeking a guilty plea to murder, he said. Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan had no comment on the matter Wednesday. If Hall dismissed the indictment on technical grounds, the district attorneys office would likely be able to present it to another grand jury. Jones faces up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted of second-degree murder. He faces up to 25 years on the manslaughter count. Jones is being held in Warren County Jail without bail. No new court date had been set as of Wednesday. 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 The University of Oklahoma Press, a scholarly press renowned for its emphasis on history and biography about the Western U.S., is moving in a new direction, with the publication this month of Lois Lenski: Storycatcher by Bobbie Malone. Lois Lenski is a biography for adults of the prolific childrens book author and illustrator who wrote 52 books between 1927 and 1972, primarily childrens and YA historical and regional fiction, but also her memoirs. The second of her 15 regional novels, Strawberry Girl, about a family working in the fields in rural Florida, won the 1946 Newbery Medal. Lenski also illustrated the popular Betsy Tacy novels by Maud Hart Lovelace. Lois Lenski had a huge impact upon people of a certain age, said Kent Calder, acquisitions editor at the University of Oklahoma Press. Theres a whole group of readers out there in their 60s who remember these books about people in different parts of the country, and were shaped by them. And her illustrations are immediately recognizable so we tried to get as many of them as possible in. The 336-page book contains 36 black-and-white illustrations. She is such an important writer and illustrator, Malone added, And the stories she told are so important: she talked about children who were poor, about things that happened to them that werent always happy. She made a huge impression on me. Malone says that she began reading Lenskis books in fourth or fifth grade, and began collecting them in the 1980s. Lenski died in 1974, a month shy of her 81st birthday. Calder and Malone told PW that they had once been colleagues at the Wisconsin Historical Society: she had been director of the Office of School Services there until her retirement, and he had been the director of the Wisconsin Historical Society Press until he moved to Norman, Okla. to assume his current position. Calder knew, they said, that Malone had been traveling around the country since 2008 and researching Lenskis life in the various collections around the country of Lenskis papers, including what Calder describes as a big chunk of Lenskis papers housed at the University of Oklahoma in its Western History Collection. It is the largest of the 18 collections. Malone called Lenski a challenging subject to research and write about, as she wanted to control how her story was told. The collections at the institutions housing her papers contain both published and unpublished materials, but lack personal letters and other such documents, as she was very private about her personal life and wanted only materials relating to her professional persona preserved. She either destroyed the personal [papers] or didnt put them in the archives, Malone said, disclosing that she was able to peruse family letters and photographs after establishing a relationship with Lenskis family. Malones literary agent, George Nicholson, who was also the agent for the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, had suggested to Malone that she submit her manuscript to a press affiliated with one of the institutions housing Lenskis papers. After Nicholson died in 2015, Calder negotiated directly with Malone to acquire the manuscript. Its one of those happy coincidences, Calder said of his relationship with Malone preceding the acquisition, noting that Lois Lenski is unusual for an academic press with a focus on Western history and biography that publishes only 10% of its list for the trade. The unexpected success of Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Bibliography by Laura Ingalls Wilder, edited by Pamela Smith Hill, however, had an impact on the decision to acquire Lois Lenski. Pioneer Girl was published by South Dakota Historical Society Press in 2014; it has gone back to press eight times, and currently has 165,000 copies in print. Its success in the marketplace caught SDHSP completely by surprise. We cant imagine that happening, Calder said, but if there is a sudden and insatiable demand for Lois Lenski as there was for Pioneer Girl, the press has production systems in place for a quick turn-around. We publish 100 books a year, he added, We have a fully operational production department that can get on top of it. Lois Lenski is being released with a 2,000-copy print run, which is about average for a first printing for the university press. While the publisher has not done anything special before publication to promote it, beyond sending out press packets and ARCs to media, it is sending an ARC to one media outlet that it usually does not bother contacting: O Magazine. Oprah Winfrey is a big Lois Lenski reader, Calder said, disclosing that Winfrey has repeatedly spoken in interviews of her childhood love for Lenskis novels. Were not counting on anything but its possible with Oprah. Lois Lenski: Storycatcher by Bobbie Malone. University of Oklahoma Press, $26.95 July ISBN 978-0-8061-5386-5 Other challenges faced by the farmers include the financial constraints, the use of outmoded technology amongst others. To address such issues President John Dramani Mahama has indicated that his government has decided to set up what they are calling Farmers Service Centers. The government plans to establish the first one by the end of 2016, President Mahama said on Radio Savannah in the Northern Region. He explained that the first phase will see the opening of 50 of such centers. Mahama said the farmers within the catchment area will be registered by the center. The services to be provided by the center include the provision of fertilisers, improved seeds, pesticides, agricultural extension advice and mechanisation advice. "They will plough for them, they will harrow for them, if it's rice they will harvest for them, each center is going to have ten tractors, two harvesters, threshers, everything that the farmer needs," Mahama said. The service will also connect farmers to markets through the country. When all these services are provided the farmers will also have loan facilities available from the center. It will even be a micro-finance center and so if a farmer needs 200gh he will go to his center and borrow it. When he harvests his crops he can pay the center back. The president described the setting up of the centers as a huge revolution in agric because for him a dedicated center to farmers is long overdue. "Accounting in the public sector has not been the best," Kan-Dapaah said at the launch of the 2016 Citizens' Budget presented by the Financial Accountability and Transparency- Africa (FAT-Africa) held in Accra. "The Auditor General has always said that when he goes out there to audit in the public sector, he is not able to get the information that requires to be able to come out with what we call a complete balance sheet system; and this is because the financial statement are not prepared by the Ministries' departments and agencies and it is no better at the assembly level," he added. His comments come on the heels of consistent damning report of financial impropriety and malfeasance among public officials. He said Ghana has a challenge if "a ministry cannot tell you how much it received and how it spends that money during the course of the year." Kan-Dapaah said the country must re-examine sanctions for public officials who are cited for poor financial management by the Auditor General. "We need to re-examine the sanction regime and it must be severe enough to deter others from repeating it." We are coming up with some resolution for them. Health professional institutions have increased phenomenally, there are a lot of health assistant training schools, community health training schools, midwifery training schools and so we are looking at seeing how we can do some combination to be able to give them something that makes them able to go through their courses, the president indicated. READ ALSO: Mahama assures unemployed nurses of immediate jobs He said a Committee has been set up to amend the law on the Student Loan Scheme so that the trainee nurses could also benefit from the scheme. The Student Loan Scheme is currently restricted to tertiary institutions, thus many training schools which have not attained tertiary status are unable to benefit from the scheme. However, the president said when the law is amended, government will do a combination of some part of the allowance in loans and part given to them as stipends. According to her, the 'so-called' gender activists are being hypocritical about the matter considering their apparent silence when she was attacked by unknown persons at Odododiodio in the Greater-Accra region in 2012. Her comments come on the back of a statement by MP for Tano South, Hannah Louisa Bissiw that the Assin Central MP should be sanctioned for his comments. READ ALSO: Why we need to move Gender Activism from posh hotels to the streets But in an interview with Accra-based Adom FM, Ursula Owusu Ekuful said the Tano South MP has no moral authority to lead the campaign against Ken Agyapong after calling her a prostitute in 2015. She argued that the campaign by the gender advocates led by some Majority female MPs smack of 'hypocrisy and double standards'. The comments did not go down well with some sections of the public, including many civil society organisations and women groups. The Minister of Gender Children and Social Protection subsequently requested an apology from Mr. Kennedy Agyepong on behalf of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has also condemned Assin North Member of Parliament (MP), Kennedy Agyapong, for comments the Association says are distasteful, offensive, abusive and derogatory not only to Mrs Osei but to women in general. At a press conference on Wednesday, the members who had earlier supported calls for his dismissal said they are demanding a positive replacement for the KMA boss. They indicated that they are considering petitioning the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to investigate him. Citing specific examples, Maxwell Ofosu Boakye, Assembly Member for Abusuakruwa electoral area said the former KMA boss raised a certificate for the Kumasi Academy Hall which has been built up to the lintel level and even went ahead to effect payment instead of waiting for it to be completed. He added that the Assemblys books need to be balanced immediately. The Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Kojo Bonsu resigned following calls for his removal by the Asanteman Council. The Council called on President Mahama to remove him over his decision to unilaterally remove Amoamanhene, Nana Agyenim Boateng from the Kejetia Market project board without informing the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. A statement signed by Communications Director Nana Akomea said Ghanaians have been suffering a patterned load shedding over the last few months. Government's refusal to acknowledge it and publish a schedule has meant that consumers and industry cannot plan, thus imposing uncertainty on the Ghanaian consumer in the midst of Dumsor. We are not declaring load shedding; I believe things will normalize but we are taking steps everyday to ensure that Ghana has security when it comes to power, the president said. But the NPP in its statement said government should stop the denial and listen to the cry of the industries and Ghanaians, and stop the inexplicable denial and immediately publish a time table /schedule for the ongoing Dumsor. The statement expressed concerned about the payment of a monthly $8.3 million to Ameri Power Plant for no gas as per an agreement with the Turkish company. Below is the full statement: The New Patriotic Party, like many Ghanaians, is highly distressed that Ghana is paying $8.3 million a month to the Ameri plant even though the plant has not generated any electricity in the past one month. Per the agreement President Mahama's government signed with the Ameri plant owners, Ghana has to pay $8.3 million dollars A MONTH to Ameri whether the Ameri plant generated electricity or not. Government also, per the agreement, undertook to supply the required gas needed by the Ameri plant to generate electricity. IN THE PAST MONTH HOWEVER, GOVERMENT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO SUPPLY THIS GAS TO AMERI BECAUSE ATUABO GAS PLANT IS NOT WORKING AND THE NIGERIAN GAS COMPANY N-GAS ARE NOT SUPPLYING GAS BECAUSE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT PAID THE NIGERIANS FOR GAS SUPPLIED. In summary, 1) Ghana is once again suffering from Dumsor 2) Ghana is paying nearly $10 million of taxpayers monies a month to Ameri for no work done. 3) No work is being done by Ameri because President Mahama's government has not been able to supply gas to Ameri (as per the agreement it signed with Ameri) 4) The poor Ghanaian is still paying record and unbearable electricity bills due to tariff arrangement government entered into with EMERGENCY plants such as Ameri, even though there is no adequate electricity 4) So after all the noise made by president mahama and his government about Atuabo being "an unprecedented achievement and a game changer", goverment can still not assure gas supplies to domestic power producers, two years after Atuabo had been commissioned. 5) This is another sad example of the incompetence, deceitfulness and corruption that has characterized President Mahamas government in the energy sector alone. 6) Lets also note that the government has now resorted to importing electricity from lvory coast. Ivory Coast generates electricity at 9 cents per kilowatt while Ghana generates at 14 cents per kilowatt. MORE DECEIT/ INCONSISTENCY AND UNTRUTHS FROM GOVERNMENT OVER ELECTRICITY TARIFFS As if this terrible situation of Dumsor, unbearable tariffs and financial loss is not enough, the poor Ghanaian electricity consumer is fed with more lies, inconsistencies and untruths about electricity tariffs. On July 3rd, the deputy minister for power and the ECG announced some reduction in electricity tariffs, from 67 pesewas to 34 pesewas for every unit of electricity consumed. And that these reductions will be secured through government provision of a SUBSIDY of ghc300 million, to be reviewed in December 2016. On 5th July, president mahama told Ghanaians there was NO SUBSIDY, and that the reductions will be secured through what he termed "REALIGNMENT". Yesterday 13th July, on Joy fm breakfast show, Finance Minister Seth Tekper said there would be a SUBSIDY. So between the Ministry For Power, the ECG;, the Ministry For Finance and the President, who is telling the truth to Ghanaians? GOVERNMENT SHOULD STOP THE DENIAL OVER DUMSOR AND PUBLISH A SCHEDULE Another deceit over electricity is that while Ghanaians in the last months are going through load shedding / dumsor, President Mahama has claimed there is no load shedding going on, preferring to call what is going on as localised and temporary blackouts. Hence government will not have a time table/ schedule published because that will amount to an admission of systematic load shedding /dumsor. But Ghanaians have been suffering a patterned load shedding over the last few months. Government's refusal to acknowledge it and publish a schedule has meant that consumers and industry cannot plan, thus imposing uncertainty on the Ghanaian consumer in the midst of Dumsor. The NPP calls on the government to listen to the cry of the industries and Ghanaians, and stop the inexplicable denial and immediately publish a time table /schedule for the ongoing Dumsor. ...signed... Nana Akomea READ MORE:Nana Addo test drives Kantanka vehicle A third vehicle is expected to be delivered in due course. The vehicle is customized to suit the presidency, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kantanka Automobile Ltd, Kwadwo Safo Jr said. He told Accra based Kasapa FM that the vice president's show of confidence speaks volumes for the work we do and what a good job we do at making these vehicles strong for use. So far I can tell he is impressed with the vehicles and so we will continue to do what we do to make everyone proud," he added. The vice-President was taken around the assembly plant located at Gomoa Mpota in the Central Region by the CEO. READ MORE: Kantanka Vehicle Presented To Ghana Police READ MORE: Tullow reduces gas supply to Ghana Gas The gas supply has been increased from 46.7 million standard cubic feet (scf-d) to 57 million scf-d. "As of Wednesday morning, the FPSO was providing us with 43.6 million standard cubic feet and we were supplying the VRA with 42.8 million standard cubic feet. As at Wednesday evening, that had increased to 57.1 million standard cubic feet and we are supplying VRA with 55.5 million standard cubic feet, so there is an improvement, Ogbamey told Citi FM. The supply cut over the weekend had led to the loss of 230 megawatts (MW) of power. Ogbamey told OKAY FM on Monday that power generation will be affected by the latest development because some of the turbines will be dormant due to inadequate gas supply. "There are some plants at Aboadze that runs only on gas, Ogbamey told OKAY FM. "For example all the AMERI plants or turbines run on gas." READ MORE: ACEP against second Karpowership He added that "there are some plants that also run on gas and light crude oil." 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! If former President Rawlings has come out to say that he did take the money, the $2 million, it is for us to start asking questions like what happened to the money, Mr. Agyekum said in an interview with Accra-based CITI FM. Mr Agyekum added that Mr. Rawlings confession notwithstanding, he needs to disclose what the money was used for. A statement signed by the Regional Chairman of the CPP, Alhaji Baba Ibrahim and five other executive members of the party in Bolgatanga, said it is unfortunate comments by the two national executives criticising the flag bearer of the party, Mr Ivor Greenstreet, for not consulting the partys hierarchy before making comments about the Ford Gift Saga involving President John Dramani Mahama." According to the regional executive members, the decision by the two to attack the flag bearer and other national leaders of the party affected the regional, constituency and polling station executives of the party, as well as the partys parliamentary candidates. They believe "the two suspended national executive members must face the disciplinary committee and it is important for them to note that suspension does not mean one has been expelled from the party." "One could be exonerated if one has a good case to make about his or her action or inaction before the disciplinary committee. "We the leadership of the CPP in the Upper East Region, therefore, stand by the flag bearer and the chairman and the leader of our great party and are therefore prevailing upon the two suspended national executive members of the CPP to view the party as supreme [and] above their parochial interest, particularly at this crucial period when the party is gaining more grounds to win the 2016 general election," the statement from the executives said. Background Akomfrah and Ernesto Yeboah had openly criticised the flag bearer of the party, Ivor Greenstreet after he said there was nothing wrong with Mahamas decision to accept the car gift from the said contractor. READ ALSO: Party appoints Acting General Secretary and Youth Organiser They subsequently petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice over the matter, arguing that the president disregarded the guidelines on conflict of interest in accepting the vehicle gift. The Disciplinary Committee of the party has however given the two the opportunity to defend themselves. Meanwhile, the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) has since appointed the deputy General Secretary in charge of Administration, Asani Tano as the acting General Secretary of the party. The most recent endorsement was during President John Dramani Mahamas 'Accounting to the People' tour in the Upper East region. The Paramount Chief of Bawku, Naba Asigri Azoka Abugrago II, is reported to have appealed for the reconstruction of the Bolgatanga-Bawku Road and an irrigation dam. The president who promised to fulfil their demands cut sod on Monday for both the road and dam to begin. The chief of the area therefore said through his spokesperson, one good turn deserves another. If somebody does you good, we dont return him with bad. Its reciprocal. My yearnings have been fulfilled. Presidents have come and gone. Nobody has been able to satisfy my wishes and today you have come to do so. Im dumfounded as to how to thank you. So, what do we do in return? One good turn deserves another. We should all vote for him in the upcoming elections to retain power, he added. The NPPs Nana Addo was also recently endorsed by Tuobodomhene Nana Obeng Ameyaw Barimah II, when he paid a courtesy call on the chief during his tour in the region. But Dr. Daanaa said such declarations by traditional rulers must be discouraged. In our tradition if you go to a community, the right thing to do is to go to the palace to give respect to the traditional leaders. It (chiefs endorsing political leaders) is not to be encouraged, its not good for democracy, he said. He indicated that even though the National House of Chiefs has its own code of ethics, they do not reproach chiefs who violate the codes in public since the chieftancy role is a respected one in the Ghanaian society. The traditional rule systems, is such that you cant condemn the chiefs in public. So we are careful in handling these things. When these things happen the ministry has a way of calling them to order, its just that we dont do this openly, he said. He intimated that even though it is not wrong to have a choice among the flagbearers of the political parties an open declaration of support does not go down well with the ministry. He said his ministry keeps reminding the chiefs to abstain from such endorsements no matter who their favourite candidate is. He said the ministry will keep reminding that this shouldnt be done. Proverbially if you have two sons you can recommend one, but not openly. It is not something that should be encouraged, it should be discouraged. President Mahama has laid a solid foundation, upon which he going to build at a faster rate a better Ghana. President Means well but I think we must articulate the positive developments in such a way that the people will appreciate it doesnt have to be only NDC people, the rank and file of Ghanaians should appreciate that these things are real and we need to give the necessary support. Some people are hungry for power just for power sake but John Mahama says he wants to build on the solid foundation, he said. The Electoral Commission this week announced it had deleted names of individuals found to have registered with NHIS cards. But speaking at a news conference organised by the group Thursday July 14, 2016 in Accra, Convenor of the group David Asante indicated that the EC lied about the number of NHIS registrants. According to him his outfit has compiled their own list of NHIS registrants which out numbers that of the EC. Our view is that per their dogged resistance to give Ghanaians a clean and credible register, the Charlotte Osei led EC has done more than enough to let Ghanaians know that it cannot be trusted to deliver a free, fair and transparent election, he said. And, on election day, we want the people in the various communities nationwide to take it upon themselves to protect their ballot in their respective polling stations from being tampered with, the statement read. Read the statement below: ENSURING CREDIBLE POLLING AGENTS FOR 2016 Ladies and Gentlemen: we called you here today to share with you a few thoughts on how to achieve the national goal of a credible 2016 general elections, in spite of all the challenges. As you know, the issue of the register was somewhat settled last week when the Supreme Court rebuffed the Electoral Commission for playing tricks with what was a clear order to take immediate steps to delete the names of those who registered using NHIS cards and offer them an opportunity to register. The EC submitted a list that it claimed contained 56,772 people constituting the full list of those who used NHIS cards to register in 2012. This represents 0.404% of the 14,031,793 who registered in 2012. This also means that on average, only two registered voters per each of the 26,002 polling stations nationwide did so with their NHIS Card, if you believe the EC. In 2012, according to figures from the National Health Insurance Authority, the National Health Insurance Scheme had a total of 8,885,757 active members nationwide. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, the estimated total population of Ghana in 2012 was 25,758,528. Thus, 34.50% of the population were active members of the NHIS. 14,031,793 people were captured on the 2012 biometric voters register. And, the EC saw nothing wrong with insulting the intelligence of Ghanaians with the claim that less than half of one percent of those who registered 4 years ago used NHIS cards. Indeed, the EC wanted the country to believe that it fought Abu Ramadan and Evans Nimako for two whole years in court to protect the deletion of only 57,772 names from a register of over 14 million. Fortunately, no one, including the Supreme Court, believed the ECs claim that only some 57,000 people used NHIS cards to register in 2012. So where does that leave us? The EC claims it has deleted the list it presented in court from the register and that those people may register again during the exhibition of voters register which begins next week. Our view is that, per their dogged resistance to giving Ghanaians a clean register, the Charlotte-Osei-led EC has done more than enough to let Ghanaians know that it cannot be trusted to deliver a free, fair and transparent elections. But, we are very hopeful that the destiny of our democracy will not be unduly influenced and diverted from its course by unscrupulous people in charge of the electoral process. What we sense out there is that the determination of Ghanaians this year to ensure that it is their votes that count and not the counting of people contracted to rig elections is very high. What is left is how to channel this energy positively to support the desired outcome. With unemployment and economic hardships gripping the nation, there is frustration everywhere, especially among the youth. . The youth of the country are frustrated. People are eagerly waiting for election day, which they see as the only real opportunity since 2012 to give their verdict on the four years of President John Mahama and his government. We are afraid what might happen if the people, especially, the young and disillusioned army of unemployed Ghanaians, end up being convinced that their mandate has been stolen. We can see trouble ahead. We can see a situation where this country can become ungovernable. Going into any election where confidence in both the ruling party and the election management body are at an all-time low can be a dangerous recipe for grave disaster if the contest is not viewed to have been transparent, free and fair. We all saw on our television sets during the 2013 election petition how Presiding Officers, including the Chairman of the EC, and political party agents let the country down with a mixture of errors and fraud on the results declaration forms, popularly known as the pink sheets. But, we of the Let My Vote Count have since the election petition, always proceeded on the principle that it is better to prevent than to pick up the broken pieces. As ugly as the post-election picture can be we believe there are steps that can be taken now to give Ghana a good canvass on which to paint instead a beautiful picture for 2016. MUTASHI! It is for this reason that we wish to take this opportunity to sound the trumpet across the country for good people to rise up! Mutashi!, Rise up to get involved in the all-important task of protecting the ballot; our ballot; your ballot. This election is about you, me, our future, our children, our nation. With about 115 days to the presidential and parliamentary elections, we wish to ignite a national debate on the roll of polling agents and election officers in giving the country credible elections this year. We recognize that the Supreme Court with its judgment in the election petition elevated the roll of party agents to at least the same level as presiding officers. We also know that many polling agents were simply not up to the task in 2012. Some allegedly allowed themselves to be bribed. Others were not even loyal members of the party they signed up to represent. Others were simply not competent enough to read, count and see the figures that were to go on the pink sheets. NON-BRIBABLE AGENTS For 2016, every candidate, per the C.I. 94 before Parliament, is allowed two agents, a Polling Agent and a Counting Agent. For the candidate, such an agent must be loyal, committed, literate, numerical, knowledgeable, courageous, and non-bribable. Some people in the major political parties believe that it is their birthright to be polling agents, even if they are not up to the task. This situation cannot continue. Being a polling agent is not an entitlement! In 2012, although many agents did a good job, a significant number also performed very poorly and in a country where elections are won or lost by razor thin margins, we cannot afford to pick the wrong people to watch over the balloting process. The Let My Vote Count Alliance joins many Ghanaians in expressing the view that the EC officials and party agents let voters down in 2012. We believe the situation where after the Ghanaian has queued up to cast his ballot, he or she has no option but to rely solely on unscrupulous presiding officers and party agents to ostensibly protect the ballot has not served us as well and must be given full attention. WATCHING OVER WATCHMEN We are not calling for any radical change, however. We are calling mainly for two things: 1. With the elections just around the corner, the political parties and their candidates are in the process of recruiting and training people they wish to use as agents in the November 7 poll. We want to take this opportunity to appeal to as many good people as possible who are loyal members of the various political parties, including the NDC, NPP, CPP, PNC, PPP, NDP, ACP, etc., to make themselves available as polling and counting agents. Let the professionals take time off work for this important national service. 2. And, on election day, we want the people in the various communities nationwide to take it upon themselves to protect their ballot in their respective polling stations from being tampered with. But, we must make sure we do so within acceptable limits allowed by the law. In other words, we want Ghanaians, during and after voting, to play the role of watchmen watching over the accredited watchmen. APPEAL TO PROFESSIONALS This appeal goes to the many, many concerned professionals and students out there across the country. You can be found everywhere. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, bankers, business men and women, teachers, nurses, tertiary students, traders, etc, to all take proactive steps to be recruited as agents for the parties that they owe allegiance to and for the parties to come up with the necessary criteria, including stringent vetting measures, to open up the process that will enable good, credible people with integrity, who cannot be bribed, who can read and write, who can count, who are knowledgeable, to join the army of people who are tasked to watch over our votes in all the 29,000 polling stations nationwide on election day. For a typical party with a presidential candidate and parliamentary candidates in each of the 275 constituencies, it may be looking at recruiting an army of nearly 120,000 people. It may not be an easy task, but we also believe that for a nation with a population of over 27 million, finding 120,000 people of integrity who can meet the other necessary attributes of a credible agent should not be that difficult. Ghanaians do not want the spectacle of a disputed election to revisit us in 2016 and more so because we fear where that may take us. But, if we are to have a peaceful and credible contest then we must all be willing to play our patriotic part. The Let My Vote Count Alliance is by this urging all political parties to be up and doing in their recruitment and training of agents. We urge their supporters to also make themselves available. Sacrifice a little bit for party and country. Together, we can have an election that we will all be proud of, where even the losers will accept it as free and fair. An angry customer told Joy FM that these microfinance institutions came into the region claiming they have been duly registered. He said they believed them because they showed proof of their certifcates from the Register General and the Municipal Assemblies. "Little Drop, Prosperity , Divine Rain, Develop Winners ...a lot of them came into the country claiming that they have registered with the Register General in Accra, Municipal assemblies to do their business across the length and breadth of the country. "They photocopied their certificate having the coat of arm. So this gave us hope to go in for loans from banks as individual at high rates and now the loan has accumulated we can no more pay. "So banks are chasing us. We are pleading with the government to intervene. Wherever they are...[they should] come and pay our bonuses as they promised," he said. According to him, he deposited GHC3,000, adding that others invested between GHC10,000 and GHC20,000 He noted they were promised whopping interests. Many customers are said to have benefited from high returns on their invested capital in 2014 from these same companies. Travelling across the world becomes daunting when one looks at the cost of airplane tickets. One airline that is working to break this barrier is Kenya Airways; Africas leading air passenger carrier. Flying to over 60 destinations including London, Cape Town, Nairobi, Kampala, Accra and Dubai travellers are spoiled for choice. There has never been a better time to take that long awaited leave to go on your dream vacation. That is because Kenya Airways is offering an unbeatable price for travelers to visit flashy Dubai. For just 970 dollars (about 3,800 cedis) Kenya Airways will fly you from Accra to Dubai for a five day stay in the Emirati city. The amount includes airfare, visa and accommodation at the five star Hotel Al Ghurair Rayhaan Rotana. The package also includes a days stopover at Nairobi (Kenya); a tour of interesting sites in Dubai, dinner and three free bags. This is Kenya Airways latest effort in a bid to encourage more people to take to the skies as it is one of the safest modes of transport in the world. It recently announced a 25 percent discount on airfare for all students traveling with the airline. Students across Africa travel for varied reason including for study in other African countries, family visits and for tourism purposes. Kenya Airways, The Pride of Africa; flies daily from Accra to 43 destinations in Africa, including Kenya where you find these attractions. Kenya Airways was recently voted Africas Leading Airline and has won the award for Leading Airline Business Class Africa for 4 consecutive years. Its holidays solutions business unit, KQ Holidays, specializes in putting together awesome holiday packages across the world, but especially within Africa. Kenya Airways takes pride for being in the forefront of connecting Africa to the World and the World to Africa through its hub at the ultra-modern Terminal 1A at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. It was gathered that the suspect who is from Kogi State, was wearing an army camouflage at the time he was arrested during a fight with some men. While parading the suspect, the Public Relations Officer of the brigade, Captain Ojo Adelegan, noted that Uwanle the army uniform to terrorise the people of Akure and environs for a long time. Our investigation revealed that the suspect had been involving in some of the armed robberies that had been happening in Ondo and some neighboring states, using the army uniform. We have a report that he robbed a man in Akure of two vehicles; he had been using the army uniform to terrorize the people of Akure, at times he would go to petrol station and be causing trouble. Everybody is scared of him because they thought he is a soldier. They also know him as a soldier at many police stations in Ondo State." The disgusting sight was discovered at the Adabraka Market in Accra, the capital of the country where it was suspected that the woman has been trading in the human parts for many years. The woman was dragged to the police station by traders at the market after she refused to indicate what sort of meat she was selling. The traders suspect she has been sent by a spiritualist to sell human parts as a ritual at the market. Anre, a 19-year-old fisherman, who was paraded by the Corps at their office in Ikeja, told journalists that his mother took him to one Savie, the leader of the team, when he could no longer cater for his wife and child, adding that he was forced to join Savie because he was not making enough due to drought. The gang comprising of Ibrahim Kwenu, Savig Videjon, Celestine Soru, Simon Posu, and Lekan Wesu, were arrested around the Topo area in Badagry, by the anti-vandal squad of the NSCDC, while they were ferrying 86 drums of petrol, suspected to have been siphoned from vandalised pipelines of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, to Benin Republic, through the sea. Regretting his actions, Anre who was the boat captain, said taking to his mothers advice landed him in trouble. I am a fisherman, but it has been very difficult to catch fish in the sea these days because of drought. When it became difficult to take care of my family, my mother introduced me to Savie. He (Savie) asked me to help him transport the fuel from Badagry to Asipa in Seme. I invited five other fishermen to carry out the job and he promised to give us N4,000 each after the deal." Al, 12, and Cek, 8, escaped with a bite on the hand and on the leg, respectively, after they were attacked near their village of Sungai Iliran, in Indragiri Hilir district, detik.com reported. "The girls were bathing in the river when Cek disappeared underwater suddenly, before reappearing with her leg in the jaws of a crocodile, their mother Minah was quoted as saying. Al swam up to the crocodile and grabbed her sister's arm. The pastor, Mr. Segun Adeyinka, has appealed to an Alimosho Customary Court in Lagos state, to dissolve his marriage to his wife, Mrs. Folake Adeyinka, because of her penchant for disgracing him in front of his church members. He also alleges that Folake refuses to believe him whenever he tells her he does not have money, adding that he no longer loved his wife. My wife usually disgraces me in public and in my church. She has made many church members to leave the church. She doesnt want to see people around me. She is making people to run away from me. If my church members give me something, she believes she must have a share of it. We always fight. My wife also doesnt want to hear that I dont have money. "Anytime I tell her that I dont have money, she would start fighting me. I dont earn salary. It is what my church members give to me that we share at home. Still, she is not satisfied. Mr Adeyinka also urged the court to give him custody of their four children, as part of the divorce settlement. In response to the allegations leveled against her by her husband, Mrs Folake disclosed that she still loved her husband and did not want their marriage dissolved. Ill not disgrace him anymore in the public or in church. My husband and I have separated for two years now. He moved his things gradually out of our home until nothing remains. He stated this while speaking during a one-day working visit to Zamfara state. There is no easy money to throw around, we must go back to farming, livestock rearing so that we could develop the industries, we must co,leftovers put our hands on deck to ensure success,of our mission in engineering Nigeria, he said. Buhari blamed the past administrations for ignoring the diversification of the economy and relying only on oil, saying the result of that negligence is what Nigeria is facing today. If efforts were made in the past to diversify the economy from our absolute reliance on a single commodity, we would not have found ourselves in our current situation . I assure all Nigerians that the grim economic situations are passing phase which all societies go through, the President said. On security, he said his government is making progress not just in the north east but across the county. Buhari said: Our security situation is improving, not only in the north east, but all over the country. We are confident that our macro economic policies as well as the monetary policies being implemented by the CBN will lead to the revitalization of the industries and steady growth in significant sectors of the economy, Buhari said. Our commitment to secure the country has already started yielding results as noted by the governor that for the first time since Boko Haram insurgency began in the northeast seven years ago, the people of Borno State celebrated the Eid-el-Fitri with ease, devoid of any security barricades". Buhari said this while addressing troops during a field training exercise organised to the mark the 2016 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) in Dansadau, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara. He said that the recent conduct of troops, their commanders and the Army's leadership was impressive, noting that it was in tandem with the goal of his administration. He reminded the troops of his administration's commitment to protect the lives of citizens, grow the economy and fight corruption, noting that "it has been a long time that I have seen a field exercise organised like this; I am very impressed with what I am seeing. "I urge you to keep it up and sustain the tempo as you carry on with the efforts to rid our country of criminal elements. "I must also commend your efforts in fulfilling this administration's promises to secure lives and property, by your contributions, the situation has greatly improved.'' The President was also conducted round the troops units and posts at the exercise area near the Dansadau forest. In an interview with newsmen, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara expressed confidence that the efforts of the Army would rid the state of criminals. He commended the efforts of the Armed Forces in addressing the different security challenges plaguing the nation. He appreciated President Buhari's support for the Armed Forces in discharging their duties. On his part, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, thanked President Buhari for his support to the Army. Buratai said that the Army would sustain ongoing efforts to transform all facets of the Army's operations. He added that the training exercise introduced by the present Army leadership would be sustained with the next exercise scheduled to hold in the southern part of the country. Buhari said this while addressing troops during a field training exercise organised to the mark the 2016 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) in Dansadau, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara. He said that the recent conduct of troops, their commanders and the Army's leadership was impressive, noting that it was in tandem with the goal of his administration. He reminded the troops of his administration's commitment to protect the lives of citizens, grow the economy and fight corruption, noting that ``it has been a long time that I have seen a field exercise organised like this; I am very impressed with what I am seeing. ``I urge you to keep it up and sustain the tempo as you carry on with the efforts to rid our country of criminal elements. ``I must also commend your efforts in fulfilling this administration's promises to secure lives and property, by your contributions, the situation has greatly improved.'' In an interview with newsmen, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara expressed confidence that the efforts of the Army would rid the state of criminals. He commended the efforts of the Armed Forces in addressing the different security challenges plaguing the nation. He appreciated President Buhari's support for the Armed Forces in discharging their duties. On his part, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, thanked President Buhari for his support to the Army. He attributed the positive changes witnessed in the Army to the support and leadership of the President, especially in the programmes of the Army. Buratai said that the Army would sustain ongoing efforts to transform all facets of the Army's operations. He added that the training exercise introduced by the present Army leadership would be sustained with the next exercise scheduled to hold in the southern part of the country. As the people of the state are aware the change agenda was central issue of our 2015 electioneering campaign. Since this administrations assumption of office in May 2015, the journey to fix the country and restore the hope of the common man in the Nigerian project has begun in earnest, he said according to Punch. You have all agreed to join me and work as agents of change, the challenge before all of us therefore is translating the change into reality. I, therefore, wish to call on every one to think closely about the Nigerian situation. There is no easy money to throw around, we must go back to farming, livestock rearing so that we could develop the industries. We must put our hands on deck to ensure success of our mission in engineering Nigeria. If efforts were made in the past to diversify the economy from our absolute reliance on a single commodity, we would not have found ourselves in our current situation. I assure all Nigerians that the grim economic situations are passing phase which all societies go through. We shall continue to prosecute the war against corruption. We do not wish or desire to humiliate or disgrace anybody, but we must recover stolen funds and put them to collective public use, he added. ALSO READ: 'No more free money,' Buhari says In a report by Daily Trust, the Coordinator of WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, described Senator Melaye's alleged attack on Senator Tinubu as a condemnable act that shouldn't go unsolved. Akiyode-Afolabi said the altercation between the wife of the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senator Melaye "is another case to buttress the lackluster attitude to the issue of womens human rights protection and gender equality in Nigeria." The statement further noted that at a time when women's participation in politics is at its lowest ebb, it is saddening that that the Senate leadership and members of the 8th Senate have kept silent over the alleged attack and verbal abuse. "Unfortunately, despite the public outcry against the security threat to Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the senate and the APC have not yet responded to the matter. The silence on the matter by the Senate and other members of the National Assembly vividly explains a tacit support from the hallowed Chamber on violence against women. "Failure of Senator Dino Melaye to take this appropriate step will lead to OCCUPY NATIONAL ASSEMBLY by well meaning Nigerians. "Verbal abuse, assault and battery of women is becoming a pattern in our democratic dispensation and it is a reflection of the numerous abuses that women face on a daily basis in the society "According to National Demographic and Health Survey Report (2013), 28 percent of women age 15-49 have experienced physical violence at least once and 7 percent have experienced sexual violence in Nigeria and it is believed these figures are not representative of the magnitude of the problem. He joined Minister of Finance, Accountant-General of the Federation, Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission and the Attorney-General as co-defendants. The plaintiff want the court to restrain the defendants either by themselves, officials, agents or servants from making further releases of monthly allocation from the federation accounts to Abia. He prayed the court to restrain any person, howsoever called, from presenting himself for release of funds or revenue from the federation accounts to Abia. The plaintiff's suit, supported by an 18-paragraph affidavit' contented that there was a valid judgment ousting Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu from office. He further argued that the said judgment by Justice Okon Abang ordered INEC to issue Dr Samson Ogah with a certificate of return. He said that the issuance of the certificate qualified Ogah to be sworn-in as governor of Abia. Ozurumba said further release of funds from the federation accounts to Abia would not be in the interest of the state because accountability and transparency of the funds would not be ensured. According to the FIRS enforcement team leader, Mr. Chinazor Edeh , the two companies had previously received letters notifying them of their tax liabilities and urging them to pay. What we have come to implement today is the directive of the FIRS chairman; and the order is that you pay immediately or vacate the premises. Any of them who wishes to pay would be given the chance, but if they cannot pay the money now, the companies must be sealed, Edeh said. Mrs Ibifuro Thompson-Tatua, NDPM's Coordinator, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that the group was excited over the NDDC's completion of its Rivers office to save cost. Thompson-Tatua, however, said that the move from the rented apartment to the permanent office would save funds. She said that due to the poor state of the economy, any savings made would be deployed to other viable initiatives. "It will not only save substantial amount in the name of rent payment, it will promote preservation and manageable maintenance cost,'' she said. Thompson-Tatua also said that NDDC's style of cutting cost should be emulated by other establishments, especially government institutions. She commended the Acting Managing Director of the commission, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, for her vision in fast-tracking the completion of the office project abandoned by her predecessors. Thompson-Tatua also commended the NDDC management for acquiring friendly work stations for the staff and setting the pace in service delivery. This is the first known attack on oil installation in the South-West under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. According to residents of the community, the incident occurred on Tuesday night, July 12. The militants were said to have carried out the attack under the pretence that they were officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on maintenance patrol. The destroyed oil facility served an 11.4 distribution line for some companies in Ikorodu, Lagos state, report said. With police investigations underway, the the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said its premature to conclude the attack was the handiwork of Niger Delta militants - it was however reported that sabotage of such nature has been masterminded by the creek manors. What we heard is that during the day, some people disguised as NNPC staff. They reportedly came with two Hilux vehicles and pretended as if they carried out some repairs. Later at night, the explosion occurred, Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ogijo police station, Mohammed Tijani said. Pulse recalls that the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) had threatened to extend its attacks on oil facilities to Lagos State, vowing to cripple the Nigerian economy. The NLC gave the commendation on Wednesday while reacting to the ruling in a statement signed by its President, Ayuba Wabba. Wabba said "the court ruled today that the tariff increase by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) was illegal and should be reversed immediately. "The increase is illegal, unfair, unjustifiable and a further exploitation of the already exploited Nigerians as due process in the extant laws for such an increment was not followed.'' Civil society group had dragged NERC to court, challenging the legality of the increase in electricity tariff. The court then held that the implementation of the 45 per cent increase constituted a violation of its interim order, and awarded N50,000 cost against NERC. "This is a courageous judgment deserving commendation. We consider it a victory for the ordinary Nigerian who has been oppressed by exploitative bills,'' the Congress boss added. He then urged NERC and Distribution Companies (DISCOs) to obey the ruling and revert to the old rates without further delay. The NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that the congress would meet with all its state councils to encourage them to respond effectively to some of the challenges in the states. ``We may declare a state of emergency in the area of non-payment of salaries and we are going to have a meeting with all our state councils to respond effectively to some of these challenges. ``We want to take stock of exactly what the issues are and we will also put appropriate employers on notice. ``We will declare a state of emergency because workers should not be made to bear the brunt of the challenges because they are not responsible. ``When the economy was good they did not enjoy, now that there is a challenge, they are the worst-hit, it should not be so; these are our arguments. ``But when they are taking such decisions, they also have to be very balanced in taking such decision, it should not only apply to workers. ``Political office holders are still collecting their money even though they are proposing the reduction; they are still collecting the security vote we are talking about and they are still issuing bogus contracts.'' He said most countries that had experienced economy recession, had to take all interests into consideration before deciding to either cut salaries or stop payment of workers. Wabba explained that salaries were not an allocation to workers, but remunerations earned in line with international best practices and in consonance with Convention 138 of the International Labour Organisation. ``Salaries of workers are not an allocation; therefore, the pronouncement by some of these governors, I think it is something that needs to be condemned. ``We are condemning it in strong terms; how much is N18,000? ``How much is the quantum of money that the governors are collecting and looting; let them compile it so that we can all see it. ``Do not also forget, these workers need to leave a decent life and to work and provide such services. ``If you do not pay them or pay them half of their salary, how would they leave a decent life? ``How will these workers be able to take care of their immediate needs? He advised state governors not to cut or stop payment of salaries due to economy recession but rather fashion out ways of generating funds for their states. The NLC president also noted that some governors were proposing to sack workers. ``Already, we have written a very strong letter and we are proposing also to engage these governors to see how best we can look at this issue.'' This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, by Alhaji Garba Deen Muhamad, NNPCs Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division. "Members of the public are advised not to engage in panic buying as there is no shortage of petrol. "The corporation has sufficient fuel that will last for over 30 days," he said Muhamad added that any perceived or visible shortage of petrol was only a ripple effect of the period when the strike was in progress, adding that ``it does not represent a shortage in supply. The unions are the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). This was disclosed via a statement released by NLNGs General Manager, external relations, Kudo Eresia-Eke. Attah was appointed to replace Babs Omotowa, who has held the position for nearly five years and will be returning to Shell International in the Hague, Netherlands. The statement reads in part: Attah would be taking over from him after returning from an assignment at Shells Group Integrated Gas business as senior projects advisor, working on projects in the Netherlands and Singapore. ALSO READ: Mike Ezuruonye matches up with Bimbo Manuel in new movie Breathless has bagged a nomination at the fifth annual Nollywood and African Films Critics' Awards (NAFCA) also known as the African Oscars, with Mike Ezuruonye being nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in the classic movie. The awards ceremony is set to take place on September, 17, 2016, at the Orpheus Theatre, Los Angeles, USA. The movie, starring Ezuruonye and Uti Nwachukwu, had already earned nominations at two prestigious African movie awards so far. Breathless, through Mike Ezuruonyes role, got a nomination for Best Actor Drama (TV/Series) at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA), while Nwachukwu, was nominated for the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. "Breathless", directed by Charles Uwagbai, is a suspense-filled movie, offers a gripping narrative of unspeakable secrets of an unsolved mystery murder, heightened by bitter sibling rivalry. Speaking to a youth group, Young Professionals, which paid solidarity visit to Sheriff, the former National Vice Chairman of PDP (South-South), Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh, said Sheriff's faction remains the true leadership of the PDP, adding that the report of INECs recognition of the Ahmed Makarfi-led national caretaker committee of the party was a mere rumour. We hear a rumour making rounds that INEC has accepted another person as candidate of the PDP for the September 10 Edo State governorship election," Ojuogboh said. I hereby dispel the rumour and categorically state that INEC has not yet communicated to us. INEC is still considering all judgments and orders of the court. Flanked by the former presidential aide, Ali Ahmed Gulak, ex-vice chairman said further that their candidate, Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, will carry on with his campaign to contest for the governorship election. Ojuogboh said: As we speak, the orders of the federal high court in Abuja specifically asked INEC to recognise only candidates presented by Sheriff as national chairman of the party. The court in Port Harcourt is not superior to the court in Abuja. And as such, cannot reverse the specific orders of the Abuja court ruling that INEC can only accept PDP candidates from Sheriff leadership for purposes of Edo and Ondo States governorship elections. In view of the above, I call on all our PDP members to remain calm as we call on our candidate, Mathew, to go ahead and campaign vigorously and seriously to win the election in Edo State. The Lagos APCs comments were contained in a statement released by its spokesman, Joe Igbokwe. The statement reads: Our attention has been drawn to a reckless and unguided statement credited to one Senator Dino Melaye from Kogi State who said he would beat up our own distinguished Senator Oluremi Tinubu, representing Lagos Central and that nothing will happen. We take it that this is a slip of tongue but if it is indeed true that this statement came from the heart of Dino Melaye, we need a psychiatric doctor to examine the state of his mind. Senator Dino Melaye has been in the news in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the wrong reasons. His actions and deeds in recent times have contributed in no uncertain terms to various setbacks we have witnessed in the 8th Senate since its inception on June 9 2015. The hallowed chamber of the Senate of the federal republic of Nigeria is a prestigious place for the serious-minded, cerebral men and women, men and women of honour and integrity, those who can hold their heads when others are losing theirs, experienced but humble men and women. It is not for lunatics, rascals, street urchins, ethically challenged bigots or integrity challenged charlatans. It seems to us in the Lagos APC that Senator Dino Melaye has reached a point of diminishing returns. The funny man from Kogi State has reached a point where there is no other place to go but to go down irretrievably. He can only go down with his likes and not with our own Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the highly revered, honoured and distinguished wife of our National leader, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. According to a report by Daily Trust, the leaders from the Lagos Central Senatorial District, where Senator Tinubu is representing, called for an investigation into the motives behind Senator Melayes actions. On Tuesday, July 12, 2016, Senator Melaye was alleged to have verbally assaulted wife of APC's national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu during an executive session of the Senate. ALSO READ: Senator Tinubu not happy with the change in Nigeria In a statement signed by the APC chairman of Lagos Central Senatorial District, Chief Tajudeen, the elders condemned the alleged attack on their district's rep in the Senate, saying Senator Melaye's actions were contrary to that of a distinguished Senator. We consider Senator Dinos behaviour as unbecoming of the exalted office he holds and want to remind him that he cannot muscle a colleague and a ranking senator for that matter, the statement began. The elders further said, The right of every senator is guaranteed and Dino cannot seek to circumscribe it. The founding fathers of our democracy left behind a tradition of discipline, decorum and selfless patriotism. We hope the 8th Senate will uphold this tradition. The court sitting in Abuja on June 27, had ordered Ikpeazu to vacate his seat for submitting fake tax clearance for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election in the state. The court therefore declared that Uche Ogah, who came second at primaries, should be declared winner instead. But due to the failure of Ikpeazu to vacate office, Ogah, whom INEC already issued a certificate of return, is yet to be officially sworn in as governor. Keyamo in a statement on Wednesday, July 13, said that all of Ikpeazu's legal moves to overturn the verdict of the court are null, void and of no effect. "A thorough scrutiny of the judgment of the court will reveal that, contrary to widespread opinion that Dr. Sampson Uchechukwu Ogahs case was that Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu presented forged tax papers to the Independent National Electoral Commission, his case was simply that Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu apparently rushed to pay all his backlog of taxes just before the elections, yet he swore to a false affidavit and supplied a false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission that he paid his taxes AS AT WHEN DUE. It was based on this false information that the court nullified his candidature," Keyamo said. He continued: "I have carefully listened to various arguments regarding the immediate issuance of a Certificate of Return to Dr. Sampson Uchechukwu Ogah by the Independent National Electoral Commission in strict compliance with the judgment of the Court. "Contrary to opinions expressed in certain quarters there is no judicial decision or statutory provision preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission from complying immediately with the Orders of the Federal High Court. "The provision of Section 143(1) of the Electoral Act, Part VIII that gives Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu (or any other office holder for that matter) 21 days within which to file an appeal against an adverse judgment (and to remain in office until the appeal is determined) applies only to post-election matters before election Tribunals or the Court of Appeal and not pre-election matters as in this case. "In the circumstance, the Independent National Electoral Commission acted legally and correctly by instantly issuing a Certificate of Return to Dr. Sampson Uchechukwu Ogah. "It would have been permissible for Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu to continue in office as Governor of Abia State pending the outcome of the appeal despite the judgment of the Federal High Court (and the nullification of his Certificate of Return) if Dr. Sampson Uchechukwu Ogah had not been issued a Certificate of return instantly. "But having been issued a Certificate of Return, it is constitutionally abnormal and legally paradoxical that a person with a validly issued Certificate of Return should not occupy that office immediately, and the person with an invalidated Certificate of Return continues to occupy that office. "That is why the Interim Order restraining the Chief Judge of Abia State or any other Judicial Officer from swearing in Dr. Sampson Uchechukwu Ogah is a non-sequitor as the judgment of Abang J has already been complied with by the Independent National Electoral Commission. "The scenario we have now is that of a person, without any document entitling him to that office, occupying the office of Governor of Abia State, whilst a person who has both a valid court judgment and a valid Certificate of Return is unable to assume office as Governor of the state. "Let the world know today that Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu is operating illegally as Governor of Abia State and all his actions, orders and anything done in that capacity are null, void and of no effect." This amendment imposes tougher sanctions on people who preach anywhere, but recognized church buildings. This new law has caused a lot of concern for Christians, particularly religious organizations, such as Jehovahs Witnesses, who feel that this law is against them. So far, this has drawn a lot of protests from religious leaders and human rights advocates, including Konstantin Bendas, the deputy bishop of the Pentecostal Union. He said: "The local police officer came to a home where a group of Pentecostals meet each Sunday. With a contented expression he told them: Now they're adopting the law I'll drive you all out of here. I reckon we should now fear such zealous enforcement. Forum 18 cites lawyer, Vladimir Ryakhovsky of the Slavic Centre for Law and Justice, took to Facebook to air his feelings. "Today is indeed a black day on the calendar. Hope was that would not in the end sign this law. A law which openly contradicts the gospel command 'go and make disciples' and, in addition, violates the constitutional rights of citizens." A spokeswoman for the Council of Churches-Baptists had something similar to say. "We are distressed by the Law and see it as repressive for believers in our country, because the Law contradicts the Bible. We must assume there will be repression and persecution", she said. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has also reacted to this new law with opposition. "These deeply flawed anti-terrorism measures will buttress the Russian government's war against human rights and religious freedom. They will make it easier for Russian authorities to repress religious communities, stifle peaceful dissent, and detain and imprison people. Neither these measures nor the currently existing anti-extremism law meet international human rights and religious freedom standards", USCIRF chair, Thomas Reese, said. In light of the recent killing of Eunice Olawale by suspected Muslim radicals, the international headquarters has released a statement, advising against retaliation, DailyPost reports. In the press release, RCCGs head of Media and Public Relations Department, Pastor Segun Adegbiji, urged members to pray for Nigeria. "We are indeed in a sad mood in RCCG. As sweet as heaven is, death of our youths is not what we wish for. We shall not cease to pray that God will end bloodshed in Nigeria and all over the world. We sympathise with the widower, our pastor, and their seven children. Our Mother-in-Israel, Pastor and Pastor of Region 10, paid a condolence visit to the family on Sunday, he said. In related news, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Federal Government to do something about the frequent cases of violence against Christians. "Before the situation escalates into an unmanageable crisis, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, is calling on authorities at the states and federal levels to do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to justice. During the opening of the centre last week, the Cultural Attache of the Chinese Embassy in Abuja, Mr. Xiang Dong hailed the university management, saying the centre will strengthen the Nigeria-China relationship. He said the Confucius Institute established at the university after signing the MoU has improved understanding of Chinese language among young people. Dong also added that Chinas investment in Nigeria would continue to grow, adding that this will aid the development of Nigeria. ALSO READ: China pledges to continue doing business with Nigeria Vice Chancellor of UNIZIK, Prof Joseph Ahaneku said the MoU was signed to promote research on China and scholarly exchanges between Nigeria and China. He added that these will include the teaching of Chinese language and culture in the university and conducting Chinese Language Proficiency Tests. Ahaneku said many students of the school are presently studying different disciplines in various Chinese universities through scholarships by Chinese government. He added that there had been staff exchange between the university and Xiamen University. According to Ahaneku, arrangements are in top gear to deploy staff to teach Igbo language and culture in Xiamen University to reciprocate the gesture. He said UNIZIK was honoured to be first school to host Chinese Cultural Research Centre in Nigeria. Up until the advent of this new feature, Snapchat was known, and loved, for its ephemeral, disappearing content. Alas, that would no longer be the case. The new "memories" feature will allow users to save and share old (and new) snaps in a private gallery inside the app. According to The Verge's description, the new feature is a living, social camera roll in which photos and videos can be organized, edited, and shared long after they are taken. What this means is that Snapchat will see more better produced, pre-recorded content rather than the raw feel which made everyone a mega-user. Other social media platforms have also been making a lot of changes to their video content format including live video on Facebook and Instagram increasing the maximum length of videos to 60 seconds. So how do you access the memories feature? You can do that by swiping up from the camera screen. Once you're there, your content will appear with the most recent showing at the top. Within the Memories section, posts that are rectangular are individual snaps, circular posts are stories, and there are also tabs for viewing just stories, just Snaps, or the camera roll on your phone. You can also search within the Memories section. For example, if you spent a holiday weekend in Abuja, and snapped your way through Asokoro and Gwarimpa, just search "Abuja" and all your Snaps should appear. 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! 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! The raid on Grand Bassam, 40 km (25 miles) from the commercial capital, Abidjan, by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the jihadist group's North African affiliate, was the furthest yet from its traditional desert base. Authorities in Ivory Coast and neighbouring Mali have arrested a number of suspects since the attack. "The two soldiers knew certain members of the unit that attacked the beach in Grand Bassam and did not signal that to their hierarchy, which is a serious offence under the military code of justice," he said. They are due to stand trial at the end of August, Kessi added. The attack in Grand Bassam, during which gunmen shot swimmers and sunbathers before storming into several hotels, also harmed French-speaking West Africa's largest economy, a rising star on the continent. Foreign trusts will also be required to supply annual financial statements, and will appear on a register which can be searched by the police and the Department of Internal Affairs. The government set up an inquiry into rules in April after a massive leak of documents from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca shone a spotlight on the use of foreign trusts to conceal money from tax authorities. New Zealand is currently the only country in the OECD where foreigners (except Australians) can set up a trust without having to register their identity or pay local taxes on overseas profits. Finance Minister Bill English said the changes would ensure New Zealand's reputation was protected. The Green Party welcomed the changes, saying the new rules would lead to greater scrutiny and oversight of a "dark industry. "The secrecy and tax-free status of New Zealand foreign trusts have made them an attractive vehicle for tax avoidance and crime, damaging our reputation abroad," finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said. Authorities in the province of Diyarbakir imposed the lockdown as security forces searched for members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the hills and woods near the town of Silvan, the provincial governor said in a statement. Security forces have been battling the PKK since a ceasefire collapsed last year, destroying a two-year peace process that was meant to end a three-decade conflict. The government says thousands of militants and about 500 soldiers and police officers have been killed since the ceasefire broke down. Human rights groups say about 400 civilians have also been killed. People will not be allowed to enter or leave the area near Silvan during the curfew, the governor's statement said. "It is important for citizens to follow the ban for the security of their lives and property," it said. New York-based Human Rights Watch this week accused the government of preventing independent investigations into alleged rights abuses during the lockdowns that include unlawful killings of civilians, displacement of civilians and destruction of private property. Separately, the Interior Ministery ordered the co-mayors of the town of Mazidagi in Mardin province be removed from office, security sources said. A prosecutor is investigating the elected officials' potential culpability after a municipal vehicle was allegedly used in a car-bomb attack on a gendarmes outpost that killed two soldiers and wounded another 12 on July 9. In the past year, authorities jailed 22 mayors and sacked another 31 for their alleged support for the PKK in the southeast. All are members of a regional party, the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), which denies collaborating with the PKK. The married 42 year-old third-generation skydiver, who has made about 18,000 jumps in his 25-year career, will leap on July 30 and land on his back on a device which organisers would only describe as a "slide". "I'm going to do something that's definitely out there and most people in the world will think is crazy," Aikins said on Monday. Rwanda has "no obligation" and "no right to arrest anybody" as it has not subscribed to the treaty founding the International Criminal Court (ICC), Louise Mushikiwabo said at a news conference. "We are too busy to pay attention to that kind of thing," she said at the media conference held ahead of the gathering of the 54-nation group. The summit takes place on Sunday and Monday. "Rwanda is the host of African leaders invited by the African Union," she said. "Unequivocally, anybody who is invited by the African Union will be here in Kigali and would be very welcome, would be under the protection of this country as should be customary." The ICC issued arrest warrants for Bashir in 2009 and 2010 for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide over the Darfur conflict, where more than 300,000 people have died, according to the United Nations. But he continues to travel, including to some nations that ratified the Rome treaty setting up the ICC. Controversy erupted last year when South Africa failed to arrest Bashir when he attended an AU summit in Johannesburg. African leaders in fact have become increasingly resentful of the ICC's authority, accusing the Hague-based court of targeting only countries on the African continent. Mushikiwabo said there would be discussion at the AU summit in Kigali of whether the court's African members should withdraw. "It's our task to work very closely with governments of ally countries," Merkel told a news conference after talks in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, adding there were many problems in the world that made such close cooperation necessary. The chancellor said she spoke to May on the phone late on Wednesday and invited her for talks in Berlin. "I look forward to working together," she added. Merkel declined to comment on May's surprise decision to appoint Boris Johnson, a leading Brexit campaigner who had until recently been seen as her main rival for the prime minister's job, as foreign secretary. Lighting the way to McAfee Pass a waning moon led 21 locals the 10.7 miles that climb almost 3,000 feet to the top of the Silver Peak Range on their way from Fish Lake Valley to the Old School Saloon terminus 34 miles away in Silver Peak for the 22nd annual Silver Peak or Bust hike. The Bettendorf Public Library will host contemporary book discussions at 1 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 , at the Bettendorf High School Library, 3333 18th St. Books will include House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family and a Lost Middle East by Anthony Shadid, and a discussion of Lila, the 2016 All Iowa Reads title by Marilynne Robinson. Both discussions will be led by librarian Hedy Hustedde. Books are available for loan on a first-come basis at the Bettendorf Public Librarys Information Desk. Anthony Shadids book covers Shadids travels through Lebanon to report on the Israeli invasion in his familys ancestral hometown of Marjayoun. He discovers his great-grandfathers once magnificent estate in near ruins, devastated by war. One year later, Shadid returned to Marjayoun, not to chronicle violence, but to rebuild. The story of Lila, is about abandoning her homeless existence to become a ministers wife, reflecting on her hardscrabble life on the run with a young drifter, and her efforts to reconcile her painful past with her husbands gentle Christian worldview. A nice couple of days are in store for the Quad-Cities as a cool front moves through the region bringing mild temperatures and lower humidity during the day, and temperatures in the low 60s at night. Itll feel pretty nice at night, so people can open up their windows and air out their houses, said meteorologist Andy Ervin of the National Weather Service, Davenport. Before that cool weather hit, a round of severe thunderstorms moved through the region Wednesday felling trees, branches, utility poles and power lines, leaving thousands without power. Ervin said the narrow band of storms ran virtually in a straight line from Muscatine through far southern Rock Island County, to northern Henry and LaSalle counties in Illinois. The strongest storms ran along that line, with wind gusts between 60-70 mph and rainfall amounts between 2- and 3-inches. Most of the damage caused by the storm occurred along that line, Ervin said. At the Quad-City International Airport in Moline, 1.33 inches of rain fell within an hour, with the strongest wind gust reaching about 58 mph. However, the Davenport Municipal Airport only received .36 of an inch. A few rainfall totals north of the Davenport Airport totaled just a couple hundredths of an inch, he said. At the height of the storms, more than 13,000 MidAmerican Energy customers lost power, according to the companys website. MidAmerican Energy spokeswoman Ashton Hockman said that crews from all over the state of Iowa were either in the Quad-Cities or en route Wednesday night to help with repairs. As of 9:15 p.m. Wednesday, 6,185 MidAmerican customers in the Illinois Quad-Cities were without power. That number included 1,381 in Silvis, 775 in Rock Island County, 817 in Rock Island, 865 in Moline, 360 in Carbon Cliff, 489 in East Moline, 265 in Colona, 395 in Andalusia and 315 in Henry County. At the same time, there were 197 MidAmerican customers without power in Bettendorf, and 42 without power in Scott County. During the storm, 2,330 MidAmerican Energy customers in Davenport lost power. By Wednesday night, only one customer remained without electricity, according to the companys website. The vast majority of customers affected are in Illinois, Hockman said. Crews will be working throughout the night and we hope to have power restored to most of those customers by noon Thursday (today). Hockman said that homeowners need to check to make sure that the lines leading to their house are in order. If those lines have been pulled away from the house, or if the house connection has been damaged, then an electrician will need to make repairs before MidAmerican can restore power to that home, she said. The next chance of rain and thunderstorms comes Sunday as a warm front moves into the area from the plains, Ervin said. MUSCATINE, Iowa -- Friday, July 15 has been proclaimed "Sister Cities International Day" in Muscatine as the international organization celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Muscatine Sister Cities president John Dabeet is in Washington, D.C. this week participating in the Sister Cities International leadership meetings. "As Sister Cities International is celebrating 60 years of citizen diplomacy, Muscatine Sister Cities, Inc., is celebrating 30 years of building bridges of peace among nations at the same time," Dabeet said in a news release. "I encourage the citizens of Muscatine to celebrate 60 years of peace through people on July 15, and ask each one of you to take time and think of how powerful humanity can be when we unite to promote peace, progress and prosperity for a better world," he said. Muscatine has sister city partnerships in the following cities and countries: Drohobych, Ukraine; Ichikawamisato, Japan; Kislovodsk, Russia; Lomza, Poland; Ludwigslust, Germany; Parana/Crespo, Argentina; Ramallah, Palestine; and Zhengding, China. After Muscatine Mayor Diana Broderson read the proclamation at the July 7 city council meeting, Dabeet thanked her and said, "I will carry the Muscatine name with me to Washington, D.C." Sister Cities International was founded as a presidential initiative by President Dwight Eisenhower on Sept. 11, 1956 at the White House Conference on citizen diplomacy. Serving inmates meals at a federal prison is tough work especially when you're one of them. Just ask Demitri Parker, of Davenport, who worked his way up to head cook at the Federal Correctional Institution in Pekin, Illinois. "You're loved and hated by inmates at the same time," said Parker, who served 16 years of his 25-year sentence for a conviction on a federal drug-distribution charge. "If you mess the meal up, you have 1,300 guys at your neck. But the stakes aren't as high now as they used to be for the 46-year-old Parker, whose sentence was cut short last September when the Obama administration granted his early release from prison. The commutations come as the administration works to reduce costs and overcrowding in federal prisons. The "second chance" initiative also aims to provide relief to nonviolent offenders who would have already finished their sentences if they had been sentenced under current, less onerous sentencing guidelines. The Chicago native originally was sentenced to mandatory life in prison when Rock Island police officers found about 105 grams of crack and $1,700 cash in his car during an Aug. 1, 1999, traffic stop, according to court records. These days, Parker is using the culinary skills he learned in the U.S. Navy and sharpened during his incarceration to stay busy. From 1988 to 1992, Parker was stationed in San Diego where he cooked in a mess hall. As temperatures reached the mid-80s Wednesday afternoon, he treated children in his neighborhood to cups of Italian ice in front of the home he and his girlfriend share on Appomattox Road. In the coming months, he hopes to roll his food cart business, coined Mechies Munchies, out into the community. "This is my new start right here," said Parker, who credits jail time for his development, and delivers newspapers every morning for the Times. "I spent my time reading and studying; I used that time to save myself." Those closest to him see a changed man. "He grew up in there," Juanita Cooke, Parker's 39-year-old girlfriend, said. "He became the man he couldnt be then." Looking back, Parker said he earned his clemency for behaving well in prison. As of this month, Obama has commuted the sentences of 348 individuals more than the past seven presidents combined, according to the White House. On Monday, Parker shared his story with a large crowd of pastors, police officers and community members during a public meeting organized by a grassroots organization called Boots on the Ground. The Rev. Daniel Teague, who leads the group, also led the applause. "He's an excellent person," an impressed Teague said. "He made a mistake, and hes paid his debt to society, so who are we to hold anything against him?" On probation for the next 10 years, Parker is subject to random drug tests, but said he doesn't plan on revisiting his criminal past. "That's what I'm into right there," he said, pointing to his cart full of ice soaked in fruit syrup. "I've got a goal that I want to get to and I'm getting to that goal." Davenport police arrested two teens early Wednesday for allegedly battering and robbing a couple outside the Walmart store on Elmore Avenue. Authorities are also searching for a third suspect involved in the case. Keiana Ceceila Lowe, 19, of 1702 W. 7th St., Davenport, and Damonta Malick Green, 19, of 3312 W. 42nd St., Davenport, are each charged with one count of second-degree robbery and one count of assault while participating in a felony. The robbery charge is a Class C felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Due to lack of serious injury of the victims, the assault is classified as a Class D felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of up to five years. The incident occurred 3:41 a.m. at the Walmart at 5811 Elmore Ave. According to the arrest affidavits filed by Davenport police officers Erik Johnson and Sean Johnson, Lowe punched the female victim multiple times, causing her to suffer injuries to the right eye and the upper lip. The third suspect in the case punched the victim's boyfriend. Green then stole a wallet out of the boyfriend's back pocket. Lowe and Green were being held Wednesday night in the Scott County Jail on $10,000 bond. On April 4, 1968 -- the day that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed by a sniper -- Robert Kennedy gave (arguably) one of the greatest American speeches not given by a president. Speaking in a tough section of Indianapolis, Kennedy informed the shocked crowd that King was dead, quoted Aeschylus on the wisdom that comes "drop by drop" from pain, and set out the ideal of a politics that could "make gentle the life of this world." Kennedy urged Americans "to make an effort to understand" -- offering empathy as the best hope in "rather difficult times." Indianapolis was calm that night, but there were soon riots in 110 other American cities. So, on April 5, 1968, Kennedy spoke in Cleveland, giving a brief speech, undeservedly neglected. "No wrongs have ever been righted by riots and civil disorders," he said. "A sniper is only a coward, not a hero; and an uncontrolled, uncontrollable mob is only the voice of madness, not the voice of the people." This balance between empathy and a concern for order is what many leaders strive for today. Our country is less riven than in 1968, but our leaders are not as skilled, at least when it comes to rhetoric. We are not asking for Aeschylus, and would probably mock his appearance in a speech today, but it would be nice if politicians did not immediately fall into partisan ruts, or post Facebook banalities. What American leader is equal to explaining this moment and moving us forward? The question just echoes. President Obama, as he demonstrated in a fine speech on the 50th anniversary of Selma, can sometimes find the words. But he has become symbolic of the limits of symbolism. Many thought his election was a fundamental turning point on issues of race. But just 15 percent of Americans now believe his presidency has brought blacks and whites together. It is a failure not entirely his fault, but it contributes to an atmosphere of cynicism. Hillary Clinton argues that we are "stronger together," but she remains one of the most divisive and distrusted politicians in America. Speaker Paul Ryan spoke movingly on the floor of the House in reaction to Dallas, urging Americans to defy the predictions of division -- but he is at least partially discredited by his endorsement of a presidential candidate who thrives on discord. Chuck Todd of NBC News wonders if support for Trump will be a "stain" or a "tattoo." I would bet a tattoo, leaving only a handful of Republicans unmarked by exclusion. Trump is the entrepreneur of enmity, employing ethnic stereotypes on the first day of his campaign, and breaking through imagined "ceilings" of GOP support by encouraging fear of Muslims after the San Bernardino attack. Some in the conservative media are actively practicing a white identity politics -- witness the Drudge Report's headline "Black Lives Kill." The whole political enterprise of turning out the white vote -- the only real hope of the Trump campaign -- is morally problematic and dangerous. In fact, there are people on the left and right who benefit from encouraging just enough division, just enough fear, to motivate their supporters, without tipping them over into violence. They are playing with fire in a parched and withered land. Even as an outsider to the world of liberal advocacy, I think it is possible to see some troubling trends. Civil rights movement-era figures thought they could improve society by changing institutions -- passing legislation or winning judicial battles. And the aspirations of the movement were carried in the durable institution of the African-American church. But younger activists seem to have less faith in institutional reform because they have less faith in institutions -- including religious ones. But without a belief in reform, how is justified anger channeled into constructive purposes? "Maybe it just sags/like a heavy load," offered Langston Hughes. "Or does it explode?" Even if we cannot, as individuals, hope to change systemic racism, most of us have the ability to defy our times and reach out across lines of race and religion. And religious people have a particular calling in this area. A pastor friend who runs a retreat center in rural Virginia found an abandoned slave cemetery on the property. His religious community reached out to African-American leaders and together they rededicated the cemetery, asking for forgiveness and praying for healing. None who participated came away unchanged. While waiting for leaders, perhaps the most practical and hopeful path is to become them. The War on Drugs results in more drugs on the street, and more drug users. The War on Terror ends up with more terror and terrorists. Can we have a War on Jobs and a War on Money, please? Note how our wonderful governor of Illinois just enabled a 1 percent tax on medical marijuana. Just think if he actually taxed it at 2.9 percent like Colorado, or legalized it, and reaped a total 12.9 percent from the consumer. We might actually balance the state budget. During World War II, the states were encouraged to grow cannabis and "Hemp for Victory" signs were everywhere. FORT DODGE, Iowa The federal governments top health care official said Thursday during a visit to Iowa that if Medicaid providers here are not being paid in a timely fashion as some claim, her department will work with the state to address the issue. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, who traveled to Iowa on Thursday as part of her three-city national tour to discuss health care policy, also expressed disappointment that Congress left for a seven-week break without agreeing on a measure to fund efforts to combat the Zika virus. Burwell participated in a forum discussion with roughly a dozen physicians and other local health care officials at UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge. In a brief meeting with reporters after the event, Burwell said the federal government will work with Iowas Health and Human Services Department to address the issue with some Medicaid providers. On April 1, Iowa shifted management of the states $5 billion Medicaid program to three private health care companies. Since then, some providers who provide in-home care such as housekeeping, cooking and administering medication, say they are receiving delayed payments and sometimes no payment at all for their services. If there are issues, we will work with the state, Burwell said. The federal HHS delayed the start of Iowas Medicaid transition because it thought the state was not ready for its Jan. 1 target date. Burwell also said she is disappointed federal lawmakers failed to agree on funding for efforts to combat the mosquito-born Zika virus that has created a health scare in Central America and is trickling into the United States. The virus is thought to be causing birth defects in newborns, leading governments to recommend pregnant women not travel to affected regions. There have been more than 1,300 cases of the Zika virus reported in the U.S., including 346 among pregnant women, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been nine diagnosed cases in Iowa, according to CDC. Burwell said the Zika virus has caused 16 cases of adverse outcomes for pregnancies in U.S. citizens. A $1.1 billion Zika bill stalled in Congress this week because of partisan politics. Right now, its an emergency for the nation, Burwell said. Weve asked for the resources. We asked for them back in February. And were hopeful that were going to see those when (lawmakers) return (in September). Burwell said her department has found funding wherever it could, but a lack of larger funding could hamper efforts to create a vaccine for the virus. Were very hopeful. The science exists for this type of mosquito and this type of virus. So were able to go into phase-one trials very soon, Burwell said. But unless you can do the planning for phase two and have the money for that, we cant continue the process. So any delays in getting vaccines that would help us solve this problem are going to be very important. The panel discussion at UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge centered on accountable care organizations, programs that coordinate patient care across the health care spectrum. Gov. Dennis Daugaard issued an emergency fire declaration Wednesday afternoon for 13 central and western South Dakota counties that have been impacted by drought conditions, including Butte County. The counties are: Butte, Custer, Fall River, Haakon, Harding, Hughes, Jackson, Jones, Lawrence, Meade, Pennington, Perkins and Stanley. Daugaard said the declaration allows state government services to be used as necessary to help the counties that are part of the declaration. The declaration was recommended by the state Drought Task Force which was activated by the Governor this week. Widespread drought, low humidity and high temperatures have led to a serious fire hazard in those 13 counties, Daugaard said in a news release. Persistent prairie fires could diminish the feed and water supplies needed for livestock; or create hardships for individuals, businesses and governments by destroying public, private and agricultural property. (Audio) The declaration allows one single engine air tanker (SEAT) plane to be stationed in Pierre and be managed by the South Dakota Department of Agricultures Division of Wildland Fire. The plane will respond as needed to fires in the declared counties. If used, the state would cover 90 percent of the cost while the counties would pay the other 10 percent. Additionally, the SEAT will be available to use on prairie fires affecting federal and tribal lands through existing agreements. It has been a dry year in parts of South Dakota. Sixty percent of the land in our state is abnormally dry and counties primarily west of the river are experiencing moderate to extreme drought, Daugaard said. By declaring an emergency the state will be prepared to assist counties when and if fires break out. The Black Hills Forest Fire Protection District is not included in the declaration. The declaration period begins Friday, July 16, and will last no longer than Dec. 31, 2016. July 12, 1916 Butte County has caught the division fever, and a petition has been presented to the county commission asking that the eastern part of the county be set out as a new county to be known as Dairy County. This would include a part of the irrigation district from the Belle Fourche Project if carried out. A pick up team of Newellites journeyed over to Sturgis Sunday to demonstrate their ability at ball tossing, but were snowed under to the tune of 15-4. The party of Newellites is planning a picnic party to Bear Butte Park next Sunday and is anticipating a fine time. July 15, 1926 Two young fellows claimed William Brown and Thomas Chrastman as their names and were arrested Tuesday evening and charged with defrauding the Loyal Hotel. After taking supper, they made a run for the street without settling the bill. On guilty pleas, Justice Goff fined them $10 plus costs each. They were broke, so Deputy Sanders took the culprits to Belle Fourche to serve out their fines in the county bastille. Both were husky looking chaps. A number of beet farmers from western Nebraska visited the Newell District this week, seeking leases of suitable land for beet growing next year. One man wanted 200 acres or more. July 9, 1936 Superintendent Beyer Aune reports that Mondays high temperature mark of 110 degrees broke the all-time record at the U.S. Farm weather station. Sundays high of 109 tied the former high mark achieved in 1910, but the Monday high of 110 burnt up all high records kept at the farm for the past 28 years. President Roosevelt disclosed plans today for a trip into the Dakotas in late August to survey at first hand the effects of the drought. He described the trip to be non-political with no campaign speeches. July 11, 1946 At the Black Hills Roundup this year of special interest in this territory was the entry by Walt Milberg, Newell, of his thorough bred filly Little Sue, in the fast race event. Milberg couldnt find a jockey, rode the mare himself and brought her in 3rd. On the third day he found a jockey, and the filly came in 1st. Sunday he scheduled a race with a high-rated Cooper horse and won. South Dakota farmers have not hoarded their grain stocks at a time food is needed to avert a world-wide famine, according to figures compiled recently by the South Dakota Crop & Livestock Reporting Service, which shows that 35 million bushels of wheat have moved off South Dakota farms from 1945s record breaking crop. July 12, 1956 Firearms being used by several juveniles were taken into custody by Deputy Walt Miller here this week, when the youths were found using the beet dump south of town for target practice. Miller reminds parents and children that it is against state law for any person under 16 to have any fire arm unless accompanied by an adult. July 14, 1966 Darrel Blomberg, operator of Newells main street airport, flew Jean DeHaven, Wessington, whose is well noted for his 20-mule teams 1800-mile train trek from Death Valley, Calif., to his home town in South Dakota. Blomberg flew DeHaven from Moorcroft, Wyo., to Pierre and Miller last Saturday and will pick him up at Spearfish to make personal appearances in the area on his history making trek. July 14, 1976 The first game of the newly organized Vale Mens Slow Pitch Softball League was played at Vale July 8 on the freshly renovated ball diamond behind the Vale School. There are six teams in the league: four from Newell, one from Vale and one from Nisland. Fans are invited to come and watch. Games are played every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. There was a good crowd for the first game. There is a $100 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for poisoning two dogs July 2 on the county road near the old buildings of the Bud Harper ranch north east of the Arpan Store. To give information call Robert Johnson or the Sheriff Deputy. July 21, 1986 An eight by four foot mural painted by the NVN Paletteers Art Club for the Bicentennial, which was sponsored by the Black Hills Art Association, has been donated to the Newell Senior Center. The mural features early days and farming and industry in the eastern Butte County area. Twelve local club members each contributed a section of the mural, telling a story about how our area has grown from land without fences to modern productive farmland. The mural hangs in the senior center for all to appreciate. July 16, 1986 Ray and Delores Weingart are business partners of Ray Dow, who owns R&D Septic Cleaning Service. They work on a percentage basis and do the work themselves. The Weingarts have lived in rural Newell for 17 years, moving here from Chicago to raise their children in a safer environment. They recommend septic tank cleaning every two to three years and also claiming no one pokes their noses into their business. Jean Keil, Newell, won the breakaway roping at the South Dakota High School Rodeo Finals held in New Underwood July 26-28. She went into the short-go on Sunday in second place, advancing to the finals and a place to compete in the National High School Rodeo July 21-27. Other members of the Newell team were J.D. Mutchler, Bradley Bauer, Brett Crowser, James Bauer and Joe Bob Martin. July 10, 1996 Wind, rain and large hail hammered southern Butte County Friday night. Estimates of 20-35 percent of the crops in the irrigation project were demolished by the driving hail of the storm. An effort to assess the damages to the crops and farm buildings on the project and discussion on relief funding is currently underway. A bus tour of the damaged area will leave Belle Fourche Chamber of Commerce at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, followed by a town meeting at the Newell City Hall at 1 p.m. Representatives from several financial organizations are scheduled to be present as well as U.S. Congressional delegation. CUSTER Acting Forest Supervisor Jim Zornes has signed an order prohibiting use of open fire on all National Forest System lands administered by the Black Hills National Forest within the state of Wyoming. The order is effective immediately and shall be in effect until rescinded or until Dec. 31, 2016 whichever occurs first. The order can be seen at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/blackhills/notices/?cid=STELPRDB5117120 For more information on the Black Hills National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills or call (605) 673-9200. The future of plans by the city of Sturgis to buy land near Sturgis Brown High School is clouded. The Meade School Board on Monday said it will not sell 323 acres of land near Sturgis Brown High School to the city of Sturgis. Under the proposal, the Meade School District would have sold the land adjacent to the high school at the appraised price of $2,995,000. "My real sticking issue for this is the fact that the city has asked the school to finance this," said board member Courtney Mack. "We are not a financial institution. This is not our money. This is the taxpayers money." She said it is the board's mission to support educating students, not to support city ventures that they can't afford. "As much as I would like to see this happen, but having us finance it is not the correct way," she said. "There is a way to do some of it as long as someone is willing to write a check." City Manager Daniel Ainslie outlined terms of the sale in May saying that the city is willing to put down 20 percent, or $471,000, on the land, then make seven annual payments of $293,659. The city wants to move the fairgrounds from its current location on Ball Park Road to an area near the high school east of town. Under the proposal, the city would have purchased the 323 acres near Sturgis Brown High School at $9,140 per acre for a purchase price of $2.9 million. In return, the school district would have purchased about 10 acres on the existing fairgrounds site for $600,000 for a future expansion of its elementary school. That would leave the amount the city owed the school district at $2.35 million. The city expressed interest in the land following a housing study done by a team of planners, architects and engineers from KLJ, an engineering company from Rapid City. In August of 2014, Ainslie presented a proposed Land Use Plan to the Meade 46-1 School Board based on the KLJ recommendations. Since then, representatives of Meade 46-1 School District and the city continued to meet to negotiate possible deal elements. At the Monday meeting, elements of the deal were broken into four separate motions for the school board to consider. Two of those elements were approved by the Meade School Board on Monday. Board members gave a thumbs up to a proposal that would authorize the Meade School District superintendent Don Kirkegaard and the school board's attorney to work with the city to prepare the necessary deeds and documents for the exchange of property the city owns adjacent Sturgis Elementary School for school district owned property adjacent to the old Francis Case Elementary School just off Fulton Street in southeast Sturgis. Board member Corey Johnson said he viewed the land at the high school as an appreciating asset. "I think from a financial standpoint it would be a bad decision to sell that land and put that money into something that is not going to appreciate to a level more than land," he said. Member Bob Burns said the school district shouldn't hang onto the land around the high school just as a go-to in an emergency. "Land is not a liquid asset," he said. "You don't sell that in an emergency. And the last thing you want to do is sell land when you are under duress." Burns said that in some ways the district does have an emergency. "We need land in that Piedmont area. We need land around the Sturgis Elementary School. We're always short on money," he said. He said architects have told district officials that they need more land than is currently set aside at Piedmont if the district wants to build a middle school and possibly a high school there in the future. "We can barely fit in what we need to do now. If we want to look to the future we need more land there. And it's expensive down there," Burns said. Currently the school district gets about $13,800 a year for ag leases on land around the high school. "If we were to give that land away just with the stipulation that it be put on the tax rolls we'd get $26,000 a year in taxes," he said. "It's not fiscally responsible to keep holding that as an asset. If we invest in land as an asset then we should do it in places like Summerset where it's appreciating." Board member Mike Isaacson said he has agonized over the land sale issue for the past several months. He joked that people began avoiding him out of fear that he would ask their opinion on the deal. "Most people were favorable of doing something, predicated on that notion that financially our backs are against the wall in the district. There is a lot of need and our current generation are the ones paying the price for it," he said. The district struggles to find money for the rural schools, in the Piedmont/Summerset areas and at Sturgis Elementary, Isaacson said. And despite the passage of a half-cent sales tax by the S.D. Legislature for education, that money is earmarked specifically for personnel pay, Isaacson said. "It's agonizing to know that the needs are so high and here we have a willing buyer to help us out," he said. "There are too many questions, too many caveats." Isaacson said he struggles with determining what's right and what's easy. "It's a philosophical conundrum," he said. Isaacson shares Mack's concern that under a contract for deed with the city, the school district would not have the full amount of money paid for the land near the high school for seven years. "That means we don't build. We would have to put everything off for a while," he said. Isaacson said the city/school district land sale isn't just a business deal. It's also an educational deal. "We have to pay attention to what's going on around the high school. Just to say we're making a sale and good luck, I hope that somebody descent shows up to build out there I don't think that is good enough. There's not a watchful eye there. We have an obligation. We need to have say so in clear terms as to what happens. The city is frankly not willing or able to tell us that and for the life of me I don't know why." Isaacson said board members are committed to families and the entire school district to be able to clearly say "here is what will happen to the land should it be sold." "I hope the patrons of the district know how much we thought about this and how heavy this has been weighing on us," Isaacson said. Burns also addressed a concern voiced by fellow school board members about putting restrictions on the land that was to be sold. "If we put restrictions on the land, it would decrease its value. That would be true whether we sell it to the city or on open auction," he said. Burns reminded fellow board members that even if they sold the 323 acres, the district still would have a 140-acre buffer around the high school. "There are historical issues and that's what has bothered me from the beginning," Burns said. He addressed the issue of a shooting range which is to the north and west of the high school. He said they have received assurances from the city that they would be willing to protect the historical areas. Burns then made a motion to add an amendment to the original motion of selling the land to the city which would have made the cavalry shooting range a green space and that there would be no commercial or residential development on it. The selling price for the 20 acres would have been $1 an acre or $20. "It didn't make sense to me that we are taking land that was given to us to preserve and charging the city for it," he said. Even though the amendment passed, the overall motion to authorize Meade School District to sell the 323 acres at the high school to the city failed on a vote of 4-5. Voting for the sale of the land were Burns, Dennis Chowen, Curt Nupen and Charlie Wheeler. Voting against selling the land were Mike Isaacson, Corey Johnson, Courtney Mack, board president Bryce Richter and Joe Urbaniak. Sturgis City Council members Rod Bradley and Mike Bachand attended the Monday meeting but did not speak before the board. Bachand did say Tuesday that he has reservations and concerns about the stipulations the school board placed on the city. Bachand believes the city will most likely take up the issue of the land sale at its meeting on July 18. He hopes there won't be a vote until all the details have been reviewed. DEADWOOD | Ten historic preservation projects, ranging from restoration of Coca-Cola murals to reconstruction of an 1876 monument to a murdered mail carrier to repairing a public library, will receive more than $90,000 from the Outside of Deadwood Grant Program. Since 2002, the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commissions grant program has funneled more than $3.5 million to 51 South Dakota communities, according to Deadwood Historic Preservation Officer Kevin Kuchenbecker. The Deadwood City Commission unanimously approved the grants on July 5 based on recommendations of the preservation board, he said. These are all worthwhile projects throughout the state, even though this round witnessed mostly West River applicants, Kuchenbecker said. For the first time in my 10-year tenure, the requests actually represented less than what we had available to give. The Lead Historic Preservation Commission will receive a $3,600 grant to rehabilitate two large historic Coca-Cola murals located on the side of the Stampmill Restaurant and the Senior Citizens Center on Main Street. The Society of Black Hills Pioneers garnered a $25,000 grant, the largest awarded in this funding cycle, to rebuild and enhance the Charles Nolin Monument originally constructed in 1932. Located near the intersection of Junction Avenue and Harmon Street in Sturgis, the monument honors Nolin, a pony mail carrier, who was ambushed, murdered and scalped at that site Aug. 19, 1876. Also in Sturgis, the Alkali Community Club Hall received an $8,790 grant to assist in the $44,000 replacement of its roof and associated repairs to the building. The community hall was originally the Womens Army Corps mess hall from Fort Meade before being moved to its present location in 1947. The City of Mobridge will receive $22,582 to repair the chimney and fix water damage at its A.H. Brown Public Library. Built in 1929, the structure still serves as the towns public library. The Newell Church Museum, built as a Congregational Church in 1911, received $418 to help replace three windows damaged in a severe hailstorm in June 2015. Meanwhile, the Newell Museum will receive $1,157 to restore chinking in its Flaigg Cabin damaged in the same storm. A $655 grant to the City of Whitewood will help defray costs of a South Dakota Historical Marker denoting the site of the Black Hills Sales Pavilion. Although the 1921 building no longer exists, the site was the location of the first livestock market west of the Missouri River. Whitewood residents raised another $655 to pay for the sign, which will be placed on city property. Custers 1881 Courthouse Museum will receive $2,378 to replace 20-year-old ultra-violet film on three sides of its building. The museum, listed on the roster of National Historic Places in America, is home to some 10,000 artifacts and historical documents. The Fall River County Pioneer Museum in Hot Springs will gain a $6,606 grant from Deadwood to re-plaster and paint several rooms in the impressive sandstone building, which dates to 1893. Finally, Fillmore & Co. Inc. garnered a $2,500 grant to make historic preservation improvements to the cook shack, formerly the bunkhouse of the Dakota Tin & Gold Mine in the ghost town of Tinton. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Deadwood's grants program represents one of the largest funders of historic preservation projects in the state, Kuchenbecker said. Nonprofits and local governments in South Dakota are encouraged to apply for the Outside of Deadwood Grant Program, he added. The next application deadline is Jan. 2, 2017. For more information, call 578-2082 or visit cityofdeadwood.com. Officials said the incident was a mistake and the plane from Minneapolis-St. Paul ultimately landed at Rapid City Regional Airport, the intended destination. There were no injuries. Two pilots were suspended while the investigation continues. Our meeting today was the first step in ensuring that instances like the one we saw at Ellsworth last week do not happen again, Thune said in a news release. Fortunately, inconvenience to the passengers was the worst that came from the erroneous but nevertheless safe landing. Its still important, though, that Delta and appropriate government safety officials take necessary precautions to make sure that we avoid such unnecessary human error in the future, and protect the flying public. Mining has long been a part of life in the Black Hills, but weve come a long way from the days when the only thing unearthed was gold and when miners worked with picks and shovels. Take the defunct Gilt Edge gold mine, for example, which is still brimming with millions of gallons of toxic mine waste after the state of South Dakota and the Environmental Protection Agency spent $100 million to clean it up. Gilt Edge is now recognized as a Superfund site, marking it as one of the most polluted places in the country. A new cleanup plan to deal with the remaining acid water and other hazardous waste is going to cost an additional $89 million at least. For as we speak the volume of pollution is increasing, as more water comes in contact with hazardous waste from the abandoned mine site. Gilt Edge may be getting a lot of attention lately, but unfortunately it is not an isolated situation. Western South Dakota is home to almost 300 abandoned uranium mines and prospects, many of which are leaking radioactive mine waste that contaminates our rivers. Open your wallets, folks: because you and I, the taxpayer, are footing the bill for this. Thats because by the time were talking about cleanup costs, the mining companies are often long gone, leaving their mess for us to deal with. That costs us and our basic industries like ranching and tourism, big time. Who wants cattle to graze on uranium mine waste? And, its certainly not an attraction for tourists either. Why are things so backwards? Because although the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inherits these problem sites, it has no authority to demand mining companies prove, up front, that they have the funds for cleaning up after themselves. Here is how we can fix it. New rules are under development that will call on mining companies to make funds available, in advance, for the cost of cleaning up their hazardous leftovers. Such reform will hold companies accountable for cleanup. And when their own money is on the line, Im willing to bet the mining industry will start to manage waste more responsibly. And the new rules should require that the reserved cleanup funds are backed by predictable, secure guarantees not just corporate promises. It cant come soon enough. American taxpayers are already saddled with a whopping $20-$45 billion bill to clean up other mining Superfund sites across the country. And more risky projects are proposed all the time. The state and federal governments are considering proposals for a new type of uranium mining in situ leach mining in which mining takes place directly in the groundwater aquifers. Eleven uranium companies have expressed an interest in the Black Hills in recent years, where uranium deposits lie in a ring around the outside edge of the Hills. The risks are considerable. For example, Uravan, a former Colorado uranium mining town, had to be completely leveled due to contamination. It is, yes, another Superfund site. It is the companies that enrich themselves from mining that should shoulder the financial burden of mine cleanup, not you and me, the taxpayers. Those of us who live in the Black Hills know how special this area is. We know the value of clean water for the health of our families and our economy. Please join me in supporting these common-sense financial assurances to protect the clean water our communities rely on. Italian company ordered to pay $8,000 for illegal use of OMSA brand MOSCOW, July 14 (RAPSI, Natalia Belova) The Moscow Commercial Court ordered recovery of 500,000 rubles (about $8,000) from Italcom SRL in favor of another Italian company, Gilfin S.P.A, for illegal use of OMSA brand, according to court records. The court also prohibited Italcom SRL from using the trademark owned by Gilfin S.P.A in the domain name omsa.ru. The lawsuit lodged by Gilfin S.P.A has been granted in part. The plaintiff demanded to collect 5 million rubles ($78,300) from the defendant. The claimant is a copyright holder of several international brands OMSA registered for articles of clothing, stockings, socks and tights. Gilfin S.P.A turned to court because Italcom SRL illegally used the companys trademarks in the domain name. Moscow court upholds extended detention of tycoon Polonsky MOSCOW, July 14 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court has upheld the extended detention of real estate tycoon Sergei Polonsky, who stands accused of large scale fraud during the construction of two residential complexes, until August 12, RAPSI reports from the courtroom on Thursday. "As it happens, the court has dismissed an appellation of his lawyers, who insisted on a mitigation of pretrial restrictions, a Moscow City Court representative said. Polonsky, who is the founder of Potok (formerly Mirax Group), a diversified corporation that has been involved in several large development projects, is deemed to cause damages in amount of 2.4 billion rubles ($38 million) with regard to Kutuzov Mile and 256 million rubles ($4 million) with regard to Rublyovskaya Riviera development projects. Other projects Polonsky has been involved in include Federation Tower in the Moscow International Business Center, office buildings Mirax Plaza, Poklonnaya 11 and Admiral, condominium developments Mirax Park, Golden Keys 1 and 2, and the Well House. In May 2015, the Cambodian authorities, where Polonsky had been avoiding Russian prosecution, extradited him to Russia. If convicted, Polonsky could face up to ten years in prison. Polonsky has pleaded not guilty. KATHMANDU, July 14: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has expressed grave concern over 'slow implementation' of the ADB-funded development projects in Nepal. ADB high officials expressed this worry in the Tripartite Portfolio Review Meeting of the development projects implemented with the loan or grant assistance provided by it here today. Among the key portfolio challenges identified in the Meeting are: Weak project management capacity of executing/implementing agencies; Delays in procurement and disbursement; High risk in procurement and contract administration; Poor contractor and consultant performance; and Weak inter-agency coordination. It pointed out the challenges related to environment/forest clearance, land acquisition, aggregates and coordination with other utilities. The Meeting also recommended various actions for addressing these challenges. ADB Country Director for Nepal, Kenichi Yokoyama said the last year's Meeting had determined 22 action plans for the expeditious implementation of four projects in the energy sector but only 11 of them were implemented. These projects missed seven targets and four action plans were not complied to, he pointed out. Similarly, he discussed the status of projects in the water and other urban infrastructures, transport, education, agriculture, natural resources and rural development sectors, pointing out that the performance of these projects was not as targeted. He expressed concern over the halt in the Tribhuvan International Airport expansion project due to the lack of soil for filling, adding that the project management was also weak. The project has been hampered after the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) filed a case at the Special Court against the government's decision citing it could not provide the soil required for the airport expansion project. In the meeting, officials of the bodies concerned from Nepal acknowledged that the pace of implementation of the development projects could not be speeded up due to domestic and external reasons. They said they have given special emphasis to inter-ministry coordination and cooperation in carrying out the projects. Projects under implementation with ADB's loan and grant assistance include the Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project, the South Asia Tourism Infrastructure Development Project, Electricity Transmission Expansion and Supply Improvement Project, the Tanahu Hydroelectricity Project, Nepal Energy Sector Reform Project, the Melamchi Water Supply Project, the Kathmandu Valley Wastewater Management, the Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Improvement, the Integrated Urban Development and Urban Environment Improvement Project, the Road Network Expansion Project, the Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project, the School Sector Development Project and the Skill Development Project, the Decentralized Rural Infrastructure and Livelihood Improvement Project and the Capital Market and Infrastructure Capacity Enhancement Project, among others. RSS CPN-UML Chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli addresses the UML parliamentary party meeting in Naya Baneshwor of Kathmandu, on Sunday, May 29, 2016. Photo: RSS KATHMANDU: The CPN-UML parliamentary party on Thursday decided to face a no-confidence vote registered against its leader Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the Parliament. A PP meeting held in Naya Baneshwor of Kathmandu on Thursday made a decision to this effect, according to the partys Chief Whip Bhanubhakta Dhakal. The PP leader and Prime Minister Oli during the meeting had directed lawmakers of his party to take the fresh political developments easily, according to Dhakal. The Prime Minister told lawmakers to cope with the no-confidence motion registered by Nepali Congress and CPN Maoist Centre. Oli was of the view that the lawmakers should not fear as the party was not in the power because of anyones sympathy and mercy and it had already survived difficult situations like the border blockade allegedly imposed by India. The Prime Ministers party had called its PP meeting to discuss latest developments after withdrawal of the CPN Maoist Centre from the government and prepare next strategies of the party as it is high likely to get the opposition seats soon. KATHMANDU, July 14: The meeting of the Environment Conservation Committee under the Legislature-Parliament today discussed with the concerned authority about the possible risk of explosion of glacial lakes and the measures to be implemented to lessen the risk. As many as six glacial lakes including Tsho Rolpa and Imja are in the risk of possible explosion, said Top Bahadur Khatri chief of Community Based Floods and Glacial Lake Explosion Risk Reduction Project. He shared that prior information, alarm mechanisms such as sirens were installed in different places and settlements at Chaurikharka, Khumjung and Namche of Solukhumbu and Tarai districts including Mahottari, Saptari, Siraha and Udaypur which might be affected with the explosion of the Tsho Ropla Glacial Lake. In the meeting, lawmakers, Ganesh Bimali, Dr Duman Singh Thapa, Kamala BK, Hari Parasd Upreti, Hari Rajbanshi, Rajaram Syangtan, Man Bahadur Bishwakarma, among others had suggested to implement risk lessening measures. RSS Prime Minister KP Oli KATHMANDU, July 14: Leaders of different political parties have expressed mixed views regarding the no-confidence motion registered at the Legislature-Parliament against the Prime Minister. At a program organized by the Reporters' Club here today, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Ananda Prasad Pokharel, stood against the no-confidence motion while NC leader Ramesh Lekhak, CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Haribol Gajurel and Laxmanlal Karna of the United Democratic Madhesi Front argued that the no-confidence motion would topple the government. On the occasion, Minister Pokharel said that the incumbent government was still in majority and CPN (UML)-led government would get continuity. Stating that game has been played to topple the government under the pressure of foreign forces, he said, "The plot to depose this government was made secretively and many friends are following it." However, NC leader Lekhak said that the decision of changing the government was taken secretively but in a bright room of the Legislature-Parliament building. Lekhak said that the alternative of the incumbent was searched after the national agenda of the CPN (UML)-led government failed. He said, "A new government would fully implement the new constitution by incorporating maximum issues raised by people of different sectors." Similarly, CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Gajurel, who is also the outgoing Minister, said that the Prime Minister should pave ways for new government by tendering his resignation in view of the registration of the no-confidence motion against him. He clarified that his party had to search an alternative as the leadership of the incumbent government became failure from every angle. Likewise, UDMF leader Karna said although they agreed to change the incumbent government, they would not join the new government until their demands were addressed. RSS RAJBIRAJ: Police on Thursday arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in raping a 15-year-old girl in Saptari on Wednesday. The suspects have been identified as Baldev Sardar (35) of Kanchanrup Municipality-5, Ashok Sah (23) and Shiva Ram Sardar (18) of Portaha-9. Police said that the incident occurred while the victim was returning home from a local grocery shop. Preliminary investigation revealed that Baldev lured the girl under the pretext of giving her Rs 500, took her to a bush and raped her. Immediately after the incident, inebriated Ashok and Shiva, who came on a motorcycle, took the girl to the Koshi Barrage in Bharadaha-1 and rape her taking turns, said Inspector Gaurav Mahat. The victim has been taken to the Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences for treatment.RSS Saudi warplanes wage raids on Yemen SANA'A, July 13 (Saba) - The Saudi warplanes launched four raids on al-Arqob area in Khawlan district, a military official said Wednesday. The warplanes waged raids on Yam, Haid al-Dhahab, al-Majaweh areas in Nehm district of Sana'a. At the same time, the Riyadh's hirelings pounded Bani Bareq area in the district. On the other hand, A number of hirelings were killed or injured and some others captured when they tried to advance towards Haid al-Dhahab and Baiden areas in the same district. The warplanes waged an air raid on Dhubab city in Taiz province. The Riyadh's hirelings targeted al-Ghawi and Ghurab, al-Shabaka al-Hamra and al-Madrab areas in al-Waze'yah district of Taiz. Moreover, the hirelings attempted to advance towards al-Jahmalia and Klaba areas in Taiz. The army and popular committees repelled them and killed many of them. The hirelings in Taiz province targeted al-Sarari area in Sabr al-Mawadem district with artillery shells and machines guns. The Saudi warplanes launched two air raids on Abs district in Hajjah province. At the same time, the hirelings pounded Haradh and Midi districts with artillery shells in the same province. Two fishermen were killed by a Saudi raid on Hodeida province. The Saudi warplanes targeted their boat off the coast of al-Khukhah town. The Saudi fighter jets launched three raids on al-Hothira military site in Jizan. The raids targeted Kutaf district of Sa'ada province causing serious damage to citizens' houses and farms. In Mareb province, the Saudi fighter jets waged an air raid on Serwah. At the same time, the hirelings targeted many areas in the district. The warplanes waged many raids on al-Moton and al-Masloub districts in Jawf province. The hirelings targeted al-Ghail district in the same province with different kinds of weapons. HA/AF Saba Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Telegram Email Email Print Print [13/July/2016] Every year, those who don't already live in Montreal descend upon the city for what I like to call "summer movie camp." Fantasia hosts three glorious weeks of kung-fu, kaiju, sci-fi, horror, awards, short programs, live events, and its awesome growing film market, Frontieres. It's a cliche, but that's because it's true: there really is something for everyone here, including stuff for kids (the My First Fantasia programs). So starting tonight, we'll celebrate cinema during Fantasia's 20th anniversary. And both Takashi Miike and Guillermo del Toro are coming! See you at Concordia University --- or at the Irish Embassy over some pulled pork poutine! Check out what team ScreenAnarchy is excited to see at the festival this year. Michele "Izzy" Galgana, Andrew Mack and Kurt Halfyard contributed to this story. One of the standout films at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival was Julia Ducaurnau's French campus, coming of age cannibal flick, Raw. The assured and unflinching debut had viewers scrambling for the exits to go off and write good things about the film. ScreenAnarchy's own Shelagh Rowan-Legg certainly sung the film's praises in her own Cannes review. The story centres on Justine (played by Garance Marillier), a first year veterinary student and devout vegetarian who is forced to eat meat for the first time as part of a traditional hazing process. This loss of veg-inity (I stole that), stirs seemingly insatiable and deadly appetites. Ducaurnau has said her approach to the film is heavily influenced by the Canadian auteur David Cronenberg. Raw will see release in France in March 2017, while Focus Features picked the film up for distribution stateside. No domestic release is scheduled at this time. JT Mollner's feature debut Outlaws and Angels is a subversive and emotionally honest coming of age story with a strong female lead at its centre. Joining the recent batch of westerns made by indie auteurs who seem drawn to playing against genre tropes, the film defies any notion a viewer may have of good versus evil on the American frontier, aiming instead for a provacative moral ambiguity. Shot on Kodak stock and inspired by 70s European cinema, the film brims with old-school techniques that will excite fans of spaghetti westerns. All in, I think it's a bold debut from Mollner, who emerges with an original voice and a unique style. Outlaws and Angels sees a limited release on July 15 and will screen tonight at the 2016 Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal. ScreenAnarchy: What is it about the western that compels you and why did this story need to be told in that genre? JT Mollner: My grandfather turned me on to westerns at a young age and I pretty much saw all of them. I was always fascinated by the American western, but I was also fascinated by the avant garde, European cinema of the 60s and 70s. I like pushing the envelope with honest uncomfortable scenes and I always thought the American western was fascinating, but a little too clean on many levels. A lot of the westerns I saw over the years were very clear depictions of good vs. evil, but also they were literally, physically, too clean. Teeth were white when there wasn't fluoride back then and costumes looked like they were straight out of a rental house. So I thought that this home invasion story, which was influenced by early Polanski films and European films, would be fascinating to tell in the old west. I did some research and discovered there were some really insidious things happening in the remote corners of the frontier, out in these homes where these families existed by themselves and got a degree of cabin fever and I was interested to expose those kind of harsh truths about the old west in a film. Because I've never seen these envelopes pushed in a western before, it felt like new ground. Outlaws and Angels definitely does a good job subverting expectations in terms of standard western character types and what they represent and I like how the title reflects that, too. In terms of the style of the film, you're doing stuff like rack zooming --- techniques you don't see used anymore --- stuff that is more of a seventies thing, more of a European thing. Is that just something you're interested in or is there a thematic reason behind those decisions? JTM: I've seen a lot of newer westerns in the last decade or so that were shot on video and we decided to shoot on 35mm Kodak film. I just missed the photographed look of the earlier westerns because I just feel like it having it makes it more immersive. So that was our goal and we did a lot of testing, a lot of overexposure, made it a little more grainy. But as far as the zooming goes, the rack, I really fell in love with this vintage zoom lens that we got. It really gave us a lot of texture. It was a lens that was built in 1960 and it really helped us get the look we wanted through the glass. But also, you may have noticed that I really like long takes. I don't like general coverage. There's a lot s scenes where I like to sit there and move with the actors and let the action play out and, for me, the zoom becomes a utilitarian piece. I can use the zoom to get into close-ups within those long takes and it just became part of my style for the film. It's a zoom heavy movie, but I think it helps with the retro feel we were going for. I understand if people might get annoyed, but every zoom happens for a reason. This is a feature based a short you made almost ten years ago called Henry John and Little Bug. A lot of filmmakers create shorts and put them online in order to drum up interest for a feature. Based on the process you went through from short to getting this movie made, what are the realities that filmmakers are facing and is this the right approach to take? JTM: In my experience, doing the short film didn't help me make the feature. We actually made another short seven years after called Flowers in December and I was just a better director by the time we made that film so I feel like it was that film that really helped us get actors interested. In the end, that first film helped people understand what we were planning to do as far as costumes and make-up go, but it wasn't the movie we took out and showed people to get financing for this. I used it more to inspire me to write this feature script. But I didn't use it to get the feature financed. You have a very interesting cast. You've got Ben Browder playing very much out of type, almost unrecognizable. Francesca Eastwood and Luke Wilson and Chad Michael Murray all doing great work. Just based on the subject matter, was it challenging getting these actors on board, or were they game? JTM: The final cast you see in the movie were totally game and one hundred per cent on board and just incredible to work with, but it wasn't easy. It was very difficult because I was an unknown filmmaker with a very provocative script. And I don't even blame them. A lot of actors read it and liked it but they were nervous about what I was going to do with it and how I was going to shoot it. And there are a lot of low budget filmmakers out there shooting on the equivalent of an iPhone and sometimes they turn out okay, but one in a while they look really low brow. So I think people were nervous. We spent about a year getting our first attachment. we had to get the right person and they had to be enthusiastic. We had a lot of meetings and nothing was working out. And then we got a call from Chad Michael Murray's agent who said he was looking to play something against type. And I'll tell you, we didn't think he was right. He was about 15 years too young and definitely prettier than we had imagined for the role, but when I met with Chad it only took me about fifteen minutes to know he was the guy. And I'll never write another movie without keeping him in mind because he's the hardest working actor I've probably ever worked with. Same with Francesca. She came on next and we build the cast around them. Were you worried that it would be hard for an audience to go along with Florence's story, because of the turn the story takes they would reject it? Did that concern you as a writer? or were you just committed to telling the story? JTM: I a have big problem with predictability in films these days and I see people painting by numbers with their movies and it's because there are a lot of films out there and a lot of producers and studios are scared of taking risks on fresh subject matter. When I wrote this film, I wrote a film that I would want to watch. I wrote film that went to places nobody could guess and nobody could expect. And we're trying to say multiple things about violence, about humanity, about ambiguity when it comes to ethics and morality. There's a lot of things we're trying to say in this film. Nothing is meant to be gratuitous, but honest. I was always very confident with the story and where it was going and I knew I would follow it if I went to theatre, so I had faith there were others who are also looking for something more unpredictable. Back for his first Korean film since 2010's brutal I Saw the Devil, filmmaker Kim Jee-woon recently shot the violent 1930s resistance fighter action drama The Age of Shadows (previously known as Secret Agent). Along for the ride are ace star Song Kang-ho and pretty boy Gong Yoo, who's also making waves this summer in the zombie thriller Train to Busan. Set for a Chuseok (Korean thanksgiving) release in September, The Age of Shadows features Gong as the leader of a violent Korean group seeking independence from Japan. Song plays a Korean character who works for the Japanese, trying to stamp out the insurrection. Beatifully shot by A Bittersweet Life DP Kim Ji-yong, The Age of Shadows invokes a brooding and tense period atmosphere and many hope this will be a return to form for the filmmaker, whose last film, the Arnold Schwarzenneger pic The Last Stand, was neither a hit with critics or audiences. The film also marks Warner Bros.'s first foray in local Korean productions. If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). First trader federally convicted for "spoofing" gets significant (below-guideline) prison term | Main | "Prosecuting Collateral Consequences" July 14, 2016 Scouting Mike Pence on criminal justice: likely Trump VP pick with notably mixed reform record According to the latest headlines and alerts on my smart phone, the word today is that GOP Prez candidate Donald Trump is poised to select Indiana Gov Mike Pence as his running mate. As a supporter of sentencing reform, I am disappointed a bit that Newt Gingrich did not make the cut, as he has been a recent vocal and repeated supporter of the "Right on Crime" sentencing reform efforts. (That said, Newt often sounded like a member of the tough-and-tougher GOP crowd in the past, and thus I would not have felt confident that even a Newt pick would signal a Trumpian affinity for sentencing reform.) Gov Pence's record on criminal justice reform is decidedly mixed, and these linked press stories about various aspects of his work as Indiana's chief executive document the basics: From May 2013 here, "Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signs sentencing, expungement bills into law": Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has signed bills to revamp the state's felony sentencing laws and give some offenders the ability to expunge their records. "Indiana should be the worst place in America to commit a serious crime and the best place, once you've done your time, to get a second chance," Pence said in a statement. The sentencing legislation House Bill 1006 is the product of three years of work by lawmakers, judges, prosecutors and others. It's the first wholesale overhaul of the criminal code since the 1970s. It will move Indiana's system of four felony classes to one that has six felony levels. It also requires offenders to serve 75 percent of their sentences instead of the 50 percent currently required.... Pence had expressed concerns about an earlier version of the bill, saying it was too soft on offenders convicted of drug crimes. But lawmakers made changes that appeased the governor. Pence said Monday that the bill will "reform and strengthen Indiana's criminal code by focusing resources on the most serious offenses." House Bill 1482 gives those Hoosiers previously convicted of crimes the opportunity to essentially have their records wiped clean if they've had a sustained period without a new offense. The bill sets different standards for different crimes. Pence the bill will strengthen their opportunities for gainful employment. Businesses will no longer be able to ask applicants if they've been convicted of felonies. Instead, they'll have to ask if they've been convicted of felonies that have not been expunged. The new law "will give a second chance to those who strive to re-enter society and become productive, law-abiding citizens," Pence said. From March 2016 here, "Pence reinstates mandatory minimum prison terms for some drug crimes": Gov. Mike Pence is toughening his stance toward drug dealers ahead of a likely bruising re-election campaign where he'll have to answer for Indiana becoming the nation's methamphetamine capital on his watch. The Republican signed into law House Enrolled Act 1235 on Monday, reinstating a 10-year mandatory minimum prison term for a person convicted of dealing meth or heroin who has a prior conviction for cocaine, meth or heroin dealing. "Drug-abuse problems are not unique to our state, but I'm determined to meet this challenge head-on," Pence said. "We need to make it clear that Indiana will not tolerate the actions of criminals, and I'm pleased to sign into law HEA 1235 to increase penalties on drug dealers." An analysis of drug-dealing convictions since criminal sentencing reform was enacted in 2014, conducted by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency, found just four of the 119 individuals convicted of meth or heroin dealing had a prior conviction and were sentenced to less than 10 years in prison receiving on average 7.5 years. More concerning for some lawmakers, including state Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, is Pence reversing course on his past actions to eliminate mandatory minimums by now reducing the ability of judges to issue the appropriate sentence for each criminal and giving prosecutors the upper hand in plea bargaining with an accused. Given this governing histry, I am inclined to call Gov Pence comparable to Prez candidate Trump (and also Prez candidate Clinton) in the arena of criminal justice reform: if you try hard enough, you can readily find a basis to be very encouraged or a basis to be very discouraged by his statements and record. July 14, 2016 at 02:57 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment With police departments in San Francisco and around the country still working out how to best respond to the July 7 mass shooting in Dallas, some officers have taken to proactively arresting people who have spoken ill of police on social media. The Intercept reports that these arrests are usually for speech the police consider to be threatening, and may challenge basic First Amendment rights. Arresting people for speech is something we should be very careful about, security technologist at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University Bruce Schneier told the publication. The arrests are taking place all over the country, and follow a similar pattern. Four unnamed men were arrested in Detroit after at least one of them called the Dallas shooter a hero, Detroit News reports. The paper further details the posts of the men who, despite being arrested, were not initially charged with a crime. One reportedly wrote on Facebook, "This needs to happen more often," and accompanied his comment with video of police officers being shot. Another allegedly posted to Facebook that "[The Dallas shooter] inspired me to do the exact same thing. I know this is a new issue, but I want these people charged with crimes, Detroit Police Chief James Craig told the paper on Sunday. Ive directed my officers to prepare warrants for these four individuals, and well see which venue is the best to pursue charges. The Intercept notes that this response from police is not limited to Detroit, and highlights similar cases in Connecticut, Illinois, and New Jersey. Certainly, posting that kind of thing on social media is a bad thought, professor Larry Dubin of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law told the Detroit News. But having a bad thought isnt necessarily a crime. There are a lot of issues at play here, and I think a lot would depend on what exactly was said. Putting aside the First Amendment question, a reporter at The Globe and Mail was quick to point out what appears to be a glaring discrepancy in the justification for the recent arrests. Police have often told women experiencing death threats + harassment on social media they can't do much. They lied. https://t.co/fTs0jvNNf1 white guy confidence (@karenkho) July 13, 2016 And Karen Ho wasn't the only one. I GOT HUNDREDS OF SERIOUS DEATH THREATS LAST YEAR AND YOU DID NOTHING. THERE WAS A LAW AND ORDER EPISODE ABOUT IT. https://t.co/S9AFGp9NI0 Brianna Wu (@Spacekatgal) July 12, 2016 Craig, meanwhile, gives us Californians a little heads up that we may soon see similar arrests on the West Coast. "Especially now, in this current climate, he told the Detroit News. I dont think thats protected speech. In California, if you threaten to kill someone, the state statute says thats a terrorist threat. When I was in L.A., I personally arrested people for that," he added. "But with social media threats, its a new issue that needs to be clarified. So lets clarify it now. Related: In Wake Of Dallas Attack, Bay Area Police Patrolling In Pairs One city's "brain drain" is another's "brain gain," and by that logic, the mind of the San Francisco Bay Area is swollen with an influx of workers bearing tech-focused degrees. According to the third annual Scoring Tech Talent report, which measures the number of tech degrees awarded in the US during the last five years against the number of jobs in the respective cities over that timeframe. It was created by commercial real estate firm CBRE, and according to their figures, 89,600 people with tech-focused degrees came to SF from 2011 through 2015, making it the the top destination (and brain gainer), followed by Washington, D.C., Seattle, New York, and Austin, in that order. By contrast, cities like Boston saw 17,200 tech-degree-havers depart over the same period. As the report makes note, tech-degree holders account for just 3.5 percent of the total U.S. workforce, though that group has grown by 27 percent in the last five years nationwide (and 61.5 percent in the Bay Area). While easy to exaggerate in terms of size, Colin Yasukochi, the report's author, still sounds awestruck by the new numbers, particularly those in the Bay Area, according to a press release.The growth in tech talent in the Bay Area is astounding given the size of the market," he said, "It hasnt slowed down in either volume or quality of tech talent, while most other large, established tech markets are experiencing slowing, or even decelerated, growth... Feeding the Bay Areas continued growth is its ability to attract talent from across the country and world because there are not enough local tech degree graduates to fill all the open tech jobs. Relatedly, a recent Pricenomics census analysis attempted to quantify the changing demographics of San Francisco proper as affected by the Bay Area's influx of degree-holding, high-salaried workers. According to that report, "From 2010 to 2014 the most recent period from which detailed data is available an annual average of about 60,000 people migrated to San Francisco and 60,000 migrated out. Since San Francisco has around 800,000 residents, that 60,000 represents about 7.5% of the population." Citing the high tech sector, the report posits that "This demand is the most likely explanation for San Franciscos net increase of nearly 7,000 people per yearamong those at least 22-years-oldwith a college or postgraduate degree. This is in contrast to a net out migration of about 3,000 people without a college degree." Further parsing the demographics of those 60,000 leaving versus those 60,000 arriving, the report proposes that, "the people moving in are more likely to have higher levels of formal education, and they tend to be younger, White and Asian. The people moving out are less likely to have completed college, and they tend be older, African American and Hispanic." Of late, it's been the prospect of tech workers leaving the Bay Area that's drawn the most vociferous attention. Some, especially those running job sites like Hired and Indeed, point out that tech workers in the area have searched in increasing numbers for jobs in other cities, like smaller metropoles or New York. But if the CRBE report's findings hold true, tech-degree holders may keep on coming, especially early in their careers, to the tech mecca of the Bay Area. Related: Lots Of Tech Talent Trying To Leave SF For NY We are roughly 24 hours from the time Donald Trump will reveal his running mate, as Trump plans to air his decision late morning Friday. That news will come just ahead of the Republican National Convention, which runs July 18-21 in Cleveland. Several media pieces have sought to nail down the Republican who Trump will pick, but for now no one has broken the story on a possible Trump vice presidential decision. But of course the final people being considered by Trump has been roundly reported. Trump told the Wall Street Journal that his top three options may be Mike Pence, Chris Christie and Newt Gingrich, although some others have been vetted. Trump said he wants a fighter skilled in hand-to-hand combat to push back against criticism over the next five months before the Nov. 8 election. Here's a look at the apparent vice presidential candidate front-runners. MIKE PENCE Pence is the governor of Indiana. He was one of several candidates who met with Trump's team in the middle of this week. Pence is liked by social conservatives and is known for avoiding verbal missteps. Pence keeps saying that nothing was offered by Trump and nothing was accepted by him. NEWT GINGRICH Gingrich is a former House Speaker who orchestrated the 1994 Contract With America that put Republicans on the same page and led to a majority in the House for the first time in decades. Gingrich ran for president in 2012 and is known as a policy wonk who also has some of the pit bull attributes Trump wants. Since Trump has never been a legislator, Gingrich could be a boon in moving moving bills in Washington. CHRIS CHRISTIE Christie was a competitor candidate of Trump's in 2016. The New Jersey governor is also a forceful personality, like Trump, so the pairing would have two alpha males. Christie is seen as an East Coast moderate, and having him paired with Trump could create pause among some conservatives. One distraction that could occur is the September trial of two Christie aides accused of closing lanes at the George Washington Bridge as a political payback. JEFF SESSIONS The U.S. senator from Alabama was the first senator to endorse Trump during the time when several Republican presidential candidates were still competing with Trump. The Houston Chronicle reported that hardliner Sessions is in step with Trump on immigration, if not on style. JONI ERNST To conclude, here's a reminder that Iowan Ernst was considered by the Trump team. A second-year U.S. senator, Ernst met with Trump on July 4 but withdrew from consideration. Ernst will still have a role in the Cleveland convention, as she will give a speech on national security. Bob Corker, a U.S. senator from Tennessee, was also under consideration but also said he was not interested to be vice president. Trump and his running mate will be competing against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, who has not made a vice presidential selection. Democrats will hold a national convention in Philadelphia from July 25-28. The funnel cake served under a mountain of powdered sugar and any of a number of toppings is the stuff of fried food legend, and a trip to the fair, carnival or theme park isnt complete without one. Or the stack of napkins youll need to go with it. For the uninitiated, a funnel cake is a thin cake or pastry batter, traditionally poured through a funnel into a pot of hot oil. As the batter hits the oil, it seemingly takes on a life of its own, squiggling or swirling into odd shapes as the oil bubbles up around it. In minutes, the batter is fried to a crisp golden shell, the inside soft and steamy. Funnel cakes are commonly traced back to the Pennsylvania Dutch, though similar variations have been found the world over for centuries cinnamon and sugar-dusted churros from Spain and Mexico, spiral-shaped pastries found in parts of Asia and North Africa, and cruller-type doughnuts in the United States, Germany and other European countries. Fun as funnel cakes are to enjoy at the fair, the dessert can easily be made at home. Its the perfect project if youre looking for something to entertain company or kids simply set up a toppings bar so guests can decorate their cakes as you fry them. Some recipes call for a batter leavened with baking powder or soda, some are similar to Dutch babies in the amount of eggs used, still others call for yeast. There are even funnel cake hacks that call for nothing more than pancake batter thickened or thinned to the right consistency. After testing a number of recipes, I preferred one that uses pte a choux, or choux paste, the same batter used in the making of cream puffs, eclairs, crullers and churros and the same that Alton Brown uses in his funnel cake recipe. A choux paste-based batter results in an incredibly light funnel cake, airy and delicate on the inside with a thin crust that holds its structure and stays crisp long after its been fried. Bring butter, water, salt, sugar and vanilla seeds to a boil, then vigorously stir in flour to make a paste. Transfer the mixture to a food processor (you could use a stand mixer, but a food processor makes quick work of the dough and will actually increase the volume of the fried cakes, a valuable trick Rose Levy Beranbaum shares in her book The Pie and Pastry Bible). Pulse the mixture in the processor, then add eggs and egg whites all at once to form your batter. The batter will be too thick to pour out of a funnel, but you can pipe it from a pastry bag fitted with a small tip. The pastry bag makes the batter easier to control, and makes much less of a mess than the traditional funnel. One thing to keep an eye out for is oil temperature. If the oil is too hot, the cakes will burn on the outside before the center has had a chance to fully cook; too cool, and the cakes will soak up the oil rather than frying in it. When the cakes are a rich golden color, drain them on a rack and serve right away. As for toppings, the skys the limit. Powdered sugar is a classic way to start. Then use summer fruit as an inspiration, topping the cake with a mound of macerated fresh berries, or go crazy with caramel sauce, chocolate or maple syrup. A scoop of ice cream provides a nice contrast to the hot cake, and Ive seen funnel cake ice cream sandwiches. You could even go the savory route. Substitute French fries with funnel cake for a poutine-inspired meal, or skip the bun and reach for funnel cakes next time youre craving a cheeseburger. If youre feeling really ambitious, you could even do something like the foie gras funnel cake chef Tim Hollingsworth serves for brunch at his downtown L.A. restaurant Otium at the Broad museum. Just dont forget the stack of napkins. AUBURN, Iowa | Authorities determined the human skull found on a sandbar along the Raccoon River last month in Sac County is that of a 40- to 50-year-old American Indian male. According to a release from the Sac County sheriff's office, the forensic anthropologist who examined the skull predicted the death of the male was around a few hundred years ago. The skull was found along the Raccoon River south of the dam at Grant Park-- north of Auburn on July 11. The skull was missing its upper and lower jaws. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa | A Kingsley, Iowa, dog kennel operator has pleaded guilty to making false statements regarding funds involving a judgment against his company. Gerhard Felts, also known as Gary Felts, 61, entered his plea Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids to one count of making false statements to the United States. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Felts, doing business as Black Diamond Kennel, provided false financial information to federal authorities trying to collect on his debt stemming from a civil judgment, which was made against Felts in March 2011 based upon the conditions of his dog kennel. Felts did not disclose a checking account opened in April 2011, a savings account opened in April 2013 and a receipt of workers compensation payments in the amount of $25,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. SIOUX CITY | When he entered Nikki Glass' home to feed her pets, Collin Rollman didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Then he turned to go into the kitchen to fill the water bowls for the three dogs and one cat and found Dustin Wilder's body lying face down on the kitchen floor. "I found him laying in a pool of blood," Rollman testified Thursday afternoon about what he saw at about 7 a.m. on Jan. 9, 2015. Prosecutors say that sometime in the hours before Rollman entered the home of Glass, who was Wilder's girlfriend, at 621 Buckley St. in Sloan, Timothy Schroeder shot Wilder, 29, of Sloan, twice in the head at close range. Schroeder, 30, of Sioux City, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, going armed with intent and being a felon in possession of a firearm. After more than two days of jury selection, prosecutors began presenting their case against Schroeder. Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Jill Esteves said Schroeder had previously told an acquaintance that "the next time they catch me, it will be for murder." She told jurors that evidence would show Schroeder bought a gun and practiced using it while waiting for the chance to kill someone. He and his wife, Amanda, met Wilder at the Sloan Tap the night of Jan. 8 and later gave him a ride home to Glass' house and went inside with him. Glass was out of town. Esteves said that Amanda Schroeder will testify that once at the house, Timothy Schroeder asked her to leave the house, then she heard gunshots. "This was not a bar fight. There were no arguments, no disagreements. Dustin Wilder didn't do anything wrong. Dustin Wilder didn't deserve to die," Esteves said. Schroeder's attorney, public defender Jennifer Solberg, urged jurors to be patient as the evidence is presented, asking them to pay attention to what evidence there is to show Schroeder fired the gun. "Mr. Schroeder didn't know Mr. Wilder. There's no motive, there's no plan," Solberg said. Yes, she said, the Schroeders gave Wilder a ride home. "What happened after that, we don't know," Solberg said. Shortly after emergency personnel responded to Rollman's call to 911 that morning, Wilder was pronounced dead. "I could tell he'd probably been there for a while. He was pretty cold," said Karla Copple, a volunteer EMT with Sloan Fire and Rescue. With the help of fire chief Lee Blanchard and firefighter Lee Meylor, Copple rolled Wilder onto his back so she could affix a rhythm strip to check for a heartbeat. There was none. Solberg asked if it was necessary to move Wilder's body to check for a heartbeat. Copple said she could have applied the strip to his back or side, but "I had no idea of his cause of death." Blanchard said when he entered the kitchen, he noticed a chair with a broken leg leaning against the refrigerator and that one of the kitchen table's legs appeared broken. He also saw animal paw prints tracked through the blood, he said. Testimony will resume Friday morning. If convicted of first-degree murder, Schroeder would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man is facing a pair of first-degree robbery charges after police say he took part in two robberies earlier this year involving a man charged with shooting a Sioux City Police officer. According to court documents, Jory Nathaniel Barthelemy, 20, participated in robberies on Jan. 29 and Feb. 2 that also involved 19-year-old Isaiah Mothershed, who is currently facing charges for a string of robberies and break-ins from Jan. 29 through Feb. 6. Detective Nick Thompson with the Sioux City Police Department said Barthelemy was arrested Tuesday after a traffic stop in the 100 block of Pierce Street. Documents say that on Jan. 29, Barthelemy and four others broke into a residence in the 3300 block of Pierce Street. While inside the house, the occupant of the home returned and was assaulted. On Feb. 2, documents say, Barthelemy and five others broke into a residence at C College Court in Sioux City, forcing the occupants at home to go to the basement of the residence while the home was searched. Barthelemy is being held in the Woodbury County Jail on $25,000 bond. His next court date is July 22. Five others have been charged with taking part in the string of robberies in addition to Mothershed, 19, of Sioux City, who has pleaded not guilty in Woodbury County District Court to two counts of attempted murder and four counts of first-degree robbery. Mothershed is accused of shooting Sioux City Police Officer Ryan Moritz in the leg while waiting to be transported to jail after his Feb. 7 arrest. SIOUX CITY | Members of the U.S. Marshals Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force have arrested a suspect wanted in connection with a pair of armed robberies that took place last month in Brookings County, South Dakota. According to a news release from the Fugitive Task Force, authorities located James Harris, 28, a transient, Thursday at a house on the near north side of Sioux City. They took him into custody without incident. He is now being held in the Woodbury County Jail, where he is awaiting extradition to South Dakota. According to the Brookings County Sheriff's Office, Harris was wanted in connection to a pair of armed robberies that took place at 2 a.m. June 15 in rural Brookings County. Authorities say Harris and four others forced their way into two residences and robbed victims at gunpoint and knife-point, taking an undisclosed amount of cash. Harris was the last of the five to be arrested and charged. As we have said in this space before, we respect and admire much about U.S. Rep. Steve King. Iowa's 4th District congressman is a principled family man possessed of deep roots in our congressional district, intelligence, analytical skills, a firm grasp of issues important to his constituents, honesty and integrity. Sometimes, though, we can only scratch our heads and wonder, "What in the world is he thinking?" For example, why does King choose to display a Confederate flag? At a time when even states in the South are, properly, taking steps away from this symbol of a dark chapter in our nation's history, King keeps a miniature version of the rebel flag atop the desk in his congressional office. Discussion of this topic began last week. The Confederate flag was visible on King's desk in video from a local television report about King's support for Sarah's Law (the bill would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take into custody illegal aliens who have been charged in the United States with a crime resulting in the death or serious bodily injury of another person). At his weekly news conference on Monday, in fact, Gov. Terry Branstad was asked about King's display of the Confederate flag. "I dont agree with that. I guess thats his decision," Branstad said. "People have a right to display whatever they want to, but Im proud to say that (Iowa was) on the side of the Union and we won the war." First, we wish to be clear about this: We applaud King's advocacy for Sarah's Law, a laudable piece of legislation named for Sarah Root, a 21-year-old Iowa woman who died in February from injuries sustained when another driver - whose blood-alcohol content was, according to court records, more than three times the legal limit - slammed into the back of her vehicle at an intersection in Omaha. The driver, who was in the United States illegally, was charged with motor vehicle homicide, but he posted bond, was released from custody ... and disappeared. Like King, we do not wish to see the Root story repeated, and we support King's bill. Still, we won't ignore the troubling image during the television report of King's backing for Sarah's Law of a Confederate flag on our congressman's desk. Beyond the ugliness symbolized by the flag lies the fact Iowa was part of the Union in the Civil War. In other words, the Confederate flag was flown by the enemy of our state, King's state. More than 76,000 Iowans fought for the Union and against the Confederacy and everything it stood for; more than 13,000, or nearly one in five, of them died. In the 1862 Battle of Shiloh alone, more than 2,400 Iowans were left dead, wounded or missing. Bottom line: King should remove the Stars and Bars from his desk. That's one way to dodge a conviction SIOUX CITY | A man charged in a fatal Sioux City stabbing has been granted a new attorney after repeatedly refusing to leave his jail cell to meet with his previous attorneys. Public defender Greg Jones said during a recent hearing that Isack Abdinur had recently refused to leave his Woodbury County Jail cell on four or five occasions when he or public defender Laury Lau came to discuss his case with him. "There are one or two legal matters we need to discuss with him, and we are unable to do that," Jones told District Judge Steven Andreasen. Abdinur was not present at Friday's hearing. "He refused to come out of his cell," Jones told the judge. Abdinur has previously insisted that he be appointed a different attorney. Assistant Woodbury County Attorney James Loomis said Abdinur's recent behavior was nothing new, and he was not sure that changing lawyers would accomplish anything but delaying the case, scheduled to go to trial on Aug. 23. "What's to say the same thing doesn't happen again if Mr. Abdinur doesn't want to talk with his new attorneys," Loomis said. Andreasen, who had denied Abdinur's previous requests for a new lawyer, said he shared Loomis' concerns, but decided to replace Jones and Lau. "The court agrees that he has some obligation to communicate with his counsel. If he chooses not to, it's at his own risk, his own peril," Andreasen said. Andreasen said he expected to have a new attorney appointed within a week. He did not continue the trial date. Abdinur, 36, has pleaded not guilty in Woodbury County District Court to first-degree murder for the June 23, 2015, stabbing death of Cornelia Stead, 43, at her apartment at 521 W. 16th St. That's (not) the ticket! STORM LAKE, Iowa | Agents from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation's Special Enforcement Operations Bureau are assisting the Iowa Lottery in reviewing a possible fraudulent claim of a winning lottery ticket in Storm Lake. According to an Iowa Department of Public Safety news release, the ticket, which claimed to have won a $250,000 prize in one of the lottery's instant-scratch games, was presented at the Storm Lake Regional Lottery Office on June 17. The prize has not yet been paid, the release said. The investigation is ongoing. The DCI said no further information is being released at this time. Assisting in the investigation are the Iowa Lottery and the Buena Vista County Attorney's Office. So youve decided to hire a virtual assistant? Great! But how do you know when youve chosen the right VA for your business? Since there are plenty of different functions that VAs can serve, there are so many different ways to evaluate the effectiveness of a VA. But there are a few clear-cut ways to tell if youve chosen the wrong VA. Here are some warning signs to look out for. Your VA was not the Best Candidate If: They Have No Experience A good VA doesnt need to be able to run every single aspect of your business on an expert level. But they should still have some experience in the area where you need assistance, whether that means that theyve done those tasks as a VA or in another position. If your VA cant offer any references or examples of work theyve done in the past, thats a sign that they might not be the best fit. They Dont Have the Right Skills Even more specifically, you should look for experience or skills in the exact area where you really need assistance. For example, if you need help organizing your schedule and responding to emails, then you need to look for someone with strong organizational and communication skills. If you need someone to run your social media accounts, then you need someone who understands those platforms. Even if youve found a VA with lots of experience and positive references, if they dont have experience in the exact area where you need assistance, theyre not going to have a huge positive impact on your business. They Arent Reachable A good VA should be like your right hand man. If you cant get ahold of them or if they take days to respond to your urgent emails, theyre not going to be very effective. They Dont Listen And once you do get a hold of your VA, they should be receptive to your ideas and instructions. After all, youve hired them to assist you in your business needs. So if you find that your VA is bad at listening or following instructions, how can you expect them to actually get things done to the standards that youd expect? They Dont Offer Ideas While a good VA should absolutely listen to your ideas and instructions, a great VA should sometimes also offer ideas of their own. They dont have to just go off and make changes on their own. But if they need you to hold their hand and walk them through every process you want them to take care of over and over again, theyre not going to do you any good. Instead, a good VA should be able to work independently and come up with their own processes for getting their work completed efficiently, and sometimes even offer their own ideas for your approval. They Dont Understand Your Target Audience If your VA is involved in any sort of customer facing activities, like posting on social media or responding to emails, they need to be able to understand your target audience. If your company targets baby boomers, but your VA responds to emails with language thats popular with millennials, that could get confusing for people. Or it could even alienate some of the people you communicate with. They Arent Receptive to Feedback Even if your VA isnt perfect right away, that doesnt mean that they wont be effective for your business overall. But if you offer them feedback about how to do their job more effectively, and they either get defensive or dont take it seriously, that could be a problem. Everyone needs room to grow and improve in their jobs. And if your VA isnt even willing to listen to feedback to help them get better, then youre going to be stuck with an ineffective VA for too long. They Deflect Blame And in those situations where your VA makes a mistake or does something incorrectly, they should ideally own up to it. Those mistakes can be great learning experiences. But if they lie or deflect blame, then theyre likely to just keep making those same mistakes and not allow you to hold them accountable for their work. Their Personality Isnt a Good Fit Even great VAs arent going to be perfect for every business. Some people just arent the best fit. They might prefer a different type of communication than you and your team do. They might have a different working style that doesnt fit with your process. Or you just might not get along that well. Those can all be warning signs that the VA youve chosen isnt right for your business. They Dont Update You with Results Once youve hired a VA and theyve started working on the areas youve requested, they should regularly keep you updated on their activity. For example, if youve hired someone to manage your social accounts, they might update you with metrics about growth and interaction. Or if youve asked them to manage your schedule, they should check in with you for important updates. Freelancers are in demand. Especially those who possess good development or content marketing skills. Thats what the Upwork Skills Index, a new study conducted by freelance website Upwork has found. The study highlights 20 skills that grew fastest in Q2 2016. The top fastest-growing skills include user experience design, ASP development, Shopify development, English proofreading and SEO writing. The 10 fastest-growing skills all experienced more than 125 percent year-over-year growth. Freelance Skills in Demand Its interesting to note that development skills account for one-third of the top 20 fastest-growing skills. Whether its mobile development or user experience design, developers are in higher demand than ever. Freelancers specializing in future technologies such as data mining, MongoDB and Java are not far behind. With artificial intelligence, robotics and virtual reality technologies gaining rapid momentum, businesses are looking for freelancers who can help them get an edge. Content marketing freelance skills are also in demand as businesses continue to look for ways to generate high-quality content and drive online sales. SEO writing, video editing and lead generation are some of the fastest-growing content marketing skills. Were releasing this freelance skills data to serve as a resource for professionals, educators and policymakers, said Upwork CEO Stephane Kasriel. As skills gaps persist, this information can be leveraged by smart professionals who continue to educate themselves in order to capitalize on market demands. Information about emerging skill demands may also be useful for those seeking to bolster our education system and economic competitiveness. Pros and Cons of Hiring Freelancers Flexibility and cost savings are the top reasons why many small businesses are opting for freelancers today. Freelancers are preferred also because they offer quick turnarounds and solid work experience. On the flip side however, not all freelancers are reliable and its not uncommon for some of them to prioritize other better paying jobs. Another disadvantage is the inability to monitor their work and get revisions done on time. Finding the right freelancer can make a big difference. It therefore makes sense to spend enough time identifying professionals who have the skills and experience to complete tasks with accountability. You should review their profiles, look for key skill sets and check out testimonials to establish their credentials. Upwork describes itself as the worlds largest freelancing website. Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Upwork helps freelancers earn more than $1 billion annually. The top 20 freelance skills that grew fastest in Q2 2016 are: User experience design ASP development Shopify development English proofreading SEO writing Animation Virtual assistant Lead generation Data mining Video editing WordPress development AngularJS development Java development Accounting Android development iOS development Zendesk MongoDB Data visualization AutoCAD We know that transportation jobs are in high demand by small businesses. More specifically, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers and delivery drivers are what small businesses need most. And theyre having a difficult time finding the right people, according to survey data conducted by Indeed. Most In Demand Jobs at Small Businesses Indeed data shows that large companies dont have nearly the need for truck drivers that small businesses do, which to Indeed economic research analyst Daniel Culbertson, means that large businesses are having an easier time hiring this talent. In the trucking industry, a tight labor supply has encouraged poaching drivers and tempting them with sign-on bonuses. Its hard for small businesses to compete with those types of perks, leaving them with a high need for drivers, he said. These types of incentives are hard to match for small business owners so theyre losing good transportation talent to bigger companies. Customer Service Representative remains a position that small businesses surveyed by Indeed said they needed to fill immediately. It made #2 on Indeeds list of Jobs that Need to Be Filled Now. Small businesses dont have the kind of scale where they need to outsource, so they keep people in-house to keep an eye on their brand, said Culbertson. He also notes this role tends to be entry-level, which can mean high turnover. Small businesses are overall planning to hire and expecting growth, which is why high-skilled jobs are needed like managers, nurses and software engineers. Knowing that, its important to get ahead of the problems other small businesses are experiencing when it comes to finding good talent. Commissioners Adopt Comprehensive Plan, Effective July 12 The Board of Commissioners adopted a new Charles County Comprehensive Plan, effective July 12, 2016. The plan will serve as a blueprint on how and where the county grows for years to come. The Comprehensive Plan allows for development, redevelopment, conservation, and preservation. Data and analyses of several topics, including land use, transportation, community and economic development, natural resources, and an implementation schedule, are provided in the plan. View the plan online at www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/pgm/planning/planning. "I am pleased the Charles County Comprehensive Plan is adopted, and thank all those involved with the five-year draft development process," Commissioner President Peter F. Murphy said. "The plan balances development with environmental stewardship, and will guide our county's future growth." The Charles County Comprehensive Plan: Creates a new, 30,000-acre Watershed Conservation District to protect Mattawoman Creek watershed. Protects stream valleys from development. Requires updates of the zoning ordinance, zoning maps, and subdivision regulations. Provides a long-range vision of a new light rail transit corridor and Waldorf urban redevelopment. Continues work on historic village revitalization plans. Supports eco-tourism. Maintains commercial core and neighborhood areas. Mandates new affordable housing requirements. Promotes energy conservation. Provides for the study of a potential mixed-use village center for the southern area of the county. The adoption of the Charles County Comprehensive Plan completes a five-year process of developing a draft plan, including resident and Planning Commission participation, and County Commissioner review and adoption. The plan includes data projections to the year 2040, but will be reviewed and updated again in 2026. July 25 Planning Commission Meeting Canceled The Charles County Planning Commission meeting originally scheduled for Monday, July 25 is canceled. The next regular meeting of the Planning Commission is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. in the Commissioners' meeting room at the Charles County Government Building (200 Baltimore Street, La Plata). Visit www.charlescountymd.gov/commissioners/boards/planning-commission for Planning Commission agendas and minutes. For more information, contact Clerk to the Planning Commission, Theresa Pickeral, at 301-638-2409 or PickerTh@CharlesCountyMD.gov. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258. Stewart Holds "Back to School" Community Event Sponsorship opportunities now available Kick off the school year with Commissioner Amanda M. Stewart, M.Ed. (District 3) at her second annual "Back to School" Community Fiesta on Saturday, August 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Mattawoman Middle School (10145 Berry Road, Waldorf). All ages are invited to attend. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. "I encourage students to start the school year with fun and learning at the Community Fiesta," Stewart said. "This is a great opportunity to learn more about community resources and positive lifestyles in a relaxed environment. I look forward to meeting our young residents on this special day." The "Back to School" Community Fiesta will focus on saying no to bullying, drugs, and texting and driving. During the event, children will have the opportunity to sign pledges to "say no." Several learning opportunities will be available, including self-defense and hands-on CPR demonstrations, and testimonies on bullying. The Department of Health, CCSO Crime Solvers, and Department of Social Services will provide safety and health information and resources for parents. Participants will have the opportunity to make a craft and sign up for a Charles County Public Library card. Children can also meet several mascots including the Pinch from the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, the Chick-Fil-A cow, Andy Armadillo, and a Minnon. Back to school haircuts will be available for children by Mobile Hair Cuts. Raffles, giveaways, and light refreshments will be available. Sponsorship opportunities are available, ranging from gold to titanium levels. Sponsors must complete the sponsorship levels and commitment form by Saturday, July 30. Those interested in monetary donations can complete the Receipt for Cash Donations form. Both forms can be downloaded at www.CharlesCountyMD.gov and returned via email to StewartEvents@CharlesCountyMD.gov. For more information about the event, please email StewartEvents@CharlesCountyMD.gov. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258. Commissioners Recognize July as Parks and Recreation Month On Tuesday, July 12, the Charles County Commissioners recognized the month of July as Parks and Recreation Month. The Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism is vitally important to establishing and maintaining the quality of life in our communities, ensuring the health of all citizens, and contributing to the economic and environmental well-being of the community and region. Commissioners encourage residents to visit Charles County recreation and parks facilities in Charles County and discover all that they have to offer. To learn about upcoming events and opportunities, visit the GUIDE at www.charlescounty.org/webdocs/cs/publications/Guide.pdf. LEONARDTOWN, Md. (July 14, 2016)Superintendent of Schools, Mr. J. Scott Smith, today announced the administrative appointments made by the Board of Education at its meeting of July 14, 2016. The Board appointed Mr. Kelly McClure-Hewitt as Assistant Principal, 11 month, at Great Mills High School. Mr. McClure-Hewitt holds a Master's degree from Notre Dame of Maryland and a Bachelor's degree from Winston-Salem State University. He has most recently served as Dean of Students and classroom teacher in Calvert County. Mr. Graham Coombs has been appointed as Assistant Principal, 11 month, at Leonardtown High School. Mr. Coombs holds a Master's degree from McDaniel College and a Bachelor's degree from Grove City College in Pennsylvania. He has most recently served as an Assistant Principal at Patuxent High School in Calvert County. Mr. Marc Pirner has been appointed as Assistant Principal, 11 month, at Chopticon High School. Mr. Pirner holds a Master's degree and a Bachelor's degree from St. Mary's College of Maryland. He has most recently served as a high school Social Studies teacher in Calvert County. Ms. Stacey Murdock has been appointed as Assistant Principal, 11 month, at Esperanza Middle School. Ms. Murdock holds two Master's degrees, one from University of Maryland and one from Salisbury State University, and a Bachelor's degree from Frostburg State University. She has most recently served as a Pupil Personnel Worker, 10 month, in the Department of Student Services. All appointments for 11 month positions will become effective on Monday, August 1, 2016. Mr. Eric Readyhough has been appointed as Assistant Principal, 12 month, at Leonardtown High School. He is currently Assistant Principal, 11 month, at Leonardtown High School. Mr. Readyhough holds Master's and Bachelor's degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He also has a Post Master's Certificate of Advanced Study in Education from Towson University. Dr. Deborah Dennie has been appointed Principal of Leonardtown Middle School. Dr. Dennie holds a Doctorate degree from Walden University, a Master's Degree from Towson University, and a Bachelor's degree from St. Mary's College of Maryland. She is currently Assistant Principal, 12 month, at Leonardtown High School. Mr. Todd Burroughs has been appointed Supervisor of Instruction for Fine Arts in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Mr. Burroughs holds a Master's degree from Towson University and a Bachelor's degree from James Madison University. He is currently serving as the high school band director at Chopticon High School. Ms. Lisa Bachner has been appointed Director of Curriculum and Instruction in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Ms. Bachner is currently the Principal of Leonardtown Middle School. She holds a Master's degree from Western Maryland College and a Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University. Mr. Alexander Jaffurs was appointed as Assessment and Accountability Officer, Level II, in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Mr. Jaffurs is currently the Supervisor of Mathematics in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development. Mr. Jaffurs holds a Master's degree and two Bachelor's degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. All appointments for 12 month positions will become effective on Monday, July 18, 2016. Dr. Jeffrey Maher has been assigned as the Chief Strategic Officer. He most recently served as the Chief Academic Officer in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development. Dr. Maher holds a Doctorate from Notre Dame of Maryland University, a Master's from Western Maryland College, and Bachelor's from University of Maryland Baltimore County. In his new role, Dr. Maher will lead the Office of Strategic Planning and Communications. The United States has 122 federally protected areas called national monuments. The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorizes the President to proclaim historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest as national monuments. The first national monument, Devils Tower in Wyoming, was given the honor by President Theodore Roosevelt on September 24, 1906. Since then every president except Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush has created one or more national monuments. President Barack Obama has created or expanded 24 monuments; the most of any president. There are national monuments in 30 states and several territories. They include such natural and historic landmarks as the Canyon de Chelly (Arizona); Castillo de San Marcos (Florida); George Washingtons Birthplace (Virginia); Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad (Maryland); Fort Sumter (South Carolina); Little Big Horn Battlefield (Montana); and the Statue of Liberty (New York and New Jersey). National monuments do not have to be monumental to qualify. Related: Obama Designates Stonewall National Monument Recent additions include significant places in the history of African-Americans (Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers House, Ohio); Japanese-Americans (Honouliuli Internment Camp, Hawaii); Mexican-Americans (Cesar Chavez House, California); American labor (Pullman, Illinois); and American Women (Belmont-Paul House, Washington, DC). The Stonewall Inn, located at 51-53 Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, New York, certainly qualifies as a national monument. Though LGBT resistance in America pre-dates the Stonewall Riots of 1969 - queers revolted at Coopers Donuts in Los Angeles in 1959 and at Comptons Cafeteria in San Francisco in 1966, just to name two - the Stonewall Uprising led to a new demand for LGBT rights and equality, not only in the U.S. but around the world. The Stonewall Inn closed after the riots and the locale was occupied by various businesses; it was a bagel shop when I visited the site in 1977. In 1990 a bar called Stonewall opened at 53 Christopher Street. It became the Stonewall Inn in 2007, and became a popular photo op for LGBT tourists. Stonewall was named a National Historic Landmark in 2000 and a New York City Landmark in 2015. Related: U.S. Monument Status Won't Guarantee Stonewall Inn's Future On June 24, 2016, President Obama proclaimed the Stonewall National Monument; the first one honoring the LGBT rights movement. According to a statement issued by the White House, President Obama designated a new national monument at the historic site of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City to honor the broad LGBT equality movement. The new Stonewall National Monument will protect the area where, on June 28, 1969, a communitys uprising in response to a police raid sparked the modern LGBT civil rights movement in the United States. The Stonewall National Monument consists of 7.7 acres of real estate in the West Village and includes the Stonewall Inn, the nearby Christopher Park, and some surrounding areas. The dedication of Stonewall National Monument took on special significance following the recent massacre of 49 LGBT people and supportive straights at the Pulse night club in Orlando. The National Park Foundation plans to raise $2 million to build a ranger station, a visitor center and interpretive exhibits for the Stonewall National Monument. The Stonewall National Monument is an important and long-awaited addition to our list of national monuments. It proclaims that the fight for LGBT rights and equality is a major part of our American history; one which deserves a place alongside the struggles of Native Americans, African Americans, Latin Americans, American women, American labor and other groups. Justin Flippen, the openly gay Peoples Commissioner of Wilton Manors (itself an LGBT landmark) called the designation of Stonewall National Monument an important acknowledgment and incorporation of the LGBT civil rights movement and the contribution of the LGBT community to the history and evolving story of our nation. In the wake of the Orlando mass shooting, the importance and right of LGBT people to feel safe whether in places of our own like a gay bar or out in public at a restaurant for a dinner as a couple or with friends is reaffirmed by the United States with President Obama officially designating the Stonewall Inn as the first LGBT National Monument. Located near the Statue of Liberty, the Stonewall National Monument reminds us that our hard-earned American liberties belong to all of us. Black holes Merge NASA The European Space Agencys orbiting X-ray observatory, XMM-Newton, has proved the existence of a gravitational vortex around a black hole. The discovery, aided by NASAs Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) mission, solves a mystery that has eluded astronomers for more than 30 years, and will allow them to map the behavior of matter very close to black holes. It could also open the door to future investigations of Albert Einsteins general relativity. Matter falling into a black hole heats up as it plunges to its doom. Before it passes into the black hole and is lost from view forever, it can reach millions of degrees. At that temperature it shines X-rays into space. In the 1980s, pioneering astronomers using early X-ray telescopes discovered that the X-rays coming from stellar-mass black holes in our galaxy flicker. The changes follow a set pattern. When the flickering begins, the dimming and re-brightening can take 10 seconds to complete. As the days, weeks and then months progress, the period shortens until the oscillation takes place 10 times every second. Then, the flickering suddenly stops altogether. The phenomenon was dubbed the Quasi Periodic Oscillation (QPO). It was immediately recognized to be something fascinating because it is coming from something very close to a black hole, said Adam Ingram, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, who began working to understand QPOs for his doctoral thesis in 2009. During the 1990s, astronomers had begun to suspect that the QPOs were associated with a gravitational effect predicted by Einsteins general relativity: that a spinning object will create a kind of gravitational vortex. It is a bit like twisting a spoon in honey. Imagine that the honey is space and anything embedded in the honey will be dragged around by the twisting spoon, explained Ingram. In reality, this means that anything orbiting a spinning object will have its motion affected. In the case of an inclined orbit, it will precess. This means that the whole orbit will change orientation around the central object. The time for the orbit to return to its initial condition is known as a precession cycle. In 2004, NASA launched Gravity Probe B to measure this so-called Lense-Thirring effect around Earth. After painstaking analysis, scientists confirmed that the spacecraft would turn through a complete precession cycle once every 33 million years. Around a black hole, however, the effect would be much more noticeable because of the stronger gravitational field. The precession cycle would take just a matter of seconds or less to complete. This is so close to the periods of the QPOs that astronomers began to suspect a link. Ingram began working on the problem by looking at what happened in the flat disc of matter surrounding a black hole. Known as an accretion disc, it is the place where material gradually spirals inwards towards the black hole. Scientists had already suggested that, close to the black hole, the flat accretion disc puffs up into a hot plasma, in which electrons are stripped from their host atoms. Termed the hot inner flow, it shrinks in size over weeks and months as it is eaten by the black hole. Together with colleagues, Ingram published a paper in 2009 suggesting that the QPO is driven by the Lense-Thirring precession of this hot flow. This is because the smaller the inner flow becomes, the closer to the black hole it would approach and so the faster its Lense-Thirring precession cycle would be. The question was: how to prove it? We have spent a lot of time trying to find smoking gun evidence for this behavior, said Ingram. The answer is that the inner flow is releasing high-energy radiation that strikes the matter in the surrounding accretion disc, making the iron atoms in the disc shine like a fluorescent light tube. The iron releases X-rays of a single wavelength referred to as a spectral line. Because the accretion disc is rotating, the iron line has its wavelength distorted by the Doppler effect. Line emission from the approaching side of the disc is squashed blue shifted and line emission from the receding disc material is stretched red shifted. If the inner flow really is precessing, it will sometimes shine on the approaching disc material and sometimes on the receding material, making the line wobble back and forth over the course of a precession cycle. Seeing this wobbling is where XMM-Newton came in. Ingram and colleagues from Amsterdam, Cambridge, Southampton and Tokyo applied for a long-duration observation that would allow them to watch the QPO repeatedly. They chose black hole H 1743-322, which was exhibiting a four-second QPO at the time. They watched it for 260,000 seconds with XMM-Newton. They also observed it for 70,000 seconds with NASAs NuSTAR X-ray observatory. The high-energy capability of NuSTAR was very important, Ingram said. NuSTAR confirmed the wobbling of the iron line, and additionally saw a feature in the spectrum called a reflection hump that added evidence for precession. After a rigorous analysis process of adding all the observational data together, they saw that the iron line was wobbling in accordance with the predictions of general relativity. We are directly measuring the motion of matter in a strong gravitational field near to a black hole, says Ingram. This is the first time that the Lense-Thirring effect has been measured in a strong gravitational field. The technique will allow astronomers to map matter in the inner regions of accretion discs around black holes. It also hints at a powerful new tool with which to test general relativity. Einsteins theory is largely untested in such strong gravitational fields. So if astronomers can understand the physics of the matter that is flowing into the black hole, they can use it to test the predictions of general relativity as never before but only if the movement of the matter in the accretion disc can be completely understood. If you can get to the bottom of the astrophysics, then you can really test the general relativity, says Ingram. A deviation from the predictions of general relativity would be welcomed by a lot of astronomers and physicists. It would be a concrete signal that a deeper theory of gravity exists. Larger X-ray telescopes in the future could help in the search because they are more powerful and could more efficiently collect X-rays. This would allow astronomers to investigate the QPO phenomenon in more detail. But for now, astronomers can be content with having seen Einsteins gravity at play around a black hole. This is a major breakthrough since the study combines information about the timing and energy of X-ray photons to settle the 30-year debate around the origin of QPOs. The photon-collecting capability of XMM-Newton was instrumental in this work, said Norbert Schartel, ESA Project Scientist for XMM-Newton. More information The results reported in this article are published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The European Space Agencys X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission, XMM-Newton, was launched in December 1999. The largest scientific satellite to have been built in Europe, it is also one of the most sensitive X-ray observatories ever flown. More than 170 wafer-thin, cylindrical mirrors direct incoming radiation into three high-throughput X-ray telescopes. XMM-Newtons orbit takes it almost a third of the way to the moon, allowing for long, uninterrupted views of celestial objects. NuSTAR is a Small Explorer mission led by Caltech in Pasadena and managed by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also in Pasadena, for NASAs Science Mission Directorate in Washington. For more information about NuSTAR, visit http://www.nasa.gov/nustar http://www.nustar.caltech.edu Galaxy Map SDSS-III A team of hundreds of physicists and astronomers have announced results from the largest-ever, three-dimensional map of distant galaxies. The team constructed this map to make one of the most precise measurements yet of the dark energy currently driving the accelerated expansion of the universe. We have spent five years collecting measurements of 1.2 million galaxies over one quarter of the sky to map out the structure of the universe over a volume of 650 cubic billion light-years, says Jeremy Tinker of New York University, a co-leader of the scientific team carrying out this effort. This map has allowed us to make the best measurements yet of the effects of dark energy in the expansion of the universe. We are making our results and map available to the world. These new measurements were carried out by the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) program of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-III. Shaped by a continuous tug-of-war between dark matter and dark energy, the map revealed by BOSS allows scientists to measure the expansion rate of the universe and thus determine the amount of matter and dark energy that make up the present-day Universe. A collection of papers describing these results was submitted this week to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. BOSS measures the expansion rate of the universe by determining the size of the baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO) in the three-dimensional distribution of galaxies. The original BAO size is determined by pressure waves that travelled through the young Universe up to when it was only 400,000 years old (the universe is presently 13.8 billion years old), at which point they became frozen in the matter distribution of the universe. The end result is that galaxies have a slight preference to be separated by a characteristic distance that astronomers call the acoustic scale. The size of the acoustic scale at 13.4 billion years ago has been exquisitely determined from observations of the cosmic microwave background from the light emitted when the pressure waves became frozen. Measuring the distribution of galaxies since that time allows astronomers to measure how dark matter and dark energy have competed to govern the rate of expansion of the universe. Weve made the largest map for studying the 95% of the universe that is dark, noted David Schlegel, an astrophysicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and principal investigator for BOSS. In this map, we can see galaxies being gravitationally pulled towards other galaxies by dark matter. And on much larger scales, we see the effect of dark energy ripping the universe apart. Shirley Ho, an astrophysicist at Berkeley Lab and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), co-led two of the companion papers and adds, We can now measure how much the galaxies and stars cluster together as a function of time to such an accuracy we can test General Relativity at cosmological scales. Ariel Sanchez of the Max-Planck Institute of Extraterrestrial Physics led the effort to estimate the exact amount of dark matter and dark energy based on the BOSS data and explains: Measuring the acoustic scale across cosmic history gives a direct ruler with which to measure the universes expansion rate. With BOSS, we have traced the BAOs subtle imprint on the distribution of galaxies spanning a range of time from 2 to 7 billion years ago. To measure the size of these ancient giant waves to such sharp precision, BOSS had to make an unprecedented and ambitious galaxy map, many times larger than previous surveys. At the time the BOSS program was planned, dark energy had been previously determined to significantly influence the expansion of the universe starting about 5 billion years ago. BOSS was thus designed to measure the BAO feature from before this point (7 billion years ago) out to near the present day (2 billion years ago). Jose Vazquez of Brookhaven National Laboratory combined the BOSS results with other surveys and searched for any evidence of unexplained physical phenomena in the results. Our latest results tie into a clean cosmological picture, giving strength to the standard cosmological model that has emerged over the last eighteen years. Rita Tojeiro of the University of St. Andrews is the other co-leader of the BOSS galaxy clustering working group along with Tinker. We see a dramatic connection between the sound wave imprints seen in the cosmic microwave background 400,000 years after the Big Bang to the clustering of galaxies 7-12 billion years later. The ability to observe a single well-modeled physical effect from recombination until today is a great boon for cosmology. The map also reveals the distinctive signature of the coherent movement of galaxies toward regions of the universe with more matter, due to the attractive force of gravity. Crucially, the observed amount of infall is explained well by the predictions of general relativity. The results from BOSS provide a solid foundation for even more precise future BAO measurements, such as those we expect from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), says Natalie Roe, Physics Division director at Berkeley Lab. DESI will construct a more detailed 3-dimensional map in a volume of space ten times larger to precisely characterize dark energy and ultimately the future of our universe. Funding for SDSS-III (http://www.sdss3.org) has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. SDSS-III is managed by the Astrophysical Research Consortium for the Participating Institutions of the SDSS-III Collaboration including the University of Arizona, the Brazilian Participation Group, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Florida, the French Participation Group, the German Participation Group, Harvard University, the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, the Michigan State/Notre Dame/JINA Participation Group, Johns Hopkins University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, New Mexico State University, New York University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Portsmouth, Princeton University, the Spanish Participation Group, University of Tokyo, University of Utah, Vanderbilt University, University of Virginia, University of Washington, and Yale University. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL, http://www.lbl.gov) addresses the worlds most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Labs scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Science. DOEs Office of Science (http://science.energy.gov) is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. NASA astronaut Kate Rubin (left), tries her first meal aboard the International Space Station along with Expedition 48 crew member Roscosmos cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin. Credit: NASA. NASA The Expedition 48 crew is getting ready for next weeks arrival of a pair resupply ships. The station residents are also continuing space research benefitting life on Earth and future crews. The first cargo craft due next week is the Progress 64 (64P) resupply ship and will launch Saturday at 5:41 p.m. EDT. The 64P will take a two-day trip, or 34 Earth orbits, and dock Monday at 8:22 p.m. to the Pirs docking compartment. SpaceX will launch its ninth commercial cargo mission Monday at 12:44 a.m. delivering the first of two international docking adapters. The Dragon cargo craft will also be carrying new science gear to enable DNA sequencing and a bone loss study. Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi are setting up communications gear and training for the robotic capture of Dragon when it arrives early Wednesday. Back inside the orbital lab, the six station residents continued ongoing human research to understand how living in space affects the human body. A Russian experiment looked at how weightlessness affects blood flow in the carotid artery. A U.S. study is exploring the efficacy of medicine, symptom relief and side effects during long-term space missions. On-Orbit Status Report Radiation Dosimetry Inside ISS-Neutron (RaDI-N) Retrieval: A USOS crewmember retrieved all 8 of the Space Bubble Detectors that were deployed last week around the ISS for the Radi-N experiment and handed them over to the Russian crewmember to be processed in the Bubble Reader. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) RaDI-N investigation measures neutron radiation levels while onboard the ISS. RaDI-N uses bubble detectors as neutron monitors which have been designed to only detect neutrons and ignore all other radiation. 3D Printer Removal: Following two weeks of successful 3D printer operations, the crew disassembled the 3D Printer in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) and stowed the hardware. A total of 34 coupons were printed including calibration, tensile, compression, and layer specimen coupons. The 3D Printing In Zero-G experiment demonstrates that a 3D printer works normally in space. A 3D printer extrudes streams of heated plastic, metal or other material, building layer on top of layer to create three dimensional objects. Testing a 3D printer using relatively low-temperature plastic feedstock on the ISS is the first step toward establishing an on-demand machine shop in space, a critical enabling component for deep-space crewed missions and in-space manufacturing. Space Headaches: The crew completed the final daily European Space Agency (ESA) Space Headaches questionnaire for this week. The Space Headaches questionnaire provides information that may help in the development of methods to alleviate associated symptoms and improvement in the well-being and performance of crew members in space. Headaches during space flight can negatively affect mental and physical capacities of crewmembers which can influence performance during a space mission. Dose Tracker: The crew completed entries for medication tracking. This investigation documents the medication usage of crewmembers before and during their missions by capturing data regarding medication use during spaceflight, including side effect qualities, frequencies and severities. The data is expected to either support or counter anecdotal evidence of medication ineffectiveness during flight and unusual side effects experienced during flight. It is also expected that specific, near-real-time questioning about symptom relief and side effects will provide the data required to establish whether spaceflight-associated alterations in pharmacokinetics (PK) or pharmacodynamics (PD) is occurring during missions. Dragon On-Board Training (OBT) and Preparation: In preparation for SpX-9 arrival planned for July 20, the USOS crew practiced a 30 meter approach, two Capture Point hold runs and two meter runs. They also installed the Crew Command Panel (CCP) and activated the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Communication Unit (CUCU). Todays Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. EarthKAM Experiment in SM Battery Changeout SM ??? (Caution & Warning Panel) Test / Manual Controls RSS 1, 2 Reboot / r/g 1460 CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medication) Intake / r/g 2769 EHS MCD In-flight Microbiology Water analysis and data recording Counter Measure System (CMS) Harmful Contaminant Measurements in SM / r/g 2782 ISS Crew/SSIPC (Space Station Integration And Promotion Center) Conference CARDIOVECTOR. Experiment Ops r/g 2777 ARED Cylinder Flywheel Evacuation ECLSS/TCS1 Rack Tilt Down ARED Flywheel Cylinder Evacuation ??? Maintenance ECLSS/TCS1 Rack Tilt Down (assistance) 3DP Hardware Stowage OTKLIK. Hardware Monitoring / r/g 1588 DAN. Experiment Operator Assistance / r/g 2780 DAN. Experiment Ops r/g 2780 Soyuz 731 Transfers and IMS Ops / r/g 2734 JPM Smoke Detector Cleaning ECLSS/TCS1 Rack Tilt Up IDENTIFICATION. Copy ???-? micro-accelerometer data to laptop / r/g 1589 ECLSS/TCS1 Rack Tilt Up (assistance) Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation EarthKAM Experiment in SM Camera lens swap DOSETRK Questionnaire Completion JPM Smoke Detector cleaning, Closeout Ops PAO Hardware Setup Crew Prep for PAO Filling MRM2 Thermal Mode Control System [??1?] compensator with coolant from SM [????] ???2 compensator r/g 2771 PAO Event EarthKAM Experiment in SM Battery Changeout CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medication) Intake / r/g 2769 Soyuz 731 Transfers and IMS Ops / r/g 2734 OBT Dragon Rendezvous Procedures Review Crew OBT, Crew Medical Officer (CMO), Computer Based Training OBT Dragon Rendezvous Procedures Review SM [????] ???1, ???2 Coolant Refill using refill set r/g 2771 MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter gathering and measurements r/g 2781 Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation CALCIUM. Experiment session 3 / r/g 2776 RADIN Retrieval of Radi-N detectors MATRYOSHKA-R. Handover of BUBBLE-dosimeter detectors from USOS r/g 2781 RADIN Handover of RADI-N Detectors to RS MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter gathering and measurements r/g 2781 Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation WRM Ops Placeholder IMS Update Photo/TV Camcorder Setup CUCU Activation HABIT Viewing Introduction Video HABIT Data Recording to iPad CUCU Check WRM Ops Placeholder CCP Stow for Crew Sleep SHD Weekly Questionnaire EarthKAM Experiment in SM Battery Changeout CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake / r/g 2769 Completed Task List Items None Ground Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Dragon OBT support CUCU ops Nominal ground commanding. Three-Day Look Ahead: Thursday, 07/14: Emergency Book update, Dragon OBT, Heart Cells hardware setup, STRATA card changeout, EarthKAM ops Friday, 07/15: Emergency Roles & Responsibilities review, MSPR VRU SSD replace, Dragon OBT Offset Grapple/debrief conference, GLACIER2 dessicant pack swap Saturday, 07/16: 64P launch, crew off duty, housekeeping QUICK ISS Status Environmental Control Group: Component Status Elektron On Vozdukh Manual [???] 1 SM Air Conditioner System (SKV1) Off [???] 2 SM Air Conditioner System (SKV2) Off Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab Standby Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 Operate Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Idle Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 Operate Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Standby Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Norm Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab Off Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 Full Up MOSCOW (Sputnik)On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi extended the state of emergency in North of Sinai until late October. "I want to assure that Egypt's Sinai is cleared of terrorist groups and smugglers with the exception of a small area," Ali Abdel Aal said. The state of emergency and curfews were declared in several North Sinai areas in October 2014 after a series of deadly terror attacks. This marked the start of a sweeping security operation and the creation of a buffer zone on the border with Gaza. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Cameroonian government and security forces are making arbitrary arrests and torturing supporters of Islamist militant group Boko Haram in the Far North region of the country, an international rights group said in a report Thursday, calling for an end to such practices. "In seeking to protect its population from the brutality of Boko Haram, Cameroon is pursuing the right objective; but in arbitrarily arresting, torturing and subjecting people to enforced disappearances the authorities are using the wrong means," Amnesty International said in a report. The aim of the report is to paint a picture of the measures the government has taken against Boko Haram supporters. NEW DELHI (Sputnik) According to the Ministry of External Affairs, there are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, 450 of them are in Juba and around 150 live in other areas. According to the Foreign Ministry officials, so far about 300 Indians have registered with the Indian embassy for evacuation. The General takes charge again! 2 C-17s proceeding to Juba tomorrow with @Gen_VKSingh leading evac'n frm South Sudan pic.twitter.com/H48qiBJHad Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) 13 July 2016 Operation "Sankat Mochan" is being led by Minister of State for External Affairs General V. K. Singh. He is accompanied by Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations), Joint Secretary Satbir Singh and Director Anjani Kumar of the Ministry of External Affairs. Stoltenberg stressed that NATOs presence in Eastern Europe is a response to Crimeas secession from Ukraine and subsequent reunification with Russia. "For NATO it is obvious that the increased or enhanced NATO presence in the eastern part of the alliance is a direct response to the actions of Russia Before Crimea, before Ukraine, enhanced NATO presence in the eastern part of the alliance was not on the agenda," the secretary general said. According to Stoltenberg, the Wednesday meeting was "not a meeting of minds," but an opportunity to exchange viewpoints and clarify positions on the crisis, in which NATO and the West accuse Russia of fueling the conflict between the Ukrainian government and pro-independence forces. Moscow insists it is not a party to the hostilities. BALTICS AIR SAFETY CONSENSUS Despite the remaining disagreements, NATO welcomed Russias proposal to ensure air safety in the Baltics, including through flights with transponders turned on. "Russia proposed a way forward on how we can address issue related to transponders and air safety. We stated clearly that we welcome that Russia is ready to sit down and discuss air safety, transparency, including transponders. But we also asked for more details, and I think its up to Russia to discuss the details of the proposal, but we welcome that Russia is showing more interest on the issue," Stoltenberg said. The Secretary General added that NATO should look into its own flight standards to ensure safety, transparency and predictability in the Baltics airspace. PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) At the summit, "German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was the punching bag for hardliners, who accused him of crossing the line by calling for normalization of relations with Russia," Steinberg noted. However, Steinmeier was not isolated in his concern, Steinberg pointed out. "French President [Francois] Hollande arrived in Warsaw and immediately publicly said that Russia is neither an enemy nor a threat," he recalled. Former NATO Defense Committee Chairman and former German Air Force and German armed forces chief of staff Gen. Harald Kujat was also outspoken in his opposition to NATO escalation and confrontation against Russia at the summit, Steinberg continued. "Kujat told German media that Russia should be viewed as a friend and even an ally. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, he said, should have been invited to Warsaw," Steinberg remarked. The decisions to send four Western military battalions into Eastern European NATO member states and other confrontational moves approved in Warsaw had actually been choreographed by Washington well in advance of the summit, Steinberg recollected. MOSCOW (Sputnik) On Wednesday, May, having served as home secretary for the past six years, became the United Kingdoms new prime minister, following David Camerons official resignation. "From the Russian point of view, it's important to know that she was the minister who was responsible for the inquiry a few months ago on the death of Litvinenko. And the conclusion of that inquiry was that the Russian government was involved in the killing. She made a statement at that time where she condemned the Russian government and was very firm on the need for the West to maintain its security. So I expect that in regard to Russia she will maintain a pretty hard line," he said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) On Wednesday, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said that Germany and France are committed to press forward with a proposal to strengthen European defense policy amid the Britain's vote to leave the union. "A European army is a long-term goal of the social democracy. But that will be far in the future. However, it is not a substitution for NATO," Arnold said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that Germany and France are committed to pressing forward with the proposal to strengthen European defense policy amid the UK vote to leave the union. She made the statement while presenting a new military roadmap for Germany that provides for a significant build up of its military personnel and a larger defense budget. "Germany for the last ten years has been on a path of buying assets of all defense industry's sectors, partially buying back some French assets, constructing a very big and efficient defence industry on its own, modernizing its armed forces, moving its headquarters, professionalizing its land forces. Germany is envisioning itself as a main military power on the continental part of Europe, however, it likely to fail due to lack of any real foreign policy autonomous from the United States," Nicolas Dhuicq said. The little island of Ivon in Sweden's southernmost province of Scania has a population of 137 inhabitants. To make life merrier, the Migration Board plans to offer accommodations for 2,000 refugees there. Unsurprisingly, the very idea has infuriated the locals and stirred criticism in the municipality of Kristianstad. The company Svenska Semesterhem is currently investigating the possibility of providing modular housing for over 2,000 tenants on the small island of Ivon, situated in Lake Ivonsjon in northeastern Scania, to make use of the lucrative new housing contracts the country's Migration Board has offered private companies. At present, the asylum contractor is planning to apply for planning permission to show the Swedish Migration Board that the plan is feasible. Sumit Shah further added that, "We believe that green tea with all its goodness can help Mr. Trump and in turn benefit his country and the world at large." According to Shah, the consignment of tea bags is based on the presumption that the real estate tycoon would drink three cups a day and if he needs more we will be happy to provide. "Green tea has been proven to fight against harmful free radicals and cleanse the mind and bodies, helping one regain a healthy balance. These green teas can help change Trump for the better," Shah told Sputnik in an exclusive interview. Shah further told Sputnik that, "There have been lot of extreme reactions to Donald Trump and what he thinks. We firmly believe in the good power of the tea that it brings to us. We thought we could take a slightly less offensive approach towards the whole thing and urge him to purify his mind and body and gain a healthy balance. That's the idea that we are going after." Sumit Shah denied that this is merely a publicity stunt. "No it's definitely not for publicity as we do not even sell our products in the US. If it would have been for the publicity then I would have sent this tea to someone in India first," Shah told Sputnik. American Republican presidential candidate nominee Donald Trump has a large following in India, where some of his followers are worshiping Hindu gods so that he can become the next US president. On the other hand, however, many Indians are concerned about his brash, xenophobic speeches. BISHKEK (Sputnik) The visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Bishkek is supporting the democratic development of Kyrgyzstan, President Almazbek Atambayev said on Thursday. "I think that your visit is a support of the democratic development, which we have chosen," Atambayev said during a bilateral meeting with Merkel, noting that his country "attaches great importance to the visit." On Wednesday evening, Merkel arrived in Kyrgyzstan in an official visit for bilateral cooperation talks, where she will stay until later in the day. NEW DELHI (Sputnik)Nepal's parliament will vote on no confidence motion against Prime Minister Sharma Oli, put forward by three parties, around July 21, Parliament Secretariat spokesman Bharat Raj Gautam said Thursday. "Parliament will vote on July 21 itself or the following day. The prime minister has to answer the questions raised by lawmakers," Gautam was quoted by the Kathmandu Post as saying. If Prime Ministers Oli fails to receive the support of 298 out of 595 lawmakers, Parliament speaker Onsari Gharti will set a date for the selection of a new prime minister. On Wednesday morning, the China Southern Airlines and Hainan Airlines jets took off from Meilan International Airport in Haikou on their respective approximately two-hour test flights to Meiji and Zhubi. In Zhubi, airport personnel gathered to greet the crew on board and burst into applause. Hainan Airlines pilot Hu Xianzhong said, "Zhubi is one of the southernmost reefs of the country, and it is a heartfelt honor to conduct the test flight and land at this airport as a pilot and as a Chinese citizen." Both planes returned to Haikou in the afternoon. It remains unclear whether the flights to two reefs will become regular routes. Therefore, the analyst noted, "when the president of the Philippines negotiates with China, he does it in consultation with Washington." Asked about the prospects of the diplomatic flare-up provoking a new arms race in the region, Chossudovsky suggested that unfortunately, one has already begun. "We are already in an arms race situation, triggered by the United States. That arms race, at this particular juncture, is essentially directed against four countries Russia, ChinaIran and North Korea. These are the four countries which are on the drawing board of the Pentagon, and they have been there for many, many years. In all the war games the World War 3 scenarios that the Pentagon [plays out] on a routine basis these four countries are the targetsThis is ultimately what is at stake." The professor reiterated that the militarization of the South China Sea is "there for two purposes: for threatening China, and [for preventing] the countries of the region of Southeast Asia and the Far East from entering into cooperation agreements which would be more of a regional type." Such agreements, Chossudovsky noted, would serve as a clear threat to Washington's efforts to enforce the Trans-Pacific Partnership, aimed at putting countries throughout the region "under the geopolitical control of the United States." The professor also emphasized that under normal circumstances, the issue of maritime rights would be resolved through bilateral discussions. A Canadian, Chossudovsky recalled that the United States and Canada also have water boundary disputes. But this doesn't mean that the Chinese Navy butts in and deploys its own ships to these areas. "In other words, what I think is deplorable here is that a legal dispute under the laws of the sea is [being] used by the United States to threaten China and militarize strategic waterways in the South China Sea," the analyst noted. A permanent commission would mean that female officers get the chance to rise to the rank of Lieutenant General and retire at 60 with full benefits like men do. "IAF says Pooja Thakur was offered a permanent commission in 2012. She declined it then, and it can be offered only once. No new offer can be given," her lawyer, retired Major Sudhanshu Pandey, told media . On Thursday in Shanghai, shares in the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation were trading at 7.23 yuan ($1.08), an increase of 4.7 percent since July 11. On Thursday in Hong Kong, shares in China Aerospace International Holdings, the Hong Kong subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, were trading at 1.04 Hong Kong dollars ($0.13), an increase of 8.3 percent since July 11. The rising tension in the South China Sea has also had an impact on the oil market, as industry players react to concerns that shipping transport across the seas could be affected. Following the verdict on Tuesday futures on Brent crude for September delivery jumped by five percent, more than two dollars, to close at $48.47. On Thursday afternoon in London, Brent crude was trading at $47.22 a barrel. Commenting on the court's ruling, Peter Hinchliffe, secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping in London raised concerns that shipping may be affected. "It is vital that merchant ships are allowed to go about their lawful business on the world's oceans without diversion or delay. We will of course be monitoring for any interference in the coming weeks," Hinchliffe said, Oilprice.com reported. In the summer of 1774, in the midst of Yemelyan Pugachevs Peasants Rebellion, Salawat Yulayev, the leader of the Bashkir insurgents, met with Pugachevs Cossack army near the hills of the present-day town of Satka in the Chelyabinsk Region. Yulayev's Bashkir peasants werent happy about some of Empress Catherine II's policies, which they said violated the rights of the Bashkir people. Thats why, when Pugachev asked Yulayev to join forces and fight Catherines Imperial government, the Bashkir leader accepted the offer. CHISINAU (Sputnik) Earlier in the day, media reported that Moscow had prepared a plan to restore economic relations with Moldova and proposed it to Chisinau . The proposed roadmap contains a list of measures, which could be divided in three groups technical, in the sphere of energy and geopolitical. In line with that, the decision to form a working group to develop the roadmap had been taken by the two sides. "The necessity of the creation of a working group is dictated by the need to synchronize both sides' proposals for their roadmap projects. The roadmap that is due to be discussed and subsequently signed, does not imply any revision of the agreements signed by Moldova and the EU, the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States], and international or regional organizations," a ministry representative told reporters. The ministry stressed that the proposed roadmap was yet to be promoted, as it was a draft document with "unilateral proposals that need to be discussed and approved." WASHINGTON (Sputnik) "The greatest challenge we face today is the risk of the world turning its back on global cooperation the cooperation which has served us all well," Lagarde stated at the Center for Global Development. The IMF chief added that "it did not take the Brexit vote to understand that low growth, rising inequality, and a lack of jobs have combined with social and geopolitical concerns to fuel the rise of populism and inward-looking forces." On July 7, Lagarde said that the protectionism supported by some politicians like presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump can result in significant damage to the global economy. The BKA has been coordinating a police unit since December 2015 combining federal and state police. The collaborative effort is called "Tackling Hate Posting," and was first organized after Bavarian police noticed regular hate-posts appearing on a private Facebook page between July and November 2015. The BKA claims that the hate-posts featured illegal far-right and anti-Semitic sentiments, and praised Nazism. Spreading information that incites violence against people because of their ethnic or religious background is against German federal law, and comes with a possible sentence of up to three years in jail. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The crew lost control of the fire engine on the way to Barcares in the southern region of Pyrenees-Orientales, causing it to overturn, according to French radio France Info. Strong winds fanned the flame, which spread south to the seaside town of Torreilles, covering an area of more than 370 acres. Over 3,000 tourists were evacuated from the town as the flames threatened to engulf camping sites. Hundreds of firefighters have been battling the blaze since Wednesday afternoon in the area surrounding the small town of Barcares on the Mediterranean coast. "On the one hand you have this push for NATO to be in more clear control of its member states, that the US will direct the foreign policy of Europe especially with regards to the Middle East, Africa and Eurasia." "On the other hand, we're going to see this desire among European elites to have their own foreign policy. They may not want to have a confrontation with Russia, they may not want to continue to support Turkey in its efforts against Syria." The US itself is conflicted about an EU army; on the one hand it knows its military is overstretched by its presence in Europe, but a lesser presence means lesser political influence. The desire of the German public to take on such a leading role, whether within NATO or a European army, is also questionable. "The European public and especially German public have been raised from an early age to question militarism and to actually think that Germany is the least responsible in terms of being able to have strong military capacity on the European continent." MOSCOW (Sputnik)Mirsad O., a 34-year-old Serbian man from Bosnia, was charged with belonging to a terrorist organization as well as inciting violence and hate speech, Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung said. The outlet said that the preacher, who goes by the alias Ebu Tejma, had convinced many youths to fight alongside the terror group, including through IS propaganda films he spread on the Internet. Another man, identified as Mucharbek T., was convicted of fighting for the IS and sentenced to ten years in prison late Wednesday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) UKs Chancellor Philip Hammond said Thursday there are no plans for an emergency budget, adding he will make an Autumn Statement on economy to parliament in fall. "No. The prime minister made clear we will make an Autumn Statement in the usual way in the autumn, and we will look carefully over the summer situation," he replied to the question by Sky News whether there would be an emergency budget. "There is a lot of work now to do," Hammond said. "Im seeing governor of the Bank of England and we will take stock of where we are." MOSCOW (Sputnik) Owen Smith, who is running for leadership in the Labour party, has promised to call a new referendum on EU membership if elected, in an interview to the Guardian newspaper. The former work and pensions secretary in the shadow cabinet, who stepped down last month in a party coup against incumbent Jeremy Corbyn, claimed many of those who voted for the country to quit the European Union were misled by the Leave campaign. "We should give them another chance. That does mean a second referendum or a general election when the terms are clear," Smith said. MOSCOW(Sputnik) Michael Gove has been dismissed from his position as the UK justice secretary, local media reported Thursday. According to the Sky News television channel, Gove will play no role in the cabinet of newly-appointed Prime Minister Theresa May. Gove was a key figure in the campaign backing the United Kingdom leaving the European Union and ran for the prime ministerial position. MOSCOW (Sputnik)UK lawmaker Nicky Morgan said Thursday she had been dismissed as the UK Education Secretary. "Disappointed not to be continuing as Education Secretary & Min for Women & Equalities two wonderful roles it's been a privilege to hold," she said on her Twitter account. On Wednesday, Theresa May became the new UK prime minister. Following her appointment, the cabinet has seen several changes. Earlier Thursday, media reports emerged claiming that Michael Gove had been dismissed from his position as the UK justice secretary. MOSCOW (Sputnik) According to the Russian Kommersant daily, a roadmap containing a list of measures which Moscow has offered to implement with Chisinau in order to restore trade relations was sent to the Moldova's Embassy in Moscow. The media reported that these measures could be divided in three groups: technical, in the sphere of energy and geopolitical. The roadmap was sent by the Director of the Department of Economic Cooperation and Integration with CIS Countries, which belongs to the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, Ilya Galkin on June 28. According to the media, Chisinau has already reacted to the Russian proposal by rejecting some of the measures. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka suggested banning asylum seekers from obtaining work permits in EU countries, in an interview with a German newspaper published on Thursday. "It should be mandatory for all EU countries in future that asylum seekers are not allowed to work. Different regulations on this matter are not a good thing, and they send a wrong message to the origin countries of refugees," he told Die Welt. He slammed the European Commission for proposing a blanket work permit for asylum seekers whose applications are likely to be upheld. The EU decision-making body said this would allow immigrants to provide for themselves. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Ukrainian authorities ignore the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) 's appeals to investigate massacres on Kiev's Maidan square and in the southern Ukrainian town of Odessa, which left dozens of civilians dead, the OHCHR said in a report Thursday. The UN Human Rights Office "remains concerned that the authorities have still not taken appropriate measures to ensure effective investigations into the 2 May 2014 events [Odessa massacre], nor to protect the independence of the judiciary," the report says. The report also recommends that the law in Ukraine is amended to allow prosecutions for all killings that took place during the Maidan events in February 2014. From the archives: UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson with some truly risible views on Africa. pic.twitter.com/GrWHGZqkhJ ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) July 13, 2016 BoJo is well known for his newspaper columns and journalistic wit and recently turned his hand to a bit of poetry, penning a petty limerick about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Poem by new UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson. Looking forward to UK-Turkey relations. pic.twitter.com/FYGXCon9ow ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) July 13, 2016 Foreign affairs commentator Ian Bremmer has suggested Britain's "special relationship" with the US has now turned into a "special needs" relationship. Boris Johnson, UK Foreign Secretary. US-UK alliance will now be known as the Special Needs Relationship. ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) July 13, 2016 Johnson recently came under fire for his racist comments about US President Barack Obama, referring to him as a "part-Kenyan president" who had an "ancestral dislike of the British empire." "It's a slightly strange appointment after a series of huge mistakes and gaffes, including referring to Barack Obama's Kenyan ancestry and his remarks about the Turkish Prime Minister," Shehab Khan, political commentator told Sputnik. "But fundamentally he's a Brexiteer and you need a Brexiteer so it's understandable Theresa May has gone for him." After his ancestry comments to Obama and Nazi comments about the EU, how can Boris be foreign secretary? What is May thinking?! Shehab Khan (@ShehabKhan) July 13, 2016 "His international record as mayor of London is positive at times he was fantastic and brilliant at selling London. He's a brilliant sales man but not the greatest statesman but he's charismatic," Khan told Sputnik. Foreign Secretary. Making sure GB is taken seriously 'n international diplomacy and stuff. #BorisJohnson pic.twitter.com/C2zrcz14K9 Rachel Waterman (@RW_HofV) July 13, 2016 "People do like him. You only have to look at the response from Russia, US, Turkey and Australia who all describe him as controversial and how he handles himself now will dictate Britain's place in the world," adds Khan. "We don't know how Britain will be perceived abroad now and Boris will have to become more of a statesman," said Khan. The Foreign Secretary, yep, Boris Johnson, also has responsibility for Britain's secret intelligence service (MI6) and the Government's Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is also directly accountable to BoJo. #BorisJohnson is in control of the MI6. Let that sink in for a minute. pic.twitter.com/e1Bp58M3XY Joshua Raymond (@Josh_RaymondUK) July 13, 2016 Critics of the cabinet appointment of Boris Johnson suggest PM Theresa May is taking a rather large gamble however BoJo's new job could turn out to be no joke. MOSCOW (Sputnik) French President Francois Hollande said Thursday that the European Unions single currency area eurozone needs a finance minister and a common budget. "There needs to be a budget and a finance minister of the eurozone," Hollande said in a televised live speech broadcast by the presidents website. The president said that the French economy was effectively "doing better," but said external impacts like Brexit made it fragile. MOSCOW (Sputnik)The number of people living in poverty in Italy in 2015 was the highest in a decade, a report published by the national statistics bureau ISTAT revealed Thursday. "In 2015, it is estimated that households living in absolute poverty amounted to 1,582,000 and 4,598,000 individuals (the highest number since 2005)," the report published on ISTAT's official website reads. According to the report, 6.1 percent of Italian households were living in absolute poverty in 2015, equating to as much as 7.6 percent of the total Italian population. In comparison, the same figures for 2014 were 5.7 percent and 6.8 percent respectively. Two companies of the 231st Mountain Infantry Battalion of the German armed forces are expected to be deployed to Estonia this year, according to a statement issued by the Estonian Defense Ministry. The troops will be stationed at Tapa Military Base, and the first unit has already arrived at the Estonian port of Paldiski. The goal of the German mountain troops' deployment is apparently to recon the terrain in the country and to take part in military drills, which are jointly funded by Germany and Estonia. MOSCOW (Sputnik) French Ambassador to Russia Jean-Maurice Ripert expressed hope Thursday that the work of Normandy Four group the Ukrainian conflict resolution will be successful, which could lead to removal of anti-Russia sanctions. "We hope, that an active work of Normandy Four group will be productive and enable us to lift anti-Russia sanctions for the benefit of all," he said. He added, that the French and Russian leaders discussed not only bilateral issues, but global threats and challenges during regular contacts between the two sides. "The Safe Harbor Decision denies the national supervisory authorities their powers where a person calls into question whether the decision is compatible with the protection of the privacy and of the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals." This week, the EU and the US signed off a replacement for Safe Harbor, called Privacy Shield, which is claimed to protect European citizens from mass surveillance by the US authorities. However, Max Schrems told Sputnik: "Privacy Shield is the product of pressure by the US and the IT industry not of rational or reasonable considerations. It is little more than a little upgrade to Safe Harbor, but not a new deal. It is very likely to fail again, as soon as it reaches the CJEU." "This deal is bad for users, which will not enjoy proper privacy protections and bad for businesses, which have to deal with a legally unstable solution. The European Commission and the US government managed to make everyone miserable, when they could have used this opportunity to upgrade the protections that are crucial for consumer trust in online and cloud services." On Wednesday, Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell said Scotland could secure its own EU deal, while Hammond was quick to rule out such a move. "Philip Hammond and the current Scottish Secretary are clearly not on the same page when it comes to Scotland David Mundell said that he was 'open to Scotland having a slightly different deal' from the rest of the UK. This means that there is now a cross-party consensus in Scotland about the importance of preserving Scotland's EU status, which puts Philip Hammond and Theresa May totally out of step with the views of the people of Scotland," Stephen Gethins said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) French President Francois Hollande confirmed Thursday that the country would not be extending its state of emergency, introduced over terrorist attacks in November and expiring on July 26. "We cannot extend the state of emergency forever. We now have a law allowing to act against terrorism," Hollande said as quoted by the Elysee Palace twitter account. Hollande France will *not* extend State of Emergency beyond 26 July (it has twice been extended since Bataclan attacks eight months ago) Chris Schofield (@chrischofield1) 14 2016 . The state of emergency has been announced in France following the November 13 terrorist attack in Paris. STOCKHOLM (Sputnik) According to the minister, stricter control measures allowed to curb the number of arrivals to 16,000 people in the first half of the year. "Last fall we started checking papers and introduced control on the borders as well as adopted new legislation, all these measures proved to be useful," Johansson said, as quoted by Svenska dagbladet. Some 10,000 refugees who were denied asylum in Sweden left for other EU countries or returned home, Johansson added. The decision was supported by 226 lawmakers, exactly the minimum threshold for the vote to stand. To enter into force, the bill must now to be signed by the country's president. Kiev started to issue new ID-cards on January 1, 2016, under the transition to a visa-free regime with the European Union. EDINBURGH (Sputnik) The role of the UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland should be abolished and its powers transferred to the Northern Ireland Assembly, which is the province's devolved legislature, John ODowd, an Assembly member for the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party, told Sputnik on Thursday. Earlier in the day, UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers announced that she had declined a proposal from new UK Prime Minister Theresa May to assume another role in the Cabinet and had left the government. James Brokenshire was confirmed as the next Northern Ireland Secretary. "The position of Secretary of State is unnecessary. It should be abolished and all remaining powers of the NIO [Northern Ireland Office] transferred to the Assembly," ODowd said. According to Germany's new military roadmap, the so-called White Book, Germany will significantly build up its military personnel. An additional 20,000 troops are set to be enlisted into the German army (Bundeswehr) over the next seven years, according to media reports. I support the White Paper. It paves the path for the Bundeswehr to complete the tasks it already faces today. We are not speaking that Germany would take the current role Great Britain in the future, Arnold said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Work on the European Commissions proposal to reform the Common European Asylum System is expected to start in the Council of the European Union in September, an EU source told Sputnik on Thursday. We expect then that the technical work will start in September in the preparatory bodies of the Council, in order to find a negotiating position to discuss with the European Parliament. The proposals are under the ordinary legislative procedure and qualify majority voting, the source said. In one instance in 2014, Mokrushyna recalled, "a group of people were arrested in Kryvyi Rih for distributing the newspaper Novorossiya, [which] was being printed officially in Odessa. They were given five years in prison. The one woman among them was released conditionally and is under house arrest, but the men are still in prison." Last month, a delegation from the UN's Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture was forced to suspend an official visit to the country, with the SBU denying officials access to the areas of the country containing detention facilities. "The suspension of the visit highlights the dire situation of political prisoners in Ukraine," Mokrushyna suggested. The latest report on Ukraine by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), published last month, admitted that the SBU is systematic in its use of torture, ill-treatment and intimidation against critics of the government. Furthermore, the journalist noted that there is evidence showing non-state actors, including members of ultranationalist 'volunteer battalions', using the threat of physical violence to force the judiciary to keep critics of the government silent. Mokrushyna pointed to one such incident in Odessa, where extremists from the Right Sector paramilitary group stormed a courtroom and effectively forced the court to rescind its decision to release a Russian citizen accused of taking part in the May 2, 2014 events on house arrest. MOSCOW (Sputnik) On July 11-15, the Belgian capital of Brussels hosts the 14th round of the TTIP talks between the United States and the European Union on the details of the free trade agreement. "For constitutional reasons, taking a pause from TTIP is recommended. The public has the feeling that the far-reaching law is being made without parliament Unpopular content cant be slipped past parliament. Thats reprehensible in terms of democratic theory and is an arrogant and cynical way of proceeding," Hans-Juergen Papier said, as quoted by the German Handelsblatt newspaper. Papier added that the 28-nation bloc should reconsider the goals and the process of the negotiations on the TTIP deal. LONDON (Sputnik) On Wednesday, Theresa May , the former Home Secretary, was appointed the country's prime minister as David Cameron resigned in the wake of the UK popular vote to leave the European Union. Rudd, who joined the Cabinet only last year as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, took over Mays former role in line with the major cabinet reshuffle. "It is an honour and a privilege to be asked to lead the Home Office an institution which touches the lives of millions of people every day I look forward to working with the Home Office staff on our priorities cutting crime, reducing immigration and keeping this country safe and secure," Rudd said in a statement on her first day in office. Former Home Secretary May was known for her tough stance on immigration, in particular, initiating a minimum income requirement, under which the migrants were not allowed to bring their spouses or children to Britain unless a migrant resident in the UK earned at least 18,600 pounds ($24,000) annually. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The 44-year-old man, who is said to be of Turkish origin, has already spent 14 days in custody and was released Thursday after the remaining part of his sentence had been suspended. He was also put on probation for two years, the Dutch News media outlet reported. The man, whose name was not disclosed, called the king "a murderer, a rapist and a thief" on his Facebook page. He is also said to have posted a photo of an execution committed by the Daesh (or IS, outlawed in Russia) terror group replacing the victims heads with a head of Willem-Alexander. "This behaviour is unacceptable in our society and justifies a criminal sentence," the judge said in a ruling as quoted by the Dutch News. "It is doubtful that the European bloc and its single state members will welcome recent calls from the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies for a transatlantic initiative to inflict economic and financial penalties on China over its refusal to obey the arbitration courts legal decision," Emanuele Scimia writes for Asia Times. The United States will likely continue its "freedom of navigation" patrols through the region, in an attempt to enforce the ruling, but it is unlikely that Europe will participate. "Europe is still in economic disarray and dramatically needs Chinese investments for its recovery," Scimia writes. "meaning that the EU will be careful not to make a fuss about the South China Sea controversies." LONDON (Sputnik) On Wednesday, Sturgeon said that she wanted "direct talks" with May, who became new country's prime minister succeeding David Cameron, to discuss the Brexit negotiations. "We'll meet here in Edinburgh tomorrow morning and I hope that it will be a constructive discussion. It's no secret to anybody that Theresa May and I hold very different political views and we've got perhaps different views on what should happen now in terms of the Brexit vote," Sturgeon said on Thursday, as quoted by the Scottish Television. On June 23, the referendum was held in the United Kingdom, in which 51.9 percent of voters supported the country withdrawing from the European Union. At the same time Scotland, as well as Northern Ireland backed retaining membership of the 28-nation bloc, while England and Wales backed Brexit. Multiple videos have been posted of the possible attack, showing people fleeing from the celebration, though no footage of the crash itself has surfaced. Early witnesses reported gunshots, but this has not been confirmed, as fireworks are routinely part of the annual festivities. People in the Nice area turned to Twitter offering shelter for those in need. The #portesouvertesnice quickly began trending with offers of help. An Ohio University student attending the parade, Jonathan Sisler, tweeted "Vehicular attack on Bastille Day crowd in #Nice, France tonight. Mere feet away. Almost trampled by the fleeing crowd. Glad to be alive." Brazilian author Claudio Vieira de Oliveira was born with a rare congenital condition affecting his joints; his head appears to be upside-down, and when he was born doctors said he wouldn't live more than a day. Against the odds, Claudio has learnt to do many of the things that able-bodied people take for granted, and has even written an inspirational book about his life experiences. In an exclusive interview Claudio told Sputnik Brazil about his childhood determination to overcome his condition. At the age of seven he stopped crawling and started to walk, on his knees. Then he asked his mother to teach him to read and write. MOSCOW (Sputnik)Russian support for the Syrian government army has tipped the scales in the war against terrorists in the Arab Republic, Syria's President Bashar Assad said. "The Russian support of the Syrian army has tipped the scales against the terrorists," Assad told NBC News. "At the same time, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have sent more troops since that Russian legal intervention started. But in spite of that, it was the crucial factor," he added. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Egyptian Parliament will have a debate in the near future on the report of the the Egyptian parliaments Committee on Foreign Affairs, calling for former US president George W. Bush and ex-UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to be tried for war crimes in connection with 2003 invasion to Iraq, the speaker of the Egypt's Parliament told Sputnik. "The Egyptian parliaments Committee on Foreign Affairs after reviewing Chilcot report came to a conclusion that everyone who was involved in Iraq's distraction and destruction of its statehood, regardless of their position, should be tried for war crimes. The report of the Committee soon to be reviewed at the Parliament," Ali Abdel Aal said. On July 6, Sir John Chilcot revealed a report on the United Kingdoms role in the 2003 war in Iraq. After the publication of the report, the Committee of the Egyptian Parliament called on the UN Security Council to request the International Criminal Court to hear a trial against both Blair and Bush for war crimes related to the invasion of Iraq. The Egyptian lawmakers urged the international community to assess the economic and political damage done to Iraq over the years following the invasion and to demand compensation from London and Washington. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The possibility of direct Israeli-Palestinian talks is growing as certain progress was reached at the Paris conference devoted to the peace process, the Egyptian parliament speaker told Sputnik. In early June, the French capital hosted the conference aimed at the resumption of the stalled Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The conference's participants, including EU member states, the Arab countries and the United Nations discussed ways in which the international community could help advance the Palestinian-Israel peace process. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi proposed to host direct negotiations between two countries. "I want to note there are positive signals from the Israeli and Palestinian sides. There are prospects for the direct talks between parties," Ali Abdel Aal said. On Monday US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced the deployment of another 560 US troops to Iraq, as the Iraqi government plans to mount an assault on the terrorist group Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) in Mosul, northern Iraq. The US forces are expected to land at the Qayyarah air field, about 40km south of Mosul, one of the bases from which the Iraqis plan to attack Daesh forces in their last remaining urban stronghold. Iraqi military expert Ahmad Akm-Sharifi told Sputnik that the US forces will provide aerial assistance to Iraq government forces in their assault on Mosul. "This morning six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers launched from an airfield based in Russia delivered a second concentrated attack on the newly discovered Daesh targets in areas east of Palmyra, as well as the towns of As Sukhnah, Arak and T-3 oil pumping stations in Homs province," the ministry said. The Russian Aerospace Forces have stepped up the intensity of internationally designated terrorist group armed formations in the vicinity of Palmyra. Six strategic long-range bombers from Russia destroyed the jihadists' command post, a field camp, two oil processing facilities, as well as a number of fighters and equipment, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday. ISTANBUL (Sputnik) All five sites protected by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Libya were included on the List of World Heritage in Danger, the organization said in a statement on Thursday. The 40th session of the UNESCO committee, which kicked off in Istanbul on Sunday and is due to last through July 20, is reviewing the condition of cultural sites protected by the body as well as examining new proposals to be added to the World Heritage List. "The World Heritage Committee today placed the five World Heritage sites of Libya on the List of World Heritage in Danger because of damage caused by the conflict affecting the country and the threat of further damage it poses," the UNESCO statement reads. CAIRO (Sputnik) The US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will support cooperation between Moscow and Washington if Russia and the United States reach an agreement on counterterrorism efforts, a spokesman for the SDF said on Thursday. In June, US media reports started to emerge suggesting that US President Barack Obama proposed Russia an agreement for military cooperation against some terrorist groups in Syria. Soon after that, media reported that US Secretary of State John Kerry during his visit to Russia could propose Moscow to step up cooperation in Syria, including by setting up a joint command center with prospects of integrated operations. "We are fully supportive of this move, our position is clear. If Russian and the US sides reach an agreement on cooperation and joint counterterrorism efforts, we will strongly support the cooperation," Talal Selo told RIA Novosti. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The US-led anti-Daesh coalition conducted 27 airstrikes against the terror groups positions in Syria and Iraq on Wednesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a press release. "In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes using bomber, attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against Daesh targets," the release stated on Thursday. "Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 15 strikes coordinated with an in support of the Government of Iraq." In Syria, airstrikes near four cities, including Raqqah and Manbij, destroyed vehicles, fighting positions and tactical units, according to the Central Command. On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported that a new US proposal on military cooperation with Russia in Syria includes a plan to establish a joint command center to facilitate the coordination of airstrike on terrorist positions. "Of course it is a positive move, but we should take into consideration several aspects: Russia and the United States should agree on who should be recognized as terrorist and terrorist groups. This cooperation should take place in the context of broad cooperation on the search for a political solution The struggle against terrorism should be fair and directed against terrorism, as a whole, and not only radical Sunni groups I do not expect any effect [from the proposed cooperation] if these three points are not taken into account," Firas Khalidi told RIA Novosti. The United Arab Emirates urged its students and other citizens in the United States to also be careful, using similar language the US State Department employs when warning Americans about countries that have fallen victim to attacks by extremists. "Please be aware of immediate surroundings and avoid crowded places when possible," the UAE embassy said in a statement that urged people to stay away from any US demonstrations. "Exercise particular caution during large festivals or events, be alert and stay safe." ATTENTION #UAE CITIZENS in the #US, PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM ALL PROTESTS, STAY ALERT & CONTACT THE EMBASSY IF YOU NEED HELP: +1(202)431-5530 UAE Embassy US (@UAEEmbassyUS) July 9, 2016 Bahamas, a Caribbean nation, on June 8 warned its people to be careful when visiting US cities rocked by "shootings of young black males by police officers." "In particular young males are asked to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police. Do not be confrontational and cooperate," Bahamas foreign ministry said in a travel advisory. In July, the US issued travel warnings for Bangladesh, Venezuela, Iraq and Mali. In an interview with Sputnik, Atilla Sandikli, head of the Center For Strategic Studies BILGESAM, specifically pointed to Turkey's attempts to scrap its policy of using pressure in dealing with Syria. The interview came after Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said in a televised address to the people of Turkey on Wednesday that Ankara needs to normalize relations with Syria in order to effectively fight terrorism. Turkey PM remarks on Syria: "We normalized relations w Israel and Russia. I'm sure we'll go back to normal relations w Syria as well." 1/x Borzou Daragahi (@borzou) 13 2016 . Sandikli, for his part, pointed out that "within the framework of the formation of the system of values and international relations, Turkish authorities realize the ineffectiveness of the policy of pressure." The issue of the definition of the Caspian's status emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the creation of new subjects of international law, (Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan), raised questions about the demarcation of the body of water. Still, outstanding issues remain. Commenting on Wednesday's meeting, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ibrahim Rahimpour noted that about half a dozen issues remain which must be addressed through further negotiations. Speaking to Sputnik Persian, Ahmad Rashidinejad, an expert on geopolitical issues at the University of Khorramabad, suggested that an agreement was entirely feasible, and requires only that the countries keep mindful of their other common interests, in the region and outside of it. "I think that right now, talk of concessions is not quite appropriate, because the issues that are being touched upon have geopolitical and geographical aspects," the expert noted. "The important thing is to keep in mind that the people of all the countries bordering the Caspian are extremely sensitive to such issues." "Therefore," Rashidinejad suggested, "to say that the solution to the legal status of the Caspian must be built on the basis of mutual concessions is not quite accurate." Instead, what the heads of the Caspian Five must work on is "how to bring their positions as close together as possible, to have common interests and address common threats, to address security issues." DUBAI (Sputnik) The talks between Yemen's Houthi rebels and the government delegation will reconvene in Kuwait on July 16, Al Arabiya broadcaster reported Thursday, citing a source in the government delegation. In late June, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmad announced that the UN-brokered talks to end the Yemeni conflict, which started in Kuwait on April 21, were suspended and would resume on July 15. Earlier in July, Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi said the government's delegation might not return to the peace talks if participation were made conditional to adopting a UN initiative on the establishment of a joint interim government with all the parties to the conflict. MOSCOW (Sputnik) According to a ministry, opponents of Assad regime have filmed a video that shows the alleged use of ammunition filled with banned chemical agents by Russian and Syrian aircraft in an attack on a settlement near the Syrian-Turkish border that kills civilians, including children. "The Russian and Syrian aircraft carry out missions exclusively against Islamic State and Nusra Front terrorist groups on request by the Syrian government," the ministry said in a statement. "Munitions armed with chemical agents are not used in such missions," the ministry stressed. "That the intelligence community feels that way is unsurprising, as previous reports have suggested that most of them have been pushing to stop fighting ISIS in general and shift the war to imposing a regime change on the Assad government," Jason Ditz writes for AntiWar.com. Speaking to Radio Sputniks Loud & Clear, security analyst Mark Sleboda has similar doubts as to whether Washington is serious about coordination. It has been suggested, he said, that it is not known "Whether this is an actual outreach from the Obama administration or whether this is more signals that the Obama administration is increasingly confused and not in control of its own agencies." "The CIA and Pentagon are actually in a proxy war with each others proxies killing each other in Syria, Kurds on one side and the so-called Free Syrian Army rebels on the other. So its not really clear." WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The US Special Operations Command is buying $170 million worth of new trucks from the Battelle Memorial Institute, a cutting edge and top-secret scientific research institution, the Department of Defense announced. "Battelle Memorial Institute [of] Columbus, Ohio, is being awarded a contract for the purchase of non-standard commercial vehicles in support of US Special Operations Command," the announcement stated on Wednesday. The announcement said the contract was only for modified commercial off the shelf trucks and sport utility vehicles with armor, heavy-duty suspension and brakes and communication equipment added. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Earlier, the newspaper reported that US Secretary of State John Kerry could propose Moscow to exchange information on the locations of the Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front) terrorist group and to synchronize their operations against the Islamic State (IS) jihadists. According to the text of the proposal, which Kerry plans to discuss with Russian officials during his visit to Moscow on Thursday, the United States is proposing to establish separate headquarters with Russia at the new operation and a shared coordination office. "The participants, through the JIG [Joint Implementation Group], should enable coordination between the participants for military operations against [Jabhat al-Nusra]," the document says, as quoted by the newspaper on Wednesday. "It is very important that more countries contribute to the fight against Daesh", Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet Hultqvist simultaneously brushed away the public criticism of Sweden's increasing involvement in NATO's international affairs, suggesting Stockholm wasn't about to drop its time-tested non-alignment policy, despite detractors claiming that it is inching closer to NATO. "We contribute to the coalition and this falls within its scope of our work. It has been an appreciated contribution," Hultqvist said. The military planners behind the joint US-Ukrainian operation "are not making any particular secret" regarding their plans, Ishchenko warned. "The main role is clearly assigned to combat aircraft. Just take a look the list of Ukrainian military airfields expected to be used in the upcoming exercises: Shkolniy near Odessa (basing Su-27 fighters and military transport aircraft), Kulbakino in Mykolaiv (featuring the 299th Air Tactical Brigade, with Su-25 close air support aircraft), Chernobaevka in Kherson region (home to the 11th Army Aviation Brigade, including Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters), plus landing areas on the Tendra Spit near Ochakiv, and on Pervomaiskiy IslandIn addition, when necessary, the Odessa International Airport is also expected to be used." The exercises will reach all the way to the mouth of the Danube River, where amphibious assault training is expected to take place. Furthermore, "as stated in Kiev, Ukrainian and US combat swimmers and divers will engage in demining operations." Effectively, Ishchenko suggested, clearing the approaches to the shore is a mandatory component of preparations for amphibious landings. The resources for this already exist, and could include US Navy SEALS, recently reported to have been deployed in Bulgaria, as well as Ukraine's 2nd Detachment of the 73rd Maritime Special Operations Center in Ochakovo. The composition of forces also reveals a great deal about the exercises, the analyst explained. "From the US side, it includes five ships and two submarines. The subs' participation is particularly noteworthy, given that the US only has nuclear submarines in its fleet, and that all subs, even non-nuclear ones, may enter the Black Sea only in accordance with international agreements." Essentially, "the US's multipurpose cruiser subs will only be able to participate in the exercises from the Mediterranean Sea. What tasks can they effectively solve there? Only one: subjecting Crimea or other Russian Black Sea territories with a massed Tomahawk cruise missile strike." There's literally nothing else for them to do, according to Ishchenko. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Reports claiming that the Russian Strategic Missile Forces Academy is developing a hypersonic nuclear-capable outer space strategic bomber are not true, a representative of the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters Thursday. "Advanced engines for space exploration has been continuously developed in Russia since the middle of the last century. However, there are no plans to create [outer] space strategic bombers in the Russian Strategic Missile Forces Academy in Serpukhov. Military educational institutions of the Russian Defense Ministry don't have the competence to deal with such projects," the representative said. On Wednesday, a developer from the academy, Lt. Col. Aleksei Solodovnikov told RIA Novosti that Russia was developing a hypersonic strategic bomber capable of striking nuclear blows from outer space. The contest to become the chief supplier of fighters for Canada's air force is expected to be a tight one. Currently, five major aircraft manufacturers are vying for Ottawa's favor; Saab is only seen as an average competitor, yet its management is optimistic about the outcome. "Canada says that positions at the starting grid are equal for all competitors," Saab's CEO Hakon Bukshe told the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. When Canada's Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was sworn in last year, he promised to stop the country's order for 65 US-build F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, citing problems with the price tag. According to The Engineer, the fully developed aircraft will set potential buyers back over 100 million dollars each, even without a motor. Others expressed concerns that the final cost may rise even higher. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The US Department of Defense cannot confirm that Russian forces carried out the strikes along the Syria-Jordan border earlier this week that hit the moderate Syrian opposition, US Department of Defense spokesperson Peter Cook said in a briefing on Thursday. "I cannot confirm with a 100 percent certainty that the Russians carried out those strikes," Cook stated. "Our understanding is these were strikes that did hit moderate opposition forces that had been fighting ISIL [Islamic State]." The Defense Department spokesperson noted that the United States is concerned with the airstrikes along the Syria-Jordan border as there had been an indication that some civilians were killed. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The United States needs to build a new replacement nuclear-armed cruise missile to replace its aging air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs), senior Department of Defense officials said in a congressional hearing. "We believe strategic stability would be decreased if we did not have a LRSO [Long-Range Stand Off cruise missile] to replace the ALCM," Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities Robert Scher told the US House of Representatives Strategic Forces Subcommittee on Thursday. US Strategic Command chief Adm. Cecil Haney stated during the hearing that improvements in air defense in other major nations around the world had made the current US ALCMs, all of which are subsonic, increasingly vulnerable. Hollande is himself 227 years later facing civil unrest and deep unpopularity over his controversial labor law reforms and for using a part of the constitution to bypass the National Assembly and force through the legislation. Back in 1789, France under Louis XVI was in a serious economic crisis, mainly caused by the cost of intervening in the American Revolution. An argument grew between the nobility/clergy and the commoners the Second and Third Estates leading to the storming of the Bastille, where political prisoners were held, the creation of a National Assembly and a written constitution. L'idee qui m'anime, c'est agir pour que notre pays puisse etre maitre de son destin et pour la cohesion sociale, nationale et culturelle. Francois Hollande (@fhollande) 14 July 2016 (Tweet: "The idea that drives me is to act for our country, to be the master of destiny for both national, cultural and social cohesion.") WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview he hopes history will judge him as a defender of his country from terrorists. "I hope that history will see me as the man who protected his country from the terrorism," Assad stated in an interview with NBC News aired on Wednesday. Assad also said he hopes his government is remembered as one that defended Syria from interventionists and protected the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The United States has bolstered monitoring capabilities to avoid abuse of humanitarian aid in Syria in light of previous fraud in Turkey, a US Department of State official told Sputnik. "The United States has worked with implementing partners to strengthen their internal controls and monitoring capabilities, among other actions," the official told Sputnik on Wednesday about the allocation of a new US $439 million aid package to Syria. When asked if the United States took steps to improve the allocation given previous abuses in Turkey, the State Department official said "yes." MOSCOW (Sputnik) The United States is hampering the resolution of the Syrian crisis, trying to change the situation in the country using its influence on groups affiliated with the Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front) terrorist organization, Qadri Jamil, one of the leaders of Moscow-Cairo opposition group, said. "The United States say they have no influence on armed groups that are cooperating with terrorists from the Jabhat al-Nusra group. But, of course, this is not the reality. The United States is influencing the situation on the battlefield through its allies such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, trying to change it, which would give it a trump card in the negotiations," Jamil said in an interview with the Russian Izvestia newspaper. According to the opposition leader, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura could call a new round of Syria peace talks sooner and the United States needs to accelerate the political dialogue on Syria as well, as bidding on a change on the balance of power in Syria and trying to resolve the crisis militarily will not work. MOSCOW (Sputnik)Egypt is ready to cooperate with Turkey, which has been seeking to improve relations with its neighbors, provided it does not interfere in Egypt's internal affairs, Egyptian parliament's Speaker Ali Abdel Aal told Sputnik. "My judgment on a matter is taken in balance with the opinion of the Egyptian people. We do not and we would not allow other states to interfere in our internal affairs. If a country respects this principle, we are ready to cooperate with any state, including Turkey," Aal said in response to a question regarding Egypt's reaction to Turkey seeking to improve relations with several of its neighbors. In June, Turkey resumed diplomatic ties with Israel six years after mutual estrangement that followed the 2010 Freedom Flotilla incident, when a convoy of six ships tried to approach the Gaza Strip allegedly to deliver humanitarian aid. Earlier on Tuesday, US State Department Spokesperson John Kirby said at his daily press briefing that the respective positions of Russia and the US on the Syrian conflict are not far apart, adding that theres near-daily communication between the US and Russia on whats going on on the ground, and what the Secretary looks forward to talking about in Russia is how we can take that same spirit of uniformity on what we both want to see in Syria to the next level. Andranik Migranyan, Russian political analyst and professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) told Radio Sputnik that such US announcements should be treated with cautious optimism. However, he added that John Kirbys comment signals a gradual shift of the US position on the Syrian conflict. We know that in such issues 'the devil is in the details'. The US State Department spokesperson says that our positions on Syria are not that 'far apart' but he doesnt specify where exactly we do stand 'far apart' and where we stand closer to each other, he told Radio Sputnik. Thus we should treat such comments with cautious optimism. We should wait and see exactly what suggestions John Kerry will bring to Moscow, then well be able to understand how close we have come to each other on the Syrian issue, he added. The political analyst, however, added that there are gradual changes taking place in the US position on Syria, not Russias. Apparently over the recent years it is not the Russian position which is changing towards the American one, it is the American position which is shifting towards Russias, he said. While the Finns Party Youth League has already been playing with the idea of launching a citizens' initiative to put forth a a EU referendum for some time, recently it became clear that even their senior Finns party colleagues in parliament were actually in favor of the vote. A survey carried out by Finland's national broadcaster Yle disclosed that a clear majority of the Finns Party would like to see a referendum on Helsinki's EU membership and participation in the single currency, which caused an outrage in the pro-EU Finnish media. The Finns Party is a populist and nationalist-oriented Finnish political party. Led by their perennial leader Timo Soini, The Finns were in opposition for decades until 2015, when they joined Juha Sipila's coalition government after becoming the country's second largest party in the 2015 election with 17.1 percent of the votes. The Finns Party's long-standing chairman, Foreign Minister Timo Soini, said that the media resentment at the Finns' support for a Helsinki's referendum on EU membership was a violation of the party's freedom of expression. On situation in Syria The ceasefire deal was signed by 171 towns in the country. Speaking about fallen Russian pilots Maria Zakharova said that their names will never be forgotten. On situation in South Sudan The situation in South Sudan becomes more serious. Severe clashes continue in the region. "We expect that the parties participating in the clashes will be able to return to reconciliation process in the country," Zakharova told reporters. On NATO-Russia relations The Russia-NATO council was held on july 14 in Brussels. The participants discussed the results of the NATO summit in Warsaw. Russia voiced a number of proposals for specific confidence-building measures during the latest NATO-Russia Council meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said. "The Russian side specifically pointed to NATO's direct responsibility for a possible further escalation of the military-political tensions on the European continent as a result of an unprecedented military buildup and bloc activity in regions bordering Russia," Maria Zakharova told reporters. The Russian side "proposed a number of very specific, practical steps to build confidence" during the meeting, particularly regarding military flights in the Baltic region. "We expect a specific reaction from our colleagues, NATO representatives," she added. The spokeswoman underlined that Moscow sees the NATO-Russia Council format as a "relevant mechanism for consultations and bringing closer approaches in the interests of strengthening peace and stability on the European continent." Russia, however, has condemned NATO buildup in Eastern Europe as it could lead to the tensions in the region, Zakharova said. The delegations discussed situation in Afghanistan. MOSCOW (Sputnik) A group of six world powers the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany signed a deal with Iran on July 14, 2015 to ensure the peaceful nature of its controversial nuclear program. Declaration by High Representative @FedericaMog on behalf of EU on anniversary of JCPOA https://t.co/bjBUZykdtt #Irandeal #Iran EU External Action (@eu_eeas) 14 July 2016 "One year after the conclusion of the landmark deal on Iran's nuclear programme agreed in Vienna, the European Union is pleased to note that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is being implemented," the statement read. One year after the nuclear deal, the EU commits to "further developing relations with #Iran," announces opening of an embassy in Tehran. Raphael Ahren (@RaphaelAhren) 14 July 2016 The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed in January 2016 that Iran had fulfilled its obligations under the nuclear pact, prompting Brussels to scale down nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions. In his speech Woolfe claimed the 'coalition of the comfortable' have forgotten the elderly and the poor. "I will ensure social mobility is at the forefront of politics once more and make sure our land is fit once again," Woolfe said. Drawing reference to the EU referendum on June 23, he said that the British people voted for hope over fear, they voted for freedom. Woolfe also said that despite claims UKIP now has no future, the plan of the party is to ensure the establishment do not forget their promises and that Article 50 is invoked. "There are marches taking place across the country to stop Article 50 being invoked. UKIP will ensure that the establishment keeps its promise and that Britain leaves the EU," Woolfe said. He claimed that he wanted Britain's growth and prosperity to be shared across the nation and that no one should be left behind. "It is all our kingdom, a United Kingdom and we need to be prepared for a Brexit future," Woolfe said. Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, known for his controversial speeches in the European Parliament and campaigning for Britain to leave the EU, has resigned in July 2016, following the victory of the Leave vote in the EU referendum. NATO countries continuously stress the importance of enhancing relations with Russia, Serbian Defense Minister Zoran Djordjevic told Sputnik. "The most high-profile representatives of NATO states have been using any opportunity to strengthen the solidarity within the alliance lately, but at the same time they stress the significance of closer ties with Russia," Djordjevic said. The minister added that the Warsaw summit rhetoric demonstrated that despite deterioration in the NATO-Russia relations, the alliance was seeking normalization and restart. "My personal impression is that the summit was not held 'under the sign of confrontation," he stressed. The Summit in Poland's capital was held last week and focused on Russia. On Wednesday, Russian Permanent Representative to NATO Alexander Grushko said measures adopted by alliance's member countries at the summit were of confrontational nature. Serbia to Review Possibility of Joint Military Drills With CSTO Serbia will examine the possibility of holding joint military exercise with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in near future, Serbian Defense Minister Zoran Djordjevic told Sputnik. "After dialogue on parliamentarian level, as well as talks with CSTO Secretary General [Nikolai] Bordyuzha, we will review the possibility of developing military cooperation, particularly holding joint drills, and with assistance of the Serbian Interior Ministry in other fields, including fight against terrorism and drug trafficking," the minister said. Djordjevic and Bordyuzha met in late April to discuss prospects of cooperation in military and security areas. The CSTO is a military alliance of former Soviet states, which comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. May had to offer some of the biggest jobs in her new cabinet to those who campaigned successfully to take Britain out of the EU, but there was some surprise when she chose Boris Johnson to head the UK's foreign office, with responsibility for MI6 and GCHQ. Boris has cultivated an image as a media-friendly, funny go-for-it politician, surprising many when he came out in favor of leaving the EU in what commentators saw as a bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party. The Scottish National Party's Alex Salmons described him as a "court jester". 3/3 Ive no doubt Theresa will make an excellent Prime Minister and I'm encouraged that she's made it clear that Brexit means Brexit. Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 11, 2016 Now he is to head the dour, conservative and stately Foreign Office, which handles Britain's political image throughout the world. In particular, he will have to develop close ties with his European counterparts in order to negotiate a Brexit that suits the UK. In early July, the European Union extended its sanctions against Russia by another six months. The measures, which target both individuals and companies, will remain in effect until the end of January 2017. Despite the EU's seeming commitment, there is apparent evidence of differences emerging among the European states over Russia, according to Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet, which referred to cracks in the EU facade. It cites as an example a recent resolution passed by the parliament of Cyprus, which urges the government to work on the removal of punitive anti-Russian measures. Cui Tiankai, China's ambassador to the US, said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Tuesday that these territorial issues in the South China Sea should not become issues between China and the US. "We will not yield to any pressure, be it in the form of military activities, media criticism or some self-claimed legal bodies," he said. "We hope [] they can treat the international law seriously, not like playing a game, and not to distort and selectively abuse the international law to serve their hidden political aims," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a regular press briefing on Wednesday. Unlike the United Kingdom, which last week published the Chilcot Report , which unleashed strong criticism of Tony Blair's Iraqi venture, Denmark decided to block a secret note regarding the 2003 Iraq War from public access, obviously with the intention of shielding its former Prime Minister and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen from similar scrutiny. Whereas a batch of documents, including communications between Blair and former US President George W. Bush, were made available for public download after the publication of the Chilcot Report, a similar 14-year old document written by Rasmussen amid preparations for the US-led invasion of Iraq will be kept under wraps, Jyllands-Posten reported. According to Denmark's parliamentary ombudsman, Danish law prohibits the publication of such material, which was described as "potentially damaging for other countries." Therefore, the document will be kept classified in accordance with the controversial 2013 Freedom of Information Law. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Anti-terrorist cooperation in Syria between Russia and the United States will be addressed during US State Secretary John Kerry's two-day visit to Moscow that will begin Thursday, a Russian diplomatic source told RIA Novosti. "These issues will be discussed today-tomorrow," the source said, when asked to confirm a reported US proposal to step up coordination in targeting the Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) and Nusra Front jihadist groups. The proposal, reported by The Washington Post, includes a plan to establish a joint command center with prospects for integrated operations targeting both terrorist organizations, which are banned in many countries including the United States and Russia. The military expert underscores that although it is unlikely that Russian bombers and jet fighters will be simultaneously stationed at all the airfields, the modernized airports will be able to receive Russian military aircraft in the event of a conflict. Nersisyan emphasizes that Russia's activity in the region could be explained by the need to protect the rich natural resources of the Russian Arctic, particularly offshore gas and oil fields. "For instance, Rogachevo and Nagurskoye airfields could serve to ensure the security of [Russia's] infrastructure in the Karsko Sea it has colossal reserves of oil, which have yet to be extracted," he notes, adding that Norway is currently asserting itself in close proximity to the Russian Arctic. JSC North includes the maritime, land and air components of the Russian Armed Forces, he remarks. According to Nersisyan, JSC North is not only aimed at defending the territories of the region: due to the powerful atomic Northern Fleet, the Russian Armed Forces in the Arctic have become integral part of the country's nuclear shield. Journalist Oleg Polevoy of analysis website PolitRussia.com echoes Nersisyan's stance. The journalist points to the fact that NATO member states the US, Canada and Norway are well prepared to conduct military operations in the Arctic region. Moreover, Oslo is deploying a new army unit, consisting of 200 rangers, on the border between Norway and Russia. In this light, Moscow's activity in the region is completely justified, Polevoy notes, stressing that the Russian military "has no time for relaxation." "Arctic exercises by NATO countries and their partners have followed one after another," he remarks. It is worth mentioning that in March 2015 the Russian military force held major drills in the Arctic, seeking to test the country's readiness to counter geopolitical challenges on its northern borders. The exercises involved 110 aircraft, 38,000 soldiers, 41 ships and 15 submarines. Last Thursday, the same day that Kiev renamed one of its central streets Bandera Avenue, the Polish Senate debated, and apparently passed , a bill classifying the massacre of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia as genocide. Importantly, the resolution was supported by members of the ruling Law & Justice Party, which has in the past maintained a hardline anti-Russian stance and supported Kiev's post-Yanukovych government. In a recent article for Visegrad Insight, Polish-American journalist Filip Mazurczak tried to explain exactly why the Ukrainian government's continued denial of responsibility for UPA's genocidal actions has had a poisonous effect on the country's identity, and its prospects for joining Western institutions. Mazurczak recalled that after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, war-era divisions began to reemerge in Ukrainian society on whether to classify the UPA and Bandera as 'freedom fighters' or war criminals. "In the eastern half of the country, the UPA and Bandera are overwhelmingly considered to be fascist scum. In the west, however, many see them as heroes." At the same time, the journalist added that while Ukraine's present authorities are certainly Bandera's loudest cheerleaders, they weren't the ones who set in motion his official glorification. "Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine's president in 2005-2010, bestowed the highest state honor upon Bandera. His successor, Viktor Yanukovych, stripped him of it. Under Petro Poroshenko, president since 2014, UPA and Bandera are again national emblems. Poroshenko has repeatedly praised UPA for fighting for Ukrainian independence, and [for] its 'heroism', and has made the anniversary of the foundation of UPA a national holiday. The Ukrainian parliament has [even] ratified a bill that criminalizes criticizing UPA." This was topped off by renaming a street in Kiev in Bandera's honor. Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs and Research Director at the Valdai International Discussion Club, has called attention to the fact that The Hague's decision will not necessarily bear any fruit. "The Court has voiced its opinion but it has no instruments to implement its decision. Therefore, it can neither force China to give up its [maritime] claims nor start doing anything in this direction," Lukyanov told Sputnik. "But, of course, China has found itself in an awkward position, since [its rivals] will never miss a chance to poke it in the eye with The Hague ruling precedent. Beijing does not like to find itself in opposition to international institutions, as it itself always tries to appeal to international law and collective approaches in politics," the expert underscored. It is not excluded that other regional players will follow in the Philippines' footsteps, filing lawsuits against China via the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration, he stressed. "Therefore, the Hague Court decision is yet another step toward exacerbating the ongoing conflict in the region. China has already announced that it does not recognize the decision. But since [The Hague] is an international authority, [such a stance] spells trouble for Beijing," he noted. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) A group of bipartisan lawmakers introduced a bill to extend human rights and ballistic missile-related sanctions against the government of Iran for another decade, US Senator Joe Manchin said in a joint statement with other lawmakers on Thursday. "This bill maintains sanctions pressure on the Iranian regime through 2026 to improve its record on human rights and curtail Irans acquisition of ballistic missiles, which Iran continues to pursue," Manchin stated. If approved, the Countering Iranian Threats Act of 2016 would maintain current anti-Iran sanctions until the end of 2026. Additionally, it would block the property of any US person or entity who supplies, sells or transfers arms to or from Iran, and impose mandatory sanctions on Irans ballistic missile program. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The US government has been involved in an intensive policy debate over whether to cooperate with Russia against terrorists in Syria, Department of State spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau confirmed on Thursday. "Inter agency, the entire US government has been having very robust and very vigorous conversations on this," Trudeau told the daily State Department press briefing. "[The issue] raises a lot of very strong viewpoints. The conversation is very vigorous." Also on Thursday, US Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on resuscitating the national ceasefire in Syria and advancing the peace process to end the civil war there. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said Monday that warring parties had until September to solve the nations two key problems, namely defeating extremists and forming a unity government. "I think it is some kind of artificial setting of deadlines for the things that must take place under any circumstances," Kislyak said. He added that the Russian goal is to assist in destroying terrorists and developing political processes that would bring stability to Syria. On this episode of "By Any Means Necessary" host Eugene Puryear is joined by April Goggans, Jonathan Lykes, and Brent Decker to talk about alternatives to policing such as Safe Streets, Ceasefire, and Cure Violence. The group also discusses the media bias towards the covering of police deaths vs innocent black deaths as well as the continuing militarization of American culture. And in a special segment Green Party Candidate for Mayor Joshua Harris joins By Any Means Necessary to discuss Sander's endorsement of Hillary Clinton, ways to curb violence in Baltimore, and the lack of prosecution of police that commit crime. Andre Vltchek sees information as being incredibly important in the new 21st century weapons box: If you see what is happening throughout South America, you see information being used as a very powerful tool for the US to push its agenda throughout the region. People talk about left wing governments in Venezuela and Ecuador, but if you work in one of these countries you realise just how powerful the media is working against socialist reform. CNN in Spanish, for example, is being beamed right across Latin America day and night because broadcasting rights are still in private hands, they belong to private companies which belong to rich families, and they censor left wing information. You cannot listen to RT in South America in English for example; there is limited access in Spanish to left wing channels even in socialist countries. Dr. Corum then described socialism, be it in South America or in Russia, as being a bad thing, and made the point that only western democracy and freedom can bring wealth. This point was rejected as being too simplistic and far from the truth as many countries in the world do not want western democracy. Dr. Corum supported his arguments by quoting GDP figures, showing that production in the Baltic States is higher than in Russia. The point was made by the host that the Baltics do depend on EU support and that unemployment in these states is very high. Andre Vltchek dismissed Dr. Corums points as banal examples of disinformation and propaganda. He described how in December and November of last year he was in the Central Asian countries, which have embraced western capitalism. Andre described how the standard of living is collapsing, that it simply is nonsense to say that countries which embrace the West do well. In Kyrgyzstan, Andre said over 90% of the people that I spoke to are dreaming about the return of something like the Soviet Union. The same thing in Uzbekistan, even in Kazakhstan there is huge nostalgia for the former system.In South America, if socialism was only left alone, it has and is bringing hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty, it is creating new dynamics, but it is being hindered by direct intervention of the US Dr. Corums reply is that Central Asian countries are bound to be impoverished because they have never known anything other than dictatorship and controlled economies: Thats why they are going to fail. Its a cultural issue. Dr. Cortum appeared to link western democracy with cultural issues, which evokes arguments of the West is Best. Andre made the point that South America is being colonised in a brutal fashion by the new colonisers, a pattern that is happening all over the world. When people talk about democracy they are talking about an extremely small, arrogant, selfish, bunch of people who are actually interested in colonial plunder. As John Kerry arrives in Moscow to talk about the Syrian War, the Turkish Prime Minister has a new policy and is prepared to normalize relations with Syria. Is there really a prospect for peace or is this old wine in new bottles? As NATO met in Warsaw, thousands of activists gathered at counter-summits to protest the alliances aggressive posture. Phil Wilayto of the United National Anti-War Coalition joins the show to give an eyewitness report. Today is Republic Day in Iraq the anniversary of the 1958 revolution. Raed Jarrar, Government Relations Manager at the American Friends Service Committee, and Richard Becker, author of the book "Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire", join Brian to take a look at Iraqi history to debunk the bogus mainstream media presentation that the country has always been in a state of sectarian war. Then, the Two Sams add a third Sam to the mix. Sam Kriss, a UK-based freelance journalist joins us to talk about the post-Brexit dust settling. We chat about the new British PM, Theresa May, and Jeremy Corbyns future. And later, an extended classified session to talk about a brand new government surveillance program set to be fully operational at the end of the year, and a federal court ruling that could ground one of polices favorite spy tools. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Gazprom Export will hold an auction from August 31 to September 2 on sales of Russian natural gas with deliveries in the 2016-2017 winter period, the company said in a statement Thursday. "As during the first auction, which took place in September 2015, gas will be offered in the Greifswald, Gaspool and Olbernhau delivery points. In addition to the aforementioned areas, customers will be able to receive gas in the framework of the Baumgarten and Arnoldstein auction," the statement reads. Earlier, the Ukrainian Supreme Economic Court supports the decision to return to Gazprom its fine of over $3 billion, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported. He added that it's very easy to prepare the prosthesis for work with the help of software installed on a PC, saying that there is no such software among foreign analogues. The prosthesis is made of domestically made parts which Lyashko admitted are yet to be improved. "We are still developing sensors which help operate the prosthesis. A person feels that he has a phantom hand, and as he mentally tries to squeeze the hand muscles are activated prompting sensors to record the signal and control the prosthesis," he said. Asked about the advantage of his prosthesis as compared to foreign analogues, Lyashko specifically pointed to the fact that he is an amputee. "I'm a disabled person and a prosthesis user, so I know the problem from the inside and understand what a healthy person cannot comprehend. This is why my vision of a smart prosthesis is out of line with international standards," he said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Three suspected members of the international neo-Nazi organization Misanthropic Division have been detained in Russia, while a search for others is underway, Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said Thursday. Members of the neo-Nazi organization have reportedly taken part in the Euromaidan protests in Kiev and in the war in eastern Ukraine in support of the government forces. "As part of a criminal investigation, two members and one of the leaders of the organization's structural cells were detained in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and Arkhangelsk. They have been remanded in custody at the request of the [lead] investigator," Markin said. MOSCOW, July 14 (Sputnik) According to US State Department spokesman John Kirby, the sides will focus on the Syrian crisis, with Kerry expecting to discuss reduction in violence, as well as the ceasefire regime in the Middle Eastern nation. The Russian Foreign Ministry, commenting on the forthcoming visit, said that the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis was also a significant issue, as well as other regional topics such as as the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement and the tensions in Afghanistan and on the Korean peninsula. The ministry expressed hope that Kerry's visit would contribute to improving bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington that are "instrumental in terms of maintaining global stability." The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said it has launched a robot support team led by Oh Joon-ho, a professor of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). The team will draw up a comprehensive plan on the use of security guard robots by next month in the run-up to the winter games scheduled in February 2018 in the eastern alpine city of PyeongChang. "We will look into various possibilities, including anti-terror robots or small surveillance robots," Oh, who also heads KAIST's Humanoid Robot Research Center, said. "We will study ways on how to best demonstrate Korea's robotic technology, taking the budget into consideration." WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Cleveland police are expected to uphold revised regulations on space restrictions to ensure freedom of speech and assembly at the Republican National Convention next week, an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) official told Sputnik. In June, Cleveland city officials settled a lawsuit filed by the ACLU alleging that original regulations and space restrictions on demonstrators outside the convention hall violated freedom of assembly. The revised rules ensure that people have enough space to express themselves, the ACLU said in a statement. "We [ACLU] are not anticipating that the city is going to play fast and loose with the settlement for the lawsuit," ACLU Chief Lobbyist Gary Daniels told Sputnik on Wednesday. While it is rare, and perhaps unconventional, for Supreme Court Justices to weigh in on presidential races, the 83-year-old Ginsburg is known and celebrated for speaking her mind. Last week she spoke to the Associated Press, stating that, while she does not want to talk about Trump, she predicts that his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, will have a few appointments to make to the Supreme Court. In a later interview with the New York Times, Ginsburg took the jabs a step further, declaring that Trump "has no consistency about him," and is a faker, before making her remarks about moving out of the country. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Instead of a simple notice on the label of packaged food saying genetically altered ingredients are inside, the legislation would allow companies to adorn their labels a squiggly, black-lined QR code. "Consumers shouldnt have to have a smart phone, a data plan and a good signal, and have the app[lication] and know how to use it when theyre holding food to see if they want to buy it," Lovera said. "Thats not going to give people the information they need to decide." The issue of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in the US food supply is likely to come to a head later this week when the House of Representatives takes up legislation backed by giant US food processors and seed companies, who want the QR option. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Two people died and another one was injured in a shooting that erupted Wednesday night in southern St. Louis in the US state of Missouri, police said. A police officer who responded to the triple shooting, which occurred around 22:30 local time, was also grazed, according to police reports cited by the FOX10 television channel. Authorities said the incident followed an argument between the suspect and his former girlfriend, which also involved her new boyfriend and her relative. MOSCOW (Sputnik) George Cook, a ballation chief at the McKinney Fire Department, was wounded in the neck by a 20-year-old employee, ABCs WFAA channel cited Princeton Police Chief James Waters as saying. "The associate who did this was arrested and his employment at our store was immediately terminated," a Walmart statement read. Despite the bleeding, Cook proceeded to help the other stabbing victim, witnesses told the media. The wounded were taken to hospital. The firefighter is in stable condition. Waters said hundreds of customers were evacuated from the store in northern Texas. Trump, along with his son, daughter and son-in-law, were set to meet with Indiana Governor Mike Pence at his home on Wednesday, according to local media. Pence served in Congress from 2001 to 2013, and headed the conservative think tank Indiana Policy Review Foundation from 1991 to 1994. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Ayrat Nasimovich Vakhitov, a terrorist sanctioned by the US Department of State on Wednesday, was released from the US military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba prior to the facility implementing new screening regulations, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters. "This Gitmo detainee was released by the previous administration prior to the new regime that President [Barack] Obama instituted on his second full day in office to more thoroughly screen detainees before their release," Earnest stated in a briefing on Thursday. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) At least 4,000 US federal security personal plus thousands of state and local police will be on hand at next weeks Republican National Convention that is expected to formally nominate Donald Trump as the partys presidential candidate, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a congressional testimony on Thursday. "I am concerned about the prospect of demonstrations getting out of hand," Johnson told the US House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security. Violence has shadowed Trump campaign events, at times featuring clashes between competing protests organized by radical groups on the left and the right. Both Burr and Schiff support the release of the pages. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has also publicly supported unveiling the documents. In April, President Obama said the White House would look into having the pages declassified, with Director of National Intelligence James Clapper citing mid-June as a potential release date. In May, the US Senate passed a bill that would allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi government over its alleged role in the attack. The bill was strongly criticized by the President. While 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were Saudi citizens, Riyadh has denied any involvement in the attacks which killed nearly 3,000 people. While the kingdom threatened retaliation in the wake of the Senate bill, it has also called for the 28 pages to be released, maintaining that the documents will prove the governments innocence. One possible explanation for Clintons drop in numbers among those who participated in the survey is her recent email scandal. Although criminal charges were not brought against her, the negative publicity may have affected her credibility. Brown said, "While there is no definite link between Clinton's drop in Florida and the U.S. Justice Departments decision not to prosecute her for her handling of e-mails, she has lost ground to Trump on questions which measure moral standards and honesty." Survey respondents in the swing states agreed with the statement, "The old way of doing things no longer works and we need radical change," according to the poll. The survey results indicated that while voters feel Clinton is more intelligent than Trump and may even be better suited to be President, Trump edges her out for having "higher moral standards." He was able to widen his lead by being more "honest and trustworthy." Florida voters said that Trump would be better at creating jobs, addressing immigration and more effective in fighting Daesh. Ohios result also tended toward the conservative, agreeing with the statement that, "the government has gone too far in assisting minority groups," though, interestingly, respondents also felt that "Prejudice against minority groups is a big problem in the United States today." WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The international human rights advocacy group Amnesty International USA announced in a press release on Thursday that it will send a delegation of observers to the Republican and Democratic presidential nominating conventions. "Citing concerns about human rights violations at protests in the United States over the last couple of years, Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) will deploy teams of human rights observers to both the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, to monitor any protests and law enforcement response," the release said. The groups Strategic Communications Executive Director Eric Ferrero noted they are "deeply concerned that peoples fundamental human right to peacefully assemble and protest may be violated during the conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia." WASHINGTON (Sputnik) US military personnel in the United States and Canada should avoid upcoming protests planned in response to the shooting deaths of two African-American men by police in the states of Louisiana and Minnesota, the US Navys Fleet Forces Command (USFF) said in an advisory message on Thursday. "[S]ervice members are encouraged to stay vigilant and remain aware of their surroundings in the vicinity of protest areas and depart the immediate area if violence erupts," the advisory stated. Last week, protesters in cities across the United States demonstrated against the fatal shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police. Both victims were African-American. A grand jury indicted Grant and Harrington last week, sentencing them to 40 years in prison, up from the 20 years they faced when they were first charged. Reichber has been accused of funneling large sums of money to police officials, with his associate Jona Rechnitz. Reichber could potentially face 55 years in prison if convicted. Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said that Reichber developed "a private police force for themselves and their friends." Reichberg, Grant and Harrington were arrested over 3 years ago at the culmination of a corruption investigation that sent shockwaves through the NYPD, even implicating the mayors office, as Bill DeBlasios staff undergoes a fundraising probe. Prosecutors claim that Grant accepted a trip to Las Vegas in 2013, complete with private jet. The plan alone costs $57,000. While on the flight, he allegedly had sex with Grecko, who wore a revealing flight attendant outfit. Grecko told reporters that she had sex with two officers and three other men while in Vegas as well. Suleiman claims that in the wake of the tragedy he "had an idea to see if I could enter the plane and place 'bombs' inside cans [of soft drinks] in order to emulate the bombing, claimed by Daesh, of the Russian airliner." "My goal was to check whether there are security flaws at Ben Gurion Airport, believed to be one of the safest airports in the world. And I managed to find these flaws," he said. He also said that he was able to plant fake bombs on 9 passenger planes at the airport while working as a cleaner using his friend's ID. Notably, he was not challenged when he presented his friend's ID card as his own, even though Suleiman said that they did not look very much alike. "I was scared of being uncovered immediately, but everything proved to be very easy and quickly right from the start," he said. BISHKEK (Sputnik)On Wednesday evening, German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Kyrgyzstan in an official visit for bilateral cooperation talks, where she will stay until later in the day. "Increased cooperation of Kyrgyzstan with the European Union is much needed. I very much hope that an agreement, at least similar to the one the European Union has signed with Kazakhstan, would be signed with Kyrgyzstan as well," the president said after the bilateral meeting with Merkel. The partnership deal between Kazakhstan and European Union was signed on December 21, 2015.The agreement covers 29 spheres of cooperation, including issues of international and regional security, trade, investment and infrastructure development, as well as innovation, education, sport and tourism. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Kremlin pins "some hope" in improved relations with the United Kingdom after the recent cabinet reshuffle in London, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. "Unfortunately, we can't boast about success in the field of [Russia-UK] bilateral relations, therefore, every new start gives some hope," Peskov told reporters. The majority of Brits voted on June 23 referendum to quit the European Union, despite London, Scotland, and Northern Ireland voting predominantly against. To this end, he typically used military helicopters, but once it occurred to him that it was not enough and that it was necessary to buy a submarine under the pretext of carrying out oceanographic research. In the mid-1990s he attempted to purchase a Russian Piranha-class submarine. "They invented a new means for the transportation of drugs. They dismantled the submarine's weaponry and explained that they were going to use it like Greenpeace ships and those used by Jacques-Yves Cousteau," the daily newspaper Kommersant quoted Pam Brown, a representative of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, as saying. Unidentified Floating Objects In October 2014, Sweden launched a huge and costly military operation after a sighting of what was thought to be a Russian submarine in Kanholmsfjarden in the Stockholm archipelago. Over the following days there were over a hundred apparent sightings, but nothing was ever found. Later, the Swedish Navy's Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad told reporters that the ship, which was first identified as a foreign submarine, proved to be a research vessel. Media then speculated that a large-scale search operation had been used by the Swedish Ministry of Defense to justify an increase in its budget to 6 billion Swedish kronor (about 680 million dollars) from 2016 to 2020. A similar mystical incident occurred in the Finnish Navy, which reported the detection of an unknown underwater object in April 2015. "The object was located within Finnish territorial waters near the sea border of Finland off Helsinki. In line with this information, a warning explosion of a deep bomb was launched at three o'clock in the morning," the Finnish broadcaster Yle reported at the time. Singing Sailor Unlike Norway, which conducted a number of war games to fend off an imaginary submarine threat, activists from the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society decided to "fight" with Russian submarines in a more radical way by installing an underwater "defense system" known as the Singing Sailor in the waters off Stockholm. MOSCOW (Sputnik)Moscow is not planning to lift restrictions on Turkish food imports in the near future, Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev said on Thursday. "We are not planning to do it in the near future," Tkachev told journalists. Moscow accused Ankara of aiding terrorism and imposed embargo on Turkish food export after Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 combat plane on an anti-terror mission in Syria under pretext that it violated Turkish airspace in November 2015. He touted the new missiles as cheap, high-precision weapons which he said will be capable of hitting targets at any distance. "I do not exclude that another class of [Russian] submarines will be created for these missiles in the future," he said. According to the newspaper Izvestia, the Sarmat missile could be sea-based and could come to replace the Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile, first deployed in 2013 on fourth-generation Borei-class submarines. MOSCOW (Sputnik) US State Secretary John Kerry congratulated Boris Johnson on Thursday on his appointment as UK foreign secretary, a spokesman for the US State Department said Thursday. "Secretary Kerry spoke by telephone today with newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to offer his congratulations. The Secretary and Foreign Secretary Johnson agreed that the U.S.-UK special relationship is as essential as ever, and they pledged to work closely together as NATO allies to address the full range of challenges we face and to meet our responsibilities around the world," John Kirby said in a statement. According to Kirby, Kerry and Johnson are expected to hold a meeting in Brussels next week. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Sputnik news agency and radio will launch an interactive project on Saturday dubbed "Russia-China relations: the chronology of milestones," to mark the 15th anniversary of the signing of the bilateral Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. The multimedia encyclopedia will be available in Chinese and will cover the main episodes in the countries' bilateral relations, starting in 1992 when the first Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, visited China and signed a joint declaration on the framework for Russia-China relations. Chronologically, the encyclopedia ends with the June 2015 visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China. The data will be complimented with info-graphics, archival photographs and footage from the Sputnik Images photo bank. "We used the most modern methods in providing the materials. I am sure the project will spark interest among the Chinese public and will inform millions of people about the history of Russia-China relations, and will enhance humanitarian cooperation between Russia and China," Sputnik China Editor-in-Chief Andrey Kasparson was quoted as saying by Sputnik's press service. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors scheduled for July 23-24 in Chengdu, China, will focus on global growth and consequences of Brexit, IMF Communications Department Director Gerry Rice said in a briefing on Thursday. "The main topic for everyone at the G20 will be the state of the global economymore sustainable, more inclusive increased growth," Rice stated when asked about IMFs priorities at G20. Rice noted that the G20 summit will also focus on the economic consequences of the UKs decision to exit the European Union. MOSCOW (Sputnik) National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden should return to the United States and stand trial to face the charges brought against him, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan said in an interview published Thursday. "I would only support his coming back and facing the charges that have been levied against him, and to let a court of law determine his fate," Brennan told Yahoo News, answering a question on whether he supported a pardon of Snowden. Brennan added that he disagreed with former US Attorney General Eric Holder who had criticized Snowden but also had said that his revelations were some kind of "public service." KONYA (Sputnik) Russia has been and remains Turkey's key economic partner despite a number of disagreements, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Thursday. "Russia and Turkey have been close economic partners over decades. Though, neighbors sometimes have different disagreements. It is important to overcome them for the benefit of the two countries and mutual respect. We have managed to achieve this," Kurtulmus told RIA Novosti at an international conference devoted to tourism and mass media. Kurtulmus noted that, first of all, the two countries would start strengthening the economic ties, including the tourism sphere, which is one of the major income items of the Turkey's budget. It would be followed by a considerable enhancement of cultural and public contacts between the two countries. MOSCOW (Sputnik) On Wednesday, France temporarily shut down its embassy in Ankara and its consulate in Istanbul, citing security reasons. The announcement came just a day before the French National Day, July 14, which commemorates the Storming of the Bastille in 1789. According to the Hurriyet newspaper, police officers are patrolling the central Istikal street near the consulate, as well as Metrobus stations throughout the city. The people in the area are also exposed to extensive checks of their bags and possessions at hand. In March, an explosion occurred at the Istikal street, killing at least five people, including a suicide bomber, and injuring at least 36. The attack was carried out by an Islamic State-linked suicide bomber. The militant group is outlawed in Russia and many other countries. Racing Hill heads to Saturdays $732,050 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace as the 9-5 morning line favourite. And while the colts trip to the Meadowlands Racetrack will consist of a relatively short trailer ride on the New Jersey Turnpike, his owners journey will be considerably longer. Tom Hill, a 64-year-old lifelong participant in harness racing, will be joining Racing Hill at the Big M from his home in the United Kingdom. It will be Hills second trip to a Meadowlands Pace; his colt Art Colony participated in the 2009 edition of the event, which was won by Well Said. Racing Hill will start the Meadowlands Pace from post No. 4 with Brett Miller driving for trainer Tony Alagna. Im very, very excited, said Hill, who in addition to owning Racing Hill also bred the colt. Its a race weve really wanted to win. Its a premier race. To me, its the premier race in the U.S. and I think (Racing Hill) will make a good showing. Were hoping we get a bit of luck. I dont care how good they are, you still need to carry a bit of luck. Racing Hill won the $500,000 Max C. Hempt Memorial on July 2 and finished second to Betting Line in the $1,000,000 North America Cup on June 18. He received a bye to the Meadowlands Pace final based on his earnings this season, which total $502,250. Hed raced five weeks in a row so to be able to get a bye was nice for the horse, trainer Alagna said. He came out of the Hempt good, trained back good (Tuesday) and we were fortunate enough to get nice luck of the draw and hit the four hole. I think were coming into the race in as good shape as we can be. Alagna won the 2013 Meadowlands Pace with Captaintreacherous, who also received a bye to the final following a victory in the Hempt Memorial. I dont mind following that pattern, Alagna said with a laugh. Racing Hill, a son of 2011 Meadowlands Pace winner Roll With Joe out of the mare Chasing Ideals, has won seven of 16 career races and earned $649,662. Last year, Racing Hill won five of 10 starts, including divisions of the International Stallion and Bluegrass stakes as well as his elimination for the Breeders Crown. He finished eighth in the Breeders Crown final, but was only 5-3/4 lengths back after a first-over bid around the final turn on a good track at Woodbine. He was tremendous as a two-year-old, Hill said. He got real sick in Canada (in early September). When Tony took him back home he cleaned him up and put him on Lasix and the horse came right around. He won in (1):51.2 for fun at The Red Mile, and the track was slow that day because of rain. So we knew he was a top colt. In addition to enjoying success with Racing Hill and Art Colony, the Hill familys highlights in harness racing have included winning the 2010 Jugette and Fan Hanover with Western Silk as well as owning 2015 OBrien Award-winning female trotter Caprice Hill and world champion Lucky Man. Racing Hills family includes the mother of Western Silk, Extemporaneous, as well as Dan Patch Award winner Silk Stockings. It makes it very special that hes a homebred, Hill said. Its a good maternal line. And I think Roll With Joe, for the time hes been at stud, has achieved a lot. Hopefully this guy can be a stallion. He looks tremendous and hes got all the attributes that youd expect a top stallion to have. Hes laid back, hes a good racehorse, hes easy to drive, and he looks after himself. If he passes that on, hed be a good stallion. Hill followed his father, Joe, into harness racing. Ive had horses all my life, said Hill, who made his career operating retirement and holiday trailer home businesses. My father used to have them and we sent horses over to race at the Meadowlands in the 80s and horses to Canada in the 70s. Weve tried to carry on, basically. Thank God weve been reasonably successful. In the lone Meadowlands Pace elimination last Saturday, Control The Moment stormed home with a :26.2 final quarter to win by a length in a lifetime best 1:49.2. Lyons Snyder finished second with JK Will Power third. Hes a really nice horse, no question about it, said winning driver Brian Sears, who was sitting behind Control The Moment for the first time. He did everything I asked. He was nice and relaxed and I was real pleased with the way he got home. It was a big effort. The horse looks like he races real good from off the pace and the trip worked out nice and he exploded coming home. Control The Moment, Canadas OBrien Award winner last year, won eight of nine starts at age two and has won two of six races this season. He finished fourth in the Hempt Memorial and third in the North America Cup. I was never discouraged with him, co-owner Howard Taylor said. I was discouraged by the finishes, but not with how he raced. I dont think he had a bad race. But (Saturday) was just scary. I was shocked. I had an opinion, and I was quoted, that I thought he was better on the front. After (Saturday) I have to admit I was wrong. That was just too much. The complete field for the Meadowlands Pace is as follows: 1. Another Daily Copy Trace Tetrick Nick Devita 30-1 2. Good Living Corey Callahan Tom Cancelliere 30-1 3. Control The Moment Brian Sears Brad Maxwell 5-2 4. Racing Hill Brett Miller Tony Alagna 9-5 5. Lyons Snyder David Miller Mark Silva 9-2 6. Boston Red Rocks Tim Tetrick Steve Elliott 6-1 7. Manhattan Beach Joe Bongiorno Ron Burke 20-1 8. JK Will Power Yannick Gingras Ron Burke 8-1 9. Check Six Matt Kakaley Ron Burke 15-1 10. Talk Show Scott Zeron Steve Elliott 25-1 This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com. The good news is that Don Pleterski is alive. The bad news is that the Thoroughbred trainer suffered substantial injuries on June 26 at the Fort Erie Race Track when he was critically injured by an out of control horse. Now, the Ontario Thoroughbred industry has been urged to step up for one of its own. Pleterskis name was not mentioned in mainstream media accounts when they ran their stories of the frightening accident. Although, as a follow-up story by the Toronto Star explains, Pleterskis family is now facing the enormous task of bringing Don back to health. Don and his wife, Kathy, are both in the Ontario Thoroughbred industry full-time. It goes without saying that if they are not racing horses, they are not making money. In 2015, only three Canadians were transported across the border to the Erie County Medical Center for emergency care. Although the numbers for 2016 are unknown at this time, Don was rushed across the border to the facility after the accident, and understandably so, given the situation. Don, 65, suffered a fractured skull, and both of his lungs collapsed. Surgery was necessary to due bleeding on his brain. The horseman sustained multiple fractures to his face, along with fractures to his neck, ribcage and lower back. Dons daughter, Susan, has told The Star that breathing tubes were recently removed, but that her father is still weak, confused, and trying to speak. Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association of Ontario President Sue Leslie has said that her organization would be in a position to help, if approached. We certainly are not going to see them stranded or unable to live with some dignity while he is recovering, she was quoted as saying. Thats our role. A GoFundMe Page has been set up to help the family during this trying time. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering Don Pleterski a complete recovery from his injuries. (With files from the Toronto Star) Veteran western New York driver and trainer Charles Bacon passed away recently at the age of 80. He was a regular on the Buffalo Raceway-Batavia Downs circuit for nearly 40 years. Bacon, who was a resident of Batavia, NY, began his driving career in 1978 and remained in the sulky until 2015. He had 7,132 starts with 710 victories, 830 second-place finishes, 840 thirds, and steered his mounts to over $1.4 million in purse earnings. He began his training career in 1991 and finished with 2,289 starts, including 262 wins and $552,098 in purses. Bacon conditioned six winners from 29 tries in 2015. His last career start in the bike was his only one in 2015, and it was a victory aboard the aptly named Charlies Last on August 8 at the Chemung County Fair in Elmira, NY. Western New York Harness Horsemen's Association President Bruce Tubin said, "I knew Charlie since 1977 and he was a member of our association for over 40 years. He was always a professional and just a wonderful person to be around. "He was ill for several years and fought hard, but he kept coming to the track," Tubin added. Bacon is survived by his wife Ada and several children. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Charles Bacon. (Buffalo Raceway) Bob MacDougall, the chairman of the co-sponsored SOA of New York/Yonkers Raceway Scholarship Committee, has announced that Johnathan Hallet is the winner of the 2016-2017 Scholarship Award in the amount of $5,000. There was a tie for second place between Olena Hauser and Alleysha Reynolds, and they will each receive a $2,500 award. Jonathan Hallet is currently enrolled at the University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, where he is working on achieving a degree in mechanical engineering. Jonathans parents, John and Michelle, race horses on the east coast and he is the grandson of Bruce Aldrich. Olena Hauser completed her studies at North Rockland High School in Thiells, New York and will be attending the Lubin School of Business at Pace University in New York this fall, where she plans to study International Business. Olenas stepfather, Timothy Hauser, is longtime horse owner campaigning top trotters including Classic Martine and Frau Blucher. Alleysha Reynolds is currently enrolled at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, pursuing a degree in equine science. Alleysha is spending her summer as a groom working for the Ray Schnittker stable and hopes to become a veterinarian and help the horses she loves working with. We had a very strong diverse group of applicants for this years scholarship, noted MacDougall. The winners had a strong combination of academic achievement and extracurricular activities. They should serve as examples for all high school and college students to follow. The Committee wishes all of the applicants the very best as they continue on with their education. The annual SOA/Yonkers Raceway scholarships are awarded to SOA members, or members of their immediate families, or to covered individuals (backstretch personnel) or a member of their immediate families, for study beyond the high school level. The recipient is chosen on the basis of merit and financial need. (SOA of NY) Judicial Watch Client Wesley Dutton Brings Lawsuit Against Federal Agents in El Paso for Violation of Constitutional Rights Contact: Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch , 202-646-5172WASHINGTON July 14, 2016 / Standard Newswire / -- Judicial Watch announced today it filed a lawsuit, William Wesley Dutton v. Michael Cordero, Eric Benn and Jane Doe No.1 (Case 2:16-cv-00517-CG-GJF), in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. The lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, damages, attorney fees and costs, and other relief. Defendant Cordero is a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Defendant Benn is a Special Agent of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General. Defendant Jane Doe No. 1 is believed to be a Special Agent of the FBI.Since 2009, Plaintiff Wesley Dutton, a graduate of the New Mexico State Police Academy and former State of New Mexico livestock investigator, provided information to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies about illegal activity in Texas and New Mexico, including information about illegal narcotics trafficking, fugitives, public corruption, and terrorism.In February 2014, Special Agents Cordero, Benn, and Jane Doe No. 1 detained Dutton in the back seat of a locked, U.S. Government vehicle and interrogated him for approximately eight hours. The agents never advised Dutton that they had a warrant for his arrest, that he was under arrest, or that he was suspected of committing any crime. Dutton objected to the detention and repeatedly asked if he was under arrest. His objections and inquiries were ignored. Dutton also invoked his right to counsel. In response to one such request, Special Agent Cordero cursed at Dutton and exclaimed, "You're not talking to anyone." Special Agent Benn echoed Cordero's response to Dutton. Cordero and Benn's denial of Dutton's rights, as well as their interrogation of Dutton were laden with profanity and abusive language. They also compelled Dutton to make telephone calls to sources and monitored and recorded the calls.Defendant Jane Doe No. 1 is believed to be an FBI special agent unlawfully posing as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and falsely offering "immunity" to Dutton for his cooperation.At the end of the interrogation, Jane Doe No. 1 said to Special Agent Cordero, "You can't arrest him. We've got to let him go." Special Agent Benn agreed, saying, "You can't arrest him. I'm satisfied." Cordero cursed. Ultimately, Dutton was allowed to leave the vehicle, but both Cordero and Benn told Dutton to "keep his mouth shut." Before the agents drove off, Cordero cursed at Dutton yet again, saying he hoped he never saw Dutton again.On at least two prior interactions, FBI agents came to Dutton's home and violated his constitutional rights. In July 2010, FBI agents searched Dutton's home without a warrant and seized documents, computers, and electronic equipment. In August 2012, Cordero and other, unidentified FBI agents searched Dutton's home again, also without a warrant, and seized Dutton's personal property, papers, notebooks, charts, computers, and cell phone. Dutton's items have never been returned to him."Wes Dutton is a hero. A former law enforcement officer, Dutton has a long history of helping law enforcement and intelligence agencies to lock up criminals and defend the country from terrorists. It's shameful that federal agents would abuse their authority and treat him in such a manner. Judicial Watch is proud to assist Wes in exposing corruption and abuse and remedying this gross violation of his constitutional rights," stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.MORE: www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-client-wesley-dutton-brings-lawsuit-federal-agents-el-paso-violation-constitutional-rights It's Election season and our editor's mailbox is overflowing. Who do your neighbors support? Read about it here. A cat is on the mend at the Oregon Humane Society in Portland after its mouth was reportedly injured by a firecracker at the end of June. Keenan Harvey, executive director of the Humane Society of Cowlitz County, said Wednesday that the feline, which staff named Cinderella, was taken to Portland Tuesday because she required a feeding tube and other care that couldnt be provided in Cowlitz County. Once Cinderella heals, shell be available for adoption in Portland. A local resident found Cinderella June 28 in a slough that adjoins the 200 block of 27th Avenue, Harvey said. The cat had singe marks on her chin and a blackened mouth. Harvey said the veterinarian who initially treated Cinderella believes someone intentionally put a firework in her mouth. However, a veterinarian at the Oregon Humane Society who saw the cat for the first time Tuesday, two weeks after she was injured believes the cat suffers from an upper respiratory infection, said David Lytle, public affairs manager for Oregon Humane Society. Our vets looked at (the cat), and they saw an upper respiratory infection, he said. They did not see evidence of (burns), but perhaps it healed by the time the animal was transferred to us. Lytle said those at the Oregon Humane Society are very concerned about the feline and believe she was abandoned and perhaps tortured. Its a crime in Oregon to abandon an animal, and this was apparently a very sick animal that was abandoned, so we want information on who did this, he said. Harvey said animal control officers are actively investigating the incident. He said they still believe someone intentionally put a firework in Cinderellas mouth, noting that she was found the same day fireworks can legally be set off in Washington. If nobody did it, then nobodys going to come forward, he said. Its still going to be an investigation. Harvey said the humane society is accepting donations to help pay for the cats $1,700 worth of medical costs. Any donations that exceed that amount will be set aside in an emergency medical fund to treat other animals that have been abused. Additionally, Bud Clary Chevrolet is offering a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest. Incumbents for legislative positions in District 19 have all benefited from a major campaign contributor Millennium Bulk-Longview LLC, the proponent of the Longview coal terminal. Millennium is still going through the permitting process after its draft environmental impact statement for the $680 million project was released in April. The company has spent $5,750 on political campaigns since November and more than $31,000 on campaigns since 2012, according to reports on file with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission. District 19 incumbents state Rep. J.D. Rossetti, D-Longview, state Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen, and state Sen. Dean Takko, D-Longview each have all received $950 from the company this campaign season. Millennium has also contributed to candidates in four other Washington state districts, including those that represent parts of Clark and Lewis counties. My opponent is taking money from the corporations ... who have business before the Legislature, Teresa Purcell, a Longview Democrat running against Rossetti, said in an interview with The Daily News. Purcell tops the race in small contributions. Theyre going to be working for those corporations. Rossetti, who was appointed to his District 19 Position 1 seat in October, said Millennium supports him not necessarily the other way around and said permitting decisions ultimately are in the governors hands. But he went on to say he wants the permitting process to move forward, noting that Millennium first applied for permits for the project four and a half years ago. The community wants closure, Rossetti said. We are not setting a good precedent for other businesses that want to come here and operate when we are signaling that its going to take four and a half years to operate. Millennium will need up to 20 permits at the local, state and federal governments. Seven of those permits go through the states Department of Ecology or Department of Fish and Wildlife. The environmental impact statement is being led by Cowlitz County and the Ecology Department. Legislators do not make any decisions on the Millennium project or its permitting process, but permit decision-makers can consider comments from elected officials, said Department of Ecology spokesman David Bennett. Agencies leading preparation of EISs make independent decisions on a case-by-case basis and do not seek or need approval from state legislators, Bennett said in an email. Rossetti is running in a hotly contested race against four other opponents. Purcell has spoken out against the Millennium project. However, Rossettis other challengers Democrat Tim Sutinen and Republicans Val Tinney and Jim Walsh have all said they support the project moving forward, though none of them have received campaign contributions from the company. In a League of Women Voters forum in Kelso last weekend, Walsh criticized his opponent for the money and said he can speak freely without being the companys spokesperson. Those guys havent given me any money and I havent asked for it, Walsh, an Aberdeen resident, said in a separate interview. In a statement to The Daily News, Millennium CEO Bill Chapman said the company supports both Democrats and Republicans who know the importance of attracting private investment to Longview. Millennium is proud to have earned the support of a diverse collection of voices from across Washington state who recognize our project, which will create family-wage jobs while meeting our states strict environmental standards, Chapman said in an email. As of Wednesday afternoon, Rossetti has raised nearly $36,000, while Purcell has raised $48,000. Nearly half $16,900 of Rossettis money comes from non-individual contributions. Sheldon Pinto While the Apple iPhone 7's expected availability in Space Black did gather plenty of attention, there is now one more valid reason for those using an iPhone 6s to upgrade to an iPhone 7. Battery life is a problem that has plagued iPhone users ever since the first models. Samsung loves to mock Apple on the same topic, year after year and while this year may be no different, the iPhone 7 is expected to pack in battery that is 15 percent larger than the previous model. That 15 percent increase as leaked out by tipster @onleaks will translate to a 1960mAh battery. Do the math and you get an additional 245mAh of extra power that should be able to keep your iPhone 7 running for an extra hour (in theory). Or may be not! Apple usually, also has a newer and more powerful processor lineup for every new version, not to mention a bump up in the size of RAM. And this could be the sole reason why Apple's increase in battery life may not make any difference at all. If you glance through Apple's iPhone 6, 6 Plus and 6s and 6s Plus comparison sheet on the company's website you will not notice that the usage timings in terms of battery life are identical across generations. The new A10 chipset has to show a bump up in performance, (as Apple and its marketing team will always tells you every year) and performance rarely comes without increased power consumption, unless Apple shifts to a 10nm manufacturing process or adds a few more cores (it usually goes with a dual core setup). All of this means is that the bigger battery may not necessarily get you that extra hour of battery life that many would wish. Seems like the only choice for those looking for a better battery life (Android converts) will still be the 7 Plus (or Pro) model that may or may not take a battery hit like last years iPhone 6s Plus. While the tiny difference (2,915mAh down to 2,750mAh) once again shows the same numbers of Apple's comparison sheet, it did when it came to battery life tests and the iPhone 6 Plus still stands on top when it comes to battery life. But those differences barely came close to an extra 30 minutes (not a deal breaker). So yes, if you were thinking that an iPhone 7's increased battery capacity will get you more, think again as the new processor and a slightly bigger battery may deliver more performance, but with same usage times as before. hidden The Chinese government likely hacked computers at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in 2010, 2011 and 2013 and employees at the U.S. banking regulator covered up the intrusions, according to a congressional report on Wednesday. The report cited an internal FDIC investigation as identifying Beijing as the likely perpetrator of the attacks, which the probe said were covered up to protect the job of FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg, who was nominated for his post in 2011. "The committee's interim report sheds light on the FDICs lax cyber security efforts," said Lamar Smith, a Republican representative from Texas who chairs the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology. "The FDIC's intent to evade congressional oversight is a serious offense." The report was released amid growing concern about the vulnerability of the international banking system to hackers and the latest example of how deeply Washington believes Beijing has penetrated U.S. government computers. China's embassy in Washington did not comment on the allegations and the report did not provide specific evidence Beijing was behind the hack. Shane Shook, a cyber security expert who has helped investigate some of the breaches uncovered to date, said he did not see convincing evidence in the report that the Chinese government was behind the FDIC hack. "As with all government agencies, there are management issues stemming from leadership ignorance of technology oversight," Shook said. The FDIC, a major U.S. banking regulator which keeps confidential data on America's biggest banks, declined to comment. Gruenberg is scheduled to testify on Thursday before the committee on the regulator's cyber security practices. Washington has accused China of hacking computers at a range of federal agencies in recent years, including the theft of more than 21 million background check records from the federal Office of Personnel Management beginning in 2014. The compromise of the FDIC computers by a foreign government had been previously reported in May and some lawmakers had mentioned China as a possible suspect, but the report on Wednesday for the first time cited a 2013 memo by the FDIC's inspector general, an internal watchdog, as pointing toward China. "Even the former Chairwoman's computer had been hacked by a foreign government, likely the Chinese," the congressional report said, referring to Gruenberg's predecessor, Sheila Bair, who headed the FDIC from 2006 until 2011 when Gruenberg took over as acting chairman. Bair could not be immediately reached for comment. A redacted copy of the 2013 FDIC inspector general's memo seen by Reuters said investigators were unable to determine exactly which files had been extracted from agency computers. But a source familiar with the FDIC's internal investigation said the areas of the regulator's network that were hacked suggested the intruders were seeking "economic intelligence." In all, hackers compromised 12 FDIC workstations, including those of other executives such as the regulator's former chief of staff and former general counsel, and 10 servers, the congressional report said. It accused the FDIC of trying to cover up the hacks so as not to endanger the congressional approval of Gruenberg, who was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in November 2012. A witness interviewed by congressional staff said the FDIC's current head of its technology division, Russ Pittman, instructed employees not to disclose information about the foreign government's hack, the report said. The witness said the hush order was to "avoid effecting the outcome of Chairman Gruenberg's confirmation," according to the report. Pittman could not immediately be contacted for comment. The report also provided details of data breaches in which FDIC employees leaving the regulator took sensitive documents with them. It said current FDIC officials have purposely concealed information about breaches that had been requested by Congress. U.S. intelligence officials believe Beijing has decreased its hacking activity since signing a pledge with Washington last September to refrain from breaking into computer systems for the purposes of commercial espionage. At the same time, Obama has acknowledged difficulties in keeping government information secure. In addition, Republican opponents have said that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state could have exposed classified information to foreign governments. Reuters tech2 News Staff There has been plenty of news around China's Foxconn wanting to set up an assembly plant in Navi Mumbai. But Foxconn seems to want more and is also in talks with Nokia. The Economic Times reports that discussions are on between the two companies about the reopening of Nokia's Chennai plant that has been shut for years, but Foxconn has plenty of terms to discuss. The Chennai plant, located in Sriperumbudur has been shut due to tax-related issues and was not even a part of Microsoft's $7.5 billion acquisition of Nokia's mobile division. According to insiders, Foxconn demands complete exclusion from legal issues and financial liabilities that the Finnish giant faces in India. In addition, the government will also need to lift the asset freeze on the plant. But there's more, as all of the above comes after the land is converted from a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to a Domestic Tariff Area (DTA). This is needed if smartphones are to be produced and sold in India. At the end of it all, even if Nokia does manage to accomplish all of the above, Foxconn has yet to decide if it will be buying or leasing the factory. Going back in time, the plant was shut down in late 2014 over a Rs 21,000 crore tax dispute with the government. 12,000 jobs were also lost in the process. When operational, it was once the world's largest mobile phone manufacturing facilities and was supplying over 70 percent of parts to Nokia. In addition to the above, Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa in June sought for Prime Minister Modi's intervention so that income tax authorities play nice and someone gets the plant up and running, bringing life back to Sriperumbudur's ghost plant, bringing in more jobs. tech2 News Staff Looks like North India will be getting the first pod-taxi in India for decongesting traffic woes faced by many communters. Work on India's first Metrino pod-taxi line is expected to begin by the end of this month. While the project has got a nod from the Central government, the Urban Development Ministry (UD) has raised concerns as to who would be responsible for the safety audit of this project. According to a report in Business Today, UD claims that since this is a mass rapid transit system, it cannot be executed without the ministry's clearances. The Transport Ministry, which handles National Highways Association of India (NHAI) has said that the project aims to decongest traffic on the NH-8. Since the NH-8 falls under NHAI's jurisdiction, the work is expected to go as planned either by end of July or end of next month. Transport Ministry has set aside Rs 850 crore for this project. It will involve a ropeway like system with driverless pods that run on electricity. The pods will come and go from designated stations. there are expected to be around 16 stations within the 13-km stretch of this project. The total cost of the project is expected to be around Rs 4,000 crore and will enable travelling in a driverless pod in the National Capital Region. The project is expected to start from Dhaula Kuan in Delhi to Manesar in Haryana which is a 70-km stretch which is expected to decongest the NH-8 highway. The first phase of the project is expected to cover the Gurgaon-Delhi border to Badshapur Mod. According to a Transport Ministry official, four bids have been received from several companies, including two foreign firms. hidden By Asheeta Regidi Taxi aggregators like Uber and Ola revolutionised the taxi service system through technology. While these services are extremely popular, their surge pricing systems have invited controversy around the world. In India, the Karnataka Transport Department recently issued a show-cause notice to Ola for using surge pricing for the taxi fares. Similar restrictions were also imposed against this by the Delhi government. What is Surge pricing? Surge pricing is a system where when the demand for taxis exceeds supply, then the rates to be charged go higher. The taxi aggregators say that this system uses simple economics to meet the increased demand the increase in prices will attract more drivers to the area, and as a result, the increased demand can be met. Once the demand and supply is balanced, prices will go back to normal. The surge pricing systems used by aggregators leads to higher charges during certain times, such as peak hours, holidays, events, etc. While aggregators state that surge pricing benefits the customers through a greater number of taxis, customers are far from happy. The primary reason for this is the absolute lack of transparency about the basis on which surge pricing is started, how the multiplier increases, etc. At times, the rates could go up as high as 50 times the normal rate. This system was particularly criticised for its use during tragedies like the Sydney hostage crisis and Hurricane Sandy. In addition to customers, drivers were also reported to be unhappy with the situation, since many would drive down to the location of surge pricing, but within a few minutes, the surge pricing would have stopped. What do Indian Regulations say? Since their introduction, these companies have been at loggerheads with various governments and courts, mostly for non-compliance with existing taxi regulations. Protests also came from traditional taxis service providers, who demanded a level playing field with the, until then, unregulated aggregators. Now many nations have introduced or have begun to introduce specific regulations for aggregators. In India, Karnataka and Delhi are the only states to have specifically prohibited surge pricing. Other states are in the process of drafting regualtions. Advisory by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways In India, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued an Advisory to the State Governments in October 2015, recommending that they lay down the terms for the regulation of aggregators. On the issue of fares, the advisory stated that the State Governments could notify the maximum fares to be charged. The advisory also gave importance to transparency, and recommended that the rider should be provided with information on the distance and time travelled, the amount to be paid, and on completion of the trip, must receive an electronic receipt. Thus, while the State Governments have been given the freedom to draft regulations and set fares as they deem fit, clearly the aim is to remove the disparity between aggregators and traditional taxi services. If corresponding regulations are imposed, then surge pricing cannot lead to fares beyond the maximum permissible amount. Karnataka India saw its first specific aggregator regulations in the form of Karnatakas new On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules, 2016. These rules mandate that the aggregators must charge the rates fixed by the Karnataka government. Since no lower limit is fixed, it appears that taxi drivers can charge a rate as low as they please. While surge pricing is not specifically banned, it appears that it can be implemented provided it does not exceed the prescribed fare. However, the show-cause notice to Ola makes it clear that surge pricing is not permitted. A violation of this rule can result in the license being suspended or revoked. Delhi In Delhi, aggregators were asked to register under the existing Radio Taxi Scheme, 2006. This scheme fixes the rates to be charged, allowing the taxi operator to charge less than the rate, and increase rates by 25% at night (11pm to 5am). During the recently implemented Odd-Even Scheme in Delhi this year, the Delhi government made it clear that surge pricing was illegal, and threatened strict action against violators. Thus while aggregators can charge lower rates, they cannot implement surge pricing. Maharashtra In Maharashtra, draft regulations have been framed in the form of the City Taxi Scheme, 2015, to deal with aggregators. These rules state that the aggregator must charge fares as prescribed by the Maharashtra government. The fare will be decided by the government based on the cost of the vehicle or its engine capacity. It appears that the rules will not allow even a lower fare to be charged, leave alone using surge pricing. The exact fee prescribed will have to be charged, similar to traditional taxi services. West Bengal The most aggregator friendly regulations were those issued in Kolkata through a temporary Order by the Office of the Commissioner of Police, Bidhanagar. This order was issued for a period from January to March, 2015. All that this order said with respect to fares was that the amount to be paid must be conveyed to the customer via an e-mail or SMS. No further restrictions were imposed on the amount to be charged, nor was anything said on whether surge pricing was legitimate, giving aggregators complete freedom to decide their rates. This Order, though lauded by the taxi aggregators as the right way to regulate them, is the exception, and not the rule. Should surge pricing be permitted? The general approach by the Central government and various State Governments to this system is similar. Though surge pricing is not specifically prohibited, implementing it will become meaningless given the restriction on the maximum fare to be charged. The lack of regulatory compliance (until recently) definitely gave such aggregators an unfair advantage over traditional taxi services. While creating a level playing field is equally important, perhaps the government should also consider surge pricing if it does result in an actual benefit to customers through greater supply of taxis. The main issue with surge pricing is the lack of transparency in the system and the unreasonableness of the surge. Many economists advocate the surge pricing system itself as a perfect method to deal with a supply-demand imbalance. Research even suggests that the system was highly effective in dealing with increased demand during peak times. Perhaps surge pricing can be permitted, subject to certain restrictions, such as a limit on the multiplier (say a maximum of 3), prohibiting surge pricing during emergencies, etc. The author is a lawyer with a specialisation in cyber laws and has co-authored books on the subject. hidden Billed as the first of its kind - a digital student incubator went online on Wednesday when Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan unveiled SV.CO, the digital makeover of Startup Village designed to help thousands of college-goers make an early start in entrepreneurship. "The government's allocation for startups at Rs 300 crore is the highest to date in the state and higher than of the Central Government's Department of Science and Technology," said Vijayan "The state will fund 1,000 startups every year with Rs two lakh for converting ideas to prototypes. The best prototypes will be given Rs 1 crore interest free loan to convert the prototype into a successful startup," added Vijayan. SV.CO, the digital business incubation platform that constitutes the second phase of the successful Kochi Startup Village, set up in Kochi in 2012. The Kochi Startup Village between 2012-15, supported more than 500 startups and helped create 3,000 jobs. With SV.CO, Startup Village will scale up its activities by reaching out to five million students in 3,500 engineering colleges across the country by providing them a completely digital incubation framework, ranging from application for admission to teaching, mentoring and graduation. It will provide opportunities to students in far-flung cities and towns who may not have access to physical infrastructure or the mentoring that they need in the early stages of entrepreneurship. In tune with the Prime Minister's Startup India initiative and with a go ahead from the Central Government's Department of Science and Technology, SV.CO provides a month of free training to students in entrepreneurship on its online platform. Students can form teams and apply at www.sv.co. Once selected, they will be guided right from picking an idea to building a prototype and its launch to early customers within six months. "SV.CO is venturing into unchartered territory and creating a new model of how to go beyond physical space to reach out to potential entrepreneurs across the country and offer them mentorship, networks and infrastructure," said Kris Gopalakrishnan, Infosys Co-Founder and Chief Mentor of Startup Village. IANS hidden U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday called for a regulatory probe into whether short-term rental websites such as Airbnb are taking housing away from long-term renters and pushing up prices. Warren, joined by Senators Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Dianne Feinstein of California, urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to examine the rapid growth of such businesses as Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO and FlipKey and determine their impact on housing. "We are concerned that short-term rentals may be exacerbating housing shortages and driving up the cost of housing in our communities," the senators said in a letter to FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. "We have also read troubling reports of racial discrimination on some short-term rental platforms." The senators asked Ramirez to study and quantify the degree to which individuals are using short-term rental sites to operate businesses. They acknowledged that short-term lodging firms have sparked innovation, increased competition and provided new means for earning extra income. Warren, a Massachusetts senator who leads the Democratic Party's populist wing, is thought to be on the short list of individuals presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is considering as a running mate. Warren was the only Democratic woman in the U.S. Senate who did not endorse Clinton during her primary campaign against her populist rival, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Warren endorsed Clinton last month and the two campaigned together at a raucous event in Cincinnati, Ohio, that focused on improving the U.S. economy. Reuters hidden An airplane powered by energy from the sun arrived on Wednesday in Egypt, the penultimate stop on the first fuel-free flight around the globe. Solar Impulse 2, a spindly single-seat plane, flew over the Pyramids to make a smooth landing at Cairo airport at about 7:10 a.m., ending a flight leg that lasted 48 hours and 50 minutes. The plane, which began its journey in Abu Dhabi in March 2015 and is due to end it there, has been piloted in turns by Swiss aviators Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies. "Thanks to clean technologies, today you can reconcile economy and ecology ... this was my goal when I started the project," Piccard told Reuters. Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel, its four engines powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells in its wings. Surplus power is stored in batteries during the day to keep the plane aloft on long-distance flights. The carbon fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed records. It can climb to about 8,500 meters (28,000 feet) and cruise at 55-100 kph (34-62 mph). The Solar Impulse team will now prepare for the final leg of the journey to United Arab Emirates, they said. "Explorers have gone everywhere, even to the Moon. Now, we need to explore a better quality of life here on Earth," Piccard said. Reuters Bangladesh heads to plastic-free green revolution High-duty hinders prospect of export earnings NN: Rather than doing traditional business, why have you chosen this eco-friendly food paper packaging business?Sazed: After completing my BSC in computer science, I had started my business as a indenter and later on expanded to contractor business. Over the time, I went to Saudi Arabia to perform Omrah Hajj in 2010 where I was given dates and coffee in paper cups in Iftar. Those cups were biodegradable which attracted me to start the same business in our country. As production of hygienic and environment friendly food paper packaging can contribute to the green revolution of the country and can save the environment. NN: Where did you get training for this non-conventional business?Sazed: I got initial training from Malaysia but practical training comes from production at my factory. NN: How much capital is required to start such a business?Sazed: I have started the business with a capital of TK 7.3 million of which Islami Bank's support was 4 million. At present the total capital stood at 40 million. NN: How many people get employed in your factory?Sazed: More than 60 people are directly and indirectly engaged with the production and marketing of the goods. NN: what type of products does your factory produce? Sazed: paper cup, plate, food supplying box, shopping bag and so on. Main product is paper cup. NN: How do you ensure the quality of your products?Sazed: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) are in practice in KPC factory. Products' qualities are strictly checked in our own lab. Many foreign companies can not produce quality products as we can because polyethylene materials (a tough, light, flexible synthetic resin made by polymerizing ethylene, chiefly used for plastic bags, food containers, and other packaging) are used to produce our goods which is 100 percent environment friendly. Polyethylene used products are biodegradable that turns decomposed by 21 days when comes in contact with the soil. This is my speciality.However, Quality is the guiding principle of each of our employee. Means, providing our customers with world class products that continue to delight them.NN: What is your company's production capacity? Sazed: We have a production capacity of 50 lakhs cups monthly and have the capacity to met large requirements. NN: What is your future plan?Sazed: KPC Industry designed disposable paper cups have an attractive look with highest quality. Our colorful paper cups with exciting prints all over it can make your cup of coffee or tea or cold-drinks a cheerful experience. We ensure all our produces to be eco-friendly as our business dose not only focus on money generation, we also focus on contribution to the national interest.NN: What are the sizes of your produced cups?Sazed: The size range varies from 120ml to 350ml currently. These cups are supplied for use for both cold and hot beverages. NN: What specialties do your products have?Sazed: We offer biodegradable and Environment friendly. It is 100 percent food grade with food grade poly lamination consistency for quality and dimensional stability also. It is comfortable in handling, hygienic, cup rigidity to contain liquid for longer period and excellent Micro-biological levels.NN: What are the obstacles in doing such business? Sazed: Sky rocking duty is the main hindrances in doing this business. We have to pay 61 percent customs duty to import raw materials, which pushes cost of our production by more than twice.Import duties on these raw materials is around 5 - 10 percent in our neighbouring countries including India. High custom duty brings down our competitiveness in the international markets.NN: Do you think that lower duty would help you to expoprt your goods?Sazed: Of course. We are trying to make authorities understand the prospect of export earnings from the sector. Many countries of the globe import disposable goods where we cannot participate due to higher duty.If the government reduces import duties, then I can assure of earning a handsome amount of foreign currencies within a couple of years.However, according to Mr Sazed, prices of an eco-friendly paper cup is TK 1.50 where plastic cup price is only 90 paisa. If the people can get paper cup at the same price of plastic, then they will prefer paper cup first and thus the country would also be benefitted. Russia offers to fly warplanes more safely over Baltics Russian ambassador to NATO Alexander Grushko addresses a news conference after the NATO-Russia Council at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Reuters, Brussels : Moscow offered to fly its jets over the Baltic region with their transponders engaged, an apparent concession to NATO powers who accuse Russia's air force of endangering aviation by turning off the devices that allow them to be detected by ground radar. Moscow's envoy to NATO told alliance ambassadors that Russian pilots could turn on the cockpit transmitters, known as transponders, if alliance planes did the same. "We are ready to fly with transponders...along certain flight trajectories," Russia's ambassador Alexander Grushko said after the NATO-Russia Council, a forum bringing together Russia and the 28 NATO ambassadors. "The aircraft of many countries do fly in the region with their transponders off," Grushko said. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the proposal but said that all jets under NATO command already flew with their transponders on. "Transponders are important, but they are only one element of a broader picture related to air safety. The basic thing is safe behavior, to fly in a safe and professional way," Stoltenberg said. The proposal comes after two years of several near misses between Western planes, both civilian and military, and Russian jets in the skies above the Baltics that NATO has patrolled since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. It also comes after several gestures by Russian President Vladimir Putin that seem to aim at defusing East-West tensions despite NATO's summit last weekend in Warsaw. There, the alliance agreed to deploy a multinational force to the Baltics and Poland and to take over a U.S.-built missile shield that Russia sees as hostile. Putin agreed to Wednesday's meeting of the NATO-Russia Council, only the second since mid-2014, while also recently allowing a U.N. resolution authorizing the EU to intercept arms shipments to Libya in the Mediterranean. Putin has talked by telephone U.S. President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Holland in recent days. 3rd Social Business Youth Summit at DU Campus Report : The third Social Business Youth Summit (SBYS) is going to be held at Dhaka University (DU). SBYS is a leading youth forum where youth across borders interact with the most intrigued and knowledgeable persons of social business. It is an annual event organized by Social Business Youth Alliance (SBYA) Global. The main aim is to help youngsters to connect with the real life hustlers who are in social business scene. This Youth Summit is equipped with the resources in terms of both theoretical knowledge and phases of social business in reality. A participant here comes to know about the dynamics and impacts of social business as well as the necessity of social business in current world. This summit will visualize all communities of the society specially the people who are contributing in bringing the changes or are in pursuit of development by all good means. Students, Entrepreneurs, Academicians, Working professionals, Activists, CSR practitioners, NGO representatives and any other individuals interested in making a difference for the causes they care most are welcome to join us in this endeavor. To date, SBYS has been graced by 1450 participants from 24 countries. This year SBYS seeks to create next generation social business entrepreneurs who will come up with solutions to achieve sustainable development goals. This year 350 young minds will get the opportunity to learn more about social business where Prof Muhammad Yunus is the Key Note Speaker, as well as 30 more speakers from around the world. Interested individuals are encouraged to apply through the website: (http://sbys.info) before July 30, 2016 to enjoy early registration discounts. FF commander injured by miscreants Chittagong Bureau : The miscreants attacked union Muktijudda commander of Sitakunda named Jahirul Islam on Monday evening. The incident occurred at No.1 Syedpur Union of Sitakunda upazila . Local sources said the miscreants bitterly injured the FF commander with lethal weapons while came out from his house in the evening. It is learnt from different sources that with the sequel of family feuds unwanted incident was occurred. The locals immediately rushed him to local health complex and the attending physicians sent him to Chittagong Medical college Hospital for better treatment, hospital sources said. Meanwhile Upazila Mukijudda Commander Alimullah instantly condemned the attack on Jahirul Islam and demanded exemplary punishment of the attackers. Minor's body found at Mohakhali water body after 19 hrs Fire Service divers recovered the body of a six-year-old girl from a water body near Mohakhali Bus Terminal in city on Thursday. Staff Reporter : The body of a six-year-old girl was recovered around 9 hours after she fell into a canal in the city's Mohakhali bus terminal area on Thursday morning. The deceased Sanjida is the daughter of van-puller Shah Alam. They lived in a rented house in Dakkhinpara area in Mohakhali. Jia Rahman, phone operator of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters, said: "Fire rangers recovered Sanjida's body around 9:50am. She had fallen into the canal while playing near it around 3:00pm on Wednesday. Confirming Sanjida's identity, Banani Police Station Officer-in-Charge (Investigation) Wahiduzzaman said her body has been sent to Dhaka Medical College morgue for autopsy. On December 27, 2014, a four-year-old boy Jihad was found dead inside an abandoned deep water pump pipe at capital's Shahjahanpur Railway Colony a day after he had fallen into it. Ahsanullah killing Stay order on acquittal of 11 accused extended Staff Reporter :The Appellate Division has extended the stay order on a High Court verdict that acquitted 11 persons accused of murdering Awami League leader Ahsanullah Master. A four-member bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha fixed the date to pass the order on Thursday. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the State, while senior lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain stood for the convicted. Earlier on June 21, a Chamber Judge stayed the acquittal order passed by the High Court till July 14. Responding to the time extension appeal of the lawyers, the SC bench rescheduled hearing date. The HC on June 15, upheld the verdict of a trial court that awarded death sentences to six persons and life term to one, reduced capital punishment of seven convicts to life imprisonment and acquitted 11 others. The acquitted convicts are: Amir Hossain, Boro Jahangir, son of Nur Hossain, Foysal (fugitive), Lokman Hossain Bulu, Rony Fakir (fugitive), Khokon (fugitive), Dulal Miah, Rakibuddin Sarkar alias Pappu Sarkar, Ayub Ali, Jahangir, son of Meher Ali and Monir. Of them, Rakibuddin, Ayub Ali, Jahangir and Monir were awarded life term imprisonment in the case. Criminals shot Ahsanullah Master, a former Awami League MP, to death at a rally held in the MA Mazid Miah High School ground of Tongi on May 7, 2004. Peshawar school massacre leader killed in US air strike A militant who masterminded a deadly attack on a Pakistani school in 2014 has been killed in a US-led air strike, US and Pakistani officials say. Umar Naray allegedly planned the attack on an army public school in Peshawar that left 150 people dead - mostly children and female teachers. He led a group linked to the Pakistani Taliban, US defence officials said. He was killed over the weekend in Nangarhar province, in Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan, they added. Naray "orchestrated multiple terrorist operations in Pakistan to include the January 2016 attack on Bacha Khan University, the September 2015 Badaber Air Force Base attack, and the December 2014 Peshawar school attack that resulted in the deaths of more than 130 children," US defence department spokesman Peter Cook said. Naray led the Tariq Gidar Group, which was a militant faction with ties to the Pakistani Taliban, Mr Cook said. He was killed "along with four other enemy combatants in a US forces-Afghanistan air strike" targeting a faction of the Islamic State group, he added. Naray was also known by several other names including Khalifa Umar Mansoor and Khalid Khurasani. The US had informed Pakistani army chief Gen Raheel Sharif of the death, a Pakistani army spokesman said. There was no official comment from the Pakistani Taliban. However, one commander confirmed the death to Reuters, calling it "a huge loss to the small but most effective Taliban faction". The December 2014 Peshawar school attack, where militants went from classroom to classroom shooting at students and teachers, sent shockwaves through Pakistan. Following the attack, Pakistan lifted a seven-year moratorium on executions, while the army stepped up its military offensive against militants in the border regions. 23 institutions under watch Education Minister directs to provide full info: UGC team visits NSU, discusses terror issue Staff Reporter : At least 23 private universities and English medium schools are under the surveillance of intelligence agencies to root out militancy from the country. Of the institutions, 14 are private universities, including North South University (NSU) and nine English medium schools, Education Ministry sources said. Meanwhile, the authorities of all educational institutions have been asked to cooperate with the Ministry as well as the intelligence agencies in this regard, they said. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told the media on Thursday that it was proved that some teachers of NSU were involved in militant activities. One of the teachers was directly involved in the recent Gulshan terror attack, he said. The Minister also warned that the Ministry would take stern action if any institutions try to hide any information related to militancy. He said that the Ministry had earlier asked the institutions to provide information about militancy but they did not comply with the Ministry's request. The Minister came up with these remarks after a team of University Grant Commission (UGC) visited the NSU campus led by Professor Dil Afroz Begum. In view of the widespread allegations about involvement of some students in militancy, a team of University Grants Commission (UGC) on Thursday visited the North South University and asked the administration to check terrorist activities on the campus. The UGC officials also discussed overall situation with the high-ups of the university, official sources said. The NSU is facing flak after several of its students were found involved in terrorism in the recent terror attacks in Gulshan and Sholakia. "The UGC team went there as part of an ongoing investigation," Omar Faruk, Deputy Director (Public Relations) of the UGC told The New Nation on Thursday. On the other hand, Public Relations Officer of the NSU Belal Hossain said, the officials of the UGC came to the campus as per their routine work. They discussed many topics, including the militancy issue, in an informal meeting. "The UGC monitors the activities of the private universities. The visit of the UGC officials was not special. It was their routine visit. It had no relations with the recent terror attack in Gulshan," he claimed. An official of the UGC wishing anonymity, however, said that it was not special drive in NSU but "it has importance". "We have warned the NSU authorities that the UGC would take stern action against them if they fail to root out the militancy from the campus," he said. Earlier on August 19 last year, the UGC officials had visited the university following allegations of militant activities and financial irregularities. The authorities failed to give a satisfactory explanation when asked why Jihadi books had been kept in the library. The UGC team had sent a report to the Ministry of Education but it did not receive any 'feedback'. Sources inside the Ministry said that the report had been acknowledged and the NSU was sent a show-cause letter with a deadline, which expired six months ago. The university came under scrutiny after the killing of blogger and Ganajagaran Mancha activist Rajib Haider in 2013. The young men arrested for hacking him to death were all students of the Electronics and Electrical Engineering (EEE) at the university. They are Sadman Yasir Mamun, Faisal Bin Nayeem Dwip, Ehsan Reza Rumman, Maksudul Hasan Anik, Nayeem Irad and Nafiz Imtiaz. Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, who tried to blow up the New York Federal Reserve Bank in 2012, was also a student of North South University before he migrated to the United States. The deadly terror attack which took place at the Gulshan cafe on July 1, involved one student, Nibras Islam, who disappeared for months before storming the Holey Artisan Bakery where, he and the other gunmen killed 20, mostly foreign hostages. The largest prayer congregation at Kishoreganj's Sholakia Eidgah also came under attack on Eid day. Two police constables died after being hacked and bombed by the attackers, one of them was a North South University student Abir Rahman. He died when police began shooting. His family said he was missing for four months. Hasanat Reza Karim, a former teacher at the university, was among the hostages freed by the cafe gunmen. Police said he was one of the suspects but now denies having him in custody. Law enforcers have a list of ten students who were reported missing by their families, since most of the cafe attackers were missing for months. Among them, Junnun Shikder and Basharuzzaman were North South University students. 2 JMB men held in city Staff Reporter : Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two suspected members of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from the capital's Uttara on Thursday. They are Kamruzzaman alias Sagar, 24, and Rashed Gazi alias Rashed 22, said RAB -1 Commander Lt Col Tuhin Mohammad Masud. A pistol, two bullets and nine cocktails were also recovered from their possessions, the RAB official said. "The elite force set up a check post in front of Uttara Commerce College at Uttara, Sector No-6 around 4:25 am and detained Sagar and Rashed for their suspicious movement," he said. In primary interrogation, they admitted that they were members of the banned militant outfit and planning to conduct sabotage in the capital, the RAB official said. A case was filed in this connection, he said. BD, USA to work together on 4 major issues Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu on Thursday said Bangladesh and the USA will work together on four major issues, including cyber crime and terrorism and democracy. "We've agreed that Bangladesh and the USA will deeply work together on tackling cyber crime and terrorism, protecting democracy and ensuring sustainable development," he told reporters after a meeting with US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat at his office.The minister said the role of the mass media is very important at this time when the entire world is affected by the menace of militancy. "We've discussed the issue with the USA." Bernicat said they discussed the role of mass media and press freedom at the meeting. She said they also talked as to how the USA can help Bangladesh promote its mass media. Hasina greets new UK PM UNB, Dhaka : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has congratulated newly appointed British Prime Minister Theresa May and invited her to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time. "It's more heartening for me to see you leading the United Kingdom," the Prime Minister said in a message to Theresa May on Thursday. Prime Minister Hasina said there is a scope for further development in Bangladesh-UK relations through trade, investment, education and knowledge-sharing. "I'm confident that your visit would infuse further impetus to our relations and take them to a greater height." She said, her British counterpart, if she visits Bangladesh, would be able to see for herself the overall progress made by Bangladesh, particularly through mainstreaming and empowering women. The Prime Minister extended her heartiest felicitations on Theresa May's appointment as the Prime Minister of the UK and the Northern Ireland which she considers as most deserving election as the leader of the Conservative Party. Hasina said, the relations between Bangladesh and the UK have been mature, strong, enduring. "These are based on shared values of democracy, freedom and human rights, rule of law, secularism as well as on common and mutually beneficial interests." Bangladesh is proud of the presence and contribution of its vibrant community in the United Kingdom, said the Prime Minister adding that they have further strengthened the ties between the two countries. The Prime Minister said that she is happy to note that Bangladesh and the UK are working in partnership for strengthen the democratic ethos, empowering the vulnerable, countering terrorism, addressing the impacts of climate change among other global challenges of their time. Weak FIRs favour militants Sagar Biswas :More than 500 militants, suspected operators of different Islamist terrorist outfits, who have so far been come out of jail in the last three years, started to regroup again posing potential threat to state security.Security officials suspected that some of the said militants might have been involved directly or indirectly in the recent terror attacks in different parts of the country, including Gulshan and Sholakia.Deputy Inspector General, Police Bureau of Investigation [PBI], Banaj Kumar Majumdar on Thursday said: "We're anxious seeing that the militants are coming out of jail getting bailOf course, we've taken the matter seriously and started working on the issue." Of the recently released terrors, three were members of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahedin Bangladesh [JMB] killing squad who were involved in murdering a Peer storming his Gopibagh residence in 2013. Two of them got freedom on April 26 and one was released on June 24 this year, official sources said.Several police officials opined that the relevant law should be amended keeping adjustment with current militancy crisis and the bail procurement of militants must be stopped till the end of trial."The law enforcement agencies are nabbing suspected militants, but they are coming out of the jail getting bail from relevant courts, and going vanished. This trend is solely responsible for current militancy situation," said another senior police official of the Police Headquarters preferring to remain anonymous. On the other hand, some lawyers related with prosecution said that the militants are coming out mainly due to defected charge-sheets, absence of their names in the complaint and irregular presence of the witnesses.But refuting the claim, some criminal lawyers said that the prosecution and police both were responsible for rampant bail procurement of militants and high-profile criminals.When contacted, Attorney General Mahabubey Alam told The New Nation: "Several hundreds of people get bail everyday in our over populated country. The militants are taking the advantage. Besides, the role of police, submission of weak FIR [first information report] and low level punishment have appeared as vital reasons for the quick bail procurement of militants."The Attorney General, however, said that it needs to harden the existing law increasing the level of punishment to tackle the militancy crisis. "Getting bail by the militants is a very old practice. A top-ranking militant Mowlana Tajuddin, arrested in the specific August 24 grenade attack case, was released from jail and sent abroad giving protection to the airportIn the same way, some of our people are helping militants to come out of the jail," he said. It is worth to mention that security forces in 2012 arrested four members of Asarullah Bangla Team [ABT] -Kawser Hossain, Sad Al Nahian, Kamal Hossain Sardar and Kamal Uddin - in connection with the murder attempt on freethinker and blogger Asif Mohiuddin.The arrestees gave confessional statement before the court admitting their involvement in the incident. But all of them were released getting bail next year. In 2015, three of them except Kamal Uddin were arrested again for their alleged involvement in blogger Niladri murder.There is another example where two alleged militants Samiul and Yahiya along with three other members of Hamza Brigade were released getting bail from relevant courts on January 16, May 7, June 7 and 20 this year. Following the same way, JMB operative Abu Hafiz came of the jail on May 4. Three Hajbut Tahrir men were released on April 20. Harkat -ul Jihad al Islami [HuJI] member Abdullah Al Mamun got bail on April 13 and Abul Kalam on April 20.Interestingly, the law enforcement and intelligence agencies do not have information on their whereabouts though some of them are highly trained explosives experts and believed to be linked with recent terror attacks in different parts of the country. There is widespread speculation that a number of bailed militants have taken shelter in the neighbouring countries taking advantage of relaxed mood of law enforcers. Recently, several members of JMB were caught in different states of India, including West Bengal, during raids by security forces."Usually, we check the documents sent from the court. If police inform us about any particular prisoner, we can take step against him. I fact, we have nothing to do if anyone gets bail from courts," Md Jahangir Kabir, senior super of Dhaka Central Jail, said. Export target fixed at $37b Minister sees no fall out from Brexit, terror attacks: It's achievable: Say exporters Kazi Zahidul Hasan : The government on Thursday set US$37 billion export target for 2016-17 fiscal year, projecting an 8.06 per cent growth over the last fiscal. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed announced the target after a meeting with the export sector's stakeholders at his Secretariat office in the city. The target was fixed against the backdrop of deadly terror attacks in the country and uncertainty in the developed economies in the wake of Britain's Brexit vote. The exporters earlier said that the issues could leave an adverse impact on the country's export trade to the EU and the US, two major markets for Bangladesh's merchandises. "The government has set the export target this year keeping in view the trends of export growth during the last five years. The target is reasonable if we analyze the recent trends," Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told The New Nation yesterday. Issues likes the government's export promotion activities, incentives for export products and exploring new markets, macro economic indicators, fall out from Brexit and TTP, slow recovery in the global economy, low commodity prices in the global market and prolonged recession and economic turmoil in some countries around the globe have also considered in setting this year's export target, he added. When asked, the Minister said, the terror attack in Dhaka may not affect our exports as foreign buyers have already assured of staying with us while our shipments to EU countries is expected to remain unhurt despite the Britain's Brexit vote to leave the European economic block. Tofail Ahmed also said that the suspension of Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) by the United States is yet to leave any adverse impact on Bangladesh's exports to the country. "We will achieve this year's export target if the current trend of export growth continues in the months to come," he hoped. "It's a reasonable target if we consider the ability of local industries as well as our present position in the global market," Abdus Salam Murshedy, President of the Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) told The New Nation on Thursday. He said it appears that the government has set the target considering the export trend in the recent years, global market situation and challenges at home and abroad. "Though there are some challenges like appreciation of taka against the US dollar, slow recovery of EU economy and security concern at home, the target is achievable," said Murshedy. He said the woven and knitwear exports will continue to grow this year to help achieving the target. Apparel export target for the current fiscal year has been fixed at US$30 billion. "Export sector did well in the immediate past fiscal year. But the country needs to give more emphasis to diversification in products and markets in the year to boost the export growth," said Murshedy. The government had set US$33.50 billion target for the fiscal year 2015-16. But at the end of the year, the country's export earnings surpass the target, reaching $34.27 billion with 9.72 per cent growth. Of the total, the garment sector alone accounted for 82 per cent of the country's export earnings. The country fetched US$31.20 billion from exports in the fiscal year 2014-15, growing 3.39 per cent over the previous fiscal. Mastermind remains untraced Mystery shrouds whereabouts of Hasnat: 5 held from Jhenaidah: Bodies of Gulshan attackers still at CMH mortuary S M Mizanur Rahman :It has been two weeks since the deadly terror attack in city's Gulshan cafe, but the mastermind behind the most dreadful carnage in the country's history still remains untraced. However, several intelligence sources claimed that the mastermind behind the attack had already been identified and they are undergoing interrogation in the custody of intelligence agencies. When contacted on Thursday, Banaj Kumar Majumder, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Investigation Bureau (PBI), which deals with the militancy, said there is no headway in their probe into the deadly terror attack."We are working on it. The mastermind behind the deadly terror attack in city's Gulshan cafe still remains untraced," he said. The terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in the capital's Gulshan diplomatic enclave left 29 people killed, including two police officers, 17 foreign nationals and at least five militant suspects.One of the suspects Mohammad Shaon, also the cook's assistant of the cafe, held during the July 1st terrorist attack, died in police custody at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital on Friday.Hasnat Karim, a British citizen, and also former teacher of North South University and Tahmid Hasib Khan, a student at the University of Toronto detained during the army-led 'Thunderbolt Commando' operation. They are considered vital for the investigation into the July 1 attack. But mystery shrouds whereabouts of the two detainees as their families saying they haven't returned home while authorities announcing they are not in custody. The families of Hasnat Karim and Tahmid Hasib Khan have sought information on their whereabouts and rights group Amnesty International has urged the government to clarify.Police said they had earlier questioned Karim and Khan but they were no longer in their custody.Amnesty said Karim's family was taken into custody by police for questioning on July 2, and all, except Karim, were released on July 3."Hasnat Karim's family must immediately be told whether the Bangladeshi authorities are still holding him in custody, and if so allow him contact with the outside world. They have already suffered a traumatic episode, and his enforced disappearance prolongs their ordeal," said Champa Patel, Amnesty International's South Asia Director."The Bangladeshi authorities have a poor track record when it comes to human rights in custody, with violations including torture and other ill-treatment often to obtain 'confessions' and the denial of medical treatment," Patel said.Masudur Rahman, a spokesman for Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said on Wednesday that they were not aware of the whereabouts of Karim and Khan. "They are not in our custody," he said without elaborating.Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque said that the banned militant outfit, Jama'atul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB), launched the terror attack at the Gulshan restaurant on July 1.He also said that they detained two suspects identified as Tahmid Hasib Khan and Hasanat Reza Karim, a former teacher of North South University.On the night of July 1, at least five young attackers entered the cafe with firearms, explosives and sharp weapons and took more than 35 hostages. They killed 17 foreigners and three Bangladeshis.A case was filed with Gulshan police on July 4 and the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes unit of the DMP handed over the charge immediately. All the 13 survivors were questioned by the law enforcers and released before the Eid-ul-Fitr.Police first published five photos identifying them as Akash, Bikash, Don, Badhon and Ripon. Their identities were later confirmed as Meer Samih Mubasshwer, 19, Rohan Imtiaz, 20, Nibras Islam, 20, Khairul Islam Payel, 22, Shariful Islam Ujjal alias Bikash, 26 and Saiful Islam Chowkidar, 40.A total of 86 pieces of evidence were collected from the spot. The Islamic State (IS) claimed the attack but the police said homegrown militants carried out the attack.Meanwhile, five people were arrested from Jhenidah over suspected links to the terrorists who attacked Holey Artisan Bakery in the capital's Gulshan.Nibras Islam, the terror killed during the army led operation, used to live in a rented house at Sonipara in Jhenidah district.Nibras Islam along with seven to eight youths used to reside the house owned by former Army Sergeant Kawsar Ali Mollah.Bilkis Nahar, wife of Kawsar Ali Mollah told the local journalists that Nirbas introducing himself as Sayeed rented the house and lived there for four and a half months. "But he had remained missing since June 28. A special squad of police team from Dhaka came here and arrested my husband Kawsar Ali Mollah, two sons Binchar Ali Mollah and Benzir Ali Mollah. They also held Hamdah Sonipara mosque Imam Rokonuzzman and one Abdur Rob," she said.She said they were taken to the Jhenidah RAB camp on Eid day and were interrogated. "But I know nothing about their whereabouts," Bilkis Nahar said.Meanwhile, bodies of the five Gulshan cafe "attackers" are still at the mortuary of Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka as no one came to receive those till Thursday, police said. Four of the militants were identified as Nibras Islam, Rohan Imtiaz, Meer Sabeh Mubasheer and Khairul Islam Payel while another was unknown.Apart from the five bodies, the body of chef Saiful Islam, who is also a FIR-named accused, are at the mortuary of the hospital. However, police said only Saiful's family verbally wanted to take his body but the law enforcers are yet to receive any written application from them. Home-grown politics has to change to stop home-grown terrorism The government has been very consistent in its claim that our terrorism is home-grown. Let there be no doubt that terrorism is also politics -- be it practised either in the name of religion or as revolutionary ways.Those whom we call terrorists have a goal certainly, though utopian and that is to establish Islamic Caliphate of a kind. So, to treat terrorism as a grave crime to be ended by police action is misleading. It cannot be right. We are not fighting foreign terrorists. However, and whatever way they are killed and whoever killed them, they are our children. It is important to distinguish between deadly violence and terrorism. Isolated cases of violence is not terrorism. It can happen anywhere, any time. Terrorism is part of a violent and insistent course of action. Oxford dictionary defines terrorism as use of violent actions in order to achieve political ends. So matching killing with killing is not the answer to terrorism. We must not deceive ourselves if we want to save the country from growing menace of terrorism destroying our lives, ruining our economy and paralysing our future. More time is taken to deal with it rightly, more chances will be for our home-grown terrorism to be internationalised and go out of our hands. We must not allow it to be internationalised to convert Bangladesh into another Syria where 400,000 people have died, 600,000 are starving and millions have been forced to leave the country. Already, the international community is warning us about the influence of ISIS.According to a report published in the media yesterday quoting police source that the police would seek help from Interpol to trace out 13 missing youths who allegedly left the country to join the terrorist group the Islamist state. It is revealed that these boys are missing for the last six months.Interpol has too many other preoccupations to pay attention to our request. The Interpol may ask our police in turn to let them know our conditions within the country to find out the causes of fleeing their own country.The international terrorism exploits and grows in a situation of public alienation and anarchy. They have strongholds in Iraq and Syria for the anarchy and lawlessness found there. Our incidents of traceless disappearance, extra-judicial killing and indiscriminate arrest of young ones cannot continue without consequences of resentment and anger. The Interpol will be right to say that the fight against terrorism has to be more responsible and more judgement based.Unlike terrorists, the people's life and freedom must matter to the government. Growing terrorism which is creating panic and fear of insecurity for the whole country is not a testament of success for the government.As a measure of preventing the university going students from being misguided by terrorist leaders, the government has asked the teachers and parents to keep a vigil on their activities.What we want to emphasise is that grown up boys are more influenced by the country's situation in which they live and see dreams about their future. Public leaders have to be good examples for the young ones. The atmosphere of reckless plundering and endless lies all around them is depressing and unpatriotic.The young ones are by nature angry rebels. If the country's conditions are unjust and the leadership is oppressive and corrupt then they have their own minds to react. No amount of watch or control exercised by the teachers and their parents will desist them.The report of the young ones missing and going out to another country should be proof enough to understand that what is more important than controlling them is to control our internal situation.The young ones are not feeling secure that they will not be arrested under false pretexts as terrorists. Once arrested there will be no bail for them and no urgency to prove them guilty. They are terrorists because the police say so under wrong policy guidance of the government.The government's abrasive use of police power has failed to contain terrorism rather terrorism has become more dangerous and widespread. Our young ones are getting in touch with international terrorism, as is clear from the Gulshan terrorism operation. When the government is clear that the origin of terrorism is our country itself then it is imperative for it to examine what is going wrong in our country. Then the men in power will be able to know how to fight our home-grown politics of terrorism. They have to change their politics of alienation from the people under the guise politics of development.Only the leaders who enjoy public trust in the people can unite the people to fight terrorism. To use terrorism to divert attention from the root cause of political crisis will surely internationalise the home-grown terrorism.We strongly believe terrorism is not yet a big problem beyond our control, but the politics of no change is the toughest hurdle of our newly home-grown politics. We must not prove that as a nation we cannot save our country and people from the ruthless scourge of terrorism and live in peace and harmony. President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia's economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The United States generally imports about 100,000 barrels a day from Russia, only about 5% of Russia's crude oil exports, according to Rystad Energy. Last year, roughly 8% of U.S. imports of oil and petroleum products came from Russia. Gas prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector. The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline soared 45 cents a gallon in the past week and topped $4.06 on Monday, according to auto club AAA. Should the US ban Russian oil imports over Ukraine war? You voted: The Little Egypt Chapter of Bereaved Parents will meet from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at First United Methodist Church in Herrin. The group is open to parents and grandparents who have survived the death of a child, regardless of the age of the child or circumstances of the death. Marcus Howard Householder, 32, of Reed, Kentucky, has been charged in United States District Court in Benton with robbing the Grand Rivers Community Bank in Shawneetown, according to a news release from Donald S. Boyce, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. A Federal Grand Jury returned an indictment earlier this week charging Householder with committing the June 14 robbery, during which $6,349 was taken. Householder appeared for arraignment on the charge Wednesday at the United States District Courthouse in Benton. The release said he was ordered held without bond and remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending further proceedings. Householder is next scheduled to be in court at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 24 for a final pretrial conference. Investigation into the robbery was conducted by the Carmi office of the Illinois State Police Zone 7 Investigations Unit with the assistance of the Gallatin County Sheriffs Department, the Shawneetown Police Department, the Kentucky State Police, the Webster County (Kentucky) Sheriffs Department, the Union County (Kentucky) Sheriffs Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. When Gerald Gabe McCarty first started playing the bass guitar in 1958, people called him One String Gabe. Thats because his bass parts were so simple that he generally just stuck to one string. But the Benton native, who died July 3 at the age of 83, eventually shed the moniker and became widely known as a skilled player with an impressive musical resume: Hed befriended George Harrison just months before the Beatles exploded into international fame. George Harrison once referred to Gabe, (speaking) to the other Beatles, as his American friend, said Jim Kirkpatrick, author of Before He Was Fab: George Harrisons First Visit to America. It all began in September 1963, four months before the Beatles appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show turned them into a household name in the United States. Harrison was visiting his sister, Louise Caldwell, who lived in Benton with her husband. At the time when he came over here, nobody really knew who George was, Kirkpatrick said. In those days, McCarty was the leader of a band called The Four Vests, a rock n roll outfit that played regularly at local venues and teen towns. On Sept. 28, 1963, Caldwell brought her brother to the Eldorado VFW to see them. According to Kirkpatrick, who conducted extensive interviews in his research, the group roped the reluctant Harrison into joining them by saying that their lead guitar player needed to take a break. When Harrison took the stage, the effect on the crowd was instantaneous. Everybody was talking and eating and drinking, and occasionally people would get up and dance, but they werent really that into the music, you know. But (Caldwell) said when (Harrison) performed, it was like they threw a switch in that room. The difference was that dramatic, Kirkpatrick said. All of a sudden people started clapping and cheering, and she said that she thought in the back of her mind that if he, as one person, could do that much to change the environment in that room, she imagined what the four Beatles would be like. Harrison wanted to play American songs, like Your Cheatin Heart by Hank Williams and Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry. McCarty and the others complied, and they blazed through about half a dozen numbers. After the performance, Harrison and McCarty became fast friends. They just kind of chummed around for a couple of weeks, Kirkpatrick said. Gabe was interested in music, and George obviously was interested in finding out about American music. McCarty took Harrison to Fenton Music in Mount Vernon to buy a new guitar, and Harrison settled on a 425 model solid-body Rickenbacker, which cost about $400, Kirkpatrick said. Harrison later used the guitar to record I Want to Hold Your Hand, the Beatles first No. 1 single on the U.S. charts. (The guitar fetched $657,000 in a 2014 auction.) Benton-based insurance broker and musician Bob Rea says he and other local Beatles fans grew up holding McCarty in high esteem after Harrisons visit. All the people my age, who were born in the '50s and grew up in the '60s (listening to) the Beatles, after watching The Ed Sullivan Show, we decided that thats what we wanted to do for the rest of our lives. For him to have had a part of that, that was the special thing about Gabe. And he was very humble about it, Rea said. In August 1965, Harrison invited McCarty up to Chicago to see the Beatles in concert at Comiskey Park, where he introduced him to Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr. When McCarty complimented Harrisons trademark Beatle boots, Harrison took them off and handed them over. But the next morning, Harrison asked for the pair back his manager said they didnt have any extras in his size. For one night, at least, (McCarty) had George Harrisons Beatle boots, which would have been worth hundreds of thousands, Rea said. Perhaps a year later, Harrison called McCarty in the middle of the night. Hed just gotten done playing a show in Cincinnati, he said, and he wanted to see how McCarty was doing. George had actually invited Gabe to come over to England and see the music over there, and of course he never did. He said, you know, after the Beatles got really big, it was just a totally different world, Kirkpatrick said. Rea says he thinks the friendship, nevertheless, had a profound impact on Harrison. Of course, they parted ways with time and distance, but just to think that Gabe had an influence and George, on many occasions, talked about the kindness that was shown to him and the hospitality of the Americans. So his opinion was formed by meeting people like Gabe McCarty, said Rea. As Louise said, it was the one time in Southern Illinois when a Beatle could walk free and easy without anybody really bothering him or intruding on (his) privacy or anything like that, Kirkpatrick said. And it was just a relaxing time for George, before Beatlemania erupted. I think George had fond memories of being here. Rea, who got to know McCarty while working at Beattys Music Plaza in Benton in the late '60s, says Southern Illinois has lost a seasoned musician. He flawlessly played his instrument. Im also a bass player, so I watch bass players, Rea said. Theres two things about being a musician. One is being good, which he was. And the other is being able to be a functional part of a band or a group, and he was just an overall good person who really enjoyed playing. McCarty was a veteran of the United States Air Force, having served in the Korean War. He was a retired sheet metal worker at SIU. Funeral services were held last Friday in Benton. McCarty is survived by a son, a daughter, several grandchildren and one great-grandchild. SPRINGFIELD Stopgap funding the state approved last month hasnt ended ongoing budget worries, Southern Illinois University leaders told the board of trustees at a meeting Thursday at the systems medical school in Springfield. The deal that the Democratic-controlled General Assembly and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner reached in June provided the SIU system $106.2 million on top of the $57.5 million it received in an April emergency funding bill for higher education. But that represents just 82 percent of what the university received from the state for the 2014-15 school year, and its supposed to cover 18 months worth of expenses, from July 1, 2015, through Dec. 31 of this year. SIU President Randy Dunn reminded trustees of a speech he gave earlier this year, before either of the funding bills was approved, during which he warned of the consequences the campuses in Carbondale, Edwardsville and Springfield would face without the guarantee of state support. You can just rewind that speech once again and this time start inserting the date of January 2017, February 2017, Dunn said. Although the stopgap funding is sufficient for us to be able to move forward with relatively normal operations through the first of the calendar year, he said, were going to be right back to the position we were in last March once we come to that point. Despite the infusion of cash, the Carbondale campus has announced nearly $21 million in permanent budget cuts, including laying off some employees and leaving more than 150 positions unfilled, Chancellor Brad Colwell said. Speaking after the meeting, Dunn said the university system has decided to apply all the state money it has received thus far to expenses from the 2015-16 school year and to continue urging lawmakers to provide adequate funding for the full 2016-17 school year. We thought, Lets get the bills paid that are out there, he said. And that gives us a very strong argument to say, Now fund us for 17. You didnt even get us totally caught up for (fiscal year) 16. Board chairman Randal Thomas said trustees will continue reaching out to lawmakers and urging alumni to do the same to pressure them to approve funding. Everyone who has a campus (in his or her district) needs to hear from us, Thomas said. John Charles, SIUs executive director of governmental and public affairs, said it appears unlikely that the Legislature will take any action on the budget until the lame-duck session in January. At that point, passing legislation would take only a simple majority rather than a three-fifths vote that would be required when lawmakers return to the Capitol in November for their fall veto session. I think theyre going to come back after veto (session), survey the landscape and then decide how to move forward, Charles said. Meanwhile, the board approved the appointments of marketing professor Terry Clark as the dean of the College of Business at the Carbondale campus and Randy Pembrook, previously vice president for academic affairs at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, as chancellor of the Edwardsville campus. Clarks salary is set at $270,000, and Pembrooks is $300,000. Each day you put on that uniform, you put your life on the line, Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler said Wednesday. Butler, along with each member of Orangeburg City Council, offered words of appreciation and encouragement to a room full of Orangeburg Department of Public Safety officers. Its a sacrifice that impacts your family, your children, your parents and your friends, Butler said. You put on that uniform because you have an appreciation for the principles and values in which this country was founded, he said. The citys elected officials said they wanted to take time to tell the public safety officers they are appreciated, specifically in the wake of the sniper attack on police in Dallas last Thursday. The slayings of five officers in Dallas followed the deaths of African-American men at the hands of police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota. Butler hailed ODPS officers care, training, dedication and commitment to resolving conflict without incidents. He noted that in the past decade, no one has died as a result of an ODPS officer discharging his or her weapon. May God bless you as you protect and defend us and protect all of the citizens of Orangeburg. We thank you. We appreciate you for your job, Butler said. Councilwoman Liz Zimmerman Keitt told the standing-room only crowd of ODPS officers, We appreciate everything you do every day. We know that youre on the line every day trying to save us even more than yourself. I am convinced that God is still on the throne and he rules and super rules, Keitt added. Councilman Charlie Jernigan said, When I look out across this assembly, I look at a lot of families, not individuals, but families. Many of you have wives and children and youre concerned about them. Youre concerned about whether or not youre going to be able to get home at night or get home after a shift gets done, he said. If you werent out there every day looking around the city, what kind of city would we have? Itd be like the wild west out there, he said. Jernigan also noted that officers deserve to be paid more. Youre worth a whole lot more than what youre getting paid, he said, explaining that the only way to raise salaries is to increase taxes for city residents. Councilman Richard Stroman added, I want to thank each and every one of you for what you do. The events of the past several days have really affected me in ways that I never thought living in these United States, Councilwoman Sandra Knotts said. All I could say was, Oh my God, what have we come to? she said. Knotts said shes been finding comfort in the Bible. She said Psalm chapter 40 says, Comfort, ye, my people and Colossians chapter 3 admonishes Christians to forgive one another just as the Lord forgave you. It begins with forgiveness, it starts with understanding, but most of all I believe it starts with respect for each other, Knotts said. We have to love one another regardless of what we look like because we are all Gods children, she added. This has been a difficult situation for me, Knotts said. She added that shes told neighbors and constituents that officers have duties and to respect law enforcement. Pray for this country, pray for this nation, pray for the City of Orangeburg, she said. Stand firm in what you know is the right thing, the godly thing, the thing that is expected of you. Thank you for the long, gray line from West Point and thank you for the long, blue line in Orangeburg, Councilman Buddy Barnwell said. You come out every day and put your life on the line, he said. The blue lives matter as well as all lives. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Barnwell said. Councilman Bernard Haire said, You all have done an excellent job. I, too, thank you for protecting the citizens of Orangeburg. ODPS Chief Mike Adams thanked city leaders for their support and promised that the citys officers will continue offering the very best support to the people of Orangeburg. We will conduct ourselves in a manner that does not bring discredit to the City of Orangeburg, to anyone sitting in this room, or to ourselves, Adams said. We love our community, we love our jobs, we love what we do. This is our lifes calling, he said. Multiple shots fired point blank into a man outside of a convenience store, pinned down on the ground by two officers. Multiple shots fired into a car pulled over for a broken tail light, while a 4-year-old child sits in the backseat. One day later, the country woke up to yet another devastating act of gun violence: The deplorable coordinated assassination of law enforcement officers in Dallas as #BlackLivesMatter protesters peacefully marched the streets against police violence. As parents of black children and American citizens, we are simultaneously scared and enraged. The constant barrage of images of black men being gunned down by law enforcement with seemingly no accountability reinforces what W.E.B. DuBois called a double consciousness for African-Americans, whereby African-Americans live life with two conflicting identities as the oppressed other and as an American. The amount of violence on American streets today streamed on a 24-hour news cycle breeds fear in our communities, and these most recent killings leave our families black and white shaken. The police officers whose lives were lost in Dallas on Thursday night who, just hours before, were standing in solidarity with peaceful protesters of police violence remind us of the shared human desire to live in peace and the potential that exits to foster positive relationships between law enforcement and our communities. But the simple fact remains that if America is to make progress toward a true post-racial state of being, we must have honest and thorough conversation about policing and race in America. The stories of Alton Sterling and Philander Castile both African-American men should be a wakeup call for every American. These tragic events did not occur in isolation. They are part of a larger problem, a problem that centers on race and the criminal justice system. People of color make up more than 60 percent of the prison population, yet represent 39.9 percent of the U.S. population. African-Americans represent 13 percent of the U.S. population, yet comprise 40 percent of those who are incarcerated. Among black males born in 2001, one in three will go to prison at some point during their lifetime, while one in six Latino males will be incarcerated. African-Americans are also 2.5 times more likely to be arrested than their white counterparts. Today, young black males are 21 times more likely to be shot by a law enforcement officer than their white counterparts. As President Barack Obama stated earlier in the week, such shootings are symptomatic of the broader challenges within our criminal justice system, the racial disparities that appear across the system year after year, and the resulting lack of trust that exists between law enforcement and too many of the communities they serve. The history of policing and race relations in this country are deeply intertwined. As FBI Director James Comey said earlier this year, At many points in American history, law enforcement enforced the status quo, a status quo that was often brutally unfair to disfavored groups. We, as Americans, should question how selling CDs (Alton Sterling), selling loose cigarettes (Eric Garner), playing with a toy gun (Tamir Rice) or walking down the street can justify the use of force that results in death or serious injury. After the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, Obama called for a 21st-century task force on policing. The task force laid out a number of important recommendations and best practices for jurisdictions to follow as a roadmap to begin to repair the serious gulf between law enforcement and the communities officers are sworn to protect. However, more can and must be done. If we are to make real change and help ensure an end to senseless and preventable police killings, we must mandate bold and aggressive reforms. This includes, but isnt limited to, increasing the use of special prosecutors in police misconduct investigations; implementing improved and robust law enforcement training, including de-escalation and implicit bias; and mandating data collection on police misconduct and fatalities and injuries involving the police to ensure transparency. Americans should not tolerate violence against anyone, whether that be violence against law enforcement or law enforcements abuse of power against citizens. We must change our expectations and demand less violence and more accountability. We must also be prepared to use our democratic and political processes to make these changes a reality. We must call on our mayors, our governors and our elected officials to not allow unlawful behavior. We must demand it. Restrained for many years but still apparent, the racial divide in America is back on the scene in its most frightening manner. We are now wondering what went wrong and our elected officials, leaders from faith-based organizations and social scientists have advanced a number of theories for the recent stream of civil unrest. But all agree that violence is not the solution. Our collective prayers should go out to the families of victims and survivors of the recent horrific events. We grieve with the families of five slain policemen in Dallas. We grieve with the families of the African-American males killed in Louisiana and in Minnesota, both shot by police officers. South Carolina is a year removed from a similar atrocity. These senseless acts have no place in communities across our nation. A study in 2015 by the Pew Research Center found that half of Americans believe racism is a serious problem in our nation. The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is intertwined with the effectiveness of peaceful demonstrations. It works but only if both sides of our racial divide are willing to come together to achieve a common purpose and appreciate racial and cultural differences. As Americans, we now must redouble our efforts to have an open and honest conversation about race relations; otherwise, we will continue our descent into a nation in which civil unrest is the norm. At Claflin University, where students have traditionally and historically led activities to ease racial tensions and eradicate social injustice, we will remain steadfast in our commitment to keep the student body fully informed and engaged to promote racial and cultural unity. I will encourage our faculty to play a central role through lectures, forums, invited guests, assemblies and seminars. We can offer no less as the states first HBCU whose original charter in 1869 prohibited discrimination regardless of race, complexion, or religious opinion. As a nation, we must begin to treat each other with compassion and understanding while appreciating our differences. We must bring an end to the violence that plagues our nation and uplift America as a place where we all are respected and live as one, regardless of race, color, creed, gender and all demographics that divide us. 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. /By Azernews/ By Nigar Abbasova Construction of social houses is a major project which will strengthen social protection in the country, believes MP Musa Guliyev. Speaking about the idea of constructing social houses in Azerbaijan, the MP reminded that the issue was brought up to discussion during spring session of Milli Majlis [Azerbaijan Parliament]. The State Housing Agency and other organizations have already been established in this regards. The construction process is expected to be launched till the end of the year, he added. Guliyev mentioned that the project will provide young and low-income families with renovated apartments with all conveniences. Social houses are widely used in most of countries all over the world. Social housing will also positively influence construction sector of the country. The project will lead to the increase in employment level, growth of wages as well as development of the national economy, he said emphasizing that construction is a tool which gives a stimulus for the development of more than 30 other spheres. This is a social project which is very essential for the strengthening of non-oil sector of economy, he added. The issue was also high on the agenda of the meeting of Cabinet of Ministers on results of socio-economic development in first half of 2016 and future objectives. President Ilham Aliyev, addressing the meeting said the country seeks to proceed with the construction of social housing this year. The State Housing Agency, SHA, has been set up. Its main goal is to provide low-income families with housing on very favorable terms. At the same time, after this process adopts a massive scale, it will have a positive impact on the sectors of construction and production of building materials, eventually contributing to our overall industrial potential. At present, preparations are under way. I do hope that practical steps are taken this year, and this new social initiative gains momentum, the president said. Social housing is low cost houses built in a short time. The area of the apartment is small, but there are appropriate living conditions. The houses can also be given for rent to low-income citizens for a long time. After relocating to the apartments the tenants pay rent, after full repayment of the cost of the apartment they will be eligible to privatize and become the owners of the apartment. Construction of social housing is expected to be launched in all cities and the regional centers of the country. /By Azernews/ By Amina Nazarli Azerbaijan and Iran considered their economic ties, as the joint business forum of the two countries was held in Baku on July 13. Co-organized by Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) and Azerbaijan National Confederation of Organizations for Entrepreneurs, the event discussed business development and talked about improvement of economic relations between entrepreneurs of these two countries. The Iranian guests were informed about the reforms aiming at development of non-oil sector, business and investment climate of Azerbaijan and activities of AZPROMO in promotion of non-oil sector. Yusif Abdullayev, Vice-President of AZPROMO noted that the relations between the two states are developing both in political, economic and other formats. Trade between Azerbaijan and Iran was $125 million last year, Abdullayev reminded. Mahmoudreza Sharifi, Chairman of the Chamber of Cooperation in Western Azerbaijan region of the Islamic Republic, in turn, emphasized that the two sides have excellent economic relations, stressing that both countries share common language, history and religion. Azerbaijan and Iran, the two strategic partners and two neighboring countries with historically close links, enjoy cooperation in various fields. Currently, Iran and Azerbaijan are focused on expanding economic ties in industry, agriculture, energy, alternative energy, and transportation. Deputy Iranian Oil Minister in Engineering Affairs Ali Reza Asl-Arabi recently said that Iran and Azerbaijan have great opportunities for cooperation in the oil industry, in particular in the field of maintenance, which can bring mutual benefits to both sides. Azerbaijan can get a lot of benefits if it will obtain Iranian experience for the maintenance of oil facilities, the deputy minister told Trend. He said that both in the daily small maintenance tasks and periodic maintenance and technical procedures, Azerbaijan mainly uses the services of European and American companies, which entails high costs due to the geographical distance, the use of foreign currency and other factors. At the same time Iran has 30-35 large companies providing maintenance services. The Iranian oil industry has a 110-year history. There are a lot of experienced professionals who can serve as easily accessible leaders, and young cheap labor force that can be mobilized at short term, he explained. Such cooperation, according to Asl-Arabi will also be beneficial for Iranian companies. This collaboration can serve as a starting point for release of Iranian companies to international markets, and given the fact that Azerbaijani companies mainly use western consultants, Iranian companies would be able to increase their experience and prestige, he ended. Today, both countries enjoy good conditions for improving economic and trade relations between Iran and Azerbaijan. The present Iranian administrations policy of improving international relations, Tehrans pursuit of win-win situations, and a political will shared by Iran and Azerbaijan have improved the chances of growing economic ties between the two neighboring countries /By Azernews/ By Amina Nazarli Azerbaijan keens to develop its own pharmaceutical production, as the state sees this sector among the major directions allowing to diversify the non-oil sector of the economy. Taking into account the profitability of pharmaceutical sector, the country voiced intention to cooperate with foreign companies in this direction. Currently, the countrys medicine market by almost 97 percent dependent on import, and establishing own production of medicines will have a positive effect on the development of the pharmaceutical industry. President Ilham Aliyev speaking at the Cabinet meeting recently said that Azerbaijan is preparing a serious program for medicine production in the country, along with creating industrial centers and upgrading industrial potential of each region in this year. Today the time has come for Azerbaijan to begin production of medicines. Relevant instructions have been given negotiations with several foreign companies are underway. There is a big interest, as the Azerbaijani market is big enough, he said. We will develop the industrial potential in this area, reduce dependence on imports, but at the same time, we will be able to provide our citizens with more high-quality medicines. I believe that before the end of the year all of the negotiation process, all organizational matters should be resolved. This year we should start the construction of pharmaceutical factories. MP Musa Guliyev, highlighting the construction of pharmaceutical factories in the country, stated that either all medicine manufactured in Azerbaijan or raw materials should be exempt from value-added tax (VAT) to boost the sector development. Excluding only this matter, there is no any other factor in the Azerbaijani legislation impeding medicine production, he said. Azerbaijan has no legislation problem with manufacturing medicines locally. We are open to consider in the Parliament any offers from entrepreneurs and pharmacists regarding the creation of domestic pharmaceutical industry. However, it will be good if either medicine or raw materials used for production of medicine will be exempted from VAT. In this case, cost of domestic drugs will drop. This issue has already been practiced in several countries, and I think that the government should consider it, he said. Despite the opportunities, medicine production in Azerbaijan is not managed well. According to the Health Ministry only 55 medicines are manufactured in the country. As many as 57 percent of medicines registered in the country are produced in Europe, 26 percent in the CIS countries, including 12 percent made in Russia. The small proportion is produced in Asian countries. In April, Azerbaijan and Iran have signed an agreement on joint production of more than 90 types of medicines in Azerbaijan. Being established in Sumgayit Industrial Park, some 49 percent of the shares in the pharmaceutical company belong to Iran, and 51 percent belong to Azerbaijan. Many leading companies from Switzerland, Russia, Egypt and Hungary are also interested in joint medicine production in Azerbaijan. An official welcoming ceremony was held in Baku for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan July 14. A guard of honor was lined up for the Ukrainian president in the square decorated with the national flags of the two countries. The chief of the guard of honor reported to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. President Aliyev welcomed Ukrainian counterpart. The chief of the guard of honor reported to President Poroshenko. Then, the national anthems of Ukraine and Azerbaijan were performed. The presidents reviewed the guard of honor, and afterwards President Poroshenko greeted the Azerbaijani soldiers. State and government officials of the Republic of Azerbaijan were introduced to President Poroshenko and members of the Ukrainian delegation were introduced to President Aliyev. The guard of honor passed in front of the heads of states to the accompaniment of a military march. Then, the Azerbaijani and Ukrainian presidents posed for photographs. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko have held one-on-one meeting. During the meeting, the two Presidents noted the importance of the first visit of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko to Azerbaijan. The Presidents stated that historically the Azerbaijani-Ukrainian relations, the friendly ties between the two nations were at high level. The heads of state discussed the prospects of bilateral relations in political, economic, energy, transport and humanitarian fields. During the talk, they exchanged views on the issues of mutual interest between the two countries. An official welcoming ceremony was held in Baku for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan on July 14. A guard of honor was lined up for the Ukrainian president in the square decorated with the national flags of the two countries. The chief of the guard of honor reported to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. President Aliyev welcomed Ukrainian counterpart. The chief of the guard of honor reported to President Poroshenko. Then, the national anthems of Ukraine and Azerbaijan were performed. The presidents reviewed the guard of honor, and afterwards President Poroshenko greeted the Azerbaijani soldiers. State and government officials of the Republic of Azerbaijan were introduced to President Poroshenko and members of the Ukrainian delegation were introduced to President Aliyev. The guard of honor passed in front of the heads of states to the accompaniment of a military march. Then, the Azerbaijani and Ukrainian presidents posed for photographs. President Aliyev and President Poroshenko have held one-on-one meeting later. During the meeting, the two presidents noted the importance of the first visit of Poroshenko to Azerbaijan. The presidents stated that historically the Azerbaijani-Ukrainian relations, the friendly ties between the two nations were at high level. The heads of state discussed the prospects of bilateral relations in political, economic, energy, transport and humanitarian fields. During the talk, they exchanged views on the issues of mutual interest between the two countries. Azerbaijan and Ukraine have signed several documents in Baku. The Protocol of the 5h meeting of the Council of Azerbaijani and Ukrainian presidents was inked by President Aliyev and President Poroshenko. The Protocol on cooperation in fighting customs violations in air transportation of goods between Azerbaijans State Customs Committee and State Fiscal Service of Ukraine was signed by head of the State Customs Committee Aydin Aliyev and head of the State Fiscal Service Roman Nasirov. The Program of cooperation in culture and art for 2016-2020 between Azerbaijans Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Ukraines Ministry of Culture and Tourism was inked by Azerbaijans Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev and Ukraines Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin. The Presidents have made statements for the press following the ceremony of signing Azerbaijani-Ukrainian documents. Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m vowed on July 13 that Turkey will eventually normalize relations with Syria, saying such a move was necessary amid ongoing efforts to restore diplomatic ties with Israel and Russia, Hurriyet Daily Newsreported. We will expand the circle of friendship as far as possible. This is our aim. We will expand the circle of friendship inside and outside the country. We have already begun to do this. We have returned our relations with Israel and Russia to normal. I am sure that we will return to normal relations with Syria as well. We need that. Syria and Iraq need to reach stability for success in the fight against terror, Y?ld?r?m said at a meeting of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) provincial leaders in the capital Ankara. He also stated there malicious intent in the heated recent debates over granting Syrian refugees Turkish citizenship. Our heart is rich. We will increase our population and number of citizens, just as we have shared the food and bread of this homeland, Y?ld?r?m said. It has once again been revealed that some have malicious intent on the issue, despite necessary statements that were made. It has been seen that no one else cares about the future of Syrians. Citizenship is something that has existed for many years of human history. Countries naturalize and denaturalize. Those have rules, standards and conditions. Anyone who fulfills those conditions is naturalized. It is out of question that people involved in particular crimes, terrorism crimes, or have been involved in other illegal affairs, can ever be granted citizenship, he added. Merciless accusations against those who have been left stateless, homeless and searching for a safe port, an honorable people who have escaped death, do not exist in the genes of the Turkish nation or in its traditions. If we extend a hand for those who are in trouble, particularly Syrians, we are doing this as a necessity of our humanity and faith, Y?ld?r?m said. President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an ignited the citizenship debate on July 2 when he said Syrians in Turkey could be granted citizenship if they filed an application and met particular criteria. Interior Minister Efkan Ala subsequently said only Syrians whose citizenship would be beneficial for Turkeys interests would be offered identity cards. The suggestion has been slammed by members of all three opposition parties as a political move aimed at garnering the votes of Syrians and tilting sensitive demographic balances in the countrys southeast. Contracting giant Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) has repaid a SR1 billion ($266.7 million) Islamic bond that matured in late June, a sign of modestly easing pressure on the embattled firm, banking sources told Reuters on Thursday. The payment came after a delay of several weeks and used money from a SR2.5 billion ($665 million) loan the company secured from two local banks in May, the banking sources said. A Binladin spokesman declined to comment on the company's financial situation. Gulf commercial bankers have said they believe it owes local and international banks a total of about $30 billion. Binladin's liquidity has been squeezed for months as a result of a general slump in construction, and as the government cut spending and delayed payments in response to low oil prices. The company has suffered even more severely since the Saudi government barred it from bidding for new state contracts last September, after one of its cranes fell in Mecca's Grand Mosque during a storm, killing 107 people. The ban was lifted in May. The crisis has forced Binladin to halt work on several high-profile projects in the kingdom and delay months of salary payments to workers - an action which resulted in rare public protests in the kingdom. In the past few months, it has laid off some 70,000 workers, all of whom were compensated, according to the SBG spokesman. The SR2.5 billion May loan was raised to help pay for the costs of laying off staff, including back salaries and severance costs, sources said at the time. However, some of this cash -- which was only secured after Binladin put up land as collateral -- has now been diverted to meet the sukuk obligation. Binladin issued an Islamic bond with a 364-day tenor worth SR1 billion in late June of last year, priced with a profit rate of 2.5 per cent, Reuters reported at the time. The investment banking arm of Gulf International Bank and BNP Paribas' Saudi unit arranged the sukuk, which was to be used to finance costs related to its work at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah.-Reuters Approximately 51 per cent of professionals in the Mena region are actively searching for new roles, which is significantly higher than the global average of 36 per cent, according to a new report. LinkedIn, the worlds largest professional network, has announced findings from its annual 2016 Mena Talent Trends study providing new insights into job seekers top priorities, and how recruiters can effectively engage potential candidates and compete for the best talent. The findings ultimately reveal that almost everyone is interested in hearing about new job opportunities, even if they are not actively looking for a change. In fact, a massive 94 per cent of professionals in Mena said they are interested in learning about new jobs. The regions job market is evolving as a result of many external socio-economic factors. In this environment, it is essential for companies to assess their recruiting strategy and ensure it is aligned with the priorities of todays professionals, said Ali Matar, head of LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Southern Europe, Mena. Investing in channels for the public to research jobs before they apply and empowering employees to contribute towards recruitment needs are particularly advantageous. Getting specific about your companys culture and values will also meet job seekers desire to know more about their long-term prospects before jumping into a role. Roadblocks in finding jobs Given the challenging job market globally, the survey investigates the biggest roadblocks that candidates in the region face from companies when finding jobs. Compared to their global counterparts, professionals in Mena dont hear back as frequently after applying to a company (32 per cent of respondents in Mena cited this as a challenge), and more find it difficult to negotiate their salary and role with companies compared to the global average (31 per cent of respondents in Mena cited this as a challenge). One possible reason for this disparity is the transparency of informationor lack thereofbetween recruiters and job seekers. The survey found that the number one request from candidates to know about prospective companies is to understand the companys culture and values (54 per cent cited this as a priority in Mena). This was then followed by a greater understanding of perks & benefits, as well as the corporate mission, company leadership, and the companys actual products & services. I would do extensive search about the company from all the available sources. I want to know details about its leaders, employees, business environment, successes and failures, said Saeed Mubarak, Intelligent Field team leader at Saudi Aramco and one of the participants in the survey. Landing new roles In an effort to better connect talent and opportunity, the survey also explores how people learn about new jobs and ultimately land their desired role. Compared to their global peers, professionals in Mena are actually more likely to find out about a new job from a corporate recruiter (13 per cent) or someone in their personal network (25 per cent) rather than reading online articles about the company. After hearing about these positions, job seekers in Mena tend to not apply right away, with more than half first researching the company in detail and nearly half saying that they update their resume before applying. The use of technology is also instrumental in landing the final job. Professionals in Mena were found to be more likely to land a new job by applying through social networks like LinkedIn and through company careers websites than their global counterparts. The annual Talent Trends report from LinkedIn is based on surveys of over 33,000 professionals around the world. The survey includes input from 3,298 LinkedIn members in the Mena region between January and March 2016, of which 35 per cent of these were citizens of Mena countries. TradeArabia News Service Strata Manufacturing, a unit of Abu Dhabi investment firm Mubadala, said it has been awarded a multi-year contract by Boeing to manufacture vertical fins for the 787 Dreamliner family. The agreement, announced at the Farnborough Air Show, further expands the organizations role as a direct supplier of primary aerostructure components to Boeing Commercial Airplanes programs. Under the terms of the agreement, Strata will manufacture the composite vertical fin for the 787 Dreamliner at the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park in Abu Dhabi. Badr Al Olama, chief executive officer, Strata said: The announcement today is a reflection of the long-standing relationship between Strata and Boeing, and is testament to the trust that one of the worlds largest aerospace companies has placed in its partnership with Strata. The expansion of our relationship with Boeing further demonstrates our ongoing commitment to develop a global aerospace manufacturing hub in Nibras the Al Ain Aerospace Park. This award is the latest in a series of agreements signed by Boeing and Mubadala since 2009 that advances the mutually beneficial collaboration between both parties. This contract reflects significant commitment and investment by UAE and Mubadala leaders to expand their aerospace manufacturing capabilities and support their long-term economic vision, said Ray Conner, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. For nearly a decade, Boeing and Mubadala have worked closely to expand the global supply of aerospace composites and meet Boeing requirements for quality and affordability. Were proud to award this important work package for the Dreamliner to Strata. This announcement is also another significant step towards meeting commitments that Boeing and Mubadala made in 2013, including the supply of up to $2.5 billion in advanced composites and aerostructures to Boeing commercial programmes. Strata is already Boeings first direct composites supplier in the Arab world and is currently delivering 777 empennage ribs and 787 vertical fin ribs. - TradeArabia News Service Science fiction often speculates about robots that are virtually indistinguishable from humans. However, while there are examples of humanoid robots being developed, the majority of robots will not take after their creators, says GlobalData. Republican Donald Trump neared the end of his vice presidential search on Thursday, with Indiana Governor Mike Pence and former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich appearing as the front-runners on the eve of Trump's announcement of his pick. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee tweeted on Wednesday night that he would announce his choice on Friday at 11 a.m. (1500 GMT) in Manhattan. Sources familiar with campaign operations cautioned that while Pence and Gingrich were finalists, Trump could always have a last-minute change of heart and choose someone else from his short list. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, 53, a former rival to Trump in the presidential race, is also high on the list of potential running mates and provides the kind of counterpunch to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton that Republicans like. Trump is preparing for next week's Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where he will be formally nominated as the party's presidential candidate for the November 8 election. Pence, 57, a former congressman, is seen as a safe choice, not too flashy but popular among conservatives with Midwestern appeal. Gingrich, 73, is a close adviser to Trump with a wealth of ideas and deep experience in the legislative process from his time as speaker of the House of Representatives in the 1990s. A source close to the campaign said Trump appeared to be leaning toward Pence but could easily change his mind. In what has been an unusually public process, Trump, 70, sat down on Wednesday with both Pence and Gingrich separately in Indianapolis. He also met with a fourth potential No. 2, US Senator Jeff Sessions, 69, of Alabama, who has been one of Trump's closest advisers. The New York businessman had dinner with Pence on Tuesday night after they appeared together at a rally. Trump, joined by daughter Ivanka and sons Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, had breakfast with Pence and his wife, Karen, on Wednesday at the governor's residence in Indianapolis. Trump adviser Ed Brookover told CNN that Trump "first and foremost" wants a running mate that he has good chemistry with and someone who can help him govern best.-Reuters Boris Johnson's shock appointment as Britain's foreign secretary has given European counterparts an immediate diplomatic headache - over whether to have dinner with him on Sunday in Brussels. EU diplomats said ministers had planned a quiet chat on post-Brexit relations with Johnson's predecessor, expecting Philip Hammond, who campaigned to stay in the EU in last month's referendum, to reassure them on continued cooperation in crises such as Libya. But those supper plans, proposed by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to precede a routine ministerial council she will chair on Monday, have been thrown into disarray by the sudden acceleration in the British political process and the appointment of controversial Brexit campaigner Johnson. Four EU and British sources told Reuters on Thursday it was unclear the dinner would go ahead and if so, who among Johnson and the 27 other EU ministers would attend. "The dinner and its timing is starting to look awkward," one EU diplomat said. "It may yet be cancelled, although that is for Mogherini to decide." Mogherini's office declined to comment. A former Brussels journalist and mayor of London, Johnson cultivates a clownish public image but also caused deep offence in the European Union during the referendum campaign by comparing its aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler. Hours after May appointed him in an apparent effort to heal rifts in her Conservative party, France's foreign minister called Johnson a liar and the German foreign minister described Johnson's behaviour as "outrageous". Among Brussels diplomats the response was more muted: "He's a surprise choice and there are questions about whether he is credible," one envoy said. The others still expect to see him at Monday's council, he said, adding: "Ministers will try to keep an open mind."-Reuters Leading watchmaker Eberhard & Co has partnered with Moreschi, a sophisticated of leather goods brand, to produce the Extra-fort Special Edition for Moreschi; an elegant and refined watch. The idea of creating an Eberhard & Co. watch for Moreschi was inspired by the long-standing and deep-rooted bond of friendship and mutual respect between the two companies, a statement said. When we thought about a product that could meet Moreschis aesthetic and functionality requirements, said Mario Peserico, CEO of Eberhard Italia. Our choice fell immediately on one of our most popular collections: the Extra-fort in its most essential version: the Extra-fort Automatic. We wanted to offer Moreschi a watch that has extremely smooth, clean lines but which is elegant and charming at the same time. Francesco Moreschi , marketing and communication manager at Moreschi said: Moreschi and Eberhard are two concerns, two companies, two brands that are able to blend tradition and innovation, classic elegance and contemporary style. Hence the Extra-fort limited edition for Moreschi that not only keeps time, but also marks the history of our family and therefore of our company. The time-only mechanical self-winding watch uniquely expresses Eberhard & Co.s predilection for elegance and harmony. It has a 40 mm case and a beige dial with soleil finish. The colour choice comes from the desire to evoke the warm tones of the finest leather. The dial is customised with the symbolic logo of the company for which it was created, positioned at twelve o'clock, two men's shoes that come together to form the brands identifying M. The dark brown ostrich leather strap with hand-sewn beige stitching was specifically designed by Moreschi and matches the dial perfectly. The watch has a screw-down crown, curved sapphire glass and is water resistant to 50 metres. The watch will be available as from the autumn in Moreschi mono- and multi-brand stores around the world. TradeArabia News Service Iran signed a preliminary agreement with Russia's state-run energy giant Zarubezhneft over two western oilfields. Based on the agreement, the Russian company will study West Paydar and Aban oilfields and will present its proposals to increase the recovery rate from the two fields to the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), a report said. NIOC managing director Ali Kardor and Zarubezhneft general director Sergey I Kudryashov signed the document in Tehran. Aban and West Paydar are both among the oilfields which Iran shares with Iraq. Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak had said last October that Zarubezhneft will take up several projects worth a total of $6 billion in Iran's oil industry. Novak said the Russian oil giant's participation in Iranian oil projects will be in line with a series of agreements that were reached with the country to expand mutual economic ties. Zarubezhneft had earlier announced that it is willing to develop a major oilfield in western Iran which it said could be brought online with an investment of $2.2 billion. The company's officials had announced that the oilfield they were targeting was Changuleh in the west. Zarubezhneft, created during the Soviet period, represents Russian state interests in overseas oil projects. Its biggest project to date is in Vietnam, where it has run the Vietsovpetro joint venture with state firm Petrovietnam since 1981. TradeArabia News Service Al Habtoor Group's Metropolitan Catering reopened this week, following a multi-million dirham revamp which included the rebuild and fit-out of its new state of the art kitchens. Al Habtoor Group Vice Chairman and CEO Mohammed Al Habtoor inaugurated the facility on July 12 at a ribbon cutting ceremony, following which guests were taken on an exclusive tour. With an increased capacity enabling an output of up to 45,000 meals per day, the new 18,000 sq ft facilities in the Jebel Ali Free Zone are the largest of their kind in Dubai. In line with the new facilities, Metropolitan Catering also unveiled a fresh brand identity, which was showcased at this years Arabian Travel Market. Al Habtoor said: Metropolitan Catering is a fresh and forward thinking company improving in line with the growing demands of Dubai clientele. The recent renovation is a manifestation of the growing a culture of excellence from within to consistently deliver the highest quality of food, service and value. Earlier this year, the company also welcomed a new general manager, Ramy El Sayah, who oversees a line-up of over 170 chefs, hospitality professionals and logistics experts. El Sayah said: It is a very exciting time for us, we are immensely proud of the new facilities and were looking forward to continuing to grow our operation. The investment has elevated Metropolitan Catering to a stand out choice amongst its peers and were looking forward to winning new business as a result. - TradeArabia News Service For the first time in the airports history, on July 19, 2016, Emirates will fly one of its flagship A380 aircraft into Chicagos OHare International Airport. Emirates has been invited by OHare International Airport, the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and the City of Chicago to test the gate, operations and significant infrastructure improvements that have been implemented to accommodate A380 service. Emirates is the worlds largest operator of A380 aircraft, the worlds largest commercial jet, with 81 of this aircraft type flying customers in comfort across the globe - including to four cities in the US. Chicago has welcomed us from the day Emirates commenced daily flights from Dubai in 2014, and we are honoured to work alongside the City, airport, and department of aviation, to bring the A380 for a test flight to this exciting and progressive city, said Rob Gurney, Emirates senior vice president of The Americas. Over the last two years, Emirates flights have carried over 160,000 passengers from Chicago to Dubai and beyond for both business and leisure travel and have carried more than 60,000 tons of cargo, supporting tourism, business and exporters. Many of our customers from Chicago and surrounding areas have already experienced the Emirates A380 seamless and convenient connections from our hub in Dubai to more than 40 destinations across our network, including the Middle East, South Asia, and the Far East. The arrival of Emirates A380 plane to OHare International Airport is exciting for the city of Chicago, said CDA Commissioner Ginger S. Evans. The improvement weve made at OHare to accommodate the A380 is one of many projects underway that will make Chicago more competitive and attractive for passengers and businesses. I want to thank Emirates for its commitment to Chicago. - TradeArabia News Service Grownup Stuff Edwards celebrates 90th Come celebrate Margie Edwards' 90th birthday with a party from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, July 16, at Central Pines, 2600 Fleetwood Place. Patio talks at trails The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center (NHTIC) is once again hosting summer afternoon programs on pioneer and Wyoming history. These short interpretive programs, ranging from 20-45 minutes, are free and open to the public. July 16, 1 p.m. Letters from Lost Cabin (book signing after program): Join us as Doug Cooper, editor of the book Letters from Lost Cabin, reveals enticing stories and memories about central Wyoming. The book contains letters which provide a detailed glimpse of Wyoming life a century ago. After the presentation, Mr. Cooper will stay around to sign books for anyone interested. July 17, 1 p.m. The Early Years, Casper: During this presentation, Con Trumbull, living historian and co-author of the book Images of America: Casper, will present several stories from the City of Casper's early years including the start of the city, the oilfields, mining and agriculture. Using historical photographs, Trumbull will also show some of the remnants of this early time still visible around town. July 23, 1 p.m. Martins Cove and the Handcarts of 1856: In 1856, five different groups of immigrants from Europe pulled handcarts from Iowa City, Iowa to the Great Salt Lake Valley. Three of the groups made it without much trouble; however the last two groups were caught in winter storms with little food. Join us as President Bushman from the Mormon Handcart Historic Site shares these stories and more regarding the Handcarts of 1856. July 24, 1 p.m. Navigating the Plains in the 1800s: Join us as Kevin Reddy, Living Historian and re-enactor, shares the intricacies, methodology and science of land navigation in the 1800s. Kevin will provide a sound perspective of the transportation corridors, including migration and commerce along the pioneer route known as the Great Platte River road. July 30, 1 p.m. Native American Spiritual Traditions: Stop in and help us welcome back Willie Leclair, Wyoming's resident ambassador for the Eastern Shoshone people! Willie brings articles of worship and describes their significance as he explains a Shoshone spiritual perspective on the world and the human being's place in it. This is a wonderful opportunity to interact with a Shoshone cultural interpreter! July 31, 1 p.m. Pioneer Doll Making: During the early days of America, children often played with dolls. Dolls could be soft and cuddly, such as a rag doll or made from other items found in the home. Dolls were easy to make and were generally made from scraps of fabric already available. Since these dolls were homemade, surely no two were ever the same! Join NHTIC volunteer Jean Smart as she illuminates the most popular of these early American pastimes. For more information, please contact Jason Vlcan at (307) 261-7780. Dance to SwingSounds Senior dance Saturday at the Eagles Hall, 306 N. Durbin St., 7 to 10 p.m. Dance or listen to the music of SwingSounds Band featuring true country, western swing, oldies, jazz. Potluck snacks at 8:30 p.m., and door prize drawings at 9 p.m. This Saturday during the door prize drawings, a donation presentation to Meals On Wheels will be made. Admission $50, children under 15 free. Come on down and see how the seniors enjoy life and help out Meals On Wheels, a worthy cause. Robbie Daniels -- 235-5130 Independent film screening The Natrona County Library's Independent Film Series will feature "Marie's Story" on Tuesday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Crawford Room. Call 577-READ ext. 2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information. Synopsis: Based on true events, "Marie's Story" recounts the inspiring life of a young girl born deaf and blind and the courageous journey of the nun who helps her learn to communicate with the world around her. At the turn of the 19th century, a humble artisan and his wife send Marie, their deaf and blind fourteen-year-old daughter, to the Larnay Institute in central France, where an order of Catholic nuns manage a school for the deaf. There, the idealistic Sister Marguerite sees in Marie a unique potential, and vows to bring the wild girl out of the darkness. Final free lecture at fort Fort Caspar Museum is pleased to announce its annual free summer lecture series for 2016. The lectures will be held on seven consecutive Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. Each presentation will focus on a different Impression on Wyoming, from past to present and from east to west. These free programs are funded in part by the Fort Caspar Museum Association and the Wyoming Humanities Council. Each lecture will take place in the Multi-Use Room at Fort Caspar Museum. The programs are adult focused and will last approximately 60 minutes, including the lecture and a discussion opportunity. Most of the talks will feature a PowerPoint presentation, and if the speaker has published on a relevant topic, the lecture will conclude with a book signing. Here are the dates, speakers, and their topics for the other free summer lectures: July 20, John Farr will present Wyoming: Sheepherders State. For more information, contact the museum at 235-8462 or check the Fort Caspar Museum website, www.fortcasparwyoming.com. Fort Caspar Museum is located at 4001 Fort Caspar Road. Republican legislative and commissioner debate The Natrona County Republican Party and the Natrona County Republican Women will be hosting a Republican primary Legislative and County Commissioner debate on Tuesday, July 26, 2016, at the Ramkota in the Theatre Room. It is open to the public. The doors will open at 6 p.m., and the debate will start at 6:30 p.m. We will be doing the Legislative Debates first for House Districts 37, 56, 57 and 58; followed by the County Commissioner candidates. Each House District will take approximately 30 minutes and the commissioner candidates will be 30 minutes and start approximately at 8:35 p.m. Questions can be submitted to chairman@natronagop.com or there will be an opportunity to drop them in a basket the night of the debate. No questions from the floor and no personal attack questions -- issue questions only. The moderator will be Brian Scott Gamroth, Natrona County state committeeman. Wyoming Blues Challenge Calling all Wyoming Blues Bands and Solo/Duo Blues acts. Here's your chance to represent Wyoming in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge. Prelims will be held on August 7 at the Alibi Pub in Laramie and August 20 at the Attic above the World Famous Wonder Bar in Casper. Finals will be held on September 18 in the ballrooms at the Parkway Plaza. If you think you have what it takes, contact Rick Davis at wyomingblueschallenge@gmail.com to get rules and receive your entry information. New displays at senior center What is Zentangle? Zentangle is a fun, relaxing ,easy method of drawing that creates structured images. Visit the Senior Center at 1831 E. 4th St. to view this fascinating display of amazing drawings by local artists. Also featured is a collection of Japanese collectibles including pottery, clothing, dishes and more. For more information, call 265-4678. Veteran Cigar Night Every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m., all veterans are invited to Veteran Cigar Night at the Casper Cigar Company, 4717 W. Yellowstone Highway, sponsored by Casper Cigar Company. There is no cost to attend. This is a time and place for our community's combat veterans to relax and share their stories with other combat veterans while enjoying a good cigar. Veterans receive 20 percent off cigars. For more information, call Josh Cruse at 307-337-4400 or josh@caspercigar.com Downtown walking tours Casper Theater Company will present two downtown walking tours this summer. All tours are $25 per person and reservations are required. The Casper Ghost Tour will begin at 8:30 p.m., on Thursdays and Fridays through July 29. The Ghost Tour guide will provide you with information on downtown hauntings in buildings, alleys, and businesses. She will take you on a 90-minute tour through the alleys of downtown talking about strange phenomenon seen by citizens, business owners and employees of several locations in the downtown area. You will learn about some locations such as Eggingtons, Wonder Bar, Wolfords, Lou Tauberts, the Downtown Parking Garage, the two movie theaters and much more. Tickets are $25 per person and a reservation is needed by calling 267-7243. The Sand Bar Tour will be a murder mystery walking tour. The tour guide will take you for a walk on the Sand Bar at 7:30 p.m., where you will come upon a victim of the times. There will be characters to will meet all of which had a motive. Each character will talk with you and tell you about their life on the Sand Bar, businesses, painted ladies, bootleggers, and gamblers. All will culminate at the end to find out Who Dun It? Tickets are $25 and the tour runs two weekends, Friday and Saturday, September 9-10 and 16-17. Reservations are required by calling 267-7243. If you have any questions about either tours please call Casper Theater Company at the above number, or email us at caspertheatercompany@gmail.com Our website is www.caspertheatercompany.net Submit to miniature show ART 321/Casper Artists Guild would like to invite all artists to submit entries in our 22nd Annual International Miniature Art Show 2016. You can find the specifications on entries and entry forms by visiting our website at art321.org and looking under Exhibits. Fees and entries are due July 30, 2016. The show opens to the public on August 4, 2016, and closes August 27, 2016. Cash awards and ribbons will be given. Size of cash awards will depend upon number of entries. Dr. Valerie Innella Maiers is the show judge. She teaches art history and museum studies in the Visual Arts Department at Casper College. A Natrona County Sheriff's Office detention officer leaked confidential information related to a rape investigation, an official said Thursday. The officer has not been fired, said Sgt. Aaron Shatto. The sheriff's office is not releasing the officer's name, nor details about any possible disciplinary action. "Certainly, its troubling," Shatto said. "Its certainly a trust issue amongst law enforcement as a whole. And thats certainly something we want to keep, is the trust of the community." Authorities also are not releasing the name of the suspect. The Casper Police Department investigated the matter, said CPD Sgt. Mike Ogden. That investigation is now done and being reviewed by the Natrona County District Attorney's office. The sheriff's office received a sexual assault report June 25. During the investigation, the alleged victim in the case told authorities she had been contacted by the suspect, who told her confidential information that only the victim and law enforcement should have known. Sheriff's officials say they immediately began an investigation. They learned a detention officer at the sheriff's office was responsible for the unauthorized release. Shatto said only one officer was involved in the leak. The officer did not release the information directly to the suspect, according to the sheriff's office. Instead, the employee's family member shared the information with the suspect. The release did not jeopardize the investigation, and the suspect was arrested, authorities say. The alleged victim, Cheryl Voet-Furley, who contacted the Star-Tribune, said she left Wyoming just after reporting the sexual assault. She said she received a phone call from the suspect within two days of speaking with law enforcement. He said he had found out about the rape case. "He said 'I know more than you think I know,'" Voet-Furley said. "I feel that my safety would have been in jeopardy had I been in the state ... I was scared." Voet-Furley said she had told detectives when she reported the alleged assaults that the suspect had connections to local law enforcement. "I was concerned it was going to come back to (him) and he was going to find out about it before they could confront him about it," she said. "The detective said he was sorry it happened and that they were going to take care of it." Voet-Furley said she just wants closure. "I want him to be made to answer for what he did to me," she said. U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, has returned to Washington after a packed three days of leading a committee that composed a document outlining the Republican Partys vision for the country. The platform committee met in Cleveland on Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday, ahead of next week's Republican National Convention. The committee updated the partys positions on same-sex marriage, national security and the economy. Observers said the document has taken a more of a hardline against social issues than in the past, and committee members argued about LGBTQ issues. Barrasso downplayed any rifts. The committee approved the final document, said Barrasso, who is the fourth-ranking Senate Republican. The committee has 112 members. But that then has to get presented to the full convention in Cleveland next week, on Monday, and thats when the full 2,000 delegates will have a chance to vote on it. Committee members debated same-sex marriage, and ultimately, a majority of them opted to oppose same-sex marriage, renewing the party's embrace of religious conservative values as delegates prepared to welcome Donald Trump to their national convention. Republicans who gathered Monday also refused to reverse their opposition to bathroom choice for transgender people, exposing a rift with their presumptive presidential nominee despite internal warnings that social conservative policies on gay rights alienate voters. "All I ask today is that you include me," said Rachel Huff, a Republican delegate from Washington, D.C., who is openly gay. "If our party wants a future ... we must evolve," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. Asked to respond to Huff, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin later explained that opposition to same-sex marriage has "been the longtime tradition of the Republican Party." "She's still welcome in the party. Everyone is," Fallin said. Barrasso said the committee started with the 2012 platform document and began making changes. You have to remember, four years ago, ISIS hadnt begun, he said. In terms of jobs and the economy and the regulations that have come out of President Obama, theyve gotten much worse over the last four years with executive actions. Barrasso said that he doesnt know yet exactly how long the 2016 document will be, as Republicans are still putting together the amendments the committee passed. Its a solid, conservative document, representing the visions and the values of the Republican Party, he said. The debate comes as anxious conservatives try to influence the direction of a party facing deep uncertainty about Trump's positions on social issues. The New York billionaire has been reluctant to embrace social conservative positions in some cases, particularly as Republicans across the country push for new restrictions on bathroom access for transgender people. Trump, who claims strong support from the gay community, has invited transgender celebrity Caitlyn Jenner to use whichever bathroom in Trump Tower she'd like. He also said North Carolina's "bathroom law," which directs transgender people to use the bathroom that matches the gender on their birth certificates, has caused unnecessary strife. Yet Republicans let stand language that attacks the Obama administration for directing schools to allow transgender students to use restrooms and other facilities that match their gender identities. "Their edict to the states concerning restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities is at once illegal, dangerous and ignores privacy issues. We salute the several states which have filed suit against it," reads the platform. Delegates also changed language that offers a warning to children of same-sex parents: "Children raised in a traditional two-parent household tend to be physically and emotionally healthier, less likely to sue drugs and alcohol, engage in crime or become pregnant outside of marriage." Annie Dickerson, a Republican delegate from New York, said the change relied upon "outrageous, horrible evidence" and represented "another poke in the eye to the gay community." "Stop repelling gays, for God's sake," she declared. Trump opposes same-sex marriage, but often avoids discussing conservative social issues on the campaign trail. Facing the possibility of a delegate rebellion at the convention next week, his campaign has been taking a hands-off approach to the platform debate. Barrasso said he was given Trump's blessing during a private meeting last week in Washington. "I've asked him to embrace the platform and I believe he will," Barrasso said of Trump. Barrasso said there were many positions on which the committee was unified. The thing is theres so many thing we agree on that we dont really have to have big debates, in terms of jobs, getting people back to work, a strong economy, he said. A wildfire that recently crossed into southern Wyoming has grown slightly because of low humidity, fire officials said Thursday. Most of the increase in the Beaver Creek Fire occurred on the eastern edge of the blaze, near the Trophy Mountain Ranch, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Groups website. The ranchs fence is secure, and elk on the ranch have been seen leaving the fire area. According to a news release, Incident Commander Trainee Brandon Bonenberger said in a briefing Thursday morning, Patience is the word for this fire. We continue to keep our firefighters safe by being patient and engaging this fire on our terms where we will have the best success. The blaze started June 19 north of Walden, Colorado. It arrived in Wyoming around July 11 and was 5 percent contained at that time, with Aaron Voos, a spokesman for the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests & Thunder Basin National Grassland, saying at the time it could last three more months. As of Thursday, fire managers said the fire was still about 5 percent contained, consuming 20,981 acres. At the time, Voos also said experts were looking to fully suppress the fire but that they planned to take a more indirect approach since there werent many structures at risk in the blaze. Only a few structures, cabins and homes were in the path of the fire; those buildings have been evacuated. The fire is feeding off heavy timber and beetle kill timber. Firefighters are working with the ranch owners and other landowners in the area to build firelines and conduct strategic burning operations along the fireline to keep the fire from spreading further. Evacuation and closure orders are still in effect. Find details at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4797. Jane Ifland, a Democratic candidate for a central Casper legislative district, is withdrawing from the race and throwing her support behind her onetime opponent in the primary, Audrey Cotherman. Ifland told the Star-Tribune on Thursday morning that her life became unexpectedly busy with a home remodel that has taken more time than originally anticipated, responsibilities of helping care for her mother and hosting a friend at her house who is in the process of moving to Wyoming. I thought Id have blocks of time to campaign, Ifland said about her race for House District 57. But that has not happened, and she has decided to end her campaign. Let me tell you, I am thrilled to endorse Audrey, she said of Cotherman. Absolutely thrilled. I hope people who would have voted for me vote for her. Ifland who worked for decades in advertising and media, including at the Casper Star-Tribune noted that since she and Cotherman are both Democrats, they have similar values. They both support Medicaid expansion to 20,000 low-income Wyomingites. They both believe the state needs to invest in a strong education system, she said. Government is the tool to address problems of the people, Ifland said. If people are ill or poorly educated, they cannot help themselves, she said. You get health, you get education, then you start to get a population prepared to be effective, she said. Cotherman, 86, is an education administrator who has served on the Natrona County School District Board of Education. Shes also worked as a television host, a newspaper editor and publisher in Dubois, an administrator at the U.S. Department of Education and other jobs. She will address the gender imbalance and the party imbalance, as well as the age imbalance, Ifland said. Ifland said that she and Cotherman lived through Wyomings economic slump of the 1980s. Ifland is perplexed why the Wyoming Legislature hasnt successfully implemented changes to diversify the energy economy and prevent the problems from confronting the state again. Only a few years later we put ourselves in the same situation, she said. Its evidence that a lack of diverse approaches is harmful. HD57 roughly encompasses Fifth to 25th streets between Beech Street and Kelly Drive. Assuming Cotherman wins the Aug. 16 Democratic primary, she will face a Republican in the November general election. Casper City Councilman Ray Pacheco and local radio personality Chuck Gray are squaring off in the GOP primary. RAWLINS A Wyoming State Penitentiary inmate has been accused of attacking a guard last November. Colbey Emms, 29, on Monday pleaded not guilty to a charge of interference with a peace officer. Emms is serving eight to 10 years for a previous conviction. According to an affidavit that was not filed until April, Emms became aggressive with a correctional officer on Nov. 2. The report says Emms was yelling at the guard, caused the guard to spill hot water on himself and then punched the guard in the head and neck. The guard was told by a doctor that he may have torn ligaments in his neck as a result of the attack. A trial will be scheduled in the case within 180 days. The latest fad, propagated by many members of the commentariat, is to equate the America of 2016 with the America of 1968. I heard it more recently from Chuck Todd of NBC News: Not since the summers of the 60s and violence in Watts, Detroit, and Chicago has the nation felt so hopelessly divided. This meme is particularly popular among those who have no living memories of 1968. Todd, in fact, was not on this earth in 1968. But I myself was very much alive as a high school kid who paid close attention to the news and if its any comfort to those of you who are freaked about the latest race-based events, I can state with a high degree of confidence that America was far, far worse in 1968. That year, the nations most prominent civil rights leader bled out on a motel balcony after his jaw was shattered by a racists bullet that traveled at a velocity of 2,670 feet per second. Just two months later, a major presidential candidate got whacked in a hotel kitchen moments after winning a pivotal primary. In the time between the King and Kennedy assassinations, huge swaths of our nations capital went up in flames. Twelve people died in the D.C. riots, and 1,600 were injured. And the death toll was higher in the two most serious riots that raged a year earlier in Detroit (43 dead, more than 1,000 injured) and in Newark (27 dead, roughly 1,000 injured). Chuck Todd also mentioned Watts, the L.A. neighborhood that burned in 1965, but the toll there 34 dead, another 1,000 injured was far more dire than any of the disturbances today. The U.S. Army was sent to Detroit as well. Imagine the hysteria today, fanned by social media and the 24/7 cable cycle, if the U.S. Army was fighting in our streets. Todd also mentioned Chicago. Presumably this was a reference to the street violence outside the Democratic Convention, where Mayor Richard Daleys cops clashed with kids protesting the Vietnam War. Its almost an insult, to those of us who experienced 1968, to equate it with 2016. According to the official stats, 16,592 Americans died that year alone in Vietnam. An average of 45 guys each day. Imagine if that was happening now 45 a day in a futile war with millions of kids at home fearing the draft. Obviously, Im not trying to minimize our current civil unrest. But we should be able to console ourselves with the knowledge that 1968 was more horrific by every objective measure even the homicide rate was markedly higher (6.9 per 100,000 Americans) than it is now (4.5 per 100,000, in 2014) and that somehow we as a nation survived. Heck, today we have black police chiefs (thankfully, including Dallas), whereas, back then, big-city departments were overwhelmingly white. And today, the electorate is far more enlightened about race; according to a 2014 CNN-ORC poll, 51 percent of Americans said that blacks are treated unfairly by the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, we also have a presidential nominee who has romanced aggrieved white people like nobody since George Wallace in the campaign of 1968. The good news is that not even Trump dares to traffic in the kind of hate rhetoric that Wallace employed in 1968 (the nigra would still be in Africa in the brush if the white people of this country had not raised their standards). On the other hand, Wallace never got near a major party nomination. Leave it to the Trump Republicans to keep Wallaces spirit alive, albeit semi-sanitized. But lest we forget, we have prominent voices eloquently urging calm. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, for instance:This has been a long week for our country .... Every member of this [House], every Republican and every Democrat, wants to see less gun violence. Every member of this body wants a world in which people feel safe regardless of the color of their skin .... Sometimes we disagree on how to get there. But lets not lose sight of the values that unite us. Lets not lose sight of our common humanity. Those shared values helped us survive the nadir of 1968. I cant help but believe that this time should be easier. Open Mic List Whether you're into comedy, poetry, spoken word or improv, there's an open mic somewhere around Tucson several times a week to test your talents before a live audience. Most charge no or minimal admission and there might be a minimum drink requirement. Call in advance for rules and guidelines; some events might require an early signup. And all are open to people who just want to watch. Comedy Laffs, 2929 E. Broadway, laffstucson.com, 323-8663: Sign up by 6:30 p.m. Thursdays. Comedians go on stage at 8 p.m. Admission is free. The Screening Room, 127 E Congress St., tsrdowntown.com, 882-0204: Sign up by 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays; comics hit the stage beginning at 8. Free. Mr. Heads Gallery and Bar, 513 N. Fourth Ave., facebook.com/mrheads, 792-2710: Sign up by 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays; sets begin at 10. The Estrogen Hour for first-time and veteran female comedians is held quarterly at Laffs. Comedian Nancy Stanley hosts and proceeds from a nominal admission cost benefits a local charity. Details: facebook.com/TheEstrogenHour Improv classes and workshops Tucson Improv Movement, 329 E. Seventh St., 314-7299, tucsonimprov.com Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed Theater, 3244 E. Speedway, 289-8076, unscrewedtheater.org Comedy showcases "Brew Ha-Ha," highlighting Arizona comedians, monthly at Borderlands Brewing Company, 119 E. Toole Ave. Visit facebook.com/tucsonbrewhaha for updates and dates. "Laughing Liberally," monthly politically charged show featuring local comedians. Locations change monthly; check comedian Phil Gordon's Facebook page (facebook.com/phil.gordon.71) for updates. Next up: 8 p.m. July 31 at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Firkin Around, monthly general comedy show hosted by Josiah Osego at Frog & Firkin, 874 E. University Blvd. Next up: 8:30 p.m. Sunday, July 17. Comedy showcase at the Surely Wench, 424 N. Fourth Ave. Next one comes up on July 26, followed by an open mic on Aug. 9. Downtown Tucson has lost another quick and reliable lunch place this summer, now that Bernardo's is closed. The fast-food Mexican restaurant had been at 17 N. Stone Ave. near Congress Street for more than five years. The restaurant sits empty with a "for lease" sign on the door, and the phone number has been disconnected. Bernardo's was owned by Bernardo Acosta who served cheap eats and homey recipes from his native Magdalena, Sonora. GERMAN PLOTTER AGAINST U.S. STILL IN CUSTODY IN MEXICO I Saved Mexican Government $1000, Said Schweirz Intimating Intention to Jump Bond U.S. Deputy Marshall Duncan Tells Story of Escape Richard Schweiz, former German soldier and alleged agent of the Carranza government, who escaped across the international line Wednesday at Nogales from the custody of Deputy United States Marshal Brad Duncan, did not make a getaway south from Nogales on a railroad motorcar, as has been persistently reported, but was captured by Mexican soldiers and has been in custody ever since, as told exclusively in The Star news story of the affair Wednesday evening. This was confirmed by Duncan, who returned yesterday evening from Nogales by automobile. Schweiz has been confined in the court at Nogales and was not placed in jail. Up to yesterday afternoon he was still in the custody of the Mexican authorities and if any move had been made to secure his return to the American side it was not made known. As soon as he and Duncan were captured, which was about 12:30 oclock Wednesday afternoon, they were taken to the court, and afterwards separated. Saved Mexico $1000 I saved the Mexican government $1000 by escaping, is what Schweirz told Deputy Marshal Duncan after they were taken to the court. He stated that he would have jumped his body of $1000, fixed by Commissioner OConnor at Nogales, and gone to the Mexican side of the line. He stated that his bond would have been fixed up by Los Angeles Germans and Mexicans. The story of Schweirzs sensational escape was told by Duncan to a reporter at his home on East Fourth street yesterday evening shortly after his return from Nogales by automobile. The report that I was waiting for the train to bring Schweirz back to Tucson to jail is a misapprehension, said Duncan, for, as a matter of fact, his hearing had not been held and I was intending to return on the train without him. I was watching him at the office of Customs Inspector Curtis during the noon hour Wednesday while other officers were away at lunch. He asked me when he would have lunch, and I told him as soon as the other returned. He said that it was a little close in the office and suggested that we take a walk outside, to which I consented, as this privilege had been allowed Schweirz a number of times. So we went out of the custom house and walked west towards the arroyo. Left Gun at Hotel. Duncan states that he did not have his gun on him as he did not expect Schweirz to be in his custody during the forenoon, and thought he would have no use for it, having left it at the hotel. I kept a close watch on Schweirz and once when he started to walk towards the line I told him not to pull anything off on me. He then asked me of the arroyo were concreted and suggested that we go and see. We walked over to the bank and just then he started to turn towards the Mexican side. We were about 50 feet from the line, I think. I caught hold of Schweirz but he slipped away from me and started to run for the line. I yelled at him that I would kill him if he did not stop but evidently he did not believe that I had my gun and kept on. I caught Schweirz twice just after he had crossed the line, but he got away and then the Mexican soldiers swarmed about and stopped both of us. At first they thought that Schweirz had held me up and were going to shove both of us back, but instead they took up to the court, where we were detained. Duncan stated that the story that he had taken Schweirz to the line to talk to a Mexican lawyer on the other side was untrue, and he declared that Schweirz was fully 50 feet from the line when he started to run. Treated Courteously Duncan states that he was treated courteously at the jail and that he was released at 6:30 oclock, which was as soon as word could come from General Calles. He was then taken across the line by automobile. Duncan went to Nogales Tuesday morning to serve papers and among them was a warrant for Schweirz from Commissioner Jones, of Tucson. Duncan turned this warrant over to Deputy United States Marshal Dumbauld of Nogales, and had no further official connection with Schweirz. As the hearing had not been held he decided to return to Tucson Wednesday afternoon, having finished his business, and, not expecting to have Schweirz in custody, left his revolver at the hotel. It is Duncans theory that Schweirz finding himself alone with the officer, found out in some way that Duncan did not have his gun with him, and determined to make the attempt to get across the line. The story that Schweirz escaped on a railroad motor car south is believed to have originated in a joke. There was no foundation for such a story, Duncan states. The two were captured together and taken to the court together. When it comes to health, a new report says that where you live matters and that in Tucson theres room for improvement. Data from a New York-based nonprofit, The Commonwealth Fund, ranks Tucson 163rd out of 306 metropolitan areas in a score based on 36 indicators of health care and health quality. Phoenix ranked below Tucson, at 180th. Honolulu, Hawaii, was ranked first and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was ranked last. Higher performing areas were generally in the Upper Midwest, New England, Hawaii and the San Francisco Bay area. Lower rankings, which were concentrated in the West and South, frequently correlated with lower income areas. People in poor communities are more likely to go without needed medical care because of the cost, receive a high-risk prescription drug and die early from treatable causes, the survey found. The report showed wide variances across the country on many indicators. The percentage of adults who have lost six or more teeth because of tooth decay, infection or gum disease, for example, was 2 percent in Santa Cruz, California, and 26 percent in Kingsport, Tennessee. In Tucson, it was 10 percent. The good news locally is that Tucson improved over its adjusted ranking of 171st for 2012, which was the last year the Commonwealth Fund released its health system scorecard. Areas where Tucson improved, according to the latest report, include its composite hospital safety scores, potentially avoidable emergency department visits among Medicare beneficiaries, and colorectal cancer deaths. The rate of local colorectal cancer deaths 14 per 100,000 people in Tucson is lower than both the national average and the Arizona rate. The bad news is that even on some of the indicators where Tucson improved, the city still ranked in the middle or lower half of the communities surveyed. For example, Tucsons rate of uninsured children improved from the last report in 2012, but at 11 percent is still one of the highest rates in the country. And the percentage of adults in Tucson who went without health care in the past year because of cost 15 percent improved in this years report, but its still higher than the U.S. average and much higher than the 6 percent rate reported for Waterloo, Iowa, and Bloomington, Illinois. But the data in the 2016 Commonwealth report is predominantly from 2013 and 2014, stressed Dr. Francisco Garcia, who is director of the Pima County Health Department. There is a whole cottage industry of ranking one community or another, and the devil is always in the details, Garcia said. Its mostly based on 2013-14 numbers. So on insurance status we dont look so good but its not a real time thing. Indeed, Tucsons rate of uninsured adults is listed as 18 percent in the report while more recent estimates place it as 10 to 12 percent, largely because of the effects of federal health reform. Garcia said that if the data were more current, Tucson would look better, though he agreed that the community still has a lot of room for improvement. A Pima County Community Health Needs Assessment released in January said that access to care and poverty are two big obstacles to overall local health both factors that are reflected in The Commonwealth Fund report. This report confirms a lot of the priorities in our Community Health Needs Assessment, Garcia said. In that sense its a really good thing, it makes us think more critically about those indicators. Garcia questioned the reports claim that Tucson adults are more obese than they were in the 2012 data. He cites other data that show adults here are more engaged in physical activity than a majority of Americans. One thing that did ring true was the lack of dental care. The Commonwealth Fund Report says that nearly 1 in 5 Tucsonans 19 percent did not visit a dentist in the last year. That statistic puts Tucson among the worst communities in the country for that particular indicator. Garcia noted that Arizonas form of Medicaid, which is called the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System , does not cover routine dental care for adults. That is huge because we have a fairly significant percentage of people who use Medicaid, he said. The report also suggested Tucsonans have problems accessing primary care, an issue that Garcia said merits further study. On a per capita basis we have more providers than other communities, but that doesnt always translate into better access, he said. I want to dig into that one. Commonwealth Fund officials said that nationwide, the indicators that improved did so largely because more people had insurance coverage and could afford needed health care. Also, health-care providers performed better on quality and efficiency measures, such as limiting preventable hospital readmissions. Nationwide, the scorecard found that while health care improved more than it worsened in nearly all U.S. communities, improvements were often modest. The report found two key areas of concern obesity rates rose in about a third of communities and rates of premature deaths from treatable conditions were mostly unchanged in nearly all areas. The Affordable Care Act , state-level action and public and private initiatives have had an impact on local health care, the report says. Largely because of the ACAs coverage expansions, the percentage of working-age adults without health insurance fell in nearly all local areas dropping by 4 percentage points or more in 189 local areas between 2012 and 2014, the report says. Moving forward, we hope that local areas will integrate the lessons from this scorecard into their efforts to ensure that everyone has health insurance, can afford the care they need, and can get the right care at the right time, Commonwealth Fund President Dr. David Blumenthal said in a prepared statement. If all communities could do as well as those that rank highest on the scorecard, 19 million more children and adults would have health insurance and there would be 100,000 fewer premature deaths from preventable causes, officials with The Commonwealth Fund said. PHOENIX An activist who led a protest march through downtown Phoenix that resulted in a brief standoff with police last week is planning another demonstration. The Rev. Jarrett Maupin says a sit-in is planned for Friday as part of a Black Lives Matter demonstration. He says the protest would shut down the intersection of 24th Street and Camelback Road. Maupin also has a list of 12 proposed reforms for the Phoenix Police Department. They include the immediate deployment of body cameras for all officers, increased walking patrols, diversity training, and a recommendation that investigations of police misconduct be done by an outside agency. PHOENIX Arizonans who are concerned about Clinton, terrified of Trump and are jittery about Johnson are going to have another choice. Secretary of State Michele Reagan has agreed to put electors for Jill Stein on the Nov. 8 ballot despite the fact that Green Party officials missed the June 1 deadline for submitting their names. But it took a federal court lawsuit to make it happen after Reagan told party officials that, absent a court order, Stein would be struck. Reagan said, though, she agrees with Green Party officials that June 1 deadline is unnecessarily early, coming months before the general election ballot has to be printed. And she vowed to ask lawmakers to alter it this coming year. Thats great news, said Scott McLarty, spokesman for the national Green Party. That enables her to compete for votes against Democrat Hillary Clinton, Republican Donald Trump and Libertarian Gary Johnson. But McLarty is under no illusion that Stein, the partys presumptive nominee, was going to be elected, even with Arizonans now able to cast their votes for her. He said that, at the moment, Stein is on the ballot in just two dozen states. The Green Party, like the two major ones, has not yet held its convention. And, technically speaking, Stein is not yet the nominee. But Arizona law requires whoever chairs each recognized party to choose its 11 electors no later than 90 days ahead of the primary. That deadline was 5 p.m. June 1. No one from Reagans office notified party officials of that deadline, said Green Party Chairman Angel Torres. But Matt Roberts, spokesman for Reagans office, said the law is clear. And he said even if party officials had a good excuse, there is no legal way to waive the deadline. That left the party with only one option: Seek a court order. Thats precisely what it did, filing suit in federal court against Reagan. Roberts said his boss opted, in essence, not to fight the lawsuit. Instead, she directed the attorney generals office, which represents her office, to agree to an order giving the Green Party ballot access despite missing the deadline. All this could be avoided in 2020 if lawmakers agree with Reagan that theres no legitimate reason for a June 1 deadline. In some ways we agree that the deadline is unnecessarily early, Roberts said. Help India! By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net, Mumbai: Jolted with the derecognition of the party by the Maharashtra Election Commission (EC), All India Majlis-e- Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has decided to appeal against the decision and is also exploring all legal options available to it to challenge the cancellation by EC before a court of law. Support TwoCircles Since the EC has now cancelled our registration, we will go in for an appeal before them, the moment we get a letter from the Election Commission, said Aurangabad MLA Imtiaz Jaleel. Jaleel said that in response to the notice, a team of the MIM leaders from Hyderabad had visited the SEC office in Mumbai and had completed all the formalities required, including submission of IT returns of the party. Meanwhile, partys western Maharashtra chief Anjum Inamdar has appealed to its workers and supporters to not get upset and gear up for the upcoming local body elections. We will soon go to Mumbai and check how we can set everything right so that we can contest Mumbai civic polls next year. We will also meet our lawyers there to find out legal recourse for challenging ECs decision, Inamdar told TwoCircles.net. The rocketing of tuition fees to 9000 combined with a 300% increase in the number of 1st and 2:1 degrees has cultivated an atmosphere of indifference. With students agreeing to over 40,000 worth of feesto pay off through their 20s at the expense of a university degree, the importance of receiving a high class is heightened. Job prospects, payment packages, and even the location you Work can entirely depend on this success. Students as customers. The act of paying money to an institution in exchange for knowledge puts a price on education. The scrapping of student grants for poorer students, the prospect of universities raising fees in the near future, and the aftermath of Brexit which has left the position of European student (of which there are 132,000) enrolled in British institutions teetering and uncertain, has put an even higher cost on degrees. Degrees no longer automatically guarantee better financial prospects. With almost 500,000 students embarking upon full time higher education courses per year, the job market is flooded with overqualified individuals. Having a 2:1, or even a 1st, really does make a difference: five years after graduation, those with a 2:1 or higher can expect wages 7-9% higher than those with lower class degrees. This could be the difference between an extra few years of loan repayment, something which can affect an individuals ability to get on the property ladder, travel the world, or even start a family. Students deserve a good degree. With this kept in mind, comes the somewhat dangerous idea that students are automatically entitled to a good degree. In exchanging money for education, it is impossible to deny that education is now a service. Generally in society, when you pay for a service, you are guaranteed a positive outcome in return: expensive electrical products come with a warranty, travel services offer compensation for delayed flights, most high profile businesses have complaints and compensation procedures in place for when a good or service does not have the outcome desired and expected. By making higher education a capitalist process, surely the same procedures should apply? Above and beyond contact hours? Different courses promise varied contact hours. According to Unistats, an English student spends only 12% of their time with a member of staff, compared with 32% for a Physics student. Both students would pay the same feesto study at an institution, causing issues about entitlement. To what extent are students are entitled to equal contact hours? Should an arts student have the right to demand extra hours with lecturers outside of office hours in order to compensate? Students have the ability to rate their university in an informal manner, but to what extent are they able to demand significant changes to education as a commodity? The Crisis of Curiosity. Higher Education is currently in a state of inertia. Lecturers and students alike are taking to journalism to discuss the issues of entitlement to a particular class of degree, and this is an issue that will clearly never be solved. As long as students pay exorbitant amounts for their education, they will in some manner see themselves as customers, which will inevitably affect their perception of education.Perhaps the traditional perception of higher education is overly romanticised. The Socratic method of in depth discussion of topics with an expert has died in UK universities (save for Oxbridge), and the need educate simply for the sake of spreading knowledgehas died with it. The demands of society have inevitably triggered this; everything must have a purpose; the purpose of furthering your career, the purpose of increasing your financial worth, the purpose of allowing yourself security in later life. However, even to some extent, education should have the prospect of allowing for intellectual curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge's sake. Theresa's brutal reshuffle is underway. Laura Kuenssburg reportsthat Osbourne was kicked out of the treasury's back door while back-stabbing Gove has been firedas Justice secretary. So it's out with many of the Ancien regime - those associated with Dave - and in with the rising stars... well, sort of. Boris has been appointed foreign secretary. For those who haven't seen the news yet, I'll let that sink in. Boris. Yes, Boris, the man of gaffes and casual racism will represent Great Britain on the world stage. Why has May done this? Well on Newsnight Heidi Allen seemed to suggest that it was a mixture of a move to unify the Conservative Party and to suggest that he must clean up his own mess. The problem with that logic is that you can't clean mess with more mess. Boris vsEurope So firstly there's this small problem called Brexit to deal with. In order for Brexit to occur in Britain's best interests, we probably need a smooth operator. How about a leader who has insulted the EUby likening it to the ambitions of Hitler and Napoleon and once madea living by deriding it in the Daily Telegraph? "Great idea!" thought Theresa, probably as her advisors opened their mouths too slowly as shemoved to hernext topic of discussion. And so we are left with a man ridiculedacross Europe for leadingBritain to the Brexit with lies, but decided to run from, rather than for, leadership as chaos ensued. May has attempted to cushion the impact by appointing David Davis to the newly created position of EU Exit Secretary, however Davis is unknown in Europe and it remains to be seen if he will be eclipsed by Boris's buffoonery. Which may be her tactic... Boris vs the World Howeverthere's also this thing called "the rest of the world". A key argument madeby Vote Leaveis that by exiting the EU we would have the ability to forge fruitful trade agreements the world over. Is Boris the best man for this? Well, in short, absolutely not. While his comments about the EU have unfortunately become so commonplace that people stopped noticing, his comments about the rest of the world are shocking, embarrassing and sometimes just racist. Perhaps the most excusable is calling the President Erdogan of Turkey a "w**kerer", since it was to show defiance towardsErdogan's repression of free speech. Alas, the next gaffe is worse. His description of likely US President Hillary Clinton is as "a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital", though this is vaguely excusable, ashe wrote it in anotherwise pro-Clinton article. Then there's that time that Johnsonmade derogatory comments about President Obama's "part-Kenyan ancestry", as though his distant father'snationality affected his attitude towards Britain. And let's not forget about Boris Johnson blowing apart the middle east peace process by siding so strongly with Israel that his visit to Palestine was curtailed - the perfect example of a future foreign secretary in action. Finally, although there are far more examples, we can look back to when Johnson described those people who are now meant to become our biggest trading partners, the Commonwealth, as "flag-waving piccaninnies". God help us. Naturally, Mayhas thought to restrict Johnson's involvement in this aspect, by creating the new position of International TradeSecretary, which went to Liam Fox. However, Boris is still second only to the PMin internationalrelations and there is only so much damage limitation that can be done. As Mayor of London, Boris was fairlysuited. All he had to do was be loud and sell Brand London. But, ladies and gentleman, heis now our Foreign Secretary. A man of buffoonery will now present Britain to the world. If anyone could ruin Britain's standing in the world further than the EU referendum result already has, it will be Boris.Worryingly he has probably already been given the phone numbers to heads of Government worldwide - perhapsthe international buffoon could start by making some apologetic phone calls. 12,000 Yemeni civilians lie dead due to mass airstrikes, many of which are illegal. Like many figures from the various conflicts in the middle East this may seem like just that, a figure. We have become numb to the various trails of destruction in the region. This particular atrocity was committed by a brutal dictatorship which takes part in beheadings, crucifixions and the vicious oppression of women. Not to mention the exportation of a radical Islam ideology. All of these things seem depressingly typical of the dreadful regimes that hold power in the region, to such an extent that these are no longer particularly newsworthy.Of course our government finds all of these things abhorrent and seeks their eradication. Except in the case of Saudi Arabia. You see if they want to buy our weapons then these things seemingly aren't an issue. Just to put Saudi Arabia's tyranny into context, Freedom in the World, a yearly survey by American NGO Freedom House which measures the civil liberties of every country and disputed territory in the world only ranks 10 countries as distinctly worse than Saudi Arabia. It has the equal second lowest score of any of the countries ranked With Political Rights score of 7 (1 being best & 7 worst) and Civil Liberties of 6 (1 being best and 7 worst). Only Tibet, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Equitorial Guinea and Libya are worse. Since 2010 this country with such an abysmal human rights record has been issued with 6.7billion of export licenses by our government (2.9 billion since the Conflict in Yemen began). The fact is we are arming them to the teeth, a fact that should be a matter of national shame. Although abhorrent none of this is illegal in itself. However untargeted Saudi airstrikes are and 32 different ones have been, but Britain bears no official wrongdoing for this. What involves us though is their use of British made cluster bombs dropped from planes that we sold them, serviced by engineers we dedicate to them. It is this that takes our relationship with Saudi Arabia from unpalatable to unacceptable. Britain ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions in 2007 which made them illegal and have destroyed all stocks on home territory. Unfortunately our friends in Saudi Arabia did not do the same and stocks from the '70s, '80s and '90s remain. As a result British made cluster bombs are being dropped on innocent civilians in Yemen. Recently Amnesty researchers came across a partially unexploded BL-755 model made by British manufacturer Hunting Engineering Limited. This confirmed what many had suspected to be true. This type of Bomb is designed to be dropped out of Tornado Aircraft, many of which we have also sold to the Saudi Arabian government. Add this to the several hundred specialist support personnel which we provide to the Royal Saudi Air Force and we have potential claims of illegality on the grounds of failing to observe our legal responsibility set out in the legal ban on cluster bombs. Whether or not Britain is culpable for this outrage, legally or morally, one thing is for sure and that is that any respectable government would stop dealing arms with this barbaric nation. Over to you Mrs May. Find Out More Iran in Somalia#conflict Militant groups in Rwanda #conflict Beijing said on Thursday that it will respond resolutely if any party seeks to use the ruling in the unilaterally initiated arbitration on the South China Sea to harm China's interests. State Councilor Yang Jiechi said he expected the new Philippine government to properly handle the issue to "start a bright future for bilateral ties". "The sovereignty issue is China's bottom line," Yang, China's top diplomat, said in an interview with Chinese media on the ruling. "Though China is large, we cannot lose one centimeter of inheritance left by the ancestors," Yang said. He added that China is willing to discuss temporary arrangements with other countries involved on partnerships for development in the sea. The ruling, issued after an arbitration process that was unilaterally initiated by the government of former Philippines president Benigno Aquino, will not influence China's policy, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular news briefing. "We want to stress that if anyone wants to use the ruling to take any action that provokes China's interests, the Chinese side will definitelyrespond resolutely," he said. The Philippine Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that its foreign secretary, Perfecto Yasay, would raise the issue at the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting summit, to be held on Friday and Saturday in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Premier Li Keqiang will attend the meeting. The Philippines' statement, which said the decision by the Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague should be respected, was the strongest yet from Manila on the ruling. Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said on Monday that the ASEM summit was "not an appropriate venue" to discuss the South China Sea. During the news conference on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu also said he was "a bit shocked" at the comments of Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who said on Wednesday that it "would be a serious international transgression" if China ignores the arbitral ruling. Lu said China had formally protested Australia's "wrong remarks", and China hopes Australia will not harm regional peace and stability. "We hope that Australia can be more serious about international law and not treat it as a game," Lu added. On Wednesday, the Philippine Coast Guard conducted a joint maritime exercise with the Japan Coast Guard in the vicinity of Manila Bay, deploying vessels including an oil tanker, a rigid hull inflatable boat and a helicopter to carry out drills, the Spanish news agency EFE reported. Observers from Malaysia, Australia and the United States were present at the exercise, which the Philippine Information Agency said was focused on combating piracy and armed robbery at sea and aimed to boost the capabilities of the coast guards of the Philippines and Japan. Meanwhile, China welcomes the new Philippine government's willingness to restart dialogue, Lu said. He added that the two countries have made contact through diplomatic channels since Rodrigo Duterte became the Philippines' president last month. Duterte has not made a statement since the tribunal announced its ruling on Tuesday. Yin Zhuo, director of the Navy's Expert Consultation Committee of the People's Liberation Army, said that the tension in the South China Sea could escalate if the Philippines and other countries, including the US, continue to provoke China in the region. Man and Eagle captures hearts, grand prize Updated: 2016-07-14 07:12 By Cui Jia(China Daily) This prize-winning iPhone photo of Makanau Tumanbek and his eagle Red Eye has gone viral. Niu Siyuan / For China Daily It's unlikely that Makanau Tumanbek, an eagle trainer living deep in the mountains of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, knows that a picture of him gently nuzzling the beak of his eagle Red Eye has gone viral on the internet. The photo, captured by Niu Siyuan with his iPhone 5s in southern Xinjiang's Kezilesu Kirgiz autonomous prefecture, won the grand prize in this year's iPhone Photography Awards contest on July 7. Niu, 29, the first Chinese to ever win the grand prize of the annual IPPAwards, said, "Makanau's move was to calm down the startled eagle. I noticed the tough 61-year-old Kyrgyz man, who rarely smiles, suddenly became so soft with his eagle. Immediately, I took my phone out and took the picture. There was no time for me to think." Makanau is among only a few people in China who still know how to train eagles to hunt for rabbits and foxes, a practice that is mainly a tradition of the Kirgiz and Kazak ethnic groups. The number of eagles allowed to be trained has been strictly controlled because they are protected animals in China. Niu, a professional documentary cameraman and producer from Xinjiang's regional capital of Urumqi, is quite familiar with sophisticated digital cameras. However, he said the moment he captured, showing the connection between human and nature that deeply touched people around the world, could only be taken with his phone, because it is always in his pocket. Taking pictures with mobile phones is more of a gut reaction, he added. "The thing with iPhone photography is that what you see is what you get. People can forget about photography techniques such as adjusting aperture and exposure. Most important, it is so accessible and easy to use, so people can feel free to record the most authentic moments," he said. He made the remarks after his photo, titled The Man and the Eagle, was named grand prize winner at the IPPAwards. It was selected from thousands of entries submitted by iPhone photographers from 139 countries. Founded in 2007, the same year the iPhone was introduced, the IPPAwards pay tribute to the stunning imagery that can be captured with even the smallest and most unprofessional of cameras, reminding people that the person behind the lens plays a significant part in a good picture. Niu began receiving systematic training in digital cameras in 2010 when he returned home after graduating from a university in Jiangxi province. Starting in 2012, he made it a habit to take photos in Xinjiang with his iPhone. He believed it was Xinjiang's charming people and unique beauty that won the judges' hearts. "I was born in Xinjiang and am deeply in love with it. So I want to show people what the massive land is really like and how diverse it is," he said. "A mobile phone is like a pen that I can write poems with." For the IPPAwards, photographers are allowed to adjust the pictures with photo applications for iPhone. Niu said he used Snapseed and VSCO for the final touches. He said he hopes the iPhone will have a longer battery life in the future as the photography hardware and applications improve. Niu will soon visit Makanau and tell him the good news in person. As for Red Eye, Makanau has already set him free to start his own family. Unlawful award only raises regional tensions Updated: 2016-07-14 07:41 By SHEN DINGLI(China Daily) Missile frigate Yuncheng launches an anti-ship missile during a military exercise in the water area near South China's Hainan Island and Xisha islands, July 8, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] The South China Sea arbitral tribunal in The Hague has made its award in the Philippines' case. As pointed out by many, the tribunal was willed to extend ill-founded jurisdiction over this case. As per design, the international tribunal doesn't qualify to judge maritime rights based on their sovereign nature. The case that Manila raised against Beijing touches upon various issues where sovereignty is at stake, as such, the court has willfully and erroneously expanded its turf and thus made an unlawful ruling. Even worse, this tribunal has been ill intended to promote the Philippines' unwarranted national interests. For instance, the court has ruled that Taiping Island of the Nansha Islands doesn't really constitute a "legally qualified island", contradicting the simple fact that people have been living on the island, largely self-sufficiently, for a long time. The argument that there is no evidence that a "human community" had long been formed there, a precondition to establishing Taiping as an island, sounds absurd to Chinese, on both the mainland and in Taiwan. Such a conclusion seriously reduces the traditional Chinese fishing grounds, especially for those fishermen from Taiwan, and hence will aggravate, rather than help reduce, the fishing disputes in the region. Such arguments indicate the tribunal has not had any proper sense of justice and fairness. The ruling essentially declares China's Nine-Dash Line invalid. Such a line emerged well before the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was born, and registered China's historic southern maritime rights before contemporary international maritime law came into being. When China joined the UNCLOS in the 1980s and ratified the convention in 1990s, it retained the Nine-Dash Line to indicate these rights. Every multilateral international agreement suits some countries but not others. The United States has a problem with the seabed chapter of the convention, so it joined the convention without ratifying it. Despite the international effort to revise the convention in the 1990s for the sake of the US, it has yet to ratify the document. The convention also poses a challenge to Chinagiven China's rather limited per capita exclusive economic zone. Joining the convention while retaining its historic claims through the Nine-Dash Line became Beijing's pragmatic approach toward the convention, which itself was a complex compromise of all parties. On the one hand, expecting China to join the regime in full compliance with the convention would seriously reduce China's per capita exclusive economic zone. On the other, pushing the envelope too far would force Beijing to reevaluate the cost effectiveness of being party to the convention. A successful international regime requires both the principle of rule of law and willingness for reconciliation among various stakeholders to boost the regime rather than to tear it apart. China has employed such an approach of participation and consultation to both make the regime cohesive and to reconcile its differences with counter-claimants. This becomes more relevant when a large number of those islands and reefs on its side of the Nine-Dash Line have been already seized by some of the other claimants since the 1970s. Since the overall balancing of the sovereignty and economic rights of relevant claimants are so complicated, a simplistic ruling from the tribunal will hardly work. It is for this reason China has maintained its preference to resolve the disputes through negotiations. The tribunal's rigid ruling has achieved no balancing. This is because as far as sovereignty is concerned, the tribunal has not been designed to settle disputes. Under such circumstances, any mechanical application of the convention will yield unreasonable and unlawful decisions. Those who have played this dangerous game have unnecessarily raised the temperature in the South China Sea. China's response has been firm and consistentthe ruling by the tribunal is unlawful and will not be accepted. China still welcomes direct talks with claimants on mutual concessions for mutual benefits. The author is a professor and associate dean at the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University. United Airlines flight to connect 2 'Silicon Valleys' Updated: 2016-07-14 11:19 By Lia Zhu in San Francisco(China Daily USA) From left: Doug Yakel, public information officer of the San Francisco International Airport; Mark Chandler, director of the San Francisco Mayor's Office of International Trade & Commerce; Ren Faqiang, deputy consul general of China's Consulate General in San Francisco; Mike Hann, vice-president of United's San Francisco hub; Marcel Fuchs, vice-president of United Atlantic and Pacific Sales; and Captain Craig O'Mara take a photo with crew members for the new direct flight between San Francisco and Hangzhou at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday at the San Francisco International Airport. Li ge AND lIA ZHU / CHINA DAILY A new direct flight between San Francisco and Hangzhou launched on Wednesday, linking Silicon Valley and a center of technology, economic development and cultural heritage in China. The new service will be operated by United Airlines, employing the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which United said is the world's most advanced passenger aircraft, three times a week. The new route marks United' fifth destination on the Chinese mainland and the 14th destination in Asia-Pacific route from San Francisco, making the carrier the first US airline to serve Hangzhou. The flights will depart San Francisco at 2:20 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and arrive in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, at 6:10 pm the following day. The return flights will depart Hangzhou at 10:55 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and arrive at San Francisco at 7:50 am the same day. Flying times will be 12 hours and 55 minutes westbound and 11 hours and 55 minutes eastbound. There's strong demand from tourists and business people to visit the cultural sites in Hangzhou and do business with the many high-tech companies based in the city, said Mike Hanna, United's vice president and general manager of the San Francisco hub. "The flight really connects the Silicon Valley and the 'Silicon Valley' in China," he said. "We are very excited with the bookings so far, both from China as well as from the United States." The new Hangzhou flights complement United's existing services to Shanghai, located 120 miles to the southwest and connected by high-speed rail. The new direct flight will eliminate about four hours of flying time instead of stopping in Shanghai and transferring to Hangzhou, "a great benefit" for business travelers, Hanna said. Last year, 2.1 million US tourists visited China, and 2.7 million Chinese traveled to the US, which means 13,000 people flying between the two countries every day. "The direct linkages are very good evidence that there's more business that happens and more economic development that happens," said Mark Chandler, director of the San Francisco Mayor's Office of International Trade and Commerce. "Now we are going to see more tourists and more business." San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has become a gateway to China from the US, said Doug Yakel, airport spokesman. "Over the past two years, SFO has seen a rise of 35 percent of available seats going to China. With the new service, SFO now offers 75 flights per week to China, or 10 flights a day," he said. liazhu@chinadailyusa.com IC, a bridge between Chinese and the US youths Updated: 2016-07-14 23:52 By Niu Yue in New York(chinadaily.com.cn) About 200 students and teachers from both China and the US take part in the finals of the International Youth Innovation Design Competition (IC), which is held at the faculty house of Columbia University in New York on Wednesday morning. NIU YUE / FOR CHINA DAILY About 200 students and teachers from both China and the US took part in the final competition of the International Youth Innovation Design Competition (IC), which was held at the Faculty House of Columbia University in New York on Wednesday morning. The competition has been divided into two contest portions: self-designed structural model and self-designed non-carbon small car, which shows students' creativity and DIY ability. As the year of China-US Tourism, the exchange between Chinese and American people has been promoted in all ways. "Among them, the exchange between the youths from the two countries should be taken more seriously," said Xing Naigui, secretary general of the IC Organizing Committee. "I believe IC could be a bridge between Chinese and the US youths for educational and cultural exchange, for promoting friendship by knowing each other better," said Xing. The competition is sponsored by the International Youth Innovation Design Organizing Committee, Chinese Innovation Education Research Institute, Huada Zhongke Institute of Science and Technology and US Future Students Education Consulting, co-organized by New York Education Department, RST Education Center. Trump picks Indiana Governor Pence as running mate: Media Reports Updated: 2016-07-15 02:34 (AGENCIES) Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski (L) looks on as Trump speaks about the results of the Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri primary elections during a news conference held at his Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, March 15, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] Republican Donald Trump will name Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his vice -presidential running mate, US news organizations reported on Thursday, a move that will put at Trump's side a conservative with the potential to unify divided Republicans. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee is to announce his choice on Friday at 11 a.m. in Manhattan. The choice of Pence was first reported by Roll Call. The Indianapolis Star said it had confirmed that Pence would drop his re-election bid to join the Trump campaign. The New York Times and CBS News also said Pence was Trumps pick, but the Times cautioned that some Republicans believe "the party's mercurial presidential candidate may still backtrack on his apparent choice." Roll Call said Trump was reportedly impressed with Pence's calm demeanor, his experience on Capitol Hill and as a governor, and Pence's potential to assist in governing if Trump wins in November. Trump, a New York businessman, has never held elected office. Trump is to be formally nominated as the party's candidate for the Nov 8 election at the Republican National Convention next week in Cleveland. Traditionally, the vice-presidential choice is used to build enthusiasm among party loyalists. Trump's choice of a running mate is seen as critical because his defeat of 16 rivals in the Republican primary race left the party divided and some party leaders are still uneasy about some of his campaign positions and his style. Trump had also considered former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich, 73, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, 53, as finalists. Pence, 57, a former congressman, is seen as a safe choice, not too flashy but popular among conservatives, with Midwestern appeal and the ability to rally more party faithful behind Trump. Pence also could give a boost to Trump's campaign fundraising efforts. The governor has strong ties to billionaire donors Charles and David Koch, including current and former staff members who have worked for them. Pence and Trump met on Wednesday at the governor's residence in Indianapolis. They were joined by members of Trump's family. Pence had backed a Trump rival, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, in April before the Indiana primary, but he praised Trump and said he would work on behalf of the eventual Republican nominee. Trump won Indiana anyway, prompting Cruz to drop out of the race to be the party's nominee. Pence had considered running for president himself in 2016 before deciding to run for re-election as governor. Conservatives had urged him to seek the White House, but missteps last year related to an Indiana law seen as anti-gay hurt his national profile. This year, he was the target of a mocking social media campaign by women outraged at a law he signed creating new restrictions on abortions. Feeling that the law invaded their privacy, women responded by calling Pence's office to describe their menstrual periods or tweeting similar messages. Pence ran unsuccessfully for Congress twice before he won election to the House of Representatives in 2000, where he was chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservatives. Asian-Americans honored in DC Updated: 2016-07-14 13:36 By HUA SHENGDUN in Washington(chinadaily.com.cn) Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (sixth from right in the front row) and his wife Elaine L. Chao, International Leadership Foundation (ILF) honorary chairwoman (fifth from right in the front row), with Chiling Tong (fourth from left in the front row), founder and CEO of ILF, at the ILF Awards Gala held at Capital Hilton on Wednesday in Washington. Provided to China Daily Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) may be just a small minority of the American population, but the community's voice is growing louder by the minute. "After so many years of being invisible, we have pushed to break the glass ceiling, to get more AAPIs into Congress, and to be promoted by President Obama to the highest levels of the administration and judiciary," said Congresswoman Judy Chu. Asian-American business and community leaders gathered at the International Leadership Foundation's (ILF) annual Awards Gala on Wednesday night at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC. Although the Asian-American community makes up only slightly more than 5 percent of the US population, the contributions it has made to the US society and economy are significant, according to Chiling Tong, ILF founder and CEO. For their great contributions to the AAPI community, the ILF gala awarded several accomplished individuals leadership awards, including Larry Lee, vice-chairman of China Daily (Holding) Co. Ltd. Wednesday night's ILF gala also created an environment in which political figures could set aside their philosophical differences to celebrate achievements of the AAPI community, with both Democrat and Republican members of Congress in attendance. California Republican Representative Ed Royce, chair of the Congressional Committee on Foreign Affairs, was recognized during the gala with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the AAPI community. Royce's bipartisan legislation has fought discrimination against AAPIs including a bill that banned the slur "Oriental" from being mentioned in US law, and leading a fight against quotas and discrimination at institutions of higher education. He praised the AAPI community, and promised to continue "to build relationships between Asia and the United States, and to assist this community," said Royce. Former US Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and her husband, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, both spoke about the progress that AAPIs have made in America, and the success of the community. Chao's family is a shining example of how far AAPIs have come, having been recently honored with the dedication of the Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Center at Harvard University. "My parents are very humble, modest people but I have to say I am glad there is finally a building named after a woman and a building named after an Asian American for the first time in Harvard's 380 year history," said Chao. Chao ended her speech by introducing her husband, who had words of high praise for the Asian-American community. "One thing I've learned about the Asian-American community is you don't have to tell anybody how to work hard. America is a perfect place for Asian-American immigrants, because your reward for hard work is success," said McConnell. Tong was thrilled with the success of the Gala. She stressed that bipartisan support from US leaders continues to play a vital role in the advancement of the AAPI community. "The success of this gala is significant because we worked with both sides," said Tong. "We want to show the best of the Asian-American community, and to enhance the position of the Asian-American community. We hope the next generation of our young leaders will use all of our resources to make our community even stronger." Allan Fong in Washington contributed to this story. First funerals held for Dallas police slain in racially motivated ambush Updated: 2016-07-14 14:29 (Agencies) Police officers pay their respects ahead of the funeral for Officer Lorne Ahrens in Plano, Texas, US July 13, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] DALLAS - Thousands of police officers joined by ordinary citizens attended funerals on Wednesday for three of the policemen shot dead in a racially motivated ambush attack last week that intensified America's long-running debate on race and justice. At the Dallas megachurch called The Potter's House, officers by the thousands crowded into the funeral for Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer Brent Thompson, who had married a fellow officer just two weeks before last Thursday's attack. "I know many of you have dealt with these things quite often," pastor Rick Lamb of Northside Baptist Church told the crowd. "Today is about Brent and trying to bring some closure to this family as they finish the job that they didn't want to start, but had to start last week." As Thompson's funeral procession began the roughly 55-mile (89 km) journey back to his home of Corsicana, several police helicopters flew over the church as bagpipers played "Amazing Grace" and hundred of officers from different departments saluted his silver-colored casket. Funerals also were held for Sergeant Michael Smith, 55, and Officer Lorne Ahrens, 48, of the Dallas Police Department. Dallas police officer Eddie Coffey described Ahrens as a calming presence and a down-to-earth man. "He was the guy you always wanted to show up as your backup," Coffey said. "He wanted to make sure everyone, from top down, made it home safely." 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. HCM CITY With picturesque landscapes, stable politics, improved infrastructure, and a surging number of foreign tourists, Viet Nam is increasingly seen as an ideal destination for investors in the tourism sector. At a two-day Hospitality Investment Conference, organised for the first time in Viet Nam on Tuesday, delegates discussed the opportunities and challenges facing the burgeoning hospitality industry in the country. The networking and business-matching event is being held to promote dialogue among hotel owners, operators and managers, developers and investors. Viet Nam has quickly become one of the most talked-about destinations in the region, with recent statistics showing an increase in occupancy, and average daily rates and revenue per room. Several of the governments initiatives, including visa easing policies, improvements in aviation, and development of the marine tourism sector and other new destinations, have all contributed to spurring tourism growth. Ha Van Sieu, deputy director general of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, told foreign industry insiders that the country received 4.7 million international tourists during the first six months of the year. The number of foreign travellers is expected to be at least nine million for the year, and international arrivals are expected to reach 15 million by 2020. Tourism contributes 6.6 per cent of national Gross Domestic Product, with large-scale tourism and hospitality projects and many international hotel brands available in Viet Nam, Sieu added. In the first half of 2015, Viet Nam tourism experienced a downward trend, which reversed in July of that year. It fully recovered in 2016, achieving a year-on-year growth rate of 22 per cent in the first five months this year. Chu Wee Phong, executive vice president of Singapore Press Holding Ltd., said the Vietnamese governments policies had attracted local and foreign investors who remained confident about the country. The number of hotels and guesthouses in Viet Nam has increased sharply in recent years, with a total of 19,000 hotels and 390,000 rooms. Of the number, 100 are five-star hotels, 229 are four-star and 463 are three-star. Besides calling for more investment in hotels, resorts and restaurants, the VNAT leader also urged investment in training for tourism and hospitality employees, many of whom do not meet international standards. VNS Banks and credit institutions need to support the socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta provinces. Photo thiennhien.net HAU GIANG Banks and credit institutions need to support the socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta provinces, State Bank of Viet Nam Deputy Governor ao Minh Tu has said. Speaking at a conference in Hau Giang Province on Tuesday to discuss developmental credit activities in the region, he urged lenders to focus on mobilising funds to meet the demands from construction, businesses and farmers. Credit to support trade and stabilise socio-economic development and the new rural area development programme would be prioritised, he said, adding strong efforts must be made to assist new enterprises and farmers affected by drought and salinity intrusion. Besides capital poured from the States budget, bank credit has played an important role in helping the region develop production and trading and strengthen its advantage as an agriculture hub of the country. Thanks to bank loans, many companies and households as well as agriculture and aquaculture farmers have been able to expand their business. Credit growth in the region has always been higher than the national rate. As of the end of last month the total deposits in the region were worth over VN350 trillion (US$15 billion), up 9.93 per cent year-on-year and accounting for 7 per cent of total bank deposits in the country. Loans outstanding have grown by 3.39 per cent this year to VN398 trillion ($17.8 billion). Social policy lending has also helped locals greatly in improving their living standards, with more than two million people benefiting so far. The delta has one city and 12 provinces and a population of 18 million. It is a national agriculture and aquaculture hub. It contributes 50 per cent of the national rice output and 92 per cent of exports and 60 per cent of aquaculture exports. VNS Mekong Capital yesterday announced that its Mekong Enterprise Fund III Ltd has invested US$6.9 million in restaurant chain Wrap & Roll. Photo ndh.vn HCM CITY Mekong Capital yesterday announced that its Mekong Enterprise Fund III Ltd has invested US$6.9 million in restaurant chain Wrap & Roll. This is the first investment by the fund. Established in 2006 by two entrepreneurial friends in their early 30s, Wrap & Roll Joint Stock Company is now recognised as a pioneering food chain in Viet Nam with 11 restaurants in Ha Noi and HCM City and four franchise outlets in Singapore. This year it plans to launch a new concept restaurant chain to address a different market segment. Chad Ovel, a partner at Mekong Capital, said: The company has built it with the application of best practices and systematic processes seen in large international restaurant chains, which provide a foundation for the company to continue to open new restaurants at a rapid rate. Mekong Capital not only sinks money into companies but also supports them with strategic consultancy in many areas like human resources, restructuring, management practices and corporate finance. The $112-million Mekong Enterprise Fund III, launched last month, is a private-equity fund focusing on consumer-driven businesses in Viet Nam such as retail, restaurants, consumer products, and consumer services. VNS A series of new decrees have just taken effect, providing guidelines for the enterprise and investment laws that came into effect a year ago. They also eliminate thousands of unnecessary business conditions to facilitate business development. Tran Thi Hong Minh, director of the Business Registration Management Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), talks about how the new regulations can be made effective in an interview with government portal chinhphu.vn. The Enterprise Law and Investment Law 2014 came into effect a year ago on July 1, 2015. How have they impacted the business registration situation? What are obstacles to the implementation of the laws and how are they dealt with? The laws were built with a spirit of introducing drastic reforms, giving enterprises and investors more self-control, initiative and flexibility in operations. I suppose the number of businesses registering their establishment and their committed capital have grown significantly since the laws took effect. Between July 1, 2015, and July 1, 2016, nearly 106,000 companies were established in accordance with the new Enterprise Law, an increase of about 28 per cent over the previous year. They registered capital worth some VN768 trillion (US$34.1 billion), up about 42 per cent. The important thing is that investors psychology and the way they look at market potential have improved, with the government sending a strong message about efforts to improve the business environment and assist businesses over the last few months. However, obstacles have emerged in the implementation of the new laws. Roadblocks for the Enterprise Law are mainly technical issues related to knowledge, behaviour and the working manner of relevant agencies and civil servants. Impediments for the Investment Law are even greater because this law witnessed complicated changes on a large scale, and it also involves many legal documents and state management agencies from the central government to the local authority. Irrelevant and incompatible issues remain in certain investment procedures and in the competence of agencies dealing with these procedures. The MPI has identified and assessed the aforementioned problems quite fully, with support from a working group for the execution of enterprise and investment laws. The MPI is collaborating with relevant ministries and agencies to deal with the problems. It is also actively organising courses to train local authorities to implement business and investment procedures, and to clear their queries about the difficulties they meet in practice. How do the new decrees, which took effect on July 1, 2016, providing guidelines for the enterprise and investment laws, facilitate the entry of businesses into the market? The Government and the Prime Minister have shown great determination to implement the regulations of the Investment Law on business and investment conditions, in order to improve the business environment and enhance national competitiveness. The Prime Minister has been resolute in asking ministries to draft business and investment conditions on schedule, following surveys of the business community, to build more quality regulations with fewer procedures. Ministries and ministerial-level agencies have made great efforts to implement the Prime Ministers directive. The MPI co-operated with the Government Office and the Ministry of Justice to consult and get suggestions from the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Central Institute for Economic Management, before presenting the regulations to the Government. Several meetings have taken place with straightforward expert discussions. A series of recently issued decrees showed the efforts of the Government to publicise business conditions, after it removed thousands of unsuitable and unnecessary conditions for businesses. The Government now mainly supervises enterprises in the post-licensing phases, instead of controlling their establishment with conditions set in advance. It will take time to assess how the new regulations truly work, but I think the latest review of business conditions is an initial successful step that lays an important premise for greater goals in improving the investment and business environment. What will the MPI do for effective implementation of the enterprise and investment laws in the coming months? Legally, the MPI will continue to coordinate withthe Ministry of Justice and other ministries and sectors to draft a new law that regulates future revision of other laws, before the government places it before the National Assembly. Such a law will enable the authorities to settle inconsistent points of the enterprise and investment laws, as well as other professional laws. The MPI will also collaborate with other ministries to revise some related decrees before presenting them to the government in October. Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung has directed officials in this sector to carry out these tasks effectively. To serve the general goals of improving the business environment and enhancing national competitiveness, I think the working group for the execution of enterprise and investment laws should continue to promote its role and responsibility in advising the Prime Minister to issue proper directives for adequate and consistent implementation of these laws. The MPI will co-operate with state management agencies at different levels to propagate new points of the enterprise and investment laws in the business community and the public. The ministry is finalising a circular to provide guidelines related to business and investment registration procedures for foreign investors, in accordance with Article 24 of Decree No 118/2015/N-CP. This is aimed at creating advantageous conditions for foreign investors while establishing their businesses in Viet Nam. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered the Peoples Committee of Central Highlands province of Kon Tum to continue investigation into deforestation and illegal timber transportation in the province. The requirement was made following news coverage reported by Viet Nam Television and Tin Tuc (News) newspaper of Viet Nam News Agency on deforestation which occurred in broad daylight on a plantation owned by ak Glei Forestry Single Member Limited Company in ak Glei District. Upon requirement of clarification by the Prime Minister on June 25, the provincial Peoples Committee reported that the five people cutting down the forest used chain saws to cut down six big trees, the largest of which had a trunk measuring 70cm across. Head of the forest protection and management station of ak Glei Forestry Single Member Limited Company was suspended from work as he was reportedly not on duty at the time the incident occurred. The Prime Minister ordered strict punishments for the groups and individuals related to the violation and sought measures to prevent similar incidents from happening. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been assigned to work with relevant agencies to study a proposal of Kon Tum Provinces Peoples Committee to amend and add regulations on forest protection and development laws with a view to stiffening penalties. Deforestation is among the main reasons leading to losses of forest areas in Central Highland provinces. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said deforestation in the region has been exacerbated in recent years, leading to a decrease of 300,000 hectares of forest area during 2010-2014. In the first five months of this year, there were 1,724 violations of forest protection and development regulations reported. VNS On the occasion of the 64th anniversary of Egypts National Day commemorating the July 1952 Revolution Ambassador Youssef K. Hanna highlights some of Egypts major developments in the last few years. During the last five years Egypt has witnessed very positive developments and great achievements in its political, economic and social spheres. Politically, Egypt has completed the three steps stipulated in the Road Map towards democracy which included as a first step the adoption of a new constitution in January 2014, the most progressive in Egypts history and which embodies the hopes and aspirations of the Egyptian people. Through the second step in May 2014, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi was elected as the president of Egypt with a 96.6 per cent landslide, in elections that witnessed a 47.5 per cent voter turnout and were internationally recognised as free and transparent. Completing the final phase of the Road Map, Egypts new parliament was elected in November-December 2015 and convened its inaugural session on 10 January 2016. Forty-four political parties participated in the elections, 19 of which succeeded in securing seats in Parliament. These parties represent all shades of the political spectrum. The Egyptian expatriates have, for the first time in their history, voted in all successive parliamentary and presidential elections conducted after the 25th January, 2011 Revolution. On the social front, important steps have been taken to further embrace the diversity of the Egyptian society to achieve religious tolerance and co-existence. Great attention has been given to implement provisions of the constitution relevant to the empowerment of women, youth and people with disabilities. Similarly, Egypt has taken steps in recent years to tackle the root of its economic maladies and ensure that there is greater equity in wealth distribution and opportunities. These efforts included support for Small and Medium Enterprises, subsidy reform and the adoption of a minimum and maximum wage. In addition, the Government embarked on a number of grand national projects such as the new Suez Canal, North West Coast Development Project and the establishment of a nuclear power plant in Dabaa. On the external level, Egypt has consolidated independence of its foreign policy decision making and established more balanced and diverse international partnerships. A priority was given to the revitalisation of Egypts traditional ties with its fellow African and Asian countries. Egypts election to a none-permanent seat in the UN Security Council in 2015 has reflected the international communitys support for Egypt and its role in maintaining international peace and security. As the threat of terrorism has grown in recent years, Egypt has stepped up to the challenge, standing at the frontline of the regional and international fight against terrorism. It continues to co-operate with regional and global partners to fight terrorist activities and the radical ideologies that lead to them. The commemoration of Egypts National Day is also a great opportunity to celebrate Egypt-Vietnam historical relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties 53 years ago. Throughout these years bilateral relations have flourished on the basis of co-operation, friendship, mutual respect, and the exchange of support in different regional and multilateral forums as well as close co-ordination on issues of mutual interest. The thriving relationship between the two countries holds great potential for expansion and development especially in the fields of trade and investment, agriculture and fisheries, energy, tourism, communication and information technologies, education and cultural exchange. I would like to seize this opportunity to congratulate the Vietnamese leadership and government for the great socio-economic achievements that reflect the determination of the Vietnamese people, government and Communist Party towards the realisation of sustainable development and modernisation. My best wishes for further development of the excellent relations and co-operation between our two nations and peoples. VNS A NANG Central city a Nangs tourism department has distributed 5,000 leaflets in Chinese, promoting a code of conduct for tourists at airports, stations, destinations and hotels, besides resorts and public areas. Vice-Director of the department Tran Chi Cuong told Viet Nam News that the code of conduct, issued in Vietnamese in January, aimed to warn Chinese tourists what they should do or not do while touring the city. He said the code of conduct has been sent to travel agencies that deal with Chinese tourists. Cuong said the code had been printed following a series of incidents in the city recently in which some illegal tourist guides (Chinese nationals) presented a distorted view of the history and culture of Viet Nam during a tour of the Linh Ung Pagoda and My Khe Beach in a Nang. Last week, the city fined six Chinese nationals for operating illegal tourist services and for violating local laws. According to the department, at least 60 Chinese guides were working illegally in the city, and most of the Chinese travel agencies that dealt with Chinese tour groups disguised their operations with a Vietnamese licence, as directed by their Chinese managers. The citys tourism department revoked the business licence of a local travel agency for nine months, after one of its Chinese tourists burnt Vietnamese notes at a downtown bar in the city. The central city hosted 600,000 Chinese tourists in the first half this year, an 83 per cent increase in comparison with last year. Chinese tourists comprised a quarter of all tourists visiting the city. The citys Party Secretary Nguyen Xuan Anh said the city did not discriminate between Chinese tourists and other foreign tourists, but the city would fine visitors who violated the law or committed any wrongdoing. The city plans to establish a tourism police force as a pilot project to boost security for tourists and the tourism sector in the 2016-2020 period. a Nang hosted 4.6 million tourists last year, of which 1.25 million were foreigners. The city has opened two tourist information centres at a Nang International Airports national arrival terminal, which would provide free maps, brochures and information about hotels and travel and tour agencies. VNS by Chi Lan The Hagues Arbitral Tribunal on Tuesday finally rendered its long-awaited landmark ruling on the case of the Philippines versus China over claims to the East Sea (South China Sea). The result came after three years filled with complicated procedures, international clapping, bitter objections and ballyhooed exchanges of words. As the historic decision day approached, analysts and legal experts expected a ruling favourable to the Philippines following two hearings and some 4,000 pages of evidence submitted to the tribunal, yet how the ruling was delivered turned out to be unexpected. In an interview with Viet Nam News right after the ruling was announced, Dr Markus Gehring, deputy director of the University of Cambridges Centre for European Legal Studies, admitted he was a little bit surprised at the clear, decisive language of the tribunal ruling, which hardly left any room for doubt on what the panel truly meant in its decision, or how to interpret the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Such legal interpretations were heretofore drawn arbitrarily with Chinas so-called nine-dash line as the quintessential example, which was problematic to a great extent. The Arbitral Tribunal rejected loud and clear Beijings "historic rights" to resources within the sea area in the nine-dash line and declared that none of the features in the Spratly Islands (Truong Sa) claimed by the northern powerhouse were capable of generating an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles as an individual feature nor as a collective unit. It strongly stated that China had violated the Philippines sovereign rights in its EEZ and caused irreparable harm to the marine environment through land reclamation while at the same time, letting Chinese fishermen harvest endangered sea species on a substantial scale without actions to stop such activities. The Tribunal also concluded that Beijings in toto actions in the East Sea were incompatible with the obligations on a State during dispute resolution proceedings, a final blow to Chinas oft-said declarations that it aimed to solve disputes by peaceful settlements in accordance with international law. The ruling was hailed as landmark for a reason. It was the first time an international ruling, which is legally binding without chance for appeal, was clearly announced on the disputed East Sea. The "nine-dash" line claimed by China is not valid. East Sea claimants and the world fully understand that sovereignty issues extend beyond the reach of the July 12 ruling. Yet, it was no doubt a light at the end of the tunnel, offering bona fide hope that a peaceful solution settled by international law and norms is possible, and not just an empty promise on the tip of diplomats tongues. While most concerned parties have welcomed the ruling, Chinas reaction is writing on the wall for more troubles ahead. Hours after the ruling, Chinese President Xi Jinping told European Union leaders attending the Asia-Europe Summit in Beijing that China would not accept any positions or actions based on the outcome of an international tribunals arbitration, once again repeating its tribunal-slammed claim to "historic rights that were purportedly established in ancient times. Yesterday, China released its White Book against the tribunals ruling and declared it reserved the right to set up an air defence zone in the East Sea, one day after the Beijing Public Emergency Response Committee ordered all agencies to make preparations under wartime status, according to the Hong Kong-based Oriental Daily online newspaper. The Philippines Embassy in Beijing, meanwhile, advised its citizens in China to refrain from engaging in any political talks regarding the issue, a cautious move learnt by the Southeast nation after attacks against Japanese broke out in 2012 when Japan nationalised the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands. Dr Gehring believes it would be domestically difficult for China to change its position on the East Sea after the ruling. In the short-term, it is expected that Beijing will stay put with its sovereignty stance, partly because of pressure from the inside and nationalistic sentiment. The National Border Committees former chief, Tran Cong Truc, agreed that nationalism was and will be a strong force, nurtured by decades of education and territorial declarations by the Chinese government. At least in the immediate future, this sentiment will challenge any possible changes to Beijings stance on handling territorial integrity and sovereignty issues, Truc said. Refusing to abide by the unanimous ruling would cost China, as a signatory to UNCLOS, the fragile credibility of a peaceful rising power in Asia and the world over. Furthermore, China is also a member of the United Nations Security Council and is thus tasked with holding other countries accountable and insisting that they comply with the rule of law. Truc believes that any negative reactions by China in the aftermath of the ruling would also pull down its ambitious mega-project One Belt, One Road because the countries China has been trying to seduce into the project may become suspicious of Beijings real intentions of the project, as it has said one thing but done another. It took centuries for nations that had gone through brutal wars and sacrificed so much blood to reach agreements, establishing institutions and laws, such as the UN and UNCLOS, to end a state of lawlessness, of course with certain compromises regarding their raison dEtat. After The Hague Arbitral Tribunals ruling, it is natural that some parties are happy, some welcome with reservations and others are unhappy. I believe it is high time nations started considering responsible actions with good will to promote peaceful resolutions to the East Sea issue and avoid plunging the region back into a state of lawlessness. It will take cool-headed negotiations, diplomatic talks and other peaceful means to settle the East Sea dispute for the sake of all claimants involved, not excluding China. VNS Slovakian Prime Minister Roberto Fico HA NOI Slovakian Prime Minister Roberto Fico is scheduled to pay an official visit to Viet Nam from July 16 to 19. According to the Foreign Ministry, the visit will be made at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Viet Nam and Slovakia established diplomatic relations in 1950. Their bilateral trade hit over US$1.2 billion and Slovakia is currently the biggest Central European investor in Viet Nam. In 2016, the two countries will organise the second session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Economic Co-operation in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava. VNS HCM CITY The HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has said it will step up checks of service establishments that are likely to surreptitiously employ sex workers to combat prostitution. It said in a report there were 34 roads with such establishments as well as sex workers soliciting on the street in the first half of this year. It collaborated with the police and other agencies to uncover 63 cases and stop prostitution on 11 of the streets. They are in Binh Tan, Phu Nhuan, Binh Thanh, and Thu uc districts. Speaking at a workshop to review efforts to crack down on prostitution in the first six months, Le Van Quy, deputy head of the departments Social Evils Prevention Division, said the laws have not kept pace with the changes in society. For instance, he said, male and gay prostitution and activities to arouse sexual desires, which are common in restaurants, bars, and other establishments, are still not crimes. Rehabilitation efforts have not been too successful either since the assistance provided to prostitutes to find other livelihoods, in the form of subsidies and short-term vocational training, is inadequate, he added. A Womens Union representative concurred, saying the VN5 million given to sex workers is too low. Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Hien of the city Police Agency for Investigation of Crimes against Social Order said prostitutes are using Facebook and Zalo to circulate their pictures for clients to choose. Sex workers have again begun to accompany clients on domestic and foreign tours, he added. Huynh Thanh Khiet, deputy head of the city Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, said the ease of getting a licence for service establishments is also to blame for prostitution. The city has 17,545 bars, massage parlours, inns and other such place. In the first half of this year 2,767 of them were raided and 46 per cent were found supplying sex workers, and were fined nearly VN 11billion (US$488,888). The city would force them to pledge they would desist from prostitution and activities meant to arouse sexual desires, Khiet said. All establishments clandestinely involved in prostitution would be severely dealt with, he said. VNS HCM CITY - When a local official informed her last year that her family was no longer poor, the 42-year-old woman in Ward 15 in HCM Citys District 8 was not happy. This was because her family would no longer get subsidised health insurance or education for her children besides other benefits. The woman, who asked not to be named, said, I am worried I cannot afford school for my children while I have heart disease and need surgery but do not have enough money. Her malnourished twins they have one elder sibling recently benefited from a free nutrition programme for disadvantaged children in the district, which has a large number of immigrants and people with low access to education, healthcare and other services. The citys poverty rate at the end of last year was 0.5 per cent based on a per capita income of VN16 million (US$711). From just income, the method of calculating poverty has been modified this year to a multi-dimensional approach based also on education, healthcare, employment, social insurance, living conditions, and information access. According to UNICEF, HCM City is Viet Nams richest, fastest growing and most densely populated city with 10 million people, but its wealth hides the magnitude of poverty and disparities and typical challenges that affect the urban poor, including children. The nutrition programme in District 8 aims to improve living conditions for vulnerable children and families and is carried out by French NGO Enfants & Developpement (E & D) since 2010. Hers is one of 1,000 families to benefit as of last year. Tran Hoang Minh of E&D said District 8 is home to many poor families including immigrants who are poor in not only finance but also other fields including education, employment, and personal papers. They lack information and skills to access social services, he said. The organisations social workers visited these families two or four times a month so as to help them solve their problems step by step, he added. E&Ds staff have also held workshops for these families on preventing malnourishment, managing expenditure and others besides working with local authorities to effectively provide assistance to them. o Thi Thu Hien, deputy head of Thu uc District Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Division, said the project is good for her own staff to learn from. As of now, my division staff specialising in childrens welfare have not been [visiting families] because each ward has 10,000 children but only one worker. Pham inh Nghinh, head of the city Welfare Centre for Children, said E&D is one of many NGOs providing welfare services to certain categories of children and families to supplement the work done by public services. Public network Nghinh said a social work centre is being established in District 12 to counsel communities on how to access welfare services. Such centres would be set up in all districts, he said. Under national action programmes for the care, education, and protection of children, a network of staff and social workers specialising in childrens affairs has been established around the city. The city also has 153 community consultancy sites for the citys 1.5 million children, more than 50,550 of whom are disadvantaged. Nghinh said his centre last year provided intervention and emergency aid to 128 children who were victims of violence, sexually abused or injured in accidents. Inadequate Tran Cong Binh, programme partnerships specialist at UNICEFs HCM City office, said the country still lacks programmes to provide specialised services such as psychological assistance or physical and emotion rehabilitation for children. Child care and protection staffs and social workers are not trained professionally, he added. Bui Thi Thanh Tuyen, a postgraduate in social work from the US, said all families have need for assistance because problems could potentially occur. The US, for instance, has preventive programme for all families in which children are taught about health and safety, sexual abuse, conflict solutions, and others, she said. Preventive services should be paid more attention to because they are more effective and cost less than treatment. For families that are vulnerable and need treatment, the US has early intervention and long-term as well as rehabilitation programmes. -- VNS The HCM City Peoples Committee has instructed all city agencies and city-owned enterprises to replace communication by paper with text messages and emails. Photo vov.vn HCM CITY The HCM City Peoples Committee has instructed all city agencies and city-owned enterprises to replace communication by paper with text messages and emails. Tran Vinh Tuyen, deputy chairman of the committee, has signed an order instructing all city agencies to stop sending paper letters from July 20. The move is aimed at enhancing the use of information technology and foster e-governance to make the government apparatus work more efficiently and transparently. More than 2,200 paper letters that are sent every year would now be replaced by SMSs and emails, saving more than VN390 million (US$17,500) according to the Peoples Committee Office. The committee also said it would no longer accept documents submitted without electronic files attached. VNS BINH PHUOC An outbreak of diphtheria in the past week in the central province of Binh Phuoc has resulted in three deaths, a health official said. All three patients died after being hospitalised for several days, causing great concern among local residents. Quach Ai uc, deputy director of the provinces Health Department, said test results showed they were positive for the disease. The deceased, aged 12, 18 and 24, had been admitted to Binh Phuoc General Hospital, presenting symptoms of high fever, cough and breathing difficulty. Some 34 cases of diphtheria have been reported since late June in Thuan Loi Communes Thuan Tien Village and Thuan Phu Communes Thuan Phu 3 Village, uc said. He said the other 31 patients were receiving treatment at health facilities in Binh Phuoc Province and HCM City. To prevent the disease from spreading to other areas, the General Department of Preventive Medicine has suggested the provincial Health Department should closely monitor the situation and take sample tests from those exposed to the disease and from high-risk groups to detect new cases of infection. At the same time, the Health Department was asked to take steps to promptly manage the outbreak, ensuring that people contracting the disease were isolated and receiving treatment in order to minimise the number of infections. The department was also ordered to investigate all cases of infection in the community and at the treatment facility, submitting daily reports on each case and the results of preventive measures. The Preventive Medicine Department also required the provincial Health Department to work with the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City to organise a vaccination drive at the site of the outbreak, compiling statistics on the number of people who have not been vaccinated against diphtheria. This is necessary to ensure that all children are inoculated against the disease, especially those living in mountainous and remote areas. The province has also been urged to strengthen advocacy activities focused on risk and prevention to ensure people become more proactive in preventing the disease. According to the General Department of Preventive Medicine, diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria. It affects the mucous membranes of the throat and nose. The disease is common in children but can occur in adults with impaired immunity. Although the disease is easily transmitted from one person to another, diphtheria can be prevented through vaccination. Previously, the disease was quite common in most provinces across the country. However, since the inclusion of the diphtheria vaccine in expanded immunisation programmes, the disease has been under control, and only a few cases have been recorded among those who were not vaccinated against the disease, usually because they lived in remote areas where immunisation rates are low. VNS HA NOI A new online portal will enable Vietnamese people living overseas to learn Vietnamese via the Internet, following a project recently approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The project, entitled Intensifying teaching Vietnamese online to overseas Vietnamese aims to help Vietnamese people living abroad, particularly the young generation, gain sufficient knowledge about their mother tongue in order to nurture their love for the homeland and maintain national traditions and character. The project will develop and maintain online Vietnamese teaching programmes at six levels, meeting the criteria of being basic, effective and easy to access. Vietnamese lessons and learning materials will be provided to learners to improve their pronunciation and knowledge in various majors, such as folk culture and art, science and technology and social science and humanities, among others. Learners will also be provided various documents such as handbooks in Vietnamese on communication, travel, business and gastronomy, among others. The project will develop an online portal to serve as a platform for learning activities, including classes with teachers, exams and forums to exchange teaching experiences. The education and training ministry, authorised by the government, is already running a website to teach Vietnamese to overseas Vietnamese at tiengvietonline.com.vn. In 2015, the overseas Vietnamese community consisted of roughly 4.5 million people spread across 109 countries and territories, Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairman of the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs Vu Hong Nam said. VNS HA NOI Ha Noi University of Science and Technology (HUST) and UTS:INSEARCH, the University of Technology Sydneys English college, have launched a programme to boost the English language skills of Vietnamese researchers. The English for Academic Research Programme is the first such programme in Viet Nam, specifically tailored to help researchers and professors produce quality scientific publications in English. The first course under the partnership between the two universities is expected to be conducted over 10 weeks as of September by experienced UTS:INSEARCH teachers. Tim Laurence, dean of studies for UTS:INSEARCH, said the curriculum was designed to help learners improve their vocabulary, grammar, academic writing ability and independent study ability, and would help researchers to interact confidently with international peers and supervisors in English. Strong English proficiency strengthens Viet Nams competitiveness in research, he said. Vice-Principal of HUST Tran Van Top said SCImago Journal & Country had ranked Viet Nam 64 out of 239 countries, based on the number of international publications, as the country had more than 29,230 internationally-published documents and journals, mostly in agriculture, technical mathematics, pharmacy and physics. Modest English language proficiency was a barrier for Vietnamese researchers and research students, he said. Top said Viet Nam, particularly its universities, was trying to enhance scientific research ability and foreign language proficiency. Kim Cleary, education counsellor for the Australian Embassy in Viet Nam, said the programme was evidence of the increased co-operation between the two countries. She said she believed it would enhance collaboration between researchers in Australia and Viet Nam. UTS:INSEARCH Accelerate Scholarships were also announced at the programme launch, offering free tuition to masters and PhD students in Viet Nam who have accepted an offer to attend the University of Technology Sydney. The scholarships are worth VN50 million (US$ 2,240). VNS HA NOI The Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) has asked the National Salary Council to increase regional minimum wages in 2017 by 10-11 per cent from the current rates. Le inh Quang, deputy head of the labour friendship department under VGCL, said the proposal was carefully made with a view to harmonise businesses economic situation with workers daily needs. Surveys conducted by VGCL showed that only eight per cent of workers had income that could help them meet their demands and also save some money; about 20 per cent of the workers had income below their living standards; and the rest were struggling to make ends meet, Quang said. He said an annual wage increase might cause difficulties for businesses, while the current wage helped workers to cover 80 per cent of their basic demands. The VGCL wanted the regional minimum wage road map to ensure that the basic demands of labourers and their families were met, he said. Pham Minh Huan, deputy minister of labour, invalids and social affairs, said the negotiation on wage hikes in 2017 would not be as difficult as it had been in previous years, as the gap between the wage proposals had been narrowed. The Viet Nam Garment and Textile Association has proposed there should not be a minimum wage hike, while the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has suggested a low rate of increase and VGCL has revised its wage increase proposal. The regional minimum wage increase in 2017 would not be as high as the 12.4 per cent increase this year, Huan said. The National Salary Council would decide on a wage hike at a meeting later this month, before submitting a final plan to the government for approval, he said. Last year, the government decided to raise the minimum wage in 2016 by 12.4 per cent. Accordingly, from January 1, 2016, the minimum wages range between VN2.4-3.5 million (US$108-157), depending on geographical zone. The wage hike was agreed upon after several negotiations between VGCL, which represents employees, and VCCI, which represent employers. The two sides had failed to agree on how much the wages should be raised as VCCI had asked for a hike of no more than 10 per cent, while the VGCL had requested a 16.8 per cent increase. VNS TAIPEI - At least five foreign suspects could be involved in operations that saw over NT$80 million (US$2.49 million) stolen from First Commercial Bank automatic teller machines, investigators said on Wednesday. Two Russians stole NT$70 million worth of cash from First Bank ATMs and managed to flee the country on Monday. Apart from the two Russian suspects, the other suspects were Caucasian, police stated, citing surveillance footage, local media reported. The two Russians were identified as a 34-year-old, surnamed Berezovskiy, and a 28-year-old, surnamed Berkman, Apple Daily said. Police have identified the third suspect - Peregudovs Andrenjs, a 40-year-old Latvian man - using surveillance footage and other evidence, though he is still at large. He has been barred from leaving the country. The remaining suspects could still be in Taiwan, with one of them likely responsible for illegally withdrawing NT$3.8 million from First Banks ATM at Chilin branch. Police say investigations are still underway. More details on the remaining suspects were yet to be revealed by the police as of press time. The suspects arrived at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in two groups on July 8, entering as tourists. They rented a vehicle and then embarked on their illegal operations in multiple locations in Taipei and Taichung. Their heist was carried out over the next two days, before the two Russian suspects left the country on Monday. -- The China Post/ANN The rising online business, combined with multiple portals, is driving the traffic to meta-search businesses in this space. Meta-search engines such as Ixigo and TripAdvisor not only allow price comparison across sites but also have an option of doing transactions. As for online portals, the list is long the big ones include MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Cleartrip, Expedia, and then there are smaller ones like EaseMyTrip and Big Breaks. Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. 26 years of website archives. China vowed to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty over the South China Sea and said it had the right to set up an air defence zone, after rejecting an international tribunal's ruling denying its claims to the energy-rich waters. Chinese state media called the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague a "puppet" of external forces, after it ruled that China had breached the Philippines' sovereign rights by endangering its ships and fishing and oil projects. Beijing has repeatedly blamed the United States for stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, where its territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Vietnam on Thursday protested China's recent activities in the disputed South China Sea, saying they seriously violate Vietnamese sovereignty. Chinese state media reported that two Chinese civilian aircraft on Wednesday landed successfully on two newly built airstrips on Mischief and Subi reefs. China also said it had completed four lighthouses on disputed reefs and was launching a fifth. The latest developments came as the Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) this week ruled that China's vast territorial claims are violating maritime law. The PCA ruled in favor of the Philippines, which challenged Beijing's expansive claims to virtually the entire South China Sea. Beijing says it does not recognise the decision. Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh demanded Beijing cease actions that complicate the situation. "Despite the opposition of Vietnam and concerns by the community, those actions conducted by China have seriously violated Vietnam's sovereignty and are unlawful and cannot change the fact about Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes," Binh told reporters, referring to the Paracel and Spratly islands in the South China Sea. Binh reiterated that Vietnam has all legal basis and historical evidences to affirm its sovereignty over the two island chains. Six regional governments have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, waters that are rich in fishing stocks and potential energy resources and where an estimated $5 trillion in global trade passes each year. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Thursday that if anyone challenges China's rights and interests by taking provocative actions based on the ruling, China will surely make a resolute response. Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin on Wednesday said Beijing could declare an air defense identification zone over the waters if it felt threatened, a move that would sharply escalate tensions. Although it claims some of the region as the Philippines, Vietnam welcomed the arbitration process initiated by Manila and took a strong position against Beijing in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The government said it will study the ruling before commenting on it. Australian workers will soon be entitled to paid domestic violence leave More than 11 million Australians will be able to access 10 days of paid domestic violence leave from February 2023 after the Labor government passed a milestone bill on Thursday. Coalition slams Labor for empowering far-left climate activists The Opposition has slammed Tanya Plibersek's defence of the almost $10 million Labor spent on funding climate groups in Tuesday night's budget, accusing the government of "empowering far-left activists" and inflicting "massive damage on our national economy". My lifes been publicly scrutinised: Brittany Higgins tearful statement Brittany Higgins has delivered a tearful statement declaring her life has been publicly scrutinised outside court after the judge in the Bruce Lehrmann rape case discharged the jury. Labor reveals cheaper medicines win The Albanese Government has officially reduced the cost of prescription medicines and revealed how much money millions of Australians can expect to save. Memo warned: Dont feed gators LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) Firefighters at Walt Disney World were warned to stop feeding alligators at one of the resorts fire stations two months before an alligator killed a toddler. According to emails obtained by Orlando Sentinel, Reedy Creek Emergency Services admonished firefighters for feeding at least one of two alligators at a station less than a half-mile from Seven Seas Lagoon where 2-year-old Lane Graves was killed after being pulled into the water by a gator. Feeding alligators is illegal. The email said employees were afraid after one gator was spotted near the parking lot and asked officials to remove it. A Disney spokeswoman said Wednesday it was unclear whether the gator had been removed. Congress passes drug-abuse bill WASHINGTON (AP) Congress sent President Barack Obama a compromise bill Wednesday aimed at curbing abuse of heroin and other drugs, a nationwide epidemic that kills more than 100 Americans every day. The overwhelming 92-2 Senate vote comes just days before the seven-week congressional break. The legislation creates grants and other programs aimed at addressing drug abuse, especially heroin and opioids. There were more than 47,000 U.S. drug abuse fatalities in 2014 double the death rate in 2000. Democrats complained the bill does not include money to pay for its programs. Colorado bear gets stuck in car GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) Its a locked room mystery with a twist. The Jefferson County Sheriffs Office in Colorado got a call about the bear who managed to get into a Subaru wagon without breaking any windows. The cars owner said all the doors were closed. The bear got trapped in the car, leaving a pair of deputies to find a way to get it out. One deputy opened the hatch while the other stood guard nearby with a shotgun. The bear bounded out, leaving behind some snout marks on a window, a shredded interior and questions about how the animal got into the vehicle. Obama: Still far from solving police issues WASHINGTON (AP) America is not even close to where it needs to be in terms of resolving issues between police and the communities they serve, President Barack Obama said after a more than three-hour meeting Wednesday with community activists, politicians and law enforcement officials. Obama expressed optimism, however, and said the participants who included members of the Black Lives Matter movement agreed such conversations need to continue despite emotions running raw. Obama has devoted his attention this week to the gun violence directed at police officers as well as shootings by police. Trump to unveil VP pick Friday WASHINGTON (AP) Donald Trump will announce his choice for running mate at 10 a.m. Friday in Manhattan. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee posted the news on Twitter Wednesday night. Trump, his adult children and key staffers have been meeting with vice presidential prospects all week. The top names under consideration include Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. OELWEIN Randy McQueen will do everything in his power to make those around him crack up. His infectious personality spreads through the halls of Mercy Living Plus, an assisted living facility in Oelwein where he volunteers. I get a lot of joy from making people laugh, McQueen said. And if I have to work a little harder to do it, all the better. McQueen was selected as the 2016 National Adult Volunteer of the Year by the American Healthcare Association and National Center for Assisted Living. Chosen among dozens of nominations, McQueen will be recognized at a ceremony in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 19. Sue Schneider, activities director at Mercy Living Plus, nominated McQueen and will accompany him to Nashville. Hes really an inspiration to me, Schneider said. Hes a priceless volunteer, and his commitment to Mercy Plus deserves recognition. McQueen wears his dedication on his sleeve literally. With each holiday comes McQueen clad in a new costume a scarecrow in the fall, cupid in February, an elf during Christmas. His 4-foot-2-inch stature makes for a unique Abraham Lincoln. Thats got to be my favorite, he laughs. McQueens height is a symptom of a birth defect, Morquio Syndrome, which stunted his growth. The genetic disease is rare, estimated to occur once in every 200,000 births. An enzyme deficiency keeps the body from breaking down so-called sugar chains into simpler molecules. Those chains accumulate and can cause damage over time. The disease has a long list of symptoms; it can affect joints, making them loose and susceptible to wear, as well as facial structures. Those affected can show signs of an enlarged head, short neck and prominent cheekbones. McQueen considers his symptoms to be less severe than most, although the disease has done damage to his joints. A hip replacement seven years ago was the first of multiple surgeries that would find him a rehab patient at Mercy Plus. Hes been volunteering regularly since then. McQueen got to know the residents quite well during his rehab time. He says that perspective allows him to anticipate patient needs even before the care staff at times. [As a patient,] youre relying on staff for food, drink and medicine. Sometimes the nurses get busy and Ill catch when one of the residents needs a Kleenex or a glass of water, McQueen said. He said hes always thinking of others. McQueen stops by Mercy Plus, the 39-bed facility housed on the third floor of Mercy Hospital, as many as three times each week. We really consider him another one of the staff, Schneider said. She said McQueen accompanies the staff and residents on public outings like Oelweins Party in the Park, eats dinner with the residents and holds regular Stories with Randy sessions. McQueen won the Iowa Health Care Associations volunteer award at the state level in 2014. He said his relationships with residents run deep. He told of a patient who had been sick and seemed to be on her death bed. The womans four sons were huddled around her and had asked that McQueen be there when she passed they knew hed been close to her. I was able to tell them a story about their mother that theyd never heard, McQueen said. I told them the one shed told me about the time she was messing around as a little girl and managed to get into the dandelion wine. That brought a smile to their faces. He said although he is surprised and honored by the award, he doesnt volunteer for the recognition. This is a way for me to channel my talents, and its become my mission in life, McQueen said. WATERLOO A district court ruling has put the future of the National Cattle Congress in jeopardy. Judge George Stigler said the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa can foreclose on the NCC property to recover $13.9 million owed on loans the tribe made 20 years ago to help the NCC emerge from bankruptcy reorganization. The NCC has asked the court to reconsider the ruling, which could send the historic fairgrounds, Electric Park Ballroom and former Waterloo Greyhound Park to a sheriffs sale. Ken Nelson, the NCCs legal counsel, could not be reached for comment Thursday. But NCC board chairman Wally Mochal confirmed the organization has asked Stigler to reconsider his ruling and is prepared to take the matter to the Iowa Court of Appeals if necessary. Moichal also said NCC is continuing preparations for its annual fall fair, set for Sept. 15-18, and other scheduled events, noting the organization has bookings into 2017. We are trying to do everything possible to maintain our operations, Mochal said. We had a staff meeting today. Michael Treinen, the tribes attorney, said he is resisting the motion for a hearing to reconsider the ruling. He deferred questions about future plans for the property to the tribes attorney general, who was not immediately available for comment. At issue is an agreement in 1995 for the tribe, also known as the Meskwaki Tribe of Tama, to provide a $9.1 million line of credit to support the NCC, which was undergoing bankruptcy reorganization. The NCC emerged from bankruptcy in 1996 but has not made payments on the promissory notes, boosting the amount owed to $13.9 million, including interest. The Sac and Fox Tribe then filed an action in May 2014 to foreclose on the NCC assets. I for one was very surprised at the judges opinion, Mochal said particularly a portion of the ruling in which Stigler noted NCC did not borrow the full $9.1 million from the tribe and had approximately $4 million in additional funds it could have utilized to pay its creditors, this alleviating the concerns of the Racing an Gambling (Gaming) Commission as to its financial viability. It (NCC) chose not to utilize the balance of the line of creditor, thereby failing to do all it could have done to maintain its solvency, thereby putting NCC in breach of its agreement with the tribe, Stigler wrote. Mochal commented, I dont understand how going into debt $4 million more would make us financially stronger. He added, We tried to do everything, to maintain the license, but the Gaming Commission took it away from us. That included an unsuccessful bid, with tribal cooperation, to win back a license for the dog track after Black Hawk County voters approved a gambling referendum in 2003. The Racing and Gaming Commission ultimately awarded a license to the Black Hawk County Gaming Association for the Isle Hotel Casino Waterloo. NCC officials contend the 1995 agreement was to ensure no other gambling interest would obtain the NCCs gaming license and compete with the tribes casino near Tama. The NCC alleged the agreement does not require repayment. But Stigler said the promissory notes clearly state that the National Cattle Congress did have an obligation to repay the debt. While the original agreement required the NCC to do everything necessary to maintain its gaming license for the greyhound racing track, Stigler said it failed to do so. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission rescinded that license in 1996, forcing the facility to be shuttered. The tribe has yet to file for a foreclosure decree, which would set up the process for the sheriffs auction. Courier news editor Pat Kinney contributed to this article. WATERLOO A man reported being stabbed in his leg Wednesday night. Police were called to 405 Sunnyside Ave. about 11:35 p.m. where they found Tyre Gilbert, of Chicago, holding his injured right leg. Gilbert told police he had been stabbed with a small pocket knife by a black male wearing a hooded sweatshirt. According to police, Gilbert initially told police he had been shot in the leg. Gilbert refused transport from the scene by Waterloo Fire Rescue and declined further treatment. The incident is under investigation. WATERLOO Police are investigating two recreational trail assaults on successive days. The same group of individuals is believed to be responsible. The incidents occurred in the late afternoon or early evening Tuesday and Wednesday, Waterloo Safety Services Director Dan Trelka said. In the first, a male was sucker punched from behind and then kicked once on the ground. In the second, a woman was struck by individuals with arms extended as they passed her on bicycles. Neither incident resulted in serious injury. The second assault happened on the Sergeant Road trail, a converted rail right of way paralleling U.S. Highway 63 in the southwest part of the city. Trelka didnt immediately have a location for the first assault. Both incidents are believed to have been committed by a group of three young black males riding bicycles, whom Trelka described as kids. Police are pursuing leads in the case. Meanwhile he suggested more trail usage, not less, and traveling in numbers might deter such assaults. Id like to see people use the trails more, Trelka said. Theyre picking on people alone. Use the buddy system. EVANSDALE --Loftys Lounge will host an Up With Families Ride and Drive Rally on July 23. Food and music will be provided after the ride for a free-will donation as well as a silent auction, with all proceeds to benefit Up With Families. There will also be a 100-mile poker ride that will include stops in Denver, Horton, Clarksville, New Hartford and North Cedar. Registration for the ride begins at 9 a.m. and costs $20 per participant. The first 100 people to register will get a free T-shirt and a chance to win cash prizes. Up With Families is an eastern Iowa organization that serves families who have children with disabilities or special needs. UWF offers a weekend retreat that provides support, understanding and information as well as relaxation and the opportunity to meet other families facing similar circumstances. EVANSDALE It was a carnival-like atmosphere at Angels Park in Evansdale on Wednesday slushies, face painting, dunk tanks and balloons. But serious work was being done to prevent serious crimes. Police and other representatives were on hand to teach children safety tips and help record fingerprints. Child Safety Awareness Day marked the fourth anniversary of the disappearance of Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook-Morrissey on July 13, 2012. The young cousins were riding bikes near Meyers Lake when they were abducted. Their bodies were found months later. Collins was 8, Cook-Morrissey was 10. Its the fear that keeps us going, said Drew Collins, Elizabeths father. This is all we can do make sure no family has to go through what we had to go through. I want to honor my daughter so she didnt die in vain. Evansdale, Cedar Falls and Waterloo police departments, Black Hawk County sheriffs deputies and the Evansdale Fire Department were on hand along with Cedar Valley CrimeStoppers. More than 200 attended. Children received a lesson in self-defense from Jason OConnell of ATA Martial Arts in Cedar Falls. This is just as important as children knowing their phone number, OConnell said. The children partnered up and practiced fending off an attacker when grabbed them from behind. OConnell told them to stomp on the perpetrators foot, kick them in the knee and the groin and finish with an elbow to the gut before fleeing. He also taught children to call out This is not my mom, or This is not my dad in the event of being dragged away. Weve all seen misbehaving children, the screaming, OConnell said. But maybe they arent misbehaving. Maybe someones trying to take them. Children received fingerprinting and DNA kits, which can help identify a missing child. Breann Comer brought her children to teach them how to be safe. I dont sugarcoat anything, Comer said. Its scary, but there are people out there who want to hurt you. Comer said she walked hand in hand with search parties four years ago hoping to find Elizabeth and Lyric, but also hoping not too for fear they were dead. I remember it being this long, still moment in time, she said. Words almost cant describe what it was like. The community was paralyzed. Drew Collins said hes still waiting for answers. I want to know what the girls went through and why, he said. How can anybody hurt two girls like that and leave them like trash? Sharon King, Elizabeths grandmother (and Drews mother), said she fears for the safety of other children. Her granddaughters killer is still out there. This day is for parents as well as kids, King said. She expressed deep frustration with parents leaving their children unattended. She remembers seeing a young girl biking alone in a parking lot not long after her granddaughters disappearance. Jeff Jensen, Evansdale police chief, said it takes a community to keep a child safe. People need to be aware of their surroundings, Jensen said. Jensen said the event sought to build trust between those in uniform and children. Drug dogs were on hand for children to pet, officers made slushies and helped young children record fingerprints. Gavin Searle, whos 4, softly petted Jarvis a yellow lab with the Black Hawk County Sheriffs department. The white one was really soft, he said, referring to Jarvis. We dont want to be the bad guys, Jensen said. He said building awareness in the community is increasingly important given the recent shootings in Dallas and perceptions of police around the country. Jensen said the department remains hopeful it will receive new information relevant to the Elizabeth and Lyrics case. An increase in information usually comes in around the anniversary of the tragedy, he said. The event encouraged safety besides stranger danger. Representatives promoted safe car seat procedures as well as bike safety. Counseling services for survivors of violent crimes also were on hand. UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital donated around 20 bike helmets for kids. Family Health Chiropractic of Waterloo offered free consultations with $20 donations to Angels Park. United Auto Workers Local 838 provided the fingerprinting kits. The night concluded with sky lanterns floating away into a soft blue sky memorials for child victims of violent crimes. URBANDALE - Republican Party of Iowa leader Jeff Kaufmann had harsh words Wednesday for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a vanquished 2016 GOP presidential candidate who announced this week that he did not intend to vote for Trump or Clinton in this fall's general election. "It was sad. I just sat there and shook my head and said: 'Shame on you,'" Kaufmann said of comments Bush made during an MSNBC interview this week, noting that Republicans would be advocating for Bush had he landed the most delegates in the 2016 nominating process. "The reason he has the ability to say: 'I'm going to tell you who I'm not going to endorse,' and cameras show up is because his family has served this country well," Kaufmann said. "His family is who they are because of Republicans rallying around them not once, not twice, but three times." Kaufmann says he sees the party coming together behind a Donald Trump candidacy despite continued efforts from a "tiny little selfish sliver" of delegates with a large, media-fueled megaphone seeking to derail a Trump presidential nomination at next week's national convention in Cleveland. "I think there are people who need gentle pushes to look at this from a 30,000-foot level," Kaufmann told a conservative group Wednesday. He said that "big picture" look includes future control of the U.S. Supreme Court, reducing national debt and control of the White House. Kaufmann said he's aware there are Republicans who are "not quite there" in embracing a Trump presidential bid, but he sees that coalescing as they weigh the alternative of continued Democratic control of the presidency under Hillary Clinton . However, he said the process of uniting the party is getting waylaid by "this Never Trump nonsense" or other GOP dissidents who are trying to change the rules with a bid for an open convention that "don't have a prayer of doing what they think they're going to do," he told the Westside Conservative Club. "I see that as a rather superficial, ego-centric way to derail the Republican Party and change the rules in the ninth inning. I don't have a lot of respect for that." Kaufmann joined Republican Gov. Terry Branstad in expressing concern the "dump Trump" effort could jeopardize Iowa's first-in-the-nation position in the presidential nominating process. However, Cecil Stinemetz, a Republican national convention delegate from Urbandale who is involved in the "Free the Delegates" movement, said he believes party members should be free to vote their conscience in Cleveland next week and not be intimidated by GOP leaders try to "tamp down" the effort. "My job as a delegate is not to protect our first in the nation status and it's not to protect the Republican Party. My job is to pick a nominee who is willing and able and wants to defeat Hillary Clinton and who has the capability of doing this job," he said in an interview. "I am assured that that person is not Donald Trump," Stinemetz added. "Jeff Kaufmann has made it clear that this delegation is going to be united behind Trump and I can assure him that this delegation is not going to be united behind Trump." CEDAR FALLS The story of the first three months of Iowas Medicaid managed care program was told in sighs, tears and head-shaking frustration. Area Democratic lawmakers Wednesday held the second forum in Cedar Falls since the state switched administration of Medicaid services to three managed care organizations in April. More than 60 people, including representatives from two of the MCOs, attended. None who spoke shared positive experiences. A visibly frustrated Kristal DeJong of Cedar Falls spoke of trying to access services for her daughters attachment disorder. I am extremely frustrated. No, I am mad, DeJong said. Her provider, Amerigroup, denied her daughter services at a facility out of state, the only place the help she needs is available. An Amerigroup representative, unable to discuss specific cases, began to explain in generalities. DeJong shook her head and teared up when told that case managers are helpful. Les Teeling of Sumner similarly reacted as he asked lawmakers for a way to sit down with someone from an MCO about the next steps for his wife, who has suffered with Alzheimers for five years. He said the closest office he is aware of is in Council Bluffs, and each time he files paperwork to get help hes told to reapply. Now, that is whats disturbing me. The assets I have accrued through a lifetime of work are going to be used up within the year paying the bill at the nursing care facility, Teeling said. Whats next? The legislators expressed sympathy for caregivers and directed them to speak to the managed care organizations for help. But they made clear the stories they shared are not unique. Medicaid is a $4.2 billion program that serves about 560,000 people who are poor, elderly or have disabilities. Democrats opposed privatization, announced by Republican Gov. Terry Branstad last year. State Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo, said people would be surprised by the number of emails and phone calls hes gotten about the Medicaid privatization. But some in the audience suggested they wouldnt be. Tracy Gray of Always Best Care, which provides in-home services for seniors in Cedar Rapids and the Cedar Valley, is not surprised. She said a Medicaid survey didnt ask how many hours shes lost trying to navigate the new system. Whos responsible? At some point in time, its got to stop somewhere, Gray said. About a quarter of the audience raised their hands when asked if they were a provider and had experienced delays in payment. State Sen. Liz Mathis, D-Robins, who chairs the Senate Human Resources Committee that handles Medicaid issues, said while managed care is okay in theory, the implementation was not handled well. Weve tried to transition 560,000 people into a new system, and weve tried to do it too rapidly, Mathis said. CEDAR RAPIDS Chanting stop the hate and stand with the middle class, Democratic congressional challenger Monica Vernon and about three dozen supporters rallied Thursday against U.S. Rep Rod Blum for supporting the First Amendment Defense Act. In a repeat of a rally about a year ago, Vernon told supporters the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (is) blatantly discriminatory, absolutely. FADA, according to Congress.gov, prohibits the federal government from taking discriminatory action against a person on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage. I have three daughters and its very obvious that it could result in a single woman who is pregnant being fired from her job, said Vernon, who is challenging Blum, a first-term Republican considered to be the most vulnerable member of the U.S. House. Standing outside Blums Cedar Rapids office, Vernon called the FADA a far-reaching a ridiculous piece of legislation thats what I think it is. Blum campaign spokesman Jeff Patch thinks that Vernon seems to believe the old adage that if you repeat a lie often enough some people will believe it. Patch and Vernons campaign manager Michelle Gajewski offered contradictory fact-checks of FADA-related claims to back up their points. Politifact has rated her claims about FADA allowing employers to fire single women false, Patch said. Gajewski cited a Des Moines Register editorial in defense of Vernons claim that unwed mothers could be fired. Vernon also called it a sign of Blums blatant disregard that he had no staff at his office during the lunch hour rally. According to a sign on the office door, Blums staff was at the opening of the emergency department at the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Patch took the opportunity to press Vernon on campaign debates. If Mrs. Vernon actually wants to have a discussion about this issue and others, why does she continue to refuse Congressman Blums offer to debate 10 times across the 1st District? he said. Iowans deserve a substantive conversation, not just political stunts. WATERLOO Hawkeye Community College will undergo a comprehensive evaluation visit Nov. 14-16 by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The school has been engaged in a process of self-study, addressing the commissions requirements and criteria for accreditation. The evaluation team will visit the institution to gather evidence that the self-study is thorough and accurate and based on evidentiary findings, the team will recommend to the Commission a future accreditation status for the college. The public is invited to submit comments regarding the college to The Higher Learning Commission, 230 N. LaSalle St., Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1411 Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. Comments must be in writing, signed and received by Oct. 10. WATERLOO A Waterloo man was injured when someone allegedly struck him with a car late Tuesday. Police and Waterloo Fire Rescue were called to West First and Wellington streets at about 11:30 p.m. They found Martavis Smith, 23, on the ground. According to witnesses, Smith was hit by someone driving a Chrysler 300 in reverse. The car struck Smith and threw him into the air and onto the ground and the driver left the scene. Smith complained of leg and hip pain and was taken by ambulance to UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police interviewed Smith at the hospital but he declined to press charges, according to reports. ATV crash injures man ELGIN A Clermont man was injured in an ATV crash this month. The Fayette County Sheriffs Office said Joseph Daughton, 52, was riding his four-wheeler July 3 up a steep incline on a rural Elgin property when it rolled over backwards on him. A passenger was uninjured, but Daughton was transported to Palmer Hospital by Fayette Ambulance. The incident remains under investigation and charges are pending. Hampton murder trial moved HAMPTON A Hampton man accused of killing his girlfriend last year has been given a change of venue. District Court Judge James Drew on Monday granted Ronald Rands motion for a change of venue for the Hampton mans first-degree murder trial, which is scheduled for Aug. 22. Public Defender Susan Flander, Rands attorney, had asked it be moved due to press coverage. Rand, 61, is accused of killing his girlfriend, Michelle Key, 51, of Waterloo, on Dec. 13 in his house on First Street Northeast. He has pleaded not guilty. 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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) This fall Willamette University College of Law will welcome Jenavieve Johnston and Diana Tsurkan, the youngest matriculants in the colleges history. The two 19-year-olds are uniquely qualified, highly motivated students who share a desire to make a difference in the world, said J.R. Tarabocchia, director of admission and student activities at Willamette Law. Tarabocchia reviews approximately 600 applications each year for the coveted 115 spots at Willamette Law. lt is rare the law admissions team sees such maturity and focus at 19, but this year the school actually has four entering students under the age of 21. The average age of a law student at Willamette is 26. We were surprised by a bumper crop of younger, well-qualified applicants this year, said Tarabocchia. Each student is in a strong position to do very well in law school. Johnstons ambition and independence propelled her toward finding a way to pay for her entire undergraduate degree by herself. She skipped high school to attend Portland Community College instead, moving on by age 17 to Portland State University (PSU) her junior year. This year at age 19, Johnston graduated from PSU with a Bachelor of Science in business management. She worked part-time jobs, one as a civil servant with the federal government. At 17, I swore my first oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States with the United States Geological Survey, she says. Tsurkan graduated in the spring with a psychology degree from PSU, just two years after entering. The 19-year-old Clackamas native took dual enrollment classes while in high school, racking up college credit for years. She completed her associate degree while attending high school. In a recent Oregonian news article, Tsurkan says she is not a naturally smart person. I'm not like a prodigy. "I always felt like I was one step behindthat's where hard work kicked in. I feel like I studied more than a normal person," she said. Tsurkan, the daughter of Moldovan immigrants, is the first person in her family to graduate from college. Her father died four years ago, and she pushed herself through school thanks to a job at a retirement home and her family's support. I am a passionate and hardworking person who is determined to become an attorney to advocate for others with eagerness and compassion, said Tsurkan. Johnston and Tsurkan will be joined by two other younger students: Rosemary Harper and Daniel Small, both 20 years old. Who knows? said Tarabocchia. Perhaps these students will start a new trend, and The Prodigy Club will become a new student organization at Willamette Law. About Willamette University College of Law Opened in 1883, Willamette University College of Law is the first law school in the Pacific Northwest. The college has a long tradition at the forefront of legal education and is committed to the advancement of knowledge through excellent teaching, scholarship, mentoring and experience. Leading faculty, thriving externship and clinical law programs, ample practical skills courses, and a proactive career placement office prepare Willamette law students for today's legal job market. According to statistics compiled by the American Bar Association, Willamette ranks first in the Pacific Northwest for job placement for full-time, long-term, JD-preferred/JD-required jobs for the class of 2014 and first in Oregon for the classes of 2012, 2013 and 2014. Located across the street from the state capitol complex and the Oregon Supreme Court in downtown Salem, the college specializes in law and government, law and business, and dispute resolution. Waterfrom Design completed the interior design of cnYES office in Taipei, Taiwan. cnYES is an internet media company that searched new identity, texture and materiality to keep its brand vivid, dynamic and contemporary. cnYES is characterized by stability images of financial business and innovation features of the media. To highlight the sense of speed as in Wall Street and Silicon Valley, Waterfrom Design selects the element of ''time'' as the theme complemented by the dual fast pace of swift financial, monetary and cash flow as well as online real time information. Time is to be deconstructed in the space while in unison the space is to be reinvented and interpreted with different time definition through rapidly floating and changing rhythm. Waterfrom Design, led by Nic Lee, Lee reassembled deconstructed fragments of a timepiece to create a seemingly scattered yet complete abstract clock, implicating progressiveness and cumulativeness of time, followed by extraction of the stony texture dated back to the Renaissance in the Middle Ages. The blue pigments are used in religious paintings to unfold the accumulation process of time clearing-up in an implicit and approximate manner. Gold and blue are picked as the visual keynote to represent the aspiration for wealth and prestige along with knowledge and trust. Wooden freestyle seatings are provided in corridor and lounge room for cozy reading, discussion and relaxation, setting an atmosphere of floating persistence of time in the office. In line with the wise use of space, places for rest and refreshment are created and offered to ease the hustle and bustle. With the addition of feeling and appreciation of space, the seemingly rational time is inspired to take on a new meaning unlike before. The conference area is segmented with see-through steel parts and glass, creating space hierarchy and enriching visual translucency to remove the demarcation separating space and time. The change of conference area from a small room that seats several participants to a big auditorium that accommodates a hundred participants is made possible thanks to movable partition panels, allowing for a better and more intelligent use of space. Project Facts Design: Waterfrom Design co. Ltd. Designer: Nic Lee,Sam Chung, Richard Kuo Client: cnYES Office Category: Financial Publishing Office Location: Taipei, Taiwan Floor Area: 820m2 Layout: Reception Area, Meeting Room , Pantry, Open-plan Office, Independent Office Material: Marble, Bamboo, Stainless, Carpet, Leather Design Period: SeptemberNovember 2015 Construction Period: November 2015-March 2016 All images Sam Tsen > via Waterfrom Design KING OF PRUSSIA, PA, July 14, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Pennsylvania will soon be getting their first taste of The Halal Guys. After 25 years in business, New York City's most popular food cart will open a brick-and-mortar location just outside Philadelphia in King of Prussia. Famously known for its gyro sandwiches, chicken-and-rice platters and "secret" white sauce, The Halal Guys menu offers a mix of various American Halal food. The NYC-based concept has signed a deal with Fransmart, who is known for building other popular concepts such as Five Guys, to secure franchised units across the U.S. The restaurant, known for its never-ending lines, has already been well received in Houston, Chicago, Northern and Southern California. The King of Prussia location is scheduled to open in the Valley Forge Shopping Center (150 W. Dekalb Pike, Suite 100) in September. "I've always been a huge fan of The Halal Guys," said Naveen Mohiuddin, Operating Franchisee. "King of Prussia is the ideal area to open and we are excited to bring the popular chicken-and-rice platters and The Halal Guys world famous white sauce to local residents and those in the neighboring Philadelphia area." The Halal Guys aim to be different and encourage patrons across America to break out of their culinary comfort zone and experience something unique. They pride themselves on only using high-quality products like their chicken, which has never been frozen and is marinated and seasoned overnight, then cooked and chopped on the grill and served directly to their plate to ensure a crave worthy meal that's piping hot. The Halal Guys' mission is to ensure that every customer leaves happy, with a smile on their face and a satisfaction that brings them back again. Fans can stay up to date on the King of Prussia Halal Guys by following Facebook and Instagram. ABOUT THE HALAL GUYS: The Halal Guys grew from its humble beginnings as a food cart on the streets of New York City to a global icon known as the largest American Halal street food concept in the world. This Manhattan-based landmark was created by three like-minded men from Egypt who came to America in search of a better life. When the founders noticed many cab drivers in New York were looking for a place to buy meals in Manhattan, they created their first food cart and quickly grew into a leading tourist and native New Yorker destination for American Halal fare. In 2013, The Halal Guys were ranked the most popular food truck reviewed on FourSquare and the third most Yelped restaurant in the United States in 2014 with more than 7,600 reviews and a 4.5 average star rating. The Halal Guys has been recognized by TIME Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, The New York Times and The Huffington Post. For more information, visit: www.53rdand6th.com, www.thehalalguysfranchise.com. # # # Jul 13, 2016 | By Benedict The Ural Federal University, based in Yekaterinburg, Russia, has demonstrated a robotic 3D printing machine at Innoprom 2016, a trade show taking place in Yekaterinburg. The university has also signed two agreements to develop additive manufacturing technology with Chinese partners. With Innoprom 2016 in full swing, several Russian businesses and developers have now had a chance to showcase their innovative additive manufacturing technologies to an enthusiastic public. And while weve already taken a virtual peek into the trade show to check out a 3D printed scouting drone and a metal additive manufacturing system, our attentions are now being turned to an unusual machine developed by engineers at the Ural Federal University. The 3D Printing robot, which was today inspected by Russias Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, consists of a 3D printer print head affixed to the end of a large robotic arm, enabling the operator to create 3D printed objects on a much larger scale than would be possible with a typical enclosed printer. The printing volume field is increased to the workspace of the robot, one of the engineers explained. Its print head can also be equipped with nozzles of different diameters. Although the movement of the large robotic arm adds several extra moving parts and joints to the 3D printing machine, the Ural researchers have programmed the 3D printing robot to automatically wield the arm in accordance with the specifications of the 3D printed object: "The system automatically generates the robots code, which makes it easy to use and able to print even the most complex shapes, they explained. In other 3D printing news from the Ural Federal University, the institution today announced that it would develop additive manufacturing technologies with two Chinese partners: the University of Heilongjiang and Xinda, a plastics specialist, in order to increase its additive manufacturing expertise and open businesses opportunities in the Far East, such as the production of a planned 3D printed car. Though announced simultaneously, the two deals are not formally connected. Photo: Edward Nikulnikov The Ural Federal University will work with the University of Heilongjiang to establish a joint Russian-Chinese 3D printing laboratory, working with both metal and polymers and developing a range of additive manufacturing machines. The two universities will research 3D printing techniques for materials including aluminum, steel, refractory alloys, titanium, bronze, polyamide, polystyrene, metal, ceramic, composites, and plastics. In its partnership with Xinda, the Ural Federal University will involve cooperation over science and technology, innovations, and educational projects. The two parties have agreed to organize an exchange of experts in the field of additive manufacturingthese may include teachers and scholars, doctoral students, undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals. We are interested in developing mutually beneficial cooperation with Chinese partners, said Victor A. Koksharov, Rector of the Ural Federal University. This will allow us to carry out studies of the properties of polymeric materials and metal powders to be used in the manufacture of products on 3D printers we have at the Ural Federal University. Our university has developed the first 3D printed car in Russia, and together with our partners we are developing a project to organize its serial production. This will enable the University to quickly and efficiently develop the additive manufacturing industry in Russia. Posted in 3D Printer Maybe you also like: Nancy Jo Sales in Vanity Fair: The waiter with the handlebar mustache encourages us to participate in the small-plate culture. Geraldines, the swank spot in Austins Hotel Van Zandt, is brimming with tech guys, some loudly talking about money. The college student at our table recommends the ribsshes been here before, on dates with her daddies. There are a lot of tech guys, she says. They want the girlfriend experience, without having to deal with an actual girlfriend. The girlfriend experience is the term women in the sex trade use for a service involving more than just sex. They want the perfect girlfriendin their eyes, says Miranda, the young woman at our table.* Shes well groomed, cultured, classy, able to converse about anythingbut not bringing into it any of her real-world problems or feelings. Miranda is 22 and has the wavy bobbed hair and clipped mid-Atlantic accent of a 1930s movie star; she grew up in a Texas suburb. Ive learned how to look like this, talk like this, she says. I work hard at being this, meaning someone who can charge $700 an hour for sex. More here. Amanda Giracca in Orion Magazine: Imagine: you have been studying marine invertebrates in the laboratory. Your professor has shown you videos of bioluminescence; you understand the chemical reaction that allows an organism to glow in the dark. But then you are on your first trip to Belize, wading into a lagoon at night and watching the tar-black sea illuminate around your body, the swish of your hand through water leaving a blaze of blue stars that twinkle momentarily and go dark again. You might be moved to tears, as a student of Gretchen Gerrishs was. Imagine never having stepped on dirt before, like many of Bobby Espinozas students at California State University, Northridge, who hail from the greater Los Angeles area, and who show up to their first field excursion with Samsonite suitcases and inadequate footwear. Theyre used to going to the mall on the weekend, not into the woods. Imagine a morning like the morning Steve Trombulak took his students to Middlebury Colleges bird-banding station: the mist was rising and through the fog they saw a red fox leap for its morning prey; then the beavers started slapping their tails in the water, and, as if on cue, a flock of great blue herons flew right over their heads. You might be compelled to exclaim unironically, as Trombulak insists his student did Wow, this is better than Discovery Channel! Moments like these are transformational. And this transformation teaches empathy. Students become less absorbed in themselves and start paying attention to the world around them. They become aware of other beings, of their own impacts. It teaches autonomy, too. Harry Greene, the Cornell ecologist, likes to talk about his students during their first field sojourn. At first they bitch and moan about having to ID these little brown birds and about the fact its wet. But by the end of the semester theyre seasoned naturalists who becalm their fellow students in order to see the rattlesnake behind a rock, or noose a fence lizard to see if its a female or a male. More here. John Freeman in the Los Angeles Times: Step gently on words such as home or citizen or even body with a foot bornelsewhere and they combust. Place names are even more incendiary. What happens when we read BEIRUT or TEHRAN or SAIGON while sitting at a cafe in Santa Monica? This is wars lexicon. It incorporates and redefines, especially by naming. In the U.S., recent Pulitzer Prize winner Viet Nguyen reminds us, we know the conflict as the Vietnam War; in Saigon, they call it the American War. If writers must return history to human scale, the last decade of American life has proved just how necessary their linguistic re-engineering will be, even within our borders. In Citizen, Claudia Rankine showed it was possible to rescue the suffering of black bodies from spectacle if we questioned how we watched and from where. Meanwhile, a new generation of poets all descendants of the American Empire have undertaken a project similar to Rankines on two fronts: retelling the myth of their being, and reclaiming language which has attempted to claim them. More here. Sheriff-to-be reiterates need for regional jail in Brown County As Brown County considers the possibility of building a new regional jail, Chief Deputy Dave Lunzman reminded commissioners of why it's needed. International Sapphire Industry Exhibition Perth, July 14, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Altech Chemicals Limited (Altech/the Company) ( ASX:ATC ) is pleased to provide a summary of its recent attendance at the 2nd International Sapphire Industry and Touch Screen Technology Exhibition in Shenzhen, China (June 23-25 2016). Highlights: - Strong interest for Altech's entry into the high purity alumina market - Altech's proposed nano particle size HPA product range well received - Vertically integrated production model will ensure security of quality HPA supply - Forecast tightening of supply side of the HPA market as demand rapidly expands - HPA analytical and production data available to end-users on-line Altech's presentation at the exhibition generated strong interest from synthetic sapphire producers, who welcome the prospect of the Company's entry into the high purity alumina (HPA) market via its proposed 4,000tpa Malaysian HPA plant. Specifically, Altech's plan to offer a finished product range that will include HPA tailored for the synthetic sapphire and lithium-ion battery separator sheet manufacturing sectors, two rapidly growing segments of the HPA market, were well received. The Company explained that the design of its Malaysian plant incorporates the specialised equipment required for the production of "nano" HPA particles. The size of HPA nano particles is typically less than 1 micron (1/1000 of 1mm) and is the preferred particle size for the fast growing lithium-ion battery separator sheet-manufacturing sector. The Company also emphasised the vertically integrated nature of its HPA manufacturing process, explaining that unlike current HPA producers that predominantly purchase aluminium metal as feedstock, Altech by owning its own feedstock (alumina rich kaolin), is better positioned to guarantee product supply and quality to end-users into what is forecast to be a tightening HPA market. The combination of Altech's low-impurity kaolin ore feedstock and its plant's design that has incorporated three stages of purification, will position the Company to consistently deliver finished product HPA of 99.99% purity to end users, managing director Iggy Tan explained. Another important differentiation will be Altech's ability to analyse individual one (1) tonne batches of its HPA and make production data and analytical results available to end-users on-line via its proposed internet based quality tracking system. End users advised that this type of information is not currently available from their established HPA suppliers. Also, Alech's state of the art German packaging plant can be expected to deliver highly consistent end-product bag weights for accurate product formulations and the German manufactured and supplied robotic stacking and wrapping technology will deliver neat, clean, spillage free wrapped pallets. Mr Tan stated that with the forecast rapid increase in demand for HPA, particularly from lithium-ion battery separator manufacturers, combined with supply expansion timeframe limitations, there is a real possibility of a HPA supply squeeze in the short to medium term. Synthetic sapphire producers at the exhibition displayed their products and technology, including the production of sapphire wafers, watch faces and smart phone sapphire display screens. Several of the established synthetic sapphire producers reported near-term capacity expansion plans and expressed interest in further discussions with Altech in relation to growth strategy. Applications for synthetic sapphire displayed at the exhibition include luxury watches and smart watches (both cover and body), LED wafers, smart phone touch screens, camera lens covers, fingerprint recognition screens and medical optics. It was clearly evident at the exhibition that applications for the use of sapphire glass in a variety of industries continues to emerge. To view tables and figures, please visit: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/BZS67W8E About Altech Chemicals Ltd Altech Chemicals Limited (ASX:ATC) (FRA:A3Y) is aiming to become one of the world's leading suppliers of 99.99% (4N) high purity alumina (Al2O3) through the construction and operation of a 4,500tpa high purity alumina (HPA) processing plant at Johor, Malaysia. Feedstock for the plant will be sourced from the Company's 100%-owned kaolin deposit at Meckering, Western Australia and shipped to Malaysia. HPA is a high-value, high margin and highly demanded product as it is the critical ingredient required for the production of synthetic sapphire. Synthetic sapphire is used in the manufacture of substrates for LED lights, semiconductor wafers used in the electronics industry, and scratch-resistant sapphire glass used for wristwatch faces, optical windows and smartphone components. Increasingly HPA is used by lithium-ion battery manufacturers as the coating on the battery's separator, which improves performance, longevity and safety of the battery. With global HPA demand approximately 19,000t (2018), it is estimated that this demand will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% (2018-2028); by 2028 HPA market demand will be approximately 272,000t, driven by the increasing adoption of LEDs worldwide as well as the demand for HPA by lithium-ion battery manufacturers to serve the surging electric vehicle market. 10:00am UPDATE: The accident that closed northbound Interstate 25 at mile marker 318 between Las Vegas and Rowe was a single-vehicle rollover, State Police spokesman Lt. Robert McDonald told ABQjournal.com. A passenger was being airlifted out, but the extent of the injuries and the identity of the injured person werent immediately available, McDonald said. The highway should be reopened shortly, McDonald told us. Northbound Interstate 25 south of Las Vegas is closed due to an accident, according to the New Mexico Department of Transportation. The freeway closed at mile marker 318, between Rowe and Las Vegas, just before 9 a.m., NMDOT reported on its website. A helicopter was landing on the Interstate. No further information was immediately available. Check back for updates. SANTA FE A man who had a vehicular manslaughter conviction overturned by the state Court of Appeals last year had new conditions of release set for him Wednesday as he waits for a new trial. In December 2012, Juan de Dios Cordova was found guilty of killing 51-year-old motorcyclist Mark Wolfe of Algodones on Memorial Day weekend the year before and was sentenced to 29 years in prison. But in June 2015, the New Mexico Court of Appeals found that District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer should not have allowed evidence from a warrantless search of Cordovas home by Rio Arriba County deputies. Still, Cordova remained behind bars. The case is now on its way to being retried. Deputy District Attorney Juan Valencia said Wednesday that the state still has a strong case against Cordova. Marlowe Sommer imposed a $250,000 surety bond on Cordova on Wednesday, meaning he can get out by posting $25,000 cash. If released, he must remain on house arrest and wear a device that monitors his whereabouts and alcohol level. Cordova was accused of driving drunk and killing Wolfe as Wolfe, his wife and some friends were on a motorcycle ride on the High Road to Taos. Deputies responding to the crash went to Cordovas nearby house in the community of Cordova after determining that Cordovas truck, which was left abandoned just down the road from the scene, had hit the motorcyclists. Deputies knocked on his door, announced their presence and entered with guns drawn. Cordova was arrested and was found to have a blood alcohol content nearly twice the legal driving limit. Prosecutors argued the entry was justified under the emergency assistance doctrine, as deputies were concerned for Cordovas welfare, but the Appeals Court concluded that the deputies did not have reasonable grounds to believe that the Defendant (Cordova) might have been injured to an extent requiring their immediate entry and assistance. Cordova was also charged with two counts of great bodily injury by vehicle, two counts of aggravated DWI and one count of leaving the scene of an accident. Cordovas truck was lost as evidence when it was destroyed by the towing yard where it had been taken for storage. My brother and I both hate fireworks, because they sound like combat. He served in the Marines in Vietnam and I was in the Army. Explosions still make us jumpy. So we spent the Fourth of July deep in a national park where such explosions are forbidden. When we returned to so-called civilization, we were horrified to learn of real-life combat in Dallas. A veteran had used his military skills to assassinate innocent policemen, and the police, in turn, used a robot to blow up the veteran. Should the police have used a robot to kill the sniper? The robot is a military device. Its a shame that the police are more and more arming themselves like the military, but we should not blame them for that. Our society is now so heavily armed that the police have no alternative: Keeping the peace in a militarized culture requires a militarized police force. That is a shame, but get used to it. Thats the world we live in. We can only dream of an America in which civilians are never armed like soldiers. As a veteran, I care deeply about these issues. I take some pride in my service, and I believe that military training and equipment should never be used unethically. As a university philosopher, I dont claim to have the authority to judge the police or anyone else. But I do have strong views about what questions should be asked in a case like this and what questions to ignore. We do not need to ask about drones. This robot operation was not at all like what the drones are doing. Drones are being used for assassinations; recourse to assassination in warfare is controversial. Drones are especially controversial because of the damage they can do to innocent people. Also, we do not need to ask about self-defense. The sniper claimed also to be a bomber, and as such, he presented a major threat to the people of Dallas. The police were not only acting to save themselves. Self-defense in a military context is a difficult issue, because in combat no one is totally innocent. But this was not a typical combat mission. These police officers were totally innocent, and they were there to protect lives other than their own. As for the many killings of innocent African-Americans by police officers, these cannot count as self-defense. They are not even pre-emptive killings, because the victims posed no threat. Such actions cannot be justified by any principle. So what are the ethical questions that do matter for this case that we need to ask? Did the sniper remain a threat to the lives of innocent people, including police officers? Apparently yes. Was there no other way to remove the threat, short of killing the sniper? Had negotiations failed? Apparently yes. Was it safe to send a live attacker against the sniper? Apparently no. Did using the robot create the danger of collateral damage of killing innocent people along with the sniper? Apparently no. Apparently the police answered all of these questions to the best of their knowledge. If so, they did the right thing. After we talked, my brother said, After seeing Star Wars, I want to know whether the robot was OK at the end of the day. But he knew as well as I that what matters is saving human lives. Paul Woodruff is a distinguished teaching professor of philosophy at The University of Texas at Austin. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam in 1969-70 and has written on military ethics. He wrote this for the Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. IOWA CITY, Iowa Nearly every U.S. governor, including New Mexicos Susana Martinez, pledged Wednesday to combat the opioid crisis that is leaving a trail of overdose deaths and misery in their states. At least 45 state governors signed on to the Compact to Fight Opioid Addiction committing to fight the epidemic, fueled by the overprescribing of prescription pain relievers. The National Governors Association released the compact ahead of its summer meeting, which starts today in Des Moines, Iowa. On Friday, governors are expected to hear from experts about the crisis and further discuss how they are responding. The compact calls on the governors to stop the inappropriate prescribing of painkillers, raise awareness about the problem and encourage treatment and recovery for those already addicted. In New Mexico, Gov. Martinez signed opioid overdose prevention legislation into law earlier this year and her administration has worked with pharmacies to increase the availability of naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug. As a former prosecutor and now as governor, Ive seen the devastating impact drug abuse has on our families, Martinez said in a Wednesday statement. As we continue to fight opioid addiction in New Mexico, Im grateful to my fellow governors for agreeing to double down on their efforts to end prescription drug abuse and overdose in our communities. Roughly 78 Americans die every day from overdoses of opioids, including prescription pain relievers, heroin and fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The number of such deaths has nearly quadrupled since 1999 and accounted for six in 10 overdose deaths in 2014, which was the highest on record. The amount of prescription opioids such as oxycodone and methadone sold in the U.S. also nearly quadrupled during that 15-year period. Addictions to those drugs then have many users turn to heroin, which is cheaper. While states are already taking some steps, this horrible national epidemic continues to require urgent action and constant vigilance, New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan said. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said the compact adds further momentum to state-based solutions and sends a clear signal to opioid prescribers and others whose leadership is critical to saving lives. One top opioid addiction expert said the compact was a major step forward that showed policymakers now understand the crisis. As someone who has been watching this problem get worse every year for many years now, the governors compact is making me hopeful that we will finally see policies and public health interventions that get at the heart of the problem, said Andrew Kolodny, director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing and a scientist at Brandeis University. The compact is the first coordinated through the governors association since 2005, when states pledged to collect better data on high school graduation rates. DALLAS A baby has been born with a Zika-related birth defect, officials in Harris County said today. The babys mother was infected with the Zika virus in Latin America and passed the virus to the baby in the womb. The child is the first in Texas to be born with a birth defect linked to Zika. Zika is the first mosquito-spread virus known to cause birth defects. The baby in Harris County has microcephaly, a condition characterized by an abnormally small brain and skull. Some babies with the birth defect have a normal IQ and go on to live normal lives. Others are severely disabled and can suffer learning difficulties and seizures. The largest outbreak of Zika virus began last spring and has spread to more than 50 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than a million people have been infected in Brazil alone. In April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that Zika causes birth defects when pregnant women are infected. Besides microcephaly, Zika has been linked to eye problems, joint disorders and seizures in babies. Infection during the first trimester of pregnancy could be more dangerous than later stages, some experts say. As of July 13, 59 people have tested positive for Zika in Texas, according to the Department of State Health Services; three are pregnant women. All were infected while traveling in Latin America except for one Dallas resident who became infected through unprotected sex. In Dallas County, 14 people have been diagnosed with Zika. Its heartbreaking. This underscores the damage Zika can have on unborn babies, said Dr. John Hellerstedt, Texas Department of State Health Services commissioner. Last month, officials said that 10 pregnant women in Dallas County had possible infection with the virus. About 1 in 5 people infected with Zika suffers symptoms that are typically mild and include fever, rash and red eyes. The virus is spread through mosquito bites and sex. Although it stays in the blood for a relatively short time less than a week the virus has been found to persist in semen for weeks after a man has recovered from the infection. Women who live in or have traveled to an area with Zika are advised to wait eight weeks before attempting to get pregnant. Men who have had symptoms of Zika should wait six months before trying to start a family, according to the World Health Organization. The CDC is collecting information about pregnant women diagnosed with Zika and is tracking the health of their babies. Pregnant women who have traveled to areas with a Zika outbreak are advised to discuss testing with their health care provider. Copyright 2016 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A 2014 ethics complaint against former New Mexico state Sen. Phil Griego that triggered a secretive internal investigation and ultimately led to Griegos resignation from the Senate was filed by ex-Rep. Stephanie Maez. Maez, who was not a member of the Legislature at the time she filed the ethics complaint, confirmed this week that she was the complainant and said she did not know what it might uncover. Im glad that we did the complaint, Maez told the Journal. More than anything, I just wanted there to be an independent investigation from an unbiased party into what happened. Ethics complaints against state lawmakers are usually kept off-limits to the public under the Legislatures rules. But the 2014 complaint lodged against Griego with Maezs name redacted was obtained by the Journal via a public records request from the Legislative Council Service, after a judge had ordered the agency to hand over that and other ethics investigation records to the Attorney Generals Office. At the time the complaint was filed, Maez was the executive director of the Center for Civic Policy, an Albuquerque-based nonprofit group that advocates for progressive causes. She was appointed to the House of Representatives about a month later, in December 2014. Maez stepped down from the Legislature in October 2015 to focus on family after her teenage son was arrested on a murder charge. Prosecutors dismissed charges against her son, Donovan Maez, last month. In the 2014 ethics complaint, Maez asked the interim legislative ethics committee to determine whether Griegos role in the sale of a historic state-owned building in downtown Santa Fe might have violated laws and rules governing the conduct of lawmakers. She said she based the complaint on news reports about Griego, who received a $50,000 brokers fee for his involvement in the 2014 real estate deal. Griego, a San Miguel County resident, resigned from the Senate in March 2015 rather than face possible discipline as a result of the internal ethics probe into his conduct. Attorney General Hector Balderas then filed fraud, bribery and other public corruption charges against Griego earlier this year. One of the criminal charges is an alleged violation of a law cited in Maezs complaint, a statute prohibiting legislators from using the powers and resources of their office to obtain personal benefit or pursue private interests. Griego has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has previously insisted he committed no crimes. However, a district judge ruled last week that Griego should face trial on nine of the 10 counts brought by the AGs Office. His arraignment has been set for July 22. Both Griego and Maez are Democrats, but Griego occasionally clashed with progressive groups during his 18-plus years in the Legislature, and Maez said the nonprofit group she worked for had been tracking his legislative actions. Though no longer a member of the Legislature, she also said shed like to see state lawmakers enact a more transparent system for investigating ethics complaints. The fact (the case) is moving forward and it has gone this far shows the system is working, but theres always room for improvement Maez said. Save Computer science should be as important as reading or writing in schools, argued a University of New Mexico professor at a Wednesday morning forum of Albuquerques business leaders. Technology literacy is the goal of the New Mexico Computer Science for All teaching program. Melanie Moses, an associate professor of computer sciences at the University of New Mexico, leads that program and gave a short update on its progress at the Economic Forum, a twice monthly meeting of Albuquerques business and community leaders. Billions of people are using computers, Moses said. This is transforming us in ways we cant quite grasp. Were all adjusting to this new reality that computers really do run our world. New Mexico Computer Science for All, Moses said, is a program that preps educators in middle and high schools throughout the state to teach computer sciences. As part of the program, UNM also offers a dual credit for students who complete a course in computer sciences. The high school course, Moses said, teaches students how to code in a language called NetLogo. So far 50 teachers have taken the prep course, and the dual credit program is offered in 40 schools across the state in major metro areas such as Albuquerque and Las Cruces, but also in smaller communities such as Gallup or Farmington. About 1,000 students have taken the course, and Moses said the goal is get to 2,000 by 2020. We actually need to transform our educational system as rapidly as our technological world is transforming around us, Moses said. The program was started thanks to a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation in 2012. Moses said they recently received a $200,000 extension to keep the program running. And while federal funds started the course, Moses said local investments will be necessary to keep the program going in the future. Moses also said she would like to see more schools accept computer science courses to satisfy existing course requirements. Teachers interested in the program should visit the programs website at cs4all.org. Copyright 2016 Albuquerque Journal Wednesday was the deadline for bids on the multibillion-dollar contract to run Sandia National Laboratories, but the federal government is staying mum about which or even how many firms made a formal play for the massive, high-tech management job. Nearly 20 entities, including major defense contractors and universities, expressed interest in managing Sandia when the National Nuclear Security Administration released its request for proposals in April, but not all of those actually submitted bids, according to analysts closely following the bidding process. Lockheed Martin, which has managed the lab since the mid-1990s, confirmed to the Journal that it would bid to retain the contract. A five-member partnership that comprises the Boeing Co., Battelle, the University of New Mexico, the University of Texas System and the Texas A&M University System also confirmed its bid for the Sandia job. The NNSA is expected to select a winner by the end of 2016 to take over next April. Francie Israeli, a spokeswoman for the NNSA, said federal procurement guidelines require secrecy about the bids to protect the bidders proprietary interests. Essentially, this nondisclosure is required by federal regulation, Israeli said, citing a rule called the Federal Acquisition Regulation. NNSA maintains a high level of business security that must be maintained in order to preserve the integrity of the acquisition process. Managing Sandia one of the nations three nuclear weapons laboratories is a massive undertaking that includes oversight of a $2.9 billion federal contract and more than 10,000 employees working in 700 buildings across 13,740 acres. In addition to nuclear weapons maintenance, Sandia scientists work on defense systems, homeland security technology, energy and climate change and more. While the amount of the management contract is big, the risks for managing Sandia can give pause to many potential bidders, likely discouraging all but the most experienced and deep-pocketed from actually entering the race. For one thing, the lab management and operations contractor is responsible for contingency liability that can reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars. But the management fee for Sandia only pays up to about $35 million much less than fees earned for managing Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos national laboratories, the other two nuclear weapons labs and often even that can be reduced by penalties for missing benchmarks or administrative infractions. Last year, Lockheed Martin earned $27.3 million. The net amount is very small while the risk is high given the contingent liabilities, one analyst with experience in the bidding process said. Corporate risk managers would say the return is not big enough to cover the risk for many potential bidders. In addition, bidders face substantial hurdles to demonstrate theyre the most qualified candidates to manage Sandia. The Department of Energy first announced in 2011 that it planned to open the contract to new bidders but then granted a series of extensions. In 2014, the NNSA extended the agreement again as it engaged in a wide-ranging review of the management of its three defense labs. The NNSA issued a draft request for proposals in March that offered some clues as to what kind of management arrangement it seeks for the lab. Former Sen. Pete Domenici, a New Mexico Republican who spent much of his career working on congressional funding and other issues related to Sandia and Los Alamos, said most major U.S. defense contractors likely considered a bid. Clearly, it is a prized national contract for multi-years and therefore it attracts premier bidders, Domenici said. The NNSA made the current bidding process easier compared with previous competitions to manage other national labs, which may account for the broad range of initial interest. The government is using a short form process, which can expedite the time needed to select a winner while significantly reducing the paperwork and associated costs for bidders. In previous lab-management competitions, participants have submitted up to 500-page proposals and spent more than $7 million during lengthy reviews that can take nearly two years, said one person closely following the Sandia bids. The last competitions to manage Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in California and Los Alamos National Laboratory took more than a year and a half. Consortia led by industrial giant Bechtel won those bids. In the current Sandia competition, participants are limited to 35-page proposals. Prior experience counts, and in that regard, Lockheed Martin is a tough competitor, given its nearly two-decade management experience at Sandia. Battelle also has extensive experience managing six national laboratories for the Energy and Homeland Security departments, but none of those labs are nuclear weapons facilities. The NNSAs decision, however, to consider bidder efforts to strengthen Sandia relations with small local businesses when evaluating bids helps level the playing field somewhat. The NNSAs commitment to also consider bidder proposals on workforce retention, technology transfer, university partnerships and support for science technology, engineering and math education could also help Lockheed challengers, particularly the Battelle-led team. UNM and its partners declined to discuss their proposal to the NNSA with the Journal. But when the consortium announced its intent to bid on the contract in May, the participants stressed that UNM brings well-recognized success with technology commercialization to the table, and its at the forefront of efforts to build a high-tech research and development hub in Albuquerque in partnership with the national labs. They also stressed the advantages of having three university partners on the team to provide engineering talent to staff Sandia and to forge research partnerships with the lab in engineering and other fields. The political firestorm created by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs remarks about presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump are certain to follow her to New Mexico next month when she is the keynote speaker at the New Mexico State Bar conference. Ginsburg told New York Times reporter Adam Liptak in an interview published Sunday, I cant imagine what this place would be I cant imagine what the country would be with Donald Trump as our president. For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be I dont even want to contemplate that. She also quoted her late husband as joking that it would be time for us to move to New Zealand. And in a separate CNN interview, she called Trump a faker who had gotten a pass from the press on non-disclosure of his tax returns. The GOP candidate on Tuesday called Ginsburgs comment highly inappropriate and said she should apologize to her colleagues on the court. By Wednesday, hed gone further, suggesting in a tweet that her mind was gone and she should resign. The 83-year-old Ginsburgs advocacy on behalf of women began as an attorney and her opinions advancing gender equality recently inspired a feminist researcher and doctoral candidate at Case Western Reserve University to name a new species of praying mantis after the justice, Ilomantis ginsburgae. Randall Roybal, executive director of the state Judicial Standards Commission, said New Mexico rules promulgated by the state Supreme Court are clear that a judge may not endorse or oppose a candidate for office. Federal rules are different, he said. Legal scholars have suggested that Ginsburg, who was appointed by then president Bill Clinton, would be required to recuse in the event of a close election, like Bush v. Gore in 2000, because of the federal code that says, Any justice, judge, or magistrate judge of the United States shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned. Cynthia Gray, director of the Judicial Ethics Center at the National Center for State Courts, said she could not comment on the propriety of Ginsburgs comments. Federal rules of conduct for judges do not apply to justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, she said, declining to speculate on why that is the case. Chief Justice John Roberts, speaking at a private Boston law school in March, criticized the Supreme Court nomination process as too politicized, according to a videotape of his remarks. We dont work as Democrats or Republicans, and I think its a very unfortunate impression the public might get from the confirmation process, he warned. Individual Supreme Court justices decide for themselves whether recusal is warranted or necessary, and Ginsburgs defenders have been quick to point out that Ginsburgs friend and colleague, the late Justice Antonin Scalia, did not recuse himself from a case involving his duck-hunting partner,Vice President Dick Cheney. Scalia, often described as a close friend of Ginsburg and fellow opera aficionado, wrote 21 pages to explain why he wouldnt. Another speaker also slated for the state bar convention, Ted Olson, will discuss the Supreme Court and will have plenty of material on which to comment. Olson argued issues of a vote recount before the Supreme Court on behalf of then-candidate George W. Bush, resulting in Bushs win and Vice President Al Gores defeat. He also made the legal case for gay marriage at the high court, and has recently been signed up by Apple Inc. Ginsburg is scheduled to speak the morning of Aug. 19, after a session titled Gender and Justice: New Mexico Women in Robes featuring New Mexicos three women Supreme Court Justices Petra Jimenez Maes, Barbara Vigil and Judith Nakamura and the chief judge of the federal court for the district of New Mexico, Christina Armijo. First Judicial District Judge Sarah Singleton, whos been active for decades in bar efforts to encourage women in the legal profession, including courts, will moderate a discussion about how far women have advanced in law. I think weve got a stellar lineup this year, State Bar executive director Joe Conte said of the program. Nor has all the controversy hurt the conference head count. Conte said the program, the dates of which were altered to accommodate Ginsburgs visit to Santa Fe for the opera season, has hiked expected attendance to about 1,000 participants roughly triple the number the event usually draws. The last time a Supreme Court justice spoke at the New Mexico bar convention was in 2006, when now-retired Justice Sandra Day OConnor spoke to a crowd of about 600 at the Inn of the Mountain Gods near Ruidoso. Ginsburgs preferred format is a sort of fireside chat, Conte said, so Roberta Cooper Ramo of Albuquerque, who was the first female president of the American Bar Association and is current president of American Law Institute, will pose questions to the justice. Although Ginsburg will be chatting on stage with Ramo, that is her only conference appearance. Conte said when he asked about whether she would stick around afterward to mingle, the answer was no. Former ABC White House correspondent Sam Donaldson, a New Mexico rancher now living in Albuquerque, will also join a panel on journalism, law and ethics. Other panels will highlight amenability hearings for youthful offenders, animal law, domestic relations law and the states disciplinary process for lawyers. MINNEAPOLIS The final moments before Philando Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul revolved around a gun he was licensed to carry, trained to use safely and instructed to tell authorities about when stopped. But just how he informed the officer and whether the officer followed his own training gets to the heart of the investigation into Castiles death last week. Castile, who was black, was fatally shot July 6 after he was pulled over by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez, who is Latino. Castiles girlfriend streamed the aftermath live on Facebook and said Castile was shot while reaching for his ID after telling the officer he had a gun permit and was armed. Yanezs attorney has said the officer reacted after seeing a gun, and that one of the reasons he pulled Castile over was because he thought he looked like a possible match for an armed robbery suspect. Castiles family members say he was profiled because of his race. They were among the mourners who filled the 3,000-seat Cathedral of St. Paul for his funeral Thursday. A letter from the Hennepin County Sheriffs Office confirms Castile, 32, got his permit last year. The letter, dated June 4, 2015, says Castiles permit is enclosed. It also says that he must have his permit card and photo identification when carrying a pistol, and must display those items upon lawful demand by a peace officer. Allysza Castile said she and her brother took a required gun safety class together last year. Dan Wellman, owner of Total Defense in Ramsey, confirmed the Castiles came to class in May 2015. Wellman doesnt remember the pair. He said he wasnt teaching the class that day. But each class is told repeatedly how to handle a traffic stop or any encounter with law enforcement, he said. Students are taught to comply with every demand, hand over their permits to carry with their drivers licenses and calmly answer follow-up questions about licensed firearms, including where they are. We make several jokes about it during class: I have a gun is not the way to say you have a gun on you, Wellman said. Race never comes up as course participants are told how to handle traffic stops, Wellman said. Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who was a passenger in the car along with her 4-year-old daughter, stressed in her video that Castile complied with Yanezs requests before the encounter turned fatal. But when talking to reporters the day after his death, she shed light on possible confusion stemming from Castiles final words to the officer. As hes reaching for his back pocket wallet, he lets the officer know: Officer, I have a firearm on me,' she said. I begin to yell, But hes licensed to carry. After that, (the officer) began to take off shots. St. Anthony police training documents outline how an officer should respond to traffic stops. According to the documents, if an officer believes its a high-risk stop as one involving an armed robbery suspect would likely be he should have the driver and others exit the car before approaching the vehicle, while officers take cover and draw their weapons. Albert Goins, an attorney who assisted the Castile family after the shooting but isnt representing anyone in the case, has said if Yanez and the other officer involved, Joseph Kauser, believed they could be stopping the robbery suspect, they should have done a felony stop. He described a procedure similar to what is outlined in the police training documents. Documents provided by the St. Anthony Police Department also show Yanez attended a training seminar in 2014 called Bulletproof Warrior, a two-day course hosted by an Illinois company that teaches students how to utilize their Warrior Spirit in a practical way so they can WIN hostile confrontations on the street, according to promotional materials for the seminar. Yanez also received two hours of de-escalation training this spring the only record of such training since he joined the force in late 2011. His attorney and the St. Anthony police chief did not return messages for comment. Court and driver records show Castile was pulled over or ticketed at least 52 times in Minnesota since 2002, with 86 total misdemeanor or petty misdemeanor counts. More than half of the 86 violations were dismissed, court records show. He had no serious criminal record. He was stopped at least two times since he received his permit to carry. Records do not indicate whether he had his gun with him on those stops. Allysza Castile said she usually leaves her gun at home. But if she does have it with her while driving, she said she puts it in her glove compartment in a holster with the safety on. Most of the time, he did the same, the 23-year-old woman said of her brother. Theres never a time I saw him driving in the car with his weapon on his person. Reynolds, however, has said his gun was in its holster in his pants when they were stopped. Allysza Castile said when she is pulled over and has her gun, she tells officers she has a firearm and gun permit, which is a wallet-size card that she shows with her license and registration. Thats usually how its supposed to go, but they didnt give him a chance, she said of the fatal stop. Valerie Castile stressed that her son got his permit because he had a right to carry a weapon not because he felt his life was in danger. My son was profiled and he was executed. Theres just no two ways around that, she said. ___ Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. Albuquerque has reeled in a really big retail fish, and it is headed to a major Duke City business park. Cabelas, an outdoor recreation giant with nearly $3.5 billion in annual sales, announced plans Thursday to build its first New Mexico store at the southwest corner of Interstate 25 and Paseo del Norte. Known for its inventory of hunting, fishing and camping gear, Cabelas said it would hire an estimated 150 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees for the 70,000-square-foot store. Groundbreaking is expected by late this year, and the store is expected to open by the third quarter of 2017. It is part of a new development that will change the face of Journal Center, a developer said. What today is an 8-to-5 workplace will be more live-work-play, said Ben Spencer, CEO of Titan Development, the projects managing partner. People will live in Journal Center, work in Journal Center and recreate in Journal Center. Its really transformative for Journal Center. The chain, based in Sidney, Neb., is the first to sign onto the 20-acre project formally called Legacy at Journal Center. Plans for the mixed-use project also include additional retail, restaurants and, for the first time in Journal Center, apartments. The Legacy at Journal Center plan has evolved since Albuquerque-based Titan bought into the site about 10 years ago, Spencer said. Lowell Hare, president and CEO of Journal Center Corp., lauded the current vision and implementation. He said it gives people a reason to be in the area on nights and weekends and diversifies the offerings for those already in place. Our partners at Titan Development have done a great job working with Cabelas to be the anchor tenant of the Legacy at Journal Center, Hare said of the project, in which Journal Center Corp. is a partner. In addition to the significance of Cabelas for all of Albuquerque, the Legacy at Journal Center will now be able to provide greater shopping, dining and residential options to the more than 10,000 individuals working in the Journal Center. Destination retailer Cabelas is a destination retailer that should draw traffic from across the state, said commercial real estate broker Jim Dountas, who is spearheading Legacys leasing effort with CBRE colleague Lia Armstrong. Dountas called Cabelas one of the biggest market entries that New Mexico has seen in a number of years, and he said it will help lure other businesses. He said several new-to-market restaurant groups have expressed interest in the site. It is a very premier piece of real estate at I-25 and Paseo that has been held out for development for something special, Dountas said. Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry told the Journal on Thursday that he started trying to woo destination retailers, including Cabelas, during his first term. Raised in Nebraska, he said he has seen the brands pull firsthand. I know people who make vacations of going and staying for a couple of days and shopping at Cabelas this is true, he said. The other thing it will do is pull people off the interstate who are driving through that would not otherwise have stopped in our city. Cabelas has more than 80 stores around the U.S. and Canada. While it has none in New Mexico, there are locations in all the neighboring states. Berry said the city is not offering Cabelas any financial incentives, such as Local Economic Development Act funds. We are thrilled to announce Albuquerque as our first location in New Mexico, Tommy Millner, Cabelas CEO, said in a news release. Weve had a strong customer base through our online and catalog businesses in this area for many years. Building a store here will allow us to serve those customers better, while also introducing thousands of additional outdoor enthusiasts to the Cabelas brand and experience. Cabelas announced two new store locations Thursday the other is outside Detroit. But the company made news for more than its expansion; the New York Post reported that Bass Pro Shops and Goldman Sachs were closing in on a Cabelas acquisition. In an email to the Journal on Thursday, a Cabelas spokesman called the report rumors and speculation and declined to comment. Titans Spencer said he is aware of the reports but had no insight into the matter. But even if such a deal happens, hes confident Albuquerque would get a big outdoor recreation store. I know for a fact that Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops have looked at Albuquerque for a number of years, he said. Certainly its my opinion that if that did happen, there wouldnt be any change. Master plan in process Legacy takes one of the few remaining vacancies in the nearly 400-acre Journal Center park. When Legacy is complete, only about 10 undeveloped acres will remain, Hare said. Titan hasnt cemented the master plan for the entire site or determined total development costs, said Kurt Browning, Titans chief development officer. The company will apply for industrial revenue bonds through Bernalillo County for the Legacy project, he said. The developer must repay such bonds, but they can help lower borrowing costs and taxes. Whatever the final plan, Legacy will reflect the current trend of connecting home, work and fun, Browning said. Titan is working with Albuquerque-based Dekker Perich Sabatini and Bohannan Huston on the plan. I think the mixed-use opportunity is the (big) opportunity right now, without a doubt. Nobody planned for residential in the original master plan, but its obviously much-needed, in our opinion, he said. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. State wildlife officials are concerned that an endangered fish may be extinct now that a wildfire burning in the southern Colorado mountains has reached a creek home to the thriving habitat of cutthroat trout. The Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/29F9qKT ) Greg Policky with Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the fish in a 3-mile stretch of Hayden Creek are one of a kind. He says theyre related to greenbacks but have DNA not known to be in any other fish. Policky estimated the population of trout to be about 2,000. He says theres been ongoing efforts to sustain the fish, which are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Officials say the Hayden Pass fire in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness has spread across 13,000 acres. More than 100 homes have been evacuated. ___ Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazette.com WASHINGTON Donald Trump abruptly postponed plans to announce his vice presidential pick following a day of rampant speculation, citing the horrible attack in Nice, France, that left scores dead. Trump had planned to hold his first event with his yet-to-be-named running mate Friday morning in New York. He announced the change of plans Thursday evening on Twitter. The stunning announcement raised questions about the status of Trumps selection process. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence had emerged as a late favorite for the job, though Trump said he had not finalized the pick and advisers cautioned he could change his mind. I havent made my final, final decision, Trump said on Fox News Channel. He said that while his running mate selection would absolutely not be changed by the France attack, he did not feel it was appropriate to hold a news conference in its aftermath. Dozens of people were killed late Thursday in the French resort city of Nice when a truck drove onto a sidewalk and plowed through a crowd of Bastille Day revelers whod gathered to watch fireworks. Trump told Fox News after the attack that if hes elected president he would ask Congress for a declaration of war on the Islamic State group. Democrat Hillary Clinton, also appearing on Fox, said the U.S. needs to stand strongly with France and said she would intensify efforts to put together a more effective coalition against terrorism. In addition to Pence, Trumps vice presidential shortlist included former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, according to people familiar with the candidates thinking. After spending much of Thursday in Indianapolis, Pence flew to New York late in the day, according to a Republican familiar with the process. Indianapolis television station WTHR posted a video showing Pence arriving at a private airport outside New York early Thursday evening. Trump did not say when he planned to announce his running mate. Hes up against a clock: The Republican convention kicks off in Cleveland Monday. Top party officials are already in Cleveland, grappling with a rules fight that could increase the odds of nationally televised clashes at the convention. Late Thursday, a committee at the Republican National Convention defeated an effort by conservatives who want to let delegates vote for any presidential candidate theyd like. Conservatives hoped that would lead to delegates blocking Trumps nomination. The convention and vice presidential announcement give Trump back-to-back opportunities to reassure Americans as well as leaders within his own party that hes prepared for the presidency. Pence, a staunch conservative who served six terms in Congress, is seen as a running mate who would have the backing of GOP leaders and ease some of their concerns about Trumps political inexperience and volatile temperament. He has influential allies in Trumps inner circle. But some of Trumps children, who have been closely advising their father, are said to favor different candidates. Campaign chair Paul Manafort was among those urging caution in assuming any decision Thursday, saying on Twitter that Trumps choice will be made in the near future. As the day began, it appeared the decision would come quickly. Gingrich, the fiery Republican who helped define the political battles of the 1990s, told The Associated Press that Trump was supposed to let him know something in the afternoon. But by early evening, Gingrich told the AP he had heard nothing from Trump or others in the campaign. Other Republicans with knowledge of the process said there had been no calls to Christie, either. The top contenders have been vetted by a top Washington lawyer and all have spent time with Trump in recent days. But the final decision rests with the candidate, who is known for making decisions more on instinct than other factors and for sometimes changing his mind. Trump was in California Thursday for several fundraisers. His schedule put him at a distance from many of his closest advisers, including Manafort and his three oldest children. Pence is running for re-election, but Indiana law prevents him from seeking two offices at once. He faces a Friday deadline to withdraw from the governors race. The paperwork has been drawn up for him to take that step, according to a Republican, who insisted on anonymity because that person was not authorized to publicly discuss the plans. However, those documents have not been filed. Christie, in New Jersey, said in an interview with MSNBC, No matter what phone call (Trump) makes to me today, I will take a deep breath and prepare for tomorrow. That interview came hours before David Samson, whom Christie appointed to chair the powerful Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, pleaded guilty to scheming to get United Airlines to run direct flights between New Jersey and South Carolina, where he has a vacation home. Gingrich calmly answered questions about the selection process on Facebook Live, saying he had told Trump the choice was between having two pirates on the ticket or a pirate and a relatively stable, more normal person. Beyond their political backgrounds, the finalists bring different strengths to the ticket. Pence, 57, has deep ties to evangelical Christians and other conservatives, particularly after signing a law last year that critics said would have allowed businesses to deny service to gay people for religious reasons. But the move alienated some moderates in the party. Trump took notice of Pence during the Indiana primary, noting that the governor had high praise for him despite endorsing one of his rivals. Gingrich, 73, is something of a rabble-rouser who has spent decades in Washington. He has been a steadfast Trump defender for months and has become a trusted adviser to the businessman. So, too, has Christie. The New Jersey governor, 53, quickly endorsed Trump after ending his own presidential bid, stunning many of his supporters. He has proven himself an effective attack dog on the trail and has taken on the important role of heading Trumps transition planning. ___ AP writers Brian Slodysko in Indianapolis, Alan Fram in Cleveland and Erica Werner in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Jill Colvin at http://twitter.com/colvinj Kids in child care centers and their family members are among 36 people in Lea and Eddy counties sickened by a highly contagious bacterial illness, the New Mexico Department of Health said today. Health officials urge parents to keep sick children at home to avoid spreading Shigella sonnei to others. Shigellosis illness is characterized by diarrhea, fever, nausea, and sometimes vomiting, cramps, and toxemia, or blood poisoning from toxins produced by the bacteria. The diarrhea often contains blood and mucus. The time between infection and the onset of symptoms varies from 1 to 7 days, but is typically 1-3 days. An infected person can shed the bacteria in their stool when they have diarrhea and up to a month after the diarrhea has gone away. The illness also can be spread on surfaces if an infected person doesnt wash their hands thoroughly after using the restroom. Health officials recommend taking steps to avoid Shigellosis. They are: Washing your hands frequently, especially after using the bathroom, changing a diaper, or before preparing or eating food. Promptly cleaning possible contaminated surfaces with household chlorine bleach-based cleaners. Washing soiled clothing and linens. Avoiding food or water from sources that may be contaminated. Do not send children to school or day care if they have persistent diarrhea. Click here for more information on Shigella. LONDON Hes insulted everyone from the president of the United States to the people of Papua New Guinea. Now the remarkably undiplomatic Boris Johnson, his political career miraculously revived, has become Britains top diplomat. The reaction to his surprise appointment as foreign secretary in British Prime Minister Theresa Mays new Conservative Cabinet has been swift and blunt: His French counterpart called him a liar, the Germans say hes irresponsible, and a British legislator believes its the worst political appointment since Roman emperor Caligula made his horse a senator. And those are Britains allies talking. May came to power with a reputation for acting with careful calculation, but with her choice of the voluble, publicity-craving Johnson as Britains representative on the world stage, she appears to have thrown her customary caution to the winds. Instead of choosing a team player, May chose a politician who prides himself on being different. So different he insulted President Barack Obama by making fun of his ancestry. So tone deaf he also wrote an extremely vulgar limerick about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, using debasing sexual imagery to mock the leader of a mostly Muslim country. Johnson, 52, was a prominent leader of the successful leave campaign to take Britain out of the European Union who harbored his own leadership hopes, making him a factor for May to deal with as the new prime minister tries to unify the sharply divided Conservative Party. But her decision to put Johnson on the world stage dealing with foreign leaders is raising questions, largely because of Johnsons propensity for saying exactly wrong thing at the wrong time, sometimes in the most provocative way. In France, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault Thursday branded his British counterpart a liar. Did you all see what his style was like through the campaign? He lied a lot to the British. Now, its him with his back against the wall to defend his country and to clarify his relationship with Europe, Ayrault said. The French minister said he needs a negotiating partner who is clear, credible and reliable for the upcoming negotiations on Britains stated desire to leave the 28-nation EU. Others took a more conciliatory view with the belief that Johnson as foreign secretary would be more temperate than his previous incarnations as Johnson the journalist, Johnson the legislator or Johnson the London mayor. Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed inclined to let bygones be bygones even though Johnson had described him as a ruthless and manipulative tyrant and suggested he looked like a Harry Potter character, the wizened elf Dobby. The burden of his current position will undoubtedly, certainly, lead him to use a bit different rhetoric, of a more diplomatic nature, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. When it comes to U.S. Democrats and Republicans, Johnson seems an equal opportunity offender. There was no word from Hillary Clintons camp on whether she had forgiven his 2007 description of her as resembling a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital. And Donald Trump didnt indicate his feelings about Johnsons statement that he would avoid certain parts of New York City because of the real risk of meeting Donald Trump. After Obama in April said he hoped that Britons would vote to stay in the EU, Johnson described Americas first black president as a part-Kenyan with an ancestral dislike of the British empire. Many British commentators questioned the wisdom of insulting the leader of Britains most important ally. As a newspaper columnist, Johnson used a derogatory term for black children when describing people in the Commonwealth and characterized people from Papua New Guinea as cannibals. While in Parliament, he offended an entire British city when he complained that people from Liverpool were wallowing in victim status after one of their own was taken hostage and slain in Iraq. In a bizarre twist, Johnson has also offered unusual praise for Syrian leader Bashar Assad, calling him a vile dictator but hailing the success of his forces in beating back Islamic State extremists. Johnson has apologized many times for a string of insensitive comments dating back to his early days in journalism, and he seems likely to do so again he said after his surprise appointment that the United States of America will be in the front of the queue for his next apology. His language was an apparent reference to Obamas earlier warning that Britain would be in the back of the queue for those seeking trade agreements with the United States if it left the 28-nation EU. When Johnson returned to his London home after the appointment, a neighbor placed a sign next to his house saying: SORRY WORLD. Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said he could not believe Johnson will now represent Britain abroad. He said Johnson must first apologize to Obama and then apologize to EU leaders for saying their plans for Europe were similar to Adolf Hitlers. At this incredibly important time that will determine Britains economic and cultural relations with Europe, it is extraordinary that the new prime minister has chosen someone whose career is built on making jokes, Farron said. The cheerful, extroverted Johnson has had some notable successes. He was seen as an effective cheerleader for London during his stint as mayor, a tenure that included the successful 2012 Summer Olympics. After the leave campaign scored a surprise victory in the June 23 referendum, he seemed well positioned to succeed David Cameron as prime minister. But he was undercut by key ally Michael Gove, who pronounced Johnson unfit to serve and ran unsuccessfully for party leader himself. The treachery left Johnson out of the Conservative leadership race. In another seemingly political disaster, Johnson then announced he supported Mays challenger to become the next prime minister, not the home secretary herself. Mays move bravery or folly, time will tell means Johnson will be able to command TV news coverage with a series of foreign trips. But how he molds his new job is anyones guess. Foreign secretaries in Britain have traditionally stayed in a supporting role, refraining from saying anything remotely off-the-cuff or contentious but that may be a stretch too far for Johnson. I wish it was a joke but I fear it isnt, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt tweeted at the news of Johnsons appointment. WASHINGTON President Barack Obama marked the anniversary of the landmark nuclear deal with Iran on Thursday by vowing that the United States and its partners will uphold their commitments as long as Iran abides by the pact. Congressional Republicans again tried to undermine the international accord, which outlines what Iran must do to pull back its nuclear program from the brink of weapons-making capacity. The U.S., other world powers and Iran finalized the nuclear pact on July 14, 2015, after nearly two years of intense negotiations. In exchange for Tehran rolling back its nuclear program, the U.S. and other world powers agreed to suspend wide-ranging oil, trade and financial sanctions that had choked the Iranian economy. Obama hailed the deal Thursday, saying it has succeeded in rolling back Irans nuclear program, avoiding further conflict and making us safer. The Republican-controlled House, meanwhile, approved a bill to impose new sanctions on Iran for its continuing development and testing of its ballistic missile program. The 246-179 vote was largely along party lines. Lawmakers also approved a measure that would restate U.S. policy to deny the Iranian government and banks access to U.S. dollars. The vote on that bill was 246-181. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, said the Obama administration has shown it does not intend to hold Iran accountable for its ballistic missile program, human rights violations and support of terrorism. We want to penalize the Iranian government for their continued illegal activity, McCarthy, R-Calif., said of congressional Republicans. Democrats called the GOP bills cynical attempts to score partisan points in an election year. This isnt a serious bill, Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said of the sanctions bill. We should not relitigate this issue. Our work now should be to hold Iran to its obligations and make sure the deal is being fully implemented. The votes came a day after the House approved a measure Wednesday that calls for prohibiting the Obama administration from buying more of Irans heavy water, a key component in certain nuclear reactors. The White House has said removing the countrys surplus heavy water denies Tehran access to a material that may be stored for potential nuclear weapons production. Secretary of State John Kerry, who led negotiations on the deal, said Thursday that a program that many people said would not work and would make the world more dangerous has, in fact, made the world safer and ensured that Irans nuclear program is peaceful. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter that the Iran deal was a triumph of diplomacy over coercion. Same stark choice for US today, and reminder: old methods produce same old failures. Progress will remain elusive as long as short-sighted bragging, lackluster implementation of obligations and tired slogans are preferred. Boris Johnson, the new British foreign secretary, said the anniversary of the Iran nuclear deal reminds us of the historic diplomatic breakthrough in Vienna that has made the world a safer place and is bringing real benefits to the people of Iran. Follow Matthew Daly: http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC WASHINGTON Consumers wanting to know if their foods contain genetically modified ingredients will be able to find out for the first time. Congress sent legislation to President Barack Obama on Thursday that would require most food packages to carry a text label, a symbol or an electronic code readable by smartphone that indicates whether the food contains genetically modified ingredients, or GMOs. The Agriculture Department would have two years to write the rules. The White House says Obama will sign the bill, which would pre-empt a Vermont law that kicked in earlier this month. The House passed the legislation 306-117 on Thursday. Senate approval came last week over the strong objections of Vermonts congressional delegation. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy and Rep. Peter Welch argued that the measure falls short, especially compared with the tougher labeling requirements in their state. While the bill gives companies the three options for labeling, the Vermont law would require items be labeled produced with genetic engineering. If there is an acknowledgement about the right of a consumer to have access to information, why not give them the information in plain and simple English? asked Welch on the House floor. Advocates for labeling and the food industry, which has fought mandatory labeling, have wanted to find a national solution to avoid a state-by-state patchwork of laws. The food industry supports the legislation, which was the result of bipartisan Senate negotiations. But many advocates do not, arguing that many consumers wont be able to read electronic labels and that there arent enough penalties for companies that dont comply. While there is little scientific concern about the safety of those GMOs on the market, advocates for labeling argue that not enough is known about their risks and people want to know whats in their food. Among supporters of labeling are many organic companies that are barred by law from using modified ingredients in their foods. The food industry says GMOs are safe and the labels could mislead people into thinking they arent. But several companies started to label their foods anyway as Vermonts law went into effect. Vermonts Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin bemoaned the congressional action. Its a shame that Congress chose to replace our standard with a weaker one that provides multiple ways for the food industry to avoid transparent labeling, he said in a statement. Republicans and lawmakers from rural states overwhelmingly supported the legislation. Agriculture groups have backed it, hoping it will bring more certainty to farmers who grow genetically modified corn and soybeans. The clock has run out, my producers need certainty and an interstate commerce nightmare will shortly ensure if we dont pass this bill, said Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill. Genetically modified foods are plants or animals that have had genes copied from other plants or animals inserted into their DNA. While farmers have been selectively breeding plants for centuries, this manipulation is done in a lab, speeding up the process by transferring a gene from one plant or animal to another. The engineering is done to create certain traits, like resistance to herbicides. The bulk of the nations genetically engineered crops are corn and soybeans that are eaten by livestock or made into popular processed food ingredients such as cornstarch, soybean oil or high-fructose corn syrup. Only a handful of genetically engineered fruits and vegetables are available in the produce aisle, including Hawaiian papaya, some zucchini and squash and some sweet corn. The food industry says 75 percent to 80 percent of foods contain genetically modified ingredients most of those corn and soy-based. The Food and Drug Administration says they are safe to eat. The legislation encompasses some foods that were exempted from the Vermont law, but it also allows the Agriculture Department to determine how much of a bioengineered substance must be present to require a GMO label. Labeling advocates say many foods wouldnt be labeled if the department sets a high threshold. ___ Associated Press writer Matthew Daly in Washington and David Gram in Vermont contributed to this report. PHOENIX Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan and the Arizona Green Party have struck a deal allowing the partys presidential candidate on the November ballot despite the partys failure to file its nomination papers for Electoral College delegates on time. The party and Reagan asked a federal judge earlier this week to enter an injunction requiring Reagan to accept the electors nomination papers. Voters technically choose presidential electors in the general election and they choose the next president. The Green Partys candidate is Jill Stein. Reagan said last month that the party missed the June 1 deadline and she saw no legal way around the deadline requirement. The Green Party then sued. The Green Party is the smallest of Arizonas four recognized political parties with about 4,500 members. Anderson Air Corps has announced it has promoted Kyle Redford from vice president to chief operating officer. Redford will be responsible for overseeing daily operations, insurance, advertising, corporate relationships and communications, according to a news release from the company. Kyle joined Anderson Air Corps as an estimator in 1994. Prior to joining the Anderson team, he he owned and operated his own heating and air conditioning company in Indiana. He is a NATE certified technician and has an MM98 license. He is also a member of RSES, ACCA and ABC. ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. Amid high fire danger, officials at Rocky Mountain National Park are reminding visitors that campfires are banned in most of the park. Park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson says two illegal campfires were discovered this week and the people who set them were issued citations. A small wildfire that started Monday near the Twin Sisters Trailhead is believed to be human caused but investigators arent sure whether a campfire started it. It was contained at 400 square feet. The fire danger has led the Bureau of Land Management to ban campfires except in established fire rings on its lands in central and northern Colorado. In Rocky Mountain National Park, campfires are always only allowed in picnic areas and campgrounds accessible by roads and only in designated rings. They arent allowed at all in the backcountry. PHOENIX A man has changed his plea to guilty to charges stemming from an attempted drug transaction and shooting in Tempe and a subsequent lockdown of a Phoenix airport terminal. Maricopa County Superior Court officials say Layron Dejarnette entered his plea Thursday to conspiracy to commit sale or transportation of marijuana, unlawful flight, armed robbery and aggravated assault. The 27-year-old Dejarnette is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 11. Authorities say Dejarnette and two co-defendants went to a Tempe gas station in September 2014 to meet a man and buy $700 worth of marijuana. They told police the man got into their car and took out a gun and was shot in the ensuing struggle. The three suspects were pursued in a high-speed chase that ended at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Following an eight-month investigation the U.S. Attorneys Office arrested ten people Thursday on suspicion of running a heroin trafficking ring in Sunland, N.M., a mid-sized city on the border with Mexico, according to a spokeswoman for the office. Elizabeth Martinez said the ring was led by 67-year-old Raymundo Munoz of Sunland Park, N.M., who was allegedly obtaining heroin from Juan Francisco Rivera, 60, of El Paso, Tex. According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court, Rivera would use couriers to regularly smuggle between two and nine ounces of heroin across the Mexican border into El Paso and Sunland Park. The indictment alleges that Munoz took the heroin to his Sunland Park residence where he distributed the drugs to others, Martinez said. Members of the conspiracy allegedly used telephones to negotiate their heroin deals, arrange for heroin deliveries, and pay for the heroin. Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration seized approximately a pound of heroin, more than $53,000 in cash and firearms, Martinez said. Brandon Fryar has been named president of Presbyterian Health Plan, replacing Lisa Farrell Lujan who will work on business expansion in other states, Presbyterian Healthcare Services has announced. Fryar, a certified public accountant, joined Presbyterian as vice president of finance and chief financial officer for the health plan in 2014. Previously, he was a partner at Moss Adams, where he led the accounting firms healthcare industry practice for the Southwest. In announcing his appointment, Jim Hinton, CEO and president of PHS, said Fryars 20 years of experience as a finance professional makes him an outstanding choice to lead the health plan in the new and ever-changing health care environment. We are pleased to have Brandon serve as our new president of the health plan, said Hinton, who also is chairman of the health plan board of directors. His dedication, passion and unwavering ability to always put people first will benefit all New Mexicans. Fryar will lead the states largest locally owned health plan that provides coverage to 466,000 members in New Mexico. The for-profit subsidiary of PHS has members in commercial, Medicare and managed Medicaid plans. Fryar, a native of Reserve, holds a bachelors degree in accounting from New Mexico State University. He also serves on a number of professional organizations and statewide boards. The insurance plan has $1.8 billion in revenue and 1,100 employees. Presbyterian as a whole, the second-largest private employer in the state, has 11,000 employees and $3 billion in annual revenue. Lisa Farrell Lujan will devote the majority of her time to business development efforts in other states, such as North Carolina. In March, PHS signed a letter of intent to provide Medicaid managed care services to a group of 11 health systems in North Carolina, possibly bringing as many as 600 jobs to Albuquerque. The partnership, which is subject to approval by the Centers for Medicare Services and North Carolina insurance regulators, is called Provider-Led Patient-Centered Care. If given the green light, Presbyterian will become a minority owner of the new entity. CSI Aviation Inc. has coordinated medical flights for providers and patients for more than a decade, but its now directly operating its own medical aircraft in partnership with Albuquerque Ambulance Service. Albuquerque-based CSI, a 37-year-old company that offers charter flights, aircraft leasing, management services and more for businesses and government agencies, began offering medical flight coordination in 2004. It arranges all logistics for transporting critically injured and ill patients to and from hospitals in New Mexico and the Southwest. But until now, those flights were on third-party aircraft piloted by others. Two years ago, CSI acquired its own King Air Beachcraft-200, a high-performance, twin-engine turboprop plane. In June, it bought an additional King Air B-300. It upgraded both planes for medical flight specialty service, equipping them with critical care medical systems. This month, CSI received New Mexico Department of Health certification for critical and specialty care flight missions, allowing it to directly offer those services for providers and patients 24/7, said Marc Ramthun, CSI senior director of sales. Since 2004, weve provided aviation logistics with medical services on charter flights, Ramthun said. Now, were launching our own medical flight services with our own aircraft here in Albuquerque. We can now provide special care flight services anywhere in the state in less than one hour. The aviation company signed a partnership agreement with Albuquerque Ambulance Service, which will provide critical care medical teams for all CSI medical flights, while managing all ground transportation services to and from hospitals and clinics. The ambulance company, a division of Presbyterian Healthcare Services, has served the greater Albuquerque metropolitan area and Bernalillo County since 1972. It manages more than 120,000 calls per year with a team of 350 people, said Albuquerque Ambulance chief Kurt Krumperman. Were proud to partner with CSI, Krumperman said. Our geographic coverage is in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, but we do go throughout the state to pick up or drop off patients. Through this partnership, well get much further out a lot more often. CSI generally concentrates on medical flights in New Mexico and surrounding states, but it will offer services throughout the Southwest and beyond as needed, Ramthun said. The partnership provides a complete turnkey solution for customers. We compliment each other, Ramthun said. Albuquerque Ambulance will provide trained flight crews with on-board medics and nurses, and CSI provides the pilots and all flight personnel. CSI was formed in 1979 by Allen Weh, former chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party and a former candidate for the U.S. Senate. The company employs 40 people in Albuquerque, many of whom are veterans who served in all four branches of the military, including combat medics, medevac pilots and flight operations specialists. (Bloomberg) The Democratic Partys proposed 2016 platform supports a financial transaction tax on Wall Streetbut presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton is focused on a narrower approach that isnt likely to target big banks. Clinton and her advisers propose taxing some high-frequency traders who spam markets with thousands of orders they later cancel. That levy would affect a comparatively small number of firmsnone of them household namesand Clinton isnt likely to expand it into a tax on all trades of stocks, bonds and derivatives, according to senior policy analysts familiar with her campaign. Those of us whove advocated for a tax on financial transactions have something much more encompassing in mind than a tax on canceled orders, said Jared Bernstein, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, who said hes in touch with Clintons campaign on the issue. You can argue that this is a very narrow version. The difference in approaches highlights Clintons complicated relationship with Wall Street. Her campaign has weathered criticism over millions of dollars in speaking fees she accepted from big banks and other interests after stepping down as secretary of state in 2013. At the same time, she has called for imposing a risk fee on the largest financial institutions, for toughening rules against big banks engaging in speculative trading and for other measures aimed at strengthening bank regulation. Platform Diversity While party platforms are mostly symbolic and have no formal hold over a candidate, the Democrats emerged after a lengthy discussion aimed at promoting unity among supporters of Clinton and those of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who had challenged her for the nomination. Sanders endorsed Clinton on Tuesday. The platform, finalized last weekend in Orlando, Florida, specifically endorses a financial transactions tax on Wall Street to curb excessive speculation and high-frequency trading, which has threatened financial markets. It also says: We acknowledge that there is room within our party for a diversity of views on a broader financial transactions tax. That language constitutes a nod to Sanders, who had proposed a broader tax on financial transactions. Similar to taxes in France and Italy, his proposal would have assessed a 0.5 percent rate on stock trades, 0.1 percent on bond trades and 0.005 percent on derivatives trades. Manipulative Behavior We got this language about a financial transactions tax in the Democratic platform for the first time in history, said Warren Gunnels, the top policy adviser to Sanderss campaign. Sanders supporters will continue a grassroots movement to support his proposal, Gunnels said. But does this mean that a financial transactions tax is going to happen? No it doesnt, he said. Clintons proposed tax on canceled orders is designed to address some of the concerns that shes had and many other observers have had, about markets flooded by high-frequency tradersabout the manipulative behavior profiled in books youre aware of, said Gary Gensler, a senior Clinton campaign adviser. Gensler, who served as chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission from 2009 through 2013, was referring to Flash Boys, Michael Lewiss 2014 best-selling book, which portrayed some of the speediest traders as using computers to rig the market. Some academic research has blamed such traders for submitting high volumes of canceled orders, creating false impressions of demand. Market Concern High-frequency traders typically work at obscure firms outside the main cluster of big banks that dominate Wall Street, and they work through automated markets spread out across New Jersey and Chicago. They gained attention after the so-called Flash Crash of 2010 wiped $800 billion from the value of U.S. stocks in a few minutes, amid concern that their computer-driven strategies fueled market instability. Proponents of high-speed trading, which is carried out through sophisticated algorithms, argue that it promotes liquidity in markets. High-frequency trading firms accounted for about half the trading volume in U.S. stocks in 2015, according to the Tabb Group, a market research and consulting firm. Costs Down High-frequency traders provide a lot more liquidity than we used to have, and theyve driven down trading costs, said Lawrence Harris, a finance professor at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. Harris was the chief economist of the Securities and Exchange Commission from 2002 to 2004. Some large hedge funds use high-frequency-trading algorithms, and some big banks use algorithms of various typesalbeit sparingly under restrictions on their ability to do speculative trades. Harris said it follows that a tax on canceled orders would primarily hit specialized high-frequency trading firms, not Wall Street banks. It just plays into peoples fears of computers, he said, adding that he opposes such a tax. Clintons tax on canceled orders remains little more than a talking point for now. Her campaign has yet to provide detail on how it would be applied or collected. Michael Schmidt, a Clinton campaign economist, said the goal is to level the playing field so that the investing public gets a fair shake and fair access to the market. Democrats Bill Its unclear how much her proposed tax would raise. Its much more designed to address a particular market distortion than raise revenue, said Bernstein, of the CBPP. A broader proposal from a House Democrat to tax financial transactions, due to be unveiled Wednesday, would raise as much as $417 billion over a decade, according to a news release from Representative Peter DeFazio of Oregon. DeFazio proposes to levy a 0.03 percent tax rate on most financial trades, according to the release. The proposal largely mirrors a bill DeFazio introduced in 2009 that never came up for a vote in the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. Clinton campaign spokesman Tyrone Gayle declined to comment on DeFazios planned legislation. To my knowledge, Representative DeFazio and Secretary Clinton havent discussed this bill, said Beth Schoenbach, a spokeswoman for the congressman. GirnarSoft, the parent company to Indias top auto portals such as CarDekho.com, Gaadi.com and Zigwheels.com, has acqui-hired Valueserve Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd in a cash deal. The move marks a diversification of the company to cater to the public sector by providing e-governance solutions, consulting and management support services. Launched in November 2010, Valueserve was founded by Yatendra Garg, a IIT Madras alumni and a consultant with over ten years of experience with several e-governance and ICT initiatives. The company has been empaneled with leading consulting firms such as Grant Thornton, Ernst & Young, KPMG and Deloitte. Garg will report to GirnarSoft co-founder Anurag Jain. Speaking on the announcement, Anurag said, GirnarSoft is an internet conglomerate and a house of innovations with proven successful consumer portals in the auto sector amongst others. We have been creating world class portals for various consumers and with this new initiative we want to apply all the learnings we have had over the years in the public sector. Given the push to create a digital India, e-Governance solution development and consultation appealed to us as a viable option. We are confident that the acquisition of Valueserve will allow us to add great value to various e-Governance and ICT initiatives. Yatendra Garg, Founder, Valueserve, added, In a day and age when the boundaries between public and private endeavours are shrinking rapidly, we are witnessing an increasing number of private business entities venturing into the public sector. GirnarSoft is renowned for its expertise in delivering consumer-oriented business solutions, and there were plenty of synergies between the company and Valueserve. This development holds a lot of promise for the public sector. Last year, the Rajasthan government's industries department signed 3 MoUs with GirnarSoft for creating 1) Government of Rajasthan - CSR Portal to facilitate, communicate and operationalise CSR in the state, 2) Rajasthan Investment and Promotion Scheme Portal for ease of doing business and 3) MSME conclave portal. With this acquisition, the company will have a dedicated team to service public sector clients. Valueserve Consulting is GirnarSofts ninth deal in the last two years. Earlier it made a strategic investment in Advanced Structures India. It has acquired Volob, Connecto, Help on Wheels, Zigwheels.com, Gaadi.com and BuyingIQ. The company has also incubated and invested in CollegeDekho.com. Andreas Dahlqvist, Chief Creative Officer, Grey New York, will be the Digital Jury President at London International Awards (LIA) 2016. Dahlqvist says about Digital, Im really looking forward to heading up this category. Its a category that is capturing so many things right now. Very few of the new exciting ideas are not relying on a big digital component. Its the intersection of almost every other category at the moment and thats why its where you still see the most innovation happen. Named to Advertising Ages Creativity 50 list, Dahlqvist has created groundbreaking integrated campaigns for clients that include McDonalds, General Mills, Diesel Jeans, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet and Skoda. Through his current role at Grey, along with his past experience at McCann and DDB, he has taken home every major creative award for his work, including the Cannes Titanium and Grand Prix Lions. 2016 Digital Jury: Andreas Dahlqvist - Jury President - Chief Creative Officer, Grey New York Martin Cedergren - Executive Creative Director & Founding Partner, M&C Saatchi, Stockholm Samuel Estrada - Managing Director / Creative VP, McCann Erickson, Bogota Corinna Falusi - Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy & Mather New York, New York Mike Geiger - Managing Partner / Chief Digital Officer, David&Goliath, El Segundo Mateusz Mroszczak - Executive Creative Director, Darwin BBDO, Brussels Ronald Ng - Chief Creative Officer, North America, DigitasLBi, New York Lucas Peon - Digital Executive Creative Director, J. Walter Thompson, London Mark Pytlik - CEO, Stink Digital, London Susan Treacy - EVP / Executive Creative Director, FCB Chicago, Chicago The LIA 2016 Entry System is now accepting entries. Judging will take place in Las Vegas from October 6 to 14. The shortlists will be announced as each judging session concludes, with winners being announced on November 8. Swara Bhaskar, Vir Das, Vivek Oberoi, Kalki Koechlin and Govind Namdev star in HawaBadlos new video which is already rocking the internet space. After the three year old, Samreen melting our hearts from her kind gesture of gifting a mask to the traffic policeman, now we have Bollywood celebrities asking you to act now by gifting a mask to the traffic police who are also one of the worst victims of Outdoor Air Pollution. Swara Bhaskar, Vir Das, Vivek Oberoi, Kalki Koechlin and GovindNamdev, all came together in the video by HawaBadlo to address a major topic that has been neglected by all of us since so long. Awaking, alerting and alarming the audience all around about Air pollution and its adverse effects on the unsung heroes of the society the traffic policemen, the celebs talk about what generally the people say and feel about the traffic cops. Link of the video is: - https://goo.gl/Z4AVmy The celebs ask that while we keep on cursing the traffic policemen when they fine/challan us for not wearing helmet , using mobiles while driving or jumping the signal, can we stop for a moment and admit that the fault lies with us only. As we hate to admit this, we blame them for what? For working with full dedication in every condition? For putting their health at risks? All of that too, just for our smooth functioning? Are they that bad that they do not deserve fresh air to breathe in? The celebs mentioned some common problems that the traffic policemen face like Asthma, bronchitis, anemia and loss of hearing which are far away from our knowledge.Further the video informs that 59% of Traffic Cops have complaints of thick sputum, 56% of them have been living with perennial joint pains and 45% of them suffer from shortness of breath. As asked by the celebs, it is high time for each one of us to pay back the traffic policemen for their dedication and hardwork they have done for us, by tweeting #GiftAMask Nipun Arora, Founder, HawaBadlo said After a big hit of our previous video initiative of a three year old gifting a mask and peoples reaction on it, we are sure that people do care. Lack of awareness is the root cause of people not being able to do anything for their societyand the environment. We at HawaBadlo aim at spreading awareness amongst people and motivating them to work for their society and the environment. The #GiftAMask is just an initiative for the traffic cops. The video informs people about the problems that the traffic cops go through everyday and Team HawaBadlo asks everyone of you to use the #GiftAMask on twitter. With every tweet you do with the hashtag, Team HawaBadlo with GAIL (India) Limited will gift masks to traffic cops on your behalf. Indranil Das, Spokesperson for HawaBadlo, GAIL (India) Limited said, The participation of such proclaimed actors in the video itself describes that the initiative is being adapted by the people. The celebs are aware about the alarming conditions of Air around us and the fact that they are willing to spread awareness amongst fellow country citizens is what HawaBadlo has been aiming to; Spreading awareness and helping people to do their bit for the nation rather than waiting for someone else to do it for us #GiftAMask, #Changetheair, #HawaBadlo and #RaavanKoRoko are just a few preventions but the cure still is changing the air by using greener fuels like natural gas and making it breathable. 455th ECS: delivers morale Mr. Shaun Cole, Airman 1st Class Hayden Kidder, and Staff Sgt. Tony Tran, 455th Expeditionary Communications Squadron knowledge management, move packages to the mail tent, July 13, 2016, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Members of the 455th ECS knowledge management flight help with the postal additional duty. The task includes receiving, organizing, and distributing mail to the organizations throughout the base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Justyn M. Freeman) Africas cultural heritage treasure war with Europe Looting, museumification, restitution... African cultural heritage experts are calling out ... and rebelling. Egypt, the instigator of an international protest movement has, for several months now, adopted only one watchword: the "restitution" of its treasures, displayed in museums across the Western world. The rallying cry has become a leitmotif of concern that has attracted many other countries to follow Egypts lead. Syria, Nigeria, Peru and even Greece have joined in the dance, raising a critical question: Would the prized artifacts remain safe in their hands? A controversial issue among both policy makers and African cultural heritage experts. For 48 long hours, employees of Senegals National Telecommunications Company cut telephone and Internet connections to the rest of the world. That bold action, in August 2010, sought to force the government to back down on a plan to grant a US company exclusive rights to manage incoming international phone calls. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has alleged that if then Congress led government had acted on time against Dr. Zakir Naik, many Muslim youth could have been prevented from being radicalised. Dr. Zakir Naik has grabbed headlines for his alleged hate speeches which inspired terrorists involved in the Dhaka attacks. But the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti had already raised objections against his provocative speeches and CDs, held protest demonstrations and even filed police complaints in the year 2012. FIRs have been lodged against Naik in Mumbai, Kolhapur, Sawantwadi and Akola. Despite this, the then Congress government failed to act against him. Moreover, K Rahman Khan (then Minister of Minority Affairs in the UPA government) even wrote a letter to Manish Tewari (then Minister for Information and Broadcasting in the UPA government) complaining that Dr Zakir Naik was being defamed by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and Sudarshan TV. This letter, dated 15th February, 2013 has now been leaked. Ramesh Shinde, National Spokesperson, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti said, It is now clear that the burden of sin of having supported Naik lies on Congress. The death of innocents was preventable; had the government heeded to the Samitis complaints and acted in a timely fashion against Naik. Scores of Muslim youth could have been saved from being lured into terrorist activities and many acts of terror could have been prevented. Why did K Rahman Khan misuse his post as the Minister of Minority Affairs to support anti-national man? Why did Manish Tewari sweep this issue under the carpet? Is national security the priority for Congress or minority appeasement? The nation demands an answer from the Congress. One cannot expect anything more from those who addressed bin-Laden as Osamaji, he added. According to the organisation, Dr Zakir Naiks association with Pakistan based terrorist Hafiz Saeeds Jamat-ud-Dawa is out in the open; he is notorious for his blasphemous speech against Hindu Deities; he has hailed bin-Laden and terrorist activities. Despite this, over the past two days many, including Owaisi, Abu Azmi, prominent Muslim organisations etc., have expressed their support for Dr Zakir Naik. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti exhorts them to clarify their stand on these grave issues. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has always firmly opposed antinational forces like Dr Zakir Naik. But the power hungry Congress party, in bid to consolidate its minority votebank, first banned the Samitis website and is now hankering for a ban on the Samiti. Now it would be only fair to expect that the Modi government should act against the Congress party for its tacit support of those who advocate terrorism, said Shinde. Earlier the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) had protested at Dadar against Dr. Zakir Naik demanding immediate arrest for allegedly promoting terrorism. The Samiti demanded a thorough inquiry to be conducted in the affairs of Dr. Naik and his institution, and stringent action should be taken in the matter. [inlinetweet prefix= tweeter= suffix=]A young American living in Australia used the Google Translate service in an attempt to contact Arabic-speaking Islamic State recruiters[/inlinetweet], according to US prosecutors. Asher Khan, 21, faces life in prison if convicted at a trial in the US District Court in Texas in September. Khan moved from Houston to Sydney in 2013 to live with relatives and while in Australia allegedly hatched a plan to fly to Turkey and cross into Syria to fight for IS. Prosecutors revealed in a new pre-trial court filing authorities have forensically examined Google searches, Skype Chat messaging and other applications on Khans iPhone and computer. [inlinetweet prefix= tweeter= suffix=]I want to join the jihad, but I live in Australia? Khan allegedly typed into Google Translate.[/inlinetweet] How can I come? I dont speak Arabic, only english and urdu (sic). Khan faces multiple charges with alleged Australian IS recruiter, Mohamed Zuhbi, including conspiring to provide material support to IS and conspiring to commit murder in a foreign country. Zuhbi, 25, formerly of Sydney, was operating out of Syria and Turkey and provided Khan with logistical advice and a Turkish mobile number to call once he landed in Turkey, according to the indictment. Khan allegedly flew from Sydney to Turkey, via Malaysia, on February 24, 2014, while his Texan friend, Sixto Ramiro Garcia, flew from Houston to Turkey a day earlier. Khan was arrested in the US after his family allegedly tricked him into returning to Houston with a false story his mother was in hospital. Garcia allegedly communicated with Khan that Zuhbi had delivered him and he had attended fighter training camps, but on December 25, 2014, Garcias mother received a message explaining that her son had died, suggesting that he died while fighting. Khan and Zuhbi are charged with: conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation; conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country; conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists; and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation. Khan has entered not guilty pleas, while prosecutors said Zuhbi is believed to be living somewhere along the border of Turkey and Syria. More than ten months after 52-yr-old Mohammad Akhlaq was dragged out of his home in Uttar Pradeshs Dadri and killed by a mob over rumours that he had eaten beef, a local court has ordered that seven members of his family should be investigated for cow slaughter. A court ordered an FIR or First Information Report against Akhlaqs family, based on a petition by a neighbour in their village Bisada. The petition, backed by those accused of Akhlaqs murder, alleges that his family had killed a calf and that his brother Jaan Mohammad was seen slitting the throat of the animal. The development came after the accused in Akhlaqs murder approached the court seeking FIR against Akhlaqs family in view of the Mathura forensic laboratory report that confirmed that the meat sample taken from the refrigerator in Akhlaqs house was beef and not that of goat, as suggested earlier. Akhlaq, 52, was beaten to death and injured his son Danish after dragging them out of their home in Bishada village of Gautam Budh Nagar district on September 28, 2015 following rumours that he and his family had stored and consumed beef. Three men were convicted for murdering and robbing IT executive Jigisha Ghosh in 2009 by a Delhi court which said it was abundantly clear that they had committed the crime. Ms Ghosh, 28, was abducted by a group of men when she was dropped off by an office car at the entrance to her apartment complex in South Delhi after working the late shift at her call centre in Noida. She was forced into their car at gunpoint and made to share the pin for her ATM card. Her body was recovered three days later from a place near Surajkund in Haryana, police had said. The three accused Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik and Ravi Kapoor were convicted of murder, criminal conspiracy, abduction and robbery. The recovery of the weapon used in the murder had led to the cracking of another murder case that of journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. Soumya was shot dead on September 30, 2008 while she was returning home from office in her car, early in the morning. After they were arrested, the police said that the same men had, six months earlier, in September 2008, shot TV news producer Soumya Vishwanathan who was driving home from her office, again, late at night. The men allegedly tailed Ms Vishwanathan and harassed her before shooting her in the head the police says they most likely wanted to rob her. While pronouncing the judgement, the judge said they (accused) committed her murder and disposed of her body in bushes and circumstantial evidence makes it clear that it was these men who committed the crime. It is abundantly clear from evidence that they committed the crime. There is no missing link of crime (and) hence innocence is ruled out. It is proved on record that Jigisha did not return home on expected time on the day of incident. The court said it was proved that the three convicts had abducted Jigisha, robbed her of her gold chain, two mobile phones, two rings and debit and credit cards and killed her. The court fixed August 20 for hearing arguments on quantum of sentence. Accusing Islamic preacher Zakir Naik of being part of a network which encourages terrorism, a prominent Shia cleric demanded the Centre take action against the televangelist and sought a probe into huge foreign funds he received for his activities. More than the youth who get attracted to Daesh (terror group IS), it is the clerics who are responsible for spreading terrorism in the world Naik is part of a network of such people. The UP government had banned Naik from entering the state five years ago, but the Centre has notThe Centre too should take action against him, Maulana Kalbe Jawad Naqvi said. Dismissing Naiks claims of being innocent, Naqvi claimed the preacher surely is involved in provoking youths and that he had earlier supported al-Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden. When Naik says that Muslim youths should carry out terrorist activities against the US, he is instigating them. Naik is a preacher of Wahabi ideology and all the terrorists are followers of the Wahabi ideology, the Shia cleric said. Reacting to media reports about Naiks links to 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, he said intelligence agencies should look into it and if any link is established, action should be taken against Naik. Naqvi suggested that Naik has political connections. Naik gets foreign funds. How is he allowed to get so much funds under the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act)? It needs to be checked from where his organisation is getting funds, he said. He said the allegations and counter-allegations made by right-wing outfits and some muftis/maulavis on the Naik issue was a noora kushti (fixed fight). The ongoing debate involving Naik is aimed at deviating attention from the main issue of terrorism which can be tackled more effectively by positive mass movements from within the Muslim community the world over than by taking legal action against elements whose voices are capable of evoking sympathies for terrorist ideology, he said. Accusing the Centre of stifling mass movement launched by Anjuman-e-Haideri (AEH) against the Islamic State two years ago, Naqvi appealed to the government to reconsider its decision. He said a six-member delegation led by him was detained at IGI airport in November 2014 while on its way to Iraq to spread message of peace. The government should take a clear stand against terrorism and consider allowing AEH delegation to travel to Iraq for extending solidarity with victims of Daesh (IS), he said. An Indian tea company has delivered a huge consignment containing 6,000 bags of famous Assam green tea to Donald Trump with a message to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee that it is never too late to cleanse yourself. Dear Mr Trump, namaste from India, we are sending you lots and lots of natural green tea. It fights against harmful free radicals. It helps purify mind and body and regain a healthy balance. It has also proven to make people smarter. Please Mr Trump drink the tea. For your sake, for Americas sake, for the worlds sake, Kolkata-based Te-A-Me Teas said in a video explaining the idea of sending green tea to Trump. The message is simple: Mr Trump, its never too late to cleanse yourself, the company said on Wednesday, a day after its representatives delivered a consignment of some 6,000 green tea bags to the Trump Towers in New York. Donald Trump has the whole world worried we cant stop him, but maybe we can change him, the video said. While the cost of the tea consignment, sufficient for four years, was not made public, Sumit Shah, Managing Director of the company said its health potential is immense. We believe that green tea with all its goodness can help Mr Trump and in turn benefit his country and the world at large, Shah said, adding that the consignment of tea bags is based on the presumption that the real estate tycoon would drink three cups a day. If he needs more, well be happy to provide. Green tea has been proven to fight against harmful free radicals and cleanse the mind and bodies, helping one regain a healthy balance, Shah said, adding that these green teas can help change Trump for the better. The Trump Campaign did not respond to questions on the green tea bags from India. The United States is offering Russia a new military pact against the Islamic State and al-Qaida in Syria, according to a leaked U.S. proposal. If finalized, the arrangement could dramatically alter Americas role in the Arab countrys five-year civil war. The document published by The Washington Post calls for joint bombing operations, a command-and-control headquarters and other synchronized efforts. U.S. and Russian officials with expertise in intelligence, targeting and air operations will work together to defeat the extremist groups, the eight-page paper states. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who was to discuss the proposal in Russias capital later Thursday, declined to comment. Im going to Moscow, meeting with President (Vladimir) Putin tonight, Kerry told reporters in Paris. Well have plenty of time to talk about it and Ill give you all a sense of where we are. Dmitry Peskov, Putins spokesman, said only that joint U.S.-Russian efforts were key to fighting terrorism in the region. Such a partnership would undercut months of U.S. criticism of Russias military intervention in Syria. And it would put the U.S. alongside Syrian President Bashar Assads chief international backer, despite years of American demands for Assad to leave power. Russia would be getting what it has wanted since intervening in Syria in late September: An international alliance of sorts. Washington previously rebuffed Moscows requests for military cooperation, accusing the Russians of using anti-terrorism objectives as a pretext for protecting Assads position. The U.S. also says Syrias military and Russias air force have repeatedly violated truces with moderate rebel groups backed by the U.S. or its allies. U.S. officials said no agreement with Moscow has yet been reached. Prospects for such a deal are unclear. Were not going to comment on details of documents that have not been approved or agreed to, said a senior State Department official, who wasnt authorized to speak on the matter and demanded anonymity. Kashmir is in turmoil and those who have been killed were Muslims and even militants belonged to the same community. Clashes erupted between security forces and protesters at over a dozen places in the Valley. At least 1,500 persons, mostly youth, had been injured in clashes following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. A majority of the injured had been hit by bullets and pellets above the abdomen, causing grievous injuries and probably lifelong disabilities. Police driver Feroz Ahmad, SI Bashir Ahmad constable Riyaz Ahmad, Ghulam Muhammad, Nazir Ahmad and Mohammad Sadiq Shiekh sacrificed their lives fighting against militants. Surprisingly, no media revealed the names of these police officers and Army personnel. Some of them went gaga over social media taking side of Kasmiri Pandits by justifying these attacks on civilians. However, they conveniently ignored the fact that, leaving religion aside these officers fought terrorism and terrorists and sacrificed their lives for the country. Bystanders said, the attackers came on a motorcycle and shot the policemen from point blank range before fleeing. The officers were shifted to a hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival. They were identified as ASI Nazeer Ahmad and constable Bashir Ahmad, both residents of North Kashmirs Kupwara district. An hour later, about seven kilometres away in Tengpora, suspected militants attacked another policeman and managed to snatch his service rifle before fleeing the spot. The officer, Mohammad Sadiq, was on duty as the special police officer of a political leader, Mohammad Abdullah Chatwal, who contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate. Sadiq, too, was a resident of Kupwara who was brutally murdered. No one knows who killed these officers and who were those attackers but suspects were militants. Militants carrying AK rifles targeted the police naka party at General Bus stand in Anantnag. This was the third attack on the J&K police in less than two weeks. On May 23, three policemen were killed when militants attacked policemen at two different places in Srinagar. More than 200 people, including 100 security personnel were injured. Of these, 70 were admitted in various hospitals with critical bullet or pellet injuries. Three policemen and their service weapons also got squandered in the disarray, though two of them were traced next day. Mobs wreaked havoc as Wanis funeral was underway at his hometown in Tral, setting fire to three police installations. Three civil administration offices, the house of an MLA from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, several vehicles and a BJP office were also targeted. The violence is the worst seen in the region for years. Disputed Kashmir is claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan and has been a flashpoint for more than 60 years. Within the disputed Muslim-majority territory, some militant groups have taken up arms to fight for independence from Indian rule or a merger with Pakistan. A curfew is still in force across much of the region and mobile Internet and train services remained suspended. The last bout of serious violence in the region was in the summer of 2010, when more than 100 people died in anti-India protests, which broke out after police shot dead a teenager. This is not the first time that these kinds of incidences happened in the Valley. There is always an ongoing clash but this time it was the death of their Hero and Kashmiris could not forgive the killers. Anyways, some more militants were killed. Meanwhile, Hizbul Mujahideen nominated their new commander who will succeed Burhan Wani. The terrorist organisation has appointed Mehmood Ghaznavi as its new leader. Syed Salahuddin, founder of this militant group, made the announcement while addressing a council meeting. According to Intelligence Bureau officials, Ghaznavi is likely to be an alias, and his real identity is likely to be 21-year-old Zakir Rashid Bhat. However, others debate this, instead they are claiming that Sabzar Ahmed Bhat is the man behind the alias Ghaznavi. Both Zakir and Sabzar are thought to be close to Wani and joined Hizbul in 2015, after Wanis brother Khalid was killed by security forces. Similar to Wani, Ghaznavi too had a bounty declared on him last year by the police. Some officials believe that he is a resident of Rathsuna in South Kashmir. Meanwhile, Bhat was an engineering student in some Chandigarh college, and is likely to follow Wanis footsteps. When he left home to join the Hizbul, he had left a note for his father, where he had written that he could not bear the atrocities the people of Kashmir were facing. And hence it is time that I perform Jihad, he had written. Shall we wait for Ghaznavis killing? Then someone else would be declared as his successor and this will keep on continuing unless the Kashmir issue is not resolved. (Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com) By Anne Dachel The HPV vaccine is proving to be not only high risk in terms of reactions, but high risk in terms of injuring teens and adults who can speak out - rather than "just" babies who stop or never start speaking at all. From Japan Times: A group of lawyers for 64 women who are suffering health problems from cervical cancer vaccines said Tuesday the victims will file damages lawsuits against the government and two drugmakers that produced the vaccines through four district courts on July 27. Of the 64 women, 28 will lodge their suit with the Tokyo District Court, six with the Nagoya District Court, 16 with the Osaka District Court and 14 with the Fukuoka District Court, according to the lawyers. Initially, the victims, mainly teenagers, will demand 15 million in damages each, for a total of 960 million, and increase the amount later depending on their symptoms. The victims health problems include pain all over the body. The average age of the 28 planning to file their suit with the Tokyo court is 18. They received the vaccination when they were between 11 and 16 years old. Noting that the cervical cancer vaccines have caused nerve disorders and other problems due to the excessive immune reactions they caused, the lawyers claimed that the governments approval of the ineffective vaccines was illegal. The drugmakers bear product liability, they added. Web Toolbar by Wibiya Three female tourist have been spotted cooling off in a 17th Century fountain in Rome, which has offended Roman citizens, who consider this fact as an insult to their architectural symbols. With temperatures hitting 90F (32C) the women thought the best way to cool off was to frolic under the jets of water in the 400-year old Fontana dell'Acqua Paola in Rome, stated news website MSN.com. However, this is not the first time that tourists cause outrage in Rome. Last September, six British citizens were fined for stripping for a late night dip in the Italian city. For further information: http://www.msn.com/en-ca/travel/news/outrage-as-bikini-clad-women-cool-off-in-17th-century-rome-fountain/ar-BBuh6VF?li=AAggFp5&ocid=iehp Outrage as bikini-clad women cool off in 17th century Rome fountain Residents of Rome have reacted angrily after three women stripped down to their swimsuits to cool off in one of the citys historic fountains. The women, two of whom were wearing bikinis and the third in a one-piece swimsuit, are believed to have been tourists. With temperatures hitting 90F (32C) the women thought the best way to cool off was to frolic under the jets of water in the 400-year old Fontana dell'Acqua Paola in Rome. It dates back to 1612 and was featured in the opening scenes of Paolo Sorrentino's Oscar-winning film The Great Beauty. The citys extensive network of baroque fountains are cherished by Romans as some of the architectural highlights of the Italian capital. Anyone leaping into the fountains faces a fine of up to 200 Euros (170). Last September six British architects were fined for stripping for a late night dip in another of Rome's fountains. One spectator who was angered by the womens behaviour grabbed pictures of their antics and posed them online. The reaction on social media was outrage with Romans not considering the heat as an excuse to treat the fountains as a swimming pool. Locals felt their city deserved more respect than had been shown by the women describing them as rude. Another poster, Lucien, added: You should go and do something similar in England or Germany. I'm going to tomorrow in my boxer shorts and swimming cap. Web Toolbar by Wibiya Victims are raped, abused and given electric shocks in order to extract confessions,says report. CAIRO (AP) - Amnesty international assails Egyptian authorities accusing them of using abduction, torture and other tactics as a way of stifling dissent. London-based Amnesty International says there has been an "unprecedented spike" in enforced disappearances in Egypt since early 2015 on the pretext of fighting terrorism. Amnesty's report entitled "Egypt: officially, you do not exist'- documents 17 cases revealing the shocking and ruthless tactics of the Egyptian authorities to crack down on government opponents. Rape, electric shocks, and arrests of other family members were also used to force victims to give false confessions, it said. The country's Foreign Ministry promptly lashed back at Amnesty International by saying the group was being "biased" and it seeks to "tarnish Egypt's image." Amnesty director Philip Luther said: "The report exposes not only the brutality faced by those disappeared but also the collusion between national security forces and judicial authorities, who have been prepared to lie to cover their tracks or failed to investigate torture allegations, making them complicit in serious human rights violations. Victims range from political activists to children as young as 14 years old, the group said, adding that its report is based on more than 70 interviews with lawyers, non-government organizations, released detainees and family members of victims of torture and enforced disappearance. One case tells of a 14-year-old Mazen Mohamed Abdallah who, the report says, was repeatedly raped, abused and given electric shock in order to extract false confessions. His mother is quoted saying in the report as being awoken one morning at around 3:00am, opening her door to about 30 heavily armed security forces. "I tried to ask where they will be taking him but they refused to disclose any information," she said. "Then, they blindfolded my 14-year-old child and handcuffed him from behind as they do with criminals, and took him downstairs. I did not know whether this was reality or I was dreaming." Amnesty also noted such tactics raise suspicions of police involvement in the case of the disappearance, torture, and death of Italian doctoral student Giulio Regeni, who vanished on Jan. 25. His body was later found with torture marks near Cairo. Egyptian authorities have repeatedly denied that security agencies were involved in Regeni's death. The case has soured Egyptian-Italian relations. WASHINGTON, July 13, 2016 The comment period for USDAs proposed organic animal welfare standards expires at midnight July 13, having drawn nearly 6,000 comments since the draft rule was announced in April. The standards touch on all phases of organic animal production, but perhaps no ag sector would be more impacted by the rule than poultry and egg production. The most noteworthy change is language surrounding outdoor access for turkeys and layers, broilers, and pullets. The proposal requires minimum allotted space (no more than 2 pounds of hen per spare foot of outdoor space for layers, for example) and suitable enrichment to entice birds to go outside. The required enrichment has led to some similarly enriched remarks from lawmakers. Folks, this is just plain ridiculous, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said in April. What is an enrichment activity anyway? Maybe teach the chickens how to work crossword puzzles or maybe knitting? In June, Georgias 10 House Republicans sent a letter to USDA criticizing the rule. Georgia, one of the top poultry states in the nation, could be hit hard by proposed standards, Rep. Doug Collins, said in an interview with Agri-Pulse. It looks like USDA is trying to kill the organic egg market and the organic poultry market, he said. And if thats their intention, theyre succeeding by this rule. John Glisson, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association vice president of research programs, tells USDA in his organizations comments that there is a good deal of concern surrounding potential health consequences with the outdoor requirements. Housing poultry outdoors in enclosures that do not eliminate contact with wild birds and mammals irresponsibly ignores the most fundamental principles of disease prevention, Glisson said, adding that USDA is probably underestimating the increased mortality that could come from more time outdoors. The standards specifically state that porches attached to buildings do not qualify as outdoor space. The National Chicken Council is similarly critical of the proposal. In the organizations comments, Ashley Peterson, NCCs senior vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs, had issues with, among other things, the requirements surrounding outdoor access, stocking density, and the enrichment requirements. Fundamentally, NCC is concerned that the proposed rule imposes unreasonable costs and requirements of doubtful benefit on organic farmers, she said, specifically mentioning disease concerns and efforts to comply with international poultry welfare standards. NCC supports the organic program and the choices it offers consumers, but these issues must be addressed for this proposal to further benefit organic producers. One of the few ag organizations lining up to support the proposed regulations is the Organic Trade Association. In its comments, OTA rejected the argument that USDA and the National Organic program lacked the authority to make rules governing organic livestock and poultry production. OTA also said the rule would not harm existing international equivalence arrangements, as some critics have charged.. Contrary to suggestions, we expect that finalizing the rule, as a whole, will have a positive impact throughout negotiations, signings and renewals of U.S. organic equivalency arrangements with international trading partners. The National Cattlemens Beef Association called for USDA to withdraw the proposal, arguing that voluntary agency marketing programs are not the place to codify animal production practices. In the organizations comments, NCBA President Tracy Brunner said that cattle producers over the past 30 years have developed the gold standard in cattle care the Beef Quality Assurance Program (BQA). Efforts by the USDA to set a secondary animal welfare standard for organic will inevitably mislead consumers into thinking that such arbitrary standards are handled in a manner different than conventionally produced beef, Brunner said. Instead of attempting to address continuously changing animal care and handling practices in this rule, we recommend the USDA suggest that organic producers become BQA certified, Brunner said. #30 The historic compromise, which was crafted in the Senate and is now headed to the White House for President Obamas signature, passed 306-117, with a majority of both Republicans and Democrats. The White House on Wednesday said the president would sign the measure, citing the bipartisan effort that went into developing the compromise in the Senate. The Agriculture Department issued a statement saying that a working group had already been formed to write rules necessary to implement the legislation. The bill will mandate disclosure of genetically engineered ingredients but will allow companies to do it through scannable smartphone codes as an alternative to on-package text or symbol. The legislation is intended to nullify Vermonts first-in-the-nation GMO labeling law, which has already forced major companies to start disclosing GMO ingredients on product packages. House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, said state labeling laws like Vermonts threaten to increase consumer confusion and food costs while interfering with interstate commerce. For lawmakers from both parties, the bill was a flawed compromise, either because it will require disclosure of GMOs or because it didnt mandate the on-package labeling that typically gets strong support in consumer polls. But food and agriculture interests nationwide were united in their support for the bill, which had the support of the Organic Trade Association as well as the conventional industry that relies on biotechnology. The Obama administration and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack played a key role, too, in helping develop the bill as a way to end the long-running controversy over GMO labeling and provide some certainty for the future of biotechnology. Some 205 Republicans and 101 Democrats voted for the bill; 36 Republicans and 81 Democrats opposed it. No one gets everything they want but, at the end of the day, I believe this bill will provide the transparency consumers crave while, at the same time, allow continued innovation in food production, Rep. Collin Peterson, the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, argued during the floor debate. Conaway has raised concerns about the bill both publicly and in private meetings with lobbyists and farmers, arguing that it is ambiguous and leaves USDA with too much discretion in its implementation. Both he and Peterson favored leaving biotech disclosure voluntary, which a preemption bill that passed the House a year ago would have done. The mandatory disclosure requirement emerged at the insistence of Senate Democrats, who successfully blocked a voluntary labeling bill in March. Conaway told Agri-Pulse in an interview after the vote that lawmakers will be monitoring USDAs implementation of the law, which among other things will require the department to make clear what ingredients and techniques of genetic engineering will be subject to disclosure. Conaway said the large majorities that the bill received in the House and the Senate, where the bill passed 63-30, reflected a sense of urgency to preempt labeling laws after Vermonts took effect July 1. The clock ran to zero, he said. People saw how important it was to get the interstate commerce thing cleared up. Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, who has called the bill the most important farm legislation in 20 years,, told Agri-Pulse that Congress could reopen the bill if concerns develop with implementation. Congress could certainly come back in and help if there is any misunderstanding of what is in the legislation. Thats the normal process, Roberts said. Advocates of on-package labeling argued that the digital disclosure option was unfair to consumers, since it would require them to use a phone to scan QR codes on product labels. This is a complicated solution to a simple problem, Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, told colleagues. Consumers do have the right to know whats in their food, but the problem is that right now when you pick up a box of cereal or a bag of rice in the grocery store, you dont know if youre buying something with GMO ingredients in it. The solution is simple: list GMO ingredients on the back of the package in the ingredient list in plain English. But Rodney Davis, R-Ill., argued that the on-package labeling for which Pingree was advocating was intended to stigmatize a safe and valuable tool for farmers. He expressed disappointment that the voluntary labeling approach was blocked in the Senate but said that it was imperative that Congress shut down Vermonts labeling requirement. The clock has run out. My producers need certainty, he said. Following stories about GMO? Sign up for an Agri-Pulse four-week free trial subscription to stay on top of this and other ag, rural policy and energy news. Some activists continued to hold out that Obama would veto the measure and are organizing petitions to the White House. The Center for Food Safety, an advocacy group, released a letter to the president from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, arguing that low-income shoppers would be unable to access information about GMOs. There are serious questions of discrimination presented, wrote Jackson, president and founder of the Rainbow PUSH coalition. Pamela Bailey, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, said the big, bipartisan majorities behind the legislation were remarkable. Republicans and Democrats found consensus on the common ground that a patchwork of different state labeling laws would be a costly and confusing disaster for the nations food supply chain, she said. The American Farm Bureau Federation had resisted making disclosure mandatory but came around to support the compromise, which Roberts, R-Kan., wrote together with his committee's ranking Democrat, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Genetically engineered crops have a decades-long track record of safety and benefits for agricultural productivity and our environment. This legislation helps to continue those benefits by avoiding the confusion of differing and potentially misleading labeling standards from state to state, said Zippy Duvall, the goups president. #30 By: Pete Clark, Head of Ag Connections Earlier this spring the FBI and USDA warned growers with a Private Industry Notification (PIN) to be more aware and wary about the security of their farm data. While I wholeheartedly encourage data education and awareness among growers, I am concerned about attitudes of worry and mistrust toward ag tech companies that are helping growers evolve into data-driven operations. It is critical that farms embrace data innovations and technologies to successfully feed the growing global population of 9 billion people by 2050. Ag data providers: As your peer in this evolving space, Im calling for your cooperation to protect and nurture our most valuable asset growers trust. Without their trust, it wont matter how much venture capital floods into the ag tech space. Trust is at the core of success in agriculture. Several findings from the recent American Farmers Bureau Federation survey on big data (PDF) concern me because they signal a lack of trust. The survey highlights an overarching sentiment of grower skepticism toward the ag data technology industry and our use of their data. According to the survey results, an overwhelming number of growers feel they are being kept in the dark about the terms of use surrounding their farm data. When asked if they had a signed privacy policy, licensing agreement or terms and conditions document, 28 percent of growers said they had never heard of these agreements. One of my biggest fears is that a company in the ag data space will misrepresent their data use policies and intentions. With so many growers unaware that they are entering into agreements about their farm data, there could be a serious backlash against data innovation if these agreements have been hidden from growers. Even worse, 79 percent of growers reported not being aware of all the ways in which a company intends to use their farm data. In my opinion, the way data companies should use growers data is to leave it alone. But more than being uncertain of how companies intend to use their data, 61 percent of growers worry their data could be used to influence companies decisions in the market. Growers shouldnt fear that leveraging data management technology to help them better organize and analyze their operation to efficiently increase yield will result in companies marketing services, equipment or inputs at a higher price. To date, I have not heard of any instances where growers data may have been used improperly, and I hope that remains true. However, it could take only one unreliable partner or dishonest circumstance and the value of the tech innovations and the ability to scale these programs could vanish. Growers understand the value of using their farm data in a smart way 83 percent said data provides benefits in providing information for farm business decisions. So how can we band together to ease worried minds and continue to empower growers with our tools? At Ag Connections, as part of the AgriEdge Excelsior program, we hold data ownership and accuracy at the heart of our offering. Our Data and Privacy Policy is guided by four simple principles that I would encourage other companies to consider: Grower data is the property of the grower. Ag Connections only uses the data to support the grower, and as authorized by the grower. Ag Connections only shares grower data as requested or authorized by the grower. Ag Connections does not analyze, aggregate or data mine grower data unless requested or authorized by the grower. I suggest all companies in the ag data space get involved in the organizations and initiatives that help advance our industry and dispel doubts. We are proud to be a partner of The Ag Data Transparency Evaluator. Growers shouldnt need a law degree to understand how their data is used by an ag tech provider. This tool boils down lengthy data and privacy contracts based on a set of 10 questions with simple yes or no answers. Along with many of the other ag data tech providers, we are also deeply involved in AgGateway, a nonprofit group of businesses serving the agriculture industry, with the mission to expand eBusiness in agriculture. We participate in the AgGateway Precision Ag Council that oversees the Standardized Precision Ag Data Exchange (SPADE) Project and the Precision Ag Irrigation Leadership (PAIL) Project. Our manager of special projects, Andres Ferreyra, even travelled to Japan and Germany earlier this year to share insights from the our work and learn more about the organizations initiatives that are timely in terms of worldwide efforts toward standardization and connectivity. Im proud of the work these organizations are doing for the industry as a whole and firmly believe involvement in these type of community initiatives can empower us to better serve growers. In addition to considering the principles of your policy and supporting the industry organizations that advance our community, I make this plea of my fellow ag tech providers in regard to our data policies that we are all transparent, open and honest. Having worked to securely organize and analyze farm data since 1998, I know that if we want to help growers feed the growing world, we must address grower worry and concern now. Pete Clark is Head of Ag Connections. In 1998, he cofounded Ag Connections, Inc., a firm specializing in the development of software tools for growers, retailers and consultants to provide increased efficiency and compliance in the management of crop production. Since launching Ag Connections, Pete has helped grow the company from 3 employees to a team of 36 as well as establishing Ag Connections software and services as a powerful tool for crop management. 2016 Syngenta. AgriEdge, AgriEdge Excelsior are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Syngenta hereby disclaims any liability for Third Party websites referenced herein. All photos are either the property of Syngenta or used under agreement. #30 For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com WASHINGTON, July 14, 2016 - In 2015, the renewable share of energy consumption in the U.S. was its largest since the 1930s at nearly 10 percent, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). In 2015, fossil fuels made up 81.5 percent of total U.S. energy consumption, the lowest fossil fuel share in the past century, EIA notes. But, despite recent market share declines, the EIA says three fossil fuels petroleum, natural gas and coal have provided more than 80 percent of total U.S. energy consumption for more than 100 years. Projections from EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2016, which reflect current laws and policies, predict declines to 76.6 percent by 2040. The EIA notes, however, that policy changes or technology breakthroughs could significantly change that projection. EIA says the greatest growth in renewables over the past decade has been in solar and wind electricity generation. Liquid biofuels have also increased in recent years, EIA says, contributing to the growing renewable share of total energy consumption. Learn about the benefits of subscribing to Agri-Pulse. Sign up for your four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription. The most significant decline in recent years has been coal, says EIA. U.S. coal consumption fell 13 percent in 2015, the EIA says, which is the greatest annual percentage decrease of any fossil fuel in the past 50 years. EIA says the only similar declines were in 2009 and 2012, when coal fell 12 percent below the level of the previous year. #30 For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com WASHINGTON, July 12, 2016 - Capping years of committee work and weeks of tough House/Senate negotiations on comprehensive energy legislation, the Senate voted 84 to 3 Tuesday afternoon to convene a conference to reconcile competing House and Senate bills. Both chambers leave town Friday for the party conventions and a seven-week summer break and wont return until Sept. 6. But Senate Energy Committee Chair Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is confident that steady progress on merging the sharply different House and Senate energy bills, S. 2012 and H.R. 8, will continue during the recess. Thats because Tuesdays Senate votes to go to conference and to appoint the conferees that will meet with their House counterparts allow staff members to get to work during the break to hammer out differences. With members gone for the summer, Murkowski explained, committee staff will be free to do a lot of legwork that has to go on. just kind of getting organized. In closing appeals before the vote, Murkowski and Maria Cantwell of Washington, the Energy Committees ranking Democrat, stressed that their colleagues should support going to conference, now that the House has agreed not to pursue any of the provisions in that chambers bill that have triggered White House veto threats. Leading up to the vote, Murkowski and Cantwell issued a joint statement following lengthy negotiating sessions with House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., and House Natural Resources Chair Rob Bishop, R-Utah. The House and Senate leaders spent many hours hammering out an agreement on a process and ground rules that will generate a conference report they can both support, Murkowski and Cantwell said in their statement, adding, The House Republicans have also agreed a final conference report will not contain measures the president would veto. The veto-threatened poison pill provisions in the House bill include measures that Democrats charge would increase fossil fuel production by facilitating new pipelines and exports terminals, weaken energy efficiency standards, and undermine key environmental protection laws. The concerns shared by Democrats and some environmentalists are spelled out in a July 5 Agri-Pulse story titled, Whats preventing a House/Senate energy bill conference? In her remarks Tuesday, Murkowski said her committee wrote a solidly bipartisan energy bill because she and Cantwell jointly recognized that we needed to update our countrys energy laws, and in order to get a good product we were going to have to work cooperatively and collaboratively. She said the result was an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote 85 senators voting in favor of the first major energy bill to pass this chamber in nearly a decade. Murkowski concluded by promising to deliver a final bill that can pass both chambers and be signed into law by the president. She said she will accomplish this by seeking consensus over partisan division. Cantwell also urged her colleagues to move forward on going to conference on the energy bill. She stressed that the Senate bill includes modernizing the electricity grid, building next generation investments in energy, smart buildings, advanced composite materials, energy storage, improving cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, and the energy workforce for tomorrow. Acknowledging that there are many thorny issues still to be addressed, in the House bill on water and fire and a variety of other issues, Cantwell said the point is to move forward to resolve such issues. For a list of conferees, click here. Despite the optimism from Cantwell and Murkowski, Tuesdays vote to proceed wont please everyone. The environmental group Friends of the Earth responded immediately with a press release titled Senator Cantwell moves forward with dirty energy bill. The organizations Climate and Energy Program Director Benjamin Schreiber charged that The Senate bill that Senator Cantwell drafted undermines climate science by dictating that government scientists should treat biomass as carbon neutral. It will increase fracking by making it easier to build infrastructure for this polluting industry. And the House bill is even worse. Theres also been positive feedback. National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Interim CEO Jeffrey Connor said, Were encouraged that House and Senate lawmakers are serious about trying to produce the first update to our energy policy in nearly a decade. Americas electric cooperatives support efforts to modernize our nations energy policy, and we urge the conference committee to develop legislation to speed electricity infrastructure development, promote electric grid reliability and keep electricity affordable for all Americans. #30 WASHINGTON, July 14, 2016 - The House Environment and the Economy Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., recently held a hearing on nuclear fuel disposal, focusing on the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository site in Nevada. Yucca Mountain was designated in 1987 as the sole site for a deep, geological repository to store high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Congress included mechanisms in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 for collaborative partnerships with state, tribal and local governments, such as funding for technical support activities and economic benefits to host a nuclear disposal facility. The Department of Energy (DOE) was required by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act to begin removing used fuel from reactor sites by 1998. The governments failure to do so has resulted in nearly $2 billion in court-awarded damage settlements being paid from the taxpayer-funded Judgment Fund to compensate energy companies for storing the used fuel onsite, says the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). NEI notes that damages could reach more than $20 billion by 2020 and up to $500 million annually after 2020. In the face of opposition, federal funding for Yucca Mountain ended in 2011. The hearing, titled Federal, State and Local Agreements and Economic Benefits for Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal, allowed the subcommittee to hear from Nevada stakeholders and also explore federal, state and local perspectives and economic benefits of moving forward with the Yucca Mountain project. Shimkus said that hearing testimony would play a key role in informing the panels efforts to develop comprehensive legislation to advance used fuel management. Since the federal government made the decision to site the repository at the Yucca Mountain, Shimkus said DOE should be working with Nevada stakeholders to make progress on the repository instead of ignoring the law. This hearing has done the job that DOE refuses to do. Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., the chairman of the full Energy and Commerce Committee, also expressed dissatisfaction with DOE, accusing the department of wasting valuable time and money, and ignoring a history lesson while taxpayers continue to rack up billions of dollars in liability for the delay in opening Yucca Mountain. Do you find the information on Agri-Pulse helpful? See even more ag, rural policy and energy news when you sign up for a four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription. Instead of expending financial resources to hear from everyone but the State of Nevada, Upton said, DOE should reconstitute the Yucca Mountain program and engage in a meaningful conversation with those stakeholders as we did today. Our nuclear energy future depends on it. Several Nevadans weighed in: Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., stressed the fact that Nevadans cannot simply ignore Yucca Mountain and think it is off the table. No one in Nevada is in favor of a nuclear landfill neither am I, Amodei said, but, the issue is not going to go away. Amodei noted that policymakers need to evaluate a responsible course of conduct with respect to local and state economic impacts, operating oversight, safety policy in the near and long term, and U.S. policy regarding nuclear material. Rep. Cresent Hardy, R-Nev., noted the importance of having an open, constructive dialogue on the issue, saying Nevadans deserve to have honest brokers in their federal government, and they deserve to hear the unbiased, scientific results that all of their hard-earned dollars funded Too many politicians are afraid to engage in a constructive dialogue on this issue. They fail to recognize that discussing Yucca Mountain doesnt equal endorsement of the project. Dialogue isnt capitulation. Its leadership. Dan Schinhofen, vice-chairman of the Nye County, Nevada, board of commissioners, discussed the importance of having a collaborative process that supports the community. Schinhofen proposed creating a collaboration between DOE, the state, Nye County and other affected local governments, to ensure that resources are provided to support the construction and operation of a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. For a background memo, witness testimony or archived webcast of the hearing, click here. #30 For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com The H135 and H145 helicopters play a critical medical transport role in the United Kingdom, being well-equipped to meet the specific needs of a medical-based mission. Three air ambulance charities share their experiences. When responding to patients who are in life-threatening situations, it is essential that every aspect of our service provides the very best chance for the patient to survive. Every minute matters, so we need a reliable aircraft that is quick to deploy and has a fast cruise speed so that we can reach the patient and transfer them to hospital quickly, while also being smooth and stable in flight to prevent the patients condition from deteriorating, says Hare. The additional requirement of having an aircraft with sufficient endurance to enable us to respond to the next patient resulted in us choosing the H135. Further north in county Yorkshire is the headquarters of The Although located at opposite ends of England, the large counties of Devon and Yorkshire share much geography in common: hills, moors, forests, coasts and beach. Small villages dot the countryside, some so geographically remote that, when a medical emergency occurs or a patient needs to reach medical care, prompt access to transportation is of the essence. Helicopters play a critical medical transport role in these two counties in both emergency and non-emergency also known as air ambulance situations. Air ambulance is a form of public transport in which patients, often fairly sick, are transported from one hospital or location to another. Helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) refers to missions where life is at risk. The vital role of the helicopter in medical situations scales to the entire United Kingdom, where a fleet of 37 helicopters provide the primary pre-hospital medical transport service according to the Many helicopter operators perform both of these services, including all 19 of the AAAs members. Among them is the East Anglian Air Ambulance, based in Cambridge, which was Three operators, two helicopters Devon Air Ambulance, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and East Anglian Air Ambulance have fleets comprised entirely of Airbus helicopters two H135s for Devon, two H145s for Yorkshire, and two H145s for East Anglian. These air ambulance charities are far from alone, as worldwide the When we first bought the H135 in 2008, we asked ourselves how we could best meet the needs of the patient, says Nigel Hare, operations director at Devon Air Ambulance , a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) and air ambulance operator serving Englands south western county of Devon.When responding to patients who are in life-threatening situations, it is essential that every aspect of our service provides the very best chance for the patient to survive. Every minute matters, so we need a reliable aircraft that is quick to deploy and has a fast cruise speed so that we can reach the patient and transfer them to hospital quickly, while also being smooth and stable in flight to prevent the patients condition from deteriorating, says Hare. The additional requirement of having an aircraft with sufficient endurance to enable us to respond to the next patient resulted in us choosing the H135.Further north in county Yorkshire is the headquarters of Yorkshire Air Ambulance , likewise a HEMS and air ambulance operator, which recently received its second twin-engine H145 on July 13 at the Farnborough International Air Show The H145 performs well with near 360-degree visibility for a HEMS pilot who needs to get into tight, small sites near where casualties need to be evacuated, says Yorkshire Air Ambulance chief pilot Andrew Lister.Although located at opposite ends of England, the large counties of Devon and Yorkshire share much geography in common: hills, moors, forests, coasts and beach. Small villages dot the countryside, some so geographically remote that, when a medical emergency occurs or a patient needs to reach medical care, prompt access to transportation is of the essence.Helicopters play a critical medical transport role in these two counties in both emergency and non-emergency also known as air ambulance situations. Air ambulance is a form of public transport in which patients, often fairly sick, are transported from one hospital or location to another. Helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) refers to missions where life is at risk.The vital role of the helicopter in medical situations scales to the entire United Kingdom, where a fleet of 37 helicopters provide the primary pre-hospital medical transport service according to the UK Association of Air Ambulances (AAA), the organisation representing 20 UK air ambulance organisations.Many helicopter operators perform both of these services, including all 19 of the AAAs members. Among them is the East Anglian Air Ambulance, based in Cambridge, which was the first air ambulance service to save lives with the H145 in the UK in 2015.Devon Air Ambulance, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and East Anglian Air Ambulance have fleets comprised entirely of Airbus helicopters two H135s for Devon, two H145s for Yorkshire, and two H145s for East Anglian. These air ambulance charities are far from alone, as worldwide the H135 and H145 account for over 40 percent of the HEMS market. Yorkshire Air Ambulance chief pilot Lister says their new H145s are modern and easy to fly with a small footprint: Flying is a dream. The Helionix software to me, as a new end user, is intuitive and does what you want it to do. Very quickly I found myself engaging the higher levels of the autopilot. Steve Rush, a Devon Air Ambulance pilot with 24 years of flying experience, describes a similar experience with the H135: The H135 feels like it was built around the pilot. When you sit in it and put your hands down to where they naturally want to be to fly, thats where the controls are and the aircraft is wrapped around your comfortably. Its a swift process to get aircraft started and online. We can get airborne in a time frame not limited by the aircraft.. Both aircraft are likewise well equipped to meet the unique needs of a medical-based mission performed in challenging landscapes. Devons various landscapes provide different challenges. The H135 is well equipped for landing in confined areas thanks to its small footprint, or land in marshes or sandy beaches with the bear paws. The cockpit visibility from where the pilot sits is very good, says Rush. The H145 is a larger aircraft with better endurance and a longer range than were used to, which helps us cover Yorkshires 5 million acres, but the overall footprint is small enough for reaching patients in tight areas, adds Lister. Speaking in 2015, East Anglian Air Ambulance medical consultant, Dr. Jeremy Mauger, commented, The H145 has more space, better equipment, and is smoother than I had imagined. He adds, The loading with the new stretcher worked superbly and we were able to make a significant difference in the care of that patient. Charity services for the local communities Devon Air Ambulance, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and East Anglian Air Ambulance share another thing in common besides flying Airbus helicopters: much of their air ambulance services are charity based. Devon Air Ambulance for example started as a local community charity to raise funds to provide a medical resource that could respond more quickly in certain cases than a land ambulance could. They flew their first mission in 1992. Yorkshire Air Ambulance chief pilot Lister says their new H145s are modern and easy to fly with a small footprint: Flying is a dream. The Helionix software to me, as a new end user, is intuitive and does what you want it to do. Very quickly I found myself engaging the higher levels of the autopilot.Steve Rush, a Devon Air Ambulance pilot with 24 years of flying experience, describes a similar experience with the H135: The H135 feels like it was built around the pilot. When you sit in it and put your hands down to where they naturally want to be to fly, thats where the controls are and the aircraft is wrapped around your comfortably. Its a swift process to get aircraft started and online. We can get airborne in a time frame not limited by the aircraft..Both aircraft are likewise well equipped to meet the unique needs of a medical-based mission performed in challenging landscapes.Devons various landscapes provide different challenges. The H135 is well equipped for landing in confined areas thanks to its small footprint, or land in marshes or sandy beaches with the bear paws. The cockpit visibility from where the pilot sits is very good, says Rush.The H145 is a larger aircraft with better endurance and a longer range than were used to, which helps us cover Yorkshires 5 million acres, but the overall footprint is small enough for reaching patients in tight areas, adds Lister.Speaking in 2015, East Anglian Air Ambulance medical consultant, Dr. Jeremy Mauger, commented, The H145 has more space, better equipment, and is smoother than I had imagined. He adds, The loading with the new stretcher worked superbly and we were able to make a significant difference in the care of that patient.Devon Air Ambulance, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and East Anglian Air Ambulance share another thing in common besides flying Airbus helicopters: much of their air ambulance services are charity based.Devon Air Ambulance for example started as a local community charity to raise funds to provide a medical resource that could respond more quickly in certain cases than a land ambulance could. They flew their first mission in 1992. Yorkshire Air Ambulance similarly owes many of its operations to public donations. Our H145s are essentially owned by the public from contributions donated to the air ambulance cause, says Lister. The pre-hospital air ambulance sector in the UK is operated predominantly by 20 air ambulance charities working closely with ambulance services who task the aircraft. Only the Scottish Ambulance Service provides a state-funded fleet of aircraft. Clive Dickin, national director of the AAA comments: Some countries look on in disbelief that the UK has a charity-funded HEMS fleet, thinking that it is unsustainable or unprofessional. Nothing could be further from the truth. The sector is very well supported and during the 2014/2015 fiscal year raised over 146M which is an amazing feat. Since 1987 when the first charity was established, there has been a constant drive to improve the service through patient focus, which now sees an ever-improving and enhanced fleet of aircraft with increasing and expanding clinical capability. This would not be possible without the continuous and ongoing generous support of the charities' supporters. The AAA recently worked with the UK Treasury to acquire more funds to support air ambulances, something that has allowed many operators to extend or renew operations and aircraft. This financial independence is a source of pride for many operators. We are not reliant on other organisations, says Hare of Devon Air Ambulance. If we know there is a particular type of treatment we need to provide or equipment to carry, we can do that if thats what the patient needs. As always for these helicopter users, the patient comes first. Medias: July 14, 2016 About two years ago, two Israeli civilians Avraham Mengistu, a member of the Ethiopian community, and Hisham al-Sayed, a resident of the Bedouin town of Hura illegally (and separately) crossed the border into Gaza. On July 12, another Bedouin youth, Jumaa Ibrahim Abu-Ghanima, did the same, making a total of three Israelis being held by Hamas' military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. The group also has the bodies of two Israeli soldiers, Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, who were killed in Operation Protective Edge in summer 2014. Hamas military wing generally portrays Mengistu and Sayed as soldiers with all the accompanying implications despite their family members' assertions that their sons entered Gaza as a result of being mentally ill. At rallies organized by the Qassam Brigades last July on the first anniversary of Operation Protective Edge, photographs of Mengistu and Sayed were displayed together with those of Shaul and Goldin. In the meantime, Hamas continues to hide two facts from Gazans: that Mengistu and Sayed are mentally ill and that they crossed the border of their own volition. Family members of Shaul and Golding are conducting a public campaign separate from that of the Mengistu family, but they are united in their efforts to bring their sons home. Members of the three families tried to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bind the reconciliation agreement with Turkey to the return of the civilians and the soldiers' bodies. In the end, the agreement signed included a nonbinding statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that his country would use its intelligence services and influence to try to speed the releases. In response to criticism by the family members, Netanyahu said that Turkey has no control over Hamas and does not hold the soldiers' bodies. On a visit to Africa, Netanyahu met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe on July 7. At the conclusion of the meeting, Netanyahu told reporters that he had asked Ethiopia to help Israel bring Mengistu home. It is clear that Hailemariam has no more influence over Hamas than Erdogan does, thus it is doubtful whether he can actually help. According to the messages delivered to Hamas by foreign emissaries and mediators, Israel has separated its negotiations for the return of Shaul and Goldin's bodies from talks for the release of Mengistu and Sayed. It, however, avoids stating this publicly. A source connected to the Mengistu family told Al-Monitor that a Swiss emissary who had held secret contacts with Hamas had told the family that they had heard the following from movement leaders in Gaza: that Hamas insists on guidelines similar to the bodies in exchange for prisoners agreement with Hezbollah in January 2004. In that exchange, Israel agreed to release 400 Palestinian prisoners (and 36 additional detainees) from its jails in return for the bodies of soldiers abducted from the Dov mountain range, Benny Avraham, Omar Sawaid and Adi Avitan. The transaction also included the release of Elhanan Tennenbaum, a civilian who had been involved in drug smuggling. Al-Monitor reported July 5 that the contacts for a deal with Hamas have not yet matured to the point of bona fide negotiations. This is because of the way Yahya Sinwar, the member of the military wing managing the prisoner exchange portfolio, is using his position to leverage his status and power within the organization. Sinwar has set completely unacceptable conditions, as far as Israel is concerned, for the release of the bodies and the civilians. Sources in Israel involved in the contacts with Hamas believe they know the main reason an agreement is not on the horizon: Sinwar and other military leaders portray Mengistu and Sayed as soldiers caught during armed conflict, thus they demand a large number of prisoners in exchange, similar to the 2011 Gilad Shalit deal, in which 1,027 prisoners were released in exchange for Shalit. Israel had sent messages to Hamas through all possible channels including via Ghazi Hamad, who had conducted the negotiations for the Shalit release to inform its leaders that it does not place mentally ill civilians in the same category as soldiers. Hamas responded with total scorn. It is a mistake to think that Hamas can raise the price it demands after a third civilian is held captive, a defense source told Al-Monitor, speaking on condition of anonymity. According to the source, Abu-Ghanimas entering Gaza weakens the bargaining card that Hamas thinks it has. Now they wont be able to deny the fact that they are holding hostage civilians who crossed the border of their own volition, he said. The Israel Defense Forces immediately allowed the release of Abu-Ghanima's name to the press, in contrast to its handling of the Mengistu and Sayed cases, so Abu-Ghanimas capture by Hamas would be reported via Arab media outlets. According to the security source, Israel erred two years ago when it imposed a blackout on the news that two civilians had voluntarily crossed the border. The blackout gave Hamas an opportunity for manipulation, portraying the civilians as soldiers who had been taken prisoner. That they crossed the border into Gaza soon after the conclusion of Operation Protective Edge helped Hamas distort the facts and claim that the two youths had been taken prisoner in battle. Following the reports by Arab media outlets, no one in Gaza should believe that the Bedouin youth who crossed the border is a soldier. In addition, the Arab news agencies and Al-Arabiya and Al Jazeera extensively reported on the incident as told by the Abu-Ghanima family, who said that Jumaa Ibrahim is mentally ill, like the other two civilians who are already held by Hamas. As noted, the Israelis think that Hamas will find it difficult to pass off the three civilians they are holding as soldiers and that public opinion in Gaza will dismiss its declarations that it intends to release them for thousands of prisoners. Nevertheless, there is not much optimism among Israels security establishment. It is assumed that Hamas as it currently stands will not agree to release the three civilians without receiving something in return. The Qassam Brigades will find it hard to admit that they no longer have a strong bargaining chip. July 13, 2016 The word reconciliation has been dominating the Egyptian political scene for almost two weeks. Talk has revolved around the future of the relationship between the regime and the Muslim Brotherhood, which is facing the worst crackdown since its establishment. Political discussions in Egypt are not what brought about this prevalent idea; rather, it emerged due to a number of coalesced factors, notably the statement of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Magdy al-Agaty, who said in an interview, We can reconcile with a member of the Brotherhood as long as his hands are not stained with blood. [Brotherhood members] are Egyptians in the first place. Why dont we make peace with them and integrate them into the fabric of the Egyptian people if they did not commit any crime? However, it was not long before this controversial issue came to the surface again when Mohamed Fayek, head of the National Council for Human Rights, said July 3, There will be a presidential pardon soon for all the detained young people who were not involved in armed activities. Such statements cannot be made by people close to the regime without prior communication and coordination with the head of the regime. While some officials criticized Agatys statement, the criticism came from politicians who were neither as influential as Agaty nor in a ceremonial post like Fayek. However, a source in the Egyptian parliament told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, It is too early to talk about an explicit reconciliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, especially while the Egyptian regime is in a strong position and does not need to make any reconciliations. The source, who is close to some influential quarters, added, Agatys statement fell only within the context of putting the transitional justice law into effect, indicating that his communications affirm that there will be no reconciliation in that sense during this period. As for the Brotherhood, there were some indicatives that the reconciliation scenario is probable even if it did not take the previously stated form. The split, which the Brotherhood has been undergoing for almost a year, cast a shadow over its relationship with the current regime. The group, led by Brotherhoods Secretary-General Mahmoud Hussein and acting Supreme Guide Mahmoud Ezzat, who has been in hiding since before the dispersal of the Rabia al-Adawiya sit-in, issued an 11-page report which Al-Monitor obtained a copy of that served as a situation assessment and tackled three scenarios of the reconciliation, accusing the other (Brotherhood) camp of adopting violence. The report, which was issued to senior Brotherhood leaders, outraged a number of the movements young cadres after some parts of it were leaked. According to Ezz Eldeen Dwedar, a young Brotherhood member living abroad who opposes the idea of reconciliation, the young cadres considered this report an introduction to a [coming] reconciliation over the bloodshed. In an attempt to explain his position, Dwedar said, In light of the current balance of power, the proposed reconciliation projects are certainly disguised surrender. These projects are an attempt to save the two groups seeking to conclude the reconciliation: the leaders of the internally divided Brotherhood on one hand and [President Abdel Fattah al-] Sisi on the other. The first group has embroiled the Brotherhood in conflicts to the extent that it [the Brotherhood] cant justify its attitude, afford the consequences of its own actions or have a vision to make the revolution successful. On the other hand, Sisi is suffering from a steep fall in popularity as well as internal conflicts among various quarters in his regime, not to mention his inability to handle or stop the threat of bankruptcy. Therefore, any reconciliation project will be a rebirth for Sisi and a safe exit for Brotherhood leaders. Based on this, Dwedar stressed that he refused the idea of negotiations. Rather, we should revive the revolution, rearrange [our] strengths, review the enemys weaknesses, reshape the international and domestic map of alliances, and work on weakening Sisi in order to get him and his group out of the scene and defeated as soon as possible, Dwedar said. However, Talaat Fahmy, a Brotherhood spokesman affiliated with the Hussein and Ezzat front, told Al-Monitor in reference to Agatys statement, Any institution considers [different] scenarios for the future. Constructing scenarios does not mean that you prefer or adopt a certain one. He said, The coup [leaders] are marketing the reconciliation as if it was going to be made with the Egyptian people. However, we dont have any problem with the Egyptian people. The real problem is between the Egyptian people and the coup [government]. Agatys statement is being proposed as if the reconciliation is between the Egyptian people and the Brotherhood, which is untrue. Yasser Fathy, a young Brotherhood member who calls for change, explained the points of disagreement inside the group to Al-Monitor. There is no doubt that there are disagreements as to the vision and how to deal with the current regime. There are those who tend to be more vigilant and agree to live with this repressive regime. The disagreement is between those who agree to live with a state of weakness and helplessness on one hand and a large segment of the Brotherhood and the Egyptian society that seek not to focus only on slogans but to work on restructuring the political discourse. This segment wants to look deeply into the societys problems, the essence and goals of the January 25 Revolution, and the relationship with the outer world on the regional and international levels. However, what about politicians who are close to the Brotherhood? Veteran Egyptian politician and former presidential candidate Ayman Nour told Al-Monitor that he rules out the possibility of making any reconciliations while Sisi is in power. Egypt needs a genuine project to overcome authoritarianism, he said. Nour pointed out that the statements issued by parties associated with the regime are trial balloons and not a potential vision or a distinctive initiative. Reconciliation and transitional justice are both mentioned in the July 3 statement and the constitution of 2014. However, the regime wants to act as if it was the winner, despite the fact that the crisis is more complex. The crisis is not only between the regime and the Muslim Brotherhood. Rather, it is between all the components of the society including the Brotherhood, which is also divided internally, Nour said. In light of the above, it is evident that all sides deny attempts at reconciliation, arguing that what is happening is merely a consideration of the matter, i.e., a test to see how it will be received by the other. The regime, in the eyes of its opponents, is going through a major economic crisis that requires internal coherence and efforts to improve its image abroad in order to show that the crisis is on its way to being resolved. However, many observers believe that the regime is in a position of strength and merely seeks to subdue the Brotherhood and aggravate its split, not to make peace with it. Also, a Turkey-based Brotherhood source who is close to the decision-making circles told Al-Monitor, The old conservative camp [in the Brotherhood] is willing to come to an undisclosed agreement with the regime in the hope all detainees will be released and the movement will gradually return to the public sphere. The source, who preferred anonymity, said, What prevents this agreement from being concluded is the presence of Sisi in the heart of the [political] scene as well as a segment inside the Brotherhood and among Egyptians that opposes this idea, as this reconciliation might lead to the abandonment of certain political demands, the political legitimacy of Morsi and other issues that have been the key driver of the discourse of the Brotherhoods leaders since the coup. The source added, If there will be a reconciliation, it is not going to be classical. This point of view is supported by the stance of many detained Brotherhood members. For instance, Israa, a detainees wife who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition that only her first name be used, said, The issue is not the reconciliation with the regime; rather, it is about taking a step back and reviewing all the occurrences that took place in the past three years what we have gained and what we have lost to see if we have achieved anything in return for all the martyrs, detainees and energy exerted. We must step back and rearrange the lines and correct the mistakes after admitting them first. The idea of releasing the detainees is dominant among a large segment of the Brotherhood. This segment supports reconciliation, Israa said, indicating that there is another current that does not accept the deaths or prison sentences, yet it accepts any political concession in return for achieving a solution to the human rights crisis. However, what hinders the solution? And what do the detainees think? Israa answered, saying, The Brotherhood is internally divided between the young people and the senior leaders who are the decision-makers. The senior leaders are no longer able to control the young people because social media enabled the latter to create an independent front opposed to the idea of making reconciliation. My husband and many other detainees believe that any sign of concession will aggravate the crackdown on the Brotherhood. Therefore, the detainees are divided between whether to continue the struggle against the regime or make concessions, even undisclosed, she added. Fahmy, commenting on these ideas, said, The coup regime wants to force the detainees to change their convictions and haggle over their freedom, which is unacceptable. As for concessions, we have nothing but our principles. Do they want us to give up on our principles? We welcome any solution that comes within a national framework where the Egyptian people have the authority, Fahmy concluded. July 14, 2016 CAIRO After a long tug of war, the Egyptian government has finally relented to parliament and given up daylight saving time, based on a number of studies concluding daylight saving time is, well, pointless. Daylight saving time is the practice of setting clocks ahead one hour during summer months so that it seems to be light outside for an extra hour each evening. The idea is to take advantage of daylight while also saving energy. Clocks are turned back again in the winter. The debate over daylight saving times usefulness has gone back and forth, much like Egypts clocks. This summer, the government insisted daylight saving time would continue. Parliament countered by passing a law to cancel it. The Cabinet persisted, but then, on July 5, just three days before daylight saving time was to take effect, officials reversed their position, resulting in a mad scramble to revise schedules at the last minute. The Cabinets change of heart might have been influenced by parliaments escalation of the debate, accompanied by pressure from social media users. Young Egyptians satirically demanded the return of former President Hosni Mubarak, who supported daylight saving time for decades, if the government insisted on keeping daylight saving time. Some later joked that their success in getting rid of daylight saving time was one of the most recent gains from the revolution that ousted Mubarak in 2011. Egypt had abided by daylight saving time since 1988 by virtue of a law issued by Mubarak himself. Daylight saving time used to run from the last Friday of April until the last Thursday of September. The law was amended in 1995 to exempt the month of Ramadan so observers would not have to wait so late in the day to break their fasts at sundown. After the revolution of 2011, the government became indecisive about the time change. Daylight saving time was canceled for the first time in 23 years in 2011, marking the first time the government had admitted that daylight saving time had a negative impact on peoples biological clocks and that it was disturbing airline flight schedules while failing to actually save energy. Three years later, the prime minister approved daylight saving time once again in May 2014. This time, the government justified its decision by saying daylight saving time helped alleviate electrical loads by reducing the evening hours of darkness. The government of current Prime Minister Sherif Ismail adopted the same approach after he was appointed in December, and planned to continue daylight saving time until parliament passed a law canceling the time change in Egypt, supposedly once and for all. Ahmad al-Sajeeni, head of parliaments local management committee, told Al-Monitor that parliaments decision was based on numerous studies, all critical of daylight saving time. The studies conducted by the Ministry of Electricity itself confirmed that daylight saving time does not save energy, he noted, adding that Cairo is a city that never sleeps. The Egyptian Ministry of Electricitys studies have shown that daylight saving time only results in energy savings of about 0.07%, while official and unofficial polls showed that around 70% of Egyptians reject daylight saving time. According to Sajeeni, the government did not oppose the law eliminating daylight saving time when the committee discussed it and did not show any reservations. However, the government objected to the timing since it had already issued a decision for this year. Camellia Abdul Rahman, a homemaker living in Cairo, told Al-Monitor that daylight saving time disturbs her family, especially her children, whose sleep hours are affected by advancing clocks by one hour in the spring or summer and going back one hour in the fall. Also, the assertion by some daylight saving time supporters that the extra hour of daylight makes streets safer at night is moot, she said. Safety isnt as much of an issue as it once was, since shops remain open and lights remain lit throughout the night [anyway], she said. Despite stories to the contrary, early-rising farmers had nothing to do with daylight saving time and have never liked it. Mohammad Barghash, the former head of the Egyptian Farmers Union, told Al-Monitor that farmers hate daylight saving time and describe it as the wicked daylight hour. Farmers leave their homes as soon as daylight shines and only return when the sun sets, he said, and the added hour of darkness in the morning just makes it more difficult for farmers to get their produce to market early. July 13, 2016 Iran's nuclear negotiator Hamid Baeidinejad said that if American lawmakers prevent the sale of passenger airplanes to Iran, it would be a violation of the nuclear agreement between his country and the six world powers. Speaking to reporters July 13 on the one-year anniversary of the signing of the comprehensive nuclear deal that ended a decade-long dispute, Baeidinejad, who is also the director-general for political and international affairs at the Foreign Ministry, called the sanctions on airplanes "one of the oldest unjust sanctions against Iran." Referring to the comprehensive nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with its Persian acronym BARJAM, Baeidinejad said, "Contracts were signed with Airbus and Boeing based on the commitments of the Americans and the Europeans in the BARJAM." In January, Iran agreed to a deal with Airbus to buy 118 jets for $27 billion. In June, Iran announced that it would also purchase 100 planes for an approximate $17 billion from US-based Boeing. Not only was this a historic deal, but it was a necessary one for Iran officials have said the country needs up to 500 new airplanes by 2025 to replace its aging fleet. Quickly after the deal was announced with Boeing, conservative American officials opposed to the nuclear deal began to rally to block the sale. On July 7, the Republican-led House of Representatives approved measures that would prevent the sale of Boeing commercial jetliners to Iran. Boeing vice chairman Ray Conner said that if they are not allowed to sell airplanes to Iran, then other companies, meaning Airbus, should be blocked as well. Airbus planes use parts made in the United States, which would also make them subject to US legislation banning the sale of planes to Iran. Baeidinejad said that if the US Congress successfully blocks the sale of airplanes to Iran and prevents other companies from also selling to Iran, "it is certainly a violation of BARJAM and we will confront it." Despite congressional attempts to block the sale of planes and unresolved banking issues due to remaining US sanctions, according to Baeidinejad, Iranian negotiators believe "until this moment BARJAM has not been violated, and we are still hopeful that with consultations and negotiations there is a solution to the problems." He stressed that not every bad promise or broken agreement should be considered a violation of the nuclear deal. During the press conference, Baeidinejad also tried to temper expectations about the economic benefits of the nuclear deal and urged patience for Iranians growing restless waiting to see the economic benefits of the deal. "Only a few months have passed since the [January] implementation of BARJAM, and we are at the beginning of the road," he said. "We never envisioned an easy path for the implementation of BARJAM." At the press conference, a Fars News Agency reporter asked if the administration of President Hassan Rouhani is currently attempting to walk back its promises about the post-nuclear deal era, given that US sanctions continue to block investments, US court rulings confiscate Iran's billions and France hosts a rally by a group that Tehran considers a terrorist group. Baeidinejad responded that "BARJAM is not an economic or trade agreement. Our view of BARJAM must not be that of a trade agreement." He stressed, "Expectations of BARJAM must be realistic." July 14, 2016 TEHRAN, Iran Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif traveled to France and the Netherlands on June 20-24 as part of his increasingly intense engagement with Europe, which will probably continue in the year remaining of President Hassan Rouhanis current term. Prior to his visits to France and the Netherlands Zarifs third such tour of Europe since taking office in August 2013 the Iranian foreign minister visited Italy, Poland, Finland, Sweden and Latvia. But what are the reasons for Zarifs intensified engagement with Europe? The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was formally implemented on Jan. 16. As such, Iran and the six world powers it negotiated the nuclear deal with China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States and Germany took steps to live up to their commitments. For its part, Iran has been committed to the JCPOA, which the International Atomic Energy Agency has verified. Yet, implementation issues on the part of the six world powers have emerged. For instance, Western unilateral sanctions that target Iranian banks causing serious problems for Iran have been formally lifted. Yet, major banks are still hesitant to engage with Iran. Indeed, many in Tehran now believe the United States is stalling the effective implementation of the nuclear deal due to its still contentious relationship with Iran. US Secretary of State John Kerry has said repeatedly in meetings with Zarif that he has given reassurances to top European banks that they can resume ties with Iran as long as they conduct "legitimate business and proper due diligence. Given that this has failed to persuade Western banks to engage with Iran, Zarif appears to have decided to tackle the issue on his own perhaps modeled on the role played by the former US Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, David S. Cohen. As the Washington Post has reported, Cohen known as the architect of the sanctions on Iran and Russia in the past traveled frequently to the Middle East and Europe to enlist other countries in US efforts to impose economic chokeholds on adversaries. Referring to Cohens past endeavors, Zarif told Iranian members of parliament in a special hearing on Sept. 13 last year, Mr. Cohen went to various countries and asked them whether they are ready to pay the price for having a relationship with Iran. He added, Thus, [various] countries and companies became overcompliant [with sanctions enforcement]. This means that they were overly committed to the sanctions, owing to their concerns over possible [US] pressures of having a relationship with Iran. Knowing exactly how the United States managed to effectively impose its sanctions on Iran, Zarif now appears to be following in Cohens footsteps in a converse effort to unwind the sanctions. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Irans former representative to the Vienna headquarters of the United Nations, Ali Khorram, said, Mr. Zarif, as Irans foreign minister, is doing his best to facilitate the nuclear deals implementation. That is why he is traveling nonstop to revive Irans past relationship with the Europeans. In his endeavor to convince major banks to re-engage with Iran, it appears that Zarif is counting chiefly on the role of France. The diplomatic relationship between Tehran and Paris has been greatly stepped up since the conclusion of the JCPOA on July 14, 2015. Indeed, in an indication of the latter, while welcoming Zarif in late June, Gerard Larcher, the president of the French Senate, said, Lately, we get to see you every three months. Moreover, in a meeting with members of the French Senates Foreign Relations Committee during his recent visit, Zarif said, In the 1990s, France played an important role in not allowing the US transboundary sanctions against Iran to succeed. He added, I think the French and European banks should break the negative atmosphere that has remained from the sanctions period. This is for the benefit of all. In some cases the banking problems are solvable, but some other cases need a joint effort. We believe Iran-France relationships can be a model for the nuclear deal implementation. Separately, in a joint press conference with Zarif June 22, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said, We try to get sanctions against Iran removed, so that trust can be established between our countries. We continue our direct and clear talks with Americans [concerning the sanctions issue]. Mr. Zarif will also continue his cooperation with Europe. Further explaining Zarifs plans, Khorram told Al-Monitor, Irans relationship with the European Union is different to the nature of Tehrans ties with Washington. We have close relations with the Europeans, and especially France. Paris has an independent position toward different issues including Iran unlike the United Kingdom that is counted as a strategic partner of the United States. Despite his engagement with particularly France, Zarif is not limiting his efforts to just one major European country. In his recent trip to the Netherlands which is now holding the rotating presidency of the European Union he met with several senior Dutch officials, including his counterpart as well as the economy minister. Of note, on May 21, the deputy Iranian oil minister for international affairs, Amir Hossein Zamaninia, stated that a representative of the Dutch government recently traveled to Iran to facilitate banking relations. After meeting with Zarif, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said, We will keep on playing a constructive role in facilitating the banking relationships between Europe and Iran. He added, We discussed with Foreign Minister Zarif the possibility of conducting major transactions between Europe and Iran through a Dutch bank. Thus, apart from his diplomatic duties, it appears that Zarif is now also pursuing efforts to help revive the Iranian economy by making sure that obstacles in the way of the implementation of the nuclear deal which he reached after two years of intensive negotiations will finally be removed. Only time will tell whether the Iranian foreign ministers efforts will succeed. July 13, 2016 BAGHDAD, Iraq On June 28, the nation's Federal Supreme Court decided to nullify two parliamentary sessions, the first held April 14, during which parliament Speaker Salim al-Jubouri was dismissed by what are known as the Reform bloc legislators, and the second held April 26, during which a partial parliament reshuffle was approved in the absence of the Reform bloc politicians. That has set the stage for events to come to a head this month, as the parliamentary recess has ended and a parliament session is to be held sometime soon. Also, Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who on May 28 began a retreat from public action, re-emerged this month. In addition, a truce between protesters and the pro-government and political reform movement came to a halt July 6, at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. This indicates the onset of a new significant political conflict between parliamentary parties on the one hand, and between security services and angry protesters led by Sadr on the other. Ahmed Abdul Hussein, a member of the Coordination Committee of Baghdad Protests, posted on his Facebook page on July 5 that Sadr, in conjunction with the civil movement, is setting in motion a large demonstration for July 15. His post read, [Our] meeting with Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr included the following: A review of the process of the demonstrations and protests since they first began in July 2015 until this day, an analysis of the results, constraints and proposed solutions, and an agreement on a demonstration in which millions will participate on July 15. The demonstration will be in protest against the delay in achieving the reforms and the formation of a technocratic government in addition to the security situation that has deteriorated remarkably this month, with the prime example being the July 3 bombing in the Karrada district of Baghdad, killing over 200 people, in addition to an attempt to bomb the Sayyid Muhammad Shiite shrine in Balad on July 8 that killed at least 40. As a result of the carnage, Sadr intends to expand the demands of the protests to include changing the leadership of the security issue. All of this reflects that Sadr is convinced that his reform goals have not been achieved and that he will go out of his way to mobilize the street in order to pressure the politicians and government institutions to achieve what he believes is reform. Some parties, including the Kurdish Alliances parliamentary bloc, see this as political blackmail. This was expressed by Mohsen al-Sadoun, a member of parliament for the Kurdish Alliance, who told Al-Monitor, Using the street to clash with the security forces and storm the governments headquarters is unacceptable, and it expresses an attempt to impose a one-sided political will on the rest of the parties involved in the political process. Those parties have their own supporters and popular movements, but they do not use them to terrorize the other parties. On April 30 and May 20, Sadr supporters stormed the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses the Cabinet, the parliament and embassies of some countries, notably the US Embassy. Sadoun said he believes that the Federal Courts nullification of the April 14 and 26 sessions will allow political initiatives to return and will pave the way for negotiations, provided that they are not under political pressure from any party. Parliament member Abdul Rahman al-Louezi said the Reform bloc believes that the nullification of the parliamentary session where Jubouri was dismissed will not stop parliament from attempting to dismiss him once again. The Reform bloc will operate as an opposition bloc within the parliament and will do whatever it takes to dismiss Jubouri because he is behind the delay in achieving reform. His dismissal must be accomplished in such a way that it puts an end to sectarian and partisan quotas in government agencies, Louezi told Al-Monitor. It seems that the Reform bloc's insistence on proceeding with Jubouris dismissal will keep the political conflict ongoing, with the possibility of escalation. The courts decision to cancel the dismissal and political reshuffle sessions will not be a prelude to solving the crisis, especially since Sadr continues to organize demonstrations demanding the formation of a technocratic government and putting an end to the quota system. On the other hand, should the top three Iraqi leaders, (the president, the prime minister and the parliament speaker) insist on remaining in their positions and reject the reform demanded by the Reform bloc and Sadr, the crisis will hit a dead end, all the while the security and economic situations continue to deteriorate, plaguing the country with constant tension in the absence of a solution that satisfies all parties. Meanwhile, all of this will impact the state system in general, which will lead to a constant state of weakness in government institutions, accompanied by a failure to take serious measures regarding the security situation and the conditions in a post-Islamic State phase. July 14, 2016 Moscows rapprochement with Turkey is unlikely to be easy, but it may well proceed somewhat more rapidly than many expect. Notwithstanding public and personal differences between President Vladimir Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, each of the two men appears to have embraced former British Prime Minister Lord Palmerstons famous assertion that nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests. Indeed, despite the gap of over 150 years between Palmerstons tenure and todays times, Putin and Erdogan may have related quite well to the renowned British statesman, whose foreign policy is still described as assertive and manly on the United Kingdom governments official website. Both Putin and Erdogan likely hope that their peoples will remember them in similar terms in future centuries. Still, Erdogans apology and Putins ready acceptance of it suggests that each has subordinated his manliness to his pragmatism and that permanent interests have prevented permanent enmity between Russia and Turkey. Notwithstanding important differences over Syria and, for that matter, over Russias annexation of the Crimea Peninsula and its Turkic Tatar population, Russia and Turkey do have consequential common national interests, including security, political and economic aims. Most immediate of course is their shared interest in combating extremist Islamist terrorism dramatized by the June 28 bombing at the Istanbul airport, which occurred between Erdogans letter of apology and Putins favorable response. In fact, while Russia and Turkey appear to have negotiated the ritualistic exchange in advance Fyodor Lukyanov, the chairman of Russias prestigious Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, told Al-Monitor that it was certainly discussed behind the scene for a while on a technical, although pretty high level the Istanbul attack likely helped Putin to explain his about-face to the Russian people. Moreover, despite Turkeys NATO membership and even its recent deployment of an airborne radar (AWACS) to provide security for the alliances Warsaw summit, Ankaras efforts to focus NATOs attention on terrorism as an alliance security matter fell flat at a meeting devoted to public displays of resolve in deterring Moscow in Europe. For his part, Putin apparently stressed cooperation against terrorism in his June 29 phone call to Erdogan to accept his apology. The next day, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev a former head of Russias Federal Security Service, the successor agency to the KGB responsible for domestic security sent a telegram to his Turkish counterpart expressing condolences to the victims families and loved ones and noting that such attacks highlight the necessity of close bilateral and multilateral cooperation against terrorism. Taking into account that Patrushev is widely considered to be a long-standing member of Putins inner circle and a key figure in Russias so-called siloviki (the security establishment), few would interpret his communication as a casual one; one might say that the message sends a message. Terrorism is a major domestic security concern for Russia and one in which Ankaras active collaboration could make a real difference. Beyond this, Russia has considerable economic interests at stake in its relationship with Turkey. At a time when Moscow remains under US and European economic sanctions, Russia can ill afford to forgo economic opportunities elsewhere. Finally, notwithstanding Turkeys NATO membership and on-again, off-again efforts for EU membership, leaders in Moscow and Ankara have defined their national cultures and values in ways that explicitly reject some US and Western norms. This includes shared opposition to some progressive Western social values based on Erdogans Islamic values and Putins traditional values. It also includes a common resentment of perceived Western efforts to impose Western political rules something that contributes to a wider desire among many in both capitals to realign the international system to empower non-Western powers, which each likely feels only more strongly due to a widespread sense of unjust rejection by the West. Also important, according to Lukyanov, was a certain discomfort in Russias foreign policy elite over the conflict with Turkey, because Turkey is too powerful a country with a lot of leverage to harm Russian interests almost everywhere. Still, Putins reputation of a person who never leaves anything hostile without massive response forced the Russian president to retaliate harshly after the Nov. 24 shoot-down that started the crisis, he said, and Putin could not back down without a clear mea culpa from Erdogan, or at least something that could be interpreted as such. Erdogans letter provided exactly that. From this perspective, both Putin and Erdogan are likely to want an accelerated return to cooperation, though political necessity will require caution and unresolved differences will impose their own limits. As Lukyanov puts it, Putin is very willing to restore Russian-Turkish relations to their previous level, because he really believes that Turkey is exceptionally important for development in the whole Eurasia. Eurasias security, which requires economic development, and Russias role in it, has consistently been among Putins top foreign policy goals. In practical terms, Putin has already issued a decree ordering the Russian government to begin consultations with Turkey on normalizing relations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu during a ministerial conference of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization on July 1 and reiterated Putins instructions. Lavrov also emphasized that despite disagreements on some of the most complicated issues such as the need to curb supplies to terrorists in Syria and prevent the use of Turkish territory for supporting terrorist organizations in Syria, the two governments agree that Syrian rebel groups that do not withdraw from terrorist-controlled areas will be regarded de facto as accomplices of Jabhat al-Nusra and [the Islamic State]. And he went out of his way to make clear that this stands in contrast with Washingtons insistence that some of the groups in these areas are not terrorists. There are certainly no guarantees in the complex Russian-Turkish relationship, but Moscow appears to have turned 180 degrees or at least 170 degrees in its contacts with Erdogan. The next few months merit close scrutiny. July 13, 2016 In the last couple of weeks, Ankara has reconciled with two powers it has had rather deleterious relationships with: Israel and Russia. Is Egypt, a key remaining antagonist of Turkey on the international stage, on the brink of finding itself in the midst of a new relationship as well? Cairo and Ankara have found themselves on the outs since mid-2013 following the removal by the Egyptian military of Mohammed Morsi from the Egyptian presidency. Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood movement were close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and the overthrow of his presidency was deeply opposed on a variety of levels by Turkish leaders. The arrest and detention of scores of Brotherhood members and supporters by the Egyptian state following the overthrow only ensured that the relationship suffered further. That crackdown included the forced dispersal of the pro-Morsi sit-ins at the Rabia al-Adawiya Mosque and Nahda Square in Cairo, where around 1,000 Morsi supporters were killed by Egyptian security forces according to international and Egyptian human rights organizations and the 2014 resignation of Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi. Since 2013, Egypts ruling establishment has been viewed highly negatively by Ankara, and Brotherhood exiles and Morsi supporters have found a great deal of support within Turkey. Conversely, Erdogan and his political party have also been portrayed adversely in Cairo, both by the state establishment and Egyptian media. Ankara has insisted that Morsi was removed illegitimately and ought to be reinstated, while Cairo demands that Turkey recognize the military removal of Morsi be recognized as a "revolution" as it was preceded by widespread protests against the Brotherhood. The differences would appear to be insurmountable but are they? Israel is deeply unpopular among Erdogan supporters for its stances against the Palestinians, with the West Bank and Gaza continuing to be under Israeli occupation. Moreover, Israeli forces killed a number of Turkish citizens aboard the Mavi Marmara solidarity Gaza Freedom Flotilla to Gaza in 2010. Russia supports the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, while Turkey insists that the Syrian revolutionary uprising of 2011 is legitimate and should result in the ending of that regime. Ankara continues to support armed resistance to that regime, while Moscow provided critical military support to Assads forces. Yet, in both cases, despite the astounding death toll, particularly in Syria at the hands of Assads forces, Ankara resolved to reconcile. In terms of material damage, Israel and Russia have exacted more harm to both Palestine and Syria than Cairo has with regard to the Brotherhood. In November 2013, the Turkish ambassador was expelled from Cairo, with Turkey then declaring the Egyptian ambassador persona non grata. Relations between the two countries then were handled by low-level diplomats from both countries. However, Ankara has gradually lessened its opposition to Cairo. Ankara first declared that junior Turkish ministers could engage with Cairo in 2015; this was followed by side meetings between the respective foreign ministers at international meetings. Following the reconciliations with Russia and Israel, AKP deputy Chairman Saban Disli declared that "relations with Egypt will hopefully be moderated. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, "From Russia to Israel, Egypt to Syria, Iraq to Iran, EU countries to the US, we are determined to develop peaceful, friendly and practical ties with everyone. Moreover, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also said in the past that Turkey was prepared to reinitialize diplomatic and economic ties with Egypt, saying that "a meeting at the ministerial level could be held." There remain obstacles, nevertheless. Erdogan has explicitly attacked current Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on a variety of occasions, and the pro-Morsi four-fingered salute favored by Morsi supporters has been used by Erdogan as a poignant symbol in numerous public appearances. Sisis establishment continues to be furious at Ankara for its support of the Brotherhood, and both Egyptian and Turkish public opinion can be relied upon to oppose the other side. At the same time, if Cairo can engage with Israel particularly following the visit of its foreign minister (the first in almost a decade), which is significantly more unpopular in Egypt than in Turkey then it is not beyond the realm of possibility for Cairo to engage with Ankara. If the AKP decides to engage with Cairo, then Turkish society is unlikely to put up much resistance. Both establishments can be rehabilitated if political leadership in both choose to lead in that direction. What needs to happen for that to be a likely possibility? Both countries benefit economically from a stronger relationship, but the personal animosity between Erdogan and Sisi remains a key obstacle. A number of pro-Morsi television stations in Turkey have been shut down, and Ankara can make the argument that engagement with Cairo is more likely to produce positive leverage than the current strategy, which has not resulted in any noticeable change in Egyptian policy. If Cairo were to temper its policies against the Brotherhood, that would probably suffice in providing enough space for Ankara to reconcile with Cairo. If Cairo continues to zealously repress the Brotherhood, however, reconciliation with Ankara will likely take longer but even so, it is unlikely to be suspended indefinitely. In either case, full normalization of relations with meetings between Sisi and Erdogan is unlikely for the foreseeable future. In the absence of that, however, some normalizing gestures are likely perhaps even on the level of senior ministers and the return of ambassadors. Neither country has benefited in the international arena from the current cold relationship. The question is whether a critical mass of the establishment in both capitals sees a thawing of the relationship to be sufficiently in their interests. Ankara has exhibited signs of that already. The speed of reconciliation would seem to depend now squarely on Cairo, but Sisis administration hasnt shown much interest as of yet. July 14, 2016 The dispute over the Western Wall could evolve from a local controversy between ultra-Orthodox and liberal Jewish organizations (the Reform and Conservative streams of Judaism known as Progressive Judaism and Women of the Wall) into an unprecedented head-on confrontation between the various religious factions in Israel and could even culminate in the overthrow of the government. Here's a summary of events: In January, the government made a historic decision to grant liberal Jewish organizations a recognized status at the Western Wall. The plan calls for the appointment of representatives on behalf of liberal Jews to the public council to be set up to manage the Western Wall prayer space, and for the establishment of a special prayer compound next to Robinson's Arch to serve this population. The ultra-Orthodox, who were not happy with the decision, to say the least, warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they would leave the coalition (thus toppling the government) unless the plan is significantly modified and restricted under the law. Meanwhile, Reform organizations appealed to the Supreme Court to enforce the decision. However, in view of the ultra-Orthodox objections, the state appealed to the Supreme Court no less than eight times to put off the implementation of the plan and allow time to reach a compromise. Alas, no such deal seems to be in the offing. Before the most recent deferral on July 5, the representatives of the religious parties in the Knesset met with Netanyahu and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. Following the meeting, the ultra-Orthodox made it clear that they would by no means agree to give the Reform Jews a foothold at the Western Wall. At the same time, the Reform organizations continue to stand firm and declare that they have no intention of compromising. "I think that the ultra-Orthodox would not agree to settle for anything less than two specific principles," said Pinchas Tenenbaum, the spokesman for Chief Rabbi David Lau, who is involved in the negotiations on a compromise. He told Al-Monitor, "The first principle is a distinctly separate entrance to the prayer compound allocated to the Reform Jews, well before the entrance to the present prayer space. The second principle is the cancellation of their representation in the public council." Al-Monitor has learned that a new compromise proposal is quietly under discussion whereby no official status would be granted to the Reform movement on the site, and the Jewish Agency would be given authority there in its place. In addition, a separate entrance leading to the section allocated to the Reform Jews would be set up to the satisfaction of all the parties concerned. Talking with Al-Monitor, senior ultra-Orthodox figures expressed approval of the proposed plan, and said that the ultra-Orthodox leadership would most likely support it. On the other hand, right-wing organizations with Merkaz Liba leading the battle have already made it clear that they would oppose the proposed plan regardless of the support emerging among ultra-Orthodox politicians. "We will go from one rabbi to another and convince them that the plan is a sham," Liba leader Yehuda Wald told Al-Monitor. "We have researched the issue and found that the Jewish Agency is a notably pro-Reform body; and allowing it a foothold in the Western Wall compound would be the same as allowing the Reform Jews themselves a foothold in the site. The politicians are hiding this information from the rabbis, and we will expose it." The list of those opposing the proposed compromise includes the Reform movement itself. Talking with Al-Monitor, Reform movement Rabbi Gilad Kariv clarified that he would not compromise on the issues of representation in the council and joint entrance to the site. "They are trying to drive us out," he said, "but we are not going to give up our demand for an entry to our section from within the Western Wall compound and we will not give up our representation in the public council. We will not agree to a situation where the ultra-Orthodox have a monopoly on running the Western Wall compound." Still, Kariv also implied that he would agree to certain compromises, provided that all the parties seriously discuss it together. Meanwhile, tempers are flaring at the Western Wall. On July 7, prayers on the site by Reform Jews and Women of the Wall led to a violent incident when ultra-Orthodox worshipers jeered at them and blew whistles. Reuven B., who asked that his full name not be divulged, one of the self-described leading activists in the "fight against the liberals" who prays daily at the Western Wall, described his own actions to Al-Monitor. "There is no organization behind us," he was quick to clarify. "I have 20 whistles in my pocket and in the women's section there are also women with whistles. Last week, Women of the Wall arrived to the site with the intention of reading the Torah. I mobilized a number of young Americans who happened to be at the Western Wall and they were excited about the idea. We started making noise and disturbing them. The police could do nothing to us, as we did not use violence. It's our right to sing and whistle. There is no law against it." "The failure of the police to intervene is very serious in my eyes, since once the Supreme Court has approved prayers [by Reform Jews] at the site, the police must assist," said Kariv. "Anyway, we will not give up and we'll continue to send the women to pray in the public plaza. We are not deterred by those hooligans. If the police fail to protect us, we will appeal to the Supreme Court to force the police to perform their duty." Kariv added that if no fair compromise is reached soon, they would petition the Supreme Court and ask to establish a mixed-gender prayer compound inside the central prayer space. "We will go all the way on this issue," said Kariv. Noting that about 2 million Jews are registered members of progressive Jewish communities worldwide (and another 2 million Jews define themselves as progressive without being registered, according to a Pew survey), Kariv added, "We are a huge group in the Jewish people and we are not going to let anyone to exclude us. If we are prevented from praying at the Western Wall, neither will the ultra-Orthodox be able to pray at the Western Wall." Ongoing negotiations notwithstanding, the parties are still far from reaching an agreement. Both the liberals and ultra-Orthodox face opposition from within to any compromise. Thus, for instance, there were quite a few in the liberal community who opposed the government-approved Western Wall plan, while disagreements on the issue have led to a split in Women of the Wall. Likewise, there are various elements in the ultra-Orthodox community who are deliberately acting against any compromise on ideological grounds, although many in the leadership are willing to make a deal. No compromise on this sensitive issue may be reached or sustained as long as there is no unified position acceptable to all within the two opposing streams. Another well-known brand is being recalled this week because of E. coli concerns. International Commissary Corporation has issued a voluntary recall of its Marie Callender's 7- and 14-ounce Cheese Biscuit Mix. The 7-ounce product, which has best-buy dates of 3/22/17 and 5/17/17, was sold by retailers in Alabama, California, Washington, Utah and Texas, while the other item has a best-buy date of 6/17/17 and was sold only in Stockton, Calif. ICC said it learned recently from a supplier that an ingredient in the cheese biscuit mix contains flour that may be contaminated with E. coli O121. No illnesses have been reported. "The quality of Marie Callender's products and the safety of our customers are the upmost important issues," said Kevin Greene, vice president of sales at ICC. "We care deeply about people, our consumers, our employees and our supplier partners. We are working with our retail customers and the FDA to ensure any affected product is removed from the marketplace immediately. We thank you for your patience, and appreciate your continued trust that we will do the right thing for our consumers." The U.S. Food & Drug Administration said E. coli O121 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. Very young children, senior citizens and those whose weakened immune systems are at most risk. Anyone experiencing symptoms should seek help immediately. To ask questions, call Joanna Fraire at 408-792-3123 or email Joanna@commissary.com. Earlier this week, General Mills also recalled certain varieties of Betty Crocker cake mix because they may contain E. coli. There's more than a little touch of North Alabama at this week's Farnborough International Air Show. And that, according to one defense leader, is a good thing for everyone. Dr. Taylor Lawrence, Raytheon's vice president and president of its Missile Systems business, said the international event offers defense companies a chance to showcase their work. "(Farnborough) a great opportunity," said Lawrence, an Alabama native. "It's the chance to meet our customers from around the world." Raytheon and other large defense contractors, as well government officials, are taking part in the United Kingdom event, which ends July 17. For Raytheon, the show means rolling out the new Patriot air and missile defense radar, which features a 360-degree field of view and new technology that extends its range. The company is also presenting a T-100 training jet simulator where users can work the controls of a missile defense system and don virtual reality goggles to see Raytheon's airborne products in action. Also on display will be interceptors and radars that will be used to expand Europe's expanding missile defense shield. There's particular interests in those products, Lawrence said. "The security situation in the world doesn't seem to be improving," he said. "Our mission is to make the world a safer place with our capabilities so there's a lot of demand for the things we build, from missiles to joint strike fighters." Among those items showcased are the Standard Missile-3 and SM-6, both of which are produced at Raytheon's facility on Redstone Arsenal. Lawrence said the continued success of both versions of the missile means increased demand, which is positive news for the Redstone facility. "We have a tremendous record of successful intercepts and we're always looking to expand the capabilities," Lawrence said. "The big deal about missile defense is the threats aren't standing still as we've seen in recent tests in North Korea and Iran." Raytheon employs some 700 people in Huntsville and the city plays an important role in the contractor's defense strategy, Lawrence said. "We're very proud of the contributions they make," he said. Dozens of customer service jobs will be up for grabs next week at the Verzion Wireless call center in Huntsville. The telecommunications provider will host a job fair from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday on 475 Quality Circle in Thornton Research Park. Verizon is looking to fill more than 60 full-time Customer Service Representative positions for the campus, which is the company's state headquarters. No advanced registration is required to attend. Prospective candidates can apply online at www.verizon.com/jobs. Tours of the campus will be available during the event. Applicants will also have an opportunity to meet with representatives from Verizon's customer service, technical support, training, and business and government customer operations departments. Verizon, which currently ranks 13th on the list of Fortune 500 companies, said it offers competitive salaries, health benefits, a 401(k) program with a dollar-for-dollar match of up to 6 percent of an employee's salary contribution, tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance and bonuses. Jennifer Aniston.JPG Jennifer Aniston (File photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images) Jennifer Aniston was the No. 1 search phrase on Google yesterday. Why? It seems we - by which I mean the entire world minus people with better things to think about, like Pokemon Go - want to know if she is finally pregnant. Look, I get it. People wouldn't write about her if we weren't reading, right? (See above for the definition of "we.") I realize Aniston is in the public eye. I understand people feel they know her, like she's our "friend." And I also know there are those of us who look at that perfect skin and want to hex her with a few stretch marks. But not me. That would be wrong. In this case, I think we crossed a line with our "interest," by which I mean our obsessed view that "if only this wonderfully glow-y, funny, BFF-worthy woman could have a baby we could coo over, her world would be complete." I can even illustrate the absurdity of our focus on Jen's uterus. Let's take a few recent headlines and replace her name with those of a few people we respect-slash-hate for their accomplishments and intelligence, rather than their looks: "Hillary Clinton pregnant at 47, according to shocking US headlines" Read the real headline here. "Donald Trump pregnant with 'miracle baby'" Read the real headline here. "Ruth Bader Ginsburg flaunts baby bump in bikini" Read the real headline here. Well, yeah. Now that I see them in print, I can see how people might click on those ... except that last one (shudder). But my point is, barring the inconceivable events mentioned about the people above, the public doesn't really care what their uteruses, or lack thereof, are doing at any given moment. In fact, we don't want to know. Ever. The same should be true of Aniston. Her publicist even had to issue a statement saying she ate too much before putting on her bikini. Really? Let's stay out of her uterus, people. If we don't, sistah-girls, we're only hurting our own cause. Aniston has fielded pregnancy rumors since her marriage to Brad (because you know we were all imagining how cute those kids would be) and she's tired of it, y'all. This week, she wrote a column for the Huffington Post criticizing the tabloids and all of the interest in her baby-making parts. It's like we're her annoying Aunt Verbena and she is telling us to mind our bee's wax. Aniston wrote that women "don't need to be married or mothers to be complete. We get to determine our own 'happily ever after' for ourselves." She is right, despite the fact that her "progressive" attitude would not set well with our southern meemaws, who felt they had every right to be all up in our uteruses (uteri?) because it meant carrying on the family bloodline. But times change. These days, we can even use the word "uterus" in a story without offending Meemaw. So let's leave her alone. Maybe if we spent more time focusing on our own "happily ever afters," rather than judging the right way for someone else to look/live/act, the world would be a better place. Unless that means I have to stop making jokes about The Donald's comb-over or Hillary's pantsuits. We all have our own definitions of what makes us happy. Just sayin.' Kelly Kazek's humor columns appear regularly on AL.com and in The Huntsville Times, The Birmingham News and The Press-Register in Mobile. Find her on Facebook or follow her humor columns on Pinterest here. You can also follow her Odd Travels and Real Alabama boards on Pinterest. The mafia has changed, but Italian journalists covering organised crime still face threats of death or lawsuits. Ballaro is a historic street market in the Albergheria, the oldest neighbourhood in Palermo Sicilys capital. Behind the curtain of the hectic market activity, among the dark alleys and the rundown buildings, poverty and petty crime are widespread. Francesco Viviano grew up there. On March 23, 1950, he was only 13 months old when his father, a thief, was killed. At the age of 17, Viviano had the opportunity to avenge his fathers death. But as he stood with a revolver in his hand, looking at his fathers murderer, he decided not to shoot. Growing up in such a difficult environment, my fate was sealed. I was bound to become a criminal, maybe just a purse snatcher, perhaps a killer affiliated to Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian mafia. That was my natural habitat, he says. Instead, he became a reporter. His mother used to be a cleaner at the offices of ANSA Italys largest news agency and she got him a job there as delivery boy. At ANSA, Viviano first made contact with journalism, climbed the ladder from the very bottom and ended up covering organised crime. Reporting on the Great Mafia War At that time, during the 1980s, Palermo was the theatre of the Mattanza, the Great Mafia War, waged by the Corleonesi led by Salvatore Toto Riina against other mafia families for control of the region. More than a thousand people were killed, not only within the mafia, but also police officers, judges, politicians and journalists. That was followed by the Maxi Trial the biggest organised trial of crime syndicates in the world. It was held in a purpose-built bunker court in Palermo at the end of the 1980s. Viviano sat in the audience with his notebook; many of the friends he grew up with in Ballaro were on the opposite side of the barricade, in the cages where the 475 indicted mafiosi were held during the trial. Most of my friends ended up in the mafia, some became bosses. Many died, many disappeared, others are serving life sentences. Fortunately, I managed to get out of that environment and became a journalist, Viviano says. READ MORE: The new face of the mafia in Italy But being a journalist in Sicily at that time especially one covering the mafia wasnt necessarily safe and reporters were sometimes caught in the crosshairs of the mafia wars. Eleven journalists have been killed in Italy since 1960; nine of them fell victim to organised crime. No other western European country has endured such a death toll. They wanted me dead Palermo has changed profoundly since the mafia wars. According to a 2013 survey by the Italian National Institute of Statistics, Palermo was the safest among Italys 12 largest cities. The mafia has also changed. Operations have been pulled underground and what has been estimated as annual revenues amounting to $160bn have been kept away from the spotlight. Importantly, the mafias media strategy has undergone huge changes. Open violence is no longer the norm; secret threats are much more frequent. Bullets in the post have given way to legal summons and defamation claims. But the climate for journalists who report on organised crime is still very challenging. Murders seem to be a thing of the past, but mainly because the authorities are faster to react than they were back then. Luckily, today the police have ways to stop this before it happens. They are able to detect when somebody comes under this sort of threat, the threat of being assassinated, says Lirio Abbate, an investigative reporter with national news magazine LEspresso. At that point, the police will inform you that you are in danger, so you are given an armed escort and an armoured car. Until 2009, Abbate reported from Palermo for the news agency ANSA and La Stampa newspaper. He covered the mafia and investigated its links to human trafficking and migration. In 2006, Abbate was the only journalist present at the arrest of the boss of bosses, Bernardo Provenzano, who is now serving multiple life sentences after 43 years on the run. Abbate had to move to Rome for his own safety when two men tried to plant a bomb under his car and a mafia boss openly threatened him. In Rome, he broke the story of the so-called Capital Mafia and its leaders, two years before state prosecutors moved in on them. These mafiosi were not used to having their affairs aired in public by such an investigation, especially once it started to affect their links to politicians. So they came after me, they wanted me dead, says Abbate, who now lives under 24-hour police protection. READ MORE: Helen Mirren my mafia connection According to La Repubblica newspaper, in 2015, somewhere between 30 and 50 Italian journalists lived under police protection because they had received death threats. The Rome-based press freedom organisation Ossigeno per linformazione says about 3,000 journalists have been threatened for their reporting activity in Italy since 2006. More than 200 of those work in Sicily, but the situation is even worse in the regions of Lazio, Lombardy and Campania. The mafia are used to being in the driving seat. As long as they are not in the open, out of the public eye, they can fix it. But once stories get in the papers, in the news, its out of their control. Its a message that reaches the public, and thats the kind of thing that damages their business more than 10 judicial inquiries, Abbate says. The soft threat against journalists Alberto Spampinato, the head of Ossigeno per linformazione, whose reporter brother was killed by the mafia in 1972, says there are soft threats and hard threats. The mafia is a major offender when it comes to threats to journalists, but according to our data soft threats coming from white collars like libel suits are even more widespread, Spampinato says. Viviano agrees. I had problems not only with the mafia, but also with the judiciary. Sometimes as a journalist you find yourself writing about stories that either the mafiosi or the magistrates do not like. My house and offices were searched dozens of times. I was even investigated for having ties with the mafia for publishing confidential information, a move the judge clearly didnt like. And legal threats are a major issue. A report released in August 2015 by the parliamentary anti-mafia committee called for parliament to pass a new law to protect press freedom and avoid as is common practice in Italy at the moment the filing of malicious lawsuits against journalists to stop them investigating. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of journalists who are on trial in Italy at the moment, Spampinato says. This has a terrible chilling effect on journalism reporters arent usually sentenced to jail terms but even the possibility that is in the law at the moment is an incentive to self-censorship and a big threat to press freedom. A group of women who came together to promote inclusivity in a town troubled by racism say they now face bigger hurdles. Oldham, United Kingdom I was shocked when I first saw the results and within minutes I was in tears; Oh what have we, the British, done? I still cant believe the results. Najma Khalid, a British Asian woman from Oldham in the northwest of England, pieces together her reaction following the announcement that Britons had voted in favour of leaving the European Union. The results came out on Thursday, and on Friday I was waiting near my daughters school to pick her up. A car full of men slowed down, rolled down the window and shouted Paki go home. The following week a car pulled up with what seemed like a family inside. The man threw a portion of chips at me and shouted Hey Paki, open your fast. I almost ran. In the days following the Brexit result, the country saw a spike in racially motivated incidents, and British police reported a fivefold increase in reports of race-hate crimes. The EU referendum appears to have exposed divides in British society, but for the residents of Oldham, where about 65 percent of the population voted to leave, that divide has long been apparent. There have always been issues in Oldham; hence the race riots previously, says Najma, refering to the Oldham Riots of 2001, a series of violent clashes between the towns white and Asian residents. But, she adds: Islamophobia and xenophobia will increase as people will have no fear about being openly racist. Victims of racism Najma is no stranger to such sentiments. As a British woman of Pakistani heritage and a working single mother of two, Najma has long had to fight whether against prejudice or simply to get by. She recalls how her marriage broke down and her husband disappeared when she was pregnant with her second child. Najma was left unemployed and with two young children to care for. It was a very hard time. Me and my two kids were left penniless, she says. There was a stigma attached to being a divorced Muslim mother, she explains. But she was determined to get by and to support her children. So she researched the services and benefits available to her and managed to find work. In the years since, she says many other local British Asian women have approached her for advice. That was what inspired her to start the CHAI (Care, Help and Inspire) Project, a weekly support group for women from the black, Asian, and minority ethnic community in Oldham. READ MORE: Leave camp must explain rising xenophobia The group meet once a week in a primary school to drink chai and discuss their lives while offering mutual support and solidarity. Alongside educational workshops and lectures, the group also take part in community awareness and creative activities to promote greater inclusivity in Oldham. There are no set topics for the weekly discussions, she says, but Islamophobia, bullying, domestic violence, marriage, poverty, health and local cultural issues are recurring themes. Everyone in the group says that they voted to remain in the EU, in part because they see it as working for a more inclusive European community, much as they do in their own society. Now, they are worried about what the future will hold. And, like Najma, the other women say theyve also felt racial tensions rise in their town. After years of campaigning and working towards better social cohesion in Oldham, the women now have little hope for the future. An open ticket to display their racism Farmida, one of the Chai ladies, as they call themselves, says: I feel angry that after all these years together, we have yet again been divided into us and them. This hate seed may grow into a thorn bush and everyone will be affected but especially the Muslim, Polish and EU citizens, as well as the refugees. We are always hearing of race incidents now, Najma says. Brexit seems to have given people an open ticket to display their racism. Minorities will be further isolated. I feel I now have to make an effort to smile at other people on the street but I fear the response will be negative, says Farmida. It took us years to create a good relationship with our fellow community and in one vote, it has created more division. READ MORE: Why Brexit will disappoint Brexiters Most of the women live in Glodwick, an area largely populated by British Asians. Fifteen years after the Oldham Riots and now following the Brexit vote, some of the residents say they feel as though theyre struggling with an identity crisis. Najma explains it: Where do we belong? Who are we? What are we? Are we Asian? British Muslim? British Pakistani? Or just plain British? We want to celebrate our heritage as it has some beautiful aspects and we are not ashamed of it, but we want to be classed as British Asian as we live here. This is our country. Farmida says: When I started wearing my hijab, I noticed that people either think that I am oppressed by my husband or a terrorist. If they see me with my hijab, they think Im oppressed, if they see me without they probably think Oh look, she must be well educated. But I am the same person underneath. I dont blame them, look at what the media says about us. I give people the benefit of the doubt. The Chai ladies agree that increasing the extent to which children mix between racial groups is critical to encouraging cross-cultural understanding and acceptance. But they say that the constant negative portrayal of Muslims in the media has left their own children feeling conflicted. One of the women described a situation with her children. My son even called my daughter a Paki. Obviously he didnt know what it meant but he had overheard it being used and thought that it was an acceptable word. A message of peace and integration Through working closely with the Oldham Coliseum Theatre, participating on stage and supporting cultural events, as well as publishing a cookbook for diabetics and others, Najma and her Chai ladies say they are promoting a message of peace, integration and solidarity in a town and country that is perceived as divided. But they worry that the longer-term effects of Brexit may make that even harder to achieve and fear that the worst is still to come. If the UK economy gets strained financially after the referendum, who will take the blame? asks Farmida. The immigrants, she says, answering her own question. But who are the immigrants? READ MORE: The night the UK became a little island Another member of the group, Shagufta, says that she has been told to go back home by people on the street. But go back where? she asks. What about the second or third-generation migrants? Where will they go? Britain is a multicultural society, so what about the people with foreign heritage who have their roots here? We will only know who we are when someone defines an immigrant. Otherwise I class myself as 100 percent British as I am born and bred here, says Shabana, another member of the group. I dont have legal Pakistani identity. Where am I supposed to go back to? Following Brexit, talk of a Greek exit is nothing more than media sensationalism. When the Greek sovereign debt crisis broke out back in early 2010, the prospect of Greeces exit from the single currency regime of the European Union dominated world headlines and for a good reason. The bailout programmes, designed by EU officials and the International Monetary Fund and administered in turn by the incompetent, corrupt, and servile Greek political establishment, made the situation in Greece much worse by causing a massive decline in domestic demand and sharp rises in long-term unemployment while the public debt-to-GDP ratio exploded from 128 percent in 2010 to a current 180 percent. But the much-anticipated Grexit never materialised, and all talk of such a prospect retreated into the background after the Syriza-led government ignored the outcome of an austerity referendum, in which the overwhelming majority of voted No, and proceeded in turn to sign a new bailout agreement with the nations official creditors. Aftermath of Brexit vote However, in the aftermath of the UKs Brexit vote, which sent shockwaves throughout the world economy and temporarily shook the foundations of the Brussels-based corporate and largely politically illegitimate entity known as the EU, talk of a Greek exit has returned in full force. READ MORE: Brexit may be a good thing for Turkey Media sensationalism and ignorance or reality? The verdict weighs heavily in favour of the former. Ever since the eruption of the debt crisis, the political mood in Greece, although anti-austerity, has always been predominantly pro-euro. by The decision on the part of British voters to leave the EU has had no visible impact on political developments in Greece and the country will continue to be strapped into its euro straitjacket for the unforeseeable future. Let me explain. Ever since the eruption of the debt crisis, the political mood in Greece, although anti-austerity, has always been predominantly pro-euro. And it remains so, although recent surveys indicate that those favouring a return to the drachma may now represent more than 37 percent of the entire population. The reason for the pro-euro stance among the overwhelming majority of Greek citizens is that they are afraid that a return to the drachma under current conditions will cause inestimable damage to the already badly battered economy and will have vast geopolitical implications. A sign of cowardice While this stance may be interpreted as a sign of cowardice, given the fact that the country has been experiencing an economic holocaust since the introduction of the bailout schemes, the fears about the consequences of Grexit are directly attributed to the lack of trust among voters in the nations political leaders. And justifiably so. The Greek political establishment is not only lacking in vision, but has shown a sickening knack for corruption, for making laws that benefit the rich and powerful and its own acolytes, and for raping and brutalising public interest with impunity. This is how the country has been run for much of the contemporary era. The current pseudo-leftist government in Athens has proved to be no better in fact it is quite worse than its predecessors. It came to power with a popular mandate to end austerity and chart a new course for the economy, but has broken all its pre-election promises, promoted cronyism and political clientelism, and has sided squarely with the interests of the domestic and European elites. READ MORE: How Turkey misreads Brexit The result is that the vast majority of Greeks now feel totally helpless, demoralised and frustrated and have retreated from public spaces into private enclaves. Strikes, demonstrations and protests have become increasingly rare phenomena and, when they do occur, the numbers pale in comparison to what was taking place at the start of the crisis. In other words, most Greek citizens sense that their voice in government and politics doesnt matter any more and that contemporary representative democracy is a sham. And they are quite right about that. The power of raw democracy In all likelihood, even the Brexit vote will not be put into effect. The British establishment has already expressed its dismay over the power of raw democracy and will surely find a way to ignore the outcome of the referendum and keep Britain in the EU. There can be no denying that democracy is in crisis today, thanks mainly to the drive for a neoliberal European superstate, while the plague of unemployment and economic insecurity paves the way for political apathy and resignation on the one hand, and the surge of extreme right-wing parties and movements on the other. Back in Greece, most people are concerned nowadays with mere survival, while the exodus of the educated and professional classes continues in record numbers and deepens the crisis. In this context, there is no mass movement in Greece today striving for an alternative socioeconomic order and for an exit from the eurozone. Only the Leninist-Stalinist Communist Party claims to have an alternative vision for the future of the country, but even the communists do not advocate the return to a national currency. Long live the EU! Long live the euro! CJ Polychroniou is a political economist/political scientist who has taught and worked for many years in universities and research centres in Europe and the United States. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. There are no liberal democracies anywhere in the world except in the imaginative geography that calls itself the West. Who elected Tony Blair as the prime minister of the United Kingdom for more than a decade (1997-2007)? Did Iraqis vote for him anyone in the Arab or Muslim world? Which UK political party did he represent: the retrograde Conservative or the progressive Labour in fact as the leader of the Labour Party between 1994 and 2007? How many votes did he receive as the leader of the Labour Party? How many blue-blooded British and UK citizens freely and fairly voted for Tony Blair during the election? With major victories in 1997, 2001, and 2005, Tony Blair was the longest-serving UK prime minister from the Labour Party, leading his party to three consecutive general election victories. Was any Iraqi man or woman among those who so enthusiastically voted for him in such historic victories in the finest specimen of Western liberal democracy for the very mother of parliaments? Prime minister or strongman? Now, when this very democratically elected UK prime minister cheated, lied, fabricated false evidence, engaged in massive propaganda, went on a rampage about terrorism in order to join the United States to invade Iraq, was he the military strongman of a Third World dictatorship or was he in fact the democratically elected prime minister of a Western liberal democracy? One more question: They say that in these Western democracies, the free press is a pillar of their democracy. Fair enough. ALSO READ: Chilcot: The verdict from the UKs media Did this free press perform their critical task in the course of preparatory stage of the US-UK led invasion of Iraq? If Islam is to be held accountable for a small gang of Muslim criminals whom no one elected as their representative, then why should Western liberal democracies not be held accountable for mass murderers like Tony Blair and George W Bush...? by Did this free press in either the US or the UK engage in investigative journalism to expose the lies of their elected officials or did they beat the drum of war and become an effective propaganda tool for the Bush-Blair war on Iraq? Democratically elected war criminal With the Chilcot Report finally out, we now know for a fact that Blair is a war criminal, that this man as the prime minister of a Western democracy is the cause of more murder and mayhem in the world than the entire gang of subterranean creatures called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) and all other militant groups put together. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi men, women, and children, innocent of any crime against anyone were murdered and Tony Blair is one among a handful of democratically elected officials in Western liberal democracies who is chiefly responsible for their murder. He and his ringmaster, US President George W Bush, yet another two-term democratically elected specimen of Western democracy and his own constitutionally appointed officials such as Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are all war criminals and must be tried for that and perhaps even for crimes against humanity. The Chilcot Report has now detailed the misbegotten path to the US-UK led invasion and occupation of Iraq predicated on barefaced lies and propaganda dismantling a sovereign nation-state and wreaking havoc on the Arab and Muslim world. In short: Western liberal democracies, as they call and congratulate themselves, spell out disaster for the world at large. Some 1.6 billion Muslims are held accountable for the criminal gang of ISIL and their likes by Islamophobic bigots ranging from widely popular bigot Bill Maher to mass murderer Anders Breivik. Did any one of these Muslims vote for ISIL or al-Qaeda to be their democratically elected officials? If Islam is to be held accountable for a small gang of Muslim criminals whom no one elected as their representative, then why should Western liberal democracies not be held accountable for mass murderers like Tony Blair and George W Bush who were in fact fairly and freely elected by the free will of UK and US citizens to be their representatives? What role model? Today, the selfsame Western liberal democracy is in full gear in the US and will soon result in the election of either a career opportunist carpetbagger warmonger serial liar called Hillary Clinton or a white supremacist, xenophobic racist fascist called Donald trump as the next president of the United States. ALSO READ: Chilcot lets media off hook for selling Iraq war Any one of them who is elected will be an existential danger to the world. Does the world have any say in the matter? Does a Palestinian child, an Iraqi mother, an Afghan widow, has anything to say? Can they speak? Can they vote in this election? Is this democracy a model for the world to emulate? The Israeli settler colony built on the broken but defiant back of Palestinians by a gang of European militant adventurists also calls itself a democracy in fact, the only democracy in the Middle East. Is this racist apartheid state a model for the rest of the region? We do not have liberal democracies anywhere in the world except in the imaginative geography that calls itself the West. We have tyrannies, dictatorships, and military juntas. We have deep states, narco-states, supreme leaders for life, neoliberal Communist Party loonies. We have perpetual presidents, divine emissaries, and clerical theocracies. Even in India, which is called the largest democracy in the world, it is really a Hindu fundamentalist fanaticism in which Muslim, Christian and other non-Hindu citizens are less equals than others, even when they are not slaughtered. So we mortals around the world neither have any claims on this Western liberal democracy, nor should we harbour any delusion that it constitutes a Promised Land where, when we reach it, all will be hunky-dory. Are we to work hard so one day we may have the rare privilege of producing a Muslim Donald Trump, an Iranian George W Bush, an Egyptian Tony Blair, or a Syrian Silvio Berlusconi? The world at large is liberated from this illusion. In opposing the tyrants who rule over us, we are entirely on our own. We have no model, no blueprint, no ideal, no aspiration coming to us from the chimera that calls itself the West. We the people around the world, collectively liberated from the delusion of Western liberal democracies, must build our own conceptions of liberty and freedom from ground up, from lived experiences to theoretical articulation. Hamid Dabashi is Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies ad Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policies. Violence broke out after army attempted to arrest several people in the city of Gondar, sources say. At least 10 people, including police officers and civilians, have been killed in northern Ethiopia after days of protests, according to local sources. Demonstrations on Thursday and similar protests in recent days in the city of Gondar were against what protesters see as the erosion of their ethnic identity. The government said five police officers and one civilian were killed, while activists in the city said at least 20 people had been killed, including security forces. The anti-government protests started after security forces arrested members of the Welkait community. Members of the Amhara ethnic community also joined the protests. Information Minster Getachew Reda said at a press conference on Friday morning that the government had received reports that six members of an illegal committee were involved in murder and kidnapping, and had a large cache of weapons. The government said the men were being supported by the Eritrean government. Al Jazeera could not independently verify the reports. The government is saying they were trying to arrest people linked to a terrorist organisation. Weve spoken to some people who say tourists have been moved out of the city to safe areas. The city is under lockdown, Al Jazeeras Charles Stratford, reporting from the capital Addis Ababa, said. Ethiopia has seen other protests this year in Gondar and elsewhere, Stratford said. Human rights organisations say that 300 people were killed during protests by the largest ethnic group, the Oromo. Images posted online and said to be from Gondar showed burned-out vehicles and armed men firing guns in the air as hundreds of other people cheered them on. The Welkait ethnic group live between the Amhara and Tigray regions. Many Welkait and Amhara opposition groups accuse the government of being dominated by Tigrayan politicians. The Welkait accuse the government of forcing them to be part of Tigray and not recognising their ethnic group. Welkait opposition groups want to join the Amhara. The government has refused. They say that they are being ignored by the government the government that they allege is dominated by other ethnic groups from the north, Stratford said. The violence prompted the US embassy in Ethiopia to issue a temporary advisory warning against travel to the city centre of Gondar and areas where violent demonstrations have been reported. The embassy recommends all US citizens travelling to or resident in the Gondar area evaluate their personal level of safety and to avoid demonstrations or large gatherings, the advisory issued on Wednesday said. Kabul says it does not intend to take part in peace process aimed at bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table. Kabul has no plans to revive a peace process aimed at bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table after a four-nation effort earlier this year produced no results, the spokesman of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has said. The four-nation group comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States has met five times since January without the Taliban, which has refused to join any peace talks. There is no set time for another meeting of the group, spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri told The Associated Press news agency on Thursday. READ MORE: Taliban leader no peace without foreigners leaving Chakhansuris remarks reflect the Kabul administrations disappointment over what it has described as half-hearted efforts by neighbouring Pakistan to jumpstart the peace process. Ghani has accused Pakistan of harbouring Taliban leaders, an allegation that Islamabad denies. Afghanistan continues to suffer from terrorist groups that operate from and have a support base in Pakistan, Chakhansuri said. However, Omar Zakhilwar, the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, said that Afghanistan is still ready to seize any opportunity that would bring peace in the country. READ MORE: Civilians caught in crossfire of war against Taliban The Taliban has refused several times in the past to join the peace talks, whereas we are making any efforts possible to draw out a plan with the concerned parties in order to bring peace, Zakhilwal told Al Jazeera on Thursday. But if the Taliban continues to call for war, we are ready to face them and defeat them. Earlier in July, US President Barack Obama announced plans to leave 8,400 American troops in Afghanistan at the end of his term an increase from his previous plan, reflecting the difficulty of drawing down the US presence in the country. The move was widely seen as acknowledging the deteriorating security situation since the 2014 withdrawal of most international combat troops. READ MORE: Obama to slow pace of Afghanistan troop withdrawal In response to Obamas announcement, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told Al Jazeera: Whether the US decides to keep [its] troops in Afghanistan or not, whether the numbers are more or less, we will continue to fight them. Nothing changes for us and nothing can scare us or stop us in achieving what we have been fighting for the past decade. We are stronger than ever and 8,400 troops cannot stop us. So its basically useless for them to make such decisions, a waste of time. Su Bin and two unidentified co-conspirators were found guilty of stealing sensitive US military information. A Chinese businessman who pleaded guilty to hacking sensitive US military information was sentenced to nearly four years in prison, prosecutors have said. Su Bin, 51, was charged on Wednesday with taking part in a years-long scheme by Chinese military officers to hack into the computer networks of aircraft manufacturer Boeing and other major US defence contractors. In addition to a 46-month prison term, a US District Court judge in Los Angeles ordered Su to pay a $10,000 fine. Su Bins sentence is a just punishment for his admitted role in a conspiracy with hackers from the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force to illegally access and steal sensitive US military information, John Carlin, assistant attorney general for national security, said in a statement. Su assisted the Chinese military hackers in their efforts to illegally access and steal designs for cutting-edge military aircraft that are indispensable to our national defence, he said. In an August 2014 indictment, prosecutors said that Su travelled to the United States at least 10 times between 2008 and 2014 and worked with two unidentified co-conspirators based in China to steal the data. He was arrested in Canada in 2014 and later consented to US extradition. The trio were accused of stealing plans relating to the C-17 military transport plane and F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, and attempting to sell them to Chinese companies. According to prosecutors, in pleading guilty Su admitted sending emails to his co-conspirators telling them which people, companies and technologies to target with their hacking, and translating the stolen material from English to Chinese. Su admitted taking part in the crime for financial gain, prosecutors said. The Chinese government has repeatedly denied any involvement in hacking. Ibrahim Abu Taaymeh has grown spinach on land in the Gaza Strip for more than a decade. But the Palestinian farmer from Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, says his harvest was destroyed after the Israeli army sprayed an unknown herbicide on lands in the buffer zone near the Israel-Gaza border fence in October 2014. The chemicals were blown on to Abu Taaymehs one-acre plot of land, which is located about 700 metres from the buffer zone and serves as the sole source of income for his family, human rights groups reported. Since then, Abu Taaymeh has suffered about $3,000 in losses, believed to have resulted from both the aerial spraying and the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has been strictly enforced since 2007. IN PICTURES: Gazas farmers on frontlines of perpetual war Late last month, a number of groups including the Gaza-based Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, the Adalah legal centre for Palestinians in Israel, and an Israeli group called Gisha that focuses on Palestinian freedom of movement sent a letter to Israeli officials demanding an investigation into the crop-spraying incidents. We are trying to seek redress and compensation for some of these people because of the long-term damages, said Mahmoud Abu Rahma, a spokesperson for Al Mezan, which is advocating on behalf of Abu Taaymeh and other farmers in Gaza. The rights groups say they will first wait for a response from Israeli authorities before considering whether to launch a formal lawsuit. In a news release issued this week, Adalah alleged that the chemicals sprayed in October 2014 reached agricultural lands belonging to several Palestinian farmers. The human rights groups say that Israeli army aircraft sprayed unknown herbicides between October 11 and 13, 2014, on land located inside the buffer zone, a 300-metre-wide area that cuts into the Palestinian territory from the Gaza-Israel border fence. Spraying crop-killing pesticides, like opening fire at people of all ages and gender in the vicinity of the fence, puts civilian lives at risk and hurts livelihoods. by Shai Grunberg, Gisha spokesperson The groups fear that the use of unknown chemicals may have a devastating long-term effect on agriculture in the Gaza Strip, Abu Rahma told Al Jazeera. Chemicals have already spilled over to adjacent land and have created serious damage to farmers beyond the buffer zone. We dont know how it will impact the water resources, which are very scarce in Gaza, he said. Crops have been destroyed and are failing to grow in areas that have been sprayed, Abu Rahma added. The human rights groups are demanding that Israel immediately stop spraying herbicides in the Gaza buffer zone, apologise to the Palestinians affected, and compensate farmers for any damages they have incurred. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment on the matter. In response to a series of questions submitted by the Gisha rights group earlier this year, however, an army spokesperson confirmed that it sprayed herbicides and germination inhibitors in order to enable optimal and continuous security operations in the area, and that the practice had been ongoing for more than two years. By virtue of Israels substantial control of the Gaza Strip, international law requires it to facilitate normal life in the Strip. Spraying crop-killing pesticides, like opening fire at people of all ages and gender in the vicinity of the fence, puts civilian lives at risk and hurts livelihoods, Gisha spokesperson Shai Grunberg told Al Jazeera. Israel has adjusted the dimensions of the Gaza buffer zone repeatedly over the past several years, and its exact size remains unclear. In recent years, Israel has sprayed crops near the Gaza border fence at least once annually, Israeli human rights group Btselem reported. In December 2015, for example, Israel sprayed herbicides on Palestinian land 200 metres from the fence, the group said. Palestinian farmers who enter or go near the buffer zone to tend to their lands have also routinely been shot at, injured and killed. INTERACTIVE: Gazas restrictive fishing limits Abu Rahma said dozens of Palestinian families with land in or near the buffer zone have been affected by the crop-spraying practice, and will in the long term lose access to their farms and their sources of income. These communities, with the fishermen, have become among the poorest in the Gaza Strip, and although they are farmers, they are dependent on humanitarian aid just to secure their food, Abu Rahma said. This is a serious violation of international law and should not happen. Regardless, he said that Palestinians expectations of holding Israel accountable have been tempered by Israels very long, negative record of ignoring calls to investigate human rights violations. We know that Israel is resisting any attempts to pressure it to abide by its own legislation and by its own international commitments, Abu Rahma said. [This case is only one] part of our attempts to challenge this very damaging culture of impunity that is very prevalent in Israel. Deaths reported after a police officer opens fire on fellow officers at a Kapenguria police station in western Kenya. A Kenyan police officer went on a shooting spree on Thursday, killing seven of his colleagues, including a hostage response team member, before the standoff ended in a shootout, a police statement said. The siege in Kapenguria began early on Thursday when the attacker, identified as Abdilhakim Maslah, opened fire on his fellow officers, leading to a hostage situation. Police at first suspected the attacker had ties to the al-Shabab group based in neighbouring Somalia. The police report says Maslah, a station guard, got off work Wednesday night but returned to the Kapenguria station shortly after 5am on Thursday and started shooting. A separate police statement to the media said the officer, for yet unknown reasons, went berserk and grabbed a firearm and started shooting. That statement said the officer wore a turban that covered his whole face, leading to the previous suspicions that he was an extremist. Earlier, Police Inspector General Joseph Boinnet had said in a statement that commandos had surrounded the police station in an attempt to bring the standoff to an end. His [the attackers] attempts to escape were thwarted by quick arrival by other officers, Boinnet said. https://twitter.com/WestFmKenya/status/753488551518560256 Kenyas Nation news organisation reported that five police officers, including a senior officer, were among the dead, quoting West Pokot County Commissioner Wilson Wanyanga. Kenyan television channel KTN said as many as six officers had died in Kapenguria. Police commandos were deployed to rescue prisoners held at the station and end the standoff, Kenyas police chief, Joseph Boinnet, said before the crisis ended. Boinnet, the police chief, said the gunmans escape was thwarted by quick arrival by other officers. All but one of the officers killed worked at the station. The station commander was among them, West Pokot County Commissioner Wilson Wanyanga said. Parents of 300 children have fled without them from Northern Bahr El Ghazal because of worsening mass hunger. Majook, South Sudan Three hundred children in South Sudans Northern Bahr El Ghazal region have been abandoned by parents fleeing the country to escape two years of drought, a collapsing economy, and mass hunger. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF brought Al Jazeera to a mosque run by the Northern Bahr El Ghazal Islamic Council in the town of Majook, close to South Sudans border with Sudan, where the children are forced to live after their parents abandoned them to make the journey north alone. WFP said 5.3 million people in South Sudan are at risk of acute hunger, nearly half the population, which is already causing deaths among the countrys most vulnerable, and increasing the number of people fleeing across the border to neighbouring Sudan. Recent fighting between the countrys President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machars opposing armies has exacerbated problems in providing aid. South Sudan: Renewed fighting in Wau forces exodus Alalla Koka, one of the children living at the mosque, doesnt know her exact age but said she is about 13. Her father died during the two-year civil war that ended last year. Her mother left her and four siblings three months ago after slipping out of the house at night and across the border to Sudan. South Sudan crisis: UN expects death toll to rise She left all of us, even the little one, she said, referring to her youngest brother who is five. Since she was abandoned, Alalla said she no longer feels any connection to her mother. Friends and relatives have not come to visit or offer assistance since she left. We have nothing to eat We try to sell water in the market. Sometimes we get two or three pounds [10 cents], which we can use to buy some food. In the towns market, shops are stacked with food products, but customers are nowhere to be seen. Local community leaders say the drought, which is now in its second year, means few were able to cultivate crops. When there are no crops to sell, there is no way to get money The local community has no money to buy anything in the market, one told Al Jazeera. Traders from neighbouring areas, who would usually come to buy the excess food have stopped visiting the town, elders say. In March, the Sudanese government decided to close its border with the South amid claims the government had been assisting rebels in Sudan, attempting to depose the countrys President Omar al-Bashir. Cross-border trade has been strangled by the closure, which has compounded the economic problems in Majook further. Clashes between troops loyal to Kiir and those with Machar which took place in Juba over the weekend have now subsided after the president called a ceasefire. But problems for humanitarian organisations operating in Majook and other parts of the country are already being exasperated. Heavy fighting in Juba including in the area where WFPs office and warehouse are located has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes, said Challis Mcdonough of the WFP. Some 3,000 have taken refuge inside WFPs main compound, on the western edge of town. Fighting in South Sudan on eve of fifth anniversary Beyond the capital, security concerns are affecting NGOs ability to offer food assistance in areas facing acute hunger. Rebeckah Piotrowski from Action Against Hunger, an NGO that operates throughout South Sudan, said: [We are] deeply concerned by the recent heavy fighting in Juba, which has further complicated an already dire humanitarian crisis, and reduced our humanitarian access to populations in need. The longer fighting continues and restricts humanitarian actors from delivering life-saving assistance to people in need, the greater the level of human suffering We call upon the international community to do all in its power to restore calm and peace at this critical juncture. Reports suggest Germany, Italy, Japan, India, Uganda and Britain are evacuating citizens from the country in response to the fighting, many of whom work in development and as aid workers. Parents, such as those in Majook who have no way to support their families in South Sudan, are heading to the north where the economy is said to be more stable and there are more opportunities to find work. A local NGO worker in the town, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: Its illegal to make the border crossing, so its much easier to do it without children. Talk to Al Jazeera: Salva Kiir and Riek Machar: South Sudans shaky peace Osman Kiir al-Sheik, 49, is a local NGO worker with the Northern Bahr El Ghazal Islamic Council in Majook. He is in charge of the centre where the children live, which is little more than a large straw shelter. It relies on donations from people in the surrounding area to keep running. South Sudan violence raises fears of war I have three challenges to provide food, water and an education for these children I hope one day they can be the leaders of South Sudan if they can be taken care of properly, said Kiir al-Sheik. I would say to the parents, you love your child. You took care of them for a long time and then left because you became frustrated with hunger. I would still say to you, come back and be with your child. Malai is about 10 years old and from Warrap, a neighbouring region close to Majook. His father went to Upper Nile as a soldier during the conflict of 2013 to 2015, but never came back. My mother would go into town in the daytime, he told Al Jazeera, but she would always come back. However, one day two weeks ago, she did not return. I dont know why she left, but I dont think she will come back. If I could speak to her today I would ask Why did you deceive me? You didnt even tell me [you were leaving].' In a local report on the plight of the children, Anyar Saudi, secretary for the Northern Bahr El Ghazal Islamic Council, said, As a faith-based humanitarian organisation we were touched by their suffering, and thats why we decided to take care of them. Community leaders in Majook say the abandonment of children on such a large scale is unprecedented. There are parallels with mass abandonments that occurred in Somalia in 2011, the last time the world saw a major famine. South Sudans warring factions declare ceasefire In the current climate of deteriorating access to the region as roads become impassable for the rainy season, the evacuation of aid workers, and the ever-looming threat of a return to violence, the situation for those facing hunger in other regions of the country including Unity State and Upper Nile as well as Northern Bahr El Gazal is dire. When asked about the future of the 300 children of Majook, Kir al-Sheik said: Since the traders have stopped coming even the begging opportunities have decreased I dont know what will happen to these children. UNICEF said it is trying to trace the childrens parents so they can be reunited, but the process is difficult and time consuming. Im praying to God, said Kiir al-Sheik. Japan-based mobile message app firm aims to raise $1.3bn by listing on New York and Tokyo stock exchanges. Tokyo, Japan Japans Line Corp will launch the countrys largest initial public offering (IPO) of the year when it lists in New York on Thursday and Tokyo on Friday, expecting to raise up to $1.3bn. A Japanese subsidiary of South Koreas Internet giant Naver, Line Corps instant messaging app has soared in popularity since debuting in Japan in 2011, and now boasts 218 million active users monthly, the majority of them in Asia. Lines 2015 revenue totaled $1.2bn, a 40 percent increase from 2014, mainly through the sales of its wide range of electronic cartoon emoticons, known as stickers, games and an advertising business. The apps 258,000 sticker set collection distinguishes Line from other competitors. The firm has logged a total of 2.4 billion stickers sent and received in a single day. The IPO is expected to put the companys value at nearly $7bn. Its easy for me to convey my feelings when I use the stickers, Japanese student Ryosuke Nomura, 17, told Al Jazeera at the Line Friends store in Tokyos hip Harajuku area. Lines sticker characters, called Line Friends, even have a fandom, which has boosted merchandise sales not only of digital stickers but also a wide range of products from dolls, stationery, jewelry and fashion to kitchenware. Line Friends stores with cafes have opened in Tokyo, South Korea and other cities in Asia. I started to use Line, mainly because of the cute Brown character. But now I am using it to get in touch with my friends in other countries in Asia, 32-year-old Baek Won-ki, a South Korean office employee, told Al Jazeera. A feature of the app is its ability to simultaneously translate messages in a chat room. For example, if one person enters a message in Korean in a chat room, the message is simultaneously translated into Japanese or Chinese when it appears to other users in the chat room. Overrated? Line is still not as popular as mobile messaging heavyweights such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat by Chinas Tencent, and Viber. So why are investors excited about this dual IPO? Reiko Shofu, president and CEO of online micro consulting service firm Sensing Asia Ltd, pointed to Lines rapid growth in revenue over the past few years. Lines long-term outlook, however, might not necessarily be that bright, Shofu said. Its overrated. It takes time for Line to sustain bottom-line viability. When you look at Lines business model, its a very costly, complex business structure, she said. Line has made efforts to widen its revenue base by developing into a broader, multi-feature platform such as a news distribution and payment solutions. If Line manages to pass through their strategy and establish its platform on mobile money transactions, including person-to-person money transfer, then I think their business can last for 10 or 15 years, Shofu said. The dual listing indicates the firms intention to expand their business globally at a time of global economic turbulence, further exacerbated by Brexit, and cooling hype around tech firms. Lines IPO is the largest since Chinese e-commerce site Alibaba listed in 2014. Pakistani Taliban leader Umar Narai, wanted for the 2014 Peshawar massacre, has died in Afghanistan, officials say. A Pakistani Taliban leader accused of orchestrating a 2014 school massacre has been killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan, Pakistani and American military officials have said. Umar Narai, also known as Umar Khalifa and Khalid Khurasani, died in Nangarhar province over the weekend, security officials from both countries said on Wednesday. He was wanted for his role in a Taliban attack at a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar in December 2014 that killed more than 150 people, most of them children. Narai was killed along with four other enemy combatants in a US Forces-Afghanistan air strike targeting Islamic State-Khorasan Province members, Peter Cook, the Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement. The US designated the Khorasan Province an affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also know as ISIS) group based in Afghanistan and Pakistan a terrorist organisation in 2015. READ MORE: Remembering the Peshawar school massacre Al Jazeeras Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said the drone strike took place in Afghanistans Nangarhar province when a meeting of some sort was taking place between the fighters. The drone strike took place on July 9th and Umar Khalifa along with his lieutenant Qari Saifullah, who was responsible for training suicide bombers, were in the middle of some talks in the Afghanistans remote region, Hyder said. US General John Nicholson called Pakistans army chief General Raheel Sharif to confirm Narais death, military spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said on Twitter. I believe for his own group, a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) known as the Gedar group, it is a big loss because there is no leadership among them, but for the TTP as whole, Umars death is not considered as a big blow, as they have a leadership in the name of Fazlullah, Ayaz Wazir, a former Pakistani Ambassador told Al Jazeera. It is indeed a victory for Pakistan but he was killed in Afghanistan so the credit goes to the Americans. However, I think the tip was given from the Pakistan side about his whereabouts and the American acted upon it which resulted in his death. Pakistani officials said Narai died on Sunday, while the Pentagon said his death took place on Saturday. Narai was also behind a deadly Taliban attack on Bacha Khan University in the northwestern town of Charsadda in January, and another Taliban assault on a Peshawar air force base in September 2015, Cook said. The attacks killed at least 21 and 29 people, respectively. WATCH: Pakistan-US relationship: A double game? The drone strike that killed Narai underscores the common security interests shared by the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan on matters of terrorism, Cook said. Only through continued cooperation will we collectively succeed in eliminating terrorist safe havens in the region. The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban, did not comment on the reports of Narais death. The armed group is waging war against the Pakistani state and is separate from the Afghan Taliban. The Pakistan army launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb under US pressure in 2014, in a bid to wipe out fighters and their bases in the North Waziristan tribal area and bring an end to violence that has cost the country thousands of lives. Ahead of regional summit, the Philippines says Beijing should respect international tribunals South China Sea verdict. The Philippines has said that Beijing should respect an international tribunals ruling that rejected Chinese claims to most of the South China Sea, adding that it will raise the issue at a regional summit. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled on Tuesday that Chinas claims to the resource-rich and strategically vital South China Sea had no legal basis. China, which had boycotted the case brought by the Philippines, vowed to ignore the ruling, saying the UN-backed tribunal had no jurisdiction over the case and accused it of bias. Beijing on Wednesday also raised the prospect of confrontation in the sea, and threatened to introduce an air-defence zone over the sea that would give its military authority over foreign aircraft. OPINION: Hague ruling could spark China-Japan row On Friday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay will attend a two-day Asia-Europe summit, known as ASEM, in Mongolia along with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Secretary Yasay will discuss within the context of ASEMs agenda the Philippines peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision, the foreign affairs department said in a statement, in the strongest response from the Philippines to the tribunals verdict. China had said on Monday that the maritime dispute should not be included on the ASEM agenda, with assistant foreign minister Kong Xuanyou insisting the meeting was not an appropriate venue to discuss the issue. The ASEM summit brings together nations from Asia and Europe, including other sea claimants Vietnam and Malaysia. In his first comments immediately after the ruling, Yasay said the Philippines welcomed the decision but he did not urge China to respect or abide by it. Yasay called then only for all those concerned to exercise restraint and sobriety. Yasay will represent newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte at ASEM. The president has signalled the he wants to avoid a major diplomatic falling-out with China over the issue. In his first cabinet meeting since being sworn into office on June 30, Duterte said that he would not taunt or flaunt a favourable ruling and aim for a soft landing. The Philippines filed the legal challenge against China in 2013 under Dutertes predecessor, Benigno Aquino. China claims nearly all of the sea, even waters approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. The ruling is expected to further increase tensions in the region, where Chinas increased military assertiveness has spread concern among its smaller neighbours and is a point of confrontation with the US. It could also spur Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, which also have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, to file similar claims. US officials sign deal to give Peshmerga units some $415m for ammunition, food, pay and medical equipment. The United States has signed a deal with the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq to provide the Kurds with further military and financial support in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group. A senior Pentagon official signed an agreement with Kurdish officials on Tuesday to give vetted members of the Peshmerga units, Iraqs Kurdish military forces, some $415m for ammunition, food, pay and medical equipment, among other things. US officials have not confirmed suggestions by some Kurdish officials that the money can be used to buy heavy military equipment. They have insisted, however, that the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi supports the US efforts to boost the Peshmerga. Were working hard to support those efforts; were doing that though through the command and control of the Iraqi government, Mark Toner, the US State Department deputy spokesman, told reporters. While the Peshmerga are on the frontlines in the fight against ISIL, also known as ISIS, they say they have been at war without the right weapons and regular pay cheques. I have a lot of friends who still have not paid their rent for the last three months of last year. They owe so much money to the grocery shop and the bazaar, said Delawer Haider Hosheet, a Peshmerga sergeant. READ MORE: Iraq Kurds increase pressure on ISIL in Mosul The accord comes amid preparations to retake the Iraqi northern city of Mosul from ISIL, the armed groups last major hub in the country. As well as sending 560 more troops to help Iraqi forces in the fight to recapture Mosul, the US Defense Secretary Ash Carter has also promised additional air power to the country. Apache helicopters, absolutely is, is a capability that weve not used in support of the Iraqis so far, Carter told NBC Nightly News. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has indicated that he understands that as we go towards Mosul, which is the next big objective in this campaign his forces will benefit greatly from the support of American apache attack helicopters. Some analysts in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, however, do not think the US-Kurdish deal is constitutional. Hussein al-Shatab, a former Iraqi military officer and defence strategist, says there might be under-the-table agreements between the US defence secretary and Iraqs defence minister, which has allowed such a deal to go through. US officials reject that suggestion, saying they are focused on helping Iraq reclaim all of its territory from ISIL. Syrian leader confident in TV interview as US State Secretary arrives in Moscow with proposals for military cooperation. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he has never faced pressure from Russia to step aside, as US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Moscow seeking to revive stalled peace efforts. Speaking to NBC News in Damascus, Assad insisted his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had never raised the issue of his departure or a political transition. Only the Syrian people define whos going to be the president, when to come, and when to go. They never said a single word regarding this, he said. Assads fate is a key question in efforts to bring about a negotiated settlement to Syrias five-year civil war. Hopes for the existing peace process rest on the UN-backed blueprint sketched out by the 22-nation, US and Russian-led International Syria Support Group. READ MORE: Deadly air strikes across Syria as ceasefire dissolves Under this plan, signed by both Syrias ally Iran and Assads pro-rebel foe Saudi Arabia, a nationwide ceasefire will precede Geneva-based talks on political transition. But there has been little progress towards a resumption of talks that had been expected to take place this month. And the prospects for a political transition beginning by August, as laid out in the plan, now appear slim. Kerry arrived later on Thursday in Moscow, a close ally of Assads government that launched air strikes in support of regime forces last September. He met with Putin at the Kremlin and both said before the meeting they hoped they could make progress on Syria. Kerry was also to meet Lavrov on Friday. I hope after todays consultations youll be able to advise [US President Obama] of the progress made and possible headway for us to make, Putin told Kerry, according to a pool reporter at the start of the talks. For his part, Kerry told Putin: Hopefully well be able to make some genuine progress that is measurable and implementable and that can make a difference in the course of events in Syria. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Washington was to offer to cooperate with Russia in joint military action against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) and the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, al-Nusra Front. In Paris before heading to Moscow, Kerry did not deny the report, but refused to discuss the proposal in detail. The suggestion is that theres going to be a plan on the table for the US and Russia to get together with air strikes. According to the leak, the detail suggests there will be active cooperation with flights and all attacks, and a joint implementation group as it has been described in the document, said Al Jazeeras Andrew Simmons, reporting from Moscow. Sergey Karagonov, a former adviser to the Russian president, told Al Jazeera: The problem is that he [Kerry] represents a lame duck. The general mood in the US is very negative towards Russia, towards cooperation. He added that while Lavrov and Kerry did not want to exacerbate things together it does not look like the problem will be solved easily. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Thursday that while there was some speculation that an agreement may be reached, it was not clear that that will happen. At present, the United States is not conducting or coordinating military operations with Russia, he said. Kerrys visit to Moscow came amid fresh concerns over food aid in Syria. The UN on Wednesday said that along with other aid agencies, it has enough food in rebel-held eastern Aleppo to feed 145,000 people for one month, as pro-government forces continued to make progress on encircling and besieging the area, which has a population of as many as 300,000 people. Kerry extremely frustrated Moscow and Washington brokered a landmark partial ceasefire in Syria in February, but it has since all but collapsed amid continued heavy fighting. Kerrys spokesman John Kirby told reporters his boss was extremely frustrated with the failure of peace efforts and his patience was growing thin. In Washington, many observers have criticised Kerrys outreach to Russia on Syria, arguing he has been strung along by Putin as the latter seeks to protect his client Assad. But Kirby insisted the administration is not being naive, and that Thursdays visit to Moscow, Kerrys third this year, would probe the sincerity of Putins promises. Syrias conflict began in 2011 with the repression of anti-government demonstrations and has evolved into a complex multi-front war that has killed more than 280,000 people and forced millions from their homes. Efforts to bring an end to the war have taken on greater urgency since the emergence of ISIL, which seized control of large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in mid-2014. The group has committed widespread atrocities in areas under its control and organised or inspired a wave of attacks across the Middle East and in Western cities. A US-led coalition is carrying out air strikes against ISIL fighters in Syria and Iraq and recent months have seen ISIL lose a significant amount of territory. Colvin responsible for her own death According to the Post, which cited sections of what it said was a draft agreement, US and Russian commanders would set up a joint command and control centre to direct intensified air strikes against the groups. Such a deal is likely to face criticism that it amounts to a tacit acceptance of Putins efforts to shore up Assads regime. In his interview with NBC, Assad also said a US reporter killed in alleged Syrian government bombardment in 2012 was responsible for her own death. Marie Colvin, a 56-year-old war correspondent working for British newspaper The Sunday Times, died in the rebel-held Baba Amr district of Syrias third city Homs. Its a war and she came illegally to Syria. She worked with the terrorists, and because she came illegally, shes been responsible of everything that befall on her, Assad said, speaking in English. Asked if she was responsible for her own death, Assad replied of course, though he denied that his forces had targeted her. His comments came days after relatives of Colvin filed a case in a US court alleging Assads regime targeted her to stop her covering government atrocities. PM Theresa May finalises details of new government as shock appointment of Boris Johnson as foreign secretary sinks in. Britains new Prime Minister Theresa May wanted Britain to stay in the European Union, but the government she has unveiled leaves little doubt that she intends to fulfil voters instructions and take the UK out of the 28-nation bloc. May on Thursday finalised the details of the cabinet. Leading eurosceptics such as former London mayor Boris Johnson and David Davis secured top international jobs, as many members of predecessor David Camerons administration were swept away. UK GOVERNMENT HIGHLIGHTS: Prime Minister: Theresa May Chancellor of the Exchequer (Treasury): Philip Hammond Foreign Secretary: Boris Johnson Brexit Secretary: David Davis Home Secretary: Amber Rudd Justice Secretary: Liz Truss Defence: Michael Fallon International Trade: Liam Fox Education: Justine Greening Health: Jeremy Hunt Transport: Chris Grayling When she was running for the Conservative leadership, May promised that Brexit means Brexit, and her appointments of Johnson, Davis and Trade Secretary Liam Fox signal to EU leaders that, no matter what her own feelings on the matter may be, she will not be watering down Britains commitment to leaving the European Union. Johnson, Britains new foreign secretary, said on Thursday that it was an opportunity to be seized reshaping Britains global profile and identity as a great global player. On her first full day in office, May removed Cameron allies including former Chancellor George Osborne and Michael Gove, the justice secretary, who himself had run for Conservative leader. In her first speech as prime minister outside 10 Downing Street on Wednesday, May said: We will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us. Some 52 percent of Britons who voted on June 23 wanted to leave the EU, responding to calls by leading Brexit or British exit campaigner Johnson. But his appointment as foreign secretary has caused some consternation around the world. Gaffe-prone Johnson French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Johnson had lied to the British people during the EU referendum, and now had his back against the wall to defend his country and to clarify his relationship with Europe. Johnson is famous for distinctly undiplomatic, and at times racist, gaffes. In April, he suggested that US President Barack Obama had an ancestral dislike of Britain because he is part-Kenyan. Asked late on Wednesday whom he would apologise to first, Johnson said the United States of America will be at the front of the queue. In 2002, in a regular column for The Telegraph a newspaper which urged its readers to vote for a Brexit Johnson called black people picaninnies and referred to the people of Congo as bloodthirsty tribal warriors with watermelon smiles. On his first day in the job on Thursday, Johnson struck a sober tone. He shrugged off Ayraults criticism, saying the French minister had sent him a charming letter saying how much he looked forward to working together. He said Britain was quitting the EU but that does not mean in any sense leaving Europe. There is a massive difference between leaving the EU and our relations with Europe which, if anything, I think are going to be intensified and built up at an intergovernmental level, he said. Some said Johnson might surprise his many critics. May has given him the chance to live up to his potential or to fail spectacularly. It is not without risks, said Christopher Meyer, a former British ambassador to the United States. There may be some mishaps. But if Boris Johnson can realise his potential he will send that shot of adrenaline through the Foreign Office, through our diplomacy, that is so necessary right now, Meyer told Sky News. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Harry Mount, a journalist, author and friend of Johnson, said the new foreign secretary was misjudged by many. Hes extremely clever, Mount said. He speaks four languages, he was largely brought up in Brussels because his father was an MEP, he was born in New York because his father then worked at the World Bank. For someone who seems so quintessentially English, in fact, hes very, very cosmopolitan. Britain open for business David Davis, 67, is the new Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. One of the staunchest eurosceptics in British politics, he will lead a new department charged with the complex work of divorcing Britain from the bloc yet forging a new relationship with it. Davis has previously said Britain should take a brisk but measured approach to exit talks with the EU, invoking Article 50 of the EU constitution the formal trigger for two years of exit negotiations by the start of 2017. WATCH: Brexit fallout The global economic impact EU leaders are pressing Britain to open formal exit talks soon and warning that the UK cannot have access to the single European market of 500 million people without accepting the free movement of EU citizens, a sticking point for many pro-Brexit Britons. The foreign policy spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkels party in Parliament said that many current British suggestions for future relations with the EU were unworkable. Free access to the common market means, among other things, accepting other fundamental freedoms such as the freedom of movement, said Juergen Hardt. European Parliament President Martin Schulz said the EU would work constructively with the new British government. Newly appointed Treasury chief Philip Hammond, meanwhile, sought to reassure the markets. Hammond acknowledged that the Brexit vote has had a chilling effect on investment, saying the main challenge is to stabilise the economy, [and] send signals of confidence about the future. Britain is open for business, he said. We are not turning our back on the world. PM Theresa May promises to lead UK out of Europe, though she asks EU leaders for some time to plan that departure. Britains new Prime Minister Theresa May has maintained that she intends to lead the country out of the European Union, though she also asked EU leaders for time to prepare that path. We will rise to the challenge, May said outside 10 Downing Street following her appointment by Queen Elizabeth on Wednesday evening. As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us. But May also told EU leaders that she needed time to carry out the British exit, or Brexit. In phone conversations with the leaders of Germany, France and Ireland, who called to wish her well as Britains second-ever woman prime minister, May underlined her commitment to a British exit, or Brexit. On all the phone calls, the prime minister emphasised her commitment to delivering the will of the British people to leave the European Union, a spokeswoman for May said, according to a Reuters news agency report. The prime minister explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke of her hope that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit, the spokeswoman said. Its time, however, that EU leaders do not want to offer. Quick Brexit In his phone conversation with May, French President Francois Hollande urged her not to delay the divorce discussions with Europe. Hollande reiterated his wish for the negotiations on Britains departure from the European Union to be undertaken as soon as possible, the presidents office said in a statement on Wednesday European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also urged May not to prolong the start of the Brexit talks. The outcome of the United Kingdoms referendum has created a new situation which the United Kingdom and the European Union will have to address soon, Juncker said in a letter published on his Twitter account. I look forward to working closely with you on this and to learn about your intentions in this regard, he said. My warmest congratulations to @theresa_may I look forward to working closely with you and wish you every success pic.twitter.com/lG1hWw36aO Jean-Claude Juncker (@JunckerEU) July 13, 2016 His comments were echoed by European Parliament President Martin Schulz. Leadership issue settled, now I expect we work quickly to deliver certainty, he said. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel added his voice to those pleading for a speedy start to the Brexit procedure, following three weeks of financial and political turmoil triggered by Britains vote to leave Europe. We cant afford a long period of uncertainty, he said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that she spoke to May by phone late on Wednesday and invited her for talks in Berlin. Its our task to work very closely with governments of ally countries, Merkel told a news conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, adding there were many problems in the world that made such close cooperation necessary. I look forward to working together, she said. The German Chancellor declined to comment on Mays decision to appoint former London Mayor Boris Johnson who led the Leave campaign - as her new foreign minister. Minister Boris Mays surprise appointment of Johnson has left few in doubt that her new mantra is: Brexit means Brexit. By awarding such a senior job to Johnson, analysts say May is trying to mend fences inside her party, which was ripped apart by the Brexit vote, and forced former Conservative Party leader David Cameron to resign as prime minister, making way for Mays rise. May herself had sided with Cameron in trying to keep Britain inside the EU, so she now needs to reach out to the winning Leave side in order to heal divisions and show her commitment to respecting the popular vote. Since the vote to leave the EU, Johnson has suffered widespread criticism and ridicule for failing to present a clear Brexit plan and swiftly dropping out of the prime ministerial race. Other prominent Leave campaigners were also rewarded by May, including David Davis, who took the key role of Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Another, Liam Fox, was named to head a new international trade department. The report accuses both sides in the conflict of indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas and summary executions. Both sides of the conflict in Ukraine are guilty of indiscriminately shelling civilian areas and carrying out summary executions of both combatants and civilians, according to a new report released by the United Nations. The two-year conflict in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russian-backed rebels has killed up to 2,000 civilians, nearly 90 percent of them in the shelling of residential areas, the report released by the office of the the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Thursday. The report also cites executions by both Ukrainian forces and rebel groups of significant numbers of people. The victims of execution include people allegedly affiliated with or sympathetic to the opposing side, as well as combatants who had surrendered or were out of action. There needs to be a strong investigation in order to identify perpetrators of crimes committed, to bring justice to the victims and their families to end the continued suffering, and at the end of the day to ensure there is accountability in this country, Fiona Frazer, head of the UN human rights monitoring mission for Ukraine, told The Associated Press. The report said that the majority of the incidents in question happened in late 2014 and early 2015. A Ukrainian foreign ministry statement said the country highly values the work of UN human rights monitors in the country, but it focused blame on the rebels. The ministry claimed that the report found the majority of civilian deaths was due to rebel artillery and said Ukrainian forces are banned from firing on rebel positions near civilian areas. Killed for revealing abuses The report claimed to have documented cases of Ukrainian servicemen intentionally killed for revealing abuses by Ukrainian forces. The series of alleged crimes committed by Kievs troops include one in which two suspected rebels were kept in a dry well and then killed by a drunken soldier who threw a grenade down the shaft. READ MORE: Ukraine Traumatised by war and PTSD The 26-month revolt against the pro-Western government in Kiev has killed nearly 9,500 people and plunged Moscows ties with the West into a post-Cold War low, which has complicated the resolution of other urgent matters such as the war in Syria. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied either plotting or backing the rebels in Ukraine in order to keep its western neighbour within a post-Soviet sphere of influence. The exhaustive study into the Ukrainian conflict by OHCHR was conducted between January 2014 and May of this year. Its report also noted that no arrests have been made in the shooting dead of 13 policemen in the capital Kiev during the final days of the massive street protests that drove Ukraines Russia-friendly president to flee. The human rights office also said that it was concerned that authorities hadnt conducted an effective investigation into the deaths of 48 people in the city of Odessa on a day of clashes in 2014 between supporters of the new pro-Western Ukrainian government and their opponents. Forty two of those died in a fire at a building where anti-government demonstrators had taken shelter. Many believe the blaze was started by firebombs thrown into the building. Representatives of Ansar Allah, the political arm of rebel Houthis, to attend talks on Friday despite boycott threats. Yemens Houthi rebels have left for Kuwait to resume UN-mediated talks, amid threats of a boycott by the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government. The negotiators, who left on Thursday, are representatives of Ansar Allah, the political arm of the rebel Houthi movement, which has controlled the capital Sanaa since 2014. Previous peace talks failed to bridge the gap between the warring parties, while a ceasefire that went into effect in April has been marred by multiple breaches from both sides. President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi demands implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2216, which stipulates the withdrawal of armed groups from all cities. The Houthis demand a share of power in a new government. The group is also pressing to transfer Hadis presidential authorities to the new transitional government. In June, UN Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told the UN Security Council that the opposing parties Yemens internationally recognised government and Houthi rebels and their allied troops loyal to a former president had responded positively to a proposed plan he presented to end the conflict. He said that what was left to be finalised was a timeline and sequence of the steps in the plan including when a national unity government would be created. The war in Yemen has killed some 9,000 people and pushed the Arab worlds poorest country to the brink of famine. It has also created a vacuum that has enabled both Yemens al-Qaeda branch and an upstart affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) to seize territory and carry out large-scale attacks. A high-ranking Yemeni official said that Hadis government was under pressure from Western allies to join the talks. The official spoke to the AP news agency on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press. The talks, scheduled to take place on Friday, come shortly after Ahmed, the UN envoy, paid a visit to Sanaa, where he met for the first time with ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Evan Mawarire called for protests after a court dismissed charges of attempting to overthrow the government. A Zimbabwean protest leader spearheading a campaign against President Robert Mugabes government renewed his calls for nationwide strikes, a day after being briefly detained by police. Evan Mawarire called for protests on Wednesday and Thursday after a court dismissed charges against him of attempting to overthrow the government. There is a hope inside you that this country needs, and if you dont get involved, you are robbing us of that hope, Mawarire said in a Facebook video. We are not just hating the government for nothing. We actually want you to know the reality on the ground. READ MORE: Zimbabwe shuts down in protest over economic collapse The Baptist preacher organised the biggest anti-government demonstrations in a decade last week, leading to the closure of many offices, shops, schools and government departments. He is urging Zimbabweans to reject the governments proposed economic measures amid public anger over corruption, high unemployment and the risk of recession. The response to Mawarires calls for further nationwide strikes on Wednesday and Thursday appeared to be muted, with shops, schools and offices remaining open across the country. Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo warned that anyone who took part in the planned strike would face the full wrath of the law. Africas oldest leader at 92, Mugabe has led the former British colony since independence in 1980. The country has been in chronic economic hardship, and Mugabe has previously used his security forces to crack down on public shows of dissent. Mawarire initially faced charges of inciting violence before prosecutors changed the charge to attempting to overthrow the government, according to his lawyer Harrison Nkomo. READ MORE: Zimbabwean protest leader arrested ahead of strike His surprise release late on Wednesday was greeted as a major victory by hundreds of anti-government protesters waiting outside the court. I am angered by the poverty and day-to-day struggles. The economy is not working and there are no jobs, activist Maureen Kademaunga told Reuters. UK-based rights group Amnesty International said about 300 people had been arrested for participating in protests around the country since last week. Instead of suppressing dissenting voices, Zimbabwean authorities should be listening to protesters like Evan Mawarire, Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnestys deputy director for southern Africa, said in a statement. The surge in protests has revealed long-simmering frustration in a country where 90 percent of the population is not in formal employment. We ask if fighting and political unrest is damaging the development of this fledgling nation. South Sudan may have declared a hard fought independence after decades of civil war, but the battle to transform one of the worlds least developed countries into a prosperous, functioning state has yet to be won. The Central African nation has been struggling to find its feet since becoming the worlds newest country in July 2011. Critics say it has been unable to shake free from the ills of the past: corruption, a weak economy, a lack of public services and repression of political opponents. But is that shaping, and shaking, perceptions abroad, at a time when the country is reaching out for foreign investment? I think the situation is extremely serious, I mean there is an immediate serious problem in Juba in terms of casualties and wounded people in hospitals that are not being attended because lack of medicines The deepest concern though is the potential escalation of this crisis ... The difficulties in healing these fractures will be really profound and will take a long time to remedy. by Sara Pantuliano, Head of the Humanitarian Policy Group at the Overseas Development Institute In the latest unrest, hundreds of people have been killed, and thousands have sought refuge in United Nations bases following what President Salva Kiir said was an attempted coup. The United States ordered non-essential staff out of the country, Britain is advising its citizens not to travel to Juba, and regional airlines suspended flights to the capital. Gun battles have been taking place in Juba since Sunday, with fighting spreading to Jonglei state. The two men at the heart of this latest violence are former rebel fighters, and senior figures in the governing Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement, which led South Sudan to independence. But they are fierce rivals. President Salva Kiir is from the largest and most powerful ethnic group, the Dinka. He sacked his vice president Riek Machar in July and has accused soldiers loyal to Machar of plotting to force him from office. Riek Machar is from the Nuer tribe, the second largest ethnic group, which accuses Kiir of monopolising everything from politics to the army. He is said to have switched sides on several occasions during the north-south conflict. He denies being behind the alleged attempted coup, dismissing what happened as a misunderstanding. John Kerry US Secretary of State, visited South Sudan in June. Speaking on Wednesday he called for the latest violence to be resolved peacefully and democratically. I saw it first hand how devoted, dedicated the people of South Sudan were and are, and how they have endured many years of conflict and sacrifice far too much for their country to now go backwards and descend back into violence, he said. Political differences need to be resolved by peaceful and democratic means and those have been hard fought for. The government should respect the rule of law and the people of South Sudan should be able to realise their full potential in peace, he added. South Sudan declared independence after two decades of civil war in 2011, but it never fully reconciled its differences with its northern neighbour or resolved political instability at home. In January 2012, South Sudan stopped oil production following an argument with Sudan over transit fees and disputed territory, and a few months later, each side accused the other of causing fighting in the oil-rich border region of Heglig. A year on, Sudan and South Sudan finally agreed to resume pumping oil and withdraw troops from their borders, but it was a short lived deal, Sudan stopped oil flows just three months later. In July this year, President Kiir dismissed his entire cabinet, including Machar, adding to the ongoing tensions. So how much damage is fighting and political unrest doing to the development of this fledgling nation? How much harm is it doing to the countrys reputation abroad? And should the international community be doing more to get South Sudan up and running? To discuss this, Inside Story, with presenter Sue Turton is joined by her guests, Sara Pantuliano, head of the Humanitarian Policy Group at the Overseas Development Institute, and who led the UN Development Programmes Sudan Peacebuilding Unit; Mukesh Kapila, former Head of the United Nations in Sudan; and Peter Kemp, editorial director at Energy Intelligence, and a specialist in oil and gas in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. This year, Money magazine ranked UF No. 15 on its list of Moneys Best Colleges, up from No. 30 in 2015, according to a UF News release. UF is now the highest-ranked Florida university on the list, and it has risen from No. 8 to No. 6 on the magazines list The 50 Best Public Colleges. In Florida, Florida State University ranked 197, the University of South Florida came in at 356 and the University of Central Florida held its own at 408. Rankings were based on affordability, student success and quality of education. In part, its a result of Money magazine making minor adjustments to the various metric weighting schemes and can attribute to large changes in rankings, UF spokesman Steve Orlando said. For example, debt was 30 percent last year, and now its 40 percent with some sub-weights. But UF is also being noticed more and more widely nationwide every year in similar rankings, so it seems momentum is building. According to its website, Money magazine consulted experts on education and finance to analyze more than 700 colleges nationwide. Money uses sound methodology and relies on other reputable sources to create its rankings, Orlando said. The jump in ranking has left some students feeling optimistic. I think its great that our college was ranked so high, and I feel like this reflects the quality of the education that we receive, said Kaitlin Daly, a 19-year-old UF animal science sophomore. I hope well rise even higher in the future. Bernie Sanders ended his campaign Tuesday when he officially endorsed Hillary Clinton at a campaigning event in New Hampshire. Matt Zwerling, a 21-year-old environmental economics senior, said he helped found Progressive Gators last year and often had to explain who Bernie Sanders was. I always thought, Yeah right, like someone who calls himself a democratic socialist could ever get anywhere in American politics, he said. The fact that now we have the ability to be angry that it was such a close battle is such a victory. Zwerling said Sanders gained a majority of his support from people in the 18-35 age range, and that he hopes momentum from the campaign and Sanders platform will have a positive effect on local elections. Khari Ollivierre, a 22-year-old computer science senior and an ambassador with Students for Trump, said though Clinton supporters may be excited about the endorsement, they dont realize some former Sanders supporters are becoming angry and starting to leave their party. He said the campaigns of Sanders and Donald Trump shared several policy ideas, including the candidates ideas on trade agreement. Hopefully theyll realize that Trump really is someone that wants whats best for the American people, he said. Just like Bernie Sanders. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton waves to supporters with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during a rally in Portsmouth, N.H., Tuesday, July 12, 2016, where Sanders endorsed her for president. An assistant professor with the UF College of Pharmacy was released from jail Tuesday after he was once again arrested when a judge said he violated a restraining order from his previous arrest. University Police originally arrested Vishal Lamba on charges of stalking and resisting arrest June 14. He was released from the Alachua County jail on a $5,000 bond the next day, according to Alligator archives. On July 1, the State of Florida filed a motion to revoke Lambas bond after he sent an email from his university account to the woman he was accused of stalking, according to Alachua County court records. After a hearing July 7, the court revoked Lambas bond and ordered he be placed back in jail, according to the records. His defense filed a motion the next day to reconsider the decision, arguing that someone had requested a copy of Lambas email conversations with the woman, and he mistakenly clicked reply all and sent the email to the woman, according to the records. The court instead raised Lambas bond to $10,000 and required him to wear a GPS monitoring device after his release. Lamba was released from jail Tuesday night on the $10,000 bond. In an effort to communicate with Gainesvilles LGBTQ+ and minority communities, Gainesville Police officers held an open discussion at the Pride Community Center this week. GPDs new contacts for the LGBTQ+ community Lt. Jaime Kurnick, the wife of University Police Chief Linda Stump-Kurnick; Officer Michael Cavett, who is also openly gay; and Officer Donna Montague greeted the crowd of nearly 20 residents Monday. I know a lot of officers in a lot of other communities do not have that same kind of feeling and are in the closet, she said. Kurnick said GPD wants officers to help at peaceful protests and keep attendees safe. Capt. Jorge Campos said anyone with a concealed carry permit who wishes to bring their gun to a protest should let officers know beforehand. Chief Tony Jones said GPD hopes to give all officers Mental Health First Aid training or Crisis Intervention Team training in the future. He said GPD has no tolerance for hate crimes, and he encouraged the community to call 352-955-1818 if residents dont need immediate help. He said self-evaluations, in which GPD looks for patterns in its arrest numbers, help GPD find potential problems, as does a group of residents who help review GPD and its hiring practices. Terry Fleming and Linda Bassham, the co-presidents of the Pride Community Center, said the Orlando shooting inspired them to hold the discussion. Fleming asked Capt. Campos what officers do when they pull over a transgender person whose drivers license does not match their gender identity. Campos said in the past, he pulled over India Brooks, a Santa Fe College graduate, performer, former Miss Gay Orlando recipient and transgender person who worked at University Club in the 90s, according to Alligator archives. Though he was initially confused by her license, Campos said it didnt change how he treated Brooks. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now That was probably one of my first experiences with a transgendered person, but I can tell you that in police academy theres no lesson on how to deal with that, he said. Campos said he believes police departments could use more training on how to deal with similar situations. The closer we are to the community, the better off well all be, Lt. Kurnick said. During Tuesdays Senate meeting, Budget and Appropriations Chairman Charlie Brown addressed the recent shootings of both black males and Dallas police officers. My name is Charlie Brown, he said. Im a black male and an American. Brown said he remembers being 13 years old and living with his brother, who had a warrant for his arrest. He said five officers showed up to arrest his brother, then beat him in the front yard as his mother screamed and cried. His uncles held Brown down and told him not to help, Brown said. Charlie, they will kill you, he said. This is the reality for a lot of Americans. Brown said he wants the best for the U.S., and he believes you can support both the black community and police. He also said Americans should consider the diversity of perspective. The perspective at the top of the skyscraper is much different from those who are still climbing the stairs because the elevator has been taken away from them, he said. During first reading, the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures, a graduate Hispanic appreciation organization, received about $1,550. The Funding for Hispanic Student Association: LOGRAS Bill passed unanimously after a different bill for its funding was struck last week. Senate Allocations Chairman Austin Champoux said the organization would benefit more by being funded under the Hispanic Student Association umbrella. The Senate also unanimously passed the Funding for First Generation Organization Bill, giving about $960 to the group for first-generation students. During the public debate earlier in the meeting, Audrey Guerra, a 21-year-old UF political science senior, said she was concerned that Student Body President Susan Websters initiatives did not include online voting at the previous meeting. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Im here to express my hopes that the Senate does not ignore this issue; there are plenty of constituents who have deemed this issue super important, she said. For the executive branch report, Ty Robare announced plans to offer price matching and a discount on textbooks at the UF Bookstore on the first day of school. The branch is also working on replacing the campus older charging stations and creating a Pokemon Go event. Swiss Army Man is a multipurpose movie, meaning something different to each viewer. To me, it was a message about not wasting your life by living in fear. To my mom, it was a message about the importance of speaking up. And to my dad, it was a suggestion to let out his farts more frequently. But in all seriousness, the most flatulent film Ive ever seen said the most about what it means to be human: to err, to have flaws and to love. The main character, Hank (Paul Dano), is about to hang himself on a deserted island when he sees a corpse (Daniel Radcliffe), wash up on shore. To begin the series of comedic pitfalls that Hank encounters, he accidentally steps off his hanging cooler in his excitement, choking himself before his makeshift noose breaks. Slowly, while flatulating constantly, the corpse begins to show signs of life. Hank is forced to re-evaluate what is important in life as he reteaches a horny Swiss Army Man as Radcliffes character Manny is called for his versatility as a compass, axe and flamethrower how to truly be alive. Unbridled in its farts and erections, Swiss Army Man cannot be described as a crude movie because every toot and image of poop that makes its viewers feel uncomfortable is a message about how every human is connected. The main characters discussion of everyones poop blending together when they die is not such an appalling notion after hearing dozens rip for an hour and a half. Challenging the conventions of what we consider normal and acceptable, Manny says whatever is on his mind and repeats Hanks words back to him, which makes them seem much more crazy coming from someone who has no recollection of the world he used to live in. If youre in need of a feel-good comedy, I cannot assure you that this is your best choice, with the films emphasis on heavy topics about lost loves, being labeled weird and dying. But if you need a film that will be real, that wont hide its flaws or its farts, then Swiss Army Man can definitely do the job. Emma Green is a UF journalism junior. Her column appears on Thursdays. The Florida Sea Grant College Program and Beneath the Waves will host an ocean-themed film festival at the Reitz Union on Saturday. Living on the Edge: Striking a Balance between the Economy and the Environment will consist of three films focusing on issues facing Floridas coast. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for refreshments and mingling. Film screenings will begin at 6:30 p.m. The event is free, family-friendly and open to the public. Faculty members from UF and Stetson University will provide commentary and answer audience questions after each film presentation. According to its website, Florida Sea Grant is a university-based program that supports research, education and extension to conserve coastal resources and enhance economic opportunities for the people of Florida. We fund a lot of researches at universities across the state, as well as provide scholarships for students to conduct their own research, said Rebecca Burton, the communications coordinator for Florida Sea Grant. Burton, 26, had the idea last year to start what she called science cafes, where local scientists would address a topic and answer audience questions. Last years cafe was held at First Magnitude Brewing Company. We received a lot of positive feedback last year, Burton said. We wanted to add film into the mix to make it more entertaining. Florida Sea Grant wanted the films to revolve around the theme of balancing the economy with the environment. According to Burton, Beneath the Waves worked with Florida Sea Grant to suggest films that matched this theme. Ed Pritchard, the executive director of Beneath the Waves, said the company is a global non-profit ocean conservation organization that focuses on research, outreach and education. Film festivals are the platform for our outreach efforts, Pritchard said. We solicit films from all over the world, amateur to professional, on all different ocean topics. According to Pritchard, Beneath the Waves averages three film festivals a year and has reached audiences in 15 different countries since 2009. The final film at the UF festival, entitled The Global Connection: Little Island, Big Fish, is the pilot episode of Beneath the Waves in-house film series. The film was directed by Sami Kattan, a UF graduate and director of digital media for Beneath the Waves. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now The point of this series is to highlight localized issues and how ways to solve these problems can be applied globally, Pritchard said. Kattans film focuses on whale sharks and how tourism affects their living environment. It features research that Beneath the Waves is currently conducting in Mexico. Its important for students and people in the Gainesville community to come to this event and understand that even though they are not in direct contact with the ocean every day, there are still things they do in their daily lives that affect the oceans, Pritchard said. The open discussion after the films will be highly beneficial toward gaining a better understanding of how local issues can be applied globally, he said. We want people to know that no matter where you are, you can still have a positive impact on ocean protection, Pritchard said. As the stylist behind Vetements and Balenciaga, Lotta Volkova epitomizes the cool attitude of both brands. In fact, she's even walked the runway at some of the most recent Vetements shows. And her Instagram feed looks like it's an ad for the French brand's lifestyle with its ironic quotes, pixelated collages, and memorabilia from the early 2000s, such as Nokia phones and Paris Hilton memes. The 32-year-old Russian-born stylist's career in fashion started after she attended Central Saint Martins in London and founded her own line, Lotta Skeletrix. From there, the label got picked up by Dover Street Market. She eventually moved to Paris to pursue styling and met Demna Gvasalia at a party, according to an interview she gave the Business of Fashion. He later approached her to work on his lineVetements had never had a stylist beforeand the rest is history. Here are five things we learned about the new direction of Vetements and Balenciaga. 1. Volkova's approach to styling at Vetements is unconventional, and she doesn't just focus on the look of the clothes. "At Vetements, I am involved in the casting, the styling, and I'm also consulting Demna with the collection," she told BoF. "We are trying to translate moods into shapes and silhouettes. I never thought about clothes in this way until I met Demna. He is really interested in making a jacket that represents an attitude. For example, a jacket that looks as if you just got off your motorcycle. Demna constructed the sleeves in a way so that they stay as bulky as your jacket is shaped while you are riding a chopper." 2. Volkova loves stereotypes and uses them as a way to make the clothing and images of Vetements and Balenciaga more relatable and accessible. "I have always been inspired by different stereotypes," she said. "I like the sexy secretary, or the biker, or the goth kid. Or the Russian schoolgirl that I was playing, walking down the runway opening the Vetements [fall 2016] show." 3. She believes that the fall 2016 show was focused on diversity, despite the criticism, but she also wants to make a point of paying more attention to diversity in casting for the future. "We cast certain characters for certain looks and felt we were paying a lot of attention to diversity," she said. "We had Russian gay people in the casting, people from so many different cultural backgrounds. But I take this as a challenge now to pay more attention for the future. Not because I want to be politically correct, but because I don't want to offend anyone." As artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, Kim Jones frequently travels the world. A few of his all time-favorite trips? Mongolia, Easter Island, the Galapagos Islands, and Rajasthan. He's traveled to Japan over 70 times in the past ten years. The designer also happens to be a self-proclaimed sneaker buff, so it makes sense that he's partnered up with NikeLab on a forthcoming collaboration. "I have about 500 or 600 pairs of sneakers in my archives, probably," he said in a release. "I've got them in my house in London and just lots and lots of cupboards in Paris. I've got lots of Jordans and tons of pairs of Huaraches. When they first came out, I bought them in bulk because I loved them so much." Available online and in stores on July 23, the NikeLab x Kim Jones: Packable Sport Style collection was designed with the global colors of Rio in mind. Offered in both men and women's silhouettes, the collection also take inspiration from Jones's jet-set lifestyle, and all the clothes are easily, what else? Packable. For example, one of the jackets in the collection is designed so that it can easily be rolled into a pouch. "The Windrunner is [made from] just one piece of fabric, so looking at how that would be cut and how that would be graded were the most challenging details," he said. There will also be one footwear option in the collection, available only in select NikeLab stores. In the past, Jones has infused his love of travel into his menswear collections. For his spring 2017 collection for Louis Vuitton, the designer took inspiration from a trinity of locations: Africa, London, and Paris. The result? Contrasting aesthetics and materials such as exotic skins, punk-y silhouettes, and beige palettes. 2005 .. AR's Editor Joe Shea Talks About Elections On Iranian TV Bear Stearns Saved By Fed As Lehman Bros. Falters; Major Bank Failure Looms Over Wall Street, Sends Markets Into 200-Pt. Dive Lie Upon Lie Five Years Into the Iraq War The Administration Still Churns Out Lies by Randolph Holhut A Small Tragedy Even at 90, As Friends Turn Cool She Knows the Show Must Go On by Joyce Marcel I'll Take Me Imagine John Wayne or Arnold In Heels, Silk and a Girdle by Elizabeth Andrews Sen. Nelson Calls For New Fla. Primary; Gov Crist Backs 'Do-Over' Who'll Win? Ask Spock Spock.com Engine Predicts Winners By Site Searches; It Can be Wrong by Jay Bhatti Chatting Up The Cat God Gave Me Dominion Over Him But I Think He's a Non-Believer by Constance Daley Death of a Thug The Life and Horrors of Suharto by Andreas Harsono ___________________________ This Just In Sierra Club: McCain Ducked All 15 Key Votes On Green Laws (AR) A Work By AR's T.S. Kerrigan Is Chosen As 'Best Poem' By Wordpress Site Murder At Mile 63 The Deadly Assault and Bush Administration Cover-Up by S. Eben Kirkesby and Andreas Harsono 5427 14th St. West, Bradenton, FL 34207 $6.99 Fish Fridays! Manatee Co.'s Only 24-Hr. FREE Wi-Fi Paid Advertisement On Native Ground AFTER 5 YEARS, WE'RE STILL LIED TO ABOUT IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Next week is the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. And it is likely that sometime in the next couple of weeks, the 4,000th American soldier will die in Iraq. [MORE] Momentum OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - It's 1931, and a 14-year-old girl is standing alone on a stage. She's small and lively with dark curly hair, widespread hazel eyes, slender wrists and an open, eager face filled with the wonder of performing. Her name is Rose, and one day she will be my mother. But now she is performing an Eugene O'Neill monologue called "Before Breakfast" for a ladies' club in a wealthy suburb of Long Island. [MORE] One Woman's World COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I'm not sure but I think I may be socially incorrect. [MORE] On Native Ground ENOUGH FOR A WAR, NOT FOR A PEOPLE by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Last week, the National Governors Assn. met in Washington, D.C. One of the tasks the NGA had on its agenda was to ask President Bush to increase federal spending on roads, bridges and other public works projects as a way to stimulate the economy. He rejected their pleas out of hand, claiming that infrastructure projects wouldn't offer any short-term economic boost. [MORE] Brasch Words BEWARE THE SELF-REVERENTIAL PRESS by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Shortly before the primary votes this past week, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter called Sen. Barack Obama's surge to the Democratic nomination "inevitable." It also called for Hillary Clinton to "start her campaign for Senate majority leader." [MORE] Constance A CONVERSATION WITH MY CAT Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Normally, when the cat starts his evening rant of meowing continuously until he makes his point, I just take it as long as I can, pick him up, and put him in the garage for the night. He doesn't want to go, but the meowing stops and I don't care if he likes it or not. [MORE] Momentum OUT OF STRUGGLE, ART by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Here we are again at the crossroads of art and social change, having the opportunity to watch good and great films about the lives of women in support of the Women's Crisis Center. [MORE] Campaign 2008 HOW TO PREDICT SUPER TUESDAY II WINNERS? ONLINE SEARCH by Jay Bhatti NEW YORK, March 4, 2008, 7:00PM ET -- With the outcomes of the Texas, Vermont, Ohio and Rhode Island primaries to be decided tonight, how possible is it that online searching can predict who will win tonight's primaries? [MORE] One Woman's World DON'T VOTE; IT ENCOURAGES THEM by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Call me angry and disgusted but don't call me un-American because I won't be voting come November. [MORE] On Native Ground BUSH AND THE KEYBOARD COMMANDOS by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- As the days tick down toward the eventual departure of President George W. Bush from the White House, it's a hopeful sign that most Americans are no longer moved by his Administration's constant exploitation of terrorism for political gain. [MORE] Momentum WHICH AMERICA DO YOU LIVE IN? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- It's a little confusing. [MORE] Make My Dat THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] On Native Ground FIDEL RETIRES: NOW THE COLD WAR IS REALLY OVER by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Maybe now, we can finally say the Cold War is over. [MORE] Make My Dat THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] One Woman's World POLITICS IS NO PARTY by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Are you having a hard time focusing your eyes? Do you have faint red spots all over your body? Is there a ringing in your ears and do you see wavy lines when you look at your television set? Do your hands shake when you try to hold a cup of coffee? And have you recently been forgetting what day of the week it is - or what year? [MORE] Make My Day FOR BETTER OR WORSE ... A LOT WORSE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- "Marriage: It's Only Going to Get Worse." [MORE] Constance YOU CALL THESE RIGHTS? by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- When you express an opinion you hope to persuade others to your point of view. It doesn't always happen but still, opinion writers try. [MORE] Momentum THE BRIDGE WOMAN by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - Out there in America - yes, still - is a generation of women who were born in the 1940s, raised in the 1950s, and who came to radical consciousness in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I am one of them. Hillary Clinton is one of them. [MORE] On Native Ground OBAMA AND MY GENERATION by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- I originally planned on voting for Dennis Kucinich in the Vermont Primary on March 4. [MORE] The Willies: WARNING: THIS MEDICATION MAY MURDER YOUR FRIENDS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla. -- You've heard the warnings, haven't you? Stop Prozac and you may take a shotgun, an Uzi or an AK-47 and mow down your family and friends, or even a whole classroom full of your fellow students. You didn't? Well, that warning is not on the bottle, but like countless mass-murder incidents before it, Friday's shootings at Northern Illinois University, as well as the Virginia Tech shootings that killed 32 last year, was probably precipitated by the effect of stopping medications that suppress anger and other powerful emotions but do not relieve the underlying cause. Isn't it time we started warning people - or stopped prescribing these medicines? [MORE] One Woman's World DON'T KNOCK ON MY DOOR by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I wish I could feel delight in my poet's mansion being like Grand Central Station all the time, but I can't. And I wish my place was such a place that someone would one day write: "Her door was always open and she always made you feel all fuzzy and warm in her presence. She could make a cup of coffee seem like a banquet." [MORE] Reporting: Panama PANAMA'S VIOLENT LABOR UNREST INTENSIFIES Mark Scheinbaum PANAMA CITY, Panama, Feb, 15, 2008 -- After just one day of relative calm, wildcat construction strikes by some members of Panama's largest union flared up again Friday morning, four days after a police sniper shot one worker. More than 140 demonstrators have been injured and at least 500 arrested, authorities say. [MORE] Brasch Words TO STIMULATE ECONOMY, BUY A CHINESE-MADE U.S. FLAG by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Walking down Main Street, pushing a grocery cart loaded with clothes, toys, and appliances was Marshbaum. Fastened to the right front corner of the cart was an American flag tied onto a three-foot ruler. [MORE] Make My Day THE TOOTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- To commemorate the death of noted shark exploder Roy Scheider, and the "Jaws" movies that resulted in Erik never setting foot in the ocean again, we are reprinting this column from 2003. Shark Experts 0, Sharks 1 [MORE] Momentum THE WINTER OF MY DISCONTENT by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - As I write this, it's raining ice. Maybe a half a foot of snow and ice has already landed up here in the woods of Dummerston. Our cars are encased in it, and the door to the house is blocked. The satellite dish that brings in our Internet service quit about 20 minutes ago - frozen solid. [MORE] The Willies AMERICA TO HILLARY: GET OUT! by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 13, 2008 -- Sen. Hillary Clinton has adopted the Rudy Giuliani strategy, and it's working - for Sen. Barack Obama. It turns out to be the strategy all Democrats are seeking - an exit strategy. But it's not for Iraq. It's for her exit from the race for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. [MORE] Constance CONFESSIONS OF A DISAPPOINTED VOTER by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- A week ago at just about this time, I completed an article and was about to submit it as scheduled to The American Reporter. I was feeling rather elated, ready to show up on Super Tuesday morning, firmly touch the X next to Rudy Giuliani's name and get on with my day. He was my choice; he would get my vote. [MORE] Reporting: Florida SIERRA CLUB SET TO SUSPEND FLA. CHAPTER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 10, 2008 -- The national Sierra Club is set to suspend its Florida chapter after years of divisive infighting, the president of the national club told Florida members in a letter delivered to some this weekend. It is the first time in its 116-year history that such a step has been considered by the club, according to news reports. [MORE] One Woman's World PLANT A NEW WORLD THIS SPRING by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- For a little while, the men will just have to toss and turn in their fear-free-women beds. For a small space of time Hillary Clinton will just have to trudge on toward the White House without my faint applause in the background. [MORE] On Native Ground VERMONT AND THE 5 STAGES OF CONSERVATIVE GRIEF by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- First, Vermont tried to convince the nation to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. [MORE] Make My Day REBEL WITHOUT A TONGUE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Kids' brains work in amazing ways. At times, they can grasp complex concepts and make impressive discoveries. Other times, you have to wonder how we ever survived as a species. [MORE] The Willies FOR DEMOCRATS, NOW IT'S ABOUT RACE, INCOME AND GENDER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Feb. 6, 2008 -- It's not a good time to be a Democrat. As the Super Tuesday results demonstrated, the presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has divided the partly along clear racial, income and gender lines - the very distinctions the party has sought to erase in principle but has emphasized in its pursuit of diversity. [MORE] Momentum SUPER TUESDAY BLUES by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Super Tuesday has come and gone and I still can't get excited about the upcoming presidential elections. [MORE] The Willies ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY, YOUR PUSH IS NEEDED by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 5. 2008 -- I'm expecting a sea change tonight. I believe that for the first time in this nation's history we will once and forever banish racism as the deciding factor in the destiny of African-Americans, and indeed adopt diversity as our path to the future. [MORE] Campaign 2008 AT 88, EVERY VOTE REALLY COUNTS by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 5, 2008 -- Pearl Turner will caucus for Mitt Romney tonight in Denver. [MORE] One Woman's World STAND BY YOUR WOMAN by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- The black vote. The gay vote. The fundamentalist vote. The Hispanic vote. [MORE] An AR Special SUSPECTS IN BENAZIR ASSASSINATION HAVE TIES TO MUSHARRAF by Ahmar Mustikhan WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When Gordon Brown this past Monday feted coup-leader-turned-President Pervez Musharraf at 10 Downing Street, Britain's new prime minister probably didn't ask the Pakistani dictator a question that is now on many minds: Did you order the murder of Benazir Bhutto? [MORE] Momentum TO THE VERMONT DELEGATION: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR US LATELY? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. Back when President George W. Bush and Dick Vice President Dick Cheney were building up to their loathsome war in Iraq, very few people were brave enough to call the bullies' bluff. [MORE] On Native Ground IF BUSH HAS HIS WAY, WE'LL NEVER LEAVE IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. - In his final State of the Union address on Jan. 28, President Bush cautioned against accelerating U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq, saying that it would endanger the process that has been made over the past year. [MORE] Campaign 2008 CLASH OF COMMENTS AND PROTESTORS AT CLINTON, OBAMA RALLIES IN DENVER by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 1, 2008 -- At least four presidential campaigns of both partiers rolled into in Denver this week ahead of the Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" primaries in 22 states, but it was the Democratic presidential contenders who drew the big crowds and duked it out Wednesday. If sheer numbers are any indication, Sen. Barack Obama - preceded by a buoyant and beautiful Caroline Kennedy - won the round handily. He is the overwhelming favorite to win the Colorado primary next Tuesday. [MORE] The Willies WHY THE FLORIDA PRIMARY STINKS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Jan. 30, 2008 -- I was with my wife and daughter driving the back way from Miami home to Bradenton when we stopped at a McDonald's in Clewiston, the only big town along the vast shore of Lake Okeechobee, the state's precious freshwater reservoir. The McDonald's had three televisions at a central seating area, each tuned to a different network, and our table was in front of CNN as the very first election results started to pour in around 7:30PM. With them, almost as counterpoint, suddenly came such an overwhelming odor of cow plop that my wife started to throw up as we all ran to the parking lot. [MORE] Passings: Suharto DEATH OF A KEMUSU THUG by Andreas Harsono JAKARTA - A few minutes after hearing that former president Suharto had died in his hospital bed, Marco, a militia leader in downtown Jakarta, raced to Suhartos house, wearing his jungle camouflage and began guarding the Suhartos residence on Cendana Street. [MORE] Constance I REMEMBER YOU by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga.. -- It seems to be more often lately that the sentiment is spoken but it's always been out there: "You never get over the death of your child." This is true. But the heartfelt expressions come from some who cannot fathom the notion of losing a child; their own child is who is in their mind, not another mother's child. [MORE] War of words: Bro talk hasn't gotten nearly enough attention as one of the reasons that female leaders are lacking in the financial services industry, writes Sam Polk, a former hedge fund trader, in a New York Times op-ed. Most of the sexism in the workplace happens when women aren't in the room, and it often comes from bosses in a form of male bonding that is not only culturally accepted, but in fact expected - "bro talk." The way women are "casually torn apart in conversation" creates "a force field of disrespect and exclusion" that makes it hard for them to advance, argues Polk, who used to work for Bank of America. Little has changed over the years, despite formal company initiatives like women's leadership summits. What's needed, he says, is much simpler: men speaking up and challenging the norms in everyday situations, no matter how uncomfortable it is to do so. Polk makes an eloquent case that is really worth reading. Bro's Club? What Bro's Club?: Bank of America has responded to a gender-bias suit filed by managing director Megan Messina, who claims her male supervisor made it clear she wasn't welcome in his bro's club and consistently excluded her from e-mails and meetings with the 10 men he oversaw. B of A said that no bro's club exists and that this inflammatory term was never used by Messina's supervisor or other managers. Come Back: Barclays is offering a paid internship for once-high-performing midcareer bankers who left the industry for whatever reason, but want to return. The program helps participants brush up on their skills and re-establish their networks. Barbara Byrne, vice chairman of investment banking, says the program helps solve one of the industry's biggest problems: how to recruit the best bankers particularly women for an executive career track. "If you come here and you join with us after taking some time off, you're going to stay," says Byrne, who is in our "Most Powerful Women" ranking. "We want people who you can invest in and stay with us, who form relationships." Naming and Shaming: As of this week, 72 firms have signed the U.K.'s Women in Finance Charter, an initiative to increase the number of women executives in the finance sector. Those participating include Barclays, Mastercard, Morgan Stanleyl, Deutsche and Credit Suisse. These banks have agreed to make one senior executive accountable for diversity, set targets for gender diversity and link senior executive pay to the firm's success in reaching targets. The charter, which is being spearheaded by the country's treasury, is in response to Virgin Money CEO Jayne-Anne Gadhia's report detailing the lack of gender diversity in the sector. Some are unconvinced of its potential to bring change. "League tables should not be used to name and shame firms, as data will only be able to present a partial picture," Carolyn Fairbairn, the director general of the Confederation of British Industry, said in February. Birds of a Feather: Mission-driven banks like Beneficial State Bank are on the hunt for acquisitions but are also considering other ways to grow, such as doing loan participations or sharing back-office technology. A deal to buy ShoreBank in 2010 taught Beneficial State co-CEO Kat Taylor the importance of fostering the right type of culture and making mergers more like partnerships. "Culture, like mushrooms, grows whether you intend it to or not," she says. Hometown Heart: Stop with the mass marketing, advises one Cincinnati bank. Small banks are trying to figure out how to go digital while keeping the hometown identity that sets them apart them from larger rivals. "Marketing to broad groups, like saying you're marketing to millennials, doesn't work anymore," says Anna Weston, vice president of marketing for First Financial Bank. "Micro-targeting has allowed us to deliver different messages with a specific call to action for many different groups." The bank says it has sold 2,000 new products in the last year since adopting this strategy. A Rant About Women in Banking: The term "women in banking" both annoys and delights Ghela Boskovich. "I'm angry that we still have to talk about the special case of Women in Banking, like being a woman is an oddity, an exception to the rule, an outsider, a special class of human. Like we're a freak in a side show at the Money Circus," Boskovich, director of global strategic business development at Zafin and one of the organizers behind the FemTech Leaders network, writes on LinkedIn. But one upside is that women have come together to support one another, she says. "I am happy there is an international community that fosters inclusion, that extends an invitation to join in, to find friendship, to find succor and support, to find encouragement and inspiration, to find collaboration and creation." Role Call Mary Mack is replacing Carrie Tolstedt as head of Wells Fargo's 94,000-employee community banking unit, effective July 31. Tolstedt is retiring at the end of the year after 27 years with the San Francisco company. She has been part of American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Banking rankings since 2003, and ranked No. 4 in 2015. Mack has been listed among the Most Powerful Women in Financefor the past two years, moving up to No. 7 last year from No. 24. A search for Mack's replacement at Wells Fargo Advisors is underway. Blythe Masters has resigned as chairman of Santander Consumer USA Holdings to advise its Spanish parent company, Banco Santander, on the blockchain. Masters also intends to join the Banco Santander's International Advisory Board and the board of its online-only bank, Openbank. Beyond Banking Women as World Leaders: Theresa May has been named Britain's new prime minister - the country's second woman in the job after Margaret Thatcher. She has already overhauled the cabinet, with women filling some of the top roles. Given that Germany has Chancellor Angela Merkel, there's now a chance of seeing women run the western world, if Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presumptive nominee, wins in November. It's a sight to behold, but there's no indication that such influential female leadership will help advance women in their careers, says this Forbes writer. Absurd and Disturbing: Have you read actress Jennifer Aniston's op-ed on the objectification of women? I'll just end with this right here: "The objectification and scrutiny we put women through is absurd and disturbing. ... Sometimes cultural standards just need a different perspective so we can see them for what they really are a collective acceptance ... a subconscious agreement. We are in charge of our agreement. Little girls everywhere are absorbing our agreement, passive or otherwise. And it begins early." Equity Bancshares in Wichita, Kan., has agreed to buy Community First Bancshares in Harrison, Ark. The $1.5 billion-asset Equity said in a press release Thursday that it will pay $68.8 million in cash and stock for the $475 million-asset parent of Community First Bank. The deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, values Community First at 129% of its tangible book value. Community First has five branches, $352 million in loans and $395 million in deposits. Equity said the deal is contingent on Community First shedding its ownership stake in White Rivers Bancshares. That $8.2 million investment is expected to be distributed to Community First's shareholders prior the merger is completed. It would be Equity's first bank acquisition since its initial public offering in November. "We believe that this transaction continues Equity's model of adding midsize markets to supplement its metropolitan areas of Kansas City and Wichita," Brad Elliott, Equity's chairman and chief executive, said in the release. Equity d it expects the merger to be 26% accretive to diluted earnings per share next year, with $6.6 million in transaction-related costs. Equity said it should take 3.5 years to recoup the deal's 9% dilution to its own tangible book value. Equity was advised by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods and Norton Rose Fulbright. Community First was advised by Stephens and Bryan Cave. In the last six years we have been living through an unprecedented Era of Political Repression, unleashed by Barack Obama, the DNC, and their comrades. The repressions started discreetly, were disguised as financial crime prosecutions, seemed unconnected, and were covered up or even glorified by the sympathetic media. But recent events have revealed enough to arrive at more ominous conclusions. The Left has sought to control and indeed dominate all areas where the government could influence political thought, starting long before 2010. This atrocity is common knowledge and even perceived as a norm, so it is not addressed here. Less known is the fact that Al Gore and Co have crippled the natural sciences in this country in the last 25 years. But freedom of political speech and elections at large have never been openly contested, even in wartime. Until 2010. Since 2010, the Democratic government attacked and successfully suppressed the Tea Party and other grassroots conservative groups. Obamas IRS was screening non-profits applications by keywords such as Tea Party and patriots, then delaying them and harassing their founders. (Read The Intimidation Game by Kimberley Strassel for more details.) The IRS also specifically targeted individual conservative donors for audit, along with organizations associated with the Republican Party, such as Crossroads GPS, and their supporters. Democratic state prosecutors ordered pre-dawn SWAT raids on allies of Republican Scott Walker in Wisconsin, and jailed political author and filmmaker Dinesh DSouza for illegally contributing $20k to a Republican candidate without real chances in New York. All these attacks share one common attribute the opposition has been attacked under allegations of financial crimes. Of course, this is not the same as murdering opposition, but such attacks are also harder to notice, and they soil the victims rather than the perpetrators. And such pressure tactics have an even stronger deterring effect than the murder of opposition leaders there are only a few leaders who can be murdered, but there are about a million audits conducted every year. Thus, to an ordinary person, going to a meeting or donating $300 to a political organization, weaponized IRS audits are a bigger threat than targeted murders. I grew up in the former Soviet Union and can explain the classical Communist position on free speech in two sentences: free speech, such as that guaranteed by the First Amendment, is just a tool with which the bourgeoisie oppresses proletariat. The real free speech exists only when the proletariat takes power, and expresses itself through its only legitimate representative - the Communist Party or its equivalent. Apparently, by 2010 the former Democratic Party had adopted some variant of this position. This is frequently linked to the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case. But another plausible explanation is the takeover of the Democratic Party by radicals and Sorosites. Three years later, the Dems came out of the closet, and attempted to tear out the heart of the Constitution the freedom of speech to influence elections. Of course, this was wrapped in the language of money: set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections, and prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections. I apologize to the reader for quoting this obamination. All 48 members of the Democratic Senate caucus cosponsored this proposal in 2013-2014. 40 Dem Senators (including two independents) and scores of congresspersons cosponsored it in 2015. Notice that the proposed limits on speech and spending money to influence the elections are imposed only on Americans. Foreign governments, NGOs, and UN agencies remain free to influence the US elections however they please. The same privilege applies to the foreign and domestic media groups referred as the press. The proposal thoughtfully ignores financing of the Dem cheerleaders in academia and non-profits, both through the official government budget and off-balance sheet transfers of billions of dollars from fines and settlements with businesses. And this obsession with attacking the funding of Republicans continues, despite the fact that the Dems enjoyed a financial advantage since at least the 2002 elections. The repressions hit the American intellectual centers -- conservative and libertarian think tanks -- as hard as they hit the Tea Party. The weapon of choice was the accusation of climate denial, and the Dems joined forces with the UN organizations and foreign NGOs. The pressure point was the donors to these organizations. Some of the donors had already embraced climate alarmism, and the rest were threatened with prosecution, illegal foreign boycotts, and smear campaigns. The think tanks under attack suffered not only financial losses, but also damage to their reputations, and were not always able to grasp in time what hit them. A typical example of designating the thought centers as targets for climate alarmism is an infamous study by Robert Brulle, which was analyzed recently in connection with the misconduct of the Leftist AGs. The study was published in January 2013, indicating it was conceived in 2011. The target list was created by applying the opinions of Greenpeace and the Center for Media and Democracy to a combination of old lists, some going back as far as 1997. Most targets had no substantial link to the climate debates at all. Even worse, the hit list included all the top conservative and libertarian think tanks,[1] without a single exception: the American Enterprise Institute, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Cato Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Heritage Foundation, Hoover Institution, Hudson Institute, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, Mercatus Center, Pacific Research Institute, and Reason Foundation. The frenzied Attorneys General seem to work off an even broader list. For example, at least one Exxon knew subpoena mentioned the Federalist Society, which is not on any climatist blacklist known to me. Notice that silencing dissent causes a vicious spiral. A repressive regime lies, and suppresses voices telling the truth. Hearing only its own propaganda, the regime starts believing it. When its policies fail in the real world or at the ballot box, it blames the dissidents and other enemies of the people, and attempts to ramp up the repressions. With each cycle, the beliefs of the regime move further away from reality, suspicions of conspiracy grow stronger, and the desire to repress the real or imaginary opposition overrides any remnants of common sense. This happened in the former Soviet Union. to the Western institutions which had fallen victims to the New Left. The former Democratic Party seems to have become one of these institutions. The unique twist in the Dem politics is its continuous alliance with foreign forces, growing more hostile all the time. Even the Bolsheviks declared themselves patriots immediately after seizing power in Russia. But the Democratic Party has been taken over by MoveOn.org, an organization created around a website, other transnational groups, and offshore hedge funds. And it seems happy with this. The Obama administration regularly sides with the UN against the US. One final note: the current weakness of the Republican Party is not natural. It is the result of the Democratic repressions and foreign interference. P.S. From the beginning of its second term the Obama administration has been inflaming racial conflicts. Hours before the Dallas massacre, Obama addressed this nation from Poland with an inflammatory, offensive, and vaguely menacing speech. After the massacre, his administration protects the organizations and individuals who solicited their followers to commit murder. Ari Halperin researches and writes about climate alarmism as a complex and destructive force. Following Omar Mateen's massacre of forty-nine people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, professors of Middle East studies reacted predictably by blaming guns, American homophobia, Christians, Deep South bigotry anything but Islamic terrorism. Never mind that Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS, depicted himself as an Islamic soldier during the attack, had taken two trips to Saudi Arabia, and was interviewed three times by the FBI in connection with terrorism. Excuses must be made, willful ignorance enforced, and the American public bamboozled. Immediately after the attack, University of Michigan history professor Juan Cole announced, "I don't think it probably was terrorism in any useful sense of the term." His reasoning? Mateen didn't "make demands about U.S. government policy," and hitting soft targets is "not a form of classical strategic terrorism." The victims of terrorist attacks many issued without demands on cafes, malls, restaurants, resorts, schools, social services, and countless other soft targets would beg to differ. Cole questioned Mateen's allegiance to the Islamic State, given reports that Mateen frequented the Pulse nightclub regularly and drank heavily, claiming that "puritanical Muslim fundamentalists of the ISIL sort don't behave that way." In fact, Mateen's libertine lifestyle is a hallmark of Islamic terrorists in the West, who are instructed to blend in. In his case, there may have been several motivating factors, but Cole advanced only one conclusion: "To put all this on Muslims and Islam in general is frankly absurd." University of Denver Center for Middle East Studies director Nader Hashemi placed the emphasis on the American public, predicting the worst: "There is a huge danger that in the coming days and weeks that American Muslims/Islam will be collectively targeted and blamed for today's massacre in Florida." He claimed, "The 1,400-year-old Islamic faith in itself has little to do with the modern jihadist movement." Meanwhile, Omid Safi, director of Duke University's Islamic Studies Center, decried "[t]he sickness, the homophobia, the violence, and the ease of access to war-grade guns that brought about this vile terrorist attack," predicting that "the solution" will come about only when Americans "confront this xenophobia and violence in our own society." Safi revealed his own bigotry and provincialism by chalking up the attack to imagined Southern perfidy: "Let us not lose sight of the fact that this horrible attack took place in the South, after years of demonizing gays and lesbians." Aside from the fact that Orlando is hardly a bastion of Southern culture, there is no moral equivalency between the debates over same-sex marriage and transgender bathroom use he cited and the mass murder of gays. Sticking with the theme of blaming anyone but the perpetrator, Safi noted that "[t]he killer worked for the G4S security firm with a history of abuse in American prisons and the Occupied Territories/Israel." Finally, Safi cynically urged Muslim organizations "to demonstrate the intersectionality of Muslim and LGBTQ struggles" and "the connection between Islamophobia and homophobia" by referring "media requests to self-identifying gay/lesbian/transgender Muslims." His acknowledgement that the latter should include only those "who feel safe to be publicly identified" indicates why there have been few takers. Trying to shift the blame from the Muslim gunman to all Americans, Columbia University's Hamid Dabashi waxed poetic about "two people, Americans and Muslims, converging on the edges of their common destiny," who "now face two traumatic experiences of Islamophobia and homophobia together." Dabashi encouraged Muslims to engage in "urgent soul-searching concerning homophobia" but then pivoted to "other factors involved here," including "the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq," "the major U.S. allies state sponsored fanaticism in the Arab and Muslim world," and "the obscenity of the availability of assault weapons in the U.S." While acknowledging the existence of "homophobic Muslims," Dabashi avoided specificity with a litany of "homophobic Jews, homophobic Christians, homophobic Hindus, [and] homophobic atheists" before concluding, "There has been homophobic violence in all communities and among all religious denominations." California State University, Stanislaus political science professor As'ad AbuKhalil declared "[t]he crazy homophobia of the shooter in Orlando" to be "home grown homophobia." He accused the "Western church" of stoking anti-gay prejudice in the Middle East, concluding that "those who speak homophonically [sic] among Arabs or Muslims merely reproduce Western homophobic statements or claims." Extending this ludicrous argument, AbuKhalil asserted that "Islamism in Western societies has been influenced by the tone and themes of Christian fundamentalism, namely in the issue of homophobia." Muqtedar Khan, director of the University of Delaware's Islamic Studies Program, conceded that "reforms are long overdue" to Islam's views on homosexuality and admitted that one should "consider the possibility that he [Mateen] was radicalized." Yet apologetics followed: "What happened in Orlando is more about the accessibility of guns and their devastating power than about Islam or Muslims." Likewise, Stephen Zunes, director of the University of San Francisco's Middle Eastern Studies program, obfuscated by emphasizing that "the overwhelming majority of killings of GLBTQ people here in the United States have been committed by Christians of European ancestry." In an obsequious interview with the Iranian regime-run Press TV, he shifted to mass shootings: "Virtually, every single one of these was done by people of European and Christian background." Describing the Islamic terrorist attack in San Bernardino earlier this year as "one of these exceptions," he complained that "you had politicians jumping all over this as to justify" unnamed "Islamophobic policies." Kaukab Siddique, the Lincoln University English professor infamous for his anti-Semitic statements, Holocaust denial, and open support for ISIS, was characteristically bigoted. Evidently annoyed that President Obama had publicly addressed the attack, Siddique complained on his Facebook page that "[h]omos are the most important people in America" before adding, "Have you ever heard him talk of the 1200 children killed in Gaza by the Jews?" Elsewhere, he expressed dismay that the attack "got maximum publicity in the Zionist media." Faced with an ideology committed to mass murder in the name of Islam, Middle East studies professors respond with willful blindness, vicious bigotry, and outright mendacity. In seeking to deflect blame from the Islamists responsible for these heinous acts, these ostensible experts on Islam and the Middle East lend cover to killers and disgrace their profession. Cinnamon Stillwell is the West Coast representative for Campus Watch, a project of the Middle East Forum. She can be reached at stillwell@meforum.org. There are only two parallels to Donald Trumps presidential nomination in U.S. history Andrew Jackson and Wendell Willkie. The closest match is Willkie, the lifelong Democrat New York businessman who never held public office, then shockingly captured the Republican presidential nomination in 1940. But Willkie lost. Polls are fluid, but more than a few seem to indicate Trump has a chance to win, polling within the margin of error in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania and close in other states. Thus, Jackson might be the better comparison to follow, at least with regards to a path to victory. Jackson, though not a billionaire void of political experience, was an outsider who came along at the right time, or almost the right time. He lost the first election but got a plurality of votes popular and electoral. Oddly enough, losing the 1824 election to John Quincy Adams only buttressed his argument in the publics mind about the out-of-touch Washington elite cheating the will of the people to maintain its grip on government. Much like Trump, Jackson didnt hesitate to use foul language in lashing out at the political establishment. The political class spoke of Jackson as many speak of Trump today. For example, Speaker of the House Henry Clay thought Jackson was a demagogue who might become a dictator if he were president, and wrote, I cannot believe that killing 2,500 Englishmen at New Orleans qualifies for the various, difficult and complicated duties of the First Magistracy. As I wrote about Jackson in my book, Tainted by Suspicion: The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections: Andrew Jackson, the friend of the common man by contrast, was the first true populist-style politician to rise to the presidency through an insurgent candidacy, or as historian Paul Johnson referred to him in A History of the American People, Jackson was the first case, in fact, of presidential charisma in American history. He was almost the Donald Trump of his day, though not as wealthy. He could also be compared to a class-oriented populist such as Bernie Sanders. Jackson excited the electorate with plain talk. He knew how to channel anger, anger that was largely justifiable toward an out of touch, unproductive elite in Washington. While in those days, surrogates would generally sling mud in presidential campaigns, the candidates themselves wouldgentlemanlyavoid mixing it up, Jackson had no such constraints and called the banks, the War Department and Washington in general, The Great Whore of Babylon. Willard Randall, an award winning journalist and historian, who is the author of 14 books on U.S. history and a professor emeritus at Champlain College, said: Andrew Jackson would be a very strong candidate today. He would deliver ripping speeches about the 2008 recessions, how the big banks were bailed out, but how the working people lost their homes. Its the kind of thing Bernie Sanders would also say. Jackson called the National Bank the hydro-headed monster. Its the kind of thing Trump would say. *** The New York Statesman newspaper bemoaned the scandalous defalcation in our public pecuniary agents, gross misapplications of public money, and an unprecedented laxity in official responsibilities. All of this presented an opportune time for a charismatic outsider to enter the fray, as Jackson called for a general cleansing of the nations capital. Jackson perhaps had an easy target in Secretary of State John Quincy Adams. Not corrupt, but still the son of a president, the embodiment of entitlementpart of a legacy of Jefferson, Madison and Monroe, all former Secretaries of State who became president as if it was the natural stepping stone. In fact, Jackson, by contrast, was the only major candidate with no vast administrative experience in the federal bureaucracy. Whereas the other three candidates were multi-lingual, Jackson only spoke English, and not the Kings English. He didnt even write English that well. Post-George Washington, every president had held a cabinet post. But like Washington, Jackson was revered by the public for his time as a heroic general on the battlefield. Adams even wanted Jackson to be his vice president, which would have altered history considerably. Adams thought Jacksons large personality would liven up the office of the vice presidency, and would afford an easy and dignified retirement for his old age. He also added that the vice presidency was a station from which the General could hang no one. Supporters of an Adams-Jackson 24 ticket came up with a slogan: John Quincy Adams who can write; Andrew Jackson who can fight. For the 1824 election, there was an undercurrent of that reoccurring time for a change theme that surfaces in every few presidential elections to the current day. To put this in modern perspective, the old Republican guard continued to say throughout 2015 that the 2016 campaigns of outsiders Trump, Dr. Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, or even Sen. Ted Cruz were doomed to fail. Thats what history tells us, since insurgent candidates on the Republican side always eventually succumb to the frontrunner. Unlike the Democrats, who historically nominates surprises. But the rules completely changed in 2015 leading up to the first primaries. Likewise, the rules completely changed in 1824. Adams was the heir apparent to the presidency less because his father held the job, than because he was the Secretary of State, the instant springboard. That was the political rule for the last three presidents. It would be called a kick-the-bums-out voter mood today. *** The public was willing to forgive much from Jackson. He was known for a temper, engaged in brawls and killed a man in a duel for slurring his beloved Rachel. While Madison and Monroe were mostly in the Jefferson tradition of standing for the common man, they were not of the common class. Neither was Jackson. But, he knew how to speak their language and came along at just the right time when the electorate was expanding. He was the outsider who didnt serve his country by sitting in a comfortable office in Washington, but by risking his life in battle for the United States, very appealing at the time. Experienced politicians and writers of the day did not believe Jackson could be president. For one, it seemed unlikely he would draw cross regional appeal in New England, the South and western states. His assertion of an outsider status was based more in attitude than on resume, as Jackson held a very enviable string of public offices. In 1796, he attended a convention where the state of Tennessee is established, and served in Tennessees House of Representatives from 1796 to 1797 before he was elevated to the U.S. Senate, serving there for another year. Not particularly fond of working in Washington, he returned home to serve as a Justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court from 1798 through 1804. *** Eric Patterson, dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University also saw the parallels between the Jackson candidacy and that of Donald Trump, as well as Ross Perot and other outsiders: They were appealing candidates because they knew how to tap into frustrations across the electorate in a way other candidates had not caught on to yet because other candidates were slow to realize the country had changed. Certainly there were plenty of difference, considering Jacksons political and military resume. Jackson was a wealthy, though he wasnt born into wealth as Trump was. But both could understand the basic frustrations of the public better than most politicians. Both were written off by the press early on. The public was willing to forgive much of both as an anything is better attitude toward the political class. It would be true of both to say conservatives could appreciate some things and abhor others about Jackson and Trump. There have been presidential candidates who had a great run channeling some variation of angry sentiment William Jennings Bryan, George Wallace, Ralph Nader, Ross Perot and Pat Buchanan to name a few. None of them ever won. Only Jackson provides a template for Trump as to whether a candidate can ride frustration to the White House. Fred Lucas is the author of Tainted by Suspicion: The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections (Stairway Press, 2016). He is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal. "Can proclamations, according to the principles of reason and justice, and the constitution, go farther than the law?" Sound like something critics of Washington would say? Well, not quite. That was written by Congress the Second Continental Congress. The year was 1775. It was in response to a rejection of an entreaty to King George II concerning Parliament's abuse of power in the colonies. You see, fighting the usurpation of power in America is nothing new. In fact, it was the defining issue in the founding of our nation. Almost one year to the day before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, on July 5, 1775, the Second Continental Congress approved the so-called Olive Branch Petition. It asked King George II to personally intervene in mediating the struggle between the American colonies and England. Some believed that it was too late for reconciliation; the battles of Lexington, Concord, Ticonderoga, and Bunker Hill had already been fought. Still, a petition was drafted by a committee whose members included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay and forwarded to the king, who refused even to hear it. Knowing, to what violent resentments and incurable animosities, civil discords are apt to exasperate and inflame the contending parties, we think ourselves required by indispensable obligations to Almighty God, to your Majesty, to our fellow subjects, and to ourselves, immediately to use all the means in our power not incompatible with our safety, for stopping the further effusion of blood, and for averting the impending calamities that threaten the British Empire. This is not the language of rebels. These men still thought of themselves as loyal subjects of the Crown subjects suffering what they believed to be injustices that only the king could correct. The Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, the Intolerable Acts these were not just laws abhorrent to the colonists; they pointed out a difference in opinion about how the colonies should be governed. The colonial charters that established the American colonies were contracts in which the colonists pledged allegiance to the king in exchange for his protection. Although the colonies agreed to live by English law, these agreements did not include Parliament; they were directly to the Crown through colonial self-rule. Problems arose as Parliament started enacting laws regulating the colonies, because the colonists believed these laws to be illegal tyrannies not just in what they did, but in who was making them. What allegiance is it that we forget? Allegiance to Parliament? We never owed we never owned it. Allegiance to our King? Our words have ever avowed it, our conduct has ever been consistent with it. Congress's response to King George's rejecting the Olive Branch Petition Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. The Declaration of Independence The colonists believed that the king did not appreciate the distinction they saw between being subjects of the Crown and being subject to Parliament, and if they had a chance to air their grievances, the king could help de-escalate the situation in the Americas. The problem was that he did understand the problem and sided with Parliament. He declared the colonies to be in a state of rebellion. Congress wrote a response to his rejection of the Olive Branch Petition. King George II responded with the American Prohibitory Act. This last act was crucial. It provided undeniable proof that the king agreed with parliamentary policy toward the colonies and that further entreaties to the Crown were a waste of time. But it did far more than that it ordered the blockade of American ports and authorized the hiring of foreign mercenaries to fight on American soil. Simply put, it was an act of war with the approval of the king. As such, the Crown itself abrogated the colonial charters by removing its protection. The colonies no longer owed the Crown their allegiance. After the American Prohibitory Act was published in the colonies, the colonies' declaring independence was an acknowledgement of what had already happened. That as to the king, we had been bound to him by allegiance, but that this bond was now dissolved by his assent to the late Act of Parliament by which he declares us out of his protection. Proceedings from the Second Continental Congress, regarding the Prohibitory Act of 1775 The American Revolution was not an act of radical men going beyond the law. Rather, it was an act of men who had tried every means possible to stay within the rule of law. An unconstitutional regime of proclamations was foisted upon them, and they protested against it. Today we find ourselves in a similar arrangement, with a government amassing extra-constitutional powers through regulations and executive actions on the one hand while ignoring constitutional bounds in legislative actions and fanciful judicial decisions on the other. Those who protest such power-grabs are not outside American tradition; they represent it. America is currently in the midst of heated debate over the direction of the country. Oftentimes, those who argue for the primacy of the Constitution are thought of as old-fashioned and out of touch with the problems facing the country. In fact, standing up for constitutional principles is the very spirit that led to our founding. Let us hope that the story ends differently this time. Let us hope that the "king" begins to understand the bounds of the contract made with the people and reins in the extra-constitutional forces that have begun to "try men's souls." It would seem to be common sense to do so. President Obama has elevated Black Lives Matter to a chilling historical plane. Speaking in Madrid before returning to the U.S. in order to visit Dallas during this time of trauma, Pres. Barack Obama noted the following, The abolition movement was contentious. There were times when activists might have engaged in rhetoric that was overheated, and occasionally counterproductive, but the point was to raise issues so that we as a society could grapple with them. The same was true with the civil rights movement. And I think what youre seeing now is part of that longstanding tradition. Obama has four premises here: that the problem with Black Lives Matter (BLM) is merely overheated rhetoric; that abolitionism and the civil rights movement were merely contentious or messy; that BLM has an historical equivalence to abolitionism and the civil rights movement; and, that BLM and even the shooting of cops should all be accepted because, well, its part of tradition. We love America; we love our traditions; mass protests with peaceful parading, but with violent statements, sometimes violent acts, are American traditions; therefore, lets embrace all the garbage thinking, trashy behavior, and even murder (ultimately in a good cause, of course) as pure Americana! In the Presidents specious remarks, history combines with logic to form a perfect syllogism which every rational human being should be able to accept. This is the perverse, consciously deceptive and even sinister thinking coming from the highest office in the land. BLM is feeding the scenario that rioting, looting, public expressions of rage, throwing stuff at cops, breaking store windows, taking the microphone away from potential Presidential candidates (e.g., Bernie Sanders), or shouting slogans to validate killing cops is peaceful protest and legitimate. Even Mayor Bill DiBlasio of New York City warned his son against police racism and, while he didnt agree with some of the chants calling for killing pigs (police), he found the BLM movement is advancing the conversation about race in our country. His public bias against the police led many NYC police to turn their backs on him as an expression of spontaneous rejection of his attitude towards them. BLM may in the interests of public relations say that rioting and looting are illegitimate, but will add that they are partially justified by circumstances of life in the African American communities. In those communities, the police fail to promote and uphold proper standards of justice. Overheated rhetoric? Or an appeal to something much worse in the hearts and minds of our African-American fellow citizens? Abolitionism was not dealing merely with some supposed abuses of power by some public officials. Rather, it was dealing with a long-standing de jure form of bondage preventing the African American slave population from participating in the political process and from enjoying the rights of freedom guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Abolitionism had, in fact, been an issue since the very founding of the country, and despite what the left likes to throw in the faces of the founders about Jeffersons hypocrisy as a slave master, in his first draft of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson strongly condemned slavery, but this was removed by other delegates before the final draft. Abolition was assumed [mistakenly] to be the course of history for the USA as it moved forward from independence. After Great Britains defeat in the War for Independence, in the 1780s, the Northwest Territory that was gained from the British was not allowed to have slavery within its boundaries as it developed. It was assumed by many of the founders that slavery would be economically unfeasible over time because of the high overhead. But because of the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney, the declining profitability of slavery was reversed. It was only as slavery, instead of gradually disappearing, became more entrenched did abolitionism become more aggressive. Abolitionism confronting the slave power of the South was not merely contentious. Rather, it went forward by a mobilized Christian stridency, citing the incompatibility of Biblical Christianity with the institution of slavery. Just as independence from Great Britain arose with the support of the churches, abolitionism also was promoted from the pulpits of America. Slavery was expanding in the USA legally, allowed by compromises which would enable various territories to be free or to be slave, and by legal attempts at compromise in Congress. Yet, the abolitionists insisted that compromise was not possible nor appropriate considering the degradation and un-Christian values that slavery represented. An evangelical giant, Rev. Graham Sumner, stood at the forefront of anti-slavery. Other heroes from the black community, in particular Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, helped slaves to escape from bondage and rallied thinking people and the masses of white people against slavery. Yes, there were some slave rebellions (e.g., that of Nat Turner) and murderous expressions of anti-slavery in Kansas and Nebraska, as well as by John Brown in Virginia. But the brunt of anti-slavery was not born by the slaves, but by whites seeking to find a path to justice acceptable to both man and God. Contentious, as used by the President to refer to abolitionism, is a mealy-mouthed word for the crisis which finally led to Civil War and the deaths of over 600,000 soldiers, mainly white. Abolitionism went forward from a Biblically informed consciousness, and finally was resolved by a vast, bloody struggle. To call such an effort contentious is disagreeablystupid. Further, to even remotely imply that another civil war developing from our present contentious issues is not only possible but part of our tradition is revolting and disgraceful. The civil rights movement after WWII was also not merely contentious. Segregation in the South was a de jure reality. It was not about merely an abuse of power in implementing the law, but about the law itself that denied African Americans in certain states the right to an equal education, to sit where they wanted in public conveyances, and to have a host of legal rights that white citizens had. In short, they were being denied the due process guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. Non-violent, Biblically inspired protests were led by Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernethy, Fred Shuttlesworth, and Andrew Young. Later, in order to have greater appeal to young black males, Jesse Jackson, energetic and cool, was added to the inner circle. But mainstream civil rights protests led by King and Abernethy were rejected as strategies by the black power advocates that were the forerunners of the present BLM movement. Those leaders included Huey Newtown, Eldredge Cleaver, Stokeley Carmichael, Angela Davis, H. Rap Brown, and Bobby Seale. They were the angry leaders of that generation of protestors who rejected the ideals of non-violence that King and his team had borrowed to some degree from Gandhi in India (satyagraha). Those more violent figures with their black power pumped fist salute were the forerunners, the spiritual parents and grandparents, of the BLM cause. What we are facing in our racial divisions today is not merely overheated rhetoric or contentiousness. We are seeing a repeat boiling over of the hatreds and provocative anti-police rhetoric of the Black Panthers and of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee(SNCC). Only now, almost sixty years later, the Democratic Party is so much further to the left, so determined to dismantle our free nation and turn it into an unrecognizable socialist paradise that the kind of rhetoric and unconscionable philosophy the rioters, the looters, and the BLM protestors are expressing is getting more mainstream support than it did in the 1960s. Today we have a Black Panther supporter in the White House who seeks to minimize the threat that their philosophy poses to civic order. To him, all we are hearing is just overheated rhetoric. Never mind riots in Memphis, Atlanta, Minnesota, Louisiana, Chicago, and other places. He might have said, Im just a traditionalist. On 12 July 2016, Attorney General Loretta Lynch refused to explain the legal reasoning behind the decision not to hold Hillary Clinton responsible for her mishandling of classified information. Thus, neither the director of the FBI nor the attorney general would explain this decision. Does this mean that Hillary Clinton is above the law? Does the political elite enjoy special privileges? You cannot have order and satisfaction in a country without consensus on what is legal and what is right. Moreover, legality is more than laws; it also includes the legal procedures to enforce rules, regulations, and laws. Legality matters. But ethics, justice, morality, social norms, customs, and traditions also matter, for they determine what the people consider right. Legitimacy exists when people believe there are both legality and right. America is unique in that the people are the sovereign. This means there is bottom-up authority, not top-down rule. America was founded on an unwritten social contract that requires laws to be applied equally to all citizens. Of course, no legal system is perfect, and there are mistakes and miscarriages of justice, but right, morality, and ethics of the social contract require that those errors be corrected and there be no cover-up. People want their legal system to be respected. But if the people are the sovereign, there should be as few rules, regulations, and laws as possible and as much decentralization of power as possible. This was the vision that Americas Founders established in America's social contract. It appears that this is no longer the case in the USA as a result of the erosion of doing the harder right rather than the easier, self-serving wrong. While legality still exists, it appears that legitimacy is now in doubt, since many Americans think the social contract is being violated. This acceptance of situational ethics appears to be what is behind the special treatment for Hillary Clinton. It erodes the legitimacy of the government of the United States. Or in words the Chinese might use, it endangers the Mandate of Heaven. The current election shows that the people are unhappy with the political elite. And they know that double standards are wrong. But are today's Americans ready to rise up and do what is necessary to prevent servitude? Do Americans still consider themselves free citizens who are the sovereign? Or do they consider themselves subjects of an all-powerful government that determines social justice through rules, regulations, and laws? Are the people now willing for the political elite to have special privileges? Or are they as strong, as God-fearing, and as courageous as the Americans of the 18th century? Sam C Holliday, Armiger Cromwell Center, LLC. This is how the fish rots from the head down. Standards crumble at all levels of society when the powerful and prominent are seen to get away with flouting the law. Kaja Whitehouse writes in the New York Post: A lawyer for one of the NYPD cops accused of doing favors for bribes including mile-high sex with this hooker on a free trip to Las Vegas said his clients behavior was no worse than Hillary Clintons. Its similar to what the FBI said about Hillary Clinton, and why she wasnt charged, said John Meringolo, a lawyer for James Grant, who pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court Wednesday. She was unaware she was committing a crime. Here, there is no crime whatsoever. Meringolo described his clients alleged actions swapping police favors for expensive gifts like the wild trip with prostitute Gabi Grecko as mere violations of police conduct. Two state attorneys general have been subpoened by the House Science Committee because they refused to respond to requests for information on their efforts to prosecute climate skeptics. New York attorney general Eric T. Schneiderman and Massachusetts attorney general Maura Healey, along with eight environmental groups who have been coordinating their efforts to intimidate skeptics, all received subpoenas. Washington Times: The attorneys general have appointed themselves to decide what is valid and what is invalid regarding climate change, Mr. Smith said at a press conference with other committee Republicans. The attorneys general are pursuing a political agenda at the expense of scientists right to free speech. He was referring to a Democrat-led coalition of 17 attorneys general working with environmental groups to pursue fossil fuel companies, starting with ExxonMobil, as well as academics and free market think tanks, for possible fraud for challenging the catastrophic climate change narrative. Those on the receiving end of the subpoenas disputed the committees jurisdiction over the state prosecutorial investigations. Both New York and Massachusetts have issued subpoenas as part of their probes. Those on the receiving end of the subpoenas disputed the committees jurisdiction over the state prosecutorial investigations. Both New York and Massachusetts have issued subpoenas as part of their probes. This committee has no authority to interfere with these state law enforcement investigations, and whether they issue a subpoena or not, this attorney general will not be intimidated or deterred from ensuring that every New Yorker receives the full protection of state laws, said Schneiderman spokesman Eric Soufer. Mr. Scheiderman has argued that fraud is not protected by the First Amendment, drawing comparisons between Exxon and tobacco companies that tried to hide the extent of health problems stemming from smoking. Union of Concerned Scientists President Ken Kimmell accused the committee of harassment. Chairman Smiths subpoena is an abuse of power that goes way beyond the House Science Committees jurisdiction and amounts to nothing more than harassment, Mr. Kimmell said in a statement. By attempting to interfere with the attorneys general investigations, Chairman Smith directly undermines efforts to hold ExxonMobil accountable for misrepresenting climate science. He also said it is plain wrong to investigate a nonprofit for doing its job, although dozens of free market nonprofits have been named in subpoenas issued by the attorneys general. In her April subpoena, Ms. Healey demanded communications between Exxon and a dozen free market nonprofit groups and universities. If Congress won't protect the First Amendment rights of citizens, who will? The A.G.s' argument doesn't have much merit when you consider that the reason for this witch hunt is to silence climate skeptics. What they claim is the goal of the committee has already been implemented against skeptics by the A.G.s and other climate hysterics. As far as enforcing the subpoenas. the committee has little leverage. But they can vote a contempt citation if the A.G.s ignore the subpoena, which, at least, puts the A.G.s on record as defying Congress. That might be beneficial in a suit that is sure to follow. If the A.G.s are successful, you can expect a host of actions by Democrat A.G.s to criminalize political opposition. And with a liberal Supreme Court waiting in the wings if Clinton wins in November, the damage to the First Amendment will be irreperable. Polls are polls, and the latest ones are not good for Hillary Clinton, as we saw in David Lightman's new story: Hillary Clintons lead over Donald Trump has withered to 3 percentage points, signaling their battle for the White House has become too close to call heading into the two major-party national conventions, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, now leads Trump by 42 to 39 percent in a head-to-head matchup. While Republicans and Democrats are solidly behind their candidates, independents are divided, 36 percent for Clinton, 33 percent for Trump and 23 percent undecided. Clinton does somewhat better in a four-way race, topping Trump 40 to 35 percent. Libertarian Gary Johnson has 10 percent support, while the Green Partys Jill Stein has 5 percent. Add to this another poll that large majorities disagree with the FBI's decision on email prosecution. Put these polls together, and you have something every Democrat should be very worried about. First, this is happening on the heels of a major anti-Trump advertising campaign in swing states. It does not appear that this investment has paid off well for the Clinton campaign. Second, Mrs. Clinton, the FBI, Attorney General Lynch, and President Clinton's grandchildren chat are not passing the smell test for many voters, especially those independents who decide elections. It's fair to say a lot of Americans have concluded that Mrs. Clinton got special treatment, or the kind of treatment that the average person working in the federal government would never get. So what happens now? Clinton will continue to sink because her integrity is now on the front burner. We've heard a lot about GOP delegates concerned with Mr. Trump. It may be time for Democrats to look at their options, because Mrs. Clinton is in trouble, especially with so many Sanders supporters angry that their man dumped them for the woman they detest so much. P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn has spent 33 years in the intel business and was appointed to two key positions by President Obama: deputy director of national intelligence and the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He is currently being considered as a running mate for Donald Trump. But in the four years that Flynn served in the Obama administration, he was never summoned to a meeting with the president, nor was he ever asked for his views on any issue. Washington Times: The general, who spent 33 years in the intelligence field, told The Daily Caller News Foundation he was never called in for a face-to-face meeting with Obama to offer his assessment of ISIS as it rampaged through the Middle East, or during the political meltdown of Libya and Egypt, or on Irans efforts to build a nuclear bomb, or of the Russian reset that ended in shambles. In four years, Flynn was never invited to brief the president on any kind of intelligence issue. Ever. Here is the crux of my relationship with Obama, Flynn told TheDCNF in a wide ranging interview Tuesday. Here I am, running one of the largest intelligence agencies in the world. He appoints me twice one as the assistant director of national intelligence and one as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Im also his senior intelligence officer. And I had almost five years in combat. He paused, then said, I never met with him once. Hes a kind of a funny guy when it comes to relationships, Flynn told TheDCNF. Hes very aloof and very distant. I wasnt on his screen at all. I wasnt on his radar which is really sad. Its amazing. Now in a turn of tables, Flynn is advising presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and is widely reported as being on the short list to run as Trumps vice president. Unlike Obama, Trump has not only met with Flynn but has also spent hours listening to Flynns views. Given what we've seen of Obama's foreign policy, this is not surprising. The president considers himself a foreign policy genius, so why should he even bother listening to contrary views? If he had talked to Flynn, he might not have referred to the Islamic State as "the JV." He might not have drawn a nonexistent "red line" in Syria. He might not have been so eager to cut and run in Iraq and Afghanistan. He might have supported the Free Syrian Army and ousted Assad. There are a dozen more mistakes made by Obama that might have been avoided if he allowed free debate in his foreign policy and intelligence circles. But it's obvious that the president's mind is dangerously closed, and not meeting with a key adviser for four years is an indication of just how arrogant the president is. Having outlived cancer, her husband, and her best friend on the Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is speaking out and doesnt give a crap what anyone else thinks. Shes telling what she thinks is the truth, and in the process, she is exposing the raw politics at the heart of the Supreme Court, the lefts most valuable tool for imposing its agenda. The sitting justice has revealed that she would approach any future case involving the First Amendment protections of Citizens United with the intent to overturn it: Id love to see Citizens United overruled. This explodes the mythology that justices weigh constitutional jurisprudence in a scholarly manner and explain what the Constitution really means. It reveals the Court to be a political body, like Congress, where the members vote their political interests. Just like Congress, except no democratic accountability. At a very critical point the next justice appointed will determine the political balance of the Court Ginsburg is delegitimizing the Court. Whoever wins the presidency, and therefore appoints the next justice to replace Scalia, that nominee will face extensive questioning on political beliefs and their relevance to decision-making. There really isnt that much that can be done, practically speaking, to Ginsburg. She decides whether or not to recuse herself on cases involving a possible Trump administration. Ginsburg is taking hits from both the left and right, but is she likely to pay attention? Dont forget that she was pressured to step down from her seat, to allow Obama to appoint a younger replacement, and did not react as hoped. Id guess she is not open to such pressures today. Shes a survivor. Impeachment is unlikely for now, as it has been done only once before to a justice: Samuel Chase in 1805 was charged with trying to influence politically sensitive cases, according to the U.S. Senate website. Chase, a voluble jurist, was accused of refusing to dismiss biased jurors and of excluding or limiting defense witnesses in the cases but argued in return that he was being targeted for his political beliefs, which stood at odds with the Jeffersonian Republicans who held the majority in Congress. Chase was ultimately acquitted and served until his death in 1811. Since then, justices have been often threatened with impeachment, but those hearings have never happened. If Trump wins and Ginsburg refuses to recuse herself, will she be impeached? It would take some stretching to find a high crime and misdemeanor in her decision-making. What about her colleagues? Is she in for an intervention? The Wall Street Journals Review and Outlook column called for one. Would we ever find out if such a meeting occurred? I suspect that Ginsburg will continue to speak her mind. And continue to hand rope to those who yearn for a Supreme Court bound to the Constitution. Update: Well, I was wrong. The criticism got to her. Maybe it was the New York Times editorial board saying Trump is right. Or maybe the i-word was whisepred by someone who matters. The State Department has confirmed that a former detainee at the Guantanamo prison camp participated in the attack on the Istanbul airport last month. Ayrat Nasimovich Vakhitov was released and sent to Russia in 2004. He fled Russia for the Middle East and is known to have fought in Syria. Daily Caller: Turkish authorities have arrested 30 people for suspected involvement in the bombing in some capacity. Vakhitov, an ethnic Tatar from Russia, is one of those 30. Turkey believes the airport attack stemmed from Islamic State, though the terror group has made no formal declaration of involvement. According to Voice of America, Vakhitov was captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2001, after which point he was shipped to Gitmo for a stay of only two years. The U.S. released him to Russia in 2004, as the Joint Task Force Guantanamo concluded he had no ties to al-Qaida and was not a leader in the Taliban. Still, the U.S. assumed he was dangerous enough that upon release to Russia, authorities would keep him imprisoned. A Russian court found no evidence Vakhitov had terror connections and he was released. Just a year after he arrived in Russia, however, the Russian Federal Security Service captured and detained him for about two months before letting him go free without charges, prompting Vakhitov to flee for the Middle East and apply for asylum. In the past, Russian security services have said Vakhitov has fought in Syria and Iraq with terror groups and also apparently recruited and raised funds for these organizations. Vakhitov may be a terrorist responsible for the deaths of 42 people, but at least his rights were protected and he was treated with mercy. We might want to ask what comfort that gives to the families of people who lost their lives last month in Turkey. I'm sure they have something to say about that. In the end, we're just going to have to capture these people again, or kill them if we're smart a totally unnecessary exercise made necessary because some people don't recognize we're at war. It is tough to make this bet on who comes in first and who comes in second in the Attorney General Impeachment Derby. A quinella is a horse racing bet in which the wager must be placed selecting first and second place finishers in order. After the recent Lynch testimony, in which made it clear that she answers to no one except Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, she is right up there on the inside rail with Eric Holder. Both Holder and now Lynch refused to answer questions from the people, via their elected representatives, in hearings held by the House of Representatives. Why aren't more people upset about this? We are entitled to know what goes on in our government. Call me old-fashioned. Lynch left 74 questions unanswered and essentially revealed nothing. She invoked a new tactic in which she declared she could not comment on closed cases. The old game, used frequently by Obama, was that commentary must be withheld regarding "ongoing investigations." The conclusion is this: there will be no answers to any questions in either case, ongoing or closed. Journalists sit drop-jawed, with their eyes rolled into the back of their heads. Eric Holder withheld Fast and Furious documents, refused to reveal who ordered the gun-running program, and issued false dates on officially submitted letters. Obama invoked "executive privilege" and still withholds a tome of documents. In each case, information was intentionally withheld from the public to protect someone from something. So once again, we get the subservient attorney general answering "up" the chain rather than "across" to the representatives or "down" to the people. I would speculate that there must be more power in the legislative branch to deal with this deceptive form of governing than is being used. Let us conjure up the power to put a halt to this behavior. Obama has six months to go. Impeach Lynch, and do it now. We have no government if those in power are not accountable, responsible, or open in their dealings. We instead, by logical conclusion, must have something other than a representative arrangement. Washington has become a fiefdom separated from the remainder of the country in matters of accountability but remains omnipresent in spewing idiotic regulations that hamstring commerce and twist our national ethos with bathroom accessibility mandates. The time is right to fire a shot over the bow of Mr. Obama's disregard for our form of government. Impeach Lynch, and stick another bow on Holder, whose departure from office was likely a concession to avoid impeachment, a de facto impeachment of sorts. Maybe Holder has already won. But certainly, both he and Lynch belong in the "winner's circle." For the dump Trump forces, it's the Alamo, Waterloo, and Little Bighorn all rolled into one. With virtually no one giving them a shot at defeating the nominee on the convention floor, the small, delusional cadre of bitter enders are unsheathing their swords and girding their loins to go down fighting. We should call them the King Canute Caucus standing at the door of the convention hall and commanding delegates to ignore reality and the democratic process to give them what they want, a Hillary Clinton presidency. Washington Times: Now is the time to stand united as Republicans, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus told delegates Wednesday as he kicked off the Republican National Committees final meeting ahead of the convention. Now is the time to stop Hillary Clinton and elect Donald Trump. Anti-Trump forces will try to defy Mr. Priebus with a last-ditch effort to unbind delegates won by Mr. Trump in the primaries, freeing them to vote their conscience in other words, for someone other than Mr. Trump. They have little hope of changing the rules in the Rules Committee this week, but if they can get 28 of the panels 112 members to support them, they can write a minority report that would go to the full convention floor next week, giving all 2,472 delegates a chance to vote on the proposal. The minority report will pass, Kendal Unruh, a Colorado delegate leading the anti-Trump effort, told The Washington Times. But Bruce Ash, chairman of the Rules Committee, said he suspects Ms. Unruh has only a dozen supporters, or far less than shell need. Mr. Ash was once highly skeptical about Mr. Priebus commitment to protecting Mr. Trumps claim to the nomination, but now says he thinks Mr. Priebus is 100 percent behind Trump. Delegates say the New York billionaire also has helped his cause by stringing together a few controversy-free days, and could further placate his critics by tapping an appealing running mate. Donald Trump has secured the convention. He has his own people running things. He's got the chairman of the RNC fully behind him. It's going to be his show. The most prominent anti-Trumpers have already given up. The only people left are minor politicians and pundits hardly the crew to overthrow the convention and nominate someone else besides Trump. I suspect that once the Rules Committee votes, the #NeverTrump supporters will melt away, never to be heard from again. This doesn't mean there aren't any potential clashes on the floor. There is still some grumbling about the platform. But considering where Trump stood just two months ago, his team has done a good job of at least giving the appearance of unity at the convention. Deputy Editor Drew Belsky adds: Poor King Canute gets a bad rap. He knew exactly what he was doing; commanding the waves was, in fact, a lesson to his obsequious courtiers that its God, not man, who rules. [W]ith the greatest vigor he commanded that his chair should be set on the shore, when the tide began to rise. And then he spoke to the rising sea saying You are part of my dominion, and the ground that I am seated upon is mine, nor has anyone disobeyed my orders with impunity. Therefore, I order you not to rise onto my land, nor to wet the clothes or body of your Lord. But the sea carried on rising as usual without any reverence for his person, and soaked his feet and legs. Then he moving away said: All the inhabitants of the world should know that the power of kings is vain and trivial, and that none is worthy the name of king but He whose command the heaven, earth and sea obey by eternal laws. Therefore King Cnut never afterwards placed the crown on his head, but above a picture of the Lord nailed to the cross, turning it forever into a means to praise God, the great king. All the inhabitants of the world should know that the power of kings is vain and trivial, and that none is worthy the name of king but He whose command the heaven, earth, and sea obey by eternal laws. Thats not exactly a model for foolish arrogance quite the opposite. The Progressives have painted themselves in a corner with the #BlackLivesMatter rhetoric. I speak both of the sponsors like Soros, who have funded and supported the movement, and the true believers who are convinced that police are hunting down black males. The problem is that the counter-slogan, all lives matter, makes perfect sense and strikes everyone but a fanatic as a reasonable position. It is inclusive, and that is the primary virtue preached by the left these days, usually meaning accepting someone who is not qualified into a responsible role. One example of how not to persuade the public is supplied by a Canadian academic, Naila Keleta-Mae, whose scholarly specialty is described as researches race, gender and performance. The good professor does not concede any goodwill or gray area to those who disagree with her: Lets be clear, all lives matter is a false claim that can only be made if you actively choose to ignore that anti-black racism has and continues to exist in the United States of America. False. Not mistaken. Because racism. What is most interesting, and unintentionally so by the author, is the history of the use of the hastage #BlackLivesMatter. It turns out to have been created and then subsequently popularized by two incidents in which a false racial narrative was created and reinforced by the media. The cases are the deaths of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla. and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. In both cases, an angelic portrait of the deceased was created and propagated, as was a storyline of a racist killing an innocent youngster. In neither case did the narrative withstand scrutiny from the judicial system and conservative publications. But the good professor either does not know the facts or chooses to ignore them. For those completely immersed in a psychology of victimization, no daylight can wash away the shadows. At the beginning of his July 5 statement the FBIs Director Comey made two related points: I have not coordinated or reviewed this statement in any way with the Department of Justice [DOJ] or any other part of the government. They do not know what I am about to say. The investigation began as a referral from the Intelligence Community Inspector General [ICIG] in connection with Secretary Clintons use of a personal e-mail server during her time as Secretary of State. These points bring up two questions Director Comey failed to answer: Question A : Who defined the terms of reference the FBI followed in conducting its investigation? Question B : What were these terms of reference? A bit of elementary logic can help answer these questions. We have five general categories of information in Director Comeys July 5 statement: (I) Findings of fact regarding Hillary Clintons use of a personal e-mail server during her time as secretary of state. (II) Identification of legal statutes relevant to a determination whether these facts constitute a violation of statutes identified. (III) Determination whether these facts constitute violations of statutes. (IV) Determination whether violations are prosecutable. (V) Recommendation whether the DOJ should prosecute Hillary Clinton. As Director Comey said, the ICIG tasked him to do (I) which would be similar to contacting the Bureau to ask them to investigate a kidnapping. What about (II)-(V)? It is highly unlikely that the ICIG tasked Director Comey to do (II)-(V), because these are tasks that only a major judicial component of the federal government has the authority to issue. The Supreme Court does not do such things, and a federal judge would be out of a job if he/she tried, which leaves the DOJ as the tasking authority for (II)-(V). It is also highly unlikely that Director Comey, a former prosecutor, would have gone ahead with (II)-(V) on his own initiative. Now, suppose Director Comey had opened his July 5 statement this way: On [fill in date], the attorney general of the United States, Loretta E. Lynch, tasked the FBI to conduct an investigation of Hillary Clintons use of a personal email server during her time as secretary of state, taking into account an initial referral from the Intelligence Community inspector general. I am here today to report our findings. Why didnt Director Comey do that? The most obvious answer is that such a statement would have informed Congress that, in effect, an official DOJ document of record exists formally tasking the FBI to conduct an investigation of Hillary Clinton and defining its terms of reference. Whats wrong with telling Congress that such a document exists? The most obvious answer is that such an admission would have been followed by a congressional request for a copy of it as well as a copy of the official FBI document of record proving that each DOJ task was carried out. Director Comeys July 5 statement contained only what could be disclosed to a general audience and was probably a summary of a much longer and more detailed document. So, by skipping an answer to Question A, Director Comey was also able to skip having to answer Question B, thereby avoiding having to turn over to Congress two very revealing and potentially embarrassing documents. I suggest that Congressman Jason E. Chaffetz (R-Utah), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, write to Director Comey to request copies of these documents and go from there. Even since Google officially made the announcement on March 9th that Android N would be the next upgrade from Marshmallow there were contests and guesses as to what sweet dessert or candy the N would represent. Many people still argue that the most popular name was Nutella, however, on June 15th, following the Android N Developer Preview 4, Google threw us all a nougat to munch on for a while. So it is official Android 7.0 will be henceforth known as Nougat. The next big question is when is Google going to toss a Nougat our way to one of the Nexus devices? It looks like Rogers has just uncovered the candy dish nothing is definite, but their latest upgrade listing has the HTC Nexus 9 tablet on the list with the Current OS as 6.0.1 and Coming OS as Nougat! Now, it is only listed as coming soon, but we finally have a device on the upgrade list for Android 7.0. Rogers, of course, explains that they do the best job they can to update the list, but they are subject to change but coming soon is already a broad category. Android Marshmallow was launched in November 2015, so do not expect to see Android 7.0 Nougat available until sometime in the third quarter. Though not radically changed, users should notice a little difference between the two operating systems. Android added quite a few new things to Android Nougat to give the user more control over their device and improve performance. Although rudimentary before Samsung had an excellent multitasking in TouchWiz there is finally full-fledged Multi-Window multitasking in Androidyou can even watch a video in one window and use another app in another window. With Android Nougat, you will not only receive notifications on the panel, but you will be able to open it, read it, and reply to it without leaving your current app. No more leaving your current app, answering a notification and then going back to what you were doing. One of the great upgrades in Android Marshmallow is the Doze feature Android Nougat improves upon the original with what you could call an Enhanced Doze Mode. Rather than waiting for the phone to fall into a deep sleep to activate, the new Doze feature shuts down all background apps every time the display is turned off. New Quick Settings Options can be found in Nougat on the notification panel. Nougat also allows for bundled notifications that the user can tap on to expand. There are some very nice upgrades, if not earth-shattering improvements. Google is a company that operates all over the world in some capacity or other, and while theyre based in the US, they make a lot of their money outside of the US, too. This has made Google a big, recognizable name in Europe, with countries like the United Kingdom, France and Germany becoming big parts of the Internet giants overall strategy worldwide. Over the past couple of years however, Google has been facing mounting criticism from individual countries within the European Union, and more recently a laundry list of antitrust complaints straight from the EU Commission itself. Today, Margrethe Vestager has added to these with a new batch of complaints, this time going after Googles lucrative ad business. In a number of objections, Vestager points the finger at Google and their AdSense ad service which now joins AdWords, saying that it hurt competition and stifled choice and innovation to the detriment of consumers. Vestager argues that magnificent innovation doesnt give you the right to deny others a fair chance to compete, innovate, and make it in these markets. The overall comments effectively take issue with the terms and conditions that someone looking to use AdSense must agree to, namely that they must agree to a set minimum of search ads from Google. In particular, comments from Vestager, such as third-parties needing Googles approval before making any change to the display of competing search ads paint Googles AdSense program as one that tries to put out the fire of competition, rather than see it grow. Google has long been known to take care of Number One above all, and while this is something that every business does to some extent, the European Commission is unhappy with how Google seemingly refuses others to compete using their Search Engine. This includes the stipulation that competing search ads cannot be placed above or next to Google search ads. Advertisement Back in 2009, Google made a number of changes to their AdSense terms and conditions, and its possible that some of the complaints leveraged at Google are somewhat out of date. As always, Google has 10 weeks to make a detailed response to the Commission, and while there has been no official comment from Google just yet, the Google in Brussels Twitter handle has responded, briefly. It has said that well examine the Commissions renewed cases and provide a detailed response in the coming weeks as well of course defending their innovation on Search and other products as being beneficial to consumers. It is beginning to appear as though the European Commission is after one of only two things from Google; change or money. Antitrust complaints like these are often settled with a little of both, but Google has been allowed to operate as they have been doing for years now, which makes it hard to believe the European Union isnt just out for money. Regardless of their true motives, the Antitrust complaints and investigations are ongoing, and nothing has been decided, meaning that we can only wait and see just what becomes of Google in any decisions made by the EU. Google Search is one of those things which many people associate with knowing everything. Although, being able to find the information you are looking for can sometimes be trickier than it should be. As a result, Google has been spending a lot of time in improving its Knowledge Graph and ensuring the information you want is accessible as easily and as quickly as it can be. One of the most effective ways for mobile users of Search has been the use of Google Knowledge Graphs cards, which provide snippets of relative information in one easy to digest card form. Like for instance if you search for a place, retail location or similar, and Google automatically provides you with a card which not only congregates the information you are likely looking for (like the phone number, hours of operation and so forth), but also makes the information easy to see and work with. Now, it seems location information cards are gaining a new snippet of information. The new feature is a rather simple one and yet one which will likely prove useful to those who often venture to tourist spots or other popular locations. The new feature appears in a place card under Plan your visit and simple details how long people typically spend at the location in question. So for instance, the example provided by Google in the image below is for the Golden Gate Park and suggests that People typically spend up to 2 hours here. Which obviously is useful to know when making plans to go somewhere and having to take account of travel time and so on. This feature will essentially allow the user to gauge how long (on average) people spend at the attraction or place and allow those users the ability to factor how long they might spend at the same place. In terms of the rolling out of the feature, the announcement came via Twitter and as a result, details are limited. It is currently unclear if the feature is live for everyone or whether it is being gradually rolled out. However, the announcement does confirm that this is rolling out to the Google app and on mobile. Therefore the assumption being that if you use the Google App directly or just head through Search in a browser (on mobile) you should start to see the new feature available in due course. LGs panel manufacturing division, LG Display, has captured much media attention in recent weeks. LG Display has struggled for a number of reasons, including how many smartphone manufacturers are moving away from LCD to OLED technology and LG has traditionally been a LCD manufacturer. Furthermore, LCD panel prices have been under pressure because there is considerable competition within the industry. In the decade so far we have seen a large number of Chinese panel manufacturers selling technology to a number of manufacturers around the world and this has depressed prices such that some of the more established players have struggled. LG Display has made several announcements that the business is ramping up OLED production lines but this process takes several months through to years: factory lines being started today may be commissioned next year but will not be up to full capacity until 2018 or perhaps even 2019. As such, the massive investment needed to build production may not be realized for another couple of years. Earlier in the week, LG Display vice chairman, Han Sang-beom, commented at a CEO conference that LG Display had seen the early signs of a recovery in the last few weeks of the second quarter (around a month ago). The business had suffered a very difficult period with Q1 2016 operating profits slashed by over 90% because of intense competition in the LCD industry. LG Display has also suffered because of poor sales of some of its chief customers, such as Apple, where iPhone sales have been sluggish. However, Han stated that LG Display remains confident because it has a technological edge in the LCD market: the company still believes it has the worlds best LCD technology and high profitability, but is making much noise about its POLED (plastic organic light emitting diode) screen technology, which can be manufactured to be flexible. Han also explained that LG Display is preparing to supply POLED technology to a number of Chinese businesses. The company is planning on reinvesting profits derived from its LCD business into the OLED business as well as considering if it should invest into building upon its 10.5-inch LCD technology, where several Chinese competitors have invested considerable sums and are making headway. LG Display has already invested 1 trillion won (a little under $900 million) into the Gumi factory in the North Gyeongsang Province and recently celebrated a new production line; the company is also planning to establish new production lines at the Paju plant in the Gyeonggi Province by 2018, designed to supply mobile and automobile customers. Han expects the LCD and OLED business to be balanced out by 2019 and 2020. He expects some of this growth to be powered by LG Displays new OLED television sets as well as the flexible POLED technology. The company must be hoping that the signs of a recovery in the LCD market are true, otherwise it may struggle to invest into its OLED business. The signature plastic Android mini figurines found in a number of places come in a wide variety of interesting colors and patterns, including wood grain. Its not entirely common to find an Android figurine made of a more natural material, especially wood, which can take some real skill and a good amount of time to work with to any level of satisfaction. Handmade Android figurines crafted from real wood may turn up every once in a while in remote locations or specialty shops online, but a limited run of handmade wooden figurines from Dead Zebra in collaboration with legendary New York toymaker, Ken Como, marks the first time that such figures will be made by Como. Dead Zebra is no stranger to making Android figurines themselves, and have worked closely with Como to produce the Android figures shown. These figures feature natural wood grain, and stand five inches tall, a head or so above the more standard plastic and vinyl ones that Dead Zebra usually cranks out. Each unique figure is made from local FSC certified maple and white oak, and is given its unique soft shine by shellac and beeswax. These figures are all made completely of wood, from antennas to legs, and can be disassembled for cleaning and storage. Each one will also come with a custom handmade bag and box, both made from natural materials. The figures will be available at San Diego Comic Con, at the Dumbrella booth, number 1335, for $120 per figure. With every one being completely unique, Dead Zebras blog post encourages attendees to stop by the booth and figure out which one they like best. For those not able to make it to the San Diego Comic Con, however, Dead Zebra has announced that they will be making a few more small batches of the figurines for non-attendees to scoop up online. Like their Comic Con attending brethren, these wooden figures will be completely unique, cost $120, and come with a custom, all-natural bag and box. There was no mention of any further production after that run, so those who want one should act fast, especially if they wont be able to make it out to San Diego. Judging by recent events, this years Samsung Galaxy Note model is likely to be officially introduced during an Unpacked event held in New York City on August 2nd. Compared to the previous models, this means that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 could be introduced roughly one month earlier than usual, which should lead to an earlier market release in multiple regions. For the US market and Canada, Samsung seems to already make preparations for the flagships release, as multiple Galaxy Note 7 variants have now been spotted in the FCC database where theyve been certified by the regulatory body. Multiple Samsung Galaxy Note 7 variants have been recently certified by the FCC, including model number(s) SM-N930V for Verizon, SM-N930A for AT&T, SM-N930P aimed at Sprints networks, the SM-N930T headed for T-Mobile, and the SM-N930R4 for U.S. Cellular. In addition, a 6th variant identified by model number SM-N930W8 appears to have been certified for Canada. As expected, the FCC filing doesnt reveal details surrounding the smartphones hardware specifications, but because the smartphone and its multiple variants have been certified, this should indicate that Samsung is preparing for a widespread market release in the coming months. As for hardware details, countless leaks and rumors so far have painted a somewhat complete picture of what the flagship will have in store for future owners. Details include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 / Snapdragon 821 chipset for the models aimed at the United States and Canada, and an in-house developed Exynos 8893 CPU for the International market. Either way, the flagship should also carry either 4 GB or 6 GB of RAM which sounds like plenty even for the most demanding users, and sport a 5.7-inch / 5.8-inch, or 6-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 (QHD). Raw hardware specifications aside, one of the new features that might set the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 apart from most of its rivals could be an iris scanner used for secure authentication. Of course, iris scanning technology is not entirely new in the world of smartphones, with a handful of models from China already making use of these types of sensors. In other words and assuming that the recently leaked images reflect reality, it remains to be seen how exactly Samsung intends to differentiate itself in this regard. Every year, the Federal Communications Commission releases a report on the state of competition within the United States of America. 2016 will be the nineteenth Report on the State of Mobile Wireless Competition and T-Mobile US has filed a public letter explaining its position on the competitive state of the US cell phone market. It should come as no surprise to regular readers that T-Mobile US has taken this opportunity to detail how its own Uncarrier stance has upset the apple cart. And indeed, its only been three years since T-Mobile US publicly took the established rule book of cell phone companies doing business and ripped it up with the introduction of equipment installation plans. These equipment installation plans offer consumers a much more transparent way of seeing how much of their regular monthly bill goes towards paying for their cellular service and how much goes towards the cost of the hardware. Today, only Sprint offers the old style, two year contract. The other three national carriers have switched to equipment installation (or similar) plans. T-Mobile have launched a number of other Uncarrier initiatives and in its filing, which you can read at the source link below, explains how the other carriers especially AT&T and Verizon Wireless have adopted similar schemes themselves. As such, T-Mobile US actions have benefited the whole cellular telephone industry. These initiatives include offering to pay some or all of any early termination fee a customer may experience when switching to the T-Mobile US service, which is something else that the major US carriers have also adopted. T-Mobile have introduced other services such as unlimited, unmetered music and video streaming for compatible video services. By way of one example, T-Mobile pointed a finger at Verizon Wireless and explained how last week, Verizons introduction of rolling over unused data into the next month and the ability to throttle data should the customer reach their limit are duplicates of similar services that have been available on the T-Mobile US plans for a long time. It wouldnt be T-Mobile US if they also didnt highlight how Verizon have increased their prices and data allowances (and Verizon separately justified by explaining that the cost per unit of data has been reduced). At the bottom of T-Mobile US report, the company states that the current cell phone market has tough competition but that the ability and willingness of a maverick like T-Mobile to compete effectively has resulted in tangible consumer benefits across the wireless industry. In other words, T-Mobile US aggressive Uncarrier moves have been beneficial for all customers in the industry. T-Mobile has certainly performed strongly, as it is now the third largest national carrier in the US having overtaken Sprint last year and their outspoken Chief Executive Officer has regular Twitter battles with the other carriers. One of the criticisms of Android TV is that there is not enough of a selection of devices currently available on the market to chose from. While this might be somewhat true and while Google did confirm at this years Google I/O event that more options will be arriving soon enough, there are many countries which have yet to see the platform become available in any capacity, let alone an actual selection of devices developing. Italy is one of those countries. While consumers can purchase items like the Nexus Player or the SHIELD and use them in Italy, the actual platform has not officially launched in the area. Although that has now changed as the Android Twitter account earlier today confirmed the arrival of the first Android TV device in Italy. In fact, not only is this the first Android TV device to arrive for Italy, it is actually a completely new Android TV device. TIMvision is an Italian television broadcasting service and provider of on-demand videos and they are the company behind the TIMvision Android TV digital decoder. Unlike some of the already-established Android TV options, this one comes heavily-designed with TV services in mind and provides device owners with access to TIMvisions back catalog of 8000+ on-demand videos, although a TIMvision subscription is needed to access the full extent of the content. Other than that, the TIMvision Android TV decoder also makes use of Google Cast technology and is capable of 4K Playback. At the moment, details on the actual hardware specs are a little limited and as such it is unclear of what the full spec lineup reads like. However, TIMvision has confirmed via their site that the processor powering the TIMvision Android TV decoder is the Marvell BG4-CT quad-core processor. As to be expected with this being aimed at the Italian market specifically, it does seem unlikely that the TIMvision Android TV decoder will become available in other regions or countries. However, those based in Italy (or those just interested in finding out more about the latest Android TV arrival) can head through the link below to check out the TIMvision Android TV decoder in more detail. While most of the ongoing court battles between Samsung and Apple have been resolved, abandoned, agreed, or otherwise, there are still one or two pending. In fact, one of them did come to an end and in favor or Apple. Although since then Samsung has been working hard to get the decision looked at again by the US Supreme Court. A move which has so far garnered quite the media attention and support from some unlikely companies and places. Most recently, the US Department of Justice even weighed in on the matter with a recommendation that the US Supreme Court overturns the verdict and returns the case to the courts for a second look. In spite of this particular battle seeming to be eternally ongoing, it now looks as though there are some firm dates in place as the US Supreme Court is now listing that arguments from Samsung and Apple on this matter will finally be heard on October 11 of this year. While this is good news for Samsung, it is only good news to an extent as the October 11 date has nothing to do with actually looking to address the previous outcome of this case, but instead is focused specifically on the damages awarded and whether they are relatively speaking, just. While the damages already awarded are not incredible and certainly manageable by a company of Samsungs position and resources, the appeal from Samsung looks to differentiate damages awarded for patents for components to those which are awarded for an entire product. As it currently stands, the damages incurred by Samsung are relative to profits made from an actual product and it is this component patent to product damages ratio that Samsung believes is excessive. As a result the Supreme Court will be specifically looking to address whether infringements of a design patent that apply to only a component of a product should automatically equate to those profits attributable to the component and not the product. An outcome which if returned in Samsungs favor could be far-reaching in its implications for a number of products, companies, court battles and design patents in the future. Shortly after the Stagefright security vulnerability was unveiled, Google announced an important change to how it delivers security updates and patches, promising that supported devices would receive security updates on a monthly basis. Devices would be supported with operating system updates for around two years after launch and would then receive security updates for another year, effectively keeping devices up to date for three years after launch. During those three years, the latest critical vulnerabilities, as identified by the Google developer team, are fixed in software updates rolled out to the device. At the time, manufacturers opinions were divided about Googles new security patch promise. Some companies branded Googles approach as unworkable and even went to the extreme length of removing the date of the security patch from the operating system. Other manufacturers, with Samsung as one example, also moved several of their devices to the same monthly patch update regime. Last week, T-Mobile US released the latest Android patch for July 2016 for a number of Samsung smartphones, these being the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. Today, Verizon Wireless has announced that it too is releasing the latest security patch update for the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge devices although Verizon has not explicitly stated that these updates are for the July 2016 code. Verizons instructions explain that customers should connect to a reliable Wi-Fi network when downloading the software update and make sure their devices battery is topped up when performing the update. Although it is welcome that Verizon have updated three Samsung Galaxy devices, the vague instructions highlight one of the difficulties facing Google in its promise to deliver monthly updates. This schedule is subject to delays from first the smartphone manufacturer, which has to incorporate the changes into its software. Second, it is subject to delays at the carrier end, where individual carriers can be more or less responsive to changes. Currently, these security patches appear to undergo a similar testing regime as the full version updates receive. Where Googles only changes are presumably deep in the code to patch up a security vulnerability, one would hope that carrier testing is quicker as most other aspects of the operating system have not changed. In the respect of software updates, Google still has a long, uphill struggle. Xiaomi tends to introduce quite a few smartphones every year, thats not exactly a secret. That very thing happened this year as well, even though its only July, Xiaomi had already released quite a few phones, but also other smart gadgets. That being said, we expect this China-based smartphone OEM to release a number more devices before the end of 2016, and one such phone will arrive on July 27th, a new Redmi-branded smartphone. In addition to this, the company is also expected to introduce the Mi Note 2 and Mi 5s handsets in the coming weeks. That being said, Xiaomi is no stranger to using Qualcomms Snapdragon SoCs in their smartphones, and according to a well-known China-based analyst, this company will release the worlds first Snapdragon 821-powered handset. The Snapdragon 821 was introduced quite recently, though this is essentially a slightly improved Snapdragon 820 chip which has been around for quite some time now. The Snapdragon 821 comes with a higher clock speed, and ASUS had already introduced the Snapdragon 821-powered ZenFone 3 Deluxe variant the other day. Well, if Pan Jiutang is to be believed, Xiaomi will be the first Chinese company to push the Snapdragon 821-powered device to the market, despite the fact theyre not the first to announce such a phone. So, what device is the analyst talking about? Well, its either the Mi Note 2, or the Xiaomi Pro which surfaced yesterday. The Mi Note 2 will most definitely launch soon, while were not so sure about the Xiaomi Pro, yesterdays leak was the first time we heard that the device exists, allegedly. The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is expected to ship with a 5.7-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) display, though theres a chance Xiaomi will release more than one variant of this phablet, so a fullHD model is also a possibility. The Mi Note 2 will probably pack in 4GB / 6GB of RAM, and will be fueled by the aforementioned Snapdragon 821 64-bit quad-core processor. The 16-megapixel OIS shooter, which was included in the Mi 5, will probably be utilized here as well, and the phablet will ship with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, with the companys MIUI 8 OS on top of it. Various models of the Mi Note 2 were rumored, including the one with curved display sides, similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge. It remains to be seen what will Xiaomi announce, stay tuned. A number of Xiaomi-branded devices have been mentioned in various rumors / leaks lately, mostly the Mi Note 2 and Mi 5s, the companys upcoming flagship phablet and smartphone. Having that in mind, Xiaomi might introduce the Redmi Note 4 soon as well, while the Redmi Pro also surfaced recently. Either way, well see one of the companys mid-range offerings announced soon considering the fact that the company will host an event at the end of this month, read on. One of the companys new spokespersons, a Chinese actor, Liu Hao Ran, has revealed that the company will host a press conference on July 27th at the Beijing National Convention center. Now, this announcement surely did not come by accident, Xiaomi has probably planned this carefully, and the aforementioned actor is actually a spokesperson for the companys Redmi line of devices, which suggests a new Redmi-branded phone will get announced on July 27th. Now, until recently wed say that the Redmi Note 4 will get announced during the conference, but due to the recent Redmi Pro Geekbench listing, were not all that sure anymore. The recently leaked Xiaomi device with two camera sensors, which was teased by Xiaomis spokesperson as well, might actually be the Redmi Pro, not the Redmi Note 4. Anyhow, if a Redmi Pro Geekbench listing is to be believed, the device will be fueled by the Helio X25 64-bit deca-core processor, the same chip youll find in the Meizu PRO 6. This device will also pack in 4GB of RAM, and will ship with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, while the companys MIUI 8 OS will be included on top of it. It is possible that the company plans to introduce several models of this smartphone, the only difference being in the internal storage. Thats more or less every piece of info we have thus far when it comes to the Redmi Pro. Xiaomi has managed to sell 110 million Redmi-branded smartphones thus far, the Redmi line is quite probably the companys most popular line of smartphones, so its no wonder they introduce so many Redmi-branded devices every year. In any case, stay tuned for more information, well report back if any additional info surfaces before the press conference. Xiaomi is one of the most popular smartphone manufacturers in Asia, and their devices ship with a proprietary skin called MIUI. Xiaomi had introduced MIUI 8, the latest variant of the OS, back in May alongside Xiaomi Mi Max phablet. Now, this was the announcement of the Chinese version of MIUI 8, the global ROM announcement followed last month, when Xiaomi introduced both the Mi Max and the global ROM of MIUI 8 in India. Just a couple of days ago, the company said that the MIUI 8 global beta ROM is now available for a number of devices, and as some of you might know, the stable build of this Android-based OS will arrive in August, according to Xiaomi. Having that in mind, the company had already released the first teaser for MIUI 9 on their official Weibo (Chinese social network) page. This might seem interesting considering that the MIUI 8 did not land yet, but this teaser more or less indicates that Xiaomi is starting to develop MIUI 9, and that theyre open for suggestions from their fans. Xiaomi has a very specific business strategy which often includes the inclusion of their users, theyve actually allowed consumers to choose what will the Mi Max going to be called. The company let consumers vote in a poll, and the Max naming won, not long after that, the Mi Max was introduced. Having in mind that Xiaomi is going to start developing MIUI 9 soon, and that theyre still accepting various ideas, we have no idea what new features to expect. MIUI 8 did, however, bring tons of new features, and on top of that, the company had revamped the OS to an extent. MIUI 8 finally offers a proper volume control center, the notification shade has been completely revamped, and the OS is flatter through and through. The color tone has been changed by Xiaomi, and features like split-screen, scrollable screenshots and duplicate apps are included in the new version of the companys Android-based OS. If youd like to read more about MIUI 8, click here. That is more or less it, the MIUI 8 will launch soon for a number of Xiaomi-branded devices, and unfortunately the company is accepting suggestions for the MIUI 9 from Chinese users only, so those of you who dont speak Chinese are out of luck, at least for the time being. (ANSA) - Brussels, July 14 - The European Commission was on Thursday considering the opening of another infringement procedure against Italy due to non-application of measures to stem a Xylella outbreak, EU sources told ANSA. A second infringement procedure would be brought in due to the previous being related to prior measures. The Xylella fastidiosa bacteria, which infects trees and slowly kills them, was first detected in southern Italy in 2013, marking the first outbreak of its kind in the European Union. It reportedly caused about a million olive trees in Puglia to die as of the summer of 2015. Italy started chopping down affected olive trees in Puglia in April last year, after the epidemic prompted France to declare an embargo on products from the southern Italian region at risk of infection from the deadly pathogen. A drastic plan to destroy infected Puglia trees and others seen as being at risk of infection and to create buffer zones to stop the bacteria spreading was drafted after the European Commission demanded "strict precautionary measures". Health and Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis will on Monday be meeting with Italian agriculture minister Maurizio Martina to urge Italy to apply the measures as soon as possible. (ANSA) - Rome, July 14 - Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said Thursday that Italy has upped its security measures amid heightened concerns about terrorism. He pointed to "a resurgence of jihadist threats" and said preventive action is ongoing in gathering places, railway and other public transport terminals, at airport and maritime borders, and any other locations deemed to attract outgoing or returning foreign fighters. Security forces are also carrying out targeted checks in jails, smaller airports, seaports, railways, and buses, Alfano said. As well, the minister said that since January 1 last year he has signed a total of 99 deportation orders against potentially dangerous foreigners. The minister noted he is relying on information from the Committee for Strategic Anti-Terrorism Analysis (CASA), which is "boosting information exchange among national and foreign intelligence services and police." The country must maintain a high level of alert and "strengthen security measures across the entire national territory", Alfano told a meeting of the national security and public order committee in which law enforcement, intelligence, and military chiefs of staff took part. (ANSA) - Milan, July 14 - Qatar Airways and Meridiana on Thursday signed a deal for Qatar to buy 49% of the Sardinian airline, sources close to the deal told ANSA. A statement from the Doha-based airline said the deal with Meridiana's parent company Alisarda was conditional on certain conditions that would have to be met by the start of October. The statement,on the airline's website, said "Qatar Airways announced today that it has signed a contribution and shareholders agreement with Alisarda, the parent company of Meridiana. "The agreement provides for Qatar Airways to purchase 49 per cent of Meridiana fly's shares, subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions, before the closing which is planned for early October." Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: "Qatar Airways continues to expand its business opportunities around the world, increasing travel options for our passengers while also enhancing our investment portfolio. "This agreement sets the path to progress our work towards a strong resolution that benefits both the staff and passengers who travel with Meridiana fly." Talks with Qatar Airways to rescue the struggling Italian regional airline have been going ahead for months. In June Qatar pulled out of talks due to a trade-union stance but Transport Minister Graziano Delrio worked hard to bring it back to the table. (ANSA) - Naples, July 14 - More than 4,000 children from 50 countries are part of this year's jury at the Giffoni Film Festival, dedicated to children's cinema and now in its 46th edition, which takes place July 15-July 24 in the tiny town of Giffoni Valle Piana near Salerno. The theme of this year's festival - Destinations - is representative of the dozens of films in competition from around the world, as well as the current reality facing thousands of migrants arriving in Europe in search of a future. Jurors have come to Italy from destinations across the Mediterranean, including Albania, Croatia, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Macedonia, Morocco, Qatar, Serbia, Slovenia, Tunisia, and Turkey. The festival has also formed strong Mediterranean partnerships over the years, among which the Doha Film Institute figures prominently. The Institute promotes film culture in Qatar and has sent a delegation of jurists to Giffoni, where four Qatari films will be screened as well: Good As New, Immortalising Memories, Light Sound, and To My Mother. Festival director Claudio Gubitosi will meet with partners from the Balkans, including Arben Ceku, director of Albania's National Film Centre, and Niko Ajazi, director of Giffoni Albania. Macedonia will be represented at Giffoni by Mimi Gjorgoska, director of the Macedonian Film Agency. This year's Giffoni will also help bring awareness to Europe's young people on the plight of refugees, thanks to a campaign by Amnesty International called "SOS Europe - First People, Then Borders". Doctors Without Borders will be at Giffoni with its #Milionidipassi (Millions of Steps) Experience, a multimedia experiential tour focusing on the millions of people who are fleeing their home countries due to war, violence or poverty. And as always, Giffoni will have at its heart movie stars and films, like this year's guest of honour Jennifer Aniston, and the Disney-Pixar Finding Nemo sequel Finding Dory, inaugurating the screenings at the Festival's opening night Friday. More than 175 films will be screened at Giffoni, with 105 in competition and four premieres, as well as a programme of concerts, shows, and workshops for children. BEIRUT - The war in Syria will be won soon, President Bashar Al-Assad said in an interview with US broadcaster NBC on the eve of Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to Moscow. ''The Syrian army has made a lot of advancement recently,'' Assad said. "The Russian support of the Syrian army has tipped the scales against the terrorists. It was the crucial factor.'' He was quoted by state-run SANA as saying that ''victory is near''. ''The Russian politics is not based on making deals - it's based on values,'' he said. He dismissed as ''illegal'' the U.S. airstrikes against ISIS, saying they were ''counterproductive'' and ineffective - compared to the ''legal'' ones by Russia. ''The reality is telling that, since the beginning of the American airstrikes, the terrorism has been expanding and prevailing,'' Assad explained. ''It only shrinked when the Russians intervened.'' He claimed that this was due to the fact that the US does not want to defeat terrorism and instead only use terrorists to bring down the Syrian government. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov on Thursday said the Russian government had no comment regarding a US proposal to Russia on a joint operation against al-Nusra Front in Syria, citing the fact that the plan was released through the press. The Washington Post made details of the proposal known in an article Wednesday, on the eve of US Secretary of State John Kerry's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday night to discuss Syria. On Thursday Kerry told journalists in Paris: "I'm going to Moscow, meeting with President Putin tonight". "We'll have plenty of time to talk about it and I'll give you all a sense of where we are." The Kremlin offered a similar statement. "After we've had time to discuss these proposals, not from journalists but based on first-hand information, we can talk about something," Peskov said. Turkey 'to normalize ties with Syria only if Assad goes' 'Both ISIS and regime must leave', says PM (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, JULY 14 - Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad must leave in order for Turkey to normalize relations with the country, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Thursday. ''Surely things need to change in Syria but first of all Assad should change,'' he said in an interview in Turkey. ''Unless Assad changes, nothing changes in Turkey. Assad has the main responsibility for turning things this way.'' Yildirim had on Wednesday said that normal relations would at some point be established with Syria again. He added in response to a question of which he preferred, the Islamic State (ISIS or 'Daesh') or Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad, he said: ''If you're asking me which one, we won't prefer any. Both have to go because it's trouble for the Syrians.'' ''As long as Assad is there, the problem won't be solved,'' he said. ''We'll have some other terrorist organization coming up because it's the attitude of the Syrian regime which created Daesh. It's their method of rule in Syria which created that. They're deliberately sending their people to death.'' (ANSAmed). Beethoven concert for refugees in Hamburg tomorrow In camp run by the Order of Malta (ANSAmed) - ROME, JULY 14 - The Spanish music project entitled 'A Kiss for All the World' will hold a concert of Beehoven music at a refugee camp in Hamburg, Germany, on July 15. ''The director of the orchestra and founder of the project, Inigo Pirfano, will conduct the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra at the concert for more than 400 people who have been forced to escape from the war and now live in one of the refugee camps run by the humanitarian organisation Malteser (Order of Malta) in the surrounding metropolitan area of this German city,'' according to a statement. ''Malteser runs 127 refugee camps in Germany that provide support for nearly 48 thousand people,'' the statement continued. ''According to the latest stats in 2015, 1 of every 3 refugees has received assistance from this institution, known worldwide as the "Order of Malta'' It added that ''The Order of Malta works in 120 countries across the world and was founded 900 years ago with the mission of caring for the least fortunate, regardless of their race, origin or creed.'' The 'A Kiss for All the World' project aims to ''share the message of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the world's most underpriviledge people'', according to its website. (ANSAmed). Morocco bans importing waste from Italy Cabinet halts delivery while awaiting analysis (ANSAmed) - RABAT, JULY 14 - The Moroccan cabinet on Thursday announced that a delivery of rubbish on its way into the country had been suspended while waiting for it to be tested. Environmentalists have in recent days protested the arrival of 2,500 tons of waste from Italy. The government has decided that no treatment of waste from other countries will be allowed in the future. The decision is legally binding but not retroactive. The testing ordered by the environment ministry is being done in France and the announcement of the cabinet's decision was made by Minister for Communications Mustapha Kahlfi.(ANSAmed). ROME - The head of the Italian branch of UNICEF, Giacomo Guerrera, said Thursday that an agreement between the Italian government and UNICEF was now being implemented. ''The death of children in the Mediterranean Sea continues and two more drowned yesterday. This is a tragedy that cannot leave us indifferent, and this is why UNICEF's commitment continues uninterruptedly,'' he said. The recent mission by a UNICEF delegation led by Deputy Director General Justin Forsyth to some reception centers with unaccompanied minors in Sicily, he added, set in motion the collaboration agreement. He thanked Italian interior minister Angelino Alfano and Mario Morcone, head of the ministry's Department of Civil Liberties and Immigration, for their support. The agreement calls for UNICEF to support the Italian government in several activities over the coming months. These include, according to a statement: the monitoring of reception standards for refugee and migrant children, especially those who are unaccompanied, to ensure they are in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child; monitoring the situation of refugee and migrant children in reception centers, particularly in the regions of Calabria, Campania and Sicily, in southern Italy; and monitoring all actions aimed at the integration of migrant and refugee children into Italian society. UNICEF is already monitoring the situation of migrant children in Ventimiglia in northern Italy, 7 kilometers from the French-Italian border. Beethoven concert for refugees in Hamburg in camp run by the Order of Malta ROME - The Spanish music project entitled 'A Kiss for All the World' will hold a concert of Beehoven music at a refugee camp in Hamburg, Germany, on July 15. ''The director of the orchestra and founder of the project, Inigo Pirfano, will conduct the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra at the concert for more than 400 people who have been forced to escape from the war and now live in one of the refugee camps run by the humanitarian organisation Malteser (Order of Malta) in the surrounding metropolitan area of this German city,'' according to a statement. ''Malteser runs 127 refugee camps in Germany that provide support for nearly 48 thousand people,'' the statement continued. ''According to the latest stats in 2015, 1 of every 3 refugees has received assistance from this institution, known worldwide as the "Order of Malta'' It added that ''The Order of Malta works in 120 countries across the world and was founded 900 years ago with the mission of caring for the least fortunate, regardless of their race, origin or creed.'' The 'A Kiss for All the World' project aims to ''share the message of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the world's most underpriviledge people'', according to its website. Kremlin offers 'no comment' on American proposal for Syria Draft proposal in Washington Post ahead of meeting (ANSAmed) - MOSCOW, JULY 14 - Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov on Thursday said the Russian government had no comment regarding a US proposal to Russia on a joint operation against al-Nusra Front in Syria, citing the fact that the plan was released through the press. The Washington Post made details of the proposal known in an article Wednesday, on the eve of US Secretary of State John Kerry's scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Syria. On Thursday Kerry told journalists in Paris: "I'm going to Moscow, meeting with President Putin tonight". "We'll have plenty of time to talk about it and I'll give you all a sense of where we are." The Kremlin offered a similar statement. "After we've had time to discuss these proposals, not from journalists but based on first-hand information, we can talk about something," Peskov said. Emirates has been invited by OHare International Airport, the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and the City of Chicago to test the gate, operations and significant infrastructure improvements that have been implemented to accommodate A380 service. Chicago has welcomed us from the day Emirates commenced daily flights from Dubai in 2014, and we are honoured to work alongside the City, airport, and department of aviation, to bring the A380 for a test flight to this exciting and progressive city, said Rob Gurney, Emirates senior vice president of The Americas. Over the last two years, Emirates flights have carried over 160,000 passengers from Chicago to Dubai and beyond for both business and leisure travel and have carried more than 60,000 tons of cargo, supporting tourism, business and exporters. Many of our customers from Chicago and surrounding areas have already experienced the Emirates A380 seamless and convenient connections from our hub in Dubai to more than 40 destinations across our network, including the Middle East, South Asia, and the Far East. The arrival of Emirates A380 plane to OHare International Airport is exciting for the city of Chicago, said CDA Commissioner Ginger S. Evans. The improvement weve made at OHare to accommodate the A380 is one of many projects underway that will make Chicago more competitive and attractive for passengers and businesses. I want to thank Emirates for its commitment to Chicago. Rolls-Royce is committed to developing a competitive, capable and flexible Trent Service Network to support the growing number of Trent engines that will enter service . This will be the second AMC in which Rolls-Royce does not hold an equity stake. The first, Delta TechOps, was announced in October 2015. Mubadala will create a purpose-built facility that will carry out work on the Trent XWB, the world's most efficient aero engine, that powers the Airbus A350 XWB. The Middle East region is forecast to have one of the worlds largest concentrations of Trent XWB engines with more than 20 per cent of the 1,600 sold to date due to be operated by airlines in the region, including the 62 A350s to be operated by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways. Rolls-Royce is also creating a world-class, competitive global supply chain within growth regions and key strategic markets and which gives us the flexibility we require as we increase engine production. To support those developments, Mubadala will open a new manufacturing centre that will deliver parts for the Trent engine family, including the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB. This new manufacturing centre will complement the existing disc manufacturing investment that Rolls-Royce has previously made in Washington, UK and Crosspointe, US. The announcement, made at the Farnborough Airshow, follows the Strategic Framework Agreement signed at the Dubai Airshow in November 2013 to establish the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as a key member of Rolls-Royce's global network for maintenance and manufacturing. Homaid Al Shemmari, Mubadala, chief executive officer, Aerospace & Engineering Services, said: The creation of a new Approved Maintenance Centre and an engine component manufacturing facility are both key milestones in the creation of a leading global aerospace hub in Abu Dhabi, further driving economic diversification. Eric Schulz, Rolls-Royce, President Civil Aerospace, said: Were pleased to work with Mubadala as it creates a global aerospace hub in Abu Dhabi. The creation of a new Trent XWB Approved Maintenance Centre, alongside manufacturing capability in the UAE, further demonstrates our commitment to this region, which is now so critical to the growth of our business. The AMC will service up to 150 engines a year in a new facility located at the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park, which is expected to be operational in 2021. The AMC agreement will be finalised in the second half of 2016, and construction of the AMC facility is expected to begin as early as 2017. The manufacturing centre at the same site will produce discs for the Trent XWB, with capability to make similar parts for other Trent engine types. It is expected to start operations in 2018. Rolls-Royce and Mubadala have also reached agreements to enter into a number of manufacturing development projects to support Mubudalas goal to become a Tier 1 aerospace industry supplier. The approval brings to a successful completion the process first announced at IDEF 2015. Turkey is the worlds largest operator of CN235s with 59 aircraft and has accumulated a wealth of expertise in the maintenance, repair, overhaul and updating of the aircraft in 20 years of operations. The agreement capitalises on those proven capabilities to provide support for aircraft of the Turkish Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy as well as those of other operators in the region. A single CN235 aircraft will be brought to Kayseri from an allied country to perform tests and begin the implementation process in October. Airbus Defence head of transport aircraft services Stephan Miegel said: Turkeys enormous experience with the operation and support of the CN235 will enable it to play a valuable role in the CN235 global support network. We congratulate the Turkish Air Force on achieving the required certification and look forward to examining future possibilities for it in supporting the C295 and A400M aircraft as well. In 2013, the Albanian Ministry of Culture envisioned a plan to improve the national cultural infrastructure, paying special attention to the renovation of existing historical buildings, reusing them with a new cultural program. One of the first projects included in this program is the Marubi National Photomuseum, which is specially important due to its pioneer character. The plan to create the museum has enjoyed an enormous national repercussion because of the historical importance of exhibiting the photographic legacy created during more than one century by three generations of photographers from the Marubi family. But also, because preserving and disseminating Marubi's work in a historical city as Shkoder acquires a strong symbolic significance that will help to promote the Albanian national identity, specially among new generations. Dialogue between tradition and modernity The selected design for the Marubi Museum developed by Casanova+Hernandez architects aims to promote a rich dialogue between tradition and modernity, between the past and the present. The legacy of the tradition is underlined by restoring the historical building designed by the famous Albanian painter, sculptor, photographer and architect born in Shkoder, Kole Idromeno, while preserving its spatial and structural qualities without any volume transformation or new interior partitions. Conceptually, Idromeno's building becomes an important object of the exhibition to be shown, contemplated and visited. A modern image associated to the new museographic program is achieved by installing five functional boxes, which are prefabricated and detached from the original building, working as pieces of furniture or sculptural elements. Tradition and modernity establish a dialogue in every corner of the building. At the exterior of the museum, a showcase element works as a landmark that indicates the museum entrance; in the interior of the building, the original windows and spatial qualities of the building dialogue with the exhibition boxes; and in the courtyard, the old building coexists with a new modern and sculptural back facade. Open, accessible and alive cultural landmark On the one hand, the museum program expands into the public space and one of the functional boxes becomes a showcase installed in front of the museum, serving as a landmark that invites citizens to visit it. On the other hand, public space enters the museum and the project erases the border between street and institution with a transparent and accessible ground floor that hosts a free-entrance multifunctional space for lectures, workshops and temporary exhibitions. As a result, the project intends to create an open and alive museum capable of becoming a cultural landmark linked to the street life of Shkoder. Interactive Chrono-Thematic exhibition: information and education combined into a multisensory experience The exterior side of the functional boxes located on the first floor of the museum presents a chronological exhibition, which is intertwined with the thematic exhibition exhibited inside them. The chronological exhibition shows the life and achievements of the Marubi's dynasty with texts, historical pictures, videos and objects organized around the biography of the three members of the Marubi's dynasty. This information is put into context together with the history and culture of Albania and the city of Shkoder, thus acquiring an important didactic dimension. The thematic exhibition complements the chronological exhibition by stimulating a multisensory experience that makes the visitor interact with the space and with the devices of the three thematic rooms. These rooms show three phases of the traditional photographic process presented inside the ideal reconstruction of the historical spaces where this process took place: the photo-studio of Pjeter Marubi "Driteshkronja", the darkroom of Kel Marubi and the Gege Marubi's archive. Museum Identity The modern image of the museum is based on an abstract pattern, which is inspired by the geometry of the aperture of the photographic camera that opens and closes to control the light. This abstract pattern is used to design the structural layout of the five exhibition boxes installed in the building, while at the same time integrates a complete and versatile exhibition system that includes frames to exhibit photos and documents, showcases for objects and video screens for slide-shows and short movies. The abstract pattern, which is always mixed with the photos and objects of the collection, becomes the symbol of the museum. It can be recognized at different scales and in several parts of the building such as in the logo of the museum, in the design of the street showcase, in the layout of the functional boxes inside the building, and even in the structure of the new artistic back facade that frames the views over the surroundings and filters the light within the building. Marubi National Museum of Photography acquires its own specific identity by linking all spatial, structural, functional, graphic and visual aspects, helping visitors to identify building and collection with a complete, rich and unique experience. Advice photo curator: Kim Knoppers Historian: Zef Paci Local Architect: Atelier 4 Structural Engineer: Diana Lluka Mechanical Engineer: Spiro Drita Electrical Engineer: Deshire Mena Photography: Christian Richters Blerta Kambo Casanova+Hernandez YEREVAN, JULY 12, ARMENPRESS. At the invitation of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Armenia Aghvan Hovsepyan the delegation headed by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Islamic Republic of Iran Naser Seraj on July 12 arrived in Armenia on a working visit. During the visit the parties will discuss a wide range of issues on struggle against corruption, protection of human rights, examination of applications, as well as authorities of both institutions. Signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation is planned. Note; the authorities and duties of the Supervisory Board of the Islamic Republic of Iran also include supervision on financial and administrative issues of institutions and departments of justice, institutions subordinate to judicial authorities, law enforcement bodies, state companies and institutions, municipalities, structures subordinate to Ministry of Internal Affairs and other organizations, regular conduction of inspections in the mentioned institutions. YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Theresa May will continue to form her new government later - as she begins her first full day in Downing Street, reports BBC. Leading Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson said he was "humbled" having been named new foreign secretary, in one of Mrs May's first cabinet appointments. Philip Hammond became chancellor, Amber Rudd is home secretary, and Eurosceptic David Davis is new Brexit secretary. Theresa May later told European leaders she was committed to the UK leaving the EU. In a series of congratulatory phone calls taken by Theresa May on Wednesday evening, the UK's second female prime minister spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny. I know you are working around the clock, I know you are doing your best and I know that sometimes life can be a struggle Theresa May, in her first speech as prime minister. A Downing Street spokesman said May had "emphasized her commitment to delivering the will of the British people to leave the European Union". "The prime minister explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke of her hope that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit," the spokesman added. Theresa May will continue to fill out her new cabinet later on Thursday, with the new secretaries of state for health, education, and work and pensions among those expected to be appointed. Theresa May began forming her new cabinet shortly after her arrival into 10 Downing Street. Her first cabinet announcement was former foreign secretary Hammond as chancellor - replacing George Osborne. George Osborne had been fired because his "brand" was seen as "too tarnished", BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said. Theresa May also appointed Liam Fox to the new position of secretary of state for international trade, while Michael Fallon was retained as defense secretary. Speaking on Wednesday night, Johnson said he was "very humbled" and "very proud" at the appointment. "Clearly now we have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our relationship with Europe and with the world and I'm very excited to be asked to play a part in that," he told the BBC. However, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron predicted Johnson would "spend more time apologizing to nations he's offended" than working as foreign secretary. After visiting Buckingham Palace, where she was formally appointed as prime minister by the Queen, Theresa May made her first speech outside 10 Downing Street. She vowed to lead a government that worked for all, not just the "privileged few", promising to give people who were "just managing" and "working around the clock" more control over their lives. For an "ordinary working class family", she added, "life is much harder than many people in Westminster realize". YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday in Moscow, presumably to focus on the Syria and Ukraine crises, reports TASS. "On Thursday late afternoon (July 14) President Putin will receive U.S. Secretary of State (John) Kerry and (Russian) Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. A set of themes is quite predictable: they include both Syria and Ukraine along with bilateral issues (of Russia and the U.S.)," presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. However, he did not give any more concrete details, noting that "it is Lavrov who is Kerrys counterpart." "We know that they (Lavrov and Kerry) will be having substantial talks on Friday (July 15)," the Kremlin spokesman said. Earlier, Russias Foreign Ministry said that violations of the ceasefire in Syria by armed groups controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra (a terrorist organization banned in Russia - eds. TASS) but claiming their commitment to the cessation of hostilities were the theme Russia was set to discuss with the U.S. secretary of state. The U.S. State Department said that Kerry would focus on the next stage in implementation of the ceasefire in Syria. Peskov pointed out that a possibility of the meeting between Putin and Kerry "was mentioned during a recent conversation between Putin and U.S. President (Barack) Obama," held on July 6. The Kremlin said then, "Putin called his interlocutors attention to the need to dissociate moderate Syrian opposition from the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group and other extremists to whom the ceasefire regime does not spread as early as possible. Both sides confirmed readiness to build up military coordination of Russian and American actions in Syria and stressed the importance to resume the U.N.-brokered intra-Syrian dialogue with the aim to reach the conflicts political settlement." Speaking about the Ukraine conflict to Obama, Putin "again pointed to the importance of strict implementation by Kiev of the Minsk Agreements of February 12, 2015, including organization of real direct dialogue with Donetsk and Lugansk, the holding of amnesty, the granting of a special status to the Donetsk and Lugansk peoples republics, and joint development of the law on local elections." Besides, the Kremlin said that both presidents "underscored there was no alternative to resolve the conflict but for a political solution and pointed to the need to activate efforts for prevention of any ceasefire violations, for full implementation of the withdrawal of heavy weapons and disengagement of warring sides.". YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. On the occasion of the French National Day, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan visited on July 14 the Embassy of France in Armenia. President Sargsyan congratulated Ambassador Jean-Francois Charpentier, the embassys staff, and the entire people of France. The President said he is happy to once again repeat on the occasion of the French National Day - that Armenia is proud with its special relationship with friendly France. President Sargsyan stressed the importance and appreciated the work of the French Embassy in the strengthening and development of inter-governmental relations and wished new achievements to the diplomatic representatives for the benefit of the two countries and peoples. Ambassador Charpentier thanked President Sargsyan for visiting the Embassy, for warm congratulations, good wishes, as well as for the appreciation of the Embassys activities, and noted that it is a great honor for him and the Embassys staff to even more deepen the ages-old friendship of Armenia and France through everyday work, which, according to the Ambassador, requires constant care and attention. On the occasion of the National Day of France, President Sargsyan also addressed a congratulatory message to French President Francois Hollande. The message reads: I cordially congratulate and send my best to you and the friendly people of the French Republic on the occasion of National Holiday. The high level political dialogue between our two friendly nations and atmosphere of mutual trust constitute a solid base for the future comprehensive development and deepening of the Armenian-French relations. I am confident that through our joint efforts, we will continue to strengthen the ties binding together Armenia and France in the bilateral as well as multilateral formats for the benefit of our peoples. You personal persistent stance on the issue of the criminalization of the denial of the Armenian Genocide is highly appreciated in Armenia; it once again underscores Frances and personally yours devotion to the universal human values, particularly to the international fight aimed at the prevention of crimes against humanity. We attach the utmost importance to the involvement and efforts of France, as a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, together with Russia and the United States in the process of a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict for the benefit of peace and stability in our region. I once again congratulate you on the occasion of National Holiday, wish you success and all the best, and I wish the friendly people of France greater advancement and prosperity, reads the congratulatory message of the President of Armenia. YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. The chairmanship of the National Unity party has unanimously decided to join the electoral bloc of the Republican Party of Armenia and Christian-Democratic Union of Armenia Party in the upcoming elections of local self-governing bodies. The decision was made during a session on July 14 which was headed by Artashes Geghamyan. National Unity regional organizations were instructed to closely cooperate with member parties of the electoral bloc. During the July 12 session in the Shirak regional branch of the ruling RPA, it was decided to take part in the Mayor elections of Gyumri with an electoral bloc with the Christian-Democratic Union of Armenia Party. The proportional list will be headed by incumbent Mayor Samvel Balasanyan. YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. Abu Omar al-Shishani, a high ranking Isis commander, has been confirmed as dead by pro-Isis propaganda outlets, reports the Independent. The Chechen-born, hugely popular 'minister of war' was killed in fighting close the beleaguered Iraqi city of Mosul. His death - purportedly at the hands of the US - was falsely reported in the past but the claim is now being supported by a number of analysts and pro-Isis social media accounts. Isis media outlet Amaq announced the news on Wednesday evening, saying al-Shishani was killed in combat in the Iraqi city of Shirqat, south of Mosul. Shishani, also known as Omar the Chechen, ranked among America's most wanted militants under a US programme that offered up to $5 million for information to help remove him from the battlefield. It seemed to be a coup for Theater for a New Audience: Its first summer Shakespeare production would be Hamlet, with the much-lauded Tony-winning director Sam Gold at the helm, and the rising Hollywood star Oscar Isaac in the title role. [But] last month Mr. Gold, citing insurmountable artistic differences, backed out and took the play and Mr. Isaac to the Public Theater. 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. The China Labour Bulletin publishes data on protests and social unrest in the world of work: an increase of 18.6% over last year, despite government attempts to stabilize the economy. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - Despite some signs of stabilization, the Chinese economy continues to produce strikes and protests by workers over their conditions and market injustice in all domestic provinces. In the first six months of this year there were on average eight strikes (or violent protests) per day, mostly related to problems of arrears in wages or social welfare payments. This is what emerges from the data collected in the first half of 2016 by the China Labour Bulletin (CLB), an independent trade union which is based in Hong Kong but also operates in mainland China. The numbers show an increase in social unrest over the previous year. In the first half of 2015, 1,224 complaints were registered against 1,454 for the current year, an increase of 18.6%. It should also be pointed out, as does the CLB, that the data is partial as it is almost impossible to cover the entire national area. The Chinese government does not allow the creation of independent trade unions and tries to prevent all coordinated social activity involving the world of work. 40% of the total of the protests involved the construction sector, although it should be noted that traditionally the Lunar New Year - which falls between January and February - is a period of great instability for the industry. Migrant workers demand back pay to be able to go home, and often the insolvency of employers provokes clashes and violence. The miners' strikes have nearly doubled, from 41 in 2015 to 74 recorded so far, while those in the manufacturing sector declined slightly, from 363 (2015) to 356 (2016). 55% of the protests in the industrial sector occurred in the four coastal provinces of Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shandong: these were once the "engine" of economic growth of the country, but now they are experiencing a sharp slowdown. by Sumon Corraya Operators and association officials confirm the wave of cancellations, including locals. For one trader, the situation is going to get worse. A US travel warning will affect us for a long time. Dhaka (AsiaNews) The massacre of foreigners in Dhakas Gulshan diplomatic district and Bangladeshs continuing sectarian violence have undermined international and domestic tourism. The hospitality industry hotels and restaurants have seen a drop in business. In a few days, scores of foreign tourist have cancelled their booked holidays in the South Asian nation. Now the situation is going to get worse after the Gulshan hostage incident, Sumon Dominic Gomes, a Catholic working as tourism trader, told AsiaNews. Some group bookings have been cancelled and the remaining foreign tourists do not want to go out sightseeing or dine in restaurants, he explained. They prefer to remain in their resorts. What is more, the United States has issued a travel warning for possible dangers in visiting Bangladesh, and this will affect us for a long time. Akbaruddin Ahmad, a former president of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh, agrees. "More than 15 major international travel agencies have dropped packages and promotions because customers do not want to come, he explained. The tourism sector was doing well and was profitable. If the government does not bring the violence under control, everything will be for nothing. For now, the cost of the attack can be measured in the "millions of dollars". Right after the attack on 1 July, a local Catholic source told AsiaNews that the attack was highly symbolic. "They wanted to hit where it hurts the most: foreign investment in Bangladesh, he had explained. They hope to get all foreigners to leave the country because they do not care about the welfare of the people. They wanted to show that they could attack the diplomatic heart of the capital, an area supposedly under tight controls." The Israeli government declares that "the decision was made to facilitate the work of Palestinian importers and thus help the economy of the Gaza Strip". Gaza (AsiaNews / Agencies) - After almost 10 years Israel has reopened the Erez crossing with Gaza (see photo). Since yesterday, trucks, cars and people can once again pass from Israel to the Gaza Strip. The Erez crossing was closed in 2007 meaning all transport had to pass through the southern Kerem Shalom crossing. The resulting traffic of hundreds of trucks and cars every day through the area had raised the complaints of the inhabitants of the Israeli towns. In May, the then Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon announced the reopening of the Erez to allow a greater flow of goods into Gaza and reduce congestion in Kerem Shalom. A spokesman for the COGAT, the section of the Ministry of Defense responsible for the implementation of government policies in the Palestinian territories, in confirming the passage of vehicles through the Erez crossing, said that "the decision was made to facilitate the work of Palestinian importers and thus help the economy of the Gaza Strip". An association of Palestinian vehicle owners said 110 trucks have arrived through Erez. by Fady Noun The Maronite Patriarch yesterday issued a discreet but real call for help to France, through its Foreign Minister. For minister Ayrault, France cannot decide on behalf of the Lebanese but it can play the role of facilitator. Beirut (AsiaNews) "The Maronite Patriarch yesterday issued a discreet but real call for help to France, through its Foreign Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, sources say. This appeal does not differ fundamentally from the one the head of the Maronite Church made in person on various past occasions to the French president, whom he met again in Lebanon last April and again in Paris on 9 May." The French Foreign Minister recently visited Bkerke as part of an official two-day visit to Lebanon (July 11-12), during which he met with the countrys top officials. The visit focused on three major topics: the presidential election, Frances presence in UNIFIL and aid to Syrian refugees, who are in Lebanon in huge numbers. "Please, help Lebanon remain itself, a model of pluralism and tolerance. Do everything possible to help separate Lebanons presidential election from the conflict raging in Syria and the deadly rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia," Patriarch Beshara al Rahi said in a speech in the Patriarchates main hall before representatives of all the Eastern Churches. "We must absolutely dissociate the presidential election from these conflicts that could last a long time," the patriarch stressed to Mr Ayrault. But the prelate made such a request, tragically conscious that it may be too late. Indeed, despair came through in the speech when he said, "We must acknowledge that they (Lebanese parliamentary blocs and groups) are already overwhelmed by regional interference. " The patriarchs bitterness is also reflected in the part of his address devoted to oil and gas wealth discovered off the coast of Lebanon which, he said, are "already in the process of being pillaged." This is left vague without clarifying who is responsible for this, Israel, encroaching on our exclusive economic zone, or Lebanese getting ready to share the cake. The patriarch has already slammed corruption in Lebanons political class at a time of weak state authority. Such ambiguity does not seem unintentional. Spiritual desertification of the East Yet, the patriarch does not seem totally despairing vis-a-vis the international community, calling for extending the UNIFIL mission to protect Lebanons eastern borders. "We highly appreciate (Frances) commitment to UNIFIL since its deployment in southern Lebanon in 1978, and we see rather favourably its extension to our eastern borders, the patriarch said. At least in its public form, this request is something relatively new. "Maronite Church, Eastern Church", the patriarch said as he emphasised that he "with his brothers (in the other Eastern Churches) hold a pastoral responsibility that extends to all Middle Eastern countries." In a brotherly fashion but without mincing his words, the patriarch resituated the Lebanese crisis in its geopolitical space, placing at once France, a declining power, before its regional and historical responsibilities since what is currently at stake will bear upon on the regions future, with an actual risk of "spiritual and cultural desertification" for a Middle East where Christians would be a negligible quantity. The French minister was supposed to reply in a brief address whose content can be best illustrated by the following words: "I said that France cannot decide on behalf of the Lebanese, but it can play the role of facilitator [. . .]. Lebanons singular path must be protected. That is the message I bring." Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli will appear before Parliament to see if he still has the numbers to govern. Former prime minister and Maoist leader Prachanda is touted to replace him. Since the advent of democracy, Nepal has had frequent changes in government. This crisis is due to Maoists desire to protect their leaders from war crime investigations. Kathmandu (AsiaNews) Nepals Maoist parties have withdrawn their support for the government of Communist Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and filed a no-confidence motion in parliament against the government. Ostensibly, the reason for this is Olis failure to live up to the commitments he made, nine months into his mandate. Others believe that Maoist parties might be trying to pre-empt probable indictments of their leaders, as a consequence of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing complaints from civil war victims. Now the prime minister will have to see whether he still has the confidence of the house where he no longer has an absolute majority. Should he lose a no confidence vote, he would be forced to resign. Yesterday, the Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal (MarxistLeninistMaoist Centre) and the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist) sent the prime minister letters indicating their decision to withdraw support. Oli did not hide his disappointment. As many as 280 lawmakers from the three parties said that they would back a no-confidence motion proposed by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as Prachanda, head of the Maoist Centre party, and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba. In their letters, the three parties complain that the current government failed to manage the demands of the Madhese and Tharu minorities, whose months-long protests led to clashes on the border with India and Indias subsequent trade embargo. The governments former allies also slammed its post-2015 earthquake reconstruction efforts, which have been slowed down considerably by widespread corruption. On 21 July, Prime Minister Oli must go before Parliament to seek its confidence. He needs 298 votes out of 595. He fails to obtain its support, he will have to resign and start a new phase of consultations between the parties. Cabinet changes are frequent in Nepal. Since 1990, when a parliamentary system was put in place, Nepal has had 23 governments. Prachanda, a former prime minister, is waiting in the wings. However, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is hearing evidence from the families who want justice for those who died during the countrys civil war (1995-2006), which might implicate him. Maoist parties had previously threatened to withdraw their support from the government if their leaders were formally indicted. In an attempt to avert the collapse of the government, the prime minister had signed an amnesty for war crimes. Various experts spoke to AsiaNews about Olis capitulation to the Maoists and the victims, whose families are still seeking justice after ten years. by Nirmala Carvalho Incessant rains have hit in the central states of Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. In recent days 24 people have died and 170 thousand others had to leave their homes. The operators of the social arm of the Church have set up field hospitals and are distributing tents and survival kits to thousands of families. Mumbai (AsiaNews) - India has been hit in recent days by torrential rains that have killed at least 24 people and forced 170 thousand others to flee their homes. The most affected areas are the central states of Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. Here the volunteers of Caritas India are bringing aid to the populations and are distributing basic necessities and survival kits to thousands of people. Speaking to AsiaNews Fr. Frederick D'Souza, director of the social arm of the Catholic Church in India, talks about the difficult weather conditions in which the operators are working in an attempt to reach out and save as many people as possible. The Director reports that Caritas has managed to reach all three areas scourged by rain and has organized collection and distribution points. The Catholic organization immediately mobilized after the start of the emergency and has already provided assistance to 2 thousand families. In the town of Satna (Madhya Pradesh) and Ghat (in Uttarakhand) Catholics have set up five field hospitals, where they are providing medical care to about 1,000 injured people. In Lakhimpur (Assam) and Satna waterproof tents are being distributed to 1,000 families; 1,500 families Ghat and Lakhimpur have been provided with kits containing sleeping mats and mosquito nets. Fr. D'Souza points out the difficulties the volunteers are working in, including areas that are under mud and water. "But they do not feel the need to eat - he says -, sleep and rest. They travel long distances on foot in search of flood victims ". The director of Caritas India in particular thanked Card. Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai, because "the archdiocese is the largest funder of Caritas. When there are natural disasters and calamities, it launches a personal appeal to all the faithful, who then respond by helping Caritas India. The cardinal has suffering humanity at heart and is a pastor who recognizes the smell of his sheep who have wounds and are in pain, regardless of the faith they profess". The Philippine foreign minister prepared to raise the issue in the euro-Asia Summit scheduled for tomorrow. Beijing replies: "is not the right place" to do so. Filipino bishops concerned about migrants in China. The appeal of Msgr. Santos: "Do not mention the dispute in public and on social networks." Manila (AsiaNews) - China should abide by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (CPA) ruling on the Law of the Sea, under which Beijing "has no right" to sovereignty over disputed territories in the South China Sea. This is according to a statement released by Manila, two days after the historic - although not binding - verdict of the Hague Tribunal regarding the disputes in the waters of the Asia-Pacific region. Beijing yesterday branded the international tribunal that issued the sentence as "failed", reiterating its sovereignty over the islands and atolls of contention. The Beijing leadership claims to have been "the first to have discovered, named, explored and exploited" the area, exercising "continuous and peaceful" sovereignty and jurisdiction. The Manila government, in an official note of the Philippine Foreign Minister, Perfecto Yasay, has responded announcing its intention to discuss the dispute in the context of the two-day Asia-Europe summit (ASEM) which will open tomorrow in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, in the presence of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Minister Yasay will attend the conference on behalf of the president-elect Rodrigo Duterte and "will raise the issue in the context of ASEM agenda". Manila intends to continue a "peaceful and rules-based approach" to resolve disputes in the South China Sea. The government also calls on "all parties to respect the decision". The new president Duterte, who has so far maintained a softer approach toward China and a more diplomatic stance on the dispute, has called the ruling a "milestone". He did not, however, want to celebrate the judges' decision, continuing the low-profile policy and again reaffirming the proposal of sharing natural resources with Beijing. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has already said that the summit in Mongolia "is not the right place" to discuss the issue, which should be excluded "from the agenda" as announced by Vice-Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou. The political and social repercussions of the Hague court ruling are a source of concern even among the Filipino bishops. The focus is on migrants who live and work in China, who could be subject to attacks or reprisals by nationalist movements or individuals. Msgr. Ruperto Santos, Bishop of Balanga and president of the Episcopal Commission for the welfare of migrants and overseas workers of the Bishops Conference (CBCP), invites his fellow citizens "not to mention" the matter in public for "security reasons." "We invite the Filipino migrants - says the bishop - to maintain a responsible, respectful attitude and low profile. There is no need to debate the issue in public. " He also urges his fellow citizens living in China not to form groups, and not to mention the decision on social media and online forums. As an "Oratio Imperata" Last year, Filipino bishops had promoted peace in the South China Sea. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh calls on Saudis to spend their holidays at home. Excessive freedom in other countries may be dangerous to their values and morals. For those set to go, he admonishes to pray, fear God, and force their women to wear the veil. Riyadh (AsiaNews/Agencies) Saudi Arabias Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh slammed foreign holidays for Saudi nationals not out of concern for the kingdoms domestic tourism, but to protect their virtues and morality. It is better not to go to other countries because of the excessive freedom and disregard of their people for social and moral obligations, the mufti said answering a question from a listener during a radio show. To those who are already abroad, he said they should work to maintain their Islamic spirit by performing prayers and adhering to other religious obligations. These countries have completely open social media and communication systems where everything is available online, Al-Sheikh warned. The mufti advised those who are still inclined to travel abroad, for whatever reason, to fear God, offer five daily prayers and stay away from what God has forbidden, like places of vice. He also said that men should ensure that their wives and daughters wear veils and stay away from mixed gatherings. The grand mufti criticised some Western countries that have already banned the use of veils and scarfs by Muslim women as they conflict with their own customs and traditions. In reality, many countries have only banned full face-veiling out of security considerations. Saudi Arabias legal system is based on Sharia, or Islamic law, which imposes the death penalty in cases of murder, rape, drug trafficking and sorcery. Except for Muslims, freedom of religion does not exist in the ultra-conservative Sunni Wahhabi kingdom. Women are not allowed to drive, and must always be accompanied by a male relative when they want to leave home or the country. They cannot receive medical care without the consent of their guardian. by Nguyen Dinh The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs "welcomes" the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Hanoi claims sovereignty over part of the disputed area and an exclusive economic zone. The majority of citizens in favor of territorial claims. But disputes must be resolved peacefully and according to international law. Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - Hanoi "welcomes" Permanent Court of Arbitration (CPA) ruling on the Law of the Sea, under which Beijing "has no sovereignty" over the disputed territories in the South China Sea (or Eastern Vietnamese Sea). The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Le Hai Binh, commented on the July 12 judgment by the international tribunal regarding the islands and seas at the centre of the dispute in the Asia-Pacific region. The ruling is of strong political significance, but is not binding, so that Beijing has already announced it will not comply because it was handed down by a "failed" court; in contrast, the verdict was welcomed by the Philippines which first sought arbitration in January 2013. In an official statement Minister Binh stressed that "Vietnam is preparing a more detailed comment" on the matter, which will be issued "at a later time." However, the Hanoi authorities confirmed their position in the context of the case, reflecting "the declarations dating to December 12, 2014, submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the international court." The Vietnamese authorities therefore reaffirm the declaration of "sovereignty" of part of the atolls that make up the archipelago of the Spratly and Paracels in the South China Sea, and to claim an "exclusive economic zone" in the area. Hanoi's territorial claims are supported by the majority of the population, while authorities are pressing for a "peaceful" resolution through "diplomacy". In addition, the Vietnamese government have asked to "avoid the use of threat and force", instead favoring the rules and regulations provided for "under international law". In the past, the Vietnamese nationalist groups and ordinary citizens have taken to the streets to protest against Beijing's "imperialist" policy in the region's seas. The Hanoi government has repressed the demonstrations on several occasions, while countering the Chinese designs on the region and raising international protests over the disputed missile installations on the atolls. Commenting to AsiaNews on the verdict, Prof. Pham Dinh, a Catholic historian and expert on the Spratly and Paracel islands, recalls the past Chinese attacks on Vietnamese ships and positions. In particular, the assault on January 19, 1974, which killed 65 soldiers "heroes" of the Republic of Vietnam, resulting in Chinese occupation of the Paracels. Such attacks continued in following years, recalls the professor, for example on March 14, 1988 when Chinese warships attacked Vietnamese troops. ISIS Concedes That There Won't Be A Caliphate Trending News: ISIS Admits It's Probably Not Getting That Caliphate Why Is This Important? Because this is an unequivocally good sign (for everyone but ISIS). Long Story Short The Washington Post reports that even though ISIS continues to take in recruits, they've conceded that they'll likely never achieve the caliphate they hoped to create. They're also prepared to lose what few lands they have. Long Story When ISIS burst onto the world scene, they were so cartoonishly evil and unstoppable seeming, you could have used their real exploits in a screenplay and Michael Bay would have said the villain was too over the top. They were flush with cash. They had an incredibly sophisticated social media network. Most importantly, they were able to conquer territory to build land towards what they hoped would one day become their caliphate an empire ruled by someone considered to be a successor to the Muslim prophet Muhammad. According to a new report by the Washington Post, that's just not going to happen. Though ISIS can and does continue to commit unspeakable acts of terror against innocent civilians, over time we've seen the facade break down. Their cash reserves are all but gone now, making them unable to pay their employees. We've also seen their soldiers in action, and though it was just a glimpse, they appeared to be far from trained killing machines. Now, things have gotten to the point where ISIS is telling their new recruits that there won't be a caliphate at all. Per the Post: "A remarkable editorial last month in al-Naba, the Islamic States weekly Arabic newsletter, offered a gloomy assessment of the caliphates prospects, acknowledging the possibility that all its territorial holdings could ultimately be lost. Just two years ago, jihadist leaders heralded the start of a glorious new epoch in the worlds history with the establishment of their Islamic 'caliphate,' which at the time encompassed most of eastern Syria and a vast swath of northern and western Iraq, a combined territory roughly the size of Great Britain." Theyre not trying to be clever about it, added Will McCants, a Brookings Institution researcher and author of the 2015 book ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State. But theyre really trying to prepare their followers to cope with a caliphate that is no longer a caliphate. That is good news in the way that any multinational terrorist organization losing territory is always good news, but there's a catch. For years, ISIS has waged something approaching a conventional ground war in Syria and Iraq. But an ISIS with no caliphate to defend is an idle ISIS, which means they'll have more time and energy to focus their efforts on the sorts of "rogue" attacks we've seen recently. "The deadly attacks against Istanbuls Ataturk Airport and Baghdads Karrada shopping district both relatively easy targets for terrorists concerned only with massive numbers of civilian casualties were probably also part of the same effort to reassure followers of the Islamic States vitality, McCants said." That's certainly bad, but with any luck, support for these attacks (along with the willingness to die for them) will wane as ISIS destabilizes and their goals become less defined. The Post also mentions that ISIS is nowhere near as well-organized as Al Qaeda, and likened them more to a populist political movement. With that kind of volatility, maybe they won't be around much longer. Own The Conversation Ask The Big Question Will the world ever be free of these kinds of terror groups? Disrupt Your Feed People have been saying this for years: let them collapse on themselves. Drop This Fact ISIS once landed a $425 million windfall when they sacked a bank in Mosul. Suicide Squad Members Meet The Suicide Squad's 10 Most Badass Characters Page 1 of 3 The DC Extended Universe is gearing up for its antidote to Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In three weeks, we get Suicide Squad, a gritty and ticklish comic-book adventure about hardened criminals given the option to save the world as part of Task Force X or face a death sentence. The movie takes place soon after the events in BvS. While Batman gets ready to recruit superheroes for Justice League, the U.S. government rounds up supervillains, all of whom have a special hatred for the Dark Knight. If you look at what Bruce Wayne has done in creating the Batman persona, his idea was to terrorize criminals, explains writer/director David Ayer during an on-set interview last year. It's sort of psychological warfare, this wraith that comes in the night and attacks and pulls criminals from society. For the first time, we're seeing Batman from the point of view of the criminals and he's freaking scary. While Batman and the Joker are iconic to audiences across the globe, Task Force X will be coming off as fresh faces. Sure, comic book fans are well-versed in their adventures but most of us dont know what a Rick Flag is. That gave Ayer a little more freedom to reinvent these characters, while also respecting their roots. While on set in Torontos Pinewood Studios, we talked to Ayer and his squad of actors, producers and crew to find out everything you need to know about who these bad guys really are and what you can expect from them in the movie. So here are ten characters in Suicide Squad you need to look out for. Amanda Waller Viola Davis Amanda Waller is the orchestrator behind Task Force X, pulling the team together and sending them out on missions with the understanding that they arent necessarily meant to return. She doesnt have any superpowers or signature weapons, but shes easily one of the strongest characters in the movie. In the comics, she famously got up in Batmans face and cornered him into a wall. If you think about Amanda Waller, she has to be scarier than the supervillains that she manages, says director David Ayer, who sounds awestruck by Davis devious interpretation of the character. Ayer reminds us that Waller survived Chicagos impoverished Cabrini-Green Homes, though she lost her husband and children to street violence. I've always imagined her as a person who has boot-strapped herself through the federal government and simply out of force of will and ability, risen up to this incredible position of power. And with Amanda Waller calling the shots, fans can look forward to seeing A.R.G.U.S. hovering not far behind. Rick Flag Actor Joel Kinnaman calls his character Amanda Wallers blunt instrument. Rick Flag is not a criminal with a death sentence hanging over his head but an exceptional military man meant to keep the feuding Task Force X members in line. And you can probably guess the rather cunning special instructions he receives along the way. Over the course of the movie, allegiances shift, says Kinnaman. I think he starts to question his whole moral foundation his whole look upon what duty is, who is honorable, who is worth leading, and who is worth following. The character also has to decide between women. Kinnamans Rick Flag has a history with Cara Delevingnes June Moon, the woman who becomes Enchantress. And while serving on Task Force X, the Flag gets pretty comfy with Karen Fukuharas Katana. Hes got decisions to make. Were sitting with Kinnaman on a soundstage where a Grand Central-like train station is being built for a climactic battle. Hes just arrived after practicing holding his breath for an upcoming underwater sequence and is currently sneaking in a little chicken and rice dinner. Hes wearing a camo tank top, exposing arms that look like canons with a tattoo quoting Shakespeare. Im super pretentious like that, he laughs. Hes also looking pretty beat up. Hes got some fresh burns from shooting firefights, as piping hot shell casings would end up caught inside his shirt. A couple nights before, he was getting tackled by adversaries while holding his rifle. The gun had a tendency to hit me in the balls every take, says Kinnaman. On the last take, the gun levitated, rotated and came back down like a spear, aiming for the same nether region. I almost got castrated, says Kinnaman. And then last night, I wore a big ass cup. Deadshot While Suicide Squad is all about the ensemble, the movie is built around Deadshot, the gun-for-hire with the famous wrist magnums. And it only makes sense to stick your biggest movie star in that role. David Ayer wrote the role with Will Smith in mind the two had been planning to work together for some time. To put Will in a role with a little grey and a little complexity is perfect because he's so sympathetic and he's got such a good heart as a person, says Ayer. Part of what I do as a filmmaker is find the film's viewpoint and he's a fantastic way to tell a story. In the film, Deadshot enjoys a good kill but also has a daughter on the back of his mind, giving him some morals to strive for. He becomes the de facto leader of Task Force X, a position Smith naturally falls into as both the cheerleader and role model for several of his much younger cast mates. Hes the class clown, says Karen Fukuhara, who got to enjoy Smiths renditions of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air rap on set. The 24-year-old was in diapers when that show was on the air, so it could very well be the first time she heard it. Fukuhara recalls when Smith sustained a leg injury. Instead of taking a break to let it heal, he came back to the on-set gym to work on his upper body. He was saying, This is what it's going to take to make this movie. This is who I am. This is how I got here. I'm not going to back down and take a break. Patrick OSullivan QC, president of the Australian Bar Association (ABA), is highlighting issues concerning the Northern Territory and how Timor Leste may be assisted by the organisation.OSullivan has met with Northern Territory Attorney-General John Elferink and Shadow Minister for Corrections Natasha Fyles this week to discuss proposed legislation concerning the jurisdictions bail policy specifically as it applies to juveniles and the indigenous.According to a statement from the ABA, it and the Northern Territory Bar Association recently aired concerns proposed bail legislation in the Northern Territory. It will remove the presumption in favour of bail for juveniles in relation to repeat property offenders, they said.If the proposed legislation becomes law, it will have the effect of making it harder for children to get bail before they receive a trial. This proposal flies in the face of the presumption of innocence and the fundamental principle that imprisonment of a child should be the last resort, said OSullivan.The ABA believes these laws will disproportionately target young indigenous men in the Northern Territory, where the rate of indigenous people in prison is close to 90 percent. Indigenous incarceration is a national crisis and we need to be looking at solutions that divert indigenous people from the criminal justice system, not the other way around.OSullivan also met with new Chief Justice of the Northern Territory, The Hon Michael Grant CJ in Darwin.It was a pleasure to meet with and discuss various issues with him. He comes with an exemplary reputation as an advocate of the highest order and his vast experience across so many areas will serve the Court well, the ABA president said.OSullivan will also be visiting Timor Leste, Dili on July 14 to join the 2016 Northern Territory Bar Associations annual conference.The conference provides an important opportunity for the Australian Bar and the legal profession as a whole to observe the Timor Leste legal system and see how the Australian Bar may be able to assist, said OSullivan.Judicial independence and accountability, maritime issues in the Timor Gap, regional opportunities for commercial arbitration, youth justice and domestic violence will be discussed during the conference. by Mark Abernethy One in three lawyers have a drinking problem, according to a report in the American media this week, but lawyers in Australia suffer similar rates of problem drinking. University of NSWs 2014 report, Lawyering Stress and Work Culture: An Australian Study found 32 per cent of the 1,000 lawyers were problem drinkers. The study also linked regular alcohol consumption to more serious depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. Alcoholics Anonymous Australia says it is common in high-stress professions such as law, that alcohol is used as a stress-relief. Tony, a spokesman for AA Australia, told Australasian Lawyer there has been an AA closed group for lawyers in Sydney for many years. There are barristers, solicitors and judges in AA, he said. But we dont keep records were anonymous. He said there was a difference between an alcoholic and a problem drinker. Overworked lawyers drinking to relieve stress doesnt necessarily make them alcoholics, said Tony. But they may not be doing themselves any favours, mentally or physically. The profession recognises the risk factors. NSW Law Society, for instance, promotes Lifeline for Lawyers, LawCare and support services such as Senior Lawyers, mentoring schemes and the Lawyers Assistance Program. It also links to the Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation, an independent organisation that aims to decrease distress and the causes of depression and anxiety in the legal profession. The UNSW study, while acknowledging the link between professional stress and alcohol, also cited a 2009 survey of over 2,000 Australian law students, solicitors and barristers, showing that nearly 60 per cent of the respondents reported moderate to very high levels of psychological distress. The authors concluded that legal educators, professional groups and law firms should raise awareness of mental health issues and offer support for the management of depression and psychological distress among students and practitioners. The UNSW report was the first to investigate the extent to which stress, anxiety and depression among lawyers are associated with the conditions and culture of legal practice. The study showed high level of stress and negative emotional states among the lawyers, pervading across practice types and demographic groups. Excessive job demands, minimal control over workload and spill-over of work commitments into personal life were just some of the work-related factors significantly correlating with poorer mental health. The UNSW report found that there was a culture of alcohol in law firms and that lawyers working in larger firms were at a higher risk of alcohol use than those in smaller firms or those working in chambers. The culture of over-work was raised in the report, because Australian lawyers spend at least 12 hours at work each day almost double the national average for actual hours worked. Free newsletter Subscribe to our FREE newsletter service and well keep you up-to-date with the latest breaking news, cutting edge opinion, and expert analysis affecting both your business and the industry as whole. Please enter your email address below and click on Sign Up for daily newsletters from Australasian Lawyer. by Mark AbernethyThe holding company that owns two well-known names in Australian IP law and patent work Qantm Intellectual Property is preparing for its Initial Public Offering on the ASX.Qantm owns the boutique IP law firm Davies Collison Cave and patent attorney firm Freehills ranked top-tier in Australia for patent prosecution in the 2016 edition of the IAM Patent 1000 , IAMs annual guide to the worlds leading patent practitioners.Pre-IPO reports to prospective investors show a broker-valuation up to A$374 million ($284 million) of the company that will cover IP law, patent filings, IP holding and litigation. Qantm is expected to list on the Sydney stock exchange (ASX) later this year.Freehills and Davies each have four people on IAMs ranking for prosecutions. IAM lists Freehills Patent Attorneys as being in the elite of patent attorney outfits, thanks to its technical prowess and its placement beside the Herbert Smith Freehills network. The firm deals with large corporates and multinationals and handles the bulk of the University of Sydney s Australian and global patent filings,According to the pre-IPO research Qantm could be Australias second-ranked IP service provider in terms of patent filings, with potential for growth in neighbouring jurisdictions.Australia as a mature market has seen filings grow at 3-4 per cent per annum [20-year annual compound growth rate], but Asian filings are growing at 11 per cent per annum, effectively underwriting top line growth, Evans & Partners told its clients pre-IPO.ASX-traded IP service provider IPH (which owns Spruson & Ferguson), has benefitted from substantial exposure to Asian markets, with a stock price increase of over 150% during the course of 2015. People in Australia who are concerned about their visa status or who may have overstayed are urged to contact immigration officials to regularise their situation.The Community Status Resolution Service (CSRS) carries out regular visits to locations outside of main state capitals to help people. It is currently conducting outreach visits in Queensland at a number of locations, for example, where those who do not have a valid visa and would like to know more about their options, can drop in for help.'The Community Status Resolution Service (CSRS) is a free service in our Department that works with people who have overstayed their visa or have a Bridging visa E,' said a spokesman for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP).'When you approach us with an expired Australian visa, or a Bridging visa E, you can be referred to the CSRS if you need help to resolve your immigration matter. A Community Status Resolution officer will be able to give you information about your immigration or departure options, answer your questions and connect you with organisations for further assistance if needed,' he explained.'If you cooperate with us to resolve your immigration status, we can grant you a Bridging visa E. This lets you stay in Australia for a short time while you finalise your immigration matter,' he pointed out.The spokesman also pointed out that the DIBP regularly conducts compliance activity to locate people living in the community unlawfully. 'If you are found in the community without a visa, you could be detained and removed from Australia. You could face a three year re-entry ban from visiting Australia again,' he added.The spokesman said that those who are thinking about leaving Australia can do so at any time, even if they don't have a valid visa. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) may be able to help those planning to return home.However the DIBP spokesman warned that anyone who arrived in Australia illegally by boat, cannot apply for a further bridging visa.'The CSRS holds outreach sessions in regional areas around Australia. You can approach officials at one of these sessions to talk to a CSRS officer about your expired visa or your Bridging visa E,' the spokesman added.People can also phone the CSRS for information about expired visas or Bridging visa Es. This can be done anonymously and people can seek general information or speak to the operator in more detail about their circumstances.CSRC officials can also be contacted through an immigration office but they are not available in all immigration offices. Hi everyone! Nice to meet you! Imagine that I'm giving you a virtual wave right now. I'm not really a newbie because I've registered for an account here a few months ago. I'm originally from the Philippines and currently working on my documents for a visa that will allow me to stay in Australia. I'm grateful for the information that I have obtained from reading the posts here. You all seem to be helpful and friendly. I really look forward to interacting with all of you. Cheers! Hi all, just wondering if anyone else has found themselves in this situation and/or can offer any advice? We applied for my husband's Partner Visa 309 in March this year, from France, so the Madrid embassy. I received an email from our CO on Monday stating that his visa was ready to be granted and to make arrangements to travel offshore so his visa can be granted (we are in Australia now). I emailed back to say great news and ask a few questions about how long we needed to be offshore for and the CO replied basically saying sorry for the misunderstanding, the visa is not ready to be granted and must wait standard processing times to be met. Given the granting of a visa is of such huge significance for us all, I'm a bit at a loss that the CO can email such news in error. Has this happened to anyone before? Any advise on whether it's worth following up at all? The only message I got was that they appreciate that their emails may have been confusing! Cheers. Does Audis smallest SUV have what it takes to be a winner? We drive it to find answers. What is it? The Q2 is the smallest SUV from the German luxury brand, Audi. An SUV that has the potential to be Indias most affordable premium car, the Q2 retails in other markets at the same price as the A3 hatch; this, incredibly, means it could go on sale for a price not too removed from Mercedes A-class or BMW 1-series, giving it a big advantage. While it is based on the A3 that uses the MQB platform, the Q2 uses an all-new design language that differs substantially from the minimalist approach currently used by the four ring brand. Full of cuts, creases and heavily stylised bits, the Q2 has much edgier feel than SUVs like the Q3 and Q5. Up front, the new single-frame grille is wider and larger than those used earlier and its edges are more squared off than those of recent Audis too. The grille 'floats' above the chin in an interesting manner, and Audi has once again used metallic angles under the headlights to good effect. What sets the design apart, however, is the gouged-out shoulder line, which appears to have been sculpted with a palette knife, and the blacked out 'C' pillar in the rear, that makes the roof 'float', is quite interesting too. The rear, however, does look quite hatchback-like, and that's despite the big splitter and the nicely sculpted rear section. Under the skin the front-wheel-drive models get a non independent suspension setup and a fully independent multi-link setup is used for those with four-wheel drive or quattro. What's it like on the inside? The cabin of the Q2 is full of both typically Audi highlights as well as some fresh new bits. And the quality and high spec shine through immediately. The Q2 may be one of the most affordable Audis, but the cabin is so well specified and built, it could pass muster on something like a Q3 or even a Q5. To begin with, it comes with Audi's all-new virtual cockpit, and the build quality of the cabin is also right up there with some of the best SUVs from a class above. The controls work with pleasing precision, the MMI infotainment interface is simple and intuitive to use and theres an edginess to the design that will appeal to many. The high-quality decals on the dash are an interesting bit. They light up in florescent shades and even change colour (it sounds tacky, but it isn't), and the A3/TT-like circular vents and the minimalist buttons and chromed work knobs work well too. While the top of the dash has an attractive soft-touch finish and the grey leather seats are beautifully finished, there are harder/cheaper plastics on the door pads and around the centre console. And look lower down inside the cabin, and there's even more here. Audi, however, has integrated them so smartly; they really appear to be quite inoffensive. Also, importantly for India, there's a sufficient amount of legroom in the rear, and rear-seat passengers certainly wont be complaining; you can fit a 6ft tall adult behind another of the same height without any problem. And, the cabin is wide and you are sat at a decent height. The Q2, however, is one of the smaller SUVs out there (it's 20cm shorter than a Q3), and this takes a toll on the feeling of space on the inside. The high window lines makes you feel quite hemmed in, while the very stylised and sporty roof does come down quite a bit towards the rear. Bootspace, however, is quite impressive. The 405-litre boot is bigger than even some compact sedans in this class and it benefits from the option of a 40/20/40 split to add practicality. Without the acoustic insulation and interior trim products produced by Clark-Cutler-McDermott, General Motors finds itself between a rock and a hard place . Happily, however, the American carmaker worked out what to do with the CCM bankruptcy. As per a report published by Automotive News , GM won court approval to retrieve tooling and finished parts from Clark-Cutler-McDermott Company.Through this move, General Motors narrowly avoided a shutdown of most of its North American assembly plants. We have reached a settlement with Clark-Cutler-McDermott and do not anticipate any disruptions to our supply chain or business, a GM spokesman told Automotive News.This is great news for General Motors as an automaker, the tens of thousands of GM workers, and the customers waiting for their cars and trucks to be assembled and delivered.Considering that General Motors accounts for more than 80 percent of Clark-Cutler-McDermott Companys profit, and GM had no other suppliers for the parts manufactured by CCM, things couldnt have worked out better than this. Simply put, General Motor s now has access to the tooling and inventory of the Massachusetts-based outfit.This doesnt mean that General Motors bought Clark-Cutler-McDermott outright, but gained access to certain production equipment, tooling, as well as finished parts. Before General Motors worked around the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Clark-Cutler-McDermott, the biggest of the Big Three manufacturers in Detroit had lost five days searching for a substitute supplier.If CCM were to agree to hand over the tooling and finished parts before General Motors took this problem to a federal bankruptcy court judge in Massachusetts, then all this mishmash wouldn't have happened. Duxford Green is the colour for 'Spitfire 80', 8 x V12S commissioned by us to mark 80 years of the Spitfire pic.twitter.com/6GaqxGEFtK Aston Cambridge (@AstonCambridge) May 27, 2016 This is not a joke. A dealership in Cambridge came up with the paint scheme and all the other bits and bobs that make this a special edition, then asked Q by Aston Martin if it can make 8 copies of this bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful Aston Martin Why did Aston Martin Cambridge order 8 units of the V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80? Well, 2016 marks eight decades since the prototype (K5054) took off from Eastleigh Aerodrome with Captain Joseph "Mutt" Summers in the hot seat. On June 3, 1936, the British Air Ministry placed an order for 310 units of the Supermarine Spitfire.Now that the history lesson is over, what we have here is a V12-powered Vantage S with 563 brake horsepower on tap and an exhaust sound that could wake the dead from their eternal sleep. Painted Duxford Green and beautified by a yellow pinstripe that pays tribute to those found on the Spitfires wings, this brute also wears tailpipe finishers with a rainbow bloom effect. The brake calipers are yellow as well, which is jolly nice.Inside, the personalization service of Aston Martin adorned the special edition model with Kestral Tan leather upholstery and Alcantara, as well as bespoke embroidery on the headrests.How much does it cost to get into the V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80 club? Some 180,000 or just about 40,000 more than a regular Aston Martin V12 Vantage S. Too much, too little, that's up to you to decide.Do you know what this car is missing, though? This V12 Vantage S needs World War II -inspired sharks mouth decal and RAF roundels. The 1961 Lincoln Continental Convertible in the photo gallery to your right will headline the Mecum Monterey auction in August for the simple fact that the car was assigned to Jaqueline Kennedy for personal use during the late John F. Kennedys tenure as POTUS.As per Mecum Auctions , the 17.7-foot long car was given to the White House by the Ford Motor Company. Afterward, the White House assigned the white-painted cruiser to Jacqueline, probably because JFK already had a fleet of Continentals at his disposal.Once equipped with all the Secret Service equipment available in the 1960s, the Conti now presents itself in civilian overalls. After Jacqueline had been done with it, the White House sold the car to the peeps at Steuart Ford in Lanham, Maryland. In its present form, this piece of U.S. history is documented with a copy of a letter written by Ronald W. Young, the vice president of Steuart Ford The product of an older restoration, the 1961 Lincoln Continental four-door convertible in this story is motivated by a 430 cubic inch (7.0-liter) MEL V8 engine that sends its 300 horsepower or so to the rear wheels via a Cruise-O-Matic three-speed transmission.As expected for a luxobarge such as the Conti, power steering, brakes, windows, and the convertible top came as standard. One optional extra that its worth mentioning is the cruise control system.So there you have it. If youre in the market for U.S. Presidency paraphernalia or one of the best fourth-gen Continentals in existence, look no further than this instant classic with suicide rear doors. The Volkswagen Group has made a deal with US authorities regarding a settlement for owners of 2.0-liter TDI engines, but clients with V6 diesels will have to wait. 1 photo Photo of Nissan Leaf courtesy of Nissan. Nissan North America is recalling 4,355 2016 model-year Leaf and Sentra cars because the wiring harness connector in these vehicles may disconnect from the dual-stage passenger air bag and lead to air bag malfunction. The recall, expected to begin later this month, covers Leaf electric vehicles manufactured Feb. 24 to March 23 of this year and Sentra compact cars manufactured Feb. 9 to March 4 of this year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury, NHTSA said on its website. Nissan dealers will inspect the wiring harness connector for proper engagement and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag module and main body harness. There will be no charge for this service. Vehicle owners can reach Nissan customer service at (800) 647-7261. Gabina VOA is designed to be an infotainment youth radio show broadcasting to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Amharic language. The show brings varied perspectives on issues concerning young people in the Horn of Africa region. Gabina in the Amharic language is a front row taxi ridesymbolic of the shows content as a fun ride that takes audiences from point A to point B. Gabina VOAs main goal is Enlightening young people, introducing them to cutting-edge technological innovations, exposing them to new processes and ideas so they can be productive, informed and self-governing citizens. 14 July 2016 14:46 (UTC+04:00) By Jim ONeill The uncertainty generated by the United Kingdoms recent vote to leave the European Union which has sent shockwaves through global markets has been dominating headlines. But, as we prepare to face new political trials, we must not lose sight of the challenges we already face, especially global health challenges like the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which has no regard for economic performance or political stability. As it stands, an estimated 700,000 people are losing their lives to drug-resistant infections each year. By 2050, this figure could skyrocket to ten million per year, at a cumulative cost to world GDP of $100 trillion. To avoid that outcome, in May the Review on AMR that I lead published its strategy for tackling such infections, laying out proposals to ensure the development of the necessary new antibiotics, and to use existing antibiotics more efficiently in humans and agriculture. Of the ten major interventions we proposed, four are particularly important: Launch a global campaign, tailored for different regions, to improve public awareness of AMR. Address the market failure in the development of new antibiotics by introducing lump-sum market-entry rewards to developers of successful new drugs, while ensuring global access. Advance innovation and improve use of diagnostic technology to support more efficient use of antibiotics. Implement country-level targets focused on reducing unnecessary use of antibiotics in agriculture and humans. With our final report complete, the Review will now continue to make the international case for action directly to political leaders. For example, in my capacity as the Reviews Chairman, I recently discussed our recommendations at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, and with United Nations and United States policymakers in New York and Washington, DC. In these discussions, policymakers growing awareness of the danger posed by AMR stood out. Just two years ago, the topic of drug-resistant infections would usually be met with questions like What is AMR? or, Why would a finance minister take charge of a health crisis? Few understood the scale and multifaceted nature of the challenge, and thus the need for a comprehensive approach. I asked myself similar questions when British Prime Minister David Cameron first asked me to lead the Review on AMR. The situation has changed considerably since then. Policymakers from countries with a wide variety of economic and political systems are engaging on the AMR problem, with some countries already taking steps to tackle it. All of this provides grounds for hope that 2016 may be the year when real change gets underway. But hope is one thing; action is another. While high-level meetings and speeches about AMR send the right message, they will mean nothing if we do not manage to translate the current momentum into concrete action, beginning at the G20 and UN meetings this September. And while my most recent discussions suggest that agreements are likely to be reached at both of these meetings, it is far from certain that they will match the scale of the problem. At the G20, the needed agreement should focus on developing a global mechanism to re-invigorate the market for new antibiotics that are globally affordable, accessible, and used as efficiently as possible. At the UN, the goal should be to turn the mantra of access, not excess into a reality, with an agreement to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics in agriculture, and to spearhead a global awareness campaign. Increased funding for research and development of new antibiotics and diagnostics to fight AMR is also vital. Crucially, the agreements must have teeth. Countries should set their own objectives to fit their particular circumstances and needs, but there must be some provisions to ensure that all are pulling their weight. For starters, efforts to fight AMR should be incorporated into broader economic-development strategies, including the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Moreover, progress should be measured, not only so that policymakers, companies, and health systems can be held accountable, but also so that others can emulate their successes. To this end, we may need new metrics for calculating the impact of AMR. While this sounds technical (and it is), the reality is that top AMR scientists think that agreeing on common measurements could change the way individual countries set their own targets and improve our capacity to measure progress in the coming years. Finally, to account for changing political priorities and personalities, we need a constant champion in the fight against AMR. For example, a UN envoy on AMR could be appointed, to continue making the international case for addressing the issue and to challenge countries to meet their targets. Without such a consistent reminder of the need to tackle AMR, not to mention transparency about progress, the world could become sidetracked and miss the rapidly closing window of opportunity to deliver the changes needed to stop the rise of drug-resistant infections. Over the last couple of years, governments, industry, and international organizations have made important strides in meeting the AMR threat. But the really hard decisions must be taken now. If we are to prevent the slow-motion car crash of rising AMR, our leaders must take evasive action now. We know what we have to do; now we must get on with doing it. Copyright: Project Syndicate: Global Cooperation as a Life-and-Death Issue --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 12:19 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Azerbaijan and Iran considered their economic ties, as the joint business forum of the two countries was held in Baku on July 13. Co-organized by Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) and Azerbaijan National Confederation of Organizations for Entrepreneurs, the event discussed business development and talked about improvement of economic relations between entrepreneurs of these two countries. The Iranian guests were informed about the reforms aiming at development of non-oil sector, business and investment climate of Azerbaijan and activities of AZPROMO in promotion of non-oil sector. Yusif Abdullayev, Vice-President of AZPROMO noted that the relations between the two states are developing both in political, economic and other formats. Trade between Azerbaijan and Iran was $125 million last year, Abdullayev reminded. Mahmoudreza Sharifi, Chairman of the Chamber of Cooperation in Western Azerbaijan region of the Islamic Republic, in turn, emphasized that the two sides have excellent economic relations, stressing that both countries share common language, history and religion. Azerbaijan and Iran, the two strategic partners and two neighboring countries with historically close links, enjoy cooperation in various fields. Currently, Iran and Azerbaijan are focused on expanding economic ties in industry, agriculture, energy, alternative energy, and transportation. Deputy Iranian Oil Minister in Engineering Affairs Ali Reza Asl-Arabi recently said that Iran and Azerbaijan have great opportunities for cooperation in the oil industry, in particular in the field of maintenance, which can bring mutual benefits to both sides. Azerbaijan can get a lot of benefits if it will obtain Iranian experience for the maintenance of oil facilities, the deputy minister told Trend. He said that both in the daily small maintenance tasks and periodic maintenance and technical procedures, Azerbaijan mainly uses the services of European and American companies, which entails high costs due to the geographical distance, the use of foreign currency and other factors. At the same time Iran has 30-35 large companies providing maintenance services. The Iranian oil industry has a 110-year history. There are a lot of experienced professionals who can serve as easily accessible leaders, and young cheap labor force that can be mobilized at short term, he explained. Such cooperation, according to Asl-Arabi will also be beneficial for Iranian companies. This collaboration can serve as a starting point for release of Iranian companies to international markets, and given the fact that Azerbaijani companies mainly use western consultants, Iranian companies would be able to increase their experience and prestige, he ended. Today, both countries enjoy good conditions for improving economic and trade relations between Iran and Azerbaijan. The present Iranian administrations policy of improving international relations, Tehrans pursuit of win-win situations, and a political will shared by Iran and Azerbaijan have improved the chances of growing economic ties between the two neighboring countries -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 13:48 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on additional measures to improve the countrys business environment and its position in international ratings on July 13. A special commission and a secretariat of the commission has been created in accordance with the decree in order to improve the business and investment environment, increase its attractiveness for local and foreign investors, ensure the sustainability of the recently achieved rapid development in the sphere of entrepreneurship and strengthening the competitiveness, as well as to even more improve Azerbaijans position in international ratings. Azerbaijans First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyubov has been appointed the chairman of the commission. Development of entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan remains a priority. The country is working to create a more attractive business environment, and become more alluring for foreign investments. The country aims to reduce its dependence on oil revenues and diversify economy. A number of reforms have been recently introduced in the country in this regards. The reforms seek to stimulate business development in the country by introducing new privileges for entrepreneurs. Simplification of the licensing procedures has allowed the companies and entrepreneurs to get licenses in a simple way, which in its turn positively affected business environment. Presidential decree on changes to the Criminal Code that decriminalized a number of deeds and mitigated punishments for certain violations which do not pose a significant threat to the society was also aimed at boosting entrepreneurial activity in the country. The decision is expected to give a stimulus to developing entrepreneurship, creating favorable conditions for business, and stimulating people to get engaged in entrepreneurial activities. Azerbaijans National Fund for Entrepreneurship Support (NFES) has allocated approximately 57.3 million manats ($ 37.9 million) on easy terms since early 2016, while about 1,100 entrepreneurs made use of means allocated by the fund. Increasing foreign direct investment inflows, owing to government policies encouraging investment in the oil and gas sector, coupled with the growth of the non-oil sector have already made the Azerbaijani economic environment more appealing. Earlier, Azerbaijan Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said that it is planned to invest more than 1.1 billion manats ($ 0.70 billion) in the countrys industrial parks and areas. Mustafayev also noted that the demands of new economic conditions, which emerged due to the recent regional and global economic processes, have led to the need to speed up economic diversification and to conduct preventive measures to support entrepreneurship. The minister also said reforms have been accelerated in all areas of the economy including logistics, banking sector, finance, agriculture, transportation and others. Monitoring of business activities was stopped for two years, he noted. Only 56 inspections were carried out in the first half of 2016, while this figure exceeded 40,000 in the first half of 2015. With the approval of amendments proposed to the Tax Code, businessmen in Azerbaijan became eligible to get a document of the investment incentives. Under this document, half of the revenue of an individual entrepreneur, profits of legal entity are exempted from income tax for seven years. Azerbaijan currently ranks 63 out of 189 countries in the World Banks ease of doing business index. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 15:53 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Azerbaijan keens to develop its own pharmaceutical production, as the state sees this sector among the major directions allowing to diversify the non-oil sector of the economy. Taking into account the profitability of pharmaceutical sector, the country voiced intention to cooperate with foreign companies in this direction. Currently, the countrys medicine market by almost 97 percent dependent on import, and establishing own production of medicines will have a positive effect on the development of the pharmaceutical industry. President Ilham Aliyev speaking at the Cabinet meeting recently said that Azerbaijan is preparing a serious program for medicine production in the country, along with creating industrial centers and upgrading industrial potential of each region in this year. Today the time has come for Azerbaijan to begin production of medicines. Relevant instructions have been given negotiations with several foreign companies are underway. There is a big interest, as the Azerbaijani market is big enough, he said. We will develop the industrial potential in this area, reduce dependence on imports, but at the same time, we will be able to provide our citizens with more high-quality medicines. I believe that before the end of the year all of the negotiation process, all organizational matters should be resolved. This year we should start the construction of pharmaceutical factories. MP Musa Guliyev, highlighting the construction of pharmaceutical factories in the country, stated that either all medicine manufactured in Azerbaijan or raw materials should be exempt from value-added tax (VAT) to boost the sector development. Excluding only this matter, there is no any other factor in the Azerbaijani legislation impeding medicine production, he said. Azerbaijan has no legislation problem with manufacturing medicines locally. We are open to consider in the Parliament any offers from entrepreneurs and pharmacists regarding the creation of domestic pharmaceutical industry. However, it will be good if either medicine or raw materials used for production of medicine will be exempted from VAT. In this case, cost of domestic drugs will drop. This issue has already been practiced in several countries, and I think that the government should consider it, he said. Despite the opportunities, medicine production in Azerbaijan is not managed well. According to the Health Ministry only 55 medicines are manufactured in the country. As many as 57 percent of medicines registered in the country are produced in Europe, 26 percent in the CIS countries, including 12 percent made in Russia. The small proportion is produced in Asian countries. In April, Azerbaijan and Iran have signed an agreement on joint production of more than 90 types of medicines in Azerbaijan. Being established in Sumgayit Industrial Park, some 49 percent of the shares in the pharmaceutical company belong to Iran, and 51 percent belong to Azerbaijan. Many leading companies from Switzerland, Russia, Egypt and Hungary are also interested in joint medicine production in Azerbaijan. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 17:02 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The Azerbaijani Dashkesan mountain-concentrating plant has been declared open for privatization . President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on July 13 on conducting measures on rehabilitation and restructuring of the metallurgical complex of the country. In an effort to accelerate economic reforms in Azerbaijan and attract investment in metallurgical complex, Dasksn Filizsaflasdrma OJSC (the Dashkesan mountain-concentrating plant) is now declared open for privatization. The plant, which has been a part of Azerbaijan Steel Production Complex by the presidential decree dated April 23, 2013, will be placed at the disposal of the State Committee on Property Issues. The State Committee on Property Issues was instructed to facilitate the privatization of the OJSC through the sale of state-owned shares at an investment tender. Furthermore, the Committee is prescribed to involve a reputable consulting company in order to ensure more efficient conduct of the tender on terms that meet the strategic interests of Azerbaijan. Foreign investors, along with the local ones, can participate in the privatization of the state-owned shares. The Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers together with the State Committee on Property Issues and Azerbaijan Steel Production Complex were instructed to ensure the transfer of Dashkesan plant and its property at the disposal of the State Committee on Property Issues. All transfer and admission works should be finished within one month. The Dashkesan mountain-concentrating plant operates on the basis of iron ore deposits of the Dashkesan region which are the largest in the whole Caucasus. The plant is located in a mountainous area on the Kashkarchay river, in 397 kilometers of Baku. The Dashkesan plant produces iron ore and its concentrate. The iron ore reserves of the plant-adjacent fields amount to 350 million tons. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 12:32 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Residents in the Japanese city of Hiroshima will be commemorating the 71st anniversary of the first atomic bomb being dropped by a US aircraft. This year, the commemorative events for the next anniversary of the nuclear bombardment will include demonstration of films, Azertac reported. Six films of different years, produced in different countries, have been invited for participation in the 'War and Peace' international film program. Azerbaijani film Nabat about Karabakh war, produced by film director Elchin Musaoglu have also been honored for participation among others. The annual commemorative events in memory of nuclear bombing victims, who became the symbol of the world movement for peace, will be held at the Memorial Park of Peace in Hiroshima. The events will be attended by relatives of the victims, representatives of state bodies, foreign guests and Hiroshima residents. The bombing - and a second one on Nagasaki three days later - is credited with bringing to an end World War Two. But it claimed the lives of at least 140,000 people in the city. Nabat is a 2014 Azerbaijani drama film directed by Elchin Musaoglu. The story is set during the Karabakh War. Produced at Jafar Jabbarly Azerbaijanfilm studio, the film was shot in 2014 and is dedicated to Karabakh war, which erupted after Armenia's unjustified territorial claims against Azerbaijan. The story shows the sad fate of a village's residents who are forced to leave their homes because of the war. But there remains an old woman who refuses to leave her family members buried in the village. Nabat and her husband Isgandar, a former forest guard, old and sick man, live in an isolated house far from the village. The war in the Nagorno-Karabakh has been going on for years, and they lost their son killed in the battle. Their only means of support is milk produced by only cow they have. Casts are Fatemah Motamed - Aria as Nabat, Vidadi Aliyev as Iskender, Sabir Mammadov as Major, Farhad Israfilov as Davud. Premiered at the 71st Venice International Film Festival, Nabat has been invited to many high-profile international movie festivals. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 15:37 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to Baku was appraised in Azerbaijan's political circles, which believes it to give a tremendous impetus to the settlement of the long-simmering Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Russia's high interest in this question as the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk group, meetings of the presidents and the expected visit of the countrys President Vladimir Putin to Azerbaijan, is considered as positive steps in the further resolution of the long-term conflict. The visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Baku is a very positive development and gives certain hopes in connection with the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, deputy executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan party and Member of Parliament Siyavush Novruzov told Trend July 13. In the meantime, Sergey Lavrov stressed the usefulness of the last talks on Nagorno-Karabakh in St. Petersburg, Vienna and his meeting with Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev on July 11. It is necessary to be careful towards those sprouts of hope so that not to hamper the progress. But there are grounds to presume that currently we are closer to success than ever before, Russian Minister said at the press conference in Baku. Novruzov also mentioned the April clashes showed that the conflict between the countries is not frozen and may flare up at any time. April battles has shown once again that Armenia lags behind Azerbaijan and is not able to resist it, the MP said. On the night of April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from the Armenian side, which used large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers. The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan responded with a counter-attack, which led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements. During the battles, Armenia did not get support from the international community -- international organizations and worldwide countries recognize the occupation of Azerbaijani territories. The conflict remains unresolved for more than 20 years. If the conflict is not resolved in a short time, Azerbaijan could use other ways. Azerbaijan is a strong state with a strong army. But the government wants a peaceful solution to the conflict, Novruzov stated. 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. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 13:22 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) made a report on the results of its mine-detecting and neutralization operations in June. The Agency checked and cleansed an area of 10,298,732 square meters, discovered and defused 976 unexploded ordnance (UXOs), one anti-tank and four anti-personnel mines in the country in the past month. Moreover, ANAMA repeatedly detected artillery shells, grenades and engines of Grad rockets. One mine exploded within the mentioned period. ANAMAs operations involved the operational staff of 402 people, 228 people from administrative staff, six cars on mechanical demining and 34 dogs. Overall, for 10 years of its activity, ANAMA cleared 374,101,116 square meters of the Azerbaijani territory discovering and defusing 720,298 unexploded mines and ammunition. In June, the clearance work was carried out in Absheron, Agdam, Agjabadi, Agstafa, Barda, Fizuli, Ganja, Goranboy, Gazakh, Mingachevir, Samukh, Tartar, Tovuz, Garadagh regions and Guzdek village of Azerbaijan. Currently, special rapid response teams of ANAMA with minesweeper dogs continue their operations for detecting UXOs in the border settlements. Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, 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. Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 14:42 (UTC+04:00) By Gunay Camal On the background of the quite dangerous status-quo, the international community is enforcing mediation efforts on solution of the Armenian-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Amid an upsurge of hopes for peaceful resolution of the bitter conflict, Austria announced that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement will remain among the priorities during the countrys OSCE chairmanship in 2017. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, while speaking about priorities during his countrys upcoming OSCE chairmanship, said on July 14 that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is of particular concern. The OSCE considers its settlement as important, especially after the escalation of tension along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in April, he said, stressing that Austria will continue working for settlement of all conflicts in the OSCE area. Germany, the current OSCE chair-country, has repeatedly voiced its support to the negotiation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group and its co-chairs over the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The format of the OSCE Minsk Co-Chairmanship is the only authorized collective mediation group engaged in resolution of the long lasting Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The MG co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France, has been mediating the conflict settlement since 1992, but so far failed to achieve a tangible result. The peace talks didnt see any strong commitment or notable meeting for the past two years until the early 2016. The April outbreak of the tensions revealed a vacuum in the peace process and urgency of finding a just resolution to the conflict. Almost everyone involved recognized that the renewal of a war would be extremely bloody and destructive. Thus, the fighting and the resumed peace talks with participation of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents make this a moment of opportunity. However, Yerevan still continues its political provocations, while Baku has warned that it will sit at the table of negotiations only if the talks are meaningful. Holding talks for the sake of talks or seeking to keep a status-quo in the decades-old ceasefire is no longer an option. The international actors, who sometimes preferred to turn blind eye to this hot point in the South Caucasus, now face the reality that the risk of a dangerous conflict can cover the wider region. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 18:22 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The results of settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will not bring any unpleasant surprises, Russian Foreign Ministrys spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on July 14. Zakharova made the remarks during a briefing July 14, the Russian Foreign Ministrys website reported. The main thing is the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, she said. Zakharova added that it is necessary to exclude the potential for new bloodshed and new victims. Commenting on the visit of Turkeys foreign minister to Baku on July 15 for discussions on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Zakharova noted that any constructive contribution to the process will benefit the conflicts settlement. 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. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 10:04 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has congratulated Frances President Francois Hollande on the occasion of French National Day. On my own behalf and on behalf of the Azerbaijani people, I heartily congratulate you and your people with French National Day, said Azerbaijans president in his congratulatory letter. Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the relations with France, said the president. He pointed out that the political, economic and cultural relations constantly develop between the two countries. Our mutually beneficial cooperation is the bright example of the dynamic and comprehensive development of our bilateral relations, added President Aliyev. We also pin great hopes that the efforts made by France as the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and personally by you for putting an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which emerged as a result of Armenias territorial claims against Azerbaijan, for liberating the occupied lands and for return of over a million of our compatriots, who became refugees and IDPs, to their native lands, will soon yield results, said Azerbaijani president. On this holiday, I wish you robust health, success in your activities, and peace and prosperity to the friendly French people, added President Aliyev. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 10:54 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan is a country that has a tremendous richness, when it comes to energy resources or oil export, said Ambassador of Sweden to Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Ingrid Tersman in a meeting with Caspian Energys delegation. During the meeting, the sides touched different topics of cooperation within the framework of the Caspian European Club (Caspian Business Club) and Caspian Energy International Media Group, as well as possibilities of extension of contacts on the informational level. Touching the energy corridors, the ambassador noted that the implementation of Southern Gas Corridor is really important for the export diversification or the export routes for Azerbaijan and it is also important for the European Union, its a possibility for us to diversify out imports of oil and gas. It is one of the reasons why EBRD and also other international financial institutions are supporting project on construction of pipelines. I think that it is important for all of us and also for the Strategic Partnership in energy between EU and Azerbaijan, the Ambassador emphasized. The envoy noted that there might be an opportunity for Swedish companies especially supporting the construction, delivery of energy, engineering, services and security because the country has really good expertise, and its companies are very good in solving complex problems. When it comes to a new legal framework between Azerbaijan and European Union, Sweden supports that whole heartily, Tersman noted. We are looking forward to the beginning of the negotiations of these relationship between the EU and Azerbaijan and from the Swedish side we hope, that the agreement will be reached, will be substantive and broad, and will cover a number of areas, both when it comes to economic cooperation and opportunities and also that it will focus on areas on values that we together shared. So when Foreign Minister of Sweden Margot Wallstrom was here in March, she was very clear that Sweden is a strong supporter on the good and substantive agreement between European Union and Azerbaijan, Tersman concluded. The ambassador touched the possibilities of development of bilateral relations, boosting of economic and investment cooperation, spoke about prospects of development of the energy market, and also touched issues of development of the tourism sector and energy cooperation. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 11:33 (UTC+04:00) A ceremony of presentation of 2016 Spring Imperial Decoration of the Japanese government to Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Abid Sharifov was held in Baku, Azertac reported. Japan announced 91 foreign recipients of the 2016 Spring Imperial Decorations this April. Sharifov was among those foreign recipients and he received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in recognition of his outstanding contributions and support to the strengthening of friendly and partnership relations between Japan and Azerbaijan, particularly in the sphere of economy as well as promoting mutual understanding between the two countries. Japanese Ambassador to Azerbaijan Tsuguo Takahashi, addressing the event, hailed Sharifov's contribution to the development of friendly relations as co-chair of the Azerbaijan-Japan Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between the two countries. He described the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun as the highest among Japan's awards presented to foreign citizens. The award was signed by Japan's Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Sharifov, in turn, thanked Japan for this high state award. Saying he has many times been to Japan, Sharifov highlighted the hospitality and diligence of the Japanese people. "The greatest wealth of Japan is its people," he added. Hailing Azerbaijani national leader Heydar Aliyev's official visit to Japan in 1998, the Deputy Premier noted that this visit contributed to the development of relations between the two countries. "As the continuation of this policy President Ilham Aliyev's official visit to Japan in 2006 strengthened the bilateral ties even further and gave a powerful impetus to the overall development of cooperation between Japan and Azerbaijan," he said. Sharifov also hailed the importance of the projects implemented in Azerbaijan through Japanese loans. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 15:56 (UTC+04:00) An official welcoming ceremony was held in Baku for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan on July 14. A guard of honor was lined up for the Ukrainian president in the square decorated with the national flags of the two countries. The chief of the guard of honor reported to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. President Aliyev welcomed Ukrainian counterpart. The chief of the guard of honor reported to President Poroshenko. Then, the national anthems of Ukraine and Azerbaijan were performed. The presidents reviewed the guard of honor, and afterwards President Poroshenko greeted the Azerbaijani soldiers. State and government officials of the Republic of Azerbaijan were introduced to President Poroshenko and members of the Ukrainian delegation were introduced to President Aliyev. The guard of honor passed in front of the heads of states to the accompaniment of a military march. Then, the Azerbaijani and Ukrainian presidents posed for photographs. President Aliyev and President Poroshenko have held one-on-one meeting later. During the meeting, the two presidents noted the importance of the first visit of Poroshenko to Azerbaijan. The presidents stated that historically the Azerbaijani-Ukrainian relations, the friendly ties between the two nations were at high level. The heads of state discussed the prospects of bilateral relations in political, economic, energy, transport and humanitarian fields. During the talk, they exchanged views on the issues of mutual interest between the two countries. Azerbaijan and Ukraine have signed several documents in Baku. The Protocol of the 5h meeting of the Council of Azerbaijani and Ukrainian presidents was inked by President Aliyev and President Poroshenko. The Protocol on cooperation in fighting customs violations in air transportation of goods between Azerbaijans State Customs Committee and State Fiscal Service of Ukraine was signed by head of the State Customs Committee Aydin Aliyev and head of the State Fiscal Service Roman Nasirov. The Program of cooperation in culture and art for 2016-2020 between Azerbaijans Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Ukraines Ministry of Culture and Tourism was inked by Azerbaijans Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev and Ukraines Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin. The Presidents have made statements for the press following the ceremony of signing Azerbaijani-Ukrainian documents. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 17:33 (UTC+04:00) By Gunay Camal Azerbaijan and Ukraine highlighted good prospects for developing cooperation in fuel and energy sector, along with boosting regional transportation. Overall, prospects for bilateral political, economic, humanitarian, energy and transport relations were the key topics mulled during the one-on-one meeting of President Ilham Aliyev and visiting Ukrainian President Petr Poroshenko in Baku on July 4. The presidents noted that historically the Azerbaijani-Ukrainian relations, the friendly ties between the two nations were at a high level, further exchanging views on the issues of mutual interest of the two countries. The future directions for developing the mutually beneficial relations were set at the fifth meeting of the Council of Azerbaijani and Ukrainian presidents held on the same day, where a series of documents have been signed for enhancig bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Particularly, the Protocol of the 5th meeting of the Council of Azerbaijani and Ukrainian presidents was inked by President Aliyev and President Poroshenko. The Protocol on cooperation in fighting customs violations in air transportation of goods between Azerbaijans State Customs Committee and State Fiscal Service of Ukraine was signed by head of the State Customs Committee Aydin Aliyev and head of the State Fiscal Service Roman Nasirov. The Program of cooperation in culture and art for 2016-2020 between Azerbaijans Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Ukraines Ministry of Culture and Tourism was inked by Azerbaijans Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev and Ukraines Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin. President Aliyev, addressing the press conference, noted that wide discussions were held during the meeting on various spheres of bilateral relations. He also pointed to the significance of Poroshenkos visit for development of relations, and said the fifth meeting of the Council of Azerbaijani and Ukrainian presidents creates a good opportunity for holding discussions and making decisions. The Azerbaijani president said there is a good potential to settle the discussed issues taking into account the mutual interests. The visit of President Poroshenko to Azerbaijan is very important at this phase of our bilateral relations. I have no doubt that we will have marvelous results in the future that will make our nations closer to each other, Aliyev said. The Azerbaijani leader noted that along with development of trade and economic cooperation, Ukraine and Azerbaijan successfully cooperate in such international organizations like the UN, OSCE and Council of Europe, and will further deepen the cooperation within this framework. The president went on to say that implementation of joint investment projects is planned and related instructions were given to examine investment opportunities in both countries. Because there is a lot of interest in it, he said. He noted that Azerbaijan had a great export potential and the Ukrainian market is very attractive for the country. The president further informed that the parties had discussed the implementation of the Odessa-Brody project in details. We have instructed to restore this project, because Azerbaijan is supplying very large volumes of oil to the European market and is becoming a transit country for the states located on the east coast of the Caspian Sea. Thus, the restoration of this project creates good opportunities, President Aliyev emphasized. Triangle between the Caspian, Black and Baltic Sea has a potential for cooperation," he said. The president noted that the railway line Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, which is a restoration of the ancient Silk Road, would soon be put into operation. And these are new opportunities for the Ukrainian companies, he said. Also, Azerbaijan is interested in creating the North-South transport corridor. And Ukraine can use these opportunities as well, Aliyev noted. President Poroshenko, in turn, expressed gratitude for the hospitality towards the Ukrainian delegation and noted that they were deeply impressed by what they saw in Azerbaijans capital. Poroshenko said they saw not only the beauty of Baku, but also the good mood of people in the capital. Poroshenko, addressing the press conference, praised the results of the fifth session of the Council of Presidents emphasizing their importance in times of new challenges for global security, hybrid threats in the region, globalized economic cooperation and increasing people to people contacts. Today, when the economy of Ukraine has embarked on the path of growth and Azerbaijan demonstrates active development, we have an immense potential of mutually beneficial cooperation, he said. According to Poroshenko, one of the most promising projects is the supply of Ukrainian An-178 aircrafts to Azerbaijan and joint production of these aircrafts in Azerbaijan in the future. Successful implementation of this project will allow Ukrainian producers to create conditions for active development of new markets, the President of Ukraine noted. The presidents also discussed the transport corridors, particularly the implementation of the project on the New Silk Road. Ukraine and Azerbaijan are actively involved in practical implementation of this project. Today, we have discussed means to improve its efficiency and mutual economic profitability, he said. Ukraine and Azerbaijan will enhance cooperation in the framework of the international organizations, emphasized the Ukrainian leader. I am pleased to state that Kyiv and Baku share common views on the topical problems of global and regional agenda, he added. In the course of the negotiations, the parties discussed common work aimed at supplying Azerbaijani energy resources to the EU in the most efficient and economically beneficial way. During the Baku visit, the Ukrainian leader also met with Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Artur Rasizade. The parties discussed a wide range of issues in the economic bilateral cooperation, particularly implementation of joint projects in energy, transport and agricultural spheres. Special attention was paid to the transportation of Azerbaijani energy carriers to the EU countries through Ukraine. The President noted that Ukraine had an appropriate technological potential for the effective implementation of that project, according to the official website of the Ukrainian president. Poroshenko, while meeting with Chairman of the Azerbaijani Parliament Ogtay Asadov, expressed belief that intensification of Ukraine-Azerbaijan cooperation, restoration of the Council of Presidents and implementation of a series of joint projects would yield positive results. This provides optimism and we are confident about our future, Poroshenko said. The president noted the importance of maintaining constant Ukrainian-Azerbaijani interparliamentary dialogue with maximum use of declared strategic partnership between the two countries. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 16:58 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov World oil prices have continued their primarily permanent rise over the last three days. On July 14 prices showed a positive trend, adjusting up after falling more than 5 percent the previous. The reason of the increase became the data of U.S. Department of Energy about the great growth of gasoline and distillates stocks. For 12.54 pm (GMT) of today, the price of September contracts for North sea petroleum mix of Brent crude oil rose by 0.56 percent to $46.52 a barrel, while WTIs August contracts prices increased by 0.6 percent, to $45.02 a barrel. Bernstein analysts expect the stabilization of the oil market at $60 a barrel by the end of the year. In the meantime, the price of a barrel of Azeri Light crude oil rose by $1.4 to stand at $48.64 on July 13. Meawhile, the cost of OPEC oil basket on July 14 amounted to $43.19 per barrel, making a slight decrease of $0.03 as compared to July 12. The price of OPEC oil basket is determined on the basis of Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Rabi Light (Gabon), Minas (Indonesia), Iran Heavy (Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela) prices. Production of oil and other liquid hydrocarbons in OPEC countries will continue to grow reaching 39.38 million barrels a day in 2016 and 40.22 million for 2017, the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy predicts. Overall, oil production from the Middle East has climbed to a record while U.S. faces slumps for the past one year, the IEA noted, mentioning OPECs successful strategy of defending market share being implemented since the fall of 2014. Middle Eastern countries produce over 31 million barrels a day for a third month in June amid near-record supply of Saudi Arabia. Production from the OPEC climbed to an eight-year high last month. That is also linked to Iran which continued its export recovery because the end of international sanctions in January. However, not all OPEC member-states have increased oil production -- Venezuelas crude production dropped to a 13-year low of 2.18 million barrels a day last month as an economic crisis triggered by the oil-price decline deteriorated the countrys petroleum industry. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, commercial oil reserves in the country for July 1-8 declined by 2.5 million barrels (0.5 percent) to 521.8 million barrels, although projections stated it to be less by 0.35 million barrels (521.45 million). Overall, oil production in the United States for last week increased by 0.67 percent (57,000 barrels per day) up to 8,485 million bpd. In turn, the oil reserves in the country's largest Cushing terminal fell by 0.2 million barrels to 63.9 million. Despite the predictions on a 0.432 million barrels decline, the gasoline inventories of the U.S. increased by 1.2 million barrels to 240.1 million. Distillate stocks also exceeded expectations, rising by 4.1 million barrels, or 2.7 percent, to 153 million barrels. This report reinforced the negative sentiment in the oil market caused by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The organization claimed the world's oil reserves continued its growth last month. We know that the process of restoring balance on the market is currently going on, but pressure on oil prices persists. The market has already seen rapid price increases to the level of $50 per barrel, so it is possible that we will see the same rapid drop to a level below $40, Avtar Sandu, Singaporean senior Manager of Phillip Futures told Reuters. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 15:30 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova Kyrgyzstan seeks closer ties with the European Union, the countrys President Almazbek Atambayev stated in follow-up of the meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ria Novosti reported. This is the first ever official visit of the German Chancellor to Kyrgyzstan. Addressing the meeting, the Chancellor said that Germany is ready to provide assistance to Kyrgyzstan in the development of small and medium-scale business and tourism, KirTag reported. Kyrgyzistan has economic problems. Germany is ready to render its assistance. We have certain projects in the sphere of education and health services. We will also implement projects in the sphere of business, she said. She also mentioned that Germany will also render its assistance in the process of closer cooperation between Kyrgyzistan and the EU. President Atambayev in his turn said that Kyrgyzstan attaches great importance to the visit of the Chancellor. He expressed his confidence that the visit will bring the bilateral relations to a new stage. We should strengthen and extend cooperation between Germany and Kyrgyzstan in all spheres, he said. Touching upon the closer cooperation with the EU, the president mentioned the recent agreement which was signed between the EU and Kazakhstan. The president expressed his hope that the similar agreement will be signed with Kyrgyzstan. European Union and Kazakhstan have recently signed an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. The agreement is expected to give a significant boost to economic and political ties between the EU and Kazakhstan. The visit of German Chancellor takes place in the year of the 25th anniversary of independence of Kyrgyzstan. In March, Germanys Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian states, in a trip that the German Foreign Ministry said focused on the fight against terrorism, regional cooperation, and economic ties. During the official visit, Merkel will meet with representatives of Kyrgyzstans legislative body led by the parliament speaker Chynybay Tursunbekov, as well as with NGO representatives and society. In 2015, Kyrgyz imports from Germany amounted to nearly 51.1 million, while exports to Germany amounted to a 12.8 million. Germanys principal exports to Kyrgyzstan are motor vehicles, machinery and chemical products (pharmaceuticals and cosmetics). Kyrgyzstans main exports to Germany are agricultural products. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 July 2016 18:41 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova Turkmenistan with its advantageous geographic location at a crossroads of regional and international routes has a strong transit potential, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said. The president made the remark while getting acquainted with the process of construction of an international airport in Ashgabat. The airport is expected to become the largest in the Central Asian region. The country seeks to become one of the largest intercontinental transportation centers, CA-news reported. The operation of the airport should be implemented on the basis of scientific analysis of situation in the world system of flights, relying on the foremost practice in the sphere and effective methods of management. This will make the airport alluring for international airlines engaged in the transportation of passengers and cargo, he said. The project includes construction of 3 terminals including passenger, VIP and cargo as well as new landing strip with the length of 3,800 meters, taxiways, ramp, centre for the management of air traffic and administrative building. Bandwidth capacity of the airport is expected to be 1,600 passengers per hour. The airport will be able to receive aircrafts of all types of load-carrying capacity. The new airport includes 95 different facilities, 60 of which are large and 35 - small, according to the project. Total area of cargo terminal is 17,174 square meters. The terminal is expected to handle about 200,000 tons of freight per year. The Turkmen president has recently instructed to keep a strict control over the work implemented in the important infrastructure facility of the strategic transport sector. Turkmenistan's national air carrier (Turkmenistan Airlines) signed a contract with the Turkish Polimeks company on this project. The cost of the project is estimated at more than $2.2 billion. Polimeks Construction, one of Turkeys biggest contractors, won the tender for the construction of Ashgabat International Airport in 2013. The project is considered to be the largest ever to be undertaken by a Turkish contractor abroad. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz High street coffee chain Starbucks has agreed an investment and global licensing deal with Italian bakery chain Princi. The deal means baking is to be introduced to Starbucks stores for the first time in 2017. Under the agreement, baked goods made from Princi recipes will be baked in-store at selected outlets in the US and Shanghai next year. Princis founder Rocco Princi currently operates five bakeries in Milan, as well as one in London. Starbucks plans to roll out the in-store bakery concept worldwide, in order to set itself apart from its coffee chain rivals. Starbucks chief executive Howard Schultz said: We have never baked in our stores in 45 years. But all of that will change with the creation of this unique partnership. Rocco and his team at Princi possess a passion for handcrafted food and artisanal baked goods that mirrors how I feel about our coffee. The coffee chain declined to disclose the size of its investment in Princi, but the agreement gives it the rights to open Princi locations around the world, except in Italy, in order, according to Schultz, to respect its local heritage. Schultz added: The attention to detail, the care invested in selecting the ingredients and the artistry of preparation is second only to the service Rocco offers customers inside his Princi stores. I can think of no better pairing for our most premium coffee experience and am excited by the possibilities we envision in Princi food elevating every daypart breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Starbucks Roasteries and Reserve Stores. Rocco Princi said: As a young man, I dreamed of the opportunity to bring traditional Italian baking to customers in my country, but when I opened our location in London, I realised how much we could also offer an international clientele. I have long admired Starbucks, the values Howard has imbedded into his organisation and we are honoured to be a part of bringing to life an entirely new retail environment with the Roasteries. Last month Starbucks announced it would take on 1,000 apprentices over the next four years. The Florida Fish and Wildlife officer who died Wednesday morning has been described by his colleagues as a lifesaver. Gregory Patterson, 47, died during a morning bike ride along the Courtney Campbell Authorities say he ran over a live electrical wire Responders couldn't get to him for 15 mins while TECO shut off power Gregory Patterson, 47, was riding his bicycle along the Courtney Campbell Causeway just before 7 a.m. on July 13. According to reports, he ran over a downed power line. Crews were forced to wait 15 minutes while TECO Energy cut off power to the live wire. During that time, no first responder could help Patterson. He died at the scene. Our entire FWC family is in mourning for Greg," said the Colonel Curtis Brown of the FWC in a statement to the media. "We will never forget his service and sacrifice, and can never repay that debt to his family. He was a true public servant at heart, and we will miss him deeply. A spokesperson from the power company said they had no idea a downed power line was the reason lights in the area had stopped working. According to coworkers, Patterson's was a 'fantastic' officer, who particularly loved working with kids. Just this past weekend, colleagues say, Patterson rescued someone who was near drowning in the Bay. Tony Acosta shot video of the daring rescue where three women were on a sinking jet ski. "He was in the water before the boat even stopped that I saw, said Acosta. Very calm coming over, grabbing two of them, keeping them completely calm." Eventually Patterson got all three women safely on to a rescue boat. One of those women was 18-year-old Leticia Mejia. Speaking via Skype from Georgia, Mejia said Patterson was calm and reassuring. "I remember I was there crying, I was crying for my parents and I remember him telling me that it was ok, that he wasn't going to let me go, that he was going to take me back to my parents and that everything was going to be ok," she said. At FWC headquarters, fellow officers say they weren't surprised to hear about what Patterson did. In fact, they say he was involved in a number of life-saving calls during his five-year career with FWC. "Officer Patterson was an outstanding officer, he was an outstanding public servant and he was a champion conservation law enforcement officer, said FWC Major Roger Young. Fellow officers say one of Patterson's favorite things to do was to go into classrooms and teach kids about nature. They say he enjoyed biking and working out because he wanted to be in shape for the job. Mejia said she's grateful he was there for her. "And I want to tell his family thank you, that he saved my life and I hope they get through this, Mejia said. Tampa police were in the process of honoring Patterson for his life-saving efforts over the weekend. His supervisor has been in touch with the chief and he says they're working to still make that happen for his family. Patterson was retired from the U.S. Navy. He began his service with the FWC in 2011. Nine men, including a first-grade teacher, former animal control officer, Disney workers and a Publix worker have been arrested as part of a Polk County child pornography investigation. 9 suspects face variety of child porn charges Animal control officer, school teacher among suspects Arrests part of 'Operation Child Shield 3' Sheriff Grady Judd announced the arrests at a news conference Thursday. Search warrants were executed at several homes in the county, the Sheriff's Office said in an operation it called "Operation Child Shield 3." Juan Berrios, 64, of Kissimmee, was arrested after authorities seized computers from his home. Berrios, a first-grade teacher at Palmetto Elementary School in Poinciana, was charged with 35 counts of possession of child pornography, authorities said. Deputies said the child porn depicted children as young as just a few months old. He confessed. He talked to us, and what he told us was gut-wrenching, Judd said. He said he doesn't believe the children are victims because they're not forced to do this. And then he said they seem to enjoy it. He suspects a lot of times, they're paid for it. Are you kidding me? You really said that? Berrios has been suspended without pay. Superintendent Jacqueline M. Byrd is recommending his employment be terminated at the next school board meeting. "This disgusts me, Byrd said. By no means will we allow this to continue in our school system. By no means. Mr. Berrios does not represent the teachers here who dedicate their lives every day to Polk County Public Schools. Neighbors of Berrios were shocked at the news. "It really is startling, Rosangela Diaz said. It worries me a lot to know a person can be so close and in contact with small children, yet have a little dark secret, a double life." Siul Pastor As part of the sting, a Polk County Sheriffs Office Animal Control Officer was also arrested. Siul Pastor, 31, resigned from his job after his arrest. Judd said at one point, the deputy applied to be part of the children's investigations unit but was not chosen for the job. Kevin Nazzaro Kevin Nazzaro, 52, a cook at Big River Grille and Brewing Works at Disney's Boardwalk, was also arrested as part of the sting on charges of possessing child porn depicting children between the ages of 8 and 11. Robert "Gary" Willis Robert "Gary" Willis, 70, of Davenport, was charged with 36 counts of promotion of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography. His arrest followed the execution of a search warrant at his home. Willis told detectives he is a retired electrical engineer from Lockheed Martin, and he is married. Thursk Seepersad Thursk Seepersad, 27, faces four counts of possession of child pornography after his Lakeland home was searched and computer equipment seized. Seepersad told detectives he is unemployed but was in the Navy from 2006-2011. Guillermo "Will" Torres III Guillermo "Will" Torres III of Lakeland was charged with 100 counts of possession of child pornography. The Sheriff's Office said 100 files depicting child pornography were found, with the youngest child victim about 18 months old. Torres told detectives he works at Publix in the bakery warehouse. Angel Rivera-Maldonado Angel Rivera-Maldonado, 44, faces 60 counts of child pornography charges after his home was searched in Auburndale. The youngest child victim in his case, according to the Sheriff's Office, was about 1 year old. Maldonado told detectives he works in housekeeping at Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge. Terry Drawdy Authorities said Terry Drawdy, 46, of Lakeland, was having sexual conversations on Facebook with a 15-year-old Ohio girl. Drawdy was sent nude photos of the girl, according to investigators. He was charged with one count each of possession of child pornography, use of computer to seduce a child and two-way communication device to commit felony. James Ballone James Ballone, 53, of Bartow, was charged with 65 counts of possession of child pornography after a search of his home and seizure of computer equipment. Ballone told detectives he owns J&K Cleaning Service. A Walmart Supercenter in Largo is set to reopen. Walmart in Largo set to reopen Store heavily damaged in large June 8 fire Investigation found fire was caused by refrigeration unit on roof According to Largo Fire Rescue, the Walmart in Largo at 2677 Roosevelt Boulevard that was damaged in an explosive fire last month, is scheduled to fully re-open on Thursday. The business has been temporarily closed for five weeks since the roof fire that's estimated to cost the store $30 to $50 million in damage. "Because of the impact to that area of the community, not just the shoppers but also the employees, it was a priority to get that store back open," said Largo Fire Marshal Josh Stefancic. The fire broke out on June 8 at the store and the cause appears to be a mechanical failure in the main refrigeration unit on the roof, according to an incident report. "There was a failure of a compressor in the refrigeration unit," Stefancic said. "Because its compressed gas rupturing...there were penetrations into the roof." Bay News 9 obtained exclusive video from a nearby traffic camera that captured the compressed tank explosion on the roof. Stefancic said the flames spread to the other two units on the roof and dripped down into the grocery section that made the fire tougher to fight. "The fire was mostly in the... the paper product aisle," he said. "So, paper plates, paper towels, toilet paper and it also doesnt just burn but absorbs water." According to the incident report, Largo Fire Rescue arrived at the scene in less than 30 seconds and battled the fire for about three hours. No customers or employees were injured in the fire but a few firefighters had to be treated for heat exhaustion. A customer who said he visited that Walmart every day before the fire said he's relieved to see the store re-opening. Its convenient, its close," said Jeffrey Thompson. "Since its been shut down weve been going miles to other Walmarts and Im glad theyre going to reopen." What you need to know now for Tampa Bay's weather forecast: Lower coverage of storms Friday Highs in the 90s again Friday We've had another round of storms out there this evening. Theyve had a west-northwest movement toward the gulf. They came through faster, so well have clearing skies more quickly tonight. Lows will be in the mid to upper 70s. There will be slightly drier air in the mid-levels of the atmosphere Friday which will lead to lower coverage of storms. WEATHER ON THE GO: Download the Bay News 9 app and get Klystron-9 alerts wherever you are. Download the Bay News 9 app and get Klystron-9 alerts wherever you are. GET WEATHER ALERTS: Sign up to receive weather text alerts from Bay News 9. The general pattern will remain the same, with any storms that do form gradually building westward and moving toward the gulf in the evening -- there just wont be as many as we have seen the past few evenings. Otherwise expect partly cloudy skies with highs in the low to mid 90s. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp; Authorities with the St. Petersburg Police Department say theyve arrested a teenage boy in relation to a carjacking that took place earlier this week at the Wawa gas station located at 2465 22nd Avenue North. 16-year-old carjacking suspect arrested Incident happened Monday just before noon Suspect punched victim, ran over her foot and stole her car Initial reports detailed the carjacking as violent, saying that the suspect jumped into the drivers seat of the car while a 52-year-old woman filled a rear tire with air. The altercation occurred just before noon on July 11. When the victim confronted him, police say he punched her, causing her to fall to the ground. During his getaway, the 16-year-old ran over her foot, police said. The suspect was charged with the carjacking, and the victims black 2012 Scion XD has not been recovered. In a carefully orchestrated political ballet, David Cameron left his job and his home at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday, resigning as prime minister soon afterward at Buckingham Palace. Theresa May then became Britain's new leader, accepting an invitation to govern from Queen Elizabeth II. Theresa May becomes UK's 2nd female prime minister David Cameron resigned after voters rejected plans to remain in EU May is expected to make 1st senior appointments next week The palace confirmed in a brief, formal statement that "the Right Honorable David Cameron MP had an Audience of The Queen this evening and tendered his resignation as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, which Her Majesty was graciously pleased to accept." Soon afterward, the palace released a photo of May curtseying to the monarch at the palace. In the traditional change of government ceremony, Cameron met the queen at the palace and recommended that the monarch invite May his successor as Conservative Party leader to form a new government. Cameron resigned after making a brief statement outside the prime minister's residence, his home for more than six years. "It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve our country as prime minister over these last six years, and to serve as leader of my party for almost 11 years," he said, accompanied by his wife Samantha and his children 12-year-old Nancy, 10-year-old Elwen and 5-year-old Florence. "It's not been an easy journey and of course we have not got every decision right, but I do believe that today our country is much stronger," Cameron said. He said May would provide "strong and stable leadership" and wished her luck in negotiations for Britain leave the European Union the issue that caused his demise. Earlier, Cameron made his final appearance as prime minister in Parliament, turning the usually raucous prime minister's questions session into a time for praise, thanks, gentle ribbing, cheers and a sprinkle of criticism. The warmth in the House of Commons culminated in loud applause and a standing ovation from his Conservative colleagues for Cameron, 49, who resigned after voters rejected his advice and decided to leave the European Union. "I will miss the roar of the crowd. I will miss the barbs from the opposition," Cameron said, promising to watch future exchanges as a regular Conservative lawmaker on the back benches. He even poked fun at himself, reminding legislators of a barb he directed at then-Prime Minister Tony Blair more than a decade ago: "He was the future once." "As I once said, I was the future once," Cameron noted, as his wife and children watched from the public gallery. Despite the suddenness of Cameron's exit less than three weeks after the June 23 referendum on Britain's membership in the EU he appeared relaxed and confident as he absorbed both praise and carping from opposition lawmakers. Replying to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is facing his own leadership challenge from two Labour lawmakers, Cameron poked fun at Labour's leadership turmoil, noting that the Tories had had "resignation, nomination, competition and coronation" while Labour is still working out the rules for its contest. He found time to congratulate Wimbledon winner Andy Murray and other British players there, and rebuffed rumors that he does not like Downing St.'s resident cat, Larry "I do!" Cameron noted that he had answered 5,500 parliamentary questions in his six years in office. Amid the jokes and tributes in his farewell question period, he fielded questions about eye surgery and a health scandal, along with criticism about the rise in food banks and his part in calling the vote that ended up with Brexit a Britain departure from the 28-nation EU. Trying to reclaim his legacy from Brexit, Cameron said his government had cut the deficit, overseen economic growth and legalized same-sex marriage. And he offered the closest thing he has ever given to a mission statement: "I believe that politics is about public service in the national interest." May, 59, has been Britain's Home Secretary in charge of immigration and law and order for the past six years. She has the tough task of calming the country and global financial markets after the upheaval that has followed Brexit vote. Although May backed remaining in the EU, she has reassured "leave" supporters that "Brexit means Brexit, and we will make a success of it." She is expected to quickly unveil a new Cabinet lineup, including a minister in charge of implementing Brexit. Observers are keen to see if she appoints former London Mayor Boris Johnson or Justice Secretary Michael Gove to new jobs. The two Conservatives headed the "leave" campaign but then turned on one another in the leadership contest. She is under pressure both from pro-Brexit Conservatives and other EU leaders to start formal exit talks with the bloc. But Tony Travers of the London School of Economics said May would likely not rush to trigger Article 50 of the EU constitution, which starts a two-year countdown to a final exit. "I don't detect Theresa May being an impulsive person," Travers said. "I think she's a cautious person, and the British political establishment needs to come to terms with this massive decision." There is also speculation that May, Britain's second female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher, will boost the number of women in top posts. Wednesday's newspapers offered mixed judgments of Cameron, a politician toppled by his decision to call a referendum on EU membership which he then lost. The Daily Telegraph said in an editorial that Cameron "leaves behind a stronger country, a thriving economy and more chances to get on in life." But The Sun said Cameron had been "undone by his Olympian overconfidence," while the Guardian called him a "prime minister of broken promises." Cameron drew praise from one old adversary, with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker saying he would miss the British leader. Cameron once derided Juncker as a Brussels backroom bureaucrat and tried to block him from becoming commission president. But Juncker told reporters in Beijing that he had "no beef" with Cameron. "I have experienced a man who is serious, who is a fan of no-nonsense policy and who was delivering at each and every moment when things started to become serious," Juncker said. Oregon Coast History Museums Raise Part of Ship, Examine Privacy Issues Published 07/13/2016 at 7:21 PM PDT - Updated 07/13/2016 at 7:31 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Oregon Coast) Is privacy still a normal expectation in the U.S.? What does it take to raise part of a World War II battleship? And how can you help out one history museum? Two history museums on the Oregon coast are wrestling with these right now, with one putting on a special event in July. (Above: the propeller from a World War II ship raised in Newport). On the central Oregon coast, Newport's Pacific Maritime Heritage Center is looking to raise a seven-ton ship propeller from the deep and about $45,000 for another project. The propeller comes from the C.W. Pasley, one of two World War II concrete hull liberty ships purposely sunk in the 1940s to form the Port of Newport's International Shipping Terminal. The port recently dismantled the Pasley and salvaged the prop when it replaced the dock. The historical society negotiated the prop's loan from the Port to make it a centerpiece of its signage/streetscape project, where once stood the Smugglers Cove nightclub waterwheel. In the meantime, the historical society is trying to raise $45,000 to help with the completion of the lower floor of the Maritime Center. These funds will be matched by The Collins Foundation to reach a total of $90,000, all of which will complete construction of an ADA-compliant elevator reaching all three floors of the building and numerous other significant building upgrades. The matched funds will come only when the historical society reaches the $45,000 mark. The Pasleys propeller will be central to the Bay Blvd. streetscape improvements in front of the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center on Newports Bayfront at Port Dock 5. Ron Trevillian Construction is currently constructing a concrete footing for the prop, and Halco Welding fabricated an engineered stand that will hold the Pasley prop upright. With the help of the Port of Newport and multiple volunteers the prop will be installed in the coming weeks. For more information, contact the Lincoln County Historical Society, (541) 265-7509. On the north Oregon coast, the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum will look at whether the expectation of privacy is still a social norm. Expert Wendy Willis comes to the museum on Saturday, July 23 at 1 p.m. to talk about A World without Secrets: Privacy and Expectations in the United States. Willis is leader of the Oregon Humanities Conversation Project. This is a topic in the news almost daily as governments worldwide surveille their citizens and corporations gather information used in marketing to individuals. Ms. Willis will be guiding participants in a discussion of the history of privacy in our country and how our principles of freedom and privacy hold up in a world where almost everything about us is discoverable and discussed. This Great Speaker program is sponsored by Oregon Humanities and the TCPM s Daisy Fund and is free and open to the public. 2106 2nd St, Tillamook, Oregon. (503) 842-4553 503.842.4553 or visit www.tcpm.org. Oregon Coast Hotels for these events - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours More on Newport and the Tillamook areas below: More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Two years after a Beaumont police officer fatally shot an armed 80-year-old man on his front porch, his family is suing the city and several top officials for wrongful death. The civil suit, filed on behalf of Stanley Leger's wife and two sons last month in the U.S. Eastern District of Texas, offers the family's account of the June 24, 2014, fatal shooting of the well-known taxidermist. Attorneys for the Leger family describe an ambush by police officers, who the attorneys say hid from Stanley Leger's view before shooting the elderly man in his spine with an AR-15 rifle. "Officers operated from places of concealment and did not identify themselves as police officers," the lawsuit states. The three officers involved in the shooting were cleared of criminal wrongdoing after an investigation by the Jefferson County District Attorney's office in 2014. The officers, identified in the lawsuit as Joshua Aaron Beard, Ryan Michael Cedars and R.C. Campbell, still work for the department, Chief James Singletary said this week. Singletary, who is named as a defendant in the suit along with the three officers, Mayor Becky Ames and City Manager Kyle Hayes, declined to discuss the civil case. On the night of the fatal shooting, Leger fired his rifle into the air during a confrontation with renters he had recently evicted from his East Lucas Drive property, according to the suit and police reports. No one was injured. The former tenants notified Beaumont PD, and three officers were sent to Leger's home, which was across the street from the rent house. Beaumont police officials maintain the officers were trying to disarm Leger, who was standing on his porch holding a 22-caliber rifle when officers arrived. The officers asked Leger to drop the weapon and he did not, according to police reports. The family's lawsuit claims "the facts and circumstances of this case show that (the shooting) was clearly unreasonable." "It's a tragedy," said Robert G. Taylor III, a Houston-based attorney representing the Leger family. "I think the Leger family is looking forward to an opportunity to present this to the court and have their voices heard." If a jury hears the case, which the lawsuit has requested over a bench trial, members of the jury will have to determine if Stanley Leger posed a threat to public safety. Stanley Leger's family claims he "made no violent movements" or verbal threats toward the officers. The officers were 60 to 70 yards away from the porch where Leger stood, covered behind cars across the street from the Leger home, the lawsuit states. Although an exact timeline is unclear, Leger's family says in the suit that "very little time" passed between Leger stepping onto the porch with the rifle and being fatally shot. Flora Leger, then 80, was ordered from her home at gunpoint after her husband was shot, according to the lawsuit. She last saw her husband alive as the officers carried Stanley Leger by his arms and legs from their driveway to the street, where emergency medical officials waited, the suit says. The family is seeking punitive damages for "wrongful detention and seizure, mental anguish and emotional distress," according to the suit. BScott@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/BrandonKScott This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A California congresswoman today will propose a federal law to criminalize "revenge porn" by targeting people who distribute the type of sexually explicit photos that once appeared on a Texas-focused website exposing dozens of local women. Congressman Jackie Speier's pending legislation is the first attempt to provide recourse nationally to the mostly female victims of revenge porn, an issue that legislators have sought to solve while not overrunning free speech protections. Victims, like 36-year-old Hollie Toups, have said a lack of consequences and awareness of the problem allowed it to flourish. Before the spate of relatively new laws in nearly three dozen states, victims had no ability to find recourse. "I've been in touch with other revenge porn victims, and we're all really excited," said Toups, who recently moved from Nederland to Austin. "There's still other states that don't have (a law). Being able to have one that's uniform, across the board I think is a really good idea." A series of state-specific revenge porn laws have been enacted over the past few years, but victims and their advocates have called for federal law to send a stronger message and help prosecute cases that straddle state lines. Revenge porn is popular shorthand for what is more accurately described as nonconsensual pornography. Although the legal definition of the term varies by state, it typically addresses the distribution of private, sexually explicit photographs or video of someone else without their permission, regardless of whether the act is motivated by revenge. Toups was one of at least 16 plaintiffs to file a class-action lawsuit against the administrator of Texxxan.com and its web-hosting company in 2013. The website featured lewd photographs next to other personally identifying information, according to the suit, which is pending in Orange County. Texas' law making "unlawful distribution or promotion of intimate visual material" a misdemeanor went into effect in September 2015. In 2012, just one state - New Jersey - prohibited the distribution of nonconsenual porn, Toups said. Now, 34 states have similar laws, which vary in how they define the crime and its penalties. "It's an issue that has touched so many people," Toups said. "No one is immune to it. The victims are sisters, daughters and sometimes mothers." It's unclear how many people have been arrested or prosecuted under Texas' 10-month-old law, though media reports show at least a few arrests have been made. A 29-year-old Woodway man was arrested last month on accusations that he shared intimate pictures of a girlfriend on a social media account under a fake name, the Waco-Tribune Herald reported. And a 17-year-old Laredo man was accused last December of creating a Facebook page and posting explicit photos of someone he knew, according to KGNS. An estimated 90 percent of nonconsenual pornography victims are women, according the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, an advocacy group that fights online abuse. Nearly one of every two victims were harassed or stalked online by users who saw their images, according to the group. Speier's office said the "scourge" has "driven some victims to suicide." Speier, a Democrat from San Francisco, is joined by two Democratic and two Republican co-sponsors. Three of the co-sponsors are men. The bill would make it a crime for someone to distribute porn with "reckless disregard for the person's lack of consent to the distribution," according to a copy of the bill. People convicted under the proposed law would face up to five years in prison. Some First Amendment advocates have pushed back against the laws. The ACLU of Texas opposed the 2015 legislation, saying it criminalizes "common forms of speech engaged in by journalists, artists and publishers - not to mention a great many cell phone users." Speier's proposal includes exceptions related to law enforcement, reporting of illegal activity and court orders. It also does not apply to people who share intimate photographs of others who voluntarily expose themselves in public or commercial settings. EBesson@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/EricBesson_news provided Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush on Wednesday announced Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick and 14 others have been named inaugural members of the Commissioner's Coastal Resiliency Advisory Group (CCRAG). This regional advisory group consists of representatives from local government, business and industry leaders, each serving two-year terms, according to a news release from Bush's office. President Barack Obama backed the Affordable Care Act in 2010 healthcare reforms baring his name in popular culture, known as ObamaCare. But six years later ahead of a heated presidential race, President Obama penned an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association outlining how he would reform the legislation, according to Fortune. It was the first time a president published a scholarly article in a peer-reviewed academic journal. If given the opportunity, President Obama would: 1. Propose a public option insurance plan as competition for private insurers for states with few insurance options. 2. Increasing federal financial assistance for health insurance marketplace enrollees. 3. Taking action to reduce prescription drug costs with new legislation to expand on pharmaceutical company rebates for the government health programs. 4. Allowing Medicare to negotiate prices for select treatments, focusing on the most expensive treatments. 5. Providing tax credits to lower ACA enrollees' monthly premiums for people at the federal poverty line and 400 percent of the federal poverty line. Amino, a health data company, launched a new tool that allows healthcare consumers access to expanded pricing data, based on physician, procedure and insurance company, according to a USA Today report. Here are five key notes: 1. The information is based on billions of medical insurance claims. 2. The tool's data covers 550,000 physicians, 49 procedures and 129 insurance companies. 3. In the push toward price transparency, Amino's tool is an "important first step," noted Neel Shah, MD, founder of Costs of Care, a nonprofit. 4. While Amino aims to give users as accurate a picture as possible regarding healthcare costs, its estimates can vary widely. 5. Amino CEO and Co-Founder David Vivero says that "the goal is to give [users] 'a leg up' when they visit their doctor's office," according to the report. Here are seven updates: Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush's medical office building, ASC gets green light from village board The Oak Brook (Ill.) Village Board approved the construction of an outpatient orthopedic care building, which will include an ambulatory surgery center. The new facility is a joint venture between Rush University Medical Center and Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, both based in Chicago. 2nd antibiotic-resistant superbug infection hits US The antibiotic resistant E. coli strain has infected the second U.S. patient. Researchers tested more than 21,000 bacteria strains and found almost 2 percent were resistant to Colistin. Of this figure, 19 strains tested positive for gene mcr-1, including the New York case. The gene allows bacteria to fight off Colistin. Ambulatory Surgery Center at St. Mary suffers data breach affecting 13k patients After suffering a ransomware attack, Langhorne, Pa.-based Ambulatory Surgery Center at St. Mary sent letters to nearly 13,000 patients whose personal information may have been breached. The ASC discovered the breach on June 1 after staff members noted encrypted files on an internal network. New York regulator 'conditionally' approves Aetna-Humana merger Sources familiar with the payer matter said New York's insurance regulator conditionally approved the $37 billion Aetna-Humana merger. New York was one of the last U.S. states to approve the deal. An Aetna spokesperson said the payers now have 90 percent of the necessary state approvals. Ernst & Young honors AmSurg's Chris Holden for entrepreneurship Ernst & Young named AmSurg President and CEO Chris Holden Entrepreneur of the Year Southeast for Healthcare. With more than 21 years of healthcare experience, Mr. Holden has served as AmSurg's president and CEO since October 2007. Only 20% of physicians are considered 'engaged' at work A new athenahealth physician engagement and leadership index survey found 20 percent of physicians are considered "engaged." Forty-six percent of surveyed physicians experienced burnout in 2015. Illinois co-op Land of Lincoln Health to shut down After suffering $90 million losses last year, Illinois co-op Land of Lincoln Health is shutting down. The news comes nearly two weeks after Illinois Department of Insurance Acting Director Anne Melissa Dowling issued an order for Land of Lincoln Health to not pay the federal government in an effort to avoid "an immediate liquidation" of the co-op. More healthcare news: Olympus to build $12M service center, FDA clears Getinge Group's scope sterilizer & more 4 GI company key notes U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends CRC screening for adults aged 50-75 years: 4 key notes Aetna, Justice Department officials meet over steps payer is taking to address anticompetitive concerns: 5 notes The following hospitals announced plans to expand, upgrade or renovate their facilities in the last week. 1. CBC Real Estate plans $40M hospital in Kansas Kansas City, Mo.-based CarrBaierCrandall Real Estate Group plans to build a 30-bed hospital in Derby, Kan. 2. New Hanover Regional Medical Center to build $87M orthopedics, spine hospital Wilmington, N.C.-based New Hanover Regional Medical Center plans to relocate 68 beds from the current NHRMC Orthopedic Hospital to a new orthopedic and spine hospital it plans to build above its surgical pavilion on the main campus, according to WWAYTV. 3. BJC HealthCare to build $22M medical office building The Shiloh Planning Commission unanimously approved an application July 11 submitted by St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare to build a $22 million medical office building next to Memorial Hospital East in Bellville, Ill., according to the Bellville News-Democrat. 4. Erlanger's new mental health hospital clears regulatory hurdle Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Erlanger Health System is closer to building a $25 million behavioral health hospital about a mile east of its main Erlanger campus, according to a Times Free Press report. 5. St. Charles Medical Center-Bend plans $66M hospital expansion St. Charles Medical Center-Bend (Ore.) plans to build a new patient tower on its northeast campus, nearly doubling its intensive care unit beds by 2018. The new tower is part of a larger $66 million expansion project intended to reduce the need to send patients to Portland, Ore., for care, according to The Bulletin. 6. Mount Sinai Queens opens outpatient center under $175M expansion New York City-based Mount Sinai Queens opened a new outpatient imaging facility at the 140,000-square-foot Mount Sinai Queens Ambulatory Pavilion. Mount Sinai Imaging is part of the hospital's $175 million expansion plan and the latest addition to the largest new medical construction in Queens in recent years. 7. Texas Medical Center to build joint hotel-apartment facility Houston-based Texas Medical Center plans to build an Intercontinental-brand hotel and an apartment complex according to the Houston Business Journal. 8. St. Luke's requests air quality permit to construct Nampa hospital Idaho-based St. Luke's Health Services is requesting an air quality permit to construct a new hospital in Nampa, Idaho, Idaho Press-Tribune reported. 9. University of Michigan Health System adds $3.6M mental health unit Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Health System is adding a $3.6 million mental health treatment unit for electroconvulsive therapy, according to the Detroit Free Press. 10. Riley Hospital for Children seeks to expand access across Indiana Indianapolis-based RileyHospital for Children, part of Indiana University Health System, is adding several new units under an expansion plan designed to keep Indiana residents in state for their healthcare, according to The News & Observer. Six hospitals were awarded 2016 RISAH accreditation at the end of HomeTown Health's "Rev Up Your Revenue Cycle" program, a program provided through the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program in cooperation with the State Office of Rural Health in Georgia and Florida. The Revenue Integrity Standards and Accreditation for Healthcare aims to strengthen the revenue cycle knowledge base and practice of rural hospitals and to demonstrate commitment to continuous performance improvement by identifying best practice standards and methods of measurement, said HomeTown Health, a network of rural hospitals, healthcare providers and best practice business partners. The RISAH accreditation recognizes hospitals "who are dedicated to creating an efficient, profitable and compliant hospital revenue cycle." Six hospitals successfully met the requirements for 2016 accreditation: Crisp Regional Hospital (Cordele, Ga.) Doctors Memorial (Bonifay, Fla.) Madison (Fla.) County Memorial Hospital Union General Hospital (Blairsville, Ga.) Upson Regional Hospital (Thomaston, Ga.) Warm Springs (Ga.) Medical Center For hospitals that have yet to qualify for RISAH accreditation, HomeTown Health noted it is holding open enrollment for the 2017 session for organizations wishing to obtain RISAH accreditation. More articles on finance and revenue cycle management: Kno2's cloud fax technology coming to Aprima customers Access Healthcare automates its accounts receivable process: 3 things to know ePAY Healthcare builds patient financial solution with Allegro partnership Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic's Think Big Challenge encouraging healthcare innovation has returned, but with a twist. This year, one business or entrepreneur will create and pitch a strategy to take a Mayo Clinic technology to market. Previously, Mayo's Think Big Challenge asked innovators to develop a new technology and pitch a strategy to take it to market. This year, innovators will choose one of four technologies from Mayo Clinic Ventures and pitch the strategy for it. The technologies are a business enhancement analytics tool, targeted therapies for Cholangiopathies, bedside patient rescue and a device for measuring ocular counter roll. In addition to leading a team and taking home $50,000 in cash, the winner will be named the Mayo Clinic Think Big Challenge Entrepreneur in Residence. Click here for more information. More articles on innovation: Viewpoint: Now isn't the time for the Uber for healthcare Engaging physicians collaboratively to innovate emergency medicine Aspen Institute Fellowship names second cohort of healthcare innovators Rob Cercek, president of Rochester (N.Y.) General Hospital, is leaving his position at the end of July, according to a Rochester Business Journal report. Mr. Cercek is leaving after an eight-year career at Rochester (N.Y.) Regional Health System. He has accepted a senior leadership position at Cincinnati-based TriHealth, working under his onetime boss, TriHealth CEO Mark Clement. Mr. Cercek previously served as vice president of operations for RGH and president of RRH's eastern region, among other roles, according to the report. During his tenure with RRH, he played a key role in the integration of Clifton Springs (N.Y.) Hospital & Clinic and United Memorial Medical Center in Batvia, N.Y., into the RRH system, RRH spokeswoman Jeanne Colleluori told the Rochester Business Journal. Robert Nesselbush, COO of RRH, will take over for Mr. Cercek on an interim basis. Social media revolutionized the way news and opinions are shared. Sites like Twitter give healthcare leaders an unprecedented opportunity the shape the national healthcare conversation by connecting with industry professionals, patients and the wider public. Here are 28 leaders from hospitals and health systems across the country to follow on Twitter. 1. Demitrios Alexiou | @DimitriosHASDIC President and CEO at Hospital Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties Prior to serving as the president and CEO of Hospital Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties, Mr. Alexiou was the COO at Los Angeles-based Totally Kids Specialty Healthcare and the regional vice president of Hospital Association of Southern California. Currently, he is an adjunct faculty member at California State University in San Bernardino and North Ridge. Mr. Alexiou posts about upcoming healthcare events and health news specific to California. 2. Mike Anderson, MD, MBA | @MikeAndersonMD CMO of University Hospitals Cleveland Dr. Anderson has served as CMO of University Hospitals Cleveland since 2014, previously serving as vice president and associate CMO for the healthcare system. He has been an associate professor for pediatrics at Cleveland-based Case Western Reserve University for the past 19 years. In June 2014, Dr. Anderson won the Charles L. Hudson Award for Distinguished Service from the Academy of Medicine of Cleveland and Northern Ohio. He usually tweets about new healthcare studies and news relating to Ohio hospitals. 3. Akram Boutros, MD | @Akram_Boutros President and CEO of The MetroHealth System (Cleveland) Dr. Boutros became president and CEO of MetroHealth System in June 2013. He has over 20 years of experience in large community hospitals, specialty hospitals and academic medical centers. Formerly, he served as president of BusinessFirst Healthcare Solutions, a healthcare advisory firm. He was named to Power 150 by Crain's Cleveland Business, Power 100 by Inside Business Magazine and EY 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year for Community Impact in Northeast Ohio. He often posts staff management tips along with healthcare news. 4. Kevin Brown |@KBrown_Piedmont President and CEO of Piedmont Healthcare (Atlanta) Mr. Brown has served as president and CEO of Piedmont Healthcare, a nonprofit, five-hospital system, since 2013. Previously, Mr. Brown served as CEO of Swedish Health Services in Seattle. He's also worked for Renton, Wash.-based Providence Health System leading various strategic and business development projects. He tweets from conferences and regularly posts healthcare news. 5. Delos "Toby" Cosgrove, MD | @TobyCosgroveMD President and CEO of Cleveland Clinic (Ohio) Dr. Cosgrove joined Cleveland Clinic in 1975 and was named chairman of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery in 1989. He entered his role as president and CEO of the health system in 2004. He's published almost 450 journal articles, book chapters, 17 training and medical education videos, and one book. A highly experienced cardiac surgeon, Dr. Cosgrove has performed more than 22,000 operations. He regularly tweets about healthcare news and issues, as well as updates regarding Cleveland Clinic. 6. Lloyd H. Dean | @LloydHDean President and CEO of Dignity Health (San Francisco) As president and CEO, Mr. Dean has overseen major strategic, operational and financial transformations that turned Dignity Health into a leading healthcare organization. Prior to his role at Dignity Health, he served as executive vice president and COO of Advocate Health Care in Oakbrook, Ill. Mr. Dean is a strong advocate of healthcare reform and has actively communicated with President Obama and the White House about healthcare issues. In January 2013, he was profiled by Fortune magazine. Mr. Dean usually tweets about world news and Dignity Health's upcoming events. 7. Wyatt Decker, MD | @WyattWDecker CEO of Mayo Clinic Arizona (Phoenix) Dr. Decker, the CEO of the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, also acts as a vice president for the Mayo Clinic system in Rochester, Minn. He has served as chair of emergency medicine at the Mayo Clinic and also holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. A frequent tweeter, he covers health topics and the future of healthcare. 8. Jeffrey Gold, MD | @jeffreypgold Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (Omaha) Dr. Gold became chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in February 2014. As a board-certified thoracic surgeon, he has served on more than 50 professional committees and upwards of 100 national organizations, volunteer boards, and government and public health councils. He was one of 25 leaders to receive a Becker's Healthcare Leadership Award in 2014. He frequently tweets about recent healthcare news along with updates about University of Nebraska research and medicine. 9. John D. Halamka, MD | @jhalamka CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston) In addition to serving as CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dr. Halamka is also chairman of the New England Healthcare Exchange Network, co-chair of the HIT Standards Committee, a professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston and a practicing emergency physician. He often tweets about health IT news. In addition to his Twitter presence, he maintains a blog. 10. Rod Hochman, MD | @RodHochmanMD President and CEO of Providence Health and Services (Renton, Wash.) As president and CEO of Providence Health and Services, Dr. Hochman runs the third largest nonprofit health system in the country. His previous positions include his role as president and CEO of Swedish Medical Center in Seattle and executive vice president of Sentara Healthcare in Norfolk, Va. Dr. Hochman often tweets about nonprofit healthcare and healthcare innovation. 11. Ralph Johnson | @RalphJohnsonII Regional CIO for MaineHealth (Farmington, Maine) Mr. Johnson formerly served as CIO at Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington for eight years. He was named CIO of the Year by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's New England chapter in 2012. He has worked in the healthcare IT field for 28 years. He frequently posts health IT and healthcare news specific to the New England area. 12. Colleen Kannaday | @AdvocateColleen President of Advocate BroMenn Medical Center (Normal, Ill.) and Advocate Eureka (Ill.) Hospital Ms. Kannaday has served as president of the two hospitals, both part of Downers Grove, Ill.-based Advocate Health Care, since 2010. Prior to this position, she served as president of St. Francis Hospital and Health Center in Blue Island, Ill. Her posts often cover healthcare news and events, along with the occasional motivational tweet. 13. Stephen K. Klasko, MD | @sklasko President and CEO of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health System (Philadelphia) Dr. Klasko was named president and CEO of Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health System in June 2013. He also served as Dean of Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia until 2004. He often tweets about upcoming healthcare events and interesting editorial articles. 14. Vivian Lee, MD, PhD, MBA | @VivianLeeMD CEO of University of Utah Health Care (Salt Lake City) Dr. Lee has been CEO at University of Utah Health Care as well as dean of the University of Utah School of Medicine since 2011. Dr. Lee is also the senior vice president of University of Utah Health Sciences, the only university healthcare system in the state. She attended Harvard Medical School and is a trained radiologist. She posts links to new studies along with more general healthcare news. 15. Stuart Marcus, MD| @StuartMarcusMD President and CEO of St. Vincent's Health System (Bridgeport, Conn.) Dr. Marcus joined St. Vincent's Health System in 2006. He served as senior vice president, CMO and chairman of oncology before becoming president and CEO in 2012. Dr. Marcus is a specialist in gastrointestinal cancer surgery, having attended Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C., to earn his medical degree. He typically posts about cancer news and upcoming medical events. 16. John H. Noseworthy, MD | @JNoseworthyMD President and CEO of Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.). Dr. Noseworthy, a neurologist specializing in multiple sclerosis, became CEO of Mayo Clinic in 2009. Previously, he served as chair of Mayo Clinic's department of neurology, medical director of the department of development and vice chair of the Mayo Clinic Rochester executive board. Dr. Noseworthy was a recipient of a Becker's Healthcare Leadership Award in 2014. He often tweets about Mayo Clinic news and upcoming speakers and events. 17. Randy Oostra, DM | @Randy_Oostra President and CEO of ProMedica Health System (Toledo, Ohio) Mr. Oostra has been the president and CEO of ProMedica Health System since 2009. He previously served in multiple leadership roles for the health system, including COO and vice president of corporate business development. Mr. Oostra earned a doctoral degree in management from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and holds two masters degrees one in healthcare administration from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and one in management from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Mr. Oostra often shares links to healthcare studies and news on his Twitter. 18. David Pate, MD, JD | @DrPateStLukes President and CEO of St. Luke's Health System (Boise, Idaho) As president and CEO of Idaho's largest and only locally controlled health system, Dr. Pate oversees three full-service community hospitals, three critical access hospitals, Idaho's only children's hospital, several clinics and outpatient treatment and diagnostic centers. He holds a medical degree in internal medicine from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and a health law degree from the University of Houston Health Center. He frequently posts about the state of the healthcare industry and ideas for how to improve it. 19. Kevin Pho, MD | @KevinMD Primary Care Physician at Nashua Medical Group (N.H.) In addition to being a physician at Nashua Medical Group in New Hampshire, Dr. Pho is also an author, keynote speaker, and member of USA Today's Board of Contributors. He has over 141 thousand followers on Twitter. CNN named @KevinMD one of its five recommended twitter health feeds. Dr. Pho also founded KevinMD.com, which Forbes called "a must-read health blog." He regularly posts links to interesting healthcare articles and news. 20. Ramanathan Raju, MD, MBA | @RamRajuMD President of New York City Health and Hospitals Dr. Raju was appointed president of New York City Health and Hospitals in March 2014. Formerly, he served as CEO of Cook County Health and Hospitals System in Chicago. Dr. Raju currently sits on American Hospital Association's board of trustees. He tweets about issues in medical education and links to healthcare articles. 21. Anna Roth, RN | @AnnaMRoth CEO of Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (Martinez, Calif.) In addition to serving as CEO of Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, Ms. Roth is also CEO of the system's health centers and detention centers, as well as a fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. She usually tweets about breaking healthcare news and new studies. She also maintains a blog[AC31]. 22. Dirk Stanley, MD, MPH | @DirkStanley CMIO of UConn Health (Farmington, Conn.) As of May, Dr. Stanley is the first CMIO for UConn Health. He previously served as CMIO of Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Ma., now a part of Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital. He was named Physician of the Year in 2010 by the New England Chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. He has over 5,000 followers on Twitter and generally posts health IT news. He also blogs. 23. Karen C. Teitelbaum, MBA | @SinaiCEO President and CEO of Sinai Health System (Chicago) Ms. Teitelbaum became president and CEO of Sinai Health System in July 2014. She joined the health system in 2007, serving as executive vice president and COO. Ms. Teitelbaum earned a master's degree in speech and language pathology from Northwestern University in Chicago and an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. Before her experience in healthcare leadership, she worked as a speech pathologist and owned her own rehabilitation agency. Ms. Teitelbaum usually tweets about mental health news and Sinai Health System updates. 24. Bernard J. Tyson, MBA | @BernardJTyson Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, Calif.) Mr. Tyson has acted as CEO of Kaiser Permanente since July 2013 and chairman since January 2014. He has been with the organization for more than 30 years, serving in positions ranging from hospital administrator to COO. Mr. Tyson serves on the board of directors of the American Heart Association. He was awarded the NAACP Legal, Defense and Educational Fund's 2014 National Equal Justice Award. He often tweets about hospital leadership and healthcare reform issues. 25. Chris Van Gorder | @ChrisDVanGorder President and CEO of Scripps Health (San Diego) Mr. Van Gorder has been president and CEO of Scripps Health since 2000. He oversees the daily operations of five acute-care hospitals, dozens of outpatient centers and a regional home health service. In 2014, Mr. Van Gorder published his first book The Front-Line Leader: Building a High Performance Organization from the Ground Up. He posts about leadership, corporate culture and healthcare on Twitter and through his blog. 26. Bryan Vartabedian, MD | @Doctor_V Physician atBaylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital (Houston) Dr. Vartabedian is a pediatric gastroenterologist at Baylor College of Medicine and a full-time physician at Texas Children's hospital. He oversees the treatment of digestive health at Texas Children's Hospital through his role as director of community medicine for the division of gastroenterology & nutrition. Dr. Vartabedian is passionate about healthcare communication. He's served on the on the External Advisory Board of the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and CNN. He usually tweets about the relationship between healthcare and technology, and regularly posts on his blog. 27. Will Weider | @CandidCIO CIO of Ministry Health Care (Menasha, Wis.) Mr. Weider has served as CIO of Ministry Health Care since February 2006. Ministry operates 15 hospitals, a 150,000-member health plan and three medical groups that employ 500 physicians in 50 clinic locations. Mr. Weider often uses his tweets to challenge conventional health IT wisdom while also sharing his own experiences and observations on the subject. He also authors a blog. 28. Tom Whalen, MD | @TomWhalen CMO of Lehigh Valley Health Network (Allentown, Pa.) Dr. Whalen was named CMO of Lehigh Valley Health Network in 2011. He helped develop the system's pediatric surgery, neurosurgery and specialty care programs. He has also served in the Navy as a commissioned officer in the regular and reserve medical corps for 28 years. Dr. Whalen holds certifications in general surgery, pediatric surgery and surgical critical care. He posts frequently about national health trends and breaking healthcare news. More articles on leadership and management: 7 CEOs name the one healthcare issue they wish they could eliminate overnight Which states are the best for business? Intel CEO points out the worst part of leading a company It wasn't long ago that the media and general public disregarded Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) as a serious contender to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. But as the primaries rolled on, Sen. Sanders captured the hearts, minds and votes of many, tightening the race. However, we will not be feeling "the Bern" in November; the Senator endorsed Ms. Clinton Tuesday, effectively ending his campaign for the presidency. Sen. Sanders' advisers told The New York Times he "came around grudgingly to supporting [Ms. Clinton]." It wasn't easy for him, as both Democratic frontrunners have flung insults at each other and upheld significantly different political philosophies, but he admitted defeat, and we can all learn from his style. Here are four lessons we can learn about admitting defeat from Sen. Sanders', according to Inc. 1. Accept the reality of the situation. Sen. Sanders could have kept fighting all the way to the Democratic National Convention at the end of July, which would have extended his time under the spotlight. He even could have returned to his Independent party affiliation and run as a third-party campaign in November, according to the report. However, neither of these options would have benefited the U.S., nor would they have served his long-term goals, suggests Inc. In every failed initiative, there comes a time when one must realize the smartest next step is acknowledging you've failed so you can move on, according to the report. 2. Celebrate the wins. Failure and success is usually not black and white. Even in politics, where one is either elected or not, there is still a lot of gray area. You could win but find yourself forced to commit to alliances you would not have chosen, or you could lose and still yield powerful influence beyond what it used to be, such as in Sen. Sanders' case. Look at your failures and celebrate what you have achieved. 3. Take the good from what you've done. Even if you've failed, chances are your failed attempt has yielded some positive results. In Sen. Sanders' case, according to the report, he lost the nomination but gained 13 million primary or caucus votes and millions of enthusiastic followers. Furthermore, he has the chance to make a speech at the convention and be named chairperson of a Senate committee on one of his main sticking points raising the federal minimum wage. 4. Keep the big picture in mind. While Sen. Sanders, at 74, will likely not run again for president, he still has larger goals to keep in mind, such as keeping the worsening problem of economic disparity at the forefront. Giving up the Democratic nomination instead of fighting until the convention allows him to wield greater long-term influence on the Democratic Party and national politics in this regard, according to the report. Rockdale, Texas-based Little River Healthcare agreed to provide administrative and management services to Memorial Hospital of Texas County in Guymon, Okla., according to Little River Healthcare officials. The MHTC board of directors sought out a management team to oversee administrative and management services for the hospital, including physician relations, marketing, general management, billing and human resources. The board selected Little River because of its "quality patient carein addition to its history of reversing financial instability" in rural Texas hospitals, according to the news release. Officials at Little River said their first order of business is to begin familiarizing themselves with MHTC's processes and seeking opportunities for improvement throughout the hospital. More articles about transactions and valuations: Princeton HealthCare, University of Pennsylvania Health System explore partnership FTC requests more info on Abbott Laboratories' acquisition of St. Jude Medical Evolent Health is acquiring the majority of Valence Health About 200 unionized nurses at The Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle, Maine, have notified the hospital of their plans to strike for two days over staffing concerns, according to a Bangor Daily News report. The workers, represented by the Maine State Nurses Association, on Tuesday delivered a 10-day advanced notice of their plan to strike July 22 and 23 in the event contract negotiations are not resolved by that time, the report states. The union is pushing for the hospital to hire more staff. Specifically, the MSNA wants a ratio of one nurse for every three patients a proposal the hospital said it rejected because it would lack flexibility. TAMC officials said in the Bangor Daily News they don't want a strike but are preparing for it. "Our community should rest assured that we will have highly qualified replacement nurses working alongside TAMC staff to provide the high level of care our patients expect," Jay Reynolds, TAMC's CMO, said, according to the report. Both sides have met six times in the past few months negotiating a new contract. The last contract expired July 7. More articles on human capital and risk: Nurses protest over staffing at Saint Louis University Hospital Thousands of Mercy Hospital workers to vote on possible strike Patient surveys drive new nursing staff dress code at Geisinger Just three of seven New Jersey hospitals that filed suit against Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey last year over the insurer's tiered OMNIA health plan remain in the suit, reports Asbury Park Press. The lawsuit, brought by hospitals Horizon designated as Tier 2 facilities, demands the insurer make public the criteria it used to determine hospitals' rankings in its OMNIA plan. The complaint claims the Tier 2 designation has harmed the hospitals' reputations and patient volumes. Since the hospitals filed suit in December, four providers have dropped out of the case, the most recent being Capital Health in Trenton and JFK Health in Edison. Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth and St. Luke's Warren Campus in Phillipsburg withdrew from the lawsuit earlier this year. Remaining hospitals include CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold, Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck and The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. The hospital group's lawyer Steven Goldman has assured the lawsuit will go forward. "Capital Health and JFK's withdrawals from the suit are unrelated to the merits of the case, but rather involve circumstances unique to those hospitals," Mr. Goldman said in a prepared statement, according to Asbury Park Press. An Alabama federal judge temporarily blocked two new abortion restrictions that would ban clinics from operating near schools and outlaw the most commonly used second trimester abortion procedure, according to The Herald. The laws were set to take effect Aug. 1. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson issued a restraining order to block the state from enforcing the laws until after a second hearing Oct. 4. His order will stay in place for three weeks following the hearing. Ala. Governor Robert Bentley signed into law a ban on all abortion clinics within 2,000 feet of public K-8 schools in May 2016. He also banned the use of a second trimester abortion procedure called dilation & evacuation, a practice that uses forceps to remove contents of the uterus. The law specifically targeted the Alabama Women's Center for Reproductive Alternatives in Huntsville, which is down the street from a K-8 magnet school. It would also effect a women's clinic in Tuscaloosa, whose property lines back into the same wooded area as the nearest school, a mile away. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, the two locations performed 72 percent of the state's abortions in 2014. The American Civil Liberties Union challenged both laws, arguing the location restriction will ban access to two of the state's most active clinics. The procedure ban would block access to second trimester abortions. Supporters argued that abortion clinics should not be located near schools and likened the location restriction to reasonable zoning requirements. Lawmakers who supported both bills also compared surgical abortions to medieval forms of punishment, according to The Herald. More articles about legal & regulatory issues: NY state sues Armor Correctional Health Services over 12 inmate deaths No mistrial for University of Chicago Medical Center $53M in birth injury lawsuit Ex-CEO of defunct Long Beach substance abuse center indicted for $50M fraud scheme The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act bill was passed in a 92-2 vote by the Senate Wednesday, The New York Times reported. Although bipartisan disagreements over funding temporarily stalled legislation, the bill was approved by the House of Representatives last week. Now, the legislation will head to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign the bill. The measure would expand alcohol and drug prevention education, increase collaboration with law enforcement and criminal justice systems and create more disposal and turn-in sites for unwanted prescription medications. It would also include the addition of evidence-based and medication-assisted programs, and create prescription drug monitoring programs to monitor prescription trends for indications of abuse and help at-risk individuals access critical services. "This is a historic moment, the first time in decades that Congress has passed comprehensive addiction legislation, and the first time Congress has ever supported long-term addiction recovery," Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said, according to The New York Times. "This is also the first time that we've treated addiction like the disease that it is, which will help put an end to the stigma that has surrounded addiction for too long." Republican lawmakers said funding for the programs the bill authorizes would be addressed in the appropriations process later in 2016, according to the report. More articles on health law: 19 recent lawsuits involving hospitals 13 recent healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements DOJ nearly doubles False Claims Act penalties Sharp Chula Vista (Calif.) MedicalCenter is using a technique to track patients that's right out of a Harry Potter novel, according to KGTV San Diego news reports. The hospital employed a real time location system nine months ago to see where patients are in the hospital at any given moment. The computer program tracks whereabouts through small sensors placed on patients' wrists. The technology represents a true-to-life version of Harry Potter's Marauders Map, which magically tracks the footprints of those within the Hogwart's Castle. SCVMC says it is the only hospital in San Diego with a patient tracking system in place. The hospital still has yet to decide if they want to use the system at each of its locations. More articles about patient flow: Salem VA Medical Center reports significantly reduced wait times Pokemon Go players crowd hospital campuses, raising safety concerns Does a higher local alcohol tax mean fewer ER visits? Only seven of the original 23 health insurance co-ops created through the Affordable Care Act will offer plans during the fourth enrollment season this fall, according to Kaiser Health News. Many co-ops are faltering from both losses and fees under the ACA's Risk Adjustment program. Risk adjustment payments aim to temporarily level the financial playing field for payers absorbing newly insured, costlier members. Chicago-based Land of Lincoln shut down Tuesday and left 49,000 uninsured in light of the $31.8 million it owes in risk adjustment fees. Last week, state regulators also closed Portland, Ore.-based Oregon's Health Co-op and Wallingford, Conn.-based HealthyCT over risk adjustment payments, leaving a combined 63,000 uninsured. The remaining co-ops all posting losses in 2015 are initiating strategies to stay afloat. Here are six survival mechanisms some co-ops are implementing: 1. Diversifying and selling beyond individuals and small businesses. Albuquerque-based New Mexico Health Connections is expanding its client base to include larger employers and labor groups, like teacher unions. 2. Renegotiating contracts with hospitals and providers. Lewiston, Maine-based Community Health Options recently contracted with St. Louis-based Express Scripts in hopes of curbing drug costs by $14 million. 3. Increasing investor revenue. New Mexico Health Connections is also seeking funds from investors, which the government recently allowed co-ops to do, Kaiser Health News reported. 4. Raising premiums. Most co-ops requested premium rate increases by at least 10 percent for 2017, according to the report. Helena-based Montana Health Co-op requested a 22 percent increase for individual plan premiums after losing about $40 million in 2015. 5. Suing the federal government. Baltimore-based Evergreen Health Cooperative is required to pay $24.2 million in risk adjustment fees, and is suing the federal government over the payment. The fee represents more than a quarter of the payer's $85 million premium revenue this year. 6. Decreasing administrative costs. Montana Health Co-op has also not filled vacant positions and employs about 20 full-time administrative staff members. More articles about payer issues: BCBS of Wyoming seeks 7% increase to premium rates Metamark expands network to BCBS of Texas Illinois insurance co-op latest to close, leaving 49,000 uninsured Five health insurers have sued the federal government since February to recoup payments owed under the Affordable Care Act's risk corridor program. Now, several other insurers are framing up their lawsuits over the ACA program, according to The Hill. The risk corridor program is designed to temporarily level the financial playing field for payers by limiting both unexpectedly high gains and losses associated with participating in a new insurance market. Insurers that saw greater profits paid into a pool to compensate insurers with higher losses. The three-year program, which runs through 2016, fell short by more than $2.5 billion in its first year because so many insurers experienced losses in the individual market.Due to the shortfall, HHS said insurers initially would only receive 12.6 percent of the money claimed under the risk corridor program for 2014. In February, Health Republic Insurance Co. brought a $2.5 billion claim against the federal government concerning risk corridor payments. Since then, Highmark the insurance arm of Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health Land of Lincoln Health, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Moda Health have sued the federal government over risk corridor payments. According to The Hill, New Mexico Health Connections, the state's insurance co-op, is working with lawyers to draft lawsuits challenging the risk corridor program as well as the ACA's risk adjustment program. The risk adjustment program transfers funds from plans with lower-risk enrollees to those with higher-risk enrollees. The ACA prohibits risk selection by insurers, and the risk adjustment program reinforces those rules. Under the risk-adjustment methodology, New Mexico Health Connections owes CMS $16.4 million, which is more than the company expected to owe, according to The Hill. If New Mexico Health Connections files suit over the risk adjustment program, it will be the second insurer to do so. Maryland co-op Evergreen Health sued the federal government in June over the $24.2 million it owes under the program. New Mexico Health Connections CEO Martin Hickey, MD, told The Hill that several other insurers in different states are planning to file suit over the ACA programs but declined to identify the other insurers. More articles on payer issues: Narrow networks fuel provider, insurer billing fights Majority of Ohio marketplace consumers to receive subsidies Conn. senator urges Cigna, Aetna to stay in state Squabbling legislators failed once again to come to a compromise on emergency Zika funds. On Thursday, the Senate voted down the House Zika spending bill, which some Democrats previously described as "designed to fail." Now, America's legislators are leaving for a seven-week recess, meaning Zika funds will have to wait until September, according to STAT. The partisan fight over Zika funds began in February when President Barack Obama called for nearly $2 billion in funding to help brace the nation for the arrival of the Zika virus a neurologically debilitating, mosquito-borne disease linked to birth defects, most notably microcephaly. Since the president's request, Republicans have proposed bills with funds well below the White House's nearly $2 billion request or that pull money from other causes, which has drawn the ire of Democrats. The $1.1 billion measure most recently passed in the House included provisions that would divert $622.1 million from other programs, including Planned Parenthood. After the bill's failure, Senate leaders from both parties exchanged harsh words on the floor, according to STAT. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) scolded Democrats, telling them to "think about Zika" during their summer vacation. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said, "Republicans are choosing vacation over protecting pregnant women and their babies." The frustration among the medical community in the wake of these many legislative failures is palpable. Local health departments in regions at risk for Zika proliferation are left in a particularly precarious position as the nation approaches the heart of mosquito season. "By not addressing the threat now, we risk squandering our nation's opportunity to prevent the Zika virus from gaining a foothold in the United States this summer," LaMar Hasbrouck, MD, executive director for National Association of County and City Health Officials, said. "Local health departments are rightfully concerned because they are on the front lines of responding to this crisis. Resources are still desperately needed to launch prevention efforts and to respond to any local transmission of Zika. On behalf of families across the nation, we implore federal leaders to find a solution to enable local health departments to do what they are trained to do and protect the public's health." Andrew W. Gurman, MD, president of the American Medical Association, expressed frustration on behalf of the largest physician association in the country. "Without ensuring there are sufficient resources available for research, prevention, control and treatment of illnesses associated with the Zika virus, the U.S. will be ill-equipped to deploy the kind of public health response needed to keep our citizens safe and healthy especially since the spread of mosquito-borne illness is accelerated during the summer months," he said. According to the CDC, as of July 7, there are 346 pregnant women in the U.S. with laboratory evidence of Zika infection. Additionally, nine women have given birth to infants with Zika-related birth defects in the U.S. More articles on the Zika virus: Olympics likely won't spread Zika worldwide, CDC says: 3 things to know First Zika-related death in US reported in Utah WHO recommends use of polio detection systems to combat Zika-related disorder An analysis of the Leapfrog Hospital Survey conducted by Castlight Health found the majority of hospitals fail to staff intensive care units with the recommended number of intensivists, though studies have shown this practice can increase patient survival by 40 percent. Just 47 percent of reporting hospitals met Leapfrog's recommended intensivist coverage of having one or more board-certified intensivists on staff, exclusively providing care in the ICU, available eight hours per day, seven days a week, and for intensivists to return calls within five minutes 95 percent of the time. The analysis found staffing standards vary widely from state to state. Arizona came out on top regarding ICU staffing with 87 percent of the state's hospitals meeting Leapfrog's standards. Six other states had an overall compliance rate of at least 60 percent, while 10 states had overall rates less than 30 percent. No state's overall rate of hospital adherence to recommended ICU staffing was more than 90 percent. The survey analysis did reveal that the percentage of hospitals staffing the ICU per Leapfrog's standards is trending upward. In 2007, just 37 percent of hospitals participating in the survey were found to meet ICU staffing recommendations. For 2015, 47 percent of participating hospitals were found to appropriately staff ICUs with intensivists. However, many hospitals declined to report on ICU staffing, suggesting the need for increased transparency. "Having an intensivist present in the ICU saves lives, period," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of Leapfrog. "Patients and families should be on high alert if their hospital lacks this essential coverage. Moreover, if their hospital has declined to report at all, the public has no way of knowing about how the ICU is staffed. Patients who find that their hospital did not respond to the Leapfrog Hospital Survey should send a note to hospital administrators explaining why they want this information and expect full transparency." See the survey results here. More articles on quality: UPMC hospital seeks volunteers to cuddle infants born to opioid addicts Workshop trains physicians to read facial expressions, make 'emotional diagnosis' Buffalo physician forfeits license after accusations of patient harm As the costs of EpiPens and other auto injectors soar, many EMTs and some consumers resort to traditional syringes as a cheaper alternative, according to PBS Newshour reports. The decision to use syringes is concerning for some physicians and patient advocates who warn that it is much more complicated to obtain the correct dosage. Canonsburg, Pa.-based Mylan, which manufactures the EpiPen, raised the price of the instrument roughly 400 percent since 2004, according to a Bloomberg report. In 2004, a pack of two EpiPens cost about $100 in today's dollars; today, the same pack would be about $600. While cheaper alternative do exist, they are not as popular with consumers. Sanofi, a French company based in Paris, marketed Auvi-Q the EpiPen's main competitor until 2015 when it was taken off the market. A similar device called Adrenaclick made by Amedra Pharmaceuticals in Horsham, Pa., was only prescribed a few hundred times, according to the PBS report. The FDA has declined to approve a generic version of the EpiPen, reasoning that it was not equivalent and therefore could not be substituted when filling a prescription. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries applied to market a generic EpiPen, but was also rejected by the FDA in 2015. More articles about supply chain: University of Texas System expands partnership with Premier Three priorities for every healthcare supply chain leader California proposes legislation for drugmakers to give advance notice of price hikes Who are the most-liked spine surgeons on the internet? Judging from the volume of Facebook Likes on their articles and videos, these 10 surgeons are all in the running. 1. Ari Ben-Yishay, MD: Dr. Ben-Yishay is an orthopedic spine surgeon who has contributed several articles to Spine-health.com with over 2,000 Likes, including the top-ranked article When Back Pain May Be a Medical Emergency. Dr. Ben-Yishay is an orthopedic surgeon and Founder of Comprehensive Spine Care in New Jersey. 2. David DeWitt, MD: Dr. DeWitt is a regular contributor to Spine-health.com, with top-ranked articles on topics ranging from L5-S1 pathology to ACDF postoperative care. His articles have received over 15,000 Likes, and his spinal pathology series has reached over 1 million people on Facebook. Dr. DeWitt is an orthopedic surgeon at the Neurospine Center of Wisconsin. 3. Jeffrey A. Goldstein, MD: Dr. Goldstein's articles on cervical ADR rank number 1 in Google search results and have received over 8,000 Likes on Facebook, making them the go-to patient education resource on this type of surgery. Dr. Goldstein is Director of the NYU Langone Medical Center Spine Service in New York City. 4. Stephen Hochschuler, MD: Dr. Hochschuler contributed the original article on sciatica, which now has over 17,000 Likes and has reached over 2 million people on Facebook. Dr. Hochschuler is a co-founder of Texas Back Institute in Plano, Texas and a Medical Advisor for Veritas Health. 5. Paul C. McAfee, MD: Dr. McAfee is a Medical Advisor and Contributing Author for Spine-health.com whose articles have garnered over 15,000 Likes, including the top-ranked article Lumbar Spine Fusion for Degenerative Disc Disease. Dr. McAfee is Chief of Spinal Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center. 6. Larry Parker, MD: Dr. Parker has penned several original patient education articles on sciatica and back pain with over 2,000 Likes. Dr. Parker is an orthopedic spine surgeon in practice at The Orthopedic Center in Alabama. 7. Ralph S. Rashbaum, MD: Dr. Rashbaum has contributed articles on neuropathy and chronic back pain that are widely read and have over 4,000 Likes. He is an orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of the Texas Back Institute in Plano, Texas. 8. John E. Sherman, MD: Dr. Sherman has written several articles on various aspects of lumbar spine fusion. His article Postoperative Care for Spinal Fusion Surgery has over 3,000 Likes and is read more than 200,000 times each year. Dr. Sherman is an orthopedic surgeon at Twin City Orthopedics in Minnesota. 9. John Shim, MD, FACS: Dr. Shim has contributed several patient education articles and videos on spinal conditions and minimally invasive spine surgery options, garnering over 12,000 Likes and a reach of over 100,000 people on Facebook. He is an orthopedic spine surgeon in Tampa, Florida. 10. Jeffrey Spivak, MD: Dr. Spivak was one of the original contributing authors published on Spine-health.com. His articles and videos have over 5,000 Likesand his article Multi-level Spine Fusion is the top-ranked article about this topic on Google. Dr. Spivak is the Director of the Hospital for Joint Diseases Spine Center in New York. 11. Michael Hasz, MD, of Virginia Spine Institute in Reston, received more than 685,000 views on his August 2011 article "Get To The Root of Arm Numbness Or Tingling" addressing carpal tunnel syndrome and cervical radiculopathy symptoms. 12. Brian Subach, MD, president of Virginia Spine Institute in Reston penned an article titled "Pain In The Neck: Tips to Alleviate Symptoms" in July 2016 that already has more than 45,000 views. The article discusses radiculopathy and tactics to avoid neck pain in the future. The impressive reach and engagement from the above spine surgeons shows how much patients rely on in-depth, peer-reviewed informationand how committed these surgeons are to educating patients. To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below Delays in rail improvements and the risky telephone alert system used in parts of Italy have been identified as possible underlying causes of a head-on train crash that killed more than 20 people. Recovery operations continued yesterday using a giant crane to remove the mangled carriages and debris of the two commuter trains that slammed into one another just before noon on Tuesday in southern Puglia. The official death toll stood at 23, including a farmer working in his fields who was killed by flying debris. The prefect of Barletta, Clara Minerva, said relatives reported another four people unaccounted for and suggested that their remains could have been scattered within the wreckage, particularly in the area of highest impact. Some remains have been recovered, and on these DNA and other tests are under way, Ms Minerva said. As a result Transport Minister Graziano Delrio put the provisional death toll at 27. Local officials said that of the 51 people originally hospitalised, 27 have been released. Seven still in hospital are in a critical condition. Mr Delrio confirmed that the stretch of track between the towns of Andria and Corato did not have an automatic alert system that would engage if two trains were close by and on the same track. Rather, the system relied on station masters phoning one another to advise of a departing train. The phone system leaves an entirely human management and is among the least evolved and most risky ways of regulating railway circulation, Mr Delrio told parliament. Under the system, he said, the station master can only allow the train to leave if it is confirmed that the line is free at the arrival station, allowing only one train at a time on the single railway. He said the single rail track used in the area is not dangerous if advanced technology is applied. Andria mayor Nicola Giorgino said the crash was particularly tragic and paradoxical since work was to begin within a few months to build a second track on the route. In fact, the work was supposed to have begun years ago, and EU funding was secured when it was first proposed for the 2007-2013 period. Trani prosecutor Francesco Giannella said the delay in the track-doubling work would be part of the investigation. We will investigate on the delays of the work on the line and on the deficiencies in the security system, he said. Many relatives of the victims have demanded justice, questioning how a single track could still be in use and warning national authorities not to abandon them. Brexit is hitting housing in Northern Ireland an industry survey suggested today, as estate agents indicate gloom about the property market. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said that for the first time in three years members expected prices to slide. The body attributed the negativity to the EU referendum result and impact of higher stamp duty on investment property. There was an increase of 6% in the numbers of estate agent members of RICS expecting price falls over the next three months. And the outlook for the number of house sales that might take place was the most pessimistic in four years. Enquiries from new buyers were down for the third month in a row - and there was no increase in people wanting to sell. RICS Northern Ireland spokesman Samuel Dickey said its survey gave an early feel for the mood of the market. He said: "It is not surprising that the uncertainty in the wider economy is impacting on housing market sentiment in some areas. However, only after the initial shock of the past couple of weeks has passed will we get a clearer picture of how the market is faring." He said he did not anticipate falling prices in Belfast, due to a lack of supply. He added: "A lack of supply has characterised the Northern Ireland housing market in recent years, particularly in Greater Belfast, and this should continue to be a factor." Colin Barclay, group residential sales manager at Morton Pinpoint estate agents in Belfast, said he expected a short-term slowdown, but felt there would be a "gradual but steady" recovery in the last quarter. "People can put things on hold for a few months, but then they want to get back to normal. At the start of the year I expected a 5-6% increase in prices but I now think they will be reasonably static, but steady and slow increases are better and healthier for the market." However, Londonderry estate agent Paul O'Keefe said: "We have seen no change at all in prices or sales levels since the Brexit - it's been business as normal here. "Obviously there was an element of concern for anyone in business, but we have been as busy as we were three months ago. I think it's like the millennium bug - everyone is panicking but nothing was happening. I think things are stable enough in the north west." Co Down estate agent Tim Martin had not noticed any post-Brexit slowdown in sales. He said: "I was pro-Europe and still am, but I think that I am not convinced that the man on the street is overly worried about it. Job security is likely to shake the market more than the Brexit vote. And unless there's a mass exodus of investment, I don't see any major changes for most people." The vast majority of ferry freight units are trucks and trailers accompanied by drivers The number of freight units carried by ferry companies on the English Channel and the Irish Sea increased by 4.8% last year to 4.41 million units, according to a new report. Figures published by industry body Discover Ferries showed the trend had continued into 2016, with a 3.1% year-on-year rise to 2.26 million units between January and June. The vast majority of ferry freight units are trucks and trailers accompanied by drivers. Growth has been seen across routes out of Dover, the Western Channel - all routes on the south cost west of Dover - and the Irish Sea. William Gibbons, director of Discover Ferries, said: "These are very encouraging figures and they show that the ferry freight industry is in good health - driven by wider economic factors. "The short sea routes have consistently been the powerhouse of the UK ferry industry but it is also encouraging to see such a good freight performance on the Western Channel and the Irish Sea. "Ferry freight has proved to be resilient as business on the short sea routes increased despite disruption in June and July last year which led to a shortage of capacity." Ferry services suffered delays last summer due to attempts by migrants to cross the Channel from France into England and strikes by French ferry workers. Five Co-operative food stores in Northern Ireland are to be sold as part of a UK-wide agreement. The mutual said the 117m deal would see 298 smaller food stores across the UK snapped up by McColl's Retail Group, with money from the sale used to buy 100 new stores this year and 100 more stores in 2017. The Co-op has 41 food stores in Northern Ireland. The ones affected by the deal are on Whitewell Road in north Belfast, Abbots Cross in Newtownabbey, Dunclug in Co Antrim, Tandragee in Co Armagh, and Main Street in Bangor, Co Down. A spokesman for the company said that the stores would continue to trade and that staff members' jobs were safe under the new owners. Steve Murrells, chief executive of Co-op Food, added: "Today's announcement is completely in line with our strategy, as these stores did not allow us to provide a sufficiently compelling own-brand offer for our members going forwards. "The proceeds will be re-invested to drive sustainable growth for our members, and I am delighted that all 3,808 colleagues will transfer to McColl's on the same terms and conditions." The Co-op said it was selling the stores, which are 1,700 sq ft on average, because they are too small to stock all the firm's own-brand products, which have been key to driving up sales. It added the move tied in with plans to grow the total number of Co-op members to a million by 2018, while pushing up the total sales from members to 50%. Francis Martin of BDO is now president of the British Chambers of Commerce Co Tyrone man and BDO partner Francis Martin is set to bring "calm and considered thinking" to UK business as part of a new role. Mr Martin is unveiled today as the new president of the British Chambers of Commerce - becoming its first Northern Ireland-born leader. The chartered accountant, who is originally from Moy, is a corporate finance partner at business advisers BDO in Belfast, and a former president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce. The British Chambers is the umbrella organisation for all 52 chambers in the UK and maintained a position of neutrality in the run-up to the EU referendum. But it was in the headlines when its then director general, John Longworth, said he thought the UK had a "brighter future" outside the EU - prompting his resignation. Mr Martin said today: "This is a crucial time for the UK economy and the role of the Chambers of Commerce has become vital as a result. Businesses in the UK are resilient and innovative, but it is imperative that actions needed to sustain competitive trade and support long-term growth are identified and taken by policymakers." He succeeds Nora Senior, head of public relations firm Weber Shandwick, who stands down after three years in post. Mr Martin added: "The British Chambers of Commerce is a powerful advocate for the business community and has strongly represented the diverse interests of our members for more than 150 years. In my tenure as president, I will work with my colleagues and Government for the benefit of businesses and communities around the country." Mr Martin has two decades' experience in corporate finance and business strategy. Peter Burnside, managing partner at BDO Northern Ireland, said: "Francis brings strong leadership and exceptional business acumen to the Chambers. "His influence and measured approach in challenging situations has helped our clients and our firm to grow considerably in the last decade. "I'm pleased that he will continue to lead our ranks, while also sharing his experience and guidance through the BCC. "Now is the time for calm and considered thinking across all sectors in the UK and, in Francis, the Chambers have a strategist of the highest calibre at their helm. "I wish him every success during his term as president of the British Chambers of Commerce," he added. Mr Martin was also named Northern Ireland Dealmaker of the Year at the 2016 Dealmaker Awards. Pro-Brexit pub boss Tim Martin says Belfast could have room for another two JD Wetherspoon pubs on top of its two existing projects. Mr Martin, who went to school in Northern Ireland, said there could be an appetite for another two pubs in the city centre. JD Wetherspoon is already planning two new pubs in Belfast the chain bought the former JJB unit on Royal Avenue and a former Methodist Church on University Road. He said that Belfasts Titanic Quarter and Cathedral Quarter were two areas where he saw potential for the brand but added that no immediate plans were in place. Mr Martin said the chains two Belfast projects will set the company back by 3.5m, with the majority ring-fenced for the renovation of the listed former Methodist church. Permission has been granted for the Royal Avenue site, but it still needs a drinks licence, while the Methodist Church site is still in the planning system. Its expected the plans will bring around 100 new jobs to the city. Mr Martin said he was not shocked by the referendum result and said he was not worried at the prospect of an exit from the EU. The chairman was an outspoken backer of the Leave camp, and toured 100 of the companys pubs in a bid to convince customers that the UK would be better off outside the EU. Im very pleased by it. I think the EU is undemocratic and becoming increasingly more undemocratic with five unelected presidents, he said. Im hoping that Brexit will be sensibly carried out, but it cant be done overnight. I know our main political parties have been preoccupied by leadership issues, but by the end of the summer plans should start to be put in place. And Mr Martin rejected reports that problems with planning and property prices had put the chains expansion plans in the Republic on hold. In Dublin, its biggest project a 100 bedroom hotel and pub complex on Camden Street is still in the planning system. Mr Martin said he hopes to open a further six in Dublin four in the city centre and two on the outskirts. The property market has definitely been heating up and its getting more difficult to acquire, but we are very much still pressing ahead with the plans, he said. Within reason we would look at some more sites another one or two in Belfast and several in Dublin. The firm currently runs 920 UK pubs including nine in Northern Ireland. Its latest trading update saw like-for-like sales rise 4% in the final quarter and increase 3.4% over the year. He said he felt that the UK needed a Prime Minister who could not be intimidated and had found one in Theresa May. He said he had not been asked to meet her for a pint yet but added that this had also been the case with the countrys previous leaders. And he has criticised former Chancellor George Osborne, the IMF, the Bank of England and a host of other organisations, blaming them for a potential slowdown following the EU referendum vote. In my opinion, the above individuals and organisations are either dishonest or they have a poor understanding of economics, since democracy and prosperity are closely linked and the EU is clearly undemocratic, added Mr Martin. Scores of arts groups across Northern Ireland have been dealt a blow following a significant cut to the body that funds them. The Arts Council has had its 2016/17 budget slashed by almost half-a-million pounds by the new Department for Communities. Its funding has been reduced from 10.95m in 2015/16 to 10.49m in 2016/17. The bulk of the Arts Council's money is used to pay annual running and staffing costs for arts organisations. The revelation comes in the same week as Communities Minister Paul Givan confirmed that a 200,000 scheme to pay for musical instruments for bands had been reinstated. It provides grants of between 500 and 5,000 for marching bands to buy new instruments and replace worn-out ones, and is distributed through the Arts Council. Former Culture Minister Caral Ni Chuilin suspended the same fund last year. Mr Givan said the marching bands sector was "the largest community arts sector in Northern Ireland, with well in excess of 20,000 participants". "These bands contribute to our society not just musically, but providing structure, discipline and a social outlet for a huge number of young people across Northern Ireland," he said. The Arts Council's biggest allocation in 2016/17 was to the Ulster Orchestra Society Ltd - 1,779,568. Just two years ago the ensemble faced closure due to a funding crisis and needed extra money from Stormont and Belfast City Council to remain afloat. The Arts Council also funds the Lyric Theatre, which was given 968,500; the Metropolitan Arts Centre (950,000); and the Grand Opera House Trust (494,610). However, most of its grants for 2016/17 are small sums, including to the West Belfast Festival Feile an Phobail (142,590) and the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival (126,100). EastSide Arts manager Anthony Toner said the 94,000 from the Arts Council, plus a grant from Belfast City Council, was crucial to its success. Another community festival, Arts Ekta, received 55,844 from the Arts Council. Nisha Tandon, executive director of ArtsEkta, which organises the Belfast Mela, said: "The arts sector has faced its most challenging times in recent years, with deep cuts to a budget that is the lowest across the whole of the UK and Ireland. "This latest cut is tiny when put in the context of overall Stormont spending, but the impact will undoubtedly be felt in the sector, and as we have seen before this has the potential to have a knock-on effect on jobs, the livelihood of our artists and the breadth of programmes that reach out to so many different communities." Meanwhile, the Belfast Circus School received 156,699. Spokesman Will Chamberlain has expressed concern at the cutbacks. "Investment in arts and culture pays back many, many times over," he said. "Whether it's in tourism benefit or education or health, that investment will come back to the Northern Ireland economy. "Cutting by half-a-million is a miniscule amount in terms of the overall budget. "But it makes a difference to us, because it is a massive proportion of what we actually get allocated." In March the Arts Council warned that it expected its budget for 2016-17 to be reduced by up to 6%. That follows an 11% - or 1.38m - cut from DCAL in 2015-16. Tony Blair's leading role in ending terrorism in Northern Ireland has been praised by the DUP's Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. The Lagan Valley MP said it was wrong to label the former Prime Minister a supporter of terror because of his role in the invasion of Iraq. However, Sir Jeffrey, whose brother was in one of the first British Army units to cross the border from Kuwait into Iraq, added it was right that Mr Blair should face scrutiny. "No one did more to bring an end to terrorism in Northern Ireland... than the former Prime Minister. At times I disagreed with the way that he went about things in Northern Ireland, while at other times he acted with the best of intentions. But I have to say he blurred the lines, and this is part of the problem. "I think that it's right that we consider whether he potentially misled the House (of Commons)." Arlene Foster has been appointed to the Privy Council - the government body which advises the Queen, it has been announced. The elevation of the First Minister to the post had to be personally approved by the Queen. Her senior appointment was announced yesterday on the Downing Street website, as Theresa May replaced David Cameron as Prime Minister. Mrs Foster joins around 600 existing privy counsellors, among them former prime ministers and cabinet ministers along with leaders of the opposition. Members include Prince Philip and Prince Charles, the current and former Speakers of the House of Commons, archbishops, senior bishops and senior judges. On average the body meets about once a month and its sessions - presided over by The Queen - involve in practice mostly senior Cabinet ministers and other ministers attending. The DUP is also represented on the Privy Council by its former leader Peter Robinson, who was appointed when he was East Belfast MP, deputy leader Nigel Dodds and Lagan Valley MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who was knighted in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours. Congratulating Mrs Foster on her appointment, Mr Dodds said it showed the high esteem in which the First Minister is held across the United Kingdom. And the North Belfast MP argued the announcement demonstrates that she is regarded across the UK "as the leader of our Province". Mrs Foster was not immediately available for comment but was said to be "delighted" by the honour. Mr Dodds said: "I warmly congratulate Arlene on being appointed by Her Majesty the Queen to the Privy Council. "Today's appointment is a testament to the fact that Arlene, as our First Minister and party leader, is held in high esteem not only in Northern Ireland but throughout the United Kingdom. "It is right and proper that the First Minister of Northern Ireland is a member of the Privy Council, alongside her counterparts in Wales and Scotland. "Arlene Foster is recognised as the undisputed leader of unionism in Northern Ireland following the Assembly election in May and today's elevation again highlights the fact she is recognised throughout the United Kingdom as the leader of our Province." The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, who replaced Mr Robinson as DUP leader just before Christmas and then as First Minister in January, was one of four appointments announced yesterday. She was joined by Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party and MSP for Edinburgh Central; David Gauke. the Financial Secretary to the Treasury and MP for South West Hertfordshire and Ed Vaizey MP, who is the Minister of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries and the MP for Wantage in Oxfordshire. New buyer enquiries at Northern Ireland's estate agents fell for the third month in a row, analysts reported Confidence in the Northern Ireland housing market has hit a three-year low following the Brexit vote, analysts said. The uncertainty has combined with the higher stamp duty on investment property purchases to dampen expectations, according to chartered surveyors. New buyer enquiries at estate agents fell for the third month in a row and there was little growth in the number of sellers. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) spokesman Samuel Dickey said: "It is not surprising that the uncertainty in the wider economy is impacting on housing market sentiment in some areas. "However, only after the initial shock of the past couple of weeks has passed will we get a clearer picture of how the market is faring. "A lack of supply has characterised the Northern Ireland housing market in recent years, particularly in Greater Belfast and this should continue to be a factor." The residential market survey was carried out by the RICS and Ulster Bank. It said the overall price balance for Northern Ireland, calculated by comparing the number of surveyors expecting growth or slump in the housing market, was still positive but had fallen to its lowest level in more than three years. Expectations for prices over the next three months also diminished. Sean Murphy, regional managing director in charge of branch and private banking at Ulster Bank, said the first half of the year saw relatively strong demand. "And the imbalance between supply and demand in key population centres put upward pressure on prices. "Unsurprisingly, there is uncertainty in the wider economy and the housing market cannot be immune. "However, we continue to see good mortgage demand from homebuyers, and the key thing for them remains to secure finance that is affordable and meets their own circumstances." Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Pictured: Ross Adair. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Picture: Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2016 13th July Royal Black Institution parade, Scarva. The annual parade and sham fight in Scarva is the pinnacle of the parading season for a lot of bands and members of the loyal orders. This year as any other, tens of thousands lined the streets and demesne to watch a vibrant display of colour, music, and re-enactment. Pictured: Tommy Graham heads Newry District. Picture: Philip Magowan Pacemaker Press Belfast 13/7/2016 Sheltering from Heavy rain Showers at Scarva Wednesday. The Sham Fight, which attracts 100,000 people every year to see a major procession and a re-enactment of the Battle of the Boyne. Tourism Northern Ireland and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council have already given financial support to the big day in Scarva, on Wednesday, July 13. This year, more emphasis will be placed on explaining the background to the Sham Fight, when 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and 90 bands will be on parade through the village. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 13/7/2016 The annual Sham fight takes place at Scarva Wednesday. The Sham Fight, which attracts 100,000 people every year to see a major procession and a re-enactment of the Battle of the Boyne. Tourism Northern Ireland and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council have already given financial support to the big day in Scarva, on Wednesday, July 13. This year, more emphasis will be placed on explaining the background to the Sham Fight, when 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and 90 bands will be on parade through the village. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 13/7/2016 The annual Sham fight takes place at Scarva Wednesday. The Sham Fight, which attracts 100,000 people every year to see a major procession and a re-enactment of the Battle of the Boyne. Tourism Northern Ireland and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council have already given financial support to the big day in Scarva, on Wednesday, July 13. This year, more emphasis will be placed on explaining the background to the Sham Fight, when 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and 90 bands will be on parade through the village. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 13/7/2016 The annual Sham fight takes place at Scarva Wednesday. The Sham Fight, which attracts 100,000 people every year to see a major procession and a re-enactment of the Battle of the Boyne. Tourism Northern Ireland and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council have already given financial support to the big day in Scarva, on Wednesday, July 13. This year, more emphasis will be placed on explaining the background to the Sham Fight, when 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and 90 bands will be on parade through the village. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 13/7/2016 The annual Sham fight takes place at Scarva Wednesday. The Sham Fight, which attracts 100,000 people every year to see a major procession and a re-enactment of the Battle of the Boyne. Tourism Northern Ireland and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council have already given financial support to the big day in Scarva, on Wednesday, July 13. This year, more emphasis will be placed on explaining the background to the Sham Fight, when 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and 90 bands will be on parade through the village. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 13/7/2016 The annual Sham fight takes place at Scarva Wednesday. The Sham Fight, which attracts 100,000 people every year to see a major procession and a re-enactment of the Battle of the Boyne. Tourism Northern Ireland and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council have already given financial support to the big day in Scarva, on Wednesday, July 13. This year, more emphasis will be placed on explaining the background to the Sham Fight, when 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and 90 bands will be on parade through the village. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 13/7/2016 Sheltering from Heavy rain Showers at Scarva Wednesday. The Sham Fight, which attracts 100,000 people every year to see a major procession and a re-enactment of the Battle of the Boyne. Tourism Northern Ireland and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council have already given financial support to the big day in Scarva, on Wednesday, July 13. This year, more emphasis will be placed on explaining the background to the Sham Fight, when 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and 90 bands will be on parade through the village. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 13/7/2016 The annual Sham fight takes place at Scarva Wednesday. The Sham Fight, which attracts 100,000 people every year to see a major procession and a re-enactment of the Battle of the Boyne. Tourism Northern Ireland and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council have already given financial support to the big day in Scarva, on Wednesday, July 13. This year, more emphasis will be placed on explaining the background to the Sham Fight, when 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and 90 bands will be on parade through the village. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 13/7/2016 The annual Sham fight takes place at Scarva Wednesday. The Sham Fight, which attracts 100,000 people every year to see a major procession and a re-enactment of the Battle of the Boyne. Tourism Northern Ireland and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council have already given financial support to the big day in Scarva, on Wednesday, July 13. This year, more emphasis will be placed on explaining the background to the Sham Fight, when 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and 90 bands will be on parade through the village. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 13/7/2016 First Minister Arlene Foster watches The annual Sham fight that took place at Scarva Wednesday. The Sham Fight, which attracts 100,000 people every year to see a major procession and a re-enactment of the Battle of the Boyne. Tourism Northern Ireland and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council have already given financial support to the big day in Scarva, on Wednesday, July 13. This year, more emphasis will be placed on explaining the background to the Sham Fight, when 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and 90 bands will be on parade through the village. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 13/7/2016 The annual Sham fight takes place at Scarva Wednesday. The Sham Fight, which attracts 100,000 people every year to see a major procession and a re-enactment of the Battle of the Boyne. Tourism Northern Ireland and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council have already given financial support to the big day in Scarva, on Wednesday, July 13. This year, more emphasis will be placed on explaining the background to the Sham Fight, when 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and 90 bands will be on parade through the village. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker The result was never in doubt, but that did not stop 100,000 people heading to Scarva. King William of Orange won his showdown with King James under the approving eye of First Minister Arlene Foster at the annual Sham Fight. A huge crowd enjoyed the colourful spectacle of the Royal Black Preceptory (RBP) stepping out for their famous July 13 demonstration. People lined the streets as 5,000 members of the Royal Black Institution, accompanied by some of the best marching bands, put on the biggest one-day event at a single location in Northern Ireland. Neither rain nor lightning put off the visitors, many of whom brought Union flag-themed umbrellas and jackets to the colourful event. This year saw the introduction of a new food court to the proceedings, with an emphasis on local produce, including apple products made from the produce of Co Armagh orchards. The Sir Alfred Buller Memorial RBP organised the fun day out in Co Down. Worshipful Master Sandy Heak said it had taken a year to put together, adding that work would start on organising next summer's event next week. "It's really an incredible team effort," Mr Heak explained. "We aim to give people who come to see it a memorable day out for all the family." Scarva boasts strong links with William and is reputed to be one of the locations where he and his troops camped in June 1690 before they travelled to the scene of the Battle of the Boyne in Co Louth. In the grounds of Scarva House, there is a huge Spanish chestnut tree under which William and his generals are reported to have spent the night ahead of their date with destiny. Every year on July 13, people from the local RBP in Scarva play out the Sham Fight, a mock battle in which the Williamite and Jacobite forces meet on the lawns of Scarva House. Unsurprisingly, the Williamite forces always win to the great delight of spectators. The day came as Lurgan Black District Chapter No 2 took part in its annual parade in Bangor. Fifteen preceptories and eight bands from Northern Ireland and Scotland participated in the procession through the north Down town. Police in west Belfast were attacked with a petrol bomb as they talked to young children during the Twelfth, it has emerged. The PSNI said its neighbourhood patrol team in the Grosvenor area was talking to children and young people who had gathered in Lanark Way on Monday night when it happened. Unfortunately, after a peaceful and generally quiet evening some genius thought it would be a great idea to lob a petrol bomb at us despite the fact that we were standing among a crowd of people that included some very small children, a PSNI spokesman posted on Facebook. The sheer recklessness of this frankly puts my head away. Why do some people think its acceptable to throw items such as this at another human being? Luckily it had not ignited properly and instead smashed on the ground without hitting anyone. Last night, PSNI officers found 16 petrol bombs in nearby Colinview Street. Needless to say these were stashed to be thrown at officers again, the spokesman said. Have a think about what you are doing engaging in this type of behaviour. It cant be stressed enough how dangerous this is. Are we really promoting a society where people are effectively trying to set light to police officers at their days work? There was a palpable sense of relief behind the scenes at police headquarters in Belfast after the Twelfth passed off peacefully. For the commander in charge of an operation involving more than 3,000 officers across 11 districts monitoring more than 600 parades, the annual Orange Order demonstration is among the busiest and most challenging events on his calendar. The parades throw up many of the well-known problems that lie at the very root of Northern Ireland's divided society. And months of meticulous planning went into ensuring that the big day passed off without major incident. While the general consensus was that there was less tension this year, particularly within loyalism, contingencies were still in place to deal with trouble if it flared at one of the remaining sectarian flashpoints. Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin said: "We had planned for a variety of scenarios, from everything going as well as we could hope, to different levels of deterioration. " But we were also mindful that it was important to try and make things as normal as possible." Some 1,500 police vehicles were deployed on Tuesday, including 400 heavily armoured Land Rovers and 100 motorcycles, backed up by the PSNI's Air Support Unit. In common with the rank-and-file officers, Mr Martin's mammoth shift started at the crack of dawn and followed a late night with just a few hours of interrupted sleep. His office at the strategic command centre - a dedicated hub within the PSNI's sprawling Brooklyn complex - was a hive of activity. The long morning was peppered with a series of high-level briefings, meetings, phone calls and even visits from officials including Justice Minister Claire Sugden and Anne Connolly, chairwoman of the Policing Board. Hopes of an early finish were dashed by a two-hour stand-off close to Ardoyne shopfronts that saw a number of minor incidents. Tension increased when it looked like officers were being surrounded, but the concerns were short-lived and the mood quickly eased. Just before signing off close to midnight, Mr Martin hailed the efforts of everyone involved. "Any tensions that have existed have been minor," he said. And the senior policeman added: "Overall, it was a very good Twelfth of July... one of the best in several years." Irresponsible dog owners who refuse to clean up after their pets have been warned that DNA technology will be used to track them down. And there is no point in trying to blame someone else's pet for the mess because the PooPrints system does not lie. Dog fouling has been the bane of pedestrians, councils and other dog owners for decades. For some time, prominent signs warning about fines have been the only visible deterrent against the perennial problem. But now, high-tech naming and shaming could be on its way here, courtesy of a company that specialises in identifying the four-legged foulers and their two-legged owners. Companies including Streetkleen are bringing detection technology usually associated with more serious crime to the world of dog-walkers. An image of the face and a frighteningly accurate general description of the canine offender can be gleaned from the DNA of the unsightly mess that they leave behind. This, in turn, can be published on lamp-posts and council newsletters - a gallery of 'pugshots' that will surely drive positive behavioural change. "We identify the sex, coat, colour, mask etc, enabling a picture of the dog to be displayed in the areas where they have offended", said Streetkleen managing director Gary Downie. "He added that the England-based company was already in discussions with Northern Ireland councillors about introducing the PooPrints technology. "We've had a lot of interest from councils across Northern Ireland, from Belfast to Derry," Mr Downie explained. "Indeed, representatives from Mid Ulster Council and Derry and Strabane District Council attended our recent seminar. Our pilot scheme, conducted in collaboration with Barking and Dagenham, shows the positive behaviour change PooPrints can drive - a 50% reduction in fouling - making our cities smarter and our public spaces safer." Mr Downie is now in talks with Belfast City Council about trialling PooPrints in Northern Ireland, and they also have plans to involve Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful in future projects. Responsible owners who would have no worries about their beloved pet leaving an unwanted 'message', could register their dogs for DNA as a matter of course, ruling them out as suspects while reducing the likelihood they would ever foul up. And what non-registered owner would like to see naughty old Fido's face on any future gallery of shame? After Brexit, Britains so-called special relationship with the US will take on even greater importance to the fate of the country. Hitting out at the US President for intervening in the Brexit debate, Mr Johnson wrote in The Sun about how he had removed a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval office. He said: No one was sure whether the President had himself been involved in the decision. Some said it was a snub to Britain. Some said it was a symbol of the part-Kenyan President's ancestral dislike of the British Empire - of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender. Labour MP Chuka Umunna, whose father was Nigerian, tweeted after Mr Johnson's new role was revealed, saying: "Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's first official meeting with President Obama will be interesting. Suggest it starts with the word 'sorry"'. Click through images below to see more: James Brokenshire, who has been appointed Northern Ireland Secretary, leaves 10 Downing Street, London, as Prime Minister Theresa May continues to put the finishing touches to her top team. Photo credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire James Brokenshire leaves after meeting Prime Minister Theresa May where he was appointed the position of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, at Downing Street on July 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) James Brokenshire has been appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland after Theresa Villiers left the position. Brokenshire is the MP for Old Blexley and Sidcup and was previously the Minister for Security and Immigration. He said he was "delighted and honoured" to be offered the role. Mr Brokenshire said in a statement: "I am looking forward to working closely over the coming weeks and months with the Executive, the Irish Government and the whole community in Northern Ireland to build a brighter, more secure future for everyone." He also paid tribute to his predecessor, Theresa Villers, who he said had worked "tirelessly for the people of Northern Ireland." The new secretary of state shares the view of the majority of its voters on the EU as Brokenshire campaigned to remain in the EU. The fall-out created by the EU referendum will top the agenda for the 48-year-old former Home Office minister as he takes the reins at the Northern Ireland Office. Concerns about the status of the Irish border after Brexit, and whether free movement of people and goods will be impacted, have dominated the political discourse across the island since the UK's historic vote to leave the EU. As a vocal Leave advocate, Ms Villiers had faced calls to quit as Northern Ireland secretary following the vote, with Sinn Fein among critics who claimed her position was untenable, given that 56% of the region had backed Remain. However, the Tory MP had expressed a desire to continue in the post, highlighting that she was on the same side of the EU argument as Democratic Unionist Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster and therefore had no reason to step down. Old Bexley and Sidcup MP Mr Brokenshire, a married father of three, arrives at the NIO after six years at the Home Office, where he held a number of posts, including Immigration Minister. Mr Brokenshire supported Mrs May's bid to become Tory leader while Ms Villiers backed Andrea Leadsom. DUP leader Mrs Foster congratulated the new incumbent at Stormont House. "Looking forward to working with you," she tweeted. The Irish Republic's minister for foreign affairs Charlie Flanagan said: "I warmly congratulate James Brokenshire on his appointment as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and hope to have the opportunity of an early meeting with him. "The post of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland carries significant responsibilities on important matters that remain within the competence of Westminster, such as security, parades and dealing with the legacy of the past. I wish Mr Brokenshire the very best as he assumes this important responsibility." Villiers made the announcement that she had left the role on Thursday and said had turned down a job offer from Prime Minister Theresa May. She said: "I regret to say that I have left the Government. The new Prime Minister was kind enough to offer me a role but it was not one which I felt I could take on. "I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to serve on the front bench for 11 years, first in the Shadow Cabinet, then as Transport Minister, and finally as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for four years in David Cameron's Cabinet. "I would like to thank everyone who has supported me during that time. I am sad to bring to end my work in Northern Ireland but I believe that I leave the political situation there in a more stable position than it has been for many years, not least because I was able to to help tackle the crisis which a year ago left us on the brink of a collapse of devolution and a return to direct rule. "I send my very best wishes to Northern Ireland's leaders as they continue the crucial process of implementing the two historic agreements that the cross party talks I chaired were able to deliver." She added: "Northern Ireland and its people will always have a very special place in my heart and I am confident that progress will continue to be made to embed peace, stability and prosperity there. "I wish the Prime Minister well in the great task on which she and her Government are about to embark to seize the many positive opportunities presented by the Brexit vote. They will have my full support in that vital work. I look forward to continuing to represent the interests of my Chipping Barnet constituents in Parliament with enthusiasm and diligence." Reaction I u/stand Theresa Villiers is not staying as SoS. I enjoyed working with her & wish her all the best for the future. Arlene Foster (@DUPleader) July 14, 2016 Theresa Villiers will be no loss - all British Secretary of States should stay over there MEP Martina Anderson (@M_AndersonSF) July 14, 2016 First Minister Arlene Foster: "Congratulations to James Brokenshire on your appointment as secretary of state for Northern Ireland. Looking forward to working with you." Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt MLA said: "I congratulate James Brokenshire MP on his appointment as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and look forward to working with him in the weeks and months ahead. "We hope to see James actively engage with the Official Opposition as well as the Northern Ireland Executive. I also wish Theresa Villiers well for the future." SDLP leader Colum Eastwood: "The most important issue the SDLP is working on is the campaign to protect Northern Ireland's position in the European Union. In a welcome contrast to his predecessor, Mr Brokenshire was a Remainer, knew the benefits of staying in the EU and the consequences of leaving. "In his role as secretary of state he must act in the best interests of people of Northern Ireland, and I urge him to listen to his original instincts and ensure the democratic will here is upheld." Alliance leader David Ford: "I congratulate Mr Brokenshire on his appointment as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, having worked closely with him during my time as minister of justice "I trust his experience during that period will help him bring a balanced view to the role of secretary of state. Part of that role will be to recognise the majority of people in Northern Ireland voted to remain within the EU and to start work immediately on the particular circumstances of that. "That will involve fighting for Northern Ireland in any Brexit negotiations, by articulating he will be an active advocate of the interests of Northern Ireland, both within the cabinet and within EU discussions." Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan: "The Good Friday Agreement remains the foundation stone for relations on this island. Under the Agreement, the Irish and British Governments have key responsibilities for upholding its principles and supporting its institutions. "I look forward to working closely with Mr Brokenshire in discharging these responsibilities in the interests of all of the people of Northern Ireland. "That work assumes even greater importance in the context of the challenges arising from the decision that the UK should exit from the European Union." The revelation came in a written Assembly answer from the commission to Ulster Unionist Jo-Anne Dobson The Assembly is to introduce an online petition page for the public to campaign and complain. The e-petition facility follows similar moves by Westminster and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales. Stormont's committee on procedures revealed it intended to introduce the new mechanism "in due course". The Assembly Commission, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of Parliament Buildings, has agreed to finance it from its own budget. The revelation came in a written Assembly answer from the commission to Ulster Unionist Jo-Anne Dobson. The Upper Bann MLA said constituents had contacted her to point out that Northern Ireland was out of step with London and the regional administrations. Mrs Dobson also told this newspaper that she believed the move would close the gap between the political process and the public. "I believe a public petitions system at the Assembly would bring politics closer to people and lead to greater accountability of the Executive in their decision-making," she said. "There are so many fantastic champions in Northern Ireland across a range of policy areas, especially from my own perspective as a member of the health committee, and I am proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them." A spokesman for the Assembly Commission, which represents all the main Stormont parties, added: "During the last mandate, the committee on procedures agreed a report on a review of public petitions procedures, which recommended, among other things, that the existing public petitions process should be enhanced by the inclusion of an e-petitions facility to permit the submission of petitions without requiring the sponsorship of a political party." The Assembly has since approved the move, along with other recommendations in the report. "The current committee on procedures is giving consideration to these recommendations with a view to introducing an e-petitions facility in due course," The Assembly Commission said. "The Assembly Commission will provide the necessary resources to facilitate whatever e-petition facility is agreed and introduced." It is understood that people wanting to initiate a petition will have to be aged 18 or over and registered to vote here. The petition will also have to fall within the Assembly's responsibilities, and it must not be defamatory, vexatious or malicious. Michael Gove has been sacked from the Government. There have also been reports Jeremy Hunt has left his position as Health Secretary. Downing Street declined to comment on reports that the former leadership contender and Justice Secretary Gove had left the Government, but it is understood that Mrs May has told him he will not form a part of her team. Shorty after Sky News and the BBC reported that Health Secretary Hunt was also informed his services would no longer be required in the Cabinet. Mr Gove becomes the second major casualty from David Cameron's cabinet, joining former Chancellor George Osborne on the backbenches. Fellow Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson was made Foreign Secretary. Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers is expected to learn the fate of her role at some stage on Thursday morning. Disappointed not to be continuing as Education Secretary & Min for Women & Equalities - two wonderful roles it's been a privilege to hold Nicky Morgan (@NickyMorgan01) July 14, 2016 Education Secretary Nicky Morgan also lost her job, announcing on Twitter: "Disappointed not to be continuing as Education Secretary and minister for women and equalities - two wonderful roles it's been a privilege to hold." More: Read More Also gone is Culture Secretary John Whittingdale who tweeted: "Has been a privilege to serve as Culture Secretary. I wish my successor every success & will continue to support creative industries" Mr Gove's departure came on the second day of a round of appointments which has already seen fellow-Brexiteer Boris Johnson - the man whose leadership hopes he dashed - installed as Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond becoming Chancellor and Amber Rudd Home Secretary. Mr Hammond announced that he has no plans for an emergency budget of the kind which his predecessor George Osborne had warned would be necessary within months if Britain voted to leave the EU. The Chancellor said the referendum result caused an economic "shock" and did not rule out the possibility of an economic slowdown. But the new Government will do "whatever is necessary to keep the economy on track" and the pace of deficit reduction could be curbed, he suggested. Mr Hammond told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We will face some challenges in the short term in managing the economy. It has had a shock as a result of the decision on June 23 to leave the European Union. "That has shaken confidence, it has caused many businesses to pause investment decisions that they were making. "The challenge for us now is to send signals of reassurance about the future as quickly and as powerfully as we can to the international investment community, to British business and to British consumers so we can get those decisions starting to be made and investments starting to flow into the UK." Mr Hammond said that investment, job creation and business confidence had all been hit since the referendum result. "There has been a chilling effect. We have seen an effect in markets, we have seen business investment decisions being paused because businesses now want to take stock, want to understand how we will take forward our renegotiation with the EU, what our aspirations are for the future trading relationship between Britain and the European Union." Mr Hammond will use his first morning in the job to meet Bank of England governor Mark Carney. The appointment of Mr Johnson as Foreign Secretary shocked Westminster and the wider world. Asked about the former London mayor's new role, which means he is in charge of MI6, Mr Hammond told Today: "The Cabinet works collectively and we have got a range of different characters and a range of different styles and a range of different talents. "The lead and the tone will be set by the Prime Minister." Mr Hammond said the Foreign Office, Treasury and Home Office were "well oiled machines" with "highly skilled and competent" civil servants to support new ministers. Labour leadership contender Angela Eagle, whose astonished reaction to Mr Johnson's appointment was widely shared online on Wednesday evening, told the Press Association: "I couldn't believe that somebody who went round the country telling blatant lies could be rewarded in that way, and I thought immediately of the Hillsborough families because he repeated the slurs about them and then he went up to Merseyside and insulted Merseyside and was forced by Michael Howard to go back up and apologise. "And then I thought about what he'd said about President Obama, that somehow his Kenyan roots had made him more pro-European. "I don't think that that's the kind of behaviour of a British Foreign Secretary." Labour's former shadow education secretary Lucy Powell said the departure of the two secretaries of state to have overseen schools during the Cameron years would be welcomed by teachers. "Teachers everywhere will rejoice that both Michael Gove and Nicky Morgan are no longer part of the Government," said Ms Powell, adding: "Just (schools minister) Nick Gibb to go." Police leaders have hailed one of the quietest Twelfth of July celebrations in years, with no significant injuries to officers. A number of flashpoint marches passed off on Tuesday without any major incidents. Chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland Mark Lindsay said that, from the perspective of rank-and-file officers, it was one of the most successful Twelfths in recent years. "We didn't have officers hurt in street confrontations or standoffs, and that's what we have been working to achieve," he said. "Loyal orders, community groups, local politicians and statutory bodies worked alongside the police to achieve this result, and it is one I would like to see built upon. We can achieve much more as a society if we work for common goals." A police officer was injured when he was knocked down in Co Tyrone, and there was a tense standoff between loyalists and republicans at a notorious interface in north Belfast, but in comparison with the serious rioting that marred previous Twelfths the day was largely trouble-free. Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin passed his best wishes to the injured officer, and giving an overall view of the day, he added: "Undoubtedly, from a policing perspective this has been one of the most successful Twelfths in recent years." Marches near Catholic churches in east Belfast and the city centre were largely uneventful, while the Parades Commission blocking of a contentious march at the Ardoyne/Woodvale interface prompted only a low-key protest by around a dozen Orangemen. Mr Martin, who oversaw the PSNI's Twelfth operations, said in the coming days police would examine evidence relating to any alleged criminal offences committed over the period, including hate crimes linked to placement of items on bonfires. More than 3,000 officers were on duty in Northern Ireland on the day. During recent Twelfths police have come under attack at a temporary barrier on Woodvale Road as they enforced a determination by the Parades Commission to prevent three Orange lodges and their supporters from passing the nationalist Ardoyne neighbourhood. Last month a deal between the Orange Order and Ardoyne residents to resolve the bitter impasse fell through. But community workers on both sides of the divide expressed hope the work can be salvaged in the future. 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The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Orange bandsmen share a joke before they take part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 12: Female Orange lodge members show off their matching tattoos before taking part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 12: An Orangeman poses for a portrait before he takes part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 12: An Orangeman lights up his pipe before he takes part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Men in period costume wait for the start as the main 12th July parade moves off from Carlisle circus in Belfast, on July 12, 2016. 12th July is the main marching day in the Orange Order calendar. The parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Men in period costume parade as the main 12th July parade moves off from Carlisle circus in Belfast, on July 12, 2016. 12th July is the main marching day in the Orange Order calendar. The parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The parade marches past police, keeping Nationalist protestors away from a Loyalist feeder parade, passing the Nationalist Ardoyne shops on its way to join the main 12th July celebrations on July 12, 2016, the return parade has been banned from returning passed the shops this evening. 12th July is the main marching day in the Orange Order calendar. The parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images An Orangewoman from Glasgow, poses for a photograph as the main 12th July parade moves off from Carlisle circus in Belfast, on July 12, 2016. 12th July is the main marching day in the Orange Order calendar. The parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Orangemen, some in period costume wait for the start, as the main 12th July parade moves off from Carlisle circus in Belfast, on July 12, 2016. 12th July is the main marching day in the Orange Order calendar. The parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images An Orangeman with an orange lily watches, as the main 12th July parade moves off from Carlisle circus in Belfast, on July 12, 2016. 12th July is the main marching day in the Orange Order calendar. The parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Orangewomen take a selfie photograph beside a police landrover, as the main 12th July parade moves off from Carlisle circus in Belfast, on July 12, 2016. 12th July is the main marching day in the Orange Order calendar. The parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 12: An Orangemen wearing union jack braces watches on as thousands take part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Orangemen lead as the main 12th July parade moves off from Carlisle circus in Belfast, on July 12, 2016. 12th July is the main marching day in the Orange Order calendar. The parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Orangemen lead the main parade as the main 12th July parade moves off from Carlisle circus in Belfast, on July 12, 2016. 12th July is the main marching day in the Orange Order calendar. The parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 12: Female band members dressed in military outfits from the first world war take a selfie on a smartphone before they take part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 12: An Orangeman watches from under the shade of a tree as thousands of Orangemen and bandsmen take part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 12: The leading party of Orangemen stand to attention as they wait for the beginning of the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 12: An Orange bandsman screams into the camera as he takes part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 12: An Orange bandsman screams into the camera as he takes part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 12: An Orange Flute band takes part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 12: An Orangeman displays his Sash before he takes part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 12: A young band member throws his baton skywards as thousands of Orangemen and bandsmen take part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. An Orangeman poses for a portrait before he takes part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images The Orange Parade in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday , as the 12th of July celebrations take part across Northern Ireland, to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on Ireland's east coast in 1690. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker The Orange Parade in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday , as the 12th of July celebrations take part across Northern Ireland, to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on Ireland's east coast in 1690. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker The Orange Parade in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday , as the 12th of July celebrations take part across Northern Ireland, to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on Ireland's east coast in 1690. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker A young band member poses for a photograph as thousands of Orangemen and bandsmen take part in the annual Orange march on July 12, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images The Orange Parade in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday , as the 12th of July celebrations take part across Northern Ireland, to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on Ireland's east coast in 1690. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker The Orange Parade in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday , as the 12th of July celebrations take part across Northern Ireland, to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on Ireland's east coast in 1690. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Gavin Robinson MP and his son Reuben join Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye The Orange Parade in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday , as the 12th of July celebrations take part across Northern Ireland, to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on Ireland's east coast in 1690. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker The Orange Parade in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday , as the 12th of July celebrations take part across Northern Ireland, to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on Ireland's east coast in 1690. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 12th July 2016 - Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 12th July 2016 - Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. The Orange Parade in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday , as the 12th of July celebrations take part across Northern Ireland, to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on Ireland's east coast in 1690. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker The Orange Parade in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday , as the 12th of July celebrations take part across Northern Ireland, to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on Ireland's east coast in 1690. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 12/07/16 The Orange Parade in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday , as the 12th of July celebrations take part across Northern Ireland, to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on IrelandOs east coast in 1690. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 12/07/16 The Orange Parade in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday , as the 12th of July celebrations take part across Northern Ireland, to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on IrelandOs east coast in 1690. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Members of the public watch Orangemen and bandsmen in Belfast City Centre as they take part in the annual Twelfth of July parade in Belfast. The parades celebrate William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The Orange Parade in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday , as the 12th of July celebrations take part across Northern Ireland, to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on IrelandOs east coast in 1690. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Amanda Campbell and Joanne Liddle from Scotland pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Kyle Brown from Dondonald pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-07-2016: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The 12th of July parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. A total of 18 demonstrations are being held in towns and cities. Orange Order members pictured during the Belfast parade. Picture By: Arthur Allison /Pacemaker. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Lisburn Road Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Two-year-old Seth Thompson from Rosetta watches the parade on the Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Seven-year-old Conor Boyd waits for the parade on the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Seven-year-old Conor Boyd waits for the parade on the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Seven-year-old Conor Boyd waits for the parade on the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Lisburn Road Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up Balmoral Avenue. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Lisburn Road Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Glasgow County Lodge members(L-R) Mark Kirkland, Eddie McGonnell, Kirsty Gardner and Gina McNee pose for a selfie as the parade takes a break on the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up Balmoral Avenue. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Left to right. Elle Knowles(4) with her cousin Phoebe(2) watch the parade on Balmoral Avenue. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up Balmoral Avenue. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up Malone Road. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Left to right. Norma Moore, Jodie Moore(8) and Thomasena Hunt wait for the parade on Balmoral Avenue. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way into the field. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Andrew Thompson with his two-year-old son Seth from Rosetta. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade makes its way up Malone Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Seven-year-old Conor Boyd waits for the parade on the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Left to right. Zac Jamison(3) and Marcus Toan(7) wait for the parade on the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Brothers Roman(3&left) and Reuben McKinney(2) from Templepatrick play the drums as they want for the parade on the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade takes a break on the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade takes a break on the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. The parade takes a break on the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Seven-year-old Marcus Toan waits for the parade on the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th July 2015 Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way through the City Centre to the field at Malone House beside Shaws Bridge. Chelsea Pensioner Sam Cameron and seven-year-old Conor Boyd wait for the parade on the Lisburn Road. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The parades mark the 325th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Twelfth celebrations in Saintfield. PACEMAKER BELFAST 13/07/2015: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The parades mark the 325th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Twelfth celebrations in Saintfield. Photo Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 13/07/2015: Thousands of Orange Order members are taking part in parades across Northern Ireland. The parades mark the 325th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Twelfth celebrations in Saintfield. Photo Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Belfast's Orange Order annual 12th of July demonstration makes its way up the Lisburn Road (2015) Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye This year, in an apparently pre-planned move, a dozen members of Ballysillan lodge approached the barrier, watched by a few supporters. After handing in a protest letter, they stood with their backs to the railings for over an hour before dispersing. Two other lodges expected to walk to the barricade did not arrive, apparently because of a timing issue with the main Belfast parade they were taking part in. Ballysillan was the only one of three restricted lodges to oppose the mooted deal with residents. After its members left and the Woodvale Road reopened focus shifted to the nearby community interface where loyalists and republicans had gathered on either side of the roundabout at the Ardoyne shops. A number of minor incidents unfolded in a two-hour standoff, with riot police stepping in more than once to defuse trouble, but the tension eventually dissipated and the crowds left the scene. Earlier, the main Belfast parade passed St Patrick's Catholic Church on Donegall Street without major incident. A parade past St Matthew's Catholic Church on the Lower Newtownards Road in east Belfast - the scene of disorder in previous years - also passed without incident. Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at 10 Downing Street to appoint her cabinet Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Theresa May insists she has created a "bold" Cabinet that has hit the ground running. In a decisive cull of David Cameron's closest allies, the new Prime Minister's shake-up of the top team saw promotions for women and Brexiteers. Mrs May is set to travel to Scotland Friday for talks with SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in a bid to underline her determination to keep the UK together in the face of withdrawal from the EU. The move will follow Mrs May's sweeping Cabinet clear-out which saw her sack Mr Cameron's right-hand man George Osborne within hours of taking office on Wednesday, and then going on to axe Michael Gove, Oliver Letwin, Nicky Morgan and John Whittingdale. But Jeremy Hunt kept his job as Health Secretary, despite being widely tipped for the chop. The new PM, who took a 15 minute congratulatory telephone call from US president Barack Obama, rewarded her leadership campaign manager Chris Grayling with the post of Transport Secretary, adding him to the phalanx of Leave backers in Cabinet which already included Boris Johnson, Liam Fox and David Davis. The Prime Minister's official spokeswoman said: "This is a bold Cabinet. It's hitting the ground running. What you have seen with the appointments today is that commitment to putting social reform at the heart of her Government." The creation of specific Cabinet posts for exiting the EU, and boosting international trade " underlines the commitment to delivering on the decision of the British people," the official spokeswoman said. Labour said the promotion of a string of right-wingers contradicted Mrs May's "warm words" on her entry into 10 Downing Street about seeking to govern "not for a privileged few, but for every one of us". Mrs May announced changes to the machinery of Whitehall which spelled the end for the Department of Energy and Climate Change - established by Gordon Brown in 2008 to lead the UK's contribution to the fight against global warming. Greg Clark was appointed to the new role of Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, while his old role at the head of the Department for Communities and Local Government went to former business secretary Sajid Javid, in an effective job-swap. The business department's responsibilities for universities, further education, skills and apprenticeships were transferred to the Department for Education under its new Secretary of State Justine Greening, who also became minister for women and equalities. She replaced Ms Morgan, who made clear her departure was unwilling by saying she was "disappointed" to lose the job. Green MP Caroline Lucas denounced the decision to shut down DECC as a "serious backwards step", as it would mean no dedicated minister for climate change at the Cabinet table. Meanwhile, failed leadership candidate Stephen Crabb quit the Cabinet "in the best interests of my family", days after The Times reported that he had sent sexually explicit WhatsApp messages to a young woman during the EU referendum campaign. His job of Work and Pensions Secretary went to Damian Green, and James Brokenshire, entered the Cabinet for the first time as Northern Ireland Secretary, replacing Theresa Villiers who turned down an alternate position. A week after seeing his hopes of the Tory leadership dashed when he came third in a poll of Tory MPs, Mr Gove lost his Justice Secretary job to Liz Truss, who became the first female Lord Chancellor in the thousand-year history of the role. Prominent Brexit backer Andrea Leadsom, who paved the way for Mrs May's rapid elevation to the premiership by pulling out of the Tory leadership contest on Monday, was promoted from energy minister to the Cabinet role of Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Karen Bradley, who worked under Mrs May at the Home Office, was promoted to Culture Secretary, while prominent Brexit campaigner Priti Patel became International Development Secretary. Other eye-catching appointments on the second day of the formation of Mrs May's Government included former transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin as Conservative Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Alun Cairns kept his job as Wales Secretary and Mr Cameron's former parliamentary aide Gavin Williamson became chief whip. Meanwhile, a day after their ejection from Government, Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne were spotted nursing their wounds over coffees with their families at a terrace cafe in Notting Hill. The Conservatives' only MP north of the border, David Mundell, retained his position as Scotland Secretary. Treasury minister David Gauke was promoted to the Cabinet-level role of Chief Secretary and f ormer Europe minister David Lidington was made Leader of the House of Commons. Mrs May has completed appointing her full Cabinet with the final role to be confirmed being Attorney General Jeremy Wright. The final Government appointment until Friday was Ben Gummer being made Cabinet Office Minister. Mr Johnson was booed after he spoke at the French ambassador's residence in London at a celebration for Bastille Day. His first public appearance as Foreign Secretary led some in the audience to heckle and boo Mr Johnson. Armed police stand outside the property where former prime minister David Cameron is staying in Notting Hill in London, after leaving Downing Street yesterday. PA David Camerons new family home is a 16m Holland Park mansion owned by the PR mogul Sir Alan Parker. Having spent the night the under armed guard of the Diplomatic Protection Group (who also guard Tony Blairs doorstep nearby), Mr Cameron emerged this morning and stepped into a waiting Range Rover. There are some people around here who are up their own **** but I don't think the Camerons are like that, said a neighbour who asked not to be named. They're relaxed and chilled people. It's a very family friendly street. There's a lot of children around here, Im sure we'll be looking out for them too. The Camerons are not expected to stay there long, perhaps just until their three children have finished school for the year. Their own home in Kensington is being rented out, but they have another home in Camerons constituency in Witney, Oxfordshire. One of their new neighbours, who voted to leave the EU, added: When you're the leader of a team you have to take responsibility for the team, you can't say one thing and then jump ship. Cameron had to stand down or it would have looked like a bit of a dictatorship. They are at least back within walking distance of their favourite Notting Hill restaurants, and their old Notting Hill set friends too, even if the demographic of that particular group has shifted dramatically during Mr Camerons six years at Number 10. Michael Gove and his wife, Sarah, were regular dining companions. Since Mr Gove campaigned for Brexit, bringing down his friends career and, eventually, his own, the two families are no longer on speaking terms. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and her husband Philip John (R) wave outside 10 Downing Street in central London on July 13, 2016 on the day she takes office following the formal resignation of David Cameron. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images EDITORS NOTE ALTERNATE CROP David Cameron leaves 10 Downing Street in London, with wife Samantha and children Nancy, 12, Elwen, 10, and Florence, 5, for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday July 13, 2016. See PA story POLITICS Conservatives. Photo credit should read: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire PA Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and her husband Philip John May (R) laugh together outside the door of 10 Downing Street in central London on July 13, 2016 on the day that Theresa May takes office following the formal resignation of David Cameron. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Staff applaud as new British Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip John walk into 10 Downing Street in London, on July 13, 2016 after meeting Queen Elizabeth II and accepting her invitation to become Prime Minister and form a new government. Theresa May took office as Britain's second female prime minister on July 13 charged with guiding the UK out of the European Union after a deeply devisive referendum campaign ended with Britain voting to leave and David Cameron resigning. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Stefan RousseauSTEFAN ROUSSEAU/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Pro-Brexit supporters holds up placards as they demonstrate outside Downing street in central London on July 13, 2016, on the day new British Prime Minister Theresa May takes over at number 10. Theresa May took office as Britain's second female prime minister on July 13 charged with guiding the UK out of the European Union after a deeply devisive referendum campaign ended with Britain voting to leave and David Cameron resigning. / AFP PHOTO / NIKLAS HALLE'NNIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Former mayor of London Boris Johnson walks to 10 Downing Street in central London on July 13, 2016 after New British Prime Minister Theresa May takes office following the formal resignation of David Cameron. Theresa May took office as Britain's second female prime minister on July 13 charged with guiding the UK out of the European Union after a deeply devisive referendum campaign ended with Britain voting to leave and David Cameron resigning. / AFP PHOTO / OLI SCARFFOLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Brexit supporters protest outside 10 Downing Street in London, after new Prime Minister Theresa May, accepted Queen Elizabeth II's invitation to become Prime Minister and form a new government. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday July 13, 2016. See PA story POLITICS Conservatives. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire PA David Davis who will become Secretary of State for Brexit, leaves 10 Downing Street, central London, as new Prime Minister Theresa May begins a Cabinet reshuffle. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday July 13, 2016. See PA story POLITICS Conservatives. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire PA Amber Rudd, leaves 10 Downing Street, central London, after being appointed as Home Secretary following a Cabinet reshuffle by new Prime Minister Theresa May. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Wednesday July 13, 2016. See PA story POLITICS Conservatives. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire PA LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission of image #547088848 with alternate crop.) Newly appointed Prime Minister Theresa May, shoe detail, speaks at 10 Downing Street on July 13, 2016 in London, England. Former Home Secretary Theresa May becomes the UK's second female Prime Minister after she was selected unopposed by Conservative MPs to be their new party leader. She is currently MP for Maidenhead. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: British Energy Secretary and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd arrives at Downing Street on July 13, 2016 in London, England. The UK's New Prime Minister Theresa May began appointing the key Ministerial positions in her cabinet shortly after taking up residence at Number 10 Downing Street. She has appointed Philip Hammond as Chancellor and George Osborne has resigned. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) Getty Images Newly appointed Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street in central London on July 13, 2016 after new British Prime Minister Theresa May took office. Theresa May took office as Britain's second female prime minister on July 13 charged with guiding the UK out of the European Union after a deeply devisive referendum campaign ended with Britain voting to leave and David Cameron resigning. / AFP PHOTO / JUSTIN TALLISJUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images British Conservative party member of parliament Liam Fox arrives at 10 Downing Street in central London on July 13, 2016 after new British Prime Minister Theresa May took office. Theresa May took office as Britain's second female prime minister on July 13 charged with guiding the UK out of the European Union after a deeply devisive referendum campaign ended with Britain voting to leave and David Cameron resigning. / AFP PHOTO / OLI SCARFFOLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: Newly appointed Defence Secretary Michael Fallon gives a thumbs up as he leaves Downing Street on July 13, 2016 in London, England. The UK's New Prime Minister Theresa May began appointing the key Ministerial positions in her cabinet shortly after taking up residence at Number 10 Downing Street. She has appointed Philip Hammond as Chancellor and George Osborne has resigned. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: British Prime Minister Theresa May and husband Philip May wave outside 10 Downing Street on July 13, 2016 in London, England. Former Home Secretary Theresa May becomes the UK's second female Prime Minister after she was selected unopposed by Conservative MPs to be their new party leader. She is currently MP for Maidenhead. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX *** LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: Prime Minister David Cameron with his wife Samantha leave 10 Downing Street for the last time after speaking to the press to visit Buckingham Palace to formally tender his resignation to the Queen on July 13, 2016 in London, England. David Cameron leaves Downing Street today having been Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since May 2010 and Leader of the Conservative Party since December 2005. He is succeeded by former Home Secretary Theresa May and will remain as Member of Parliament for Witney in Oxfordshire. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX *** Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and her husband Philip John May (R) wave outside the door of 10 Downing Street in central London on July 13, 2016 on the day that Theresa May takes office following the formal resignation of David Cameron. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and her husband Philip John May (R) wave outside the door of 10 Downing Street in central London on July 13, 2016 on the day that Theresa May takes office following the formal resignation of David Cameron. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images New Prime Minister Theresa May makes a speech outside 10 Downing Street, London, after meeting Queen Elizabeth II and accepting her invitation to become Prime Minister and form a new government. PA PA Outgoing British prime minister David Cameron (L) speaks outside 10 Downing Street beside (L-R) his daughter Nancy Gwen, his wife Samantha Cameron and son Arthur Elwen in central London on July 13, 2016 before going to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A demonstrator displays a painting depicting former British Prime minister David Cameron in central London on July 13, 2016, on the day new British Prime Minister Theresa May takes over at number 10. Theresa May took office as Britain's second female prime minister on July 13 charged with guiding the UK out of the European Union after a deeply devisive referendum campaign ended with Britain voting to leave and David Cameron resigning. / AFP PHOTO / NIKLAS HALLE'NNIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May waves outside 10 Downing Street in central London on July 13, 2016 on the day she takes office following the formal resignation of David Cameron. Theresa May took office as Britain's second female prime minister on July 13 charged with guiding the UK out of the European Union after a deeply devisive referendum campaign ended with Britain voting to leave and David Cameron resigning. / AFP PHOTO / JUSTIN TALLISJUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May laughs on the step outside 10 Downing Street in central London on July 13, 2016 on the day she takes office following the formal resignation of David Cameron. Theresa May took office as Britain's second female prime minister on July 13 charged with guiding the UK out of the European Union after a deeply devisive referendum campaign ended with Britain voting to leave and David Cameron resigning. / AFP PHOTO / JUSTIN TALLISJUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Theresa May at the start of an audience in Buckingham Palace, London, where she invited the former Home Secretary to become Prime Minister and form a new government. PA PA LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: David Cameron leaves Downing Street for the last time with his wife Samantha Cameron and children Nancy Cameron (C), Arthur Cameron and Florence Cameron on his way to Buckingham Palace on July 13, 2016 in London, England. David Cameron leaves Downing Street today having been Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since May 2010 and Leader of the Conservative Party since December 2005. He is succeeded by former Home Secretary Theresa May and will remain as Member of Parliament for Witney in Oxfordshire. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Getty Images Outgoing British prime minister David Cameron (L) waves outside 10 Downing Street with his family (L-R) his daughter Nancy Gwen, son Arthur Elwen, daughter Florence Rose Endellion and his wife Samantha Cameron in central London on July 13, 2016 before going to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II. Outgoing British prime minister David Cameron urged his successor Theresa May on Wednesday to maintain close ties with the EU even while negotiating to leave it, as he paid a fond farewell to MPs hours before leaving office. Cameron will tender his resignation on July 13 to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, after which the monarch will task the new leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May with forming a government. / AFP PHOTO / OLI SCARFFOLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images David Cameron after making a speech outside 10 Downing Street in London, with wife Samantha and children Nancy, 12, Elwyn, 10, and Florence, 5, before leaving for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday July 13, 2016. See PA story POLITICS Conservatives. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire PA LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: Prime Minister David Cameron with his wife Samantha Cameron and family speaks to press before leaving 10 Downing Street to visit Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace to formally resign as Prime Minister on July 13, 2016 in London, England. David Cameron leaves Downing Street today having been Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since May 2010 and Leader of the Conservative Party since December 2005. He is succeeded by former Home Secretary Theresa May and will remain as Member of Parliament for Witney in Oxfordshire. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Getty Images David Cameron makes a speech outside 10 Downing Street in London, before leaving for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister. PA PA LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: Prime Minister David Cameron speaks as he leaves Downing Street for the last time on July 13, 2016 in London, England. David Cameron leaves Downing Street today having been Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since May 2010 and Leader of the Conservative Party since December 2005. He is succeeded by former Home Secretary Theresa May and will remain as Member of Parliament for Witney in Oxfordshire. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: Prime Minister David Cameron speaks as he leaves Downing Street for the last time with his wife Samantha Cameron and children Nancy Cameron, Arthur Cameron and Florence Cameron on July 13, 2016 in London, England. David Cameron leaves Downing Street today having been Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since May 2010 and Leader of the Conservative Party since December 2005. He is succeeded by former Home Secretary Theresa May and will remain as Member of Parliament for Witney in Oxfordshire. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images David Cameron makes a speech outside 10 Downing Street in London, with wife Samantha and children Nancy, 12, Elwen, 10, and Florence, 5, before leaving for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday July 13, 2016. See PA story POLITICS Conservatives. Photo credit should read: Hannah McKay/PA Wire PA LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: Prime Minister David Cameron leaves Downing Street for the last time with his wife Samantha Cameron and children Nancy Cameron, Arthur Cameron and Florence Cameron on July 13, 2016 in London, England. David Cameron leaves Downing Street today having been Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since May 2010 and Leader of the Conservative Party since December 2005. He is succeeded by former Home Secretary Theresa May and will remain as Member of Parliament for Witney in Oxfordshire. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images David Cameron with wife Samantha and children Nancy, 12, Elwen, 10, and Florence, 5, outside 10 Downing Street in London before leaving for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday July 13, 2016. See PA story POLITICS Conservatives. Photo credit should read: Hannah McKay/PA Wire PA David Cameron after making a speech outside 10 Downing Street in London, with wife Samantha and children Nancy, 12, Elwyn, 10, and Florence, 5, before leaving for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday July 13, 2016. See PA story POLITICS Conservatives. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire PA A car carrying outgoing British prime minister David Cameron enters the gates at Buckingham Palace in central London on July 13, 2016 for Cameron to have an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to tender his resignation as prime minister. Outgoing British prime minister David Cameron urged his successor Theresa May on Wednesday to maintain close ties with the EU even while negotiating to leave it, as he paid a fond farewell to MPs hours before leaving office. Cameron will tender his resignation on July 13 to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, after which the monarch will task the new leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May with forming a government. / AFP PHOTO / DANIEL LEAL-OLIVASDANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: Prime Minister David Cameron's child Florence Cameron is seen as he speaks for the last time as he leaves Downing Street on July 13, 2016 in London, England. David Cameron leaves Downing Street today having been Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since May 2010 and Leader of the Conservative Party since December 2005. He is succeeded by former Home Secretary Theresa May and will remain as Member of Parliament for Witney in Oxfordshire. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images David Cameron leaves 10 Downing Street in London, with wife Samantha and children Nancy, 12, Elwyn, 10, and Florence, 5, for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday July 13, 2016. See PA story POLITICS Conservatives. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire PA David Cameron makes a speech outside 10 Downing Street in London, with wife Samantha and children Nancy, 12, Elwen, 10, and Florence, 5, before leaving for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday July 13, 2016. See PA story POLITICS Conservatives. Photo credit should read: Hannah McKay/PA Wire PA David Cameron after making a speech outside 10 Downing Street in London, with wife Samantha and children Nancy, 12, Elwyn, 10, and Florence, 5, before leaving for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday July 13, 2016. See PA story POLITICS Conservatives. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire PA LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: People look out of the windows of the Home Office over looking Downing Street ahead of the departure of Prime Minister David Cameron on July 13, 2016 in London, England. David Cameron leaves Downing Street today having been Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since May 2010 and Leader of the Conservative Party since December 2005. He is succeeded by former Home Secretary Theresa May and will remain as Member of Parliament for Witney in Oxfordshire. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: A protestor wearing a Theresa May mask takes part in small demonstration outside Downing Street on July 13, 2016 in London, England. Former Home Secretary Theresa May becomes the UK's second female Prime Minister after she was selected unopposed by Conservative MPs to be their new party leader. She is currently MP for Maidenhead. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: A protestor dressed as new Prime Minister Theresa May is seen outside Downing Street on July 13, 2016 in London, England. Former Home Secretary Theresa May becomes the UK's second female Prime Minister after she was selected unopposed by Conservative MPs to be their new party leader. She is currently MP for Maidenhead. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images Britain's out-going Prime Minister David Cameron gets a standing ovation from members of parliament at the end of his last Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in central London on July 13, 2016. Theresa May becomes Britain's second female prime minister on July 13, taking over from David Cameron whose career was ended by the seismic Brexit referendum, with the daunting task of leading the country out of the EU. Cameron, who has been premier for six years, will say his goodbyes at his last question-and-answer session in parliament before tendering his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. / AFP PHOTO / PRU / PRU / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT " AFP PHOTO / PRU " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - NO RESALE - NO DISTRIBUTION TO THIRD PARTIES - 24 HOURS USE - NO ARCHIVESPRU/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Britain's out-going Prime Minister David Cameron gets a standing ovation from members of parliament at the end of his last Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in central London on July 13, 2016. Theresa May becomes Britain's second female prime minister on July 13, taking over from David Cameron whose career was ended by the seismic Brexit referendum, with the daunting task of leading the country out of the EU. Cameron, who has been premier for six years, will say his goodbyes at his last question-and-answer session in parliament before tendering his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. / AFP PHOTO / PRU / PRU / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT " AFP PHOTO / PRU " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - NO RESALE - NO DISTRIBUTION TO THIRD PARTIES - 24 HOURS USE - NO ARCHIVESPRU/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Britain's out-going Prime Minister David Cameron (L) speaks at the dispatch box with new leader of the Conservative Party and incoming prime minister Theresa May (C) and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (R) on the front bench during his last Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in central London on July 13, 2016. Theresa May becomes Britain's second female prime minister on July 13, taking over from David Cameron whose career was ended by the seismic Brexit referendum, with the daunting task of leading the country out of the EU. Cameron, who has been premier for six years, will say his goodbyes at his last question-and-answer session in parliament before tendering his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. / AFP PHOTO / PRU AND AFP PHOTO / PRU / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT " AFP PHOTO / PRU " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - NO RESALE - NO DISTRIBUTION TO THIRD PARTIES - 24 HOURS USE - NO ARCHIVESPRU/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (C) speaks at the dispatch box during British Prime Minister David Cameron's last Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in central London on July 13, 2016. Theresa May becomes Britain's second female prime minister on July 13, taking over from David Cameron whose career was ended by the seismic Brexit referendum, with the daunting task of leading the country out of the EU. Cameron, who has been premier for six years, will say his goodbyes at his last question-and-answer session in parliament before tendering his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. / AFP PHOTO / PRU / PRU / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT " AFP PHOTO / PRU " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - NO RESALE - NO DISTRIBUTION TO THIRD PARTIES - 24 HOURS USE - NO ARCHIVESPRU/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and her husband Philip John (R) wave outside 10 Downing Street in central London on July 13, 2016 on the day she takes office following the formal resignation of David Cameron. AFP/Getty Images The other staple was Steve Hilton, who along with Mr Gove was godfather to the Camerons son Ivan, who died in 2009. But he returned from California with a book to sell, and embarked on a lengthy pro-Brexit media tour. But its possible, via their new lodgings, that the Camerons might make an unlikely new friendship. It is nine years since Alan Parkers wedding, in March 2007, attended by both the then leader of the opposition David Cameron, and Mr Parkers longstanding friend Sarah Brown, and her husband Gordon. Independent Prince William welcomes the Queen and Prince Philip for a tour as the monarch opened the new East Anglian Air Ambulance Base at Cambridge Airport yesterday Prince William welcomes the Queen and Prince Philip for a tour as the monarch opened the new East Anglian Air Ambulance Base at Cambridge Airport yesterday Prince William welcomes the Queen and Prince Philip for a tour as the monarch opened the new East Anglian Air Ambulance Base at Cambridge Airport yesterday Prince William welcomes the Queen and Prince Philip for a tour as the monarch opened the new East Anglian Air Ambulance Base at Cambridge Airport yesterday The Duke of Cambridge gave his grandfather the most awkward of hugs as he welcomed Prince Philip to his flying base. William was on duty as the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh toured the new centre of the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) at Cambridge Airport, where he has been flying helicopters on emergency callouts for a year. William and his crew - co-pilot, doctor and critical care paramedic - were scrambled to a medical incident just over 90 minutes before the royal couple arrived. But he was back just in time to greet his grandparents. William introduced them to some of his colleagues, jokingly referring to them as a "motley" crew. Before leaving the building the Queen was shown a cake baked to mark the opening of the new base in the shape of a helicopter complete with rotating blades. William led his grandparents outside where the bright yellow H145 helicopter he flew earlier was sitting close to the runway. The Queen was spotted with a plaster above her right ankle, near the spot where she had a bruise a few months ago. Buckingham Palace declined to comment. Philip and the Queen listened intently as William pointed out features of the helicopter as they walked around the aircraft. The royal couple met staff from all departments of the charity, supporters, and a small group of people helped by the service before William joined last year. Mark Warren told the Queen how his life was saved by the charity's workers after he slammed into a sea wall while kite surfing at Southend-on-Sea, Essex, four years ago and tore a hole in his aorta. A number of officers are being held hostage by a suspected extremist at a police station in western Kenya. Four Kenyan police officers have been killed after a suspected extremist being held at a police station grabbed a gun and shot at officers. Police commandos have been deployed to rescue other prisoners and try to end the stand-off, Kenya's police chief Joseph Boinnet said. "His attempts to escape were thwarted by quick arrival by other officers," Mr Boinnet said. The station commander was among those killed, West Pokot county commissioner Wilson Wanyanga said. Kenya has been trying to contain growing extremism influenced by the al Qaida-linked al-Shabab group based in neighbouring Somalia. The Islamic State group has also emerged as a threat after authorities said Kenyan youngsters were being recruited by the group. AP Last week the inquiry into historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland finished taking evidence and over the next six months Sir Anthony Hart and his two colleagues will write their report. They started taking evidence in January 2014 and over the past two years they have heard much harrowing evidence of the physical, mental and sexual abuse that was suffered over many years at 20 residential homes and other institutions. The 15th and final module of the inquiry started on May 31 day 204 of the inquiry and ended on July 8. That final module dealt with the Bawnmore Childrens Home in Newtownabbey and the infamous Kincora Boys Home in east Belfast, but the focus was particularly on Kincora. That final module of the public evidence sessions passed almost unnoticed in the midst of a constant flood of news about Brexit, political turmoil in both the Conservative and Labour parties, and the murder of police officers in America. There were reports in the newspapers and other media, but there was no in-depth analysis. The record of the proceedings is already on the internet (at www.hiainquiry.org) and while most of it deals with information that was already in the public domain, some additional information has been provided. However, it is already clear that a full re-investigation of Kincora is still required. This relates to events which happened more than 40 years ago and some of the victims, who were then teenagers, are still alive. However, during the inquiry the chairman referred to people no longer sadly with us and the fact is, with every year that passes, the grave robs us of more of those who might be able to shed light on what did (or did not) happen at Kincora. That is especially important, because Kincora was different from the other institutions. In all of them, there were perpetrators and victims, but only in the case of Kincora has it been alleged that MI5 was somehow involved. Several potential witnesses declined to appear before the inquiry, one of them former MI5 officer Brian Gemmell. He was born in Glasgow in 1950 and today he is a Christian preacher and Bible teacher, but back in the early-1970s he was a young intelligence officer working in Northern Ireland. He eventually left Northern Ireland in 1976 with the rank of captain. Gemmell has already spoken about his knowledge of Kincora and he is a very credible and compelling witness. His reason for declining to appear is that the current inquiry does not have sufficient powers and that Kincora should be considered under a high-powered UK-wide inquiry. He became aware of allegations about the abuse of boys in the home and knew that one of his intelligence officers had driven a civilian from Army headquarters to Kincora on several occasions. He raised his concerns about Kincora with a superior officer, but it seems that MI5 was not interested in pursuing the matter, or indeed asking anyone else to pursue the matter. Of course, we have to remember the context of the times and the pressures on the police and the Army. Throughout the 1970s, there was a bloody terrorist war and, day after day, the police were faced with more murders and atrocities. Some 480 people were killed in 1972, and in some other years the total was almost 300. Addressing the inquiry, Mark Robinson for the PSNI called on it to dismiss the allegations. I would invite the panel to strike (the allegations) down, he said. They serve no further purpose. It will dispel the sordid headlines that have reached the public and fuelled this ongoing episode. I find that disturbing and I intend as a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board to ask the Chief Constable about it. We hear much about the past, and this is one aspect of the past that must not be allowed to be buried or rewritten. The Twelfth of July celebrations commemorate the victory of the Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. I wish both sides had lost. The Catholic Irish owed King James II no allegiance and the Protestant Irish should not have been supporting treason against their king, whose daughter was married to King Billy, for goodness sake. Not only that, but the Pope of that time was supporting King Billy. It was a squalid, terrorist affair, played out on the soil of poor Ireland, which led to centuries of brutal anti-Catholic oppression, ethnic cleansing and genocide. The British powers-that-be named this period the Glorious Revolution. If people want to find appropriate language to say something about 1690, they should go back to when Romeo and Juliet was written and borrow the Bard's immortal words, "A plague on both your houses" - on both King James II and King Billy, scoundrels both. Now, there's an Englishman whom both Protestants and Catholics can celebrate - Shakespeare. Full disclosure: even though I am a native of Fermanagh and even though I know the history and culture well, I've never quite understood the mania for marching/parading in Northern Ireland. And, above all, it is impossible to understand the Orange Order insisting on marching in poor Catholic areas, where they are not wanted. How can rational people understand that without seeing it as a desire to assert Protestant dominance and supremacy? One thing is sure: if Catholic nationalists and republicans insisted on marching through all-Protestant areas, the Irish National Caucus would be the very first to oppose it. FR SEAN McMANUS Irish National Caucus Washington DC, USA The awful scenes in the United States of America involving the African American community and police are deeply disturbing. The USA has been a good friend to Northern Ireland and perhaps now is the time Northern Ireland might express our gratitude through practical support. The PSNI has developed an enviable international reputation for building community support in difficult inter-community and anti-police circumstances. To say thank you, perhaps it is time for the Minister for Justice to offer specialist PSNI secondments to US police forces. A friend in need is a friend indeed. CLLR ADAM NEWTON (DUP) Belfast City Council The poet John Hewitt often outlined a "hierarchy of values". He was an Ulsterman, because he fundamentally belonged to the province in all its complexities; an Irishman, because he was born on a pre-partitioned island; British, by virtue of language and in being a part of the British Isles; and finally European, because we are on the archipelago tucked away in the north west of the continent of Europe. The last was as much an intellectual breathing-space for Hewitt as anything else; a sign of looking outwards beyond the narrow confines of the tribalism of national politics. For this reason Hewitt's other major identity was as a man of the Left and the British labour movement. He was a branch delegate for the Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP) and would likely have contemplated the events of the past three weeks with bemused interest, puffing furiously on his pipe while engaging in the odd political row whenever it was required. Shortly after the announcement of the referendum result, when 51.9% of UK voters opted to leave the European Union, Prime Minister David Cameron tendered his resignation. He said he would remain in Downing Street until his party voted in a new leader to take the helm and conduct the terms of Brexit. For Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn there has been no such resignation, no concerted effort to cauterise the deep wound that has opened up between him and the Parliamentary Labour Party over these last few weeks. Within two weeks of the referendum more than 80% had deserted him, citing their loss of confidence in his leadership. It is said that leaders cease being leaders when they lack followers. However, Corbyn has never been a leader in the conventional sense and has lost only the loyalty of the elected politicians around him - a general without his staff officers, but not without his vast army of supporters throughout the United Kingdom. There can be little doubt that the mass resignations of Labour MPs from Corbyn's shadow Cabinet, the vote of no confidence and the seemingly irreconcilable differences between the party in Parliament and the party in the wider country have irreparably damaged British Labour. At a time when austerity measures are biting on public-sector workers and the hardest-hit working families, Labour - and the UK as a whole - requires a strong Opposition ready to exact pressure, contest a general election and step into government. This is clearly not where Labour are at. While Corbyn is unable to organise basic meetings of the PLP, a whopping 100,000 new members have joined Labour since the European referendum, a large number with the express intention of keeping him as leader. By their own admission, many of these new supporters are supporters of Corbyn, not supporters of Labour. Corbyn is, therefore, likely to triumph in the current leadership contest, possibly by an even bigger majority than that which propelled him into office in September 2015. At the very least his opponents have underestimated his staying power, the stubbornness of his advisers and the size of his mandate. Meanwhile, the local Northern Ireland branch of the Labour Party has stood by the leader. Its executive committee voted overwhelmingly - 10 in favour with two abstentions - to back Corbyn, curiously in light of his continuing refusal to allow it to contest elections. But, aside from following the bipartisan-style approach of every previous Labour leader back to Harold Wilson, there are good reasons why the cause of the Left has been halted in Northern Ireland, above all by the deep ethnic divide that separates Protestants and Catholics. Even on the issue of austerity it is more likely that voters will back a local political option. In Northern Ireland, one of the most-deprived parts of the UK, poverty has a peculiarly sectarian complexion. The two main parties - the DUP and Sinn Fein - do not compete against one another, except when using the other as a rallying call to mobilise voters to cast a ballot to maximise their own political project. In a society like this there are few opportunities for parties like Labour and the Conservatives to focus people's attention on Left/Right politics. Ethnic politics show little sign of abating here, as repeated elections show. Right across Europe the fault lines are shifting away from this old axis towards something akin to political hybridity. As a result populist movements are gaining ground in Italy, Germany, France, Spain and The Netherlands. In Britain we see the evolution of politics towards a Remain/Brexit-style divide that has reportedly crossed traditional party lines since the referendum. But what of the traditional Labour voters, who decided to shake the British Establishment in casting a vote for Brexit? Corbyn may not prove able to win back the white working class, who abandoned Labour. But who can? The problem is that neither Corbyn nor any alternative candidate put forward by his opponents can be confident about winning back these once-core voters. The lack of a credible candidate who could conceivably win a general election was one of the reasons Corbyn won the leadership so emphatically in the first place. He has stood firm and, thanks to the National Executive Committee, finds himself automatically placed on the ballot paper as the incumbent in any leadership contest. It is likely that Corbyn's victory in a second leadership contest will prompt the emergence of a separate party (comprising disaffected Westminster MPs), as maverick Labour backbencher Frank Field recently outlined in an article for a London newspaper. At some point these seemingly irreconcilable groups may realign, but in the meantime a rather comfortable and somewhat hubristic Conservative Party will continue to rule the roost of mainstream British politics. Dr Aaron Edwards is an academic, writer and historian. He is the author of A History Of The Northern Ireland Labour Party (Manchester University Press). Dr Connal Parr teaches history at Fordham University's London Centre. His book on Ulster Protestant politics and culture is forthcoming from Oxford University Press Privacy Shield is supposed to smooth the way for everyday data transfers (from Facebook and Google to banking transfers) The European Commission has adopted a new EU-US data privacy agreement called Privacy Shield. Its supposed to smooth the way for everyday data transfers (from Facebook and Google to banking transfers) between the two trading blocs. But there may still be problems ahead. Heres a laymans guide to the whole thing. Q: What is Privacy Shield? A: Its an agreement between the EU and the US over the transfer of data between the two trading blocs. Specifically, its aimed at protecting EU citizens personal data rights, as we have a higher standard of legal protection for our personal data than US citizens. (For example, we dont allow bulk surveillance of citizens data.) Q: Wasnt there already an agreement taking care of that? A: Yes, it was called the Safe Harbour agreement. But last year, the European Court of Justice struck it down. It said that US authorities blanket surveillance activities (as revealed in the Edward Snowden whistleblower revelations) were not compatible with EU citizens personal data rights. Q: Why is this whole thing seen as such a big deal? A: Other than concerns over the intrinsic right to privacy, this has become an international issue because Privacy Shield, like Safe Harbour before it, is seen as the main legal instrument for companies to transfer data between the EU and the US. Without it in place, data regulators could potentially stop companies from engaging in business activities that involved the transfer of EU citizen data to the US. That obviously has huge ramifications for banks and tech multinationals like Google and Facebook. Q: So whats different about this new Privacy Shield agreement? A: The European Commission, which has negotiated the new agreement with US authorities, says it has more safeguards for EU citizens data privacy. Q: What are these safeguards? A: The Commission says its made up of a few things. First, it says therell be regular reviews by the US Department of Commerce on companies compliance. Therell also be new supervision mechanisms, it says. Companies that dont comply will face sanctions and removal from the Privacy Shield list of approved companies. Q: Is that it? A: No. A new US ombudsman is to be appointed that will be independent from national security services. EU citizens can make enquiries and complaints directly to this ombudsmans office. In addition, the US Director of National Intelligence has given written promises that indiscriminate mass surveillance on data transferred under the Privacy Shield arrangement wont happen. And the US has promised that bulk collection of data could only be used under specific preconditions and needs to be as focused as possible, in particular through the use of filters and the requirement to minimise the collection of non-pertinent information. Q: So does this solve the issue? A: Possibly not. Despite assurances from the US government about the lack of mass surveillance, its unclear whether the European Court Of Justice -- which is ultimately the most important institution for greenlighting this agreement -- will feel that European data privacy standards have been met. Last month, European data protection supervisor Giovanni Butarelli said that the Privacy Shield agreement may not pass muster with European authorities. Vocal opponents of the deal, such as the Austrian Facebook privacy campaigner Max Schrems, have openly said that it is inadequate. And European data protection bodies -- including Irelands Helen Dixon -- have questioned the independence of the proposed new US ombudsman. Q: If the sticking point is US security authorities bulk surveillance through organisations such as the CIA, how will anyone really know that theyre sticking to their word? A: That is one the central underlying dilemmas to the whole process. Few believe that the US will pare down its intelligence-gathering activities, including bulk surveillance. Irish Independent Wikicommons It would have to be a dark day, indeed, for America to ever reinstate the draft. To reasonably require a draftconscripting in a massive number of untrained, possibly unreliable recruitsthe United States would have to be in a truly desperate situation. Consider why the draft ended; it is more useful to have a reasonably well-paid, professional volunteer force than a larger, less experienced, less committed force. It would take a war effort bigger than anything weve seen since World War II, and a war effort supported by the majority of Americanssomething that threatened us all, motivated us all to action. Hillary Clinton supports legislation which would require women to register for the draft, legislation which will likely come to pass in the near future. In June, the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which, among other things, would require women to sign up for the draft. If the act makes it into law, the American military will have finally achieved full gender and sexual orientation integrationthere will be no more male-only aspects of the military. The amendment requiring women to sign up for the draft met opposition from more conservative senators, such as Senators Mike Lee and Ted Cruz, who worked to strip the amendment from the defense authorization act. Cruz, particularly, stated that the idea of including women in the draft, makes little or no sense, and will not vote for it without further public debate. But lets consider the issue further. Does it truly not make sense to have women register for the draft? Id say it does, and heres why. The male-only draft is based on the cultural ideas of the 1970s, when men were the primary breadwinners of the home, and women were expected to care for children and take care of the affairs of the home. Men and women operated in very different spheres of life. The drafting of men made sense, because it left the parent at home who typically stayed at home with the children. Within the cultural norms of the time, this made a degree of sense. There was also the fact that many military positions were simply off-limits to women. Historically, women have been able to enlist, but were prohibited, until recently, from direct combat roles. There have traditionally been concerns over womens ability to physically perform in a combat environment, as well as concerns about romantic relationships cropping up within units, pregnancies, and the propensity of male soldiers to prioritize keeping women safe over mission readiness. Today, though, our culture is so far removed from that of the 1970s as to be nearly unrecognizable, and especially so within the inner workings of the family unit. Now men and women are nearly equally as likely to work outside the home, and more and more, men are the ones taking care of the home and children. So now, even a male-only draft is likely to take away the caregiver-figure of a home. And as for the concern that, with a draft of both sexes, children could be left without parents, there are provisions to ensure this never happens. Even during the Vietnam War, there were provisions for fatherhood which allowed a man to remain at home. "Thinking of people as human beings of varying ability, rather than as men and women, allows the military a much greater pool of potential volunteers." Each role in the military should be filled based not on gender, but on ability. Each military job has its own unique set of requirements. For instance, in my own military experience, I was subjected to strength testing early on in the enlistment process to verify my ability to perform aircraft maintenance. After this, basic training was a large exercise in aerobic readiness, as well as a weeks-long stress test. Thinking of people as human beings of varying ability, rather than as men and women, allows the military a much greater pool of potential volunteers. Ability should always be the true testthe most capable person should be placed in each role, after testing. And women have proven capable of passing the most rigorous of these tests. Captain Kristen Griest, one of the first women to earn a Ranger tab, has become the armys first female infantry officer, having passed the some of the most grueling physical challenges the military has to offer. Shes now gone on to be a great asset to U.S. militaryone the army wouldnt have if she had been barred for her gender. As Ive mentioned, it would take a catastrophic war to bring about the reinstatement of the draft, one in which America would likely be directly threatened. Would it not, then, be best to have as many able recruits as possible? Even if women didnt always physically qualify for direct combat roles, there are innumerable logistics, healthcare, technological, and maintenance roles that must be filled for a modern military to function. Is it wise, in this case, to cut out nearly half of the potential draft numbers? I would say that it isnt. As of March 2016, Defense Secretary Ash Carter approved plans from all military branches to open all combat jobs to female recruits. With that change, and with the cultural changes that have occurred since the 1970s, there seems to be no reason, save for tradition and the difficulty inherent to change, not to require women to register for the draft, especially in a military that has opened up so many new positions through technological advances. Gender equalityof which this debate is a part ofis a contentious subject, but it need not be so. The idea of gender equality does not entail placing people into jobs they are unfit for; it simply means giving everyone an equal chance to apply for those jobs, and to be fairly treated and compensated if they make the cut. When we think of ourselves as human beings, rather than dividing into warring tribes, whether those tribes be gender or sexual orientation or race or musical tastes, we strengthen ourselves. Unity results in strength, and strength is what our country needs in order to defend itself. Hillary Clinton is correct to support measures to require women to register for the draft as a part of her overall quest for equalityif we are to pursue gender equality in some areas, after all, we must pursue in every part of life. Wesley Baines is a graduate student at Regent University's School of Divinity, and a freelance writer working in the fields of spirituality, self-help, and religion. He is also a former editor at Beliefnet.com. You can catch more of his work at www.wesleybaines.com. Shinichi Kitaoka, president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, answers questions about the terrorist attack in Dhaka during a press conference at JICA headquarters in Tokyo, July 2, 2016. Recent terrorist acts have damaged Bangladeshs global reputation, say some local business leaders who worry that perceptions about insecurity could harm its economy and drive away foreign investors. Bangladeshi businessman are nervous even after a group of North American fashion retailers this week pledged to keep buying garments from factories in Bangladesh, and Japans foreign aid agency announced that it is committed to the South Asian nations development, despite losing seven of its workers in one of the attacks. With the efforts of all, I hope we can resist the terrorists. But any further terrorist attacks, even of a lower magnitude than the Gulshan attack, would cause further damage to our stable economy and business climate, Mir Nasir Hossain, a former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), told BenarNews. He was referring to an Islamic State-claimed attack at a cafe in Dhaka diplomatic quarter on July 1 that killed 20 hostages, including 17 foreigners, in Bangladeshs worst-ever act of terrorism. Among nine Italians who were killed were at least three women who worked in the textile and garment trade a huge part of Bangladeshs export economy. They were hacked to death with machetes inside the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe alongside seven Japanese who were working in Bangladesh as consultants for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Bangladeshs single largest source of foreign aid money, according to reports. The seven dead Japanese and an eighth citizen who was injured in the cafe attack were working on a survey related to an infrastructure project aimed at improving Dhakas mass transit system and easing traffic congestion in the capital, JICA President Shinichi Kitaoka said last week. Sadly, these people, who worked hard for the development of Bangladesh, became caught up in this incident. It is impossible to suppress our anger at the criminals who carried out this act of terrorism, he said in a statement. Last year, the value of JICA-funded programs in Bangladesh amounted to U.S. $472 million (37 billion taka), according to the agency annual report for 2015. We at JICA will continue giving top priority to the safety of JICA-related personnel and thoroughly assessing the situation on the ground in the places where we do our work, Kitaoka added. We also remain firmly committed to contributing to the development of Bangladesh. Dismal days are waiting The cafe attack was followed days later by a suicide attack that killed two policemen and a woman near the site of the countrys largest Eid prayer gathering, as millions of Bangladeshi Muslims were celebrating the end of Ramadan. The killing of 17 foreigners has caused panic among foreign business delegations; so they are refusing to visit Bangladesh, fearing further attacks. This has caused huge damage to Bangladeshs global image, Hossain said. As a result foreign businessmen are asking members of the FBCCI to host or hold meetings with them abroad, in places such as Hong Kong and Singapore, which could drive up operating costs for local businesses, he added. Meanwhile, global credit-rating agency Moodys warned that the recent terrorist attacks could erode investor confidence in Bangladesh, which attracted $795 million in foreign direct investment in the first half of fiscal year 2016, according to the World Bank. It was the most damaging of a series of attacks targeting foreigners and minorities over the past year, and highlighted political risks that are factored into our government bond rating, Moodys said in a statement issued on July 4, according to the Dhaka Tribune. The next day, Fast Retailing Co., the Japanese owner of the Uniqlo casual-wear brand, said it was suspending all but critical travel to Bangladesh and had instructed its staffers working in the country to stay indoors, according to Reuters. Reduced business will lead to joblessness, poverty and other social problems in the country, warned Hossain Zillur Rahman, an economist and executive director of the Power and Participation Research Center (PPRC). Any investor, both local and foreign, must seek guarantees for their investments and physical security. We must ensure it; otherwise dismal days are waiting, Rahman told BenarNews. Buyers Not Withdrawing The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a consortium of North American brand names and garment retailers, including Wal-Mart and GAP, announced this week that it would not abandon Bangladeshs garment industry in the aftermath of the attacks. Member companies will continue to stay the course, James F. Moriarty, a former U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh and the head of Alliance, told a conference call for journalists, news agencies reported. I am not aware of brands withdrawing or cancelling contracts, he said, according to Reuters. Ready-made garments accounted for U.S. $28 billion out of a total export volume of U.S. $34 billion in the last fiscal year, which ran from July 1, 2015 to June 30, according to the data released on Wednesday by Bangladeshs Exports Promotion Bureau. While some local businessmen and economic observers were gloomy about their countrys post-attack outlook, Siddiqur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, was more upbeat. The government has ensured security of all diplomatic staff and foreigners living in different parts of the country, he told BenarNews. Unless anything bad happens in the future, we can easily overcome the scar of the Gulshan attack and recover from the great loss. Jesmin Papri in Dhaka contributed to this report. 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. 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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. First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain. Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that. And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details. If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices For Immediate Release, July 14, 2016 Contacts: Sarah Uhlemann, +1-206-327-2344, suhlemann@biologicaldiversity.org Alejandro Olivera, +52-1-61-2104-0604, aolivera@biologicaldiversity.org (espanol) Amey Owen, +1-202-446-2128, amey@awionline.org U.N. World Heritage Committee to Mexico: Save Vanishing Porpoise or Risk 'In Danger' Status for Gulf of California World Heritage Site With Fewer Than 60 Vaquita Left, Mexico Urged to Extend Ban on Fishing Nets in Habitat ISTANBUL, Turkey At its 40th session this week, the United Nations World Heritage Committee directed Mexico to take immediate action to save the imperiled vaquita porpoise, or risk in danger status for its Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California World Heritage site. The site was given World Heritage status in 2005, in part because it is home to the planets last remaining vaquita porpoises, as well as the totoaba, a large, endangered marine fish. Just weeks ago scientists estimated that fewer than 60 vaquita survive and the species is on the precipice of extinction. As the international body responsible for World Heritage sites, the Committee has a duty to ensure that these ecologically and culturally important sites remain protected for future generations, said D.J. Schubert, a wildlife biologist with the Animal Welfare Institute. For the vaquita, the decision of the Committee this week could determine whether the species survives or is permanently lost. The World Heritage Committee called on Mexico to make permanent its existing two-year ban on gillnets in the vaquitas habitat and host a joint monitoring mission to the site by specialists from the World Heritage Centre and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Mexico must report back to the Committee on those recommendations by February 2017, and then the Committee will consider whether to designate the site as in danger at its next meeting, to be held later that year. When the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California site was inscribed on the World Heritage list, the critically endangered vaquita and totoaba were identified as part of the propertys outstanding universal value. However, after decades of ineffective conservation efforts by Mexico, the vaquita now risks extinction by 2022 if its decline continues. The species is threatened by entanglement in fishing gear, including illegal gillnets set to catch the totoaba. The totoaba swim bladder is in high demand in Asia, where it is believed to have medicinal properties and can reportedly sell for U.S. $5,000 to $14,000 per kilo. If we lose the vaquita, the Gulf of California World Heritage site loses one of its critical features, said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Mexico must permanently ban gillnets in the vaquitas habitat, step up enforcement, and stop endangering this incredible piece of the worlds heritage. In 2015 the Center and the Animal Welfare Institute petitioned the World Heritage Committee to list the Gulf of California site as in danger. If the site is listed, U.N. funding could become available to assist Mexico in taking corrective actions to address threats. 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. www.biologicaldiversity.org The Animal Welfare Institute is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. AWI engages policymakers, scientists, industry, and the public to achieve better treatment of animals everywherein the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild. For more information, visit www.awionline.org. Sony's new mid-range smartphone looks stunning, but is its beauty more than skin deep? Now its in fifth generation, Sonys Xperia Z family of smartphones has carved out a good reputation over the past few years, but now the company has released a brand new range: the Xperia XA, Xperia X and Xperia X Performance. Priced at $499, the Xperia XA is the entry-level model but you wouldnt know it to look at it. On looks, the Sony Xperia XA could be mistaken for the premium handset due to its exceptional design. Its the bezels, or rather the lack of them, that really catch the eye here. To the left and right of the screen, the displays black border is only 1mm thick, instead of the usual two to three millimetres. In fact, our opinion, the XA is a more attractive phone than the $799 Xperia X. Even the plastic back feels nice under the finger, and a pearlescent finish gives it an unusually exotic appearance. The white version we tested has a subtle, coloured sheen that glimmers pink when it catches the light. The phone is also available in lime gold, rose gold and graphite black. And, given that it's plastic, another bonus is that you'll be decidedly less concerned about it shattering into a million sharp pieces if you happen to drop it. All-in-all, the Sony Xperia XA is a finely honed smartphone, which is impressive given the reasonable price tag. Newsletter Signup Get the latest business tech news, reviews and guides delivered to your inbox. SIGN UP I have read and accept the privacy policy and terms and conditions and by submitting my email address I agree to receive the Business IT newsletter and receive special offers on behalf of Business IT, nextmedia and its valued partners. We will not share your details with third parties. Take a look at the specifications, however, and you'll see that the Sony Xperia XA is firmly in the budget to mid-range camp, with MediaTek Helio P MT6755 processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage. Display quality The first clue to the Xperia XA's budget lineage is the screen. It's an IPS panel measuring 5 inches across the diagonal, but it has a resolution of only 720p, the same as the ageing Motorola Moto G3. It isnt noticeably low-res, though; only those with keen vision will be able to see the pixels, and even then only when they look really closely. Display quality is solid but unspectacular. Its contrast is a decent but the maximum brightness is down from the best IPS displays in the business. And with only average coverage of the sRGB colour gamut, the XAs display can look a little dull compared with even the best budget smartphones. Performance The biggest giveaway that this is a cheap handset, however, is its MediaTek Helio P MT6755 processor, which is accompanied by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage (although thats expandable via microSD card). MediaTek processors are typically only found in the cheapest smartphones, which is a worry, but this one looks promising from the specifications. It's an octa-core chip that runs at speeds up to 2GHz, comprising eight ARM Cortex-A53 CPUs and a Mali-T860 MP2 processor for graphics. Oddly, the phone refused to run our usual CPU benchmark tests, complaining of server connectivity issues, but other phones with the same processor have done pretty well in these tests, compared to other mid-range phones. Its graphics performance is even better. The Mali-T860 graphics processor, along with the displays relatively low resolution, enabled the Xperia XA to clearly outperform other mid-range phones in our games test. Benchmarks tell only part of this particular story, though. They provide an indication of the raw potential of a piece of hardware, but they don't always predict how smooth and slick an experience a phone (or any other product for that matter) feels. Alas, the Sony Xperia XA appears to be in need of a little tweaking on this front because general responsiveness is not great. From entering the unlock code to typing text, swiping between home screens and scrolling even basic, mobile-friendly websites, everything seems to be accompanied by a tiny, teeny delay or a touch of choppiness. This isn't something you'd notice after using the phone in the shop for a few minutes, but these minor glitches sooner or later will begin to grate on the nerves. Were not too keen, either, on how hot the phone gets when you subject it to constant, consistent load. Play any kind of graphically intensive game, and the Xperia XA becomes uncomfortable to hold after a few minutes, and sweaty palms ensue. The other concerning thing about the MediaTek processor is its 28nm manufacturing process. This suggests lower efficiency and, therefore, battery life. Despite this, and a rather small 2,300mAh battery, Sony claims its usual two-day battery life figure, so maybe the processor is more efficient than the specifications suggest. Alas, that turns out not to be the case. In our video rundown benchmark, with the Sony Xperia XA lasted only 7 hours 12 minutes, which is nearly five hours less than the Xperia X (review coming soon). This isn't entirely reflective of the phone's day-to-day performance, but the phone will struggle to last until bedtime if you take it off charge early in the day and you know actually use it a bit during the day. Camera The cameras specifications, however, are quite impressive, with hybrid autofocus, an f/2 aperture, a 1/3in sensor, and a resolution of 13 megapixels. It isn't up there with the Xperia X's 23-megapixel beast, but it takes reasonably good pictures, with Sony's Superior Auto system working well to figure out what the scene requires, adjusting exposure appropriately. The strength of Sony's software comes to the fore. It means that you'll rarely get duff colours whether you're indoors our outside, and you'll rarely see over-blown, over-exposed highlights in scenes where there's lots of high contrast. The Xperia XA also has object-tracking autofocus, which works patchily with people, but better with static objects. Think of it as an aid to reframing and it's actually pretty handy, allowing you to tap on the part of a scene you want to keep in focus, move the phone, and take the photo without having to tap the screen again. In practice, the XA's camera is competent rather than brilliant. This means that, while quality isn't as good as rivals such as the Nexus 5X, detail capture is great in daylight and reasonable in low light, and colours are realistically captured. The front-facing camera on the Xperia XA isn't quite as impressive, but it has an 8-megapixel sensor, which is enough to capture more detail than most people could possibly want. Conclusion The Sony Xperia XA is a peculiar mix of the good, the great and the disappointing. It looks wonderful and build quality is good. It has a microSD slot, a decent camera and NFC. The price is reasonable, too. This is counterbalanced, however, by disappointing battery life and a sluggish feel in everyday use. We can only hope that Sony is working on optimising the phone's performance and that the problem will be alleviated with a future software update. How does it compare with similarly priced phones? By default, the Xperia XA doesnt fare too badly, but then great-value phones such as the Motorola Moto G4 and OnePlus 3 are not yet readily available in Australia (unless youre prepared to buy on grey market websites). Overall, the Sony Xperia XA isnt bad value at $499 or on contact from Vodafone from $43 per month (1GB data). But if possible, wed recommend stretching your budget to the $579 Nexus 5X, which is an outstanding phone for the price. This article originally appeared at alphr.com. After a tough six months in its quest for European expansion, Steinhoff has finally sealed a deal with UK discount retailer Poundland Group, agreeing to a 597m cash offer. A sign is seen in a Poundland store in London.Picture: Reuters The Home Retail Group rejected Steinhoff in March and chose to go with an offer from Sainsburys. Steinhoffs attempt to buy French retailer Darty also came to naught after the Darty board recommended shareholders accept an offer from Fnac. Poundland was attempt number three. The single-price retailer rebuffed an offer of an undisclosed amount from Steinhoff in June, but seemingly had a change of heart following developments in the UK economy. In a statement on Wednesday, Poundlands board said it had accepted a 2.22 per share offer, which translates to a 13% premium on the 1.95 the London-listed companys closing share price on Tuesday. The total offer is also a 40% premium on the discount retailers closing share price on June 13 before Steinhoff presented its initial offer to the company. Poundland, which recently bought another discount UK retailer, 99p Stores, said it considered the terms of the offer to be "fair and reasonable". The retailer has appointed JP Morgan Cazenove and Rothschild as transaction advisers. Steinhoff, which listed in Frankfurt in 2015, wants to expand further into Europe, where it already generates 60% of its revenue. The group has more than R60bn at its disposal to fund acquisitions there. Exane BNP analyst Georgios Pilakoutas said Steinhoff was seeking to exploit the growth potential in the UK discount market, which was "under-represented". Pilakoutas said Steinhoff, through is general merchandise division Pepkor, had already launched two discount concepts in the UK Pep&Co, an apparel discounter; and Guess How Much, a general merchandise discounter. "These are in trial phase and subscale, but are both complementary to both Poundlands store footprint and target consumer. An acquisition of Poundland would give Steinhoff immediate scale in the UK discount market and, therefore, looks to be a sensible acquisition in this context," he said. Poundland is the largest single-price general merchandise value retailer in Europe, by both sales and number of stores. It operates more than 850 outlets across the UK, and 51 in Ireland, with a further 10 as part of a trial development in Spain. Steinhoff would be able to tap into these markets, where Poundland operates under the Dealz banner. Currency fluctuations as a result of the recent Brexit vote may have made it cheaper for the company headed by Markus Jooste which already owns 23.6% of Poundland to acquire the remaining share capital. Post-Brexit, the pound has weakened to 31-year lows against the US dollar. Jooste assured Poundlands management and staff they would keep their jobs. "Steinhoff recognises the strength and value of the Poundland management team and anticipates that they will play a key role in the ongoing growth and development of Poundland as part of the Steinhoff group." Rebosis Property Fund has changed the terms of its takeover deal with developer Billion Group following pressure from investors who said the retail-focused group was overpaying for some assets. Under the proposed deal, which was worth about R6bn when it was announced in May, Rebosis would acquire 100% of Baywest City shopping centre, the largest mall in the Eastern Cape; Forest Hill City, a mall in Centurion; and a 50.1% undivided share in BT Ngebs City mall in Mthatha. Rebosis, which listed five years ago with R3.6bn worth of assets, would also acquire Billion Asset Management and Billion Property Services, giving it significant scale and liquidity. It is a related-party deal as Rebosis CEO Sisa Ngebulana is the founder of Billion. Under the revised terms, BT Ngebs City is excluded from the proposed transaction. This is due to its lower acquisition yield relative to the other centres and, therefore, higher effect on earnings growth for Rebosis. However, it will remain available and subject to the right of first refusal Rebosis has on the Billion pipeline. The consideration payable in respect of Forest Hill City has been reduced by R120m from R2.213bn to R2.093bn, taking its acquisition yield from 7.1% to 7.5%, including bulk. The consideration payable in respect of Baywest Mall has been reduced by R60m from R2.332bn to R2.272bn, taking its acquisition yield from 7.8% to 8%, including bulk. The consideration payable for Billion Property Services has been reduced by R20m from R229m to R209m, resulting in an effective forward yield of 13.3%. The consideration payable for Billion Asset Management remains unchanged. This prices the deal at less than R5bn. Head of listed property funds at Stanlib, Keillen Ndlovu, said the deal had been improved. "The yield is now higher and the purchase price has been reduced," he said. Source: Business Day Brexit has provided South African citrus growers a reason to cheer as the industry has been in a spot of bother because of stringent EU import requirements. GregMontani via pixabay Now, the R9bn industry, which has been battling citrus spot outbreaks over three years, expects to benefit from Brexit because it anticipates Britain will introduce its own, less stringent and independent plant health regulations. It has been a tough three years for South African citrus growers, against whom the EU imposed a number of import bans due to citrus black spot. The EU views citrus black spot as a threat to its own crops and has introduced strict sanitary measures that include a requirement that local growers keep records of pre- and post-harvest chemical treatments, among others. The last ban on South African citrus was imposed in November 2013 and lifted in January 2014. Citrus black spot causes blemishes on the fruit's peel. In April, organic lemon growers suspended their exports to the EU after finding citrus black spot on their fruit, an exercise which cost them R50m. The suspension has not been lifted. Exports and plant health regulations Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers Association, said: "An independent UK will in all likelihood introduce its own plant health regulations - or at least remove or rescind those regulations that have no impact on the UK." He said since the UK did not have any citrus, plant health regulations on citrus imports should be easier to comply with than the present EU regulations. In 2015, SA exported about 720,000 tonnes of citrus to the EU, with 170,000 tonnes going to the UK, representing about 23.6% of total exports to the bloc. At present, the UK plant health regulations are the same as those of the EU under the Trade and Development Cooperation Agreement and the recently concluded Economic Partnership Agreement. "It is not only citrus but all fruits sent to the EU, which have to abide by the EU's plant regulations, which are very stringent and technically unjustified plant health restrictions," Chadwick said. He said that citrus growers were hopeful that, over the two years it would take for the UK to exit the EU, "plant health regulations would have been revised". Import tariffs South African growers might also be relieved from the import tariffs, which they pay during the EU's citrus harvesting season between October and May, said Chadwick. "We hope that the UK will now look at its own tariffs between itself and SA. "This means that the blanket tariffs under EU trade conditions might fall away," he said. SA is in the middle of its harvesting season and has already packed about 800,000 tonnes of citrus for export. The total exports for the 2015/16 season are expected to be 1.6 million tonnes, less than the 1.7million tonnes harvested in 2015. Chadwick said that severe drought and a delayed winter had affected the crop. Source: Business Day South African diamond cutting businesses, particularly for BEE entrants to the sector, face competitive challenges both locally and internationally. Therefore De Beers, the government and the South African diamond cutting industry have launched an enterprise development project for diamond beneficiators, which will work with selected black South African-owned diamond cutting businesses. Source: De Beers The programme has both a transformation aspect and a growth of the sector objective. It includes: interventions to improve industry and business knowledge; fostering opportunities to gain experience in rough diamond purchasing; manufacturing (cutting diamonds); and marketing and distributing finished product into the polished diamond market. Multiple stakeholders Barend Petersen, chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines (DBCM), says: For beneficiation to succeed here there is a need to involve multiple stakeholders who will bring innovative thinking, skills and resources to ensure that South Africa remains a competitive player in the global diamond industry. Five companies Introducing the five historically disadvantaged South African owned diamond cutting and polishing companies that have been selected to participate in the project, Mpumi Zikalala, senior vice president of Kimberley-based De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa, and the project sponsor, says: At the beginning of this year, we embarked on a journey to support a BEE group of diamond cutters and polishers to develop increasingly more efficient businesses to better compete on the world diamond stage. The companies are Thokos Diamonds, African Diamonds, Nungu Diamonds, Kwame Diamonds and Molefi Letsiki Diamond Holdings. De Beers to supply diamonds Zikalala went on to say: De Beers will provide the bespoke rough diamond supply to the candidates, while they are part of the development programme and, on completion, they can apply to become accredited buyers of De Beers before they are ultimately in a position to apply for sightholder status, competing with other leading diamond companies around the world. By being engaged in a technical, production and business efficiency mentoring programme with successful South African and international diamond industry leaders the group will strive to achieve what many aspire to, she says. Creating a successful platform De Beers will continue with its other beneficiation projects such as the Shining Light Awards, support of the Kimberley International Diamond and Jewellery Academy in Kimberley, the on-going support of the Diamond Indaba (hosted by the State Diamond Trader) and the Forevermark jewellery programme. The recently appointed CEO of De Beers Group, Bruce Cleaver, closed by saying: If, through this partnership, we can lay a successful platform for developing young beneficiators, then this project will go a long way towards creating a sustainable and meaningful diamond development pathway for other young local cutters and polishers for many years to come. The winning ideas present alternative design approaches to reform urban slums in order to improve the quality of life for the over one billion people people living in informal housing around the world. Mumbai: Versova Koliwada Designed by architect and urban designer Jai Bhadgaonkar, Versova Koliwada focusses on the integration and sustainable development of a polluted fishing settlement faced with a depleting fish population in its creek. To revive its livelihood, Bhadgaonkar proposes designating focal points for the collection and segregation of waste to clean up the marine environment. With the help of the local co-op society, a knowledge centre will be built to upskill the community. At the centre, locals can learn how to use plastic debris to construct new nets, makeshift boats or floating islands made out of air-filled plastic bottles. Important to the project is the implementation of closed system aquaculture to breed aquatic life in an environmentally conscious way. In addition to launching low-cost earth bag housing, Bhadgaonkar also envisions a successful fish processing industry that would boost seafood exports to the city and make way for the development of a thriving socio-economic community. Johannesburg: Incremental Alex Incremental Alex by recent architecture graduate Lauren Brosius, addresses the failed reconstruction and development of governmental housing in Alexandra Township. The goal of the project is to develop a more effective and community-based public housing strategy that prioritises basic but longlasting infrastructure in the settlement through a micro-grid system. The graduate proposes the redirection of government funding to providing new housing modules made up of insulated panels, electricity and bathroom and kitchen facilities. The modular, reconfigurable panel system provides a durable framework that enables the residents to build the remainder of their homes using materials of their choosing. Cairo: Allometric Sake This project aims to improve living conditions and comfort levels in the high density Cairo slums with an intelligent software system called Sake. The software has been developed to analyse existing buildings and suggest new design strategies that would improve the living quality and ventilation of a space. A locations climate is measured in relation to a buildings ventilation rate, which is composed of its openings, height and interior surface area. Using this data, the system is able to produce an assessment of any urban environment and make structural suggestions for improving the thermal performance of a space. The recent streak of record-breaking temperatures has shown that climate change is not waiting for the world to take decisive action. But the adoption of the Paris Agreement was a clear signal that the world is ready to take climate change seriously. 175 countries signed and 15 of these ratified the climate deal during the signing ceremony. Now there is every indication the agreement could enter into force this year. Many countries, led by the two biggest emitters, China and the United States, have signaled their intent to ratify by the end of 2016, leaving just four countries and 1.72% of global emissions needed for it to become official. There can be no doubt that the window of opportunity to limit global warming to below 1.5, a key target of the 2015 Paris agreement, is closing fast. But there are encouraging signs around the world that this can still be done, even if there is still a very long way to go. Here are three of the most positive developments that will help the world reach its target. 1. Green energy is getting cheaper The costs of climate mitigation have decreased drastically. According to NRELs Transparent Costs Database, wind energy costs in the US are now on a par with coal-fired power. In May 2016 the price of photovoltaic (PV) energy fell to less than three US cents a kilowatt at an auction in Dubai. Even in not-so-sunny Germany, solar energy costs have been decreasing steadily: in a recent auction in December 2015, prices fell to eight euro cents per kilowatt hour. We can expect further cost decreases in the coming years. According to a recent report, by the end of the decade, the cost of onshore wind should decrease by a quarter, off-shore wind by a third and photovoltaics by almost two-thirds. By the mid-2020s, solar PV and onshore wind should cost 5 or 6 US cents per kilowatt hour on average. This is significantly below the cost of energy from nuclear and coal. As a result of decreasing costs and additional benefits, investment in renewables exploded in 2015 despite low oil prices. Meanwhile, renewable energy investment reached a record US$286 billion, generating 152 gigawatts of new capacity. This is more than the combined installed capacity from all sources for the whole African continent. 2. Carbon dioxide emissions have stopped rising In 2014 and 2015, the CO emissions from the energy sector stalled despite the global economy growing by 3%. According to the International Energy Agency, in 2014, emissions increased by less than 0.2% and by only 0.03% last year. BPs estimates for both years were slightly higher, (0.5% in 2014 and 0.1% in 2015), but that was a significant change of trend compared to the average annual emission growth of around 2.6% over the past decade. The major factor in this flattening trend was a fall in emissions of the two biggest emitters: China and the United States. In China, despite an increase in power consumption by 3%, power generation from fossil fuels decreased by 2%. This led emissions to fall by 1.5% last year. In the United States, emissions decreased by 2% despite healthy economic growth. Meanwhile, developing countries are taking advantage of the significant fall in the costs of renewables. While Indias emissions grew by over 5% last year, the second most populous country in the world has embarked on one of the fastest renewable expansion programmes anywhere on the planet. Brahma Kumaris, CC BY-NC At the same time, India is taking steps to curb coal investments. The choice between renewables and coal in India might be the most important factor when it comes to global efforts to reduce emissions. 3. Green jobs are good for the economy Every major transition is accompanied by fears of job losses. But the positive economic impacts of new technologies are given less attention. In 2014, more than 7.7 million people worked in the renewables sector, excluding large hydropower plants. A third of these jobs were in the photovoltaic sector, and an additional one million were employed in wind power technologies which barely existed two decades ago. Another report, shows that doubling the share of renewables in the energy mix by 2030 would triple the number of jobs in the sector and increase global GDP by 1.1%. Thats the equivalent to US $1.3 trillion. In 2016, India plans to roll out 30 million solar irrigation pumps, which would have significant economic and sustainable development benefits for farmers, saving US$3 billion per year on subsidies. The funds required for this transition could be partly covered by savings from removing fossil fuel subsidies. The IMF has found that elimination of post-tax subsidies in 2015 would have increased government revenues by US$2.9 trillion and significantly reduced environmental and social impacts of fossil fuels. In May 2016, G7 leaders committed to eliminate inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025. The G20 is also under pressure to agree on a timetable for phasing out subsidies. Time for leadership The ingredients for transforming energy systems and decarbonising the economy are already there. We are deploying more technologies that can peak emissions and accelerate their decrease. To speed up this transformation, governments must adopt policies that ensure investments in renewable energy are secure and provide clear signposts for everyone participating in the process of decarbonisation. Political leadership now is fundamental to prevent a slide-back to coal, and to stand up to vested interests, while providing finance and technology to the regions that need it most. KINSHASA: Congolese authorities told AFP on Wednesday, 13 July, they would annul three logging contracts awarded to China last year in what Greenpeace had called a violation of Congo's own logging moratorium. The August 2015 attribution of three licences covering 650,000 hectares (2,500 square miles) to Chinese-owned firms Somifor and Fodeco was made public on Tuesday by environmental group Greenpeace. In response, Environment Minister Robert Bopolo Mbongeza told AFP that "we will annul these three illegal contracts", adding however the government had received no payment for the licences. Bopolo had said earlier this year that the government was mulling whether to lift its 2002 freeze on new logging licences in order to reorganise the sector and cut down illegal logging of precious timber. Democratic Republic of Congo is home to more than 60% of the dense forests of the Congo basin, the world's second largest tropical rainforest after the Amazon. Illegal logging is a major problem in many developing countries including Congo, where poverty and decades of instability have put enormous pressure on natural resources. Source: AFP Financial pressure, ongoing drought and political influences are among the reasons why farmers in the Eastern Cape and across the country are opting to sell their farms. Barry haynes via Wikimedia Commons Over the last year, the number of farms on sale has shot up by 45% and, according to the latest available figures, more than 800 Eastern Cape farms are on the market. Nationally, more than 20,000 farms are for sale. Financial pressure Agri Eastern Cape president Doug Stern said about 858 farms were for sale in the province "upwards of 200 (23.5%) more than at the same time last year" and this was very concerning. According to Stern, financial pressure on farmers is playing a major role, as persisting drought in certain regions has limited their income. Cash flow is decreasing while loans and debt are bleeding farmers dry. There is also a growing tendency for younger generations to move away from family farms to focus on other business interests. Other provinces paint an even bleaker picture than the Eastern Cape. In Gauteng and the Western Cape, 5,623 and 3,585 farms respectively are on the market, while the North West, with 2,864, and Limpopo, with 2,275, are also concerning. Agriculture will survive But Agri Development Solutions expert Johann Bornman said markets tended to fluctuate, and while things were not looking great right now, there was sure to be an upturn in the market soon. "Agriculture will survive. It always does," Bornman said. While certain sectors in agriculture were struggling, others were thriving. "At the moment, wool and mohair farmers, the majority of whom are in the Eastern Cape, are doing really well," Bornman said. "Other areas should keep in mind that droughts come in cycles, and when this drought breaks, agriculture is set to enter a very prosperous period." Both Bornman and Stern said political factors and uncertainty among farmers regarding land reform policies were also contributing to farms going onto the market, but this played a lesser role than economic factors. Land prices Estate agents focused on selling farms and smallholdings believe land prices are high at the moment. Eastern Cape Agri-Land agent Riaan van Tonder said: "At this stage, many farmers want to sell their farms, but they are not desperate enough to drop their prices to the point where they will sell easily." Also, Van Tonder said, state departments had implemented stricter criteria for developing farmers applying for government help to acquire land, meaning that even the government had slowed its buying of available farms. Source: Herald In an innovative move, Indigo Fruit Growers who produce, pack and supply ClemenGold mandarins to the local and international market will be offering their fruit picking employees the world's first Comic Contracts. The aim is to make contracts easier to understand for farm workers. Comic Contracts is an idea developed by Robert de Rooy, a South African lawyer based in Cape Town and legal counsel for ClemenGold for many years. A Comic Contract uses visualisation to improve the understanding of contractual terms: the parties are represented by characters and illustrations are used to explain the terms of the contract. Challenging the taken-for-granted assumption that only text can capture the terms of a contract, a Comic Contract is a binding agreement using mainly pictures instead of words. The parties sign the comic as their contract. De Rooy explains: It is based on the fact that pictures are easier to understand and easier to remember. The purpose of a Comic Contract is to empower the parties to understand each other, to understand what they expect from each other, and what they are committing to. Addressing the needs of vulnerable employees Comic Contracts have been specially designed to address the needs of vulnerable employees: employees who either cannot read well or have difficulties understanding the language in which the contract is written. Whilst the legal system requires that all employees have an employment contract, it assumes that everyone can read proficiently and understand the contractual terms presented to them. However, this is rarely the case in South Africa. Especially in sectors employing low-skill workers (agriculture, mining, manufacturing, domestic workers), employees are rarely in a position to understand or question the contracts that they are given to sign. For De Rooy, the way in which most contracts are drafted and presented (this is standard, sign it or leave it) does not support a good relationship. Most employees dont read it, nor would they be able to understand it if they tried. This situation is perpetuating the power imbalance between employers and employees. Employees are bound to terms which they dont understand, can't live up to, and cannot use to hold their employers accountable. In such circumstances, misunderstanding and conflict in the workplace should come as no surprise. Employing many workers who fall into the vulnerable category, Indigo Fruit Growers (part of the larger ANB Investments Group) felt it was important to address the contractual imbalance in the employer-employee relationship. We are really excited about the transparency this contract brings to our employee relations. It creates a more equitable situation, which can only be the start of a more honest relationship with our employees. I believe that workers can only commit fully to the content of a contract if they understand what they are signing, says Abs van Rooyen, CEO of ANB Investments. Implementing simplified contracts Indigo recently initiated the implementation of the Comic Contracts. First, the contract was presented to 50 fruit-pickers who had previously worked for Indigo. Following the successful induction of these 50 workers, the contract was presented the next day to a further 163 fruit-pickers. Commenting on the process, Faan Kruger, farm manager of Indigo Fruit Growers says: The feedback was positive. No picker asked for the old contract. Although everything was new and there were many questions, the process went much faster than with a traditional contract. The Comic Contracts used by ClemenGold were presented at the International Contract Simplification Conference in Switzerland, where it was received with great excitement. Following the presentation in Switzerland, De Rooy has been invited to present the concept at The International Association for Contract and Commercial Management (IACCM) Americas conference in San Diego in October. De Rooy comments: I am really grateful to ANB Investments for backing the Comic Contracts, financially contributing to realising something that had never been done before, and being willing to implement it! Agriculture is important for South Africa as well as the rest of the African continent. According to Joyene Isaacs, head of the Agriculture Department in the Western Cape, South Africa, the challenge - and the excitement - is how we do it together. Joyene Isaacs Isaacs said the drought has been highlighted by media but farmers have been struggling despite the drought for a long time. We need to say 'thank you' to farmers and farm workers because we are not celebrating the achievements they do despite the challenges. South Africa needs to stand back and understand where their food comes from. Advice and training Isaacs tells agri-leaders how her department supports the agriculture economy and its challenges. She says where the government cannot provide money, it provides advice and training. For example, the government offers LandCare for the employed and education for the unemployed at the same time. We pay for unemployed workers from the rural areas to work on a commercial farm and to look after the land, do contouring and remove alien vegetation. The government pays for that but its to the benefit of the farmer and the unemployed worker in learning more. Funding An independent evaluation confirmed that many of the land reform farmers do not pay SARS, nor do they have good financial records. They also do not have good HR support on the farm. We, as government, created a management improvement plan to focus on these areas to help even those successful ones to become even better. There is still funding available for black farmers but for commercial farmers, its a little harder. The Land Bank, IDC, DTI, etc. still have funding available for farmers and farmer organisations but the demands and requirements for getting funding becomes difficult. Land reform We need to get agricultural land reform projects to at least a 70% success rate for all people, who have land in this province, in order for them to be sustainable and productive. Additionally, we cant do agriculture without sustainable management so we must look after our water, climate change, and production methodology and how to use our resources better. Skills development Skills development remains one of the critical elements of agriculture. Agriculture is a science and we need to train young people across the board to take on the role of agriculturists for the future. But above that, its no use producing if we cant have it made into food (or sell) so we have to focus on value and value addition. Market access Market access is important but often when we talk about market access, we are talking internationally, yet domestically we need to ensure that we first buy local and that food is available locally. In terms of the market trends, at a basic level our transformation in the agriculture sector needs to be fixed. If you bring in new black commercial farmers, you need to make sure they have markets. The challenge is to get them to produce and consider the market that is fundamentally the departments job. Internationally we are seeing a lot of non-tariff barriers coming through, so the question is how do we position our farmers to take the opportunity to get into those markets. It sounds easy but at the moment we have about 120 standards from different importing countries that our farmers need to adhere to if they want to go into these markets. Climate change Climate change is also an issue. Production patterns in the province are changing. For example, we have seen a shift from wine in traditional areas moving to be grown in the Southern Cape due to the climate changing. This applies to traditional areas where apples are grown too. All this must be considered to give good advice to farmers and for farmers to be well-informed to make productive decisions. To tackle these challenges, one of the decisions the department made in 2009 was to make sure the people that received access to land were supported. The department set a strategic goal to say 60% of all people that it helps, that received land in the province, must be successful. The commodity approach We set about creating a mechanism for the private sector and government to work together to help black farmers. We call it the commodity approach when we invest one Rand so does the private sector. This has been ongoing since 2009. In 2012, we assessed the strategic goal to see whether we achieved it and we had. More than 60% of the 248 projects that the department supported are successful. This means they have market access, a business plan and they have invested in their future. All of this was deemed as criteria for success. Our slogan in the province says better together. We, as the government, cant do everything, in fact, we shouldnt do everything. The private sector has been helping us to achieve our goals of growing the agriculture economy. Representatives of the manufacturing sector will get an opportunity to voice the challenges they face in implementing employment equity. The Department of Labours Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) will meet with manufacturing industry reps in Irene, Gauteng, on Thursday, 14 July 2016. The CEE has recently held a similar session with the retail and motor sector. Through these sessions, the CEE wants to unblock the challenges employers face in implementing employment equity and coming up with strategies to overcome them. The CEE is holding these engagements with business leaders from various sectors to address the slow pace of transforming the South African labour market, where EE-designated groups are still confined to the lower levels in the workplace. More engagements are planned to be held later this month until September 2016 with sectors such as finance, catering and accommodation, mining and quarrying, wholesale, construction, transport, educational institutions and local government. All engagements will include Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) and trade unions operating in that particular sector. All the planned engagements will be held in Gauteng, with the exception of one that will be held on 4 August in Cape Town. Venues of the other engagements will be confirmed in due course. BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: Google won more time on Wednesday to answer accusations by the European Commission that the US tech giant abuses the dominance of its Android mobile phone operating system. "The Commission has agreed to extend Google's deadline to respond to its Statement of Objections concerning Android and its applications until 7 September," a spokesman for the EU's executive arm told AFP. The decision extends Google's deadline from July 27 and came on the day US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew was to visit EU officials in Brussels, including EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. The many battles opened by Vestager against US companies on competition issues has put a strain on transatlantic ties. Other EU investigations include cases against Starbucks, Amazon and McDonald's. In the Android case, the commission has accused Google of obstructing innovation by giving unfair prominence to its own apps, especially its search engine, in deals with mobile phone manufacturers such as Samsung and Huawei. Google's response will be the company's last chance to avoid sanctions, which could amount to fines up to 10 percent of the group's annual global sales or $7.4 billion based on their 2015 results. The case is the second attack by the EU against Google after Vestager last year formally charged the company for abusing its dominance of the search engine market in Europe. Google could also face a third wave of EU anti-competition charges, this time targeting the search engine giant's advertising business. Vestager's team is expected to close a long-running state-aid inquiry into Apple's tax arrangements in Ireland, which some have suggested could see the iPhone maker on the hook for $19 billion in back taxes. Lew has repeatedly complained to Vestager that EU anti-trust regulators unfairly target US firms, a charge which the former Danish finance minister firmly denies. Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge The European Union Trade Mark ("EUTM") (previously Community Trade Mark) extends to all 28 member states of the European Union, providing comprehensive protection for all brand owners within the EU. Presently the EUTM includes the UK; however, post-Brexit will see many changes, which may include the UK no longer being covered by the EUTM. Le Moal Olivier 123RF.com The UKs decision to leave the European Union brings huge uncertainty to all business sectors and although there may be no immediate urgency, brand owners will now also need to gear up and strategize, ensuring adequate trade mark protection in the UK. Change also brings opportunity and it is anticipated that trade mark squatters will take advantage where trade marks and brand owners appear susceptible. Forewarned is forearmed. How long do we have? Unless there is a further political change, it is anticipated that the UK will leave the European Union within the next two years - that is by 2018. The European Council requires formal notification of the UKs intention to leave, predicted to be given during October 2016. Once formally notified, there will be a period of negotiations between the UK and the European Union. Consequences The process concerning EUTMs is yet to be decided, however it is anticipated that one or more options may be introduced for trade mark protection to extend to the UK including: Transitional provisions allowing pre-existing EUTMs to be re-designated or converted to UK National marks, including maintaining the original filing and priority dates and/or any relevant seniority claims. A simple re-registration process of pre-existing EUTM registrations to national UK registrations. The recognition of pre-existing EUTMs to UK national registrations without any further administrative action required. Recommendations For future EUTM applications and EUTMs that have been filed within the last six months, it is suggested that separate UK national applications also be filed. It would also be sensible for brand owners to also consider filing for national UK registrations for pre-existing EUTMs, particularly where the UK is an important market. The trade mark examination and registration process in the UK is similar to the EUTM and is quick. Securing trade mark protection in the UK now will bring certainty while post-Brexit legislation is drafted. Taking action will also mitigate the post-Brexit flurry forcing brand owners to get their houses in order and the inevitable delays, if only by the sheer volume of requests that the UK registry will need to attend to. The UK is one of South Africas major trading partners and we will continue to monitor and advise clients so as to facilitate a smooth transition. Redefine International says its diversified portfolio, which has exposure to Germany, has been less affected by the Brexit vote than other UK-focused property funds. The company has also managed to retain those investors who seek income payouts. CEO Mike Watters said on Tuesday, 12 July, that the company had weathered the effects of the Brexit referendum better than a number of other UK-focused property groups. "We firmly believe the diversified nature of the Redefine International portfolio, with 21% of market values located in Germany, together with our income focus and long average lease length, will prove to be defensive in light of the uncertainty following the UK's vote to exit from the EU. "We remain comfortable with our debt profile, with an average debt maturity of 7.4 years, and no significant debt maturing until 2020," said Watters. Redefine said it had made progress in generating returns from its recently acquired Aegon UK (AUK) portfolio that it bought for 490m. After the EU referendum result, Redefine International completed two leases in the AUK portfolio totalling 600,000, which represented a 10% rise in estimated rental value. Since exchanging contracts on the AUK portfolio in September 2015, the company has increased the portfolio's weighted average unexpired lease term from seven-and-a-half years to eight years, saved 300,000 in vacancy costs, and achieved an additional uplift of 600,000 to annualised rental income, representing a 5% increase on estimated rental value. Watters said completed refinancing activities since its half-year results had reduced the cost of debt to 3.4%, from 3.6%. "We are pleased with the level of income-enhancing activity achieved on the AUK portfolio to date. Investors are attracted to the fact that we distribute strong regular income payouts. I believe this is why post the Brexit vote, we have seen our shares sold down but, not as much as some other counters have," said Watters. Source: Business Day For many, selling their home means starting a new and exciting chapter in their lives. While preparing for this next chapter, it is important to prepare the current home for listing to ensure that it stands out from the crowd while on the on market. Preparation is a key element to guaranteeing that the home is sold for the best possible price within the shortest time frame. There are a few tips that homeowners could utilise to give them the edge over the competition. Highlight the idea that the home is move-in ready When it comes to paint, a neutral palette is always a timeless option that will appeal to the largest percentage of potential buyers. The same is true for other aspects of the home such as the furniture and window coverings. It is not necessary to employ the services of a professional interior design to stage the home before selling a few simple DIY projects can make a big difference. There is a wealth of information available to sellers online and in property related publications. Ideally, the home should look as though it is ready for the buyer to simply move in. Depersonalise and remove clutter When buyers view a property they want to be able to envision themselves living there and making it theirs. If possible, it is best to simplify spaces by removing everyday items such as the TV remotes, plies of laundry, pet toys, schoolwork and the to-lists on the fridge this also includes more personal photos. Well-organised, minimal shelves and counters showcase the space potential, rather than personal items. The homeowner is in the process of preparing to sell their home, so why not get started by packing away personal items? It will declutter the home and make it one less thing to worry about during the move. A fresh bunch of flowers and some plug-in air fresheners will have the home smelling great and be more inviting to buyers. Cater to the senses Sellers should consider what a buyer will experience when they first walk into the home. What will they see, smell, hear and touch? There is often an emotional response to a home that is triggered by the senses. For example the smell of freshly baked cookies will make the house feel more like a home, prepares evoking a nostalgic feeling in the buyer. A dirty, smelly home is not appealing to anyone. Hiring a professional cleaning service will make the home smell and look great. Sticky floors and filthy light switches will only turn buyers off. Homeowners with pets should consider confining them to one area of the property while the house is on show. A barking dog can hurry a potential buyer along during the viewing. Instrumental music during the showing will appeal to the buyers ears. Update and simplify Replacing dated elements in the home with contemporary designs, will give it a fresh and modern look. Rather opt for a cleaner, simpler look than going for harsh patterns or edgy colours and avoid styles that clash with one another. It is better to have an empty wall or bare space, than have elements that dont work well together. Here is a checklist that sellers can use when staging their property: Exterior: Lawn is cut, edged and weeds are pulled Dead bushes and trees removed Garden tools, hoses, pet toys and dog waste are clean up or put away House itself has been power washed Patio or deck is cleaned, freshly stained and in good repair Add outdoor lanterns and candles to patio area Large cracks in the driveway and walkways are repaired Interior: Home is clean, decluttered and appeals to all senses Dated elements have been modernised or removed Personal photos and items have been packed away Everyday items and daily messes have been cleared Toiletries, perfumes and jewellery are not on bathroom vanity Small appliances and dishes are not cluttering the kitchen Fresh flowers or plants are added throughout to add life into the space All aspects of the home are in good repair and working order With these tips in mind when staging a home, a seller will be able to prepare and enter into the sales process with confidence, knowing that their home is in its best possible condition. The Gauteng Department of Education has processed 682,142 applications since it introduced the online application process. Parents had to apply for their children between April and June 2016 and the deadline was 1 June 2016. Addressing the media in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said the applications can be disaggregated as follows: 118,534 applications are for Grade 1 and 91,221 for Grade 8 learners. Duplicate applications are 451,759. Applications for in-between grades are 18,425. Applications for independent schools are 2,223. This yields a total of 209,755 applications for Grades 1 and 8. If the late applications of 17,612 are included, total applications are for Grade 1 and 8 are 227,367. It should be noted that 20,505 applications were received from relocating learners. Based on current capacity, the department enrolled 231,386 Grade 1 and 176,854 Grade 8 learners, or a total of 408,240, in 2016. This may suggest that there is sufficient space to accommodate all learners that have applied but does not take into account the late applications in January, said MEC Lesufi. Since the placement period commenced, the department had managed to place over 6,534 learners in schools around the province. To date, 3,389 Grade 1 and 3,145 Grade 8 learners have been placed. Placement of learners began on 24 June and is ongoing. The department intends placing all learners by 7 September 2016. Priority is accorded to parents that met the 1 June deadline. The placement process is a follows: Schools draw their waiting lists and then submit to the District Directors to sign off; Schools then place learners according to the approved lists and Schools will inform parents of the outcome using different modes of communication e.g. SMS and letters. Learners were placed according to first, then second and lastly third choice school options with required documents submitted to the school for verification. Option refers to one of the following criterion: School closest to home address; School closest to work address; Sibling presence in the same school and School of specialisation. Acceptance or rejection of placement Parents will be informed through an SMS or letter regarding the status of their applications. They have seven school days from the date of receiving the notification to confirm acceptance or rejection of placement offers. Parents can either go to the school or online to confirm or reject the offer. Parents that fail to confirm acceptance or rejection of the offer will forfeit such an offer and the next parent will be placed in the available space, said MEC Lesufi. The department has urged all parents to confirm or reject the placement offers in order to fast track the placement process. Parents that are for one reason or the other not happy with the placement are advised to approach the District Director. Objections and applications will be dealt with later once the placement process has been completed in September. Despite the challenges faced in the early days with the online application system, the department is pleased with the progress recorded to date. The system has proven its value by creating fairness and equity, as well as making it easy for parents to apply for their children. Further, the Department has valuable data that is essential to plan class allocation and infrastructure, provision of Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM), allocation of educators, scholar transport and nutrition, MEC Lesufi said. Getting learning materials to schools MEC Lesufi said the national Department of Basic of Education has appointed three service providers for the management and distribution of learning and teaching support material. The companies are Zylec Investments (textbooks), African Paper Products (stationery) and Palm Stationery Manufacturers (stationery). The Gauteng Education Department has appointed Bongani Rainmaker Logistics to place orders with the afore-mentioned service providers. School feeder zones A task team has been established to advise on the issue of feeder zones, as per the Constitutional Court ruling. The Constitutional Court ruled in favour of the department with regard to admission regulations. The ruling set aside the provision that a child falls into a school's feeder zone if the child's home or parents' place of work is within a 5km radius of the school. The department now has to develop a new feeder zone policy and revert to the court for approval. The task team is made up of school governing body (SGB) associations, trade unions and departmental representatives. While the term 'land grab' has negative association, in the telecommunications space it means good news. South Africans pay a lot more than other countries for broadband and the move this week by MTN to slash fibre broadband bodes well for consumers. Warren Bonheim, CCO, Zinia. As fibre networks started rolling out it was inevitable that broadband prices would start bottoming out, as evidenced by MTN's announcement on Tuesday to slash fibre broadband costs for consumers. Warren Bonheim, chief commercial officer (CCO) at Zinia, an internet service provider (ISP) and wholesaler that compares products and providers for companies says: "Land grab in the context of the telecoms industry is a strategy large networks have of offering last mile fibre with pricing at break-even levels, to secure customers and market share on a large scale." He explains that once a customer is on the fibre network the telecoms provider will have retention of those customers. This allows the networks to get a return on investment of the actual fibre, which is the majority of the costs. "With the fibre infrastructure paid off, said network will be able to out price its competitors and 'secure that land'," he says. "The fibre space is very exciting with networks jousting for land and market share, but ultimately it is consumers and businesses that benefit from this competitive strategy." Delivering on speed However, Bonheim explains that cheaper doesn't necessarily mean you will get the speeds promised. He explained that South African broadband users still get relatively low value compared to the rest of the world. He cites the 2015 Ookla Household Value Index statistics as evidence, where SA came 56th out of 64 tested countries when comparing actual speed and 'promised speed'. His only concern with this strategy is that locking in customers through long contracts and underperforming in terms of delivery, could in the long-term damage relationships with customers. In Zinia's experience businesses often only pick up issues with lack of coverage or delivery after signing up for the offer. "This is a great step in the right direction, but as telecom providers we have to continually work on bringing more value to businesses. This means bringing the best speeds, contention ratios and uptime to meet their needs and providing better service levels. We need to make sure once the customer is brought into the fibre experience that we deliver consistently. It's much like water or power; it is expected to always be available when we need it." Volvo Trucks Southern Africa is expanding its footprint in Gauteng and opening a new workshop facility in Alrode, South of Gauteng. The workshop will open its doors in October 2016. The reason for the new site is to improve breakdown response time for customers and to improve capacity and service output in the region. We have identified the increased population in the area and the need for another service and parts workshop in the Gauteng region, says Torbjorn Christensson, president, Volvo Group Southern Africa. The company has also taken the decision to sell two of its dealerships, namely Polokwane and Port Elizabeth. The move to sell these dealerships forms part of the companys decision to have a combination of dealerships that are wholly owned as well as some that are franchised. There are many benefits of this approach such as capital investment by the buying companies to improve the operations, which will result in improved facilities for both branches. We have partnered with companies who we believe will contribute to the image and brand-building of Volvo Trucks Southern Africa, says Christensson. B-BBEE ownership One of the criteria in the agreement was also done in line with improving the companys broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) ratings. We have made massive in-roads in areas such as management control and supplier development, however, the one area that has always eluded us is ownership. Previously our efforts were hindered, however, after a series of meetings between various stakeholders including Government; we are now able to transfer ownership of two of our wholly owned dealerships to B-BBEE companies, says Christensson. Volvo Polokwane has been acquired by a company called Lereko Motors. The group was established in 2004 as a black-owned investment company, with the founders being Popo Molefe, Valli Moosa and the late Eric Molobi, adding to the credibility of its staff complement was the appointment of Lulu Gwanga as chief operating officer (COO). Lereko Motors have partnered with the Imperial Group to manage the dealership on their behalf. At present the planned date for the transfer of ownership is set for 1 October 2016. The Polokwane dealership will continue to operate at its current premises for a month or two while new premises are being renovated for them. Similarly the Port Elizabeth franchise will remain in its current location for a year while a new custom designed site is constructed for them and will contribute to the upliftment of Nelson Mandela Bays development projects. The Port Elizabeth franchise will also be owned by a black-owned entity and managed by Billson Trucks. Billsons has an extensive regional footprint and operates in an area that is bordered to the northeast, north and west by East London, Graaff-Reinet and Knysna. The new site will bring investment to the value of R100 million. Volvo Trucks will have a network of 19 workshops in South Africa of which seven are independently operated. The Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) has become one of the preeminent annual gatherings that provides emerging entrepreneurs with exceptional networking, insight and investment opportunities. This year the GES was hosted by US President Barack Obama at Silicon Valley, bringing together over 700 entrepreneurs, over 300 investors and some of the world's most renowned entrepreneurs like Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook, Travis Kalanick from Uber, Steve Case from Revolution, Reid Hoffman from LinkedIn and many more. At the GES, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) committed over $38m to Global Entrepreneurship which will help mobilise the power of global entrepreneurs and innovators. The USAID will also be partnering with 500 Startups which is a leading Silicon Valley global venture capital fund and accelerator to host the Geeks on a Plane (GOAP) trip to Africa in March 2017. On this first ever Africa GOAP trip, the Silicon Valley leaders will participate in an 11 day itinerary in Accra, Lagos, Cape Town and Johannesburg to engage with African entrepreneurs and innovators and explore partnership and investment opportunities. The trip will culminate with the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) in Johannesburg on 13-16 March 2017. Speaking post the media briefing at Silicon Valley, the Executive Head of SEA Africa Kizito Okechukwu thanked GEN, USAID and 500 Startups for making this vision a reality. He urged African entrepreneurs to take positive advantage and leverage from this new development. It will also ensure continuous collaboration amongst African and other global entrepreneurs and assist to sustain the African Unions 2063 Agenda, Africans breaking away from the syndrome of always coming up with new ideas but no significant achievement and set in motion high levels of productivity, growth, entrepreneurship and transformation. We are really looking forward to collaborating with all partners in ensuring that the GEC 2017 is an impactful one, he concluded. The GEC is the largest gathering of entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and policymakers from more than 160 countries with over 5000 delegates. The global entrepreneurship ecosystem will gather in one of South Africas most innovative hubs Johannesburg. The GEC Johannesburg will be hosted by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), Kauffman Foundation, SEA Africa, the City of Johannesburg, National Department of Small Business Development, Gauteng Provincial Government, Absa a member of Barclays, Transnet, Hollard, Microsoft and Telkom. For more info and to register please visit: www.gec.co or email: az.oc.acirfaaes@7102ceg Subsidiary of Novatel Wireless, Ctrack has announced that earthmoving plant hire company, Burma Plant Hire (Pty) Ltd, will add Ctrack's Fleet Analytics Service to its existing Ctrack MaXx fleet management solution. The dashboard management software will provide powerful in-depth analysis on critical fleet performance factors, such as green band driving, excess idling time and earth moving machinery hours. This will enable Burma Plant Hire to improve productivity whilst reducing costs. Burma Plant Hire has operations across South Africa and neighbouring country Namibia. With a fleet of 531 vehicles, the company has been using Ctracks Yellow Equipment Solution for the last four years to monitor the performance, use and behaviour of its yellow machinery as well as their light delivery vehicles (LDV). This is to ensure optimal operational monitoring for cost saving and life cycle extension of its equipment. Said Theuns Burger, CEO of Burma Plant Hire: By utilising the Ctrack Analytics platform to its fullest capacity, we can improve our productivity, offering the best service and solutions to our clients in order to meet the high standards that Burma Plant Hire set for ourselves. We can also continuously strive to find solutions to eliminate vehicle abuse and reduce diesel costs, whilst ensuring the utmost safety of our staff members and clients. The Ctrack advanced fleet management solution has also been deployed across the companys fleet of lowbeds, tipper trucks and dumper trucks, as well as its more than 100 (LDVs. Over the years, the solutions have enabled them to accurately monitor their yellow equipment by saving countless hours downtime and maintenance costs. Incorporating Ctrack Fleet Analytics gives Burma Plant Hire the means to analyse the vast amounts of telematics data. Using rich fleet analytics and smart interpretation of data, the software provides information for critical decision-making, from cost savings to future investments. This solution is outsourced to enable the company to receive expert analysis, without the added overheads of employing analysts. Since being selected in 2012, Ctrack has worked closely with Burma Plant Hire to address the inevitable operational risks that companies who specialise in the yellow metal fields face, said Hein Jordt, MD of Ctrack Fleet Management Solutions. Got a question or tip? Contact us at bizmojoidaho@gmail.com. They were sentenced to two to three years of imprisonment with labour by the Kyauk Pru Township court on Wednesday. According to the family sources, the judicial magistrate in Kyauk Pru Township court passed the verdict at 10:30 AM on 13 July. One of the convicts Ko Maung Aye is the chairman of Kyauk Pru Township rural area development association. Hails from Lake Kamaw village under Kyauk Pru Township, he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment under the unlawful association act 17 (1). The other convicts namely Ko Tun Tha Pru from Yin Ye Gan village under Pauk Taw township and Ko Zaw Win Maung from Kular Chaung Village under Ponna Kyunt township were sent to jail for three years under the same section of laws. U Tin Myint, the defense lawyer representing the three Arakanese nationals did not prefer to comment over the verdict and hinted that he would like to appeal in the highest court. The convicts were rounded up in Ko Maung Ayes residence on 21 January and later detained with the suspicion of having connections with the AA , which is based in KIA area near the China border. Recently the ethnic armed outfit is trying to shift their bases to western Burma. Earlier thirteen Arakanese youths, who were picked up from various parts of Arakan in connection with their involvement with the Arakan outfit were sentenced on 17 June to three years of imprisonment with labour by the Sittwe township court. On the afternoon of October 25, there was fighting between the Military Council and the KNLA joint troops on the Myawaddy-Kawkareik Asian Highway in... Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 14/07/2016 (2296 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Roughly 150 people attended the 85th anniversary celebration of the Napinka legion last month an event that coincided with the villages annual Decoration Day service. We had a school reunion that day, too, so we had lots of people out there, Melita mayor and legion branch president Bill Holden said of the June 19 event. One hundred fifty is a big crowd for Napinka the town of Napinka only has about 40 people in it. Decoration Day is a Canadian holiday that recognizes veterans of the Canadian military. Submitted Melita mayor and Royal Canadian Legion branch president Bill Holden leads the parade of Napinka legion members and air cadets from Melitas 263 Squadron through the Napinka cemetery during the villages annual Decoration Day service on June 19. The Napinka service took place in the local cemetery where all of the graves of veterans were decorated with a Canadian flag and a Union Jack. We have one (Second World War) veteran left in our branch, and that happens to be my mother-in-law, Dorothy Lewis, Holden said. During the service, branch members and air cadets from Melitas 263 Squadron performed a march past and the names of all the deceased veterans were read from an honour roll. The legions 85th anniversary celebration followed at the Napinka drop-in centre. The Brandon Sun Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 14/07/2016 (2296 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Brandon paramedics responded to more than 4,200 ambulance calls in 2015 a seven per cent increase from 2014. The increase may be due in part to the wider response area for ambulance crews, which was implemented following the provinces regional health authority amalgamation. When we were the Brandon RHA, there was a defined Brandon RHA boundary, said fire Chief Brent Dane. We dont have our own boundaries now. Were just part of Prairie Mountain (Health), which includes the area right down to the U.S. border, to Saskatchewan, Swan River going north, so its a huge area. Were part of a bigger picture. Brandon Fire and Emergency Services Annual Report Ambulance response accounted for 78 per cent of the 5,386 total calls to Brandon Fire and Emergency Services in 2015. Structural fires accounted for 35 per cent of total fire calls. Brandon Fire and Emergency Services recently released its annual report, which provides statistics and highlights from the departments 2015 operations. Total calls to the department were up by 8.3 per cent in 2015, compared to the previous year. This includes calls across the board, such as fire, ambulance, hazardous materials, fire pit, false alarms, etc. Brandon firefighters continue to respond within Brandon city boundaries, as well as a portion of three rural municipalities Elton, Cornwallis and Oakland. There were 54 structure fires in 2015, compared to 44 in 2014. One of the more serious incidents had 17 firefighters battling a blaze on the 3500 block of Rosser Avenue. Unfortunately, two homes were destroyed in the Canada Day fire, a result of an electrical malfunction. Earlier in the year, firefighters responded to a garage fully engulfed in flames near the corner of 10th Street and Brandon Avenue. As the fire was quite intense, a large stream of water was used to cool the surrounding area, making sure the fire did not extend to the house. The fire was extinguished after two and a half hours at the scene, Dane states in the report. There were a total of 5,386 calls 4,211 of which were for emergency medical services. There were 156 fire calls, including structural, outdoor firepit, vehicle and bush/grass fires. Total losses were more than $2.4 million, but fortunately there were no fatalities or serious injuries due to fire. File photo Two homes burn after a fire started in one home and quickly spread to another on Rosser Avenue in Brandons west end in July 2015. Both homes were destroyed by the blaze. Dane credits early warning devices and better building codes for gradual decline in fires overall, as well as smaller fires to respond to. We are getting there when the fire is in a small stage as opposed to flames coming out the window so I think the fire prevention (efforts) have certainly helped, he said. Staff went on 412 long-distance ambulance trips to locations such as Winnipeg, Morden, Regina and Saskatoon. Eleven people were trained in the haz-mat technician course. This training will enable the members to be better prepared to handle the various types of hazardous material responses we deal with, the report states. Specialized training was ongoing in urban search and rescue, water rescue, high-level rescue and confined space rescue. Because we dont have very many incidents to use those skills, you have to practise more so that when you do have a incident that they are prepared to do it, Dane said. In terms of new equipment, the department received two replacement ambulances and a new battery-operated Jaws of Life, which will make extrication more efficient at crash scenes. File photo Firefighters battle a blaze that destroyed a garage at 10th Street and Brandon Avenue in March 2015. The fire destroyed the building, a car within and spread to trees nearby. They are stronger, smaller and lighter, and with battery power we can venture off the beaten path to accomplish any extrication that is required. These new tools will save valuable time on motor vehicle crash scenes, the report states. Dane is particularly proud of the fact that all of Brandons firefighters are also trained paramedics. That is a model that certainly is rare in Canada, but certainly the envy of a lot of provinces, he said. We have that kind of ability, all our guys can do both things and do the specialized teams on top of that. jaustin@brandonsun.com Twitter: @jillianaustin Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 14/07/2016 (2296 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Despite a surprising about-face on the Anglican Church of Canadas resolution to bless same-sex marriages on Tuesday, the bishop of the Diocese of Brandon says the yes vote will not abruptly change anything locally. Late Tuesday afternoon, delegates at the General Synod in Toronto learned the rejection of a resolution to amend the churchs marriage canon to include same-sex unions had been overturned due to an electronic voting error. The resolution required two-thirds support from each order bishop, clergy and lay in order to pass. The clergy failed to reach the threshold because a cleric who voted in favour had accidentally been labelled as a laity. This is the second General Synod that this electronic voting system has been used. Technology being technology, sometimes I think little bits of paper would have been more convenient, Bishop William Cliff said on Wednesday after landing in Brandon from Toronto. This weeks vote means the resolution has passed a first reading, but it must be brought before the next General Synod in three years time before it becomes church law. Cliff who voted in favour of the resolution says that even if the national Anglican Church decides to solemnize same-sex marriages in three years, his diocese will make its own decision on the matter at its next synod. Over 70 per cent of the assembled delegates were in favour I think that says something, he said. But at the same the diocese has its own authority, and so the Diocese of Brandon wont be moving on this until the Diocese of Brandon as a whole makes a decision with a similar high threshold. This is mainly because Cliff believes its important not to impose his own views onto members of the diocese which has a definite progressive/conservative split. I personally am in favour, but as a bishop I would never impose my will on the collective my job is not to impose anything, but to simply work with the people and walk with the people here, he said. Still, Cliff believes this weeks resolution on same-sex marriage makes the Anglican Church more inclusive. I hope it sends a message that were willing to struggle with these issues its difficult for people who dont like to talk about these things or dont want to talk about these things, he said. Brandon Pride committee chair Ken Jackson says he was happily surprised by the last minute turnaround. Im happy they made this step towards welcoming LGBTTQ individuals more into their midst, and Im happy for those LGBTTQ members that are already there I think this just solidifies a home for them, he said. Jackson who is a member of the United Church of Canada, which voted to endorse same-sex marriages in 2003 recognizes the struggle that may lie ahead for members who voted against the resolution. No matter which way that vote went, there were going to be people hurt, he said. Im hoping for a better tomorrow for them because I think its a good positive step in the right direction. About 1.6 million Canadians identify themselves as Anglican, according to Statistics Canada, and church figures indicate more than 500,000 of them are part of about 2,800 congregations across the country. ewasney@brandonsun.com with files from The Canadian Press Twitter: @evawasney Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 14/07/2016 (2296 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Eight years after it was first piloted northwest of Brandon, a program now helping farmers reduce flooding and improve water quality across Canada is angling to return to the province. Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS), developed in what was then known as the RM of Blanchard by the Keystone Agricultural Producers of Manitoba and the Delta Waterfowl Foundation in 2008, was mentioned specifically in provincial Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichlers mandate letter as a way to help producers maintain ecosystem services and build a healthier environment. After the Manitoba pilot stopped, the Delta Waterfowl Foundation continued to grow ALUS, which became an independent not-for-profit in 2015 and is now operating in six provinces. It currently is in one community in Manitoba the Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District. Bruce Bumstead/The Brandon Sun Lara Ellis of the Alternative Land Use Services Canada speaks with Keystone Agricultural Producers general manager James Battershill during KAPs advisory council meeting at the Victoria Inn on Wednesday. But that is likely to change, a room of about 50 farmers attending KAPs advisory council meeting was told on Wednesday morning. Lara Ellis, the director of strategic initiatives for ALUS Canada, spoke to the meeting, briefing producers on how ALUS may work for specific farmers. We are invited into communities, we set up partnership advisory committees which are half farmers and half municipal board reps, agricultural board reps and interested NGOs. They are the ones that are responsible for program delivery they decide which programs take place, they work with the farmers on project design. Contracts are signed with individual farmers for set periods of time and its all voluntary, she said. ALUS projects usually involve marginal land areas with little or no potential for profit. Projects often include wetland restoration, pollinator projects, tree planting and repairing buffers in addition of modified agricultural processes, Ellis said. The only other province-wide ALUS program is an arrangement funded in whole by the government in Prince Edward Island, where Ellis said almost all farmers on the island participate. It was brought in (in) conjunction with a lot of regulations and changes that the province felt necessary at the time, she said. It was sort of the carrot that went along with the stick. Elsewhere in Canada, the rollout has been an entirely voluntary approach which Ellis stressed at several points in her presentation would still be the case for Manitoba. Brandon West Progressive Conservative MLA Reg Helwer, at the meeting to bring greetings on behalf of Eichler, noted creating a program based on the ALUS model is a priority for his government. The (agriculture) minister assures me industry will be consulted along the way and there will be no surprises, Helwer said. There are deep connections between the ALUS and Manitobas Tory government. Current Education Minister Ian Wishart, from Portage la Prairie, was behind the Blanchard pilot during his tenure as KAP president, and Premier Brian Pallisters chief of staff, Jonathan Scarth, was the senior vice-president of policy for the Delta Waterfowl Foundation. Were looking forward to discussing what it could look like (in Manitoba). With a commitment for a province-wide program, its a chance to do something really innovative, something that could be a globally leading program, Ellis said. But it all depends what Manitoba farmers want to do and what the government is going to do. A major stone left unturned is funding. Current KAP president Dan Mazier called the funding question the Achilles heel of the idea, acknowledging that no one knows where the money is going to come from. There may be avenues, however. The federal government is pushing the provinces to come up with a framework. We are thinking this may be a part of that framework of how the province mitigates greenhouse gases in general, said Mazier, who called the prospect of ALUS good news for all Manitoba farmers in general. Past projects across the country are jointly supported by government and private foundations, but Ellis said there are new markets for ecosystem services and she hopes ALUS will be able to collect funding from corporations, individuals, and particular ecosystem and flood mitigation services and feed that into the ALUS system. In P.E.I., the provincial government funds the program in full. Ellis said it costs almost $1 million annually, for about 97 per cent of farmers in the province are involved on what is admittedly a very small geographic area. Everybodys in that talk mode right now, Mazier said. tbateman@brandonsun.com Twitter: @tombatemann Already have an account? Log in here Police are asking for the publics help to locate a missing 13 year old, Tierra Taylor Rose Malcolm. We need your support! Local journalism needs your support! As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $4.99/month you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 14/07/2016 (2296 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. There may be people who feel compelled to leave our church. Thats the gravity and the weight of the situation that is before us. Anglican Church of Canada Archbishop Fred Hiltz For any Canadians who may consider themselves non-religious, the acceptance of same-sex marriage in this country has long been a fait accompli an established legal right in Canada for more than a decade, since the Supreme Courts ruling in 2004. But for most Christian denominations, same-sex marriage remains a hugely divisive issue that many faithful are still trying to grapple with, one that pits progressive congregations against those who hold fast to the more conservative, orthodox tenants of faith. The split between Mennonite Christians and supporters of Steinbachs very first Pride March earlier this month became a very public example of this ongoing tension. The small Manitoba city made national headlines over the lack of support from the regions politicians, and the days events even drew both Christian and non-Christian supporters from other cities, provinces and American states. And just this week in Toronto came another example one that will have far-reaching consequences for members of the Church of England here in Canada, and around the world. Delegates to the Anglican Church of Canadas General Synod 2016 initially appeared to vote down a resolution last Monday that would have allowed the church to bless same-sex marriage. To pass, the resolution required two-thirds of each of three orders lay, clergy and bishops. At first, it seemed that the clergy failed to reach that threshold by one vote, but upon a requested recount on Tuesday using a detailed hard copy of the electronic voting records, it became clear that the single vote had been counted in the lay order instead of the clergy. After the error was discovered, Archbishop Hiltz declared the resolution in favour of same-sex marriage passed. Yet in the window of time between the initial results and the stunning reversal of those results, the divisions within Canadas Anglican Church were laid bare. At least a few bishops vowed to disregard the original decision, stating they would sanction LGBTQ marriage rights within their diocese anyway. Still others, such as Bishop William Cliff of the diocese in Brandon, expressed disappointment at the decision, but refused to impose any change on their local parishes. I am personally in favour, but as the bishop I tend to the whole flock and I was not going to move out in front of my diocese, Cliff told the Sun on Tuesday from Toronto, before learning of the vote reversal. Other bishops in other parts of the country have moved forward even in spite of this vote in the last 24 hours, but we will not be. Complaints also surfaced from northern representatives of bullying tactics before the vote took place. And the comments made by Archbishop Hiltz echoed very real concerns that the deep differences in opinion around the issue would and still could cause a further rupture within the church. Such a schism already occurred in Canada after the church adopted a motion affirming the sanctity of same-sex relationships in 2004. More conservative elements of the faith broke away following that decision and created their own affiliations, such as the Anglican Network in Canada, of which three Manitoba churches are members including one in Brandon. Even now, Cliff says members of the Brandon diocese remain divided on the issue. But the decision by Canadas official Anglican community to affirm same-sex unions has larger implications for the global church. It was only last January that archbishops in the Anglican communion narrowly averted a permanent split by agreeing to impose sanctions against the liberal U.S. Episcopal church, which has accepted same-sex marriage. U.K.-based The Guardian reported that, under the agreement, the U.S. Episcopal church has been banned from representation on key bodies and barred from voting on issues relating to doctrine or strategy for three years. However, it will remain a member of the Anglican communion. About 1.6 million Canadians identify themselves as Anglican, according to Statistics Canada, and church figures indicate more than 500,000 of them are part of about 2,800 congregations across the country. But the size of Canadas Anglican community pales in comparison to the fast-growing Anglican communities in Africa. And this falls to the heart of the matter African churches such as those in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, support the recriminalization of homosexual activity, even as the liberal churches of North American have affirmed gay marriage. Its quite likely that, should the resolution be affirmed by the next synod in 2019 when it then becomes church law Canadas Anglican community could face a similar retaliation. It could face sanctions even now, following the verified results of Mondays vote. Considering the changing attitudes toward gay marriage in North America, a majority of this countrys Anglican community has recognized the need to evolve if the church has any hope to stay relevant within Canadian society. It is, of course, the right decision. But the rift between the progressive and conservative elements of the church may prove irreparable as a result. Almost half (46%) of Irish businesses wouldnt disclose a data security breach to impacted third parties, including customers and suppliers, a new survey has found. This is despite 33% of Irish businesses admitting that they have suffered a data breach in the past 12 months. The survey was commissioned by Ward Solutions and carried out by TechPro, and was carried out in May and June 2016 among 133 senior IT professionals and decision-makers in Irish-based businesses, which were typically larger enterprises. More than a quarter (26%) of respondents admitted that they have no official crisis management plan to deal with potential data breaches. A further 32% feel that their board of directors does not understand the potential security threats to their business. In addition, 42% of IT professionals believe their business growth is being hindered by IT security concerns and precautions. The survey also found that while 63% of businesses expect to spend more on their IT security in the next 12 months, a considerable number of Irish IT leaders are unsure about the location of their critical data and who is handling it. Some 18% of respondents admitted that they dont know where, or by whom, data handled by third parties in the supply chain is held. In fact, respondents also had their doubts about the trustworthiness or expert knowledge of the people handling their data including their own staff and also employees on the supply chain - 10% said that they are not at all confident in them. Pat Larkin, CEO, Ward Solutions, said: It is crucial for all Irish businesses to know exactly where their data is at all times and who is handling it. A lack of that knowledge puts organisations, and their customers, at greater risk of being attacked. Its a major concern that almost half of Irish companies would not inform their customers, partners or suppliers that their information has been compromised through a data breach. Theres a worrying trend that cybercrime is being under-reported in Ireland. Customers place their trust in the companies they deal with and it is every businesss obligation to be transparent with those customers and inform them of any risk to their data. Also revealed in the survey were the figures demanded by hackers in ransomware incidents. Two-thirds of those who have been held to ransom said the ransom demand they faced was less than 1,000. This indicates a growing trend amongst cyber criminals to demand smaller fees that are more likely to be paid especially by smaller enterprises. However, 58% of companies surveyed said they wouldnt pay a ransom, no matter what the demand. Data breaches and ransomware attacks are continuing to grow at pace in Ireland, concluded Pat Larkin. They often lead to significant brand and financial damage through poor handling of the situation. Its essential that Irish organisations put comprehensive crisis management plans and systems in place to remain protected and ensure survival in the event of an attack. The European Union's anti-trust arm has said it will expand a probe into internet giant Google to include the company's comparison shopping and advertising business. The investigation centres on whether the firm breaches competition rules by skewing search results in its favour, thereby restricting rival online advertising platforms. For a lot of Irish people, the Mosney holiday camp in Co Meath holds some special childhood memories. Before the days of cheap trips aboard, families from across Ireland would flock to the camp in their droves to spend their summer holidays. Cannabis with a street value of 360,000 has been seized at Portllaoise Mail Centre. 18 kilos of the drug were discovered in three parcels sent from South Africa and Nigeria to addresses in Dublin city. Ireland's population has grown to more than 4.75 million, according to Census 2016. The record of people and their lifestyles taken on Sunday April 24 found only three counties experienced a fall in populations - with Donegal down by 2,382, the most significant fall as it suffers some of the worst emigration trends. The population grew by 169,724 since 2011, an average of almost 34,000 a year, the report from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed. The fastest-growing areas were Greater Dublin, along with the commuter belts of Meath, Kildare and Laois and the cities of Cork and Galway. The CSO said Donegal's population fell by 1.5%, the largest measured drop in 2016, while Mayo and Sligo saw populations decrease less significantly by 231 and 36 respectively. The fastest population growth over the last five years has been in the north Dublin area classed as Fingal, where there has been an 8.1% increase. Other regions which topped 5% growth include Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown on the south side of the capital, Meath, Kildare, Cork and Galway cities, South Dublin and Laois. The CSO estimated that net migration was -28,558, but it warned the number should be treated with caution until further analysis is done on the number of visitors to Ireland on Census night and Irish residents abroad at the time. But it said the areas worst-hit by emigration were Donegal, Mayo, Co Galway and Limerick and South Dublin. Census 2016's preliminary results also revealed a continued fall in the sex ratio trend as there are now 978 men for every 1,000 women. Housing is a big factor in the first batch of results released by the CSO and it recorded almost 200,000 empty homes, not counting holiday homes and people temporarily away from the properties. Carlow experienced the largest fall in the number of vacant dwellings from 3,202 in 2011 to 2,417 in 2016. Leitrim had the highest rate in 2011 and it has fallen by 3.7% in the last five years while Donegal, which had a rate of 28.4% in 2011, had a fall of less than 1% over the same period, although a large proportion of these properties will be holiday homes. The CSO said its enumerators classed homes as "vacant dwellings" after several visits and if there were no signs of life, no furniture, no parked cars, junk mail accumulating, overgrown garden and so on. It said they also spoke to neighbours to inquire if the property was lying empty and not used. The CSO said it did not count half-finished homes, incomplete properties in ghost estates or derelict buildings as vacant. The results show the number of people per TD has risen above the legal limit of 30,000 in 25 constituencies. Deirdre Cullen from the CSO said that this will mean Ireland needs at least one more TD. We hand the data over to the electoral Commission, and were actually handing a file of data over tomorrow to them, and they will begin their deliberations in redrawing the constituencies, she said. Clearly, therell have to be at least one more TD now to bring us back under the 30,000. Census 2016 was the 27th in Ireland. The first was carried out in 1821 and was followed by revised counts every 10 years up to 1946, bar the years from 1911 to 1926, before they were held every five years from 1951. Homeless and housing charity Peter McVerry Trust called for urgent action over the vast numbers of empty homes. Spokesman Francis Doherty said the 198,358 vacant properties was unacceptably high. "The level of vacant housing units underlines just how dysfunctional our housing system has become. In Dublin, we have around 4,000 individuals in homelessness yet the figures out today show over 36,000 vacant units across the region," he said. The trust called for compulsory purchase orders to take the unused buildings out of private ownership and real-time monitoring of whether houses are being filled. "We should not tolerate a situation where there are thousands of homes lying idle, particularly during a housing and homeless emergency," Mr Doherty said. Lawyers for a US woman who, along with her father is accused of murdering her Irish husband, have moved to block prosecutors from submitting an interview with the dead mans son as trial evidence, writes Joe Leogue. Limerick-born Jason Corbett was found dead in the early hours of August 2 in the home he shared with Molly Martens Corbett in Panther Creek, Wallburg, North Carolina. Ms Martens Corbett, 32, and Thomas Martens, 66, have been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Defence for the pair claim a video statement recorded last May by Mr Corbetts son Jack in the Limerick home of Mr Corbetts sister is hearsay, was obtained under coercive circumstances, and is not sufficiently trustworthy to be admissible. In documents filed with the Superior Court of Davidson County in North Carolina , the defence argues the statement attempts to contradict prior statements during which Jack and his sister Sarah, 8, described incidents of verbal and physical abuse by Jason Corbett inflicted upon Molly Corbett. The documents reveal how, in the days after their fathers death, the children were interviewed by social services officials, with detectives observing behind a two-way mirrored glass wall. Sarah reported that: her dad started fights with her mom for ridiculous reasons; he would hurt her mom; he would scream at her mom every day and sometimes twice a day; he would call her mom names on a daily basis; he would call her mom a lot on the phone; she saw her dad step on her moms foot, pull her moms hair, roll over her moms foot with the car, hit her mom in the face and call her mom names like worthless, the documents stated. Jack reported that: his dad would physically and verbally abuse his mom; he would punch, hit and push her; he saw her [sic] dad push her [sic] mom down one time because he wanted to look through her phone; his dad would cuss and scream at her; his mom would cry and try to block her ears; his dads anger was worse over the past few months, he would scream, get mad and cuss more, he was getting angrier; his mom would try to get him to stop but his dad was strong; his mom would scream for him to stop but sometimes she would just ball up under the covers and block her ears. The defence documents claim the interview with Jack on May 27 was procured under coercive circumstances without any of the safeguards to insure trustworthiness or reliability. This story first appeared in the Read More: Irish Examiner . Donald Trump is on the verge of picking his vice presidential running mate. Top contenders have been told to expect a decision as early as Thursday afternoon. On Mr Trump's shortlist are believed to be Indiana governor Mike Pence, New Jersey governor Chris Christie and former House speaker Newt Gingrich. Mr Pence quickly exited a speaking event in Indianapolis on Thursday morning without taking questions from reporters. His staff have not released details of any other planned appearances on Thursday. All three of the finalists have had extensive conversations with Mr Trump and his family in recent days. Mr Gingrich said he was expecting to hear from Mr Trump one way or the other some time after 1pm. The former Georgia congressman praised Mr Trump for running a "very fair, open process" and said he looked forward to learning of the businessman's decision. Mr Trump and his new running mate will make their first appearance as a team on Friday in New York. The timing is aimed at energising Republicans ahead of next week's Republican convention in Cleveland. Each of Mr Trump's contenders would add significant political experience to the ticket. Mr Trump, a political novice, has said for weeks that he wanted a running mate who could help him work with Congress. Beyond their political backgrounds, the finalists bring different strengths to the ticket. Mr Pence, 57, is a steady, staunch conservative who would help calm nervous Republicans wary of Mr Trump's impulsive style. He served six terms in Congress before becoming Indiana governor. He also has deep ties to evangelical Christians and other conservatives, particularly after signing a law last year that critics said would have allowed businesses to deny service to gay people for religious reasons. Mr Trump took notice of Mr Pence during the Indiana primary, noting that the governor had high praise for him despite endorsing one of his rivals. Mr Gingrich is a boisterous rabble-rouser who has spent decades in Washington and helped define the political battles of the 1990s. The 73-year-old would be the oldest candidate ever to become vice president. Mr Gingrich has been a steadfast Trump defender for months and has become a trusted adviser to the businessman. Mr Christie quickly endorsed Trump after ending his own presidential bid, stunning many of his supporters. The former US attorney, aged 53, is widely seen as one of the party's most talented politicians. He has also become a valuable partner for Mr Trump, joining him at events on the trail and taking on the important role of heading his transition planning. KARACHI: Gold prices on Tuesday posted some more gains on the local market, traders said. They grew by Rs700 to... For the economic development of any country, the vibrancy of its port city is of utmost importance. In its early ... LONDON: Rishi Sunak looked set to become Britains next prime minister after his rival Boris Johnson quit the ... Hobba says: "It's about two helpless, lonely souls who live in Gungahlin." The Slip Lane sees Hobba's Aspen Island Theatre Company return to the Street Theatre following last year's two-week pop-up Public Theatre project in Civic Square. The Street is where the company began with Bartleby in 2014 and the new play was developed in its Hive program for new works. Outer suburban Canberra might seem an unlikely setting for a play especially a supernatural comedy-drama-romance with a touch of political satire. But that's where playwright and director Julian Hobba's next work takes place. Dene Kermond's character launches a political campaign to improve an intersection in The Slip Lane Credit:Lorna McFadyen Part of the purpose of setting the play in Gungahlin was to make it representative of communities and societies on the fringes of Australia's big cities, Hobba says, and what people living in them have to bring some sort of sense to their lives. "If you don't have family, what do you have?" Matthew and Missy (Dene Kermond and Claire Moss) are both in their mid-30s and divorced and meet at Access Canberra. She thinks she's being stalked by someone or something mysterious and he depressed and on leave from work through Comcare is seeking purpose in life through mounting a campaign to improve the intersection of Gundaroo Drive and the Gungahlin Drive Extension. "Basically, the play is about trust," Hobba says. Investigating the perceived threat to Missy, Matthew is drawn to the apparitions he discovers and thinks they could prove useful in his political campaigning but what will that potential Faustian pact do to his budding relationship with Missy? The owner of the Red Explorer Bus tourist company is distraught over the Canberra Liberals proposed city loop bus service and convinced it would drive him out of business. John Williams was "absolutely shattered" when he learned of the Liberal's proposed "city hopper", which covers the city centre and extends to the National Museum and Parliamentary Triangle. 'None of us will have a job if this goes ahead' Red Explorer Bus operator, John Williams said of the Liberals' proposal. Credit:Graham Tidy The proposed loop essentially combines the ACT government's new city loop and Mr William's Red Explorer route, which stops at all of Canberra's tourist attractions. Liberals transport spokesman Alistair Coe insisted his service accommodated tourists heading to the parliamentary triangle, as well as students and commuters. AFL 2016: live round 17 teams, ins and outs, tipping and news Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss Australian shoppers have never been so spoilt for choice, but a new study shows the abundance of options has left many feeling "paralysed" and, later, full of regret. A survey of 1000 Australians found 86 per cent believe too many products was making buying decisions harder. Cara Heasman, from Bronte, said she and her partner had delayed the decision to buy a used car because of the overwhelming number of choices and information. London: Britain's decision to leave the European Union could lead to cheaper holidays for Australians contemplating a white Christmas, with the exchange rate set to plummet by as much as 24 per cent over the next 12-18 months. The Commonwealth Bank's senior currency strategist Peter Dragicevich told Fairfax Media the bank slashed its outlook for the pound from 49p to 65p per Australian dollar by the end of next year, in the wake of Brexit. A cheaper exchange rate for Aussies: the only silver lining from Brexit? Credit:Bloomberg This means the cost of a takeaway sandwich and a flat white coffee, which currently cost 4.60 from the popular chain Costa Coffee, and would have cost $9.39 in Australian dollars under the old projections is now predicted to cost about $7.07 in December 2017. A single room at the Strand Palace Hotel in central London costs 150 to hire for December 2017, which translates to $230 under the post-Brexit projected rate compared to $306 under pre-referendum expectations. Fortescue Metals Group has confirmed what the market expected; it has easily beaten its iron ore export guidance for the 2016 financial year. The miner was expected to publish its export results on July 28, but wrote to the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday evening to declare that it had shipped 169.4 million tonnes for the year. Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest spent much of 2015 criticising BHP and Rio. Credit:Louie Douvis The miner had forecast shipments of 165 million tonnes, and managed to beat the target despite most miners experiencing disruptions from wet weather and a cyclone during January. Fortescue's letter to the ASX was written in the same format that companies use when asked by the ASX to explain irregular trading patterns in their shares. Now that two of the world's five biggest economies Germany and Britain are headed by women, and the biggest, the US, has a woman front runner in its presidential election, the glass ceiling in politics can probably be declared broken, and it's time to consider what kind of change this brings to the world. The overall statistics of female leadership do not look particularly encouraging. There are fewer women heads of government today than there were last year. Not even 5 per cent of government leaders are women. Yet they are winning where it matters. If there were a way to weight women's influence by the might of the countries they run, the US, Germany and Britain would swing the balance in their favour. Theresa May: star example. Credit:PA It's infinitely harder for women to break through to the top in big, fiercely competitive democracies than in smaller countries like the Nordics and the Baltic states, which have provided most female government leaders in recent years. And it's doubly hard for a woman to reach high office in a country with a conservative Catholic tradition like Poland where Beata Szydlo is currently prime minister. Adding to the collective clout of Angela Merkel, Theresa May and potentially, Hillary Clinton, some important nations that aren't run by women have women strategically placed to one day take over the leadership of governing parties or win high office as strong opposition figures. For three years Brisbane theatremakers Nicholas Payne and David Morton have been gently caressing a new work to life. The Wider Earth began its life as an idea born during a residency at the Handspring Puppet Company, the creators of the smash hit production War Horse. Tom Conroy and Lauren Jackson in Queensland Theatre Company's The Wider Earth. Their dream was to create a show based on Charles Darwin's journey on board The Beagle, the genesis of him writing the pivotal scientific literature on evolution On The Origin of Species. They developed the project in New York and Queensland before Queensland Theatre Company commissioned a full production which will hold its world premiere here on Thursday. Offspring's budget for extras has either evaporated or the show's creators just pulled off one of the most ingenious headline-grabbing stunts on Australian television. On Wednesday night's episode, Asher Keddie's singleton character Dr Nina Proudman shares a raunchy one-night stand with none other than her real-life husband, Vincent Fantauzzo. Asher Keddie's sex scene with her real-life husband Vincent Fantauzzo was one of the raunchiest scenes in Offspring history. Credit:Network Ten The acclaimed Archibald-winning painter and Keddie married in 2014 and have one child together, 18-month-old son Valentino. The man who wrote Pauline Hanson's explosive 1996 maiden speech says Barnaby Joyce could be the government's intermediary for One Nation, predicting her calls for a royal commission into Islam won't succeed. Friend and adviser John Pasquarelli has told Fairfax Media that Malcolm Turnbull's suggestion Ms Hanson was "not a welcome presence" in Australian politics had won her party more support from disaffected voters and said One Nation would win seats at the next Queensland state election. Ms Hanson has pledged to give Mr Turnbull a "rude awakening" when she arrives back in Parliament after an 18-year absence, warning she would be a thorn in the side of the government. Overweight and obese men are three times more likely than women to die early, the authors of an international study have found. An analysis of 3.9 million healthy non-smokers, published in the The Lancet journal on Thursday, found that the excess risk of premature death (dying before the age 70) increases by more than 10 per cent in moderately obese men. The new study has found overweight and obese men are far more likely to die before 70 than women. The study was done by the Global BMI Mortality Collaboration, led by Britain's Cambridge University, and looked at more than 200 studies of people aged 20 to 90 years old from 32 countries, including Australia. Researchers used the World Health Organisation's body mass index scale for weight, excluded anyone with chronic health conditions, and only used cohorts which had been followed up at least five years later. Some private hospital patients are being charged thousands of dollars more than others for prostate surgery; and which state they're in makes a difference, new data reveals. Adding to growing speculation some surgical patients are being fleeced, Medibank Private has found huge variations in the surgeon's fees its clients are charged for common urology surgeries, including endoscopic and radical prostate removal. The data on urology procedures, as well as that for ear nose and throat surgeries, was today released in the second round of the Surgical Variance Report series, a joint project between Medibank and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. The project was designed to provide greater transparency on differences in patient experiences, including the median length of patient stays, rates of readmission and the surgical fees they are charged. Out of a group of 175 surgeons, 27 per cent charged Medibank patients no out of pocket expenses for hundreds of endoscopic prostate procedures in 2014 but at least one charged an average of nearly $4000, the data shows. Jacqueline Oliver was drenched and freezing when a police dog found her stuck in the fence outside her aged-care home, four hours after she went missing. On the night of an electrical storm, Mrs Oliver had slipped out of the dementia unit and into the courtyard via the laundry door, which was normally secure but had been wedged ajar because the lock was broken. Concerned about relatives' care: Kate Mannix and Christine Macfadyen. Credit:Louise Kennerley Staff at the centre called the police about 12.30am, an hour after their security firm detected the breach. But she was not found until a dog was brought to the site about 3.30am. "She was lying in the mud with her foot caught in the fence," daughter Janet Oliver said. Three men whose passports were confiscated because ASIO warned they posed a potential national security threat were later employed at a depot sending air freight packages from Melbourne Airport. In a case exposing major gaps in the vetting of employees in sensitive sectors, international freight company TNT scrambled in May to remove the trio from its depot near the airport after the firm was contacted by federal counter-terror officials. The sacked trio include two immediate relatives of convicted terror cell leader Abdul Nacer Benbrika. . The three are supporters of some of the five men charged in the so-called "tinnie terror" case an alleged attempt by five men to sail a small boat to Indonesia before heading on to Syria to fight for Islamic State. Police are hunting an armed carjacker after a dramatic confrontation in Brisbane's east. A 28-year-old Wellington Point man was forced out of his car at knifepoint while driving through Manly West just before 10pm on Thursday. Police are looking for a Subaru BRZ coupe like this one, with the licence plate 014 TIA, after it was stolen on Thursday night in Manly West. Credit:QPS Media He'd pulled off Manly Road to stop on Amberjack Street and was sitting in the car using his phone when a white Toyota Hilux dual cab ute pulled up behind him. Police said the carjacker, armed with a knife, opened the driver-side door and ordered the man several times to get out of his late-model dark blue Subaru BRZ coupe with Queensland registration 014 TIA. During the 2016 federal election there was outcry from the Queensland government and the RACQ when Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a 50:50 funding spit where the federal government contributed $215 million for the M1 between Mudgeeraba and Varsity Lakes, as well as sections between Eight Mile Plains and Springwood, including the Gateway merge. Queensland's Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said that sum was $66 million less than should be provided by the federal government. Queensland is asking for that funding to be increased to $430 million to allow both M1 projects to be finished by the second half of 2019. On Thursday, Mr Bailey hosted a "cross-the-political spectrum" meeting, which decided to send a delegation to Canberra to argue for equivalent highway funding to New South Wales. All five pointed out that the federal government is funding 80 per cent of 600 kilometres of Pacific Motorway highway expansions from the New South Wales border to Hexham, near Newcastle. However that was rejected by a spokesman for federal Major Projects minister Paul Fletcher, who said Queensland was simplifying the project funding. "Funding share provided by the Commonwealth on major transport infrastructure projects varies," the spokesman said. "It is quite common to provide funding on a 50:50 basis. It is simply not correct to say, that there is a standard 80:20 formula used in all road and rail projects funded by the Commonwealth." The Turnbull Government is providing more than $13 billion for infrastructure in Queensland, including: $6.7 billion for the Bruce Highway, $1.14 billion for the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing, $914 million for Gateway Motorway North, $200 million for Ipswich Motorway and $95 million for Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 2. Gold Coast and Logan mayors Tom Tate and Luke Smith - who have both consistently argued for the federal government to contribute 80 per cent, and not 50 per cent of the project funding - on Thursday argued their case with RACQ executive director Paul Turner and Queensland Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Nick Behrens. They will use the federal government's own mapping to press the case. Mr Bailey said a solution was needed. "This is not a Palaszczuk government issue, this is a local government issue, this is an industry issue and this is a motorists issue," Mr Bailey said. Mr Behrens said M1 traffic congestion was hurting the freight industry, tradies and white-collar business community. "We are unimpressed that the Commonwealth is not willing to abide by an established and enshrined principle that these roads be funded 80 per cent by the Commonwealth," Mr Behrens said. Cr Luke Smith said 147,000 motorists "morning and night" sat in traffic at the Gateway/Logan motorway merge. He said his council was "terribly disappointed" only 50 per cent of funding was offered. "Because it means it (the highway widening) doesn't happen. "My message to the prime minister is: 'We have had enough of New South Wales turning its back on Queensland. It has happened once too often and its time to get your attention.' " Mr Turner said the stand of representatives from either side of the political fence needed to be heard by the federal government. "Quite frankly, the only way we can get this work started is if it is 80:20." Fairfax Media understands different sections of the Pacific Motorway in New South Wales are funded in different ratios. The $614 million Frederickton to Euengai section which opened a few weeks ago and the $780 million Nambucca Heads to Uranga section of the M1 are funded 50:50 by New South Wales and the federal governments. Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate reminded both the federal and state governments they had "thin margins". "And when you have thin margins, you get out there," he said. "One in seven people in south-east Queensland are voters. I think let's make our numbers count." The jewellery and fabrics from award-winning costume designer Marion Boyce's personal collection will be on display at Old Government House in Brisbane as part of a Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries costume exhibition. Her work on the Australian TV series has filled the rooms of the 1862 heritage-listed building, with mannequins adorned with costumes. Marion Boyce at her exhibition of costumes at Old Government House. Credit:Glenn Hunt The TV program, based on the popular book series by Kerry Greenwood, follows heiress Miss Phryne Fisher through 1920s Melbourne as she attempts to solve crimes and challenge the status quo, all while dressed in impeccable fashion. Ms Boyce's masterful costume design is evident in a number of films, TV series and commercials, most notably for her work on The Dressmaker, which landed her an Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts (AACTA) Best Costume Award. Police believe the man involved in robbing two sex workers in Brisbane may have been involved in similar offences for up to a year before the two latest attacks. A 30-year-old Asian sex worker operating out of a West End unit on Tuesday evening was threatened with a knife after a man engaged her in sexual activity at 7.30pm. Police believe the same man was responsible for robbing two sex workers over two consecutive nights in Brisbane. Credit:Jacky Ghossein About an hour later, two young men, believed to be aged between 16 and 17, broke in and threw the woman to the ground before rummaging through the unit. The three men stole money and two mobile phones before fleeing. A battle between rival alcohol brands has been fought and won in a "landmark" Federal Court case that could see a new "wild" bird on Australian liquor shelves. Wild Turkey bourbon and Wild Geese whiskey clashed late last month in the most recent of 55 court cases internationally in the past 15 years. A court decision has cleared the way for Wild Turkey to be joined by another wild bird on liquor store shelves. Credit:Jurgen Treue Bourbon drinkers will be familiar with the Wild Turkey label, from Kentucky in the US, but could be excused for not having heard of the other fowl's drink. That was partly because until the latest decision, Wild Geese couldn't sell its Irish whiskey in Australia because the rival brand held the trademark. She was known for her much-publicised three marriages and subsequent divorces - but also her joie de vivre. Glamorous: Lady Susan Renouf was a groundbreaker known for her joie de vivre. Credit:James Geer "I hope God had a good cake prepared for her," said long-time friend, journalist Ita Buttrose. Much married, well-travelled, glamorous, Lady (Susan) Renouf died on Friday on her 74th birthday. "A lovely, bright thing, a lot of fun - and a great political wife to Andrew Peacock, charming to all and sundry," Buttrose said. "She had a real zest for living." Lady Susan Renouf pictured for the Good Weekend magazine in 1989. Credit:Michael Rayner The two became friends when then Susan Peacock was working for a new Channel Nine lunchtime television show in 1975 and Ms Buttrose was editor of The Australian Women's Weekly. It was the same magazine - under a different editor - in which the political wife had almost ended her husband's career when she appeared in an advertisement for Sheridan bedsheets in 1970. Amid outrage over its raciness and "abuse of Westminster traditions", then prime minister John Gorton refused Mr Peacock's offer of resignation, and opposition leader Gough Whitlam said it was "absurd to hold a man responsible for the trivial actions of his wife". Police are asking for public help to find a Greensborough schoolboy who has been missing since Tuesday. Joshua King, 15, was still in his school uniform when he was last seen at his Louis Street house at 6pm. Police are worried about his welfare due to his young age and the cold weather. King is known to visit the Melbourne CBD and inner suburbs including Brunswick West. He is described as being 179cm tall with a very thin build and brown hair that's shaved but long at the front. He was last seen wearing a navy school spray jacket, navy pants and white shoes. Anyone who sees Joshua is urged to call Greensborough Police Station on 8432 0200. Melburnians can look forward to clear skies and warmer weather on the weekend, after Wednesday's cold snap left the state shivering. Temperatures plummeted across Victoria on Tuesday and Wednesday, and snow fell down to 300 metres in the Dandenong, Macedon and Otway ranges. An influx of cold air caused the drop in temperature. Overnight minimums were 1 to 4 degrees below average on Tuesday, with the lowest minimum in Victoria recorded to be -8 degrees at Mount Hotham. Snow at Mount Sabine near Lorne on Wednesday morning. Credit:Adam Fox The low-pressure system moved south-east across the country and a high-pressure system has been building over the Bight, but will continue to travel south. Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Michael Efron said showers were likely in Melbourne later on Thursday. "It will be a relatively clear morning and the cloud will build later on." After the Watergate debacle, Reagan urged the GOP to offer voters "a cause to believe in raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colours". Reagan fans have campaigned for his likeness to be added to those of Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln on Mount Rushmore. Yet, as noted by George Skelton, a journalist who covered Reagan in office, a secret to Reagan's success that is little understood by Republicans was that "he governed in pastels, as a pragmatist". Across the years, as a two-term president and earlier as a two-term governor of California, Reagan seriously grew taxes and federal spending; he didn't bother to appear personally at anti-abortion rallies; he couldn't get fired up about school uniforms; he was a friend of the environment; and two of his three Supreme Court appointees proved to be moderates. Governing in pastels: Ronald Reagan with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Switzerland, 1985. Credit:AP He signed legislation allowing collective bargaining, the most liberal abortion laws in the country, one of the strongest gun-control laws, and an amnesty for 2.7 million illegal immigrants. Fast-forward to this campaign, and a ruffian is dive-bombing into the pool of Reagan veneration and nostalgia it's the very AC/DC Donald Trump. Ronald Reagan during his career as a baseball broadcaster in 1937. Credit:AP In the GOP's primary contest, all the wannabes talked about what Reagan had done for them, except for Trump who, as is his way, talked about what he had done for the former president, to whom he'd routinely compared himself. Triggering alarm in the corridors of the Reagan library in Simi Valley, California, Trump told NBC: "I helped him. I knew him. He liked me and I liked him." Donald Trump on The Apprentice. Really? Trump doesn't get a mention in the Reagan diaries and a review of every mention of his name in the Library's mountainous collection of documents, as reported by The Washington Post, reveals a constant effort to push back the advances of the pushy real estate developer from New York. 1983: He requested a presidential telegram of congratulations on the opening of his Trump Tower; White House says no He requested a presidential telegram of congratulations on the opening of his Trump Tower; White House says no 1984: Trump is planning a gala to honour Vietnam veterans will hold it any day that is convenient for Reagan; White House says no Trump is planning a gala to honour Vietnam veterans will hold it any day that is convenient for Reagan; White House says no 1986: Trump invites Nancy Reagan to stay at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida; Mrs Reagan declines Trump invites Nancy Reagan to stay at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida; Mrs Reagan declines 1987: Trump advises Reagan on who his running mate should be; Reagan runs with another guy Trump advises Reagan on who his running mate should be; Reagan runs with another guy 1988: Reagan invited to New York function at which Trump is to be presented with an "outstanding executive award". Reagan is a no-show. Commentators point out sharp differences between Reagan and Trump Reagan was a sunny optimist, he didn't seethe in anger; he was driven by an ideological core, as opposed to pursuing power for its own sake; and far from being an isolationist, he was aggressive in wanting to box in the old Soviet Union and assert US leadership in the world. Mourners wave as the hearse carrying Ronald Reagan's casket passes in California in 2004. Credit:AP But drilling down, New York magazine's Frank Rich finds great similarities in the political style of the two men "of all the empty boasts that have marked Trump's successful pursuit of the Republican nomination, his affinity to Reagan may have the most validity and the most pertinence to 2016". Rich is writing of Reagan the canny political operator who, after dozens of years of failed efforts "attended by non-stop ridicule", clawed his way to the top of the 1980 GOP ticket at the same age as Trump is, 69; and who like Trump, was best known as a B-list showbiz personality. Rich entwines the tapestry of their lives Trump as host of NBC's The Apprentice, Reagan as host of CBS's General Electric Theatre; Trump's 1991 turn with Bo Derek in Ghosts Can't Do It, Reagan opposite a chimp in Bedtime for Bonzo in 1951; Trump owned casinos, Reagan emceed a casino nightclub review act; Trump would be the first president to be three-times married, Reagan was the first to be a divorcee. Both manipulated the same anger in the same demographic segments, offended the same elites, challenged the same jeering press and even had some of the same frontline warriors on their campaign teams. Trump relies on the tabloids and TV talk shows for his version of facts; Reagan took his from Reader's Digest. Both were ridiculed for their exceedingly odd hairdos and their slogans were mirror opposites Trump's "Let's Make America Great Again"; Reagan's "The Empire is in Decline". Rich writes: "[They both] outmaneuvered similar political adversaries, and espoused the same conservative populism built broadly on the pillars of jingoistic nationalism, nostalgia, contempt for Washington and racial resentment." As with Trump, the grassroots were with Reagan. But with the GOP establishment, Reagan was as on the nose as Trump is today one of the respondents judged Reagan's intellect as "thinner than spit on a slate rock" and a Reagan loyalist from the era wrote: "The other major GOP players especially easterners and moderates thought Reagan was a certified yahoo." A 1976 poll of Republican state chairmen found Reagan to be simplistic, with "no depth in federal government administration and no experience in foreign affairs"; and a 1980 poll of the same party chiefs much preferred George Bush snr to Reagan as a nominee. Like Trump, Reagan would bend the truth of his life story he regularly claimed to be one of "the soldiers who came back", but wartime service took him no further than California; he told Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir that he had filmed the liberated Nazi death camps he hadn't. A gem of the Reagan campaign playbook that trumps Trump's outrageous demeaning of Mexican immigrants as rapists and murderers, as he stokes the anger of white working-class Americans, was the case of the so-called Chicago "welfare queen". By Reagan's telling, she had 80 names, 30 addresses and 12 social security cards and was collecting veteran's benefits on four non-existent deceased husbands, by which she looted the taxpayers of more than $US150,000 a year without paying tax. Revealing the truth of the story, Rich writes that she actually had four aliases and netted just $US8000. Reagan couldn't have been more Trumpesque than in 1977, when he told a conservative convention: "If we are to attract more workingmen and women of this country, we'll do so not by simply 'making room' for them, but by making certain that they have a say in what goes on in the party." The editorial writers at Harper's couldn't have been more like their mainstream media counterparts writing of Trump today, when they wrote that Reagan as a serious candidate for president was "a shame and an embarrassment for the country". But writing in 1976, The New Yorker's Elizabeth Drew saw Reagan much as some observers see Trump today. Drew wrote: "[His appeal] has to do not with competence at governing but with the emotion he evokes. Reagan lets people get out their anger and frustration, their feelings of being misunderstood and mishandled by those who have run our government, their impatience with taxers and with the poor and the weak, [and] their impulse to deal with the world's troublemakers by employing the stratagem of a punch in the nose." The wife of a prominent anti-government activist shot dead in Cambodia on Sunday is reported to want to escape to Australia. Kem Ley, leader of a grassroots advocacy group "Khmer for Khmer", was shot three times at a petrol station in the capital Phnom Penh. Mourners hold a portrait of Cambodian government critic Kem Ley during a funeral ceremony in Phnom Penh on Wednesday. Credit:AP Dr Ley had close ties to the Cambodian community in Australia and was in Melbourne in April as a guest of Victorian MP Hong Lim. Youhorn Chea, from the Cambodian Australian Federation, told Fairfax Media he had contacted Dr Ley's wife, Bou Rachana, after the killing to ask if she wanted to leave Cambodia. Latest News Westpac predicts another RBA double hike If it is correct, an average borrower with a $500k loan could be paying an additional $800 a month, expert says Properties listed for sale in Australia down significantly Just two capital cities have experienced spring growth, says PropTrack While they may not appear attractive investment opportunities right now, one property advice firm believes Australias affordable regional markets should definitely be on the radar of all property investors.As Australias ageing population grows, investment advice providers and market analysts Propertyology believe a flood of Baby Boomers looking for an affordable tree or sea-change could result in a hug boost for 40 regional markets across Australia.As a result of not having compulsory superannuation throughout their entire working lives, Propertyology believes housing affordability may pose a serious issue for many of the Baby Boomer generation as they approach retirement.Baby boomers didn't have their employer contributing towards superannuation until the back end of their working years. So, one way or another, around 90 per cent of this generation will have some reliance on a government-funded pension," Propertyology market analyst Simon Pressley said.Dont be surprised if tens, and possibly hundreds, of thousands end up organising a removal truck and relocating to one of the many beautiful parts of regional Australia in search of a sea- or tree-change, Pressley said.Given the fact that a sizeable portion of Australias population is classified as Baby Boomers, Pressley said the regional areas identified by Propertyology could see significant benefits if even a small section made the decision to move.When Australias baby boomer population equates to 4.45 million people, even if only a small portion did relocate, it will create significant extra demand for housing in the regions," he said.Whether coastal or rural, we believe that the regional cities that will be in highest demand by baby-boomer re-locators will offer a combination of quality lifestyle, good health care, and availability of freestanding houses for less than $400,000.Among the regional areas identified by Propertyology include Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Armidale, Orange, Tamworth, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga in NSW, as well as Cairns, Townsville, Hervey Bay and Toowoomba in Queensland.Launceston, Devonport and Burnie are the pick of Tasmanias regional options, while Bendigo and Ballarat are the best prospects in regional Victoria.In Western Australia, Albany, Bunbury and Geraldton are the regional locations to keep an eye on, along with Port Lincoln in South Australia and Alice Springs and Katherine in the Northern Territory.While Pressley said a migration of Baby Boomers would benefit regional markets, he also said there are areas outside the capital city that are already well positioned , especially as Australias relationship with Asia continues to grow."The advantages of investing in regional Australia include a smaller capital outlay to get in to the market, higher rental yields, lower holding costs, and diversification within a portfolio."When analysed on an average annual capital growth rate over the past 15 years, many regional cities have actually outperformed capital cities. And, with industries like agriculture, tourism, and advanced manufacturing very well-positioned to prosper from the Asian Century, it shouldnt be difficult at all to understand that the investment fundamentals are very sound. Award-winning Investigative Journalist Robert Parry (1949-2018) Award-winning investigative journalist and founder/editor of ConsortiumNews.com, Robert Parry has passed away. His ground-breaking work uncovering Reagan-era dirty wars in Central America and many other illegal and immoral policies conducted by successive administrations and U.S. intelligence agencies, stands as an inspiration to all in journalists working in the public interest. Robert had been a regular guest on our Between The Lines and Counterpoint radio shows -- and many other progressive outlets across the U.S. over four decades. His penetrating analysis of U.S. foreign policy and international conflicts will be sorely missed, and not easily replaced. His son Nat Parry writes a tribute to his father: Robert Parrys Legacy and the Future of Consortiumnews. Thank you for donating If you've made a donation and wish to receive thank you gifts for your donation, be sure to send us your mailing address via our Contact form. See our thank you gifts for your donation. Between The Lines' coverage and resource compilation of the Resistance Movement Selected speeches from the Women's March in Hartford, Connecticut 2018, recorded and produced by Scott Harris SPECIAL REPORT: "No Fracking Waste in CT!" Jan. 14, 2018 Jen Siskind Jennifer Siskind, local coordinator for Food and Water Watch, describes the campaign to stop fracking waste in Connecticut, which so far has led to fracking waste bans in 34 towns around the state. Interviewed by Richard Hill on Mic Check, WPKN Radio, Bridgeport, CT SPECIAL REPORT: "Resistance Round Table: The Unraveling Continues..." Jan. 13, 2018 Lindsay Kanaly The panel discusses Trump's long history of racism and the Republican voter suppression juggernaut confronting Democrats leading up to the 2018 elections. Special guest: Lindsay Kanaly, a lead organizer of the Women's Marches planned for Jan. 20, 2018. Panel: Scott Harris, Ruthanne Baumgartner and Richard Hill on Resistance Roundtable, WPKN Radio, Bridgeport, CT. SPECIAL REPORT: "Capitalism to the ash heap?" Richard Wolff, Jan. 2, 2018 Richard Wolff, Economics professor Richard Wolff declares U.S. capitalism to be beyond repair and suggests the need for a radical alternative. Interviewed by Richard Hill SPECIAL REPORT: Maryn McKenna, author of "Big Chicken", Dec. 7, 2017 Maryn McKenna, investigative journalist and author of Big Chicken, talks about the widespread use and dangers of antibiotics in commercial poultry, beef and fruit production. Interview by Bill Duesing, Richard Hill and Guy Beardsly on WPKN's Organic Farm Stand. SPECIAL REPORT: Nina Turner's address, Working Families Party Awards Banquet, Dec. 14, 2017 Nina Turner, president of Our Revolution, talks about the fight ahead for progressives as she receives the Working Families Organization Award for Exceptional Leadership Towards Advancing Progress. The event was held in Meriden, CT. Produced by Richard Hill. SPECIAL REPORT: Mic Check, Dec. 12, 2017 Working Families Party of CT talks strategy and issues for 2018. Lindsay Farrell, executive director of the Working Families Party of Connecticut, discusses the state's electoral landscape and lays out the issues and strategies that could lead to progressive victories in 2018. Interviewed by Richard Hill. SPECIAL REPORT: Resistance Roundtable, Dec. 9, 2017 Disturbing developments in the Trump/Republican Agenda Focus on the tax bill, destruction of our public lands, North Korea and Trump's private CIA. Panel: Scott Harris, Ruthanne Baumgartner and Richard Hill. Special guest: Jo Macallero of Rise and Resist. SPECIAL REPORT: On Tyranny - one year later, Nov. 28, 2017 Professor Timothy Snyder, author of the highly acclaimed resistance manual On Tyranny, discusses his book and offers a fresh assessment of the state of our beleaguered republic. Timothy Snyder, history professor at Yale, is introduced by Stanley Heller, administrator of Promoting Enduring Peace, a Connecticut-based organization that sponsored this event at the United Church Parish House in New Haven on Nov. 28. A brief interview with Snyder conducted by WPKN radio producer, Richard Hill, follows his talk. SPECIAL REPORT: Mic Check, Nov. 12, 2017 Lynne Ide, director of program and policy with the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, talks about the current state of health care coverage in Connecticut. Interviewed by Richard Hill, WPKN radio producer SPECIAL REPORT: Resistance Roundtable, Nov. 11, 2017 Focus on the Republican tax plan, the just-released autopsy on the Democratic Party, and Internet censorship by Google, Facebook and Youtube. Including an interview with Hilary Grant, a lead organizer with Action Together Connecticut, who discusses the local results of the recent election, with hosts Richard Hill, Scott Harris and Ruth Baumgartner WPKN producers SPECIAL REPORT: Rainy Day Radio, Nov. 7, 2017 SPECIAL REPORT: Rainy Day Radio, Nov. 7, 2017 Bruce Gagnon, coordinator for the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, describes the extent of -- and motives underlying -- the vast US network of military bases around the globe. Interviewed by Richard Hill, WPKN radio producer SPECIAL REPORT: Resisting U.S. JeJu Island military base in South Korea, Oct. 24, 2017 Joyakol, South Korean peace activist and singer, discusses the crisis on the Korean peninsula and focuses on the resistance to the U.S. huge military base being constructed on Jeju Island. The event was sponsored by the Greater New Haven Peace Council and this audio was recorded by Richard Hill, WPKN producer. Joyakol discusses Americans' biggest misconceptions about the conflict between North and South Korea and the U.S., Interview by Richard Hill, WPKN producer. SPECIAL REPORT: John Allen, Out in New Haven John Allen, founding director of the New Haven Pride Center, Connecticut, talks about his new LGBTQ television show, Out in New Haven, which presents a range of political and cultural issues to the community. Interviewed by Richard Hill on WPKN's Rainy Day Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. Promoting Enduring Peace presented its Gandhi Peace Award jointly to renowned consumer advocate Ralph Nader and BDS founder Omar Barghouti on April 23, 2017. Subscribe to our Weekly Summary & receive our FREE Resist Trump window cling (Car window cling) Email us with your mailing address at contact@btlonline.org to receive our "Resist Trump/Resist Hate" car window cling! who helped make our 25th anniversary with Jeremy Scahill a success! For those who missed the event, or were there and really wanted to fully absorb its import, here it is in video Jeremy Scahill keynote speech, part 1 from PROUDEYEMEDIA on Vimeo. Jeremy Scahill keynote speech, part 2 from PROUDEYEMEDIA on Vimeo. Between The Lines on Stitcher Between The Lines Presentation at the Left Forum 2016 "How Do We Build A Mass Movement to Reverse Runaway Inequality?" with Les Leopold, author of "Runaway Inequality: An Activist's Guide to Economic Justice,"May 22, 2016, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, The City University of New York, 860 11th Ave. (Between 58th and 59th), New York City. Between The Lines' Scott Harris and Richard Hill moderated this workshop. Listen to the audio/slideshows and more from this workshop. Listen to audio of the plenary sessions from the weekend. JEREMY SCAHILL: Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker "Dirty Wars" Listen to the full interview (30:33) with Jeremy Scahill, an award-winning investigative journalist with the Nation Magazine, correspondent for Democracy Now! and author of the bestselling book, "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army," about America's outsourcing of its military. In an exclusive interview with Counterpoint's Scott Harris on Sept. 16, 2013, Scahill talks about his latest book, "Dirty Wars, The World is a Battlefield," also made into a documentary film under the same title, and was nominated Dec. 5, 2013 for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Feature category. Listen to Scott Harris Live on WPKN Radio Between The Lines' Executive Producer Scott Harris hosts a live, weekly talk show, Counterpoint, from which some of Between The Lines' interviews are excerpted. Listen every Monday evening from 8 to 10 p.m. EDT at www.WPKN.org (Follows the 5-7 minute White Rose Calendar.) Counterpoint in its entirety is archived after midnight ET Monday nights, and is available for at least a year following broadcast in WPKN Radio's Archives. You can also listen to full unedited interview segments from Counterpoint, which are generally available some time the day following broadcast. Subscribe to Counterpoint bulletins via our subscriptions page. BTL Blog Special Programming [an error occurred while processing this directive][an error occurred while processing this directive] A compilation of activist and news sites with a progressive point of view Just when we think we know who the Silver Bells killer is on American Gothic, they yank it away. Last week on American Gothic, it looked like Gunther admitted to being the Silver Bells killer and then killed himself. But in Christinas World, Brady finds out that Gunther was in the hospital during one of the murders. So who is SBK? Whose Side Is Brady On? American Gothics Christinas World begins with Alison tied to her bed and hooking up with her campaign manager. Her mom calls so she picks up in the middle of everything. She just found out about Gunthers death, so she has to go home. Brady and his partner Cutter fight over who gets to take the lead on the case since Brady has a conflict of interest. But Brady says that he has more information since hes a part of the family. He thinks Gunther was the killer. He shows his boss the picture of the belt and claims that Gunther hated rich people. He knew they were checking out the case again and so he killed himself. The crazy neighbor also randomly shows up and complains about her cat again. American Gothic Recap: What Does Gunther Know? >>> Tessa wants to tell the police about the silver bells, but Madeline says no. She had Gunther get rid of the bells, so this will make her look bad. Alison also says they should keep it a secret. Madeline also points out that they dont know if Bradys loyal to them or the case. Tessa finally agrees. The next day, Brady tries to make Tessa breakfast, but shes still really pissed. He apologizes for doing the DNA test, but at least they got the Silver Bells killer. He promises to never betray her again and there wont be any secrets between them. Of course, shes keeping her own secret with the bells. Later, the neighbor goes to visit Brady at work. Detective Cutter sent her to him for help with Caramel as a prank. She explains how the Hawthornes have always been after her cats. Gunther almost hit her cat once, but he swerved and crashed his car and wound up out of work. Detective Cutter overhears her and realizes that Gunther couldnt be the killer. He was in the hospital at the time of one of the murders. Tessa later speaks with Madeline and admits that she doesnt want to have a baby anymore. Shes too upset over Bradys betrayal and she misses Mitch. Madeline says that Mitch wasnt perfect, but she loved him. You cant wait until things are perfect to have a family because nothings ever perfect. And theres nothing more important than family. So Brady and Cutter go to the hospital to make sure Gunther was the killer. But he was in an upper body cast for nine weeks. You cant strangle someone in a body cast. They also find out he had lung cancer and only had a few months left. Cutter wants to check his finances. She thinks someone convinced him to take the fall for this since he was dying already. This means the Silver Bells killer is still out there and is rich. Tessa winds up calling Brady and says she forgives him and wants to move on. She wants to start trying to start a family again. Brady and Cutter get some DNA results. Gunther wasnt a match on the belt. And the DNA on the brush Brady stole was from a Hispanic woman. Cutter thinks Brady switched the DNA to get his family off the hook. He completely denies it and she agrees to give him 30 minutes before telling on him. He asks Dana to say she screwed up the results. He needs to figure this out because right now it looks like Tessa is covering for someone and is connected to the Silver Bells killer. Dana says if Tessa is connected, Brady has to come clean. And she wants a boat. If he agrees, shell help him. Brady goes home and asks Tess if she put someone elses hair in the brush. She said she told him that her family didnt want to give a DNA test. She was testing him and he failed. Then Brady tells her Gunther wasnt the killer. He tells her that if anyone in her family has anything to do with SBK, hes going to make sure they go to prison. Cam Spirals Out Of Control Cams still at Sophies house and finds out about Gunther. At least youre not a suspect. Thats good news, Sophie says. They need to celebrate and Jacks at science camp all weekend. So they go on a bender. Dont you miss this? Sophie asks. Later, some strange guy named Link shows up. He sells dope to Sophie. And it turns out she owes him $4,000. Cam tells him to leave and he punches him in the face, which is predictable. He demands his money by tomorrow night. Sophie swears shes going to pay Link. But where is she going to find that kind of money? Cam promises to pay him for her. Then they get high again. Cam winds up telling Garrett about the debt. Hes planning to ask Madeline for the money. Garrett winds up asking Madeline for the money instead. Hes never asked for anything in 14 years and says to take it out of whatever Mitch left him in the will. Madeline gives it to him and he gives it to Cam. Cam then goes to pay Link the money, but Link says that Sophie came and settled up. I guess they hooked up. Cam grabs a pipe, beats him and steals some drugs. (Who saw that coming?) Cam then confronts Sophie about it. Cam calls them both and their son Jack depraved and Sophie storms out. Then Cam starts smashing things in the apartment. The Hawthornes Get Sued Madeline goes to Alison. The woman who lost her foot during the tunnel collapse is suing the company. The problem? This could dig up some old skeletons. They could be liable for millions and this could ruin Alisons campaign. Plus, Tom is now the owner of Hawthorne Concrete. They need to make the lawsuit go away. Alison tells Tom about the lawsuit. They then go to see the victim, Ms. Tyler, to try to placate her. Tom says that as the new CEO, his company isnt responsible for this. He offers her $200,000, but Alison gets pissed that he low-balled her. She says they agreed on $500,000 but then offers $1 million. Ms. Tyler doesnt buy it. She calls them bad cop and blond cop and demands $15 million or her foot back. So Alison and Tom go through all the problems in the company. The companys been paying people off and is dirty. But they also find a safety inspection report on the collapsed tunnel that the mayor happened to sign. So Alison thinks they should team up to take down Ms. Tyler. So they go to see her together. They want to offer her $1 million. They then show her a video they found of her drunk while she was on probation for a DUI. She could go to jail. Theyll give her $1 million if she drops the lawsuit and gives a press release thanking them and the company to make sure this never happens again. Meanwhile, while shes watching the press release, Madeline gets a mysterious note. Alison comes home to change and she and Tom are about to have sex, but he finds Naomis dress in their bed. She admits to having sex with her in their bed, but he thinks its hot. Alison and Naomi later watch the mayor give a press release and hook up again, but someones watching them. Comic-Con 2016: Thursday Schedule for TV-Related Events Teen Wolf, Mr. Robot and More >>> What Does Garrett Want With Christina Morales? Garrett continues stalking Christina Morales and winds up watching her at a bar. She sees him, though, and asks him to go smoke a cigarette with her. They flirt and then Christina says she found out that they found her fathers killer and hes dead. Shes going to celebrate with some alcohol, cigarettes and anything else that presents itself. Then she kisses him. Garrett and Christina wind up having a picnic. Christina says she moved to Boston with her father when she was six and her mother died when she was a baby. Her fathers death almost destroyed her. Garrett says his murder probably had nothing to do with her and the killer probably never thought about the collateral damage. Christina found her dads body though. Christina wants to change the topic, so she asks about his baggage, but Garretts tight-lipped. Later, Garrett shows up at Christinas apartment with a bottle of wine and they hook up. But Garrett seems conflicted when he takes off his belt and holds it. Is he going to strangle her because hes the killer? I doubt it. American Gothic airs in Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. on CBS (Image courtesy of CBS) 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 ... In Pass Judgement the stakes are increasingly getting higher as a frantic Abbie-hunt overtakes the town. Soldiers and civvies alike freak out under the stress causing three beings to get shot. Margaret is on the loose and on her way back to her people. Her intellectual and emotional intelligence continue to reveal themselves, especially in her interactions with Hassler and Rebecca. This is no surprise considering the pivotal events of the previous episode when Margaret released herself from captivity and effortlessly escaped. Weve got two episodes remaining after Pass Judgement as the heat intensifies, just like it did in the first season. Will Wayward Pines be able to stun viewers as phenomenally as it did this time last summer? If Pass Judgement is any indication, there is a fighting chance that the answer to that will be a resounding Yes. Wayward Pines: Is Margaret a Brilliant Abbie Spy? >>> Last Week Was Pivotal Wayward Pines brakes for no one. Those of us enjoying the warmer weather by vacating our technology last week in favor of the beach (meaning yours truly) returned to the intense psychological carnage awaiting them in the TiVo queue. Time Will Tell gave us Margaret not only communicating with Theo, but recognizing him as the human leader. Ironically, this subtle declaration went completely over Jasons head because, well, he was off on Planet Denial. Moments later in the lab, Jason threw a cluster-worthy tantrum, shooting the three male Abbies right in front of Margaret at the lab. The coup de grace in Time Will Tell was Margaret cleverly delivering a torturous death to Meghan (who, lets face it, has had it coming since Pilcher was in short pants) by sneaking up on her and slitting her anterior tibial artery. After watching her inferior tormentor bleed out, Margaret escaped using the keypad code she saw Theo use earlier. It looks like Margaret truly is the sharpest crayon in the box. Fertility: Its A Do-Or-Die Proposition Pass Judgement opens with Kerry learning that shell never have a baby, which basically makes her a felon in Wayward Pines. Rebecca, on the other hand, is completely knocked-up with Xanders child. Isnt he husband number deux? Oh, yeah. The pressure is mounting until Theo finds this out. Then comes the moment weve all been waiting for: Theo finds Meghans exsanguinated wheelchair-bound corpse sitting in her own pool of blood. But wheres Abbess Margaret? Gone with the wind, my friends. Thats it, decides Theo, screw the secrecy crap. The residents must be told about Margaret and the kajillion pissed off Abbies swarming the perimeter. Survival of the Fittest Isnt Such A Bad Idea So, the phones start ringing all over town as people scramble to lock themselves away while the meagre military kiss their loved ones goodbye and head off to hunt Abbie pelt. Some of the First Generation arent so smart, however, and a snogging co-ed in the forest is slashed to bits by Margaret while the town folk listen behind locked doors. Oh, children, when will you ever learn? Chalk another one up to Darwins evolutionary theory in On The Origin of Species, folks. Elsewhere, Xander, who had guns stashed in the alley as we all predicted he would, arms some of the townsfolk. A shooting match erupts between the civilians and the military during which the civilian guy is killed and Mario, the gorgeous chocolate soldier, gets shot and incapacitated. Finally, Theo steps into the middle of the mess and calls them all idiots before everyone gets killed. Margaret watches all of this happening and recalls in flashbacks how her people were brutally slaughtered by human snipers in helicopters. Once again its abundantly clear who the true monsters in this fairy tale are. Margaret comprehends the thoughtlessness of human nature and is deeply troubled. It Must Be True, You Heard It From Your Hair Stylist As Xander is handing out guns, Rebecca, the hoodwinked Wayward Pines architect, identifies that the gathering Abbies must be planning an invasion through a remnant tunnel from the disastrous attempt to build the city for Group A. The group is stunned that this hair stylist knows so much about the architecture of Wayward Pines. The best line delivery of the episode is by our favorite lobotomy victim, Arlene: Youre a very well informed hair stylist. If you cant remember it, go back and watch it, its epic. Comic-Con 2016: Sunday Schedule for TV-Related Events Supernatural, 24: Legacy and More >>> As Rebecca returns from retrieving the towns blueprints from Jasons office, shes confronted by Margaret, who doesnt attack. The Abbess sees pregnant Rebecca grasping her belly and flashbacks to the day she held her own baby in her arms right before the snipers shot her community to bits. Margarets expression suggests the possibility of a connection between these two, but the exchange is cut short by bullets when Xander rounds-off and catches Margaret in the wrist. Finally safe, Xander and Rebecca kiss like teenagers. Rock-A-Bye, Baby, In a Cement Cryo Cradle Jason takes Kerry to a room deep inside the mountain complex which he calls the nursery. Hed installed two coffins, er, I mean, cryopreservation chambers, in this floor-to-ceiling cement room so that if (when) everything went to hell he could grab his mate and be frozen-forward a couple centuries. The plan, (un)naturally, was for them to repopulate the flash-forwarded world. But, wait a minute inbreeding results in a lack of chromosomal diversity and usually causes deformities, truncated lifespans, and extreme stupidity down the limbs of the family tree. Just look at the mess this kind of crap made of the royals in the 15th century and youll agree. What about that, Jason? This aint no Eden, and you arent Adam and Eve. At this point, Kerry tearfully confesses her barrenness. For a moment it looks like things could go any number of ways until Jason finally processes what shes telling him. She says she loves him, bla, bla, bla. He says he loves her back, bla, bla, bla, but his hesitation and detached physical queues foreshadow trouble in paradise for the First Couple. What else does he tell her? He says he wish he had known how to handle this earlier. Translation: I should have found out about your insufficient uterus much earlier so I could have dumped you and found another walking incubator for my progeny. Real warm, Jason. What a prince you are. The Intuitive Abbess Margaret Faces Off With Hassler Cradling her destroyed wrist, Margaret runs off to find the opening to the tunnel that brought her inside the Wayward Pines perimeter. She stops, however, when she hears Hassler behind her. Hassler points his gun at Margaret as they exchange fierce glares which soften eventually. Margaret flashbacks to Hassler emphatic that Theo let her go back to her people. Because of his experiences as a nomad in an Abbie world, Hassler has a respect for the evolved species. Hassler lowers his gun, allowing Margaret to take off down the tunnel. Dropping his gun, he heads down the tunnel after her and finds himself surrounded by yawlping Abbies who want to scratch him to shreds until Margaret commands them to leave him alone. Why do I get the feeling Hasslers going to end up living with them? Jason Attempts to Blow Everything Up, Theo Chews Xander, and Margaret Nearly Dies In the final two minutes of Pass Judgement Theo gives Xander a major dressing-down for giving civilians guns because one of them died and Mario is convalescing and psychotic in the most depressing hospital ever built. Rebecca defends her baby daddy, but Theo is having none of it. Jason and his argonauts find Hasslers abandoned gun by the mouth of the tunnel he and Margaret went down. They throw dynamite into the tunnel, but it has almost no effect whatsoever. As a matter of fact, the results are as impotent as his whole strategy has been from day one. Finally, Margaret, once again among her own bouncing, gnashing and naked population seeks solace in the arms of two friends. Once again we see the sniper attack on her people as Margaret lays there looking like death warmed over as the proverbial curtain falls and we are thrust into another seven day holding pattern. Wayward Pines airs Wednesdays at 9pm on FOX. (Images Courtesy of FOX) Following a successful launch event for Champion Timbers tenth store opening in Weybridge, yard sales manager Kraig Seymour is taking on two daring fundraising challenges over the summer. Mr Seymour will first be tackling a daunting 100 metre abseil down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth harbour in August, kitted out in his special branded onesie. Kraigs second challenge will be a sky dive, which will take place at the start of September. Champion Timber is keen to be involved in the Weybridge community Mr Seymour has chosen to fundraise for local charity Shooting Star Chase. This childrens hospice charity cares for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families. HSS Hire Group has opened its largest ever customer distribution centre in Wales, creating up to 65 new jobs over the next three years. The new 49,000sq ft facility in Treforest, South Wales will join the companys national network of distribution centres, and 288 trading local branches across the UK and Ireland, including one each in Bridgend, Newport, Carmarthen, Merthyr Tydfil, Blackwood, Swansea and two in Cardiff. The move is part of HSS Hires plan to significantly expand services to businesses across South Wales this year, creating 32 permanent jobs immediately. Facilities at Treforest will include a 10,000 litre fuel store, an equipment wash and workshops staffed by specialist technicians to ensure the highest quality and maintenance standards across all equipment, as well dedicated storage and truck-loading areas. John Gill, chief executive at HSS Hire Group, said: We are continually evolving our network to ensure equipment availability and to drive operational efficiency. The Treforest customer distribution centre will make daily deliveries to ensure tools and equipment are readily available for local businesses. This investment is another big step in delivering the best service we can to our customer base in Wales, and were thrilled to be investing in its future. The Timber Trade Federations (TTF) latest Statistical Bulletin shows a continued growth in the volume of timber and panel products imported to the UK market in the first four months of the year. The volume of imports was 5% higher compared to the same period of 2015, mainly due to an increase in the imports of panel products. Major growth sectors included Brazil - which saw a 31% growth in volume of softwood plywood exported to the UK compared to 2015 - and Indonesia, which increased its export of hardwood plywood by 53% in volume. However, the value of softwood imports declined over the same period in 2015 by around 7.5%: sawn goods were down by around 8%, while planed goods were 6.5% lower. This is linked to currency fluctuations during this period. In light of the EU Referendum vote, this months TTF Statistics also offers an insight into softwood imports from the European Union. Following on from 2015 trends, in the four months to April 2016, 92% of total UK softwood imports came from the EU. Sweden is by far the largest supplier of softwood to the UK market accounting nearly 50% of the trade with the EU. Other strong EU trade partners include Latvia and Finland. Of non-EU countries, the great majority of softwood trade is with Russia which accounts for nearly 80% of the softwood imported into the UK from outside the European Union. Canada and Norway make up most of the remainder. David Hopkins, managing director of the TTF, said: These statistics show the continued reliance on trade with the EU for the softwood market, though other countries seem ready to increase their market share. We will be following these statistics up with an event in September looking at the potential impacts of the EU referendum vote on the UK timber trade and forecasts for the future. Where are the Phillies' players from 2008 World Series title team? The 2022 Phillies are back in the World Series against Houston but where are the members of the 2008 team? Fliers will soon have a reason to smile, as the revised norms that cap ticket cancellation charges and bar airlines from levying an additional amount for refund are coming into force from August 1. Besides, carriers would have to indicate in an unambiguous manner the amount of refund admissible on cancellation of a ticket. Under no circumstances, the airline shall levy cancellation charge more than the basic fare plus fuel surcharge, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. The aviation regulator has also made it clear that airlines cannot levy additional charge to process the refund. The move would come as a relief to air passengers against the backdrop of many carriers raising the cancellation charges in recent times. Coming out with the fresh set of rules, the watchdog said carriers should refund all statutory taxes and user development fee (UDF)/airport development fee (ADF)/passenger service fee (PSF) to the passengers in case of "cancellation/non-utilisation of tickets/no show". "This provision shall also be applicable for all types of fares offered including promos/special fares and where the basic fare is non-refundable," the DGCA said. The changes were first proposed by the civil aviation ministry in June as part of putting in place passenger friendly measures. These norms would be effective from August 1, according to the civil aviation requirement (CAR) issued by DGCA chief M Sathiyavathy on Tuesday. To ensure more transparency, carriers would be required to indicate the refund amount in case of ticket cancellations. The amount and its break-up may be indicated on the ticket itself or through separate form used for the purpose. Also, the policy and amount of refund shall be displayed by the airlines on their respective websites, DGCA noted. Further, passengers can choose whether the refund money should be kept in the airline's credit shell or not. "Airline shall not levy any additional charge for correction in name of the same person, when error in his name spelling is pointed out by the passenger to the airline after booking of his ticket," the regulator said. For tickets booked through travel agents or portal, the onus of refund would be on the airlines."In case of purchase of ticket through travel agent/ portal, onus of refund shall lie with the airlines, as agents are their appointed representatives. The airlines shall ensure that the refund process is completed within 30 working days," the regulator said. At present, in cases of ticket purchases from travel agents, the arrangement for refund is left to the passenger and the travel agent."The option of holding the refund amount in credit shell by the airlines shall be the prerogative of the passenger and not a default practice of the airline," it noted. In the case of foreign carriers operating to and from India, the refund process would be in accordance with regulations of their country of origin. The latest CAR prescribes minimum requirements for refund of ticket purchased by persons with respect to air transport undertakings including scheduled and non-scheduled domestic operators as well as foreign carriers operating to/from India. Air Carnival's maiden flight will take off on July 18. The airline plans to focus on short haul services with its ATR72-500. The promoters are infusing around $12 million to take three aircrafts on lease. Just as Infosys is readying to announce its June quarter results on Friday, another senior exit is likely to be a cause of concern for the Bengaluru-based company. NTPC, the state-owned largest power producer in the country, has plans to build new units at existing plant sites and phase out the old ones. Ola, the Uber rival in India, has just launched a new loyalty programme to fend off its Silicon Valley competitor, a plan we revealed in May. Flat glass products and solutions major India is in the process of investing around Rs 1,800 crore till next year. A senior official said that the company has fast-tracked some of its investments as the confidence levels are improving with the better business sentiments. Limited (TASL) and Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, have signed an agreement to work together in support of India's aviation and defense modernisation initiatives with an emphasis on 'Make in India'. United Spirits Limited (USL), majority owned by British liquor major Diageo, has given evidence to regulators and investigation agencies of fund diversion to the tune of Rs 1,225 crore from the company under Vijay Mallya. has appointed Ravinder Pal Singh its chief information officer, who will be in charge of the full-service carrier's IT as well as innovation functions. He would consolidate, identify, acquire, evaluate and incubate the right technology to support the airline's IT and digital platforms, the airline said in a release on Thursday. a joint venture between the Tatas and Singapore Airlines has a fleet of 11 aircraft. Besides, Singh would be "responsible to induce innovation as core to Vistara's culture, thereby creating communities and co-creation projects to realise ideas as true business differentiators," the release said. Earlier, Singh was associated with like Microsoft, Accenture and Wipro. He also holds several technology patents. "I am looking forward to transforming its (Vistara) IT platforms and making it a technology disruptor in this sector. This will help in accelerating the business growth and reveal the hidden potential in the organisation," Singh said. A court in Surajpur directed the Greater Noida police on Thursday to register a case of cow slaughter against Mohammad Akhlaq Saifi and his family under the UP Cow Protection Act, 1955. One more youth was killed on Wednesday in a clash between a stone-pelting mob and security forces in Kashmir, taking the toll in the five-day unrest to 35, even as Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed "great sadness and sorrow" over the deaths and promised a "healing touch". Chairman and members of the Bar Council of on Thursday met Governor E S L Narasimhan and requested him to convene a meeting of the two chief ministers for expediting the process of bifurcation of the existing high court between the two states. The European Union (EU) believes its trade and investment relations remain key components for a strategic partnership with India. In an interview with Sanjay Jog, EU Ambassador to Indiasays the free trade agreement between the EU and India will benefit both sides and the negotiations will gather momentum. Edited excerpts.India is an important trade partner for the EU and an emerging global economic power. The country combines a sizeable and growing market of more than one billion people. The value of EU-India trade in goods grew from ^28.6 billion in 2003 to ^77.3 billion in 2015. If we add the services part, total trade has exceeded ^100 billion a year. The EU investment stock in India was ^38.5 billion in 2014.From a legal point of view, the outcome of the referendum has not changed anything for the time being. The UK remains a member of the EU with all rights and obligations of a member state until the terms of its exit are agreed. EU law, including EU trade agreements, continue to apply in full to the UK until it is no longer a member.We continue with our ambitious trade agenda with partners around the world, including India. Trade is vital for the prosperity of the EU, whether it has 28 or 27 member states. It is the world's largest trader and it will continue to be India's first trading partner, so the economic rationale to engage with the EU remains important. Trade and investment relations remain key components of the EU-India strategic partnership. The EUs agenda for jobs, growth, fairness and democratic change and Indias sabka saath, sabka vikas initiatives create new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation between people and businesses on both sides.EU member states rank high in the ease of doing business and offer excellent opportunities for trade and investment. Having said that, investment decisions are matters for consideration for private operators and they will have to look closely at the evolving situation and the benefits of alternative strategies.The EU and India have expressed their commitment to conclude the comprehensive free trade agreement.The EUs Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom had met Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the margins of the World Trade Organisation meeting in Paris on June 2 and both sides reconfirmed their willingness to continue the process. Chief negotiators from both sides will meet in the coming days in India and we hope that the process will receive a new impetus. Will the Brexit impact the negotiations? The Indian Station Redevelopment Corporation has signed an agreement with a consortium of two private companies, selected through bidding, for modernisation of the Habibganj railway station in Madhya Pradesh.The selected bidder is a consortium of Bansal Construction Works and Prakash Asphalting & Toll Highways (India) Ltd. The cost of station redevelopment is Rs 100 crore and the estimated cost in case of commercial development is Rs 300 crore.Habibganj is one of the eight stations selected by the ministry for redevelopment and modernisation through the public-private partnership route. The others are Chandigarh, Pune, Mohali and two stations each in Delhi and Gujarat.Ministry officials said the project would be completed in three years. "As part of our growth plans, we are looking at several new revenues streams and this is one. Apart from passenger services, we can look at commercial complexes as well on the station area," said Cabinet minister Suresh Prabhu at the agreement signing ceremony.The ministry would announce development of 25 more stations soon. We are expecting more private companies to come forward, said Manoj Sinha, minister of state.Prabhu said 400 stations had been identified and a phased plan would be made to redevelop them all, with several revenue models. The options we are exploring are selection of private parties through bidding by zonal cells,public sector units joining hands with the railways, joint venture with states, and several agreements that we have with other partner countries such as Japan and China, he said. The Surat and Gandhinagar stations in Gujarat would be developed through the JV route with the state government. And, Bijwasan and Anand Vihar in Delhi would be completed by this year's end. India has slapped anti-dumping duties on import of a refrigerant from China saying it hurt domestic producers, according to a recent notice from the Revenue Department. The government imposed an of $1.22 per kilogram on import of '1,1,1,2 - Tetrafluoroethane' or 'R-134a' from China for a period of five years till July 10, 2021, said a notification by the Revenue Department. The department's notice is to be published in the Federal Register on Friday. India had first imposed on the compound commonly used in home refrigerators and automotive air conditioning in July 2011. An investigation by the Directorate General of Anti- Dumping And Allied Duties (DGAD) found that "there is continued dumping of the subject goods from the subject country". is usually imposed on imports that are sold 'below-cost' by foreign manufacturers and is aimed at safeguarding domestic players against 'unfair' competition. Imports from China were significantly undercutting the prices of the domestic industry and depressing the domestic prices, DGAD concluded. Also, the financial performance of the domestic industry has deteriorated and the dumped imports from China continue to cause injury to the domestic industry. DGAD was of the opinion that dumping of produce from China is likely to continue if the current anti-dumping duty ceases. It recommended continued imposition of the anti- dumping duty. Basing its case on the DGAD findings, the Revenue Department imposed fresh anti-dumping duty which it said will be "effective for a period of five years (unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier). Despite heavy rainfall in several parts of the state, monsoon deficit in Gujarat still stands at 44 per cent, down from 54 per cent of last week. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate to heavy rains in the coming weeks. As per IMD data, Gujarat has received 119.4 mm rains as on July 14 during entire monsoon season of 2016 as against normal rainfall of 212.9 mm. The south-western monsoon has now spread across Gujarat in the last couple of days. IMD also forecast medium to heavy rains in coming days of this month. The Company is in the initial stage of initiating a public offer of Rs 1,500 crore. The decision is the first step in line with minister Arun Jaitley's announcement while presenting the Union Budget for 2016-17. The board has taken an in-principle decision to list the shares and it has to go through various processes, including fixing a valuation by an external agency and other procedures, said official sources. Gen Dalbir Singh, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is on a five day visit to Australia. During the Goodwill visit, the Australian Army showcased some of its best facilities and institutions. The Chief visited the Australian School of Military Engineering and was appreciative of the combat engineering skills and professionalism. He was also briefed on the largest Australian Amphibious Ship, Her Majestys Australian Ship (HMAS) Adelaide. . . Gen Dalbir Singh speaking on the sidelines at the Headquarters of Joint Operational Command said that both countries shared common culture of democracy, further strengthening the bond with each other. He further expressed satisfaction at the manner in which defence cooperation between the two countries has progressed. The Army Chief has also extended invitation to the Australian Army to participate in the inaugural Joint Special Forces Training Exercise being planned in India in Oct 2016. . . Col Rohan Anand, SM . PRO (Army) Call on PM by Mr. Gen Nakatani, Defence Minister of Japan . Mr. Gen Nakatani, Defence Minister of Japan, called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today. . . The Prime Minister condoled the loss of life of Japanese citizens in the terror attack in Dhaka earlier this month. The Prime Minister called for greater bilateral and multilateral cooperation against terrorism. . . Mr. Nakatani briefed the Prime Minister on the bilateral defence cooperation initiatives. The Prime Minister welcomed Japanese participation at the International Fleet Review in Vishakhapatnam in February 2016, and in the Malabar Exercise off the Japanese coast in June 2016. . . Mr. Nakatani also briefed the Prime Minister on regional developments in East and Southeast Asia. . . The Prime Minister said that he is looking forward to his visit to Japan later this year for the Annual Summit. . . DRDO achieved yet another technological breakthrough by successfully conducting the proof firing of Armament system for 155 mm x 52 calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) during the technical trials conducted recently at Proof & Experimental Establishment (PXE), Balasore. . . ATAGS is fully indigenous towed artillery gun system project undertaken in mission mode by DRDO as a part of artillery modernisation programme of Indian Army. Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune is the nodal laboratory of DRDO for design & development of ATAGS along with other DRDO laboratories. The Armament system of ATAGS mainly comprise barrel, breech mechanism, muzzle brake and recoil mechanism to fire 155 mm calibre ammunitions held by Indian Army with a longer range, accuracy and precision and provides greater fire power. . . ATAGS is configured with all electric drive to ensure maintenance free and reliable operation over a longer period of time. It will have a firing range of 40 Kms with advanced features in terms of high mobility, quick deployability, auxiliary power mode, advanced communication system, automatic command and control system with night firing capability in direct fire mode. . . The development trajectory of ATAGS aims at establishing indigenous critical defence manufacturing technologies with the active participation of Ordnance Factories, DPSUs and Private industries including Bharat Forge Limited, Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division and Mahindra Defence Naval System to meet the aspiration of Make in India initiative in defence sector. . . DRDO is committed to develop and field ATAGS in the shortest timeframe with active participation by leading industries to meet the requirement of Indian Army. The first fully integrated gun system will be ready for user trials by early 2017. . . NAo/Nampi/RAJ India felicitated for Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination (MNTE) and yaws-free status India: first nation to be formally acknowledged to be yaws-free proud moment for India to have achieved these two momentous public health milestones": J P Nadda Proud moment for India to have achieved these two momentous public health milestones". This was stated by Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare as he received the official citation from WHO and UNICEF, in the presence of Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare, for Elimination of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus and for being YAWS-free, here today. India is the first country to be officially acknowledged as being Yaws-free. India was validated for Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination (MNTE) in April 2015, much ahead of the global target date of December 2015. . . Speaking at the occasion, Shri Nadda stated that following the success of polio eradication programme, these achievements reflect the dedication of the country towards achievement of health equity and universal health coverage. This has been possible due to the commitment and dedication of the lakhs of health workers, various stakeholders and concerted efforts of planners and policymakers, he added. He congratulated them all for this singular honour the country has achieved in a short span of time. He further added this accomplishment is significant as India has achieved this important milestone of being Yaws-free much before the WHO global target year of 2020. . . The Union Health Minister stated that India has shown the world that there is no such thing as impossible. These are likely the greatest lessons, and the greatest inspirations for the rest of the world, the Health Minister added. The Health Minister appealed to sustain this achievement of Maternal & Neonatal Tetanus Elimination (MNTE) by health system strengthening; high routine immunization coverage and promotion of institutional/Clean Delivery/clean cord practices and effective surveillance system. The gains in keeping India free from preventable deaths continues with introduction of newer vaccines such as Rotavirus vaccine, IPV, Adult JE and soon-to-be introduced Measles-Rubella in the public health programme of the country, the Minister added. . . Smt Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare said that this is a huge public health feat. She further added that this has been possible through continued efforts of political leadership and hard work of health workers. Smt. Anupriya Patel congratulated all stakeholders and said that this achievement is particularly significant as both MNTE and YAWS have been achieved much before their target dates. . . Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director WHO-SEARO congratulated India and said that these are achievements for entire humanity and not just India. She further added that this has been possible because of education and early treatment of vulnerable population. She said that lessons learned from these two huge public health milestones should guide other programmes as well. The achievements will not only improve the health of marginalized communities, but will also enhance their socio-economic status and contribute to Indias wider development, Dr Singh noted. . . India completed validation of maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination in all of its 36 states and union territories in April 2015, much earlier than the target date of December 2015. While progress continues to be made, by June 2016, 19 countries have still not reached the maternal and neonatal elimination status. The elimination of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus as a public health problem means that in our country the annual rate of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus is now less than 1 per 1000 live births. . . The Health Ministers also released Immunization Handbook for Medical Officers; Routine Immunization Monitoring Guidelines & SOPs; INCHIS survey report of Mission Indradhanush; Guidelines for establishing sentinel stillbirth surveillance; Maternal & Child Health Guidelines on Birth Defects Surveillance and Still Birth; Yaws Disease - End of Scourge in India" booklet along with the new Communication Plan for Routine Immunization featuring Shri Amitabh Bachchan. . . Mr. James Gitau, Country Representative (officiating), UNICEF; Shri Bhanu Pratap Sharma, Secretary (HFW); Dr. Jagdish Prasad, DGHS; Shri C K Mishra, ASnMD (NHM); senior officers from the Ministry and representatives of various Development Partners were also present at the felicitation ceremony. . . The Defense Minister of Japan Gen Nakatani is paying a bilateral visit to India at the invitation of Raksha Mantri Shri Manohar Parrikar. The two Ministers held the annual Defence Ministerial Meeting on 14 July 2016 in New Delhi. . . The Ministers exchanged ideas in a constructive, productive and positive atmosphere under the framework of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership". There was shared recognition that imperatives of a stronger bilateral strategic partnership require deep and broad based cooperation and concrete actions in defence and security fields. The two countries can work together to respond to global and regional challenges and jointly contribute to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region. The Ministers exchanged views and ideas on a wide range of issues pertaining to the current regional and international security situation as well as deepening of bilateral defence cooperation and exchanges. The Ministers also explained to each other their respective defence policies to promote mutual understanding. . . The Ministers expressed deep condolences to both Japanese and Indian victims of the terrorist attack perpetrated in Bangladesh on 1st July 2016. The Ministers resolutely condemned this brutal act of terrorism and reaffirmed that all forms and manifestations of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable under all circumstances, and noted that terrorism poses one of the most serious threats to the peace and security of the international community, as well as to the stability and development of the region. They shared their concerns about the growing threat and universal reach of extremism. They emphasized that the evolving character of terrorism called for stronger international partnership in combating terrorism. . . The Ministers recognized that the security and stability of the Seas connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans are indispensable for the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region. The Ministers expressed concern over recent developments in this regard. They reaffirmed the importance of respecting international law, as reflected notably in the UNCLOS, of the peaceful settlement of the disputes without any threat or use of force, and of ensuring freedom and safety of navigation and over-flight as well as unimpeded lawful commerce in international waters. In this context, they noted the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal on the South China Sea under the UNCLOS on 12 July 2016, and urged all parties to show utmost respect for the UNCLOS. . . The Ministers expressed grave concern over North Korea's continued development of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. They urged North Korea to take concrete actions towards denuclearization and other goals as well as to fully comply with its international obligations, including under all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions. . . The Ministers acknowledged the importance of ASEAN-centered dialogue mechanisms including the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus).They also welcomed other efforts under its framework including ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group (EWG) and recognized its utility. Minister Nakatani expressed his appreciation to the efforts made by Ministry of Defence of India as a chair of Humanitarian Mine Action EWG, and Minister Parrikar expressed his appreciation to the efforts made by Ministry of Defense of Japan as a chair of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief EWG. Minister Nakatani explained that legal foundation for the Self-Defense Forces to further contribute to the peace and stability of the international community was established through the enforcement of the Legislation for Peace and Security in March this year. Minister Parrikar expressed his support to such efforts by Japan. . . The Ministers welcomed the signing of the bilateral Memorandum on Defence Co-operation and Exchanges between the two Defence Ministries, in September 2014, and the conclusion of Agreement concerning Transfer of Defence Equipment & Technology and Agreement Concerning Security Measures for the Protection of Classified Military Information during India-Japan summit meeting in December 2015. They expressed satisfaction at strengthening the foundation for bilateral defence cooperation and exchanges. At the same time, the Ministers underlined their intention to explore more concrete and effective cooperation and decided to prom ote cooperation and exchanges in the following areas: . . (1) High-level and Working-level Exchanges . . Acknowledging that high level exchanges, including those at Minister and Chief of Staff level provide impetus to bilateral defence cooperation and exchanges, the Ministers decided to continue active high level exchanges. From this standpoint, they agreed to conduct the following: . . a. Annual Defence Ministerial Meeting. The Defence Minister of India will visit Japan in 2017. . . b. Welcoming the visit by the Chief of Army Staff, Indian Army to Japan in 2015 and the visit by the Chief of Maritime Self-Defense Force to India in 2016, both sides will work towards realizing the visit of Chief of Naval Staff, Indian Navy to Japan in 2016 and the visit of Chief of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force to India in early 2017. . . c. Early meeting of the 5th Defence Vice Minister/Secretary level Defence Policy Dialogue and the 4th Vice Minister/Secretary level 2+2" dialogue. . . d. Explore the setting up of a Maritime Strategic Dialogue between the two Defence Ministries. . . (2) Exchanges between Indian Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force . . The Ministers welcomed the steady progress in the exchanges between Indian Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) based on their capability and experience in the field of Counter-Terrorism, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. As part of ongoing exchanges, Indian Army and JGSDF will hold staff talks in Tokyo in 2016. JGSDF will also send officers to India's Counter-Insurgency Jungle Warfare School (CIJW) as part of experts-level exchange in the field of counter-terrorism. Minister Nakatani expressed his intention to seek future opportunities to invite observers from Indian Army to participate in HA/DR-related exercises conducted by JGSDF. . . (3) Exchanges between Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force . . The Ministers expressed their satisfaction at close linkages between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). They noted enhanced cooperation in maritime security including through reciprocal participation in international fleet reviews held in Japan and India in October 2015 and February 2016 respectively. Minister Nakatani expressed his appreciation for Indias decision for the participation of JMSDF in India-US Malabar Exercises on a regular basis. The Ministers welcomed the successful Malabar exercise, held in June 2016 off the Japanese coast and decided to conduct India-US-Japan Trilateral Joint Maritime Exercise Malabar in 2017. The Ministers also agreed to explore the possibility for JMSDF and Indian Navy to conduct a joint bilateral exercise. . . (4) Exchanges between Indian Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force . . The Ministers noted the growing exchanges between Indian Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) including in the areas of flight safety, test pilots, transport aircraft units, etc. They also welcomed the holding of the inaugural Air staff talks in February 2016. The Ministers expressed their intention to work towards further strengthening of air-to-air component exchanges, especially visits by their aircraft to each others air bases. In addition, Minister Nakatani expressed his intention to seek future opportunities to invite the Indian Air Force to participate in HA/DR-related exercises in which JASDF would also take part. . . (5) Education and academic exchanges . . The Ministers noted with satisfaction the growing exchanges between the two sides in the area of professional training and development through exchanges of students and researchers for courses, including at respective staff colleges. They also noted the exchanges between Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping o f India and the Japan Peacekeeping Training and Research Centre. . . (6) Cooperation in Defence Equipment and Technology . . The Ministers welcomed the conclusion of agreements in this regard and reaffirmed their commitment to continue discussions to deepen the bilateral defence relationship including through technology cooperation and co-development. They agreed to hold the second round of the Joint Working Group on Defence Equipment and Technology Cooperation (DETC) between Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence, India and Acquisition, Technology and Logistical Agency (ATLA) of Ministry of Defense of Japan as early as possible in 2016 to identify specific items and areas for cooperation. The Ministers commended the effort made by both countries regarding the cooperation on US-2 amphibious aircraft which was launched in 2013. . . Minister Nakatani thanked Minister Parrikar for the gracious welcome and hospitality extended to him and members of the Japanese delegation during his visit to India. . . NW/NAo/RAJ The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that country has been self dependent in respect of wheat and rice. However, the real challenge which we have to face is concerned with oilseeds and pulses. Only then the food security will be ensured and people will be provided required and nutritious food grains. The Minister of Agriculture while expressing his hope said that in a few years we shall be self sufficient in the production of pulses. The Union Minister stated it today in the meeting of Consultative Committee related to National Food Security Mission. . . On this occasion, the Union Minister briefed that according to the third advance estimate the total production of food grains was 252.23 million tonnes in 2015-16 which is a little bit more in comparison to 252.02 million tonnes in the year of 2014-15. He stated that a target has been fixed for the whole food grains production as 270.10 million tonnes for the year 2016-17. . . Shri Singh observed that India ranks first on global scenario in respect the consumption of edible oils. Our country requires has a total demand of edible oils in terms of 23 million tonnes. However, we are capable to produce only half of this requirement. To fulfil this scarcity we have to import 12 million tonnes edible oils every year. Keeping this in view, the Government of India is implementing a project as National Oilseeds and Oil Taad, project. Under this project oilseeds crops, production of improved seeds to promote the production of oils generated through Taad and trees, micro irrigation, agriculture mechanisation etc. is being encouraged. A special emphasis is being put to promote the farming of oil taad keeping in view the potentiality of its farming in North-Eastern States. He briefed that recently the custom duty has been increased on the import of edible oils so that domestic oilseeds producers might be inspired. . . The Minister of Agriculture and Family Welfare added that the production of pulses was 8.41 million tonnes on 19.09 million hectare area in 1950-51 and the average productivity was 441 kg per hectare whereas in the year 2013-14 a production of 19.27 million metric tonne was obtained on 25.23 million hectare area and average productivity was 764 kg per hectare. This enhancement is not like that of the enhancement of the crops like rice and wheat in respect of production of pulses. The availability of pulses per capita has reduced to 15.3 kg per year in comparison of 22.1 kg per year in 2013. During this period the availability of rice and wheat per capita has increased from 58 kg per year to 84.8 kg per year and from 24 kg per year to 66.9 kg per year respectively. . . The Union Minister further added that Modi Government has taken a number of steps to increase the productivity of pulses in the country after they have assumed the charge of government in May, 2014. Up to the year of 2013-14 under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) the programmes related to pulses were implemented in 468 Districts of 16 States. However, the NDA Government expended this mission to North-Eastern States, Hilly States, Kerala as well as Goa. Now, under NFSM the pulses programme is being conducted in 638 Districts of 29 States. Apart from this the crops of pulses are being promoted on rice fallow land under Eastern India Green Revolution Programme (BGREI) in the year of 2015-16. . . The Minister of Agriculture further said that top priority is being given to increase the production of pulses in the country by Government of India. During the year 2016-17 under NFSM a sum of Rs. 1100 crore has been earmarked as a central share for pulses programmes out of the whole allocation of Rs. 1700 crore. . . The Members of Parliament, Shri Chintaman Navsha Wanaga(Lok Sabha), Shri Rodmal Nagar (Lok Sabha)), Shri G.Hari (Lok Sabha), Shri M.B. Rajesh (Lok Sabha), Shri Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre (Lok Sabha), Dr Tapas Mandal (Lok Sabha) and Dr Chandrapal Singh Yadav (Rajya Sabha) were present in the meeting. The Members of Parliament raised their concern about seeds certification quality. The Members of Parliament suggested the Ministry should take the step for the strict monitoring of the seed certification and ensure farmers to get best hybrid quality seeds. The Union Minister instructed to the officials to take necessary steps as per the suggestions from the Members of Parliament. . . SS/AK The Indian Navys only Ocean going sailboat, Mhadei, returned to her homeport, Goa, today. A team of six young women officers from the Navy registered a thrilling historic first when they returned to Goa successfully after a voyage to Mauritius. The team on their maiden, and Indias first all-women crew ocean voyage, covered a distance of over five thousand nautical miles through treacherous monsoon seas and heavy winds. The voyage had commenced in Goa on 24 May 16 and reached Port Louis, Mauritius on 14 June 2016. The team has thereafter successfully completed expedition today when they reached INS Mandovi Boat Pool. . . The Skipper, Lieutenant Commander (Lt Cdr) Vartika Joshi, and her five-member team comprising Lt B Aishwarya, Lt P Swathi, Lt Pratibha Jamwal, Lt Vijaya and SLt Payal Gupta were received by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. Present at the occasion were Senior Naval Officers and sailing enthusiasts. In the welcome remarks Vice Admiral Girish Luthra stated that this was a landmark event, wherein the team had undertaken the first ever open voyage by an Indian women crew. He further added that this achievement showcases the courage and commitment of young Indian women, and would provide a fillip to popularise ocean sailing in India. . . The all-women crew of Mhadei is presently training to undertake an expedition to circumnavigate the Globe, a feat achieved by lesser number of people than those who managed to climb Mount Everest. The first Indian to solo-circumnavigate the Globe on board Mhadei, Cdr Dilip Donde, has tutored and trained the young all-women crew. . . The voyage of over 40 days at sea was aimed at exposing the Skipper and crew to rough seas expected during the monsoon period in the North Indian Ocean. This was to prepare them for the very rough weather expected to be encountered by them in the Southern Ocean during their circumnavigation of the globe. The aim of this training voyage was adequately met and the all-women crew has proved themselves capable and competent at sea. The crew would now supervise essential repairs to the boat at Goa and prepare her for the next voyage, when Mhadei would be participating in the prestigious Cape to Rio race 2017 commencing from Cape Town on 26 Dec 16. . . The all-women crew will thereafter shift to the new boat presently under construction at M/s Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd, Goa. The New boat is of same design as Mhadei and has been named Tarini, after the river boat goddess of Goa. The keel of the boat was laid by the Honourable Raksha Mantri Shri Manohar Parrikar on 28 March 16 at Goa. Tarini is expected to be delivered to the Indian Navy in Feb 2017 prior to Indias first all-women crew embarking on circumnavigation commencing August 2017. . . Two solo circumnavigations, the first with stops by Cdr Dilip Donde, and the second, non-stop by Cdr Abhilash Tomy, has been undertaken onboard Mhadei between 2009 and 2013. . . The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee addressed the Annual General Meeting of the Darjeeling Tea Association today (July 14, 2016) in Darjeeling (West Bengal). . . Speaking on the occasion, the President said he was delighted to be there at the Annual General Meeting of the Darjeeling Tea Association. He complimented the Darjeeling Tea Association for having upheld the unique brand name of Darjeeling Tea which is a welcome item on the breakfast tables of people in large number of countries. . . The President said tea is an important export commodity of India and promotion of tea exports a major element of India's planned economic development. India ranks second in the world in tea production next only to China. Darjeeling Tea has unique place amongst all varieties of tea, especially for connoisseurs. . . President Mukherjee congratulated the Darjeeling Tea Association and Gorkha Territorial Administration for having worked in association with Central and State Government as well as the Tea Board to register the Darjeeling Tea as the countrys first geographical indication under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999. He said Darjeeling Tea is Indias first product recognized by the European Commission as a Protected Geographical Indication. The President said Now Darjeeling Tea has become synonymous with one of the best brands of tea in the world, originating from one of the most beautiful tourist destinations of India, that is Darjeeling. . . European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker urged new British Prime Minister to swiftly engage divorce talks with the European Union. The outcome of the UK vote to leave the EU "has created a new situation which the United Kingdom and the European Union will have to address soon," Juncker said in a letter to May published on his Twitter account. "I wish you every success in the task ahead," he added. European Parliament President Martin Schulz also piled on the pressure as he congratulated May. "Leadership issue settled, now I expect we work quickly to deliver certainty," he said. EU president Donald Tusk meanwhile said he looked forward to a "fruitful working relationship" with the incoming May. "I look forward... To welcoming you to the European Council" of European Union leaders, Tusk added in a brief letter. May's first meeting with key EU leaders could be at the G20 summit in China on September 4, but her first encounter with all of the other 27 EU leaders will be at the next European Council summit on October 20-21. Since Britons narrowly voted for Britain to leave the bloc in June 23 referendum, European leaders have asked London to quickly formalise its divorce but May has indicated she will not be rushed. On a visit to Brussels today, US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew urged Britain and the EU to remain "highly integrated" after Brexit. has become Britain's new finance minister, Downing Street announced, replacing George Osborne who quit the government after Theresa May was appointed prime minister. Hammond had been the foreign minister in the outgoing government of David Cameron since 2014. "The queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of MP as chancellor of the exchequer," Downing Street said in a statement. As the second lord of the Treasury the prime minister is the first he takes over 11 Downing Street, the office next door to the prime minister at Number 10. The flat above Number 11 is bigger than the flat above number 10. Prime ministers Cameron and Tony Blair opted to take the Number 11 flat and May could well follow suit, leaving Hammond living above Number 10. "George Osborne MP has resigned from government. Further ministerial appointments will be announced this evening," the statement added. Osborne was Cameron's closest minister and, before the referendum, had been widely viewed as a likely successor. However, his aggressive campaigning for Britain to stay in the EU riled Conservative party colleagues and members, and when Cameron stepped down after the vote for Brexit, he declined to run. became Britain's second woman prime minister after Margaret Thatcher, vowing to forge "a bold new positive role" for the UK in the world post-Brexit. May, 59, took charge after she had her audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. She spoke outside No 10 Downing Street shortly after emerging from the palace, having paid the traditional visit to the British monarch to be invited to form a government. "We face a time of great national change...As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive world for ourselves, and we will make Britain a country that works for everyone of us. "That will be the mission of the government I lead, and together we will build a better Britain," she said, in reference to Britain's recent vote to leave the European Union (EU) that brought her to power. May becomes the second-ever woman Prime Minister of Britain, the 13th PM to be officially appointed by the Queen and the 54th holder of the office of British prime minister since it was created in the 18th century. May was accompanied by husband, Philip May, as she addressed the world's media waiting at Downing Street since her predecessor David Cameron had departed just over an hour earlier. "In David Cameron, I follow in the footsteps of a great, modern prime minister... Heled a one-nation government and it is in that spirit I also plan to lead," she said in her first speech as PM, wearing a black and yellow coat and her trademark leopard print kitten-heel shoes. A heavy workload already waiting for her in-tray after the Brexit vote. She addressed the working classes directly, saying she would give them more control and put "social justice" at the heart of her government and pledged to stand up against "the privileged few" and fight "burning injustice". "The government I lead will not be driven by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. When we take the big calls, we'll think not of the powerful, but you. "When we pass new laws we'll listen not to the mighty, but to you. When it comes to taxes we'll prioritise not the wealthy but you. "When it comes to opportunity we won't entrench the advantages of the fortunate few. We will do everything we can to help anybody, whatever your background, to go as far as your talents will take you." May also made a reference to the Conservative party's complete name, which is the Conservative and Unionist Party, saying the word "unionist" was very important to her as it highlights the "precious, precious bond" between all parts of the United Kingdom England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Yesterday government announced increase in exemption limit for jewellers, which has brought cheer for jewellers who kept their businesses closed for over 40 days from March following imposition of excise duty on gold . Government addressed most of the issues that jewellers had raise. Sudheesh Nambiath, lead analyst for precious metals, Asia Pacific at GFMS TR said, "The relief given to jewelers will be useful till GST is implemented as after that Rs10 lakh will be a benchmark limit and whole tax mechanism will change." About yesterday's announcement, he said "SSI eligibility limit from Rs 12 crores to Rs 15 crores and Rs 6 crore to Rs 10 crore in a financial year and Rs 85 lakh for the month of March, 2016 from the earlier 50 lakh is an important change while rest are clarifications that industry was anyway expecting." Life Insurance is to file for an initial public offering (IPO) of shares with the regulatory authorities as early as next week, said three people with knowledge of the development. Stocks climbed for a fourth day in volatile trading amid renewed optimism that the goods and services tax bill, one of the country's biggest economic reforms in decades, could be passed in the parliament session beginning next week. Gati surged 9.5 per cent to a 11-month high and Transport Corp of India rallied to a record, pacing gains among logistics companies that would benefit from the unified tax bill. Canara Bank led state-owned lenders higher on speculation the yet-to-be-named central bank chief will lean towards a looser monetary policy. Tata Consultancy Services, Asia's top ... Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has been summoned by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) for her alleged role in a water tanker scam. ACB Chief M K Meena told media here, "We have issued notice to Sheila Dikshitji for questioning on 26th August in connection with water tanker scam case." Reacting to the ACB summons, Sheila Dikshit told ANI, "Once I receive information, I will definitely abide by it. I had received a letter from ACB saying I'll be summoned in August. Haven't received any info on specific date as yet." Arvind Kejriwal had earlier announced that his government would look into all the alleged corruption cases, including the Delhi Jal Board corruption case that reportedly took place under Sheila Dikshit's watch. Last month, the Congress party had downplayed the ACB's move to register a case against Dikshit, even as Meena maintained that there is evidence of the previous government committing irregularities that caused the state exchequer a loss of around Rs 400 crores. The Janata Dal (United) on Thursday dubbed the Supreme Court verdict to restore Nabam Tuki-led Congress Government in Arunachal Pradesh as a 'rebuke' for the BJP-led Centre, saying that the judgment had restored the faith of the people in the Constitution. "Our faith in the Constitution has been restored by the Supreme Court. The judgment raises very fundamental questions with regard to the role of the Governor and complete neglect of the tenth schedule of the Constitution which deaqls with defection. Thirdly, raises questions on total misuse of article 356, which allows establishment of President's Rule," JD (U) leader Pavan Verma told ANI. "All these things have come to the fore in this judgment and it is certainly a rebuke for the BJP government. The manner in which they tried to destabilize the democratically elected governments, first in Arunachal and then in Uttarakhand," he added. Nabam Tuki on Wednesday evening took charge as Chief Minister of the state at Arunachal Bhavan here in Delhi. In a major setback to the BJP-ruled Centre, the apex court earlier today quashed "message and direction" issued by Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa and restored status quo as on December 15 when Congress' Nabam Tuki was the chief minister. A five-judge constitution bench pronounced the verdict on a bunch of petitions dealing with discretionary powers of the governor to summon or advance the assembly session. Stating the governor's direction on conducting assembly proceedings is unconstitutional, the apex court set aside all steps and decision taken by the legislative assembly pursuant to the governor's December 9th last year order and said they are unsustainable. Arunachal Pradesh had been under President's Rule since January 26. Tuki-led Congress government was dismissed following days of turmoil after 21 of its 47 lawmakers rebelled against the chief minister. The Congress, which had 47 MLAs seats in the 60-member assembly, suffered a jolt when 21 of its lawmakers rebelled. Eleven BJP MLAs backed the rebels in the bid to upstage the government. Later, 14 rebel Congress MLAs were disqualified. The suspected ISIS operative, who was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) from Parbhani today, has been sent to police custody till July 20 by an Aurangabad court. The 31-year-old Naser bin Yafai Chaus, a resident of Maharashtra's Parbhani district, was reportedly in touch with another wanted accused Farooque based in Syria. He was also allegedly trying to influence youth through social networking sites using different handles and profiles. On Tuesday, the Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested two persons in connection with the ongoing investigation of a terrorist conspiracy case in Hyderabad. The NIA had on June 22 lodged a common FIR against ISIS for 'criminal conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India' by collecting weapons and explosive materials to target public places, religious sites and sensitive government buildings in various parts of the country. The Chairman of the Pakistan People's Party, Bilawal Bhutto, on Thursday called up separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and expressed solidarity with people of Kashmir amid the ongoing unrest. Sources say that Bhutoo told the Awami Action Committee chairman that after Friday prayers, solidarity marches would be taken out across Pakistan to express solidarity with Kashmiris. "Spoke to @MirwaizKashmir & expressed condolences, condemnation & solidarity with the people of #Kashmir," Bhutto tweeted. Mirwaiz, meanwhile, appreciated Bhutto's concern for Kashmir. "Appreciate the support & concern of the people of Pakistan and their leadership @BBhuttoZardari," Mirwaiz tweeted in response. Mirwaiz had on Tuesday alleged that aggressive approach of the current Indian dispensation in Kashmiri led to violence and unrest in the state and warned that it could "lead to catastrophic consequences for the whole region". Addressing the people of India in the wake of protest-violence triggered by the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani on Friday, he said, "I want to convey to the people of India that for the sake of humanity, peace and progress in the region they need to understand the truth and reality of Kashmir and play their role with regard to resolving this political issue." Meanwhile, normal life across the valley remains affected for close to a week now. Shops, business establishments, courts, petrol pumps and markets are closed in Srinagar. The attendance in government, semi-government offices and private offices is largely affected. The public transport is off the roads. With the Election Commission set to commence hearing of 21 AAP legislators who were made parliamentary secretaries and are facing charges in the Office of Profit case, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said the Aam Aadmi Party had become synonymous with 'misusing public money and corruption'. "This government has become a synonym of misusing public money, of corruption and of benefitting members of the party. In the case of 21 parliamentary secretary, public money has been misused. There are seven ministers and you have made 21 parliamentary secretaries for them," BJP leader Satish Upadhyay told ANI. "Secondly, there is no provision for it in the NCT act. Definitely, the EC has taken it seriously. I am hopeful that EC will follow constitutional norms and will rule against these 21 MLAs.They should understand that there is difference between other states and Delhi. Delhi is a UT state and if there is a provision in the laws let them show it," he added. The EC will from today begin personal hearing AAP legislators, who are facing the risk of disqualification from the Assembly, in the Office of Profit case. According to reports, the 21 AAP legislators had sought a personal hearing before the poll body in their reply to a notice by the Election Commission in June. The Delhi Government Bill to exclude the post of Parliamentary Secretary from the office of profit has been refused assent by the President, raising questions over the fate of 21 AAP MLAs, who have been appointed to the posts. The AAP Government had sought an amendment to the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1997 through which it had sought "retrospective" exemption for the parliamentary secretaries from disqualification provisions. Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung forwarded the Bill to the Centre, which in turn was sent to the President with comments. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said the Congress party's move to project Sheila Dikshit as their chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh would not have any impact on their prospects in the state's electoral battle. BJP's Shrikant Sharma said the Congress does not have any presence in the state and accused them of being hand-in-glove in the corrupt practices during successive Samajwadi Party and BSP governments in Uttar Pradesh. "Earlier there were discussions that Rahul Gandhi would be projected, then Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's name came up, but now they have projected Sheila Dikshit. Congress doesn't have presence in Uttar Pradesh. Congress kept supporting successive corrupt governments in the state," he told ANI. "The state is in bad shape, law and order is bad, education system is crippled, there is no water, electricity or proper roads. The state needs a change. BSP and SP looted the state with the help from Congress," he added. Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit today thanked the Congress High Command for selecting her as the chief ministerial candidate for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and expressed hope that the grand old party would emerge victorious in the politically crucial state. Dikshit vowed to contest the Uttar Pradesh polls unitedly to give a tough challenge to the ruling Samajwadi Party, Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. Dikshit, 78, however, said the Uttar Pradesh polls will definitely be a challenge for the Congress. Dikshit's choice for the top post comes amid speculations that Prashant Kishore, who has been roped in as the party's poll strategist for Uttar Pradesh, is of the view that a Brahmin face should represent the Congress in the politically crucial state. Dikshit is the daughter-in-law of prominent Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh Uma Shankar Dikshit, who was a Brahmin face and had served as a union minister and governor for a long time. This move can be seen as an attempt by the Congress Party's part to win back its traditional upper caste voters. The community, a traditional vote bank of the Congress, later shifted allegiance to the BJP. A large chunk of Brahmin votes had also gone to the BSP in the past when party supremo Mayawati gave tickets to many candidates belonging to the community. Dikshit, who served thrice as the Delhi Chief Minister before AAP's Arvind Kejriwal defeated her with a record mandate in December 2013, had stated after her defeat that she was ready for any role which the party assigns to her. Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who faces a no-confidence motion in the parliament on Thursday, said that he cannot compromise on national security in the name of maintaining cordial relationship with neighbours. "Maintaining good relation with neighbouring countries is an important aspect of national security. But we cannot jeopardize nationality for its sake," the Kathmandu Post quoted him, as saying. Addressing a programme of National Security Seminar in Kathmandu, Oli said that he won't let his country be used against others. Oli said the issue of national security was not related to any particular person or party but of the country as a whole. "Competition should be for various other issues.But not on national security," he added. Taking about the Tarai protests, Oli asserted that the new constitution had not discriminated anyone. He said his government was ready to redraw the federal boundaries as per the demand of Tarai-based political parties, based on justifiable drawings. Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal were also invited to the seminar but they opted to boycott it. Amid speculations that Sheila Dikshit may be named the chief ministerial candidate for the Assembly polls, the Congress Party on Thursday ruled out assertions that the former Delhi chief minister is an outsider and said that her capacity to govern is very well-known Former Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi told ANI these presumptions are there from a long time and conjectures are being made. "Mrs Gandhi and Rahul ji have to take a call on this. And Sheila ji is a very capable leader, she has been here for 15 years and she has really changed the face of Delhi. And her capacity to govern is very well-known, her capacity as an organizational person is also very well-known," said Joshi. "She has been the president of Delhi state also, she was an MP from UP and I think she knows every district very well. She knows all the leaders, she knows the workers, her connect with UP is very strong," she added. Joshi further said in case the Congress high command decides to use her in the elections or gives her some very big responsibility then it would add to the fortunes of the party in the politically crucial state and would be a welcome arrival. Joshi further said Dikshit is the daughter-in-law of Uma Shankar Dikshit, who was a prominent Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh. Dikshit was on Thursday announced as the Congress' chief ministerial candidate for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. 78-year-old Dikshit's choice for the top post comes amid speculations that Prashant Kishore, who has been roped in as the party's poll strategist for Uttar Pradesh, is of the view that a Brahmin face represents the Congress in the politically crucial state. This move can be seen as an attempt on the Congress Party's part to win back its traditional upper caste voters. The community, a traditional vote bank of the Congress, later shifted allegiance to the BJP. A large chunk of Brahmin votes had also gone to the BSP in the past when party supremo Mayawati gave tickets to many candidates belonging to the community. Dikshit had earlier last month met the Congress top brass amid speculation that she may be made the party's chief ministerial face for next year's assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. Dikshit, who served thrice as the Delhi Chief Minister before AAP's Arvind Kejriwal dismissed her with a record mandate in December 2013, had earlier said that she was ready for any role which the party assigns to her. In a move indicating a thaw in the impasse over the much awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, the Centre on Thursday reached out to the Congress to discuss the Bill. Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu spoke to Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma regarding the landmark Bill. Both the leaders assured Venkaiah that they will get back to him soon after consultations within their party. Earlier, Naidu had said that the government is in the favour of passing the GST Bill during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which commences from July 18 and will go on till August 12. "A lot of bills are pending in both the houses of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, and some are in Standing Committee. We will speak to all parties regarding the bills, even if it requires personal talks. If GST is passed, Indian economy will grow further. We have wide support, but we will like every party to be part of consensus," Naidu said. The proposed tax reform, India's biggest revenue shake-up since independence in 1947, seeks to replace a slew of federal and state levies, transforming the nation into a Customs Union. The Congress Party, the original author of the tax reform, has said that it would back the GST if the government agreed to cap the tax rate at 18 percent and create an independent mechanism to resolve disputes on revenue sharing between states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government now is in lieu of hopes to have the Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha in the Monsoon Session of Parliament. A Chinese businessman, Su Bin, has been given nearly four years in jail after admitting to taking part in the hacking of U.S. defence secrets. Su, 51, was convicted of taking part in a years-long scheme by Chinese military officers to obtain sensitive military information, targeting projects including the F-22 and F-35 fighter jets and Boeing's C-17 military transport aircraft, reports the Guardian. Apart from the 46-month prison term, a U.S. district court judge in Los Angeles ordered Su to pay a $10,000 fine. "Su assisted the Chinese military hackers in their efforts to illegally access and steal designs for cutting-edge military aircraft that are indispensable to our national defence," the Guardian quoted assistant attorney general for national security, John Carlin as saying. Beijing has repeatedly denied any involvement in hacking but Washington says there is ample evidence. Prosecutors in an August 2014 indictment said that Su ran a China-based aviation and aerospace company from Canada and had travelled to the U.S. at least 10 times between 2008 and 2014. He also worked with two unidentified co-conspirators based in China to steal the data. Prosecutors said that Su admitted sending emails to his co-conspirators telling them which persons, companies and technologies to target with their hacking and translating the stolen material from English to Chinese. He was arrested in Canada in 2014 and ultimately consented to U.S. extradition. Essar announced its CBM production from its flagship project in Raniganj (East) to cross one million standard cubic metre per day (scmd). Essar has become the first company in India to achieve the one million milestone. CBM production assumes an added significance to the State of West Bengal as hydrocarbon discovery on a commercial scale in the conventional reservoirs like sandstone or limestone is yet to materialize. With Raniganj (East) Block on stream, the quest for unconventional energy resources has begun in good earnest in West Bengal. The Raniganj (East) Block has sizeable CBM reserves with 25-30 years of field life. The 2016 reserve report from Netherland Sewell and Associates, Inc. (NSAI), US, have certified the proven, probable and possible gross CBM Reserves in the Raniganj (East) Block at 1.09 TCF. The Block is assessed to have additional resources in the 'contingent' category of around 270 BCF. "CBM offers a new energy frontier as India evolves to a gas based economy. Delivering one million scmd from Raniganj Block marks the beginning as the potential is tremendous and the Company has definitive plans to ramp up CBM production from 350 wells to two million scmd by March 2017 wells and reach a plateau of three million scmd by mid 2017-18," said CEO-E and P Essar, Manish Maheshwari. Essar has commenced supply of CBM, presently at around 200,000 scmd, for pre-commissioning activities to Matix Fertilisers, one of the world's largest single stream urea plant and the first designed for CBM as the feedstock. With installed capacity of 1.3 million tonne per annum urea at an investment of Rs. 6000 crore, Matix Fertilizers shall commence urea production using CBM from Raniganj in Q3 FY2016-17. Besides Raniganj, Essar has high quality acreages of around 2700 sq.kms. for CBM exploration and production in India spread across the States of Odisha, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Aggregated across these assets, the gas-initial-in-place have been estimated to be in excess of 6 TCF. A study undertaken with the support of US Trade & Development Agency (USTDA), by an independent US firm with expertise in shale, have made a preliminary assessment of original in-place shale gas resources of around 8 TCF underneath the CBM play in Raniganj (East) Block. "Our Company's experience, expertise and enterprise shall help tap the untapped hydrocarbons seated in unconventional reservoirs - be it cbm, shale or tight reservoirs, and produce them in a safe, responsible manner and contribute towards India's energy security," added Manish Maheshwari. Government, vide a notification in October 2014, has defined a mechanism to establish wellhead price for gas in India. The wellhead CBM price from Raniganj (East) is as per the price notified by the Government. On the E and P outlook for India, Manish Maheshwari added, "The Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP), announced by the Government in March 2016, is apposite and progressive - a big help - to boost domestic production. Of the many dimensions of HELP, the Uniform Licensing Policy allows an operator to explore for and produce all types of hydrocarbons from anacreage." "Discovered Small Fields (DSF) being offered by the Government, bidding for which closes end of October 2016, present a unique opportunity to the industry players to hunt for exploration upside whilst monetizing the existing discoveries," he added. The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday signed a USD 100 million loan for 'Climate Adaptation in Vennar Subbasin of Cauvery Delta project' in Tamil Nadu The aim of the loan agreement is to strengthen key irrigation and drainage system and improve water management in the Vennar sub-basin of the Cauvery delta in Tamil Nadu. The financing will be used to strengthen embankments of six major irrigation water channels in the Vennar system and rehabilitate 13 irrigation pumping schemes. "The Cauvery river basin is a critical source of water for agriculture, both within Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states. The vast majority of the delta's population is engaged in farming and fishing. The project aims to improve existing infrastructure and will provide flood protection and renewed access to irrigation," said Mr. Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, who signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of India. "The loan will support Tamil Nadu's water resources professionals to manage resources better, and with greater involvement of the stakeholders they service," said Mr. L. B. Sondjaja, Deputy Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission, who signed the loan agreement for ADB. "Communities will be involved in planning and delivery of water services. Flood forecasting and warning systems will be installed and a flood risks map drawn up to help communities respond more effectively to extreme events," he added. A separate project agreement was signed by Mr. V. Shanmugam, Chief Engineer, Water Resources Department, on behalf of the State of Tamil Nadu. The loan from ADB's ordinary capital resources has a 25-year term. The Water Resources Department of the State of Tamil Nadu is responsible for implementing the project, which is expected to be completed by December 2020. The ISIS has confirmed that its senior leader Abu Omar al-Shishani known as 'Omar the Chechen' is dead, months after the Pentagon and a British-based monitoring group said that he was killed in Syria. Regarded by Pentagon as Islamic State's "minister of war", Abu Omar al-Shishani is said to have died in a U.S. air strike in Syria. During that time, the report was confirmed by both the high-level officials in Washington as well as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The ISIS propaganda agency Amaq yesterday claimed that Shishani had been killed in combat operation in the Iraqi city of Shirqat, south of Mosul, reports the Guardian. Meanwhile, the officials at the Pentagon said that they were aware of the report, but could not confirm or deny it. Head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdelrahman, said that Shishani had been wounded in March and died soon after in the countryside east of Raqqa. Shishani was one of the most wanted militants under a U.S. programme that offered up to $5 million bounty on him. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu spoke with senior Congress party leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill issue on Thursday. According to reports, both Azad and Sharma assured Naidu that they would get back to him on the issue after consultations within their party. Thursday's interaction between leaders of the NDA and the Congress party assumes significance in the wake of the monsoon session of Parliament beginning next week. It has been reported for the past several days that the Centre has stepped up its outreach efforts towards the Congress, which of late has said that it has an open mind on the matter. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is likely to meet with Azad and Anand Sharma some time on Thursday in an effort to reach a compromise. That appointment comes after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar reached out to Mr Azad and Mr Sharma, who lead the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, where the government is in a minority despite recent victories in some state elections, and the Congress still has the maximum members. The two sides seem to have expressed the willingness to accommodate each other's stand. The would create a unified marketplace of a billion consumers by replacing an unwieldy network of central and state taxes with a single levy. The proposal for a constitutional amendment to enable the has been cleared by the Lok Sabha where the government operates from a position of great strength, but has stalled in the Rajya Sabha with the Congress and parties like the Left seeking modifications. The Congress wants the government to cap the rate at less than 18 percent and make the rate part of the constitutional amendment. The government says this means each time the rate has to be revised, the Constitution would have to be amended again. The Congress has now indicated its willingness to allow the specific tax limit be listed in supporting proposals related to the GST. The Congress also wants the government to scrap a proposed 1 percent additional levy on the cross-border transport of goods a move designed to compensate states that are skewed towards manufacturing. The Congress' third big demand is that the Finance Minister enlarge the powers of a council to resolve disputes on revenue-sharing between states. The government has already conveyed its readiness to accept these changes suggested by the Congress. Though regional parties like Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Biju Janata Dal and Janata Dal (United) have agreed to back the GST, and with their support the government may not find it difficult to cross the two-thirds majority it needs to clear the bill, it needs the Congress to allow Parliament to function so that the proposal can be taken up. Sources say the government is also keen to present a key reform to investors as one that was pushed through with consensus. Asserting that operation 'Sankat Mochan', which is being carried out to rescue stranded Indians from war-struck South Sudan, highlighted the Centre's 'pro-active approach', the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday stated that the evacuated Indians will land in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala tomorrow morning. "#SankatMochan, Homeward Bound! 143 inc.10 women & 3 infants onboard as 1st C-17 Globemaster prepares to depart Juba," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. Talking in details about the operation, Swarup said in a press conference that first flight has already landed in Juba and the next one will be landing shortly, adding that the aim is to evacuate all Indian nationals who have expressed their interest in leaving south Sudan. "The evacuation has been meticulously planned in coordination with the local authorities as well as the support of the Indian peace keeping contingent in the United Nation Mission in South Sudan. Soon after landing, general (retired) VK Singh met the Foreign minister of South Sudan Deng Alor Kuol. He almost met Vice President James Wani Igga," Swarup said. The first aircraft will travel to Entebbe in Uganda for a refuelling halt of approximately three hours, following which they will depart for India, landing first in Thiruvananthapuram early tomorrow morning and thereafter coming to Delhi. Swarup stated that the entire operation has been conducted under the direct supervision of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who formed a high level task force to monitor the situation in South Sudan, which has deteriorated in the last few days. "In our assessment this was an opportune time to arrange for the evacuation, especially since the ceasefire is holding and there is a lull in hostilities. Operation Sankat Mochan has underscored once again, the government's pro-active approach towards helping Indians in distress anywhere in the world," he added. Meanwhile, with the 'Sankat Mochan'rescue team landing in Juba, Sushma Swaraj on today called on all the stranded Indian nationals to move out quickly, adding that the evacuation might not be possible if the situation deteriorates. "South Sudan - My colleague @Gen_VKSingh has landed in Juba to evacuate Indian nationals from there. All Indian nationals - We have sent two aircrafts. This is the right time. Pls move out of South Sudan," Swaraj said in a series of tweets. Adding that in case the situation deteriorates the Indian nationals will not be evacuated, she reiterated her call to move out as quickly as possible, adding that two aircrafts are waiting to carry them out. "Indians in South Sudan - Pls move out. We have sent two aircrafts for you. If situation worsens, we will not be able to evacuate you. Please ask all your relatives and friends in South Sudan to pl make use of this opportunity and move," she further tweeted. Meanwhile, Operation Sankat Mochan is in full swing as the rescue team headed by Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh landed here and the process for the evacuation of the stranded Indians began. "Check-in formalities begin for evacuation as the first C-17 expected to land in Juba soon," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. The first IAF C17 Globemaster aircraft landed in Juba along with VK Singh, who met South Sudanese foreign affairs minister, Deng Alor Kuol. "Indian Blue Berets posted in South Sudan as part of UNMISS lend a helping hand in evac'n effort. Close co-ord'n with local authorities. MOS @Gen_VKSingh meets with S Sudan FM Deng Alor Kuol," Swarup added. Swaraj thanked Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for the support towards the endeavour and also extended her best wishes to the Indian Air Force (IAF) who will be carrying out the operation. "We are launching OP #SankatMochan to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan. My colleague @Gen_VKSingh is leading this operation.He will be accompanied by Secretary Amar Sinha, JS Satbir Singh and Director Anjani Kumar. Our Ambassador is South Sudan Srikumar Menon and his team is organising this operation on the ground," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in a series of tweets. Two IAF C17's departed for South Sudan around 5 am today with VK Singh leading the operation. The developments were set in motion after Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar appealed to Swaraj to help the Indian nationals stuck in the war-struck area. ".@SushmaSwaraj Ma'am request for speedy measures and actions to evacuate Indians stranded in Sudan. Prayers with them. #SaveIndiansInJuba," Kumar said in a tweet. In response to this, Swaraj said, " Akshay Kumar ji - Pl do not worry. We are evacuating Indian nationals from Juba (South Sudan)." Swaraj said the evacuation scheme is fully ready and if the situation worsens then the government will not delay and immediately evacuate Indians from there. "The situation in South Sudan deteriorated suddenly in the past three days. We have constituted a task force to constantly study the emerging situation in South Sudan and to closely tab on the occurrences there. The task force held a meeting in the morning," Swaraj told ANI. "There are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of them 450 are in Juba (capital city of South Sudan) and nearly 150 are outside Juba. At present, the fighting is taking place in Juba," she added. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has ordered a ceasefire after days of intense fighting in Juba left more than 150 dead and many more injured since fighting broke out on Thursday. The ceasefire announcement came as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on the Security Council to impose an "immediate arms embargo" and targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders blocking implementation of the peace deal. There was renewed fighting between the government and former rebel forces since Thursday in Juba. The latest exchanges were apparently sparked by a shootout between President Kiir's and Vice President Riek Machar's bodyguards. Operation Sankat Mochan is in full swing as the rescue team headed by Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh landed in Juba here on Thursday and the process for the evacuation of the stranded Indians began. "Check-in formalities begin for evacuation as the first C-17 expected to land in Juba soon," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. The first IAF C17 Globemaster aircraft landed in Juba along with VK Singh, who met South Sudanese foreign affairs minister, Deng Alor Kuol. "Indian Blue Berets posted in South Sudan as part of UNMISS lend a helping hand in evac'n effort. Close co-ord'n with local authorities. MOS @Gen_VKSingh meets with S Sudan FM Deng Alor Kuol," Swarup added. Earlier, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj thanked Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for the support towards the endeavour and also extended her best wishes to the Indian Air Force (IAF) who will be carrying out the operation. "We are launching OP #SankatMochan to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan. My colleague @Gen_VKSingh is leading this operation.He will be accompanied by Secretary Amar Sinha, JS Satbir Singh and Director Anjani Kumar. Our Ambassador is South Sudan Srikumar Menon and his team is organising this operation on the ground," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in a series of tweets. Two IAF C17's departed for South Sudan around 5 am today with VK Singh leading the operation. The developments were set in motion after Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar appealed to Swaraj to help the Indian nationals stuck in the war-struck area. ".@SushmaSwaraj Ma'am request for speedy measures and actions to evacuate Indians stranded in Sudan. Prayers with them. #SaveIndiansInJuba," Kumar said in a tweet. In response to this, Swaraj said, " Akshay Kumar ji - Pl do not worry. We are evacuating Indian nationals from Juba (South Sudan)." Swaraj said the evacuation scheme is fully ready and if the situation worsens then the government will not delay and immediately evacuate Indians from there. "The situation in South Sudan deteriorated suddenly in the past three days. We have constituted a task force to constantly study the emerging situation in South Sudan and to closely tab on the occurrences there. The task force held a meeting in the morning," Swaraj told ANI. "There are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of them 450 are in Juba (capital city of South Sudan) and nearly 150 are outside Juba. At present, the fighting is taking place in Juba," she added. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has ordered a ceasefire after days of intense fighting in Juba left more than 150 dead and many more injured since fighting broke out on Thursday. The ceasefire announcement came as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on the Security Council to impose an "immediate arms embargo" and targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders blocking implementation of the peace deal. There was renewed fighting between the government and former rebel forces since Thursday in Juba. The latest exchanges were apparently sparked by a shootout between President Kiir's and Vice President Riek Machar's bodyguards. The Indian Government on Thursday launched the 'Sankat Mochan' operation to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan, which will be led by Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh. "Heading to Juba tmr to drive efforts under leadership of @narendramodi Ji& @SushmaSwaraj Ji to rescue stranded Indian citizens #SankatMochan," Singh tweeted ahead of his departure. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj thanked Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for the support towards the endeavour and also extended her best wishes to the Indian Air Force (IAF) who will be carrying out the operation. "We are launching OP #SankatMochan to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan. My colleague @Gen_VKSingh is leading this operation.He will be accompanied by Secretary Amar Sinha, JS Satbir Singh and Director Anjani Kumar. Our Ambassador is South Sudan Srikumar Menon and his team is organising this operation on the ground," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in a series of tweets. Two IAF C17's departed for South Sudan around 5 a.m. on Thursday with VK Singh leading the operation. The developments were set in motion after Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar appealed to Swaraj to help the Indian nationals stuck in the war-struck area. ".@SushmaSwaraj Ma'am request for speedy measures and actions to evacuate Indians stranded in Sudan. Prayers with them. #SaveIndiansInJuba," Kumar said in a tweet. In response to this, Swaraj said, " Akshay Kumar ji Pl do not worry. We are evacuating Indian nationals from Juba (South Sudan)." Swaraj said the evacuation scheme is fully ready and if the situation worsens then the government will not delay and immediately evacuate Indians from there. "The situation in South Sudan deteriorated suddenly in the past three days. We have constituted a task force to constantly study the emerging situation in South Sudan and to closely tab on the occurrences there. The task force held a meeting in the morning," Swaraj told. "There are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of them 450 are in Juba (capital city of South Sudan) and nearly 150 are outside Juba. At present, the fighting is taking place in Juba," she added. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has ordered a ceasefire after days of intense fighting in Juba left more than 150 dead and many more injured since fighting broke out on Thursday. The ceasefire announcement came as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on the Security Council to impose an "immediate arms embargo" and targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders blocking implementation of the peace deal. There was renewed fighting between the government and former rebel forces since Thursday in Juba. The latest exchanges were apparently sparked by a shootout between President Kiir's and Vice President Riek Machar's bodyguards. has urged the United Nations to get its resolutions on Kashmir implemented and said that Islamabad wants to resolve all outstanding issues with India through talks as war is not an option. Briefing media in Islamabad today, Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said that it was the responsibility of the UN to solve international disputes, including Kashmir. "He said wants to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir with India through talks, as war is not a solution to any issue. He asked the international community to pressurise India to hold talks with for the resolution of Kashmir issue," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement. Zakaria pressed that Kashmiri people cannot be deprived of their right to self-determination for which they have been rendering sacrifices for decades. "Foreign Office Spokesman said Pakistan is effectively taking up the issue with the international community including OIC. He said Ambassadors of EU countries and P-5 countries were briefed by the Foreign Secretary on recent atrocities being perpetrated by the Indian forces and human rights violations in occupied Kashmir. He said Pakistan's Envoys abroad are also briefing to the respective governments and human rights organizations on the issue, " the statement said. On the Samjhota Express incident, the spokesman said that Islamabad has expressed concern on how the culprits involved in the incident were exhonerated and asked India to share investigations into the incident with Pakistan. Zakaria said that Pakistan is taking comprehensive steps against terrorism and extremism which were acknowledged by the international community. Highlighting that military operation Zarb-e-Azb has put terrorism on back foot, he said that Pakistan is also extending cooperation to the neighbouring countries against terrorism. "He said there is a need for cooperation and harmony among both the countries for peace in Afghanistan and the region," the statement added. The spokesman also said that Islamabad and Washington have shared goals on defeating terrorism and cooperating each other to eliminate this menace. He also said that the SAARC Summit will be held in November in Islamabad and preparations for this are underway. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday sought criminal proceedings against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for filing a false affidavit with the Election Commission in connection with the offices appointed to the newly recruited Parliamentary Secretaries. BJP leader Satish Upadhyay said that illegal and unconstitutional activities were being carried out under the purview of the Delhi Government. "This government has done unconstitutional and illegal work, and according to which its membership should be cancelled. Secondly, it has submitted a false affidavit with the Election Commission," said Upadhyay. "We have a cheat note here which shows the allotted offices, but the Delhi Government says that no rooms have been assigned. So, we demand their disqualification now and criminal proceedings should be initiated against him as all the 21 Parliamentary Secretaries have been given offices and government vehicles," he added. Upadhyay further said that one cannot appoint a Parliamentary Secretary as per office of profit under NCT Act, but still Kejriwal has appointed them. "And the most amazing fact to be noted is that the Delhi Chief Minister does not have any Parliamentary Secretary, but his six ministers are assisted by Parliamentary Secretaries," he added. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier on June 15 strongly defended the appointment of 21 parliamentary secretaries, wondering how similar posts under Congress and BJP rule were not considered "unconstitutional" and targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. President Pranab Mukherjee last month refused to give his assent to a bill passed by the Delhi Assembly last year seeking amendment to the existing law to insulate the legislators from the purview of the office of profit law. Jaipur Pink Panthers kept their composure intact as they beat Bengaluru Bulls 24-22 to surge into the top spot in the fourth edition of the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium last evening. It was a third straight victory for Jaipur Pink Panthers while Bengaluru Bulls crashed to a second successive defeat. Captain Jasvir Singh scored five raid points and Amit Hooda scored five tackle points in Jaipur's fine victory. The win catapults Jaipur Pink Panthers to the top spot as they have 30 points after eight games. Bengaluru Bulls remain in sixth position with 21 points from nine games. Rajesh Narwal scored the first point of the match as Jaipur Pink Panthers led 1-0. Bengaluru Bulls responded immediately with a super raid as Deepak Kumar Dahiya scored three points. Bengaluru Bulls led 5-1 after six minutes as Jaipur Pink Panthers were reduced to just two men. Jaipur Pink Panthers forced the first super tackle of the match in the seventh minute as they trailed 4-5. Jaipur Pink Panthers scored five consecutive points to lead 6-5 after 10 minutes with their attack and defence contributing equally. Jaipur Pink Panthers led 9-7 with less than six minutes to go in the first half and Bengaluru Bulls were reduced to two men. Jaipur Pink Panthers inflicted the first all out in 16th minute as they led 13-8. Rohit Kumar had an extremely quiet first half for Bengaluru Bulls as he scored just one point. Bengaluru Bulls defence were poor in the first half and got just one tackle point as they trailed 9-15 at the end of the first half. Rohit Kumar scored two raid points in the 21st minute to reduce the deficit to four points for the Bulls. Bengaluru began the second half sharply and Ashish Sangwan scored two raid points in the 25th minute as they cut Jaipur's lead to just one point. Bengaluru Bulls inflicted the first all out in the 25th minute as they led 17-16. Bulls' defence got their act together in the second half as they scored three tackle points to lead 19-17 after 29 minutes. It was a tied game after 30 minutes as both teams continued to battle hard. After 35 minutes, it was 21-21 as both teams were looking to play on do-or-die raids. Jaipur Pink Panthers took a two-point lead with less then three minutes to go. Jaipur held their nerve, played out a few empty raids to pile pressure on Bengaluru Bulls to script a narrow 24-22 win. Bollywood heartthrob Ranveer Singh, who had been shooing Aditya Chopra's upcoming rom-com 'Befikre' in Paris, has returned to Mumbai after being there for almost two months. Dressed in military print track suite, teamed with black shoes, black hat and shades, Ranveer, 30, was recently spotted walking out of Mumbai airport, reports Pinkvilla. The actor seemed to be in good spirits and also got mobbed by his fans. The 'Bajirao Mastani' star has posted several sneak peek pictures of Paris fun. He recently shared a video of himself dancing on the song 'Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai' while watching 'Sultan' in a Paris theatre. 'Befikre', which stars Vaani Kapoor opposite Ranveer, would be released on 9 December 2016. Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit is likely to be announced today as the Congress' chief ministerial candidate for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. The announcement in this regard will be made by former union minister and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad at a press briefing later in the day. 78-year-old Dikshit's choice for the top post comes amid speculations that Prashant Kishore, who has been roped in as the party's poll strategist for Uttar Pradesh, is of the view that a Brahmin face represents the Congress in the politically crucial state. This move can be seen as an attempt on the Congress Party's part to win back its traditional upper caste voters. The community, a traditional vote bank of the Congress, later shifted allegiance to the BJP. A large chunk of Brahmin votes had also gone to the BSP in the past when party supremo Mayawati gave tickets to many candidates belonging to the community. Dikshit had earlier last month met the Congress top brass amid speculation that she may be made the party's chief ministerial face for next year's assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. Dikshit, who served thrice as the Delhi Chief Minister before AAP's Arvind Kejriwal dismissed her with a record mandate in December 2013, had earlier said that she was ready for any role which the party assigns to her. Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit today thanked the Congress High Command for selecting her as the chief ministerial candidate for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and expressed hope that the grand old party would emerge victorious in the politically crucial state. "I thank the high command for imposing their trust on me and assigning me this big responsibility. I hope the Congress performs better in Uttar Pradesh this time," she told the media here soon after the announcement. Dikshit vowed to contest the Uttar Pradesh polls unitedly to give a tough challenge to the ruling Samajwadi Party, Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. Dikshit, 78, however, said the Uttar Pradesh polls will definitely be a challenge for the Congress. "Every election is a challenge. There is definitely a challenge in Uttar Pradesh. But we are going with a vision to win," she said. Dikshit further said that she would love to see Congress president Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka campaign in the state. "I would like her to campaign whenever she wishes to," she said. Responding to a poser on her good track record in Delhi, she said that she would make all efforts to repeat the performance of Delhi in Uttar Pradesh. Dikshit's choice for the top post comes amid speculations that Prashant Kishore, who has been roped in as the party's poll strategist for Uttar Pradesh, is of the view that a Brahmin face represents the Congress in the politically crucial state. Dikshit is the daughter-in-law of prominent Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh Uma Shankar Dikshit, who was a Brahmin face and had served as a union minister and governor for a long time. This move can be seen as an attempt on the Congress Party's part to win back its traditional upper caste voters. The community, a traditional vote bank of the Congress, later shifted allegiance to the BJP. A large chunk of Brahmin votes had also gone to the BSP in the past when party supremo Mayawati gave tickets to many candidates belonging to the community. Dikshit, who served thrice as the Delhi Chief Minister before AAP's Arvind Kejriwal dismissed her with a record mandate in December 2013, had earlier said that she was ready for any role which the party assigns to her. Bangladesh's Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam on Thursday said that manpower export to different countries will not be affected by the recent militant attacks in the Gulshan and Sholakia areas of the country. "Even the incident of imprisonment of four Bangladeshi workers by a Singapore court for financing terrorism will not affect the country's manpower export," the Daily Star quoted Islam, as saying. His comments came in the wake of the July 1 attack at Holey Artisan Bakery where 20 people including foreigners were killed after a group of militants stormed into the cafe and took them hostage. Two policemen and six militants were also killed in the 12-hour long siege. Days after the cafe attack, four people including two policemen were killed in another attack near Sholakia Eidgah where hundreds of thousands had gathered for Eid congregation on July 7. On being asked about the Human Rights Watch report on Bangladeshi migrant domestic workers "trapped" in Oman, Islam said there here was no formal complaint in Oman on the issue. He said the government will soon send a team to Saudi Arabia and Lebanon to assess the overall situation of Bangladeshi workers there. He added that Bangladesh government this year has sent over seven lakh migrant workers to different countries and will be capable of sending around eight lakh workers next year. Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on Thursday evening reached Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. He was received by Head of Presidential Admin, Mongolia at the airport. Vice-President Ansari is leading the India delegation for two-day 11th Asia Europe Meeting- ASEM-Summit starting from tomorrow. The inaugural ceremony of the summit will be held at 9 a.m. local time, followed by sessions with stake holders and Plenary Sessions. The Vice President will hold bilateral meetings with President of Mongolia, the Speaker of Parliament of Mongolia and Prime Minster of Mongolia during the special lunch. The multilateral biannual summit will focus on multidimensional inter connectivity between Asia and Europe. The theme for the summit is "20 Years of ASEM: Partnership for the Future through Connectivity". The ASEM summit is a unique platform to bridge the two continents for constructive partnership and exchange through political dialogue, economic collaboration and socio- cultural exchanges. Wing Commander Pooja Thakur has moved the armed forces tribunal after being denied permanent commission by the Indian Air Force (IAF). Thakur's lawyer Sudhanshu Pandey told ANI it is wrong on part of the Air Force to deny her permanent commission for which she is entitled. "The Air Force has on the basis of a policy stated that she is not entitled for permanent commission. The policy is their own local policy as the government did not give any decision about it. They did not offer her permanent commission in 2006 which they should have, but when the High Court passed the order in 2010 they offered her the same," said Pandey. says Pooja Thakur was offered permanent commission in 2012, she declined it then & now no new offer can be given: Pooja Thakur's lawyer ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 Armed Forces Tribunal admitted the matter and has sought IAF's response within 4 weeks: Wing CDR Pooja Thakur's Lawyer Sudhanshu Pandey ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 "At that time, her personal situation was such that she could not decide and that is why she requested the Air Force to change her option. They denied it to her and that is why we have filed a petition," he added. Thakur's lawyer expressed hope that the court understands their stand and pronounces a favourable judgement. Responding to the poser as to what does the present policy state, Pandey said, "HRP3 of 2011 states that for permanent commission, you have to show your willingness for once and if you don't give your willingness that time, there is a gap in the policy. "According to the policy, you will be given chance only once, whereas the HRP of male officers does not have any condition like that," Pandey explained. When asked about the Centre's stand on the issue, Pandey responded, "The Central Government can always take a decision for officers, who have represented the Air Force, India Army as well as nation. Women like her should be given importance in the nation for her achievements. And according to me, the government should ensure that she is given the permanent commission." The officer says in a petition that the IAF's decision to deny her permanent commission is "biased, discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable". The Air Force has been asked to respond in four weeks. Wing Commander Thakur was the first woman officer to lead an Inter-Service Guard of Honour last year when US President Barak Obama visited India for the Republic Day parade. Permanent commission means the women officers get an opportunity to rise to the rank of Lieutenant General and retire at 60 with full benefits like the men do. The women were allowed in the Air Force as full officers in 2010 after nearly 50 women officers, including 22 from the IAF, moved the court against discrimination. Tata Motors, Indias largest vehicle manufacturer, is looking to regain its position (third spot) among passenger and utility vehicle manufacturers of India. Globally too, the automaker wants to register its name among the top three commercial vehicle makers. And how they plan to do it? By launching new products, Cyrus Mistry, chairman, Tata Motors, said while presenting the 71st annual report to the company's shareholders. This will mark a milestone year of growth, great launches and transformation. We will look at bringing in significant launches, with a focus on cost efficiencies, he added. Presently at the fifth spot (with respect to sales) as per the June ranking, Tata Motors is banking heavily on its upcoming launches such as the Tata Kite 5 sedan (codename), the Nexon crossover and the Hexa MPV. Earlier in 2011-12, it had a good market share of 13 per cent, but now, over time, it has squeezed down to mere 4.6 per cent. However, it had committed to introduce two new models each year till 2020 to increase its plunging market share. With consistent sales of Maruti, Hyundai and Mahindra cars (due to new launches), the home-grown automaker was stranded alone, courtesy poor show by its aging cars. It was only with the introduction of a new design, engine and technology with the Zest and the Bolt that Tata was able to revive its brand image in the country. Of late, the Tata Tiago has been crunching good numbers for the automaker and importantly, by word of mouth. We are working towards growing not just the top line but the bottom line as well. We aim to be among the top three globally in commercial vehicles and locally in passenger vehicles. Our plan includes developing new platforms with advanced technologies and improving the performance of existing ones, Guenter Butschek, managing director and chief executive, Tata Motors, said. It is the same path the manufacturer wants to follow with its British subsidiary, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which reported sales of 5,21,571 units, amounting to 13 per cent of growth last year. This is the highest number of units sold by JLR in its history, cited Mistry. He further added, "For the group, 2015-16 was a turnaround year, backed by strong Jaguar Land Rover growth, as well as the start of the turnaround for Tata Motors. With things nicely shaping up for the home-grown automaker, we hope its just a matter of time for Tata Motors to cherish the same glory it once had in India and abroad. Good luck, Tata. Source : CarDekho Bharat Forge fell 2.88% to Rs 725 at 11:15 IST on BSE on reports that a foreign brokerage has maintained its sell rating on the stock citing weak earnings outlook. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 32.28 points or 0.12% at 27,782.90. The stock declined on heavy volumes. On BSE, so far 3.44 lakh shares were traded in the counter as against average daily volume of 75,420 shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 740 and a low of Rs 722.50 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 686.80 on 24 June 2016. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 1,292.50 on 20 August 2015. The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 13 July 2016, advancing 0.3% compared with 5.37% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had also underperformed the market in past one quarter, sliding 9.98% as against Sensex's 8.54% rise. The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 46.56 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2. The foreign brokerage has reportedly cut its earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Bharat Forge by 11% for FY 2017-18 on weak export outlook. The brokerage reportedly said that the company's exports will remain under stress and margins will decline in the current financial year due to operating leverage. Bharat Forge's net profit fell 19% to Rs 164.52 crore on 17.4% decline in net sales to Rs 987.07 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015. Bharat Forge is the flagship company of Kalyani Group. It is a global provider of high performance, innovative, safety & critical components and solutions to various industrial sectors including automotive, oil & gas, power, construction & mining, aerospace and rail & marine. Powered by Capital Market - Live News To acquire 12.15% stake Granules India announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Granules Pharmaceuticals Inc. has entered into an agreement with USpharma, based in the USA, to acquire 12.5% of its stake. This investment will enable Granules to participate in product selection and have right of first refusal to market the select products which are under development by USpharma. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Shares of 9 jewellery retailers were up 0.78% to 8.6% at 10:39 IST after the government accepted the recommendation of a committee and relaxed the rules on excise duty on gold jewellery. Shares of Gitanjali Gems were up 1.72% at Rs 41.50. Tara Jewels was up 8.6% at Rs 40.40. Titan Company was up 2% at Rs 412.55. Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri was up 2.89% at Rs 72.90. Rajesh Exports was up 0.78% at Rs 452.75. PC Jeweller was up 2.7% at Rs 381. Goldiam International was up 2.33% at Rs 81.15. Thangamayil Jewellery was up 1.18% at Rs 288. Vaibhav Global was up 1.71% at Rs 294.85. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 35.31 points or 0.13% at 27,779.87. There will be no requirement for jewellers to submit any ground plan of the premises for taking excise registration. In case the invoice does not show excise duty separately, the value for VAT will be treated as cum duty value. The records maintained for state VAT and other private records showing details of inputs, stocks, manufactured goods, sold/exported goods, etc. will be accepted for excise purposes. When a retail customer brings jewellery (other than in form of gold or any precious metal) to a jeweller which is converted into new jewellery by the jeweller or a job worker of such jeweller, excise duty will be payable only on value addition, including cost of additional materials and labour charges charged, subject to the maintenance of certain records. Repairs and alterations, which do not change the identity, character and use of the goods and do not result in a new item, will not attract excise duty. The government also said that excise duty will not be payable on the sale of traded goods. The government further said that no excise audit will be carried out for the first two years for units whose duty payment (cash plus credit) is less than Rs 1 crore i.e. turnover of manufactured goods less than Rs 100 crore. The government has also decided to increase the SSI eligibility limit for the imposition of excise duty to Rs 15 crore from Rs 12 crore for manufacturers of articles of jewellery or parts of articles of jewellery or both. The SSI exemption limit has been raised to Rs 10 crore from Rs 6 crore in a financial year and Rs 85 lakh for the month of March 2016. It may be recalled that the government imposed excise duty of 1% without input and capital goods credit or 12.5% with input tax credit on articles of jewellery in the Union Budget 2016-17. Powered by Capital Market - Live News National Aluminium Company (Nalco) after market hours yesterday, 13 July 2016 announced that it has been granted Pottangi Bauxite mines in Koraput district of Odisha, where the company's 22.75 lakh tonne alumina refinery is located. As per a recent order issued by the state government of Odisha, Nalco has been granted the mining lease of Pottangi with an area covering 1,738 hectares for a period of 50 years. Nalco's expansion plans, including the proposed addition of fifth stream in its existing alumina refinery at an investment of Rs 5600 crore, greatly depended on this additional source of bauxite, the company said in a statement. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) announced the incorporation of subsidiary company in the name of Merakisan to carry on the business of procuring and marketing agricultural produce including fruits and vegetables. Merakisan was incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Mahindra Univeg (MUPL) which is a step-down subsidiary of M&M. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 13 July 2016. MindTree announced after market hours yesterday, 13 July 2016 that it has launched Decision Moments, the first data analytics platform that applies continuous learning algorithms to large data pools, allowing businesses to generate meaningful and compelling insights that improve over time. TCS, Cyient, Canfin Homes, Vimta Labs among others are scheduled to announce their quarterly results today, 14 July 2016. NBCC (India) will be in focus after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved disinvestment of 15% paid up equity of the company out of Government of India's (GoI) 90% shareholding. The announcement was made after trading hours yesterday, 13 July 2016. The NBCC (India) stock slumped 10.72% to settle at Rs 229.80 yesterday, 13 July 2016, as investors awaited details regarding the quantum of the stake sale after media reports suggested that the government had approved divestment in the state-run firm. The divestment of stake will be carried out through the offer for sale (OFS) route via the stock exchanges mechanism. In order to inculcate a sense of belongingness amongst the employees of NBCC, GoI has decided to allot additional shares to the eligible and willing employees of the company at a discount of 5% to the issue/discovered (lowest cut off) price of the OFS. NBCC (India) is engaged in construction, engineering and project management consultancy services. Shares of another state-run firm ITI will be in focus after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the proposal of Department of Telecommunication regarding transfer of shares by ITI to Special National Investment Fund (SNIF) to meet Securities and Exchange Board of India's (Sebi) minimum public shareholding requirement. ITI will be allowed to transfer the requisite number of shares from President of India to SNIF as and when capital grant is released in the form of equity infusion to ITI as part of revival plan approved by the Cabinet in February 2014 so as to adhere to Sebi's minimum 10% public shareholding requirement. ITI will be allowed to meet Sebi's requirement of minimum 25% public shareholding by August 2017. The announcement was made after trading hours yesterday, 13 July 2016. ITI offers a complete range of telecom products and total solutions covering the whole spectrum of switching, transmission and access and subscriber premises equipment. Shares of ITI surged 18.78% to settle at Rs 34.15 yesterday, 13 July 2016, on reports that the government had cleared sale of assets in ITI. However, there was no such announcement from the government after the conclusion of the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. Atul turns ex-dividend today, 14 July 2016, for dividend of Rs 10 per share for the year ended 31 March 2016 (FY 2016). Bajaj Auto turns ex-dividend today, 14 July 2016, for final dividend of Rs 5 per share for the year ended 31 March 2016 (FY 2016). Bajaj Holdings & Investment turns ex-dividend today, 14 July 2016, for final dividend of Rs 7.50 per share for the year ended 31 March 2016 (FY 2016). Bajaj Finance turns ex-dividend today, 14 July 2016, for final dividend of Rs 7 per share for the year ended 31 March 2016 (FY 2016). Kotak Mahindra Bank turns ex-dividend today, 14 July 2016, for dividend of Rs 0.50 per share for the year ended 31 March 2016 (FY 2016). Eveready Industries turns ex-dividend today, 14 July 2016, for dividend of Rs 1 per share for the year ended 31 March 2016 (FY 2016). Jyothy Laboratories turns ex-dividend today, 14 July 2016, for final dividend of Rs 1 per share for the year ended 31 March 2016 (FY 2016). Powered by Capital Market - Live News Shares of 8 public sector banks rose 2.2% to 7.7% at 14:15 IST on BSE on reports that the government is working with insurance and banking regulators to ease the stringent norms for banks for raising capital through additional Tier I bonds. Punjab National Bank was up 6.6% at Rs 133.30. State Bank of India was up 2.2% at Rs 232.40. Bank of India was up 4.6% at Rs 117.35. Bank of Baroda was up 3.8% at Rs 165.95. Union Bank of India was up 5.2% at Rs 142.15. Canara Bank was up 7.7% at Rs 258.50. Oriental Bank of Commerce was up 4.6% at Rs 126.50. Syndicate Bank was up 4.1% at Rs 81.20. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 43.08 points or 0.15% at 27,858.26. The proposal of easing stringent norms for banks for raising capital through additional Tier I (AT1) bonds was discussed in the recent meeting of regulators viz. the Financial Stability Development Council (FSDC), according to reports. Some protection on investment made by insurers in banks' AT1 is being mulled, reports suggest. According to reports, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is not convinced that insurers should be participating in AT1 bonds given these bonds are perpetual in nature and the bank can write off such investments in time of stress. Meanwhile, media reports also suggested that the government has finalised plan for allocating around Rs 15000 crore to 12 public sector banks in the first tranche during the current financial year. The remainder will be disbursed based on the performance of these lenders, according to reports. The government has set aside Rs 25000 crore for recapitalization of PSU banks for the current financial year. Powered by Capital Market - Live News With effect from 14 July 2016 Speciality Restaurants has closed its restaurants, "Mainland China" & "Sigree Global Grill" located at G-02, Ground Floor, NRK Business Park, Vijay Nagar Square, A. B. Road, Indore, Madhya Pradesh - 452010 with effect from 14 July 2016. Accordingly, as of the date of this letter, the total number of restaurants and confectionaries of the Company are 103 (including 22 franchise restaurants) and 18 respectively. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Has the death of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani acted only as the trigger to set off the kind of widespread violence hasn't seen for many years? If the answer is Yes, then why does become the victim of cyclic violence that often devours its own children without making any material difference to the overall ground realities here? The answers to these questions are not easy to find unless we accept the basic reality that despite cosmetic efforts to win hearts and minds since insurgent violence started here in 1990s, nothing much has changed on the ground. If it had been the rigging of the 1987 elections by the then state government headed by National Conference (NC) patron Farooq Abdullah that triggered an armed insurgency, why and how do people continue to hit streets to attack the security forces and invite pellets and bullets 29 years hence? The separatist leadership definitely becomes more relevant each time explodes with anti-India protests, but assuming that the separatist call all the shots here would be flawed logic. Violence cannot be calibrated and delivered in measured volumes. It spirals out of control each time it gets a trigger to begin. In the summer unrest of 2010, 112 protesters, almost all youths, were killed in clashes when unruly mobs resorted to large-scale violence, including stone pelting, burning public property and lynching local policemen. The present current cycle of violence that started on Saturday has claimed 36 lives. Over 1,000 people, including civilian protesters and security personnel, have been injured. Nearly 100 injured civilians, including a girl, face the horrifying prospect of losing their eyesight -- either completely or partially. Police stations have been torched, weapons have been looted and the authority of the administration has been trashed in its face. Once again after 2010, it appears we might be back to where we started in the early 1990s. Mainstream politicians are still engaged in a game of political brinkmanship. The NC's Omar Abdullah does not lose a minute to tweet who died in the latest firing incident and the ruling PDP continues blaming the NC for sowing the seeds of discontent, whose fruit the present government is doomed to harvest. Mainstream and separatist politicians are acting in a manner that gives one an impression that Kashmir is a chess board on which the pawns (read the public) are expendable foot soldiers. While mainstream politicians must immediately stop chiding and ridiculing each other for who was responsible for 2010 mayhem and who is responsible for its possible repeat in 2016, the separatists need to take an even closer look at their strategy. If it is the future of Kashmir the separatists are worried about, then the first step towards realising that dream is to help end the ongoing cycle of violence. What use is a bright tomorrow for Kashmir when it's most valued asset, the youth keep on dying today? Burhan Wani was a 22-year old youth who died fighting the security forces after becoming a militant. If another 36 youths have to follow Wani to the grave because violence must be sustained, then whose war was Wani fighting? (Sheikh Qayoom can be reached at sheikh.abdul@ians.in) --IANS sq/vm Bangladesh authorities have banned controversial Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's Peace mobile phone, days after banning his Peace TV from airwaves and online, said a media report. "These phones cannot be allowed anymore because there's a clear instruction from the government to stop all kinds of publicity of Zakir Naik," bdnews24.com quoted Bangladesh telecoms regulator BTRC Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood as saying on Wednesday. Naik vexed Bangladesh after his speeches were found to have inspired terrorists involved in the July 1 Dhaka cafe massacre in which 22 persons including a 19-year-old Indian girl were killed. Beximco Group imports Naik's Peace mobile phones marketed as "Islamic mobile handsets", the website of the brand says that the phone comes loaded with options to access Naik's Peace TV sermons in English, Hindi and Urdu. The handset also comes packed with Islamic wallpapers, access to the Quran and reminders about prayer timings and other miscellaneous things. The website considers Beximo Group as the sole Bangladesh importer and offers the address of the group office as Dhanmondi Bell Tower, Dhaka, bdnews24.com reported. A senior BTRC official said Beximco had imported about 500 mobile phones in 2014 but none since then, although it had applied for the renewal of the permit. Another importer, Noha Enterprise, was also known to import the mobile phones. However, they flaunt a different logo. According to the rules, the BTRC permission is mandatory before a mobile handset brand is allowed to operate in Bangladesh. The BTRC was yet to be furnished with samples of the set before the International Mobile Equipment (IME) number was allotted and the decks cleared to allow spectrum access. At least two terrorists involved in the attack in the upscale Gulshan locality were known to have been inspired by Naik's speeches and sermons, prompting the government to clamp down on his publicity mechanisms in the country. --IANS ask/ksk/vt The British Film Institute (BFI) has launched Black Star, a series of events and screenings that the organisation claims is "Britain's biggest-ever celebration of black screen actors". The programme, which will run from October 17 to December 31, will be a season of film and television dedicated to celebrating the range, versatility and power of black actors, reports variety.com. "With Black Star we are celebrating great performances and bringing them back to the big screen for everyone to enjoy," Heather Stewart, Creative Director of the BFI, said. "And we are also asking searching questions, of our industry and of ourselves, driven by a passion to meet the expectations of audiences who rightly expect to see their stories and aspirations reflected on screen," Stewart added. Black Star programmer Ashley Clark shared that it will show many stories of black stardom on both sides of the Atlantic. "From cinema's earliest trail-blazers to today's transatlantic stars, I'm excited for audiences to enjoy icons, heroes and heroines back on the big screen where they belong," Clark added. The programme will have more than 275 screenings and events in more than 90 locations across Britain, delivered through the BFI Film Audience Network and its partners. --IANS ks/ank/bg Former Mayor of London Boris Johnson was Wednesday night appointed Foreign Secretary by Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May. Until now a back-bencher, the promotion will cascade Johnson onto the world stage. Johnson served as Mayor of London from 2008 until this year when he was replaced by Sadiq Khan. He was elected last year as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, but had served previously as an MP from 2001, resigning in 2008 when he became Mayor of London. He has taken over the job from Philip Hammond who has replaced George Osborne as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Xinhua reported. May has also created a new cabinet job, Secretary of State for Brexit, likely to be called the Brexit Secretary, tasked with steering Britain out of Europe following last month's referendum vote. The job has been handed to David Davis who has previously served as a Europe Minister. Current Defense Secretary Michael Fallon has kept his job. After Cameron resigned as prime minister following the Remain camp's defeat in the EU referendum, Johnson had been tipped as a favourite to replace him at 10 Downing Street. But on the day nominations closed Johnson caused a shock by announcing he had decided not to stand in the leadership contest. Hammond was the first cabinet member to be announced by May, naming him as her next door neighbour at 11 Downing Street. Hammond had served as foreign secretary in Cameron's cabinet, but he has had previous experience of a Treasury role. George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer in David Cameron's cabinet has resigned from the government, in what was the first shock as new Prime Minister Theresa May started the task of appointing her own front bench team. For Hammond the job means a return to the Conservative's Treasury team where he previously served as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. In 2007 he became Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Amber Rudd, Energy Secretary under Cameron has taken over May's old job as Home Secretary. She was only given a front bench job a year ago when she became Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. --IANS vr/ An Uttar Pradesh constable, Narender, arrested for leaking call detail records (CDRs) of over 200 persons for money is now at the centre of a tussle between Delhi Police and UP Police over his exact posting. The police of Uttar Pradesh has denied Delhi Police's claim that the constable was from the office of the Kanpur IG. Delhi Police, which busted the case on Sunday, announced during a media briefing that Narender was posted as a constable at the surveillance cell of the Kanpur Inspector General of Police office. But Kanpur IG Zaki Ahmed has denied it. Ahmed told IANS over phone that he had not been contacted by Delhi Police officers before and after the raid conducted in Kanpur. He denied that Narender was posted in his office. "There is no surveillance cell in IG office in Kanpur, and he (Narender) was not associated with my office. He is presently posted in the surveillance cell of Kanpur SSP office and has also worked in DIG office. I am shocked at why they (Delhi Police) took my office's name," Ahmed told IANS. "I am not in a fighting mood... but they (Delhi Police) should have informed us before conducting the raid. They did not try to make an official communication with us, though there is a CRPC procedure to inform senior police officers before conducting raids in other state's jurisdiction," the Kanpur IG said. The officer said he is ready to help Delhi Police in the investigation. The Uttar Pradesh Police wrote a letter to Delhi Police on Wednesday refuting the latter's claim that Narender was with the surveillance cell of the IG. Delhi Police wrote back to the UP Police seeking clarification on Narender's posting. "We received a letter from Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday in which they have refuted that Narender was posted at the surveillance cell of Kanpur IG. In reply, we have sought clarification from Kanpur IG about the posting of the constable," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav told IANS. A senior Delhi Police official investigating the case told IANS on condition of anonymity that the UP Police "tried to mislead the investigating team to avoid his questioning". The officer said that the Delhi Police raiding team which visited Kanpur two days before busting the racket was "wrongly informed" by Uttar Pradesh Police about the posting of Narender. "After several attempts (to learn about Narender), the UP Police explained to our officers that he was associated with the Kanpur IG office," the officer said. "We tried to contact the Kanpur IG and SSP but could not get proper information about Narender's posting details," the officer said. The Delhi Police had on Sunday cracked an inter-state gang involved in illegally getting call detail records (CDRs) and then selling them to various people, mainly detective agencies. Four persons -- Jaiveer Singh Rathore, 46, Pankaj Tiwari, 26, Aditya Sharma, 32, and Sanjeev Chaudhary, 42 -- were arrested for illegally obtaining CDRs. Investigators had earlier said that Rathore, owner of a detective agency based in Uttam Nagar in west Delhi, got the call records from Narender. According to police, Rathore used to sell the CDRs to some private detective agencies, including Delhi-based BLS Management Solution Pvt. Ltd., for Rs 5,000 to Rs 30,000. Investigators said that BLS has been illegally obtaining CDRs to spy on various targets at the behest of its clients who approached it for surveillance in matrimonial disputes, financial enquiries about their rivals, love affairs, civil disputes, legal disputes and others. (Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in and Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in) --IANS rak-aks/rn The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) held its meeting here on Thursday and was briefed about the progress in the Rafale fighter jet deal by the committee negotiating its purchase, defence ministry sources said. They said the DAC directed the committee to submit its report expeditiously. The deal for purchasing 36 Rafale combat jets in fly-away condition was inked during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France last April. A negotiating team was constituted to decide on the deal and is holding talks with the French side. The price has been a major sticking point in the deal with India trying to bring it down for the fighter jet known to be one of the most expensive in the world. The deal comes with a clause for delivering 50 per cent offsets, expected to generate business worth at least three billion euros for Indian companies. --IANS nd/ps/bg Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar on Thursday said that a pro-regional languages group he is part of is actively working on a political strategy to defeat the ruling BJP in poll-bound Goa. The top Sangh functionary claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) betrayed the cause of regional languages -- Konkani and Marathi. Addressing a press conference in Panaji on Thursday, Velingkar also said that a new academic authority formed by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar to resolve the ongoing controversial issue of medium of instruction in the state's elementary schools was a sham. "The Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch's political committee is actively working on creating a list of constituencies and candidates which we will field in the upcoming state assembly elections to defeat the BJP... The BJP continues to betray the cause of Indian regional languages in favour of English," Velingkar told reporters. Two groups namely Forum for Rights of Children to Education, backed by the influential Roman Catholic Church and the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch, supported by the RSS, have been at loggerheads in Goa over the last few years over the choice of language of instruction in junior schools. In the run up to the 2012 state assembly polls, the BJP had supported the demand of the Manch for ensuring regional languages as the preferred mode of instruction in schools. The state government is now being accused by Velingkar and the Manch of backtracking on their promise by backing English language schools. Velingkar also said that the Manch would look at fielding its own candidates or backing existing candidates in 38 out of the 40 state legislative assembly constituencies with a "simple target" of defeating the BJP in the upcoming polls which are scheduled to be held in early 2017. "We are in the process of formulating our political strategy," Velingkar said, adding that the Manch was no averse to supporting political outfits who promised to make Konkani and Marathi a medium of instruction in Goa's primary schools. Velingkar also said that a academic authority formed by the state government to examine the regional languages issue was a sham. "The committee is not good in law and is a drama by the Parsekar government to fool us," Velingkar said. --IANS maya/pgh/vm The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Mumbai police on Thursday arrested slain Haryana gangster Sandeep Gadoli's former girlfriend and her mother from their house in Gurgaon, police said. The five-member SIT from Mumbai, dressed in civilian clothes, raided the house of 19-year-old Divya Pahuja in Baldev Nagar here and arrested Divya and her mother from there. Gadoli's girlfriend Divya allegedly convinced him to drop arms ahead of his staged encounter in a Mumbai hotel by Gurgaon crime branch team on February 7. According to sources, Divya came into contact with Gadoli through his friend, Manish Khurana, who also runs the hotel where she used to work. "The accused Gurgaon cops had instructed Divya, as well as Manish and his friend Deepak, to ensure that Gadoli was without his weapon at the time of his 'killing' in Mumbai. Through her mother, Divya informed the Gurgaon policemen that the gangster was unarmed," said sources. "The mother-daughter duo was to get Rs 2 crore for this job," claimed one of Gadoli's family members. Earlier, Divya managed to evade arrest on two occasions. Twice, Mumbai police went looking for her in Gurgaon and Delhi but did not find her. Besides Divya and her mother, Mumbai SIT arrested Sub Inspector Pradhuman Yadav, who led the alleged encounter, constable Vikram Singh and Jitender, members of the team. The trio are on police remand. According to Yadav's statement to SIT: "On February 7, after the first rounds were fired, the woman, Divya Pahuja, who was in Mumbai hotel with Gadoli, came out of the bathroom and kept standing there." Gadoli's family alleged that he was killed by Gurgaon police to benefit Gadoli's rival Gurgaon gangster Binder Gujjar. Gadoli, a Gurgaon-based gangster, was shot dead by a Gurgaon Police team inside Hotel Airport Metro, near Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, on February 7. Accordingly, an FIR was registered against the five Gurgaon police personnel and three others, including Divya Pahuja. --IANS pradeep/pgh/bg India and Japan on Thursday reaffirmed the need for stronger international partnership in combating terrorism even as they condemned the brutal terror attack in Bangladesh capital Dhaka on July 1. "The ministers resolutely condemned this brutal act of terrorism and reaffirmed that all forms and manifestations of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable under all circumstances, and noted that terrorism poses one of the most serious threats to the peace and security of the international community," an offical release issued after a meeting between Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his visiting Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani, said with his Indian Manohar Parrikar here. Both the leaders exchanged ideas in a constructive, productive and positive atmosphere under the framework of the "Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership". The ministers recognized that the security and stability in the blue waters connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans are "indispensable" for peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region. The ministers expressed concern over recent developments in this regard. They reaffirmed on the importance of respecting international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). An international arbitration tribunal on Tuesday ruled against China's claims to rights in the South China Sea, backing a case brought in by the Philippines. Beijing has, however, trashed the ruling as "null and void". In Thursday's meeeting Parrikar and Gen Nakatani reaffirmed the importance of respecting international law, as reflected notably in the UNCLOS, of the peaceful settlement of the disputes without any threat or use of force, and of ensuring freedom and safety of navigation and over-flight as well as unimpeded lawful commerce in international waters. "In this context, they noted the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal on the South China Sea under the UNCLOS on July 12, and urged all parties to show utmost respect for the UNCLOS," the release said. Both the countries also expressed their concern over North Korea's continued development of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. They urged North Korea to take concrete actions towards denuclearization and other goals as well as to fully comply with its international obligations, including under all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions, the release said. Gen Nakatani expressed his appreciation to the efforts made by Indian Defence Ministry as a chair of Humanitarian Mine Action Expert Working Group (EWG) and Parrikar expressed his appreciation to the efforts made by Japan Defence Ministry as a chair of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (EWG). The two ministers expressed deep condolences to both Japanese and Indian victims of the terrorist attack perpetrated at Dhaka in Bangladesh. --IANS rak-nd/vm Iraqi security forces on Thursday were preparing to free two towns from the Islamic State (IS) militants in south of the IS stronghold in Mosul, while a senior IS leader and two of his aides were killed in airstrike by the US-led coalition aircraft in south of Mosul, security sources said. The troops took control of the areas of Dawajin and Mahha in west of the IS-held town of Shirqat after the withdrawal of the IS militants, bringing the troops to new positions close to the edges of Shirqat, which located some 280 km north of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The security forces and allied paramilitary units, known as Hashd Shaabi, are preparing to wage an operation to liberate Shirqat soon, the source said, adding that the town is the last IS stronghold in north of Iraq's northern central province of Salahudin. Meanwhile, the security forces fought the IS militants and drove them out of an abandoned residential district belonging to Qayyara airbase, just east of the militant-seized town of Qayyara, some 50 km south of Mosul, leaving at least 18 IS militants killed, along with destroying two car bombs and a vehicle carrying heavy machine gun, the source said. The battle in the district brought the troops to new positions closer to the outskirts of Qayyara, and they are now ready to carry out operation to drive out IS militants from the town, the source added. The advance towards both towns of Shirqat and Qayyara are part of a major offensive aimed at liberating the last major IS stronghold in Mosul, some 400 km north of Baghdad. Separately, a security source in Salahudin province told Xinhua that Muwafaq Hawijah, leader of the IS group in the town of Shirqat was killed with his two aides when the aircraft carried out an air strike on their car near the village of al-Mrear outside the town of Shirqat. "The bodies of the IS leader and his aides were evacuated Shirqat hospital," the source said, citing intelligence report. In addition, a roadside bomb went off near a vehicle carrying Shakir Amerli, leader of a Shiite paramilitary Hashd Shaabi paramilitary unit, near the town of Tuz-Khurmato, some 90 km east of Salahudin provincial capital city of Tikrit, killing him and one of his guards and wounding two more guards, the source added. Iraq's security situation has drastically deteriorated since June 2014, when bloody clashes broke out between Iraqi security forces and IS militants. The IS took control of the country's northern city of Mosul and later seized territories in Nineveh and other predominantly Sunni provinces. A US-led coalition has been conducting air raids against the IS targets in both and Syria. Many blame the current chronic instability, cycle of violence, and the emergence of extremist groups, such as the IS, on the US that invaded and occupied in March 2003 under the pretext of seeking to destroy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the country. The war led to the ouster and eventual execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, but no WMD was found. As thousands massed at the Idgah at Achabal town to mourn the death of Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani, a speaker roared: "It is time for jehad." In no time, unprecedented mass fury engulfed the southern part of the Valley. This was the morning of July 9, a day after security forces had gunned down Wani, a top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen and one of the most wanted men in Jammu and . But the government didn't get to celebrate. Since all connectivity was cut off after Wani's killing, people used loudhailers in mosques to urge everyone to take to the streets. In no time thousands, women and children included, responded. The call for "jehad" followed prayers in absentia for the fallen militant at the Achabal Idgah. As an IANS correspondent watched, the entire area resounded with full-throated pro-freedom, anti-India slogans. Unlike in 2008, 2009 and 2010, elders and women too joined the protests this time. Young men and the not so young began pelting stones at police and paramilitary personnel. As security forces responded with tear gas, women offered water to the street fighters. A crowd reached the small Achabal police station, which also houses a company of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and a handful of young men unfurled a Pakistani flag there. This irked the security forces and their retaliation suddenly escalated. They began using pellet guns and live bullets. This resulted in the first casualty of Anantnag district: 14-year-old Yawar Manzoor who was shot in the head. He died instantly. The situation was no different in the other three south districts -- Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian. In all four districts including Anantnag, telephone and Internet lines had been cut, roads were sealed, curfew was imposed and other restrictions followed after Wani was killed. Wani, who had recruited over 100 educated Kashmiri youths to his organisation, was popular on the social media. Till he died, the whole of southern Kashmir was in a festive post-Ramadan mood. As soon as it became known that he had been killed in the tiny village of Waibam Doora, some 20 km from here, shops were shuttered, public and private transport went off the roads and people began marching towards the area from the entire region. At Achabal, seven km from Anantnag town and where this correspondent was present, a frenzied mob tried to invade the police station and set it on fire. A watch tower was pulled down. Security forces kept firing. Four more people fell dead. More than 100 people were injured, many critically. There was chaos on the streets as the injured and the dead were rushed on handcarts and stretchers to the area's only primary health centre, which quickly ran out of beds. Most of the injured were shifted to the Anantnag Hospital in ambulances which alone could ply during curfew. Anantnag district accounted for 16 deaths in all. It was the first time mosque loudspeakers had been used to fuel mass protests. One announcement named a local policeman who was accused of firing at the mob. The crowds were egged on to set fire to his house. In no time, this was done. None of the neighbours came to the rescue of the policeman's family as the house got razed. A hotel owned by a MLA in Kokernag, some 10 km from Achabal, was also gutted similarly. So was a judiciary building at Dooru, 20 km from Anantnag. Wani's killing suddenly turned the region, known as a tourist paradise because of lush green meadows and springs, into a war zone. The tourists fled. For long, Wani had harried the security forces. Even in death, he became a major headache, his burial at Tral attracting massive crowds that police sources said were more than 100,000 strong. According to police, 17 militants joined the burial, openly flaunting their weapons. In Anantnag, no one really knows when the region will see "normalcy" again. (Aadil Mir can be reached at aadil.hussain@ians.in) --IANS ahm/mr/bg Actress Jyotika, last seen in 2015 Tamil drama "36 Vayadhinile" after a long hiatus, has started shooting for her next yet-untitled Tamil project to be directed by "Kuttram Kadithal" fame Bramma. "Dear all! Jo is starting her next with a great cast & crew today! Official announcement soon! As always, need your wishes," actor Suriya, Jyotika's husband, wrote on his Twitter page on Thursday. Also starring Bhanupriya, Urvashi and Saranya Ponvannan, the film is tipped to be a women-centric thriller. Jyotika had reportedly undergone two weeks acting workshop for the project. --IANS hp/nv/vt The Lebanese parliament failed for the 42nd time to elect a new president due to lack of the constitutionally required quorum. Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday called for a new session on August 8, Xinhua news agency reported. Lebanon has been without a president since the term of former President Michel Suleiman ended on May 25, 2014, and the sharp political division among the Lebanese parties hindered the elections of an incumbent. "The political decision blocking the election of a president is still ongoing and history will pin the blame on those who are obstructing this vote," independent MP Butros Harb told the media after the session. Only 37 MPs arrived at the parliament building to take part in the session, while two thirds of the 128-seat parliament represents the required quorum. According to the National Pact, the president should be a Christian Maronite while the speaker is a Muslim Shia and the premier is a Muslim Sunni. The constitution stipulates that in case of the absence of a president, the Cabinet takes charge of running the country until the election of a president. However, the Hezbollah and some of their allies have been boycotting the electoral sessions, demanding a prior agreement on the president. --IANS ksk At a time when the war of providing best software and hardware at a disruptive price to the consumers is hot, LeEco's hardware is best suited for Qualcomm's latest processors Snapdragon 652 and Snapdragon 820, a top LeEco executive said here on Thursday. LeEco recently launched its 'superphones" Le 2 and LeMax 2 with Snapdragon 652 and Snapdragon 829, respectively. Apart from over-the-top hardware including powerful cameras and on-device editing tools, the Chinese internet conglomerate offered a new technology called CDLA for lossless music output and for this, the credit goes to the processors from Qualcomm Technologies. "It is important to note that even a high-performance processor, placed in a poorly-designed smartphone, can still deliver a poor user experience. This is where LeEco adds real value for consumers, by creating differentiating user experiences, designing innovative devices and focusing on delivering high performance," said Atul Jain, COO of Smart Electronics Business at LeEco India. By pairing performance enhancing, feature-rich Qualcomm Snapdragon processors with technology innovation like ultrasonic-fingerprint sensor, LeEco has created outstanding superphones in a class of their own. Not only with innovation, but LeEco's second-generation "superphones" have offered rich on-the-go content and lag-free multi-tasking all thanks to the processing power that Snapdragon processors provide to LeEco devices. "Being an early adopter of Qualcomm Technologies' powerful processors has helped LeEco leapfrog into the future with its superphones", Jain told reporters here. Qualcomm Technologies and LeEco's working together has raised the bar in making smartphone user experiences more powerful, seamless and convenient for the experiences that matter most to consumers like HD audio and video as well as hi-resolution imaging and gaming, the company noted. Sunil Lalvani, Vice President and President, Qualcomm India said that LeEco uses the processors' capabilities to the maximum which other devices do not. "We have always viewed our Snapdragon processors as an enabler of the smartphone ecosystem, helping people in a myriad of ways. We believe this work with LeEco will have a deep impact on consumers, given LeEco's core propositions of breakthrough technology and disruptive pricing," Lalvani said. Both Snapdragon 820 and 652 were equally matched by the impressive design, features and specifications that LeEco packs into every superphone, he added. --IANS sku/na/vm American rating agency Moody's on Thursday assigned low investment grade ratings to a US dollar bonds issue of Indian explorer's oversaes arm ONGC Videsh to fund its acquisition of 15 per cent stake in Russia's Vankor oilfields. "Moody's Investors Service has assigned a Baa2 rating to the proposed foreign currency senior unsecured bonds to be issued by ONGC Videsh Vankorneft Pte Ltd (OVVPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)," Moodys said in a statement here. "The proposed foreign currency bonds are rated at the same level as ONGC's foreign currency issuer ratings because the bonds are unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed by ONGC and the guarantee is pari passu to all senior unsecured obligations of ONGC," it said. "The ratings outlook is stable," Moody's added. ONGC Videsh expects to use the proceeds of the proposed issue to refinance existing bridge loans incurred to acquire a 15 per cent stake in CJSC Vankorneft for $1.26 billion. ONGC, Oil India, Indian Oil Corp and Bharat Petroleum will collectively own a 49.9 per cent stake in Rosneft's Vankor field, and a 29.9 per cent stake in Rosneft's Tass-Yuryakh field at a total cost of up to $5.4 billion. Noting ONGC's production is concentrated in India while its expansion outside is in higher-risk countries, Moody's said the state-run explorer is also exposed to negative government intervention, such as sharing of oil subsidies. "The restriction of a guarantee to a finite amount is driven by regulations in India, which do not allow open-ended guarantees for obligations of offshore subsidiaries, rather than an actual intention on ONGC's part to restrict its liability under the bonds," said Moody's vice president Vikas Halan. Moody's said ONGC's issuer ratings incorporate expectation that the impact of declining oil prices on the company's cash flows will remain low because the company benefits from a lowering of fuel subsidies, a reduction in taxes and improved contributions from its downstream business. "Even if we incorporate the Vankor acquisition (including the 11 percent stake yet to completed) we expect ONGC's RCF to debt ratio to remain in excess of 50 per cent over the next 12-18 months, a level that is well within our tolerance level for the company's Baa1 ratings," Halan said. The agency said ONGC's liquidity position is strong, with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 25,800 crore, as against debts of Rs 9,600 crore maturing over the next 12 months. Moreover, the company's investments in listed entities can realise at least Rs 8,000-10,000 crore without any disruption to its ongoing business, it added. "ONGC's Baa1 local currency issuer rating is constrained to within two notches of India's sovereign rating (Baa3 positive) and its Baa2 foreign currency issuer rating is constrained by the country ceiling for foreign currency bonds," Moody's said. --IANS bc/vd "Ghostbusters" star Melissa McCarthy has urged the society to "stop tearing down women". Her comment follows actress Jennifer Aniston's blog on the subject. Aniston addressed ongoing pregnancy rumours and body-shaming by penning an op-ed for the Huffington Post on Tuesday, in which she made a plea for people to stop scrutinising females for the way they look. Speaking to etonline.com at Gildafest'16 here on Tuesday, McCarthy said she agrees "one hundred thousand billion per cent" with Aniston. "Everybody needs to stop tearing down women. It is always about the way we look -- saying, 'He is very interesting', 'He is a good writer', 'She is looking older than she was last time we saw her'. "It's a ridiculous thing. I just hope it gets to the point where it's embarrassing for people to have such a shallow thought," she added. McCarthy admitted that as an actress, it can be difficult not to self-criticise, especially when watching herself on screen. However, the 45-year-old actress said that she has learned not to focus on her insecurities. "We all are usually more self-critical towards ourselves. You see every little flaw and think, 'Oh! I could have done this, I could have done that'. But in the end, when I am watching, I try not to focus on myself because I don't want to self-examine," she added. McCarthy-starrer "Ghostbusters", backed by Sony Pictures, is slated to release in India on July 29. --IANS ank/rb A new delicacy on dining tables in Kerala could well be African snails, millions of which have invaded many areas of the state. At a meeting called here last week to tackle the menace of African snails, a suggestion came from among leading scientists from several fields: Simply, why not eat them, just as they do in European countries? Those who discussed various steps at the meeting included officials from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, the Central Marine Fisheries Institute (CMFRI), and agriculture and entomology experts. Speaking to IANS, S. Shinoj of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of the CMFRI said the meeting formed a team of experts to suggest how best to tackle the invading armies of African snails. "Three ideas came up. First, the snails, which are a much liked food item of ducks, be made into feed for poultry and cattle. The second option was to use them for manure, as snail shells are rich in calcium, and the soil in Kerala is found to be calcium deficient. And the third option was to use the snails as a food item," said Shinoj. He said that snails are eaten in Italy, France and other European countries. "Earlier, shrimps were not consumed in Kerala till 1960s, and so were squids till the 1980s." "The study team will look into all aspects and I am now told that there are people who eat snails in Kottayam. We will seek their support as part of our study," said Shinoj. Former Member-Secretary of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board K.P. Laladhas said: "We are told that snails are consumed, but before it can be propagated here, a scientific validation will be good to win the confidence of the people." "Perhaps we can also look at export of snail meat. We are looking forward to the study report," said Laladhas, a renowned zoologist. People hoped the team's study, research, report and implementation are not snail-paced. --IANS sg/rn/vt Solar Impulse 2, the world's largest solar powered plane, landed in Cairo, Egypt, after departing from Seville in Spain, on the penultimate leg of its round-the-world flight. The plane, which reached Cairo on Wednesday, was piloted by Andre Borscherg. The plane took off from Seville, Spain, on July 11 at 6.20 a.m. for a 50 hour and 30 minute flight to Egypt, said a statment by Egypt's tourism authority. The Swiss-made, solar-powered plane travels at an average speed of 75 km/h and travels at a maximum altitude of 28,000 feet. "This is Solar Impulse's penultimate flight before reaching their long-awaited finish line," Mohamed Yehia Rashed, Egypt's Minister of Tourism said. "We are honoured to welcome Solar Impulse 2 to Egypt, it is not every day that history is being made, but today we welcomed the first solar powered plane and we look forward to welcome our tourist aboard solar powered planes in the near future," Rashed added, said the statement. The plane utilises 17,248 solar cells that render fuel consumption unnecessary, weighs 2.3 tonnes and has a wingspan of 72 metres. "Although this is our second to last flight, the challenges of finishing this round-the-world tour remain as true as always," said Borschberg, who is taking turns flying the aircraft with fellow Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard. In 2015, the plane flew eight stages from Abu Dhabi to Kalaeloa, including a remarkable four-day, 21-hour leg over the western Pacific -- the longest solo flight in aviation history in terms of the time it took. It is slated to end its flight at Abu Dhabi. --IANS ask/rn/vt British Prime Minister Theresa May asked European leaders for "time" to prepare for negotiations on Britain's exit from the European Union (EU), according to a Downing Street spokesperson on Thursday. May spoke via telephone on Wednesday evening with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, Efe news reported. "On all the phone calls, the Prime Minister emphasised her commitment to delivering the will of the British people to leave the European Union," said the spokesperson. "The Prime Minister explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke about her hopes that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit," added the spokesperson. In conversation with Merkel, the two leaders agreed that they are in favour of establishing a "constructive relationship" while recognising the importance of "close co-operation between Britain and Germany". The premier underlined to Hollande the importance of bilateral relations in security, defence and border control. "The Prime Minister offered her best wishes to the President and the people of France for Bastille Day and the President invited the Prime Minister to visit Paris," the spokesperson explained. In her conversation with the Irish Prime Minister the two officials agreed to maintain "strong collaboration" between the two countries. --IANS ss/lok/bg The US has confirmed the killing of the mastermind behind the December 2014 carnage at Peshawar's Army Public School in a drone strike in Afghanistan, Pakistani officials said. A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations said that the US Commander of the Resolute Support Mission General John Nicholson called Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Wednesday and confirmed the death of terrorist Umar Mansour in Afghanistan. According to Pakistan security officials, he was killed on July 9 in a US drone attack in the Bandar area of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, Dawn online reported. Mansour masterminded the December 16, 2014, attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar which killed 122 students and 22 teachers. Mansour belonged to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) Tariq Geedar group and used to operate in Peshawar and adjoining Frontier Region Peshawar and Darra Adamkhel. Mansour fled to Afghanistan following a military operation in Khyber tribal region and continued to operate from there. He was held responsible for the September 2015 attack on a Pakistan Air Force base in Peshawar's Badaber area, which killed 29 people. He was also behind the January 2016 attack on the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda in which 18 students and faculty members lost their lives. He was not considered as a threat to the US until it declared him a 'global terrorist' on May 25 - four days after the US targeted Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a drone strike in Balochistan. --IANS ksk Wing Commander Pooja Thakur, who became a prominent face of the Indian Air Force (IAF) after leading the Guard of Honour during US President Barack Obama's visit to India in 2015, on Thursday moved the Armed Forces Tribunal against her being denied a permanent commission in the force. The tribunal has admitted the plea, Thakur's lawyer Sudhanshu Pandey told the media. "IAF says Pooja Thakur was offered permanent commission in 2012. She declined it then and it can be offered only once. No new offer can be given," Pandey added. Thakur, 37, was commissioned into the Administration Branch of the IAF in 2001. At that time a Short Service Commission officer could serve for five years and then opt for another five years. The rules were later modified and five more years of service were added. Official sources said that an officer -- a man or a woman -- has to seek permanent commission and then has to meet the laid down criteria. The sources also clarified that the policy for granting permanent commission to any officer, be it a man or a woman, is equal and there were no separate rules governing this. --IANS sk/vm Controversial Mumbai-based Islamic preacher has cancelled his media interaction on Thursday for the third time. "It is very difficult to do a press conference. We will announce another conference soon. Naik himself is willing to come and share information with people," official spokesperson of Naik's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) told on Thursday. The conference was cancelled late Wednesday night. Naik, who is travelling abroad was suppose to communicate with the media in Mumbai via video-conference, after his IRF managed to get a venue on Wednesday. IRF on Wednesday said that it was not getting any venue to address the media in Mumbai. At least four venues, including three five-star hotels and the World Trade Centre (WTC), had declined permission for conducting his press conference via Skype. They finally managed to get a permission to hold conference at the Mehfil Hall, in Agripada, south Mumbai. The televangelist, who addresses audiences around the world, is currently on a lecture tour in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Africa. "We can expect him back in India very soon. Though for now we don't have any date of him (Naik) returning," the spokesperson added. He began with talks on comparative religion, exhibiting a huge storehouse of knowledge that attracted a large number of Muslims and many non-Muslims too. But as his popularity grew, Zakir Naik turned Islamist, declaring non-Muslims as "disoriented", justifying sex with female slaves and calling upon Indian Muslims to refrain from saying "namaste". Naik, now 50, is founder of the Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and Peace TV, which has over 100 million viewers. A doctor by training, Naik is now in trouble over allegations that his interpretation of Islam has radicalized young Muslims in India and beyond. In his early speeches, Naik referred to popular misconceptions about Islam. In a 2006 talk, he even claimed that the "Kalki Avatar" in Hinduism was a prophesy for Prophet Mohammad. He drew parallels between jehad and Lord Krishna's call in the Bhagavad Gita to fight evil. As the years rolled by, Naik turned against other religions, calling some hoax. Some, he told gatherings, were no . He quoted the Upanishad and other texts to claim that idol worship was against Hinduism. Naik said it was wrong for Muslims to say "Namaste" or "Vande Mataram" and greet Christians with "Merry Christmas". "The Bible has over 50,000 errors, it's unscientific," he declared in some lectures. He made fun of Jesus Christ's sermon to offer the other cheek if slapped on one. He told a young Christian at one crowd: "It's baseless. Would you keep offering your cheek if we keep slapping you?" At his gatherings, Naik would often bluntly ask questioners if he or she would embrace Islam if he answered their questions correctly. Some agreed and ended up changing their . He said Muslims too could embrace other religions. But the punishment for this, he would quickly add, was "maut" (death). Asked by a man if he considered Hindus as humans since he did not consider Hinduism as a religion, Naik replied: "If by Hindu you mean a geographical definition, then I don't have any problem." "For peace to prevail, you have to follow the guidance of the Quran," he said while answering a question from a Jew at a conference in India. Among Naik's other controversial teachings: * "It is the duty of every Muslim to convey the message of Allah to non-Muslims." This comment triggered a ban on his entering the UK. * He defended Osama bin Laden and called 9/11 an "American conspiracy". * "If the word 'terrorist' means to terrorize the ememies or unsocial elements, then every Muslim must be a terrorist." * "A Muslim can have sex with his wife or what his right hand possesses, which means a slave." He referred to slaves as "prisoners of war". * Guantanamo Bay, which houses imprisoned terrorists, was holding "Muslim slaves". * Asked why many Muslims become terrorists, Naik said: "It is a media strategy to malign Islam." * Justifying polygamy, Naik said there were more women in the world than men and polygamy saved "extra women" from becoming "public property". * Campaigning against pork, Naik argued that pig invited other males to have sex with his female mate. "Something similar happens in the Western society where they go to dance parties and do (wife) swapping." This, he said, was because Westerners ate pork. As Naik's hate poison spread, he began to face bans in many countries including the US, Canada and the UK. He has also been denied permission in some Indian cities to hold meetings. And more than once, the Darul Uloom Deoband, India's largest and oldest Islamic seminary, issued fatwas asking Muslims not to go by Naik's sermons and teachings. (IANS correspondent Kushagra Dixit has followed Zakir Naik for years. Before writing this, he spent hours re-listening to many of his sermons again and again to ensure accuracy. He can be reached at kushagra.d@ians.inWhitney Achievement Elementary School, in the Memphis community of Frayser, is located adjacent to a field (behind the tree line) that is the site of a proposed demolition landfill. (Photo by Kayleigh Skinner, Chalkbeat Tennessee)
By Katie Kull, Chalkbeat Tennessee A Memphis developer is retreating for now from its second proposal to expand a landfill next to an elementary school after again drawing the ire of residents in the citys Frayser community. However, a spokeswoman for Memphis Wrecking Co. said Wednesday that the developer expects to come back with a better plan. The company announced it has pulled its application to expand next to Whitney Achievement Elementary School one day before the proposal was scheduled to go before the Shelby County Land Use Control Board. The decision came after several months of dialogue with local residents, said company planner Brenda Solomito Basar. This process has been extremely valuable and has inspired us to keep working and to come back with a better plan, she said in a news release. Contacted later, Basar said a plan is in the works based on discussions with residents, but that she could not provide details. All I can say is there were a lot of good insights in meetings with the neighbors about different things they will like to see, so we are going to explore those ideas and come back with a better plan, she said. This is the second time that Memphis Wrecking Co. has backed off from plans to expand its Frayser landfill. Last June, the company pulled its application following media reports about the companys desire to expand its landfill for demolition material on 34 acres adjacent to the school, with a buffer of about 25 acres. As they did last year, company officials argued that the debris has to go somewhere and that this landfill would not hold household materials or hazardous waste. And as they did last year, school and community advocates argued that an elementary school where children study and play isnt an appropriate neighbor for a landfill. With 440 students, Whitney Achievement Elementary School serves children who are mostly black and from low-income families in one of the citys most economically depressed areas. The school is operated by the state-run Achievement School District. At a recent community forum, Frayser residents expressed concern about blight in their community and questioned whether the landfill would have been proposed as a neighbor for schools in more affluent neighborhoods. Tim Ware, executive director for Achievement Schools, has been among the most vocal opponents of the proposal. The message from Frayser is that the expansion of a trash pile next door to a school as great as Whitney Elementary is diametrically opposed to the best interests of the community, Ware told Chalkbeat earlier this week. The companys website offers specifics about its proposal here. Editors note: This story has been updated to add that the proposed expansion includes a 25-acre buffer from the school. Chalkbeat Tennessee is a nonprofit news organization covering educational change in public schools. Read more about Tennessee education news at tn.chalkbeat.org. By Jody Callahan of The Commercial Appeal A Shelby County Sheriff's deputy has been suspended without pay over a Facebook post, apparently regarding the Black Lives Matter shutdown of Interstate 40 Sunday. Sheriff's spokesman Earle Farrell confirmed the suspension, but said he could not release the name. Farrell said the sheriff's office just found out about the message Wednesday and took "immediate action." "We have suspended a deputy that put something up on Facebook. He has been suspended without pay," Farrell said. "Our people are investigating it, and that's all I can tell you." The deputy, though, is believed to be Jeremy McNary. His Facebook page had been taken down late Wednesday, apparently after he said police should use fire hoses on the protesters Sunday. Last semester at my school, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, students protested the privatization of the campus bookstore through rallies and social media uproar . Such backlash seemed due to fear of change-change for the workers at the store and change for the Chapel Hill community.For many protestors, the bookstore represented a longstanding campus staple that was being undermined by shortsighted university officials. But what many of my classmates failed to understand is that privatization-of bookstores and other non-academic campus services-will play in their favor. It especially will help the students most burdened with the high costs of university education.While some students view the first day of classes as an exciting start to the semester, for me and many others it's a time of dread, for we must find ways to pay for the various books assigned in each course. I always pray that I have to buy only one or two books from the student store, and that the store has cheap used copies or viable alternative editions, but that seems to never be the case.That's due in large part to the college textbook market, which is a racket dominated by just five publishers with few incentives to change. For four years, I and my fellow classmates are "captive" customers; when a professor assigns a book, we usually have no choice but to make the purchase.As a result of this flawed system, textbook prices have risen more than 800 percent over the last 30 years. The Huffington Post estimates that students today dole out around $655 per semester just on textbooks. Unfortunately, small operations such as my campus store don't have the bargaining power or economies of scale to facilitate lower prices. Barnes & Noble, however, does have that ability.The bookstore chain's recent acquisition of UNC's store is expected to lower textbook prices by 10 percent and introduce a highly demanded price matching program. That program will give students the opportunity to find cheaper books elsewhere yet still receive them from the student bookstore-a significant convenience.In addition to lowering prices for students, Barnes & Noble has signed a 10-year contract with UNC that includes a stipulation to create need-based academic scholarships from store profits amounting to $2 million annually . This will be a $1.6 million increase over previously awarded bookstore scholarships, which were at their highest last year at $400,000 Nevertheless, for many student protesters, the financial savings from privatization seem to be secondary to job protection for bookstore employees. Some had predicted that by losing the "UNC" in "UNC Student Stores," employees would be terminated. But so far such fears have proved unfounded; since the transition, not a single person has lost his or her job.Should someone eventually lose his or her employment, however, it's important to put things in perspective in terms of overall costs and benefits. As Matthew Fajack, UNC's vice chancellor for finance and administration, has stated, "[There is a] tradeoff between losing a couple people and [$2 million] in scholarships-you have to run an efficient university."In other words, if thousands of students are going to benefit from the transition via lower book prices and more scholarship opportunities, we shouldn't wring our hands over a couple of job cuts.While privatization of the bookstore was a great step forward, other campus services and amenities also could benefit from such a transition.Take student housing. As someone who has worked for the department of housing and residential education for the last two years, I've seen a reduction in the number of students living on campus each year. That's because the dorms are old, expensive, and lack the amenities students want. Little is being done to make them competitive with some of the private offerings off campus.Down the road from the failing on-campus housing, Granville Towers-UNC's housing option under privatized management-is thriving. Although it isn't centrally located on campus, it offers many of the amenities that students want, such as a parking lot, fitness center, and better dining options. Furthermore, Granville residents have a housing plan (that includes an unlimited meal plan) priced at $5,132 per semester, $300 less than comparable campus plans.I make this point not as an argument for more housing construction, private or otherwise-if anything, higher education's amenities-industrial complex needs significant de-escalation. Rather, I believe university officials should take a closer look at existing offerings and determine if privatization would reduce costs for students. If so, the decision to privatize should be a no-brainer.If the persistent UNC-Chapel Hill protests over privatization signify anything, it's that students fear major changes on their campuses (and many seem to have an aversion to capitalism, but that's a topic for another day). New, outside management and the potential employment turnover drive a fear that privatized entities won't act in the campus's best interests. But the facts suggest that simply isn't the case.Reduced costs, more scholarships, and greater convenience are just some of the benefits that privatization provides. I encourage my fellow classmates, as well as campus leaders, to advocate privatized options where possible to help make university education more affordable. It's the right thing to do-financially and ethically. SHARE By Daniel Connolly of The Commercial Appeal The Collierville school system is hosting the Tennessee Educational Technology Association's Summer Institute this week at Collierville High School. School technology directors from across the state are present, along with vendors showcasing technology products. Organizers said more than 400 teachers have registered for a free day of technology classes on Friday. For more information, visit teta.org. SHARE By Ron Maxey of The Commercial Appeal The financial implications could be the most interesting aspect of the rift between Mississippi leaders over appealing the state's "Religious Freedom" law, one constitutional law expert believes. Matt Steffey, of the Mississippi College School of Law, says Attorney General Jim Hood's decision Wednesday not to join Governor Phil Bryant in challenging a federal judge's ruling against the law probably doesn't matter in terms of the legalities. Suing in his capacity as governor, a successful appeal by Bryant should carry just as much weight as if Hood joined in the appeal, according to Steffey. Not having the state's top legal officer involved could, however, figure into liability for legal expenses if Bryant loses the appeal, Steffey says. "That would be the most interesting thing to see," said Steffey, who believes it unlikely the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will reverse Judge Carlton Reeves' June 30 decision that the law is unconstitutional. "An appeal is an appeal as far as that goes, but will the state pay legal expenses if the attorney general isn't behind it?" It's unclear, however, how much the cost to the state would actually be. Drew Snyder, an attorney in the governor's office, filed the appeal on behalf of Bryant after Hood expressed reservations about appealing immediately after Reeves' decision. But also shown as representing Bryant in documents filed with the Fifth Circuit Monday are James A. Campbell, an attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom, and Jonathan Mitchell and John Sauer of the James Otis Law Group of St. Louis. The governor's office says Mitchell and Sauer are representing Bryant pro bono, and Alliance Defending Freedom a coalition of Christian organizations drafted the "Religious Freedom" legislation. Bryant, a Republican, has been a staunch supporter of the measure to allow conscientious religious objectors to decline services to same-sex couples and others. He criticized Hood's decision not to participate in the appeal, saying the Democratic attorney general "abandoned his duty" by not defending the law. Bryant said Democrats have failed to win elections in Mississippi, "so they have joined secular progressives in their attempts to legislate through the courts." Hood, in his announcement Wednesday, said he wouldn't appeal because it would be "divisive and expensive." All the law has done "is tarnish Mississippi's image while distracting us from the more pressing issues of decaying roads and bridges, underfunding of public education, the plight of the mentally ill and the need to solve our state's financial mess," Hood said. Computer rendering of state-of-the-art lighting systems installation on the Big River Crossing Boardwalk on the Harahan Bridge. Photo provided by Mayor's office. SHARE By Tom Charlier of The Commercial Appeal One hundred years to the day after the opening of the Harahan Bridge and barely three months from the scheduled completion of a bicycle-pedestrian boardwalk on the span virtual tours of the project became available to the public Thursday. The public relations and advertising firm hired to develop the brand for the boardwalk launched a website featuring drone footage, a 360-degree video images, a slideshow and links to videos on the history of the Mississippi River span and a Facebook page on the project. Nearly a mile in length and costing $17 million, the boardwalk is the centerpiece of the $40 million Main to Main Intermodal Connector Project, will help link the downtowns of Memphis and West Memphis. It also will connect trail systems on the Tennessee side with bicycle routes along levees and paths through a park on the Arkansas side. A grand opening for the boardwalk is set for Oct. 22. "There's such a pent-up interest in the bridge, not only in Memphis, but regionally and nationwide, even internationally, that we wanted to create enough lead time for travelers ...," said Doug Carpenter, principal of Doug Carpenter & Associates. DCA is developing the brand for both the Big River Crossing, the name for the boardwalk, and the Delta Regional River Park, which is being established near the west end of the bridge in Arkansas. As the grand opening approaches, the website will provide information on events planned as part of the celebration. The Harahan opened July 14, 1916, nearly a quarter century after the completion of the adjacent Frisco Bridge, the first steel span across the Lower Mississippi. Unlike the Frisco, the Harahan was a multi-rail bridge, and it also accommodated lanes for motor vehicles on cantilevered decks. Car and truck traffic on the span was shut down when the nearby Memphis & Arkansas Bridge opened in 1949. The boardwalk is being installed on the north cantilevered deck, which provides unobstructed views of Downtown Memphis. "For decades, some of the most iconic images of our city have been our bridges," said Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland in a prepared statement this week. "This extraordinarily generous plan will make them even more iconic. The addition of the lighting on these bridges will be a major positive step in activating one of our most unique assets, the Mississippi River." SHARE Memphis has played a crucial role the civil rights movement, and news out of Washington Tuesday could draw even more attention to that fact. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., praised the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee's approval of the U.S. Civil Rights Network Act of 2015, which he co-sponsored. The legislation would create a national network of existing sites that were central to the civil rights movement. Two sites in Memphis the Church of God in Christ's Mason Temple, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "Mountaintop" speech, and the Lorraine Motel, where he was assassinated the next day are on the tentative list of sites that could be included in the network. Both sites already are recognized internationally as significant civil rights icons, but adding them to a network administered by the National Park Service would enhance their importance. SHARE By Eli Lake A theme of President Barack Obama's counterterrorism policy has been a relentless narrowing of focus. Under his watch, the U.S. has not been at war with terror or radical Islam. It has been in discrete conflicts with al-Qaida's core leadership and its affiliate in Yemen and the Islamic State. And while Obama's war has waxed and waned, he has never explained its disparate parts as a whole the way his predecessor did. Michael Flynn, who served as Obama's second Defense Intelligence Agency director, takes the opposite view. "Field of Fight," a new book Flynn co-wrote with historian Michael Ledeen, argues that America is up against a global alliance between radical jihadis and anti-American nation states like Russia, Cuba and North Korea. They say this war will last at least a generation. And they say it will require outside ground forces to go after al-Qaida and the Islamic State as well as a sustained information campaign to discredit the ideology of radical Islam. One might think a big war is a quaint throwback to the era after 9/11 when George W. Bush delivered his speech about the "axis of evil." But Flynn is very much a man of the moment. Over the weekend, The Washington Post reported this former special operations officer and three-star general was Donald Trump's leading choice for vice president. At the very least he has the real-estate mogul's ear when it comes to national security. In some ways this makes for an odd pairing. While Trump has promised to vaguely "knock the hell" out of the Islamic State, the candidate of "America First" has also promised to reach out to Russia's president Vladimir Putin to see if more cooperation is possible. Flynn, who flew to Moscow last year to attend a conference sponsored by the state's propaganda outlet, RT, is nonetheless very critical of Putin. "When it is said that Russia would make an ideal partner for fighting Radical Islam, it behooves us to remember that the Russians haven't been very effective at fighting jihadis on their own territory, and are in cahoots with the Iranians. In Syria, the two allies have loudly proclaimed they are waging war against ISIS, but in reality the great bulk of their efforts are aimed at the opponents of the Assad regime," Flynn and Ledeen write. But all of this raises questions about the central theme of "Field of Fight," that countries like Russia are in an alliance at all with radical Islam. If the Russians have fought ineffectively against jihadis, are we also to believe they are in an alliance with them? When I spoke with Flynn over the weekend, he said why he chose to call it an alliance: "It was a simpler way to explain the relationships." So what binds these countries and movements together, then? The authors say the countries and revolutionary movements in this alliance share a fondness for totalitarianism, and perceive America as their chief threat. In this sense it's similar to how Stalin and Hitler had a brief pact in World War II. "The countries and movements that are trying to destroy us have worldviews that may seem to be in violent conflict with one another," they write. "But they are united by their hatred of the democratic West and their conviction that dictatorship is superior." To bolster this claim, Ledeen and Flynn focus primarily on the nexus between Iran and Russia and then later Iran and Sunni Muslim jihadis like al-Qaida. Some of this is familiar material. After its safe haven was smashed in Afghanistan in 2001, some of al-Qaida's leaders and their immediate families fled to Iran. Iran has supported al-Qaida's franchise in Syria at times and the first leader of al-Qaida's Iraq franchise traveled to Iraq through Iran. Flynn and Ledeen promise that more details about al-Qaida's relationship with Iran can be found in the documents captured in 2011 from Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan. But those documents remain classified by the Obama administration, Flynn says, for political reasons. As far as Russia's relationship with Iran goes, they point to Russian arms sales to Iran and the aid Russian engineers have provided to Iran's Bushehr reactor. Left out of this, though, is Russia's cooperation with the West on sanctions against Iran's financial system and oil exports. Flynn himself allows that in some areas, it's possible for the U.S. to cooperate with Russia in the larger war against radical Islam. In this sense, the authors are not really arguing that America should be in a shooting war with all of the countries that don't like America, and with radical Islam. Instead, they call for a kind of two-track approach. On the battlefield, they call for more tactical alliances with regional countries against the Islamic State and al-Qaida. But another component is a political war. Specifically, they say the next president should wage an ideological campaign to discredit not only radical Islam but also the dictatorships that oppose the West. To the skeptical reader this broad campaign may sound like a recipe for endless war. But Obama's alternatively narrower and discrete war has landed in the same place. Despite Obama's best efforts to phase out Bush's war on terror, his successor will inherit it nonetheless. Flynn and Ledeen argue the next president should go big and try to win it. Eli Lake is a Bloomberg View columnist. SHARE By Jay Ambrose There's a virtual war on cops. It has been ginned up by grotesquely distorted accusations of anti-black police racism, and the tragic irony is that a thoroughly denounced, less proactively aggressive police force has resulted in more murderous misery in already beaten-up black neighborhoods. This virtual war began to take on aspects of the real thing when a mentally demented, hateful, black sniper in Dallas shot 12 policemen, killing five. That was followed by screeching protesters in another setting throwing concrete at police. The Dallas horror, planned for some time, had been preceded only a few days earlier by fatal police shootings of two black men. Nationwide protests against police racism were generated by videos that, without question, were dramatically disturbing. But they did not supply all the details needed for a final verdict nor demonstrate whites would not have met the same fate. After all, in 2015, police shot 494 whites compared to 258 blacks, and while blacks are just 13 percent of the population, they commit far more crimes than whites. Here is a point too many analysts miss, but not Heather Mac Donald, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute think tank whose just published book is titled, "The War on Cops." She observes that blacks commit 57 percent of all murders and 40 percent of all police shootings. Black murders are mainly committed by blacks, and the annual number is around 6,000, more than whites and Hispanics together. Lots of statistics could be piled on these, but what they add up to is that police on a daily basis are confronting far more blacks in difficult, threatening situations than whites. It should not be surprising to any intellectually honest person, then, that they shoot more blacks as a percentage of the total than whites. Precious few of those shootings have been proved unjustified, and various reputable studies say they are not racist, including a recent one by a black economist at Harvard. But protesters are not convinced, numerous pundits do not seemed convinced and President Barack Obama has not seemed convinced. In a memorial speech in Dallas, he said many positive, heartening things, such as the nation being less divided than it sometimes seems, that police have tough jobs and that much is being asked of police when "we ask too little of ourselves." But he repeated his core charge that there are all sorts of racial biases embedded in the criminal justice system, not only feeding misbegotten attitudes but leading to wrong solutions. We all know most blacks are law-abiding people who contribute mightily to this nation. We know racism still afflicts them. We know there are bad cops out there, just as there are bad people in any large group. But, if this particular discussion leaves out mention of black crime rates, an essential part of the context is missing. For instance, you get all kinds of federal interventions in local police forces that do more demonizing than teaching of tactics that, if the teachers knew anything, might help. What's needed is more attention to interracial cultural problems that happen to be hitting blacks especially hard. One is single-parent homes that make it far more likely children will later involve themselves in crime. Re-establishing family is no easy matter, but showing more respect for cops is. From 1993 to the present day, gun homicides in America came down by almost half, and one reason among several was almost certainly more and improved policing. Right now, owing largely to government-abetted outrage over police shootings (including the one in Ferguson, Missouri, in which the Justice Department found the officer guiltless), police seem to have become less proactive, Mac Donald says. Last year and the first quarter this year, homicides have been increasing significantly in the nation's largest cities, meaning large numbers of black deaths. Respect for cops is needed. Don't black lives matter? Jay Ambrose is a columnist for Tribune News Service. Contact him at speaktojay@aol.com. SHARE By Rekha Basu Every time I hear a phrase like "both sides agree" in reference to Black Lives Matter and police, it makes me bristle. Not because there aren't usually two or more sides, and not because agreement isn't a good thing. But because some folks, including in the press, want to make a binary equation between the unprovoked killing of five Dallas police officers by an enraged black man, on one side, and the unprovoked killings of multiple black civilians by multiple police officers on the other. The two are not parallel: The killing of random police by a black civilian, though deplorable and heartbreaking, is not a widespread phenomenon. No one from Black Lives Matter or the shooter's family justifies it. Quite the opposite. The mother of Minnesotan Philando Castile, whose shooting death by police is being protested, said anyone resorting to violence to avenge her son's death disrespects him. The enraged Dallas police killer, Micah Johnson, had his own issues. Accused of sexual harassment, he'd been let go by the Army and was reportedly planning a much larger attack but rescheduled it to capitalize on the Black Lives Matter rally. Johnson may have had more in common with Adam Lanza, Dylann Roof and the other mentally unstable mass shooters from Columbine to Newtown to Orlando than with the Black Lives Matter movement. The latter is a bunch of ordinary citizens calling for an end to police stops, detentions and violence against suspects that are prompted at least partly by racial stereotypes. And not all of its supporters are black. A rally in Louisville, Ky., Monday by a group called White People for Racial Justice underscored that fact. "I show up today because until black lives matter, all lives matter is a lie," declared a white female participant. What triggered the marches in many cities, including Dallas, were the apparently unprovoked killings by police of black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and St. Anthony, Minnesota. In Baton Rouge July 5, police shot Alton Sterling, 37, to death while holding him down on the ground in the parking lot of a convenience store, where he had been selling CDs. Cellphone video shows someone yelling of the suspect, "He's got a gun!" and then an officer shooting Sterling. Although Sterling did have a gun in his pocket, the video shows he would have been unable to reach for it while pinned down, as police have claimed he did. The convenience store owner said he saw police remove the gun from Sterling's pocket after the shooting. The federal Justice Department is investigating civil rights violations. In Minnesota, 32-year-old Philando Castile was pulled over by police July 6, according to the officer's attorney, because his car had a broken tail light or brake light and Castile matched the description of an armed robbery suspect from a few days earlier. But on tape, the only similarity the officer notes is that both men had wide noses. Castile had a valid permit to carry a gun, and tried to tell the officer he was carrying one, according to his girlfriend, who was there. But officers evidently took that as a threat and shot him. If black men are already regarded as a threat, black men with guns are regarded as a menace. But in truth, anyone carrying a gun should be a threat. Situations like this just show what can happen when the carrier is the hunted one. Yet lawmakers in Texas and elsewhere, enticed by campaign contributions from the gun lobby, are increasingly allowing just anyone to openly carry a weapon. The Dallas police-killer used a high-powered rifle and also carried two semi-automatic pistols, all bought legally. Rudy Giuliani doesn't like the sound of Black Lives Matter. The former New York City mayor and past Republican presidential candidate calls the very notion "inherently racist" and "anti-American." Interesting that Giuliani's concerns over racism center on a slogan rather than the actual racial profiling of black men. Castile, who had dreadlocks, had been pulled over at least 52 times in the last 14 years, according to the Associated Press. About half of the citations issued to him were later dismissed. Could Giuliani or anyone say with a straight face that Castile's race had nothing to do with it? And that's all that Black Lives Matter means: That black people have an equal right to move freely without being stopped and suspected. That before rushing to judgment and aiming a gun at a black subject over something trivial, remember that black lives matter, too. The language we use matters. It should be precise. Yet too often in reporting, Black Lives Matter, the movement, is used as synonymous with black people as a group, leaving the impression that black people are perpetually disgruntled or in protest. A radio newscast on Monday reported that while Dallas police mourned the loss of their officers, black activists protested callously, it implied. But those protests also began with grief over people who were killed. Let's not reduce this to a case of blacks vs. cops or Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter. As the events in Dallas unfold, I've been wondering how it feels to be Dallas Police Chief David Brown. He has gracefully juggled his role as head of law enforcement with that of a black man who might, in different clothes and circumstances, be racially profiled himself. On top of that, he's a law enforcement officer concerned, he has said, about the challenges that arming civilians have brought. You could see all those factors at play when he told a protester Monday to become "part of the solution." "We're hiring," Brown said, several times. Rekha Basu is a columnist for the Des Moines Register. North Carolina moves toward college transparency RALEIGH A federal bill that would require colleges and universities to provide applicants information about the costs and returns of higher education was approved on Monday by the U.S. House of Representatives.House Resolution 3178, the "Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act," is designed to help college students understand their prospects at any college in the United States before they dip into their savings accounts or take out loans to pay for higher education, according to Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th District, the bill's sponsor.said Foxx, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Higher Education.she added.The legislation would require the U.S. Secretary of Education to provide a "College Dashboard" website with information about college completion rates and current price calculators to give applicants accurate assessments of education costs.Additionally, the bill would ensure that data on higher education is accurate and consistent across all federal agencies, and would provide a link to the College Dashboard from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid's website.H.R. 3178, which was introduced on July 23, 2015, will now go before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for further consideration, said Foxx Communications Director Sheridan Watson.A North Carolina bill similar to H.R. 3178 was passed this year by the state legislature. Senate Bill 536, " Students Know Before You Go ," which Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law June 30, directs the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority to build a website that will help college applicants access information about financial aid, transfer rates, graduation rates, employment statistics, and wage projections for degrees at every public, private, and community college in the state.Introduced in 2015 by Sen. Chad Barefoot, R-Wake, the legislation also requires the NCSEAA to provide potential students with data about the North Carolina's projected employment needs and salary ranges.The measure will take effect in April 2017, seeing the Tar Heel State join a handful of other states that have enacted rules to provide applicants with information about the cost and worth of higher education. States with transparency rules for public or private institutions include Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Main, and Nevada. Maryland and Michigan also have passed transparency laws , but have focused those regulations on for-profit schools only.To learn more about North Carolina's S.B. 536, click here Microsoft is doing new things with its Surface tablets, and hoping that enterprises will find a lot to like. The company is taking steps to tailor the tablets to the needs of enterprises. The goal of customization is to differentiate the Surface from look-alike products, and to tie devices closely to a company's operations. "We're going to meet the enterprise on their terms," said Hayete Gallot, general manager of Microsoft Devices, in an interview with the IDG News Service. Surface tablets have been successful with consumers and professionals, and Microsoft is giving it an additional enterprise twist. The effort comes as companies look to upgrade to Windows 10 PCs, with tablet-laptop hybrids like Surface being popular replacements. The customization plans are centered around software and buying options, but Microsoft is also open to the idea of customizing Surface hardware. Microsoft is partnering with IBM and Booz Allen Hamilton to develop custom software for Surface devices. The software will be tuned specifically to a company's needs. Working with IBM is "like bringing the big dog" to develop custom software for Surface, Gallot said. IBM will use its expertise in analytics and big data to develop apps for the retail, consumer goods and health care industries. IBM will develop applications for retailers and consumer packaged goods companies to access analytics that will help maximize employee productivity. Interactive applications will also be made for demand forecasting and product and sales management. The partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton will be on tuning Surface tablets for government, public sector and health-care organizations, with a focus on security and manageability of devices. For example, Booz Allen Hamilton will able to offer lock-down features that will increase the security of devices, Gallot said. Microsoft can also customize hardware to meet enterprise needs, if needed. "We are open to it," Gallot said. It's not uncommon for enterprise customers to ask for specific hardware features when it comes to security, memory and storage capacity. But there's no demand yet for custom Surfaces, as the tablets are being widely used in enterprises in their current configurations, Gallot said. Microsoft also announced the Surface as a Service program, which provides flexibility on hardware purchases. Surface devices can be packaged with cloud services and paid for on a subscription basis. The subscription program is becoming popular as customers try to retain financial flexibility when purchasing new hardware, Gallot said. Such programs last from one to three years, and also give customers quicker access to hardware upgrades, Gallot said. HP also launched a similar hardware-as-a-service program last week. Such programs reduce the up-front cost of paying for hardware, and instead break them down into monthly chunks that are similar to installment payments. IDC says PC upgrades may pick up after Microsoft ends its free Windows 10 upgrade program on July 29. Companies may buy new PCs instead of paying for a Windows 10 OS license. There are questions lingering around the release of a possible successor to Surface 3, which Microsoft said it will stop making by the end of the year. Gallot didn't definitively say if such a device would be released, but said the Surface 3 sold well in the enterprise. Some home screen setups are noteworthy for their intricate nature. Others stand out with distinctive designs. But sometimes, it's sheer simplicity that makes an Android home screen appealing. That's the case with this latest Awesome Android Home Screen pick -- a configuration I like to call the Googley Hexagon. The Googley Hexagon is the brainchild of an Android user who goes by the (fittingly minimalist) name "Craig D." Mr. D seems to have wanted something simple and evocative of Google's colors and general aesthetic, so he came up with this lovely creation: Fresh, free of clutter, and utterly pleasing to the eye -- don't ya think? I recreated it on my own phone with a few slightly different touches: The best part: This setup is super easy to implement and customize to match your own personal preferences and needs. Want to try it for yourself? The Googley Hexagon setup shouldn't take more than five minutes to get onto your device. Here's what you need to know: The ingredients To implement the Googley Hexagon home screen on your own Android phone, you'll first need to install the following apps from the Google Play Store: Nova Launcher (free). One of the most customizable home screen replacements for Android; it serves as the foundation for this setup and allows everything to function the way it should. If you want extra features that'll let you do even more cool stuff, consider also grabbing the Nova Launcher Prime key ($4.99). You don't need the key to make this setup work, but it'll give you a bunch of useful advanced options that you'll almost certainly appreciate. Zooper Widget Pro ($2.99). A versatile widget app that's the backbone of this design's clock centerpiece. Craig D's custom Zooper clock skin (free). Follow the link to download it onto your device directly from Craig himself. Craig D's custom Material wallpaper (free). Open the link on your device, then tap the image, tap the menu icon in the upper-right corner, and use the "Set as" command to make it your wallpaper (or select "Download" if you want to save it directly to your storage). Dives Icon Pack ($0.99). The icons you need to complete this look. A file manager like Solid Explorer (free for 14 days) or any comparable utility. You'll just need this once during the setup in order to unzip and then move a file on your device. So all in all, you're looking at about four bucks for the home screen's basic functionality -- $9 if you want to go all in with Nova and take advantage of its full set of features. Remember, too, that Zooper Widget is incredibly versatile and has tons of user-made skins available in the Play Store -- many of which are free. And Nova, of course, can be used for all sorts of custom creations beyond this one setup. So whether you spend $4 or $9, you're investing in apps that are well worth their cost and capable of opening up many more possibilities for your home screen in the future. The recipe Once you have the above ingredients installed on your device, follow these steps to get your new home screen up and running: (Fair warning: This may seem like a lot to do, but that's only because I'm breaking everything down into detailed individual steps. If you follow these exact instructions, the process is actually pretty straight-forward and shouldn't take long to complete.) 1. Hit your device's Home button, then select Nova Launcher and tell the system to do that same thing every time. (You can always change this in the "Home" section of your main system settings if you later decide you want to go back to what you were using before.) 2. Open up Nova Settings, which should be available as an app either on your home screen or in your app drawer. Tap "Desktop," then "Desktop grid." Set the vertical value (the number to the left of the grid) to 7 and the horizontal value (the number below the grid) to 6 and make sure "Subgrid Positioning" is checked. Tap "Done" when you're finished. 3. While still in the "Desktop" section of Nova Settings, tap "Icon layout." Tap the toggle next to "Label" to turn that option off, then tap your device's Back button once. 4. One more thing while we're still in the "Desktop" section: Find the option labeled "Page indicator." Tap it and select "None." (This isn't part of the original design, but I think it adds to its minimalist vibe. If you decide you prefer having the page indicators present, feel free to disregard this step and leave that option active!) 5. Tap your device's Back button to get back to the main Nova Settings menu, then tap "Dock" followed by "Dock icons." Set that value to 6, then tap "Done." (The original design has a platform-style background behind the dock. I prefer it without the background, personally, but if you like the background in place, you can enable it via the "Dock Background" option in this same settings section.) 6. Tap your device's Back button to get back to the main Nova Settings menu, then tap "Look & feel" and "Icon theme." Select "Dives" from the list. 7. Head back to your home screen (either by pressing your device's Home button or pressing the Back key a couple of times). Now open up Solid Explorer (or whatever file manager you have on your phone) and use it to navigate to your "Download" directory and find the file called "material_google_clock_craigd.zip." Tap that file, then keep tapping until you get to a folder within the zip called "Templates" and see a file called "material_google_clock_craigd.zw." Next, you're going to need to move that file into a different directory on your device. In Solid Explorer, tap and hold the file until its line becomes highlighted, then tap the scissors icon at the top of the screen. Tap the words "Internal Memory" in the folder navigation structure toward the top of the screen, then find and tap the folder named "ZooperWidget" -- then, within it, find and tap the folder named "Templates." Once you're in the "Templates" folder, tap the yellow paste icon at the bottom of the screen. The "material_google_clock_craigd.zw" file should now appear. 8. We're almost done! All that remains is to set everything up on your home screen. First, clear out everything that's there so we can start with a completely blank canvas. One by one, touch and hold every item on the screen -- including all shortcuts and the Google search bar at the top -- and remove all of the items by dragging them one at a time up to the "x" at the top of the screen. Now, open your app drawer and drag all the apps you want on your home screen into place. There's no real secret to creating the hexagon pattern in the main part of the home screen; you just drop each shortcut you want into the proper spot to form the shape: The same goes for the dock; just drag and drop your desired shortcuts into place. If you want to use the transparent square icon for the app drawer shortcut, meanwhile, tap and hold that shortcut for a moment and then select "Edit" from the menu that appears. Tap the app drawer icon in the edit box, then select "Dive" and find the transparent square design. 9. Last but not least, the clock widget: Tap and hold an empty space on your screen, then select "Widgets" and find "Zooper Widget 5x2" in the list that appears. Tap and hold that, then drag it to the appropriate place on your home screen. The widget is pretty much ready to go as is, though you may want to change a couple of things while you're in the initial configuration screen. First, if you want the widget to do something specific when you tap it -- like open a certain app -- look for the option labeled "Widget OnTap Action" and adjust that setting accordingly. If you prefer the traditional American date format ("Wed, July 13") over the style used by default ("Wed 13, July"), tap "Layout" and then look for the line labeled "Date." Tap it, then select the option to "Edit text manually" and adjust it as needed, using the selectable quick-codes on the screen to represent variables like the day of the month. (You could also change the text to something completely different, like the current weather and/or the name of your favorite Milli Vanilli member, if you want.) When you're done, hit your device's Back button until you're back on your home screen. If the clock didn't land exactly where you want it, just press and hold it and then slide it to the right spot. The result That's everything! Enjoy your newly minimal and Googley home screen setup, and keep your eyes open for more interesting arrangements in the weeks to come. Check out more Android expert profiles below or in the official Google+ collection -- and send your own creative home screen submissions to AwesomeHomeScreens@gmail.com! With presidential candidates looking to reach more viewers, especially younger voters, both the Republican and the Democratic national conventions this summer will be live streaming their events. Live streaming, while not a new technology, has become a hot communication tool and people heading up to the conventions are seeing it as a way to reach potential voters who might not watch the events on television or read about them in print or online. "It's vital," Andrew Binns, chief innovation officer with the Democratic National Convention Committee, told Computerworld. "We are [live streaming] on more than a dozen platforms to make sure that we bring content to people [the way] they watch content. The audience nowadays is so fragmented in their viewing habits. You've got cord cutters. You've got people who watch on cable, people who watch on tablets and cell phones and computers. We want them to watch however they want to watch." The Democratic National Convention (DNC), which will be held in Philadelphia from July 25 to 28, will be live streaming multiple channels, including a 360-degree live stream, a main live stream with coverage from beginning to end, a Spanish-language stream and a stream with interviews and behind-the-scenes content. The live streams will be on the DNC mobile app, as well as YouTube, xBox, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Direct TV, Twitch, Bing, Twitter and Facebook, amonng other sites. The DNC began live streaming the convention in 2008 but had only broadcast it on its website and app. "It's the first time expanding beyond those two digital properties," Binns said. "It's how hardware and software have grown in the last two years Live streaming is the only way to get to some of the screens that people have in their homes." The Republican National Convention also is using live streaming, but did not respond to requests for comment. The Republican convention, which is being held in Cleveland next Monday through Thursday, will be live streamed on its RNC app, which is be available on iOS through iTunes and on Android through the Google Play store. The app also offers maps, a restaurant guide, biographies of event speakers and other information, according to the RNC website. The RNC website notes that there will be a 360-degree live stream for certain events and a live stream of "gavel to gavel" coverage. It also will likely be live streamed on other sites and plateforms. Twitter will also live stream both conventions and will include coverage and commentary from CBS News in a special licensing deal. "Overall, I think what we are seeing is that live video is becoming increasingly more important to organizations that want to reach a broad array of consumers," said Brian Blau, an analyst with market research firm Gartner. "In addition, today's youth, as well as others, are starting to use and interact with live video on many different platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Over time, we will see engagement increase, too, as organizations, such as the DNC and RNC, want to make sure they have as many touch points with their constituents as possible." Binns noted that what the DNC is doing in live streaming is so unprecedented that he has no idea how many users it will reach. "Eight years ago -- only two conventions ago -- the App Store had just launched," Binns noted. "I told that to a group of interns here who were quite shocked that the world existed before the invention of apps and iPhones. Apps nowadays are ubiquitous to everyday life, from viral sensations, like Pokemon Go, to steadfast apps that people use every day." The DNC app, which has not yet launched, is being designed for viewers who want to follow the convention remotely, as well as for people who will attend the convention and will need maps and schedules. Jeff Kagan, an independent industry analyst, noted that technology whether it's the internet, mobile apps or live streaming is affecting the way the public is viewing major political conventions. "Today, we don't watch regular networks like we used to," Kagan said. "Today, we use social sites and live streaming. Branching out to the platforms where users gather is key to reaching millions in new ways." A Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that was passed by the Senate on Wednesday has excluded key privacy provisions, including a requirement that commercial and government users of drones must disclose if they collect personally identifiable information of a person. The bill, which is a compromise short-term extension to ensure continued funding at current levels to the FAA, was passed by the Senate and goes to President Barack Obama to be signed into law, two days before the current authorization is to expire. It was earlier passed by the House of Representatives. But Senator Edward J. Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts and a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, on Wednesday said that the new bill, called the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016, was a missed opportunity. It does not include drone privacy provisions that he authored and were included in the Senate version of the FAA reauthorization bill that passed in April this year, the senator said in a statement. Civil rights groups have demanded drone privacy regulations, in the wake of moves to to liberalize the use of the unmanned aircraft for commercial and other purposes. On Wednesday, the Electronic Privacy Information Center said that the reauthorization had grounded privacy safeguards, though its proposal to require remote identification of drones had been included in the new bill. The provisions in the bill passed by the senate in April would require that government and commercial drone operators should disclose if they collect personally identifiable information about an individual, including by using facial recognition. Operators would also be required to disclose how they would use the personal data, its use for advertising or marketing purposes, and when the sensitive information would be destroyed, according to Markey. The April bill would also require that government operators should disclose their drones' location, purpose of flight and technical capabilities, such as cameras or license plates readers. Last week, leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee announced a bipartisan and bicameral agreement on an extension of the FAA authorization through Sept. 30, 2017, while Congress brokers a long-term reauthorization of the FAA. The FAA released in June its final rules for the operation of what it describes as small unmanned aircraft, limiting their weight to 55 pounds (25 kilograms) and to flying only during day at less than 400 feet within visual line-of-sight of operators. Some companies have said these rules, which take effect in August, make large-scale deployment of drones for deliveries unfeasible. The bill passed Wednesday would prohibit drones from interfering with emergency response activities, such as wildfire suppression and law enforcement, and provides for civil penalties of not more than US$20,000 for those found in violation. Drones are also to be used for firefighting and restoration of utilities. The legislation also has provisions for the setting up of a pilot program for mitigation of airspace hazards at airports and other critical infrastructure using unmanned aircraft detection systems. The FAA in consultation with other agencies shall also convene industry stakeholders to arrive at consensus standards for remotely identifying operators and owners of unmanned aircraft. The FAA extension will provide short-term stability for the commercial drone industry, said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of drone advocacy group, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, in a statement. "Its provisions will help expand commercial operations, advance research and keep the airspace safe for all users manned and unmanned," Wynne added. The National Telecommunications & Information Administration released in May a list of voluntary privacy best practices for commercial and non-commercial drone users, which were arrived at by drone organizations and companies like Amazon and Google's parent Alphabet. It was recommended, for example, that drone operators that collect personal data should explain in a privacy policy what personally identifiable information they will collect, for what purpose and if it will be shared with others, including law enforcement agencies. The European Commission On Thursday added new antitrust charges against Google in the areas of search and advertising as it continues to investigate the Internet search giant. The EC, in a "statement of objections," charged that Google places restrictions on the ability of certain third-party websites to display search advertisements from the search giant's competitors. Google places search ads directly on its search website but the company is also an intermediary on third-party websites through its "AdSense for Search" platform, according to the Commission. As a result, the company has prevented existing and potential competitors, including other search providers and online advertising platforms, from entering and growing in this lucrative area, according to the Commission. By EC rules, a statement of objections is a formal step in its antitrust investigations in which the commission informs the parties concerned in writing of the objections raised against them. The Commission also added a supplementary statement of objections to earlier charges that it leveled against the company in April 2015 that Google used its dominant position to favor its own comparison shopping product in search results. Today, we have further strengthened our case that Google has unduly favored its own comparison shopping service in its general search result pages, Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said. It means consumers may not see the most relevant results to their search queries. The Commission said it had examined Google's argument that comparison shopping services should not be considered in isolation, but together with the services provided by merchant platforms such as as Amazon and eBay. On April 15 last year, the Commission announced a statement of objections against the search giant in an investigation into charges that its Internet search in Europe favored its own comparison shopping product. The Commission said it considers comparison shopping services and merchant platforms as separate markets. The supplementary statement of objections finds that even if merchant platforms are included in the market impacted by Google's practices, comparison shopping services are a significant part of that market, and Google by its practices has "weakened or even marginalised" competition, the Commission said. Google and parent Alphabet have eight weeks to respond to the supplementary statement of objections and 10 weeks to respond to the statement of objections regarding AdSense. We believe that our innovations and product improvements have increased choice for European consumers and promote competition. Well examine the Commissions renewed cases and provide a detailed response in the coming weeks, said Google spokesman Mark Jansen in an email. The Commission in April also made antitrust charges against Google, alleging that the company foisted its search application and the Chrome browser on Android smartphones makers as a condition to license its other apps and services. Vestager said that the Google had asked for an extension to reply to these charges. "Today's Supplementary Statement of Objections to Google, reinforcing the Commissions preliminary conclusion that Google has abused its dominant position by systematically favoring its comparison shopping service in its search result pages, is another decisive step towards restoring the level playing field required for competition and innovation to thrive," said Shivaun Raff, CEO and co-founder of Foundem, the lead complainant in the Commission's Google Search case, in an email. Press Release: Contact: Crystal Feldman Crystal Feldman govpress@nc.gov Raleigh, N.C. Governor Pat McCrory was joined by Department of Public Safety Secretary Frank Perry, sheriffs, police chiefs, capitol police, highway patrol troopers, and legislators today to sign legislation that promotes transparency while protecting law enforcement officers, victims and the community.said Governor McCrory.The Law Enforcement Omnibus Bill (House Bill 1044) signed by Governor McCrory helps protect our police by establishing the Blue Alert System to aid in the apprehension of suspects who kill or inflict serious bodily injury on a law enforcement officer. This legislation will help curtail violence against our police officers by engaging the community to help capture suspects who seek to harm an officer.Governor McCrory also signed House Bill 972. The bill seeks to gain public trust while respecting the rights of public safety officers by establishing clear and distinct procedures and standards by which a law enforcement agency may disclose or release a recording from a body-worn or dashboard camera. The law allows any person whose image or voice is captured in the recording, or his or her personal representative, to submit a written request for disclosure and, unless the agency can demonstrate a legitimate reason not to disclose the recording, it must be disclosed as promptly as possible. If a law enforcement agency fails to disclose the recording within three business days of the request, the requester is entitled to an expedited hearing in Superior Court.The bill also protects the health and safety of law enforcement and citizens by authorizing the establishment of needle exchange programs by local governments. This will help prevent the spread of HIV, hepatitis and other diseases in our state. Other states where these programs operate have seen HIV transmission among injection drug users drop by 80 percent, Hepatitis C reduced by 50 percent and needle-stick injury to law enforcement drop by 66 percent. Additionally, studies show that people who participate in needle exchange programs are five times more likely to enter drug treatment than non-participants, building on Governor McCrory's commitment to combating drug use. A group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, company founders, engineers, and investors have signed an open letter regarding Donald Trump. The gist: They don't like him and think his presidency would be a disaster for the business of innovation. The letter, published Thursday on Medium, accuses Trump of running a campaign based on fear of new ideas and new people, as well as anger, bigotry, and "a fundamental belief that America is weak and in decline." "We have listened to Donald Trump over the past year and we have concluded: Trump would be a disaster for innovation," the letter said. Signatories are many CEOs, founders, venture capitalists and a few well-known names, including Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay; Ev Williams, co-founder of Twitter and founder of Medium; Vinod Khosla, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems; and Reed Hundt, former chairman of the FCC. Noting that 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children, the letter says progressive U.S. immigration policies keep Silicon Valley vibrant because they help the country attract foreign talent. There's no doubt about Silicon Valley's thirst for knowledge workers from overseas. Several large tech companies dominate the H1-B visa program, putting in thousands of requests each year. Cutting that supply off could have a big impact on their businesses. Trump has proposed raising the lowest allowable wage under the H1-B program, with the hope it will push companies to hire more local workers. The letter also took Trump to task over comments about shutting down parts of the internet to fight terrorism, saying it demonstrated "both poor judgment and ignorance about how technology works." In late 2015, Trump proposed talking to "Bill Gates and a lot of different people" about shutting off internet access for certain people, but he never expanded on the issue. The letter also said the government plays an important part in the tech economy, but that could be at risk under Trump. "Donald Trump articulates few policies beyond erratic and contradictory pronouncements," the letter said, adding a Trump presidency would risk growth and job creation. "We stand against Donald Trumps divisive candidacy and want a candidate who embraces the ideals that built Americas technology industry," the letter ended. It stopped short of mentioning Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton or anyone else. The Trump campaign could not immediately be reached for comment. A U.S. appeals court has quashed a search warrant that would have required Microsoft to disclose contents of emails stored on a server in Ireland, in a case that has broad ramifications for privacy, diplomatic relations and the ability of American companies to sell web services abroad. "We think Microsoft has the better of the argument," said Circuit Court Judge Sarah Carney, in an opinion written for a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York. The panel based its judgment on the 30-year-old U.S. Stored Communications Act. The act, Carney wrote, "does not authorize courts to issue and enforce against U.S.based service providers warrants for the seizure of customer email content that is stored exclusively on foreign servers." The opinion was posted Thursday. Microsoft in 2014 asked the appeals court to reverse a ruling requiring it to turn over the emails, sought by law enforcement as part of a drug-trafficking case. The name and country of residence of the person whose email is being sought has not been revealed. The case has had the U.S. technology industry worried. American tech companies have said they will not be able to sell web-based applications and services abroad if they cant keep U.S. officials from unilaterally seizing records stored in foreign countries. In addition, a ruling for the U.S. government, they said, could clear the way for foreign governments to order local companies to hand over data stored in the U.S. "This is a big case -- the technology companies have a very good point," said Robert Cattanach, a partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney, noting that Europe is looking more carefully than ever at international data transfer rules. In October last year, the Court of Justice of the European Union declared invalid a "safe harbor" agreement, on which thousands of companies including Google, Facebook, and Apple rely for the transatlantic transfer of personal data. The court ruled that the accord inadequately protected the privacy of EU citizens. The U.S. and the EU, meanwhile, have negotiated a new pact, called the Privacy Shield data protection agreement. Given the turmoil in the legal arena, ordering U.S. service providers to turn over data stored abroad could make them run afoul of foreign laws, Microsoft lawyer E. Joshua Rosenkranz said in a letter to the appeals court. Tech companies, lobbying groups and media associations have written briefs to support Microsofts position, including Verizon, Apple, Accenture, Rackspace, the American Civil Liberties Union and the German Magazine Publishers Association, known as VDZ. The case goes back to December 2013, when Magistrate Judge James Francis of the District Court for the Southern District of New York authorized a search warrant for all emails and other information belonging to the Microsoft user under investigation. Microsoft complied by providing non-content information held on its U.S. servers but after it determined that the account was hosted in Dublin, it filed to quash the warrant. It argued that U.S. courts are not authorized to issue warrants for extraterritorial search and seizure. Microsoft also argued that to obtain data stored abroad, the U.S. government should turn to mutual legal assistance treaties, or MLATs. The U.S. has MLATs, which are separate from the Safe Harbor accord, with Ireland and the EU. In addition to the Privacy Shield agreement, Microsoft has cited the broad new General Data Protection Regulation, due to go into effect in 2018, to support its claim that the U.S. government should use inter-governmental agreements rather than a warrant to require technology companies to turn over data stored in the EU that are required for an investigation. The government countered that the location of records is irrelevant under the Stored Communications Act, which was passed as part of the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act and was the law on which the court relied to issue the warrant. If territorial restrictions applied to SCA warrants it would be very easy for criminals to evade investigations, the government said. Otherwise, relying on MLATs would dramatically slow down and undercut investigations, the government said. The MLAT process is subject to national laws, can be lengthy and a country can deny assistance to a nation with which it has a treaty for a variety of political, security or other reasons. In April 2014, Judge Francis sided with the government, saying that the order to produce the emails stored in Ireland was "not a conventional warrant; rather, the order is a hybrid: part search warrant and part subpoena." It is obtained like a warrant, with a judge finding probable cause that the records requested would provide evidence of a crime, but it is executed like a subpoena, since it is served directly on the company and does not involve federal agents seizing and searching company servers. "It has long been the law that a subpoena requires the recipient to produce information in its possession . . . regardless of the location of that information," Francis wrote. Francis also said the "search" would take place only when the emails were opened and read, and that would be in the U.S. However, in the appeals court decision, Judge Carney rejected these arguments: "When, in 1986, Congress passed the Stored Communications Act as part of the broader Electronic Communications Privacy Act, its aim was to protect user privacy in the context of new technology that required a user's interaction with a service provider. Neither explicitly nor implicitly does the statute envision the applications of its warrant provisions overseas." This is the second time Microsoft has appealed a decision against it in the case. The company appealed Francis' ruling but in July 2014, District Court Judge Loretta Preska, also of the Southern District of New York, rejected the company's appeal. Preska ruled that Microsoft would not have to turn over the emails while it filed another appeal, this time to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. If Donald Trump is elected president, he will be "a disaster for innovation," according to some of Silicon Valley's technology leaders. But the innovation disaster they're warning of is already ongoing in America. U.S. support for research is declining, and just last month China surpassed the U.S. in number of supercomputers on the Top500 list. Both countries are now in a race to build exascale systems (1,000 petaflops), a competition the U.S. is almost certain to lose based on published road maps. The U.S. has set 2023 as its goal for exascale; China is aiming for 2020. The Silicon Valley letter doesn't mention supercomputing, or any of the problems affecting science in the U.S. The approximately 150 people who signed the letter -- including Vint Cerf, a vice president and chief internet evangelist at Google; Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak; and Padmasree Warrior, a former top technologist at Cisco who is now the CEO of NextEV, an electric vehicle company -- fix a laser-like focus on Trump's shortcomings, and nothing else. It may well be, in the minds of Silicon Valley leaders, that Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, would double-down on the U.S. retreat from science investment if he were elected. China now has 167 systems on the Top500 list, a global accounting of the world's most powerful supercomputers -- at least those publicly known. The U.S. has 165. China also built the world's fastest supercomputer without U.S. chips. "That's the first time this has happened," said Alex Larzelere, a senior fellow at the U.S. Council of Competitiveness, in an interview prior to the release of the letter. Ten years ago, China only had 28 computers on the list; the number of U.S. computers on the list has declined in the past 10 years. China's rise in supercomputing also means it is developing an ecosystem for high-performance computing: The middleware, operating system software, mathematical libraries and other systems, said Larzelere. "The Chinese are continuing up, and the U.S. seems to be level, at best" in supercomputing, said Larzelere, who has developed advanced modeling and simulation capabilities at U.S. Department of Energy national labs. "It's not really a problem today, but it can potentially be a huge problem down the road. "China has said you can't be a superpower without supercomputing," said Larzelere. The Silicon Valley letter, signed by tech inventors, entrepreneurs, engineers, researchers and others, doesn't ask lawmakers to take a hard look at the direction of U.S. IT research investments. That's because the real focus of the Silicon Valley letter is on Trump's immigration policies. Trump would put some curbs on employment-based green cards, and particularly the use of H-1B visas. Trump, "stands against the open exchange of ideas, free movement of people, and productive engagement with the outside world that is critical to our economy -- and that provide the foundation for innovation and growth," the letter says. The document isn't an endorsement of Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee; it doesn't even mention her. But Clinton's proposal to "staple" green cards to the diplomas of foreign students who graduate with advanced degrees from U.S. schools is exactly the kind of policy the tech industry has lobbied for. Clinton has released a tech agenda that calls for improved research funding, while Trump has yet to produce his plan. And even if Trump pens a tech policy to appease Silicon Valley, its condemnation of his immigration plan is total -- and immigration is at the heart of his campaign. The Silicon Valley letter accuses Trump of holding "a fundamental belief that America is weak and in decline." The "declinist" doctrine, as it's called, has real roots apart from the U.S. retreat in science research funding. In the 1990s, the U.S. abandoned efforts to develop a super collider. Meanwhile, Europe built the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, making that region a center for physics research. Funding for NASA, an engine of innovation, has been declining as a percentage of the federal budget. About six years ago, the U.S. published plans identifying 2018 as the rough target for completing development of an exascale system, but funding and support lagged. Meanwhile, China's push into this area is relentless and a high national priority. Lost: One ConservativeHome columnist, last seen on these pages on June 14th. Appearance: Thoughtful mien, Archimandrite-type beard, Aston Villa scarf. Reward: Please e-mail Lord Ashcroft with your opening offer via the ConHome contact details. WARNING: IF SEEN OUTSIDE DOWNING STREET, DO NOT APPROACH. RUN, HIDE, REPORT. On celebrities and politics You might argue that it doesnt matter very much what these celebrities think, say and do. It might not matter that Stephen Fry believes he knows exactly what ISIS MOST want us to do, and that we should therefore not bomb them in Syria. It might not matter that celebrities like Bob Geldof and Stan Collymore said theyd take refugees into their own homes and then failed to do so. It might not mean much that George Clooney believes he is such an expert on the Elgin Marbles he can lecture Britain about the need to return them to Greece just as it might not matter that he refers to them repeatedly as the Pantheon Marbles, as if they were from Rome, not the Parthenon Marbles from Athens. Perhaps he thinks acting in The Monuments Men taught him all he needs to know. Perhaps he doesnt realise there is a difference between pretending to be an elected representative of the people and being one. December 29 2015. ConHome summary: Dont expect May to say Im on Team Nigella. Garvan Walshe is a former National and International Security Policy Adviser to the Conservative Party. Brexit, said our new Prime Minister, means Brexit. But what does Brexit mean? Her success, and our countrys, depends on how she is able to fill that tautology out. In Article 50s theory, she will negotiate with the European Commission. In practice, she will treat with all 27 remaining member states and with Washington: the one capital that can make Angela Merkel listen. They will judge Britain by its behaviour and this gives the new government the opportunity to get more than it could obtain from a narrow, Europe-focused negotiation. To Germany and America one question is all-important: does our leaving of the EU also mean we cease to be a member in good standing of the Western, rules-based, international system? The Leave campaigns rhetoric gave plenty reason for alarm. Brexit, said Michael Gove, was to be the first stage in the democratic liberation of a whole continent. He gave every impression not just of wanting to leave the EU, but of plotting to destroy it. In a world of many countries, the absolute sovereignty of one countrys parliament over things that affect several more is impossible. To ask which should prevail is to imitate a medieval philosopher confused about whether an irresistible force can manage to shift an immovable object. So when extreme Brexiteers elevated the constitutional fiction that the House of Commons is sovereign into the moral principle that it ought to be sovereign, and to do what it wanted, whenever it wanted, Washington and Berlin took fright. No international agreement with such a Britain would be possible. In the hideous jargon of international relations conferences, had the UK become a consumer rather than a producer of international order? A Britain that keeps its word, however, will be in a good position to the other 27 remaining EU members reasons go cooperate that go beyond just being able to sell their cars and cheese without tariffs. The UK still has a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, is one of two serious European military powers, and the only major state to spend both two per cent of GDP on defence and 0.7 per cent on international aid. Deployed carefully it would backfire to be seen to hold the other states hostage these are resources that can help Theresa May get the deal Britain needs. The free movement of people is the most difficult issue. Leave voters expect something to be done about it, but to give Britain access to the other elements of the single market without staying in the common labour market would trigger demands in the Netherlands and Scandinavia for the same thing, and risks tearing the EU apart. Since the survival of the EU is by some way the most important element of German foreign policy, any concessions in this area will be dearly bought because Britain will have to be seen to pay a heavy price. Britain is however in a position to mitigate, though not eliminate entirely, opposition in Eastern Europe. Free movement isnt only a huge practical benefit for countries there, it is also an essential symbol that they are first class European citizens. Now that Britain has left, it might be easier for them to accept, say, restrictions on access to the British welfare system in exchange for greater military protection, including a permanent British military presence, against Russian aggression. Greece and now in particular Italy are struggling to deal with the external migration crisis. Now that Turkey has been enlisted to stem the flow from Syria, its root cause is war, economic failure, and the collapse of states in Africa. Leaving the EU will free up about 800 million per year in EU-administered development funding. This could be diverted to help poor African states build better institutions while still counting towards the 0.7 per cent aid target. Furthermore, even though we will be leaving the EU, vital matters of national security, environmental policy, and even some areas of economic cooperation will need to be decided by UK-EU agreement. This should be done through a formal partnership organisation. It would go some way towards limiting the loss of influence we would suffer by leaving official EU institutions. Finally, the United States, at least as long as Trump does not win, has a major interest in strong and friendly UK-US relations. They will put pressure on the UK and other European states to come to a reasonable agreement. All other things being equal however, it is the UK that is likely to feel the most pressure. It would be wise to offer them something to cause them to reassess. From Washingtons point of view, the last British governments pro-China policy was the most egregious. Now, particularly given Chinas rejection of the international ruling on the South China Sea, would be particularly good time for the UK to reverse policy, and return to its traditional support for democratic Asian powers. The Brexit negotiation process was deliberately stacked against a state that leaves. This Government will have its work cut out, but if it is sufficiently creative in its foreign policy, it should be able to minimise the damage. Resurrection can only happen if death comes first, and this takes place in politics as well as in myth. Nelson Mandela could only become an icon of reconciliation, and President of South Africa, after grinding years in prison on Robben Island. De Gaulle had all that time at Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises. At a less exalted level, Iain Duncan Smith could only return to Cabinet, and win credibility as a campaigner against poverty, by establishing the Centre for Social Justice and making those visits to Easterhouse. George Osborne reads widely, has a shrewd take on other people, is an eternal student of the political scene, and possesses a certain modesty: after all, he never conspired against David Cameron, and thus shored up the foundation on which their partnership was built, learning from the self-destructive lesson of Blair versus Brown. So it is baffling that he failed, once the referendum was lost for Remain, to grasp the situation he was in. David Cameron rightly announced his resignation because he appreciated that his policy had failed. But it was also the Chancellors policy and campaign: indeed, he co-led it with the Prime Minister, in much the same manner as they have co-run government since 2010 and the Party since 2005. Furthermore, Osborne threatened a post-referendum Punishment Budget with tax rises and spending cuts. This was an abuse of his office: it is the Chancellors duty to steady the markets, not to spook them, or try to. As events turned out, this Budget was not delivered. Indeed, the wake of the vote found him musing aloud about a big tax cut the slashing of corporation tax, as floated the day before by Theresa May. His role in the campaign was less than glorious. The attacks by Amber Rudd on Boris Johnson during the ITV referendum debate will have been approved by Downing Street and the Treasury. Osborne, please note, didnt take part in any of the debates himself, a point on which this site pursued him. De Gaulle scorned what he called the ballet of the parties in other words, the scrambling of French politicians for office, amidst a political culture in which they could enter office, leave it, and then swiftly re-enter it again, in the manner of those dolls on cuckoo clocks. A big chunk of those of who voted Leave, quite a few Remain voters, and a healthy slice of Conservative MPs would have been furious had the Chancellor seen his policy defeated, pause, move to the Foreign Office, and carry on blithely as if nothing had happened. Such seems more or less to have been to have been his plan. But whether it was or not, the best path for him to have taken, the day after the referendum, was to have let it be known that, like Cameron, he was resigning too. This would been best for him as well as everyone else, since he would thus have avoided the humiliation of being fired. This was a bad end for a good Chancellor. Yesterday evening, in the wake of being sacked, he tweeted: I hope Ive left the economy in a better state than I found it. He did. He may not have ended the structural deficit, but he reduced it substantially as a proportion of GDP. His policies brought economic recovery where his critics claimed they would bring ruin. He helped to create the British jobs miracle. He was on the right side of the argument over housing. He came to realise that growth and devolution go hand in hand. He cut corporation tax and capital gains tax. His contribution to making his Party electable was protean, and should be honoured and learnt from. He can come back. If the new Government runs into deep trouble, he almost certainly will. And he can return to office even if it doesnt, if May eventually wants him back in Cabinet. She could take the view that much of what did during the referendum campaign was simply offering cover for Cameron: to his credit, Osborne has always been prepared to take bullets for his friend and ally. We will find out more when the memoirs are written. And perhaps his attempts to stay in office arent so surprising after all. After all, we all see others weaknesses more clearly than we see our own. Press Release: Contact: Crystal Feldman Crystal Feldman govpress@nc.gov Cary, N.C. Governor Pat McCrory, North Carolina Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla, III, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) announced today that Relias Learning LLC will add more than 450 jobs over the coming five years in Wake County. The company plans to invest $4.5 million at its location in the Town of Cary through the end of 2020.said Governor McCrory.Relias Learning is the leading provider of training, education and professional development for healthcare professionals and organizations. Founded in 2002, the Cary-based company offers online training to more than 5,000 organizations and 3 million individuals in the United States and has recently expanded to offer its services in the UK and Germany.explained Jim Triandiflou, CEO of Relias Learning.Relias Learning's expansion will contribute approximately $39 million to the triangle's economy. The new positions will include R&D personnel, sales and marketing professionals, and administrative staff.said Secretary Skvarla.Relias Learning's expansion will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state's Economic Investment Committee today. Under the terms of the company's JDIG, Relias is eligible to receive up to $5.36 million in total reimbursements. Payments will occur in annual installments over 12 years pending verification by NC Commerce and NC Revenue that the company has met incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIGs reimburse new and expanding companies a portion of the newly created tax-base with the goal of increasing the overall tax benefit to the State of North Carolina. The state reimbursement is contingent upon local participation from the Town of Cary and/or Wake County.By law, JDIG projects must result in a net revenue inflow to the state treasury over the life of the award. For projects in Tier 3 counties such as Wake County, 25 percent of the eligible grant is directed to the state's Industrial Development Fund - Utility Account to help finance economic infrastructure in less populated counties. The expansion by Relias Learning could provide as much as $1.79 million in new funds for the Utility Account. More information on county tier designations is available here.said N.C. Senator Tamara Barringersaid N.C. Representative Duane Hall.Since Governor McCrory took office in January of 2013, North Carolina's economy has created nearly 280,000 net new private sectors jobs.Several partners joined N.C. Commerce and the EDPNC in supporting Relias Learning's expansion. They include the Cary Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Cary, Wake County, Wake County Economic Development and Capital Area Workforce Development. Ericsson and Inspur Group, the leading supplier of data center equipment in China, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). In cloud infrastructure, Ericsson and Inspur will test and verify the compatibility and/or performance of selected Ericsson software solutions related to areas such as Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), IoT, OSS/BSS and cloud on Inspurs hardware platform, and evaluate joint proof-of-concept (PoC) opportunities. The companies will invest an initial US$100 million in the joint venture. The announcement comes during President Xi Jingping's first state visit to the United States. Earlier this year, Cisco said it would invest US$10 billion in China to support local innovation and the country's ongoing technology transformation. In a blog post, Cisco'c CEO Chuck Robbins writes "Im optimistic that working with Inspur will add to the recent momentum that weve seen in our business in China. Today, China represents approximately 3% of our business, and being the worlds second largest economy, we see the potential to increase this considerably over time. Our fiscal Q4 results in China were more encouraging than any quarter over the past two years. During my June visit, we had incredibly constructive discussions with customers and key ministries that were focused on our ability to deliver customer solutions that only our unique partnership capabilities can bring." http://blogs.cisco.com/news/cisco-and-china-a-long-term-view Cisco and Inspur (), a leader server and super computing company based in China, agreed to set up a joint-venture in China to sell networking technologies and products, build world-class information technologies and solutions, and deliver other advanced technologies and services in areas including IT infrastructure, cloud, data center, smart cities, and big data.The companies will invest an initial US$100 million in the joint venture.The announcement comes during President Xi Jingping's first state visit to the United States.Earlier this year, Cisco said it would invest US$10 billion in China to support local innovation and the country's ongoing technology transformation.In a blog post, Cisco'c CEO Chuck Robbins writes "Im optimistic that working with Inspur will add to the recent momentum that weve seen in our business in China. Today, China represents approximately 3% of our business, and being the worlds second largest economy, we see the potential to increase this considerably over time. Our fiscal Q4 results in China were more encouraging than any quarter over the past two years. During my June visit, we had incredibly constructive discussions with customers and key ministries that were focused on our ability to deliver customer solutions that only our unique partnership capabilities can bring." Cisco + Ericsson Partnership Covers Architecture, Sales, Services Cisco, Ericsson The companies see an incremental revenue opportunity of $1 billion or more expected for each company by calendar year 2018. For its part, Ericsson said the extended addressable market is primarily in professional services, software and resell of Cisco products. Ericsson also expects the partnership to generate full-year effect from synergies, primarily in expenses of SEK 1 billion in 2018. The alliance will include commitments to network transformation through reference architectures and joint development, systems-based management and control, a broad reseller agreement, and collaboration in key emerging market segments. The parties have also agreed to discuss FRAND policies and enter a licensing agreement for their respective patent portfolios. Together, Ericsson and Cisco hold over 56,000 patents and invest $11 billion annually in R&D. The companies will begin working on a joint initiative focused on SDN/NFV and network management and control. Ericsson and Cisco announced a broad strategic partnership focused on Service Providers, enterprise networking and the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem.The companies see an incremental revenue opportunity of $1 billion or more expected for each company by calendar year 2018. For its part, Ericsson said the extended addressable market is primarily in professional services, software and resell of Cisco products. Ericsson also expects the partnership to generate full-year effect from synergies, primarily in expenses of SEK 1 billion in 2018.The alliance will include commitments to network transformation through reference architectures and joint development, systems-based management and control, a broad reseller agreement, and collaboration in key emerging market segments. The parties have also agreed to discuss FRAND policies and enter a licensing agreement for their respective patent portfolios. Together, Ericsson and Cisco hold over 56,000 patents and invest $11 billion annually in R&D. The companies will begin working on a joint initiative focused on SDN/NFV and network management and control. The two companies will align standardization and participation in open forums such as ODCC and OPNFV, as well as explore possibilities for joint PoCs in areas such as 5G core networks, NFV, and management and orchestration (MANO) with operators and enterprise customers.In TV and media, the cooperation aims to launch a solution that enables the next generation of media cloud, and will start by integrating Ericssons MediaFirst cloud TV platform with Inspurs cloud portfolio. Inspur has agreed to customize its set-top box and other terminals to meet the requirements of Ericsson and its strategic customers.The MoU builds upon the existing cooperation between the two parties, which dates back to 2002, when Ericsson and Inspur established a joint venture to develop radio technology and products. With this new agreement, the two companies will expand their collaboration into cloud infrastructure, TV and media, and the Internet of Things (IoT).Through our partnership, Ericsson and Inspur have the ambition to bring advanced technologies and services developed to operators, enterprises and industries around the world. I am excited about taking this next step in our collaboration with Inspur, starting in China but also looking beyond, stated Hans Vestberg, President and CEO, Ericsson. SUBSCRIBE Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates straight in your inbox. Flights are fine, but nothing tops traveling by car, especially in Montana. Road trips allow you to see so many sights you wouldnt normally get to enjoy, and this route takes you through some of central Montanas prettiest spots. This trip can be done in a day, but to enjoy a nice, relaxed pace, make a weekend of it. Start in Lewistown, the heart of Montana Where the Mountains Meet the Plains. Treat yourself to a coffee and a pastry at the Rising Trout Cafe & Book Store, which combines three of lifes greatest pleasures: caffeine, sugar and reading. After breakfast and book-buying, hop in your car and head northwest to Great Falls. Great Falls doesnt get much press (or attention at all, really), but it has a lot to offer. The beautiful Giant Springs State Park is home to one of the worlds shortest rivers, the Roe. The falls are always lovely, and the C.M. Russell Museum is one of the biggest and most impressive museums in the state. Once youve done some exploring, take Highway 87 north to Fort Benton. Historic Fort Benton is called "The Birthplace of Montana," and it boomed during the Gold Rush. Head straight to The Freeze and enjoy a juicy burger chase with a shake or a delicious ice cream cone. This spot is worth every calorie. After lunch, check out Historic Old Fort Benton, which is open from May-September. And dont leave town without learning the story of Shep, the forever faithful dog. It will warm your heart. End your journey by completing the loop back to Lewistown using State Highways 80 and 81. Youll get to see some great backcountry this way and pass through some charming small farming towns like Square Butte and Denton. In response to a growing public concern over recently proposed 2017 rate increases to Montana's federal health insurance marketplace, Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Monica Lindeen will hold a second public hearing on the issue. On the same day she released the providers' proposed increases, some of which could be 60 percent or more, Lindeen also announced a July 26 public hearing in Helena, where insurers could provide their justifications and the public could ask questions or discuss how the rates might affect them. Less than a week later, on Wednesday, she said that interest has been so high that a second hearing will be held on Aug. 3 in Billings at Montana State University Billings. "I think people really appreciate the opportunity," Lindeen said. "There are folks who are covered who have serious concerns." For individual plans, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana had the highest proposed bump out of the three insurers in the state's federal insurance exchange, with an average increase of 62 percent across its plans. The Montana Health Co-op requested a 22 percent increase, while PacificSource asked for a rate change of about 20 percent. Those increases would affect the roughly 35,000 Montanans who purchase insurance, either on or off of the exchange, but don't receive a federal premium tax credit that offsets the increases. About 85 percent of the state residents who purchase insurance on the marketplace receive a credit, which is issued based on income. About 8 percent of Montana's population is insured through the individual insurance market, with 5 percent covered through the marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act and the other 3 percent using off-exchange plans outside of that federal marketplace. More than 45 percent of the population is covered through an employer group. Lindeen said that while rate increases were expected, the amount of this year's proposals came as a bit of a surprise. "This rate filing, I find it to be shocking," she said. Insurance providers in Montana have pointed to higher-than-expected claims and health care costs as a major driver of the proposed increases. For example, Blue Cross said that for every $1 in premiums it received in 2015 it paid out $1.40 in claims, for a $24 million loss on the individual marketplace, while PacificSource received premiums of $37 million and paid $48.5 million in claims. John Doran, BCBS spokesman, said the proposed 2017 rates give a more accurate estimation of health care costs. This is the first time the company has been able to use two years of data from the program to look at medical expenses and was previously using assumptions and estimations based on older data. "We've been committed to making this marketplace work from the get-go," he said. "We want this marketplace to work. Right now, it's just not sustainable." Doran also said that about 14 percentage points of the average 62 percent rate increases can be attributed to people who don't initially sign up for plans and then do so when a serious need arises before dropping the plan again when they've received coverage. Lindeen's office is reviewing the 2017 rates and has contracted with an actuary to go over each proposal. She has already begun communicating with all three providers on possible changes and expects to complete that process by mid August. However, neither Lindeen nor her office have the authority to actually change or stop the new rates. During the review, she will look at if they're unjustified or excessive and insurers can make adjustments on their own. If the rates are not lowered, Lindeen can issue a public finding declaring them unjustified. The public two hearings in July and August will also give people a chance to voice their thoughts to or get answers from the insurance providers. "It's only appropriate for the public to have some input," Lindeen said. However, both sides agreed that more than just rate adjustments are needed when it comes to health insurance. Doran said that getting consistent rules into place at the federal level, working to lower the cost of care and rates reflecting the true cost of care are needed to make the system work. Lindeen also noted that care costs are an important factor. "We, as a nation and a state, still have to work on the cost of care," she said. "Because the insurance company doesn't determine the cost of care." Final rates for 2017 will be transferred to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at the end of August and open enrollment begins in November. SHARE University of Southern Indiana Career Services and Internships has named Evana Automation of Evansville and Trilogy Health Services of Louisville as recipients of the 2016 Employer of the Year award. The award, given to businesses selected from more than 250 participating employers, is based on the overall quality of the internship experience, mentorship provided, leadership opportunities and the employer's support of the philosophy of internships for college students, according to Philip Parker, director of USI Career Services and Internships. Evana Automotion is a manufacturer of integrated automated assembly systems and automated testing systems. Evana has provided numerous co-op and internship experiences to USI engineering and manufacturing students, and hosts plant tours for USI students and faculty. "My opportunity to work at Evana has enriched my skills in engineering and helped prepare me to enter the workforce," said USI student Nolan Adler of Haubstadt. "I am extremely grateful for having been able to work with them and I highly recommend the position to all future potential interns." Trilogy Health Services has multiple senior living communities across Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan, including the West River Health Campus in Evansville. Over the past few years, Trilogy has provided more than 80 internships to USI health services majors at 14 locations. SHARE INDIANAPOLIS In a chaotic year of anti-establishment populism and charges of rigged systems, through the smoke and dust churned by great anxiety, fear and loathing, in walks Evan Bayh. In a stunning turn of events that matched Bayh's February 2010 bombshell that prompted him to retire from the Senate just as the tea party embers were flaring and an Obamacare vote stood just over the horizon, Democratic Senate nominee Baron Hill bolted the ticket on Monday, setting the stage for Bayh and his $10 million war chest to return to Hoosier electoral politics. "With the challenges facing Indiana and our country, I can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch as partisan bickering grinds Washington to a halt. Hoosier families deserve more and I've decided to run to take their cause to the U.S. Senate," Bayh said. "One of the reasons I decided to retire was to spend more time with my twin boys and my wife. Now, I see their future, and all of Indiana's future, put at risk by a broken political system." Hill told WTHR-TV's Kevin Rader, "This was something I decided. I hold the cards here. I've got the nomination. I don't have to leave this race. I did this on my own. Nobody pressured me to do this." Bayh explained that Hill last week and said he had made a decision to drop out. "My first words to him were 'Baron, frankly, I don't know what to say," Bayh related. "If he was willing to do that, I felt like I had an obligation to do the same. I did a lot of soul searching and thinking and so here we are. If you believe that Baron Hill voluntarily exited this Senate race after spending more than a year running, and as he prepared to walk from the Michigan line to the Ohio River, then I have a Delaware beach condo to sell you. While national media reported that the next Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer had convinced him to return, Bayh said, "Look, none of those people matter to me. The people of Indiana matter to me. None of those national people matter to me. There's no way they talked me into this. That's crazy." It is the same seat that U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh used to author two of the 26 Constitutional amendments and Title IX. The same seat that Sen. Dan Coats refused to defend with young Bayh in the wings in 1998, that commenced his lobbying career. The same seat that Coats returned to in 2010 after Marlin Stutzman and John Hostettler failed to find money traction, and the same seat that Bayh fled a few weeks later, setting off the devastating "Bayh dominoes" that would force the Indiana Democratic Party out of its Ohio and Wabash river warrens, reducing it to a party of Lake, St. Joseph and Marion counties and a handful of college and university towns. Evan Bayh had rescued the party from oblivion in 1986, and returned it there in 2010 to the point that by 2014, the atrophy was so severe that only a handful of Democratic legislators and mayors existed south of U.S. 50. The Washington Post reported that the "hyper-ambitious, always-privileged and ever-calculating son of a senator" was "perennially nervous about taking tough votes or courageous stands." Now he wants to return to the Senate, with the Post added, "Considering his disposition, (Bayh's) decision to jump into the race in July speaks volumes about the growing confidence on the left that Democrats are going to have a red-letter year in congressional elections because of Donald Trump." Other than his first race for governor in 1988, Bayh has won a series of landslides for re-election and then his two Senate race. But he faces U.S. Rep. Todd Young, who has raised $3.7 million. Young will tell voters that after retiring in 2010, he didn't return to Indiana, but became a K Street lobbyist in Washington. While Bayh has a 1,000 square foot condo in Indianapolis, he owns about $6 million worth of homes in Georgetown and Florida. The enrichment didn't begin in 2010. According to Open Secrets methodology of parsing Bayh's Senate Financial Disclosure forms between 1998 and 2010, Bayh saw his average net worth rise from $1.54 million to $6.89 million, an increase approaching 350 percent. This was fueled not by the senator's $174,000 salary, but wife Susan Bayh's corporate board income, inspired by her influential husband sitting on places like the Senate Banking Committee. "We are not trembling," said Young campaign manager Trevor Foughty. "After he cast the deciding vote for Obamacare, Evan Bayh left Indiana families to fend for themselves so he could cash in with insurance companies and influence peddlers as a gold-plated lobbyist. This seat isn't the birthright of a wealthy lobbyist from Washington; it belongs to the people of Indiana." In the television age of Indiana politics, only seven men have held the two U.S. Senate seats in Indiana and for 50 years, there was either a Bayh or a Lugar in the upper chamber. Evan Bayh came out of the ether to restore a dynasty. The columnist is publisher of Howey Politics Indiana at www.howeypolitics.com. Find him on Facebook and Twitter @hwypol. You wake up one morning with a rash on your leg. You worry about that rash. It makes you uncomfortable. People look at it in disgust. And each time you think it's getting better, it just gets worse. And one day the rash on your leg is gone. Great, you think. Then you realize that, while it's vanished from that leg, it's spread to every other part of your body. Mike Pence reportedly accepted an offer to become Donald Trump's running mate on Thursday, effectively ending his reign as Indiana governor. State law prohibits him from seeking re-election you can't simultaneously seek federal and state office and the remainder of his term will be spent gallivanting across swing states, making the case that a member of the WWE Hall of Fame should be the next president of the United States. That's right. Pence, a man who once used the campaign slogan "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order," will now turn his political future over to a man who mispronounces books of the Bible like a third-grader reading Tolstoy. Why did Trump choose Pence? Our unpopular governor has alienated millions with regressive and divisive policy initiatives. He attempted to shut out the press by delivering news directly to the people. Even members of his own party don't like him, prompting whispers of a moderate Republican insurgence to knock him off the ticket. Oh my God. (Dunks Pence in a vat of barbecue chips. Slaps a dead Yorkshire Terrier on his head) Mike Pence is Donald Trump! Donald Trump is Mike Pence! I always knew Trump would choose himself as his running mate! But enough joking around, eh? This is serious business. Fate of the free world, etc. And after all, a Trump/Trump ticket would be much preferable to Trump/Pence. Any admirable qualities Trump might possess moderate on gun rights; not-consistently hostile to the LGBT community; decent chili recipe are erased by the presence of his new pal. Pence is against same-sex marriage. He's even against providing gay people with basic civil rights. From "The Pence Agenda for the 107th Congress": "Congress should oppose any effort to recognize homosexual's (sic) as a 'discreet and insular minority' entitled to the protection of anti-discrimination laws similar to those extended to women and ethnic minorities." Aside from being just purely terrible, that line of thinking puts Pence at odds with moderate Republicans a group Trump needs. According to a Pew Research poll earlier this year, 66 percent of moderates favor same-sex marriage. Even 29 percent of conservatives are for it, up from 21 percent in 2001. Of course Pence does appeal to a specific wing of the Republican party. If the Bible replaced the Constitution tomorrow, Mike would dance for joy if dancing wasn't a sin. But let's ignore that whole "what the people want" nonsense. The real reason Pence is on the ticket is simple: money. Canvass Extra: Trumps VP pick Last month, Trump's campaign had just enough cash on hand for a swing through the Wendy's dollar menu. Pence's addition could open the coffers of the Koch Brothers two demon heads that float over middle America and shoot dollar bills out of their mewling maws. They have eschewed Trump thus far as a non-palatable brand of crazy. They love Pence, though. In March, their PAC Americans for Prosperity poured millions into an ad praising Pence for failing to follow the federal government's guidelines on greenhouse gas emissions. He also has the backing of the Republican Governor's Association, whose chair, New Mexico Gov. Susanna Martinez, has been the subject of Trump ire. (But what human being / nationality / cookie company hasn't been the subject of Trump ire in these rollicking end times? I can only think of one: Donald Trump) The governor association's PAC, RGA Right Direction, funneled $647,000 toward Pence for a "media buy" on June 16. Similar contributions frequently crop up, according to filings collected by the Indiana Election Division. Exact offerings from notoriously secretive Kochs are tougher to pin down. (From "The Pence Agenda for the 107th Congress": "Campaign finance reform should include greater access, via the Internet, for the general public to all information relative to income and expenses of campaigns.") And now Pence will collect his satchel stuffed with $7.6 million in campaign cash and head to Trump Tower, where he'll be locked in the playroom with Chris Christie like children whose parents are hearing a timeshare pitch. In a normal election year, Pence wouldn't even sniff the vice-presidency. In March 2015, in the "Mad Max" fallout of RFRA, Mike Pence went on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" and dribbled pudding down his chin. All talks of a Pence presidential run ceased, and Mike slinked back to Indiana. But in an election cycle ruled by a man who's alienated entire nationalities and religions, an embarrassing TV appearance doesn't seem so bad anymore. And hey: Pence's backward thoughts on homosexuality are downright rainbow-infused compared to recently passed amendments in the burgeoning Republican platform. It's the kind of stuff that even Trump would find crazy. According to the New York Times: "Additional provisions included those that promoted state laws to limit which restrooms transgender people could use, nodded to 'conversion therapy' for gays by saying that parents should be free to make medical decisions about their children without interference and stated that 'natural marriage' between a man and a woman is most likely to result in offspring who do not become drug-addicted or otherwise damaged." So here he goes. A man who couldn't get a Republican supermajority to pass his own tax cut will now help Trump maneuver Congress. A man who made Indiana a backwater punchline will now get a promotion. A failed governor with the magnanimous personality of beige carpet will smirk in his new national spotlight and count down the seconds until his fickle boss realizes that the presidency is a job, shrugs and says, "here's the key to the Oval Office, Mikey. Go ahead and nominate Joel Osteen to the Supreme Court." See you later, Mike Pence. Don't let Indiana's sullied reputation hit you on the way out. Enjoy your rash, America. SHARE By Kelly Gifford of the Courier and Press Over the next few weekends, the gym at the Downtown YMCA of Southwestern Indiana will host a series of international animated movies to help introduce children across the area to new cultures and the art of film. The first Children's International Film Festival will premiere at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Downtown YMCA. There will also be films shown at 3 p.m. July 23 and July 30 at the same location. The films are free and open to both members of the YMCA and nonmember and families are encouraged to stay for the showings with their children. The Arts Council saw an opportunity to not only bring some award-winning international films to Evansville, but also give children a chance to immerse themselves in other cultures they haven't experienced. Anne McKim, executive director of the Arts Council, said the organization has wanted to give more opportunities for the community to experience film and saw the festival as a good way to meet that goal. "Kids love movies and animation. There are so many amazing films made every year from across the world that they haven't even heard of, but can relate to," she said. "The best part is that these films resonate with not just kids, but adults as well. Everyone can learn the differences and similarities between the cultures of the world through these movies." There will be two films shown each day of the film festival. Saturday's films will be "Song of the Sea" and "Nocturna," to be shown at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively. "When Marnie Was There" and "The Tale of Princess Kaguya" will be shown on July 23 and a series of short films from the New York City Children's International Film Festival will be shown on July 30. The first films shown are aimed for younger children ages 8 and younger, said McKim, and the second set of films is for older children. There will be free water and popcorn for everyone during the movies. In addition to the films, there will be art activities for the children to participate in either during or between the films. There will be also be food to sample from the countries represented in the films. "The Arts Council does a lot of work with visual art, music and theater. Film hasn't been touched that much," McKim said. "We hope the festival can help get kids interested in the art of filmmaking and storytelling." If You Go What: The Arts Council and the YMCA present the Children's International Film Festival When: 3 p.m. Saturday. Films will be shown at 3 and 6 p.m. Saturday, July 23, and July 30. Where: Downtown YMCA of Southwestern Indiana Tickets: Free and open to the public. SHARE music Friday Local Voices Concert: The Zach Evans Band, 6:30 p.m. at Oaklyn Branch Library, 3001 Oaklyn Drive. Call 812-428-8234. Friday Night Dance Club Dance: 7:30 p.m. at VFW Post 1114, 110 N. Wabash Ave. (guests are $10 per person). theater Thursday "A. Lincoln: A Pioneer Tale": 7 p.m. at Lincoln Amphitheatre, Lincoln State Park, Lincoln City, also 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday ($19-$26). Call 812-937-2329 or visit lincolnamphitheatre.org. "The Little Mermaid": Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. and Public Education Foundation summer musical, 7 p.m. at Aiken Theatre, 715 Locust St., also 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Call 812-422-1699 or visit pefevansville.org. Friday "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change": 7:30 p.m., New Harmony Theatre, at Murphy Auditorium, 419 Tavern St., New Harmony, also 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Call 812-682-3115 or visit newharmonytheatre.com. Saturday Back Alley Musicals "Mary Poppins": 7:30 p.m. at Cannon Hall, RiverPark Center, Owensboro, Kentucky, also 2 p.m. Sunday and July 24 and 7:30 p.m. July 23. Visit backalleymusicals.net or call 270-687-2787. July 21 "Miss Saigon": Warrick County School Corp. and the Warrick Public Education Foundation summer musical, 7 p.m. at Castle High School, Newburgh, also 7 p.m. July 22-23 and 2 p.m. July 24. Visit warrickmusical.org. nature Sunday Patoka Lake Nature Center: Birdseye, Birds of Prey, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and July 24; Kayak into Nature, 9:30 p.m. July 23; Beach Scavenger Hunt, 2:30 p.m. July 23; Rangers at the Ramps, all day July 30; Spectacular Salamanders, 1 p.m. July 31. Call 812-685-2447. Talks & readings Tuesday Poetry Speaks: readings and performances, 7-10 p.m. at Bokeh Lounge, 1007 Parrett St., with host William Sovern. Performers include Charles Ian Duncan, Julie Lockhart, Tina Campbell, Michael Key, Chris Sims, Damion Stribling, Carol Machuca, Rob Z & Shakespeare's Monkey and musical guest Rodney Hocking. July 21 A Good Yarn: "The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion" by Fannie Flagg, 11 a.m. at McCollough Branch Library, 5115 Washington Ave. Call 812-428-8236. Extras Thursday Pike County 4-H Fair: through Saturday, Petersburg. Call 812-354-6838. Gibson County Fair: through Saturday at the Gibson County Fairgrounds, 711 N. Embree St., Princeton, Indiana. Call 812-385-3445 or visit gibsoncountyfair.com. Knit Sampler: Learn a new stitch to build on skills, 11 a.m. at McCollough Branch Library, 5115 Washington Ave. Call 812-428-8236. Library Loom Lovers: Make hats from looms, 2 p.m. in the Cafe at Central Library, 200 SE MLK Blvd. Call 812-428-8246. Kentucky Bike Rally: through Sunday at Union County Fairgrounds, Sturgis, Kentucky. Visit kentuckybikerally.com. e-reader Workshop: Sign up for a 20-minute one-on-one session, 10 a.m. at Oaklyn Branch Library, 3001 Oaklyn Drive. Call 812-428-8234. Henderson County Public Library: 101 S. Main St., Henderson, Kentucky, Henderson, Ky., teen program for students of North Middle School to help them with their summer reading assignment, "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein, 2 p.m. Thursday; Poetry writing workshop, "Writing What You Know: Exercises in Narrative and Self," 6-7:30 p.m. July 26 (free, but space is limited). Call 270-826-3712 or visit hcpl.org. Friday Friday After 5 free outdoor concerts: Riverfront, Owensboro, Kentucky, through Sept. 2. Visit fridayafter5.com. Downtown Evansville Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Friday, Second and Sycamore streets, through Sept. 30. EVPL Free Art Friday: Finders are keepers, Fridays throughout July. Check the EVPL Instagram account, @evplredefined each Friday for clues. First person to find the piece of art gets to keep it. Indiana Film Series: "Hoosiers" (1986), 6:15 p.m. at Red Bank Branch Library, 120 S. Red Bank Road. Call 812-428-8205. Outdoor Movie Night: "Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader," dusk at Mount Pleasant Church, 8900 Baumgart Road. There will be free hot dogs, popcorn, slushes and drinks served half an hour before the movie starts. Attendees should bring lawn chairs or blankets. Saturday Historic Newburgh Farmer's Market: 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday, through Sept. 24, Edgewater Grille parking lot, Newburgh. Call 812-853-2815 or visit historicnewburgh.org. Warrick County Farmers Market: 7:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday through October, Harold Gunn Memorial Pavilion, corner of Second and Main streets, Boonville. Call 812-897-6101. Sonny Brown: A Photographer's Eye on Evansville, 11 a.m. at West Branch Library, 2000 W. Franklin St. Call 812-428-8232. Handcrafter's Anonymous: African American craft workshop for adults and older teens, 1 p.m. at East Branch Library, 840 E. Chandler Ave. To register, call 812-428-8231. Classic Film Saturdays: "Friendly Persuasion" (1956), 9:30 a.m. at North Park Branch Library, 960 Koehler Drive. Call 812-428-8237. River Heritage Day: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Audubon Mill Park, Water Street, Henderson, Kentucky. Visit hendersondepot.org or call 270-830-9707. Dinner on the Riverfront: 5-8 p.m., On Deck Riverside Bar & Grill, Henderson, Kentucky. All-you-can-eat menu includes fried fish fillets, smoked chicken jambalaya, hush puppies, slaw and beans. Proceeds from this dinner benefit Children's Advocacy Center and River Heritage Day events. Visit hendersondepot.org or call 270-830-9707. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Summer Social: Vincennes, also Sunday. Call 812-882-1762. Sunday St. John Chrysostom Summer Social: New Boston campus. Call 812-649-4811. Monday Hoosier Hokum: Answer trivia questions about Indiana for a chance to win. New topics weekly through July at Red Bank Branch Library, 120 S. Red Bank Road. Call 812-428-8205. Indiana Film Series: "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), 5:30 p.m. at Oaklyn Branch Library, 3001 Oaklyn Drive. Call 812-428-8234. Warrick County 4-H Fair: through July 23 at the 4-H Center, Boonville. Call 812-897-6101 or visit warrickcounty4hcenter.com. Tuesday Sonny Brown: A Photographer's Eye on Evansville, 6:30 p.m. at Red Bank Branch Library, 120 S. Red Bank Road. Call 812-428-8205. Dubois County 4-H Fair: through July 23 at the 4-H Fairgrounds, Huntingburg. Call 812-482-1782. Wednesday Knit Now: Learn to Knit for Absolute Beginners Lesson 2: Purl Stitch, 2 p.m. at North Park Branch Library, 960 Koehler Drive. To register, call 812-428-8237. Sun Painting for Teens: Learn about Indiana's native plants while harnessing the sun to create art, 2 p.m. at Central Library, 200 SE MLK Blvd. To register, call 812-428-8217. Indiana Film Series: "Rudy" (1993), 5:30 p.m. at North Park Branch Library, 960 Koehler Drive. Call 812-428-8237. Pinterest Craft Club: Make a craft found on Pinterest, 6 p.m. at Oaklyn Branch Library, 3001 Oaklyn Drive. To register, call 812-428-8234. July 21 Crafternoon: DIY Dragonfly Brooch, 2 p.m. at Central Library, 200 SE MLK Blvd. Call 812-428-8246. Maker Madness: French-style terra cotta pots, 3:30 p.m. at Red Bank Branch Library, 120 S. Red Bank Road. Call 812-428-8205. Indiana Film Series: "A Christmas Story," 2 p.m. at McCollough Branch Library, 5115 Washington Ave. Call 812-428-8236. Tearjerker Thursday: Teen showing of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," 6 p.m. at Oaklyn Branch Library, 3001 Oaklyn Drive. Call 812-428-8234. Indiana Film Series: "The Magnificent Ambersons" (1942), 6 p.m. at Central Library, 200 SE MLK Blvd. Call 812-428-8246. Family Friday Summer Olympic: All day in the READ Center at Central Library, 200 SE MLK Blvd. Call 812-428-8225. Monday Bubblefest: Learn about and make all kinds of bubbles, 2:30 p.m. at Stringtown Branch Library, 2100 Stringtown Road. Call 812-428-8233. Tuesday Bubblefest: Learn about and make all kinds of bubbles, 2:30 p.m. at North Park Branch Library, 960 Koehler Drive. Call 812-428-8237. Wednesday Bubblefest: Learn about and make all kinds of bubbles, 2 p.m. at Red Bank Branch, 120 S. Red Bank Road. Call 812-428-8205. July 21 Bubblefest: Learn about and make all kinds of bubbles, 10 a.m. at in the Browning Room at Central Library, 200 SE MLK Blvd. Call 812-428-8225. Galleries, Museums Thursday Evansville Museum: 411 SE Riverside Drive, "Lincoln: The Formative Years," through July 24; Tom Wintczak, through Aug. 28. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday (admission to the museum is $7 for adults and $5 for ages 4 to 17). Call 812-425-2406 or visit emuseum.org. Koch Immersive Theater: Evansville Museum, 411 SE Riverside Drive, "Wildest Weather in the Solar System," through Aug. 6; "Life: A Cosmic Story," through Dec. 31; "Perfect Little Planet," through Dec. 31; "One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure," through Dec. 31; "Skies Over Evansville," through Dec. 31. Scholle House: New Harmony, "Painter of the Indiana Dunes: The Art of Frank V. Dudley," through December. Call 812-682-3702. Koch Family Children's Museum of Evansville: 22 SE Fifth St., Storytime Spot, 10:30 a.m. Thursday and July 21 and 28; Military Appreciation Day on Sunday; Little Ducklings: Space Play-Doh, 10:30 a.m. Tuesday through July 22; Pop-Up: Water Bottle Rockets, 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through July 23; Kids Comic Con, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 23; Back to School Bash with Gibson County, 4-7 p.m. July 26; Little Ducklings: Ice Painting, 10:30 a.m. July 26-29; Pop-Up: Parachutes, 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. July 26-30; Back to School at the Downtown EVV Farmer's Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 29. Call 812-464-2663 or visit cmoekids.org. University of Southern Indiana's McCutchan Art Center/Pace Galleries: "Ruth Esserman: Future Presence," a one-person exhibit of drawings and paintings, through Sept. 2 (free public reception for the artist, 6-8 p.m. Aug. 31). Open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. The Michael Dunn Gallery: Oakland City University, Cornwell-Reed Fine Arts Center, 138 N. Lucretia St., Oakland City, Kathleen Cavanaugh: Paintings and Silk Screen Prints, through Aug. 19. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment. Call 812-749-1426. Arts Council's Bower-Suhrheinrich Foundation Gallery: "A Common Thread: Hesperus is Phosphorus" featuring John Atkinson and Dianne Albin, through July 29. Visit artswin.org. FRIDAY Women's Institute and Gallery: 916 E. Granary St., New Harmony, "Winds of Change," a solo exhibit by Christine Ilewski of Alton, Illinois, through Oct. 2 (artist reception, 4-7 p.m. Aug. 27 during the New Harmony Gallery Stroll). Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Call 812-682-3799. Saturday Hoosier Salon New Harmony Gallery: 507 Church St., New Harmony, art by Indiana artists Brian Gordy, Katherine Meade and Diane Overmyer, through Aug. 21 (artist reception, 5-7 p.m. Saturday). Open 1-4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. Call 812-682-3970. Newburgh Museum: 2 W. Main St. in Preservation Hall, Downtown Newburgh, "Darkest Days of the Republic: Newburgh's Civil War Experience," through Nov. 12. Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call 812-853-5045. SHARE By Megan R. Thorne, Special to the Courier & Press Just a little over 154 years ago, Adam R. "Stovepipe" Johnson captured Newburgh without a single gunshot. It was the first city north of the Ohio River to be captured by Southern forces. The threatening military action that caused Newburgh's capture came with a twist. "If you looked across the Ohio River you would see what appeared to be two cannons," Tom Bodkin said. "However, one was made out of stovepipe and one was a charred log. Neither of them were cannons, and that's how Johnson got his nickname 'Stovepipe.'" Bodkin, president of the Newburgh Museum foundation, said a member from the board suggested the museum put on a re-enactment event to tie in with Indiana's bicentennial celebration, and to showcase what has happened in 200 years. The town will recognize its history this weekend during Newburgh Remembers, featuring a Cotillion Ball, raid re-enactment, wreath ceremony, Civil War skirmish based off the battle that took place in Corydon, Indiana, a historic home tour and a mock trial of Andrew Huston. There will also be Sutlers Village at Old Lock and Dam Park. This village was the group of merchants who followed along after soldiers. During Newburgh Remembers there will be food vendors, a blacksmith and other demonstrators. "Newburgh was founded in 1803, so it's much older than the state," Bodkin said. "We are honoring Newburgh in its role with the Civil War and honoring Indiana with its role as a state being developed." Bodkin said is also looking forward to the laying of the wreath at Newburgh's Veterans Monument. "It's significant because we had one gentleman here who got wounded at the battle of Shiloh and died here and then another veteran named Frank Folden who was a slave in Kentucky and was able to get across the Ohio River into Newburgh," he said. When he came to Newburgh, Folden changed his name and enlisted in the Union Army. After being discharged he came back to Newburgh and is buried in the African-American Cemetery. "His great grandson lives here in town and has been elected to town council twice," Bodkin said. "So you go from being a slave on a plantation in Kentucky and in two generations to elected official in Newburgh, and I think that's significant because it tells us how well we have done in changing. And we aren't there yet, but how well we've done at changing how people look at each other in this country and in this town." Ryan Williams was just a teenager when his love for Civil War re-enactments flourished. "My friend's dad had an authentic Civil War cannon and they were looking for people to shoot it, and that's what got me started," Williams said. "The first time I smelt the smoke, it really hooked me. " Williams is the Indiana Legion commander and will be the commander of Newburgh Remembers. "In my case I've been a living historian for 30 years now," Williams said, "And as you learn and grow in a hobby, it's kind of getting out what you put into it." He said it's an honor to be able to lead and direct the others. Being a commander, Williams said it's his job to make sure everyone is on the same page, knows the history and help get people where they need to be. Even though he has a lot of responsibility on his hands, Williams said his favorite part of re-enacting is the camaraderie the legion shares. If anyone is interested in the hobby, he said they should talk to a re-enactor because it's important to be involved in your history. Dennis Hutchinson, a member of the Kentucky Battery, said he has been re-enacting since 1997 after his friends found out about it. "I have always been interested in Civil War," Hutchinson said. " I have a grandfather who was in the 31st infantry for the Union regiment." Hutchinson said he enjoys working the cannon even though it can be dangerous if the routines are not done correctly. "It's the closest thing to an actual battle," he said. "The sounds, the smells and nobody is getting hurt which is a good thing. But you get to see what it's like to be a soldier during that time, and you have a tent and uniform. We try to be as correct as possible." Hutchinson said his favorite part of re-enactments is when you get everyone around the campfire at night. "It's relaxing," he said. "You forget about work and everything else and you just enjoy the moment." Newburgh Remembers Schedule Friday 5 p.m. Cotillion, period dress is encouraged but not required, at St. John the Baptist Church, 625 Frame Road. Admission is $35 by calling by calling 812-853-5045. Saturday 10 a.m. Wreath Ceremony at the Veteran's Monument on Bell Road. 12:30 p.m. Red Bank Reunion Band at Lock and Dam Park 1-1:30 p.m. Raid Re-enactment, Confederate raiders advanced on Newburgh from the Ohio River, Union soldiers guarding the town are duped into giving up valuable firearms, Lock and Dam park. 1:30 p.m. Red Bank Reunion Band at Lock and Dam Park 2 p.m. Civil War Skirmish, see a picture of what fighting was like, including canon fire, riverfront. Old Lock and Dam park 2:45 p.m. Old Dam Community Band at Lock Dam Park 3:30 p.m. Ladies Afternoon Tea at the historic Old Newburgh Presbyterian Church. Tea and light refreshments will be served, sold out. Sunday 11 a.m. Civil War skirmish on the riverfront. 12:30-3 p.m. Historic Home Tour, guided home tour, .$15 tickets available by calling 812-853-5045 12:30-3 p.m. Carriage rides through historic Newburgh, $5 with pick up and drop off on West Main near the museum. 2 p.m. Trial of Andrew Huston, was he a conspirator who helped Stovepipe Johnson's Kentucky Rangers execute their infamous raid on Newburgh in July of 1862, or was he merely a concerned father hitching a boat across the river to get back to his ill children? At preservation hall. SHARE Continuing 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) clash over differing philosophies. The duo are soon forced to confront an even greater threat created by nefarious billionaire Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). (PG-13) 'the bfg' A girl named Sophie encounters the Big Friendly Giant who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kindhearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because, unlike them, he refuses to eat children. Stars Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill and Penelope Wilton. (PG) 'central intelligence' After he reunites with an old pal through Facebook, a mild-mannered accountant is lured into the world of international espionage. Stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Danielle Nicolet. (PG-13) 'the conjuring 2' Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson) travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits. (R) 'finding dory' The friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish reunites with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way. Stars the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks and Ed O'Neill. (PG) 'free state of jones' As civil war divides the nation, a poor farmer (Matthew McConaughey) from Mississippi leads a group of rebels against the Confederate army. (R) 'independence day: resurgence' Two decades after the first Independence Day invasion, Earth is faced with a new extra-Solar threat. Stars Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman. (PG-13) 'the jungle book' The man-cub Mowgli (Neel Sethi) flees the jungle after a threat from the tiger Shere Khan (voiced by Idris Elba). Guided by Bagheera (voiced by Ben Kingsley) the panther and the bear Baloo (voiced by Bill Murray), Mowgli embarks on a journey of self-discovery, though he also meets creatures who don't have his best interests at heart. (PG) 'the legend of tarzan' Tarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment. Stars Alexander Skarsgard, Rory J. Saper and Christian Stevens. (PG-13) 'Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates' Hard-partying brothers Mike (Adam Devine) and Dave (Zac Efron) place an online ad to find the perfect dates (Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza) for their sister's Hawaiian wedding. Hoping for a wild getaway, the boys instead find themselves outsmarted and out-partied by the uncontrollable duo. (R) 'miracles from heaven' A young girl suffering from a rare digestive disorder finds herself miraculously cured after surviving a terrible accident. Stars Jennifer Garner, Kylie Rogers and Martin Henderson (PG) 'money monster' Financial TV host Lee Gates (George Clooney) and his producer Patty (Julia Roberts) are put in an extreme situation when an irate investor takes over their studio. (R) 'now you see me 2' The Four Horsemen resurface and are forcibly recruited by a tech genius to pull off their most impossible heist yet. Stars Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson. (PG-13) 'the purge: election year' Two years after choosing not to kill the man who killed his son, former police sergeant Barnes has become head of security for Sen. Charlene Roan, the front-runner in the next presidential election due to her vow to eliminate the Purge. Stars Elizabeth Mitchell, Frank Grillo and Mykelti Williamson. (R) 'Secret Life of Pets' A terrier named Max regularly invites his friends to hang out at his place while his owner is gone, but his quiet life is upended when said owner also takes in Duke, a stray mutt whom Max instantly dislikes. (PG) 'the shallows' A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy (Blake Lively) is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills. (PG-13) 'x-men: apocalypse' With the emergence of the world's first mutant, Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan. Stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence. 'zootopia' In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a fugitive con artist fox and a rookie bunny cop must work together to uncover a conspiracy. Stars the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman and Idris Elba. (PG) Montanas slate of GOP candidates for statewide office blasted Gov. Steve Bullock during a Wednesday meeting with coal stakeholders. The meeting at the Billings Public Library came one day after an owner of Colstrip Power Plant settled an environmental lawsuit by agreeing to shut down two of the facilitys four units within six years. We have to have a sense of urgency here because the wounds are becoming too deep, said Joe Micheletti, executive vice president of Westmoreland Coal Co. Greg Gianforte, Republican candidate for governor, told the group of state legislators, mining representatives and Colstrip community members not to expect a different response to coal countrys problems until voters start electing Republicans to state offices. Democrats occupy four of Montanas five statewide offices. Attorney General Tim Fox is the only Republican. Those five statewide officials control development of Montana public lands as members of the state Land Board. If they want things to continue the way they are, they can keep the leadership they have, Gianforte said. If they want something different, that believes bringing prosperity back to the state, more high-wage jobs and responsible natural resource development, were putting that plan forward and its an optimistic plan about the state of Montana. Westmoreland operates the Rosebud Mine, which feeds Colstrip. The company also operates the Absaloka Mine on the Crow Indian Reservation. Those deep wounds to which Micheletti refers include a one-third drop in Montana coal production through the first six months of the year when compared to the same period in 2015. There have been layoffs at Absaloka mine, and a drop in coal royalty payments to the Crow Tribe has contributed to financial problems that resulted in tribal government furloughs this year. The value of coal has plummeted as it loses market value to fellow fossil fuel natural gas. Coal exports have all but stopped because of an oversupply of coal in the Asian Pacific. In January, mining companies Cloud Peak Energy and Signal Peak Energy suspended coal exports because coal prices couldnt cover shipping costs. Additionally, the federal government intends to adjust royalty payments upward on coal mined from federal public land. The Environmental Protection Agency is also rolling out new air pollution limits that will challenge coal power plants. Units 1 and 2 of Colstrip, built in the 1970s werent expected to survive the new rules under EPAs Clean Power Plan, intended to curb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Gianforte, state auditor candidate Matt Rosendale and superintendent of public instruction candidate Elsie Arntzen, said the state needed to challenge federal policies more. They praised Attorney General Tim Fox for joining 23 other states in suing the EPA over the Clean Power Plan and for challenging federal control of small streams and water bodies under the Clean Water Rule. The candidates also called for state government support of any technology that minimizes carbon pollution, possibly putting it to use improving oil extraction. State support for so-called clean coal technology is also a talking point of Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, who is running for re-election. Bullock has also met several times with Colstrip residents and told the press Tuesday he was angered by Tuesdays settlement between Colstrip co-owner Puget Sound Energy, the Sierra Club and the Montana Environmental Information Center. "The parties in the lawsuit took care of themselves. There's nothing about the workers, nothing about the community," Bullock said on Tuesday. But Republicans accused Bullock of being a coal phony, pointing out the five members of the MEIC board of directors are contributors to the governors re-election campaign. The firm MEIC that actually pursued this lawsuit against Colstrip, their board members have written checks, five of them have written checks to Gov. Bullocks campaign, Gianforte said. Hes bought and paid for by special interests that shut down Montana jobs. Campaign records show Gianfortes allegation is true. Bullocks campaign said the governor also accepts donations from Montanans working in the oil, gas and coal industries. From falsely claiming endorsements, to denying his stream access lawsuit, Greg Gianforte has trouble with the truth, and is running a campaign full of falsehoods and distortions, said Jason Pitt, a Bullock campaign spokesman. The fact is, Governor Bullock is focused on helping the people of Colstrip and securing Montana's energy future, not playing irresponsible political games." SHARE By Mark Wilson of the Courier and Press BOONVILLE, Ind. The handgun Mathew McCallister is accused of using in the 2014 slaying of Joseph Nelson changed ownership at least three times before ending up tagged as evidence in a Warrick County courtroom. McCallister, 34, is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the February 2014 slaying. He faces a possible life without parole sentence if convicted. He was one of four people charged in Nelson's death, but the only one to stand trial. Codefendants Shawn Grigsby, David Lackey Jr. and Jade Stigall have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced. The .40 Taurus semiautomatic pistol was first sold by a sporting goods store in Irvine, Kentucky, in 2009, according to Special Agent Robert Bindley of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Evansville Police Department Detective Todd Seibert testified that he was assigned to trace the gun's ownership from there to help determine how it wound up in the Warrick County murder case. Seibert said he also is assigned to the ATF's local task force enforcing federal firearms laws. He said Wednesday that the original owner traded it to a pawn shop, which sold it to a second person who in turn traded it to another person at a swap meet near Lexington, Kentucky. The gun's trail of ownership ran cold there. Seibert also said that, in his estimation, only about 10-15 percent of handguns stay owned by the original purchasers. Stigall, who is McCallister's half-sister, testified Tuesday that the gun belonged to Grigsby, who was showing it off and bragging about it in an Evansville hotel room hours before Nelson was killed. However, she testified Tuesday, and again Wednesday when cross-examined, that she believed she saw McCallister fire the fatal gunshot while Nelson was kneeling. Pathologist Dr. Allen Griggs testified Wednesday that Nelson died of a single shot in the head, and the wound was consistent with having been shot execution-style while kneeling. Stigall testified that after the shooting, McCallister directed her to drive to Evansville, where he threw the gun in a storm drain. Detective Matthew Young, of the Warrick County Sheriff's Office, testified that Stigall led officers to a location on Evansville's South Side after her arrest. He said officers recovered the gun and six rounds of ammunition from the sewer, although the magazine or clip that held the bullets was not found. Stigall also testified that McCallister directed her to drive to the rural Warrick County site where Nelson was shot, near Liberty Mine, and that she saw Grigsby hand McCallister a gun as they walked with Nelson. She said she saw McCallister's arm raised, saw sparks, heard a shot and then saw McCallister lower his arm as Nelson, who was kneeling, fell forward. She said that McCallister knew Nelson from prison and that Nelson had lived with McCallister and his fiancee (now wife), Kelli Wyrick, in Indianapolis. Stigall said Nelson made sexual advances toward her while they were smoking meth and that she told her boyfriend, Lackey (now her husband), about it. She said Lackey told McCallister and Grigsby. Nelson's body was discovered by Alcoa Warrick Operations employees in a load of coal received by railroad from Liberty Mine. Prosecutor Mike Perry is expecting to present additional firearms analysis evidence, as well as cell phone evidence on Thursday before the state rests its case. SHARE By Megan Erbacher of the Courier and Press It takes time, said Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. Superintendent David Smith. School transformation works in Indiana, Smith said, because "we operate not out of compliance, but instead out of our belief that we can do better." Smith and Bosse District Director of School Support Tammy Dexter presented recommendations to the State Board of Education Wednesday night during a two-hour public hearing to gather ideas for Lodge Community School. The K-8 facility has received five consecutive "F" accountability grades from the state, so in accordance with Indiana law representatives from the SBOE and the Indiana Department of Education hosted the forum. No final decisions were made Wednesday night. The goal is to review school data and learn how to best help the school serve its students and improve educational performances. A sixth consecutive "F" grade triggers a state law giving the state board authority to choose an intervention for the school. The number of students passing ISTEP, as well as other state-mandated assessments, are large factors in determining school accountability grades. Dexter said officials are seeing improvements in Lodge's environment, which lays a foundation for long-term success. "It's always important to provide stability and excellence when staffing our leadership teams," she said. Over the past two years, Dexter said two leading indicators for school culture and climate both "drastically improved." Discipline infractions decreased 38 percent and out-of-school suspensions dropped by 41 percent. In addition to allowing supports from the EVSC's Transformation Zone a partnership with nonprofit Mass Insight Education that was created in 2012 to provide additional resources to implement strategies, methods and conditions to increase student achievement Smith recommended the district's recent partnership with Learning Sciences, led by Michael Toth and Robert Marzano. Smith said it will help Lodge educators improve instructional delivery in two key ways: through instructional engagement strategies designed to shift from a teacher-centered classroom to a student-centered classroom; and through helping teachers develop tighter formative data cycles to respond to student needs. Presentations were given by state department of education and local school officials before public comment. More than 60 teachers, families and community members gathered in support of Lodge Community School with a common plea allow continued local control of the schools. Change is scary, said Lodge first grade teacher Julie Faucett. And when the school changed to a K-8 facility, there were many questions and older students weren't happy to be back at Lodge. "This change has greatly impacted our school," she said. "Six years have passed, and we've all grown stronger. ... We're all in this together." Robert Eberhart has been principal of Lodge since 2009, when it switched to a K-8 facility. Eberhart said the school has come a long way and gone in the right direction, but officials need more time to refine practices. Before he could finished his prepared speech, he got choked up, turned around and pointed at the teachers and families. "They're the best," he said. Options state board officials have are: Merge with a nearby, higher-performing school. Assign a special management team to operate all or part of the school. Approve the school's plan to create a transformation zone. Approve the school's plan to create an innovation network Implement recommendations from the state department of education Implement options from the hearing Close the school. Officials will report comments back to the full State Board of Education. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz said the public hearings are about having a community conversation. MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Nathaniel Allen, Raj Chilukuri, instructor Dave Ellert and Adam Fischer (from left to right) work Wednesday on a class project using a Raspberry Pi computer and CAD Design software to design a case insert that will hold all the computer components. The project is part of the Engineering and Manufacturing Creativity Camp held at USI this week, July 13, 2016. SHARE MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS University of Southern Indiana engineering instructor Dave Ellert leads a class of high school students as they use Raspberry Pi computers and CAD Design software to design inserts for a case to hold all the computer components. The project is part of the Engineering and Manufacturing Creativity Camp held at USI this week, July 13, 2016. MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Jake McEuen, attending this week's University of Southern Indiana Engineering and Manufacturing Creativity Camp for high school students, uses a Computer Aided Design or CAD program to design inserts for a case to hold a collection of computer components participants received at the camp. Later in the week they will output their designs to water jet cutter that cut out the inserts so students can take them home, July 13, 2016. MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Sig School student Muriel Smith-Sweetser (right) help Nathaniel Allen with a problem during a class project at this week's University of Southern Indiana Engineering and Manufacturing Creativity Camp. Campers were asked to use Raspberry Pi computers and CAD Design software to design inserts for a case to hold the collection of computer components participants received at the camp. Later in the week they will output their designs to water jet cutter that cut out the inserts so students can take them home, July 13, 2016. MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Kunhai Shah measures computer components as high school students attending this week's University of Southern Indiana Engineering and Manufacturing Creativity Camp work on a class project using Raspberry Pi computers and CAD Design software to design inserts for a case to hold the collection of computer components participants received at the camp. Later in the week they will output their designs to water jet cutter that cut out the inserts so students can take them home, July 13, 2016. By Andrew Vailliencourt, andrew.vailliencourt@courierpress.com / @AndrewVcourt Brett Weyer sat in the back corner of the classroom at the University of Southern Indiana Business and Engineering Center, putting the finishing touches on his computer aided design that the class was working on. Then he talked with his friends who never broke from the subject of Pokemon Go. At the front of the room, Dave Ellert, instructor in engineering at USI and head of the Engineering and Manufacturing Creativity Camp, reminded students not to forget a narrow box in their design to hold a ruler. He was teaching them how to make a foam briefcase lining to carry the tools they used over the course of the week. This is all part of the camp that ran all week on the USI campus. Twenty high school students participated in learning about the engineering profession, including CAD design, raspberry pi computers, solid modeling, different manufacturing processes, how to use Python, robotics and a special field trip to the Toyota plant. "I did it because I wanted to learn more about computer aided design," said Weyer, soon to be a junior at Memorial High School. "I thought it'd be a fun way to meet people who are interested in the same career field that I am." Weyer was one of the oldest kids at the camp, as 16 of the 20 were going to be freshman in the fall. He said he first got into engineering after participating in SeaPerch Robotics, also run by Ellert. "I just like building things," Weyer said. "I'm good with my hands and I want a career where I can work with my hands." Ellert has been in charge of the camp for four years. It was kickstarted by a grant from the Alcoa Foundation and is now able to function without the extra funding, meaning the program can continue into the future. "I hope (the students) know more about the engineering profession, and what type of things and what kind of problems we can solve," Ellert said. "What kind of details we can get into with programming and drawing, (and) learn how to create. It's not artistic creation, but it's needed. The world needs it. Smartphones were created with a lot of the things we're doing this week." Later in the week, the students pay a visit to the Applied Engineering Center, where they can see more on the manufacturing side. Ellert said he's happy to see so many young people want to be involved in the field. "I think it's the energy of the kids and their willingness," Ellert said. "They bring so much enthusiasm and previous knowledge about engineering. When we get there it's kind of like a relay race, you're just giving them more energy to keep going." The camp isn't just for kids who want to be engineers, John Strezewski, who will be a sophomore at Signature this fall, says he has more of an interest in politics but that engineering is still important to learn about in the technology age. A highlight of the week is the field trip to Toyota. Ellert said being able to see a car at exposure view is one of the best parts. The car is suspended in the air so visitors can see where everything fits together. "It's amazing what you see there," Ellert said. Donald Trump waves goodbye at Michael Pence's side as he leaves the governor's residence on Thursday. (Photo: IndyStar / Mykal McEldowney) SHARE By David Jackson, USA TODAY CLEVELAND As aides made final plans for next week's Republican convention, bore down Wednesday on a running mate selection he plans to disclose Friday. "I will be making the announcement of my Vice Presidential pick on Friday at 11 a.m. in Manhattan," Trump tweeted late in the day. "Details to follow." Trump, top aides and members of his family are evaluating potential vice presidential finalists, a group that includes Indiana Gov. , New Jersey Gov. , Alabama and former House speaker . "I'm narrowing it down," Trump told Fox News. "I mean, I'm at three, potentially four. But in my own mind, I probably am thinking about two," he said. Grounded in Indiana by plane trouble, Trump and members of his family visited the governor's mansion on Wednesday for another talk with Pence, a running mate prospect whom he teased during a rally on Tuesday night. I dont know if hes going to be your governor or your vice president, Trump told the crowd. Who the hell knows? Pence's prospects will be known soon: He cannot run for re-election as governor this year and for vice president at the same time, and the filing deadline for the governor's race is noon on Friday. Sessions, the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump earlier this year, flew to Indiana on Wednesday, presumably to discuss the running mate issue. Meanwhile, Fox News announced Tuesday that Gingrich had agreed to stop being a network contributor because of speculation he might join Trump's ticket. The former House speaker and Georgia congressman has been an enthusiastic backer of Trump's presidential bid. Christie, a former presidential candidate who became one of the first "establishment Republicans" to endorse Trump, has been advising the New York businessman on the running mate selection, but is also considered a contender himself. I tell you, Chris Christie is somebody I've liked a long time," Trump said in the Fox News interview. "He's a total professional. He's a good guy, by the way, a lot of people don't understand that, Trump said. Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn is also reportedly under consideration. Trump, in various interviews, has also held out the possibility of a surprise pick whom nobody knows about. While Trump mulls his decision, aides and Republican officials are putting together final plans for next week's convention. Some party officials have already announced they will be addressing the convention, including House Speaker of Wisconsin, Sen. of Iowa and of Texas, one of Trump's opponents during a contentious and divisive GOP primary contest. A number of prominent Republicans will not attend the convention, including the party's last two presidents and and its last two nominees, and . Romney in particular has been harshly critical of Trump, saying he is unqualified for the jobs and that his domestic and foreign policies would divide the nation and American allies. Anti-Trump delegates are expected to make one last play on Thursday: a request to the convention rules committee for a change that would allow delegates to vote for any candidate next week, regardless of whether or not they are bound to Trump. The "Never Trump" request is not expected to succeed. During an RNC meeting on Wednesday, Republican Party legal counsel John Ryder said the rules on committed delegates remain unchanged. "The delegates remain bound," he said. SHARE Bob Barsumian, Newburgh I would like to propose an alternate viewpoint to that of U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon's commentary in the July 3 Courier & Press regarding the committee report on Benghazi being worth the time and effort to produce. This viewpoint also defends the "misleading" article that Bucshon finds fault with in the Courier & Press. There have now been eight reports on Benghazi, primarily led by Republicans in Congress. Seven of the reports have produced as much as the $7 million dollar price tag on the eighth. Not one investigation has turned up any wrongdoing on behalf of the Obama administration or the then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Buchon begins his attack by pointing out the incredible quantity of documents that this committee has obtained, the worth of which is dubious. Quality is what they should be looking for. And of the 107 witnesses who testified, most who were not really witnesses to anything, and of the 81 who had never been previously questioned because they also knew nothing but were called for display, offer nothing to bolster Bucshon's argument. He offers numbers only. But quantity must be important here if we are to believe his rhetoric. He goes to great lengths to say there were nine witnesses who were on the ground that night, but neglects to say they had anything of merit to contribute to his accusations or the specific conversation. Next he invites the reader to witness two specific points, which obviously do not include any real or anecdotal evidence from the witnesses. His first point is the perpetual red herring that we are supposed to chase rather than think for ourselves: the president and the State Department blamed an anti-Islamic video for causing the attack. They did, primarily because this video had caused a reaction in Egypt, a natural supposition and convenient excuse to be utilized no matter how faulty it appears in retrospect. The problem with this diversion is that it really has nothing to do with anyone having failed his/her duty. Everyone, mainly the media, wants an explanation immediately. The truth is that was the best the administration could come up with at the time, and though faulty, seemed logical. The second point he invites the reader to believe is that "government officials failed to secure the facilities, failed to provide the men and women on the ground the resources they needed and requested, and failed to properly prepare despite having intelligence reports outlining increased security threats." Bucshon states that it was only through the grace of the Libyan intelligence forces that any Americans from the attack that night in September survived. We are all grateful for the Libyan troops who came to the consulate's aid. However, there was no way the U.S. could have inserted troops to help the beleaguered consulate in a timely fashion to have been of any aid to the four Americans. As far as failing to secure the premises of the "embassy" which in truth was merely a consulate (a building or group of buildings without a marine guard) there was an obvious failure, but not because of the administration or the State Department. The failure occurred when the Republican-dominated House of Representatives declined to pass legislation to fund the administration's request for embassy security by cutting $330 million dollars from what was needed. Before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2012 on the Benghazi consulate, Eric Nordstrom, regional security officer in Benghazi asked for more funds to help make this consulate secure. He was denied. The $7 million that was wasted in this eighth report could have been better spent to provide security for an embassy or consulate somewhere rather than pouring it down the drain of personal vanity as displayed by Congress As far as the exercise being far from political in nature, the real truth of its basis slipped out of Republican Kevin McCarthy's (R-California) mouth when he said the inquisition was "designed to go after Clinton." He was consequently backed up on his statement by Richard Hanna (R-New York) and Benghazi Committee staffer Maj. Bradley F. Podliska, an intelligence officer in the Air Force Reserve who describes himself as a conservative Republican who stated that the committee trained its sights almost exclusively on Clinton after the revelation last March that she used a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state. This new information turned a broad-based probe of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi into what Podliska described as "a partisan investigation." I defy Rep. Bucshon to sweep these statements under the carpet. He should admit the entire probe, in fact all eight probes, were nothing more than partisan politics as usual. Even the outspoken conservative news staff at Fox News including Bill O'Reilly and Brit Hume opined, "Nearly every investigation ever conducted by Congress is political." I am not sure for whom Larry Bucshon is carrying water, but he'd better make sure his bucket is not as full of holes as his explanation of the committee report on Benghazi being worth the time and effort to produce. It wasn't. U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., will speak at the Republican National Convention, the GOP announced Thursday. The congressmans staff said Zinke will deliver a primetime speech about national security and leadership on Monday. He will share the stage with Joni Ernst. Zinke is a former Navy SEAL commander. Ernst is a former lieutenant colonel in the Iowa National Guard and a combat veteran. "I'm excited to join Republicans from around the country to put Montana in the spotlight while we work together to move American foreign policy in the right direction," Zinke said in a press release. "American leadership is needed across the globe. The Obama-Clinton failed foreign policy brought us ISIS and brought down Benghazi. They created power vacuums which our adversaries and enemies like ISIS, China and Russia are rushing to fill. I'd shudder to think what Hillary Clinton in the White House would bring." Zinke was listed third in a lineup of 62 convention speakers. He is also a Montana nominating delegate and the first statewide elected Republican in Montana to endorse Donald Trump. Zinke gave a warm-up speech for Trump at a May 26 Billings rally. This is the third consecutive presidential election season in which a statewide elected official from Montana has been selected to speak. Zinkes general election opponent, Denise Juneau, Montanas current state superintendent of the Office of Public Instruction, spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2012. Former Gov. Brian Schweitzer spoke at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. They came seeking justice for Joker. On Wednesday morning, about 35 people stood on the sidewalks adjoining North 27th Street in downtown Billings to protest the sentence given to a man convicted of beating to death Joker, a small mixed-breed dog. The protest rally was organized by two volunteers from Billings Animal Rescue Kare. Anthony James Allen, 21, was sentenced Monday to serve four days in jail the maximum is a year and the maximum fine of $1,000. He appeared before Billings Municipal Judge Sheila Kolar on a charge of cruelty to animals. Kolar also ordered Allen to take an anger management class, and she banned him from owning an animal for up to a year. He must return to court on Thursday to arrange payment for restitution to the family, which is to be determined, and for his fine. That seemed inadequate to the protesters who showed up Wednesday morning next to the Yellowstone County Courthouse lawn, waving signs at passing motorists. We want laws with teeth for animal abusers, one sign read while another one declared that All dogs matter. Blue, a blue heeler that BARK volunteer Heather Mayo rescued two years ago, stood next to his owner wearing a small sandwich board with the words, Animal Lives Matter. We have to question whether that punishment was fit for the crime, Mayo said. The protesters called out Four days is not OK. Motorists drove by, honking their horns in support of the demonstrators. Montana isnt known for having stiff laws for animal abusers, said Nancy Moore, another BARK volunteer and one of the rallys organizers. When I read in the newspaper about what happened to Joker, I was heartbroken, she said, These animals dont have a voice, and I cant do a lot, but I can call attention to the fact that weve got to do something here in Montana. Moore, who owns three dogs, spends Fridays at BARK, cleaning the kennels, walking and feeding the dogs, giving them medicine and showering them with love. She said she couldnt live without dogs and cats. I have MS, so I spend a lot of time at home, Moore said. They are so much company for me, and they know when Im upset and comfort me. MJ Burkland, of Billings, also showed up for the protest. Burkland coordinates the 8,000-member Found on Facebook page, where area people post messages about lost or found dogs and cats. For a dog to be beat to death just because somebody got mad makes me mad. Thats why Im here, she said. Four days is not long enough. Not everyone understands how passionate people can get about their pets, said Burkland, who owns three cats and a dog. A lot of people say theyre just animals, and theyre not just animals, she said. They have feelings, they cry, theyre sad, theyre happy and theyre part of the family. Katie Viig, Jokers owner, showed up at the rally with her husband, Nick. She owned the Pomeranian-beagle-dachshund mix for slightly more than a year. Its overwhelming, it really is, that so many people would come out to help us fight for this, Viig said, standing near one of the lines of protesters. She described the smiling, white-furred dog on display in the protesters' photos as outgoing. He was very interactive and playful, she said, emotion in her voice. Anybody who came around, he always just wanted to play. And if you wouldnt give him the time or pay attention to him, hed sit there and whine until you did. Joker was especially kind to her two children, Viig said. My kids just loved him, she said. They could crawl all over him, they could play with him and he was just like, 'OK.'" Viig lives in a two-bedroom apartment, and she and her husband are looking for a bigger home. In the meantime, Joker was staying at her stepmothers home. Witnesses told investigators that on Sunday, Allen, a member of the extended family, was in the house with Joker. Allen grew angry after the dog began to bark at him, the witnesses said. He struck the dog at least twice with a cane and then kicked him, while swearing at the dog for barking. The witnesses said they took the dog outside after the attack, and that is where the animal died. Like the others at the rally, Viig remains unhappy with the sentence Allen received. I dont think its right, and any way I can, Im going to get (the law) changed, she said. Sussex News Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. A woman was sentenced on Thursday for driving drunk in 2015 with her two children in the car. Breannda Bo Romero, 27, appeared before District Judge Mary Jane Knisely, who sentenced her to three years in the custody of the Montana Department of Corrections, all suspended, and a $2,500 fine for felony criminal endangerment. Knisely also sentenced Romero to 12 months in the Yellowstone County Detention Facility with all but 30 days suspended and a $250 fine for misdemeanor driving under the influence, the same for misdemeanor being a habitual traffic offender while driving and a suspended six-month sentence to the county jail and a $500 fine for resisting arrest. All of the sentences are to run concurrent to each other. Knisely also dismissed a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct as part of a plea deal that included Thursday's sentences. Charging documents say that police were called to a Billings apartment on Oct. 7, 2015, after somebody reported Romero earlier demanded they watch her children so she could go out. While police were there, they saw Romero pull into the parking lot and found two children, ages 2 and 5 at the time, in the vehicle's back seat. Court documents say that Romero appeared intoxicated while speaking with police, had difficulty following instructions, tried to walk away at one point and resisted and screamed profanities during her arrest. To combat the summer slide, Lockwood Elementary School targeted its students who had already been able to climb up a slippery surface. About 40 students are enrolled in a summer program at Lockwood for students who struggle academically, but showed progress during the school year. We want to keep these kids up to where they are, said librarian and teacher Kristi Laib. A classroom of kindergarten through second-graders focuses on reading and math support, while another class for third- through fifth-graders uses a journalism theme to hone skills. Lockwood funds the program with $17,000 in reallocated Title 1 funding from the Office of Public Instruction. So far its a one-time grant, but officials are hopeful that they can get funding for the future. Montana has no state funding specifically for summer school; districts that have programs typically fund programs through grants or their general fund. We would have probably 125 (kids) if I had taken parent requests, said Don Christman, Lockwood's director of special programs. On Wednesday, students read a story about a lost dog and answered questions aimed at reading comprehension. About 20 students are enrolled in Laibs and Jamie Lofing's class. Eight were present Wednesday. Many students get lost during the summer; research shows that reading skills slip for students from low-income families, while students from wealthier families improve or hold steady. All students typically lose ground in math. Three months of not using something is huge, Lofing said. When theyre starting off behind, theyre playing catch up. Lockwoods program lasts about two hours, spanning lunch. A stack of educational games sat on a bookshelf, newly purchased with grant money. Second-grader Bryant Martin was flummoxed when teachers said the class wouldnt be playing a math game he was eyeing. Its not a math day? Seriously? he said, with a tone of agitated disbelief. (It was a reading day). Its rare to hear students disappointed about dodging math drills. Another goal of the summer program is to change students attitudes about learning. If theyre comfortable and a lot more confident in those things, they can excel next year, said Bri Turnquist, who teaches the journalism class. Her students had partnered with the Boys and Girls Club for a field trip Wednesday, which they planned to write about upon returning. The classes have a more relaxed atmosphere than during the school year; second-grader Kerstin Luhman brought a stuffed horse to class, at one point propping it on the table and saying horseys trying to see. Students worked through questions about the story while practicing writing and grammar skills why names are capitalized, the meaning of the word solution, crafting answers in complete sentences. Want me to draw a bigger period? second-grader Michael Teter asked. (It was fine). Students also get a free snack and lunch and have the option to check out library books to bring home. One of the questions about the story asked students to name all of the characters. Oh, thats a piece of cake, Teter said. Godmother of Seven Seas Explorer, Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco, cut a red velvet ribbon which sent champagne smashing against the new Regent Seven Seas' Explorer's hull to officially christen the newest member of the Regent fleet at an event in Monaco. Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco delivered the traditional maritime blessing before the bottle of champagne broke against the ships hull, officially christening the vessel. The jubilation of the bottle breaking moment was followed by a 40-minute private performance from musical maestro Andrea Bocelli. This is truly a special moment, not only for the Regent Seven Seas Cruises brand, but for the entire Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings family, shared Frank Del Rio, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings president and chief executive officer. Tonight we celebrate the realization of our vision. Seven Seas Explorer is not only the worlds most luxurious ship - she sets a new benchmark for luxury vacations and lays the foundation from which Regent Seven Seas Cruises will continue to build. We have already begun a massive $125 million refurbishment effort to ensure every ship in our fleet matches the luxury standard found on Explorer, and will introduce a sister-ship in 2020. During his christening remarks, Del Rio reflected upon the humanitarian efforts undertaken by Her Serene Highness as part of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. The Foundations mission is to save lives by teaching children and adults basic water safety techniques. It is an honor to be the Godmother of this magnificent ship, Seven Seas Explorer. I am also thrilled by the discussions taking place between my Foundation and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to implement my Water Safety program on all their ships. Developing awareness of the risks attached to aquatic environments is, for me, a cause of most importance, stated Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene. Carnival Corporation today announced that on July 13, 2016, Helen Deeble, CEO of P&O Ferries Division Holdings Ltd., has been appointed to the company's board of directors, effective immediately. The announcement was made following the quarterly meeting of Carnival Corporation's board of directors held yesterday in Amsterdam and released through a statement. Deeble, a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in retail, shipping, logistics and leisure travel, will serve in a non-executive capacity on Carnival Corporation's 10-member board of directors. She will also serve on the board-level Health, Environmental, Safety and Security Committee. "We are very pleased to welcome Helen as an exceptional addition to our board of directors," said Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation & plc's chairman. "Helen brings extensive experience from her leadership roles across several industries, including decades of work in the maritime and travel sectors, and valuable time spent in consumer retail. We look forward to working with her closely and gaining insights from her unique perspective as we continue growing demand for our 10 global cruise line brands and delighting our guests with great vacations at an exceptional value." Since 2006, Deeble has been CEO of P&O Ferries Division Holdings Ltd., a pan-European shipping and logistics business, following stints as the company's chief operating officer and chief financial officer starting in 1998. Prior to that, Deeble was chief financial officer for Stena Line UK Ltd., a Swedish-owned ferry operator, and held several financial roles with the retailer Sears plc in the UK. Deeble has served as a non-executive director for the Port of London Authority and The Standard Club since 2014. Following yesterday's board meeting, Carnival Corporation also announced that it has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share. The company's board of directors approved a record date for the quarterly dividend of August 24, 2016, and a payment date of September 16, 2016. Holders of Carnival Corporation common stock and Carnival plc ADSs will receive the dividend payable in U.S. dollars. The dividend for Carnival plc ordinary shares will be payable in U.S. dollars or sterling. In the absence of instructions or elections to the contrary, holders of Carnival plc ordinary shares will automatically receive the dividend in sterling. Dividends payable in sterling will be converted from U.S. dollars at the exchange rate quoted by the Bank of England in London at 12 noon on September 1, 2016. Holders of Carnival plc ordinary shares wishing to receive their dividend in U.S. dollars or participate in the Carnival plc Dividend Reinvestment Plan must elect to do so by August 24, 2016. Carnival today opened the new Arison Maritime Center (i.e. CSMART), to providing safety training for its bridge and engineering officers responsible for the navigation and operation of the companys fleet. The new facility was built at a cost of 75 million euro and is located in Almere, Netherlands. "The opening of the new Arison Maritime Center and expansion of our CSMART Academy is a major milestone in our company's history and an exciting day for all of us at Carnival Corporation," said David Christie, senior vice president of maritime quality assurance for Carnival Corporation. "The safety and comfort of our guests and crew is our most important priority, and the Arison Maritime Center underscores the depth of our commitment to making sure our ships sail as safely as possible. Our bridge and engineering officers are the heart and soul of our ship operations, and this center takes to a new level our dedication to providing our officers with the maritime industry's most comprehensive and progressive safety training." Added Christie: "With 10 cruise line brands sailing 11 million guests a year to over 700 ports around the world, we take tremendous pride in having a team of highly trained, skilled and prepared officers operating the bridges and engine rooms on our ships. With the new Arison Maritime Center and CSMART Academy officially up and running, our tradition of excellence and continuous improvement in safety training is stronger than ever." At 110,000 square feet, the facility is more than double the size of the company's current facility, allowing Carnival Corporation to provide annual training to over 6,500 officers and engineers across the company's 10 cruise line brands. It will also include an advanced medical center and an 11-story, 176-room hotel for Carnival Corporation trainees. Following a speech by Carnival Corporation's CEO Arnold Donald at today's ceremony, the center was dedicated to honor the legacy of the Arison family. Martin Andrew Doney, 48, an inmate sentenced in Yellowstone County, died at the Montana State Prison on Thursday after an extended illness, according to a news release from the Montana Department of Corrections. Doney was sentenced in 2013 for felony partner or family member assault. District Judge Rusell C. Fagg sentenced him to five years to the Montana State Prison in December 2013. Doney had 11 felony convictions. Doney is the second Montana State Prison inmate to die in custody this week. Joseph Deschon, 56, died Monday after an extended illness. Deschon was convicted of fatally stabbing his 35-year-old nephew, James Azure, in Helena in November 1999. Deschon was sentenced in March 2000 to 45 years in prison. State prison inmate James Robert Horan, 68, died April 13 at the Lewistown Infirmary of an extended illness. BRIDGEPORT For years Tom Sherwood maintained the citys books. Now the retired budget director wants the city to give his personal finances a little surplus. Sherwood, who retired late last year ahead of Joe Ganims return to the mayors office, has gone to court claiming he is owed $35,000. The money is compensation Sherwood claims he was promised for temporarily assuming extra duties in 2013 when the finance department was short-staffed. Bridgeport has both finance and budget offices. I dont want to spend their (Bridgeports) money on any legal stuff, said Sherwood when reached for comment. But I have no choice. City Attorney R. Christopher Meyer in a statement called Sherwoods alleged side duties absurd and unauthorized and outrageous. This claim is a clear indication of how the prior administration operated and explains why they left a $20 million deficit, Meyer said. Hired in 1985, Sherwood was the budget chief for 12 years, last year earning $157,570. Ganim ran the city from 1991 until 2003, then waged a successful comeback in 2015, ousting Finch in the Democratic Party primary. According to legal documents, Sherwood in early 2013 was asked by Andrew Nunn, Finchs chief administrative officer, to take on the critical duties of the vacant deputy finance directors position. Those extra duties included preparing monthly financial reports and preparing for an audit. Sherwood claimed he worked a total of 27 weeks, 24 hours a week, performing those extra duties. The plaintiff was requested to wait for the payment for the additional work, to which he agreed, reads Sherwoods lawsuit. Late last year, near the end of Finchs administration and his own career with Bridgeport, Sherwood requested his payment as he prepared to retire. The mayor said, He did the work. Pay him, Sherwood recalled. But before the check was cut, Ganim was sworn back in on Dec. 1. Then the world stopped, Sherwood said. The primary battle between Finch and Ganim was particularly bitter because the latter was convicted of public corruption in 2003. Finch ran as the honest candidate. Subsequently Ganim and his advisers have not been shy about portraying Finch and his ex-staffers as hypocrites who abused their power at the expense of taxpayers. Meanwhile Sherwood recently did some consulting work for one of the larger municipal unions - the National Association of Government Employees - as it negotiated givebacks with Ganim. During that time Sherwood publicly cast doubt on Ganims assertion that Finch left a $20 million budget hole. Meyer argued that there is neither evidence of a written agreement between the Finch administration and Sherwood for side work nor that such a deal was approved by the City Council. Neither Finch nor Nunn had legal authority to approve a $35,000 supplemental payment to Sherwood, Meyer said. Does Mr. Sherwood want us to believe as (budget) director he was not aware of the approvals and legal authority necessary before spending taxpayer dollars? But Sherwood argues his work was actually split between two budgets. It began during the 2012-13 fiscal year and resumed in the 2013-14 fiscal year. As such, Sherwood said, it would have counted as two different payments, each falling below the $25,000 threshold for council approval. The City Attorney knows they do professional service agreements that dont require council approval up to $25,000, Sherwood said. The City Attorney does it every day of the week. The Ganim administration has frowned on such practices and recently said it was looking to change the policy. Sherwood is being represented by prominent labor lawyer Thomas Bucci, a former Bridgeport mayor. Bucci could not be reached for comment. Hillary Clinton wont have to look any further than Connecticuts governor for a logical foil for Donald Trumps presumptive running mate. Theres no love lost between Democrat Dannel P. Malloy and his Indiana GOP counterpart Mike Pence, who have clashed over gay rights, the Syrian refugee crisis and whose state is better for business. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD A little-known day care facility located in a two-family East Side home has become the focus of the citys first reported homicide of the year. Two-month-old Bella Redondo had trouble breathing at Little Bears Beginnings Daycare Tuesday afternoon and was pronounced dead several hours later at Stamford Hospital, Lt. Diedrich Hohn said. Hohn said the cause of death was blunt-force trauma to the head. The baby was born April 24 and lived with her family in a four-unit home on Locust Avenue in the downtown area of New Canaan. The family could not be reached Wednesday for comment. The day care, which is located at 48 Wardwell St., is operated by Nydia Carrillo, who has an active family child care home license that was issued in April 2015, according to the states licensing database. The day care is allowed to have up to six children 12 years old or younger. Carrillo could not be reached Wednesday for comment. According to city tax records, the six-bedroom home is owned by Lucila M. Acosta and Jose Hernandez. A call to a phone number found for Acosta reached an automated answering machine. A message left on the machine was not returned Wednesday night. Hohn said the baby was having difficulty breathing shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday at the day care facility. Medics found evidence of head trauma in addition to the breathing issues and transported the girl to Stamford Hospital, where she stopped breathing, Hohn said. Doctors tried for hours to save the child, before pronouncing her dead at 6:20 p.m. Tuesday, Hohn said. Hohn said police were not notified until several minutes after the girl died. A spokesman for Stamford Hospital did not return a message Wednesday for comment. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy Wednesday and determined the death was a homicide. States Attorney Richard Colangelo will lead the investigation. Staff writers Justin Papp and Angela Carella contributed to this story. Cuba and Italy regularize bilateral debt Ricardo Cabrisas, Vice-president of the Council of Ministers, received Mario Giro and Ivan Scalfarotto, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Economic Development Secretary, respectively, of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Italian Republic. During the meeting, held on Tuesday as part of the process of implementation of the Multilateral Agreement signed between Cuba and the Ad-Hoc Group of Cuba Creditor Countries in the Paris Club, four agreements were signed, which together regularize the situation of debts and include the General Agreement for debt restructuring in the medium and long term. The agreements are on the debt associated with the Official Development Assistance; on the debt contracted with the Italian Agency of Insurance of Credits to Exporters (SACE); and on the establishment of a Cuba-Italy Bi-national Committee. Thus, it was possible to completely normalize the debt in the medium and long term with twelve of the fourteen members of the Ad-Hoc Group of the Paris Club, which opens new opportunities for financing projects linked to plans for economic and social development in Cuba. During the meeting, the two parties highlighted the positive state of bilateral relations, which have continued to develop as a result of the official visit to Cuba of the President of the Council of Ministers, Matteo Renzi, in October, and emphasized the potential that exists for their intensification in the economic-commercial sectors and in those of investment and cooperation. (ACN) Cuban Foreign Ministry on Cubans deported from Ecuador Submitted by: Juana Central America Politics and Government 07 / 13 / 2016 The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on the situation of 75 Cubans that were deported from Ecuador in the last three days. We reproduce the full statement: On July 9 and 11, two groups of Cubans, 29 and 46, respectively, were deported to Cuba from Ecuador, where they were illegally. They were transported to Cuba in a plane belonging to the Ecuadorian Air Force, respecting the procedure guarantees established for these cases. Upon their arrival at the Jose Marti International Airport, Cuban authorities performed on them the standard international sanitary control and they were taken to their respective provinces. The deportation of these Cuban citizens was conducted in strict compliance with the provisions of the legislation of both countries and existing international standards for this type of situation, with the primary aim of ensuring an orderly, regular and safe migration flow, while reflects the commitment to prevent defenseless human beings becoming victims of human traffickers. It is the responsibility of the government of the United States and its immigration policy, made in recent decades, the situation created with Cuban irregular migrants in the region, who initially traveled abroad legally, meeting all the requirements of our immigration regulations, to subsequently initiate an irregular journey encouraged by the policy of "dry foot- wet foot" policy, the "Program Parole for Cuban medical professionals" and the Cuban Adjustment Act, which give our citizens a selective and unique treatment throughout the world, while constituting a violation of the migratory agreements signed between the two countries. This policy is inconsistent with the current bilateral context, prevents the normalization of migratory relations between Cuba and the US and creates problems for other countries, while the rest discriminates migrants, including minors, who at the border of the United States suffer abuse and repression before being deported en masse. The Bureau of Consular Affairs and Cuban Residents Abroad confirms that Cuban citizens who have left the country legally and comply with existing immigration legislation have the right to return to Cuba, while reaffirming the commitment of his government with a legal, safe and orderly emigration. GREAT FALLS The Fort Peck Tribe and Wolf Point-area law enforcement agencies conspired to illegally round up homeless people in July 2013 to prevent them from panhandling during a rodeo and parade weekend, according to a civil complaint filed on behalf of 31 Native Americans. The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Great Falls, says up to 50 people including two who are disabled were handcuffed, hauled to jail in crowded vehicles, held in inhumane conditions overnight and released the next day without charges being filed. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for physical and emotional injuries and civil rights violations resulting from the mass arrest and detention during the Wild Horse Stampede. The complaint names the Wolf Point police chief and city council, two Bureau of Indian Affairs agents, several tribal officials and the Roosevelt County sheriff and county attorney. "The (tribal) Law and Justice Committee told the police officers . 'Do something about these homeless street people during the Wild Horse Stampede Rodeo,' " Mary Cleland, a tribal court lay advocate who is assisting the plaintiffs, told the Great Falls Tribune. "They didn't even issue any paperwork. They verbally told the captain of the police, 'Get them out of sight. Put them anywhere, and don't charge them.' " Officers "just went around grabbing people like they were animals," Cleland said. Floyd Azure, chairman of the Fort Peck Tribal Executive Board, did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press on Wednesday seeking comment on the allegations. The men and women who were detained were placed into two outdoor recreation areas surrounded by a chain link fence after the jail in Poplar became full, the complaint said. The detainees did not have adequate food, water, toilet facilities or medical care, the complaint said. The jail's water and sewer system was under repair at the time. "That day was hot," Cleland said. "People were passing out from heat exhaustion. They were not fed properly and they were not given mattresses or jail uniforms. They went in their street clothes and they just threw them in there like dogs in a chain-linked exercise court exposed to the elements." Jail staff reportedly tried to mitigate the heat by covering a portion of the exercise yards with large plastic tarps but a thunderstorm tore the tarps and exposed them to rain. The women were eventually held in the detention center overnight while the men were housed in a garage. They were released the next morning. Cleland said the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated in April 2014 and found multiple violations, but nothing was done to remedy the abuse. Special Agent Angela King declined to comment on her investigation. BIA spokeswoman Nedra Darling did not immediately respond to an AP request for comment on King's findings. The complaint said there were people who knew ahead of time of the planned roundup and did nothing to stop it. Anna Rose Sullivan, city attorney for Wolf Point and the deputy Roosevelt County attorney, told the newspaper she could not comment because she had not seen the lawsuit, but said officials are taking the allegations seriously. HELENA An oil company has agreed to plead guilty to two criminal charges and pay a $100,000 fine for a 2011 spill in northwestern Montana, but its attorneys urged a judge to approve the deal quickly while it can still afford to pay. FX Drilling Inc. will admit to negligently discharging oil into waters of the United States and to failing to immediately notify federal officials, under a plea agreement filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court. The deal calls for the company to pay the fine on top of the $321,000 it already spent to clean up the spill, and for federal prosecutors to dismiss charges against the company's supervisor. Up to 840 gallons of oil and production fluid leaked from a cracked line at an oil field on Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The spill spread over land nearly a mile to Cut Bank Creek, where it was spotted by a rancher and reported to the Blackfeet Environmental Office, according to prosecutors. Blackfeet officials informed FX Drilling of the spill, but the company never reported it to the federal National Response Center, prosecutors said. The company and federal prosecutors have agreed that the cracked pipe was an accident and that FX Drilling has satisfied its restitution obligations by paying for the cleanup, according to court filings. Both sides urged U.S. District Judge Brian Morris to approve the plea deal and fine quickly, because the company is having financial difficulties, according to a joint request by prosecutors and attorneys for FX Drilling. "The parties are concerned that a protracted sentencing process, especially if coupled with additional downturns in oil prices or other unforeseen economic events, could increase the risk of FX Drilling not being able to pay the agreed-upon $100,000 fine," the request said. FX Drilling attorney Jeffrey Corey declined to comment Thursday. Morris set a court hearing for Aug. 11. FX Drilling is a subsidiary of Salt Lake City-based FX Energy Inc. Its field supervisor, Quay Geza Torok, faces the same charges as the company, but prosecutors will drop those charges as part of the plea agreement. Torok discovered the 3-inch line connecting two oil wells had cracked. The line was fixed, but Torok and the company did not take steps to clean up the oil that had already leaked, according to the indictment. Torok attorney John Smith said his client is not entering into a separate agreement with prosecutors. "Quay is standing on his innocence," Smith said. Windber-Portage renew rivalry in Week 10 Heritage-WestPAC crossover Check out what to watch on Friday night in Somerset County as the high school football regular season comes to a close in Week 10. HELENA Montana health officials fired two state employees for turning over personal information, including Social Security numbers, of scores of childcare providers to three state legislators, according to documents and interviews with people involved in the terminations. Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services officials recently confirmed that the employment of the two workers was terminated last fall after internal checks discovered the unauthorized release. The data included personal information of 185 childcare providers taking part in an early childhood service program, according to letters sent by department director Richard Opper in February and March to the three legislators, Rep. Tom Burnett, Sen. Roger Webb and Sen. Bob Keenan. Copies of the letters were obtained by The Associated Press and confirmed by health department officials. "It's a very serious issue," said department spokesman Jon Ebelt. "It's a violation of public trust." A former auditor with the agency, David Hansen, confirmed during an interview that he was fired in November. He was identified in Opper's letter as the source of the information given to the legislators. The AP could not immediately reach the second employee for comment. Hansen is contesting his firing through his union, he told the AP. He declined to answer questions about the data other than to say he turned it over after the legislators requested it from him. Chris Gallus, an attorney for Burnett, R-Bozeman, disputed Hansen's account. "He provided information that we did not request from him, and (the information) had already been disposed of before the department made any inquiry," Gallus said. Opper told Burnett, Webb and Keenan in his letters to them to immediately destroy the documents. He also requested that the lawmakers send him a list of other documents provided by Hansen, as well as a list of people with whom the information might have been shared. Keenan denied receiving any personal data and said he ignored Opper's letter. "He has no authority over me. He's not director of the state Senate. So I just blew it off," said Keenan, R-Bigfork, on Wednesday. Webb, R-Billings, said he told Opper in a phone call that the claims in Opper's letter were unfounded, but would not say whether he received information from the former state employee. "I've got lots of information that is not public record from the department," Webb said. He declined to elaborate. Officials could not immediately say what value the information might have for the legislators, who are among a group of Republican lawmakers scrutinizing the agency's programs and spending, particularly the state's Medicaid expansion program. "It's unfortunate that legislators who opposed Medicaid expansion are attempting to exploit information they never should have received in the first place," Opper said in a statement. The agency said it informed childcare providers that their personal information had been divulged after officials began an internal investigation in August 2015 based on reports from the state's legislative services that legislators might have become privy to private information. That discovery came months after the information was given to the three lawmakers in February and March of last year. Republican lawmakers are pressing the state for information about Medicaid enrollees, including income data that they say could clarify the state's financial obligations because of Medicaid expansion. On Monday, Burnett, Webb and Rep. Art Wittich, R-Bozeman, sued the department for information about people signing up for the program under the state's Medicaid expansion program. All three have been concerned about possible fraud and have sought government records to buttress their claims. Medicaid provides health insurance to low-income residents. A divided legislature last year expanded eligibility qualifications for the program. Since new eligibility rules went into effect earlier this year, more than 44,000 low-income Montanans have enrolled under the new guidelines. Check it out: Fun things to do this weekend in Lake County This list of weekend entertainment includes festivals, Vet Fest and the premiere of 'The Diary of Anne Frank' on a local stage. Opinion Psychology Its not enough for us to survive terrible experiences. Now were supposed to thrive because of them. Nonsense. Victims of trauma dont need to add a sense of failure to their burden. A bride-to-be who is on benefits has revealed how she won't let her limited funds stop her having her dream day. Yvonne, 54, is going to tie the knot with fiance Dave Langley, 49, in September after the pair met on the council estate where they both live in Rochdale. The couple share their wedding plans on the latest episode of Channel 5's On Benefits, where Yvonne said she has no qualms about using 2,000 of taxpayers' money to pay for her nuptials as she wants to look her best. Yvonne and Dave Langley will tie the knot in September after meeting on the council estate where they both live in Rochdale 'It is our money now,' she said as she puts cash from their 350 weekly benefits payout towards her wedding dress. 'We are engaged now and living together. It is our money as they say. 'He is going to be gobsmacked when he sees me coming down the aisle,' she said of her groom. Yvonne recalls how she popped the question to Dave last February while he was in the bath, seizing the opportunity as it was a leap year. They are now planning their big day on their small benefits budget, paying for her dress and their reception venue in instalments. 'We can't afford to get married but we are putting bits away so we can get married if that makes sense,' she said. Dave added they have no savings as money has always been 'in one hand and out the other' so they are paying for their wedding out of the 1,500 a month - or 18,000 a year - they claim in universal credit. However, Yvonne hopes the wedding will allow them to finally start a savings pot as they will be asking their friends and family to give them money as a wedding gift. Yvonne tries on a 48 tiara as she plans her dream wedding on a benefits budget The bride-to-be shows off the wedding rings she has purchased as she said she has had to make many cutbacks in order for their handouts to cover the cost of getting married The couple are relying on the state as Dave has been out of work for a year after losing his job as a cleaner, while Yvonne says she can't work as she suffers from sciatica. With the average cost of a UK wedding now 20,000, the pair said they will be making as many savings as they can as they can't afford to spend anywhere near this total. Yvonne said they are 'not being skinflints or anything but we can't afford it' so they are cutting costs where they can to allow them to still have their dream day on a benefits budget. Dave said: 'We are trying to do it as best we can as cheaply as we can. We are trying not to make it look too cheap.' They will have their ceremony at Rochdale Registry Office at a cost of 160, as it would be more expensive to be married at an approved venue. Yvonne and Dave's wedding will be a fraction of the 20,000 average British wedding as she will have a 450 dress and they will have a registry office ceremony The couple pictured as they call a limo company to hire a car for 275 as Yvonne said that is something she won't do without on her big day They will then have a reception afterwards with friends and family which will cost up to 1,000. Dave's mother has agreed to bake the cake and Yvonne has 'saved a bomb' by purchasing shoes, a cake topper and a veil on eBay. But the bride-to-be said there are some things she is not prepared to scrimp on. When Dave suggested she catch a bus to the Registry Office to save money, she said: 'I am not getting the bus! I am having a car. I am getting a limo.' She has already booked the luxury vehicle for the day at cost of 275. Other purchases include matching gold wedding rings and Yvonne has bought a dress for 450, which she intends to accessorise with a 48 tiara. She said of the diamante headpiece: 'The one I like is more expensive than on eBay but it is really pretty, you have to have it right don't you?' Rachel Williams still has the Sekonda watch she was wearing on the day her husband Darren tried to kill her. The plastic face is pitted with the scratches caused by her desperate fight for life, while its hands are permanently frozen on the time he attacked: 2.26pm. She keeps it not just as a reminder of that terrible day in August 2011, but as a symbol of her survival, and it now represents her determination to ensure domestic violence becomes something which is openly talked about in Britain - not a secret shame. Rachel had the watch with her in January when she met the Duchess of Cornwall at a charity event. Camilla was pictured visibly moved to tears after hearing her story, and those of other victims, and said: Its so important that people like yourselves speak up. This is too important an issue to ignore. Rachel Williams, an eloquent 44-year-old mother, endured 18 years of vicious beatings from her steroid-abusing, 6ft 7in, 22st bully of a husband Indeed it is. For Rachel, an eloquent 44-year-old mother, endured 18 years of vicious beatings from her steroid-abusing, 6ft 7in, 22st bully of a husband. She spent 18 years believing things would get better; that the most recent beating really was the last. That he really was sorry, this time. For all those years, she was punched, throttled, spat at, abused and her every action controlled. Yet she remained silent - terrified of the consequences of speaking out. Rachel came within a hairs breadth of joining a deeply disturbing - and shaming - national statistic, one she is desperate to change: becoming one of the two women murdered every week by their partners. Rachel Williams still has the Sekonda watch she was wearing on the day her husband Darren tried to kill her. The plastic face is pitted with the scratches caused by her desperate fight for life, while its hands are permanently frozen on the time he attacked: 2.26pm Camilla was pictured visibly moved to tears after hearing her story, and those of other victims, and said: Its so important that people like yourselves speak up. This is too important an issue to ignore. As it is, she is still one of more than a million women who suffer domestic violence each year. The terrible final attack came soon after Rachel finally decided shed enough. Darren had tried to strangle her, before slitting his wrists in front of their traumatised, 16-year-old son, Jack. Six weeks later, having been served with divorce papers, he burst into the hair salon where she worked and shot her in the legs, before battering her black and blue. Later that day he was found hanging in an area of woodland close to their home in Newport, South Wales. Rachel met Darren when he was 26, and she a 21-year-old mother to her elder son, Josh. He was darkly handsome and both shared the same goofy sense of humour. Eight months later they moved in together In a twist of unfathomable horror, Jack - unable to cope with the devastation wreaked on the mother he adored by the father he still couldnt help but love - committed suicide six weeks later. He is, without doubt, a victim of domestic violence, too. Rachel met Darren when he was 26, and she a 21-year-old mother to her elder son, Josh. He was darkly handsome and both shared the same goofy sense of humour. Eight months later they moved in together. Unbeknown to her, though, Darren already had a history of violence Unbeknown to her, though, Darren already had a history of violence: a previous girlfriend had taken out an injunction against him and there had been numerous run-ins with the police. Months into their own courtship, his vicious temper spilled over for the first time. An innocuous comment from a friend about a boy Rachel used to date set him off. On the way home from their evening out he pushed Rachel down an embankment into stinging nettles. Darren was inconsolable afterwards - this was to become a performance Rachel knew well - gushing apologies and pledges that it wouldnt happen again. But, of course, it did. Jack even experienced his fathers violence before he was born: Rachel was seven months pregnant when Darren lifted her off the floor by her throat during an argument, while screaming in her face. I knew it wasnt right but he was always so sorry and would break down and cry afterwards, then I would find myself comforting him, she recalls. The deeper his love for me grew, the worse his jealousy and the violence would get. He would write in my cards Youre my sunshine, youre my every breath. I wouldnt want to live my life without you. I knew then that I would never be able to get rid of him. Jack was two when he witnessed his father dragging his mother around the kitchen of their house by her hair, leaving clumps scattered on the floor. On the way home from their evening out he pushed Rachel down an embankment into stinging nettles. Darren was inconsolable afterwards - this was to become a performance Rachel knew well - gushing apologies and pledges that it wouldnt happen again. But, of course, it did It became the little boys idea of normal, family life - and for his older brother Josh. Darren worked as a long-distance lorry driver who also served stints in prison for stealing from his employer and for the illegal possession of a firearm. And although the violence he meted out was sporadic, the level of control he exerted over Rachels life became ever more suffocating. At one point she was holding down four jobs, as well as working as a hairdresser, just to make ends meet. Yet her increasingly possessive husband insisted she was banned from cutting the hair of heterosexual men or lesbians - and would frequently check up on her at the salon. Although she called the police once or twice, they were of little help. Rachel's increasingly possessive husband insisted she was banned from cutting the hair of heterosexual men or lesbians - and would frequently check up on her at the salon. Although she called the police once or twice, they were of little help Like many victims, Rachel glossed over the situation when they arrived and they were too disinclined - possibly even scared, she thinks - to pursue it further. Darren was a very big man, physically imposing. It was more trouble than it was worth, Rachel says. The final straw for Rachel came in July 2011, after a particularly vicious beating. I remember opening my back door and looking out over to the woods with tears streaming down my cheeks thinking: Im 39, do I really still want to be doing this when I am 49? Having my hair pulled, being spat at in the face and spoken to like something he had stepped in? Three days later Rachel moved out and finally filed for divorce. Gwent Police arrested Darren for assault. The terrible final attack came soon after Rachel finally decided shed enough. Having been served with divorce papers, Darren burst into the hair salon where she worked and shot her in the legs, before battering her black and blue Inevitably, he was unable to accept his wifes decision and repeatedly broke his bail conditions not to come within a three-mile radius of her or contact the children. In all, Rachel was forced to call the police seven times in just six weeks. Every time he broke his bail I would have to speak to a different officer and explain the situation all over again. They left me like a sitting duck, even though I was classed as high-risk. They said they couldnt even arrest him because of his previous offences, they would need an armed response team, she says. On August 18, 2011, the day before she was shot, Rachel decided to move back into the marital home after officers agreed to install a panic button. The boys, then aged 16 and 20, had wanted to stay. I tried to grapple the gun off him but he hit me with the butt of it and I fell to the floor. I then tried to grab the reception desk to use as a shield, but he kicked it away and aimed the gun at my chest. Instinctively, I pulled my legs up over me to protect myself, but he just said, "Rachel, I love you" before pulling the trigger,' she said She explains: I needed to be home with the boys. I couldnt spend the rest of my life running. But on that same day Darren returned to court where, following an application by his legal team, magistrates inexplicably lifted his bail conditions, despite his history of aggression and self-harm. Rachel was not even told about the hearing until after it had taken place. Her mother told police that they had signed her daughters death warrant. The following morning Rachel went to work as normal but recalls: I was so on edge, constantly looking out at the window and even phoning my sister to go and look for Darren. At about 2.15pm I was chatting to a customer when the window at the door to the salon suddenly went dark. Then I saw Darren walking through it, pulling a shotgun out of his bag. She was taken to hospital with a catalogue of injuries: the blast from the shotgun completely destroyed her knee, which had to be replaced during ten hours of surgery, and she now has a metal rod running through the middle of her shin and up to her thigh For some reason, I darted towards him instead of running away. That split decision saved my life. I tried to grapple the gun off him but he hit me with the butt of it and I fell to the floor. I then tried to grab the reception desk to use as a shield, but he kicked it away and aimed the gun at my chest. Instinctively, I pulled my legs up over me to protect myself, but he just said, Rachel, I love you before pulling the trigger. I smelt gunpowder and looked at my jeans where I saw this huge hole in them and realised he had shot me. As Darren threw his gun to the ground, Rachel, despite her injuries, lurched to grab it. In the struggle, her watch was smashed. Darren stamped and kicked all over me - under the chin, on my head and on my arm, where he left a bruise in the shape of a boot. Three days after her release from hospital in September 2011, Jack, who had refused to see his mother since the day of the shooting, went missing. His body was found in the same spot where he had scattered his fathers ashes I had his finger marks embedded in my back and both my eyes were black, she said. Rachel thought she would die there and then, but suddenly Darren fled. Jacks suicide is still difficult for Rachel to talk about She was taken to hospital with a catalogue of injuries: the blast from the shotgun completely destroyed her knee, which had to be replaced during ten hours of surgery, and she now has a metal rod running through the middle of her shin and up to her thigh. At 8pm that night Rachel was told that Darrens body had been found hanging in nearby woodland. All I could do was to thank God it was over, to be honest she says. The feeling of knowing that I wasnt going to have to face that fear again... I would have been shot ten times over to not spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. He would never have let me go. Rachels sons came to see her in hospital. Jack was whiter than white and clutched her, saying: Mum, I never thought hed ever do it. But with his mother recovering in hospital for six weeks, Jack returned to live with his fathers family who were - according to reports - unable to come to terms with what Darren had done. Jacks texts to his mother became cruel and abusive. He even cut his wrists in a cry for help. Rachel called her local social services department to beg for help, but was told that there was little they could do because at 16 he was deemed an adult. Three days after her release from hospital in September 2011, Jack, who had refused to see his mother since the day of the shooting, went missing. His body was found in the same spot where he had scattered his fathers ashes. But what Rachel has done is to channel her raw, visceral grief into something positive: becoming a campaigner and adviser with the domestic violence charity SafeLives A coroner later described his death as tragic and said it should never have happened. Jacks suicide is still difficult for Rachel to talk about. The last time I saw Jack was soon after the shooting. He became a boy we all no longer recognised as a family - he was so angry, so confused about it all, she says. But what Rachel has done is to channel her raw, visceral grief into something positive: becoming a campaigner and adviser with the domestic violence charity SafeLives. I will see change in my lifetime. I just cant allow Jacks death to have been in vain A scathing official report - one of four into the case - found that Williams had always made it clear he would take her with him rather than live without her. It accused police of failing to get a grip on the escalating situation and said there had been a catastrophic failure to share information between agencies. Rachel, who has since remarried, says: The country needs to realise that domestic violence is an epidemic. If it were Ebola, we would be throwing millions at it looking for a cure. But the death of two women a week at the hands of abusers? That doesnt seem to matter. Like many campaigners, Rachel believes that change needs to start at school, with both boys and girls being taught what a healthy relationship is. Judges, she firmly believes, as well as the police, also need to be trained in dealing with the complexities of domestic violence cases - and recognising that women such as herself are so obviously in need of help, but too fearful to ask. Above all I want society to accept that no woman should ever live in fear, she says firmly. I will see change in my lifetime. I just cant allow Jacks death to have been in vain. When it comes to weekly meal prep, many are deterred by the idea of slaving away in the kitchen for hours on their treasured Sunday afternoon. But thanks to organised 'meal prep queens' sharing their incredible creations on social media, thousands have been inspired to push their concerns aside and jump on board the #mealprep movement as well. As Daily Mail Australia reported earlier this year, Instagram has since been flooded with vibrant snaps, with parents, health gurus and gym junkies all showing off their enviable mouth-watering recipes to their followers. Now, one prepping pro has revealed how you, too, can master the art and enter the working week with a fridge full of freshly cooked meals. Delicious and nutritious: When it comes to weekend meal prep, many are deterred by the idea of slaving away in the kitchen for hours on their treasured Sunday afternoon Healthy movement: Thanks to organised 'meal prep queens' sharing their incredible weekly creations on social media, thousands have been inspired to jump on board the #mealprep movement as well Sydney-based health and wellness blogger, Sophie Benbow, regularly blogs about her meal prepping - from tips on how to prep for a road trip to advice on breakfasts and snacks. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Ms Benbow, who has been meal prepping for 18 months, said she usually dedicates a whole weekend day to it, including the shop. 'It all started with smoothies and simple recipes on my Instagram and my followers kept on requesting the recipes,' she said. Meal prep pro: Sydney-based health and wellness blogger, Sophie Benbow (pictured), regularly blogs about her meal prepping - from tips on how to prep for a road trip to advice on breakfasts and snacks 'I could definitely get most of it done in a morning if I was only prepping for a few days': She has been meal prepping for 18 months, and usually dedicates a whole weekend day to it, including the shop 'It usually doesn't take that long [a whole day]. I could definitely get most of it done in a morning if I was only prepping for a few days.' Ms Benbow said that while staying motivated is a challenge for everyone, it's important to plan. 'Of course I have good weeks and bad weeks but when I am really focused on my fitness I find it is necessary to stay on track,' she said. 'I get so annoyed if I slip up as it means more work in the gym. The key is to be organised and to write yourself a shopping list and make a meal planner... then you don't have to think about it you just get on and do it.' Rainbow goodness: 'Of course I have good weeks and bad weeks but when I am really focused on my fitness I find it is necessary to stay on track,' she said HOW DOES SOPHIE BENBOW PREPARE FOR HER MEAL PREP EACH WEEK? HOW DO YOU KEEP EVERYTHING FRESH? I have so many good quality containers. I find snapware containers are the best and you can get them in glass and plastic. I much prefer storing in glass but if I'm on the run sometimes plastic is easier. I also use small ziplock bags for snacks such as nuts and protein balls. After around 3 days I will spend about half an hour or so topping up some more of the fresh ingredients to get me through. WHAT ARE YOUR SUPERMARKET STAPLES? I buy fresh fish and seafood like prawns and salmon, a good amount of grains and seeds such as quinoa, freekeh and rolled oats, mixed nuts and seeds and fresh fruit and vegetables. Also I like to make my own sauces but if I am pushed for time tinned tomatoes, tinned kidney beans and chickpeas are a really quick, easy and cost effective way to make healthy sauces and spreads and are awesome cupboard staples. HOW DO YOU ENSURE VARIETY? I like to change up my meal plans depending on what's in season, whether I'm craving winter food or summer food and so on. There is a lot of trial and error but I've managed to be quite inventive with herbs and spices, dressings, spreads and so on so that I keep it interesting. There is nothing worse than a bland diet, you have to make it delicious so that you stick to it. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE MEALS? Quick and easy salads, soups and curries are great as they can be frozen, steamed fish with greens, rice paper rolls, wraps (there are so many)! WHAT IS BEST TO PREPARE FRESH? I try and keep my salads fresh but I'll make the dressing and hummus (which is the time consuming part) so that it just takes a few minutes to throw it all together. Mushy tomatoes and black avocados are definitely not appetising! Advertisement The blogger said the benefits of meal prepping include saving money and better nutrition. 'I honestly find it so cost effective as you can use the same ingredients to create so many different meals. If you are willing to invest a little bit in the beginning in good oils, vinegars, seasonings and containers you will be set to make low fat, low cost, tasty meals,' she said. 'The main health benefit is that you are not going to get caught out eating bad quality food because you are not prepared. 'Sometimes there is not much choice around or you are in a rush so knowing you have your healthy fuel for the day takes away any bad food decisions. Also I think it's really important to know exactly what is in your food and educate yourself on the quality of food you are eating.' 'You can create so many different meals': The blogger said the benefits of meal prepping include saving money and better nutrition Healthy choice: 'The main health benefit is that you are not going to get caught out eating bad quality food because you are not prepared,' she said WHAT ARE SOPHIE BENBOW'S MUST HAVE HEALTHY KITCHEN GADGETS? Measuring spoons: Essential for when you are making all of my recipes Fine grater: Use this for ginger and zesting citrus Egg perfect timer: For $10 this little gadget makes sure you get the perfect boiled egg Single and julienne peeler: I am constantly peeling vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes and I always julienne my carrots on top of salads Nut milk bag: So important for all of the yummy nut milks youll be making and you can juice with these guys too Thermometer: Handy if you are steaming chicken in your steamer Pretty straws: For all of those yummy smoothies, nut milks and juices youll be making Snap lock bags: So handy for storing things in the fridge/freezer or when youre on the go and want to take a handful of your trail mix Advertisement The motivated health guru has also shared her 'must have' utensils for meal prep. Ms Benbow said she could not live without her vitamix, dicing food processor, and, of course, her spiralizer for zucchini noodles. She also recommends a good set of mixing bowls, good quality non-stick pans, a steamer, containers and storage jars and healthy gadgets. Another notable meal prep account, Meal Prep On Fleek, is run by American marketing strategist, Nick, and eating psychologist, Sarah. The pair regularly share their eye-popping meal prep efforts on Instagram and as a result, boast close to 100,000 followers. They also share a variety of healthy, fresh options and carbohydrate loaded meals. They recently shared their all vegetarian meal prep for the Fourth of July and a vibrant 'buffet style' meal prep and a week's worth of breakfasts, lunches and dinners. In the latter, the pair included shakes and eggs for breakfasts, bell peppers and avocados for snacks, ground turkey, salmon and vegetables for lunches, salad jars for pre workout snacks and chicken meals for dinners. Must-have kitchen appliances: Ms Benbow said she could not live without her vitamix, dicing food processor, and, of course, her spiralizer Ready for the week: Not everyone chooses to prep on weekends however, with self-confessed 'meal prep addict', Amanda Meixner, choosing to organise herself on Mondays 'Personally, I'm all about quality control through meal prep. Don't ever play yourself, don't cheat yourself... Why spend all of that time in the gym and not follow through with a proper meal plan?' One of them wrote as a caption. 'It only takes a couple hours of your weekend to make sure you're set for the whole week. Prepare yourself and you will achieve your goals, I promise you.' Not everyone chooses to prep on weekends however, with self-confessed 'meal prep addict', Amanda Meixner, choosing to organise herself on Mondays. Love for food: From a strict calorie plan to colour-coded containers, Ms Meixner's organisation skills put many aspiring meal prep queens to shame Dedicated: 'I get 4 green containers (veggies), 3 purple containers (fruits), 4 red containers (proteins), 3 yellow containers (carbs), 1 blue container (healthy fats) and 1 orange container (nuts and seeds),' she said Clean: Among her favourite foods to include are soft boiled eggs and chicken for protein, baby carrots, roasted cauliflower and mushrooms for vegetables and sweet potato and oatmeal for carbs From a strict calorie plan to colour-coded containers, Ms Meixner's organisation skills put many aspiring meal prep queens to shame. 'Meal Prep Mondays for the win. Excited for homemade turkey burgers this week. These are my meals following the @21dayfix eating plan where Im in the 15001799 calorie level,' she wrote on one of her meal snaps. 'I get 4 green containers (veggies), 3 purple containers (fruits), 4 red containers (proteins), 3 yellow containers (carbs), 1 blue container (healthy fats), 1 orange container (nuts and seeds), and 4 teaspoons (oils and nut butters) each day.' Rainbow snacks: Another notable meal prep account, Meal Prep On Fleek, is run by American marketing strategist, Nick, and eating psychologist, Sarah Perfectly organised: The pair regularly share their eye-popping meal prep efforts on Instagram and as a result, boast close to 100,000 followers Among her favourite foods to include are soft boiled eggs and chicken for protein, baby carrots, roasted cauliflower and mushrooms for vegetables and sweet potato and oatmeal for carbs. She also enjoys bananas and apples, almond butter, balsamic dressing and a number of different herbs and spices. Mother and newcomer to the meal prep world, Darlene Lindsey, is is three weeks into meal prepping and has shared weekly updates with her followers. Just starting out: Mother and newcomer to the meal prep world, Darlene Lindsey , is is three weeks into meal prepping and has shared weekly updates with her followers Not sold: 'I normally make 1, maybe 2 meal choices one day and then a 3rd another day. Today I wanted to try the whole week. See how long it would take, how hard (or easy) it might be... yeah. Not my style,' she wrote 'I've only been doing this for 3 weeks now so I'm still figuring out what works best for me...my schedule, tastes, and style of cooking,' she wrote on Instagram on Monday next to one of her impressive weekly meal preps. 'I normally make 1, maybe 2 meal choices one day and then a 3rd another day. Today I wanted to try the whole week. See how long it would take, how hard (or easy) it might be... yeah. Not my style. An unhappy shopper, who wrote a funny complaint after buying a defective scotch egg, was left impressed when Tesco sent her a hilariously poetic response. Mandy McKinley, from Glan Conwy, north Wales, posted a photograph of the offending product, which was missing its egg component, on the company's Facebook page on July 6 and was rewarded with a witty 212 word reply. She wrote: 'I'm now sat here eating a.. I'm unsure what to call it A "scotch" ?? I've had to phone my husband and let him know how upset I am but he doesn't understand and just hung up on me. A disappointed Tesco customer wrote a humorous complaint after buying a defective scotch egg was stunned by the hilarious response she received from customer services 'I then messaged my friends and they just laughed at me.. and to be honest the actually "scotch (no) egg" looks like it's laughing at me also[sic].' Her message was seen by Tesco's customer service representative, who called himself Stephen the Bard. He wrote an impressive William Shakespeare-inspired Facebook comment in response to her complaint. Mandy McKinley, from Glan Conwy, north Wales, posted a photo of the scotch egg, which was missing its egg component, on the company's Facebook page on July 6 and was rewarded with a 212 word reply Her message was seen by Tesco's customer service representative who called himself Stephen the Bard, who replied with a yolky response Stephen wrote: 'O egg, egg, wherefore art thou egg? Deny thy breadcrumbs and refuse thy sausage meat; or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love and I'll no longer be a scotch egg eater. 'Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? 'Tis but thy snack that is my enemy: thou art thyself, though not a scotch egg eater no more. 'I'm terribly sorry about the missing egg, what a crime against nature! I don't think that it's laughing at you, I think it's screaming 'WHERES MY EGG!!!' Stephen the Bard's William Shakespeare-inspired Facebook comment has proved to be a hit online The imaginative poem inspired plenty on online adoration from other Tesco customers on Facebook, who shared and liked the post hundreds of times He finished the response: 'By the typing of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes! Stephen - Customer Care.' The imaginative poem inspired plenty of online adoration from other Tesco customers on Facebook, who shared and liked the post hundreds of times. Nick Phethean said: 'Tesco. You have outdone yourselves. Whoever wrote this needs a promotion!!! This is some of the best PR I have ever seen. Mandy replied thanking Tesco for their 'fantastic theatrical response' and checking the details that she needed to supply to secure a refund Drama continued to play out with Mandy and Stephen the Bard's subsequent comments 'Outstanding Tesco, absolutely outstanding.' Sarah Louise commented: 'Omg Stephen Tesco you top man sir!! That just made my morning reading your response, very very good'. Drama continued to play out with Many and Stephen the Bard's subsequent comments about the dodgy egg incident. Mandy replied thanking Tesco for their 'fantastic theatrical response' and checking the details that she needed to supply to secure a refund. The story had a happy ending when Mandy confirmed that the supermarket giant had refunded her for her 'scotch' Stephen the Bard then made a final dramatic appearance confirming that Tesco had received Mandy's details and that a refund was presumably on the way. He said: 'I've replied to your private message and just one last thing... 'To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis Tesco in the mind to shop the slings and arrows of outrageous offers, or to take reduced items against a sea of trouble, and by opposing end them? 'To die: to sleep; Till next time...'. His sign off suggests that we may be seeing more Shakespearean writings on the Tesco Facebook page in future. A French teenager has sparked an online revolution about women's body hair by starting the hashtag #LesPrincessesOntDesPoils, meaning 'Princesses have hair'. Adele Labo, a 16-year-old from Lille, started the social media hashtag to try and fight stigma around female body hair after she was ridiculed at school for not shaving. Soon thousands of women were sharing pictures of their 'unladylike' body hair, like underarm hair, leg hair, or hair on their face. Fighting the power: Women have been posting photographs of their body hair on social media to fight stigma Solidarity: The photos have been posted under the French hashtag #LesPrincessesOntDesPoils, which means 'princesses have hair' Girl power: The hashtag was started by French teenager Adele Labo, after she was teased for not shaving Ms Labo told The Guardian that she decided to start sharing pictures of her body hair after she was teased at school for not shaving. 'I think society stigmatises women, there is massive social pressure over body hair,' the teenager said. She stressed in an interview that she doesn't think women should have to grow out their leg or armpit hair, simply that they shouldn't feel pressured either way. Stigma: Ms Labo said that she believes that there is huge social pressure on women to rid themselves of hair My body, my choice: The 16-year-old said she doesn't think women should have to grow their body hair, only that they should have a choice Long hair, don't care: More than 25,000 tweets have been sent on the hashtag, and it was the top trend in France soon after There were plenty of women who seemed to agree with Ms Labo, and #LesPrincessesOntDesPoils was the top trend on Twitter in France soon after. More than 25,000 tweets have been sent on the hashtag in the form of photos, supportive messages and, in some cases, abuse. Proving Ms Labo's point that women are shamed for having body hair, many people tweeted to call those sharing photos 'disgusting' or 'feminazis'. Trolled: However some women have been abused for posting the photos, being called 'disgusting' and feminazis' Worldwide: The abuse hasn't stopped women posting photos, with some from other countries joining in 'I know not how to thank you for being here': Ms Labo has posted a message on her website thanking women for their support This hasn't deterred the fierce women sharing their stories though, many of whom have continued to post photos on Twitter under the hashtag. Celine Montaudy wrote 'So tired of the stigma around women and their NATURAL body hair' whilst another woman simply captioned her photo with 'my body my choice'. Ms Lobo posted a message to her website when the hashtag first went viral, thanking people for their support. It has now also been revealed that his grandfather is a billionaire After being featured on the front page of The Age it emerged he was a fake Melbourne man Samuel Davide Hains went viral for his hipster look He wore overalls, a beret and black sneakers and was mocked around the world as the ultimate hipster. But only days after appearing on the front page of Melbourne newspaper The Age, Samuel Davide Hains was outed as a fake. And now, more secrets have emerged about the 'most Melbourne man ever', with The Australian reporting that Mr Hains is in fact the grandson of billionaire David Hains. The successful businessman has built an empire believed to be worth more than $2.5 billion through his investments and a successful horse owning career, having owned thoroughbred champions including Kingston Town. Coming clean: Samuel Davide Hains, who featured in The Age's Street Seen column, has come clean and revealed he did the column in character However considering how closely Mr Hains has guarded his family's privacy over the years it seems he wouldn't have been too thrilled with his twenty-something grandson's recent efforts. Having first appeared in The Age's Street Seen column, almost overnight, the story of this young hipster was picked up by national and international media. But after leading the world on a merry dance for a number of days he finally came clean, telling Vice.com his character, Samuel Davide, was just that. 'My friend Tara runs the "Street Seen" column and asked me if I wanted to do it,' he told Vice. 'I think the impulse to do it in character initially came from wanting to avoid the embarrassment of doing the column sincerely. 'I LOVE jazz and I am a web developer. Davide is not a person, but he is a persona.' Not a hipster: The column generated national and international media interest Mr Hains said while parts his character are true - he does love jazz and he is a web developer - his eclectic take on fashion was all a front. In the Street Seen article he wore a pair of Osh Kosh B'Gosh overalls, worn back-to-front, and a beret gifted to him by his uncle. He described his style as 'bucolic socialist with improvised elements (like jazz)', and declared he would 'never be caught dead' in 'neo-hippie "bush-doof" couture, a small, inefficient beanie, or anything less than extraordinary'. Speaking out: As the media interest surrounding the article spiraled, Mr Hains decided to speak out He since said his iconic outfit was a combination of all the items that were thrown his way, and the back-to-front overalls statement was, in fact, a hilarious mistake. Yet interest in his story quickly grew. I think the impulse to do it in character initially came from wanting to avoid the embarrassment of doing the column sincerely. Sam Hains, Melbourne It was shared on Twitter and in the space of a day received more than 1,700 retweets and 2,133 likes. Many dubbed him the ultimate hipster, but opinions remained divided over Samuel Davide and all he seemed to represent. At the time Daily Mail Australia reached out to Samuel for comment, and he replied: 'I reject the term hipster and all that it represents'. 'I refuse to be categorised. I am indefinable. 'The social media response is endemic of a mainstream culture that wages war on artists and individuals. 'It is difficult to be unique in Australia right now. Going viral: The column was shared on Twitter, and the majority of people expressed their appreciation for Samuel Davide 'However, everyone is deserving of love, including the @browncardigan trolls who hurl abuse at me. To them I have one thing to say: I love you.' Mr Hains described the publicity his story generated as 'manic', and said he felt the media was trying to exploit Davide. In reply to the comments that his character was the 'most Melbourne man ever' or the ultimate hipster, Mr Hains said people simply projected what they wanted to believe on to Samuel Davide. His decision to pull the plug on the joke came after the media interested started to escalate out of control. Said she posted the photo by accident as she is new to Snapchat A glamorous Playboy model has come under fire on social media after fat shaming a naked woman in the gym by posting a photo of her on Snapchat. Dani Mathers, 29, from Los Angeles, shared the image of the unsuspecting woman on her Story along with a photo of her face with her hand over her mouth with the caption: 'If I can't unsee this then you can't either!' However, Dani, who was crowned Playmate Of The Year 2015, quickly deleted the image and apologised for her actions after sparking a huge backlash. Dani Mathers, 29, from Los Angeles, shared the image of the unsuspecting woman on her Story along with a photo of her face with her hand over her mouth with the caption: 'If I can't unsee this then you can't either!' Slamming her actions on Twitter, Hollie Taylor wrote: '@DaniMathers it's people like you that make others feel uneasy about changing openly in locker rooms. appalling.' While Priscilla Sanchez added: '@DaniMathers that poor woman's naked body is now circulating the internet when she never intended it to. It's really heartbreaking.' The Random Man tweeted: 'You owe that girl an apology!' Bonnie Reynolds wrote: 'Stop. You aren't sorry you did it, you're sorry you got caught and are getting blasted.' Caya Hefner, Dani Mathers, Crystal Hefner, Carly Lauren, Amanda Vanderpool with Joanna Krupa and Marta Krupa in 2014 Dani, who was crowned Playmate Of The Year 2015, quickly deleted the image and apologised for her actions after sparking a huge backlash Holly Taylor added: 'im grossed out you would post a photo of a naked woman's body in a locker room saying "you can't unsee this" wow.' Police Sausager said: 'This woman was at a m***********g GYM, the hell you looking at her body like it's deplorable?' Dani, who has 553,000 followers on Instagram, more than one million on Facebook and 75,100 on Twitter, was believed to have posted the picture after a workout session in LA Fitness Universal City. She shared the following message in a video on her Snapchat Story: 'I just want to acknowledge a photo that I accidentally posted. 'It was absolutely wrong and not what I meant to do. 'I chose to do what I do for a living because I love the female body and I know body shaming is wrong, that's not what I'm about and this is not the type of person I am. 'The photo was taken as part of a personal conversation with a girlfriend and because I am new to Snapchat I didn't realise I had posted it, and that was a huge mistake. 'I know I have upset a lot of people out there but please believe me this is not the type of person that I am. I have never done this before and I will never do this again, you have my word.' The model deleted the image and took to Snapchat once more to state how sorry she is about her mistake Dani took to Twitter to apologise, writing in separate tweets She also posted a Facebook message of apology - which has now been deleted - including a plea for forgiveness. 'Women make my world go round, I have nothing short of respect for women, I surround myself with women and work hard at empowering our community... and I completely understand how terrible this was and is. 'Please please know how upset I am with myself for this and take my word that it won't happen again. 'I love and appreciate every one of you and know that everyone is beautiful in their own way, that's what makes us all so special. 'I can't undo this mistake, although I would give anything to, but I ask your forgiveness. 'This has truly made me realize that some of the things that we do or say can seem silly in the moment or in (in this case,what was meant to be) a private conversation, aren't necessary. 'All I've done here is spread negativity and hatred when that isn't who I am or what I've ever been about.' Alana Campos, Michelle McLaughlin, Raquel Pomplun, Ashley Doris, Dani Mathers and Hiromi Oshim in 2015 Dani took to Twitter to apologise, writing in separate tweets And Dani took to Twitter to apologise, writing in separate tweets: 'I want to acknowledge my post from snapchat earlier. There is no excuse...I understand fully the magnitude of this post and that I have hurt... 'A lot of people, women. Body shaming is not okay, and is nothing to joke about... This was meant to be a part of a private conversation that... 'Never should have happened. There are no words to describe how deeply sorry I am for hurting and offending you all. Women make my world go... I'm sorry for what I did... I need to take some time to myself now to reflect on why I did this horrible thing. Goodnight 'Around, I respect women, I surround myself with women and I completely understand the magnitude of this post. Please please please know... 'How upset I am with myself and take my word that this won't happen again. I love and appreciate every one of you and know that everyone... 'Is beautiful in their own way... That's what makes us all so special... I can't undo this mistake, but I ask your forgiveness... 'This mistake has truly made me realize that something that can seem silly in a private conversation isn't unnecessary. All I've done here is... 'Spread negativity and hate when that isn't who I am. I chose to model because I appreciate women and their bodies, so me of all people... 'Should never make light of another woman's naked body.' She ended her apology with: 'I'm sorry for what I did... I need to take some time to myself now to reflect on why I did this horrible thing. Goodnight.' Others on Twitter were sympathetic and defended Dani's actions Others on Twitter were sympathetic and defended Dani's actions. Gary G wrote: 'Dani...its ok...' Sabrina Lynn added: 'You guys act like you've never once made a mistake. @DaniMathers Your character shines way brighter than this one mistake, shake it off.' Erick Cruz added: 'If you kept it private you'd never admit to what you did and no apology would exist.' LA-based producer and editor Brianna Gardner, who saw the post on her friend's Snapchat, told MailOnline: 'It's bad enough that women have to deal with rape culture on a daily basis. 'But to be violated on such a humiliating and visceral level, by one of our own - is so incredibly disappointing. This is just about the cruelest, meanest thing a woman could do to another woman. 'The victim is at the gym, trying to better herself, in a place that should be a safe place, and this Playmate with tremendous social influence and privilege took it upon herself to shame her in the grossest and most violating of ways.' She added: 'I was bullied for a greater part of my childhood so when I see an adult acting in such a deplorable way I do my best to stand up for their victims. I'm in a group of over 4,000 women in LA that build each other up, and fight against all the sexist behavior we come across, usually from men. How sad that we not have to defend ourselves against women too.' Dani rose to Playboy fame after being named Playboy's Miss January 2013. She has since taken part in various photo shoots and advertising campaigns. Since 2005, she has appeared in US soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Speaking previously about her upbringing, Mathers said: 'I'm from a big Jewish-Italian family. I was brought up playing in the mud, cheer leading and playing volleyball.' Since breaking up with Prince Harry two years ago, Cressida Bonas has been linked to various men, - the latest being Douglas Booth after their recent outing to Wimbledon. But last night the blonde was spotted throwing an amorous glance at fellow thespian Freddie Fox during a intimate theatre event at Mark's Club in London. Looking chic in a sheer, feather-print dress, the 27-year-old happily posed for photographs alongside Freddie with their arms draped around each other. Last night Cressida Bonas was spotted throwing an amorous glance at fellow thespian, Freddie Fox, during a intimate theatre event in London It's not the first time the acting duo have been romantically linked. Early last year, the Mail on Sunday revealed that Cressida had enjoyed two dates with Riot Club star Freddie in the space of a week. The pair made their first public appearance together at a West End screening of Tim Burtons movie Big Eyes in January, and a few days later they were spotted at celebrity hotspot Chateat Marmont in Los Angeles. At the time, Cressida's friends said that the dates were proof that she was over her two-year romance with Prince Harry. All smiles: Looking chic in a sheer, leaf-print dress, the 27-year-old actress happily posed for photographs alongside Freddie with their arms draped around each other Former flames? Early last year, the Mail on Sunday revealed that Cressida had enjoyed two dates with Riot Club star Freddie in the space of a week However another source insisted that Cressida and Freddie considered themselves just friends. Since then, the two have not been seen out together and Cressida has been associated with a host of other men. Indeed, just last week she was spotted amongst the Wimbledon crowd with Brit heartthrob Douglas Booth, 23 - a good friend of Freddie's. But last night, the aristocrat was looking cosy with Freddie - and there appeared to be plenty of chemistry in the air. The two were attending a Shakespeare-themed event at the Mark's Club - a private member's club nestled in the heart of Mayfair. During the course of the evening, they performed sonnets that inspired their theatrical career along with a number of other stars. Aristocratric status: Cressida is the youngest daughter of socialite Lady Mary Curzon and Old Harrovian businessman Jeffrey Bonas All-star cast: (L to R) Thespians Anthony Howell, Cressida Bonas, Morfydd Clark and Freddie Fox performed their favourite Shakespearean sonnets on the stunning terrace at London's Mark's Club last night Freddie, 27, is the son Edward Fox, star of classic 1973 film The Day Of The Jackal, and the brother of Silent Witness actress Emilia Fox. Meanwhile, Cressida is the youngest daughter of socialite Lady Mary Curzon and Old Harrovian businessman Jeffrey Bonas. She was cast into the spotlight after striking up a romance with Prince Harry in 2012 after they were introduced by his cousin Princess Eugenie. The thespian, who studied dance at the University of Leeds, has become a familiar face on the British theatre scene. The couple had been tipped to get engaged but the relationship came to an abrupt end and, despite attempts at a reconciliation, eventually fizzled out. One of Cressidas family friends said: She and Harry still speak and she is very fond of him. But there were too many complications dating Harry. Cressida and Chelsea Davy (pictured at The Serpentine Summer Party earlier this month) both dated Prince Harry - they are thought to have found it difficult to cope with the media attention around their royal romance Rising star: Most recently Cressida played the part of a series of iconic cinema heroines including Audrey Hepburn's Holly Golightly and Ilsa Lund from Casablanca in a short film for the lifestyle website Semaine Many said the constant attention the relationship generated was too much for Cressida to handle. Prince Harry's other ex-girlfriend, Chelsea Davy, recently revealed this was one of the toughest things about dating a prince. In an interview with the Times, Davy admitted that being chased by photographers desperate to capture images of the couple together was terrifying. She said: 'It was so full-on: crazy and scary and uncomfortable. I found it very difficult when it was bad. I couldn't cope.' Freddie, meanwhile, dated actress Tamzin Merchant for two years. The pair decided to call time on their relationship in September 2013 with a source telling the Mail On Sunday at the time: 'Sadly their relationship has fizzled out. Freddie is so focused on his acting and is considering a move to America.' The pair made their first public appearance together at a West End screening of Tim Burtons movie Big Eyes in January last year (pictured) Freddie has had an illustrious acting career and made headlines when he starred as the president of the Bullingdon Club - an Oxford University club notorious for loutish behaviour - where he starred alongside Douglas Booth. Last year Freddie famously told the Telegraph that he was reluctant to put a label on his sexuality. He said: My relationships have been with women until this point but it does not mean they will be for the rest of my life. Cressida has also been focusing on her acting career since her royal romance came to an end. Most recently she played the part of a series of iconic cinema heroines including Audrey Hepburn's Holly Golightly and Ilsa Lund from Casablanca in a short film for the lifestyle website Semaine. The model and RADA-trained actress also recreates one of Gwyneth Paltrow's most famous parts as Margot in the Royal Tenenbaums in the two-minute 33-second flick. She appeared on E! show Botched where she asked for another boob job Began changing her looks because she didn't want to look like her mother Star has had two boob jobs, a nose job, lip fillers and a designer vagina A woman, who has spent over 100,000 on cosmetic procedures including a 'designer vagina', says she wants to be 'as fake as possible'. The British woman, named only as Star, has had two boob jobs to take her bust from a 32A to a 32E, a nose job, liposuction on her legs, Botox injections and lip fillers. She flew to LA to meet doctors on E! reality programme Botched to ask for another breast enlargement operation. The British woman, named only as Star, has spent over 100,000 on cosmetic procedures She says she wants to be 'as fake as possible', adding that 'everything' about her is fake. Star has had two boob jobs, a nose job, Botox injections and has lip fillers every three months Star flew to LA to meet doctors on E! show Botched about having another breast enlargement operation Star said that she began changing her looks because she did not want to look like her mother after a 'horrible childhood'. 'I'm here about my breasts and my nose and I want to be as fake as possible,' she said. 'I hope they can help me.' 'I hate natural. Everything about me is fake, I love it,' she added, explaining that she has lip fillers every three months to maintain her plump pout. She also told doctors that she had a 'designer vagina'. 'Basically they cut the labia, just to like make it look perfect looking,' she explained. She revealed to doctors that she had surgery on her vagina to make it look 'perfect' Star has had two boob jobs to take her from a 32A to a 32E. But doctors said another operation could lead to a 'major complication' Star told doctors Terry Dubrow and Paul Nassift hat she wanted corrective surgery on her nose Star told doctors Terry Dubrow and Paul Nassif that she wanted to have another operation on her breasts to make them larger, as well as corrective surgery on her nose to stop it from 'dripping'. But doctors refuse to give her another boob job, saying that it could lead to a 'major complication'. Dr Nassif added that in order to help her breathe better they would have to make her nose larger. Star refused to have the operation on that basis, admitting that the outcome of the consultation had been 'disappointing'. She said she would travel to Poland to find doctors who were willing to help her. Star refused to have an operation that will make her nose bigger, admitting that the outcome of the consultation had been 'disappointing' She said she would travel to Poland in order to find doctors who were willing to help her Dr Nassif said that in order to help her breathe better they would have to make her nose larger North Dakota's congressional delegation has taken further steps to stop OSHA rules affecting anhydrous ammonia retailers. The House Appropriations Committee approved language Thursday blocking the new fertilizer rules as part of the fiscal 2017 appropriations bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and related agencies. In March, Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., was one of 41 members of Congress sending a letter to the House Appropriations Committee requesting the language. The legislation now awaits consideration on the House floor. If the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's policy were allowed to go into effect, retailers of anhydrous ammonia would have to comply with safety standards similar to those imposed on fertilizer manufacturing plants. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., helped include similar language in the Senate version of the appropriations bill, which has already passed. The House and Senate versions of the bill will be joined in conference committee. We already passed it (the rule-blocking measure) last year in conference, and Im confident well get it in conference again, Hoeven said. If the new appropriations bill is not passed, a continuing resolution prolonging fiscal 2016s appropriation will have to be passed by year-end to keep the government running; so the measure is all but guaranteed to continue. She had her nose fixed by doctors on E! reality series Botched A transgender woman who ordered a new nose from a 'fast-food style menu' says she is delighted that she no longer has to 'breathe through a straw'. Carmen, 33, from Atlanta, told LA-based surgeons Terry Dubrow and Paul Nassif that she transitioned from male to female in high school on the day after prom - and immediately wanted to get a nose job. But she said the operation in Mexico left her nose 'looking horrible' and made it difficult for her to breathe. Scroll down for video Carmen, 33, who ordered a nose job off 'fast-food style menu' in Mexico (left), is delighted she no longer has to 'use straws' to breathe out of her nose (right) She begged doctors on E! reality series Botched to fix her nose after several failed attempts Botched doctor Paul Nassif took cartilage and skin from her scalp, ear and rib in order to rebuild her nose Carmen begged surgeons to fix her nose on the E! reality series Botched, after already having several other operations to try and correct the issue. Botched doctor Paul Nassif took cartilage and skin from her scalp, ear and rib in order to rebuild her nose. During the operation, he discovered that previous doctors had not repaired her deviated septum, meaning the bone and cartilage that divide the nasal cavity in half was crooked - making breathing difficult. While Carmen admitted she was in pain after surgery, she said she was very 'grateful' for Dr Nassif's help. Before she told how she had been using straws to breathe out of her nose. Carmen originally went to Mexico to get a nose job in order to save money, but said the operation left her nose looking 'horrible' She told doctors that she transitioned from male to female in high school on the day after prom 'It's very exciting to take a deep breath and not to use straws ever again,' she said. She jokes: 'The only thing I'm ordering off a menu now is food, no more plastic surgery.' At the start of the episode, Carmen had told the cameras that she wanted the operation to be her 'final and last nose job.' Before her consultation, Dr Nassif explains to Dr Dubrow that Carmen is meeting with them because she can't breath through her nostrils. At the start of the episode, Carmen had told the cameras that she wanted it to be her 'final and last nose job' She explained that going to get a nose job in Mexico was 'like going to a fast food restaurant' Carmen had another operation in Atlanta but after seeing little improvement found a third doctor After looking at her photograph, Dr Dubrow points out that she is 'very pretty', but she looks 'very operated on'. She also has scars on her ears, which can be an issue because that is where Dr. Nassif would need to take cartilage from to rebuild her nose. 'This is going to be a little bit challenging,' Dr Nassif admitted, ahead of the procedure. After Carmen sits down on the show, the doctors immediately have her explain her surgeries. Carmen, who is pictured years ago, hoped Botched doctors would be able to fix the damage While Carmen admitted she was in pain after surgery, she said she was very 'grateful' for Dr Nassif's help She said: 'It's very exciting to take a deep breath and not to use straws ever again' 'I transitioned in high school and at [graduation] I told my sisters and my mother, "I think it is time for me to get a nose job."' she recalls. 'So I went to Mexico Guadalajara. 'It was like going to a fast food restaurant, and you're going to the menu board picking what you want,' she says. 'They give you a list. You get three things; you get one for free.' 'Hamburger, fries, nose job,' Dr. Dubrow jokes, and Dr. Nassif tells the camera 'you should not be ordering surgery off a menu'. 'If you know you are doing something like that, you know you need to get up and run out as fast as your legs will carry you.' During the operation, the surgeon discovered that previous doctors had not repaired her deviated septum - making breathing difficult Carmen, who was examined by the doctors, explained at the start of the show: 'I transitioned in high school and at [graduation] I told my sisters and my mother, 'I think it is time for me to get a nose job' Both Dr. Terry Dubrow and Dr. Paul Nassif were stunned by the damage done to Carmen's nose by the procedure, which she underwent as a teen Unsurprisingly, Carmen reveals that the results were 'horrible'. 'I instantly found another doctor in Atlanta at the time and he was like, "Oh I can fix this for you I know what you're looking for,"' she recalls. 'He looked at my ear and he said, "Oh you got some good cartilage there."' However, Carmen says she couldn't tell the difference after the surgery, and she found herself going to a third doctor. Although she says the appearance of her nose 'improved' after the third surgery, she was having trouble breathing properly - until her final procedure on Botched. Following the operation in Mexico, Carmen visited a doctor in Atlanta who said he would use cartilage from her ear to fix the damage - but it just got worse Both doctors were unable to hide their horrified looks when Carmen told them about her experience of ordering a nose job off a fast food-style menu Lauren Bush Lauren's nearly eight-month-old son James is getting bigger by the day, and the proud mom couldn't help but snap an adorable picture of the tot giving her a gummy smile. The 32-year-old FEED founder took to Instagram on Wednesday afternoon to share a photo of her happy baby boy while touting her charitable company's line of diaper bags. 'FEED Diaper Bag = mama tested & baby approved (each bag sold provides 1 baby and 1 mama with micronutrient powder for a year) [sic],' she captioned the picture, which see James sitting behind the large denim bag. Scroll down for video All smiles! Lauren Bush Lauren took to Instagram on Wednesday to share this precious photo of her nearly three-month-old son James holding one of her charitable company's FEED bags Family time: Lauren and her husband David Lauren, 44, took James to Kennebunkport, Maine, over Fourth of July weekend so he could meet his great-grandfather, George H. W. Bush, for the first time The little boy is sitting on a white couch and holding the bag with both of his hands while giving his mom a precious open mouth smile. James looks absolutely adorable in the snapshot, and it appears he is already on his way to becoming a philanthropist just like his mom. Earlier this month, Lauren and her husband David, 44, traveled to Kennebunkport, Maine, for Fourth of July weekend. Celebration: On the Fourth of July, Lauren shared a video of her family playing with sparklers and watching the sunset while on a boat During the family trip, James met his great-grandfather, former President George H. W. Bush, for the first time. 'Family time in Maine and James getting to meet his Great Gampy and Ganny,' Lauren captioned an image of her and her family posed with her grandfather. Lauren and David are dressed casually in T-shirts while baby James looks darling in a pair of khaki overalls featuring an American flag. Beautiful memory: Lauren smiles for the camera as she helped James wade in the water in late June Patriotic: The mother-of-one showed off her navy and red ensemble while posing in front of a lobster shack last month The little boy has his fingers in his mouth as he smiles for the camera, and the 92-yera-old ex-commander-in-chief is beaming with pride in the photo that was taken in front of the Atlantic ocean. A few days later, on July 4th, Lauren took a video of her family watching the sunset and playing with sparklers while on a boat. It's been a relaxing couple of weeks for the family, who also traveled to Montauk, New York, in late June. On Father's Day, Lauren snapped a precious picture of David holding James on the beach. While David is wearing a captain's hat, James is sporting a tiny white sailor's cap. 'Our captain': Lauren paid tribute to David on Father's Day by sharing this adorable photo of him wearing a captain's hat and James wearing a tiny sailor's cap 'Ladies man in the making': Lauren joked that James was flirting with her friends while they sat on the front stoop of their New York City home in early June 'Happy 1st Father's Day to the best baby James daddy in the whole wide world! We love you @davidlauren #ourcaptain #fathersday,' she captioned the stunning portrait. Less than a week later, Lauren posed in front of patriotic red, white, and blue lobster shack while wearing a navy T-shirt and red skirt that matched her surroundings. Another black and white photo sees Lauren in floral dress as she helps James wade in the water. The setting sun makes it difficult to see much of James, but the mom was clearly smiling at the camera when the photo was taken. Queen Letizia of Spain still managed to shine next to her husband today despite King Felipe VI dressed in full military garb. The Spanish monarch, 43, was pictured in a fitted Hugo Boss dress printed with graphic designs of roses in soft hues of pink. The classy royal paired her statement dress with neutral accessories, including a nude coloured patent belt and a matching clutch and heels, for her engagement at the military academy in Zaragoza today. Queen Letizia joined husband King Felipe VI today to the Delivery of Royal Offices of Employment at the military academy She kept the hot weather at bay with a sleek up-do with a twisted chignon and kept her make up to minimal pastel shades. She accompanied King Felipe to the Delivery of Royal Offices of Employment at the military academy in the North Eastern Spanish city. Her husband looked handsome fully-decorated as he was greeted by members of the Spanish army this afternoon. The couple were blessed with good weather as they arrived at their engagement this afternoon that seemed to put a smile on both of their faces Queen Letizia was pictured in a figure hugging dress printed with graphic designs of roses in soft hues of pink King Felipe could be seen wearing the royal sash this afternoon which he was awarded in front of his wife in 2014 when he was appointed as head of the armed forces The couple were blessed with good weather as they arrived this afternoon, which seemed to put a smile on both of their faces. The King could be seen tipping his hat to his wife, which raised a grin from Letizia who appeared amused by the gesture. The event today sees members of the Spanish Army, Civil Guard and Armed Forces new Officers complete their graduation into the military. The event today sees members of the Spanish Army, Civil Guard and Armed Forces new Officers complete their graduation into the military The Spanish monarch kept the hot weather at bay with a sleek up-do with a twisted chignon and kept her make up to minimal pastel shades Those who completed their graduation could be seen tossing their hats into the air during the celebrations this afternoon Those who completed their graduation could be seen tossing their hats into the air during the celebrations this afternoon. King Felipe wore a royal sash which he was awarded in 2014, when he was appointed as head of the armed forces. Letizia looked prouder than ever of her husband as she walked beside him in her Hugo Boss dress. Letizia looked prouder than ever of her husband this afternoon as she stood beside him in her Hugo Boss dress The classy royal paired her statement dress with neutral accessories including a nude coloured patent belt and a matching clutch and heels for her engagement in Zaragoza today The mother-of-two appears to be favouring the designer of late having been pictured in a dress from the fashion house just yesterday. The Spanish royal took to the stage at an awards ceremony in Madrid wearing the super slimming cream gown on Wednesday. The 43-year-old was all smiles as she presented awards during the Consejo Espana-India Foundation Award ceremony at the Archeological Museum. Yesterday Queen Letizia displayed her thin arms and slender physique in a figure-hugging dress at an awards ceremony in Madrid on Tuesday The svelte royal displayed her trim arms as she shunned a jacket in favour of bare limbs for the occasion. She accessorised her look with snakeskin stilettos and wore her hair in its signature tight ringlets. Queen Letizia applauded as she handed out awards to the likes of Zoya Akhtar and Carlos Saura at the prestigious event. The svelte royal displayed her trim arms as she shunned a jacket in favour of bare limbs for the occasion The Spanish royal took to the stage at an awards ceremony in Madrid wearing a super slimming cream dress by Hugo Boss Students usually love displaying the colors and logos of their universities with pride, but those attending the University of North Texas might feel a bit differently. Recently, an attendee of the university noticed that the mugs that people can buy from the school's line of branded merchandise says a little bit more than they were intending. In a photo posted to Imgur, someone holds the white mug up for the camera, displaying the initials UNT across it in green letters. Small mistake: It seems that the people in charge of merchandise at the University of North Texas didn't notice that the school's lettering along with a handle leaves their mugs branded with a curse word But what the makers of the mug clearly forgot is that the handle of such a mug looks more than a bit like the letter 'C', spelling out a very rude word. In addition to being available on campus, the mugs can be purchased for around $10 online at the University of North Texas section of the Barnes & Noble website. 'Not sure the University of North Texas thought that through,' wrote the Imgur user who posted the photo. Making a point: Former students of the university commented on the post, with one saying they have 'been making fun of those mugs for four years' Since being shared on the site a week ago, the post has been viewed more than 180,000 times. It was certainly not news to students of the university, some of which took to the comments on the Imgur post. 'Been making fun of those mugs for four years,' said one user, while another added: 'Speaking as a UNT student, yes. Yes they did. They thought it all the way through.' 'I went to UNT. Someone added some letters to the UNT Art building sign last year. (C)*** (F)ART,' explained another alumni. Pick one up today: The mugs are available on the University of North Texas section of the Barnes & Noble website Even employees of the school joined in, with one writing: 'HA! I work at UNT and that pretty much sums up what it's like to work here.' Several also revealed that the university's radio station was called KNTU - a creative reshuffle of the letters to avoid spelling out something rude. The doctors also met with Shauna, a woman who was left with a 'dripping' nose after haivng two discount rhinoplasties in Mexico Dr. Dubrow explained that rupturing the implants would help shrink and thicken her breast tissue before he removed them A woman with a 38GG chest had the saline drained out of her massive implants so she could finally rid herself of the 'wrecking ball' breasts she had gotten at the urging of her now ex-boyfriend. On Tuesday night's episode of the E! reality series Botched, Los Angles-based surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow suggested to Ilana that the best way to go about removing her 2300cc implants would be 'stabbing' them with a needle to empty out the fluid something he had only done once or twice in his career as a surgeon. The unorthodox procedure enabled Dr. Dubrow to give Ilana new 600cc implants that were still 'nice and full' without her needing a breast lift, however, it wasn't initially clear that the technique would prove to be a success. Scroll down for video Reduction: Ilana met with Los Angles based surgeons Dr. Terry Dubrow and Dr. Paul Nassif about having her massive breast implants removed on Tuesday night's episode of the E! reality series Botched Going smaller: Ilana, who had a size 38GG chest after having two breast augmentations (left), had her implants drained and removed before she was given new 600cc implants (right) During her meeting with Dr. Dubrow and his partner Dr. Terry Nassif, Ilana explained that she had natural DD cup breasts when she started dating a man who was obsessed with huge implants. At his urging, she had two surgeries to increase her breast size. First she had her doctor put in 1200cc implants, which gave her a size 38F chest. During her second surgery, she went from 1200cc to 2300 implants, but even that wasn't 'big enough' for her boyfriend, and she had to end the relationship. 'I'm ashamed of how I look, and I have a lot of discomfort in my back and neck as well as cramping in my armpit, which is killing me,' she explained. Consultation: During their meeting, Dr. Dubrow suggested 'stabbing' her implants with a needle and draining them before he removed them Too big: 'That in itself indicates tissue injury and damage,' he said of the visible blood vessels on her chest During her consultation, Dr. Dubrow immediately noticed that the blood vessels on her breasts were dilated. 'That in itself indicates tissue injury and damage,' he explained. Look how peely your skin is. Now does it peel like this normally?' Ilana admitted that it has 'always been a little bit chaffy', and Dr. Dubrow noted that it is an 'indication of underlying pressure, tension, and generalized tissue trauma'. 'We do know we need to take the implants out; we do know we need to do a lifting procedure, which means reduce the areola, reduce a lot of the breast envelope and lift you up,' he said. 'But we do know that doing that in one stage is extraordinarily risky to your breast tissue and to your nipple. 'But you might be able to do something that I've only done once or twice in my entire career,' Dr. Dubrow continued. Getting ready: Dr. Dubrow explained that he wanted to put a needle into her implants and drain them before her surgery because rupturing the implant would help shrink and thicken her breast tissue Under pressure: Ilana explained that she had natural DD cup breasts when she started dating a man who was obsessed with huge implants. At his urging, she had two surgeries to increase her breast size Dealbreaker: During her second surgery, she went from 1200cc to 2300 implants, but even that wasn't 'big enough' for her boyfriend, and she had to end the relationship 'Putting a needle into the breast implants and sucking out the fluid, allowing the soft tissue to retract and everything to sort of relax down and then after a period of time doing one operation.' Dr. Dubrow went on to admit that 'stabbing breast implants to empty the fluid does 'sound a little crazy', and Ilana agreed, but he believed it would be worth it in the long run. 'Ruptured implants tend to cause shrinking and thickening of the breast tissue and that is exactly what Ilana's breasts need before she can have the definitive surgery,' he told the cameras. Dr. Dubrow assured Ilana that his plan wasn't really that crazy when you thought about it. 'It saves you from having to have two operations or more, which would avoid all the risks of anesthesia and the significant risks of the surgery itself,' he said, and when he asked Ilana if she was willing to try it, Ilana said: 'Let's do it'. Going for it: After agreeing to have the saline drained from her 'wrecking ball' breasts, Ilana was awake for the procedure Say goodbye: Dr. Dubrow explained that he would be placing a small catheter into the underside of her breast and draining out all of the saline from her implants until they were completely deflated Ilana was awake during her first procedure, and Dr. Dubrow explained that he would be placing a small catheter into the underside of her breast and draining out all of the saline from her implants until they were completely deflated. 'We'll leave the implant bags in Ilana's body, allowing her breasts time to contract and the tissue to thicken, before removing them in the second stage of surgery,' he continued. For her following surgery, Dr. Dubrow first put in 800cc implants, but he decided they were ultimately too big and when with 600cc instead. The implants were large enough that Ilana didn't need a breast lift, and she was thrilled with the final results. Success: The procedure enabled Dr. Dubrow to give Ilana new implants that were still 'nice and full' without her needing a breast lift Grateful: Ilana can be seen thanking Dr. Dubrow for her 'perfect' breasts a month after her surgery A month after her surgery, Ilana stopped by Dr. Dubrow's office to thank him and tell in that her new implants are 'perfect'. The doctors also met with Shauna, a woman who had two discount rhinoplasties in Mexico and was left with a nose that was always running. Dr. Nassif cut to the chase during their meeting, telling her: 'I know there is something about a couple of nose jobs in Tijuana.' 'It was a lot less costly, right?' Dr. Dubrow asked, immediately deducing that she crossed the boarder to save money on the procedure. Bad idea: The doctors also met with Shauna, a woman who had two discount rhinoplasties in Mexico that left her with a nose that was constantly running Discount surgery: Dr. Nassif and Dr. Dubrow were shocked that she only spent $2,500 for the procedure, which costs at least double that in the US Shauan revealed she was only charged $2,500 for her rhinoplasty, a procedure that usually averages between a total cost of $5,000 and $10,000 in the US depending on the surgeon. 'Wow, that is cheap,' Dr. Dubrow said with shock. Dr. Nassif told the cameras that anyone considering plastic surgery needs 'to have the best and right doctor' to give them the look that they need, otherwise they are 'going to come out completely messed up'. 'Shauna did get what she paid for,' he said of her botched surgery. Lasting issues: Shauna explained that she was left with a sharp piece of cartilage protruding from the tip of her nose after her first surgery, so she returned to Mexico for another nose job Frustrating: After her second surgery, Shauna was left with a nose that drips every five to 10 minutes Their patient went on to say that when she woke up the tip of her nose was purple, like the color of Dr. Nassif's tie. 'That means decreased blood supply to the skin. If that happens you basically can lose the entire tip of the nose. It can just fall off,' Dr. Nassif explained. 'Shauna is very lucky that didn't happen.' Shauna said she was willing to live with her new nose, but the doctor had left a 'really sharp edge' at the tip. 'So you had a piece of aberrant cartilage sticking out of your nose,' Dr. Nassif reiterated, and Dr. Dubrow was perplexed by the fact that she could see it even before the swelling came down. 'I saw him a couple weeks later, and I told him I was really unhappy with the tip, so I went back four months later,' she said, this time surprising Dr. Nassif. Improvement: Dr. Nassif reconstructed the entire tip of her nose, which made her look less pinched and gave her wider nostrils Seeing how it goes: Although Shauna's surgery went 'great', Dr. Nassif couldn't guarantee that her nose would stop dripping until at least a month after her surgery 'He worked on your tip four months later?' he asked. 'That is one of the mistakes right there. You don't go back into the tip for about a year. 'If you go back earlier than that the nose is still not healing; it is continually changing, and if you go in and operate again you can get more deformities that way.' Shauna said that her nose started dripping fluid right after the second surgery as soon as she took off the dressing. She was going through one tissue every five to ten minutes, however, Dr. Nassif wasn't sure that a third surgery would help stop the flow of fluid. 'Sometimes surgery can help it. Other times surgery can make the rhinorrhea worse,' he said. Looking great: Although he couldn't say whether or not the dripping would stop, Shauna was thrilled with the results of her surgery So much better: A month later Shauna was tissue-free and able to kiss her husband Noah with 'no snot' Dr. Nassif went on to say that he would have to perform an 'open rhinoplasty', explaining that he would 'soften everything, take down the hump, take care of that profile first and take care of the middle part of the nose where it's collapsing in and open up those valves. 'Then we have to reconstruct your entire tip which will also open your airway, make you less pinched, which means your nostrils her will be wider.' Although Shauna's surgery went 'great', Dr. Nassif couldn't immediately guarantee that her nose would stop dripping. 'The part that I can't give you an answer to is what's gonna happen in regards to the drip coming out of her nose, I don't know,' he said. 'So we're gonna have to wait and see; we're gonna have to give it time; we're gonna see how she's doing and then let's say at a month if the drip is gone, it's gone. But we really cannot tell that or make that judgement least til then.' Porn star Brooke Banner has revealed why she has decided to return to adult films with the support of her husband after having a child and getting her bachelor's degree. The 33-year-old adult entertainer, who is now known only as Brooke on social media, explained that she left the business six-years ago because she got 'burnt out'. But even after giving birth to her now four-year-old daughter and going to college she ultimately decided to return to porn while pursuing her PhD simply because she couldn't stop thinking about it. 'I hear a lot about my child,' she told Cosmopolitan.com of her critics. 'I've still had the same fan email address this whole time, and I hate emails from people who say things like, "What's gonna happen when your daughter is doing porn?"' Scroll down for video Back at it: Porn star Brooke Banner has returned the adult film industry after a six-year hiatus in which she had a baby and earned her bachelor's degree. She share this photo on Instagram in November Out of retirement: The 33-year-old is starring alongside fellow porn star 'Small Hands' (pictured) in the wedding-themed adult film It's Complicated Brooke insisted that she has no problems with her daughter working in the adult film industry as long as 'she can handle what she's doing and she's happy and she's safe'. 'If she can sit in her truth and if she's doing that with a smile on her face, then I will support whatever she does,' she said. 'Unless she was a serial killer.' The adult film star admitted that she wished she had been older when she got into porn because sh was only 18 when she entered the business after a series of 'nude modeling gigs'. 'I worked for nine years straight and I never took a break.' she recalled. 'In this business, it's unheard of for girls to be working that long. Over it: Brooke, who is pictured with Isiah Maxwell (left) and taking a selfie (right), started in the porn industry when she was only 18 years old and found herself 'burnt out' after nine years of working in adult films Secret thoughts: The adult film star went into retirement for six years, but she said she 'couldn't shake' the industry 'I never went on a honeymoon when I got married. I put out so many movies doing the exact same thing. I think I just got burnt out, and I was a child.' Brooke finally decided to retire and really focus on who she is and who she wants to be after her husband H.B. (not his real name) told her that she should stop doing adult films if she didn't like doing it anymore. After leaving the adult film industry behind, she enrolled at a California state university, which she preferred not to name because she is currently pursuing a PhD in human sexuality at the institution. Unsurprisingly, pursing her bachelor's degree after nine years in the porn industry was an adjustment, and she admitted that she was worried about what her professors and classmates would think of her past. True partner: Brooke's husband, whose real name is unknown, supported her decision to return to starring in adult films if that was what she wanted Studious: Brooke, who is pictured with Olivia Austin, is also currently pursuing a PhD in human sexuality Brooke said she opened up to some of her professor's about her past, and when she had to create a a resume for future employers, she went to one of her instructor's and asked what she should write. Although he advised her to mention the publications she was featured in as a model, he noted that businesses are going to Google search her name and learn about her work in the adult film industry. 'It's something that you're going to have to deal with no matter what,' he told her. Brooke said college life helped her to truly understand who she is as a person while no longer caring about what her critics think. And while she was happily pursing a higher education, she said she 'couldn't shake' the porn industry for good. Still got it: Stormy Daniels, an adult film star and director at Wicked Pictures, said she was blown away by the fact that Brooke still looks 'exactly the same' as she did when she left the industry at the age of 27 Maturity: 'This is when I feel the best in my skin. I know my own body,' Brooke said of returning to porn at the age of 33 With her husband's support, she decided to return to the industry, and she is now starring in Wicked Pictures' wedding-themed adult film, It's Complicated, alongside fellow porn star, Small Hands, whose real name is Aaron. And while porn is an industry where women in their 20s are cast as mothers, Brooke has been able to book the same roles she was getting six-years ago at the age of 33. Stormy Daniels, an adult film star and director at Wicked Pictures, said she was thrilled to work with Brooke on her first feature back, and she said she was blown away by the fact that she still looks 'exactly the same' as she did when she left the industry at the age of 27. Brooke said she eventually wants to have full creative control of both her image and the films she is working on, but she is now working with a 'select few companies' so her fans will know that she is 'back and alive'. At a time when harboring misconceptions and voicing racist stereotypes about Muslims seems to have become more socially acceptable in the Western world at least in some circles one positive-thinking group is calmly combating the misinformation in a series of inspiring Facebook posts. Hijabis of New York a name playing on the story-telling Facebook group Humans of New York zeroes in on the lives and stories of Muslim women in the city. These women share messages of strength, humility, patience, and self-worth but also stories of facing oppression, racism, and cruelty at the hands of those who see them just for the scarves they wear on their heads. Check it out: The Facebook page Hijabis of New York, launched by an female Muslim empowerment organization called Wise, spotlights women who wear hijabs and has them tell their stories Open your mind: The page works to encourage Muslim women, but is also breaking down stereotypes. This woman said she teaches self-defense to Muslims and supports Black Lives Matter Looking deeper: This woman says she is a 'rapping and singing hijabi'; she also revealed that she started wearing the hijab when her sister, who passed away from spinal muscular atrophy, did The Facebook page and corresponding Tumblr were launched in support of Wise Inc., an initiative for the self-empowerment of young Muslim women. Wise encourages self-defense, leadership, and entrepreneurship, working to 'nurture the talents of young women and spark a thirst for success'. And each of the Facebook posts which feature young hijabis, women who wear Islamic headscarves, called hijabs spotlights a woman who embodies its goals. However, the posts also serve to educate non-Muslims who may have formed sweeping opinions about women of the faith that aren't necessarily true likely because they don't know any on a personal level. Confidence: This woman said her friends helped her realize her self-worth, explaining: 'As women we all struggle with our outer appearances' Independent woman: This woman said that though she'd like to have a meaningful relationship, she's not just 'waiting for a dude' 'I am both a second-degree back belt in karate who teaches Muslims to defend themselves against hate crimes and a Black Lives Matter Movement organizer,' said one black Muslim woman who smiled at the camera. 'People do not often think that there are people organizing around both Islamophobia and anti-blackness. As a black Muslim woman, I like to shatter peoples perceptions of who I am and what I do. 'I refuse to discuss any one of my identities without recognizing its intersections with all the others.' Another woman, who bills herself as a 'rapping and singing hijabi', explained that she wears many figurative hats: 'I'm an entertainer, philanthropist, motivational speaker, and aspiring world-changer. I have an unyielding desire to make people feel good about themselves.' One New Yorker, who was photographed in a stylish black trench coat, discussed sex and marriage, shattering the misconception held by some outsiders that all religious Muslim women define their lives by their relationships to men. Liv it: Speaking about her head scarf, this woman explained that modesty is about more than the way a person dresses it's about how she comports herself Speaking out: The women break down stereotypes, which so often unfairly cast everyone under a single umbrella Steadfast: This Pakistani-American woman recalled how her dad would skip meals to save money for his family and added: 'My mom always tells me that sometimes Allah tests our level of patience' 'I'm not waiting for a dude,' she said. 'I'm not waiting, though I too want to experience sex and consistent, close companionship with a mature Muslim male. But I also dream of staying single ... because my inner strength is bigger than many a man's outer strength.' Most importantly of all, though, the women's words highlight the fact that all people, regardless of their religion, have more in common than they think. Because these women, too who prize modesty in dress and behavior and cover their hair with scarves feel insecurity and worry about how they look. 'The most significant thing that has happened in my life so far is my realization of self-worth,' one woman confided. 'As women we all struggle with our outer appearances. We all have an inner voice telling us we aren't pretty enough or good enough. I've always had this voice speaking to me and putting me down. Honestly, I'm going to give the credit to my best friends. They helped me realize there's more to a person than what they look like.' Sadly, though, several woman had negative stories to share about their lives as hijabis. One recalled losing friends in middle school when she first decided to wear a hijab, adding that she still finds herself on the receiving end of dirty looks and racial slurs. Diverse: Each woman has a different sense of style, and they all wear their make-up differently Celebration! This woman said her friends threw her a 'hijabaversary' party to celebrate when she first decided to start wearing a hijab Another shared the horrifying memory of a stranger who verbally abused her when she was going about her business. 'I was sitting on a random curb across from the Baltimore Harbor and some lady had came up to me and told me to kill myself and take my hijab off,' she said. Amazingly, though, the brave young woman had a positive outlook about the situation, explaining: 'I find it absolutely hilarious when anyone tells me I should take my hijab off. Like bro, honestly, my hijab is my crown. Why would a queen ever take off her crown to please someone else?' Another woman, who is pictured smiling happily in a long floral dress, shared a similar thought: People seem to think that Islam oppresses her and that her hijab is a sign of that, but the people who actually leave her with a feeling of oppression are those who lash out at her for how she chooses to live her own life. Adversity: Though this young woman has met with hate one woman told her to kill herself she said she laughs at those who tell her to remove her hijab because it is like her crown Strength: 'No one should have a problem with my hijab and why I choose to wear it, since it is not their concern,' said this woman, who has faced dirty looks and racial slurs from strangers Getting out there: This young woman pictured on a New York City subway platformed discussed her love of travel and seeing the world 'My oppression stems not from my religion. Not from my attire. Not from my male relatives,' she said. 'The source of my oppression are those who, without ever meeting me, tell the world that I am oppressed. The source of my oppression are those who try to bury my soft voice under their loud, angry words of misguidance and ignorance. 'Let me tell you about hijab,' she went on. 'This flowy garment of empowerment that I choose to wear does not "veil my beauty" in the way many like to explain. On the contrary, it magnifies the beauty within me, a beauty which emanates in my words and in my actions. 'To me, wearing hijab means striving for, among other things, modesty and humility. With these things, inevitably, comes beauty. I choose to cover the external "beauty" that I know will divert attention from the beauty within me, the only beauty that I want people to see. Good news for voters in the #NeverTrump and #NeverHillary camps: There's a new candidate in town, and there's no way anyone could disagree with her politics. That's because, as a doll, she hasn't voiced any political stances at all. On Thursday, Mattel introduced it's sixth-ever President Barbie doll, as well as her equally poised and plastic running mate, Vice President Barbie. Scroll down for video Hail to the Chief! Mattel has introduced the 2016 edition of its President Barbie An all-female ticket: Barbie comes packaged with a Vice President Barbie Diverse: The dolls come in a variety of skin tones and with several choices of hair color The duo of dolls is part of the company's 'You Can Be Anything' campaign, which aims to encourage girls to follow their dreams. According to a study conducted by the Girl Scouts and cited by Barbie, only 39 per cent of girls say they want to be a leader, a troubling statistic that the girl-power toy company wants to change. But while the campaign is new, President Barbie has been around before. In fact, the company has released a doll version of the leader of the free world during every election since 1992 decades before a woman was even being seriously considered for the role. 'The President and Vice President dolls continue our efforts to expose girls to inspiring careers that are underrepresented by women,' Barbie general manager and Senior Vice President Lisa McKnight said, according to Today. 'We see this doll set as a timely and topical platform to further the conversation around female leadership.' But no Barbie's Dream White House yet! This is the sixth President Barbie; Mattel has a released a doll during every election since 1992 The power! The doll has been trading in her pink Corvette for Air Force once for over two decades Shattering the glass ceiling: This time around, the doll is part of Barbie's You Can Be Anything campaign The plastic party: The doll is decidedly apolitical, and has worn both red and blue in the past Though Barbie is blonde, the doll is not meant to be a representation of Hillary Clinton as president. However, Mattel has teamed up with the nonpartisan organization She Should Run, which encourages girls to pursue leadership positions. 'At She Should Run, we believe that women of all backgrounds should have an equal shot at elected leadership positions and that our country will benefit from having a government with varied perspectives and experiences,' said Erin Loos Cutraro, the CEO and co-founder of the nonprofit. 'We are excited about partnering with the Barbie brand given its reach and influence to encourage girls everywhere to unlock their leadership potential.' Part of that initiative includes getting those President and Vice President Barbies which come in a variety of skin tones with different hair colors into the hands of actual female leaders. She approves! Several US congresswomen were sent the dolls, including Rep. Norma Torres of California Rep. Ann Mclane Kuster of New Hampshire proudly showed off her doll, too Reach for the stars: Rep. Judy Chu of California got behind the message of female empowerment Mattel seems to have sent the dolls to several congresswomen, a few of whom have shared snapshots of their swag on social media. U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell of Michigan shared a picture of 'first all-female ticket' still in the box, showing the candidates holding hands at a podium. 'Love the new POTUS & VP @Barbie! Helping inspire girls to believe #YouCanBeAnything!' wrote Representative Norma Torres of California alongside a picture of herself with the toy. Rep. Judy Chu of California, Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois, and Rep. Ann Mclane Kuster of New Hampshire uploaded photos too, with the latter writing: 'Proud 2 support the idea women can be whatever they want, including leaders like Congresswomen!' Double the ladies: Representative Debbie Dingell of Michigan was a fan of the first all-female ticket As Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois showed, the dolls also come with an interactive packet to encourage girls to be leaders To get kids involved, Barbie's website also offers an interactive 'You Can Be a Leader' packet, which includes a word search, maze puzzle, and fill-in-the-blank section where girls can dream of what they would do as president. A cute video also sees a little girl accepting her role as the country's new president, promising to have 'mermaids in each and every pool'. It's then revealed that the daydream is all part of her game as she plays with her Barbie doll with a friend. Metal found to cause degenerative brain disease through build-up in brain It's that time of year where we fire up the BBQ and pray it doesn't rain. But poor weather is not the only thing we should be wary of when it comes to the traditional summer pastime. Experts say we should think twice about using aluminium foil as studies have linked high levels of the metal in the body to Alzheimer's. Studies also claim the everyday material we use to wrap everything from fresh cuts of meat to sandwiches is harmful to people with bone diseases. And it has been found to reduce the growth rate of human brain cells and cause havoc on patients suffering from kidney failure. So cooking on a hot grill using it should be avoided to reduce unnecessary exposure, they argue. Using aluminium foil for your BBQ this summer could potentially cause you Alzheimer's in later life Avoiding the metal compound is difficult as it is found in everything from fizzy drinks and green tea to toothpaste and aspirin. But there is a safe level of aluminium that humans can tolerate in their blood, the World Health Organisation says - of 40mg per kilogram of body weight per day. It is often found in cheeses, salt, herbs, spices and corn but is also found in a variety of cooking utensils, and even in the purification process of drinking water. But aluminium foil is often used to cook and store food which could be putting our health in jeopardy. Chemistry professor, Ghada Bassioni, from Ain Shams Univeristy in Egypt, said there are potential side effects to using aluminium for cooking and food preparation. Writing for The Conversation, she said: 'If youre baking fish, roasting vegetables or preparing a piece of meat for dinner tonight, chances are that youll wrap your food in aluminium foil. 'What you may not realise is that some of the foil will leach into your meal and this could be bad for your health,' she said. She suggests aluminium foil should not be used for cooking - and instead recommends using glassware or porcelain when preparing baked dishes. Aluminium foil is often used to cook and store food which could be putting our health in jeopardy 'Its safe to wrap cold food in foil, though not for long stretches of time because food has a shelf life and because aluminium in the foil will begin to leach into the food depending on ingredients like spices.' The body naturally excretes aluminium, but if more is ingested than the body can get rid of, it is deposited in the bone, brain, liver, heart, spleen, and muscle. Professor Christopher Exley, of Keele University, said the fact that studies have revealed aluminium deposits in the brain should serve as a warning that people are being contaminated. SUSPECTED CASE OF ALUMINIUM POISONING Carole Cross, 59, died in 2004 from a rare and aggressive form of Alzheimers disease usually associated with much older people suffering from the condition. She had been living in the Camelford area of north Cornwall in July 1988 when the poisoning occurred. She was one of 20,000 customers affected when a relief lorry driver mistakenly added 20,000 tons of aluminium sulphate to the drinking water at the Lowermoor treatment works. Her husband, Dr Doug Cross, believes her exposure to high levels of aluminium during the incident caused her death and at her inquest a coroner ruled there was 'a very real possibility' this was the case. Advertisement He previously said: The presence of aluminium in the human brain should be a red flag alerting us all to the potential dangers of the aluminium age. We are all accumulating a known neurotoxin in our brain from our conception to our death. Why do we treat this inevitability with almost total complacency? He concluded aluminium could fuel early onset of Alzheimer's and make the disease much worse. So for a person who weighs 60kg the allowable intake would be 2400 mg. Aluminium is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust, and is naturally found in food because plants absorb it from water and the soil. Aluminium sulphate is added to water to make it more clear, and acts as a raising agent in cakes and biscuits. The body excretes aluminium, but if more is ingested than the body can excrete, it is deposited in the bone, brain, liver, heart, spleen, and muscle. Other studies have found high exposure to aluminium could be harmful to people with kidney failure or bone disease. The research by the National Institute of Nutrition found using aluminium utensils to prepare acidic foods including tomatoes causes the metal to leach into food - with contamination possibly resulting in defective bone developments. Said it is likely that high levels of drug come from the environment Experts say more research is needed and people should not be alarmed It is also compound produced when body breaks down aniline - a chemical used to make rubber, pesticides and agents in food and cosmetics Couples where males had high levels were 35% less likely to conceive A new study has found couples where the man has high levels of paracetamol in his urine take longer to conceive A common painkiller could impair a man's fertility, experts have warned. Paracetamol, which is also known as acetaminophen and sold under the brand name Tylenol in the US and Panadol in the UK, has been linked to infertility, new research suggests. Couples where the male partner had high levels of the drug in his urine took longer to conceive, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health That was compared to men who had lower levels of the compound in their system. Paracetamol is a non-prescription drug widely used as a pain reliever and to reduce fever. It is also one of the compounds produced when the body breaks down aniline, a chemical used to make rubber, pesticides, and coloring agents used in food, cosmetics and clothing. Dr Melissa Smarr, the study's first author, from NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said: 'At this point, our findings need to be corroborated by future research, and there is no cause for alarm.' Dr Smarr explained that the high levels of paracetamol in the urine of certain men, who participated in the study, were unlikely to result from taking the painkillers alone. The findings, she said, are more consistent with those seen from environmental exposure, either to aniline or paracetamol, or a combination of the two. But, she said, the findings could have implications for the amount of paracetamol exposure that is deemed acceptable. Researchers led by Dr Smarr analyzed data from the Longditudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE) study, established to examine how lifestyle and exposure to environmental chemicals may affect fertility. The LIFE study encompasses fertility data from 501 couples enrolled in four countries in Michigan and 12 counties in Texas, from 2005 to 2009. The women taking part ranged in age from 18 to 44, and the men were older than 18. Each participant provided a single urine sample when they joined the study, which was analyzed to measure the concentration of paracetamol. Couples in which the males had high levels of paracetamol - more than 73.5 ng/ml - were 35 per cent less likely to conceive, compared with those couples where the male had low levels - less than 5.4 ng/ml Women had a higher average level of the drug in their urine, than men. But, researchers noted a high level of paracetamol in a woman's system was not linked to any reduced chances of becoming pregnant. However, couples in which the males had high levels of paracetamol - more than 73.5 ng/ml - were 35 per cent less likely to conceive, compared with those couples where the male had low levels - less than 5.4 ng/ml. The researchers stressed that their findings need to be confirmed by larger studies that can better identify the sources of paracetamol, the duration of time the participants are exposed, and the amount of the compound to which they are exposed. Actors in William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" will be showing off their front calves during Capitol Shakespeare's run of the play as part of this month's Shaking Up Shakespeare festival. For men, showing off their front calf because it was the most attractive part of the body during that time period," said Erin Weichel, artistic director for Capitol Shakespeare, adding that posture and weight also will be challenging. As part of the Shaking Up Shakespeare festival, free programs are being offered throughout July at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck. One unique exhibit will be a display of one of the original printings of Shakespeares First Folio. After Shakespeare passed away, two of his friends wanted to make sure his plays lived on. They compiled his plays, took them to a printer and had copies printed," Weichel said. The choice of play is a reflection of that first compilation published in 1623. We wanted to do something that was from the First Folio that we hadnt done yet and we wanted to do something that was within that time period, Weichel said. This play is a wonderful comedy and has a great love story. Its very, very witty and a very humorous play. Capitol Shakespeare is aiming to be as historically accurate as possible in its presentation of Much Ado About Nothing. This year, our set is as close to a recreation of the Globe Theater as we can make it, Weichel said. The costumes and the set are absolutely gorgeous. The production faced a number of challenging obstacles, including cutting the play to two hours while still sustaining the different story lines as well as training actors in the stylized movement of the time period. The events of Shaking up Shakespeare can attract people of all ages. Im looking forward to young children and even adults being excited by this culture again, Weichel said. This love of Shakespeare and excitement of Shakespeare brings back what it used to be, when it was pretty and creative and not just 140 characters. Capitol Shakespeare will be hosting movie showings of prominent plays by Shakespeare, including Macbeth and A Midsummer Nights Dream. Were trying to show Shakespeare in every way possible: through movies, through plays and our traveling troupe is showing scenes, as well," Weichel said. THE HEAVENLY TABLE by Donald Ray Pollock THE HEAVENLY TABLE by Donald Ray Pollock (Harvill Secker 12.99) When their domineering, religious father dies, the three Jewett brothers decide theyve had enough of their hard lives as Georgia sharecroppers. They set off to emulate the exploits of Bloody Bill Bucket hero of a dog-eared dime novel that Cane, the brains of the bunch, reads over and over to mentally-challenged Cob and hot-headed Chimney. Like their literary idol, they take to their horses and set off on a crime spree, robbing banks and holding up stores, cutting a swathe across the American Midwest with the aim of taking their ill-gotten gains to Canada. But the year is 1917, and the day of the outlaw is long gone. Word of their exploits spreads rapidly along with mistaken attributions of crimes committed by others across the continent, until their legendary status has an expiry date written all over it. Donald Ray Pollocks brilliant Western is an earthy, raunchy read - Dickensian in its rogues gallery of oddball characters. Full of black humour, its superbly constructed and written with true grit. By the end, one is left longing for more and panting for the movie that will surely come. ONCE AGAIN ASSEMBLED HERE by Sean OBrien ONCE AGAIN ASSEMBLED HERE by Sean OBrien (Picador 14.99) Newly retired from Blakes, the minor public school where he was first a pupil and later - after a sex scandal while an Oxford student ruined his career prospects - a history teacher, Stephen Maxwell is writing the official history of the school, a work he acknowledges few will ever read. At the same time, hes working on a secret manuscript, a story of intrigue and murder from his first year on the staff at Blakes. Scroll back to then: 1968. Engaged in a clandestine affair with the headmasters glamorous wife, art teacher Maggie Rowan, Stephen finds himself at odds with her brother, Charles Rackham. Charles is a handsome, roguish chancer and, like Stephen, an exceptionally brilliant former pupil. He is now also a teacher at Blakes. In the violent atmosphere of a local by-election, Rackham is a supporter of an infamous fascist who is one of the candidates. When Stephens mentor, the head of history is found dead, it leads him to uncover fascist secrets from World War II. One can forgive the increasingly unlikely plotting of OBriens novel because of its sheer readability. The sense of regretfully looking back through fading autumn sunlight on a life not really lived is wonderfully done. THE DEATH OF ALL THINGS SEEN by Michael Collins THE DEATH OF ALL THINGS SEEN by Michael Collins (Head of Zeus 14.99) In the wake of the 2008 crash, and after splitting up with his boyfriend, Norman, a moderately successful Chicago playwright in his 40s decides he needs a New Existence. But before he has worked out exactly what that will be, his parents die suddenly. The family home needs to be sold, and Norman returns there with his small adopted daughter and her nanny, Joanne, a neighbour recently disappointed in love. The visit compels him to reconsider his past - a process he has only just begun when he receives an email from a stranger that throws him into a panic and threatens his hopes of reconfiguring his life. Irish-born prize-winning author Michael Collinss first novel for six years is an easy read, thanks to his seemingly effortless way with words, but the narrative loses focus by flitting from character to character, never settling on one for any length of time. Military TANK ACTION by David Render with Stuart Tootal (Weidenfeld & Nicolson 20) At the age of 19, after just 18 months training, 2nd Lieutenant David Render found himself in charge of 16 tanks on a ship sailing out of Portsmouth Harbour. When he asked where it was going, the answer was simply: France. The date was June 8, 1944, two days after the allied D-Day landings in German-occupied France, an event Render and his men didnt even know had happened. At the age of 19, after just 18 months training, 2nd Lieutenant David Render found himself in charge of 16 tanks on a ship sailing out of Portsmouth Harbour The ships initial attempt to land his tanks ended in disaster when the first one flipped over in deep water, drowning the two-man crew - men Render hadnt even had time to get to know. An inauspicious start to his command. In Normandy, joining his regiment the Sherwood Rangers, he was put in charge of a troop of three Sherman tanks and given a days instruction in how they worked. His men were surly and far from welcoming. They were battle-hardened veterans from the North African campaign and naturally worried by the prospect of their lives being at the mercy of a greenhorn youngster. They had every right to be. Life expectancy for a British tank commander in Normandy was just two weeks: they didnt want to get killed along with him. The American-manufactured Sherman tank was built for speed and manoeuvrability. In other departments, it was no match for the German Tiger and Panther tanks, which had thicker armour and bigger guns. A shell from one of them would cut through a Sherman like a knife through butter. The big terror for a five-man Sherman crew was a brew, the tank catching fire (80 per cent of enemy hits on Shermans resulted in fire), when the heat inside would become so intense the bodies of the crew often fused together or with parts of the tank. A tank commander was vulnerable to snipers and shrapnel because he stood in the tanks open turret with his head exposed. Render was advised by another officer to fix his helmet to the machine gun rack behind him and put a pair of goggles over it in the hope of tricking snipers into shooting at it, rather than him. Tank Action by David Render with Stuart Tootal It was a tip that saved his life. After an early encounter with the enemy, in which four tanks were lost with seven casualties - mainly tank commanders - he noticed two bullet holes neatly drilled through the empty helmet. Renders book is particularly good at explaining the tactics of tank warfare and the interdependence of armour and infantry, the former supplying heavy cannon fire and protection for foot soldiers and the latter clearing hedges of snipers and Germans armed with Panzerfausts - a hand-held anti-tank bazooka. It was after surviving an ambush that Render managed to seize one of these - the first captured in Normandy and of great interest to the British top brass. Between bouts of fierce combat, including some when Render and his crew hunkered down in the tank and listened to bullets ricocheting off it, there was some light relief. Desperate for real food to supplement army rations, the crew traded with French farmers: a chicken for a pack of cigarettes. The bird would happily sit on a bed of straw inside the tank, supplying eggs and, eventually, meat when the occasion afforded. Later on, they came across a stray German Shepherd dog, an enemy animal trained to sniff out mines. Nicknamed Fritz (what else?), he became an honorary crew member, sleeping in the tank, unfazed by the din of battle raging all around. Luckily for Fritz, he wasnt on board when the tank hit a mine, killing the driver. But another time, a tank was bogged down in heavy mud while under a relentless enemy barrage. Render was forced to give the order to evacuate and the crew bailed out, fleeing under machine gun fire. They lost Fritz in the woods and never saw him again. 147F Highest temperature recorded in a Sherman tank in North Africa Advertisement Once the Sherwood Rangers became part of the breakthrough of the German lines, the full horror of the war was brought home as they drove eastwards through fields of dead Germans and had the sickening experience of driving over rotting corpses heaped across the roads. They met thousands of captured enemy soldiers heading in the opposite direction, many of them only too happy to surrender, unlike those in Renders last major action, the bitter building-by-building fighting for the German port of Bremen. Shortly after it was over, news came of Germanys surrender. By a mixture of rapidly acquired tactical and technical know-how, courage and luck, Render - who is now in his 90s - had survived 11 months as a tank commander. His first-hand account of his experiences - brilliantly written with Stuart Tootal - is not only wonderfully informative on the nitty-gritty of a key element of the Allied victory, but as gripping as the very best war fiction. Late-running flight crews have caused hours of delays at Delhi Airport, with passengers on Air India flights even finding themselves stranded after boarding. Customers had to wait inside the aircraft for more than an hour due to the lack of available crew aboard the airline's already delayed Yangon-bound service. A senior Air India official said: 'Flight AI-235 was going to Yangon and was scheduled to take off at 7.10am. Passengers were boarded but the management came to know that few crew members have not reached the airport. There have been reports of multiple delays on Air India flights due to lack of available crew before take-off 'After almost an hour, when crew members couldnt reach, the management decided to rope in other crew members so that flight could depart. Finally, this flight took off around 9.15am, with a delay of almost two hours.' Similarly, a Delhi to Mumbai flight was delayed by almost five hours as the staff never turned up. Air India eventually asked another set of crew to operate the flight. Meanwhile, another connecting flight scheduled to take off for Mumbai, which was supposed to reach Delhi from Shanghai, didnt arrive due to a 'technical snag'. Customers with tickets for the Dreamliner flight then started protesting, as they were told that extra crew members are not available. Officials posted at Indira Gandhi International airport said passengers also shouted slogans against Air India. Later, the airline's management requested other crew members to operate the flight. Sources said: 'A flight which was supposed to reach Mumbai from Shanghai via Delhi didnt come due to a technical snag. It took almost five hours to arrange other crew members. Passengers had to wait for hours due to which they started protesting.' Last month, Union minister Venkaiah Naidu got angry with the national carrier after he had to cancel his visit to Hyderabad following a flight delay. In a strategic move, the Railway Ministry has joined hands with the Indian Army to develop railway stations that see heavy movement of defence forces. Prominent railway stations in border areas and those connecting military cantonments will be developed by the Army, keeping in mind their requirements. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has discussed the proposal with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who has given the consent. Official sources said the engineering wing of the Indian Army may soon conduct a survey of strategic stations Major railway stations like Pathankot, Jammu Tawi, Mhow, Agra Cant, Jabalpur, Ambala, Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Barmer, Jodhpur have heavy movement of armymen involved in mobilization of troops and ammunition. I have spoken to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in this regard. Parrikar has given his consent to the proposal; the matter will be taken up further, Rail Minister Suresh Prabhu said. Official sources said the engineering wing of the Indian Army may soon conduct a survey of such strategic stations. The Indian Railway Station Development Corporation and Rail Land Development will assist the Army in the survey. As well as the Army becoming a partner in the ambitious station redevelopment project, the stations will also have adequate infrastructure for the Armys needs and requirements. Many of the Railway stations cater to mobilization of troops and ammunition. If the Army takes up redevelopment of these stations, they can create infrastructure that suits their purpose, a senior official said. The Minister said that as well as the Army, four other funding partners have been worked out to redevelop the railway stations. These include partnership with private parties (PPP), country-to-country cooperation, financial assistance from the World Bank, and joint ventures with the state governments. Indian Railways has chalked out a plan to redevelop 400 stations into world-class stations. Habibganj terminal in Bhopal is the first to be developed on the PPP model, the pact for which was signed on Thursday. Recently, a team of French experts inspected the New Delhi railway station. France has already taken up the redevelopment of Ambala and Ludhiana railway stations. Mohammad Iqlakh's son Danish Ali fears his father's killing will be politicised as the UP polls approach A jagged scar runs down young Danish Alis forehead. He has several others - reminders of the bloody night last year when an angry mob in Uttar Pradeshs Dadri area cracked open his skull, and lynched his father over suspicions that they had slaughtered a cow and eaten its meat. The family of deceased Mohammad Iqlakh, who now live in a two-bedroom house in Delhis Subroto Park, are gearing up for more police scrutiny after a court ordered an FIR against them over the cow-killing allegations. The family say they will cooperate with the investigation, but are apprehensive that the issue will be politicised ahead of the crucial UP elections. Several political parties have made it an issue of national debate, and we fear as the UP polls are nearing some political parties may misuse it according to their vote banks, Iqlakhs son told Mail Today. Danish had a miraculous escape and is still undergoing neurological treatment at the Armys R&R Hospital in Delhi. The Surajpur district court ordered an FIR to be registered against Iqlakhs family under the UP Cow Protection Act, 1955, based on a petition filed by the natives of Bisada village, which included the families of those who have been arrested for the lynching. The family of lynching victim Mohammad Iqlakh are preparing for more police scrutiny after an FIR was filed against them. Mohammad Iqlakh (pictured) was killed by a furious mob after claims he had stored and eaten beef We have lost our father, and we are sure that there was no slaughter and consumption of cow. No flesh was recovered from our house and the meat in question was recovered by police from the street, which was quite far from our house, Danish said. We have full faith in the judiciary and are optimistic that truth will prevail. We want a fair trial and investigation and want no political interference in the case. The families of 18 youths arrested on charges of lynching approached the courts and filed a complaint at Jarcha police station, to register a case against Iqlakhs family for cow slaughter. The move came after a state government forensic lab in Mathura said that the meat found near their home belonged to beef or a cow progeny. The incident sparked a nationwide debate over intolerance and beef politics. It also triggered a chain of protests across the country, with prominent writers, film-makers and scientists returning their awards. Sanjay Rana, whose son was among the 18 arrested for Iqlakhs killing, welcomed the courts decision. This is a victory of justice. I want the state government, Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal now to answer and debate about the issue - who, without knowing the facts, held locals responsible for the incident, he said. Brexit fears Britain's biggest banks are braced for a drop in demand from borrowers as a result of the Brexit vote. A Bank of England review found they were expecting new mortgage numbers to fall due to uncertainty. And there were fears businesses would delay decisions on investments and mergers. Worry: A Bank of England review under Mark Carney found they were expecting new mortgage numbers to fall due to uncertainty Lenders do not intend to cut back on the amount of credit available. Co-op sale Convenience shop chain McColls has bought 298 Co-op shops in a 117m deal. McColls is placing 10.4m new shares to raise 13.1m to help fund the purchase. The shops are too small for Co-ops required size. The 3,808 staff will move across with the sale. McColls announced the deal after the stock market closed. Prior to the announcement its shares rose 2.33 per cent, or 3p to 131.5p. Dirty expansion CG Restaurants & Bars has bought a new location for its Dirty Martini bar chain. The leisure chain is to pay 1.2m to redevelop the former Mary-Janes bar in the City into a Dirty Martini. It will be Dirty Martinis ninth location after it opens its first site outside London in Cardiff in October. It said sales have grown 8 per cent year to date. Phillips recruited Notonthehighstreet.com has hired a finance director to help it grow. David Phillips joins from wine firm Matthew Clark which was recently bought by listed drinks business Conviviality. The website that allows independent firms to sell their wares online has been raising money to expand. Steel fillip Britains steel industry could receive a boost after the EU accused China of distorting the market. EC president Jean-Claude Juncker travelled to Beijing and threatened to derail Chinas hopes of gaining the market economy status it covets with the World Trade Organisation. He said the EU was not defenceless and would form a joint working group with China. The overcapacity of China is exactly twice the entire steel production of Europe, he said. Asia withdrawal Premier Inn owner Whitbread is checking out of hotels in India, Indonesia and Thailand as new chief Alison Brittain puts her mark on the business. She said she will withdraw from the six budget hotels in India and South East Asia to focus on Germany and the Middle East. Agri-tech aid The Government has invested 16m in 24 food and technology firms to fund and improve agricultural-focused tech firms. Retail giant SuperGroup is hoping to crack the US by testing five different types of stores to woo shoppers. The owner of the Superdry and Cult chains, which has actor Idris Elba as a designer of one of its clothing ranges, is making a bid to expand in America, following the success of Primark. It is staging a big push having appointed former Gap executive Steve Sunnucks to its board four months ago to assist with its international ambitions. Badge of honour: The owner of the Superdry and Cult chains is making a bid to expand in America, following the success of Primark Last year the firm took back control of 15 stores in America from partner, SDUSA, ending a 30-year franchise agreement. Chief executive Euan Sutherland, who was parachuted in to fix the business, having stepped down from the Co-operative Group, said: Establishing a successful presence in North America is an important and natural step to realising our global ambition. America has proved a tough market to crack and has been a graveyard for British retailers. Marks & Spencer retreated back to the UK after selling Brooks Brothers for a third less it had paid and Tesco abandoned its attempt to take on Walmart with its Fresh & Easy start-up. However, more recently Primark revealed that its stores in the US were booming. Sutherland said: During 2016 we plan to open five trial stores, which will enable us to experiment with different store formats. These stores will be predominantly located in the North East and will reflect a full Superdry offer, representative of that seen in Europe. We are confident that we have secured good locations at appropriate rents and will use the learning to develop a new store opening programme. The shares rose 16.7 per cent, or 224p to 1,565p on the back of this and news that investors are being rewarded with a special dividend of 20p a share for a bumpy few years, in which the co-founders and finance director left. The group said profits fell to 55.4m for the year to May, down from 59.5m, on the back of sales of 597.5m. Londons best pizza maker is expanding across the UK after profits and sales at its parent firm the Fulham Shore soared. Franco Manca, founded by Giuseppe Mascoli in Brixton market in south London in 2008 which has been regularly praised as having the tastiest pizza in the capital was bought by the Fulham Shore last year. The restaurant group also owns The Real Greek and has been rapidly expanding the businesses. It now has 34 outlets, up from fewer than ten last year. Tasty: Franco Manca was founded by Giuseppe Mascoli (pictured) in Brixton market in south London in 2008 After the purchase of the pizza chain last year, sales have risen to 29.25m for the year to March 27, up from 8.3m for the previous year, while pre-tax profit reached 423,000. Mascoli, who is from Naples, in southern Italy, the home of pizza, sold his business last year for 27.3m and took a 5pc stake in the Aim-listed Fulham Shore, run by former Pizza Express chief executive David Page. Franco Manca became famous among foodies for its small range of good value pizzas they start at around 4.50 and sourdough base cooked in a wood burning brick oven. The removal of a large crane near CHI St. Alexius Health will require parts of Thayer Avenue and another lane on Ninth Street to be blocked through the weekend. Motorists may want to reconsider their routes if possible. A secondary crane, arriving at 10 a.m. Friday, will be used in the dismantlement and will block portions of Thayer Avenue through early Sunday evening. Thayer Avenue, between Ninth and Eighth streets, will be blocked from 6 p.m. today to 6 p.m. Sunday. While one traffic lane will be closed on Ninth Street, the two west lanes will remain open. At 8 a.m. Saturday, crews will start to remove the large tower that has been a fixture of Ninth Street and blocked the far right lane of the one-way thoroughfare for more than two years. The tower crane de-install is expected to take 12 hours. The secondary crane will be taken down and hauled away by 6 p.m. Sunday. The barricades blocking the turning lane on Ninth Street will remain closed until Sept. 1, as the large tower crane footings need to be removed and the surface of Ninth Street needs repair. Blac Chyna's father, Eric Holland, 49, of Maryland, has been busted for assault, battery, theft and break-ins, among other crimes Blac Chyna's father is a serial criminal with a huge catalog of charges and convictions against him for various offenses - including violent crimes and theft, Daily Mail Online can exclusively reveal. While the 28-year-old model, who is engaged to and expecting a baby with Robert Kardashian, has never looked happier - her fiance's family have been slow to give the relationship their blessing. And it is possible to see why the Kardashians may have misgivings about him marrying into the family - after an investigation revealed Chyna's dad Eric Holland, 49, has been busted for assault, battery, theft and break-ins, among other crimes. According to explosive court documents obtained by Daily Mail Online, Holland, from Maryland, has been in and out of trouble with the police for most of his adult life - and also faced lengthy legal battles over unpaid child support. In 1986, two years before his famous daughter was born, his troubles with the police first began when he was arrested for assault and battery, resisting arrest, various driving offenses and refusing to sign a citation. But that wouldn't be his only brush with the law. Just one year later in November 1987 he was arrested on assault, battery and theft charges. While Eric managed to behave himself the year Chyna was born, two years later he was facing cops again on battery and breaking in charges. Just days after his daughter's third birthday in May 1991 he was charged and convicted of petty theft. In the ensuing years he continued to be in and out of trouble on similar charges and since his first arrest has racked up at least 17 more, been charged with almost 30 offenses and been convicted more than a dozen times. Other charges against him include breaking in with intent to commit a felony, unlawful use of a livestock motor vehicle and being a fugitive from justice. He has also failed to appear in court on several occasions, according to the documents. In 1986, two years before his famous daughter was born, Holland troubles with the police first began when he was arrested for assault and battery, resisting arrest, various driving offenses and refusing to sign a citation Holland has spent time in jail, been hit with fines and been put on probation for his crimes. In May 1992 he was even given a ten-year suspended sentence for storehouse breaking. Holland was back in court in 2002 - this time for theft - and a year later he was charged with second degree assault. More recently he has racked up a string of motori vehicle offenses - including driving on a suspended license in 2008 and failure to display his registration card upon demand by an officer in 2013, to which he pleaded guilty. A source said: ''Blacs dad seem to have more skeletons in his closet than you can imagine. When Rob first got together with Blac the Kardashians were worried and questioned what kind of girl she was. You can't jusge a daughter by her father, butthis isn't good.' Until now little has been known about former stripper Chynas family. Born Angela Renee White in 1988 in Washington, DC, to mom Shalana Hunter and Eric Holland, her parents were not together long. Chyna, 28, is pregnant with Rob Kardashian's child and the couple are engaged to be married later this year Chyna was born Angela Renee White in 1988 in Washington, DC, to mom Shalana Hunter and father, Holland (pictured with Chyna) Wayward Holland went on to have a string of children with a variety of other women and Chyna is believed to have two half brothers and nine half sisters, who are mostly based in the Maryland and Virginia areas. Other legal documents uncovered by Daily Mail Online, suggest Holland has been taken to court for unpaid child support and paternity-related cases - involving at least three separate women. In 1989 he was involved in a lengthy legal battle brought by Stephanie McKnight to establish paternity and child support. He failed to respond to the request for a paternity test and a warrant for his arrest was issued. Over the next several years, he failed to turn up at various court hearings in the case, was found to be in contempt of court and on separate occasions was $5100, $9450 and $7363.98 in arrears with child support, according to the documents. In 2003, he faced similar legal action when Teresa Marie Carroll also took him to court to establish paternity and child support. He was also involved in an lengthy child support legal case with Caasi Janet, which was first filed in 1997 and is still listed as active. Though Holland has said he's overjoyed with Chyna's pregnancy and engagement news, the Kardashian family went into crisis mode after the engagement was announced When Robert announced his engagement to Chyna on April 5th the entire family went into crisis mode. Already worried about Rob after watching him battle weight gain and depression for years, the family were concerned when he hooked up with Chyna, as she shares a three-year-old son King Cairo, with Kylies on-again-off-again ex-boyfriend rapper Tyga. Once Rob and Chyna announced their baby news on May 6th,however, the Kardashians slowly started to support Robs relationship. Talking of her brothers baby news, Kim, 35, said: 'I mean, its so exciting. Its a really exciting time for him. I think hell be the best dad.' A source added: 'The family had started to come round, but this was before they knew what kind of family Rob was getting involved in. 'Obviously Blac can't be held responsible for her dad's actions - but she is still close with all her family - including her dad - and visited them just a few weeks ago. 'I cant imagine the Kardashians are going to be inviting her family round for dinner anytime soon.' It is the stuff of nightmares: a lake is stained red with blood of slaughtered pigs which is attracting hundreds of man-eating crocodiles who prowl a nearby neighbourhood and family kill dogs. Those who live along the shore next to the lagoon can do little but watch as the crocodiles snatch their treasured livestock and pets - and pray their children won't be next. The Lake of Blood, as the locals call it, has attracted 300 deadly crocodiles since a nearby slaughterhouse began dumping pigs' blood and offal into the water. Polluted: Nicknamed 'The Lake of Blood' this lagoon is turned red by pigs' blood and offal from pigs killed at a nearby slaughterhouse. It has attracted 300 man-eating crocodiles to the lake Useful: The lake is also attracting poachers to the area who kill the crocodiles and sell them to exotic animal traffickers for 7 a centimetre - 500 per crocodile Nursery: The lake has become a magnet for five-metre long crocodiles who prowl the nearby neighbourhood and eat livestock and pets Terror: Lauren Villaney's pet dog Pepper was killed last year. There was nothing I could do, I just had to watch in horror through a hole in my wall,' she told MailOnline It is here in Chetumal, 200 miles south of Cancun on Mexicos Caribbean Coast, the reptiles raise their young, which swim in the murky waters as the older, larger predators bathe in the Central American sunshine. It is at night that the residents fear the crocodiles the most. That's when they pick off their chickens and, worse, pet dogs. And there is nothing anyone can do, should a crocodile come within striking distance of a dog. Dani Hernandez lives in constant fear for her childrens lives; malaria-ridden mosquitos swarm her slum shack night and day, which sits not 50 yards from the blood-filled lake. Im kept awake at night by the biggest males roaring and fighting just metres from my door,' Ms Hernandez, mother to Gael, four, and Brian, seven months, told MailOnline. Its terrifying, because theres no way my tiny shack could stand up to a five metre monster if it wanted to come in.' Frightened: Dani Hernandez lives in fear of her children being caught by one of the crocodiles. 'Theres no way my tiny shack could stand up to a five metre monster if it wanted to come in,' she told MailOnline Stuck: The families who live near the lake, and the slaughterhouse, pictured, which is 500 metres from the border with Belize, have no choice but stay there as they are too impoverished to move Nightmares: The crocodiles, which can be seen swimming in the festering water, hunt at night. This also attrats hunters who come to kill the crocodiles Insects: The water has also attracted thousands of disease carrying mosquitoes to the area Lauren Villaney's pet dog Pepper was killed last year. There was nothing I could do, I just had to watch in horror through a hole in my wall,' she told MailOnline. Since that happened Ive built a large fence around the shack, but that doesnt stop them from prowling around the yard at all hours.' But another resident, fed up losing his loyal companions to the crocodile's jaws, has taken a more proactive approach. The man, who declined to be named, said: The last time they ate my dog I took a shotgun down to the lakeside and blasted the larger adults while they sat basking in the sun in the reeds. You have to shoot a crocodile directly in the brain first time - otherwise they simply dont die. Even if you get a good shot in you can expect to be chased by the others. But eventually the others reptiles smell blood and cannibalise the dead crocodile.' But they are far from the only danger the community faces. Fear: Residents are frightened the crocodiles could eat their children next. Lauren added: 'Ive built a large fence around the shack, but that doesnt stop them from prowling around the yard at all hours.' Business: As well as fears over the animals killing their pets and livestock, residents have to put up with hunters coming to the area Profit: It is a lucrative business as hunters catch the dangerous crocodiles, which are worth hundreds of pounds on the black market, prized for the leather their skin creates Trapped: Lauren says people ask why she lives so close to the crocodiles, but she says: We simply do what we can when theres no other option. A human being can get used to living alongside anything' In addition to the crocodiles, Lauren says that boa constrictor snakes, which are native to the Western Caribbean, often hunt both her and her animals. The snakes are the most terrifying because they are enormous and have no fear,' she told MailOnline. MAYAN LEGEND: HOW THE CROCODILE LOST ITS TONGUE One of the oldest of the Mayan deities, the Crocodile god Sobek once had a tongue with which it spoke to the other animals and offered them counsel. One day Xolotl the Dog, the Mayan god of death and trickery, came to the crocodile and complained of its terrible thirst. Dear crocodile, said the dog, I cannot drink water for I have no tongue in my mouth, and I will surely die of thirst if you do not help me. Please lend me yours for a short while that I may satisfying my thirst. The crocodile agreed, on the condition that the following day the two would meet in the midday shade of sacred Ceiba tree to return the crocodiles tongue. The dog departed with a tongue in its mouth and overjoyed at the ability to drink freely from any lake or river, never arrived the next day to return it. Robbed of its tongue and left without speech, the crocodile was banished to the hellish swamps between the sea and the land, and to this day will attack any dog that comes close as revenge for the trick played upon it. Advertisement If a crocodile sees a human it will generally move away, but a boa constrictor will just keep silently moving towards you.' Meanwhile, swarms of mosquitoes envelop any thin-skinned creature within a 500-metre radius of the lakes edge in a cloud of angry black specks, inflicting bites which last for weeks - threatening the local residents at every moment with dengue fever, malaria and zika virus. My baby Brian has been made very sick by the constant mosquitoes,' says Dani, pointing out the myriad insect bites across the little boys face and arms. Malaria is a terrible disease, and sooner or later we all get it living here.' A lot of my friends ask me why I dont move away, but its not that simple,' Lauren admitted, holding one of her hens under her arm beside the rancid lake. This is a slum, we simply arrive and build our houses without official permission. The only reason we have been left alone by the government is because no one else wants the land. We simply do what we can when theres no other option. A human being can get used to living alongside anything.' And there are other people who can see the profit in what the Lake of Blood has to offer. The crocodiles' leather is worth 7 a centimetre once properly cured - 500 per crocodile. One Chetumal-based animal trafficker, El Cuerno, told MailOnline that the start of the mating season in February is the best time to poach live crocodiles from the lake. Infection: Dani's baby Brian, pictured with his four-year-old brother Gael, is covered in bites from mosquitoes. 'Sooner or later everyone gets malaria,' Dani said Danger: A lot of my friends ask me why I dont move away, but its not that simple,' Lauren admitted, holding one of her hens under her arm beside the rancid lake. Uninhabitable: 'The only reason we have been left alone by the government is because no one else wants the land,' she acknowledged. Pictured: A raided crocodile egg nest The start of the mating season is when the male crocodiles are at their fattest and most powerful,' he told MailOnline. The ideal animal is around five years old and beginning to fight for territory. A skin is worth less if its covered in scars and battle wounds so its important to get the animal when it is reaching adulthood, but before it has started battling for dominance.' The victims include both train drivers and a farmer killed by flying debris A station master has confessed to an error which led to the deaths of 23 people in a head-on train crash in southern Italy earlier this week. 'I let the train go, I was the one who gave the signal,' Vito Piccarreta, 57, told Italian media. Two trains collided on a stretch of single track between Andria and Corato in the region of Puglia on Tuesday morning. The antiquated system relied on station masters telephoning one another to advise whether or not a train was running on the single track. Today Mr Piccarreta, who was the station master at Andria,told La Stampa newspaper: 'I'm not the only one at fault, everyone is blaming me. But I'm a victim too.' Mr Piccareta, who had worked on the railways for 24 years, said because services were running late on Tuesday three trains were travelling in the area at the time of the crash but he said he was unaware of the train from Corato. Mr Piccarreta gave his train at Andria station a green signal to go. But the Italian media has also said the Corato station master, Alessio Porcelli, 62, is also in the spotlight because Mr Piccarreta reportedly warned him the train was on its way. Mr Piccareta and the station master at Corato have both been suspended as part of an investigation into multiple manslaughter. A train wagon is lifted as recovery operations continued a day after two commuter trains slammed into one another just before noon Tuesday in Puglia The death toll stands at 23 and includes a farmer who was killed by flying debris as he worked in a neighbouring field. A giant crane has been brought in to remove the mangled carriages and clear the site, in an olive grove, where the trains collided But the prefect of nearby Barletta, Clara Minerva, said four other people were missing and it is thought their bodies may lie inside the wreckage. Local officials said 51 people had been taken to hospital but 27 had since been released. Seven people remain in a critical condition, including a seven-year-old boy whose grandmother was killed. Today is his 7th birthday. He doesn't know about his grandmother Giovanni Gorgoni Giovanni Gorgoni, head of Puglia's health department, said: 'Today is his 7th birthday. He doesn't know about his grandmother.' The boy has a fever from an infection caused by shards of debris but has no broken bones. Transport Minister Graziano Delrio told the Italian Parliament the particular single stretch of track between the towns of Andria and Corato did not have an automatic alert system that would engage if two trains were close by. Instead it relied on stationmasters phoning one another to advise of a departing train and proceed only if the receiving station confirmed the single track was free. An excavator is used during recovery operations a day after two commuter trains slammed into one another in Puglia. It is feared that more bodies may be found in the wreckage Mr Delrio said the phone system 'leaves an entirely human management and is among the least evolved and most risky ways of regulating railway circulation.' He said single rail tracks were not in themselves dangerous if 'advanced technology is applied'. Mr Delrio said single tracks were used in all but 300 kilometres of the 3,000 kilometres of regional secondary railways in Italy. The Mayor of Andria, Nicola Giorgino, said long-delayed work was to begin within a few months to build a second track on the route. A train wagon is lifted as recovery operations continued at the scene. The train company said the phone alert system had worked without incident for 51 years The work was supposed to have begun years ago, and EU funding was secured when it was first proposed in 2007. The EU Regional Development Fund had approved 62 percent of the 150million euro funding but it was never built. EU officials said the delay was due to 'difficulties related to the acquisitions of permissions in the region.' Mr Delrio said the work was now due to begin before 2020, with the bidding process for the construction tender due to start on Saturday. 'When a region spends four years discussing with Brussels whether a project is ok or not, it's clearly a sign of something wrong,' said Mr Delrio. Prosecutor Francesco Giannella said the delay in the track-doubling work would be part of the investigation. Rescuers work on the scene of a train accident after two commuter trains collided head-on near the town of Andria. The single track line was due to be replaced back in 2007 'We will investigate on the delays of the work on the line and on the deficiencies in the security system,' he told the ANSA news agency. Yesterday distraught relatives of the dead queued up outside the morgue in nearby Bari and questioned the delays which had led to the crash. Giuseppe Colaleone, whose sister-in-law died in the crash, said: 'We went around all the hospitals, all day. 'In the end we came here. My brother said she (his missing wife) had a necklace with the letter M on it, and a scar here, signs that could identify her. A nurse said they have probably identified her.' The chief of the company, Ferrotramviaria, which ran the trains, Massimo Nitti, blamed the slow pace of improving the rail line on Italy's bureaucracy, saying the bidding process and legal recourses can eat up years and years. He said that in the 10 years since the project had been approved, only 37 kilometres of second track had been laid and another eight kilometres was due to be completed by 2018. 'Unfortunately this is Italy,' he said. But Mr Nitti defended the phone alert system, saying it had worked for 51 years without incident. 'Telephone consent is allowed, it's recognised. Obviously, it depends on the capacity of the line,' he said. He said investigators had acquired all the telephone communications between the two stations and would get to the bottom of who was to blame. 'It's completely obvious that one of those trains shouldn't have been there,' he said. A candlelight vigil was held in Chicago's Federal Plaza late Wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Sandra Bland, a black woman who died in a Texas jail cell after a traffic stop. Bland, who was a part of the #BlackLiveMatter movement, was pulled over by a Texas state trooper in July last year and taken to the Waller County jail in Hempstead, Texas. Three days later, she was found hanging from a jail cell partition. A plastic garbage bag was around her neck, and a medical examiner ruled her death a suicide. Dashcam video of her arrest and the circumstances of her death provoked national outrage. Scroll down for video People gather in Chicago's Federal Plaza to remember Sandra Bland. Bland died a year ago Wednesday in jail after a Texas state trooper pulled her over three days earlier Dashcam video of Bland's arrest and the circumstances of her death provoked national outrage. Above, the candlelight vigil on Wednesday Texas State Trooper Brian Encinia (right) who arrested 28-year-old Sandra Bland (left) during a traffic stop, has been indicted for perjury Footage of Bland's arrest. Texas officials had been accused of doctoring footage of Bland's arrest but blame the discrepancies on an uploading error The vigil Wednesday evening was hosted by Women's All Points Bulletin, which supports female victims of police violence, and Black Lives Matter Chicago. It was attended by Bland's mother, Geneva Reed Veal, and other family members. ABC7 reported that one of Bland's sisters, Shante Needham said she visited her sister's grave earlier in the day. 'Today is a day of healing and remembering my sister,' Needham said. 'The protests are great but it's not always about protesting so we are going to remember her today.' Bland had been moving to Texas from the Chicago area at the time of her death. Despite being delayed by a thunderstorm, about 200 people showed up for the vigil, which began with a prayer. Mugshot of Sandra Bland.The anniversary of Bland's death comes the week after five Dallas police officers were killed by a sniper during a protest over recent killings of black men by police Separately, the suburban Chicago church where Bland grew up, DuPage African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lisle, plans candle-lighting ceremonies Sunday during its 8.15am and 11.15am services. Bland's mother is scheduled to speak at the church on August 13, and the church plans a trip to Texas in November. There church members plan a peaceful prayer meeting outside the jail where Bland died. They also plan to tour Prairie View A&M University, Bland's alma mater, and celebrate services with Hope AME Church in Prairie View, which has hosted rallies and prayer gatherings in Bland's memory. DuPage AME Church also plans its Sandra A. Bland Diversity Institute on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January. The Rev. James Miller, pastor of the church, said the ceremonies are designed to comfort Bland's family and congregants who knew her. The anniversary of Bland's death comes the week after five Dallas police officers were killed by a sniper during a protest over recent killings of black men by police. Miller said it's clear from the current landscape in the U.S. that social inequities exist. 'The African-American community cannot be the only ones talking about civil rights and equity,' Miller said. 'It's when white people start talking about it that real action can take place.' In this April 15, 2016 file photo, Geneva Reed-Veal, left, unveils a street sign bearing her daughter's name during a ceremony renaming University Boulevard to Sandra Bland Parkway in Prairie View, Texas The gunman was a black former military man who targeted white police at a time of social unrest. The chaos and confusion led authorities to conclude there must be more than one shooter. And when it was over, a major city mourned five dead officers. Last week's sniper attack in Dallas was eerily reminiscent of a 1973 shooting spree in downtown New Orleans that shattered the peaceful urban landscape and went on for 11 hours - until police shot and killed Mark Essex from a helicopter hovering over a hotel. Scroll down for video Mark Essex (left) went on a shooting spree in downtown New Orleans in 1973 that was eerily reminiscent of last week's sniper attack in Dallas, where Army veteran Micah Johnson (right) killed five Dallas police officers when he opened fire at a Black Lives Matter protest on July 7 'It was a horrible time,' said David Cressy, then an assistant city attorney who was at City Hall, across the street from the hotel. 'When I hear a helicopter coming over the house, I still remember.' The massacre in Dallas revived disturbing memories for the police, city employees and reporters who lived through the New Orleans attack, which unfolded under many of the same circumstances as the Texas shootings. Army veteran Micah Johnson, 25, killed five Dallas police officers when he opened fire at a Black Lives Matter protest on July 7. He told authorities he wanted to kill whites, 'especially white officers' before he was killed by police using a remote-controlled bomb on a robot. But there were differences between the attacks as well, including the way news of the carnage was reported to the world, compared to the instantly streamed and tweeted events in Dallas. Wounded police officers lie behind a police car in Duncan Plaza, during a sniper incident, across the street from the Downtown Howard Johnson Hotel in New Orleans on January 7, 1973 Patrolman Leo Newman takes the pulse of dying Patrolman Philip Coleman outside the Downtown Howard Johnson Hotel during a 1973 sniper incident in New Orleans Retired Times-Picayune columnist Angus Lind was a 28-year-old reporter then. He remembers tracking down a payphone to dictate notes. The only way for people to learn what was going on was through local TV stations. Even though fears persisted of multiple, organized shooters, news organizations were granted access to the hotel something that would be unusual today. 'The cops would actually cover us as we ran across the street to relieve each other,' Lind said. The connections between the two events were unavoidable for Larry Preston Williams, a 67-year-old former New Orleans police officer who was there in 1973. Asked what went through his mind when he heard the news from Dallas, Williams' mind went straight to the hotel. 'Howard Johnson's,' he said on Monday. 'Immediately.' Now a security consultant in Arkansas, Williams was 24 at the time. As an African-American, he was recruited by the New Orleans Police Department as it was integrating. Williams had been a patrol officer and was later assigned to intelligence, helping place infiltrators in left- and right-wing organizations. He remembers being summoned to City Hall that Sunday morning - January 7, 1973 - because police hoped that, with his background in intelligence, he might be able to identify the gunman if he got a good look at him. Eighth District officer Kenny Solis, shot in the shoulder, leans against a tree as officer Dave McCann tries to stop the bleeding. McCann and Solis had been walking across Duncan Plaza in New Orleans, when Solis clutched his shoulder and said he'd been shot A police sharpshooter takes an overall look at the Howard Johnson's Hotel for signs of a second sniper in New Orleans. The attacker was Mark Essex, a black former military man , who was shot and killed from a helicopter Despite the danger, Williams felt less vulnerable than those around him. 'I was in plainclothes and I was black,' he said. At the time, Essex 'was not shooting black people.' Williams never got a look at the shooter. What he saw was carnage in the grassy park in front of City Hall. He watched as Paul Persigo, with whom he had patrolled at times, was gunned down. Then came shots that felled Phillip Coleman, who died of a head wound, and Ken Solis, who survived. Inside the hotel, Deputy Police Superintendent Louis Sirgo was killed, along with four civilians. Essex was a 23-year-old from Emporia, Kansas, who had been discharged from the Navy for 'character and behavior disorders' according to archived accounts from The Associated Press. He was living in New Orleans and working as a trainee in an anti-poverty program. But he harbored deep-seated hatred for whites that people who knew him said took root in the Navy. Investigators later entered his apartment and found racial epithets painted on the walls. New Orleans police officers fire into a concrete cubicle atop the Howard Johnson hotel in downtown New Orleans, where they believed snipers were hiding, in New Orleans Mark Essex was holed up in the hotel and killed seven people, among them three police officers, before being killed by police sharpshooters from a marine helicopter Authorities eventually learned that Essex had actually begun killing people a week earlier, on New Year's Eve. His first victim was a black police cadet hit when Essex fired at a gateway at the New Orleans jail and escaped. Later that night, he broke into a warehouse, fatally wounded a responding officer and disappeared again. The violence resumed on January 7 when Essex shot and wounded a white store owner, stole a car and led police on a chase that ended at the Howard Johnson's, where he turned into the parking garage and ran into the main building. Then-Mayor Moon Landrieu said in a 1983 interview with the AP that the shootings occurred at a time of racial and political unrest and authorities feared the violence was part of an organized revolutionary attack. No conspiracy was ever revealed. The pain lingered for years. A wounded fireman is tended to by police and fellow firefighters during a sniper incident, across the street from the Downtown Howard Johnson Hotel in New Orleans 'There was the agony of the burials, visiting the survivors, helping raise funds for those orphaned,' Landrieu said. 'So that aftermath continued for a very long time.' In 1973, Louisiana and other Southern states had been rocked by more than a decade of political and social turmoil that accompanied the civil rights movement. Landrieu, in his first term when Essex attacked, had gained the trust of many black voters and the enmity of some whites by bringing African-American appointees into city government. Meanwhile, Williams left police work for law school in 1974. His tenure with the New Orleans Police Department had been difficult at times. Most of the white officers accepted him, but a few refused to ride with him. He was part of a lawsuit alleging discriminatory employment practices by the department. But none of that mattered on January 7, 1973. 'When those officers got shot, any kind of racial politics I might have indulged in was put on the back burner,' Williams said. Advertisement Nearly five years after the death of Apple founder Steve Jobs, his famous billionaire's rivalry with Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been reignited in Wellington, Florida, through his widow and daughter. As Gates completed the purchase of an entire street in Florida's equestrian capital in June, Jobs' widow bought a sprawling property across from Gates' guard-gate, the Daily Mail Online has learned exclusively. Laurene Powell Jobs, a former investment banker who married Jobs in 1991 then had three children with the father of the iPhone, quietly bought a 3.5-acre ranch on Quarter Horse Trail in Wellington. The Jobs' new 10,043-square-foot home in Wellington, Floriday, features four bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms Steve Jobs widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, bought a 3.5-acre ranch on Quarter Horse Trail in Wellington, Florida, where her and Steve's daughter, Eve (pictured in April competing during the Longines Global Champions Tour of Miami Beach), can work on her equestrian training Bill Gates' family also purchased property in the area so his daughter, Jennifer (pictured in September riding Lord Levisto in The Hollywood Reporter Trophy class at Longines Los Angeles Masters) trains for equestrian competitions Gates' daughter Jennifer (left) and Steve and Laurene's daughter Eve Jobs (right) have been rivals in several of the country's show-jumping arenas Laurene Powell Jobs' purchase came as Jobs' tech rival Bill Gates completed the purchase of an entire street in Florida's equestrian capital in June According to records, she paid $15.3million - cash, of course. 'She was looking around here for a while,' said developer Stuart Roffman. One of Roffman's horse ranches was sold to Gates in March when Gates started buying his neighbors' properties. 'She came to visit one of my other properties. She wanted something where her and Steve's daughter Eve could practice horse jumping. She ended up not buying mine but she did get the one near Gates.' Indeed, Gates' daughter Jennifer, 20, and Eve Jobs, 19, have been rivals in several of the country's show-jumping arenas and competed in Wellington this winter at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Now, Jennifer can walk to Eve's crib to buy sugar. According to records, the official buyer of 13770 Quarter Horse Trail was a Palo Alto company called Even Stride, LLC. The sprawling home has a 40-foot long screened-in pool, a detached barn for up to 20 horses According to records, the official buyer of 13770 Quarter Horse Trail was a Palo Alto company called Even Stride, LLC California corporate records show its officer is Robert Bradley, an accountant whose firm of Howson & Simon had ties to Steve Jobs and currently manages Laurene's trusts Beside the home's detached barn, there is a show-jumping training rink that Eve can use to train Laurene Powell Jobs paid $15.3million in cash for her new ranch that sits just a drive away from Florida's Palm Beach California corporate records show its officer is Robert Bradley, an accountant whose firm of Howson & Simon had ties to Steve Jobs and currently manages Laurene's trusts. The Jobs' new ranch features four bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms, a 40-foot long screened-in pool, a detached barn for up to 20 horses, plus a show-jumping training rink. A few feet to the north, meanwhile, Bill Gates just finished his $35million-takeover of the street where he first moved in 2013. As the Daily Mail Online told exclusively then, Gates methodically bought his four neighbors' five properties on the exclusive Mallet Hill Court to increase his level of privacy and number of horses he'd be allowed to keep. Gates now owns a total 18 acres and he's getting all the privacy he craved for after he settled down in a 4.5-acre ranch at 3155 Mallet Hill Court in April 2013. The Wellington home features a detached barn that can hold up to 20 horses What appears to be a laundry room in the home features several hooks to hang equestrian equipment The home is just a short walk away from the properties Bill Gates has acquired in the city over the last three years Outside the show-jumping training rink on the property sits a gazebo where people can watch performances A filing by Even Stride from June 27 revealed that Laurene Powell Jobs had purchased the Wellington home And in addition to a 7,230-square-foot main house with four bedrooms and four bathrooms, the property boasted a show jumping rink as well as two air-conditioned barns for up to 20 horses. What's more, the property is minutes away from the Winter Equestrian Festival, a world-class show jumping competition held yearly in January through April. 'He is all about privacy,' said Roffman, the former owner of 3060 Mallet Hill Court. The 70-year-old's property was adjacent to Gates' original purchase and he was the first to be approached by Gates' real estate specialists. Roffman eventually sold his land for $13.5million, records show. In the arena, Jennifer Gates, 20, and Eve Jobs, 19, have competed in horse jumping events for several years. A few feet to the north of Jobs' property, Bill Gates just finished his $35million-takeover of the street where he first moved in 2013 Gates now owns a total 18 acres and he's getting all the privacy he craved for after he settled down in a 4.5-acre ranch at 3155 Mallet Hill Court in April 2013 Gates methodically bought his four neighbors' five properties on the exclusive Mallet Hill Court to increase his level of privacy and number of horses he'd be allowed to keep Although Jennifer has been training in Wellington since 2011, last season was Eve's first in the fancy village just west of Palm Beach. Who's the best rider? 'Jennifer probably has the most mileage and experience,' said Mason Phelps, a former NBC Olympics horse jumping commentator. 'Jennifer has been at it for longer and has more experience. 'But both are extremely competitive and successful. If they continue progressing, they both will be a force to reckon with on the international scene. It's not out of the question that they both would end up representing the United States in future Olympics.' Jobs' widow and Gates are far from being the only tycoons in the area. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Pritzer family, owners of the Marriott hotel chain, have ranches nearby. Former LA Dodgers owner Frank McCourt also had a ranch in the area. Although Jennifer Gates (left) has been training in Wellington since 2011, last season was Eve Job's (right) first in the fancy village just west of Palm Beach A Muslim psychologist who once said teenagers arrested on terrorism charges were 'acting out' was blocked from treating a teen accused of terrorism while he was in prison. When Hanan Dover, from Sydney, offered her services to Harun Causevic, 19, from Melbourne who was charged with terrorism offences over the Anzac Day terror plot, the Australian Federal police objected on impartiality concerns. His lawyers also declined her help and she was then removed from a list of visitors approved to see Mr Causevic in prison, The Herald Sun reported. Sydney Muslim psychologist Harun Dover (pictured) was banned from seeing a young man in prison on terror charges due to concerns that she hadn't accepted he had been 'radicalised' and that she may not be impartial Harun Causevic, 19, from Melbourne who was charged with terrorism offences over the Anzac Day terror plot in 2015. The charges against him were dropped later in 2015 But Ms Dover, who grew up in Sydney and studied at Western Sydney University, that she was removed from an approved visitor's list, and refuted the implication she was biased or impartial. She also denied a claim that she had approached Mr Causevic and his family directly and said she had discussed it with his lawyer. AFP Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan said in an affidavit to a court Ms Dover 'may not have accepted Mr Causevic had been radicalised' and he suspected she was not 'impartial and neutral'. He referred to a number of posts by Ms Dover on social media, where her commentary is outspoken and she argues for racial equality and cultural understanding in Australia. Ms Dover said in 2015 that teenagers and young men arrested on terrorism charges were 'acting out' and the language the used was 'teenage speak' Although the media charges against Mr Causevic were dropped in 2015, a control order was put in place until September 2015 One post he indicated said: 'The Australian Government and their associated counter-terrorism law enforcement thugs are the instigators of racism and Islamophobia', The Daily Telegraph reported. The terrorism charges against Mr Causevic were dropped in late 2015, however, he will remain under a control order until September 2016, The Age reported. Late in 2015, Ms Dover said teeangers and young men arrested in counter-terrorism raids after New South Wales police employee Curtis Cheng's murder were targeted because they were 'acting out' and criminalised for 'teenage speak'. 'It is quite unfair, and there is no previous indicators or violence or tendency, yet they are placed in maximum-security prison with other convicted criminals, until the AFP decide they dont have enough evidence and are released,' The Daily Telegraph quoted her as saying. She said it was unfair because had no history of violence or extremism. 'Yet they are placed in maximum-security prison with other convicted criminals, until the AFP decide they dont have enough evidence and are released.' Sen. Tim Scott revealed how a Capitol Police officer did not believe he was a Senator The only black Republican in the US Senate has revealed how he has been hassled by police and once had to prove to an officer he worked on Capitol Hill. In a powerful and personal speech from the Senate floor, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, one of just two black members of the Senate, said he has been repeatedly pulled over by police. Scott, who was addressing his colleagues after an awful period for race relations, said he was even stopped by a Capitol Police officer who apparently did not believe he was a senator. 'I have felt the anger, the frustration, the sadness and the humiliation that comes with feeling like you're being targeted for nothing more than just being yourself,' Scott said in his speech, just days after the fatal police shootings of two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota, and a deadly ambush on police officers in Dallas. The 50-year-old senator said he was pulled over seven times in a year and an officer once tailed his car for blocks seemingly looking for a reason to stop him. Scott wears the official pin issued only to senators, but it didn't help when he tried to enter the Capitol one day. He said an officer stopped him and said: 'The pin I know. You, I don't. Show me your ID.' Scott, a junior senator from Charleston who took office in 2013, said that he received an apologetic phone call from the officer's supervisor later that day. 'That is at least the third phone call that I've received from a supervisor or the chief of police since I've been in the Senate,' he said. 'So while I thank God I have not endured bodily harm, I have, however, felt the pressure applied by the scales of justice when they are slanted.' Scott, a conservative Republican, made clear he does not view any of that as justification for attacks on law enforcement. 'There's never, ever an acceptable reason to harm a member of our law enforcement community, ever,' Scott said. Referencing acts of bravery in Dallas even as five officers were shot and killed by a sniper last week, Scott said: 'We have a real opportunity to be grateful and thankful for men and women in uniform.' Scott is delivering three floor speeches this week about policing and race in America, with the first touching on his own experiences as a black man and elected official. In that speech, he told his colleagues to 'recognize that just because you do not feel the pain, the anguish of another ... does not mean it does not exist.' A Black Lives Matters protest after the fatal police shootings of two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota Black Lives Matters protests have been held across the US after Alton Sterling, 37, was tackled and fatally shot by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 5 and Philando Castile, 32, was killed by an officer during a traffic stop in suburban St Paul, Minnesota on July 6. Those killings led to a deadly attack on Dallas police officers at a Black Lives Matter protest on July 7. Five officers were killed in the ambush before the gunman, 25-year-old black Army veteran Micah Johnson, was killed by police. comes as she said she turned down a seat in parliament Peta Credlin is reportedly in talks with casino mogul James Packer about an executive role working for his company Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH). The Australian reported that Ms Credlin, former chief of staff to former prime minister Tony Abbott who made headlines with her political commentary on Sky News during the federal election, is expected to start the role in August. Sources told The Australian that Ms Credlin's role is likely to attract an annual salary between $700,000 and $1 million. Scroll down for video Peta Credlin (pictured) has reportedly been in talks with casino mogul James Packer about a job working for his company Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH) Ms Credlin's role would include dealing with the federal government on wagering policy, as gambling is set to become a key issue as independent senator Nick Xenophon, who is known for his anti-gambling views, is likely to hold three upper house seats in the new parliament. Former political brains that currently work for CPH include former state Labor Party general secretary and federal minister Mark Arbib, former Labor national secretary Karl Bitar, and former deputy Liberal state director Scott Briggs, who works on a consultancy basis. In her role, Ms Credlin would be reporting to Mr Arbib. Mr Packer's company CPH owns a share in Crown Resorts, which he restructured in June, splitting the company in two. One part is focused on the company's international assets in Macau, Las Vegas, Manila and London and the other deals with Australian properties. Mr Packer's colleagues have said he is a 'big fan' of Ms Credlin and he highly rated her work as chief of staff to former prime minister Tony Abbott. Ms Credlin (pictured) is likely to attract an annual salary of between $700,000 and $1 million in her new role working for James Packer Ms Credlin recently revealed she was offered seats in parliament but said she didn't want to kowtow to 'nameless nobody' branch officials to gain and hold preselection. Ms Credlin said she didn't think her skin would be thick enough to cope with being a public figure. 'At various stages, I have been offered seats, I have been warned off seats, I have been told to wait my time in the queue behind some important bloke,' she told Sky News. Ms Credlin said she deliberately chose to work at a backroom job where her merits would be rewarded. 'I didn't think that I wanted to kowtow to some nameless nobody in a branch in order to get pre-selected and God forbid have to kowtow my whole time in parliament to hold onto it,' she said. Claims that Queensland man Brian Saunders survived on just eight sultanas a day for four days in the freezing hinterland of the Gold Coast could be proven wrong by an ongoing police investigation. Police are forensically investigating two areas around Lamington National Park - a campsite and a weekend getaway cottage - which they believe Mr Saunders may have stayed in during his time in the forest, after public reports of disturbances on the property while the owners were away, the Courier Mail reported. The 58-year-old bush walker had gone for a hike on the morning of May 21 with three sandwiches, a small box of sultanas and three 600-millilitre bottles of water. Scroll down for video Brian Saunders (pictured with his family) claims to have survived in the freezing Gold Coast hinterland for four days on just eight sultanas a day Despite a massive search through the Lamington National Park (pictured), rescue teams were unable to find the man, who eventually emerged from the forest on his own Mr Saunders drew suspicion when he emerged from the freezing hinterland in good health and was very eager to sell his story He strayed off the track and became lost. After calling the police, he claims to have eaten two of the sandwiches, and the third that night. When he finally emerged from the bushland on Thursday morning, he told police he had survived on just eight sultanas a day. Officers were astounded at his good health, considering his ordeal. Mr Saunders was also very quick to wonder out loud who would pay the most for his incredible survival story, which raised eyebrows among the rescue team. While police were investigating the tip-offs, they found evidence that someone had been staying in one of the empty homes in the area. A police source told the Courier Mail the scene was akin to 'something out of Goldilocks'. When the owners returned to the weekend getaway house, they were said to be 'shocked' at the state of the cottage. The source said it was clear that someone had been living in the property. Four days after his miraculous return to civilisation, Mr Saunders rebuffed claims he had lied about his experience in a post on his Linkedin page. 'I need your support,' it reads. 'In the media circus I am known as Forest Chump. 'Someone can start a group called Friends of Forest Chump alias Brian Saunders.' Police are now investigating if the expensive search and rescue mission was in response to a hoax call It is believed the 58-year-old could have stayed at a weekend getaway home in the area, according to the Courier Mail Mr Saunders has vehemently denied the claims, and has demanded sums of money and apologies from news outlets who referred to him as 'Forest Chump' The post went on to say that claims he had lied were 'the biggest lies that could be told about a person', and that while the 58-year-old would not be attempting to defend himself, he expected people that knew him personally 'from all walks of life and from all over the world' to defend his honour. Just days later, he demanded an apology and settlement money from many major news outlets. In June, Senior Sergeant Jim Whitehead of Queensland State Search and Rescue told the Gold Coast Bulletin Mr Saunders was unlikely to be charged over the expensive rescue mission, even if it was found to be a false alarm. Mr Whitehead said it was unusual for someone to be charged if they had not endangered anyone, as it could cause people who were genuinely in need of help to think again. A fired assistant Morton County prosecutor seeking to unseat her former boss in the November election says her termination was based on gender discrimination and she should get her job back. The website of traditional British shoe company Start-rite, which supplies footwear to young Prince George, has been hacked. The company, which is based in Norwich, says customer details, including name, postal address, telephone number and email address, have been taken. The shoe marker, whose history dates back to 1792, has sent out an email to customers warning of a security breach on its website. Prince George, wearing his Start-rite shoes, in the official photo released on the Queen's 90th birthday The firm has temporarily shut down its website and it has informed both the police and the Information Commissioner. Prince George was seen wearing traditional Start-rite Jo T-bar shoes in the official pictures released to celebrate the Queens 90th birthday. He wore a similar pair of the shoes, which cost 37 a pair, in the familys 2015 Christmas photo and in his first official portraits. The Start-rite email to customers warns: At the weekend, an unauthorised person managed to breach the security of our website. We do not store bank or payment card details on our system. However, we are aware that some customer information was taken. The information taken was customer name, postal address, telephone number and email address. The Start-rite email to customers warns: At the weekend, an unauthorised person managed to breach the security of our website' The company said password details are secure, but it added: We are recommending to all Start-rite customers as an additional precaution that you change your password on your account when our site becomes available online. If you use the same password on any other website then you should consider changing it for those sites too as an additional safety precaution. claims that the world is run by shape-shifting reptile humanoids A conspiracy theorist who travels the world giving seminars about his bizarre alien theories has clashed with Karl Stefanovic after the Today host accused him of slugging people $140 to listen to 'rubbish'. David Icke, a former BBC journalist, got into a heated exchange with Karl and fellow Today host Lisa Wilkinson on Thursday as he promoted his current seminar tour of Australia. Icke charges people $140 to attend a 12-hour seminar that looks at his conspiracy theories, including his idea that world leaders are actually alien reptiles and the moon is a hollow space station. Scroll down for video David Icke, a former BBC journalist, got into a heated exchange with Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson on Thursday as he promoted his current seminar tour of Australia The interview became increasingly more tense as Lisa and Karl repeatedly asked Icke to back up his theory that the moon had been moved here In an interview on Thursday morning ahead of his Sydney show on Saturday, Icke became increasingly frustrated during the live segment as Karl and Lisa tried to wrap their heads around some of his more controversial theories. 'Let's drill down into some of your beliefs. You think our moon is a hollowed out space station. That's a hard one to buy, that one,' Lisa said. Icke claimed mainstream science couldn't explain why the moon could orbit earth and spoke about ancient tribes who believe the moon was 'brought here'. 'Shipped in my trucks or something?' Wilkinson asked. A deadpan Mr Icke hit back saying: 'That's a good one. Nice one.' The interview became increasingly more tense as Lisa and Karl repeatedly asked Icke to back up his theory that the moon had been moved here. Karl was seen riling Icke up during the interview while drilling him about his theories He often shares memes like the one above on his Facebook page that claims people are actually lizard-shaped aliens Icke charges people $140 to attend a 12-hour seminar that touches on his conspiracy theories, including that world leaders are actually alien reptiles and the moon is a hollow space station 'You don't know what my theories are. You have been briefed this morning by a researcher. You don't know what my theories are,' he told Lisa. DAVID ICKES' STRANGEST THEORIES In 1991 during an interview with BBC1 David Ickes declared he was the son of God. In the same interview the former journalist also declared that the world would end in 1997. Ickes believes that 9/11 was an inside job organised by the government to justify the War on Terror. He claims world leaders including the British royal family are 'shape-shifting reptile humanoids' Says the 'alien lizards' want to microchip everyone and run a global fascist government Claims the 'reptiles' also abuse and sacrifice children At one stage he refused to wear anything but the colour turquoise because it 'channeled positive energy' Advertisement Karl interrupted to say: 'Look, I love these theories but I'm not slugging people $100 to listen to my rubbish, do you know what I mean?' Icke said: 'Yeah. That was brilliant mate, well done.' The conspiracy theorist eventually snapped and labelled the interview a 'joke' after Lisa touched on his belief that world leaders are actually alien reptiles. 'OK, can you tell us who are the aliens? Is Vladimir Putin an alien?' she said. 'This is a joke. It's an absolute joke. You have never read a book, you won't come and see the talk,' Icke replied. When asked why he was getting angry, Mr Icke said: 'I'll tell you why: because it is so serious.' Icke is currently travelling with his World Wide Wake Up Tour and is set to deliver his seminars in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. His most bizarre theories include claims that the September 11 attacks were faked and that world leaders are actually reptiles and part of a group called the Babylonian Brotherhood. The 64-year-old claims that the 9/11 attack was used to justify the war on terror, and takes issue with the timing pointing to the fact that there were military exercises going on when the planes hit the World Trade Centre. 'Wherever you look, it doesn't make sense,' he told News Corp in a recent interview. 'How those buildings came down makes no sense, either. It's not just me saying it, it's experts in those fields saying it,' Icke claimed. Another of his more recent theories is rooted in the modern world's obsession with technology, which was discussed at his first seminar in Perth. He believes there are three stages of the way smart technology is evolving. Handhelds such as mobile phones are the first and the second are wearables such as watches and glasses. The third stage will be implantables, used to control the human mind and dictate the way we see the world. 'Transhumanists say that by putting technology inside us we are going to be super human but we're actually going to be sub-human. We will become computer terminals,' Icke told the publication. Icke is pictured here with his son ahead of his seminar in Sydney this weekend Icke has also been vocal in his beliefs that there is a Babylonian Brotherhood - who are shape-shifting reptilian humanoids - controlling the world order. The former journalist has previously claimed these aliens sacrifice children for their cause. He has previously called the British royal family shape-shifting lizard people - and said the goal of the Brotherhood is to create a microchipped race and fascist world government. Icke described the concept that humans are alone on earth as insane, and that the 'ignorant' people that believe there are no extra-terrestrial species are 'programmed from birth'. In a 1991 interview on the BBC, Icke claimed that he was the son of God and that the world would end in 1997. He married his first wife Linda Atherton in 1971 - just four months after they met. They had three children together, a daughter and two sons. Icke and Atherton divorced in 2001, the same year he married his second wife Pamela Leigh Richards. Lazarus-like: Boris Johnson has come back from the political dead. He is now the most senior Brexiteer in the Cabinet, occupying one of the four great offices of state in the role of foreign secretary As a mark of the increasing desperation in Downing Street in the build-up to the referendum, the glittering prize of foreign secretary was dangled before Boris Johnson to try to ensure he backed Remain. But the ambitious Johnson, the most charismatic and popular Conservative of them all, rejected the offer. He had set his heart on the greatest office of state. He wanted to be prime minister, so he rolled the dice and went for Brexit. After taking much of the credit for the stunning victory in the referendum, his path to No 10 seemed clear. But only hours before the deadline for the close of nominations for party leader, and with Johnsons speech already written, his Brexiteer comrade, the Justice Secretary Michael Gove, knifed him in the front, announcing that Boris wasnt cut out for high office and that he, Gove, would be running for the leadership himself. At the age of 52, Johnsons political prospects seemed suddenly to be at an end, having scaled only the fairly modest heights of London mayor. But, Lazarus-like, Johnson has come back from the political dead. It took Lazarus four days to be resurrected it has taken Boris 13. He is now the most senior Brexiteer in the Cabinet, occupying one of the four great offices of state. The appointment of Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson as Foreign Secretary sent shock waves through the Conservative parliamentary party last night. For years, Johnson has been dogged by criticism that he is lazy, disorganised, and unwilling or incapable of grasping the details of his brief. They were the reasons Gove abandoned his joint ticket with Johnson in the Tory leadership contest. He could not seem to organise anything, and was late for everything, said a Gove aide at the time. He was a shambles. Incapable of being a prime minister. But Theresa May has clearly got more faith in Johnson. There is also a shrewd political calculation in the surprise appointment, for it means that Johnson will be out of the country and, more importantly, out of Westminster, for large parts of the year. He will be running up tens of thousands of air miles. As for Boriss sometimes shaky grasp of detail, most of the heavy lifting on the EU negotiations, when Article 50 is activated, will be done by the new Brexit department. Though Boris has never been described as an homme serieux indeed, hes never been a minister he will have to manage diplomatic relations with Australia and other Commonwealth countries with which Britain wants to forge new trade deals. But one government source said last night: He will also be minister for lots of embassy cocktail parties. His diplomatic skills have sometimes proved to be lacking, though. Last year, Johnsons tour of Israel and the Palestinian territories ended in controversy as Palestinian groups and charities cancelled a string of meetings in the West Bank. There was anger over the then-London mayors comments after he dismissed people calling for a boycott of Israeli goods as Lefty academics. He may also have to eat humble pie over previous descriptions of politicians he may now have to work with. In a 2007 column, he described Hillary Clinton as looking like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital. Michael Gove (left) said Mr Johnson wasnt cut out for high office but Theresa May (right) clearly has more faith In April this year, he also suggested that Barack Obamas attitude to Britain might be based on his part-Kenyan heritage and ancestral dislike of the British Empire. No doubt he and the US President will have much to discuss if they meet in the White House in the coming months. While some may question Johnsons negotiating skills, no one doubts his international credentials. He speaks four languages, including French and German. He was born in New York and was educated at the European school in Brussels before he went to Eton and Oxford. His great-grandfather came from Moscow. His wife Marina is half-Indian, his grandparents are Turkish. He also knows Brussels inside-out. It was while he was Brussels correspondent for the Daily Telegraph in the 1990s that he honed his Eurosceptic credentials. His dispatches from Brussels, including some dubious stories about the EUs insistence on straight bananas, infuriated then-prime minister John Major. During the referendum, Major took his revenge by branding Johnson a court jester. But now the court jester has turned the tables on Major. He will represent Britain abroad on the world stage. As Foreign Secretary he will have the important task of helping draft trade deals with the US, Asia and the Commonwealth. He will also be involved in the Brexit talks with the EU. While Boris was bitterly disappointed at the failure of his bid to be prime minister, he can hardly have imagined that he would be waking up today as Foreign Secretary. As a keen student of history, he will also know that Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan and John Major, who were all foreign secretaries, went on to become prime minister. Nicolas Francisco Martinez, 20, has been charged Shoppers looked on in horror as a Walmart employee attacked an off-duty firefighter and a second customer with a knife at a store north of Dallas. The employee, identified as 20-year-old Nicolas Francisco Martinez, allegedly slashed the firefighter's throat in a violent attack in Princeton, Texas. Despite his injuries, the firefighter provided first aid to the other stabbing victim while bleeding from the neck, WFAA-TV reported. Police are still investigating the motive for Wednesday's attack, which occurred while as many as 300 people were inside the store. It opened just two months ago. The Walmart employee slit the firefighter's throat from behind, CBS11 reported. Both victims were rushed to hospital by helicopter and were in stable condition, said Princeton police Chief James Waters. The firefighter was identified by local media as George Cook, a battalion chief with the fire department in nearby McKinney. Waters says the suspect fled the store but was apprehended in a field nearby. He said the suspect was being treated for what are believed to be self-inflicted injuries to his hand. Martinez, who has been fired by the retail giant, has been charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. In a statement, Walmart called the incident 'deeply troubling' and added that 'the associate who did this was arrested and his employment at our store was immediately terminated.' Dashcam video from a Princeton police cruiser shows the moment officers arrested a suspect nearby Earlier in the day, Waters and two of his officers patrolled the streets of Dallas so that city's officers could attend funerals for their fallen colleagues, Senior Cpl Lorne Ahrens and Sgt Michael Smith. Ahrens, Smith and three other officers were killed when they were ambushed by a gunman at a Black Lives Matter event in downtown Dallas last week. A young nurse celebrating her birthday on the Gold Coast is in a wheelchair after suffering horrific head injuries when she fell 11 metres from the top of an escalator at a shopping centre. Nikeea Killick, 29, from Penrith in Sydney's outer western suburbs was in a coma for six days after landing head-first when she fell two floors in late June. She fractured her eye sockets, cheekbones, broke ribs and also suffered a shattered pelvis - it's understood her family has since sought legal advice. Scroll down for video Nikeea Killick (pictured with boyfriend Braeden Flynn) has suffered horrific injuries after falling two floors from an escalator at a shopping centre on the Gold Coast Nikeea Killick toppled from the second floor escalators and fell on her head suffering shocking injuries The incident occurred inside the Oasis Shopping Centre at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast Shoppers rushed to her aid after she'd toppled from the top of the escalators and assisted Nikeea until paramedics arrived. A spokesperson for the Queensland Ambulance Service told Daily Mail Australia it was 'a very unfortunate random accident'. Doctors at the Gold Coast University are still to decide when they can remove a surgically inserted filter which help prevent further blood clots, according to a close friend. She will also face further surgery to remove screws in her broken pelvis. Her partner Braeden and family members have been by her bedside throughout the ordeal. Nikeea is likely to need many months of rehabilitation and require full-time care when she is finally able to return to home. A GoFundMe fundraising campaign to help with her medical bills is seeking $15,000 in pledges. One of her closest friends, Megan Bowness, wrote: 'During this time, Nikeea has had her family by her side, as well as her loving partner, Braeden. 'This horrific accident has understandably left her family both mentally stressed and distraught.' It's understood her family has retained the services of a legal firm on the Gold Coast. Oasis Shopping Centre management would not make comment on the matter but the parent company did release the following statement. 'Abacus (Property Group) is working closely with both Queensland Police and Work Health Safety Queensland to ascertain the full sequence of events,' said the statement. Nikeea Killick (rigjht) is pictured with her partner Braeden Flynn before the fall on 26 June. He has been by her side as she recovers from the horror fall on the Gold Coast Friends have begun a fundraising campaign to help the badly injured Sydney woman with her increasing medical expenses while in hospital on the Gold Coast Fears sharp bill rise may put vulnerable at risk or put firms out of business Energy bills will go up by 117 per year by 2030, according to a Government body. The National Audit Office predicts that the cost of investing in energy projects could reach 180bn in the next 14 years, meaning consumers will fork out more to fund this. The extra burden on consumers was blasted as outrageous by critics, and prompted fears it could put vulnerable people at risk or see firms go out of business. The NAO also examined government sweetener deals for companies to persuade them to build power stations In a report on the UKs nuclear industry, the NAO said that the Department for Energy and Climate Change has set a cap of 7.6bn on the amount it is allowed to add to consumer bills to fund low-carbon energy projects for the year 2020 - 2021. But the NAO predicts that this cap will be breached by 1.1bn that year, meaning that consumers will be paying an extra 112 within just five years. This will rise to 117 by 2030. Mark Todd, of price comparison website Energyhelpline, said: Its outrageous. The Government needs to look at sharpening up the competition in this area so that a huge price increase in bills doesnt occur. We need competitive prices to keep firms in business and for consumers to keep warm. If prices rise thats when firms will start going bust and vulnerable people will be affected. The NAO also looked at Government sweetener deals offered to energy companies to persuade them to build power stations. These deals, known as contracts for difference, involve firms being offered a guaranteed price often above market rates - for each unit of energy they generate as a way to persuade them to build necessary infrastructure. Mark Todd, of price comparison website Energyhelpline, said of the predicted rises: Its outrageous' EDF is among the companies set to cash in from this system, as it has been offered 92.50 per megawatt hour - triple the going rate - over 35 years for the power generated from its forthcoming nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset. There are currently 35 contracts for difference in existence for low-carbon energy generators. Wholesale prices have fallen since these deals were made, and predictions for the amount of energy that will be generated have gone up, meaning the agreements in place are now worse value for the Government, and for taxpayers. DECCs accounts show that the cost of fulfilling the contract with EDF for Hinkley Point has risen from 6.7bn when it was made, to 29.7bn. DECC has insisted the cost of fulfilling these top-up payments will add no more than 10 to each energy bill. And the costs of meeting the other deals it has with other energy companies are now expected to cost 30.6bn over their lifetime, a rise of 21.6bn since last years estimates. Harriet Wran has spoken for the first time about her role in the night a Sydney drug dealer was stabbed to death and how she is ashamed of her downward spiral into drug abuse which began when she was a teenager. The 28-year-old daughter of former NSW premier Neville Wran sobbed loudly in a Sydney court on Thursday as she admitted she would have lost her life to drugs if she had not been picked up by police following the murder of small-time drug dealer Daniel McNulty. 'I think I would have killed myself through using drugs,' she said. Wran told her sentencing hearing she had only slept for 90 minutes in six days before she arrived at the Redfern housing commission unit she intended to rob with her then-boyfriend and another desperate addict on August 10, 2014. She said she was still haunted by the last gasps of a man clinging to life after he was stabbed to death during the botched ice robbery. Scroll down for video Harriet Wran appeared pale after a day of tears and tension in the witness box at the NSW Supreme Court 'I feel terrible. I'm ashamed to have been involved in anything like that,' Wran said. 'I can't believe someone died. I can't believe someone was so badly hurt. No one should lose their life in those circumstances. But it happened. I just have to try to come to terms to it every day. 'I regret every step I took that night.' 'I think I would have killed myself through using drugs She told the court she had been battling an addiction to ice (crystal methamphetamine) for two and a half years - and binged for five weeks - before Mr McNulty was murdered by her then-boyfriend, Michael Lee, and his friend Lloyd Edward Haines. Wran said while she didn't see anyone get stabbed inside the room of the Redfern housing commission unit, she still relives the disturbing noise she could hear from around the corner. 'It just sounded like someone was trying to breathe but they couldn't, and they were trying to scream as well,' Wran said under examination. Wran was set to be tried for the 2014 murder of Mr McNulty last week. But the murder charge was dropped and she instead pleaded guilty to downgraded charges of robbery in company and acting as an accessory to murder after the fact. Harriet Wran, the daughter of former NSW premier Neville Wran, arrives at NSW Supreme Court on Thursday to be sentenced for robbery and being an accessory to the murder of a drug dealer The 28-year-old will be sentenced after pleading guilty to a murder accessory charge over the death of a small-time drug dealer Daniel McNulty in Redfern two years ago Wran (pictured arriving to court on Thursday) was set to be tried for the 2014 murder of Daniel McNulty last week, but instead pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and acting as an accessory to murder after the fact 'There was a chemical high... I knew my brain wasn't going to forget' HARRIET WRAN'S DESCENT: A TIMELINE OF DRUGS AND DESPAIR How events unfolded, according to Wran's testimony at court Thursday... 2011: Wran's childhood doctor takes her off Ritalin, the drug she used to treat her ADHD since age 10. Her bulimia, which she has suffered for years, worsens. She starts snorting cocaine more often. Her father is diagnosed with dementia. August 2011: Stressed by her father's illness and her escalating cocaine use, the 23-year-old returns early from a holiday around Australia. She checks into the South Pacific Private rehabilitation centre suffering chronic depression Late 2011: Wran makes friends with meth users at the centre. She discharges after three weeks and has beers with an ice-using friend. Tries the drug for the first time 2011 - April 2014: Wran is in and out of rehab and eating disorder treatment centres. At one point, she tries to kill herself, waking up in hospital with 42 stitches in her arm. At one point, manages to stay clean for eight months April 2014: Wran's famous father, Neville, dies. Wran reads a poem at his state funeral but family tensions break into the open at court. She swiftly relapses after an ex-boyfriend comes over, bringing ice with him August 10, 2014: Daniel McNulty is killed in a botched ice deal at his Redfern public housing estate. August 13: Police spot Wran and boyfriend Michael Lee at Liverpool Train Station, in Western Sydney and arrest them July 3, 2016: Wran's murder charge is dropped, she pleads guilty to robbery in company and accessory after the fact to murder July 14: Wran publicly about the incident for the first time at her sentencing hearing as mother Jill watches on July 23: Sentence to be handed down Advertisement During Thursday's sentencing hearing, Wran told of her 'crippling' decades-long battle with the eating disorder bulimia and abuse of the ADHD drug Ritalin. Wran said she first tried ice in August 2011. She was fresh from a stint at the South Pacific Private rehabilitation centre where she became friends with several meth users. Suffering from chronic depression, she was struggling to cope with her weekend cocaine use and spiraling disorder. 'I just listened to stories for three weeks that were really funny about people who did really stupid things on ice,' Wran told the court. Weeks after she was discharged, she met one of them at a pub, got drunk and found him dangling an ice pipe in front of her face. 'I can just remember him holding an ice pipe in front of me and I took some,' Wran told the court. It was then that the weekend ecstasy and cocaine user broke one of her cardinal rules and starting smoking the drug - which she previously associated with rotting faces on billboards. 'There was just a chemical high that I never knew existed before that. And I knew straight away that my brain wasn't going to forget about that.' The following years were riddled with drug use, episodes of self-harm and admissions to rehab centres organised by her mother, Jill Hickson Wran. At some centres, Wran said, she was able to complete her treatment and get 'clean'. At other times, the cravings for the drug ice were so strong she walked out. On one occasion she was so desperate for a hit she jumped a fence - even though her discharge papers were being filled out at the time. She relapsed in April 2014 after the death of her father, the former New South Wales premier Neville Wran. An ex-partner came over and brought the sinister drug with him, she said. 'I thought, "oh my god, here we go"'. But she admitted doing it anyway. Her final slip back into the clutches of ice came just over a month before Mr McNulty was killed, she said. Under cross-examination from Crown Prosecutor Peter McGrath SC, Wran seemed almost grateful she had been locked away from the world the past two years. Jail time had succeeded where countless rehab stints had failed. 'I have had a benefit of two years of clean time. The only time I ever think of ice is in my dreams and those are very bad dreams,' Wran said. 'I think it saved my life.' Wran stepped into the witness box at the Supreme Court in Sydney on Thursday and told the court of her battles with mental illness and her descent into the grips of a crippling ice addiction Wran, pictured at an earlier court hearing, was initially charged with murder but had the charges dropped by prosecutors earlier this month Wran said she battled an addiction to methamphetamine for two and a half years before Mr McNulty was murdered by her then-boyfriend, Michael Lee (pictured), and his friend Lloyd Edward Haines Michael Lee (pictured) and his friend Lloyd Edward Haines have both pleaded guilty to the murder of small-time drug dealer Daniel McNulty in August 2014 How her crippling drug addiction began The 28-year-old claims her downward spiral into drug abuse began when she was taken off Ritalin medication for ADHD when she was 23. On Thursday, she told the court of her decades-long battle with bulimia, her regular use of cocaine, her years in and out of rehabilitation and her father's final battle with dementia and passing in 2014. After being in and out of rehabilitation for years, she said she fell back into bad habits following her father Neville Wran's death. When her defence barrister put it to her she had tried to commit suicide during a low point several years ago, Wran told the court: 'I think so, I'm not sure. 'I drank a lot in a moment of despair and stupidity. 'I came to in hospital with 42 stitches in my arm.' Mum tried to lock the doors. She begged me not to go... I swore to her I would go to the rehab. She unlocked the door and allowed me to leave Though she had a privileged childhood and attended two of Sydney's most exclusive private girls' schools, including SCEGGS Darlinghurst, Wran said school was 'a form of torture'. She said she had been diagnosed with childhood ADHD and was prescribed Ritalin, which she kept taking until the age of 23, and dabbled with party drugs ecstasy and cocaine. But she never believed she could become an ice user. 'It was in another league of drugs,' Wran said. 'It was something I associated with, you know when you see the billboard signs of people basically rotting away from using it, that's how I felt about it.' Wran's mother Jill Hickson-Wran held a pained expression on her face throughout most of her daughter's testimony, grimacing, closing her eyes and holding her hand to her forehead. The 28-year-old became tearful talking about how her mother had tried to intervene when she moved to Brisbane a few years ago. She detailed how her mother had tried time-after-time to get into rehab, including the Currimbin Clinic on the Gold Coast and destinations in Sydney. In the lead-up to the housing commission stabbing, Mrs Wran tried to stop her troubled daughter leaving the house, the court heard. 'Mum tried to lock the doors. She begged me not to go... I swore to her I would go to the rehab,' Wran said. 'She unlocked the door and allowed me to leave. She knew a locked door wasn't going to stop me.' Her mother Jill Wran arrived at the Supreme Court on Thursday to see her daughter be sentenced. She has been in court most days in recent weeks Wran told the court of her decades-long battle with bulimia, her regular use of cocaine and meth, her years in and out of rehabilitation and her father's final battle with dementia and passing in 2014 The 28-year-old claims her downward spiral into drug abuse started when she was taken off Ritalin medication for ADHD when she was 23 and intensified following her father Neville Wran's death How she relapsed after her father's death - as her family squabbled Wran told the court she turned her back on her family when her father - a former NSW Labor premier - was admitted to hospital with dementia. She said that when she was 23 and her late father had taken ill with pneumonia, his loved ones had realised just how severe his dementia had become and a rift opened within the family. 'It was the most difficult time of our family life,' she said from the witness stand. 'He was in the hospital and there were so many people there but there was a big division about what should happen to him and how sick he was.' We just wanted Dad to be home with us. Mum just wanted to care for him and be there for him for the rest of his life She said she had also been taken off Ritalin by her childhood paediatrician only two weeks before her father fell ill. Then working as a producer at The Weather Channel, she began to feel the effects of withdrawal quickly - starting to snort more cocaine on the weekend and worsening her bulimia. Speaking of her father, Wran said: 'We knew him. We just wanted him to be home with us. 'Mum just wanted to care for him and be there for him for the rest of his life but there were people that were supposed to be close to us who who tried to take him - who did take him away.' She said her mother lost power of attorney and the family accounts were frozen. 'All of a sudden we worried about paying the electrical bills,' she said. When her father died in April 2014, she and her mother 'weren't given much time to say goodbye' she said. 'I was not good at all,' she went on. 'I was struggling at uni. Dad had just gone and I knew, we all knew, that there was going to be a court case over finances. We knew.' Her relapse into methamphetamine use followed after an ex-boyfriend arrived at her place with ice. 'I thought, oh my god, hear we go,' she said. But she did it anyway, she told Crown Prosecutor Peter McGrath SC. And she kept using until she was arrested in August 2014. Wran (pictured with her father Neville and mother Jill) told the court her former NSW Premier father's final battle with dementia and passing in 2014 took a toll on her Harriet was born into one of the nation's wealthiest and best-known families. She was the daughter of beloved Labor politician Neville Wran and an eastern suburbs socialite Jill Wran The night of the 2014 murder Court documents have told how Wran had appeared at the window of Mr McNulty's Redfern flat on August 10 that year. He told his housemate: 'Don't worry, it's just a girl.' But Mr McNulty did not see the two men standing behind Wran - her boyfriend of two weeks, heroin addict Michael Lee, and his friend Lloyd Edward Haines, who she had only met that night. As Mr McNulty unlocked his front door, Lee burst through and demanded money and drugs, and the robbery quickly turned deadly. 'If I hadn't knocked on the door perhaps it would never have happened,' Wran said in a shaking voice on Thursday. Wran told the court she was spared from watching as Mr McNulty was fatally stabbed but heard his harrowing final moments. If I hadn't knocked on the door perhaps it would never have happened 'It just sounded like someone was trying to breathe, but they couldn't,' Wran said through tears. Wran told the court her co-accused Lee repeatedly told her to 'hang up the f***ing phone' when she twice tried to call triple 0. Under questioning from the Crown, Wran agreed she did not ask Lee about what had happened in the other room of the housing complex. 'When I got back I used the ice and I used GBH and blacked out I didn't want to know what the extent of what had happened.' She said got 'wasted' after the stabbing and only realised Mr McNulty had died when she turned on the news the following morning and Lee told her. In the days that followed, Wran said she was bent on self-destruction, bouncing between drug houses looking for a hit. According to the Sunday Telegraph, Wran's former housemate told police that she had noisy sex with her co-accused Lee after watching the news of Mr McNulty's murder on the TV the day after the stabbing. From the lounge Andrew Hobbs 'heard Harriet making moaning noises and she was very loud. It was obvious to me they were having sex,' he was quoted telling police. Wran said the wing of her Dawn De Laos jail was closed off after the story appeared in the newspaper at the weekend. 'I've never been so embarrassed in my entire life. It's disgusting,' she told the court Thursday. Police tape covers the squalid housing commission apartment in Redfern a drug dealer Daniel McNulty was murdered in 2014 Daniel McNulty (pictured) was stabbed to death at his inner-Sydney Redfern housing commission apartment in August 2014 It was at this inner-city Sydney apartment block that Wran, high on ice and desperate for more, entered Daniel McNulty's apartment to steal drugs Her arrest and jail time Since entering prison - where she said she had been the target of death threats and was kept in total isolation for five months for her own safety - Wran said she had kicked her ice habit for good. 'After what happened, after someone died, everything changed,' she said. 'There was just no option to ever go back to drugs. If that wasn't a wake-up call I don't know what could be. 'The only times I ever think of ice are in my dreams, and those dreams are very bad ones.' She told the court when she first met Lee, who has pleaded guilty to the murder of Mr McNulty, she saw him as a 'calm entity in a crazy world'. But in the days after the killing she came to hate him. She said one of Lee's drug dealer friends had told him she was a 'problem'. 'I hope you're not the biggest mistake I've ever made,' Lee wrote to her in a text message. She reassured him he could trust her. But she wanted nothing more than to get away from him and was 'relieved' when she was recognised by police at Liverpool railway station. 'He'd shown me who he really was,' Wran said. 'I'd seen his true colours. I mean I should have known that night.' Wran said she has spent a lot of time forming a plan on how she will progress when she leaves jail. 'I want to get a degree and stay busy and feel like I've at least given back in some way,' she said. She said she wanted to work in animal welfare, and wants to take up a role fighting ice addiction when she is 'emotionally' ready for it. A looming sentence After she finished giving evidence Thursday, Wran left the witness box, sat down in the dock, rested the back of her head against the wall and sighed. In legal argument that followed, both prosecutors and defence lawyers agreed she deserved time behind bars on her charges. Her lawyer noted she has already spent two years jail since her arrest - first in Silverwater Jail, where she was in isolation for months, and later in Wing C of Dawn de Loas Correctional Centre, where she works as a prison librarian four days a week. We accept the reality is shes going to get a jail sentence for both charges, said defence barrister Mr Boulton. But he argued her sentence should be at the 'lower end' of the spectrum. Shes done extraordinarily well (in changing her life),' he said. Prosecutor Mr McManus said she should not be sentenced for matters out of her control which she wasnt criminally responsible for. Outside the courthouse, Wran's mother Jill would only remark: 'I think enough's been said already'. Wran will learn her sentence on July 26. The past few weeks have seen enough political news to last a lifetime. But how much of it can you remember? Answers are at the bottom of the page. 1) In the two weeks after June 23, how many MPs resigned from the Labour frontbench? a) 15 b) 25 c) 40 d) 65 2) According to the Chilcot Report, three of these remarks were made by George W. Bush in a phone conversation with Tony Blair, but one was not. Which is the odd one out? a) Your body language is great. How do you do it? b) Im just ready to kick ass. c) What did the French ever do for anyone? What wars did they win since the French Revolution? d) So what kind of name is Saddam? Sounds kind of Italian to me. The Chilcot Report, released this week, featured transcripts of phone conversations between George W. Bush and Tony Blair when they led their countries during the build up to the Iraq War 3) Following the Chilcot Report, the former Labour Party Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said he now believed the 2003 invasion of Iraq was illegal, adding: a) I take my fair share of blame. b) I bake my flair tear of shame. c) I shake my Blair fare of tame. d) I fake my slayer bear of fame. 4) In her leadership launch statement, Theresa May described herself in largely negative terms. Which of these things did she NOT say? a) Im not a showy politician. b) I dont tour the television studios. c) I dont gossip about people over lunch. d) I dont go drinking in Parliaments bars. e) In fact, Im no fun at all. Theresa May officially launches her campaign to become prime minister at Austin Court in Birmingham 5) Asked to gauge his enthusiasm for remaining in the EU during the Referendum campaign, Jeremy Corbyn replied: a) Seven, or seven-and-a-half, out of ten. b) So-so. c) Im not saying were better off out, but then again Im not saying were better off in. d) Youll have to ask John McDonnell. 6) Which of these claims in Andrea Leadsoms career history proved inaccurate? a) Ran the investment team at Barclays. b) Was the managing director of De Putron Fund Management. c) Spent the weekend of the Barings collapse with Eddie George at the Bank of England, ringing all the banks, saying: Dont panic. d) Was the youngest ever director of Barclays at the age of 32. British opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn joined steel workers following a march through central London in May 7) Which one of these MPs has to inject themselves with insulin four times a day? a) Jeremy Corbyn. b) Angela Eagle. c) Theresa May. d) Owen Smith. 8) What was Theresa Mays choice of a luxury item on Desert Island Discs? a) Her favourite pair of leopard-print shoes. b) Bound volumes of Hansard. c) A lifetime subscription to Vogue. d) Her pet tortoise, Alfie. 9) According to a senior Brexiteer, Andrea Leadsoms nickname in the Vote Leave office was: a) Andrea Lissom. b) Andrea Loathsome. c) Andrea Lovesome. d) Andrea Lumpsum. Andrea Leadsom rulesd herself out of the leadership battle during a news conference in central London 10) In an article for The Spectator magazine, who criticised post-Brexit whingers, calling them ranting luvvies, fat-cat bankers...mean-spirited, round-headed, elitists . . . an unappealing lot? a) Liz Hurley. b) Brian Blessed. c) Nicholas van Hoogstraten. d) Frederick Forsyth. 11) What did U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump tweet when he arrived in Scotland on the day after the Referendum? a) Just arrived in Scotland. Congrats to Farage on being elected Prime Minister. Great guy! b) Just arrived in Scotland. Place is going wild over the vote. They took their country back, just like we will take America back. c) Just arrived in Scotland. Overwhelming majority here for leaving Europe. Hoots Mon! So long, all you Frogs and Krauts! d) Just arrived in Scotland. Scotlish (sic) folk beg me to be their President. Flattering! British Prime Minister David Cameron, centre, smiles, during his final session of prime minister's questions at the House of Commons, in London, yesterday 12) In David Camerons final Prime Ministers Questions yesterday, to which Monty Python character did he compare the Leader of the Opposition? a) The Black Knight. b) The Nude Organist. c) The Man from the Ministry of Silly Walks. d) The Dead Parrot. David Davis was appointed Cabinet minister for Brexit in a remarkable political comeback David Davis was last night appointed Cabinet minister for Brexit in a remarkable political comeback. His appointment suggests Theresa Mays Government will move swiftly to begin the process of leaving the Brussels club. Earlier this week, the former shadow home secretary declared: We need to take a brisk but measured approach to Brexit. This would involve laying out detailed plans in the next few months. Former Conservative leadership contender Mr Davis who is popular with the partys grassroots was exiled by David Cameron and has not held any ministerial post since the party returned to Government. Now, as Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, he will be based in a brand new Whitehall department with its own dedicated staff of civil servants. Elsewhere, in one of the bluntest blue on blue attacks in the EU campaign, Amber Rudd glared across a TV studio at Boris Johnson and said: Boris is the life and soul of the party but he isnt the man you want driving you home at the end of the evening. Yet only days later Miss Rudd, a prominent Remainer, was backing Mr Johnson for the Tory leadership. When Mr Johnson fell, Miss Rudd switched to Theresa May. Now, her reward is the biggest promotion in the new Prime Ministers Cabinet reshuffle as she becomes the third woman to be Home Secretary, one of the great offices of state. She had long been considered a high flyer and was named Minister of The Year by The Spectator magazine last autumn. Selected for Mr Camerons A-list of female, ethnic and gay candidates for the 2010 election, she prised Hastings and Rye from Labour and has enjoyed the fastest rise of any MP from that intake. She was parliamentary private secretary to Chancellor George Osborne and was made a junior energy minister in July 2014, before being elevated to Energy Secretary after the last election in a huge leap of faith by David Cameron. Now 52, she grew up in London to wealthy parents and was privately educated. After studying history at Edinburgh University, she became an investment banker at JP Morgan. Miss Rudd married journalist AA Gill in 1990, with whom she has two children Alasdair and Flora. They divorced and she is now in a relationship with Eton-educated Tory MP Kwasi Kwarteng, 41, also elected in 2010. Miss Rudd is evangelical about Britains membership of the EU and its a family affair. Her brother PR chief Roland Rudd, 55, was treasurer of Britain Stronger in Europe. Miss Rudd, one of a number of female MPs expected to be in Mrs Mays Cabinet, once said that women should always be in 50 percent of places of influence. Shes certainly now in a position to influence a great deal of things. Mr Daviss relations with Mr Cameron never recovered from his decision to resign as an MP in 2008 in protest at Labours bid to extend the length of time a terror suspect can be held without trial. New post: Amanda Rudd is the biggest promotion in the new Prime Ministers Cabinet reshuffle as she becomes the third woman to be Home Secretary, one of the great offices of state The move forced a by-election, in which he was re-elected, but it cost him his job as shadow home secretary. Since then he has led rebellions over Government legislation to give more surveillance powers to the security services laws which were brought forward by Mrs May. However, after playing a leading role in the Brexit campaign, he last week declared his support for Mrs May as the only candidate with the skill and experience to disentangle Britain from the EU. Meanwhile, Liam Fox has made a return to the Cabinet, five years after he resigned as defence secretary following a scandal over his close relationship with his self-styled adviser. The 54-year-old prominent Brexit-backer, a strong Right-winger who stood against Mrs May in the leadership contest, was appointed Secretary of State for International Trade, a new department in Mrs Mays government. Boris Johnson last night was appointed Foreign Secretary by new Prime Minister Theresa May Theresa May last night made former rival Boris Johnson her Foreign Secretary in a bold new Tory government. The new Prime Minister took just three hours to stamp her authority on No10 sacking George Osborne and breaking up the Notting Hill set. But Mrs Mays biggest surprise was to hand such a key job to Mr Johnson. The Leave campaigner will now become a global ambassador for the UK while also taking charge of MI6. In a new Cabinet intended to heal her partys referendum wounds, Mrs May also brought back two Right-wing Brexiteers who had been cast out by David Cameron. David Davis will become Secretary of State for Brexit signalling Mrs Mays wish to leave the Brussels club as swiftly as possible. Liam Fox was handed the new post of Cabinet Minister for International Trade. He will negotiate deals to try to help Britain prosper outside the EU. Amber Rudd was made Home Secretary guaranteeing that two of the four biggest jobs in government are held by women. Philip Hammond becomes Chancellor in place of Mr Osborne. Michael Fallon an early supporter of Mrs Mays leadership bid stays on at defence. On a historic day at Westminster, Mr Cameron delivered a final address outside No10 shortly before 5pm. Within an hour, Mrs May was curtseying before the Queen to become the countrys second ever female prime minister. She returned from Buckingham Palace to deliver a passionate speech promising radical social reform. Reaching out across the political divide, Mrs May promised to fight against the burning injustice that if youre born poor you will die on average nine years earlier than others. She added: When it comes to opportunity, we wont entrench the advantages of the fortunate few, we will do everything we can to help anybody, whatever your background, to go as far as your talents will take you. Mrs May then set about shaping her top team, and Mr Osborne was sacked in a face-to-face meeting. The former chancellor had become toxic to many Tory MPs following a series of botched budgets and because of his role in running Project Fear during the referendum. Last night, he tweeted: Others will judge I hope Ive left the economy in a better state than I found it. Johnson, pictured, will now become a global ambassador for the UK while also taking charge of MI6 Boris replaces Philip Hammond in the Foreign Office who will move into Downing Street as Chancellor Eurosceptic Liam Fox, pictured, was appointed as a Cabinet Minister for International Trade The departure of Mr Osborne and Mr Cameron marks a seismic shift in British politics. Skills Minister Nick Boles a key member of the Notting Hill set of Cameron supporters also fell on his sword yesterday. The fate of Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary, will be decided today. Mrs May moved quickly to pull the Tory Party back together after the referendum splits. Mr Davis and Mr Fox are popular figures with the Tory Right and the grassroots. For both, their appointment represents an extraordinary comeback from the political wilderness. Ex-leadership contender Mr Davis, 67, has spoken in recent days of concluding consultations and laying out the detailed plans in the next few months on Brexit. The appointments mean there are three senior Brexiteers at the top of government calming the nerves of MPs who campaigned to Leave. Theresa May, pictured with her husband Philip, appointed Eurosceptics to many of the cabinet top jobs Mrs May, pictured, sacked George Osborne while Nick Boles announced he was standing down from office Mr Johnson has clashed repeatedly with Mrs May over the years most recently over her refusal to let him use water cannon on the streets of London. But, in a grand gesture, he was last night the second minister to enter No10 and be handed a major job. Aides said that as well as promoting Britain as an open, global nation which is perfect for investment Mrs May wants him to get under the skin of foreign countries and understand what makes them tick. It completes an extraordinary fortnight in the former London mayors career, which began when he was brutally knifed by Mr Gove and knocked out of standing for the leadership. Mr Cameron departed No10 surrounded by his wife Samantha and three young children. In emotional scenes, he said being prime minister had been the greatest honour of his life and while he had not got everything right the UK was much stronger than when he took over. He then went to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to the Queen, who then formally appointed Theresa May as his replacement. BISMARCK A North Dakota Republican Party official says it's "pure coincidence" that Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem's decision to skip the Republican National Convention has opened the door for Fargo entrepreneur Doug Burgum who defeated Stenehjem last month for the GOP nomination for governor to attend as a delegate. North Dakota is sending 28 delegates to the convention next week in Cleveland, where New York businessman Donald Trump hopes to clinch the party's official nomination for president. Three of the 28 delegates are automatic picks: the party chairman and the national committeeman and committeewoman. The other 25, including Stenehjem, were chosen in April by delegates to the state GOP convention in Fargo. Burgum received the 26th-most votes in that balloting, making him the first alternate. When Stenehjem decided not to go to Cleveland he'll instead attend the annual meeting of the Conference of Western Attorneys General in Sun Valley, Idaho Burgum was first in line to take his place. "It was just pure coincidence," GOP Executive Director Roz Leighton said. Stenehjem had not returned messages left Wednesday and Thursday seeking comment. Burgum said he likely would have attended the convention even if he wasn't a delegate because it includes a lot of events related to the Republican Governors Association, which reached out to him the day after his primary election victory June 14. Burgum lost the state convention's endorsement for governor, coming in third behind Stenehjem and state Rep. Rick Becker of Bismarck, but he decided to run for the GOP nomination anyway. The former Microsoft executive is now widely considered the favorite in November over Democratic state Rep. Marvin Nelson of Rolla and Libertarian candidate Marty Riske of Fargo in the November election. During the primary campaign, Burgum endorsed Trump more emphatically than Stenehjem, even criticizing the attorney general during a debate for saying he'd support the GOP nominee without using Trump's name. Stenehjem also more strongly condemned Trump's accusations that a federal judge presiding over a lawsuit on Trump University was biased because of his Mexican heritage, calling the comment "racist" and "offensive." Burgum simply said he didn't agree with Trump's comments or language. Burgum said Wednesday he doesn't support all of Trump's comments, positions or antics but prefers him to Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton, who he believes would be bad for the state's energy and agriculture sectors. "It's a very easy choice, particularly when our economy is where it is," he said. Burgum noted Trump's primary and caucus victories have given him more than the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination, and in a regular year, the convention would be straightforward, "but there's nothing regular about this year." Burgum said he hopes to build relationships with GOP governors who have come from business backgrounds like his own, including Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, and to learn how other governors have dealt with budget struggles like those North Dakota is going through. "These are big opportunities for me, because I don't want to have to reinvent the wheel in North Dakota," he said. Firefighters at Walt Disney World were told to stop feeding alligators at one of the resort's fire stations two months before a toddler was killed by one of the reptiles. Reedy Creek Emergency Services slammed staff for feeding at least two of the animals at a station less than half a mile from Seven Seas Lagoon, where two-year-old Nebraska boy Lane Graves was pulled into the water by a gator last month, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The email obtained by the newspaper also said employees were afraid after a gator was spotted near the parking lot and asked officials to remove it. Firefighters at Walt Disney World were warned to stop feeding alligators at one of the resort's fire stations two months before a toddler was killed by one of the reptiles in a lagoon (pictured) Reedy Creek District Administrator John Classe said Disney's animal-control department was contacted but he did not know whether either alligator was ever removed. A Disney spokeswoman said Wednesday it was unclear whether the gator had been removed. Feeding alligators is illegal in Florida. It comes after Lane's father told officials he believed two reptiles were involved in the attack that killed his son. Two-year-old Lane Graves (left) was dragged to his death by an alligator at the Walt Disney World Resort last month. His father Matt Graves (right) told authorities he was desperately trying to save his son when a second alligator attacked Rescuers searched the water in the shadow of Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom for 17 hours before Lane's body was recovered intact Reedy Creek Emergency Services slammed staff for feeding at least two of the animals at a station less than half a mile from Seven Seas Lagoon (pictured), where two-year-old Nebraska boy Lane Graves was pulled into the water by a gator last month The two-year-old was paddling just ten feet from the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon at the upscale resort on June 14 when he was attacked by the predator and dragged into the water. His body was found 'intact' in the water 17 hours later. His father, Matt Graves, told authorities he was desperately trying to save his son when a second alligator attacked. But even after fending off his own attack, Graves was unable to pry his toddler from the jaws of the first animal's grasp - and the creature disappeared underwater, taking the child with it. Florida wildlife officials later announced that they had removed and killed five alligators from the lagoon - including the one they believe dragged the Nebraska toddler to his death, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Employees were reportedly afraid after a gator was spotted near the parking lot and asked officials to remove it from the lagoon Fencing has been built along the shoreline of the lagoon since the two-year-old boy was tragically killed last month Reedy Creek District Administrator John Classe said Disney's animal-control department was contacted but he did not know whether either alligator was ever removed after staff complaints prior to Lane's death The park has admitted it routinely catches the reptiles near the resort. The Seven Seas Lagoon behind the upscale hotel is off limits to guests, and there are 'no swimming' signs posted nearby - but none of them warned about possible alligators in the water, like the signs posted at the Polynesian Village hotel next door. Baton Rouge Zoo suffered a tragic mishap after a pack of dogs broke into the zoo and killed three monkeys early Tuesday morning. Staff at the zoo, which has suffered a string of animal deaths this year, announced the deaths Wednesday, and said that they were trying to put together the sequence of events that saw the canines entering the grounds. The domestic dogs weren't able to get into the monkeys' exhibits, staff said, but were able to savage the creatures after they got too close to the bars of the cage, The Advocate reported. Scroll down for video Slain: Three spot-nosed guenons, including the one pictured, were killed after dogs broke into Baton Rouge Zoo early Tuesday morning. Zoo officials said they reached through the bars of their exhibit to the dogs Break-in: It's not known how the dogs (one pictured here in CCTV footage) got in, but they were able to maul the monkeys after they reached out. Dogs also broke in and killed 17 flamingos in 2010 All three of the slain creatures were colorful spot-nosed guenons, which are native to Africa and can grow to around three-to-four-feet long, including their tails. Staff found the scene of the slaughter on Tuesday morning. A 29-year-old female and 22-year-old male guenon were already dead when they arrived. An 18-year-old male was put down due to the severity of his injuries. Spot-nosed guenons usually live into their twenties. It's believed the monkeys reached out of their exhibit and towards the dogs, who then mauled and killed them. Kaki Heiligenthal, director of marketing and development at Baton Rouge Zoo, said Wednesday that security were still trying to catch the dogs and work out how they entered the grounds. The zoo's perimeter fence had been checked just two weeks before and is checked regularly, she said. This is the latest in a series of surprising animal deaths at the zoo. In April Hadiah, a two-year-old Himalayan tiger, was found mysteriously dead in its enclosure. Baton Rouge Zoo has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate the surprise death of the young animal. The month before, Hope and Mopani, two elderly giraffes at the zoo, both died within hours of one another. Hope succumbed to illness and Mopani was knocked over by another giraffe. An audit was requested by the zoo from its accrediting agency, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which said in May that the zoo was not responsible for either death, and blamed weather and stress. Also in March a baby golden lion tamarind monkey - an endangered species - died a week after it was born in the zoo. The zoo said that infant deaths were common in the species, and that more than 40 per cent succumb before they can grow old. Tuesday's attack is also not the first time dogs have killed animals in the zoo. In 2010 17 flamingos - more than a third of the zoo's stock at the time - were mauled to death after dogs got onto the grounds. A Florida man has been arrested after he allegedly killed his fiancee with an AK-47 gun because he was 'nine out of 10' mad at her during an argument. Royce Teets, 46, has been charged with premeditated murder after he shot Terri Coolidge, 44, with the short-barreled rifle at their home in Plantation just before 10.30pm on Sunday, police said. Teets told police at least four different stories as he tried to explain how the mother of two young children ended up dead with a hole in her chest. Royce Teets, 46, has been charged with premeditated murder after he allegedly shot his fiancee Terri Coolidge, 44, with an AK-47 rifle because he was 'nine out of 10' mad at her during an argument Authorities said Teets confessed to killing Coolidge at their Plantation, Florida home on Sunday 'She got shot,' Teets told an emergency dispatcher on the 911 call. 'She's going to die. They were messing with a shotgun and it went off.' The story had already changed when police arrived at the home. Teets told officers he had been cleaning the rifle when it accidentally discharged, according to WPLG. But then Teets told police that Coolidge was an alcoholic and had accused him that day of texting other women. He told detectives he went out to drink with friends that night and returned home by 9pm. Police said details on where he went out and who he was with changed several times. When he returned home, Teets said Coolidge was holding his phone and accused him of having sex with another woman. Teets told police that Coolidge began to throw items around their home, breaking a mirror in their bedroom before telling him 'I'm going to kill you.' He then decided to grab one of the two AK-47s he kept in the bedroom closet before Coolidge could take it and told police he removed the magazine and checked to make sure no bullets were in the chamber, according to the Miami Herald. Teets proceeded to tell detectives three different versions of the moment that Coolidge was fatally shot. In the original version, Teets claimed Coolidge grabbed the gun by the barrel and pulled it to her chest, causing 'the rifle to discharge at point black range', the arrest report states. The couple, who met on Facebook, had been dating for a year and a half. Friends said Coolidge knew of Teets' criminal history but believed he was a changed man Teets told police in the second version that Coolidge had bumped the 'underside of the gun, lifting it up and it went off, striking her in the chest'. In the third version of events, Coolidge was hitting Teets and trying to grab the gun as he waved it back and forth and pointing the barrel end at her chest. 'With his finger on the trigger, it went off,' the report states. But detectives at the crime scene found that the evidence didn't match any of Teets' stories. A live round was inside the chamber of the rifle, which would have been impossible if Teets had removed the magazine like he claimed. And investigators found that Coolidge's gunshot wound seemed to indicate that Teets had fired down at her. In his final version of events, Teets admitted to detectives that he had been a 'nine or 10' on a 1-to-10 scale of anger at his fiancee because she was yelling and hitting him and accusing him of things. He grabbed the AK-47, didn't remove the magazine, and ran toward Coolidge as he shot her in the chest, the arrest report states. Teets admitted to police that Coolidge had been unarmed and had not posed a threat to him, according to the Sun-Sentinel. Teets told police multiple versions of how Coolidge ended up with a bullet in her chest, first claiming he had been cleaning his gun when it accidentally discharged Teets told officers that he accepted full responsibility for Coolidge's death and that if he was sent to jail then 'that is what happens' He told officers that he accepted full responsibility for Coolidge's death and that if he was sent to jail then 'that is what happens'. Police said Coolidge's children were not at home at the time of her murder. Teets is being held without bond. Friends said Coolidge, who was divorced, was a loving mother who 'talked about her kids all the time'. 'They were the oxygen to her life,' Jody O'Neill Maginnis told WPLG. Coolidge met Teets a little more than a year ago on Facebook, where both of their profiles have some become full of pictures of the couple. The mother's friends said she knew of Teets' criminal history, which included convictions for larceny, grand theft and possession of meth with intent to sell. Jennifer Rams, Teets' ex-wife, had also filed for protection against domestic violence and protection against stalking from him before they divorced in September 2015. At that point, Teets and Coolidge had begun dating. She believed he was a changed man. 'You young lovers have a whole life ahead of you,' one friend commented on a picture of the couple Coolidge posted to her Facebook in June. A vaccine which protects against dementia could be available within five years. Scientists believe they have made a breakthrough development which could stop Alzheimers disease in its tracks when given to people diagnosed in the early stages. They hope it will allow patients to carry on their lives much as normal while the progression of the condition is delayed by years and perhaps for good. Scroll down for video Scientists hope they will be able to develop a vaccine to target Alzheimer's disease within five years As a preventative measure, the drug could even be given like a flu jab to over-50s or at risk groups. Experts believe delaying the development of Alzheimers by just five years could halve the number of people dying with the condition. Around 850,000 Britons suffer from Alzheimers and other types of dementia, with a new patient diagnosed every three minutes. There are expected to be one million people with the condition in the UK by 2025. The vaccine formula, worked on by researchers in the US and Australia, is the first to target both the protein believed to trigger Alzheimers and one which causes it to worsen. These proteins tend to become misshapen and group together to form clumps in the brain. The vaccine is designed to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies which dissolve the clumps, latch on to the proteins and take them out of the brain and into the blood stream, where they can be broken down. Researchers said the formula is boosted by a turbo charger which makes it between 100 and 1,000 times more effective than previously tested vaccines. Their work showed the vaccine was successful on mice. It will now be tested in humans in the US and, if trials go well, it could be available in five to six years. Experts believe the vaccine could be delivered in a similar manner to the flu jab to ward off dementia One researcher, Professor Nikolai Petrovsky, of Flinders University in Adelaide, told the Daily Mail: This is anywhere between 100 and 1,000 times more effective. It blows away anything that has been seen before in terms of its ability to develop these antibodies. Earlier generations [of vaccines] only induced very low levels of antibodies but we now know that you need a lot in order for it to get into the brain. We have built on a turbo which dramatically improves the ability of the vaccine to make high levels of antibodies. Many other promising dementia vaccines and drugs have failed when trialled on humans, with some not working and others causing serious side effects. Professor Petrovsky, who is also director of Vaxine Pty, the firm behind the first swine flu vaccine, said he was hopeful the latest development would work. He added: We designed the vaccine to sidestep the problems which tripped up earlier vaccine technology. The data is compelling, but until its tested and proved you cant predict the outcome. The research, published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, was led by the US-based Institute for Molecular Medicine (IMM) and University of California, Irvine. Professor Anahit Ghochikyan, of IMM, said: This study suggests we can immunise patients at the early stages of Alzheimers, or even healthy people at risk. If the disease progressed, patients could also be given a vaccine targeted at removing the protein that worsens dementia. Dr Rosa Sancho, of Alzheimers Research UK, said the true test would be clinical trials on people with the disease. King Harold was killed by William the Conquerors army at the Battle of Hastings The most important spot in British history has just been moved - by seven yards. Some 950 years after King Harold was killed at the Battle of Hastings, the exact place where he fell has finally been located by English Heritage historians in the town of Battle, East Sussex. Yesterday, the stone memorial marking the spot was shifted seven yards to the east, to mark the spot where William the Conquerors army killed him, with an arrow through his eye. Ever since Harold died, on the evening of October 14, 1066, it has been known that William the Conqueror built Battle Abbey on the site of his death, as penance for the bloodshed. Early historians stated that the high altar of the abbey church was built on the exact spot where Harold fell, among a piled heap of Anglo-Saxon corpses. But, after Henry VIII destroyed the abbey church in 1538, the site of that high altar was lost - until now. In 1817, an excavation uncovered a crypt at the far east end of the church, which was wrongly thought to have been the site of the high altar. The archaeologists didnt know the abbey church had been extended in the mid-13th century, meaning the exposed crypt was in fact 27 yards east of the end of the church built by William the Conqueror. In 1929, the east end of William the Conquerors Norman church was discovered. But, even then, archaeologists placed the memorial to Harold too far west. In fact, as English Heritage historians have discovered, in a new study of the abbey and the battlefield, the high altar would have been placed at the far end of the Norman church, where the semi-circular end began to curve. Working out the position of that altar was key and, since the 19th century, our understanding of the layout of the church has improved dramatically, said Roy Porter, Senior Properties Curator for English Heritage, What was previously marked as the spot was close but we now know it stood slightly further east. This new location adds to our understanding of the Battle of Hastings but also gives us a valuable insight into Williams abbey, a fascinating story in its own right and one well be exploring further in future. Roy Porter, Senior Properties Curator for English Heritage, putting the finishing touches to the stone marking the traditional spot where King Harold fell A new exhibition will open at Battle Abbey, giving a blow-by-blow account of the blood-soaked battle from beginning to end The new location was revealed as part of English Heritages 1.8m revamp of Battle Abbey and the battlefield, ahead of the 950th anniversary commemorations in October. On 15-16 October, there will be a full re-enactment of the battle, which raged all day with 5,000 to 7,000 troops on both sides. The battle was the most important in English history, marking the end of Anglo-Saxon rule over England and the beginning of Norman control. Tomorrow, a new exhibition will open at Battle Abbey, giving a blow-by-blow account of the blood-soaked battle from beginning to end. Oak figures of mounted Norman knights and axe-wielding Anglo-Saxon warriors have been placed across the battlefield. Visitors will also be able to climb to the top of the abbey gatehouse for the first time, and get a 360-degree view of the site where English history was changed for ever. Harry Mount is the author of How England Made the English. Visitors will be able to climb to the top of the abbey gatehouse for the first time, and get a 360-degree view of the site where English history was changed for ever One of America's most wanted terrorists known as 'Omar the Chechen' has been confirmed dead by the terror group, with leaders saying he died fighting in Iraq. Abu Omar al-Shishani was killed in al-Shirqat, a city around 75 miles south of Mosul, trying to 'halt the military campaign' against the city, according to a news agency linked to the terror group. While the group did not say when Shishani died, news that he was killed in Iraq contradicts earlier claims by Pentagon chiefs that he died from his wounds after a U.S. airstrike in Syria back in March. Scroll down for video Abu Omar al-Shishani, one of the Pentagon's most wanted men and dubbed ISIS's 'minister for war', has been confirmed dead by the terror group's military arm Shishani, known as 'Omar the Chechen' (right), was killed fighting near the city of Mosul according to the terror group, contradicting earlier claims that he died of his wounds after a U.S. airstrike in Syria back in March Military officials, who dubbed Shishani ISIS's 'minister for war', had been offering up to $5million for information that would lead to him being taken off the battlefield. News of Shishani's death came from the Amaq news agency, ISIS's media arm, which had also denied reports he was dead back in March. Amaq provided no evidence that Shishani was still alive following the earlier reports of his death, and has also provided no evidence he was killed near Mosul. ISIS fighters have been sharing the news of his demise online, and vowing to plan fresh attacks in the Middle East in his honor. But Rami Abdelrahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, insists that Shishani was killed back in March, saying he spoke with the doctor who treated him in Syria. Abdelrahman believes ISIS likely delayed announcing his death until they could nominate a successor. Rami Abdelrahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, insists that Shishani was killed back in March, and says ISIS delayed the announcement to nominate a successor Born in 1986 in Georgia, then still part of the Soviet Union, Shishani had a reputation as a close military adviser to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was said by followers to have relied heavily on him. Shishani once fought in military operations as a rebel in Chechnya before joining Georgia's military in 2006 and fighting against Russian troops before being discharged two years later for medical reasons, according to U.S. officials. He was arrested in 2010 for weapons possession and spent more than a year in jail, before leaving Georgia in 2012 for Istanbul and later Syria. He decided to join Islamic State the following year and pledged his allegiance to Baghdadi. The State Department said Shishani was identified as Islamic State's military commander in a video distributed by the group in 2014. Iraqi forces are fighting heavily in a push to retake Mosul, Iraq's second largest which fell into the terror group's hands in July 2014, announcing them as a power-player in the battle for control of some of the region's most destabilized nations. Born in Georgia in 1986, Shishani fought as a rebel in Chechnya before joining Georgia's military in order to fight against Russia, and then traveled to the Middle East Shishani joined ISIS sometime around 2014 and was appointed military commander, becoming a trusted adviser of leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (pictured in ISIS propaganda) Shirqat is located along the road to Mosul from the Iraqi's stronghold of Baghdad, though forces recently diverted around it to recapture a military base further north. The strategically vital location was to be used as a 'springboard' for eventual efforts to recapture Mosul itself. It is unclear if Iraqi forces went back to capture Shirqat. Mosul is ISIS' final stronghold in Iraq after the country's Shia-led military recaptured Fallujah from the strictly Sunni terror group last month. If Mosul were to fall it would mark a major blow to ISIS power in the region, and all-but destroy their claim to have established a functioning caliphate in the Middle East. Advertisement Theresa May brought her allies into Government with her today and equalled the record for the number of women in Cabinet - hours after brutally sacking four David Cameron loyalists. Mrs May's campaign manager Chris Grayling is Transport Secretary, while Damian Green, for four years her deputy at the Home Office, is work and pensions secretary. There are eight female members of the Cabinet, including Mrs May - more than at any time since Tony Blair's final year in office - after promotions to the Cabinet for Andrea Leadsom, Priti Patel, Karen Bradley and Baroness Natalie Evans. In a clear break with the Cameron administration, former miner Patrick McLoughlin was appointed party chairman - replacing Lord Feldman, who quit alongside his old school friend Mr Cameron. Theresa May arrived at Downing Street this morning after a brutal morning spent sacking a series of colleagues from the Government Two of the new Prime Minister's recent high-profile rivals will have spent the night sweating over their futures anxious that they will miss out on top jobs within Theresa May's new look Cabinet John Whittingdale, far left, was fired from culture, media and sport and Nicky Morgan, second left, has been sacked from education. Michael Gove, second right, is out at justice and Oliver Letwin, right, is gone as Duchy of Lancaster Stephen Crabb quit the Government this afternoon in the 'best interests' of his family days after he faced allegations of sexting. Theresa Villiers, who was Northern Ireland Secretary, resigned at lunchtime after being offered a new job and turning it down. Mark Harper also resigned today. In a major Whitehall shake up, Mrs May created a Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy department - handing the large and powerful brief to Greg Clark. Mrs May met MPs she was firing in Parliament to carry out the sackings and No 10 confirmed the departures of Mr Gove, Mr Letwin, Mr Whittingdale and Mrs Morgan from Government. The new PM then travelled to Downing Street to make her appointments at No 10. In other appointments today, Liz Truss was made Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary while comprehensive school educated Justine Greening was installed as Education Secretary and minister for women. Gavin Williamson, the long term Parliamentary aide to David Cameron, was made chief whip today in a huge promotion. Patrick McLoughlin was moved from transport to be party chairman and the new Duchy of Lancaster - effectively a fixer helping the Government run. Jeremy Hunt is staying on as Health Secretary after three controversial years and Baroness Evans becomes Leader of the House of Lords - replacing Baroness Stowell. Mr Gove ran against Mrs May for the Tory leadership - exploding Boris Johnson's hopes for No 10 in the process - with the backing of Mrs Morgan, who signed his nomination papers. Mr Whittingdale had also supported Mr Gove for the top job. Today's sackings came the morning after Mrs May disposed of George Osborne's services as Chancellor of the Exchequer. THE RESHUFFLE AT A GLANCE IN Chancellor: Philip Hammond Foreign Secretary: Boris Johnson Home Secretary: Amber Rudd Brexit Secretary: David Davis International Trade Secretary Liam Fox Justice Secretary: Liz Truss Education Secretary: Justine Greening Chief Whip: Gavin Williamson Party Chairman: Patrick McLoughlin Leader of the Lords: Baroness Natalie Evans Transport Secretary: Chris Grayling Work and Pensions Secretary: Damian Green. Environment Secretary: Andrea Leadsom Communities Secretary: Sajid Javid Northern Ireland Secretary: James Brokenshire Business, Energy and Industry Secretary: Greg Clark International Development Secretary: Priti Patel Culture Secretary: Karen Bradley Chief Secretary to the Treasury: David Gauke Leader of the House: David Lidington STAYING Defence Secretary: Michael Fallon Health Secretary: Jeremy Hunt Wales Secretary: Alun Cairns Scotland Secretary: David Mundell Attorney General: Jeremy Wright QUIT Stephen Crabb Theresa Villiers SACKED Michael Gove Nicky Morgan Oliver Letwin John Whittingdale Advertisement In a day of fast moving developments: Theresa May started the day at the House of Commons by sacking four Cabinet ministers as Michael Gove, Nicky Morgan, John Whittingdale were all fired. Three more ministers volunteered for the scrap heap as Stephen Crabb, Theresa Villiers Mark Harper all resigned when offered jobs. Having cleared the decks, Mrs May returned to Downing Street to receive ministers she would appoint. First in were Liz Truss and Justine Greening, made Justice Secretary and Education Secretary respectively. Feverish speculation spread around Westminster that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was gone - only for him to appear in Downing Street and be reappointed. His NHS lapel badge, missing as he arrived at No 10, magically reappeared as he left. In other appointments, Gavin Williamson was given a huge promotion from parliamentary aide to Chief Whip while Baroness Natalie Evans leapt from whip to Leader of the Lords in a single bound. Patrick McLoughlin, a former miner, becomes Party Chairman as Mrs May seeks to rebrand the Tory Party. Close allies Chris Grayling and Damian Green both entered Mrs May's Cabinet as Transport and Work and Pensions Secretary respectively. After Mrs May made a vocal support of the union, she appointed key ally James Brokenshire to Northern Ireland while Alun Cairns retained the Wales brief. As part of the changes, Mrs May is expected to fundamentally rewire Government to accommodate new Brexit and International Trade Departments. The Business, Innovation and Skills department was hollowed out - with universities heading to the Department for Education - but it inherited the Department for Energy and Climate Change. Mrs Morgan today tweeted: 'Disappointed not to be continuing as Education Secretary & Min for Women & Equalities - two wonderful roles it's been a privilege to hold.' Mr Whittingdale said: 'Has been a privilege to serve as Culture Secretary. I wish my successor every success & will continue to support creative industries.' Mr Gove tweeted: 'It's been an enormous privilege to serve for the last six years. Best of luck to the new government.' Announcing her resignation, Ms Villiers said: 'I regret to say that I have left the Government. The new Prime Minister was kind enough to offer me a role but it was not one which I felt I could take on. 'I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to serve on the front bench for 11 years, first in the Shadow Cabinet, then as Transport Minister, and finally as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for four years in David Cameron's Cabinet.' There had been strong rumours Mr Hunt would be moved on - but he this afternoon joked: '''Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated...'' Thrilled to be back in the best job in Government.' Announcing his resignation, Mr Crabb said: 'Over the last two years I have had the huge privilege to serve in the Cabinet. 'After careful reflection I have informed the Prime Minister today that, in the best interests of my family, I cannot be part of her Government at this time. 'I am grateful to my whole team for their hard work and encouragement. I look forward to supporting the Government's one nation vision from the backbenches.' Jon Ashworth MP, Labour's Shadow Minister without Portfolio, responding to Theresa May's new Cabinet, said: 'We had warm words from the Prime Minister yesterday on the need for her Government to stand up for more than just a privileged few. 'But Theresa May's appointments are completely out of kilter with her words on the steps of Downing Street yesterday. It's difficult to see this new-look Cabinet as anything other than a sharp shift to the right by the Tories. 'The test now is to demonstrate that all members of the Tory Government are wholly committed to the priorities Theresa May set out yesterday. 'Labour will continue to hold this failing Tory Government to account.' Liz Truss was the first into Downing Street today and was appointed as Justice Secretary. Justine Greening also arrived at Downing Street this morning to be made Education Secretary. Also into No 10 today were Patrick McLoughlin, who is now party chairman, and Gavin Williamson, the new chief whip Jeremy Hunt emerged jubilant from No 10 after being reappointed as health secretary today - despite rumours this morning he was to be sacked or moved to a different post Greg Clark was handed a big new job in the merged Business, Energy and Industry Department today. Priti Patel heads up International Development while James Brokenshire goes to Northern Ireland and Karen Bradley takes on Culture, Media and Sport Reacting to the sackings, Tory MP Nadine Dorries - who had a long running feud with Mr Cameron - said: 'Karma can be such a b****.' Mrs May last night made the bombshell appointment of leading Brexiteer Boris Johnson to the Foreign Office, made David Davis Brexit Secretary and Liam Fox an International Trade Secretary. Allies Philip Hammond and Amber Rudd were handed the Treasury and Home Office respectively, while Michael Fallon stays on at defence. Alongside the ministerial changes, Mrs May looked set to rearrange the structure of Government to accommodate her new Brexit and International Trade departments. The Department for Education appeared set to take on responsibility for universities and higher education, currently covered by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). In return BIS absorb the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) - becoming a new Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Department run by Greg Clark. Creating two new Secretaries of State means Mrs May needs to either change the law or eliminate two existing positions. Andrea Leadsom, left, was made Environment Secretary. Stephen Crabb, centre, arrived at No 10 to find out if he would get a move from Work and Pensions - only to resign anyway shortly after leaving. Baroness Evans, right, was appointed leader of the Lords this afternoon GREENING FIRST TORY EDUCATION SECRETARY SCHOOLED AT COMP Justine Greening is the first Tory education secretary to have gone to a comprehensive secondary school. She is also the first gay politician to hold the women and equalities job in government. Mrs Greening was shifted from International Development into the key brief as Theresa May forged her new top team. The MP is the daughter of a steelworker and was the first in her family to go to university. Arriving at the Department for Education today she said she was looking forward to getting on with the job. She replaced Nicky Morgan, an ally of David Cameron and Michael Gove who was sacked from both roles. Many Education Secretaries have been schooled in the state sector, including Margaret Thatcher, who went to a grammar. Labour's Estelle Morris went to a state comprehensive - although it only converted from a grammar school in her final year. Former post-holders Alan Johnson went to grammar school, while David Blunkett went to a state school for the blind. Advertisement One of Mrs May's first moves as Prime Minister last night was to speak to leaders across Europe, telling them she would deliver the split from the EU that Britons voted for last month but warned it could take time to prepare for negotiations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was the first to congratulate Mrs May, phoning during a visit to Kyrgyzstan last night. She invited the new UK premier to visit Germany in the coming months and said she was looked forward to meeting her at the G20 in China in September. A Downing Street spokeswoman said: 'The Prime Minister explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke of her hope that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit. 'They agreed that they wanted to establish a constructive relationship, recognising the importance of close co-operation between the UK and Germany.' Mrs May also took congratulatory calls from French President Francois Hollande and the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who she invited to visit London for talks. President Hollande stressed the importance of the bilateral relationship between France and Britain, particularly security and defence co-operation and also the joint work on border controls in Calais. 'The Prime Minister offered her best wishes to the President and the people of France for Bastille Day tomorrow and the President invited the Prime Minister to visit Paris,' the spokeswoman said. Mrs May took a break from forming her new Cabinet today to host a reception for the Police Bravery Awards in the garden of 10 Downing Street, posing for pictures with officers along with police minister Mike Penning. Mrs Leadsom dropped out of the Tory leadership race on Monday, handing Mrs May the keys to No 10. Her senior allies claimed she had been forced out of the contest by 'spin and underhand tactics' as the leadership contest ended in furious Tory bloodletting. MPs on the Right of the party made no attempt to conceal their anger at fellow MPs who had criticised Mrs Leadsom and urged her to stand down. Iain Duncan Smith, the ex-Work and Pensions Secretary, said other Tory MPs must 'examine their conscience'. Nicky Morgan revealed her sacking as education secretary today, which also means she will no longer hold the women and equalities brief. Mrs Morgan backed Michael Gove for the leadership John Whittingdale is also gone as culture secretary as Mrs May clears the decks for further new appointments of her own Mr Gove tweeted: 'It's been an enormous privilege to serve for the last six years. Best of luck to the new government.' He added: 'This is no way to treat colleagues. They should be putting the country first, not their personal ambitions.' The junior energy minister had faced a wave of criticism over comments she made in an interview with The Times when she appeared to suggest that the fact she was a mother gave her the edge as a future PM over the childless Mrs May. She also faced a string of questions over the accuracy of her City CV and demands that she release her tax returns. Reacting to the sackings, Tory MP Nadine Dorries - who had a long running feud with Mr Cameron - said: 'Karma can be such a b****.' Theresa May hosted the Police Bravery Awards in the Downing Street garden today as she took a break from forming her new Cabinet Theresa May (pictured in the blue suit) posed with offices for the Police Bravery Awards in the Downing Street garden today Theresa May took a break in forming her new Cabinet today as she celebrated the Police Bravery Awards in the Downing Street garden today along with policing minister Mike Penning (pictured second from right, second row, wearing a grey suit) Michael Gove was humbled in the second round of voting in the Tory contest, attracting the support of just 46 MPs fewer than he managed in the first round. One MP said it also brought a 'brutal end' to the reign of the Notting Hill Tories, who have run the Conservative Party since David Cameron became leader in 2005. Mr Gove's poor showing reflected Tory anger over his betrayal of Mr Johnson, whose campaign he torpedoed just hours before it was due to be launched. Allies of the former London mayor made no attempt to disguise their satisfaction at Mr Gove's downfall. In a message on Twitter, which was later deleted, Mr Johnson's sister Rachel said: 'Gove won't tear us apart again.' One ally of the former mayor said: 'Gove offered the party and the country vaulting ambition, craven disloyalty and treachery. Today his arrogance was repaid in full with failure and total humiliation.' Ben Wallace, who managed Mr Johnson's campaign until it was cut short by Mr Gove, issued a brutal assessment of his character this week, saying: 'Michael seems to have an emotional need to gossip, particularly when drink is taken, as it all too often seemed to be.' Theresa May and Mike Penning hosted a reception for the Police Bravery Award in the garden of No 10 today Theresa May speaks with officers in the garden of 10 Downing Street today as she marked the Police Bravery Awards today The new ministers were getting down to work today, with Boris Johnson introducing himself to the Foreign Office with a speech and new Home Secretary Amber Rudd getting out on the beat with the Met Junior ministers who have worked with Mrs May like James Brokenshire could also see an elevation. The traditional spectacle of seeing MPs summoned to Downing Street for hiring and firing discussions with the Prime Minister will continue on Thursday amid speculation that Mrs May could reorganise government departments. Junior ministerial appointments will then follow as Mrs May sets about creating a government driven not by the interests of 'the privileged few' but those of voters struggling with the pressures of modern life. 'I know you are working around the clock, I know you are doing your best and I know that sometimes life can be a struggle,' she told voters in a speech at Downing Street. 'The government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives.' Boris Johnson left home today with his first ever Red Box today after being appointed to the Foreign Office by Theresa May Boris Johnson was last night appointed Britain's new Foreign Secretary in a shock development as Mrs May started to build her new Cabinet. She named Philip Hammond as her new Chancellor and sacked George Osborne in a historic evening in Westminster less than two hours after she was officially sworn in as the UK's second female Prime Minister. Amber Rudd was appointed the new Home Secretary, moving on from the Energy and Climate Change Department, while Michael Fallon will stay as Defence Secretary. Mr Hammond moves to the Treasury after serving as Foreign Secretary for more than two years. Ms Rudd is expected to be appointed the new Home Secretary - a vacant position after Mrs May left the department to become Prime Minister. Mr Osborne was sacked by Mrs May, bringing an abrupt end to his six years in charge of the Treasury. There were also reports that all of David Cameron's political advisors had left Downing Street - a sign Mrs May is determined to break with the past. Justine Greening, the international development secretary, was originally among those expected to be in line for prominent positions. She was one of the first Cabinet ministers to declare for Mrs May and was thought to be heading to health or education. However, both she and Chris Grayling - also tipped for a top role - were last night rumoured to have missed out. Employment minister Priti Patel is on course to be bumped up to a full Cabinet job, while Karen Bradley, who worked for Mrs May at the Home Office, was also in with a chance of earning a promotion. Mrs May spent much of yesterday locked in talks with senior civil servants and her advisers. BRITAIN'S NEW GOVERNMENT: WHO THERESA MAY HAS APPOINTED TO HER FIRST CABINET Theresa May will continue appointing her Cabinet today on her first full day as the Prime Minister. This is what we know so far: Home Secretary: Amber Rudd Ms Rudd came to politics later in life than most, having worked as an investment banker, venture capitalist, and financial journalist. The former Secretary of State for the department of Energy and Climate Change was a loud voice for Remain during the EU referendum. She appeared to support the new PM over her own junior minister Andrea Leadsom in the race for the Tory leadership. Secretary of State for Brexit: David Davis In holding the newly created role Mr Davis will be front and centre in the negotiations for Britain's exit from the EU. He has previously published what he described as a 'Brexit economic strategy for Britain'. Mr Davis has served as Foreign Office Minister and shadow home secretary. Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor: Liz Truss She moves over from her previous job of Environment Secretary to become Britain's first female Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, replacing the sacked Michael Gove. She will have a busy in-tray and her and Mrs May will swiftly have to decide whether to press ahead with her predecessor's sweeping reforms to the penal system, such as letting inmates out of jail during the week and creating an academy-style reform of prisons where failing jails are taken over by more successful institutions. Health Secretary: Jeremy Hunt A controversial figure, Jeremy Hunt has been kept on as Health Secretary after three years despite a damaging dispute with junior doctors that led to the first ever all out strike of medics. Mr Hunt has aggressively pursued the objective of establishing a seven-day NHS and cracking down on mortality rates - but he has had repeated run ins with doctor unions. The Health Secretary is likely to press on with attempting to deliver the agenda of reform while managing the pressures caused by rising numbers of elderly patients. Transport Secretary: Chris Grayling Chris Grayling ran Mrs May's leadership campaign for the Tory leadership and was expected to be in line for a return to the front line. A difficult spell as Justice Secretary under David Cameron saw Mr Grayling moved to Commons leader - while his replacement Michael Gove reversed many of his changes. As Transport Secretary, Mr Grayling has the urgent issue of the Heathrow third runway to resolve and will have to continue to wrestle with Tory opposition to the HS2 railway. Communities Secretary: Sajid Javid The former business secretary has been given the role of secretary of state for communities and local government. Mr Javid, who held the culture secretary position before being appointed to the business role last year, is a former managing director of Deutsche Bank. The 46-year-old University of Exeter graduate stood on a "joint ticket" with Stephen Crabb for the leadership election, hoping to be chancellor if Mr Crabb had become PM. International Development Secretary: Priti Patel Prominent Brexiteer Ms Patel was employment minister before being taking on the international development role. The 44-year-old studied at Keele and Essex universities and began work in the Conservative Central Office in 1997. She also worked in consultancy before she became MP for Witham, Essex, in 2010. Chief Secretary: David Gauke A veteran of the George Osborne Treasury, David Gauke is promoted to take the rule of deputy to Philip Hammond. Widely appreciated as a safe pair of hands, Mr Gauke has spent six years stewarding Budget bills through the House of Commons. Despite the scrapping of Mr Osborne's target to eliminate the deficit, Mr Gauke will provide a degree of continuity in the Treasury under the new administration. Foreign Secretary: Boris Johnson He wanted the top job but pulled out of the race when Michael Gove made a surprise announcement that he was to run for PM. His political fortunes have turned following Mrs May's decision to give him one of the most sought-after roles in the Cabinet. The former Mayor of London's appointment could be seen as somewhat unexpected, having been prone to more than the odd gaffe overseas down the years. International Trade Secretary: Liam Fox He was forced to resign from his role as defence secretary in 2011 after allowing his friend and best man Adam Werritty to take on an unofficial and undeclared role as his adviser. Five years on he has been welcomed back into the ranks by the new Prime Minister. He ran in the Tory leadership contest but was quick to back Mrs May when he was eliminated in the first round. Education Secretary and Women and Equalities minister: Justine Greening She replaces sacked Nicky Morgan at the Department of Education, which has acquired the new responsibility for universities - previously covered by the Business Department. Ms Greening moves across from International Development Secretary and she also served briefly as Transport Secretary. She becomes the first openly LGBT Equalities minister after last month revealing she was in a same sex relationship. Lords Leader: Baroness Evans of Bowes An almost complete unknown, Baroness Evans has been catapulted from Government whip in the House of Lords to the Cabinet in a single move. Just 40 years old, the former think tank director is one of the youngest and newest members of the unelected chamber. As leader of the Lords, Baroness Evans will have a crucial and difficult job steering Mrs May's legislation through a chamber in which the Tories do not have a majority. Work and Pensions Secretary: Damian Green A long term ally of Mrs May, Damian Green was her deputy at the Home Office for four years before a spell on the backbenches. Mr Green rose to prominence in 2008 after his Commons office was controversially raided by police over alleged leaks despite not presenting a search warrant.. The then Commons speaker Michael Martin came in for harsh criticism after authorising the raid inside the Palace of Westminster. Prosecutors eventually ruled there was no case to answer Northern Ireland Secretary: James Brokenshire Former minister for security and immigration James Brokenshire has taken on Theresa Villiers' old post. Ms Villiers resigned from the role after Mrs May offered her another role which she felt she could not take on. Mr Brokenshire, 48, studied law at the University of Exeter and worked in an international law firm before being elected as MP for Hornchurch in 2005. The constituency was dissolved and he then became MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup in 2010. Culture Secretary: Karen Bradley She was parliamentary under secretary of state in the Home Office from 2014, but now Mrs Bradley will take on the culture portfolio. She will oversee arts and culture, broadcasting and creative industries, amongst others. Mrs Bradley, 46, is a mathematics graduate of Imperial College London and went on to work as a tax manager. Leader of the House: David Lidington David Lidington wins promotion to the Cabinet after a tough run as David Cameron's Europe Minister. Mr Lidington formed the advance party for much of Mr Cameron's EU renegotiation tour, flying ahead to European capitals to prepare the ground. At the same time, he replied to endless debates caused by mischievous Eurosceptic backbenchers. Chancellor: Philip Hammond In one swift announcement George Osborne was out and former Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond was in as Chancellor of the Exchequer. He has previously served as Transport Secretary and Defence Secretary. The 'reassuringly boring' choice, Mr Hammond studied philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University and is believed to have a devout belief in economic stability and prudent public finances. Defence Secretary: Michael Fallon He had been tipped as a possible candidate for promotion but Mrs May appeared to give her seal of approval to his work in the past two years by keeping Mr Fallon in his current role. A safe pair of hands, Mr Fallon can also expect to keep his other informal role as the 'Minister for the Today programme', sent out to firefight for the Government on difficult days. Chief Whip: Gavin Williamson He was the long-term Parliamentary aide of outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron and has been rewarded for his service by being made the crucial behind-the scenes role of chief whip. Mr Williamson, who only came into Parliament in 2010, was part of Mrs May's leadership campaign and is well-liked among Tory MPs - key for his new job of persuading his colleagues to push through government legislation. Party chairman and Duchy of Lancaster: Patrick McLoughlin A former miner and veteran of the Conservative Party, Patrick McLoughlin will be a key fixer for Mrs May. As the new party chairman, the former transport secretary will be a big image challenge to claims the Conservative Party is still the preserve of the posh. And as the replacement for Oliver Letwin at the Duchy of Lancaster, former chief whip Mr McLoughlin will able to intervene on policy delivery where he is most needed by the new prime minister. Environment Secretary: Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom was rocketed to prominence in the aftermath of the EU referendum after she decided to run for leader. A junior energy minister and middle ranking Brexit campaigner, she came to public attention in the final TV debate before polling day. Mrs Leadsom defied expectations by winning through to the second round of the Tory leadership contest but toxic comments about how being a mother qualified her for the top job blew up her campaign. She quit the race on Monday this week, handing Mrs May No 10. Business and Energy Secretary: Greg Clark He was the communities secretary, but Mr Clark will now take on the business portfolio. He follows Mr Javid in the role which will see him manage strategy and policy across the business department. Mr Clark, 48, grew up in Middlesbrough and went on to study at Cambridge and the London School of Economics where he gained a PhD for a thesis on incentive payments. He has also held the post of universities secretary and financial secretary to the treasury. Wales Secretary: Alun Cairns He was appointed as Welsh Secretary just four months ago so there is little surprise that Mr Cairns will retain his position. The 45-year-old who was born in Swansea, is a graduate of the University of Wales, Newport, and was elected as MP for the Vale of Glamorgan in 2010. He worked in banking for a decade before his election to the Welsh Assembly. Scotland Secretary: David Mundell Almost the only sure bet at the start of the day, the only Conservative MP in Scotland keeps his post at the Scotland Office. Mr Mundell, who came out as gay earlier this year, backed Remain at the referendum - unlike his son Oliver, an MSP who backed Brexit. The departure of Stephen Crabb also means Mr Mundell is now the only member of Mrs May's team sporting a beard around the Cabinet table. Advertisement Meet the minister for low priorities! New international aid secretary Priti Patel previously demanded ABOLITION of her department because it wastes money Priti Patel has been promoted to International Development Secretary The new International Development Secretary previously demanded the abolition of her own department because it wastes money. Priti Patel dismissed DfID as 'low priority' and complained that its funding was being 'abused and misspent in so many ways'. The remarks by the prominent Brexit campaigner will fuel speculation that David Cameron's commitment to development spending could be watered down under the new Theresa May regime. Many on the Tory right were furious about the refusal to abandon the pledge to spend 0.7 per cent of GDP on aid despite the austerity imposed on the country over the past six years. In his parting shot before standing down from No10, Mr Cameron urged his successor to stick with the controversial policy. Mrs May has put her top team in place with breathtaking speed after carrying out a brutal cull of many stalwarts from the Cameron years. Michael Gove, Nicky Morgan, John Whittingdale and Oliver Letwin were all put to the sword, while Stephen Crabb quit as Work and Pensions Secretary in the 'best interests' of his family days after he faced allegations of sexting. Theresa Villiers, who was Northern Ireland Secretary, resigned this lunchtime after being offered a new job and turning it down. Mark Harper also resigned today. Andrea Leadsom, who was due to go head-to-head with Mrs May for the Tory leadership before dramatically withdrawing, was made Environment Secretary. Close ally Chris Grayling, who ran Mrs May's leadership campaign and was thought likely to get a big promotion, was appointed Transport Secretary. Another ally, Damian Green, was handed the big work and pensions brief. In a major Whitehall shake up, Mrs May created a Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy department - handing the large and powerful brief to Greg Clark. Mrs May met the ministers she was firing in Parliament to carry out the sackings, before travelling to Downing Street to make her appointments. Ms Patel, who played a leading role in the EU referendum battle, was among the big winners, moving from employment minister to International Development Secretary. But her previously comments about the department were quickly unearthed. In 2013, she raised questions about the level of staffing at 'low priority' DfID, saying: 'Families up and down the country making sacrifices and having their living standards squeezed will be astonished to see low priority government departments spending their hard-earned taxes on more staff. 'The civil service needs to become more efficient and effective at deploying the resources it has. During these tough economic times government departments should be leading the way by reducing their sizes not taking taxpayers for granted and bringing in more bureaucrats.' The same year she joined Tory colleagues to suggest the department should be abolished altogether. Ms Patel has previously suggested DfID should be abolished and slammed 'abuses' of taxpayers' money Michael Gove was seen browsing books in Waterstones after being sacked by Mrs May. He was spotted taking a taxi from the Houses of Parliament 'A long-term strategic assessment is required, including the consideration to replace DfID with a Department for International Trade and Development in order to enable the UK to focus on enhancing trade with the developing world and seek out new investment opportunities in the global race,' Ms Patel said. It is possible to bring more prosperity to the developing world and enable greater wealth transfers to be made from the UK by fostering greater trade and private sector investment opportunities. An article posted on Ms Patel's website highlighted DfID funds being sent to Argentina. 'What could be more crazy than British taxpayers, who are feeling squeezed at home and facing cuts in public spending, seeing their hard-earned money handed over to a country that threatens our interests?' she said. 'The international aid budget has already been abused and misspent in so many ways and these arrangements with Argentina are utterly unacceptable and deeply distasteful. 'These payments must stop and I have been lobbying the Prime Minister to take the robust action needed to stop my constituents hard-earned taxes being used to subsidise this aggressive regime.' Where did it all go wrong, Dave? Cameron and Osborne mull the collapse of their political careers over coffee in Notting Hill They dominated the Conservative Party for more than a decade, and ran the country for six years. But David Cameron and George Osborne were left picking over the collapse of their political careers over coffee near Notting Hill this morning. The dramatic fall from grace of the former Prime Minister and Chancellor was confirmed yesterday when Mr Cameron formally tendered his resignation to the Queen and handed over to Theresa May. Within hours Mrs May had brutally sacked Mr Osborne - who had been clinging to the hope that he might be shifted to one of the other great offices of state like Foreign Secretary. Mr Osborne's humiliation was complete when he was forced to slink out of Downing Street - which had served as his family's home since 2010 - by the back door. Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne will now have to work out their next move after being swept from power after the historic Brexit vote. They are both still MPs Exclusive pictures obtained by MailOnline show Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne chatting at the Lisboa cafe in north Kensington this morning. The casually-dressed pair spent their first morning of freedom drinking coffee and eating pastries at a local cafe. They sat with their wives and children for around an hour close to Portobello Road Market. Samantha Cameron is also thought to have been there. One witness told MailOnline: 'We couldn't believe it when they arrived. They sat outside for an hour with their families. 'Mr Cameron was laughing and seemed quite relaxed. Mr Osborne was definitely subdued. He looked thoughtful.' Another customer said: 'It is obvious that Mr Cameron was happy He shook my hand and said he was getting on with his life and enjoying time with his family. I respect that'. The former PM, his ex Chancellor and their families were watched as the ate by a security team sitting in a black Range Rover parked across the road. Mr Cameron arrived first with his family and waited for Mr Osborne who arrived around 15 mins later. Mr Cameron's eldest daughter led the other children in and they ordered traditional Portuguese custard tarts , other cakes and drinks for the party. Owner Celia Gomes, who has run the business since 1982, said: 'Mr Cameron has a house nearby and have seen him a few times over the years. 'He sat with the Chancellor reading the papers and chatting about it. I came out to have a picture with him but the security said no. He was talking to customers and people passing by. He looked happy. As a naturalist and television presenter of Springwatch he is often outspoken about environmental issues. And now Chris Packham has vowed to never shop in Marks and Spencer or Iceland again if the supermarkets decide to sell grouse this year. The 55-year-old has launched a social media campaign condemning the selling of red grouse, claiming it is toxic, cruel and harms hen harriers. Chris Packham has vowed to never shop in Marks and Spencer or Iceland again if the supermarkets decide to sell grouse this year Packham argued that retailers have a duty to prove the grouse they sell comes from sustainable moorland landscapes and also claimed the ammunition used to shoot grouse contains high levels of lead which could be a risk to health. Grouse shooting depends on intensive habitat management which environmentalists argue increases flood risk and greenhouse gas emissions. It also relies on killing animals that prey on grouse such as foxes, stoats, mountain hairs and hen harriers. Speaking in his YouTube video, Packham said: 'Would you want to eat grouse from a supermarket? I think not. You see they're shot using lead ammunition. 'Now on average, we find that they show ten times the lead level that would be permitted in beef, pork or chicken 'So Marks and Spencer and Iceland, should you choose to sell grouse this year, I won't be eating any of that toxic produce and I won't be shopping in your stores because I've signed a petition to ban driven grouse shooting and I'd very much like you to consider doing the same.' Both stores said yesterday they currently have no plans to stock grouse with Marks and Spencer adding that it plans to look at stock numbers for the animal before making a final decision. The UK's leading countryside organisations have, however, condemned Packham's attack and demanded the BBC withdraw support for the anti-shooting campaigner. The 55-year-old has launched a social media campaign condemning the selling of red grouse, claiming it is toxic, cruel and harms hen harriers Peter Glenser, chairman of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation said: 'Chris Packham abuses the exposure afforded him as a BBC personality to continually espouse an ill-formed, anti-shooting agenda. 'This must be stopped by the BBC if they want license fee payers to have faith in their editorial independence. 'For Packham to condemn shot grouse as 'toxic' is blatant misrepresentation. BASC proudly supports an ethical, sustainable grouse shooting industry which boosts the economy, keeps people in jobs and produces healthy, tasty and safe food for the table.' This is not the first time Packham has found himself at loggerhead with shooting groups. Last September the Countryside Alliance called on the BBC to sack the high-profile presenter after he criticised conservation groups for sitting on the fence over fox hunting, badger culling and the plight of hen harriers In 2014, he was questioned by police in Malta for five hours after a row with armed huntsmen over the slaughter of migratory birds. Marks and Spencer said yesterday it currently has no plans to stock grouse, adding that it plans to look at stock numbers for the animal before making a final decision The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has however maintained that there is 'strong scientific evidence' which links intensive grouse moor management with illegal practices that result in fewer protected birds of prey. A spokesman said: 'This illegal persecution of wildlife, when added to the intensification of the management of moorland (more burning, damage to peat areas that capture carbon, and the medication of grouse) is causing a number of serious questions to be posed to the grouse moor managing community and those that sell their products. A high-speed train linking cities on Australia's east coast is one step closer after the company behind the $200 billion project secured land deals in regional hubs. The company, which wants to build the 900km line connecting Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney in just two hours has met with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the Victorian and New South Wales governments to seek support for the project, reported The Australian. The plan would connect Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra and see the construction of eight new inland cities built between the capital cities. Scroll down for video A map showing the 915km proposed high-speed rail route from Melbourne to Canberra to Sydney If the world's fastest trains, such as the Japanese super conducting magnetic levitation train, France's TGV or China's HSR, were used, the travel time for the 915km route could be as little as 110 minutes. Work on the project could begin within five years if it wins support from the government and the communities who will be affected. The Australian reported that Consolidated Land and Rail Network (CLARA) has been negotiating with property owners for the past 12 months. They have secured legal rights over 40 per cent of the land needed for the development, more than 16,000 hectares, through option agreements signed with about 70 land owners. CLARA chairman Nick Cleary said the infrastructure could be paid for from the city development rather than government funds. He said the business model would be privately funded through the use of land value capture. An image from Consolidated Land and Rail Australian showing the high-speed train approaching Sydney One of the train options is France's TGV (pictured) which has a rail network extending across Europe including Switzerland and Italy, France to Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom (the Eurostar) Another train option is the HSR in China (pictured) which has the world's longest network with more than 19,000km of track, with trains that can reach speeds of up to 380 km/h (240 mph) 'Not only is CLARA seeking to build the world's largest high-speed rail infrastructure to date, the rail network is just part of a wider plan providing a quantum leap forward for the development of inland Australia,' Mr Cleary said. Mr Cleary said the planned new cities, designed to reduce the pressure on the growing populations in Sydney and Melbourne, would be 'stand-alone, sustainable, smart and designed from the internet-up'. The plan has support from Australian and US businesspeople on an advisory board. This includes former Victorian premier Steve Bracks, former NSW premier Barry O'Farrell and former US secretary of transportation Ray LaHood. Indira, a 15-year-old Bengal tiger, who is near blind and suffering from a rare condition that makes her cross-eyed has been knocked out and given a series of scans to save her eyesight. The 96-kilogram tiger has starred in blockbuster movies including George of the Jungle and Anaconda, but her eyesight has deteriorated so badly over the years she now walks into objects, falls into open ditches and at times has trouble finding her food. Indira has cataracts and a severe case of strabismus, a disorder in which the muscles around the eye stop working together and make them focus in different directions. Scroll down for video Indira, a 15-year-old, 96 kilogram Bengal tiger, has cataracts and a condition that makes her cross-eyed The big cat was anaesthetised and given a series of scans at the University of Sydney on Wednesday Professor Vanessa Barrs, from the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney, said the illnesses profoundly affected the tiger's day-to-day life. If we can improve her vision it will absolutely improve her quality of life, Professor Barrs said. She will be eating better and, for a tiger, vision is so important. Experts performed an ultrasound, MRI and computerised tomographic CT/CAT scan on Indira at the universitys veterinary teaching hospital on Wednesday. Professor Barrs said everything went to plan and a team of veterinary ophthalmologists was analysing the results. Indira's eyesight has deteriorated so badly she walks into objects and can't see her food A team of vets, including expert ophthalmologists, examined the tiger to determine what surgery she needs Indira has cataracts and a severe case of strabismus, which has turned her eyes to face her nose Indira, who is cared for by Zambi Wildlife Retreat located an hour from Sydney, will return to the hospital for surgery in a few weeks' time once specialists have determined what surgery is required. Professor Barrs said part of the operation will remove her cataracts, a delicate task that would be performed by a skilled optomologist from Taronga Zoo that was part of the team. Tigers are endangered and there are not many left in the world, Professor Barrs said. Anything we can do to improve their quality of life is important to us Experts performed an ultrasound, MRI and computerised tomographic CT/CAT scan on Indira Indira was transported to the University of Sydney vetinary school from her home at Zambi Wildlife Retreat, located an hour from Sydney Before her eyesight worsened Indira starred in movies including George of the Jungle and Anaconda "Magical Pied Piper," a musical retelling of the classic parable, will be performed at the Frances Leach High Prairie Arts & Science Complex, 1810 Schafer St. in Bismarck. Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 2 p.m. Saturdays Aug. 4-6 and Aug. 11-13. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students, seniors and military and may be purchased at the door on the day of the show. A dead whale that keeps returning to the Southern California coast has been towed out to sea again. The 45-foot-long humpback called Wally was hauled away Wednesday after drifting near Dana Point in Orange County. A Harbor Patrol boat towed it 10 miles out to sea in a three-and-a-half hour operation. Scroll down for video A dead whale nicknamed Wally that keeps returning to the Southern California coast has been towed out to sea again. The Orange County Sheriff's Department posted this image of the whale on Facebook The Facebook page for the Orange County Sheriff's Department wrote online: 'Wally the Whale needed to be towed away from shore again today- this time our Dana Point Harbor Patrol boat towed the 45 ft. whale carcass 10 miles out to sea.' Wally actually, a female was first towed after washing up on Dockweiler State Beach in Los Angeles County before the Fourth of July weekend. The decaying carcass was towed again a week later when it drifted toward San Pedro. Wally was spotted near Newport Beach on Sunday and was towed out a third time. According to the OC Register, lifeguards were able to tow Wally 11 miles out. Newport Lifeguards tweeted this image of Wally on Monday, writing: 'Newport Beach Lifeguards are AGAIN towing the 45' whale.South winds returned Wally overnight' They also posted this image on Sunday, captioning the shot: 'Lifeguard Rescue Boat keeps a 45' Humpback carcass off the beach in W Newport. The whale washed up near LAX Friday' The whale drifted back on Monday and was towed again -- but it then appeared around Dana Point two days later, the newspaper reported. Currents have been pushing the carcass south. Back when she was alive, the whale had previously 'starred' in a popular video in which she appeared to spray a rainbow from her blowhole, DailyMail.com reported. Alisa Schulman-Janiger, a whale research associate with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, has said that the mammal was spotted three times previously off Southern California between June and August of last year by whale watchers who gave it the nickname Wally. Wally actually, a female was first towed after washing up on Dockweiler State Beach in Los Angeles County before the Fourth of July weekend. She is seen at the beach Authorities first tried to push the whale back into the water at Dockweiler Beach( pictured) using a bulldozer but failed because of the low tide North Pacific humpbacks feed along the West Coast from California to Alaska during summer, according to the Marine Mammal Center, a Sausalito-based ocean conservation organization. Although the species' numbers are extensively depleted, humpbacks have been seen with increasing frequency off California in recent years, the center's website said. Humpbacks, familiar to whale watchers for their habits of breaching and slapping the water, are filter feeders that consume up to 3,000 pounds of krill, plankton and tiny fish per day, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Back when she was alive, the whale had previously 'starred' in a popular video in which she appeared to spray a rainbow from her blowhole (pictured) The mammal (pictured at Dockweiler Beach) was spotted three times previously off Southern California between June and August of last year by whale watchers who gave it the nickname Wally California has seen a number of whales on beaches this year. A humpback carcass that appeared off Santa Cruz in May had to be towed out to sea, while a massive gray whale that ended up on San Onofre State Beach in April had to be chopped up and hauled to a landfill. Kuuppo will face jail time in Australia if he is convicted He was arrested in Bali in May 2015 as he The accused fled to Indonesia following the charges against him He is accused of sexually A man jailed in Bali accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Western Australia last year has been extradited to Perth. Finnish national Samuel Pekka Juhani Kuuppo, 32, was arrested in Bali in May 2015 after he allegedly attacked a woman in Western Australia in February last year, 9 News reported. Kuuppo was flown from Bali to Perth and fronted Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday. If convicted he will be jailed in Australia. Finnish national Samuel Pekka Juhani Kuuppo (pictured), 32, was arrested in Bali in May 2015 after he allegedly attacked a woman in Western Australia in February last year Kuuppo (pictured) is escorted by Indonesian police at the Bali prosecutor's office in Denpasar, Bali on Wednesday He was detained in Bali for more than a year after he was arrested in May 2015 at Denpasars Nugrah Rah Airport as he tried to board a flight to Singapore. Bali Prosecutor chief, Abdul Muni said Kuuppo was charged with a criminal offence in Australia and on that basis he was extradited, PerthNow reported. He will face jail time in Australia if found guilty. Following the charges the 32-year-old fled to Indonesia. An extradition request was officially filed in March 2015 after a letter from the Australian ambassador called for the search and arrest of the Finnish national. At the time of his arrest it was reported Kuuppo told police he left Australia because he was unhappy with the bad weather and heard the cost of living in Bali was cheap. Australian officials and Indonesian police escorted the man to a Jetstar flight bound for Perth on Wednesday, the publication reported. Kuuppo was arrested at Denpasars Nugrah Rah Airport (pictured) after he tried to board a flight to Singapore and detained in Bali for over a year At the time of his arrest it was reported Kuuppo (pictured) told police he left Australia because he was unhappy with the bad weather and heard the cost of living in Bali was cheap Kuuppo was not required to enter a plea in Perth Magistrates court on Thursday. He was told the charges will later be heard in the District Court. The matter was adjourned until August 11 for legal advice. A man has been sentenced to a minimum of two years in jail after pleading guilty to being involved in the death of a grandfather who was tied up, beaten and left to die over drug money. Daniel Thomas O'Donnell, 50, from Melbourne, pleaded guilty on Thursday to the manslaughter of 75-year-old Raymond Parker, whose bound body was found in his rural south-east Victoria bedroom on January 13, 2015. Supreme Court Justice Karin Emerton sentenced O'Donnell to three-and-a-half years in jail with a minimum of two years to be served. Daniel O'Donnell (pictured), 50, from Melbourne, was sentenced to two years in jail on Thursday after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Raymond Parker, 75, who was beaten to death in 2015 It is believed Mr Parker was growing marijuana and a hydroponic cannabis crop found on his rural Victoria property (pictured) appeared to have been raided Justice Emerton said she took into account his remorse, disadvantaged background and willingness to give evidence against his two co-accused. Two other men have been charged in relation to Mr Parker's murder - Dean Brookes, 23, and Garren Phillips, 45, according to the Herald Sun. It is believed Mr Parker was growing marijuana and a hydroponic cannabis crop found on his property appeared to have been raided, police said. Detective Sen-Sgt Stephen McIntyre told the Herald Sun Mr Parker, a retired butcher, was quiet and kept to himself. 'He was a fairly frail man, he was in ill health and he wouldn't have posed any risk or threat to anyone,' he said. 'He'd been bashed, he'd been left there and we aren't sure whether he had died sometime after the assault.' An ad so irritating that annoyed customers threatened to boycott the business has been pulled after a barrage of complaints. The ad, by insurance company AAMI, featured a young girl playing an out of tune recorder, producing a screeching sound some compared to fingernails scraping down a chalkboard. It was so bitterly disliked that some customers wrote to the company to demand their advertising team be sacked. Scroll down for video The ad, by insurance company AAMI, features a young girl making screeching sounds on her recorder while her parents wait for help An AAMI spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the original ad had been replaced with a 'sweeter sounding' version in response to customer feedback. 'We had a number of people saying they weren't happy with the ads,' he said. 'We've listened to them and, rather than digging in our heels, we've altered it.' The ad was replaced with a version in which the girl plays the nursery rhyme Frere Jacques instead. On Tuesday AAMI announced they would be replacing the ad, also apologising for battering their customers' eardrums An AAMI spokesman confirmed that the ad had been replaced with a 'sweeter sounding' version in response to customer feedback Customers vented their anger over the ad on AAMI's Facebook page, as well as their relief that it had been changed. 'Thank you for changing that ad. Don't care what anyone says that recorder made it one of the worst ads ever,' one customer said. She continued: 'I don't think I ever really watched it because as soon as I heard that horrible sound, I had to turn it off.' Another customer added: 'Every time it came on I got a massive pain in my ears because I have sensitive hearing. One time I nearly threw the remote through the screen.' AAMI customers took to social media to vent their frustration and irritation at the original ad Relieved customers were grateful the company switched to a version which instead had the girl playing the nursery rhyme Frere Jacques Some customers disliked the ad so much they threatened to leave AAMI and join another insurance provider AAMI announced it was replacing the ad on Tuesday in a Facebook post that also apologised for battering customers' eardrums. The post read: 'A sincere 'Thanks' to everyone who took the time to let us know what you thought about our latest ad (even those Tweets suggesting our ad team be retrenched ). 'We've listened to your feedback, so, rather than insisting you wait for what's coming up we thought you'd like to know we're airing this slightly different version from today. It was hosted at Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy's house in New Jersey A former 'rising star' at Fox News claims CEO Roger Ailes once approached her as she jumped on a trampoline with children and said: 'Are you wearing any panties? I wish you weren't.' The incident occurred while the unnamed woman was at a barbecue hosted by Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy at his house in New Jersey, according to a new report in New York Magazine. Reporter Gabriel Sherman cited sources who revealed that at least three former Fox anchors have claimed to have been harassed by Ailes. Last week, former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson sued Ailes, 76, claiming he fired her after she refused his sexual advances. Since then, numerous women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against the network boss, some dating as far back as the 1960s. Ailes has denied the allegations. Scroll down for video A former Fox News star claims CEO Roger Ailes (right) approached her as she jumped on a trampoline with children and said: 'Are you wearing any panties? I wish you weren't.' It comes after former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson (left) sued Ailes claiming he fired her after she refused his sexual advances One recently departed host described an incident in which Ailes allegedly made her turn around in his office to show him her figure, according to the magazine. Another woman, identified only as a former model called Judy, described a traumatic incident from when Ailes was a daytime television producer. Judy, now 67, says that she was 19 and auditioning for The Dennis Wholey Show with Ailes. She says Ailes told her to lift up her skirt and lie face down on a bed at the Sheraton Gibson Hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio. 'I totally freaked,' she told New York Magazine. 'I got up and ran to the door. He stood in front of the door and locked it.' Eventually, Judy managed to escape and told her parents what had happened. They took her to the police but she says Ailes was 'manipulative' and sweet-talked her parents out of pressing charges. Meanwhile, a former model, 74, says Ailes propositioned her during an interview for The Mike Douglas Show in 1967. 'If you sleep with me, all these things will happen,' she remembered him saying. The unnamed woman was on a trampoline at a barbecue at Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy's (pictured) house in New Jersey She slept with Ailes at the Bellevue-Straford Hotel in Philadelphia, she told the magazine, expecting overnight success but was horrified by the result. 'I was sent to different places where you'd go into a room and some guy would be there thinking you have to give him a blowjob,' she told the magazine. 'It was horrifying. I wasn't a prostitute.' She said she later tried to commit suicide by overdosing on pills. A Fox spokesman dismissed the allegations made by New York magazine and accused the author of conducting 'a baseless smear campaign.' 'Gabe Sherman continues to conduct a baseless smear campaign in concert with Gretchen Carlson's lawyer,' the spokesman said. 'Carlson's contract was not renewed because she was a failure with the audience. 'Once again, Sherman's twisted allegations from anonymous sources are completely false.' Former Fox News Channel anchor Carlson sued Ailes last Wednesday, claiming she was cut loose after she refused his sexual advances and complained about harassment in the workplace. The lawsuit asks for an unspecified amount of payment for damages. Ailes, in a statement, denied the allegations and accused Carlson of filing the lawsuit in retaliation for her contract not being renewed. Fox News stars, including Geraldo Rivera, Great Van Susteran and Elisabeth Hasselbeck have since spoken out in defense of the network chief executive. Carlson, 50, the former host of a daytime show at Fox who had worked at the network for 11 years, was abruptly let go on June 23. Nine months earlier, during a meeting with Ailes she called to address her feelings that she had been discriminated against, she alleged he told her that 'you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago.' Now, Carlson is publicly taking on one of the most powerful men in the media business. In her lawsuit, Carlson (center) also said that Doocy (left), one of her co-hosts 'had created a hostile work environment by regularly treating her in a sexist and condescending way' Ailes built Fox News Channel from scratch in the 1990s, turning it into the top-rated television news network with a profound influence on politics. Fox is highly profitable for parent company 21st Century Fox. Carlson, who was Miss America in 1989, alleged in her lawsuit that Ailes ogled her, repeatedly commented about her legs, urged her to wear clothes that enhanced her figure and told her she was sexy but 'too much hard work.' She said she was fired as a host of morning show Fox & Friends in 2013, and her pay reduced with the transfer to a daytime slot, because she had complained about sexual harassment. Carlson also said that Doocy, one of her co-hosts 'had created a hostile work environment by regularly treating her in a sexist and condescending way.' Carlson said that when Ailes heard of her complaints, he called her a 'man hater' who needed to learn to 'get along with the boys.' Since then, 21st Century Fox said that while it has full confidence in Ailes and Doocy, it has begun an internal investigation into the case. Ailes claimed that Carlson began to 'conveniently' pursue a lawsuit when she became aware that Fox was not renewing her contract, citing poor ratings. Ratings for her program, 'The Real Story,' were lower than for any other show on the network in June, the Nielsen company said. A Phoenix community has turned into a ghost town after a serial shooter believed to be responsible for the death of seven people, including a 12-year-old girl, has sent residents hiding in their homes. Investigators have found common threads in the deaths: All the victims were either shot inside or near their cars, in residential neighborhoods on a weekend night. It was believed the shooter was only targeting residents of Maryvale, their six victims all gunned down within a four mile radius. Scroll down for video The Phoenix Police Department has released this sketch of the 'serial street shooter' they believe is responsible for seven homicides and three other non-fatal shootings in the city in the last four months But on Tuesday police linked the 'serial street shooter' to a seventh victim as well as three additional non-fatal shootings that occurred in completely different areas of west Phoenix. It was the first time Phoenix police publicly acknowledged that not only were the homicides linked - but a serial shooter was on the loose. Authorities now believe the shooter first struck on March 17, injuring a 16-year-old teen who was walking down the street at 11.30pm. Two days later the shooter struck again at the exact same time, shooting a 21-year-old man who was standing outside of his car. His injuries, like the 16-year-old boy's, were not life threatening. It was April 1 that the shooter made his first kill, gunning down Diego Verdugo-Sanchez in front of a home around 9pm. Verdugo-Sanchez, 21, was enjoying a taco dinner with his fiance Marina Smith, who was pregnant at the time, and her parents when he went outside to lock his car. Not even two seconds later, Smith heard four gunshots, according to The Arizona Republic. Her mother found Verdugo-Sanchez lying on the ground. Maleah Ellis, 12, is the shooter's youngest victim. She was sitting in a car listening to music with her mother Stefanie Ellis, 33, and her mother's friend Angela Linner, 31, (right) when all three were shot Stefanie Ellis (pictured) was shot 14 times, including in the stomach, chest, nose chin and through the head. She held on for nearly a month before succumbing to her injuries on July 7 Just two weeks later Krystal Annette White, 55, was killed when she stepped outside for a moment while visiting an elderly friend. She was a mother of six. White's death was the seventh homicide investigators linked to the serial street shooter on Tuesday. 'Police are confident that White's case is still forensically linked to the other incidents,' Sgt Jonathan Howard told The Arizona Republic. It would be nearly two months before the serial street shooter struck again, this time killing five people in just 10 days. Horacio De Jesus Pena, 32, was shot and killed just before 10am on June 3 as he returned from a job helping out at a group home for people with special needs. Pena had just gotten out of his car in front of his family's home when he was gunned down. 'He wasn't even two feet away from his car door,' Pena's sister Nancy told NBC News. She arrived at the home to find her brother's dead body still on the ground. Manuel Castro Garcia, 19, was murdered outside his home a week later. Witnesses saw Garcia have a brief conversation with someone who approached his car on June 10. That same person then shot him dead. Just two days later the serial street shooter would claim three more victims, including their youngest one. Diego Verdugo Sanchez, 21, was the shooter's first victim, gunned down while having dinner with his pregnant fiance's parents. Krystal Annette White, 55, was killed just two weeks later while visiting an elderly friend Horacio De Jesus Pena, 32, (left) was shot and killed just before 10am on June 3 as he returned home from work. Manuel Castro Garcia, 19, (right) was murdered outside his home a week later Stefanie Ellis, 33, her daughter Maleah, 12, and her friend Angela Linner, 31, were shot while listening to music inside a car parked in a driveway around 3am on June 12. Maleah was hit by seven bullets, including one to the neck. Ellis was hit by 14 bullets, including in the stomach, chest, nose, chin and through the head. She held on for almost a month before succumbing to her injuries on July 7. Authorities said there is physical evidence that ties all of the shootings together but that so far no evidence has been found that any of the victims had pre-existing relationships with each other. A sketch, made from a suspect description provided by a wounded victim, has since been released of the serial street shooter. It shows a man with dark hair who police have described to be thin and in his early twenties. Police have said the suspect may be white or Hispanic but said it cannot be stated for sure. A reward for information leading to an arrest has been raised to $30,000. Authorities have pleaded with the community for tips. 'Someone out there knows who did this,' said Phoenix Police Chief Joe Yahner. Police initially connected the deaths of Pena, Verdugo-Sanchez, Garcia, Linner and the Ellis', which all occurred within a four mile radius. They revealed on Tuesday they believe White was also a victim of the serial shooter 'We need out community to call us or Silent Witness and help us solve these cases, bring justice to these families and victims and prevent more violence from occurring.' Meanwhile a group of volunteers that call themselves the Guardian Angels are now patrolling the Maryvale neighborhood where six of the shooter's victims were gunned down. Chapter leader Mike Upchurch said the group wants to show the killer the community is not afraid of them. 'To the serial killer, hey you're a coward,' he told Fox 10 Phoenix. 'Flat out you're a coward. You're shooting innocent people. You killed a 12-year-old girl in a car in her driveway.' 'If the killer knows the community is no longer afraid of him, you've taken his power away,' Upchurch continued. 'And we're trying to take back the community from the serial killer.' Donald Trump has been widely mocked online after threatening to 'swamp' Ruth Bader Ginsburg if he is elected President. In his latest salvo against the Supreme Court Justice following her criticisms of him, the presumptive Republican nominee tweeted: 'If I win the Presidency, we will swamp Justice Ginsburg with real judges and real legal opinions!' The billionaire businessman was teased for his apparent spelling mistake, with commenters assuming he meant to type 'swap', and then derided a second time because the President is not able to dismiss Justices. Donald Trump has been mocked online after saying he was going to 'swamp' Ruth Bader Ginsburg 'with real judges and real legal opinions' after she criticized him Trump has already called for the Supreme Court Justice to resign after she took the extraordinary step of criticizing him in an article for the New York Times, and then again on CNN Trump was also derided by those who believe he meant to write 'swap', because the President is not able to dismiss Supreme Court Justices - that must be done via impeachment proceedings in Congress Under Article III of the U.S. Constitution, Supreme Court Justices are granted a lifetime position in the court 'in good behavior', meaning they can only be removed for impeachable acts. Impeachments, which are similar to criminal indictments, can only be brought by the House of Representatives and must be backed by a majority. From there the impeachments are taken for trial in the Senate, where a two-thirds majority is required among a jury panel of Senators in order to remove the Justice. In American history, only one Justice has ever been impeached - Associate Justice Samuel Chase in 1805 - but he was acquitted by the Senate and remained in post. The message is just the latest in a barrage of criticism that Trump has thrown at Ginsburg following her comments about him to the New York Times over the weekend. 'I can't imagine what this place would be I can't imagine what the country would be with Donald Trump as our president,' she said. 'For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be I dont even want to contemplate that.' On Tuesday she redoubled her attack stance, telling CNN that Trump 'is a faker.' Scroll down for video The tweet is just the latest in a salvo of criticism from Trump after Ginsburg said he was unfit to be President, and then followed up those comments by calling him a 'faker' Last night Trump took aim at Ginsburg's judgement, saying her 'mind is shot' and calling her embarrassing She continued: 'He has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment. He really has an ego. 'How has he gotten away with not turning over his tax returns? The press seems to be very gentle with him on that.' In response Trump said he hopes Ginsburg leaves the bench for good, a comment he followed up with a tweet late on Tuesday night which pointedly told her to 'resign.' He said that Ginsburg 'has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me. Her mind is shot - resign!' Trump also told the Times that 'it's highly inappropriate that a United States Supreme Court judge gets involved in a political campaign, frankly. 'I think its a disgrace to the court and I think she should apologize to the court. I couldnt believe it when I saw it. 'It's so beneath the court for her to be making statements like that. It only energizes my base even more. And I would hope that she would get off the court as soon as possible.' Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks told CNN that the tax return question is still unresolved and in the IRS's lap. 'As you know, Mr. Trump is undergoing a routine audit and plans to release his returns when completed,' Hicks said. 'No further comment.' PARTISAN: Ginsburg was a Bill Clinton appointee and hinted in an Associated Press interview last week that she believes Hillary Clinton will be the next president Ginsburg, a Bill Clinton appointee who typifies the liberal wing of America's highest court, insisted that 'every other presidential candidate has turned over tax returns.' She told CNN that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has received tougher media treatment than Trump's, saying: 'I think he has gotten so much free publicity.' Recalling her initial reaction to Trump's early candidacy, Ginsburg said: 'At first I thought it was funny. To think that there's a possibility that he could be president ' CNN reported: 'Her voice trailed off gloomily.' Democratic senators strained on Tuesday to avoid being seen as defending the politicization of the Supreme Court. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut told Politico that 'we all know that the justices on the Supreme Court have political views. Im not sure were well served by them airing them out in the open.' The Associated Press reported last week that Ginsburg has said she assumes Clinton, the former secretary of state, will win the November election. 'It's likely that the next president, whoever she will be, will have a few appointments to make,' Ginsburg told the AP. Ginsburg's comments about Trump have stunned members of the legal community and campaign watchers, who say her remarks were unprecedented and underscore the need for Supreme Court justices to keep their political opinions to themselves. 'I find it baffling actually that she says these things,' said Arthur Hellman, a University of Pittsburgh law professor, in an interview with The Washington Post. 'She must know that she shouldn't be. However tempted she might be, she shouldn't be doing it.' Josh Blackman, a professor at the Houston College of Law who specializes in constitutional law and the Supreme Court, said Ginsburg 'has lost it' and her comments are 'absolutely beyond the pale - even for her outrageous self'. 'The other justices should hold an intervention, and tell her to be quiet or step down,' he wrote on his blog . 'This isn't funny anymore. She is making overtly political statements about the presidential election that are absolutely unbecoming of a Justice of the Supreme Court.' In a blog post, Rick Hasen, a professor of law and political science at the University of California, Irvine, said it would be legitimate for a 'reasonable person' to question Ginsburg's impartiality in a case involving Trump, based on her comments. 'I think this is ultimately a question for judicial ethicists, but I do think following these comments it is a legitimate question to raise, should Donald Trump's campaign come to the Court with any legal questions before the election,' Hasen wrote. 'I also expect that for many how one views this issue will depend upon ideology: many conservatives will be quick to pounce and many liberals will be quick to defend. The founder of a private Sydney college that lured thousands of disabled students to sign up for $25,000 courses with the promise of free lap tops pocketed the profit and transferred $22 million into a family account in the span of one day, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission claims. Amarjit Singh, who owns the Unique International College in Granville, a suburb in western Sydney, saddled more than 3,600 disadvantaged or illiterate students with student loan debt before 'pouring money into the pockets of his family,' the federal court was told on Thursday, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Mr Singh told the court that he was responsible for transferring $22 million from his business account to a family bank account. Amarjit Singh (pictured), the owner of the Unique International College in west Sydney, lured thousands of disabled students into debt before transferring $22 million into a family account A $5.7 million piece of property in Sydney's north-west suburb of Kenthurst was also transferred from the college's possession to a family member of Mr Singh in July last year, the ACCC claims. 'The only gifts that changed people's lives are the gifts you gave [to your family] of the millions of dollars of profit you earned,' Mr O'Bryan said. Mr Singh denied the ACCC's claims. The College was paid about $57 million by the commonwealth for the students who enrolled in their VET FEE-HELP funded diploma courses, which cost between $22,000 to $25,000 per course, the ACCC said. 'The conduct of concern allegedly targeted some of the most vulnerable groups in the Australian community, including consumers from remote areas and from low socio-economic backgrounds,' ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said. 'Only 2.4 per cent of the consumers who signed up to and commenced Unique's courses between 1 July 2014 and 30 December 2014 completed their course,' Mr Sims said. NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said Unique used unfair tactics like free incentives and providing unclear information about the courses to sign up students. 'It is important that colleges are upfront with prospective students and clearly explain the price of the courses they are offering. Consumers need to be able to fully understand what they are agreeing to before making a decision to sign up to a course. The VET FEE-HELP loan incurred by students is a lifetime debt,' Mr Stowe said. Just up the hill from Plymouth Rock, the Blue Blinds Bakery has been a favorite among locals in 'America's hometown' since it opened eight years ago. But lately, this usually serene cafe has been abuzz with talk of accusations made by an anonymous poster on its Facebook page. The Christian sect that owns the bakery The Twelve Tribes has been forced to defend itself against allegations of racism and child abuse from the poster, who identifies himself as a former sect member and bakery worker. About three weeks ago, messages began to appear accusing the sect of disciplining children with a cane or a wooden stick on the open palm or bare buttocks sometimes dozens of times each day. The messages also implied the sect was racist and endorsed slavery. The Blue Blinds Bakery is owned by a Christian sect, The Twelve Tribes. About three weeks ago, messages began to appear on the bakery's Facebook page accusing the sect of child abuse and racism. The group denies the allegations Lev Bryant, manager of the Blue Blinds Bakery, right, engages a customer in a cordial conversation regarding faith on the front porch of the bakery on Wednesday The poster identified himself as Kayam Mathias, 21, a former bakery worker who says he left the sect five years ago. 'I saw many kids beaten as 'discipline,' many times out of anger. The idea is to drive out the evil one from as early as possible,' he said. The postings have bewildered some Facebook followers and prompted others to denounce the sect and the people who run the bakery. Still others pledge allegiance to a business they say they'll continue to trust. Lev Bryant, 41, a sect member who manages the bakery, denied the allegations of child abuse and racism. 'There's no child abuse here period,' he said. 'We're trying to deal with this fraudulent issue.' Bryant confirmed that Mathias was a member of the sect and worked at the bakery. A Twelve Tribes commune in Island Pond, Vermont, was raided by police in 1984 after allegations of child abuse. More than 100 children were removed but were returned hours later after a judge said the raid was illegal. Last year, an elder from the sect in southern Germany was convicted in Noerdlingen state court in Bavaria of causing bodily harm by hitting a child in his care with a 4-foot switch. About three weeks ago, messages began to appear accusing the sect of disciplining children with a cane or a wooden stick on the open palm or bare buttocks sometimes dozens of times each day. The messages also implied the sect was racist and endorsed slavery Plymouth police Capt. John Rogers said police have never received any reports of child abuse by sect members and are not investigating. He said that he called the bakery after hearing about the postings, but that workers indicated they did not want to file a complaint. Twelve Tribes was founded in the 1970s in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The group later moved to Vermont, then expanded to locations around the world. Members live and work together and home-school their children. In Plymouth, the group also runs a grocery store and has a compound-style property in the historic district, where the Pilgrims first settled. On its website, Twelve Tribes says it has 2,000 to 3,000 members who live a 'tribal life' in different geographical areas of the world, 'so as to be a demonstration of how God has always wanted His people to live'. The regulars who go to the bakery for apple cinnamon scones, cranberry almond biscotti and other homemade pastries say the controversy won't drive them away. Mike Coleman, a retiree who meets a group of friends there a couple of times a week, said sect members are friendly and visible in the community. 'From everything I have seen from these people, they've been good neighbors and good community people,' he said. Plymouth police Capt. John Rogers said police have never received any reports of child abuse by sect members and are not investigating A woman's dreams of having a child were nearly ruined because of a congenital heart disease preventing her from giving birth - but then her sister-in-law stepped. Rebecca Robinson, 26, from Brisbane, was born with transposition of the great arteries, a hole between the aortas, a single ventricle and leaking valve. Despite having open heart surgery four times before turning three, her cardiologist told her condition meant the stress child birth would put on her heart would be 'very high risk', the Sunshine Coast Daily reported. That's when her sister-in-law, Melanie Woodford, stepped in, unasked. Rebecca and Will Robinson from Brisbane, Queensland. Due to a heart condition, Mrs Robinson can't carry a baby and give birth Melanie Woodford and husband Adam. Mrs Woodford has offered to carry a surrogate child for her brother, Will, and sister-in-law Rebecca 'We were telling her about the situation and she said to my husband she would love to carry for us, ' Mrs Robinson told the Sunshine Coast Daily. She and husband Will, who were married in September 2015, were amazed at her generosity. Mrs Woodford, 32, who already has two sons, told Daily Mail Australia she didn't think twice before offering. Although she didn't ask her husband Adam before offering, they've since agreed on it, she said. Will and Rebecca were married in September 2015 and want to start a family - but can't do so themselves because of Rebecca's heart condition Melanie Woodford said she had discussed being a surrogate with her husband Adam (right) and they'd decided to go ahead with it 'I'm a little bit scared, I don't know the process. I've been trying to read up a little bit about it... It's a big deal.' Mrs Robinson's condition stops her from doing many things - she can't get her ears pierced or ride a roller coaster, for example. That means stressful situations like childbirth can be dangerous. Her cardiologist, Doctor Dorothy Radford, told the Sunshine Coast Daily: 'Increased blood volume, increased cardiac output, increased heart rate - makes an increased work load on the heart - as well as the increased chance of clotting'. Although women with heart diseases can carry a baby, Mrs Robinson only has one ventricle and four surgeries. It means chances of miscarriage, premature birth and blood clotting were high. Although Dr Radford didn't tell her not to carry a baby outright, Mrs Robinson took her advice and decided not to. Mrs Robinson had four open heart surgeries to fix the issues with her heart before she turned three What makes Mrs Woodford's offer special is that finding a surrogate in Australia legally can be difficult. Altruistic surrogacy - which is unpaid - is legal, but those offering or seeking it cannot advertise for it. The costs of surrogacy are also high - the Robinsons expect it to cost well over $50,000. They have to pay for IVF, for hospital care, for lawyers, counselling, doctors, and Mrs Woodford's time off work. IVF treatments, for example, can cost from $6,000 - $20,000, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported. Mrs Woodford said she wasn't sure when the process would begin as the organising and fundraising had yet to be completed. Unknown to Mrs Robinson, her mother set up a Go Fund Me page to help them raise the money needed to cover the surrogacy. She every donation was 'amazing', but even if people just shared their story, that was enough. Four months later she was arrested over death of Daniel McNulty When Neville died in 2014 at the age of 87 her final downfall began Harriet Wran has revealed how she took ice after her father Neville's state funeral and was hooked on Ritalin from the age of 10, laying bare her downfall from politician's daughter to accused murderer and drug addict for the first time. The heiress, who on Thursday at the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney after being convicted of robbery and being an accessory to murder, said her politician father's 'sudden' death was a catalyst for her final fall from grace after years of drug addiction and desperation. Sobbing as she recalled the seedy details which led to her part in the death of a Sydney drug dealer two years ago, the 28-year-old said she began looking for replacements when she stopped taking Ritalin aged 23 and started abusing heavier drugs. She had been taking it for 10 years, relying on it as a teenager to socialise while secretly battling eating disorders. While she began taking ice in 2011, it was her father's death in April 2014 - four months before she was arrested - which sped up her downfall. Scroll down for video Harriet Wran (above leaving NSW Supreme Court on Thursday) is awaiting jail after being convicted of robbery and being an accessory to murder The 28-year-old revealed how she relapsed to drug taking after her father Neville's state funeral in 2014 (pictured above with her brother Hugo at the event) 'We suddenly lost him. I'd never seen anything like that before. It was so strange his journey had finally ended,' she said through tears. 'It had been a really long and painful journey for us all.' Wran said that sometime after her father's state funeral on April 30, a former boyfriend came over to her house with the drug. She told NSW Supreme Court on Thursday she remembered thinking 'oh God' when he produced it. Her drug use coupled with her father's public death and state funeral created the 'perfect storm of problems', her lawyer said as he pleaded with a judge to pass down a lenient sentence for her conviction of attempted robbery and being an accessory to murder. Neville Wran, who was the premier of NSW between 1976 and 1986, died in April 2014 after a lengthy health battle. Harriet and her brother Hugo are his children from a second marriage. Born in 1988 to a life of privilege, the heiress never wanted for a thing growing up in Sydney. She attended elite private schools including Ascham and Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School (SCEGGS) in Darlinghurst, before she went to the University of Sydney to study Modern and Ancient History. So charmed was her upbringing and high-brow her family's reputation that her father even waltzed with Princess Diana at a charity dinner in 1996. After stints in rehabilitation centres, the politician's daughter first tried the addictive drug ice in 2011 'IT SOUNDED LIKE HE WAS TRYING TO BREATHE': HARRIET WRAN DESCRIBES HARROWING DEATH OF DRUG DEALER STABBED BY HER BOYFRIEND Harriet Wran described for the first time on Sunday how her boyfriend killed a drug dealer while dropping off for ice for them at Redfern apartment in 2014. Michael Lee has been convicted of killing Daniel McNulty by stabbing him in the knee and back. As she pleaded for a lighter sentence after having her charges reduced to attempted robbery and being an accessory to murder on Thursday, Wran recalled the moment he was killed. 'I feel terrible. I'm ashamed to have been involved in anything like that. I can't believe someone died. I can't believe someone was so badly hurt. No one should lose their life in those circumstances. 'But it happened. I just have to try to come to terms to it every day. I regret every step I took that night. 'It just sounded like someone was trying to breathe but they couldn't, and they were trying to scream as well.' She vowed never to return to drugs if released from prison which she said had 'saved her life'. 'I've had the benefit of two years of clean time under awful circumstances, the worst I could ever imagine. 'The consequence is the cravings I had for a few days after using are not present any more. 'The only times I ever think of ice are in my dreams, and those dreams are very bad ones. I've (spent) a lot of time forming a plan on how I will progress when I leave jail. 'And I will not be attending social gatherings where that is happening, early on, and I don't plan to ever drink again in my life. And I know I won't go back there.' If she had never been sent to jail she said: 'I think I would have killed myself through using drugs.' Advertisement How her crippling drug addiction began But it was during those privileged schooling years, she revealed on Thursday, that she battled crippling eating disorders and a severe dependency on the drug Ritalin which she had been taken since having it prescribed at the age of 10. 'I associated (it) with being able to function normally. As I got older when I felt insecure or when I felt like I had to do something important I would take more. I developed anorexia when I was 17 and about a year-and-a-half later I developed bulimia. 'It had quite a similar effect to an amphetamine. It came up and came down in a similar way,' she said. Claiming to have been bullied at school, she described herself as a 'socially insecure' teenager for whom classes were 'a form of torture'. 'School was a form of torture for me, I didn't like it at all. I had an eating disorder which got on top of me and started to use ecstasy quite frequently. 'I developed anorexia when I was 17 and about a year-and-a-half later I developed bulimia.' After leaving school and graduating from university she undertook two jobs in television. At the age of 23, after 13 years of use, she stopped taking Ritalin. Her former boyfriend Michael Lee (pictured above arriving at court in 2014) has been convicted of murder Pictured arriving at court on Thursday for sentencing, the troubled politician's daughter smirked in a prison van The first time Harriet smoked ice While working as a producer at The Weather Channel, Wran took cocaine on the weekends with friends. Her problems worsened and in 2011, after leaving a rehabilitation centre where she had been receiving treatment for her eating disorders, she took ice for the first time. 'I knew as soon as I had taken it it was the wrong thing to do and I had broken a big rule in my books about the what I would do. From that point on, I hated using it. But the cravings kept driving me back to it 'I was devastated when it wore off. From that point on, I hated using it. But the cravings kept driving me back to it.' Years of drug use and strained relationships with her family followed. It was in these years Jill Wran, her devoted mother, would attempt to lock her in houses to stop her from further abusing. Stints in rehabilitation, toxic romantic relationships and a suicide attempt followed. Asked if she had tried to take her own life, she said on Thursday: 'I think so, I'm not sure. 'I drank a lot in a moment of despair and stupidity. 'I came to in hospital with 42 stitches in my arm.' When her father died at the age of 87 two years ago the family fought tirelessly over the fortune. Jill Hicks, Harriet's mother and his second wife, was said to have been embroiled in a fight with Kim Sheftell over his estate while his other children reached a settlement in April. Four months after his death, Harriet was arrested for her part in the murder of drug-dealer Daniel McNulty who was found dead in an apartment in Redfern, Sydney. Wran's boyfriend and his friend pleaded guilty to murdering small time drug dealer Daniel McNulty (above) The 28-year-old's mother Jill (right) has attended her trial loyally. She has offered for her to live at her home once she is freed Court documents have told how Wran had appeared at the window of Mr McNulty's flat on August 10 that year. He told his housemate: 'Don't worry, it's just a girl.' But Mr McNulty did not see the two men standing behind Wran - her boyfriend of two weeks, heroin addict Michael Lee, and his friend Lloyd Edward Haines, who she had only met that night. As Mr McNulty unlocked his front door, Lee burst through and demanded money and drugs, and the robbery quickly turned deadly. If I hadn't knocked on the door perhaps it would never have happened 'If I hadn't knocked on the door perhaps it would never have happened,' Wran said in a shaking voice on Thursday. Wran told the court she was spared from watching as Mr McNulty was fatally stabbed but heard his harrowing final moments. 'It just sounded like someone was trying to breathe, but they couldn't,' Wran said through tears. He was murdered by her then boyfriend Michael Lee and his friend Lloyd Edward Haines when attempting to deliver drugs when they killed him. Lee and Haines have both pleaded guilty to murder. Mrs Wran has agreed to allow her daughter to live with her if she is released from jail. The 67-year-old had also offered to give up drinking to help her stay clean, she told the court. Police tape covers the squalid housing commission apartment in Redfern where drug dealer Daniel McNulty was murdered in 2014 Harriet is the daughter of late NSW former premiere Neville Wran and his second wife Jill. She is seen above together with her parents and brother Hugo in 2005 HARRIET WRAN'S DESCENT: A TIMELINE OF DRUGS AND DESPAIR How events unfolded, according to Wran's testimony at court Thursday... 2011: Wran's childhood doctor takes her off Ritalin, the drug she used to treat her ADHD since age 10. Her bulimia, which she has suffered for years, worsens. She starts snorting cocaine more often. Her father is diagnosed with dementia. August 2011: Stressed by her father's illness and her escalating cocaine use, the 23-year-old returns early from a holiday around Australia. She checks into the South Pacific Private rehabilitation centre suffering chronic depression Late 2011: Wran makes friends with meth users at the centre. She discharges after three weeks and has beers with an ice-using friend. Tries the drug for the first time 2011 - April 2014: Wran is in and out of rehab and eating disorder treatment centres. At one point, she tries to kill herself, waking up in hospital with 42 stitches in her arm. At one point, manages to stay clean for eight months April 2014: Wran's famous father, Neville, dies. Wran reads a poem at his state funeral but family tensions break into the open at court. She swiftly relapses after an ex-boyfriend comes over, bringing ice with him August 10, 2014: Daniel McNulty is killed in a botched ice deal at his Redfern public housing estate. August 13: Police spot Wran and boyfriend Michael Lee at Liverpool Train Station, in Western Sydney and arrest them July 3, 2016: Wran's murder charge is dropped, she pleads guilty to robbery in company and accessory after the fact to murder July 14: Wran publicly about the incident for the first time at her sentencing hearing as mother Jill watches on July 23: Sentence to be handed down Advertisement Her arrest and jail time Since entering prison - where she said she had been the target of death threats and was kept in total isolation for five months for her own safety - Wran said she had kicked her ice habit for good. 'After what happened, after someone died, everything changed,' she said. 'There was just no option to ever go back to drugs. If that wasn't a wake-up call I don't know what could be. 'The only times I ever think of ice are in my dreams, and those dreams are very bad ones.' She told the court when she first met Lee, who has pleaded guilty to the murder of Mr McNulty, she saw him as a 'calm entity in a crazy world'. But in the days after the killing she came to hate him. She said one of Lee's drug dealer friends had told him she was a 'problem'. 'I hope you're not the biggest mistake I've ever made,' Lee wrote to her in a text message. She reassured him he could trust her. But she wanted nothing more than to get away from him and was 'relieved' when she was recognised by police at Liverpool railway station. 'He'd shown me who he really was,' Wran said. 'I'd seen his true colours. I mean I should have known that night.' Wran said she has spent a lot of time forming a plan on how she will progress when she leaves jail. 'I want to get a degree and stay busy and feel like I've at least given back in some way,' she said. She said she wanted to work in animal welfare, and wants to take up a role fighting ice addiction when she is 'emotionally' ready for it. A looming sentence After she finished giving evidence Thursday, Wran left the witness box, sat down in the dock, rested the back of her head against the wall and sighed. In legal argument that followed, both prosecutors and defence lawyers agreed she deserved time behind bars on her charges. Her lawyer noted she has already spent two years jail since her arrest - first in Silverwater Jail, where she was in isolation for months, and later in Wing C of Dawn de Loas Correctional Centre, where she works as a prison librarian four days a week. We accept the reality is shes going to get a jail sentence for both charges, said defence barrister Mr Boulton. But he argued her sentence should be at the 'lower end' of the spectrum. Shes done extraordinarily well (in changing her life),' he said. Prosecutor Mr McManus said she should not be sentenced for matters out of her control which she wasnt criminally responsible for. Outside the courthouse, Wran's mother Jill would only remark: 'I think enough's been said already'. Wran will learn her sentence on July 26. A mother-of-three who had been reported missing for almost a week has been found hiding inside the roof cavity of a discount shoe store, barricaded in with furniture in a 'makeshift cubby.' Reina Borck, 31, was reported missing from Kogarah in Sydney's southern suburbs last Friday and family had concerns for her welfare 'due to a medical condition.' Police had issued a state-wide alert, but just after midday on Thursday officers were called to a Pauls Warehouse store on the Princes Highway at nearby Carlton, the Daily Telegraph reported. The woman, who has mental health issues, had snuck in through a storage cupboard and spent six days inside the roof without food, water or amenities - just metres from thousands of customers. Missing mother-of-three Reina Borck, 31, has been found hiding inside the roof cavity of a shoe retailer Concerned staff members had called police when they heard the woman on Thursday morning. 'She barricaded herself inside and staff had no idea she was there until they found her this morning. It gave them quite a shock,' explained the officer who found Ms Borck. A NSW Ambulance spokesperson said the woman came out on her own accord and was treated for dizziness at the scene by paramedics. She was reportedly severely dehydrated and suffering from fatigue, and taken to St George Hospital for further treatment and assessment. Police say there are no suspicious circumstances. Homicide squad detectives familiar with Sydney siege gunman Man Monis recognized him as the hostage taker within hours of him storming the Lindt Cafe, but the tip-off was never passed on to officers at the scene. The commander of the Terrorism Intelligence Unit told the inquest into the siege on Thursday that the information should have been brought to his attention. When pressed on why he wasn't clued in on the information, he replied that he was 'not sure why that was done.' Scroll down for videos Homicide squad detectives recognized Man Monis as the Sydney siege gunman within hours of him storming the Lindt Cafe, but the tip-off was never passed on to officers at the scene His identity wasn't formally confirmed until after the 17-hour siege reached its deadly end, when officers stormed the stronghold and killed Monis (pictured) Six hours into the siege on December 15, their entire intelligence summary was focused on Monis (pictured) However, an hour after detectives suspected Monis, the commander was included in an email pointing to Monis as a suspect - one of six or seven suspects being evaluated at the time. But by 4pm on December 15, around six hours into the siege, their entire intelligence summary was focused on Monis. His identity wasn't formally confirmed until after the 17-hour siege reached its deadly end, when officers stormed the stronghold and killed Monis. It comes as it was revealed the inquest heard extraordinary testimony from the first marksman to storm the Lindt Cafe who on identifying Monis shouted to his team, 'there's the c**t, shoot him'. The officer, codenamed Alpha Two, also recalled the moment Monis was shot dead. 'I watched the laser being around his head and upper chest,' he said. 'I remember hearing the rounds engaged, watching as his head exploded and he crumpled to the ground.' Alpha Two told the inquest on Wednesday he saw a red laser trained onto Monis. 'I watched the laser going from the middle of his chest to his head, then I watched his head explode, and he fell down' The senior constable told how he sprinted towards the Martin Place cafe carrying a 17.6 kilogram ballistics shield after hearing the words 'hostage down', before leading his team in during the early hours of December 16, 2014. Another officer shattered the cafe's glass door and the Alpha team barged inside, with the shield-bearer providing cover and using the light on his pistol to illuminate the hostage-taker. He described seeing two white-yellow flashes, which appeared to be gunshots, from where Monis was standing as he burst in. 'I remember going 'there's the c**t, there's the c**t, shoot him',' Alpha Two told an inquest on Wednesday into the fatal stand-off 18 months ago. He went on to describe seeing a red laser trained onto Monis. An Alpha team member known as 'Officer A', who was standing to his left, then opened fire. Alpha Two could feel the firearm over his shoulder and heard the burst of shots ring out. 'I watched the laser going from the middle of his chest to his head, then I watched his head explode, and he fell down,' he said. As Alpha Two moved to drag Monis' dead, crumpled body a couple of metres away, he could see a number of hostages sitting and standing in the immediate area. He then helped rush hostages outside and shouted for medics, the inquest heard on Wednesday. Under cross-examination from Michael O'Connell SC, acting on behalf of the family of hostage Katrina Dawson, who was killed in the crossfire, Alpha Two was asked about his team leader codenamed 'Officer B' falling down behind him as he entered. Alpha Two told the inquest he couldn't recall seeing Officer B on the ground, but accepted he would have screamed for the man to get up. The inquest has previously heard Officer B also opened fire when he stormed inside the cafe, but it is not clear which bullets killed Monis. Hostages are pictured fleeing the Lindt Cafe during the 17 hour siege in December, 2014 The inquest had previously released images revealing police snipers had direct access to the Lindt Cafe but were unable to shoot Monis because the glass windows were too thick. The images showed sniper positions were maintained in the Westpac, Network Seven and Reserve Bank of Australia buildings on Martin Place throughout the 2014 siege. As the Lindt Cafe stand-off unfolded over more than 17 hours, three sniper cells deployed in separate locations manned high-powered rifles and kept an almost constant watch on the stronghold. The inquest heard that although the snipers could see almost half of the interior they would not have been able to shoot Man Haron Monis due to the building's 30mm-glass windows. The images also showed that decorations on the windows obstructed the view of snipers located within the RBA building, and partially obstructed the view of the officer in the Channel 7 newsroom. It also heard snipers had baulked at shooting the hostage-taker when they first observed him through a window at about 7.30pm on the first day of the siege, and about 10 hours into the ordeal, because they did not believe the hostages were facing an 'immediate' threat. 'All the information and intelligence I gathered didn't satisfy the immediate part ... that part was missing,' Sierra 3-1 told an inquest earlier this month. 'We weren't justified in shooting him at that point, so we didn't.' It would be seven more hours before they would get another clear view of Monis, just minutes before he shot cafe manager Tori Johnson dead at about 2.13am on December 16. Megyn Kelly was left stunned after actor and comedian D.L Hughley blasted Fox News for being racist as the pair took part in an explosive row live on air. The pair had been discussing the death of Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, on Wednesdays broadcast of The Kelly File. Hughley started his interview by saying he was not aware that Mark Fuhrman, the police officer convicted of perjury for claiming he had never used the racial epithets against black people while testifying in the OJ Simpson murder trial. But Hughleys discussion with Kelly heated up as the pair disagreed over the findings in the investigation into the death of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. Scroll down for video Megyn Kelly was left stunned after actor and comedian D.L Hughley blasted Fox News for being racist as the pair took part in an explosive row live on air A frustrated Hughley blasted the conservative network, sarcastically stating: The only place that racism doesnt exist is Fox News and the police department. Thats absolutely true. Thats insulting, a shocked Kelly replied. You just insulted millions of people watching this channel. Hughley responded: Well, Im insulted by the things I hear on this network. So were even.' Calling out the network for catering to its largely conservative viewer base, he added: I could care less about insulting people that insult me on a daily basis. The conversation calmed down when Kelly conceded that white people do perceive interactions with police differently than black people - but insisted that the term racism shouldnt be thrown out before its proven. Kelly was left stunned by the interview, during which the comedian accused the network of racism I believe theres a benefit of the doubt thats given to police officers thats not given to anybody else, Hughley said. Citing a 2006 FBI report that said police departments were rife with white supremacists, Hughley added: So why wouldnt I believe if I know that? I dont know a black man that hasnt had a run-in with a police officer, from the highest to the low. So my perception of this is based on the experience that Ive had, just like yours are. So I am not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. At this point, Kelly remarked: Its very dangerous when you get to the point where you paint an entire group with the same brush based on the bad actions of a few people. Noting the irony in the comment, Hughley said: That is amazing to hear on this network, that really is. Kelly interrupted and ended the interview before Hughley was able to finish. 'Im insulted by the things I hear on this network,' Hughley (right) told Kelly after she said his comments were insulting to viewers Hughley pinned a tweet sharing an article on his row with Megyn Kelly about the recent police shootings The discussion came at a time of heightened tensions in the country following the shootings of two black men last week. Alton Sterling, 37, was killed during a scuffle with police officers outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 5. The following day, Philando Castile, 32, was shot by a Minnesota police officer during a traffic stop as he reached for his license. He had told the officer he was carrying a gun, which he had a permit for, his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds said. She was in the car at the time, along with her four-year-old daughter, and live streamed the gruesome aftermath of the shooting on Facebook. The deaths sparked a number of protests against police brutality across the county - and last Thursday, one in Dallas turned deadly. Five police officers were killed when Army veteran Micah Johnson, 25, opened fire during a Black Lives Matter protest. A gambling addict who conned a 60-year-old man out of $127,000 after meeting him online has been jailed for 14 months. Robyn Clare Pearce, 62, lied to the man about her desperate circumstances when she was actually wasting the money in poker machines. Over the course of their relationship the victim was conned out of so much money he was forced to sell his house, the ABC reported. Robyn Clare Pearce, 62, conned her victim out of $127,000, which she spent on the poker machines at the Wrest Point Casino in Tasmania (pictured) Pearce met her victim on an online dating site and gained his sympathy with lies about her desperate circumstances Pearce met the retired Victorian public servant in 2007 through an online dating site. She concocted a string of lies to gain his sympathy, such as telling him she needed to pay her elderly mothers hospital bills, the Supreme Court of Tasmania heard. Across 122 separate transactions between 2007 and 2008 the victim ended up giving her more than $127,000. Around the same period Pearce also conned $80,000 from a Queensland man she met online an offence she was jailed for in 2012. Between 2007 and 2010 Pearce used the money to fuel a gambling addiction worth $2million at the Wrest Point Casino in Hobart. Pearce, from Sandford, Hobart, pleaded guilty to dishonestly acquiring a financial advantage. During sentencing, Justice Helen Wood said Pearce had exploited her victims generosity. She sentenced Pearce to 14 months in prison, noting that her poor physical and mental health would make the sentence more difficult. Bizarre start-ups have cropped up across Australia with people who will do just about anything for a profit. Cleaners who come round after house parties to make you breakfast, renting a chicken or goat and shooting your loved ones ashes into the air in a spectacular fireworks display, are some of the weird businesses on offer. Daily Mail Australia have compiled some of the weirdest start-ups that can be seen across the country where you can pay as low as $3, and up to $5,800 for their services. Ashes to Ashes is a company which, for a fee, will send your loved one's or pet's ashes up in a spectacular fireworks display to honour their memory (pictured) Ashes to Ashes In a bid to give families who have lost their loved ones the send off of a lifetime, Sydney based pyrotechnician, Craig Hull, invented a service which would let people 'go out with a bang'. Ashes to Ashes is a company which, for a fee, will send your loved one's or pet's ashes up in a spectacular fireworks display to honour their memory. The idea started when Craig decided that cremating his dogs wasn't enough and sent them up in a flurry of sparks using fireworks. Pricing for the unconventional service start at $5,800 with customers able to choose the colours and patterns which most suit the recently departed. Pricing for the unconventional service start up to $5,800 but customers are able to choose the colours and patterns which most suit the recently departed Friday Beers At only $28.80 a week, Friday Beers will deliver craft beer directly to your desk 'each and every Friday' with a mixed six pack on offer for customers. The company has no hidden delivery fees, but only have beer on offer for customers in their locale including locations in Sydney and Brisbane, with Melbourne areas to come. Currently only beer can be purchased but a variety of cider will likely be available in the coming months. Each week a hand picked range of craft beer is available to try giving customers access to a variety of different Australian made brews. Friday Beers wrote: 'There's nothing worse than warm beer, especially on a Friday afternoon, so your beer is delivered cold and ready to drink. 'It'll be at your desk before you knock off.' At only $28.80 a week, Friday Beers (pictured) will deliver craft beer directly to your desk each and every Friday with mixed six packs on offer for customers Memorial Glass If fireworks aren't to your liking, Memorial Glass offers a subtle way to keep the memories of your loved ones close to you. The bizarre business offers customers jewellery and glass keepsakes encasing the cremated ashes of their loved ones from prices ranging from $120 to $395. The ornamental objects and jewellery are made using glass blowing techniques mixed with the ashes of your loved ones and 'like memories are designed to last as heirlooms'. Based in Victoria this business also allows customers to use their pets ashes to create the glass memorials. Memorial Glass offers customers jewellery and glass keepsakes encasing the cremated ashes (pictured) of their loved ones from prices ranging from $120 to $395 Rent a Chook If you're looking to keep some chickens in the yard or commit to them permanently, Rent a Chook will allow you to test drive what it means to keep the farmyard animals. For $450 the company will supply customers with an Eco-Coop and two hens, to begin with, and all their requirements for up to six weeks. Starting in 2001 Rent a Chook is a Sydney based business but assure customers they will deliver Australia wide. If you're looking to keep some chickens in the yard or commit to them permanently, Rent a Chook will allow you to test drive what it means to keep the farmyard animals For $450 the company will supply customers with an Eco-Coop and two hens, to begin with, and all their requirements for up to six weeks Herd for Hire Renting a goat has never been more simple. Setting up temporary electric netting around the area of land which needs to be grazed Herd for Hire allows customers to remove unwanted vegetation or be the owners of goats for as long as needed. The price is not listed but quotes can be requested on the Herd for Hire website. While the goats work, herders can stay on site to look after them and a small amount of work can also be taken care of by them. When the goats have finished their job, they are then taken back and the netting is removed. The time it takes to remove the vegetation depends upon the size of land, the density of the vegetation and the size of the goat herd. Renting a goat has never been more simple. Setting up temporary electric netting around the area of land which needs to be grazed Herd for Hire allows customers to remove unwanted vegetation on their land Litter Kwitter The award-winning Litter Kwitter allows cat owners to teach cats to toilet train their pets. If you're looking for an alternative to 'unhygenic kitty litter trays' the Litter Kwitter has been described as a godsend to pet owners. In a 3-step training system designed specifically for cats, owners are able to train their pets to go in the toilet just like a human. The Litter Kwitter looks like a toilet seat and costs $59 to purchase. The website claims that owners homes have 'never been so clean'. 'No more mess, no more germs, no more smells, no more hassles,' they added. The Litter Kwitter looks like a toilet seat and costs $59 to purchase. In a 3-step training system designed specifically for cats, owners are able to train their pets to go in the toilet just like a human Poo Patrol In 2008 Poo Patrol took the task of picking up after your dog out of the equation for pet owners. The quirky business offers a weekly clean up priced at $23 to clean up after your dog in homes across Sydney. Using bags, buckets, shovels and now with the help of a handy vacuum the Poo Patrol take a 'load off' pet owners who have 'better things to do on the weekend. Starting in the Sutherland Shire the company wrote that word spread 'like a bad odour' and before long they were venturing to homes in the Eastern Suburbs, North Shore and Inner City of Sydney. In 2008 Poo Patrol took the task of picking up after your dog out of the equation for pet owners The quirky business offers a weekly clean up priced at $23 to clean up after your dog in homes across Sydney Hangover Helpers Hangover Helpers take the headache out of cleaning up after a big night out and provide breakfast options for customers. With green and greasy options your hangover helper will prepare a tasty meal and leave your home sparkly fresh. The task of cleaning up after a party has been alleviated by the company that provide services starting at $200. They said: 'It doesn't matter what sort of party it is, from a friends gathering while the parents are away, a sporting function celebrating a huge win, or a stag or hens do the Hangover Helpers staff will come prepared to make the place look like the party has never happened. 'The staff will happily clean-up and have the place smelling fresh, serve you breakfast and a drink while you relax or head out and enjoy the weekend,' they added. 'Greasy' or 'Green' options are also matched with a drink of choice. But to the disappointment of the rest of Australia the only places they run currently are Melbourne and WA but franchises are available if people are up for the task. Social media users have rejoiced over the return of the famed 'Sydney Seal', who returned to the steps of the Sydney Opera House on Thursday and brought along young seal pup to soak up some sun and culture. The two enjoyed the warm winter's day, occasionally sliding back in to the water to cool off before returning to the warmth of the concrete stairs. One social media user took video of the young seal trying to get the attention of his dad, arching his back and nudging the adult seal with his nose. Scroll down for video The Sydney Seal returned to its beloved Opera House steps on Thursday, this time with a pup in tow (right) Twitter user Ben Patterson took adorable footage of the pup trying to catch his dad's attention The Sydney Seal rose to fame in late 2014 (pictured) when he was first spotted on the Opera House steps Social media users rejoiced over the return of the iconic seal, and cooed over his son A spokesperson for NSW Environment and Heritage said it was common for seals to 'haul out', where they voluntarily leave the water for a short period of time - especially during the winter months. 'The seals will haul out if they need to rest, digest their food or recover from injuries,' they said. Usually, the seals will enter the harbour at night, feed, and plant themselves on the steps before dawn. It's common for them to jump back in the water to cool off during the day before hauling out again. NSW Environment and Heritage and animal welfare workers will continue to monitor the seals, though it is believed they are in good health. The spokesperson for NSW Environment and Heritage said it was an incredible experience for onlookers, as long as they looked, but did not touch. 'People should enjoy it,' they said. 'It's a great way to see nature in one of the most spectacular harbours in the world.' The adorable pair relaxed on the concrete steps of the Sydney Opera House as onlookers excitedly watched on Australias most senior Islamic State fighter has been recorded crying on the phone and telling a jihadist recruiter that fighting in Syria was 'rubbish'. Audio from an intercepted phone call between Islamic State fighter Mohammad Ali Baryalei, from western Sydney, and Hamdi Al Qudsi, who was this week convicted of helping seven wannabe-jihadists fight on the front lines of Syria's civil war, has been released for broadcast. Baryalei said he was desperate to return to Australia and explained to Al Qudsi in one June 2013 call that he was 'over' watching his comrades die in battle. Scroll down for video Mohammad Ali Baryalei - who was involved in a plot to behead a person in Sydney - sobbed on the phone to a fellow recruiter as he described the moment he watched his commander die in battle 'Honestly, I dont want to be here man. Im over it Im over it, he sobs. Why would you wanna live in this rubbish for?' Baryalei can be heard telling Al Qudsi he would connect the recruiter with his leaders and that he wanted to 'open the door' for other recruits to follow. In the same conversation he says in Arabic that he prays Allah will take him. The call is one of a number of communications intercepted by counter terrorism officers and presented as evidence in Al Qudsi's trial. The audio was not permitted to be played in public until a verdict had been delivered,The Sydney Morning Herald reported. Al Qudsi, 41, was found guilty on Tuesday of seven counts of providing services between June and October 2013 for people with the intention they would engage in hostile activity in the war-prone country. His NSW Supreme Court trial heard how he facilitated flights and itineraries and advised the men how to exchange money without drawing attention to themselves. Private phone calls between Baryalei, from Western Sydney, and convicted recruiter Hamdi Al Qudsi (pictured) were played during Al Qudsi's trial Al Qudsi was found guilty of helping seven IS recruits travel to Syria between June and October 2013 In one of the intercepted call between Al Qudsi and Baryalei the recruiter describes the emotional pull Al Qudsi had on the 'brothers'. 'The brothers yesterday were crying ... None of them want to stay in this country for one second after they heard what you said.' Baryalei is regarded as Australia's highest-ranking ISIS member and is believed to have recruited up to 30 Australians fighting in the Middle East. He was accused of plotting to film a person being beheaded in Martin Place around seven weeks before reports of his death emerged. Al Qudsi facilitated flights and itineraries for would-be Australian jihadis and advised the men how to exchange money without drawing attention to themselves Baryalei is regarded as Australia's highest-ranking IS member and is believed to have recruited up to 30 Australians fighting in the Middle East Baryalei attended two Catholic schools in Sydney's west before he worked as a nightclub bouncer in Kings Cross. He was said to have suffered abuse at the hands of his father as a boy and left home at the age of 17, earning money by doing 'odd jobs' for neighbours who needed help. Friends said he battled with mental illness and suffered extensive bouts of depression which saw him confined to his room for days on end. He was also said to have a love of gambling, women and drugs such as cocaine. Baryalei travelled to Syria in April 2013 and there were reports he had been martyred at the end of October, 2014, however the Australian government has not been able to confirm his death. Staring into the camera with bandages masking her horrific injuries, this is the heartbreaking image of a four-year-old girl caught up in an ISIS bomb attack which killed 300 people in Iraq. Asal Ahmed was at the market in Baghdad's affluent Karada district with her mother as they shopped for gifts during the Islamic holiday earlier this month. But ISIS suicide bombers targeted the shopping mall setting off a fire, which ripped through the area killing nearly 300 people and wounding another 200. Four-year-old Asal Ahmed, who suffered horrific burns to her face when she was caught up in an ISIS suicide attack in a Baghdad market that killed 300 people earlier this month Hundreds of people returned to the site of the suicide bombing to light candles and pay tribute to the victims Members of the government-backed Popular Mobilisation force march at protest at the scene of the deadly attack Like many of the injured, Asal suffered extensive burns to her face but returned to the scene of the bombing while being carried in the safety of her father's arms. They were joined by hundreds of others who visited the market to light candles in memory of the victims. The ISIS attack was the deadliest single bombing in 13 years of war in Iraq and has turned the Baghdad district where it took place into the centrepiece of an increasingly bitter rivalry between the government and Shiite militias. Since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, Karada has been hit by seemingly endless suicide attacks, roadside bombs and even rocket shelling. The funerals of the 300 victims have started to take place and their Iraqi flag-draped coffins were carried through the streets A woman has to be comforted after breaking down in tears at the site of the deadliest attack in Baghdad in 13 years But the latest blast has deeply shaken residents in the neighbourhood, who are asking Shiite militias for protection. Haidar Hadi, a resident who works at a Karada women's clothing store, said: 'This one is different. 'Too many people were killed and it all happened when people were fed up with security conditions', said the 26-year-old who, like his co-workers, wore mourning black. Iranian-backed Shiite militias, who style themselves as Iraq's strongest protectors against militants, are stepping in, trying to gain influence in the district. It is part of a wider competition for political power between them and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who has tried to limit the militias' role. In the case of Karada, it could jeopardise the district's inclusive character, given the hatred and fear among Sunnis of the militias. The burnt out shell of the market building after the suicide attack in the affluent Karada district of Baghdad The latest blast has deeply shaken residents in the neighbourhood, who are asking Shiite militias for protection Hours after the bombing, al-Abadi visited Karradah, only to be met by some residents shouting insults at him. He had to rush away in his convoy as residents hurled water bottles, rocks and shoes at it, yelling, 'thieves' and 'pickpockets,' a reference to allegations of widespread government corruption. Militiamen, meanwhile, are maintaining a daily presence at the site of the Karradah bombing. The burned shells of the mall have turned into a makeshift shrine attracting thousands of visitors every day to commemorate the victims - and vent their frustration at the government's perceived failure to protect the city against ISIS. 'I doubt that Karradah will ever return to what it was before the bombing,' said survivor Majid Toamah, a 40-year-old store owner. He lay on his back on the floor in a relative's home with both legs in a cast, broken when he leaped 20 meters (66 feet) to the street below to escape the fire. Thousands of Russians are being given emergency vaccinations against the bubonic plague after a boy contracted the deadly infectious disease while skinning a marmot. Vaccine is being rushed to remote Kosh-Agach in the Altai Mountains in a bid to stop a full scale outbreak of the Black Death infection. The ten-year-old boy was helping his grandfather on a hunting expedition when he caught the plague while skinning the rodent. The unnamed child cut himself with the knife he was using, and is now fighting for his life in intensive care with a high fever. Enough vaccine for 15,000 is being rushed to remote Kosh-Agach in the Altai Mountains in Russia On Thursday he was in a 'serious but stable' condition. The Russian authorities have taken all 17 people with whom he had contact into quarantine. Six of this 'at risk' group are children. At least 4,000 residents in the region will be urgently vaccinated as a precaution, said reports. Emergency vaccine for at least 15,000 people was ordered and has started arriving in the region in southern Siberia. A total of 6,192 people in this district had been vaccinated prior to the outbreak in what is considered a high risk locality. Russian authorities said at least 4,00 residents in the region will be urgently vaccinated (file photo) The boy contracted the deadly infectious disease after cutting his finger while skinning a marmot (file photo) Marmot hunting is banned here because of the threat of the plague, but the restrictions are widely ignored. Marmot furs are sold as a cheap substitute for sable, and the animal is known to carry the disease, reported The Siberian Times. According to the World Health Organisation, more than 13,000 people contracted bubonic plague in Asia, Africa and America between 2004 and 2013. Roughly 900 of them died from the disease. Bubonic plague was the cause of the Black Death that swept through Asia, Europe, and Africa in the 14th century, killing an estimated 50 million people. BUBONIC PLAGUE WIPED OUT A THIRD OF EUROPE IN THE 14TH CENTURY A town crier is seen calling for the dead to be bought out in this drawing of London from 1665 Bubonic plague killed around 100 million people during the 14th century and was known as the 'Black Death.' Drawings and paintings from the outbreak, which wiped out about a third of the European population, depict town criers saying 'bring out your dead' while dragging trailers piled with infected corpses. It is caused by a bacterium known as Yersinia pestis, which uses the flea as a host and is usually transmitted to humans via rats. The disease causes grotesque symptoms such as gangrene and the appearance of large swellings on the groin, armpits or neck, known as 'buboes'. It kills up to two thirds of sufferers within just four days if it is not treated, although if antibiotics are administered within 24 hours of infection patients are highly likely to survive. After the Black Death arrived in 1347 plague became a common phenomenon in Europe, with outbreaks recurring regularly until the 18th century. Bubonic plague has almost completely vanished from the developed world, with 90 per cent of all cases now found in Africa. Advertisement Some new rules could prove helpful to lawyers and clients while reducing the number of self-represented litigants. Last month the North Dakota Supreme Court approved new rules that let lawyers help someone on part of a case without committing the lawyer to represent the person for the duration of the proceedings. The changes are intended to ease the problem caused by a shortage of lawyers and provide affordable legal services. Its also hoped the change will ease the burden on Legal Services of North Dakota, a statewide group providing free legal help to low-income and elderly residents. The 12 lawyers in the organization get about 2,500 calls they cant handle each year, Legal Services executive director Richard LeMay told reporter Caroline Grueskin. This rule should be beneficial to all. Those representing themselves are at a disadvantage, lacking the knowledge of the law that might be key to their case. The change allows lawyers to contract with clients to write a pleading or represent them once in court. They can then quit the case. At the moment, lawyers need the approval of a judge to leave a case. The change doesnt mean all lawyers will be comfortable helping people on a limited basis. It does open the door, starting Aug. 1, for more legal help for those who lack financial resources. It becomes a more fair playing field. It will be interesting to see how many lawyers and clients make use of this new rule. Having options dont always mean they will be used. State law requires mandatory minimums for certain violent offenses, but judges can stray from those minimums if they decide the prison term would result in a "manifest injustice," or would be "unreasonably harsh or shocking to the conscience of a reasonable individual, with due consideration of the totality of circumstances." A North Dakota state court system study found that only once in the last 12 months did a judge not follow the minimum requirement. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem who favored allowing judges an out from mandatory minimum sentences isnt surprised by the study results. He says the extra step of finding manifest injustice might deter judges. Sen. David Hogue, R-Minot, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, isnt fond of mandatory minimum sentences. He would like the Legislature to review the instances in which they are used. It makes sense for the Legislature to do so since its expected to take up a number of court and prison reforms during the 2017 session. Its good that lawyers will have some flexibility in representing clients and that judges dont have to always follow mandatory minimums. If a system is too rigid there are opportunities for misjustice. The Republican National Convention will include a presentation focusing on Bill Clinton's legendary sexual misconduct, and an entire night highlighting the 2012 terror attack in Benghazi, Libya. Football player Tim Tebow, Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White, openly gay venture capitalist Peter Thiel and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani will speak. So will all of Trump's adult children, and the rabbi who led Ivanka Trump through her conversion to Orthodox Judaism. But missing from a list obtained by The New York Times, and another released by the Republican National Committee, is retired Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight. Presumptive nominee Donald Trump has touted Knight's endorsement heavily on the campaign trail, and suggested he would make an appearance. The convention's staff said late Thursday morning that Knight would address the gathering by video. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will follow suit. HARDBALL: The Republican National Convention will include a presentation focusing on Bill Clinton's legendary sexual misconduct, and an entire night highlighting the 2012 terror attack in Benghazi, Libya NEVER GOES AWAY: Republican National Convention-goers will hear a presentation about former President Bill Clinton's sexual peccadillos, likely with a focus on his wife Hillary as an enabler NOT ON THE LIST: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence isn't included in either of the two speaker lists to surface so far, indicating that the GOP may be saving him a slot as the vice-presidential nominee Also left off the lists is Mike Pence, the Indiana governor who has been the center of speculation in recent days about Trump's running-mate search. The other short-listed hopefuls New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich have speaking slots set aside. That could be an indication that Pence is the odds-on favorite for the vice presidential nomination Antonio Sabato Jr., a conservative soap opera actor, will speak on the program as well. He tweeted last month in the wake of the Orlando terror mass-shooting: 'Here is a safe way to keep the country safe arrest Obama & Hillary right now. Problem solved.' A sizable list of Republican senators won't be there to see the convention play out at all. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana will be fly-fishing with his wife. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona said he has to mow his lawn (yes, he has one even in Arizona). Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska will be traveling her state by bush plane. And Sen. John McCain of Arizona will be visiting the Grand Canyon, and joked that his friend Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina would be coming along and might even fall in (just kidding, an aide later clarified). All are among the GOP senators who will be skipping next week's convention in Cleveland where Trump will claim the Republican Party presidential nomination. A majority of Republican senators do plan to attend, and it's not unusual for lawmakers to skip their party's convention, especially if they're up for re-election and need to spend time campaigning. But the level of rank-and-file congressional defections from this year's Republican convention is unusually high. Perhaps that's unsurprising, given the GOP establishment's well-documented discomfort with the man who stands on the cusp of becoming their presidential standard-bearer. But in the halls of the Capitol this week, some senators seemed to visibly squirm when asked about their convention plans. Meanwhile, the New York Times obtained a list of speakers for the convention, and they contain a surprising amount of non-politicians. CONVENTION SPEAKER: Antonio Sabato Jr., a former soap opera actor, tweeted this last month TERROR NIGHT: The GOP is planning an entire night of speeches about the 2012 terror attacks in Benghazi, Libya THE OFFICIAL LIST (ALMOST): GOP'S 'PARTIAL' CONVENTION ROSTER The Republican Party released 'a partial list' of speakers on Thursday morning: Pastor Mark Burns Phil Ruffin Congressman Ryan Zinke Pat Smith Mark Geist John Tiegen Congressman Michael McCaul Sheriff David Clarke Congressman Sean Duffy Darryl Glenn Senator Tom Cotton Karen Vaughn Governor Mike Huckabee Mayor Rudy Giuliani Melania Trump Senator Joni Ernst Kathryn Gates-Skipper Marcus Luttrell Dana White Governor Asa Hutchinson Attorney General Leslie Rutledge Michael Mukasey Andy Wist Senator Jeff Sessions Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn Alex Smith Speaker Paul Ryan Congressman Kevin McCarthy Kerry Woolard . Senator Shelley Moore Capito Dr. Ben Carson Co-Chair Sharon Day Natalie Gulbis Kimberlin Brown Antonio Sabato, Jr. Peter Thiel Eileen Collins Senator Ted Cruz Newt Gingrich Michelle Van Etten Lynne Patton Eric Trump Harold Hamm Congressman Chris Collins Brock Mealer Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn Governor Mary Fallin Darrell Scott Lisa Shin Governor Rick Scott Chairman Reince Priebus Tom Barrack Ivanka Trump Attorney General Pam Bondi Jerry Falwell Jr. Rabbi Haskel Lookstein Chris Cox Senator Mitch McConnell Tiffany Trump Governor Chris Christie Donald J. Trump Jr. Governor Scott Walker Advertisement MIA: former Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight, whose endorsement Trump has touted heavily, will address the Republican National Convention via video Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, a member of the party leadership, gave a lengthy series of responses to questions earlier this week that ultimately left his plans unclear. 'I think it's going to be a different and unique convention experience. You know I've been to a number of them in the past, and this year is different, and we'll see how it goes,' Thune said. 'For most people they go because it's the Republican convention, and it's our party's effort in a presidential election year to talk about what we're for and what we're about. So that will go on.' The next day, Thune said he was still 'firming up' his plans. Confronted for months with uncomfortable questions about Trump, some senators can still seem aggrieved to get asked about the presumptive nominee, and uncomfortable giving an answer. But at this late date, just days from when the convention will start on Monday, nearly all have at least decided whether or not they're going to Cleveland. Nearly all, but not quite all. 'I'm not sure yet,' Idaho Sen. Jim Risch said Wednesday, adding there are 'other things going on and I've got to weigh where I can do the most good.' Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (left), Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (center), and Texas Senator Ted Cruz (right) are expected to speak at the GOP convention next week Making up some of the speakers outside of politics are venture capitalist Peter Thiel (left), UFC President Dana White (center) and football player Tim Tebow (right) Nearly all of Trump's children will also get the chance to speak at the convention, including daughter Ivanka (left). Trump's wife Melania (right) is scheduled to speak the first night, when the topics will cover Benghazi and immigration Of the Senate also-rans in the White House chase, only Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas will attend the convention and deliver a speech. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Graham are skipping the event. EXPECTED SPEAKERS AT THE 2016 GOP CONVENTION: THE NEW YORK TIMES' LIST July 18: Border patrol agents; Jamiel Shaw Jr., whose son was killed by an undocumented immigrant. Senator Tom Cotton or Arkansas, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Melania Trump, Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa and others. July 19: Dana White, president of the U.F.C.; Asa Hutchinson, the governor of Arkansas; Michael Mukasey, the former United States attorney general; Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a vice-presidential possibility; Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader; Tiffany Trump; Donald Trump Jr. and Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin. July 20: Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi; Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a space shuttle mission; Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker; Senator Ted Cruz of Texas; Eric Trump; professional golfer Natalie Gulbis; and the nominee for vice president. July 21: Football player Tim Tebow; Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee; Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma; Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman; Gov. Rick Scott of Florida; venture capitalist Peter Thiel; Thomas J. Barrack Jr, a private-equity real-estate investor; Ivanka Trump; Donald J. Trump Advertisement For the nearly two dozen GOP senators up for re-election this year, the considerations are particularly sensitive, and that's especially true for the handful of vulnerable Republican senators in swing states. They must weigh sharing a convention hall with a nominee whose comments have offended women, minorities and others who can decide general elections. There are also concerns that given the 'Never Trump' sentiments still nursed by some delegates, the convention could go off the rails and turn into a chaotic spectacle. But few senators were interested in wading into such considerations on the record. 'No,' Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri said tersely when asked if he was staying away from the convention out of a desire to distance himself from Trump. Murkowski said she had only a month to visit the remotest areas of Alaska by plane before her August 16 primary. 'For me this was an easy choice' and 'nothing to do' with Trump, Murkowski said. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, one of the most vulnerable members, said he could not go to Cleveland because 'I've got to spend as much time in Wisconsin as possible.' As for his views on Trump, Johnson said: 'I support all of the areas of agreement ... I'm supporting him. Let's put it this way, I will not vote for Hillary Clinton.' Even Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, a vulnerable senator whose state is playing host to the convention, said he will only be dropping into the convention hall from time to time, but not delivering a speech or staying to watch speeches from others. Instead he'll be spending his time on his own campaign events in and around Cleveland, including building a Habitat for Humanity home and holding a kayaking charity fundraiser, 'Paddling with Patriots on the Cuyahoga River.' John Wayne Conner is scheduled to be put to death on Thursday evening by lethal injection at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson Georgia plans to execute a man convicted of killing a friend after a night of partying more than three decades ago. John Wayne Conner is scheduled to be put to death on Thursday at 7pm by injection of the barbiturate pentobarbital at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson. The inmate, who is now 60, was convicted of fatally beating his friend J.T. White during an argument after a night of drinking and smoking marijuana in January 1982. For his last meal, Conner has requested 10 pieces of fried catfish, 10 hush puppies, two triple-deluxe hamburgers with bacon, two pints of vanilla ice cream and one sliced raw onion, according to Patch. Conner's execution, if carried out, would be Georgia's sixth this year, the most in a calendar year in the state since the death penalty was reinstated nationwide in 1976. Georgia executed five inmates last year and in 1987. On Wednesday, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied a request for clemency by Conner's attorney. The parole board did not give a reason for declining to commute his sentence, saying only that board members had considered all materials provided to them. The parole board is the only entity authorized to commute a death sentence in Georgia. On January 9, 1982, Conner spent the evening drinking and smoking marijuana at a party with his girlfriend and other friends, including J.T. White. They then returned to the home Conner shared with his girlfriend in Milan, about 150 miles southeast of Atlanta. His girlfriend went to bed, and Conner, then 25, and White, 29, left on foot in search of more alcohol. The inmate, who is now 60, (pictured in a younger mug shot, right) was convicted of fatally beating his friend J.T. White (left) during an argument after a night of drinking and marijuana use in January 1982 Conner told police he and White were walking down the road when White told Conner he wanted to sleep with his girlfriend. That led to a fight, during which Conner told police he hit White with the bottle and beat him with a stick, the documents say. Conner then returned home, woke his girlfriend and said he'd had a fight with White and thought he was dead, according to court documents. He left a note for his mother saying they had to leave because 'something happened to me.' The couple was later found hiding in a hay barn and White's body, with a badly beaten face, was found in a drainage ditch. In a clemency application, asking that Conner's sentence be commuted to life in prison, his lawyers wrote that Conner was 'raised in almost unimaginable circumstances of poverty and violence.' Conner's lawyers argued that his violent upbringing and mental impairments do not excuse what he did, but the board should consider that those details could have persuaded a jury or trial court to spare his life if they had been presented. They wrote he grew up in a home where extreme violence, drug and alcohol abuse and sexual and emotional abuse were the norm. And noted that Conner was 'indoctrinated into a life that normalized drugs, alcohol, and violence, so much so that he drunkenly beat a friend to death in reaction to a lewd comment.' His lawyers also noted that from an early age, he seemed intellectually disabled to his teachers. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it unconstitutional to execute someone who is intellectually disabled. The gurney used for lethal injections is pictured above in a small cinder block building at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, Georgia. Conner's execution, if carried out, would be Georgia's sixth this year His lawyers contended his trial lawyer did little investigation into his background or mental health history and presented no such evidence at trial or sentencing. His lawyers also said they presented evidence in federal court proves Conner is intellectually disabled. Conner was allowed to present evidence seeking to prove intellectual disability to a federal court several years ago. That court found he was not intellectually disabled but 'did not consider the mitigating impact of Mr. Conner's poverty-, violence-, and trauma-filled family background and whether such evidence should have justified a sentence less than death,' his lawyers wrote. Conner's lawyers made similar arguments in recent filings with the Butts County Superior Court. The judge denied his petition after lawyers for the state argued that these issues have been or could have been addressed already. His lawyers are appealing that denial to the Georgia Supreme Court. The Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison in Jackson, Georgia where Conner is set to be put to death is pictured above. Conner is deeply remorseful, and during his 34 years on death row has found faith and has been a model inmate, eagerly working to keep the cellblocks clean and well-maintained, his lawyers said Conner is deeply remorseful, and during his 34 years on death row has found faith and has been a model inmate, eagerly working to keep the cellblocks clean and well-maintained, his lawyers wrote in the clemency application. He also taught himself to paint by watching Bob Ross' The Joy of Painting and other programs on television, and gives his artwork to family, legal representatives and members of the prison community, his lawyers wrote. When a small group of reporters visited death row in October, Conner smiled and chatted. Asked how he passes the time, Conner grinned, baring gaps in his teeth, and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' He lifted a corner of his mattress and pulled out a stack of colorful watercolor landscapes. This is the moment Labour leadership candidate Angela Eagle was left speechless after finding out that Boris Johnson had just been made Foreign Secretary. The MP for Wallasey, 55, was giving a speech at a pro-European event in London when she was told that the former London mayor had a new role by a member of the audience. She immediately replied: 'They've just made him Foreign Secretary?' and turned around in disbelief after hearing the news. Her reaction last night was met with laughter by members of the audience and Ms Eagle was silent for the next 30 seconds before she finally spoke again. She was initially mocking Mr Johnson, 52, and said: 'Oh Boris, he's fun. He's great, isn't he bouncing around, sort of going to be the next Prime Minister and all of that. And they never actually, put him...' It was at this point when someone in the audience informed her of Theresa May's decision to include Mr Johnson in her plans, by shouting out: 'He's been made Foreign Secretary.' The chair of the meeting was forced to step in while Ms Eagle composed herself and she said that the 'meeting is in uproar'. She said: 'No, no, the meeting's in uproar. OK, we can imagine him (Mr Johnson) on a zip wire between Gibraltar and Spain, can't we? With the Union Jack. 'Let's try and just get to the end of this before we go and go and have a collective, I don't know, not a suicide pact because we're not like that, but dear God.' She was initially mocking Mr Johnson and said: 'Oh Boris, he's fun. He's great, isn't he bouncing around, sort of going to be the next Prime Minister and all of that. And they never actually, put him...' A member of the audience shouted out the news that Boris Johnson had just been made Foreign Secretary She immediately replied: 'They've just made him Foreign Secretary?' and turned around in disbelief at hearing the news The announcement left her speechless as she didn't say a word to the crowd for 30 seconds Ms Eagle looked on in disbelief and tried to digest the news that she had just been told and eventually said: 'All I can say is, never, ever, think that having a Labour government elected isn't important' Ms Eagle finally composed herself and replied to the news: 'All I can say is, never, ever, think that having a Labour government elected isn't important.' Mr Johnson seemed delighted after being selected by the new Prime Minister to be one of her top diplomats. Speaking after his appointment on Wednesday, Mr Johnson told BBC News: 'Obviously very, very humbled, very, very proud to be offered this chance. Boris Johnson left home clutching his red box today after he was appointed Britain's new Foreign Secretary 'I think Theresa made a wonderful speech this afternoon about her ambitions for the country and how she saw the Conservative government taking Britain forward. 'I completely agree with her sentiments and about opportunity, about giving people better life chances. An Indian glamour couple allegedly misappropriated more than $150 million from their fertiliser company to fund luxury yachts and cars, a farm, private jet fares and mansions, a court has heard. Businessman Pankaj Oswal and his glamorous wife Radhika are accused of using the money from their Australian business Burrup Fertilisers to build Perth homes including the unfinished 'Taj Mahal on the Swan' mansion. The Oswals left Australia to live in Dubai just a year after the collapse of their Perth-based company in December 2010. The Victorian Supreme Court heard on Tuesday the millions of dollars in company money Mr Oswal allegedly used for his own benefit turned out to be just the 'tip of the iceberg'. When the co-shareholder in the Oswals' Australian fertiliser business became concerned about Mr Oswal receiving $22 million for no proper reason, he agreed to repay it in instalments, a trial heard. Indian businessman Pankaj Oswal and his glamorous wife Radhika (pictured last month leaving court) are accused of misappropriated more than $150 million from their fertiliser company Burrup Fertilisers WHERE PANKAJ OSWAL ALLEGEDLY SPENT $150M IN COMPANY MONEY: $60 million to Burrup Trust (Oswal trustee and, with wife Radhika, beneficiary) More than $11 million for construction of Peppermint Grove mansion (dubbed 'Taj on the Swan', never finished) $8 million for Radhika's Otarian vegetarian restaurant chain (operated in London and New York) More than $5 million on farm Nearly $3 million on luxury boat Nearly $3 million on private plane fares $2 million on current Dalkeith home $1 million for luxury cars, including $500,000 to London dealer of an Aston Martin $1.3 million for schooling and other personal expenses More than $12 million in shipping payments unconnected to Fertilisers company $4 million and $3.6 million to develop two separate WA parcels of land $2 million to a mining venture unconnected to Fertilisers Source: Philip Solomon QC, appearing in Victorian Supreme Court for Yara Pilbara Fertilisers (formerly Burrup Fertilisers) Advertisement Yara Australia barrister John Sheahan QC said Yara discovered payments by Burrup Fertilisers for Mr Oswal's personal expenses or those of related Oswal parties, offset by the $22 million 'guarantee fee'. The court heard the amounts uncovered by Yara included $23 million paid to the Oswals' Burrup Trust and payments for luxury cars and boats. 'Yara is just uncovering the tip of the iceberg as it were,' Mr Sheahan told the court on Thursday. The court heard the millions of dollars in company money Mr Oswal (pictured) allegedly used for his own benefit turned out to be just the 'tip of the iceberg' The pair allegedly used cash from their business to pay for construction on their 'Taj Mahal' mansion in Perth Construction on the large mansion was never completed with the family leaving Australia for Dubai in 2011 The court has heard Mr Oswal allegedly misappropriated the money from Burrup Fertilisers over three years, including millions spent on the vegetarian restaurant chain of his wife Radhika. It has heard the misappropriation escalated dramatically in the year before the ANZ appointed receivers in December 2010, after the bank gave Oswals more time to sell their Burrup Holdings shares. Yara's lawyers asked the corporate watchdog in January 2011 to investigate Mr Oswal's conduct, saying it had been concerned for some time about issues such as an unusually high level of expenses and dividends being paid to the Oswals but not Yara. Mr Sheahan said Yara was starting to understand that significant payments had been made to Oswal entities apparently unconnected with the fertiliser business. The court heard Mr Oswal (far left) allegedly misappropriated the money from Burrup Fertilisers over three years, including millions spent on the vegetarian restaurant chain of his wife Radhika (right) The glamour couple allegedly misappropriated more than $150 million from their fertiliser company to fund luxury yachts and cars, a farm, private jet fares and mansions, the court heard Yara had not been told about the Oswals' December 2009 deal with the ANZ to sell shares in parent company Burrup Holdings, nor that Mr Oswal had allegedly forged security documents. That would have 'added fuel to the fire' of Yara's concerns and sparked an investigation. 'It would have been very difficult for Mr Oswal in the period which followed to accelerate his campaign of misappropriating assets of the company,' Mr Sheahan said. He said the Oswals also repeatedly tried to convert Burrup Holdings from a public to a private company, which would have removed the need for investigations into related-party transactions. Negative views of race relations are at an all-time high amid the backlash to the Black Lives Matter campaign and police shootings in Dallas, a new poll has revealed. Research has shown just 26 per cent of Americans believe race relations in the U.S. are good with 69 per cent saying they are mostly bad. The figure is even higher than in May 1992, when 68 per cent of Americans believed race relations were poor following the Los Angeles riots in the wake of the Rodney King verdict. Two men pay their respects to the five police officers shot dead in Dallas last week. New research has shown negative views of race relations in the US has reached an all time high The new poll was commissioned by CBS and the New York Times, after the shooting of two black men by white police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota. It also follows the shooting in Dallas, where a black gunman shot and killed five police officers in a sniper attack. The survey also shows that positive views of race relations have been steadily declining since April 2009 when they reached a high of 66 per cent shortly after President Obama took office. The shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson Missouri by a white police officer, also saw a steady down turn of positive views of race relations. The poll also saw respondents asked about the campaign Black Lives Matter, with 41 per cent disagreeing with the movement. Protesters take to the streets to demonstrate about the shootings of two black men who were killed by police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota A family prays in front of a memorial at the Dallas Police Department. The poll also revealed that white and black Americans have similar views when it comes to current race relations, even though white Americans are traditionally more optimistic about them 70 per cent of black Americans approve of the movement but white Americans are more divided with 37 per cent approving of Black Lives Matter, 31 per cent disagreeing with it and 28 per cent having no opinion at all. Meanwhile, the poll also revealed that white and black Americans have similar views when it comes to current race relations, even though white Americans are traditionally more optimistic about them. The figures from the poll were released as President Obama pledged to keep his focus on reducing tensions between police departments and the communities they serve. He made the promise after emerging from a nearly four-hour meeting at the White House's executive office. He acknowledged that it's fair to say the country will experience more tensions between police and the communities they serve for quite some time, and that Americans will 'have to, as a country sit down and just grind it out.' He said: 'We're not at a point yet where communities of color feel confident that their police departments are serving them with dignity and respect and equality. President Obama has pledged to keep his focus on reducing tensions between police departments and the communities they serve 'And we're not at the point yet where police departments feel adequately supported at all levels.' Obama has devoted his attention this week to the gun violence directed at police officers as well as shootings by police. The focus comes a few days after a black Army veteran killed five police officers in revenge for police shooting black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the Minneapolis suburbs. On Tuesday, Obama attended a memorial service for the five slain Dallas officers and called the families of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota to offer condolences. Corey Menafee, 38, knocked out a stained glass window at Yale depicting slaves in a cotton field Yale University has asked prosecutors not to pursue charges and said it will not seek restitution after an African-American dishwasher smashed a stained glass window showing slaves working in cotton fields. Corey Menafee used his broomstick to shatter the glass panel, sending shards of glass onto a woman on the street below. The 38-year-old, who resigned after he was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and criminal, said he was tired of looking at the 'racist, very degrading image' at the university in New Haven, Connecticut. State prosecutors must now decide whether to proceed with a criminal case or drop the charges. Nearly 4,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the case to be dismissed. Menafee worked at the Ivy League school's Calhoun dining hall, named after the seventh Vice President of the United States, John C Calhoun, who was an avid supporter of slavery. In a statement, the university said it worked with Menafee's union to resolve the matter 'as compassionately as possible.' The dishwasher drew the support of student activists after petitions to change the residential college's name were rejected by Yale in April. Menafee said he acted impulsively and independently of the students' debate about Calhoun's legacy at Yale. 'I took a broomstick, and it was kind of high, and I climbed up and reached up and broke it,' he told the New Haven Independent. 'It's 2016, I shouldn't have to come to work and see things like that,' he added. 'I just said, "That thing's coming down today. I'm tired of it." I put myself in a position to do it, and did it.' Menafee told the local paper he lost his job because the school considered him a danger to the students, although a statement issued by Yale said the dishwasher resigned. The 38-year-old has since apologized for breaking the glass, which fell on a woman walking past, and has been replaced by a clear pane. The woman was not injured. 'It could be termed as civil disobedience,' Menafee said. 'But there's always better ways of doing things like that than just destroying things. It wasn't my property, and I had no right to do it.' Menafee, could face one to five years in prison along with a fine up to $5,000 for criminal mischief. The reckless endangerment charge carries a sentence up to two years in addition to fines up to $1,000. Menafee is a father of two who graduated from Virginia Union University in 2001 and previously worked as a substitute teacher. Dishwasher Corey Menafee worked at the Ivy League school's Calhoun dining hall, named after the seventh Vice President of the United States John C Calhoun, who was an avid supporter of slavery It appears his actions successfully spurred the school to a few concessions, after a longstanding debate among students failed to strike Calhoun's name from the dormitory. An email issued by the Head of Calhoun College Julia Adams last Tuesday stated the stained glass windows depicting the slave owner would be removed from the common room. The glass panels will be stored at the Yale University Art Gallery and replaced with tinted panes until the school commissions an artist to create new designs. YALE'S STAINED GLASS WINDOWS One panel, titled 'Negro with a watermelon,' was removed from the Sterling Memorial Library after employees complained in the 1990s. Another panel at the library references 'Heathen Chinee,' a narrative poem that was intended as a satire, but instead reinforced racist sentiments. A stained glass depiction of a shackled slave kneeling before Calhoun was removed from the dorm's common room in 1992 following a student campaign. Menafee broke a stained glass panel showing two slaves carrying picked cotton in the fields. Advertisement The dining hall will also be renamed after Roosevelt Thompson, an African American Yale alum who died shortly after his graduation in 1984. Adams told the Yale Daily News: 'Placating people wasn't in my mind. 'Rather I hope that the specific mingling of old and new, in which the students and broader Calhoun community will have a hand, opens to the future as well as the past.' In April, it was announced Yale would not be heeding the year-long campaign to change the dormitory's name. Yale president Peter Salovey defended the decision and was reported by the New York Times as saying: 'Universities have to be the places where tough conversations happen. I dont think that is advanced by hiding our past.' An alleged paedophile 'grinned' and 'twitched' as German detectives questioned him about the kidnapping, sexual abuse and murder of two young boys, a court has heard. The prosecutor told a court in Potsdam, near Berlin, how Silvio S, 33, had apparently practised what he was going to do to his victims by using a children's doll. Silvio S, a security guard, is accused of murdering four-year-old Mohammed and six-year-old Elias after kidnapping them off the streets. In dramatic scenes in court the prosecutor placed one of the dolls in front of the accused. It was about the same size as a three-year-old child and was one of eight similar dolls found at the suspect's home. Scroll down for video Silvio S, pictured right, was caught on CCTV allegedly leading Mohamed, four, away before killing him The suspect is accused of killing four-year-old Mohanmmed, left, and Elias, 6, from Potsdam The accused killer, known only as Silvio S, is accused of murdering two young boys he kidnapped in Germany In October 2015 four-year-old Mohammed, who had come to Germany as a refugee from Bosnia with his family, had been kidnapped, sexually abused and then killed. His body was stored in a yellow plastic tub filled with cat litter, and later stored in Silvio S's Dacia car, say prosecutors. Three months before Mohammed died, six-year-old Elias vanished from Potsdam. His tiny body was found buried in an allotment. The court heard he had suffered a slow and extremely painful death. When police raided Silvio S's home they found 89 photographed showing what he had done with the dolls in order to practice for when he finally had a real child. The detective who arrested him told the court: 'He sat with his legs crossed on the bed in his cell when we instructed him of his rights. Police recovered Mohamed's body from Silvio S's car as well as the child abduction kit 'In the interrogation in the presence of the defence, Silvio S. briefly had wet eyes but did not cry. 'When he described the sexual acts, he even grinned and twitched one eyelid. But there was not a word of regret, not a whimper, not a tear. Nothing at all.' Police also found masks, gags and S&M accessories at his home. They also discovered cut-out newspaper pictures of children next to handwritten notes such as 'young girl knife'. Officers also found 1,564 DNA samples at the house, most of which which matched people involved in the case. One blond hair could not be accounted for and police believe it may belong to a missing girl, five-year-old Inga, who went missing from Saxony-Anhalt, although no link has been established. The court heard he was constantly on the lookout for children to kidnap. When he was arrested police found a kidnap kit in his car which contained chloroform, sleeping pills, cable straps, thumb cuffs, a stun gun, latex skull masks, gags and various strangulation devices. If convicted he faces life in prison which in Germany, although he could be eligible for parole after just 15 years. The child abduction kit contained several different sizes of handcuffs, stun guns and chloroform Silvio S is accused of burying six-year-old Elias in an allotment in Lukenwalde, south of Berlin, pictured Little Mohamed was abducted outside a refugee registration building in Berlin on October 1, 2015 David Cameron's aides have today been busy transforming the former Prime Minister's temporary16.8million London townhouse into a family home. Staff were seen unloading boxes packed with flowers and household goods into the plush seven-bedroom property this afternoon. One aide was even seen carrying in a bag of expensive chocolates from one of the capital's most luxurious confectionery boutiques. The former Prime Minister walked out of Number 10 hand in hand with his wife Samantha and their three children yesterday, leaving behind their home of the last six years. Luxury: The Camerons moved into a seven-bedroom house in the exclusive Holland Park, in west London. The 16.8million townhouse, pictured, is owned by PR mogul and close family friend Sir Alan Parker David Cameron and his wife Samantha were seen leaving the home today and getting in to a waiting car outside Out and about: Mr Cameron was pictured returning to the property after popping out for coffee this morning Moving out: David and Samantha Cameron and their children left Downing Street hand in hand yesterday The family later moved into the four story home in exclusive Holland Park, west London, owned by PR mogul and close family friend Sir Alan Parker. This morning the Camerons headed to a Notting Hill cafe for breakfast with George Osborne, who lost his job as Chancellor yesterday, as assistants unpacked bags in Holland Park. There had been speculation over where the Camerons would live after their abrupt exit from Number 10 as their own 3.6million Notting Hill home is currently being rented out. An aide said the Camerons are expected to stay in Sir Alan's property 'for a few days and then moving on', presumably until Nancy, 12, Elwen, 10, and Florence, five, finish the school year. Helping hand: Staff were seen unloading boxes packed with flowers and household goods into the plush seven-bedroom property this afternoon Bag it up: Two female aides haul heavy looking bags into the house in Holland Park, London One aide was even seen carrying in a bag of expensive chocolates from one of the capital's most luxurious confectionery boutiques Speaking outside the property, she said: 'Eventually they will be moving back into his home which he is renting out in Kensington. 'The tenants were due to move out anyway. They'll be moving in when it's ready for them.' Mr and Mrs Cameron also own a cottage in his Oxfordshire constituency, but it is too far from the London schools of their three children. The parents were spotted by a builder as they left home for the school run. He said Mr Cameron 'looked posh' as he climbed into a blue Land Rover with his wife and children, escorted by police. Mr Cameron was later photographed enjoying breakfast with former Chancellor George Osborne and their families in a Notting Hill cafe. Close: David and Samantha Camerons were invited to Sir Alan's second wedding to Jane Hardman, a former Brunswick employee, in 2007 (pictured). Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown also attended Family friends: The Camerons arrive with daughter Nancy, now 12, at Sir Alan's wedding in London, 2007 Neighbours on the exclusive residential street suggested that the family will only stay in the property until the end of the school term. Some said they were disturbed by the large police presence outside the house overnight. One disgruntled neighbour who lives directly opposite the Cameron's said: 'It is very noisy at night. 'The police slam the doors and you can hear them talking. They don't keep their voices hushed and they're so noisy. ALAN PARKER: PR GURU WHO HAS HOLIDAYED WITH THE CAMERONS Sir Alan founded his PR firm Brunswick in 1987 after working as an oil rig roustabout and managing rock bands. He made an early impression in the City by kicking off his shoes under boardroom tables and is improbably well-connected, boasting friends across the political divide. He has holidayed with Cameron and even invited the former Tory leader to his second wedding to Jane Hardman, a former Brunswick employee, in 2007 along with the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is godfather to Parkers son, William. Cameron also the guest of honour at Sir Alan's 50th birthday party. Sir Alan accompanied Mr Cameron on a trade mission to China in December 2013 and he was knighted a few weeks later. Advertisement 'At night we have a van going around which begins at about 6pm which kept me awake last night.' Former Prime Ministers are given protection by Specialist Protection officers after they leave office. Mr Cameron is now looking ahead to a post-premiership career but he showed no signs of slowing down as he headed off from Holland Park for an afternoon engagement in Stockport. He will unveil a police memorial dedicated to officers who died in the line of duty. According to an aide, this was a commitment he made when he was Prime Minister which he is honouring because Theresa May is too busy. Before driving off in the back of a silver Jaguar, Mr Cameron said 'good morning' to waiting press. Meanwhile assistants were seen unpacking bags from the back of a blue Land Rover. The impressive home was bought by Sir Alan and his wife, Lady Jane Hermione Parker for 16.75million in 2014, according to government records. Sir Alan founded his PR firm Brunswick in 1987 after working as an oil rig roustabout and managing rock bands. He made an early impression in the City by kicking off his shoes under boardroom tables and is improbably well-connected, boasting friends across the political divide. A-list neighbours: Simon Cowell, left, and David and Victoria Beckham, right, are understood to own properties in or around Holland Park. The area is considered one of London's most desirable places to live He has holidayed with Cameron and even invited the former Tory leader to his second wedding to Jane Hardman, a former Brunswick employee, in 2007 along with the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is godfather to Parkers son, William. Mr Cameron was also guest of honour at Sir Alan's 50th birthday party. After making millions through his glittering career, it is little wonder that Sir Alan and his wife chose to buy in one of the capital's most exclusive areas. Holland Park has long-been one of London's most desirable postcodes, whose residents are understood to include Simon Cowell and Sir Elton John. Other local stars include Richard Branson and Robbie Williams, who forked out 17.5m for Michael Winner's 46-room Victorian mansion in the surrounding area. And the Beckhams live in a 31.5million mansion just down the road. The couple are said to have spent 5million improving the palatial West London home. This afternoon David Cameron (pictured) made his first public engagement since retiring as Prime Minister at a memorial event honouring two police officers murdered in a gun and grenade attack David Cameron attended the Police Memorial Trust's service for Pc Fiona Bone, 32, and Pc Nicola Hughes, 23, who were killed by wanted one-eyed gangster Dale Cregan in September 2012 after being lured to their deaths by the criminal following a bogus 999 burglary call to a house in Hattersley, Greater Manchester At the ceremony today, former Prime Minister David Cameron unveiled a memorial stone in their honour at The Hub in Mottram, Tameside, close to where the two officers fell, to serve as a reminder of the officers' sacrifice Today Mr Cameron made his first public engagement since retiring as Prime Minister at a memorial event honouring two police officers murdered in a gun and grenade attack. He attended the Police Memorial Trust's service for Pc Fiona Bone, 32, and Pc Nicola Hughes, 23, who were killed by wanted one-eyed gangster Dale Cregan in September 2012 after being lured to their deaths by the criminal following a bogus 999 burglary call to a house in Hattersley, Greater Manchester. At the ceremony, Mr Cameron unveiled a memorial stone in their honour at The Hub in Mottram, Tameside, close to where the two officers fell, to serve as a reminder of the officers' sacrifice. Mr Cameron addressed the police officers' families, colleagues and dignitaries to tell them that it was 'vital' that heroes like Pc Bone and Pc Hughes were honoured like this. He said: 'I spoke last night outside Number 10 Downing Street for the last time and I spoke about the extraordinary ethic of service in our country particularly our police, our intelligence, our armed forces. And so it feels appropriate that while I am no longer Prime Minister, the new Prime Minister asked me to carry out this event and I'm so delighted to do that on her behalf. 'Come hell or high water we know the police are there for us.' After four months of treatment, the five-year-old mongrel is healthy again This abandoned dog was so neglected when it was found dumped on the streets that it looked like it was turning to stone. But after being nursed back to health, the down and out dog is now looking for a new home. Non-profit animal welfare organisation Save a Greek Stray received a call about a miserable mutt who was in a bad state after being left to starve on the streets of Oropus, in East Attica, Greece. Staff at the shelter rescued the five-year-old mixed-breed dog, who had a glut of health problems, and nursed her back to health over four months. Scroll down for video Distressed: A stray dog was found starving on the streets of Oropus, in East Attica, Greece Mistreated: The animal's face was matted it had turned 'crusty' and looked as if it was made from stone Transformation: The five-year-old stray was saved by a rescue shelter and nursed back to health Staff nicknamed the hound Petra, which is Greek for stone - because after being so cruelly mistreated her matted, crusty face looked like it was made of stone. Shelter manager Irinia Psarrou, 37, said: 'We were informed of a dog in a bad state near the shelter. 'After looking for three days, we finally saw her walking by the side of the street. 'She was very scared of people, and we had to sedate her in order to catch her. Starved: When non-profit animal welfare organisation Save a Greek Stray found her she was painfully thin Down and out: The animal cowered away from humans and her ribs were clearly visible Bath time: She was given medical baths and treatment to improve her skin condition Cared for: Staff nicknamed her Petra, which is Greek for stone, after they found her in a terrible state 'She tested positive for mange and other Mediterranean diseases. 'It took a lot of special medication, medical baths, special spot-ons to improve her skin condition and very good quality food. 'It took four months for Petra to completely recover - but she is still very scared and shy. 'Our volunteer Valia visits the shelter once a week to see Petra, trying to rehabilitate her. 'It took Valia less than two months to bring Petra around to become a happy dog, who enjoys human contact and loves going out for walks. Healthy: Over four months, Petra began to look like her normal self again and learned to trust humans Adorable: As her hair grew back, Petra looked like a happy healthy dog again with a thick black coat Sociable: Petra now enjoys human contact and loves going out for walks at the shelter Homeless: After being nursed back to health, the down and out dog is now looking for a new home 'Sadly, she is still at the shelter waiting for her forever home. 'Unfortunately, Petra is not the only dog found in such a condition - in Greece we are very used to seeing dogs in a similar condition, and we deal with them on a daily basis.' Save a Greek Stray relies on donations to helps save poorly pooches - it costs around 1,200 euros to rescue and care for one abandoned pup. A former government official of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks from a construction contractor has pleaded guilty to federal charges in North Dakota. Randall Phelan was an elected representative of the governing body of the Three Affiliated Tribes from the end of 2012 to the middle of 2020. Investigators say Phelan used his official position to help the contractors business by awarding contracts, fabricating bids and managing fraudulent invoices. His trial had been scheduled to begin Tuesday. Phelan and two others were originally charged with receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the bribery scheme on the oil-rich Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The contractor has pleaded guilty to bribery. An Adelaide man arrested for allegedly selling 'cookie monster' drugs in the Philippines has pleaded his innocence from jail as he faces the death penalty. Damian Berg, 34, spoke exclusively to Daily Mail Australia via his pregnant girlfriend to insist he was the victim of a set-up on Thursday. Protesting that he did not attempt to sell a horde of blue ecstasy tablets in Manila, as accused by Philippine authorities, Mr Berg said he was 'not perfect' but had never been 'a drug dealer'. Scroll down for video Damian Berg, 34, spoke exclusively to Daily Mail Australia via his pregnant girlfriend to insist he was the victim of a set-up on Thursday (Mr Berg and his girlfriend Marvie Zanelucas) 'I was lucky to secure the role in the Philippines as Marvie and I intended to start a family,' Mr Berg said He instead laid the blame squarely with Canadian native Jeremy Eaton who was also taken into custody in June when police claim to have found them with 170 of the pills. 'It's lies,' he said of the allegations against him. 'Marvie and I had been arguing while I was at work,' he said, explaining why he was not at the couple's shared home but at a hotel nearby when he was arrested with Eaton on June 21. Mr Berg, 34, claims he was named to police by a local drug addict who once saw him drinking in a bar with his co-accused. The engineer said he had no reason to engage in criminal activity after finding work and a happy life with his girlfriend, who is pregnant with their first child, since leaving Australia several years ago. 'I was lucky to secure the role in the Philippines as Marvie and I intended to start a family. Mr Berg had been living in Manila with his pregnant girlfriend Marvie Zanelucas (above) until his arrest 'Why would I do this stuff ? No need. I am not perfect but I am no drug dealer,' Mr Berg said 'Why would I do this stuff ? No need. I am not perfect but I am no drug dealer.' If found guilty of drug dealing, Mr Berg could face the death penalty under a new, harsher crime crackdown introduced by the country's new leader, Rodrigo Duerte. Duerte has a notoriously tough stance against drugs, once claiming he would kill his own son if he ever caught him taking them. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia upon his arrest last month, Ms Zanelucas broke down as she contemplated life without him. 'We were planning on getting married until this happened,' she said. 'We had a plan and now this everyone is saying he's a drug dealer and I said: "What the hell". It's not true. I'm not scared, we know the truth. He is a good man. He doesn't belong there. 'I am talking to his family on Skype. As of now I am OK. I am strong, I have the support of my family.' She added her partner was not close friends with Eaton but that the pair were merely acquaintances. Police allege Damian John Berg (pictured), from Adelade, and Canadian Jeremy Eaton have links to an extensive European drug importation ring and were arrested last month in a drug crackdown Mr Berg was arrested alongside a Canadian national after allegedly selling 170 of the pills to an undercover police officer (above) in a Manila hotel Read Ms Zanelucas, who is 29, is due to give birth to their first son in November. Mr Berg's parents, who remain in Adelaide, said in June they were aware he had been taken into custody. 'What we do know is that Damian is in custody in Manila and is being treated OK. 'It will take time before his case is heard, and until then we can't comment any more. As a family, we dearly love him and will be supporting him as much as we can,' they said. The 34-year-old's case has been postponed for a month, leaving him to wait in a Manila prison until facing trial when proceedings resume. The Department of Trade and Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance to the Berg family, a spokesman said last month. 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to an Australian man arrested in the Philippines, in accordance with the Consular Services Charter. Captain Constantin Tsachas, who appears to have been caught on tape berating an officer for not stopping enough black men claiming they are more likely to be criminals An NYPD captain appears to have been caught on tape berating an officer for not stopping enough black men claiming they are more likely to be criminals. Commanding officer Constantin Tsachas, who works in New York City's transit bureau, was recorded by officer Michael Birch criticizing him for only stopping and searching two black men on the subway in Brooklyn over a nine-month period. And even though Officer Birch insisted that during his time on patrol he didn't spot any crime being committed by black men, Tsachas says he should be targeting them anyway. In the recording obtained by the New York Daily News, Tsachas asks Birch who commits the crimes in the city to which he replies that it is mostly male and black Hispanics. Tsachas then reads out stats which he says that over a nine month period, Birch had only stopped two black men on the subway. Birch then explains that he doesn't target specific people and only stops and arrests people committing violations such as jumping over the turnstiles. However, Tsachas replies: 'Heres what I see. You just described to me whos committing the crimes. Youre fully aware of it. But youre not targeting those people.' The recording, which was made earlier this year, then formed the basis of a lawsuit filed by Birch, who he was denied overtime and given unpleasant assignments because he did not stop enough Hispanic and black teenagers. However, the case was eventually dismissed by a federal judge as the statute of limitations had passed on many of his claims, but Birch is appealing the decision. In the meantime, Tsachas has been recently been promoted within the NYPD with police commissioner William Bratton dismissing that the captain had done anything wrong. According to police figures, over the past decade, five million people have been stopped and sometimes searched in New York City by police officers. The recording was made by officer Michael Birch, who was criticized for only stopping and searching two black men on the subway in Brooklyn over a nine-month period (file picture) Of those, 87 per cent were black or Hispanic, groups that make up 54 per cent of the city's population. Around 10 per cent of the stops result in an arrest or a summons being issued. The recording also comes at a time of high racial tensions across the US between police departments and the communities they serve. The focus comes after a black Army veteran killed five police officers in revenge for shootings of two black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the Minneapolis suburbs. The five officers were slain in Dallas after a Black Lives Matter protest against the shootings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. The breakdown in race relations has now prompted US president Barack Obama to pledge he will keep his focus on reducing tensions and ask Americans to have an open heart so that they can 'learn to look at the world through each other's eyes.' Advertisement A once-grand theatre, where the likes of Laurel and Hardy, The Beatles and Nina Simone performed to a rapt audience, is slowly fading into obscurity. The Hulme Hippodrome, in Manchester, which opened in 1901, was originally known as the Grand Junction Theatre and Floral Hall. The golden days had long gone by the time it closed its doors in 1988. Most of the 3,000 seats remain intact but the stage has started to fall to pieces. Yet much of the red, purple and green decor continues to defiantly withstand the ravages of time. Some images show old cameras and bottles that were left behind while a well-preserved bar, ticket office and foyer area stand in stark contrast to the decay on the lower floors. The Hulme Hippodrome, in Manchester - where the likes of Laurel and Hardy, The Beatles and Nina Simone performed to a rapt audience - is slowly fading into obscurity. Most of the 3,000 seats remain intact but the stage has started to fall to pieces The pictures were taken by engineer and urban explorer Adam Slater, 29, from Birmingham, who had to tread carefully. 'The main challenge at the Hippodrome was one of safety,' he said The venue, which opened in 1901, was originally known as the Grand Junction Theatre and Floral Hall The golden days had long gone by the time the Hippodrome closed its doors in 1988 'After being closed for nearly 25 years, water ingress had taken its toll and many floors in the building were collapsing making full access to all areas a little tricky,' said the photographer The pictures were taken by engineer and urban explorer Adam Slater, 29, from Birmingham, who had to tread carefully. 'The main challenge at the Hippodrome was one of safety,' he said. 'Some photos show a building in fair condition but many areas were far from it. 'After being closed for nearly 25 years, water ingress had taken its toll and many floors in the building were collapsing making full access to all areas a little tricky.' The Hippodrome was one of the hottest spots in town and saw stars come to play in front of packed houses. It is said that the Fab Four, and 1920s' comic greats Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy arrived at the venue through underground tunnels that led to the city centre in order to avoid the public. Laurel was born in Lancashire and began his career in British music hall. It is said that the Fab Four, and 1920s' comic greats Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy arrived at the venue through underground tunnels that led to the city centre in order to avoid the public The Hippodrome was one of the hottest spots in town and saw stars come to play in front of packed houses The venue operated as a theatre until the late 1960s but by the early 1970s, it had switched to hosting bingo In 1999, the building was bought by a church group but services never moved beyond a small room on the ground floor 'A lot of cinemas and theatres are hidden gems. From the outside, the Hippodrome is nothing more than a brick box but inside the architecture is quite stunning. 'It can be surprising what's hidden right under your nose. It was also special as it had been closed and untouched for so long. 'Everything in the building, from the decor to the old cans we found discarded under the seats, were old. Exploring places like this are the closest you will get to real-life time travel.' The Hippodrome operated as a theatre until the late 1960s but by the early 1970s, it had switched to hosting bingo. It eventually closed in 1988 and has mostly been abandoned ever since. Mr Slater visited the Hippodrome as part of a UK-wide tour to discover forgotten theatres and cinemas The cost of refurbishing the Grade II-listed building would be in the region of 20million In 1999, the building was bought by a church group but services never moved beyond a small room on the ground floor. Mr Slater visited the Hippodrome as part of a UK-wide tour to discover the forgotten theatres and cinemas. 'I explored my first derelict theatre at The Jesmond Picture House,' he said. 'It was a real eye-opener to see quite how interesting these buildings could be even after they had been abandoned. 'Upon returning home, I started to look around my local area for more theatres and cinemas to explore and was amazed to find that they were really quite plentiful. 'Nearly every town and city in the UK had at least one hiding away. The Hippodrome was always one of the "top targets" but it took quite a few years to finally get inside.' Japans Emperor Akihito will not step down, the imperial household said today, despite recent media claims that the 82-year-old monarch plans to abdicate. The imperial household was thrust into chaos yesterday after respected public broadcaster NHK reported that Akihito will step down, citing palace sources. It is absolutely not true, Vice Grand Steward Shinichiro Yamamoto told reporters. The emperor has long refrained from discussing systematic issues out of consideration for his majestys constitutional position he said. Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have been on the Chrysanthemum Throne for 27 years after coming to power in 1989) Crown Prince Naruhito, pictured with his wife Masako, will take over from his father If Akihito did step down and allow his 56-year-old son, Crown Prince Naruhito, to assume the throne, he would become the first monarch to do so in 200 years, AFP reports. Akihito has suffered from a number of health ailments, including prostate cancer and heart problems. He recently underwent heart surgery. Last year, he intimated that he may be limited in performing his ceremonial duties. Japan's top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported that the government is secretly still considering an abdication. Although Akibitos role is strictly ceremonial, an early abdication would send shockwaves through Japan, where the beloved royal family is symbol of solidity. Emperor Akihito travelled to Britain in 1998, sparking controversy from former prisoners of war who were demanding compensation for the treatment that they received at the hands of the Japanese. Akihito was the heir to Emperor Hirohito, in whose name Japan fought the Second World War. Akihibto has spent much of his time as a monarch attempting to heal wounds from the bloody conflict. He has reigned since his father's 1989 death. The emperor has endeavored to strengthen Japan's image abroad with international visits. He was the first Japanese monarch in living memory to visit China, where memories of Japan's past military aggression run deep. There is no constitutional mechanism for abdication in Japan, which would make the situation highly irregular. Justin Goldstein, 33, was arrested at work A meteorologist for a Connecticut TV station has been arrested on child pornography possession charges and taken off the air. State police arrested Justin Goldstein at his workplace, WTNH-TV (News 8), in New Haven on Wednesday and executed a search warrant at his suburban home. An investigation began in June after suspected child porn videos were downloaded from an internet account assigned to 33-year-old weather expert, police claimed. Goldstein was not home when state police officers and members of the Hamden Police Department and FBI executed the search warrant, said state police spokeswoman Trooper First Class Kelly Grant. Grant told the New Haven Register that police removed computers and computer-related equipment from Goldsteins home in Hamden, north of New Haven. Grant said officers examined computer files at the scene and found what they believed to be child porn. Goldstein, originally from Staten Island and a graduate of Kean University in New Jersey, has been charged with two class B felonies: promoting a minor in an obscene performance and first-degree possession of child pornography. If convicted, the broadcaster would face a lengthy prison sentence. A first-degree possession of child pornography conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years behind bars, while the charge of promoting a minor in an obscene performance has a penalty of one to 20 years in prison, according to the state's penal code. He posted a $200,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on July 26, his employer reported. We are deeply concerned by the allegations, said Mark Higgins, president and general manager of WTNH-TV, an ABC affiliate. Until the matter is resolved, Justin Goldstein is suspended from his duties at WTNH. TV meteorologist Justin Goldstein delivers a report in this video posted on News 8's YouTube account in June His profile has been removed from the TV stations website and his social media accounts have been deleted. Before joining WTNH-TV's 'Storm Team 8' in 2013, Goldstein worked for TV stations in Philadelphia, Detroit (where he went by the name Justin Ryan), Toledo, Charleston and Norwalk, Connecticut. His profile on WTNH-TV's website stated he wanted to become a meteorologist after he witnessed Hurricane Gloria in New York at the age of three. A 2009 report by the Cougar's Byte, a student newsletter at his alma mater, said he was the youngest person to receive the American Meteorological Society's Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval. A young woman has allegedly done a runner on a hairdresser after the 'thief' spent four hours in the salon getting $750 worth of hair extensions and colour corrections. Mia Buchanan, owner of Uniq Hair in Brisbane's Kelvin Grove, said the young woman ducked out for a second time 'to quickly move her car again' but instead drove off without paying the single mother for four hours of work. 'When this happened, I had blood rush to my cheeks. I can't afford that,' Ms Buchanan told Daily Mail Australia. She has turned to social media to identify the young woman after realising she gave a fake name and phone number for her session on Wednesday. A young woman (pictured) has allegedly left a hair salon without paying for the $750 worth of hair extensions and colour corrections in Brisbane on Wednesday Owner Ms Buchanan has turned to social media to identify the young woman 'I'm a small-business owner and a single mum with two kids,' she told Courier Mail. 'I don't know how they can spend four hours in a chair, be so personal with someone and then just do that. 'She was even saying to me: "Oh my god, I love it. I've found my new hairdresser",' Ms Buchanan told Daily Mail Australia. Alongside her Facebook post to the Uniq Hair page, Ms Buchanan also shared pictures of the young women - the 'before' shots she always takes of customers. Hundreds have commented on the post and 20 people have provided the same name for the woman. Despite losing the $750, Ms Buchanan told Daily Mail Australia there was a 'positive' side to the story, after receiving so much support from the community. 'When this happened, I had blood rush to my cheeks. I can't afford that,' Ms Buchanan (pictured), the owner of Uniq Hair and a single mother-of-two, said 'She was even saying to me: "Oh my god, I love it. I've found my new hairdresser",' Ms Buchanan told Daily Mail Australia (the young woman is not pictured - other staff and clientele pictured) While she has reported the alleged theft to police, she said she will not press charges if the young woman turns herself in to pay by 5pm on Friday. The client was parked in an area with a two-hour limit, and had gone to move the car to avoid a fine. When she didn't return the second time, Ms Buchanan said she waited 20-minutes before she started to panic. 'Forty-five minutes later I went and saw the centre manager to see the CCTV footage,' she told Courier Mail. The footage showed the woman leaving the salon and driving out of the village centre carpark. 'I just hope we catch her so she can't do it to anyone else,' Ms Buchanan wrote on Facebook. Queensland Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the incident had been reported. Advertisement George Clooney's wealthy neighbours in the Alpine beauty spot of Lake Como say their Italian idyll is being ruined by the influx of hundreds of migrants to a makeshift camp on their doorstep. The picturesque area is best known as a hide-away for Clooney and a multitude of other Hollywood A-listers includ Brad Pitt, wife Angelina Jolie, and pop superstar Madonna. But a clamp-down by Switzerland on illegal immigrants entering the country from Italy threatens to turn this chic resort into a frontier town overrun by the homeless and desperate. Paradise lost: George Clooney's wealthy neighbours in the Alpine beauty spot of Lake Como say their Italian idyll is being ruined by the influx of hundreds of migrants to a makeshift camp on their doorstep Idyll: The picturesque area is best known as a hide-away for Clooney and a multitude of other Hollywood A-listers include Brad Pitt, wife Angelina Jolie, and Madonna Anger: But a clamp-down by Switzerland on migrants entering the country from Italy threatens to turn this chic resort into a frontier town overrun by the homeless and desperate. Federica said: A small number of immigrants is not a problem but now they are so many.' Moving on: They are stuck in Lake Como because Swizerland has closed its border and they are sleeping in camps near the railway station Rubbish: Como local authority held a referendum to decide on whether to build a permanent camp, which was rejected by the wealthy residents so now the refugees who have moved up from Italy are forced to sleep rough Picturesque: This map shows where the camp at Como railway station is in relation to the banks of Lake Como where stars wine and dine Gateway to Europe: Migrants are trapped in their makeshift camp at Como's railway station, which is close to George Clooney's estate as well as the luxury Villa D'Este hotel where guests include Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and former US President JFK Restaurant owner Maria Grazia told MailOnline: I dont want them here. Italy has enough problems without trying to solve the problems of the world. We [Italy] should not have to deal with these people on our own. Europe [the EU] does nothing to help us. Now they make us me, my family and other Italian families pay for them. Housewife Federica, 55, said: A small number of immigrants is not a problem but now they are so many. You see them arriving at that the San Giovanni station. They are not poor hungry refugees but they are big and strong. People here in Como dont like them. There are simply too many of them. Tour guide Denise, 67, added: Immigration here in Italy is a problem, a big problem because of the huge numbers who are arriving all the time. Chauffeur Santi, 26, said: It is good for Switzerland that they have closed the border to migrants but it is bad for Italy. We simply dont have the resources to deal with all these new people. Italy has lots of problems of our own without having to try to deal with other peoples problems. It is a complex situation. Fury: Chauffeur Santi, 26, told MailOnline: It is good for Switzerland that they have closed the border to migrants but it is bad for Italy. We simply dont have the resources to deal with all these new people. Tradition: Financial consultant Emilio, 52, added: Immigration is a big problem. I dont want lots of immigrants coming to Como. This will affect our jobs, our resources, and the character of our town. Problem: Tour guide Denise says the growing number of migrants is a problem which is only getting worse. The 67-year-old added: Immigration here in Italy is a problem, a big problem because of the huge numbers who are arriving all the time. Not welcome: Maria Graziaand Giacoma Marito Moglie are concerned that Italy can no longer cope with the influx of migrants. Maria said: I dont want them here. Italy has enough problems without trying to solve the problems of the world.' It is a lack of resources that is the problem with immigration. Not that we are bad people but that he dont have the resources to deal with all of these new people arriving in our country. Financial consultant Emilio, 52, said: Immigration is a big problem. I dont want lots of immigrants coming to Como. This will affect our jobs, our resources, and the character of our town. Clooney spends up to four months a year as his lake-side 30-room Villa Oleandra which he bought in 2002, officially putting the up-market destination on the international map. People here in Como dont like them. There are simply too many of them. He celebrated his marriage to Amal Clooney at the 7.5 million Italian home in the picturesque village of Laglio where he keeps an impressive wine cellar and tours the lake on a motor launch. Scenes for Clooneys heist-movie Oceans Twelve were shot at his Villa Oleandra and actors Emily Blunt and John Krasinski were married in the grounds. Co-star Brad Pitt and his wife Angelina Jolie are frequent house guests. Matt Bellamy, frontman of the band Muse, who has his own villa along the shore, often pops in. However those who work and live in the area fear the area is being permanently damaged. Simona, 27, who works in a shop, said: We dont need any more immigrants here. They are already all over the town. I really hope the situation will not get any worse. Already they sleep in the park. We dont want people all over the streets. This will only ruin the tourist trade. No one will want to come here. Romance: Clooney and his wife celebrated their first year of marriage in Lake Como earlier this week as locals voiced concerns about the number of migrants coming to the area Holiday home: George Clooney bought his Lake Como property (pictured) for 7.5million in 2002 and spends four months a year here, getting a private jet and catching a boat, which is moored at the bottom of his garden Belgian ex-pat Nico said: This is a complex issue. Europe has to work together to solve this problem. Italy cannot take on the responsibility on its own. Italian newspapers have suggested Como could become a small Ventimiglia the frontier town with France where hundreds of migrants set up a camp and fought pitched battles with police last year after Paris closed the border. The lake-side town, just a few miles from the main Italy-Switzerland border, is already home to hundreds of migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, with more arriving every day. Plans to set up a purpose-built migrant camp on the outskirts of Como had to be scrapped following bad-tempered protests from locals. Instead immigrants, who have registered a claim for asylum in Italy, are housed in up to 100 hostels throughout the town. They also receive a Euro 75-a-month subsistence allowance while the demand is processed. Others recent arrivals to the town and those whose asylum applications have been turned down sleep in makeshift camps and under bridges. Already the winding cobbled streets of Comos old town are overrun by young Asian men hawking umbrellas, flowers and other goods. Africans sleep in the parks and North Africans chatter on their mobile phones. Some have praised the Swiss for holding back the tide of migrants. Ellen and Klaus from Dortmund, Germany, said: Good. Im pleased to hear that the Switzerland has closed the border. This will help Germany. We [Germany] cannot save the world on our own. Already we have taken in so many thousands of refugees. We have had a lot of problems. I dont know if you know what happened in Cologne on New Years Eve. It only takes a few to cause problems but this was serious. No one minds someone who learns the language and gets a job but its the others. Really other [EU] countries should also help. Others have called for European countries to act together to solve the migrant crisis. Student Miriam 24 said: Europe has turned nasty after the Brexit vote. Every country is looking for itself now, that is what I think. Complex problem: Belgian expat Nico (pictured with his daughter) told MailOnline: 'Italy cannot take on the responsibility on its own. Unhappy: Ellen and Klaus from Dortmund, Germany, (left) say it is time Switzerland closed its borders while Arab Israeli Maher says everyone should be allowed to go where they want But people here in Lombardy [region of Como] are open-minded. I dont know if the town will become like Ventimiglia. But we have to work together to solve this problem with refugees. Tourist Arab Israeli Maher said: I think everyone should be able to travel wherever they want to go. Europe is meant to be a place where you can travel without borders. This should not be just for people from Europe but for everyone from whatever country. We dont need any more immigrants here. They are already all over the town. I really hope the situation will not get any worse. Already they sleep in the park. We dont want people all over the streets. Music superstar Madonna, fashion house empress Dontella Versace and millionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson are among his many high-rolling neighbours. Diners at the restaurant on Isola Comacina, Lake Comos only island, have included Princess Margaret, Kirk Douglas, Barbra Streisand, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Elton John. Banking heir James Rothchild proposed to hotel heiress Nicky Hilton on a boat on the 28-mile lake in the shadow of the Swiss mountains. Comos grand Villa dEste hotel charges up to 2,000-a-night. Previous guests include the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, US President JFK with Marilyn Monroe and more recently although separately Madonna and Bruce Springsteen. And Robert De Niro rubs shoulders with Clooney over cocktails at the lakeside Harrys Bar where VIPs can enjoy a drink without fear of being photographed, just a few miles from the border. Meanwhile African migrants at one hostel have told MailOnline how they were forced to leave Italy because their asylum applications are turned down. If their demand is rejected they are no longer eligible to the Euro 75 per month subsistence allowance and are evicted from the hostel. Shelter: Makeshift camps have sprung up near San Giovanni station as migrants try to cross the border as hundreds of homeless are camping there before making their onwards journeys to Germany and England Rubbish: But their presence has spoiled the idyllic surrounding enjoyed by the wealthy inhabitants, they say as litter is strewn everywhere Hopes: Ossas, 39, from Nigeria, said: We want a new life in Italy but we have to move on because Italy often does not accept us as refugees. We have all claimed asylum here in Italy but 90 per cent of claims are refused. Dreams: Dumbuya, 23, a teacher from Mali, said: 'I had to come to Europe to save my life. I have not seen my family for four years. I just want to start a new life. Ossas, 39, from Nigeria, said: We want a new life in Italy but we have to move on because Italy often does not accept us as refugees. We have all claimed asylum here in Italy but 90 per cent of claims are refused. If we are refused we are given seven days to leave the hostel and we no longer receive any money. So we have to sleep in the streets and try to find something to eat. That is why we try to go to other countries. Others explained reasons why they risked had their lives to cross the Mediterranean a seek a new life in Europe. Dumbuya, 23, a teacher from Mali, said: I am from the north of the country where there is war. I had to leave my country because of the war. First I went to Libya and worked there but I was kidnapped by the Islamists and held as a prisoner. I escaped and made my way to the coast. I had to come to Europe to save my life. I have not seen my family for four years. I just want to start a new life. Lorry driver Lucky Obera, 29, fled his home in Nigeria after receiving death threats. He said: I had a crash in my lorry and killed a man. Then his family tried to kill me. I had to escape. Superstars: Celebrities such as Madonna, Brad Pitt and his wife Angelina Jolie are frequently seen in Lake Como as is Matt Bellamy, frontman of the band Muse, who has his own villa along the shore that he shared with former wife Kate Hudson High society: Franklin Roosevelt Jnr, son of the late US president, and wife Ethel (nee du Pont) enjoyed their honeymoon at Lake Como and Banking heir James Rothchild proposed to hotel heiress Nicky Hilton on a boat on the lake in the shadow of the Swiss mountains Luxury: Comos grand Villa dEste hotel charges up to 2,000-a-night. Previous guests include the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, US President JFK with Marilyn Monroe and more recently although separately Madonna and Bruce Springsteen. Idris, 23, from Senegal, fled when Islamist rebels tried to force him to become a fighter. He said: The rebels came to my village and said I had to join them in their fight. I ran away. I made my way to Libya and got on a boat. It was a small rubber boat with a capacity for 80 people. But the smugglers made 150 get on boat. The journey was terrible. We were in the sea for four days. It was hell. Some 30 people died on the journey. A three-year-old boy was hospitalised after being attacked by a gang of squirrels. Mother Sophie Renouf, 22, was enjoying a walk in the woods with son Finley when he reached out to feed one of the creatures. But he was horrified when five more suddenly burst out of the undergrowth and leapt on him. Sophie, of Redruth, Cornwall, said: 'There was literally one squirrel there and my son, as you would, fed him as usual. Mother Sophie Renouf, 22, was enjoying a walk in the woods with son Finley (pictured together) when he reached out to feed a squirrel Finley Renouf, three, was treated for puncture wounds after five more jumped from the undergrowth and attacked him in the woods in Cornwall The boy's mother, Sophie, 22, spoke out to make other mothers more aware that squirrels can be dangerous 'Next thing, six of them came running out of the hedge and then, all of a sudden, all I remember is him screaming. 'I looked - and there was blood pouring out of his hand.' Sophie rushed to intervene - and had to fight off one of the creatures which was trying to scramble up her leg. Finley was rushed from the scene at Tehidy woods, near Redruth, to the minor injuries unit at nearby Barncoose Hospital. Finley was rushed from the scene at Tehidy woods, near Redruth, to the minor injuries unit at nearby Barncoose Hospital But he was immediately transferred to the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske, where medics spent three hours treating his puncture wounds and bandaging his fingers. Sophie now wants to warn others about the dangers of feeding wild squirrels. 'I've fed them when I was a child,' she said. 'If it put them in danger then you wouldn't ever let them do it - but you don't expect it to happen. 'I asked if he had touched its tail and he said no. I didn't see him do anything like that, so I assume they've just had babies - or they're about to.' Finley had only just plucked up courage to feed the creatures after being convinced it was safe by his parents. Sophie said: 'I just want to let other people know. I don't want other children to go down there and get bitten. 'A girl I used to go to school with messaged me on Facebook and said they'd tried to bite her little girl as well.' Cornwall Council said it was sorry to hear about a three-year-old boy left with an injured hand after an attack by a pack of six squirrels. A spokesperson said: 'Many people visit Tehidy Country Park to see the squirrels so they are quite used to people being around and unafraid to approach if they think food might be available. Parents have criticised a school for their 'militant' uniform policy where girls are only permitted to have 25 or fewer curls in their hair. Girls are also banned from wearing earrings or visible make-up, nail varnish, hair extensions or dying their hair any colour other than brown or black. Boys are no longer allowed to have shaved or buzz cuts and all outdoor coats and bags must be black. Furious parents are now considering a 'student strike' at De Warenne Academy, in Doncaster, angry at the 'inspection line' their children go through every day. The changes were brought in at the start of this month in an effort to create a 'culture and a friendly atmosphere'. Furious parents are now considering a 'student strike' at De Warenne Academy, in Doncaster, angry at the 'inspection line' their children go through every day This was the note included in the uniform policy explaining how shaved hair and hair extensions were banned One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'Girls are being told that if they have too many curls in their hair [more than 25] they will be disciplined because they're too distracting to the other pupils. 'I think that's really unfair because what if you have naturally curly hair, what do you do then?' Wayne Goulding, 46, a former prison worker whose son Owen attends the school, said students at De Warenne were treated 'worse than inmates at HMP Lindholme'. He told the Doncaster Free Press: 'At least at Lindholme they're only made to show their ID badge, but the kids there are being forced to go through this inspection line. It's like military treatment, basically. 'They're punishing them for anything. My son was given detention for putting on a coat when it was raining, because it was blue and not black.' Parents said girls were told they had to have fewer than 25 curls in their hair (pictured left, famous children with curls - Tracy Beaker played by Dani Harmer and right, Ramona Marquez from Outnumbered) Responding to the parents' fury, the school denied introducing new restrictions on hair colour, style or length. Executive principal Gareth Mason also refused claims that students were being searched at the gate or elsewhere. He said: 'I'd like to thank parents and carers for the support many have given to the change in the behaviour policy and the feedback given at a parents' consultation evening. 'We want to create a culture and a friendly atmosphere in the academy where teachers are focused on talking to students about their learning, their progress and the subject being taught. 'Students are not being searched at the gate or anywhere else. We do welcome them to say good morning and greet them so they feel safe and secure in their learning environment. 'There are no new restrictions on hair colour, style or length introduced as a result of the implementation of the new behaviour policy.' Last year the school was criticised for throwing pupil Jordan Hartill, 13, out the classroom because she had bows on her shoes. The school said she was not wearing shoes that adhered to the uniform policy. Google has been slapped with a third anti-trust charge by the European Unions regulator. The European Commission also reinforced its existing charge against the world's most popular Internet search engine that its search results favour Google's own shopping service over that of rivals. The EU filed fresh charges against Google's advertising business, cranking up the pressure on the US tech giant to change the way it operates. Google has become the world's most dominant search engine but the European Commission believe it is abusing that position to stifle competition EU Competition Commission Margrethe Vestager said: 'Google has come up with many innovative products that have made a difference to our lives. 'But that doesn't give Google the right to deny other companies the chance to compete and innovate.' She said: 'We have also raised concerns that Google has hindered competition by limiting the ability of its competitors to place search adverts on third-party websites, which stifles consumer choice and innovation. This relates to Google's AdSense for Search platform. Ms Vestager, pictured at a recent European Commission press conference, is a former Danish finance minister The European Commission also issued a statement today which said it had probed Google's comparison shopping and advertising business and its preliminary conclusion was that 'Google has abused its dominant position by systematically favoring its comparison shopping service in its search result pages'. She asked Google and its parent company Alphabet to respond to the commission's findings within 10 weeks. FACT BOX TITLE 2007 - US Federal Trade Commission investigates Google's acquisition of online advertising firm DoubleClick and rules it can go ahead. 2008 - US Justice Department blocks a deal to allow Yahoo to run Google search ads on Yahoo sites. 2009 - Rivals file complaints against Google to national regulators in Europe, citing competition concerns. 2010 - European Commission launches formal antitrust probe of Google's search business. This is still ongoing. 2013 - FTC drops its two-year investigation of Google, concluding it had not manipulated search results to damage rivals. 2014 - European politicians pass a non-binding resolution calling for the break-up of Google's search engine business from the rest of the company. 2015 - New EU antitrust commissioner Ms Vestager charges Google with distorting search results to favour its own shopping services over rivals and reveals that she is also investigating Google's Android business. April 2016 - EU charged Google with abusing the dominance of its Android mobile phone operating system July 2016 - Ms Vestager charges Google with hindering competition by limiting the ability of its competitors to place search adverts on third-party websites. Advertisement 'But if our investigations conclude that Google has broken EU anti-trust rules, the Commission has a duty to act to protect European consumers and fair competition on European markets,' she added. Earlier this year Google was banned from continuing to manipulatesearch results to favour itself and harm rivals. The Commission can fine firms up to 10 per cent of theirannual sales, which in Google's case would be a maximum possiblesanction of more than 6 billion (4.7 billion). The biggest antitrustfine to date was a 1.1 billion fine imposed on chip-makerIntel in 2009. In April the EU Anti-Trust Commission accused Google of 'stifling competition' by abusing the dominant position of its Android operating system. The commission claimed Google was making manufacturers pre-install Google Search and the Chrome browser. Officials said Google has allegedly given financial incentives to manufacturers and mobile network operators if they exclusively pre-installed Google Search on their devices. It has also blocked some manufacturers from selling smartphones which ran on 'competing operating systems based on the Android open source code'. The Commission believes these moves have stopped other mobile browsers from being able to compete with Google in the rapidly growing smartphone and Android markets. Google also faced criticism earlier this year for the amount of tax it pays in the UK. A Philadelphia father has been ordered to stand trial on charges he waved a gun around a bedroom with seven children present when it went off, killing his four-year-old daughter. Maurice Phillips, 30, appeared in court Wednesday for his preliminary hearing on charges including third-degree murder in the death of his daughter, Tahira, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. He had been charged with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment and reckless endangerment and related counts. Phillips' stepdaughter Nasheema, 11, testified that he called the gun his toy and never pointed it at anyone but it went off, shooting Tahira in the head on April 16. Maurice Phillips, left, appeared in court Wednesday for his preliminary hearing on charges including third-degree murder in the death of his daughter, Tahira (right) Capt. James Clark, of the Philadelphia police homicide division, said in April that Tahira and her six siblings who range in age from seven months to 13 were in the bedroom of the Kensington home when Phillips came into the room, took his gun from its holster and started 'carelessly and recklessly waving and pointing the gun around in the room'. The gun went off, striking the girl in the back of her head, 'killing her instantly', Clark said. 'We don't believe that he intended that to happen but because of his grossly negligent acts, this is ultimately what happened,' Clark said. The other children became upset and began yelling, investigators have said. Phillips posted this photo of a semiautomatic pistol, the same kind of gun recovered from the scene, in March Maurice Phillips is accused of striking his five-year-old daughter Amisha Phillips and wiping blood onto her shirt in an apparent effort to shift blame. Police previously believed the girl's five-year-old sibling was the shooter. He punched Amisha's eye, Nasheema said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The girl gave testimony via closed-circuit television. Phillips also posted this image of an assault rifle on his Facebook in the months before the accidental shooting The father, a prosecutor said, put Tahira in a bedroom and took off, returning when the mother of the kids arrived, the newspaper reported. He changed clothes and fled, according to the prosecutor's reported account. Phillips later turned himself in. Family friend Crystal Dougherty told WPVI in April: 'She was a sweet, loving, little girl. 'She was full of life. She was always willing to help. She was a great big sister to her little brother.' Capt. James Clark had told the TV station: 'It was a stupid, idiotic act. A father-of-one fears he will lose his eye after an A&E doctor reportedly smeared it with a highly corrosive chemical. Self-employed mechanic Nertil Troka was rushed to Milton Keynes Hospital, Buckinghamshire, after a metal splinter flew into his eye at work. A doctor reportedly dabbed the eye with what is believed to be silver nitrate, a flesh-sealing substance used to treat wounds. Agonising pain: Nertil Troka, 28, was taken to hospital after a metal splinter flew into his eye at work Damage: The doctor reportedly smeared his eye with a corrosive chemical. Pictured, after the incident Mr Troka has not been able to work since the July 1 incident and now fears he might completely lose his sight - or even his eyeball. Mr Troka, 28, said: 'He got the little wooden stick with a brown end and touched my eyeball with it. Immediately I felt the worst pain ever, like my eye was on fire, and I couldn't see.' His screams were heard by a second medic who reportedly chastised his colleague and said 'he should never have used that'. The medic dabbed Mr Troka's eye with water before referring him to the specialist eye clinic at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Mr Troka said that despite the medic's mistake, he was not given the offer of an ambulance and had to pay for the 24-mile taxi ride out of his own pocket. He stayed in hospital for five days while specialists battled to repair the second degree burn. He said: 'They were horrified. They said they had never seen such a case before and they warned me I could lose my sight or even lose my whole eye.' Out of work: Mr Troka said he has been unable to work since the injury on July 1. Pictured, his inflamed eye Mr Troka said he is unable to work and cannot provide for his daughter Nerilda, one, and his stay-at-home wife, Ervina, 20. He added: 'I'm really worried about my family, if I'm not making money how will we eat?' Doctors have said the priority to save his eye, which only has 30 per cent of the vision he had prior to the burn. He has to apply steroid and antibiotic drops once every hour day and night. Mr Troka, who was born in Albania, said his eye sight was 'not brilliant' before the incident but that he only required glasses to read things at a distance. He added: 'I can't sleep, I can't see properly, I can't drive and I can't work. It is horrible.' A spokesman for Milton Keynes Hospital said: 'Our teams work hard to ensure that every patient receives good and safe care, so we are disappointed to learn of Mr Troka's recent experience. Attacks attract capital from investors, which ISIS desperately needs Experts warn that ISIS will use its vast networks of followers to stage terror As its quasi-state weakens, the terrorist group will turn to guerrilla attacks ISIS lost 12% of its territory during the first six month of this year ISIS terror attacks are likely to intensify as its self-proclaimed caliphate loses ground, according to security analysts. Having lost 12% of its territory within the first six months of 2016, the terror group is now preparing for life after the caliphate it gleefully announced two years ago. The proliferation of recent ISIS-claimed violence signal a loss of power, according to US analysts cited by the Washington Post. Scroll down for video ISIS once had a thriving caliphate, but recent territorial losses in Syria and Iraq are forcing the extremists to rethink their strategy Terror spiked during the holy month of Ramadan this year, when ISIS-linked attacks claimed 5,200 lives During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ended last week, ISIS-linked violence spiked. ISIS claimed responsibility for bombings at Istanbuls Ataturk airport, the execution of 20 hostages in Bangladesh, and the deadliest suicide bombing in Baghdads recent history. The recent increase in attacks signals vulnerability, experts told the Post. As ISIS dissolves from a functional semi-state with significant territory, the terror organisation will place greater emphasis on its vast network of followers, which spans at least three continents. Where al-Qaeda was hierarchical and somewhat controlled, these guys are not. They have all the energy and unpredictability of a populist movement, Michael Hayden, a retired Air Force general who headed the CIA from 2006 to 2009, told the Washington Post. We do have, every day, people reaching out and telling us they want to come to the caliphate. But we tell them to stay in their countries and rather wait to do something there. While its significant territorial losses in Iraq and Syria will inhibit ISIS ability to train terrorists, raise money, and espouse their lifestyle, the decentralised nature of the organisation means that ISIS can still organise attacks across the world. An anonymous ISIS operative recently said in an interview: While we see our core structure in Iraq and Syria under attack, we have been able to expand and have shifted some of our command, media and wealth structure to different countries. ISIS recently admit their 'minister for war' Omar the Chechen is dead, which marked another major loss for the extremist group ISIS fighters saw their once-exorbitant salaries cut in half in January, and some lost access to TV and internet We do have, every day, people reaching out and telling us they want to come to the caliphate. But we tell them to stay in their countries and rather wait to do something there. However, the once-opulent caliphate is showing signs of weakness: last month, one ISIS province shut down internet cafes and another ordered the destruction of TVs and satellite dishes, according to communiques issued in Syria. A leaked ISIS document from January revealed that the group cut its fighters salaries in half. According to Clint Watts, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), ISIS is exacerbating terrorism to attract further investment. The 69-year-old can face up to 15 years in jail if found guilty He allegedly bathed young street children and groomed them with money He has arrived for his second day of trial to hear further testimonies He is accused of sexually abusing 16 girls between the ages of eight and 17 Australian man accused of sexually abusing 16 girls between the ages of eight and 17 in Indonesia has arrived at his second day of trial to hear testimonies from witnesses, experts and doctors. Robert Andrew Fiddes Ellis, who is being tried at Denpasar District Court, allegedly abused the street children in Bali after giving them cash and gifts, reportedThe Sydney Morning Herald. The 69-year-old originally from Beechworth in Victoria was arrested in Bali in January and now faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted. Robert Andrew Fiddes Ellis of Australia arrives for his second day of trial at the Denpasar District Court in Bali, Indonesia The child protection organisation, Lentera Anak Bali, supplied police with information which led to his arrest in January after they began observing Ellis in 2010. 'The street kids have a different mentality, their goal is money, their parents won't let them in the house unless they bring home at least 50 thousand rupiah [$5],' staff member Luh Putu Anggraeni said. Parents also encouraged their children to become close with Ellis as they were desperate for money. 'When we traced it back, it started when one of the young girl's aunt introduced them to Robert. From there Robert slowly groomed the girls, giving them gifts. Then came the molestation, Robert would touch them sexually while bathing them, then would pay the girls 200 thousand rupiah [$20] after. If the girls spent the night there, then she will be given a couple of millions rupiah. If they stayed longer, they might even be given a motorbike.' Ms Anggraeni said. Ellis is accused of sexually abusing 16 girls between the ages of 8 and 17 years old over a two year period in Bali The 69-year-old is charged under Indonesia's Child Protection Law, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail On his first day of trial on June 30 a number of alleged victims testified, reported news.com. One of his victims recounted how she was reportedly digitally penetrated while Ellis bathed her as others waited in line. Another 17-year-old victim, known as W, first met Ellis at the age of ten. It is believed she received 200,000 Rupiah, which she used for her parent's rent, to bath in front of Ellis and was never touched. It is also alleged W and her mother received motorbikes for referring other young girls to Ellis. His lawyer, Benny Hariyono, denied the girls' testimonies, arguing that his client just touched their bottoms instead of genitals. During the trial the alleged victims were assisted by members of the Lentera Anak Bali organisation, judges wore casual clothes as opposed to their formal attire to be less intimidating and Ellis was not allowed to be present. Advertisement Sitting atop a mountain like an abandoned flying saucer, this giant structure looks like it was created on another planet. The symbolic headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party dubbed the Buzludzha Monument has been abandoned for more than 25 years, and rests on the peak of Mount Buzludzha, 1,432 metres above sea level. After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Bulgaria moved into a new age of parliamentary democracy, and the headquarters became surplus to requirement, but its past still casts an eerie shadows within the structure. Symblic structure: The now abandoned symbolic headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party is called the Buzludzha Monument Political peak: The political structure has been abandoned for more than 25 years, and rests on the peak of Mount Buzludzha - 1,432 metres above sea level Left to rot: Thieves have stripped much of the roof panelling away from the building, which opened in 1981, leaving it vulnerable to the elements Sleeping giant: The Buzludzha Monument is one of a number of huge communist structures that many believe, if restored, could attract Western tourists to the region in their droves The Buzludzha Monument was completed in 1981 by Bulgarian's communist rulers to commemorate the Bulgarian's liberation from the Ottoman Empire in 1891. It was, therefore, in use for less than a decade. The ceiling is emblazoned with Karl Marx's rallying cry: 'Proletarians of all countries, unite.' There are also shards of red glass still remaining from a shining communist five-pointed star that was three times as big as the one at the Kremlin. After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 and the subsequent collapse of Bulgaria's communist regime in 1990, the building fell into disrepair, which was hastened when all of the copper was stolen from the roof. The husk of the UFO-looking building has now become a spot for graffiti and political art for those who manage to reach it. It is one of a number of huge communist structures that many believe, if restored, could attract Western tourists to the region in their droves. But the Bulgarian government does not have the resources to carry out the necessary extensive repair work, at an estimated cost of 30million leva (12million), nor to pull them down. Boycho Bivolarski, the BSP Socialist party chief from the nearby city of Stara Zagora, told AFP news agency: 'This monument is unique in Europe and, if restored, it can attract tourists, especially Western, and bring money.' Rising costs: The Bulgarian government does not have the resources to carry out the necessary extensive repair work, at an estimated cost of 30million leva (12million), nor to pull them down Star attraction: There are shards of red glass still remaining from a shining communist five-pointed star that was three times as big as the one at the Kremlin Curtain call: After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Bulgaria moved into a new age of parliamentary democracy, and the headquarters became surplus to requirement, but its past still casts an eerie shadows within the structure Open to the elements: Boycho Bivolarski, the BSP Socialist party chief from the nearby city of Stara Zagora, said: 'This monument is unique in Europe and, if restored, it can attract tourists, especially Western, and bring money.' Blank canvas: The husk of the UFO-looking building has now become a spot for graffiti and political art for those who manage to reach it United front: The ceiling is emblazoned with Karl Marx's rallying cry: 'Proletarians of all countries, unite.' The pictures were taken by Roman, a 29-year-old urban photographer and service manager from the Netherlands. He said: 'I loved this place. My breath was taken away. It was larger than I expected and I was surprised by the craftsmanship of the mosaic on the walls and ceiling. The building surpassed my wildest dreams. 'It's insane that this building was only open for about eight years and the state it's currently in is such a shame. 'I was expecting to run into the worst conditions possible during the climb as it was December. 'Luckily there wasn't a lot of snow, but the road leading up to it was in a very bad condition and slippery due to the ice on it. 'In the photos I want to shine a light on the history of the place and the meaning of it right now.' A wall mosaic of Bulgaria's communist dictator Todor Zhivkov has been destroyed, while others of communist heroes Marx, Engels and Lenin remain just about recognisable. In a sign that many of the local population have no interest in such buildings, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov transferred ownership of the structure to the BSP Socialist party in November 2011. Talking at the time, he said: 'Let them take care of it if they're so proud of it.' The BSP Socialists have managed to secure the entrances to prevent would-be trespassers from entering. Picture perfect: The pictures were taken by Roman Robroek, a 29-year-old urban photographer and service manager from the Netherlands Harsh handover: In a sign that many of the local population have no interest in such buildings, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov transferred ownership of the structure to the BSP Socialist party in November 2011 Shining beacon: 'In the photos I want to shine a light on the history of the place and the meaning of it right now,' said Roman Robroek Art attack: A wall mosaic of Bulgaria's communist dictator Todor Zhivkov has been destroyed, while others of communist heroes Marx, Engels and Lenin remain just about recognisable Advertisement They dominated the Conservative Party for more than a decade, and ran the country for six years. But David Cameron and George Osborne were left picking over the collapse of their political careers over coffee near Notting Hill this morning. The dramatic fall from grace of the former Prime Minister and Chancellor was confirmed yesterday when Mr Cameron formally tendered his resignation to the Queen and handed over to Theresa May. Within hours Mrs May had brutally sacked Mr Osborne - who had been clinging to the hope that he might be shifted to one of the other great offices of state like Foreign Secretary. George Osborne and David Cameron were considering their next moves after leaving power yesterday Mr Osborne was brutally sacked as Chancellor by Theresa May after she took over from Mr Cameron as PM Mr Osborne's humiliation was complete when he was forced to slink out of Downing Street - which had served as his family's home since 2010 - by the back door. Exclusive pictures obtained by MailOnline show Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne chatting at the Lisboa cafe in north Kensington this morning. The casually-dressed pair spent their first morning of freedom drinking coffee and eating pastries at a local cafe. They sat with their wives and children for around an hour close to Portobello Road Market. Samantha Cameron is also thought to have been there. One witness told MailOnline: 'We couldn't believe it when they arrived. They sat outside for an hour with their families. 'Mr Cameron was laughing and seemed quite relaxed. Mr Osborne was definitely subdued. He looked thoughtful.' Another customer said: 'It is obvious that Mr Cameron was happy He shook my hand and said he was getting on with his life and enjoying time with his family. I respect that'. The former PM, his ex Chancellor and their families were watched as the ate by a security team sitting in a black Range Rover parked across the road. Mr Cameron arrived first with his family and waited for Mr Osborne who arrived around 15 mins later. Mr Cameron's eldest daughter led the other children in and they ordered traditional Portuguese custard tarts , other cakes and drinks for the party. Owner Celia Gomes, who has run the business since 1982, said: 'Mr Cameron has a house nearby and have seen him a few times over the years. 'He sat with the Chancellor reading the papers and chatting about it. I came out to have a picture with him but the security said no. He was talking to customers and people passing by. He looked happy. 'I'm proud he came here on his first day after leaving but I'm sad he's no longer Prime Minister'. Manager Roberto Dias, 35, said Mr Cameron had the cafe to almost to himself. He said: 'I was serving and a customer said: Is that who I think it is. 'His eldest child came in and ordered when Mt Osborne arrived. 'They stopped for quite a while before Mr Cameron jumped into the security's car and the rest went off in the other direction'. In a move that stunned Westminster last night, Mrs May made Mr Johnson Foreign Secretary and told Mr Osborne to his face that he was out. The former chancellor had been the architect of the Government's 'Project Fear' campaign before the EU referendum, and provoked fury by threatening a so-called 'punishment budget' of swingeing tax rises and spending cuts if voters dared to leave. Launching her leadership campaign last month, Mrs May moved quickly to ditch Mr Osborne's plans to produce a budget surplus by 2020, and suggested he had done too little to tackle crony capitalism during his six-year tenure at the Treasury. Mr Osborne last night attempted to put a brave face on his removal. The pair, who dominated the Conservative Party for more than a decade, were joined by some of their family as they digested the dramatic events over coffee Mr Osborne's humiliation was completed last night when he slinked out of Downing Street by the back door after Mrs May told him he had no place in her government In a message on Twitter, he said: 'It's been a privilege to be Chancellor these last six years. Others will judge I hope I've left the economy in a better state than I found it.' He added: 'Good luck to new Prime Minister Theresa May and Chancellor Philip Hammond they have my full support in the big challenge that lies ahead.' Mr Osborne, who had dreamed of succeeding David Cameron, left Downing Street by a back door to avoid the humiliation of being spotted by waiting cameras, after Mrs May told him he had no place in her government. He was replaced at the Treasury by former foreign secretary Philip Hammond, a long-time ally and dining partner of the new Prime Minister. Luxury: The Camerons moved into a seven-bedroom house in the exclusive Holland Park, in west London. The 16.8million townhouse, pictured, is owned by PR mogul and close family friend Sir Alan Parker Out and about: Mr Cameron was pictured returning to the property after popping out for coffee this morning And Mr Osborne's hopes of a move to the Foreign Office were shattered when the top job was handed to Boris Johnson. Michael Gove, another key member of the so-called 'Notting Hill' Tory set - was sacked as Justice Secretary by Mrs May today. Another ally, Business minister Nick Boles, resigned yesterday before he could be ejected. Tory MP Nadine Dorries, who once criticised Mr Osborne and Mr Cameron as 'two posh boys who don't know the price of milk', last night welcomed the changes, writing on Twitter: 'The posh boys have gone. It's over.' Having left their own flat above No11, Mr Cameron and his family are now reportedly living temporarily in an 16.8million townhouse owned by a close friend. David and Samantha Cameron and their three children walked out of Number 10 hand in hand yesterday, leaving behind their home of the last six years. The family are believed to have later moved into a seven-bedroom home in exclusive Holland Park, west London, which is owned by PR mogul and close family friend Sir Alan Parker. The Evening Standard reported that the Camerons arrived at the property under police escort shortly after leaving Downing Street yesterday afternoon. Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne will now have to work out their next move after being swept from power after the historic Brexit vote. They are both still MPs This afternoon David Cameron (pictured) made his first public engagement since retiring as Prime Minister at a memorial event honouring two police officers murdered in a gun and grenade attack David Cameron attended the Police Memorial Trust's service for Pc Fiona Bone, 32, and Pc Nicola Hughes, 23, who were killed by wanted one-eyed gangster Dale Cregan in September 2012 after being lured to their deaths by the criminal following a bogus 999 burglary call to a house in Hattersley, Greater Manchester At the ceremony today, former Prime Minister David Cameron unveiled a memorial stone in their honour at The Hub in Mottram, Tameside, close to where the two officers fell, to serve as a reminder of the officers' sacrifice This afternoon Mr Cameron made his first public engagement since retiring as Prime Minister at a memorial event honouring two police officers murdered in a gun and grenade attack. He attended the Police Memorial Trust's service for Pc Fiona Bone, 32, and Pc Nicola Hughes, 23, who were killed by wanted one-eyed gangster Dale Cregan in September 2012 after being lured to their deaths by the criminal following a bogus 999 burglary call to a house in Hattersley, Greater Manchester. At the ceremony, Mr Cameron unveiled a memorial stone in their honour at The Hub in Mottram, Tameside, close to where the two officers fell, to serve as a reminder of the officers' sacrifice. Mr Cameron addressed the police officers' families, colleagues and dignitaries to tell them that it was 'vital' that heroes like Pc Bone and Pc Hughes were honoured like this. He said: 'I spoke last night outside Number 10 Downing Street for the last time and I spoke about the extraordinary ethic of service in our country particularly our police, our intelligence, our armed forces. And so it feels appropriate that while I am no longer Prime Minister, the new Prime Minister asked me to carry out this event and I'm so delighted to do that on her behalf. 'Come hell or high water we know the police are there for us.' George Osborne tweeted that he hoped he was leaving the country in a 'better state' than he found it There had been speculation over where the Cameron family would live after their abrupt exit from Number 10 as their own 3.6million Notting Hill home is currently being rented out. The big surprise among last night's announcements was the appointment of Mr Johnson to the Foreign Office. He effectively led the campaign to get Britain out of the EU and had dreamed of succeeding Mr Cameron in Downing Street until his leadership bid was torpedoed by Mr Gove. After going for coffee with Mr Osborne and family at the cafe this morning, Mr Cameron and Samantha were seen at the house where they are staying, before he changed into a suit David Cameron and George Osborne cycle through Hyde Park on their way to Westminster in July 2006 His appointment came despite the sometimes prickly relationship between Mr Johnson and Mrs May, who has sometimes hinted she does not view the former London Mayor as a serious politician. At the launch of her campaign to lead the party, Mrs May took a swipe at Mr Johnson over his failed bid to use water cannon on the streets of the capital in the event of future riots. Mr Johnson had purchased three used water cannon from Germany following the London riots, but Mrs May used her powers as Home Secretary to veto their use. Mocking his negotiating skills, she said: 'Last time he went to deal with Germans, he came back with three nearly-new water cannon.' But Mr Johnson's role in the crucial post-Brexit negotiations is likely to be limited. Moving out: David and Samantha Cameron and their children left Downing Street hand in hand yesterday Assad said the Russians 'never said a single word' about him handing over Today US Secretary of State John Kerry will discuss Syria with Putin Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has accused the United States of not being serious about defeating ISIS. He said Russian military support for his regime had 'tipped the scales in his favour' and he said he was confident he would reclaim the whole of his country 'within months'. Assad said President Vladimir Putin had not demanded anything of him but just wanted his regime to help defeat the 'terrorists'. Putin is due to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry in Moscow later today and it is thought the future of Assad in Syria will be on the agenda. But Assad denied they would be reaching a deal which would be 'bad news' for him and he said he had never been pressured to go by Putin. Bashar al-Assad has accused the United States of not being serious about defeating ISIS in a new interview with NBC 'Only the Syrian people define who's going to be the president, when to come, and when to go. They (the Russians) never said a single word regarding this,' he said in an interview with NBC. WHO ARE THE ASSADS? 1970 - Hafez al-Assad, a former air force commander, ousts Ba'athist leader Salah Jadid and becomes President of Syria the following year. He rules as a dictator, favouriting the Alawite minority over the Sunni Muslim majority. 1973 - Syria joins Egypt in attacking Israel but fails to regain the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur war 1984 - His brother Rifaat attempts a takeover but is forced into exile. 1994 - Bashar's older brother Basil dies in a car crash and suddenly Bashar, who had been studying to become an optician, becomes the heir apparent 2000 - Bashar al-Assad succeeded his father 2011 - The Arab Spring spreads to Syria and after violent attempts to suppress protests, a full-scale civil war breaks out Advertisement Assad claimed the US did not have the same determination as the Russians to defeat ISIS. 'They're not serious,' he told interviewer Bill Neely. Assad said: 'I cannot say I welcome the unseriousness of the illegal American airstrikes.' He said there was a difference between the Russian airstrikes and the US-led airstrikes against ISIS. Assad said the US and British airstrikes were illegal because they had not been invited by the Syrian government. 'It is not a question of how many airstrikes. It is a question of achievement,' said Assad. He said the US-led airstrikes were actually 'counter-productive'. ISIS made huge gains in Syria last year, from their de facto capital in Raqqa, and Assad's forces were on the brink of defeat until September when Moscow stepped up its military intervention. With Russian air support, and possibly special forces on the ground, Assad's troops have gained ground and retaken the ancient city of Palmyra from ISIS. Russian military hardware has been key to the battle in Syria. Russian Mi-25 helicopters similar to these have been at the sharp end of the fight with ISIS and one was shot down last week Assad said: 'The Russian support of the Syrian army has tipped the scales against the terrorists. It was the crucial factor.' But he said the US had lacked the Assad said: 'The reality is telling that, since the beginning of the American airstrikes, the terrorism has been expanding and prevailing. It only shrinked when the Russians intervened.' He claimed the Americans lacked the 'will' to defeat ISIS and added: 'We wanted to defeat those terrorists, while the United States wanted to manage those groups in order to topple the government in Syria.' Assad's fate is a major obstacle in efforts to bring about a negotiated settlement to Syria's civil war, which began in 2011. Under a UN-backed blueprint sketched out by 22 nations, including the US, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia, a nationwide ceasefire will precede talks on 'political transition'. But there has been little progress towards talks. Last week a Russian attack helicopter was shot down with a US missile by ISIS fighters near the city of Palmyra. A Russian military source told Russia's Interfax news agency that the chopper was brought down with an American TOW anti-tank missile system. A statement from ISIS, translated by the ISIS-affiliated Amaaq news agency, read: 'The soldiers of the Khilafah shot down a Russian helicopter as it attempted to raid their locations, which led to destroying it and killing those on board and all praise is due to Allah.' A 60-year-old man has been arrested after he was caught in the background of a TV news broadcast slapping a disabled woman on the face. Randall Burgess was spotted hitting the frail woman in a wheelchair next to the steps of a downtown courthouse in Phoenix, Arizona. It came as TV reporter Joe Dana, appeared live on News 12's 6pm bulletin to talk about the sentencing of Chris Simcox, who was convicted of sexual abuse. TV reporter Joe Dana gave a report from a courthouse in Phoenix when the couple were spotted in the background In the background of the broadcast, Burgess could be seen raising his hand as he stood behind the disabled woman. He then brings it down on the side of her face causing her to grimace and stroke her cheek in pain. According to KPNX, local police were then flooded with calls from concerned viewers after seeing the slap. Phoenix police responded to the calls and arrested Burgess close to the courthouse. The man, named as Randall Burgess, then raised his hand up and slapped the woman in the wheelchair across the face Concerned viewers flooded police with calls about the woman's safety leading to the arrest of Burgess Officers confirmed that he and the woman in the wheelchair were in a relationship and both were intoxicated. The woman was then escorted back to her apartment by police while Burgess was detained on suspicion of misdemeanor assault. He was reportedly placed on probation last month for a case when he resisted arrested. This cat may need to work on its hunting skills. The alarmed moggy was spotted keeping its distance as it watched a fight between two huge rats that were almost as big as him. Vile footage from what is believed to be a kitchen in Thailand shows the wary cat remaining apathetic as the rodents tussle furiously on the floor in front of him. Vile footage from what is believed to be a kitchen in Thailand shows the wary cat remaining apathetic as the rodents tussle furiously on the floor in front of him Some online commentators have gone so far as calling it a disgrace to its kind. The rats throw themselves at other, rolling over one another as they wrestle. They even strand on their hind legs as they exchange blows. Towards the end of the short clip the rodents dart across the floor as one chases the other - but the terrified cat leaps out of the way instead of standing its ground - a true scaredy cat. The footage has been making the rounds on social media after being published online by user 'Namo Puttaya Ball'. It was posted with the caption saying: 'The rats are fighting and the cat is just watching. The cat is scared of rats?' The rats throw themselves at other, rolling over one another as they wrestle. They even strand on their hind legs as they exchange blows Towards the end of the short clip the rodents dart across the floor as one chases the other - but the terrified cat leaps out of the way instead of standing its ground - a true scaredy cat Netizens said they were disappointed with the ginger feline, with one saying, 'Please quit being a cat.' But many leapt to its defence, saying the rodents were almost as big as the cat itself and that it was a wise move to stay away from them. MINNEAPOLIS -- Gov. Mark Dayton does not mind protesters camping outside his official residence 24 hours a day, but said two interstate shutdowns are dangerous. "It is against the law," the governor said Wednesday while touring storm damage in Watkins. "It creates a very, very dangerous situation." Protesters shut down a major route into downtown Minneapolis at rush hour Wednesday morning, demanding that police be demilitarized. Law enforcement officers arrested 41 people and said they are expected to be charged. It was the second Twin Cities freeway protesters have blocked in recent days in the aftermath of last week's fatal police shooting of a black man in Falcon Heights. Dayton said protesters need to realize the risks they are taking when they close down a freeway, risks they themselves especially face. He said law enforcement officers handled the Wednesday incident "as peacefully as anybody could under these circumstances." Traffic backed up for miles while protesters occupied the Interstate 35 West bridge's southbound lanes into Minneapolis. The bridge, over the Mississippi River, is the replacement for one that collapsed into the river Aug. 1, 2007. The State Patrol supports the right to exercise ones First Amendment rights, but the freeway is not the place to do so, said Col. Matt Langer, Minnesota State Patrol chief. The closure of an interstate freeway for the purposes of a demonstration is unacceptable. They are used by everyone and are an artery for emergency vehicles. It is illegal to walk on the freeway and blocking traffic is dangerous for both pedestrians and motorists. State troopers, Hennepin County sheriff deputies and University of Minnesota police responded to the rush hour protest. The bridge is next to the university campus. They towed away four cars protesters used to block traffic. A statement released by the protesters said they are "non-black Twins Cities residents" who support Black Lives Matter's opposition to last week's shooting death of Philando Castile at the hands of a St. Anthony police officer. The statement said: "The coalition condemns this violence and believes this shut down reinforces our belief that comfort and business as usual must be disrupted until substantive changes occur in our city and throughout the country. This group demands the dismantling of the police department, which includes disarming, defunding, demilitarizing and disbanding police. We believe that security for all of us does not lie in use of aggression and force." The shutdown began at 7:30 a.m. and the interstate reopened about 9:15 a.m. Dozens of law enforcement officers were on the Minneapolis bridge over the Mississippi River. Protesters blocked Interstate 94 in St. Paul late Saturday and early Sunday, and some have been encamped since early last Thursday in front of the governor's residence in St. Paul. There were reports that other Twin Cities protests were planned for the day. A state investigation into the Castile shooting began right after the incident the night of July 6. Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, live-streamed the aftermath of the shooting and said that police pulled Castile's car over because of what an officer said was a broken tail light. Investigators refuse to discuss the shooting. Wednesday's protesters said educators and the media have a responsibility to tell people about problems the black community faces. "Real security occurs when all of us have meaningful employment, educational opportunities that help us pursue our own life choices and the adequate healthcare needed to live fruitfully," the protesters' statement said. "Research and our experience tells us that the vast amounts spent on militarized police make most communities, excluding the very wealthy, less secure." They said they will not speak to the media. Black Lives Matter Minneapolis officials called the protesters "allies." Even after the people who shut down the interstate were arrested, other protesters remained near the interstate as law enforcement officers asked them to leave. A delighted Jeremy Hunt hit back at junior doctors who had prematurely rejoiced at rumours he had been sacked as Health Secretary this morning by saying he is 'thrilled to be back'. Poking fun at his enemies - one of whom tweeted 120 smiley faces at speculation he had been moved from the Department of Health, Mr Hunt tweeted: 'Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.' Mr Hunt said he 'thrilled to be back in the best job in Government' after the new Prime Minister Theresa May reappointed him early this afternoon. But there were signs he might have been expecting to be removed from his post after he was spotted entering Downing Street without his usual NHS badge attached to his lapel. Shortly afterwards the badge was pinned back on his chest as he left No 10 knowing his job as Health Secretary was safe. It disappointed many junior doctors who had flooded Twitter with premature celebrations of his rumoured demise. Scroll down for video A delighted Jeremy Hunt (pictured leaving No 10 today) hit back at junior doctors who had prematurely rejoiced at rumours he had been sacked as Health Secretary this morning by saying he is 'thrilled to be back' Poking fun at his enemies - one of whom tweeted 120 smiley faces at speculation he had been moved from the Department of Health, Mr Hunt tweeted: 'Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated' Meanwhile teachers did have something to celebrate after Nicky Morgan - deeply unpopular in the profession over her academy reforms - was sacked as Education Secretary. They took a break from their school day to voice their pleasure at hearing she'd been replaced by Justine Greening. Junior doctors are angry at Mr Hunt for threatening to impose a controversial new contract on them this summer after months of damaging strikes. A nurse filled her Twitter with happy emojis as she responded to widespread speculation Mr Hunt had lost his job at the Department of Health. But less than an hour later she tweeted 47 angry faces, accusing him of 'killing the NHS' after learning he had kept his job. There were even reports of hospital wards erupting with cheers at rumours Mr Hunt had been sacked. One nurse tweeted 120 smiley faces as she responded to widespread speculation Mr Hunt was losing his job at the Department of Health. But less than an hour later she tweeted 47 angry faces, accusing him of 'killing the NHS' after learning he had kept his job An NHS patient reported a hospital ward had erupted in cheers at rumours Mr Hunt had been sacked but on learning he had stayed at the Department of Health he predicted morale of health workers would drop further Mrs May's decision to keep Mr Hunt at the Department of Health signals she is ready to continue fighting vested interests in the public sector to push through the reforms started by the Cameron era. After sacking Mr Cameron's right-hand man George Osborne within hours of taking office on Wednesday, Mrs May has now taken the axe to Michael Gove, Oliver Letwin, Nicky Morgan and John Whittingdale. Some believed Mr Hunt would also be removed from his post but he was one of the Cabinet ministers who publicly backed Mrs May in her leadership campaign. He smiled broadly and said he was 'thrilled' as he left Downing Street. Mr Hunt will return to the Department of Health to continue plans to impose the new junior doctors contract this summer. He has a big fight on his hands, though, after junior doctors and medical students last week rejected a deal between the British Medical Association and the Government. Twitter was ablaze with health workers celebrating Jeremy Hunt's rumoured demise but minutes later he was confirmed as keeping his job as Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt smiled broadly and said he was 'thrilled' as he left Downing Street. There had been earlier reports that he had lost his job Mr Hunt said the decision to press ahead with imposing the contract had been a 'difficult decision' to take but the NHS needed certainty, including in light of the UK's decision to leave the EU. In a Commons statement last week, Mr Hunt said: 'In May, the Government and NHS Employers reached an historic agreement with the BMA on a new contract for junior doctors after three years of negotiations and several days of damaging strike action.' He said the contract was seen as a good deal by Dr Johann Malawana, who was then chairman of the BMA's junior doctors' committee, and was endorsed by royal medical colleges. He added: 'Unfortunately because of the vote we are now left in a no-man's land that, if it continues, can only damage the NHS. 'An elected government whose main aim is to improve the safety and quality of care for patients has come up against a union which has stirred up anger amongst its own members it is now unable to pacify.' Responding to confirmation of Mr Hunt's reappointment as Health Secretary today the BMA released a conciliatory statement pledging to resolve disagreements. 'We remain committed to continuing our work with Mr Hunt on the development of health policies to assure the quality of patient care,' the BMA statement said. 'There are extremely difficult decisions ahead and doctors need to play a central role in shaping the delivery of healthcare. More than ever we need a period of stability and a working environment that encourages partnership and co-operation. 'We also still need to agree a contract for junior doctors in which they have confidence and I urge Mr Hunt to build on the progress that has been made so far to address outstanding issues and regain trust from junior doctors, who are the future of the profession.' It added: 'We need a long term strategy that addresses the workload and funding challenges that are overwhelming the NHS. Doctors want to see the secretary of state put the NHS on a sustainable footing for the future, address the serious funding shortfall and ensure we can recruit and retain the right number of doctors that our patients desperately need.' Teachers also celebrated today and they were not disappointed as Theresa May sacked Education Secretary Nicky Morgan. She was replaced by Justine Greening and teachers took to Twitter to voice their pleasure at the move. Teachers said they were partying at schools across the UK and Labour's Shadow Education Secretary Lucy Powell tweeted: 'Teachers everywhere will rejoice that both Michael Gove and Nicky Morgan are no longer part of the government.' Teachers took to Twitter to voice their pleasure at the news that Nicky Morgan had been sacked today, saying they were partying at schools across the UK Failed leadership candidate Mr Gove saw his Justice Secretary job go to Liz Truss, who became the first female Lord Chancellor in the thousand-year history of the role. And Ms Morgan's former role as Education Secretary went to another promoted woman, Justine Greening, whose new department will be beefed up by the addition of responsibilities for further and higher education, skills and apprenticeships. At teaching union conferences across the country this year, weary staff members took to the lectern to lament chronic shortages in recruitment and retention, saying workloads had soared to crisis levels as a consequence. Government figures showed 700 million a year was spent on hiring and training new teachers - but even this was not enough. It meant the Government had missed its recruitment target for four consecutive years, with evidence to suggest that teacher shortages were also growing. Increasingly, secondary school classes were being taken by teachers without a relevant post-A-level qualification in that subject, while 14 out of 17 secondary subjects had unfilled training places - up from just two some five years earlier. Labour's Shadow Education Secretary Lucy Powell tweeted: 'Teachers everywhere will rejoice that both Michael Gove and Nicky Morgan are no longer part of the government' Teachers rejoiced at the news that Theresa May had sacked Michael Gove and Nicky Morgan All this despite the Department for Education stating it had retained and recruited 15,000 more teachers than in 2010. Ms Morgan's reign will perhaps be remembered for a failure to adequately address the big issues - the crippling workload, low pay and perceived poor conditions for teachers, while her ill-fated academisation programme was particularly unpopular with teachers, parents and even non-education unions. It led to strike action across the country, the culmination of teachers and their supporters simply saying: enough is enough. Ms Morgan eventually back-pedalled on academisation, relaxing the initial commitment - one of the big takeaways from the March Budget - and taking the pressure off 17,000 state schools. She stuck rigidly to her claim that academy status would be the best way to ensure children had access to a world-class education until her final day in office - despite evidence to the contrary. Yet despite her unpopularity with many - as evidenced by the heckling at her only major education conference appearance of the year, before the NASUWT in March - there was tacit belief things might be getting better. Responding to Ms Morgan's sacking today, NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: 'I think what's marked her time as secretary of state is that she has tried to engage with us in our disputes. 'We were starting to have detailed discussions on workload, pay, equalities. We hope that will continue with her successor.' Boris Johnson dismissed criticism from his international counterparts today following his shock appointment as Foreign Secretary as he revealed he had won the backing of US Secretary of State John Kerry. He said the French foreign minister who had branded him a 'liar' had today sent him a 'charming' letter saying he was looking forward to working together. Mr Johnson played down criticism aimed at him from European leaders, saying it was 'inevitable' there would be 'a certain amount of plaster coming off the ceiling of the chancelleries of Europe' after he led the successful campaign to leave the EU. Setting out his vision for post-Brexit Britain, he said he wanted to focus on 'reshaping Britain's global profile and identify as a great global player'. The former Mayor of London said Mr Kerry had phoned to congratulate him on his new job and agreed with his analysis that he wanted 'more Britain abroad'. Boris Johnson grimaced as he was told of international criticism aimed at him today but said he was confident of building 'intergovernmental level' partnerships Boris Johnson (pictured on the frontbench in the House of Commons today in his new role as Foreign Secretary) said the French foreign minister who had branded him a 'liar' had today sent him a 'charming' letter saying he was looking forward to working together Today German foreign minister Frank-Walter labelled Mr Johnson an 'irresponsible politician' who 'bolted' after the Brexit vote. And French Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French foreign minister, said Theresa May had appointed a Foreign Secretary who had 'lied' to the public during the EU referendum campaign. It was an extraordinary attack on Britain's ambassador appointed to represent Britain on the world stage. It wasn't just European politicians who reacted negatively to his appointment, however. A US State Department spokesman struggled to keep a straight face after being informed that Mr Johnson had been handed the job. And Turkey has insisted Mr Johnson must be 'more positive' after raising fears about the country joining the EU during the referendum campaign. Boris Johnson introduced himself to staff at the Foreign Office this morning after being appointed by Theresa May There have been distinctly mixed reaction to the news that the former Mayor of London is becoming Foreign Secretary As he was told of these remarks during a live TV interview in Whitehall today, Mr Johnson grimaced but said he was confident of building 'intergovernmental level' partnerships. Well, after a vote like the referendum result on June 23rd it is inevitable that there is going to be a certain amount of plaster coming off the ceiling of the chancelleries of Europe,' he said of the criticism he received from his European counterparts. It wasnt the result that they were expecting and clearly theyre making their views known in a frank and free way. I have to say, the French Foreign minister has in fact sent me a charming letter just a couple of hours ago saying how much he looked forward to working together and to deepening Anglo-French cooperation on all sorts of areas and that is what we want to achieve. Here in the Foreign Office we have such incredible skills, such talent and Im absolutely that certain we have the people here who are going to be able to forge that global identify for Britain. Asked to give his vision for what Britain will look like outside the EU, Mr Johnson said: I set out what I think we need to be doing and what we need to be focussing on and that is reshaping Britains global profile and identity as a great global player. On Europe we clearly have to give effect to the will of the people in the referendum but that does not mean in any sense leaving Europe theres a massive difference between leaving the EU and our relations with Europe, which if anything I think will be intensified and built up as an intergovernmental level. Boris Johnson address his new employees at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office today after his shock appointment as Foreign Secretary last night I was very pleased to receive a phone call from Secretary Kerry of the United States, who totally agreed with that analysis. His view was that post Brexit and after the negotiations what he really wants to see - and I think this is the right thing for the UK is more Britain abroad, a greater global profile and I think we now have the opportunity to achieve that so overall its been a very exciting day. Mr Johnson, who was pictured sitting on the frontbench in the House of Commons today, has also faced calls to apologise for controversial remarks in the past, such as calling US presidential candidate Hilary Clinton a 'sadistic nurse in a mental hospital' in 2007. Earlier this year he caused uproar when he suggested Barack Obama's 'part-Kenyan' ancestry made him dislike Britain because of the country's colonial history. Brexit champion Mr Johnson was the biggest surprise among Mrs May's initial wave of appointments last night. After the dramatic vote to leave the EU he was installed as the hot favourite to take over from Mr Cameron in Number 10. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson leaves his house in London with a ministerial red box on Thursday Mr Toner chuckled on several occasions while responding to the line of enquiry. However, he did manage to complete his answer to a few questions about the U.S take on Mr Johnson's surprise new role However, the ex-mayor's dreams of being Prime Minister were dashed after Michael Gove abruptly betrayed him and launched his own leadership bid, saying he was not up to the job. When Mrs May was confirmed as Tory chief on Monday it appeared that Mr Johnson may be left out in the cold. He has long had a tense relationship with the ex-Home Secretary, who mocked him during her campaign for the top job for buying second hand water cannon for use in London - which she then refused him permission to deploy. When State Department spokesman Mark Toner heard the news of Mr Johnson's appointment last night, he struggled to keep a straight face a broad smile breaking out more than once before saying the US 'looked forward' to working with Johnson. Mr Johnson won a 'President Erdogan Offensive Poetry competition' run by Britain's Spectator magazine earlier this year. He also delivered a series of dire warnings about the consequences of Turkey, a largely Muslim nation of 79 million, joined the EU. The campaign culminated in a vote for 'Brexit' on June 23. A Turkish official said of Mr Johnson's appointment: 'His negative comments on Erdogan and Turkey are unacceptable ... 'However we're sure of one thing, that British-Turkish relations are more important than that and can't be hostage to these statements. 'With his new responsibilities we are expecting a more positive attitude from Mr. Johnson,' said the official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.' The pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper described Mr Johnson as being known for 'his anti-Turkey and eurosceptic stance as the mayor of London'. French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Theresa May had appointed a Foreign Secretary who had 'lied' to the public during the EU referendum campaign Boris Johnson was pictured sitting on the frontbench in the House of Commons today following his shock appointment as Britain's new Foreign Secretary His new role 'raises questions about the future of Britain's international relations', it added. Speaking ahead of Johnson's appointment, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim signalled his government would be ready to work with the former London mayor. 'What would I say to him? Well, may God help him and reform him and I hope that he won't make any more mistakes and try to make it up with the Turks,' Yildirim said in an interview with the BBC recorded at the weekend and broadcast today. 'But the campaign is over, the referendum was held and there's no reason to discuss this anymore.' Mr Ayrault told Europe 1 radio: 'I am not at all worried about Boris Johnson, but... during the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back against the wall.' He added: '(He has) his back against the wall to defend his country but also with his back against the wall the relationship with Europe should be clear. 'I need a partner with whom I can negotiate and who is clear, credible and reliable. 'We cannot let this ambiguous, blurred situation drag on... in the interests of the British themselves.' Today Mr Johnson also dismissed suggestions the Foreign Office was being sized down after Mrs May created new departments in charge of negotiating Britain's exit from the EU and a new International Trade office - also in charge of Brexit negotiations. 'Our diplomacy is run by the foreign office but we will be working very closely as you can imagine with the new departments for International trade and for the withdrawal from the EU and they will be borrowing some of our staff as is only proper,' he said. 'But there is a huge opportunity and I think the mood here today Ive been very struck at how excited and at how positive people here are about the oppotutnieis for Britian.' The US media has been broadly surprised by Mr Johnson's new job, reminding readers of past controversies Farag has offered to answer questions and justify why jihadists must fight The former Sydney preacher is also known as Abu Sulayman al-Muhajir Farag has also condemned the terrorist attacks on his Muslim brothers One of Australia's most wanted terrorists has taken to Twitter to encourage jihadis to join the war in Syria. The former Sydney preacher, Mostafa Farag, now a senior leader for al-Qaeda, asked his followers to keep suicide bombers and foreign fighters in their prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The 32-year-old is not only one of Australia's most wanted terrorists but he is also on a US kill list for becoming a high-ranking member in the Sharia Council of Jabhat al-Nusra, reported Herald Sun. One of Australia's most wanted terrorist, Mostafa Farag, has been active on Twitter to try and encourage jihadists to join the war in Syria Farag informed followers on his social media profile that he is happy to answer any question and offer explanations as to why Australians must go to Syria and aid 'Muslims against the world's aggressors'. But Farag has chosen to speak through a middleman in order to stay hidden and avoid the authorities from tracking him. The Egyptian-born terrorist, also known as Abu Sulayman al-Muhajir, has spoken out against the terror attacks in Istanbul and Saudi Arabia which took the lives of Muslims. '[The Istanbul attack] was barbaric, and more importantly unislamic. The attackers do not represent Muslims or Jihad,' he said on Twitter. The former Sydney sheikh, also known as Abu Sulayman al-Muhajir, has also condemned the terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia and Istanbul because it killed Muslims He posted a similar tweet in response to the attack in Saudi Arabia that left four police officers dead. 'The #MadinaBlast is a criminal act, that Muslims must condemn. May Allah destroy those who spread mischief, discord and havoc.' Farag has three children and a wife that he left behind in Sydney. Although he says he is sad to have left his family behind, his feelings seem irrelevant when he sees Syrians being murdered. An investigation into a white Atlanta cop has concluded that the officer's fatal shooting of a 22-year-old black man in June wasn't racially motivated - because he had no idea who he was shooting at. The incident occurred on June 22 when James R Burns, who had been called out to help an off-duty officer catch a suspected car thief, first blocked, then opened fire on a car being driven by Deravis Caine Rogers. Burns claimed he was scared the car was going to hit him, but a report released Wednesday says Burns put himself in harm's way and fired at Rogers without knowing if he was even the suspect they were looking for, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Shooting: Atlanta Officer James R Burns (left) shot and killed Deravis Caine Rogers (right), 22, on June 22. An investigation concluded Rogers 'posed no immediate threat' to Burns prior to the shooting Crash: Burns fired on Rogers' silver sedan (pictured) without knowing who was in it, much less if Rogers was the suspect Burns was pursuing, investigators said. It also said Burns deliberately got in the way of the car Worse, it was later concluded that there hadn't even been any car break-ins in the area that night. Atlanta Police Department (APD) fired Burns on July 1, with police chief George N Turner telling the officer that the shooting was an unnecessary and excessive use of force. 'As the vehicle approached you, you were in your vehicle,' said a memo written by Turner. 'The driver of the vehicle posed no immediate threat to you... You did not have probable cause that the driver posed a threat of serious physical harm either to yourself or others.' Burns had been called to the Monroe Place Apartments on Monroe Drive in northeast Atlanta at around midnight on June 22 to help an off-duty cop who believed a man seen near vehicles might be a car thief. An investigation later concluded that there was no evidence car break-ins - or any illegal activity - had occurred that night before the officers arrived on the scene. The suspect had fled the first officer on foot, the Internal Affairs report said. There is no evidence that this was the same person as Rogers. As he drove into the complex, Burns saw a silver sedan parked on the wrong side of the road pulling away from the curb and heading towards his cruiser. The officer had initially told investigators: 'I didnt know to block that particular car. I shot at the car who was trying to run me over and kill me.' But according to investigators, dashcam video from two vehicles showed that he had indeed positioned his car to block the sedan's path. Burns also turned on his lights and used his siren to indicate the driver should slow down. That driver, Rogers, continued to drive towards and around Burns's cruiser on the passenger side, the report claimed. The report says that Burns then exited his own vehicle, slammed his door and shouted for the driver to stop. Instead, Rogers gunned the engine. At this point, Burns was near the front headlight of Rogers' vehicle. Burns told investigators that he was initially blinded by the light. Confusion: Burns had been called out to help an off-duty cop who believed he'd seen a car thief who'd fled on foot. No car break-ins occurred that night, the report said, and Rogers was never identified as the suspect He fired once on Rogers, hitting him in the head. Rogers' car continued on down Monroe Place before entering the parking lot of Cirque Daiquiri Bar and Grill on Monroe Drive and colliding with an SUV. The young man was pronounced dead at Grady Memorial Hospital, three miles away. Turner's office concluded that Burns's decision to block the car of a person who wasn't even a suspect, to exit his own vehicle, and to subsequently fire on Rogers constituted breaches of department policy. 'You did not have reasonable suspicion that the driver of the vehicle engaged in, or was about to engage in, criminal activity,' Turner said in his memo. 'Yet rather than allow the driver to drive past you, you exited your vehicle and ultimately prevented the driver from driving away through the use of deadly force.' Media had initially reported the incident as Burns firing on a suspected car thief, but the report rebukes those claims: Rogers was not the suspect and there was no evidence of a theft having taken place. Burns's case is now being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, as have all APD shootings since January, per Turner's orders. They will then turn their conclusions over to the Fulton County district attorney's office, which will decide whether to seek an indictment for Burns. didn't say they had to comply with congressional It also said they could be polygraphed; it The FBI had agents assigned to Hillary Clinton's email case sign a special secrecy agreement that bars them from talking about the investigation. The law enforcement agency confirmed in a letter to top-ranking senators on the upper chamber's judiciary committee that agents signed a 'Case Briefing Acknowledgement' that reminded them of their obligation to protect classified and sensitive information and said they could be polygraphed. In the letter the FBI said the document, which a senator on the receiving end said amounts to a 'gag' order, was not a 'unique circumstance; depending on the sensitivities in a given investigation, FBI employees may from time to time be asked to sign similar forms.' However, former and current FBI agents said that the action is not a standard operating procedure. Scroll down for video The FBI had agents assigned to Hillary Clinton's email case sign a special secrecy agreement that bars them from talking about the investigation - and warned they could be polygraphed 'This is very, very unusual. Ive never signed one, never circulated one to others,' a former FBI chief told the New York Post. A current agent told the news publication, 'I have never heard of such a form. Sounds strange.' Another retired agent told Fox News that the agreement is only used in 'the most sensitive of sensitive cases.' The document can have a 'chilling effect' on agents, the source said, as it means 'it comes from the very top and that there has to be a tight lid on the case.' Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee told Fox News' Megyn Kelly Wednesday night that the document's name was 'euphemistic' - 'it is a gag order,' the ex-presidential candidate said. 'That's like saying that Thelma and Louise actually just had a spontaneous steering malfunction. It's absurd.' Huckabee told her the non-disclosure agreement is unusual because FBI agents are 'already prohibited from talking out of school....any FBI agent who has taken the oath to be an FBI agent is already covered by this.' ' "This was an in your face,' according to FBI agents with whom I spoke,' Huckabee said. The FBI's July 1 letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy is the first documented admission by the bureau that agents had to sign the special non-disclosure agreement. 'These forms served two purposes: to maintain an official record of all persons knowledgeable of this highly sensitive investigation, and to remind individuals of their obligations to protect classified and sensitive information,' the letter, sent by one of the FBI's congressional liaisons, said. It went on to say, 'No one refused to sign the acknowledgement or raised any questions or concerns about doing so.' Agents were required to sign two forms. The second was an addendum to the first that came about after Grassley sent a letter on Feb. 4 asking about whistleblower protections and congressional testimony. The original form - published online by Fox News - contained the records keeping clause and said: 'I (FBI agent) also understand that, due to the nature and sensitivity of this investigation, compliance with these restrictions may be subject to verification by polygraph examination.' The Republican senator who received the confirmation from the FBI that agents had to sign the agreement wants the bureau's director, James Comey, seen here testifying before Congress last week, to release all the materials related to the case The addendum states that the agreement does not supersede or interfere with any 'existing statute or Executive order relating to (1) classified information, (2) communications to Congress, (3) the reporting to an Inspector General of a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or ( 4) any other whistleblower protection.' Grassley subsequently lit up FBI Director James Comey in a letter that said it is 'troubling' that the FBI 'tried to gag its agents with a non-disclosure agreement on this matter, in violation of whistleblower protection statutes.' The Republican senator pointed out that the original document 'failed to exempt protected whistleblowing' and was revised only after wrote to him 'to you did you advise your FBI agents that they are still free to speak with Congress regarding waste, fraud, and abuse.' He also noted that it took the FBI five months to send a partial reply to his letter on July 1 and a full response on July 5. The FBI 'should release in detail the actual evidence it gathered in the course of the investigation,' he demanded, including thousands of new emails from Clinton it found that were not among those that she provided to the State Department. 'Congress and the people have a right to know the full set of evidence on which you based your decision,' Grassley told Comey in the letter, also published by Fox. 'Until the FBI does so, much of the public will rightly be skeptical of the integrity of this investigation.' Yesterday the State Department said it would make those emails public like it did with the ones she did turn over to the government. It did not, however, provide a timeline for doing so, meaning the emails could stay under wraps until after November's presidential election. Comey recommended last week that Clinton not be charged with a crime for mishandling classified information. Justice Department head Lorretta Lynch said she would not prosecute the former secretary of state based on the outcome of the probe. A massive 'dog-hunt' is underway after a professional walker's van was stolen - with five dogs inside. The van, and its furry cargo, was taken from outside a house when Denise Joest went in to pick up another canine. Police are investigating the theft, which happened in West Norwood, south London, on Tuesday afternoon, and are not sure whether it was to steal the van or the animals. Denise is especially upset because her own pet was stolen inside the white Fiat Doblo Cargo van, and in a panic she rang boss Angela Norton. A cavapoo, left, and a lurcher, right, both of which are missing after a van which they were inside was stolen from outside a house in south London Complete Pet Care owner Angela said: 'I came out of the hospital and turned my phone on and thought, what the hell. 'I don't care about the van, you can replace the van, you can't replace a member of someone's family. 'I have known them since they were puppies, I'm heartbroken for the owners and the dog walker involved is devastated.' One of the pets, a brown working Cocker Spaniel called Sprocket, was found by another walker dumped in Sydenham yesterday evening, but the other four are still missing. Owners are searching for a black and white lurcher, a 'teacup' Yorkshire terrier, a black and white cavapoo and a brown cockapoo. Angela, who lives in Nunhead, south east London, added: 'We got one dog back and took him to the vet, he's fine but a little bit more needy, which you would be if you were driven off in a van at great speed. 'But we have got four dogs still out there.' Anna Bailey, 46, is the owner of Nina, a seven-year-old black lurcher who is one of the dogs missing, and thinks she was spotted in Nunhead cemetery this morning. Anna, who recently moved to the area, said: 'It's horrific, you just don't think someone is going to nick a van and then dump the dogs all over south London. 'It's just one of those random horrible things.' She adopted Nina, a 'nervous and jumpy' dog, from Battersea Dogs Home five years ago. Anna added: 'If you see her she's going to be running away from you, but she does love treats and cheese. 'With everybody out there looking and sharing on Facebook and Twitter, somebody will spot them, they will turn up, I feel really positive about that..' One of the pets was found by another walker dumped in Sydenham yesterday evening, but the other four are still missing - including this Yorkshire terrier, left, and a cockerpoo, right Angela added that it was completely out of character for Denise to have left the keys in the van, and says this is the first upset in the two years she has been working for the company. The community has rallied around Angela and offered their help in searching for the dogs. But some people haven't been so supportive. She added: 'Yesterday I had a really horrible hoax call with someone telling me what they would do to the dogs if I didn't send them money. 'It was so unpleasant, and it's unusual that there haven't been any sightings of four of the dogs. 'But on the whole, people have been very supportive. 'A number of celebrities, including Clare Balding, have offered to help with the appeal, and a local drone company are helping with the search.' Angela, who lives in Nunhead, added: 'We got one dog back and took him to the vet, he's fine but a little bit more needy, which you would be if you were driven off in a van at great speed. 'But we have got four dogs still out there.' In 2015 a boy, 10, was raped by an Iraqi man at a swimming pool in Austria One in five people found guilty of sex offences in Austria last year were migrants, according to government figures. An annual security report said there were 986 sentences for sex offences handed down in Austria in 2015. The statistics show 204 of those convictions were given to non-Austrian citizens. Turkish citizens carried out 31 offences and people from Yugoslavian countries were responsible for 32 offences. Authorities also found 20 German citizens, seven Nigerian citizens and 13 Afghanis guilty of sex crimes in Austria. Figures regarding sexual assaults in Austria in 2015 have been released. They come after a 10-year-old boy was raped at an Austrian swimming pool in December 2015 Meanwhile, 782 sexual crimes (79.3 per cent) were carried out by Austrian citizens. Out of all the crimes, 208 were related to child pornography. The news comes after a 13-year-old girl who claimed she was forced to perform oral sex on a migrant has admitted she made it up. The teenager alleged the incident took place in June at a swimming pool in Mistelbach, Lower Austria. Bosses at the outdoor pool took quickly erected a sign stating 'today no entry for refugees'. According to local news outlets there are several migrant camps nearby so the pool ordered a temporary ban and employed security guards to patrol the complex. Police started questioning the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, last month. She accused a migrant of forcing himself on her in the women's changing room and demanding she perform oral sex. The teenager who, along with other witnesses, had told officers the man had 'dark complexion' and was a 'foreigner'. An annual security report said there were 986 sentences for sex offences handed down in Austria in 2015 The child had to be hospitalised with serious injuries after the assault at Theresienbad pool (pictured) But as the days went on and detectives continued their investigation her story began to unravel. Up until a few days ago the girl had maintained the man had 'slapped her bottom' as he walked past her. But Austrian authorities later announced that she made up all of the allegations. Police have had to recall their sketch of the 'suspect' which was drawn from the 13-year-old's description. Newspapers and online websites carried the story with photos of the sign and swimming pool. The false allegations came after a 10-year-old boy was raped at an Austrian swimming pool by an Iraqi who said it was 'a sexual emergency'. The boy was raped in a cubicle of the Theresienbad pool on December 2, 2015. The child had to be hospitalised with serious injuries and his mother said her son has been crying himself to sleep every night since the attack. The Iraqi man had been working as a taxi driver in Vienna and when reports emerged on Facebook police said they must be sensitive about cases involving migrants, who have 'been through a lot', but there would be zero-tolerance. However, police later officially announced the details of the shocking crime. The 22-year-old attacker was jailed for six years. ISIS terrorists have shot down a fighter jet over Syria and posted barbaric images of his corpse crucified below a model of a plane. The jet, believed to belong to the Syrian air force, was shot down near the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor earlier today as it carried out air strikes against ISIS insurgents. The Amaq agency, which is closely aligned with ISIS, released video footage showing the flaming wreckage of a plane scattered across a stretch of barren rocky ground. The pilot's body was taken from the cockpit and hung in the street in a mock crucifixion, with a model aeroplane above his head It then showed a corpse in military uniform and white helmet, hung out for display on a street. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors Syria's war through a network of sources inside the country, said ISIS had shot down the plane in the Thardah hills, about three miles from Deir ez-Zor air base. ISIS controls most of the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, but forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad hold the air base part of the city itself. It comes as Assad accused the United States of not being serious about defeating ISIS. The wreckage of the plane was shown in the ISIS video. It is not known how ISIS shot down the jet It was not clear whether the jet was brought down by a missile or with gunfire but it is the second jet to be brought down over ISIS territory since April. ISIS, sometimes referred to as Daesh, have also shot down two helicopters in recent months. Last week footage emerged of a Russian helicopter being shot down near Palmyra. Meanwhile the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 12 civilians were killed by air strikes in rebel-held neighbourhoods in the city of Aleppo. Nine people were killed in the Tariq al-Bab district and three died in Salhin, both in eastern Aleppo. The plane was shot down in an area which is largely controlled by ISIS It is not clear if the planes which bombed the areas were Syrian or Russian. Moscow is a close ally of Assad and the Russian air force has been heavily involved since September in the fighting against both ISIS and moderate rebel groups such as the Free Syrian Army. Mohamed Qattan dug through the debris with his bare hands and said: 'My family are beneath the rubble. I was praying at the mosque when the strike happened. 'My wife and two of my children - my son and daughter - are underneath the rubble,' he told AFP. Bashar al-Assad (left) is greeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow. Putin has backed Assad to the hilt with military hardware and firepower Aleppo city is divided roughly between government control in the west and rebel control in the east. Last week government forces advanced to within firing range of the only remaining supply route into the rebel-held east, effectively cutting it off and prompting food shortages and spiralling prices. New details are emerging about the FBI's 10-month probe into Omar Mateen, two years before he carried out the deadliest shooting in U.S. history New details are emerging about the FBI's investigation into Omar Mateen - the man who would go on to kill 49 nightclub revelers in the worst shooting in U.S. history. An FBI agent and Florida sheriff's deputy conducted a joint investigation into the 29-year-old security officer from May 2013 to March 2014, but eventually closed the case and deemed Mateen not a threat. Now the agency is retracing their steps to determine whether any mistakes were made in the investigation that could have stopped Mateen before he carried out the June 12 massacre. 'We dont have a crystal ball, unfortunately,' one senior FBI official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Los Angeles Times. 'We went right up to the edge of what we could do legally, and there was just nothing there.' Multiple FBI officials spoke to the Times to explain what led them to investigate Mateen, and what their team turned up in the process. One thing senior officials admit is that they could have looked more into Mateen's social media accounts. However, they also said that in 2013, such checks were not yet 'part of our investigative DNA'. Even if they had looked into Mateen's Facebook activity, it wouldn't have turned up anything useful. Analysis after the shooting shows he didn't have any ties to terrorists on any of his social media sites and only posted radical statements the night of the shooting - messages that were only available to his friends and not the public. His computer, on the other hand, had been used in recent years to view extremists videos including gruesome ISIS beheadings. But it's not a crime to watch these videos and FBI officials say they didn't have enough probable cause back in 2013 to obtain a search warrant that would have revealed these searches. The agency was first informed about Mateen, the American-born son of Afghani immigrants, in May 2013 by the St Lucie County Sheriff's Office. At the time, Mateen was working as a security guard at the county courthouse, which the sheriff's office oversees. FBI agents survey a bullet-ridden wall outside of Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12 - after Mateen shot dead 49 people and injured dozens more before being killed by police Sheriff's office officials told the FBI that several of Mateen's co-workers had complained about him claiming connections to terror groups like Al Qaeda and Hezbollah and said that he expressed a desire to die as a martyr. While the agency receives tens of thousands of threats a year, they decided to investigate Mateen seriously since he worked in a courthouse, had access to guns and the tip came from a law enforcement agency. We dont have a crystal ball, unfortunately. We went right up to the edge of what we could do legally, and there was just nothing there. Anonymous FBI official After hearing the tip, an FBI agent and local sheriff's deputy were assigned to carry out a preliminary investigation into Mateen - a probe that usually lasts for six months but can be extended up to six. During this time, Mateen's name was added to the Terrorist Watchlist, meaning that he would get special screening at airports and the FBI would be informed if he tried to buy a gun or was stopped by police. FBI agents first searched his name in criminal and terror databases and found nothing. They also found nothing suspicious in his phone activity. They did not, however, obtain a search warrant to read his emails or tap into his phone calls, tactics only allowed during full investigations. The agents then initiated the third phase of the investigation - having Mateen tailed for several months. Every day, an agent followed Mateen as he went about his business - going to work, praying at the mosque, and meeting with friends. They also had two informants secretly record conversations Mateen, trying to see if he would incriminate himself on tape - to no avail. FBI officials would not say who the informants were or where they met with Mateen, but they did say it had nothing to do with his mosque - the Islamic Center of Fort Pearce. In the course of the investigation, the FBI agent and sheriff's deputy called Mateen in twice to be interviewed. In the first interview, conducted in September 2013, Mateen denied making any radical statements. When he was brought in a month later for a follow up interview, the agent and the deputy accused him of lying and Mateen finally admitted to making the statements at work. However, he said that he only said them because his co-workers had teased him for being Muslim. The two investigators confronted the co-workers with this information and they readily admitted that they had bullied Mateen about his religion. 'They were being jerks,' a U.S. counter-terrorism official told the Times. 'He wasnt making that up. He wasnt paranoid.' At this point, the two investigators were not convinced that Mateen posed a real threat, but they decided to cover their bases by extending the investigation another few months. When nothing new came up during that period, they closed the investigation in March 2014 and issued their opinion that Mateen did not pose a risk and taking him off the Terrorist Watchlist. However, Mateen's name came up again the following summer when another former member of Mateen's mosque carried out a suicide bombing in Syria. The FBI started another investigation to determine whether suicide bomber Moner Mohammad Abussalha had any radicalized friends in Florida. As they interviewed the members of the mosque, one in particular brought up Mateen's name - saying he had admitted to watching online sermons by an Al Qaeda cleric. United Airlines are facing a $2.25 million fine after the former Port Authority chairman admitted using his post to get direct flights to South Carolina so he could visit his vacation home. David Samson, a political mentor to Republican Gov. Chris Christie, pleaded guilty to a corruption charge when he appeared at the Federal Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey today. Former United Airlines lobbyist Jamie Fox, who is accused of conspiring with Samson to redirect the flights, is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said. David Samson, a political mentor to Republican Gov. Chris Christie, pleaded guilty to a conspiring with lobbyist Jamie Fox (left) when he appeared at the Federal Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey today (right) Samson and his wife had been regular passengers on the 'chairman's flight' to Columbia - a rarely used route that landed close to their vacation home in Aiken - which United began running after he was appointed chairman of the Port Authority. Around the same time, Chicago-based United was pressing for concessions from the agency, including the new hangar at Newark, rent reductions and a commuter rail-line extension that would connect the airport directly to lower Manhattan. Samson said he had removed the proposals for a hangar that United wanted at Newark Liberty International Airport from a board agenda discussion to allow him to keep his route. The 76-year-old admitted it had all been to let him fly direct to his vacation home. He used the flight from Newark to Columbia, South Carolina, 27 times between October 2011 and January 2014. United ended the half-filled flights just three days after Samson resigned his Port Authority post in March 2014. Samson faces a sentence of anything from probation to up to two years behind bars under an agreement. The former chairman posted a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on October 20. Samson (right, with his attorney Justin Walder) and his wife had been regular passengers on the 'chairman's flight' to Columbia - a rarely used route that landed close to their vacation home in Aiken - which United began running after he was appointed chairman of the Port Authority Samson said he had removed the proposals for a hangar that United wanted at Newark Liberty International Airport from a board agenda discussion According to the real estate website Zillow.com, Samson purchased a sprawling 4,463-square-foot estate in the tony Columbia suburb of Aiken, South Carolina, for $1.7million in October 2010. Built in 1900, the luxury vacation home is described as 'one of the most spectacular estates in the historic district' featuring three bedrooms with high ceilings, five bathrooms, a fireplace and a traditional colonnaded Charleston-style porch. Samson, 76, a former state attorney general in New Jersey, headed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's transition team and was appointed chairman of the Port Authority by Christie in 2011. He resigned in March 2014, several months after the so-called Bridge-gate scandal surrounding politically motivated lane closures at the George Washington Bridge the previous September. Samson was never charged in the investigation which accused Christie allies of causing traffic problems to exact revenge against a politician. But an email from a Port Authority official to a Christie aide, both of whom were later charged, described Samson 'helping to retaliate' after Port Authority executive director Patrick Foye ordered the lanes reopened. The former Former Port Authority chairman admitted using his post to get direct flights to South Carolina so he could visit his vacation home which according to the real estate website Zillow.com, he purchased this sprawling 4,463-square-foot estate in the Columbia suburb of Aiken, South Carolina, for $1.7million in 2010 Samson was a political mentor to Republican Gov. Chris Christie although he was cleared of involvement with the bridge scandal. (Pictured is Christie, second left, Samson, left, and and United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek, right, laughing as New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, addressed a gathering at Newark airport) A law firm's taxpayer-funded report cleared Christie of wrongdoing and laid much of the blame for the lane closures on the Christie aide. While cleared in the bridge investigation, investigators began looking into Port Authority and asking questions about Samson's interactions with United Airlines. Former United CEO Jeff Smisek and two government relations executives left the airline last year after United conducted its own investigation. None of them has been charged with any criminal wrongdoing. Smisek had been under pressure for several years as United was slower than Delta Air Lines to return to profitability and also suffered several embarrassing computer outages, the latest in June and July 2015, that led to large numbers of delays and canceled flights. A New York fashion designer has launched an online fundraising campaign to pay off her student debt so she can become a nun. Alida Taylor is prepared to leave her career behind and devote herself to God, but wont be allowed to join the Sisters of Life postulancy unless she is debt-free by September. Its a strict rule that is applied to every newcomer because the Roman Catholic nuns, who are tasked with promoting and supporting pro-life causes, do not receive a salary or stipend and do not have time for a second job. Alida Taylor was told she would have to pay off her student debt before she could join Sisters of Life 'That financial debt, having that be resolved allows her to freely enter into her vocation, Sr. Mariae Agnus Dei told CBS New York. It appears the 28-year-old will be able to join Sisters of Life on the Upper West Side this fall after asking family, friends and strangers for financial support. She has surpassed her $12,000 fundraising goal, thanks to many anonymous donations, after setting up a GoFundMe page. Taylor said she was first inspired by her third-grade teacher, a nun, but did not begin to prayerfully consider it until she was in college. She graduated from the University of Louisiana with a degree in fashion in 2010 and moved to New York to work with a Broadway costume designer. The 28-year-old said she was inspired to join Sisters of Life after she was invited on a retreat When she arrived in New York she expected to live a life similar to most people, but that all changed when she met nuns from Sisters of Life while she was active in her church community. They invited her on a retreat and she was inspired to become a nun after spending time with them. When I moved to the city I had all these desires, she told CBS New York. I wanted to have a career, a family and marriage, but your heart begins to shift. As her ambitions changed Taylor moved to Paterson, New Jersey, to live at Casa Guadalupe, a house of prayer and discernment for Catholic lay and consecrated women. And the Lord has made his call clear, inviting me to follow his love by upholding the sanctity and dignity of every human life, through the Sisters of Life, Taylor wrote on her GoFundMe page. Casa Guadalupes residents tasks include helping the poor and homeless in the local community, and holding prayer demonstrations in front of abortion clinics. Hillary Clinton appears to be paying a price for her email scandal in the polls as as she avoids criminal prosecution by the feds, with a New York Times poll showing her all tied up with Republican Donald Trump and another survey giving the real estate mogul a seven-point lead. Her polling drop comes as more Americans have doubts about her honesty and trustworthiness, following extended coverage of her email scandal. The number of likely voters who don't consider her trustworthy has spiked to 67 percent a 5 per cent increase from a month ago, according to the Times poll. Her poll lead over Trump, which stood at 6 per cent a month ago in the poll, is gone. Trump's level of distrust is steady at 62 per cent, also a bad result for any politician. Her drop in the poll comes after FBI Director James Comey rapped Clinton's 'extremely careless' behavior in the use of her private home email server, even as he declined to recommend criminal to the Justice Department. Republican Donald Trump has pulled even with Hillary Clinton in a new New York Times / CBS poll and leads her by 7 points in a new Rasmussen Reports survey Clinton's polling has suffered during continued focus on her email scandal, as the FBI Director recommended against criminal charges but still admonished her for her behavior Clinton gave an interview to FBI agents investigating the case, and Comey testified before Congress in defense of his findings. The Rasmussen poll, which gives her a 7 point lead, is the third consecutive survey to show her leading Trump, who has weathered his own spat of bad publicity as various party figures announced they were skipping the Republican convention and '#NeverTrump' forces tried to block his nomination. The number of voters who view Clinton as trustworthy has dropped since June Clinton and Trump are now tied in the latest NY Times / CBS poll Last week, Clinton's lead in the poll was a statistically insignificant 2 percentage points. It is Trump's largest lead in the poll. In the Rasmussen poll, despite constant reports of GOP intrigue, Trump has consolidated his party better than Clinton has. He gets the support of 80 percent of Republicans and 13 per cent of Democrats, whereas Clinton gets just 72 per cent of Democrats and gets 5 per cent of Republicans. Clinton's Democratic primary rival, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, only endorsed her on Tuesday. Trump is leading Clinton among unaffiliated voters by 13 points in the poll. Trump edges Clinton on the economy and jobs, trade, while tying her on national security. Clinton bests Trump on dealing with illegal immigration, and performs much better on race relations, with a 60 to 29 per cent advantage. Clinton has led Trump in most polls, and her poll lead has now dropped to 3 per cent in the RealClearPolitics average, which takes the latest polls into account. Wednesday brought a release of a flurry of state polls that also showed Trump in the hunt. He led Clinton 42 to 39 in Florida in a Quinnipiac University poll. An NBC / Wall Street Journal / Marist poll in Iowa had Clinton's lead at only 42 to 39 per cent. The same poll had them tied at 39 per cent in battleground Ohio a state crucial to any Trump win. Clinton had a strong lead in Colorado of 48 to 35 per cent in a Monmouth poll, while she beat Trump 45 to 36 in Pennsylvania in the NBC poll. A Fox News poll had Clinton up 44 to 37 in Virginia. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Thursday walked back her criticisms of Republican Donald Trump, saying she won't be commenting on presidential candidates in the future. 'On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them,' the 83-year-old jurist said in a statement issued by America's highest court. 'Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect. Donald Trump had unleashed a series of stinging rebukes to Ginsburg following her unprecedented open criticism demanding that she step down from the bench. Ginsburg, Trump tweeted, 'has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me. Her mind is shot - resign!' Ginsburg had told a reporter that she regards Trump as 'a faker.' Scroll down for video NOTORIOUS R.B.G.: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg openly bashed Donald Trump in interviews published last week and on Tuesday, and has now walked back those comments PUSHBACK: Trump said Ginsburg's behavior was 'a disgrace to the court and I think she should apologize to the court' before later tweeting that '[h]er mind is shot resign!' UNPRECEDENTED: Trump's pointed message on Twitter was as unheard-of as Ginsburg's meddling in the electoral process Trump's decision to pointedly call on her to retire from the court over her partisan barbs pushed the pair's feud to anew level and put Democrats on defense as they scramble to avoid defending her. 'I can't imagine what this place would be I can't imagine what the country would be with Donald Trump as our president,' Ginsburg told The New York Times last weekend. 'For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be I dont even want to contemplate that.' Earlier on Tuesday Trump shoved back hard telling the Times that 'it's highly inappropriate that a United States Supreme Court judge gets involved in a political campaign, frankly. I think its a disgrace to the court and I think she should apologize to the court. I couldnt believe it when I saw it.' 'It's so beneath the court for her to be making statements like that. It only energizes my base even more. And I would hope that she would get off the court as soon as possible,' he added. As the Times published Trump's rebuttal, CNN opened up a new front in the Trump-Ginsburg skirmish. 'He is a faker,' Ginsburg told one of the network's legal analysts. 'He has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment. He really has an ego. ... How has he gotten away with not turning over his tax returns? The press seems to be very gentle with him on that.' Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks told CNN that the tax return question is still unresolved and in the IRS's lap. 'As you know, Mr. Trump is undergoing a routine audit and plans to release his returns when completed,' Hicks said. 'No further comment.' PARTISAN: Ginsburg was a Bill Clinton appointee and hinted in an Associated Press interview last week that she believes Hillary Clinton will be the next president Ginsburg, a Bill Clinton appointee who typifies the liberal wing of America's highest court, insisted that 'every other presidential candidate has turned over tax returns.' She told CNN that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has received tougher media treatment than Trump's, saying: 'I think he has gotten so much free publicity.' Recalling her initial reaction to Trump's early candidacy, Ginsburg said: 'At first I thought it was funny. To think that there's a possibility that he could be president ' CNN reported: 'Her voice trailed off gloomily.' The Times slammed Ginsburg in an editorial on Wednesday, calling her comments 'baffling' and declaring that 'Washington is more than partisan enough without the spectacle of a Supreme Court justice flinging herself into the mosh pit.' Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders said Wednesday on ABC that he backed Ginsburg in the dispute. 'I agree with what Justice Ginsburg said,' he declared. 'I think that Trump is a total opportunist. I do not believe anything that comes out of his mouth.' Democratic senators strained on Tuesday to avoid being seen as defending the politicization of the Supreme Court. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut told Politico that 'we all know that the justices on the Supreme Court have political views. Im not sure were well served by them airing them out in the open.' The Associated Press reported last week that Ginsburg has said she assumes Clinton, the former secretary of state, will win the November election. 'It's likely that the next president, whoever she will be, will have a few appointments to make,' Ginsburg told the AP. Ginsburg's comments about Trump have stunned members of the legal community and campaign watchers, who say her remarks were unprecedented and underscore the need for Supreme Court justices to keep their political opinions to themselves. 'I find it baffling actually that she says these things,' said Arthur Hellman, a University of Pittsburgh law professor, in an interview with The Washington Post. 'She must know that she shouldn't be. However tempted she might be, she shouldn't be doing it.' Josh Blackman, a professor at the Houston College of Law who specializes in constitutional law and the Supreme Court, said Ginsburg 'has lost it' and her comments are 'absolutely beyond the pale - even for her outrageous self'. 'The other justices should hold an intervention, and tell her to be quiet or step down,' he wrote on his blog . 'This isn't funny anymore. She is making overtly political statements about the presidential election that are absolutely unbecoming of a Justice of the Supreme Court.' In a blog post, Rick Hasen, a professor of law and political science at the University of California, Irvine, said it would be legitimate for a 'reasonable person' to question Ginsburg's impartiality in a case involving Trump, based on her comments. 'I think this is ultimately a question for judicial ethicists, but I do think following these comments it is a legitimate question to raise, should Donald Trump's campaign come to the Court with any legal questions before the election,' Hasen wrote. 'I also expect that for many how one views this issue will depend upon ideology: many conservatives will be quick to pounce and many liberals will be quick to defend. Charles Beau Menefee made three separate posts about the movement, calling the protesters 'unevolved, uncivilized turds' and suggesting that someone should 'rain gunfire' down on them An Emmy Award-winning news producer has been fired for his racist Facebook rant calling for Black Lives Matter protests to be 'bombed'. Charles Beau Menefee made three separate posts about the movement, calling the protesters 'unevolved, uncivilized turds' and suggesting that someone should 'rain gunfire' down on them during their next march. The CBS46 WGCL photographer and producer has been since been sacked over his offensive comments. Menefee had posted a picture of the Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Atlanta which blocked the streets, Radio TV reports. 'BLM is blocking the street, But I have a solution! How about we box everyone in and drop a f***ing bomb on it?' he wrote. His next message attacked protests which have been taking place since two black men, Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, were shot dead by police last week. It was during a Black Lives Matter protest over the deaths, held in Dallas last week, that five white cops were killed and another seven injured in a mass shooting. 'Wow, look at all the great things #blacklives matter is making happen in the world,' he wrote in another post. Scroll down for video Charles Beau Menefee has been fired for his racist Facebook rant calling for someone to 'drop a bomb' on Black Lives Matter protests 'An ARMED ignorant piece of s**t with a gold grill in his mouth like Alton Sterling was totally a reason for you un-evolved, uncivilized turds to kill good, moral, civilized people like police officers. 'Go die, Black Lives Matter.' Menefee also wrote that he wanted an armed gunman to shoot protesters at their next demonstration. I think it would be cool in someone rained gunfire own on to the ignorant human turds at the next #blacklivesmatter march,' he added. Mark Pimental, general manager at CBS46, confirmed that Menee had been fired over his hateful and threatening comments. Menefee won an Emmy in 2012 for his investigative report Space Properties with Catie Beck while working for CBS affiliate WTVR-TV in Richmond. He was nominated for another Emmy in 2015 for his coverage of the Ferguson riots but did not win. The photographer and producer also previously worked at 11 Alive. An employee at the station, who would not be named, told Radio TV that 11 Alive had bumped up their security after hearing Menefee had been fired. Menefee called protesters 'un-evolved' in his rant as he told Black Lives Matter demonstrators to 'go die' A former millionaire software tycoon has branded Britain's divorce laws 'out of date' after winning a test case against a suspended jail sentence imposed against him for failing to keep up maintenance payments to his ex-wife. Peter Morris, 51, said he has been left 'empty handed and homeless' since the end of his 25-year marriage to ex Jane after she was given the majority of the former couple's 560,000 wealth. Mrs Morris, 52, was awarded 500,000 in the settlement while he received 66,000. He was later ordered to pay her 77,000 in maintenance and other 'debts' and was last year given a six-week suspended prison term for failing to pay her 2,000 per month. But his lawyers told Court of Appeal judges jailing husbands for failing to pay maintenance violates their human rights and is a 'curious survivor' of Dickensian debtors laws which has 'no place in the modern world'. Scroll down for video Peter Morris, left, 51, will not have to serve a six-week suspended jail term for failing to pay ex-wife Jane, right, 2,000-per-month in maintenance after winning a Court of Appeal test case Mr Morris is now asking for a financial 'clean break' from his ex, insisting he cannot pay her anything more as he is 'homeless, insolvent, and unable to meet his obligations.' The couple enjoyed quarter of a century of well-heeled married life in their 1.2million four-bedroom detached house in the Chilterns. Mrs Morris gave up her pre-marriage career as a businesswoman and 'stayed at home to look after the home and care for their children by agreement with her husband.' He was MD of a software company with a seven-figure turnover, who earned up to 240,000-a-year, and the family enjoyed 'expensive holidays' as part of an enviable lifestyle. Even when their marriage hit the rocks and they split in 2013, their 'extravagant' spending, particularly by Mr Morris, continued unabated. By the time the case got to court, the money had almost dried up and Judge Glen Brasse ruled that only enough remained in the pot to meet the core needs of the wife and the couple's children. Judge Judith Hughes QC later hit him with a suspended jail term for his failure to pay up. Challenging the decision, Peter Duckworth, for Mr Morris, said a system which can see husbands jailed over debts to their ex-wives is a legal relic that ought to be consigned to history. He told Lady Justice Black, Lord Justice Floyd and Mr Justice Moylan: 'The objective seems to be to force the husband into a situation from which he cannot escape...it is a very curious survivor of very old practices. Mr Morris's case raises an issue of public importance. 'Procedures are being implemented which don't comply with the obligations of the UK under the European Convention on Human Rights, consigning the husband to a prison sentence on a charge of which he was only dimly aware, at a time when he was not legally represented'. Holding prison sentences over husband's heads was not 'in keeping with the modern view that husbands and wives approach this court on an equal footing,' added the barrister. Following those arguments, Damien Garrido QC, for Mrs Morris, accepted that her ex-husband's suspended jail term should be overturned. The couple bought a 1.2million home in the Chilterns, pictured, as part of an 'extravagant lifestyle', the previous divorce hearing was told But she is hotly contesting his case that they should go their separate ways financially and that he shouldn't have to pay her any more. Mr Morris, whose company has gone into administration, insists that his financial fortunes have continued to plummet and it is simply 'impossible' for him to pay all he owes. And Mr Duckworth claimed that Mrs Morris is now better off in real terms than her ex-husband. He told the court: 'There is nothing to suggest that the husband wilfully or deliberately neglected to pay maintenance.' The barrister added: 'He was thrown out of his London flat and is living on the charity of his lady friend. 'He has been left in an impossible situation of being homeless, insolvent, and unable to meet his obligations'. Of Mrs Morris, Mr Duckworth said: 'The indications that she can manage on the income that she has are many. She has a net income of over 23,000 a year. 'She is currently working for an estate agents as a receptionist. Her employment status is permanent. The wife moved into a mortgage-free property. 'There is also an entitlement from the estate of her late mother. This is a significant move in the wife's resources. The Court of Appeal, pictured, is yet to decide on whether Mr Morris should continue paying his ex-wife 'The husband lacks the means to pay spousal maintenance, but the wife is secure in a new career, is backed by an inheritance and not in need of funds. 'In the current circumstances, he will be unable to go on paying anything to his former wife. Is this now a clean break case? I submit that it is. 'I believe it is time now to sever financial ties between this couple,' the barrister said. Mr Garrido, in reply, urged the judges to uphold the maintenance order. He complained that there was 'a complete absence of clarity' about Mr Morris's income, due to 'contradictory statements and complete lack of disclosure.' The barrister went on to assert that Mr Morris is receiving substantially more money each month than he professes. The judges have now reserved their decision on Mr Morris's appeal and will give their ruling at a later date. Mr Duckworth said outside court: 'It is essentially a test case'. Vigilante 'cat busters' are trapping pets to take to the pound and said it is a 'good result' that most are then put down. The group trap domestic cats in Sydney and Melbourne and shoot ferals in rural areas, before posting pictures of the dead animals to Facebook group 'Cat Busters'. Cats are a threat to native wildlife, most often at night. But leaflets put into letterboxes across Melbourne boast about pet cats ending up 'destroyed', Herald Sun reported. WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES A group who call themselves the 'Cat Busters' are shooting feral cats in rural areas and trapping pet cats in cities which are most often 'destroyed' Cat Busters said they placed cat traps in both Sydney and Melbourne: 'If you have a cat, keep it inside at night and on your property at all times - or you may not have a cat for long' 'Cat Busters catches cats,' the flyers said. 'In suburban areas this includes the use of cage and leg-hold traps, and most captured cats and up destroyed [sic]. 'Any cat found off its owner's property at any time is at risk of capture and destruction.' An administrator for the Facebook page told Daily Mail Australia the group acted within the law at all times. 'This is all very normal - it's only worth a story because it's on Facebook, where the Crazy Cat Lady Lobby has its scratching post,' the administrator said. The flyers were distributed Melbourne-wide, Frankston Mayor James Dooley told Herald Sun. He said the council had forwarded the flyers to the RSPCA and relevant government departments. Photos shared on Cat Busters even show the dead animals being used as stubby holders (pictured) A picture posted to the Cat Busters page shows a dead or injured cat bleeding and appears to have been shot by a compound bow A cat is spread alongside a gun in what appears to be remote Australia 'We urge residents who are concerned about illegal trapping in their area to report this information to the RSPCA and police for investigation,' Mr Dooley said. The group has come under fire by concerned residents and cat owners. 'While I can see why this is being done I think it is disgusting to see you displaying what could be someone's pet like a trophy,' one person wrote on the Cat Busters page. Another said it was 'just an excuse to kill things'. After receiving media attention, a status on the Facebook page said people 'have been having some comprehension issues with what we do'. 'In residential areas, we trap cats. This is done entirely in line with local laws. We then deliver the trapped cats to the local authority, which in most cases in the local council [sic]. 'Most of these cats will end up destroyed. A good result!' In rural areas the cats are often shot and strung up, graphic images posted to the Facebook page show. 'While I can see why this is being done I think it is disgusting to see you displaying what could be someone's pet like a trophy,' one person wrote on the Cat Busters page 'In country areas, including in state forests etc, cats may be trapped, baited or shot, depending on the specifics of the area being covered,' Cat Busters said Photos even show dead cats being used as stubby holders. Another image shows a splatter of blood beneath a cat's head alongside the words: 'Another one bites the dust.' 'In country areas, including in state forests etc, cats may be trapped, baited or shot, depending on the specifics of the area being covered,' Cat Busters said. 'This is done entirely lawfully. 'It is the legal responsibility of cat owners to keep their cats within their property boundaries at all time.' RSPCA Victoria said both cats and dogs are not allowed to roam into other people's property. 'Another person can therefore trap your cat on their own property and can then contact the council to collect the animal,' the animal rights group describe on its website. RSPCA NSW said the main cause of feral cats is people who do not desex their pets. RSPCA Australia said it is sometimes necessary to manage feral populations but this must be with 'humane, target-specific and effective' methods. PestSmart said: 'All traps have the potential to cause injury and some degree of suffering and distress so should only be used when no practical alternative exists.' In rural areas the cats are often shot and strung up, graphic images posted to the Facebook page show Guy Staines, a former jackaroo who spent 18 years in Goulburn's Supermax prison for murder, converted to radical Islam and is believed to have fled to either Syria or Iraq to join ISIS - just two years after his release A former farm hand who was converted to radical Islam in an Australian maximum security prison is believed to have fled to Syria to join ISIS after his sister-in-law and her jihadi husband died in the war zone. Guy Staines, 43, spent 18 years in Goulburn's Supermax after murdering the son of his old boss, during which time he married a prison psychologist and was converted to Islam by the country's most dangerous inmate. His marriage broke down from inside prison, and after a short stint working on his brother's chickpea farm upon release in 2014, he moved to western Sydney with his new wife, Rose Karroum. Rose Karroum is the sister of Amira Karroum. Amira and her jihadi husband Tyler Caser were both executed during a conflict between two extremist groups in the Syrian city of Aleppo in 2014. According to a report by The Australian, authorities believe the former jackaroo left the country and his wife behind in May last year to travel to the war zone of either Syria or Iraq. Staines is married to Rose Karroum, the sister of Amira Karroum (pictured). In 2014, Amira and her jihadi husband Tyler Caser were both executed in a conflict in Syria Cameron Staines told The Australian that his brother's religious transformation had been a hugely positive influence on his life, but questioned how he was able to flee the country less than two years after being released from prison. 'If he is overseas, why did they let him go?' Cameron said. 'How does he get a passport?' Staines' mother said she had no idea where her son was. 'I haven't spoken to my son for quite some time. No one has. And I don't think his wife has either, because we aren't too (sure) what was going on because we hadn't heard from him. She couldn't talk to us either,' she told The Australian. Staines was converted to radical Islam by Bassam Hamzy, founder of notorious gang Brothers 4 Life and a high-risk extreme inmate in Goulburn's Supermax prison The man responsible for Staines' extremist Muslim conversion is none other than Bassam Hamzy. Hamzy is the founder of Brothers 4 Life, one of the country's most violent and notorious gangs. He landed himself in jail after killing a teenager in a club in 1999 at the age of just 19, but became the first high-risk extreme inmate after authorities discovered he was running a sophisticated drug network from inside his prison cell. Hamzy is responsible for a number of extremist Muslim conversions in jail, including Leith Marchant, an assassination style killer, and Vester Fernando, a convicted rapist and murderer. Grinning for the camera with his arm wrapped round one of the world's most famous pop stars, festival-goer Ryan Johnston could scarcely believe his luck. Excitedly taking to Instagram after supposedly meeting One Direction's Niall Horan at T in the Park, the elated reveller wrote: 'Still in shock that I bumped into you mate, a true gent!' Sadly for Mr Johnston his joy was short-lived and he quickly became the butt of the jokes on social media, as he had in fact been photographed with fellow Scot Liam Fergusson rather than the Irish heartthrob. T in the Park reveller Ryan Johnston was left red-faced as he thought he had been pictured with Niall Horan Liam Fergusson, (left) from Bearsden, has been mistaken for Niall Horan (right) in the past The post has gone viral and the red-faced festival-goer has since commented on the snap saying, 'I'll never live this down'. Prankster Liam, who lives in Bearsden, in East Dunbartonshire, quipped: 'Cheers anyway mate. Lovely to meet you'. Kirsty Mcculloch, a friend of Liam, added: 'Always told you someone would mistake you for the real Niall, Liam.' Ryan, from Elgin, has since updated his Instagram biography to 'the idiot that thought he met Niall Horan at TITP'. Rather than partying in the mud in Scotland, Niall enjoyed the Mumford and Sons gig at the British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park on Friday with glamorous Belgian student Celine Helene Vandycke. He was then spotted looking close to the brunette beauty as they left Drama nightclub in London in the early hours of Monday morning. Niall was in fact at Hyde Park watching Mumford and Sons, rather than at T in the Park Niall cut a very relaxed figure as he made his way into Drama nightclub, sporting tracksuit bottoms and crisp white trainers in the early hours of Monday morning Niall and Celine Helene Vandycke were pictured looking very cosy at the British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park on Friday night and went out to London's Drama nightclub on Monday night This is the not the first time Liam has been mistaken for the One Direction star. In 2014, security staff had to remove him and his friend Richard Dickson, who is the double of Harry Styles, from a gig in Edinburgh. The pair were mobbed by screaming girls who demanded pictures and autographs from the unassuming youngsters. Richard and Liam were lifted from the crowd for their own safety and missed most of the set at Murrayfield, before leaving early flanked by burly security guards. Around 5,000 people are expected to attend the funeral reception at the high school where Castile worked Funeral ended with calls of 'unite for Philando' while mourners raised their fists in tribute to the shooting victim Valerie Castile, Philando's mother, hopes that the service will be a way for 'people to come together in a new way' Castile's death sparked protests across the country and is being investigated while two cops have been put on leave Carriage led the solemn funeral procession to the cathedral where thousands have gathered to pay their respects A service was held at noon for the 32-year-old who was shot dead by cops last week in Falcon Heights Minnesota Advertisement Thousands gathered today at a Minnesota cathedral for the funeral of Philando Castile whose fatal shooting by police week sparked furious protests all over the U.S. Calls of 'unite for Philando' rang out at the end of the service at St. Paul Cathedral, on the edge of downtown St Paul, as mourners raised their fists in tribute to Castile, the Star Tribune reports. A horse-drawn carriage, carrying his flower-laden white coffin, had led the funeral procession from Brooks Funeral Home, in Concordia Avenue, to the cathedral this morning. Castile's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds, who was with him when he was shot by the St Paul officer and live streamed his dying moments, broke down in tears as his coffin arrived at St. Paul's for the service at noon. Scroll down for video Pallbearers raise their fists into the air as they carry the casket of Philando Castile back to the horse drawn carriage following Castile's funeral service at The Cathedral of Saint Paul Valerie Castile, second from left, follows as pall bearers with their fists raised in tribute as they carried the casket of her son Philando Castile down the steps after his funeral service Thousands gathered at the cathedral for the funeral service of Philando Castile - as his casket was carried from the Cathedral of St. Paul for his burial Diamond Reynolds, Philando Castile's girlfriend (in the black hat with her four-year-old daughter), broke down in tears as mourners prepared to go inside for the funeral earlier today Reynolds, (pictured center, wearing the black hat) was comforted by family and friends as she sobbed over the loss of her boyfriend Diamond Reynolds' four-year-old daughter, who was in the car when Castile was shot dead, looked attended the funeral today An emotional Reynolds, who was at the funeral with her young daughter, was pictured being comforted by family and friends shortly before they all went in for the beginning of the service. Castile, 32, was shot dead by police in front of Reynolds and the four-year-old girl who was in the back of the car during the incident on July 6. His death and Alton Sterling, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who was also shot dead by cops last week sparked mass demonstrations across the country. Violence erupted during several of the protests including a march in Dallas where five police officers were shot dead, and another seven were injured by gunman Micah Johnson who told authorities he wanted to 'kill white cops' as revenge for Castile and Sterling's deaths. Today Valerie Castile, Philando's mother, issued a statement calling for peace as she said that she hoped the funeral would be a way for 'people to come together in a new way.' Castile's death is being investigated by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, while the two officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave Mourners watched on as the casket was placed back onto the horse-drawn carriage after his funeral service on Thursday while some held up signs which read 'Unite for Philando' Pallbearers marched down Selby Avenue with their fists raised high as they followed the horse-drawn carriage carrying the body of Philando Castile following the funeral Pallbearers, all dressed in white, joined the funeral procession through St Paul, Minnesota, after the service The men held their fists in the air in tribute to Castile, who was shot dead by a cop last week The public service for Castille lasted about 90 minutes at the cathedral, which sits high upon a hill in St Paul, Minnesota Valerie Castile, who was dressed all in white, walked behind the pallbearers carrying her son's coffin as they left the house of worship The family procession walked down the steps of the cathedral after the funeral as hundreds stood in the crowds outside - many holding up Unite for Philando signs Philando Castile's casket was placed back on the same horse-drawn carriage which had taken his body to the cathedral, ready to transport to his burial The funeral procession for Philando Castile left The Cathedral of Saint Paul following his funeral service to proceed to a private burial and reception The public was invited to attend but photography and filming was forbidden after Valerie appealed on Twitter not to turn the event into a 'media circus.' 'Philando deserves that much respect!' Rev. John Ubel, rector of the cathedral, lead prayers while Rev. Steve Daniels Sr., pastor of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of St. Paul, delivered the eulogy. The ceremony, which lasted around an hour-and-a-half began by asking everyone to hug the person next to them and the service was punctuated by family readings, poems and songs including performances by the Grammy-winning Sounds of Blackness. His sister Allysza Castile had also written a special message of tribute to Castile in the funeral program, Star Tribune reports. 'My brother my hero, your heart was so pure and solid as gold I love you forever and your legacy will continue to live on. You made history, you opened their eyes,' she wrote. Earlier on Thursday morning, Castile's body had arrived for the funeral in the beautiful white horse-drawn carriage laden with flowers Hundreds joined the long line outside the St. Paul Cathedral for the funeral of Philando Castile at noon on Thursday The carriage, was followed by friends and family on foot. Behind them was a long procession of cars attending the funeral The funeral procession for Philando Castile, led by the horse-drawn carriage carrying his coffin, made its way along Concordia Avenue to The Cathedral of Saint Paul, in St. Paul, Minnesota today At just after 11am, the funeral procession for Philando Castile arrived at St Paul Cathedral, on a hill on the edge of the city in Minnesota The casket carrying Philando Castile, who as shot and killed by police last week, was unloaded by pallbearers at the Cathedral of St. Paul 'I'm just amazed at how many people care about Philando and care about what happened to him,' his uncle Clarence Castile told the Tribune. 'He was a young, loving, handsome, giving, caring individual.' Many of the city's leaders turned out for the funeral including Gov. Mark Dayton, who previously argued that race had played a role in Castile's death. He was joined by Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, as well as the hundreds of other mourners at the service. Many of the mourners wore T-shirts or hats with pictures of Castile and messages such as 'Rest in heaven' and 'RIP Philando.' One attendee even had a tattoo of the shooting victim, dressed in a shirt and tie, on his arm. Demetrius Bennett, 35, who went to high school with Castile and was still a friend, decided to get the new ink on Wednesday - just in time for the funeral. 'I'm glad my brother's name is in lights, but he should be recognized for his work for those kids,' Bennett said of Castile's longtime job as a cook at J.J. Hill Montessori School. 'That's why his name should be in lights.' Family members gathered as pall bearers carried the casket off the horse-drawn carriage and into the Cathedral of Saint Paul Castile's devastated girlfriend Diamond Reynolds was comforted by family and friends outside the cathedral after his body arrived by horse-drawn carriage An emotional Reynolds, center wearing black hat, was surrounded by loved ones before the funeral for Philando Castile - whose death sparked protests across the U.S. Family members follow the casket for the funeral which is open to the public. Around 5,000 people are expected at the reception at a local school after the service Clarence D. Castile, center, uncle of Philando Castile, was 'amazed' at how many people cared about what happened to his nephew Emotions were running high outside the funeral service for Castile as several of his loved ones were seen in tears Gov. Mark Dayton, who previously argued that race had played a role in Castile's death, was joined by Lt. Gov. Tina Smith for the service Many of the city's leaders turned out for the funeral including U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (center) and his son, Jeremiah (left) Sen. Al Franken, center, also attended the solemn occasion on Thursday afternoon in St. Paul, Minnesota A bouquet of red and white roses were moved from Castile's casket after it arrived on a horse-drawn carriage outside his funeral The casket arrived at the cathedral where Rev. John Ubel, rector of the cathedral, will lead prayers while Rev. Steve Daniels Sr., pastor of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of St. Paul, will deliver the eulogy Following the service, Castile's casket was returned to the horse-drawn carriage to be taken to a private burial. Around 5,000 people are expected at the reception after the service at J.J. Hill Montessori School, where Castile worked in the cafeteria worked. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be served to the mourners. Flowers and a 'Black Lives Matter' sign have been set up outside the school today while someone has written 'RIP Philando' in chalk on the sidewalk. His burial afterward will be private. Castile's death is being investigated by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, while the two officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave. He and his girlfriend along with their young daughter, had been driving through Falcon Heights on July 6 when they were pulled over for a broken tail light, according to Reynolds. One of the mourners wore a hat and t-shirt commemorating Philando Castile as he left the Brooks Funeral Home before the funeral The mourner in the 'Philando' hat joined the funeral procession for Castile as it traveled from Brooks Funeral Home to the St Paul Cathedral People embraced outside Brooks Funeral Home this morning before Castile's body was loaded onto the carriage for his funeral Pallbearers loaded the casket carrying Philando Castile at Brooks Funeral Home this morning ready for the funeral service The funeral procession for Philando Castile began outside funeral home where pallbearers loaded the coffin onto the wagon and lay flower wreaths on top Castile told officers that he had a gun in the car and a permit to use it. When he went to reach for his wallet, Latino officer Jeronimo Yanez, who had worked for the St. Anthony Police Department for nearly five years, shot him. Reynolds captured the shooting's aftermath on her cellphone and broadcast it live on Facebook, as her boyfriend lay bleeding next to her in the driver's seat. She told MSNBC-TV she recorded the situation because she felt 'as though I'm a nobody.' 'I knew at the end of the day it was going to be the law enforcement's word over mine,' she said. Reynolds' 4-year-old daughter was also inside the car when Castile was shot. Lawyers for the cop, Thomas Kelly, said that Yanez pulled Castile over was because he thought he looked like 'a possible match' for a suspect in a recent armed robbery. Both Yanex and his partner Joseph Kauser, who was also present during the fatal encounter, were placed on paid administrative leave. Castile worked in the cafeteria at JJ Hill Montessori School in St. Paul. Quick with a high-five for students and always eager to sneak kids extra graham crackers and other treats, Castile was known simply as 'Mr Phil.' He was days shy of his 33rd birthday when he was shot. Around 5,000 people are expected at the reception after the service at J.J. Hill Montessori School, where Castile worked in the cafeteria worked. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be served to the mourners (pictured is the funeral procession) Friends and family followed the funeral procession for Philando Castile as it made its way along Concordia Avenue to The Cathedral of Saint Paul A solemn procession of mourners followed the carriage on foot towards the cathedral where thousands gathered to pay tribute to the 32-year-old Mourners joined the funeral procession for Philando Castile, 32, a high school cafeteria worker known to most students simply as as 'Mr Phil' A horse drawn carriage lead a procession carrying the casket of Philando Castile who was just days shy of his 33rd birthday when he was shot A horse-drawn carriage carrying the casket of Philando Castile lead a procession from the funeral home to the St. Paul Cathedral Castile's girlfriend captured the shooting's aftermath on her cellphone and broadcast it live on Facebook, as her boyfriend lay bleeding next to her in the driver's seat (pictured is the funeral procession) Castile and his girlfriend, along with their young daughter, had been driving through Falcon Heights on July 6 when they were pulled over for a broken tail light. He was shot by cops after telling them he had a legally owned gun on him (pictured is the funeral procession) The carriage set the pace for the procession from the funeral home to the cathedral as hundreds walked behind to pay tribute to Castile The funeral procession for Philando Castile made its way to The Cathedral of Saint Paul for a service which thousands were expected to attend The funeral procession for Philando Castile traveled through the streets of St Pauls' and past residential homes, until it arrived at the cathedral A woman held flowers on top of the casket steady as the carriage made it's way to the cathedral on the edge of downtown Minnesota North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven will not submit a bill that would have had the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers transfer land on Lake Oahe to the state and possibly to private landowners. Hoevens chief of staff Ryan Bernstein said Thursday a bill draft will not be submitted because theres no consensus among residents, local officials and outdoor recreationists on the issue. At stake are about 9,000 acres in Emmons and Morton counties that are above the Oahe reservoir flood pool. Some legislators want the land returned to North Dakota and some of it restored to original owners or heirs on both sides of the Oahe complex south of Bismarck-Mandan. Bernstein said Hoeven wants consensus from all sides before moving forward. Its up to the Legislature on how that should be done, he said. The former wildlife chief for the State Game and Fish Department Randy Kreil said Hoeven deserves credit for recognizing that the transfer would have had a negative effect on thousands of outdoorsmen and women who use the area to the personal benefit of a select few. Thats good to hear, said Kreil, describing the Oahe region south of Bismarck as one of the most heavily used recreation areas in the state because of the good habitat on corps land along the reservoir and the development of Wildlife Management Areas. Rep. Jim Schmidt, R-Huff, was a sponsor of a bill in the 2015 Legislature that asked Gov. Jack Dalrymple to put the transfer in motion with the Washington delegation. Schmidt said earlier his family would benefit if about 300 acres that are part of the Oahe Wildlife Management Area were returned and that hed met with all the familys 13 heirs on that possibility. Schmidt said Thursday sportsmen have the wrong idea and that access to ramps and other public facilities would not have been interrupted. Any land returned to his family would have gone into production of agriculture and hunters might have found themselves able to drive into good hunting spots, instead of hiking, he said. Andrea Travnicek, the governors natural resource policy adviser, said the office received a number of calls and emails on the proposed transfer, which included the possible return of private land, and relayed those to Hoevens office. We had questions on assurances of public access, she said. The State Game and Fish Department did not take an official position on the proposed transfer, but current wildlife chief Jeb Williams said traffic counters show that thousands of people are on the recreation areas along Oahe. Its some of the best habitat in the state. From my standpoint, Im always trying to grow the resource for the public. This (proposed transfer) doesnt help it, he said. One Emmons County landowner says he and his neighbors want the excess corps' land returned so they can manage noxious weeds, be better stewards and increase the lands property tax value. If it were returned to us, we will do a better job, said Glenn McCrory, who farms and ranches on the east side of Oahe near Highway 1804. While the Oahe transfer appears to be a dead issue for now, the 2015 bill was the third in a row and only successful attempt to get the Legislature to support the concept. Kreil said people will need to remain vigilant because certain legislators might bring it back again. It baffles me why the governors office would even agree to be involved in this, he said. Schmidt said he isn't sure what will happen next and that he would pursue the transfer only if his constituents push for it. "For me, though, probably not," he said. Anticipation is running high in Cleveland, Ohio as Republican delegates to the party's national convention meet to debate changes to the event's rules and an incendiary effort that could derail the Trump train. One contentious rule 'binds' delegates to vote for the presidential nomination of whichever candidate their state party tells them to support, based on the results of public primary elections and caucuses. A group of anti-Donald Trump conservatives, the so-called 'NeverTrump' movement, is plotting to roll back that requirement. The Rules Committee clashes are expected to last two days or longer. But a reported huddle among leaders from both sides of the dispute could also set the stage for a quick resolution that gives dissidents a symbolic vote. CORONATION OR COUP? Donald Trump's presidential nomination hangs in the balance as the Republican convention's powerful Rules Committee will decide whether the delegates can vote as they please, not as they're 'bound' SHOWDOWN: The 112-member committee convened in Cleveland, Ohio on Thursday in advance of next week's convention Committee members convened Monday morning and quickly called a pair of recesses publicly blamed on a jammed computer printer including a 2-1/2 hour break that was left largely unexplained. Observers at Cleveland's downtown convention center were left wondering if a backroom deal was in the works to save the party from the spectacle of a nasty public fight over their unconventional standard bearer. It would take just 28 of the committee's 112 members, one-quarter, to force a 'minority report' to the floor of the convention on Monday. That would be a completely separate set of rule amendments, including one on unbinding delegates, essentially forcing delegates to choose one package over the other. Colorado delegate Kendal Unruh said this week that she has done the head-counting, and at least 28 are prepared to sign on to a rule amendment allowing all 2,472 delegates to 'vote their conscience' code words for voting against Trump. But Bruce Ash, a convention Rules Committee member who chairs the larger Republican Party's 'standing committee on rules' said Unruh was engaged in wishful thinking. 'I suspect there are probably a dozen or so members of the convention rules committee' who are willing to go along, Ash told a C-SPAN audience on Wednesday. 'We think the number is far lower than what Kendal Unruh has to say.' Committee co-chair Enid Mickelson presides over a contentious meeting that may result in a 'minority report' giving convention delegates the option of approving a plan to throw Trump overboard RINGLEADER: Kendal Unruh, a convention delegate from Utah, is counting heads in search of one-quarter of the committee who will vote for the minority-report route to the convention floor GLUE: Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus is trying to hold the party together by urging that 'now is the time to stand united as Republicans' Utah Sen. Mike Lee is in Cleveland, and may be a crucial figure in the arguments as they unfold. Lee bashed Trump last month for attacking his 'best friend,' Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, during the hotly contested primary campaign. National Review reported that Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus huddled with Lee, Unruh, Virginia committeeman Morton Blackwell and former Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli in an effort to strike a compromise and allow the anti-Trumpers to have their say. Cuccinelli was a campaign adviser to Cruz's campaign. the audience gathered to watch the fireworks on Thursday that they needed to avoid publicly rooting for either side. 'If you do decide to be disruptive or try to obstruct our business, we will invite you to leave,' she said from the podium. 'If you choose not to, you will be persuaded to leave by people who have the authority to remove you. I'm sure that will not become necessary.' KEY PLAYERS: Sen. Mike Lee of Utah (left) and longtime conservative activist Morton Blackwell of Virginia (right) are among the power-brokers huddling in Cleveland to try and derail the Trump train RNC spokesman Sean Spicer told CNN Thursday the chances of the vote ultimately making it to the floor of the convention were 'I think, little to none.' Even if the dissident delegates on the Rules Committee succeed in forcing a measure to the convention floor, they will have an uphill climb ahead of them. The Associated Press estimates that Trump has the support of 1,543 delegates, meaning at least 271 would have to swing against him in order to change at least temporarily the nomination contest's outcome. Priebus gave a speech to the party's official summer meeting on Wednesday, the last gathering before the convention's kickoff, in which he urged delegates to coalesce around the billionaire businessman. , the court ordered him to tell police before he had sex John O'Neill - who was cleared of rape - has to tell police 24 hours before he has sex. He now hopes to have the order overturned A father-of-two who has to tell police 24 hours before he has sex with a new partner, despite being cleared of rape, can today be named as a 45-year-old former English literature student. John O'Neill, of York, was tried for rape and cleared after a retrial at Teesside Crown Court in November. But police then controversially applied for a Sexual Risk Order (SRO), with a condition that he inform them 24 hours before he has sex with a new partner. Mr O'Neill today attended the hearing of a court case he hopes will overturn the order which he says infringes his human rights. He has previously said he had no prospect of forming a relationship under the terms of the order. Speaking after a preliminary hearing in his case today, Mr O'Neill accused North Yorkshire Police of 'sour grapes' after he was acquitted. His history of S and M sex was brought up at the trial, including evidence from a doctor with whom he had discussed his past. He has previously claimed the doctor misunderstood what he was discussing, saying she was confused about what was just fantasy. Police thought what he told the doctor was a confession, he said at a previous hearing. 'Thank God Fifty Shades of Grey came out when it did, it helped my barrister normalise that,' he said. The woman who accused him of rape said she was bitten and scratched, but Mr O'Neill denied the bite and said the scratch came during a massage after consensual sex. He said he has no criminal record, 'not even a parking ticket'. At the previous hearing, he said there was 'no prospect' of a relationship at the moment because of the rules he has been forced to live by. He gave the example of chatting to a woman and saying: 'There's a nice French restaurant I'd like to take you to, but first the police are just going to come around for a little chat.' Other conditions of the order include him having to hand over the pin for his mobile phone to police, and not to use internet-connected devices which cannot be later checked by officers. Speaking outside court today, Mr O'Neill said he hopes the case draws attention to police powers He decided, having taken legal advice, not to give them the pin code as a point of principle, because he said the conditions of SROs were supposed to be prohibitive, not obligatory. He was arrested for breaching his SRO and was held in police custody overnight. Outside court today, Mr O'Neill expressed mixed feelings about his name now being able to be reported. He said: 'Obviously you don't want your face plastered across the press because people presume guilt, they are not interested in the details, an accusation is the same thing as a conviction for some people. 'But on the other hand people need to know that this kind of thing happens. 'Without the 24 hours' notice before sex clause I don't think this case would have attracted much attention at all. 'From that perspective thank God they did put it in. People can now see the police do this.' Mr O'Neill returned to York Magistrates Court today where he hopes the order will be overturned Mr O'Neill, wearing a suit and with newly cropped hair after donating his hair to a children's cancer charity, said the order was devastating. 'I don't have a life, I cannot work, I cannot have any form of relationship, it's absolutely ridiculous.' While mermaid outfits and monofins for swimming are more popular than ever with little girls, cities are beginning to ban them for being dangerous. The tail fins, made to look like ones mermaids have in folklore, are so popular that Kim Kardashian held a mermaid-themed joint birthday party in June for her daughter, North, three, and niece Penelope, four. Scroll down for video Mermaid monofins are becoming increasingly popular despite warnings and bannings in various cities An unnamed little girl was excited to start flapping her mermaid fin in a family pool As she dove into the water, she slapped her fin against the surface just as a mermaid would have done, but unlike a mermaid, once she got under, she couldn't get back up The girl's mom was luckily right there and able to rescue her before her cute outfit may have caused a tragedy But the fins are dangerous when it comes to swimming, say experts. 'The fact that its so restrictive,' said Lisa Bowman, Parks and Recreation Director in Elyria, Ohio, which just banned the fins. 'When we teach swimming the first thing we teach is kick kick kick kick...and you can't do that. So it makes me uncomfortable. It's totally not safe, especially around water. Ohio has banned the finds in Cleveland, Lakewood, Westlake, Parma, Bay Village and Elyria, according to Fox 8 Cleveland. Kim Kardashian had a mermaid-themed party for daughter North, three, in June, though North's fin appears to have holes for her feet The danger has been known for a while, but that hasn't stopped the mermaid outfits from becoming increasingly popular. In 2015, a video surfaced of a little girl in one of the outfits in her family's pool. When she dove underwater, she couldn't resurface. Luckily, her mother was right there, and able to grab the girl before tragedy may have struck. Monofins remain quite popular despite expert warnings that they can be dangerous for young tots The video was made into a PSA on YouTube by a breastfeeding blogger. The fins, however, continue to be sold online as they meet federal safety requirements, reports the outlet. 'You could turn your head and your whole life can change,' one mom told the outlet. 'Even if you just find it cute, it's not even worth it.' Mermaid tail fins are banned in Fishhawk, Florida, in many cities in Australia and New Zealand, and Edmonton and Surrey in British Columbia. Some, however, think the bans are fishy. Hillary Clinton's latest ad implies that Donald Trump is a potty mouth and a bad role model for children. The one-minute ad that will in swing states on cable television and online puts Trump on the screen delivering some of his most infamous lines about violence against protesters and voters with kids in front of the boob tube looking frightened. Clinton's campaign said the spot 'makes voters ask which candidate Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump they are comfortable with their children watching as President.' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Hillary Clinton's latest ad implies that Donald Trump is a potty mouth and a bad role model for children The one-minute ad that will in swing states on cable television and online puts Trump on the screen delivering some of his most infamous lines about violence against protesters and voters with kids in front of the boob tube looking frightened The ad itself reminds families, 'Our children are watching,' and asks, 'What example will we set for them?' The ad itself reminds families, 'Our children are watching,' and asks, 'What example will we set for them?' Footage of the Democratic presidential candidate also appears in the contrast ad. 'Our children and grandchildren will look back at this time, at the choices we are about to make, the goals we will strive for, the principles we will live by, and we need to make sure that they can be proud of us,' Clinton says at at rally a little girl watches her on television from a bedroom. The commercial is part of a previous ad buy the Clinton campaign made in eight states - Florida, Iowa, Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, New Hampshire, Nevada and North Carolina. It's spending roughly $9 million a month on the commercials that lift up Clinton and seek to sink Trump with his own words. The campaign also launched a Twitter account and companion Tumblr today that highlights unflattering information about the Republican that's titled 'Literally Trump.' 'In the fight to stop Donald Trump we've got a devastating tool: literally Donald Trump. Follow for a daily dose of stuff he's actually said,' the account's first tweet says. This morning, Clinton told the League of United Latin American Citizens Trump is 'making unfortunately, an impression on our children, too.' 'In one recent survey, two-thirds of teachers reported that their students especially those from immigrant families feel afraid about what this election will mean for their futures,' she said. 'When our kids are scared by our policy debates, thats a sign something has gone badly off the rails. Staying on the point she said, 'It matters when at a high school sporting event in Indiana and Wisconsin, Latino teenagers are subjected to chants of "Build the wall!" And "Speak English." ' Clinton's campaign says it plans to defeat Trump by providing a clear 'contrast' between the former secretary of state and first lady and the real estate tycoon. It's not enough to just present voters with Trump's inflammatory statements, Clinton's Director of State Campaigns Marlon Marshall said this morning on a panel at progressive activist conference Netroots. Clinton's campaign says it plans to defeat Trump by providing a clear 'contrast' between the former secretary of state and first lady and the real estate tycoon The campaign aide said it must also show why Clinton will do a better job. The Democratic National Convention in two weeks will give Clinton another chance to 'tell her story to America' and explain to voters why she's right the right choice for president and commander in chief. Her speech at the DNC after she is formally awarded the Democratic nomination will also allow her the opportunity to change Americans' perceptions of her, which Marshall today acknowledged continues to be a problem. A New York Times survey released today found that 67 percent of Americans think she's not honest and trustworthy after her email scandal. She wasn't charged with a crime, but voters' confidence in her wavered. The poll, taken in conjunction with CBS News, has Clinton tied with Trump nationally after enjoying a six-point lead over the Republican a month prior. A Texas beauty queen has been stripped of her crown after fellow contestants argued she should have been disqualified for having a criminal record and a previous marriage. Caitlin Cifuentes' reign as Miss Corpus Christi Latina was short-lived after six competitors, including the runner-up, sued the pageant's director, Kayla Alvarez. Citing a contract contestants were required to sign, they argued that the 25-year-old winner's past disqualified her, although Cifuentes rejected their claims. Scroll down for video Dethroned beauty queen Caitlin Cifuentes wrote on Facebook that 'people can make a mistake and move on from it' Cifuentes is on deferred adjudicated probation for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and probation for a misdemeanor driving while intoxicated case, the Houston Chronicle reported. After the lawsuit was filed, Acirema Alayeto, president and founder of Miss America Latina, announced Cifuentes would no longer be recognized as the winner. 'Cifuentes does not have the proper credentials to hold such a title,' Alayeto said in a statement. Cifuentes won the pageant on June 11 and was supposed to represent Corpus Christi at a state competition in August. In a post on Facebook, Cifuentes rejected the move to strip her of her crown and claimed she was mistreated. 'I was discriminated against, slandered, judged in the harshest ways, but guess what?' she wrote. 'I am still the real winner. Keep that old title because I would rather not be involved with a program which allows bullying. That's not what I stand for.' Cifuentes won the pageant on June 11 and was supposed to represent Corpus Christi at a state competition Cifuentes wrote that her past will not define her and referred to herself as the 'queen of Corpus Christi.' 'I am the people's champ,' she added. 'I am the people's choice. I am a leader. I believe that people can make a mistake and move on from it. I am a leader for all women who have gone through tough times and did not feel like a beauty queen.' The first runner-up, Valeria Barrera, has been given the title and will represent the coastal city in the state event. The winner of that contest will represent Texas at a national pageant. Barrera was one of the six who filed a lawsuit that argued Alvarez allowed Cifuentes to compete, and sought $100,000 in damages. Before Miss America Latina's founder intervened in the dispute, Alvarez defended the judges' decision to award the crown to Cifuentes and said she wouldn't disqualify her. 'Just because you have a bad background ... doesn't mean that should hold you back from accomplishing your goals,' Alvarez told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. 'She's worked very hard and the judges saw that and she won fair and square.' Today, Christopher Cooper, 37, pleaded guilty to threatening an 11-year-old boy who he claimed had made his two children's lives a living hell for a year A father faces losing his job for confronting an 11-year-old bully who he claims made his children's lives a living hell for a year. Christopher Cooper touched the hearts of thousands of people with a tear-jerking post on Facebook about how Millie, 11, and Braiden, 9, had their lives 'turned upside down' by bullies. They were pushed, kicked, and others played a cruel game called 'ginger touch' in which anyone who touched his red-haired children would be shunned for the rest of the day. Today, Cooper, 37, pleaded guilty to threatening, abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to the 11-year-old boy he blamed for the attacks. He had originally denied a similar more serious offence of intent to cause distress, but was offered the lesser charge by the Crown Prosecution Service. Cooper told Furness Magistrates, sitting in Barrow, Cumbria, that he changed his plea to avoid the victim and his own daughter from having to give evidence and be cross-examined. He was fined 120, ordered to pay 85 costs and 20 victims' surcharge and issued with a restraint order forbidding him to make contact with the victim directly or through digital media. After the case Cooper, who like his children has red hair, said he now faces a disciplinary hearing with the Nurses and Midwifery Council and could lose his job in Liverpool. 'I am fearful that I won't be able to continue my career,' he said. But Cooper was defiant about the actions he took saying his priority as a parent was to protect his children, who he said suffered 'emotional and physical trauma'. His son had been hospitalised with a broken wrist after an attack involving other children, and both were victims of verbal abuse. He said his daughter had been pushed to the floor, kicked in the ribs and had her glasses broken. But police said it was a school problem and the school said it was a police matter as the assaults took place outside the school gates. In court, Lee Dacre, prosecuting, said the victim, who cannot be named, was met on his way to North Walney Primary school by Cooper and his daughter Millie blocking his way. The victim asked her to move and Cooper confronted him about an incident in which she had been kicked. He denied being involved, but Cooper shouted at him and stuck his face close to his. Cooper told the boy to go home, which he started to do despite being due in school that day. Teachers and the school administrator, Edith Milligan, intervened. 'She was alarmed and ran over and saw Cooper shouting in an abusive way. Cooper said he was at the end of his tether after police and the school failed to put an end to the ordeal for Millie, 11, and nine-year-old Braiden. Braiden had his wrist broken (pictured) Millie (pictured on holiday) was pushed to the ground, kicked in the ribs and had her glasses broken by a bully during the year-long ordeal at the school Parent Karen Smith said she saw Cooper and the boy having a heated conversation in which Cooper said 'there would be consequences if he touched his children again.' In mitigation solicitor, Tristan Roberts, said Cooper, of Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, had been in difficult circumstances. He believed neither the police nor the school were dealing with his complaints about behaviour in which his children were being injured. 'His children were coming home crying, angry and in one case needed hospital treatment. Cooper felt he was beating his head against a brick wall. 'What this defendant has done while feeling at the end of his tether, due to his feeling that there hadn't been any adequate dealing with his complaints, is, unfortunately, to take the matter into his own hands.' 'He was encouraging his daughter to stand up for herself. It appeared no one else was doing anything else to help.' Cooper had changed his plea as he didn't want to put the boy victim or his own daughter in the position of appearing in court and giving evidence. But Cooper had harsh words from District Judge Gerald Chalke who said: 'It is ironic that you were complaining about bullying when your own behaviour was clearly bullying. 'When an adult confronts a child to cause distress then that is bullying. You should have known better.' But he added he took into account Cooper's previous good character and his decision to plead guilty. Cooper told Furness Magistrates, sitting in Barrow, Cumbria, that he changed his plea to avoid the victim and his own daughter from having to give evidence and be cross-examined Outside court, Cooper said that there had recently been a national anti-bullying day when celebrities encouraged people to confront bullies. 'But how can you confront bullies when you end up in court, getting a criminal conviction and possibly lose your job?' He said the police were now investigating his complaints about his children being attacked. Today Cumbria Police Superintendent Rob O'Connor said: 'This was a case that generated high profile interest following a post on social media. 'We are pleased with today's outcome and that Mr Cooper has admitted his guilt. This case demonstrates that sometimes, social media does not reflect the entire situation. 'We understand that Mr Cooper had his children's welfare as priority and that parents will sympathise with his desire to protect them. 'However, this case has shown that there is no excuse to take the law into your own hands. Cumbria Police will take seriously any such offence and thoroughly investigate the full circumstances to ensure that justice is done.' Mr Cooper sparked a social media storm when he posted a heart-rending account of his children's year-long ordeal at the hands of the alleged bully. The Facebook post had 214,846 shares in a month. He has now set up a page called Bikers against Bullies. Mr Cooper sparked a social media storm when he posted a heart-rending account of his children's year-long ordeal at the hands of the alleged bully. The Facebook post had 214,846 shares in a month They have also complained to Cumbria Council Local Education Authority about the conduct of North Walney Primary. They said the council has not replied. North Walney Primary, Nursery and Pre-School earlier issued a statement through Cumbria County Council, which said: 'Bullying is not acceptable at North Walney Primary, Nursery and Pre-School and we fully accept that there have been a number of incidents involving Mr Cooper's children over the last six months and recognise the distress they have caused. 'But in responding to those incidents the safety and welfare of the children has always been our first priority, and as such, we do not recognise or accept the description of the school's actions. All incidents have been properly investigated and appropriate actions taken, ranging from whole class talks, workshops from the local police officer and changes to the school routine, through to specific child focussed action plans to prevent any further incidents. 'At all times we have kept Mr Cooper involved and aware of what was being done to support his children. Our understanding to date was that while he was understandably angry that incidents had occurred, he was satisfied with the actions of the school and the plans put in place, including a detailed plan discussed at the start of March. Craig O'Driscoll, pictured, was received a 16-month jail sentence which was suspended for two years A real life 'Del Boy' who conned investors into handing over some of the UK's largest wine collections in exchange for poor quality diamonds received a 16-month jail term suspended for two years. Craig O'Driscoll, 32, ran the complex scam as director of London-based company Ethical Elegance Ltd where victims were targeted for their valuable vintage. He targeted wine lovers with large investment collections including sought after bottles such as 1,000 Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1996 and a 15,000 Petrus 2000. Victims across the country were offered a total of around 330,000 for their fine wine - one victim alone was offered more than 85,000. Craig said money for the deal would be funded by the sale of diamonds - and fourteen known victims transferred ownership of wine to his firm. But no money was ever received and instead most of their clients were eventually sent 'low value' diamonds through standard post. O'Driscoll, of Bromley, Kent, appeared at Bristol Crown Court earlier today where he received a suspended sentence. He pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading at an earlier hearing covering the activities of the company during 2013. The investigation was launched by South Gloucestershire Trading Standards after a victim complained they had been fleeced by the firm. Neil Derrick Senior Fair Trade Officer for the council said the defendant was first investigated following a complaint in September 2013. He said: 'Further clients of Ethical Elegance were traced from around the country by Trading Standards. 'It emerged they had been offered a total of 330,000 for their fine wine collections, which they had transferred to the company on the understanding that they would receive the stated money in return. O'Driscoll convinced victims to send him expensive bottles of wine claiming he would pay for them using diamonds, but the stones he was using were of poor quality and worth far less than the wine supplied Trading standards officers were alerted after victims complained about quality of diamonds they received 'Some victims were told they would be paid their money from the proceeds of sale of a diamond that Ethical Elegance had. 'They entered into so called 'asset exchange agreements' with the company, which clearly stated the figure they expected in return. 'However, soon after transferring their wines the clients were informed of problems with the transaction, which resulted in a delay. 'They all subsequently received a diamond or diamonds through standard post with no explanation from the company. 'A diamond expert was appointed by Trading Standards who valued 13 diamonds that were still in existence. Their total value was calculated to be just short of 16,000. 'Other potential victims of the scam were identified in addition to the 14 for whom charges were laid.' The wine was transferred to Ethical Elegance on the understanding they would receive the money in return. The fine wines transferred to Ethical Elegance by its clients were quickly sold on by the company to two wine wholesalers, who bought in good faith. Investigators discovered that Ethical Elegance generated some 175,000 from the sales of these wines in just four months of trading. The company had claimed to operate out of central London offices, but which turned out to be a virtual office. It has since stopped trading. A council spokesman said many people turned to buying wine as an investment after the credit crunch caused a lack of faith in other investments such as shares. But many had become vulnerable because the wine market was also insecure and they wanted to cash in the vintages they had bought. He said the victims admitted they had been 'naive' and were 'embarrassed' they had been conned. O'Driscoll was jailed for sixteen months - suspended two years. He was also given 200 hours unpaid work and a three month curfew. He was given credit for his early plea and being of previous good character. Neil Derrick, senior fair trade officer for the council, explained how the plot was so successful. He said: 'People have increasingly invested in wines, particularly after the credit crunch when other investments seemed unstable. 'They were lauded as a good investment because they would get good returns in emerging markets like China. 'But the market attracted its fair share of dishonesty, and a fair share of investors got their fingers burned. 'Some of our victims were being offered money for fine wines at rock bottom prices so a good offer was tempting in their eyes. 'Many of the victims were quite old - our oldest was 91 - and the approach was convincing. On trial: Tesco worker Musadikur Rohaman, 27, who joined ISIS pleaded with the British authorities to help him return home because his new-born son needed treatment on the NHS, a court has heard A Tesco worker who joined ISIS pleaded with the British authorities to help him return home because his new-born son needed treatment on the NHS, a court has heard. Musadikur Rohaman, 27, and his wife Zohura Siddeka, 27, both from Walsall in the West Midlands, told his family they were going on holiday to Turkey for a week in December 2014 and never came back. They received 10,000, after his brothers sold off his wife's gold jewellery and his BMW and collected his wages from the supermarket and her maternity pay as a teaching assistant, jurors were told. The two brothers and two friends are accused of sending the money knowing that it was to be used for terrorist purposes. Giving evidence against them, their older sister, Nargis Ali, 42, said she told police her brother was becoming 'more and more desperate' and was 'losing hope' and that he 'wanted the UK authorities to assist him.' The court heard her brother in Syria told her: 'It's really difficult, I don't know how to get out and if I do get caught, I'm afraid I'll be sent to jail or forced to fight.' In a discussion on August 1 last year, Musadikur added: 'You know, they put me in prison here, every time I inquire to leave, for three weeks, a couple of times.' His wife had fallen pregnant in March 2015 and he told his sister: 'Since Zohura got pregnant I've been trying harder.' When she gave birth to a baby son, the child had a congenital heart defect and Mrs Ali said: 'I had been encouraging them to come home and Musadikur and Zohura, both of them wanted to come home because they needed medical treatment for their son.' He had told another sister that it was a 'mistake to go but he talked himself into it, thinking it was the right thing to do,' Nigel Lambert QC, defending, said. 'He wanted to try and adapt but couldn't and wanted to come back because he knew it was wrong.' Musadikur had also been injured in a drone attack when shrapnel struck his right hand and the bones were broken. Musadikur Rohaman, 27, and his wife Zohura Siddeka (left), 27, told his family they were going on holiday to Turkey and never came back. Mohammed Suyaubur Rohaman (right), 32, is accused of funding terrorism Family business: Pictured is the All Season Launderette in Walsall, where brother's Mohammed Hussain and Mohamed Rohaman worked. The pair are accused of funding terrorism Hussain, 26, and Mohammed Rohaman, 32, who both lived in the family home in Walsall are accused along with two friends, Mohammed Atiqur Rahman Khan (left), 27, and Maruf Uddin (right), 26, of funding terrorism In a message on June 27, Mrs Ali told Musadikur: 'Been praying day and night for your safety and your protection, at least you will be out of harms way, even if you are hurt. 'I told mum bout your injury, to make dua [pray] for you. She's really upset. She's saying, if you don't want to come back to UK, got to Bangladesh and she will go there. Mum asking, are they treating you well at the hospital, do you have to pay for it?' He replied, referring to a character from Marvel comics: 'The doctor talked me through the operation, basically got to have rods in my fingers until it heels [sic], so I'll look like Wolverine lol. Got to stay in until my bones heal back in sha Allah.' Mohammed Iqbal Hussain allegedly sold his brother's BMW, watch and wedding outfit to raise cash for him while he was fighting for ISIS in Syria It was not until July 18, that he announced: 'I've spoke to mum and have some good news to share with the family. In sha Allah, Shuhana and me are expecting our second child.' Their first child had died during surgery in Britain for the same heart defect just ten days after he was born the previous October, and Siddeka had continued to receive maternity pay. Musadikur had also been badly affected by the death of his father, who ran the family laundrette and dry cleaning business, from a heart attack a year earlier. Mrs Ali said: 'I just wanted him to come back, because of his emotional and mental state. He left in a devastated state after my dad passed away and his son passed away. 'I didn't know how he was coping, I just wanted him to come home, so we could all be together.' Mrs Ali admitted that she believed her brother was in Syria, but said she believed he was working as a policeman. In one exchange, he told her: 'I made my first bust yesterday. Not to [sic] exciting, but caught someone smoking. You police ppl for smoking, we all kind of police, but there's police officer anyway. 'I confiscated all the cigarettes and gave him naseeha [advice] and broke the cigarettes in front of him. It's haraam [forbidden] to smoke.' Another sister, Rokhfa, told him: 'Don't be cruel and don't let the power get to u.' Mohammed Iqbal Hussain, 26, and Mohammed Suyaubur Rohaman, 32, who both lived in the family home in Walsall are accused along with two friends, Mohammed Atiqur Rahman Khan, 27, and Maruf Uddin, 26, of funding terrorism. Hussain was said to be Musadikur's 'principal point of contact' because he allegedly shared his brother's mindset and wanted his fiancee to go with him to the so-called Islamic State. Rohaman allegedly made the transfers via Western Union and Khan, a childhood friend of Musadikur, and Uddin, a trainee accountant, agreed to sell items on eBay. A task force on open records laws considered Wednesday whether the state attorney general should be able to penalize government agencies that hold illegal private meetings or don't share records. The issue was one of more than a dozen discussed by the group of lawyers, newspaper editors and law enforcement, which is writing draft legislation to modify the state's open records and open meetings laws in the upcoming legislative session. The group is aiming to write an omnibus bill, including changes meant to update those laws for the digital age and broaden exemptions from disclosure for some. The group is also considering smaller bills covering especially controversial changes, such as whether correspondence between legislators and applicants for major posts at public universities should be open records. North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said lack of enforcement power is a common complaint. All he can do is give a slap on the wrist, people say. Some smaller agencies break the rules repeatedly with little punishment, said attorney Jack McDonald, who also represents The Bismarck Tribune. But Stenehjem argued that formally issued opinions from his office are usually enough, saying he has never seen an agency refuse to comply with one. He issues increasingly stern warnings to repeat violators, he said, and once ordered an agency to undergo training on open records laws. It would raise concerns about due process if the attorney general could fine an agency, Stenehjem said. However, he asked an assistant attorney general to vet a formal hearing process in Iowa, which has broader punitive authority. The group also discussed protections for victims and witnesses of crimes and referred them for future debate. One proposal would exempt the addresses of crime victims and witnesses from public record. Corrections officials have complained that offenders and their families try to get access to these records, creating a risk that victims and witnesses would be targeted, Assistant Attorney General Sandra DePountis said. Fargo Forum editor Matt von Pinnon pushed back against that suggestion. He argued the addresses are important information for the press to help determine who's who when writing about a case. Exempting interviews and statements from child witnesses was also proposed. Currently, only biographical information can be withheld once an investigation is complete. Assistant Attorney General Mary Kae Kelsch argued the statements could accidentally identify young victims, especially in small towns. But McDonald argued the provision would exclude statements that could be relevant later, such as a history of sexual assault accusations or crimes to which children are primary witnesses, such as a school bus crash. On two hotly contested issues, the committee decided to consider drafting independent bills. One of those would address whether applications for executive positions in universities and certain government agencies should remain open record. Dave Maring, a trustee of the North Dakota State University Foundation, said having applications for the top jobs be public discourages the best people from applying. Current university presidents are afraid to apply for comparable jobs in North Dakota because it could jeopardize their current jobs and be embarrassing, he said. McDonald argued these were public jobs, paid for by public funds, and cautioned that such a rule would close hundreds of records. "If you don't want your name to be known, you shouldn't apply for the job," he said. The second bill would make some correspondence between legislators public record. Stenehjem said legislative correspondence is usually exempt to protect constituents who want to share information with their lawmakers. "People are perplexed that they're not subject to the same laws as other public employees," von Pinnon said. Theresa May handed Andrea Leadsom a key Cabinet role today despite her controversial comments about motherhood during the Tory leadership battle. The new Prime Minister promoted the Brexit champion to Environment Secretary as she moved to shape her top team at breathtaking speed. Mrs Leadsom was one of the big winners having dramatically pulled out of the contest for the top job earlier this week - leaving the way clear for Mrs May. The former energy minister had heavily damaged her campaign with remarks suggesting the fact she was a mother made her more qualified. She later apologised to Mrs May - who has spoken of her sadness at not being able to have children with husband Philip - by text. She then withdrew stressing that Britain needed 'certainty' as it moved towards leaving the EU. Mrs May's campaign manager Chris Grayling is Transport Secretary, while Damian Green, her deputy at the Home Office for four years, is work and pensions secretary. Theresa May arrived at Downing Street this morning after a brutal morning spent sacking a series of colleagues from the Government. She appointed Andrea Leadsom as Environment Secretary There are eight female members of the Cabinet, including Mrs May - more than at any time since Tony Blair's final year in office - after promotions to the Cabinet for Andrea Leadsom, Priti Patel, Karen Bradley and Baroness Natalie Evans. In a clear break with the Cameron administration, former miner Patrick McLoughlin was appointed party chairman - replacing Lord Feldman, who quit alongside his old school friend Mr Cameron. Stephen Crabb resigned from the Government this afternoon in the 'best interests' of his family days after he faced allegations of sexting. Theresa Villiers, who was Northern Ireland Secretary, departed at lunchtime after turning down a new job, while Mark Harper also resigned. In a major Whitehall shake up, Mrs May created a Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy department - handing the large and powerful brief to Greg Clark. Mrs May met MPs she was firing in Parliament to carry out the sackings and No 10 confirmed the departures of Mr Gove, Mr Letwin, Mr Whittingdale and Mrs Morgan from Government. The new PM then travelled to Downing Street to make her appointments at No 10. Two of the new Prime Minister's recent high-profile rivals will have spent the night sweating over their futures anxious that they will miss out on top jobs within Theresa May's new look Cabinet John Whittingdale, far left, was fired from culture, media and sport and Nicky Morgan, second left, has been sacked from education. Michael Gove, second right, is out at justice and Oliver Letwin, right, is gone as Duchy of Lancaster In other appointments today, Liz Truss was made Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary while comprehensive school educated Justine Greening was installed as Education Secretary and minister for women. Gavin Williamson, the long term Parliamentary aide to David Cameron, was made chief whip today in a huge promotion. Patrick McLoughlin was moved from transport to be party chairman and the new Duchy of Lancaster - effectively a fixer helping the Government run. Jeremy Hunt is staying on as Health Secretary after three controversial years and Baroness Evans becomes Leader of the House of Lords - replacing Baroness Stowell. Mr Gove ran against Mrs May for the Tory leadership - exploding Boris Johnson's hopes for No 10 in the process - with the backing of Mrs Morgan, who signed his nomination papers. Mr Whittingdale had also supported Mr Gove for the top job. Today's sackings came the morning after Mrs May disposed of George Osborne's services as Chancellor of the Exchequer. THE RESHUFFLE AT A GLANCE IN Chancellor: Philip Hammond Foreign Secretary: Boris Johnson Home Secretary: Amber Rudd Brexit Secretary: David Davis International Trade Secretary Liam Fox Justice Secretary: Liz Truss Education Secretary: Justine Greening Chief Whip: Gavin Williamson Party Chairman: Patrick McLoughlin Leader of the Lords: Baroness Natalie Evans Transport Secretary: Chris Grayling Work and Pensions Secretary: Damian Green. Environment Secretary: Andrea Leadsom Communities Secretary: Sajid Javid Northern Ireland Secretary: James Brokenshire Business, Energy and Industry Secretary: Greg Clark International Development Secretary: Priti Patel Culture Secretary: Karen Bradley Chief Secretary to the Treasury: David Gauke Leader of the House: David Lidington STAYING Defence Secretary: Michael Fallon Health Secretary: Jeremy Hunt Wales Secretary: Alun Cairns Scotland Secretary: David Mundell Attorney General: Jeremy Wright QUIT Stephen Crabb Theresa Villiers SACKED Michael Gove Nicky Morgan Oliver Letwin John Whittingdale Advertisement Mrs Morgan today tweeted: 'Disappointed not to be continuing as Education Secretary & Min for Women & Equalities - two wonderful roles it's been a privilege to hold.' Mr Whittingdale said: 'Has been a privilege to serve as Culture Secretary. I wish my successor every success & will continue to support creative industries.' Mr Gove tweeted: 'It's been an enormous privilege to serve for the last six years. Best of luck to the new government.' Announcing her resignation, Ms Villiers said: 'I regret to say that I have left the Government. The new Prime Minister was kind enough to offer me a role but it was not one which I felt I could take on. 'I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to serve on the front bench for 11 years, first in the Shadow Cabinet, then as Transport Minister, and finally as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for four years in David Cameron's Cabinet.' There had been strong rumours Mr Hunt would be moved on - but he this afternoon joked: '''Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated...'' Thrilled to be back in the best job in Government.' Announcing his resignation, Mr Crabb said: 'Over the last two years I have had the huge privilege to serve in the Cabinet. 'After careful reflection I have informed the Prime Minister today that, in the best interests of my family, I cannot be part of her Government at this time. 'I am grateful to my whole team for their hard work and encouragement. I look forward to supporting the Government's one nation vision from the backbenches.' Jon Ashworth MP, Labour's Shadow Minister without Portfolio, responding to Theresa May's new Cabinet, said: 'We had warm words from the Prime Minister yesterday on the need for her Government to stand up for more than just a privileged few. 'But Theresa May's appointments are completely out of kilter with her words on the steps of Downing Street yesterday. It's difficult to see this new-look Cabinet as anything other than a sharp shift to the right by the Tories. 'The test now is to demonstrate that all members of the Tory Government are wholly committed to the priorities Theresa May set out yesterday. 'Labour will continue to hold this failing Tory Government to account.' Jeremy Hunt emerged jubilant from No 10 after being reappointed as health secretary today - despite rumours this morning he was to be sacked or moved to a different post Greg Clark was handed a big new job in the merged Business, Energy and Industry Department today. Priti Patel heads up International Development while James Brokenshire goes to Northern Ireland and Karen Bradley takes on Culture, Media and Sport Nicky Morgan revealed her sacking as education secretary today, which also means she will no longer hold the women and equalities brief. Mrs Morgan backed Michael Gove for the leadership John Whittingdale is also gone as culture secretary as Mrs May clears the decks for further new appointments of her own Mr Gove tweeted: 'It's been an enormous privilege to serve for the last six years. Best of luck to the new government.' Mrs Leadsom dropped out of the Tory leadership race on Monday, handing Mrs May the keys to No 10. Her senior allies claimed she had been forced out of the contest by 'spin and underhand tactics' as the leadership contest ended in furious Tory bloodletting. MPs on the Right of the party made no attempt to conceal their anger at fellow MPs who had criticised Mrs Leadsom and urged her to stand down. The new ministers were getting down to work today, with Boris Johnson introducing himself to the Foreign Office with a speech and new Home Secretary Amber Rudd getting out on the beat with the Met Iain Duncan Smith, the ex-Work and Pensions Secretary, said other Tory MPs must 'examine their conscience'. He added: 'This is no way to treat colleagues. They should be putting the country first, not their personal ambitions.' The junior energy minister had faced a wave of criticism over comments she made in an interview with The Times when she appeared to suggest that the fact she was a mother gave her the edge as a future PM over the childless Mrs May. She also faced a string of questions over the accuracy of her City CV and demands that she release her tax returns. A 14-month-old girl who died during a trip to the dentist reportedly lost her life as a result of complications with the anesthesia she was given. Daisy Lynn Torres, from Austin, Texas, died two hours after being rushed to hospital from Austin Children's Dentistry in March. Autopsy results released by state investigators could not definitively say if there were any other factors that contributed to her death, KXAN reports. Daisy Lynn Torres, 14-month-old girl who died during a trip to the dentist, lost her life as a result of complications with the anesthesia she was given Daisy's mother, Betty Squier, took her daughter to the dentist on March 29 to get treatment for tooth decay in her primary teeth. Squier said the staff at the Austin Childrens Dentistry found Daisy had six cavities that needed to be fixed, instead of the two they originally thought, and that young patients were routinely sedated as part of the treatment, according to KXAN. During the procedure the 14-month-old stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest, before she died. A spokeswoman for Austin Childrens Dentistry said they office is yet to receive the medical examiner's report into Daisy's death. Daisy Lynn Torres, from Austin, Texas, died two hours after being rushed to hospital from Austin Children's Dentistry in March Daisy's mother, Betty Squier, says goodbye to her daughter at a funeral in Austin, Texas, earlier this year Daisy's parents prepare to release a dove at the funeral for their little girl in Austin, Texas WHY A CHILD SHOULD VISIT A DENTIST BY ITS FIRST BIRTHDAY First teeth start erupting around 6 months and already need to be cared for. If the teeth are not treated and progress to large infections, it can be harmful to not only the developing permanent teeth, but could lead to systemic infection, even death. While treatment for six cavities, as in Daisy's case, is not common for a 14-month-old child, neither is it rare, say dentists. Cavities are directly linked to the baby's diet and oral hygiene. Advertisement A lawyer representing the dentist who treated Daisy also said the task of sedating the young girl was done by an anesthesiologist and not the dentist. It comes after relatives described the toddler as being 'happy' and 'full of life', while a friend added that her unexpected death had 'shattered this family's world'. Her aunt Jessica Castaneda told the Austin-American Statesman earlier this year: 'Daisy was a happy baby full of life. 'She had just celebrated Easter with her family. She went to the dentist. 'Then her mother called me and asked me to pray because something went wrong and they were taking her to the hospital. 'Next thing we know, we're planning funeral arrangements.' Family friend wrote: 'This was completely unexpected and has shattered this family's world. 'Daisy's mom, Betty, would give anyone in need her last dollar and has been my best friend since the 6th grade. 'My heart is broken for her and my second family.' Autopsy results released state investigators could not definitively say if there were any other factors that contributed to Daisy's death Doves are released as loved ones watch on at the funeral in Austin, Texas, for 14-month old Daisy Lynn Torres A lawyer representing the dentist who treated Daisy (pictured) also said the task of sedating the young girl was done by a anesthesiologist and not the dentist Orlando police say there was a break-in at the Pulse nightclub just hours after law enforcement released the nightclub to its owner. Police officials confirmed on Thursday that the break-in occurred the previous night. According to the police report, owners Barbara and Rosario Pomo left the club at 2pm on Wednesday, locking the doors to the building and the chain link fence behind them. Scroll down for video Orlando police say there was a break-in at the Pulse nightclub just hours after law enforcement released the Orlando nightclub to its owner. Above, the nightclub on July 11, 2016 When they drove past the club around 9pm, the fence was still locked. But around 3am on Thursday, a few employees drove by the club and noticed that the gate was open. The employees went to get another lock to close the gate and when they returned they noticed that one of the doors to the club was open. However, they didn't think anything was wrong so they locked the gate and left. It was when the Pomos returned the next morning that they noticed that one of the doors has been pryed open with some sort of tool. The club has a security system that includes exterior surveillance cameras, but for some reason the alarm was not triggered. That door had been covered with a piece of plywood connected to the metal door frame, after the original door was damaged in the attack. It appears that someone else tried to pry open the doors on another part of the property but was not successful. The police report does not specify whether anything was taken from the club or if any further damage was done. Kevin Greene, a friend of the Pomos, told Click Orlando that he suspects members of the media broke into the club. In the wake of the break in, the Pomos have issued a statement. 'Since June 12, we have seen the worst and best of human behavior,' Pulse nightclub owner Barbara Poma said in a statement. 'We are disappointed that someone felt compelled to violate the privacy of our beloved Pulse nightclub and the sacred place it has now become. We have faith in the Orlando Police Department and its investigation of this break-in. The club will continue to remain closed to the public as we work to plan the future of Pulse.' The investigation into the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history at the club is continuing. Britain's departure from the European Union could be delayed to appease Scotland, Theresa May indicated yesterday. Speaking after talks with Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh, the Prime Minister said she would not trigger the formal exit process until she had agreed a 'UK approach' with leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Mrs May's visit to Scotland, just 48 hours into her premiership, was designed to underline her determination to keep the union together. Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Bute House in Edinburgh Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon met for the first time since entering No 10 today, travelling to Edinburgh for talks at Bute House Mrs May placed the Union at the heart of her first address to the nation on Wednesday night and strengthening the bonds in the United Kingdom was on the agenda today She warned Miss Sturgeon she would not sanction a second referendum on Scottish independence. But she struck a conciliatory tone on Europe, saying she wanted to discuss the terms of Britain's exit with Scotland's first minister before starting formal negotiations with Brussels. Downing Street last night denied Mrs May had handed a veto to Miss Sturgeon, who wants to keep Scotland in the EU. But Tory MP Steve Baker, chairman of the group Conservatives for Britain, warned against allowing the SNP to delay Brexit. 'No region of the UK should be allowed to hold the rest of the country to ransom,' he said. EU leaders, and some Tory MPs, are pressing Mrs May to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty immediately. This is the formal process for leaving the EU, which fires the starting gun on two years of negotiations. But Mrs May has said she may not act on the issue until next year. Speaking after talks with Miss Sturgeon yesterday, she said: 'I've already said that I won't be triggering Article 50 until I think that we have a UK approach and objectives. Ms Sturgeon greeted Mrs May at Bute House today as the new Prime Minister arrived on her first official trip since entering No 10 'It is important that we establish that before we trigger Article 50.' Asked if Scotland could have a different relationship with the EU than the rest of the UK, Mrs May said: 'I want to get the best possible deal for the United Kingdom out of our negotiations for the UK leaving the EU, but I'm willing to listen to options. 'I've been very clear with the first minister today that I want the Scottish government to be fully engaged in our discussions and our considerations, and I will listen to any options that they bring forward.' Miss Sturgeon welcomed her comments, saying: 'I was very pleased that Theresa May said that she was absolutely willing to consider any options that the Scottish government now bring forward to secure Scotland's relationship with the European Union, and that the process that now takes shape by the UK government will be open and flexible and that the Scottish government will be fully involved in that.' A Whitehall source last night insisted Scotland would not be allowed to block Brexit, saying Mrs May's comments had been 'over-interpreted'. The source added: 'The Prime Minister is talking, as she has before, about having a UK approach. She is willing to listen to options, but that does not in any way amount to a veto.' The pair were due to discuss the Brexit result and Mrs May has placed protecting the union at the heart of her mission as Prime Minister Mrs May met Miss Sturgeon in Bute House, where Britain's two most powerful women posed for photographs on the doorstep prompting the first minister to post a message on Twitter, saying: 'Politics aside I hope girls everywhere look at this photograph and believe nothing should be off limits for them.' Afterwards, Mrs May told the Daily Mail: 'I don't see the need for a second independence referendum. The Scottish people voted in a referendum two years ago. They gave a very clear message. 'The Scottish government and the UK Government agreed to abide by the decision of the people. I don't there should be a second independence referendum.' Miss Sturgeon has warned she could demand a second referendum in the wake of the EU referendum, in which a majority of Scots voted to stay in the EU. A Downing Street spokesman last night said: 'The Prime Minister has been very clear that it will take time for the UK government to agree its position for the negotiations. This position has not changed. As part of this, we will of course want to engage fully with the Scottish government and listen to their views.' Mrs May drew admiring looks from onlookers as she left Bute House this afternoon following her talks with Ms Sturgeon over Brexit and the Union The public is set to receive a cache of documents on the 9/11 attacks this week, that have been classified for 14 years. In 2002, Congress published the results of their investigation into the terrorist attacks, but left 28 pages of the report redacted. These pages are said to be related to a possible connection between the hijackers and the Saudi Arabian government. The long-held rumor has been that the classified part of the report remained secret so as not to anger Saudi allies. Scroll down for video Twenty-eight redacted pages from the 2002 Congressional report on the 9/11 attacks could be released as early as Friday. Above, the Twin Towers on the day of the 2001 attacks But in recent years, demand for the pages' release has reached fever pitch as victims' families seek to sue to Saudi government. Sources tell CNN that the 28 pages have gone through a redaction process and has been cleared by intelligence officials, law enforcement and the State Department for publishing. That moment could come as soon as Friday, the sources said. 'The House Intelligence Committee will get the redacted report today or tomorrow,' Rep, Adam Schiff, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN. 'The Senate and House intel committees should then give the formal go-ahead to release the report since they originally produced it.' However, a White House official also told the network that the director of National Intelligence has to review it. 'This is a congressional document, which we expect ultimately would be released by the Hill once the (director of National Intelligence) has reviewed it,' the official said. Last week, House Democrats and Republicans came together to introduce a bill forcing the pages release if President Obama doesn't act. 'If the Obama administration does not move forward then we need to pass (the legislation) to have the House Intelligence Committee publish the pages,' Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said. Bill Clinton will headline the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night, the second of four evenings of prime-time speeches. The former president is writing his own speech, Politico reports. It's likely to be an extension of the case he's been making for his wife on the trail - she's a fighter who knows how to get things done. 'Itll be good. Hes always good. Remember what he did for Obama in North Carolina,' Hillary for America Campaign Chairman John Podesta told the news publication. 'People micro-pick his mistakes. I think if you look at his change-maker stuff, its good and effective.' Bill's address to attendees will not take place on the same night as Hillary's. The winner's speech is always the final night of festivities. Scroll down for video Bill Clinton will headline the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night, the second of four evenings of prime-time speeches. Bill is pictured above over the weekend in New York City Having Bill speak Tuesday instead of Wednesday or Thursday will keep the spotlight on the newly minted Democratic nominee and and her running mate. It similarly gives the long-winded former president who spent 48 minutes talking on stage in 2012 a night all of his own. The formal schedule for the convention, in Philadelphia July 25-28, has not yet been released, though party officials and high-ranking Democrats like Bill Clinton, national committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultzand Vice President Joe Biden are definites. President Barack Obama will also speak but neither the White House nor convention organizers have said when. The New York Times reported this week that Elizabeth Warren has been asked to speak on Monday evening. Two Democrats familiar with the invitation to Warren told the Times that does not mean the progressive senator won't be tapped to serve as vice president - speaking slots are not set in stone until Clinton has made a decision. A spokesperson for Warren, who campaigned late last month with Clinton in Cincinnati, Ohio, increasing running mate speculation, did not immediately return an email from DailyMail.com asking about the senator's convention plans. Elizabeth Warren has been asked to speak on Monday evening, a night before the politician picked as running mate usually takes the stage. She could still be picked as VP though, the schedule could change Historically, Thursday night is reserved for the party's bethrothed and Wednesday for the person he or she is putting up for vice president. In 2008 Sarah Palin and Joe Biden each spoke Wednesday at their party's respective conventions. Clinton's daughter Chelsea, who spent her teenage years living in the White House when Bill was president, is likely to have a speaking spot as is 2016 runner up Bernie Sanders. A DNC official wouldn't say this week whether Sanders would talk. The senator suggested Wednesday morning that he would deliver remarks, however. 'I suspect that I will speak at the convention, and I suspect that I will be traveling all over this country (to support Clinton),' the U.S. senator told the Today show. His campaign is also planning a rally for the day before the convention begins in FDR Park, according to several news reports. The Sanders campaign offered no additional details to DailyMail.com. Clinton's other major primary rival, Martin O'Malley, the former governor of Maryland will probably make an appearance on the main stage as a show of party unity, as well. Historically, Thursday night is reserved for the party's bethrothed and Wednesday for the person he or she is putting up for vice president, which could still be Warren Philadelphia's Democratic mayor Jim Kenney and former mayor Michael Nutter former are also likely to be on the list. Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell could also get a courtesy speech in the four days of activities. Clinton's list of possible VP candidates will likely get time as a consolation prize for not getting the big gig. They are, according to the Times, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Congressman Xavier Becerra of California, Housing Secretary Julian Castro and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez and Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who Clinton campaigned with today. Warren is also being vetted and has filled out the necessary paperwork, it said, though she is not expected to be selected. She represents a faction of the party Clinton is struggling to win over but does not come from a swing state. Additionally, she lacks foreign policy or military experience having not sat on either of the related committees in the Senate or served in the Armed Services. Tuesday the Times said Clinton was looking at a new name that would fit that bill: retired 4-star Navy Admiral James Stavridis. Stavridis is the dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Massachusetts. The former NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, he worked with Clinton when she was secretary of state and has been laudatory of her in the past. by police from gang lead by Martin Almost 300kg of drugs were Druglord: Michael Martin, 50, from Bargeod in South Wales, ran a drug empire across Britain An underworld drug lord was found with a mountain of 1.2 million including cash hidden in his personal gym after a police raid. Michael Martin, 50, from Bargeod in South Wales, ran a drug empire across Britain and had so much cash he hid wads of 20 notes in the padding of his gym equipment. Detectives, in a two-year investigation, seized almost 300 kilograms of narcotics as well as large quantities of cash from criminals in Martin's gang, based in South Wales, Merseyside, Manchester and Essex. Martin was jailed for 14 years for his role in the mass drugs operation. A South Wales police spokesman said: 'The address was searched which led to the recovery of 1.2 million in cash, along with a sawn-off shotgun, cartridges and a stun gun. 'They used the bench press because it was another place to hide the huge amounts of cash. 'This cash seizure highlighted to the inquiry team the sheer scope and influence of the various organised crime groups colluding with Michael Martin, as well as the vast gains that were available within the drug dealing fraternity.' DCI Huw Davies, of the Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: 'The individuals involved in this case, especially Michael Martin, have no regard for the law. 'They were intent on making large sums of money from their drug dealing activities, with no consideration of the terrible impact their actions were having on our communities. Stash: Martin was found with 1.2million by detectives and he used this bench press to hide wads of 20 notes in his personal gym Weapons: As well as a stash of narcotics and money, drug lord Martin was found with this sawn-off shotgun 'The level of this investigation and sentencing should send a clear message to those intent on committing serious crime within our region, that you will ultimately be held responsible for your actions.' The gang were sentenced to a total of more than 50 years for conspiracy to supply drugs including cannabis and amphetamines at Cardiff Crown Court. The total amount of cash seized was 1,236,010. Sainsbury's has won 68million from MasterCard over rip-off processing fees imposed every time customers used a debit or credit card. The move is part of wider legal action against the US finance giant and rival Visa involving at least 12 more British retailers including John Lewis, Asda and Marks & Spencer. The final compensation bill for retailers against the two firms could reach 1.2billion, lawyers estimate. Separately, MasterCard faces a class action lawsuit on behalf of millions of ordinary shoppers seeking damages of 19billion. Victory: Sainsbury's has won 68million from MasterCard over rip-off processing fees imposed every time customers used a debit or credit card (file photo) The cases revolve around the charges imposed by MasterCard and Visa on retailers for processing credit and debit card payments for more than a decade. There is some dispute about whether the retailers carried the cost of these unfair 'interchange fees' or passed them on to customers. Britain's former chief financial services ombudsman Walter Merricks, consumer group Which? and Citizens Advice believe they led to higher prices. And trade body the British Retail Consortium, which represents Sainsbury's and other stores, has long described the card processing fees as an 'unfair tax on customers'. But the supermarket chain insists that it carried the cost of the card fees itself and so would be keeping the 68million rather than passing it back to shoppers. Dispute: The move is part of wider legal action against the US finance giant and rival Visa involving at least 12 more British retailers including John Lewis, Asda and Marks & Spencer The award to Sainsbury's was made by the Competition Appeal Tribunal on the basis MasterCard had infringed EU and UK competition laws. The retailer will receive 68million plus interest, driving the total up towards 100million. It is understood the supermarket had initially been seeking 200million. Renae Bellis beat her three-month-old baby to death because she would not stop screaming - and initially blamed the girl's father for her death, police said A mother beat her three-month-old baby to death because she would not stop screaming - and initially blamed the girl's father for her death, police have said. Renae Bellis, from Boscobel, Wisconsin, told police that she saw her boyfriend Mark Rand 'shaking' their daughter, Summer, just hours before she was found dead. Mr Rand was arrested, but Bellis, 31, later confessed to spanking and slapping the baby in the face with such ferocity that the child had 'pools of blood' on her brain, investigators said. After calling police, Bellis told officers that she heard her baby 'wailing' the night before after Mr Rand came home from work. According to a criminal complaint, she said she found her partner holding Summer 'with both hands at arms length and shaking her'. Instead of phoning police immediately, she said she went back to bed until the Mr Rand went to sleep, the complaint said. Bellis then got back up and checked on Summer, discovering that she was dead, according to the police report. She did not call the police to report the death until the next morning - July 9 - and spoke to her mother on the phone beforehand, police said. A coroner ruled that Summer's cause of death was a homicide by blunt force and Mr Rand was arrested. According to the Washington Post, Bellis seemed to show a lack of emotion during the investigation, arousing suspicion. Police questioned her again on July 10 and 'broke down' before making a confession, police said. Bellis, who said she was 'kind of depressed, confessed to beating Summer, according to a criminal complaint Bellis initially blamed the girl's father, Mark Rand 'The detectives received a confession from Renae, and she was responsible for the injuries to the child, and had lied the previous day to law enforcement,' Boscobel Police Chief Todd Stenner said. Bellis said she was 'kind of depressed' and told police that she grew frustrated when Summer would not stop crying to feed from a bottle. The baby - who was born six weeks premature earlier this year - 'kept screaming and screaming and screaming', the criminal complaint states. Bellis said she 'snapped and slapped her on the face', before hitting her again and spanking her buttocks, according to the report. The mother, who is understood to have another young daughter, is said to have told police that she used a ladybug onesie to wipe the blood from her baby before putting her in a swing. Bellis told police that Summer was still crying at this point and thought she had gone to sleep when the wailing stopped. An autopsy showed that Summer had 'pools of blood' on her brain, as well as several bruises on her face, head, neck, chest, bottom, hands and legs. Bellis was arrested and charged with reckless homicide and obstructing an officer. Mr Rand was later freed. It is not known whether Bellis was suffering from postpartum depression, however Facebook posts by her and Mr Rand suggested they were a happy family. Donald Trump's expected running mate Mike Pence has expressed fundamental disagreement with two of Donald Trump's main campaign planks. Pence is a social and economic conservative who held a key post that allowed to negotiate with party leaders in Washington. He also shares two views held by the bulk of the establishment in D.C.: a belief that Trump's proposed temporary ban on Muslims is harmful and unrealistic, and a belief in the shared benefits of liberalization of trade with foreign partners. Last December, after Trump announced his Muslim ban following the gruesome attack in Paris, Pence tweeted: 'Calls to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. are offensive and unconstitutional.' Scroll down for video Indiana governor Mike Pence, expected to be named as Donald Trump's running mate, has blasted Trump's proposed Muslim ban, while voting for a series of deals to lower trade barriers Pence blasted Trump's proposed Muslim ban as 'unconstitutional' He also backed a series of trade deals during his 6 terms in Congress that were a major part of the economic agendas of President's George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Among them is a current hot button issue, the Trans Pacific Partnership. It's a deal to liberalize trade with multiple partners in the Pacific region that President Obama is pushing for. Campaigning in Pennsylvania last month, Trump blasted the TPP deal as 'just a continuing rape of our country.' Democrat Hillary Clinton, who spoke favorably of the deal while it was being negotiated, has said she opposes it as it stands now. Pence also opposed NAFTA, finalized during Bill Clinton's administration. Trump has said he wants to repeal the deal. He has also backed smaller regional and bilateral trade deals, including the Central American Free Trade deal, known as CAFTA. Trump and Pence have starkly different views on trade deals He supported a free trade deal with Korea, another with Peru, a deal with Singapore, and bilateral deals with Chile, Australia, and Panama. He's a supporter of 'fast track' trade negotiating authority, which makes it easier for the president to negotiate trade deals and get them through Congress, and he voted to join the World Trade Organization, which mediates trade disputes. Even after moving into the governor's mansion in Indianapolis, Pence backed trade liberalization, urging Indiana lawmakers to vote for TPP. 'Reducing tariffs and other trade barriers so that Indiana businesses can enjoy increased market access and fairly compete on the world stage is something that Congress must do,' Pence wrote. 'I encourage your support for Trade Promotion Authority, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and any other trade-related measures when they are brought before the Congress for consideration.' Pence tweeted in 2014: 'Trade means jobs, but trade also means security. The time has come for all of us to urge the swift adoption of the Trans Pacific Partnership' Pence called for 'swift adoption' of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal Another issue where Pence is at odds with Trump's public position is the Iraq war. Pence voted for the Iraq war resolution in 2003. Trump holds out his opposition to it as proof of his own judgement, and of Hillary Clinton's lack thereof (she voted for it, too). Trump has said he would do extraordinary things to prevent job losses exemplified by the Carrier plant in Indiana that is moving to Mexico. He says he would threaten the CEO with huge tariffs. Pence met with Carrier executives but was unable to keep the country from leaving, and Democrats have already been hitting him with the issue in what was expected to be a tough reelection. One thing Pence has done is praised Trump with absolute certainty that is other than his endorsement of rival Ted Cruz a few months ago. 'Trump understands the frustrations and the hopes of the American people like no other American leader in my lifetime since Ronald Reagan' Pence said during his 'audition' with Trump in Indiana. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, also under consideration to be Trump's VP, hailed Pence during a Facebook live chat Thursday as someone who can help Trump in the rust belt. 'I think that Mike Pence would have a huge Midwestern appeal, so if you're trying to compete for western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, there's a certain value to an Indiana candidate,' said Gingrich. A state Republican Party official says its pure coincidence that Attorney General Wayne Stenehjems decision to skip the Republican National Convention has opened the door for Fargo entrepreneur Doug Burgum -- who defeated Stenehjem last month for the GOP nomination for governor -- to attend as a delegate. North Dakota is sending 28 delegates to the convention next week in Cleveland, where New York businessman Donald Trump expects to clinch the partys official nomination for president. Three of the state's 28 delegates are automatic picks: the party chairman and the national committeeman and committeewoman. The other 25, including Stenehjem, were chosen in April by delegates to the state GOP convention in Fargo. Burgum received the 26th-most votes in that balloting, making him the first alternate. So, when Stenehjem decided not to go to Cleveland, Burgum was first in line to take his place. It was just pure coincidence, GOP Executive Director Roz Leighton said. Stenehjem is planning instead to attend the annual meeting of the Conference of Western Attorneys General in Sun Valley, Idaho. He did not return messages left Wednesday and Thursday seeking comment. Burgum said he likely would have attended the convention even if he werent a delegate because it includes a lot of events related to the Republican Governors Association, which reached out to him the day after his primary election victory June 14. Burgum did not receive the state GOP conventions endorsement for governor, coming in third behind Stenehjem and state Rep. Rick Becker of Bismarck; but he decided to run for the nomination anyway. The former Microsoft executive is now widely considered the favorite in November over Democratic state Rep. Marvin Nelson of Rolla and Libertarian candidate Marty Riske of Fargo in the November election. During the primary campaign, Burgum endorsed Trump more emphatically than Stenehjem did, even criticizing the attorney general during a debate for saying hed support the GOP nominee without using Trumps name. Stenehjem also more strongly condemned Trumps accusations that a federal judge presiding over a lawsuit on Trump University was biased because of his Mexican heritage, calling the comment racist and offensive. Burgum simply said he didnt agree with Trumps comments or language. Burgum said Wednesday he doesnt support all of Trumps comments, positions or antics, but he prefers him to Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton, whom he believes would be bad for the states energy and agriculture sectors. Its a very easy choice, particularly when our economy is where it is, he said. Burgum noted Trumps primary and caucus victories have given him more than the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination. In a regular year the convention would be straightforward, he said, but theres nothing regular about this year. Burgum said he hopes to build relationships with GOP governors who have come from business backgrounds like his own, including Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, and to learn how other governors have dealt with budget struggles like those North Dakota is going through. These are big opportunities for me, because I dont want to have to reinvent the wheel in North Dakota, he said. He was once the most feared drug lord in Mexico, the kingpin of a multi-billion empire pedaling death and drugs on an international scale. But now Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is losing his hair, his mind, and is suffering from anxiety inside the maximum security Ciudad Juarez jail in Mexico, his lawyer has said. Jose Refugio Rodriguez, one of the lawyers representing El Chapo, said he found him in a vulnerable mental state after visiting him recently for the first time in months. Jose Refugio Rodriguez, one of the lawyers representing Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, said his client is going bald and suffering from anxiety while being kept in jail (pictured last week) Rodriguez said that Chapo's usual head of thick black hair (pictured during his arrest in January) is now 'visibly bald', while he is also being subjected to 'physical torture' and 'psychological hell' Rodriguez, who is currently trying to help Guzman fight deportation to the U.S., said El Chapo is being subjected to 'physical torture' and 'psychological hell' in prison. Guzman is now 'visibly bald', the lawyer told a local radio station, and fears he has become hooked on medication he began taking for his high blood pressure - which he also developed inside jail. El Chapo was transferred to Ciudad Juarez back in May, just across the border from El Paso, Texas, from the Altiplano jail near Mexico City that he broke out of twice before. While no official reason was given for the move, it is believed to be in order to make it easier to deport him when the time comes. Mexico has already cleared the way for Guzman's deportation, the appeals process could mean it takes months or even years before he is finally moved. Mexican authorities have given up on the idea of holding Guzman permanently on their side of the border - where the death penalty has been abolished - after he broke out of jail twice. The head of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel bribed his way out of jail once in 2001, and then used more bribes and an extensive tunnel dug by his henchmen to break out a second time. He was first arrested in Guatemala back in 1993 and brought back to Mexico where he was locked up in the Puente Grande in Jalisco. El Chapo is currently being held in the maximum security Ciudad Juarez jail just across the border from El Paso, Texas, as he awaits extradition to the U.S. He was later indicted on drug charges in California and was awaiting extradition to the U.S. when he bribed virtually every official inside the jail in order to bust out in 2001. El Chapo, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman, was let out of his jail cell and slipped into a laundry basket before being wheeled out of the front doors of the jail and into a waiting car. Dozens of people, from guards to maintenance workers and even the prison director were eventually implicated in the escape. After a lengthy manhunt he was recaptured in 2014 in a hotel in the beach town of Mazatlan and sent back to jail, this time at Altiplano. He spent just a year in that jail however, breaking out for a second time in 2015 after members of his cartel dug a mile-long tunnel which came up under his cell shower block. With guards paid to turn the other way, El Chapo escaped by crawling through the bottom of his shower and into the tunnel, where he used a motorbike affixed to a rail to drive to a nearby building site, where the underground passage emerged. Guzman did not remain on the run for long the second time, however, and after several near-misses he was tracked to a safe house in the town of Los Mochis earlier this year. It was rumored last week that El Chapo had managed to escape for a third time, but those rumors proved to be false. Conditions are deteriorating for more than 1,400 migrants stuck on the Hungarian border after officials cracked down on numbers passing into their country. Nearly 800 increasingly desperate refugees are stranded in one camp alone, with just 30 a day allowed into Hungary to claim asylum in Europe. Huge backlogs have built up at crossing points from Serbia after 10,000 Hungarian police officers and soldiers were deployed a week ago in a massive security operation. Conditions are deteriorating for more than 1,400 migrants stuck on the Hungarian border after officials cracked down on numbers passing into their country The numbers of migrants arriving in Europe through Greece have fallen dramatically, but the latest flashpoint suggests thousands from Syria, elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa are still trying to journey across the continent. Hungarian officials have started sending back anyone caught on their territory within five miles of a 110-mile razor-wire fence erected on the border with Serbia. Over the past week, 600 people have been apprehended after managing to get past the fence and a further 1,300 have been prevented from crossing, according to figures from the Hungarian government. Aid workers warned yesterday that, with the limited numbers now being allowed to pass into Hungary to make claims for asylum, more than 1,400 people are waiting in camps on the border. They said that at one in the Serbian town of Horgos 800 people are living in squalid conditions, with just two running taps to share between them. Human Rights Watch denounced Hungary yesterday for cruel and violent treatment of migrants, accusing police and soldiers of beating people up before forcibly expelling them back into Serbia. Migrants at Hungarys border are being summarily forced back to Serbia, in some cases with cruel and violent treatment, without consideration of their claims for protection, the group said in a report. It added that it had spoken to 12 migrants who said they were brutally beaten and abused by officials as well as a local civil militia patrolling the border before being pushed back to Serbia. A man holds a sign reading 'Where is the humanity' as refugees stand behind a fence at the Hungarian border with Serbia near the town of Horgos I havent even seen such beating in the movies, said one man cited in the report. They deliberately gave us bad injuries. Lydia Gall, of Human Rights Watch, said Hungary was breaking all the rules and summarily dismissing claims by asylum seekers crossing from Serbia. People who cross into Hungary without permission, including women and children, have been viciously beaten and forced back across the border, she said. The Hungarian government has rejected the claims. Around 400,000 migrants passed through Hungary in 2015 before Prime Minister Viktor Orbans government sealed off its southern borders with razor wire and fences in the autumn. The authorities also brought in tough laws punishing illegal entry and vandalism of the fences. These have led to almost 3,000 convictions in fast-track trials, most resulting in expulsion orders. Mr Orban has said mass immigration by Muslims threatens Europes security and its Christian identity, refusing to accept refugees from Syria under an EU quota scheme. Despite the fence, the number of migrants caught by the Hungarian police has been growing each month this year, to a total of around 17,500 by the end of June. In response, new legislation was introduced to return migrants found inside the border to transit zones located in no-mans land between Hungary and Serbia. The horror movie Carrie tells the story of a nerdy teenage girl who uses superpowers to obliterate all the cool kids in one bloody night at the school prom. With her ruthless destruction of the elite social set that has run this country for years, Theresa May looks as if shed taken inspiration from the script. Overnight, the new prime minister has annihilated the so-called Notting Hill Set, a cabal of wealthy friends united by a conviction that they were born to rule. With her ruthless destruction of the elite social set that has run this country for years, new Prime Minister Theresa May looks as if shes taken inspiration from the script of horror film Carrie One by one, its standard bearers David Cameron, George Osborne, Michael Gove and Nick Boles (minister for skills until his resignation this week) have been fired or fallen on their swords, and this gilded clique of urbane political thinkers and their clever, fashionable wives have lost all their power. As one MP put it jubilantly yesterday: The posh boys have gone! Until two days ago, the most important decisions facing the nation were taken by a group of privately educated friends in their 40s who live in the same expensive part of West London, hang out at the same parties, holiday together and are godparents to each others children. Notably, all these political figures were male, well used to the blokeish atmosphere of the public schools they attended. Cameron, of course, went to Eton, while Osborne was at St Pauls in West London and Boles at Winchester College. Gove won a scholarship to the private Robert Gordons College in Scotland. Having studied at Oxford, their relationships were strengthened and developed as ambitious young researchers working at Conservative Central Office, where they began learning what was needed to rise to power. They set up home in fashionable West London, and liked to entertain one another at chatty supper parties around their expensive kitchen tables. Members of the set have been going abroad together since their 20s, when they liked to hire villas, sometimes with catering staff, for extended breaks, particularly in Tuscany. In the early days, they also travelled to more exotic destinations, including horse-riding holidays in the Middle East. Former Prime Minister David Cameron drinks a toast at a contract signing with Michael Gove, former Business Secretary Vince Cable (2nd left) and George Osborne After Tony Blairs landslide victory in 1997, they were united by a determination to make the Tories electable again, and a quiet conviction that the country would be better run by people like them. Their time came after the partys third consecutive election defeat in 2005, prompting the resignation of Michael Howard. With a series of slick PR stunts and soundbites, and a genuine desire to modernise their party, the set propelled David Cameron from political obscurity to the party leadership. They were amazed it wasnt more difficult. We couldnt believe how easy it was to take over the party, Osborne would later say. Once they entered Downing Street, Cameron and Osborne so comfortable within their own social stratum installed their friends in positions of power. Mrs May has annihilated the so-called Notting Hill Set, of which former Prime Minister David Cameron was the head and former Justice Secretary Michael Gove was a part of Characters such as Etonian Ed Llewellyn (who became Camerons chief of staff) and Christopher Lockwood (St Pauls and Oxford, appointed to No 10s policy unit) were not MPs, yet were given backroom roles in Downing Street, the Cabinet Office and Tory HQ giving the set a wide reach. It was government by dinner party and it infuriated many Tory MPs. After Tony Blairs notorious sofa government (the informal approach to policy-making that by-passed the Cabinet and led to disaster over the Iraq war), many Conservatives hoped for a return to more traditional governance. Instead, Cameron ran Downing Street like a private members club, alienating the majority of backbenchers and Cabinet ministers who did not belong to the in-crowd. Of Camerons 20-strong Cabinet, only two figures Gove and Osborne had a place in his inner circle. While as prime minister he treated those outside the club with smooth politesse, his Chancellor did little to hide his disdain for older, greyer ministers like Philip Hammond who has just replaced Osborne at the Treasury and Iain Duncan Smith. Of Camerons Cabinet, only Mr Gove and former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (left) had a place in his inner circle with a disdain shown for older Ministers like Iain Duncan Smith (right) As for Theresa May, the Notting Hill set sneered at her as a socially inadequate dullard. Cameron, Osborne and Co considered her useful enough running the Home Office, but never dreamed of inviting her up to their homes above No 10 and No 11 Downing St to share their intimate conversations about what was really going on. Not that Mrs May cared. The inscrutable vicars daughter, who has few very close friends at Westminster, was far too busy getting on with her job. It is plain from her brutal actions in the past two days that she plans to run a far more inclusive administration than her predecessor. There will be no role for Oliver Letwin, the Old Etonian policy wonk on whom Cameron and Osborne came to rely. Particularly gaffe-prone, he was a curious appendage to the Notting Hill set, performing a fatherly function at No 10 that is no longer required. What is fascinating is that recent months have seen not only the unravelling of the Notting Hill set as a political force, but also as a tight-knit social group. Relations between Mr Gove and the Prime Minister came to boil when the former Justice Secretary knifed Boris Johnson nearly two weeks ago in order to make a tilt for the premiership himself The EU referendum campaign pitted several of the key characters against each other, destroying a number of relationships that had endured for more than two decades. Some are unlikely to recover. The trouble began at the start of the official campaign this year, when Michael Gove defied Cameron to back Brexit. Osborne tried to keep the peace by having Gove over to dinner once a week, but relations between the then Justice Secretary and the premier became increasingly strained. The final straw came when Gove knifed Boris Johnson nearly two weeks ago in order to make a tilt for the premiership himself. Another who was a central member of the set is Steve Hilton. During the early years in Downing Street he acted as Camerons most senior aide and adviser, offering innovative and radical proposals. Hilton was at Oxford a couple of years behind Cameron and Gove, and his now-wife Rachel Whetstone formerly a senior executive at Google was also a close member of the social circle. She even became godmother to the Camerons late son, Ivan. There had been tensions in the past when it emerged that Whetstone, when she was single, had had an affair with Viscount Astor, Samantha Camerons stepfather. Mr Cameron is still MP for Witney on the edge of the Cotswolds, a role he loves and a place where he belongs to another social group - the notorious Chipping Norton set But the two couples have now suffered a more profound schism after Hilton also came out for Brexit in defiance of his old boss. His suggestion that Cameron would back Brexit were it not for the fact he was prime minister was a particular source of fury. The suspicion about the Notting Hill set remains that men like Cameron and Osborne saw political power at least in part as another glittering bauble to add to their CVs alongside public school, Oxford and, of course, the Bullingdon Club. There was, surely, a sense of entitlement that these attractive, clever, well-connected and wealthy young men were the natural choice to lead the nation. After six years in power, they had grown used to running the country and assumed they would be doing so for years to come. No wonder emotions are running high, with some disenchanted members of the set even contemplating leaving the country. Johnnie Boden, who has made an estimated 410million from his firm Boden, had been a low-profile supporter of the Remain campaign but now says critics should accept the result The founder of a clothing line loved by Samantha Cameron has accused the Financial Times of doom-mongering over Brexit. Johnnie Boden, who has made an estimated 410million from his firm Boden, had been a low-profile supporter of the Remain campaign but now says critics should accept the result. Mr Boden directed his ire at the Financial Times, the paper of City grandees that campaigned hard against Brexit before the referendum and has since issued a string of warnings over what lies ahead. In a letter to the newspaper, he wrote: You lost the Brexit argument. I voted In but I lost too. We must accept the verdict. Your constant talking down of the economy sounds like very sour grapes. And is, dare I say it, irresponsible. There is plenty to be positive about. His comments came a day after Tim Martin, the boss of pub chain JD Wetherspoon, attacked David Cameron, George Osborne and other Remain backers for talking the economy down. Mr Martin said: By voting to restore democracy in the UK, I believe the UKs economic prospects will improve, although it is quite possible that the unprecedented and irresponsible doom-mongering... may lead to some kind of slowdown. Mr Cameron and US First Lady Michelle Obama are both fans of Bodens clothes. The former prime minister was even photographed in a pair of the firms floral shorts on holiday in Cornwall in 2008. Celebrities including Hollywood star Angelina Jolie have also fallen in love with the brand. Eton and Oxford-educated Mr Boden, 55, has said that his ideal customers were married couples in their late 30s or early 40s who have their own homes and conservative beliefs. In a lecture to the Old Etonian Association at the Royal Geographical Society before the vote, Mr Boden once described as the spiritual leader of conservative Britain had said he was economically an inner but politically an outer. Mr Boden directed his ire at the Financial Times, the paper of City grandees that campaigned hard against Brexit before the referendum and has since issued a string of warnings over what lies ahead Boden, which was launched in 1991, has about 1.5million customers worldwide. It made a 32million profit on sales of 280.7million in 2014. Before the referendum, the Financial Times had warned of a recession and an outflow of business. On the day of the vote, its leader column thundered that leaving the EU would be a grievous act of self-harm that would damage not only the UK but Europe and the West. And more upbeat observers believe that the papers tone has been grief-stricken since the result was announced. Soon afterwards, it warned that Britain had cut itself adrift and faced a new, diminished place in the world. It also claimed that business confidence would be battered by the Brexit vote and that a new recession lay ahead. Mr Bodens call for positivity is one of many as the business world begins to come to terms with a vote many bosses had predicted would go the other way. Senior City bankers are reportedly annoyed by doom-laden warnings that JP Morgan could cut thousands of jobs due to Brexit. The US lenders boss Jamie Dimon has threatened to move staff abroad if Britain loses its valuable passporting rights, which allow financial services to be sold on the continent from London. One senior banker said the comments were deeply unhelpful, according to the Financial Times. This is the horrifying moment a lorry mows down a crowd of terrified pedestrians watching fireworks after a heroic motorcyclist flings himself onto the vehicle to try and stop the terrorist attack in Nice. Footage from two different angles shows the truck ploughing into scores of revellers at roughly 40mph on Nice's Promenade du Paillon, killing at least 84 people and injuring at least 50. In one video, a motorcyclist is seen desperately trying to stop the lorry before as it speeds up approaching thousands of people out celebrating Bastille Day in the port city. This is the horrifying moment a lorry mows through a crowd of terrified pedestrians in Nice southern France In the other video, taken from a nearby balcony, a heroic motorcyclist is seen throwing himself off his bike in a dramatic lunge towards the truck The footage, shot from a nearby balcony shows the motorcyclist speeding alongside the truck before jumping off the moving bike and running alongside. He then jumps onto the side, desperately clinging to the canvas, despite having no clue if the terrorist has rigged the truck with explosives - something ISIS are known for doing in the past. The motorcyclist then continues to cling to the vehicle as other officers ahead of the vehicle shoot at its front in an attempt to stop the driver, a French Tunisian national who was eventually killed. German journalist Richard Gutjahr, 42, who filmed the scene unfold, said: 'I stood on the balcony, right on the Promenade des Anglais, and saw how people celebrated there, and how suddenly a truck drove through the crowd,' he told AFP on Friday. 'Surprisingly, he drove very slowly, not fast, he drove slowly and he was chased by a motorcyclist. 'The motorcyclist attempted to overtake the truck and even tried to open the driver's door, but he fell and ended up under the wheels of the truck.' A cache of weapons including hand grenades was later discovered inside the vehicle. It is not clear whether the lorry has already ran over some of its victims, but the balcony footage clearly shows the authorities rushing out to stop and shoot the driver. Police officers are seen running out of their car to fire at the terrorist before he reaches the crowd outside during the French national holiday. Mr Gutjahr said: 'It was like a [scene from] a movie. At the crossroads, the police opened fire after the truck driver started driving faster and running people over.' In another clip posted to YouTube the lorry is seen from the side colliding with revellers. It reportedly travelled down the promenade for over a mile. Both clips were posted to YouTube by Pray for France soon after the attack. After the side-on video captures the lorry careering along the promenade it shows a crowd of hundreds fleeing for their lives in scenes of chaos. Footage from this angle clearly shows the authorities rushing out to stop and shoot the driver Shocking footage shows the truck ploughing into pedestrians on Nice's Promenade du Paillon French authorities shot the driver dead after the lorry continued for 1.2 miles down the promenade A front view of the lorry littered with bullet holes after police opened fire on the driver and shot him dead It shows terrified people, including the camerawoman, race inside nearby buildings for cover. Screams of 'run' can be heard and shouts in various languages as people scamper up stairwells and through corridors to escape the scene. The latest reports state that after driving a mile down the promenade, the driver jumped out of the truck and started to open fire on members of the public. According to Mr Gutjahr: 'In the next 15 to 20 seconds there were shots from several guns. I don't know who shot at whom.' After that, 'the panicked crowd ran in all directions. Those who could save themselves ran into the hotels, or sought security in the hotel entrances. 'Right afterwards I personally saw 12 dead bodies, and it was already clear there would be more.' The attack happened in the Promenade des Anglais in Nice while victims were watching a firework display Officials said the driver was eventually shot dead near the scene. A second suspect is currently on the run, according to French authorities. Unconfirmed reports in the French media say that ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack. Anti-terror police swooped in as the city was put on lockdown and residents were warned to stay indoors. Guns and grenades were later said to have been found inside the truck, which mounted the pavement at approximately 40mph and steered directly towards hundreds of people watching a fireworks display. Appalling scenes after the lorry rammed down pedestrians show bodies along the promenade Advertisement This is the incredible moment a group of heroic soldiers used their own bodies to form a human shield in a bid to stop floodwaters from battering a Chinese city. Thousands of people in Jiujiang, south-east China's Jiangxi Province, were almost forced from their homes when a dam in a river leading out from Boyang Lake towards the city broke Tuesday. With the help of sandbags, a total of 16 soldiers stood in chest-high flood for as long as six hours to protect residents and buildings behind them, according to the People's Daily Online. Bravery: Thousands of people in Jiujiang, south-east China would have been forced out of their homes when the levee broke An act of valor: 16 brave soldiers formed a human dam using their bodies to slow the rush of chest-high flood water for almost six hours Flooding: Water levels in Boyang Lake along the Yangtze basin have been at dangerously high levels in recent days due to torrential rain Water levels in Boyang Lake, which lies along the Yangtze basin, have been at dangerously high levels in recent days due to an annual bout of torrential rain. At 10am Tuesday, a 13-foot break formed in the Dongfenglian Levee in Jiujiang, with waters raging into the rice paddies in the area. Almost 100 soldiers from the PLA rushed to help, with the deputy brigade chief Lin Zhen-ming jumping into the chest-high waters to assess the situation. After Lin surveyed the damage and conceived of a repair plan, 16 soldiers jumped into the river after him without a second thought. They used their bodies to form a human dam, providing a crucial hand to the soldiers who were pile-driving on the bank. The soldiers stood their ground in the rushing waters for close to six hours while their fellow soldiers continued to pile sandbags on the dam in an effort to repair it. Teamwork: The soldiers helped prevent damages to 5,000 acres of crops and flooding for 6,000 residents in two villages downstream 'My paddies are safe' a local farmer has expressed his gratitude to the soldiers for helping him save acres of his paddies near the break By 7pm, the break had been sealed. 'The soldiers are here, so my paddies are safe,' a touched farmer told local media. He had several acres of rice paddies near the break that would have been destroyed had it not been for the soldiers and their bravery. And this farmer was not the only person who had the soldiers to thank; their courageous act helped prevent damages to 5,000 acres of crops and flooding for 6,000 residents in two villages further downstream, according to iFeng. The almost three mile-long Dongfenglian Levee is one of the most important levees in Jiujiang, an area along the Yangtze basin which, with Boyang Lake, is seeing extremely high water levels due to an annual torrential rain season. Not over: Pressure is continues to mount on flood control as extremely heavy torrential rains and flooding are forecast for July and August Flooding along the Yangtze basin since March has affected more than 49 million people, with 222 dead or missing as of Sunday, according to official figures. Officials say 60 per cent of the damage, which includes the collapse of more than 110,000 houses, occurred in the first 10 days of July alone, adding that the flooding has also caused financial losses of more than 11 billion (103 billion RMB). The amount of rain in the Yangtze basin doubled in June compared to the same period last year, according to official statistics. Shocking images show a boy in China left with severe bruising and scratches after he was beaten by his mother with four coat hangers. The boy from Suining City, Sichuan province, was also forced to kneel on the street and do his homework after allegedly receiving poor scores in his exams, reports the People's Daily Online. Pictures of boy, said to be about eight years old, were shared on July 11 on social media sites with internet users criticising the mother's actions. Saddening: The boy was pictured kneeling in the middle of the street while completing his homework Cruel, heartless parent: Marks from his mother's beatings using coat hangers were seen on his legs According to Chinese media, the young schoolboy had not done well in his exams so his mother told him to kneel in the sun to do his homework. The online post also claimed that she had beaten him with four hangers creating the injuries to his legs. Reporters got in touch with the online user who posted the pictures to social media. She said she saw the child kneeling on the street with injured hands and feet. The woman asked others what had happened to the child and she was told that it was because he had performed poorly during exams and he did not take studying seriously. She said the mother's approach was too rough and wanted to bring the boy's story to a wider audience. The post caused a stir on Chinese social media. Some people defended the mother saying she wanted the best for her children. However many others criticised the mother saying she needed to be more patient with her son. On news website news163.com, one user wrote: 'Children should have a nurturing environment.' And another user commented: 'Overdone.' While another user said: 'Humiliating children on the street. This mother's heart is hard.' The local women's union has stepped in to investigate the case further. The dinosaurs ruled the planet for 135 million years before an enormous asteroid impact is thought to have wiped them out. According to theories proposed in the 1990s, vast clouds of sulphuric acid thrown up by the impact are believed to have filled the atmosphere, creating poisonous acidic rain and cooling the planet. But the theory fails to account for how some species survived this catastrophe. Now scientists claim to have worked out why - it was soot that was actually responsible for the demise of the dinosaurs. Previous theories which suggested that the extinction was caused by a formation of sulphuric acid gases, did not explain why other animals, such as crocodiles, survived A new study suggests the mass extinction 66 million years ago was caused by vast amounts of soot that were thrown into the atmosphere by the asteroid impact. Researchers from Tohoku University in Japan, examined sediments from the boundary of the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods - approximately 66 million years ago - from Haiti and Spain. Focussing on hydrocarbons in the samples, the authors suggest that the asteroid impact into an oil rich area of Mexico launched a cloud of smoke into the atmosphere, which spread globally. The results from the hydrocarbons suggest that a soot ejection of approximately 1,500 teragrams would have been great enough to cause the mass extinction of dinosaurs, while allowing animals such as crocodiles to survive. In their paper, the researchers write: 'The soot aerosols caused sufficiently colder climates at mid-high latitudes and drought with milder cooling at low latitudes on land. 'The rapid climate change induced terrestrial extinctions followed by marine extinctions over several years.' Previous studies have suggested the formation of condensed sulphuric acid aerosols in the stratosphere led to a reduction in photosynthesis and near freezing conditions by reflecting sunlight. However, this theory did not explain why the dinosaurs died, but other animals, such as crocodiles, survived. Additionally, it has since been shown that condensed sulphuric acid gases cannot form and persist over long periods after the initial asteroid impact. The new theory that soot was responsible for the demise of the dinosaurs supports evidence that dinosaurs died but other animals survived, due to the mild cooling at lower latitudes. Focussing on hydrocarbons in the samples, the authors suggest that the asteroid impact into an oil rich area of Mexico launched a cloud of smoke into the atmosphere, which spread globally (artist's impression) Advertisement It has been said whoever controls space controls the world and Vladimir Putin is certainly trying his best to do so. Russia is planning a hypersonic rocket-like jet which can strike targets from space with nuclear missiles. Flying at five times the speed of sound, the bomber will be able to reach any point on earth in under two hours. Billed as the first of its kind, it would be able to drop a nuclear warhead before returning to its base in Russia. Scroll down for video Military bosses claim the engine for the craft has already been tested, and a prototype could take to the air in six years. A functional engine will be developed by 2020, according to Colonel Alexei Solodovnikov, who is working on the project. He said: This will be a strategic aircraft. It will fly into outer space in order to strike, using nuclear bombs, and then return to the airfield. The test engine for the PAK-DA bomber is expected to be shown at the Army 2016 International Military Technology Forum in September near Moscow. Colonel General Sergei Karakayev, the commander of Russian Strategic Missile Forces, confirmed the model engine for the bomber was built and had been successfully tested. He said: An engine for a promising space plane has been developed at Strategic Rocket Forces Academy. The units operational ability has been proven. The idea is that the bomber will take off from a normal home airfield to patrol Russian airspace. Upon command it will ascend into outer space, strike a target with nuclear warheads and then return to its home base. Mr Solodovnikov added: It will [be able to accelerate to] hypersonic speed in rocket mode. A prototype of a next generation Russian vbomber design being wind tunnel tested According to the Strategic Missile Forces Academy, the engine will operate in two modes, one using kerosene fuel for conventional flight and the other methane and oxygen to power the craft into space. British firm Reaction Engines says its own hypersonic engine will be ready by 2020. The European Space Agency has invested more than 7.5million toward the development of the SABRE engine, which could enable aircraft to fly anywhere in four hours. US officials have not revealed whether their own next generation bomber will fly at hypersonic speed, but the US Air Force said in 2007 its aircraft would likely be subsonic to control costs. To fly hypersonic means flying at Mach 5, five times the speed of sound at 3,840 mph, or faster. Britains closest programme to the Russian hypersonic jet is a top secret stealth drone being developed by BAE Systems. The 200million Taranis aircraft will be the most advanced built by British engineers. The European Space Agency has invested $11 million toward the development of a new type of engine that could one day allow aircraft to fly anywhere in the world in just four hours. Pictured, an artist's impression of the Lapcat A2 craft flying at Mach 5. It is expected to provide the basis for fleets of supersonic unmanned bombers that can attack deep into enemy territory while evading sophisticated defences. An RAF source said: The RAF has a futuristic programme called Taranis which is a stealth drone with similar capabilities but it does not operate in the outer atmosphere. Britains current fastest jet is the Eurofighter Typhoon, which has a top speed of around Mach 2, or 1,550 mph. Speaking about US capabilities compared to the Russians, the RAF source said: Whatever you can imagine in your wildest dreams the US has probably advanced thirty years on that. If the Russians are developing it the US will already be streets ahead. After the launch of Sputnik, the worlds first artificial satellite, by the USSR in 1957, then US senator Lyndon Johnson warned: Whoever controls space controls the world. In 1983 president Ronald Reagan proposed the creation of the infamous space-based Strategic Defense Initiative. This plan for a satellite-regulated missile shield that could automatically dismantle incoming nuclear weapons was immediately dubbed Star Wars. It was launched after the presidents speech testifying to the superior nuclear capabilities of the Soviet Union. Although work was begun on the programme, the technology proved too complex and much of the research was eventually cancelled or scaled back. It was thought to be dead, an 'extinct' volcano that has never erupted in human history. However, researchers have been stunned to find Colli Albani, a 15-kilometer (9-mile) semicircle of hills outside Rome, is coming back to life. A new report reveals new steam vents, earthquakes and a rise in ground level in the hills and surrounding area, leading researcher to warn it is starting a new eruptive cycle and could potentially erupt in 1,000 years from now. Researchers say Colli Albani, a 15-kilometer (9-mile) semicircle of hills outside Rome (pictured), is starting a new eruptive cycle and could potentially erupt in 1,000 years from now. Shown in as aerial view of Castel Gandolfo, Lake Albano and the Alban Hills in the background. HOW BAD COULD IT BE? Under the right circumstances the volcano has the potential to be as destructive as Mt. Vesuvius, which destroyed Pompeii in 79 A.D., said Fabrizio Marra, a volcanologist at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Rome and lead author of the new study. The eruption could generate massive, far-reaching clouds of smoke and ash, and send rocks raining on nearby cities, according to the study's authors. The center of Rome is about 19 miles (30 kilometers) away from Colli Albani and would only be severely affected by the eruption if the wind blew in the right direction, but the city's suburbs reach all the way to the base of the volcano and could be devastated by the event, Marra said. Advertisement The new study published in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union, concluded Rome and its suburbs are not in any immediate danger. However, previous research shows that in past eruptive cycles the volcano unleashed both low blasts of hot ash and lava that rolled down the volcano's slopes at tremendous speeds. Under the right circumstances the volcano has the potential to be as destructive as Mt. Vesuvius, which destroyed Pompeii in 79 A.D., Fabrizio Marra, a volcanologist at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Rome and lead author of the new study, told Elizabeth Deatrick of the AGU blog. The eruption could generate massive, far-reaching clouds of smoke and ash, and send rocks raining on nearby cities, according to the study's authors. The center of Rome is about 19 miles (30 kilometers) away from Colli Albani and would only be severely affected by the eruption if the wind blew in the right direction, but the city's suburbs reach all the way to the base of the volcano and could be devastated by the event, Marra said. Although a massive eruption of Colli Albani is not likely for another millennium, Marra said he hopes the new research is a wake-up call for closer monitoring of the volcano. Two decades ago, geologists began to suspect something was happening around Colli Albani when they noticed the hills had risen unexpectedly. A new report reveals new steam vents, earthquakes and a rise in ground level in the hills and surrounding area, leading researcher to warn it is starting a new eruptive cycle and could potentially erupt in 1,000 years from now. Above its location In volcanic regions, this usually means a bubble of magma is forming beneath the surface, pushing the ground upward, according to Marra. An earthquake swarm, which shook Rome from 1991-1995, plus the recent appearance of a steam vent near Rome's international airport, sparked an investigation into the area's potential danger. In the new study, scientists determined the age of rocks from past eruptions and studied satellite images of the land around Colli Albani to determine its eruptive history. Rather than being extinct, the volcano operates on a 31,000-year cycle of eruption and dormancy, according to the new research. The volcano's cyclical nature is due to the unusual underlying geology of the region, Marra said. August 24, in AD79, is the day Vesuvius erupted, burying in its ashes the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, Italy. UPI color slide. ca. 1944 Mt. Vesuvius, Italy.. Periodically, a giant 'bubble' of pressurized magma forms under Earth's crust, forcing its way upwards into a fracture between two pieces of land. At Colli Albani, two pieces of land forming the fracture above the magma bubble are being pressed together by the surrounding geology, keeping the magma bubble from erupting. The most visible sign of this magma bubble is an increase in height of the hills and the surrounding area as the bubble pushes up from underneath the ground. Over the last 200,000 years, the land around Colli Albani has risen by 50 meters (164 feet) as magma bubbles form and vanish, the team estimates. The land is continuing to rise more than 2 millimeters (0.8 inches) a year, indicating the underground bubble of magma is likely still growing, according to the study's authors. The new study finds the fracture keeping the magma bubble underground has changed over the last 2,000 years. Under the right circumstances the volcano has the potential to be as destructive as Mt. Vesuvius, which destroyed Pompeii in 79 A.D Now, instead of the land being pushed together, the two pieces are sliding against one another. When the land shifts, the pressure over the bubble is released and the magma has the opportunity to erupt to the surfacewhich is what the study's authors suspect is happening now. The volcano last erupted 36,000 years ago, meaning Colli Albani is overdue for an eruption, but Rome is not in any immediate danger, Marra said. Although the area is showing signs of volcanic activity, he estimates the next serious eruption isn't likely to occur for another 1,000 years and will be preceded by more moderate volcanic activitythe formation of a cone, for instance. 'We expect for sure some initial stages which may not be so explosive, but it may evolve in time,' he said. These days, there seems to be a social network for everything, from sites dedicated to pet dating to forums for keen knitters. But one app dedicated to fishing is also helping to serve a higher purpose than simply allowing anglers to boast about their latest catch. Fishbrain, which has recently reached two million users, is being used to help scientists collect data on the spread of invasive species and monitor endangered creatures. Fishbrain, a social media app for anglers, is being used by scientists to gather data on invasive species and endangered creatures. One user shared an image of this endangered shortnose sturgeon, measuring a huge 118 inches (three metres). The fish was found in Fraser River in Canada The app has paired up with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to crowd-source data on the animals that are posted on the site. WHAT IS FISHBRAIN? Fishbrain is the world's most popular social media platform for anglers, where users have been sharing images of their weird and wonderful catches from around the world. Users can share images and details of their catches, including size, weight, and type of bait while also allowing anglers to share tips on the best environments in which to catch certain fish. As well as offering anglers a chance to show off their catches, the app has paired up with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to crowd-source data for endangered species. Advertisement Fishbrain's US users are asked to log every time they come into contact with a list of specific species provided by biologists from the US government. Johan Attby, who created the app, said: 'Our community of over two million users has been logging sightings of endangered species for ten months now, with the data being sent out to field biologists all over the US. 'Once the teams in the various different states have processed the information we send over, we are looking forward to individual case studies coming to light that show how Fishbrain data is contributing to conversations about about biodiversity and conservation.' Among the rare species to have been spotted were a shortnose sturgeon, which is listed as endangered in North America. A huge 118 inch (3 metres) long shortnose sturgeon was captured in the Fraser River in Canada. Users of Fishbrain can share images and details of their catches, including size, weight, and type of bait while also allowing anglers to share tips on the best environments in which to catch certain fish A sea-scorpion was found by one user of the in the River Wear, UK. These spiny creatures are normally found in the shallow inshore coastal waters of Britain Another fish from the endangered list was the pallid sturgeon, which was spotted in the Chilliwack River, US Users have logged catching a range of endangered species, including the shortnose sturgeon, and the Pikeminnow (pictured), which experts estimate to only have thousands left in the wild This beautiful cuckoo-wrasse was spotted on San Miguel Island, Portugal Others include a Pikeminnow, which experts estimate to only have thousands left in the wild. A user posted an image of one found in Colorado. A pallid sturgeon, which was spotted in the Chilliwack River in Washington, is another of the endangered monsters to have been logged using the app. Additionally, a variety of strange fish have been sighted in unexpected areas, including a sea-scorpion fish which turned up in the River Wear in the Pennines, England. These spiny creatures are normally found in the shallow coastal waters around Britain. A stingray was also spotted on the shore of Long Island, New York while a colourful cuckoo-wrasse was spotted on San Miguel Island, Portugal One user spotted captured this stingray in Long Island, New York (pictured). These fish are more commonly found in the open ocean The idea for the app came about when Mr Attby left his job in technology software, and Googled 'world's most popular hobby'. When fishing came up, he decided to dedicate a social media network to the sport. Users of Fishbrain can share images and details of their catches, including size, weight, and type of bait, and share tips on the best environments in which to catch certain fish. Fishbrain operates a catch and release policy, encourages anglers to fish for sport and return the fish to the water unharmed. While the company was originally set up in Sweden, the user base has grown rapidly, with users now in 189 countries around the world. The app is particularly popular with anglers in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, as well as its native Sweden. Mr Johan Attby, founder of the app, said: 'Anglers love exchanging tips and telling stories about the one that got away and also bragging about the ones that didn't! 'It is this that Fishbrain taps into: offering a completely new way to track, record and plan fishing trips, as well as connecting a community of like-minded individuals from around the world.' Consumer Reports magazine is calling on electric car maker Tesla Motors to change the name of its Autopilot semi-autonomous driving system and to disconnect the automatic steering feature after a fatal crash in Florida. The magazine says in a statement that calling the system Autopilot promotes a dangerous assumption that Teslas can drive themselves. It also says the automatic steering should be disconnected until it's updated to make sure a driver's hands stay on the steering wheel at all times. Scroll down for video Consumer Reports magazine is calling on electric car maker Tesla Motors to change the name of its Autopilot semi-autonomous driving system and to disconnect the automatic steering feature after a fatal crash in Florida. The magazine says in a statement that calling the system Autopilot promotes a dangerous assumption that Teslas can drive themselves. CONSUMER REPORTS DEMANDS Consumer Reports called for Tesla to do the following: Disable Autosteer until it can be reprogrammed to require drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel Stop referring to the system as Autopilot as it is misleading and potentially dangerous Issue clearer guidance to owners on how the system should be used and its limitations Test all safety-critical systems fully before public deployment; no more beta releases Advertisement In an email, a Tesla spokeswoman said the company has no plans to change the name, and that Autopilot is safer than cars operating without the electronic assistance of cameras, radar and computers. 'While we appreciate well-meaning advice from any individual or group, we make our decisions on the basis of real-world data, not speculation by the media,' the spokeswoman said. Tesla boss Elon Musk has said the electric car maker has no plans to disable its Autopilot feature in the wake of a fatal accident in which the driver of a Model S car was using the technology. Instead, the company is planning an 'explanatory blog post' to educate customers on how the feature works. 'A lot of people don't understand what it is and how you turn it on,' Musk told the Wall Street Journal in an interview. The magazine's calls come after former Navy Seal Joshua Brown, 40, of Canton, Ohio, died in a May crash in Florida with the Autopilot on. The system didn't detect a tractor-trailer that had turned in front of Brown in bright sunshine, and Brown didn't react. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the wreck and the Autopilot system. Elon Musk told the Wall Street Journal he had pushed hard to launch the Autopilot feature as soon as possible because 'we knew we had a system that on balance would save lives.' Naming the system Autopilot gives drivers a false sense of security, said Laura MacCleery, Consumer Reports' vice president of consumer policy. 'We're deeply concerned that consumers are being sold a pile of promises about unproven technology,' she said in a statement. Autopilot, she wrote, can't actually drive the car, but it lets consumers keep their hands off the steering wheel for minutes at a time. She called on the Palo Alto, California, company to disable automatic steering until it updates the computer program to make sure a driver's hands are on the wheel. The car firm has faced criticism for allegedly not disclosing to investors details of the crash in May, in which 40-year-old driver Joshua Brown died while using the autopilot feature on his Model S. In a recent move, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent the company a letter, seeking details of all design changes and updates to Autopilot since it went into use last year. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also launched an investigation into whether Tesla Motors waited too long to disclose a fatal crash in May that called into question the safety of the auto-pilot system, which takes control of steering and braking. Tesla's auto-pilot system also allegedly caused a crash that 'destroyed' a Model X car after it suddenly swerved off a road at 60mph and hit some wooden guard rail posts. Ducklings are among the most adorable creatures on the planet, but the fluffy baby birds are probably most well-known for the way they unquestionably follow their mothers. But it seems that baby mallards are more intelligent than had been previously realised, according to a recent study. Recently-hatched ducklings can understand the concepts of 'same' and 'different' - an ability previously known in only highly intelligent animals, new research has shown. Scroll down for videos Ducklings are one of the most adorable animals, and the furry little birds are probably most well-known for the cute way they follow their mothers, not for their intelligence. But baby mallards are more intelligent than you might think, according to a recent study WHAT IS IMPRINTING? Ducklings learn to follow their mother through a learning process called imprinting, where they identify and begin to follow the first thing they see. As little as 15 minutes after hatching, ducklings will learn to follow any moving object they see first which, on most occasions, is their mother. Advertisement Ducklings learn to follow their mother through a learning process called imprinting, where they identify and begin to follow the first thing they see. As little as 15 minutes after hatching, ducklings will learn to follow any moving object they see first which, on most occasions, is their mother. Scientists from the University of Oxford imprinted ducklings with a pair of objects either the same as or different from each other, in shape or colour, which moved around in a circle. Afterwards, the researchers tested the baby ducks to see if they had a preference over different objects. They gave them a choice between two pairs of objects, both of which the duckling had not seen before. But one pair would be two of the same and the other pair would include two different objects. If the birds were imprinted on the pair of objects, they should have followed the pairs of novel objects showing that same relationship, even if they had never seen the test objects. Scientists from the University of Oxford imprinted ducklings with a pair of objects either the same as or different from each other, in shape or colour, which moved around in a circle Afterwards, the researchers tested the baby ducks to see what their preference was over different objects. They gave them a choice between two pairs of objects, both of which the duckling had not seen before. But one pair would be two of the same and the other pair would include two different objects CLEVER DUCKLINGS Scientists from the University of Oxford imprinted ducklings with a pair of objects either the same as or different from each other, in shape or colour, which moved around in a circle. Afterwards, the researchers tested the baby ducks to see what their preference was over different objects. They gave them a choice between two pairs of objects, both of which the duckling had not seen before. But one pair would be two of the same and the other pair would include two different objects. If a duckling had originally been exposed to a pair of spherical objects, it could then be given a pair of two cubes, for example, and a pair made up or one cube and one pyramid. If the birds were imprinted on the pair of objects, they should have followed the pairs of novel objects showing that same relationship, even if they had never seen the test objects. Ducklings that were imprinted on two of the same object, like two spheres in the previous example, should pick the pair of pyramids. Three quarters of the ducklings made this choice, the researchers said. Advertisement Three quarters of the ducklings made this choice, the researchers said. The ability to identify logical relationships between objects, retain this understanding, and apply it to novel objects is known as relational concept learning. 'To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of a non-human organism learning to discriminate between abstract relational concepts without any reinforcement training,' said Professor Alex Kacelnik, a zoologist from Oxford University. 'The other animals that have demonstrated this ability have all done so by being repeatedly rewarded for correct performance, while our ducklings did it spontaneously, thanks to their predisposition to imprint when very young,' he said. Because imprinting happens so quickly, the ducklings learned to discriminate relational concepts much faster than other species, and with a similar level of precision, he added. 'Ducks walk, swim and fly, and are constantly changing their exact shape and appearance as they extend their wings or become partially submerged, or even change angle with respect to the viewer,' Professor Kacelnik said. 'If the ducklings just had a visual 'snapshot' of their mother, they would lose her. 'They need to be able to flexibly and reliably identify her, and a library of concepts and characteristics describing her is a much more efficient way to do so, compared with a visual memory of every possible configuration of the mother and her environment. If a duckling had originally been exposed to a pair of spherical objects (pictured) it could then be given a pair of two cubes, for example, and a pair made up or one cube and one pyramid. If the birds were imprinted on the pair of objects, they should have followed the pairs of novel objects showing that same relationship Ducklings swimming after their mother in the river Cherwell, Oxford 'Still, this is an unexpected feat for a duckling, and a further reminder that 'bird-brain' is quite an unfair slur.' The discovery of relational concept learning in a new species and in a newly hatched baby bird suggests that this ability may not be as rare or as difficult as previously thought, the researchers said. 'It may mean that relational concepts are adaptively useful or even necessary to a wider variety of animal, Professor Kacelnik said. 'Most animals will, like the ducklings, need identification mechanisms that are robust to natural variation. A challenge we face now is to identify the processes by which the animals' brains achieve it.' 'This study is important for at least three reasons,' Professor Ed Wasserman, from the University of Iowa, said in a related article. 'First... it indicates that animals not generally believed to be especially intelligent are capable of abstract thought. 'Second, even very young animals may be able to evidence behavioural signs of abstract thinking. The ability to grow our own food instead of hunting and gathering is considered one of the most important behavioural shifts since modern humans first evolved in Africa 200,000 years ago. But the origins of farming and how it emerged from the Fertile Crescent region in the Middle East are still very much a mystery. Now experts believe several genetically distinct Stone Age hunter-gatherer communities living in the region began to grow crops and keep animals 10,000 years ago, before subsequent generations went on to sow the seeds of farming far and wide. Experts believe several genetically distinct Stone Age hunter-gatherer communities in the Middle East began to grow crops and keep animals 10,000 years ago, before subsequent generations went on to sow the seeds of farming far and wide. Pictured is a crop harvest in modern Iran ANCIENT DNA PROVIDES CLUES TO FARMING'S ORIGINS Researchers looked at DNA extracted from four ancient skeletons. The remains represent some of the world's first farmers from the Zagros region of Iran the site of the oldest evidence for farming to date. They believe that a number of genetically distinct hunter-gatherer communities in the region began to grow crops and keep animals 10,000 years ago, before their descendants went on to spread farming, and their genes, far and wide. Advertisement It had been widely assumed that these first farmers were from a single, genetically homogeneous population, said study author Dr Garrett Hellenthal of University College London (UCL). However, we've found that there were deep genetic differences in these early farming populations, indicating very distinct ancestries. A team of researchers examined ancient DNA from four skeletons representing some of the world's first farmers from the Zagros region of Iran the site of the oldest evidence for farming to date in a study published today in the journal Science. Analysis found the ancient DNA to be very different from the genomes of early farmers from the Aegean and Europe. However, there were similarities between the Neolithic farmer's DNA and that of people alive today from southern Asia, including from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Iranian Zoroastrians members of one of the worlds oldest religions in particular. We know that farming technologies, including various domestic plants and animals, arose across the Fertile Crescent, with no particular centre, said Professor Mark Thomas, an evolutionary geneticist at UCL and co-author of the study. The Fertile Crescent, also known as the Cradle of Civilisation, provided the ideal place to farm, and still does, thanks to its moist and fertile land. The ability to grow our own food instead of hunting and gathering is considered one of the most important behavioural shifts since modern humans first evolved in Africa 200,000 years ago To find that this region was made up of highly genetically distinct farming populations was something of a surprise, he added. We estimated that they separated some 46,000 to 77,000 years ago, so they would almost certainly have looked different, and spoken different languages. It seems like we should be talking of a federal origin of farming. Animals and plants were first domesticated across the Fertile Crescent (pictured), which stretches north from modern-day Israel, Palestine and Lebanon to Syria and eastern Turkey, then east into, northern Iraq and north-western Iran, and south into Mesopotamia The switch from mobile hunting and gathering to sedentary farming was a huge evolutionary milestone for modern humans. It led to profound changes in society, including greater population densities, new diseases, poorer health, social inequality, urban living, and ultimately, the rise of ancient civilizations. Animals and plants were first domesticated across the Fertile Crescent, which stretches north from modern-day Israel, Palestine and Lebanon to Syria and eastern Turkey, then east into, northern Iraq and north-western Iran, and south into Mesopotamia. Farming of animals and crops was is considered one of the key behavioural shifts in the course of human history (stock image of Iranian goatherd), and first emerged more than 10,000 years ago across the fertile region spanning modern day Iran, Turkey and Syria Professor Stephen Shennan from the UCL Institute of Archaeology said: Archaeologists have debated for more than 100 years how [farming] originated and how it was spread into neighbouring regions such as Europe, North Africa and southern Asia. We've shown for the first time that different populations in different parts of the Fertile Crescent were coming up with similar solutions to finding a successful way of life in the new conditions created by the end of the last Ice Age. Analysis of DNA showed that early farming populations were highly genetically structured, and that some of that structure was preserved as farming, and farmers, spread into neighbouring regions Europe to the west and southern Asia to the east (stock image) By looking at how ancient and living people share long sections of DNA, the team showed that early farming populations were highly genetically structured, and that some of that structure was preserved as farming, and farmers, spread into neighbouring regions Europe to the west and southern Asia to the east. Dr Hellenthal explained: Early farmers from across Europe, and to some extent modern-day Europeans, can trace their DNA to early farmers living in the Aegean, whereas people living in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and India share considerably more long chunks of DNA with early farmers in Iran. This genetic legacy of early farmers persists, although of course our genetic make-up subsequently has been reshaped by many millennia of other population movements and intermixing of various groups. One passenger explained why you should never open curtains naked Everyone from families, to newlyweds, to crew members have shared tales Popular internet forum thread has been kept alive with this gossip for years Be warned, there are no secrets on cruise ships. A popular internet forum thread has been revealing some of the most bizarre, hilarious and horrifying things travellers have witnessed while cruising in the past five years. From stumbling upon sloppy cleaning by crew to inappropriately dressed (and undressed) passengers, commentators have been sharing the real goings-on of the high seas. Travellers have been revealing the strangest things they've seen on cruise ships. Many holidaymakers have learned the hard way the importance of wearing clothes while relaxing on a cruise The forum, found on the community pages of Cruise Critic, questions: 'What's the strangest thing you've ever seen on a cruise?' One of the first people to comment was online contributor Ashland who said: 'Maybe not so strange but we were a little surprised one morning when a family came to breakfast in their PJs. Didn't bother us, after all, it's their vacation and we thought it was kinda cuuute.' Less cute and more creepy was an account by cruise-goer Karen who posted under the assumed name 'minutjulip123' about a Goth convention she accidentally found herself attending. She said: 'I ended up on a cruise with a group of Goths on a convention. They came fully equipped with their own Evil faery (the DJ). Some (heck most) of the costumes were very different. 'There was one guy with his teeth filed down, wore dragon wings, and contacts in the shape of snake eyes. One good thing, we never had a problem getting a chair in the sun by the pool. 'They had a couple of events that were open to everyone. It was my sister's first and last cruise. I guess it was too much for her!' Commenter Sea Hag was left puzzled by cautious holidaymakers, they wrote: 'We saw a group of four who wore their life jackets everywhere Nudity and encountering scantily clad holidaymakers were also among the more disturbing experiences shared on the thread. Poster Hancock revealed: 'Getting off the ship in Tobago, observed a man leaving proudly wearing his tighty whiteys and nothing else.' While seafarer Kyriecat was left red-faced after an unfortunate encounter with his neighbour. He said, 'I was on my balcony watching some dolphins. I noticed my neighbour, who was also our dinner tablemate, was also leaning on the rail watching the dolphins. 'I started to say hello then realised that he wasn't wearing anything. I was much more embarrassed than he was. At dinner, his wife said that she told him not to go out on the balcony undressed.' User Coralc learnt first-hand why not to open their bedroom curtains in the buff. She said: 'My husband did something sort of similar. He sleeps in the buff, and when we docked in Nassau he got of bed and threw the curtains wide open in our balcony cabin. 'He very quickly threw them closed and ran back to bed and pulled the covers over his head. I asked him what was the matter?' 'He said: "There's a ship docked right next to us, and people out on their balcony."' One forum member made their cabin staff laugh by leaving stuffed trousers and carefully placed sneakers under their bed in the shape of a person The forum member continued, recalling how their cabin steward, his assistant and manager responded to their prank with this towel and bathrobe figure sat on their toilet It was revealed that pranks were rife on one ship. Forum user Pghsteelerfan recalls how her one of her gags amused the cabin staff: 'I stuffed my pair of jeans with towels, shoved them under the bed and put my shoes at the bottom, to make it look like a person was under there. 'Our cabin steward, his assistant, and their manager were the best weve ever had. It did scare them, at first, what I left them but we all got a great laugh out of it.' In response, the crew pranked Pghsteelerfan back. They said: 'A surprise was created and left for us by our cabin steward, his assistant, and their manager'. The staff had fashioned a figure sat on the en suite's toilet out of towels and a bathrobe. One cruiser shared that they thought it was cute that a family went to breakfast in their pajamas Hygiene and safety were also important considerations among the cruise community. Eagle-eyed MLBFan24 posted: 'A crew member was cleaning the drink station in one of the buffet dining rooms late in the evening (around 10pm). 'He did this by standing on top of the counter and using his shoe and a rag to wipe the counter. I definitely reported that to corporate'. While Cruzincurt wrote that he witnessed 'a dad dipping his diaper clad kiddo in and out of the hot tub like a tea bag.' Commenter Sea Hag was left puzzled by cautious holidaymakers, they wrote: 'We saw a group of four who wore their life jackets everywhere. This went on for at least several days, possibly the entire cruise. We wondered if they slept in them as well.' But it wasn't only fellow passengers that amused cruisers, user Swayde from Tampa, Florida, had a good laugh at her husband. She said: 'On our last cruise, my husband didn't know that you need to spread the spray on sunscreen around. So after being out in the sun all day he had a very interesting pattern of sunburn on his belly. His favourite place is New Zealand, but he's visited Norway, USA, Canada, Japan, China, Australia and more as he has only posted a modest 212 times It is common for Ernst to get 48K likes on one picture, which is s Advertisement For a jolt of travel inspiration, a quick scroll of this German jet-setter's pictures should do the trick. Part-time photographer Daniel Ernst, 26, is an adventurer by nature, he hunts down obscure corners of the world to explore and shoot. In his mind, the more remote, the better the shot. This philosophy has proved popular as in the three and a half years he's been using the social photo-sharing platform Instagram, he's racked up over 222,000 avid followers who religiously track his international expeditions. Globe-trotting German part-time photographer Daniel Ernst shoots take him deep into nature to shoot , like Iceland's Gljufrabui waterfall (above), which has a width of 25 metres and a drop of 60 metres No matter what the season, he's happy to explore even the most remote of places, like the small fishing village of Hamny (above) on the Norwegian Lofotens islands It's the natural world that offers the most creative inspiration to him, so wherever he travels he sets out on treks, taking pictures along the way. Ernst describes himself as as much a photographer as a story-teller, which comes through in his atmospheric images that marvel at the landscapes of the places he's visited. Over the years he's collected passport stamps from New Zealand, Norway, the Faroe Islands, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, Iceland, Switzerland and Austria. Though he usually uses a timer to shoot himself he was lucky to see a fisherman he could use for a model instead while photographing Bow Lake (above) in Canada He describes New Zealand (above) as his favourite destination as it has the most varied landscape of anywhere he has visited To get out in the wilds of a new destination he told MailOnline Travel: 'Most times I rent a car or buy a bus ticket to get to a trailhead where I start hiking, sometimes for many days'. Now a seasoned traveller he is always prepared for every eventuality. He said: 'I always carry is a map, a head torch, first aid kit, a light insulation layer and a rain jacket. Of course my camera gear like batteries, tripod, lenses, remote is always part of my packing. This shot of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand, received 16.9K likes on the social photo sharing app Instagram where he has over 222K followers The magical looking Eltz castle in Germany (above) has a fantasy feel to it with turrets and flag poles peaking out of its Gothic architecture 'Depending on the adventure I'll bring along a sleeping bag and pad, a tent, gas cook and food for the time.' Though the self-taught photographer who works part time as an engineer grew up in Frankfurt, Germany, he has spent the last few years living in New Zealand. He said that it has been the most memorable place he has ever visited. He said 'Its landscape has so much variety that you can find all countries I've visited in just one.' Ernst's shot of this grassy ridge line in Switzerland, which he took on a roadtrip around the country, received over 33,000 likes on Instagram 'I try to make a link between nature and human. So most of my images are featuring someone in a landscape. Through that I can give the whole landscape a scale and the viewer can identify better with the photo.' He said. Norway is pictured above With fog sweeping over snow topped mountains in Switzerland's Lauterbrunnen valley (above), the photographer shot his friend skateboarding. This picture received 35.6K likes on Instagram While he often finds himself exploring the world alone he consciously takes self-portraits rather than landscape shots. He reasons: 'I try to make a link between nature and human. So most of my images are featuring someone in a landscape. 'Through that I can give the whole landscape a scale and the viewer can identify better with the photo.' Technically, his images vary in style, but he consistently works with timers. He explained: 'One key gadget for my camera is a remote trigger that works wirelessly over a few hundred metres'. Putting a new spin on treating a holiday rental just like home, guests have been pushing the boundaries in their behaviour. Users of a popular internet forum have spent the last 18 days revealing their worst experiences hosting and staying in private vacation accommodation. From guests using their home as a venue for orgies and weddings to hosts giving out wrong addresses and locking visitors in their room, no story was too extreme for this thread. Scroll down for video Users of a popular internet forum have been been answering the question: 'AirBnb hosts of Reddit. What is your most memorable experience with a tenant?' Over 4,300 people responded to the Reddit question: 'AirBnb hosts of Reddit. What is your most memorable experience with a tenant?' Answers came speeding in from renters, tenants and even staff from a popular vacation rental website. Drinks and drugs fuelled a lot of the memories. One host wanted to (but didn't) draw the line when he found out he was accidentally hosting a sex party. Although it was commenter Mishap's wedding night she was booked to host two sets of visitors. And, decided not cancel them as they 'seemed nice'. At 2am the couple returned home, noted their place was trashed but decide to just head to bed: 'We hear them come in, and they're clearly drunk people "trying to be quiet". We're not too concerned.' One user recalled how tenants trashed their place and held a rampant orgy starting at 4am She continued: 'Fast forward to sometime around 4-5am. We start to hear someone having sex in our living room, which is outside of our bedroom. Less okay, but again, better to just leave it and deal with it in the morning.' Waking up in the morning there was a rude surprise: 'There are two naked people on my couch who are not the people we booked too. The mess is obviously still there, but they've pushed the table across the room. 'My husband is pretty firm and says they need to clean and get out, and that it's pretty rude. He says really forcibly at this point, "It was my wedding night and a lot of sex was had in this apartment, but not by me!" I cracked up'. A Berlin host called AwkwardZoneDefeated revealed a Georgian guest was extra cautious before staying with him. He wrote: 'Her mum made her send a message to ask if her room was lockable as a male (me) would be living in the same apartment. She needed directions for everything and wanted to Skype with my roommate to see if she was real.' The brother of forum poster Ic2ofblue unwittingly hosted a wedding: 'When he came home he noticed a lot of things just seemed off with his house - furniture not exactly in the same place, paintings on the wall were crooked, carpet really dirty for just two people, and his back yard was wrecked. 'A few days later he runs into his next door neighbour who starts asking him about the wedding. My brother had absolutely no idea what he was talking about and comes to find out the couple who he rented his place out to threw a full on wedding at his house. One homeowner discovered that their property had been used to host a wedding party and later found out a guest made a copy of their key and broke in to steal everything (file image) 'He looks the girl up on Facebook and sure enough, they had a huge rehearsal dinner the night before, catered wedding, around 40 people in chairs they brought and set up in the backyard, even a minister.' The kicker was that after all of that, one of the guests had a made a copy of his key and later broke in and 'cleaned out the place.' A travel company worker revealed some of the worst accounts he has heard. Writing under the pseudonym FG_Regulus, he wrote that people complained about staying at properties with 'sex dungeons' in them. Guests chipped in about their experiences as well. One recalled how he and his friends were locked in their room and then had the host's overdue rent demanded from them. After arriving in California, they first noticed their host was 'sketchy' when the address to the apartment wasn't the one initially listed. Things went wrong for WeDaNorth when a lock on their door broke, for 20 minutes they tried to break out, but couldn't. Eventually, they contacted the host, who responded with broken texts. It wasn't just the guests that were the problem as one couple renting a place in New York revealed they had an unwelcome surprise at 6.30am when the host crept into their bed The online poster shared: 'The maintenance man comes to our room (let's call him Hector). Problem is that Hector is drunk and banging on our door. 'Veronica [the host] was about to get evicted in a couple of days due to overdue rent. Hector tells us he will let us out when we pay our overdue rent whether it takes 4 hours or 4 days.' Another redditor told of how a host tried to get into bed with him and his girlfriend. Woodleaguelad recalled the unwelcome guest: 'Flash forward to 6:30 am, I and the GF hear the door open to the room. We look and see our host stepping over our luggage and adjusting the air conditioning unit. We stare in puzzlement but...Maybe there is something in the dresser she needed? A man has been charged by police after he urinated on fellow passengers during an EasyJet jet flight from Copenhagen to Edinburgh yesterday. The 26-year-old had tried to disembark from the plane shortly after it landed at the city's airport but had been told by cabin crew to return to his seat. Instead, the customer unzipped his trousers and proceeded to empty his bladder onto people sitting in nearby seats. A 26 year old man urinated on passengers during a flight to Edinburgh yesterday The police were called to meet the passenger on the plane and he has since been charged. According to an EasyJet spokesman, the passenger had reportedly been drinking his own alcohol after boarding the flight from Denmark. A spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We can confirm that flight EZY6984 from Copenhagen to Edinburgh on 13 July was met by police on arrival in Edinburgh as a result of a passenger onboard behaving in a disruptive manner. 'EasyJet's cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time. Police were called to meet the passenger on the plane at Edinburgh airport and he has since been charged 'For the safety of all on board it is illegal for passengers to drink alcohol purchased in the airport during the flight. 'Whilst such incidents are rare we take them very seriously, do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard and always push for prosecution. Advertisement Holidaymakers in China's Shandong province have found an alternative to the classic combination of sunscreen and hat. Opting out of tanning, fair-skinned men, women and children visiting the sandy beaches of Qingdao have been sporting Face-Kinis. The brightly coloured protective item is similar to a balaclava and appears to be sewn out of waterproof fabrics. This facemask and swim hat hybrid may seem like a drastic measure to cut down on UV exposure, but it is a popular accessory on these shores. And, it been that way for years. Where some fashions come and go, this item, which was invented in 2004, has remained a staple with the region's female bathers since reaching the mass market ten years ago. Covering every inch of the face, bar the eyes, nose and mouth, it effectively masks the wearer from the scorching heat of the region, which regularly reaches the mid-thirties in the summer. It has also been proposed that the city's annual algae bloom and local jellyfish population may be fueling sales. For those wishing to get their hands on this headwear, one piece can cost between 15 to 25 yuan (1.70 to 2.80). Scroll down for video On the shores of Qingdao in the Shandong Province of China, brightly coloured and sometimes patterned face-kinis are a popular accessory First designed in 2004, this swim hat and face mask hybrid became popular in 2006 once it hit mass production and has stayed popular ever since It is said that the unusual swimwear addition is better sun protection than lotion and is worn to counter the impact of damaging UV rays Young, old, fair and tanned, this piece is popular with a variety of women but it is a very rare sight to see a man in one The annual algae blooms and stinging jellyfish swimming the local beaches could be part of the reason for face-kinis being commonplace Some wear theirs in the sea while others are seen wearing theirs to sunbathe on the sand, which begs the question of why wear it at all? The piece fully covers the face and has reinforced holes for the eyes, mouth and nose for wearers to comfortably breathe and see out of It's not unusual to see groups of women of all ages enjoying the waves in the protective mask The piece isn't a luxury item, it costs roughly between 15 to 25 yuan (1.70 to 2.80) and can be found at lots of shops along the shoreline Bethany Hamilton has withdrawn her name from the ESPYs category for Best Female Athlete With A Disability. The news was reported ahead of tonight's annual ESPY Awards in Los Angeles by E!. 'Bethany expressed to ESPN that she was appreciative of the nomination but didn't feel it was a good fit for her, so ESPN removed her from the category upon her request,' ESPN told the website in a statement. Not for consideration: Pro surfer Bethany Hamilton has withdrawn her name from the category for the ESPY Award for Best Female Athlete With A Disability because, her rep said, it's 'not a good fit' The 26-year-old pro surfer who lost her left arm in a shark attack when she was 13, had previously been announced as a nominee along with four other para-athletes. But her name is no longer listed in the voting section of the awards website. The nominees currently are runner Tatyana McFadden, volleyball player Heather Erickson, cross-country skier Oksana Masters and cyclist Shawn Morelli. Inspiratinal athlete: Bethany, 26, lost her left arm below the shoulder in a shark attach when she was 13 and documented her determination to surf again in her book Soul Surfer In 2004, Bethany was honored with the ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete and her courage and determination to continue surfing after losing her arm garnered her headlines and fame. She had been paddling on her board with her left arm dangling in the water along Tunnels Beach in Hawaii when she was attacked by a Tiger Shark, losing her arm just below the shoulder. She wrote about her experiences in her book Soul Surfer that was later turned into a movie released in 2011 starring AnnaSophia Robb. She also went on to have a cameo in Dolphin Tale 2 Before long, everyone will be fitted with cameras. Everything we see and do will be on video, recorded from our own viewpoints. Wearing a pin-point lens and mic will seem as normal as putting on your shoes or your specs. Saving Lives At Sea (BBC1) Rating: This technology delivered exceptional footage in Saving Lives At Sea (BBC1), which had RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews donning headcams to tape their missions. At first the pictures were jumbled and confused, as heavy seas threw the inflatables upwards and back, and the waves burst over the sides. All we could see was a blur of sky, water and orange boat. But then, answering a false alarm on a stormy winter's day, the Blackpool lifeboat was hit by a squall and flipped over, just a few hundred feet from shore. Saving Lives At Sea (BBC1), had RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews donning headcams to tape their missions What followed was incredible. Mocking up this scene in an action blockbuster would cost millions, and all the special effects in Hollywood couldn't make it half so gripping. The three-man crew pitched into the swollen sea, and only two of them came up. They tried to cling to the upturned boat but the galvanised rubber hammered against their heads, threatening to knock them cold. So they let go and were swept under Blackpool pier by the currents. Every wave hurled them against the barnacled stanchions. The sound was as vivid as the images, as Simon and Kyle, a commercial seaman and an undertaker, fought to keep themselves from being dashed to death. Quite simply, there has never been a scene like this on television, taking us right through the legs of the pier as two men battled for their lives, and the drama of it was enough to make you forget what an extraordinary technical feat this was. The sound was so clear, we almost seemed to hear their heartbeats. Thankfully, both men and their crewmate were rescued. So too was Paul, a software consultant, a lifeboatman who was swept off cliffs in North Wales as he administered first aid to a fisherman stranded and injured in a storm. SPEED JUNKIES OF THE NIGHT World War II Spitfire ferry pilot Mary, now 99, and Arctic convoy veteran Alan, 92, were defiantly behind the wheel in 100-Year-Old Drivers: Rebooted (ITV). Who would dare tell them to give up their car keys? I wouldn't fancy the job would you? Advertisement Paul described his feelings as a giant wave dragged him into the sea and flung him against rocks. Thoughts of family raced through his mind: his wife had recently given birth to a daughter. 'I just thought, there's no way it's time to die yet.' The heroism of these volunteers (a solicitor, a train driver, an electrician, a data analyst) was beyond belief, even more than the quality of the footage. The pity was that the programme-makers didn't seem to fully appreciate what they'd got. The documentary was put together in a formulaic, workmanlike way, the same as any other show about emergency services: each segment had the same rhythm and structure. The final ten minutes, about the rescue by tractor of a family marooned in last year's Cumbria floods, was an anti-climax, not improved by the soundtrack all-purpose 'Sad Piano', as heard on everything from Casualty to X Factor. Man Down (Channel 4) Rating: Man Down (C4), written by and starring Greg Davies as an incompetent comprehensive school teacher, also doesn't seem to appreciate what it's got. The cast is top-notch, with Sir Tony 'Time Team' Robinson playing the creepy roue courting Greg's mother and Shakespearean Steven Berkoff as a deranged Serbian janitor. Prowling his lair below the school, a nest of heating pipes lit by bare lightbulbs, Berkoff is in his element. But then Man Down has always had outstanding guest roles: in the first series, in 2013, Rik Mayall played Greg's psychotic father. Man Down (C4), written by and starring Greg Davies as an incompetent comprehensive school teacher Sadly, the script wastes much of the genius. Too often the punchlines are just swearwords not clever and not funny, as a teacher would say. There are moments of surreal brilliance: to humour the janitor, Greg brings him a box of red plonk, which Berkoff drinks straight from the plastic tap. But that's wrecked by every witless obscenity, every infantile poo-belly-bum joke. After 15 minutes, you're thinking: 'This is dross why am I wasting my time? And why does Greg Davies let his standards slump so low?' Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have reportedly put their divorce on hold. The couple - who have kids Violet, 10, Seraphina, seven, and four-year-old Samuel - announced last year they were going their separate ways after 10 years of marriage, but proceedings have slowed up somewhat. A source close to the brunette beauty told Us Weekly: 'Jen mentioned that the divorce was going through very soon, and then a few weeks ago, things changed. 'Things changed': Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, pictured at the Vanity Fair Oscars party in 2014, have reportedly put their divorce on hold, sources have told Us Weekly 'It does not seem to be moving in that direction,' the source told the magazine. 'Jen seems to still be in love with Ben but doesn't allow her mind to go there. She just focuses on the kids.' The couple are still living together with their children in their five-bedroom mansion, and the 43-year-old actor is said to be keen to get their marriage back on track. This follows multiple reports that Affleck no longer wanted to split. Family matters: The former couple were pictured with children Samuel, Violet, and Seraphina in November 2015 in Los Angeles Hand in hand: The pair held hands as they walked the red carpet at the Oscars in 2013 Another insider added to Us Weekly magazine: 'If it was up to Ben, they would be together. He feels like he can't live without Jen." However, insiders close to the 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' star, who sleeps in the guest room of their $17.5 million house, insists divorce is still on the agenda. They said: 'They were never in a rush to file. This was always the plan.' The way they were: The couple held hands at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party just two years ago in 2014 This comes a week after it was reported that Ben and Jennifer, 44, were 'still figuring things out'. A source told People: 'They're still figuring things out. Ben still doesn't want the divorce and he might actually get his way. 'She had the best time in Europe with Ben and the kids. She seemed much happier when she returned to L.A. Jen went from being very adamant that a divorce would happen to instead avoiding any divorce talk.' She expected to 'have a blast' when returning to the big screen after nearly 15 years. And it's clear Goldie Hawn's excitement lived up to her expectations as she filmed on set of her mother-daughter comedy on Monday. The 70-year-old actress was in stitches while shooting with co-star Amy Schumer in Honolulu for their untitled film. Beaming beauty! Goldie Hawn, 70, was in stitches while shooting with co-star Amy Schumer in Honolulu, Hawaii for their untitled mother-daughter comedy The Oscar-winning actress sat alongside Schumer - who co-wrote the comedy - as she burst into laughter. She wore olive green cropped trousers and a cream-coloured boho-inspired blouse with maroon embroidering along the hemline. Her signature blonde locks were styled in relaxed waves and swept in up-curls around her face for a youthful appearance. Leggy blonde! The 35-year-old Trainwreck star displayed her slender stems and ample bosom in a plunging white minidress The ageless beauty sat with the 35-year-old Trainwreck star who showcased her sun-kissed skin in a plunging white minidress. Amy's slender stems and ample bosom was on display as she posed perfectly on the tropical island. Her golden tresses cascaded in curly tendrils and she shaded her piercing blue eyes with tortoise shell sunglasses. The stunning ladies chuckled like giddy school girls as they sat with co-star Tom Bateman, 26, who looked hunky in a dark beard. Flirty: The stunning ladies laughed like giddy school girls as they sat with co-star Tom Bateman, 26, who looked hunky in a dark beard Hawn was clearly delighted while shooting on her upcoming comedy, as the last film she starred in was in the 2002 comedy The Banger Sisters. The legendary actress deliberately taking a hiatus to focus on charitable work through her The Hawn Foundation. But she says the lure of starring with Schumer in an action comedy proved too big a temptation to resist, telling People: 'I'm extremely excited about it. Its going to be a blast!' Vintage vibe: The Oscar-winning actress wore olive green cropped trousers and a cream-coloured boho-inspired blouse with maroon embroidering along the hemline 'She's amazing,' Hawn said in March. 'I just can't think of a better movie than doing this with Amy.' 'Two women lost in the jungle. It's going to be so much fun! I love her very much.' It was announced earlier this year that Goldie was set to play Amy's mom in a comedy about a mother-daughter vacation that goes horribly wrong. The plot for the film, that will be directed by Jonathan Levine, is a closely guarded secret. Australian model Montana Cox will be leaving David Jones as ambassador when her contract runs out this month, it has been confirmed. Despite parting ways from the fashion brand after three years, the company's marketing general manager, Michiel Tops, told Daily Mail Australia that the 22-year-old model will 'still be part of the David Jones family'. David Jones has reached a mutual agreement with Montana Cox that her contract as an official David Jones Ambassador will not be renewed, he said. Scroll down for video 'We hold our relationship with her in very high regard': David Jones have confirmed they will not renew ambassador Montana Cox's lucrative contract Montana has always promoted and represented David Jones to the highest standard, and we hold our relationship with her in very high regard. Montana will continue to be a part of the David Jones family, and we look forward to seeing where the next chapter of her career takes her. The companys spokesperson also revealed the brunette beauty will still be taking to the catwalk at the upcoming Spring Summer launch in August, just not in her current capacity as an official ambassador. While Jesinta Campbell joined the ambassador ranks for the brand in 2015, there are no obvious front-runners to take Montana's place in the official line up, which currently includes Jessica Gomes and Jason Dundas. Runway sensation: Despite parting ways from the fashion brand after three years, the company's marketing general manager told Daily Mail Australia that the 22-year-old will 'still be part of the David Jones family' Still sauntering down the runway: The brunette beauty will still take to the catwalk at the upcoming Spring Summer launch in August, just not in her current capacity as an official ambassador Earlier this year, Montana fronted the department store's 'In My Jeans' campaign, sizzling in the campaign shots. The news for the leggy stunner comes just months after her colleague Jessica Gomes reportedly inked a one-year deal to stay on with the brand, despite her burgeoning Hollywood career. In May, PS Sydney reported the 30-year-old will stay on with the department store for another 12 months, for a rumoured $350,000. The Perth-born beauty has been an ambassador for the department store for three years and regularly appears on the runway during Fashion Week and at new season collection launches. Replacement? There are no obvious front-runners to take Montana's place in the official line up, which currently includes Jessica Gomes (front), Jason Dundas and Jesinta Campbell (right) Staying: The news for the leggy stunner (left) comes just months after her colleague Jessica Gomes (right) reportedly inked a one-year deal to stay on with the brand, despite her burgeoning Hollywood career Jessica's renewed commitment to the store, means Jesinta Campbell will continue to be number two to the LA-based model. At a recent casting call, the exotic model revealed to the Daily Telegraph: 'We're looking for spunk, personality and an X Factor.' As Jessica swapped the runway for the casting chair she added that she was looking for both men and women who are confident in their own skin. 'I think it's all about no labelling and just embracing everyone's individuality,' she also revealed to the paper. Hot on the heels of Len Goodman's announcing plans to step down as head judge on Strictly Come Dancing, it has been reported that two of the show's dancers are vying to replace him. Anton Du Beke, 49, and Brendan Cole, 40, have reportedly thrown their hats into the ring to become the head judge with the most influential vote on the BBC One show. According to The Sun, Anton believes he has Len Sir Bruce Forsyth in his corner for the gig, while Brendan sees himself as a winner after serving as a judge on the New Zealand version of the show. Scroll down for video The big face-off: Anton Du Beke, left, is battling it out with fellow dancer Brendan Cole, right, to replace Len Goodman as head judge on Strictly Come Dancing, according to The Sun 'Anton and Brendan have been with Strictly from the start and have been waiting for this opportunity,' a source told the newspaper. 'Anton initially wanted to take over from Brucie when he quit as presenter. He doesnt want to miss out on a big opportunity to join the judges. 'But Brendan is confident because he was a hit as a judge on the New Zealand version and thinks that was perfect grounding.' Stepping down: Len Goodman has revealed he is leaving Strictly Come Dancing after this year's series, saying, 'Its time to hand the role of head judge to someone else' However, it is seen as more likely that the coveted role will go to one of the current judges, Bruno Tonioli, Craig Revel Horwood or Darcey Bussell. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Brendan Cole and Anton Du Beke for comment. Veteran panelist Len stunned fans by announcing he's set to leave the BBC ballroom dancing competition at the end of this year. The 72-year-old star said it was an 'honour' to have been part of the Strictly line up for the last 12 years, but he is now looking forward to the next chapter in his life. Waltzing off! The 72-year-old star said it was an 'honour' to have been part of the Strictly line up for the last 12 years, but he is now looking forward to the next chapter in his life Fan favourite: Len was a popular presence on the panel and tributes have come flooding in from BBC executives He said in a statement: 'In 2004, I was asked to take part in a brand new BBC Saturday night show and who would have thought me, old Len Goodman, would still be part of this amazing series more than ten years on. 'This adventure began when I was 60 and now that Ive reached my 70s, Ive decided after this year its time to hand the role of head judge to someone else. 'It is an honour being part of the wonderful Strictly Come Dancing family and Im looking forward to my last series very much and to whatever comes next.' One more series: The star will be returning for one final hurrah alongside his fellow judges Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood Len will be returning for one final hurrah alongside his fellow judges Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are also set to present another series of the BAFTA award-winning show, putting the sparkle back into Saturday and Sunday nights. Charlotte Moore, Director of Content at BBC, commented: 'After 12 years, our wonderful Head Judge Len has decided it's time to hang up his Strictly Come Dancing shoes! Irreplaceable: There is as yet no word on who is being lined up to replace the TV favourite on the panel, but names including professional dancer Anton du Beke have been thrown into the mix in the past 'I know we are all going to miss him tremendously, but I also know Len's final series is going to be full of unmissable moments and I hope audiences will give him the special send-off he so deserves.' Louise Rainbow, Executive Producer of Strictly, said: 'We are absolutely delighted that Tess, Claudia and our judges are all returning for another year. 'Whilst we will be sad to say goodbye to Len, as our way of saying thank you, we are all determined to make this series the most spectacular, most glittery and entertaining yet.' It has not yet been confirmed whether Len will be continuing with his role as head judge on Dancing With The Stars, the American version of the show. Series fourteen: Strictly Come Dancing returns this autumn on BBC One The star's decision to turn his back on the programme won't come as too much of a surprise as he previously said he felt drained working on both shows and was struggling with the 11-hour commute. There is as yet no word on who is being lined up to replace the TV favourite on the panel, but names including professional dancer Anton du Beke have been thrown into the mix in the past. The news will come as a blow to fans following the departure of beloved presenter Sir Bruce Forsyth in 2014, amid fears the show was affecting his health. Bruce, 88, has since been involved in the Strictly Children In Need and Christmas Specials and there is hope Len might do the same. Classy: Len's co-judge Darcey Bussell cut a typically sophisticated figure as she left the Prudential Series 60 Minutes event in the China Exchange People person: Darcey was happy to pose for pictures outside the venue Meanwhile, Len's co-judge Darcey Bussell emerged from London's China Exchange, on Wednesday, following her Prudential Series 60 Minutes event. Wearing a classy white blouse and a knee-length black skirt, she sauntered with a smile on her face while clutching a single red rose. The former ballerina may have had a smile on her face, but no doubt Len's announcement was met with sadness. Strictly Come Dancing returns for its 14th series this autumn on BBC One. If it wasn't enough that Sheridan Smith had been putting the time back in for her fans, the bubbly blonde put the effort into learning sign language to impress a special visitor on Wednesday. The 35-year-old had just finished a fourth night in her play Funny Girl, after making a surprise return to the West End at the weekend but she had hours to spare the ticket holders afterwards. She was smiling broadly outside London's Savoy Theatre, using her hands to communicate with a deaf fan, using basic 'Hello/hi' signals while another filmed the precious moment on her camera. Scroll down for video Is there anything she can't do? Sheridan Smith paused outside the Savoy Theatre on Wednesday night, stopping to learn sign language for a deaf fan after her Funny Girl show Sheridan was perfectly coiffed with her platinum tresses tucked behind her ears and her show make-up dulled down. After her performance, she had changed into a black cold shoulder blouse with the collar left open in a casual fashion. The warm and bubbly stage star stretched out her arms as if to embrace the theatre's evening attendees, before learning how to use her hands to make herself heard. Smiling: She was warm and welcoming as she did her best to communicate Warm embrace: The stunning star returned to the West End this weekend, and his been overwhelmed by the fans' support Sheridan pulled out of the West End smash two months ago, taking a break from performing due to stress and exhaustion. Understudy Natasha J Barnes was drafted in to replace Sheridan as leading lady Fanny Brice and won rave reviews for her performance from critics and theatre-goers alike. But none have been more pleased that those able to see Sheridan return to her leading role at the Savoy this week. Fans have routinely lined the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the Gavin & Stacey star, especially since she has been coming out to meet and greet. Hello/hi: Sheridan appeared to start her greeting with a conventional hello in sign language Sheridan has been putting smiles on faces and appears to be going from strength to strength onstage, too. In a statement from producers Sonia Friedman, David Babani and Scott Landis on Friday, enormous excitement was shared. It said: 'We are delighted to welcome Sheridan Smith back to Funny Girl this evening. It is currently planned that Sheridan will also play this Saturday evening (not matinee), and Monday to Saturday next week.' Natasha will stand in for the Wednesday matinee and Thursday evening performances, but Sheridan's schedule is subject to change. Star attraction: Sheridan has continued to put smiles on faces, seen here exiting on Tuesday night A personal touch: Sheridan kissed one fan on the cheek as she congratulated her on her performance Pouting up a storm: A radiant Sheridan emerged with her blonde locks slicked back and her lips covered in a bold red lipstick Back to her best: The actress, who was signed off work for two months earlier this year with stress and exhaustion, made a surprise return to Funny Girl, on Saturday Glowing: Sheridan looked happy and confident as she posed for a few snaps outside the theatre Hey you! She appeared in the greatest of spirits as she talked to some fans who had waited by the stage door The C-Word actress previously cancelled a number of performances in April after audience members had complained she appeared drunk on stage. She had been nominated for a Best Actress BAFTA for her portrayal of writer Lisa Lynch in BBC drama The C-Word earlier this year, but she lost out to Suranne Jones. Lynch died of cancer in 2013, aged just 33. The C-Word had also been nominated for Best Single Drama. Sheridan was said to be 'desperate' to win a Bafta to honour the woman whose battle with breast cancer inspired the programme. Molly Meldrum has been forced to bow out early from a 10-day cruise on businessman Lindsay Fox's chartered luxury liner due to his ongoing health problems, according to reports. The Australian music legend, 73, was enlisted as the DJ on board the five-star Seabourn Odyssey - dubbed the 'Love Boat' - but he has now left the ship and is flying home to Melbourne. He has been plagued by health problems and was left having to use a wheelchair after a serious fall in Thailand earlier this year where he came dangerously close to being paralysed. Scroll down for video Health issues: Molly Meldrum has been forced to bow out early from a 10-day cruise on Lindsay Fox's chartered luxury liner due to his ongoing health problems, pictured in a wheelchair at this year's Logies Molly had joined a motley crew of millionaires, TV presenters and entrepreneurs on board the 198m vessel last week in Athens for the cruise to Venice. But the Herald Sun reported that Molly left the ship when it was docked in Nydri, on the Greek island of Lefkada, and is currently flying home. TV presenter Eddie McGuire, former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett and mining magnate Andrew Forrest are rumoured to be among the 200 guests on board the luxury liner. Uber luxury: The Australian music legend, 73, was enlisted as the DJ on board the five-star Seabourn Odyssey (pictured) - dubbed the 'Love Boat' - but he has now left the ship and is flying home to Melbourne Friends in high places: Molly was invited on the ship by businessman Lindsay Fox (pictured together) The ship, which is chartered at more than $200,000 per day, has the highest space-per-guest ratio in the cruise ship industry, with the best suites boasting tanning beds and hot-tubs. Molly had made a slow recovery since having a serious fall in Thailand in January this year. The record producer and entrepreneur dislocated one of his shoulders and fractured several ribs when he slipped while getting out of a taxi in front of his Bangkok hotel in January. Spacious: The ship, which is chartered at more than $200,000 per day, has the highest space-per-guest ratio in the cruise ship industry, with the best suites boasting tanning beds and hot-tubs Injury: Earlier this year, the music industry legend suffered a serious fall while holidaying in Thailand, leaving him with a dislocated shoulder and fractured several ribs In an interview with the Daily Telegraph after the accident, Molly revealed that he came close to having his arm amputated and turned to alcohol to cope. The former Countdown host also suffered a life-threatening fall when he tripped down the stairs while putting up Christmas decorations in 2011. He was seen leaving the Logie Awards in a wheelchair in May this year. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Molly for a comment. There may be a reported riff in their family. But Kim definitely added a bit of Kardashian flare to Caitlyn Jenner's look. The 66-year-old Olympic gold medallist got styled out by her 35-year-old stepdaughter for the 2016 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Scroll down for video Wonder in white: Caitlyn Jenner looked stunning at the 2016 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday Caitlyn looked stunning in a white caped dress as she arrived at the event honouring the best teams and athletes of the year held at the Microsoft Theater. The ensemble looked very similar to Kim's maternity dress from the InStyle Awards in LA back in October. Cailtyn's look was a bit more racy, however, as she showed off a bit of skin with the dress completely off-the-shoulder. Inspiration? The 66-year-old Olympic gold medallist got styled out by Kim Kardashian, 35, who wore a very similar look at the InStyle Awards back in October Showing some skin: Cailtyn's look was a bit more racy, however, as she showed off a bit of skin with the dress completely off-the-shoulder Keeping it cool: She wore her highlighted brunette tresses down flowing over her shoulder as her make-up was complete with smokey eye make-up and shiny lip The cape draped all the way to the floor as it featured a short hemline to show off her legs and strappy silver sandals. She wore her highlighted brunette tresses down flowing over her shoulder as her make-up was complete with smokey eye make-up and shiny lip. Earlier in the day, Kim was spotted arriving at Caitlyn's home in Malibu in her white Rolls Royce. The former athlete had enlisted in the help of her super glam fashionista stepdaughter to help choose her award show look. Happy: Last year she was honoured with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award Saving the day? The cape draped all the way to the floor as it featured a short hemline to show off her legs and strappy silver sandals Kim even shared clips to Snapchat as the duo tried on looks and got glammed up for the event which celebrates sporting achievements. Caitlyn modeled a variety of stunning gowns, walking down a hallway as Kim filmed with her phone and gave her critique. The KUWTK star was seen in a lace cleavage-bearing ensemble as she addressed her fans saying 'Alright guys, we're at Caitlyn's getting her ready for the ESPYs, 'With none other than Michael Costello... and he's sewing my top!' she added as the fashion designer could be seen tending to her ensemble. Help is on the way: Earlier in the day KIm was spotted making her way to Caitlyn's home in Malibu Glam time: Earlier in the day Kim shared Snapchats from her stepfather Caitlyn's house on Wednesday as they duo got ready for the ESPY Awards 'He's sewing up my top!' Kim revealed she was being fitted into her outfit by Michael Costello 'She did that last year!' Caitlyn, 66, modeled some possible looks for the event including this white gown which Kim thought was too similar to what the former athlete wore in 2015 'This could be an option': Caitlyn then modeled a black gown, walking away from the camera showing off the fishtail sillhouette In the next clip Kim videoed Caitlyn as she modeled a dramatic black fishtail gown. 'This could be an option... but we're not sure yet,' The father-of-six then switched into another figure-hugging number as Kim said: 'Or a gorgeous white moment...' before whispering '...but she did that last year,' referring to Caitlyn's 2015 ESPYs look. In the final clip the KUWTK star showed off a sparkly black backless gown to which Kim said 'Or this one, all sequins,' 'Or this one, all sequins' The reality star shared a clip of Caitlyn showing off a sparkly number Perfect! The reality star shared a selfie once her makeup had been done by artist Rob Scheppy Finished looks? The ladies certainly appeared to be ready as they posed next to Costello Caitlyn showed off her finished makeup look with an Instagram posing next to her makeup artist Rob Scheppy. Caitlyn was honoured with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2015 awards where she stunned in a Versace wrap-style gown. It's not clear if any of Caitlyn's other family members will be attending with her this year but last year she was surrounded by her relatives. She is reportedly not on talking terms with Khloe after the pair had a fall-out in January over a Howard Stern interview the Kardashian gave. 'The way she threw Kris under the bus so badly [in the Vanity Fair cover story last June] made the girls so mad. Khloe still isn't in a good place with her and hasn't really forgiven her.' an insider told People. Emotional: Caitlyn opted for a white Versace gown as she was honoured with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2015 awards show Support: It's not clear who will be attending this year's event but last year Caitlyn was surrounded by her family She shot to fame in the late 90s as the quintessential American girl Vicky in American Pie. But at 40, it seems Tara Reid is questioning what's happened to her career, most recently starring in a film franchise about a shark disaster in Los Angeles and 'Hollywood meets Bollywood' movie. Speaking to Today Extra's Sonia Kruger and David Campbell on Thursday, she questioned her career after starring in Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens and Bollywood-inspired film Tie The Knot. Scroll down for video Pondering her life: Speaking about her latest projects - Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens and Bollywood-inspired film Tie The Knot, Tara Reid questioned what had happened to her career 'I was doing that movie (Tie The Knot) and Sharknado at the same time and I was like, "What am I doing anymore? What's happening?" She added: 'Where did my career go?' The blonde actress said the process of filming Bollywood musical Tie The Knot was 'weird' for her as it was a completely different process. Golden days: Tara shot to fame as Vicky - the quintessential American high school girl in American Pie , however she has struggled to replicate the success of that role Shocked: The actress admitted she never thought she would be making a fourth installment to the Sharknado franchise, after initially thinking it was 'a disaster' 'Weirder than Sharknado': The 40-year-old actress said her latest film Tie The Knot (pictured), which she described as 'Hollywood meets Bollywood', was a very different process for her due to dancing and singing 'You're talking and people just break out into a dance. You're like "what is it?" 'To me it's even weirder than Sharknado,' the charismatic actress added. Tara continued, speaking honestly about her first impressions of the shark disaster film, saying she never expected to be making a fourth installment. 'I did not think we'd be doing Sharknado 4,' she said, adding with defiance: 'Absolutely not.' Troubled times: Tara became something a laughing stock in Hollywood after several failed films, and even more embarrassing public moments A downward spiral: Appearing worse for wear on various occasions, she acquired a reputation in Hollywood as a party girl who definitely didn't play by the rules She said that after reading the script for the first film, she thought it was 'so bad' but her friends convinced her to give it a go. She recalled how it was originally called Dark Skies, but was changed to Sharknado, much to Tara's disappointment. 'It was called Dark Skies so it didn't look that bad, then four days into the movie they were like: 'We're calling it Sharknado".' She said she thought it was going to be 'a disaster' with such a name, but has stuck by the successful franchise through the second and third installments, titled Sharknado 2: The Second One and Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!. Worrying: Tara's fluctuating weight has raised eyebrows over the years, with her sudden weight loss at times leading to concerns for her well being She also touched on filming yet another American Pie film, joking the cast would all be in an 'elderly home' if they reprised their roles again. Tara starred as Vicky in three of four of the popular comedy films, American Pie in 1999, American Pie 2 in 2001, and American Reunion in 2012. Tara became something a laughing stock in Hollywood after several failed films, and even more embarrassing public moments. Appearing worse for wear on various occasions, she acquired a reputation in Hollywood as a party girl who definitely didn't play by the rules. Can't let go? The star said she's considered filming another American Pie film, joking the cast would all be in an 'elderly home' if they reprised their roles again Tara's fluctuating weight has raised eyebrows over the years, with her sudden weight loss at times leading to concerns for her well-being. And in 2004 Tara had a joint liposuction-breast enhancement operation, which went wrong. She previously said of the procedure: 'I got lipo because even though I was skinny, I wanted - Im not going to lie a six-pack. 'I had body contouring, but it all went wrong. My stomach became the most ripply, bulgy thing.' She also suffered an infamous wardrobe malfunction in 2004 where she flashed her left breast while on the red carpet at Diddy's birthday party. She often gets herself into awkward situations. And viewers of Offspring can expect nothing less from Asher Keddie's character Nina Proudman in next week's episode. A new preview clip reveals the blonde beauty sends an accidental text message to fellow doctor Angus Freeman after she has a one-night stand with another man, a move she very much regrets the next day. Scroll down for video In trouble: In a preview for next week's episode of Offspring, Asher Keddie's character Nina tells her sister Billie she accidentally sent a text message to Dr Angus after she abandoned him on their date 'Tell me everything,' Nina's older sister Billie says, sitting by her siblings side while she wakes up. 'We went out for a drink last night, and we thought something might happen and then I went home with someone else,' Nina confesses, recounting the surprise series of events that played out hours earlier. However fans are then informed that this is just the beginning of a storyline bombshell, as a voiceover projects: 'But that's not the end of it'. 'That's not all,' a tired Nina then admits to her sister, played by Kat Stewart. Time to face the music: 'Can we just forget about what happened?' Nina then says to Angus 'There's more?' Billie eagerly enquires. Again the voiceover interjects, teasing viewers: 'Brace yourselves for the accidental text that leaves everyone speechless'. Billie then asks Nina what she happened to send Angus, before the protagonist must face the music and begs Angus to put the incident behind them. 'Can we just forget about what happened?' she insists, before viewers are shown a confused expression on Angus' face as the clip draws to a close and leaves them in suspense. On Wednesday night's episode of Offspring, Nina went on a date with Dr Angus, before eventually abandoning him and going home with another man. Awkward: Viewers are shown a confused expression on Angus' face as the clip draws to a close and leaves them in suspense Funnily enough, the genetically blessed hunk who then features in the subsequent sex scenes, is in fact Asher's real-life husband Vincent Fantauzzo. It didn't take long for fans to flood social media with a raft of responses to the passionate love-making scene. 'Well that'll be a weird family movie night in the future. 'mum&dad!' Tweeted one viewer after the erotic scene went to air. Awkwardness appeared to be a common feeling among viewers, with another fan Tweeting: 'I felt like I was proper watching husband and wife porn just now'. Earlier: During Wednesday night's episode, Angus and Nina decided to go on a date to see if sparks would fly 'Wait a second, did we just give Asher Keddie her own union approved sex tape?' added another. Other Offspring lovers called for Vincent to take on a permanent role on the show, with one Tweeting: 'How about that one night stand!?! @vfantauzzo should make a regular appearance'. 'Asher's hubby is a babe!' exclaimed another fan. Following the wild tryst, protagonist Nina (Asher) is asks herself: 'What was that? What just happened? Who is the person who just did that?' Vincent, an artist by trade, made his Offspring debut in a cameo role during the episode, playing Franklin Swan, a friend of Nina's new half-brother Wil Bowen (TJ Power). Samuel Gregg appeared on the recent episode of the podcast The Catholic Cave, Britain, the EU and You, to discuss Britains recent referendum vote to leave the EU. The show considers factors that potentially led to the Brexit other than trade and immigration issues, including dissatisfaction with international bureaucracy, cultural and philosophical differences between Britain and other European countries, and problems of subsidiarity. Gregg sees Brexit as a reassertion of national sovereignty, reaffirmation of the importance of the nation state, and a revoltagainst bureaucracy. The event presents warning signs, he says, for all transnational and supranational institutions who seek to rule in a top-down, centralized, administrative manner, including the European Union, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. Part of the reason that people are becoming wary of transnational institutions, according to Gregg, is the sheer lack of political accountability and disconnect between the voters and those running the institutions, the bureaucratic class. Explains Gregg: People are fed up with a political class who presume to know better, who are constantly carping on about how things should be, and really I think are quite contemptuous of what ordinary people think about things. Gregg views this growing resentment of the political class as part of the explanation for the reemergence of populism in the United States and calls it a recipe for potential populism in the future. He speculates about whether trans- and supranational organizations will recognize these frustrations and alter their administrative style accordingly. In considering the religious implications of the event, Gregg calls the Brexit an opportunity for Catholics to reconsider the repercussions of transnational institutions, of which the Church has mostly been in strong support, and take a more critical look at their practices. You can listen to the full podcast online and download it for free here. She recently opened up about how she broke down during one of her first challenging workouts since giving birth to her first baby, Axel. And now celebrity fitness instructor Michelle Bridges has admitted that she almost gave up recording the audio version of her new book, Make It Happen, after the first hour. The Biggest Loser trainer, 45, who juggles looking after her six-month old with running a multi-million-dollar fitness empire, initially thought creating an audio book would be easy, she told The Fix. Scroll down for video Struggle: Celebrity fitness instructor Michelle Bridges has admitted that she found recording the audio version of her book 'challenging' and almost gave up after the first hour But she was forced to give herself a stern talking to after wanting to wave the white flag when she only up to page 13 of her latest title. 'It's been challenging to be honest with you,' Bridges said. 'Day one, first hour, I was actually thinking "who do I need to tell that I'm waving the white flag on this?" and I've never really thought that about any projects that I've done,' she said. New mum: The Biggest Loser trainer, 45, juggles looking after her six-month old, Axel (pictured) Getting it done: She was forced to give herself a stern talking to after wanting to wave the white flag when she only up to page 13 of her book Make It Happen 'I quickly gave myself a talking to, but I remember sitting in that booth thinking 'I'm only up to page 13 and I've got to go over 300 pages and I can hear how I haven't got the right inflection, or I haven't said it the way I would have liked to have said it.' 'It's like "Oh my God, I'm going to be here forever",' she added, joking she thought her voice would sound more like legendary actor and voice-over artist Morgan Freeman. But she got through it and now her words are available via Audible.com.au, in her own voice, to help motivate anyone who needs an injection of Bridges' intensity in their life. Achievement: She got through it and now her words are available via Audible.com.au, in her own voice, to help motivate anyone who needs an injection of Bridges' intensity in their life The mother, who has a six-month-old boy, Axel, with her partner Steve 'Commando' Willis, said the book is different to others she has written, which were focused on nutrition and exercise. During the interview, Michelle also admitted her life juggling a booming empire with fitness training and being a full-time mum was not as 'put together' as she made it look, calling it 'smoke and mirrors'. Recently the first time mum revealed she broke down in tears when a workout pushed her to her limits. The fitness guru said she was worrying: 'Am I going to be strong enough? Can I get through through this work out? Will I get my fitness back? Will I get back to where I was before I had Axel?' Her new book aims to provide solutions to everyday challenges. Family snap: She has a six-month-old boy, Axel, with her partner Steve 'Commando' Willis 'I really believe out of all of my books this one especially is perfect for an audio book,' she said. Each chapter is made up of lessons Bridges has learnt along the way and ends with bullet points in an easy-to-digest toolkit. The lessons in the book come from Bridges' own sources of knowledge, including her grandmother, her mother and even her clients. 'I wrote the book because I'm a big believer that you don't always have to knock your head up against the wall to learn lessons,' she said. 'Sometimes you can learn it from someone else even if it's just one thing that resonates with you.' The internet erupted after Star Trek veteran George Takei voiced disappointment over the decision to make the character Sulu gay in the upcoming Star Trek Beyond movie. The 79-year-old however claimed his comments were taken out of context and that he his position is far more nuanced than has been represented so far. The openly gay actor, who shot to prominence as the original Sulu on Star Trek, wrote a long and passionate essay on Facebook which he posted on Wednesday. Controversy: The internet erupted after Star Trek veteran George Takei voiced disappointment over the decision to make the character Sulu gay in the upcoming Star Trek Beyond movie He began by writing, humorously: '[M]any of you have been following the gay Sulu story and wanted to know why Im being such a sourpuss. Im writing to set the record straight, if you will.' 'When the news first broke, I gave a lengthy telephone interview, but the headlines have been misleading. Apparently, controversy makes for better sales! Let me be clear: I am not disappointed that there is a gay character in Star Trek,' he continued. 'On the contrary, as I made clear, I am delighted that the Star Trek franchise has addressed this issue, which is truly one of diversity. It is thrilling to know that future generations will not see LGBTs go wholly unrepresented in the Trek universe.' 'On the specific question of Sulu being gay, when I was first approached with the concept, I responded that I hoped instead that Gene Roddenberrys original characters and their backgrounds would be respected. How exciting it would be instead if a new hero might be created, whose story could be fleshed out from scratch, rather than reinvented. To me, this would have been even more impactful.' Legacy: Takei, pictured as the Starship Enterprise navigator in the original TV series, argued that the decision to give Sulu a same-sex partner went against the vision of Star Trek creator Gene Rodenberry GEORGE TAKEI CLARIFIES STATEMENTS WITH FACEBOOK POST Good morning from Montana! Ive been here relaxing on vacation, but have noticed that many of you have been following the gay Sulu story and wanted to know why Im being such a sourpuss. Im writing to set the record straight, if you will. When the news first broke, I gave a lengthy telephone interview, but the headlines have been misleading. Apparently, controversy makes for better sales! Let me be clear: I am not disappointed that there is a gay character in Star Trek. On the contrary, as I made clear, I am delighted that the Star Trek franchise has addressed this issue, which is truly one of diversity. It is thrilling to know that future generations will not see LGBTs go wholly unrepresented in the Trek universe. On the specific question of Sulu being gay, when I was first approached with the concept, I responded that I hoped instead that Gene Roddenberrys original characters and their backgrounds would be respected. How exciting it would be instead if a new hero might be created, whose story could be fleshed out from scratch, rather than reinvented. To me, this would have been even more impactful. While I understand that we are in an alternate timeline with the new Trek movies, for me it seemed less than necessary to tinker with an existing character in order to fulfill Genes hope of a truly diverse Trek universe. And while I am flattered that the character of Sulu apparently was selected as an homage to me, this was never about me or what I wanted. It was about being true to Genes vision and storytelling. Gene had wanted long ago to include LGBT characters, and we spoke personally and specifically about the lack of them. Gene understandably felt constrained by the sensitivities of the time. Some fifty years ago, even TVs first interracial kiss, between Kirk and Uhura, caused our ratings to plummet as the show was censored across much of the South for that scene. Gene made a conscious decision to make the main characters heterosexual, and worked within those parameters to tell incredible stories that still challenged many cultural values of the time. So the lack of gay characters was not some oversight by him; it was a conscious decision with which he grappled. I loved Gene as a friend, and I respected his decision and the context under which he created these stories. On this 50th year anniversary of Star Trek, my hope was to honor his foresight and bravery, as well as his ability to create discussion and diversity despite these constraints. But Star Trek has always pushed the boundaries and opened new opportunities for actors, including myself. I am eternally grateful to have been part of this incredible and continuing family. I wish John Cho well in the role I once played, and congratulate Simon Pegg on his daring and groundbreaking storytelling. While I would have gone with the development of a new character in this instance, I do fully understand and appreciate what they are doingas ever, boldly going where no one has gone before. Star Trek will live long and prosper. - George Takei Advertisement He went on to add: 'And while I am flattered that the character of Sulu apparently was selected as an homage to me, this was never about me or what I wanted. It was about being true to Genes vision and storytelling.' 'Gene had wanted long ago to include LGBT characters, and we spoke personally and specifically about the lack of them. Gene understandably felt constrained by the sensitivities of the time. Some fifty years ago, even TVs first interracial kiss, between Kirk and Uhura, caused our ratings to plummet as the show was censored across much of the South for that scene.' He concluded his note with the message: 'But Star Trek has always pushed the boundaries and opened new opportunities for actors, including myself. I am eternally grateful to have been part of this incredible and continuing family. I wish John Cho well in the role I once played, and congratulate Simon Pegg on his daring and groundbreaking storytelling. While I would have gone with the development of a new character in this instance, I do fully understand and appreciate what they are doingas ever, boldly going where no one has gone before. Star Trek will live long and prosper.' Takei and longtime partner Brad Altman were the first same-sex couple to obtain a marriage license in West Hollywood when gay marriage became legal in California in 2008. They're pictured together in 2014 Takei, 79, portrayed USS Enterprise helmsman Hikaru Sulu in the original 1960s TV series and in six films featuring the original cast. He is a high-profile LGBT activist and he and husband Brad were the first same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license in West Hollywood once gay marriage became legal in California in 2008. However, Takei has criticized the new generation of Star Trek filmmakers for going against the creative vision of franchise creator Gene Roddenberry. 'Unfortunately, it's a twisting of Gene's creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it's really unfortunate,' he told The Hollywood Reporter. Departure: John Cho has a scene in Star Trek Beyond in which he is seen with a same-sex partner with whom he is raising a child. He's pictured as the USS Enterprise navigator in 2013's Star Trek: Into Darkness In the new film that hits theatres on July 22, actor John Cho as Sulu is seen with a male spouse raising their infant child. Takei said that when he first learned, last year, that Cho's Sulu would be revealed as gay, he appealed to director Lin to instead 'create a new character' and thus honor Roddenberry's intentions. 'I told him, 'Be imaginative and create a character who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted',' he recalled. The decision to make a long-time franchise staple character gay comes as Hollywood faces growing pressure to include more diversity in its blockbuster films. Bella Hadid and Stella Maxwell hit to the town in New York on Wednesday night , grabbing a bite to eat before heading on to a party in the West Village. The models, who shared the runway at Versace's fashion show in Paris earlier this month, showed off their individual styles for their night out. While Bella, 19, opted for a black jacket with figure-hugging black mini skirt, Stella, 25, chose skinny jeans and a white silk crop top paired with a studded leather jacket. Scroll down for video BFFs: Bella Hadid, left, and Stella Maxwell, right, enjoyed a sushi dinner together in New York City on Wednesday night Bella, the younger sister of model Gigi Hadid, went bare-legged in her ensemble but added some black and grey socks with her chunky platform shoes. She wore her long brunette hair scraped back from her face and shaped into a high bun. She accessorized with a couple of neck chains and a small purse. Leggy look: Bella, 19, wore a black jacket with a fringed panel at the front and went bare-legged in a tight black mini dress as she hit the town in chunky platform shoes Stylish: The younger sister of model Gigi Hadid wore her long brunette hair tied up into a high bun and carried a small black designer purse Stella, meanwhile, wore her blonde locks with a middle parting and styled in loose waves. She had on a pair of pointed toe shiny black ankle boots. And she, too, carried a small black purse as well as her cell phone. Biker chic: Stella, 25, chose a studded leather jacket with metallic patterns all over and zippers at the cuffs Stepping out: The blonde beauty showcased her lean limbs in acid wash skinny jeans and added a pair of shiny black pointed-toe ankle boots Model look: The former girlfriend of Miley Cyrus bared her midriff in a silky crop top and left her hair loose The girls dined at a sushi restaurant with Bella sharing pics of their outing on Snapchat. One image showed their food on a Lazy Susan with a small ice sculpture and glasses of white wine and martinis on their table. In another image, she shares a close-up of Stella as she drinks from a bowl. Move in the same circles: The two catwalk models had shared the runway at the Versace fashion show in Paris earlier this month Drink up! Bella shared a photo of Stella supping from a bowl during their meal via her snapchat He was renowned for his quick wit and smouldering good looks while playing the character of Finn on Gilmore Girls more than 10 years ago. But while the years may have passed, Tanc Sade appears to have barely aged a day since the TV series appearance, judging by a series of self-portraits unveiled by the Australian actor on Thursday. Wearing a charcoal grey jumper with a deep V-neckline, the 35-year-old pulled an array of poses which spanned from wistful looks to pulling a reassured grin. Scroll down for video Hasn't changed: Australian actor Tanc Sade, best known for his role in hit US TV show Gilmore Girls (R), looks like he's barely aged since appearing on the series in portraits unveiled in Sydney on Thursday (L) He also flaunted his frame in the form-fitting shirt which clung to every contour of his muscular torso, while emphasising his bulging biceps. Tanc styled his auburn brown locks into a messy but stylish do, while adding gel to keep his strands perfectly in place. The Aussie star appeared to be in happy and content spirits as he rearranged himself into position and allowed the camera bulbs to flash around him. Meanwhile, Tanc has returned to his role of Finn in the Gilmore Girls Netflix reboot. Back on set: The former nationally ranked cyclist admitted he was excited to be back on set with his Gilmore Girls co-stars (Pictured second right, with L-R: Alexis Bledel, Matt Czuchry, and Alan Loayza) Legion of followers: Stanc admitted that he still receives fan mail daily for a show that was aired more than 10 years ago Speaking to the Daily Mail Australia in April about the reprised series, the former nationally ranked cyclist admitted he was excited to be back on set with his co-stars. 'I think we all did it for the love of it. It was such a special time with such a special group of people,' he said. 'It was emotional, it was hilarious and it was like putting on a comfortable pair of shoes that you have had since high school. Despite the long days of filming, the actor admitted it was 'great to catch up with the old gang again'. Thoughtful appearance: The 35-year-old wistfully looked away in one snap taken by the photographer Happy to be back: The stage star admitted it was 'great to catch up with the old gang [Gilmore Girls cast] again' 'It was such a blast when I first worked on that show, it was the first show I ever worked on in America, he said. 'The fan base for that show is like nothing I have ever seen before. I get fan mail daily for a show that was airing 10 years ago. 'It has now taken on this whole new following of young woman who have connected with these characters.' Apart from Gilmore Girls, Tanc has worked on White Collar Blue, 90210, The Mentalist, Sons of Anarchy and more TV series. He's still got it: Stanc has been showing off his good looks while waking the red carpet at various events His newest role includes a playing the character Christophe House in Roadies alongside Luke Wilson and Keisha Castle-Hughes. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph about director and screenwriter Cameron Crowe, he said: I have never met a guy that was more genuine or more compassionate and had so much love towards anyone and everyone he is around. The loyalty he commands from the people that he works with is like nothing that Ive ever seen before. He has people that come out of retirement to work him. And no job is beneath him.' She never puts a style step wrong. And on Wednesday night Heidi Klum was in danger of upstaging the stars of Woody Allen's Cafe Society as she arrived for the film screening in New York in a beautiful summery dress. The German beauty showcased her fabulous figure in the black and white patterned number that featured a bib bodice with thin spaghetti straps and a flowing skirt with asymmetric hem. Ageless beauty: Heidi Klum, 43, was a summery delight as she arrived at a New York screening for Woody Allen's newest film in a backless frock with asymmetrical hem The 43-year-old's fabulous figure was on full display as she revealed her toned shoulders and lean arms as well as the merest hint of sideboob in the backless outfit. The cascading skirt that fell almost to the ground at the back showcased her flat tummy and she added height with a pair of tall black sandal heels. Her blonde hair was tied back and styled into a voluminous ponytail that complimented her youthful appearance. Always in fashion: The model and TV personality put on a youthful display with her blonde hair styled in a girlish ponytail that complimented her fresh-faced look and bare skin Body confident: Heidi arrived solo for the event held Wednesday in Manhattan, stepping out in black sandal heels that matched her boldly patterned outfit Heidi, who's dating Vito Schnabel, came solo to the event held at the Paris Theatre in Manhattan. The Project Runway stalwart accessorized with diamond studs and cuffs in her ears and flashed some color with red polish on her finger and toe nails. She left her make-up low key simply penciling in her brows and adding mascara with some blush and a touch of lip gloss. Cafe Society stars Blake Lively, Parjker Posey, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell and Jesse Eisenberg and is being released on Amazon. She is best known for her role as Regan McLeod on Australian drama McLeod's Daughters. But on Thursday, Zoe Naylor revealed details of her life before she found fame as an actress, admitting she battled a drug addiction. 'In my late teens and early 20s, I was a heroin addict,' the 39-year-old said during an interview on Channel Seven's The Daily Edition. Scroll down for video Opening up: Zoe Naylor revealed, during an interview on Thursday, she once battled a heroin addiction before she found fame as an actress on McLeod's Daughters She continued by saying that she blamed her boyfriend and thought that is was 'just a phase' in her life, instead of taking responsibility for what she was doing to herself. 'I was a cliched overachiever - I was head girl of my school, had a scholarship to Uni,' she said. And despite believing that the path of a heroin addict could never be her 'story', she said it did become hers. A new person: Zoe is now very focused on her journey of awakening, and encouraging others to connect with themselves and find their own centre (Pictured at the 5th AACTA Awards December 2015) Denial: The McLeod's Daughters actress said of her drug addiction: 'I would've termed myself a party girl or a good time girl' When asked by Sally Bowrey whether she realised how deep into a terrible addiction she was, Zoe replied: 'Well of course.' The McLeod's Daughters actress admitted she had a 'history of addiction', but at the time of her drug phase, she wasn't aware she had a real problem. 'I would've termed myself a party girl or a good time girl,' the now mother-of-two said. 'I really didn't know that I had that issue (addiction).' However, she recalled how, seven years ago, she embarked on a journey of 'awakening' or 'recovery' and has since dealt with her addiction head on. Moving forward: However, she recalled how, seven years ago, she embarked on a journey of 'awakening' or 'recovery' and has since dealt with her addiction head on Zoe and husband Aaron Jeffrey married in 2010, and the couple have two children together - Sophie, four, and Beau, who they welcomed in May. The couple met and fell in love after playing farmers on McLeod's Daughters. At the time, Aaron was one of the biggest names in Australian television, thanks to his role on the hit drama in the early 2000s, off the back of his roles on 90s drama Water Rats. However the couple moved away from the limelight and to a small community in the Blue Mountains called Bilpin. Finding each other: Zoe and husband Aaron Jeffrey married in 2010, after meeting on the set of McLeod's Daughters Love on set: The couple met and fell in love after they both played farmers on the show Zoe is now very focused on her journey of awakening, and encouraging others to connect with themselves and find their own centre. She also stressed the importance of battling addiction - in whatever form finds the individual, for example, social media. 'It's an undercurrent of anxiety where you're looking to numb out or feel better by an external source,' she said. 'So to me, a journey of recovery is about finding that ease within yourself.' She's never puts a foot wrong when it comes to fashion. And Laura Whitmore put on a stylish display as she was spotted out and about in London on Wednesday. Looking fresh as a daisy the day after presenting the Star Trek premiere, the 31-year-old presenter rocked biker chic with a feminine touch. Scroll down for video Biker chic! Laura Whitmore put on a stylish display as she was spotted out and about in London on Wednesday The blonde beauty displayed her toned pins in a short black sundress which featured a pale pink flower pattern. Protecting against the unpredictable weather, she wore a stylish leather jacket, accentuating her long legs in brown wedge ankle boots. Showing off her pretty face under minimal make-up, the Irish star donned aviator sunglasses and carried a tan leather Lamb 1887 bag. Stylish: Looking fresh as a daisy the day after presenting the Star Trek premiere, the 31-year-old presenter rocked biker chic with a feminine touch Leggy: The blonde beauty displayed her toned pins in a short black sundress which featured pale pink flower embellishment Wearing her trademark golden tresses in a loose bun, she took her canine companion - Mick, a maltipoo breed - for a quick walk down the road. The hybrid- a Maltese dog mixed with a Poodle, looked thrilled to be going for a run, though his freedom was short-lived and he was soon scooped up by his loving owner. Laura met up with a friend before heading off to enjoy a well deserved catch-up, possibly about her presenting stint the night before. Girl's day out: Showing off her pretty face under minimal make-up, the Irish star donned aviator sunglasses and carried a tan leather bag Stretching the legs: Wearing her trademark golden tresses in a loose bun, she took her canine companion - Mick, a maltipoo breed - for a quick walk down the road On Tuesday she was tasked with hosting the Star Trek And Beyond movie premiere in London and turned heads in a plunging white mini dress by La Mania. She hosted the night with Alex Zane, who looked suave in a maroon suit. The film's plot has been kept top secret throughout production, with details scant, but according to IMDB, 'The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.' Pampered pooch: The hybrid- a Maltese dog mixed with a Poodle, looked thrilled to be going for a run, though his freedom was short-lived and he was soon scooped up by his loving owner Blondes unite! Laura met up with a friend before heading off to enjoy a well deserved catch-up, possibly about her presenting stint the night before In recent days the film has made headlines for featuring the sci-fi franchise's first openly gay character in its 60-year history. Captain Hikaru Sulu, who has appeared in the beloved series since the 1960s, will be married to a man in the third installment of JJ. Abrams' film reboot: Star Trek Beyond. Screenwriter and actor Simon Pegg and director Justin Lin revealed that they had decided to make the character gay to pay homage to George Takei who played Sulu for years in the original Star Trek television series and movies. Partner in crime: On Tuesday she was tasked with hosting the Star Trek And Beyond movie premiere in London with Alex Zane She's made a career out of her famous curves and envy-inducing bikini body. But Kelly Brook kept her fabulous figure firmly under wraps as she arrived at the Ischia Global Film and Music Festival in Italy on Wednesday evening. Posing alongside her hunky French beau Jeremy Parisi, the model, 36, swamped her hourglass shape in a loose-fitting smock-style dress with a plunging neckline. Scroll down for video Pretty in pink: Kelly Brook kept her fabulous figure firmly under wraps as she arrived at the Ischia Global Film and Music Festival in Italy with her hunky French beau Jeremy Parisi on Wednesday evening Offering a glimpse of cleavage, the salmon pink garment featured a drawstring waist and multi-coloured tassle detailing on the hem of the sleeve. The Kent-born bombshell lengthened her toned and tanned pins with a pair of towering nude stilettos and toted her belongings in a navy blue quilted clutch bag by Chanel. Kelly wore her brunette locks tumbling down her back in a mane of Hollywood curls and accentuated her naturally striking features with dramatic eye make-up. The actress accesorised with big silver hoop earrings and delicate jewellery as she enjoyed her night on the Italian island. Girly glamour: The model, 36, swamped her hourglass shape in a loose-fitting smock-style dress with a plunging neckline Hiding those curves: Offering a glimpse of cleavage, the salmon pink garment featured a drawstring waist and multi-coloured tassle detailing on the hem of the sleeve Pink to make the boys wink: The Kent-born bombshell lengthened her toned and tanned pins with a pair of towering nude stilettos and toted her belongings in a navy blue quilted clutch bag by Chanel Pretty as a picture: Kelly wore her brunette locks tumbling down her back in a mane of Hollywood curls and accentuated her naturally striking features with dramatic eye make-up Date night: The actress accesorised with big silver hoop earrings and delicate jewellery as she enjoyed her night on the Italian island And martial arts expert Jeremy didn't let his leading lady down in the sartorial stakes, dressing to impress in a dapper black ensemble. The pair couldn't help but beam as they soaked up the atmosphere at the Italian film festival and their smitten display continued as they took to the streets afterwards. The day prior Kelly- who's exes have included Danny Cipriani, Jason Statham and Billy Zane - couldn't look happier as she jetted in to the island with her other half. The TV personality didn't stop smiling as the couple happily posed for pictures before entering the five-star Grand Hotel Excelsior. Lucky lady: Martial arts expert Jeremy didn't let his leading lady down in the sartorial stakes, dressing to impress in a dapper black ensemble Beauty: Kelly looked bronzed to perfection as she soaked up the warm Italian night Love is in the air: Kelly and Jeremy's smitten display continued as they took to the streets afterwards Affectionate: She was spotted taming Jeremy's hair as he gazed towards her lovingly Having a laugh: The loved-up couple shared a giggle as they walked down the street The couple that shop together: They even filled their time with a spot of window shopping Kelly pulled off summer chic in a pretty minidress with a plunging neckline and decorated with a floral print. She showcased off her tanned slim pins and finished the ensemble with a pair of petite wooden heels. With her dark locks tied back in a simple ponytail, Kelly covered her eyes with a pair of stylish black shades. The busty beauty looked to be going make-up free and showed off her pearly whites as she posed beside her hunky man. Happy couple: Kelly couldn't have looked happier as she arrived at the five-star Grand Hotel Excelsior earlier on Wednesday Well-deserved break: The TV personality never stopped smiling as the couple happily posed for pictures before entering the hotel Looking good: Kelly pulled off summer chic in a pretty minidress with a plunging neckline and decorated with a floral print Jeremy's muscular frame was displayed in a tight-fitting red polo shirt which contrasted with the Frenchman's white trousers. In full holiday mode, he wore a sunhat, tucked his shades into his shirt and kept his feet cool in the Mediterranean heat by wearing black flip flops. Both Kelly and Jeremy each pulled a large luggage case with them into the hotel, no doubt jam-packed with sartorial options. In the holiday spirit: With her dark locks tied back in a simple ponytail, Kelly covered her eyes with a pair of stylish black shades Leading the way: Jeremy's muscular frame was displayed in a tight-fitting red polo shirt which contrasted with the Frenchman's white trousers Kelly was typically chirpy, waving to the cameras and placing her arm lovingly around Jeremy upon their arrival. The model has been keeping her Instagram followers up to date with the couple's getaway, posting numerous scenic shots of the picturesque island. The couple's room appears to look out over a stunning harbour, while another shared shot was taken on a boat as they returned from a trip to Napoli and Mt Vesuvius. Kelly's break is certainly well-deserved, as she recently finished filming her latest TV project, Channel 5's It's Not Me, It's You, in which she stars alongside host Eamonn Holmes and fellow panelist Vicky Pattison. Plenty of options: Both Kelly and Jeremy each pulled a large luggage case with them into the hotel, no doubt jam-packed with sartorial options She suffered major embarrassment when her dress split open on live TV following her Big Brother elimination, revealing her pink thong and bare bottom. But Lateysha Grace's red faced moment could have been even worse, if she had gone with her fleeting idea to ditch her underwear. The 23-year-old The Valleys star was speaking to Rylan Clark on Big Brother's Bit On The Side following her shock eviction on Wednesday night, when he challenged her to show off her sexiest dance moves. The butt of the joke: Lateysha Grace was left red-faced when her dress split open on live TV during Big Brother's Bit On The Side on Wednesday night Unfortunately -mid-twerk, her denim minidress ripped clean up the back, exposing her ample derriere and bright pink thong. The mortified TV personality collapsed on the sofa, screaming in embarrassment as she descended into complete hysterics alongside stunned Rylan. However it could have been even more mortifying, as Lateysha has now revealed she almost ditched her underwear before her live appearance. Mortifying moment: Certainly not the shy and retiring type, the 23-year-old starlet eagerly began flaunting her posterior for the camera when there was an almighty ripping sound Twerking up a storm: Lateysha's embarrassing moment came as she was asked to demonstrate a 'proper twerk' - and happily obliged 'About 30 seconds before I was due to enter the BB BOTS studio I had a little pose in a full length mirror in the disabled toilets, the lighting in there was awful so I decided against a selfie, but I could see a big panty line from my thong,' she said. 'I hate VPL and so I was about to whip my knickers off and go without, because it was a really long skirt, so no one would know any different, or so I thought. 'Imagine how 'shamed' I'd be if my actual whole bum was out, I think I would have died in Rylan's arms, she said before adding: 'Also, thank god I shaved those legs' Oops! The former The Valleys star - who calls herself the Welsh Beyonce - was trying her hardest to look sexy Cringe: However, her efforts came crashing down as her ample derriere and bright pink thong were exposed to the nation on live TV The single mother previously spoke of her medical woes after getting illegal bum fillers in Los Angeles in a bid to boost her buttocks. Revealing her complex about the size of her bottom, Lateysha told the Daily Star: 'My bum wasn't small, it was average-sized. 'When I went to Miami, I seen all these girls with massive bums and I was thinking, 'How the hell do these girls have massive bums and small waists?'' In shock: The bubbly beauty certainly didn't react calmly to the faux-pas, screeching like a banshee Gobsmacked: The BBBots panel couldn't believe their eyes as her bottom was exposed Hysterical: Show host Rylan descended into peals of laughter as Lateysha collapsed on the sofa beside him Pert posterior: The single mother previously spoke of her medical woes after getting illegal bum fillers in Los Angeles in a bid to boost her buttocks Helping hand: The presenter attempted to preserve her modesty by helping her readjust her skin-tight denim minidress However, Lateysha - who calls herself the Welsh Beyonce - called upon the services of a dodgy nurse, who didn't speak English and didn't brief her on the procedure. She recalled: 'I don't even know what it was, it was some sort of filler but I don't know what it was called. I had about five in each cheek. The needle was massive.' The star has been left with life-changing problems since getting her bum fillers - but that hasn't put her off having surgery in future. Lateysha explained: 'If I'm on the train or driving [for] more than an hour, I get really sharp pains in my bum, which I never used to have before.' Bad luck: Not only had Lateysha been eliminated from Big Brother earlier in the evening, but she suffered the ultimate slip up on live TV Hilarious: The pair couldn't stop laughing and struggled to regain their composure Collapsed: Rylan draped himself across the Welsh star's lap as he sobbed with laughter Chin up! At least the incident got the former MTV reality star laughing again following her shock elimination Hilarious: It could have been worse, as Lateysha later revealed she almost ditched her underwear before her live appearance Lateysha was ordered to leave the house on Wednesday night's episode after Jason Burrill won 20,000 in exchange for choosing someone to depart the show. Housemates were given the opportunity to win the cash, a fifth of the 100,000 prize fund, by being the fastest to press a buzzer after a noise sounded. Jason was the quickest and got the chance to evict someone as part of the series' Annihilation Week, but he angered the rest of the house by choosing single mother Lateysha. She was left devastated by Jason's decision, and blasted: 'You'll be out next, you'll be out next, you'll be out next.' She's out! Lateysha was evicted from the Big Brother house in a shock decision earlier in the night Tough decision: Jason Burriill pocked 20,000 in exchange for choosing someone to get the boot Lateysha also claimed Jason 'didn't need the money', adding: 'I'm skint on my a**, OK? I'm a single mum. This opportunity came up for me, why the f**k am I not going to take it to win a bit of money for me and my daughter? Who wouldn't? 'You don't understand. You drive a f***ing Aston Martin, you own various properties, businesses. You're greedy for doing that in there. Everyone in there deserves it much more than you. Everyone. 'I just want to let you know that coming in here has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do but I wanted to get to the final. For her, right?' When Jason tried to explain, she hit back: 'I've got no time of day for you. You'll be out next, you'll be out next, you'll be out next.' Buzzed: Housemates were given the chance to win the cash, a fifth of the 100,000 prize fund in a buzzer game When he was choosing Lateysha, Jason insisted he didn't press the buzzer to win the cash, but needed to be the quickest for survival reasons. To make things all the more upsetting for Lateysha, earlier in the episode she was seen telling Big Brother in the Diary Room that she didn't want to leave the house. 'Every time one person goes, the group gets closer,' she said. 'I am worried; I don't want to go. Its the most stressful thing I've been through, Annihilation week can do one!' Andy West was not able to be chosen as he previously won immunity. Second thoughts? Despite his sudden windfall, Jason didn't seem to be particularly elated after his decision He's been notching up enough air miles to rival the Kardashians. And Scott Disick added to the stamps of his passport pages as he arrived in Israel this week. Having passed through New York from LA, the 33-year-old reality star arrived in Jerusalem and embarked on a trip to the Western Wall. 'Blessings on blessings':Scott Disick arrived in Jerusalem and embarked on a trip to the Western Wall, sharing a snap as he was blessed by a local Rabbi Once at the spot- a sacred site of Jewish prayer & pilgrimage- he shared a snap as he was blessed by a local Rabbi. Wearing the traditional cap, along with a stylish grey t-shirt and jeans, the father-of-three cut a suave figure as he enjoyed the religious experience. With the ancient limestone wall in the background, Scott appeared in full concentration as the white-robed Rabbi held the American star. 'Hashem is everywhere': The father to Kourtney Kardashian's three children, stood in front of a menorah with his arms spread wide Later the father to Kourtney Kardashian's three children stood in front of a menorah- a seven-branched lampstand used in the Temple in Jerusalem, with his arms spread wide. 'Hashem is everywhere', he wrote alongside a picture of the moment, translating to 'God is everywhere'. And having worked up an appetite, the New York-born business man sampled the local delicacies. Yum! Scott shared a black and white snap as he tucked into a middle eastern dish shakshuka- an egg and tomato based dish Scott shared a black and white snap as he tucked into a middle eastern dish shakshuka- an egg and tomato based dish. Meanwhile ex Kourtney has been enjoying a fair bit of her own vacation fun. The mother-of-three celebrated daughter Penelope's fourth birthday in the sunsoaked Bahamas, just a week after enjoying fourth of July celebrations in Miami. 'Happy birthday to my little mermaid!' Ex Kourtney Kardashian has been spending the past week between Miami and the Bahamas on a yacht as she celebrated her daughter Penelope's fourth birthday 'Happy birthday to my little mermaid! Seeing the magic in the world through your eyes makes me so happy', Kourtney wrote alongside a snap of the little girl as they enjoyed the day on a yacht. Not complete with her jetsetting, the reality star then headed to Nantucket Island for the weekend. Posing on a wooden staircase in a gold monokini alongside her bikini-clad friends, the oldest Kardashian sister looked every inch the glamorous reality star, captioning the sunny snap 'On a staircase'. The boxer braid trend took the world by storm after Kim Kardashian donned the intricate hair-style. And Rachael Finch, 27, has become the latest in a slew of celebrities who have tried the style for themselves. The former former Miss Universe Australia took to Instagram to flaunt her double-braided hairdo on the set of what appears to be a photo shoot on Thursday. Scroll down for video Welcome to the braided bunch! Rachael Finch, 27, has become the latest in a slew of celebrities who have tried Kim Kardashian's boxer braids Standing with her head facing away from the camera, the mother-of-one showcased her expertly-woven chestnut hair in full focus. She captioned the snap with: 'My train tracks by the amazing @jade__kmakeup', tagging her hair and make-up artist. Rachael isn't the only former beauty queen who has flaunted the style - Jesinta Campbell also stepped out wearing the same 'do in February. Braided babe: Rachael also shared this photo of her braided hair on Instagram during the shoot Trendsetter! The boxer braid trend took the world by storm after Kim Kardashian donned the intricate hair-style Following suit: Rachael isn't the only former beauty queen who has flaunted the style - Jesinta Campbell also stepped out wearing the same 'do in March (pictured) Following the trend: Back in March, Bachelor contestants Anna Heinrich, Lana Jeavons-Fellows also rocked the same sporty hairstyle while attending a Nike Training Club tour event in Sydney She also wore the style when she attended Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia in May. Back in March, Bachelor contestants Anna Heinrich, Lana Jeavons-Fellows and Channel V host Carissa Walford also rocked the same sporty hairstyle while attending a Nike Training Club tour event in Sydney. Meanwhile, Neighbours actress Olympia Valance also joined the braided bunch on the set of a photo shoot for lingerie brand Gossard. Welcome to the club! Channel V host Carissa Walford (left) also sported a head of braids at the Nike event Braided beauty! Meanwhile, Neighbours actress Olympia Valance also joined the braided bunch on the set of a photo shoot for lingerie brand Gossard Sporting an intricately braided hairstyle and a deep tan, the curvaceous brunette sizzled in a string of behind-the-scenes snaps uploaded as the photo shoot wore on. Australian celebrities living abroad have also cottoned onto the trend, with Ruby Rose flaunting a pair of short french braids on the red carpet at the MTV EMAs last year. Iggy Azalea was also spotted wearing a pair of long inverted french braids in 2014. Jumping on the bandwagon: Australian celebrities living abroad have also cottoned onto the trend, with Ruby Rose flaunting a pair of short french braids on the red carpet at the MTV EMAs last year She boasts an enviable wardrobe bursting with designer wares. And Karlie Kloss couldn't resist showing off her fabulous sense of style, donning not one but two fashionable looks in one day. The 23-year-old supermodel was seen pounding the pavements of New York City in a black sequinned dress on Wednesday, turning heads in her dazzling frock. Scroll down for video Dazzling: Karlie Kloss was dressed to impress on Wednesday, stepping out in New York City in not one but two super stylish ensembles, including this glitzy gown Karlie took the party number from night to day by pairing it with a white vest top and trainers, while carrying a smart custom made leather bag from CH Carolina Herrera. Taylor Swift's BFF later emerged in a chic pencil skirt with a white pattern, elongating her slender legs thanks to T-bar heels. She teamed her statement skirt with a simple plunging white top that drew attention to her tiny waist. Quick change: Taylor Swift's BFF later emerged in a chic pencil skirt with a white pattern, elongating her slender legs thanks to T-bar heels Glitzy: Karlie took her party dress from night to day by pairing it with a white vest top and trainers, while carrying a smart custom made leather bag from CH Carolina Herrera The previous day, Karlie was rocking an equally enviable ensemble. The supermodel opted for a cute wrap dress with a sweet love heart pattern as she stopped by the Flatiron School to visit recipients of her Kode With Klossy computer science scholarships in Manhattan. She added the same stylish black CH Carolina Herrera handbag as she visited the coding camp, where she's sponsoring 80 high school girls to learn coding over the summer. City style: Karlie looked equally stylish while out in New York City the previous day Karlie looked relaxed as she strolled down the busy street and later hailed a taxi. The supermodel, who is currently studying at NYU, sponsors the summer camp to encourage high school girls to take up computer programming and coding, a cause close to her heart. Karlie's cute wrap dress featured small black hearts over a light blue fabric, with loose cap sleeves. Supermodel: The 23-year-old wore a light blue wrap dress covered in black and white hearts She carried a black handbag with her name on the strap, and added chic sunglasses. The cover girl added black, pointed flats that tied at the ankle, and left her blonde hair down. The runway star has taken a step back from her modelling career to attend NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, and just completed her freshman year. Taxi! Karlie added pointed black flats and carried a leather handbag Karlie, who fell in love with coding after taking a computer science course, meet up wtih some of her scholarship recipients on Tuesday. Her excited students shared photos of the 23-year-old on Instagram as she stopped by to give the class a 'pep talk.' The supermodel told Fast Company she loves spending time with her students, and believes learning to code is 'empowering.' Close to her heart: Karlie shared a snap on Instagram as she stopped by her Kode With Klossy program. The supermodel sponsors scholarships for 80 high school girls to learn computer programming over the summer 'I have big goals of continuing to build the community of these young women, to not only stay in touch and support and encourage and challenge each other, but also learn from one another,' she said. She takes off as much time from modelling as she can to be with the girls. 'Because selfishly, I really am so inspired and so excited by my experiences with the girls,' she said. 'Watching them have these aha moments and this empowerment that comes from learning something new and hard.' Good cause: Excited students shared photos on Instagram Tuesday as Karlie stopped by to give her students a pep talk She's a singing powerhouse and a talented actress. But Katharine McPhee took a break from her performing accomplishments as she dined out at Craig's Restaurant in West Hollywood on Wednesday night. The 32-year-old star looked sensational in a fitted denim Madewell midi-dress, featuring a sexy thigh-high slit as she strolled out of the Los Angeles eatery. Scroll down for video Jean-etically blessed: Katharine McPhee looked sensational in a fitted denim Madewell midi-dress with a sexy thigh-high slit as she dined out at Craig's Restaurant in West Hollywood on Wednesday night Clinging her slim figure, the dungaree-style midi-dress proved to be an on-trend choice for her night out on the town. Katharine teamed her denim ensemble with a pair of tan leather sandals, which added height to her frame. The former American Idol contestant wore natural make-up and had her light brunette locks teased into loose waves. Katharine completed her ensemble with a navy and black clutch bag. Dressed to impress: Clinging her slim figure, the 32-year-old star's dungaree-style midi-dress proved to be an on-trend choice for her night out on the town A bite to eat: Katharine teamed her denim ensemble with a pair of tan leather sandals, which added height to her frame Katharine recently stunned on the red carpet for the photo-call of her successful CBS series Scorpion, which has been renewed for a third season. She stars in the drama as Paige Dineen, a struggling waitress and single mother to a boy who she initially believed was challenged, but discovered he is, in fact, a genius. He is recruited into Scorpion, a group of supergeniuses in a special task force that tackles the world's most pressing problems. Natural beauty: The former American Idol contestant wore natural make-up and had her light brunette locks teased into loose waves Dinner date: Katharine completed her ensemble with a navy and black clutch bag as she strolled out of the high-profile Los Angeles eatery The former Smash star has also been mixing business with pleasure as she's been enjoying a fresh romance with her Scorpion co-star Elyes Gabel, 33. Prior to Gabel, she was famously pictured packing on the PDA with Smash director Michael Morris in 2013, which led to the eventual demise of her six year marriage to Nick Cokas. Katharine and Nick married in Beverly Hills in February 2008, when Katharine was 23, after a three year romance. The star's divorce was finalised in February. Loved up: Katharine has been mixing business with pleasure as she's been enjoying a fresh romance with her Scorpion co-star Elyes Gabel, 33 He was the contestant sent packing from MasterChef Australia on Thursday night. And fans took to Twitter to share some humorous tweets joking about Brett Carter's elimination during the show's California Week special. The 43-year-old was booted off while the contestants were in the US, with some fans joking about the premature goodbyes on set, before they all get on the long flight back to Australia. Scroll down for video Mixed reactions: MasterChef Australia viewers took to Twitter to share some humorous tweets joking about Brett Carter's elimination during the show's California Week special on Thursday 'Worst breakup ever': The 43-year-old was booted off while the contestants were in the US, with some fans joking about the premature goodbyes on set, before they all get on the long flight back to Australia One user joked it was the 'Worst. Breakup. Ever.' with the 15 hour flight still to go for the group following the farewells. Another commented in part of his tweet: 'Brett, It's time to say goodbye...until we see you at the airport in, like, 15 minutes.' 'Does he have to swim home?' one viewer asked after the seemingly final goodbyes in LA. Many made jokes about Brett being stuck in economy 'pushing the food trolley' as the others sipped champagne and celebrated finals week in Business Class. While some suggested the airline captain would return immediately to his day job. 'Did Brett fly the plane back to Australia?,' one wrote. See you soon! Another commented on the premature goodbyes in LA saying: 'Brett, It's time to say goodbye...until we see you at the airport in, like, 15 minutes.' Sense of humour: Many made jokes about Brett being stuck in economy 'pushing the food trolley' as the others sipped champagne and celebrated finals week in Business Class Hug it out! It remains unclear if Brett went home straight after his elimination or waited for the others, after the remaining contestants were shown doing a masterclass during the second half of Thursday night's episode It remains unclear if Brett went home straight after his elimination or waited for the others, after the remaining contestants were shown doing a masterclass with the judges during the second half of Thursday night's episode. Brett, 43, failed to make finals week on the show, being sent home after a heated cook-off with contestants Mimi and Harry. He said he had ambitions to one day open a pub with his daughters, but for now has returned to his job as an airline captain. After hearing he was going home, he thanked the judges for their help and said how great it was to be in the competition with so many talented cooks. Familiar face: For the last challenge, the contestants had to make a dish in Curtis Stones' LA restaurant, Maude, with a dish representing what they wanted to do after the show. 'It's just been an experience I'll never forget,' he said. For the last challenge, the contestants had to make a dish in Curtis Stones' LA restaurant, Maude, with a dish representing what they wanted to do after the show. Brett whipped up his take on meat and three vegetables, featuring a sous-vide fillet of pork, with mustard and basil and ginger carrot puree with brussels sprout two ways with a sauce. While the judges loved his pork, he fell short on his sauce. Mimi cooked a tasty-looking dessert, a chocolate aero with honey ice-cream, whiskey jelly, a lemon curd, honeycomb and a caramel sauce, which blew the judges away, meaning the elimination was between Harry and Brett. Harry meanwhile, served a lobster crudo with a burnt lemon puree crisp and a cucumber smoked broth. Comedian Sarah Silverman was spotted hauling her own luggage trolley out of JFK Airport in New York on Wednesday night. The 45-year-old funnywoman - dressed down in $125 Free City sweatpants and red trainers - wore a surgical mask to combat germs during her flight. The two-time Emmy-winning writer is on the mend following her week-long stint at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's ICU for windpipe-blocking epiglottitis. Scroll down for video Back in the Big Apple: Comedian Sarah Silverman was spotted hauling her own luggage trolley out of JFK Airport in New York on Wednesday night On the mend! The 45-year-old funnywoman - dressed down in $125 Free City sweatpants and red trainers - wore a surgical mask to combat germs during her flight Near-death experience: The two-time Emmy-winning writer is on the mend following her week-long stint at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's ICU for windpipe-blocking epiglottitis 'I am insanely lucky to be alive. Don't even know why I went to the doctor, it was just a sore throat,' Sarah - who boasts 10.3M followers - wrote in a July 6 Facebook post thanking hospital staff. 'I'm so moved by my real-life hero, Michael [Sheen], and amazing Sissies (blood & otherwise) & friendos, who all coordinated so that there wasn't a moment I was alone. It makes me cry. Which hurts my throat. So stop.' The Grammy nominee has been romancing 'her hero' the 46-year-old Welshman for the last two years. Sarah - who boasts 10.3M followers - wrote in a July 6 Facebook post: 'I am insanely lucky to be alive. Don't even know why I went to the doctor, it was just a sore throat' On Sunday, the Bernie Sanders supporter shared a snap of her bruises from the IV captioned: 'This is me, all better, milking my last vestige of sympathy' 'I have so much material about him, and he's always great about it,' the Bob's Burgers star gushed to People in May. 'One, he's not going to like inhibit my art and my process, and I appreciate that, but also because he said, "No one will ever believe that it's true. No one will ever believe that everything you're saying is exactly true."' The Golden Globe nominee is father to 17-year-old daughter Lily with ex-partner Kate Beckinsale, whom openly adores Sarah. 'I'm so moved by my real-life hero': The Grammy nominee has been romancing Welshman Michael Sheen for the last two years (pictured May 16) 'Always a baby to me #Lily!' The 46-year-old Golden Globe nominee is father to 17-year-old daughter Lily with ex-partner Kate Beckinsale, whom openly adores Sarah Peekaboo A photo posted by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale) on Jul 13, 2016 at 11:28am PDT On Sunday, the Bernie Sanders supporter shared a snap of her bruises from the IV captioned: 'This is me, all better, milking my last vestige of sympathy.' Silverman will next perform July 30 at Canada's Just for Laughs Festival happening at Place des Arts in Montreal. The I Smile Back actress plays Andy Samberg's publicist Paula in the comedy Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, which finally hits UK theaters August 26. Standup comedy: Silverman will next perform July 30 at Canada's Just for Laughs Festival happening at Place des Arts in Montreal (pictured May 22) Is there a way to ask my dog to lick her vagina quieter? Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) July 14, 2016 He's been a confirmed singleton again since his split with Millie Mackintosh in February. And it seems that Professor Green is adapting to life after marriage quite well, as the rapper left the Sony Music party on Wednesday evening in the company of BBC 1Xtra's Yasmin Evans. The 32-year-old rapper, who has been at pains to maintain a 'dignified silence' since his split, and his pretty companion had spent the evening at Sexy Fish in London at the label's annual party. Scroll down for video Enjoying the single life? It seems that Professor Green is adapting to life after marriage quite well, as the rapper left the Sony Music party on Wednesday evening in the company of BBC 1Xtra's Yasmin Evans The Lullaby hit-maker - real-name Stephen Manderson - and his companion had been mixing with some of the record companies top movers and shakers as well as a mix of musicians and celebrities. Rocking his usual street style look, Stephen (also known to fans as Pro) wore a monochrome floral jumper, a pair of black bootcut chinos and Nike trainers. Yasmin looked the epitome of swish summer style, opting for a lightweight floral midi dress in white - although there's nothing to suggest they are more than just friends. Adding a smart but slightly edgy vibe to her look, the raven-haired beauty added a nutmeg suede biker jacket to keep the evening chills at bay. Keeping quiet: The 32-year-old rapper, who has been at pains to maintain a 'dignified silence' since his split, and his mystery companion had spent the evening at Sexy Fish in London at the label's annual party Rocking his usual street style look, Stephen (also known to fans as Pro) wore a monchrom floral jumper, a pair of black bootcut chinos and Nike trainers Rounding her look off a pair of strappy tan block heels, she added some height to her frame, while she kept her accessories simple, only sporting a handbag which complemented her jacket and an iPhone. Pro's outing at the party came just hours before he appeared on Loose Women, during which he maintained that he won't speak out about his divorce from Millie - despite intense media speculation. Asked by Andrea McLean about the prospect of him adding more chapters to his book to detail his marriage, the East London star explained his position, saying: 'I think the best approach to that is dignified silence.' Not a word to say: Pro's outing at the party came just hours before he appeared on Loose Women, during which he maintained that he won't speak out about his divorce from Millie - despite intense media speculation 'I think the best approach to that is dignified silence.' Asked by Andrea McLean about the prospect of him adding more chapters to his book to detail his marriage, the East London star explained his position Dignified: Appearing to reference Millie's new relationship with her former flame Hugo Taylor, he added: 'Especially when theres another party involved... I prefer to keep it private' And appearing to reference Millie's new relationship with her former flame Hugo Taylor, he added: 'Especially when theres another party involved... I prefer to keep it private.' And if there anyone hoping to wrangle some information out of him on the matter, he put paid to those hopes, saying: 'I just think the less said [on the split] the better.' But when asked by the panel if he was enjoying the single life, the rapper also refused to divulge any information - seemingly signalling an intent to keep his love life out of the spotlight in the future. Asked if he'd moved on, Pro responded: 'Again, dignified silence. Were not playing confirm or deny!' But single life seems to be treating both Professor Green and Calvin Harris very well, as he revealed the two singletons had bumpbed into each other recently. Night Fever! Pro was in esteemed company as the likes of Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees was also at the bash His other half: Barry was accompanied by his ever-glamorous wife, Linda On the wheels of steel: Also in attendance was Craig David, who was providing the music for the bash Sharp dressed dude: Craig looked suitably stylish in a suede jacket and all-black ensemble Pro pals: Stephen and Craigh were all smiles as they chatted at the party 'Literally it was the other day I think, that I saw him [Clavin], on the Thursday at this place in East London. And he was so happy and so was I... and that was it! It was good.' Pro and Millie announced their seperation in February after two years, with their divorce being finalised in April; however, it was only in May that Millie went public with her and Hugo's romance, leading to a hurt outburst on social media from Stephen. But the Just Be Good To Green rapper didn't seem at all trouble at the Sony party as he laughed and joked with friends inside, and it seems he was in esteemed company as the likes of Barry Gibb of the BeeGees was also at the bash. Also in attendance was Craig David, who was providing the music for the bash, as was Katie Waissel and Rebecca Fergusson. A stand-out outfit: Laura Mvula made a head-turning display in a camo jacket and sequined-embellished jeans Have they still got the X Factor? X Factor's Katie Waissel and Rebecca Fergusson were also at the event Fun for all the family: Barry was joined by (L-R): Therese, Ashley, Lucas, Linda and Alexandra at the swanky bash BFFs: Meanwhile Millie's new beau Hugo Taylor was seen catching a bite to eat at the Alfred Tennyson in London with his BFF Spencer Matthews She's been in the industry for thirty years. But Winona Ryder has explained how she's managed to avoid the pitfalls of the fame game- including the celeb obsession with plastic surgery. The 44-year-old actress stars in a stunning shoot for Net-A-Porter's digital magazine, The EDIT and in the accompanying interview reveals all about her longevity in Hollywood. Scroll down for video Candid chat: Winona Ryder has explained how she's managed to avoid the pitfalls of the fame game- including the obsession with plastic surgery Winona, who shot to fame in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, wows in a series of designer ensembles from major names like Prada, Alexander McQueen and Miu Miu in the snaps photographed by Drew Jarrett and styled by Simon Robins. The actress, who is about to return to the spotlight with a star role in the new Netflix series Stranger Things, spoke out on her three decades in Hollywood. 'I love getting older,' she says. 'I think it has to do with always being the kid on set. It's interesting because, these days, [cosmetic surgery] is treated almost like hygiene.' 'I've had people say to me, "Oh, you should, you know...", and they point to my forehead. "Get that seen to!" But I'm like, "No! I've been waiting so long for that to happen!"' Stunning: The 44-year-old actress stars in a stunning shoot for Net-A-Porter's digital magazine, The EDIT and in the accompanying interview reveals all about her longevity in Hollywood Winona, who was once engaged to Johnny Depp, also reveals that while she's not sure if she'll ever get married, she's 'a serial monogamist.' 'I was single for a while and dating and... I just didn't know how to do it! I've always been like that: when I was 15, there was a guy I liked, and we made out, and I thought that meant he was my boyfriend,' she explains. 'My mom had to explain it to me. But marriage? I don't know. I'd rather never have been married than been divorced a few times. Not that there's anything wrong with divorce, but I don't think I could do it if that was a possibility.' 'When your parents are madly in love for 45 years, your standards are really high. But I've been happily with someone for quite a while now.' Cover star: Winona, who shot to fame in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, wows in a series of designer ensembles from major names like Prada, Alexander McQueen and Miu Miu in the snaps The stunning star is back for her new 1980s-set Netflix series, in which she plays a mum of a young boy who vanishes into thin air. Of her break from acting, the star reveals: 'A lot of people had the perception that I just disappeared in the 2000s. And I did, but only from that world. I appeared elsewhere, I promise you. I was transformed into doing stuff I really wanted to do it was a great awakening. It just wasn't in the public eye.' And she reveals she got some particularly important advice from another Hollywood star when she was first starting out in acting. '90s fame: Of her break from acting, the star, pictured at the 1996 Oscars, reveals: 'A lot of people had the perception that I just disappeared in the 2000s. And I did 'In my first apartment in LA, Jodie Foster lived upstairs, and we'd do laundry together. She's so smart. She told me to resist doing things that other people say you should do. Don't be 'strategic'! I was up for this movie, Mobsters, and everyone said I should do it. But Jodie said, "You have to feel very connected to something before you do it." So I turned it down. And it was a flop!' She adds that working on 'flops' as a producer after her initial success, is something she takes 'responsibility for', explaining: 'I'd been listening to the people I was working with "You should be doing this, you have to keep working or people will forget you and you won't be relevant..." but my heart wasn't in it. I should have remembered what Jodie [Foster] said! So I fully take responsibility I didn't know how to say no.' To see the full interview with Winona Ryder read The EDIT and/or download The EDITs free app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Los Angeles Times' Fuzzy Figures on Gaza Patients | Main | List Ignoring Israeli Terror Victims Will Be Updated, CNN Assures CAMERA July 14, 2016 Christian Group Accuses WCCs Peace Activists of Violating Israeli Law EAPPI activists in the West Bank. (Dexter Van Zile) A subsidiary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), an umbrella organization that is comprised of more than 300 Protestant and Orthodox churches throughout the world, stands accused of violating Israeli law. The organization is called the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel, (EAPPI) which was founded by the WCC in 2001. EAPPI trains and sends peace? activists into the West Bank to draw attention to the misdeeds of Israeli soldiers and settlers under the banner of accompanying? Palestinians as they go about their daily lives. EAPPI activists who come mostly from Europe and North America, spend several months in the West Bank and when they return home, they provide first-hand testimony to promote anti-Israel activism. EAPPI activists are regular supporters of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement in mainline churches, for example. Activists from the so-called peacemaking organization rarely, if ever, draw attention to the misdeeds of Palestinians, indicating that the EAPPI is really more interested in demonizing Israel than they are at promoting peace. (For a detailed analysis of the EAPPI and its parent organization, the World Council of Churches, please read this 2011 report prepared by CAMERA researcher Dexter Van Zile and published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs about the WCCs anti-Zionist history. The upshot of this report is that During times of conflict, WCC governing bodies, staffers, and activists have, to varying degrees, promoted a patently hostile attitude toward Israel and a permissive and appeasing attitude toward its enemies.?) Given the WCCs hostility toward Israel, it should come as no surprised that peace activists associated with the ecumenical body stand accused of violating Israeli law regarding visas. The allegations, leveled by the Christian Empowerment Council (CEC) appeared in an article published in Israel Hayom on July 12, 2016. The article states: From their investigation into the EAPPI, which began in February of 2015, the CEC found that the activists arrived in Israel on tourist visas and not volunteer visas, as required by law. These BDS activists violate their tourist visas by masquerading as tourists. If CECs allegation is true, it would not be the first time that EAPPI activists have exhibited contempt for Israeli sovereignty. In 2007, the EAPPI published an article calling on its supporters to hack? government websites as part of a campaign to bring the occupation? to an end. In the context of the article, it was perfectly clear that the author was calling on activists to hack Israeli websites. (The article was eventually removed from the Internet after it was exposed.) CAMERA has queried EAPPI informing the organization of the allegations and asking for a response. If and when the EAPPI replies to the article, Snapshots will post the response. Posted by dvz at July 14, 2016 12:00 PM 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 He recently returned from the Middle East after appearing in the stage production Priscilla Queen Of The Desert. And Jason Donovan, 48, appeared to be making the most of his time back home in London by spending a day with his lookalike son Zac in Notting Hill on Wednesday. Australian native Jason was spotted rolling his bike down the boulevard while the 15-year-old strolled leisurely behind him. Scroll down for video The apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Jason Donovan, 48, appeared to be making the most of his time back home in London by spending a day with his lookalike son Zac in Notting Hill on Wednesday Jason sported a casual ensemble of a white T-shirt and grey shorts, teamed with a pair of fluorescent orange sneakers. Holding a bottled beverage in one hand, the handsome showman completed his look with a pair of sassy sunglasses which he propped up on his forehead, as well as a chunky watch. Zac strode behind his father, clad in a pair of dark jeans, a white T-shirt and a brown jacket. Like father like son! Australian native Jason was spotted rolling his bike down the boulevard while the 15-year-old strolled leisurely behind him Sporty father: Jason sported a casual ensemble of a white T-shirt and grey shorts, teamed with a pair of fluorescent orange sneakers Jason is well known for his role as Scott Robinson on the Australian soap, which he appeared on from 1986 to 1989. On the show, he played a character who got married at a young age to Kylie Minogue's character Charlene Mitchell. Despite being a keen family man, Jason recently kicked his career up a few gears this year, after announcing he will tour again with his debut 1989 album Ten Good Reasons. Keeping it casual: Holding a bottled beverage in one hand, the handsome showman completed his look with a pair of sassy sunglasses which he propped up on his forehead, as well as a chunky watch Ten Good Reasons became the biggest selling album of 1989 and includes two solo No. 1 singles, Too Many Broken Hearts and Sealed with a Kiss. It is the first time he has toured as a solo artist for sex years and the first time he has ever toured the Ten Good Reasons album. Speaking of his three young children's reaction to his many career successes, Jason recently told Daily Mail: 'The kids will be extremely embarrassed when they see me on stage. 'Molly will love it. Jemma and Zac, they'll just be tucking into the catering backstage.' Following suit! Zac strode behind his father, clad in a pair of dark jeans, a white T-shirt and a brown jacket He added: 'The only time it becomes relevant for them is when I can get them into the Hunger Games premiere. Then suddenly I'm cool, but mostly it's about what they do, not what I do.' Jason went on to say of his influence: 'I'm not trying to be cool [any more]. I tried to be cool in the nineties and I found myself very self-centered and caught up in a dark world that taught me a few lessons. 'I was trying to be something I wasn't. You see it with a lot of pop stars, trying to mess with the things that make them famous - it's a psychologist's dream... or nightmare!' Miles Teller's new blond 'do caused quite a stir after he debuted the lighter look at Wednesday night's ESPY Awards. Audiences are accustomed to seeing the 29-year-old Sundance Jury Prize winner with his signature dark hair and eyebrows. But as the Get a Job actor presented the trophy for best comeback athlete alongside racecar driver Danica Patrick onstage LA's Microsoft Theater, shocked fans reacted on Twitter. Scroll down for video Bleached! Miles Teller's new blond 'do caused quite a stir after he debuted the lighter look at Wednesday night's ESPY Awards Extreme makeover: Audiences are accustomed to seeing the 29-year-old Sundance Jury Prize winner with his signature dark hair and eyebrows (pictured Wednesday and April 30) Double take: But as the Get a Job actor presented the trophy for best comeback athlete alongside racecar driver Danica Patrick (L) onstage LA's Microsoft Theater, shocked fans reacted on Twitter 'Miles Teller's transformation with blonde hairdo is like the reboot of the fantastic four... painfully flop. #ESPYS,' quipped user Badge Santiago Majid. The Pennsylvania-born star's bottle blond makeover was likened to everyone from rapper Eminem to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres to pop star Justin Bieber. 'Wait. Miles Teller, why is your hair blonde?? #ESPYS,' user Kelsey Williams wrote with a broken heart emoji. User Badge Santiago Majid quipped: 'Miles Teller's transformation with blonde hairdo is like the reboot of the fantastic four... painfully flop. #ESPYS' Having a laugh: The Pennsylvania-born star's bottle blond makeover was likened to everyone from rapper Eminem to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres to pop star Justin Bieber Broken-hearted user Kelsey Williams wrote: 'Wait. Miles Teller, why is your hair blonde?? #ESPYS' Ding ding ding! But user Sydney got it right when she pointed out that Miles' look might be just for a new role But user Sydney got it right when she pointed out that Miles' look might be just for a new role. Teller tasked himself to transform into the very fair-haired, green-eyed firefighter Brendan 'Donut' McDonough, who was 21 when he became the sole survivor of the Yarnell Hill Fire. Three years ago, 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots perished in Prescott, Arizona while attempting to put out the out-of-control blaze. 'I miss my brothers': Teller tasked himself to transform into the very fair-haired, green-eyed firefighter Brendan 'Donut' McDonough, who was 21 when he became the sole survivor of the Yarnell Hill Fire Tragedy: Three years ago, 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots perished in Prescott, Arizona while attempting to put out the out-of-control blaze 'And so it begins!' The Allegiant actor began filming the 2017 fiery flick in the Southwest on July 2 alongside Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Jennifer Connelly, and Andie MacDowell The Allegiant actor began filming the 2017 fiery flick in the Southwest on July 2 alongside Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Jennifer Connelly, and Andie MacDowell. Perhaps Miles was a bit shy about his new flaxen look as he donned a mullet wig to celebrate the July Fourth holiday. Eagle-eyed fans first caught a glimpse of the NYU Tisch grad's bleached hairstyle in a June 22 Instagram snap posted by his girlfriend of three years, model Keleigh Sperry. Wigging out: Perhaps Miles was a bit shy about his new flaxen look as he donned a mullet wig to celebrate the July Fourth holiday 'Spa day!' Eagle-eyed fans first caught a glimpse of the NYU Tisch grad's bleached hairstyle in a June 22 Instagram snap posted by his girlfriend of three years, model Keleigh Sperry Curiously, Teller did not shave his head to better resemble David Packouz for Todd Phillips' gun-dealing bro dramedy War Dogs, which hits US theaters August 19 and UK theaters August 26. It's based on Guy Lawson's 2011 Rolling Stone article detailing two South Beach stoners, who scored a $300M Pentagon contract to arm America's allies in Afghanistan. The Fantastic Four heartthrob also plays real-life boxer Vinny Pazienza in the comeback biopic Bleed for This - hitting US theaters November 23 - alongside Aaron Eckhart, Katey Sagal, and Ted Levine. He loves biopics! Curiously, Teller did not shave his head to better resemble David Packouz for Todd Phillips' gun-dealing bro dramedy War Dogs, which hits US theaters August 19 and UK theaters August 26 Advertisement Kate Hudson's girls' getaway took a turn for 'dirty weekend' on Thursday when she was spotted indulging in a mud bath which had her giggling in delight. Matching her bandeau bikini to the natural, rejuvenating red clay, the athletic mum-of-two, 37, put on quite an impressive display as she flaunted her impressive abs and pert posterior. Beach babe turned red warrior Kate navigated her way elegantly across the rocks and down to the water with her abs on display before settling on the shoreline for a refreshing dip with her blonde locks wet and slicked back. Scroll down for video Hot mudder: Kate Hudson looked incredible as she hit a mud bath in Ibiza on Thursday with friends Cheeky: Crawling back onto the rocks, the blonde shared a glimpse of her very pert posterior as she crawled through the water and into the rocks Her limbs were turned orange and her hair was wet when she went down to the water but thanks to her soak in the sea, she came back clean - but she didn't seem to mind a bit all the same. Kate was making a show of her enviable bikini physique in a strapless two-piece with not a wobble as she went barefoot on the uneven ground. The actress sat with her girlfriends on the shoreline, using her arms to rub in, and later rub off, the mud layer as she made the most of having some off mommy duties as well as her filming commitments. Dirty weekend: Kate went down to the water red and muddied but emerged looking clean and appeared to be greatly amused by the whoel thing Soaking up the sun: Kate enjoyed the water, sitting down on the shoreline and laughing with her girlfriends Rejuvenating: Natural mud baths are said to be good for the skin Natural mud baths are common in Ibiza, Spain and are said to be therapeutic and beneficial for the skin. The aim is to rub the mud or clay into the skin or body using water to apply as a paste and then leave for around 20 minutes before rinsing off. She induced both body and wardrobe envy simultaneously when she left the beach with friends that afternoon, covering up with some cool layers. And despite her low-key day out with her pals, the daughter of Goldie Hawn still looked incredible as she stepped out into the sunshine. Enjoying herself: She was laughing and joking, dipping on the coastline as she enjoyed her time off in the sunshine Splish splash: Even sitting down, the blonde was proving that her physique was flawless - she's a keen lover of health and fitness Girlfriends: She was accompanied by three female friends who enjoyed the clay bath too and all were in high spirits Laugh out loud: The mud bath was certainly giving the stunner a glow as she rubbed it in all over Layering an Aztec cardigan over stripey pajama-style culottes, the 37-year-old shared a glimpse of her enviable abs - the result of her rigorous workout regime - in a bandeau bikini top. She and her good-looking female friends made quite the fashionable clique as they tackled a long and windy rocky road in the name of sun, sea and fun. She spent the day flanked by three female friends, during an adventure that saw them board a yacht via a small speed boat from a narrow jetty. Easy does it: She ran up the rocks with perfect balance, using her arms, making sure she was careful along the way Tan two-piece: She matched her bikini perfectly in bright tan as she showed off her perfect pedicure Bathing: Kate sat in the water for a while washing off the mud While her gal pals favoured playsuits and boilersuit cover-ups, Kate was channeling hippie holiday vibes, further enhanced by a beach bag slung over one shoulder with clashing multi-coloured prints. Retiring to a waiting car after a day in the sun, the blonde sought shade beneath an oversized sunhat. Silver bangles and chunky rings completed the day look, while $25 Ipanema 'Ana Ethnic' flip-flops were worn on her feet for comfort on the rocks. Bikini babe: Later, she was seen enjoying the luxuries of a small boat Bikini babe: The stunner showed off her natural, athletic figure Texting away: She was seen leaning against one of the plush cushions, texting Water babe: The actress was captured talking to a male on the boat in her thong bikini Wahoo: Later, the girls threw themselves off the back of the boat with abandon It looked like the actress had enjoyed a relaxing afternoon with her well-dressed girlfriends, as she continues a wild getaway with mates. After traveling to Italy to for the Fendi Roma 90th Anniversary in Rome last week, Kate made some fun detours in London for her son's fifth birthday, and is now in Ibiza, Spain with photographer Janell Shirtcliff and stylist Sophie Lopez. After wrapping her latest drama film, Marshall, and launching new stores with her active wear, Fabletics as well as a new book on fitness and lifestyle, Kate certainly deserved the downtime from her hectic schedule. Playful: The group had to move out of the way of the waves to avoid getting splashed Enjoying the sun: She spent time worshipping the sun as she washed off the mud Leisurely dip: The girls were all dressed for a day at the beach in their sexy beach attire Playful: It seemed to be non-stop fun for the trio of females as they writhed around in the cool waters Down to the water: Mud baths are thought to be therapeutic and good for the skin Free-spirited Kate, who will next be seen in Deepwater Horizon with Mark Wahlberg, has always marched to the beat of her own drum. She told Self Magazine that the key is celebrating one's self more than judging. 'Weve been programmed to feel like were under this great obligation as women to look and be a certain way,' Kate said. Abs-olutely fabulous! Kate showed off her super toned stomach when she left the beach in Ibiza with friends Another skimpy look: A day after their dancing session, Kate and co headed off for a beach day on the party isle Chic summer style: She added a pair of loose fitting trousers in a bold stripe print, later slipping a grey vest over her bandeau top Works hard for it: Kate was looking in great shape for her summer vacation Under cover: She added a chic wide-brimmed hat, a print wrap, and $25 Ipanema 'Ana Ethnic' flip-flops to her ensemble Hippy chic: A colourful patchwork shoulder bag added to the boho vibe Beach day: The group headed to the coast for another day in paradise 'And thats not our fault. Thats what culture and society have gifted us as women. Thank you but no thank you.' She added that she never takes herself too seriously saying, 'I think finding the balance really is more about emotional balance, isnt it?' Sometimes stress can be good stress. The whole point is that life doesnt ever get easy. And so you have to learn how to enjoy it.' Low key: Kate sported flip flips to keep comfy for the walk to and from the beach Sea-bound: Kate and her pals dressed to impress for the day by the ocean Exploring: The Hollywood star turned heads as she ventured inland for some refreshments On the open waves: Kate later jumped on board a boat to head out to sea during the fun day Helping hand please! The actress reached out for a hand as she tried to board the motor boat All the essentials: Kate's bag was passed over as the group crowded on board Standing on the dock: The girls looked like they'd been working hard on their tans Lindsay Lohan shared a sleepy snuggle snap of herself with boyfriend Egor Tarabasov while on their seemingly endless holiday in Mykonos. 'Nap time!' the 30-year-old SAG Award nominee - who boasts 19.5M followers - captioned their cuddle puddle pic. '(I managed to sneak a pic before full nap mode) relaxation after water sports.' Scroll down for video Eight months strong! Lindsay Lohan shared a sleepy snuggle snap of herself with boyfriend Egor Tarabasov while on their seemingly endless holiday in Mykonos United front: Their PDA came four days after The Sun reported that a 'jealous and furious' Lohan tossed Tarabasov's cell phone in the Aegean Sea at her birthday bash The 30-year-old SAG Award nominee clarified to Page Six on Monday: 'People said I personally threw [the] phone, but it's all not true. It's a total fabricated lie!' The couple of eight months' intimate image was taken from their bed in a room at the Cavo Tagoo Hotel Mykonos. The Danceophobia video vixen also shared a smiling snap of herself and the 22-year-old Home House Estates owner on a yacht cruising the gorgeous Grecian isle. Their PDA came four days after The Sun reported that a 'jealous and furious' Lohan tossed Tarabasov's cell phone in the Aegean Sea at her birthday bash. 'It had to do with my friend throwing his phone case in the water as a joke because [guests] were making fun of it,' Lindsay clarified to Page Six on Monday. 'I don't want my sister to hate me!' The Danceophobia video vixen revealed that she's putting her music career on hold for younger sister Aliana Lindsay told Alex Simpson in Toronto last month: 'My sister is signed to EMI and she's recording...I want to respect her in that lane, and stay in my lane working with children, creating films, and writing and directing' 'I have to record another album for Universal and Motown - and I will': The West End thespian hasn't released new music since her second studio album A Little More Personal (Raw) way back in 2005 'People said I personally threw [the] phone, but it's all not true. It's a total fabricated lie!' Egor - who graduated from Cass Business School - describes himself as 'self-made' on Twitter, despite being the nepotistically-privileged son of Russian millionaire Dmitry Tarabasov. The Till Human Voices Wake Us actress revealed that she's putting her music career on hold for younger sister Aliana. 'I have to record another album for Universal and Motown - and I will,' Lilo told Alex Simpson in Toronto last month. Action! Lohan will next play Patricia in the Belgium-shot horror flick The Shadow Within, which is due out later this year First feature since The Canyons: It centers on a private investigator 'unraveling the murder of her uncle while keeping the secret that she is a descendant from a line of werewolves' 'That being said, my sister is signed to EMI and she's recording. So out of respect to her, her true career choice, all she wants to do is make music. And her voice is like Etta James meets Adele.' The Long Island native continued: 'I want to respect her in that lane, and stay in my lane working with children, creating films, and writing and directing. So as much as I want to sing every day, I don't want my sister to hate me!' The West End thespian hasn't released new music since her second studio album A Little More Personal (Raw) way back in 2005. Lost her touch? The former child star hasn't headlined a feature film that grossed more than $100K in the States since the dismally-reviewed 2007 thriller I Know Who Killed Me Lohan will next play Patricia in the Belgium-shot horror flick The Shadow Within, which is due out later this year. It centers on a private investigator 'unraveling the murder of her uncle while keeping the secret that she is a descendant from a line of werewolves.' Emma Roberts showed off her figure as she hit the beach on Thursday. The Scream Queens star wore a frilly pink bikini as she soaked up the sun in Miami Beach, Florida. The 25-year-old was enjoying some downtime while busy promoting her new film Nerve. Scroll down for video Pretty in pink: Actress Emma Roberts wore a bright bikini as she relaxed in Miami Beach, Florida on Wednesday Emma looked relaxed as she strolled on the sand and then headed into the water, before kicking back with friends and grabbing a fresh coconut drink. The actress added over-sized white sunglasses with pink mirrored lenses, which matched her bright swimsuit. Her pink bikini featured a string halter neckline and cute ruffles. Relaxing: The Scream Queens star wore a bright pink bikini with frills as she hit the beach Beach day: The 25-year-old has been enjoying some down time while on the promo trail for her new film Nerve Beach babe: The American Horror Story actress added matching white sunglasses with pink lenses Pretty in pink: The actress looked animated as she chatted with friends The We're The Millers actress pulled her blonde hair back in a messy bun as she spent time in Florida. She was joined by a female friend, and the pair wore matching pink bikinis and jean cut offs as they relaxed in a chaise lounge by the water's edge. The actress and her pal later picked up a fresh coconut drink as they strolled along the beach. Fun in the sun: Emma pulled her blonde hair back in a messy bun and flashed a red manicure Relaxing: The actress put her fit figure on show in a bright pink swimsuit Refreshments: The actress beamed as she picked up a fresh coconut drink Matching looks: Emma and her pal both wore pink bikinis and jean cutoffs Beach break: The actress headed back to her chaise lounge after grabbing a coconut drink Down time: Emma chatted with friends as she relaxed in the shade in a bikini top and jean cut offs Checking in: The Scream Queens star looked glued to her phone at one point Emma was enjoying a break after a busy few days hitting the promo trail for her new teen thriller Nerve, which costars Dave Franco. The American Horror Story star was put on the spot when she and Dave stopped by Watch What Happens Live on Wednesday in New York City, where host Andy Cohen grilled her on which Franco brother was the best kisser. Dave, she said, adding that Dave makes her laugh more but is more obsessed with his looks than his brother James Franco. Miami trip: Emma showed off her long legs in Daisy Duke cut offs Drink up: The American Horror Story star took as sip as she and her pals bought some coconut drinks Loving it: The actress appeared to be having a blast as she spent time with friends on Thursday Beach body: Emma showed off her figure in a bright swimsuit and ripped jean shorts In a game of Plead The Fifth, Emma refused to say who was the biggest diva between her Scream Queen costars Lea Michele and Ariana Grande. And she was also forced to name her least favorite movie by her famous aunt Julia Roberts. Emma picked Mothers Day, but admitted she hasn't actually seen a new movie in awhile. The actress also hit the beach on Tuesday after arriving in Florida. She wore a lace-up green one-piece Marysia Swim swimsuit with scalloped bustline. Having fun: The actress wore a green one piece with lace up front as she took a dip on Wednesday Drying off: The 25-year-old added a green cover-up as she spent time at the beach She added a green wrap around her waist, and over-sized black sunglasses. Emma was back on the promotional trail later on Thursday as she stopped by morning show Despierta America at the Univision Studios. The stylish star wore a high-necked orange dress with black polka dot print and skirt tied in a thick side knot as she chatted with presenter Alan Tacher. Stylish: Emma wore an orange polka dot dress with a unique side-knotted skirt as she stopped by Univision's Despierta America to promote her new thriller Nerve in Miami Beach on Thursday All smiles: The 25-year-old's rust orange dress featured a high neckline with a velvet polka dot pattern Advertisement She's enjoying something of a sunshine break in Ischia, Italy, with her French boyfriend Jeremy Parisi and Kelly Brook looked incredible when she went for a swim on Thursday. The 36-year-old put on an eye-popping display as she headed to the beach with her lover, wearing a very sexy leopard print one-piece. The grey number clung to her curves perfectly and just about held in her stunning ample assets as she lowered herself into the water. Scroll down for video Beach ready: She's enjoying something of a sunshine break in Ischia, Italy, with her French boyfriend Jeremy Parisi and Kelly Brook looked incredible when she went for a swim on Thursday How does she do it? The 36-year-old put on an eye-popping display as she headed to the beach with her lover, wearing a very sexy leopard print one-piece The high-leg design of the number lengthened her long legs and Jeremy himself certainly seemed to be a big fan of the look. While Kelly enjoyed her dip in the water, her man came and sat on the steps where the bubbly model and presenter came to meet him for a passionate kiss. With her long brunette locks tied up in a bun on top of her head and her sunglasses on to protect her eyes from the sun, she looked quite the vision. Easy does it: She tentatively made her way down some steps as she showed off her incredible look Two's company: She was joined by her hunky French boyfriend Jeremy Parisi He can't resist: The couple indulged in a series of passionate kisses on the edge of the water Standing tall: Kelly could not seem to get enough of her man and the feeling was mutual Jeremy himself looked like that cat who had got the cream as he smiled at his girlfriend and gave her lots of lingering kisses. He was soon persuaded to get into the water where Kelly could be seen giggling as she looked into her beau's eyes. Later on, Kelly wrapped a navy towel around her waist and carried her sandals in her hand as the couple made their way back to their hotel. Whip my hair back and forth: She dipped her hair back in the water in order to slick it back Curves in all the right places: Kelly exuded body confidence as she modelled her sexy beach ware She's got a big smile on her face: Kelly leaned on his shoulders as she pushed him further into the water Hear her roar: Her animal print outfit appeared to be the perfect choice for the occasion Keeping healthy: They enjoyed a little swim together as they topped up their exercise Pulling out her hair band, she slicked her hair back with the sea water and looked effortlessly glam as she gave a little wave to her fans. Kelly and Jeremy have been keeping their followers up to date with their vacation since they landed on Tuesday. They have been dating since April 2015 and last year, Kelly said she believes this relationship could go the distance. She told Closer at the time: 'I'm not sure we're ready for marriage just yet, but we're definitely heading in the right direction. I'm a very loved-up lady right now.' With no intentions of taking their relationship slow, she continued: 'Hopefully I'll have a baby soon. Ultimately, I am entering a new phase in my life.' Explaining why the French hunk has changed her outlook on men, she added: 'Jeremy's great and things are going really well. We just have a lot of fun together and laugh all the time, so he makes everything enjoyable.' Wow thing: Kelly looked like she had stepped straight out of the pages of a fashion magazine as she stepped out of the water Doting: Kelly walked a few steps ahead of her man as he dried off with a towel Stunning: The grey number clung to her curves perfectly and just about held in her stunning ample assets Ciao for now: She gave a quick wave to her fans as she made her way back Out of this world: Later on, Kelly wrapped a navy towel around her waist and carried her sandals in her hand as the couple made their way back to their hotel Something tickling her? Kelly looked like she was holding back the giggles as she walked along barefoot She's looked fantastic at every stop on the Jason Bourne European promo tour. And it was no exception in Berlin, on Thursday, when Alicia Vikander, 27, put on an elegant display for a special screening of the new spy flick inside the Alhambra cinema. The Swedish star wore a stylish plunging white dress with a loose tie around the waist. She matched the simple yet classy frock with a pair of cream heels for a fine finish. Hot on the promo trail: Alicia Vikander, 27, put on an elegant display for a special screening of Jason Bourne inside Berlin's Alhambra cinema, on Thursday, alongside co-star Matt Damon, 45 She opted for a slick of berry lipstick, but otherwise the remainder of her make-up was incredibly subtle as not to overpower her look. Her long brunette tresses were clipped back off her face with the loose locks swept over one of her shoulders. Alicia was joined by her co-star Matt Damon, 45, whose all-black ensemble proved to be quite the contrast to her light look. A bit of all white: The Swedish star wore a stylish plunging white dress with a loose tie around the waist Matt swapped the suits of previous premieres for a smart-casual outfit consisting of a trendy jacket, plain tee, jeans, and coordinated kicks. The handsome A-lister and the leading lady posed happily for the cameras, with the pair well versed in the promotional protocol. The fifth instalment in the famous franchise, and the fourth with Damon, sees the spy try to uncover hidden truths about his past now that he remembers his identity. Directed by Paul Greengrass, it also stars Julia Stiles, Tommy Lee Jones and Vincent Cassel. On Wednesday, the pair were in Madrid, Spain, where they had a photocall with a difference. Matt was joined by Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo and former Chelsea defender Filipe Luis, who presented him with the team's shirt and a match ball. Damon made sure to say all the right things, providing the perfect soundbite: 'Yes, I know Atletico are fantastic. They remind me of my favourite team, the Boston Red Sox,' he said. Cerezo - who has held the position of president since 2002, quipped: 'He's (Damon) our summer signing, he joined last week, fresh from America.' Briana Jungwirth has lashed out at Danielle Campbell on Twitter. After pictures emerged of her former fling Louis Tomlinson enjoying a day at the beach with their six-month-old son Freddie Reign and his current girlfriend Danielle, 21, Briana took to her Twitter account to post an angry tweet. Briana, 23, wrote: 'You can pretend all you want but you will NEVER be my baby son's mother.' Scroll down for video Hurting: Louis Tomlinson's ex Briana Jungwirth has reportedly lashed out at Danielle Campbell (pictured) on Twitter, saying she will never be her son's mother, after she was pictured with Freddie Reign at the beach The tweet appeared on the account @realbjungwirth, which, although not verified, has almost 30,000 followers and is linked to Briana's Instagram account, where she often shares pictures of Freddie. The Twitter account is also followed by Briana's mother Tammi and her cousin Ashley. After facing a barrage of criticism on social media, the mother of Louis Tomlinson's baby son Freddie hit back with a lengthy statement at the start of the month. Briana took to the micro-blogging site to plea with those who she says have been making 'hateful' comments about her and her five-month-old son. Briana appears unhappy with Louis' girlfriend Concerned: Briana and Louis welcomed their son Freddie five months ago, but she is reportedly concerned about her son being around his new girlfriend Danielle Campbell She's not happy: Briana's defiant post comes after she asked for privacy on Twitter She wrote: 'To all those who feel the need to make disparaging, hateful and inappropriate comments concerning me and my son Freddie - I am sincerely sorry that you all have chosen to focus your time and attention on my life and the life of my son. 'Surely you must have better things to do than pry into the personal life of a single mom and newborn child. 'I am a proud new mother that is extremely joyous about my child being in this world and have shared that joy with my friends and family on a daily basis - often times through social media. 'However, that does not give anyone the right, or an invitation to be nasty and disparaging towards me. So, please stop prying into the private and personal facts of my life and my son's life in order to weave stories and peak public interest. (sic)' Momma's boy: Briana shared this cute snap of herself with Freddie on May 7 In the statement, she went on to insist that there's 'more to a story than what meets the eye', seemingly alluding to reports on the state of her relationship with One Direction heart-throb Louis. Briana's message comes just weeks after it was claimed that her and Louis' custody battle over Freddie was sparked by her jealousy over Danielle, who Louis started dating last year. Speaking previously, a source close to the mother of one - who gave birth to her child in January this year - said: 'Before Briana got pregnant, she was bragging to friends about how serious she was with Louis. She thought it was going to be a real relationship. 'When Louis started dating Danielle, Briana was upset and that's when the drama started. Briana really tried to make the relationship work, and she became jealous when he moved on. 'When she was pregnant he was very supportive and paying for all her medical needs. He bought her a house, but she wanted something bigger.' The posts come after reports state that Louis is reportedly seeking joint custody of son Freddie with ex-girlfriend Brianna Jungwirth. And TMZ reports that Louis Tomlinson, 24, is said to have started the proceedings over claims Brianna is keeping his son away because she doesn't want him around his new girlfriend, Danielle Campbell. The website claims that Brianna has complained of their five-month-old son 'smelling like perfume', suggesting to her that Freddie has spent time around the former Disney star. Brianna is also said to have concerns over the security of herself and her child and believes Danielle is 'nothing more than a crazed fan who now knows her home address and gate security code.' The starlet will also reportedly be objecting to joint custody if Louis hires a nanny as that is not 'true parenting.' Meanwhile, Louis is said to believe his ex's fears have been caused by jealously. A representative for Louis declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. Dad rights: Louis , seen pushing baby son Freddie in a stroller in LA in April, is said to be heading to court to seek joint physical and legal custody of the five-month-old after issues with his ex over access Sources close to the British star claim that Briana has been 'inconsistent' when it comes to allowing Louis time with Freddie and he wants equal access. The website said that he will seek joint physical and legal custody of Freddie and also a stipulation that the child should spend equal time with his mom and his dad in a 50-50 split. Louis has been renting a $1 million home for Briana, 23, in Calabasas, just outside of LA, and is rumored to be paying her around $15,000 a month in child support. On June 19, he celebrated his first Father's Day as a dad, posting a sweet photo of his hand holding his son's hand. Louis confirmed last fall that LA stylist Briana was pregnant with his child and Freddie was born in January. He is currently dating actress and Disney star Danielle Campbell, 21. The relationship between Louis and Briana appeared to have soured of late with the former lovers meeting on neutral ground last month for a handover of their baby. Dotes on him: Louis posted this heartfelt note and sweet image to his Instagram on June 19 as he celebrated his first Father's Day as a dad The meeting in a hotel parking lot came after Briana reportedly banned the musician from her house. In February, it was reported that the pair had reached a 'temporary custody settlement,' in which it is said to have been specified that Louis could only visit Freddie at Briana's LA home, alone. Since then, the 1D star has been seen spending time with son Freddie in the company of girlfriend Danielle as well as his own mother mum Johannah Deakin, his stepdad Dan and his extended family. They are always on a zombie alert in the action-packed AMC series, Fear The Walking Dead. But on Thursday, stars Colman Domingo and Alycia Debnam-Carey were nothing but smiles as they attended the photocall in Madrid for their promotional press week. Both Colman and Alycia donned a Euro-chic style as they posed for photographs. Scroll down for video Simple and sophisticated: Alycia Debnam-Carey looked pretty in a white crop top and long pink skirt as she attended the Fear The Walking Dead photocall in Madrid, Spain on Thursday Alycia flaunted a little bit of midriff wearing a white sleeveless crop top that she teamed with a light pink pleated skirt that ran down to her calves. The 22-year-old actress paired the outfit with hot pink pumps and a small golden-yellow purse. She kept her make-up natural with accentuated cheeks and a light pink lip while her highlighted blonde hair was blown out and down by the side of her face. All smiles: The 46-year-old actor Colman Domingo brought island fever wearing a blue-and-green flower printed shirt teamed with white ripped jeans Co-star moment: Alycia and Colman were on press tour for their hit AMC series as they went around London and Spain Colman, who was promoted to series regular in Season 2 of Fear The Walking Dead, brought some island fever wearing a colorful blue-and-green collared shirt. He teamed it with fitted white jeans that were ripped on the front and a pair of stylish brown shoes. The 46-year-old actor topped off the outfit with a white fedora adorned with a black rim and blue-tinted Ray Bans. Nothing to fear here: The prequel to The Walking Dead will air its midseason premiere at the end of August While the show did not receive Emmy nominations for this year, the actors are keeping busy with a number of projects. Colman will star in the Nate Parker film, The Birth of a Nation, which is set to release on October 7th. While the Australian-born beauty will be featured in a new comedy titled Liked. Waving to fans: The show is based in pre-apocalyptic Los Angeles as characters face the beginning of the end of the world The second half of season 2 had its mid-season finale at the end of May and gears up once again on August the 21st. When speaking to The Daily Beast of the television series, Colman said, 'Its very powerful that the writers are making sure that we keep turning the camera onto the audience as well, looking at our own questions and conflicts and internal struggles. Hopefully thats what were constantly doing and what TV is most useful at doing.' He added: 'Were coming into your living rooms and were showing you. You have all these things built up in your head about [a character]. You may have an impression of him, and then when you find out more, you ask questions.' She's flown to New York to promote her upcoming television series, Victoria - and Jenna Coleman looked every inch the happy tourist as she headed to her hotel on Wednesday. The 30-year-old was pictured walking down the street carrying both a camera around her neck and a guitar on her shoulder as she made her way inside. She wore a cute blue and white cotton striped top from high street store Zara which had a knot artfully tied at the front. Scroll down for video Chic and cute: She's flown to New York to promote her upcoming television series, Victoria - and Jenna Coleman looked every inch the happy tourist as she headed to her hotel on Wednesday Teaming it with a pair of blue cropped chinos, the looked incredibly fashion forward as she enjoyed her time in the Big Apple. Adding some extra inches to her height, she completed her look with a pair of woven strappy sandals and cut a fairly low profile with a black sun hat and dark sunglasses. Jenna is starring as Queen Victoria as she ascends to the throne at the age of 18 is the new television series which she is currently promoting while in the States. The first teaser trailer for ITV's major new drama Victoria was unveiled earlier this year. On trend: The 30-year-old was pictured walking down the street carrying both a camera around her neck and a guitar on her shoulder as she wore a cute striped top and cropped chinos The short teaser shows Victoria at her coronation in 1838, with Jenna dressed in full costume, wearing a replica of the Imperial State Crown. The actress says in a voiceover as walks into the ceremony: 'I know that I am young but I am ready for the great responsibility that lies before me.' In her first role since Doctor Who, Jenna plays the British monarch from her ascension to the throne at the tender age of 18 through to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert, played by Tom Hughes. Young royal: Jenna stars as Queen Victoria in the first teaser for ITV's major new 2016 drama Making her grand entrance: The short teaser shows Victoria at her coronation in 1838, with Jenna dressed in full costume, wearing a replica of the Imperial State Crown and robes Major role: Rufus Sewell is also seen briefly in the first teaser as Lord Melbourne, Victoria's first prime minister and close confidant BAFTA-nominated actor Rufus Sewell is also seen briefly in the first teaser, with the actor, who has himself played a royal on screen in the 2003 TV drama Charles II: The Power and The Passion, cast as Lord Melbourne, Victoria's first prime minister and close confidant. The pair's friendship became a popular source of gossip that threatened to destabilise the Government angering both Tory and Whigs alike. Victoria will begin with a 90-minute episode followed by seven one-hour episodes. The cast have been shooting scenes in Yorkshire since last autumn. Anticipated: Victoria will begin with a 90-minute episode followed by seven one-hour episodes later this year The series has been created and written by acclaimed novelist Daisy Goodwin, in her screenwriting debut, who will also serve as executive producer alongside Dan McCulloch (Indian Summers) and Damien Timmer (Poldark). Torchwood star Eve Myles and The Sarah Jane Adventures actor Tommy-Lawrence Knight will also be joining the stellar line-up. Speaking at the announcement of her role last year, Jenna gushed: 'I am delighted to be cast as Queen Victoria in this ambitious drama of her life. She is a vivid, strong, inspirational and utterly fascinating woman in British history and I can't wait to tell her story.' Full of drama: In her first role since Doctor Who, Jenna plays the British monarch from her ascension to the throne at the tender age of 18 through to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert His American ballerina Melanie girlfriend is due to give birth to their first child in January 2017 Sir Mick Jagger is set to become a father again at the age of 72. The Rolling Stones rocker - who already has seven children from previous relationships - will welcome his first child with 29-year-old American ballerina Melanie Hamrick in January 2017. A spokesperson for Mick confirmed the news to The Sun, while a source told the publication: 'This is great news. It will be Mick's eighth child and nothing fazes him. He's been incredibly supportive. Good news: Sir Mick Jagger is set to become a father again at the age of 72 with 29-year-old ballerina Melanie Hamrick, with a spokesperson saying: 'Nothing fazes him and he is incredibly supportive' They said of Melanie: 'She's very bright, intelligent, sparky and has her own ideas about how she wants to lead her life. She knows what a great relationship Mick has with all of his children' 'She's very bright, intelligent, sparky and has her own ideas about how she wants to lead her life. 'She knows what a great relationship Mick has with all of his children and can't wait for him to be a dad again. They are taking the news in their stride.' MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for further comment. Mick and Melanie were first linked in July 2014, when they were spotted canoodling on the balcony of his hotel in Zurich. In love: Mick and Melanie were first linked in July 2014, when they were spotted canoodling on the balcony of his hotel in Zurich Not a bump in sight: Two days ago, Melanie shared a picture to her Instagram captioned 'Ballerina style' Talented: French dancer Alex Hammoudi (L) and Melanie of the American Ballet Theatre perform La Pluie by Anabel Lopez during the 23rd International Ballet Festival at the Mella Theater in Havana Incredible lady: The beautiful ballerina is originally from Williamsburg, Virginia and spent five years at the Kirov Academy of Ballet Mick has four children - Lizzy, 32, James, 30, Georgia May, 24, Gabriel, 18 - with ex partner Jerry Hall, 59, who is now married to media mogul Rupert Murdoch, 85. The couple were together for over 22 years but their marriage was later declared invalid and they separated in 1999. With wife-of-eight-years Bianca Jagger, 71, Mick had daughter Jade, 44 and with singer Marsha Hunt, 70, he had daughter Karis, 45. Mick also has 16-year-old Lucas with Brazilian model Luciana Gimenez Mora. He was famously left devastated when his ex L'Wren Scott, was found dead in her Manhattan apartment two years ago following suicide - they had been together for 13 years. His father's son: On Sunday night it was almost a struggle to tell Lucas Gimenez and Sir Mick Jagger apart, as the 17-year-old and his father looked more alike than ever as the watched the EURO 2016 final Fun for nearly all the family: Sat in a box at the Stade de France alongside his two eldest children from his relationship with Jerry Hall, Lizzie and James, the iconic rocker looked every bit the family man And earlier this year Mick - who has five grandchildren and recently became a great-grandfather - introduced the dancer to his kids, when she enjoyed a break with him at his holiday home on the private Caribbean island of Mustique. However, she reportedly won't be moving to London to live with Mick when the baby is born, although sources say 'he will love and support this child'. Instead she is believed to be planning to move to either Los Angeles, where he spends a great deal of time, or to Connecticut to be near her family. Family man: James Jagger and his wife Anoushka Sharma (centre) with Jerry Hall (left) and Mick Jagger (right) at their wedding celebration at Cornwell Manor, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire in April Past love: Mick is still close to ex Jerry Hall (centre)- pictured with their daughter Georgia May Jagger (right) back in 2014 In May, Mick's Rolling Stones bandmate Ronnie Wood, 69, welcomed twin daughters, Gracie Jane and Alice Rose, with his wife Sally, 38. Now a proud father-of-six, Ronnie appears to also be embracing the role of new father. Speaking to Hello! magazine last month he revealed he'd been doing his best to share the burdens of parenthood with Sally, saying: Im the burper, walker, nappy changer and Im still trying to work out when I can get to sleep in between all that. I have played the guitar to them and when I get round to it I will do some drawings. At the moment Im just soaking up every moment we have.' Wood previously said that he hoped his good friend, and Rolling Stone frontman, Sir Mick Jagger, would sing lullabies to his new daughters. The twins are Ronnie's fifth and sixth children, but the first for him and Sally, who is 31 years his junior. Still got it: The Rolling Stones frontman is still fighting fit, pictured with Musicians Charlie Watts and Keith Richards during day two of British Summer Time Hyde Park presented by Barclaycard at Hyde Park This year, the Rolling Stones returned to the Forbes list of highest paid celebrities, earning $67 million between June 2015 and June 2016. The music veterans embarked on a embarked on a Latin American tour in February this year, culminating in an open air show in Cuba. In June, The Rolling Stones released Totally Stripped, an expanded and reconceived edition of Stripped. With the boys: In May, Mick's Rolling Stones bandmate Ronnie Wood, 69, (left) welcomed twin daughters, Gracie Jane and Alice Rose, with his wife Sally, 38 Trump to announce VP pick on Friday White House hopeful Donald Trump will announce his pick for vice president in New York Friday, he said on Twitter, as speculation runs rampant over a handful of potential running mates. Among those believed to be at the top of the Republican's list are Indiana Governor Mike Pence, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. "I will be making the announcement of my Vice Presidential pick on Friday at 11am in Manhattan. Details to follow," the 70-year-old real estate mogul posted on Twitter late Wednesday. Donald Trump's vice presidential pick could be one of the most important decisions he makes on the campaign trail Tasos Katopodis (AFP) In an interview earlier in the day with Fox News, Trump said that he had narrowed the field down to "three, potentially four, but in my own mind, I probably am thinking about two." The announcement comes just one day after Trump finished campaigning in Indiana alongside Pence, the 57-year-old governor who is seen as someone with a steady tone who might soften Trump's combativeness. "I'm honored to be considered and humbled to be considered," Pence told reporters Wednesday. "The conversations that we have had between two families is something we'll cherish the rest of our lives, no matter the outcome." Pence, a former radio host, served six terms representing his home state in Congress. A fiscal conservative and lawyer by training, he was House Republican Conference chairman from 2009-11. According to CNN, Trump and three of his children had breakfast with Pence in the governor's mansion Wednesday. Gingrich also met with Trump during the day, while Christie talked with him on the phone. Christie, 53, a tough-talking politician described as a political bruiser, already campaigned with Trump in Virginia on Monday. Trump meanwhile has voiced support for Gingrich -- a 73-year-old political veteran who himself ran for president in 2012 -- telling The New York Times that "Newt is Newt. He's a good guy." Gingrich packs the political punch that Trump lacks. He was in Congress for 20 years and speaker of the House of Representatives from 1995-99 during Bill Clinton's presidency. Trump's vice presidential pick could be one of the most important decisions he makes on the campaign trail as he seeks to present a competent, steady wingman or woman to US voters after a turbulent primary season during which his provocative rhetoric frustrated many conservatives. Next week, the Republican Party will head to Cleveland, Ohio for a national convention at which Trump will be formally nominated to run against his Democratic rival, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Philippines to send envoy to China over sea row Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he would send ex-leader Fidel Ramos to China for talks after an international tribunal ruled against Beijing's claims to most of the disputed South China Sea. Duterte asked former president Ramos "go to China to start the talks" with Beijing after the UN-backed tribunal's ruling on the strategically vital waters, though he did not specify a timeframe. "War... is not an option. So what is the other side? Peaceful talks. I cannot give you the wherewithals now," Duterte said at a college alumni meeting that was also attended by Ramos. Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos will be tasked with visiting China to discuss the South China Sea issue Saul Loeb (AFP/File) "I have to consult many people, including president Ramos. I would like to respectfully ask him to go to China and start the talks." Duterte's remarks came after a UN-backed international tribunal on Tuesday ruled against China's claim to most of the South China Sea in what is widely seen as a diplomatic victory for the Philippines. However the decision has also raised tensions with China refusing to recognise it and warning its rivals that too much pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich waterway into a "cradle of war". Ramos, who served as president from 1992 to 1998, is known to favour close ties with China. But the 88-year-old hinted he might not accept the offer, citing his age and other commitments. Aides have said Duterte is now open to bilateral talks with China, suggesting the Philippines is in better position to negotiate following the Hague-based tribunal's decision. The Philippines had initially refrained from asking China to abide by the verdict -- in line with Duterte's directive to achieve a "soft landing" with Beijing on the issue. Duterte, who took office on June 30, has said he wants better relations with China and to attract Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects. China claims almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, even over territory also claimed by the Philippines as well as Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Japan monarchy roiled over abdication reports Japan's ancient monarchy was in tumult Thursday with the imperial household insisting its ageing emperor had no plans to abdicate after reports he wanted to step aside. Respected national broadcaster NHK -- citing palace and other sources -- said Wednesday that 82-year-old Akihito, who has reigned for almost three decades, wanted to pass the throne to his eldest son sometime within the next few years. Any such abdication would be the first in around two centuries, and would be a severe jolt to a country where the 2,600-year-old royal family symbolises stability and continuity. Ageing Japanese Emperor Akihito is now in the 28th year of his reign Kazuhiro Nogi (AFP/File) Media watchers say NHK and Kyodo News, which separately carried a similar report, would be extremely careful before committing on such an explosive story. However the Imperial Household Agency, the tradition-steeped government body that runs royal affairs, was categorical in its denial. "It is absolutely not true," Vice Grand Steward Shinichiro Yamamoto told reporters late Wednesday. The emperor "has long refrained from discussing systematic issues out of consideration for his majesty's constitutional position," he told reporters. But in the early hours of Friday, Kyodo cited government sources as saying the government had begun preparations to revise the law governing the imperial family system in response to the emperor's desire to possibly abdicate. Currently under Japan's Imperial Household Law there is no legal mechanism for abdication. Kyodo said the government set up a special task force last month under strict confidentiality, with the aim of compiling a draft outline by the emperor's 83rd birthday in December. It also said that the Imperial Household Agency was considering getting the emperor to express his own thoughts about possible abdication soon, according to agency officials. The throne, which Japan claims to be one of the world's oldest, is held in deep respect by much of the public, despite being largely stripped of its mystique and quasi-divine status in the aftermath of World War II. Akihito's father, Hirohito, in whose name Japan's military campaigns of the 20th century were prosecuted, was treated as a living god until defeat in 1945. He died from cancer in 1989. While the role of emperor is now largely ceremonial, it remains intensely important to right-wingers, especially because of the monarch's position at the apex of the native Shinto religion. Among their number is Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who at the weekend scored an election win that may give him the momentum to soften Japan's pacifist constitution. An abdication could throw a spanner in the works, tying up legislators and preventing any such constitutional backsliding. - 'Mistakes' - Hidehiko Kasahara, professor of politics at Keio University, noted that Akihito has made clear his ceremonial workload was getting harder to perform. One of his sons in 2011 floated the idea of a retirement system for emperors after one of Akihito's illnesses, and a weekly magazine in 2013 carried a report similar to the current wave of speculation. The emperor, who has suffered from numerous health issues, including prostate cancer and heart problems, himself spoke late last year of his growing limitations. He acknowledged making "mistakes" in his duties, which range from native Shinto religious ceremonies to visiting residents in regions hit by Japan's frequent natural disasters. Akihito's reign as emperor, now in its 28th year, has been characterised by an unprecedented openness. He has made efforts to acknowledge suffering caused by Japan's 20th century warring in visits to the Philippines and other Pacific battle spots, and last year in Tokyo expressed "profound remorse" for the war. Jeff Kingston, professor of Asian Studies at Temple University Japan, said lost in discussions was not so much the technical issue of abdication but rather what Akihito has meant to his country as domestic "healer in chief" and "emissary of regional reconciliation" abroad. "His acceptance of Japan's war responsibility and his apology diplomacy have done a great deal to raise Japan's stature in the comity of nations," he said. Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reports that the government has been secretly discussing the possibility of Emperor Akihito abdicating, a claim the palace denies Kazuhiro Nogi (AFP/File) A Chinese national was sentenced in Los Angeles to three years and 10 months in prison for hacking American defense contractors to steal trade secrets on Beijing's behalf. Su Bin, 51, who went by the names Stephen Su and Stephen Subin, was also ordered by a federal judge to pay a $10,000 fine. Su in March had admitted in a plea agreement with US authorities to conspiring with two unnamed military officers in China to try to acquire plans for F-22 and F-35 fighter jets and Boeing's C-17 military transport aircraft. Chinese national Su Bin (pictured) was sentenced in Los Angeles to three years and 10 months in prison for hacking American defense contractors to steal trade secrets on Beijing's behalf Bin admitted in a plea agreement with US officials to conspiring with officers in China to acquire plans for F-22, pictured, and F-35 fighter jets According to court documents, the trio managed to steal sensitive data by hacking into the computer networks of major defense contractors and sent the information to China. Su, who ran a China-based aviation and aerospace company from Canada, was arrested in July 2014 and after waiving extradition was transferred to the United States to face charges. 'Over the course of years, this defendant sought to undermine the national security of the United States by seeking out information that would benefit a foreign government and providing that country with information it had never before seen,' prosecutor Eileen Decker said in a statement. According to court documents, Su travelled to the United States at least 10 times between 2008 and 2014, working with his co-conspirators to steal the data. He admitted to sending emails to his two accomplices with guidance on which persons, companies and technologies to target. Once the data was stolen, Su admitted to translating it into English and then seeking to sell it. As well as trying to acquire plans for the F-22 and F-35 jets, Bin tried to obtain secret plans for the Boeing C-17 military transport plane (pictured) His spying activities have been lauded in China where the state-run media has described him as a hero. 'We are willing to show our gratitude and respect for his service to our country', said a March editorial in the Global Times, a nationalistic newspaper with close ties to the ruling Communist Party. 'On the secret battlefield without gunpowder, China needs special agents to gather secrets from the US,' it added. Washington and Beijing have repeatedly clashed over what the US describes as rampant cyberspying by the Chinese government on US industry. Last year, the US indicted five Chinese military officers on charges of cyberspying. In the 1990s, Taiwanese-American Wen Ho Lee was accused of spying for the Chinese government, but eventually pleaded guilty to only one minor charge in an embarrassing debacle that ended in an apology from then US president Bill Clinton. In Syria's Tartus, displaced work fields of farmers at war When the farmers of Syria's Tartus province went off to war, their famed tomato vines were left to wither. This summer, the crops are being revived -- not by returning soldiers, but by displaced farmers from other parts of Syria who have found refuge in the relatively peaceful coastal province. In a field of tangled plants covered with plastic sheeting, men, women and children from Aleppo province walked along the rows seeking out red fruits ready to be picked. A family member of displaced Syrian farmer Ahmad Farhat Ismail, who fled the northern conflict-ridden city Aleppo with his family, collects tomatoes at a farm in the coastal city of Tartus Louai Beshara (AFP) Aleppo, to the northeast of Tartus, has been ravaged by a five-year conflict that has left at least 280,000 people dead and displaced half the country's population. Ahmad Farhat Ismail, 48, fled Aleppo with his family and found work in the fields of Tartus. "After the fighting intensified in Aleppo, we thought our best option was to flee to Tartus because it's an agricultural area and all we know how to do is farm," he told AFP. "I want to work so that I don't become a refugee." Thousands of men from Tartus, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad, have taken up arms in support of the government since the conflict began. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, says some 30,000 soldiers from the province have died in the conflict. Many locals have multiple family members fighting for the government and were forced to leave their land untended. "When some members of my family enlisted in military service, we didn't have enough working hands," said 55-year-old Abdel Karim Kaneej as he took a break from picking. "So the tomato harvest suffered until the newcomers came this season to help us improve the situation and fill the labour gap." Kaneej's two brothers serve in Homs and Damascus, and his young nephew is fighting for the regime in Aleppo. "We give our men and blood to Aleppo, and Aleppo gives us its men and women, too," he said. - 'A safe haven' - Syria's conflict, which broke out in March 2011, has devastated the economy. Syria was heavily dependent on agriculture. Farming provided a livelihood to roughly half the population before the war, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation. Tartus's farmers produced a million tons of tomatoes a year, making it one of the world's top producers, says the FAO. But last year, that figure had dropped to just 300,000 tons, according to the provincial agricultural department. The World Food Programme and the FAO, working with the government, have offered technical training, irrigation supplies and other support to 2,000 farmers this year. That has created work for over 6,000 workers, including displaced Syrians, according to the WFP. The organisation is helping Syrians become self-sufficient by producing their own food and selling their product through local distributors, WFP logistics officer Ivo Junior Santi told AFP. An estimated 700,000 people have fled to Tartus from other parts of Syria -- around 60 percent of them from Aleppo province, according to a provincial source. Many live in difficult conditions, sleeping in cramped sheds near the land they work. "I lost my husband last year when he left our house in Aleppo city and never came back," says Nour al-Abdallah, a female worker arranging tomatoes into white cardboard boxes. Nour shows her daughter Tima, six, how to stack the boxes on top of one another so they can be moved to distribution centres inside Tartus city. "I switched from being a hairdresser to a farmer, and I'm very happy about it because I found somewhere safe where my children can eat and drink," she said. "Even if the war ends, I want to stay here in Tartus." Mohammad Shahhadi, 40, says Tartus has also become his new home since he fled the town of Al-Safirah in Aleppo province in 2013. "In Tartus, I learnt a new way to farm and I benefitted from the expertise of the coastal people like they benefited from my expertise," he tells AFP. "But planting tomatoes is only one of the things that makes me want to stay in Tartus, even though my town has returned to the control of the Syrian army," he said. MH17 families steel for legal fight on second anniversary The families of the 298 people who died when flight MH17 was downed over Ukraine are steeling themselves for a slew of bitter legal battles, on the eve of the tragedy's second anniversary. Sunday marks the deadline for relatives to launch action against Malaysia Airlines, which operated the passenger jet that was shot down with a surface-air-missile over war-torn eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. The Boeing 777 was on a routine flight between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a Russian-made BUK missile, fired from territory held by pro-Russian separatists locked in a fierce conflict with Kiev. Sunday marks the deadline for relatives of the 298 people who died when flight MH17 was downed over Ukraine to launch action against Malaysia Airlines, which operated the passenger jet Bulent Kilic (AFP/File) Dozens of Dutch relatives are close to filing a lawsuit by the weekend if negotiations fail to secure compensation for "psychological trauma", news reports said. A 1999 convention allows bereaved families to launch claims against airlines for up to two years, but "psychological trauma" does not qualify. Malaysia Airlines "will also be reluctant to set a precedent" if it pays damages for psychological trauma, added Pablo Mendes de Leon, an air and space law professor at Leiden University. The ailing Malaysian national carrier is already facing a legal challenge by families of six crew members who are blaming the airline for the tragedy. Yet another claim could be added this week, lawyer Mathew Thomas Philip told AFP. Elsewhere, a suit by 33 next-of-kin from Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia was filed against Russia and President Vladimir Putin in the European Court of Human Rights in May. The claimants are suing for 6.8 million euros ($7.6 million) for each lost relative, their lawyer Jerry Skinner said. Thirty families are also getting ready for a US-based lawsuit against "several people and entities that support the separatists on Ukrainian soil", lawyer James Healy-Pratt told AFP. Other relatives want a pro-Russian separatist leader to pay 779 million euros in damages, while the mother of a German victim is suing Kiev for allowing passenger planes to fly through its airspace -- even though it knew there was an ongoing war. - 'Justice not done' - Sunday marks the second anniversary of the crash that saw 298 passengers -- the majority of them Dutch -- and crew lose their lives. The largest gathering will be in the small Dutch town of Vijfhuizen near Amsterdam's Schiphol international airport, where relatives plan a future memorial for the victims. At the gathering, the names of all the victims will be read and there will be a minutes' silence, the organisers have said. Relatives are also looking forward to the initial findings of a criminal investigation later this summer, which is expected to shed light on the exact type of missile used to shoot down the plane and where it was shot from. An international inquiry concluded in October that the Boeing 777 was shot down by a BUK missile fired from a zone held by the pro-Russian separatists, but stopped short of saying who was responsible. The criminal investigation's findings could open the way for further lawsuits in future. "There will always be legal resorts and procedures available... once the facts have been established," Jill Coster van Voorhout of the Hague Institute for Global Justice think-tank said. But relatives' main concern is not money. Lawyer Healy-Pratt said: "No amount of money can bring back their loved ones. They want the truth. Justice has not been done." Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was on a routine flight from Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a Russian-made BUK missile, fired from territory held by pro-Russian separatists Emmanuel Dunand (AFP/File) Assad says Russia 'never' spoke of his departure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Thursday he has never faced pressure from Russia to step aside, as Moscow prepared to host US Secretary of State John Kerry on reviving peace efforts. Speaking to NBC News in Damascus, Assad insisted his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had never raised the issue of his departure or a political transition. "Only the Syrian people define who's going to be the president, when to come, and when to go. They never said a single word regarding this," he said. President Bashar al-Assad told NBC News that only the Syrian people can "define who's going to be their president" - (SANA/AFP) Assad's fate is a key question in efforts to bring about a negotiated settlement to Syria's five-year civil war. Moscow and Washington have backed a roadmap that calls for a nationwide ceasefire and Geneva-based talks on a "political transition". But there has been little progress towards a hoped-for resumption of talks this month, and the prospects for such a transition now appear slim. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura on Thursday urged Moscow and Washington to push for a resumption of the talks next month. The talks "have a target date of August," De Mistura said, adding that they need to be "a credible beginning of a roadmap towards a political transition." Kerry was due to arrive later Thursday in Moscow, a close ally of Assad's government that launched air strikes in support of regime forces in September last year. - Kerry 'extremely frustrated' - Moscow and Washington brokered a landmark partial ceasefire in Syria in February but it has since all but collapsed amid continued heavy fighting. Kerry said before leaving Washington that he would meet Putin "to see if we can somehow advance this (the peace process) in the important ways that people want us to." Kerry's spokesman John Kirby told reporters his boss was "extremely frustrated" with the failure of peace efforts. In Washington, many observers have criticised Kerry's outreach to Russia on Syria, arguing he has been strung along by Putin as he seeks to protect his client Assad. Syria's conflict began in 2011 with the repression of anti-government demonstrations and has evolved into a multi-front war that has left more than 280,000 dead and forced millions from their homes. Efforts to bring an end to the war have taken on greater urgency since the emergence of the Islamic State group, which seized control of large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in mid-2014. The jihadists have committed widespread atrocities and organised or inspired a wave of attacks across the Middle East and in Western cities. A US-led coalition is carrying out air strikes against them in Syria and Iraq, and recent months have seen IS lose significant territory. Moscow has also been bombing the jihadists, and on Thursday said it had carried out more than 50 strikes against IS near the Syrian city of Palmyra in the past two days. On Thursday alone six Tupolev bombers flew out of an airbase in Russia and conducted strikes east of Palmyra, near the cities of Arak and Sukhna, as well as in the Homs region, it said. IS fighters were forced out of Palmyra by Syrian regime forces in March with Russian backing, but Arak and Sukhna remain out of the government's control. - Colvin 'responsible' for death - The Washington Post reported Thursday that Washington was to offer to cooperate with Moscow in joint military action against IS and the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra Front. In Paris before heading to Moscow, Kerry did not deny the report, but refused to discuss the proposal in detail until he had been to the Kremlin. According to the Post, which cited sections of what it said was a draft agreement, US and Russian commanders would set up a joint command and control centre to direct intensified air strikes against the groups. Despite repeated announcements of ceasefires, Syrian government forces have continued offensives on a range of fronts, with fighting especially heavy around second city Aleppo in recent weeks. Fresh air strikes on two rebel-held neighbourhoods of Aleppo killed at least 12 civilians on Thursday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. In his interview with NBC, Assad also said Marie Colvin, a US reporter killed in alleged Syrian government bombardment in the city of Homs in 2012, was responsible for her own death. "She worked with the terrorists, and because she came illegally, she's been responsible of everything that befall on her," Assad said, speaking in English. His comments came days after relatives of Colvin filed a lawsuit in a US court alleging Assad's regime targeted her to stop her covering government atrocities. Smoke billows in rebel-held Salihin neighbourhood of Aleppo following a reported air strike on July 9, 2016 Fadi Al-Halabi (AFP/File) Moscow and Washington brokered a landmark partial ceasefire in Syria in February but it has since all but collapsed amid continued heavy fighting George Ourfalian (AFP/File) US Secretary of State John Kerry is heading to Moscow to revive Syria peace efforts Saul Loeb (AFP) Freed Zimbabwe protest leader calls for further strikes The Zimbabwean pastor who has emerged as leader of a new protest movement against President Robert Mugabe's authoritarian government called on Thursday for further strikes and shutdowns. Evan Mawarire, who started the popular ThisFlag internet protest campaign in April, was an organiser of a one-day nationwide strike last week that closed offices, shops, schools and some government departments. "Tell everyone that you know... tell them that the pastor said we carry on with our 'stay-away' and shutdown," Mawarire said in a Facebook video, the day after a court threw out a case against him of attempting overthrow the government. Zimbabwean cleric Evan Mawarire, wrapped in the Zimbabwean National flag, recording an instalment of his #ThisFlag video series, in which he decries the government's failures on May 19, 2016 Jekesai Njikizana (AFP/File) "There is a hope inside you that this country needs, and if you don't get involved you are robbing us of that hope," he said, wearing the national flag around his neck. "We are not just hating the government for nothing. We actually want you to know the reality on the ground." A recent series of demonstrations, the largest in years, have been driven by an economic crisis in Zimbabwe that has left banks short of cash and the government struggling to pay its workers. Mugabe, 92 and increasingly frail, has previously used his ruthless security forces to crack down on any public show of dissent. US to offer Russia anti-terror pact in Syria: report The United States is to offer to cooperate with Russia in joint military action against the Al-Nusra Front and Islamic State extremist groups in Syria, the Washington Post reported Thursday. US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was on his way to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin, did not deny the report, but refused to discuss the proposal in detail until he had been to the Kremlin. According to the Post, which cited sections of what it said was a draft agreement, US and Russian commanders would set up a joint command and control centre to direct intensified air strikes against the jihadist groups. Fighters from Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front drive in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on May 26, 2015 Fadi al-Halabi (AMC/AFP/File) Currently, Russian forces in Syria are operating in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime against a variety of rebel factions while a US-led coalition focuses its fire on the Islamic State group. Any deal between the great power rivals would be controversial, since for many -- including critics of US President Barack Obama in Washington -- it would amount to a tacit acceptance of Putin's efforts to shore up Assad's regime. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the report before Moscow had received Washington's proposal. He said the Kremlin has reiterated the need for "the coordination of joint efforts" in the fight against jihadist groups in Syria and regretted Washington's reluctance to cooperate with Russia militarily in the war-torn country. Kerry was due in Moscow later Thursday and was to hold talks first with Putin at the Kremlin followed by a meeting with his opposite number Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday. Asked if he wanted to comment on the reported US offer of a military pact, Kerry said: "I don't right now. I'll have comments. I'm going to Moscow, meeting with President Putin tonight, and we'll have plenty of time to talk about it." "I'll give you all a sense of where we are," he added. According to the Post, Kerry was to propose to Putin that Russia and the United States set up a "Joint Implementation Group" or JIG to "enable extended coordination" between their militaries on the Syrian battlefields. Both the Islamic State and the Al-Nusra Front are defined as terrorist groups by the UN Security Council, and they are not party to the much-breached ceasefire in place between Assad's forces and more moderate rebel groups. But, while the Islamic State's so-called "caliphate" has global ambitions, Al-Nusra -- an affiliate of Al-Qaeda -- has concentrated on battling Assad, fighting alongside other rebel groups backed by US allies. Iran protests Egypt MPs' presence at opposition rally Iran has summoned Egypt's top envoy in Tehran to "strongly protest" against the attendance of Egyptian lawmakers at an annual rally of an exiled opposition group, state media said. An Iranian foreign ministry official called the presence of a group of Egyptian MPs at the National Council of Resistance in Iran (NCRI) gathering in France on Saturday "a clear interference in our domestic affairs". Tehran accused the parliamentarians of supporting the "terrorist group", which includes the former rebel People's Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK). People hold a poster featuring Maryam Rajavi, president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), during a protest in Berlin on February 6, 2014 Patrik Stollarz (AFP/File) "Egyptian authorities are expected to adopt responsible and principled policies and take steps toward preserving peace and stability in the region," the Iranian official said, quoted late Wednesday by the official IRNA news agency. It did not identify the envoy but Egypt's diplomatic mission in Tehran is headed by Khalid Emara. Ibrahim Abdel Wahab, an Egyptian lawmaker and member of the foreign relations parliamentary committee, confirmed he had participated in the rally along with nine other Egyptian MPs and public figures. "This is not a formal participation. We received personal invitations and decided to participate to support the Iranian opposition," Abdel Wahab told AFP from Paris, without giving more details. He said the parliament deputy speaker Suleiman Wahdan and another member of the defence and national security committee had also attended the rally. The Egyptian foreign ministry said on its Facebook page that the MPs who attended the rally did not represent the Egyptian government. Their participation was not in any "official" capacity, it said, stressing that the Egyptian parliament is "fully independent as it represents the legislature power which is independent from the executive power". Tehran broke off diplomatic relations with Cairo in 1980 a year after Iran's Islamic revolution, in protest at Egypt's signing of a peace treaty with Israel and hosting of the deposed shah. The two countries maintain only interests sections in each other's capitals. The envoy for his part stressed that Egypt does not meddle in the domestic affairs of other countries, IRNA reported. Journalist Colvin 'responsible' for own death, says Syria's Assad A US reporter killed in alleged Syrian government bombardment of a rebel district in 2012 was "responsible" for her own death, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview released Thursday. Speaking to NBC News in Damascus, Assad said Marie Colvin bore responsibility for her death in the Baba Amr district of Syria's third city Homs because she had entered the country illegally and worked with "terrorists." "It's a war and she came illegally to Syria. She worked with the terrorists, and because she came illegally, she's been responsible of everything that befall on her," Assad said, speaking in English. US journalist Marie Colvin was killed by Syrian rocket fire in February 2012 while reporting in the city of Homs Asked if she was responsible for her own death, Assad replied "of course," though he denied that his forces had targeted her. "The army forces didn't know that Marie Colvin existed somewhere," he said. "Nobody knows if she was killed by a missile or which missile or where did the missile come from or how. "No one has any evidence. This is just allegations," he said, adding that "hundreds" of journalists had been to Syria "legally and illegally." "Why to single out this person in order to kill her? There is no reason," he said. His comments come days after relatives of the longtime war correspondent filed a lawsuit in a US court alleging Assad's regime targeted her to stop her covering government atrocities. The suit, based on information from captured government documents as well as defectors, claims the Syrian military intercepted Colvin's communications and unleashed a barrage of rocket fire on her location, killing her and French photographer Remi Ochlik. British photographer Paul Conroy, French reporter Edith Bouvier and Syrian media activist Wael al-Omar were wounded in the same attack. The suit says senior Assad regime officials conspired "to surveil, target and ultimately kill civilian journalists in order to silence local and international media as part of its effort to crush political opposition." Colvin, who was 56, covered many of the world's bloodiest conflicts from the 1980s onwards. She was working for the British newspaper The Sunday Times. Iraq holds parade to celebrate victories over IS Iraqi security forces paraded through Baghdad on Thursday to celebrate victories over the Islamic State jihadist group, but an unannounced rehearsal two days earlier put a damper on the festivities. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi reviewed the forces from a pavilion as they passed through central Tahrir Square, and military jets and helicopters overflew the city. The parade was held to mark "the liberation of Fallujah and Ramadi and all the Iraqi territory that was liberated," defence ministry spokesman Brigadier General Tahseen Ibrahim told AFP, referring to two key cities recaptured from the jihadists. Iraqi armed forces take part in a military parade in Baghdad to celebrate the 'liberation' of Fallujah from the Islamic State (IS) group, on July 14, 2016 Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP) But an unannounced rehearsal for the parade held on Tuesday, in which many roads were closed and military vehicles drove through the city, inspired fear rather than celebration. Some speculated on social media that it was a message to protesters planning a demonstration on Friday that Abadi has called on them to delay, while others speculated that it could be a military coup. Iraq announced the full recapture of Fallujah, a city 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad that had been outside government control for more than two and a half years, at the end of June. Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, was declared to have been recaptured at the end of December, but fighting in the area continued into this year. More recently, Baghdad's forces seized a key military base south of Mosul from IS that the Pentagon has said will serve as a "springboard" for the push to retake the last IS-held city in Iraq. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and training have since regained significant ground. No solution to Syria while Assad remains: Turkish PM Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has warned there can be no solution to the Syrian conflict or the threat from jihadists while President Bashar al-Assad remains in charge. In recent days, Yildirim has repeatedly said Turkey would seek good relations with Syria after diplomatic successes with Israel and Russia, raising speculation of a possible change in Turkish policy. However in an interview with the BBC broadcast late on Wednesday, Yildirim said Assad had to go because with him in charge, the conflict would not be solved. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim addresses delegates during the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Ankara, on July 13, 2016 Adem Altan (AFP/File) "On one hand, there's Assad and on the other, Daesh. If you ask, should we prefer Assad or Daesh, we cannot choose one over the other. They both have to go -- they're both trouble for Syrians," he said, using the Arabic acronym for the so-called Islamic State group. "Let's imagine we got rid of Daesh, the problem still won't be solved. As long as Assad is there, the problem won't be solved. Another terrorist organisation would emerge." He accused the Assad regime of creating IS through its policy of killing its own citizens deliberately. There has been confusion this week over whether Turkish policy towards Syria and Assad was changing after several terror attacks by IS in Istanbul and in the capital Ankara in October. Despite previously having good relations before the start of Syria's five-year civil war, Turkey has been one of the Syrian regime's fiercest opponents, supporting opposition groups fighting against Assad. On Wednesday, Yildirim told his party's provincial leaders in Ankara that he was sure Turkey would "normalise" relations with Syria and in the BBC interview, Yildirim said Assad had to change without specifying what kind of change. "Things must change in Syria but first Assad must change. Unless Assad changes, nothing changes." The Syrian conflict has left more than 280,000 people dead, although Yildirim said half a million had been killed. Strikes kill 12 in rebel-held half of Syria's Aleppo Air strikes killed at least 12 civilians including children in two rebel-held neighbourhoods of Syria's divided city of Aleppo on Thursday, a monitoring group said. Nine people were killed in the Tariq al-Bab area, and another three in the district of Salhin, both in eastern Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. The Britain-based group said it was unclear whether the strikes were carried out by warplanes of the Syrian government or its ally Russia. A Syrian woman shelters in a damaged building as civil defence workers sift through debris looking for survivors following reported air strikes on July 14, 2016 in Aleppo's rebel-held neighbourhood of Tariq al-Bab Thaer Mohammed (AFP) In Tariq al-Bab, civil defence workers sifted through debris for survivors. "A missile hit... and two whole families lost their lives," said one of them, Mohammed al-Ismael. "We pulled four martyrs from the rubble, including children and women, and until now there are another six victims under the rubble." The work proceeded slowly because of ongoing air strikes in the area, each raid forcing the workers to scatter and shelter in nearby buildings. An older woman sat on the pavement watching the workers dig through the remains of a pancaked building. "One of my children has been rescued but another one is still underneath the rubble," she told AFP. Nearby, a distraught Mohamed Qattan dug through debris with his bare hands. "My family are beneath the rubble," he said, calling out to them in the hope of hearing a reply. "I was praying at the mosque when the strike happened. My wife and two of my children -- my son and daughter -- are underneath the rubble," he told AFP. In Salhin, the strikes also wrought destruction, with video obtained by AFP of the aftermath showing smoke billowing from the front of a multi-storey building shorn of its facade. The charred skeleton of a car, its windows blown out, sat in front of the building. Civil defence workers battled a fire sparked by the attack, while civilians with ladders retrieved belongings from the ruins. "Total destruction," said resident Jomaa Hassan, gesturing to a smoking building behind him. "These are civilians: a taxi driver, a municipal worker. These are the terrorists in their eyes." Aleppo city is divided roughly between government control in the west and rebel control in the east. Last week, government forces advanced to within firing range of the only remaining supply route into the rebel-held east, effectively cutting it off and prompting food shortages and spiralling prices. The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that 19 trucks loaded with aid entered rebel-held Waer in the central city of Homs, the second such delivery in a month to the regime-besieged district. More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria since its conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests that were met with a regime crackdown. Bashir, wanted by ICC, 'very welcome' at Rwanda's AU summit Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the world's top criminal court, is "very welcome" in Rwanda for a summit of the African Union starting this weekend, the country's foreign minister said Thursday. Rwanda has "no obligation" and "no right to arrest anybody" as it has not subscribed to the treaty founding the International Criminal Court (ICC), Louise Mushikiwabo said at a news conference. She also dismissed out of hand an ICC request, sent to the Rwanda government two days ago to help it arrest Bashir, calling it "a distraction". Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was indicted by the ICC in 2009 for alleged war crimes in Darfur, which he denies Ashraf Shazly (AFP/File) "We are too busy to pay attention to that kind of thing," she said at the media conference held ahead of the gathering of the 54-nation group. The summit takes place on Sunday and Monday. "Rwanda is the host of African leaders invited by the African Union," she said. "Unequivocally, anybody who is invited by the African Union will be here in Kigali and would be very welcome, would be under the protection of this country as should be customary." The ICC issued arrest warrants for Bashir in 2009 and 2010 for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide over the Darfur conflict, where more than 300,000 people have died, according to the United Nations. But he continues to travel, including to some nations that ratified the Rome treaty setting up the ICC. Controversy erupted last year when South Africa failed to arrest Bashir when he attended an AU summit in Johannesburg. African leaders in fact have become increasingly resentful of the ICC's authority, accusing the Hague-based court of targeting only countries on the African continent. Mushikiwabo said there would be discussion at the AU summit in Kigali of whether the court's African members should withdraw. UN envoy eyes resumption of Syria talks in August UN mediator Staffan de Mistura on Thursday called on Moscow and Washington to push for a resumption of Syrian peace talks, which he hoped could resume next month. De Mistura told reporters in Geneva he wanted to "ensure that we have enough, sufficient, critical mass in order to give a sufficient chance for a concrete and effective beginning of the third round of the intra-Syrian talks." The talks "have a target date of August," de Mistura said. Smoke billows in a rebel-held neighbourhood of Syria's Aleppo following a reported air strike on July 9, 2016 Fadi Al-Halabi (AFP/File) "These talks ... are meant to be a credible beginning of a roadmap towards a political transition, so they need to be well-prepared," he said. De Mistura, who had previously spoken about resuming the talks in July, made his comments as US Secretary of State John Kerry was on his way to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin and test his commitment to the stalled Syrian peace process. Washington and Moscow have backed a roadmap that calls for a nationwide ceasefire and Geneva-based talks on "political transition." But there has been little progress towards a hoped-for resumption of talks this month, and the prospects for a political transition beginning by August, as laid out in the road map, now appear slim. De Mistura pointed to the partial ceasefire that Moscow and Washington brokered for Syria in February, saying that when the two "agree on something that helps a lot the political process and even the humanitarian process." De Mistura said he hoped Washington and Moscow could help reduce the "non-constructive ambiguity" surrounding the Al-Nusra Front. Like the Islamic State group, the Al-Nusra Front is defined as a terrorist group by the UN Security Council, but is not party to the much-breached ceasefire. That ambiguity, he said, "has been one of the main problems for the sustainability of the cessation of hostilities." While until now all sides have agreed on targeting IS, Al-Nusra -- an affiliate of Al-Qaeda -- has been more tricky since it is mainly battling Assad alongside other rebel groups backed by US allies. Supreme Court judge sorry for branding Trump a 'faker' US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg apologized Thursday for publicly disparaging Donald Trump as a phoney with a big ego. The left-leaning 83-year-old judge shocked the US political establishment with her remarks: on Monday she called Trump "a faker" who "says whatever comes into his head at the moment." She also told The New York Times in an interview published last weekend that she "can't imagine" what the United States under Trump as president would be like. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, pictured in 2010, said her comments on Donald Trump's candidacy were "ill-advised" Kevork Djansezian (Getty/AFP/File) Ginsburg issued a statement Thursday saying she was sorry. "On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them," Ginsburg said. "Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect," she added. In response to the criticism, Trump had suggested the judge was getting senile and should step down. "Justice Ginsburg of the US Supreme Court has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me. Her mind is shot - resign!" he tweeted Wednesday. Ginsburg drew widespread ire from Republicans for breaking with a code of conduct under which US judges are not supposed to publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for office. The Washington Post and The New York Times both ran editorials saying she had erred. Ginsburg, seen as a tough as nails figure, was appointed to the court in 1993 by then president Bill Clinton, a Democrat, and is the darling of the progressive community in America, especially young people. She has lots of clout. Last year, she was named to Time's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. As a lawyer, Ginsburg was a pillar of the fight for women's rights in the 1960s and '70s. She has survived cancer several times. But her departure from judicial custom in slamming Trump raised eyebrows everywhere, even among ideological allies. The Washington Post, which rarely goes easy on Trump, said in an editorial that while it may agree with what Ginsburg said about him, her candor was "inconsistent with her function in our democratic system." Yemen govt threatens to boycott peace talks Yemen's government threatened Thursday to boycott UN-brokered peace talks, on the eve of their expected resumption in Kuwait, unless Iran-backed rebels commit to the terms of a United Nations resolution. The UN said however that it still had not been informed of any boycott from any side while affirming that the talks were scheduled to resume on Friday after a two-week break. More than two months of negotiations between President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's Saudi-backed government and the Huthi rebels and their allies have failed to make any headway. More than 6,400 people have been killed in Yemen since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government in March last year Saleh Al-Obeidi (AFP/File) "Our delegation will not travel to Kuwait until the United Nations fulfils its commitments" to pressure the rebels to "implement (Security Council) Resolution 2216," a presidency official told AFP from Riyadh. Security arrangements under Resolution 2216 require the rebels and their allies to withdraw from areas they have occupied since 2014, including Sanaa, and hand over heavy weapons. For the talks to resume, UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed must obtain "written guarantees from the other party to commit to the references of the talks that have been agreed on," including the resolution, said the source who requested anonymity. Hadi on Sunday warned his government would boycott the talks if the UN envoy insists on a roadmap stipulating a unity government that includes the insurgents. But in response to an AFP enquiry, a spokesman for the UN envoy said Ould Cheikh Ahmed "will return to Kuwait tomorrow (Friday) and the talks will resume as planned". "No delegation has yet announced that it will not participate," the source added. A government official said, however, that "a decision on the return to the negotiating table will be taken after the Arab summit," scheduled to take place in Nouakchott late this month. The UN envoy was still in Sanaa where he met with rebel leaders after holding consultations with Hadi in Riyadh on Tuesday. Hadi's government wants to re-establish its authority across the entire country, much of which is rebel-controlled, and restart a political transition interrupted when the Huthis seized Sanaa in 2014. The rebels have conditioned their withdrawal on both sides agreeing on a new president to manage the transition. More than 6,400 people have been killed in Yemen since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi's government in March last year. Anti-Trump uprising makes final stand at convention As Cleveland braces for the Republican convention next week, anti-Donald Trump forces are mounting a last-gasp effort to block the billionaire from securing the party's White House nomination by urging delegates to vote their "conscience." The "stop Trump" movement began its final stand early Thursday, seeking to change party rules in order to unbind most of the convention's delegates and allow them to break from primary election results supporting the New York billionaire. Trump's campaign and Republican leaders thought they had safely averted such a divisive showdown in Cleveland. the conservative-leaning editorial board of The Wall Street Journal urged Donald Trump to welcome the unbound delegate challenge, saying it would be a welcome test for the candidate in Cleveland Mark Wilson (Getty/AFP/File) But if the insurgent movement is able to draw support from 28 delegates in the convention's 112-member Rules Committee that gaveled in for its meeting Thursday, it would send a so-called "minority report" to the convention floor for a vote early next week. It is their moment of truth, and a long-shot to be sure, given they are aiming to accomplish something that 16 Republican presidential candidates could not: defeat Donald Trump. But organizers like Regina Thomson, a co-founder of the Free The Delegates movement, say they have wind in their sails going into the crucial rules meeting. Thomson declined to offer specific numbers -- "we're not going to tell the Trump camp and the world where we're at with it," she told AFP in the corner of a downtown hotel lobby, where she worked her smartphone and urged fellow delegates to vote against their presumptive nominee. But she made a stunning claim that, should it prove true, could thoroughly upend Trump's convention. "About 70 percent of those that we're talking to do not want to have to cast a vote for Donald Trump," Thomson said. "The momentum is phenomenal," Kendal Unruh, a Colorado schoolteacher and delegate on the rules committee who aimed to introduce the "conscience clause" to committee members, told MSNBC on Wednesday. Thomson said Unruh is confident they have the votes to advance the minority report. Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus has stressed that the chances of such an effort succeeding are slim, but the RNC offered a neutral assessment. "We will support the will of the voters and the delegates," RNC spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said on Wednesday. - If not Trump, who? - Unruh, Thomson and their teams have mounted a furious -- and well-funded -- whipping effort to help convince delegates to block Trump. "You already have the right to do this," Thomson said she was telling delegates, citing evidence of 248 previous times during national conventions in which delegates insisted on casting rebellious votes according to their conscience. "Yes, there will be angry people," Thomson acknowledges about how her fight could traumatize many in the party. "But we firmly believe that the number of committed conservatives who will not vote for him (in November) will make those three million evangelicals who stayed away from Mitt Romney in 2012 pale in comparison." Even though recent national polling shows the race between the billionaire real estate mogul and Democrat Hillary Clinton narrowing, anti-Trump operatives fear his divisive and combative rhetoric could lose them millions of core conservative voters. But if not Trump, then who? Thomson and Unruh both backed US Senator Ted Cruz in the primaries. But Thomson refused to put forward a name, saying the movement was simply there to open a door for a potential candidate to walk through. - 'A way out' - This week the conservative-leaning editorial board of The Wall Street Journal urged Trump to welcome the unbound delegate challenge, saying it would be a welcome test for the candidate in Cleveland after such a provocative primary season. "Winning on the floor would add to the legitimacy of his nomination and help unite the party despite his critics," the board said. If Trump can't win over a majority of delegates, "he's probably a loser in November." New Hampshire delegate and former US senator Gordon Humphrey has worked feverishly to help the reject Trump camp. On Thursday in an office tower overlooking Lake Eerie, he acknowledged the sensitivities of upsetting the political apple cart. But he insisted he was doing the right thing by accommodating perhaps several hundred delegates or more "who are not enthusiastic about Trump and would love a way out" of voting for him. He also acknowledged it would be better if the movement had an actual candidate waiting in the wings. Humphrey supports Ohio Governor John Kasich, who dropped out of the race in May and has remained at arm's length from the drive to stop Trump. "It's hard to get them to abandon that ship if there isn't another ship standing by that they can board," Humphrey told AFP. "They don't want to be left in the water, you know?" Donald Trump Adrian Leung, John Saeki (AFP) The "Stop Trump" movement is seeking to change party rules in order to unbind most of the convention's delegates and allow them to break from primary election results supporting the New York billionaire Angelo Merendino (Getty/AFP/File) Gazans hope for more as crossing opens for car deliveries Palestinians in Gaza were on Thursday eyeing the opening of a key crossing to cars for sale to see if it could signal a wider loosening of the blockade, though Israeli officials have downplayed the idea. The Erez crossing point between Israel and Gaza, run by the Islamist movement Hamas, was opened on Wednesday to allow the transfer of vehicles for sale for the first time in nine years. Located in the northern Gaza Strip, Erez is nearer to major Israeli cities than Kerem Shalom and could make bringing goods from Israeli port cities such as Ashdod easier. A Palestinian Hamas security official inspects vehicles coming from Israel on July 14, 2016 on the Palestinian side of the Erez crossing Mahmud Hams (AFP) The move has been welcomed by car traders, who are hopeful more vehicles will be allowed through. Ismail al-Nakhala, head of Gaza's Automobile Importers Association, said he was hopeful it was the beginning of "more cars and the entrance of other goods". Maher Abu al-Ouf, an official with Gaza's Ministry of Civil Affairs, said 54 trucks and buses entered on Thursday. "We expect in the next phase other goods will be allowed in from Erez, including fruit and freezers, and that is a positive thing," he said. COGAT, the defence ministry body responsible for implementing government policies in the Palestinian territories, did not reply to a request for comment, but on Wednesday downplayed the significance of the opening. Erez has been restricted to individuals since 2007, with goods going through Kerem Shalom in southern Gaza. Residents of the Israeli towns near Kerem Shalom had for months complained about the hundreds of trucks passing through the area. In May, then defence minister Moshe Yaalon said Erez would be opened in order to enable a better flow of goods into Gaza and ease congestion at Kerem Shalom. Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for a decade, saying it is necessary to prevent Hamas from rebuilding its military forces and positions. The blockade has crippled the economy of the Strip and contributed to deteriorating conditions there, UN officials say. Wedged between Egypt, Israel and the Mediterranean, the Gaza Strip is home to about 1.9 million Palestinians. Oldest Egyptian writing on papyrus displayed for first time The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is showcasing for the first time the earliest writing from ancient Egypt found on papyrus, detailing work on the Great Pyramid of Giza, antiquities officials said Thursday. The papyri were discovered near Wadi el-Jarf port, 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of the Gulf of Suez town of Zafarana, the antiquities ministry said. The find by a French-Egyptian team unearths papers telling of the daily lives of port workers who transported huge limestone blocks to Cairo during King Khufu's rule to build the Great Pyramid, intended to be his burial structure. A papyri is displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo during an exhibition of King Khufu's papyris, on July 14, 2016 Mohamed El-Raai (AFP) One document was a "diary by government official Merer (the beloved) with statistics and administrative details" of his work, said Sayed Mahfouz, who co-led the 2013 discovery. Merer led a team of around 40, according to the ministry. The documents also list revenues transferred from various Egyptian provinces to feed pyramid builders and pay their wages, Mahfouz said. Revenue was written in red, while what was paid to workers would be written in black, said Mahfouz. "It gives for every day an account of the work of this crew transporting limestone blocks from the quarries of Turah on the east bank of the Nile to the Pyramid of Khufu at Giza plateau through the Nile and its canals," the ministry said. Spanish cathedral to host Ai Weiwei incarceration exhibit An installation by Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei portraying his experience in solitary detention in China will go on display at a cathedral in Spain later this month, organisers said Thursday. The exhibit, which consists of six hulking, iron boxes containing sculptures depicting scenes from his 81-day incarceration in 2011, will be on show in the nave of cathedral of the central city of Cuenca from July 26. The work, entitled S.A.C.R.E.D., show him sleeping on a white cot, being interrogated by officers and watched as he used the bathroom. Ai Weiwei is China's most prominent contemporary artist Patrick Kovarik (AFP/File) The installation was first displayed in 2013 at the Venice Biennale. It will remain on diplay in Cuenca until November 6. This is the first time that the Gothic cathedral will host a modern art exhibition, said a spokeswoman for the regional government of Castilla La Mancha which is organising the display. The exhibit is part of commemorations held across Spain to mark the fourth centenary of the death of its most famous author, Miguel de Cervantes who spent five years in captivity in Algiers and stints in prison. "There are important parallels between Cervantes and Ai Weiwei," Carmen Olivie, the general director of cultural management firm Eulen Art which is staging the exhibition, told AFP. "Both suffered captivity, both suffered deprivation of liberty, and that profoundly marked their lives and their vision of art," she added. China's most prominent contemporary artist, Ai helped design the Bird's Nest stadium for the Beijing Olympics and has been exhibited around the globe, but his works have often fallen foul of China's authorities. 'Game of Thrones' leads Emmys field with 23 nominations Fantasy drama "Game of Thrones" led the field for television's coveted Primetime Emmy awards Thursday for a third straight year, with nominations in 23 categories. HBO's fantasy epic about noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne will compete for the prestigious outstanding drama series trophy for the fifth year in a row, the Television Academy announced. The show, which raked in a record-breaking 12 awards last year, faces competition from "House of Cards," "Better Call Saul," "Mr. Robot," "Downton Abbey," "The Americans" and "Homeland." Actress Maisie Williams attends the premiere of HBO's "Game Of Thrones" Season 6 on April 10, 2016 in Hollywood, California Alberto E. Rodriguez (Getty/AFP/File) FX's hotly-tipped "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" scored the second highest tally with 22 nods, followed by "Fargo" with 18. Anthony Anderson, star of ABC's hit series "black-ish," and "Gilmore Girls" actress Lauren Graham presented the nominations for the 68th Emmy Awards at the Television Academy in Los Angeles. Anderson whooped when Graham read out his name in the best comedy actor category, shouting: "Hi momma -- I know you're watching!" HBO's political comedy "Veep," starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as hapless President Selina Meyer -- scored 17 nominations for television's equivalent of the Oscars, to be handed out on September 18 in Los Angeles. Several hotly tipped shows missed out on widely-expected nods, however, including "The Good Wife," which was shut out of best show honors, and Netflix's prison comedy drama "Orange is the New Black" which failed to pick up a single nomination. "Television dominates entertainment conversation and is enjoying the most spectacular run in its history... Today marks the start of our annual celebration of the best of the best," said Academy chairman Bruce Rosenblum. - Star-studded - "Empire," Fox's debut melodrama about family feuds in a musical empire, picked up just one nomination despite its success with TV viewers, 17.6 million of whom tuned into the first season finale. That went to Taraji P. Henson in the best actress in a drama category for her portrayal of family matriarch Cookie Lyon. Henson would be only the second African American actress to pick up prize. Another black actress, Viola Davis, won the category last year and is nominated in the same category for her work on ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder." Comedy show "Saturday Night Live" scored 16 nominations to squeeze into the top five, edging out political thriller "House of Cards," which managed 13 nods. The Television Academy's 19,000 members were given two weeks in June to sift through a crowded field of more than 8,000 entries from shows aired during the previous 12 months across 113 categories. The most star-studded category was perhaps lead actor in a limited series or TV movie which included six-time Emmy winner Bryan Cranston, who has received rave reviews for anchoring HBO's Lyndon B. Johnson biopic "All the Way." Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, Cuba Gooding Jr, Tom Hiddleston and Courtney B. Vance were also nominated while other big name contenders in the category including Bill Murray and Johnny Depp missed out. The topic of race figured heavily in the limited series category -- formerly known as "outstanding miniseries" -- with "The People v. O.J. Simpson" matched up with historical saga "Roots" and ABC's "American Crime." "Downton Abbey," which picked up eight nominations last year but won only for hairstyling, marks its final season with 10 nods, including a fourth in the prestigious outstanding drama category. Primetime Emmy nominations G.Izus (AFP) Actors Anthony Anderson (L) and Lauren Graham announce the nominees for the 68th Emmy Awards in North Hollywood, California, on July 14, 2016 Valerie Macon (AFP) Sudan to evacuate nationals from S.Sudan Sudan will begin evacuating its nationals from Juba on Friday after fears that fresh fighting could erupt in South Sudan, which split from the north five years ago. South Sudanese voted for independence from Sudan under a peace agreement in 2011 but the world's newest country fell into a civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people. Hundreds have died in the latest round of violence that broke out in the South Sudanese capital ahead of the country's independence anniversary last week. At least 3000 displaced women, men and children take shelter at the UN compound in the Tomping area of Juba on July 11, 2016 Beatrice Mategwa (UNMISS/AFP/File) Although a ceasefire has held since late Monday, the United Nations has warned of tension and the possibility of fresh fighting in Juba. Specially chartered evacuation flights have been taking foreign nationals out of the country since Wednesday. "The first flight evacuating Sudanese from South Sudan will arrive tomorrow," said a statement issued by Sudan Media Centre, an outlet close to the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service. "We have registered 2,000 Sudanese who want to return to their homeland," the statement quoted Sudanese government official Hajj Magid Suor as saying. He said Sudan will operate three to four flights daily to bring home its nationals. "Most of them are traders and those working in international NGOs. They are in thousands," Suor said. Commercial flights resumed to the South Sudanese capital on Thursday morning, with planes arriving almost empty and leaving full of people desperate to get out. Four days of intense battles last week between soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir and former rebels backing Vice President Riek Machar left hundreds dead in Juba and forced around 40,000 to flee their homes. - No jump in refugee influx - Aid agencies are warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis with a lack of both water and food. But the latest bloodshed had so far not triggered a jump in the number of South Sudanese refugees arriving in Sudan, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said. "No substantial increase in the number of arrivals into Sudan has been observed since the eruption of violence in Juba on 8 July," OCHA said. UN officials say a key reason for this was that the latest fighting was not in areas along the border between the two countries, which otherwise would have led to a jump in refugee influx into Sudan. Also those South Sudanese who wanted to flee were possibly finding it difficult to travel to Sudan from Juba, a UN official told AFP. South Sudanese refugees have been entering Sudan since a civil war erupted in their country at the end of 2013. OCHA said 80,758 South Sudanese arrived in Sudan between January 1, 2016 and July 10, fleeing conflict and food shortages in their war-torn country. It did not say how many entered the country since the violence erupted in South Sudan. The majority of new arrivals have taken refuge in East Darfur. The latest violence marks a fresh blow to last year's deal for ending the conflict, which erupted when Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup. Kiir is a member of the Dinka tribe, while Machar is a Nuer, and the dispute has split the country along ethnic lines. Machar's sacking set off a cycle of retaliatory killings that split the poverty-stricken, landlocked country along ethnic lines. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than two million have been driven from their homes. The conflict has been characterised by horrific rights abuses, including gang rapes, the wholesale burning of villages and cannibalism. A guide to the US political party conventions Once every four years, the United States is the scene of two major acts of political theater: the Republican and Democratic party conventions. This year, they take place in a tense climate -- marked by a wave of nationwide protests over policing and race relations -- and following a particularly bruising primary election cycle. The Republican convention will be held July 18 to 21 in Cleveland, while the Democrats will gather July 25 to 28 in Philadelphia. Hillary Clinton (L) and Donald Trump will take part in their party's conventions in July, with the Republican convention being held first July 18 to 21 in Cleveland, Ohio What's the purpose of these meetings? What happens? What role do they have in setting up the November 8 election showdown between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton? Here are the basics: NOMINATION: The party delegates vote state-by-state to officially nominate their candidate for the November 8 election. The process takes hours and is punctuated with speeches. Delegates vote according to the results of their state's primary election, the last of which took place in June. On the Republican side, though, anti-Trump forces are mounting a long-shot effort to block him from securing the nomination -- by changing party rules to unbind delegates and allow them to vote their "conscience." The Democratic convention also has more than 700 "superdelegates," party heavyweights and elected officials who have the right to vote as they choose. By winning a majority of delegates in the primaries, Trump and Clinton ensured they will each be their party's candidate for the White House. The convention delegates also endorse the candidate for vice president, selected by the presidential hopeful and announced a few days before the start of the convention. RATIFYING THE PLATFORM: The party's platform, a declaration of principles and policies, will be ratified at each respective convention. The hard work of putting together the program is all done beforehand, and there are generally few surprises. Although the Democratic platform is essentially finalized, details of the Republican platform were continuing to trickle out with just days to go before the convention kicks off. SHOWTIME: The political carnival features plenty of balloons and confetti, eye-catching outfits and quirky merchandise in support of each candidate. Since the 1980s, the conventions have been predictably choreographed and made for television. This time, they are sure to be documented live on social media. SPEECH: Speakers usually represent a mix of party veterans as well as up and comers. To win over skeptical delegates, Trump has this tapped wife Melania, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany and son Donald Trump Jr. The most coveted speaking spot is the keynote address, which the parties normally award to rising stars. Barack Obama's keynote address at the Democratic convention in 2004 rocketed him into the American public consciousness, leading him to the White House just four years later. The newly-minted presidential nominee is normally the final convention speaker, but Trump has declared that the traditional format is "boring" and may mix things up. SURPRISES: This year's Republican convention is likely to break from the script in more ways than one, with the inflammatory Trump failing to win the full support of the party leadership -- and thousands of protesters expected to descend on Cleveland. Trump's divisiveness has driven away Republican heavyweights like the two former Presidents Bush, and former presidential candidates Mitt Romney and John McCain. But if there's anything Trump knows, it's reality TV, after his years as star of "The Apprentice." The Democratic convention should follow a more predictable theme, especially after Bernie Sanders endorsed his primary opponent Clinton earlier this week. OPPORTUNITY: The conventions are a chance for the parties to put on a show of unity after a heated primary cycle, and to create enthusiasm for two candidates who both rate poorly in terms of likeability. The events are "a time for the party to market themselves to the American public, to try to gin up support for the party, for the nominee and to try let the country know what they stand for -- not just at the presidential level, but at the very important senatorial level this year, at the house, state and local levels," said Jeanne Zaino, a political science professor at Iona College in New York. Candidates typically record a "bounce" in polls following the convention. OTHER HAPPENINGS: Thousands of protesters are expected in Cleveland, including groups representing causes as varied as denuclearization and "black power." Anti- and pro-Trump camps are likely to face off. Complicating the work of police, some protesters have indicated they would be carrying firearms openly, as allowed by Ohio law. In Philadelphia, Sanders supporters planned to protest in force. Tasos Katopodis (AFP/File) Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks on race relations and policing at the Old State House July 13, 2016 in Springfield, Illinois Cengiz Yar (AFP/File) The 'accidental activist' leading Zimbabwe protests Pastor Evan Mawarire was barely known beyond his small congregation in Harare when he posted an unscripted video on the internet in April passionately denouncing the failures of Zimbabwe's government. The clip of Mawarire wearing a national flag around his neck marked the birth of the "ThisFlag" protest movement that has shaken the all-powerful regime of President Robert Mugabe. Mawarire, who stresses he has no political affiliations, spoke out in desperation after struggling to pay school fees for his two young daughters in a country that has suffered years of economic collapse. Zimbabwean cleric Evan Mawarire, wrapped in the Zimbabwean National flag, has emerged as leader of a new protest movement against President Robert Mugabe's authoritarian government Jekesai Njikizana (AFP/File) Now he finds himself as the public face of a wave of opposition to Mugabe -- and his family fear the consequences. "You could really call him an accidental activist, he has never been into politics," his sister Telda Mawarire, who is a researcher based in Johannesburg, told AFP. "This is not something that was planned or that he had a prior discussion about with anyone. "As a family we are alive to the danger that he is in, but this is not about making him a hero or thinking that he can fix things overnight -- he can't. "My brother is really an ordinary person. He is not immune to fear, he is a very sensitive person, he cries easily if he is upset." Telda said their parents are devout Christians who had two sons and four daughters and who still do church community work in Harare. Their eldest child, Evan, is now 39 and married to Samantha. He was a clever youngster, taking the role as "president" in Zimbabwe's youth parliament in 1994 and becoming a young pastor with the evangelical Celebration Church. The couple worked for the church in Britain between 2007 and 2010, and returned to Zimbabwe to set up their own church called "His Generation" that has a congregation of about 90. - An unexpected role - "He is dedicated, hardworking and lots of fun," Tutsirainyasha Kativhu, a church administrator, told AFP. "He knows how to speak to the young. He is always running around as he juggles his multiple roles. The guy does not sit still." Mawarire preaches most Sundays and patches together an income working as a master of ceremonies at weddings, parties and other functions and as a motivational speaker. He has also written a frank book about marital relations called "What He Wants", and was known to some before his current fame for video clips doing comedy impressions of President Mugabe and Nelson Mandela. Since the ThisFlag movement took off, Mawarire has embraced his unexpected role -- though he steers clear of directly criticising Mugabe. Instead, Mawarire has focused on calling for non-violent shutdowns -- when workers stay at home and shops and offices are shut in a passive expression of protest. "I ask as many Zimbabweans as possible to carry our national flag as a way of saying to our government 'enough is enough'. This is how political reform is going to happen," he told AFP last month, describing himself as "just a regular guy who likes to express himself." Mawarire's profile rocketed this week after he was arrested by police, held overnight and then released when a judge threw out a case against him of attempting to overthrow the government. He was engulfed by a jubilant crowd of thousands outside the courtroom. "Reminiscent of the Arab Spring, Mawarire appears to have no political program beyond overcoming Zimbabwean passivity about a rotten regime," analyst John Campbell wrote on Thursday. But the stakes are high for Mawarire, who was held in handcuffs while his home and office were searched on Tuesday. His calls for further national shutdowns this week fell flat however and the ThisFlag movement faces a difficult challenge to keep up momentum. With Mugabe aged 92 and increasingly frail, Zimbabwe looks on the brink of change. The protest pastor may play a prominent part in its future. Zimbabwe anti-riot police guard the entrance at the Harare magistrate's court where pastor Evan Mawarire was due to appear in court on charges of inciting public violence following his arrest ahead of a planned mass job stayaway on July 13, 2016 Jekesai Njikizana (AFP/File) Supporters of "ThisFlag campaign" demonstrate outside the Harare magistrate's court, where pastor Evan Mawarire, the man leading Zimbabwe's new protest movement, walked free from court on July 13, 2016 Jekesai Njikizana (AFP/File) Three Israeli minors arrested over anti-Arab attacks Israeli police have arrested three Jewish minors suspected of having torched a car in an Arab village in retaliation for a Palestinian attack last month, officials said Thursday. The Shin Bet internal security agency said the youths were detained after a June 10 attack in the village of Yafia near the northern Israeli city of Nazareth. "Three Jewish minors have been arrested for having set on fire a vehicle in the village of Yafia... and for having sprayed graffiti calling for vengeance after the attack on the Sarona in Tel Aviv," it said in a statement. Israeli police said three Jewish minors were detained after a June 10 attack in the village of Yafia near the northern Israeli city of Nazareth in which a car was torched Ahmad Gharabli (AFP/File) On June 8, two Palestinians shot dead four Israelis at the Sarona Market, a popular Tel Aviv nightspot. Israeli security officials have said the pair had drawn their inspiration from the Islamic State jihadist group. Shin Bet said the minors "were preparing an attack in response to attacks carried out recently by Palestinians. But after the Tel Aviv attack, they decided to act". Two of the suspects are residents of northern Israel while the third is from a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, said Shin Bet. They are expected to be indicted in the coming days, it added. Israel has seen a wave of "price tag" attacks -- a euphemism for Jewish nationalist-motivated hate crimes targeting Palestinians and Arab Israelis and their property, as well Muslims and Christian holy sites. One of the worst such attacks took place in July 2015 in the West Bank village of Duma where an 18-month old baby was killed when his family home was firebombed by Jewish extremists. The boy's parents later died of their injuries. Two Israelis were charged in January over that arson attack. In April, Israeli prosecutors charged seven young Jews -- including a soldier and two minors -- in connection with a wave of "price tag" attacks between 2009 and 20013 and in the second half of 2015. Who will Trump pick as running mate? Who will win the "veepstakes" -- the race to be Donald Trump's potential number two in the White House? The bombastic New York developer is to announce his pick for running mate Friday in New York, three days before the Republican nominating convention kicks off in Cleveland, Ohio. The choice could make or break his hopes of defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton in November. Indiana Governor Mike Pence's staunch defense of traditional family values and core Republican beliefs could appeal to conservatives put off by Donald Trump's tabloid divorces and more socially liberal views Tasos Katopodis (AFP/File) The New York Times and other US media reported that Trump advisors had signaled to party leaders Thursday that the job would go to Indiana governor Mike Pence, a staunchly Christian conservative from the US Midwest. But surprises are always possible with the reality TV star. "I'm narrowing it down. I mean I'm at three, potentially four," Trump himself told Fox News Wednesday. "But in my own mind, I probably am thinking about two." The billionaire businessman has spoken of his desire to find a seasoned politician who can help drive legislation through Congress and offset his lack of political experience. A sensible choice might help overcome the shortcomings of a 70-year-old who has never held elected office. Yet the wrong pick could restrict his support base or alienate moderate and independent voters. Here is a look at the three candidates still considered to be in the running: Mike Pence, 57 Trump met the governor at his home in Indiana on Wednesday and Pence accompanied Trump to several rallies. "Very impressed, great people!" Trump tweeted with customary gusto after spending time with Pence and his family over the Independence Day weekend. The former radio host served six terms representing his home state in Congress. A fiscal conservative and lawyer by training, he was House Republican Conference chairman from 2009-11. House Speaker Paul Ryan considers him a friend, and his Washington connections could help crank up the fundraising drive for Trump's campaign. Pence's staunch defense of traditional family values and core Republican beliefs could appeal to conservatives put off by the billionaire's tabloid divorces and more socially liberal views. On the downside, he has little chance of attracting swing voters -- many of whom are likely to be put off by his fierce opposition to gay marriage and abortion. Chris Christie, 53 Often described as a political bruiser, the New Jersey governor has long known Trump personally and was the first Republican heavyweight to endorse Trump way back in February after abandoning his own bid for the White House. His chief asset is to have won two elections in a largely Democratic state -- a cross-party appeal that could come in handy in a deeply divided Congress. The former federal prosecutor is already in charge of Trump's transition team, should he win in November, and he is a staunch defender of the man he calls a "friend," rebuffing allegations that Trump is racist. Christie's popularity plummeted in the "bridgegate" traffic scandal. An investigation officially cleared the governor of wrongdoing, but his aides shut down lanes on a busy route into New York, allegedly to punish a Democrat mayor for failing to support their boss's re-election. The New York Times also says relations are strained between Christie and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, because Christie was on the prosecution team that jailed Kushner's father for corruption in 2005. Newt Gingrich, 73 Trump-Gingrich would be the oldest ticket in US politics: two septuagenarians competing for the millennial vote in 21st century America. Gingrich packs the political punch that Trump lacks. He was in Congress for 20 years and speaker of the House of Representatives from 1995-99 during Bill Clinton's presidency. A failed presidential candidate in 2012, he is now a political consultant and has advised Trump for months. Crucially, he says he is willing to serve as vice president, but he has also not been afraid to criticize Trump. "You either have it (chemistry) or you don't. I clearly have it with Chris and Newt," Trump told The Wall Street Journal. But for all his name recognition, Gingrich is a polarizing figure and as an aging white male brings nothing new to the support base. Like Trump, he has also been married three times, to the displeasure of conservatives. Analysts have also underscored his volcanic temper, saying the pair's personalities could clash. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (L) campaigns with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on May 19, 2016 Spencer Platt (Getty/AFP/File) DR Congo expels activists from watchdog Global Witness The Democratic Republic of Congo said Thursday it was expelling two investigators from the British environmental watchdog Global Witness, accusing the pair of fomenting revolt against the logging industry. "The government of the Republic has tasked me with declaring (them) undesirable... and to ask them to leave the country by tonight," Environment Minister Robert Bopolo told a press conference, where he showed the two to the media. Global Witness has gained a widening reputation for detailed investigations, sometimes under cover, into environmental and human rights abuses. Greenpeace activists demonstrate with banners against the illegal importation of timber coming from Congo on May 22, 2014 in front a warehouse from French sawmill Robert & Cie, in La Rochelle, western France Xavier Leoty (AFP/File) Its campaigns cover so-called "conflict" diamonds and minerals and illegal logging of tropical forests. Global Witness identified the two as Jules Caron, a Canadian, and Reiner Tegtmeyer, a German national. Bopolo said the two had been in the country since June 22 with "irregular" visas and had visited five sites where logging was carried out. "They took the liberty of telling lies to local people, seeking to make them rise up against the holders of logging rights, with all the negative consequences that this entails for peace in this country, for poverty, health, education, and even for the political regime," Bopolo said. "Deceitful behaviour of this kind is a threat to the country." The two went to Orientale Province in the northeast of the vast country, and to the provinces of Bandundu, in the southwest, and Equateur, in the northwest, Bopolo said. In a statement, Global Witness said its two employees were innocent and were being expelled "on false pretences" -- a sign, it said, the authorities were trying to limit external scrutiny of its forestry sector. "This was a routine trip," the statement quoted Alexandra Pardal, a Global Witness campaign leader, as saying. "Global Witness was in DRC to meet with communities living on the edge of logging sites in Equateur Province to find out whether the benefits promised by logging companies had materialised." Under DRC law, logging companies are required to meet local communities to discuss social and economic benefits from their business, which can include the construction of roads, schools or medical clinics, the group said. "We were in the country legitimately, on authorised visas, and with all of the relevant documents outlining our intended work. "The fact that our staff has been expelled from the country on false pretences is a worrying sign the DRC government is trying to limit the critical role played by civil society in ensuring the countrys forest sector is transparent, lawful and corruption-free." Bopolo criticised those who sought to carry out external checks. US offers Russia closer cooperation to save Syria plan Top US diplomat John Kerry met Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Thursday to offer him closer military cooperation in the hope of salvaging the stalled Syria peace process. Ahead of the meeting, pessimistic US officials were careful to say it was not a last chance for diplomacy to work, but stressed they were running out of patience with Moscow. The new proposal, as revealed in a leaked document, was an offer for the US military to work with Russia against the Al-Nusra Front and Islamic State (IS) jihadist groups. US Secretary of State John Kerry (left) flew to Moscow after attending the Bastille Day parade on the Champs Elysees in Paris, on July 14, 2016 Thibault Camus (Pool/AFP) In exchange, Russia would have to convince or strongarm its ally Bashar al-Assad into grounding his own planes and halting attacks on civilians and moderate opposition groups. There was no news conference as the meeting broke up at 1.00 am (2200 GMT) Friday after three hours of closed-door talks and, before they met, the two men had given little away. "I would like to note our mutual effort in the settlement of conflicts that we deem important to resolve," Putin said as the pair met at the Kremlin, conveying his regards to President Barack Obama. "My last conversation with President Obama has convinced me that we are indeed striving not only to establish a process of cooperation but also to achieve important results." Sitting across from him, the US secretary of state agreed Obama had found the recent telephone call "constructive". "Hopefully we'll be able to make some genuine progress that is measurable and implementable and that can make a difference in the course of events in Syria," he said. - Not there yet - Kerry said Obama and he believed the US and Russia were in a position to make "an enormous difference" in the course of events not just in Syria but also in Ukraine. Later on Friday, after a night at a Moscow hotel, Kerry was to hold more detailed talks with his immediate counterpart Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. But the diplomatic words could not conceal US concern and Washington said two major issues to be addressed were Assad's ceasefire violations and Al-Nusra's growing role. "We need a solution to this that addresses both of these problems," a senior US official said. "If we cannot get to a solution that resolves both of those problems we're going to be in a very different place, and the reality is that time is short here," he warned. US officials downplayed the significance of the military offer, reported by The Washington Post, arguing they would have gone after Al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, anyway. But critics of US policy are bound to see any offer to aid Putin's campaign in Syria -- even against jihadists -- as a victory for the Kremlin's intervention in Syria. And there was no sign in Damascus that Assad feels under any pressure to agree to talks on a new government, the next stage in the process if a ceasefire is restored. Speaking to NBC News in Damascus, Assad insisted Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had never raised the issue of his departure or a political transition. "Only the Syrian people define who's going to be the president, when to come, and when to go. They never said a single word regarding this," he said. Moscow and Washington, and the 22-nation contact group they co-chair, have called for a nationwide ceasefire and Geneva-based talks on a "political transition". A landmark partial ceasefire they brokered in February -- which did not include IS or Al-Nusra -- has since all but collapsed amid continued heavy fighting. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura urged Moscow and Washington to push for a resumption of the talks next month. De Mistura said the talks "have a target date of August" and need to be "a credible beginning of a roadmap towards a political transition". - US cooperation proposal - Russian forces are fighting in support of Assad's regime against a variety of rebel factions while a US-led coalition focuses its fire on the Islamic State group. The Washington Post, citing a draft proposal from the United States, reported that the US and Russia could set up a joint command and control centre in Jordan. This body would direct intensified air strikes against Al-Nusra, which is mainly fighting Assad's forces. In return, Moscow would limit its strikes to agreed targets and the Syrian air force would halt attacks in certain "designated areas." Syria's civil war erupted in 2011 when Assad brutally suppressed anti-government demonstrations and has evolved into catastrophe that has left more than 280,000 dead. Efforts to bring an end to the war have taken on greater urgency since the emergence of IS, which seized control of large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in mid-2014. Russian Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft take off from the Hmeimim military base in the Latakia province of Syria Vadim Grishankin (Russian Defence Ministry/AFP/File) FBI warns about 'terrorist diaspora' after IS defeat Senior US national security officials on Thursday warned about a possible rise in extremist violence with the spread of a "terrorist diaspora" once the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria is defeated. "We all know there will be a terrorist diaspora out of the caliphate as military forces crush the caliphate," FBI Director James Comey told a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee, referring to the Islamic state proclaimed by the jihadist group. Thousands of fighters will spread worldwide "and our job is to spot them and stop them before they come to the United States to harm innocent people," he added. FBI Director James Comey listens during a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee on July 14, 2016 in Washington, DC Brendan Smialowski (AFP) The IS group's defeat in Iraq and Syria will make it "desperate to demonstrate its continued vitality, and that is likely to take the form of more asymmetric attacks, of more efforts at terrorism," Comey said. CIA director John Brennan estimated last month that some 18,000 to 22,000 IS fighters remained in Iraq and Syria, and he predicted they would probably intensify attacks around the world even as they come under pressure in Iraq and Syria. The jihadi group has ceded an increasing amount of territory in recent weeks, especially in Iraq, where it lost control over the Sunni city of Fallujah and a major air base in Qayyarah, some 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the city of Mosul, the IS group's de facto capital in Iraq. However, that has not stopped the jihadists from staging deadly attacks in Baghdad and elsewhere. Although the Islamic State group's grip in Iraq and Syria is weakening, there may be a significant lag between the US-led coalition's battlefield victories and reducing the IS group's capability to stage attacks, Nicholas Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, told the committee. UN, Saudis work to resolve row over child blacklist The United Nations expects the Saudi-led coalition bombing Yemen to take concrete measures in the coming weeks to address UN alarm over the deaths of children in the war, the UN spokesman said Thursday. Saudi Arabia reacted angrily when the coalition was added to a UN "list of shame" of child rights violators in June, demanding to be taken off. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accused the Saudis of threatening to cut off funding to UN aid programs and agreed to remove the coalition from the list pending a review. Yemenis visit the grave of relatives reportedly killed during Saudi-led military coalition air strikes against Huthi rebels at a cemetary in Sanaa, on March 25, 2016 Mohammed Huwais (AFP/File) That review is due to come up in the Security Council on August 2. "We hope that in advance of the debate on August 2, the coalition will be able to provide us with some information on the concrete actions they have taken," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Saudi Foreign Minister Abel al-Jubeir met with Ban at UN headquarters on Thursday to discuss the situation in Yemen just as peace talks were scheduled to resume in Kuwait on Friday. During the meeting, Jubeir said the coalition was ready to take "the necessary concrete measures to end and prevent violations against children," Dujarric said. Jubeir told reporters that the coalition was waging its air campaign "with great care in order to avoid damages to civilians and in particular children." "We have explained this to the United Nations and our dialogue is ongoing," he added. A UN official, speaking on background, said the row could be resolved if Riyadh takes action on three fronts: "big movement" in the Yemen peace talks, procedures to lessen civilian casualties and remedial measures. The United Nations had blacklisted the coalition after concluding in a report that it was responsible for 60 percent of the 785 children's deaths in Yemen last year. The coalition launched an air campaign in support of Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in March 2015 to push back Huthi rebels after they seized the capital Sanaa and many parts of the country. Morocco allows UN staffers to return to W. Sahara Five UN staffers have returned to the UN mission in disputed Western Sahara, the first in a group of 25 heading back four months after Morocco expelled them, the UN spokesman said Thursday. Morocco cut back the staff of the MINURSO mission in angry retaliation over UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's use of the term "occupation" to describe the status of the territory it claims as its own. The five UN personnel arrived in Laayoune, where the MINURSO mission is headquartered, on Wednesday evening. Morocco maintains that Western Sahara is an integral part of the kingdom despite a UN resolution that tasks MINURSO with organizing a referendum on self-determination Farouk Batiche (AFP/File) "We expect additional staff members to be returning in the coming days," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Dujarric described talks with Morocco on restoring the full Western Sahara mission as "constructive" and said MINURSO should be fully up and running soon. The Security Council is due to discuss Western Sahara on July 26. The council in April adopted a resolution demanding that the mission be brought back to full operations and set a three-month deadline for measures to be taken. Morocco maintains that Western Sahara is an integral part of the kingdom despite a UN resolution that tasks MINURSO with organizing a referendum on self-determination. MINURSO was established in 1991 after a ceasefire ended a war that broke out when Morocco sent troops to the former Spanish territory in 1975 and fought Sahrawi rebels of the Algerian-backed Polisario Front. Mike Pence, Trump's possible No 2, in his own words Mike Pence, a devout evangelical Christian and stalwart of the American right, is being tipped as a likely Donald Trump running mate in November -- but the two men have not always seen eye-to-eye. Here are a few of the positions taken by the 57-year-old, who has been governor of the Midwestern state of Indiana since 2013. Abortion Indiana Governor Mike Pence at a Donald Trump campaign rally in Westfield, Indiana, on July 12, 2016 Tasos Katopodis (AFP/File) "By enacting this legislation, we take an important step in protecting the unborn, while still providing an exception for the life of the mother. I sign this legislation with a prayer that God would continue to bless these precious children, mothers and families." A longtime foe of abortion since his days as a US lawmaker, Pence in March signed restrictive new measures into law, making Indiana only the second US state to prohibit terminating pregnancies because the fetus suffers abnormalities. LGBT Rights "I believe marriage is the union between one man and one woman, and I am disappointed that the Supreme Court failed to recognize the historic role of the states in setting marriage policy in this country. Nevertheless, our Administration will continue to uphold the rule of law and abide by the ruling of the Court in this case." A steadfast opponent of gay marriage, Pence publicly expressed dismay at the US Supreme Court's decision last year to legalize it. He also drew the ire of activists in March 2015 by enacting a so-called religious liberty law which critics said would permit businesses to refuse to serve gay customers. "This bill is not about discrimination," Pence was quoted as saying at the time. "And if I thought it legalized discrimination, I would have vetoed it." Protectionism "Trade means jobs but trade also means security. The time has come for all of us to urge the swift adoption of the Trans-Pacific Partnership." This September 2014 tweet reveals one of the basic disagreements between Pence and Trump. The presumptive Republican nominee, a protectionist, has denounced the free trade agreement signed by the United States with 11 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region as a threat to American jobs. Pence, on the other hand, adheres to the laissez-faire economic views that are more conventionally Republican. Muslims "Calls to ban Muslims from entering the US are offensive and unconstitutional." Pence has strongly denounced Trump's proposal last December to close the US borders to Muslims. He downplayed the disagreement this week when questioned by reporters, saying: Trump's reported VP pick Pence: manners, political chops Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a Christian conservative widely reported to be Donald Trump's pick for a running mate, would add precious experience in Washington politics -- and a dose of good manners -- to the ticket. Governor of the Midwest state since only January 2013, the 57-year-old is a lawyer by training and used to host a radio talk show, so his communication skills are strong. And he knows his way around Washington: He held a seat in the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013 and served as chairman of the House Republican Conference -- the party's third most important position on Capitol Hill -- from 2009 to 2011. As Indiana Governor, Mike Pence signed bills making it harder for women in Indiana to have abortions, with Indiana the second US state to prohibit ending a pregnancy because the fetus suffers abnormalities Aaron P. Bernstein (Getty/AFP/File) Seen as disciplined and relatively discreet, Pence was apparently the favorite of Trump's children, who exercise much influence over the brash billionaire and political novice as he campaigns for president. US networks reported Thursday that Pence has already accepted the VP slot. Trump had planned to formally declare his running mate pick Friday, but has now postponed that announcement in light of the deadly attack in Nice. Pence's qualities stand in contrast to the more unpredictable personalities of two other politicians who were considered by Trump: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former House speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia. The current House speaker, Paul Ryan, whose relations with Trump are delicate, says he himself considers Pence a friend. - Smooth ruffled feathers - Pence's connections could help to ease tensions with a Republican Party still having a hard time digesting Trump, and to raise funds for the campaign. And Pence's quiet, low-profile personality, shaped in large part by his Christian faith, poses little threat of overshadowing that of Trump, who values loyalty in the people who work with him. Until now Trump and Pence did not know each other particularly well. Pence is a conservative defender of family values, very religious, against abortion and gay marriage, and opposed to the idea of the US taking in Syrian refugees. He has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order." As governor he has signed bills making it harder for women in Indiana to have abortions, with Indiana the second US state to prohibit ending a pregnancy because the fetus suffers abnormalities. And he has drawn criticism for a law that critics say discriminates against the LGBT community. Trump has met with Pence several times in recent days and campaigned with him Tuesday evening in Indiana. On Wednesday, Trump and his children met with Pence, who is not well known outside of Republican circles. Pence is seen as helping Trump boost support among traditional conservatives and especially evangelical Christians wary of Trump, and perhaps even in the Rust Belt -- the decaying former industrial area that includes Indiana and neighboring Ohio. Some Republican lawmakers say they like the idea of Pence as Trump's running mate, saying the decision would improve "the tone and tenor of the debate." "I'm a big fan of Mike Pence, and I think he has probably has a better chance of moving the candidate, perhaps, where he should be," Jeff Flake was quoted as saying. He is an Arizona Senator who took part in a tense meeting last week between Republicans and Trump. "He's conservative, and he's smart, and he's been good on trade and immigration as well," Flake said. While Trump has campaigned on a protectionist platform, Pence adheres to the laissez-faire economic views that are more conventionally Republican. He has also denounced Trump's proposal to close US borders to Muslims as "unconstitutional." But some experts say the choice of Pence would not help Trump expand his voter base, especially among independents and moderate Republicans, to whom the Democrat Hillary Clinton is expected to reach out. Until now Pence has been waging an uphill battle to win re-election in Indiana. Mike Pence held a seat in the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013 and served as chairman of the House Republican Conference -- the party's third most important position on Capitol Hill -- from 2009 to 2011 Alex Wong (Getty/AFP/File) Lebanon warns police to stop Syria refugee abuse Lebanese Interior Minister Nuhad Mashnuq on Thursday warned law enforcement agents against abusing Syrian refugees after pictures showing some being mistreated by municipal police were posted online. Mashnuq said in a letter to heads of municipalities that officers would face "disciplinary measures" if they abuse their power when dealing with citizens and Syrian refugees. "Lately, there has been a rise in the abuses committed by members of the police in several municipalities concerning Syrian refugees," Mashnuq wrote. Lebanon's interior minister said in a letter to heads of municipalities that officers would face "disciplinary measures" if they abuse their power when dealing with citizens and Syrian refugees Joseph Eid (AFP/File) He ordered the heads of municipalities to give "strict instructions" to police officers "to respect rules and regulations". Human rights activists have said that policemen in the Amchit municipality carried out nighttime raids in several homes, detaining Syrian refugees. The activists posted pictures online showing refugees kneeling or lined up facing a wall, their hands crossed behind their backs, as municipal policemen checked their identity documents. The images have sparked outrage and prompted the authorities to arrest five municipal policement from Amchit, who were later released after being interrogated. Lebanon hosts more than one million Syrian refugees, roughly a quarter of the Mediterranean country's population. Their presence has been a burden on Lebanon's economy and a source of tension, with rights groups saying the refugees face many restrictions. At the end of June, troops raided a makeshift refugee camp near a predominantly Christian village on the border with Syria after suicide attacks. Beijing faces S.China Sea rebuke at Europe-Asia summit Beijing faces an international dressing down Friday at a gathering of leaders from across Asia and Europe after it vehemently rejected a UN-backed tribunal's dismissal of its extensive South China Sea claims. The biennial Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, is supposed to be a venue for increasing cooperation across the Eurasian continent and exploring ways to strengthen the global system of agreements that govern everything from trade to civil aviation. But this year's gathering in Mongolia is the first major international conference since the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled that Beijing's claims to much of the strategically vital South China Sea have no legal foundation. Pro-China protesters shout slogans as they walk towards Hong Kong's United States Consulate to protest against the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration against Beijing's extensive claims in the South China Sea, in Hong Kong on July 14, 2016 Anythony Wallace (AFP) The Asian giant, which boycotted the hearings, says the tribunal has no jurisdiction, and has poured scorn on the verdict. It says the subject should not be brought up at ASEM. But the Philippines, which brought the case, plans to raise the issue anyway. Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay will discuss Manila's "peaceful and rules-based approach" to the dispute and "the need for parties to respect the recent decision" during the meeting, his office said. Vietnam, whose own South China Sea dispute with Beijing may also benefit from the PCA ruling, will also talk about "all kinds of issues" at the summit, its foreign minister Pham Binh Minh said. "We welcome the arbitration award," he told AFP as dignitaries gathered in Ulan Bator. Tokyo -- which is embroiled in a separate territorial dispute with Beijing -- said it too would weigh in, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saying he would "discuss the importance of reaching a peaceful resolution under the rule of law" in the South China Sea. The criticism comes as Beijing, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, seeks a greater presence on the global diplomatic stage. It hopes to use the ASEM summit -- which brings together countries from Ireland to Indonesia -- as an opportunity to showcase its global initiatives, such as the One Belt, One Road programme, an ambitious plan to build infrastructure projects across the Eurasian region. At a briefing this week, Chinese assistant foreign minister Kong Xuanyou said that ASEM was "not an appropriate venue" to discuss the South China Sea issue. China has sought to assert its claims in the region by building a network of artificial islands capable of supporting military operations, and this week re-iterated its right to declare an Air Defence Identification Zone in the area, which would demand civilian flights submit to the authority of its military. At the start of an EU-China summit in Beijing earlier this week, EU Council President Donald Tusk called on his hosts to protect the "rule-based international order", saying the task "may be the biggest challenge ahead of us." Other issues likely to come up at ASEM include international trade and Britain's vote to leave the European Union, but London will not have any ministerial representation at the meeting in the wake of a cabinet reshuffle that made Brexit campaign leader Boris Johnson its new foreign secretary. Indiana's Mike Pence has agreed to be Trump running mate: US networks Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has asked Indiana Governor Mike Pence to be his running mate, and Pence has agreed, US networks reported on Thursday. CNN and ABC both reported, without naming their sources, that Pence, a 57-year-old Christian evangelical and stalwart of the American right, had accepted the vice presidential slot. Trump will formally announce a decision on his choice of running mate on Friday, with three days to go until Republicans gather in Cleveland, Ohio to officially select their White House nominee. Utah votes to let authorities disable drones near wildfires SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Utah authorities likely will be among the first in the nation to be allowed to disable and crash drones for flying too close to wildfires after lawmakers approved legislation Wednesday. The governor is expected to sign the measure in the coming days. Lawmakers voted during a special session after at least one unmanned aircraft has plagued firefighters recently in the southern part of the state. FILE - This June 21, 2016, file photo, crews continue to fight the Saddle Fire near Pine Valley, Utah. Utah lawmakers will consider whether to allow officials to damage or disable unauthorized drones flying over a wildfire and impose higher fines on people caught flying the aircraft. The proposal is one of a handful of bills legislators will vote on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, when they meet in a special legislative session. (Spenser Heaps/Deseret News via AP, File) /The Deseret News via AP) SALT LAKE TRIBUNE OUT; MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT; TV OUT The bill would also impose harsher penalties on people caught flying the aircraft, with the maximum punishment of 15 years in prison and $15,000 fine if a drone causes a firefighting aircraft to crash. Bill sponsor Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, said that while the bill does allow firefighters or law enforcement to shoot down a drone, he doubts they'd do so because the unmanned aircraft fly so high and it would be difficult to do. Instead, fire officials or law enforcement officers are expected to use technology that jams signals to crash drones. Vickers told The Associated Press that the state highway patrol and National Guard already have the technology. "The redneck in me is just to shoot the damn thing," Vickers told lawmakers, adding that it was much more "humane" to jam the drone's signal. He said the technology allows officials to target a specific drone and can be used without hurting other nearby aircraft or technology. It does not appear any state currently allows a drone to be disabled specifically for flying over a wildfire. Louisiana has a law allowing police or firefighters to disable a drone if it endangers the public or an officer, said Amanda Essex, who researches state unmanned aircraft policies for the National Conference of State Legislatures. Gov. Gary Herbert is expected to sign the bill into law within days. The Republican said before the vote that the costs of fighting a small wildfire burning about 300 miles south of Salt Lake City would have been several million dollars if five drone flights hadn't interfered. "Now we're way past, north of $10 million because we had to ground aircraft all because of a drone," Herbert said. The Washington County Sheriff's Office has been investigating drones flying near the fire, which is burning on a rocky ridge above the town of Pine Valley, but no arrests have been made or suspects identified. The sheriff's office has offered a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. A handful of states, including Utah, have laws making it a crime to fly a drone that interferes with manned aircraft or firefighting operations. Those laws could be used to charge someone flying near wildfires or interfering with firefighters using tankers, helicopters and other manned aircraft. Earlier this year, Utah lawmakers considering allowing law enforcement to shoot down drones that interfere with emergency workers, but they backed away from the idea. Other states have proposed shooting down drones, but it hasn't become law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Utah instead passed a law earlier this year making it a crime to fly the unmanned aircraft near a wildfire. The penalties involved fines of up to $2,500 and jail time if a drone flying near a fire stops aircraft from flying or dropping water or retardant. If a drone actually collided with an aircraft or caused it to crash, the drone pilot could face up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Under the legislation approved Wednesday, those fines would all be higher, with the maximum fine at $15,000. Rep. Brian Greene, R-Pleasant Grove, was one of two lawmakers to vote against the legislation. He said he had no problem disabling drones but was concerned that lawmakers were enhancing fines on a law so new that no one had even been cited yet. The law would also allow courts to make a drone pilot pay damages. FILE - March 10, 2016, file photo Utah Gov. Gary Herbert speaks during an interview in Salt Lake City. Utah lawmakers will consider whether to allow officials to damage or disable unauthorized drones flying over a wildfire and impose higher fines on people caught flying the aircraft. The proposal is one of a handful of bills legislators will vote on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, when they meet in a special legislative session. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) FILE - In this June 21, 2016, file photo, crews continue to fight the Saddle Fire near Pine Valley, Utah. Utah lawmakers will consider whether to allow officials to damage or disable unauthorized drones flying over a wildfire and impose higher fines on people caught flying the aircraft. The proposal is one of a handful of bills legislators will vote on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, when they meet in a special legislative session. (Spenser Heaps/Deseret News via AP, File) /The Deseret News via AP) SALT LAKE TRIBUNE OUT; MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT; TV OUT FILE - This March 10, 2016 file photo shows the House of Representatives debating on the floor in Salt Lake City. Utah lawmakers will consider whether to allow officials to damage or disable unauthorized drones flying over a wildfire and impose higher fines on people caught flying the aircraft. The proposal is one of a handful of bills legislators will vote on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, when they meet in a special legislative session. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer,File) The Latest: Bill sponsor says authorities could shoot drones SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Latest on a proposal to allow Utah authorities to damage or disable unauthorized drones flying over wildfires (all times local): 6:05 p.m. The sponsor of a bill that would allow authorities to disable or damage unauthorized drones near wildfires says it would allow law enforcement to shoot down the unmanned aircraft - but they probably wouldn't. Sen. Evan Vickers of Cedar City says drones fly so high it would be difficult to shot them. Instead, authorities are expected to use technology that jams signals to crash drones. Vickers says the technology allows officials to target a specific drone and can be used without hurting other nearby aircraft. Utah lawmakers approved the bill Wednesday. Gov. Gary Herbert is expected to sign the bill into law within days. It does not appear any state currently allows a drone to be disabled for flying over a wildfire. --- 5:15 p.m. Utah lawmakers have voted to allow authorities to disable or damage unauthorized drones near wildfires after at least one has plagued firefighters in the southern part of the state. The bill lawmakers approved Wednesday in a special session would also impose harsher penalties on people caught flying the aircraft, with the maximum punishment of 15 years in prison and $15,000 fine if a drone causes a firefighting aircraft to crash. Legislators say firefighters would use technology that jams signals to crash drones. Firefighters in southwestern Utah recently had to repeatedly ground their aircraft when a drone was spotted flying nearby five times. It does not appear any state currently allows a drone to be disabled for flying over a wildfire. Gov. Gary Herbert is expected to sign the bill into law. --- 11:37 p.m. Utah lawmakers will consider whether to allow officials to damage or disable unauthorized drones flying over a wildfire and impose higher fines on people caught flying the aircraft. The proposal is one of a handful of bills legislators will vote on Wednesday afternoon when they meet in a special legislative session. The harsher drone penalties follow five sightings of a drone over a southwestern Utah wildfire, which caused firefighters to ground their aircraft and delayed their work. Support sought for kids left behind by UN troops in Haiti PORT SALUT, Haiti (AP) The first time Rosa Mina Joseph met Julio Cesar Posse he was hanging out in civilian clothes on the beach in her hometown in southern Haiti, where he was stationed as a member of a U.N. peacekeeping force. Within weeks, she says, the Uruguayan marine was showing up every weekend at her family's shack, pledging his love in Spanish and broken Haitian Creole. But about a year later when his rotation ended, Posse quietly returned home. He left behind Joseph, a broken-hearted 17-year-old with an infant and no way to support the child without depending on struggling relatives. In this June 24, 2016 photo, five-year-old Anderson Joseph walks with his mother to their house in Port Salut, Haiti. Anderson is the result of a liaison between Uruguayan marine Julio Cesar Posse and a local Haitian woman. Posse was member of a U.N. peacekeeping force stationed in Port Salut. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) "He promised me he'd marry me and would take care of me," Joseph, now 22, tearfully said in a recent interview at her mother's house in Port Salut, a town along the southwestern tip of Haiti. After years of mounting frustration, she and several other women with children fathered by peacekeepers say they will now pursue claims for child support against the absentee fathers and the U.N. Haitian human rights attorney Mario Joseph said he will file civil suits in Haiti this month. Joseph's law firm also is involved in a high-profile claim on behalf of 5,000 cholera victims who blame the U.N. for introducing the disease. A U.S. federal appeals panel in New York is weighing whether the lawsuit can proceed or if the United Nations is entitled to immunity. The peacekeeping force was sent to Haiti in 2004 to keep order following a violent rebellion that toppled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Since then, some peacekeepers have been accused of rape and other abuse, of using excessive force and of inadvertently introducing cholera because of inadequate sanitation at a base used by troops from Nepal. U.N. troops have been accused of sexual exploitation elsewhere as well, most recently in the Central African Republic, and "peacekeeper babies," have long been a legacy of their deployments, as they have for other military forces throughout history. Rosa Mina Joseph, whose son was born in 2011, said she received an envelope with $300 in cash from the U.N. two years ago when it established paternity. She had to drop out of school to care for the son and her dreams of becoming a nurse have all but vanished. Posse sent her $100 once from Uruguay, she said, but has not sent anything more. While Joseph was a minor at the time she gave birth, potential criminal charges against the marine would confront a difficult legal challenge: U.N. peacekeepers can't be prosecuted in the countries in which they serve under international agreements. The Associated Press does not typically identify sexual assault victims, but Joseph gave permission as long as a photo of her face was not published. "I want him to take responsibility to care for his son because I don't have the means by myself," she said in the yard where she spends her days doing laundry and cooking. The U.N. force in Haiti currently includes 4,899 uniformed personnel, a combination of military and civilian police, from more than a dozen countries. That's down from over 13,000 peacekeepers following Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake. Ghandi Shukry, head of a Conduct and Discipline Unit in the U.N. mission, which is known by its French acronym MINUSTAH, said 29 claims for paternity have been submitted to the U.N. in Haiti. He said 18 of the claimants have been classified as "victims" by the world body because they were receiving some kind of support. "We are not facing a current wave of paternity claims. They are all kind of old cases," said Shukry, stressing that any kind of sexual relations by peacekeepers and locals is prohibited. The U.N. official confirmed that Joseph and three other Port Salut women represented by the attorney did have paternity established in 2014 after DNA swabs from the mothers, children and peacekeepers were analyzed. He declined to discuss any of the cases in detail. He said that two members of his unit maintain regular contact with the Port Salut women. MINUSTAH also put the women in touch with a Uruguayan military representative, he said, since the U.N. allows troop-contributing countries to investigate allegations and decide how to pursue paternity claims. The Port Salut women, however, say contact with U.N. staffers or Uruguay's military representative is rare and generally bewildering. A 2015 U.N. report by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon acknowledged that there were "numerous obstacles to having paternity recognized and to obtaining support for children of United Nations personnel, whether they were born as a result of sexual exploitation and abuse or not." MINUSTAH's uniformed personnel are now barred from leaving bases alone or when wearing civilian clothing and mission rules have changed in recent years to prohibit any fraternization. "Not only sexual relations are prohibited; even having normal relations with the local population is prohibited," Shukry said. Uruguay's Navy spokesman, Capt. Gaston Jaunsolo, acknowledged there have been a small number of paternity cases and said service members found guilty are sanctioned and barred from peacekeeping missions. He confirmed that Posse continued in the Navy and said service members are forbidden to speak the press without permission. A listed phone number for Posse was out of service. His profile on a social networking site says he's looking for a young woman between 18 and 25 to start a family with. The Uruguayan Army issued a statement to AP saying it's sent roughly 3,000 troops to Haiti since 2011 and four paternity allegations were made against that military branch. There's been one positive DNA test, the statement said, and no complaints have been made since 2014. It said the soldier who tested positive was punished but not discharged. Meanwhile, the women struggling to raise their kids in Port Salut are eking out a living with the help of their families. Their children are sometimes teased by other kids who call them "MINUSTAH babies" or mockingly ask where their daddies are. "When he's older I'll find a way to explain things. For now, the only thing I can say is that his father's not here," Joseph said as she held a snapshot showing her and Posse together at her 17th birthday party, a heart drawn on the back of it reading "Osemina y Julio." ___ AP writer Leonardo Haberkorn contributed from Montevideo, Uruguay. ___ David McFadden on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dmcfadd In this June 24, 2016 photo, five-year-old Anderson Joseph holds a picture of himself at 6 month of age, during his baptism, at his grand mother's home in Port Salut, Haiti. Anderson is the result of a liaison between Uruguayan marine Julio Cesar Posse and a local Haitian woman. "He promised me he'd marry me and would take care of me," his mother, now 22, tearfully said. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) In this June 24, 2016 photo, a resident walks next to a former Uruguayan U.N. peacekeeper base in Port Salut, Haiti. A U.N. official confirmed that four Port Salut women have paternity established in 2014 after DNA swabs from the mothers, children and peacekeepers were analyzed. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) Ohio man who fled to Peru to avoid charges pleads guilty AKRON, Ohio (AP) An Ohio man who fled to Peru more than a decade ago to avoid prosecution for what authorities say was a $65 million Ponzi scheme has pleaded guilty to federal charges. Sixty-one-year-old Eric Bartoli is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 9 after pleading guilty to eight counts including conspiracy, securities fraud and attempted income tax evasion. Federal prosecutors say Bartoli defrauded hundreds of investors during the 1990s. He was indicted in 2003. Authorities say Bartoli and his partners created a Doylestown-based company that returned just half of the money collected from investors. The Latest: Hundreds gather at school after Castile funeral ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) The Latest on the recent police-involved shootings around the United States (all times local): 5:30 p.m. Hundreds of people have gathered for a community meal at the St. Paul school where a black Minnesota man worked before he was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop. The long line outside the St. Paul Cathedral for the funeral of Philando Castile Thursday, July 14, 2016 at St. Paul Cathedral in St. Paul, Minn. Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul last week. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP) Philando Castile was shot July 6 in suburban St. Paul. His girlfriend streamed the aftermath live on Facebook. His mother, Valerie Castile, spoke to the crowd at J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School on Thursday following her son's funeral at the Cathedral of St. Paul. She told them: "Any one of us could be Philando. ... For my son to die the way he did, it's unspeakable." His uncle, Clarence Castile, said St. Paul schools, the Castile family and donations from the Teamsters union made the meal possible. Gov. Mark Dayton came and thanked citizens for being there. ___ 4:45 p.m. A St. Louis man charged with seven felonies is accused in court records of pointing a gun at officers and telling them, "You all have been killing too many of us." The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/29M7CTa ) reports that 29-year-old Wayne Samuels is jailed on $100,000 bond. No attorney is listed for him in online court records. Police said issues arose when two officers approached Samuels on Friday because he was sitting in a car that resembled one taken in a carjacking. Authorities later determined that the car wasn't the one being sought. Court documents say he struggled with one of officers during a pat-down. He also is accused of pointing a gun at the officers and trying to take a passing motorist's vehicle. ___ 4 p.m. A police chief whose department helped in the aftermath of the fatal traffic stop shooting of a black man last week in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota, says his officers were delivering aid within four minutes. Roseville police Chief Rick Mathwig on Thursday disputed previous accounts that Philando Castile was not given first aid for 10 minutes or more after being shot. Mathwig's account matches the timeline laid out in publicly available radio scanner traffic from the incident. Recordings about show four minutes passed between the report of shots fired and Roseville officers administering CPR. Castile was shot and killed during a traffic stop by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez on July 6. His girlfriend streamed the aftermath of the shooting live on Facebook. Mathwig says his officers did everything they were trained to do. ___ 3:40 p.m. An Indianapolis man is accused of firing shots into a police officer's home as his wife and child slept. Police say March E. Ratney shouted anti-police obscenities early Tuesday and fired several shots into the home and patrol car of an officer. The officer, his wife and child were not injured. Ratney is charged with criminal recklessness and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said Thursday in announcing the charges against the 27-year-old that authorities "will not tolerate attacks on our public safety partners." Ratney is being held without bond. He was released from prison on parole last month after serving nearly six years for unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious felon. __ 2:35 p.m. Faith leaders and musicians delivered messages of hope at a funeral for a black Minnesota man who was fatally shot by a suburban St. Paul police officer. Mourners filled the 3,000-seat Cathedral of St. Paul to pay their respects to 32-year-old Philando Castile, whose white casket arrived and left on a horse-drawn carriage. After the service ended, people lined up along the cathedral's long stairs holding "Unite for Philando" signs as Castile's casket passed. Castile was shot during a July 6 traffic stop. His girlfriend streamed the aftermath live on Facebook. The Rev. Steve Daniels Jr. of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church asked during the funeral why racial profiling still happens. He says he's thankful for police and their service, but that people need to find a way to come together. ___ 12:30 p.m. The funeral is underway for a black man who was fatally shot by a suburban St. Paul, Minnesota, police officer last week. More than 1,500 mourners have filled the Cathedral of St. Paul to remember 32-year-old Philando Castile, whose white casket arrived on a horse-drawn carriage. Church officials say texts for the ecumenical service will focus on preserving peace, justice and reconciliation. Castile was shot several times by a suburban St. Paul officer during a July 6 traffic stop. Castile's girlfriend streamed the shooting's aftermath live on Facebook. Gov. Mark Dayton, who has suggested that race played a role in Castile's death, is attending. ___ 1:15 a.m. A black Minnesota man who was fatally shot by a police officer last week will be remembered at an ecumenical service at a stately Catholic cathedral. The funeral for 32-year-old Philando Castile will be held Thursday at the century-old Cathedral of St. Paul. The cathedral's rector, the Rev. John Ubel, will lead the prayers while Pastor Steve Daniels Sr. of nearby Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church will deliver a eulogy. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis says Castile's mother, Valerie Castile, requested the cathedral hold her son's funeral. Church officials say texts for the liturgy will focus on preserving peace, justice and reconciliation. Philando Castile was shot several times by a suburban St. Paul officer during a traffic stop July 6. Castile's girlfriend streamed the shooting's aftermath live on Facebook. ___ 1:05 a.m. More police departments are getting robots like the one Dallas police used to blow up a suspect last week and officials say they're willing to use them to kill, if necessary. The Dallas Police Department's first-in-the-nation use of the robot to deliver and detonate a bomb has triggered buzz about the use of machines designed for surveillance and disarming bombs. Law enforcement officials elsewhere have credited the Dallas department's decision to not expose any other officers to harm from a man who had already killed five of their own. Sid Heal, of the California Association of Tactical Officers, says nobody wanted to be the first to use a robot to kill, but the door is open now that it's been proven effective. ___ 1 a.m. The final moments of Philando Castile's life revolved around a gun he was licensed to carry and instructed to tell authorities about when stopped. Castile was killed by a police officer last week during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul. Castile's girlfriend streamed the aftermath live on Facebook and said he was shot while reaching for his ID after telling the officer he had a gun permit and was armed. Allysza Castile says she and her brother took a gun class together last year. They went to Total Defense in Ramsey, where owner Dan Wellman says they teach students to hand over their permits with their driver's licenses. The attorney for St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez says Yanez was reacting to the presence of a gun when he fired. Attendees grieve outside The Cathedral of Saint Paul before Philando Castile's funeral service, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul last week. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP) Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, right, greets attendees at The Cathedral of Saint Paul for Philando Castile's funeral, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul last week. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP) The funeral procession for Philando Castile heads up Summit Avenue to The Cathedral of Saint Paul, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul last week. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) How Castile told officer about gun critical in final moments MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The final moments before Philando Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul revolved around a gun he was licensed to carry, trained to use safely and instructed to tell authorities about when stopped. But just how he informed the officer and whether the officer followed his own training gets to the heart of the investigation into Castile's death last week. Castile, who was black, was fatally shot July 6 after he was pulled over by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez, who is Latino. Castile's girlfriend streamed the aftermath live on Facebook and said Castile was shot while reaching for his ID after telling the officer he had a gun permit and was armed. The funeral procession for Philando Castile heads up Summit Avenue to The Cathedral of Saint Paul, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul last week. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) Yanez's attorney has said the officer reacted after seeing a gun, and that one of the reasons he pulled Castile over was because he thought he looked like a "possible match" for an armed robbery suspect. Castile's family members say he was profiled because of his race. They were among the mourners who filled the 3,000-seat Cathedral of St. Paul for his funeral Thursday. A letter from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office confirms Castile, 32, got his permit last year. The letter, dated June 4, 2015, says Castile's permit is enclosed. It also says that he must have his permit card and photo identification when carrying a pistol, and must display those items "upon lawful demand by a peace officer." Allysza Castile said she and her brother took a required gun safety class together last year. Dan Wellman, owner of Total Defense in Ramsey, confirmed the Castiles came to class in May 2015. Wellman doesn't remember the pair. He said he wasn't teaching the class that day. But each class is told repeatedly how to handle a traffic stop or any encounter with law enforcement, he said. Students are taught to comply with every demand, hand over their permits to carry with their driver's licenses and calmly answer follow-up questions about licensed firearms, including where they are. "We make several jokes about it during class: 'I have a gun' is not the way to say you have a gun on you," Wellman said. Race never comes up as course participants are told how to handle traffic stops, Wellman said. Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who was a passenger in the car along with her 4-year-old daughter, stressed in her video that Castile complied with Yanez's requests before the encounter turned fatal. But when talking to reporters the day after his death, she shed light on possible confusion stemming from Castile's final words to the officer. "As he's reaching for his back pocket wallet, he lets the officer know: 'Officer, I have a firearm on me,'" she said. "I begin to yell, 'But he's licensed to carry.' After that, (the officer) began to take off shots." St. Anthony police training documents outline how an officer should respond to traffic stops. According to the documents, if an officer believes it's a high-risk stop as one involving an armed robbery suspect would likely be he should have the driver and others exit the car before approaching the vehicle, while officers take cover and draw their weapons. Albert Goins, an attorney who assisted the Castile family after the shooting but isn't representing anyone in the case, has said if Yanez and the other officer involved, Joseph Kauser, believed they could be stopping the robbery suspect, they should have done a "felony stop." He described a procedure similar to what is outlined in the police training documents. Documents provided by the St. Anthony Police Department also show Yanez attended a training seminar in 2014 called "Bulletproof Warrior," a two-day course hosted by an Illinois company that teaches students how to "utilize their 'Warrior Spirit' in a practical way so they can WIN hostile confrontations on the street," according to promotional materials for the seminar. Yanez also received two hours of de-escalation training this spring the only record of such training since he joined the force in late 2011. His attorney and the St. Anthony police chief did not return messages for comment. Court and driver records show Castile was pulled over or ticketed at least 52 times in Minnesota since 2002, with 86 total misdemeanor or petty misdemeanor counts. More than half of the 86 violations were dismissed, court records show. He had no serious criminal record. He was stopped at least two times since he received his permit to carry. Records do not indicate whether he had his gun with him on those stops. Allysza Castile said she usually leaves her gun at home. But if she does have it with her while driving, she said she puts it in her glove compartment in a holster with the safety on. "Most of the time, he did the same," the 23-year-old woman said of her brother. "There's never a time I saw him driving in the car with his weapon on his person." Reynolds, however, has said his gun was in its holster in his pants when they were stopped. Allysza Castile said when she is pulled over and has her gun, she tells officers she has a firearm and gun permit, which is a wallet-size card that she shows with her license and registration. "That's usually how it's supposed to go, but they didn't give him a chance," she said of the fatal stop. Valerie Castile stressed that her son got his permit because he had a right to carry a weapon not because he felt his life was in danger. "My son was profiled and he was executed. There's just no two ways around that," she said. ___ Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. The funeral procession for Philando Castile makes its way along Concordia Avenue to The Cathedral of Saint Paul, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul last week. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP) Friends and family follow the funeral procession for Philando Castile as it makes its way along Concordia Avenue to The Cathedral of Saint Paul, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul last week. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP) The funeral procession for Philando Castile makes its way along Concordia Avenue to the St. Paul Cathedral, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul last week. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP) Valerie Castile, second from left, follows as pall bearers with fists raised carry the casket of her son Philando Castile down the steps after his funeral service Thursday, July 14, 2016 at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in St. Paul, Minn. Castile was killed last week by by St. Anthony police in Falcon Heights, Minn. after a traffic stop. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Pallbearers marched down Selby Avenue with their fists raised high as they follow the horse-drawn carriage carrying the body of Philando Castile following Castile's funeral service at The Cathedral of Saint Paul, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul last week. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) Stacy Castile, an uncle of Philando Castile, poses for a photo wearing a shirt depicting his nephew at a community dinner in St. Paul, Minn., Thursday, July 14, 2016. Philando Castile was killed by a police officer last week. (AP photo/Amy Forliti) Valerie Castile, the mother of Philando Castile who was killed by a St. Anthony police officer last week, speaks at a community event in his honor Thursday, July 14, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP photo/Amy Forliti) Alaska town bans longtime practice of scavenging at dump ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A decades-long tradition has come to an abrupt end in one of Alaska's largest rural hubs with a ban on the popular practice of scavenging at the city landfill or "shopping" as some locals call it. The recent clampdown in Bethel comes amid concerns that dangerous conditions at the dump were creating a liability for the community of 6,200, City Manager Ann Capela said. "To me, this is about safety of people and risk responsibility of the city," said Capela, who served as a public administrator in many other states before moving to the western Alaska town in late 2014. "Once the city takes possession of the various things that people throw away, the city becomes the owner." This Tuesday, July 12, 2016 photo provided by the City of Bethel shows automobiles at the city's landfill in Bethel, Alaska. A decades-long tradition at one of Alaska's largest rural hubs has come to an end with a ban on the popular local practice of scavenging at the Bethel landfill. The recent clampdown in Bethel comes amid concerns that the dangerous conditions at the dump were creating a liability for the community. (Ann Capela/City of Bethel via AP) Bethel, 400 miles west of Anchorage, is off the state's limited road system and has no major stores. Over the years, many residents have turned to the landfill for such goods as car parts, motors, and wood for burning or construction. When Tom McCallson first moved to Bethel in the mid-1980s, even a spare nut and bolt had value, he said. But the dump offers even more valuable items, such as the brand-new, working dishwasher his son once found. McCallson goes to the landfill when he needs something specific, and doesn't consider himself a full-time scavenger. He usually finds what he's looking for. "A person that is actively going in there could probably build a house out of the stuff that goes in there," McCallson said. Landfill experts in the Lower 48 say letting people wander around freely at U.S. landfills is a practice that harkens to another time. Today, it is a rare exception in an industry that has been highly regulated for decades. There's just too much potential for people to get cut by something protruding from the ground, pricked by a discarded needle, run over or hurt some other way. "While scavenging is fairly common at developing-world dump sites, it is exceeding rare at modern American sanitary landfills. I am pleased that Bethel is banning this practice," David Biderman, executive director of the Solid Waste Association of North America, said Wednesday in an email to The Associated Press. To McCallson, the change implemented about a month ago is irritating because scavenging has been so convenient. Many locals even jokingly refer to the dump as the shopping center. Word around town is that some locals are sneaking in over a berm after the landfill gate is closed at night. McCallson said only about 300 feet of the perimeter is surrounded by a chain-link fence. The ban was first reported by KYUK-AM. Bethel landfill manager David Stovner said he's never heard of anyone getting hurt while scavenging. He said he doesn't totally agree with the new policy, but he is turning people away because that's his job. He's also been told to order a sign noting people are entering the landfill at their own risk. "I'm pretty easygoing, you know, but the powers that be are in charge, and I'm going to do what they tell me to do," he said. Capela is leaving her position in late September, so in reality, the new policy could be short-lived. Meanwhile, Capela said the city is considering following a process carried out for some public landfills, such as the one operated by the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The borough runs 14 transfer stations, including five with a designated area where people can drop off usable items for others to take. "We want to create a safer environment," she said. ___ Follow Rachel D'Oro at https://twitter.com/rdoro This Tuesday, July 12, 2016, photo provided by the City of Bethel shows junk at the city's landfill in Bethel, Alaska. A decades-long tradition at one of Alaska's largest rural hubs has come to an end with a ban on the popular local practice of scavenging at the Bethel landfill. The recent clampdown in Bethel comes amid concerns that the dangerous conditions at the dump were creating a liability for the community. (Ann Capela/City of Bethel via AP) This Tuesday, July 12, 2016, photo provided by the City of Bethel shows junk at the city's landfill in Bethel, Alaska. A decades-long tradition at one of Alaska's largest rural hubs has come to an end with a ban on the popular local practice of scavenging at the Bethel landfill. The recent clampdown in Bethel comes amid concerns that the dangerous conditions at the dump were creating a liability for the community. (Ann Capela/City of Bethel via AP) This Tuesday, July 12, 2016, photo provided by the City of Bethel shows junk at the city's landfill in Bethel, Alaska. A decades-long tradition at one of Alaska's largest rural hubs has come to an end with a ban on the popular local practice of scavenging at the Bethel landfill. The recent clampdown in Bethel comes amid concerns that the dangerous conditions at the dump were creating a liability for the community. (Ann Capela/City of Bethel via AP) Germany welcomes review of jailed journalist's case BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) German Chancellor Angela Merkel on a visit to Kyrgyzstan has welcomed the country's decision to send for review the case of an ethnic Uzbek journalist jailed for life. Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to release Azimzhan Askarov who is serving a life sentence after being convicted of stirring up ethnic hatred, but instead sent his case to a regional court for review. International rights groups consider him a prisoner of conscience. The charges against Askarov relate to ethnic unrest in the south of Kyrgyzstan in 2010 when more than 450 people, mostly ethnic Uzbeks, were killed and tens or even hundreds of thousands were displaced. States require insurance companies to locate beneficiaries CHICAGO (AP) Beneficiaries of unclaimed life insurance policies already have received billions of dollars and others could be in store for some unexpected cash the result of state actions forcing companies to locate heirs and pay them the money they are owed. Nearly two dozen states have passed laws requiring companies to search for beneficiaries. Illinois is the latest to consider a version of the legislation. The laws follow years-long audits and multi-state investigations of the top 40 insurance companies that revealed many of them held on to benefits, even when they knew the person insured had died. Roberta Berchtold is photographed at her home Thursday, July 7, 2016, in San Diego. Beneficiaries of unclaimed life insurance policies already have received billions of dollars _ and others could be in store for some unexpected cash. Its the result of state actions forcing companies to locate and pay heirs the money they are owed. Earlier this year, Berchtold was told by a nephew that Illinois was looking for her fathers descendants because it was holding money from a life insurance policy. She thought the matter was settled two years ago, when the insurance company contacted her about a policy and sent her a check for $35,000. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi) More than 20 insurance companies settled with states. Some companies are pushing back, against both the investigations and the laws. Life insurance companies owned by Chicago-based Kemper Corp. are trying to block Florida's law, one of the nation's strongest, and are fierce opponents of Illinois' proposal, which was approved by state lawmakers but still needs Gov. Bruce Rauner's signature to become law. In lawsuits against the Illinois State Treasurer and Florida's Chief Financial Officer, Kemper's subsidiaries have argued that under their contracts with policyholders, beneficiaries have to make a claim to receive benefits. "If states can interfere with existing contracts, it is a bad precedent for consumers and the companies that serve them and violates the U.S. and state constitutions," Kemper said in a statement. Most of the laws are modeled after a version drafted by the National Conference of Insurance Legislators and supported by the American Council of Life Insurers, an industry group whose members include MetLife, Nationwide and Prudential. The council is pushing for all states to adopt this "national standard" by 2017. "Life insurance companies are committed to providing people the money they are owed," the council said in a statement. It said most life insurers have "gone well beyond what the law requires" to identify deceased policyholders and locate their beneficiaries. "We also think it makes sense for everyone in the industry to do the same." The laws require companies to cross check their databases against a federal database of the deceased, though they differ on when to start those checks. Florida's law requires companies to check policies dating back to 1992. In Illinois, insurance companies would only have to check their active, or "in-force," policies. If a match is found, they would be required to use "good faith efforts" to search for beneficiaries. The issue stems from insurance companies' practice of checking the Social Security Death Master File to figure out whether policyholders receiving annuities had died. If a match was found, the companies would stop payments. But they wouldn't perform the same checks against life insurance policies, waiting, instead, for beneficiaries to reach out to them. In a small number of cases, beneficiaries were unaware of the policies, so companies would hold on to the benefit for years before forwarding it to the state as "unclaimed property," or would deduct monthly payments until the money was gone and the policy was canceled. The practice of checking the Death Master File for annuities but not for life insurance policies wasn't illegal, but state officials, including insurance regulators, treasurers and controllers, found it deceptive. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said the companies "failed to pay billions in death benefits that were owed to beneficiaries." Since 2011, companies including MetLife, American International Group and Nationwide have settled with states, paying out more than $5 billion to beneficiaries of unclaimed policies, according to estimates by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. They've also forwarded more than $2.4 billion to states, which continue to search for beneficiaries. "This is something that shocked me," said Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, whose office pushed for legislation. "We think it's important that the last wishes of the deceased are honored." Earlier this year, Roberta Berchtold, 62, of San Diego, was told by a nephew that Illinois was looking for her father's descendants because it was holding money from a life insurance policy. She thought the matter was settled two years ago, when the insurance company contacted her about a policy and sent her a check for $35,000. Initially, she said, she worried it was a scam. Her father died six years ago at age 83. She had copies of his life insurance policies and remembers the insurance company denying payments for two. "My father was a farmer, and a Depression-era person," Berchtold said, adding that because of the high mortality rates in the fields, farmers wanted to make sure their families were taken care of. She figured then he had cashed out the policies, but now realizes that, somehow, the company didn't pay out on at least two, Berchtold said. "I never really trusted them," she said. Joseph M. Belth, professor emeritus of insurance at Indiana University, said the biggest issue is lack of transparency in the industry. He has argued that policyholders should receive annual statements, documents that beneficiaries can then use to claim what's owed to them. But his idea, he said, has been rejected by the industry and regulators. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE Alejandra Cancino is studying health care and long-term care issues as part of a fellowship at the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which joins NORC's independent research and AP journalism. The fellowship is funded by The SCAN Foundation, an independent nonprofit that supports research and other initiatives on aging and health care. Britain's new govt signals PM May is serious about Brexit LONDON (AP) Theresa May wanted Britain to stay in the European Union, but the government she unveiled Thursday leaves little doubt that Britain's new prime minister intends to fulfill voters' instructions and take it out of the 28-nation bloc. May has appointed leading euroskeptics including the unpredictable Boris Johnson and the formidable David Davis to top international jobs in a Cabinet that sweeps away many members of predecessor David Cameron's administration. When she was running for the Conservative leadership, May promised that "Brexit means Brexit," and her appointments of Johnson, Davis and arch-euroskeptic Trade Secretary Liam Fox signal to EU leaders that, no matter what her own feelings, she will not be watering down Britain's commitment to leaving the EU. FILE - In this Wednesday July 13, 2016 file photo, new British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to the media outside her official residence,10 Downing Street in London. Theresa May wanted Britain to stay in the European Union, but the government she unveiled Thursday leaves little doubt that she intends to take it out. The new prime minister has appointed leading euroskeptics - including the unpredictable Boris Johnson and the formidable David Davis - to top international jobs in a Cabinet that sweeps away many of the stalwarts of predecessor David Cameron's administration. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, file) Johnson, Britain's new foreign secretary, said Thursday it was an opportunity to be seized "reshaping Britain's global profile and identity as a great global player." On her first full day in office, May dismantled Cameron's affluent metropolitan clique, dubbed the "Notting Hill set" after the former prime minister's trendy West London neighborhood. Gone were Cameron allies including ex-Treasury chief George Osborne, Cameron's friend and neighbor and like him the product of an elite private school. Gone, too, was Michael Gove, the justice secretary who many Tories believe betrayed former ally Johnson by running for Conservative leader himself a job Johnson had long sought. Gove's replacement, Justice Secretary Liz Truss, and the new Education Secretary Justine Greening both attended state schools as did May. The shuffle signals that May values social mobility and self-made successes. It also reinforces a promise she made outside 10 Downing St. on Wednesday: "We will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us." Some 52 percent of Britons who voted June 23 wanted to leave the EU a position uncompromisingly reflected in the international face of the new government through the triumvirate of Johnson, Davis and Fox. Johnson, London's popular former mayor, helped the "leave" campaign win last month's referendum. But his appointment as foreign secretary caused some consternation around the world. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Johnson had lied to the British people during the EU referendum, and now had "his back against the wall to defend his country and to clarify his relationship with Europe." Johnson's certainly not the obvious choice for Britain's top diplomat. He is internationally famous but for rumpled eccentricity, Latin aphorisms and distinctly undiplomatic gaffes. In April, Johnson suggested that U.S. President Barack Obama had an "ancestral dislike" of Britain because he is part-Kenyan. Asked late Wednesday whom he would apologize to first, Johnson said "the United States of America will be at the front of the queue." On his first day in the job Thursday, Johnson struck a sober tone. He shrugged off Ayrault's criticism, saying the French minister had sent him a "charming letter ... saying how much he looked forward to working together." The U.S.-born, part-Turkish Johnson said Britain was quitting the EU but "that does not mean in any sense leaving Europe." "There is a massive difference between leaving the EU and our relations with Europe, which if anything I think are going to be intensified and built up at an intergovernmental level," he said. Some said Johnson might surprise his many critics. His idol is Winston Churchill, another politician who was underestimated before rising to become Britain's World War II leader. May has given him the chance to live up to his potential or to fail spectacularly. "It is not without risks," said Christopher Meyer, a former British ambassador to the United States. "There may be some mishaps. "But if Boris Johnson can realize his potential ... he will send that shot of adrenaline through the Foreign Office, through our diplomacy, that is so necessary right now," Meyer told Sky News. Lesser-known than Johnson but at least as important to Britain's future is 67-year-old David Davis, the new Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Davis, who served under Conservative Prime Minister John Major in bruising 1990s dealings with the EU, is one of the staunchest euroskeptics in British politics. He will lead a new department charged with the complex work of divorcing Britain from the bloc yet forging a new relationship with it. The libertarian Davis a former special forces reservist who boasts that he has broken his nose five times has sparred with May for years over the powers of Britain's spy agencies, which she oversaw as home secretary and he thinks are too intrusive. Davis has previously said Britain should take a "brisk but measured" approach to exit talks with the EU, invoking Article 50 of the EU constitution the formal trigger for two years of exit negotiations by the start of 2017. EU leaders, however, are pressuring Britain to open formal exit talks sooner and warning that the U.K. cannot have access to the single European market of 500 million people without accepting the free movement of EU citizens, a sticking point for many pro-Brexit Britons. The foreign policy spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party in Parliament said Thursday that many current British suggestions for future relations with the EU were "unworkable." "Free access to the common market means, among other things, accepting other fundamental freedoms such as the freedom of movement," said Juergen Hardt. European Parliament President Martin Schulz said the EU would "work constructively" with the new British government. But he accused May of putting a desire to unite her deeply divided Conservative party ahead of concerns about Britain's future. Newly appointed Treasury chief Philip Hammond, meanwhile, sought to reassure the markets and the public, saying there was no need for an emergency national budget, despite the question marks hanging over the British economy following the referendum. Hammond acknowledged that the Brexit vote has had "a chilling effect" on investment, saying "the No. 1 challenge is to stabilize the economy, send signals of confidence about the future." "Britain is open for business," he said. "We are not turning our back on the world." ___ Danica Kirka in London, Thomas Adamson in Paris and David Rising in Berlin contributed to this story. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives in Downing Street, London, Thursday July 14, 2016. Theresa May is filling more Cabinet posts Thursday as she assembles a government that includes prominent anti-EU figures in key international roles. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP) Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street after being appointed Foreign Secretary, following a Cabinet reshuffle by new Prime Minister Theresa May, in London, Wednesday, July 13, 2016. (Steve Parsons/PA via AP) Newly appointed British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is pursued by members of the media as he leaves his home in north London, as new Prime Minister Theresa May prepared to put the finishing touches to her top team, Thursday July 14, 2016. (Lauren Hurley/PA via AP) New British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to the media outside her official residence,10 Downing Street in London, Wednesday July 13, 2016. David Cameron stepped down Wednesday after six years as prime minister. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) New British Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip May stand on the steps of 10 Downing Street in London, Wednesday July 13, 2016. David Cameron stepped down Wednesday after six years as prime minister. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street in central London, after being appointed Foreign Secretary, by Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May, Wednesday July 13, 2016. (Hannah McKay/PA via AP) David Davis leaves 10 Downing Street, in London, Wednesday, July 13, 2016, after meeting with new British Prime Minister Theresa May. David Davis has been appointed UK minister for EU exit by Prime Minister Theresa May. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP) FILE - In this Monday, June 27, 2016 file photo, Michael Gove arrives for a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London. New British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday July 14, 2016, has fired Justice Secretary Michael Gove, a former leader of the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File) British MP Andrea Leadsom arrives in Downing Street, London, Thursday July 14, 2016. British Prime Minister Theresa May filled out her Cabinet posts Thursday, assembling a government that sweeps away many of her predecessor's supporters and places strongly anti-EU figures in key international roles. Leadom has been appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP) UNITED KINGDOM OUT Boris Johnson arrives at 10 Downing Street in central London, to be appointed Foreign Secretary, by new Prime Minister Theresa May, Wednesday July 13, 2016. (Hannah McKay/PA via AP) Trump seeks $10 million in damages from former campaign aide WASHINGTON (AP) In a highly unusual campaign dispute, Donald Trump is seeking $10 million in damages from his former political consultant Sam Nunberg, arguing Nunberg violated the nondisclosure agreement nearly every Trump employee is required to sign. Trump alleges Nunberg leaked confidential information to reporters. Nunberg, in a court filing obtained by The Associated Press, contends Trump is trying to silence him "in a misguided attempt to cover up media coverage of an apparent affair" between two senior campaign staffers. Trump's decision to take legal action against a fired staffer in the midst of a presidential race is part of the businessman's pattern of aggressively protecting the secrecy of his campaign, companies and family. The AP reported last month that nearly every Trump employee both in the campaign and his businesses must sign legally binding nondisclosure agreements prohibiting them from releasing any confidential or disparaging information about the real estate mogul, his family or his companies. FILE - In this April 3, 2016 file photo, Corey Lewandowski talks to a member of the media at Nathan Hale High School in West Allis, Wis. The Associated Press reported last month that Trump requires nearly everyone in his campaign and businesses to sign legally binding nondisclosure agreements prohibiting them from releasing any confidential or disparaging information about the real estate mogul, his family or his companies. Trump has also said he would consider requiring such agreements in the White House. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File) Nunberg's filing comes at a crucial political moment for Trump. He's on the verge of picking his running mate and is preparing for next week's Republican convention, one of his highest profile opportunities to reach voters and ease the concerns of GOP leaders who are concerned about his unconventional candidacy. In the court filings, Nunberg denied disparaging Trump and accused the presumptive GOP nominee of attempting to "bully" him into silence after Nunberg decided to publicly support Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential bid. "Mr. Trump's actions in starting a $10 million arbitration, seeking to silence Mr. Nunberg and have the proceedings sealed are a cautionary tale of what the American people face if Mr. Trump is elected president," said Andrew Miltenberg, Nunberg's attorney. Miltenberg said Trump's attorney backed off Thursday from trying to seal documents. Trump attorney Alan Garten repeatedly declined to refer to Nunberg by name, but described him as "a person who has a history of making untrue, outlandish and outrageous allegations." Nunberg was a consultant to Trump's presidential campaign but was fired in August because of racist posts he wrote on Facebook. Nunberg has been highly critical of Trump's former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, both professionally and personally. In a recent GQ Magazine interview, he said he would suck the "blood of out of (Lewandowski's) skull by the time I'm done with him." In the court filings, Nunberg said Trump filed a $10 million arbitration claim against him and falsely accused him of being a source of a New York Post story from mid-May that recounted a public quarrel between Lewandowski and campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks. Lewandowski was fired from the campaign in June after months of tension with other senior Trump advisers. Nunberg denied being the source of the article, but in court papers referred to the quarrel as being part of an "apparent affair." Garten told the AP that Nunberg's allegations about Hicks and Lewandowski are "categorically untrue." Reached by phone, Lewandowski said he was "not familiar with the court case" and would not comment on Nunberg's allegations. Hicks did not respond to detailed requests to respond to the allegations sent via email and text, as well as a voicemail. Lewandowski helped Trump upset 16 primary rivals, a stunning feat for the political novice and a campaign manager with little presidential campaign experience. But Lewandowski clashed with other campaign staffers and was viewed by GOP leaders as unprepared to oversee a general election campaign. Since Lewandowski's firing, Trump's campaign has shown flashes of operating more professionally, with the candidate giving more prepared speeches in addition to his freewheeling rallies. Nunberg filed the court documents in an attempt to block private arbitration proceedings initiated by Trump in May. In addition to asserting a right to discuss the campaign on free speech grounds, Nunberg's lawsuit also argued that the campaign's arbitration claim was invalid because it was brought by an exploratory group Trump formed for his 2012 campaign, "which has nothing to do with the Trump Campaign's activities in the 2016 presidential campaign cycle." "The Trump Campaign was not in existence prior to or at the time of the agreement, and Mr. Nunberg did not agree or intend that it apply to any future entity such as the Trump Campaign," Nunberg's complaint said. Nunberg says in court papers that Trump improperly used the entity, "Trump 2012 PCA," while the billionaire "toyed" with a presidential run in 2012. Nunberg also accuses the entity of conducting business illegally in the state of New York. In a separate affidavit, Nunberg's mother, Rebecca Citron Nunberg, said the entity bringing the claim against her son is not registered in the state of New York, depriving it of its ability to pursue legal claims against him. At a court proceeding Thursday in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Justice Eileen Bransten signed an order saying attorneys agreed to suspend arbitration proceedings while she decides how the case proceeds. Outside court, Rebecca Nunberg said she was pleased the case will be aired publicly. "The public has a right to know," she said, adding that her son had a "very close personal relationship" with Trump for 3 years. Her husband, Noah Nunberg, said his son did nothing wrong. "You need a court," he said. ___ Associated Press writer Jeff Horwitz contributed to this report. ___ On Twitter, follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Chad Day at http://twitter.com/ChadSDay Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump listens to a question during an interview after a rally in Virginia Beach, Va., Monday, July 11, 2016. In presenting himself as the "law and order" candidate for president, Donald Trump portrays a nation of lawlessness and disorder. It does not, though, reflect a trend of declining crime that has been unfolding over 25 years. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) For Clinton, Warren offers historic choice for running mate BOSTON (AP) As Hillary Clinton weighs possible running mates, Elizabeth Warren offers a historic choice. Warren's got all the fire any Democratic presidential candidate would want in a 2016 running mate. She's gleefully taunts Donald Trump and she's a dogged campaigner and enthusiastic ambassador to the party's skeptical liberal base of supporters. On the Democratic ticket with Clinton, Warren would also be a bridge to supporters of former rival Bernie Sanders and a second fist through the glass ceiling to the highest offices in the land. Clinton got there first as the lone woman ever to capture a major party's presidential nomination in the United States. FILE - In this July 13, 2016, file photo, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. speaks to the Center of American Progress Action Fund in Washington. Warren is being considered as a vice presidential pick for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Two accomplished women on the ticket which would be a first for any major party is a prospect that ignited cheers and excitement when the pair clasped hands and raised them high overhead in a campaign appearance in Michigan last month. Clinton called Warren a "friend" and a "great leader." Warren, like Clinton a law school graduate, praised the presumptive presidential nominee for "fighting for the people who need her the most" and for having a "good heart." Warren has since been asked to deliver a speech on the first night of the Democratic National Convention. The campaign rally was a triumphant end to a long journey, during which relations between the two were not always cozy. Warren once faulted Clinton for supporting a 2001 overhaul of the nation's bankruptcy system that Warren said favored Wall Street. In her 2003 book "The Two-Income Trap," Warren then a Harvard Law School professor said that while Clinton had been willing to fight for her beliefs while serving as first lady, as a New York senator "it seems that Hillary Clinton could not afford such a principled position." "Campaigns cost money, and that money wasn't coming from families in financial trouble," wrote Warren, who has described herself as coming from "the ragged edge of the middle class." There are other concerns. Backers of the 67-year-old Warren worry that as a vice presidential candidate she'd have to tamp down some of her more fiery edges, particularly when going after Wall Street and big banks. Then there's Republican candidate Donald Trump's nicknames for her "Pocahontas" and "the Indian," references to Warren's claim of Native American ancestry. During the 2012 race for the Massachusetts Senate seat once held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, it was revealed Warren had listed herself as having Native American heritage in law school directories from 1986 to 1995. Her Republican opponent, Scott Brown, questioned those claims, suggesting that Warren who has no documentary evidence of her heritage was trying to get a leg up early in her career. Warren pushed back, saying she was told of her heritage from her parents and listed it in the directory to meet others with similar backgrounds. "I didn't check a box to go to college. I didn't check a box to go to law school," she said at the time. In the No. 2 spot, however, Warren could wield a bigger bullhorn than she can in the Republican-controlled Senate. And Clinton has begun to adopt some of Warren's top concerns, including the debilitating cost of student debt. The Oklahoma native and state high school debate champion initially made her name in politics as a policy wonk. She ran the Congressional Oversight Panel, which monitored the Treasury Department's handling of the $700 billion bank rescue fund known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program or TARP. In 2010, President Barack Obama tapped Warren to oversee the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau an entity Warren had long championed. "Elizabeth understands what I strongly believe: that a strong, growing economy begins with a strong and thriving middle class," Obama said at the time. Senate Republicans, however, viewed her as too critical of Wall Street and big banks to head the bureau, and Obama ultimately chose Richard Cordray as director. That cleared the way for Warren to challenge Brown. She easily won what would be the state's most expensive political campaign, with each candidate raising and spending tens of millions of dollars. The victory helped cement Warren as a liberal hero a reputation she would cultivate during her freshman term by repeatedly zeroing in on Wall Street. As senator, Warren pursued a political philosophy of communal responsibility that began to take shape after she married at 19, gave birth to two children and pursued a law degree, eventually teaching law at Harvard. Warren would make the argument throughout her public life that the society that gave her those opportunities largely doesn't exist anymore. It's an argument Warren famously distilled in a much-viewed YouTube video that helped launch her 2012 Senate run. "There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own," Warren says in the video, listing off public amenities like roads and first responders needed for a stable economic environment. "You built a factory, and it turned into something terrific or a great idea, God bless. Keep a big hunk of it," Warren adds. "But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along." Unable to stop Syria's war, US offers Russia new partnership MOSCOW (AP) The United States on Thursday offered Russia a broad new military partnership in Syria, hoping the attraction of a unified campaign against the Islamic State group and al-Qaida and a Russian commitment to ground Syria's bombers could end five years of civil war. If finalized, the deal could dramatically alter America's role in the conflict. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Thursday to present him the new ideas. The eight-page proposal, which The Washington Post published on its website, shows the U.S. offering intelligence and targeting sharing, and even joint bombing operations. It is a pact Moscow long had wanted, but the Obama administration resisted. "Hopefully we'll be able to make some genuine progress that is measurable and implementable and that can make a difference in the course of events in Syria," Kerry said. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry shake hands during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, July 14, 2016. (Vasily Maximov/Pool Photo via AP) Putin said he was looking for "tangible results." The proposal would undercut months of U.S. criticism of Russia's military actions in Syria, and put the United States alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad's chief international backer, despite years of American demands for the to leave power. Russia would get what it has wanted since intervening in Syria on Assad's behalf last September: leadership of an international anti-terrorism alliance. Much of Washington is wary about working too closely with Russia. A dissent cable signed by 51 State Department officials last month showed a sizable part of America's diplomatic establishment believing a U.S. military response against Assad's forces was necessary. Opposition to this latest Syria plan is shared by a significant number of officials at the State Department and the Pentagon and among U.S. intelligence agencies, according to several American officials. In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Russia had to limit its targeting to extremist groups such as IS and the Nusra Front, al-Qaida's Syrian affiliate, and not the more moderate opposition forces fighting Assad's government. "There's a clear contradiction in Russia's approach to this situation," Earnest said. While Moscow often talks about terrorism, he said it uses its "military might to prop up the Assad regime at the expense, or in some cases even to the detriment, of our efforts to go after extremists." Defense Secretary Ash Carter has questions about Russian activities in Syria, his spokesman, Peter Cook, said Thursday. If the Russians are prepared to do the right thing, Carter would then "be open to that conversation." "We're not conducting or coordinating any military operations with Russia at this moment," Cook added. "And it's not clear that we'll ever reach an agreement to do so." Earlier this week, Russia struck camps housing displaced persons and U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army fighters. A U.S. counterterrorism official said there was no presence of IS or Nusra fighters near the camps hit Tuesday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the issue, said the camps hit had no strategic value. The Obama administration has few alternatives to working with Russia right now. Suggestions of U.S. force don't carry much weight, given the unfulfilled threats throughout the war. There were declarations five years ago that Assad's days were "numbered," and President Barack Obama vowed a military response if chemical weapons were used, then backed down in 2013. The proposed U.S.-Russian "Joint Implementation Group" would be based near Amman, Jordan. At its most basic level, the former Cold War foes would share intelligence and targeting information. They "should coordinate procedures to permit integrated operations" if the U.S. and Russia decide such operations are in their interests, the leaked document said. The proposal would address one of the most persistent problems with enforcing a cease-fire in Syria: the Nusra Front. The group is engaged in a variety of local alliances with other rebel groups the U.S. and its Arab allies want shielded by the cessation of hostilities. Nusra's fighters are often embedded with such groups on the battlefield or move between various militant formations. For that reason, the U.S. has almost entirely avoided bombing Nusra targets in recent months. Russia hasn't hesitated. As Russia has taken out Nusra forces, the U.S. says Russia also has killed hundreds of moderate, anti-Assad fighters and civilians, undermining chances for peaceful diplomacy. The new offer represents a new recognition by the U.S. that Nusra must be defeated to end the fighting. Its offensives southwest of Aleppo have been viewed as particularly damaging to the truce. The document puts responsibility on Russia to get Syria's air force out of the sky, with some limited exceptions. It would subject Russian strikes against vetted Nusra targets to American approval. Moscow's biggest responsibility would be one it has been reluctant to assume: getting Assad to start a political transition that ends his family's four-decade hold over the country. Russia supports the vague idea of "transition," but has never publicly spoken of Assad having to resign. Reactions among U.S.-backed rebel groups in Syria were mixed. Capt. Abdelsalam Abdurrazek, a spokesman for Nur al-Din Zenki, a CIA-screened rebel entity fighting near Aleppo, decried the U.S. for offering "to support an ally of the Syrian regime and an enemy of the Syrian people." He said his group would continue fighting alongside Nusra. Mozahem al-Saloum of the New Syrian Army, which is fighting IS in eastern Syria, blamed Nusra for paving the way for IS, and said the U.S. plan could work if it guarantees Assad's departure. Al-Saloum, the group's spokesman, demanded "an immediate transitional period." ___ Associated Press writers Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, and Deb Riechmann and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this story. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, before a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, July 14, 2016. (Vasily Maximov/Pool Photo via AP) U.S Secretary of State John Kerry, top, looks down as French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault kisses U.S ambassador to France Jane Hartley on the Champs Elysees avenue before the Bastille Day Parade in Paris, Thursday, July 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) China's actions in South China Sea seen as defying ruling HANOI, Vietnam (AP) Two Chinese aircraft landed on disputed reefs and Beijing's coast guard reportedly blocked a Filipino boat from a contested shoal, in acts of defiance after a landmark ruling found China's vast claims in the South China Sea legally baseless. Vietnam protested Thursday that the recent Chinese actions seriously violated Vietnamese sovereignty. Chinese state media reported that two Chinese civilian aircraft landed successfully Wednesday on two new airstrips on Mischief and Subi reefs. China also said it had completed four lighthouses on disputed reefs and was launching a fifth. Staff hang up copies of maps dating from the Qing Dynasty purporting to back up China's claims to vast parts of the South China Sea, in Hong Kong Thursday, July. 14, 2016. An international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines this week saying that China had no basis for expanses claims in the sea. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) In the Philippines, ABS-CBN TV network reported that Chinese coast guard ships blocked a Filipino fishing boat from approaching the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Thursday. Journalist Chiara Zambrano reported the two speedboats approached and encircled the Filipino boat carrying her and local fishermen. One video the network aired showed the Filipino boat being tailed by a white Chinese coast guard ship in an area Zambrano said was a few miles (kilometers) from Scarborough, where the local fishermen were blocked from entering to fish. Another video showed the Chinese coast guard personnel using a bullhorn and ordering the Filipinos to leave "this area immediately." Mayor Arsenia Lim of the northwestern town of Masinloc, where the fishermen live, said they sailed to Scarborough to test China's compliance with the ruling. "What they're doing is bad because it shows as if there is no law," Lim told The Associated Press by telephone. "Our government should defend the livelihood of these people because it's the only place where they get their income." The ruling Tuesday from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, was based on the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Seas, which both China and the Philippines ratified. The Philippines sought arbitration in 2013 after witnessing China's activities in Scarborough and elsewhere in the sea rich with fish and potential energy resources. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who said before the ruling that he wanted to start talks with China on the issue, asked former leader Fidel Ramos late Thursday to travel to China and start the discussions. He has not commented on the arbitration ruling but described the territorial disputes as a complicated issue that may affect the country's ties with treaty ally the United States and the Philippine economy. Ramos, one of Duterte's main backers, cautioned he may not be able to heed the president's request. "This is not to show disrespect to the president of the Philippines, but you have to consider my increasing age," the 88-year-old Ramos told reporters. "But I can do the job, however, I have bigger commitments in terms of peace in the world and sustainable development." Duterte did not say if the talks he sought would press China to comply with the tribunal's ruling. He has been more reconciliatory with China compared to his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, who filed the arbitration complaint against Beijing. The tribunal has no power of enforcement, making the ruling's impact uncertain since Beijing boycotted the case entirely and declared the ruling null and void. Six governments have overlapping claims to the South China Sea, and Beijing's use of its coast guard, building of artificial islands and other activities to cement its claims have raised international concerns. Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh demanded Beijing cease actions that complicate the situation. "Despite the opposition of Vietnam and concerns by the international community, those actions conducted by China have seriously violated Vietnam's sovereignty and are unlawful and cannot change the fact about Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes," Binh told reporters, referring to the Paracel and Spratly chains of islands and reefs. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said if anyone challenged China's interests with provocative actions, "China will surely make a resolute response." Sam Kwok, left, and Marcopolo Tam, members of a pro-China business group in Hong Kong, hold open a map in a book as they stand in front of two copies of larger maps dating from the Qing Dynasty purporting to back up China's claims to vast parts of the South China Sea, in Hong Kong, Thursday, July. 14, 2016. An international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines this week saying that China had no basis for expanses claims in the sea. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Pro-Beijing protesters shout slogans against the United States supporting an international court ruling of the South China Sea outside the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong, Thursday, July 14, 2016. China warned other countries Wednesday against threatening its security in the South China Sea after an international tribunal handed the Philippines a victory by saying Beijing had no legal basis for its expansive claims there. A sign, left, reads "Strongly protest against U.S. intervention in South China Sea Affairs." (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Pro-Beijing protesters shout slogans against the United States supporting an international court ruling of the South China Sea outside the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong, Thursday, July. 14, 2016. China warned other countries Wednesday against threatening its security in the South China Sea after an international tribunal handed the Philippines a victory by saying Beijing had no legal basis for its expansive claims there. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Amid South Sudan evacuations, some locals are turned back JUBA, South Sudan (AP) Some South Sudanese, including those with dual U.S. citizenship, are not being allowed to leave war-torn South Sudan, even as the United States, India and others continued Thursday to evacuate their citizens while a fragile cease-fire appeared to hold. The reports that South Sudan's government is checking the political ties of people, especially of men, who are seeking safety have raised fears of further violence in a country trying to heal from civil war. An Associated Press reporter at the airport in the capital, Juba, saw local authorities refuse about 20 dual South Sudanese-U.S. citizens from leaving the country, despite the presence of U.S. Embassy staff. Chinese nationals arrive from South Sudan's capital Juba to Entebbe International Airport, about 42 kilometers east of capital Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, July 14, 2016. The United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war. (AP Photo/Stephen Wandera) The State Department acknowledged that some people had been barred from boarding a chartered flight. "In a July 14 security message, the U.S. Embassy advised U.S. citizens that the government of South Sudan is scrutinizing the travel documents of dual nationals, with an apparent focus on South Sudanese government and political affiliation, particularly of male dual nationals," spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said. In a statement, Amnesty International said it had received reports from two charter airline companies that "National Security Service officers have ordered them not to carry South Sudanese nationals, particularly men." The London-based rights group called the restrictions "totally unacceptable" and called for safe passage for civilians. Other South Sudanese trying to flee the country by road have reported being turned back from the border. "We definitely hope that people who wish to leave South Sudan, regardless of their nationality, for their own safety are able to do so without hindrance," said the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Stephane Dujarric. A convoy of Ugandan troops moving into South Sudan's capital for evacuations was ambushed by gunmen who were repulsed following an exchange of fire, Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda, the Ugandan military spokesman, said. Three Ugandan soldiers were hurt, he said. Other countries, including India, were arranging flights for their citizens. Germany's foreign office said those evacuated on Wednesday included three wounded Chinese peacekeepers from the U.N. mission in South Sudan. A fourth wounded Chinese peacekeeper was airlifted Thursday to Uganda. In Juba, the U.N. peacekeeping mission and U.N. agencies were preparing for the "temporary relocation of non-critical staff from Juba," Dujarric said. He did not say how many people that would include. Concerns grew about abuses committed during the chaos, which the U.N. says has displaced 42,000 civilians. Dujarric said reports include "allegations of a killing of at least one South Sudanese national working for an international NGO, as well as rapes, including of an international NGO staff. U.N. staff members have also been assaulted." The World Food Program said it was outraged by the looting of its main warehouse in Juba, which had held more than 4,500 metric tons of food as well as trucks, generators and other supplies for countrywide operations. ___ Associated Press writers Michael Astor at the United Nations and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed. In this photo taken Thursday, July 14, 2016 and released by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), UN peacekeeper soldiers hold a baby as South Sudanese people seek protection at the UN camp in Juba, South Sudan. Some South Sudanese, even those with dual U.S. citizenship, are not being allowed to leave the country, even as the United States, India and other countries continued Thursday to evacuate their citizens while a fragile cease-fire appeared to hold. (Beatrice Mategwa/UNMISS via AP) In this photo taken Thursday, July 14, 2016 and released by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), UN peacekeeper soldiers stand as South Sudanese people seek protection at the UN compound in Juba, South Sudan. Some South Sudanese, even those with dual U.S. citizenship, are not being allowed to leave the country, even as the United States, India and other countries continued Thursday to evacuate their citizens while a fragile cease-fire appeared to hold. (Beatrice Mategwa/UNMISS via AP) Japanese Nationals evacuated from Juba, South Sudan capital, arrive in Djibouti, Thursday, July 14, 2016. The United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war. (AP Photo) In this photo taken Thursday, July 14, 2016 and released by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), people queue at the UN camp in Juba, South Sudan. Some South Sudanese, even those with dual U.S. citizenship, are not being allowed to leave the country, even as the United States, India and other countries continued Thursday to evacuate their citizens while a fragile cease-fire appeared to hold. (Beatrice Mategwa/UNMISS via AP) Japanese Nationals evacuated from Juba, South Sudan capital, arrive in Djibouti, Thursday, July 14, 2016. The United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war. (AP Photo) In this photo taken Thursday, July 14, 2016 and released by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), South Sudanese seek protection at the UN compound in Juba, South Sudan. Some South Sudanese, even those with dual U.S. citizenship, are not being allowed to leave the country, even as the United States, India and other countries continued Thursday to evacuate their citizens while a fragile cease-fire appeared to hold. (Beatrice Mategwa/UNMISS via AP) Indian nationals arrive from South Sudan's capital Juba at Entebbe International Airport, about 42 kilometers east of capital Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, July 14, 2016. The United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war. (AP Photo/Stephen Wandera) People disembark a plane after being evacuated from Juba, South Sudan capital, on arrival at Entebbe International Airport, about 42 kilometers east of capital Kampala, Thursday, July 14, 2016. The United States, India and other countries continued to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, while a fragile cease-fire appeared to hold. (AP Photo/Stephen Wanderai) A British National with other nationalities, evacuated from Juba, South Sudan, arrive at Entebbe International Airport, about 42 kilometers east of capital Kampala, Thursday, July 14, 2016. The United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war. (AP Photo /Stephen Wandera) People disembark a plane after being evacuated from Juba, South Sudan, on arrival, at Entebbe International Airport, about 42 kilometers east of capital Kampala, Thursday, July 14, 2016. The United States, India and other countries continued to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, while a fragile cease-fire appeared to hold. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi) People who were evacuated from Juba, South Sudan capital arrive at Entebbe International Airport, about 42 kilometers east of capital Kampala, Thursday, July 14, 2016. The United States, India and other countries continued to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, while a fragile cease-fire appeared to hold. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi) US Nationals who were evacuated from Juba, South Sudan capital arrive at Entebbe International Airport, about 42 kilometers east of capital Kampala, Thursday, July 14, 2016. The United States, India and other countries continued to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, while a fragile cease-fire appeared to hold. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi) In this photo released by German Bundeswehr on Thursday, July 14, 2016 soldiers search the belongings of German citizens and wounded UN soldiers at the airport in Juba, South Sudan, Wednesday, July 13, 2016 before airlifting them in a military plane to Uganda. (Bundeswehr via AP) In this photo released by German Bundeswehr on Thursday, July 14, 2016 German citizens and wounded UN soldiers board a military plane at the airport in Juba, South Sudan, Wednesday, July 13, 2016 before being airlifted to Uganda. (Bundeswehr via AP) In this photo taken on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 and released by World Food Programme (WFP), A woman with her two children join some of the estimated 3,000 people who have sought shelter in the WFP compound in Juba, South Sudan. United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war.( Michael Ohiarlaithe/WFP via AP) this photo taken on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 and released by World Food Programme (WFP) shows some of the estimated 3,000 people who have sought shelter in the WFP compound in Juba, South Sudan. United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war. (Michael Ohiarlaithe/WFP via AP) In this photo taken on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 and released by World Food Programme (WFP), workers offload high-energy biscuits at the UN peacekeeping base in the Tomping area of Juba, South Sudan. Some of the estimated 3,000 people who have sought shelter in the compound in Juba. United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war. (Michael Ohiarlaithe/WFP via AP) Indian nationals evacuated from South Sudan's capital Juba arrive at Entebbe International Airport, about 42 kilometers east of capital Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, July 14, 2016. Commercial flights to Juba remain cancelled though charter flights are evacuating hundreds of aid workers and other foreign citizens from the capital. The United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war. (AP Photo/Stephen Wandera) Chinese nationals arrive from Juba to Entebbe airport in Uganda, Thursday, July, 14, 2016. Commercial flights to Juba remain cancelled though charter flights are evacuating hundreds of aid workers and other foreign citizens from the capital. The United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi) Chinese soldiers help peacekeeper Chen Ying, who was injured in Juba, arrive at Entebbe airport in Uganda, Thursday, July, 14, 2016. Commercial flights to Juba remain cancelled though charter flights are evacuating hundreds of aid workers and other foreign citizens from the capital. The United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi) Chinese nationals arrive from Juba to Entebbe airport in Uganda, Thursday, July, 14, 2016. Commercial flights to Juba remain cancelled, though charter flights are evacuating hundreds of aid workers and other foreign citizens from the capital. The United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi) Peace keeper Chen Ying, who was injured in Juba, arrives at Entebbe airport in Uganda, Thursday, July, 14, 2016. Commercial flights to Juba remain cancelled though charter flights are evacuating hundreds of aid workers and other foreign citizens from the capital. The United States, India and other countries continue to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan, where a fragile cease-fire appears to hold amid fears of a return to civil war. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi) Aid workers and civilians arrive from Juba to Entebbe airport in Uganda, Wednesday, July, 13, 2016. Commercial flights to Juba remain cancelled though charter flights are evacuating hundreds of aid workers and other foreign citizens from the capital. The U.S. military in Africa says it has sent 40 additional soldiers to South Sudan's capital, Juba, to help secure American personnel and facilities in the war-torn city. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi) In this photo taken Wednesday, July 13, 2016 and released by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), villagers are led by UN soldiers to the UN compound in the capital Juba, South Sudan. The death toll from a recent outbreak of fighting in South Sudan is almost certain to climb above the 272 people, including 33 civilians, reported by the government, United Nations officials said Wednesday (Eric Kanalstein/UNMISS via AP) In this photo taken Wednesday, July 13, 2016 and released by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Internally Displaced People (IDP's) and villagers take shelter at UN hospital in the capital Juba, South Sudan. The death toll from a recent outbreak of fighting in South Sudan is almost certain to climb above the 272 people, including 33 civilians, reported by the government, United Nations officials said Wednesday (Eric Kanalstein/UNMISS via AP) In this photo taken Wednesday, July 13, 2016 and released by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), villagers and internal displaced people are led by UN soldiers to the UN compound in the capital Juba, South Sudan. The death toll from a recent outbreak of fighting in South Sudan is almost certain to climb above the 272 people, including 33 civilians, reported by the government, United Nations officials said Wednesday (Eric Kanalstein/UNMISS via AP) ST. MARTIN, Mississippi -- A 17-year-old has been arrested and charged with one count of commercial burglary and one count burglary of a dwelling after a break-in at a St. Martin pizza restaurant. According to Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell, three people kicked in a window at Sicily's Pizza on LeMoyne Boulevard on July 12. The suspects took two drawers from the cash registers, along with loose change. Investigators were able to identify the suspect in custody from surveillance footage captured inside the restaurant. He was arrested Juy 13 at his home in the 7100 block of Hampton Drive in St. Martin and transported to Jackson County Youth Court. While in the juvenile's home, deputies also located a laptop computer and other items reported missing in a residential burglary in St. Martin on July 9. Investigators are still working to identify the other two suspects in the Sicily's break-in. Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. Jeff Smith at the JCSO at 228-762-3016. Kenya police officer 'goes berserk,' kills 7 colleagues NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) A Kenyan police officer shot dead seven colleagues, including a hostage response team member, before the standoff ended in a shootout, a police report said Thursday. The suspect, Abdihakim Maslah, was shot, said the report provided to The Associated Press. Police at first suspected an extremist with the al-Shabab group based in neighboring Somalia, saying he wore a "turban that covered his whole face." The police report said Maslah, a station guard, got off work Wednesday night but returned to the Kapenguria station shortly after 5 a.m. Thursday and started shooting. A separate police statement to the media said the officer "for yet unknown reasons, went berserk and grabbed a firearm." Police commandos were deployed to rescue prisoners held at the station and end the standoff, Kenya's police chief, Joseph Boinnet, said before the crisis ended. Boinnet said the gunman's escape was "thwarted by quick arrival by other officers." Boris Johnson: Britain's top envoy anything but diplomatic LONDON (AP) He's insulted everyone from the president of the United States to the people of Papua New Guinea. Now the remarkably undiplomatic Boris Johnson, his political career miraculously revived, has become Britain's top diplomat. The reaction to his surprise appointment as foreign secretary in British Prime Minister Theresa May's new Conservative Cabinet has been swift and blunt: His French counterpart called him a liar, the Germans say he's irresponsible, and a British legislator believes it's the worst political appointment since Roman emperor Caligula made his horse a senator. And those are Britain's allies talking. FILE - In this Friday, Nov. 30, 2012 file photo, Mayor of London Boris Johnson poses with the bronze statue of a bull outside the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) after the launch of new carbon market index at an event in Mumbai, India. Johnson is in India to promote London as the destination of choice for investors and international trade, according to press release. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File) May came to power with a reputation for acting with careful calculation, but with her choice of the voluble, publicity-craving Johnson as Britain's representative on the world stage, she appears to have thrown her customary caution to the winds. Instead of choosing a team player, May chose a politician who prides himself on being different. So different he insulted President Barack Obama by making fun of his ancestry. So tone deaf he also wrote an extremely vulgar limerick about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, using debasing sexual imagery to mock the leader of a mostly Muslim country. Johnson, 52, was a prominent leader of the successful "leave" campaign to take Britain out of the European Union who harbored his own leadership hopes, making him a factor for May to deal with as the new prime minister tries to unify the sharply divided Conservative Party. But her decision to put Johnson on the world stage dealing with foreign leaders is raising questions, largely because of Johnson's propensity for saying exactly wrong thing at the wrong time, sometimes in the most provocative way. In France, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault Thursday branded his British counterpart a liar. "Did you all see what his style was like through the campaign? He lied a lot to the British. Now, it's him with his back against the wall to defend his country and to clarify his relationship with Europe," Ayrault said. The French minister said he needs a negotiating partner who is "clear, credible and reliable" for the upcoming negotiations on Britain's stated desire to leave the 28-nation EU. Others took a more conciliatory view with the belief that Johnson as foreign secretary would be more temperate than his previous incarnations as Johnson the journalist, Johnson the legislator or Johnson the London mayor. Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed inclined to let bygones be bygones even though Johnson had described him as a "ruthless and manipulative tyrant" and suggested he looked like a Harry Potter character, the wizened elf Dobby. "The burden of his current position will undoubtedly, certainly, lead him to use a bit different rhetoric, of a more diplomatic nature," Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. When it comes to U.S. Democrats and Republicans, Johnson seems an equal opportunity offender. There was no word from Hillary Clinton's camp on whether she had forgiven his 2007 description of her as resembling "a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital." And Donald Trump didn't indicate his feelings about Johnson's statement that he would avoid certain parts of New York City because of the "real risk of meeting Donald Trump." After Obama in April said he hoped that Britons would vote to stay in the EU, Johnson described America's first black president as a "part-Kenyan" with an "ancestral dislike of the British empire." Many British commentators questioned the wisdom of insulting the leader of Britain's most important ally. As a newspaper columnist, Johnson used a derogatory term for black children when describing people in the Commonwealth and characterized people from Papua New Guinea as cannibals. While in Parliament, he offended an entire British city when he complained that people from Liverpool were wallowing in "victim status" after one of their own was taken hostage and slain in Iraq. In a bizarre twist, Johnson has also offered unusual praise for Syrian leader Bashar Assad, calling him a vile dictator but hailing the success of his forces in beating back Islamic State extremists. Johnson has apologized many times for a string of insensitive comments dating back to his early days in journalism, and he seems likely to do so again he said after his surprise appointment that "the United States of America will be in the front of the queue" for his next apology. His language was an apparent reference to Obama's earlier warning that Britain would be in the back of the queue for those seeking trade agreements with the United States if it left the 28-nation EU. When Johnson returned to his London home after the appointment, a neighbor placed a sign next to his house saying: "SORRY WORLD." Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said he could not believe Johnson will now represent Britain abroad. He said Johnson must first apologize to Obama and then apologize to EU leaders for saying their plans for Europe were similar to Adolf Hitler's. "At this incredibly important time that will determine Britain's economic and cultural relations with Europe, it is extraordinary that the new prime minister has chosen someone whose career is built on making jokes," Farron said. The cheerful, extroverted Johnson has had some notable successes. He was seen as an effective cheerleader for London during his stint as mayor, a tenure that included the successful 2012 Summer Olympics. After the "leave" campaign scored a surprise victory in the June 23 referendum, he seemed well positioned to succeed David Cameron as prime minister. But he was undercut by key ally Michael Gove, who pronounced Johnson unfit to serve and ran unsuccessfully for party leader himself. The treachery left Johnson out of the Conservative leadership race. In another seemingly political disaster, Johnson then announced he supported May's challenger to become the next prime minister, not the home secretary herself. May's move bravery or folly, time will tell means Johnson will be able to command TV news coverage with a series of foreign trips. But how he molds his new job is anyone's guess. Foreign secretaries in Britain have traditionally stayed in a supporting role, refraining from saying anything remotely off-the-cuff or contentious but that may be a stretch too far for Johnson. "I wish it was a joke but I fear it isn't," former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt tweeted at the news of Johnson's appointment. FILE - In this Thursday, May 17, 2012 file photo, former England football captain David Beckham, left, and London Mayor Boris Johnson attend a handover for the Olympic flame at Panathenaean stadium in Athens. Britains new top diplomat is shaggy-haired, Latin-spouting Boris Johnson, who in recent months has made insulting and vulgar comments about the presidents of the United States and Turkey. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File) FILE - In this Friday, July 30, 2010 file photo, Boris Johnson Mayor of London, left, with the Chairman of Britain's Barclays Bank Marcus Agius as they poses for the media as a new cycle hire scheme starts in London. Britains new top diplomat is shaggy-haired, Latin-spouting Boris Johnson, who in recent months has made insulting and vulgar comments about the presidents of the United States and Turkey. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2011 file photo, London Mayor Boris Johnson brandishes a broom, during a visit to meet residents in Clapham, south London, one of the areas affected by rioting. Britains new top diplomat is shaggy-haired, Latin-spouting Boris Johnson, who in recent months has made insulting and vulgar comments about the presidents of the United States and Turkey. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008 file photo, London's Mayor Boris Johnson rubs noses with Kimora Burrows a New Zealander currently living in London during a New Zealand tourist promotion near Tower Bridge in London. Britains new top diplomat is shaggy-haired, Latin-spouting Boris Johnson, who in recent months has made insulting and vulgar comments about the presidents of the United States and Turkey. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File) Local TV meteorologist charged with possessing child porn NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) A local TV meteorologist in Connecticut has been arrested on charges of possessing child pornography. State police say 33-year-old Justin Goldstein of WTNH-TV in New Haven was arrested Wednesday. He's also charged with promoting a minor in an obscene performance. The 33-year-old Goldstein is free on $200,000 bond pending a July 26 court date. It's unclear whether he has a lawyer. This photo provided by Connecticut State Police, shows Justin Goldstein. State police say Goldstein, of Hamden, Conn., was arrested Wednesday, July 13, 2016, charged with promoting a minor in an obscene performance and possession of child pornography. Police say they launched an investigation in June after video files of suspected child pornography were downloaded from the internet account belonging to Goldstein. (Connecticut State Police via AP) WTNH general manager Mark Higgins says the station is "deeply concerned by the allegations" and that Goldstein was suspended. His biography no longer appears on the station's website. What may happen next if Japan's emperor decides to abdicate TOKYO (AP) Japan's royal palace has denied reports that Emperor Akihito intends to relinquish his title in the next few years and retire, but the news still raised questions about the possibility of a succession while the 82-year-old emperor is alive. Some key points about the monarchy and what could happen: A MONARCHY TRANSFORMED: Akihito is the 125th emperor in a line believed to date to the fifth century, making it the world's oldest hereditary monarchy. In the past, the emperor was worshipped as a deity, though that changed after World War II, and Akihito remains a head priest of Japan's indigenous Shinto religion. The emperor is a purely symbolic figure with no political power today, and Akihito has brought the imperial family closer to the public. In addition to performing ceremonies and greeting foreign dignitaries, he has visited towns to comfort residents following deadly earthquakes. He was the first emperor to marry a commoner, Empress Michiko, and has decided to be cremated upon his death, a plan that will break a centuries-old burial custom. NEXT IN LINE: Crown Prince Naruhito, 56, is the elder of Akihito's two sons and first in the line of succession. An expert of medieval-era water transport systems, Naruhito is an avid hiker and skier and plays the viola. His marriage to former diplomat Masako Owada raised expectations of adding a modern face to imperial institutions, but Masako is still recovering from stress-induced mental conditions she developed after giving birth to their daughter. The succession law only allows male emperors, so Naruhito's only child, Aiko, 14, cannot inherit. Instead, Naruhito's younger brother Akishino is second in line and his son Hisahito, 7, is third. Discussions on changing the law to allow female succession ended with the boy's birth. FILE - In this Jan. 2, 2016, file photo, Japan's Emperor Akihito waves to well-wishers from a bullet-proofed balcony of the Imperial Palace during New Year's public appearance in Tokyo. Akihito is the 125th emperor in a line believed to date to the fifth century, making it the worlds oldest hereditary monarchy. In the past, the emperor was worshipped as a deity, though that changed after World War II, and Akihito remains a head priest of Japans indigenous Shinto religion. The emperor is a purely symbolic figure with no political power today, and Akihito has brought the imperial family closer to the public. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, FIle) THE PROCEDURE TO ABDICATE: The Imperial House Law stipulates imperial matters including succession but lacks a provision regarding an abdication by a reigning emperor. That omission virtually allows only posthumous succession. Experts say if Akihito does wish to retire, changing the law and taking other steps to allow it would take a few years. The law, enacted in 1947 along with the Constitution, does allow for a regency to be established if an emperor is seriously ill, physically or mentally, and is incapable of performing state duties. The reports that Akihito was considering retiring cited his wish to not keep the title if he could not fully perform his duties. OTHER ABDICATIONS: In Japan, the last abdication was about 200 years ago during the feudal Edo period, when Emperor Kokaku abdicated to son Ninko, while he ascended to a superior title. Abroad, Spain's former King Juan Carlos abdicated at age 76 to King Felipe in 2014 amid scandals, and the succession laws to allow it were changed in just two weeks. In the Netherlands, Queen Beatrix in 2013 at age 75, citing old age, abdicated to her son Alexander, who became the country's first male successor in more than a century. In Belgium, the former King Albert, then 79, abdicated to his son Philippe in 2013 due to health reasons. ___ Follow Mari Yamaguchi at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi Her work can be also found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/mari-yamaguchi FILE - In this Nov. 17, 2015, file photo, Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito bids farewell to Crown Princess Masako as Naruhito departs for the United States at the Togu Palace in Tokyo. Naruhito, 56, is the elder of Akihitos two sons and first in the line of succession. An expert of medieval-era water transport systems, Naruhito is an avid hiker and skier and plays the viola. His marriage to former diplomat Masako Owada raised expectations of adding a modern face to imperial institutions, but Masako is still recovering from stress-induced mental conditions she developed after giving birth to their daughter. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File) FILE - In this Jan. 2, 2014, file photo, Japan's Emperor Akihito, third from left, waves with Empress Michiko, right, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako to well-wishers from a balcony during a New Year's public appearance at Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The Imperial House Law stipulates imperial matters including succession but lacks a provision regarding an abdication by a reigning emperor. That omission virtually allows only posthumous succession. Experts say if Akihito does wish to retire, the process, including changing the law, to allow it would take a few years. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File) Former Slovak president Ivan Gasparovic has colon cancer BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) Former Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic says he is battling colon cancer. In comments published in the Novy Cas daily on Thursday, the 75-year-old says he has one more month of chemotherapy ahead of him. Gasparovic says: "The results show I am on the way to recovery." Airstrikes kill at least 12 in Syria's rebel-held Aleppo BEIRUT (AP) A series of airstrikes on rebel-held areas of Syria's divided Aleppo city killed at least 12 Thursday, anti-government activists and monitoring groups said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 12 people, including seven women and children, were killed when airstrikes hit the Salheen and Tariq al-Bab districts, in the rebel-held parts of Aleppo city. The Local Coordination Committees, another anti-government monitoring group, said five children were among those killed in Tariq al-Bab neighborhood. Ibrahim al-Haj, a member of the team of Syrian Civil Defense first responders, said the strikes hit a residential house and a mosque opposite it. He said at least four people remain under the rubble. Fighting in the deeply contested city has intensified over the last week after government and allied troops closed off the Castello road, the lifeline to the rebel-held areas, effectively sealing off those districts where tens of thousands of people live. The U.N. estimates that 300,000 people depend on Castello road. Al-Haj said dozens of people attempted to use the Castello road Thursday, challenging the government blockade, and ended up wounded when they came under government fire. The exact number of those wounded is not yet known, he said. The violence comes ahead of a meeting Thursday between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow aimed at discussing prospects of reducing the violence and moving toward a political transition in Syria. The U.N. envoy to Syrian Staffan de Mistura said he wants to avoid repeated failed talks. "To get something effective we need the help of the two co-chairs, because that will give a huge chance for these talks to not just be another Geneva II which I am determined to avoid," he said in reference to Washington and Moscow. Meanwhile, the U.N. Humanitarian aid adviser Jan Egeland said the eastern part of Aleppo city, one of the rebel-held areas, is already under full military encirclement with no assistance going in and no freedom of movement for civilians, make it entitled to be labelled a besieged area. However, three months need to pass for an area to be considered besieged, he said, appealing for sparing it such a label. "We really need to avoid eastern Aleppo becoming the 19th and biggest besieged area. There is ample time to avoid that happening," Egeland said during a press conference in Geneva Thursday. In late June, The United Nations estimated that 5 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian aid and are living in hard-to-reach areas, nearly a million more than the previous figure because of increased insecurity. On Thursday, an international aid convoy reached the besieged town of al-Waer in the central Homs province, bringing aid to 75,000 people, including flour, medical supplies, water and sanitation material. The aid is a joint convoy organized by the U.N, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Syrian Red Crescent. The last convoy reached the district on June 16. Also on Thursday, the Islamic State group said it has shot down a Syrian government plane in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour and that its pilot has been killed. A video released on Thursday by the group's media arm, Aamaq, purports to show the plane's wreckage in flames and the body of the pilot, strung up on what appears to be a pole. The Observatory also reported that IS militants shot down a plane near the Deir el-Zour military airport, which is controlled by government forces, adding that the militant group had later "crucified" the body of the pilot. It wasn't clear when the plane was downed. IS controls Deir el-Zour province and parts of the provincial capital with the same name, along with the airport. ___ Southwest plane makes unplanned landing in Missouri in storm KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Southwest Airlines says one of its flights made an unplanned landing at Kansas City International Airport after experiencing severe turbulence during rough weather. The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/29UJCMu ) reports that the flight was headed from Chicago to Austin, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon. A Southwest spokesman says the flight crew decided to land in Kansas City for a safety check "out of an abundance of caution." Crews checked the plane for damage before it was cleared to continue on its way. The flight was carrying about 175 passengers and crew. Airport spokesman Joe McBride says the passengers were taken off the aircraft and moved into the gate area during the delay. No injuries were reported. ___ New UK government takes shape with fresh faces, Euroskeptics LONDON (AP) Britain's new leader, Theresa May, has made big changes in the Conservative government lineup. Here are some of the key players: Prime Minister Theresa May Chancellor of the Exchequer (Treasury) Philip Hammond Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson addresses staff inside the Foreign Office in London, Thursday July 14, 2016, as new British Prime Minister Theresa May continues to fill more Cabinet posts Thursday. (Andrew Matthews/Pool via AP) Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis Home Secretary Amber Rudd Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Liz Truss Defense Michael Fallon International Trade Liam Fox Education Justine Greening Health Jeremy Hunt Transport Chris Grayling Work and Pensions Damian Green Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Andrea Leadsom Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid International Development Priti Patel Culture, Media and Sport Karen Bradley Chief Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke Northern Ireland James Brokenshire Scotland David Mundell Wales Alun Cairns Government Chief Whip Gavin Williamson Conservative Party Chairman Patrick McLoughlin Leader of the House of Commons David Lidington Leader of the House of Lords Natalie Evans Attorney General Jeremy Wright Militant with US bounty walks free in Pakistan LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) The United States has put a $10 million bounty on his head, labeling him a terrorist. He is one of the most wanted men in India. Yet, Hafiz Saeed walks free in his home country of Pakistan, denouncing Washington and New Delhi in public speeches. Now the man identified by the U.S. as a founding member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group is weighing in on the flare-up of violence in Kashmir, the mountainous region divided between Pakistani and Indian control, where dozens have died in clashes with protesters after Indian security forces killed a top rebel leader. In an interview with The Associated Press, Saeed accused the U.S. of giving India a free hand to crush the anti-India protests in its Himalayan territory, warning that will only lead to an escalation of violence. In this taken on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, Hafiz Saeed talks to The Associated Press in Lahore, Pakistan. Roaming freely in Pakistan, despite a $10 million bounty on his head, one of Indias most wanted men, Saeed warns of demonstrations countrywide to force Pakistan to sever all ties with the United States if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute.(AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) "America is supporting this oppression by India by saying it is an internal matter," the 66-year-old Saeed said in the interview, which took place Wednesday at his two-story home behind a steel barrier separating it from the narrow streets of the eastern city of Lahore. "This has given India encouragement, and because of this, the killings and violence" will continue, he said. Washington has said it will not intervene. But U.S. State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau, speaking to reporters Thursday, disagreed with the suggestion by Saeed and others that the U.S. is aloof and therefore partly responsible for the crackdown. She said the U.S. has had discussions with both India and Pakistan about the violence in Kashmir. "We are very concerned about the deaths of the protesters," Trudeau said. "That's of grave concern to us. We continue to be in touch with the government of India. We've been in discussions with the government of Pakistan as well." Saeed said he will lead nationwide demonstrations in Pakistan to force its government to sever ties with the U.S. if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades-old Kashmir dispute. The two countries, which also possess nuclear weapons, have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir. Militants demand that Kashmir be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. At least 31 people have been killed in Kashmir in street protests after Indian troops last week killed Burhan Wani, a charismatic Kashmiri insurgent. India declared the death of the 22-year-old Wani to be a major victory over the insurgency. But his killing has galvanized young Indian Kashmiris to stage daily protests. It has also sparked massive demonstrations in Pakistan and forced Pakistan's government and military to make daily statements in support of demonstrating Kashmiris. "When India martyred him, then the common Kashmiri joined the movement," said Saeed, who has been a key figure in the often-brutal insurgency in Indian-ruled Kashmir. On Pakistan's side of the disputed border, residents say Saeed is the only force who can "liberate" the territory from Indian rule. One resident, Muhammad Ishaq of the capital of Muzaffarabad, said Lashkar-e-Taiba is more of a threat to India than any other group, including Wani's organization, which is called the Hezbul Mujahedeen. Human Rights organizations have accused Indian soldiers of widespread abuse, including forced detentions, rape and torture. India, meanwhile, has repeatedly assailed Pakistan for sending fighters over the border to incite violence. The United States identifies Saeed as a founding member of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a U.S.-declared terrorist group that is widely believed to have been a creation of Pakistan's military and intelligence service, known by its acronym ISI, to wage a proxy war against India. It is considered one of the largest and most effective of the insurgent groups fighting in Indian-ruled Kashmir. Lashkar-e-Taiba is often referred to as an al-Qaida affiliated group whose name means Army of the Pure and it belongs to the Salafist movement, an ultra-conservative branch of Islam. It has plotted to blow up sites in Australia, recruited from existing terrorist groups in Europe and has been a source of inspiration for radicalized Muslims in the West, according to intelligence officials in the U.K. and France. It is suspected of carrying out the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, that targeted a Jewish Center, the main railway station and a five-star hotel frequented by foreigners. The attack killed 166 people. The only person arrested in the Mumbai attack was Ajmal Amir Kasab, a Pakistani national who testified he was trained at a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp in Muridke, outside Lahore. He also said Saeed was among the inspirational speakers who would visit the training camp. Kasab was hanged in India in 2012 for his part in the attacks. The $10 million bounty on Saeed was imposed by the U.S. State Department's Rewards for Justice Program. India has issued an Interpol Red Corner Notice for his capture, accusing him of offenses including masterminding the Mumbai attack. The Indian government has long demanded that Pakistan arrest Saeed, but when he has been detained, his incarceration has been brief, and Pakistani courts, including its Supreme Court, have cleared him of terrorism charges. "Many times I have been arrested on the order of America and India ... (but) the Lahore high court freed me and also my organization, saying we were innocent of terrorism charges and did not participate in any terrorist activities," Saeed said. Pakistan outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba after Washington declared it a terrorist group. However, its charity wing Jamaat-ud-Dawa still operates, even though both the U.S. and the United Nations also declared it a terrorist organization, describing it as a radical Islamist group. Jean Louis Bruguiere, a former French magistrate who had spent more than two decades investigating terrorism and is credited with hundreds of arrests and convictions, has said he found evidence of Lashkar-e-Taiba's network in East Asia, Australia, the United States and Europe. Saeed said he has written to the State Department, complaining about the $10 million bounty. He denies any connection to Lashkar-e-Taiba, despite having given interviews as its chief at its headquarters in Muridke before it was outlawed. Security remains a concern for Saeed, and the interview only took place after a series of phone calls that increased in frequency as a reporter was driven to his home that was guarded by several men with long beards, although only one displayed a weapon. Inside, the heavyset, wispy-bearded Saeed sat amid other men in a small room stuffed with couches. Most of his entourage chatted together in small groups, while others were on their mobile phones throughout the interview. Saeed dismisses the allegations against him as "India propaganda." He traced the troubled history of Kashmir and blamed the U.S. and India for the violence but denied his own role or that of Pakistan in the insurgency. Saeed also expressed concern about the growing influence of the Islamic State group in Pakistan, where several arrests have been made both in eastern Punjab province and in the southern port of Karachi. "I am highly worried about Daesh ... with their particular focus on Pakistan and Saudi Arabia," he said, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State. He said the group was trying to divide the Muslim world. In this photo taken on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, Hafiz Saeed, leader of Pakistani religious group talks to The Associated Press in Lahore, Pakistan. Roaming freely in Pakistan, despite a $10 million bounty on his head, one of Indias most wanted men, Saeed warns of demonstrations countrywide to force Pakistan to sever all ties with the United States if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute.(AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) In this photo taken on Tuesday, July 12, 2016, Pakistan's Hafiz Saeed, leader of a Pakistani religious group leads a prayer for Kashmiri leader killed in Indian held Kashmir, in Lahore, Pakistan. Roaming freely in Pakistan, despite a $10 million bounty on his head, one of India's most wanted men, Hafiz Saeed warns of demonstrations countrywide to force Pakistan to sever all ties with the United States if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) FILE- In this July 9, 2016 file photo, Kashmiri villagers carry the body of Burhan Wani, chief of operations of Indian Kashmir's largest rebel group Hizbul Mujahideen, during his funeral procession in Tral, some 38 Kilometers (24 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. Roaming freely in Pakistan, despite a $10 million bounty on his head, one of India's most wanted men, Hafiz Saeed warns of demonstrations countrywide to force Pakistan to sever all ties with the United States if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, July 12, 2016 file photo, masked Kashmiri Muslim protesters shout pro freedom slogans in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. Roaming freely in Pakistan, despite a $10 million bounty on his head, one of India???s most wanted men, Hafiz Saeed warns of demonstrations countrywide to force Pakistan to sever all ties with the United States if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File) FILE - In this Saturday, July 9, 2016 file photo, Kashmiri villagers watch the funeral procession of Burhan Wani, chief of operations of Indian Kashmir's largest rebel group Hizbul Mujahideen, in Tral, some 38 Kilometers (24 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. Roaming freely in Pakistan, despite a $10 million bounty on his head, one of India???s most wanted men, Hafiz Saeed warns of demonstrations countrywide to force Pakistan to sever all ties with the United States if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File) Hillary Clinton Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in Washington, Thursday, July 14, 2016. Americans have mixed feelings on which presidential candidate will do better on key issues like health care, trade, the economy and terrorism. But when they simply consider whether they personally would be better off, they prefer Hillary Clinton. (Andrew Harnik/The Associated Press) WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans have mixed feelings on which presidential candidate will do better on health care, trade, the economy, terrorism and other important issues. But when they simply consider whether they personally would be better off, they prefer Democrat Hillary Clinton. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll shows that Americans are more likely to think people like themselves would benefit more from a Clinton White House than one run by Republican Donald Trump, by 36 percent to 29 percent. They also are much more likely to think women, LGBT people, Hispanics, Muslims and blacks would be better off under Clinton, while they largely think men and whites would be better off under Trump. Miles Kafka, 43, of Brooklyn, N.Y., said his life would "definitely" be better under Clinton "because Donald Trump's policies are gibberish." A registered Republican who works in computer programming, he supported Gov. John Kasich, R-Ohio, in the primary. "She'll get the best done that she can," Kafka said, adding that both Trump and Clinton were too aggressive on foreign policy for his taste. Sydney Sullivan, 21, a college student from Lynbrook, N.Y., echoed those sentiments. "I definitely think she'll support women and minorities a lot better than Trump would. I think she has a better idea of the oppression that women and minorities face," Sullivan said. "To me, he's a racist, he's a bigot. I'm not his biggest fan. I'm worried about his comments and how people can support comments like that." On major issues in the race, voters are divided over which candidate they trust more, reflecting the deep divisions in the electorate. Clinton has a clear advantage on handling health care, the U.S. image abroad, filling Supreme Court vacancies, working with Congress and improving race relations, according to the poll. The numbers on race relations were particularly stark, with Americans more likely to trust Clinton than Trump to make improvements, 45 percent to 17 percent. The former secretary of state also has a slight advantage on handling international trade. But Trump has a slight advantage on handling the economy and creating jobs, and on handling the threat of domestic terrorism -- issues that rank among the most important for Americans. "He talks like he can deal with China and different countries in the Middle East. I think he can do better with foreign relations," said Stewart Van Sickle, 75, a retiree in High Ridge, Mo. Van Sickle said that Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton "are mostly interested in what will make money for them." People are closely divided over who would better handle immigration, protecting the country, gun laws and making America great. On making America great -- Trump's campaign slogan -- 31 percent thought he would do a better job, 28 percent favored Clinton and 34 percent said neither. Some 55 percent thought Clinton would be better for Muslims, while just 9 percent thought Trump would be. White people and men were thought to do better under Trump, with 41 percent saying men will fare better under him, compared with 20 percent for Clinton. Still, about one-quarter of those polled think people like themselves wouldn't be better off under either candidate. Ronald Knope, a 69-year-old retiree from Glencoe, Minn., said he was supporting Trump and thought he would do better with Trump as president. But Knope also acknowledged dissatisfaction with his options. "To tell you the truth. I don't think we have a good choice, but I think he's probably a better choice," Knope said. "I like the fact that he's not from the political machine." __ The AP-GfK Poll of 1,009 adults was conducted online July 7-11, using a sample drawn from GfK's probability-based KnowledgePanel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. Respondents were first selected randomly using telephone or mail survey methods and later interviewed online. People selected for KnowledgePanel who didn't have access to the Internet were provided access for free. Prosecutors looking beyond human error in crash probe MILAN (AP) Italian prosecutors said Thursday their investigation into a fatal head-on collision of two commuter trains would look beyond human error, while media quoted a station master who acknowledged clearing one of the trains to depart. The Turin daily La Stampa on Thursday quoted Vito Piccarreta, the station master at Andria, as saying "I let the train depart, I was the one who raised the signal." The 24-year railway veteran said there was confusion along the single-track rail line due to delays. Corriere della Sera quoted him as saying Tuesday's disaster "wasn't only my fault." Twenty-three people were killed just before midday Tuesday when the trains, operated by the regional rail company Ferrotramviaria, collided violently on a single-track rail line where the right of way is controlled by phone contact, not by automated systems. More than 50 people were injured, with 21 still hospitalized, according to ANSA. Aerial view , Wednesday, July 13, 2016, of the site of a railway disaster the day after an head-on collision between two trains near Andria, in the southern Italian region of Apulia. Italian officials on Wednesday pointed to delayed, EU-financed rail improvements and the "risky," antiquated telephone alert system used in parts of Italy as possible underlying causes of a violent head-on train crash that killed some two dozen people. (AP Photo/Localteam.it) Questions about the crash include why the method of control hadn't been upgraded to newer technology, and why the station masters in Andria and Corato weren't aware that each had set a train on a collision course. Prosecutor Francesco Giannella declined to confirm reports that the station masters had been formally placed under investigation, and indicated that the probe wouldn't focus solely on human error. "To speak of human error is correct, but it is too much of an oversimplification," he told reporters. He confirmed that magistrates were working alongside the financial police on a second line of investigation to determine why a second track hadn't been constructed despite EU and national funding. The head of Italy's anti-corruption agency told the Senate that deep-rooted corruption in the nation's infrastructure projects probably played a role in the crash. "It is probably the result of human error, but also probably the ugly consequence of an endemic problem in our country, the difficulty of creating adequate infrastructure, and one of the objective and certain reasons is included in the arguments we are making here today," Raffaele Cantone said in his annual address on corruption in Italy. Asked to respond, Giannella said it wasn't yet clear what role corruption may have played in the collision, but he said in general terms that "it is clear that an excess of bureaucracy ... is a source of inefficiency, and corruption lurks in inefficiency, as everyone knows." The wreckage of a carriage lies on a field near the railroad as recovery operations continued a day after two commuter trains slammed into one another just before noon Tuesday in Puglia, between the towns of Corato and Andria, Italy, Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Delayed rail improvements and the antiquated telephone alert system will be considered as part of the investigation into the violent head-on train crash in southern Italy that killed nearly two dozen people, officials said Wednesday. (Milena di Mauro/ANSA via AP) Egypt displays oldest papyrus, accounts on pyramid-builders CAIRO (AP) The Egyptian Museum in Cairo has put on display the country's oldest papyruses, which date back 4,500 years, detailing the daily life of the pyramid-builders. The items are from the 4th Dynasty of King Khufu, or Cheops as he was also known, for whom the Great Pyramid of Giza was built as a tomb. Egypt's Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Anany told reporters on Thursday as the exhibition was unveiled that the papyruses were discovered in 2013 in the port of Wadi el-Jarf. The port is located 119 kilometers, or 74 miles, from the city of Suez. El-Anany says "these are the oldest" papyruses in Egypt. Prince Harry takes instant HIV test; results are fine LONDON (AP) Britain's Prince Harry has taken a nearly instant HIV test as part of his campaign to raise awareness about the virus. The results of the simple finger-prick test were negative and Harry seemed relieved to find that he was not infected with the virus. Harry admitted before the test that he was nervous. The test at a sexual health clinic in London was filmed and broadcast Thursday. It takes only a few seconds and a small amount of blood for the test to be carried out. Britain's Prince Harry has blood taken for an HIV test, administered by Specialist Psychotherapist Robert Palmer during a visit to highlight the fight against HIV and AIDS, at the Burrell Street Sexual Health Centre in Southwark, London, Thursday, July 14, 2016. (Chris Jackson/PA via AP) Harry has followed the example of his late mother, Princess Diana, and sought to ease the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS. Thailand tightens controls on media ahead of charter vote BANGKOK (AP) Thailand's military government has tightened its control of media ahead of a referendum next month on a draft constitution, allowing the shutdown of any radio or television station whose broadcasts are judged to threaten national security. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha authorized the move Thursday by invoking a catch-all article in the country's temporary constitution that gives the ruling junta absolute power to carry out virtually any action in the name of national security. The army seized power in May 2014 from an elected government. The junta already declared inappropriate campaigning to affect the referendum's outcome is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Critics charge that the draft charter is undemocratic. Several activists mounting a vigorous "Vote No" campaign have been arrested but not yet tried. Other arrests have involved online postings, especially on Facebook. The government has also banned independent organized poll watching. The new order gives the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, which is primarily a regulatory body, the power to order broadcast media closed. The commission earlier this month issued a resolution telling Peace TV, associated with supporters of the government ousted two years ago, to suspend operations until Aug. 10, three days after the referendum. The resolution cited part of the Referendum Act banning vulgar or provocative language, but a court ruled the resolution violated an injunction that Peace TV had earlier won, so that the station could continue broadcasting. The Latest: Gingrich calls for Sharia ban after Nice attack WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on Campaign 2016 ahead of the Republican and Democratic National conventions (all times EDT): 12:05 a.m. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is responding to Thursday night's truck attack in France by arguing for the expulsion from the U.S. of any Muslim who believes in Sharia law. Balloons wait to be hoisted into the rafters of the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Thursday, July 14, 2016, as work continues in preparation for the upcoming Republican National Convention in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) Gingrich is being considered as a possible running mate by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. The former Georgia congressman said on Fox News Channel's "Hannity" that the U.S. "should frankly test every person here who is of a Muslim background, and if they believe in Sharia, they should be deported. Sharia is incompatible with Western civilization." Gingrich is calling the attack in Nice, France, which killed at least 80 people, "the fault of Western elites who lack the guts to do what is right, to do what is necessary, and to tell us the truth, and that starts with Barack Obama." The Council on Islamic Relations condemned the attack in France, as well as Gingrich's suggestion that Muslims in the United States should be tested. __ 11:45 p.m. Hillary Clinton says Americans stand "in strong solidarity with the people of France," after a truck attack in Nice, France, adding, "We will not be intimidated." A truck carrying weapons and hand grenades plowed through a group of people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice late Thursday, killing at least 80 people. The Democratic presidential candidate says the U.S. and France will never let terrorists undermine democratic values. She says the "cowardly attack only strengthens our commitment to our alliance and to defeating terrorism around the world." __ 10 p.m. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says in the aftermath of a deadly truck attack in France that if he's elected president he would ask Congress for a declaration of war on the Islamic State. In an interview with Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," Trump says, "This is war." He spoke after a truck carrying weapons and hand grenades drove onto a sidewalk in Nice, France, and plowed through people celebrating Bastille Day, killing at least 77 people. Trump says to fight the Islamic State, which he calls a "cancer," NATO should be used "for a purpose." It was not immediately clear Thursday night who was behind the attack. In a separate interview on Fox, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton says the U.S. needs to "stand strongly" with France and strengthen our alliances, including with NATO, to ferret out terrorism and prevent future attacks. Clinton says she would intensify efforts to put together a more effective coalition against terrorism. __ 9:50 p.m. A committee at the Republican National Convention has defeated an effort by conservatives who want to let delegates vote for any presidential candidate they'd like. Thursday's vote by the convention's rules committee was a major blow to forces trying to derail Donald Trump's nomination at the GOP gathering next week. The 112-member panel is dominated by top party officials and delegates loyal to Trump. The proposal's author is Colorado delegate Kendal Unruh. She has said she'll try to force a vote on her proposal in the full convention next week a vote she'll also be likely to lose. __ 9:05 p.m. Tim Tebow won't be at the Republican National Convention after all. The former football star was to be among the biggest names at next week's GOP convention in Cleveland. But he says in a Thursday night Facebook post that his attendance was simply a rumor. He commented roughly 12 hours after Donald Trump's campaign announced his status as a convention speaker. Tebow says: "I just got back from the Philippines, and I wake up this morning to find out that I'm speaking at the Republican National Convention. It's amazing how fast rumors fly. And that's exactly what it is, a rumor." Tebow says he'd do "anything for America." But that won't include appearing in Cleveland next week on Trump's behalf. Tebow says he'll focus his time instead on helping children through his foundation. 8:55 p.m. A committee holding early meetings at the Republican National Convention has decided to vote sooner than expected on an uphill drive by opponents of Donald Trump to "unbind" delegates so they can vote for any presidential candidate they'd like. The convention rules committee had planned to hold a vote on that proposal Friday. But working late into the evening, the panel voted to hold that roll call Thursday evening. The proposal by Colorado delegate Kendal Unruh would let delegates vote their conscience and back any contender, not the one they were committed to by state primaries and caucuses. When the full convention holds its meetings next week, Unruh and other conservatives hope that change would let the gathering block Trump's nomination to be GOP presidential candidate. But they are unlikely to prevail. __ 7:35 p.m. Donald Trump is insisting that he has yet to settle on a running mate. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee says in an interview on Fox News Channel, "I haven't made a final, final decision." Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has emerged as a late favorite for the job, but Trump advisers caution that the businessman had not made a final decision and could still change his mind. Trump tells Fox that Pence has done a wonderful job in Indiana, but adds that fellow finalists Chris Christie and Newt Gingrich as "fantastic" people. Trump has canceled a Friday news conference where he planned to make public his VP choice, citing the truck attack in France that has killed dozens. Trump says that it's "crazy what's going on" and says, "We have to get awfully tough and we have to get very, very smart." ___ 7:13 p.m. Donald Trump says on Twitter that he is delaying the announcement of his running mate following the deadly truck attack in France. After a day of speculation about who might join Trump atop the Republican Party's presidential ticket, Trump tweets on Thursday night: "In light of the horrible attack in Nice, France, I have postponed tomorrow's news conference concerning my Vice Presidential announcement." Trump had been scheduled to unveil his pick at an 11 a.m. news conference at a hotel in midtown Manhattan. Late Thursday, a truck drive onto the sidewalk and plowed through a crowd of revelers who'd been gathered to watch Bastille Day fireworks in Nice, France. Authorities say dozens of people are dead. ___ 6:20 p.m. Talks aimed at averting some battles at the Republican National Convention between GOP leaders and conservatives have broken down. That increases the chances of a confrontation between the two sides next week when the full convention meets in Cleveland. The longshot effort by conservatives to "unbind" delegates and let them back any candidate they want was not addressed by the talks. That issue is seemingly headed toward a fight next week. Leaders of the Republican National Committee spent hours Thursday meeting with conservatives who are pushing populist changes in party rules that would weaken leadership powers. The two sides could not reach agreement. Conservatives hope to force votes on their proposals by the full convention. Party leaders say they'll be able to defeat them, but they'd hoped to avoid battles on national television. __ 4:40 p.m. Sen. Ted Cruz is refusing to condemn a rebellion against Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention as the fiery Texas conservative weighs his political future against the prospect of a national Republican embarrassment. Cruz's continued public silence, as his loyalists actively plotted to undermine Trump on Thursday, irked Trump allies and Republican leaders alike, all eager to avoid a public spectacle when the four-day gathering formally begins on Monday. Yet having accepted a speaking slot on the main stage, there are signs the 45-year-old senator is willing to cooperate with Trump's campaign privately, at least even as he works to sustain his popularity among anti-Trump conservatives. ___ 2:52 p.m. Hillary Clinton is assuring Senate Democrats that she will pick a "very qualified" vice presidential candidate during their weekly luncheon on Capitol Hill. The former secretary of state was asked during the private luncheon who she would choose as her running mate, prompting a roar from the audience and promises that they wouldn't tell anyone. Clinton says after the luncheon that she had a "great conversation" with them and talked about ways to bring economic opportunity to the nation and "build a strong Democratic party." Lawmakers say Clinton's former Democratic opponent, Bernie Sanders, received applause at the lunch. The meeting also included potential Clinton running mates like Tim Kaine of Virginia, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sherrod Brown of Ohio. ___ 2:37 p.m. Newt Gingrich says he still has not heard from Donald Trump about his running mate selection. In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Gingrich said he was still expecting to hear from the Republican nominee Thursday. Gingrich told the AP earlier in the day that he had expected to receive word from Trump sometime after 1 p.m. ____ 2:29 p.m. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says that Donald Trump's impending vice presidential decision ultimately comes down to whether he wants a fellow "pirate" or a "relatively stable, more normal person." Gingrich is one of the three finalists the presumptive GOP nominee is considering for his running mate. He's speaking on Facebook live about the intricacies of the vetting process and sharing his thoughts on the two other finalists: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Gingrich suggests that he has yet to hear from Trump about his decision. He says, "We'll find out what Donald Trump decides to do." ___ 1:25 p.m. Hillary Clinton has arrived at a weekly luncheon with Senate Democrats where she is expected to brief them on her presidential campaign. The presumptive Democratic nominee said Thursday, "it's great to be back here in the Senate." She received loud applause from the Democratic members. Clinton was joined at the lunch by some of her former colleagues as well as potential vice presidential choices, including Tim Kaine of Virginia, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Her onetime Democratic presidential rival Bernie Sanders was also at the lunch. He endorsed Clinton in New Hampshire on Tuesday. Clinton was scheduled to campaign in Virginia with Kaine later in the day. ___ 12:00 p.m. House Speaker Paul Ryan says Indiana Gov. Mike Pence would be a good pick for Donald Trump's vice president. Ryan says it's no secret he's a big fan of Pence's and holds him in very high regard. Ryan tells reporters Thursday: "I hope that he picks a good movement conservative. Clearly Mike is one of those." The Wisconsin Republican says he doesn't know what Trump will do, and "I hope he makes a good pick and clearly that would be a good one." Trump's vice presidential announcement is expected soon with the Republican National Convention getting under way in Cleveland next week. ___ 11:55 a.m Hillary Clinton is vowing to expand upon President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration despite the Supreme Court's recent deadlocked ruling. Clinton says in a speech at the League of United Latin American Citizens' national convention that she will put a comprehensive immigration bill before Congress in her first 100 days of office. She says the high court did not "actually rule on the substance of the case" and it's within the authority of the president to temporarily stop the deportation for millions of people living in the U.S. illegally. Clinton says she will create a "simple, straight forward system" in which people with sympathetic cases or a history of serving their communities can make their case and become eligible for deferred action. The Democratic presidential candidate was also meeting Thursday with Senate Democrats and campaigning with Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a possible vice presidential pick. ___ 11:52 a.m. Newt Gingrich says he is hosting a "Facebook Live" event Thursday afternoon to discuss the Republican "vice presidential picks and the VP selection process." Gingrich is one of the finalists to join Donald Trump on the November ticket. Earlier Thursday, the former House speaker told The Associated Press that he expects to hear from Trump shortly after 1 p.m. about whether he's been chosen. Gingrich's Facebook event is scheduled for 2 p.m. Gingrich, who has been active on the social media venue, hosted a Facebook Live event with Trump earlier this month. ___ 11:18 a.m. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence quickly exited a planned speaking event in Indianapolis shortly after releasing details about a new economic development initiative. The Republican governor is considered a top contender to become Donald Trump's vice president pick. Pence and his entourage swiftly exited the building and climbed into a waiting motorcade. His office and his re-election campaign have not released details of any other planned events after several days of repeated public appearances. ___ 11:12 a.m. Senior U.S. national security officials say they are worried about the potential for violence at the Republican National Convention to be held in Cleveland next week. During congressional testimony Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh (jay) Johnson says he's concerned that demonstrations outside the convention hall may get out of hand. Johnson says he will be inspecting the security around the convention hall during a visit Friday. He says he says similar concerns about the Democratic convention to be held in Philadelphia. He'll be visiting that site next week. Johnson tells the House Homeland Security Committee there will be 4,000 U.S. government security personnel in Cleveland. FBI Director James Comey says anytime there is a large, national event there is concern that radical people and groups may be drawn to it. ___ 10:56 a.m. A pivotal committee of delegates at the Republican National Convention has abruptly taken a recess of several hours, just as it was beginning to consider rules changes proposed by conservatives and foes of presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump. Some delegates said the Trump campaign and top GOP officials were trying to see if they could strike a compromise with conservatives trying to let delegates back any candidate they want and offering other rules changes. A leader of those conservatives is Ken Cuccinelli, who was a campaign adviser to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's now abandoned presidential campaign. GOP Chairman Reince Priebus and top Trump campaign officials were also in the convention center. ___ 10:24 a.m. Newt Gingrich says he expects to hear from Donald Trump about his vice presidential decision as early as Thursday afternoon. In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Gingrich says he expects the decision sometime after 1pm. He says he had not heard from the Trump campaign Thursday morning. Gingrich, the former House speaker, is among Trump's top choices, along with Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Gingrich praised Trump for running a "very fair, open process" and said he looked forward to the businessman's decision. Trump and his running mate will make their first joint appearance Friday in New York. ___ 10:16 a.m. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she regrets her "ill-advised" public criticism of Donald Trump. Ginsburg says in a statement issued by the court on Thursday that judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. She promises to be more circumspect in the future. Ginsburg told The Associated Press last week that she did not want to think about the prospect of Trump winning the presidency. She escalated her criticism in subsequent media interviews. She came under attack for her comments in recent days, leading to Thursday's statement. ___ 8:40 a.m. Donald Trump's campaign and party leaders seem poised to defeat GOP renegades trying to derail the billionaire's presidential nomination. But it's unclear they'll prevail before the dispute flares into a potentially angry and embarrassing floor fight next week. The two sides on Thursday were beginning what could be a two-day faceoff at early meetings of the convention's rules committee. That panel's initial votes are expected to demonstrate how firmly Trump and GOP Chairman Reince Priebus control the convention, which meets in full next week. Workers hang state flags on the side of a parking garage next to the Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in preparation for the upcoming Republican National Convention. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, accompanied by, from left, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., arrives for a meeting with Senate Democrats on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Indiana Gov. Mike Pence speaks during the Innovation Showcase, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) Quotes on Boris Johnson's appointment as UK's chief diplomat Reaction from Britain, Europe and beyond to the appointment of prominent anti-European Union campaigner Boris Johnson as British foreign secretary. ___ "You saw what his style was like through the campaign? He lied a lot to the British. Now it's him with his back against the wall to defend his country and to clarify his relationship with Europe." French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Europe-1 radio. FILE - In this Monday, Nov. 9, 2015 file photo Mayor of London Boris Johnson wears virtual reality goggles during a visit to the Google offices in Tel Aviv, Israel. Britains new top diplomat is shaggy-haired, Latin-spouting Boris Johnson, who in recent months has made insulting and vulgar comments about the presidents of the United States and Turkey. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty, File) ___ "Boris Johnson is a crafty party politician who managed to use the Euroskeptic mood for himself. But completely different political tasks now stand at the forefront: this is about taking foreign policy responsibility beyond Brexit." German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper. ___ "We in Germany have had good experience with putting comments made during a campaign into the file for election campaigns, and forgetting them, on the day after the democratic decision has been made. So I don't know what you're talking about." German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, in Berlin, when asked about previous undiplomatic comments by Johnson. ___ "The burden of his current position will undoubtedly, certainly, lead him to use a bit different rhetoric, of a more diplomatic nature." Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, to reporters in Moscow. ___ "At this incredibly important time that will determine Britain's economic and cultural relations with Europe, it is extraordinary that the new prime minister has chosen someone whose career is built on making jokes." Tim Farron, leader of Britain's opposition Liberal Democrats. ___ "The appointment of the new foreign secretary must be the most remarkable since the Emperor Caligula appointed his horse as a senator." Kevin Brennan, a lawmaker with Britain's opposition Labour Party, in the House of Commons. ___ "He has been sacked twice from previous jobs for not telling the truth. He's insulted the president of the United States. He's attacked people from all parts of the world, from Liverpool to Papua New Guinea. Do these qualities mean that he's going to be supreme in the area where the qualities of diplomacy and truthfulness are in demand?" Paul Flynn, lawmaker with Britain's opposition Labour Party and shadow leader of the Commons. ___ "The Cabinet works collectively and we have got a range of different characters and a range of different styles and a range of different talents. The lead and the tone will be set by the prime minister." New British Treasury chief Philip Hammond, Johnson's predecessor as foreign secretary, on BBC radio. ___ "I wish it was a joke, but I fear it isn't." Former Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt on Twitter. ___ "The Secretary and Foreign Secretary Johnson agreed that the U.S.-U.K. special relationship is as essential as ever, and they pledged to work closely together as NATO allies to address the full range of challenges we face and to meet our responsibilities around the world. The Secretary stressed U.S. support for a sensible and measured approach to the Brexit process and offered to stay engaged as the U.K. government develops its plans." U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby in a statement after Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with Johnson. ___ "He is welcome as any minister." EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. K-9 death: Ex-deputy pleads guilty to animal cruelty RAYVILLE, La. (AP) A former Louisiana sheriff's deputy has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and lying on a police report in the death of his K-9 partner, Deputy Duke. The dog died of heat exposure after being left in the deputy's patrol car. The News-Star reports (http://tnsne.ws/29xHiNG ) that John Cummings must pay full restitution of more than $8,000 to cover replacing the K-9. District Attorney Mack Lancaster says Cummings also received six-month suspended sentences for animal cruelty and criminal mischief by making a false police report as part of Tuesday's plea. Cummings resigned as a Richland Parish Sheriff's deputy a week after the dog's death on June 1. Sheriff Lee Harrell said he initially reported the K-9 missing and claimed Duke's kennel had been tampered with. ___ Trump postpones VP announcement, citing France attacks WASHINGTON (AP) Donald Trump abruptly postponed plans to announce his vice presidential pick following a day of rampant speculation, citing the "horrible attack" in Nice, France, that left scores dead. Trump had planned to hold his first event with his yet-to-be-named running mate Friday morning in New York. He announced the change of plans Thursday evening on Twitter. The stunning announcement raised questions about the status of Trump's selection process. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence had emerged as a late favorite for the job, though Trump said he had not finalized the pick and advisers cautioned he could change his mind. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence speaks during the Innovation Showcase, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) "I haven't made my final, final decision," Trump said on Fox News Channel. He said that while his running mate selection would "absolutely not" be changed by the France attack, he did not feel it was appropriate to hold a news conference in its aftermath. Dozens of people were killed late Thursday in the French resort city of Nice when a truck drove onto a sidewalk and plowed through a crowd of Bastille Day revelers who'd gathered to watch fireworks. Trump told Fox News after the attack that if he's elected president he would ask Congress for a declaration of war on the Islamic State group. Democrat Hillary Clinton, also appearing on Fox, said the U.S. needs to "stand strongly" with France and said she would intensify efforts to put together a more effective coalition against terrorism. In addition to Pence, Trump's vice presidential shortlist included former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, according to people familiar with the candidate's thinking. After spending much of Thursday in Indianapolis, Pence flew to New York late in the day, according to a Republican familiar with the process. Indianapolis television station WTHR posted a video showing Pence arriving at a private airport outside New York early Thursday evening. Trump did not say when he planned to announce his running mate. He's up against a clock: The Republican convention kicks off in Cleveland Monday. Top party officials are already in Cleveland, grappling with a rules fight that could increase the odds of nationally televised clashes at the convention. Late Thursday, a committee at the Republican National Convention defeated an effort by conservatives who want to let delegates vote for any presidential candidate they'd like. Conservatives hoped that would lead to delegates blocking Trump's nomination. The convention and vice presidential announcement give Trump back-to-back opportunities to reassure Americans as well as leaders within his own party that he's prepared for the presidency. Pence, a staunch conservative who served six terms in Congress, is seen as a running mate who would have the backing of GOP leaders and ease some of their concerns about Trump's political inexperience and volatile temperament. He has influential allies in Trump's inner circle. But some of Trump's children, who have been closely advising their father, are said to favor different candidates. Campaign chair Paul Manafort was among those urging caution in assuming any decision Thursday, saying on Twitter that Trump's choice "will be made in the near future." As the day began, it appeared the decision would come quickly. Gingrich, the fiery Republican who helped define the political battles of the 1990s, told The Associated Press that Trump was supposed to let him know something in the afternoon. But by early evening, Gingrich told the AP he had heard nothing from Trump or others in the campaign. Other Republicans with knowledge of the process said there had been no calls to Christie, either. The top contenders have been vetted by a top Washington lawyer and all have spent time with Trump in recent days. But the final decision rests with the candidate, who is known for making decisions more on instinct than other factors and for sometimes changing his mind. Trump was in California Thursday for several fundraisers. His schedule put him at a distance from many of his closest advisers, including Manafort and his three oldest children. Pence is running for re-election, but Indiana law prevents him from seeking two offices at once. He faces a Friday deadline to withdraw from the governor's race. The paperwork has been drawn up for him to take that step, according to a Republican, who insisted on anonymity because that person was not authorized to publicly discuss the plans. However, those documents have not been filed. Christie, in New Jersey, said in an interview with MSNBC, "No matter what phone call (Trump) makes to me today, I will take a deep breath and prepare for tomorrow." That interview came hours before David Samson, whom Christie appointed to chair the powerful Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, pleaded guilty to scheming to get United Airlines to run direct flights between New Jersey and South Carolina, where he has a vacation home. Gingrich calmly answered questions about the selection process on Facebook Live, saying he had told Trump the choice was between having "two pirates on the ticket or a pirate and a relatively stable, more normal person." Beyond their political backgrounds, the finalists bring different strengths to the ticket. Pence, 57, has deep ties to evangelical Christians and other conservatives, particularly after signing a law last year that critics said would have allowed businesses to deny service to gay people for religious reasons. But the move alienated some moderates in the party. Trump took notice of Pence during the Indiana primary, noting that the governor had high praise for him despite endorsing one of his rivals. Gingrich, 73, is something of a rabble-rouser who has spent decades in Washington. He has been a steadfast Trump defender for months and has become a trusted adviser to the businessman. So, too, has Christie. The New Jersey governor, 53, quickly endorsed Trump after ending his own presidential bid, stunning many of his supporters. He has proven himself an effective "attack dog" on the trail and has taken on the important role of heading Trump's transition planning. ___ AP writers Brian Slodysko in Indianapolis, Alan Fram in Cleveland and Erica Werner in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Jill Colvin at http://twitter.com/colvinj Indiana Gov. Mike Pence speaks during the Innovation Showcase, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) In this photo taken July 11, 2016, Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump listens to a question during an interview in Virginia Beach, Va. In a summer of political and racial tumult, young Americans are in a dour mood: pessimistic about the fairness of the economic system, questioning the greatness of the U.S. and wondering about the effectiveness of how the nation picks its leaders. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) FILE - In this July 6, 2016 file photo, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks before introducing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Cincinnati. Fox News says it is suspending its contributor agreement with Newt Gingrich "due to the intense media speculation" about him as a potential vice presidential candidate of Republican Donald Trump. He joined the network in 1999, and his role was suspended in 2011 when he ran for president in 2012. He returned to Fox in 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gestures as he introduces Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump during a rally in Virginia Beach, Va., Monday, July 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Egypt unveils oldest papyrus, details on pyramid-builders CAIRO (AP) The Egyptian Museum in Cairo on Thursday began putting on display the country's oldest papyruses, which date back 4,500 years, detailing the daily life of the pyramid-builders. The items are from the 4th Dynasty of King Khufu, also known as Cheops, for whom the Great Pyramid of Giza was built as a tomb. Egypt's Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Anany told reporters as the exhibition was unveiled that the papyruses were discovered in 2013 by an Egyptian-French mission inside caves in the port of Wadi el-Jarf. The ancient port is located 119 kilometers (74 miles) from the city of Suez. Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Anani speaks during the opening of King Khufu papyri collections discovered at Wadi El-Jarf port, as it is on display for the first time at the Egyptian museum in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, July 14, 2016. Ancient statue of king Ramesses II at background. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) El-Anany said, the items display are "the oldest" papyruses in Egypt. Museum chief Tarek Tawfiq said the papyruses depict the daily routine of the workers, who also transferred building material from the Red Sea port to Giza. On display are a total of six out of the 30 discovered papyruses, according to Hussein Abdel-Bassir, another ministry official. "These show the administrative power and the central nature of the state at the time of Khufu," he said. One of the papyruses belonged to a senior employee named Marr who played a role in the building of the pyramid and it covered a period of three months of his job, providing information about his duties including transporting rocks through the River Nile and its canals, Abdel-Bassir said. A second ministry official, Sabah Abdel-Razek, told the state-news agency MENA that other papyruses showed the distribution of food portions for workers, including one showing in clear Egyptian hieroglyphs the number of sheep brought in. The discovery, according to el-Anany, also signaled that Egypt has a treasure of antiquities that are still being discovered. A tourist looks at a statue of Mitri, one of the prominent figures in the 6th Dynasty, old kingdom 2465-2150 BC, at the Egyptian museum in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, July 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) Visitors look at the gold mask of King Tutankhamun in a glass case, at the Egyptian museum in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, July 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) A visitor looks at at the gold mask of King Tutankhamun in a glass case, at the Egyptian museum in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, July 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) Japanese visitors look at the gold mask of King Tutankhamun in a glass case, at the Egyptian museum in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, July 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) Visitors and cameramen surround the collection of King Khufu papyri discovered at Wadi El-Jarf port, as it is on display for the first tim at the Egyptian museum in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, July 14, 2016. The papyri which dated back to the 4th and 5th dynasties, 2494 2345 BC and 2613-2494 BC, are the oldest known examples of Egyptian writing. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) A visitor looks at one of the oldest papyri in the history of Egyptian writing among the collection of King Khufu papyri discovered at Wadi El-Jarf port, as it is on display for the first time at the Egyptian museum in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, July 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) US officials cite potential for violence at GOP convention WASHINGTON (AP) Senior U.S. national security officials said Thursday they are worried about the potential for violence at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland as tensions run high around the country after the recent police shootings of unarmed black men and the deadly ambush of police officers in Dallas. During congressional testimony, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh (jay) Johnson said he's concerned that demonstrations outside the convention hall may get out of hand. He told lawmakers that roughly 4,000 U.S. government personnel will be based in Cleveland to ensure the safety of people there. "I am concerned about the possibility of violence," Johnson told the House Homeland Security Committee. He added that in Ohio it is legal to openly carry firearms. FBI Director James Comey, right, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, center, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence National Counterterrorism Center Director Nicholas Rasmussen testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 14, 2016, before the House Homeland Security hearing on "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland: ISIS and the New Wave of Terror." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Johnson said he will be inspecting security in Cleveland during a visit on Friday. He also said he has similar concerns about the possibility for violence at the upcoming Democratic convention in Philadelphia. He said he plans to visit that site next week. FBI Director James Comey said there will be "hundreds of people" from the bureau focused on assessing intelligence related to groups that aspire to commit acts of domestic terrorism. "Anytime there's a national spotlight on a political event in the United States there's a risk that groups that aspire to do just that, to engage in acts of domestic terrorism, will be attracted," Comey said. "It's a threat we're watching very, very carefully." Among the government personnel in Cleveland will be Secret Service agents, Homeland Security investigators, Customs and Border Protection personnel, and Coast Guard service members, according to Johnson. They will be augmented by Guard and state and local enforcement "We have been planning and preparing for both conventions for over than a year," he said. ___ Follow Richard Lardner on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rplardner FBI Director James Comey, right, and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson prepare to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 14, 2016, before the House Homeland Security Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland: ISIS and the New Wave of Terror." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 14, 2016, to testify before the House Homeland Security hearing on "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland: ISIS and the New Wave of Terror." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 14, 2016, before the House Homeland Security hearing on "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland: ISIS and the New Wave of Terror." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 14, 2016, before the House Homeland Security Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland: ISIS and the New Wave of Terror." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- As a longtime Ocean Springs alderman, Greg Denyer knows as well as anyone the ongoing battle the city has fought with speeding in residential neighborhoods. He also knows a good idea when he sees one. A few weeks ago, Denyer was on Pine Drive near the intersection with Kensington Avenue when he saw a sign with a simple message: "PLEASE DRIVE LIKE YOUR KIDS LIVE HERE!" "We've had a lot of complaints about speeding in our neighborhoods," Denyer said. "I saw this sign, liked it and copied it." Since then, Denyer estimates he has put out more than 20 of the signs in various neighborhoods, mostly in Ward IV, which he represents. He has a few more left and said he is being contacted by people asking about the signs. "People are calling, texting, saying they appreciate the signs, want one and think the signs are doing some good," he said. Denyer also said a grassroots campaign of this sort can only help the police department, which doesn't have the resources to continuously fight speeding. "We've always had problems with speeding in neighborhoods," Denyer said. "It's very hard to enforce. It's just not possible to have patrol cars in every neighborhood all the time." Denyer was asked if putting the anti-speeding signs out was reminiscent his election campaigns. "Yes -- but you won't see any of my (reelection) signs out," he said, laughing. Denyer has already announced that he will not seek another term. Average US mortgage rates move little; near historic lows WASHINGTON (AP) Long-term U.S. mortgage rates moved little this week, remaining near historically low levels in the wake of financial disarray in Europe. Mortgage giant Freddie Mac said Thursday the average for the benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage ticked up to 3.42 percent from 3.41 percent last week, staying close to its all-time low of 3.31 percent in November 2012. The average rate is down sharply from 4.09 percent a year ago. The 15-year mortgage rate slipped to 2.72 percent from 2.74 percent last week. This Tuesday, May 24, 2016, photo shows a house for sale in North Andover, Mass. On Thursday, July 14, 2016, Freddie Mac reports on the weeks average U.S. mortgage rates. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) After Britain's recent vote to leave the European Union, investors fled to the safety of U.S. Treasury bonds, driving up their prices and lowering their yields. Long-term mortgage rates tend to track the yield on 10-year Treasury notes, which jumped to 1.47 percent Wednesday from 1.37 percent a week earlier. It rose further to 1.52 percent Thursday morning still far below its 1.75 percent before the British vote. To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country at the beginning of each week. The average doesn't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. The average fee for a 30-year mortgage remained at 0.5 point this week. The fee for a 15-year loan rose to 0.5 point from 0.4 point last week. US lawmakers raise plight of gov't critics in Cambodia WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. lawmakers called Thursday for Cambodian leader Hun Sen to cease harassment and intimidation of the political opposition, days after a prominent government critic was gunned down in the capital. The House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a resolution supporting human rights and democracy in the Southeast Asian nation, where Hun Sen has been prime minister for three decades. Democratic Rep. Alan Lowenthal called for a defamation charge to be dropped against opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is in self-imposed exile. Lowenthal said Rainsy's deputy, Kem Sokha, is under effective house arrest in Cambodia and fears for his life. He said he spoke to Kem Sokha on Wednesday. A political analyst and prominent government critic, Kem Lay, was shot dead Sunday in Phnom Penh, raising accusations of a political conspiracy. Hun Sen has promised a thorough investigation. A former Cambodian soldier was charged Wednesday with Kem Lay's murder, purportedly motivated by a money dispute. In an interview with The Associated Press, the accused's wife cast doubt over that explanation. Lowenthal said the resolution would send a message to the Cambodian government "that political violence of any kind will not be tolerated." Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher declared that "it's time for Hun Sen to go." He said some have argued that Hun Sen helped get rid of former Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, but "whatever happened in the past does not justify Hun Sen's continuing iron-fisted grip." The resolution was among a raft of measures swiftly approved by the House committee Thursday, paving the way for them to be taken up by the full House. The resolution does not compel any action or sanction by the executive branch of the U.S. government, which ultimately sets and carries out foreign policy. Italy courthouse shooter claims he hid gun months earlier MILAN (AP) The lawyer for a real estate developer convicted Thursday in a deadly courthouse rampage that left three dead called "incredible" his client's surprise declaration that he had hidden his weapon in the courthouse months before the shooting. Claudio Giardiello made the statement as the Brescia court prepared to deliver the guilty verdict and life sentence for the April 2015 shooting deaths of the defendant's lawyer, co-defendant and a judge. Defense lawyer Andrea Pelle said the verdict "was preceded by this incredible declaration by Giardiello, who said that he left the pistol in the courthouse about three months earlier." Pelle said he didn't know whether to believe his client. Sony: No decision made yet on 'Ghostbusters' in China LOS ANGELES (AP) Sony says no decision has been made yet on whether "Ghostbusters" will be allowed to be released in China. The Hollywood Reporter said Wednesday that the film was denied release in China, citing sources close to the decision-making process in Beijing. But Sony says it hasn't formally submitted the film to the China board that approves foreign films for screening in the country. China's official guidelines say that supernatural foreign films can be banned. The original 1984 "Ghostbusters" did not have a theatrical release in China. This image released by Sony Pictures shows, from left, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig and Leslie Jones in a scene from "Ghostbusters," opening nationwide on July 15. (Hopper Stone/Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures via AP) The studio has big expectations for the film in Asia. It opens in Japan Aug. 19. Fire station reopens after Facebook posts prompt closing COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) A fire station has reopened in South Carolina's capital, days after its then-captain threatened on Facebook to run over protesters if they still blocked traffic when his shift ended. Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins closed the station early Monday and fired the captain. Because his postings prompted complaints, firefighters were told to close the doors at all stations for that shift. Two other firefighters were fired Wednesday after admitting they also posted about Black Lives Matter protesters who closed a Columbia intersection and an interstate section late Sunday. Court blocks prosecutors from seizing emails stored overseas NEW YORK (AP) A federal appeals court Thursday said prosecutors cannot force U.S. companies like Microsoft to turn over customer emails and other data stored on servers overseas a ruling the government suggested could hamper national security investigations. The three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously overturned a lower court's contempt finding against Microsoft for not handing over a customer's emails stored in Ireland. Federal prosecutors wanted the material for use in a drug trafficking investigation. The ruling in the closely watched case was a victory for high-tech companies in the burgeoning "cloud computing" business, in which data is kept not on personal computers but on giant and sometimes distant servers. Microsoft stores data from over 1 billion customers and over 20 million businesses on servers in over 40 countries, the court noted. The court said prosecutors went beyond what Congress intended when it passed the Stored Communications Act in 1986. "Neither explicitly nor implicitly does the statute envision the application of its warrant provisions overseas," the court said in a decision written by Circuit Judge Susan L. Carney. She said allowing prosecutors to enforce a warrant outside the U.S. would "jettison ... centuries of law" and "replace the traditional warrant with a novel instrument of international application." In a concurring opinion, Circuit Judge Gerard E. Lynch said an attempt to apply U.S. law overseas could cause tensions with other countries, "most easily appreciated if we consider the likely American reaction if France or Ireland or Saudi Arabia or Russia proclaimed its right to regulate conduct by Americans within our borders." Microsoft called the ruling a "major victory for the protection of people's privacy rights under their own laws rather than the reach of foreign governments." "We hear from customers around the world that they want the traditional privacy protections they've enjoyed for information stored on paper to remain in place as data moves to the cloud," said Brad Smith, Microsoft president and chief legal officer. "Today's decision helps ensure this result." The Justice Department said it was disappointed and considering its options. "Lawfully accessing information stored by American providers outside the United States quickly enough to act on evolving criminal or national security threats that impact public safety is crucial to fulfilling our mission to protect citizens and obtain justice for victims of crime," spokesman Peter Carr said. In its ruling, the appeals court acknowledged that the technology landscape has changed since the Stored Communications Act was passed. "Three decades ago, international boundaries were not so routinely crossed as they are today, when service providers rely on worldwide networks of hardware to satisfy users' 21st-century demands for access and speed and their related, evolving expectations of privacy," the court wrote. Lynch called on Congress to revise "a badly outdated statute" and clarify under what circumstances the U.S. government can obtain customer data. He said he agreed with Thursday's ruling "but without any illusion that the result should even be regarded as a rational policy outcome, let alone celebrated as a milestone in protecting privacy." U.S. prosecutors got a warrant for the information in 2013, saying they believed an email account stored in a Dublin facility was being used to further narcotics trafficking. The court record doesn't specify the nationality or whereabouts of the customer, but Microsoft generally stores data close to users' reported locations. Prosecutors had argued that they had the right to go after Microsoft because the company could simply retrieve the overseas information from its U.S. offices. They said that "powerful government interests" override any potential harm to Microsoft's business. Dozens of businesses and news organizations supported Microsoft's arguments. In one court submission, 29 major U.S. and foreign news and trade organizations said journalists and publishers worldwide rely on email and cloud-storage services provided by Microsoft and others to gather, store and review documents protected by the First Amendment. ___ The Latest: Governor praises offshore wind farm proposal UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) The Latest on plans for an offshore wind farm off Long Island (all times local): 12:25 p.m. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says a proposal for an offshore wind farm off eastern Long furthers his goal of supplying 50 percent of the state's electricity from renewable energy by 2030. He said he is strongly encouraging the Long Island Power Authority to approve the 15-turbine proposal when it meets next week. LIPA is awarding the project to a company already building the nation's first offshore wind farm near Block Island, Rhode Island. That 5-turbine project goes online later this year. The U.S. lags behind Europe and others in development of offshore wind energy. Many offshore wind farms in Europe are already producing hundreds of megawatts of power Environmentalist Adrienne Esposito is also applauding the plans for an offshore wind farm. She calls it a "game-changer" toward tackling climate change. ___ 10:35 a.m. A New York utility says it plans to approve an offshore wind farm off eastern Long Island that would be the nation's largest. Long Island Power Authority CEO Thomas Falcone tells The Associated Press the utility's board of directors is set to approve a proposal next week for the construction of a 90-megawatt, 15-turbine wind farm 30 miles east of Montauk. LIPA is awarding the project to a company already building the nation's first offshore wind farm near Block Island, Rhode Island. That 5-turbine, 30-megawatt project goes online later this year. The U.S. lags behind Europe and others in development of offshore wind energy. Many offshore wind farms in Europe are already producing hundreds of megawatts of power. Falcone says the LIPA project could be finished as soon as 2022. ___ Revamped power network lights Jordan's largest refugee camp ZAATARI REFUGEE CAMP, Jordan (AP) Jordan's largest camp for Syrian refugees has switched on a revamped electricity network, equipping 80,000 residents with nine hours of steady power per day. The new grid is the latest sign of Zaatari camp, set up in 2012, transforming into an established community with some paved streets and busy shopping areas. Jordan hosts some 650,000 of nearly 5 million Syrians who have fled civil war at home, now in its sixth year. The new network came on line Thursday, replacing a chaotic tangle of cables run to trailers from power lines meant to light streets. Transformers often blew out from overload. Refugees welcomed the new system which officials say ensures a fairer distribution of electricity. Yemen's rebels head for Kuwait to resume talks SANAA, Yemen (AP) Yemen's Shiite rebels headed Kuwait on Thursday to resume UN-mediated talks, amid threats of boycott by the Saudi-backed, internationally-recognized government. Negotiators who will attend the talks are representatives of Ansar Allah, the political arm of the rebel Houthi movement, which has controlled the capital Sanaa since 2014. Previous peace talks failed to bridge the gap between the warring parties while a ceasefire that went into effect in April was marred with multiple breaches by both sides. President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi demands implementation of the UN security council resolution which stipulates the withdrawal of militias from all cities. The Houthis demand a share of power in a new government. The Houthis are also pressing to transfer Hadi's presidential authorities to the new transitional government. In June, UN Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told the U.N. Security Council that the opposing parties Yemen's internationally recognized government and Shiite Houthi rebels and their allied troops loyal to a former president have responded positively to a proposed roadmap he presented to end the conflict. He said that what is left to be finalized is a timeline and sequence of the steps in the roadmap including when a national unity government would be created. The war in Yemen has killed some 9,000 people and pushed the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of famine. It also created a vacuum that enabled both Yemen's al-Qaida branch and an upstart Islamic State affiliate to seize territory and carry out large-scale attacks. A high ranking Yemeni official said that Hadi's government is under pressure from western allies to join the talks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the press. The talks, scheduled to take place Friday, come shortly after Ahmed, the UN envoy, paid a visit to Sanaa, where he met for the first time with the ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that a negotiated political settlement is the only way to end the war in Yemen and ensure that the interests of all the parties are met, during a brief meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. The Saudi minister met with Ban for about 15 minutes on Thursday, and then spoke for another half an hour with the Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson, and Leila Zerrogui, the U.N.'s special representative for Children and Armed Conflict. The meeting with Ban was shortened due to scheduling issues: The foreign minister arrived about a half an hour late and Ban had to make a commercial flight to Kigali. The meeting had originally been scheduled for Wednesday. At the meeting, the secretary-general and the foreign minister agreed that Yemeni peace talks must focus on outcomes and agreements that are actionable on the ground, Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. ___ The Latest: House bill blocking monuments faces veto threat SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Latest on a push for a new national monument in Utah (all times local): 4:40 p.m. House Republicans have passed a spending bill that could block a new national monument in southeastern Utah. But the effort faces a White House veto threat. In this June 22, 2016, photo, the "House on Fire" ruins are shown in Mule Canyon, near Blanding, Utah. These Anasazi ruins are found along a canyon hiking path in a dry river bed. They are one of an estimated 100,000 archaeological sites within a 1.9-million acre area of Utah's red rock country that a coalition of American Indian tribes and environmentalists want President Barack Obama to designate as a national monument to ensure protections of lands considered sacred. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) Republican Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah added a provision to an Interior Department spending bill that blocks money for any new monuments in portions of eight states, including 17 Utah counties. The House passed the bill Thursday, but the measure is expected to run into a filibuster from Senate Democrats and the White House veto threat. The vote comes as U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is visiting Utah to meet with supporters and opponents of the Bears Ears monument. A coalition of tribes says the 1.9 million-acre area needs bolstered protections. Republican leaders say the monument is overly broad and would close the area for development and recreation. ___ 4:10 p.m. At least 10 environmental groups say a public lands plan from two Utah congressmen doesn't offer enough protections for a sacred Native American site in the southeastern part of the state. The Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society and other environmental groups said it's instead time for President Barack Obama to designate the Bears Ears area as a national monument to protect it from looting, vandalism or energy development. Republican Reps. Jason Chaffetz and Rob Bishop oppose the monument plan and instead on Thursday released legislation that protects a smaller area around Bears Ears as a conservation area. Chaffetz notes that several environmental groups, including The Pew Charitable Trusts, are supportive of their effort. Pew says it has concerns with some provisions in the legislation but it supports its fundamental premise. ___ 2:55 p.m. A Utah congressman says it's helpful that U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is touring southeast Utah this week amid a push by a coalition of tribes for President Barack Obama to declare a new national monument at the sacred Native American site. Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz says Jewell is taking every meeting that his office and Utah Rep. Rob Bishop have suggested as they propose an alternative plan to the monument. Chaffetz says he wants Jewell to understand how locals opposed to the monument would feel its effects. A bill from Bishop and Chaffetz released Thursday would instead designate 1.4 million acres around Bears Ears as a conservation area. The bill is a broad land plan that protects 4.5 million acres in Utah and opens up 1 million acres for energy development and other uses. ___ 1:10 p.m. U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is touring southeast Utah canyons and monuments while meeting with environmentalists, local politicians and others on a trip to research a proposal to create a new national monument. Jewell on Thursday was touring archaeological and recreation sites outside the cities of Moab and Monticello. Jewell is meeting with supporters and opponents of the proposed Bears Ears monument. A coalition of tribes says the 1.9 million-acre area needs bolstered protections. Opponents say a monument would create another layer of unnecessary federal control and close the area for development and recreation. They're instead backing legislation from U.S. Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz that would have Congress designate 1.4 million acres around Bears Ears as a conservation area. Jewell is meeting with representatives for Bishop and Chaffetz while on her Utah tour. ___ 10:50 a.m. Two Utah congressmen have unveiled legislation to protect land considered sacred to Native Americans, a plan seen as an alternative to designating the area as a national monument. The bill from Republican U.S. Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz was released Thursday as Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is visiting Utah to meet with supporters and opponents of the Bears Ears monument. A coalition of tribes says the 1.9 million-acre area needs bolstered protections. Opponents say a monument would create another layer of unnecessary federal control and close the area for development and recreation. One of two bills from the congressmen would protect 1.4 million acres around Bears Ears. The other bill would bar President Barack Obama from naming a monument in seven Utah counties, including the area in dispute. ___ 1 a.m. U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will be visiting the expansive Bears Ears area in southeastern Utah this week to meet with people and go on field visits to research a proposal to create a new national monument. A coalition of Native American tribes says the lands are sacred and in need of bolstered protections. The proposal, however, has become the latest battleground in the Western public lands debate. Republican leaders, some residents and a few Native Americans oppose a proposal they believe would become another layer of unnecessary federal control and close the area for development and recreation. GOP lawmakers are proposing instead to protect about 4 million acres of land in the state and open up 1 million acres around the state for recreation and oil and gas development. In this June 22, 2016, photo, a entering "UTE Land" sign is shown, near Blanding, Utah. A coalition of American Indian tribes and environmentalists want President Barack Obama to designate the expansive Bears Ears area in southeastern Utah as a national monument to ensure protections of lands considered sacred. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) In this June 22, 2016, photo, the "House on Fire" ruins are shown in Mule Canyon, near Blanding, Utah. These Anasazi ruins are found along a canyon hiking path in a dry river bed. They are one of an estimated 100,000 archaeological sites within a 1.9-million acre area of Utah's red rock country that a coalition of American Indian tribes and environmentalists want President Barack Obama to designate as a national monument to ensure protections of lands considered sacred. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- The Mississippi Department of Education released its annual assessment report cards for each school and district and the 2016 report shows that the Ocean Springs school district is the only A-rated district in Jackson County. State assessments are based on student achievement, growth, participation and graduation rate, with districts and schools receiving resulting grades from A-F. Biloxi, Long Beach and Pass Christian joined Ocean Springs as the other A-rated districts on the coast. In Jackson County, the Pascagoula-Gautier school district and the Jackson County school district each received grades of B, while Moss Point was rated a D district. George County was also a B-rated district. There is a catch, however. In the spring of 2015, Mississippi students were given the PARCC assessment, based on the Common Core curriculum. This year, however, the state moved to the MAP assessment, based on the same standards but renamed "College and Career Readiness Standards." See the complete MDE district report card See the complete MDE school report card As a result of the change -- the third in three years for Mississippi school districts -- the state granted districts a one-time "hold harmless" -- meaning if a district received a grade lower this year as a result of the new test, that district was allowed to keep its grade from the previous year. Were that "waiver" not in place, there would have been no A-rated districts in Jackson County, with each school district dropping a grade, with the exception of Moss Point, which would have remained a D district. "Although we're obviously pleased to be an A-rated district, we realize there is still work to be done," said Ocean Springs assistant superintendent Christopher Williams. "Without the waiver, we're a B district." Williams also noted the frustration educators have felt dealing with three assessment changes in as many years. "We feel this has hampered our progress," he said, but was quick to add that the state's contract with the new MAP assessment is for 10 years, which should provide districts with some stability in testing. "Now that the state assessment is going to be stable, at least for a few years, we can focus our efforts in those areas of importance," Williams said. Statewide, 19 districts were A-rated. Without the waiver, that number drops to three. Locally, the news was better for Jackson County high schools. Ocean Springs, Gautier, Pascagoula, East Central and Vancleave were all rated A schools -- with or without the waiver -- while St. Martin was grade as a B schools and Moss Point High School a C -- although the MPHS grade drops to a D without the waiver. George County High School showed remarkable progress, rising from a C-rated school the previous year to an A school in this year's ratings -- also with or without the waiver. The Latest: Consultant's lawyer says he will fight charge NEWARK, N.J. (AP) The Latest on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey corruption investigation (all times local): 3:30 p.m. An attorney for a former United Airlines lobbyist charged with conspiracy in a New Jersey airline case says he would never jeopardize his reputation by engaging in illegal behavior. Attorney Justin Walder, left, and his client David Samson, former Port Authority Director and a political mentor to Republican Gov. Chris Christie, arrive at the Federal Courthouse in Newark, N.J., Thursday, July 14, 2016. The U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey has been investigating whether Samson wrongfully used his Port Authority of New York and New Jersey post to get United Airlines to provide direct air service to South Carolina in 2014 to make it easier to get to his vacation home. (Robert Sciarrino /NJ Advance Media via AP) Jamie Fox was charged Thursday with conspiracy in a plot to help David Samson, the former chairman of the agency that controls New York City-area airports, to get a regular flight to Samson's vacation home. Michael Critchley says that Fox was caught in the middle of an arrangement that he thought was appropriate. Samson pleaded guilty Thursday. Chicago-based United agreed to pay a $2.25 million penalty and says it agreed to continue to enhance its compliance, anti-bribery and anti-corruption program. ___ 2:45 p.m. United Airlines has agreed to pay a $2.25 million penalty for its role in a bribery scheme involving a public official who used his post to get the airline to provide direct service to his South Carolina vacation home. U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman on Thursday said the airline has cooperated in the federal investigation that led the former chairman of the agency that controls New York City-area airports to plead guilty to a bribery charge. David Samson, a mentor to Republican Gov. Chris Christie, faces up to two years in prison for the so-called Chairman's Flight. Prosecutors also filed conspiracy charges against a former United lobbyist, Jamie Fox. Fox, a Democrat, was later named state transportation commissioner by Christie. His attorney wasn't immediately available for comment. ___ 2:30 p.m. A former high-ranking New Jersey official and airline lobbyist has been charged with conspiracy in a plot to help the former chairman of the agency that controls New York City-area airports get a regular flight to his vacation home. U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said Thursday that Jamie Fox was charged Thursday after former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Chairman David Samson pleaded guilty in the case. Fox was a lobbyist for United and was later appointed New Jersey's transportation commissioner by Republican Gov. Chris Christie. Fox's attorney wasn't immediately available for comment. Prosecutors say Samson conspired with Fox, who was then a United Airlines lobbyist, to get the Chicago-based airline to provide direct air service to Columbia, South Carolina. ___ 1:30 p.m. The former chairman of the agency that controls New York City-area airports faces up to two years in prison after pleading guilty to using his post to get United Airlines to provide direct air service to make it easier to get to his vacation home. David Samson, a mentor to Republican Gov. Chris Christie, pleaded guilty Thursday to a corruption charge in federal court in New Jersey. He will be sentenced to between probation to 24 months in prison under the terms of his plea agreement. Prosecutors say he illegally used his Port Authority of New York and New Jersey post to get Chicago-based United Airlines to provide direct air service to Columbia, South Carolina. The money-losing flight was ended three days after Samson resigned. United's CEO resigned after an investigation into that service. ___ 1:15 p.m. The former chairman of the agency that controls New York City-area airports has pleaded guilty to using his post to get United Airlines to provide direct air service to make it easier to get to his vacation home. David Samson, a mentor to Republican Gov. Chris Christie, pleaded guilty Thursday to a corruption charge in federal court in New Jersey. Prosecutors say he illegally used his Port Authority of New York and New Jersey post to get Chicago-based United Airlines to provide direct air service to South Carolina. The money-losing flight was ended three days after Samson resigned. United's CEO resigned after an investigation into that service. U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, the FBI and the Port Authority's inspector general plan a Thursday afternoon press conference. ___ 10 a.m. The former chairman of the agency that controls New York City-area bridges, tunnels and airports has arrived at a New Jersey courthouse ahead of a planned court appearance and a news conference by federal investigators. It's unclear what David Samson will do when he appears in a Newark courtroom Thursday. The U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey has been investigating whether Samson wrongfully used his Port Authority of New York and New Jersey post to get United Airlines to provide direct air service to South Carolina to make it easier to get to his vacation home. United's CEO resigned after an investigation into that service. U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, the FBI and the Port Authority's inspector general plan a Thursday afternoon press conference. Group: Number of migrant children traveling alone surges MILAN (AP) A humanitarian organization says that the number of unaccompanied minors making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy has more than doubled this year. Save the Children says the number of minors arriving in Italy unaccompanied by an adult was 10,525 in the first six months of the year, compared with 3,929 in 2015. At the same time, the number of migrant arrivals has remained almost the same: 70,222 this year compared with 70,340 last year. Concerns over violence as protesters head to Cleveland COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) As Donald Trump seeks to unify the fractured GOP around his presidential candidacy, protest groups will gather outside the Republican National Convention to raise their voices on issues from the party's nominee and agenda, to immigration reform and poverty, and race relations and police accountability. Authorities anticipate spontaneous gatherings during the four-day event and are worried about the threat of violence. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said he's concerned that demonstrations may get out of hand, especially in the wake of recent police shootings of black men and the ambush that killed five police officers in Dallas. Roughly 4,000 U.S. government personnel will be based in Cleveland to ensure the safety of people there, he said. Here's a look at the hottest issues for demonstrators in Cleveland, based on those who have applied for permits or announced plans: FILE - This Nov. 8, 2013, file photo shows Cleveland's skyline and the venue of the 2016 Republican National Convention, Quicken Loans Arena, framed by the Guardians of Traffic sculptures at the east end of the Hope Memorial Bridge in Cleveland. Donald Trump's effort to unite a splintered Republican Party around his candidacy is about to take center stage in a city that is itself deeply fractured. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File) ___ ISSUE: Trump's comments about women and Muslims PROTEST GROUP: Stand Together Against Trump WHAT THEY PLAN: About 5,000 people are expected to attend the group's July 21 march, which follows the convention's official parade route in downtown Cleveland. Group founder Bryan Hambley, a Cleveland physician, says its members also are joining an anti-poverty march on Monday. Hambley was among protesters removed from a Trump rally in March after he said he chanted "Stop the bigotry!" He was wearing a T-shirt that read "Muslim doctors save lives in Cleveland." CANDIDATE'S POSITION: Trump initially called for a freeze of all foreign Muslims entering the U.S. as a means to prevent terrorist attacks from radical Islamic groups. But his campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks recently said he's no longer seeking a religion-based ban. Trump says he wants to limit immigration from countries with a "proven history of terrorism against the United State, Europe or our allies." His campaign has not provided any further clarification about what that would include. ___ ISSUE: Race, policing and criminal justice PROTEST GROUP: Black Lives Matter WHAT THEY PLAN: Protests under the moniker are likely, but no official word of when and where have been announced. The president of Black Lives Matter in Cuyahoga County says his group plans to participate in a "Circle the City with Love" event on Sunday. CANDIDATE'S POSITION: Trump calls himself "the law and order candidate." He has denounced the name of the Black Lives Matter movement as "a very divisive term." Trump says he believes relations between police and the nation's African-American community are "far worse" than people think. He's suggested that a lack of training for officers might be at least partially to blame for the police shootings of two black men that led to the Dallas protest where officers were killed. ___ ISSUE: Health care access, income inequality, combating AIDS and seeking social justice PROTEST GROUP: The Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, along with the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland WHAT THEY PLAN: A "Keep the Promise" concert on the eve of the convention at Cleveland State University's campus. The Sunday event will feature hip-hop group the Roots, gospel duo Mary Mary and civil rights activist Cornel West. The Rev. Al Sharpton was scheduled to headline a march, which was canceled after the Dallas police shootings. CANDIDATE'S POSITION: Trump has not spoken much about fighting AIDS. In terms of income inequality, the billionaire businessman has proposed a tax plan that would slice individual taxes across the board, but the best-off are expected to benefit most. ___ ISSUE: Access to health care and ending poverty PROTEST GROUP: A coalition of groups that includes Organize! Ohio, Iraq Veterans Against the War and many others. WHAT THEY PLAN: Organizers expect more than 5,000 people to attend their rally and "End Poverty Now! March for Economic Justice" on Monday. CANDIDATE'S POSITION: Trump says he would repeal the healthcare law. A recent study found his replacement plan would make 18 million people uninsured, but it also would significantly lower premiums for policies purchased individually by consumers. Trump offers a blunt message about a system "rigged" against average Americans. He has pledged to restore prosperity by ripping up trade deals and returning manufacturing jobs from overseas. ___ ISSUE: Support for Trump's bid for the White House PROTEST GROUP: Citizens for Trump, Bikers for Trump, Tea Partiers for Trump, Truckers for Trump and others WHAT THEY PLAN: An estimated 1,500 people are expected to participate in a celebratory rally on Monday at a park about a mile from the convention's main site. The city has granted a parade permit Monday to the Trump backers, but a lead organizer says he's not sure whether they will march. ___ ISSUE: Taxes, increasing the minimum wage and campaign finance reform PROTEST GROUP: Patriotic Millionaires WHAT THEY PLAN: The group of millionaires wants higher, more equitable taxes on wealthier people like themselves. The organization has reserved time to speak in a designated demonstration area. CANDIDATE'S POSITION: Trump's proposed tax plan would cut rates across the board and reduce the amount paid by wealthiest Americans and corporations. He said last fall he opposed any increase in the minimum wage, saying that overall wages were too high in the U.S. But in May, he said he would "like to see an increase," yet said it should be left to the states, and didn't specify a figure. ___ ISSUE: Immigration PROTEST GROUP: Mijente WHAT THEY PLAN: The group's name is an adaptation of "mi gente," meaning "my people." Its members are joining others to erect a wall made of fabric and other materials "to wall off Trump's hate" on Wednesday. CANDIDATE'S POSITION: Trump wants to build a wall along the Mexican border that he says he will force Mexico to pay for. Trump has also pledged to deport the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally. ___ ISSUE: Abortion, defunding of Planned Parenthood PROTEST GROUP: Created Equal WHAT THEY PLAN: Both sides of the abortion debate intend to have their say. Barring any security restrictions, the anti-abortion group Created Equal plans to fly a banner featuring a photo of a 15-week aborted fetus over the city during the convention. The banner reads "Rescue Unborn Children," with the letters R-N-C in red. Planned Parenthood advocates are expected to take part in some actions around Cleveland. Stars react to nominations for the 68th Emmy Awards Stars react to Thursday's 68th Primetime Emmy nominations: ___ "I did not expect it, and I wasn't going to sit around expecting it. I was going to carry on with my life because we're in the second season here of a really off-beat show." "Better Call Saul" star Bob Odenkirk, who was walking his dog when he found out he was up for leading actor in a drama series. In this image released by Netflix, Ellie Kemper appears in a scene from "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." The program was nominated for outstanding comedy series on Thursday, July 14, 2016. Kemper was also nominated for outstanding actress in a comedy for her role. The 68th Primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. (Eric Liebowitz/Netflix via AP) ___ "We celebrated by opening a bottle of Dom Perignon with a sword. It's called sabrage. It got half a bottle of champagne all over my office furniture, but it does work." Gareth Neame, executive producer of "Downton Abbey," which is nominated for 10 awards. ___ "I've already won ... a complimentary round-trip flight to Los Angeles, plus accommodations!" Ellie Kemper, up for comedy series lead actress for "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." ___ "I was actually going to meet my wife today, and I forgot that the trash wasn't taken out, so I had to turn around and move the trash cans down to the street. That's when the phone rang." Kyle Chandler on his not-so-glamorous way of learning he was up for a leading actor in a drama for "Bloodline." ___ "I'm driving today from Long Island to Washington, D.C. My father told me to be careful. I told him I definitely wouldn't be falling asleep at the wheel." Michael Kelly, nominated as drama series supporting actor for "House of Cards." ___ "I tried to be as cool as possible." Sterling K. Brown, nominated for supporting limited series actor for "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story." ___ "It looked like a tiny baby infant got a hold of my phone." Sarah Paulson, nominated for leading limited series actresses for "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story," on texting co-star and fellow nominee Sterling K. Brown. ___ "I'm going to the gynecologist, which I think is fitting in a weird way." first-time nominee Marti Noxon for outstanding writing for a drama series for "UnReal." ___ "It was very exciting. I actually ended up over salting my egg because I was so nervous." "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" director Anthony Hemingway on spoiling his breakfast after hearing he was up for outstanding direction for a limited series. ___ "I would have a REGOT because I already have a Razzie for 'Newsies,' but you know, for 'Newsies' you carry that like a badge of honor." "Galavant" composer Alan Menken on the possibility of becoming an EGOT, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. ___ No death penalty for pianist's wife indicted in kids' deaths FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) Prosecutors in Fort Worth won't seek the death penalty if the 32-year-old estranged wife of an internationally known pianist is convicted of capital murder for the deaths of her two young daughters. An attorney for Sofya Tsygankova (tsih-GAN'-koh-vah), Joetta Keane, tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (http://bit.ly/2a1rUtH ) that her client's family and friends are relieved at Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson's decision. A spokeswoman for the prosecutor, Samantha Jordan, said Thursday that Wilson made the decision after reviewing the investigation and circumstances of the slayings. Tsygankova is charged with suffocating 1-year-old Michaela Kholodenko (koh-loh-DEHN'-koh) and 5-year-old Nika Kholodenko March 17 at her home suburban Fort Worth home. Tsygankova, the estranged wife of pianist Vadym (va-DEEM') Kholodenko, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. She's jailed on $2 million bond. ___ Mall reverses decision to ban anti-police brutality T-shirts CHERRY HILL, N.J. (AP) A New Jersey mall that asked a kiosk operator to stop selling anti-police brutality T-shirts that read "This Has to Stop!" is now inviting the vendor to sell the shirts. The Cherry Hill Mall on Tuesday asked the kiosk to stop selling the $20 shirts because they were considered offensive. The shirts feature two stick figures resembling police officers beating a third figure on the ground. The mall announced Wednesday it had reversed its "hasty" decision. Kiosk operators say the shirts were created during an outcry over recent police shootings of black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Falcon Ridge, Minnesota. Lawmaker who survived 2012 double lung transplant dies SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California state Sen. Sharon Runner, who left the Legislature in 2012 after receiving a double lung transplant and three years later made a dramatic return to the Senate, died Thursday, her family said in a statement. She was 62. Runner, a Republican from Lancaster, died at home following respiratory complications. Runner and her husband, George Runner, a member of the state Board of Equalization, were a powerful force in the California GOP. FILE - In this March 19, 2015 file photo, State Sen. Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster, addresses lawmakers at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. Runner, a Lancaster Republican who struggled for years with health problems, died Thursday, July 14, 2016, at home at the age of 62 following respiratory complications, her family and a spokeswoman said in a statement. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) They were the first couple to serve concurrently in the Legislature after Sharon Runner won her husband's Assembly seat in 2002, when he moved up to the Senate. The duo co-authored California's Jessica's Law, approved by voters in 2006 to restrict sex offenders from living near parks, schools and other places where children congregate. Sharon Runner often called herself "the funner Runner" compared with her more serious husband. She was absent from the Legislature for much of this year after her health again took a turn for the worse, and she had opted not to seek re-election this year. "We take comfort in the fact that the Lord truly directed her path, and she is now home in the arms of her Savior," Runner's family said in their statement. Sen. Joel Anderson, R-Alpine, spent the past two years seated next to Runner during floor debates and remembers her as an optimist who never backed down at the Capitol or in life. "She had a very soft manner about her. But she was tough as nails and a real fighter," Anderson said. "Health-wise, the odds were against her, but she fought." Before embarking on their political careers, the Runners co-founded Desert Christian Schools, which has grown to three campuses with nearly 1,700 students. Sharon Runner was a conservative who served in the state Assembly from 2002 to 2008. She was elected to the Senate in 2011 but did not seek re-election in 2012 after her transplant. She was treated for limited scleroderma, or CREST syndrome, an autoimmune condition that attacks the body's connective tissue. After recovering, she won a special election last year and returned to the Senate. Her bill to allow the governor to cancel a special primary election and declare a candidate elected if there is only one qualified person on the ballot was sent to the governor's office for final consideration a day before her death. Runner was a role model for Republican women in politics, said Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, R-Riverbank, who served with Runner on the board of California Women Lead, which helps women run for office. "She was one of the people who caused me to realize, you have to continue to push, to stand up for what you believe in," Olsen said. "She did it, and I think she made it easier for others of us to do the same." With Jessica's Law, the Runners pioneered a strategy for Republicans to influence state policy despite being far outnumbered by Democrats in the Legislature, said Douglas Johnson, a research fellow at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College. They showed that conservatives could start a conversation in the Legislature, then build momentum before going directly to voters with a ballot initiative, he said. "Most of the time, when we talk about political couples historically, the man holds the office and the woman is behind the scenes advising him," Johnson said. "They were not like that. She was often holding office, and they were an equal team." Runner is the first California lawmaker to die in office since Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach, died in 2010, said Alex Vassar, who studies legislative history and runs the One Voter Project website. Following her high-profile illness and recovery, Runner volunteered with organizations committed to increasing organ donations. "It would be a great tribute to her memory for more Californians to sign up to be part of this vital program," Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, said in a statement. ___ Associated Press writer Alison Noon also contributed to this story. Daiquiri contest livens up Havana bar, a Hemingway favorite HAVANA (AP) Happy hour came early Thursday as 10 bartenders from six countries including Cuba, the United States and Canada vied to be crowned "king of the daiquiri" at the storied Old Havana tavern where the drink was born. Salsa music blared in the morning at El Floridita, blenders hummed and a few dozen spectators were on hand to applaud the mixologists when they presented their frothy cocktails, using tongs to finish them off by slipping in colorful straws. Nick Detrich, a 31-year-old from New Orleans, intently eyeballed his whirring blender as he added splashes of rum, explaining afterward that his technique involves "watching it dance" and picking up cues from the texture. "Watching the swirl to make sure that that's uniform, as opposed to just doing one and a half ounces and calling it a day," said Detrich, who runs Cane & Table and two other joints back home along with his partners. "You really learn that drink while you're making it. The rules called for contestants to prepare three traditional rum- and lime-based daiquiris, as well as two of a fruity variant chosen by lots strawberry, mango, pineapple, a greenish mint-infused take known as a "rebelde," or "rebel." Three veteran El Floridita bartenders in bright red blazers and ties sat at the bar as judges, with tasters at a nearby table. Contestants from Argentina, Mexico and Panama also took part. "We are coming together through the mixing of different cocktails," said Mirtha de las Mercedes Gonzalez Salguero, a 21-year-old from Matanzas, Cuba, who was called upon to whip up banana daiquiris as part of her trial. The daiquiri is "a word with deep Cuban roots," she added. El Floridita, which is celebrating its 199th anniversary, is famous as one of the watering holes favored by longtime Havana resident Ernest Hemingway. According to legend he once downed 13 sugarless double daiquiris in a single sitting. Tourists are fond of having their picture taken with a life-size statue of the Nobel Prize-winning author resting its elbow on the bar; each day, employees place a cold one next to it in honor of El Floridita's most famous customer. "To experience any sort of place that's been open for this long, it takes you out of your life in a way, you know?" Detrich said. "It gives you a lot of perspective on, like, for me not just what I do for a living but the passions that I have outside of bartending and literature and things like that." The two-day contest runs through Friday. ___ Former champ Halep back in Bucharest quarterfinals BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) Top-seeded Simona Halep made her way back to the Bucharest Open quarterfinals, surviving a late wobble to advance past Bulgarian qualifier Isabella Shinikova 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday. Halep, making her first appearance in her home event since she won the inaugural tournament two years ago, broke Shinikova early and held on to take the first set. In the second, she clinched on her second match point. Up next will be sixth-seeded Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, who dispatched Polina Leykina of Russia 6-3, 6-2. Second-seeded Sara Errani, last year's runner-up, advanced when her opponent, fellow Italian Francesca Schiavone, retired with a right shoulder injury after both split the first two sets. Harry Belafonte launches social justice music festival NEW YORK (AP) Harry Belafonte will launch a racial and social justice festival in October with the inaugural event featuring appearances and performances from actors Chris Rock and Jesse Williams and musicians John Legend and Common. Belafonte announced Thursday that Sankofa.org , his social justice organization, will put on the "Many Rivers to Cross" music and arts festival on Oct. 1-2 in the Atlanta suburb of Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia. The event will promote advocacy and awareness around urgent human rights issues. Carlos Santana, Dave Matthews, Public Enemy, Danny Glover, Dr. Cornel West, Michelle Alexander and Estelle will also participate in the two-day festival. More performers and entertainers will be announced at a later date. FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2014 file photo, Harry Belafonte arrives at the charity gala Ein Herz fuer Kinder (A heart for children) in Berlin. Belafonte will launch a racial and social justice festival in October and the inaugural event will include appearances and performances from actors Chris Rock and Jesse Williams and musicians John Legend and Common. (AP Photo/Steffi Loos, File) Tickets for the festival go on sale July 29. Belafonte founded Sankofa.org in 2013. ____ Online: United to pay $2.25M fine, won't be charged in flight case United Airlines will pay a $2.25 million fine but won't be charged in connection with a special flight from Newark, New Jersey, that benefited the former head of the agency that runs the airport. United Continental Holdings Inc. said Thursday that it reached a non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorney's office for New Jersey. The agreement was accompanied by a narrative that described how United executives were pressured into adding a flight between Newark Liberty International Airport and Columbia, South Carolina, near where former Port Authority Chairman David Samson and his wife had a vacation home. FILE - In this July 25, 2013, file photo, a United Airlines plane takes off from Newark Liberty International Airport, in Newark, N.J. United Airlines said Thursday, July 14, 2016, it will pay a $2.25 million fine but won't be charged in connection with a special flight from Newark, N.J., that benefited the former head of the agency that runs the airport. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) The executives knew that the route would lose money. They gave it fast-track approval anyway, however, because they were warned that failing to please Samson could hold up a new hangar that United wanted at the Newark airport. The flight was canceled days after Samson resigned in 2014. On Thursday, Samson pleaded guilty to a corruption charge, and a former lobbyist for United, Jamie Fox, was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery. As a result of company and federal investigations, United ousted CEO Jeff Smisek and two other top executives last September. Smisek's replacement, Oscar Munoz, said Thursday that the airline will make sure it acts ethically and gains people's trust. The agreement between United and the U.S. attorney's office calls on the company to cooperate by providing documents and helping prosecutors get statements or testimony from airline employees and directors until all related investigations and prosecutions are closed. It is not clear, however, whether any other individuals will face charges. "Our investigation is largely complete and we continue to cooperate with the government," said United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy. An appendix to the agreement details months of discussions between United executives and the Port Authority about the route. At a September 2011 dinner with four United employees including a "senior executive" from the airline's Chicago headquarters who had power to approve routes, the Port Authority official, who is unnamed but is clearly Samson, mentioned that United should fly between Newark and Columbia, South Carolina. At least one of the United executives understood that the official wanted the route "only because it would be more convenient for him to travel to (his) house in South Carolina," according to the narrative. United studied the route and concluded it would lose money. Two months later, United officials were surprised when their proposal for a new hangar for widebody aircraft at Newark was not on the agenda of the Port Authority board. A lobbyist hired by United to work with the Port Authority reported that the Port Authority official was holding up the hangar approval because the airline had not started Newark-Columbia service. According to the narrative, United's "senior executive" relented and decided to start the new route without following the airline's usual process for such a move. The "senior executive" was Smisek, according to a person familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the executives were not identified by name in the narrative. United flew the route twice a week for about 17 months, losing money on it. Man accused of stealing car with kids inside enters plea SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) A man accused of carjacking a vehicle with two children inside and then leading good Samaritans on a short chase has pleaded not guilty in Southern California to charges including kidnapping and child cruelty. The Sun newspaper says (http://bit.ly/29ykuxi ) 21-year-old Steven Young was arraigned in a San Bernardino courtroom Wednesday. The kids' mother jumped onto the hood when she saw the car being driven away from a convenience store where she had stopped and left the engine running Sunday night. The woman landed on the pavement and watched helplessly as the car sped off carrying her two babies a boy and a girl. Young was arrested after crashing nearby. The children were unhurt. Described by police as a transient, Young is due back in court July 21. ___ Veteran BP lobbyist named new Michigan environmental chief LANSING, Mich. (AP) A former BP lobbyist who Gov. Rick Snyder says has good crisis management skills will lead Michigan's environmental agency in the wake of fallout from the Flint water crisis, a move that drew criticism Thursday because of her ties to the company responsible for the disastrous 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Heidi Grether of Williamston will become Department of Environmental Quality director, effective Aug. 1, barring any unlikely objection from the Republican-controlled Senate. She has been the deputy director of the Michigan Agency for Energy for more than a year. She previously worked at BP for about 20 years, mostly as state government affairs director, before managing external affairs in the Gulf after the oil spill. She formerly was a legislative aide in the Michigan Legislature. "Heidi has decades of experience in environmental quality issues, and has effectively served during times of crises and recovery," Snyder said in a written statement. "Her expertise in delivering good customer service from a large organization will be of great value as we continue working to reinvent the department and act more proactively to address issues that arise." The DEQ has been deemed primarily responsible for the lead-tainted tap water emergency that began when Flint's source was switched in 2014 while under state management. Director Dan Wyant and his communication director resigned in December, another manager was fired and two regulators were charged with crimes. The interim director, Keith Creagh, whom Snyder credited for stepping in during a "very challenging time," will return to his post as director of the Department of Natural Resources. The Republican governor's selection was criticized by environmental groups, a liberal advocacy organization, the state Democratic Party and a group of Flint activists, who have accused the administration of bending to business or other interests at the expense of protecting public health. "The director of the DEQ should have a track record of protecting our environment, not lobbying for big oil to pollute our air, land and water," said Mike Berkowitz, legislative and political director for the Sierra Club's Michigan chapter. Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said Grether "faces a steep climb in restoring trust that the MDEQ will have a culture of putting the public's health first." At the energy agency, Grether managed the state's response federal requirements for reducing carbon emissions from power plants. The state, which had said it was on track to comply with the rules, suspended its plan in February after the U.S. Supreme Court put the regulations on hold until legal challenges are resolved. Grether has bachelor's and master's degrees from Michigan State University. ___ Governors descend on Iowa to focus on policy, not politics DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) For a change, governors will get to see Iowa without campaigning for the White House. Half the nation's governors are expected in Des Moines for the summer meeting of the National Governors Association, which began Thursday and runs through the weekend. The states' top executives are expected to discuss a range of policy challenges, including the opioid crisis, international trade, relations between law enforcement and minorities, and cybersecurity threats. Still, presidential politics will be in the air as the two leading candidates get closer to choosing a running mate. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence had been expected to attend the meeting, but it was unclear whether he would as he emerged as one of the top candidates to be Donald Trump's vice presidential pick. A women walks through the hall before the start of the National Governors Association meeting, Thursday, July 14, 2016, in Des Moines, Iowa. Half of the nation's governors are expected in Des Moines for the summer meeting, which begins Thursday and runs through Sunday. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor who is scheduled to speak during the meeting Saturday, is not denying speculation that he is being considered by Hillary Clinton. Iowa is best known politically for its first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, which draws scores of candidates every four years. This weekend's gathering gives Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad a chance to showcase other aspects of the state, after he lobbied to host the meeting to coincide with his recent milestone of becoming the longest-serving governor in the nation's history. Branstad was first elected in 1982 and, after a break from politics, is now in the middle of his sixth term. Governors will get a lesson on the history of the caucuses, hear about how the state's farmers help feed the world, and even have a taste of the famous Iowa State Fair. The Iowa theme will extend to speakers that include Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. Some of the expected attendees, such as Republican Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, already are well-acquainted with the state from earlier presidential campaigns. For others, "this is an opportunity to enjoy Iowa hospitality and not have to run for president," Utah Gov. Gary Herbert joked Wednesday as he boarded a plane for the event. Herbert, a Republican and the outgoing NGA chair, said governors will use the meeting to showcase programs that work in their states, which he says contrast with the dysfunction in Washington, D.C. He said governors also hope to lay the groundwork to have a "seat at the table" with whoever is the next president. The governors have a weighty policy agenda to discuss. Governors met privately Thursday at Camp Dodge, home of the Iowa National Guard, where several federal leaders briefed them on military and homeland security initiatives. Throughout the week, governors are expected to privately discuss the relationship between minorities and police following the fatal shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota and of five officers in Dallas by a sniper. Governors face a difficult balancing act because they are in charge of state police forces yet face pressure to respond to constituents' concerns about racial bias. "I am sure they will be talking about the concerns, the tragedies, the violence, the importance of mutual respect," NGA executive director Scott Pattison said. On Friday, a bipartisan group of governors is expected to call for the passage of the Trans Pacific Partnership, a proposed trade deal that has been widely criticized as bad for workers during the presidential campaign. They will be joined by U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and representatives of industries who say the deal would open up markets for their products and create jobs. Governors from Japan also are expected to weigh in during a panel discussion. Later Friday, the governors are expected to hear from experts about the epidemic in which dozens of Americans die daily from overdoses of pain relievers, heroin and other opioids. Nearly all of the governors signed a compact this week in which they committed to taking action to reduce the overprescribing of prescription drugs, raising awareness about the problem and promoting treatment for those already addicted. On Saturday, the association will kick off a yearlong focus on cybersecurity designed to help states stop hackers and protect the sensitive personal information they maintain on citizens, from tax records to health records. That is an initiative promoted by the incoming NGA chairman, Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia. He said his state has faced 53 million attempted cyberattacks already this year. Prosecutor won't charge officer who shot prom attacker MADISON, Wis. (AP) A Wisconsin police officer who shot and killed a teenager who had opened fire on students with a semi-automatic rifle as they left their high school prom will not face criminal charges. Langlade County Special Prosecutor Galen Bayne-Allison has decided not to charge the officer involved in the April 23 shooting outside Antigo High School in northern Wisconsin, the state Department of Justice announced Thursday. The statement did not say why Bayne-Allison decided not to pursue charges against Antigo police officer Andrew Hopfensberger Jr. Asked in a phone interview about his rationale, Bayne-Allison referred a reporter to a memo he wrote on July 8 in which he concludes that use of deadly force was reasonable. The officer saw Jakob Wagner open fire on the prom-goers, saw him advance toward them with a rifle raised and heard the students yelling for help. The prosecutor added that Wagner pointed the gun at Hopfensberger. "Hopfensperger's use of force is privileged and the death of Wagner, no matter how unfortunate it may have been, is not a crime," Bayne-Allison wrote. Antigo police said in a statement Thursday that Hopfensberger returned to active duty on July 8, the same day Bayne-Allison issued the memo. Wagner, 18, dressed in black and camouflage pants, slung a rifle over his back in a guitar case, and rode his bike to the prom around 11 p.m. He shot 18-year-old student Collin Cooper in the leg and a bullet grazed the thigh of Cooper's date as they were leaving the prom. Hopfensberger happened to be in the school parking lot with a drug-sniffing dog as Wagner began shooting. He warned Wagner to drop his gun but Wagner pointed it at him. The officer then fired three times as he approached Wagner, killing him. The investigator report reveals new details about Wagner's mindset leading up to the shooting. Wagner's grandparents told investigators he had been bullied since middle school, the shooting occurred about a month after his girlfriend broke up with him and that Wagner had recently threatened to kill himself. His grandparents, whose names were marked out, also told investigators that the bullying was so intense during Wagner's sophomore year of high school he was allowed to leave early to escape his tormentors, he avoided using the school bathroom because he was "tortured" there and he sometimes was chased down the street by bullies. Wagner bought the high-powered rifle used in the attack at a local gun show two weeks before the shooting. A few days before the shooting he posted pictures online from firearms magazines. Wagner's ex-girlfriend reveals that she told police he stopped eating for a while after they broke up and that she knew he had purchased a gun shortly before the attack. After buying the gun, Wagner posted April 9 on Facebook that he "expressed my inner American today and bought a rifle. I'm proud of myself." ___ Associated Press writer Todd Richmond contributed to this report. ___ Vermont city board questions plan to host Syrian refugees MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) The mayor of Rutland, Vermont, said Thursday that he's confident the city will win federal approval to host Syrian refugees despite the city board of aldermen's misgivings. The board of aldermen voted 7-3 last week to send a letter to the U.S. State Department saying a significant part of the community has grown anxious about the refugee resettlement program and that the board could not support the proposal due to a lack of information to address questions and concerns. It's tearing the community apart, said board member Gary Donahue, who said he has no problem with refugees settling in the community but also has neighbors yelling at him about his position. "I think there's a lot of fear that goes on on both sides. Fear that these people will bring problems that we can't solve here and a fear that we're going to be looked on as a pack of bigots and that's not the case at all," he said. Mayor Christopher Louras announced in April that he and others had been working with the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program to prepare the city to accept 25-30 families or 100 refugees, the first arriving in October. He said Thursday that if there had been a citywide vote, he's confident a majority would have supported refugee resettlement. Some board members think Louras acted secretively and outside his authority as mayor in making the decision to pursue Rutland as a resettlement site without consulting with and getting the approval of the board first. Others want answers to questions from local residents. In a close vote, the board also had nixed the possibility of a citywide vote on the issue. The U.S. Department of State said Thursday that it expects to make a decision about the Rutland proposal and others from around the country within two to three months. The potential resettlement could possibly continue in future years until the Rutland reaches its capacity of housing, jobs and English language learning at schools, Louras said. He hopes that means more than 25 families move to the city. Alderman Tom DePoy doesn't think Rutland has the infrastructure or ability for it. But the president of the board of alderman thinks sending the letter to the U.S. Department of State was a big mistake that will backfire on a city that is trying to attract jobs, retain its young people, and attract new people. "Given all the challenges that we face, the last thing we want to do is end up labeling ourselves the most unwelcoming community in Vermont," William Notte said. "And I believe the board's letter is in danger of doing just that to us." ____ Newspaper: Student accused of assault baked bread as penance EXETER, N.H. (AP) An elite New Hampshire prep school says it has "grave concern" about the reported assault of a female student and the way it in which it was initially resolved: with the male student accused of groping her having to bake bread for her as an act of weekly "penance." The Boston Globe reported Wednesday the 17-year-old girl told two Phillips Exeter Academy deans in the fall about her allegations. She later met with a campus minister, the Rev. Robert Thompson, and the boy. Thompson urged her to reconcile with the student and having him do "penance" by bringing her weekly batches of his bread, which he baked and sold on campus, the newspaper reported. The girl first agreed to the arrangement, but eventually felt additional stress by seeing the student every week, the Globe reported. She went to police in May. The male student, Chukwudi Ikpeazu, 18, of Parkland, Florida, is scheduled to be arraigned on a misdemeanor sexual assault charge on Aug. 16. His attorney declined to comment to the Globe and did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press on Thursday. Phillips Exeter spokeswoman Robin Giampa said in statement Thursday that "this incident and the manner in which it was handled, which left one of our students feeling that she was not well served, are both of grave concern to the leadership of the school." She added: "This case is in the hands of legal authorities who are still investigating, and we don't yet have all the facts. As a result, we cannot comment further, other than to say we approach this investigation with humility, openness and a sincere desire to improve." Exeter Police Chief Bill Shupe said his department is working with the Rockingham County Attorney's office on "all aspects of the investigation." The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests has called for Thompson to be fired, saying he made "an arrogant, self-serving and perhaps illegal decision to stay silent about a sexual assault and take it upon himself to fashion a ridiculous agreement that minimized the horror" experienced by the girl. Thompson didn't immediately return a phone message left Thursday. The Portsmouth Herald reported that hundreds of alumni have signed an open letter to the school's board of trustees that says the administration is "more focused on concealing sexual assault than on addressing it, more interested in favorable press coverage than in the health of its students." Obama, Mexican president to meet at White House on July 22 WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto (PAYN'-yuh nee-EH'-toh) will meet at the White House later this month. The White House announced Pena Nieto's July 22 visit on Thursday, a few weeks after they met last month in Canada at a summit of North America's leaders. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also attended the summit. Christie ally guilty, squeezed airline for route to 2nd home NEWARK, N.J. (AP) A political mentor of Gov. Chris Christie who headed the agency that oversees New York City-area airports admitted Thursday that he used his position to get United Airlines to run direct flights to South Carolina so that he could easily visit his vacation home. David Samson, the Republican governor's appointee to lead the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, pleaded guilty to a bribery charge, acknowledging that he schemed with a lobbyist to delay approvals on a project as a way of pressuring the airline to re-launch the money-losing flight. The ex-lobbyist, Jamie Fox, was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, but his lawyer said he would fight the charges. Fox, a Democrat, went on to work for Christie as the state's transportation commissioner after ending his work for United. David Samson, center, former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey chairman, leaves Federal Court after a hearing Thursday, July 14, 2016, in Newark, N.J. Samson pleaded guilty Thursday to using his post to get United Airlines to run direct flights to South Carolina so that he could more easily visit his vacation home.(AP Photo/Mel Evans) Samson and Fox "both should have known better. They both did know better," U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said. "It was an unacceptable abuse of public authority." Fishman also announced that United would pay a $2.25 million fine for the role its officials played in the scheme. United's then-CEO, Jeff Smisek, and two other executives left the airline last year after United conducted its own investigation. None of them has been charged with any criminal wrongdoing. The company said in a statement that it accepted responsibility for certain conduct that led to the flight and agreed to "continue to enhance its compliance, anti-bribery and anti-corruption program policies and procedures." A spokesman for Christie Fishman's predecessor and the leader of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's transition team didn't return a call or email seeking comment. The governor has now seen five close allies or high-level appointments either be indicted or plead guilty to federal charges. Samson, who served as New Jersey's attorney general in 2002 and 2003, led the governor's transition team in 2009, and Christie appointed him to the Port Authority chairman's post in 2011. Samson admitted that he conspired with Fox to pressure United to reinstate the "chairman's flight" to Columbia, South Carolina, not far from Samson's vacation home in Aiken, by removing from a board agenda discussion of a hangar that United wanted at Newark Liberty International Airport, Fishman said. Around the same time, Chicago-based United was also pressing for concessions from the agency, including rent reductions and a commuter rail-line extension that would connect the airport directly to lower Manhattan. "I hope they dance to my tune---let me know if there's a way to keep the pressure on this issue: it will save me a lot of heartache," Samson wrote in one email to Fox released by prosecutors. United at first declined to renew the route because it was a money loser but then did because of the pressure, prosecutors said. Samson took the flight, which left Thursday evening and returned Monday morning, 27 times between October 2011 and January 2014. United ended the flights three days after Samson resigned in March 2014 in the wake of the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal that led to criminal charges against three other Christie allies. Samson wasn't charged in the bridge investigation, in which the Christie allies were accused of closing lanes leading to the bridge to exact revenge against a politician. But an email from a Port Authority official to a Christie aide, both of whom were later charged, described Samson "helping to retaliate" after Port Authority executive director Patrick Foye ordered the lanes reopened. The bridge investigation, combined with an earlier audit that called the Port Authority "challenged and dysfunctional," trained a spotlight on the powerful agency and eventually led to questions about Samson's interactions with United Airlines. "It undermines the already eroded confidence the public has that government is being operated for their benefit," said New Jersey Assemblyman John Wisniewski, a Democrat who helped lead an investigative committee that investigated the bridge case. "The governor is either a bad judge of character when it comes to making high level appointments or is not as forthcoming as he'd like us to believe." Prosecutors will recommend that Samson get a sentence of probation to 24 months behind bars under a plea agreement. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 20. Samson left the courthouse after posting $100,000 bond and surrendering his passport. Fox's attorney Michael Critchley said his client would never jeopardize his reputation by engaging in illegal behavior and that the flight discussion was part of an arrangement that he thought was appropriate. ___ Associated Press writer Maryclaire Dale, in Philadelphia, contributed to this story. United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey Paul Fishman speaks during a news conference in Newark, N.J., Thursday, July 14, 2016. The U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey has been investigating whether David Samson, a political mentor to Republican Gov. Chris Christie, wrongfully used his Port Authority of New York and New Jersey post to get United Airlines to provide direct air service to South Carolina in 2014 to make it easier to get to his vacation home. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey Paul Fishman speaks during a news conference in Newark, N.J., Thursday, July 14, 2016. The U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey has been investigating whether David Samson, a political mentor to Republican Gov. Chris Christie, wrongfully used his Port Authority of New York and New Jersey post to get United Airlines to provide direct air service to South Carolina in 2014 to make it easier to get to his vacation home. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Paul Fishman, United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, speaks during a news conference in Newark, N.J., Thursday, July 14, 2016. The U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey has been investigating whether David Samson, a political mentor to Republican Gov. Chris Christie, wrongfully used his Port Authority of New York and New Jersey post to get United Airlines to provide direct air service to South Carolina in 2014 to make it easier to get to his vacation home. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Attorney Justin Walder hands out a statement to reporters after his client David Samson, former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey chairman, appeared in Federal Court Thursday, July 14, 2016, in Newark, N.J. Samson pleaded guilty Thursday to using his post to get United Airlines to run direct flights to South Carolina so that he could more easily visit his vacation home. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) David Samson, former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey chairman, gets into a car as he leaves Federal Court after a hearing Thursday, July 14, 2016, in Newark, N.J. Samson pleaded guilty Thursday to using his post to get United Airlines to run direct flights to South Carolina so that he could more easily visit his vacation home.(AP Photo/Mel Evans) Threat made to African-American museum in Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA (AP) Authorities are investigating a threatening letter sent to the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Police said the letter was sent anonymously and threatened violence to the museum during the Democratic National Convention, which begins July 25. The museum is located in what's known as America's most historic square mile. The neighborhood is also home to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Police declined to comment on the letter's details and whether any threat had been deemed credible. Officers met with museum personnel Thursday and are investigating. On the eve of the convention, the museum is scheduled to host an event celebrating the four-day convention and the museum's 40th anniversary. The Latest: Dad of California man shot by police files claim FRESNO, Calif. (AP) The Latest on the police shooting of an unarmed 19-year-old Central California man (all times local): 3:15 p.m. The father of an unarmed 19-year-old man shot and killed by police in Fresno, California, seeks payment from the city for his son's death. In this image made from a June 25, 2016, police body-camera video released by Fresno Police Department, a police officer points a gun towards Dylan Noble showing his back next to his pickup truck as the officer moves towards Noble walking away from the officer in Fresno, Calif. Fresno police on Wednesday, July 13, released body-camera video of officers fatally shooting Noble, 19-year-old man who ignored repeated commands to stand still and show his hands. (Fresno Police Department via AP) Darren Noble filed a claim Thursday saying a culture of lax discipline in the Fresno police department led officers to needlessly kill his son. Officers shot Dylan Noble, who is white, on June 25 during a traffic stop. They later learned he was unarmed. Police Chief Jerry Dyer has released officers' body-camera video that shows Noble defying repeated shouts from officers to show his hands, or be shot. The father's attorney, Warren Paboojian, says police should have used a stun gun or canine, rather than deadly force. The city attorney's office and a police spokesman declined to comment. Noble's mother has filed a similar a claim. --- 11:52 p.m. Despite demands that he show both hands and that he would be shot, a 19-year-old California man kept a hand behind his back and walked toward police. According to dramatic and graphic body-camera video newly released by police, officers then shot him four times. Police Chief Jerry Dyer says it turned out Noble was unarmed and had only a small, empty plastic container with an unknown purpose in his hand. But the chief says officers had no way of knowing since he refused to cooperate. One officer shot him twice as Noble yelled that he hates his life. He was still moving his arms, and officers were still shouting for him to stop, as he lay on the ground. Another shot from the same officer and a fourth from a second officer finally made him stop. EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - In this image made from a June 25, 2016, police body-camera video released by Fresno Police Department, a police officer points a gun at Dylan Noble after he shot him in Fresno, Calif. Whether Noble was dead in this video was unknown. Fresno police on Wednesday, July 13, released body-camera video of officers fatally shooting Noble, 19-year-old man who ignored repeated commands to stand still and show his hands. (Fresno Police Department via AP) EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - In this image made from a June 25, 2016, police body-camera video released by Fresno Police Department, a police officer points a gun at Dylan Noble, back left, in Fresno, Calif. Fresno police on Wednesday, July 13, released body-camera video of officers fatally shooting Noble, 19-year-old man who ignored repeated commands to stand still and show his hands. (Fresno Police Department via AP) BP estimates cost of 2010 Gulf oil spill at $61.6 billion NEW ORLEANS (AP) Oil giant BP PLC has put a final price tag on what its catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil spill cost the company, and it's a hefty sum: $61.6 billion. The company issued the estimate Thursday, the first time it has put a total cost on the catastrophe. BP said it expects to spend a total of $44 billion after tax deductions are factored in. The new estimate included $5.2 billion in new pre-tax costs. In 2010, one of the company's deep-sea wells blew out off the coast of Louisiana, leading to the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. Eleven rig workers were killed in the explosions and millions of gallons of oil spewed into the Gulf for 87 days. BP said the cost estimate included all "remaining material liabilities." The company has settled the majority of the claims filed against it by companies, local, state and federal governments and individuals, such as scores of fishermen. It said its new pre-tax $5.2 billion cost estimate covers "all outstanding business and economic loss claims" stemming from litigation filed by individuals and companies. In April, a federal judge approved a $20 billion settlement over economic and environmental damage between BP and state and federal governments, one of the largest corporate penalties in U.S. history. "Importantly, we have a clear plan for managing these costs and it provides our investors with certainty going forward," Brian Gilvary, BP's chief financial officer, said in a news release. The cost estimate was not far from what was expected, analysts said. Children suspected of having diabetes 'should see specialist immediately' GPs who suspect a child has diabetes should send them to hospital on the same day, a watchdog has said. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) issued new guidance saying children and young people should see a specialist immediately if a GP suspects the condition. Every week 4,500 people are diagnosed with diabetes across the UK, and t here are more than four million people living with the condition. A nurse carries out a diabetes test Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body cannot produce insulin. It affects one in 10 people with diabetes and usually occurs in children or young adults. Type 2 diabetes happens when the body does not produce enough insulin and is linked to lifestyle factors such as being obese. Diabetes can lead to serious consequences such as sight loss, limb amputation, kidney failure and stroke. In the new guidance, Nice said GPs should refer children to hospital on the same day if they suspect they have Type 1 or 2. Latest figures show there are more than 500 youngsters living with Type 2 in England and Wales. Around 26,400 children and young people have Type 1 diabetes. The guidance says those with Type 1 should also be offered intensive insulin therapy to help them keep blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible. Professor Gill Leng, deputy chief executive of Nice, said: "Type 1 and T ype 2 diabetes can be a very difficult disease to manage for children and young people and their families, with a huge impact on their daily lives." She added: "We know that reaching and maintaining near normal blood glucose levels is difficult, but it reduces the tissue damage caused by high blood glucose, and so may avoid the long-term health problems caused by diabetes. "Diabetes teams should provide all the help that children and young people need to stay as healthy as possible, including psychological support through access to mental health professionals with an understanding of diabetes." 5 things Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers must change after Lincoln Red Imps shock Brendan Rodgers' first game as Celtic boss ended in some embarrassment as his side lost 1-0 to Lincoln Red Imps in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier at the Victoria Stadium in Gibraltar. Here, Press Association Sport looks at five things the Hoops manager will need to change. 1. Cut the squad Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers faces some challenges The Celtic squad is still too big and a clear-out is required. Rodgers has only brought in Moussa Dembele and four strikers have left but players like Scott Allan, Emilio Izaguirre and new boy Kristoffer Ajer were not even on the bench in Gibraltar with Gary Mackay-Steven, Kris Commons, Stefan Johansen, Dedryck Boyata and Jozo Simunovic out through injury. Returning loanees such as Liam Henderson and Darnell Fisher also sat in the Victoria Stadium stand. 2. Bring in new faces While needing to prune his squad, Rodgers also needs to bring more quality in and a 'big name' would help appease the Hoops fans who are looking for marked improvement from the Ronny Deila era. 3. Find a reliable centre-back pairing In the absence of the injured Boyata and Simunovic and with out-of contract Charlie Mulgrew still in talks over a new deal, Erik Sviatchenko and Efe Ambrose were the centre-back pairing against Lincoln Red Imps. Sviatchenko is not the fastest and the error-prone Ambrose continues to cause uncertainty and struggled at the goal. 4. Inject pace Notwithstanding the dreadful artificial surface at the Victoria Stadium, too often Celtic's play going forward was laboured, allowing the home side to get back and stifle their attacks. James Forrest provided some pace when he came on but his contract expires at the end of the year, while Patrick Roberts was not used. 5 Keep Leigh Griffiths in the centre Unite calls for mandatory re-selection of Labour MPs Tensions in the Labour Party escalated further as the Unite union called for the mandatory re-selection of all MPs. Delegates at the union's conference in Brighton passed a motion demanding the controversial move which MPs opposed to embattled leader Jeremy Corbyn fear would be used to launch a purge against them. The union also overwhelmingly voiced support for Mr Corbyn as he faces attempts to try to oust him. Unite are backing Jeremy Corbyn The move came as the party confirmed that the winner of the leadership contest triggered by challenges to Mr Corbyn from Angela Eagle and Owen Smith would be announced on September 24. Nominations for the election close on July 20, and there is a two day window between July 18 to 20 for people to pay 25 to register to vote in the contest, with ballot papers being mailed from August 22. The leadership battle has already been mired in controversy even before it has officially started with the party's governing National Executive Committee deciding at a tense meeting to automatically allow Mr Corbyn to go on the ballot paper without requiring the nominations of 51 MPs and MEPs that challengers must obtain. The decision is being challenged in the High Court by Labour donor Michael Foster who wants it overturned. "It's about the rule of law. There were three bits of legal advice from different QCs, all of which were contrarian and none of the people in the room were unbiased in the view of that advice. The advice that was taken was certainly not given the expert consideration that it would receive from a High Court judge and everyone in the room had a different political agenda," he told the BBC. Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said: "This legal challenge is very unhelpful and destabilising to the Labour Party." The row came as Labour's crisis was laid bare in a poll which found a majority of Britons believe the party needs a new leader before the next general election and remain unconvinced by Mr Corbyn or challenger Ms Eagle. Two thirds (66%) believe Labour needs to change its leader before the 2020 general election, up from 42% in October, in a sign of growing discontent with Mr Corbyn's leadership. That includes a majority of Labour voters, with 54% backing a change against 41% who want Mr Corbyn to remain in place, according to the Ipsos Mori poll. To compound matters for the party, only 23% think the current leader has what it takes to be prime minister, with even less (21%) agreeing Ms Eagle would make a good PM. The poll was conducted before former shadow work and pensions secretary Owen Smith joined the leadership race. Hiddleston: My romance with Taylor Swift is not a publicity stunt Tom Hiddleston has said his relationship with Taylor Swift is "not a publicity stunt". The British actor has enjoyed a whirlwind romance with the US pop star, with the two taking trips together to Rome and Australia. He also attended a July 4 party at her house in Rhode Island, where he was pictured wearing an "I heart T.S." t-shirt. The relationship has attracted some critics, who argued that it could be a publicity stunt. Tom Hiddleston and Taylor Swift are an item But Hiddleston, 35, told the Hollywood Reporter: "Well, um. How best to put this? The truth is that Taylor Swift and I are together, and we're very happy." He added: "That's the truth. It's not a publicity stunt." Swift, 26, split from her boyfriend of 15 months, DJ Calvin Harris, shortly before she was pictured with Hiddleston. The actor, who is currently filming Thor: Ragnarok, is nominated for an Emmy for his role in the popular BBC series The Night Manager. FIFA president Gianni Infantino set for ethics committee interview - BBC FIFA president Gianni Infantino will be interviewed by a senior figure from the world governing body's ethics committee over allegations he breached its code of ethics, it was reported on Thursday. According to the BBC, Infantino will meet with Robert Torres from the ethics committee, who also serves as chief justice of the supreme court of Guam, as part of a preliminary investigation into issues including potential conflicts of interest and expenses claims. If the ethics committee concludes there is enough evidence to launch a formal inquiry, Infantino could be suspended for up to 90 days. Gianni Infantino has been FIFA president since February Infantino, who replaced Sepp Blatter in the top job in February and promised to "restore the image and respect of FIFA", strongly denies the allegations. A FIFA spokesperson told BBC Sport: "The FIFA president has stated publicly he fully respects the independence and work of the ethics committee and that he would provide, if required, whatever information necessary to facilitate any potential review by the committee. "The president has made clear that he has acted appropriately and in accordance with FIFA's code of ethics." Air strikes kill 24 in rebel-held Syrian towns - monitoring group BEIRUT, July 13 (Reuters) - At least 12 people were killed in air strikes on the rebel-held western Syrian town of Rastan on Wednesday, a local doctor and a monitoring group said, despite a government-declared nationwide temporary truce. The British-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, also said another 12 people were killed in rebel-controlled Ariha, north of Rastan, including three children. Pictures from Ariha showed "White Helmet" rescue workers lifting slabs of broken grey concrete as they searched for survivors in the crumbled wreckage of a building. Syrian government forces, backed by Russia's air force and President Bashar al-Assad's regional allies, said this week they had extended a nationwide "regime of calm" until just before midnight on Thursday. But fighting has continued on several fronts. The doctor in Rastan, about 100 miles (160 km) north of Damascus, said 12 people had been killed in the air strikes and the death toll was likely to rise because many others were seriously wounded. The Observatory put the death toll at 16. Rastan is part of a rebel-held pocket of territory surrounded by government forces. Ariha, further north, is in the rebel-controlled province of Idlib, bordering Turkey. The air strikes came as pro-government forces fought rebels and Islamist factions in the northern city of Aleppo. The rebel half of the city has been effectively cut off for nearly a week after government forces backed by allies including Lebanon's Hezbollah advanced to within a few hundred metres (yards) of the only road into the rebel districts. We have lost a true lesbian pioneer in the passing of Leslie Cohen. Whether opening the first upscale lesbian club Sahara in NYC in 1976 ... Indonesia to execute convicts from Nigeria and Zimbabwe this year-attorney general JAKARTA, July 13 (Reuters) - Indonesia plans to execute this year at least two foreign convicts, one from Nigeria and another from Zimbabwe, the attorney general said on Wednesday. President Joko Widodo has pledged to increase the number of executions this year and next as part of his crackdown on drugs. Asked if there were any foreigners on the list of convicts to be executed, Attorney General H.M. Prasetyo told reporters: "We have foreigners, among them from Nigeria and Zimbabwe." He did not elaborate on the crimes of which they were convicted. Prasetyo added that no convicts from the United States, Europe or Australia were on the list to be executed this year. 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. WFP plans first aid delivery in weeks to Syrian refugees on Jordan border By Magdalena Mis ROME, July 13 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The World Food Programme (WFP) is preparing to make its first aid delivery in weeks to thousands of Syrian refugees stranded on Jordan's northeastern border with Syria, the head of the U.N. agency said on Wednesday. At least 60,000 people, mostly women and children, have been stuck for months in makeshift camps in a no-man's land on the Syrian side of the border, after fleeing central and eastern Syria. International relief workers and refugees said last month they were running out of food after a militant suicide attack prompted the army to shut the area, allowing only water trucks to enter. The WFP said the Jordanian government agreed it could make a one-off aid delivery, possibly next week. "There are black markets selling everything but food is between five and 10 times higher than what you would pay in other parts of the country," Ertharin Cousin, WFP executive director, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. She said many Syrians had used up all their savings to reach the sparsely populated, desert area in hope of crossing the border and lacked money to buy overpriced food. Some were falling ill, she said. "We have had reports of severe dysentery and other illnesses as a result of the challenges with water," she said. Cousin said the WFP did not have access to the camps but relied on village elders to deliver aid, forcing the agency to limit distribution out of fear that food could fall into the hands of smugglers. She said the agency was planning to use drones for the first time to monitor the distribution of aid. "They (Jordanian government) won't allow us to create structures that are necessary for us to screen people for the distribution," Cousin said. "We lack a trusted relationship with the elders, we need to test whether it's going to work and we have to monitor with these drones before we give them more food." She said the planned distribution would include food, hygiene items, blankets and other essentials. On Tuesday, planes believed to be Russian struck one of the camps along Jordan's northeastern border, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more. CIA director says recent attacks in Saudi bear hallmarks of Islamic State WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - CIA director John Brennan said on Wednesday recent attacks in Saudi Arabia bore the hallmarks of Islamic State, and that the militant group was a very serious threat to the kingdom. Suicide bombers struck three cities across Saudi Arabia earlier this month, killing at least four security officers in an apparently coordinated campaign of attacks on the penultimate day of the holy month of Ramadan. Crisis-hit Greece to recruit man's best friend to sniff out tax dodgers ATHENS, July 13 (Reuters) - Greece will be recruiting dogs to sniff out potential tax dodgers trying to take cash out of the crisis hit country, where mass bank withdrawals prompted capital controls last year. In a posting on a government web portal on Wednesday, the Finance Ministry said it would be putting together a team to assess tenders for the provision of dogs tasked with detecting cash. More than 50 billion euros left banks from November 2014 to July last year on fears the country could crash out of the euro, a crisis which culminated in capital controls and a new international bailout for the country. Banking sources estimate that anything between 15 and 20 billion euros is still being hoarded by Greeks outside the banking system. Tax evasion is still thought to be rampant. Venezuela's PDVSA finds procurement fraud in U.S. case CARACAS, July 13 (Reuters) - Venezuela's PDVSA is investigating U.S. allegations of a $1 billion bribery conspiracy involving the state oil company and has found there was fraud in procurement processes, according to a report of its 2015 results. PDVSA, the financial motor of President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government, had previously blasted the Houston court case against two Venezuelan businessmen as part of a smear campaign by opponents trying to link it to corruption. But PDVSA's audited financial statement, published this week, said an internal probe "confirmed the company was a victim of fraud in its process of international procurement." The two businessmen, Abraham Shiera and Roberto Rincon, have pleaded guilty after being arrested last year and charged for conspiring to pay bribes for energy contracts. The indictment said five PDVSA officials received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes made principally in the form of wire transfers but also through mortgage payments, airline tickets and, in one case, whiskey. From 2009 to 2014, more than $1 billion was traced to the conspiracy, according to court documents. As well as Shiera and Rincon, four other individuals have also pleaded guilty in the Houston case, including three former PDVSA officials. PDVSA's report said that because the investigation was continuing "up to now there is no material impact on consolidated financial results." "PDVSA does not tolerate acts of corruption and will continue investigating and acting with the aim of determining responsibilities," it said. Mali World Heritage site in danger - UNESCO DAKAR, July 13 (Reuters) - A World Heritage site in central Mali that features elaborate pre-Islamic mud houses is in danger of deteriorating because it cannot be protected adequately in the face of insecurity, UNESCO said on Wednesday. The Old Towns of Djenne includes four archeological sites with nearly 2,000 houses whose decorative facades have remained intact since the 3rd century B.C. The buildings are among the most famous in Mali, a country that also boasts the ancient town of Timbuktu. The World Heritage Committee said insecurity was preventing measures to safeguard the site against the deterioration of construction materials, urbanization and erosion. Mali faces a threat from Islamist militants, as well as volatile separatist politics in the north. "The Malian government is coping with a lot of challenges," said Edmond Moukala, head of UNESCO World Heritage in Africa, adding concerns were raised when a team visiting the site this year found signs of deterioration. "What is needed right now is to ensure that institutions are in place and receive financial support," he said. A force led by French troops intervened in 2013 to drive back militants who had hijacked an ethnic Tuareg uprising and seized Timbuktu and other towns in the north. In 2012, militants linked to al Qaeda destroyed ancient shrines and tombs in the World Heritage site at Timbuktu. Violence flared this week as the army opened fire on protesters in the northern city of Gao who opposed an interim authority intended to maintain stability in the desert region. Djenne, a market centre and link in the trans-Saharan gold trade, were added to the World Heritage List in 1988. Pro-Brexit campaigner Fox named as British trade minister LONDON, July 13 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May appointed Liam Fox, a pro-Brexit campaigner, as the minister for international trade on Wednesday, her office said. He will be in charge of forging new international trade deals after Britain voted to leave the European Union. Fox, 54, has previously held a string of senior positions in government. He was defence minister from 2010 to 2011 and was previously a minister in the foreign office and held other government roles. New Zealand sets up trust register to curb tax evasion, money laundering By Charlotte Greenfield WELLINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - New Zealand said on Wednesday it will introduce a registry of foreign trusts that local tax and law enforcement agencies could use to investigate suspected money laundering and tax evasion. The registry was recommended after an independent review by accountant John Shewan last month, in the wake of the Panama Papers revelations, who found the trusts were open to being used to hide illicit funds and tax abuse. Professional trust formation agents and lawyers were waiting to see whether the ramped-up disclosure rules would scare off foreign clients who had favoured the trusts for their secrecy. New Zealand has long been identified as offering a trust regime popular with the offshore trust business. The tax department recommended a review of taxation of foreign trusts in 2014, though this did not take place at the time. Finance Minister Bill English said the register would "ensure that our foreign trust disclosure rules are strengthened and New Zealand's reputation is protected." The government will introduce a bill to Parliament in August, requiring the Inland Revenue Department (IR) to establish the registry. Those setting up trusts would have to provide the names, contact details, and tax identification numbers of the settlors and beneficiaries of foreign trusts. "Until we see the bill implementing automatic exchange of information there is a concerning lack of clarity about who will be able to access the proposed register of foreign trusts," said David McLay, a Wellington-based lawyer who specialises in tax law and trust formation. "Until we resolve that lack of clarity we cannot answer the question of whether there will be a loss of trusts from New Zealand." Wellington is currently considering how it would implement rules on exchanging tax details with other countries under the G20-led automatic exchange of information, a global standard to crack down on offshore tax evasion. Currently, New Zealand's tax department could only access information about foreign trusts on request. It has said that it would not entertain "fishing requests" by foreign governments for information. There had been 142 exchanges of information between IRD and foreign tax authorities in 23 countries in the past seven years, Shewan's report said. New Zealand trusts could bring in as much as NZ$50 million in fees a year, with almost 12,000 foreign trusts costing around NZ$4,000 in annual fees, according to lawyers. The value of the trusts is not known. A year after nuclear deal, sanctions still hurt Iran By Amir Handjani July 13 (Reuters) - It has been one year since Iran, the United States and five other world powers reached a landmark deal designed to limit Tehran's nuclear program. In exchange for curbs on its nuclear program, the United Nations lifted all nuclear-related sanctions against Iran, and the EU lifted many bilateral sanctions on Iran's banking and energy sectors. But Iran's economy continues to suffer. For Iran, the deal was the first step toward economic recovery after years of crippling sanctions. Instead, because of unilateral U.S. sanctions on the Iranian economy, Tehran finds itself in the awkward position of having to rely on the United States to lobby other countries and non-American financial institutions to conduct business with it. Iran's political elite have become anxious. Hardliners feel that President Hassan Rouhani's reform-minded administration was duped into accepting concessions on Iran's nuclear program while getting little back in return. Rouhani backers who believed the nuclear deal would usher a new era of economic prosperity have become despondent. With Iranian presidential elections looming next year, the wisdom of the nuclear deal and further dealings with the West will be front and center in the psyche of the Iranian electorate. Aside from strides made in the energy sector, there are few signs that Iranians have received all of the economic benefits of the deal that they had expected. While Tehran has made grand pronouncements of billion dollar contracts signed with Boeing and Airbus, it is unclear how such transactions get financed. And therein lies the biggest hurdle of the nuclear deal: banking and finance. While the deal lifted EU and UN sanctions on Iran's banking and energy sector, unilateral U.S. sanctions on the Iranian economy remain. These sanctions forbid U.S. citizens and companies from conducting most forms of business with Iran, but companies outside the United States are affected as well. Iranian banks and foreign banks that are processing Iran-related transactions are not allowed to deal in U.S. dollars - the global reserve currency. European and Asian conglomerates that would otherwise invest in the Iranian market do not want to run afoul of existing U.S. sanctions, which extend to organizations and individuals with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, who by some estimates, either directly or indirectly control over 40 percent of the Iranian economy. These sanctions make foreign companies responsible for conducting extensive due diligence on their Iranian counterparties. Even if there is unsuspecting contact with entities or individuals on the U.S. Treasury sanctions list, heavy fines can ensue. Additionally, companies can be cut off from conducting business in the United States - the world's largest economy. Such regulations remain a powerful reason for businesses to avoid expanding operations into Iran. Without foreign direct investment and international banks willing to underwrite projects in Iran, the fruits of the nuclear deal will elude the Iranian public. Banking and finance are the arteries of global commerce and investment. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has tried to offer assurances that the United States will not interfere with legitimate commerce between Iran and the rest of the world, but his pledges ring hollow. European banks remain skittish. Over the past decade, BNP Paribas, HSBC, and Deutsche Bank have paid billions of dollars in fines for Iran-related activity. From Iran's perspective, unless the United States takes more concrete steps to make European banks feel confident about engaging in commerce with Iran, the Iranian people will begin to view the nuclear deal as one-sided. If such a narrative begins to take hold, their views of the United States and the nuclear deal will change and a broader rapprochement between Iran and the West will be all but impossible. To be sure, not every aspect of the Iranian economy is suffering. Before the lifting of sanctions in January, Iran was struggling to sell its crude oil as traditional customers like the EU and Asia were either turning away or demanding deep discounts. Iran also had difficulty accessing proceeds of these sales, as Tehran was essentially locked out of the international banking system. Since sanctions were lifted, however, Iran's crude exports have soared. Tehran has doubled exports from a year ago. Iran's old customers in Asia and Europe have slowly returned, and the country's market share of global crude exports has returned to a pre-sanctions level. At the one-year mark of the nuclear deal, much remains unclear. As the United States approaches a general election, the rhetoric surrounding Iran is bound to become more negative. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has been discussing ramping up pressure and sanctions for Iranian activity on its missile program and her Republican rival Donald Trump has been campaigning on scrapping the nuclear deal altogether. Such views have stirred up contempt in Tehran. Three held over murder of another environmental activist in Honduras TEGUCIGALPA, July 13 (Reuters) - Honduran police have arrested three men for the murder of Lesbia Urquia, an environmental activist who fought against hydroelectric and mining projects on indigenous lands in the Central American country, authorities said on Wednesday. Urquia, a colleague of slain Honduran activist Berta Caceres, was found dead with wounds to her head a week ago in the town of Marcala, 62 miles (100 km) west of Tegucigalpa. "Three men suspected of the crime have been arrested, including a brother-in-law of the deceased," said Jorge Galindo, a spokesman for the attorney general's office. The brother-in-law, Manuel Lopez, had threatened to kill Urquia, 49, over a family dispute involving property and was suspected of hiring the other two men to carry out the crime, Galindo said. It was not immediately clear if there was a lawyer who could speak on Lopez's behalf. The Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), where Urquia had worked since 2009, insisted that her death was linked to powerful mining companies. Caceres, another activist and indigenous leader of the COPINH, was murdered in March. Authorities have arrested five people for the murder of Caceres, including an employee from a company behind a hydroelectric dam project she helped block. The company said it had no connection to Caceres' murder. "Like the case of Berta Caceres, authorities said (Urquia's murder) had first been because of a robbery and then attributed it to a crime of passion," COPINH leader Lilian Martinez said. Honduras has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Spring Gate Vineyard A number of wineries will hold events this weekend, but probably none will offer the variety that Spring Gate Vineyard in Lower Paxton Township does this weekend. One of those will be Cruisin to Spring Gate, a wine and beer festival that will run during operating hours from Friday afternoon until Sunday at 6 p.m. It's also planning a hamburger and beer feast from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, a crab and wine feast from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, and the weekend will then be capped by a special premier of Dauphin County Coroner Graham Hetrick's new TV series, 'I Speak for the Dead." That's set to run from 6 to 9:30 Sunday night. For information on tickets and details on the events, go to Spring Gate's website or Facebook page. (Facebook) The free wine tastings at midstate Fine Wine & Good Spirits Stores will cover three days this week rather than two, thanks to Bastille Day. The York store in the shopping center along East Market Street has decided to take advantage of the annual French National Day to holds its free tasting on Thursday and then come back with the same wines during its regular slot on Friday afternoon. Everyone else will stick with their usual schedule and tap into a couple samples from their deep inventory of French wines to mark the occasion. Here's what four of the shops will be pouring. York store, 2547 York Marketplace 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday and 4 to 6 Friday French wines, per wine specialist Patti Meckley Varichon ET Clerc Brut Rose, $13.99. Fruity, silky and tender, this elegant rose is the product of natural fermentation in the bottle. Enjoy it ideally as an aperitif or with a dessert. Methode Traditionelle rose blend of Altesse, Cinsault, Gamay, Molette and Sciacurellu. A fruity sparkling wine, with hints of wild strawberries on the nose and palate. 2011 Roger Peguet Rully Blanc, Burgundy, $17.99. Quoted at $36, chairman's price was $21.99 now reduced to only $17.99! A terrific region for value, high quality Chardonnay. Dominated with green apple, stone, mineral with balanced acidity. Great with Maryland blue crabs or baked chicken with rosemary. 2015 Domaine de la Mordoree Dame Rousse, Tavel, $24.49. The aromas are very complex with flowers, red and white fruits aromas. On the palate the wine is rounded, full-bodied with a long lasting aniseed and fruity finish. Pair with cold cuts, poultry, white meats, grilled meats and fish soup and of course all Asian cuisine. 2011 Baron L'Escat Margaux, Bordeaux, $31.99. This red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot was quoted at $68, chairman's price was $39.99, now reduced to $31.99. Stunning, muscular and rich showing black cherry currant, anise, cassis and red cherry liquor, full integrated tannin with a sweet and long finish. EXCELLENTE! Lemoyne, West Shore Shopping Center 4 to 6 p.m. Friday and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday French wines in honor of Bastille Day, per retail wine specialists Kirt Heintzelman and Rob Eckard Chairman's Selection(r) Remi Niero 2013 Condrieu 'Les Ravines' from Northern Rhone ($31.99), which is 100% Viognier. Quoted at $69.99 at the winery, with their winemaker's notes . . . "Delicate and refined nose of fresh fruits and floral notes. On the palate, it is fresh and well balanced, hints of apricot and a mineral tough to the finish." Steve Pollack, wine buyer for the Chairman's Selection(r) program, says... "Condrieu is a small appellation in the Northern Rhone France producing stunning Viognier, white flowers, peach lemon and stone fruits, great with fish." Chateau Du Petit Thouars 2015 Rose Touraine from Touraine, Loire Valley ($14.99), which is 100 percent Cabernet Franc. The winemaker says . . . "This pleasant rose shows nice red fruit and has a very soft, gentle texture with a pleasant dry finish. Chairman's Selection(r) Domaine Noellat 2013 'Saint Romain' 'Vielles Vignes' from Burgundy (WAS $29.99, NOW $23.99), which is 100% Pinot Noir. Quoted at $42.00 at the winery, with their winemaker's notes . . . "Brilliant ruby red color. The nose offers plenty of fruity aromas (red berries) when young. With age, it takes some spicy and smoky notes. Well balanced and very fresh, the structure shows soft tannins and a good level of acidity that permit it to be drunk young as well as to have a good ageing potential." Luke Ashton, wine buyer for the Chairman's Selection(r) program, says... "From an AOC mainly known for its whites, this Saint-Romain rouge offers a medium-bodied wine that is rich and subtle at the same time. The palate evolves from plums and dark fruits like cherries to spices and smooth tannins that accent the finish." 47888 Clos la Coutale 2013 Cahors from Southwest ($16.99), which is 80 percent Malbec and 20% Merlot. The importer says... "Cahors is known as the "black wine" of the Southwest--the deeply inky, earthy wines that seem to complement the regional fare of duck (and duck fat!) so wonderfully. Cahors is also the birthplace of Cot, the grape more commonly known as Malbec. Over the years, Philippe has tinkered with the house blend to achieve a greater equilibrium. Today, the blend consists of 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot, creating an intense wine that juggles elegant rusticity with everyday drinkability." This has a rating of 85 points from Wine Spectator (Dec 2015) with this review... "Red currant and dried raspberry notes are highlighted by a tangy acidity in this tautly structured red. Herb, savory spice and earth details round out the finish. Drink now." Lancaster store, 558 Centerville Road 4 to 6 p.m. Friday Red blends, per wine specialist David Speakman 2013 Clothilde Davenne Sauvignon de St Bris, $19.99. The wine expresses the variety's flavours and the quality of the terroir. The aromas' complexity with mineral and the grape flavours is well balanced in the nose and in the palate. It is delicious at any time, with seafood, fish or "chevre frais" (goat cheese). Matured vineyard, with 100+ year-old Sauvignon vines. on Kimmeridgien soil in Clous and Lorigny in the vicinity of St Bris. The marly soil of the Kimmeridgian layer develops good structure and ideal water-retention and is easy to cultivate. The hard limestone of the Portlandian contains numerous fossils, fragments and is cracked by frost. This enables aeration of the gentle slopes as well as aiding in drainage. The Aube sub-region of Champagne, Chablis, Tonnerre, and Auxerrois wine areas of northern Burgundy; and the Pouilly, Sancerre and Menetou-Salon wine areas of the Loire Valley are all perched upon Kimmeridgien. -additional reading on Kimmeridgien soil here - http://www.wineguy.co.nz/index.php/81-all-about-wine/732-kimmeridgian-soil . 2012 Domaine Kuentz Bas Alsace Blanc, $12.99. The nose expresses fresh, intense aromas of fresh fruit and white flowers associated with smoky and grilled notes. The palate is fresh, fruity and balanced. The presence of Auxerrois brings body and texture wine. 2014 Gouleyant Cahors, $12.99. Surprising, plump and totally pleasing, this Malbec overdelivers. Pretty violet notes on the nose mingle carefree with black currant; the palate, initially soft leads, into roughened tannins that creep up on the finish. Balanced blackberry fruit with height of summer ripeness on this full-bodied wine go well with spicy steak, long-cooked lamb and pork braises or duck sausages with prunes. "The wines of Cahors were once considered to be some of the finest wines in the world? They were regarded by many as superior to the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy. But like all things cool; one day you're in style and the next day you're not. Fortunately for us, we can still enjoy these absolutely delicious wines at a fraction of the cost of there neighbors to the north in Bordeaux. Made from the Malbec grape it is a much more refined expression than many of its similarly priced counterparts from Argentina. Malbec is traditional to Bordeaux and the Southwest of France where Cahors is found. It is very bright and expressive with notes of stewed berries and a hint of tobacco. Enjoy this classic today." -Astor Wines 2008 Sarget De Gruaud Larose Saint Julien, $39.99. 89 points - Wine Spectator. Ripe and smoky, featuring a bacony edge weaving in and out of notes of espresso, mulled currant, braised fig and bittersweet cocoa. This is still tight on the finish, with a dusty edge holding sway. Best from 2013 through 2018. Harrisburg store, 5070 Jonestown Road 4 to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday Mix of wines, per wine specialist Paul Robertson 2014 Cantina Trexenta Contissa Vermentino, Sardegna, Italy. $11.99. "A bright yellow wine with greenish reflections, typical of Vermentino, with a delicious fruity and floral aroma that is appreciated in the nose and intensified in the palate. Pleasant dry taste with an intense and persistent aftertaste." - Winemaker's notes 2011 Maison Louis Latour Puligny-Montrachet Les Truffieres 1er Cru Burgundy, France, $39.99, quoted at $85.00. "The name comes from the fact that this vineyard was once a truffle bed, high up the slop of Puligny-Montrachet. The wine shows wood, attractive fruitiness and layers of spice and almonds. It is rounded, the soft texture balanced by acidity. Drink from 2016." - 93 Points and a 'Cellar Selection' Wine Enthusiast Online, Sept. 1, 2014 "A rich, broad style, whose flavors of baked apple, honeysuckle and butterscotch are underlined by lemon and mineral elements. Reveals a hint of the seashore. Drink now through 2018." - 90 Points Wine Spectator, Sept. 30, 2014 2012 Jermann Red Angel on the Moonlight Friuli, Italy, $14.99, quoted at $35. "An elegant red, with smoke and woodsy spice underscoring the ripe black cherry and red licorice flavors. Well-knit, featuring light tannins on the spiced finish. Drink now through 2021." - 89 Points Wine Spectator Online, 2016 2012 Reserve des Oliviers Chateauneuf du Pape, Southern Rhone, France, $21.99, quoted at $40. "Similarly styled to the 2013, and highlighting the prettier, perfumed, medium-bodied end of the spectrum, the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape exhibits plenty of sappy herbs, spring flowers and raspberry nuances. Elegant, seamless and nicely focused, drink it over the coming 5-7 years." -- 89+ Points Wine Advocate, February 2015 New British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's forthright comments LONDON, July 13 (Reuters) - Boris Johnson, the popular and flamboyant ex-mayor of London, was on Wednesday appointed Foreign Secretary by new British Prime Minister Theresa May. Well-known for his provocative newspaper columns and undiplomatic language, below are some of Johnson's forthright comments: TURKISH PRESIDENT TAYYIP ERDOGAN POEM (MAY 2016) Earlier this year Johnson won a "President Erdogan Offensive Poetry competition" run by The Spectator magazine. His winning poem about the Turkish leader was: "There was a young fellow from Ankara Who was a terrific wankerer Till he sowed his wild oats With the help of a goat But he didn't even stop to thankera." EU, HITLER AND NAPOLEON (May 2016) In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Johnson said the past 2,000 years of European history had been characterised by repeated attempts to unify Europe under a single government. "Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically," Johnson was quoted as saying. "The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods. But fundamentally what is lacking is the eternal problem, which is that there is no underlying loyalty to the idea of Europe. There is no single authority that anybody respects or understands. That is causing this massive democratic void." "PART-KENYAN" U.S. PRESIDENT OBAMA (April 2016) On the eve of Obama's visit to Britain this year, Johnson wrote the following in an article for the Sun newspaper. "Something mysterious happened when Barack Obama entered the Oval Office in 2009. Something vanished from that room, and no one could quite explain why. "It was a bust of Winston Churchill - the great British war time leader. It was a fine goggle-eyed object, done by the brilliant sculptor Jacob Epstein, and it had sat there for almost ten years. "No one was sure whether the President had himself been involved in the decision. Some said it was a snub to Britain. Some said it was a symbol of the part-Kenyan President's ancestral dislike of the British empire - of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender." "BRAVO FOR ASSAD" (MARCH 2016) Under the headline "Bravo for Assad - he is a vile tyrant but he has saved Palmyra from ISIL" Johnson wrote in his weekly column for the Telegraph newspaper: "I cannot conceal my elation as the news comes in from Palmyra and it is reported that the Syrian army is genuinely back in control of the entire Unesco site. "Hooray, I say. Bravo - and keep going. Yes, I know. Assad is a monster, a dictator. He barrel-bombs his own people. His jails are full of tortured opponents. He and his father ruled for generations by the application of terror and violence - and yet there are at least two reasons why any sane person should feel a sense of satisfaction at what Assad's troops have accomplished. "The first is that no matter how repulsive the Assad regime may be - and it is - their opponents in Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) are far, far worse. "The victory of Assad is a victory for archaeology, a victory for all those who care about the ancient monuments of one of the most amazing cultural sites on Earth." CREDIT TO PUTIN (MARCH 2016) In the same Telegraph column on Assad and Palmyra, Johnson wrote: "It is alas very hard to claim that the success of the Assad forces is a result of any particular British or indeed Western policy. How could it be? We rightly loathe his regime and what it stands for, and for the last few years we have been engaged in an entirely honourable mission to build an opposition to Assad that was not composed simply of ISIL. That effort has not worked, not so far." "It has been Putin who with a ruthless clarity has come to the defence of his client, and helped to turn the tide. If reports are to be believed, the Russians have not only been engaged in air strikes against Assad's opponents, but have been seen on the ground as well. If Putin's troops have helped winkle the maniacs from Palmyra, then (it pains me to admit) that is very much to the credit of the Russians. They have made the West look ineffective; and so now is the time for us to make amends, and to play to our strengths." WORKING WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN (DECEMBER 2015) Under the headline: "Let's deal with the Devil: we should work with Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad in Syria" Johnson wrote in his Telegraph column: "This is the time to set aside our Cold War mindset. It is just not true that whatever is good for Putin must automatically be bad for the West. We both have a clear and concrete objective - to remove the threat from ISIL. Everything else is secondary." U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TRUMP (DECEMBER 2015) After an Trump said defended his plan for a ban on Muslims entering the United States by saying the country needed to be vigilant because parts of London and Paris were now so radicalised they could no longer be policed by officers, who feared for their lives, Johnson responded: "Donald Trump's ill-informed comments are complete and utter nonsense ... The only reason I wouldn't go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump." PICCANINNIES (JANUARY 2002) In a column for the Telegraph about a trip by then prime minister Tony Blair to Africa, Johnson used a derogatory word for black children. "What a relief it must be for Blair to get out of England. It is said that the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies; and one can imagine that Blair, twice victor abroad but enmired at home, is similarly seduced by foreign politeness. Brazil's Usiminas asks banks to extend standstill, sources say By Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Alberto Alerigi Jr SAO PAULO, July 13 (Reuters) - Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA, Brazil's No. 1 listed flat steelmaker, is asking banks to extend a 120-day standstill agreement covering 4 billion reais ($1.22 billion) in loans that expires next week in a bid to conserve cash, four sources said on Wednesday. Usiminas has contacted Itau Unibanco Holding SA, Banco Bradesco SA and state-controlled lenders Banco do Brasil SA and BNDES to stretch out the standstill deadline by between 30 days and 60 days, said the sources, who asked for anonymity to speak about the matter. "Terms of the definitive contracts have yet to be negotiated," said one of the sources. "The initial 120-day period was a tentative one ... normally, a little more time is required to iron out issues such as guarantees and documentation." On June 15, the banks agreed to stretch out Usiminas maturities over the next 10 years with a three-year grace period on the principal. The refinancing, equivalent to 75 percent of the company's debt, is contingent on full approval of a capital injection led by controlling shareholders Techint Group and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. Usiminas, Banco do Brasil and Bradesco declined to comment. Itau and BNDES did not have an immediate comment. Reuters first reported in February that banks and Usiminas were discussing terms of a loan refinancing. Common shares of Usiminas shed 1.4 percent to 7 reais, while preferred shares added 0.9 percent to 2.15 reais on Wednesday. At stake is the survival of Usiminas, which was founded 53 years ago to help supply flat steel for Brazil's thriving auto-making and home appliances industries located in the state of Minas Gerais and neighboring regions in the country's Southeast. Apart from a tempestuous boardroom battle between Techint and Nippon Steel, Usiminas has struggled with rising steel imports and two years of economic contraction in Brazil. Gross debt was 7.4 billion reais at the end of March, up 4 percent from a year earlier. Usiminas has 1.7 billion reais in cash, down 37 percent in the same period. Terms on an additional 1.7 billion reais worth of foreign-denominated debt are being negotiated, the company said in June. ($1 = 3.2890 Brazilian reais) Brazil prosecutors open criminal probe into Samarco CEO RIO DE JANEIRO, July 13 (Reuters) - Brazilian federal prosecutors said on Wednesday they opened an investigation into alleged environmental crimes by Roberto Carvalho, chief executive of iron-ore mining company Samarco Mineracao SA, over a deadly damburst last year. According to a statement released by prosecutors, Samarco, a 50-50 joint venture between Brazil's Vale SA and Australia's BHP Billiton Ltd, has failed to fully implement emergency precautionary measures ordered by Brazil's environmental protection agency Ibama in the wake of the October 2015 tailings dam burst. In what has been billed the worst environmental disaster in Brazil's history, the flood of iron-rich mud killed 19 people, wiped out several towns and polluted hundreds of kilometers (miles) of rivers in Brazil's Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo states. The opening of an investigation is the latest set back for plans to re-open Samarco, restore lost jobs in the region and help it raise cash for an estimated 20 billion real ($6.13 million) clean-up plan. Brazilian prosecutors have attacked the plan, agreed to with the federal government in March, as too small and lacking specifics. Samarco's mine is not expected to reopen before mid 2017. "The omissive acts of the chief executive could be categorized as environmental crimes," the prosecutors said in the statement. Samarco officials did not immediately respond to a request for comments from the company and Carvalho. According to Ibama and the prosecutors, Samarco has failed to properly contain 24.8 million cubic meters (875.8 million cubic feet) of mine tailings -- enough to fill 10,000 Olympic swimming pools -- that remain spread over the disaster area and have not been flushed away by rains or floods. The amount represents more than three quarters of the total amount of muddy mine tailings that spilled out of the broken dam. The containment structures built by Samarco are insufficient, the prosecutors said and will allow 2.8 million cubic meters (98.9 million cubic feet) of muddy tailings to be swept into rivers downstream by as early as March 2017. Of the 11 measures ordered on Samarco by Ibama, four were partially implemented and the rest were totally ignored, prosecutors said. They added that Vale and BHP are considered co-responsible for the disaster as owners of the company. Woodside taps into big oil find off Senegal for growth By Sonali Paul MELBOURNE, July 14 (Reuters) - Australia's Woodside Petroleum is expanding its push into West Africa, agreeing to buy ConocoPhillips' deepwater stakes off Senegal, including one of the world's most promising recent oil finds, for up to $430 million. The move brings a deepwater expert into the SNE field off Senegal and removes uncertainty over its ownership, which may help speed up development of a billion barrel resource that is expected to start producing within the next five years. Australia's FAR Ltd owns 15 percent of the fields and Senegal's state-owned Petrosen holds 10 percent. FAR Ltd Managing Director Cath Norman could not be reached for comment on Thursday, but told reporters on Wednesday that the SNE field could start producing as early as 2019 if plans go ahead for a floating production operation. FAR's shares fell as much as 20 percent on the Woodside announcement, then rebounded slightly to end down 10.7 percent at A$0.075, valuing it roughly in line with the price Woodside agreed to pay for ConocoPhillips' Senegal stake. Woodside shares fell 1 percent. The acquisition includes a 35 percent interest in the 560 million barrel SNE deep water oil discovery and the FAN oil discovery further offshore, with Woodside gaining the option to become operator for development and production of the fields, for what one analyst said was a cheap price. "We are taking advantage of our balance sheet to acquire a world-class asset that fits well with our capabilities, offers significant future upside in exploration and line-of-sight to near term oil production," Woodside Chief Executive Peter Coleman said in a statement. The deal, for $350 million plus payments of up to $80 million, is key for cashed-up Woodside, as it is short of growth prospects after scrapping multi-billion dollar plans to develop gas off Israel, postponing plans to develop the Browse gas project off Australia and being spurned in a takeover offer for Oil Search. "We see the deal pricing as an attractive entry point for Woodside given that the 560 million barrels-plus is relatively well appraised," RBC analyst Ben Wilson said in a note. Woodside has already targeted the area off Senegal for exploration, with a stake in the AGC Profond block in a zone between Senegal and Guinea Bissau. ConocoPhillips flagged last year that it was looking to sell its deepwater exploration stakes and said on Thursday the sale of the Senegal holding was an "important milestone". The fields' operator is currently Britain's Cairn Energy Plc , which owns 40 percent and is looking to sell down its stake to cut its funding obligation for exploration and appraisal. Cairn shares fell by more than 4 percent by 0925 GMT as the implied value of its Senegal asset took a material hit following the deal announcement, according to Jefferies analyst. Peru now ready to destroy coca fields in rebel haven - anti-narcotics chief By Marco Aquino LIMA, July 13 (Reuters) - Peru's anti-narcotics agency Devida said it is now ready to destroy coca plants in a lawless jungle region where most cocaine in the Andean country is produced, urging the incoming government to take action. Peru reduced the area for growing coca, a key ingredient in cocaine, by 6.1 percent to 40,300 hectares (99,583 acres) in 2015, the fourth straight year of cuts as planting surged in neighboring Colombia, according to a report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crimes published on Wednesday. However, the pace of reducing the crop's coverage in Peru slowed from previous years as the government held off on mandatory eradication in a remote Amazonian region known as the VRAEM, home to remnant band of Shining Path rebels. "Today I can say that the conditions are now entirely there for a drastic reduction in the coverage of coca in the VRAEM," Devida chief Alberto Otarola said in a news conference. "No part of Peru should be exempt form the rule of law." Otarola estimated that 78 percent of cocaine produced in Peru comes from the VRAEM, an area about the size of Puerto Rico. The government of outgoing President Ollanta Humala, whose term ends July 28, planned to forcibly destroy coca fields in the VRAEM for the first time in 2014. But it backpedaled on worries about clashes with coca farmers backed by the Shining Path. Peru relies on manual eradication of the plant on the ground, rather than aerial spraying, making it dangerous for workers tasked with destroying the crops when farmers resist. Earlier this year Peru passed a law allowing the military to shoot down planes suspected of carrying drugs, a blow to traffickers who now struggle to find alternate smuggling routes, said Otarola. The resulting glut of coca leaf has cut its price in Peru to $26 per arroba, a unit of measurement equal to 11-12 kilos, said Otarola. "Coca leaf is not good business anymore, because traffickers can no longer fly without consequences," Otarola said. Humala's government has overseen a 36 percent drop in the planting of coca since 2011, said Otarola. As a candidate, President-elect Pedro Pablo Kuczynski promised to stamp out the Shining Path in the VRAEM and nearly halve coca planting to 25,000 hectares by the end of his term in 2021 compared with last year's level. He proposed bringing sorely needed infrastructure to the region and giving coca farmers credit and technical assistance to switch to other crops. China stocks ease as metals, mining shares sag; Hong Kong flat SHANGHAI, July 14 (Reuters) - China stocks were lower on Thursday after trade data showing weak commodity imports hurt mining, metals and industrial companies, while Hong Kong share markets were subdued. In the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets, metals, mining and machinery stocks led indexes lower, with the CSI300 materials sub-index down 1.2 percent. The CSI300 index fell 0.3 percent, to 3,271.83 points at the end of the morning session, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.4 percent, to 3,047.86 points. Julia Wang, Greater China Economist at HSBC in Hong Kong, said the main surprise in China's trade data for June released on Wednesday was a weaker-than-expected drop in imports. "Indeed, demand for commodities (coal, iron ore, crude oil, copper) have slowed across the board, both in volume as well as value terms. This suggests that the domestic industrial sector has probably slowed over the month," Wang said in a report. Overall June imports fell 8.4 percent on the year, much worse than analyst forecasts for a five percent fall and the weakest reading since April. China's CSI300 stock index futures for July fell 0.2 percent, to 3,267.6, 4.23 points below the current value of the underlying index. The Hang Seng index added 0.1 percent, to 21,332.36 points. The Hong Kong China Enterprises Index lost 0.1 percent, to 8,899.76. The index measuring price differences between dual-listed companies in Shanghai and Hong Kong stood at 130.25. A value above 100 indicates Shanghai shares are pricing at a premium to shares in the same company trading in Hong Kong, and vice versa. The northbound quota for the Hong Kong-Shanghai Stock Connect, currently set at 13 billion yuan, saw net inflows of 0.38 billion yuan. Total volume of A shares traded in Shanghai was 10.01 billion shares, while Shenzhen volume was 13.23 billion shares. Total trading volume of companies included in the HSI index was 0.6 billion shares. Romania - Factors to watch on July 14 Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Thursday. DEBT TENDER Romanian debt managers tender 200 million lei ($49.54 million) worth of December 2022 treasury bonds. CURRENT ACCOUNT DATA Romania's central bank will release January-May current account balance data. The trade deficit in CIF terms rose by 46.5 percent on the year in the first five months to 3.77 billion euros. INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT Romania's adjusted industrial output fell by 4.0 percent on the month in May after April's 3.5 percent increase, and was down 1.6 percent on the year, data from the National Statistics Board showed on Wednesday. CEE MARKETS Poland's financial sector led a retreat of Central European shares on Wednesday as a sale of a stake in Bank Pekao by UniCredit reignited worries over government interference in the sector. For the long-term Romanian diary, click on For emerging markets economic events, click on For an index of all diaries, click on Hungary, Factors to watch, July 14 BUDAPEST, July 14 (Reuters) - Following is a list of events in Hungary and the region, as well as news stories and press reports which may influence financial markets. (For any queries: Budapest editorial +36 1 327 4745) WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HUNGARY (ALL TIMES GMT) BUDAPEST - One-year T-bill sale (0930) IN THE REGION CROATIA - June consumer prices ROMANIA - Jan-May current account balance data SLOVAKIA - Industrial orders 05/16 (0900) CZECH - Current account 05/16 (1000) ROMANIA - 200 million lei Dec 2022 treasury bond sale (1200) POLAND - Deputy PM Morawiecki news conference ahead of V4 meeting in Warsaw (1230) POLAND - M3 money supply, current account data (1400) IN THE NEWS REUTERS EU proposes new asylum rules to stop migrants crossing Europe The European Commission proposed more unified EU asylum rules in a bid to stop people waiting for refugee status moving around the bloc and disrupting its passport-free zone. POLL-Polish, Hungarian 10-year bond yields seen rising in tandem Hungary's and Poland's 10-year bond yields are expected to track an expected rise in U.S. Treasuries yields in the next 12 months, a Reuters poll of analysts showed. Brexit raises risks for central and Eastern Europe -S&P The risk of lower economic growth in central and eastern Europe (CEE) has started to rise in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union, credit rating firm Standard & Poor's said. INTERVIEW-Uber to suspend operations in Hungary due to govt legislation Yemen slides closer to famine as frozen bank funds curb food imports By Jonathan Saul and Maha El Dahan LONDON/ABU DHABI, July 14 (Reuters) - Many areas of Yemen are close to famine partly because importers are unable to buy new food stocks from abroad as over $200 million is stuck in banks due to the civil war disruption, trade and aid sources involved say. Western banks had already cut credit lines for traders shipping food to Yemen, fearing they would not be repaid due to the security chaos and fragile financial system. Now, they are increasingly unwilling to offer letters of credit, which guarantee sellers will be paid on time. They are reluctant to offer guarantees because the banking system has seized up. An international commodities trade source involved in the food trade with Yemen, who has knowledge of the country's financing troubles, said as much as $260 million - held in different foreign currencies in Yemeni banks - cannot be transferred abroad partly because relations with many Western banks had broken down. An aid official also confirmed the amount of funds frozen was at least $260 million. This means that traders must withdraw the money in Yemen, and then send it abroad, usually by plane, a solution fraught with difficulties at a time of war. Without imported staples such as wheat and flour, the United Nations says many areas of Yemen are now close to famine as most buffer stocks have been drawn down. "This problem is getting worse and no Yemeni bank can transfer money out directly. They have to fly funds out to the nearest country and make deposits in accounts abroad," the international commodities trade source said. "These funds are probably likely to remain stuck for the foreseeable future. For private importers - this is just another hurdle and a further sign of the worsening crisis in bringing goods in." Officials at Yemen's central bank declined to comment. Last month a central bank spokesman said it had decided not to conduct interviews during the crisis. The aid source, also familiar with the financing issues, confirmed separately there had been efforts to fly out funds to be used to pay for goods. "There are still sizeable funds stuck inside Yemen due to a lack of correspondent banking or access to basic trade finance for Yemeni importers," the aid source said. "There is no external financing they can get hold of to provide guarantees for the other companies they are buying from that they will get paid. Flying money out is one way but this is also proving hard to do." Over the past year, a Saudi-led coalition has tried to reverse a bid for national power by Houthi rebels - seen by many Gulf Arabs as a proxy for regional arch-rival Iran in a conflict in which thousands have died. A shaky ceasefire has brought some respite from the war which started when the Houthis pushed the government into exile in March 2015. But clashes regularly flare up on various battlefronts throughout Yemen. At the same time, Islamists militants have gained territory - deepening a security vacuum. An official with a Yemeni government bank said the Saudi-led coalition allowed as much as $100 million from three commercial banks to travel by plane to Bahrain earlier this year. The official and the trade source both said the funds were deposited in an account with Yemen's Tadhamon International Islamic Bank in Saudi Arabia - a process which took months to complete. "The banks did however lose a lot of money through doing this as the rent of the plane that transferred the funds was around $600,000," the official said. Tadhamon could not be reached for comment. Other separate officials with commercial Yemeni banks said there were moves to try and make further transfers of funds to Bahrain. "LIVING THROUGH A TRAGEDY" The United Nations has said the economy is close to collapse and many areas are at risk of famine, a word the agency uses sparingly and only when certain criteria have been met. It said 10 out of Yemen's 22 governorates were currently in a phase 4, or emergency, situation. If an area reached phase 5 famine is declared. "Food imports have been going down which should translate into lower stocks," said the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation's regional representative Abdessalam Ould Ahmed. Ahmed said while it had not reached phase 5 yet, there was nevertheless "significant deterioration", especially in the city of Taiz in central Yemen. A famine is declared when at least 20 per cent of households in an area face extreme food shortages with a limited ability to cope; acute malnutrition rates exceed 30 per cent; and the death rate exceeds two persons per day per 10,000 persons. Out of Yemen's 28 million people 21 million people need some form of humanitarian aid and over half the population suffer from malnutrition, the UN said. Out of a 3 million-tonne cereal import requirement from the commercial sector for 2016, only 580,000 tonnes of wheat had been imported so far this year due to foreign exchange problems, a lack of hard currency and disruptions at the country's ports - some of which have been damaged due to fighting. "A virtual economic blockade is deterring traders from doing business in Yemen and unfair banking restrictions are making it difficult for Yemeni traders to buy food on international markets," Sajjad Mohamed Sajid, country director in Yemen for aid group Oxfam, said. "Unless banking regulators re-open Yemen's bank accounts and allow food companies to trade, it won't be long until warnings of catastrophe become a reality." In February, Yemen's central bank stopped providing favourable exchange rates for local traders importing rice and sugar, say the sources. This also hindered food supplies. Mohammed Abdul Latif, a 28-year old unemployed telecoms engineer who lives near the central city of Ibb said the price of a 40 kg sack of flour had risen to 7,000 Yemeni riyals, about $25, in cities and 8,000 riyals in rural areas from 5,000 riyals previously. Spain's Puig in talks to buy stake in Brazil's Granado, sources say By Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Tatiana Bautzer SAO PAULO, July 14 (Reuters) - Spanish fashion and fragrance firm Puig SA is in advanced talks to buy a minority stake in Grupo Granado SA, a Brazilian manufacturer and retailer of high-end beauty care goods that wants to pursue global expansion, four sources with knowledge of the matter said. Barcelona-based Puig, the owner of the Carolina Herrera and Jean Paul Gaultier brands, could pay about 1 billion reais ($306 million) for a stake of up to 30 percent in Granado, said the first two sources, who requested anonymity as talks are private. Former banker Christopher Freeman, who bought Granado from the company's namesake founding family in 1994, wants a partner to help the Rio de Janeiro-based company bolster an overseas push that began three years ago with the opening of a small shop in Paris, a third source told Reuters. Both parties are working to announce a deal within days, the sources said, adding that Puig has consistently stood out over a number of private-equity firms and strategic rivals that showed preliminary interest in Granado. Freeman began to look out for a minority partner at the beginning of the year, the sources said. Efforts to contact media representatives for Puig outside business hours were unsuccessful. Granado declined to comment. The Granado stake could help Puig grow in Brazil, a country of 200 million that ranks as the world's No. 3 cosmetics and beauty care market. A third-generation family-owned business, Puig manages licenses such as Prada and Valentino and markets celebrity fragrances in over 150 countries. Founded in 1870 by Portuguese pharmacist Jose Antonio Coxito Granado, Granado has managed to dribble the impact of Brazil's harshest recession in eight decades by targeting sales of the company's glycerin soaps, shave balms, creams, nail polish and body powders to an affluent clientele. FATHER AND DAUGHTER Granado, which earned 380 million reais in revenue last year, has achieved compounded average growth of 20 percent over the past decade, according to the third source. Granado hired the investment-banking units of Itau Unibanco Holding SA and Grupo BTG Pactual SA to advise on the transaction, the sources added. The banks did not comment. A former Citigroup Inc investment banker, Freeman and his daughter Sissi have spent the past decade honing the company's business focus and retro image, represented by vintage logo designs and old-styled store decoration mimicking early 20th century pharmacies. Granado's three divisions that run a web of 47 stores across Brazil, a distribution network and a plant where the company's flagship products are manufactured. Granado's most recognized products include Phebo, Brazil's first luxury perfumery and glycerin soap brand, which Freeman bought in 2004. On its part, Puig's presence in emerging markets has grown in recent years, helping the company decouple from years of weak growth in Spain. Currently, 47 percent of revenues come from emerging market countries outside of the European Union and North America. Last year, Puig had net income of 126 million euros ($140 million) on revenue of 1.645 billion euros. Puig expects annual revenue to reach 2 billion euros by the end of next year. ($1 = 3.2642 Brazilian reais) The conflict between global business and the general public is raging. The establishment political parties in the United States have been challenged on the Left by a presidential candidate who says that there has never been a single trade agreement that hes been comfortable with and on the Right by a candidate who doesnt think that it would be a big deal if a global trade war erupted. The success of the Brexit vote is a frightening illustration of the breadth and depth of the anger in the public. The idea of bringing jobs back from Asia (today from China, tomorrow from Vietnam, and yesterday from Japan) sounds very appealing to a factory worker in Ohio or Michigan. It does not, however, recognize the interwoven nature of global business. Over the past 50 years, we have become a global economythe evolution of transportation and communication initiated the change and the development of global supply chains has cemented global interdependence in our DNA. There is no better source for understanding where we are and where we are going than Parag Khannas new book Connectography ( https://www.amazon.com/Connectography-Mapping-Future-Global-Civilization/dp/0812988558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467288779&sr=8-1&keywords=connectography ). Khanna holds a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics and is a CNN Global Contributor. Formerly, he was a fellow at the Brookings Institution and senior geopolitical advisor to U.S. Special Operations Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. He brings a unique geographical and supply chain perspective to an understanding of globalization. Khannas basic argument is that supply chains, not political boundaries, define how the world economy works. He argues: that connectivity has replaced division (infrastructure connections are more important than political boundaries), that devolution and aggregation are the most significant dynamics of the world economy (shifting economic activity to regions of countries and the world where they never were before and creating alliances that no one would have imagined even 5 years ago), and that the current war of the world is over connectivity not territory. He uses his perspective as a geographer to overlay maps of the world with various sorts of supply chain data to illustrate how dramatically the functioning of the world economy is becoming less and less defined by political boundaries. I was reading this book during a recent trip to China where I visited the traditional cities of Shanghai and Beijing as well as Wenzhou, one of the smaller Chinese cities (only 12 million inhabitants). Wenzhou has experienced a super nova existence going from the bright light of entrepreneurial expansion to near collapse from corruption and inability to sustain growth (http://www.economist.com/news/china/21700451-city-renowned-its-business-acumen-battles-recover-financial-crisis-it-once-was-lost). Nevertheless, it has developed a focus and a footing in several growth industries including the development of general aviation in China. This is exemplary of the economic liberalization that Khanna describes in China where power and money are shifting away from the centralized government in Beijing to a federation of mega-cities with surprising authority to define their own futures. And the tax structure in China now gives these mayors the money to move forward with such initiatives in at least a somewhat autonomous fashion. While it would be foolish to assume that the Chinese Party has been replaced by entrepreneurial mayors, China is no longer a monolith that be understood through a single lens aimed at Beijing or Shanghai. Italy's UniCredit chairman says to consider raising capital ROME, July 14 (Reuters) - UniCredit will have to evaluate the possibility of carrying out a capital increase because asset sales concluded this week will not be sufficient to satisfy the European Central Bank, UniCredit's chairman said on Thursday. Italy's biggest bank by assets sold minority stakes in two units for 1.1 billion euros ($1.22 billion) on Tuesday as new Chief Executive Jean-Pierre Mustier moved swiftly on his first day in the job to strengthen its capital. "We have to look at a capital increase because I don't believe that the European Central Bank will be satisfied with what we've done," Giuseppe Vita told Reuters on the sidelines of an event in Rome. "Either way, we need to give Mustier time to work as he's just arrived." SAF-Holland makes $491 mln offer for Sweden's Haldex STOCKHOLM, July 14 (Reuters) - Commercial vehicle components maker SAF-Holland has made an all-cash offer worth 4.2 billion crowns ($491 million) for Swedish brake systems group Haldex which said it had also received a bid from a rival suitor. "Coincidentally there is another bidder too, so we will consider that and also consider the other," Goran Carlson, Haldex chairman and one of its largest shareholders, told Reuters. He said talks with both suitors had started within days of each other. Haldex shares were up 17 percent at 100 crowns by 0729 GMT, trading above SAF-Holland's offer price, which indicates expectations of a higher bid. SAF-Holland shares were down 3.3 percent. SAF-Holland said its 94.42 crown per share offer, a 10.8 percent premium to Haldex's closing price on Wednesday, was conditional on it gaining control of more than 90 percent of the shares. It also said it had bought a 3.6 percent stake in Haldex. The premium is low compared to previous takeover offers for listed Swedish manufacturing companies. Finland's Scanfil, for example, paid a 27 percent premium for Sweden's Partnertech last year. Premiums in initial offers for metal-powder maker Hoganas and humidity control firm Munters were 17 percent and 30 percent respectively. Both ended up being bought out at a higher price. SAF-Holland, which aims to reach 1.5 billion euros in sales by 2020, said it would benefit from an expanded product range if the deal went through and that Haldex would help it to meet its sales goal ahead of time. "Together, we would form a one-stop shopping solution provider for a wide range of components," Detlef Borghardt, CEO of SAF-Holland, said in a statement. The company said Haldex would boost earnings in the first year after a deal and that there would be significant growth potential for the combined business in the following years. Haldex has been selling disc brakes to SAF-Holland for a number of years. "It's a really large customer," Carlson said. "Their intention is to dress their axles with our brakes, to integrate in some way." Cameroon is abusing rights in its fight against Boko Haram -Amnesty YAOUNDE, July 14 (Reuters) - Authorities in Cameroon have arbitrarily arrested more than 1,000 people as part of their fight against Islamist militant group Boko Haram and dozens have died of disease or been tortured to death, Amnesty International said on Thursday. Up to eight people are dying each month in Maroua Prison in the capital of Far North region and prisoners are kept in inhumane, overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, Amnesty said in a report. "Cameroon is pursuing the right objective, but in arbitrarily arresting, torturing and subjecting people to enforced disappearances the authorities are using the wrong means," said Alioune Tine, regional director for the human rights group. Amnesty called on the government to implement measures to prevent abuses including an end to arbitrary arrests and torture and said the government should ensure detainees have access to their families and to lawyers. The government is yet to comment on the report, which was based on interviews starting last October with more than 200 people in the Far North region that borders Nigeria and Chad. More than 15,000 people have been killed and 2 million displaced in Nigeria and neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon during Boko Haram's seven-year campaign to carve out an Islamic caliphate in northeast Nigeria. Since a regional offensive last year drove the insurgents from most strongholds, Boko Haram has waged a guerrilla-style campaign against civilians. In Cameroon, teenage girls have killed dozens in suicide bombings. Suspected Islamist recruiter kills four at Kenyan police station NAIROBI, July 14 (Reuters) - A suspected recruiter for the Somali militant group al Shabaab shot dead at least four Kenyan policemen in the station where he was being held on Thursday after he snatched a weapon from a guard, police said. He was later killed by an elite squad, which specialises in hostage situations, after holding other prisoners hostage as police surrounded Kapenguria police station in west Kenya, officials said. The squad was flown in from Nairobi. "The siege has finally ended," John Musiambu, the regional government coordinator, told reporters at the scene. He said all the inmates in the police cell at the station were safe while one officer of the special squad was wounded. The man was suspected of links to terrorism, police chief Joseph Boinnet said, without being more specific. The number of casualties was not clear, officials said. Another police officer, who declined to be name, told Reuters at least four officers were killed and that figure could rise. He said the man was suspected of recruiting for al Shabaab. Al Shabaab has launched a series of attacks against Kenya in recent years, including using local recruits. The group says the attacks are aimed at driving Kenyan forces out of Somalia, where they are part of an African force fighting al Shabaab. Kenyan television channel KTN said as many as six officers had died in the stand-off in Kapenguria. Boinnet said that police had also repulsed an attack by al Shabaab militants on a camp in the Lamu region of eastern Kenya, near the Somali border. Several militants were believed to have been killed or escaped with severe injuries from that assault. He did not give figures. Austria interior minister rejects proposed EU-wide asylum seeker right to work - paper VIENNA, July 14 - Austria's conservative interior minister rejected a proposal for more unified asylum rules in the European Union under which all member countries would grant asylum seekers the right to work, according to a newspaper interview published on Thursday. Austria took in 90,000 asylum seekers during the influx of migrants to Europe last year, but has since capped its intake and imposed border controls. Currently asylum applicants are allowed to work in community jobs. But the proposal made by the European Commission on Wednesday would include a rule allowing refugees and migrants to obtain work permits six months after making their asylum application. "I consider it unthinkable to issue working permits for asylum seekers," Wolfgang Sobotka told German daily Die Welt. "It would be a call to people in crisis-ridden countries to come to Austria. Our job market would not be able to absorb that." Anti-immigration sentiment among Austrians has risen as result of the migrant crisis, the biggest to affect Europe since WW2, and helped swell support for the far-right Freedom Party. The government, a coalition between the Social Democrats and centre-right People's Party (OVP) of which Sobotka is a member, is divided on immigration, with the OVP taking a harder line. A spokesman for Chancellor Christian Kern, a Social Democrat, said on Thursday that Kern supported the idea of asylum applicants getting legal work faster, without elaborating. This contrasted with Sobotka's stance, who said all EU countries should apply the principle that asylum seekers should not be allowed to work. "Different regulations are not good in this matter and send a wrong signal to the refugees' countries of origin," he was cited as saying. Austria introduced a cap of 37,500 asylum claims for this year and cooperated with its Balkan neighbours in the closure of the main migrant route. California rejects VW's recall plan for larger diesel cars By Rory Carroll SAN FRANCISCO, July 14 (Reuters) - California's chief air regulator has rejected a proposed recall plan from Volkswagen AG to fix 16,000 3.0-liter diesel Volkswagens, Audis and Porsches in the state equipped with devices designed to cheat emissions tests. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) said on Wednesday the plan to fix the VW and Audi luxury vehicles, which range from model years 2009-2016, was insufficient. "VW's and Audi's submissions are incomplete, substantially deficient, and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles to the claimed certified configuration," CARB said in its letter. The regulator said it will not have enough data at least until December to make a determination on whether a 3.0-liter fix would work for all of the diesel vehicles. If no fix is possible, the company may have to buy back the vehicles, which could add billions to the cost of its buy-backs. The vehicles include the Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne and Audi A8. CARB's announcement came as a surprise because VW lawyer Robert Giuffra said last month the German automaker believed it could fix 85,000 polluting 3.0-liter vehicles nationwide, and said the fix would not be "complicated." VW shares ignored the CARB's reaction and were trading up 2.3 percent at 117.6 euros as of 0845 GMT. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson said the agency agreed that VW has not presented an approvable proposed recall plan for the 3.0-liter diesel vehicles. A Volkswagen spokesperson said the company continues to work with EPA and CARB to secure approval of a technical resolution. A spokesman for Audi, which designed and assembled the V6 diesel engines, called CARB's announcement a "procedural step under California state law" that affects recall plans for all 85,000 larger diesel vehicles with illicit software that are on U.S. roads. Discussions and tests will continue to try to resolve the fate of the vehicles which could take months and experts from VW, Audi and Porsche will resume talks with U.S. regulators later this month, a source at VW in Germany said. A key question in the talks is how to bring the V6 engines into compliance with U.S. law after turning off the so-called auxiliary emissions control devices (AECD) which Audi didn't disclose to U.S. authorities, the source said. U.S. regulators view one of those devices as a defeat device. EU backs Germany over Deutsche Post pension contributions BRUSSELS, July 14 (Reuters) - A European Union court ruled on Thursday that the European Commission had failed to prove that Germany's contribution to Deutsche Post's pension scheme constituted illegal state aid that had to be repaid. Deutsche Post, created in 1995 after the privatisation of Germany's postal services, retained the former Postdienst's civil service post officials and contributed to their pension scheme. However, the federal government also made contributions. The European Commission determined in 2012 that this public financing constituted illegal state aid and told Germany to recover the money paid to Deutsche Post from 2003, a figure between 500 million ($555 million) and 1 billion euros. Deutsche Post has since paid back the government 377 million euros. Germany, which still owns around 21 percent of Deutsche Post via state development bank KfW, challenged the Commission's decision before the General Court of the European Union, the EU's second-highest court, saying the Commission needed to show that the funding gave Deutsche Post a benefit over competitors. The General Court agreed with Germany in its ruling on Thursday in saying that this was something the Commission needed to have shown but that it had failed to do so. "Germany's partial contribution to the costs of pension payments for former postal workers does not prove that Deutsche Post was given an advantage over its private sector competitors," the court said in a statement. Deutsche Post said it was confident the German government would repay the money it had handed over following the 2012 Commission decision. Updated. Two recent recorded police killings of black men and the killings of five police officers in Dallas have left many adults without words, especially not the words necessary to explain the violence and underlying racial issues to children. Most public schools are out on summer vacation, but that hasnt slowed the calls for educators to prepare to discuss the events of the last week with students when school resumes in the fall. This is true on an especially intimate level for staff at the Montessori school where Philando Castile worked as a cafeteria supervisor before he was shot by a police officer at a traffic stop last week. Anna Garnaas, a teacher at the St. Paul, Minn., elementary school where Castile worked, is already anticipating what she will hear from her 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students when they return to class in the fall, the Washington Post reports. I think thats when well see them crying and wondering and asking questions, the first day of school in September, she said. Wheres our buddy? Wheres the guy who takes care of us and makes sure we have our most fundamental needs met? This weekend, the New York Times published a sad compilation of the ways that young relatives of those killed in high-profile police shootings have been traumatized by the experience. The list of young people burdened by these tumultuous times includes Tamir Rice's teenage sister, who lost 50 pounds after watching the police shoot him in 2014; the daughter of Oscar Grant III, killed by a transit officer while lying down on a California train platform in 2009, who as a 5-year-old would ask playmates to duck when she saw the police; and the 9-year-old nephew of Sandra Bland, who began sleeping in his mother's room after Ms. Bland's death last year in a jail cell. 'They are aware of what's going in the world, of how you can leave your house and you can very well end up in a body bag,' said a sister of Ms. Bland's, Shante Needham, whose four children continue to struggle with the death of their aunt. 'They watch the news. They see all the stuff going on on Facebook. And it's sad that kids even have to think like that, that if I get stopped by the police, I may not make it home.' Research explains why student trauma should concern schools: Trauma can leave children in a perpetual state of fight-or-flight , interfering with normal brain development, executive functioning, and engagement in classroom activities. And, short of addressing trauma, discussing current events in the classroom provides a real learning opportunity and a chance for students to develop social awareness and empathy about their peers experiences. As it looks likely that protests and news coverage of recent events may continue well through the summer months, even children who havent been directly affected by recent events may have questions, concerns, or fears when they return to school. Fortunately, there are resources teachers can use to frame discussions and to help anticipate what their students, particularly students of color, may be experiencing. Many of these resources were compiled after previous events, such as the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., which prompted dramatic demonstrations and slowed the start of school. Some have been updated since. Here is a sampling. First, check out this TED Talk by commentator Jay Smooth, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Discussing Race. Or consider discussing race specifically as it relates to education, a topic that obviously affects students in a very real and personal way. Education Weeks Beyond Bias series covered various facets of inequality in schools , including this research-based quiz to help measure implicit bias . And heres a video the National Education Association made of Marley Dias, the 11-year-old who started a campaign to diversify her schools book offerings , explaining systemic racism. Is there anything you would add? Any tips or resources schools should be aware of? Tweet me or let me know in the comments. Photo: A woman holds a childs hand at a vigil for Alton Sterling, who was shot and killed by a police officer on July 6 outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, La. Gerald Herbert/AP Further reading on race, social-emotional learning, and traumatic events: Follow @evieblad on Twitter or subscribe to Rules for Engagement to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox. In economic crisis, Putin helps a mogul he once attacked By Polina Devitt and Oksana Kobzeva MOSCOW, July 14 (Reuters) - Last month, three major banks rescued industrialist Igor Zyuzin's coal and steel firm Mechel from what would have been Russia's biggest ever corporate collapse. The bailout was unusual in a country where so many decisions often lead back to President Vladimir Putin or his inner circle. Zyuzin has long been an outsider, a multi-millionaire who built his business empire by staying out of the reach of the Kremlin. Eight years ago, Putin publicly humiliated Zyuzin after the businessman failed to show up for a meeting. The rescue deal shows how much Russia has changed since then. The commodity price slump and sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine have hurt the economy and unsettled Putin's grip on power. Thirteen people involved in the Mechel rescue deal have given Reuters new details about the Kremlin's involvement in the bailout. Some said the decision to save Zyuzin's company was taken mid-way through last year when the Kremlin realised that the firm's failure could threaten two of the pillars of Putin's Russia: social stability and the financial health of a bank close to the Kremlin. The Kremlin, those sources said, feared that if Mechel went bankrupt it could lead to layoffs among the firm's 66,000 workers, many of them in rust-belt regions where local TV has shown riot police training to put down worker protests. "There was a lot of politics in this situation," said Maxim Poletayev, first deputy chairman of Russian state lender Sberbank, a major Mechel creditor. "No one wanted to save Zyuzin, but everything had to be done without social unrest." The Kremlin was also worried about Gazprombank, one of Mechel's biggest creditors. The brother of Putin's son-in-law sits on Gazprombank's board, and the bank has previously financed projects for Kremlin allies. People familiar with the Mechel debt talks said the Kremlin feared Gazprombank would struggle to cover its exposure if Mechel failed. Those involved in brokering the deal included Igor Sechin, a Putin lieutenant and chief executive of state-owned oil giant Rosneft, according to one source. Sechin told Reuters he did not want to disclose his discussions with Putin, but said he was aware of Mechel's difficulties. "I did not feel any great joy about this. I thought, and I think, that Mechel deserved support, which was given in the end," he said. Zyuzin declined to answer questions for this story. A person familiar with his thinking said that he was driven by a sense of responsibility to his company and its workers. Mechel denied it sought or received any direct intervention from the Kremlin. It said its creditors acted on a commercial basis only, and that the company was helped by a fall in the value of the rouble, which reduced its debt in dollar terms. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any instruction was given to rescue Mechel. "Such discussions are not taking place in the Kremlin and are not agreed with the Kremlin," he said. Gazprombank did not respond to Reuters questions, while state lender VTB, another big Mechel creditor, said its decision to restructure Mechel's debt was motivated by business interests. It called the idea of political intervention "pure nonsense." MODEST TASTES Russian business moguls mostly fall into one of two camps: long-standing Putin associates, many of whom, like the president, once worked in the security services; and entrepreneurs, who favour a market economy but remain loyal to the Kremlin. Zyuzin, 56, is in neither. A former mine overseer, he is known for charting his own path and his modest tastes. He owns only one house and drinks $12 bottles of New Zealand wine, according to a person who knows him. He also hates debt, and in his early days avoided borrowing from state-controlled lenders. Around a decade ago, though, Mechel borrowed to modernise its plants and expand internationally. In 2008, allegations surfaced that Mechel was selling to foreign customers more cheaply than at home. Putin, who was then prime minister, summoned Zyuzin to a meeting. The businessman sent word he could not come because he was ill. Video footage of the planned meeting shows Putin, his face taut with anger. If Zyuzin did not get better, "We'll have to send a doctor to him to clear up all these problems," Putin said. Mechel's share price plunged. Later that year, when the global financial crisis hit and coal and steel prices slumped, Mechel struggled to repay its loans. In 2014, some of the firm's major creditors decided they could not keep restructuring Mechel's debt. The creditors tried to renegotiate the loans, offering to take Mechel equity in return. But Zyuzin would not give up any of his company. To break the deadlock, creditors launched legal action to recover their money. One industrial source said the government wanted the company bankrupt "to set an example." Zyuzin fought. To make sure Mechel did not run out of money, he insisted on personally approving any spending over 1 million roubles ($15,617), according to a second source who knows the Mechel boss. LOBBYING OPERATION Sometime in the last year or 18 months, a group of Kremlin insiders began to push Zyuzin's cause with Putin. The insiders included Putin lieutenant Sechin, according to one source familiar with the deal. That source and one other said Vladimir Yakunin, then boss of Russia's state railways, and Alexander Shokhin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, also lobbied on behalf of Zyuzin. The involvement of Sechin and Yakunin - two of the most influential powerbrokers in Putin's Russia - has not been reported before. Yakunin told Reuters "the country's leadership" had raised the question of Mechel after a meeting with a large industrialist union. A representative for the union declined to comment. After the lobbying, the banks' attitude to Mechel changed dramatically. A source at one of the creditor banks said the law suits were suspended in September last year, opening the way for a deal in which creditors deferred repayments and wrote off most of the penalties Mechel owed. An agreement was approved by Mechel shareholders on May 30. "Zyuzin decided it was a miracle," said the source who knows the Mechel boss. Of all Mechel's creditors, Gazprombank was the most exposed. Russia's third biggest lender by assets, it has close ties to Putin's inner circle. Sergei Ivanov, son of Putin's chief of staff, sat on the Gazprombank board until earlier this year. Yuri Shamalov, brother of Putin's son-in-law, Kirill Shamalov, is head of Gazprombank's biggest shareholder and also sits on the bank's board. The $1.8 billion Mechel owed Gazprombank as of February this year amounts, according to Reuters calculations, to about 20 percent of Gazprombank's current capital. Russia's central bank rules stop a bank lending more than 25 percent of its capital to a single client. Two banking sources said Moscow pressed for a deal because it feared Gazprombank would be damaged by a Mechel bankruptcy. Under the deal, Gazprombank bought a stake in Mechel's Elga coal project, so Mechel could use the revenue from the sale to pay back Sberbank. WORRIED WORKERS Outside, Mechel's plant in the city of Chelyabinsk one recent afternoon, workers filed out at the end of a shift, past a long metal panel that featured photographs of employees named as "champions of productivity." Vladimir Ponosov, a trade union boss at the plant, said a Mechel collapse would have hurt workers. He said over 110,000 people depended, directly or indirectly, on Mechel for a living. "Some would have found work, but we would have faced big difficulties," Ponosov said. He said the last two years had been "psychologically very difficult. The people expressed their concerns, but there were no protests or demonstrations, because wages were paid on time." But authorities are still worried about unrest, especially in Russia's rust-belt. In May, state television showed riot police in the Chelyabinsk region training to put down potentially violent protests. Police officers playing the role of protesters built barricades out of car tyres, threw stones and sticks, and took an officer hostage. VTB Chief Executive Andrei Kostin told Reuters that while the Mechel deal was decided by the creditors, "Of course it (the government) wanted us to reach an agreement. The social problem is important to it." When Zyuzin's troubles first started, he stuck a quote on the wall of his office: "Loans, like sins, weigh on your soul." UK-Turkey ties stronger than Boris Johnson's quips - Turkish official ISTANBUL, July 14 (Reuters) - Turkey will draw a line under disparaging comments by Britain's new foreign secretary Boris Johnson about President Tayyip Erdogan and his nation, a senior official said on Thursday, but warned relations would be damaged if he repeated such insults. Johnson, the former London mayor who was appointed foreign secretary late on Wednesday by new Prime Minister Theresa May, won a "President Erdogan Offensive Poetry competition" run by Britain's Spectator magazine earlier this year. He was the most prominent figure in the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, which played on voters' fears about immigration. This included a warning of dire consequences if Turkey, a largely Muslim nation of 79 million, joined the EU. The campaign culminated in a vote for 'Brexit' on June 23. "His negative comments on Erdogan and Turkey are unacceptable ... However we're sure of one thing, that British-Turkish relations are more important than that and can't be hostage to these statements," the Turkish official said. "With his new responsibilities we are expecting a more positive attitude from Mr. Johnson," said the official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. Turkey's leaders have repeatedly warned about rising xenophobia and anti-immigrant views in Europe. They complained that the British referendum campaign was marred by anti-Turkish sentiment fuelled by mainstream politicians. The pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper described Johnson as known for "his anti-Turkey and eurosceptic stance as the mayor of London" and said his appointment "raises questions about the future of Britain's international relations". TURKISH ROOTS Other mainstream newspapers talked about Johnson's Turkish roots but made no mention of his poem about Erdogan. Johnson's great-grandfather was an opposition figure in the late Ottoman period, who was lynched during Turkey's War of Independence in the early 1920s. Speaking ahead of Johnson's appointment, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim also signalled his government would be ready to work with the former London mayor. "What would I say to him? Well, may God help him and reform him and I hope that he won't make any more mistakes and try to make it up with the Turks," Yildirim said in an interview with the BBC recorded at the weekend and broadcast on Thursday. "But the campaign is over, the referendum was held and there's no reason to discuss this anymore." Turkey began its EU accession talks in 2005 after decades of knocking on the door but progress has been slow due to disagreements over Ankara's human rights record, Cyprus and other issues. It is not seen joining the bloc for many years. Malaysia's Mahathir to launch party to challenge PM Najib KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 (Reuters) - Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday announced plans to launch a new political party that would form a coalition with the federal opposition alliance ahead of the next general election. The new group will look to oust the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition led by Prime Minister Najib Razak, he told reporters. "We who oppose Najib cannot achieve victory unless we work together as a coalition," said Mahathir. He added that he won't contest the polls or position himself as a candidate for prime minister. Uganda troops in South Sudan to evacuate citizens after violence By Denis Dumo JUBA, July 14 (Reuters) - Uganda's army began evacuating citizens from inside neighbouring South Sudan on Thursday where fighting between forces loyal to the president and his rival has plunged the nation into its worst crisis since the end of a two-year civil war. After the civil war erupted in 2013, Uganda's forces also crossed into South Sudan to assist with evacuations, and stayed on to help President Salva Kiir secure the capital Juba. At the time this raised worries about the conflict widening but the forces withdrew late last year. This time, Uganda said the convoy of trucks with troops in South Sudan would stay in a town outside Juba and focus on evacuations. But a Ugandan official said a fresh flare up in could mean a longer stay, without giving a timeline. Juba has been calm since Monday evening, when Kiir and Riek Machar - the former rebel leader and now vice president - ordered their forces to cease hostilities. But residents remain tense and many foreigners have been leaving. "It's a short-term mission but it can be complicated by new developments," Uganda's government spokesman Ofwono Opondo told Reuters, adding that "you can expect us to stay" if fighting flared again and more people wanted to leave. The regional African grouping IGAD has called for the U.N. mission UNMISS to be given a stronger mandate to enforce peace in South Sudan and called for extra troops to keep order. The United Nations said it was ready to work with IGAD on the proposals after thousands of civilians in Juba fled to U.N. bases in the capital to seek refuge. Many foreigners have been evacuated from South Sudan, the world's newest nation which is still recovering from the civil war which killed thousands of people and drove more than 2.5 million from their homes. Some shops opened up on Thursday and more people were on the streets. The airport has reopened and Kenya Airways resumed scheduled flights on Thursday. "We all hope the ceasefire will hold ... But at the moment the situation is very unstable," deputy German ambassador to Uganda, Petra Kochendoerfer, said in Uganda's capita Kampala late on Wednesday where evacuated German citizens were arriving. Washington said on Wednesday it had deployed 47 troops to South Sudan to protect U.S. citizens and the embassy in Juba. Kiir and Machar have long been political and military rivals. Kiir's decision to sack Machar in 2013 led to the civil war erupting a few months later. They signed a peace deal in August 2015 and then argued over details amid sporadic fighting. Machar finally returned to Juba and resumed old post as vice president in April. But others moves outlined in the peace deal, such as integrating their forces, have stalled. Saudi King leaves country on holiday, crown prince to manage affairs in his absence DUBAI, July 14 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman left the country on holiday on Thursday and appointed the crown prince to manage the kingdom's affairs in his absence, state news agency SPA reported. The statement did not say where King Salman, 80, was travelling or how long he would be absent for. UK's Northern Ireland Secretary Villiers resigns from government LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said on Thursday she had resigned from the government after declining a new post offered to her by Prime Minister Theresa May. May is in the process putting together her senior team after taking office on Wednesday. "I regret to say that I have left the government. The new prime minister was kind enough to offer me a role but it was not one which I felt I could take on," Villiers, who campaigned for Brexit, said in a statement posted on Facebook. Philippine army kills 11 Muslim rebels, girl caught in a crossfire MANILA, July 14 (Reuters) - Philippine soldiers on Thursday killed 11 members of a Muslim guerrilla faction, an army commander said, underscoring volatility in the resource-rich south of the country as a new government seeks ways to end decades of conflict. Troops battled rebels of the small but violent Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters for hours on Mindanao island and a 15 year-old girl was caught in crossfire and killed, said Colonel Cirilito Sobejana. "It's very unfortunate," Sobejana told reporters. "In every war, there's really collateral damage. We cannot yet establish whose side had killed the girl." Sobejana said army helicopters attacked the rebels with rockets and 19 of them were wounded. On the government side, he said two soldiers were wounded. The largely Christian Philippines has for decades been plagued by insurgencies by Muslim rebels in its southern islands. The government signed a peace deal with the biggest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), in 2014 but clashes still occur with smaller groups, such as the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, which broke away from the MILF in 2008. Death of Islamic State's Shishani may damage foreign recruitment By Stephen Kalin and Phil Stewart BAGHDAD, July 14 (Reuters) - The death of Islamic State's "minister of war" may disrupt its operations, a senior U.S. military officer said on Thursday, and an Iraqi security expert said it could damage IS's important recruitment efforts in ex-Soviet republics. Abu Omar al-Shishani (the Chechen), a close military adviser to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in combat in the Iraqi district of Shirqat, south of Mosul, Amaq, a news agency that supports IS, said on Wednesday. It was the first confirmation of Shishani's death, which the Pentagon said in March had probably occurred as a result of a U.S. air strike in eastern Syria. Hisham al-Hashimi, who advises Iraq's government on Islamist armed groups, said Shishani had been wounded in the March attack but was treated at a hospital in Shirqat, an Islamic State stronghold about 250 km (160 miles) north of Baghdad. He said Shishani was killed earlier this week in a nearby village along with an aide by an air strike during combat with U.S.-backed Iraqi forces closing in on the area. The commander of the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland, expressed confidence in the intelligence that led to the recent strike on Shishani in the Tigris River valley where Shirqat is located, but declined on Thursday to declare him dead. "We're being a little conservative in calling the ball on whether or not he's actually dead or not. But we certainly gave it our best shot," MacFarland told reporters in Baghdad, joking that Shishani might be the "Rasputin of this conflict." Iraqi military officials had no immediate comment. Some analysts speculated that Shishani might in fact have died in March but Islamic State delayed its announcement to allow time to line up a successor. Yet there was no immediate word from IS about who would take over for the ginger-bearded jihadist who held as many as three senior posts and was a strong force for recruitment from Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus region and Central Asia. "(IS) lost something important: the charisma that he had to inspire and seduce Salafists from Chechnya, the Caucasus and Azerbaijan - the former Soviet republics," Hashimi said. Asked about the potential impact, MacFarland said it could disrupt Islamic State operations if Shishani were indeed dead. "They would have to figure out who's going to pick up his portfolio," he said. IMPORTANT COHORT OF RUSSIAN SPEAKERS Born in 1986 in Georgia, then still part of the Soviet Union, Shishani once fought with Chechen rebels against the Russian military in the Caucasus province. He then joined independent Georgia's military in 2006 and fought in its brief war with Russia two years later before receiving a medical discharge, according to U.S. officials. Shishani was one of only a few Islamist leaders with a professional military background and had several hundred fighters, mostly from ex-Soviet republics, under his command when he came to prominence in a 2013 battle against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces in northern Syria. His role in the capture of Menagh air base, which since has been ceded to regional Kurdish forces, was one of the first big victories by Russian-speaking militants in Islamic State's rapid capture of large swathes of territory in Syria's civil war. Hashimi said it was not clear who Islamic State would choose to replace Shishani, but it was likely to be someone with a similar ethnic background. "The replacement must be Chechen because there was an agreement between (IS) and the Army of Muhajireen and Ansar that this position must be filled by a Chechen," said Hashimi, referring to a Syria-based militant group that split when Shishani pledged allegiance to Baghdadi. According to photographs circulated online, road signs erected in areas controlled by Islamist State are sometimes written in three languages - Arabic, English, and Russian - testifying to the important role of Russian speakers. In many cases these rebels have been influenced by Islamist insurgencies at home, pushed out of their own countries by security crackdowns, and won advancement in Islamic State through their military skills and ruthlessness. In June, a Russian official said up to 10,000 militants from ex-Soviet republics were fighting in the ranks of jihadist groups in the Middle East. Shishani's group grew to about 1,000 fighters by the end of 2013, according to a notice issued by the U.S. government, which offered up to $5 million for any information that would help to track him down. Shishani also may have helped Islamic State seize the Iraqi city of Mosul in 2014, the victory which established the group as the most potent Islamist security threat in the Middle East. The suspected attackers in last month's attack on Istanbul airport had ties to Islamic State and were from Russia and the formerly Soviet Central Asian states of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Turkish officials say. Ivory Coast arrests two soldiers for suspected links to al Qaeda ABIDJAN, July 14 (Reuters) - Two soldiers have been arrested in Ivory Coast accused of failing to denounce suspected members of an al Qaeda cell that killed 19 people in a March attack on a beach resort town, military officials said on Thursday. The raid on Grand Bassam, 40 km (25 miles) from the commercial capital, Abidjan, by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the jihadist group's North African affiliate, was the furthest yet from its traditional desert base. Authorities in Ivory Coast and neighbouring Mali have arrested a number of suspects since the attack. Ivory Coast's military prosecutor Colonel Ange Kessi said the soldiers were not accused of participating directly in the Grand Bassam plot. "The two soldiers knew certain members of the unit that attacked the beach in Grand Bassam and did not signal that to their hierarchy, which is a serious offence under the military code of justice," he said. They are due to stand trial at the end of August, Kessi added. The attack in Grand Bassam, during which gunmen shot swimmers and sunbathers before storming into several hotels, also harmed French-speaking West Africa's largest economy, a rising star on the continent. U.N. envoy hopes for Syria progress in US-Russian talks in Moscow GENEVA, July 14 (Reuters) - U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura voiced hope on Thursday that a U.S.-Russian meeting would achieve progress on the Syria peace process, including a halt to indiscriminate bombing and a formula for political transition. "Let's see what happens in Moscow in the next few hours. Let's hope there is some type of general understanding or progress," he told reporters in Geneva as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Secretary Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. De Mistura is waiting for certain conditions to allow him to call a new round of peace talks in Geneva, with the goal of delivering a road map for Syria's political transition in August. The talks' chief sponsors, the United States and Russia, have conducted a lot of informal diplomacy, de Mistura said. "I think the next few days are crucial in order to make sure we know where they stand. When the two co-chairs agree on something..., that helps a lot." A U.S.- and Russian-backed ceasefire agreed in late February has largely fallen apart, partly because there is no agreement over the exact location of fighters belonging to the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, which is a legitimate target in U.N. eyes. Opposition groups have accused Russia, the main ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, of carrying out air strikes on rebels who should be protected by the ceasefire arrangement. Agreement on stopping indiscriminate bombing and a formula for a political transition would create the necessary conditions for a new round of talks and the possible basis of a peace deal, de Mistura said. He declined to comment on a Washington Post report that the United States was proposing increased cooperation and intelligence-sharing with Russia to identify and target Islamic State and al Qaeda operations in Syria. Jan Egeland, who chairs the United Nations weekly humanitarian task force, said fighting had prevented access to besieged areas and that the government continued to remove medical supplies from aid convoys. A Virginia school district has asked U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to block lower-court rulings requiring the district to permit a transgender student to use the restroom of his gender identity. The emergency application filed July 13 by the Gloucester County School Board means the recent national debate over restroom access for transgender students has reached the nations highest court. The school district asked Roberts to block the mandate of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, in Richmond, Va. The chief justice is the circuit justice overseeing the 4th Circuit, which ruled in favor of a 17-year-old student, Gavin Grimm, who was born female but identifies as male. The school district also asked Roberts to consider blocking an injunction issued by a federal trial court that requires the district to allow Grimm to use the restroom of his choice. The district says it will file its full appeala petition for writ of certiorariby Aug. 29. In the interim, however, it urgently needs a stay of the underlying actionincluding the preliminary injunctionin order to avoid irreparable harm to the board, to the school system, and to the legitimate privacy expectations of the districts schoolchildren and parents alike, the Gloucester County districts application says. In its court papers, the district stresses the argument that the Obama administrations guidancewhich calls on schools to allow transgender students to use the restroom of their choiceexceeds its authority and that the 4th Circuit court showed too much deference to the administrations views. This case presents one of the most extreme examples of judicial deference to an administrative agency this court will ever see, the school district says. Even before the federal Departments of Education and Justice issued a May 13 Dear Colleague letter broadly outlining its their views on the transgender issue, the 4th Circuit had relied on other expressions of the administrations view that under longstanding Education Department regulations on Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, school district policies that restrict transgender students to using the restrooms of their biological gender are not in compliance. The Gloucester County district said the case would present a good vehicle for the high court to reconsider one of its precedents about administrative deference upon which the 4th Circuit relied, Auer v. Robbins . (I explored that issue more closely in this story .) Apart from the Gloucester County case, 24 states are now challenging the Obama administrations guidance on transgender restroom policies in two separate lawsuits, says my Education Week colleague Evie Blad, who has been covering the issue closely in her Rules for Engagement blog. On Thursday, Chief Justice Roberts called for a response to the school districts application from lawyers for Grimm. It is due by July 27. Roberts could then decide on his own whether to grant the school districts request for emergency action, or he could refer it to the full court. (That option is less likely now during the courts summer recess, when the justices are scattered about.) The case is Gloucester County School Board v. G.G. (No. 16A52) Woakes strikes twice as Pakistan post 76-2 at lunch at Lord's July 14 (Reuters) - Chris Woakes dismissed both of Pakistan's openers as the visitors posted 76-2 in the opening session on day one of the first test against England at Lord's on Thursday. Woakes struck with the first ball of his second over to dismiss Shan Masood on seven, after the left-hander sent a thick top edge into the gloves of Jonny Bairstow to leave Pakistan at 38-1. Masood's partner Mohammad Hafeez struck eight boundaries en route to 40, but skied a shortish length Woakes delivery in the 17th over to give Bairstow a comfortable catch after the wicketkeeper had run round to square leg. Hafeez was dropped by James Vince in the slips on 11 off a Stuart Broad delivery, while test debutant Jake Ball, drafted into the side in place of the injured James Anderson, looked threatening in his first spell without picking up a wicket. The Pakistan pair of Azhar Ali and Younus Khan played with patience to ensure the visitors got to lunch without losing another wicket, with Younus looking the more dangerous. Earlier, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and elected to bat in the first test of the four-match series. Misbah has picked one specialist spinner in Yasir Shah and three left-arm pace bowlers in his line-up, including Mohammad Amir, whose return from a spot-fixing conviction has dominated the build-up to the series. After decades of mistrust, Pope pushes for breakthrough with China By Lisa Jucca, Benjamin Kang Lim and Greg Torode HONG KONG/BEIJING, July 14 (Reuters) - Pope Francis is leading a determined push to fundamentally alter the relationship between the Vatican and China, which for decades has been infused with mutual suspicion and acrimony. Interviews with some two dozen Catholic officials and clergy in Hong Kong, Italy and mainland China, as well as sources with ties to the leadership in Beijing, reveal details of an agreement that would fall short of full diplomatic ties but would address key issues at the heart of the bitter divide between the Vatican and Beijing. A working group with members from both sides was set up in April and is discussing how to resolve a core disagreement over who has the authority to select and ordain bishops in China, several of the sources told Reuters. The group is also trying to settle a dispute over eight bishops who were appointed by Beijing but did not get papal approval - an act of defiance in the eyes of the Vatican. In what would be a dramatic breakthrough, the pope is preparing to pardon the eight, possibly as early as this summer, paving the way to further detente, say Catholic sources with knowledge of the deliberations. A signal of Francis' deep desire for rapprochement with China came last year in the form of a behind-the-scenes effort by the Vatican to engineer the first-ever meeting between the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. Aides to the pope tried to arrange a meeting when both Francis and Chinese President Xi Jinping were in New York in late September to address the United Nations General Assembly. The meeting didn't happen. But the overture didn't go unnoticed in Beijing. While the two sides have said they are discussing the issue of the bishops, Catholic sources gave Reuters the most detailed account yet of the negotiations and the secret steps the Vatican has taken to pave the way to a deal. The current talks come more than six decades after victorious Communist Party leaders, having vanquished the Nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek, expelled Vatican envoy Antonio Riberi from Beijing in 1951 as they banished missionaries and began a crackdown on organized religion. The Vatican remains the only Western state that does not have diplomatic ties with Beijing, maintaining instead formal relations with the Republic of China, based in Taiwan, which Beijing views as a renegade province. For the Vatican, a thaw in relations with China offers the prospect of easing the plight of Christians on the mainland who for decades have been persecuted by the authorities. It may also ultimately pave the way to diplomatic relations, giving the Church full access to the world's most populous nation. An official relationship with China "would crown a dream that the Catholic Church has cultivated for many centuries: to establish a regular presence in China through stable diplomatic ties," said Elisa Giunipero, a researcher at the Catholic University of Milan who has studied the history of the Catholic Church in China for 20 years. For China, improved relations could burnish its international image and soften criticism of its human rights record. It would also be an important step in prizing the Vatican away from Taiwan, handing China an important diplomatic victory in its efforts to isolate the self-governing island. Spokespeople for the two sides acknowledged the talks are continuing but declined to answer detailed questions about them. "The aim of the contacts between the Holy See and Chinese representatives is not primarily that of establishing diplomatic relations, but that of facilitating the life of the Church and contributing to making relations in ecclesial life normal and serene," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told Reuters. "We are willing, on the basis of the relevant principles, to continue having constructive dialogue with the Vatican side, to meet each other halfway and jointly promote the continued forward development of the process of improving bilateral ties," China's Foreign Ministry said. "(We) hope the Vatican can likewise take a flexible and pragmatic attitude and create beneficial conditions for improving bilateral relations." A PAPAL INVITE Forging an agreement won't be easy. There is resistance on both sides. Among Chinese leaders, there is concern that a deal would give the Vatican a powerful foothold on the mainland, challenging the Communist Party's absolute authority. In the "underground" church in China, whose members have been systematically persecuted for decades by the authorities, many devotees may feel betrayed by a Vatican deal with Beijing. Catholic clergy belonging to the underground church have been detained and jailed through the years, and several bishops have died in prison, according to Catholic sources who monitor the situation on the mainland. The Catholic Church in China, where there are an estimated eight to 10 million devotees, is divided into two communities: the "official" church, which is represented by the state-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, and the "underground" church, which swears allegiance solely to the pope in Rome. Scholars estimate the number of Christians in China belonging to all denominations may be as many as 70 million. Despite resistance in some quarters of the Catholic Church, including in Hong Kong, Pope Francis has made improved ties with China a priority, and a tight-knit circle of envoys and advisers around the pontiff are working on a deal, multiple sources told Reuters. After he was elected pope in March 2013, Francis sent a message to Xi congratulating him on having become president of China. Then, while flying over China in August 2014 on the way to Seoul - the first time Beijing had allowed a pope to enter its airspace - the pope sent his best wishes to Xi and the Chinese people. The next month, Francis sent a letter to Xi via Argentinean politician Ricardo Romano, who had met the future pope when Francis was the archbishop of Buenos Aires, inviting the Chinese leader to a meeting, Romano told Reuters. In early February this year, the pope sent wishes to Xi for the Chinese New Year, the country's most important holiday. And on his way back to Rome from Mexico two weeks later, the pope told a news conference on the plane that he would "really love" to visit China. NEW YORK RENDEZVOUS An early indication that Pope Francis was serious about improving relations with China was his appointment in August 2013 of then Archbishop Pietro Parolin as his Secretary of State, the highest ranking diplomat in the Vatican. Under Pope Benedict XVI, Francis' predecessor, Parolin had been the Vatican's chief negotiator with Beijing and was near to hammering out a deal with China on the appointment of bishops in 2009, people with direct knowledge of those negotiations say. "In 2009, Parolin came very close to an agreement (with China)," said Agostino Giovagnoli, a professor of contemporary history at the Catholic University of Milan who closely follows the Vatican's relationship with China. Ultimately, an agreement on the bishops wasn't reached as the Vatican considered it too narrow, say Catholic Church sources. Parolin then moved to Venezuela in 2009 as the Vatican's representative there. His departure marked the start of a period of chilly relations with China. In June 2014, the sides restarted contacts with a meeting in Rome, according to a Catholic official. A year later, the Vatican made its attempt to get Francis and Xi Jinping together in New York. The pope was scheduled to fly from New York to Philadelphia on the morning of Sept. 26 last year, departing from John F. Kennedy Airport, his itinerary shows. Xi was heading to New York from Washington. The airport, three Catholic officials told Reuters, could have provided a discreet venue for a meeting between the two leaders, away from the media glare. Catholic officials and clergy, and sources in China with knowledge of the contacts, offer differing accounts of why the leaders ultimately didn't meet, but all agree that the pope wanted to meet Xi and that this message was communicated clearly to China. According to a Chinese source with direct knowledge of the matter, Beijing "could not make up its mind whether it should take place before or after the signing of an agreement." In October, though, a six-person Vatican delegation made a visit to Beijing, followed by another meeting in January. A breakthrough came in April this year when the sides agreed to set up a working group, according to two Catholic Church officials. The group is modeled on the Joint Liaison Group that Britain and China adopted to iron out issues before the handover of Hong Kong to the mainland in 1997, according to one of the officials. The pope, says one Catholic official, has given "clear instructions to continue the dialogue (with China) and find a resolution." The working group, which met in May, has been charged with hammering out technical solutions to the dispute over the ordination of bishops in China. It is currently discussing how to resolve the issue of eight bishops who were ordained in China without papal consent, according to Church officials and other Catholic sources with knowledge of the deliberations. Going forward, the Holy See wants to prevent a situation in which bishops are appointed by an authority other than the pope. EXCOMMUNICATED BISHOPS Catholic officials say there are 110 bishops in China, most of whom have been sanctioned by the Communist Party. There are about 30 bishops who are part of the underground church and have pledged allegiance only to the pope. Most of the bishops recognized by Beijing have also sought the pope's blessing and received it. But there are eight bishops who were ordained in China and don't have papal approval. They are considered illegitimate by the Vatican. Three bishops in this group of eight have been officially excommunicated by the Vatican, according to public statements issued by the Holy See. The other five were told through informal channels that the pope opposed their ordination as bishops, according to Catholic sources. The issue is further complicated by the fact that at least two of the eight bishops allegedly have children or girlfriends, according to two Catholic sources. That's a direct affront to the celibacy pledge taken by Catholic priests. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the personal status of these bishops. Catholic Church officials and Catholic clergy with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters that the pope is preparing to pardon these eight bishops. The papal pardon would coincide with the Jubilee of Mercy, a year in which Catholics are urged to seek forgiveness for their offenses and forgive those who have offended them. The Vatican hopes a pardon would be interpreted by China as a goodwill gesture. "I believe Pope Francis wishes to use the occasion of the Holy Year of Mercy to force a breakthrough," says Father Jeroom Heyndrickx, a Belgian missionary and member of the Vatican Commission for the Church in China, which was set up under Pope Benedict to advise the Holy See on relations with China. The jubilee year ends in November. The eight bishops whom the Vatican considers illegitimate can be readmitted to the Catholic Church if they receive a papal pardon. By the end of June, two out of the eight had not yet sent Francis a clear request for pardon, Catholic Church officials said. Since the Vatican does not consider these eight bishops fit to run a diocese, the two sides are discussing a possible compromise that would allow them to retain their titles but be assigned to other tasks, according to Catholic officials. Chen Jianming, director of the foreign affairs office of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, told Reuters it would be difficult to arrange interviews with any of its bishops. "They're very busy people, often out in the field. Interviews would be very difficult," Chen said. The Patriotic Association and the State Administration for Religious Affairs in Beijing did not respond to questions from Reuters about the negotiations with the Vatican. A BISHOP'S CHANGE OF HEART The joint working group is also discussing another vexing issue - a mechanism whereby new bishops will be selected. The sides have failed to resolve this matter in nearly 30 years of on-off contacts. Attempts to find a solution under Benedict and Pope John Paul II failed. In line with centuries of Catholic tradition, bishops are appointed by the pope. But China adopts a model whereby bishops are chosen by the local Chinese clergy, who are members of the Communist Party-controlled Patriotic Association. Under a solution currently being discussed, the bishops would be selected by the clergy in China. The pope would have the power to veto candidates he considers unfit, but the Vatican would need to provide evidence that the person in question is unqualified for the position, according to Catholic Church officials and clergy. A key concern for Rome is that priests in China could face pressure or be offered inducements to favor candidates. A source in Beijing with ties to the leadership said the sides have reached a tentative agreement on the future appointment of bishops, but did not provide details. If a deal can be forged on the selection of new bishops, the Vatican then hopes to focus on an agreement that would see Beijing recognize the bishops who are members of the underground church. A sudden reversal last month by a high-profile Chinese bishop underscores the sensitivity of this issue. Thaddeus Ma Daqin, the auxiliary bishop of Shanghai, angered Beijing when he announced that he couldn't remain in the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association at his ordination ceremony in 2012. But Ma, who has since been under house arrest at the Sheshan mountain seminary on the outskirts of Shanghai, wrote in a June 12 blog post that in retrospect, the move had been "unwise." It is unclear why Ma recanted, but some Catholic officials are concerned that the bishop was pressured into making the statement by the Chinese authorities. That could be interpreted as an affront to the pope, one Catholic official told Reuters. Other Catholic sources speculated that Ma may have acted voluntarily in an effort to defuse his confrontation with Beijing and help smooth the way to a deal. The Chinese authorities did not reply to questions from Reuters about Ma's decision. FEAR OF FOREIGN INFLUENCE In his effort to forge a breakthrough with China, Pope Francis will have to overcome deep-seated fears. China views the Church with suspicion, says the source in Beijing with ties to the Chinese leadership. For the Communist Party, which is officially atheist but recognizes five religions - Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism and Catholicism - the existence of a religion that recognizes a foreign leader as its moral authority is viewed as a potential threat. Communist Party leaders, who were traumatized by the disintegration of the Soviet Union, are acutely aware of the role played by the Catholic Church in the fall of communist regimes, such as the 1989 revolution in Poland, the homeland of the late Pope John Paul II. Within China there are also competing forces that could trip up an agreement, say Chinese and Catholic officials. The Foreign Ministry views detente with the Holy See as a way to isolate Taiwan, as the Vatican would likely have to sever ties to Taipei in the event of full diplomatic relations with Beijing. But the United Front Work Department, a party body whose mission is to spread China's influence, is less enthusiastic, fearing the threat of foreign religious infiltration. "Internally, there is division over whether the Pope can be trusted or not," says the source with leadership ties. For centuries, the Catholic Church has struggled to make inroads in China, where foreign influence, including Christianity, has been met with suspicion. That distrust erupted at the turn of the 20th century with the outbreak of the Boxer Rebellion, which targeted foreigners, including Christian missionaries, as well as Chinese Christians. But relations have not always been fraught. Matteo Ricci, a Jesuit like Pope Francis who arrived in the country in the late 16th century, embraced Chinese culture and became fluent in Mandarin, earning him access to the court of Ming dynasty Emperor Wanli. Ricci, who died in 1610, was buried in Beijing with the approval of the emperor. In some quarters of the church, there are varying degrees of opposition to a deal with China. While Parolin is spearheading the drive for an agreement, the Vatican department in charge of foreign missionary work is more cautious about a deal, according to Catholic sources. 'WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE POPE' Criticism is especially strong in Hong Kong which, along with Macau, has long served as a beachhead for Catholicism on the mainland. The former British colony is home to missions and clergy that maintain extensive networks among both foreign and Chinese priests working in China, many underground. The most outspoken opponent is Cardinal Joseph Zen, a former bishop of Hong Kong, who is a member of the Commission for the Catholic Church in China, the advisory body set up by Benedict. Some members of the commission opposed the draft deal the Vatican hammered out with China in 2009, according to several people with knowledge of the deliberations. "The Chinese government has no intention to give in on anything," Zen, a respected figure in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, told Reuters. Under Francis, the commission has been sidelined. While it hasn't been dismantled, the body hasn't convened since he became pope. And the talks with China are being led by Rome-based Vatican officials. "Chinese Catholics want to be reunited in a single church," said a Chinese bishop who was appointed by Beijing and is also recognized by the pope. "But it is difficult to think of a deal that could satisfy everyone." Some members of the underground church, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, are especially dubious about a deal with China. Many have faced harsh persecution. Catholic clergy are closely watched by Chinese security forces, and priests have been pressured to register with the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, Catholic sources say. China Aid, a Texas-based group that monitors the government's treatment of all Christian denominations in China, said in its 2015 annual report that repression by the Chinese state had escalated. In areas where state repression was particularly strong, it pointed to the forcible closure of secretive house churches, the detention of "large numbers of pastors, church leaders and Christians," and the confiscation of church property. China's Foreign Ministry did not respond to questions about religious persecution. Bishops in the underground church have been jailed and subjected to forced labor, according to reports in the Catholic media. Shi Enxiang, the underground bishop of Yixian in northeast China, died last year after having been detained in 2001, according to UCANews, a Catholic news service focused on Asia. The bishop, who was 94, had been confined to prison or labor camp for about half his life, UCANews said. First aid convoy since June enters besieged area in Syria's Homs city - Red Cross AMMAN, July 14 (Reuters) - The first aid convoy since June to reach to al Waer, a besieged suburb of the Syrian city of Homs, arrived on Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said. A total of 19 trucks carrying wheat flour, medical items and water and sanitation material arrived in a joint convoy of the United Nations, the Syrian Red Cresecent and the ICRC, said Ingy Sedky, an ICRC spokeswoman. The last convoy to reach al Waer arrived on June 16. Aid agencies in Syria have repeatedly called for regular access to areas under siege, saying that one-off deliveries quickly run out. The U.N. says there are more than half a million people living in 18 areas across Syria that are besieged by warring sides in the five-year conflict. Aid agencies reported deaths from starvation in government-besieged Madaya earlier this year. U.N. humanitarian advisor Jan Egeland said last month that despite some recent positive momentum, not a single siege had been lifted and the fighting had worsened. He also said that there were no guarantees that aid access, which was largely opened up by U.S. and Russian pressure, would continue. Uganda troops in South Sudan to evacuate citizens after violence By Denis Dumo JUBA, July 14 (Reuters) - Uganda's army began evacuating citizens from inside neighbouring South Sudan on Thursday where fighting between forces loyal to the president and his rival has plunged the nation into its worst crisis since the end of a two-year civil war. After the civil war erupted in 2013, Uganda's forces also crossed into South Sudan to assist with evacuations, but in that case they also stayed on to help President Salva Kiir secure the capital Juba. At the time this raised worries about the conflict widening but the forces withdrew late last year. This time, Uganda said its troops, who witnesses said entered South Sudan in trucks and armoured vehicles, would stay in a town outside Juba and focus on evacuations. But a Ugandan official said a fresh flare-up could mean a longer stay, without giving a timeline. Juba has been calm since Monday evening, when Kiir and Riek Machar - the former rebel leader and now vice president - ordered their forces to cease hostilities. But residents remain tense and many foreigners have been leaving. "It's a short-term mission but it can be complicated by new developments," Uganda's government spokesman Ofwono Opondo told Reuters, adding that "you can expect us to stay" if fighting flared again and more people wanted to leave. The regional African grouping IGAD has called for the U.N. mission UNMISS to be given a stronger mandate to enforce peace in South Sudan and called for extra troops to keep order. The United Nations said it was ready to work with IGAD on the proposals after thousands of civilians in Juba fled to U.N. bases in the capital to seek refuge. HOPES FOR CEASEFIRE Kiir said there was no need to add to the 12,000-strong UNMISS force. "UNMISS here has so many foreign troops, so we will not accept even a single soldier here," he told a news briefing. Festus Mogae, the former Botswana president who heads the international mediation and monitoring body JMEC, met Kiir on Thursday and said he wanted talks. Many foreigners have been evacuated from South Sudan, the world's newest nation which is still recovering from the civil war which killed thousands of people and drove more than 2.5 million from their homes. Some shops opened up on Thursday and more people were on the streets. The airport has reopened and Kenya Airways resumed scheduled flights on Thursday. "We all hope the ceasefire will hold ... But at the moment the situation is very unstable," deputy German ambassador to Uganda, Petra Kochendoerfer, said in Uganda's capita Kampala late on Wednesday where evacuated German citizens were arriving. Washington said on Wednesday it had deployed 47 troops to South Sudan to protect U.S. citizens and the embassy in Juba. Kiir and Machar have long been political and military rivals. Kiir's decision to sack Machar in 2013 led to the civil war erupting a few months later. They signed a peace deal in August 2015 and then argued over details amid sporadic fighting. Machar finally returned to Juba and resumed old post as vice president in April. But other moves outlined in the peace deal, such as integrating their forces, have stalled. New global standard on land to improve rights, boost investment By Magdalena Mis ROME, July 14 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A new global standard for recording land information will help to improve land rights, food security and boost economic development, the backers of the initiative said on Thursday. Land and property rights are key to tackling poverty but some 70 percent of land and property around the world is not officially registered. At 90 percent, the number is even higher in Africa, experts say. The International Land Measurement Standard will be the first to create a globally-recognised system to record key land information such as registration, ownership or land classification, its creators said. "Having a simplified land reporting process means that (land) rights will be formalised on a much quicker basis," said James Kavanagh, director of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a member of the coalition developing the new measure. "It should help smallholder farmers realise their rights a lot quicker and enable them to pass those rights on a lot easier," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. According to experts, securing land rights of smallholder farmers is essential for food security because when their right to land is protected by a legal document, farmers are willing to invest in it, assured that the food they grow is theirs to eat or sell - a powerful incentive to grow as much as possible. Formalising people's property through an internationally adopted land standard would also help to encourage investment in poor countries, he said. "In the developing world, particularly Africa and South and Central America, and Southeast Asia there's a real need to be able to compare like-for-like across borders," he said. "So if you're looking at a piece of property or land for investment in Ghana then you can compare the same kind of principles in Botswana." Kavanagh said the standard, which he hoped would be ready for implementation by the end of next year, would also help governments with issues including land acquisitions and compensations for land. Kerry meets with Putin about cooperating against Islamic State in Syria By David Brunnstrom and Denis Dyomkin MOSCOW, July 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin about boosting military and intelligence cooperation against Islamic State and al Qaeda in Syria and told him that without "concrete, near-term steps," diplomatic efforts to end the war could not go on indefinitely. Kerry met Putin for three hours at the Kremlin and their talks lasted until 1 a.m. local time on Friday. The State Department said Kerry expressed concern about repeated violations of a cessation of hostilities by the Moscow-backed Syrian government. It said the two also discussed the need to need to increase pressure on groups like Islamic State and the Nusra Front, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria. Kerry "emphasized that absent concrete, near-term steps, diplomatic efforts could not continue indefinitely," a statement said, adding that discussions between Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday were expected to explore initiatives in more detail. On Thursday, the Washington Post published a leaked document it said Kerry would put forward in Moscow calling for intelligence sharing to identify leadership targets, training camps, supply lines and headquarters of the Nusra Front, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria. It said strikes against those targets could be carried out by U.S. or Russian jets and expanded coordination would be channelled through a Joint Implementation Group based in the vicinity of the Jordanian capital, Amman. The extent of cooperation proposed in the document would represent a major U.S. shift after years of rivalry between Washington and Moscow, which support opposing sides in Syria's five-year civil war, but the idea has raised doubts among U.S. defence and intelligence officials. Kerry declined to comment when asked about the document before leaving for Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he would refrain from comment until Russian officials heard from Kerry, but that Russia in general favoured cooperation with the United States over Syria. Putin said at the start of his meeting with Kerry that his last conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama had convinced him that both sides were sincere in their efforts to find a solution in Syria. "I hope after today's consultations you'll be able to advise him of the progress made and possible headway for us to make," he told Kerry. A TEST OF RUSSIA U.S. officials described the visit as a test of Moscow's willingness to use its influence on the Syrian government to help revive the country's peace process. Under the leaked plan, the United States and Russia would establish separate headquarters and a shared coordination office, where they would deploy senior officials, intelligence personnel and experts in strike planning and targeting. They would decide on a date to simultaneously begin strikes against Nusra Front targets and to stop all Syrian military air activities in designated areas, except for non-combat purposes and against areas where Nusra Front has acquired territory. The proposal also allows for Russia to use air power to defend Syrian forces from attack from Nusra Front within a designated area, if agreed in advance with the United States. A senior U.S. official said before the talks that expectations were "very low", but added: "Either we find a way to do something about it or not. "And if we don't, the entire things breaks down. That would be an end of the cessation of hostilities and that would not be a good thing for Russia, or the United States, or the world, or, most importantly, for the Syrian people." U.S. officials said there were two major problems leading to the breakdown of Syria's cessation of hostilities - the failure of the Syrian government to respect it and Nusra Front activity. "We are here to test in what is pretty much close to the end stage of whether this is going to work, to take a shot with the Russians at whether we can solve those two major problems with the cessation of hostilities and get this back on track," a second senior official said. Kerry faces some strong opposition to his efforts to woo Russia from U.S. defence and intelligence officials who say Washington and Moscow have diametrically opposed objectives in Syria. Kerry's trip, his second to Moscow this year, comes amid a worsening of U.S.-Russian ties due to tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions, U.S. allegations of aggressive Russian manoeuvres toward U.S. aircraft and vessels and what Washington has said is a disregard for a cessation of hostilities in Syria, where Russia has bombed U.S.-backed rebels. Relations also remain strained over Ukraine and what the Kremlin considers NATO's unjustified activity along its borders. Spain's Puig in talks to buy stake in Brazil's Granado -sources By Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Tatiana Bautzer SAO PAULO, July 14 (Reuters) - Spanish fashion and fragrance firm Puig SA is in advanced talks to buy a minority stake in Grupo Granado SA, a Brazilian manufacturer and retailer of high-end beauty care goods that wants to pursue global expansion, four sources with knowledge of the matter said. Barcelona-based Puig, the owner of the Carolina Herrera and Jean Paul Gaultier brands, could pay about 1 billion reais ($306 million) for a stake of up to 30 percent in Granado, said the first two sources, who asked for anonymity because talks remain private. Former banker Christopher Freeman, who bought Granado from the company's namesake founding family in 1994, wants a partner to help the Rio de Janeiro-based company bolster an overseas push that began three years ago with the opening of a small shop in Paris, a third source told Reuters. Both parties are working to announce a deal within days, all the sources said. They said Puig has consistently stood out over a number of private-equity firms and strategic rivals that showed preliminary interest in Granado. Freeman began to look out for a minority partner at the beginning of the year, the sources said. Media representatives for Puig did not respond to a an emailed request for comment. Granado's investor relations division declined to comment. The Granado stake could help Puig grow in Brazil, a country of 200 million that ranks as the world's No. 3 cosmetics and beauty care market. A third-generation family-owned business, Puig manages licenses such as Prada and Valentino and markets celebrity fragrances in over 150 countries. Founded in 1870 by Portuguese pharmacist Jose Antonio Coxito Granado, Granado has managed to dribble the impact of Brazil's harshest recession in eight decades by targeting sales of the company's glycerin soaps, shave balms, creams, nail polish and body powders to an affluent clientele. FATHER AND DAUGHTER Granado, which had revenue of 380 million reais last year, has achieved compounded average growth of 20 percent over the past decade, according to the third source. Freeman and Granado hired the investment-banking units of Itau Unibanco Holding SA and Grupo BTG Pactual SA to advise them on the transaction, the sources said. The banks did not comment. A former Citigroup Inc investment banker, Freeman and his daughter Sissi Freeman have spent the past decade honing the company's business focus and retro image, represented by vintage logo designs and old-styled store decoration mimicking early 20th century pharmacies. Granado's three divisions run a web of 47 stores across Brazil, a distribution network and a plant where the company's flagship products are manufactured. Granado's most recognized products include Phebo, Brazil's first luxury perfumery and glycerin soap brand, which Freeman bought in 2004. On its part, Puig's presence in emerging markets has grown, helping the company decouple from years of weak growth in Spain. Currently, 47 percent of revenues come from emerging market countries outside of the European Union and North America. Last year, Puig had net income of 126 million euros ($140 million) on revenue of 1.645 billion euros. Puig expects annual revenue to reach 2 billion euros by the end of next year. ($1 = 3.2642 Brazilian reais) Burhan Muzaffar Wani is dead. At 21 years, he did not have to. He could have chosen to live longer. He did not. After these four short sentences comprising 23 words, at this precise point, the narrative forks. The one in the Valley goes like this: How could he have chosen otherwise? He was a bright son of a well-to-do school headmaster. He grew up amidst the ubiquitous presence of the khaki and the camouflaged olive; the police, the CRPF and the Army. It overwhelmed him. The humiliation of having to prove his identity every now and then, to someone who did not even belong there, was too much to take for him. Frequent curfews, search and seize ops, cordon and combing for the militants hiding, aggravated the sense of being under occupation. Add to that, widespread excesses that resulted in several thousands of Kashmiris dead in 26 years, hundreds of half-widows and orphans, frequent molestations and rapes, preventive detentions, missing people, AFSPA... the list is long. How could he have disregarded all this to go ahead to built a career for himself, married his sweetheart, settled down to raising a family and aged gracefully, like they all do? Burhan was not the first. He will not be the last either. But, that is not how those who follow Kashmir, in the rest of India, see it. To most of them, this is how the narrative goes. Burhan was an armed-to-teeth terrorist. He was brainwashed to become a tool in the hands of those handlers who, from across the border in Pakistan, look for such recruits to engage India in a low-cost war. He, unwittingly perhaps, chose to become canon-fodder in their war against India, to grab Kashmir. Pakistan wages this war by fanning religious disaffection in the Muslim majority Kashmir and also among the Muslims elsewhere in India, to recruit insurgents for strikes all over India. Burhan Wani was not the first. He will not be the last either. (AP) Burhan was incidental. There have been several such Burhans in the past. There are several more waiting to be tapped. Till such time that India does not crush such mischief by Pakistan, resolutely, and deliver Pakistan a hard enough blow, to make it back off from such a misadventure, we all will have to endure this pain and wait for our moment. Perhaps, the laziest thing to do about these two narratives is to say that the truth lies somewhere in their middle. Besides, who am I to conclude for you what the truth is and where it does, after all, lie. All I can attempt is to put down the facts, as I see them. Let me place the facts vis-a-vis the Valley-narrative first. First of all, Burhan Wani could, indeed, have chosen otherwise. Just as over 99 per cent of his peers did. Some of whom, who were academically inclined, cracked the competitive exams. A large number joined the Army, the BSF and the police. Many are building a career in journalism, right here in Delhi. Not all of them are without a grievance. Some of them, in fact, sound as aggrieved as Burhan might have been, if not more. But, they shun the gun. They use an argument, instead. Second, he was a school drop-out. He may, yet, have been promising but, it is not about being bright. Nor it is about coming from a well-to-do family. Most of the recent infamous five of Dhaka were also considered well. They went to more coveted schools than Burhan did and lived in even tonier neighbourhoods. Privileged upbringing can no more be considered an inoculation against bestiality. Terror, as a career, has turned out to be a big leveller. A London School of Economics alumnus can slit the throat of an innocent stranger as unwaveringly as a "Talib" from the Madrasa Haqqania in FATA Waziristan. Third, though it can be safely conceded that Kashmir has had, for some years, more than a "normal" presence of the security forces, this too is a lame alibi. The Burhans of the '80s did not grow up amidst a swarm of khaki. Nor was there any AFSPA those days. Battle fatigues and AFSPA came only after an entire community of Hindus was cleansed through a series of murders, rapes, abductions, massacres and brandishing public threats of larger-scale violence. The Army and AFSPA came only after a complete mayhem was let loose, to challenge the very existence of the Indian State. What did the Burhans (and the Bittas and the Yasins and the Zargars) of the '80s expect? That the Indian State would not show up; and, instead, offer Kashmir, on a platter, to this thug-collective, for onward delivery to Pakistan? After all the blood and gore of killing a vice-chancellor, a DG Doordarshan, a retired judge, a senior advocate, several popular leaders, authors, poets, scholars, bureaucrats, engineers, doctors, teachers and traders; abducting and raping nurses and students, in hundreds - all unarmed non-combatants, what did you expect? That the terrorists you harboured in your houses, would be taken out in a surgical-operation of such laser-precision that it wouldn't leave even a stain on your immaculate namdaas? Insurgency does not come cheap. And remember, the consequences of committing genocide are yet to catch up. And catch up, they will. Fourth, it is, sadly, true that Burhan is not the last. Many more Burhans will come, and go, the same way. And, each time they go, a few dozen nameless and faceless, poor wannabe Burhans, will go along. Only, because they are much too far from realising that they are no more than cannon-fodder. That their role is no more than offering half an opportunity to the likes of Hafiz Sayeed to publicly crow, and exhort the Pakistani State, - "Mauka hai, fayda uthaao!" Now, about the gaps in the Burhan-narrative in the rest of India. First of all, it isn't that Burhan was brainwashed on the sly, by some "cloak 'n dagger" child-lifter gang who look out for the poorly supervised and unattended dimwits in their sub-teens. Jamaat-e-Islami, from the '50s, has been working hard at penetrating the larger Kashmiri Muslim milieu through its network of madrasas. As they, relentlessly, chipped away at the largely "Aitekadi" Kashmiri Muslim society, undisturbed and unchallenged, they managed to raise a large radicalised following of their own. These Islamists, themselves, imbue their own children with a world view that is hatefully doctrinaire. This spread of Jamaat has a familial/social sanction and has taken an epidemic proportion. So, it isn't like the hapless Hindu/Christian parents in Kerala, discovering, to their shock one fine morning, that their children are in Syria fighting for ISIS. Two, Jamaat is an unabashed advocate of Kashmir-for-Pakistan. When the JKLF advocated a different line during the '90s, of an independent Kashmir, the Jamaat, through its own terror-outfit - Hizbul Mujahideen - got many of them disarmed and killed. So, becoming a Pakistani tool is not inadvertent but by choice. Three, Jamaat's preference for Pakistan is not owing to their love for Pakistan's nationhood. In fact, they do not believe in any kind of nationalism, socialism, secularism or democracy. They are, self-admittedly, Islam supremacists and therefore pan-Islamists. Four, Jamaat is the reason why Kashmiri separatists connect with global jihad and will not be happy with dismembering Kashmir alone. The present insistence on Kashmir alone is only tactical as it is, in their view, a low-hung fruit. They also know that any success in Kashmir will have a domino effect and weaken the Union considerably, to their advantage everywhere else in India. Five, electing a super-patriot as the prime minister, even with a clear mandate, may not be enough to ensure that he does all the heavy lifting necessary for Pakistan to back off from its Kashmir obsession. Once in power, the "system", inevitably, takes over. The "system" that is worked by the ace "statecraft-men". The "system" that teaches the virtues of "status quo" over change and the path-of-least-resistance. The "system" that packages perfidy as a "masterstroke". Agenda-for-Alliance, between the PDP and the BJP typifies a classic perfidy in the present case. Six, the sudden spurt in the violence in Kashmir and the growing belligerence of the separatists is in huge contrast to the shock 'n awe produced by May 16, 2014. Several missteps in dealing with Pakistan, Hurriyat and the PDP, have helped all three of them in a psychological recovery. Not just that, their confidence suggests that they have got a measure of the man they weren't too sure of, till recently. Therefore, a mere wait may not yield much. A vigorous mobilisation of public opinion that sends out incessant reminders about the squandered mandate seems the only way left to coax some course-correction. Beyond the tale of these two conflicting narratives is one aspect which is unique to this story and where there is little argument. It is the glamour quotient in the making of Burhan Wani an icon among a section of Kashmiri youth. Barkha Dutt feels it is his use of the social media. Some say it was his daring in exposing his face when clicking pictures or making videos for public posting. He is also not your regular ugly dishevelled maniac. But, in my opinion, what may have made his visual persona into a poster boy are, ironically, the stolen Indian Army battle-fatigues. They look absolutely smart. I remember, my fascination for the Indian Army's olive green, too, began in my early teens, just as Burhan's. Some happy-ending types may wonder, can this compelling lure of an Indian Army soldier's uniform become an antidote to jihad and a timely draw for the Burhans of tomorrow to fight for India? From the greatest airlifted evacuation in human history (the Kuwait story) to rescuing stranded nationals from conflict-ravaged Yemen and Libya, India has been a boss in extracting civilians out of difficult situations. Already the hype behind Gen (Retd) VK Singh's trip to evacuate more than 500 Indians stuck in South Sudan - an operation named "Sankat Mochan" - has garnered enough steam to get social and television media all pumped up. New Delhi has been at the forefront of many a relief and rehabilitation op worldwide, and by now has earned quite a name in this risk-ridden field of international rescue operations. Let's take a look back at some of the previous occasions when India successfully evacuated its civilians caught in the crosshairs of conflict and violent civil war in foreign lands. Kuwait, 1990 A picture showing the 1990 evacuation of Indian citizens from Kuwait. [Photo: Reuters] In the legendary airlift of 1990, India evacuated approximately 175,000 people, with stellar help of national carrier Air India, after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The operation has been given a cinematic nod in the Akshay Kumar starrer Airlift (2016). Operation Safe Homecoming INS Mysore en route to evacuate Indians from Libya in 2011. [Photo: Indian Navy] The Indian government evacuated about 15,000 people feeling from the Libyan civil war in 2011. The operation was carried out by three Indian Navy ships, two destroyers the INS Mysore, and INS Aditya, and our largest amphibious vessel INS Jalashwa, along with major support from Air India, as well as all major private players. Operation Raahat Indian evacuees waiting to board INS Sumitra. [Photo: Indian Navy] Operation Raahat was the effort from the Indian armed forces to evacuate Indian citizens and other foreign nationals from Yemen in 2015 when Saudi Arabia intervened during the Yemeni crisis and started aerial bombing of Yemen. The Indian Air Force and Air India joined hands to evacuate more than 4,640 Indians in Yemen along with 960 foreign nationals of 41 countries. Cyclone Hudhud Early and proper evacuation saved many lives during Cyclone Hudhud. [Photo: PTI] Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, has asked the states supreme court to determine whether his recently adopted budget , which sets aside money for private schools, is constitutional. The budget will send $2.5 million to private schools this year for costs associated with state-mandated requirements such as background checks on employees, immunizations, and compliance with state building, health, and fire codes, according to the Detroit Free Press . Several public school advocates have argued that spending taxpayer money on private schools violates a clause in the states constitution that specifically bans public resources for private schools. Supporters of the budget item, including state catholic and charter associations, argue that the money will only be spent on state-mandated requirements and wont be spent on curriculum or teacher salaries. Amid lawsuit threats from the states ACLU chapter, Gov. Snyder wrote a letter to the court asking them to issue an opinion on the budget in the coming months. The states legal chief, Attorney General Bill Schuette was unable to definitely answer whether the budget item is constitutional. Dont miss another State EdWatch post. Sign up here to get news alerts in your email inbox. And make sure to follow @StateEdWatch on Twitter for the latest news from state K-12 policy and politics. Federal Judge Rules Against Cell Phones as Secret Tracking Devices A stingray, or cell site simulator, is a device that mimics the activity of a cell phone tower and provides authorities with location data. This week, a federal judge in New York ruled that such evidence requires a search warrant. Cell phones may not be secretly turned into tracking devices, US District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan ruled, finding this violates the constitutional right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment. Reuters reports that this ruling is the first of its kind at the federal level. Location Data Judge Pauley found that the Drug Enforcement Administration acted unreasonably when using a stingray without a warrant to track a defendant to his apartment and arrest him, writing, "Absent a search warrant, the government may not turn a citizen's cell phone into a tracking device." Location data seems innocuous. We often provide it voluntarily, posting on social media when we attend events and much more. Ironically, with the brand new Pokemon Go mania, location data is being volunteered with such alarming frequency that police around the country are asking people to be more careful. But do we want authorities to know where we are all the time, using our phones against us? According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), at least 66 agencies in 24 states and the District of Columbia own stingrays. There is secrecy surrounding such purchases, so there may be more. Critics believe cell site simulators are invasive and violate our constitutional rights. For a while it seemed no courts agreed with the critiques. But the ACLU told Reuters that in March, a Maryland appeals court became the first state appellate court to suppress evidence obtained with a stingray. Now Judge Pauley is the first to do so at the federal level. The prosecution may still appeal his ruling but it's a win for civil libertarians. Accused? As this case shows, a strong defense helps. If you have been accused of a crime, talk to a lawyer. Many criminal defense attorneys consult for free or a minimal fee and will be happy to talk. Related Resources: Judge Who Charged Children With Contempt Charged With Misconduct Remember the lovely Michigan judge who sentenced three children to juvenile detention because they refused a court order to spend time with their father? She's back in the news, only this time she's the one being taken to task rather than the other way around. A special master of Michigan's Judicial Tenure Commission found Judge Lisa Gorcyca committed several acts of misconduct in her handling of the visitation case, including "[f]ailing to act in a patient, dignified, judicial manner by making disparaging comments to the children about themselves, their siblings and their mother" While Gorcyca's punishment has yet to be determined, the report had some harsh words for the judge who contends her treatment of the children was merely "stern language." Sharpest Tool in the Shed When Judge Gorcyca was sending the eldest sibling, just 14 at the time, to the Children's Village detention center for refusing to visit his father, she said that the contempt charge was a "tool in her toolbox." She also insulted the boy's intelligence, making a circular, "crazy" motion with her hand at her right temple and doubting the boy's supposedly high IQ. This wasn't the smartest move on her part. The special master's report quipped: ... if a judge is going to use the inherent power of contempt, the ultimate 'tool in the tool box' after years of 'frustration,' the judge may wish may wish to consult the owner's manual to make sure that she or he are using the tool properly before employing one of the penultimate tools of inherent judicial power, a contempt finding, to deprive any individual, or children in this case, of their liberty. The report found Gorcyca violated the Rules of Judicial Conduct by abusing her power to assign contempt charges. Decorum in the Court The special master also concluded Judge Gorcyca engaged in "inappropriate demeanor on the bench" by addressing the boy with the crazy signal, and then lying about it to the commission, insisting that she only meant that the child was "moving forward" with therapy. Perhaps it was her words that betrayed her true intent. While making the gesture Gorcyca was telling the boy, "You need to do a research program on Charlie Manson and the cult that he has ... You have bought yourself living in Children's Village, going to the bathroom in public, and maybe summer school." For her part, Gorcyca is challenging the report's findings. If the Michigan Supreme Court sides against her, she could be facing censure, suspension, or removal from the bench. Follow FindLaw for Consumers on Facebook and Twitter (@FindLawConsumer). Related Resources: Miles Davis is one of the best jazz musicians to have ever lived. His life in and out of the studio was well-documented and full of surprises, success, and downfalls. It all translated into his one-of-a-kind sound on each of his albums, and he became one of the top purveyors and creators of modern jazz. Actor Don Cheadle (House of Lies) is obviously a big fan of the musician, and personally financed and stepped into the writing and directing chair for this one, marking this project as his first directorial effort, as well as the star in this Miles Davis biopic titled Miles Ahead. Cheadle does an excellent job telling the story of Miles Davis, but its not your typical biopic fare. Instead of going the usual route, starting with childhood years, the discovery of talent, the success, the fall, then the rise again, Cheadle focuses on just a few years out of Daviss life, specifically the latter half of the 1970s where Miles really didnt produce any music. In fact, he kept as a recluse in his New York home, doing drugs and drinking, rather than making any music. We get this unorthodox look at the trumpet player when a sly journalist named Dave (Ewan McGregor), shows up at Miless door and says he works for Rolling Stone Magazine to do a cover story on him. Things dont go too well when punches fly and noses are broken, but the duo seem to drive around together looking for drugs and trying to get money from the record company. Record producer Harper Hamilton (Michael Stuhlbarg) isnt too keen on giving what Miles Davis is owed, because of the rumors of an unheard session tape that is to be the next great album from him. Cheadle goes back and forth from the late 70s to Daviss earlier career and his marriage to Frances Taylor (Emayatzy Corinealdi), as we get to see his descent into drugs and trying to control others. Its a fascinating way to show his transition and also heartbreaking. Most of the film though plays out like a buddy action movie with Cheadle and McGregor sticking together as they try to outrun drug dealers and record execs. Its certainly entertaining to watch, especially watching Cheadle transform himself into Miles Davis. His body language and voice is spot on with the late jazz musician. I wouldnt be surprised if he was nominated for an award later on down the road for this. The set pieces are phenomenal as well, sometimes spanning several different decades in the matter of a few minutes. There are some funny moments between Cheadle and McGregor in their drunken and drug induced adventures, yet there are some key dramatic moments that are shown as well that put Davis on the path he chose so late in life. Cheadle pays a great deal of respect to Davis with Miles Ahead, and is one of the better biopics in a while. The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats 'Miles Ahead' comes with a 50GB Blu-ray Disc from Sony Pictures Classics and is Region A Locked. There is an insert included that contains the digital download code. The disc itself is housed in a hard, blue plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. Six trailers play before the main menu pops up. In this regards, Pu Sian Thun, secretary of CPP highlighted that, As the state Chief Minister Pu Lian Luai and the NLD government cannot authorize to give the permission to hold the conference, it means acting like dictator, as all the decision had been made by the Central on his Facebook. He added that it needs to think about Chin state government as it has no authority of letting such kind of conference. Besides, it is inappropriate with the pattern of democratic government. The Southern Chin State Conference has to review on the resolution of Chin National Conference (151) and to discuss about 21st century Pang-Long (or) Union Peace Conference, and to form a group in related with national activities among four townships in southern Chin state. However, the conference program was canceled the last hour after all the invitees and representatives from Paletwa, Matupi, Kanpalet and Mindat townships arrived in Mindat town due to the directive of the Presidents office. The UNFC also announced they had postponed their pre-scheduled 2nd Congress,originally to be held in August, to December as it coincided with 21st Century Panglong Conference which would be held the same month UNFC general secretary Khu Oo Reh told reporters, We discussed the Mai Jai Yang agenda, UNFC delegation etc. We will present our common stance on fundamental principles on the constitution and a future federal union which will be compatible with the two main objectives of the Mai Jai Yang meeting. We also prepared our policy on defence and security. We passed in total 7 resolutions at our emergency meeting, he said. The two main objectives of the scheduled Mai Jai Yang plenary meeting of all EAOs are preparation for 21st Century Panglong Conference or Union Peace Conference which will be organized by the government and creating a common stances for EAOs on future federal union. At the 2-day emergency meeting, the UNFC decided to send four top leaders to Naypyitaw to meet State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. This high level delegation led by Khu Oo Reh will visit Yangon on July 15 and would prepare for a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi. Khu Oo Reh also said that the UNFC delegation led by Vice-Chairman Nai Han Tha would visit the United Wa State Party (UWSP) and National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) to discuss matters related to the 21st Century Panglong Conference. Pennsylvania-based food retailer Weis Markets recently purchased both Food Lion stores in Culpeper, according to Wednesdays news release from Food Lions Belgium parent company Delhaize Group and Ahold USA, the parent company for Giant and Martins Grocery stores. Weis agreed to purchase 38 Food Lion supermarket stores in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. This transaction provides us the opportunity to expand into markets that are contiguous to our current trade area, particularly in Maryland where we are adding 21 stores essentially doubling our store count in a state where we have steadily grown in recent years, said Jonathan Weis, Weis Markets chairman, president and CEO. Were also looking forward to expanding our operations into two adjacent states with the addition of 13 stores in Virginia and four in Delaware. In March, the Culpeper Food Lion in the Meadowbrook Shopping Center on Madison Road and the one located in Culpeper Town Square off James Madison Highway went up for sale after the merger between Delhaize Group and Ahold USA. The joint venture included the sale of 86 stores. All purchase agreements are subject to the United States Federal Trade Commissions review of the proposed merger between the two companies. Selling stores is a difficult part of any merger process, given the impact on our associates, customers and communities in which we operate, said Frans Muller, president and CEO of Delhaize Group. We believe we have made every effort to identify strong buyers for these locations, and we want to thank our loyal associates and customers who have shopped our stores and supported us for so many years. Upon the completion of the merger, we will continue to maintain our local Food Lion and Hannaford brands; however, our new company scale will enable us to accelerate our local market strategies to better serve our customers with nearly 2,000 stores along the East Coast in the United States. So far, the Culpeper Martins Grocery didnt make the for sale list. However, Florida-based Publix purchased 10 Martins grocery stores in the Richmond area. Of the 38 stores Weis recently purchased, the family-owned grocery chain also bought 11 Fredericksburg-based Food Lion stores including Spotsylvania and Stafford counties. Weis expects to complete the conversion process for the majority of these stores by September and October and is interested in hiring current Food Lion store teams for the purchased locations. We look forward to interviewing and hiring team members who share our commitment to offering an industry-leading combination of value, quality and customer service, Weis said. According to Weis, this is his companys second major acquisition in 2016. In May, Weis announced plans to purchase five Mars Super Markets in Baltimore County, Maryland, a deal expected to close later this summer. When both purchases are complete, Weis Markets, established in 1912, will have increased its number of operating stores by more than 25 percent and will operate 202 stores in the following seven states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia. Martins opened its first and only Culpeper store on Montanus Drive on Aug. 26, 2009 with about 225 full- and part-time associates. According to a Food Lion spokeswoman Christy Phillips-Brown, the Food Lion located in the Meadowbrook Shopping Center opened June 4, 1984 and the Culpeper Town Square location opened on Dec. 8, 1999. Rhonda Simmons can be reached at rsimmons@starexponent.com or (540) 825-6397. McAuliffe, in the midst of a trade mission to both the UK and Israel, announced that the Virginia companies of Turman Lumber, Virginia-Carolina Forest Products, W&R Deacon & Sons Timber and Blue Ridge Lumber of Fishersville, would export lumber to James Latham, PLC. Latham is described as one of the oldest and largest wood importers and distributors into the UK. McAuliffe said "our efforts to introduce more Virginia products into the global marketplace is paying off for Virginia companies." Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore said "this is a perfect example of the type of partnership we hope to help Virginia companies establish." Susan Jennings, president of the Virginia Forest Products Association, said "Europe is an important market for Virginia wood products. We are appreciative of all the efforts made by Gov. McAuliffe and his team to identify new buyers for our members and all Virginia wood products companies." Blue Ridge Lumber has log yards in Highland County and Tappahannock, mills in Fishersville and Covington, dry kilns in Fishersvile and Goshen, and a woodworking operation in Stillwater. The company website says Blue Ridge specializes in red and white oak, poplar, hard and soft maple, hickory, cherry and walnut. Blue Ridge President Tom Sheets said the announcement by McAuliffe "would enhance'' an existing export relationship his company has had in the United Kingdom. Sheets estimates that 50 to 60 percent of Blue Ridge's overall business is exports. "The domestic market is OK, but exports are always important,'' Sheets said. He estimates that Blue Ridge will ship between 1,200 and 1,300 containers of wood products overseas a year. Sheets praised the marketing prowess of McAuliffe, saying "the right guy got elected as governor. Virginia needed a PT Barnum type for marketing and he certainly is." Sheets hopes his company is able to take advantage of the new open relationship between the United States and Cuba. "The Obama administration did the right thing in opening the door to Cuba,'' he said. McAuliffe has also visited Cuba, spending several days there earlier in 2016. You may contact Bob Stuart at (540) 932-3562 or bstuart@newsvirginian.com. The decision to have four leaders of the UNFC, a coalition of ethnic armed groups, meet the State Counselor this Sunday was made at UNFCs emergency meeting on July 11. Council leaders selected to attend are General N Ban La, vice-chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Nai Htaw Mon, chairman of the New Mon State Party (NMSP), Chairman Abel Tweed of the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and General Say Htin of the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP). We want to hold the meeting before the 21st Century Panglong Conference. It has already been agreed to. [The government also] already invited us to the conference. But we are unclear about whether all UNFC members can attend. If yes, would all members be received equally? For example, [would we all be] given the opportunity to talk and make decisions at the conference? Everyone should be clear on this, said UNFC Vice-chairman Nai Hongsar at a press conference. The 21st Century Panglong Conference, the name given to the next union-level peace process event and derived from the Panglong Agreement, reached between General Aung San and ethnic Shan, Kachin, and Chin representatives in 1947, will be held in late August and led by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Although non-signatories of last years nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) are permitted to attend the conference and present their views, they cannot participate in decision-making, according to Dr. Min Zaw Oo, a member of the events preparatory committee. There is nothing written in the NCA text that prevents them from attending. Group members can join. They can express their views. But non-NCA signatories cannot make decisions. That is in the NCA. At the meeting with the state counselor, UNFC leaders will primarily discuss the issue of inclusivity at the peace conference and the opportunity for ethnic armed groups, regardless of signatory status, to contribute to decision-making, according to Nai Hongsar. On March 31 last year, the Thein Sein government, represented by the Union Peacemaking Working Committee, and the ethnic armed organizations Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) convened a historic meeting to sign a draft version of the nationwide ceasefire agreement. The Arakan Army, Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) were not invited by the administration to sign the NCA, a move that contributed to other UNFC members refusal to sign. By October 2015, only eight groups inked the final agreement. There are 21 ethnic armed groups in the country that has experienced armed conflict and civil unrest for nearly seven decades. Speaking to Shan Herald on Wednesday, Hsipaw Township MP Nang San San Aye said that her call to take action against the Ngwe Yi Pale Mining Co Ltd was dismissed during the state parliament session on Tuesday. She said that the state assembly recommended that she take the matter to a higher level in Naypyidaw. Did this company get a license from the mining ministry? Nang San San Aye questioned. And if they do have a license, what are the details of the contract? Nang San San Aye said that, according to Shan States Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Minister Dr Nyi Nyi Aung, the state government only has the power to hear a complaint but does not have decision-making capacity. Anything related to mining has to go through the central government in Naypyidaw, including the contract process, she said. Therefore, these questions should be directed to Naypyidaw. At the state level, we cannot do anything. There will be problems and this will slow down the process in the future, she added. The Shan State government should have the power to make decisions on Shan State. A subsidiary of the Ngwe Yi Pale group, Ngwe Yi Pale Co. Ltd launched a coal mining operation in Hsipaw Township in 2000. In addition to coal, the firm is also one of the biggest manufacturers of sugar and cement in Burma. But on May 24, Shan Herald reported that residents in Peng Zai, Parng Ngar and Nar Goon had demanded the firm permanently stop operations due to pollution and damage to the environment. Problems have occurred [in these areas], the Hsipaw MP said. Now the Shan State government should look into it and do something about it. But, what they are doing? Nothing. Whenever anything happens they just refer it to Naypyidaw. In effect, the Shan State government is meaningless. Since the National League for Democracy-led government took office in April, a Shan State cabinet with nine ministers has been tabled. However, they have yet to disclose who these ministers will be. Matthew Walton (Photo: uk.linkedin.com Matthew Walton(Photo: uk.linkedin.com Although incipient rebellions had broken out earlier, the Shans in 1958 and the Kachins in 1961, both had blown into statewide movements only after the 1962 military takeover.The Shan and Kachin rebellions did not begin in earnest until it became clear that the military government under Ne Win had no intention of honoring the promises made at Panglong, Walton, also known as U Tha Noe to his Burmese friends, commented in his 23 page essay The Myths of Panglong: Ethnicity and the Prospects for National Unity in Burma. The other signatory, the Chins, set up the Chin Independence Army (CIA) in 1961. The movement was succeeded in 1985 by the Chin National Front (CNF), according to Bertil Lintners Burma in Revolt (1994). All those groups that were not party to Panglong rose up almost immediately following Independence, observes Walton. They included: The Arakan Peoples Liberation Party (APLP), led by U Sein Da, who started his armed struggle against the British in 1946 and continued to fight for a separate Arakan state after Burmas independence in 194s The Karen National Union (KNU) that went underground in Insein in January 1949 The United Karenni States Independence Army (UKSIA), formed by Saw Maw Reh in late 1948 The Mon National Defense Organization (MNDO)set up in March 1948 Most of them, as non-signatories, did not hesitate to express their skepticism at the shortcomings of the Panglong Conference. But as time went by and the reality of geopolitics both inside and outside Burma struck home, demands for independence were dropped and appeals to Panglong began appearing in their work. The authors conclusion therefore is that as the agreement, and the myths (surrounding it) retain a strong pull on the consciousness of Burmese of every ethnicity, (a) ny discussion of national unity must acknowledge the effects that Panglong has had. Panglong, signed by leaders of Ministerial Burma, Chin, Kachin and Federated Shan States, on 12 February 1947, contains the yet to be fulfilled promises of total autonomy, democracy and human rights, and financial autonomy. Boris Johnson led the Brexit campaign with a lot of dog-whistles about dirty foreign muck stealing our jobs and clogging up our NHS, before being stabbed in the back by Michael Gove and bowing out of politics, until, today, he was made Foreign Secretary by Theresa May, the UK's new Pry Minister. But wait, there's more! Jose Manuel Barroso, former boss of the European Commission, took a top job at Goldman Sachs, just weeks after the expiry of the lockout period during which former EU civil servants were not allowed to work for the corporations they'd formerly regulated. Just to recap: the Brexit vote was in large part driven by the (correct) perception on the part of the disaffected working class in the UK that the entire EU project was a neoliberal exercise in transferring power to the forces of finance capitalism. Irony is not dead. The bank said last week it had hired Barroso, a conservative Portuguese ex-premier who headed the European Union's executive arm from 2004-2014, to be an adviser and non-executive chairman of its international business. French European Affairs Minister Harlem Desir said the "scandalous" move raised questions about the EU's conflict of interest rules and said they needed to be tightened. "It's a mistake on the part of Mr. Barroso and the worst disservice that a former Commission president could do to the European project at a moment in history when it needs to be supported and strengthened," Desir said during a question and answer session in the lower house of France's parliament. France calls on ex-EU chief Barroso to drop Goldman Sachs job [France 24] Boris Johnson made foreign secretary by Theresa May [BBC] The Republican National Convention kicks off this Sunday in Cleveland, Ohio. Most of the highest-profile activists associated with the Black Lives Matter movement are not planning to attend, but that didn't stop FBI agents from contacting them by phone, and showing up at their homes to interrogate them and their grandmothers. Wesley Lowery at the Washington Post was first to share the scoop on a most recent round of FBI "visits" today. Lowery knows first-hand how heavy-handed law enforcement response to the protests has been, because he was roughly arrested and jailed while covering Ferguson in 2014. This is not the only recent report of law enforcement pre-emptively visiting activists they believe may protest at the RNC. In June, Mother Jones ran a feature about how police are targeting black human rights activists ahead of the Republican party gathering: "Local and federal authorities have begun aggressively tracking activistsincluding members of the Black Lives Matter movement who have helped spotlight Cleveland's brutal policing problems." "The people receiving these visits and calls have found them intimidating," the MoJo article continues. Yeah, no shit. Snip: Last week, law enforcement agents began visiting the homes of known activists in Cleveland. Jocelyn Rosnick, an attorney with the Ohio chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, which is providing legal advice and holding civil rights trainings for activists ahead of the RNC, said her group had received about two dozen reports from activists who said they'd been visited by agents from the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Secret Service, or by Cleveland PD officers and Cuyahoga County sheriff's deputies. Law enforcement agents, some of them said, also made phone calls to relatives, neighbors, and places of employment asking about the activists' whereabouts. According to Rosnick, most of these reports have come from people involved with the local chapter of Black Lives Matter or the Occupy Wall Street movement. Cleveland should be quite a shitshow when the convention kicks off a few days from now. Law enforcement there will have a lot to manage. Groups who are known to be planning protests at the Convention include the New Black Panthers, Westboro Baptist Church, various flavors of Trump fans and Trump haters. The juxtapositions sound surreal. Lowery tweeted today, "Westboro has protest permit at same time & place as Cleveland's communist bookstore. RNC's gonna be funnnn" Below, tweets from Johnetta Elzie and Samuel Sinyangwe, two of the Black human rights activists targeted by the FBI this week. scooplet: most national BLM activists aren't planning to come to Cleveland. FBI checking in on them pre-RNC anyway https://t.co/6GwgNzHVpT Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) July 13, 2016 here's how @Nettaaaaaaaa's grandmother responded when FBI came to their house this week https://t.co/6GwgNzHVpT pic.twitter.com/2sZFJpcfYX Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) July 13, 2016 The FBI has "visited" several visible, black activists over the last few weeks. Some were afraid to talk. Johnetta Elzie (@Nettaaaaaaaa) July 14, 2016 Some wanted to just keep organizing knowing that this is history repeats itself. Johnetta Elzie (@Nettaaaaaaaa) July 14, 2016 I felt it was important to be honest + let the world know that this was happening to us. History is repeating itself in real time. Johnetta Elzie (@Nettaaaaaaaa) July 14, 2016 Yesterday, 2 FBI agents came looking for me to "talk". https://t.co/Ph1aKa7GWX Johnetta Elzie (@Nettaaaaaaaa) July 14, 2016 A few days ago, I received a call from "No Caller ID" number. I answered, and it was an FBI agent. Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) July 14, 2016 The agent said he had just knocked on my door, but I wasn't home (somehow he entered the building through a key card activated door). Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) July 14, 2016 He asked me whether I had any plans to go to Cleveland for the GOP Convention, and then warned me not to go. Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) July 14, 2016 Then he indicated he wanted to meet, in person, to talk further. He left his business card under my door. The whole experience was surreal. Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) July 14, 2016 Soon thereafter, an FBI agent visited @Nettaaaaaaaa grandmother's house looking for her. Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) July 14, 2016 It's fascinating how much focus there has been on the possibility that protesters will disrupt the GOP Convention. Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) July 14, 2016 As far as I see, Trump and his belligerent supporters have and will continue to cause more damage to the GOP brand than anyone else could. Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) July 14, 2016 Canadian/British science fiction and fantasy author Geoff Ryman, author of the incredible novel WAS, has begun a series in which he profiles 100 working science fiction and fantasy writers in Africa, place by place, starting with Nairobi. Ryman's series is based on his travels in each of the countries he covers, interviewing writers, hanging out at their events, and getting a sense of the local SF publishing scene. The writers' profiles include selections from their writing and brief interviews, along with Ryman's own smart commentary. Many of the writers Ryman meets were also included in Africa39, 2014's groundbreaking anthology of 39 stories by sub-Saharan writers under 40; and Afrofuture(s), a 2015 theme-issue of the literary journal Jalada; also prominent is Kwani?, an anthology publisher that specializes in science fiction. Ray Mwihaki I walked with them to the boat stand. They didn't seem to mind my presence or maybe they didn't see me. The thought of invisibility made me smile. I was living vicariously through them. The thought and anticipation of their suffering fed my innermost hunger. This was happiness greater than I had felt ever before and it was only getting better. Now that I had tasted the beyond, I appreciated life and fed on the miseries of life. The one thing I craved from humanity was recognition. No one left a plate out for the unseen. I wanted them to scatter in my presence, to notice me in the least. To leave me little sacrifices to ward off my evil. The movies had lied to us. The living did not feel a sudden shiver when we touch them or walk past. They walk through you and never laugh at the jokes you work eternity to come up with. Good thing is, we eventually get the last laugh. "Soul Kiss" Ray Mwihaki's favorite music is the soundtracks of old gang-related gamesthe kind that used 40s to 50s jazz. She makes mixtapes of them. She is much influenced by Datacide, a German website that publishes papers, discussions or stories. "It's a controversial, grungy publication, really heavy with no filters, nothing polished or pretty." Ray is the manager and sub-editor of Manure Fresh, the first hardcopy publication of the group blog Fresh Manure. Ray wants Manure Fresh "to rival the standards set by Jalada or Kwani? but have stories that don't fit, less polished stories, we want a rawness." Clifton Cachagua says, "If you want the most experimental writing in Nairobi, then get Manure Fresh, the book." The book has a title of its own, Going Down Moi Avenue (a reference to Going Down River Road by Meja Mwangi). The first issue featured a story written entirely in Sheng, the local mixed languagepart of the general impatience with writers who focus on the needs of Western publishing. Ray's own story was about an underground club that you find by searching for clues and messages around Nairobi. You will have to come to Nairobi to read it, howeverit's available only in hard copy. 100 African Writers of SFF Part One: Nairobi [Geoff Ryman/Tor.com] Allan George Matthews is a surgeon. He's not a proper one, per se. You might call him a gentleman amateur. And a surgery the 56-year-old Australian performed to remove another man's painful testicle has landed him in court, the BBC reports. Police became aware of the case in June when the man attended hospital after the wound he suffered during the operation became infected. Officers raided Matthews' home and seized medical equipment, firearms and four bottles of what they suspected to be amyl nitrate. Prosecutors alleged that Matthews was not authorised to perform such a procedure as he was not a qualified or registered medical practitioner. The victim had been kicked in the bollocks by a horse and could not afford professional care, adds the Syndey Morning Herald. USpharma has two facilities in the US and a centre in Mumbai. (Representational image) Hyderabad: City-based pharma company Granules India on Thursday that its US-based subsidiary Granules Pharmaceuticals Inc has agreed to acquire 12.5 per cent stake in USpharma. USpharma is a development-stage US-based pharma company specialising in research, development and manufacture of high entry-barrier generic pharmaceuticals, including controlled-release, controlled substance and patent-challenge products. According to the company, this investment will allow Granules to participate in product selection and have right of first refusal to market the select products which are under development by USpharma. USpharma has two facilities in the US and a centre in Mumbai. Krishna Prasad Chigurupati, chairman, Granules India said, This agreement with USpharma complements our internal product development programme, and expands our product portfolio by leveraging external product development capabilities. Cyient Ltd, formerly Infotech Enterprises, on Thursday posted an over two per cent decline in profit at Rs 73.9 crore in the first quarter of the current financial year. (Representational image) Hyderabad: Cyient Ltd, formerly Infotech Enterprises, on Thursday posted an over two per cent decline in profit at Rs 73.9 crore in the first quarter of the current financial year over yearago period due to wage hikes announced in the quarter. The profit in the corresponding quarter last year was Rs 75.6 crore. The companys topline grew by over 12 per cent at Rs 830 crore in Q1FY17 as against Rs 725.8 crore in Q1FY16. Commenting on the results, Mr Krishna Bodanapu, managing director and CEO, said, Financial performance in Q1FY17 is in line with our expectation both on the top line and the bottomline. The services business grew 5.4 per cent in dollar terms driven by growth in aerospace and defense (A&D), transportation and communications business units. The profit, however, he said, was impacted by wage hikes which the company had implemented in the quarter. The headwinds due to wage hike were offset by improved quality of on-site revenue and operational efficiency. We closed the quarter with an improvement of 0.9 per cent in OPM for the services business and an increase of 0.1 per cent for the group, he said. Looking ahead, Mr Bodanapu said the second quarter looks heal-thy for continued growth despite adverse foreign exchange impact in the short term. The company, the chief executive said, expects margin to be flat to marginally positive for the year. Consequently, we will deliver double digit earnings growth for the year. In The Trump Memos, a new 27-page document published by the American Civil Liberties Union, the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization lays out its constitutional analysis of Trump's signature campaign promises, from mass deportations to a religious test for passing America's borders to torture to mass surveillance to abortion to "opening up libel laws." The ACLU has promised a comparable analysis of Hillary Clinton's positions. I'm no Hillary fan, but I'm guessing it'll be a lot shorter, and probably focus on her role in America's extrajudicial assassination-by-drone program. This report also predates the GOP's new party platform, which promises sweeping bans on pornography, a rollback of LGBTQ rights, and expansion of harmful, evidence-free "gay conversion therapy" programs. The report also calls attention to Trump's apparent ignorance of the law. In addition to raising Constitutional concerns about Trump's plan to "open up the libel laws," the ACLU points out that Trump doesn't seem to know that there is no federal libel law to "open up." The ACLU regularly issues non-partisan reports on politician's civil liberties records, but it is unusual for the organization to pledge its resources ahead of time to fighting a specific candidate's policies. But Trump is a special case. "The ACLU and its more than 300 attorneys in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. stand ready to challenge and impede implementation of his unlawful proposals, should he attempt to see them through," Romero said. The Trump Memos [ACLU] ACLU Gears Up to Fight Donald Trump's Long List of Unconstitutional Proposals [Alex Emmons/The Intercept] Actor Kamal Haasan, who was on a long hectic shooting schedule for his upcoming movie Sabaash Naidu in Los Angeles, recently returned to Chennai after completing it. But on Thursday morning, reports about Kamal being admitted to hospital started doing the rounds. The actor had slipped while walking down the staircase, at his office and was admitted to a local hospital in the wee hours for a minor surgery. Later, his publicist confirmed the news and said that Kamal slipped and fell on the staircase of his office and has fractured his leg. He was indeed admitted in a hospital and is in the process of recovering. According to reports, Kamal was scheduled to go to London for the London Indian Film Festival this weekend, where he would be felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement Award. However, the actor has cancelled his appearance due to his injury. Forget all the balderdash that you hear about cocktails being an effeminate drink. Whats more macho than James Bonds oozing sex appeal as he sips his shaken, not stirred martini? We all know of Ernest Hemingways fondness for his tipple and you can be assured that a cocktail would be described in glorious detail somewhere in the midst of his intellectual ramblings. Most of you may have seen a picture of Winston Churchill with his cigar, but did you notice that theres always a glass of martini next to him? Long story short, cocktails are not necessarily a ladies drink. Youll agree if you hear how they came to be called what theyre called. If youve wondered at some point why Long Island Iced Tea or Sex on the Beach are named as they are, who the heck is Tom Collins or why Mai Tai sounds more Maharashtrian than Hawaiian, read on. So, the Long Island Iced Tea is largely attributed to Robert Butt, but it is believed to have been around before he entered the business. It was apparently a drink concocted by ladies in the US, to drink in public or parties so the men or children present didnt judge them. The Irish coffee has an interesting story too. An American flight apparently was stranded in Ireland due to some technical problem. An intrepid bartender at the airport, in order to warm the freezing passengers in the bitter Irish cold, added whiskey to their coffee. They loved it so much that the recipe of the Irish coffee flew home with them. Now for Tom Collins. Tom Collins was the result of a hoax that started in New York in 1874. Guys used to go up to an acquaintance and mention to them that a person by the name of Tom Collins was saying slanderous things about him in the pub. When the acquaintance would approach the bartender (who was part of the prank) he used to tell him that he has moved on to the next bar, thus sending the man on a merry chase. When the joke grew stale, bartenders started serving a drink by the name. Another famous drink that bears a mans name Harvey Wallbanger is more literally inspired. It was actually named after a surfer called Harvey who used to flop all over the place and bang into walls after indulging in one too many. Moving on to the curiously named Screwdriver, workers on the oil rigs in the Persian Gulf in the 1950s used to relax by making a drink of vodka with orange juice. The tool of choice to stir the drink was a screwdriver, thus giving the drink its name. Possibly the quirkiest named drink, Sex on the Beach was named in 1987 by a bartender on one of the beaches in Florida because he thought that those sex and beach were the only two reasons why people would visit his town. And lastly, if you are wondering, the Manhattan comes from Manhattan but the Polynesian sounding Mai Tai comes from California! The writer is a corporate executive chef for Mars Enterprises, Mumbai On June 30, 13 patients at the Sarojini Devi Eye hospital developed complications after routine cataract surgery. Investigations into the incident are currently on (Photo: DC) Hyderabad: The presence of the drug-resistant Klebsiella, the bacteria that contaminated saline bottles at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital resulting in five patients nearly losing their sight earlier this month, is alarming doctors. The incident on June 30 saw 13, out of a total of 21 patients, contracting severe infection in their eyes. Studies conducted in Hyderabad, over the years, have found drug resistant bacteria not just in hospitals (including in intensive care units) but also in samples taken from patients wounds, blood, body fluids, soil in residential areas, surface water bodies and even in meat, vegetables, milk and poultry products. Two separate studies conducted recently, one in the Osmania General Hospital and the other at the Owaisi Hospital and Research Center, found drug-resistant bacteria in samples taken from patients. At the Osmania General Hospital, the four senior surgeons who conducted the study on Surgical Site Infections (SSI), found that 22 per cent of 450 surgery patients had contracted SSI. Of these, 25 per cent were due to Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria and 18 per cent were due to Klebsiella, a bacteria which is resistant to third-generation antibiotics used to treat infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria called carbapanems; 23 per cent of the cases were due of E. coli. In the study at Owaisi Hospital and Research Center by Mr P.A. Nagarjun of Osmania University, it was found that 34 per cent of the 129 Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria isolated strains were Methicillin resistant. A varying percentage of this Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus Aureus strains was resistant to 14 different types of antibiotics. Union health minister J.P. Nadda, in a reply to a question raised in Parliament in December 2015 on antibiotic resistant bacteria, had said that more than 50 per cent of bacterial isolates of Klebsiella and E.Coli were found to be resistant to the currently used third generation antibiotics called Cephalosporins. A senior official from the regional office of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in Hyderabad said, Over the years a steady rise has been witnessed in antibiotic resistant bacteria, including in Tuberculosis, which has now prompted the Central government to develop medical infrastructure in hospitals in district levels to isolate and treat drug-resistant TB. In tribal areas, malaria is getting difficult to treat due to the presence of Qunoline resistant bacteria. Heres the problem: Everybody already knows that is very different from Everybody already does that. Just because a solution is known doesnt mean it is utilised. In 2004, nine hospitals in Michigan began implementing a new procedure in their intensive care units (ICU) Almost overnight, healthcare professionals were stunned with its success. Three months after it began, the procedure had cut the infection rate of ICU patients by 66 per cent. Within 18 months, this one method had saved 75 million dollars in healthcare expenses. Best of all, this single intervention saved the lives of more than 1,500 people in just a year and a half. The strategy was immediately published in a blockbuster paper for the New England Journal of Medicine. This medical miracle was also simpler than you could ever imagine. It was a checklist. The Power of Never Skipping Steps The checklist strategy implemented at Michigan hospitals was named the Keystone ICU Project. It was led by a physician named Peter Pronovost and later popularised by writer Atul Gawande. In Gawandes best-selling book, The Checklist Manifesto (audiobook), he describes how Pronovosts simple checklist could drive such dramatic results. In the following quote, Gawande explains one of the checklists that was used to reduce the risk of infection when installing a central line in a patient (a relatively common procedure). On a sheet of plain paper, (Pronovost) plotted out the steps to take in order to avoid infections when putting a line in. Doctors are supposed to (1) wash their hands with soap, (2) clean the patients skin with chlorhexidine antiseptic, (3) put sterile drapes over the entire patient, (4) wear a sterile mask, hat, gown, and gloves, and (5) put a sterile dressing over the catheter site once the line is in. Check, check, check, check, check. These steps are no-brainers; they have been known and taught for years. So it seemed silly to make a checklist for them. Still, Pronovost asked the nurses to observe the doctors for a month as they put lines into patients, and record how often they completed each step. In more than a third of patients, they skipped at least one, he writes. This five-step checklist was the simple solution that Michigan hospitals used to save 1,500 lives. Think about that for a moment. There were no technical innovations. There were no pharmaceutical discoveries or cutting-edge procedures. The physicians just stopped skipping steps. They implemented the answers they already had on a more consistent basis. New Solutions vs Old Solutions We have a tendency to undervalue answers that we have already discovered. We underutilise old solutions even if they are best practices because they seem like something we have already considered. Heres the problem: Everybody already knows that is very different from Everybody already does that. Just because a solution is known doesnt mean it is utilised. Even more critical, just because a solution is implemented occasionally, doesnt mean it is implemented consistently. Every physician knew the five steps on Peter Pronovosts checklist, but very few did all five steps flawlessly each time. We assume that new solutions are needed if we want to make real progress, but that isnt always the case. Use What You Already Have This pattern is just as present in our personal lives as it is in corporations and governments. We waste the resources and ideas at our fingertips because they dont seem new and exciting. There are many examples of behaviors, big and small, that have the opportunity to drive progress in our lives if we just did them with more consistency, like flossing every day, never missing workouts, performing fundamental business tasks each day and not just when you have time, apologizing more often and writing Thank You notes each week. Of course, these answers are boring. Mastering the fundamentals isnt sexy, but it works. No matter what task you are working on, there is a simple checklist of steps that you can follow right now basic fundamentals that you have known about for years that can immediately yield results if you just practice them more consistently. Progress often hides behind boring solutions and underused insights. You dont need more information. You dont need a better strategy. You just need to do more of what already works. Source: www.thenextweb.com The Asian Boss decided to ask people of different nationalities whether they could correctly guess words and phrases that are commonly used in Indian English. (Credit: YouTube) English is no longer a language that is limited to the English people. Globalisation has caused the language to develop different avatars depending on where it spread. This has led countries to develop dialects of the language sometimes so different that even native English speakers may find difficult to understand. So, folks from Asian Boss decided to ask people of different nationalities whether they could correctly guess words and phrases that are commonly used in Indian English. As you can imagine, there are many English words that non-Indians perceive as something completely different from what constitutes common English parlance in India. Brush up your Indian-English knowledge and enjoy a few laughs as well by checking out this video. A few young women also joined the old Punjabi man as he was dancing in the middle of a street in London. (Credit: Twitter) You might have seen that one middle-aged male relative or acquaintance that lets go of all reservations and dances like theres no tomorrow at desi weddings. Well, this old Punjabi guy has been caught on camera having a great time doing just that in the middle of a busy street in London. Twitter user @simrxnh posted this short video clip of the Punjabi uncle dancing away with wild abandon even as several onlookers stood in a circle around him. The cheering of the spectators encouraged him even more and a few young women also join him to shake a leg. Although, its not exactly clear that the guy was drunk at that time but we can surely say that he managed to entertain Londoners with his antics really well. Click on the link below to view the video: Ghaziabad: A 21-year-old man was severely injured when he was allegedly shot by a policeman outside whose house he was drinking liquor. Shashank, a Delhi University student, and his two friends were drinking alcohol in a car parked outside the residence of Sub-Inspector Sanjay Bhardwaj, posted in Saharanpur, Senior Superintendent of Police K S Emmanuel said. Bhardwaj objected to their drinking and an argument ensued, following which he went inside his house, came out with a gun and fired at them. The bullet hit Shashank in the back. His friends immediately rushed him to a nearby hospital, where his condition is critical. Ghaziabad Police has taken up the issue with Saharanpur SSP and demanded departmental action agianst the Sub-Inspector. Bhardwaj has not been arrested yet, Emmanuel said. Jaipur: In a horrific incident, a class 11 girl studying in Jodhpur-based private girls school was ragged by seniors. She was locked in the school bathroom during recess and forced to strip naked. When the incident was reported to the school authorities, they tried to cover it up but following schools inaction, the victims parents lodged a police complaint against five girls under Prevention of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act. One of the accused has been suspended from the school and an inquiry committee has been constituted to look into the incident. Horror-struck by the traumatic incident, the girl decided to quit studies and also tried to commit suicide. "When she (victim) went to the washroom, she was ragged. She was forced to strip naked and they tried to sexually assault her. She was so appalled after the incident that she refused to go to school," said Pratap Nagar SHO, Manish Dev. "The school authorities didn't take any action and tried to conceal the facts. The accused girls have been booked under POCSO Act," he added In a letter to the state education minister, the girl said she had many dreams, which have been shattered after this ghastly incident, which was like a bad dream she cannot forget. Everyone talks about Right to Education but it is linked with issue of safety. If school administration behave in such an insensitive manner, how can the girls feel safe? What sort of education and values will we get in a school bereft of any morality, she questioned. She further wrote that she is quitting studies as she wont be able to face her schoolmates after the incident. I felt ashamed of myself and tried to commit suicide. I wont be able to step in that school in fact I think I wont be able to go to any other school as well. If girls would be subjected to such insult and school administration would act in insensitive manner, It is better that I quit studies, she wrote. The incident, which took place a week ago, pushed the girl into depression and she repeatedly refused to go to school, that is when her parents came to know about the incident. They counselled her and with their support she decided to fight it out. Mathura: A woman fell unconscious soon after threatening to commit suicide on board Delhi-bound Kerala Express with police suspecting that she consumed some poisonous substance. The woman, a Bhopal resident, yesterday called up the Dabra Superintendent of Police from the train and threatened to commit suicide as her lover's marriage had been fixed with someone else, Railway Protection Force Inspector Satyendra Yadav said. The SP immediately informed Railway Police following which, RPF personnel searched the train at Mathura station and brought the woman to the police station where she fell unconscious, he said. She was rushed to the district hospital as police suspected she consumed some poisonous substance. Dr Mukund Bansal of the district hospital, who treated the woman, said she had not consumed poison and fell unconscious for some other reason. Police suspect that the woman was under depression as her lover's marriage was fixed. The woman had also filed a complaint of rape and cheating against her lover in Bhopal earlier. She is undergoing treatment at the hospital, the Inspector said, adding her family has been informed about the incident. The police said it was a case of murder for gain as after committing the crime the murderer had escaped with the mangalasutra of the woman. (Representational image) Bengaluru: The Kodigehalli police have cracked a double murder that happened last week and arrested a 27-year-old car driver. A 68-year-old retired employee of University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK and his 60-year-old wife were stabbed to death at their residence in Byatarayanapura off the Ballari-Bengaluru road. The police said it was a case of murder for gain as after committing the crime the murderer had escaped with the mangalasutra of the woman. The accused, identified as Venkatesh alias Pilla Venkatesh, was a driver by profession and a resident of Meesaganahalli village near Yelahanka, who was also into chit fund business. On July 5, highly decomposed bodies of the victims, R Muniyappa and his wife Varalakshmi, were found with stab injuries and their throats slit at their residence. According to the police, the murder had taken place at least a couple of days earlier. The police said that the couple's younger son Prithviraj had come in contact with Venkatesh, as he was working with his friend Nishanth. Nishanth often used to visit the couples' residence to meet Prithviraj and Venkatesh used to drop him. Venkatesh came to know that the couple were into chit fund business. He had once approached them for money, but did not get it. Venkatesh noticed that Varalakshmi used to wear a big sized mangalasutra and hatched a plot to kill the couple and rob the chain. He also came to know that the couple was searching for a bride for Prithviraj and he gained entry into the house under the pretext of providing details of a prospective bride. As soon as Muniyappa opened the door, he hugged his victim and stabbed him repeatedly. Then he went to the first floor and stabbed Varalakshmi after which he robbed her managalasutra, the police said. Venkatesh, who had failed sixth standard, was living with his elder brother after the death of his parents. He also knew that there was CCTV camera installed in the couple's residence, but was not in working condition. He left no clues at the crime spot, said a senior police officer. The BBC rounds up some of Boris Johnson's on-the-record "gaffes" (which is to say, unforgivable racist garbage), from calling African people "piccaninnies" to praising Bashar Al-Assad. Johnson is now the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom. When you're done with the Beeb's list of Boris's sins, don't miss Halal Barbie's master linkpost (mirror), which includes such gems as "gave his approval to 'Illegal Immigrant Go Home' vans positioned around areas in London with large minority populations which created unnecessary tension and caused minorities to be harassed" and "thinks the government should focus only on helping people with high IQs." Boris on Iran In a 2006 column, he said he supported Iran having the nuclear bomb, saying it was "the the only sure-fire means of protecting my country, and my poor huddled constituentsfrom the possibility of an attack by America." While he acknowledges this was at a time the US was fighting two wars, it's fair to say Mr Johnson's opinion here is unconventional. Boris on Papua New Guinea Some things never change: in 2006, the Labour party was (again) in the middle of another leadership crisis. And Boris was (again) apologising for more offensive comments this time in relation to Labour's troubles. He wrote: "For 10 years we in the Tory Party have become used to Papua New Guinea-style orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing, and so it is with a happy amazement that we watch as the madness engulfs the Labour Party." Papua New Guinea's High Commissioner in London was not happy. Jaipur: Rejecting allegations of removal of references to Jawaharlal Nehru from a Class VII textbook in Rajasthan, state School Education Minister Vasudev Devnani on Wednesday claimed the revised syllabus has the first prime minister's name at 15 places in different textbooks. "The government has not omitted Nehru's name from textbooks. His name is there at 15 places in the revised books. The references to Nehru are available in textbooks of Class 7 (Hindi), Class 9 (Social science) and Class 11 (World History)," Devnani said in a statement. He said Nehru's role in freedom movement, introducing Panchayati Raj system and non-aligned movement have been given space in the revised textbooks. "The state government does not favour politics in education. Syllabus from class 1 to 8 is prepared by the State Institute of Education Research and Training (SIERT) and the Board of Secondary Education prepares the syllabus for classes 9 to 12." He also said if two or three chapters on Nehru were not included in the syllabus, they would be added in the textbook in supplementary form. Earlier in the Day, opposing the move to omit references to Nehru from the textbook, the state unit of Congress held a demonstration here with PCC chief Sachin Pilot saying that it reflected the "mental bankruptcy" of the Raje government. The incident occurred Wednesday night after the bovine fell into the borewell in a farm belonging to one Avdhesh Yadav (28) at Chandanpur village in Maharajpur area, Kanpur. (Representational image) Kanpur: An attempt to rescue a buffalo trapped in a 30-foot borewell proved fatal for two youths here after they got trapped underground due to a mudslide. Three others who also got trapped in the mishap, were rescued late last night and shifted to hospital, where their condition is stated to be serious, Kanpur SSP Shalabh Mathur said. The incident occurred Wednesday night after the bovine fell into the borewell in a farm belonging to one Avdhesh Yadav (28) at Chandanpur village in Maharajpur area, Kanpur. Yadav along with a friend Putan (23) entered the ditch and tied a rope around the animal, while three others, Pratap (30), Abhimanyu (20) and Suraj, tugged at it from above. The surface then suddenly caved in, trapping all five under the ground. Police along with an NDRF team carried out rescue operations through the night and also pressed an excavator into service. While Pratap, Abhimanyu and Suraj were rescued alive, the other two were found dead this morning. Police have sent the bodies for post-mortem. Srinagar: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has said that he and his party throw their lot with the people of Kashmir in their genuine freedom struggle and express solidarity with them in their hard time and grief. Bilawal telephoned Kashmirs chief Muslim cleric and chairman of his faction of separatist Hurriyat Conference alliance, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on Thursday also to say that his grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and mother Benazir Bhutto had extreme love and longing for the people of Kashmir and their political philosophy has served as beacon light and source of inspiration on vital issues including Kashmir for him. Read: Pakistan urges UN to pressurise India to hold talks on Kashmir He assured Mirwaiz, They loved people of Kashmir from the core of their hearts and I represent that legacy only...my heart goes out to the people of Kashmir particularly those who have lost their dear ones in firings by Indian troops and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. Spoke to @MirwaizKashmir & expressed condolences, condemnation & solidarity with the people of #Kashmir BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) July 14, 2016 Bilawal also informed the Mirwaiz that the PPP will be joined by several other like-minded parties in Pakistan to hold rallies in solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. Later on Thursday, he wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.com Spoke to @MirwaizKashmir & expressed condolences, condemnation & solidarity with the people of #Kashmir . Mirwaiz replying to his tweet said, Appreciate the support & concern of the people of Pakistan and their leadership @BBhuttoZardari. Appreciate the support & concern of the people of Pakistan and their leadership @BBhuttoZardari https://t.co/hNGmmjOwO5 Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) July 14, 2016 Pakistan had on Sunday alleged that Burhan Muzaffar Wani, the new-age poster boy of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, whose killing on July 8 triggered a new wave of protests across Kashmir Valley was slain by Indian troops in a fake encounter. India strongly objected to it the remark. Read: Pakistan supporting terrorist groups in Kashmir: US lawmakers told Nafees Zakaria, Foreign Spokesperson in Islamabad, said, The extra-judicial killing of Kashmiri leader Burhan Wani and scores of other innocent Kashmiris is deplorable and condemnable. The spokesperson added, Such acts are a violation of the fundamental human rights of Kashmiris and cannot deter the people of Jammu and Kashmir from their demand for the realisation of the Right to Self Determination. The extra-judicial killing charge was reiterated by Pakistans envoy Maleeha Lodhi during a debate on human rights at the 193-member UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Earlier Pakistan summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale to convey Islamabad's "serious concerns over the recent killings of Kashmiri leader Burhan Wani and many other civilians in Kashmir". In a separate statement, Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif expressed "shock" at the killing of Wani as well as the use of "excessive and unlawful" force to quell civilian protests in the Valley. New Delhi reacted by describing Pakistan as "a country that covets the territory of others and uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end." Meanwhile, the death toll in days of violence has risen to 38 as another youth identified as Irfan Dar succumbed to his injuries in Srinagars Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS) on Thursday morning. He had been admitted there on Monday after CRPF personnel allegedly hit him with a rifle butt in head causing a severe haemorrhage during a protest in Kulgam district. Over 1,500 people have been injured in clashes since Friday night. Officials said, at least, one policeman has also been killed and more than 150 injured in mob violence. Kashmir Valley remained under curfew for the sixth consecutive days on Thursday and the restrictions are likely to stay for another day as Friday being a very sensitive day, the authorities are extra care to ensure no fresh major incidents of violence take place. A report from Kokernag in Anantnag district said that irate youth torched the private house in the areas Bemdora village where Wani had been trapped along with two associated and subsequently killed by members of the J&K polices counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) and troops from Armys 19 Rashtriya Rifles on July 8. Mother of Tabish Bhat,16, whose eye was damaged due to a pellet injury shows his damaged eye as he rests on a hospital bed in Srinagar. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday sent a three-member team of eye specialists from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to violence-torn Kashmir, where a medical emergency had been declared in many hospitals and doctors are battling a crisis to treat eye injuries many civilians received from pellets during clashes. Union Health Minister JP Nadda assured the state all possible support and tweeted that his government has sent a team of senior eye experts/specialists from AIIMS to J&K to assist the State. We have sent a team of senior eye experts/specialists from AIIMS to the state of J&K to assist the State. The team has reached Srinagar. Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) July 13, 2016 Doctors at a Srinagar hospital said they had to set up a special ophthalmology ward to treat victims and that they have had close to 400 cases of pellet injuries. While some of them received minor injuries to the eye, many suffered permanent damage. Rayees Ahmed Malik, whose eye was damaged during a protest in the Valley. (Photo: PTI) Read: Kashmir violence: One more youth killed, death toll rises to 35 Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi late Wednesday night on Twitter, for the quick response to his request for medical assistance. Thank you very much @narendramodi ji for responding so quickly to the request I had made just this morning. https://t.co/ajRXl78qg2 Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) July 13, 2016 Omar had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send specialist doctors to the Valley for treating the injured on Wednesday morning. "Hon (Honourable) @narendramodi ji. After Kerala fire you carried a plane load of burn specialists with you. Please send eye/trauma specialists to Kashmir," he had said. Hon @narendramodi ji. After Kerala fire you carried a plane load of burn specialists with you. Please send eye/trauma specialists to Kashmir Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) July 13, 2016 Omar had lashed out the BJP-PDP government over the handling of the situation in Kashmir and said they should have rather focused on restoring calm in the Valley. "Shameless" Government should have been focused on restoring calm and on helping our doctors who are struggling to treat 1200+ injured people, he said. The injured include SF persons & young boys who risk losing their sight forever. This is the time to reach out with a healing touch. Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) July 13, 2016 The NC leader said it was time to reach out to the Valley with a healing touch. The injured include security forces persons and young boys who risk losing their sight forever. This is the time to reach out with a healing touch, he said. Omar said the fact that the youngsters have been injured in protests against security forces should not stop the government from giving them best treatment. "Please don't let the fact that these youngsters people have been injured in protests stop us from giving the best care possible. Thank you jenab," he said. Chennai: A Sessions court on Wednesday convicted and sentenced all 7 accused to life imprisonment in the sensational case relating to the murder in the city in 2008 of Vijayan, husband of Sudha, foster daughter of former chief minister and popular film star MGR. Holding that the prosecution has proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, the Principal Sessions judge G. Jayachandran convicted and sentenced N. Banu, sister-in-law of deceased Vijayan, G. Karuna, a constable, T. Suresh, R. Karthik, R. Dinesh Kumar, J.Soloman and M. Karthik to life imprisonment. The judge said the conspiracy was mostly hatched in secrecy and the role of each conspirator can be confirmed only from circumstantial evidence. The proximity of Banu (A1) and Karuna (A2) was spoken by the witnesses. The passing of money by Karuna to prosecution witness 79 (Venkatesan, who turned approver in the case), for Banu was spoken by PW 79 and there was no reason to doubt his evidence. PW79 being an accomplice, the Indian Evidence Act sounds a word of caution to the judge, who appreciates the evidence to seek for corroboration. In this case, from the evidence one could see that Karuna has organised and hired the other accused to kill Vijayan. He has no personal grudge or ill-feeling towards Vijayan. But his friend Banu had enough grudge. He has said to prosecution witness 79 that he wants to kill Vijayan for his friend Banu since Vijayan has been making Banus life miserable. These are the words spoken by one conspirator to another while the conspiracy is in existence. Hence Section 161 of the Evidence Act squarely applies and with other corroborative piece of evidence such as Karunas presence along with other absconding accused Bhuvaneswari, during the meeting held on May 10, 2008 conducted by the advocate commissioner Vivekanandan, which was later corroborated by a prosecution witness. The frequent calls between Banu and Karuna can lead to the irresistible conclusion that Banu was the person who wanted Vijayan to be killed and she conspired to do so along with Karuna. Karuna has engaged the other accused to keep up surveillance on Vijayan and kill him at the earliest possible chance. Hence the charge of conspiracy against A 1 to 7 to kill VIjayan is proved beyond doubt, the judge added. The judge said for the said purpose accused 2 to 6 had formed an unlawful association in furtherance of a common intention to kill Vijayan. Thus, except the charge under section 506(2) of IPC, which has no evidence for corroboration, the prosecution has proved other charges against the accused. Hence this court holds that all the seven accused (A1 to A7) are found guilty under section 120-B IPC. A1, A2 and A& 7 are found guilty are found guilty under Section 302 read with 120B of IPC. A2 to 6 are found guilty under section 302 read with Section 149 and 120-B of IPC, the judge added. The judge said when the accused were questioned about the quantum of sentence, they said they were not guilty. After considering reply of the accused regarding sentence, and bearing in mind the circumstances under which the murder of Vijayan had been carried out, and keeping in mind the guidelines of the high court and the Supreme Court regarding sentence, this court is of the opinion that it is not the rarest of the rare cases to award capital sentence to any of the accused. They deserve the minimum sentence of life imprisonment, the judge added. Bhopal: A Dalit IAS officer, Ramesh Thete, on Thursday alleged Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his top officers were "hounding" him and trying to create a situation akin to that which forced Rohith Vemula to end his life, and claimed he was declared 'untouchable' and not given work. "Chouhan and his top officers are creating a situation akin to what prompted (Hyderabad Central University research scholar) Rohith Vemula to commit suicide. I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a CBI probe into what Chouhan, along with top bureaucrats, has done (in MP)," he told reporters. "I wrote a letter to the CM complaining that Additional Chief Secretary (of Water Resources Department) R S Julania, who has been given additional charge of Panchayat and Rural Development, has divested me of power and declared me 'untouchable'," said Thete, who is the department secretary. "Instead of taking note of my complaint, the Chief Minister issued a show-cause notice to me," he said. "If an independent agency like CBI carries out an inquiry into the works done by Julania, he will be behind the bars...Two dams built in Panna district with an investment of Rs 70 crore have collapsed recently and couldn't even withstand the first rainfall," he alleged. Thete alleged the Chief Minister was "shielding" the top bureaucrat and he (Chouhan) might be involved in it. "Public money is being looted and the Chief Minister is protecting officers like Julania and indulging in it," he alleged. He also alleged WRD engineer-in-chief M G Choubey has been given post-retirement extension for a fifth time to carry out construction of the dams in Panna. "The work was given to Choubey after sidelining the officers of Dalit and tribal communities," he added. "Dalit officer like me, who is an Ambedkarwadi and talks about equality, justice and brotherhood, is being hounded, served show-cause notice... By creating such a situation, they want me to commit suicide like Rohith Vermula as I am challenging them," he claimed. "That's why they have made bandobast to remove me from their way and some unfortunate incident might happen with me... If anything happens to me then you all will find the names of persons responsible for it in an envelope," he said. Attempts to contact Julania failed. His office said that he was in Canada right now. Thete demanded that the show-cause notice served on him be withdrawn immediately, Julania be removed from his current post and booked under the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Chief Secretary Antony De'Sa will meet Chouhan later in the day on the issue involving the Dalit officer, the Chief Minister's principal secretary S K Mishra said. Asked to comment on the issue, Mishra said he would get back to the media after the meeting was over. Earlier, Thete had taken part in a dharna organised by Dalit Adivasi Forum on January 11 here to protest alleged discrimination against Dalit and tribal bureaucrats after the state government gave its nod to Lokayukta to prosecute him in an alleged case of illegal disposal of land in Ujjain during his tenure as additional commissioner around two years ago. Then, he had said that the state government was prompt in taking action against Dalit officers while ignoring similar cases of misconduct involving those from upper castes. New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister's former Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar and six others, arrested in an alleged corruption case, were on Thursday sent to judicial custody till July 27 by a special court after CBI submitted that they were not required for further investigation. Kumar also moved a bail application before court, saying he is no more required for the investigation. The court sought reply from probe agency on his plea and fixed it for hearing on July 21. Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar sent Kumar, a 1989 batch IAS officer of UT cadre, former Deputy Secretary in Kejriwal's office Tarun Sharma, Kumar's close aide Ashok Kumar and owners of a private firm, Sandeep Kumar and Dinesh Kumar Gupta, to the jail after they were produced from CBI custody. The court also sent R S Kaushik and his predecessor G K Nanda, present and the former Managing Directors of a PSU respectively, to judicial custody till July 27. While producing them, the CBI told the court that their custodial interrogation was over and they be sent to the judicial custody. After CBI submitted that the accused were not required for custodial interrogation, senior advocate Mohit Mathur, who appeared for Kumar, moved the bail plea on his behalf. The CBI told the court that it needed time to reply to the plea, after which the court put up the matter for July 21. According to CBI, the five accused were allegedly showing undue favours to Endeavour Systems Pvt Ltd (ESPL), a private firm which the agency alleged was floated by Kumar, in the award of government contracts worth over Rs 50 crore. CBI had registered a case against Kumar and others in December last year alleging that the officer had abused his official position by "favouring a particular firm in the last few years in getting tenders of Delhi government departments". Kaushik and Nanda, present and former Managing Directors of Intelligent Communication Systems India Ltd (ICSIL), a Delhi government undertaking and a joint venture of Telecommunication Consultants India Ltd and Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, were arrested as they were allegedly evasive during questioning. The accused were charged under section 120-B of IPC (criminal conspiracy) and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act relating to criminal misconduct for allegedly favouring ESPL in bagging of five contracts. CBI has alleged that the accused persons had entered into a criminal conspiracy and caused a loss of Rs 12 crore to Delhi government in award of contracts between 2007 and 2015, and claimed that the officials had taken "undue benefit" of over Rs three crore while awarding the contracts. This is the same case in which the agency had come under scathing criticism from court which had directed it to return the documents sought by the Delhi government seized during December 15, 2015 search of Kejriwal's office. The arrest of the top state government official had triggered a political storm with the Delhi government accusing the Centre of indulging in "political vendetta" and "paralysing" governance. The Aam Admi Party has created 100 mohalla clinics so far, and has also declared that the capital will have 1000 such clinics by the end of March. (Photo: Youtube screengrab) New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal courted fresh controversy after it emerged that his government had assigned a plum job to the daughter of Health Minister Satyendar Jain, in his own department. According to a report on NDTV, 26-year-old Soumya Jain who was appointed to oversee the work of mohalla clinics across Delhi quit from the post on Thursday, following charges of nepotism against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. Opposition parties slammed the AAP government, questioning Soumya's appointment, as little had been disclosed about her selection. Jain, who is trained to be an architect, has never studied public health. Moreover, the post was created specially for her as a new project of the AAP government. Coming to his daughter's defence, Satyendar Jain said that his daughter gave up a lot of lucrative offers and dedicated herself to the mohalla clinics. He also claimed that she was not being paid a "single penny". Soumya had apparently been made in-charge of the clinics on an honorary basis. She was also designated as advisor to the health secretary-cum-mission director of the National Health Mission. "It was not an executive post. She has resigned as advisor for the mohalla clinics as she was hurt by the controversy over her appointment. She was being mentally tortured despite that fact she has done nothing wrong," he said. Defending the government's decision to appoint his daughter as an advisor for the mohalla clinics, the minister said Soumya is also his political advisor and often makes suggestions to him. "She is a qualified architect and a brilliant student. She recently decided against taking admission in a reputed institution, saying that she was busy for the next three-four months. She was not paid any money," he said. Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay said, that the nepotism in appointments and corruption in administration has reached its zenith under the Kejriwal government. Mohalla Clinics have been opened in the houses of party workers providing them means of income. The appointment of the health ministers daughter as advisor for the clinics is a case of clash of interest and this appointment should be cancelled immediately, said Mr Upadhyay, demanding that the Delhi government should publicly state whether Ms Jain receives any remuneration from any other department of the government. Meanwhile, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said her selection was "illegal and absolute double speak from the party which kept targeting others for family links." The Aam Admi Party has created 100 mohalla clinics so far, and has also declared that the capital will have 1000 such clinics by the end of March. Modi said that he is looking forward to his visit to Japan later this year for the Annual Summit. (Photo: http://www.narendramodi.in) New Delhi: Japanese Defence Minister General Nakatani on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and briefed him on regional developments in East and Southeast Asia. His visit comes just days after a recent ruling by a UN-backed tribunal which said that China has no legal basis to claim "historic rights" to islands in South China Sea. During the call on, Modi condoled the loss of life of Japanese citizens in the terror attack in Dhaka earlier this month and called for greater bilateral and multilateral cooperation against terrorism, a PMO statement said. Nakatani briefed the Prime Minister on the bilateral defence cooperation initiatives, it said. The Japanese Minister also briefed the Prime Minister on regional developments in East and Southeast Asia, the statement said. Modi welcomed Japanese participation at the International Fleet Review in Vishakhapatnam in February this year and and in the Malabar Exercise off the Japanese coast last month. Modi said that he is looking forward to his visit to Japan later this year for the Annual Summit. Burhan, 21-year-old poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen, and two other militants were killed by security forces who moved into the village last Friday. (Photo: Facebook) Srinagar: A mob on Thursday set ablaze the house where Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and his two associates were killed on Friday last in a gunfight with the security forces in Kokernag, about 83 kms from here. A large crowd attacked the house of Manzoor Ahmad, reportedly relative of one of the slain militants, at Bumdoora and set it ablaze, a police official said. The house was burnt down apparently because the mob felt that the tip-off to security forces about the presence of Burhan had come from its inmates. The mob also damaged an orchard of high density apples before dispersing, the official said. The situation in the area is "very tense" and being monitored by the authorities, the official said. Read: Pakistan describes slain Hizb commander Burhan Wani as 'freedom fighter' Burhan, 21-year-old poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen, and two other militants were killed by security forces who moved into the village after specific information about their presence in a house. The security forces had gathered information about the presence of one Hizbul Mujahideen militant Sartaz raising hopes that Burhan may also be present as earlier intelligence inputs suggested that both used to move together. When the encounter ended, security forces were jubilant on finding among the three dead terrorists Burhan who had shot to fame with series of videos and pictures on social networking sites asking youths to join militancy. The official said some stray and intermittent incidents of stone pelting were reported from Qaimo Kulgam and Khudwani in south Kashmir, Trehgam, Lalpora, Battergam, Kupwara, Hyhama, Hatmulla, Warpora, Sopore, Arampora, Cement bridge, Baramulla and Palhalan in north Kashmir, Suzaith and Narbal in Budgam, Parimpora, Chinkral Mohalla in Habakadal in Srinagar. However, there was no report of any casualty in the the clashes, he said. Many parts of Kashmir continue to remain under curfew but locals defied orders to save the pilgrims. (Photo: PTI) Srinagar: An Amarnath yatri from Uttar Pradesh and a local diver were killed and 28 pilgrims were injured in a road accident at Bibjehara along the Srinagar-Jammu highway and 42-km south of here on Wednesday. The deceased have been identified as Pramod Kumar of UP and driver Bilal Ahmed, a resident of Ganderbal outside Srinagar. The injured were rescued by local Muslim residents who after hearing loud crashing sound of the accident the mini-bus in which the pilgrims were travelling met at Halmulla, Bijbehara along the highway. Police confirmed that the locals defied curfew restrictions and after risking their own lives started the rescue operation and that at a time when they were mourning the death of two local youth in security forces firing. Bijbehara is the home town of Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, in a statement here saluted what she said was the exemplary effort of the residents who amid trying circumstances helped and evacuated the Amarnath yatris injured in the road accident. While expressing grief and sorrow over the deaths in the mishap, she said keeping in with Kashmirs glorious traditions of communal harmony and brotherhood, the locals of Bijbehara, who themselves were mourning the tragic deaths in recent law and order situation, ignored their personal grief and rushed to the accident spot to rescue the injured pilgrims and shift them to the hospitals. She added, This is the uniqueness of Kashmirs distinct and valued culture, we must all fight to protect...it has been seen over the years that while Kashmiris have themselves underwent countless tragedies, they have upheld the highest traditions of brotherhood and amity amid difficult times. She further said, I salute my people for this humanitarianism and compassion and expect to see the same flourishing in future. Two IAF C17's departed for South Sudan around 5 am on Thursday with VK Singh leading the operation. (Photo: MEA Twitter handle) New Delhi: Asserting that operation 'Sankat Mochan', which is being carried out to rescue stranded Indians from war-struck South Sudan, highlighted the Centre's 'pro-active approach', the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday stated that the evacuated Indians will land in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala tomorrow morning. "#SankatMochan, Homeward Bound! 143 inc.10 women & 3 infants onboard as 1st C-17 Globemaster prepares to depart Juba," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. Talking in details about the operation, Swarup said in a press conference that first flight has already landed in Juba and the next one will be landing shortly, adding that the aim is to evacuate all Indian nationals who have expressed their interest in leaving south Sudan. "The evacuation has been meticulously planned in coordination with the local authorities as well as the support of the Indian peace keeping contingent in the United Nation Mission in South Sudan. Soon after landing, general (retired) VK Singh met the Foreign minister of South Sudan Deng Alor Kuol. He almost met Vice President James Wani Igga," Swarup said. The first aircraft will travel to Entebbe in Uganda for a refuelling halt of approximately three hours, following which they will depart for India, landing first in Thiruvananthapuram early on Friday morning and thereafter coming to Delhi. Operation #SankatMochan Leading from the front! @Gen_VKSingh addresses evacuees onboard the C17 pic.twitter.com/zZAJTQrgJY Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 14, 2016 Swarup stated that the entire operation has been conducted under the direct supervision of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who formed a high level task force to monitor the situation in South Sudan, which has deteriorated in the last few days. "In our assessment this was an opportune time to arrange for the evacuation, especially since the ceasefire is holding and there is a lull in hostilities. Operation Sankat Mochan has underscored once again, the government's pro-active approach towards helping Indians in distress anywhere in the world," he added. Meanwhile, with the 'Sankat Mochan' rescue team landing in Juba, Sushma Swaraj on Thursday called on all the stranded Indian nationals to move out quickly, adding that the evacuation might not be possible if the situation deteriorates. "South Sudan - My colleague @Gen_VKSingh has landed in Juba to evacuate Indian nationals from there. All Indian nationals - We have sent two aircrafts. This is the right time. Pls move out of South Sudan," Swaraj said in a series of tweets. Indians in South Sudan - Pls move out. We have sent two aircrafts for you. If situation worsens, we will not be able to evacuate u. Pl RT Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 14, 2016 Adding that in case the situation deteriorates the Indian nationals will not be evacuated, she reiterated her call to move out as quickly as possible, adding that two aircrafts are waiting to carry them out. "Indians in South Sudan - Pls move out. We have sent two aircrafts for you. If situation worsens, we will not be able to evacuate you. Please ask all your relatives and friends in South Sudan to pl make use of this opportunity and move," she further tweeted. Meanwhile, Operation Sankat Mochan is in full swing as the rescue team headed by Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh landed here and the process for the evacuation of the stranded Indians began. Please ask all your relatives and friends in South Sudan to pl make use of this opportunity and move out. #SankatMochan Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 14, 2016 "Check-in formalities begin for evacuation as the first C-17 expected to land in Juba soon," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. The first IAF C17 Globemaster aircraft landed in Juba along with VK Singh, who met South Sudanese foreign affairs minister, Deng Alor Kuol. "Indian Blue Berets posted in South Sudan as part of UNMISS lend a helping hand in evac'n effort. Close co-ord'n with local authorities. MOS @Gen_VKSingh meets with S Sudan FM Deng Alor Kuol," Swarup added. Swaraj thanked Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for the support towards the endeavour and also extended her best wishes to the Indian Air Force (IAF) who will be carrying out the operation. "We are launching OP #SankatMochan to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan. My colleague @Gen_VKSingh is leading this operation.He will be accompanied by Secretary Amar Sinha, JS Satbir Singh and Director Anjani Kumar. Our Ambassador is South Sudan Srikumar Menon and his team is organising this operation on the ground," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in a series of tweets. Two IAF C17's departed for South Sudan around 5 am on Thursday with VK Singh leading the operation. The developments were set in motion after Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar appealed to Swaraj to help the Indian nationals stuck in the war-struck area. ".@SushmaSwaraj Ma'am request for speedy measures and actions to evacuate Indians stranded in Sudan. Prayers with them. #SaveIndiansInJuba," Kumar said in a tweet. In response to this, Swaraj said, " Akshay Kumar ji - Pl do not worry. We are evacuating Indian nationals from Juba (South Sudan)." Swaraj said the evacuation scheme is fully ready and if the situation worsens then the government will not delay and immediately evacuate Indians from there. "The situation in South Sudan deteriorated suddenly in the past three days. We have constituted a task force to constantly study the emerging situation in South Sudan and to closely tab on the occurrences there. The task force held a meeting in the morning," Swaraj told ANI. "There are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of them 450 are in Juba (capital city of South Sudan) and nearly 150 are outside Juba. At present, the fighting is taking place in Juba," she added. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has ordered a ceasefire after days of intense fighting in Juba left more than 150 dead and many more injured since fighting broke out on Thursday. The ceasefire announcement came as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on the Security Council to impose an "immediate arms embargo" and targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders blocking implementation of the peace deal. There was renewed fighting between the government and former rebel forces since Thursday in Juba. The latest exchanges were apparently sparked by a shootout between President Kiir's and Vice President Riek Machar's bodyguards. The first IAF C17 Globemaster aircraft landed in Juba along with VK Singh, who met South Sudanese foreign affairs minister, Deng Alor Kuol. (Photo: MEA India Twitter handle) Juba ( Sudan ): Operation Sankat Mochan is in full swing as the rescue team headed by Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh landed in Juba in Sudan on Thursday and the process for the evacuation of the stranded Indians began. "Check-in formalities begin for evacuation as the first C-17 expected to land in Juba soon," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. The first IAF C17 Globemaster aircraft landed in Juba along with VK Singh, who met South Sudanese foreign affairs minister, Deng Alor Kuol. "Indian Blue Berets posted in South Sudan as part of UNMISS lend a helping hand in evac'n effort. Close co-ord'n with local authorities. MOS @Gen_VKSingh meets with S Sudan FM Deng Alor Kuol," Swarup added. Opn #SankatMochan Indian rescue team headed by @Gen_VKSingh lands in Juba in the first C-17 Globemaster pic.twitter.com/tilGk5nXZn Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 14, 2016 Earlier, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj thanked Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for the support towards the endeavour and also extended her best wishes to the Indian Air Force (IAF) who will be carrying out the operation. "We are launching OP #SankatMochan to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan . My colleague @Gen_VKSingh is leading this operation.He will be accompanied by Secretary Amar Sinha, JS Satbir Singh and Director Anjani Kumar. Our Ambassador is South Sudan Srikumar Menon and his team is organising this operation on the ground," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in a series of tweets. Two IAF C17's had departed for South Sudan around 5 am on Thursday with VK Singh leading the operation. The developments were set in motion after Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar appealed to Swaraj to help the Indian nationals stuck in the war-struck area. ".@SushmaSwaraj Ma'am request for speedy measures and actions to evacuate Indians stranded in Sudan . Prayers with them. #SaveIndiansInJuba," Kumar said in a tweet. In response to this, Swaraj said, " Akshay Kumar ji - Pl do not worry. We are evacuating Indian nationals from Juba ( South Sudan )." Swaraj said the evacuation scheme is fully ready and if the situation worsens then the government will not delay and immediately evacuate Indians from there. "The situation in South Sudan deteriorated suddenly in the past three days. We have constituted a task force to constantly study the emerging situation in South Sudan and to closely tab on the occurrences there. The task force held a meeting in the morning," Swaraj told ANI. "There are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of them 450 are in Juba (capital city of South Sudan) and nearly 150 are outside Juba . At present, the fighting is taking place in Juba ," she added. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has ordered a ceasefire after days of intense fighting in Juba left more than 150 dead and many more injured since fighting broke out on Thursday.| The ceasefire announcement came as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on the Security Council to impose an "immediate arms embargo" and targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders blocking implementation of the peace deal. Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi had on Wednesday accepted the lapses on part of his party in filing the requisite documents with the state election commission, which led the latter to cancel AIMIM's registration as a political party in Maharashtra. Owaisi said there was a delay by the AIMIM to submit the documents and they have written to the commission to 'condone their lapses'. "The norms are that a political party must submit regular accounts and other details. Unfortunately, there have been lapses on our part. After we received a showcause notice, we had given a notice to the Maharashtra state election commission requesting them to condone our lapses," Owaisi told ANI. "Then we also submitted our documents , but I think it was too late. We will definitely appeal to the commission and in future we will abide by all prescribed norms," he added. The Maharashtra Election Commission on Wednesday cancelled AIMIM's registration as a state political party for failing to file its income tax and funds details. The State Election Commission reportedly took this decision after the AIMIM did not respond to notices sent to the party asking it to submit the reports. The cancellation of its registration essentially means that the commission has barred AIMIM from contesting the state civic polls. Patel will travel to several places during 48 hours after his release before leaving Gujarat for six months. (Photo: PTI) Ahmedabad: After spending nine months behind bars, quota agitation leader Hardik Patel is all set to walk out of Lajpore jail in Surat on Friday morning, days after the Gujarat High Court granted him bail in cases of sedition and violence pertaining to Patidar stir last year. The Patidar Anamant Andolan Samiti (PAAS), of which Mr Patel is the convener, has planned to felicitate their leader outside Lajpore jail at around 10 am on July 15. As per the schedule released by PAAS on Wednesday, Patel will travel to several places during 48 hours after his release before leaving Gujarat for six months. Last week, the High Court paved the way for Mr Patel's release after granting him bail in two cases of sedition and a case related to violence at Visnagar lawmaker's office. While granting him bail in sedition cases, the High Court set a condition that Mr Patel will have to stay outside Gujarat for the next six months. As per the High Court direction, Mr Patel will have to leave Gujarat within 48 hours after his release from jail. PAAS said that the quota leader will travel to many parts of the state during 48 hours which end before July 17 midnight. According to PAAS, no decision is taken yet on the place where Hardik will spend six months. After coming out of jail, Mr Patel's caravan will pass by different parts of Surat city, including Bhestan, Ring Road, Kapodra, Mini Bazar, and Varachha area, which are mostly dominated by Patels. "He will then garland Sardar Patel's statues in Bhestan and Mini Bazar areas in the city," PAAS leader Dinesh Bambhaniya said while releasing the schedule. PAAS has also planned a public gathering at Laxminarayan farm on the outskirts of Surat, subject to permission by police. "We will arrange our programme as per the law and the instructions of the high court. We will arrange the public gathering only if the police grants us permission" said Bambhaniya, a close aide of Mr Patel. From Suart, Mr Patel would reach Vastral area of Ahmedabad city for night stay. "On the morning of July 16, he will go to his native place Viramgam to meet his parents. He will be welcomed by a large number of supporters. Hardik will then come back here to complete a formality in city sessions court during afternoon. Then, he will embark on a journey to Botad where he will visit Sarangpur Hanuman temple," said Bambhaniya. After a road show in Botad, Hardik and his supporters will visit Khodaldham temple in Rajkot district and then Umiyadham temple in Jamnagar district in evening. Both these temples are supreme bodies of Patel community. The deal was announced by Prime Minister Modi in April last year during his visit to France when he said India would purchase 36 Rafales in a government-to-government contract. (Photo: AFP) New Delhi: The much-hyped multi-billion dollar Rafale deal could see some forward movement on Thursday as the top acquisition body of the Defence Ministry is set to take a review of the negotiations held so far into the purchase of the French fighters. Defence sources said the Rafale fighter jet deal is one of the issues that will be discussed during the meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council tomorrow at the South Block. As per the normal process, once the deal is cleared by Defence Ministry, the file will go to the Finance Ministry and then to the Cabinet Committee on Security for final clearance. In an interview in May, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had said he was looking at wrapping up the deal soon and this could mean by end of June or July. Rejecting suggestions that there has been a delay in signing the contract for nearly 7.89 Billion Euros to procure the French fighter planes, the Minister said any such process takes at least 6-8 months. The deal was announced by Prime Minister Modi in April last year during his visit to France when he said India would purchase 36 Rafales in a government-to-government contract. Soon after the announcement, the Defence Ministry scrapped a separate process that was on to purchase 126 Rafales, built by French defence giant Dassault Aviation. The current deal comes with the clause of delivering 50 per cent offsets, creating business worth at least 3 billion Euros for smaller Indian companies and generating thousands of new jobs in India through the offsets. The commercial negotiations, as in the pricing of the planes, equipment and other issues, actually began only in mid-January this year. Mumbai: Taking a dig at BJP amid reports of differences between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and party MP Pankaja Munde in wake of the Cabinet rejig, Shiv Sena on Thursday said problems could be resolved through telephone calls rather than making them public. However, opposition Congress said the ruling ally has no moral right to make comments on indiscipline in the government when the "Sena has a long history of disrespecting the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister". After Munde was relieved of the water conservation portfolio in the recent Cabinet reshuffle, her supporters staged a protest in Ahmednagar district and burnt effigies of Fadnavis. The internal bickering also spilled onto social media, where she recently announced that she was to reach Singapore to attend a global water leader summit but won't do so as she was no longer the minister of that department. Fadnavis, who was then on a tour to Germany, immediately responded by saying that she must attend the event. "BJP used to advice (us) that being part of the government, one should be disciplined. We are thus surprised by the protests against the Chief Minister. There were similar protests when Eknath Khadse had to resign. The internal problems between Cabinet ministers could have been kept away from the world had there been a telephonic conversation between them," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said. It further taunted the BJP saying that the party had won the Assembly polls due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but even his luck factor did not work in states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Bihar. "BJP workers should have instead burnt Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's effigy as she has been unsuccessful in ruling the state. The whole state is burning but nobody from BJP is saying anything about it," it said. "Fadnavis is not the CM of BJP but whole of Maharashtra," the Sena said. However, responding to Sena's comments, Congress spokesperson Al-Nasser Zakaria said, "They should be ashamed of themselves...because the Sena has a long history of disrespecting the PM and the CM. Today they have no moral right to talk about indiscipline in the government." Vikas Swarup reiterated his earlier comments that India believes that states should resolve disputes through peaceful means without threat or use of force. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: India on Thursday contested China's claims that Arbitral Tribunal has no authority to resolve territorial disputes in South China Sea (SCS), saying the authority of the court and its award is recognised in the provisions of United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup also asserted that India was not in "favour or against" any particular country and the whole issue was a matter of law. Read: Chinese state media claims India supports Beijing on South China Sea "The authority of the Annex VII Tribunal and its award is recognised in Part XV of the UNCLOS itself. India's own record in this regard is also well known," he said. Asked whether India was with or against China on the issue of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) verdict on SCS, he said, "This is not an issue of being in favour or against any particular country. "It is about the use of the global commons. It is not a matter of politics, it is a matter of law. Ours is a principled position, deriving from India being a State Party to the UNCLOS. As a State Party, we believe that all Parties should show utmost respect to the UNCLOS which establishes the international legal order of the seas and oceans." Read: China warns of 'decisive response' over South China Sea provocations Earlier this week, PCA ruled against China in a bitter row over territorial rights and "concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights within the sea areas falling within the 'nine-dash line'." Asserting that it "does not accept and does not recognise" the ruling, China rejected the verdict as "null and void". China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours. On a statement by the Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister that war-like situation may develop in the South China Sea, Swarup reiterated his earlier comments that India believes that states should resolve disputes through peaceful means without threat or use of force and exercise self restraint in the conduct of activities that could complicate or escalate dispute affecting peace and stability. "No unilateral action should be taken which may cause tension in the area," he added. New Delhi : Wing Commander Pooja Thakur has moved the Armed Forces Tribunal after being denied permanent commission by the Indian Air Force. She is the first lady officer to lead the Inter-Service Guard of Honour which was inspected by US President Barack Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan in January 2015. Obama had said at an event later that the sight of "incredible" Indian women in the armed forces was one of his "favourite things" in India. The Armed Forces Tribunal has admitted the matter and has sought IAF's response within 4 weeks, Thakur's Lawyer Sudhanshu Pandey said. The officer in her petition says that the IAF's decision to reject her permanent commission is "biased, discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable". The incident comes after the Air Force recently allowed women fighter pilots for short service commission. Last month, the IAF scripted history by formally commissioning its first three women fighter pilots, but as short service commission officers. They will serve for a maximum period of 14 years and retire without benefits. On the other hand, a permanent commission means that women get to serve the full period, and rise to the rank of Lieutenant General, retiring at 60 with all benefits accrued to Indian Air Force personnel. Presently, permanent commission is granted on a case-to-case basis. Women were allowed in the Air Force as full officers in 2010 after nearly 50 women officers, including 22 from the IAF, moved court citing discrimination. Pooja Thakur joined the Air Force in 2000 and is the daughter of an army colonel. Hyderabad: SHE teams in Hyderabad have caught 23 persons for harassing women from different parts of the city. According to the police, N. Reddy Kiran and K. Ramesh, both 23, who used to sell SIM cards, were calling up women and harassing them. They were arrested and produced in court. Mohd. Saleemuddin, 25, a tailor, was caught for harassing calling up a woman and sending her Whatsapp messages. Students A. Ravinder Yadav and Chinna Masaiah were caught red handed while stalking a college student near Dilsukhnagar. Jangam Sang-appa, 22, who sells lemon soda was caught following a Class 8 student. In a special operation conducted near St Francis College, Kacheguda, 13 persons were caught red-handed while teasing women and passing comments. Along with 11 minors, police arrested Vivek Singh, 19 and Gaurav Singh, 20. They were counselled in the presence of their parents. Petty cases were registered on the duo. In another cases, three minors from Chandrayangutta were caught while following and harassing girls in front of the Nehru Zoological Park, officials said. Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao called on Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan on Thursday and discussed irrigation projects, land acquisition, High Court bifurcation, PMs inter-state council, internal security and other issues for nearly 3.5 hours at the Raj Bhavan here. Sources said Mr Rao, who will be attending the 11th inter-state council meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday after a gap of 10 years, discussed the above mentioned issues in depth with Mr Narasimhan and sought his advice. The recent arrests of several youths for their suspected links to an ISIS terror module in Hyderabad in a joint operation by the NIA and Hyderabad police also figured in the meeting since the Delhi meeting, scheduled for July 16, includes internal security. Mr Raos focus was primarily on irrigation projects, land acquisition policy, agitation by farmers and the Opposition, governments offer, the ongoing Haritha Haram programme and other related matters, it is learnt. Though the CM calling on Governor has become quite frequent, Thursdays meeting assumes significance in view of his New Delhi visit. The Prime Minister will meet CMs of all the states to discuss inter-state relations, internal security, atrocities on SCs and STs, education, direct benefit schemes, various Central government schemes, Aadhaar card, good governance, and performance of various states etc. It is believed that the PM may name Mr Rao as the best Chief Minister in the country during Saturdays meeting. Hyderabad: The Telangana state government has made all arrangements to assist 54 people from the state who are stranded in war-torn Sudan to return to their native places when they arrive in New Delhi on Friday. India on Thursday sent two C-17 military transport aircraft to South Sudans capital city Juba to evacuate over 300 Indians stranded there, of whom 54 are from Telangana. Minister of state for external affairs V.K. Singh is leading the operation, named Sankat Mochan, to evacuate Indians from South Sudan, which has been rocked by violence that has claimed hundreds of lives. The return flights will be only up to New Delhi, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said. TS has thus directed Mr Shashank Goel, resident commissioner, TS Bhavan in New Delhi, to coordinate with the MEA and Railway Board and make arrangements to provide food, accommodation and transportation from New Delhi. TS will bear all the expenses. Hyderabad: The TS government has cracked the whip on illegal mining of sand, cancelling the licence of a sand reach in Mahbubnagar district for illegal mining. The government also suspended an assistant director and royalty inspector of the mines department for colluding with illegal miners thereby causing loss to state exchequer. Mining minister K.T. Rama Rao on Thursday directed officials to carry out raids every week in all districts to check illegal mining activities. An inquiry by mining department found that the miners were extracting more than the permitted quantity of sand in Gudibanda of Mahbubnagar district. While the government permitted extraction of 1,950 cubic metres of sand from a private patta land, it was found that the miners had extracted 60,000 cubic metres by crossing the approved boundary. The inquiry report said that assistant director of mines Krishna Pratap and royalty inspector Ravi Kumar failed to check the open flouting of norms by the miners. Mr Rao took serious view of the discrepancy and ordered suspension of both these officials with immediate effect. The minister also cancelled the approval for mining given to the contractor and directed officials to impose penalty and file a criminal case against him. Mr Rao warned mining officials of severe action if they fail to check illegal mining activities in the state and said he would obtain information from all possible sources every month on the functioning of officials and illegal mining activities. Officials who fail to check illegal mining activities will not be spared. They will be suspended immediately and a departmental inquiry will be ordered, Mr Rao said. The government formed an inquiry committee with TS Mineral Development Corporation VC & MD Illambarthi and director of mines Susheel Kumar to inquire into illegal mining activities in the state. The committee inspected mining sites in Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Mahbubnagar districts and found illegal sand mining in Mahbubnagar. Hyderabad: The Telangana state government is all set to lift the ban on the mortgaging of farmlands to secure loans for purposes other than agriculture. Despite having several acres of farmland, the owners are unable to avail loans for necessities like education of their children. The existing rules do not permit landowners to mortgage agricultural lands. They can only secure crop loans. The Land Revenue Act will be amended for the purpose. There has been a long-pending demand from landowners, mainly farmers, to allow them to mortgage their lands to secure loans, other than crop loans to meet their needs, especially the educational needs of their children. Farmers in villages had petitioned the government that their children are pursuing professional courses like engineering, medicine, management etc in Hyderabad and other cities and some want to go abroad for higher studies taking educational loans. They pointed out that the banks were refusing loans other than crop loans though they are willing to mortgage their farmlands with banks. They pointed out that those having properties in urban areas could easily secure loans for their children by mortgaging these with banks but they were not in a position to do so, despite owning land in rural areas while their children were studying in cities. Some landowners and farmers said they planned to start their own business by securing loans by mortgaging their farmlands, which is not being allowed as per existing norms. Sources in the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration said the department has already put up a file with the government seeking lifting of the ban on mortgaging farm loans. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao too is learnt to be in favour of lifting the ban and asked revenue officials to draft an Act amending the existing norms so that it would be passed in the next session of Legislature in September. Officials are in the process of finalising the modalities for the purpose. Chennai: Forty places, including residences, educational institutions and offices of liquor and other firms, owned by former Union Minister S Jagathrakshakan of the DMK were raided by sleuths from Income Tax Department on Wednesday in connection with suspected tax evasion. The raids, which began at 40 locations in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry at 7 am on Wednesday, were continuing late in the evening as more than 120 IT men were pressed into the job. The sleuths also raided the Adyar residence of Mr Jagathrakshakan, a two-time Lok Sabha MP from Arakkonam constituency, after restricting the entry of outsiders. Sources said telephone lines were disconnected at the former MPs residence and the raids continued for more than 12 hours at almost all locations. No one was allowed inside the premises from outside ever since the raids began in the morning, a source said. We have seized huge quantity of cash running to many crores of rupees. We are yet to ascertain the quantity of unaccounted money, an income tax official said, refusing to divulge further information on the raid. The simultaneous raids were being conducted in his residences, office premises and his five-star hotel in T.Nagar, the shopping district of Chennai, and several colleges run by him. A distillery unit in Villupuram managed by him was also raided. The former Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and his family members manage at least a dozen colleges including Balaji Dental College and Bharath University in Selaiyur in Tambaram on the outskirts of the city. Several incriminating documents were also seized during the raids being conducted by more than 120 taxmen, but no additional details on the nature of documents were available. This is not the first time that Mr Jagathrakshakan is in the news for wrong reasons. He was embroiled in the coal scam controversy as Opposition alleged that he used his political clout to get coal allocation through illegal means for his company in 2007. He was Arakkonam MP during 1999-2004 and 2009-2014. Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejected the Opposition demand for removing Director- General of Prosecution (DGP) Manjeri Sreedharan Nair from the post, against whom the Kozhikode magistrate court has registered a complaint of financial fraud. Mr Vijayan, while replying to a submission by Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala in the Assembly on Thursday, said that Mr Nair was appointed as he was one of the leading criminal lawyers in the state. The present case was based on a private complaint, as Mr Nair was one of the directors of the Nilambur Institute of Medical Sciences. Mr Nair had signed along with the chairman of the institution for taking Rs 5- crore loan from a bank based on a decision taken by the board of directors, Mr Vijayan said. Mr Chennithala demanded to know how the government could appoint a person, against whom a case had been registered for financial irregularities, as the state DGP. Mr Vijayan said that it was natural for a court to consider a complaint when it comes before it for consideration. Nair is not an accused in the complaint which is now before the court for consideration, the CM said adding that the government had not committed any lapse in appointing him as DGP. Thiruvananthapuram: The state government is planning to appeal against a State Information Commission directive to provide minutes and agenda of Cabinet under the Right to Information Act. Top sources said the government was not against issuing copies of Cabinet agenda and minutes on matters in which the government orders (GO) are issued. Though the norms stipulate that GOs on Cabinet decisions need to be issued within 48-hours, it is often followed more in the breach especially on those come out-of-the-agenda. Making public Cabinet minutes and agenda before issuing final order can create confusion. Hence the government is exploring the scope of filing an appeal against a recent order of the SIC. Chief Information Commissioner Vinson M. Paul had recently directed the government to disburse minutes and agenda of Cabinet decisions taken between January 1 and March 12. But even after the ten-day time limit prescribed by the commission, the government did not provide them and the petitioner Human Rights Defence Forum general secretary D. B. Binu was approaching the commission seeking action against the officials concerned. The Cabinet meetings during the last days of the previous UDF government assumed significance, as many controversial land assignment and wetland conversion decisions were taken during that period. Government orders in most of these decisions were yet to be issued and the decisions are under review of a Cabinet sub-committee. BENGALURU: The cabinet was evidently divided on Bengaluru development minister K.J. George continuing in the cabinet despite the growing clamour for his resignation in the aftermath of deputy superintendent of police MK Ganapatis suicide. At the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, could not repeat his success story of the morninghe ensured that none raised the issue at the Congress Legislature Partyas some senior ministers criticized him saying while sacking ministers, you did not even think twice and reconsider your decision. You said they have to go. But when it comes to protecting Anjaneya and George you go an extra mile, why? You can drop him and keep the slot open till the investigation is complete. Have you not done the same for Santosh Lad?" a senior minister reportedly asked the Chief Minister. Meanwhile, Mr George who is facing a Herculean task of redeeming his reputation, is likely to leave for New Delhi to meet central leaders of Congress. While some in the party said he would resign soon after his return, others felt that central leaders would come to his rescue. The cabinet meeting also witnessed a heated debate over the anti-supestition bill and decided to refer it to a cabinet sub-committee headed by revenue minister Kagodu Thimmappa. Though Mr Siddaramaiah was keen to get the bill approved and place it in the legislature on Thursday, he could not do so on account of stiff opposition from some of senior ministers. A section of senior ministers not only managed to oppose this but also got the bill to be referred to a newly constituted cabinet sub-committee. The committee headed by Mr Thimmappa includes health and family welfare minister Ramesh Kumar, forest minister Ramanath Rai, energy minister D.K. Shivakumar, law minister T.B. Jayachandra and social welfare minister H. Anjaneya. In another decision, the cabinet decided to allot 470 acres of KIADB land to IIT in Dharwad and also to release Rs 15 crores for a new scheme to be launched for primary school children. CM defends George at CLP meeting Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, strongly appealed to his party MLAs at the Congress Legislature Party meeting on Wednesday to back Bengaluru Development Minister, K. J. George accused of harassing police officer, M K Ganapathy and driving him to suicide, on the floor of the legislature, according to sources. A senior party leader said Mr Siddaramaiah made it clear that no other mater would be discussed at the CLP meeting. It was evident from his opening remarks that he would not allow anyone to speak on any matter other than Mr George. As soon as the MLAs realized his one point agenda for the meeting, most left half way through after assuring their support for the minister. As a result the CLP meeting was wrapped up in less than 30 minutes, he said. The Chief Minister himself reportedly spoke for almost 20 minutes in strong defense of Mr George, saying there was no incriminating evidence against him and explaining that he had himself chosen to defend him despite the Opposition parties demand for his resignation. He also advised the MLAs from going to the media after the CLP meeting, sources said. Consequently most legislators, who willingly spoke off the record in the assembly and council lobbies on Monday and Tuesday, remained tightlipped about the outcome of the CLP meeting on Wednesday. Itanagar: Nabam Tuki, who was restored as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh by the Supreme Court yesterday, was on Thursday asked by the Governor to take a floor test by July 16 to prove his majority in the state Assembly. However, Tuki, who led a Congress government that fell in January after the controversial role played by Governor J P Rajkhowa, said that he needed time to face the floor test. Talking to reporters after attending office, Tuki said he would request the acting Governor Tathagata Roy to defer the proposed floor test as it is "not possible" within a short span of time. The Governor in a communique informed Tuki that in obedience to the Supreme Court verdict he has been reinstated as chief minister of the state with effect from yesterday. He also asked the chief minister to call the assembly session immediately and prove his majority in the house by July 16. The communique said in order to ensure peaceful proceedings, the floor test should be videographed throughout and the majority proved by division and not by voice vote. Roy further emphasised that the conduct of the proceedings, including the videography in the house should strictly follow the principles laid down by Supreme Court in its order of May 6 regarding imposition of Presidents Rule in Uttarakhand (SLP C 11567/2016) Union of India Vs Harish Chandra Singh Rawat, a Raj Bhawan release said. A note to this effect has also been sent to the assembly secretariat, it said. Tuki arrived here this evening after assuming charge of chief minister of the state at Arunachal Bhawan in New Delhi yesterday following the apex court verdict. Speaker Nabam Rebia, who too attended office today, said the assembly needs at least 10 to 15 days to summon a session. "I have received the governor's order asking the state government to go for floor test on July 16 which is practically impossible keeping in mind the uneven topography and inclement weather besides the communication bottlenecks in the state," he told reporters. The Speaker also appealed to all the Congress members to strengthen Tuki's hands for overall development of the state. In a major setback to BJP and the Centre, the Supreme Court yesterday ordered restoration of the Congress government, saying the "clock should be turned back", as it quashed all decisions of Governor Rajkhowa that precipitated its fall in January, holding them "violative" of the Constitution. New Delhi In a dramatic move, Nabam Tuki took charge as Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister on Wednesday at Arunachal Bhavan in New Delhi, just hours after the Supreme Court restored the Congress government led by him in the state. While celebrations echoed at the Arunachal Bhavan, the Congress now faces an uphill task to hold on to the reins of powers in the hill state proving majority on the floor. Congress leaders are now scrambling to ensure they have the numbers to run a stable government in Arunachal. Read: Supreme Court restores Congress rule in Arunachal Pradesh, blow to BJP Nabam Tuki who will be in Itangar on Thursday to convene a meeting of council of ministers, is elated over the Supreme Court order, but his party still does not have the numbers to pass the floor test when it takes place, at least not yet. His party is now working on a Plan B and is even considering the eventuality of replacing Nabam Tuki as the chief minister as many MLAs in the party are reportedly unhappy with his leadership. Congress is trying to get some of its rebel MLAs back onboard to sail its boat in Arunachal. The problem for the Congress government led by Nabam Tuki had started in December 2015 with the resignation of Pema Khandu, minister of tourism and urban development, who accused Mr Tuki of miserably failing in governance. Mr Khandus resignation had come close on the heels of the dismissal of four senior ministers by Mr Tuki for their alleged involvement in dissident activities. Mr Tuki had also expelled present chief minister Kalikho Pul from the Congress party accusing him of engineering dissent in the party. Congress, which had 47 MLAs seats in the 60-member assembly, then suffered a jolt when 21 of its lawmakers rebelled and the Nabam Tuki government was dismissed as it lost its majority status. Dissident leader Kalikho Pul was sworn in as the new chief minister in February after a brief spell of Presidents Rule in the state. Read: Supreme Court cant decide CM, says Kalikho Pul Majority of the Congress MLAs, especially those who left, had issues with the leadership of Tuki and not with the party. We will have to find a way to make Tuki voluntarily make way for another face, a senior Congress leader was quoted in a report. The Congress leadership is still in touch with at least 18 of the dissident leaders, some of who are seriously considering moving back to its fold. Reports suggest that even Nabam Tuki is open to working with the rebel MLAs but is vehemently opposed to the reinstatement of 2-3 leaders. On the other hand, most of the dissident leaders are ready to join the Congress to form the new government, most of them are opposed to Nabam Tukis leadership but have indicated that they have no qualms about working under a new face at the helm. According to a report in The Indian Express, Nabam Tuki said he is also in touch with some of the rebel MLAs and even plans to speak to Kalikho Pul on the recent developments. While it is yet to be seen if Congress manages to stitch together a strong majority, it is clear that Kalikho Pul will not be accepted into the fold after the coup against Tuki. BENGALURU: The heat from within the cabinet all but singed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on why he continued to retain Bengaluru development minister K.J. George though he announced a judicial inquiry in addition to a probe by the CID into deputy superintendent of police MK Ganapatis suicide even as sources in the government indicated that the minister would head to New Delhi on Thursday to seek the opinion of senior central leaders of Congress. Mr Siddaramaiah managed a meeting of the Congress legislature party (CLP) well earlier in the day with none seeking Mr Georges resignation, but he had to endure attacks in both Houses of legislature with Opposition legislators staging a round-the-clock protest, and some senior ministers taking him to task for his double standards vis-a-vis action against ministers. Some senior cabinet ministers quizzed him as to why he was firm on dropping some ministers during the recent reshuffle but was pussyfooting when it came to dealing with Mr George. You can drop him and keep the slot open till the investigation is complete. Have you not done the same for Santosh Lad?" a senior minister reportedly asked the Chief Minister. In fact, the stand of these ministers was the same as that of leaders of opposition parties as they too demanded Mr Georges resignation pending completion of the judicial probe. These leaders also dug their heels in on their demand for a CBI probe into the suicide of Mr MK Ganapati by launching an all nighter, minutes after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a judicial inquiry on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mr George who has a formidable task of redeeming his reputation, is likely to leave for New Delhi to meet central leaders of Congress. While some in the party said he would resign soon after his return, others felt that central leaders would come to his rescue. How to make a killing from a 44 minute clip! When Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) MK Ganapati wanted to tell his story to a particular TV channel on the day of his suicide in Madikeri on Thursday, he asked his auto-driver to take him to one particular television station. The auto driver, unclear how to get to that TV station, took Ganapati to another television office where, on camera, Ganapati lashed out at the top police officers and the former home minister and the harassment he faced. By that time, reporters from other channels who sniffed out a potential scandal, approached Ganapati and pleaded with him to give them the same news byte. Ganapati agreed to return for a recording in the afternoon. Except, he took his own life at around 2 pm, minutes after calling his wife, with the 44 minute interview becoming one of the most sought after clips after news of Ganapati's suicide broke later that night. Curiously, within hours, every single television channel was airing the same interview, claiming it was an exclusive! Bought and sold to all bidders, big and small? New Delhi: Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday urged Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, to back the crucial GST bill in the Monsoon session of Parliament starting July 18. Sources said, in a telephonic conversation with Azad, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, who earlier held the charge of Parliamentary Affairs, sought Congress' support for the passage of the GST bill. The government has also proposed holding talks with opposition Congress to iron out differences on the issue. Meeting of top Congress leaders like Azad and Anand Sharma with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on the issue is likely to be held in a day or two. The Constitution amendment bill for roll-out of GST is pending in Rajya Sabha for a long time and the government is keen to see its passage. The Goods and Services Tax seeks to bring a uniform tax structure subsuming a number of imposts and the government claims that it will help add 1 to 2 per cent to the country's GDP. Top Congress leaders had yesterday deliberated on the strategy for the session with party president Sonia Gandhi at her residence where GST was also discussed. Congress has been pressing for a GST cap of 18 per cent as part of the Constitutional Amendment bill with which the government is not in agreement. Insiders say the demand has become a sticking point, but Congress may relent and agree to a cap in the statute and not as part of the Constitution bill. Guwahati: A day after the Supreme Court order, former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul here on Thursday paraded his 30 MLAs before the media and accused his successor Nabam Tuki of misinterpreting the order of the apex court. Pointing out that dissident MLAs of Congress have merged with Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA), Mr Pul told reporters that they respect the verdict of the court and would go by the order of the Governor asking Mr Tuki to prove majority on the floor of the house on Saturday at Itanagar. The Arunachal Pradesh Governor has convened the session of the assembly on July 16 for floor test. Mr Pul has also decided not to challenge the order of the apex court as legal battle may give a longer lease of life to the reinstated chief minister Nabam Tuki. Mr Pul said that apex court had passed ruling on three core issues, which relates to advancing of the assembly, conducting assembly outside the premises and removal of the speaker. Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki who took over the office soon after the apex court reinstated him arrived Itanagar on Thursday. As evacuation operations go, the one to bring back about 300 Indians from civil war-wracked South Sudan must be considered a small one. India has had considerable experience in running such operations, with its evacuation from Yemen drawing universal appreciation. With two IAF transport planes in mission Sankat Mochan and MoS for external affairs V.K. Singh present, the operation should be a logistical success. The Germans have already withdrawn 100 of their citizens and other countries too are preparing to help their people return from the capital Juba where heavy fighting has broken out. There is no guarantee that the worlds youngest country, born in 2011 when Sudan split into two on the south insisting on breaking away, will get back to normalcy soon despite a ceasefire being technically in place in the last couple of days. The friction between the President, Salva Kiir, who is from the largest ethnic group of Dinka, and his one-time deputy Riek Machar, from the second-largest group, the Nuer, is unlikely to dissipate anytime soon. More than a million people have fled their homes since December when the fighting first broke out. The peace agreement has at best been tenuous, as is obvious from the thousands starving to death in an oil-rich but vastly underdeveloped nation in which less than 15 per cent own mobile phones, the modern index of progress. Ideally, if India tends to its domestic economy and makes space to keep everyone usefully employed at home, there would not be so much immigration to potential danger zones. But, tending to the security of Indians earning their livelihood abroad is a national duty, one which India has been carrying out diligently. The unanimous verdict of the five-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday which restored the Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh and the stinging remarks of the court about governor J.P. Rajkhowa acting in an illegal fashion to engineer the ouster of a democratically elected dispensation sullies the brand image of the ruling party. The governor would not have dared without the BJPs encouragement. Over decades the BJP has projected itself as a party with a difference, as a political platform that emphasises public morality and is intolerant of corruption, and as an entity that values the Constitution. The Arunachal Pradesh judgement unsettles this carefully nurtured image. Indeed, it says something of the BJPs innate sense of public morality that the party should officially state that it finds the Constitution Bench judgement strange. Evidently, the saffron formation is alienated from ethics. The judgement also mocks the much-touted notion of cooperative federalism that Prime Minister Modi has put in currency to bolster his governments image. The expression is intended to suggest that the BJP-led governments object would be to willingly cooperate with state governments run by political opponents to make India grow. The country was getting ready to believe all this because of its extreme disenchantment with the Congress in the last election. But instead of cooperating, in Arunachal Pradesh the BJP actively worked to break the Congress government. The same thing happened in Uttarakhand, and for this the top judiciary administered the powers-that-be a sharp rebuke only two months ago. The capricious use of the provision of Presidents Rule, use of pliable Governors to play ducks and drakes with the authority of an elected CM and Speaker at the behest of the ruling party at the Centre, disregard of the dictum that a ruling partys strength must only be tested on the Assembly floor to be deemed valid, and open horse-trading, were the hallmarks of operation topple in both Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh. To ensure that the trend is not carried to other small states and as a warning to those who hold that high constitutional office, an example could be made of Mr Rajkhowa. He has disgraced his oath. The Congress gets back the Nabam Tuki government in Arunachal as per the SCs order. But it will have to prepare to demonstrate that it has majority support in the legislature. Meanwhile, the BJP will have to fight a battle for perception in the Parliament session commencing July 18. The Republic of Ireland is a tiny country of about 70,000 sq. km. Most Indians have difficulty distinguishing it from its northern neighbour, Northern Ireland, that is part of the United Kingdom. Yet it is among the worlds 10 richest countries, with a per capita GDP of over $50,000, and the fastest growing European economy. Though its population is under five million, it boasts a diaspora of nearly 80 million, of which around 35 million are in the United States many with influence in politics and industry. This Irish constituency is so politically important that every year on Irelands national day, the US President hosts its Prime Minister at the White House, spending more time with him than with any other world leader on a state visit. Ireland was a pioneer of call centres, which then moved on to India and elsewhere. Its innovative techniques to attract foreign investment in information technology and high tech inspired a Harvard Business School case study. Ireland had intimate historical connections with India. A high percentage of British Indias soldiers, civil servants and professionals were Irish; many developed a bond with this country. Indias first geological atlas and its first linguistic atlas were drawn up by Irishmen. Irish missionaries established educational institutions across India; generations of our urban middle class studied in them. There is a groundswell of popular affection for India in Ireland due to these ancestral links. This is magnified by the thousands of Indian doctors and nurses who work in Irish hospitals. All this is relevant, as this small country with close India connections raised questions on Indias membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the recent Seoul meet. Ireland is a friend of India, but it is also one of Europes staunchest anti-nuclear countries; it was closely involved in drafting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In his brief spell in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has crisscrossed the globe with the avowed aim of building partnerships to secure wider participation in the India story, thus promoting its growth and development. A strong subtext of his proactive foreign policy (arguably more recognised abroad than at home) is that bilateral links and plurilateral coalitions expand Indias global footprint and enhance its influence in multilateral forums. The PM creates openings; his government has to exploit them. That today may be the weakest link in our foreign policy the inadequate permeation of our foreign policy strategy into our systems, preventing coordinated action. The obvious cooperation possibilities with Ireland were re-emphasised when Mr Modi visited it last September. An agreement in higher education was envisaged, that would facilitate student and research exchanges. Irish universities are of good quality; work permit regulations are relatively liberal. It would therefore benefit Indian students facing uncertain prospects in the UK. Yet this agreement got stuck somewhere in our system, which did not comprehend the context. Irish vocational training institutes wishing to participate in our skill development programme didnt find much response, despite their quality and our need. Irelands low corporate tax, financial infrastructure and English-language base makes it an attractive EU base for Indian corporates leaving the Brexited UK. Collaborations hold promise; stakeholders have to be nudged in this direction with relevant information. Similarly, there is much India could have done to prevent or dilute the 2011 NSG guideline change. After the India-US nuclear deal in 2008, India expected collaborations with the US and France for at least 20,000 MW of nuclear power. It promised to establish a nuclear liability regime conforming to international standards. If our government had engaged more effectively with both domestic and foreign stakeholders, it could have crafted a liability law that met domestic concerns as well as the nuclear industrys expectations. We could have avoided a decades delay in expanding our nuclear power capacity. Also, with orders of billions of dollars in nuclear equipment from the US, France and Russia in the pipeline, India would have been in a powerful position to influence the NSG decision on ENR transfers. These are just two illustrations of the reality that for India to achieve its foreign policy ambitions, there has to be a wider understanding of these ambitions in our decision-making system. Exploiting economic opportunities abroad needs coordination between government departments, financial institutions and corporate circles. It should be recognised that virtually every relationship (even with a small country) can be mutually beneficial, each bilateral relationship reinforces our global presence and influences the way other nations deal with us. There must be a better understanding of how domestic decisions impact our international relations. The assessments of Mr Modis foreign policy have rightly identified implementation as the critical factor for its success. Implementation shortfalls are often attributed to the narrow bandwidth of the external affairs ministry and its manpower constraints. The real problem, however, is not of MEAs bandwidth, but of a common foreign policy wavelength in the government. In February 2010, a fire killed 13 children and two adults at another orphanage in the same province of KwaZulu-Natal in the southeast of the country. (Photo: AFP/Representational Image) Johannesburg: A pre-dawn blaze killed eight people, mostly children, at an orphanage in the South African coastal city of Durban on Thursday, emergency services said. Six of the victims were children, with the youngest just eight years old. "We responded to the fire at about 2.20 am (0020 GMT) this morning," emergency services spokesman Robert McKenzie told AFP. "Four more people were taken to hospital with injuries ranging from serious to mild. None were in a critical condition." The fire tore through the boys' section of the orphanage and all those who died were males aged between eight and 21. The blaze was extinguished about four hours later and the cause is being investigated. In February 2010, a fire killed 13 children and two adults at another orphanage in the same province of KwaZulu-Natal in the southeast of the country. That August, 22 elderly people died in a fire at a retirement home in Nigel on the southeastern outskirts of Johannesburg. The following year in June, 12 residents of a home for the mentally disabled in the town of Springs east of Johannesburg were killed in an overnight fire. Washington: An Indian tea company has delivered a huge consignment containing 6,000 bags of famous Assam green tea to Donald Trump with a message to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee that it is never too late to "cleanse yourself". "Dear Mr Trump, namaste from India, we are sending you lots and lots of natural green tea. It fights against harmful free radicals. It helps purify mind and body and regain a healthy balance. It has also proven to make people smarter. Please Mr Trump, drink the tea. For your sake, for America's sake, for the world's sake," Kolkata-based Te-A-Me Teas said in a video explaining the idea of sending green tea to Trump. "The message is simple: Mr Trump, it's never too late to cleanse yourself," the company said yesterday, a day after its representatives delivered a consignment of some 6,000 green tea bags to the Trump Towers in New York. "Donald Trump has the whole world worried... we can't stop him, but maybe we can change him," the video said. While the cost of the tea consignment, sufficient for four years, was not made public, Sumit Shah, Managing Director of the company said its health potential is immense. "We believe that green tea with all its goodness can help Mr Trump and in turn benefit his country and the world at large," Shah said, adding that the consignment of tea bags is based on the presumption that the real estate tycoon would drink three cups a day. "If he needs more, we'll be happy to provide. Green tea has been proven to fight against harmful free radicals and cleanse the mind and bodies, helping one regain a healthy balance," Shah said, adding that these green teas can help change Trump for the better. The Trump Campaign did not respond to questions on the green tea bags from India. Gay rights groups had complained that an initial draft of the outline issued in 2014 did only a cursory job of highlighting important LGBT figures and events. (Photo: Representational Image/AP) San Francisco: After multiple delays, California education officials are moving to comply with the nation's first law requiring public schools to include prominent gay people and LGBT rights milestones in history classes. A curriculum outline scheduled to be reviewed by the State Board of Education on Thursday would introduce the concepts in second grade through discussions about diverse families and again in fourth grade with lessons on California's place in the gay rights movement. The proposed outline also touches on the topics in fifth and eighth grade, looking at gender roles in the 18th and 19th centuries and examples of individuals who flouted them and throughout high school. A capstone of sorts would come in U.S. government courses, where seniors would learn about the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide and recent court cases involving bathroom access for transgender students. The changes are designed to satisfy legislation passed by California lawmakers five years ago that added LGBT Americans and people with disabilities to the list of social and ethnic groups whose contributions schools are supposed to teach and must appear in K-8 textbooks. The legislation, known as SB48, also prohibited the adoption of any classroom materials that reflect adversely on gays or particular religions. The law officially took effect in January 2012, but its implementation was slowed by two failed attempts by opponents to overturn it, budget cuts that put work on drafting recommendations for the school board and textbook purchases on hold, and competing educational priorities. Carolyn Laub, a consultant for a group for LGBT parents called Our Family Coalition, said that while some school districts and individual teachers made their own efforts to incorporate gay history since the law passed, many were nervous about tackling the topic without explicit guidance from the state. "Many, many educators are waiting for this framework to know, 'This is the content I'm supposed to be including,'" Laub said. "If educators perceive, rightly or wrongly, they may not get support from their administration if they face pushback from a parent who says, 'I don't want you talking to my kid about that,' they are reluctant to do a whole lot of inclusion." Gay rights groups had complained that an initial draft of the outline issued in 2014 did only a cursory job of highlighting important LGBT figures and events. Twenty scholars affiliated with the American Historical Association offered detailed recommendations for beefing up the document, most of which were adopted, said Don Romesburg, chairman of the Women's and Gender Studies Department at Sonoma State University. "One of the really important things about this new framework is it's a 21st century framework," Romesburg said. "It really recognizes that whatever your political view or opinion of LGBT rights, LGBT history is a part of American history, and you cannot understand where we are now collectively as Americans without understanding something of the LGBT past." The additions dealing with LGBT history are part of an overall revision of the state's history and social studies framework, which identifies the historical concepts California students should be exposed to each year. The guidelines were last updated more than a decade ago. An advisory commission that produced the recommendations the state school board will consider Thursday received thousands of written comments voicing support, expressing opposition or requesting simple changes, but only a small handful dealt with the gay history additions. Three teachers expressed concern that other important groups were neglected. "There is no mention of Manifest Destiny or Native Americans," Brianna Leemkuil, a U.S. history teacher at Yucaipa High School in San Bernardino County, said of one 11 grade unit. "You want us to talk about a tiny LGBT community and ignore the killing of an entire people group?" MQM has also announced to hold a protest in front of White House on July 23, against the alleged Mohajir genocide in Pakistan. (Photo: AFP) Washington: Pakistan's Muttahida Quami Movement has sought intervention of the US lawmakers into alleged human rights violations against the Muhajir (refugees from India) community in the country by army and security forces. Members of the MQM on Tuesday submitted a two-page memorandum to US lawmakers, appealing them to ask the Pakistani army to stop "human rights violations" against Muhajirs. "Since the formation of MQM in 1984, over 20,000 of its workers and supporters have been brutally murdered by the Pakistani army and other law enforcement agencies," the memorandum alleged. "It is with the highest hopes that we turn to you so that you may use your influence and power to shed light on the atrocities being committed against the Muhajir community and its representative political party the MQM in Pakistan," the memorandum said. MQM has also announced to hold a protest in front of White House on July 23, against the alleged Mohajir "genocide" in Pakistan. During a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, some influential US lawmakers alleged that Pakistan government has a "regrettable record" of oppressing large communities. "The Pakistani government has a regrettable record of oppressing some of the major components of its country, large minorities, including the Sindh and the Baloch. Free speech and political dialogue are restricted. Extra-judicial killings are common," Congressman Brad Sherman alleged. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher also mentioned the alleged rights violations by the Pakistani forces. "The people of Balochistan have to understand and should understand the US is on their side because they're struggling for independence and self-determination from a corrupt, vicious terrorist supporting regime," he said. "Same with the Sindhis. Same with other groups in Afghanistan. So we've got a regime that represses and is corrupt with their own people. And yet we still continue to give some type of support. It is absolutely absurd," he said. The Pakistanis haven't named a single high, mid-level or low-level leader killed in one of these operations because they haven't killed any of them, says a US lawmaker. (Photo: Representational Image) Washington: Pakistan's denouncing of killing of a Kashmiri militant from the banned Hizbul Mujahideen group is an "indisputable" evidence of its support to terrorist outfits, US lawmakers have been told. "Just this weekend, the Indians killed a Kashmiri terrorist who is a member of Hezbollah's Mujahideen. This is a nasty terrorist organisation. And Pakistan, did they welcome this killing? No," said Bill Roggio, senior editor of the Long War Journal Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "In fact, they denounced it and referred to him as a Kashmiri separatist. This is an individual who recruits online for holy war and is recruiting youth and poisoning the youth to conduct terrorist attack," Roggio told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing on Tuesday. "The evidence (of Pakistani support to terrorist groups) is indisputable," Roggio said in response to a question. Noting that this is not just an issue with Pakistan and Kashmiri, Roggio said the Kashmiri terrorist groups that have been aided by the Pakistani state base themselves in Afghanistan. "I could list groups, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, who the State Department said as recently as 2014 is running training camps inside Afghanistan. These groups are attacking and killing US soldiers. I haven't even touched on groups like the Taliban, Haqqani network, or the Mullah Nazir group. These are just small groups," Roggio noted. Pakistan, he alleged were playing a fantastic shell game. "They have this narrative called good Taliban versus bad Taliban. The good Taliban is any group that the Pakistani likes. And those are groups that don't attack the Pakistani state. These are groups that carry out Pakistan's foreign policy. Haqqani network, Afghan Taliban, Mullah Nazir group," he said. "Then, even in the Pakistan press, they're referred to this, groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hezbollah Mujahideen, Harkat-ul- Mujahideen. They're considered, quote, unquote, good Taliban, as well," Roggio added. "And the bad Taliban, they're the ones that fight the Pakistani state. They're the ones being targeted in the Shawal Valley in north Waziristan. When the Pakistanis go after these groups, they pretend that they're going after the Haqqani network or the Mullah Nazir group or the Afghan Taliban, but they're not," Roggio told lawmakers. The Pakistanis haven't named a single high, mid-level or low-level leader killed in one of these operations because they haven't killed any of them. They haven't captured any of them. All these are selectively targeting in the interest of the Pakistani state, he asserted. San Francisco: Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed's Twitter account 'HafizSaeedLive' has been suspended by the social networking site for frequently posting about the ongoing protests in Kashmir valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. Hafiz Saeed has been branded as an international terrorist by the United Nations and is known for making hate speeches. He is also accused of masterminding the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Indian security agencies reportedly complained that his Twitter handle was 'inciting violence', with repeated posts on Burhan Wani's death. Read: Hafiz Saeed sparks row, says 'Kashmir will become part of Pakistan' The suspension by Twitter comes in wake of a speech Saeed made at a meet in Lahore on Tuesday, where he said that the ongoing protests in Kashmir would be intensified and warned that the deaths in the region would not be in vain. Saeed said, "This time the people in Kashmir are on streets. This protest has become a mass movement. All groups in Kashmir have united. All the wings of the Hurriyat have become one. The Muttahida Jihad Council and all other groups have come on to the same platform. Those who have died in Kashmir, their deaths will not be in vain." As per latest reports, 37 people have been killed and several others injured, with both civilians and security forces turning hostile in protest-related violence in Kashmir, after locals took to the streets to condemn the killing of Wani. He had also asserted that people in Pakistan should support Kashmiris. "We Pakistani should support our Kashmiri brothers. Their sweat, blood is our sweat and blood. Their way of thinking is also our way of thinking," he said. "We in Pakistan will intensify the movement which is taking place in Kashmir. When Pakistan join hands in this movement with Kashmir then Kashmir will become part of Pakistan," he added. The Boeing 777 was on a routine flight between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a Russian-made BUK missile, fired from territory held by pro-Russian separatists locked in a fierce conflict with Kiev. (Photo: AP) The Hague: The families of the 298 people who died when flight MH17 was downed over Ukraine are steeling themselves for a slew of bitter legal battles, on the eve of the tragedy's second anniversary. Sunday marks the deadline for relatives to launch action against Malaysia Airlines, which operated the passenger jet that was shot down with a surface-air-missile over war-torn eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. The Boeing 777 was on a routine flight between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a Russian-made BUK missile, fired from territory held by pro-Russian separatists locked in a fierce conflict with Kiev. Dozens of Dutch relatives are close to filing a lawsuit by the weekend if negotiations fail to secure compensation for "psychological trauma", news reports said. A 1999 convention allows bereaved families to launch claims against airlines for up to two years, but "psychological trauma" does not qualify. Malaysia Airlines "will also be reluctant to set a precedent" if it pays damages for psychological trauma, added Pablo Mendes de Leon, an air and space law professor at Leiden University. The ailing Malaysian national carrier is already facing a legal challenge by families of six crew members who are blaming the airline for the tragedy. Yet another claim could be added this week, lawyer Mathew Thomas Philip told AFP. Elsewhere, a suit by 33 next-of-kin from Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia was filed against Russia and President Vladimir Putin in the European Court of Human Rights in May. The claimants are suing for 6.8 million euros (USD7.6 million) for each lost relative, their lawyer Jerry Skinner said. Thirty families are also getting ready for a US-based lawsuit against "several people and entities that support the separatists on Ukrainian soil", lawyer James Healy-Pratt told AFP. Other relatives want a pro-Russian separatist leader to pay 779 million euros in damages, while the mother of a German victim is suing Kiev for allowing passenger planes to fly through its airspace even though it knew there was an ongoing war. The unidentified man has to inform the police whenever he decides to have a sexual relationship or a one-night stand with any woman. (Photo: YouTube Screen Grab) York: A man from North Yorkshire, UK, who has been banned from engaging in any sexual activity unless he gives a 24-hour notice to the police, is to appear before a court. The man has not yet been convicted for any sex crime, but the police have sought a sexual risk order for him. Sexual risk order (SRO) is often sought for a person who is thought to be unsafe for the public, say reports. He will be appearing before York Magistrates' Court for a case management hearing where legal issues pertaining to the case will be heard. However, a full hearing will take place next moth. The man had previously threatened to go on a hunger strike in protest against the order, which also limited his use of internet and communications, making him unable to work as well. The unidentified man has to inform the police whenever he decides to have a sexual relationship or a one-night stand with any woman. An individual can be issued a sexual risk order by a court, under which the person becomes liable to inform the police about any sexual activity that he or she wishes to engage in. A person who has been issued a sexual risk order may not necessarily be a sexual offender. It says, the individual does not need to have committed a relevant (or any offence)" for the order to be imposed. A sexual risk order can last for a minimum of two years, and on breaching, it can land a person into prison for a term of up to five years. Sarah Green, the acting director at End Violence Against Women, said that such orders were essential to keep potential victims safe. Iraqi government-backed Popular Mobilization forces take part in a joint military parade with Iraqi security forces in Baghdad. (Photo: AP) Baghdad: Iraqi security forces paraded through Baghdad on Thursday to celebrate victories over the Islamic State jihadist group, but an unannounced rehearsal two days earlier put a damper on the festivities. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi reviewed the forces from a pavilion as they passed through central Tahrir Square, and military jets and helicopters overflew the city. The parade was held to mark "the liberation of Fallujah and Ramadi and all the Iraqi territory that was liberated," defence ministry spokesman Brigadier General Tahseen Ibrahim told AFP, referring to two key cities recaptured from the jihadists. But an unannounced rehearsal for the parade held on Tuesday, in which many roads were closed and military vehicles drove through the city, inspired fear rather than celebration. Some speculated on social media that it was a message to protesters planning a demonstration on Friday that Abadi has called on them to delay, while others speculated that it could be a military coup. Iraq announced the full recapture of Fallujah, a city 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad that had been outside government control for more than two and a half years, at the end of June. Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, was declared to have been recaptured at the end of December, but fighting in the area continued into this year. More recently, Baghdad's forces seized a key military base south of Mosul from IS that the Pentagon has said will serve as a "springboard" for the push to retake the last IS-held city in Iraq. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and training have since regained significant ground. Shishani, also known as Omar the Chechen, ranked among America's most wanted militants under a U.S. program that offered up to $5 million for information to help remove him from the battlefield. (Photo: AFP) Baghdad: Abu Omar al-Shishani, who the Pentagon described as Islamic State's "minister of war", was killed in combat in the Iraqi city of Shirqat, south of Mosul, a news agency that supports the militant group said on Wednesday. The Pentagon said in March that Shishani had likely been killed in a U.S. air strike in Syria, but this was the first time the group appeared to confirm his death. Reuters could not independently verify the statement from Amaq news agency, which Islamic State regularly uses to issue reports and which denied Shishani's death after the Pentagon's comments in March. Islamic State supporters exchanged notes of praise and condolence on social media, including pictures of the ginger-bearded fighter, and pledged to launch a fresh offensive in his honour. Officials at the Pentagon said they were aware of Wednesday's report but could not confirm or deny it. Hisham al-Hashimi, a Baghdad-based security expert who advises the Iraqi government, said a source in Shirqat confirmed Shishani had been killed there along with several other militants. Iraqi forces are advancing towards Mosul, the largest city still under the control of Islamic State. They have mostly surrounded Shirqat, 250 km (160 miles) north of Baghdad, and last week retook a major air base from the militants to use in the main push on Mosul, 60 km further north. Conflicting reports But Rami Abdelrahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Shishani had been wounded in March and died soon after in the countryside east of Raqqa. "I confirmed from the doctor who went to see him," said Abdelrahman, who tracks the war in Syria through a network of contacts. He told Reuters Islamic State likely delayed announcing his death to allow time to line up a successor. Shishani, also known as Omar the Chechen, ranked among America's most wanted militants under a U.S. program that offered up to $5 million for information to help remove him from the battlefield. Born in 1986 in Georgia, then still part of the Soviet Union, Shishani had a reputation as a close military adviser to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was said by followers to have relied heavily on him. Shishani once fought in military operations as a rebel in Chechnya before joining Georgia's military in 2006 and fighting against Russian troops before being discharged two years later for medical reasons, according to U.S. officials. He was arrested in 2010 for weapons possession and spent more than a year in jail, before leaving Georgia in 2012 for Istanbul and later Syria. He decided to join Islamic State the following year and pledged his allegiance to Baghdadi. The State Department said Shishani was identified as Islamic State's military commander in a video distributed by the group in 2014. Damascus: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview released Thursday that his Russian ally has "never" discussed a political transition with him, despite international support for such a process. Speaking to NBC News in Damascus, the embattled leader insisted his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had never raised the issue of his departure or a political transition with him. "Only the Syrian people define who's going to be the president, when to come, and when to go. They never said a single word regarding this," he said. His comments came as US Secretary of State John Kerry headed back to Moscow for new meetings with Putin to discuss the situation in Syria, where a devastating five-year civil war has killed more than 280,000 people. Russia and the United States are nominally co-chairs of international efforts to bring Assad's regime to the negotiating table with armed opposition groups. Hopes for the existing peace process rest on the UN-backed blueprint sketched out by the 22-nation, US and Russian-led International Syria Support Group. Under this road map, signed by both Syria's ally Iran and Assad's pro-rebel foe Saudi Arabia, a nationwide ceasefire will precede Geneva-based talks on "political transition." But there has been little progress towards a resumption of political talks that was scheduled for August 1. A close ally of the government in Damascus, Russia has intervened directly in the conflict since October 2015, when it began air strikes in support of regime forces. Hafiz Saeed's terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba is suspected of carrying out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and was banned in Pakistan in 2015. (Photo: AP) Lahore: The founder of Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba warned in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press that violence in Kashmir will escalate. Hafiz Saeed, designated a terrorist by the United States with a $10 million bounty on his head, also said he will lead nationwide demonstrations in Pakistan to force its government to sever ties with the United States if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute. Read: Twitter suspends JuD chief Hafiz Saeed's account for anti-India tweets The US-declared terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba is suspected of carrying out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and was banned in Pakistan in 2015 but Saeed, who leads its charity arm in Pakistan, travels freely and gives speeches inciting people to attack Western and Indian interests. Indian government has long demanded Islamabad arrest Saeed. Militants are demanding that the Himalayan state of Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. At least 31 people have been killed in Kashmir amid recent street protests after Indian troops last week killed Burhan Wani, a Kashmiri militant. Read: Hafiz Saeed sparks row, says 'Kashmir will become part of Pakistan' America is supporting this oppression by India by saying it is an internal matter, Saeed said in the interview, which took place on Wednesday at his home in the eastern city of Lahore . This has given India encouragement and because of this the killings and violence will continue. A Pakistani national, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was the only person arrested in the Mumbai attacks. Kasab testified that he received training at a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp in Muridke, located outside Lahore , where Saeed now lives. Kasab, who was hanged in India in 2012 for his part in the attacks, also said Saeed was among the inspirational speakers that would visit the training camp. India has repeatedly demanded Pakistan arrest Saeed but when he has been detained, his incarceration has been brief and Pakistani courts, including its Supreme Court has cleared him of terrorism charges Many times I have been arrested on the order of America and India . . . (but) the Lahore high court freed me and also my organisation saying we were innocent of terrorism charges and did not participate in any terrorist activities, said Saeed. China's expansive claims in the South China Sea rivals those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. (Photo: AP) Beijing: China on Thursday warned of "decisive response" if any provocative action is taken in the South China Sea to enforce an international tribunal's verdict against Beijing's expansive claims in the strategic region. "I want to stress that if any one wants to take any provocative action against China's security interest based on the award China will take a decisive response," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters. Responding to questions on the impact of the verdict given by a tribunal appointed by The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), he said it was "unlawful" as it was established at the unlawful request of the previous Philippine government. The award issued by it will not have any effect on China's existing policy, he said. China has reacted furiously to the tribunal's verdict on Tuesday which said that Beijing has no grounds for its claims in the strategic region, through which USD 3 trillion passes in trade annually. It has said that it will not abide by the decision and on Thursday warned that any insistence to enforce the verdict could turn the resource-rich area into a "region of war". China's expansive claims in the South China Sea rivals those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. According to China, just several countries, mainly the United States and its close allies, have publicly supported the Philippines and called for observing the ruling as legally binding. (Photo: AP) Beijing: A state-run Chinese newspaper on Wednesday included India among the nations which have supported the country's stand on the South China Sea dispute after Beijing rejected the verdict of a UN-backed tribunal that struck down the Communist giant's claims of "historical rights" in the disputed area. State-run China Daily showed a world map in its website showing India among the countries supporting China's stand. Read: Respect verdict on South China Sea, resolve issue peacefully: India "More than 70 countries have publicly voiced support for China's position that South China Sea disputes should be resolved through negotiations and not arbitration. In contrast, just several countries, mainly the United States and its close allies, have publicly supported the Philippines and called for observing the ruling as legally binding," according to the text displayed above the map. Within hours of the tribunal's ruling on Monday, India's External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi asked all parties involved in the South China Sea row to resolve the maritime dispute through peaceful means without threat or use of force and "show utmost respect" to the verdict by Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. Read: US urges countries not to engage in provocative actions in South China Sea India's reaction came after the tribunal ruled that China has no legal basis to its claims of "historic rights" to islands in South China Sea, through which $3 trillion passes in trade annually. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea waters in the face of rival claims from its southeast Asian neighbours. Business / Companies by Staff Reporter THREE international casual dining restaurant chain outlets risk losing their operating licences after closing shop during Wednesday protests.The state run Herald today (Thursday) singled out Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Nandos and Food Lovers Market as defying an official directive. It said government had warned businesses from taking part in the stay-aways."A handful of white-owned shops did not open for business in Harare."Shops that did not open for business yesterday included Food Lovers Market, Nandos and KFC" said the Herald suggesting that the outlets are anti-government.It added "Government gave such businesses a stern warning, saying they should surrender their licences if they did not want to operate in Zimbabwe".In recent days, Government has been accusing western embassies notable France for inciting protests. Pakistan said it had informed the international community including the OIC, P-5 and EU about alleged atrocities by the Indian forces and human rights violations in Kashmir. (Photo: Facebook) Islamabad: Upping the ante, Pakistan on Thursday described slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wani and other militants as people "fighting for freedom" and accused Indian security forces of committing "state-terrorism" in Kashmir. "The Indian security forces are involved in state-terrorism in Kashmir and the international community should take notice of it," Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said at his weekly briefing in Islamabad. In response to a question, Zakaria described slain Hizbul commander Wani and other militants as people "fighting for freedom." Read: Pakistan urges UN to pressurise India to hold talks on Kashmir He said Pakistan has informed the international community including the OIC, P-5 and EU about alleged atrocities by the Indian forces and human rights violations in Kashmir. Zakaria said Pakistan's ambassadors have been tasked to brief the host governments and human rights organisations on the issue. He also asked the UN to get its resolutions on Kashmir implemented as it was UN's responsibility to solve international disputes including Kashmir. "We want resolution of Kashmir in accordance of UN resolutions. If you (UN) want to intervene in helping resolution of Kashmir then it is your obligation," he said. He said Pakistan wants to resolve all outstanding issues including Kashmir with India through talks, as war is not a solution to any issue. Read: You covet other's land, use terror as state policy: India snubs Pak at UN "We have fought wars over Kashmir and also have been in talks but there was no result. So, the international community should put pressure on India to hold talks with Pakistan for resolution of Kashmir issue," he said. Zakaria claimed that India was not qualified to become a permanent member of UNSC as it was constantly violating UN resolutions. To a question, he said that the planned SAARC Summit will be held in November in Islamabad. Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said that it was the responsibility of the UN to solve international disputes, including Kashmir. (Photo: HU Naqash/ DC) Islamabad: Pakistan has urged the United Nations to get its resolutions on Kashmir implemented and said that Islamabad wants to resolve all outstanding issues with India through talks as war is not an option. Briefing media in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said that it was the responsibility of the UN to solve international disputes, including Kashmir . Read: You covet other's land, use terror as state policy: India snubs Pak at UN "He said Pakistan wants to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir with India through talks, as war is not a solution to any issue. He asked the international community to pressurise India to hold talks with Pakistan for the resolution of Kashmir issue," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement. Zakaria pressed that Kashmiri people cannot be deprived of their right to self-determination for which they have been rendering sacrifices for decades. "Foreign Office Spokesman said Pakistan is effectively taking up the issue with the international community including OIC. He said Ambassadors of EU countries and P-5 countries were briefed by the Foreign Secretary on recent atrocities being perpetrated by the Indian forces and human rights violations in occupied Kashmir . He said Pakistan 's Envoys abroad are also briefing to the respective governments and human rights organizations on the issue, the statement said. Read: Pakistan supporting terrorist groups in Kashmir: US lawmakers told On the Samjhauta Express incident, the spokesman said that Islamabad has expressed concern on how the culprits involved in the incident were exhonerated and asked India to share investigations into the incident with Pakistan . Zakaria said that Pakistan is taking comprehensive steps against terrorism and extremism which were acknowledged by the international community. Highlighting that military operation Zarb-e-Azb has put terrorism on back foot, he said that Pakistan is also extending cooperation to the neighbouring countries against terrorism. "He said there is a need for cooperation and harmony among both the countries for peace in Afghanistan and the region," the statement added. The spokesman also said that Islamabad and Washington have shared goals on defeating terrorism and cooperating each other to eliminate this menace. Intellectuals and social activists from across the country have demanded from the central and the state governments an urgent stop to the killings of civilians in Kashmir. Meanwhile, Left students and women organisations took out a protest march at Jantar Mantar against the killings in Kashmir. In a Citizens Statement on Kashmir, the academics, writers, artists and social activists have called for demilitarisation of the Valley and review of Armed Force Special Powers Act (AFSPA). They have also blamed policies of the BJP for the current unrest and said that BJPs arrival in the portals of power and its determined pursuit of a majoritarian agenda have much to do with the current upsurge of civil unrest. Those who have signed the statement include Aruna, Roy, Nandini Sunder, Zoya Hasan, Manoranjan Mohanty, Dunu Roy, KM Shrimali, Jayati Ghosh, Indira Jaisingh and Sandip Pandey among others. In 2010, this cycle rolled on repeatedly through four months, claiming over 110 lives, mostly of Kashmiri youth, including a number who were too young to know, says the statement. Nothing has been learnt from that year of catastrophe. The circumstances of Wanis killing are yet to be fully explained, the activists said. Burhan Wanis life story should be cautionary warning that the heavy-handed, militaristic Indian approach to Kashmir, has only led to a quarter century of siege and growing alienation, they argue. Philip Hammond today became Britain's new finance minister while Boris Johnson, the former London mayor who spearheaded the 'Leave' campaign in EU referendum, was appointed foreign secretary in Prime Minister Theresa May's new government. May hit the ground running and had announced some of her key frontline Cabinet posts within minutes of walking into her new Downing Street office. In her first move, she replaced UK Chancellor George Osborne with close friend Hammond, whose role as foreign secretary in David Cameron's Cabinet will be taken over by Johnson. "The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Rt Hon George Osborne MP has resigned from government," a Downing Street statement said on Wednesday evening. Osborne will have to vacate his 11 Downing Street office after six years as well as his living quarters above 10 Downing Street which has been traditionally occupied by the UKs finance minister to give the Prime Minister of the day the larger apartment of the two. While Osborne's exit came as less of a surprise, being a close Cameron aide, Johnson's appointment as foreign secretary was more unexpected. He had led the charge for the Brexit camp in last month's European Union referendum and had been widely expected to step into Camerons shoes as Prime Minister. He had also come out strongly in support of Andrea Leadsom, May's last remaining opponent to the post of Conservative party leader before she withdrew on Monday. "The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Boris Johnson MP as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs," said the official statement, which indicates he will be working closely with India as his role involves Commonwealth countries. As was expected, May also created a new portfolio of so-called "Brexit secretary" and appointed David Davis, a former shadow home minister, to head the new department in charge of Brexit. Another new department is that of international trade, indicating the importance of striking new trade agreements in the wake of Brexit, and the man in charge will be Liam Fox who had also been among the contenders for the post of Conservative party leadership. With many of the Cabinet announcements still being finalised, Mays new frontline team so far is being described as the rise of the Brexitiers and indicates her attempt to bring together MPs from different sides of the Conservative party divide. Strongly hitting back at Pakistan for raising in the UN the issue of the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, India has said Pakistan "extols" the "virtues" of terrorists and uses terrorism as a state policy towards the "misguided end" of coveting the territory of others. India's Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin responded strongly to the remarks made by Pakistan's envoy Maleeha Lodhi on Kashmir and Wani's killing during a debate on human rights in the 193-member UN General Assembly here yesterday. In her statement, Lodhi, apart from raising the Kashmir issue, also mentioned the "extra-judicial" killing of Wani, whom she described as a "Kashmiri leader", by Indian forces. In his statement, which sources here termed as perhaps the hardest-hitting against Pakistan in recent times, Akbaruddin said Pakistan "extols" the virtues of terrorists and could not gain membership of the UN's human rights body because of its "track record". Lashing out at Lodhi's raising of the Kashmir issue at the multi-lateral world body, Akbaruddin said it is regrettable that Pakistan attempted to misuse the UN platform. "Regrettably, earlier today we have seen an attempt at misuse of this UN platform. The attempt came from Pakistan; a country that covets the territory of others; a country that uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end; a country that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists; and a country that masquerades its efforts as support for human rights and self determination," he said. Akbaruddin asserted that Pakistan's "track record" failed to convince the international community that it should gain membership of the Human Rights Council in this very session of the UNGA. "The international community has long seen through such designs. Cynical attempts, like the one this morning therefore, find no resonance in this forum or elsewhere in the United Nations," he said. Akbaruddin asserted in his statement that as a "diverse, pluralistic and tolerant" society, India's commitment to the rule of law, democracy and human rights is enshrined in its founding principles. "We remain strongly committed to the promotion and protection of all human rights for all through pursuit of dialogue and cooperation," he said. At least 30 people have been killed and more than 250 injured in the clashes between protesters and security personnel after Wani's killing in an encounter last week. The UN has expressed concern over the tensed situation in Kashmir, with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calling on all parties to exercise "maximum restraint to avoid further violence and hopes that all concerns would be addressed through peaceful means." Ban's spokesman had said the UN Chief was closely following the recent clashes in Kashmir and "regrets" the loss of dozens of lives and injuries to many others. Two C-17 Globemaster aircraft left for South Sudan's capital city Juba on Thursday morning to evacuate over 300 Indians stranded there. Evacuation operatation, named Sankat Mochan is led by Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh. "The General takes charge again! 2 C-17s proceeding to Juba with @Gen_VKSingh leading evacuation from South Sudan," MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. Singh had also supervised evacuation of nearly 4,000 Indians from conflict- ridden Yemen last year. India has been closely monitoring developments in South Sudan, which is witnessing heavy fighting between former rebels and government soldiers in several parts of the city. A task force has been set up for the purpose. According to the ministry, there are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of them 450 are in Juba and nearly 150 are outside the capital. In a series of tweets on evacuation, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, "We are launching Operation #SankatMochan to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan. My colleague @Gen_VKSingh is leading this operation." "Thanks to my colleague @manoharparrikar and my best wishes to the brave Indian Air force who are carrying out OP #SankatMochan". Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, facing heat over allegation of inspiring some of the Dhaka attackers through his speeches, has cancelled his press briefing again, citing pressure from authorities of the venue where he was slated to interact with the media via Skype. He was slated to interact with media via Skype today, for which arrangements had been made at a small hall in South Mumbai. "The management of the Mehfil hall in Agripada, around 11 PM last night, told our team present at the venue that they cannot allow the press conference to take place and that we should dismantle and pack up all the venue arrangements we had made. Given no choice, our teams dismantled everything and left by around midnight," an aide of Naik said in a statement issued here. Naik's media interaction was first scheduled earlier this week at Trident Hotel in South Mumbai, but the venue was subsequently changed to World Trade Centre. Later, the venue was again changed and a hall in the congested Agripada area of South Mumbai was chosen for the press briefing, which has also been cancelled now. The organisers of Naik's press briefing had yesterday claimed that Mumbai Police has instructed top hotels in the city to refrain from providing space to hold a conference, a charge which they later retracted. Facing heat over allegation of inspiring some of the Dhaka attackers through his speeches and under scanner of the state and the central agencies, Naik was expected to clarify his position during the media interaction. There were media reports that "provocative" speeches had inspired some of the terrorists who carried out Bangladesh's worst terror attack at a cafe in Dhaka that left 22 dead. A top Home department official in Maharashtra had earlier said that a report on Naik would be submitted to the state government, before the commencement of Monsoon session of the state Legislature, which starts on July 18. "Contrary to media reports, Zakir Naik has not been given any clean chit by the Mumbai Police. All angles are being probed and a report will be submitted to the government before the Monsoon session of the state Legislature," a senior government official had told PTI, requesting anonymity. The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has sent notice to Sheila Dikshit asking her to join the investigation in connection with the alleged Rs 400-crore water tanker scam even as the former Delhi Chief Minister dubbed the charges as "politically motivated". Special Commission of Police and ACB Chief MK Meena today said, "Notices have been sent to Sheila Dixit and few Delhi Jal Board officials. They shall be questioned on July 26." Asked by reporters what happens if Dikshit fails to turn up before the ACB despite the notice, Meena said, "We can't predict anything in this regard. We are taking action as per law." The notices were sent yesterday under the provisions of section 160 of the CrPC. "As I have said (in the past) this is a politically motivated thing, that's all," Dikshit said. A case was registered by the ACB on June 20 in connection with the alleged scam linking Dikshit. The ACB had received two complaints with regard to the alleged scam and those named in the complaints included Dikshit and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Meena had then said that both Dikshit and Kejriwal will be quizzed in connection with the matter. A week prior to registration of the case, the Delhi Government had sent a report of a fact-finding committee on the scam to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung. Delhi BJP leader Vijender Gupta had also filed a complaint with Jung accusing Kejriwal of "suppressing" the committee's report for 11 months. The Lt Governor had forwarded the committee's report as well as Gupta's complaint to the ACB. Delhi's Water Minister Kapil Mishra too had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jung recommending either CBI or ACB probe against Dikshit in connection with the alleged scam. Mishra had stated that the report of the committee suggested that the acts of omission and commission by the DJB under Dikshit had resulted in loss of approximately Rs 400 crore to the exchequer. An Indian tea company has delivered a huge consignment containing 6,000 bags of famous Assam green tea to Donald Trump with a message to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee that it is never too late to "cleanse yourself". "Dear Mr Trump, namaste from India, we are sending you lots and lots of natural green tea. It fights against harmful free radicals. It helps purify mind and body and regain a healthy balance. It has also proven to make people smarter. Please Mr Trump drink the tea. For your sake, for America's sake, for the world's sake," Kolkata-based Te-A-Me Teas said in a video explaining the idea of sending green tea to Trump. "The message is simple: Mr Trump, it's never too late to cleanse yourself," the company said yesterday, a day after its representatives delivered a consignment of some 6,000 green tea bags to the Trump Towers in New York. "Donald Trump has the whole world worried... we can't stop him, but maybe we can change him," the video said. While the cost of the tea consignment, sufficient for four years, was not made public, Sumit Shah, Managing Director of the company said its health potential is immense. "We believe that green tea with all its goodness can help Mr Trump and in turn benefit his country and the world at large," Shah said, adding that the consignment of tea bags is based on the presumption that the real estate tycoon would drink three cups a day. "If he needs more, we'll be happy to provide. Green tea has been proven to fight against harmful free radicals and cleanse the mind and bodies, helping one regain a healthy balance," Shah said, adding that these green teas can help change Trump for the better. The Trump Campaign did not respond to questions on the green tea bags from India. A digital student incubator, claimed to be the world's first, has gone online with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan unveiling SV.CO, the digital makeover of Startup Village, designed to help college-goers take their first step in entrepreneurship. "The government's allocation for startups at Rs 300 crore is the highest to date in Kerala and higher than that of the Centre's Department of Science and Technology," the Chief Minister said at a function here yesterday. Vijayan also announced a five-step strategy for students, world class infrastructure on par with Silicon Valley, world class communication infrastructure, world class talent pipeline, world class funding infrastructure and world class incubators in PPP model like Startup Village. "The state will fund 1,000 startups every year with Rs two lakh for converting ideas to prototypes. The best prototypes will be given Rs one crore interest free loan to convert the prototype into a successful startup," he said. SV.CO, the world's first digital business incubation platform that constitutes the second phase of Startup Village, is India's first PPP model technology incubator set up in Kochi in 2012. During its first phase 2012-15, it supported more than 500 startups and helped create 3,000 jobs. With SV.CO, the Startup Village will scale up its activities massively by reaching out to five million students in 3,500 engineering colleges across the country by providing them a completely digital incubation framework, ranging from application for admission to teaching, mentoring and graduation, a press release said. It will thus provide opportunities to brilliant students in far-flung cities and towns who may not have access to physical infrastructure or the mentoring they need in the early stages of entrepreneurship, it said. In tune with the Prime Minister's Startup India initiative and with a go ahead from the Department of Science and Technology, SV.CO provides one month free training to students in entrepreneurship on its online platform, it said. Entertainment / Celebrity by Thobekile Zhou Highly rated artist in the Zimbabwean music arena - Tocky Vibes has said he is now used to death rumours on him.Early this week he was involved in an accident.Speculation on social media was high suggesting he had died.However, he is alive."I do not know how and where it is coming from because it's now three days that I have been receiving calls from people asking me if I am okay," he is quoted saying Thursday."I am now used to it. It is not the first time it has happened it is mere lies that are just created on WhatsApp, but it is no big deal," he said. Her lawyer has claimed that IAF has a "dual policy" of permanent commission when it comes to men and women, a charge strongly denied by sources in the armed force that is the first to ever allow female officers in combat role. The tribunal has admitted the matter and has sought IAF's response, Thakur's lawyer Sudhanshu Pandey said. Later in the day, he clarified that the case should not be seen from the prism of any gender bias. Rejecting allegations of any bias, IAF sources maintained that the policy is equal for men and women and there are no separate manuals. Giving details, IAF sources said that permanent commission is not something which is doled out. They underlined that an officer, man or woman, has to first willingly seek for permanent commission and then has to meet the laid down criteria. They said 37-year-old Thakur was commissioned into the Administration Branch on June 16, 2001 and that time an officer of the Short Service Commission could serve for five years and then opt for another six years, as per rules framed on November 25, 1991. The scheme was given an extension of another four years in 2003, raising the total service period to 15 years. "One year prior to the end of the second tenure, one has to give in writing whether he/she wants to retire, wants permanent commission or just wants another extension," the sources said. They said there were 12 women officers in Thakur's batch and 10 of them opted for Permanent Commission. "All the 10 other officers were granted Permanent Commission. Wing Commander Pooja explicitly sought just an extension of four years. Another officer opted to retire," the sources said. Interestingly, in July 2015, for undisclosed reasons, Thakur put in an application for premature separation from the force which she said would be effective from January 2016, sources said. However, in December last year she changed her mind and said she wants to continue till her retirement in June 2016, a request which was accepted by the IAF. Thakur, who is currently undergoing pre-release course at MDI Gurgaon which is funded largely by IAF, put in an application about 10 days prior to her retirement seeking permanent commission, which the IAF rejected as there are no scope for such last mind change of mind. Thakur rose to fame as she led an Inter-Service Guard of Honour last year when President Obama visited India in January. Obama had later said the sight of "incredible" Indian women in the armed forces was one of his "favourite things" in India. Thakur had then said, "It feels good that we have been able to achieve our aim of giving him a befitting Guard of Honour. I am glad that he has appreciated." The defence forces, in a first, had chosen women officers to lead their marching contingents during the Republic Day parade last year. Thakur, who joined IAF in 2000, belongs to the administrative branch and is currently posted at 'Disha', the publicity cell under the Directorate of Personnel Officers at the Air Force Headquarters. As part of her duty, she was involved with the initiation and development of the IAF mobile game "Guardians of the Sky" which was visualised as a new and innovative step to reach the mobile-friendly tech-savvy students. Wing Commander Pooja Thakur, who led the Guard of Honour during US President Barack Obama's visit here last year, today moved the Armed Forces Tribunal here after being denied a permanent commission by IAF. Branding the US and Japan as "paper tigers" and "eunuchs," China's state media today said that the military should remain ready for "counter attack" if American warships hold exercises near islands claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea to enforce the UN-backed tribunal's verdict. An editorial titled 'Blustering US a paper tiger in S China Sea' in the state-run Global Times said that the US has voiced the strongest support for the verdict against China on Tuesday by The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. US has said that the award was legally binding. "More politicians and congressmen from the House and Senate have also made fiercer remarks, demanding regular challenges to China's excessive maritime claims through naval and air patrols. Japan's stance is precisely the same as that of the US, as if they have discussed their lines," it said. The tabloid daily said that on the contrary the attitude of the Philippines - which filed the petition against China at the tribunal - is relatively mild as it called for restraint. Part of the ruling Communist Party publications, the daily is known of its nationalistic rhetoric. "An old Chinese saying goes 'the emperor doesn't worry but his eunuch does,' meaning the outsider is more anxious than the player. In this case, Washington and Tokyo are the worrying eunuchs," it said. "The calls for the use of force have only been heard when the US clamoured to safeguard the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, which mirrors that the US hasn't made the determination to use the arbitration for a showdown with China in the waters." "The People's Liberation Army should enhance its military deployment in the waters of the Nansha Islands (Spratly islands) and be fully prepared to counterattack if the US makes further provocations," it said. "We do not wish for any direct confrontation or friction between the military powers... But if Washington insists on doing so, we will never flinch," the editorial said. It said many Chinese scholars believe that after the final award, the issue will gradually cool down. If there are no big moves from Manila, Washington and Tokyo, the case will "literally become nothing but a piece of paper," it said. The strongly-worded editorial came as China asserted that it would not abide by the verdict, which quashed its claims on parts of the South China Sea on the basis of historic rights. China yesterday flew two civilian aircraft to assert its claims to the artificial islands built in the disputed area. It successfully tested two new airfields on the disputed islands with civil flights a day after an international tribunal struck down Beijing's claims over the region. With this the number of airfields open to civil aircraft has gone up to three, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. China claims almost all of the South China Sea over which the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have rival claims. Another state-run newspaper 'China Daily' called the verdict a "travesty of international justice". "Washington has been so uneasy, and eager to contain China's rise. All the fanfare stirred up in the South China Sea, in essence, is part of that strategy," it said. The Delhi governments plan to outsource DNA tests and voice samples to private forensic science labs has failed to take off due to lack of interest shown by any bidder in its tender, which was issued twice, sources said. The plan is still to start, said a functionary in the office of Chief Secretary K K Sharma, expressing helplessness over the delay. The Arvind Kejriwal government plans to give the task of conducting DNA tests and checking authenticity of voice samples to private labs as its own forensic lab is overworked and nearly 12,000 samples are awaiting tests for years. Private labs are capable of giving DNA test reports in 24-48 hours while a government lab may take a few months or a year due to the backlog of work, said an official. Apart from involving private labs to tackle the huge backlog, the government had also drawn up plans for hiring 150 contract workers for the government facility in Rohini for speedy disposal of forensic tests, sources said. With the attempt to seek private help for forensic tests running into a hurdle, thousands of litigants are likely to suffer longer for justice as the samples sent to government FSL are critical for conclusion of trials. The delay in getting FSL reports adds to the administrative costs involved in dispensation of justice. According to sources, almost one-fourth of the samples lying at the Rohini lab are related to DNA tests that help in confirming the identity of disfigured bodies, linking a suspect to a rape or a murder. The pending 12,000 samples at FSL Rohini are awaiting tests related to DNA, viscera, ballistics, handwriting and forgery. At present, police and the prosecution wing send samples for tests at city governments forensic lab in Rohini, CBIs Central Forensic Science Laboratory at Lodhi Road and other central government labs in Chandigarh, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Many a times the tests are not conducted for months and the quality of samples deteriorates over the period, said an official. Sources said in some cases the delay in conducting the lab tests is intentional as some corrupt officials try to manipulate the report to favour a wealthy suspect. You can get any tailor-made report from FSL, alleged a criminal lawyer, who did not wish to be named. The discussion in the AAP government over involvement of private agencies in forensic tests was taken soon after the JNU sedition case. After fake videos of the alleged sedition incident on the campus were uploaded on the social media, the AAP government arranged the test of video samples to a Hyderabad-based forensic lab to check their authenticity. Speedy forensic reports of unidentified bodies, especially in burn cases, are needed by police before handing over bodies to family members. At times, payment of relief by the Delhi government to the kin of victims, whose identity needs confirmation through forensic tests, gets delayed, said an official. Police and the prosecution branch are heavily dependent on experts from the Delhi government forensic lab to collect samples and provide technical advice to courts hearing criminal cases. Amid the cries of love jehad, the land of Lord Krishna was witness to an entirely different version of love between a muslim man and a hindu woman. The hindu woman, who died 36 years after her marriage with her muslim lover, was cremated in accordance with traditional hindu rituals on the banks of the Yamuna river in Mathura on Wednesday. The pyre was lit by Tariq Hussain, the step son of the hindu woman, who was the second wife. According to the reports, Liyaqat Ali, a resident of Mathura, about 400 kilometres from here, had married Kripa Yadav after a brief affair around 36 years back. Kripa Yadav had to face stiff resistance from her family, which was opposed their marriage but she remained firm. The two (Liyaqat and Kripa) lived a very happy life....they never fought...Kripa had all the freedom to follow her religion and not once any body from the family objected, said Tariq. Kripa, however, fell sick a few months back and despite the best possible treatment could not survive. Tariq, who was Liyaqat's son from his first wife, said that he considered Kripa as her mother. I never felt that I was not her real son, he added. And after Kripa's death, it was Tariq, who performed the last rites strictly in accordance with hindu traditions. Hundreds of people from both religions took part in Kripas funeral procession, which symbolised the inherent harmony between the two communities. The incident, which comes amid the controversy surrounding love jehad that had fulled tension in several parts of the state, was also a message to those, who tried to foment communal passion. Three men were today convicted for murdering and robbing IT executive Jigisha Ghosh here in 2009 by a city court which said it was "abundantly clear" that they had committed the crime. 28-year-old Jigisha, working as an operations manager in a management consultancy firm, was abducted and killed on March 18, 2009 after she was dropped by her office cab around 0400 hours near her home in Vasant Vihar area of South Delhi. Her body was recovered three days later from a place near Surajkund in Haryana, police had said. Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav held accused Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla and Baljit Singh Malik guilty of the offences of murder, abduction, robbery, forgery and common intention under the IPC. Kapoor was also convicted for the offence of using firearms under the Arms Act. While pronouncing the judgement, the judge said "they (accused) committed her murder and disposed of her body in bushes and circumstantial evidence makes it clear that it was these men who committed the crime. "It is abundantly clear from evidence that they committed the crime. There is no missing link of crime (and) hence innocence is ruled out. It is proved on record that Jigisha did not return home on expected time on the day of incident." The court said it was proved that the three convicts had abducted Jigisha, robbed her of her gold chain, two mobile phones, two rings and debit and credit cards and killed her. The court fixed August 20 for hearing arguments on quantum of sentence.It also asked Delhi's Home Secretary to immediately appoint probation officers for filing reports on the background of the convicts and their conduct in jail. The court had reserved the verdict on July 5 after hearing final arguments of the prosecutor and defence counsel. Earlier, Special Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan had said there was ample evidence against the accused to hold them guilty of the offences. Advocate Amit Kumar, appearing for accused Amit Shukla and Baljit Singh Malik, had argued that prosecution has not been able to probe its case beyond reasonable doubt and there was no evidence which could connect the accused persons for the offence of murder. The three convicts are currently in jail under judicial custody. The police had filed the charge sheet in the case in June 2009 and the trial began on April 15, 2010, with the examination of her father as the first prosecution witness. The court had framed charges against the accused under IPC and Arms Act, dealing with murder, abduction, robbery, forgery and using firearms. Recovery of the weapon allegedly used in Jigisha's murder had led to the cracking of the murder case of Soumya Vishwanathan, who was a journalist with a news channel. Soumya was shot dead on September 30, 2008 while she was returning home in her car from office in the wee hours. Police had claimed robbery as the motive behind the killing of both Jigisha and Soumya. The accused had used Jigisha's ATM card to buy expensive goggles, wrist watches and shoes from Sarojini Nagar market, police had said. China today warned of "decisive response" if its sovereignty and security interests are violated in the strategic South China Sea, toughening its stand after an international tribunal struck down its claims over the disputed region. China has also lodged a diplomatic protest with Australia for stating that the award by the international tribunal on the South China Sea (SCS) is legally binding and Australian ships and aircraft would continue to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight rights over the area. "We have lodged a solemn representation with the Australia about the remarks" made by Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters. Bishop had warned China that there would be "strong reputational costs" for ignoring the tribunal's ruling. "As a largest coastal state in SCS, China always respects freedom of navigation and over flights enjoyed by all countries under the international law," Lu said. "At the same time we will take decisive measures in response to any provocative action attempting to harm Chinas sovereignty and security interests under the pretext of freedom of navigation," he warned. Answering another question on Mischief reef, called in Chinese Meji reef in the SCS which was awarded to the Philippines by the tribunal, Lu said, "If any one wants to take any provocative action against China's security interest based on the award China will take a decisive response." China yesterday landed civilian flights on the runways built on two reefs to assert its claim. It has runways on three reefs which were expanded with reclamation and set up four light houses. "We hope that the Australian side will take international law seriously, instead of as a trifling matter," Lu said. "I am a little shocked to hear Bishop's remarks. We hope Australia can respect the fair position of majority members of international community," he said. China respects international law - if any nation violates it, the consequences will not be only reputational costs, Lu said, noting that Beijing upholds the sanctity of the international law and rejects any action that violates it. China urged Australia not to regard the violation of the international law as international law itself, Lu said. Bishop called on all parties to respect the so-called ruling, which she described as final and legally binding, and she also said Australian ships and aircraft would continue to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight rights. Australia is not a party concerned in the SCS issue, Lu said, adding that China hopes Australia will keep its promise of not taking a stand on sovereign claim disputes, and refrain from moves that might damage bilateral ties and regional peace and stability. Lu said the arbitration unilaterally filed by the Aquino III government of the Philippines, which violated international law, is a political farce under the cloak of law. What the arbitral tribunal did severely deviated from the common practice of international arbitration. The ruling is null and void with no binding force, Lu said. He said it will in no way affect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the SCS. China opposes and refuses to accept any proposition or action based on the ruling. Answering a question, Lu said China and the Philippines are in contact to discuss future course of action between the two sides after the verdict, which Beijing has rejected. He said the new government in Manila headed by President Rodrigo Duterte is positive about resuming talks with China. "We welcome that and the door is open for that," he said, adding that the two countries are already in contact with each other through diplomatic channels. Asked about US official's comment that Washington has interest in the Asia Pacific region like China and there will be more competition between America and China in the SCS region in view of the verdict, Lu said China has never tried to deny the legitimate interests of the US the region. "We hope US will play a positive role for peace and stability of the region. I also want to point out that the interest of the US is not the sole interest in the region. China and other countries in the region have our immediate interests. If any outsider wants to safeguard their interests they should not obstruct efforts by regional countries to protect their interests," he said. Criticising US Asia pivot policy, he said that before US rebalance to Asia policy is implemented, despite differences between the countries in the region, they could properly manage through their efforts and maintain peace and stability of the region and ensure the region as an engine of stable economic growth of the world. "It serves the interests of all parties in the region," he said. Replying to a question whether China apprehend that other countries like Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei will take to international arbitration in view of the tribunal verdict in favour of the Philippines, Lu said for a long period of time countries in the region have been striving to manage their difference and stay committed to the growth of the region. "Under the current circumstances ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) countries came up with that dual track approach which is that SCS disputes should be resolved by countries concerned through bilateral negotiations and consultations and China and ASEAN countries will work together for peace and stability of the south china sea. "Peace and stability of the region is shared aspiration of China and other countries," he added. India today sent two C-17 military transport aircraft to war-torn South Sudan's capital city Juba to evacuate over 300 Indians stranded there. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a series of tweets, said: "Indians in South Sudan - Pls move out. We have sent two aircrafts for you. If situation worsens, we will not be able to evacuate u. "South Sudan - My colleague @Gen_VKSingh has landed in Juba to evacuate Indian nationals from there. Operation #SankatMochan." The Minister also said in case situation deteriorates in South Sudan, which is witnessing heavy fighting in several parts of the city, the government will not be able to evacuate the Indians there. Ahead of his departure in the wee hours, Singh said: "Time to leave.Thank you all for the messages & good wishes. We will do our best to bring back every Indian. Op #SankatMochan." Singh is accompanied by Amar Sinha, secretary (economic relations) in the external affairs ministry, joint secretary Satbir Singh and director Anjani Kumar. Yesterday, an official advisory had said that only Indian nationals with valid Indian travel documents will be allowed boarding with maximum five kg cabin baggage and no check-in pieces. Women and children will be accommodated on priority, it added. According to the ministry, there are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of them 450 are in Juba and nearly 150 are outside the capital. So far, nearly 300 Indians have registered with the Indian embassy for evacuation, official sources said. The interest of lakhs of aspiring medical students today weighed in the mind of the Supreme Court as it rejected submissions seeking a stay on the Ordinance allowing states to hold their separate entrance tests besides NEET for 2016-17, saying half of them have already conducted these examinations. A bench headed by Justice A R Dave reacted sharply to the to the contention of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that it should not take the Ordinance to its "ego" as it pertains to the welfare of students who have prepared for months for various state medical examinations. "Those states which have held examinations before the Ordinance and after our order, is patently bad. It will be a total mess. Students' future are at stake and their interests need to be considered. They are our children," the bench, also comprising Justices A K Goel and Shiva Kirti Singh, said. The court, which cast "doubt" on the Ordinance, said it was not staying it because the "interest of lakhs of students were involved" and any interference at this stage would create "chaos" as more than 50 per cent states have already held their separate tests. "It is disturbing and not proper for the government to bring an Ordinance allowing states to hold their own tests despite our orders... Prima facie, we find that the validity of the ordinance is in doubt," the bench said while agreeing to expedite the hearing in the matter. It also dismissed the contention for centralised counselling of successful candidates of various entrance tests, saying "50 per cent states have conducted their tests." Rohatgi strongly opposed the challenge to the Ordinance, saying there was "nothing wrong" with it and the government was "well within its plenary right" to come up with it. The AG said that by the time the apex court delivered its May 9 order, some states had already held entrance tests for admissions to medical colleges. "National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) is a regulation framed under the MCI Act. When this court restored NEET, it became operational as a subordinate legislation. Government did not scrap or abolish it. Plenary legislation calls it Combined Entrance Examination (CEE). "By the Ordinace, parent law has altered the subordinate law. The judgement of this court just said that follow NEET, but it did not bar states from holding exams. It is very easy to say this becomes operative today but it is very difficult for students who have been preparing for months. "When the plea seeking quashing of May 24 ordinance came for hearing, this court refused to grant any relief. Let's keep that aside. Much water has flown since them. The petitioner is neither a student, nor does he represent students. Whose interest is this," Rohatgi asked. The bench expressed displeasure over AG's submission and said "we are discussing about students. This is patently bad. How can you do that? ... 17 states have already taken their entrance exams and 4 states conducted their exams just after our verdict and before the ordinance. This is not in good taste, this is not proper. The difficulty will be to the students." Senior advocate Amarendra Sharan, appearing for NGO Sankalp, sought quashing of the ordinance, saying it was a "violation" of the Supreme Court order by the government. "It is not about an individual. It is about institution (Supreme Court). If a judgement has been passed, the basis of the judgement has to be seen. The ordinance defers NEET by one year. Final order passed by this court must be obeyed by the government. In substance, the ordinance stays the SC order by one year. The ordinance has created a lot of confusion," he said. Rohatgi opposed Sharan's submission and said the judgement in the case was still to be passed and the apex court had only passed interim orders. Senior Advocate Vivek Tankha, appearing for Indore-based doctor Anand Rai, said the Supreme Court had paved way for single-window NEET, reinstating the faith of students who had lost belief in state exams. "The Centre has made the exception by issuing an ordinance for one-year under pressure. And next year also, they might grant an injunction for some other reason. Students were happy with NEET but now the state exams have come," Tankha said. The court further said "this year you have exempted states from NEET. This is contrary and in violation to our orders. Prima facie it is not according to our judgement. Somehow this was not warranted. It is not good for students. There must be some uniformity. Minimum standards have to be set up." The AG replied "where is the question of blame? The date of entrance exams by states is declared much in advance. Please do not take this as 'ego'," AG said. To this, the court said "We don't have any ego. Don't think on that line. Please, don't take an adversarial stand." A heavily-armed Ugandan military convoy crossed into South Sudan today to evacuate citizens trapped in the capital Juba as fears persist that recent days of intense fighting might reignite despite a ceasefire. The United Nations has warned of tension and the possibility of fresh fighting in Juba, where a ceasefire has held since late Monday. A convoy of around 50 trucks escorted by machine gun- mounted armoured vehicles crossed the Ugandan border at Nimule to open up a secure corridor for fleeing civilians on the 200 kilometre Juba-Nimule road. "We plan to go to Juba to extract 3,000 Ugandans stranded by fighting, but that number may grow as we will evacuate anyone who wants to leave," said Uganda's army chief Brigadier Leopold Kyanda. Kyanda said the mission would likely last "two to three days" but an intelligence officer told AFP some Ugandan troops may remain in Juba. "Why not? We have the capacity to support the government of South Sudan and we were there before," said the plain- clothed officer accompanying the convoy. The Ugandan army joined the conflict in South Sudan soon after it began in December 2013, fighting on the side of President Salva Kiir against a rebel force led by Riek Machar, now the country's vice president. The troops only pulled-out late last year. While the situation remained calm in Juba today concerns remain that fighting might flare once again. "The current situation in the country remains fluid and uncertain," UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the Security Council late yesterday. Four days of intense battles in the capital left hundreds dead and forced around 40,000 to flee their homes. Aid agencies are warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis with a lack of both water and food. The recent violence in the capital echoed the fighting that triggered the civil war and marks a fresh blow to last year's deal to end the bitter conflict that began when Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup. Kiir is a member of the Dinka tribe, while Machar is a Nuer, and the dispute has split the country along ethnic lines and caused tens of thousands of deaths. The August 2015 agreement paved the way for Machar's return to the capital in late April to take up the deputy post in a so-called unity government. Machar's return with a 1,400-strong bodyguard meant there were two hostile armies in the city. A shoot-out between Kiir's and Machar's guard units triggered the fighting that began on Friday afternoon. Hitting out at Pakistan over its strong comments on Kashmir situation in the wake of killing of militant Burhan Wani, India today accused it of not only infiltrating terrorists but also fanning discontent within the Valley by providing support to terrorist outfits. Asserting that Wani issue was internal to India, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said Pakistan has no locus standi in the matter and asked it to refrain from interfering in it. Asked if there was a shift in Pakistan strategy vis-a-vis Kashmir where one sees increase in number of 'home-grown militants', he said, "It is part of the continued strategy of Pakistan of not only infiltrating terrorists from across the border but also fanning discontent within the Valley by prodviding various support to terrorist outfits." Terming Pakistan's continued effort to internationalise the Kashmir issue as "a self-serving exercise towards narrow political end", Swarup said the world has a clear view about which country in the region covets the territory of others, uses terrorism as state policy, provides sanctuary to UN- designated terrorists and terror groups and violates human rights. "Terrorism is terrorism and no amount of justification on part of Pakiatan is going to change that," he said. Referring to summoning of Indian envoy in Islamabad by Pakistan Foreign Office to raise Kashmir situation, Swarup said, the envoy conveyed to Pakistan that it was an internal matter of India. He also said India rejected the demarche issued in the matter to him. Rejecting reports that Pakistan envoy here Abdul Basit will be summoned on the issue, Swarup said since it is an internal issue, India sees no reason to involve Pakistan which has no locus standi in the matter. He also said that recent comments by Pakistan after the killing of Wani, Hizbul commander, reflect its continued attachment to terrorism and its usage as an instrument of State policy. While Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed "shock" over Wani's killing his Foreign Office termed it "extra-judicial". On statements by Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed that the ongoing protests in Kashmir would be intensified and warning that the deaths in the region would not be in vain, Swarup said it was incumbent upon Pakistan to reign-in such elements because if there has to be durable peace, such elements have to be controlled. Asked if apart from Pakistan, any other Muslim country has raised Kashmir situation with India, he said there has been a statement by Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in this regard. "No locus standi and we don't need any gratis advice from anyone," he retorted. Yesterday, OIC issued a statement saying it "condemned, in the strongest terms, the killing of at least thirty civilians and injuring hundreds of others at the peaceful demonstrations being held to protest the killing on 8th July 2016 of Kashmiri leader Wani by the Indian security forces." It also called for a thorough and expedient investigation on the incident. Entertainment / Events by Tisha Ncube Being away from one's land of birth could mean always yearning for a feeling of belonging. It could also mean loneliness and struggling to cope with or even adapt to the traditions of one's new found home.The Bu Kalanga Gathering is a response to a need for Zimbabweans and also people from any other nationalities or heritages who at times feel lonely, dis-engaged and also feel the need for a space/platform to meet. Share experiences, make new links and also just be at an event where they feel culturally connected and, relevant.The event is meat to celebrate everything BuKalanga / Tjikalanga: from leadership role models, businesses, religion. Culture , arts , food and to even sharing ideas on how to give back to our communities in Zimbabwe and also how engage with and learn from other communities that have built schools, hospitals or other community initiatives in countries of birth.So make a date us on the :Venue: Birchover Community Centre, 83 Birchover Rd, Nottingham, NG8 4BWDate: 30 July 2016Time: 2pm---10pmContribution: 5 Adults and 2 ChildrenMUSIC, STALLS, SPEAKERS, FOOD, and funContact:Lucky 07859778755H Vaka 07896756695Difa Wa Japi 078 65679977S Mlalazi 07828134923 A Dalit IAS officer, Ramesh Thete, today alleged Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his top officers were "hounding" him and trying to create a situation akin to that which forced Rohith Vemula to end his life, and claimed he was declared 'untouchable' and not given work. "Chouhan and his top officers are creating a situation akin to what prompted (Hyderabad Central University research scholar) Rohith Vemula to commit suicide. I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a CBI probe into what Chouhan, along with top bureaucrats, has done (in MP)," he told reporters. "I wrote a letter to the CM complaining that Additional Chief Secretary (of Water Resources Department) R S Julania, who has been given additional charge of Panchayat and Rural Development, has divested me of power and declared me 'untouchable'," said Thete, who is the department secretary. "Instead of taking note of my complaint, the Chief Minister issued a show-cause notice to me," he said. "If an independent agency like CBI carries out an inquiry into the works done by Julania, he will be behind the bars... Two dams built in Panna district with an investment of Rs 70 crore have collapsed recently and couldn't even withstand the first rainfall," he alleged. Thete alleged the Chief Minister was "shielding" the top bureaucrat and he (Chouhan) might be involved in it. "Public money is being looted and the Chief Minister is protecting officers like Julania and indulging in it," he alleged. He also alleged WRD engineer-in-chief M G Choubey has been given post-retirement extension for a fifth time to carry out construction of the dams in Panna. "The work was given to Choubey after sidelining the officers of Dalit and tribal communities," he added. "Dalit officer like me, who is an Ambedkarwadi and talks about equality, justice and brotherhood, is being hounded, served show-cause notice... By creating such a situation, they want me to commit suicide like Rohith Vermula as I am challenging them," he claimed. "That's why they have made bandobast to remove me from their way and some unfortunate incident might happen with me... If anything happens to me then you all will find the names of persons responsible for it in an envelope," he said. Attempts to contact Julania failed. His office said that he was in Canada right now. Thete demanded that the show-cause notice served on him be withdrawn immediately, Julania be removed from his current post and booked under the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Chief Secretary Antony De'Sa will meet Chouhan later in the day on the issue involving the Dalit officer, the Chief Minister's principal secretary S K Mishra said. Asked to comment on the issue, Mishra said he would get back to the media after the meeting was over. Earlier, Thete had taken part in a dharna organised by Dalit Adivasi Forum on January 11 here to protest alleged discrimination against Dalit and tribal bureaucrats after the state government gave its nod to Lokayukta to prosecute him in an alleged case of illegal disposal of land in Ujjain during his tenure as additional commissioner around two years ago. Then, he had said that the state government was prompt in taking action against Dalit officers while ignoring similar cases of misconduct involving those from upper castes. Dismissed Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul today claimed support of majority MLAs of the state. "We need to see the facts very carefully. The SC has not directed that the party composition shall be restored as on December 15. Accordingly, the party composition of the Arunachal Assembly is Congress - 15, PPA - 30, BJP - 11 and Independents - 2," Pul said at a press conference here. "With this party composition, I wonder whether Nabam Tuki will be able to win a confidence vote," he said. Parading 36 MLAs in front of the media, Pul asserted he has the support of 43 members of the Arunachal Legislative Assembly, which has a total strength of 60. Asked if there was any fear of horse-trading, Pul said "That fear is always there. He (Tuki) is calling all members for influencing them." On filing a review petition against the Supreme Court judgement, he said legal experts would be consulted first. On the law and order situation in Arunachal Pradesh, he said "I have been a minister for 23 years and for the first time I saw a situation where the home minister was blocking roads and locking Assembly gates. We feared law and order problems. That is why we defected." Talking about the apex court judgement, Pul claimed there have been instances of preponing sessions, including in the Parliament. "The SC judgement also did not restore Tuki as CM. The ruling was on three operative parts - preponing of the session, Governor's message to the Speaker and quashing of the proceeding of December 16 and 17. So, it only reinstated the Speaker. "However, we do not want to keep fighting as this will give a wrong signal. Now the Governor has asked him to prove majority on the floor, so that will decide everything," he asserted. Commenting on the landmark Supreme Court judgement, Pul said "The Constitution of India is still evolving, specially in respect of the Governor's role vis-a-vis the Legislature. For the first time I am getting educated that in a matter of removal of a Speaker of the House, the Governor has to take advice from the Cabinet. "In fact, I find no answer to my own question that if the Cabinet delays the summoning of a House to impeach a Speaker, what will happen to the democratic aspirations of the majority of the House desiring to remove a Speaker?" In a democracy, the voice of the people was the supreme law and peoples' representatives assemble in the Assembly under the Constitution to "make and unmake" governments on the floor, he said. "There may be innumerable interpretations on any provision of the Constitution. We now know what is the view of the Constitution Bench... Constitution is evolving and judgements of Constitution Benches may also evolve," Pul said. He maintained that the SC order for restoration was not connected to the disqualification of 14 MLAs and change of party affiliation by 30 Congress members to the PPA. "The Supreme Court order, dated July 13, 2016, is not an order for blanket restoration. The restoration is only with respect to the issues that have been explicitly adjudicated by the honourable apex court," Pul claimed. At a meeting between Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani here, the two countries called for stronger international partnership in combating terrorism due to its evolving character. They also decided to explore setting up of a maritime strategic dialogue between their Defence Ministers. Parrikar and Nakatani recognised that security and stability in the seas connecting Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean are indispensable for peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region. The ministers expressed concern over recent developments in this regard, according to a statement released by the Japanese Embassy after the delegation level talks. They reaffirmed the importance of respecting international law, as reflected notably in the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), for the peaceful settlement of disputes without any threat or use of force, and of ensuring freedom and safety of navigation and over-flight as well as unimpeded lawful commerce in international waters, it added. In this context, they urged all parties to show utmost respect for the award of the arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea under UNCLOS on July 12. The tribunal ruled that China has no legal basis to claim "historic rights" to islands in South China Sea. The statement said there was shared recognition that imperatives of a stronger bilateral strategic partnership require deep and broad-based cooperation and concrete actions in defence and security fields. The two countries can work together to respond to global and regional challenges and jointly contribute to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region. The Ministers exchanged views and ideas on a wide range of issues pertaining to the current regional and international security situation as well as deepening of bilateral defence cooperation and exchanges, the statement said. They also explained to each other their respective defence policies to promote mutual understanding. India and Japan today asked all parties involved in the South China Sea row to resolve the dispute through peaceful means without threat or use of force and "show utmost respect" for the verdict of a UN-backed tribunal. Hero MotoCorp, the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the country, on Thursday launched its first motorcycle, designed and developed in-house, Splendor iSmart 110. The launch of the all-new Splendor iSmart 110 marks the achievement of yet another significant milestone in our solo journey. It is the first completely in-house designed and developed motorcycle at our Centre for Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur, Hero MotoCorp Chairman, Managing Director and CEO Pawan Munjal told DH. Built on a completely new chassis and frame, the new Splendor iSmart 110 runs on a new Bharat IV-compliant 4-stroke engine with i3S technology that offers 9% more power with a higher fuel economy. The launch comes on the heels of a successful launch of the first range of indigenously developed scooters last year. Munjal is hopeful of the growing two-wheeler demand in the country, backed by good monsoon and the announcement of the 7th Pay Commission recommendation. We are expecting to retain our leadership position in the motorcycle segment and the company will come up with more products in both the scooter and motorcycle segments, he said. Launched at a price of Rs 53,800 (ex-showroom Bengaluru), the Splendor iSmart 110 enters the market within six months of being showcased at the Auto Expo 2016. The bike clocks 0-60 kmph in 7.45 seconds, and offers fuel efficiency of 68 kmpl. Besides a longer seat, the Splendor iSmart 110 has an analog digital speedometer, which also has the functional utility of showing service due indicator. Munjal also made it clear that the company will phase out its four licensed products with Honda before 2017. We started our solo journey in 2010, after 26 years of running a successful JV, Hero Honda. Our in-house product development team has the capability to phase it out even earlier, he said. When asked about the export market, he said the company plans to export the Splendor iSmart 110 to 10 global markets. Munjal said that the company has set ambitious target of entering 50 new markets by 2020 with 20 manufacturing facilities across the globe, and an overall annual turnover of Rs 60,000 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modis five-day tour of four African countries Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya saw him drum up support for the Make in India initiative, forge a consensus on fighting terrorism as well as sign agreements to boost Indias food security. He invited defence businesses in South Africa, a major arms exporter, to set up a manufacturing base in India that could produce military hardware not only for the two countries but also for export to third countries. With Mozambique, India signed a long-term agreement for import of 1,00,000 tonnes of pulses. This is expected to reduce the shortage of pulses in India that has contributed to spiralling food prices here in recent months. In Tanzania, India signed five agreements, including one that provides it with a Line of Credit of $92 million towards its water resources sector. Over the past decade, India has worked towards building an affordable healthcare system in Africa whether through telemedicine or supply of inexpensive drugs. Modi took this further in Kenya by promising support for a 100-bed cancer hospital there.Africa is important to India for several reasons. It is rich in natural resources. Besides, Africa is rich in votes at the UN General Assembly; its 53 votes can boost Indian efforts for UN reform. Africa is important, too, for Indias defence and security. Especially in the context of rising Islamic radicalism in Africa, India is keen to secure support of African governments. Their cooperation is vital to secure Indias trade via the Indian Ocean from the threat of terrorists, pirates and hostile powers. It is with this in mind and recognising the need to correct its long neglect of Africa that India accelerated its engagement of the continent at the turn of the new millennium. The India-Africa summits that Delhi hosts, the rising number of high-level visits to African countries and Modis recent charm offensive there must be seen in this context. India has done well to avoid the colonial/neo-colonial path of looting Africa that other powers have taken in this continent. While it is interested in Africas resources, it has ensured that access to resources is accompanied by building capacity of the African people. To build a sustainable partnership with African countries, it seeks engagement that is mutually beneficial; hence its efforts to improve health, education and connectivity in the continent. However, Delhi must match its positive work in Africa with robust efforts in India that would make African students and businessmen feel at home here. Modi must follow up his successful swing through Africa with strong measures to show Africans that India genuinely cares. Controversial Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik has cancelled his Skype media meet yet again. Dr Naik has been facing the heat because of his way of spreading the religion and criticism of other religions. This is the third time this week that Dr Naik, the founder of Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and Peace TV had to postpone his media meet. Currently in Mecca-Medina in Saudi Arabia, he would be travelling to African countries. On Thursday morning, he was to address a media meet through Skype at Mehfil Hall at Agripada, however the trustees and management informed him to cancel it. Given no choice our teams dismantled everything and left around midnight, an IRF spokesperson said in a message circulated on the social media. On Sunday, a message was circulated that he would address a Skype press conference at a five-star hotel on Tuesday but that was cancelled. Then there were plans to hold a meet at the World Trade Centre on Wednesday, which too was called off. The 50-year-old televangelist was to return to Mumbai on Monday, but he preferred to stay abroad. Dr Naik has been facing the heat since his name cropped after investigations in Bangladesh have revealed that two of the Dhaka attackers were inspired by him. Several Hindu and Muslim organisations have demanded a ban on him. The IRF would make an attempt to have a press conference of Naik online on Friday. Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed the new chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC)headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Chaturvedis appointment to the post which went vacant with the expiry of the term of Vineet Joshi, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Manipur-Tripura cadre, in December 2014. According to a notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Chaturvedi has been appointed for an overall period of five years on central deputation up to December 15, 2020 or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Karnataka on Thursday pleaded before the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal to permit it to utilise seven tmcft of water from Mahadayi River to address the drinking water shortage in Hubballi-Dharwad and the surrounding towns and villages. Making the submission before the tribunal headed by J M Panchal, senior counsel Fali S Nariman, representing Karnataka, said the tribunal could give an interim order allowing Karnataka to use seven tmcft of water from the river before the final award was given. Referring to the Goa governments earlier submission that 108 tmcft of water was flowing into the Arabian Sea, Nariman said that instead of allowing for wasting the precious resource, it would be would be better to permit Karnataka to utilise it for drinking purposes in the perennial drought-hit areas. While the Central Water Commission has said in a report that the total water flow in the Mahadayi River was 199 tmcft per year, Goa said that it aimed to utilise 37 tmcft. Even after Goa utilises its share, 71 tmcft of water will flow into the sea without any proper utilisation, Nariman said. Atmaram Nadakarni, representing the Goa government, suggested that Karnataka had created an artificial drought in that region so as to seek more water from the Mahadayi. He sought time to produce documentary evidence in that regard. The tribunal instructed the counsel to submit documents to substantiate his arguments and adjourned the hearing until Friday. Pakistans attempt to fish in Kashmirs troubled waters has prompted India to return to its old stand that talks and terror cannot go hand-in-hand. New Delhi on Thursday turned the table on Islamabad, which has of late been trying to raise its pitch on Kashmir in the wake of violent protests in the Valley against the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by security forces of India. The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi accused Pakistan of coveting the territory of other nations, using terrorism as instruments of state policy and providing sanctuary to terrorists designated by the United Nations. India also delivered a strong message at the UN headquarters in New York, accusing Pakistan of extolling virtues of terrorism. The world today has a clear view of which country in our region covets the territory of others, uses terrorism as a matter of state policy, provides sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists and terrorist groups and violates human rights, Vikas Swarup, official spokesperson of the MEA, told journalists in New Delhi. Asked about prospects of restarting the stalled bilateral dialogue, Swarup said India had never shied away from dialogue with Pakistan, but it was incumbent on the neighbouring country to create the right atmosphere for a productive dialogue to take place. He reaffirmed Indias old stand that talks with Pakistan and anti-India terror from Pakistan could not go together. New Delhi had refrained from articulating the phrase for the past several months and did not use it even after the January 2-5 terror attack on the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot in Punjab. India talked tough after Pakistan, over the past few days, tried to internationalise the issue of Kashmir. Pakistan Prime Minister M Nawaz Sharif expressed deep shock over killing of Wani and subsequent death of civilians in Kashmir due to police crackdown on protesters. He is also set to chair a special meeting of his cabinet in Lahore on Friday to discuss the situation in Kashmir. Our internal affairs are solely ours to handle. Any effort by any other party, claiming it as theirs or trying to interfere and seeking to internationalise the issue will not change it, said Swarup. He was reacting to the briefings organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan government in Islamabad over the past few days, when foreign diplomats, including envoys of US, UK, Russia, China and France (the five permanent members of UN Security Council), were briefed about the situation in Kashmir. Terrorism is terrorism. No amount of parsing and justification on the part of Pakistan is going to change it, he added. New Delhis envoy to Islamabad, Gautam Bambawale, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan government last Monday. He met A A Chaudhry, Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, who gave him a demarche, conveying Islamabads concern over killing of Kashmiri leader Burhan Wani and many other civilians in Indian-occupied Kashmir by Indian military and paramilitary forces. Swarup on Thursday said India had rejected the demarche served by Pakistan. Our High Commissioner had responded that the matter is a domestic issue, internal to India and that Pakistan has no locus standi in the matter, he said. News / Africa by Stephen Jakes THE Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (SAHRDN), a coalition of Southern African HRDs organisations, has expressed outrage and sadness over the attack on Lloyd Mutungamiri, the Editor of The Lesotho Times newspaper in Lesotho, who was shot at his home on Saturday 09 July 2016.The organization in a statement said Mutungamiri, who is fighting for his life at a hospital in the capital Maseru, was attacked by some unidentified assailants around 23:00 hours on Saturday 09 July 2016."Prior to the shooting, Mutungamiri and Keiso Mohloboli, a journalist at The Lesotho Times newspaper had been interrogated on 23 June 2016 over the publication of an article entitled "Exit strategy for Kamoli" in The Lesotho Times newspaper edition of 23-29 June 2016 and forced to disclose their sources. The article referred to Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli, who is the current Commander of the Lesotho Defence Forces (LDF)," said the organization."Besides Mutungamiri and Mohloboli, the publisher of The Lesotho Times newspaper was also charged with defamation and crimen injuria on 5 July 2016.b SAHRDN condemns the barbaric shooting of Mutungamiri and the persecution of media practitioners in Lesotho which is clearly aimed at intimidating, silencing and suppressing media freedom and freedom of expression in Lesotho at this critical time in the country's history, when citizens in that that country desperately need impartial information."The organisation said such a callous attack puts responsibility on the government of Lesotho to publicly condemn this and other attacks on the media and launch a thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the shooting of Mutungamiri and make the findings of the investigation public and for suspected perpetrators to be brought to justice in accordance with international law."To date, SAHRDN is unaware of any investigation that has been instituted and led to the arrest and prosecution of those believed to be responsible for the shooting of Mutungamiri. A thorough investigation into this unwarranted attack on a media practitioner and the prosecution of those who masterminded it should send a message to would be perpetrators that such attacks won't be executed and cannot continue with impunity," SAHRDN said."SAHRDN reminds Lesotho authorities that ensuring respect for human rights very often relies on impartial and rigorous media coverage. Without exposure and public scrutiny, abuses can flourish under a veil of secrecy and denial. Therefore, SAHRDN; urges the government of Lesotho to take urgent steps to guarantee the security and safety of all media practitioners and human rights defenders in Lesotho and ensure that they are able to carry out their activities without fear of harassment, intimidation or being maimed. Urges the government of Lesotho to fully implement the recommendations of the SADC Commission of Enquiry and outline a clear roadmap for all actions necessary to fulfill them," said the organisation."Notes that while SADC established a Commission of Enquiry to try and help end the conflict in Lesotho, the regional bloc should show leadership and condemn the trend of repression, criminalisation, prosecution and persecution of HRDs in Lesotho." A Delhi court on Thursday convicted three men for abducting and murdering IT professional Jigisha Ghosh in 2009. The quantum of sentence will be announced on August 20. Jigishas parents Jagannath and Savita told DH that they were happy to finally conclude their seven-year journey for justice during which they were also threatened and pressured for compromise. Saket Courts Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav said it was abundantly clear that Amit Kumar Shukla, Baljeet Malik and Ravi Kapoor had killed the 28 year old. They have been held guilty for murder, abduction, robbery and forgery. The three men are also accused of killing journalist Soumya Vishwanathan in 2008. Jigisha, who worked with a management consulting firm, was abducted at gunpoint after she was dropped by her office cab near her Vasant Vihar house in March 2009. She was forced into a Hyundai Santro and forced to reveal her ATM pin. Three days later, her body was found in Haryanas Faridabad district. Leader of the Opposition K S Eshwarappa dubbing the ruling dispensation as a killer government led to a war of words between him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Legislative Council on Thursday. The BJP and JD(S) members were continuing their dharna demanding the resignation of Bengaluru Development Minister K J George in the DySP M K Ganapathi suicide case. When the House assembled at 11.30 am, Home Minister G Parameshwara said the government is ready to furnish a reply on the discussion on the case. Siddaramaiah too was present in the Council. However, the BJP members led by Eshwarappa stated that they will not allow proceedings till George tenders his resignation. We do not want replies, we want resignation of George....You are trying to protect George..This is nothing but a killer government, Eshwarappa said. As pandemonium prevailed, Chairman D H Shankaramurthy adjourned the House. When the House reassembled, Eshwarappa continued with his killer government tirade. A visibly enraged Siddaramaiah shouted at the top of his voice, Send this person out of the House........, pointing towards Eshwarappa. Eshwarappa, who was taken aback by the sudden outburst, hit back saying, Who are you to send me out ..............You keep such behaviour to your house. Siddaramaiah said the Opposition was trying to hijack the proceedings of the House. As the din continued, Shankaramurthy adjourned the House for the day. George reacts Meanwhile, George on Thursday too continued with his argument that he had no role in the suicide of Ganapathi. There is no evidence to prove that he had harassed the officer, he added. While interacting with the media, George denied speculation in the media that the Congress high command has summoned him to Delhi. He reiterated that the question of him resigning as the minister does not arise. Like Siddaramaiah, George too accused the opposition parties of politicising the Ganapathi suicide issue. Almost 11 months after Mohammed Akhlaq was lynched over rumours of cooking beef in Dadri, a court on Thursday ordered registration of a case against his kin for slaughtering a cow. Tension prevailed at Bisada village after the order, and additional security personnel were deployed as a precautionary measure, police sources here said. The order of the chief judicial magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar district came after a forensic laboratory in Mathura said in its report that the piece of meat recovered from Akhlaqs house was of cow or its progeny. The court also ordered the police to register a case against Akhlaqs kin under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, according to the lawyer of the petitioner Suraj Pal. Advocate Rajiv Tyagi said that those against whom the court has ordered registration of a case included Akhlaq's brother Jan Mohammed, his mother Asghari, wife Ikraman, son Danish and daughter Shaista and another person. The court had earlier reserved its order on the petition after hearing the parties concerned. The petitioner had alleged that Akhlaq and his family members had slaughtered a calf. Police said that they were awaiting a copy of the court's order after which they would lodge an FIR. The villagers in Bisada had been protesting the arrest of several youth in connection with the lynching and claimed that they were innocent. A mob at Bisada village had lynched Akhlaq and seriously wounded his son Danish after rumours that beef was being cooked at their home in September last year. The killing had triggered a nationwide outrage. The standoff between the government and the Opposition continued on Thursday over the police officer Ganapathi suicide case. As none of their demands were accepted by the government, the Opposition continued its day-and-night dharna in the legislature. At a meeting of the floor leaders convened by Speaker K B Koliwad to end the stalemate in the Assembly, the principal opposition party, the BJP offered to accept the judicial probe announced by the government, provided it allows Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court to select the head of the judicial commission. The BJP was ready to give up its demand for a CBI probe. The BJP was, however, firm on its stand that Bengaluru Development Minister K J George should be removed from the Cabinet. But Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rejected the demand. We told the Chief Minister that he can always induct him (George) once the investigation is over, but until the probe is on, he should not be a minister. This was not acceptable to the chief minister. Hence, we have decided to continue the dharna, BJPs deputy leader in the Assembly R Ashoka told reporters after the meeting. The government can appoint any retired judge of the Karnataka High Court as the head of the judicial commission. The BJP and the JD(S) have already rejected the governments decision to hold a judicial probe. They see no merit in conducting a judicial probe on the grounds that the government would appoint a retired judge of its choice and get a tailor-made report. Earlier, as soon as the proceedings of the House began, the BJP and JD(S) members resumed their overnight dharna by raising slogans against George. They demanded that he should be sacked from the Cabinet; a FIR registered on the basis of the complaint given by Ganapathis son and handover the case to the CBI. When the protest began, the treasury benches were almost empty. Siddaramaiah and George were also absent. When Law Minister T B Jayachandra stood up to say something, Ashoka snubbed him saying: There is no law and order in the state. We do not want the law ministers reply. The BJP members were heard raising slogans such as: Go back, go back, Geroge, Beke beku, rajiname beku, Bhanda sarkarakke dhikkara, dhikkara, Govinda, Govinda, We want justice, Ayyo, ayyo anyaya, Kolegaduka sarkarakke, dhikkara, Vajamaadi, vajamaadi, George na vajaamaadi. Sensing the mood of the Opposition, the Speaker adjourned the House for a short duration. Finally, the House was adjourned for Friday. An Indian Air Force woman officer, who led the Guard of Honour for US President Barack Obama last year, has dragged the IAF to court, asking the service to 'reconsider' her application for permanent commission. Wing Commander (Wg Cdr) Pooja Thakur opted against permanent commission five years ago, but changed her mind 10 days before her retirement, sources told DH. When she approached the IAF in the first week of June, the Air headquarters told her it was a little late in the day to consider her for permanent commission as she was due to retire on June 16. On Thursday, she approached the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) seeking reconsideration of her case. In her petition, she also asked the AFT to review the IAFs Human Resource Policy-3 of 2011 that lays the rules for granting permanent commission for ground duty branch officers, who were taken through the short service commission (SSC). Commissioned on June 16, 2001, Thakur decided against a permanent commission when her time came in 2011 and preferred to continue for another four years in the SSC cadre. Out of the 12 women officers from her batch, as many as ten opted for permanent commission, while two decided otherwise. As the IAF policy does not allow reconsideration, she was to be relieved from the service on June 16, which has now been challenged in the court. The AFT has stayed her relieving order and asked the Air headquarters to respond in four weeks. Thakur hit the headlines in January last year when she became the first woman officer to lead a tri-services Guard of Honour for the visiting US President in a military ceremony in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Daughter of a retired Army Colonel, she hails from Rajasthan. The Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed an amendment bill that scraps a provision which enables the Karnataka State Open University to open its centres outside the state . Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra piloted the Karnataka State Open University (Amendment) Bill, 2016, in the Assembly. Opening of centres outside Karnataka contradicts the instruction issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on the jurisdiction of universities, as per the statement of objects and reasons of the bill. The bill was presented amid dharna and slogan-shouting by the Opposition BJP and JD(S) on the suicide of DySP M K Ganapathi. As a result, the minister could not explain the bills details in the House. The government has sought to snatch the KSOUs powers following charges that the university opened its centres outside Karnataka and conducted outreach courses without authorisation. Meanwhile, the Legislative Council approved a bill that seeks to establish a new university Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University. The university is proposed to be set up in Gadag, the Assembly constituency of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil. The government had earlier sought to establish the university through an ordinance. But Governor Vajubhai Vala sent the bill back and asked the government to table it in the legislature. The total cost of establishing the university is Rs 166 crore. The bill was passed without any discussion in the Upper House due to dharna by the Opposition on the Ganapathi suicide. The Council also passed the Karnataka Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2016, that seeks to increase the maximum number of board members in co-operative societies to accommodate representatives of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The Upper House also passed the Karnataka State Law University (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which brings in uniformity with University Grants Commission Regulations, 2010. SC/ST quota in contracts. The Assembly passed a bill that gives reservation to SC and ST contractors in construction works taken up by the government to the tune of Rs 50 lakh. The government will reserve 17.15% and 6.95% of its construction works for SCs and STs respectively if the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2016, becomes law. The government had sought to promulgate an ordinance a few weeks ago to give effect to the reservation. But the Governor refused to promulgate it and advised the government to allow a debate on the bill in the legislature. An ordinance replacement bill Karnataka Stamp (Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2016 was also tabled in the Assembly. With monsoon covering the entire country two days in advance, India has received 4% surplus rainfall, even as lightning strikes killed two people in Uttar Pradesh. While rain in several parts of the national capital kept the temperature within comfortable levels, a high level of relative humidity (between 58 and 92%) and water logging on roads caused difficulty to Delhiites. In Madhya Pradesh, where 22 people were killed in the floods, life returned to normalcy with no rainfall since Wednesday. Markets across the state were abuzz with activities and schools functioned as normal. A rainfall alert has been issued for Hoshangabad district. According to the IMD, the country has so far received 4% more rainfall than normal. All sub regions have been receiving good rainfall except the northeast and east region, where the deficiency has reached 23%. In Uttar Pradesh, lightning claimed two lives in Bhadohi district as light to moderate rain and thundershowers occurred at a few places in the state. In Rajasthan, heavy to very heavy rainfall occurred at few places in Udaipur and isolated areas in Kota, Ajmer and Bharatpur divisions. Maximum (23 cm) rainfall was recorded in Relmagra in Rajsamand district followed by Mavli town of Udaipur (17 cm) till Thursday morning. In Haryana and Punjab, where the monsoon has largely been subdued, moderate to heavy rain lashed several parts resulting in a marginal fall in day temperatures.In Himachal Pradesh, moderate to heavy intermittent rain occurred in some parts of the state as monsoon remained normal. Humid conditions prevailed in most parts of Bihar with light to moderate rainfall at a few places over the state. The ratings of US presidential candidate Donald Trump might be on the rise but that has not stopped social media users from turning him into a butt of many jokes. Trumps somewhat divisive ideas have now made a Kolkata-based leading tea company send him a large consignment of green tea, in a bid to purify him. The company, which delivered 6,000 green tea bags to Trump Towers in New York, also sent him a video-recorded message, currently available on video-sharing site YouTube and its own website. The message is simple: Mr Trump, its never too late to cleanse yourself, the company stated, in a humourous attempt to remind him that in a globalised world one should aim at breaking walls and not building more. Dear Mr Trump, namaste from India. We are sending you lots and lots of natural green tea. It fights against harmful free radicals. It helps purify mind and body and regain a healthy balance. It has also proven to make people smarter. Please Mr Trump, drink the tea. For your sake, for Americas sake, for the worlds sake, TE-A-ME Teas said in the video, explaining the idea behind sending the tea bags to Trump. The video also recorded the delivery to Trump Tower, headquarters of the real estate tycoon, where a saree-clad Indian woman rolled the package through 5th Avenue, as New Yorkers witnessed the hilarious process. The company, however, is yet to receive any response from Trumps campaign team, TE-A-ME managing director, Sumit Shah, said. The company has taken the Gandhian approach to remind Trump of his extreme views, even as he gets closer to becoming the worlds most powerful man. Ours is good-humoured approach to changing Trump for the better, he said, after the consignment was delivered on Tuesday. Donald Trump has the whole world worried... we cant stop him, but maybe we can change him, the video said. Although Shah did not reveal the cost of the consignment, he said the shipment can last four years, if Trump drank three cups a day. Its health potential is immense. Green tea can help change Trump for better, he added. News / Africa by Stephen Jake The Zimbabwean in South Africa are today demonstrating and marching to the Zimbabwean Embassy in that country where they are demanding the end to human rights violations back home.This was revealed by the Zimbabwean group leader Ngqabutho Mabhena."Zimbabwean citizens and friends of Zimbabwe demand an end to Human Rights violations. The Zimbabwe Solidarity Network brings together fraternal organizations in civil society, education and other pressure groups to march to the Zimbabwean Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. The collective stands in solidarity against Human Rights abuse in the country," he said."Zimbabwe Solidarity Network ("ZSN") stands against the tyranny that has gripped Zimbabwe over the last few years. We also stand with the ordinary citizens that have arisen and are fighting against the oppressive regime on the frontlines in Zimbabwe. In a show of our support, ZSN is inviting all Zimbabweans and friends of Zimbabwe to join us in a march and demonstration of our unity with those who are struggling for justice in Zimbabwe."Mabhena said in recent times we have seen an escalation of police brutality, enforced disappearances, extra judicial torture and general gross human rights violations that have become common practise under the corrupt government of Zimbabwe."The march will start at Burgers Park in Pretoria at 10:00am. From there, we will march to the Embassy of Zimbabwe. ZSN will hold a press briefing outside the offices of the Embassy and submit a memorandum of demands," he said."We encourage citizens across the SADC Region who seeks to express their solidarity support for the demands and concerns of Zimbabweans to be present. We are resolved as ZSN; a network of progressive South African civil society organizations that include youth, women, labour, faith-based, human rights and student formations in South Africa and across the region."He said the march will start at 10:00am from Burgers Park in Pretoria and end at the Embassy of Zimbabwe (798 Merton Ave, Pretoria, 0083, South Africa)."Follow the revolution on Twitter and Facebook #thisflag and #tajamuka. For interviews, support and more information please contact: - Tino Gwenyaya - 061 334 4309, Advocate Gabriel Shumba - 0846649798,- Nobukosi Zulu - 076 456 385," he said. Bengaluru-based alcoholic beverage firm United Spirits (USL) is involved in a legal dispute with government-owned IDBI over the repayment of a Rs 621.7 crore loan. We have a business practice of not naming the party involved in dispute, but there is no reason to hide. The name of the bank is IDBI. We had taken a loan. We prepaid the loan but they still didnt refund our security. The matter is in court. Since the matter is subjudice, I will not elaborate, said Mahendra Kumar Sharma, Chairman, USL, in reply to a shareholder at the companys annual general meeting. The shareholder had raised a doubt concerning the Note 25 of the companys Annual Report 2015-16. During the year ended March 31, 2014, the company decided to prepay credit facilities availed in the earlier years from a bank, amounting to Rs 6,216.6 million (Rs 621.66 crore), secured by assets of the Company and pledge of shares of the Company held by the USL Benefit Trust. The company deposited a sum of Rs 6,280 million (Rs 628 crore), including prepayment penalty of Rs 40 million (Rs 4 crore), with the bank and instructed the bank to debit the amount from the cash credit account towards settlement of the loan and release the assets / shares pledged by the Company, the note read. On March 31, 2015, the bank demanded an amount of Rs 474 million (Rs 47.4 crore) towards principal and interest on the said loan, which the company contested in the High Court of Karnataka, added the note, saying that the bank had disputed the prepayment. We are ourselves concerned about the loss making subsidiaries. We would examine them, and the need for retaining those subsidiaries. We will surely ensure that we will rationalise the corporate structure, Sharma said in response to a query. The company reported 11 loss making subsidiaries last fiscal. The BJP believes rebel Congress leader Kalikho Pul's People's Party has adequate numbers to form the government again in Arunachal Pradesh. Governor Tathagata Roy asked Nabam Tuki, reinstated as the chief minister on Wednesday following the Supreme Court verdict, to take a floor test by Saturday to prove a majority in the 60-member Assembly. The BJP-backed Pul claimed to have support of 42 of 60 MLAs, which is more than the majority required to come back to power. The effective strength of the Assembly is now 58 since Speaker Nabam Rebia had accepted the resignation of two MLAs, BJP sources said. Puls party would require 30 MLAs to cross the halfway mark, which Tuki will find difficult to muster as only 15 Congress MLAs remain with him. Apart from 30 Peoples Party MLAs, 11 of the BJP and two Independents add up to 42, which is more than the majority figure, BJP sources said. Though the apex court has restored the Congress government, which existed on December 15, 14 rebel Congress MLAs who were disqualified the same day by the Speaker will now be able to vote when Tuki seeks confidence of the House. Advocate Satyapal Jain, who had argued for the then governor J P Rajkhowa, told DH that the Arunachal Pradesh High Court had stayed the speakers decision to disqualify the 14 rebel legislators. And the apex court, pointed out Jain, had refused to entertain a petition to challenge the high court verdict, which means the splinter group of 14 will have the right to vote. Contrary to reports that the governor got a rap from the courts, Jain said the apex court did not doubt the bonafide of Rajkhowa but the judges have not approved interpretation of articles cited for recommending Presidents Rule. In fact, Jain said, If there are strictures in the judgment, they are on the speaker of the Assembly, who is a close relative of Chief Minister Tuki. India and Japan on Thursday asked China to go in for a peaceful settlement of the South China Sea dispute, without using force or blocking free passage of ships and aircraft. The defence ministers of India and Japan expressed concern on the security and stability of the South China Sea, through which a bulk of the regions trade and oil flow. A joint statement issued after a meeting between Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani said: They reaffirmed the importance of respecting international law, as reflected notably in the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas (Unclos), of the peaceful settlement of the disputes without any threat or use of force, and of ensuring freedom and safety of navigation and over-flight as well as unimpeded lawful commerce in international waters. Gen Nakatani, who was scheduled to spend three days in India, cut short his visit in the wake of the contentious award by an international tribunal. The Japanese defence minister took off for Tokyo within 24 hours of landing in New Delhi after meeting Parrikar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The South China Sea is at the centre of an escalating conflict between China and its neighbours like Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines and Taiwan. With the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) verdict going against China, there are apprehensions in several quarters of Beijing undertaking some unilateral action, without considering the interests of other nations, whose economy is linked to the movements through the South China Sea and overhead flights. Settle disagreement New Delhi and Tokyo reminded Beijing on the importance of settling the disagreement peacefully while allowing navigation and over-flights. The ministers recognised that the security and stability of the seas connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans are indispensable for the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region. They expressed concern over recent developments in this regard, the joint statement added. Indian and Japan urged the two contesting partiesChina and Philippinesto show utmost respect for Unclos, though China asserted that it did not recognise the PCA ruling. Unclos is a legal framework that guides every countrys behaviour in international waters. The state-backed Chinese media on Thursday asked the military to be ready for a counter-attack if US warships hold exercises near islands claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea to enforce the UN-backed tribunals verdict. Asked whether India is with or against China on the PCA verdict, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup said: This is not an issue of being in favour or against any particular country. It is about the use of the global commons. It is not a matter of politics, it is a matter of law. The day-night dharna by the BJP and the JD(S) in both the Houses of legislature entered its second day on Thursday. The legislators are refusing to move out the legislature till Bengaluru Development Minister K J George resigns or is dropped from the Cabinet over the suicide of DySP M K Ganapathi. Initially there was lack of enthusiasm among the legislators. They went home or to Legislators Home once the Houses were adjourned in the afternoon. But by evening, they were enthusiastic to meet, chat, walk and sit together and sing. A well-balanced meal comprising chapathis, jowar roti, curry, dal, rice and fruits were provided to them. The legislature secretariat, like on Wednesday, had provided new pillows and bed-sheets. Once the agitation is over, these bedding materials would go the Legislators Home, the secretariat sources said. Day One of the dharna went late into the night as members caught up with old times, watched TV, and sang bhajans. In the Council lobby, BJP member Bhanu Prak-ash sang bhajans and was joined by other members. Another member Ramachandra Gowda chanted shlokas. The scene was ditto in the Assembly. The early risers started their day at 6 am. Some did yoga. The secretariat had made arrangements for extra copies of newspapers. Breakfast included idli, vada and chow-chow bath, the legislators told the media. News / Local by Staff Reporter Starving Bulawayo residents are in a fix as the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has no required packaging bags.Maize meant for drought relief cannot be distributed as the result.In 2012, a similar situation was experienced in Matabeleland South.Bulawayo provincial social welfare officer Chriswell Nyakudya said they only knew about the grave issue on Wednesday."In other words the Bulawayo provincial drought relief steering committee is ready as we speak but the only stumbling block is empty bags" he is quoted by the state controlled Chronicle."It is the responsibility of the GMB nationally to provide the bags."But they told us today (Wednesday) in the meeting that they don't have them," he said.Government has availed 1,567 tonnes of maize for nearly 3,000 vulnerable Bulawayo households. According to reports Nyakudya said the beneficiaries will be drawn from the city's 12 wards. However the city has 29 wards. News / Local by Thobekile Zhou Opposition Zapu Leader Dumiso Dabengwa has landed his full support to the on-going street protests saying Zimbabweans have the right to protest.Dabangwa, a former Home Affairs minister said Zimbabweans have suffered enough but should protest peacefully."We support calls for a complete #ShutdownZimbabwe2016 "."We have suffered enough" he said in an interview with a local private radio station Thursday.According to Dabengwa the current wave of protests is a clear message to Zanu PF regime that is should immediately step down.Zimbabwe has been rocked by almost daily protests against President Robert Mugabe's alleged misrule and rampant corruption within his government. Dabengwa added "Zapu and other opposition parties do support Pastor Evan Mawarire's efforts."This should be collective action. Let's protest peacefully".He condemned Government for attempting to criminalise protests."People have a right to protest but government wants to criminalise them. That is wrong". More than 100 people have been arrested countrywide. News / National by Itai Mushekwe COLOGNE - Former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor, Gideon Gono, missed the golden opportunity to become Vice President of the country in 2014, following the dismissal of Zimbabwe People First (Zim PF) leader, Joice Mujuru, from the Zanu PF post, owing to last minute sabotage allegedly orchestrated by a Zanu PF faction opposed to his rise at the time, Spotlight Zimbabwe reported.According to a ruling party politburo member, with knowledge of the politics involved, had Gono been appointed, he could have been now a heart-beat away from succeeding President Robert Mugabe, as he was likely to be nominated as the party's 2018 Presidential candidate ahead of current VP Emmerson Mnangagwa.Mujuru was fired from Zanu PF and government in December 2014, just before the ruling party's controversial Congress to elect new politburo members and the country's two vice presidents, who had hitherto not taken up office.Mujuru was shown the door for an array of allegations, including witchcraft, graft and an assassination charge on Mugabe, all of which she has vehemently denied. The former VP, was also booted out together with eight former cabinet ministers, considered her inner circle, who had reportedly conspired to topple Mugabe in secret. These included: Didymus Mutasa (Presidential Affairs), Webster Shamu (Information Communication Technologies, Postal and Courier Services), Francis Nhema (Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment), Olivia Muchena (Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development), Dzikamai Mavhaire (Energy and Power Development), Nicholas Goche (Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare), Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (Minister of State for Mashonaland East Province) and Munacho Mutezo (Deputy Minister Energy and Power Development).It has also come to light that First Lady, Grace Mugabe's "Meet The People" countrywide rallies launched in August 2014, to de-campaign and cause Mujuru's ouster from the presidium, were designed to create a vacancy for Gono, who the first family was favouring to take over power ahead of Mnangagwa."The media failed to join the dots together," said the politburo member. "The plan was to have Mujuru out of the way, and then pave a path for Gono's ascendancy, which was meant to neutralise the current VP. However the VP's supporters read into it early enough, and made sure that Gono was not appointed into cabinet during a reshuffle, by blocking his bid to become Senator for Manicaland."It would now appear, Mugabe had wanted to solve his succession gridlock by bringing Gono into the political equation two years ago, and making him one of his deputies, thus making it easier for him to possibly take power in 2018 and solve Zanu PF's presidium nightmares.Gono had initially been linked to the finance ministry portfolio that year, and grapevine was tipping Grace to become defence minister.Other ruling party insiders said Mugabe has always wanted Gono to succeed him, and attempts of smuggling him into power had been quashed by Mnangagwa's operatives in Zanu PF.The Zanu PF Politburo had approved recommendations by the party's Manicaland provincial executive to have Gono replace the late national hero Kumbirai Kangai, who died in August 2013 as Senator.However by October 2014, Gono's spirited bid to land the vacant senatorial seat in Manicaland had come to a shut-down, after the ruling party Politburo upheld the position of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission that legally the aspiring senator was not qualified for the post because he was not a registered voter in the province.Zanu PF maintained that the law could not be tailored to suit the circumstances of an individual.Mnangagwa who was Legal Affairs secretary at the time said the Politburo agreed that ZEC's decision was final. "There is no issue. ZEC has made its decision and we as the party are not contesting that decision," Mnangagwa told the State media.Gono is however still not out of the race of running for top office, as first reported by Spotlight Zimbabwe on 4 July 2016, that the country's secret service, is allegedly preparing him to topple Mujuru and MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai from power, should the duo win the 2018 presidential ballot, as is now widely expected.Establishment insiders in Mugabe's administration, said Gono is expected to introduce even more radical and feverish land reform and indigenisation policies, which will all but reverse Tsvangirai and Mujuru's mooted policies of revising the controversial black empowerment law and emotive land issue.Gono has been Mugabe's secret understudy for over two decades, and has received an array of political instructions and blueprint to fulfil for Zimbabwe, from Mugabe himself, as one of his most trusted inner circle lieutenants. Bytom, July the 14th, 2016. The DTPCI32DC is a 32-bit target interface which meets all requirements of the PCI 3.0 specification for a target device. It compromises a minimal gate count with a high-bandwidth data transfer. The Cores main feature is the presence of two clock domains. - They enable flexibility and higher performance as well says Tomek Krzyzak, VCEO of DCD When time required for implementation becomes crucial, the DTPCI32DC brings a domain crossing. Saved time can be used for a specific system implementation instead. The user-friendly back-end interface can be very easily and effectively tailored to the design needs. The Core supports up to six Base Address Registers and Expansion ROM address register with both I/O and Memory space decoding from 16 bytes up to 4 GB. Another important feature is a cache wrapping hardware support and a cacheline pre-fetching capability. The DTPCI32DC is accepting size cache lines which are powered from 2 up to 128. It enables also target-disconnect with data, without data or by a target abort. Moreover, the DTPCI32DC is capable to work with 66 MHz clock frequency in the most popular technologies. It assures the PCI timing requirements, as well as other parameters like FIFOs depths number or Base Address Registers (they can be easily configured at the pre-synthesis stage). More information & evaluation requests: http://dcd.pl/ipcore/1112/dtpci32dc/ Key Features: Fully supports PCI specification 3.0 protocol Stable clock domain crossing regardless of the clock frequencies Cache wrapping (cache lines must be powers of 2) User controlled burst data transfer Possible no-wait state transactions Automatic handling of configuration space read/write access Parity generation and parity error detection Single interrupt support Configurable FIFOs depth Supported backend initiated burst termination (with and without data) No tri-state buffers News / National by Stephen Jakes Food crisis is reportedly rocking the country's prisons at the time when the government is embarked on moves to cause the arrest of people it accuses of civil disturbances in the advent of the escalation of strikes in the country.The developments in the prisons was exposed by a political analyst and human rights activist Pedzisai Ruhanya who said when he visited the leader of #Tajamuka Promise Mkhwananzi in Harare Remand Prison he discovered serious food crisis."When I visited Promise Mkwananzi of #Tajamuka at Harare Remand Prison on Sunday, I realized that there are quite a number of ordinary citizens arrested on 6 July who cant afford food and bail in the police cell," Ruhanya said."The little we gave Promise Mkwananzi was communally shared. Was very saddened to realize that most human rights activists and opposition leaders have cheap talk and do not know what solidarity entails."Mkhwananzi was arrest in connection with the strikes which recently took place. There is no link between vitamin D and older men who are at risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers have said. Nearly 2,000 men aged at least 65 years old took part in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men study. Lead author Nicola Napoli, of the University Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Italy, said: Although age-adjusted results suggested a trend for a protective effect [of vitamin D], further adjustment for BMI (related to both incident diabetes and 25-[OH]D levels) indicated that this effect was largely explained by the inverse association between vitamin D status and high BMI. All participants of the latest study were asked to attend a baseline visit, where they gave fasting morning blood samples. They also provided their medical history and completed food frequency questionnaires. Four follow-up visits helped record the data, which included self-reported incident diabetes and medication history. Researchers assessed the relationship between vitamin D levels and type 2 diabetes and found no association. The researchers wrote: While we cannot determine with our observational study if vitamin D supplementation will decrease diabetes risk, our findings suggest that vitamin D status is not associated with diabetes risk in men. The association between vitamin D status and the risk of type 2 diabetes has been investigated in previous studies but the results have always been inconsistent. Findings of another recent study, which was compiled by the Diabetes Research Centre in India, found that more than 70 per cent of participants had deficient and 15 per cent had insufficient vitamin D. Chief diabetologist Dr Vijay Viswanatha, who was part of the research team, said the findings were significant as studies in the past have identified lack of vitamin D as one of the contributing factors for diabetes. More research needs to be carried out to determine whether vitamin D supplementation decreases the risk of diabetes. The HP Elitebook Folio is a very good business laptop. It feels like a Macbook, but has Windows inside, along with perhaps the best keyboard in the market. It's battery life isn't quite ideal, though, and the screen may irk some users, making it a less than ideal buy. The Dell XPS 13 and Asus UX305CA are faster and have better battery life, while also offering more ports. HP Elitebook Folio detailed review HPs Elitebook Folio range is set firmly in the companys business class notebooks segment. Its like a Windows-powered Macbook, but with two USB Type-C ports instead of one. While HP is looking to take most of its orders from enterprise customers, the laptop is available to the public at a starting price of about Rs. 1,27,000. Its known overseas as the Folio G1, but given that only one variant is being launched in India, HP decided to call it the Elitebook Folio. Ports: The USB Type-C Conundrum The newest standard in USB ports is great, and having two instead of just one is better (are you listening, Apple?). You can charge your Folio while you connect other devices to it, and it's incredulous to think that a laptop should offer anything less than that. Still, embracing the Type-C solution is no easy task, especially in India. A quick Amazon search shows Type-C docks to be quite expensive, and not many are available in the first place. That said, even with a dock, you're looking at a sea of wires. The laptop's charger is one, while the dock itself will add another. Everything you attach to the dock will add even more. It interferes with the overall sleekness of the laptop itself, and can be quite cumbersome, too. You may want to have a NAS setup to make transferring files to and from this laptop easier. With that said, it's a matter of time before the adoption of USB Type-C is complete from all quarters, and laptops like the Elitebook Folio are going to be standard. There's also a 3.5mm headphone jack on the left side of this keyboard. Build and Design The Elitebook Folio is thinner than the Macbook, but it's larger in terms of overall dimensions, meaning it's just slightly wider and taller. None of that really matters when your laptop weighs just about a kilogram, though (the non-touch variant is supposedly lighter still). I usually carry my things in a sling bag, and the Elitebook Folio is sufficiently light for my shoulder to not start aching over time. Even when I carry the charger with it, the weight really didn't bother me. On the outside, the Folio looks like two plates of premium silver aluminium on top of each other. I'd call this a good looking laptop, but that would be a major understatement. The Elitebook folio is visibly light, and the silver aluminium, combined with its thinness makes this one of the best looking laptops right now. I say visibly light because when you pick this up, people will know it's a light laptop. It weighs just under 1kg. Interestingly, HP also says that the Elitebook Folio is MIL-STD 810G certified, which is a certification for ruggedness, covering dust, vibration, high altitudes and shocks. The company apparently dropped the laptop 26 times from 30 inches, onto a hard surface, and it survived. I haven't actually tested this bit, though. The hinge on the Elitebook Folio is a point of contention for me. The shiny silver mechanism looks distinct, but is somewhat loose. As a result, the Folio's screen wobbles when you're touching it, or if you're in a car with the laptop on your lap. Since the display can be tilted back a full 180 degrees, this can be quite annoying at times. If you happen to carry this in a bag not meant for laptops (and hence without a strap to hold the laptop), you'll usually find the flap slightly apart when you take the laptop out. The top and bottom part keep bumping against each other in such a scenario. Lastly, the bezels around the sides of the screen are quite big. HP has probably had to do this in order to fit the keyboard, and it doesn't quite bother me, but one wonders whether a similar keyboard would have been possible with a smaller bezel, especially below the display. Keyboard and Touchpad Fitting a backlit keyboard in a thin laptop, and one that is this easy to type on, is HP's feat of engineering on the Elitebook Folio. Despite being thin, the key travel is quite great, but what's really worth appreciating is the feedback. Keys never bottomed out while typing on this keyboard, and it makes a pleasant clack noise along with good key feedback that regular typists will really enjoy. The keyboard on the Elitebook Folio is one of the best I've seen on laptops so far. Moving to the touchpad, HP offers both the Microsoft Precision touchpad and the option to switch to Glidepoint touchpad. The Precision touchpad allows all Windows gestures, and I had no trouble using any of them, from two finger scrolling, to three finger tap to open Cortana. There was however a hitch, in the fact that the Touchpad refused to scroll at times. It's quite annoying when that happens. At first I thought it was a device specific issue, but the problem persisted in the second unit that HP sent as well. I found nothing in the touchpad settings to change this, and the drivers were updated to the newest versions. Display The Indian variant of the Elitebook Folio comes with a 1080p display, however, HP can customise it to 4K on request. The 4K display on this device, which I saw on a recent trip, is considerably brighter than the 1080p on my unit. Nevertheless, the display on the HP Elitebook Folio is a mixed bag of good and bad. Brightness and reflectiveness can easily be an issue with this screen. The best I found was 420 lux, at the centre of the display, and the display is dimmer near the corners. Furthermore, the viewing angles are affected by the reflectiveness of the screen. Strictly speaking, viewing angles are great, but you will see reflections of whatevers behind you, especially when using this laptop in outdoor cafes etc. To put it simply, you wont have issues while typing, hunched over it, but, lying back, watching videos, you may see distracting reflections. The image denotes luminance values for different areas of the screen. Ideally, you would want a better display at these prices. The HP Elitebook Folio doesnt have a very bright display, nor is it the best with colours. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 may not be an ultrabook, but it has a far better and brighter display. The Elitebook Folio would work for most business users, but it's not meant for editors. Audio HP has partnered with Bang & Olufsen for the bottom-firing speakers on this laptop. The fact that they're bottom firing automatically means they're not suited to being used on a bed. You should be fine using this on a desk, though. There's an in-built B&O app on the laptop, that provides an equaliser and presets for various music genres. It is turned on by default, and I didn't hear a significant difference by turning it off either. The laptop is loud enough to be heard in a moderately silent room, but not meant to be used outdoors, or even with a few people conversing around you. The audio quality, on the other hand, is quite crisp. You may hear some distortion at the maximum volumes, but for videos, movies and calls, it's clear enough by itself. Performance The HP Elitebook Folio is available with Intel's Core m5 and m7 vPro processors. These are low power processors, which are primarily meant for such thin and fanless designs as the Folio. In theory, the Core m series is not as powerful as the Intel iX series processors, but they do a fine job for business use cases. My unit comes with a 256GB SSD, 8GB of RAM and the Intel Core m7 Pro processor, and it handles intense multi-tasking with ease. With a dozen Chrome tabs open, files being transferred on Bluetooth, and a video being played, the Folio refused to lag, which is perfect for an ultraportable laptop. It's performance can hardly be questioned and amongst Core m-powered ultraportable laptops, it is amongst the best. It's of course not as powerful as an Intel i7 processor, but streaming HD videos on Netflix, working on Google Docs and Sheets and Microsoft Excel showed no issues whatsoever. It's worth noting that Microsoft Edge is better optimised for Windows 10, and feels a tad smoother than Google Chrome on the Folio and many other Windows 10-powered laptops. The Folio's performance is exactly what you would expect from its specification sheet, and there's little to complain about, at least for a business user. It's a workhorse, and obviously not a gamer. Heat The low power m-series processors can be used without a fan because they don't generate as much heat. As a result, the Elitebook Folio is tough to heat up. In the hot Delhi summers, with the outside temperatures above 40 degrees celsius, I sometimes saw the bottom of the Folio go above 40 as well, but that's not abnormal. Using this in an air conditioned room, the temperature on the keyboard and touchpad were never above 27 degree celsius, while the bottom approached 33 degrees after continuous video streaming for over an hour and a half. The 40 degrees I mentioned above was after two continuous hours of video streaming, without an air conditioned environment. Battery Life The HP Elitebook Folio lasts for about 7 hours on regular usage. It survived 4 hours of typing and browsing, along with two hours of continuous HD video streaming on Netflix. This is only average for the ultraportable laptop class, but ideally you can get 10 hour battery lives in this range as well. This is especially important if youre getting the 4K model, which should give you considerably less battery life. Even with the 1080p model, you can't always leave the charging cable back at home. Security and Other Software The HP Elitebook Folio comes with HP's Client Security software, which allows you to use the company's Password Manager, drive encryption, and you can also use your phone to login to the laptop. You also get HPs Sure Start solution, which keeps a clean copy of your BIOS in case the same is corrupted or an attacker has gained access to it. In some SKUs of the Elitebook Folio, you can also access Microsofts Windows Hello feature, thanks to the infrared webcam that comes with them. For some reason, though, HP doesnt seem to be talking about them in India, perhaps because they arent actually available. At over Rs. 1 lakh, that is quite a bummer. In fact, support for Windows Hello would have given HP an edge over competitors, none of which have an IR webcam. Bottomline: Business and class... The HP Elitebook Folio is easily amongst the best business class laptops today, but its not the absolute best. Youd want a tad more battery life out of a device in this range, and the display can be a letdown for many. Wed recommend this to business professionals who work primarily indoors. Its a very good laptop for those who have to travel on business often, and it deals with Google Docs, Sheets, Word etc. like a boss. It looks and feels like a Macbook, and it's a good, but not ideal choice for Windows users. The Asus UX305CA can offer better performance and higher battery life in this range, while being just a little heavier. Reports suggest that LG may call the successor of the LG V10 the LG V20 instead of the V11 LG may launch the successor to the V10 in early September. According to a report by Korean website, ETNews, while the name of the device has not yet been decided, the company may choose to call it the LG V20, instead of the V11. Further, while the LG V10 was released in October last year, the company is pushing the reveal of the new device forward by a month, because it may fall behind Samsung, which will unveil the Galaxy Note 7 in August. However, by launching it in September, it could clash with the annoucement of Apples new iPhone. To recall, the highlight of the LG V10 was a 2.1-inch secondary display that showed notifications as well as time, weather, battery level and so forth. Other specifications include a 5.7-inch QHD primary display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC with 4GB of RAM. The device also features 5MP dual-front cameras. It is possible that LG may have pushed ahead the launch of the V20 (or V11) because the sales of the LG G5 werent up to expectations. According to a report by the Korea Times, the company replaced some of its executives in its mobile division and created a Program Management Office (PMO) within it. The reason behind the decision was said to be stagnant sales of the company's latest flagship device. Deutsche Bank initiated coverage of software company Sage at buy with a 760p price target. DB said Sage's revenue growth has accelerated as it migrates its large installed base from a traditional licensing model to subscriptions, reducing churn and increasing average customer run rate. We think this acceleration can continue and are satisfied that the risk of defection to competitors is mitigated by Sage's strong brand, service and local market expertise. In addition, it said piggy-backing Cloud platforms offers a chance to capture additional growth in the low end. Deutsche pointed out that although the companys core remains in on premise, desktop software, it is building its cloud portfolio with Sage One and Sage Live and has released subscription-based, cloudified versions of its flagship products. The bank reckoned this could drive an average revenue per customer increase within its traditional customer base, with relatively low risk of churn to competitors like Xero and Intuit. Sage One should also allow the company to gain share in the currently barely-addressed 0-10 employee small business segment. We see encouraging signs that Sages old complacency has been replaced by a will to succeed in its changing landscape, DB said. At 1030 BST, Sage shares were up 2.5% to 662.88p. Philip Hammond was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by new Prime Minister Theresa May overnight and was warmly welcomed by the City as he said there will be no emergency 'Brexit budget'. Although his sacked predecessor George Osborne warned before the referendum that a Brexit result would require an emergency budget to deal with the economic effects of leaving the EU, Hammond said he will deliver the autumn statement as normal, which last year was in late November. The former foreign secretary said on Thursday: The prime minister made clear we will do an autumn statement in the usual way, in the autumn, and we will look carefully over the summer at the situation. Im seeing the governor of the Bank of England this morning and we will take stock. Hammonds appointment as Chancellor was greeted positively by City analysts and economists. BNP Paribas said the experienced cabinet operator's appointment meant that fiscal prudence would not be abandoned, despite recently abandoning its pledge to eliminate the deficit by 2020. Economist Dominic Bryant said: Overall, it looks very likely that the pace of fiscal tightening set out in the March 2016 budget will be curtailed. But, at this stage, it is not a given that fiscal policy will become a significant support for growth. CMC analyst Jasper Lawler said Hammond was a fiscal hawk who would be seen positively by investors who would have been concerned by Mays plans to reduce austerity and tackle corporate governance rules. Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Think Markets, highlighted Hammond's belief in the single market: He has already indicated that it will take years for the UK to leave the EU. With him being in charge of the economy, we can expect more dovishness from the Bank of England and this may keep the selling pressure on sterling. The biggest challenge going forward will be how the new Chancellor coordinates with EU officials and keep both his and their heads cool as the UK's economy may dip into recession. Hammond will also have to take some extreme measures with respect to belt tightening and many of these affairs will not be applauded by public. Investors will look for a new forecast for the economy by the new Chancellor and a wider deficit along with lower growth may be the most likely outcome of this forecast. Cabinet appointments On Wednesday, May also appointed Amber Rudd as home secretary and leading Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson as foreign secretary. Long standing eurosceptics David Davis and Liam Fox were respectively appointed secretary for exiting the European Union, known as 'Brexit Minister', and secretary for international trade. Michael Fallon remained in his role as defence secretary. BNP's Bryant said appointing Johnson as foreign secretary was, on the face of it, a surprise. "However, it could prove to be a sensible move. Firstly, Mr Johnson is popular with many of those who voted to leave the EU. Perhaps more importantly, however, during the referendum campaign Mr Johnson was keen to portray his desire to exit the EU as a way of making the UK more global and less Europe-focused. There is a risk that the UKs decision to leave the EU is taken as a sign that it is going to become more inward looking. Appointing someone with a strong international outlook, such as Mr Johnson, as foreign secretary could counter this perception. Lastly, one could also argue that is better to have a key member of the Leave campaign in the cabinet, rather than sniping from the sidelines. More cabinet appointments are scheduled on Thursday. Software company Micro Focus announced its audited preliminary results on Thursday, which were at the high end of management expectations for the year to 30 April, with reported operating profit doubling year-on-year and the final dividend increasing by 50.7%. The FTSE 250 firm did point out that the results included the its combination with The Attachmate Group (TAG), which was announced in September 2014 and completed in November for that year. It said trading results for TAG were included for the year to 30 April 2016, as well as from the date of completion to 30 April 2015. Reported operating profit doubled on reported revenues increasing 49.2%, while total revenues were up 54.9% to $1.25bn on a constant currency basis. Adjusted EBITDA improved 59% to $546.8m at constant exchange rates, with underlying adjusted EBITDA increasing 59.1% to $532.5m, at a margin of 42.8%. Micro Focus reported growth in adjusted diluted earnings per share of 13.3% to 146.7 cents. Cash generated from operations was $455.7m, up from $288.7m, with free cash flow of 238.1m up from $173.7m. Net debt as at 30 April reduced to $1.078bn, from $1.404bn, benefiting from the net proceeds of the $222.7m placing announced on 22 March. The acquisition of Serena, completed after year-end on 2 May, increased pro-forma debt however to $1.625bn. Net debt-to-pro-forma facility EBITDA for the year was 1.9x, increasing to 2.51x after the acquisition of Serena, just outside the target of 2.5x. Micro Focus board proposed a final dividend increase of 50.7% to 49.74 cents per share, up from 33 cents, resulting in a full-year dividend of 66.68 cents per share, compared with 48.4 cents last year. The board is delighted with the progress that has been made with the integration of the TAG business, the acquisition of Serena and the opportunities being presented as the infrastructure software market continues to mature, said Micro Focus executive chairman Kevin Loosemore. Our staff continue to work diligently to realize the value opportunities from this consolidating market space. Loosemore said the company was looking forward to the coming year with optimism and excitement about the opportunities to come. We remain absolutely focused on growing shareholder returns which we see as the true measure of growth. In that context we are delighted to have announced a return to a policy of twice covered dividend, Loosemore said. Supergroup , owner of the faux-Japanese fashion brand Superdry , announced full-year results for the 53 weeks to 30 April on Thursday. On a comparable 52-week basis, revenue was up 21.3% to 590.1m, and underlying gross margin improved 60 basis points to 61.5%. Underlying operating margin was 12.6%, down from 13.1%, though Supergroup claimed it was 13.6% excluding initial trading losses in key development markets. The companys underlying profit before income tax was up 16.3% to 73.5m, while underlying basic earnings per share were up 21.8% to 72p, from 59.1p. Supergroups full-year ordinary dividend was 23.2p, representing a 3.1x cover, with a first special dividend of 20p per share as well. On a reported 53-week basis, revenue improved 22.8% to 597.5m with an underlying operating margin of 12.2% and profit before tax of 55.4m. SuperGroup has made significant progress this year, delivering double digit growth in sales and profits, while maintaining momentum against all the elements of our strategy to build a global lifestyle brand, said Supergroup chief executive Euan Sutherland. We are reaching more customers with a greater breadth of product and were delighted with the positive reaction to our womenswear offer and the innovations through Superdry Sport and the premium Idris Elba range. Our commitment to deliver long-term sustainable growth is clearly evidenced by the 75% increase in our mainland European store footprint and our continued investment in infrastructure to support our growth plans, Sutherland added. He said looking forward, and notwithstanding the current economic uncertainty, the company remained well-placed with a healthy committed new store pipeline in multiple geographies. Sutherland said Supergroup was also making good early progress in the US and China, has a clear e-commerce momentum and looks forward to deliver the full-year impact from its product innovation. The group is financially strong and readily able to fund our planned investment programme and our progressive dividend. With high confidence in the brand and our strategy we will pay our first special dividend of 20p per share to all shareholders at the same time as the final ordinary dividend, Sutherland explained. News / National by Stephen Jakes Calls for President Robert Mugabe to resign are escalating as the state continues to silence the dissenting voices in Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the July 6 National Shutdown.Political commentator Rejoice Ngwenya has added his voice calling for the nonagenarian leader to call it quits in the face of escalating economic crisis and civil unrest due to his failure to run the country and dictatorial approach to the people legally demanding their rights.Ngwenya in a sarcastic manner after posting Mugabe's photo on Facebook said, " #ThisMan - if anybody sees this man - whether he is walking, driving or flying, kindly pass on this message to him: the people of Zimbabwe requests that he resign today and make way for a democratically elected leader. #Robonga ." 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. DRAM contract prices, which began to rise in the second half of 2016, continue their growth in the second half of 2017. Prices are set to continue rising in the third quarter, according... Ohio House candidate cited error in not reporting $1.3M owed in lawsuit Ohio House candidate Dave Dobos apologized for not reporting $1.3 million a Delaware County judge ordered him to pay partners in a 2011 lawsuit. News / National by Staff Reporter Freed pastor Evan Mawarire is not letting government off the hock as he has issued fresh call to shutdown Zimbabwe.Mawarire was released Wednesday evening after being detained for organising a nationwide strike last week.According to the British Broadcasting Cooperation (BBC) Thursday report.Mawarire quickly called on people to keep protesting. "Let's all shut down and send a message to our government that enough is enough, we need changes in very simple things, in very simple areas."And our protest - non-violent, non-inciting, stay-at-home, is the best because it is within the confines of the law".He said the #ThisFlag movement's goal was to "get as many citizens as possible involved in nation-building"."Every Zimbabwean who does not participate is robbing us of a great opportunity to add to the momentum of where our country is going" he is quoted saying Thursday.More than 1000 people gathered at Rotten Row magistrate court Wednesday and he briefly addressed the crowd soon after release. News / National by Business Reporter LEADING Botswana automotive spare parts retailer, Motovac, will open its doors in Bulawayo at the end of this month, an investment that is set to create up to 18 jobs.Local businessman Mr Siqokoqela Mphoko, who is also Choppies Zimbabwe's director, said the coming in of Motovac was a strong endorsement of Bulawayo as a favourable investment destination.The Mphoko family is a key shareholder in the company in partnership with the Patel family of Botswana."We are bringing more business to Bulawayo and Motovac would open shop at No 128B Corner 13th Avenue and Fife Street."We have over 50,000 lines of spare parts in the market and we are just happy and thank God for the opportunity to invest in Zimbabwe," said Mr Mphoko, son to Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko."This is a demonstration of investor confidence in Bulawayo. Our plan is to open for business on 28 July. Our goal is to expand and probably have 15 to 18 branches countrywide starting with Bulawayo."Mr Mphoko said his family was patriotic hence their desire to empower locals through attracting investment and employment creation."Our biggest drive is to create jobs and help empower our people, alleviate poverty and bring competitiveness in the market. We expect to employ 18 people here," he said.Mr Mphoko could not disclose how much has been invested in the business but said they will be using a building that was previously occupied by the Chitrin family before it closed shop."We are renovating the building in preparation for opening. This was a dead corner but we want to make it active again. We are here to support the growth of the industry in Bulawayo," he said.Motovac is one of the largest importers and distributors of automotive spare parts in Botswana with 18 branches in the neighbouring country.Given that Zimbabwe does not manufacture vehicles, Mr Mphoko indicated the bulk of their merchandise will be imported but said his company would establish a big distribution centre in the city."We promise the market that we will be competitive in pricing and offer a wide range of services. What the Zimbabwean market needs is competitiveness."Setting up business here would also ease the burden of travelling to neighbouring countries for spare parts."This will not only reduce travel and time constraints but help retain liquidity in our economy," he said.Motovac has 12 branches in Namibia and two in Mozambique. It has an estimated monthly turnover of 1.2 billion pula. Motovac offers a wide range of vehicle spare parts and quality customer service to the wholesale, retail and government markets.Its range of products includes body panels, engine parts, suspension parts, lamps and accessories, borehole diesel engines among other spares.Motovac, which started business in 1983 in Lobatse, Botswana with a handful of employees, now boasts of more than 400 workers with operations spread all over Botswana and partner companies in South Africa, Namibia and the United Kingdom.The Mphoko family has become one of the most active economic players in Zimbabwe in the past few years. It has spearheaded the establishment of Choppies Zimbabwe which entered the country's market three years ago and boasts of 30 branches countrywide.The business employs more than 2,000 people.Plans are also underway to establish a water purification plant and a powdered soap factory in Belmont, which would also create more job opportunities. Subscriber content preview SEBRING, Ohio (AP) State officials on Wednesday charged a former village water plant operator with waiting too long to notify residents after tests showed high levels of lead in their drinking water. The two charges, both misdemeanors, come after residents said they were not told until mid-January about the lead, months after the tests were conducted. . . . A new tourist attraction will be unveiled at Doe Castle by RTEs Sean ORourke on Saturday, July 23rd at 11am. By Gareth Reynolds The new attraction consists of information panels on the structure of the castle which tell the story of the building and the lives of some of the people who lived there over its 500 year history. The castle, on the shore of Sheephaven Bay, between Creeslough and Carrigart, was one of several strongholds of The McSweeneys of The Territories, which was given to their family by the ODonnells. Some notable stories throughout Doe Castles history include the rescue of Spanish Armada sailors in 1588 and the departure of Owen Roe ONeill and Sir Phelim ONeill from the castle in 1642, along with 1,500 men to lead the Irish troops in the Gaelic uprising of the 1640s. Fast-forward almost 300 years to 1905 and the castle returned to its McSweeny origins. Three thousand people marched from Creeslough to attend a Gaelic Revival Festival at the castle. It was led by the famous Donegal piper Turlough McSweeney. Padraig Pearse, who would sign the proclamation just over ten years later, addressed the gathering. Free guided tours of Doe Castle will take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during July and August between 11am and 5pm. The castle grounds are open to the public seven days a week all year round, from 10am until 6pm. Donegal was one of three counties to show a drop in population in five years, according to preliminary 2016 Census results released today. Donegal recorded a fall of 2,382, or 1.5 per cent, in its population since 2011, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The population of Donegal was recorded at 158,755 on Census Night. Overall, the preliminary results show that Irelands population continues to grow, though more slowly than it did between the 2006 and 2011 censuses. Still, population growth varied widely among the counties, with County Meath showing the highest percentage increase, at 5.9 per cent. The two other counties to record a population decline over the five years, according to the preliminary results, were Mayo, at -0.2 per cent; and Sligo, at -0.1 per cent. Total population of Ireland increases by 3.7% The total population of Ireland, as enumerated on census night, April 24th of this year, was 4,757,976, up 3.7 per cent from the 2011 census. Donegal also recorded a significantly higher percentage of vacant dwellings than the national average. Nationally, the preliminary census figures showed a 13 per cent decrease - nearly 30,000 fewer premises - in the number of vacant dwellings since 2011, for an overall vacancy rate of 12.8 per cent. However, the preliminary results for Donegal show a total of 23,899 vacant dwellings for a vacancy rate of 28.2 per cent. The CSO reported that the total change in population between censuses is the combined effect of natural increase and net migration. According to the CSO, the natural population increase is estimated at 198,282, with an estimated net migration of -28,558 for the state. Migration Net migration for Donegal was estimated at -6,731 persons, the CSO reported. The office reported that net migration on a county-by-county basis varied widely across the state, with most counties experiencing a net outward migration. A small number, such as Dublin and Cork, saw net inwards movement, the CSO reported. News / National by Ndou Paul Tsvangirai's MDC-T has been criticised for trying to hijack #ThisFlag . One campaigner today said "I don't like the vibe how political parties will now try to hijack the whole #ThisFlag atmosphere prevailing right. Not cool."Scores of Morgan Tsvangirai supporters thronged the party's headquarters in Harare today to welcome him back following a long absence due to illness. There are reports of MDC-T youths demonstrating in Harare.Tsvangirai's spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, said that the former prime minister in the government of national unity and President Robert Mugabe's chief rival ahead of the eagerly anticipated 2018 national elections, had been spurred into action by the ever deteriorating situation in the country."President Tsvangirai is taking the current national situation very seriously, hence his convening the two important meetings of the top organs of the party," he said.Tsvangirai and the MDC-T are expected to come up with resolutions on how they will respond to the prevailing situation."The clampdown on citizens for exercising their constitutional rights, the failure by the government to pay civil servants and the collapse of the economy are some of the issues set for discussion."The two organs of the party will determine our national response to the crisis, as we witness the end game," Tamborinyoka added. An angler claims he saw Mary Boyle, the six year old girl who went missing in March 1977, being driven away in a red car. The Irish Daily Star reports today that Ballyshannon man PJ Coughlin (73) (pictured) saw a red Volkswagen Beetle speeding away from a bridge less than half a mile away from the house where Mary was last seen. Coughlin told Michael OToole of The Star that ten minutes after that he saw Marys uncle, Gerry Gallagher, frantically searching for her. He came to the top of the mountain, shouting, Mary, Mary, where are you? He was looking for his niece, he was upset surely, Coughlin told The Star. Coughlin said he was first to alert gardai over the disappearance of Mary Boyle in 1977. In an interview with the paper, Coughlin said, There is no doubt in my mind she was lifted. Mr Coughlin, a well known local man in Ballyshannon, said he told gardai of the suspicious car but it was not included in his statement. Coughlin said he would to cooperate with the Garda Cold Case Unit as they begin work on the 6 year-olds disappearance case. Councillors from Donegal Municipal District have agreed to jointly seek funding for Fintra (pictured) and Tyrconnell bridges. By Gareth Reynolds The move comes in the wake of ongoing wrangling over which bridge should rate as the area's highest priority. Cllr. John Campbell brought a motion to last Tuesday's meeting that Fintra be re-instated as the top priority. This prompted Cllr Tom Conaghan to voice his disapproval at the matter being brought up again after the councillors voted the Tyrconnell Bridge (known locally as the Iron Bridge) as the top priority in April of last year. Cllr Conaghan said, I'm fighting for the bridge in Donegal, it's condemned nine or 10 years and nothing is being done. Fintra Bridge is the only route to Sliabh Liag, while the Tyrconnell Bridge is key to business in Donegal. The council fear that funding agreed for a joint project between Sliabh Liag and the Gobbins in Antrim may not come through now following Brexit. Cllr Niamh Kennedy said, It's time that we meet as a collective with Transport Minister Shane Ross and present both bridges. Staff at Dundalk Peoples Centre for Information and Training were left in shock this week with the news that there is a strong possibility that popular resource centre is to close as of August 31st. As many as 30 full and part time staff would be affected by any decision to close it's doors after 26 years of operating on its Clanbrassil Street premises. The staff were given just seven weeks notice of the likelihood that the centre is to close. The Democrat understands that financial issues are at the root of the centre's difficulties. Aileen Doohan, the centre manager told the Democrat that they are 'fighting hard' to keep the centre open. I can't give you the circumstance as yet, Ms Doohan told the Democrat. We are trying everything not to close it. With a very heavy heart I told staff that there was a very strong possibility of closing. A member of staff who spoke to the Democrat said that all the staff were in shock and that news of the closure had come out of the blue. We were called in this week and told by the manager of the centre that we are to close. Everyone was stunned. No one saw this coming. The member of staff estimates that as many as 30 full and part time jobs could be lost. The centre does so much. There are training courses, job clubs, information on welfare rights. We do CV and cover letters for people. There's a school book buy back service which is a huge help with the cost of school books. We take in old school books that are in decent condition. Books can be purchased at a discount, and sold back. It will be a huge loss to people. The centre is a non-profit and has charitable status. The centre has an excellent record of getting people into work. We are one of the best in the country. That's all going to go to waste now. Formally known as Dundalk Resource Centre for the Unemployed, it opened its doors in May 1990 and become a mainstay of the local community. It centre is a run as private entity though it has received support down the years through the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and receives funding from the State too. ICTU did not response to a Democrat request for a statement on the matter. A father of seven who was the getaway driver from a raid on a filling station during which what appeared to be a handgun was produced - was last week sentenced to three-and-a -half years at Dundalk Circuit Court, with the final six months suspended. John Guy (38) with an address at Fairgreen Park, Keady county Armagh, pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery at Texaco, Townparks, Ardee on 21 September 2013. The court heard last Wednesday that the man who carried out the robbery who has since died - had entered the premises that evening wearing his hoodie up and his face partially concealed. He pointed what looked like a black handgun with tape wrapped around at an 18 year old woman working there and asked her to open the till. Both she and her co-worker a 21-year-old man, told him they couldnt open itbut the woman told gardai that after the raider threatened to shoot them both, she went into shock. She opened the cash register and was ordered to hand over the notes. Seventeen hundred euro was taken and a witness spotted a Northern registered Volkswagon Passat drive off towards the roundabout which leads to the Carrickmacross as well as the M1 motorway. The defendant was traced through CCTV footage. He told gardai that the gun was actually a spud gun wrapped in tape to disguise that it was coloured blue, and it was thrown from the car near a crash barrier as they drove towards Castleblayney. The defendant claimed the other individual was the architect of the robbery plan, and had picked the location as he believed guards use Texaco stations to get free diesel and petrol. The accused said he was given 500 payment for being the getaway driver and admitted supplying hats, balaclavas and the spud-gun. The court heard John Guy who had 17 previous convictions, began taking cannabis at a young age following the death of his grandmother. That escalated to a heroin addiction, and while he had completed a treatment course in Armagh, he suffered a relapse and is serving a sentence for a separate robbery in Monaghan around the same time. The accused pleaded guilty at the first opportunity in May as the prosecution was delayed as the investigating detective was one of a number of gardai who were attacked and injured after a dog was set on them, as they carried out a drugs search. Opinion / Columnist Vince Musewe is an economist and author based in Harare. He is also the Secretary for Finance and Economic Affairs for PDP. You may contact him on vtmusewe@gmail.com Out of timber so crooked as that from which man is made nothing entirely straight can be carved.-Immanuel Kant.As I stood right next to what looked like a policewoman brandishing an AK47 at Evan Mawarire's court hearing yesterday afternoon, the 13th Of July 2016, I could not help but wonder what was going on in her mind. She certainly looked eerie with her blood shot eyes and she was all kitted up in camouflage. Does she have children I wondered? Is she happily married and would she head home tonight and have a good night's sleep? Would she hug her children tonight and tell them she loves them? Oh how wretched she must be, I thought, for it is intolerable to even begin to imagine who she truly is and what she really felt inside at that moment when our eyes crossed.Next to her, were some mean looking youths, who looked more like soldiers to me than policemen or anything else. Someone pointed out to me that they looked more like army recruits trained to kill for Mugabe pretending to be riot police. I could both feel and see their somewhat concealed anxiety, impatience and fear as they looked directly at us as the crowd sang-"We want to go out of this Egypt". Whose sons could they be, I wondered, and what are their hopes and dreams? Poor souls, for they must now defend the indefensible. They must defend the interests of a dictator who cares little of their fate, their aspirations and even their lives. How sad.It was exciting, electric and exhilarating to be part of a crowd of Zimbabweans of all shades, shapes and sizes as we knelt down to pray for Evans release outside the court. Well, God must have looked down upon us with His unfathomable grace yesterday, because he granted our wish. In one moment of time and in one brief moment of history, Zimbabweans of all races, gender, political and religious affiliation, stood together united for one cause-justice. It was truly an indescribable and magical once-in-a-lifetime experience.The release of Evan must surely now spur us on to go to the next level in our fight for freedom. We just have to drop the meaningless political, religious and racial labels we have adopted and, for once, be human beings who happen to be Zimbabwean. We must now all unite for one cause, fight together and look out for each other's interests as thousands did for Evan because that is the only way we can topple this evil empire.We cannot and must not ever underestimate the fact that we have a crooked regime, which is in a corner as it continues to dig a deeper hole for itself with each action it takes to try to prolong its hegemony whose inevitable end is near. We must ensure that they do not drag us with them into the grave which they have dug for themselves thinking that they are being clever.It is also imperative that we see new politics underpinned by new inclusive paradigm. We can no longer afford to follow the old politics of personalities, divisions and unnecessary competition for attention and power. Those politics are no longer relevant nor are they interesting anymore, especially to our youths.I have a good feeling that we have entered a new dawn and change is coming. Those who are unwilling to change will be made irrelevant by its momentum which is solely centred on the interests of the people of Zimbabwe and nothing else. We cannot negotiate for our freedom with the dictator any longer, we have to demand it and, if necessary, fight for it as happened today at the courts.Thank you Lord for today's victory but we must never be deceived or be naive. ZANU (PF) has no morals, no ethics, and no scruples, is corrupt and will do everything in its power to resist change. Our battle has therefore only begun, but let the message be clear- enough is enough.If there is anything we must learn from this event, it is the fact that we all need each other in these times, for the battle is not for one man or one woman. It is our collective responsibility to attain the dreams of our fathers of total emancipation, justice and prosperity for all.Thank you Zimbabwe, the struggle continues! Company travel is being inefficiently managed by Australia and New Zealands SMEs, according to Serko, which revealed 81 millions hours are being lost to this process each year. The travel and expense management software company highlighted research by TNS Research, which found that 46% of Australia and New Zealands one million SMEs travel regularly for work. On average, these companies book 30 trips per year, and approximately six hours is spent booking and managing each trip. This equates to more than 81 million hours spent managing travel in SMEs. The two main booking methods used by SMEs are booking through a travel agent (33%) and making bookings on a travel website (66%). The best deal doesnt always pay off According to Serko CEO Darrin Grafton, unlike large corporations, SMEs dont have the numbers to negotiate better rates with airlines and hotels. Consequently, they either have to pay a premium for travel agent bookings or internalise the time and administration associated with making bookings directly on travel website. This process can be inefficient and time-consuming and when you consider the hourly rate of the employees involved its can be quite costly, Grafton told Dynamic Business. SMEs book directly on supplier or aggregator websites with the aim being to secure the best deal possible. However, getting the best deal in an unmanaged process doesnt always pay-off. In the SME space, 25% to 40% of business trips change at least once. If an employee books a trip to attend a business meeting, and that meeting falls through, then the employee needs to go through the process again. It can go around in circles if the meeting needs to be rescheduled more than once. Employees then need to go through the process of getting their credit card statements and reconciling that through the employers accounting system. On top of that are the service fees SMEs incur when using travel websites most impose a service fee at each stage of the booking process: theres a service fee for booking a hotel, another for booking a flight and a further one for booking a taxi. SMEs dont keep track of the time being wasted when the process of booking and managing company travel is inefficient. Set boundaries, encourage efficiency Grafton said it was concerning that some SMEs give their employees free reign to make bookings but then reprimand them for flying business class or staying at an expensive hotel. SMEs should instead be setting boundaries and encouraging employees to book efficiently, he explained. By not doing so, theyre losing money that could have been put into winning business. SMEs can use travel management software to subtly influence the behaviour of employees when it comes to booking trips. For instance, if an employee books a flight from Sydney to Melbourne through Virgin, when a cheaper flight was available at the same time through Qantas, they know their manager will receive an email highlighting the price difference. In this way, the process is visible for SMEs and there is a guilt factor, which can help change the behaviour of travellers. Grafton said another aspect of company travel where SMEs tend to have insufficient oversight is work health and safety. SMEs owe a duty of care to their workforce under WHS legislation, and this includes knowing each employees travel plans, he said. If employees are using multiple travel websites and neglect to forward relevant travel information to their boss or another relevant decision maker, the SME is taking on risk. What if an employee books a room at an unsafe hotel or books a flight with an airline that recently had a crash? SMEs need to ensure booking information is visible. If disaster has struck a city that an employee is visiting for work, you need to know youve done as much as you can. You need to know there has been a disaster, whether an employee is there and know how to contact them. Opinion / Columnist The MDC Women Assembly strongly condemns police brutality on peaceful protesters throughout the country in the past week and the arrest of a number of activists, among them Pastor Evan Mawarire of ThisFlag movement, for their role in the mass protests against the high level of corruption and maladministration in the country. The violence meted out against protesters by the security forces including women and children which has so far resulted in the death of a small child in Bulawayo is despicable and should be condemned with all the contempt it deserves.Tens of protesters, including women remain languishing in cells in Bulawayo after they were unable to raise the $80 bail set for each protester.Our hearts bleed for these women and we call upon well wishers to join us in efforts to raise the bail for these innocent people.As the women of MDC, we consider these acts to be a serious violation of the right to dignity, physical integrity, freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration, indeed a tragedy to democracy. These acts are solely aimed at muzzling the people's voice demanding an end to impunity, corruption and maladministration that has resulted in widespread suffering of the masses. There is no room in a democracy for a government that fails to at least listen to the people. The right to peaceful protest must be guaranteed, and these oppressive practices must not be tolerated against Zimbabweans, who have suffered enough under this cruel regime. We must refuse as Zimbabweans to be conditioned into adhering to these intimidation tactics by President Mugabe's failed regime and engage in organised and peaceful protests. When the State closes all avenues for citizens, the only alternative is mass protests.The MDCWA believes that lasting change will only result from open and inclusive dialogue based on the premise that the current regime has totally failed to govern this country. Switching back to its well -worn tactics of brutality and intimidation tactics on protestors betrays the cowardice and unwillingness of Zanu PF to address the concerns of the people.This government continues to let down women in just about every respect and as mothers and major economic drivers we continue to bear the brunt of all its disastrous policies and anti -people decisions. The women of Zimbabwe deserve a government that puts the interests of the ordinary Zimbabweans ahead of those of a mighty few.We encourage open political dialogue in good faith by leadership at all levels including opposition political parties, civil society and churches to ensure that the crisis facing our nation is does not tip over the cliff edge. Opinion / Columnist Many people saw last week's the country wide protests as the beginning of a revolution that will not stop until Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies are finally driven out of their offices. These people's disappointment with the poor response to calls for a follow-up protest yesterday and today 14 July 2016 is palpable."After years of complaining about bad governance, corruption, a decaying economy and general joblessness, it seems some people are so inebriated in their misery that they cannot do anything to lift themselves out of this mess," wrote Newsday Comment."The leakiest excuse for some people was that if they stayed away from work they would miss out on the crumbs they get on a daily basis, a somewhat flawed and worrying logic."Come to think of it there is a logic in why the Zimbabwean people are already tired of the protests before they have accomplished anything; they are weary of taking part is revolutions that deliver nothing in the end."The mass actions that have been called recently are not about spearheading some selfish politi-cal agenda, but are about Zimbabweans demanding an end to corruption, finding solutions to the economic malaise and about guaranteeing a future for this and the next generations," argued the Newsday comment.Everyone can see the common cause now just as we all did before independence or in 2008 when millions risked life and limp to vote for Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends. It is what happened after the white colonialists were driven out of power that concerns the people because Mugabe and his cronies took power and instituted a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical regime denying the people the freedom and human rights they are dreamt of.MDC was elected on the promise they would delivery democratic change, the party had five years in the GNU and still failed to get even one reform implemented. Not one!It is all very well to say people should come out and demand an end to corruption, etc.; what is there to assure them they are not being taken for a ride again as happened in 1980, 2008 and on countless other occasions? Nothing!What the people out there should understand is that they have been their own worst enemy and no one. Back in 1980 they failed to understand that it is the duty of the people to elect a competent government and to hold it to account at all times. Mugabe denied their freedoms, rights and human dignity and granted himself dictatorial powers to do as he pleased. It was the people's duty and responsibility to stop him and they did not.When it was clear that Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were wasting GNU time when they should have been implementing the reforms; the people should have cracked the whip, they did not.It is true that the people had no clue what their powers and duties are in a healthy and functional democracy; they still have no clue what these are to this day. It is equally true that the people did nothing to get Tsvangirai to implement the democratic reforms because they had no clue what these reforms were back then during the GNU.The disastrous reality of the rigged July 2013 elections should have spurred the people to find out what these reforms are about by now, one would think. Sadly most people still have no clue what the democratic reforms agreed with SADC in 2008 to ensure free and fair elections are about.The country has exactly two more years to the next elections and not even one democratic reform has been implemented. Not one! So it is almost certain Zanu PF will once again blatantly rig the next elections.It is all very well for people to go out on the streets demanding an end to corruption, "We want our $15 billion back!" read one poster, etc. but as long as Zanu PF remains in power and not accountable to the electorate through free, fair and credible elections then corruption, looting, etc. will continue.Understanding what the democratic reforms required are demands a bit of effort on the part of the voter nothing more because they are after all common sense and not rocket science!"French philosopher, Joseph-Marie comte de Maistre famously remarked that every nation gets the government it deserves, quite an apt statement to describe Zimbabwe," wrote the Newsday commentator.Well Monsieur Joseph-Marie comte de Maistre was right there, we have this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Mugabe government complete with its coterie of corrupt and incompetent opposition parties and deserve nothing better.-----------Wilbert Mukori How would Andy Saas life be different if Obamacare had never become law and Kentuckys former governor hadnt accepted Medicaid expansion? I would end up with no teeth in my face. Thats what Saas told Politicos Rachana Pradhan for a must-read investigation into the inequities of Medicaid expansion. A door-to-door meat salesperson who also runs recovery houses for former addicts, Saas hadnt had a regular doctor in 16 years. Since his Medicaid coverage went into effect, hes had dental work and gotten to see a gastrointestinal specialist despite being haunted by medical debt from a hospital stay in his pre-Obamacare days. His life and health would be very different if he were living one state away in Tennessee, where Donnie Gene Rippy fell off a roof while shooing away ducks, breaking his back and too many bones to count. After four surgeries to fix his shoulder, wrists and vocal cords, hes mired in pain, mood issues and debt, all compounded exponentially by happenstance of living in a Republican state with Republican leaders willing to let their residents suffer and die rather than accept coverage that their state is paying for anyway. In several states that expanded Medicaid before the ACAincluding New York, Maine and Arizonadeath rates dropped, with the greatest reductions seen among older adults, minorities and those living in poorer counties, Pradhan wrote. Of all the intentional miseries Republicans have inflicted since Barack Obama stepped into the White House, none is more sadistic than the denial of Medicaid coverage to the working poor. And none could be reversed more quickly with a sudden burst of conscience or inevitability. Louisianas new Democratic governor John Edwards, who has used expansion to insure more than 200,000, predicts a number of states would accept the coverage quickly if Hillary Clinton wins in November and the reality that Obamacare isnt going to overturned sets in. So let this be a reminder of not only whats at stake in November but of Republican willingness to allow harm to be inflicted on their fellow Americans in the name of conservative beliefs. Its also a searing reminder that Democrats lack any ability to summon the shame the right deserves in order to pressure them into doing the right thing. Republicans are denying millions Medicaid. They will take coverage from at least 18 million if Trump wins and they will end Medicare as we know it. If you have any doubt about that, ask Donnie Gene Rippy of Tennessee. [Map by KFF.org] Customers and investors increasingly are wondering why Verizon and Verizon Wireless are hurting themselves with their actions. Following are three examples that illustrate how these companies are causing themselves long-term damage. The Verizon Strike Verizon decided to battle its own striking workers on the public stage. That battle shed lots of bad blood, and it will be tough to close those wounds. Many companies experience strikes, but most are settled quickly and quietly. Thats the secret. However, over the last decade or two, every time Verizon workers contracts have come up for renewal, the process has been longer, uglier and messier. Both sides positions are understandable. On the employee side, theres the need to keep up with the rising costs of living. On the company side, theres the need to remain competitive, as new companies and new technologies change the playing field. Unfortunately for workers, times change. Just as the horse and buggy industry gave way to the automotive industry, things change. Workers can stress a company so badly that it ends up closing, and everyone loses big time. Just think of the recent Hostess story. Workers demanded more from the company than the company could afford. Bottom line: Hostess went out of business. All the workers became unemployed. That is the bottom line every union worker needs to understand. Companies are not invincible. Hostess was acquired by another company, which gave the brand new life. However, the Hostess of today is now free from unions and doesnt face the same type of worker demands. So, as much as we can all understand worker demands, they must be balanced with reality. The Verizon strike and the estrangement of its workers planted seeds of distrust and a hard, cold reality into the marketplace something that will fester and grow. While past strikes quickly faded away, the damage to Verizons reputation was more serious this time. If the next strike lasts as long, it will damage the company even further. The fear is that this festering will have an ongoing impact on investor confidence, business customers, consumers and workers. Verizon has allowed this issue to take a disturbing direction. Verizon Shows No Respect for Customers Verizon customers have taken it on the chin in recent years. For example, after a recent hurricane leveled a town, Verizon didnt reinstall phone service instead, it forced users to choose wireless. While this is a trend that indicates the way the industry will move in coming years, it will take many years to get there. Some customers are OK making the switch early. Others dont want to make the switch at all. Not yet anyway. Nevertheless, they are being forced into a corner to do something uncomfortable to them. Changes like this must take place at a slower pace. You must turn the screwdriver of change slowly, or risk breaking the screw. In my opinion, Verizon is breaking the screw. It is negatively impacting its relationships with customers by showing no respect or consideration for them. The Verizon problem, as I see it, is that the company doesnt seem to care about people workers or customers. Rather than letting customers change services when they are ready, they are being forced to change now. Verizon Is Forcing Change A third example is the way customers say Verizon comes in to fix a phone line problem. They simply replace the POTS telephone service with something else. When they are done and have updated the customer to a digital product, then they surprise the customer telling them what they just did. That is not something many customers want yet Verizon is forcing the switch. The choice Verizon gives the customer is either to accept its new service or go without. It doesnt really care one way or the other. Customers who do not accept simply will have no landline phone. This very customer-unfriendly approach is chipping away at the core strength of the company and Verizon is its own chipper. I understand the changes the company wants to make. It wants to go in the direction the industry is heading in. However, forcing customers to change too fast will hurt Verizon. Turning the screwdriver too quickly will cause problems with customers tomorrow. Now that there is growing competition, other companies will take away more of Verizons market share. Its not too late for Verizon to change and be the friendly company it was but to tell you the truth, I dont think it understands the damage it is causing. In the next few years, as it runs into problems with its customers, those issues will be directly related to the damage Verizon is causing itself today. Kautman-Jones endorses Davis Please support Meredith Davis in her re-election to the Genesee County Board of Commissioners - 8th District. I have had... Writer recommend Delor, Jones for GB school board I have met heard April Delor and Patricia Jones for the Grand Blanc School Board. They both have many years... Chairman Matt Smith reminds you to vote It is important that the voters of Genesee County show up and cast their ballot on Tuesday, November 8th, 2022.... Americans have expressed outrage at Wednesdays police shooting of Philando Castile, an African-American man, which happened in St. Paul, Minnesota, during a traffic stop for a broken tail light. Castile was shot in front of his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and their 4-year-old daughter, who were in the car. Reynolds used Facebook Live to stream video of the aftermath of the shooting. The graphic video, which shows Castile bleeding and groaning in pain while the officer who shot him curses and continues aiming his gun at Castile, had garnered more than 4.4 million views by Thursday evening, and nearly 300,000 shares. President Obama posted a lengthy comment in response to Castiles shooting and the police shooting earlier this week of another black man, Alton Sterling, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterlings shooting was captured on video by several bystanders. Race undoubtedly played a role in Castiles shooting, said Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, who called on the United States Department of Justice to investigate. Outrage and Anguish There were more than 16,000 comments on Reddit less than 24 hours after the shooting, many expressing outrage. There is no reason four shots should be fired from a foot away, especially when he let the officer know he had a concealed weapon, wrote chemicalbeats37. I saw this guys last moments of life, wrote doyou_booboo. His last breaths. A mother in a state of shock, watching someone she cared about die. I saw a three year old witnessing something that she doesnt fully understand yet, but which might have lasting repercussions on her psyche. A Twitter feed on the shooting also displayed the anguish of commenters. "It's okay mommy. It's okay, I'm right here with you" #PhilandoCastile's girlfriend's 4yo daughter said to her mother. & I am broken. deray mckesson (@deray) July 7, 2016 A Gofundme campaign set up by Xavier Burgin to benefit the Castile family raised more than US$60,000 toward a goal of $80,000 in its first 19 hours. Upwards of 2,200 people contributed. Castiles sister Moni also started a GoFundMe campaign, which had raised more than $16,000 toward its $30,000 goal in the first 12 hours. Facebooks Role Facebook took down the streaming video of the shooting for several hours but restored it after some users protested. Facebook claimed the takedown was due to a technical glitch. In this day of citizen journalism and ubiquitous video, the role Facebook played in disseminating knowledge of the incident was critical. What legal, ethical and other issues do companies that offer live-streaming services face, as people use them to document events in real time? Typically, posting something that showcases someone getting shot would be an automatic delete, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. However, thats not the case if it has to do with abuse of power and you position yourself as a news service, he told TechNewsWorld. Users have posted disturbing images on Facebook and other streaming services before. Whether that raises legal and ethical issues depends on whether the service is considered to be a common carrier with an obligation to not discriminate on the basis of content or use, or a publisher, constrained by considerations of copyright and fair use, noted Mike Jude, a program manager at Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan. If Facebooks a publisher that allows individuals to use its platform to post their content, it has the right to determine what gets posted, he told TechNewsWorld. However, if its a common carrier, then it cant and shouldnt, regardless of impact. Thats called free speech. The FCC is wrestling with the question of whether Facebook is a common carrier with a must-serve obligation, Jude said. There has been a lot of dispute regarding the liability of various intermediaries such as Facebook which doesnt necessarily fall in areas Congress envisioned when they passed various laws, Yasha Heidari of the Heidari Power Law Group told TechNewsWorld. Theres no hard-and-fast rule as to what is or isnt allowed, so streaming services will just simply accept the risk and moderate after the fact, doing their best to comply with known laws, Enderle said. The difficulty with any kind of censorship is knowing where to draw the line. Forget about ethical standards, which seem to mean very little on the Internet, Jude remarked. I would say there are moral [arguments] for not publishing such content. Google on Wednesday released an update of its online antipiracy efforts. YouTube has generated more than US$2 billion to content copyright holders by monetizing user-uploaded content through its Content ID rights management system, Google said, adding that more than 90 percent of all Content ID claims result in monetization. YouTube also paid out more than $3 billion to the music industry, which has monetized more than 95 percent of its claims, Google said. Half the music industrys YouTube revenue comes from fan content claimed through Content ID meaning from content posted by fans on YouTube, which the music industry then monetizes. Thanks to advertising, YouTube has transformed the promotional cost of the music video into a new source of revenue that has generated $3 billion for the music industry, and that revenue is growing rapidly, a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by company rep Stephanie Shih. Now with YouTubes new subscription service, YouTube Red, YouTube offers the music industry two sources of revenue, the spokesperson said. These two sources will give the industry the opportunity to earn revenue from 100 percent of people who enjoy music. The Discordant Sound of Music On the other hand, Content ID fails to identify 20-40 percent of record companies and music publishers content, according to Frances Moore, CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents the music industry worldwide. Googles search engine continues to direct Internet users to unlicensed music on a large scale, she remarked, and IFPI national groups across the globe have sent Google more than 300 million d-list notices. Despite piracy-fighting changes introduced to Googles search algorithm two years ago, the amount of traffic Google refers to infringing sites in response to music search queries has increased, Moore maintained. The report looks a lot like greenwash, commented Geoff Taylor, chief executive at the British Phonographic Industry. Google is still one of the key enablers of piracy on the planet, he said. It refuses to remove YouTube videos that show how to circumvent Content ID, and Google Search directs fans to illegal music sites in preference to legitimate ones. In a Google search BPI recently carried out in search of the UKs Top Ten singles, 77 percent of the links on the first page of search results went to illegal sites, Taylor alleged. That was worse than the result of the same test conducted in 2013. Google repeatedly has refused to make further changes to its algorithm to improve search results. Its autocomplete and suggested search features push fans toward illegal sites, and its app store has no screening process to remove apps intended for piracy, Taylor noted. The fastest-growing problem area in piracy is stream ripping, a method of illegally converting YouTube streams into downloads, he said. Google continues to point to stream-ripping sites in autocomplete and to host YouTube videos showing how to use them, Taylor charged, and it hasnt taken effective action to counter them. The Case for Google Digitization of content has made piracy much more available to a much larger audience than before, and the content, music, movie, software and video game industries have all been hurt by increased piracy, said Mike Goodman, a research director at Strategy Analytics. That being said, their solution is to take a sledgehammer to the problem. Putting in a blanket filter is not practical, he told the E-Commerce Times, and you have to ask, at what point is it Googles responsibility to be the piracy police? Even if Google could create some magical technical antipiracy solution, the reality is, within a month it would become ineffective, Goodman pointed out. Its always a game of cat-and-mouse, and the antipiracy people are always in reactive mode. You cant ever get ahead of the curve. Hackers late Sunday broke into CEO Sundar Pichais Quora account and through it accessed his Twitter followers, according to reports. The group taking credit for the breach, OurMine Security, previously hit other prominent high-tech figures, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Spotify CEO Daniel Elk, Amazon CTO Werner Vogels and former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo. OurMines goal is to improve the security of social media accounts around the world, the group has claimed. As well intentioned as they may be, OurMine is not making friends with their efforts, while theyre gaining a lot of publicity, noted Craig Kensek, a security expert at Lastline. Still, the damage done so far has been more of an embarrassment, he told TechNewsWorld. A deep-pocketed celebrity may ultimately go after OurMine or other hackers for invasion of privacy. OurMines Agenda OurMine reportedly is a group of three people, believed to be teenagers. They initially removed private data and stored information from the sites they hacked, but lately have attempted to rebrand themselves as a security group, hacking into accounts as a way of advertising their services. OurMine has claimed that it exploits vulnerabilities in the services its victims use. For example, OurMine hacked the Bitly accounts of Channing Tatum and journalist Matthew Yglesias. However, Bitly has denied the groups claim, and said the hacks were possible because the victims used their passwords on multiple sites. OurMine also asserted the presence of a vulnerability in Quora, which Quora subsequently denied. OurMine claimed to have launched exploits that let it access passwords victims had saved in their browsers apparently the method used to hack Channing Tatums YouTube and Twitter accounts. Sowing Dragons Teeth OurMines actions have drawn widespread rebuke. A Change.Org petition calls for shutting OurMine down and urges Twitter and YouTube to take action. The petition had more than 5,400 supporters at press time. Twitter has suspended OurMines account. Hacker AlexPro earlier this year published information that supposedly outed the group on Dramaalert.com. He listed the groups IP and Skype addresses, and suggested they were Arab as they were using the SaudiNet ISP, and geolocation information placed them in Saudi Arabias Makkah province, close to the city of Jeddah. Keep in mind these guys had a (sic) Arabic twitter, AlexPro wrote. However, AlexPros conclusions are questionable. This group has Polish roots, maintained Andrew Komarov, chief intelligence officer at InfoArmor. They actively use XSS (cross-site scripting) attacks against social media account owners, he told TechNewsWorld. The Silver Lining Still, its not all bad, because anything that causes no real harm, which can serve as a reminder to everyday folks that security matters for everyone, is likely a positive, suggested Jonathan Sander, vice president of product strategy at Lieberman Software. OurMine isnt telling us anything that hasnt already been said, he told TechNewsWorld. Of course theres a problem with the security of social media. Passwords are fundamentally flawed; people reusing passwords is even worse. It will be interesting to see what, if any, legal ramifications this interesting marketing campaign may have for the group in the short term, Sander mused, though it seems like most of the people being targeted would rather have the incidents forgotten. Protect Yourself Weve seen time and time again with breaches that many users avoid password changes and fail to use unique passwords across services, noted Craig Young, a security researcher at Tripwire. This will probably never change, he told TechNewsWorld, which is why its so critical that services continue to push users onto multifactor authentication systems and eliminate this single point of failure. 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The petition, which launched today, currently has 73,166 supporters out of a goal of 75,000. The petition reads: Every year, billions of dollars in taxpayer money goes to subsidize one of the most profitable industries in human history: the oil industry. In 2014 alone, oil companies received more than $4 billion from US taxpayers, despite raking in hundreds of billions of dollars in profits. Meanwhile, we have a student debt crisis in our country. Millions of Americans face mountains of debt to get the education needed to make a good living. Its time to shift our priorities. We should be making college more affordable, not lining the pockets of the oil industry. Imagine if we spent that $4 billion funding higher education for students, ensuring they are not saddled with ridiculous amounts of debt just as they are starting to build a future. The American Dream is built on helping the next generation do better than the last. We are failing on that promise when youth are saddled with more than a trillion dollars in student debt. Society benefits more from affordable higher education than from oil companies profit margins. Join me in telling Congress to end the subsidies for the oil industry and instead invest in making higher education affordable. Its time to move from big oil to big ideas! Lets make sure our Representatives hear our voices and invest in our future! Major celebrities and activists are supporting the petition, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Keegan-Michael Key and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Great @Change petition to shift $4 billion of oil subsidies to student debt relief. Sign now: https://t.co/11owByrkRq #4billion4us Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) July 10, 2016 The National Wildlife Federation and Natural Resource Defense Council are also supporting the the petition. What Are GMOs? Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms that have been modified in a laboratory in order to produce a specific result. For example, many types of food sources, especially corn and soybean crops, are genetically modified in order to withstand herbicides and insects. This method stems from the concept of selective breeding and dates back to at least 8000 BCE, although genetically altering DNA didnt happen until 1973. Austrian monk Gregor Mendel is credited with identifying the founding principles of genetics when he crossbred two pea breeds in 1866. In 1922, hybrid corn made its commercial debut, while plant breeders discovered how to alter DNA with radiation and chemicals in 1940. After 1973, the FDA approved insulin in 1982 as the first genetically engineered product for human use. However, genetically modified food didnt get FDA approval until 1994, when a GMO tomato became the first to go commercial. While on the surface it appears that GMOs are 100 percent positive, they have been surrounded by controversy for decades. How Are GMOs Made? Creating GMO plants first involves identifying and isolating a desired trait, from the aforementioned herbicide resistance to drought resistance to disease tolerance. That trait is then copied and inserted into the plant DNA thats being modified, with the final result initially grown in a lab. The seeds from successful modifications are then sold to farmers. Current Use of GMOs Besides corn and soybeans, other commonly grown GMO crops in the U.S. include cotton, canola, potatoes and sugar beets. The latter are used to make granulated (or white) sugar; in fact, more than half of this type of commercially sold sugar comes from GMO sugar beets. GMO-derived ingredients are also prevalent in processed foods, such as lecithin and emulsifiers from soybeans; canola and cottonseed oil used in packaged goods; and high-fructose corn syrup, which is found in everything from soft drinks and salad dressing to bread and sweetened yogurt. While its often thought that GMOs are only found in processed food and drink, genetically modified produce exists as well: apples, summer squash and papaya are among the ones grown in the U.S. GMO grains are also fed to the majority of livestock (cows, chickens) used in the meat and dairy industry, with corn, soybeans and alfalfa ranking as the most popular choices. The FDA claims that livestock fed a GMO diet pose no greater risk to human health than ones that arent, and so far there havent been any conclusive studies that prove otherwise. In the meantime, the benefits appear to outweigh any possible risks, although these might be more apparent to farmers and the agricultural industry than to consumers, since GMO crops can be altered to better withstand drought conditions and pests, require less pesticide, cost less money to grow and even increase nutritional value. Are GMOs Safe? Though unproven, GMOs have been tied to everything from reduced fertility to cancer. GMOs are considered safe by the FDA, but long-term effects are still being studied, and these studies have only been performed on animals. Cancer Although correlations exist, there are currently no definitive studies that GMOs cause cancer, and this is the stance of cancer organizations in the U.S., UK and Australia. A 2013 study raised concerns when it studied the effect of glyphosate, the active ingredient used in most herbicides on GMO crops, in human breast cancer cells. The results suggested that glyphosate could cause breast cancer, but the lab study also used breast cell tissue that was already cancerous. Another study, this time from the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2015, reported that glyphosate doubled the risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. It connected the highest risk to farmers and farm workers, and California has since added glyphosate to its list of cancer-causing chemicals. It should be noted that glyphosate is the main ingredient in the popular weedkiller Roundup, which has been linked to thousands of cases of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Despite this, the EPA has declared glyphosate isnt likely to pose a cancer risk in people. The question remains whether or not GMO crops require more pesticides (including herbicides and insecticides) than non-GMO crops. A 2016 study examined this issue. On the one hand, GMO crops altered to resist insects technically dont require additional insecticide. On the other hand, it turns out that farmers sprayed more weedkillers on glyphosate-tolerant corn after 2007. The same goes for glyphosate-tolerant soybeans. As to why, a co-author of that study suggested it was due to weeds becoming more resistant to glyphosate over time. Organs In 2011, the journal Environmental Sciences Europe reviewed 19 studies involving animals that were fed GMO diets of corn and soybeans. It concluded possible links between this diet and kidney and liver disorders, as well as altered body weight and genital cancer in second-generation females, but that further research was needed. A more recent 2019 study published in GMO Science also suggested a link between liver and kidney damage in rats fed a GMO corn diet. However, this particular diet involved Monsanto-engineered corn for the Egyptian market containing a pest-deterring insecticide. The earlier study also fed rats an insecticide variant. Fertility Problems A 2014 study possibly linked fertility issues to GMO-heavy diets, while a 2018 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that pesticide-tainted food, often associated with herbicide-tolerant GMO crops, might have been the cause behind 100,000 unsuccessful pregnancies at fertility clinics. While the study recommended that pregnant women and those trying to conceive should avoid pesticides and GMOs where possible, it didnt measure how much of participants pesticide consumption came from GMO foods that were pesticide resistant. Offspring According to a 2015 Harvard University article, various studies havent proven any causation between GMO consumption and negative impacts on offspring. The article cites a South Dakota State University study that tracked rats eating GMO corn for four generations, including pregnant rats, and did not find any changes in offspring size or organ damage. It should be noted that GMOs can be found in non-organic baby food, and just like other food studies, the long-term effects are unknown at this time. Allergies An early study in the 90s found a possible allergic reaction to GMO soybeans, but that was only upon adding a nut protein, and only affected people with specific nut allergies. The FDA states that people are only apt to be allergic to a GM food if theyre already allergic to the non-GM version, such as soy. DNA Mutations There have been some concerns that eating genetically altered food would alter human DNA. Bruce Ames, a Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of California in Berkeley, developed a test to track mutations from food, and this test has been used on GMO corn and tomatoes without any findings to suggest a connection. The Royal Society, one of the worlds oldest scientific organizations, asserts that one doesnt affect the other, and that the DNA in GM food is no different from the DNA in non-GM foods. Pros and Cons of GMOs Pros of GMOs As touched upon earlier, GMO crops are meant to provide benefits. For example, certain GMO crops technically require less pesticide, while other GMO crops can achieve higher yields or withstand droughts. Added Nutritional Value Some GMOs can also boost a foods nutritional value, although this area has been mired in controversy. Take Golden Rice, which is just white rice thats been modified with Vitamin A to help prevent blindness and other Vitamin A deficiencies, especially in children, in developing countries. While a good idea in theory, Golden Rice has been caught in a 20-plus-year battle due to opponents who question the rices safety and effectiveness. Although the Philippines approved Golden Rice for the commercial market in 2020, it has yet to reach consumers. Increased Food Supply Besides the potential to add nutritional value, GMOs are another way to possibly reduce world hunger. Food demand is expected to grow 70 percent by 2050, and that requires even more deforestation going forward. However, GMO crops could prevent that in a number of ways, such as employing modifications that would double production yields without requiring additional land. Thats already the case with cotton crops in developing countries, where GMO cotton has increased yields in India and China. Although GMO food crops are currently banned in India and other nations that could benefit from an increased food supply. Combat Climate Change Then there are climate crisis considerations. There are studies indicating that GMO crops have reduced pesticide spraying by 8.7 percent, while less soil tillage and fuel dependence have decreased greenhouse gas emissions that are the equivalent to 15 million fewer cars on the road. Additionally, larger GMO crop yields resulting from drought resistance, among other reasons, have reduced the need for farmers to acquire more land. Scientists are also researching ways that GMOs can actively fight climate change, such as altering plants that can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, require less sunlight or convert nitrogen for growth purposes. GMO crops could even reduce methane emissions from livestock by employing plants that create less methane from consumption. Cons of GMOs Besides the negative health implications and increased herbicide usage already covered, there are additional drawbacks for the environment and farmers. Superweeds There have been claims connecting GMO crops to superweeds, where, instead of reducing a reliance on pesticides, certain crops have become more herbicide resistant, thus requiring greater usage of weedkillers such as Monsantos Roundup. The elephant in the room is the fact that until recently Monsanto owned the majority of the countrys GMO seeds. Roundup has been linked to thousands of cases of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, leading to a $10 billion settlement from Bayer, who acquired Monsanto in 2018. A 2018 study stated that 38 global weed species have become resistant to glyphosate. Decreased Pest Resistance Insects, similar to weeds, are becoming increasingly tolerant of pest-resistant GMO crops, particularly cotton and corn. Known as Bt crops (Bacillus thuringiensis), due to the type of bacteria that makes them pest-resistant, they initially worked to resist common threats such as bollworms and rootworms, and reduced the need for insecticides. However, new strains of these pests are no longer deterred by GMO crops modified to resist them, re-upping the need for insecticides. Biodiversity Loss Increased Roundup and herbicide usage has also been tied to dwindling monarch butterfly populations, one of many biodiversity issues. Thats because the toxin also kills milkweed, the main diet for monarchs and commonly found in crop fields. Farmer Suicides In recent decades, India has attracted attention for its farmer suicide rate, which some have attributed to the GMO industry. There have been about 300,000 farmer suicides in the past twenty years, and biotech opponents blame these on the GMO cotton sector, which is the only industry allowed to use GM crops. The majority of the countrys cotton comes from modified Bt cotton seeds. The supposed problem is the rising cost of these seeds, which many farmers cant afford and often go into debt for in order to buy them; bad crops and fluctuating global cotton prices often create a debt spiral thats hard to recover from. Yet there are studies that dispute a connection between Bt cotton and farmer suicide rates, instead suggesting that the reverse is true due to higher crop yields. Besides the theory that Bt cotton is sending growers into debt, theres the other issue of bollworms becoming resistant to GMO cotton, requiring heavier doses of pesticides. Due to different regulations, its not uncommon for fieldworkers to apply toxic chemicals without the proper protection, or even shoes and masks. Adding another layer, a different paper found that small farms were at a higher risk for suicide rates than large ones since they depend more on rainwater for successful crops than large operations, which use irrigation pumps. If anything, the study authors found the bigger problem is the threat of groundwater shortages for large farms, since groundwater usage is unregulated. Seed Sovereignty Not least is the matter of seed sovereignty, giving farmers the freedom to use whatever seeds they wish, thereby decreasing reliance on major seed companies who favor patented GM seeds. Seed sovereignty is an ongoing issue thats been ceding control to large corporations concerning which seeds farmers can plant. Which Foods Might Contain GMOs? Though GMOs appear prevalent, there are only a small number of GMO crops grown in the U.S. The most common are corn, soybeans, sugar beets, canola and cotton. However, about 90 percent of these crops use GMO seeds. There are also GMO alfalfa crops, used mostly for livestock feed. GMO versions exist for some produce, including apples, summer squash and papaya. Ranger Russet, Russet Burbank and Atlantic potatoes all have GMO versions, and are sold under the White Russet label. While it appears easy to avoid some GMO foods, such as produce sold under a particular label, others, including GMO corn, soybeans and canola oil, can turn up in unexpected places. For example, corn can pop up in anything containing high fructose corn syrup, dextrose or glucose, and encompass bread, cereal, soda, frozen meals and even Vitamin C supplements. GMO soy can be found in infant formula, protein drinks, tofu, edamame, canned tuna and salad dressing. Its a safe assumption that unless an item is sold under an organic label or is considered a whole food, it likely contains GMOs. Then there are GMO foods which are marketed as healthy vegan alternatives to meat, such as the popular brand of Impossible Burgers. Sold by major chains, from White Castle to Bareburger, the plant-based burgers contain GMO soy protein and heme, the molecule responsible for replicating the realistic beef-like taste and appearance. This molecule is genetically engineered by combining soybean DNA with yeast. In 2015 the FDA approved AquAdvantage Salmon, a genetically engineered Atlantic salmon. This new salmon grows faster than non-GE Atlantic salmon due to a hormone from Chinook salmon. The FDA asserts that this GE salmon will be labeled as bioengineered. AquaBounty, the company behind the new salmon, plans to sell it to consumers sometime in 2021. So far many entities, from Aramark and Walmart to supermarkets and restaurants, have refused to carry the salmon. Its worth noting that GMOs arent limited to food. Most cotton, whether produced in the U.S. or abroad, actually comes from the aforementioned Bt cotton seeds. So unless organic cotton was used, most clothes, bedding and towels are GMO goods. Although GM cotton also enters the food supply via cottonseed oil derived from cotton seeds, and the oil can be found in potato chips, baked goods and pasta sauce. What Is Being Done About GMOs? GM Labeling Due to the unknown long-term health effects from GMOs, along with environmental protestors and preliminary studies linking them to health risks such as cancer, theyre banned, or partially banned, in 19 out of 27 EU countries, including France, Greece, Italy, Germany and much of the UK. Additionally, GMOs are currently banned in Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Venezuela and most African countries. The EU also requires GMO labeling, something the U.S. has resisted, but will start adding in January 2022. At that point foods containing certain types of GMO ingredients will be required to display a bioengineered label. CRISPR CRISPR is a type of gene editing technology that can precisely alter cells; a new technique allows for plant alteration without introducing foreign DNA, hence the end result is not a GMO. While this new technology could positively alter the current GMO landscape, its still in the rudimentary phase. Monitoring There are some organizations such as the Non-GMO Project that independently monitor products for GMOs and verify whether or not certain standards are met. The site also facilitates checking specific food items for their GMO status and provides guidance for identifying potential GMO foods. In the meantime, the FDA continues to monitor and regulate GMOs, which involves working with other government agencies to ensure that the same safety standards are met as non-GMO foods. This includes monitoring pesticide usage. Otherwise, beyond ongoing independent studies, the American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the World Health Organization, among others, have all deemed GMOs safe and as such no further action is being taken at this time in the U.S beyond GMO labeling. What Can You Do? Consumers can err on the side of caution by choosing organic food and goods whenever possible, buying from local farms, looking for non-GMO certification labels and reading ingredient lists. The Non-GMO project also breaks down which crops are deemed most likely to be genetically modified, along with listing high-risk, animal-derived ingredients. Some of the items might be surprising, including honey and eggs, due to the amount of GMOs used in crops and livestock feed. Takeaway At of time of publication there is no conclusive evidence that GMOs as a whole are more harmful than non-GMOs, whether to ones health, the environment or farmers, so it appears that avoiding GMOs entirely would have a negligible impact based on the current facts available. Meredith Rosenberg is a senior editor at EcoWatch. She holds a Masters from the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in NYC and a B.A. from Temple University in Philadelphia. In less than three weeks, Vermont will enact a historic mandate that requires labels on products containing genetically modified (GMOs) ingredients. The no-strings-attached bill, which the countrys second smallest state passed on May 2014 and goes into effect July 1, has rippled across the food industry and has sparked a bitter and expensive food fight from opponents of the law. But with only 17 days to go, it looks like Big Food has unenthusiastically surrendered despite spending millions upon millions to fight state-by-state labeling mandates in court and to lobby Congress. In March, Congress ultimately failed to pass an industry-approved bill introduced by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) that would have prevented states from requiring labeling of GMO foods and stopped pending state laws that require labeling to go into effect. Sen. Charles Grassley, a Senate Agriculture committee member, indicated it may be too late to enact a standard, nationwide labeling approach. I see it as very difficult to get a compromise, the Iowa Republican told the Des Moines Register earlier this month. I hope something would develop this week that we could get something passed, but frankly, I doubt it. According to Politicos latest Morning Agriculture blog, Senate Agriculture committee chairman Pat Roberts and ranking member Debbie Stabenow are still trying to find common ground on GMO labeling legislation amid warnings from the food manufacturing, agriculture and biotechnology industries that time is running out before Vermonts mandatory labeling law takes effect July 1. Congress, which returned from recess on June 6, now has only 14 working days to resolve the issue before the July 1 deadline. Big Food believes that labeling GMO products for one state without labeling them for the 49 others would be costly, warning that labels would force the buck onto the consumer, or even scare them away completely. Although the food industry has consistently maintained the health and safety of GMOs, the overwhelming majority of Americans support labels on foods with such ingredients. In recent months, titans such as Campbells Soup Co., General Mills, Kelloggs and more have decided on their own to label such products sold nationwide. Cereal Giant General Mills to Start Labeling GMOs Nationwide as Vermont Law Looms https://t.co/mdW7ggjltx @justlabelit @GMWatch EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) March 20, 2016 As Minnesotas Star Tribune reported, these food companies appear resigned to GMO labeling despite having plenty of reservations: In March, shortly after the Senate declined to vote on a national ban on mandatory on-package GMO labeling, General Mills said it would label products to comply with the Vermont law and distribute those products nationwide while awaiting a national standard. In an e-mail exchange with the Star Tribune, a company spokeswoman called the packaging change costly. Asked whether General Mills would now accept a national law that requires mandatory on-package GMO labels, the spokeswoman said, The most important thing at this point is that we set a national standard so that we have certainty moving forward. The editorial board of the Packer, a publication covering the fresh produce industry, came to terms with Vermonts label law in an op-ed, How to deal with Vermont. The board reported on the United Fresh Produce Associations new white paper outlining steps that produce growers and retail members should take to prepare for Vermonts GMO law, and also bitterly huffed that shippers could simply choose not to work with the tiny state: Shippers of GM-free product also dont need to do anything, and it seems unwise to us to begin labeling product as GM-free, thus unnecessarily spooking the consumer. Of course, shippers could also decline to do business with receivers in the 49th-most populous state, home to about 600,000 consumers. The United Fresh Produce Associations white paper is similar to the road map issued by the the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), a trade group which represents more than 300 food and beverage titans such as ConAgra, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Kellogg and Hershey. As EcoWatch exclusively reported, back in October the GMA posted on its website a six page, 29-point FAQ in order to respond to questions that companies have about compliance with the Vermont law, Roger Lowe, the executive vice president of GMAs Strategic Communications, told us via email. Its clear that food companies are quietly preparing for Vermonts seemingly inevitable label law. Starting in 2017, companies that fail to comply with the states GMO labeling law will be punished with a $1,000 fine each day if a product is not properly labeled. Many other states are also working on their own labeling initiatives, with Connecticut and Maine enacting their own mandate when similar bills are passed by at least four other states. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Brazil Wont Buy U.S. GMO Corn, Highlights Worldwide Divide Over GMOs First Commercial Crop of GMO Arctic Apples About to Hit Market EU Fails to Approve Technical Extension for Weed-Killer Glyphosate 6 Questions for Monsanto UPDATE: On Friday, July 29, President Obama signed into law S. 764, which overturns Vermonts GMO label law and directs the Sec. of Agriculture to come up with a national labeling standard at some point in the next two to three years. UPDATE: The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill by a 306-117 vote Thursday. The bill now heads to President Obamas desk. Looks like were finally getting GMO labels on food productsjust not the kind you can actually read. CALL US House today Tell 'em you don't support the #DARKACT 1-877-796-1949 @flugennock IS right about GMO law. pic.twitter.com/PuSQvna7oQ Dr. Bronner's (@DrBronner) July 14, 2016 President Obama is expected to throw his weight behind a controversial bill that allows businesses to use a smartphone scannable QR code instead of clear, concise wording that informs consumers if a product contains genetically modified ingredients. The bill would also nullify state-by-state GMO labeling mandates such as Vermonts landmark law that took effect on July 1. While there is broad consensus that foods from genetically engineered crops are safe, we appreciate the bipartisan effort to address consumers interest in knowing more about their food, including whether it includes ingredients from genetically engineered crops, White House spokeswoman Katie Hill told Bloomberg in an e-mail. We look forward to tracking its progress in the House and anticipate the president would sign it in its current form. The House of Representatives is voting today on legislation from the Senate, which voted 63 to 30 in favor of the bill on July 7, less than a week after Vermont enacted its GMO label law. The bipartisan compromise bill was conceived after years of negotiations by Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Republican Sen. Pat Roberts and is supported by the very industry that produces and profits from such products, including the powerful Grocery Manufactures Association and worlds largest seed producer and pesticide giant Monsanto. Yesterday, the House voted 242-185 on a rules resolution to bar amendments to the bill, meaning it would not have to go back to the Senate. After the House vote today, Congress will be on summer recess until Sept. 8. Some House Democrats have criticized the bill. In order to access the information through the QR code, an individual must have a smartphone and must have access to the internet, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said during a floor debate Wednesday, reported The Hill. The reality is that not every American has access to a smartphone or the internet, he said, adding that consumers who do have a smartphone would have to painstakingly scan every item theyd like to purchase to see if it contains GMOs. Many consumer and environmental groups have nicknamed the looming mandate as the Deny Americans the Right to Know, or DARK Act, as the bill goes against the majority of Americans who support clear labeling for GMOs. While the influential Organic Trade Association (OTA) unexpectedly endorsed the Stabenow-Roberts bill, the groups backing has been viewed as highly suspicious. Just yesterday, the farmer-controlled Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association announced that it withdrew membership from the OTA, citing betrayal over the Monsanto-backed bill. The group also accused the OTAs board members of endorsing a dangerous Senate bill as, recent revelations have made clear that the OTA has created numerous close partnerships with Monsanto including intensive lobbying efforts by the notorious biotech-linked lobbyist Podesta Group on behalf of the deal brokered by Senators Stabenow (D-MI) and Roberts (R-KS). https://twitter.com/theOSGATA/statuses/753275360477937665 regulatory officials will follow the spirit of the law when crafting rules and require labeling of all GMO ingredients that gain USDA approval as well as those developed with novel technologies. Still, the bill even has conservative critics. Right wing think tank Heritage Foundation came up with six problems with the labeling bill, with one reason being the implication is that theres something wrong with [genetically modified] crops. Despite its flaws, it appears that the bill will soon land on President Obamas desk, as the Republican-controlled House is likely in favor of passage. Last year, the House voted 275-150 to pass an anti-labeling bill. Bloomberg reported that Republican Mike Conaway of Texas, the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, has indicated his support of the bill meaning that it will likely pass the lower chamber. Conaway and House Ag Committee ranking member Collin Peterson told Agri-Pulse that they expect a majority of both Republicans and Democrats to vote for the legislation on final passage. Agri-Pulse noted, however, that the final GMO bill is bunched with a far more controversial abortion-related measure that Democrats broadly oppose, so stayed tuned for how the final vote tallies. Meanwhile, a number of major food companies such as General Mills, Campbell Soup, Kellogg, Conagra Foods and Mars have voluntarily added GMO labels on their packages. This marks a larger trend of businesses complying with consumer demand of transparency and organic food. Sales from organic farms across the country have boomed in recent years, with consumer spending up 72 percent since 2008. Just yesterday, the meat brand Applegate announced its commitment of removing GMOs from its entire supply chain, from animal feed to finished product and gain third-party certification. Today, yogurt maker Dannon announced that its products in the U.S. that have GMO ingredients will be clearly labeled and has unveiled its first Dannon and Oikos branded products containing more natural and non-GMO ingredients. Shoppers are our main ingredient, and what is important to them drives what we do. For this reason, the range of products we make is evolving to provide even more choices, said Dannon CEO Mariano Lozano. Transparency is the key word for this shift. To show to our consumers that in order to make a real choice, we need clear labels, today we are making a bold change and candidly discussing how transparency from brands is essential for shoppers to make real choices. From start to finish, our plan to remove GMOs from our entire supply chain: https://t.co/1edQAO0Fqn pic.twitter.com/xneo1KnsEK Applegate | #RegenerativeAgriculture ??? (@Applegate) July 13, 2016 Environmental Working Groups President Ken Cook agrees. While we support a national, mandatory GMO labeling system, we cannot support this proposal because food companies would be permitted to make a GMO disclosure through a means that is unavailable or unfamiliar to many Americans, he said. While the proposal clearly intends to require a disclosure on more foods than are covered by state GMO labeling laws, we are concerned that loopholes could undermine Congress intent. Salt Lake City announced Wednesday its commitment to transition to 100 percent renewable energy sources by 2032. The city also plans to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2040. Mayor Jackie Biskupski and city council members signed a joint resolution Tuesday creating the Climate Positive 2040 commitment. The resolution acknowledges the scientific consensus that climate change is occurring and is driven by the burning of fossil fuels. City officials also stated in the resolution that changes in water systems and extreme-weather events are affecting Salt Lake City now and will be exacerbated in the future, according to North America Wind Power. This is the most ambitious step ever taken by Salt Lake City to address the threat of climate change, Biskupski said in a press release. This commitment places the city among leading communities worldwide that acknowledge our responsibility to rapidly reduce emissions and forge a new path forward that protects our economies, societies and overall human well-being. Climate Positive 2040 laid out four main pathways to achieve Salt Lake Citys historic goal: Clean Electricity Supply: The City recently partnered with Summit County and Park City to fund a renewable energy study that will reveal pathways forward, including towards 100 percent clean electricity by 2032. This study is underway and will offer results in late 2016. New clean energy options for homeowners and businesses, such as Rocky Mountain Powers Subscriber Solar program, will also be key. Reduce Energy Waste: Energy efficiency and conservation, both for our buildings and in how we travel, are essential to achieving sizable reductions in carbon pollution. The City continues to partner with large property owners and managers through Project Skyline and by exploring new options to advance energy savings in commercial properties. Active Transportation and Clean Vehicles: Salt Lake City has been active by originally launching initiatives such as Clear the Air Challenge and the Hive Pass which offers discounted transit passes to residents. The City has also invested in substantial bike infrastructure and programs and installed public electric vehicle charging infrastructure . New EV charging stations are planned for 12 total locations in late 2016. These efforts will continue to grow and evolve to match the ambitions of an 80 percent reduction in carbon pollution. Community Partnership: Partnership is key to succeeding on climate change and its you, as community members, that will help drive adoption of solutions. The newly formed Utah Climate Action Network is one way the City is leading alongside other organizations committed to sharing and accelerating the adoption of climate solutions. The goals in our resolution may seem aggressive, City Council Member Erin Mendenhall said. To that I say, they are realistic if we want to actually change the air we breathe. This has been a long time Council priority we have supported for years through budget priorities, ordinances and resolutions, helping lay the foundation for the City to take the leap. How We Get to a 100% Renewable Energy Future https://t.co/DId1zRwdI5 @CSREuropeOrg @Ethical_Corp EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) June 15, 2016 In January, during her State of the City address, Biskupski made a commitment for powering its government operations with 100 percent renewable energy. She also committed to major carbon reductions citywide. But this new announcement takes the citys commitment one step further. We can tackle this challenge and deliver clean energy solutions that will simultaneously improve air quality, protect public health and deliver local jobs, Biskupski said. Leading on climate change today is an obligation we all share with each other and to future generations. The Democratic National Convention Platform, released last month, also made a call for 100 percent renewable energy sources. The goal year determined in the platform was 2050. Oregon Becomes First State in Nation to Sign Bill That Phases Out Coal, Ramps Up Renewables https://t.co/gVtsXtssWM @BeyondCoal @quitcoal EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) March 15, 2016 Salt Lake City officials arent the only ones taking climate action. In March, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed into law legislation aimed at eradicating the use of coal for electricity generation entirely within two decades. Dealing a major blow to President Obamas climate change agenda, the Supreme Court on Tuesday placed a temporary hold on the Clean Power Plan Tuesday until all legal proceedings surrounding it have concluded. This decision is not the final word from the justices. The case is likely to return to the Supreme Court after an appeals court hears a challenge made by a group of more than two dozen states led by West Virginia and Texas. The temporary hold has proponents of the plan worried though, because its an early hint that the program could face a skeptical reception from the justices, The New York Times reported. The White House said in a statement that it disagreed with the courts decision and remained confident that it would ultimately prevail: The administration will continue to take aggressive steps to make forward progress to reduce carbon emissions. Supreme Court blocks EPA Clean Power Plan, Obama vows to fight on https://t.co/PhBHRshzqL pic.twitter.com/fFIdoiBk1m RT (@RT_com) February 10, 2016 Environmental organizations were quick to share their disappointment with the Supreme Courts decision. The Clean Power Plan is a flexible, economical response to the Clean Air Acts mandate to regulate carbon emissions, Ken Berlin, president and CEO of Climate Reality Project, said. It is a grave disappointment that the same Supreme Court that made clear that carbon dioxide must be regulated as a pollutant, has now decided to stay enforcement of the Clean Power Plan pending a far fetched legal challenge. This disturbing development makes clear that people must demand that their leaders at all levels act on climate. One hundred ninety five nations spoke in one voice in Paris to say climate change is real, caused by humans and must be addressed urgently. There is no doubt that the Clean Power Plan is the United States path forward to turning the agreements made in Paris into a reality. The 5 to 4 vote, with the four liberal justices dissenting, was an unprecedented ruling, according to The New York Times, as the Supreme Court had never before granted a request to halt a regulation before review by a federal appeals court. https://twitter.com/JigarShahDC/status/697248986189688832 If there was ever a Supreme Court decision that looked backwards instead of towards the future, this was it, Jamie Henn, communications director at 350.org, said. If left to conservatives on the court, well be stuck addressing climate change with all deliberate speed. Make no mistake, this case was brought forward on behalf of the fossil fuel industry and companies like ExxonMobil who will hold back change by any means necessary, but their days are numbered. The American people overwhelmingly support efforts to fight climate change and momentum is on our side. G.R. Little Library renovation plans underway Thanks to the passage of the Connect NC Bond referendum, Elizabeth City State University will begin the process of renovating the G.R. Little Library, as well as historic Moore Hall. Last spring North Carolina voters passed the statewide referendum and ECSU is receiving $13 million for renovations of these two campus facilities. According to ECSUs Director of Facilities and Planning, Charles Hall, within the next 30 days university officials will be interviewing designers for the beginning phase of the library renovation. By mid-September, according to Hall, ECSU will have contracted with an architectural designer to begin planning the long-awaited renovation of the library facility. Hall says he estimates that the design process, once a designer is named, will take one year to be completed and approved. A university committee for the design and renovation of the library, and Moore Hall, will oversee the process as it moves forward. In addition, town hall meetings will be held on campus to receive input from students, faculty, and staff. Once the design is approved, construction will begin. Hall says it is important to note that during the entire process, the library will remain open to students, faculty, staff and the public. Its called occupied phased construction, said Hall. The renovation of the G.R. Little Library will focus on the interior of the building. The design team will create a new floor plan, updating the space to better meet the needs of students. Hall says once a plan for the library is approved the design team will then begin working on plans for the Moore Hall renovation. He added that completion of the library renovation is estimated to happen in fall, 2018. Updates on the projects will be made as they occur, he said. (Photo: REUTERS / Amit Dave)Volunteers of the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) take part in a drill on the last day of their three-day workers' meeting in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad January 4, 2015. Authorities in a village in Indian's eastern Jharkhand state have told Christians to stop worshiping Jesus publicly or face fines and face other consequences and reports from other states indicate Hindu extremists continue to apply pressure on those who follow Jesus in other states.. Christian leaders in the areas were forced to sign an agreement that they would worship only inside their homes, and that if they are caught worshiping publicly, they will pay a fine of 10,000 rupees ($150), The Christian Times reported July 10. "We were forced to sign the bond, we have no other choice as we have nowhere else to stay except in the village," Pastor Sanjay Kumar Ravi told Morning Star News. A large group of Hindus called for a meeting with 25 Christians representing six families on May 8. The Christians were taken to a school far from the village center where about 100 Hindu extremists were waiting. Christians said Hindu extremists ordered them to stop their worship and also told them to perform rituals to Hindu gods. The Christians, however, refused to carry out their demands, the newspaper reported. Hundreds of thousands of Christians across India are faced with the ultimatum of hiding their faith, or risk harassment, intimidation, and even death, Christian Today had reported July 5. http://www.christiantoday.com/article/beaten.and.abused.for.their.faith.in.jesus.christian.persecution.in.india/89671.htm Churches have faced increasing arson attacks on Christian property, and the harassment and violent abuse of new converts to Christianity in in India, where just 2.3 per cent of the population identifies with the faith. The newspaper cited two young women who have experienced such persecution are naming the as Meena, aged 32, and her 25-year-old sister, Sunita (whose real identities are withheld to protect them). They were badly beaten by some men from their village in Odisha state after news spread that they had converted to Christianity, but this did not deter them from praising God for their experiences. "We knew about persecution in theory because the Bible speaks about it," Meena told researchers for Open Doors, a Christian charity focussing on persecution. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a EUR 250 million loan to ICO for its FOND-ICO Global fund-of-funds to improve the capitalisation of Spanish companies. This is the second operation mounted by the EIB and ICO under the Investment Plan for Europe. Half of the EUR 250 million loan is covered by the Investment Plan guarantee. The agreement was signed today in Madrid by EIB Vice-President Roman Escolano and ICOs CEO, Emma Navarro. The operation is designed to give a boost to private investment in Spain. FOND-ICO Global was set up in 2013 to catalyse the creation of private funds and strengthen alternative sources of finance to bank loans. Since its launch, FOND-ICO Global has approved investments in 39 funds in the amount of EUR 947 million, accounting for 63% of the EUR 1.5 billion dedicated to this initiative. This new impetus provided by the Investment Plan for Europe and the EIB will enable FOND-ICO Global to continue taking stakes in funds fostering the long-term growth and expansion of the beneficiary firms. At the same time, todays loan will serve as an encouragement for other countries to put in place similar platforms in support of private venture capital. Under this operation, the EIB will share with ICO the risk on the investments made by FOND-ICO Global up to the amount of EUR 125 million. The loan is designed to mobilise total investment of EUR 4.6 billion to finance midcap companies in Spain and offer them an alternative source of funding to traditional loans. This initiative will also have a positive job creation impact by benefiting firms with high growth potential. The funds in which FOND-ICO Global has stakes have to date invested EUR 683 million in over 150 Spanish businesses employing more than 50 000 people. When signing the agreement Roman Escolano said that this loan will help to promote privately managed venture capital funds investing in small and medium-sized Spanish companies. Through this operation we will attract other private investors to Spanish venture capital funds and foster the growth and expansion of Spanish firms. Emma Navarro added that this operation is a further indication of ICOs involvement in the Investment Plan for Europe. Thanks to this instrument for cofinancing with the EIB, ICO is taking another step forward in its support for business funding through FOND-ICO Global, which will continue injecting capital into Spanish companies, helping them to deleverage and improving their competitiveness. AUSTIN, TexasCockyBoys and Fleshjack announced a new partnership in which models exclusive to the gay studio will be custom molded for a new line of sex toys. We are thrilled to enter into a partnership with CockyBoys, said Daniel Harvell, director of the FleshJack line. Their studio has had a profound creative impact on the adult industry, and the level of quality they bring to their projects is unsurpassed. Fans of both CockyBoys and adult toys are going to go crazy for this new line of products. The new line of CockyBoys FleshJack products will kick off with feature toys molded after three exclusive CockyBoys models: Boomer Banks, Levi Karter and Liam Riley. The models will visit the ILF offices in Austin, Texas, next week to be molded for dildos and FleshJack toys. The new FleshJack Boys will all have their own unique textures, which are designed and produced in the USA. As with all products under the FleshJack brand, the toys will be made with the manufacturers body-safe patented SuperSkin material. Karter, Riley and Banks have all received an impressive number of award nominations and wins over the past few years including: Levi Karter: 2016 Grabby Award Best Group; 2016 Grabby Award Performer of the Year; 2015 Grabby Award Best Supporting Actor; 2014 Grabby Award Best Newcomer, 2014 Cybersocket Award Newcomer of the Year Liam Riley: 2015 Grabby Award Best Twink Performer, 2015 Cybersocket Award Best Sex Scene Boomer Banks: 2014 Grabby Award Hottest Cock; 2014 Grabby Award Performer of the Year When you talk about the best adult toys for gay men, FleshJack is always at the top of the list, Jake Jaxson, CEO of CockyBoys said. They dont partner with just any model or studio, so to be able to work with them is a privilege for us and our guys. But the big winners here are the fanstheyll get to experience Liam, Levi, and Boomer in a new and exhilarating way. We are looking forward to working with FleshJack in a more robust and hands-on way by developing the look and feel of the campaign with them directly, he continued. Our own RJ Sebastian will be taking all of the photos for the line, so we are thrilled to be a part of the process from beginning to end. To mark the occasion CockyBoys has created a special video with exclusives Boomer Banks, Levi Karter and Liam Riley that can be seen here. 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. 13:33, 25 OCT 2022 As it turns out, there might be a compelling reason why the alligator who snatched and killed 2-year-old Lane Graves from the Disney-owned Grand Floridian Resort & Spa last month did not hesitate to approach the child. According to emails that were recently obtained from a public-records request, about two months before the fatal incident, Disney firefighters had been feeding a couple of alligators in the area. In fact, the emails were found to have been sent by Reedy Creek Emergency Services, A Disney-owned firm which provides government services to theme parks as well as the surrounding areas. Back in April, Claude Rogers, a communications captain, sent an email to the firefighters in the area. "It was brought to our attention firefighters are feeding the alligators (this is illegal). The communicators have found one alligator by the station, near the dumpster, and where they park their cars," Rogers stated in his email. "As you can imagine this is making the communicators nervous because they are fearful of walking to their car and their leg becoming dinner. We have notified Animal Control to remove the alligator. In the interim could you ask your crews to stop feeding the gator." In another email, this time, sent to Reedy Creek communications employees, Rogers reiterated his warnings about the dangers of alligators in the area. He also doubled down on his request for the firefighters to stop feeling the wild animals. "Several people have expressed concern about becoming alligator food because the alligator is seen out of the pond near the building, by the dumpster, and near the cars. The firefighters feeding the alligator only aggravates the situation," Rogers wrote in the email. "Animal Control has been notified and I have spoken to B/C Brown requesting they tell the firefighters to stop feeding the alligator. He has already spoken to members of his crew and has passed this on to the other shifts." Even before Rogers sent his emails to the Reedy Creek employees, dispatcher Dan Lewis also sent alerts to officials, including the communications captain, about the gator problem in the area. "Could y'all tell the ops side to stop feeding these alligators, we think we have 2. They are coming out in the parking lot much more than others in the past and WE are the ones who have to walk in that parking lot every day and in the dark. They are not docile gators, they are mean and they are out looking for food because people are feeding them. It's getting uncomfortable," Lewis stated. Disney World has not released an official statement about the emails as of writing. Former U.S. President George W. Bush has inspired headlines across the nation once more, as the ex-commander-in-chief, while singing a hymn during the memorial service of the fallen Dallas officers on Tuesday, appeared to dance enthusiastically to the music. Holding hands with his wife, Laura, and First Lady Michelle Obama, the smiling Bush seemed to be having quite a good time. Considering that the event was a funeral, the former president's actions immediately went viral. After all, with everyone else at the event looking very somber and solemn, George W. Bush's smiling face and almost hyperactive arm movements were definitely an attention grabber. With the ex-president's dance going viral, social media users have found themselves divided about the incident. While many were quick to condemn the former president's actions as inappropriate, a good number of users from Twitter felt that Bush's jubilant actions during the funeral were not out of line at all. Nevertheless, that has not stopped a deluge of negative comments about the former president's actions. Twitter, in particular, became a battleground for those who agreed and those who disagreed with the president's actions. Those who were appalled by the ex-president's behavior were very direct in their criticisms. President Bush is dancing at the memorial??? Good grief. #DallasMemorial Aunt Jen (@jwsparkles) Hulyo 12, 2016 George Bush dancing to "Glory Glory Hallelujah" at the #DallasMemorial while smirking makes my heart hurt #Dallas Kelly Byrd (@KelByrd) Hulyo 12, 2016 Then again, a number of Twitter users have pointed out that Former President Bush's dance during the memorial service was simply a rather different form of worship. He was feeling the spirit. Please, allow him to sway on. https://t.co/wIiz7EdNyE Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) Hulyo 13, 2016 @donnabrazile @hughhewitt @thehill In some churches, when the spirit moves, we, as King David did, dance before the Lord. Let him dance holchi (@hollychilek) Hulyo 13, 2016 What was particularly ironic about the aftermath of the former president's rhythmic movements was the fact that it completely divided social media. Just a few minutes prior to his dance George W. Bush spoke to the nation, urging everyone to unite. We just added an additional quantitative course to our majors. When students start complaining I'll point them here: The knock that liberal-arts graduates can have a tough time landing a first job is borne out by the data. Yet a new analysis of help-wanted postings for entry-level jobs suggests that those graduates can improve their job prospects markedly by acquiring a small level of proficiency in one of eight specific skill sets, such as social media or data analysis. In most cases, those skills increase salary prospects markedly, as well. The analysis can help diffuse the debate over the value of a liberals-arts education versus a career-focused one, says Matthew Sigelman, chief executive at the job-market-analytics company Burning Glass Technologies. The company undertook the analysis as part of its continuing study of the job market. "Employers really value soft skills that are the bedrock of a liberal-arts education," he says. But many employers are also looking for applicants with additional, specific skills, such as knowledge of Java or other programming languages, or proficiency with graphic-design tools like InDesign or Adobe Suite. "Its not a matter of shutting down the classics department and turning it into a business degree," he says. Burning Glass routinely data-mines three-and-a-half-million job ads a day. For this analysis, it combed through the wording of a years worth of job ads for entry-level positions requiring a bachelors degree, and it found about 955,000. It then dug deeper to see how many more positions might be "unlocked" for recent graduates if they had one or more additional skills. The company identified skills in eight fields, and then found an additional 863,000 entry-level jobs for graduates with skills in one or more of these fields. For example, the analysis found an additional 137,000 entry-level jobs for liberal-arts graduates who had data-analysis or management skills. It also found that such data-analysis jobs paid an average of $12,700 above the average salary for jobs traditionally open to liberal-arts graduates without such skills. Jobs for graduates with computer-programming skills paid nearly $18,000 more, and there were nearly 53,000 more of them. (An illustration depicts the salary premiums and additional job prospects for the eight skill sets Burning Glass found.) Collectively, the average salary for the jobs requiring additional technical skills was more than $6,000 higher than the $42,730 average for jobs traditionally open to liberal-arts majors. Skills in "sales" were the only ones that did not bring a quantifiable wage premium, but the analysis did find that graduates who had such skills would be qualified for nearly 568,000 additional job openings. Since the time of the Constituent Assembly debates (194649), the rights of Indias minorities have been subject to much contestation, claims and counterclaims that are far from settled, despite the fact that the Constitution clearly affirms the cultural, linguistic and educational rights of mino&rities. The right to establish and administer education institutions as stated in the Article 30(1) follows the more overarching provisions aimed at protecting the cultural and educational rights of minorities as stated in the Article 29(1)(2). This is also the only time that the Constitution defines minorities and articulates their rights as, any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same. Further, under Part III, Fundamental Rig&hts, Article 15(1) the Constitution clearly prohibits the state from discriminating against citizens on the grounds of religion, race, caste or class as a way to ens&ure equality before law. WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 14, 2016)- Nearly 80 percent of drivers expressed significant anger, aggression or road rage behind the wheel at least once in the past year, according to a new study released today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The most alarming findings suggest that approximately eight million U.S. drivers engaged in extreme examples of road rage, including purposefully ramming another vehicle or getting out of the car to confront another driver. "Inconsiderate driving, bad traffic and the daily stresses of life can transform minor frustrations into dangerous road rage," said Jurek Grabowski, Director of Research for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "Far too many drivers are losing themselves in the heat of the moment and lashing out in ways that could turn deadly." A significant number of U.S. drivers reported engaging in angry and aggressive behaviors over the past year, according to the study's estimates: Purposefully tailgating: 51 percent (104 million drivers) Yelling at another driver: 47 percent (95 million drivers) Honking to show annoyance or anger: 45 percent (91 million drivers) Making angry gestures: 33 percent (67 million drivers) Trying to block another vehicle from changing lanes: 24 percent (49 million drivers) Cutting off another vehicle on purpose: 12 percent (24 million drivers) Getting out of the vehicle to confront another driver: 4 percent (7.6 million drivers) Bumping or ramming another vehicle on purpose: 3 percent (5.7 million drivers) Nearly 2 in 3 drivers believe that aggressive driving is a bigger problem today than three years ago, while nine out of ten believe aggressive drivers are a serious threat to their personal safety. Aggressive driving and road rage varied considerably among drivers: Male and younger drivers ages 19-39 were significantly more likely to engage in aggressive behaviors. For example, male drivers were more than three times as likely as female drivers to have gotten out of a vehicle to confront another driver or rammed another vehicle on purpose. Drivers living in the Northeast were significantly more likely to yell, honk or gesture angrily than people living in other parts of the country. For example, drivers in the Northeast were nearly 30 percent more likely to have made an angry gesture than drivers in other parts of the country. Drivers who reported other unsafe behaviors behind the wheel, such as speeding and running red lights, also were more likely to show aggression. For example, drivers who reported speeding on a freeway in the past month were four times more likely to have cut off another vehicle on purpose. "It's completely normal for drivers to experience anger behind the wheel, but we must not let our emotions lead to destructive choices," said Jake Nelson, AAA's Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research. "Don't risk escalating a frustrating situation because you never know what the other driver might do. Maintain a cool head, and focus on reaching your destination safely." AAA offers these tips to help prevent road rage: Don't Offend: Never cause another driver to change their speed or direction. That means not forcing another driver to use their brakes, or turn the steering wheel in response to something you have done. Be Tolerant and Forgiving: The other driver may just be having a really bad day. Assume that it's not personal. Do Not Respond: Avoid eye contact, don't make gestures, maintain space around your vehicle and contact 9-1-1 if needed. The research report is available on the AAA Foundation's website and is part of the annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, which identifies attitudes and behaviors related to driver safety. The data was collected from a national survey of 2,705 licensed drivers ages 16 and older who reported driving in the past 30 days. The AAA Foundation issued its first Traffic Safety Culture Index in 2008. ### Established by AAA in 1947, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, publicly-supported charitable research and educational organization. Dedicated to saving lives and reducing injuries on our roads, the Foundation's mission is to prevent crashes and save lives through research and education about traffic safety. The Foundation has funded over 300 research projects designed to discover the causes of traffic crashes, prevent them and minimize injuries when they do occur. As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 56 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited at AAA.com. Motorists can map a route, identify gas prices, find discounts, book a hotel and access AAA roadside assistance with the AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Learn more at AAA.com/mobile. In this Policy Forum, Neil Ferguson et al. use results from a model of virus transmission to analyze the current Zika epidemic in Latin America, suggesting that it may have already peaked. Evidence increasingly suggests a causal link between Zika infection and microcephaly, as well as other serious congenital anomalies, prompting the World Health Organization to declare the Zika epidemic an international health concern in February 2016. Here, using a model incorporating factors that determine the scale and speed of emerging viral infection in naive populations, Ferguson and colleagues estimate that the current epidemic in Latin America will be over in three years; they base this estimate largely on the transmissibility of Zika and the time between cycles of infection. After these three years have passed, herd immunity - a phenomenon by which a large percentage of a population becomes immune to an infection - will likely delay the next large Zika epidemic for more than a decade, the authors say. They also note that targeting mosquitos, the main culprit behind Zika spread, could actually be counterproductive, because this would interfere with herd immunity. As a key means to reduce fetal complications associated with Zika, health authorities are advising women to delay having children for several years, which the authors note is not feasible for all women; they recommend detailed local monitoring of the epidemic, so that local advisories and delayed pregnancies are more relevant and feasible. In a Review also on Zika, Justin Lessler et al. summarize research to date on the virus, particularly that relevant to the latest outbreak in Latin America. As of June 2016, more than 35 countries throughout the Americas have reported local circulation of Zika. While Zika symptoms tend to be mild, the greatest concern surrounding the virus is its effects on a growing fetus. Microcephaly was the first fetal abnormality recognized, but there is increasing evidence that Zika may be responsible for other fetal complications, such as intracranial calcifications, ventriculomegaly, ocular impairment, brainstem hypoplasia, intrauterine growth restriction and fetal demise. The authors highlight studies in pregnant women infected with Zika who are symptomatic or asymptomatic, noting at what trimester they became infected; longer-term studies are ultimately required to understand Zika's impact on expectant mothers though, they say. The authors also discuss ways in which Zika may be expected to spread, but note that this can be difficult to predict. Dengue, a virus that is also transmitted by the same type of mosquito, has caused epidemics throughout the Americas, but has not achieved sustained transmission in the continental U.S., despite widespread vector presence. The reasons for dengue's limited spread in America may include not only climate but also differences in built environments and social factors, all of which are likely to affect Zika transmission as well. Human and mosquito genetics may play a role in how the current epidemic pans out. A Zika vaccine may be the best way to protect at-risk populations over the long term, the authors say. ### Alexandria, VA - It is with great pleasure that the American Geosciences Institute announces its 2016 recipient of the Marcus Milling Legendary Geoscientist Medal. Dr. Ernest "Ernie" A. Mancini, Professor Emeritus in Geological Sciences at the University of Alabama has been recognized for his distinguished career in the geosciences spanning research, teaching and service at: the University of Alabama; Texas A&M University; Distinguished Research Professor in the areas of stratigraphy and petroleum geology at the University of Alabama; State Geologist of Alabama and Director of the Geological Survey of Alabama; Oil and Gas Supervisor for Alabama; Director and founder of the Center for Sedimentary Basin Studies at the University of Alabama; First Director of the Berg-Hughes Center for Petroleum and Sedimentary Systems at Texas A&M University; Serving as President at multiple geoscience organizations; Regional Director for the Eastern Gulf Region of the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council; and acting as a science and natural resources advisor to several Alabama governors and the state legislature. Mancini's prodigious body of work has led to significant advancements in the understanding of the stratigraphy and petroleum systems of Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata of the Gulf of Mexico basin. The advances made in this region have fundamentally shaped geoscientists' understanding of similar depositional and petroleum systems worldwide. In addition to over 400 publications and technical reports, he produced and published the first statewide geologic maps of Alabama since 1926, including the first map at the 1:250,000 scale. He is recognized for his innovative teaching methods, and his use of an integrative and interdisciplinary research approach to solve complex problems. Alongside shaping our understanding of the Gulf of Mexico Basin, he has played an active role in training students, including those directly under his tutelage as graduate master and doctoral candidates, and experienced geoscientists through short courses, seminars and technology workshops sponsored by geoscience organizations, universities, government agencies and industry. These individuals can now be found in high-ranking positions in academia, industry and government. He is credited with setting a standard of excellence for those around him. He has actively contributed to and has been honored by: the University of Alabama; AGI; AAPG; the Geological Society of America; the Association of American State Geologists; the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies; the Gulf Coast Section of the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM); and the North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature. Additionally he has served on numerous State- and Federal-level agencies and commissions. As written in his nomination, "Simply stated, Ernie Mancini has had a career in the geosciences that most of us can only envy, leaving us a legacy to aspire to. His accomplishments and contributions are abundant, and as of this moment, ongoing." The American Geosciences Institute recognized Ernie Mancini at the 2016 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition held in Calgary, Alberta. He will formally accept this award at the AGI Past President's dinner that will be held at the Geological Society of America Annual Meeting in September 2016. We sincerely thank, and congratulate Mancini on an exemplary career. The Marcus Milling Legendary Geoscientist Medal is given to a recipient with consistent contributions of high-quality scientific achievements and service to the Earth sciences having lasting, historic value; who has been recognized for accomplishments in field(s) of expertise by professional societies, universities, or other organizations; and is a senior scientist nearing completion or has completed full-time regular employment. Prior to 2007 it had been called the AGI Legendary Geoscientist Award. ### The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment. Chestnut Hill, Mass. (7/14/2016) - The venture philanthropy organization New Profit, Inc. has made a significant operating investment in City Connects, a research-based student support initiative of the Lynch School of Education that works to narrow the achievement gap in 87 urban public, charter and Catholic schools serving nearly 29,000 students in five states. A $300,000 grant will support City Connects' efforts to expand the impact of its best-in-class model of "whole child" support services and increase access to the pioneering research and best practices developed by the initiative since it was launched at Boston College in 2001. "This partnership with New Profit is another exciting milestone in the growth of City Connects and gives us the opportunity to expand our reach and magnify our impact," said City Connects Director Mary E. Walsh, the Kearns Professor of Urban Education and Innovative Leadership at Boston College. "Over the course of our 15 years, City Connects has demonstrated that urban schools can reduce the achievement gap when students receive the personalized supports and programs they need to develop, learn and thrive. And this can be done in a cost effective manner." With a single trained counselor, City Connects coordinates a combination of school- and community-based services that address each student's unique in- and out-of-school needs. Long-term studies have shown that City Connects schools produce dramatic improvement in their students' grades, standardized test scores and long-term academic success. A Columbia University study found a return on investment of $3 for every dollar spent on services and supports, and a ROI of $11 for every dollar spent on a specific intervention. Boston-based New Profit, Inc. is a national non-profit venture philanthropy fund that supports programs working to reduce and remove systemic barriers to opportunity in the U.S. It will support City Connects through its Reimagine Learning Fund, which focuses on innovative student-centered learning initiatives that help all students receive the support needed to succeed. Financial support for the Reimagine Learning Fund comes from some of America's premier philanthropies, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation, Poses Family Foundation and Oak Foundation. "We are thrilled to invest in City Connects, said Jody Cornish, a partner with the Reimagine Learning Fund. "We see them as one of the best-kept secrets in the social sector and aspire to ensure that their insights and approach can have broader influence on national practice. City Connects will make a powerful contribution to the Reimagine Learning portfolio of organizations focused on working with schools to put in place those capabilities needed to support the success of all students. They also will be an exemplar for the field given the combination of rigor, care and thoughtfulness they bring to their work." Policymakers and schools have used a number of initiatives to try to shrink the achievement gap that separates black and Hispanic students from their white and Asian peers. Results have been mixed because few programs focus on the negative educational effects of poverty - factors researchers have tied to two-thirds of the gap. More than any other whole-child support program, City Connects has backed up its work with peer-reviewed research. Its 10-year longitudinal study of nearly 8,000 Boston Public Schools K-5 students found children served by City Connects earned higher grades and performed better on statewide tests in elementary school, continued to make math and literacy gains in middle school, and were less likely to drop out of high school than peers in non-City Connects schools. Most recently, City Connects researchers reported in the journal Child Development that first-generation immigrant children in City Connects schools scored higher on math and reading tests than their first-generation immigrant peers at schools without the program. The intervention also indicated a narrowing of the achievement gap between English language learners and children proficient in English. "Research on the impacts of City Connects is garnering national attention because it shows what is possible for all students when they get the supports and opportunities they need to succeed," said Walsh, who has spent more than 40 years studying how to improve education for at-risk children. "We're excited for the work ahead." ### About City Connects An initiative of Boston College's Lynch School of Education, City Connects takes a systematic, high-impact and cost-effective approach to addressing the out-of-school factors that limit learning. Active this fall in 87 schools and sites in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Ohio and Minnesota, City Connects offers a defined practice for a counselor or school social worker to collaborate with every teacher to support every student. Unique tools permit schools to track this work, understand student progress and demonstrate effectiveness. Research shows the City Connects' model makes a significant positive impact on students -- now, and years from now. To learn more, please visit http://www.cityconnects.org. About New Profit, Inc. New Profit is a national nonprofit venture philanthropy fund. Our mission is to break down the barriers that stand between people and opportunity in America. The organization works to fulfill this mission with two approaches: 1) providing multi-year financial and strategic support to help a portfolio of innovative social entrepreneurs and their organizations realize their full potential for social impact; and 2) helping to build an environment in which all innovative social entrepreneurs and their organizations may realize their full potential for social impact. New Profit believes that just as entrepreneurship and invention have driven the nation's progress, so too can they harness America's spirit of innovation, vision and optimism to help solve our most pressing social problems. With the support of individual investors and its signature partner, Deloitte, New Profit works with social entrepreneur-led organizations tackling persistent social problems in education, workforce development, public health and other areas. In addition, New Profit brings together social innovators from across sectors at the annual Gathering of Leaders, and also drives other initiatives to release the potential of social entrepreneurship. Included among these is America Forward, a nonpartisan initiative that connects social sector innovators and their partners with policymakers, legislators, and thought leaders to advance an infrastructure for innovators and government to act together to scale the impact of proven and promising solutions. For additional information, please visit http://www.newprofit.org/. A team of hundreds of physicists and astronomers have announced results from the largest-ever, three-dimensional map of distant galaxies. The team constructed this map to make one of the most precise measurements yet of the dark energy currently driving the accelerated expansion of the Universe. "We have spent five years collecting measurements of 1.2 million galaxies over one quarter of the sky to map out the structure of the Universe over a volume of 650 cubic billion light years," says Jeremy Tinker of New York University, a co-leader of the scientific team carrying out this effort. "This map has allowed us to make the best measurements yet of the effects of dark energy in the expansion of the Universe. We are making our results and map available to the world." These new measurements were carried out by the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) program of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-III. Shaped by a continuous tug-of-war between dark matter and dark energy, the map revealed by BOSS allows scientists to measure the expansion rate of the Universe and thus determine the amount of matter and dark energy that make up the present-day Universe. A collection of papers describing these results was submitted this week to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. BOSS measures the expansion rate of the Universe by determining the size of the baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO) in the three-dimensional distribution of galaxies. The original BAO size is determined by pressure waves that travelled through the young Universe up to when it was only 400,000 years old (the Universe is presently 13.8 billion years old), at which point they became frozen in the matter distribution of the Universe. The end result is that galaxies have a slight preference to be separated by a characteristic distance that astronomers call the acoustic scale. The size of the acoustic scale at 13.4 billion years ago has been exquisitely determined from observations of the cosmic microwave background from the light emitted when the pressure waves became frozen. Measuring the distribution of galaxies since that time allows astronomers to measure how dark matter and dark energy have competed to govern the rate of expansion of the Universe. "We've made the largest map for studying the 95% of the universe that is dark," noted David Schlegel, an astrophysicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and principal investigator for BOSS. "In this map, we can see galaxies being gravitationally pulled towards other galaxies by dark matter. And on much larger scales, we see the effect of dark energy ripping the universe apart." Shirley Ho, an astrophysicist at Berkeley Lab and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), co-led two of the companion papers and adds, "We can now measure how much the galaxies and stars cluster together as a function of time to such an accuracy we can test General Relativity at cosmological scales." Ariel Sanchez of the Max-Planck Institute of Extraterrestrial Physics led the effort to estimate the exact amount of dark matter and dark energy based on the BOSS data and explains: "Measuring the acoustic scale across cosmic history gives a direct ruler with which to measure the Universe's expansion rate. With BOSS, we have traced the BAO's subtle imprint on the distribution of galaxies spanning a range of time from 2 to 7 billion years ago." To measure the size of these ancient giant waves to such sharp precision, BOSS had to make an unprecedented and ambitious galaxy map, many times larger than previous surveys. At the time the BOSS program was planned, dark energy had been previously determined to significantly influence the expansion of the Universe starting about 5 billion years ago. BOSS was thus designed to measure the BAO feature from before this point (7 billion years ago) out to near the present day (2 billion years ago). Jose Vazquez of Brookhaven National Laboratory combined the BOSS results with other surveys and searched for any evidence of unexplained physical phenomena in the results. "Our latest results tie into a clean cosmological picture, giving strength to the standard cosmological model that has emerged over the last eighteen years." Rita Tojeiro of the University of St. Andrews is the other co-leader of the BOSS galaxy clustering working group along with Tinker. "We see a dramatic connection between the sound wave im-prints seen in the cosmic microwave background 400,000 years after the Big Bang to the clustering of galaxies 7-12 billion years later. The ability to observe a single well-modeled physical effect from recombination until today is a great boon for cosmology." The map also reveals the distinctive signature of the coherent movement of galaxies toward regions of the Universe with more matter, due to the attractive force of gravity. Crucially, the observed amount of infall is explained well by the predictions of general relativity. "The results from BOSS provide a solid foundation for even more precise future BAO measurements, such as those we expect from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI)," says Natalie Roe, Physics Division director at Berkeley Lab. "DESI will construct a more detailed 3-dimensional map in a volume of space ten times larger to precisely characterize dark energy -- and ultimately the future of our universe." ### Funding for SDSS-III has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. For more on SDSS-III, visit http://www.sdss3.org/. To read the SDSS news release, go here. SCIENTIFIC CONTACTS: David Schlegel, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory djschlegel@lbl.gov Shirley Ho, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Carnegie Mellon University shirleyho@lbl.gov SDSS-III is managed by the Astrophysical Research Consortium for the Participating Institutions of the SDSS?III Collaboration including the University of Arizona, the Brazilian Participation Group, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Florida, the French Participation Group, the German Participation Group, Harvard University, the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, the Michigan State/Notre Dame/JINA Participation Group, Johns Hopkins University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, New Mexico State University, New York University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Portsmouth, Princeton University, the Spanish Participation Group, University of Tokyo, University of Utah, Vanderbilt University, University of Virginia, University of Washington, and Yale University. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit the Office of Science website at science.energy.gov/. Chronic pain affects up to 20% of people in developed countries, and represents not only a profound impact on individuals and their families but also a sizeable burden on employers, health care systems, and society in general. Now, a study published in the Journal of Pain Research finds another safe and effective drug-free treatment option for chronic pain sufferers - spinal cord stimulation (SCS). Spinal cord stimulation, also known as dorsal column stimulation, uses low-voltage electrical stimulation to the spine to block the feeling of pain, via a small device implanted in the body. Spinal cord stimulation technologies are fast advancing, and an update of the literature was much needed. The study, authored by an Australian team, looks at recent evidence for safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation in back and limb pain. The authors reviewed the scientific evidence from three studies looking at the different routes of spinal cord stimulation: dorsal root ganglion SCS, burst wave form SCS and high frequency 10 (HF10) SCS. They found that the literature supports the use of traditional SCS for chronic pain, and provides high-quality evidence that dorsal root ganglion SCS and HF10 SCS are safe and effective for back and leg chronic pain. Lead author Paul Verrills from the Metro Pain Group in Melbourne, Australia, thinks the study findings represent "unheralded evidence that we can safely treat back and leg pain using spinal cord stimulation techniques." Most importantly, spinal cord stimulation has relatively few side effects compared to other chronic pain therapies, and reduces the risks of complications. Verrills goes on to say, "Spinal cord stimulation should now be considered earlier in the treatment continuum and not simply as an end-stage salvage therapy." ### The Journal of Pain Research is an international, peer-reviewed, open access, online journal that welcomes laboratory and clinical findings in the fields of pain research and the prevention and management of pain. Dove Medical Press Ltd is a privately held company specializing in the publication of Open Access peer-reviewed journals across the broad spectrum of science, technology and especially medicine. DURHAM, N.C. -- Scientists at Duke Health are part of a team that has discovered a type of cell surrounding blood vessels can also serve as a starting point for sarcoma, a form of cancer that occurs in bones and connective tissues. The findings, made through studies of mice, offer insights that could aid in the development of potential new treatments for the rare but devastating cancer, which has 15,000 new diagnoses annually in the U.S. In an article to be published online July 14 in the journal Cell Reports, the international team of researchers describe tracing the lineage of the cancer back to the pericyte, a cell that supports the body's blood vessels. According to the findings, genetic mutations in these cells led to osteosarcoma and soft-tissue sarcoma, as well as non-cancerous tumors. "About half of all sarcomas in the U.S. affect people under 35," said senior author Benjamin Alman, M.D., chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Duke. "This cancer is difficult to treat, and for those who survive, they are living with the effects for decades. With new chemotherapies and surgery, we have seen long-term survival improve to about 60 to 65 percent, but advances have leveled off in recent years. We hope that by looking at the biological development of the tumor, we can come up with new ways to intervene." Alman and fellow authors -- who represent Duke as well as the Hospital for Sick Children and Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School and Faculty of Medicine, and Seoul National University Hospital -- found that cancer cells contained less of a protein called beta catenin compared to the pericytes from which they originated. Alman said this suggests that at some point, the beta catenin was "turned off" in the cell. When the researchers activated beta catenin in cells using lithium, a drug already used in patients, this appeared to limit the size and growth of the cancers that formed. Previous studies of beta catenin in sarcoma cells lacked any means of comparison for determining whether levels were high or low, Alman said. By identifying the pericyte as a cell of origin, scientists now have baseline levels for comparison. The researchers hope to further investigate the use of lithium to regulate beta catenin. "Lithium has been tried in lung cancer treatments, so perhaps we could see it being used down the road to suppress sarcomas," Alman said. "It's premature to do clinical trials in humans at this point. The next step is to grow larger numbers of human sarcomas in mice and treat them with lithium to see whether this can stop or even shrink existing tumors." ### In addition to Alman, study authors are Shingo Sato; Yuning J. Tang; Qingxia Wei; Makoto Hirata; Angela Weng; Ilkyu Han; Atsushi Okawa; Shu Takeda; Heather Whetstone; Puvindran Nadesan; David G. Kirsch; and Jay S. Wunder. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01 CA183811), the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (FRN 123493), the Restracomp fellowship of the Hospital for Sick Children Research Training Centre, and grants for foreign study of KANAE Foundation for the Promotion of Medical Science. The authors also received assistance from Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Center in Vancouver, which performed RNA sequencing analysis. The authors cited no conflicts of interest related to this work. Chicago, IL, July 14, 2016 - Diabetic patients who undergo heart bypass surgery are living longer and have much better long-term outcomes when cardiothoracic surgeons use arteries rather than veins for the bypasses, according to a new study published online today by The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Key findings in this study show more diabetic patients survive when only arteries are used for bypasses during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. Diabetic patients experience fewer long-term complications from total arterial revascularization (TAR)/CABG than from conventional CABG. TAR/CABG can be performed successfully by any well-trained cardiothoracic surgeon. "Going into this study, we believed that diabetic patients would do better using total arterial techniques," said James Tatoulis, MD, FRACS, from the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia. "But it was gratifying to actually prove it and also be able to document the significant magnitude of the difference." Dr. Tatoulis and colleagues in Melbourne examined more than 63,000 cardiac surgical cases from the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) Database. In their review, they identified 34,181 patients who underwent CABG surgery for the first time from 2001 to 2012. Of those, 2,017 were diabetic patients who had CABG using only arteries (TAR) and 1,967 diabetic patients who had conventional CABG, predominantly using veins. This study showed that when TAR/CABG is used for diabetic patients, long-term survival improves significantly. For every 100 diabetic patients undergoing CABG surgery, four more will be alive at 10 years when arteries are used for the bypasses rather than just one arterial graft together with veins (82 vs. 78, respectively), explained Dr. Tatoulis. A strong correlation exists between coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes. According to the American Heart Association, adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease than adults without diabetes. In addition, the American Diabetes Association estimates that 29.1 million Americans have diabetes, with 1.4 million more being diagnosed each year. "With the incidence of diabetes increasing in the United States, happening together with the continued improvement in life expectancy, it is probable that there will be more and more diabetic patients requiring CABG surgery in the future," said Dr. Tatoulis. "Thus, the superiority of TAR/CABG will assume progressive importance." Another important finding from the study was that TAR/CABG can be performed on diabetic patients without increasing the rate of complications, such as angina (chest pain), heart attacks, heart failure, and hospital readmissions. CABG surgery has been performed for more than 50 years. In the US, it is one of the most common major surgeries, with almost 400,000 CABG surgeries performed each year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CABG surgery is designed to help restore blood flow to the hearts of patients with CAD. CAD is caused by a buildup of plaque (calcium, fat, cholesterol, etc.) in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart and other parts of the body. During CABG surgery, a blood vessel is removed or redirected from one area of the body and placed around the narrowed area to "bypass" the blockages and restore blood flow to the heart muscle. This vessel is called a graft. Dr. Tatoulis said the average conventional CABG surgery involves three to four grafts: one artery is usually used, along with vein grafts from the leg or thigh for the remaining new bypasses. In TAR/CABG surgery, only arteries are used. Currently, only 5% of all patients in the US who undergo CABG surgery receive multiple arterial grafts, stated Dr. Tatoulis. "As a result, there is room for a much larger proportion of patients to have this type of coronary surgery and receive the benefits of a longer life, better quality of life, and reduced medical costs," he said. The study also confirmed that TAR is achievable and can be performed by any well-trained cardiothoracic surgeon. "TAR/CABG is definitely within each cardiothoracic surgeon's ability and should be part of their repertoire," explained Dr. Tatoulis. ### Notes for editors The article is "Total Arterial Revascularization: A Superior Strategy for Diabetic Patients Who Require Coronary Surgery," by Tatoulis J, Wynne R, Skillington P, Buxton B. (doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2016.05.062). It appears in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery (2016), published by Elsevier. Find comprehensive medical information presented for patients by leading experts in cardiothoracic surgery at the STS Patient Website. Copies of this paper are available to credentialed journalists upon request; please contact Jennifer Bagley at +1 312 202 5865 or jbagley@sts.org. About The Annals of Thoracic Surgery The Annals of Thoracic Surgery is the official journal of STS and the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association. It has a 5-year impact factor of 4.104, the highest of any cardiothoracic surgery journal worldwide. Founded in 1964, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is a not-for-profit organization representing more than 7,100 cardiothoracic surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. The Society's mission is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy. About Elsevier Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions -- among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Elsevier Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey -- and publishes over 2,500 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and more than 35,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. http://www.elsevier.com Media contact Jennifer Bagley Media Relations Manager, Society for Thoracic Surgery +1 312 202 5865 jbagley@sts.org When doctors hurl toxic death at cancer cells, often a few will survive and come back. A family of enzymes called KDM5 histone demethylases is emerging as important for this resilience, and drugs that inhibit KDM5 enzymes could be active in treating several types of cancer. A team of investigators from Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, Yale, and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health have obtained detailed structural information, showing how inhibitors of the KDM5 family interact with their targets. Their findings, scheduled for publication in Cell Chemical Biology, could inform efforts to design more potent and selective anticancer drugs. Drugs are sometimes compared to keys, because they need to fit precisely into the enzymes they target. But there is some wiggle room, since usually more than one drug can inhibit a given enzyme. In addition, there are several families of histone demethylase enzymes, and an ongoing challenge is developing drugs that specifically inhibit KDM5 enzymes. Using X-ray crystallography, scientists led by biochemists John Horton, PhD, and Xiaodong Cheng, PhD, at Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, were able to see how eight different inhibitory compounds squeeze into the active site of the one member of the KDM5 family, KDM5A. In doing so, they could also see how additional potential drugs, not yet synthesized, might fit the contours of the enzyme more closely. Scientists at NCATS identified and synthesized most of the inhibitors, several of which are being developed and tested by pharmaceutical companies. Qin Yan's laboratory at Yale examined the growth-stopping effects of one KDM5 inhibitor on breast cancer cells. This project, with partners at Yale and NCATS, is conducted through Emory's Chemical Biology Discovery Center, which has been designated a Specialized Center in the Chemical Biology Consortium, the discovery engine of the National Cancer Institute's NExT (National Cancer Institute Experimental Therapeutics) program aimed at accelerating the discovery and development of new and innovative cancer drugs through multidisciplinary research teams. Emory's center is participating in the consortium via a research subcontract from Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., prime contractor for the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. What histone demethylases do and why they're important: Histones are spool-like proteins that DNA wraps around in the cell nucleus. For a particular gene to be active and transcribed into RNA, histones have to be moved out of the way. A variety of enzymes prepare for the parade (RNA transcription) by adding signposts: chemically tweaking the histones. KDM5 demethylases remove modifications (a -CH3 methyl group on lysine 4 of histone H3) that are a sign of a gene being active. Thus, they help maintain genes in an "off" state. KDM5 inhibitors thus are likely to keep some genes on - but they won't necessarily act the same in all cell types. In this paper, investigators focused on the effects on breast cancer cells, while other laboratories have shown that KDM5 enzymes are linked to drug tolerance or resistance in lung cancer, glioblastoma and melanoma. Qin Yan's team at Yale found that only some types of breast cancer cells' growth is stopped by KDM5 inhibitors. For example, a cell line that was HER2+ (a marker that indicates likely response to the drug trastuzumab) is, but another cell line, representative of a "triple-negative" is not. "We had a clue already that some breast cancer cell lines are more sensitive to KDM5 gene knockdown. This may indicate that KDM5 inhibitors will be more active toward HER2+ and luminal-type cells and less toward basal cells," says Yan. ### The research was supported by the National Cancer Institute (CA191548, CA077337 and Chemical Biology Consortium Contract HHSN261200800001E), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (GM114306), the American Cancer Society (RSG-13-384-01-DMC), the Department of Defense (W81XWH-14-1-0308) the National Science Foundation (DGE-1122492), the Arthur and Sarah Merrill Foundation, and Winship Cancer Institute Cancer Center support grant P30-CA138292. Xiaodong Cheng is a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar. Where is the world's greatest concentration of unique species of mammals? A team of American and Filipino authors have concluded that it is Luzon Island, in the Philippines. Their 15-year project, summarized in a paper published in the scientific journal Frontiers of Biogeography, has shown that out of 56 species of non-flying mammal species that are now known to live on the island, 52 live nowhere else in the world. Of those 56 species, 28 were discovered during the course of the project. Nineteen of the species have been formally described in scientific journals, and nine are currently "in the works." "We started our study on Luzon in 2000 because we knew at the time that most of the native mammal species on the island were unique to the island, and we wanted to understand why that is the case. We did not expect that we would double the number already known," said Lawrence Heaney, the project's leader, who is the Negaunee Curator of Mammals at The Field Museum in Chicago. Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines; at about 40,000 square miles, it's a bit larger than Indiana. According to the authors, Luzon has never been connected to any continental land--the species have been isolated, like the animals that live in Hawaii. But Luzon is much larger and at least five times older than the oldest island in Hawaii, and so has had time for the few species that arrived from the Asian mainland to evolve and diversify greatly. On islands, scientists sometimes see a "sped-up" version of evolution--when animals are closed off from the rest of the world, in places where there are few or no predators or competitors, they are able to branch out into special adaptations, eventually forming new species. And not only is the island of Luzon isolated, but it's covered in mountains. The mountaintops form what scientists call "sky islands"--little pockets of distinctive habitat that the animals further adapt to. "The animals are isolated high on the scattered mountains, so they inevitably diverge. Given enough time, you begin to see huge biodiversity," explained Heaney. "In the process of trying to understand how that happens, we doubled the number of known species on Luzon." Among the 28 new species discovered by the team are four species of tiny tree-mice with whiskers so long they reach nearly to their ankles, and five species of mice that look like shrews and feed primarily on earthworms. Most of the new species live in tropical cloud forest high in the mountains, where frequent typhoons can drop four or five meters (12 to 15 feet) of rain per year. "All 28 of the species we discovered during the project are members of two branches on the tree of life that are confined to the Philippines," according to Eric Rickart, a team member who is based at the Natural History Museum of Utah. "There are individual mountains on Luzon that have five species of mammals that live nowhere else. That's more unique species on one mountain than live in any country in continental Europe. The concentration of unique biodiversity in the Philippines is really staggering." Luzon also supports 57 species of bats; most live in the hot, humid lowlands. These include the golden-crowned flying fox, which is one of the heaviest bats in the world at up to two and a half pounds. Another, the lesser flat-headed bat, is so tiny that it can roost inside the hollow spaces inside bamboo stems. "We also wanted to learn more about the conservation status of these wonderful animals," said Danny Balete, a Research Associate at the Field Museum who is based in the Philippines. "The Philippines is one of the most heavily deforested countries in the tropics; only about seven percent of the old-growth tropical forest is left. We learned that quite a few of the species are seriously threatened by habitat loss and over-hunting, but none are yet extinct." Luzon has a human population of about 50 million, including about 23 million in greater Manila, the country's capital. "Protecting all of these species from extinction is going to be a big challenge. The good news is that when the native forest is allowed to regenerate, the native mammals move back in, and the pest rats get kicked out." Other co-authors of the paper are based at the University of the Philippines, the University of Minnesota, and Florida State University. Heaney, Balete, and Rickart are also authors of a book about the mammals of Luzon Island, just published by Johns Hopkins University Press, that will be used in the Philippines as a college-level textbook. The team works closely with conservation organizations and the Philippine government, and many of their recommendations regarding expanded and new national parks have been adopted. "Learning about the tremendous diversity of mammal species present on Luzon is crucial to conservation efforts," explained Heaney. "In order to be effective at conserving an environment, we have to know what's out there." ### BOSTON-- July 14, 2016-- Researchers from the Harvard Medical School - affiliated Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) have found increasing evidence that delirium in older surgical patients may be associated with long-term cognitive decline. Findings from the study were published today in the July 2016 issue of Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. Delirium is a common, serious, often fatal disorder affecting as many as 50% of older people during the course of surgery or hospitalization and costs more than $164 billion per year. However, until now, the relationship between delirium and long-term cognitive decline has not been well-explored. The Hebrew SeniorLife IFAR study, conducted in collaboration with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brown University, and Northeastern University examined the trajectory of short-term and long-term cognitive decline in patients who experienced delirium for 36 months following a surgery. Delirium occurred in 134 of the original 560 participants in the study. Both groups of participants, those who experienced delirium and those who did not, showed a significant cognitive decline at one month, followed by a recovery above baseline at two months and then a gradual decline for the next 34 months. The 560 participants in the study were aged 70 years or older, had no previous signs of dementia, and were scheduled to undergo surgery with an anticipated length stay in the hospital of three days or greater. The delirium group, however, had a significantly greater decline at one month compared to those without delirium. Although they too recovered at two months, this group had a more significant decline after the two- month mark than the non-delirium group. Beyond two months, both groups declined on average, but the delirium group declined significantly more. When researchers compared changes from baseline to 36 months, there was no significant change for the group who did not experience delirium, but a marked decline for those who did. According to the researchers, the fact that both the delirium and non-delirium groups suffered cognitive decline at month one, and then a return to baseline at month two, likely represents the immediate impact of events such as anesthesia, surgery, and hospitalization. However, the higher rate of cognitive decline after month one for those with delirium suggests that delirium may set off a cascade of events which leads to progressive, long-lasting effects. Or, it is alternatively possible that delirium is associated with a pre-existing higher rate of cognitive decline that is not detectable at baseline. In either case, delirium may serve as a marker for seniors with poor cognitive reserve. "This study is highly significant in demonstrating that delirium is associated with subsequent long-term cognitive decline at a pace similar to that of mild cognitive impairment, even in those with normal cognitive function at baseline," says Sharon K. Inouye, M.D., M.P.H., Director of the Aging Brain Center at the Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, a faculty member in the Division of Gerontology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Whether or not delirium is causative, it identifies those at risk for subsequent cognitive decline and warrants both close clinical follow-up and preventive interventions." A total of 560 participants underwent a baseline assessment and medical review 30 days before surgery to ascertain their normal cognitive status. After surgery, participants were regularly assessed for up to 36 months. The delirium assessment during hospitalization included brief cognitive testing and interviews with family and nurses conducted daily. Delirium was rated using a standardized approach with high sensitivity. Cognitive performance was assessed using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery which was administered before surgery and with each follow-up. ### The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (Grant No. P01AG031720 to Dr. Sharon Inouye) About the Institute for Aging Research Scientists at the Institute for Aging Research seek to transform the human experience of aging by conducting research that will ensure a life of health, dignity and productivity into advanced age. The Institute carries out rigorous studies that discover the mechanisms of age-related disease and disability; lead to the prevention, treatment and cure of disease; advance the standard of care for older people; and inform public decision-making. The Aging Brain Center within IFAR studies cognitive aging and conditions affecting brain health. About Hebrew SeniorLife Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching and redefining the possibilities of aging. Based in Boston, the non-profit, non-sectarian organization has provided communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit http://www.hebrewseniorlife.org, follow us on Twitter @H_SeniorLife, like us on Facebook or read our blog. About Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association focuses on the scientific, medical and practical care issues for researchers and practitioners. Coverage extends from healthy brain aging to all forms of dementia and includes original peer-reviewed articles detailing clinical research advances as well as conference reports and abstracts. Specific areas of coverage include developments in early detection, intervention, prevention, and application of new technologies in health services. Boston, MA - Being overweight or obese is associated with a higher risk of dying prematurely than being normal weight--and the risk increases with additional pounds, according to a large international collaborative study led by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the University of Cambridge, UK. The findings contradict recent reports that suggest a survival advantage to being overweight--the so-called "obesity paradox." The study will be published online on July 13, 2016 in The Lancet. The deleterious effects of excess body weight on chronic disease have been well documented. Recent studies suggesting otherwise have resulted in confusion among the public about what is a healthy weight. According to the authors of the new study, those prior studies had serious methodological limitations. One common problem is called reverse causation, in which a low body weight is the result of underlying or preclinical illness rather than the cause. Another problem is confounding by smoking because smokers tend to weigh less than nonsmokers but have much higher mortality rates. "To obtain an unbiased relationship between BMI and mortality, it is essential to analyze individuals who never smoked and had no existing chronic diseases at the start of the study," said Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard Chan School and a co-leader of the collaboration. Hu stressed that doctors should continue to counsel patients regarding the deleterious effects of excess body weight, which include a higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. In order to provide more definitive evidence for the association of excess body weight with premature mortality, researchers joined forces in 2013 to establish the Global BMI Mortality Collaboration, which involves over 500 investigators from over 300 global institutions. "This international collaboration represents the largest and most rigorous effort so far to resolve the controversy regarding BMI and mortality," said Shilpa Bhupathiraju, research scientist in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard Chan School and co-lead author of the study. For the new study, consortium researchers looked at data from more than 10.6 million participants from 239 large studies, conducted between 1970 and 2015, in 32 countries. A combined 1.6 million deaths were recorded across these studies, in which participants were followed for an average of 14 years. For the primary analyses, to address potential biases caused by smoking and preexisting diseases, the researchers excluded participants who were current or former smokers, those who had chronic diseases at the beginning of the study, and any who died in the first five years of follow-up, so that the group they analyzed included 4 million adults. They looked at participants' body mass index (BMI)--an indicator of body fat calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared (kg/m2). The results showed that participants with BMI of 22.5-<25 kg/m2 (considered a healthy weight range) had the lowest mortality risk during the time they were followed. The risk of mortality increased significantly throughout the overweight range: a BMI of 25-<27.5 kg/m2 was associated with a 7% higher risk of mortality; a BMI of 27.5-<30 kg/m2 was associated with a 20% higher risk; a BMI of 30.0-<35.0 kg/m2 was associated with a 45% higher risk; a BMI of 35.0-<40.0 kg/m2 was associated with a 94% higher risk; and a BMI of 40.0-<60.0 kg/m2 was associated with a nearly three-fold risk. Every 5 units higher BMI above 25 kg/m2 was associated with about 31% higher risk of premature death. Participants who were underweight also had a higher mortality risk. Looking at specific causes of death, the study found that, for each 5-unit increase in BMI above 25 kg/m2, the corresponding increases in risk were 49% for cardiovascular mortality, 38% for respiratory disease mortality, and 19% for cancer mortality. Researchers also found that the hazards of excess body weight were greater in younger than in older people and in men than in women. ### Other Harvard Chan School authors included Walter Willett, Fredrick John Stare Professor of epidemiology and nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition; and JoAnn Manson, professor of nutrition and epidemiology and chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Funding for the work of the coordinating center at the Harvard Chan School came from the National Institutes of Health (research grants PO1 CA87969, UM1 CA176726, UM1 CA167552, DK58845, P30 DK046200, and U54CA155626). The coordinating center at the University of Cambridge was funded by the UK Medical Research Council (G0800270), British Heart Foundation (SP/09/002), British Heart Foundation Cambridge Cardiovascular Centre of Excellence, and UK National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. "Body-mass index and all-cause mortality: Individual-participant-data meta-analysis of 239 prospective studies in four continents," Emanuele Di Angelantonio, Shilpa N. Bhupathiraju, David Wormser, Pei Gao, Stephen Kaptoge, Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, Benjamin J. Cairns, Rachel Huxley, Chandra L. Jackson, Grace Joshy, Sarah Lewington, JoAnn E. Manson, Neil Murphy, Alpa V. Patel, Jonathan M. Samet, Mark Woodward, Wei Zheng, Maigen Zhou, Narinder Bansal, Aurelio Barricarte, Brian Carter, James R. Cerhan, Rory Collins, George Davey Smith, Xianghua Fang, Oscar H. Franco, Jane Green, Jim Halsey, Janet S. Hildebrand, Keum Ji Jung, Rosemary J. Korda, Dale F. McLerran, Steven C. Moore, Linda M. O'Keeffe, Ellie Paige, Anna Ramond, Gillian K. Reeves, Betsy Rolland, Carlotta Sacerdote, Naveed Sattar, Eleni Sofianopoulou, June Stevens, Michael Thun, Hirotsugu Ueshima, Ling Yang, Young Duk Yun, Peter Willeit, Emily Banks, Valerie Beral, Zhengming Chen, Susan M. Gapstur, Marc J. Gunter, Patricia Hartge, Sun Ha Jee, Tai-Hing Lam, Richard Peto, John D. Potter, Walter C. Willett, Simon G. Thompson, John Danesh, Frank B. Hu, The Lancet, July 13, 2016, doi: 10.1016/ S0140-6736(16)30175-1 For full Article and Comment see: http://press.thelancet.com/BMI.pdf For Appendix see: http://press.thelancet.com/BMIAppx.pdf NOTE: THE ABOVE LINKS ARE FOR JOURNALISTS ONLY; IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE A LINK TO THIS PAPER FOR YOUR READERS, PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING, WHICH WILL GO LIVE AT THE TIME THE EMBARGO LIFTS: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)30175-1/abstract Visit the Harvard Chan website for the latest news, press releases, and multimedia offerings. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to educate new generations of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas that improve the lives and health of people everywhere. As a community of leading scientists, educators, and students, we work together to take innovative ideas from the laboratory to people's lives--not only making scientific breakthroughs, but also working to change individual behaviors, public policies, and health care practices. Each year, more than 400 faculty members at Harvard Chan School teach 1,000-plus full-time students from around the world and train thousands more through online and executive education courses. Founded in 1913 as the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers, the School is recognized as America's oldest professional training program in public health. AT A GLANCE Seven days of antibiotics are effective for most hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) infections, recommend new guidelines published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and American Thoracic Society. The new guidelines also recommend that each hospital develop an antibiogram to determine which strains are causing infection and ensure the right antibiotics are used for treatment. HAP and VAP cause 20 to 25 percent of hospital-acquired infections, and these may be fatal 10 to 15 percent of the time. ARLINGTON, Va. - Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) - which account for 20 to 25 percent of hospital-acquired infections - should be treated with shorter courses of antibiotics than they typically are, according to new guidelines released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and American Thoracic Society (ATS) and published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The recommendation of seven or fewer days of antibiotics for most of these infections reflects a change from previous guidelines to ensure safe and effective treatment while limiting the development of antibiotic resistance. Created by a multidisciplinary panel led by infectious diseases, pulmonary and critical care specialists, the new guidelines also recommend that each hospital develop an antibiogram, a regular analysis of the strains of bacteria causing pneumonia infections locally as well as which antibiotics effectively treat them. When possible, the antibiogram should be specific to the hospital's intensive care unit patients, according to the guidelines. Antibiograms should be updated regularly, and the most appropriate frequency should be determined by the institution, the guidelines note. "Once clinicians are updated regularly on what bugs are causing VAP and HAP in their hospitals as well as their sensitivities to specific antibiotics, they can choose the most effective treatment," said Dr. Andre C. Kalil, MD, MPH, lead author of the guidelines, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and director of the Transplant Infectious Diseases Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha. "This helps individualize care, ensuring patients will be treated with the correct antibiotic as soon as possible." Published in 2005, the previous guidelines recommended different lengths of treatment time for antibiotic therapy based on the bacterium causing the infection. The 2016 guidelines recommend seven days or fewer for all bacteria. Newer evidence suggests that the shorter course of treatment does not reduce the benefits of therapy; in addition this can reduce antibiotic-related side effects, the risk of Clostridium difficile, a serious diarrheal infection, antibiotic resistance and costs, said Dr. Kalil. In some cases, such as when a patient doesn't improve or worsens, longer treatment may be necessary. Mechanical ventilators help patients breathe. They are used when a patient is having surgery with general anesthesia or for those who suffer from impaired lung function. One of every 10 patients on a ventilator gets VAP, which is fatal about 13 percent of the time. VAP also increases: the amount of time patients remain on a ventilator - from 7.6 to 11.5 days on average - and; length of hospital stay - from 11.5 to 13.1 days on average. While HAP typically is a less-severe infection, half of patients have serious complications, including respiratory failure, fluid in the lungs, septic shock and kidney failure. ### The guidelines panel featured experts from around the globe including infectious disease, pulmonary and critical care specialists, surgeons, pharmacologists, microbiologists, professional librarians and methodologists. In addition to Drs. Kalil and Mark L. Metersky (Co-Chairs), the guidelines panel includes Michael Klompas, John Muscedere, Daniel A. Sweeney, Lucy B. Palmer, Lena M. Napolitano, Naomi P. O'Grady, John G. Bartlett, Jordi Carratala, Ali A. El Solh, Santiago Ewig, Paul D. Fey, Thomas M. File, Jr., Marcos I. Restrepo, Jason A. Roberts, Grant W. Waterer, Peggy Cruse, Shandra Knight and Jan L. Brozek. IDSA has published more than 50 treatment guidelines on various conditions and infections, ranging from HIV/AIDS to Clostridium difficile. As with other IDSA guidelines, the HAP and VAP guidelines will be available in a smartphone format and a pocket-sized quick-reference edition. The full guidelines are available free on the IDSA website at http://www.idsociety.org. Note: For an advance copy of the HAP and VAP guidelines, to be published online July 14, 2016, please contact Stephanie Goldina at (312) 558-1770 or sgoldina@pcipr.com. The guideline is embargoed until 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 14. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), based in Arlington, Va., is a professional society representing nearly 10,000 physicians and scientists who specialize in infectious diseases. For more information, visit http://www.idsociety.org. Follow IDSA on Facebook and Twitter. Clinical Infectious Diseases is a leading journal in the field of infectious disease with a broad international readership. The journal publishes articles on a variety of subjects of interest to practitioners and researchers. Topics range from clinical descriptions of infections, public health, microbiology, and immunology to the prevention of infection, the evaluation of current and novel treatments, and the promotion of optimal practices for diagnosis and treatment. The journal publishes original research, editorial commentaries, review articles, and practice guidelines and is among the most highly cited journals in the field of infectious diseases. Clinical Infectious Diseases is an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). By combining data on optometry patient's eyes with advanced computational methods, Indiana University researchers have created a virtual tissue model of diabetes in the eye. The results, reported in the journal PLOS Computational Biology, show precisely how a small protein that can both damage or grow blood vessels in the eye causes vision loss and blindness in people with diabetes. The study could also lead to better treatment for diabetic retinopathy, which currently requires multiple, invasive procedures that aren't always effective in the long term. The research was conducted by scientists at the IU School of Optometry and the Biocomplexity Institute in the IU School of Informatics and Computing. A common cause of vision loss in people with diabetes, diabetic retinopathy is responsible for 1 percent of all blindness worldwide and a leading cause of blindness in American adults. "With the current epidemic of diabetes in adults, the number of people with vision damage from diabetes will continue to rise," said Thomas Gast, an ophthalmologist and senior scientist at the IU School of Optometry, who was a lead author on the study. "This paper establishes a step-by-step pathway from a diabetic's elevated blood sugars to the vascular complications in the eye. Therapeutically, understanding a disease can lead to improved treatments." A major way diabetic retinopathy threatens vision is diabetic edema. In this condition, the smallest vessels supplying the retina with oxygen become leaky, causing fluid to swell the central retinal area and impairing the type of vision required for precise activities such as reading. This happens because the loss of blood flow in a vessel causes the local oxygen level to drop, which stimulates local production of vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, a protein which in most tissues causes the growth of new blood vessels to repair damage. However, in a retina with elevated sugar levels, instead of repairing the damage, physicians observe a cascade of damage that propagates from the initial blocked vessel. The rate and area of the damage's progression also vary greatly between patients in a seemingly unpredictable way. The virtual retina model in the IU study provides the first strong evidence for why this pattern of disease progression is so variable, and predicts where damage will occur next. It shows that the blockage of one vessel causes a local loss of oxygen in the retina, which triggers release of VEGF that spreads over a larger region, which, in turn increases the probability of blockage in the surrounding vessels, creating a "domino effect." The spread of damage from region to region depends on the detailed pattern of blood vessels in each patient and the amount of blood they carry, both of which vary greatly from person to person. Based on a patient's specific vascular structure, the IU scientists' new model calculates how much a blockage in one blood vessel will increase the probability of blockage in each neighboring vessel. As a result, their program predicts the specific rate and pattern of this cascading vascular damage in the individual. Current treatment to stop this spread, called laser photocoagulation, places an approximately 1 millimeter square grid of burns uniformly across the back of the retina outside the area of good vision. These burns destroy areas of retina that consume oxygen, allowing extra oxygen to move into the retina from deeper vessels behind the retina. They also create blind spots, and many patients require multiple treatments that can impair their side and night vision. "Our analysis suggests treatment of the retina with a large number of very small laser burns could prevent this 'domino-like' progressive loss of small retinal blood vessels and prevent elevation of VEGF and the major complications of diabetic retinopathy," Dr. Gast said. This individualized therapy would strategically place "firebreaks" of much smaller burns around areas from which the model predicts that vascular damage will spread in that patient, greatly reducing the total amount of damage and reducing the probability that damage will spread between the burns and propagate despite treatment. The IU team is now planning studies in animals and, ultimately, will look to others to partner on clinical trials that implement the new treatment in humans. They also point out that the same mechanism found to cause damage to blood vessels in the eye may cause diabetic damage to the kidneys and nerves. "Our goal is not only to deliver answers about one disease or biological process, but to provide a tool that allows researchers to answer many types of questions," said James Glazier, director of the IU Biocomplexity Institute, who is also an author on the paper as well as another recent paper that computationally described the mechanisms underlying polycystic kidney disease. "No effort anywhere else attempts to provide a general solution for deploying virtual tissues across a whole range of significant biomedical questions." ### Other authors on the diabetic retinopathy study are Stephen A. Burns, professor in the IU School of Optometry, and John Gens, assistant scientist, Xiao Fu, graduate student, of the IU Biocomplexity Institute. Dr. Gast and Burns at the School of Optometry imaged the patients' retinal capillaries. Fu and Glazier, at the IU Biocomplexity Institute, created the virtual diabetic retina model. Dr. Gast and Gens synthesized past animal and clinical studies on diabetic retinopathy. This study was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, the Falk Foundation and the IU Collaborative Research Grant Program. Publishing online July 14 in the journal Science, the researchers say that despite the discovery of Zika in Uganda in 1947 and the identification of the first confirmed human infection in Nigeria six years later, few cases were reported in humans until 2007. Even then, no one understood the grave risk the disease posed to pregnancies until the recent outbreak in Brazil, which began less than two years ago. "The rise of Zika after its long persistence as a disease of apparently little importance highlights how little we truly understand about the global spread of mosquito-borne viruses and other lesser known diseases," says Justin Lessler, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Bloomberg School who led the study along with Lelia Chaisson, a student in the department. "Over the past decades, dengue, chikungunya, West Nile virus and now Zika have emerged or re-emerged across the globe. Yet why these viruses have expanded their range and others have failed to invade areas potentially ripe for their spread remains a mystery." In their review article, Lessler and his colleagues looked at previously published research on Zika in an attempt to assess the global threat the virus poses. Many of the questions raised thus far by the recent outbreak, which has hit hard in Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico and other parts of the Americas, still need to be answered. There are two main theories as to why Zika is currently posing such a threat: that the virus has mutated to become more infectious or pathogenic, or that it previously struck such small populations that it was hard to discern its health effects. When an outbreak in French Polynesia from October 2013 to April 2014 infected an estimated 66 percent of the population, the number of cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome jumped dramatically (from three to 42), but the small number of people made it difficult to be sure of the cause and effect. Only later did it become apparent that there may also have been an increase in cases of microcephaly - a condition where a baby's head and brain can be dangerously small - over the same period. Most people who are infected either show no symptoms or minor ones like rashes. But these links became clear once Zika moved to Brazil, with its population of 200 million. It spread rapidly because this was a population that had never before been exposed to this virus, and there was no immunity. "Despite knowing about this disease for nearly 70 years, we were completely surprised and rushing to discover the very basic things about it when it invaded the Americas," Lessler says. "We have been completely unable to stop its spread. That is a problem for how we approach public health. We will always be in this situation when something new comes about or something little-known reemerges unless we do a better job planning for threats more generally instead of always fighting the last battle." There is no vaccine for Zika and there is no cure, which means that prevention methods such as mosquito spraying are the only options to control the spread of the disease, the researchers say. Lessler says that research going forward needs to go into vaccine development and into better understanding how well certain mosquito control methods actually work. In the past, intense control strategies, including mass DDT spraying, successfully eliminated Aedes aegypti, the type of mosquito that carries Zika and other viruses, from 18 countries in the Americas, substantially reducing new dengue cases. But these efforts ultimately proved unsustainable and Aedes aegypti and dengue re-emerged. Also, he notes, there is little evidence for the effectiveness of measures to reduce exposure to the diseases carried by these mosquitoes. The research shows that for dengue control, the use of window and door screens reduced the odds of developing the disease by 78 percent, but there is no conclusive support for mosquito repellents, bed nets and traps. However, Lessler stresses that such personal protective measures have been shown to reduce biting rates and should be used by those travelling to areas where Zika is present. Lessler says that a good portion of the millions of dollars expected to be earmarked for Zika by the U.S. Congress should focus on developing long-term strategies for sustainable mosquito control and vaccines. ### A team of the Lomonosov MSU researchers in collaboration with their German colleagues from the Institute of Polymer Research in Dresden (Leibniz Institute) managed to find a molecule that, to their opinion, could give the impetus to the development of organic electronics. The results of the work were published in Advanced Materials. Scientists from the Moscow State University together with colleagues from Germany have found that a derivative of [3]-radialene, a molecule known to the science for nearly 30 years, can be used to create organic semiconductors. Dmitry Ivanov, the Head of the Laboratory of Materials Engineering at the Department of Fundamental Physics and Chemical Engineering, Moscow State University, believes that the achievement will greatly contribute to the development of organic electronics and, in particular, to fabrication of organic light emitting diodes and new classes of organic solar cells. Organic or "plastic" electronics is a relatively young scientific field, which came to life about 15-20 years ago. Its purpose is the development of electronic devices based on organic materials. This type of devices is yet inferior to the standard silicon-based electronics in terms of performance, and also less durable. But it also has advantages -- lightness, thinness, flexibility, transparency, and most importantly -- plastic electronics is much cheaper than silicon. The main applications of organic electronics include solar cells, which will be much cheaper than the silicon-based modules (high cost is one of the reasons, which restricts the latter from covering large areas and thus make better use of the sun energy). Also, organic electronics can be used to design organic light emitting devices and field-effect transistors. The molecule in question is the so-called dopant, whose addition to a semiconducting polymer substantially increases its electrical conductivity. The dopants for inorganic semiconductors are widely used already for decades, however, according to one of the article's co-authors, Dmitry Ivanov, for organic conductors this field is far less studied. Currently, the most commonly used are fluorinated dopants. In combination with different organic semiconductors they are able to dramatically increase their electrical conductivity, but not all polymers that are used today in the "plastic" electronics are suitable. 'Together with our Drezden colleagues we decided to design a completely new type of low molecular weight dopant for the organic semiconductor,' says Dmitry Ivanov. 'And here it was important to choose a molecule that it was not only suitable in its energy levels, but, importantly, the dopant must be well mixed with the polymer, so that in contact with the polymer it does not segregate in a separate phase, eventually crystallizing and, in fact, losing contact with the polymer'. The main contribution of Ivanov's laboratory in this work consisted in exploring the physics of the phase transitions, physics of mixing in such binary systems, in the other words -- in finding a suitable candidate in terms of polymer physics. And such a candidate was found. It happened to be a derivative of [3]-radialene. This is a small planar molecule in which the carbon atoms are connected to form a triangular structure. Among other potentially interesting compounds, [3]-radialene has the most energetically suitable LUMO level, i.e. the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. This means that with its help the electrons are easily extracted from the semiconducting polymer matrix, becoming free charges and thereby increasing the conductivity of the doped material. [3]-Radialene thus becomes the strongest dopant for the organic semiconductor among those that are known in the scientific literature. The experiments with the [3]-radialene, also confirmed by the results of quantum-chemical calculations, show that the substance is well mixed with a semiconducting polymer and allows to increase the electrical conductivity of the polymer by several tens and even hundreds of times. It has been found that up to 50 percent of the dopant's content in the polymer the phase separation does not occur, but the crystalline structure of the polymer is gradually changed. This meant that the dopant molecules are included in the polymer crystalline lattice and form the so-called co-crystal. And the formation of co-crystals, according to Ivanov, is precisely one of the main reasons for the high efficiency of the new compound. The described new dopant, as well its fluorinated and currently the most popular analogues, belongs to the category of electron-deficient organic dopants, Dmitry Ivanov tells. 'Fluorine substituents are known to strongly pull the electrons away from the central part of the molecule, which increases the whole conductivity of the doped polymer. In the present work, the chemical structure of the dopant is completely different, and, in fact, appears to be even better. Perfect mixing of our dopant with the polymer matrix is, I think, the key to its performance. This could pave the way to fabrication of new organic solar cells with improved characteristics. We also think about production of organic field-effect transistors. I think it will give a significant boost to the development of organic electronic devices.' ### PORTLAND, Ore.- The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology today published a special anniversary edition in their journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science with more than 70 articles to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the invention of Optical Coherence Tomography technology, co-invented by Oregon Health & Science University Casey Eye Institute's David Huang, M.D., Ph.D. while Huang was a Ph.D. student with James Fujimoto, Ph.D. at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. OCT is the most commonly used ophthalmic diagnostic technology worldwide, with an estimated 30 million OCT imaging procedures performed every year. "I am pleased to see how well the OCT technology has evolved over the past 25 years to help diagnose and treat the most common causes of blindness, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma," said Huang, Peterson Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering at OHSU Casey Eye Institute. "OCT use continues to grow exponentially in ophthalmology and other medical specialties, including cardiology, dermatology, neurology and gastroenterology." OCT has transformed the way ophthalmologists are able to diagnose, monitor and treat devastating eye diseases, and it has advanced drug discovery and development. The technology is particularly suitable for the early detection of glaucoma and macular degeneration, diseases that may cause significant damage prior to the appearance of symptoms. OCT is also widely used for diabetic macular edema, the leading cause of blindness in young patients. "Dr. Huang's contribution to the field of ophthalmology has been tremendous and we are very fortunate to have such a brilliant mind here at Casey Eye Institute and in Oregon," said David J. Wilson, M.D., director of the OHSU Casey Eye Institute and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology in the OHSU School of Medicine. "This anniversary is a perfect opportunity to celebrate OCT as a truly transformative medical technology. Such transformations do not occur often in medicine." OCT technology has evolved over the past 25 years with great advances in imaging speed and quality. Ophthalmologists can now study disease at the microscopic level without biopsy, and with complete patient comfort. For the first time, eye physicians can visualize and measure blood flow in the smallest of blood vessels, without the need to inject contrast agents. Non-invasive visualization and measurement of blood flow gives great insight into the cause and progression of eye disease. Huang, who was recently ranked the 4th most influential figure in the world of ophthalmology by The Ophthalmologist PowerList 2016, runs the Center for Ophthalmic Optics and Lasers Lab, or COOL Lab, at Casey Eye Institute which includes a team of top scientists from around the world who have been perfecting OCT technology for more than 15 years. Several members of the lab have contributed articles for the special issue in IOVS (see Related Content for links to articles). "The special issue focused on Optical Coherence Tomography is a timely compendium of recent research papers that are using this technology that has reshaped our thinking about disease processes and drug mechanisms," said Thomas Yorio, Ph.D., a fellow of ARVO and editor-in-chief at the ARVO journal IOVS. "The ability to utilize OCT and the advances in this imaging technique have allowed us to see sections of the eye in a vastly new way, making surgical procedures easier, clinical observations clearer and providing insight into new research areas. IOVS is excited to host this exciting special issue. Special thanks go to our contributing editors, Dr. Huang and Dr. Fujimoto." Key OHSU collaborators with Huang's lab include Ou Tan, Ph.D., John C. Morrison, M.D., Yali Jia, Ph.D., Winston Chamberlain, M.D., Ph.D., Steven Bailey, M.D., Thomas S. Hwang, M.D., and Douglas D. Koch, M.D. at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. ### The papers published in the ARVO special issue by OHSU faculty were supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers: R01 EY018184, P30 EY010572, R01 EY023285, R01 EY013516, R01 EY010145, R01EY024544, DP3DK104397 and UL1TR000128), an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness and a grant from Optovue, Inc. One of the publications was also made possible with support from the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI), grant number UL1TR000128 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a component of the NIH, and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. In the interest of ensuring the integrity of our research and as part of our commitment to public transparency, OHSU actively regulates, tracks and manages relationships that our researchers may hold with entities outside of OHSU. In regards to these research projects, Maolong Tang, Ou Tan, Yali Jia, Yan Li and David Huang have significant interests in Optovue, Inc., a company that may have a commercial interest in the results of this research and technology. Review details of OHSU's conflict of interest program to find out more about how we manage these business relationships. About OHSU Oregon Health & Science University is a nationally prominent research university and Oregon's only public academic health center. It serves patients throughout the region with a Level 1 trauma center and nationally recognized Doernbecher Children's Hospital. OHSU operates dental, medical, nursing and pharmacy schools that rank high both in research funding and in meeting the university's social mission. OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute helped pioneer personalized medicine through a discovery that identified how to shut down cells that enable cancer to grow without harming healthy ones. OHSU Brain Institute scientists are nationally recognized for discoveries that have led to a better understanding of Alzheimer's disease and new treatments for Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and stroke. OHSU's Casey Eye Institute is a global leader in ophthalmic imaging, and in clinical trials related to eye disease. Scientists from around the world have announced a new challenge to find the best algorithms for detecting all of the abnormal RNA molecules in a cancer cell. This is a community effort, inviting all scientists and enthusiasts to participate in a collaborative crowd-sourced benchmarking effort. Based on the success of other recent SMC-Het challenges, the new SMC-RNA challenge will use a cloud model in which contestants submit their algorithms, not their results, to the evaluation. It will be the first challenge to make use of the new NCI Cloud Pilots. The Cloud Pilots will provide access to co-located data and shared tools as well as some free compute credits that can be used by participants and for final Challenge scoring. The challenge was launched on Thursday, June 30, 2016. Registration is available at: Sage Bionetworks' Synapse website: https://synapse.org/SMC_RNA. Genomic rearrangements in cancer cells produce fusion transcripts, which may give rise to chimeric protein products not present in normal cells. In addition, cancer cells can express alternate forms of encoded messages that give rise to protein variants different from normal tissue. These chimeras and protein variants can serve as robust diagnostic markers or drug targets. Moreover, ongoing research efforts are beginning to unveil the potential clinical relevance of these variant RNA products. Increasing the "alterome" of tumors by fully characterizing their RNA landscapes will expand our understanding of cancer mechanisms, provide new biomarkers and reveal possible new RNA-based therapeutics, thus improving personalized patient treatment. "Predicting RNA species in a cancer cell is a particularly challenging task," says Josh Stuart, Professor at the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute and one of the challenge leaders. "RNA expression reflects much of the deranged complexity of the underlying cancer cell DNA and then adds another level of derangement on top of that." The goal of the SMC-RNA Challenge is to identify the best methods for detecting rearrangements in RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data. Sub-challenges are focused on detecting and quantifying mRNA fusions and isoforms. Methods will be evaluated with both in silico and spiked-in data. Two key questions that will be addressed are: 1) What is the best way to estimate the abundances of a set of known RNA isoforms? and 2) What is the best way to predict the presence of novel gene fusions? Both of these questions will involve in silico generated and wet lab spiked-in RNA sequencing data. Like the SMC-Het challenge, contestants will contribute their code as self-contained virtual machines that can be run by the challenge administrators. The contestant code will then be executed on one of the three NCI Cloud Pilots that have been established to facilitate analysis of large-scale cancer genomics datasets. The Cancer Genomics Cloud Pilots are designed to explore innovative methods for accessing and computing on large genomic data. They aim to bring data and analysis together on a single platform by creating a set of data repositories with co-located computational capacity and an Application Programming Interface (API) that provides secure data access. The goals of the Cloud Pilots are to democratize access to NCI-generated genomic and related data and to create a cost-effective way to provide computational support to the cancer research community. Three contracts were awarded to develop the Cloud Pilots, to the Broad Institute, the Institute for Systems Biology, and Seven Bridges Genomics. Each of these groups is developing infrastructure and a set of tools to access, explore, and analyze molecular data. "NCI is intrigued by the potential of the DREAM challenge. Leveraging the Cloud Pilot concept to enable crowdsourcing to improve cancer transcript detection and quantification shows the kind of significant impact the cloud-based infrastructure can have," reports Tanja Davidsen, a Biomedical Informatics Program Manager at NCI. The challenge will initially leverage cloud compute available from the Institute for Systems Biology and then expand to include those provided by Seven Bridges and the Broad Institute. SMC-RNA is based on the containerized software and portable workflow descriptions. As such, upon completion, any compatible cloud system also will be able to replicate the execution and evaluation of all submitted code. To motivate a high level of collaboration, Sage Bionetworks' Synapse platform provides leaderboards, the ability for teams to dynamically form and re-form as the Challenge proceeds, and a discussion forum where participants can share ideas. As an added incentive, all individuals and teams that submit a final model will be invited as consortium co-authors on an overview paper of the Challenge that will be submitted to Nature Biotechnology, as the official journal partner of the Challenge. Top performers will receive travel awards and speaking invitations to the 2017 DREAM Conference. "It is an exciting development to see several technologies converge on this challenge so elegantly," says Kyle Ellrott, researcher with the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, assistant professor at the OHSU School of Medicine, and one of the challenge leaders. "The cloud pilots are available to provide access to scalable compute to large datasets. With the SMC-Het, and now SMC-RNA, we employ an evaluation mechanism that produces reproducible bioinformatics methods. The results of these challenges can be used to solve important problems in cancer genomics. And at the end of the challenge any of the submitted techniques could be made available to the users the cloud pilots for them to apply to their own data. It is truly a dynamic combination that is set to accomplish great things." The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) is the central coordinating agency of the DREAM Challenge, led by Dream Challenge Director Dr. Paul Boutros of OICR. ### About the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute The Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University is a pioneer in the field of precision cancer medicine. The institute's director, Brian Druker, M.D., helped prove it was possible to shut down just the cells that enable cancer to grow. This breakthrough has made once-fatal forms of the disease manageable and transformed how cancer is treated. The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center between Sacramento and Seattle - an honor earned only by the nation's top cancer centers. It is headquarters for one of the National Cancer Institute's largest research collaboratives, SWOG, in addition to offering the latest treatments and technologies as well as hundreds of research studies and clinical trials. For additional information on the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute visit http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/cancer or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. About the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute Genomics is revolutionizing biology, ecology, agriculture, forensics, and many other fields while initiating a new era of precision medicine. The mission of the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute is to unlock the world's genomics information to gain a deeper understanding of life and to drive the targeted treatment of diseases. The institute aims to pull together genomics researchers from a variety of disciplines across academic divisions, with the goal of cross-pollinating ideas, methodologies and research, and leading to new collaborations and synergies. Institute faculty have research foci in Health and Conservation. Both programs are built around a platform for advancing sequencing technologies and a software effort that will provide integrated data analysis. About Ontario Institute for Cancer Research OICR is an innovative cancer research and development institute dedicated to prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Institute is an independent, not-for-profit corporation, supported by the Government of Ontario. OICR and its funding partners support research programs that involve more than 1,700 investigators, clinician scientists, research staff and trainees in research institutes and in universities across the Province of Ontario as well as at its headquarters. OICR has key research program efforts underway in small molecules, biologics, stem cells, imaging, genomics, informatics and biocomputing. For more information visit http://www.oicr.on.ca About Washington University School of Medicine Washington University's 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient-care institutions in the nation, currently ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare. About Sage Bionetworks Sage Bionetworks is a nonprofit biomedical research organization, founded in 2009, with a vision to promote innovations in personalized medicine by enabling a community-based approach to scientific inquiries and discoveries. In pursuit of this Mission, Sage Bionetworks is working with others to assemble an information Commons for biomedicine that (1) is supported by an open compute space (Synapse: http://www.synapse.org), (2) supports open research collaborations and innovative DREAM Challenges, and (3) empowers citizens and patients with the tools to partner with researchers and share their data through Sage's BRIDGE platform in order to drive the research studies that matter most to them. About DREAM Challenges The Dialogue on Reverse Engineering Assessment and Methods (DREAM) Challenges pose fundamental questions about systems biology and translational medicine. A. Califano (Columbia University) and Gustavo Stolovitzky (IBM Research and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) founded the group in 2006. The DREAM Challenges, designed and run by a community of researchers from a variety of organizations, invite participants to propose solutions while fostering collaboration and building communities in the process. Expertise and institutional support are provided by Sage Bionetworks, along with the infrastructure to host challenges via their Synapse platform. Contacts: Sage Bionetworks Thea Norman, 206-667-3192 Mobile: 858-997-8598 thea.norman@sagebase.org OHSU Amanda Gibbs 503.494.5640 gibbam@ohsu.edu UCSC Tim Stephens 831-459-4352 stephens@ucsc.edu OICR Rhea Cohen, 416-673-6642 Rhea.cohen@oicr.on.ca Washington University School of Medicine Judy Martin Finch 314-286-0105 martinju@wustl.edu ARLINGTON, Va.--In honor of the first American female astronaut, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) recently welcomed the U.S. Navy's newest research vessel--R/V Sally Ride--for ocean science. The Navy's Superintendent of Shipbuilding received the ship from the Dakota Creek Industries shipyard in Anacortes, Washington, and ONR delivered it to officials from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Scripps will operate and maintain the Sally Ride under a charter lease agreement with ONR, which manages the ship on behalf of the Navy. "The Navy plays a major role in supporting the national research fleet by delivering cutting-edge research vessels like the Sally Ride," said Dr. Frank Herr, head of ONR's Ocean Battlespace Sensing Department. "The Sally Ride is a next-generation research ship that's sure to make new maritime discoveries and scientific breakthroughs, and contribute to the Navy's overall mission." The Sally Ride takes the place of the recently retired R/V Melville, which Scripps--one of the world's foremost centers for ocean, atmosphere and Earth science research--operated from 1969 to 2014. The Melville sailed over 1.5 million miles, mapped the deepest spot on the planet and made the first observations of deep-ocean volcanic eruptions. "Thousands of peer-reviewed scientific articles written by scientists who sailed on Melville have significantly advanced our knowledge of the Earth and its oceans," said Program Officer Tim Schnoor, who oversees ONR's research vessel programs. "The Sally Ride, like her namesake, will support new discoveries in our Earth's oceans over the course of the next 30 or more years," Schnoor continued. "The ship will be outfitted with the latest oceanographic instrumentation to support science at sea and instruction of the next generation of seagoing oceanographers. This work will be essential to gaining a greater understanding of the Earth's changing climate and learning more about the ocean environment in which the Navy operates." ONR's delivery of the Sally Ride to Scripps continues a tradition that stretches back nearly 70 years. Since the end of World War II, the Navy has provided state-of-the-art research ships to select universities and oceanographic institutions so they could perform scientific studies of the marine environment. These ships comprise the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, whose research at sea supports Navy and national oceanographic research objectives and trains the next generation of oceanographers. The 238-foot Sally Ride can sail on cruises as long as 40 days and accommodate both a 20-person crew and up to 24 scientists. The vessel has multi-beam bottom-mapping and ocean current profiling sonars, advanced meteorological sensors and satellite data transmission systems. It also features the latest navigation and ship-positioning systems and a specially designed hull that improves sonar acoustic performance. The Sally Ride will spend the next month being outfitted with equipment, spare parts, food and other supplies needed for basic ship operations. In August, it will begin "shake-down" cruises, an opportunity to test the ship's capabilities, as it goes from the shipyard in Washington to its ultimate homeport in San Diego, where Scripps is located. Upon arrival there, it will begin a series of science verification cruises to test its installed systems and ensure its readiness for conducting future research missions. In October, the Sally Ride will begin federally funded research operations. ### Kids in bed by 8 p.m. have half the risk of those who turn in late COLUMBUS, Ohio - Preschoolers who are regularly tucked into bed by 8 p.m. are far less likely to become obese teenagers than young children who go to sleep later in the evening, new research has found. Bedtimes after 9 p.m. appeared to double the likelihood of obesity later in life, according to a study from The Ohio State University College of Public Health. "For parents, this reinforces the importance of establishing a bedtime routine," said Sarah Anderson, lead author and associate professor of epidemiology. It also arms pediatricians with scientifically based advice for parents. "It's something concrete that families can do to lower their child's risk and it's also likely to have positive benefits on behavior and on social, emotional and cognitive development," Anderson said. Excess weight in children is a major health concern in the United States. Approximately 17 percent - 12.7 million - of children and adolescents are obese, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity can set kids up for a lifelong struggle with weight and health complications that can accompany it, including diabetes and heart disease. The new research, which appears in the The Journal of Pediatrics, used data from 977 children who were part of the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. That project followed healthy babies born at 10 U.S. sites in 1991. Anderson and her co-authors divided preschool bedtimes into three categories: 8 p.m. or earlier, between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., and after 9 p.m. The children were about 4 years old when their mothers reported their typical weekday bedtime. The researchers linked preschoolers' bedtimes to obesity when the kids were teens, at an average age of 15. They found a striking difference: Only 1 in 10 of the children with the earliest bedtimes were obese teens, compared to 16 percent of children with mid-range bedtimes and 23 percent of those who went to bed latest. Half the kids in the study fell into the middle category. A quarter had early bedtimes and another quarter went to bed late. Because the emotional climate at home can influence routines such as bedtime, Anderson and her colleagues also examined interactions between mothers and their children during a videotaped playtime. Scientists call the measurement "maternal sensitivity" and it factors in maternal support, respect for the child's autonomy and lack of hostility. Regardless of the quality of the maternal-child relationship, there was a strong link between bedtimes and obesity, the researchers found. But the children who went to bed latest and whose moms had the lowest sensitivity scores faced the highest obesity risk. The researchers also found that later bedtimes were more common in children who were not white, whose moms had less education and who lived in lower-income households. Previous research has established a relationship between short sleep duration and obesity. And one study found a correlation between late bedtimes and obesity risk five years later. This new bedtime study is the first to use data on obesity collected about a decade after the children were in preschool, Anderson said. Her team's previous research has illustrated the importance of household routines for preschool-aged children and this builds on that work, she said. Anderson said she and her co-authors focused on bedtimes because they have a greater impact on the duration of sleep than do wake times, over which parents have less control. When parents and older siblings must get up and out the door early, that often means young children rise early as well. Putting a child to bed early doesn't guarantee he or she will fall immediately into a deep sleep, Anderson said, but establishing a consistent bedtime routine makes it more likely that children will get the amount of sleep they need to be at their best, Anderson said. Recommending early bedtimes for young children may help to prevent obesity, and pediatricians are in a position to talk with parents about the importance of sleep for children's overall health. Pediatricians can also help to address obstacles families may face, she said. "It's important to recognize that having an early bedtime may be more challenging for some families than for others," Anderson said. "Families have many competing demands and there are tradeoffs that get made. For example, if you work late, that can push bedtimes later in the evening." The majority of young children are biologically pre-programmed to be ready to fall asleep well before 9 p.m., according to previous research. The study doesn't answer questions about how sleep time intertwines with a variety of other factors that can contribute to weight gain in childhood, including physical activity and nutrition, Anderson said, and that remains an active area of research. ### The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health. Anderson's co-authors were Ohio State's Rebecca Andridge and Robert Whitaker of Temple University's Center for Obesity Research and Education. CONTACT: Sarah Anderson, 614-688-3600; Sanderson@cph.osu.edu Written by Misti Crane, 614-292-5220; Crane.11@osu.edu Rochester Institute of Technology's National Technical Institute for the Deaf has received a grant for $30,000 as part of the Innovation Generation Grant program from the Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions Inc. Through the grant, RIT/NTID will fund its Tech Girlz and Tech Boyz outreach programs. The Innovation Generation program provides awards to organizations that foster and support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiatives for teachers and students (U.S. preschool through university level)--especially girls and underrepresented minorities. Tech Girlz and Tech Boyz are weeklong summer camps offered to deaf and hard-of-hearing students entering seventh, eighth and ninth grades who are interested in science, technology, engineering and math. They are taught in English and sign language and offer participants hands-on opportunities to explore technology, build robots and personal computers, and more. This year's Tech Girlz and Tech Boyz camps will be held July 23-28 at NTID. "We are grateful for Motorola Solutions Foundation's generous support of our outreach tech programs," said Gerard Buckley, NTID president and RIT vice president and dean. "These camps provide opportunities for young deaf and hard-of-hearing students to explore careers that they may not have realized were available to them." Motorola has been a leader in supporting RIT/NTID's academic and outreach programs, and this is the fourth time it has helped fund the Tech Girlz and Tech Boyz programs. Since 1984, Motorola Solutions has provided more than $1 million in funding to various RIT and NTID programs. The Motorola Solutions Foundation grant program overall will impact about 1 million students and teachers this year, each receiving an average of 120 programming hours from partner nonprofit organizations and institutions. Programs support special populations, including girls and women; underrepresented minorities; the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community; people with disabilities; and the military. "The Motorola Solutions Foundation created the Innovation Generation Grant program nine years ago to support educational experiences that spark students to turn their dreams into innovations that will shape our society's future," said Matt Blakely, executive director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation. "Organizations like RIT/NTID are teaching tomorrow's leaders that careers in engineering and technology are both fun and within their reach." ### For additional information on the Motorola Solutions Foundation grants programs, go to http://responsibility.motorolasolutions.com/index.php/solutions-for-community/. For more on RIT/NTID, go to http://www.ntid.rit.edu. About RIT/NTID Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized as a leader in computing, engineering, imaging technology, fine and applied arts, and for providing unparalleled support services for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. RIT is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1965, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf is the first and largest technological college in the world for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. NTID offers associate degree programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and provides support and access services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students who study in the other eight colleges of RIT. NTID also offers a bachelor's degree program in sign language interpreting and a master's degree program in secondary education for individuals interested in teaching deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Deaf and hard-of-hearing students come from all over the United States and around the world to take advantage of the opportunities available to them at RIT/NTID. Go to http://www.ntid.rit.edu. About Motorola Solutions Foundation The Motorola Solutions Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions. With employees located around the globe, Motorola Solutions seeks to benefit the communities where it operates. The company achieves this by making strategic grants, forging strong community partnerships and fostering innovation. The Motorola Solutions Foundation focuses its funding on public safety, disaster relief, employee programs and education, especially science, technology, engineering and math programming. For more information on Motorola Solutions' corporate and foundation giving, go to http://www.motorolasolutions.com/giving. Patients' self-rated health is a better long-term predictor of illness and death than standard blood tests, blood pressure measurements or other symptomatic evidence a doctor might gather, according to a new study from Rice University. The study in Psychoneuroendocrinology lays out mounting statistical evidence to support this conclusion. The team led by Christopher Fagundes, a Rice assistant professor of psychology, and postdoctoral researcher Kyle Murdock found evidence to bolster their theory that self-rated health - what you'd say when a doctor asks how you feel your health is in general - is as good as and perhaps even better than any test to describe one's physiological condition. "A couple of years ago there was a boom of work in psychology and medicine about what we call patient-reported outcomes, the idea that what patients actually feel like and say they feel like seems to be more prognostic of morbidity and mortality than all the cholesterol ratings and blood tests we get from doctors' offices," Fagundes said. "That was an odd finding," he said. "You would think that objective markers like blood pressure would be more accurate. The way people generally report how they feel is more often linked to a future disease or mortality than what the doctor accesses. "As psychologists, we think, 'They're sensing something. There's something going on here.' That's what took us to this paper." The researchers set out to find evidence that would connect the dots between feelings and fate. They found it in existing data that established solid links between self-rated health and rising levels of herpesvirus activity, an important marker of poor cellular immunity that promotes high levels of inflammation. Fagundes has a long-standing collaboration with a team at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and was able to take advantage of a unique dataset it gathered a decade ago for the Texas City Health and Stress Study. The study assessed the relationship between stress and health in the community that hosts petrochemical industries at the mouth of the Houston Ship Channel. The survey of the residents gathered self-assessments (through a 36-item questionnaire) and blood samples for nearly 1,500 individuals. Those samples were analyzed for levels of active herpesviruses and biomarkers for inflammation. "We found that self-rated health was associated with reactivation of herpesviruses," Murdock said. "We're not talking about the sexually transmitted disease, but viruses that are associated with things like cold sores that are ubiquitous among adults." "Herpesvirus activity is a very good functional marker of cellular immunity, because almost everybody has been exposed to one type of the virus or another," Fagundes said. "It doesn't mean you're sick; it's probably been dormant in your cells for most of your life. But because it reactivates at a cellular level and prompts the immune system to fight it, it becomes a great marker of how the system is working. "You can imagine that when the immune system's fighting something, you get more inflammation throughout the body, and inflammation contributes to disease. That's it in a nutshell," he said. Previous studies by Fagundes and others demonstrated the link between herpesvirus activation and inflammation. While patients may not be aware of active herpesviruses or inflammation, the researchers suspected a mechanism stronger than mere instinct was responsible for their expressions of discomfort. "We found that poor self-rated health was associated with more reactivation of these latent herpesviruses, which was associated with higher inflammation, and we know those two things are associated with morbidity and mortality, as well as some cancers, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease," Murdock said. After eliminating data for 251 individuals who showed no sign of herpesvirus, the team wound up with a snapshot that clearly showed those who reported feeling in good health had low virus and inflammation levels, while those who said they felt poorly were high on the virus and inflammation scales. The researchers noted that primary care physicians are highly unlikely to check for herpesvirus activity or inflammation. "It's too hard an assay to do clinically and takes too much time," Fagundes said. "They look at things like white blood cell counts in cancer patients but would never do a herpesvirus latency test, and tests for inflammation would be rare. These are good markers for long-term health, but not for things that are going to impact you tomorrow." He said scientists haven't yet identified the channel that gives people a sense of impending illness. One theory is that fatigue is a marker. "I've heard many primary care physicians say they've never seen anyone with a disease that wasn't associated with fatigue," Fagundes said. Another possibility is a sense of imbalance in the gut microbiome, another avenue of future study. But doctors should still pay close attention to what patients report. "When a patient says, 'I don't feel like my health is very good right now,' it's meaningful thing with a biological basis, even if they don't show symptoms," he said. "When I go to patient-advocate conferences, people say they're grateful we're finding biological mechanisms because they feel like doctors have ignored them for years, saying, 'It's in your head.' Well, it's in your head, but there's a reason." ### Co-authors of the paper are Kristen Peek of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; Rice research assistant Vansh Vohra and Raymond Stowe of Microgen Laboratories, La Marque, Texas. The National Cancer Institute and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute supported the research. Read the study at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453016301871 This news release can be found online at http://news.rice.edu/2016/07/14/self-rated-health-worth-doctors-attention-2/ Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews Related materials: Biobehavioral Mechanisms Explaining Disparities Lab: http://bmed.rice.edu/people/ Rice Department of Psychology: https://psychology.rice.edu Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,910 undergraduates and 2,809 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for best quality of life and for lots of race/class interaction by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to http://tinyurl.com/RiceUniversityoverview. Team training of health care employees can reduce patient mortality by 15 percent, according to a new study from Rice University, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the University of Central Florida, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. "Saving Lives: A Meta-Analysis of Team Training in Health Care" found that team training can also reduce medical errors by 19 percent. Team training is an instructional strategy aimed at improving team-based knowledge, skills, attitudes and problem-solving interactions. It focuses on developing coordination, cooperation, communication, leadership and other team-based skills. Team members train in specific roles while performing specific tasks and interact or coordinate to achieve a common goal or outcome. "Medical error has an estimated economic impact between $735 billion to $980 billion annually in the United States alone," said Eduardo Salas, the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Chair and Professor of Psychology at Rice and one of the study's authors. "In addition, estimates indicate that preventable medical errors occur in one out of every three hospital admissions. The evidence is clear: Medical error causes patient harm, and much of this error is preventable. Team training is one possible way to prevent such errors from ever happening." The researchers reported that 19 percent of trainees had, in general, positive reactions to team training. (The remaining trainees were neutral on the topic.) The group training also improved employees' learning of new skills by 31 percent and on-the-job use of these skills by 25 percent. Financial outcomes of health care organizations were improved by 15 percent. Finally, team training was associated with a 34 percent improvement in clinical performance and 15 percent increase in patient satisfaction. "Team training has the potential to teach individuals how to better communicate, cooperate and resolve conflicts in workplace settings, including health care," Salas said. "Ultimately, we found that team training is effective and useful in this field and can ultimately save money and, more importantly, lives." Salas said the study's results are encouraging and demonstrate that health care organizations can see moderate to large improvements in their employees' performance and organizational results by participating in a health care team-training program. The study examined the impact of training in team settings among 23,018 participants in 129 prior studies. The previous research examined how team training impacted quality of care, customer service, patient satisfaction and other variables. Participants included health care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, etc.), allied health care personnel (nurses and therapists), health care staff (unit clerks) and health care students (medical students, nursing students, etc.) and came from facilities ranging from small clinics to large hospitals, both in the U.S. and abroad. ### The article will appear in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Applied Psychology and was co-authored by Ashley Hughes and Megan Gregory at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Dana Joseph and Shirley Sonesh at the University of Central Florida, Shannon Marlow and Christina Lacerenza at Rice, Lauren Benishek at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Heidi King at the U.S. Department of Defense. NASA funded the research. This news release can be found online at http://news.rice.edu/. Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews. Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,910 undergraduates and 2,809 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for best quality of life and for lots of race/class interaction by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to http://tinyurl.com/RiceUniversityoverview. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have mapped out the sets of biological and chemical signals necessary to quickly and efficiently direct human embryonic stem cells to become pure populations of any of 12 cell types, including bone, heart muscle and cartilage. The ability to make pure populations of these cells within days rather than the weeks or months previously required is a key step toward clinically useful regenerative medicine -- potentially allowing researchers to generate new beating heart cells to repair damage after a heart attack or to create cartilage or bone to reinvigorate creaky joints or heal from trauma. The study also highlights key, but short-lived, patterns of gene expression that occur during human embryo segmentation and confirms that human development appears to rely on processes that are evolutionarily conserved among many animals. These insights may also lead to a better understanding of how congenital defects occur. "Regenerative medicine relies on the ability to turn pluripotent human stem cells into specialized tissue stem cells that can engraft and function in patients," said Irving Weissman, MD, the director of Stanford's Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and also of its Ludwig Cancer Center. "It took us years to be able to isolate blood-forming and brain-forming stem cells. Here we used our knowledge of the developmental biology of many other animal models to provide the positive and negative signaling factors to guide the developmental choices of these tissue and organ stem cells. Within five to nine days we can generate virtually all the pure cell populations that we need." Weissman and Lay Teng Ang, of the Genome Institute of Singapore, are the senior authors of the study, which will be published July 14 in Cell. Graduate student Kyle Loh and research assistant Angela Chen, both at Stanford, share lead authorship of the study. Unraveling the mysteries Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they can become any type of cell in the body. They do so by responding to a variety of time- and location-specific cues within the developing embryo that direct them to become specific cell types. Researchers have learned a lot about how this process is controlled in animals, including fish, mice and frogs. In contrast to many other animals, human embryonic development is a mysterious process, particularly in the first weeks after conception. This is because cultivating a human embryo for longer than 14 days is banned by many countries and scientific societies. But we do know that, like other animals, the human embryo in its earliest stages consists of three main components known as germ layers: the ectoderm, the endoderm and the mesoderm. Each of these germ layers is responsible for generating certain cell types as the embryo develops. The mesoderm, for example, gives rise to key cell types, including cardiac and skeletal muscle, connective tissue, bone, blood vessels, blood cells, cartilage and portions of the kidneys and skin. "The ability to generate pure populations of these cell types is very important for any kind of clinically important regenerative medicine," said Loh, "as well as to develop a basic road map of human embryonic development. Previously, making these cell types took weeks to months, primarily because it wasn't possible to accurately control cell fate. As a result, researchers would end up with a hodgepodge of cell types." Loh and Chen wanted to know what signals drive the formation of each of the mesodermally derived cell types. To do so, they started with a human embryonic stem cell line, which they chemically nudged to become cells that form what's known as the primitive streak on the hollow ball of cells of the early embryo. They then experimented with varying combinations of well-known signaling molecules, including WNT, BMP and Hedgehog, as a way to coax these cells to become ever-more-specialized precursor cells. A yes-and-no strategy They learned that often the cells progressed down the developmental path through a series of consecutive choices between two possible options. Think about the carnival game in which a disc is dropped down a slanted, peg-studded board to land in one of several cups at the bottom. The eventual destination is determined by whether the disc goes to the left or right of each consecutive peg. The quickest, most efficient way to micromanage the cells' developmental decisions was to apply a simultaneous combination of factors that both encouraged the differentiation into one lineage while also actively blocking the cells from a different fate -- a kind of "yes" and "no" strategy. For example, cells in the primitive streak can become either endoderm or one of two types of mesoderm. Inhibiting the activity of a signaling molecule called TGF beta drives the cells to a mesodermal fate. Adding a signaling molecule called WNT, while also blocking the activity of another molecule known as BMP, promotes differentiation into one kind of mesoderm; conversely, adding BMP while blocking WNT drives the cells to instead become the other type of mesoderm. "We learned during this process that it is equally important to understand how unwanted cell types develop and find a way to block that process while encouraging the developmental path we do want," said Loh. By carefully guiding the cells' choices at each fork in the road, Loh and Chen were able to generate bone cell precursors that formed human bone when transplanted into laboratory mice and beating heart muscle cells, as well as 10 other mesodermal-derived cell lineages. At each developmental stage, the researchers conducted single-cell RNA sequencing to identify unique gene expression patterns and assess the purity of individual cell populations. By looking at the gene expression profile in single cells, the researchers were able to identify previously unknown transient states that typified the progression from precursor to more-specialized cells. Segmentation in embryo development In particular they observed for the first time a transient pulse of gene expression that precedes the segmentation of the human embryo into discrete parts that will become the head, trunk and limbs of the body. The process mirrors what is known to occur in other animals, and confirms that the segmentation process in human development has been evolutionarily conserved. "The segmentation of the embryo is a fundamental step in human development," said Loh. "Now we can see that, evolutionarily, it's a very conserved process." Understanding when and how segmentation and other key developmental steps occur could provide important clues as to how congenital birth defects arise when these steps go awry. The ability to quickly generate purified populations of specialized precursor cells has opened new doors to further study. "Next, we'd like to show that these different human progenitor cells can regenerate their respective tissues and perhaps even ameliorate disease in animal models," said Loh. ### Stanford co-authors of the study are data analyst Pang Wei Koh; former undergraduate student Tianda Deng; instructor Rahul Sinha, PhD; graduate students Jonathan Tsai, Amira Barkal, Kimberle Shen and Benson George; research assistant Rachel Morganti; postdoctoral scholar Nathaniel Fernhoff, PhD; assistant professor of pathology Gerlinde Wernig, MD; former graduate student Zhenghao Chen; professor of pathology and of pediatrics Hannes Vogel, MD; assistant professor of genetics and of computer science Anshul Kundaje, PhD; professor of developmental biology William Talbot, PhD; and professor of developmental biology Philip Beachy, PhD. The study was supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the National Institutes of Health (grants HL125040, GM007365, HL119553, HL071546, HL100405, NS069375, RR029338 and OD018220), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, anonymous donors, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore, the Siebel Stem Cell Institute, the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans and the Alfred Sloan Foundation. Stanford's Departments of Pathology and of Developmental Biology also supported the work. The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://med.stanford.edu/school.html. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health. For information about all three, please visit http://med.stanford.edu. Up to half of all new HIV infections over next 15 years in eastern Europe will stem from inmates who inject drugs Scaling up opioid substitution therapy in prisons and after release could prevent over a quarter of new HIV infections among injecting drug users over 5 years The War on Drugs, mass incarceration of drug users, and the failure to provide proven harm reduction and treatment strategies has led to high levels of HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B and C infection among prisoners--far higher than in the general population. With an estimated 30 million people passing in and out of prisons every year, prisoners will be key to controlling HIV and tuberculosis epidemics worldwide, according to a major six-part Series on HIV and related infections in prisoners, published in The Lancet and being presented at the International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa. "Prisons can act as incubators of tuberculosis, hepatitis C, and HIV and the high level of mobility between prison and the community means that the health of prisoners should be a major public-health concern. Yet, screening and treatment for infectious diseases are rarely made available to inmates, and only around 10% of people who use drugs worldwide are being reached by treatment programmes", says lead author of the Series and President of the International AIDS Society Professor Chris Beyrer, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. "The most effective way of controlling infection in prisoners and the wider community is to reduce mass imprisonment of injecting drug users." [1] High prevalence of HIV among prisoners Worldwide, between 56% and 90% of people who inject drugs will be incarcerated at some point. In parts of Europe, over a third of inmates inject drugs (38%), in Australia (55%) it is more than half. This is in stark contrast with injecting drug use the general population (0.3% in EU and 0.2% in Australia). Data presented in the Series show that with growing numbers of injecting drug users in prison, the prevalence of infectious diseases has also increased (Paper 1 and Paper 3, table 1). For example: Levels of HIV infection are 20 times higher among prisoners in western Europe than the civilian population (4.2% vs 0.2%), and around three times higher among prisoners in eastern and southern Africa (15.6% vs 4.7%) and north America (1.3% vs. 0.3%). While most prisoners are men, women and girls are the fastest growing imprisoned group worldwide, and in most regions of the world, levels of HV infection are higher in female inmates than male prisoners including eastern Europe and central Asia (22% vs 8.5%). High rates of hepatitis C are also seen among prisoners, with 1 in 6 inmates in parts of Europe and the USA carrying hepatitis C virus. Prevalence of active tuberculosis is higher in prisons than the general population in all settings. One study demonstrated that prevalence was 40 times higher in one prison in Brazil than the general population. Moreover, new estimates produced for the Series suggest that up to half of all new HIV infections over the next 15 years in eastern Europe will stem from increased HIV transmission risk among inmates who inject drugs; and imprisonment could be responsible for three-quarters of new tuberculosis infections among people who inject drugs, and around 6% of all yearly tuberculosis infections (Paper 6). High rates of injecting drug use in some settings, lack of access to condoms, unsanitary conditions, and gross overcrowding have made prisons and detention centers high risk environments for spread of these infections. Almost half of countries in sub-Saharan Africa report that prisons are at 150% capacity or higher. Increased frequency and duration of imprisonment increase individual risk for these infections, particularly HIV and tuberculosis. But these health issues do not remain confined to prisons. With around 10.2 million people imprisoned worldwide at any given time (nearly 2.2 million in the USA alone), and an estimated 30 million passing in and out of prison each year, substantial numbers of undiagnosed and untreated infections in prison can spread to the community when prisoners return home. Treatment interruptions upon release threaten former prisoners and their communities. Unmet health needs in prisons The Series brings together a wealth of evidence to show that countries can reduce and even reverse infectious disease transmission by scaling up proven harm reduction and treatment strategies in prisons like opioid agonist therapy (OAT), antiretroviral therapy (ART), hepatitis B vaccination, condom distribution, and sterile needle and syringe exchange. Modelling conducted for the Series suggests that reducing mass incarceration of people who use drugs, in this case lowering the number of prisoners who inject drugs by 25%, could result in a 7-15% drop in new cases of HIV among injecting drug users in the community over 5 years. Similarly, scaling up OAT (eg, methadone and buprenorphine) to all those in need in prison, and after release, could prevent over a quarter (28%) of new HIV cases in people who inject drugs in just 5 years [2] (Paper 1). Although such interventions have proved successful in prisons and are required by international human rights law (Paper 4, panel), they are severely underfunded and are often impeded by discrimination and restrictive prison rules in all countries--both in high- and low- income countries. The fact that in many countries, prison health services are isolated from national public health programmes and the ministry of health has exacerbated the issue. The authors reviewed six of the fifteen key interventions for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in prisons recommended by WHO/UNOCD: information (education, communication), counselling and testing, sterile needle exchange, OAT, condom provision, and ART. Yet, globally, only eight countries (Moldova, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland) provide all six interventions (Paper 3, figure 2). In 2014, only 43 countries offered OAT in at least one prison and less than 1% of prisoners worldwide who need it actually receive this treatment. In western Europe, only a third (10 of 29) of surveyed countries reported hepatitis C screening programmes for prisoners; and in 2012, ART was available to prisoners in just 43 countries worldwide. But, several countries have achieved success. For example, in Iran, where more than 60% of prisoners are incarcerated for drug-related crimes, HIV prevalence among injecting drug users in prisons reduced from 18.2% in 2003 to 2.3% in 2007 due to a combination of voluntary HIV testing, OST, condoms, and needle and syringe exchange programmes (Paper 3 and appendix for case studies of Iran and Spain). Urgent reform to drug laws and prison healthcare needed "The response to the HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis epidemics in prisons has been slow and piecemeal, and the majority of governments continue to ignore the strategic importance of prison health care to public health", says Professor Beyrer. "Most strategies for dealing with infectious diseases in prisons focus on a zero-tolerance approach to drug users. The fact that infection rates are still climbing confirms that this approach does not work." [1] He adds, "Reforming laws and policies that criminalise drug use and sexual behaviours will be crucial to reducing prison populations that put large numbers at risk of potentially life-threatening infections, and which can be more effectively prevented and treated in community settings. Non-violent drug-offenders, especially women, should be offered treatment as an alternative."[1] The authors make several recommendations to improve access to health care for prisoners--leading with the urgent need to recognise the contribution of prison health to health inequalities, and to make prison health a priority by convincing governments that health policy must be based on the best available evidence. Other recommendations include addressing the fundamental right of prisoners to a minimum standard of health care at least equivalent to the wider community; and to increase cooperation and coordination between criminal justice and public health systems. In an accompanying Comment, Series authors Professor Chris Beyer, Professor Adeeba Kamarulzaman from the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Professor Martin McKee from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK as well as co-authors from The Lancet HIV in Prisoners Group call for urgent reform. They write, The Nelson Mandela Rules provide benchmarks to achieve meaningful reform in access to health care for those detained. We can, and should, do better to reduce both the numbers of those incarcerated and the length of their sentences, and to improve prevention, treatment, and post-release linkage to care for prison-associated infectious diseases. Meeting community standards of care in correctional settings, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, will require political will, financial investment, and support from medical and humanitarian organisations across the globe, but it can and must be done. Global control of HIV, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis will not be achieved without addressing the unmet health needs of prisoners." In a Comment introducing the Series, Dr Pam Das, Senior Executive Editor and Dr Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief at The Lancet say, "As Archbishop Desmond Tutu's message "Don't forget the prisoner" reaffirms, we have a moral and human imperative to provide treatment to prisoners since we have limited their ability to access care except through prison health. Only by fully including them and other marginalised populations in the global HIV/AIDS response, will the fast-track to accelerate the fight against HIV and to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 become a reality." ### NOTES TO EDITORS: [1] Quotes direct from authors and cannot be found in text of papers. [2] The potential effect of interventions depends on the general HIV prevalence in communities of people who inject drugs which varies substantially between and within countries (figure 7). NOTE: THE ABOVE LINKS ARE FOR JOURNALISTS ONLY; IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE A LINK TO THIS SERIES FOR YOUR READERS, PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING, WHICH WILL GO LIVE AT THE TIME THE EMBARGO LIFTS: http://www.thelancet.com/series/hiv-in-prisons Fear memory encoding, the process responsible for persistent reactions to trauma-associated cues, is influenced by a sparse but potent population of inhibitory cells called parvalbumin-interneurons (PV-INs) in the amygdala, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published online July 14 in the journal Neuron. The Mount Sinai study focused on identifying the synaptic connections between inhibitory PV-INs, sensory pathways and neighboring principal neurons in the basolateral amygdala, a brain region involved in detecting and responding to dangerous situations. Stimuli encountered during a traumatic event can elicit strong emotional reactions long after the threat has subsided. These emotional memories are thought to be encoded through changes in the neural connections, or synapses, within the basolateral amygdala that provide outputs to other brain areas, controlling the so-called "fight or flight" response. These principal neurons increase their activity when an animal learns a threatening stimulus association. At other times, these cells are very quiet, despite their ongoing bombardment by sensory stimulation. "Our study is the first to show that this default silencing may, in part, be attributable to a sparse population of inhibitory PV-INs," says Roger Clem, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and lead investigator of the trial. "The complex anatomy of these cells may allow them to function like master regulators on a hair trigger, springing into action to suppress their neighbors when they detect even the slightest sensory perturbation." To investigate whether fear learning alters PV-IN properties and their silencing effect on surrounding neurons, the Mount Sinai team introduced fear conditioning in a mouse model, pairing an auditory tone with a subsequent aversive foot shock. They found that when animals acquire a fear memory, the suppressive influence of PV-INs is relieved, allowing the fear system to respond more vigorously when the auditory stimulus is re-encountered in order to trigger a fight-or-flight response. All sensations, movements, thoughts, memories and feelings are the result of signals that pass through nerve cells (neurons), the primary functional unit of the brain and central nervous system. When a signal passes from the cell body to the end of the cell axon that stretches away from the cell body, chemicals known as neurotransmitters are released into the synapse, the place where signals are exchanged between cells. The neurotransmitters then cross the synapse and attach to receptors on the neighboring cell, which can change the properties of the receiving cell. Found throughout the brain and produced by neurons, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that binds to GABA receptors, making the neighboring neuron less excitable. Fear-related disorders like anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are thought to partly result from an imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory nerve cells in the basolateral amygdala. The current study team investigated GABA-synthesizing PV-INs after fear conditioning. Specifically, using electrophysiological and optogenetic techniques, the research team found that both input to and output from these cells was decreased after fear learning. In addition, the team found that memory encoding specifically affected PV-INs that respond most robustly to sensory input and that are thus uniquely positioned to regulate emotional reactivity. The study findings indicate that inhibitory plasticity is a normal consequence of memory encoding and when dysregulated, it could lead to the hyper excitability of the amygdala, a hallmark of PTSD. "Further investigation of the function of these PV-IN circuits under various stress paradigms may identify which of the processes we describe might be involved in pathological fear expression and ultimately, could establish cellular targets for reducing inappropriate amygdala responses and subsequent fear behaviors," says Dr. Clem. ### This research was supported by NIH grants MH105414 (R.L.C.) EY026053 (H.M.) and MH096678 (E.K.L.); a NARSAD Young Investigator Award (R.L.C.); and The Friedman Brain Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. About the Mount Sinai Health System The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services--from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care. The System includes approximately 7,000 primary and specialty care physicians; 12 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals in Geriatrics, Cardiology/Heart Surgery, and Gastroenterology, and is in the top 25 in five other specialties in the 2015-2016 "Best Hospitals" issue of U.S. News & World Report. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 11th nationally for Ophthalmology, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel is ranked regionally. For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. UBC biologists are digging under vineyards to see if the Okanagan's grape industry is affecting soil quality. Miranda Hart, an associate professor of biology at UBC's Okanagan campus, her PhD candidate Taylor Holland, along with Agriculture Canada research scientist Pat Bowen, has spent the better part of three years studying soil samples from more than 15 vineyards throughout the Okanagan. Specifically, they were looking at soils in vineyards and neighbouring natural--or uncultivated--habitats. With samples from both areas, the scientists compared the bacterial and fungal communities between these habitats, hoping to determine what's happening to the soil under the wine-producing grapes. They determined there was a definite difference in soil communities between the natural valley soil and the vineyard soil. "Soil biodiversity may be an important part of terroir, which is everything to a grape grower, so they have a vested interest in ensuring we preserve soil biodiversity," says Hart "This baseline study shows us that BC wine growing regions are different in terms of the organisms that live in the soil." All agricultural activity will affect the soil, some more than others, Hart explains. But in order to know how the soil is being changed, researchers wanted to compare samples with natural, uncultivated areas alongside processed areas. "We have to take care of the microbes in the soil," she says. "The biodiversity of soil microbes is essential if we are to feed our growing population." While Hart points out there is a limited understanding of how agriculture practices change soil biodiversity, it is important to understand what the soil would be like if left in its natural state, so growers are aware of how they may be changing it. The samples they tested showed that bacterial and fungal communities responded differently to viticulture: bacteria had a higher biodiversity in vineyards, compared to fungi which had higher biodiversity in unmanaged areas. These results indicate that viticulture practices influence key environmental factors that control soil microbial communities and possibly affect nutrient availability and other services provided by natural soil communities, says Holland. Microbes are big part of the soil for grape growers; what happens underground can influence the vine growth and fruit development and downstream wine assets, he explains. "Improved knowledge of how management choices affect microbial communities and their influences on crop performance would benefit the design of efficient and sustainable production systems," Holland adds. "As we move towards more natural practices, hopefully we can reduce these differences." Bowen, who works at the Summerland research centre, says knowing what's happening in the soil is a vital part of agriculture for several reasons. "Microbial communities also play an important role in stabilizing vineyard ecosystems which can reduce the need for pesticides and other resource inputs," Bowen adds. ### Hart's research, funded by an NSERC Discovery Grant, and other funds provided by the BC Wine Grape Council and Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, was recently published in Applied Soil Ecology. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A new book by a University of Illinois expert on juries examines why criminal, civil and grand juries have largely disappeared from the U.S. legal system, and what effect their enfeebled role is having. Despite their significant presence in the Constitution, juries have been stripped of their fundamental constitutional role by the federal government and the states, argues Suja A. Thomas, a professor of law at Illinois, in a recently published book. "Most people think of the jury as an entity that decides lots and lots of cases," she said. "But what the public doesn't know is that juries decide 1 to 4 percent of criminal cases and less than 1 percent of civil cases. Even though it's a huge part of the public's popular conception of the courts and our legal system, the jury is actually a small part of our government." The book, titled "The Missing American Jury: Restoring the Fundamental Constitutional Role of the Criminal, Civil, and Grand Juries," explores how the jury's authority has been weakened and how it can be restored to its rightful position as a coequal branch of government, Thomas said. "I've characterized the jury as another branch of government, but the jury is not actually considered coequal with other parts of government, even though there are three provisions in the Constitution - the criminal jury provision, the civil jury provision and the grand jury provision - that grant juries a lot of power," she said. "The Constitution gives significant authority to juries. So it's just like any other part of government, except the jury's authority has been taken away by the other branches of government." According to the book, prosecutors, legislators and judges have arrogated the jury's authority - the primary reason that juries decide very few cases. "I think that's bad because, first, the founders wanted juries to have significant authority to check other parts of the government, and that is not happening right now," Thomas said. "Second, people can criticize juries, but they can also criticize other parts of the government for the exact same problems. For example, you could say juries have bias. Well, so do other parts of government. And third, the jury doesn't have the same type of bias that these other parts of government have. "For all of these reasons, it's troublesome that juries are missing in America." The book also argues decisions made by juries should be preferred over determinations by other governmental bodies. "For example, the Securities and Exchange Commission often determines whether an individual pays damages to the government in insider trading cases instead of a jury deciding," she said. "The SEC accuses and then decides. That's wholly problematic because you have the government as both the accuser and the decider." Another problematic shift of power concerns laws that impose mandatory minimum sentences, which provide prosecutors with great leverage. In exacting harsher criminal penalties, prosecutors force criminal defendants into plea bargains, thereby eliminating jury trials, Thomas said. "The prosecutor dangles a lesser charge for a defendant who will take a plea. With the certainty of a harsher penalty if the defendant is convicted by a jury on the original charge, the defendant essentially cannot turn down the plea to the charge imposing a lesser sentence," she said. "Plea bargaining was never intended for the prosecutor to be able to coerce defendants in this way. You know that there are some innocent people going to jail because of pleas. Which isn't to say that a jury can't get it wrong, either. But that system still has many checks on it. Plea bargaining has fewer." On the civil side, by ordering summary judgment, judges are able to dispose of some cases - factually intensive civil cases such as ones alleging discrimination in employment - without ever sending them to a jury. "A judge can say 'not enough evidence' and then just dismiss the case," Thomas said. "That certainly wasn't what was intended by our founders, and it's certainly not good for our democratic system." Also, by capping monetary awards, legislatures have robbed juries of their power to award damages. "And then if the jury actually decides, we can have the judge reject the verdict and find for the losing party," she said. "Also, judges can change the award of damages. Instead of, say, $200,000 in damages for emotional distress, the judge can unilaterally reduce it to $20,000 or the plaintiff must take a new trial. That's problematic. We say we have a jury, but then we don't let cases go to the jury or in some circumstances we second-guess juries." Increasing the number of jury trials would increase time and money in the legal system, but trial by jury "was never meant to be efficient," Thomas said. "There's this concept that efficiency must become embedded in our judicial system," she said. "Well, efficiency was never part of the Constitution. Neither was it part of the jury. It's supposed to be a system that checked the overzealous prosecution of crime and other transgressions. And there are certainly other parts of our government that aren't efficient. Congress isn't very efficient. But we have them because they are a part of our government and they check other parts of our government." The book is published by Cambridge University Press. ### A new study of patients undergoing corneal transplants indicates that subtle differences between men and women may lead to poorer outcomes for a woman who has received a cornea from a male donor. The research, published today (Thursday, 14 July) in the American Journal of Transplantation, suggest that gender matching may be beneficial to potentially reduce the risk of failure and rejection in patients undergoing corneal transplantation. In the study, a team led by Professor Stephen Kaye, from the University of Liverpool and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital; and Cathy Hopkinson from NHS Blood and Transplant, investigated whether donor and recipient gender incompatibility influences corneal transplant rejection and failure up to five years post-transplant. Failed or rejected More than 18,000 patients were identified in the UK who had undergone a first corneal transplant. While over 80 per cent of all patients included still had a functioning graft at five years, a higher proportion of male to female transplants failed or were rejected during this time, when compared to gender-matched transplants. For every 1,000 people transplanted with a gender-matched cornea, on average 180 will fail, compared to 220 for male-to-female mismatched grafts. The effect of gender matching was especially evident in patients with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy which affects a thin layer of cells that line the back of the cornea, called corneal endothelial cells. These cells regulate the amount of fluid inside the cornea. An appropriate fluid balance in the cornea is necessary for clear vision Incompatibility Of 4,046 patients with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, 18 per cent of male-to female mismatched grafts failed compared to 12 per cent of female-to-female transplants. After risk adjustment, female-to-female transplants were 40 per cent less likely to fail and 30 per cent less likely to reject compared with male to female mismatches. Professor Kaye, said: "These findings are most likely a result of H-Y antigen incompatibility associated with the male Y chromosome. Females do not have a Y chromosome so there is no H-Y incompatibility from female donors to male patients. "This effect, however, is not reciprocated when the roles are reversed - that is, when male donors are transplanted to female recipients." Long term impact The paper states that further studies will be necessary to confirm the findings and to fully understand the reasons why gender matching is so important in corneal transplantation. Further investigation could result in the justification of potentially allocating corneas from male donors to male recipients and those from female donors to either female or male recipients. Professor Kaye added: "If confirmed, this would be relatively straightforward to put into place without delay in donor tissue allocation to patients or any significant added cost. The long-term impact this could have on patient care may be substantial." ### The study, entitled 'The influence of donor and recipient gender incompatibility on corneal transplant rejection and failure', can be obtained from sciencenewsroom@wiley.com. Once the embargo lifts the study can be found here http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/ajt.13926 AMHERST, Mass. - Naturally-occurring arsenic in Bangladesh's groundwater has been identified as one of the world's great humanitarian disasters, with millions people at risk of cancers and other diseases from drinking water and eating rice irrigated with contaminated water. Now University of Massachusetts Amherst analytical chemist Julian Tyson and his student Ishtiaq "Rafi" Rafiyu are partnering with Chemists Without Borders (CWB) to develop a low-cost, easy-to-use test kit to measure arsenic in Bangladesh's rice supply, offering consumers information on exposure. Tyson says, "One of the first steps in trying to make a difference and help people avoid this exposure has been to increase access to detection and remediation of arsenic-contaminated water, and many non-governmental organizations have been active for years in this area. Our current rice project with CWB builds on earlier work to develop a really low-cost procedure for testing water for arsenic. We hope our contribution to CWB's program of measurement and education will create more awareness and help make a significant difference to the people of Southeast Asia in the long run." Tyson's analytical chemistry laboratory has for many years assisted environmental scientists and other chemists with tests for potentially harmful compounds of lead, cadmium, chromium, selenium and arsenic in soil and water. Last year, CWB approached the UMass Amherst lab to develop a simple, low-cost test for arsenic in rice, based on the groundwater test. CWB president Ray Kronquist says the idea is not only to provide an accurate and reliable kit, but to teach chemistry students in Bangladesh who have access to a basic lab at the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chittagong, to use it. These young interns will then provide arsenic exposure information and education on protective measures such as extra washing or choosing different varieties to local farmers, families, merchants and consumers. Tyson recalls, "By an amazing coincidence, just a couple of weeks after the CWB request came in, a student approached me and asked if I had an independent study project for him in the spring semester. I always want to encourage that, and it turns out that Rafi is not only from Bangladesh, he grew up in Chittagong. He was the ideal person for the job, and I soon asked him to join the CWB project." Rafiyu is now a summer intern supported by the Juanita F. Bradspies Fund for Undergraduate Research in Chemistry and will spend this summer conducting experiments to adapt an existing arsenic water test kit for testing rice samples. He and Tyson hope that by September or early fall, CWB will be able to use the adapted test kit at the AUW in Chittagong. One of the key challenges in testing rice instead of water is that starch in the grain interferes with the reaction. One approach is to modify the chemistry by replacing zinc, the hydride-generation reagent, with borohydride. However, when Rafiyu adds this to the powdered rice paste, the reaction is extremely vigorous and must be slowed to detect any arsenic present. Tyson and Rafiyu estimate that it will take scores of experiments to identify the optimum combination of reagent, concentrations and reaction conditions. Once that is solved, they plan to replace what is now a naked-eye evaluation of color on the arsenic test strip with a method that creates a digital image, for example with a cell phone camera, for analysis. Once they put a new kit into the hands of the college interns in Bangladesh, CWB will help them to develop presentations about the health hazards of arsenic in rice at high schools and community centers. It is hoped that the young "agents of change" there can bring awareness and education to help people reduce their exposure. Tyson notes, "We need to address the problems at the village level, and the place to start is with accurate chemical measurement." In communities with a high arsenic concentration in the water, the interns may try to connect people with organizations that can help the communities transition to safe water, for example. Tyson says different water levels or aquifers have different arsenic contamination, and it is often possible to find a shallower or a deeper one that is relatively free of arsenic. Using that water to irrigate rice can reduce arsenic contamination, as can rinsing rice before cooking, and cooking in excess water. Armed with local test results, consumers can make informed decisions about reducing arsenic intake, especially by infants and small children. Tyson notes that current scientific thinking is that no arsenic exposure or intake is safe, but an "acceptable risk threshold" of 1 in 10,000 for an arsenic-induced cancer is generally viewed as sensible and achievable. This would correspond to a concentration of 100 parts per billion (ppb) in rice, based on modest consumption by an adult. "That's the equivalent of a grain of rice in about a quarter of a ton of rice," he notes. "Arsenic compounds are extremely toxic." The analytical chemist hopes that government agencies around the world will step forward as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did recently when it established a limit of 100 ppb for inorganic arsenic in baby rice cereal. "We need to extend that to all rice, which I believe should be labeled as to its arsenic content. Although the situation in Asia is serious, arsenic does occur in quite high concentrations in rice grown right here in the USA," he says. ### WORCESTER, MA - A long non-coding RNA (lincRNA) - called lincRNA-EPS - responsible for regulating innate immunity has been identified by a team of scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Abundantly found in macrophages, lincRNA-EPS keeps the genes that trigger inflammation turned off until a pathogen is encountered. This discovery points to an unrecognized role for lincRNAs in the immune system and may lead to new insights into inflammatory diseases caused by uncontrolled immune responses such as lupus or inflammatory bowel disease. "These findings suggest that there is an unexplored layer of regulation controlling inflammatory and immune responses," said Katherine A Fitzgerald, PhD, professor medicine and senior author of the study, which was published in Cell. "We've demonstrated an important functional role of a lincRNA in the immune system." Long non-coding RNAs are non-protein coding transcripts arbitrarily defined as longer than 200 nucleotides (to help distinguish them from microRNA, short interfering RNAs, Piwi-interacting RNAs and other short RNAs). It is believed that lincRNA may account for the majority of RNA transcription in the human genome. "Despite their abundance, little is known about the functions of these long RNAs play in the immune system," said Fitzgerald. "In trying to understand the complex genetic circuitry that controls the immune system, immunologists have historically focused on the 2 percent of the genome that code for proteins." Using a mouse model lacking lincRNA-EPS, Fitzgerald and colleagues showed that in their normal state, macrophages (a type of white blood cell that defends against infections) produce lincRNA-EPS to prevent the spontaneous activation of immune response genes. However, when macrophages detect a potential pathogen, lincRNA-EPS expression is suppressed to release this brake, and the pro-inflammatory response is initiated. Mice that were lacking lincRNA-EPS exhibited increased levels of cytokines and inflammatory responses that led to toxic shock. Researchers found that lincRNA-EPS keeps the expression of immune genes in check by controlling the position of the nucleosome so they are inaccessible. When lincRNA-EPS is no longer expressed in the cells, the structure of the genome changes so critical immune-related genes are exposed for transcription. When researchers reintroduced lincRNA-EPS into the cell, expression of immune genes returned to normal levels. "We have also found that the expression of lincRNA-EPS itself is very carefully regulated and is very sensitive to slight changes," said Maninjay K. Atianand, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at UMMS and first author of the study. "This lincRNA is an important component in the molecular circuitry to prevent spontaneous activation of key immune genes. These findings have important implications for the potential role that lincRNAs may play in chronic inflammation and immune pathologies." The next step for Fitzgerald and colleagues is to determine what role lincRNA-EPS plays in intestinal inflammation and its function in colon, where it is abundantly found. ### About the University of Massachusetts Medical School The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), one of five campuses of the University system, is comprised of the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Graduate School of Nursing, a thriving research enterprise and an innovative public service initiative, Commonwealth Medicine. Its mission is to advance the health of the people of the Commonwealth through pioneering education, research, public service and health care delivery with its clinical partner, UMass Memorial Health Care. In doing so, it has built a reputation as a world-class research institution and as a leader in primary care education. The Medical School attracts more than $266 million annually in research funding, placing it among the top 50 medical schools in the nation. In 2006, UMMS's Craig C. Mello, PhD, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and the Blais University Chair in Molecular Medicine, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, along with colleague Andrew Z. Fire, PhD, of Stanford University, for their discoveries related to RNA interference (RNAi). The 2013 opening of the Albert Sherman Center ushered in a new era of biomedical research and education on campus. Designed to maximize collaboration across fields, the Sherman Center is home to scientists pursuing novel research in emerging scientific fields with the goal of translating new discoveries into innovative therapies for human diseases. Clear communication between a doctor and patient is essential, especially when patients with advanced cancer wish to participate in decision-making about their medical treatment options, and trade-offs between quality and quantity of life emerge. A new study in JAMA Oncology finds that most of these patients report far more optimistic expectations for survival prognosis than their oncologists, due to patients' misunderstanding of their oncologists' clinical judgment. "Previous research shows that patients, families and clinicians tend to either avoid prognosis-related conversations altogether or discuss prognosis in unbalanced ways," says first author Robert Gramling, M.D., M.Sc., Holly and Bob Miller Chair in Palliative Medicine at the University of Vermont. He and colleagues at the University of Rochester and the University of California Davis School of Medicine conducted a large clinical trial to test a multi-modal intervention to support communication in advanced cancer. At entry into the study, they asked patients and their oncologists to rate their expectations for the patient's two-year survival probability. They also asked patients to rate what they believed their oncologists thought about their prognosis. Gramling and the research team found that more than two out of three patients held substantially more optimistic ratings than their oncologist and that the vast majority of them did not know that their rating differed at all from their oncologist's. In many fields of medicine, he explains, patients, families and their doctors often craft an unwritten social contract to maintain unbalanced positivism, sometimes making it tough to find space for meaningful prognosis discussions as the illness progresses. "Our study reinforces the importance of clear and compassionate prognosis communication in advanced illness, but we must be aware that our data do not speak to what actually happens in clinical encounters between patients and their oncologists that leads to our observed differences in perceptions of prognosis," Gramling cautions. "We need to better understand where, when and how to support high quality prognosis communication," says Gramling. The researchers also found that patients who self-identified as Black or African American were at substantially higher risk of unknowingly holding optimistically discordant opinions about their prognosis. "Evidence is mounting about racial disparities in end-of-life care; our findings might point to an important piece of that puzzle and a promising area of work to improve healthcare for everyone," Gramling adds. The study's authors conclude that their report "supports the urgent clinical and societal need to better understand what it means to communicate well about prognosis to achieve treatment that honors patients' values, preferences and wishes." ### A study of patients undergoing corneal transplants indicates that subtle differences between men and women may lead to poorer outcomes for a woman who has received a cornea from a male donor. The findings, which are published in the American Journal of Transplantation, suggest that gender matching may be beneficial to potentially reduce the risk of failure and rejection in patients undergoing corneal transplantation. In this latest study, a team led by Stephen Kaye, MD of The University of Liverpool and The Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Cathy Hopkinson of NHS Blood and Transplant investigated whether donor and recipient gender incompatibility influences corneal transplant rejection and failure up to five years post-transplant. More than 18,100 patients were identified in the UK who had undergone a first corneal transplant. While over 80 percent of all patients included still had a functioning graft at 5 years, a higher proportion of male to female transplants failed or rejected during this time, when compared with gender matched transplants. For every 1000 people transplanted with a gender matched cornea, on average 180 will fail, compared with 220 for male to female mismatched grafts. The effect of gender matching was especially evident in patients with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, a condition that affects a thin layer of cells that line the back of the cornea. Of 4,046 patients with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, 18 percent of male to female mismatched grafts failed compared with 12 percent of female to female transplants. After adjusting for various factors, female to female transplants were 40 percent less likely to fail and 30 percent less likely to reject compared with male to female mismatches. "These findings are most likely a result of H-Y antigen incompatibility associated with the male Y chromosome," explained Professor Kaye. "Females do not have a Y chromosome so there is no H-Y incompatibility from female donors to male patients. This effect, however, is not reciprocated when the roles are reversed, that is, when male donors are transplanted to female recipients." He noted, however, that further studies will be necessary to confirm the findings and to justify the potential allocation of corneas from male donors to male recipients and those from female donors to either female or male recipients. "If confirmed, this would be relatively straightforward to put into place without delay in donor tissue allocation to patients or any significant added cost," said Professor Kaye. "The long-term impact this could have on patient care may be substantial." ### For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact sciencenewsroom@wiley.com. Full Citation "The influence of donor and recipient gender incompatibility on corneal transplant rejection and failure." Cathy Hopkinson, Vito Romano, Rebecca Kaye, Bernhard Steger, Rosalind Stewart, Myrto Tsaqkataki, Mark Jones, Frank Larkin, and Stephen Kaye. American Journal of Transplantation; Published Online: July 14, 2016 (DOI: 10.1111/ajt.13926). URL Upon Publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/ajt.13926 Author Contacts For Professor Kaye via either Mr. Simon Wood, Strategic Communications of the University of Liverpool's press office [swood1@liverpool.ac.uk Tel 01517948356] or via Mr. Jamie Murphy, The Royal Liverpool University Hospital [Jamie.murphy@rlbuht.nhs.uk Tel 0151 706 5489], For Ms. Cathy Hopkinson via: Penny Richardson, NHS Blood and Transplant, Penny.Richardson@nhsbt.nhs.uk, Tel +44 0151 268 7033 About the Journal American Journal of Transplantation (AJT) is the official journal of the American Society of Transplantation (AST) and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS). This #1 ranked transplantation journal serves as a forum for debate and re-assessment and is a major platform for promoting understanding, improving results and advancing science in this dynamic field. Published monthly, AJT provides an essential resource for researchers and clinicians around the world. Find out more at http://www.amjtransplant.com. About Wiley Wiley is a global provider of knowledge and knowledge-enabled services that improve outcomes in areas of research, professional practice and education. Through the Research segment, the Company provides digital and print scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising. The Professional Development segment provides digital and print books, online assessment and training services, and test prep and certification. In Education, Wiley provides education solutions including online program management services for higher education institutions and course management tools for instructors and students, as well as print and digital content. The Company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com. CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (July 14, 2016) - Whitehead Institute scientists have created a checklist that defines the "naive" state of cultured human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Such cells can mature into almost any cell type and more closely resemble the unique molecular features of pluripotent cells in the early human embryo than conventional ESCs in later stages of development. Although scientists have been very interested in working with naive stem cells, they have lacked a common definition of what makes a cell truly naive. "In our opinion, most of the published protocols to generate so-called naive stem cells are not convincing because they produce cells that very much like the starting cells--there's not much difference in gene expression," says Whitehead Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch, who is also a professor of biology at MIT. "The naive ESC state that we have defined is, based on gene expression, DNA methylation and X chromosome inactivation, very close to that of the human cleavage stage embryo." For years, most ESC research focused on mouse cells because they are readily available and survive well in the lab, whereas human ESCs have been difficult to obtain and culture. However, mouse and human ESCs fundamentally differ in appearance and gene expression, and the numerous tools used to study mouse ESCs do not necessarily translate to human ESCs. Recently, scientists in the lab of Whitehead Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch developed a method to revert and maintain human ESCs in a naive state that closely resembles that of mouse ESCs. Now researchers from the Jaenisch lab, Didier Trono's lab at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, and Joseph Ecker's lab at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have assembled a checklist of characteristics human ESCs must have to be considered naive. Their work is described online in the journal Cell Stem Cell. First, the team used technology developed by the Trono lab to look at the expression of transposable elements--also known as "jumping genes"--whose expression in ESCs is tightly regulated. Because the human genome contains about four million transposable elements--significantly more than its 25,000 genes--the team compared the transposable element profiles of naive human ESCs to cells from early stage human embryos. They identified significant overlap between the two cell states, whereas the profiles of conventional human ESCs are highly divergent. With a transposable element profile in hand, the team examined the methylation of the ESCs' genomes. By adding and removing methyl groups to their DNA, cells can control gene expression. Scientists from the Ecker lab mapped the methylation of naive ESCs down to individual DNA bases and compared it to early ESCs. Like early stage human embryos, naive ESCs displayed a genome-wide reduction in methylation levels, which is not seen in conventional ESCs. The team then investigated another method for controlling gene expression--X chromosome inactivation. Female human and mouse cells have two copies of the X chromosome, but during development, one copy is turned off to prevent overexpression of the X chromosome's genes. Usually, expression of the Xist gene is associated with one of the X chromosomes' inactivation, but surprisingly, both X chromosomes are active in naive ESCs and early human embryos, despite upregulation of Xist. The final test to assess naive human ESCs' flexibility is implanting them into a mouse in order to form a chimera, which is considered the "gold standard" for demonstrating that mouse ESCs are pluripotent. The team found that naive human ESCs incorporate very inefficiently into mouse embryos. Therefore, the scientists say that this test is not a good criterion to define naive ESCs. Thorold Theunissen, a postdoctoral fellow in the Jaenisch lab and co-first author of the Cell Stem Cell paper, sums up the team's findings this way: "If you compare naive human ESCs to their human embryo counterparts, there is a lot of convergence. If you compare them to mice, there are a lot of differences. But you really shouldn't be comparing them to mice. Otherwise you're just drawing the wrong conclusions." This work was supported by the Simons Foundation (SFLIFE #286977), National Institutes of Health (NIH RO1-CA084198), Swiss National Science Foundation, European Research Council (KRABnKAP, No. 268721), Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF3034), Mary K. Chapman Foundation, a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship (098889/Z/12/Z), a Foundation Bettencourt Award, the Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARC), and a grant from the Fonds de la Recherche en Sante du Quebec. Jaenisch is co-founder of Fate Therapeutics and an adviser to Stemgent. ### Rudolf Jaenisch's primary affiliation is with Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, where his laboratory is located and all his research is conducted. He is also a professor of biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Full Citation: "Molecular Criteria for Defining the Naive Human Pluripotent State" Cell Stem Cell, online July 14, 2016. Thorold W. Theunissen (1,6), Marc Friedli (2,6), Yupeng He (3,5,6), Evarist Planet (2), Ryan C. O'Neil (3,5), Styliani Markoulaki (1), Julien Pontis (2), Haoyi Wang (1,7), Alexandra Iouranova (2), Michael Imbeault (2), Julien Duc (2), Malkiel A. Cohen (1), Katherine J. Wert (1), Rosa Castanon (3), Zhuzhu Zhang (3), Yanmei Huang (1), Joseph R. Nery (3), Jesse Drotar (1), Tenzin Lungjangwa (1), Didier Trono (2), Joseph R. Ecker (3), and Rudolf Jaenisch (1,4). 1. Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA 2. School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland 3. Genomic Analysis Laboratory and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA 4. Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA 5. Bioinformatics Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA 6. Co-first author 7. Present address: State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100864, People's Republic of China I'd say that the work culture in Canada is similar to the USA. One glaring difference I've noticed between Canada and the UK is the amount of annual leave granted. When I lived and worked in Vancouver, the average non-union Annual Leave allotment given to the average private sector worker was 2 weeks (i.e. 1 fortnight) every year, based upon a 5 day work week and not including provincial and federal bank holidays. Some employers will increase that amount, dependent on service to the company (one employer I worked for during my days at uni added a week after 5 years etc), but most working people started out with 2 weeks vacation. I had a unionised public sector job for most of my professional working life. The base amount of A.L. we received in my department was 18 shifts (i.e. just under 4 calendar weeks again, based on a 5 day work week). This allotment increased after a predetermined amount of time served. My husband (who works in the public sector here in the UK) gets 30 work days, not including bank holidays. Unions in North America are a different animal to what they are in the UK... they're more akin to the steel workers of Baroness Thatcher's day (the unions in North America tend to go on strike a good deal more than here in the UK) than an organized Rotary like group that is more typical of public sector unions here in the UK (or at least this is what I've noticed based upon what I've seen of the union that my husband belongs to. Some employers, both private and public sector, offer flex time/overtime banking and some even offer a nominal personal time bank (i.e. time away from work that doesn't need to be accounted for and needn't be used for illness reasons... personal time taken will be either paid or unpaid and this generally depends on the generosity of the specific employer and there isn't a national standard or any legal requirement for employers to a) offer it in the first instance and b) offer it as paid time) although the latter tends to be doled out by private sector employers. "Casual Fridays" (i.e. the wearing of casual wear/jeans/trackie/trainers to work instead of traditional business dress) aren't uncommon in the private sector either... some employers charge for this "perk" (the place I was at during my days in uni charged $1 per "dress down day," the proceeds of which went towards the office social committee fund, which subsidised after-work activities during the year) while other places see it as a healthy part of the office environment and allow their teams to "dress down" without charge. What exactly do you want from a bank that is "good with expats?" French banks operate under French banking law and as such have to grant credit (for example) according to the laws and rules here. Banking relationships usually only concern things like making bank transfers - and going bank to bank is generally the expensive way to transfer funds internationally. (Once you have a bank account set up in France, you probably will want to look into using an FX company for any large or regular transfers.) As far as opening an account, you'll still need to provide all the usual "know your customer" types of documents - passport, proof of residence, sources of income, etc. Bank accounts aren't "free" here - they normally manage to nickel and dime you for services you've come to expect for free in the States. And banking here is very much done on a branch level. You want to find a bank that has a branch handy to where you live and/or where you tend to do business and/or shop as there are occasions where you will absolutely have to appear in person at your bank (and your branch of the bank at that). Of the banks you've mentioned, Soc Generale has a reputation for being "expensive" (even though I heard they now give you Internet access for free). They also tend to be the affiliate bank in many international bank transfers for some reason. But the main thing is whether you are comfortable with the branch staff in the town where you're living and doing business. In any event, "credit cards" (i.e. Carte Bleue here) aren't generally free - you either pay an annual fee or the cost of your card is included in your monthly account fee (along with Internet access and possibly some other services). The other thing to consider is whether your bank has bank conseillers who can speak English (if you need that). Not all banks and bank branches do. Best to choose your location first and then see which banks are available locally. Cheers, Bev From: Lillian Too -- Feng Shui Expert For Immediate Release: Dateline: Los Angeles , CA Wednesday, July 13, 2016 When we let the words or actions of others infiltrate our thoughts and we react negatively to them as a result, in essence we are giving up control of our most precious possession our minds! And more often than not when this happens our self-confidence and self-esteem takes a beating! In the In Sync article today I write about the winning way and how I used both mental strength and good feng shui to help get me where I am today you can do this too! Sending love, Lillian The Winning Way Its wonderful to be a winner. Nothing is more satisfying than when you feel you have really achieved something its your moment of triumph and it you have a great feeling of self worth. Tuning into these feelings creates positive imprints on the mind helping you even more in your future endeavors. Yes, winning is an attitude and a mindset but it also requires luck! Feng shui can provide the luck needed to tip the scales in your favour to give you a competitive edge maybe its for a career related move upward or getting the job you desire. However, to make the best use of feng shui, you must start by looking at and accepting yourself first. Discard any feelings of unworthiness and insecurity, stop telling yourself how difficult things are for you. Adopt a willingness to improve your attitude especially towards yourself and also your feng shui practice. Know that it will work for you! Be relaxed in your efforts and begin by reprogramming yourself mentally for success. When you do this in tandem with good feng shui, youll be amazed by the results. You see Kim, I wasnt born with a silver spoon in my mouth and I am not from a wealthy family. I built up my own confidence by continually programming myself for success. I used to meditate on the things I was good at, my strengths and the skills I had or that I needed to learn. This gave me more confidence. Sure, we all feel inadequate and have insecurities once in a while and it is important when this happens not to let such feelings immobilize or stop you. You simply have to ignore these things and focus on what you need to move up or ahead in whatever you are doing. This is what I did when I applied to get into Harvard Business School. There were many obstacles but I was accepted. Then I used feng shui to get the funding I needed. I moved my bed to align my sleeping direction to get success chi from my best direction. It worked and I received a United Nations fellowship to attend Harvard. I continued to use feng shui throughout my corporate career in Hong Kong and of course have used it ever since it is a good friend and management tool made even more powerful with a positive mental attitude. Self-improvement of course is never ending and its hard work. Its a commitment you make to yourself. No matter how old you are or where you are right now, personal growth always creates a special sense of abundance. Make it a habit to feel happy and good about yourself and combine it with good feng shui. Youll be amazed at how things will improve for you! Love Lillian The Secret of A Peaceful Nights Sleep! We all need to protect ourselves and our inner vitality and chi even while we sleep. Try these two methods at the end of the day before going to bed both involve the use of rock salt or sea salt. Youll find they are simple, inexpensive and extremely effective! 1. Cleanse Your Aura First: Begin by placing about 3-6 ounces (100 200 grams) of pure sea salt (a form of rock salt that works very well) into a bowl, mix the salt around with you hands picking it up and rubbing your hands together vigorously soon your hands will begin to tingle and you will feel the power of the sea crystals. Shake off any remaining salt. Now, place your hands palms together over your head about one inch above your head. Gradually bring your palms down the body as if you were stroking your body until you reach your feet. While you are doing this imagine that you are brushing away and getting rid of all the negative energy and bad vibrations that you picked up during the day. Do this three times on each side of the body, then three times on the front and finish up with three times on the back of your body. Next shake out your hands and fling away any negative energy that may still be clinging to you. Get rid of it! The final symbolic step is to wash your hands again in salt and then thoroughly with soap and water removing any and all remaining negative energy once and for all. Do this every evening for a week and see how you are feeling you should feel much lighter and much better! 2. Sleep Peacefully Tonight: After completing the cleansing ritual described above, place a glass of water mixed with rock salt (sea salt) on the table next to your bedside. You will be surprised at how well you will sleep as the sea salt continues to cleanse any and all the negative vibrations you have picked up and absorbed during the day. You can do these together as described above or just do one or the other they are very effective either way. Consider cleansing your sleeping space as well for example place your pillows and mattress outside in the sunshine for at least three hours to absorb the yang chi of the sunlight and remove any negative energy. You can also do an incense cleanse by lighting fragrant incense and then walking clockwise around the room three times to rid the room of any remaining negative chi. As you do this, chant the mantra NAMA SARVA TATHAGATHA AVALOKITE OM SAMBHARA SAMBHARA HUNG. Good luck! Lillian Grand Master Lillian Too is undoubtedly the worlds most prolific and popular writer and advocate on living with good feng shui! She has written over 100 books that have been translated into 31 different languages, and over 10 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. After graduating with an MBA from Harvard Business School, Lillian went on to pursue a highly successful business career in banking and finance in the 1980s in Hong Kong. Her business acumen, drive and abundant energy soon led her from the finance world to the world of luxury department stores and boutiques where, through a leveraged buy out, she became Chairman and shareholder of The Dragon Seed Group. All the while she was guided and taught by her feng shui masters in Hong Kong and China and she attributes much of her monumental and quick rise to success in Hong Kong directly to them. Lillian soon decided to retire from active corporate life and return to Malaysia to raise her beautiful daughter, Jennifer, and spend more time with her family. It was at this time she began to devote her energy to writing and furthering her study of feng shui. She published her first book in Malaysia in 1995 that quickly became a best seller and the rest is history. Today she is Chairman of Wofs.Com, a feng shui franchise and merchandising company run by her daughter, Jennifer Too. She trains feng shui students and future consultants at her Certified Consulting Institute in Malaysia and is much loved by her readers, associates and students for the way she teaches practical feng shui in a user-friendly way, using ordinary situations and circumstances that interest people and affect their everyday lives. In November 2009, at the International Feng Shui Convention in Singapore, the well-deserved title of GRAND MASTER OF FENG SHUI was conferred upon Lillian Too. Immediately following this accolade, in early January 2010, she received the prestigious Brand Laureate Personality of The Year Award presented by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia! There seems to be no stopping her popularity and these days! Lillian believes everyone should know her secrets and learn how to adapt feng shui to modern life and she warmly welcomes you into her Mandala. You can learn more about Lillian by visiting her website at Lillian Too Mandala North American Office 3840 Blackhawk Rd, Danville, CA 94506 Toll Free Info and Customer Servce : 1 866 508 8806 Email: Water Worries Big water in the form of rivers, lakes and swimming pools should not be behind your home as this makes your home unlucky. Such a large pool of water behind the home suggests missed opportunities but it can also be a sign of danger. This is the case when the land behind you is higher. Water on higher land will cause you to lose all your wealth. If you are unable to change this, it may be better to relocate to another house. Be passionate about what you want but let it be a relaxed passion. Dont generate an obsessive attachment to a successful outcome. When you place too much pressure on getting what you want, tension is created which creates a negative energy and this could work against you. We all experience what I like to call life issues and problems from time to time. But since we are all ultimately only responsible for our OWN actions and reactions its important to remember that we have the ability to live a happy life if we choose to. That might sound rather simplisticbut think about it. You can control what you think aboutand as the saying goes we become what we think about most of the time.When we let the words or actions of others infiltrate our thoughts and we react negatively to them as a result, in essence we are giving up control of our most precious possession our minds! And more often than not when this happens our self-confidence and self-esteem takes a beating!In the In Sync article today I write about the winning way and how I used both mental strength and good feng shui to help get me where I am today you can do this too!Sending love,Lillian Its wonderful to be a winner. Nothing is more satisfying than when you feel you have really achieved something its your moment of triumph and it you have a great feeling of self worth. Tuning into these feelings creates positive imprints on the mind helping you even more in your future endeavors. Yes, winning is an attitude and a mindset but it also requires luck!Feng shui can provide the luck needed to tip the scales in your favour to give you a competitive edge maybe its for a career related move upward or getting the job you desire. However, to make the best use of feng shui, you must start by looking at and accepting yourself first. Discard any feelings of unworthiness and insecurity, stop telling yourself how difficult things are for you. Adopt a willingness to improve your attitude especially towards yourself and also your feng shui practice. Know that it will work for you! Be relaxed in your efforts and begin by reprogramming yourself mentally for success. When you do this in tandem with good feng shui, youll be amazed by the results. You see Kim, I wasnt born with a silver spoon in my mouth and I am not from a wealthy family. I built up my own confidence by continually programming myself for success. I used to meditate on the things I was good at, my strengths and the skills I had or that I needed to learn. This gave me more confidence.Sure, we all feel inadequate and have insecurities once in a while and it is important when this happens not to let such feelings immobilize or stop you. You simply have to ignore these things and focus on what you need to move up or ahead in whatever you are doing. This is what I did when I applied to get into Harvard Business School. There were many obstacles but I was accepted. Then I used feng shui to get the funding I needed. I moved my bed to align my sleeping direction to get success chi from my best direction. It worked and I received a United Nations fellowship to attend Harvard.I continued to use feng shui throughout my corporate career in Hong Kong and of course have used it ever since it is a good friend and management tool made even more powerful with a positive mental attitude. Self-improvement of course is never ending and its hard work. Its a commitment you make to yourself. No matter how old you are or where you are right now, personal growth always creates a special sense of abundance. Make it a habit to feel happy and good about yourself and combine it with good feng shui. Youll be amazed at how things will improve for you!LoveLillian We all need to protect ourselves and our inner vitality and chi even while we sleep. Try these two methods at the end of the day before going to bed both involve the use of rock salt or sea salt. Youll find they are simple, inexpensive and extremely effective!Begin by placing about 3-6 ounces (100 200 grams) of pure sea salt (a form of rock salt that works very well) into a bowl, mix the salt around with you hands picking it up and rubbing your hands together vigorously soon your hands will begin to tingle and you will feel the power of the sea crystals. Shake off any remaining salt.Now, place your hands palms together over your head about one inch above your head. Gradually bring your palms down the body as if you were stroking your body until you reach your feet. While you are doing this imagine that you are brushing away and getting rid of all the negative energy and bad vibrations that you picked up during the day. Do this three times on each side of the body, then three times on the front and finish up with three times on the back of your body. Next shake out your hands and fling away any negative energy that may still be clinging to you. Get rid of it!The final symbolic step is to wash your hands again in salt and then thoroughly with soap and water removing any and all remaining negative energy once and for all. Do this every evening for a week and see how you are feeling you should feel much lighter and much better!After completing the cleansing ritual described above, place a glass of water mixed with rock salt (sea salt) on the table next to your bedside. You will be surprised at how well you will sleep as the sea salt continues to cleanse any and all the negative vibrations you have picked up and absorbed during the day.You can do these together as described above or just do one or the other they are very effective either way.Consider cleansing your sleeping space as well for example place your pillows and mattress outside in the sunshine for at least three hours to absorb the yang chi of the sunlight and remove any negative energy. You can also do an incense cleanse by lighting fragrant incense and then walking clockwise around the room three times to rid the room of any remaining negative chi. As you do this, chant the mantra NAMA SARVA TATHAGATHA AVALOKITE OM SAMBHARA SAMBHARA HUNG.Good luck!Lillian Grand Master Lillian Too is undoubtedly the worlds most prolific and popular writer and advocate on living with good feng shui! She has written over 100 books that have been translated into 31 different languages, and over 10 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide.After graduating with an MBA from Harvard Business School, Lillian went on to pursue a highly successful business career in banking and finance in the 1980s in Hong Kong. Her business acumen, drive and abundant energy soon led her from the finance world to the world of luxury department stores and boutiques where, through a leveraged buy out, she became Chairman and shareholder of The Dragon Seed Group.All the while she was guided and taught by her feng shui masters in Hong Kong and China and she attributes much of her monumental and quick rise to success in Hong Kong directly to them.Lillian soon decided to retire from active corporate life and return to Malaysia to raise her beautiful daughter, Jennifer, and spend more time with her family. It was at this time she began to devote her energy to writing and furthering her study of feng shui.She published her first book in Malaysia in 1995 that quickly became a best seller and the rest is history. Today she is Chairman of Wofs.Com, a feng shui franchise and merchandising company run by her daughter, Jennifer Too.She trains feng shui students and future consultants at her Certified Consulting Institute in Malaysia and is much loved by her readers, associates and students for the way she teaches practical feng shui in a user-friendly way, using ordinary situations and circumstances that interest people and affect their everyday lives.In November 2009, at the International Feng Shui Convention in Singapore, the well-deserved title of GRAND MASTER OF FENG SHUI was conferred upon Lillian Too. Immediately following this accolade, in early January 2010, she received the prestigious Brand Laureate Personality of The Year Award presented by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia! There seems to be no stopping her popularity and these days!Lillian believes everyone should know her secrets and learn how to adapt feng shui to modern life and she warmly welcomes you into her Mandala.You can learn more about Lillian by visiting her website at www.lillian-too.com Lillian Too Mandala North American Office3840 Blackhawk Rd,Danville, CA 94506Toll Free Info and Customer Servce : 1 866 508 8806Email: info@lilliantoomandala.com Fax: +1 925 736 6177Big water in the form of rivers, lakes and swimming pools should not be behind your home as this makes your home unlucky. Such a large pool of water behind the home suggests missed opportunities but it can also be a sign of danger. This is the case when the land behind you is higher. Water on higher land will cause you to lose all your wealth. If you are unable to change this, it may be better to relocate to another house. Be passionate about what you want but let it be a relaxed passion. Dont generate an obsessive attachment to a successful outcome. When you place too much pressure on getting what you want, tension is created which creates a negative energy and this could work against you. Thursday, July 14, 2016 On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them. Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect. - Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, officially apologizing for making remarks sharply critical of Donald Trump last week, including suggesting (in jest) that if her were elected President, she might move to New Zealand. Observations: 1. Supreme Court justices almost never apologize, and I only say almost because I cant do enough research right now to safely say never. They dont apologize because the dont have to: they are, ethically, a law unto themselves, and accountable to nobody unless impeached and convicted. (Justice Samuel Chase, was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 12, 1804, on charges of arbitrary and oppressive conduct of trials; it was a purely political attack. He was, correctly, acquitted by the U.S. Senate on March 1, 1805.) 2. An apology was appropriate, however. Justice Ginsberg proved herself smarter, better, more ethical and more principled than the embarrassing, crypto-facsist these are not ordinary times crowd, including the folks at Salon and other left-wing blogs, this guy, and too many of my dear friends on Facebook, whose expressed opinions really are beginning to make me wonder if they will solemnly send me to a Lobotomy Man when I oppose President Clintons declaration of open borders, ban on fossil fuels, race and gender quota in all hiring and admissions to (free) colleges, and confiscation of 50% of my property to help pay for national health care including late-term abortion on demand and tax-payer funded recreational drugs. 3. She apologized because any fool could see that her comments did undermine trust in the institution of the Supreme Court, and that her critics were right. Some of my more misguided colleague in the legal ethics field opined that it was silly to think that Justices dont have political opinions and biases, just as it is silly to think journalists do not, so why shouldnt she exercise her First Amendment rights? This lame notion was decisively rebutted by a lawyer whose name I wish I could reveal, except that his comments were on a private list. He wrote in part Not every truth you see must be said. RBG is not just a citizen exercising first amendment rights; she is a justice. The separation of powers argues for better judgment. It is not only appearance; it is not good for the system for a judge to be expressing such political views. Consider as some have suggested if all judges were expressing their choices for political office. Sure judges come with biases, but what benefit does it do for them to be expressing them and thus messing with the elective system. And yes if less is expressed, then there is more chance for an open mind. It is easy to minimize the aura of an institution, but there are consequences. The Supreme Court gains it power from the methods of proceeding; it has no power over purse or armies. To the extent it looks or becomes partisan, that aura, majesty some would call it, is diminished and its moral authority for being followed in its decisions is diminished. Bush v. Gore is a great example of how respect for the Court was harmed. To stay silent because of other more important duties is not dishonest, it is not hiding bias; it is merely recognizing that position urges one to not express a truth just because one holds it because other more important values are at stake. just because you know a truth does not mean you must express it. Exactly. 4. Of course, most of us are fools when it comes to recognizing that our critics are right, and thus Justice Ginsberg deserves praise for quickly acknowledging her misconduct. It is possible that Chief Justice Roberts advised her to issue the statement. It is possible that she read this, a troubling report by AP regarding the publics sinking confidence in American institutions. Whatever the reason, her statement was necessary and important. 5. How does her apology rate on the Ethics Alarms Apology Scale? As some commenters on other threads have already suggested, its a classic Level 6: 6. A forced or compelled version of 1-4, when the individual (or organization) apologizing knows that an apology is appropriate but would have avoided making one if he or she could have gotten away with it. She made so many anti-Trump comments in so many settings that it is not credible to conclude that the Justice would have decided she had to issue a statement of regret unless public, professional and pundit opinion compelled her to do so. 6. She did not apologize to Donald Trump. She should have, though that would have been a bitter pill indeed, given the intemperate insults he has been hurling at her because of her comments. She also should have apologized to her colleagues on the Court. When she looks bad, they look bad. And when they look bad, our whole system looks bad. Thursday, July 14, 2016 So powerful is the desire to be seen as on the right side in an era where race trumps everything that a major university is harassing a student because he dared to be critical of Black Lives Matter. This is another, more sinister aspect of the Black Lives Matter Effect. A racist hate group that claims to promote virtuous objectives as cover, Black Lives Matter causes well-intentioned progressives-in-denial to equate well-earned attacks on the group to rejection of racial justice. This episode is especially troubling. Purdue University Northwest student Joshua Nash received an ominous letter summoning him to a required Administrative Meeting scheduled by a campus administrator to discuss Nashs personal Facebook comments. This is as appropriate as a letter demanding a students appearance before authorities because there was a complaint about his off-color toast at a wedding reception. Nash says he isnt certain which Facebook post was deemed worthy of threatened discipline, but it was probably the one where he states Black Lives Matter is trash because they do not really care about black lives. They simply care about making money and disrupting events for dead people. According to Nash, that comment was reported to Facebook, with removed it and suspended his account for 30 days. Nash also claims that a campus official said his social media comments could result in his expulsion. I assume that FIRE will soon be in Nashs corner, and maybe, just maybe, the ACLU, depending on what its integrity level is these days. This is campus suppression of free speech. I think the threat of expulsionfor a Facebook post?is too ridiculous to be taken seriously, but the letter is bad enough. All students need to know is that a politically incorrect Facebook post will get them hauled into a meeting, a.k.a. inquisition, and their speech, with the exceptions of a few wilful martyrs, civil libertarians, and rebels, will be effectively muzzled. How can Purdue justify confronting a student over pure political opinion, assuming that the post was what Nash said it was? It is unethicalcoercive, an abuse of power, and irresponsiblefor colleges, like public schools, to punish students for what they say on social media unless it has direct relevance to the school itself and specific, named personnel. Criticizing Black Lives Matters, despite the vicious attacks on Rudy Giuliani, is not proof of racism or bigotry. It is indicia of perception, courage, and civic responsibility. I dont agree with Nashs analysis, but hes on the right track. Black Lives Matters is a power-seeking enterprise, willing to risk lives and social disintegration to achieve its agenda. There is much talk about Donald Trump being a fascist, but that is speculative fear-mongering. The signs of creeping fascism in the Land of Obama, however, are tangible and immediate, like enforced ideological conformity in the schools, content-based speech suppression on social media, and government pressure on institutions and corporations to support official policy or be penalized. The party in the White House announced last month that due process of law was disposable in its view, and has announced its full support for pre-crime measures, cheered on by a compliant news media. Now authorities are threatening anyone who wont kow-tow to Black Lives Matter, so that the myth that this is a benign, non-racist movement can be sustained as long as possible, until, perhaps, the body count gets uncomfortably high. There is a hammer in all this, so Purdue may have reason to be wary. A new study suggests that university scandals reduce college applications. The only problem is making the news media recognize that trying to control the thought and speech of students is something a college should be ashamed of. _________________________ Facts: The College Fix Ethics Alarms attempts to give proper attribution and credit to all sources of facts, analysis and other assistance that go into its blog posts, and seek written permission when appropriate. If you are aware of one I missed, or believe your own work or property was used in any way without proper attribution, credit or permission, please contact me, Jack Marshall, at jamproethics@verizon.net. Thirteen townhomes are set to be built on a ledge overlooking the former quarry just east of the Alamo Quarry Market over community protests that they will chip away at the 80-year heritage of Cementville, a former village of Mexican-American laborers that settled in the area. San Antonios working class communities, histories and cultures have yet to receive the same kind of attention from the citys preservation community as the Alamo, the San Antonio missions and the homes of the rich and powerful, Westside Preservation Alliance member Graciela Sanchez told the commission. Filmmaker David Cruz and other community activists some of them descendants of the Cementville workers criticized the developer for not including something in the plans that recognized the history of the village where workers lost blood, sweat and lives. Cruz is working on a documentary about the workers. Members of the city Planning Commission unanimously approved the project Wednesday, expressing sympathy for descendants of the original quarry workers but saying it was outside of their jurisdiction to consider a developments historic value. One commission member, Michael Garcia, said he hoped the developer would compromise with the activists in the spirit of diplomacy. The protestors asked the commission for more time to negotiate with the developer, Alamo Garden Inc., which shares several executives and a phone number with the original Alamo Cement. The group floated ideas for a tourist attraction or a learning center on the site, pointing out that cement produced by the villages workers became foundations for local buildings and infrastructure such as the River Walk. Daniel Ortiz, an attorney at Brown & Ortiz who represents Alamo Garden, pointed out that the Alamo Quarry Market has preserved structures from Cementvilles history, including the smokestacks that are recognizable from U.S. 281. He said after the meeting that the developer was open to discussions with the activists. At its peak, Cementville was home to about 90 cottages for employees of Alamo Cement Co. and their families, according to past coverage by the Express-News. The Alamo Cement plant was built on cheap land outside San Antonios original city limits, and its location was so remote that employees had to live on-site. In some cases, three or four generations of families lived and worked in the close-knit village. Cementvilles population dwindled by 1979, when a Swiss company bought Alamo Cement Co., and the remaining families soon relocated. The villages deserted streets were blocked off with boulders, and the area was redeveloped starting in the late 1980s. The 13 townhomes will be located above the southern edge of the Quarry Golf Clubs course and below another ledge of homes on Paddington Way. They are part of a multimillion-dollar plan to remake the golf club, which is owned by Quarry Holdings Joint Venture, a partnership led by former Valero CEO Bill Greehey. The partnership bought the course in December from Alamo Garden, except for the 6.4-acre strip of land where the new townhomes are planned. Greeheys partnership is working on a deal to sell the golf clubs clubhouse to local developer Embrey Partners, which plans to build an apartment complex there. The developer delayed the project, which was set for votes Wednesday, to give Embrey more time to incorporate some modifications sought by Lincoln Heights residents, including easing traffic, said Robert Hunt, executive vice president of development. Cruz, who grew up in San Antonio and whose wife lived in Cementville, said he would also protest the Embrey development when it returns to the Planning Commission agenda. He hopes the citys Office of Historic Preservation can help preserve Cementvilles history. Today, we had an opportunity for the first time in decades, if not forever, to throw the images of Cementville in front of an audience that until now never knew it existed, Cruz said after the meeting. The group went to Rosarios for dinner afterward to celebrate, he said. We believe that today was a victory, from that standpoint. Activists said the developers who bought Cementville in the 1980s promised it would remain open space and that they would protect the walls of the original quarry, where marks from workers pickaxes are still visible. The recent rush of development in the citys urban center, fueled by builder incentives adopted in San Antonios Decade of Downtown initiative launched in 2010, has put historic sites with significance to Mexican-American and working class communities at risk, the activists said after the meeting. Another example is the Peanut Factory Lofts on the near West Side, which was once a factory but is now an apartment building where rents start at $859 for a studio, the group said. I know progress has to come. But never should it come at the expense of erasing or trampling over the history of our community. Never, Cruz said after the meeting. The King William District never would have allowed something like what happened today to happen in their community. But because it was Cementville comprised 99.9 percent of Mexican laborers of course were expendable, we always have been. rwebner@express-news.net @rwebner A couple of weeks ago I spent a day at the Ashtabula County Antique Engine Clubs annual show at their grounds along U.S. Route 322, near the tiny community of Wayne. I usually try to make this excellent show and always see Gibson tractors on display, with several of them brought by Arlene and Lou Williams from New York. In 1933, Harry Gibson started the Gibson Manufacturing Co. in Seattle, Washington, as a heavy machine shop. At the time, the Pacific Northwest was a hot bed of logging, and small, usually narrow-gauge logging railroads abounded in the area. As their own rail line was the only way of accessing their remote logging areas for the transportation of men and supplies, these roads needed something larger than the 4 to 8 passenger speeders offered by Fairmont, F-M, and a few others, but not so large as a full-size passenger car pulled by a locomotive. Gibson recognized this need and began making box-like cars on a motorized chassis with capacities for 10-100 men. Engines used Ive been unable to find what make of engines Gibson used, or any technical details of these rail cars, but timber companies such as Pacific Northwest, West Fork, Rayonier, and others all ran Gibson rail speeders, which were advertised as for loggers use and loggers abuse. As World War II wound down, that bugaboo of manufacturers at the time, unionization, was hounding the Seattle works, and Harrys son, Wilbur (spelled Wilber in some accounts), who had apparently been experimenting with farm tractors and wanted to get closer to an agricultural market for such machines, went looking for a new location for a farm machinery factory. Production plant In 1944, the Gibsons decided on Longmont, a Colorado town some 30 miles north of Denver, for their new plant, which began production in 1946, with about 100 men on two eight-hour shifts. The first 10 Gibson tractors built left the factory by truck on Feb., 28, 1946, bound for a dealer in nearby Denver. These first tractors were the model A, which was powered by a 6-horsepower Wisconsin air-cooled model AEH engine. The A had 7.50 x 16 rear tires and 4.00 x 12 front tires, and had a three speed transmission and two independent rear wheel brakes. Its wheelbase was 42-inches and it weighed 875 lbs. and came with a full range of implements. Under maximum load, fuel consumption was one and one-half quarts per hour. The location was a good one, right at the western edge of the fertile high plain that stretched eastward through Kansas. New tractors American farmers were starved for new tractors as the result of wartime scarcities, and Gibsons tractor business, with son Wilbur as general manager, took off. Within just a couple of years, a second plant building in Longmont was acquired and then another new one was built, and the manufacturing of plows, disc harrows and cultivators was expanded. A contemporary newspaper account reads, A tour of the Ninth and Third Avenue plants is most interesting if not amazing. Equipment is modern and the equal to any to be found anywhere. In a days time from 60 to 70 finished tractors come off the assembly line. The Gibson Manufacturing Company, with its payroll of 200 men, means much to the economic life of Longmont. The very similar Model D followed the A in 1948, with the main difference being 22-inch rear tires. Next was the Model SD, which weighed more than 1,000 pounds and had fenders, a hood and the distinctive chevron cut-out grill that all subsequent Gibson tractors wore. All three of these first models were steered by a single hand lever push the lever forward to turn left, and pull it back to go right. The addition of a real steering wheel was the prominent feature of the next model, the Super D, and optional hydraulics and electric starter and lights were then available. The Super D2 had a two-cylinder, 12-horsepower model TF Wisconsin air-cooled engine, weighed 1,375 pounds, and rolled on 7, 8 or 9.00 x 24 rears and 4.00 x 12 fronts. The Gibson series E tractors had the same 12-hp engine, tire sizes and other features as the Super D2, but was available as the Model EF. A conventional four-wheeled configuration, the Model E, with a tricycle front end, the Model EW, wide-arch rear wheels and tricycle front, and the Model EWF, that had the wide-arch rear and the conventional wide front. The series E were said to be capable of pulling two 10-inch plow bottoms under normal soil conditions. Also in 1948, Gibson introduced its big boys, the two-plow Model H and the 2-3-plow Model I. The H power plant was the Hercules 4-cylinder IXB3 engine, while the I had a Hercules 6-cylinder QXD5. Both had four-speed transmissions, electricals and hydraulics as standard equipment, and a standard power take-off. Rear tires were 10 X 38 on the H and 12 X 38 on the I, while fronts were 5.00 X 15 and 5.50 X 16 respectively. By the early 1950s, all the large tractor manufacturers had ramped up production and the postwar tractor shortage was easing. Gibson was finding it difficult to compete with the likes of IHC, Deere and others and was also building forklifts for the U.S. Navy at the time. In 1952, the decision was made to halt tractor production at the Longmont plants and the Gibson firm was sold to Helene Curtis Industries, who folded it into the Fox Metal Co. in Denver. For a while, Gibson parts were made at Fox and then the tractor business became another new company, Western American Industries, at Longmont. Western America turned out some 1,000 Gibson Ds, SDs and Super SDs, before closing sometime in 1958. David Baas estimates that production of the As, Ds, and Es was 50,000-60,000 total units, and probably less than 500 each of the Hs and Is, making the latter two models pretty rare. At the end of June, I traveled to Hueston Woods State Park in southwestern Ohio to participate in an agricultural retreat with my fellow agricultural Extension educators from across the state. Clear my mind This retreat was a great way for us to gather together to think at a deeper level about the emerging issues in agriculture. We had some great discussions, especially about some of the hot topics like genetically modified organisms, phosphorus management and avian influenza. We visited some of the top farms and agricultural businesses in western Ohio, to learn more about what makes their operations successful. It was nice to pause from the daily grind, as it allowed me to take a deep breath, clear my mind and to think. So today, I would like to share some of the thoughts that bounced through my head during the retreat. Tractor time Many of you know that I still make some hay on our farm. I like to do this as it gives me tractor time. Tractor time may not be what you think it is. Yes, it is nice to hear the whine and power of the tractors engine as I cut hay, but the greatest joy to me is just getting the time to think on the tractor seat. Some of my best thoughts and strategic planning have been done on the seat of our TN75 Ford tractor. Economics are tight in agriculture right now, especially in the dairy industry. When times are tough, it is very easy to just work harder and hope things will get better. But what may be more important is to step back and think deeply. Stop and think In todays society, it is so easy just to do, do, do and not to think. Are you taking time to strategically think about your business and its profitability? The Sergay Group Inc., defines strategic thinking as the process of developing and evaluating every decision and action in light of current and future circumstances, the direction you want to go in and the results you want to achieve. It involves being able to apply possibility thinking to every situation. It is not about doing business as usual but rather pushing the envelope to see what can be done smarter and what else can be done instead of, or as an add on, that would maximize opportunities. I find tractor time to be a great way to think, but there are many other ways to create time to think. One of my friends gets up early every morning before her kids awake to read and reflect. Another carves the first 15-30 minutes of each day for non-digital thinking and planning. No meetings, laptops or smartphones allowed. He just pulls out a plain old piece of paper and pen and works through the issues required to make his business more successful. Maybe it is a walk around the hay field or through the pasture? Maybe it is in the lawn chair under the Swamp White Oak tree? Grab a pen and notepad and you will be shocked what ideas you can generate to make your business and family relationships better. Day of rest Remember when Sunday was sacred, a day of rest? Now it seems as it has become the day to squeeze everything else in such as 4-H meetings, grocery shopping, yard work, baling an extra 10 acres of hay or painting the house. Shouldnt Sunday be about giving thanks to our Creator, spending time with loved ones and for taking time to hit the pause button? I have been reminded how very important this is over the past six months and it has provided me with a new perspective one that is full of possibilities and hope. You will be amazed how refreshed and more productive you will be for the other six days of the week if you allow yourself to step back, relax and to think. Steal from neighbors We also need to steal from our neighbors, but not in the way you might think. On our agricultural retreat, we had a great visit with the Garver Family in Middletown, Ohio. During our visit, our educator group saw some of the innovations the family has implemented to be more efficient and more effective. I was really intrigued by a cistern they built under their new machinery shed. When it came time to build the new machinery shed, they decided to build it on the site of their old hog barn, which had a manure pit underneath of it. Instead of filling in the concrete pit, they left it there and built over top of it and now use it as a water cistern. The design of the building allows their roof water to drain down the eave spouts and back under the building into the converted pit. This allows for over 1,000 gallons of water to be stored for use in their vegetable operation. This has reduced the water bill for their vegetable operation and saved them the expense of filling in the pit. Farmers are truly innovate people. So how are you at stealing ideas? A great place to steal ideas is to attend Extension Twilight Tours and Field Days. An example was the excellent tour held recently at the Stoller Organic Dairy Farm in Sterling, Ohio. I was able to attend with two of our Ashtabula County dairymen and we were able to glean some great ideas to improve their operations. Just keep watching the Farm and Dairy as these events are being held weekly across the region. Final thought To end todays column, I would like to share a quote from Joel Osteen who stated, I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if youre grateful, youll see God open up new doors. Have a good and safe day. WEST SALEM, Ohio Three members of the Northwestern FFA Chapter attended Washington Leadership Conference, June 7-12: David Miley, Cody Tegtmeier and Austen Wood. Members attended leadership workshops, toured the Capitol, Arlington Cemetery and various memorials and monuments. During the final day, members participated in a community service project, packaging meals for people in Washington, D.C. COSHOCTON, Ohio He lives and farms more than an hour-and-a-half east of Columbus, but Eli Yoder, who is Amish, sells produce in Ohios capital city each week. He does so through a program called community supported agriculture, or a CSA. CSAs have been around for years, and allow farmers like Yoder to grow produce and pre-schedule deliveries to a set number of customers, throughout the growing season. Yoder and his family operate a 15-acre produce farm in northern Coshocton County, called Blossom Acres. Through their own CSA, the Yoders provide fresh produce to customers in Columbus and its suburbs on a weekly basis. He also grows produce for the Yellowbird Foodshed CSA, a Columbus-area network of CSAs. Meeting needs Each farmers CSA is a little different, depending on the agreement between the farmer and customer. Yoder sells his customers something called shares. One share will typically provide enough produce for two to three people to last a week, but customers can buy a bigger or smaller share, depending on the size of their family and eating needs. Yoder has operated a CSA for eight years, and now serves about 64 customers. Each week, he harvests, cleans and boxes produce for his customers, and hires a trucking service, to help make deliveries to locations in Hilliard, Powell and Westerville. Each box has the customers name on it, and empty boxes are returned at the different drop-off locations. Eli also operates a booth at the North Market, in downtown Columbus. From the earth But long before anything gets that far, it starts at his farm, in the hoop houses and fields his family maintain. Eli and his wife, Susan, have been farming at this location for five years, and today grow about every major vegetable youd expect in Ohio. And the vegetables at Blossom Acres grow well full of color, size, and according to Eli, good taste. But this wasnt always the case. When they moved here five years ago, Eli said it was the first time in at least 10 years that the no-till corn-soybean rotation had been broken. He said it took some hard work and conditioning to restore the soils organic matter to bring back the earthworms and the biological life that make for good, fresh produce. Keeping it simple The Yoders are not certified organic, but they farm with a lot of the same principles no pesticides and herbicides, and they do not apply manufactured fertilizers. They use fertilizer that is organically approved, or single-source, micro-nutrients like zinc, boron and copper. We see a huge difference, he said. Theres no comparison. Like the zucchini theyre happy and theyre healthy and theyre growing, and it didnt used to be that way. Plant happiness, may be hard to pin down. But theres no denying that Blossom Acres has made the Yoders happy. Theyre happy with improved yields, a marketing program that sustains them and the opportunity to farm full time with their children. The Yoders have six young children. The oldest, Rhoda, is 11 and helps on the farm. They also employ a neighbor full time and various part-timers. Benji Ballmer, the founder of Yellowbird Foodshed CSA, said CSAs help farmers like the Yoders do what they do best grow food while the CSA helps handle marketing and customers. Yellowbird is supplied by multiple area farmers, and helps them gain market exposure they might not otherwise have. Ballmer said what impresses him about Eli is his focus on soil health and improvement, and the level of consistency of the food leaving his farm. He only grows at a speed or at a pace that he can manage, so that everything is good quality, Ballmer said. Yellowbird Foodshed views the CSA from a watershed, or foodshed level trying to unite farmers and consumers across a larger area. Were trying to put these guys back into production, where 85 percent of their time is spent growing food, he said. Working outdoors Eli said he enjoys planting and harvest season the most, and just being outdoors in the weather every day, just enjoying Gods creation. He knows not everyone will agree, but he said he enjoys the satisfaction of hard work. Whats more enjoyable than pulling weeds on a nice day? he asked. But what really brings the Yoders satisfaction is knowing theyre supplying their customers with fresh produce that is healthy, locally grown and something his customers want. Yoder said labels like local and organic can mean a lot of different things, depending on how theyre used. He bills himself as a farmer whose goal is to promote good soil health, good farming practices, and grow produce that has superior taste. On-farm tours To show his customers exactly what theyre getting, he invites them to his farm for a meal and social event each summer. They get to walk the fields, ride ponies and see how everything is done. This really helps them to be connected to the land, even though theyre living in town, he said. When theyre eating it, they have a visual they know its coming out of this field. Growing season Planting at Blossom Acres typically begins in late February, and the Yoders finish the final harvest before Thanksgiving. During the winter, Eli often works off the farm, but by later winter, hes back to the farm. He also attends educational events during the off-season, where he learns new ideas and networks with other growers. Because he doesnt use herbicides, he relies on cultivating to help control weeds. He also grows cover crops in the off-season, which helps control weeds and provides a source of green manure when those living covers are plowed under. Sometimes the insects and the weeds do get out of hand. But he said its all part of farming, and, like other farmers, he starts over and replants. The Yoders could expand their acreage, but Eli said theyre at a size now that keeps them busy, and sustains their needs. This is his 10th year in vegetables, and he wants his farm to remain committed to its values. In todays age, youve got to have some connection with the farmer, or you have no idea what youre eating, he said. WOOSTER, Ohio A study of how natural gas pipeline installations affect Ohio cropland productivity will begin this fall. The study, to be overseen by The Ohio State Universitys College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, focuses on soil disturbance caused by statewide pipeline installations. A $200,000 donation from Kinder Morgan Inc. allows the college to begin identifying and sampling soil from farmer fields this fall. Steve Culman, soil fertility specialist with Ohio State University Extension, will be the project leader. Over the course of three years, the college will survey and take samples from 50 fields statewide, predominantly in rural areas. Samples will be taken before and after pipeline installation. BARNESVILLE, Ohio Yale University researchers will be calling the Olney Friends School in Barnesville their home base as they study chemicals potentially released in fracking practices and their effects on air and water quality. Our research question is to determine whether or not people who live closer to unconventional natural gas wells have higher levels of pollutants in their air or water, said Nicole Deziel, an environmental exposure scientist, epidemiologist and assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health. Developing the study With the expansion of unconventional natural gas development in eastern Ohio and Pennsylvania over the last five-10 years, Deziel said a lot of previous studies on fracking and the environment had been conducted in Colorado, Texas and Pennsylvania, but not as much in Ohio. The data are emerging, but its pretty limited in terms of addressing this question about contamination, she said. The study emerged from a previous analysis where Yale researchers looked at more than 1,000 chemicals that have been linked to fracturing fluids and waste. Researchers found a majority of those chemicals lacked toxicity information, specifically reproductive and developmental toxicity information which are key indicators for an environmental hazard. Of the 1,000 chemicals, 240 had toxicity information and 157 of those had some evidence of reproductive or developmental toxicity. Deziel and her team are seeking out those chemicals and determining if there are measurable amounts of toxicity among them. How it works Yale researchers recruited interested Belmont County residents through fliers, mailers and news articles. Their goal is to visit 100 homes in Belmont County before they conclude their field study in August. For the initial home visit, researchers collect a drinking water sample, usually from the kitchen tap, said Deziel, and an air sample. Two air sample collectors are left inside the home and outside the home for nine days. Researchers also ask questions about the participants home, community and health in a survey and collect a GPS reading to measure the location of the home. After nine days, the air samplers are picked up and brought back to the lab. Its very nonintrusive, a very low burden on the participants, and they receive $20 for participating, said Deziel. Samples are sent back to the Yale University school of chemical and environmental engineering for analysis, which Deziel said could take several months before results are complete. Olney Friends School Ken Hinshaw, director of the Olney Friends School, said he heard out about Yales intent to study fracking and its need to find a location to do the study. We have an interest in fracking here at the school, as it is going on all around us, said Hinshaw. The school has not leased its mineral rights on our 350 acres because we have been concerned about the negative environmental effects. Deciding to hold off on selling the schools mineral rights was a tough decision because there was a lot of money involved but, the technology was not developed enough to consider long term air and water quality effects, he said. Hinshaw added, the school has made energy development a part of its curriculum to hopefully better understand the process. The opportunity to have the Yale research team work from the school seemed like an opportunity to get some more answers. We are a school and we are interested in the science and finding answers, he said. Similar research A similar research study was conducted in Carroll County, from February 2012 to February 2015, by the University of Cincinnati. Amy Townsend-Small, from the department of geology, led the study looking into the effects of hydraulic fracturing on groundwater in the Utica shale of Ohio. Over the course of three years, the research team collected samples four times a year from 23 wells in five Ohio shale counties including Columbiana, Belmont, Harrison and Stark, with most of the sampling centered in Carroll County. The study was funded by the Deer Creek Foundation and the David and Sara Weston Foundation with a three-year, $400,000 grant that purchased necessary equipment to measure methane levels. According to Townsend-Small, no evidence of natural gas was found in the groundwater during their study. We analyzed methane. We didnt find any of the toxic compounds (in groundwater samples), said Townsend-Small. In response to this new study emerging from Yale, she said, we need a lot more studies, I am glad that they are doing this research. She added, They are doing different analysis, and they are doing air samples which we didnt do. That was a big concern with people, along with their ground water. The team Deziel was able to recruit to Ohioans, familiar with the Belmont County area. CJ Gerber is a civil and environmental engineering student at Ohio State University who said he has always had a concern for the environment. Having family that grew up in Barnesville, he said he was aware of the citizens concern over fracking. When he was connected with Deziel and learned of her plans to study the Barnesville area, he said it seemed like a great research opportunity. Courtney Pedersen, from Jackson County, is a recent graduate of the Yale School of Public Health. Having Deziel as a professor, she had heard about the project and was interested in helping out. My home area has been really affected by conventional and natural gas. I thought it would be a great opportunity to give back to the community by contributing any knowledge I gain from this study, she said. Deziel said current funding for this study is coming directly from the university, and they have had no contact with any shale companies or environmental groups. For more information, contact the study staff at 740-792-6040 or email owaqs@yale.edu. The Prairie Doc: We need to be more intentional with antibiotics Andrea Leadsom has today been announced as the government's new Environment Secretary after a string of Cabinet appointments. She has served as Minister of State for Energy at the Department of Energy and Climate Change since 11 May 2015, having held the post of Economic Secretary to the Treasury from April 2014. After studying political science at bachelor's level at the University of Warwick, she worked in junior roles, including as a personal assistant, at Barclays and Invesco Perpetual. She was a prominent member of the Leave campaign during the 2016 EU referendum and gained prominence in referendum TV debates. The former Environment Secretary, Liz Truss, has been appointed to her new role of Justice Secretary after 2 years of being the government spokeswoman for British farming and environmental interests. Theresa May continues to build her new Government after a slew of key appointments last night. 'Reduce uncertainty in the rural economy' The President of the CLA, which represents 32,000 landowners, farmers and rural businesses in England and Wales, has welcomed the appointment of Andrea Leadsom as Defra Secretary. The organisation is calling on her to reduce uncertainty in the rural economy by making clear commitments on five priority issues. CLA President Ross Murray said: "We look forward to working with the new Defra Secretary and her team as farmers and other rural businesses work to make the most of the opportunities, and tackle the challenges, that are ahead. "Highest on the agenda will be immediate action to reduce uncertainty in the wake of the vote for Brexit. "We will be asking Andrea Leadsom to make swift commitments on five priority issues for the rural economy ensuring direct payments up to 2020; honouring agri-environment agreements; establishing a new food, farming and environmental policy to succeed and better the CAP; engaging in full and clear consultation with farmers; and honouring commitments under current EU structural fund programmes. "Government and farmers together have a unique opportunity to create better outcomes for the agriculture sector, the rural economy and the environment. "We look forward to discussing this opportunity with the new Defra Secretary at the earliest opportunity." 'Shape a better dairy industry' Welcoming the new cabinet and ministerial posts announced by Prime Minister Theresa May today, Dairy UK Chief Executive Dr Judith Bryans has said the UK government needs to help shape the future of the dairy industry. "The UK dairy industry has tremendous potential for growth in the global stage and the Government must provide the right framework to help make our sector more resilient, competitive and profitable. "We congratulate Ms Leadsom on her appointment as Defra Secretary of State and we particularly look forward to building a strong working relationship with her and continuing our constructive collaboration with Defra officials. "The dairy industry has serious challenges ahead but also many opportunities and we ask Ms Leadsom and her team to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for our industry throughout the Brexit negotiations. "Dairy is vital to Britains economy, environment and diet and therefore it is clearly within the Governments interest to ensure that this industry is well-supported. "There is much at stake and we count on Defras support to foster growth and success in our great UK dairy industry. "Our industry is adaptable, resilient and determined with the skills and innovation to rise to the many challenges we encounter. "We will continue to liaise with the UK Government, devolved administrations and all relevant organisations to promote the interests of the UK dairy sector and help to steer our industry in the right direction." 'Crucial time' Nick von Westenholz, CEO of the Crop Protection Association said he congratulated Ms Leadsom's appointment as a 'crucial' time for British farming. "Farming, more than any other sector, will be enormously affected by the result of the EU referendum and the new Secretary of State has a key role to play in the forthcoming negotiations on the UKs future relationship with the EU and the rest of the world. "For the crop protection industry it is vital that the UK continues to promote a science based approach to regulation in Europe while the UK remains part of the EU. "Longer term there must be a smooth transition to life outside the EU where we can continue to incentivise and support the crop protection sector whilst promoting modern, productive agriculture and a competitive UK farming sector. "Our industry looks forward to working with the new Secretary of State to develop a new and improved system that champions a science led regulatory approach and which supports UK farmers in ensuring a healthy, safe, reliable and affordable food supply." A look back at Liz Truss' life as Environment Secretary On 15 July 2014, a cabinet reshuffle appointed Truss as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, replacing Owen Paterson, and becoming the youngest female cabinet minister in British history. In apparent contrast to her predecessor, Owen Paterson, Truss declared that she fully believed that climate change is happening, and that "human beings have contributed to that." In November 2014, Truss launched a new 10-year bee and pollinator strategy to try and reverse the trend of falling bee populations, including a strategy to revive traditional meadows which provide the most fertile habitat for pollinators. In July 2015, she approved the limited temporary lifting of an EU ban on the use of two neonicotinoid pesticides, enabling their use for 120 days on about 5% of Englands oil seed rape crop to ward off the cabbage stem flea beetle; campaigners have warned that pesticides have been shown to harm bees by damaging their renowned ability to navigate home. Liz Truss' 2014 remarks that "we import two-thirds of our cheese", and "opening up new pork markets" in Beijing were widely mocked on social media and on the satirical current affairs programme, Have I Got News For You?. Truss cut taxpayer subsidies for solar panels on agricultural land, as her view was that the land could be better used to grow crops, food and vegetables. She described farming and food as "hotbeds of innovation" and promoted the production and export of British food, including cheese, pork pies and apples. This year, she has campaigned heavily against the UK wanting to leave the European Union, focusing on issues that farmers will be worse off with access to the single market. She said: "What we know is less trade would mean fewer investments. It would mean fewer jobs and that would feed through to peoples incomes." EU agri-food exports reached 129 billion in 2015, more than 7 % of all goods exported from the EU. EU exports for agricultural products reached 129 billion in 2015, an annual increase of 5.7%, which have helped secure the EU's position as a world player with agri-food exports, with a net trade surplus of 16 billion. The entire output of the European Union's agricultural sector was valued at 410 billion in 2015. Agriculture and the food and drink industry together employ millions of people, accounting for 7.5 % of employment and 3.7 % of total value added in the EU, according to the report published today on Agri-food trade in 2015. Although some Member States and sectors still suffered from the Russian ban and from low world market prices, the overall EU agricultural trade performance was positive in 2015. 'Good news story' Phil Hogan, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development commented on the report: "Our trade performance continues to be a real good news story for the EU agri-food sector. "Our high production standards and commitment to quality food and drink products ensure continuing global demand. "We have directed significant resources towards making the most of these opportunities, including an increased global promotion budget, and a number of new and exciting trade opportunities. "In the coming months, I hope to see further export growth for Europe's farmers and agri-food businesses, and the Commission will support them every step of the way. "Every 100,000 of exports supports one rural job on average so the EU's good agri-food export performance is good for jobs and growth in rural areas." Besides finding new markets, ties with existing partners have been strengthened, as around half of the total gain in exports came from increased trade with China. Currently, the top five destinations for EU28 agri-food exports are the US, China, Switzerland, Russia and Japan. Several sanitary and phyto-sanitary barriers were lifted in 2015 and export opportunities also increased because of agreements on geographical indications for EU quality products with among others Morocco. The ranking of the top world agri-food exporters remained unchanged in 2015, after the EU took over the leading position from the US in 2013. Agricultural products represent more than 7 % of all goods exported from the EU. The wide range of products from all parts of the value chain which demonstrates the versatility of the sector. Among the agricultural feed and food products, the exports feature in particular wines, cereals, meat, olive oil and dairy products, and one third of the export value is generated by beverages and products of the food industry such as pasta, infant food and other processed products. The largest export gains were achieved for products which already represent a high share in agri-food exports, such as spirits and wine. The combined increase in export value for these two product categories reached 1.5 billion. The highest export value was recorded for milk powders. Dairy products and fruit and vegetables were the sectors most severely hit by the Russian ban. The lower export value of dairy products was also caused by lower prices. EU imports, on the other hand, are more dominated by agricultural food and feed products, which represent about 80 % of all imports. In addition, due to higher growth in exports, the EU turned to be a net exporter as from 2010. When Euan Macpherson joined Crisp Malting Group in 1987, the company was making 120,000 tonnes of malt a year. During his tenure, production has more than trebled to an annual output of 430,000 tonnes: 5% of EU output. This means that Euan has overseen the production of enough malt to make over 64 billion pints of beer, enough to give every person in the UK 1,000 pints each. Euan is retiring following a lifetime career in brewing, distilling and malting. Adrian Dyter, previously from Boortmalt and Carlsberg, has been shadowing Euan for a short period, and has now fully taken over as Crisp Maltings managing director. "At a time when craft brewing and distilling are expanding so rapidly and when interest in ingredients is growing so fast, this is a fantastic company to be joining," says Adrian. "Quality and customer service are already at the top of Crisps agenda. Theres a lot of innovation going on and the team has some of the best technical expertise in the industry. "All this means the company is well-positioned to accommodate demands from the growing craft beer and whisky sectors in the UK and across the world. "It helps that we have one of the countrys three remaining floor maltings; that we can provide grain whole or ready-crushed; and that were as happy to deliver 25kg bags as to deliver in bulk. "In addition to providing the very best malt in the market, our aim is to make things as simple as possible for customers. "Euans mantra of profitability through complexity has been a key factor in Crisps success, and will remain a driving force. "The leadership may have changed, but the focus on fantastic local ingredients, and service which is second to none, hasnt. "It may be challenging to follow the momentum and growth of recent years, but with the excellent team Ive inherited, its definitely possible and Im determined to make it happen. "Ill be looking to build on the fabulous assets we already have in terms of raw materials, people, plant, product, technical expertise and trade. He concludes: "Ill be ensuring that were responding to the markets and listening to our customers. Hopefully they can join me in raising a glass or a thousand to that!" The latest Market Bulletin produced by Hybu Cig Cymru Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) shows changing consumer preferences is a major contributory factor in purchasing patterns for fresh red meat. For the 12 week period ending 22 May 2016, Kantar Worldpanel data shows that GB volume sales of fresh beef increased by 2.3% compared to the same period in 2015, while the overall average price declined as total spend decreased. The same period saw some exceptions to this pattern. Volumes of fresh frying/grilling beef purchased at retailers increased by 2.4%, despite an increase in the average price of the product. However, sales of roasting beef declined whilst the average price also fell. Lamb sales during this period saw a decrease "It is no surprise that people are spending more on cheaper fresh red meat cuts," said John Richards, HCCs Industry Information Executive. "Furthermore, it isnt a shock that consumers are willing to spend more money on cuts that can be cooked in minutes, as people are opting for quicker meal solutions due to busy lifestyles and time restrictions. "This, together with its versatility, explains why beef mince continues to hold the largest share of the market for both volume and spend." Lamb sales during this period saw a volume decrease of 4.5% and a marginal decrease in spend when compared to the same period in 2015. The main contributory factor for this was a 4.4% increase in average price which stood at 7.83/kg. As with beef, not all cuts followed the same pattern. The volume of lamb chops/steaks sold increased by nearly 5% and the average price of the product fell by 6%. The pattern for leg roasting joints was the opposite; retailers saw an increase in spend and a decrease in volume sold. Mr Richards added: "The data presented in the Market Bulletin shows how economic and lifestyle changes influence purchasing and eating habits. "It is important that the red meat sector responds and is able to cater for the market." HCCs Market Bulletin also includes information on changes seen in prices in Welsh markets in the wake of instability in the value of the pound over the past three weeks. The food and farming sectors' compliance with strong environmental protections 'must be the bedrock principle' of any post EU subsidy deal, a group of 84 environmental organisations have said in a letter. A large portion of the UK's current farming and food policy is covered by EU laws. In a letter sent to the new Prime Minister Theresa May, the signatories said better food, farming and trade policies can help cut greenhouse gas emissions within those industries by 80% by 2050. The groups, including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, the Wildlife Trust, War on Want and Real Farming Trust said public spending on subsidies, research or other support must be directly linked to environmental responsibilities. "Such policies can also support a vibrant and diverse economy, good jobs and working conditions, ethical and sustainable production methods, international development, improved animal welfare, more farmland and marine wildlife and restored farmland biodiversity, as well as enhancing the beauty of the countryside and protecting the environment (in particular fresh water and soils), while providing a safe and traceable food supply. "Crafting good food and farming policies is also essential to help heal the rift that has so far characterised the EU Referendum process, as well as to combat the disenfranchisement and distrust in the political process that so many of our fellow citizens have expressed." The letter urged the government to ensure that new trade agreements after exiting the European Union must not undermine the progress achieved under the previous governments. "There are many examples, to name but a few: local and sustainable food in public sector food buying, which can help lead the way in investing in quality British production; environmental legislation that protects natural environments, wildlife and habitats; the living wage and better working conditions; millions of food jobs supported in the worlds poorest countries; food labelling and marketing controls; animal welfare standards; tackling food waste; support for organic production methods, and new approaches to reducing farm antibiotic use. "While more progress is needed in all of these areas, we are seriously concerned that such considerations may be over-run by a drive for new trade deals at any cost, and pressures to de-regulate. "Conducting Environmental and Health Impact Assessments as part of the preparation for new trade deals should be a critical step in the process." Establishing miscanthus from seed rather than rhizome has taken a step nearer to commercial reality with field trials of three promising hybrid varieties getting under way this year. Its predicted that miscanthus plugs propagated from seed could be commercially available to farmers as soon as 2019 and seed for direct drilling available a further few years after this. And with the demand dedicated biomass and bioenergy crops growing at a rapid rate, the need for seed is very real. If the governments 2050 carbon targets are to be met, the UK will need to increase the area of land devoted to bioenergy crops by over 1 million hectares. According to research commissioned for Defra, published in 2012, the UK could grow up to 3.63 million hectares of short rotation coppice (SRC) and miscanthus without affecting food production, because they thrive on lower grade, marginal land. Seed head The field trials will see the new hybrids up-scaled, planted out and trialled on a commercial scale and mark the second phase of a research project, named MUST (Miscanthus Upscaling Technology) thats set to increase the cost-efficiency of Britains leading energy crop, miscanthus. Switching from rhizome to seed has the potential to offer huge benefits for growers, lowering planting costs, improving crop characteristics, yield and consistency. Currently miscanthus is grown from rhizome. The plant does not produce seeds and the only way to propagate the crop is to lift the rhizomes, split and replant them. "You can only propagate rhizome once every three years, as it needs to grow to the right size. Laying film over plugs "One hectare of propagated rhizome crop yields 13-20 ha of root stock. With seed, a one hectare crossing block can produce 2000 ha of new crop, so the potential is vast," says scientific project leader Professor John Clifton Brown from Aberystwyth University. The MUST project is led by commercial partner Terravesta, with world leading plant breeding science by Aberystwyth University and partners including the University of Aberdeen, US biotechnology company Ceres Inc, DEFRA, the NFU, E.ON, Biocatalysts, Blankney Estates, Assured Energy Crops, the NFU, Bell Brother Nurseries, Ceres, Inc., Nutriss and, Edwards Farms Machinery and is funded through the governments Agricultural Technologies Strategy programme. "Its taken a huge team effort to get this far and after 10 years of dedicated research and an extensive breeding programme, we now have three candidate hybrid crosses that have been narrowed down from thousands of crosses between different accessions from Asia which will be up-scaled in the MUST project," says John. William Cracroft-Eley, chairman of commercial project leader Terravesta, explains that switching from rhizome to seed has the potential to offer huge benefits for growers. "The project will ultimately lower the barrier for entry on farm through cost saving. The resulting crop will perform better and have traits that could increase desirability for the end user. "This will offer us a very real ability to increase the UK growing area from the 8000 hectares we have today, to the potential of 350,000 ha in the future. "If you want to have a crop that can be scalable to millions of acres, then it has to be seed-based. "Without doubt, the energy market demand is expanding and this will continue. Terravestas interest is in expanding the market, but also in expanding value," says William. The scope of having successful seed varieties may be huge, because it opens up new opportunities for market expansion. "The benefit that a seed based plant can deliver is that it allows for rapid upscaling and planting," adds William. "In the meantime planting miscanthus from rhizome using well tried and tested techniques and agronomy can deliver attractive and reliable net margins for years to come. "Farmers are offered a long-term fixed price contract, as Terravesta is delivering market certainty with long term index-linked grower contracts. "Over a 15-year period the average net margin for miscanthus is estimated to be 528 per hectare." The genes of some chickens make them almost completely resistant to a serious strain of bird flu, new research has revealed. The findings, which are published in the journal Scientific Reports, show that genetics play a key part in whether the birds are susceptible or resistant to the potentially deadly virus. Until now, scientists around the world have paid little attention to the role the genetics of birds play in the transmission of flu, focusing instead on how the virus itself evolves and infects. Led by Dr Colin Butter from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Lincoln, this new research, which was carried out at The Pirbright Institute, could prove valuable in developing understanding of the mechanisms of influenza transmission within and between birds. Dr Butter is one of the UKs leading authorities on avian flu with expertise in animal science, virology and immunology. Influenza virus is the cause of influenza, or flu the contagious respiratory viral disease common in many birds and mammals. The viruses circulating in wild birds and domesticated poultry are of particular interest to scientists because they may mutate into forms that are capable of infecting humans, and represent an emerging threat to human health as potential sources of the next flu pandemic. This danger has led the World Health Organisation to highlight effective control measures, as well as an in-depth assessment of factors surrounding the infection of host animals, as part of their research priorities. Dr Butters study takes an important step towards meeting these needs. 'Until now we knew relatively little' Dr Butter, Reader in Bioveterinary Science at the University of Lincoln, said: "It is important for us to understand how different genetic lines of bird react to influenza viruses, so that we can begin to understand the spread of the disease. "Until now we knew relatively little about how a birds genetics can affect its reaction to flu virus but this new research, which for the first time shows that some poultry lines are genetically resistant to avian flu, represents a significant step forwards. "Our results are valuable in emphasising the important role a host plays in the spread of avian flu, and also in highlighting a number factors relating to the chain of infection and control mechanisms which are affected by the route of infection." The researchers examined two different lines of chickens to determine whether genetics played a part in the susceptibility or resistance to infection. They found that birds that carried the virus but were genetically resistant to the disease only shed the virus through their respiratory tract and for a limited period of time, whereas birds which were susceptible to the disease also shed virus in faeces and over a longer time. The researchers discovered that this was the only relevant means of spreading the virus and that resistant birds were therefore completely unable to initiate or sustain a chain of infection. Further results in the study suggest that this could be due to a genetic restriction within the animal which stops the virus spreading when inside the body. 'Importance of examining virus-host interactions' Professor Venugopal Nair, the Head of the Avian Viral Diseases programme at The Pirbright Institute, said: "The findings of this study emphasise the importance of examining the intricate nature of the virus-host interactions. "And also, the potential role of the host genetic factors influencing the transmission dynamics and outcomes of important diseases such as avian flu." These findings now lead the way for further investigation and work is being planned to discover and examine the precise biological mechanisms behind genetic resistance. This could have major implications for poultry breeding, as well as human flu treatments, in the future. Dr Butter added: "The prospect of breeding birds with natural immunity to influenza virus would certainly widen the scope of existing control measures and perhaps limit the risk to the human population of the emergence of pandemic viruses. "Furthermore, as human genetic determinants for catching flu are comparatively unknown, research such as ours which is developing a better understanding of the genes and mechanisms involved could also lead to improved therapeutic options in humans." NFU Scotland has opened up a new branch on the Western Isles. With union's crofting membership having grown to more than 750 in recent times, it will introduce a new Western Isles branch to give the increased membership in that area greater support and recognition. The new branch will be launched at the Isle of Harris Distillery on Wednesday 27 July. Current and potential members are invited to an informal reception at 6.00pm, with soup and sandwiches available. The new branch will be looked after by Jake Sayles and Duncan Macintyre, both of whom will be at the launch. In addition, Chairman of the Unions Crofting, Highlands and Islands Committee Sandy Murray and the Highland Regional Chairman Jim Whiteford will be on Harris for this exciting development. 'Time is right' Looking ahead to the launch, local NFUS secretary Jake Sayles said: "NFU Scotland is already doing sterling work on behalf of crofters, hill farmers and smallholders in Skye and Lochalsh. "With an established membership base in the Western Isles, the time is right to create a new branch to give those members greater representation and to encourage others to come and hear what the Union can offer. "Through our NFU Mutual offices in Portree and Stornoway, Duncan and I are already able to provide members with a high level of support and services, from crofting and hill farming policy to financial and insurance advice. "We travel regularly throughout the area to meet our members, whenever and wherever we are needed, and we are delighted that, by launching the Western Isles branch, NFU Scotlands network continues to grow." Sutherland crofter Sandy Murray, who chairs the Unions Crofting, Highlands and Islands Working Group, will attend the Western Isles branch launch. 'Exciting and challenging times' Sandy has many years experience as a Crofting Commission assessor and a grazings clerk. Speaking ahead of the event, Sandy said: "These are exciting and challenging times for crofting and, with our crofting membership increasing, it is great that NFU Scotlands first new branch in more than 80 years reflects that. "NFU Scotland is absolutely committed to creating a vibrant, crofting sector that is fit for the 21st century. "In the past year alone, we have continued to campaign for simpler and updated crofting legislation and were instrumental in getting the Crofting Stakeholders Forum set up to take forward crofting matters. "Common grazings is a hot topic at the moment. We staged a very successful workshop on Skye and would look to repeat the exercise elsewhere if necessary. "In other priorities, we also want to encourage new entrants into crofting, increase the availability of affordable housing and make sure that the range of support and financial incentives available to the crofting community are fit for purpose and their availability well communicated. "Crofting remains at the core of so many communities across Scotland. NFU Scotland want to keep it that way and I look forward to hearing from our Western Isles branch members in the future." Northern Ireland's Agriculture Minister Michelle McIlveen has announced the award of an 8.7 million contract for the delivery of a new food, animal health and traceability system. NIFAIS (the Northern Ireland Food Animal Information System) will be an improved replacement for the Animal and Public Health Information System (APHIS), which has been in operation since November 1998. The 8.7million contract has been awarded to AMT-SYBEX for an initial nine year period. AMT-SYBEX is a software and services company based in Belfast and part of Capita PLC. Welcoming the award of the contract to AMT-SYBEX, Minister Michelle McIlveen said: "The award of the NIFAIS contract represents a significant investment in the infrastructure of the local agri-food industry. "The commitment of 8.7 million of capital and resources, over an initial nine year period, reflects the Departments commitment to build on the success of APHIS as a world-class traceability system. "NIFAIS will improve on this support, contributing to the competitiveness of our livestock industry, which is one of the key elements of the draft Programme for Government. "The animal data that NIFAIS will process is an essential under-pinning of our animal disease control programmes, and an important enabler for improvements in our animal health, welfare and genetic potential into the future. "NIFAIS traceability is also fundamental to the delivery of our Going for Growth strategy, assuring consumer confidence in local markets, and assisting with access into demanding export markets for our animals and produce well into the future." Brian Mitchell, Head of Technical Delivery at AMT-SYBEX, commented: "Were delighted to have been selected to deliver NIFAIS in partnership with DAERA, and look forward to providing a functionally rich and highly configurable system which will support DAERAs business through the next 15 years and beyond. "NIFAIS will provide all the functions and business support of the existing APHIS system, on an updated technological platform, and is expected to come into service on a staged basis from the Autumn of 2017 through to the Summer of 2019. "The new system will then be able to support whatever new and further business needs may arise thereafter, over its anticipated nine to fifteen year life-span." The repercussions of Britain voting to leave the European Union was the main talking point during a meeting of Future Farmers at this years Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate. Speaking at the event Meurig Raymond, NFU president, said that there was a lot of work ahead and that the task in hand the was to turn the challenges into opportunities. He said that although Britain is leaving the EU, Europe will remain a major export market and that any tariffs added to British exports would be a big disadvantage. He said he was concerned that a cabinet could negotiate trade deals where British exports into Europe are heavily tariffed while at the same time the doors were opened to cheaper imports from around the world. Turning to the Government, Meurig welcomed Theresa May becoming Prime Minister, saying that he hoped it would bring some certainty. He also gave his backing to Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss, saying that he would dearly like to see the present team at DEFRA returned. But during Theresa May's Cabinet re-shuffle today, Truss has moved from her role as Environment Secretary to Justice Secretary. Meurig said the message to the Government at this stage was the importance of food and farming to the UK economy. Professor Wyn Grant, professor of politics at the University of Warwick, said that subsidies were clearly a matter of concern for many farmers. He said that the Government was likely to keep the basic payment structure but said he believed the amount of money paid out would reduce quite significantly over time. He also ruled out any return to the deficiency payments that were used before Britain joined the common market. Professor Grant also said that during the referendum debate agriculture and food production did not get the attention it required and he was concerned that the same may happen in the Article 50 negotiations. Farm leaders warn of 'devastating' new veterinary rule for exports Fort Bragg to be known as Fort Liberty. Here's what to know. military President Obama and President Buhari of Nigeria meet on July 20, 2015. The agenda included expanding bilateral cooperation on anti-corruption.In a hard-hitting Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Corruption Brief Improving U.S. Anti-Corruption Policy in Nigeria, I argue that U.S. policymakers could be doing a lot more to deter elite corruption in Africas largest economy and most populous country. Kleptocracy is endemic in Nigeria, diverting billions of dollars a year from public coffers into private hands. It has undermined Nigerias ability to combat Boko Haram, the worlds deadliest terrorist movement, which has displaced two million people in the countrys war-ravaged northeast. Following Muhammadu Buharis 2015 presidential election victory, senior U.S. policymakers saw an opportunity to support his aggressive anticorruption efforts. However, U.S. efforts have thus far been nonconfrontationallimited to public speeches and high-level discussions and have yet to translate into policy action. Corruption is still treated as a secondary, stand-alone issue rather than as a potent threat to Washingtons significant investments in Nigerias socio-economic development, security, and governance. Compounding matters, some U.S. diplomats in Nigeria, tasked with building relationships within the same class of elites who enrich themselves using public funds, often resist efforts to sanction Nigerian kleptocrats, turning a blind eye to their unexplained wealth. To move beyond past mistakes, I argue that U.S. policymakers should commit to deterring official corruption in the sectors and institutions in which the United States invests significant attention and resources. At a minimum, this plan should establish an interagency working group on Nigerian kleptocracy, station a Federal Bureau of Investigation investigator in Abuja, and promulgate an executive order restricting financial transactions by corrupt Nigerian officials. By taking these steps, the United States can turn its anti-corruption policy rhetoric into potent tools capable of significantly reducing illicit financial outflows from Nigeria, which exceeded US$178 billion between 2004-2013 according to Global Financial Integrity. If U.S. policymakers keep equivocating, Nigerian kleptocrats will continue to see the United States as soft on corruption and a place to stash and spend their ill-gotten gains. ____ Matthew T. Page is an international affairs fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations. He is the coauthor of Nigeria: What Everyone Needs to Know, forthcoming from Oxford University Press in 2017. Previously with the Department of States Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Page was one of the U.S. intelligence communitys top experts on Nigeria. Follow him on Twitter @matthewtpage. Steven Tyler is "really concerned" about his bandmate Joe Perry. Steven Tyler The Aerosmith frontman has admitted he's starting to really worry about the health and well-being of the 65-year-old rocker after he collapsed on stage in Brooklyn over the weekend and allegedly suffered a cardiac arrest, whilst performing with the Hollywood Vampires. Tyler hasn't been able to get in touch with anyone to find out how Perry is recovering since his health scare. The 68-year-old musician said: "I don't give a s**t about the band - I want Joe to live. I'm really concerned that I'm not getting any news. I know that nobody's talking to me. I can only tell you that Joe's my brother, and I love him so much." Tyler is worried that Perry has been overdoing it with his shows with Johnny Depp and Alice Cooper. He told Billboard magazine: "I know they're putting out nothing, but he's recovering, he's really good, he fainted, exhaustion. "But I know my brother. He's just about the only other guy that's as passionate about his art as I am. "He's always asking me to do three, four shows in a row. I can't - I'll blow my voice out. I know hot to maintain my career, my health. I don't think he knows how to." The 'I Don't to Miss a Thing' hitmaker feels that Perry, Cooper and Depp need to consider the fact they are getting older and aren't as "young" as they used to be and he admitted he thinks they are all "burnt" out. He added: "I think they're all little burnt. I think they may need to look at that. Not young any more, you know?" The latest health update on Perry came from Cooper, who said he was in a "stable condition". He wrote: "Thanks to everyone asking about brother @JoePerry. He is stable right now, with family & is under the best care. (sic)" The Hollywood Vampires have continued on with their tour without Perry and on their first night they paid tribute to him. At the end of their set at the Fraze Pavilion in Kettering, Ohio, Cooper lead the crowd to shout "Get well, Joe!". Emperor Akihito reportedly wants to resign. Emperor Akihito The 82-year-old royal - who has battled with prostate cancer and a heart operation in recent years - has admitted he wishes to abdicate within the next few years because he doesn't want to keep hold of his title if he is forced to reduce his official duties due to the health issues, according to NHK online. And it has been reported Akihito - who helmed the reign in 1989 following his father's death - has slowly been handing over roles to his son Crown Prince Naruhito, 56, who is the eldest of his two sons. Although a spokesperson has denied allegations Akihito will resign, another source from Japan's government has revealed the emperor - who could be the first leader to quit the throne in 200 years - has allegedly been contemplating this move for over a year. Meanwhile, the Emperor has been thought highly of by the public because of his principles, which has seen him distance the monarchy from associations to the aggressive nationalism linked to World War Two, and for speaking out on national television about the devastating natural disaster, which hit Fukushima in 2011. Speaking previously at a ceremony, which marked the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, he said: "Looking back at the past, together with deep remorse over the war, I pray that this tragedy of war will not be repeated and together with the people express my deep condolences for those who fell in battle and in the ravages." Prince Charles has paid tribute to a pub in Wales. Prince Charles The 67-year-old royal raised a toast for The Pub is the Hub initiative, which has supported The New Inn for several years and has helped to keep other local run public houses running. Speaking at the 12th annual summer visit in Wales, which has since been reported by the Cambrian News, Wilia - who founded the organisation in 2001 - said: "It's been an honour to have been involved with The Pub is the Hub initiative for the past 15 years. John Longden (chief executive) and his team are trying to staunch the haemorrhage of so many rural pub closures right across the country. "The village local forms such a traditional part of rural life, particularly with the loss of so village shops and other services that we are now seeing. "It is wonderful that pubs such as The New Inn have kept going while offering these extra community services and I'm thrilled that so many others seem to want to join up with this scheme. "It's so important to have that personal contact to maintain the sort of community spirit which is so strong here in Wales." Charles' speech touched landlady Yvonne Edwards who had a tear in her eye. Charles continued on with his visit and shook hands with residents in the Llanddewi Brefi area, as well as members from local activity groups including the Young Farmers, the darts and arts teams who flocked to meet the Prince of Wales. Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth and her royal party enjoyed a pub lunch, which saw guests dine on lamb rump and a pan fried seabass fillet at the Sheep Heid Inn in Edinburgh, which tallied up to a food bill costing 51.50. Tmall Global, which is a part of Alibaba Group's online marketplace Tmall.com, held a full-day business workshop on Tuesday in partnership with the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) at COEX in Seoul, to introduce ways for Korean manufacturers and retailers to sell their products in China.Over a thousand representatives from local SMEs across various industry sectors attended the event to understand more about the growing e-commerce market in China and how Tmall Global empowers merchants and brands with the resources in Alibaba Group's ecosystem, according to South Korean media reports. Representatives from renowned Korean brands including LG Care and E-mart also shared their success stories how they utilize the Tmall Global platform at the event. Tmall Global, which is a part of Alibaba Group's online marketplace Tmall.com, held a full-day business workshop on Tuesday in partnership with the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) at COEX in Seoul, to introduce ways for Korean manufacturers and retailers to sell their products in China. Over a thousand representatives from local SMEs...# At the workshop, Alvin Liu, general manager of Tmall Global, discussed the huge potential of China's e-commerce market, saying, We have seen strong demand from Chinese consumers for quality Korean products as proven by the success of the Korean Pavilion since its launch in April last year. Tmall Global is well positioned to partner with Korean brands, especially those who do not have operations in China. Our one-stop cross border e-commerce solution will empower Korean brands and retailers to enter China and tap into the strong buying power of a growing number of middle-class Chinese consumers.According to iResearch, China is the world's largest e-commerce market and is expected to generate gross merchandise value (GMV) of more than 7 trillion RMB ($1.05 trillion) by 2018.Korean products are popular among Chinese consumers, and over 600 Korean brands have opened online stores on Tmall Global's Korean Pavilion and achieved encouraging sales performance leading up to its first anniversary celebration.Korean brands and retailers open stores on Tmall not only to gain access to the growing e-commence sector in China but also to leverage the one-stop merchandising and marketing solutions offered by Alibaba's platforms and tools to achieve better efficiency for their operations. Big data from Alibaba also supports Korean merchants with product planning, sales, distribution and promotion in e-commerce. Merchants are also able to engage Chinese customers in various innovative ways and on multiple media platforms within Alibaba, such as by live event broadcasts.In recent years, Chinese consumer demand for cosmetic and apparel products has increased rapidly. Xiuyun Liu, general manager of Tmall Apparel, noted that the group accounted for two thirds of online apparel GMV in China, saying, Consumer demand for apparel and fashion goods is increasing, and Korean brands having storefronts on Tmall, such as Eland and 8 Seconds under Samsung C&T, have recorded strong sales growth. French high fashion luxury goods manufacture, the Hermes Group has acquired a stake in Maison Pierre Hardy, a French footwear and accessory design company led by Pierre Hardy, its founder and artistic director.Following the success of the collections that Pierre Hardy has designed for its footwear lines since 1990 and jewellery ranges since 2001, Hermes is strengthening its ties with the designer by taking a minority stake in the company, it said in a press release. French high fashion luxury goods manufacture, the Hermes Group has acquired a stake in Maison Pierre Hardy, a French footwear and accessory design company led by Pierre Hardy, its founder and artistic director. Following the success of the collections that Pierre Hardy has designed for its footwear lines since 1990 and jewellery ranges since 2001, Hermes...# The agreement highlights Hermes' ambition to contribute to the label's global growth and confirms the close and prolific relationship that has developed over the years between Hermes and Pierre Hardy."I'm very pleased, and very proud, of our alliance with Hermes, a house which champions the exceptional. It's the natural extension of 25 years of creative collaboration," said Pierre Hardy.Axel Dumas, Hermes International Chief Executive, said, "I'm delighted with our partnership with Pierre Hardy, which shows how proud we are to support creative talent and incredible expertise as part of this unique tribe that strives for excellence." (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Amid a slump in the broader industry, the Chinese textile industry has put up a great display at the 17th edition of its annual Textile and Apparel Trade Show in its biggest market, the United States.The exhibition is aimed at reinvigorating the industry, which has seen slowing customer demand over the past several years, the organisers said on Tuesday, the opening day of the three-day event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, New York. Amid a slump in the broader industry, the Chinese textile industry has put up a great display at the 17th edition of its annual Textile and Apparel Trade Show in its biggest market, the United States. The exhibition is aimed at reinvigorating the industry, which has seen slowing customer demand over the past several years, the organisers said on Tuesday...# It has been no easy task to ensure the growth and success of this trade show at a time when the international textile industry is experiencing a historic reshaping in terms of supply chains and purchasing power," observed Gao Yong, vice-president of China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC).The mega-show is running concurrently at the Javits with other trade shows Texworld USA, Apparel Sourcing and Home Textiles Sourcing. It features more than 800 textile and fabric companies from 20 countries, 569 of which are from China.More than any other market, a high-quality one like the US calls for top suppliers, Gao said adding that Chinese textile suppliers had always paid attention to the demands of their clientele.As labour costs in China grow and many clothing companies shift their workforce to other Asian countries such as Vietnam, Pakistan and Bangladesh, China's textile exports have declined. However, US is the only country where its textile exports have been steady there was a 1.5 % increase in exports in 2015 over 2014, according to California Apparel News.Last year, Chinese textile exports fell for the first time in six years, dropping 5 % to $ 286.8 billion. Exports to the European Union fell 10.6 % year-on-year and to Japan by 12 %. Exports to ASEAN countries fell 1.7 %, according to customs data from China.Nonetheless, US is still China's top textile partner, with those exports accounting for 17.2 % of the country's total exports. The shipments make up 38 % of the US market, Gao said.Zhang Qiyue, China's consul general in New York, said that textiles and apparel particularly reflect the "growing business ties between the US and China". In the period from 2000 to 2015, bilateral textile and apparel trade grew from $ 6.2 billion to $ 48.5 billion, she said.The organisers of the event are China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Specialized Textile and Apparel and Messe Frankfurt. (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India India should take the lead in pursuing the goal of open markets and develop an export-led strategy for strong economic growth as only domestic consumption cannot sustain an 8-10 per cent economic growth over the medium term, chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian has said.Subramanian also said Britain's vote last month to leave the European Union (EU) will only have muted impact on India's economy due to normal monsoons and easy monetary conditions. India should take the lead in pursuing the goal of open markets and develop an export-led strategy for strong economic growth as only domestic consumption cannot sustain an 8-10 per cent economic growth over the medium term, chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian has said. Subramanian also said Britain's vote last month to leave the European Union (EU)...# "There will be some impact of Brexit on India. But broadly impact will be muted... We can't achieve 8-10 percent growth without outward-oriented growth strategy," Subramanian said at an event organised by 'India Policy Forum 2016' in New Delhi."If you (India) have outward--oriented growth strategy, you can sell in domestic markets also," he added.On the economic growth still above 7 per cent level despite exports falling for the last 17 months, the CEA said India is not an exception and the decline in exports is due to slowdown in global demand.Subramanian said the government's 'Make in India' initiative and efforts to improve manufacturing sector is essential to achieve higher growth rate.He was optimistic that India can still achieve 15 per cent export growth and can raise service export from 0.2 per cent to 1.5 per cent.He also spoke against protectionist measures adopted by developed countries, and said India and other developing countries should keep their economies open. (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Weak economic growth, income inequalities and job insecurity are among factors that are pulling down global aggregate demand and making it difficult for G-20 nations to support the aspirations of large sections of their working populace, especially youth, the International Labour Organization (ILO) observed.Concern about the risk of a slow growth trap is rising, the Director-General of ILO Guy Ryder said while addressing the Labour and employment ministers of the G-20 nations in Beijing. Weak economic growth, income inequalities and job insecurity are among factors that are pulling down global aggregate demand and making it difficult for G-20 nations to support the aspirations of large sections of their working populace, especially youth, the International Labour Organization (ILO) observed. Concern about the risk of a slow...# Pointing out that continuing sluggish growth, income disparities and labour market insecurity were weighing on global aggregate demand, the ILO chief warned that it could lead to a self-reinforcing circle of diminished business expectations of market growth, low investment, poor growth and insufficient recovery in the labour market.Ryder noted that global GDP growth has averaged 3.8 per cent annually in the period of recovery from the 2008 crisis. However, this was below the trend seen in the pre crisis years.In 2015, growth was 3.1 per cent and no improvement is expected for 2016 and 2017, he said.The ILO Director-General acknowledged that there was a wide convergence on the understanding of the challenges facing global and G20 economies such as continuing globalization and intensifying competition, labour demand and supply mismatch, persistent poverty and increasing inequality.Despite this awareness and subsequent policy responses, there is rising concern of slow growth trap worldwide, he observed.According to Ryder, the post crisis surge in number of young people who are neither in employment nor in education and training (NEETs ) remains very high in a majority of G20 nations.The rates range from around 30 % or higher in Turkey, India and South Africa although few countries, such as Japan and Germany have brought down the rates to less than 10 %.Despite most emerging economies having experienced long-term declines in the incidence of informality among youth, there are signs of stagnation (Indonesia) or even reversal in this trend (Argentina, Brazil, South Africa). The scale of challenge remains significant in almost all emerging economies, ranging from just over a third of youth in South Africa to over 60 per cent in Mexico and even more in India.He lauded the education and training, and other support systems for youth aimed to improve job opportunities for youth by many governments and also commended state efforts and programmes aimed at promoting gender equality such as sharing family tasks borne by working women and encouraging female entrepreneurship.He, however, said much work remains to be done to reach the G20 target of reducing gender gaps in participation by 25 per cent by 2025. The two day Seminar on the project for the Planning of the Nadi River Flood Control Structure is currently underway at the Tanoa Hotel in Nadi. The Seminar will discuss the concluding phase of the project and to share and exchange information on the study results and Japanese Technology in Flood Related Disaster Management.Director for Land and Water Resource Management Mr Colin Simmons while officially opening the seminar yesterday highlighted the importance of flood control management in the Nadi River.He said the Study was funded by the Japanese Government. The Study Team consisted of a multi-disciplinary team of seventeen members.The purpose of the Study was to produce the Master Plan consisting of structural and non-structural measures which would be discussed at the Seminar, Mr Simmons said.He said staff from the Ministry of Agriculture also attended the training.One of the trainings conducted was on hydrology and stream flow measurements, Mr Simmons said.Another team was sent to Japan in November last year to look at some of the flood control measures proposed for the Nadi River.The final report will be out this month and will be given to the Ministry of Agriculture. This will then be taken to Government to decide on what to do.The Study is a very comprehensive effort by the team to understand a highly complex issue in the Nadi Basin. The Study Team has come up with some engineering solutions based on the Japanese experience which can be adopted in Fiji, Mr Simmons said.-ENDS- Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogravare has become the first non-Fijian to chair the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) after Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama handed over the chairmanship at the PIDF Leadership Summit. During his opening remarks at the Summit, Prime Minister Bainimarama heralded the change in leadership as evidence of the maturation of the PIDF in serving as a force of good in the Pacific region.The PIDF is maturing rapidly, with a membership that reflects the breadth and richness of Pacific Island cultures, economies and experiences. From the first day, we have been organised for action. We have focused very specifically and practically on finding solutions for green growth and sustainable development. And we have had the wisdom to know that government cannot achieve that alone, he said.Prime Minister Bainimarama went on to describe the PIDF as a leading institution in representing the interests of developing Pacific nations on the global stage.And we are also a political voice. In our short life so far, PIDF has established itself as a worthy and respected international institution that honestly represents the interests of its members to the world. This is our organisation, our forum, and our collective and undiluted voice, he said.Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare commended PM Bainimarama for his leadership as chairperson of the PIDF. He also highlighted the milestone achievement of the Suva Declaration that provided the basis for negotiation by Pacific states, resulting in the Paris Agreement.-ENDS- Government has set aside funds for the training and up skilling of rural carpenters in Fijis rural communities. Ministry of Rural & Maritime Development and National Disaster Management, Permanent Secretary, Meleti Bainimarama said the initiative will ensure that rural carpenters are able to construct durable and cyclone resistant houses.Mr Bainimarama said that a lot of people in Fijis rural communities have basic carpentry skills and have built homes in their respective villages, but have very little understanding of the National Building Codes and Manuals.This initiative will bridge that gap. We want to up skill them, so that they can interpret house plans, national building codes and manuals. The project will also ensure rural carpenters are qualified to construct houses under Governments Rural Housing Assistance, Mr Bainimarama said.While the use of the Government Rural Housing 24 x 16 house plan has been justified by reports of its resilience during TC Winston, Mr Bainimarama said the house plans have been modified by the Fiji Institute of Engineering.The pilot phase of the project will be conducted in a rural community in the four Divisions, identified by the Divisional Commissioners.A sum of $231,000.00 has been provided by Government to the Ministry in the 2016-2017 budget to implement this new initiative.-ENDS- HON. PM BAINIMARAMA'S SPEECH AT THE HANDING OVER OF THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF PIDF TO SOLOMON ISLANDS PM MANASSEH SOGOVERE IN HONIARA Hon Manasseh Sogavere, Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Excellencies,Honourable Ministers,Members of the Diplomatic CorpsLadies and Gentlemen,Let me begin by offering my congratulations to the Hon. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavere on his appointment as the Chair of the Pacific Islands Development Forum and my gratitude for the commitment and leadership he has shown to this institution and to our common mission.I am handing over the reins of the forum with pride and confidence. We are building for the future, and although our accomplishments may seem modest in comparison to our ambitions, we are moving steadily in the right direction. And that direction is definitely forward.When I look back at the conception of this forum, how it sprang from an ideal and faced no small amount of opposition, I marvel at what we have been able to accomplish. We began with the idea that we should seize control of our development and find an inclusive and sustainable way to prosperity. It was that simple. And over the past three years, we have reaffirmed and consolidated its purpose through our actions, and we have convened leaders and citizens in open and inclusive dialogues that are aimed at solving problems. Im not sure how many international forums can make that claim.I am also proud that we have achieved tremendous solidarity in advocating our vital interests to the rest of the world. We Pacific island nations have an effective and consistent voice, and it is here.On this note, I wish to acknowledge and commend those countries that were vocal advocates in the global arena on matters close to our hearts, in particular Kiribati and Tuvalu.Three years ago, you paid me a great honour by electing me to act on your behalf and do my utmost to ensure that this forum delivered the best possible support for the sustainable and inclusive development of Pacific Island nations.That has been challenging, since we were just newly established and we did face some headwindheadwinds, I might add, that are not due to global warming, although there were times when I did note a good deal of hot air coming from outside this Forum. But through all that, I have always been able to rely on your support to come together to find the compromises that deliver consensus.We have made real progress on building the forum, on institutionalising it, with complete professional secretariat support, and deepening partnerships with our founding development partners and technical partners. And now the forum has its own Charter.Overall, I see very good things on the horizon for the operations, transformation and partnerships objectives of the forum. I know you will continue to work with the Hon Manasseh Sogavere towards the successful achievement of the PIDF goals, and I am honoured to turn the PIDF gavel over to him.I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of individuals and organisations that have supported me and this office over the past three years. The Secretary General, Mr Francois Martel, and his hard working team, and the Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs.As you all know, the PIDF is very close to our hearts, and we will continue to embrace whatever challenges confront us in the future, pursue creative solutions, and explore the most cooperative and inclusive ways to make those solutions a reality. Our regional bond is a great strength because it is built on common challenges, common interests, and a shared destiny.I take this opportunity to renew to the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands and his government the full support of the government and people of Fiji. We are confident that under the new leadership of the Hon Manasseh Sogavere, the PIDF will extend its influence, strengthen its voice, and raise its international prestigeall because it is an institution that acts intelligently.Vinaka Vakalevu. A few days ago the news of Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone's engagement shocked everyone. It was also said that the couple has decided to tie the knot after two years. Ranveer Singh was recently spotted at the airport, where a journalist asked him about the rumours of his engagement and marriage. To which he said, ''Arey kya baat kar rahe ho yaar. Subah Subah neend bhi puri nahi hui hai. Ab aaya hu toh pata chalega ( I have just arrived , I will know everything in sometime)". Go through some cute pictures of Deepika and Ranveer by clicking on the slider. According to a report in a leading daily, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone exchanged rings in front of their families. But Deepika wants to concentrate on her career for two more years and the marriage will happen after that. Also Read: Lovely Pictures: Shahrukh Khan Looks Dapper At Sania Mirza's Autobiography Launch In Hyderabad ''A few months ago, when the Singh (Bhavnani) and Padukone parents met, marriage was very much on the agenda. The Punjabis call this a 'rohka', but since neither of the two is from Punjab, we'll just call it 'hush hush','' the report stated. Meanwhile, Deepika's gesture for Ranveer at IIFA this year made their fans go into a tizzy. Ranveer was always vocal about their relationship, but this was the first time Deepika was seen indulging in some PDA. On the work front, Deepika has recently wrapped up the shoot of her first Hollywood film XXX The Return of Xander Cage opposite Vin Diesel. And Ranveer recently returned from the shooting of Aditya Chopra's film Befikre in France. HONG KONG, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/13/16 -- Binatone, the official licensee of Motorola Mobility, will showcase its state of the art Motorola Smart Nursery collection of products at CBME China in booth F21-2 at the National Exhibition and Conference Center in Shanghai from July 20-22. There will be demonstrations of the functions and analytic capabilities of products from this collection at the Binatone booth. Binatone, a leading provider of consumer electronics and lifestyle products for a broad range of applications including baby, pet and family connectivity at home, will showcase the following product offerings from Motorola Smart Nursery: The new Motorola Smart Nursery 7 featuring smart nursery analytics that enable you to monitor your baby from anywhere with a handheld 7" multi-point touch screen. The portable, Wi-Fi enabled Smart Nursery Cam for monitoring from anywhere. Smart Nursery Baby & Me Scale with growth tracking. Smart Nursery Humidifier+ with double filter design for clean air and clean mist. The Smart Nursery Dream Machine connected sound and light projector with audio monitoring. Smart Nursery Alert Sensor for nursery windows and doors, baby gates and more. Binatone's booth at the show will serve as a platform to showcase the intelligent nursery ecosystem and will be based around the newest addition, the Motorola Smart Nursery 7 that features a wide array of market-firsts like dual-mode baby analytics and smart functions. All of the Connected Nursery products can work together to create the ultimate nursery ecosystem or function individually. "We are proud to showcase a full collection of interconnected electronics and lifestyle products that cross categories and deliver superior technology to our consumers worldwide," said Dino Lalvani, Chairman of Binatone Global. "Our array of top-of-the-line devices are smart on their own, and even smarter together." In addition to the Smart Nursery ecosystem, the Binatone booth will feature the full range of Wi-Fi connected and digital video baby monitors that are able to connect to Hubble, Binatone's IoT platform and the largest connected provider of video cloud services. Image Motorola Smart Nursery 7 http://release.media-outreach.com/i/Download/5051 Company Logo Binatone http://release.media-outreach.com/i/Download/5049 Motorola http://release.media-outreach.com/i/Download/5050 About Binatone: Binatone is a leading global manufacturer of innovative IoT, smart home and consumer electronic devices for the baby, pet, home, personal audio and lifestyle camera categories. As well as selling products under its own name, Binatone is a licensee of Motorola and AEG. Binatone products are now sold in over 50 countries. For more information, visit www.binatoneglobal.com. About Hubble: Hubble makes it easy to stay connected with your favorite people, places and pets with live video streaming and up-to-date smart notifications wherever you are. Hubble is also the first Platform-as-a-Service for the connected home. Offering complete SDK, API integration documentation and reference design. Hubble enables leading brands and hardware manufacturers to rapidly integrate and connect new products to the cloud. For more information, visit www.hubbleconnected.com Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3033180 For more information contact: Sherry Chan Email Contact +852-2116-3628 Examples of front-line worker and facilities sensing using image analysis system Hitachi Ltd Corporate Communications Tel: +81-3-3258-1111 TOKYO, July 13, 2016 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501) in collaboration with Daicel Corporation (TSE:4202), has developed an image analysis system that supports quality improvements and increased productivity by detecting signs of operational failures in production line facilities and deviations in worker activities on the front lines of manufacturing.For 16 months starting in February 2015, Hitachi and Daicel have been conducting joint verification tests aimed at the practical application of the image analysis system at Daicel's Harima Plant (Tatsuno City, Hyogo Prefecture), which manufactures core components for airbags. As a result of these tests the image analysis system is expected to be able to dramatically improve the in-process guarantee rate(1) for products through a transition from "representative point management" in quality assurance based on lots to "all point management" (continuous monitoring of the status of Man, Machine, and Material) based on individual product serial numbers.Furthermore, by shifting the role of on-site management supervisors from a focus on "after the fact" measures to the monitoring of trends and preventative measures using obtained image data, they will tie these activities into the prevention of failures before they occur.Hitachi and Daicel will begin operations of the image analysis system at the Harima Plant in FY2016, and plan to promote rollout to six of Daicel's main overseas plants.In recent years, mega-recalls in various industries have brought about a renewed awareness of the importance of accumulating and managing manufacturing performance data to identify the causes of product defects, and to implement countermeasures. In the advanced manufacturing workplaces of the future, it will be necessary to gather a wide range of work-related performance data, including manufacturing performance and inspection data and the results of visual checks by workers. It aims to reach new traceability by establishing mutual links among these different forms of product performance data. All of these will be achieved by introducing new manufacturing execution systems that incorporate IoT technologies.Hitachi and Daicel studied manufacturing performance data at the Harima Plant from the perspectives of "3M" - Man, Machine, and Material - and examined ways of tying the results of these studies into the fourth M - Methods - in order to create new production innovation methods. Using Hitachi's cutting-edge IoT technologies in automotive airbag inflator production processes, as part of Daicel's assembly operations.As a result, by quantitatively determining the status of machines, materials, and worker activities on the front lines of manufacturing, it was determined that this approach is effective in improving product quality and in increasing productivity and the accuracy of traceability.Recently, based on the expertise in production innovations cultivated at the Harima Plant, Hitachi and Daicel developed an image analysis system that supports improvements in quality and productivity as well as the rapid discovery of defects in machines and materials. It also supports deviations in worker activities by analyzing surveillance videos on the front lines of manufacturing using Hitachi's image analysis technologies, and conducted joint verification tests of this system.The image analysis system uses depth cameras to extract 3-D forms in order to measure worker activities from the "3M" perspective mentioned above, and obtains positional information on human joints, such as hands, elbows, and shoulders. Then, based on frontline interviews and observations, it derives standard behavior models that exclude information not directly related to tasks (e.g., the length of arms and legs). Furthermore, it identifies deviations in worker activities by using statistical comparisons with those standard behavior models.The system also detects abnormalities in the case of defects in materials and facilities by analyzing differences compared to video images under normal conditions. In addition, the system is able to detect abnormalities in the case of welding defects, by combining voltage and current data from existing facilities with light emitting element color analysis using high speed cameras.In this way, the system quickly extracts only information related to improvements in quality and productivity from huge volumes of video data, and combines this function with data analysis to improve work efficiency and quality stabilization, and to quickly discover defects. By accumulating image data and connecting final products based on individual product serial numbers, the image analysis system can detect production processes which cause defected products, and improve them. When inappropriate operation is detected, it can trace final products based on serial numbers, thus achieving multi-traceability.In the future, starting at the Harima Plant, Hitachi and Daicel plan to install the image analysis system at six overseas plants, and aim to construct a globally integrated management system by aggregating and analyzing information via cloud service. Hitachi will make the image analysis system available to the manufacturing industry worldwide as generalized digital solutions by applying ideas and technologies of the IoT platform "Lumada".(1) Non-defective product ratio in individual processes on assembly and manufacturing lines. The non-defective product ratio for final products can be increased by identifying and removing defective parts from individual processes and sending only non-defective products to downstream processes.About Hitachi, Ltd.Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at www.hitachi.com.Source: Hitachi, Ltd.Contact:Copyright 2016 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. AMSTERDAM (dpa-AFX) - Belgian international food retailer Delhaize Group (DEG) and Dutch supermarket chain Koninklijke Ahold NV (AHONY.PK, AHODF.PK) announced that their United States subsidiaries have reached agreements with buyers to divest a total of 86 stores in a limited number of locations in which the companies' U.S. subsidiaries both operate. These divestments are being made in connection with the United States Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) pending review of the proposed merger between the two companies. The divested stores are being sold to well-established supermarket operators. All of the purchase agreements are subject to FTC approval. The agreements are also subject to FTC clearance and formal completion of the Delhaize Group and Ahold merger, which the companies continue to expect before the end of July. These store locations represent 4.1% of the Ahold and Delhaize Group companies' total combined U.S. store count and 3.2% of combined U.S. 2015 net sales. The divested stores are expected to be converted by the buyers to their new banners and re-opened as supermarkets after any remodeling planned by the buyers. On June 24, 2015, Delhaize Group and Ahold announced their intention to merge. The shareholders' meetings of both companies approved the merger in March 2016. The Belgian Competition Authority granted its conditional approval for the merger in March 2016. FTC clearance is the remaining regulatory approval requirement for the Ahold and Delhaize Group merger. 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. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 22, 2016) - Ashanti Gold Corp. (TSXV: AGZ) ("AGZ" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Alecto Minerals PLC ("Alecto"), an AIM-listed public company, to earn an interest in the Kossanto East Gold Project (the "Project") in western Mali (Figures 1 and 2). The LOI provides AGZ with the right to earn 65% of Alecto's interest (after including the Mali State carried interest of 10%, AGZ ownership of the property upon completion of the earn-in agreement will be 58.5%) in the Project by completing a Preliminary Feasibility Study ("PFS") within 36 months following the date of TSXV approval (the "Option Period"). AGZ may elect to pay in cash US$4.0M to Alecto within 90 days following the end of the Option Period in lieu of producing a PFS. AGZ will be the operator of the exploration and development programs during the Option Period. Upon completion of its earn in rights, AGZ and Alecto will form a joint venture whereby each party will contribute proportionally to the Project's continuing exploration and development. The terms of the joint venture, including an interest dilution clause, will be set out in an option agreement that is currently being finalized by Alecto and AGZ. If either party's interest is reduced to 10% or less (not including the Mali State interest), that interest will be converted into a 1.5% net smelter return royalty (the "NSR") which the other party will have the right for one year to purchase by paying US$100,000 for each 0.1% of the NSR. The Kossanto East Project is a 66.41 km2 concession in the prolific Kedougou - Kenieba Inlier, the northwestern most exposure of Birimian rocks in West Africa. The Property hosts two principle drill-tested targets, Gourbassi East ("GE") and Gourbassi West ("GW") and several surface anomalies. Geochemical anomalies identified by previous explorers and Alecto led to drill testing, successful intersection of gold mineralization, and production by Alecto of an initial Inferred Resource1 estimate of 121,000 oz gold for GW and a 126,000 oz gold for GE. Gold hasbeen intersected in drill holes over a ~1 km strike length at GW and over a ~900m strike length at GE. Both areas remain open along strike and down dip and include some notable drill intercepts (Table 1). One of the other target areas (Berola) has been tested with shallow Rotary Airblast Drilling (RAB) and returned positive, first-pass intercepts (Table 1). Gourbassi East is a NNW striking mineralised zone with notable gold grades (multi-meter intercepts at greater than 2 g/t; Table 1) located within a body of felsic volcanics. The Gourbassi West prospect lies approximately 3.7 km WNW of Gourbassi East. Similar gold intercepts are associated with silicified sandstones and NNW striking zone of mineralization (Figure 2). The Kossanto East Project is located within the highly gold-endowed West Mali Gold Belt which extends approximately 180 km in a north-south direction along the Mali-Senegal border. The Project lies near the intersection of the Senegal-Mali Shear Zone and the Main Transcurrent Shear Zone, two major structures within this district associated with numerous world class orogenic gold deposits (Figure 1). Over the last 20 years approximately 40M oz of gold has been discovered in proximity to these structures resulting in construction of at least 8 new mines, including the world class Loulo group of deposits, Sadiola, Yatela, Gounkoto, Segala, Tabakoto, and Sabodala (Figure 1). AGZ is very pleased to undertake exploration in this rapidly emerging district. Existing data for GW and GE along with nearby large gold deposits, suggests that significant mineralization could be present at grades, continuity and extent for definition of a larger resource that could lead to mine development in this rapidly emerging key gold region. SEATTLE (dpa-AFX) - Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) is investing in an Italian bakery and plans to expand it with new locations. The company is buying a stake in Princi, which sells pastries, pizza and pasta in Europe. Starbucks will also act as a global licensee of the Italian company, helping it to expand globally. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Princi goods will be sold in Starbucks' new Roastery locations that are opening in Shanghai next year and New York in 2018, as well as another location that hasn't yet been disclosed. Starbucks also may open a Princi-branded shop in its hometown of Seattle next year. Princi currently has four locations in Italy and one in London. 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. Sanoma Corporation, Stock Exchange Release, 14 July 2016 at 8:30 CET+1Sanoma improves its outlook for 2016. The reason to revise the outlook is the improved operational performance in the Finnish media business.New Group outlook for 2016:In 2016, Sanoma expects that the Group's consolidated net sales development adjusted for structural changes will improve from last year (2015: -3.4%). The operational EBIT margin is estimated to be around 9%.The previous outlook for 2016 (published on 9 February 2016) was: 'In 2016, Sanoma expects that the Group's consolidated net sales development adjusted for structural changes will be in line with last year or improve (2015: -3.4%). The operational EBIT margin is estimated to be over 7%.'Additional information Sanoma's Investor Relations, Pekka Rouhiainen, tel. +358 40 739 5897About SanomaSanoma is an inspiring, relevant and trusted consumer media and learning company. Ever since its formation in 1889, the company has held creativity and independent thinking at its core in order to deliver high-quality content in new and different ways.Sanoma's consumer media business provides consumers with engaging and personalised content through cross-media brands that touch their lives. Sanoma's close relationships with its consumers enable the company to offer unique value-added marketing solutions to its business partners.Sanoma Learning's learning solutions enable teachers to excel at developing the talents of every child, creating opportunities for children to advance their prospects in life.With operating companies in Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Sweden, Sanoma realised net sales of more than EUR 1.7 billion in 2015. The company employed over 6,000 employees. 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. Vast Resources plc / Ticker: VAST / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining 14 July 2016 Vast Resources plc ('Vast' or 'the Company') Open Offer to raise up to 1 million Issue of Warrants Notice of General Meeting Vast Resources plc announces that a circular including a Notice of General Meeting and Application Form will be posted to Shareholders today (the 'Circular'). The General Meeting is to be held at Grammy Meeting Room, Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, 48 Coram Street, London, WC1N 1HE on 30 July 2016 at 3.00p.m. (London time). A copy of the Circular, Notice of General Meeting and Application Form will also be available to view on the Company's website www.vastresourcesplc.com. Roy Pitchford, Vast CEO commented: 'Following the rejection by shareholders earlier this month to grant additional head room to facilitate the third tranche of finance from Crede on the grounds that its terms were too onerous, Vast needed an urgent injection of funds to maintain momentum. We found support at 0.285p, which came largely from those shareholders that had voted down the Crede offer, together with other new shareholders identified by our new brokers Brandon Hill. At that price, the maximum sum that we could raise was 855,000 because we had available authorities to issue approximately 300,000,000 shares taking into account other potential commitments. 'We are grateful to the subscribers that stepped forward at short notice and showed their confidence in Vast's prospects and its management. Of course, we will need further funding to allow the Company to fulfil its development programme and in the past shareholders who have not had the chance to subscribe for placings have felt aggrieved and have complained to us. The Directors felt, therefore, that we have an obligation to make an Open Offer to shareholders on the same terms as the placing. 'In the meantime, in the expectation that we would be coming to the market for more funds, the price of our shares has been in decline so that 0.285p does not now represent an attractive discount, although the warrants attached to them will appeal to some shareholders. The Open Offer might not, therefore, be enthusiastically supported. However, the attraction for the company remains that it opens the way for us to seek shareholder permission to issue more shares to fund the Company's development. 'The Company has plans to redirect its Investor Relations and that will now be an important focus for management going forwards. The Directors will work to ensure that the Company's prospects become better understood by the market and investor community and that in time we can raise funds whilst ensuring current shareholders do not suffer the levels of dilution suffered in recent months. We want to reiterate that the Company has a portfolio of assets that are capable of generating significant shareholder value and our immediate aim is to unlock that value and move forward constructively with the help of our shareholders.' The total subscription proceeds payable by Shareholders under the Open Offer shall be less than 5 million (or an equivalent Sterling amount) in aggregate. Therefore, in accordance with Section 85 and Schedule 11A of FSMA, the Circular is not, and is not required to be, a prospectus for the purposes of the Prospectus Rules and has not been prepared in accordance with the Prospectus Rules. Accordingly, the Circular has not been, and will not be, reviewed or approved by the Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom, pursuant to sections 85 and 87 of FSMA, the London Stock Exchange, any securities commission or any other authority or regulatory body. In addition, the Circular does not constitute an admission document drawn up in accordance with the AIM Rules for Companies. The definitions that apply throughout this announcement can be found at the end of this announcement. PART I LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN Dear Shareholder, Open Offer of New Ordinary Shares, issue of Warrants and Notice of General Meeting 1. Introduction As announced on 6 July 2016, the Company completed a placing and subscription with new and existing investors to raise 0.855 million at a price of 0.285 pence per share with each share entitling the subscribing investor to receive one warrant granting the right to one Ordinary Share exercisable at 0.5 pence and expiring on 30 June 2019 (the 'Recent Fundraise'). As an adjunct to that the Company is now undertaking an Open Offer to raise up to approximately 1 million in order to allow all Shareholders to participate on the same terms as those investors in the Recent Fundraise. The Recent Fundraise provides funds to support the Company following the rejection by Shareholders of the authorities to issue Ordinary Shares sought by the Directors at the general meeting of Shareholders held on 1 July 2016 and subsequent termination by the Directors of the Crede Subscription Agreement as announced on the same day. The purpose of the Open Offer is primarily to give Qualifying Shareholders a fair opportunity to buy Ordinary Shares on the same terms, and receive Warrants on the same terms, as the Recent Fundraise. Although the Directors hope that Shareholders might find the Open Offer with attached Open Offer Warrants attractive, the Directors accept that given the lack of discount between the open offer price and the current share price they do not expect the Open Offer to be fully subscribed. The Company will be embarking upon an active programme of investor relations alongside the company's newly appointed brokers, Brandon Hill, and envisage raising capital to replace the funds that were anticipated from the Crede Subscription Agreement at such time that the attributes of the Company are more fully appreciated by investors and further progress is made with licensing at Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine in Romania. The Board are mindful of the share price performance in recent months and are eager to rebuild shareholder value with immediate effect. Moreover, the Board will seek if possible to raise capital in a form that minimises dilution. As such, it may seek to raise capital at project level, enter into financing structures that minimise dilution at Company level or enter into joint venture arrangements if appropriate rather than utilising any ability to issue shares given at the General Meeting. The Board is confident that the Company has a portfolio of projects that is capable of building shareholder value. The purpose of this announcement is to set out the background to, and reasons for, the Fundraise, to provide Qualifying Shareholders with the terms and conditions of the Open Offer, to explain the Resolutions to be proposed at the General Meeting and to recommend to Shareholders that they vote in favour of the Resolutions to be proposed at the General Meeting. 2. Current trading and future prospects An update on the Company's operations was given in the Chairman's letter contained in the Company's Circular to Shareholders issued on 16 June 2016 and in the presentation given at the General Meeting held on 1 July (and as published pursuant to the announcement on 1 July 2016). The update outlined the better than expected production at Pickstone-Peerless Gold Mine, the progress on the granting of the sub-licence giving a right to mine at Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine and the challenges experienced at Manaila Polymetallic Mine and the plans to deal with them. Since this update was given, production continues above expectations at Pickstone-Peerless Gold Mine, and satisfactory progress continues to be made towards advancing the grant of the sub-licence at Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine. At Manaila Polymetallic Mine, progress continues to be made concerning the separation of the copper and zinc concentrates. Improvements suggested by consultants are being implemented and consultants will remain on-site for the next two months to monitor progress. We are pleased to be able to say that the strong support of the Zimbabwe authorities has assisted the Zimbabwean mine management to operate the Pickstone-Peerless Gold Mine at higher than expected levels of production. 3. The Open Offer The Company is proposing to raise, assuming the issue of the maximum number of New Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Open Offer, gross proceeds of approximately 1 million (before expenses) by the issue of up to 350,855,284 New Ordinary Shares at the Issue Price, being 0.285 pence per New Ordinary Share. Subject to fulfilment of the conditions set out below and in Part III of the Circular, Qualifying Shareholders on the register of members at the close of business on 11 July 2016 are being given the opportunity to subscribe for Open Offer Shares at the Issue Price pro rata to their holdings of Existing Ordinary Shares on the Record Date up to approximately 1 million (before expenses) on the basis of: 12,212 Open Offer Shares for every 100,000 Existing Ordinary Shares then held The New Ordinary Shares, when issued and fully paid, will rank pari passu in all respects with the Existing Ordinary Shares including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions declared in respect of such Ordinary Shares by reference to the Record Date (falling after the date of issue of the New Ordinary Shares). For each Ordinary Share subscribed for pursuant to the Open Offer, investors will receive one Open Offer Warrant. Qualifying Shareholders are also being given the opportunity, provided that they take up their Open Offer Entitlement in full, to apply for Excess Shares through the Excess Application Facility. Shareholders who are not Qualifying Shareholders may not participate in the Open Offer but will still be entitled to vote at the General Meeting. Qualifying Shareholders who hold less than 100,000 Existing Ordinary Shares on the Record Date will not receive an Open Offer Entitlement but may apply for Excess Shares pursuant to the Excess Application Facility. The allotment and issue of the New Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Open Offer, and Open Offer Warrants pursuant to the terms of the Open Offer and the Recent Fundraise will exceed the Directors' existing authorities to allot and issue shares for cash on a non pre-emptive basis. Accordingly, a general meeting is being convened to seek Shareholders' approval to grant new share issuance authorities to enable the Directors to issue the New Ordinary Shares and Warrants. Details of the Resolutions which will be sought at the General Meeting to be held at Grammy Meeting Room, Holiday Inn - Bloomsbury, 48 Coram Street, London, WC1N 1HE on 30 July 2016 at 3.00 p.m. are set out in paragraph 10 of this Part I and the Notice of General Meeting which is set out in the Circular. The Open Offer is conditional upon: * the passing of Resolutions 1 and 3 as set out in the Notice of General Meeting included with the Circular. * admission of the Open Offer Shares to AIM by 02 August 2016. In the event that any of these conditions is not satisfied or where applicable waived, by 02 August 2016, or such later date as the Company may decide (being no later than 8.00 a.m. on 16 August 2016), the Open Offer will not proceed. In such circumstances, application monies will be returned at the applicant's risk without payment of interest, as soon as practicable thereafter. Fractions of Open Offer Shares will not be allotted; instead, each Qualifying Shareholder's entitlement under the Open Offer will be rounded down to the nearest whole number. The fractional entitlements may be aggregated and made available via the Excess Application Facility. Qualifying Shareholders with holdings of Existing Ordinary Shares in both certificated and uncertificated form will be treated as having separate holdings for the purpose of calculating the Open Offer Entitlements. Should Shareholders not approve Resolutions 1 and 3, which provide the Directors with the authority to (i) issue the Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Open Offer; and (ii) grant the Warrants pursuant to the Fundraise, the Open Offer and the grant of Warrants pursuant to the Fundraise, as currently envisaged, will not proceed. If all of the Resolutions (including Resolutions 2 and 4) are not passed, the Company will be limited in its ability to raise further equity funds to continue with its intended work programme as described in paragraph 4 of this Part 1. Accordingly, in such circumstances, the Board would need to consider the Company's options in relation its general corporate strategy and resultant working capital position. Further details concerning the Open Offer are given in paragraph 7 of this Part I. 4. Reasons for the Fundraise As indicated above, prior to the Recent Fundraise, the total funds that the Company has estimated that it requires for its work programme for the next 6 months, assuming the grant of the Baita Plai mining sub-licence, is approximately 4.1 million to be applied as follows. $000 000 Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine Liabilities on taking over mining sub-licence 990 752 CAPEX 900 684 Start up working capital 600 456 Manaila Polymetallic Mine - acquisition creditors 600 456 General working capital 730 555 Loan repayments (Grayfox and Darwin) 1,550 1,177 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Total: 5,370 4,079 ---------------------------------------------------------------- The cash raised from the Recent Fundraise of 0.855 million before expenses and the cash to be raised from the Open Offer of up to 1 million before expenses will be applied for the purposes described above. Therefore, the Board believe that the Company will require further sums to make up the balance in order to develop the Baita Plai and Manaila mines in Romania. It is envisaged that the timing of such funding will be decided upon the successful receipt of the Baita Plai mining sub-licence. 5. Background to the Company Vast Resources plc is an international mining company with operations in Romania and Zimbabwe. In Romania, the Company owns a 50.1 per cent. interest in the Manaila Polymetallic Mine in Suceava County, northern Romania where economic mineralisation is comprised of copper, lead, zinc, gold and silver and an 80 per cent. interest in the well-developed polymetallic underground mine, Baita Plai, located in the Apuseni Mountains, Transylvania, an area which hosts Romania's largest polymetallic and uranium mines. The Company is currently awaiting award of the mining sub-licence at Baita Plai, but, as has been announced, all conditions precedent in order for the Company to be awarded the mining sub- licence have been met. In Zimbabwe, the Company holds a 50 per cent. interest through a joint venture with Grayfox Investments (Pvt) Limited in the Pickstone-Peerless Gold Mine, and mining claims surrounding the former Giant Mine, in Zimbabwe. Having elected to terminate the Crede Subscription Agreement, the third and fourth tranches of the Crede financing are no longer available to the Company. In addition, the overall financing required for the next 6 months of approximately 4.1 million as shown above has increased from previous estimates (i) partly on account of the recent devaluation of sterling when most of the Company's outgoings are priced in US dollars; (ii) partly as a result of the major fall in copper and other commodity prices which has reduced cash flow for Manaila Polymetallic Mine; and (iii) partly due to the delay in obtaining the sub-licence to operate at Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine. Also, this has been further affected by the reduced concentrate grade at Manaila Polymetallic Mine as a consequence of extreme cold weather in the first quarter of this year, and the commissioning of the second mill and flotation line to facilitate production of separate copper and zinc concentrates. Currently zinc is being recovered in the copper concentrate produced at Manaila, which results in a penalty and lower price for the copper concentrate. The production of separate copper and zinc concentrates will result in larger concentrate quantities, better quality and resultant higher prices. Cash flow from Manaila and subsequently from Baita Plai had been calculated to fund a significant part of the Company's capital expenditure and this has now been reduced for the reasons described above in the case of Manaila, and in the case of Baita Plai the delay in restarting whilst awaiting the mining sub-licence. Following the delayed completion of the merger between the Company's Romanian subsidiaries, the granting of the sub-licence at Baita Plai is now expected in the short-term. 6. The Recent Fundraise As announced on 6 July 2016, the Company raised 0.855 million at the Issue Price pursuant to the Recent Fundraise and the admission of the Recent Fundraise Shares took place on 11 July 2016. For each Ordinary Share subscribed for pursuant to the Recent Fundraise, investors will receive one Warrant subject to the approval of Resolutions 1 and 3 at the General Meeting. The Ordinary Shares issued pursuant to the Recent Fundraise represent approximately 10.44 per cent. of the Currently Issued Share Capital. 7. Further details concerning the Open Offer Excess Application Facility Provided that they take up their Open Offer Entitlement in full, Qualifying Shareholders may apply to subscribe for Excess Shares using the Excess Application Facility, should they wish. Qualifying Non-CREST Shareholders wishing to subscribe for Excess Shares may do so by completing the relevant sections on the Application Form. Qualifying CREST Shareholders who wish to apply to subscribe for more than their Open Offer Entitlement will have Excess CREST Open Offer Entitlements credited to their stock account in CREST and should refer to paragraph 4.2.3 of Part III of the Circular for information on how to apply for Excess Shares pursuant to the Excess Application Facility. Applications for Excess Open Offer Entitlements will be satisfied only and to the extent that corresponding applications by other Qualifying Shareholders are not made or are made for less than their Open Offer Entitlements. Once subscriptions by Qualifying Shareholders under their respective Open Offer Entitlements have been satisfied, the Company shall, in its absolute discretion, determine whether to meet any excess applications in full or in part and no assurance can be given that applications by Qualifying Shareholders under the Excess Application Facility will be met in full, in part or at all. Qualifying non-CREST Shareholders If you are a Qualifying non-CREST Shareholder you will have received an Application Form with the Circular which gives details of your maximum entitlement under the Open Offer (as shown by the number of Open Offer Entitlements allocated to you). If you wish to apply for Open Offer Shares under the Open Offer (whether in respect of your Open Offer Entitlement or both your Open Offer Entitlement and any Excess Open Offer Entitlements), you should complete the accompanying Application Form in accordance with the procedure for application set out in paragraph 4.1.4 of Part III of the Circular and on the Application Form itself. Qualifying CREST Shareholders If you are a Qualifying CREST Shareholder and do not hold any Ordinary Shares in certificated form, no Application Form accompanies the Circular and you will receive a credit to your appropriate stock account in CREST in respect of the Open Offer Entitlements representing your maximum entitlement under the Open Offer except (subject to certain exceptions) if you are an Overseas Shareholder who has a registered address in, or is a resident in or a citizen of a Restricted Jurisdiction. Applications by Qualifying CREST Shareholders for Excess Open Offer Entitlements in excess of their Open Offer Entitlements should be made in accordance with the procedures set out in paragraph 4.2.3 of Part III of the Circular, unless you are an Overseas Shareholder in which event, applications should be made in accordance with the procedures set out in paragraph 6 of Part III of the Circular. Qualifying CREST Shareholders who are CREST sponsored members should refer to their CREST sponsors regarding the action to be taken in connection with the Circular and the Open Offer. The latest time for applications under the Open Offer to be received is 11.00 a.m. on 29 July 2016. The procedure for application and payment depends on whether, at the time at which application and payment is made, you have an Application Form in respect of your entitlement under the Open Offer or have Open Offer Entitlements credited to your stock account in CREST in respect of such entitlement. The procedures for application and payment are set out in Part III of the Circular. In any event, the Directors will continue to assess suitable available funding options for the Company going forward for the purposes of bolstering the Company's working capital position and securing the funding necessary to pursue its corporate strategy. 8. Terms of the Warrants Each Ordinary Share issued pursuant to the Recent Fundraise will be accompanied by one Recent Fundraise Warrant to subscribe for an Ordinary Share exercisable at 0.5 pence and expiring on 30 June 2019. Each New Ordinary Share issued pursuant to the Open Offer will be accompanied by one Open Offer Warrant to subscribe for an Ordinary Share exercisable at 0.5 pence and expiring on 30 June 2019. The Warrants (including the Fee Warrants) will be issued on Admission of the New Ordinary Shares issued pursuant to the Open Offer. The issue and exercise of the Warrants is subject to the passing of Resolutions 1 and 3 and is conditional upon Admission. Should any one of (a) to (d) below occur at any time, there will be an adjustment to the shares issued per Warrant exercised which will be determined by the professional advisors or auditors of the Company: a. any allotment or issue of shares by the Company by way of capitalisation of profits or reserves or a bonus issue; b. any cancellation, purchase or redemption of shares, or any reduction or repayment of shares, by the Company; c. any sub-division, consolidation or reclassification of shares by the Company; or d. the payment of dividends other than in the ordinary course of business. The terms of the Recent Fundraise Warrants and the Open Offer Warrants are on the same terms. A minimum of 5,000,000 Open Offer Warrants and Recent Fundraise Warrants can be exercised at any one time, unless a warrant holder holds fewer than this number in total of Open Offer Warrants and Recent Fundraise Warrants, in which case they may exercise all their Open Offer Warrants and Recent Fundraise Warrants. The Open Offer Warrants and Recent Fundraise Warrants are freely transferable, but a minimum of 5,000,000 Open Offer Warrants and Recent Fundraise Warrants can be transferred at any one time, unless a warrant holder holds fewer than this number in total, in which case they may transfer all their Open Offer Warrants and Recent Fundraise Warrants. There are no such minimum thresholds for exercise and transfer of the Fee Warrants. Upon exercise of the Warrants, the resulting Ordinary Shares issued will be credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the Company's Existing Ordinary Shares including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid after the date of issue. 9. Directors' and senior managers' interests Following completion of the Recent Fundraise (as described above), the interests of the Directors, senior managers and associated holdings in the Company are, as shown below. The Directors will not be participating in the Open Offer as they deem that they are in a Close Period, as defined in the AIM Rules for Companies, with respect to publication of their financial results for the year ended 31 March 2016. Directors, senior No. of Ordinary per cent of per cent. of managers and associated Shares currently Currently Issued Enlarged Share holdings held share Capital Capital William Battershill(1) 28,750,659 1.00 0.89 Roy Pitchford nil nil nil Roy Tucker 31,607,029 1.10 0.98 Eric Diack nil nil nil Graham Briggs 4,166,625 0.15 0.15 WES Capital (Pte) 39,351,891 1.37 1.22 Ltd(4) Total 103,876,204 3.62 3.22 Notes: * The above assumes full take-up of the Open Offer and that no Open Offer Shares are issued to Directors pursuant to the Open Offer and no new or existing options are granted or exercised. 1. Ordinary Shares held by William Battershill and his wife. 2. WES Capital (Pte) Ltd is a company owned by a trust of which Pierre Joubert, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, is a beneficiary. 10. General Meeting A notice convening a General Meeting of the Company, to be held at Grammy Meeting Room, Holiday Inn - Bloomsbury, 48 Coram Street, London, WC1N 1HE on 30 July 2016 at 3:00 p.m. is set out at the end of the Circular in which, inter alia, the Resolutions authorising the Directors to allot the new Ordinary Shares on a non pre-emptive basis will be proposed. The Open Offer and issue of Warrants are conditional, inter alia, on the passing of Resolutions 1 and 3. Authority to issue and allot Ordinary Shares in connection with the Open Offer and Warrants in connection with the Fundraise An ordinary resolution (Resolution 1) is being proposed in order to authorise the Directors to grant Relevant Securities in the Company up to an aggregate nominal amount of 701,712 in connection with the Ordinary Shares to be issued and allotted, and the Open Offer Warrants to be granted, pursuant to the Open Offer and an aggregate nominal amount of 307,809 in connection with the Fee Warrants and Recent Fundraise Warrants to be granted pursuant to the Recent Fundraise. The section 551 authority will expire on the date of the Company's annual general meeting to be held in 2017. General authority to allot relevant securities An ordinary resolution (Resolution 2) is being proposed in order to grant general authority in accordance with section 551 of the Act to the Directors to allot Relevant Securities (other than pursuant to Resolution 1) up to an aggregate nominal value of 1,063,855 (being one third of the Enlarged Share Capital). The section 551 authority granted therein will expire on the date of the Company's annual general meeting to be held in 2017. The general authority pursuant to Resolution 2 is being sought in addition to the general authority to allot Relevant Securities granted to the Directors pursuant to resolution 3 of the general meeting of the Company held on 1 July 2016. Accordingly, any amount of that general authority granted to the Directors on 1 July 2016 which remains outstanding shall continue to apply until the earlier of it being utilised or the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2017. Disapplication of pre-emption rights The provisions of section 561(1) of the Companies Act to the extent that they are not disapplied, confer on shareholders rights of pre-emption in respect of the allotment of equity securities which are, or are to be, paid up wholly in cash. Accordingly, a special resolution (Resolution 3) is being proposed to disapply statutory pre-emption provisions pursuant to the authority that is sought under Resolution 1. The authority granted therein will expire on the date of the Company's annual general meeting to be held in 2017. A special resolution (Resolution 4) is being proposed to generally disapply statutory pre-emption provisions pursuant to the authority that is sought under Resolution 2. The authority granted therein will expire at the date of the Company's annual general meeting to be held in 2017. 11. Action to be taken In respect of the General Meeting You will find enclosed with the Circular a Form of Proxy for use by Shareholders at the General Meeting. Whether or not you intend to be present at the General Meeting, you are requested to complete and return the Form of Proxy in accordance with the instructions printed thereon. To be valid, completed Forms of Proxy must be received by the Registrar as soon as possible and in any event not later than 3.00 p.m. on 28 July 2016, being 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the General Meeting. Completion of a Form of Proxy will not preclude you from attending the meeting and voting in person if you so choose. 12. Recommendation The Directors believe that the Fundraise and the passing of the Resolutions are in the best interests of the Company and Shareholders, taken as a whole. The Directors unanimously recommend the Shareholders to vote in favour of the Resolutions and intend to vote in favour of the Resolutions in respect of their own beneficial holdings representing 64,524,313 Ordinary Shares being approximately 2.25 per cent. of the Currently Issued Share Capital. 13. Overseas Shareholders Information for Overseas Shareholders who have registered addresses outside the United Kingdom or who are citizens or residents of countries other than the United Kingdom appears in paragraph 6 of Part III of the Circular, which sets out the restrictions applicable to such persons. If you are an Overseas Shareholder, it is important that you pay particular attention to that section of the Circular. 14. Additional Information Your attention is drawn to the risk factors and the additional information, including details of the Open Offer, as set out in Parts II, III and IV of the Circular. Yours faithfully William Battershill Chairman DEFINITIONS The following definitions apply throughout this announcement, unless the context requires otherwise: '2006 Act' the Companies Act 2006 'Admission' admission of the New Ordinary Shares to trading on AIM and such admission becoming effective in accordance with Rule 6 of the AIM Rules for Companies 'AIM' the market of that name operated by the London Stock Exchange 'AIM Rules for Companies' the AIM Rules for Companies, as published and amended from time to time by the London Stock Exchange 'AIM Rules for Nominated the rules for nominated advisers to AIM Advisers' companies, as published and amended from time to time by the London Stock Exchange 'Applicant' a Qualifying Shareholder or a person entitled by virtue of a bona fide market claim who lodges an Application Form under the Open Offer 'Application Form' the application form which accompanies the Circular on which Qualifying non- CREST Shareholders may apply for Open Offer Shares under the Open Offer 'Articles' the existing articles of association of the Company as at the date of the Circular 'Baita Plai' or the Baita Plai polymetallic mine in 'Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine' Transylvania, Romania 'Board' or 'Directors the directors of the Company from time to time 'Business Day' any day (other than a Saturday or Sunday) upon which commercial banks are open for business in London 'Brandon Hill' Brandon Hill Capital Limited, a joint broker to the Company 'Capita' Capita Asset Services, a trading name of Capita Registrars Limited 'Company' or 'Vast Resources' Vast Resources plc 'Crede Capital' Crede CG III Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Crede Capital Group, LLC, a company incorporated in Bermuda and whose registered office is at Clarendon House, 2 Church Street, Hamilton HM11, Bermuda 'Crede Subscription Agreement' the subscription agreement dated 4 January 2016 between the Company and Crede Capital for an aggregate subscription amount of up to 5 million and the issue of associated warrants on the terms set out in the Company's announcement on 4 January 2016 'CREST' the relevant system for the paperless settlement of trades and the holding of uncertificated securities operated by Euroclear UK & Ireland in accordance with the CREST Regulations 'CREST Manual' the rules governing the operation of CEST, consisting of the CREST Reference Manual, CREST International Manual, CREST Central Counterparty Service Manual, CREST Rules, Registrars Service Standards, Settlement Discipline Rules, CCSS Operations Manual, Daily Timetable, CREST Application Procedure and CREST Glossary of Terms (all as defined in the CREST Glossary and Terms promulgated by Euroclear and as amended from time to time) 'CREST member' a person who has been admitted by Euroclear UK & Ireland as a system- member (as defined in the CREST Regulations) 'CREST participant' a person who is, in relation to CREST, a system participant (as defined in the CREST Regulations) 'CREST payment' shall have the meaning given in the CREST Manual issued by Euroclear UK & Ireland 'CREST Regulations' the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001, as amended 'CREST Sponsor' a CREST participant admitted to CREST as a CREST sponsor 'Currently Issued Share Capital' or the issued ordinary share capital of 'Current Share Capital' the Company as at the date of the Circular 'Daniel Stewart' Daniel Stewart & Company plc, a joint broker to the Company 'Disclosure and Transparency Rules' the disclosure rules and transparency rules made by the UK Listing Authority under Part VI of FSMA (as amended from time to time) 'Enlarged Share Capital' the issued ordinary share capital of the Company immediately following Admission assuming the Open Offer is fully subscribed 'euro', '' or 'EUR' the official currency of the European Union 'Euroclear UK & Ireland' Euroclear UK & Ireland Limited, the operator of CREST 'Excess Application Facility' the arrangement pursuant to which Qualifying Shareholders may apply for additional Open Offer Shares in excess of their Open Offer Entitlements and which may be subject to scaling back in accordance with the provisions of the Circular in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Open Offer 'Excess CREST Open Offer in respect of each Qualifying CREST Entitlements' Shareholder, the entitlement to apply for Open Offer Shares in addition to his Open Offer Entitlement credited to his stock account in CREST, pursuant to the Excess Application Facility which is conditional on him taking up his Open Offer Entitlement in full and which may be subject to scaling back in accordance with the provisions of the Circular 'Excess Open Offer Entitlement' an entitlement for each Qualifying Shareholder to apply to subscribe for Open Offer Shares in addition to his Open Offer Entitlement pursuant to the Excess Application Facility which is conditional on him taking up his Open Offer Entitlement in full and which may be subject to scaling back in accordance with the provisions of the Circular 'Excess Shares' Open Offer Shares in addition to the Open Offer Entitlement for which Qualifying Shareholders may apply under the Excess Application Facility 'Excluded Overseas Shareholder' an Overseas Shareholder who is resident in, or who has a registered mailing address in a Restricted Jurisdiction 'Existing Issued Share Capital' the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at the date of the Circular 'Existing Ordinary Shares' the existing Ordinary Shares as at the date of this the Circular 'Fee Warrants' the warrants to be issued to Brandon Hill and an introducer in respect of the Subscribers pursuant to the Recent Fundraise, being one warrant, vesting immediately on Admission with each warrant granting the right to one Ordinary Share exercisable at 0.285 pence and expiring on 30 June 2019. 'Form of Proxy' the form of proxy accompanying the Circular 'FCA' the Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom 'FSMA' the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended) 'Fundraise' the Recent Fundraise and the Open Offer 'General Meeting' the general meeting of Shareholders to be held at Grammy Meeting Room, Holiday Inn - Bloomsbury, 48 Coram Street, London, WC1N 1HE on 30 July 2016 at 3.00p.m. 'Group' the Company together with its subsidiaries from time to time 'ISIN' International Securities Identification Number 'Issue Price' 0.285 pence per New Ordinary Share 'London Stock Exchange' London Stock Exchange plc 'Money Laundering Regulations' the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 (as amended) 'New Ordinary Shares' the new Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to the Open Offer 'Official List' the daily official list maintained by the Financial Conduct Authority 'Open Offer' the invitation to Qualifying Shareholders to apply to subscribe for Open Offer Shares on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in Part III of the Circular and, where relevant, in the Application Form 'Open Offer Entitlement' the pro rata basic entitlement for Qualifying Shareholders to apply to subscribe for 12,212 Open Offer Shares for every 100,000 Existing Ordinary Shares held by them on the Record Date pursuant to the Open Offer 'Open Offer Shares' the 350,855,284 New Ordinary Shares for which Qualifying Shareholders are being invited to apply under the terms of the Open Offer 'Open Offer Warrants' the warrants to be issued pursuant to the Open Offer, being one warrant, vesting immediately on Admission with each warrant granting the right to one Ordinary Share exercisable at 0.5 pence and expiring on 30 June 2019 'Ordinary Shares' the ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each in the capital of the Company 'Overseas Shareholder' a Shareholder who is resident, or who is a citizen of, or which are corporations, partnerships or entities created or organised under the laws of countries, or who has a registered address in a jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom 'Participant ID' the identification code or membership number used in CREST to identify a particular CREST member or other CREST participant 'Prospectus Rules' the rules made by the FCA under Part VI of FSMA in relation to offers of transferable securities to the public and admission of transferable securities to trading on a regulated market 'Qualifying CREST Shareholders' Qualifying Shareholders whose Existing Ordinary Shares on the register of members of the Company at the close of business on the Record Date were held in uncertificated form 'Qualifying non-CREST Qualifying Shareholders whose Existing Shareholders' Ordinary Shares on the register of members of the Company at the close of business on the Record Date were held in certificated form 'Qualifying Shareholders' holders of Existing Ordinary Shares on the register of members of the Company at the Record Date (but excluding any Overseas Shareholders who are resident in, or who are citizens of, or who have a registered address in a Restricted Jurisdiction) 'Record Date' 11 July 2016; 'Receiving Agent' Capita Asset Services, Corporate Actions, The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 4TU 'Recent Fundraise' the placing and subscription announced on 6 July 2016 'Recent Fundraise Shares' the new Ordinary Shares issued pursuant to the Recent Fundraise 'Recent Fundraise Warrants' the warrants to be issued to the placees and the subscribers pursuant to the Recent Fundraise, being one warrant, vesting immediately on Admission with each warrant granting the right to one Ordinary Share exercisable at 0.5 pence and expiring on 30 June 2019 'Registrars' Capita Asset Services, The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 4TU 'Relevant Securities' Ordinary Shares and/or rights to subscribe for or convert any security into Ordinary Shares 'Resolutions' the resolutions to be proposed at the General Meeting, the full text of which are set out in the Notice of General Meeting at the end of the Circular 'Restricted Jurisdiction' each and any of the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of South Africa, Singapore and any other jurisdiction where the extension or availability of the Open Offer would or might breach any applicable law or regulations 'SEC' the US Securities Exchange Commission 'Shareholder' a holder of Ordinary Shares 'Share Register' the register of Shareholders of the Company 'sterling', 'pounds sterling', the lawful currency of the United Kingdom '', 'pence' or 'p' 'stock account' an account within a member account in CREST to which a holding of a particular share or other security in CREST is credited 'Strand Hanson' Strand Hanson Limited 'UK Listing Authority' the FCA acting in its capacity as the competent authority for the purposes of Part VI of FSMA 'United Kingdom' or 'UK' the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 'United States' or 'US' the United States of America 'US$' or 'US dollar' the lawful currency of the United States of America 'US Securities Act' the United States Securities Act of 1933 'VWAP' volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares 'Warrants' the Fee Warrants, the Recent Fundraise Warrants and the Open Offer Warrants (as applicable) EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF PRINCIPAL EVENTS Date of admission of the Recent Fundraise Shares 11 July 2016 Record Date for entitlement under the Open Offer 11 July 2016 Announcement of the Open Offer and Ex-Entitlement 7.00 a.m. on 14 July 2016 Date Posting of the Circular, the Form of Proxy and, to 14 July 2016 Qualifying non-CREST shareholders only, the Application Form Open Offer Entitlements and Excess CREST Open Offer 8.00 a.m. on 15 July 2016 Entitlements credited to stock accounts in CREST of Qualifying CREST Shareholders Latest recommended time and date for requesting 4.30 p.m. on 25 July 2016 withdrawal of Open Offer and Excess CREST Open Offer Entitlements from CREST Latest time for depositing Open Offer Entitlements 3.00 p.m. on 26 July 2016 and Excess CREST Open Offer Entitlements into CREST Latest time and date for splitting Application 3.00 p.m. on 27 July 2016 Forms (to satisfy bona fide market claims) Latest time and date for receipt of Forms of Proxy 3.00 p.m. on 28 July 2016 from Shareholders Latest time and date for receipt of completed 11.00 a.m. on 29 July 2016 Application Forms and payment in full from Qualifying Shareholders under the Open Offer or settlement of relevant CREST instruction (as appropriate) General Meeting 3.00 p.m. on 30 July 2016 Expected date of announcement of results of the 01 August 2016 Open Offer Expected date of announcement of results of the 01 August 2016 General Meeting Admission effective and dealings in the New 02 August 2016 Ordinary Shares expected to commence Expected date for crediting of the New Ordinary 02 August 2016 Shares in uncertificated form to CREST stock accounts Expected date of despatch of definitive share 09 August 2016 certificates for new ordinary shares in certificated from Notes: 1. If you have any questions on the procedure for acceptance and payment, you should contact Capita Asset Services on 0371 664 0321. Calls are charged at standard geographic rate and will vary by provider. Calls outside the United Kingdom will be charged at the applicable international rate. The helpline is open between 9.00 am - 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday excluding public holidays in England and Wales. Please note that Capita Asset Services cannot provide any financial, legal or tax advice and calls may be recorded and monitored for security and training purposes. 2. The dates set out in the Expected Timetable of Principal Events above and mentioned throughout this announcement may be adjusted by Vast Resources in which event details of the new dates will be notified to AIM and, where appropriate, to Shareholders. 3. All references to time in this announcement are to time in London, United Kingdom. OPEN OFFER STATISTICS Issue Price 0.285 pence Number of Existing Ordinary Shares in 2,873,037,053 issue as at the date of the Circular Basis of the Open Offer 12,212 Open Offer Shares for every 100,000 Existing Ordinary Shares Maximum number of New Ordinary Shares expected to be issued pursuant to the 350,855,284 Open Offer: Enlarged Share Capital immediately upon 3,223,892,337 Admission of the Open Offer Shares** Percentage of the Enlarged Share Capital 10.88% represented by the Open Offer Shares* Gross proceeds of the Open Offer* 1,000,000 (approximately) Total number of Open Offer Warrants to 350,855,284 be issued pursuant to the Open Offer** Total number of Recent Fundraise 300,000,001 Warrants to be issued pursuant to the Recent Fundraise** Total number of Fee Warrants issued in 7,807,017 connection with the Recent Fundraise Percentage of Currently Issued Share 10.99% Capital represented by the Recent Fundraise Warrants and Fee Warrants Percentage of the Enlarged Share Capital 10.88% represented by the Open Offer Warrants* ISIN of the Open Offer Entitlement GB00BD0B3R12 ISIN of the Excess Open Offer GB00BD0B3S29 Entitlements Note: * Assumes the issue of the maximum number of New Ordinary Shares ** Assumes the issue of the maximum number of New Ordinary Shares is fully subscribed and approval of Resolutions 1 and 3 at the General Meeting EXCHANGE RATES In this announcement , references to 'sterling', 'pounds sterling', '', 'pence' and 'p' are to the lawful currency of the United Kingdom, references to 'US dollars', 'US$', $ and 'cents' are to the lawful currency of United States of America, references to 'euro', '', 'EUR' are to the lawful currency of the European Monetary Union and references to 'Romanian leu' or 'RON' are to the lawful currency of the Romania. The basis of translation of US dollars into Pounds Sterling for the purposes of inclusion in this announcement is USD 1.31642 / 1.00. For further information visit www.vastresourcesplc.com or please contact: Vast Resources plc Roy Pitchford (Chief Executive Officer) +40 (0) 372 988 988 - Office Romania +40 (0) 741 111 900 - Mobile Romania +44 (0) 7793 909985 - Mobile UK Roy Tucker (Finance Director) +44 (0) 1622 816918 +44 (0) 7920 189012 Strand Hanson Limited - Financial & www.strandhanson.co.uk Nominated Adviser +44 (0) 20 7409 3494 James Spinney James Bellman Brandon Hill Capital Ltd - Joint Broker www.brandonhillcapital.com Jonathan Evans +44 (0)20 3463 5016 Daniel Stewart and Company plc - Joint www.danielstewart.co.uk Broker +44 (0) 20 7776 6550 Martin Lampshire David Coffman St Brides Partners Ltd www.stbridespartners.co.uk Charlotte Heap +44 (0) 20 7236 1177 Hugo de Salis This announcement contains inside information. 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: Vast Resources plc via GlobeNewswire [HUG#2028533] A0J3GBB142P69R4 Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de LONDON (dpa-AFX) - 3i Infrastructure plc (3IN.L) announced it has signed an agreement to invest approximately 69 million euros in Valorem. Headquartered in Begles, France, Valorem is an independent renewable energy development and operating company. 3i Infrastructure will acquire a 28.5% interest in Valorem and provide further capital to the company through a subordinated debt instrument with the remaining equity being retained by the existing management team led by its founder Jean-Yves Grandidier, and minority shareholders. Valorem develops renewable energy projects for its own account and on behalf of third parties. Its services include technical assistance and development, engineering, construction and operation and maintenance. The company predominantly develops onshore wind farms, as well as photovoltaic systems in France and internationally. Richard Laing, Chairman, 3i Infrastructure plc, said: 'We are pleased to be investing in Valorem, which fits our strategy of investing in low-risk energy platforms with strong growth potential backed by an experienced management team in order to achieve attractive returns for 3i Infrastructure's shareholders.' 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. LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- NewVoiceMedia, a leading global provider of cloud technology that helps businesses sell more, serve better and grow faster, today announced that HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts is using ContactWorld for Service to enhance its customer experience. HotelREZ signed an agreement with NewVoiceMedia for ContactWorld following deployment of Salesforce, to power its voice reservation service, TelREZ. NewVoiceMedia's cloud customer contact solution integrates seamlessly with Salesforce to ensure all customer interactions are tracked and service levels measured, providing HotelREZ with communications that are complementary to its Salesforce system. The company selected ContactWorld for its rich functionality and flexibility in order to offer the best possible customer experience and help the ongoing automation of its internal processes. The service team now benefits from immediate access to a customer's entire history of interactions and inbound calls are intelligently managed and routed, ensuring callers are connected to the most appropriate agent -- improving handling time and customer satisfaction. With a true cloud environment, NewVoiceMedia also offers the company a flexible platform for growth and reduced capital investments. Furthermore, agents can log into the same system wherever they are, as all they need is a phone and internet connection, meaning they can work from multiple locations. The platform offers a real-time window into the entire contact centre operation, so agents can be easily managed, and customisable, rich reports allow the company to expose where improvement opportunities exist. Security of customer data is also of critical importance to the company, and as such, NewVoiceMedia was the first cloud contact centre provider to be ISO27001 certified and achieve 1 PCI-DSS compliance; providing the equivalent level of security as banks and is regularly audited to maintain compliance. Josef Lapka, Executive Director of Business Operations at HotelREZ comments, "With NewVoiceMedia's ContactWorld solution we can ensure we always offer the best possible call quality, and thanks to its Salesforce integration, TelREZ customers will benefit from a full overview of key performance indicators such as call times, individual agent performance, and most importantly, conversion. We're also able to run more proactive marketing and call campaigns now, and enhanced security features ensure that PCI compliance is maintained at all times, and customer information remains safe". TelREZ by HotelREZ is an established hotel call centre solution offering a personal and flexible service including after-hours and overflow support. All calls are answered promptly by a team of highly trained, multi-lingual staff, with an extensive knowledge of the hotels the company represents. HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts is one of the world's largest companies dedicated to marketing and connecting independent hotels to the Global Distribution Systems (GDS) used by travel agents and corporate bookers; as well as the leading travel websites, the hotel's own website and the HotelREZ call centre, all via one login to one system. For more information about NewVoiceMedia, visit www.newvoicemedia.com Salesforce and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. About NewVoiceMedia NewVoiceMedia powers customer connections that transform businesses globally. The leading vendor's award-winning cloud customer contact platform revolutionises the way organisations connect with their customers worldwide, enabling them to deliver a personalised and unique customer service experience and drive a more effective sales team. With a true cloud environment and proven 99.999% platform availability, NewVoiceMedia ensures complete flexibility, scalability and reliability. Spanning 128 countries and six continents, NewVoiceMedia's 600+ customers include PhotoBox, MobileIron, Lumesse, JustGiving, Canadian Cancer Society and Wowcher. For more information visit www.newvoicemedia.com or follow NewVoiceMedia on Twitter @NewVoiceMedia. NewVoiceMedia PR contact Nicola Brookes Tel: +44 (0)7500 006 458 Email: Email Contact LOS ANGELES and LONDON, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Marlin Equity Partners, a global investment firm, is pleased to announce the first and final closing of Marlin Heritage Europe, L.P., with 325 million of total capital commitments. The Heritage Europe Fund was exclusively offered to existing investors in Marlin's lower middle market focused Heritage Fund platform and closed at its hard cap in just over two months while generating demand well in excess of its initial 200 million target. The Heritage Europe Fund is a natural progression for Marlin following the firm's long history of investing in European businesses since 2006 and the establishment of a local European presence in January 2013, with the opening of its London office. The Heritage Europe Fund will employ the same investment philosophy and operationally-focused strategy that have been the cornerstone of Marlin's success and will target investments in the lower middle market, generally in companies located across Europe. Consistent with Marlin's prior funds, the Heritage Europe Fund will seek to invest in businesses that can benefit from the firm's significant capital base, deep industry relationships and substantial network of operational resources. It will continue to focus on industries where Marlin has developed extensive domain expertise, including technology, business services, healthcare, consumer and manufacturing, among others. "The formation of the Heritage Europe Fund is primarily driven by our strong deal flow and the attractive investment opportunities we are seeing throughout Europe," said David McGovern, Managing Partner of Marlin. "We are thankful for the strong support we received from our existing Heritage Fund limited partners. Our ability to raise the Heritage Europe Fund in just over two months further validates our growing reputation and brand recognition as a leading player in the European private equity market. Our success is a result of our long history of investing in European businesses, global capabilities, quality of team and differentiated operationally-focused investment strategy across our targeted sectors." Peter Spasov, Partner of Marlin, added, "The Heritage Europe Fund offers a compelling opportunity to continue investing across the European middle market, which we believe is underserved by private equity. There are significant cross-border consolidation and growth opportunities to capture throughout Europe, and our ability to leverage the Marlin platform and operational resources positions us well to identify and build successful global businesses." Marlin has closed six private equity funds since its inception in 2005 and has more than $3 billion of capital under management. The closing of the Heritage Europe Fund follows an active period for Marlin. Since the beginning of 2015, Marlin has acquired 23 businesses, including 11 corporate divestitures. Bruce Ettelson, Karin Orsic and Katie St. Peters of Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel and Credit Suisse Securities (USA), LLC acted as an advisor and placement agent in the formation of the Heritage Europe Fund. About Marlin Equity Partners Marlin Equity Partners is a global investment firm with over $3 billion of capital under management. The firm is focused on providing corporate parents, shareholders and other stakeholders with tailored solutions that meet their business and liquidity needs. Marlin invests in businesses across multiple industries where its capital base, industry relationships and extensive network of operational resources significantly strengthens a company's outlook and enhances value. Since its inception, Marlin, through its group of funds and related companies, has successfully completed over 100 acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with an additional office in London. For more information, please visit www.marlinequity.com. TEL AVIV, Israel, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- RADWIN 5000 JET exceeds AfricaOnline's stringent technical and business requirements RADWIN (http://www.radwin.com), the global provider of sub-6 GHz broadband wireless solutions, today announced that AfricaOnline Ghana Ltd, a subsidiary of the PAN African based internet service provider, iWayAfrica, and part of Gondwana International Networks - a leading ISP based in Accra - has selected and deployed RADWIN's groundbreaking JET 3.5 GHz Point-to-Multipoint solution. Designed with smart Beam-Forming antenna technology, RADWIN 5000 JET provides long-range access connectivity with secured SLA to enterprise customers. During the first phase of deployment the RADWIN JET-based network will cover the capital city of Accra and in the second phase will extend to the outlying cities of Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale. Kwadwo Ohemeng Asumaning, Managing Director of AfricaOnline Ghana: "As the leading ISP servicing the Corporate and SMB markets in Ghana we are committed to deliver a reliable SLA service. We therefore selected best-of-breed equipment to implement in our network and RADWIN JET exceeded our stringent technical and business requirements. JET mitigates interference stemming from competing network equipment in Accra, empowering us to offer mega-speed broadband to our corporate clients. Couple that with the outstanding support we received from Gondwana International Networks and we have a winning solution on our hands." Guy Schalker, Group CTO of Gondwana International Networks: "JET is a truly remarkable solution that operates in virtually every environment, including noisy unlicensed spectrum, non-line-of-sight conditions and extreme weather. JET overcomes these challenges to deliver the highest throughput in the industry." Raymond Forado, RADWIN GM Europe, North and West Africa: "JET is rapidly becoming the preferred choice of leading service providers and carriers thanks to its superior air interface and Smart Beam-Forming antenna technology. We're proud to add AfricaOnline to our formidable list of operator clients." About RADWIN RADWIN is a leading provider of Point-to-Multipoint and Point-to-Point sub-6 GHz broadband wireless solutions that are deployed in over 150 countries. http://www.radwin.com RADWIN Sales HQ: +972-3-769-2820 US: +1-201-252-4224 sales@radwin.com Media Contact Tammy Levy +972-3-766-2916 pr@radwin.com About AfricaOnline AfricaOnline, a subsidiary of Gondwana International Networks (GIN), is a leading African ISP with 17 years of experience in the ICT Industry. http://www.africaonline.com About Gondwana International Networks (GIN) Gondwana International Networks is a pan-African service provider operating in 39 countries in Africa. http://www.gondwanainternational.com/ Media Contact Samantha Watt Watt Communications +27-425-6290 Samantha@wattcommunications.co.za NHK WORLD TV will be distributed across Europe via ASTRA 1KR SES S.A. (Euronext Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) announced today that Japan International Broadcasting Inc. (JIB), the official distributor of NHK WORLD TV for Japanese public broadcaster NHK, has signed a long-term agreement to broadcast the 24/7 English-language news and information channel free-to-air in High Definition (HD) across Europe. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005392/en/ NHK'S 24/7 English-Language News Channel is Now In HD On ASTRA 19.2 Degrees East (Photo: Business Wire) The transmission of NHK WORLD TV in HD has already started via ASTRA 1KR at 19.2 degrees East, and the SD channel is currently simulcast to allow for a smooth transition from SD to HD quality. The number of HDTV homes in Europe has tripled over the past five years, and 78% of European satellite HDTV homes receive their TV channels from SES. In Europe, the number of HDTV channels broadcast by SES has grown by more than 30% over the last three years to nearly 700 channels. "The expansion of HDTV continues to be an important growth driver for SES. SES is proud to be broadcasting the HD signal of such a premium news broadcaster from Japan in the European market," said Ferdinand Kayser, Chief Commercial Officer of SES. "As NHK WORLD TV already reaches a wide audience in other markets via SES satellites, this agreement reaffirms their confidence in our ability to deliver highly reliable broadcasting services." "Better picture quality is undoubtedly becoming very important to the European audience," said Yoshihiko Shimizu, President and CEO of JIB. "We are very pleased to partner with SES to bring our HD channel to our European audience." NHK WORLD TV (HD) is currently available on Channel 707 of the Sky Deutschland platform, on Channel 927 in the Logical Channel Numbering of HD+ Set Top Boxes, and on Channel 473 of the Canalsat platform. The reception parameters for NHK WORLD TV on Astra 1KR (19.2E) are: Satellite Astra 1KR (19.2E) Transponder 1.002 Downlink Frequency 11229.00 MHz Downlink Polarisation Vertical Transmission Standard DVB-S2 Compression Standard MPEG-4 Modulation 8PSK Symbol Rate 22 Mbps/sec FEC 2/3 Follow us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SES_Satellites Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SES.YourSatelliteCompany YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/SESVideoChannel Blog: www.ses.blog SES Pictures are available under http://www.ses.com/21472913/Our_Pictures SES White papers are available under http://www.ses.com/18681915/white-papers About SES SES (Euronext Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) is the world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of more than 50 geostationary satellites. Focusing on value-added, end-to-end solutions in four key market verticals (video, enterprise, mobility and government), SES provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, and mobile and fixed network operators, as well as business and governmental organisations worldwide. SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the satellite industry. The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements. SES's newest subsidiary, MX1, is one of the leading media service providers and offers a full suite of innovative digital video and media services. Augmented by SES's stake in O3b Networks, a next generation satellite network combining the reach of satellite with the speed of fibre, SES significantly enhances and scales up existing video and data capabilities. Further information available at: www.ses.com About JIB Japan International Broadcasting Inc. (JIB), a subsidiary of the Japanese public broadcaster NHK, is responsible for the worldwide distribution of NHK WORLD TV as well as the Japanese-language channel NHK WORLD PREMIUM. Currently, the two channels are broadcast around the world on three international backbone satellites, plus several regional satellites in key markets, reaching households, hotels and others via DTH, cable, IPTV and terrestrial broadcast. For more information, please visit www.jibtv.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005392/en/ Contacts: For further information, please contact: Markus Payer SES Corporate Communications Tel. +352 710 725 500 Markus.Payer@ses.com LONDON, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This October marks the special 15th edition of the Corporate Counsel Exchange. In celebration, the Exchange put together a collection of wisdom and insight from past and future speakers in the Corporate Counsel community to create a limited edition General Counsel Survival Guide. The limited edition guide was compiled into a special report: The GC Survival Guide- the Practical Skills You Need to Become a GC Leader: http://bit.ly/29MTIkm The Survival Guide delves into real-life challenges and pre-tested strategies to help determined GCs reach their goals and where they need to be to do so. With experience of success and failure in regulatory compliance and innovation, the Corporate Counsel community has the opportunity to look at what it takes to be a GC leader. Past and future speakers share their insights on how to conquer growing regulations, manage risk, become the business architect of your legal services, and get to grips with new technology. When asking Zoe Bucknell, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, One savings Bank PLC about managing risk, she suggests, "You cannot manage risk until you have clearly defined it! Ensure everyone (including you) really understands what risk is in the context of your business, what the business appetite is for risk- otherwise you will end up chasing your tail." Dr. Lars Weihe, General Counsel and Compliance Officer Region Europe bei BSH Hausgerate shared his tips on how to stay compliant when regulations continue to multiply, and commented; "So how can we deal as General Counsel of multinational companies with such manifold challenges? Obviously we need to keep ourselves up to date. We need to network and collaborate within and outside of our companies. We need to focus and prioritize but at the same time not overdo it. We need to build up a solid Compliance Management System in our companies with the right Compliance culture and objectives, find people with the right mind-set and support a strong tone from the top." Get the full advice of the practical skills you need to be a successful General Counsel business leader from Corporate Counsel Leaders by downloading the full report here: http://bit.ly/29MTIkm Contacts: info@thelegalexchangenetwork.com, +44(0)-20-7368-9484 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. Ford is among the first automakers to develop a new, closely integrated approach to car workers and robots working together on the assembly line Workers use collaborative robots, also known as co-bots, to help fit shock absorbers to Fiesta cars in Cologne, Germany; ensures perfect fit, avoids workers having to access hard-to-reach places Robots use high-tech sensors to detect when hands or fingers are in their path and stop immediately, ensuring worker safety Ford is now reviewing further use of collaborative robots, which can be programmed to do anything from making a coffee to shaking hands, and are used in pharmaceutical and electronics industries More than 100 years after the first cars rolled off Henry Ford's pioneering assembly line, Ford Motor Company is breaking new ground in the way workers and robots are collaborating to manufacture vehicles. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005333/en/ Ford Motor Company workers use collaborative robots, also known as co-bots, to help fit shock absorbers to Fiesta cars in Cologne, Germany. The co-bots ensures perfect fit, and help workers avoid having to access hard to reach places on the assembly line. (Photo: Business Wire) New collaborative robots, also known as co-bots, are first being used to help workers fit shock absorbers to Fiesta cars, a task that requires pinpoint accuracy, strength, and a high level of dexterity. Employees work hand-in-hand with the robots to ensure a perfect fit every time. The trial at Ford's assembly plant in Cologne, Germany, is part of the company's investigations into Industry 4.0, a term coined to describe a fourth industrial revolution, embracing automation, data exchange and manufacturing technologies. Ford sought feedback from more than 1,000 production line workers to identify tasks for which the new robots would best be suited. "Robots are helping make tasks easier, safer and quicker, complementing our employees with abilities that open up unlimited worlds of production and design for new Ford models," said Karl Anton, director, vehicle operations, Ford of Europe. Measuring a little more than 3 feet high, the new robots work hand-in-hand with the line workers at two work stations. Rather than manipulate a heavy shock absorber and installation tool, workers can now use the robot to lift and automatically position the shock absorber into the wheel arch, before pushing a button to complete installation. "Working overhead with heavy air-powered tools is a tough job that requires strength, stamina, and accuracy. The robot is a real help," said Ngali Bongongo, a production worker at Ford's Cologne plant. Equipped with high-tech sensors, the co-bots stop immediately if they detect an arm or even a finger in their path, ensuring worker safety. Similar technology also is used in the pharmaceutical and electronics industries. Developed over two years, the robot program was carried out in close partnership with German robot manufacturer, KUKA Roboter GmbH. Ford is now reviewing further use of collaborative robots that can be programmed to perform tasks ranging from shaking "hands" to making a coffee. "We are proud to show the capabilities of our new generation of sensitive robots that are supporting and collaborating with Ford workers by carrying out ergonomically difficult and technically challenging tasks," said Klaus Link, key account manager, Ford, KUKA Roboter GmbH. "As part of our close partnership with Ford and based on the feedback from employees, we are looking forward to further challenges." About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Mich. With about 201,000 employees and 67 plants worldwide, the company's core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing financing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified vehicles, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. At the same time, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility, the company's plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience and data and analytics. For more information regarding Ford, its products worldwide or Ford Motor Credit Company, visit www.corporate.ford.com Ford of Europe is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 50 individual markets and employs approximately 53,000 employees at its wholly owned facilities and approximately 68,000 people when joint ventures and unconsolidated businesses are included. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 24 manufacturing facilities (16 wholly owned or consolidated joint venture facilities and 8 unconsolidated joint venture facilities). The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911. For news releases, related materials, photos and video, visit www.fordmedia.eu or www.media.ford.com. Follow www.twitter.com/FordEuor www.youtube.com/fordofeurope View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005333/en/ Contacts: Ford of Europe Alessio Franco +49 (0)221 901 9039 afranco7@ford.com LONDON, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Gain Theory, the global marketing foresight consultancy, today announces the appointment of Alan Bloodworth to EMEA CEO. In his new role, Bloodworth will oversee the EMEA offices taking responsibility for the consultancy's existing clients with particular emphasis on growth throughout the region. Bloodworth previously served as Gain Theory's Managing Partner in EMEA and has over 20 years' experience in the marketing effectiveness industry partnering with global brands including Danone, Reckitt Benckiser's Lysol and Ahold. Through his client work, he has pioneered marketing effectiveness approaches including helping brands understand and optimise consumer path-to-purchase and the relationship between media, perception and sales. Prior to Gain Theory, Bloodworth was a Director at Ohal, a marketing effectiveness consultancy, where he helped clients gain competitive advantage through maximising the return on their marketing budgets. He also serves as juror on the technical judging panel for the coveted 2016 IPA Effectiveness Awards. The appointment of Bloodworth shows Gain Theory's commitment to building long term client partnerships that leverage data, analytics, technology and experience to optimize marketing investments. Bloodworth will report into Manjiry Tamhane, Gain Theory's WW CEO, whom he succeeds. "Alan has been instrumental to the growth of our business in the key market of EMEA," says Tamhane. "Through his high-touch consulting approach, Alan's experience has seen him guide clients to solve critical business questions in a wide variety of markets and industry sectors, from understanding and optimising the impact of marketing on KPIs, through to shining a light on high value customers." Bloodworth says, "I am delighted to have been appointed Gain Theory's EMEA CEO. Marketers are under increasing pressure to deliver against multiple constraints and I am committed to developing our offer further to help ease these pain points. It's crucial that we help marketers develop a clear understanding of the link between marketing investment and business performance, then help them leverage this knowledge to grow the bottom line." ABOUT GAIN THEORY Gain Theory is a global marketing foresight consultancy that brings together data, analytics, technology solutions and consumer-insight capabilities. An independent practice within GroupM, it combines WPP's intellectual capital in media, marketing, data and technology to create a consultancy that helps brands make smarter, faster, predictive business decisions. The Gain Theory team is a fusion of 200, world-class creative minds from the data, technology, marketing analytics and effectiveness domains operating out of hubs in New York, London and Bangalore. Gain Theory has had an incredible first year since launch, adding over 15 brands to its existing client roster. Follow us on: @gaintheory http://www.linkedin.com/company/gaintheory MANCHESTER, England, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Confidence in the UK property market is returning, as the FTSE 100 index reaches its highest level since February of this year. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160628/812514 ) This heralds a positive response from the UK's post-Brexit economy, welcome news to Direct Airport Parking Investment, a business that handles investment in car parking spaces alongside some of the country's busiest airports. Raj Shah, Investment Consultant with Direct Airport Parking Investment, said: "It quickly became 'business as usual' for us once the dust started to settle following the result of the EU Referendum. We recognised that the immediate impact of the result on the value of Sterling made UK buy-to-let property investments a better value prospect for many overseas investors. Our consultants noticed an increase in the number of enquiries they were handling from overseas investors keen to seize the opportunity presented by the weakened pound. "We were quick to reassure our investors that this modern property-based investment really is a 'safe haven' investment ideal for such a period of turbulence. Investing in off-airport car parking offers several distinct advantages over what investors often turn to in periods of great uncertainty, including gold, government bonds and other currencies. "Finance experts now believe that the UK property market is functioning as normal almost three weeks on from the shock result. The increase in the FTSE 100 index is helping to further boost confidence among investors. We feel that commercial buy-to-let property in the UK continues to be a profitable long-term investment option, and investing in car parking spaces at airports brings the benefits of a UK property investment with none of the risks and maintenance issues associated with 'pure' bricks and mortar investments." Airport car parking at some of the UK's busiest and fastest growing airports is a solid, low risk investment opportunity offering assured rental income and significant capital growth. As the Master Agent for leading long-stay airport parking provider Park First, Direct Airport Parking Investment can offer low risk investments in individual or multiple car parking spaces with guaranteed high yields and capital growth. Park First has been offering car parking spaces at Glasgow Airport for more than three years, having successfully introduced six separate phases over that period. In the last year, three phases have also been offered at London Gatwick, all of which have proven to be extremely popular with investors. Building on this undoubted success, Park First is now in the process of introducing a new and exciting opportunity at London Luton, the UK's fastest growing major airport, to further complement its portfolio. Through Direct Airport Parking Investment, investors now have the opportunity to beat the anticipated rush and reserve their spaces right away. Individual car park spaces at Glasgow, Gatwick and Luton are offered at a heavily discounted price compared to official valuations, offering investors an immediate uplift of 50% on the initial purchase price, and providing significant capital growth on their asset from day one. The yields are high too: investors in off-airport car parking through Direct Airport Parking Investment are assured of an 8% return in each of the first two years of their investment, rising to 10% in years three and four, with returns in years five and six predicted to rise to 12% or more. For more information about investing in off-airport car parking at major UK airports with Direct Airport Parking Investment Limited, visit http://www.directparkinginvestment.co.uk or call +44 (0) 161 820 4956. HONG KONG, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global leader in security software and solutions, today announced it will host its second annual Capture the Flag (CTF) cybersecurity competition for engineers. Following the company's successful, first-ever CTF for the security community in the Asia-Pacific region, the 2016 event will be hosted for engineers worldwide. Trend Micro CTF 2016 will test players' technical knowledge in various categories, such as targeted attacks, Internet of Things (IoT), Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), which are all becoming increasingly important in the cybersecurity space(1). The competition comprises an online qualifying event and finals held in Tokyo, Japan. "Trend Micro aims to create a world safe for exchanging digital information, and expert events, such as this, are one way we work toward this goal," said Eva Chen, CEO for Trend Micro. "Challenging engineers from across the globe to stretch their cybersecurity knowledge in these specific, relevant areas will help bolster the security community as a whole." The online qualifier will be played in a "Jeopardy" format in which players will compete by solving challenges in various categories. The top ten teams from the online qualifier will advance to compete in the final, which will be played in an "attack and defense" format. The final winning team will be awarded JPY1,000,000 (approximately US$9,800), plus Zero Day Initiative Rewards Program 2 points. Trend Micro CTF 2016 Online Qualifier Dates: July 30-31, 2016 (Game starts at 13:00 (JST, 4:00 UTC), July 30, 2016) Requirements: Participants must be at least 20 years old Format: Jeopardy Venue: Online Team registration: From July 15, 2016 (JST) Trend Micro CTF 2016 Final Dates: November 19-20, 2016 (JST) Requirements: The top ten teams from the online event will qualify. Each team may have a maximum of four players. Format: Attack and Defense (additional details to be announced following online qualifier) Venue: Shinjuku NS Building, Tokyo, Japan Prizes: First Place Team: US$9,800 per team, a one-time bonus of US$2,000, automatic qualification for HITCON CTF 2016 Final in Taiwan Second Place Team: US$3,000 per team Third Place Team: US$2,000 per team To register for the online qualifier, please visit: http://www.go-tm.jp/ctf2016_en For more information about the event, please visit: http://www.go-tm.jp/ctf2016_en Company Logo http://release.media-outreach.com/i/Download/3868 About Trend Micro Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cyber security solutions, helps to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Our innovative solutions for consumers, businesses, and governments provide layered security for data centers, cloud environments, networks, and endpoints. All our products work together to seamlessly share threat intelligence and provide a connected threat defense with centralized visibility and control, enabling better, faster protection. With more than 5,000 employees in over 50 countries and the world's most advanced global threat intelligence, Trend Micro enables organizations to secure their journey to the cloud. For more information, visit www.trendmicro.com. (1) Challenge format and categories may be subject to change. MEDIA CONTACT: Claudius Lam Trend Micro + 852 2866 4362 (Office) + 852 9022 0876 (Mobile) Email Contact Regulatory News: Ontex Group NV, a leading international provider of disposable solutions in personal hygiene for babies, men and women, will release its results for the three months and half year ended 30 June 2016 at 6:00 am BST 7:00 am CEST on Thursday, 28 July 2016. The press release and presentation announcement will be available on the Company's website: http://www.ontexglobal.com/financial-reports. Management will host a conference call for investors and analysts on Thursday, 28 July 2016 at 8:00 am BST 9:00 am CEST. A replay of the conference call will also be available for one week afterwards. Dial-in information Please dial in 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time to register your attendance. Dial-in numbers for the call are as follows: United Kingdom +44 (0)20 3427 1913 United States +1 212 444 0895 Belgium +32 (0)2 404 0660 France +33 (0)1 76 77 22 28 Germany +49 (0)69 2222 10623 Passcode: 4613030 Replay numbers United Kingdom +44 (0)20 3427 0598 United States +1 347 366 9565 Belgium +32 (0)2 789 7487 France +33 (0)1 74 20 28 00 Germany +49 (0)69 2222 2236 Passcode: 4613030 About Ontex Ontex is a leading producer of disposable personal hygiene products, ranging from baby diapers to products for feminine hygiene and adult incontinence. Ontex's products are distributed in more than 110 countries through Ontex brands as well as leading retailer brands. The group employs over 7,000 staff and has a presence in 23 countries. Ontex is listed on Euronext Brussels and is part of the BEL20 index. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005414/en/ Contacts: Ontex INVESTOR ENQUIRIES Philip Ludwig +32 53 333 730 investorrelations@ontexglobal.com or PRESS ENQUIRIES Gaelle Vilatte +32 53 333 708 gaelle.vilatte@ontexglobal.com LONDON, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its recently launched '100% For You' initiative, The University of Law (ULaw) today unveiled a new Graduate LLB programme. Open exclusively to students who commence their Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) at ULaw from 2016, the new course enables them to upgrade their GDL to a full qualifying law degree* on successful completion of three additional modules at no extra cost. Delivered 100% online, the Graduate LLB enables students to enhance their CV by studying specialised areas of law that could help boost their employment prospects. They will have a choice of three out of five additional modules coveringEmployment Law, Family Law, Environmental Law, Human Rights Law, and Law of Organisations - each one worth 20 credits.The online course starts its first module in July 2017, with the remaining two modules available from June 2018. Dr Stelios Platis, Managing Director at The University of Law, said: "At The University of Law, we are 100% committed to the career of our students, and that's why we are offering this enhancement of our GDL at no extra cost. Having a degree such as the Bachelor of Laws (LLB Hons) will make them even more competitive in the job market." "With the Graduate LLB, we are combining the total flexibility of studying online with the full support from our expert academic team. Students will be able to add real value to their CV and accelerate their careers," he added. Students will have access to a comprehensive online platform, allowing them to self-study using e-books, a range of electronic learning resources and online databases. Supervision, one-to-one tutor support, and feedback will also be provided by professionally qualified lawyers. Studentswill also benefit from the flexibility of the course, as they will have up to four years to complete it. To be eligible for the Graduate LLB, students must hold a higher education degree (undergraduate or postgraduate) awarded by a recognised institution and must have completed the first sitting of all of their ULaw GDL assessments. More to come under ULaw's '100% For You' initiative Building on the university's tradition, academic reputation, track record and strong graduate employability rate, the '100% For You' campaign involves a series of innovative measures that will deliver more support and academic excellence to those entering the legal profession. The campaign launched in June with the new 100% Employment Promise for the 2016-17 academic year. This offers students half of their tuition fees back in cash and the other half as course credit if they have not secured employment within nine months after graduating from the Legal Practice Course (LPC). "I am consistent in my message that at The University of Law we place our students at the heart of everything we do. Over the coming months we will be launching enhancements to our existing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, as well as new upgraded specialised modules and further funding options for our students. This is part of our commitment to supporting our students 100% and ensuring their long term success," said Dr Platis. "We've already taken some bold steps to remove as much of the risk of investing in higher education as possible and offer real return on investment to all our students. Over the next academic year, it will become clear that this is just the beginning," he added. *Subject to validation Notes to editors About The University of Law The University of Law (ULaw) is the largest and longest established provider of professional legal education and training in the UK with centres in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Guildford, Manchester and Leeds, as well as offering some courses at The University of Exeter.Previously The College of Law, it was granted university status in November 2012. ULawworks with 90 of the top 100 law firms and offers an award-winning legal careers and employability service, as well as one of the UK's largest and most varied pro bono programmes. The university offers over 2,900 opportunities for students to put their skills into practise, helping them to prepare for the job market. To find out more about the Graduate LLB, visit: www.law.ac.uk/postgraduate/graduate-llb To read more about ULaw's 100% Employment Promise, visit: http://www.law.ac.uk/postgraduate/employment-law-promise/ BIELEFELD, Germany, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Revenue growth of 10.8% to MEUR 357.7 in first half of year Western Europe delivers strongest revenue growth of 24.3% EBIT of MEUR 8.1 after MEUR 11.4 in previous year Forecast for 2016: Revenue forecast raised to MEUR740-750, EBIT margin between 5% and 5.5% itelligence AG remained on its growth path in the first half of 2016, increasing its revenues by 10.8% from MEUR322.8 to MEUR357.7. This development was attributable to both organic growth (8.4%) and the companies acquired last year (2.4%). Project start-up and acquisition costs had a disproportionate impact on earnings in the first half of the year. Orders on hand climbed by 3.7% to MEUR661.0 as of June30,2016 (June30,2015: MEUR637.7). (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160713/389218 ) Norbert Rotter, CEO of itelligence AG: "itelligence remains on a solid growth path. This is being driven by the digital transformation and the resulting growing demand for services and consulting on Industry 4.0, and I expect this area to continue to provide positive impetus. We succeeded in increasing our revenues by more than 10% in both the first and second quarters, benefiting from organic growth as well as the non-organic growth resulting from our strategic acquisitions last year. Thanks to the companies acquired this year, this trend will continue in the second half of 2016." In the revenue segments, Consulting revenues rose by 9.4%, from MEUR144.9 to MEUR158.5. License business enjoyed very strong revenue growth of 24.1% in the first half of the year, from MEUR 22.8 to MEUR28.3. Revenues from recurring business increased by 9.5% on the whole, with Outsourcing& Services revenues amounting to MEUR 117.1 (previous year: MEUR119.2) and Application Management revenues totaling MEUR 52.1 (previous year: MEUR 35.3). In terms of geographical distribution, itelligence generated revenue growth of 5.3%, from MEUR 151.8 to MEUR 159.8, in its largest segment of Germany/Austria/Switzerland (DACH). In the first half of the year, Western Europe posted the strongest revenue growth of 24.3%, from MEUR 67.9 to MEUR 84.4. itelligence increased its revenues in Eastern Europe by 21.0%, from MEUR31.9 to MEUR38.6. The US segment also enjoyed strong performance with growth of 4.1%, generating revenues of MEUR66.7 after MEUR64.1 in the previous year. The Asia segment recorded revenues of MEUR6.0 in the first half of 2016 after MEUR5.0 in the same period of the previous year (+20.0%). Finally, revenues in the Other segment increased slightly year-on-year to MEUR2.2 (previous year: MEUR2.1). In terms of earnings performance, itelligence was down on the previous year at the end of the first six months of 2016. This was due primarily to project start-up costs for IT solutions, acquisition costs, and exchange rate losses. EBIT for the first six months of the current year amounted to MEUR8.1 after MEUR11.4 in the previous year (-28.9%). The EBIT margin was 2.3% as against 3.5% in the previous year. EBITA amounted to MEUR11.6 after MEUR14.6 in the previous year (-20.5%), resulting in an EBITA margin of 3.2% compared with 4.5% in the same period of the previous year. Reflecting the two acquisitions made (ITML GmbH and BIT.Group GmbH), the Management Board is raising its revenue forecast for the year as a whole to MEUR740-750, while the EBIT margin is projected at between 5% and 5.5%. About itelligence itelligence is one of the leading international full-service providers of solutions in support of SAP solutions, employing about 5,300 highly qualified employees in 24 countries. As a frequently awarded SAP partner, among others global value-added reseller, SAP Certified in Cloud Services, SAP-Certified Provider of Hosting Services for SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud and SAP Platinum Partner, itelligence realizes complex projects in the SAP solution-based environment worldwide. The company's services in support of SAP solutions range from consulting and licensing to application management services and hosting services to proprietary industry-specific SAP. In 2015, itelligence generated total sales of EUR 696.2 million. Contact: Katrin Schlegel Phone: +49(0)521-91-448-106 Fax:+49(0)521-91-445-201 Katrin.Schlegel@itelligence.de itelligence AG Konigsbreede 1 D-33605 Bielefeld / Germany http://www.itelligencegroup.com Public Relations Silvia Dicke Phone: +49(0)521-91448-107 Fax:+49(0)521-91445-201 Silvia.Dicke@itelligence.de itelligence AG Konigsbreede 1 33605 Bielefeld / Germany http://www.itelligencegroup.com Look, Listen and Touch to Experience Firsthand! Two Days of Science-related Play Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hideo Ikuno h.ikuno@daiya-pr.co.jp +81-3-6716-5277 TOKYO, July 14, 2016 - (JCN Newswire) - From August 6-7, the Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum will host a "Summer Science Festival." Through a variety of innovative programs, the festival - a big event timed to coincide with the school summer holiday - aims to have not only children but also adults to experience how fun science and technology can be and the enjoyment and pleasure they can derive from making things."Rolling contraptions" will be exhibited with cooperation from KoroKoro Lab(1) over the two days in the 2nd floor special exhibition corner. Rolling contraptions are made from everyday items where a small ball knocks over large dominoes or mechanisms. They demonstrate the inevitable and automatic nature of movement, and provide an easy-to-understand introduction and entertaining performance about chains of movement that occur one after another through combinations (see the museum website for more information on each event).On the 6th, Yujin Nakagawa, special technology assistant manager of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) climate change adaptation technology development project team will present "Walk with the climate in a three-legged race!", covering efforts to tackle extreme climate change, such as heavy rain and heavy snow, which are problems in Japan, in addition to warming, and state-of-the-art topics such as the current national project "Social Implementation Program on Climate Change Adaptation Technology" (SI-CAT) (cooperation: JAMSTEC).On the 7th, Professor Ken Ebisawa, of Tokyo University Graduate School and the JAXA Institute of Space and Astronomical Science, who specializes in black hole research using X-ray astronomical satellites, will present "Look into a black hole", covering how the institute observes black holes that do not allow light to escape, including methods discovered this year. (cooperation: JAXA)."Experiment! Power generation mechanism science show" will be held on the 1st floor, next to the Pittari Home. The show will feature a mechanism whereby the movement of air or water turns blades to rotate a motor and produce electricity, and ways to produce a large amount of power more efficiently will be introduced in an easy-to-understand way using demonstrations. In addition, next to this show there will be a corner where visitors can make a one-of-a-kind tin badge as a memento of the science festival (participation fee 200 yen).Two workshops will be held in the 2nd floor No. 1 video room (participation fee for each 500 yen, first-come-first-served basis on the day). Build a fun windmill that spins in the wind in the "Let's Make a windmill!" workshop. Or make a small handmade globe by pasting maps onto a sphere in the "Let's Make a handmade globe!" workshop.Techno-kun, the museum's character, will also make appearances during the period of the science festival.The Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum was opened in Yokohama in June 1994 to promote exchanges with the local community and to foster interest in science and technology. The museum uses actual machinery and equipment, scale models, video presentations and explanatory panels to present easy-to-understand introductions to MHI's state-of-the-art technologies and products, and is divided into six zones. The museum celebrated the milestone of 2.5 million visitors on March 14 this year. Additionally, the Aerospace Zone was reopened after renewal on February 28, and demonstration exhibits such as of a full-size mock-up of the nation's first commercial jet MRJ's nose, forward fuselage, part of its main wing and engine, as well as hands-on displays of aerospace and rocket technology are introduced. The museum's concept of enabling visitors to see and touch real science and technology firsthand is widely supported by visitors from infants to adults to the elderly, and the museum plans to improve the exhibits further and implement new plans.(1) KoroKoro Lab is a Saitama-based sheet metal craftsmen group who carry out everything from planning to production of contraptions that use everyday things with ingenuity to move mechanisms continuously only by the principles of movement. Founded in the wake of victory in the popular TV Tokyo program "TV Champion", they carry out sympathy call activities at the Saitama Children's Medical Center, make online commercials, and have appeared in NHK and commercial TV station dramas, variety shows, and a number of popular programs. In recent years, through participating in hands-on experience workshops in various regions for families and children, they have deepened interest and understanding of manufacturing, and they enjoy seeing the smiles of children that result from their great sense of accomplishment.About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. ("MHI"; TSE:7011), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading heavy machinery manufacturers. MHI's diverse lineup of products and services encompasses shipbuilding, power plants, chemical plants, environmental equipment, steel structures, industrial and general machinery, aircraft, space rocketry and air-conditioning systems. For more information, please visit the MHI website at www.mhi.co.jp.Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Contact:Copyright 2016 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Holiday feelings in the city, a seaside atmosphere in the heart of the town. From 27 July to 14 August the holiday season is given an international stage around the shores of Hannover's very own lake at the 31st Maschsee Lake Festival. For 19 days, visitors to the largest public open-air party in northern Germany can sail around the world on a culinary and artistic voyage. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005430/en/ Maschsee Lake Festival Hannover: holiday feelings in the city and a seaside atmosphere in the heart of the town (Copyright: HMTG Michael Thomas). (Photo: Business Wire) The main attractions include delicious specialities offered by international caterers, free open-air concerts, exciting activities on the lake, diverse cabaret acts as well as a fun-packed programme for kids. From the 81-metre high mobile "Maschsee Skyline" observation tower - the highest in Europe there is a great view over the lake and Hannover's famous landmarks we guarantee an entirely new perspective! And Hannover has plenty perspectives to offer! Besides the famous Maschsee Lake Festival Hannover inspires with insider tips, urban flair, sightseeing and natural experiences. A beach club with a magnificent panorama over the rooftops of the Old Town, market squares with casual cafes, bars and legendary clubs, the Nana sculptures in the city centre, the polar bear in Yukon Bay at Hannover Adventure Zoo these and many other fantastic, colourful sights invite young tourists in particular to pay a visit to the holiday region of Hannover. All tips can be found in the pocket guide 'Hannover like nowhere else'. Hannover's hip districts: In the bustling centre of the state capital of Lower Saxony, people have always arranged to meet at the historic Kropcke clock or "under the horse's tail", i.e. at the equestrian statue in front of the central railway station, as this is the perfect starting point for a shopping spree. In the pulsating, turbulent district of Linden, the streets are teeming with people who regard life as an art form. The large numbers of students who live in Nordstadt, right behind the university, guarantee a peaceful, relaxed atmosphere, whilst List, with its attractive old buildings, is home to chic boutiques and wine bars. And finally, Sudstadt scores high with visitors thanks to its beautiful market squares and of course the Maschsee Lake, setting for the big open-air party. This year, too, the Maschsee Lake Festival is ready to embark on a culinary journey around the world. Under the motto: "Ahoy 2016 Maschsee Lake Festival: Come on board for a voyage around the world!" the ports of call include the kitchens of the Far East, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Germany and the Caribbean. The chefs are looking forward to welcoming the passengers on board the Maschsee Lake Festival with typical national cuisine, exotic drinks and delicious cocktails. But the focus isn't just on food. It's a musical voyage around the world, too. There are lots of concert highlights with performances by artists from every corner of the globe. Radio tropical, Son del Nene or Juliano Rossi are just some of the stars who will be creating a holiday feeling on the Maschsee Stage. For a taste of Ireland, go to the Temple Bar where bands such as The Keltics or The Irish Bastards are performing. On the "Lowenbastion" or "Lion Bastion" you can listen to the popular Lotto King Karl and local stars such as the band Terry Hoax as well as lots more great music. Country star Gunter Gabriel and top cover bands such as Mariuzz and Gronland will liven things up around the Maschseequelle "We are looking forward to a great 2016 Maschsee Lake Festival with lots of guests and visitors from Hannover and further afield. The relaxed holiday atmosphere, the culinary and musical voyage around the world as well as loads of other attractions on the shores of Maschsee Lake will make this festival a real highlight", promised Hans Christian Nolte, Managing Director of Hannover Veranstaltungs GmbH (HVG) which is organising the festival. If you want to combine the Maschsee Lake Festival with a short visit to Hannover, Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH (HMTG) has put together the ideal package and a special offer for groups. More information. Visitors can reserve a table in their favourite eatery under www.hannover.de/maschseefest/tischreservierung. For more information about the programme go to www.visit-hannover.com/en/Maschsee-Lake-Festival. Photographs for editorial use can be found under www.hannover.de/maschseefest/presse The Maschsee Lake Festival is also in Facebook under www.facebook.com/hannovermaschseefest. Caption for picture: Maschsee Lake Festival Hannover: holiday feelings in the city and a seaside atmosphere in the heart of the town (Copyright : HMTG Michael Thomas). View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005430/en/ Contacts: Hannover Marketing Tourismus GmbH Maike Scheunemann Ricarda Schnieder Phone: 49(0)511/123490 26 Mail: scheunemann@hannover-marketing.de Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2016) - Iconic Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: ICM) (FSE: YQGB) (OTC Pink: BVTEF) (the "Company" or "Iconic") is pleased to announce that it has received the final report by Frank Fritz of Fritz Geophysics, of Fort Collins, Colorado, on the MagnetoTelluric (MT) geophysical survey (the "MT Survey") at the Company's Bonnie Claire Lithium Project in Nevada, U.S.A. Two gently dipping low resistivity zones have been outlined that are interpreted to be brine reservoirs (see News Release dated June 20, 2016). These zones, which exhibit lateral continuity, underlay a large part of the Property that encompasses 27.5 square kilometers (10.6 square miles) and are initially encountered at a depth of 200 meters (650 feet). The MT Survey, conducted by Zonge International Inc. of Reno, Nevada, consisted of nine east-west lines for a total of 52.9 line-km (32.4 line-miles). The dipole spacing was 200 meters (656 feet), and the resulting data quality was described as "excellent". The resistivities encountered were very low, and consequently a lengthy processing period was required. The interpreted brine zones dip gently to the east and are offset by interpreted north-northwest striking, and east-northeast dipping high angle normal faults. In order to cover the larger than anticipated aerial extent of the interpreted reservoir zones, the Company has acquired an additional 234 placer claims. The total land holding package is now 1,155 claims that encompass an area of 23,100 acres (36.1 square miles /93.5 square km). Fritz Geophysics has recommended multiple drill locations from which to test the interpreted brine reservoir horizons. The Company has been granted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) authority to drill up to 6 lithium brine test wells, of which the initial drill program will consist of 3 vertical wells (see News Release dated July 7, 2016). The Bonnie Claire Lithium Property Characteristics: The Property is located within a valley that is approximately 30 km long and 20 km wide, the associated drainage basin covers an area of 2,070 square km. Quartz-rich volcanic rocks, that contain anomalous amounts of lithium, occur within and adjacent to the drainage basin. Geochemical analysis of the local salt flats has yielded lithium values up to 340ppm. The gravity low within the valley is 20 km (12 miles) long, the initial estimates of the depth to bedrock range from 1260 to 610 meters (1,500 to 2,000 feet). The current claim block covers the gravity low and the associated mud flats. Richard Kern, Certified Professional Geologist (#11494) and CEO of Iconic is the Qualified Person who has prepared and reviewed this press release in accordance with NI 43-101 reporting standards. On behalf of the Board of Directors SIGNED: "Richard Kern" Richard Kern, President and CEO Contact: (604) 336-8614 For further information on ICM, please visit our website at www.iconicmineralsltd.com. The Company's public documents may be accessed at www.sedar.com Forward Statement: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements or information. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release 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. Iconic 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. 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. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Michael Coscia, the first U.S. trader convicted of using a bluffing tactic called 'spoofing' after it was made a crime, was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in prison. Coscia, 54, was the first person tried under a provision of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which made spoofing illegal. Spoofing is manipulating prices by systematically placing orders without intending to execute them. This tricks the market into thinking that there is interest in buying or selling. While announcing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber in Chicago stated that greed is the only explanation for Coscia engaging in fraud at a time when he had a net worth of $15 million and was earning $150,000 a month trading futures. Spoofing carries a maximum of 10 years in prison, and the prosecutors had sought a sentence of at least five years and 10 months. Meanwhile, Coscia's lawyers had asked for probation. Following the three-year jail term, Coscia, the head of Panther Energy Trading LLC, will be under two years of supervised release. Coscia will have to surrender on September 30. His lawyers said that Coscia plans to appeal his conviction and ask to remain free on bond in the meantime. In the court, it was said that Coscia had paid back $1.4 million gained through the trades at issue, and also paid a $3 million fine in connection with the regulatory action against him. He also cooperated with a Commodity Futures Trading Commission investigation. In November, a Chicago jury found him guilty of manipulating commodity futures prices in a scheme that yielded him $1.4 million. In November last year, a Chicago jury had convicted Coscia of manipulating commodity futures markets by placing unusually large orders which he had no intention to execute. The scheme had yielded him around $1.4 million, but resulted in losses to high frequency trading houses. 'This is a serious crime with serious consequences,' Judge Leinenweber said before announcing the sentence. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de BCE Stock Offers Value and GrowthBCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE, TSE:BCE) stock is up 28.12% year-to-date.If you are not familiar with that name, consider "Bell Canada," which is basically synonymous to "telephone" north of the border. It only makes sense; after all, the company was named after the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell. As well, if you've ever used a payphone in Canada, you likely came across BCE's logo.The good news for investors in this name is that BCE diversified its line of business away from landlines and payphones long ago. In the. 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. PRAG (dpa-AFX) - The Czech current account surplus decreased slightly in May, defying economists' forecast for a deficit, the Czech National Bank said on Thursday. The current account surplus shrank to CZK 0.82 billion in May from CZK 0.88 billion in the preceding month. In contrast, economists had expected the balance to turn to a deficit of CZK 13.5 billion. The goods and services trade surplus fell to CZK 30.1 billion IN May from CZK 36.5 billion a month ago. At the same time, the primary income deficit narrowed to CZK 24.5 billion from CZK 31.7 billion. The deficit in the secondary income declined from CZK 3.8 billion to CZK 0.48 billion. The capital account balance turned to a surplus of CZK 20.5 billion in May from a deficit of CZK 14.8 million in April. Similarly, the financial account surplus came in at CZK 11.4 billion versus a deficit of CZK 21.5 billion. 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. HKTDC Communication and Public Affairs Department Nick Waters Tel: +852 2584 4517 Email: nick.waters@hktdc.org HONG KONG, July 14, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - The highly anticipated Hong Kong Book Fair will return to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) next week starting from 20 July and continuing through 26 July. An annual cultural highlight, the fair is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and will feature more than 600 international exhibitors and a range of cultural activities including seminars, readings, new book parades, storytelling sessions and performances with the aim of cultivating the public's cultural awareness and interest in reading.World of Knowledge Seminar SeriesA major highlight of the Hong Kong Book Fair, the World of Knowledge Seminar Series will feature renowned international authors and works in different languages.With support from the British Council, Hong Kong-born British poet and TS Eliot prize recipient Sarah Howe will take part in a conversation and reading at the Book Fair for the first time. Ms Howe will discuss her first book, "Loop of Jade", in which she explores her dual British and Chinese heritage and her journey to Hong Kong in search of her roots. Another author with a strong Hong Kong connection is Mark O'Neill, whose profession as a journalist, lecturer and writer led him to explore different countries in Asia before settling in Hong Kong in 1978. "The Miraculous History of China's Two Palace Museums", his sixth book on Chinese history, tells the story behind the two Palace Museums in Beijing and Taipei, and how thousands of crates of priceless artworks were moved around China for 16 years before they arrived safely in Taiwan in early 1949.The Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau, meanwhile, has arranged for children's and young adult book author Elisabeth Brami and journalist and author Florence de Changy to introduce their works. Author of more than 100 books and novels, Polish-born French writer Ms Brami, who is also a psychologist, will talk about her work and her aspiration to help children and adults "read the world" as a way to promote peaceful living through mutual respect. She will read one of her illustrated books "The Two Trees", which has been well received and translated into Chinese in 2008. Also from France is seasoned journalist Ms de Changy, who has been covering news in the Asia-Pacific region for the last 25 years. She will discuss her new book, "What Happened to Flight MH370: Beyond the Official Narrative", which investigates the various theories about the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 two years ago.With support from the Consuls General of Mexico, Peru and the Argentine Republic, Rodrigo Cacho, an expert in Renaissance and Baroque cultures, will join the Book Fair to share his thoughts on Spanish-American colonial literature. Reader in Spanish Golden Age and Colonial Studies at the University of Cambridge, Mr Cacho was awarded the British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship last year and is currently preparing a monograph on Spanish-American colonial poetry.The "Wallace Chan: A Journey of Jewelry, Art and Creation" seminar will feature local artisan jeweller Wallace Chan, who is best known for his subtle touch and use of light as the leitmotif for his colourful, sensual jewels. Also speaking at the seminar will be Emily Banis Stoehrer, the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Curator of Jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she oversees a collection that spans 6,000 years and includes more than 22,000 objects.At the seminar entitled "China's Economy: Powerhouse, Menace or the Next Japan", Arthur R Kroeber, one of the world's leading commentators on the Chinese economy, will answer questions about the mainland's economic outlook as it shifts from an investment-driven to a consumer-oriented economy.Tickets on saleTickets to the Book Fair are now available at Hong Kong Ticketing and designated 7-11 and Circle K convenience stores. Electronic ticketing for the Book Fair is available for the first time this year. The public can purchase tickets via the "TNG e-Wallet" App. There will also be Morning Admission Tickets and a Special Re-entry Promotion (details below). Seminars are also open for online registration. Visitors to Hong Kong can receive a $10 concession ticket at the fair's ticketing counters by presenting valid travel documents.The 27th HKTDC Hong Kong Book FairDate: 20-26 July 2016 (Wednesday to Tuesday)Opening Hours:20, 21, 24, 25 July: 10:00 am-10:00 pm22, 23 July: 10:00 am-12:00 midnight (Hall 3 open till 11:00 pm)26 July: 9:00 am-5:00 pmVenue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition CentreAdmission:Adult Ticket: HK$25Child Ticket: HK$10 (for primary school students / children under 1.22m tall)* Children under 3 and adults over 65 will be admitted free of chargeConcessionary Tickets:- Morning Admission Ticket (entry before 12:00 noon): HK$10 (only on sale at the fairground each day)- Special Re-entry Promotion: Visitors who purchase a regular adult ticket (HK$25) or child ticket (HK$10) dated 20 or 21 July can enjoy free admission on 22, 23 or 24 July (Fri, Sat, Sun) after 7pm by presenting the whole stub attached to the admission ticket. The offer is not applicable to other admission tickets including morning admission ticket, concessionary ticket, VIP ticket and complimentary ticket.- Ticket concession for persons with disabilities:Holders of the "Registration Card for Persons with Disabilities" issued by the Labour and Welfare Bureau can purchase a $10 concession ticket at the fairground's ticketing counters by presenting their Registration Card.- Ticket concession for visitors:Visitors to Hong Kong can purchase a $10 concession ticket at the fairground's ticketing counters by presenting valid travel documents.Book Fair Website http://www.hkbookfair.com (For activity details and registration to seminars)Video https://youtu.be/tXbhz0wEWhkMedia 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 HKTDCThe Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The 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. OKLAHOMA CITY (dpa-AFX) - Devon Energy Corp. (DVN) announced Thursday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its 50 percent ownership interest in Access Pipeline to Wolf Midstream Inc., for C$1.4 billion, or $1.1 billion, using current exchange rates. The agreement also includes the potential for an incremental C$150 million payment with the sanctioning and development of a new thermal-oil project on Devon's Pike lease in Alberta, Canada. Wolf Midstream is a portfolio company of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Under terms of the sale agreement, Devon's thermal-oil acreage is dedicated to Access Pipeline for an initial term of 25 years. The agreement also includes the potential for the Access Pipeline toll to be reduced by as much as 30 percent with the development of new thermal-oil projects in the future. The Company's next potential project is the first phase of Pike, which is located immediately adjacent to the Jackfish complex. Devon is the operator of this joint venture leasehold with a 50 percent working interest. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals along with customary terms and conditions. Closing is expected in the third quarter of 2016. Dave Hager, president and CEO, said, 'With the highly-accretive sale of Access, Devon's divestiture program is now complete with proceeds totaling $3.2 billion, surpassing the top end of our $2 billion to $3 billion guidance range. Furthermore, the divestiture proceeds significantly strengthen our investment-grade balance sheet and position us to further accelerate investment in our best-in-class U.S. resource plays, led by the STACK and Delaware Basin.' In early June, Devon Energy announced that it has agreed for additional $1 billion of upstream asset sales to undisclosed parties. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Welcome to Line Danci Read more [...] WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - July 14, 2016) - AiNET has expanded its high speed fiber optic communications service to George Washington University at 2020 K Street NW in Washington, DC. This new connection gives GWU a distinct advantage, providing the university with uninterrupted high-speed communications -- increasing performance, and lowering costs with higher security and reliability. The 2020 K Street NW location for George Washington University houses its Paralegal Studies program in the College of Professional Studies. The graduate certificate and master's degree offered from GWU's Paralegal Studies program are the only academic-credit bearing certificates available in Washington, DC, giving this location enormous weight for aspiring law students in our nation's capital. AiNET's connection to 2020 K Street NW creates potential for secure, reliable, and low-cost high-speed internet access and other communications for other tenants as well. AiNET continues to expand its installation of fiber optic lines into commercial buildings across Maryland and the DC area. This fiber optic network, which is wholly owned and operated by AiNET, includes over 10,000 miles of fiber, both lit and dark, and spans from Baltimore to northern Virginia. For more information regarding AiNET's network of data centers, managed services and privately-held fiber network, call 888-3AiNET3 or visit http://www.ai.net/ or http://bit.ly/2aaOA7d About AiNET AiNET is a world-class leader in the design, construction, operations, and support of IT Infrastructure, Patented Power Technologies, Optical Fiber Networks, Critical Solutions, and more. AiNET owns and operates certified Tier 4 data centers, the highest level of data center reliability, security, and maintainability. AiNET is continuously breaking new ground in the modern tech industry and is a leading innovator in critical technologies, including Commercial Internet and Cloud Services. AiNET is always expanding its reach and impact for business, and growing to connect buildings to their protected fiber communications networks for enhanced reliability and security. Customers that trust AiNET include the Department of Defense, the Department of Labor, the Securities and Exchange Commission, Level 3 Communications, Comcast, Cox, Cogent and many others. AiNET has over 100 lit or "on-net" buildings. Contact: Brian Checco brian.checco@ai.net (301) 931-6574 ext. 224 MUSCAT, Oman, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Introducing CSL (Cloud Smart Learning),an e-platform for vocational and professional training: A bridge linking job seekers and market requirements Online training, flexible schedules fitting with trainees' budget and work-life balance The idea, management and the e-content all are done by Omani minds where the tender has been derived from the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Interactive content rather than traditional abstract content Online assessment based on restrict measures for quality control After identifying the successful assignments, the system will randomly send 20% of such to an internal verifier The student has the right to file a complaint if he/she wasn't satisfied with the grades. Such complaints will be studied carefully and respond to it by convincing evidence and argument Our first diploma that we offer is ILM level 3 diploma in leadership and management which is designed for first line managers and Ut is suitable for heads of divisions, sections and supervisors The diploma is approved by The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (OFQUAL) in UK and It enhances the chances of success of job seekers, and young business leaders The Diploma is Awarded by ILM, the largest center for the granting of professional qualifications in leadership and management in the whole of Europe . . The diploma consists of separated 10 units, with a study fees of nearly 1,000 OMR only only It is our pleasure to help other establishments change their courses to interactive e-content. We can also assist them in developing their LMS. Under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Dr Fahad bin Al Julanda Al Said, assistant secretary general for promotion Innovation and Development at the Research Council, the CSL (Cloud Smart Learning), which is the first establishment in the world to build a fully integrated e-platform for vocational and professional training and the internationally approved specialized vocational certifications, was inaugurated at The Intercontinental, Muscat. Abbass Al Hemaid al Lawati, the innovator and founder of the first-of-its-kind establishment explained that the core idea aims to bridge the gap at the national and domestic job markets through building connections between job searchers and labor market requirements of qualified manpower. "CSL gives those who like to enhance their skills and knowledge an opportunity to join specialized high-end vocational training courses which will be internationally credited and under the supervision of global teams with the highest level of qualifications. The attendants will be granted graduation certifications approved from international establishments. All the above will be fully available online via an advanced e-portal according to a program that fits the financial, work and life circumstances of the students. This great achievement is a symbol for the innovation, creation and efficiency of the Omani youth, because the whole project is built by Omani minds that were educated in Oman and inspired by HM Sultan Qaboos bin Said who attached great attention to the importance of science, education and knowledge," al Lawati said. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160714/389552 ) New concept for time and place According to CSL founder, the global job market gives priority to the vocational qualification and not the academic one; because the first supports the manpower ability to interact with job requirements. "We, all, know that most of the employees and job seekers wish to attain vocational and professional courses but at the same time they have obstacles, in terms of work-life balance, that hinder them. So, CSL was created, in first place, to reduce time and place and remove all these obstacles, because all phases are online, from filling applications to doing tests and exams. In addition to that its accessible from any smart device. Low cost Speaking on the costs, al Lawati affirmed that the program fees are very low- thanks to the flexible model adopted and the high operating efficiency- because the fact that the whole program is on line. For example, according to al Lawati, the fees for the first diploma will be available by CSL are about RO1000. Moreover, the fees can be scheduled according to the units taught. To make thing easier to the students, there will be a package of facilitations for each unit; so that, the student can tailor his need according to his requirements and budget. Registration steps "Studying with CSL starts with registration where any student can log into our official website, from anywhere in the world, and register his name any time throughout the year. This step requires choosing courses according to the qualification obtained by the student. The next step is an online video conference between the student and one of our experts who gives to the student whatever information required about the courses. Then, CSL system enlists the applicant name in a group of students from many places in the world who picked up the same courses and level. Of course, payment is online", said al Lawati. Interactive tuition After registration is done successfully, studying starts through interactive e-content; and not abstract themes as it has used to be with the traditional methods of learning. CSL has changed the courses into e-content in an innovative way that is unprecedented all over the world. Thus, any person can join studying from anywhere and anytime. Live lectures Study program includes live lectures to be delivered on line by one of CSL experts; from anywhere in the world and each student of the same group can attend the lectures while sitting at his own country. Each individual student has the right to "buy" additional one-to-one sessions with the trainer. On line assessment in English and Arabic Al Lawati explained that all tests- assessment processes- throughout the program are on line, based on strict measures to have quality control in place; for example, the program chooses automatically random samples of 30% of researches submitted by the student. These samples will be discussed by the expert trainer to make sure that the student is the one who did the research by himself. In case of graduation projects (researches), the work is submitted to the trainers to check it for the assessment. If the student failed to obtain the mark that qualifies him to pass, the trainer send him a report showing the benchmarks the student couldn't achieve. The student goes through the research again to correct his "mistakes" and re-submit his work for assessing; based on the same strict measures and procedures. Accurate assessment for high quality Asserting on the importance of quality, CSL chooses randomly a 20% of researches that passed the first assessment to be submitted to an internal verifier who checks the researches and assessment forms related. The IV fills in a report to be sent to the program director and the trainer who revise his own assessment according to the notes of the senior expert. The final assessment will be sent to the vocational establishment that grants the qualification to the student, which, in turn, assigns an expert who reviews some random samples to make sure that the first and second assessments were done properly. International certificate When the student research passes all assessment processes, the student obtains his certificate by an international vocational entity. For example, the first diploma offered by CSL in leadership and management is approved by the OFQUAl and is granted by the global vocational training establishment ILM, which is biggest body, specialized in vocational and professional training in Europe, with more than one million graduates all over the world. Encouraging innovative youth CSL opens the window for the Omani innovative youth to change the abstract courses into interactive e-content. The courses that have been changed into e-content, up to now were all done by Omani youth who graduated from the Faculty of Commerce at the Sultan Qaboos University, in Jan 2016. Those youth have been recruited at CSL where they received the suitable training and have been given the freedom to work with us from anywhere via the internet through very flexible work-hour system, al Lawati explained. New opportunity for marketing "one of the many creative ideas we built at the company is wide-spreading the culture of vocational training, knowledge and development. We give the chance to whomever to have a hand in promoting our training courses and diplomas via the web and through the social media platforms in particular. CSL makes available whatever marketing material and tools to any anyone who wants to make profits through marketing and promotion against 10% of registration fees paid by the trainee he attracted. This amount of money is deducted directly from the source to be deposited into the bank account of the one who worked for us a freelance marketing executive. Moreover, we offer a 20% off to the establishments and companies registered with CSL when they apply for their employees to join any of our training courses. This reduction is valid also to the employees when they apply by themselves as individuals, as long as they are at the payroll of these companies and establishments, said al Lawati. Future attitudes CSL founder said that the establishment was inaugurated with the third level diploma program- leadership and management, which is granted by the British LIM. According to al Lawati, it is the most needed training course in Oman and the Arab world, because it is designed to fit with first line managers, heads of sections and division and supervisors; so it enhances the chances of the job seekers and young entrepreneurs. "In the next few months, we will offer many training diplomas, programs and courses which are internationally approved and equal to the bachelor and master degrees according to the British education system. In the next years, we will offer a number of academic programs through the most renewed universities and colleges in the world. We focus, currently, on the vocational training courses because of the increasing demand from the labor market", al Lawati, further, added. Giving a hand in developing educational programs "We are very keen to share our success with all concerned bodies and entities through offering high-end programs. We give a hand by helping these entities develop their training and educational courses and programs; by changing the courses into e-content to be interactive and attractive at the same time, We can assist them in the development of their own LMS ", al Lawati asserted. The true meaning of giving CSL founder concluded saying "inaugurating this establishment came after long and deep survey and inspection for the local market which confirmed one fact; that there is a bad need for the job seekers and the employees to have some sort of vocational training that suits with their own financial, social and work reality. This took long years because I had a true desire to give the people a real help to have work-life balance and promising future. "I wanted to make it very clear that everyone, regardless to his humble financial resources and abilities, can change his own life and his community to the better and contribute to a better life for the humanity. I would like to take the opportunity and call everyone to read my last book, entitled 'Your Vocational Path: an Approach to develop your Business Portfolio', which was approved by the British Society for Legal Management as one of the authentic sources for the vocational planning fifth level student. I would like, also, to call people to read my novel 'A Struggler Journey', which is about a poor and orphaned young man who could change his life by optimizing the simple means and ends available to anyone. The two books are available, free, on my Facebook account. I'm very sure that CSL brand name will has its deserved place, along with the biggest establishments all over the world, as an idea that contributed to the progress of humanity and flag shipped the name of the Sultanate as the home of an unprecedented educational model." Usman Siddiq GSM: +968 98416505 choice.ap@gmail.com SAN FRANCISCO (dpa-AFX) - Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) is slated to release its second-quarter numbers before the bell on Friday, July 15, with analysts polled by Thomson Reuters estimating earnings of $1.01 per share on revenue of $22.17 billion. Analysts' estimate typically exclude certain special items. Q1 Highlights Net income applicable to common stock for the first-quarter dropped about 7% to $5.085 billion from the prior year's $5.461 billion, with earnings per share declining to $0.99 from $1.04 in the prior year. Analysts expected earnings of $0.97 per share. Net interest income for the quarter grew 6% to $11.67 billion from $10.99 billion in the prior year. Total non-interest income rose to 2% to $10.53 billion from $10.29 billion in the prior year. Quarterly revenue rose about 4% to $22.20 billion, from $21.28 billion last year. Wall Street expected revenues of $21.60 billion. Revenue growth was benefited from the sale of its crop insurance business resulting in a $381 million gain recorded in all other non-interest income. Chairman and CEO John Stumpf said, 'Wells Fargo's first quarter results reflected the benefit of our diversified business model as we managed challenges presented by a volatile operating environment for our industry. We again generated solid growth in the fundamental drivers of long-term value creation: loans, deposits and capital.' In Focus Amidst the slow and uneven economic recovery, the company remains focused on the long term drivers of its success: increasing customers, loans, deposits and building capital. The company believes this unwavering focus on diversified business model positions it well to benefit from future growth opportunities. 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) - Blackrock Inc. (BLK) released earnings for second quarter that retreated from last year. The company said its bottom line dropped to $797 million, or $4.78 per share. This was down from $838 million, or $4.96 per share, in last year's second quarter. Analysts had expected the company to earn $4.77 per share, according figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. The company said revenue for the quarter fell 3.4% to $2.8 billion. This was down from $2.9 billion last year. Blackrock Inc. earnings at a glance: -Earnings (Q2): $797 Mln. vs. $838 Mln. last year. -Earnings Decline (Y-o-Y): -4.9% -EPS (Q2): $4.78 vs. $4.96 last year. -EPS Decline (Y-o-Y): -3.6% -Analysts Estimate: $4.77 -Revenue (Q2): $2.8 Bln vs. $2.9 Bln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): -3.4% 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. BOUCHERVILLE, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Note to reader: a press release has been issued earlier about recapitalization transactions. The reader should refer to that release for additional details. Colabor Group Inc. (TSX: GCL) ("Colabor" or the "Corporation") today reported its results for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 ended June 11, 2016. "Colabor posted a strong increase in operating profitability once again in the second quarter, and concluded the period with net earnings in excess of $3 million. This improvement reflects a perfect execution of the rationalization plan announced earlier this year, as well as an overall improvement in operating performance. The 2.3% increase in Distribution segment sales mainly reflects Ontario's contribution via a major customer and an increase in the market shares of the Norref division," said Claude Gariepy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Colabor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Financial highlights Quarter ended Six-month period ended (thousands of dollars June 11, June 13, June 11, June 13, except per-share data) 2016 2015 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sales 364,801 366,635 671,865 671,297 Adjusted EBITDA 10,074 8,512 11,979 8,976 Operating earnings before the following items 7,421 5,107 6,607 2,155 Impairment loss on equity investment - - - 1,731 Charges not related to current operations - 507 3,337 1,345 Net earnings (loss) 3,073 1,002 (2,225) (5,313) Per share - basic and diluted ($) 0.11 0.04 (0.08) (0.19) Cash flow from (used in) operations(i) (7,499) 3,614 (5,333) 11,469 Weighted average number of shares outstanding (basic, in thousands) 27,454 27,454 27,454 27,454 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) After the net change in working capital. SECOND QUARTER RESULTS Consolidated sales were $364.8 million for the 84-day period ended June 11, 2016, up from $366.6 million for the 84-day period ended June 13, 2015. This decrease was attributable to the Wholesale segment, partially offset by improvement in the Distribution segment, on a fully-comparable basis. Sales for the Distribution segment rose 2.3% to $253.2 million from $247.4 million a year earlier, essentially due to sales gains in Ontario that were primarily attributable to the growth of Cara. Sales for the Norref division also grew, due to increases in market share. Sales for the Wholesale segment were $111.6 million, down from $119.2 million last year. The 6.4% decrease reflects lower sales for the Decarie division, arising from a decline in beef prices and a voluntary reduction in sales of certain categories, and to a lesser extent for the Boucherville division, due to the non-renewal of a supply agreement that expired on April 15, 2016. Adjusted EBITDA was $10.1 million or 2.76% of sales, up from $8.5 million or 2.32% of sales in the second quarter of 2015. The increase reflects the positive impact of the cost reduction measures defined in Colabor's rationalization plan and an overall improved performance. These elements were partially offset by lower margins on the Cara contract renewal that took effect in the third quarter of 2015. Given the increase in adjusted EBITDA, and excluding charges not related to current operations, operating earnings, i.e., earnings before financial expenses and income taxes, improved by $2.3 million from the previous year. As a result, Colabor ended the second quarter of 2016 with net earnings of $3.1 million, up 206.7% from $1.0 million a year earlier. SIX-MONTH RESULTS Consolidated sales were $671.9 million for the 168-day period ended June 11, 2016, compared to $671.3 million for the 168-day period ended June 13, 2015. Adjusted EBITDA was $12.0 million or 1.78% of sales, up from $9.0 million or 1.34% of sales a year earlier. Excluding charges not related to current operations, operating earnings were $6.6 million, up 206.6% from $2.2 million last year. Finally, the net loss for the six-month period ended June 11, 2016, was $2.2 million, compared to a net loss of $5.3 million for the six-month period ended June 13, 2015. CASH FLOW AND FINANCIAL POSITION Cash flow used in operations amounted to $7.5 million in the second quarter of 2016, compared to cash flow from operations of $3.6 million for the same period of 2015. The $11.1 million variation was mainly attributable to a less favourable change in working capital in 2016, primarily due to a significant decline in trade and other payables. As at June 11, 2016, the Company had drawn $97.7 million on its credit facility, compared to $88.1 million three months earlier. With the bank loan and a portion of the Corporation's long-term debt and convertible debentures set to mature in the next 12 months, an amount of $168.1 million is presented as part of current liabilities as at June 11, 2016. OUTLOOK "The second quarter results demonstrate the sustained impact of our rationalization plan, whose benefits should extend into the coming quarters. The agreement being presented to the shareholders and detailed in a separate press release is transformative for us, represents a win-win outcome for all stakeholders involved, and will create value in the medium term. Moreover, it will enable us to dispel the uncertainty arising from our high level of indebtedness and pursue our activities on a solid footing," added Mr. Gariepy. "Assuming the recapitalization process is completed, the Corporation's total-net-debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio for the last 12 months would decrease from 6.7 to about 5.1 times on a pro forma basis. The agreement will also have the advantage of reducing our interest expenses by about $3 million per year. We are proud of the proposed agreement, which will ensure the Corporation's sustainability and give us the financial flexibility required to competitively pursue and achieve our business objectives," concluded Jean-Francois Neault, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Colabor. CONFERENCE CALL Colabor will hold a conference call to discuss these results on Thursday, July 14, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Interested parties can join the call by dialling 647-788-4922 (from Toronto and overseas) or 1-877-223-4471 (from elsewhere in North America). If you are unable to participate, you can listen to a recording by dialling 1-800-585-8367 and entering the code 36596646 on your telephone keypad. The recording will be available from 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 14, 2016, until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, July 21, 2016. Those wishing to join the webcast and presentation can do so by clicking on the following link: http://www.colabor.com/en/investisseurs/evenements-et-presentations/ NON-IFRS MEASURES The information provided in this release includes non-IFRS performance measures, notably earnings before financial expenses, income taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") and cash flow. As these concepts are not defined by IFRS, they may not be comparable to those of other companies. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The Corporation's Management Discussion and Analysis and the financial statements will be available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) following publication of this release. Additional information about Colabor Group Inc. can be found on SEDAR and on the Corporation's website at www.colabor.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements reflecting the opinions or current expectations of Colabor Group Inc. concerning its performance, business operations and future events. Such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions and the analysis of the debt structure and available alternatives, and risks mentioned in the Corporation's annual information form found under its profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), such as the risk of dilution for existing shareholders. As such, these statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, realities, or events may differ materially. Except as required by law, the Corporation assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions or other factors change. ABOUT COLABOR Colabor is a distributor and wholesaler of food and non-food products serving the foodservice market (cafeterias, restaurants, hotels, restaurant chains) in Quebec, Ontario and the Atlantic provinces, as well as the retail market (grocery stores and convenience stores). Contacts: Investors: Colabor Group Inc. Jean-Francois Neault, CPA, CMA, MBA Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 450-449-0026 Ext 1308 450-449-6180 (FAX) jean-francois.neault@colabor.com Media: Maison Brison Inc. Martin Goulet, CFA Senior Vice President, Investor Relations 514-731-0000 Ext 229 514-731-4525 (FAX) martin@maisonbrison.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison" or the "Company") (TSX: DML)(NYSE MKT: DNN) is pleased to announce that it has executed an agreement with Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: SYH) ("Skyharbour") that grants Skyharbour an option to acquire a 100% interest in Denison's wholly owned Moore Lake uranium exploration property ("Option Agreement") in exchange for cash and stock. The Moore Lake property consists of 12 contiguous claims, totaling 35,705 hectares, and is part of Denison's diverse exploration portfolio in the eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region. Under the terms of the Option Agreement, Denison will receive 18,000,000 common shares of Skyharbour (on a pre-consolidation basis, see below for details) and staged cash payments of $500,000, in aggregate, over the next five years. In order to acquire a 100% interest in the property Skyharbour must also spend $3,500,000 in exploration expenditures on the property over the next five years. Under the terms of the Option Agreement, as outlined below, Denison also maintains various back-in rights on the property. All amounts in this release are stated in Canadian dollars. Highlights -- Skyharbour obtains an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Moore Lake property, a mature uranium exploration property located in the eastern Athabasca Basin; -- Denison will receive 18,000,000 common shares of Skyharbour and staged cash payments totaling $500,000, plus Skyharbour will incur $3,500,000 in exploration expenditures on the property over the next five years to complete its acquisition of a 100% interest; -- Denison retains various back-in rights to re-acquire a 51% interest in the property; -- Denison will become Skyharbour's largest shareholder, holding approximately 18.7% of the shares outstanding (including Denison's existing share position in the Company); -- Denison's President and CEO, David Cates, is expected to join Skyharbour's Board of Directors; -- Skyharbour adds a large, well situated, and high grade uranium exploration asset to its project portfolio and plans to raise $1,950,000 through a non-brokered private placement for exploration and general working capital purposes. Denison's President and CEO, David Cates commented, "Denison is continuing to focus its efforts and budgets on the Company's flagship Wheeler River project - which is in the process of advancing from a successful Preliminary Economic Assessment to a Prefeasibility Study, together with extensive exploration focused on delineating new and existing resources around the Gryphon deposit. Partnering with Skyharbour is the perfect way to ensure Moore Lake continues to be explored for potentially significant mineralization. While Denison wasn't actively looking to sell its position in the Moore Lake property, we couldn't pass on an opportunity to join forces with the dynamic leadership team at Skyharbour and their strong will to take Moore Lake through the next phase of exploration." Skyharbour's President and CEO, Jordan Trimble commented, "We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Denison to acquire a 100% interest in Moore Lake. Uranium properties with the pedigree and potential of Moore Lake are few and far between - having extensive historical exploration, high-grade mineralized results, and several shallow exploration targets that remain with the potential to return further discoveries. With a recovery in the uranium market on the horizon, Skyharbour views this transaction as a unique opportunity to acquire a prime exploration property before the next uranium bull cycle begins. Having Denison on-board as a strategic shareholder and David Cates join our Board of Directors also bolsters Skyharbour's profile and access to capital moving forward." Moore Lake Property The Moore Lake Uranium Project consists of 12 contiguous claims totaling 35,705 hectares, and is located 42 kilometres northeast of the Key Lake mill, approximately 20 kilometres east of Denison's Wheeler River project, and 39 kilometres south of Cameco Corp.'s McArthur River mine. Unconformity-hosted uranium mineralization was discovered on the property at the Maverick Zone in 2000 and several high grade intercepts have been drilled since. Drill hole ML-61 contained the best result drilled on the property to date, which returned 4.03% eU3O8 over 10 metres, including 20% eU3O8 over 1.4 metres starting at a depth of 264.68 metres. The drill hole had significant core loss over the mineralized zone and therefore the grade is reported as radiometric equivalent U3O8 ("eU3O8"") derived from a calibrated total gamma down-hole probe. Drill holes ML-55 and ML-48 also encountered high-grade mineralization, returning 5.14% U3O8 over 6.2 metres, and 4.01% U3O8 over 4.7 metres, respectively. The depth to the unconformity on the property is relatively shallow, with the thickness of the sandstone cover varying from less than 125 metres on the property's eastern side to over 325 metres on the property's northwestern side. Basement rocks are predominantly paragneisses belonging to the Wollaston Domain. A large mafic sill known as the "Moore Lake complex" partially overlies a portion of the eastern side of the property. The property has been the subject of extensive historic exploration with approximately $30 million in expenditures, and over 130,000 metres of diamond drilling completed in over 350 drill holes. Since 1969, the property has undergone episodic exploration by several companies including Noranda, AGIP, BRINEX, Cogema, Kennecott/JNR Resources and IUC/Denison. Exploration programs carried out on the project lands include an assortment of airborne and ground electromagnetic and magnetic surveys, ground gravity, seismic, IP/ resistivity and geochemical surveys, mapping, prospecting and lake sediment sampling programs and the drilling of over 350 diamond drill holes. From mid-2000 onwards, the primary focus of exploration has been the 3.5 kilometre long Maverick structural corridor where pods of high grade unconformity-type uranium mineralization have been intersected. The best intercepts to date were obtained from drill holes testing the southwestern portion of this corridor. In addition to the Maverick Zone, diamond drilling in several other geophysical target areas has intersected multiple conductors associated with significant structural disruption, strong alteration and anomalous uranium and pathfinder element concentrations. Terms of the Option Agreement Under the terms of the Option Agreement, Skyharbour may acquire a 100% interest in the Moore Lake property in consideration for the issuance of 18,000,000 common shares and staged cash payments totaling $500,000 over the next five years. Skyharbour has also agreed to fund $3,500,000 in exploration expenditures on the Moore Lake Project over the same five year period and will act as project operator. Skyharbour must make the staged cash payments to Denison and incur expenditures of $3,500,000 on the property on or before July 31st, 2021 in accordance with the following schedule: -- $50,000 in cash and $500,000 in exploration expenditures on or before July 31st, 2017 -- $50,000 in cash and $500,000 in exploration expenditures on or before July 31st, 2018 -- $100,000 in cash and $500,000 in exploration expenditures on or before July 31st, 2019 -- $100,000 in cash and $1,000,000 in exploration expenditures on or before July 31st, 2020 -- $200,000 in cash and $1,000,000 in exploration expenditures on or before July 31st, 2021 Once Skyharbour acquires a 100% interest in the property, Denison may exercise a buyback option ("Buyback Option") to repurchase a 51% interest in the property by making an upfront cash payment to Skyharbour of $200,000 and spending $6,750,000 in exploration expenditures on the property over the following three year period. The parties would then form a joint venture. If Denison fails to complete the Buyback Option, Skyharbour would retain 100% ownership in the property. Provided this first Buyback Option is not exercised by Denison, Skyharbour would own 100% of the property and would have an additional five year period to incur an additional $3,000,000 in exploration expenditures on the project ("Additional Expenditures"). At this point, Denison may elect to exercise a second buyback option to repurchase a 51% interest in the property by making an upfront cash payment of $500,000 to Skyharbour and spending $16,500,000 in exploration expenditures on the property over the following four year period. The parties would then form a joint venture. If Denison fails to complete this second buyback option, Skyharbour would retain 100% ownership in the property. Provided the Buyback Option was not exercised by Denison and Skyharbour does not complete the Additional Expenditures within the allotted five year period, Denison may elect to exercise a buyback option at any time to repurchase a 51% interest in the property by making an upfront cash payment of $500,000 to Skyharbour and spending at least 2.5 times the expenditures incurred by Skyharbour since the beginning of the Option Agreement. The parties would then form a joint venture. As part of the Option Agreement, Denison is entitled to nominate a member to Skyharbour's Board of Directors, provided Denison maintains a minimum ownership position of 5%. The transactions contemplated by the Option Agreement are subject to Skyharbour obtaining the requisite TSX Venture Exchange approval. Skyharbour Private Placement and Share Consolidation Skyharbour announced that is has received Board approval for a consolidation of the Company's issued and outstanding share capital. The intended consolidation will be on a basis of one post-consolidation common share for every four pre-consolidation common shares. This consolidation will reduce the issued and outstanding shares of the Company from 89,043,594 (pre-Moore Lake Option Agreement) to approximately 22,260,890 shares. The consolidation is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. Skyharbour also announced that it has arranged a non-brokered private placement of up to 13,000,000 units (the "Unit") at a price of $0.15 per unit, on a post-consolidation basis, to raise proceeds of up to $1,950,000. Each Unit consists of one common share and one non-transferable share purchase warrant (the "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share for a period of five years at a price of $0.27 per share, on a post-consolidation basis. Skyharbour intends to utilize the proceeds from this private placement for exploration and general working capital purposes. The private placement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance. Qualified Person The disclosure of a scientific or technical nature contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Dale Verran, MSc, Pr.Sci.Nat., Denison's Vice President, Exploration, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101. For a description of the assay procedures and the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied by Denison, please see Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 24, 2016 filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About Denison Denison is a uranium development and exploration company focused in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Highlighted by its 60% owned Wheeler River development project, which hosts the high grade Gryphon and Phoenix uranium deposits, Denison's project portfolio covers over 350,000 hectares and includes a 22.5% interest in the McClean Lake uranium mill, which is permitted for annual production of up to 24 million pounds U3O8 and is currently processing ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement. Denison's interests in the eastern Athabasca Basin also include a 61.55% interest in the J Zone deposit on the Waterbury Lake property, a 25.17% interest in the Midwest deposit, and a 22.5% interest in the McClean lake uranium deposits - all of which are located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill. Denison is also engaged in mine decommissioning and environmental services through its Denison Environmental Services division and is the manager of Uranium Participation Corp., a publicly traded company which invests in uranium oxide and uranium hexafluoride. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes", or the negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Option Agreement and the acquisition by Skyharbour, the potential for a joint venture with respect to the Moore Lake property, the Skyharbour private placement and share consolidation, Denison's shareholdings in Skyharbour, exploration (including drilling) and evaluation activities, plans and objectives; potential mineralization of drill targets; and the estimates of Denison's mineral resources. Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable but there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the "Risk Factors" in Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 24, 2016 available under its profile at www.sedar.com and in its Form 40-F available at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. These factors are not, and should not be construed as being, exhaustive. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this press release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in its expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation. Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources: This press release may use the terms "measured", "indicated" and "inferred" mineral resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable. Contacts: David Cates President and Chief Executive Officer (416) 979-1991 ext. 362 Sophia Shane Investor Relations (604) 689-7842 Follow Denison on Twitter @DenisonMinesCo MOKOPANE, SOUTH AFRICA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Robert Friedland, Executive Chairman of Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN), and Lars-Eric Johansson, Chief Executive Officer, announced today that permanent sinking work has begun on Shaft 1 at the Platreef platinum-group metals, nickel, copper and gold mine in South Africa. Shaft 1, which will have an internal diameter of 7.25 metres, will provide initial access for early underground development at the Flatreef Deposit and will be utilized to fast-track production during the first phase of the project. Following the successful commissioning and licensing of the required equipment, the permanent sinking phase started at a planned, initial rate of 1.8 metres per day. This is planned to double the current depth of Shaft 1 from 54 metres to 107 metres below surface - the point at which the main sinking phase will begin. Ivanhoe expects that the subsequent main sinking phase will advance at an average rate of 2.7 metres a day until it reaches the planned, final depth at 1,025 metres below surface in 2018. "This is an important milestone in the building of a major, new underground mine at Platreef and we are extremely proud of our employees and contractors for the safe and efficient job they have done in transitioning Shaft 1 from the pre-sinking phase to the permanent-sinking phase," said Mr. Friedland. Photo 1 is available at the following address: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Platreef_Shaft1.pdf The Shaft sinking contract, held by Aveng Mining, of South Africa, will include the development of two main stations at below-surface depths of 450 metres and 750 metres. Shaft 1 is expected to reach the Flatreef Deposit, at a depth of 777 metres, during the third quarter of 2017. The selected mining areas proposed in Platreef's current pre-feasibility study mine plan occur at depths ranging from approximately 700 metres to 1,200 metres below the surface. The Platreef Project is a Tier One discovery by Ivanhoe Mines' geologists on the Northern Limb of South Africa's Bushveld Igneous Complex, the world's premier platinum producing region. Ivanhoe Mines owns 64% of the Platreef Project through its subsidiary, Ivanplats, and is directing all mine development work. The South African beneficiaries of the approved broad-based, black economic empowerment structure have a 26% stake in the Platreef Project and the remaining 10% is owned by a Japanese consortium of ITOCHU Corporation; ITC Platinum Development Ltd., an ITOCHU affiliate; Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation; and JGC Corporation. Shaft 1, including initial lateral underground development work, will be funded from dedicated funds remaining in Ivanhoe's treasury from the US$280-million received in 2011 for the sale of an 8% interest in the Platreef Project to the ITOCHU-led Japanese consortium. Early works for the 10-metre-diameter Shaft 2, the main production shaft with the capacity to hoist six million tonnes per year, are planned to begin next year. The headgear design has been completed by South Africa-based Murray & Roberts Cementation. Photo 2 is available at the following address: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Bottom_Shaft1.pdf New lines to supply electrical power from South Africa's national grid Work now is complete on the internal electricity substation, which will have a capacity of five-million volt-amperes. Construction is underway of the power transmission lines from the main lines of Eskom, the South African public electricity utility, which will be used for shaft sinking. Back-up generators also have been installed to ensure continuous sinking operations in the event of power interruptions. The new power transmission lines also will provide electric power to an adjacent community near the Platreef Project, which currently has no supply of electricity. Other on-site work includes the construction of the permanent road intersection leading to the Platreef Project from the N11 national highway, which will assist with management of safe access to the mine. Feasibility study update Ivanplats plans to develop the Platreef Mine in three phases: an initial annual rate of four million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) to establish an operating platform to support future expansions; followed by a doubling of production to eight Mtpa; and then a third expansion phase to a steady-state 12 Mtpa. At a projected production rate of 12 Mtpa, Platreef would be among the largest platinum-group metals mines in the world. Good progress is being made in advancing the feasibility study for Platreef's first-phase production scenario toward completion. The study, which began in August 2015, is being managed by principal consultant DRA Global, with specialized sub-consultants including Stantec Consulting, Murray & Roberts Cementation, SRK, Golder Associates and Digby Wells Environmental. Ivanplats completed a pre-feasibility study (PFS) in January 2015 that covered the first phase of development that includes construction of a state-of-the-art underground mine, concentrator and other associated infrastructure to support initial concentrate production. The development scenarios describe a staged approach structured to provide opportunities to expand the operation based on demand, smelting and refining capacity and capital availability. As the first phase of development is placed into production, there is expected to be an opportunity to modify and optimize the subsequent phases, allowing for changes to the timing of capacity expansions to suit market conditions. The planned mining methods will use highly productive mechanization, including long-hole stoping and drift-and-fill mining. The mined-out areas within the deposit will be backfilled with a paste mixture that utilizes tailings from the process plant and cement. The ore will be hauled from the stopes to a series of ore passes that will connect to a main haulage level connected to Shaft 2, where it will be hoisted to the surface for processing. Photo 3 is available at the following address: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Platreef_mine_site.pdf Safety Achievements The Platreef Project reached a total of 5,903,038 million hours in terms of the Mines Health and Safety Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act by the end of June 2016. A total of 1,266,480 Lost Time Injury-Free (LTI) hours worked have been achieved since the previous LTI in October 2015. The Platreef Project continues to strive toward its workplace objective of an environment that causes zero harm to any employees, contractors, sub-contractors and consultants. Photo 4 is available at the following address: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Ivanplat_Staff_Aveng_Employees.pdf Qualified person The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Stephen Torr, P.Geo., Ivanhoe Mines' Vice President, Project Geology and Evaluation, a Qualified Person under the terms of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). Mr. Torr has verified the technical data disclosed in this news release. Information on sample preparation, analyses and security is contained in the Platreef Project NI 43-101 Technical Report dated January 8, 2015, filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Ivanhoe Mines website at www.ivanhoemines.com. About Ivanhoe Mines Ivanhoe Mines is advancing and developing its three principal projects: -- The Kamoa Copper Discovery in a previously unknown extension of the Central African Copperbelt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). -- The Platreef Discovery of platinum, palladium, nickel, copper, gold and rhodium on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa. -- The historic, high-grade Kipushi zinc-copper mine, also on the Copperbelt in the DRC. Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements or information are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in the company's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. When used in this news release, the words such as "could," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "potential," "should" and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. Information provided in this document is necessarily summarized and may not contain all available material information. The forward-looking information and statements in this news release include, but is not limited to, (i) statements regarding Shaft 1 providing initial access for early underground development at the Flatreef Deposit and that Shaft 1 will be utilized to fast-track production during the first phase of the project; (ii) statements regarding the sinking of Shaft 1, including at a daily rate of approximately 1.8 metres per day and 2.7 metres per day; statements regarding Shaft 1 reaching the Flatreef Deposit, at a depth of 777 metres, during the third quarter of 2017, and reaching the planned, final depth at 1,025 metres below surface in 2018; statements regarding the expectation that Shaft 1, including some initial, lateral, underground development work, is to be fully funded from dedicated funds remaining in Ivanhoe's treasury from the US$280-million received in 2011; statements regarding the expectation that early works for Shaft 2 are to begin next year; statements regarding the company's plans to develop the Platreef Mine in three phases: an initial annual rate of four million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) to establish an operating platform to support future expansions; followed by a doubling of production to eight Mtpa; and then a third expansion phase to a steady-state 12 Mtpa; and statements regarding the planned underground mining methods. Readers are cautioned that actual results may vary from those presented. All such forward-looking information and statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by Ivanhoe Mines' management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believe are appropriate in the circumstances. These statements, however, are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information or statements including, but not limited to, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, industrial accidents or machinery failure (including of shaft sinking equipment), or delays in the development of infrastructure, and the failure of exploration programs or other studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued studies, development or operations. Other important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements also include those described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the company's most recently filed MD&A as well as in the most recent Annual Information Form filed by Ivanhoe Mines. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. The factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking information and statements, and the risks that could cause the actual results to differ materially are presented in the Platreef 2016 Resource Technical Report dated June 24, 2016, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Ivanhoe Mines website at www.ivanhoemines.com. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. Contacts: Investors Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834 Media North America: Bob Williamson +1.604.512.4856 South Africa: Jeremy Michaels +27.11.088.4300 www.ivanhoemines.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Kilo Goldmines Ltd. ("Kilo" or "KGL" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: KGL)(FRANKFURT: 02K) announced that the Democratic Republic of Congo ("DRC") Court of Commerce has dismissed an action initiated in 2014 by LA SOCIETE MINIERE DE L'ITURI SPRL claiming title to Kilo's Isiro properties located in north-eastern DRC. The Isiro properties have been the subject of a joint venture since December 2012 (see below), and further information on the properties and joint venture may be found on the Company's website, (www.Kilogoldmines.com) and under the Company's profile on SEDAR. Mr David Netherway, Chairman, commented: "We're are pleased that the Court has finally ruled on this matter, which we have always viewed to be without merit, and it is encouraging to see the DRC Mining Code upheld by the legal system." Kilo also announced that it has published an updated Corporate Presentation on its website and on SEDAR. About Kilo Kilo Goldmines Ltd. is a Canadian gold exploration company that is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol 'KGL' and on the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol '02K'. The Company holds about 2,417 square kilometres of prospective Archaean Kibalian greenstone in the Kilo-Moto area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Incorporated within these licences are: - the Somituri project (71.25% owned by KGL), comprising six contiguous licences (361km2) held by KGL-Somituri SARL - the KGL Isiro SARL Joint Venture (JV) with Randgold Resources Ltd (2,056 km2), for gold and associated minerals only. The JV is managed by Randgold and financed by it to a pre-feasibility (PFS) for a 51% participation interest. Upon completion of the PFS, KGL can participate in funding or Randgold will increase its participation to 65% by completing a Feasibility Study. Areas which may be deemed of no interest to Randgold will be returned to KGL. KGL has retained the rights to explore for and develop iron ore resources and other minerals associated with the licences held by KGL Isiro SARL. 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. Contacts: Kilo Goldmines Ltd. Philip Gibbs Interim CEO +1 416 360 3406 philip.gibbs@kilogoldmines.com www.kilogoldmines.com TDC will conduct a conference call for institutional investors and analysts on August 10, 2016 at 14.30 CET to present the Q2 2016 results.Pernille Erenbjerg, Chief Executive Officer, and Stig Pastwa, Chief Financial Officer, will comment on the results and answer questions during the conference call.The investor and analyst conference will be held in English and will also be available as a webcast at https://tdcgroup.com/en/investor-relationsInvestors and financial analysts can register for the telephone conference on the following link:http://event.onlineseminarsolutions.com/r.htm?e=1220866&s=1&k=CFF6A94A10 DD3AA0343B2C19E98F1ADARegistration for this event will enable us to provide you with faster and more efficient service. When you have completed registration, you will receive an online and e-mail confirmation. Your confirmation will include the details for the conference call such as dial-in number, an event passcode and PIN that will ensure your secure access on the day of the event.The conference call will refer to a slide deck that will be available on the link: https://tdcgroup.com/en/investor-relations from August 10, 2016 at approx. 12.00 CET. Participants wishing to derive full benefit from the conference call should obtain these slides in due time before the conference call begins.Please note that there might be a time lag between the webcast and the conference call if you are simultaneously watching and calling in to the conference.TDC A/S Teglholmsgade 1 0900 Copenhagen C DK-Denmark tdc.com 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. TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Nutritional High International Inc. (the "Company" or "Nutritional High") (CSE: EAT)(OTCQB: SPLIF)(FRANKFURT: 2NU) wishes to provide an update regarding its international expansion strategy. Nutritional High's mandate is to capitalize on regulatory changes in jurisdictions where cannabis and cannabis derivative products are permitted by the requisite government authorities for medical or adult use. The Company continues to monitor the legislative environment in jurisdictions where a significant market potential exists. Nutritional High has identified Germany as being one of the markets where the regulatory change is currently underway. On May 4, 2016, German Federal Health Minister Hermann Grohe announced that the German cabinet has decided to approve the measure for seriously ill patients who have consulted with a doctor and "have no therapeutic alternative," according to a press release from the German Health Ministry. The law is expected to come into force in 2017. On June 28, 2016, Bundestag has presented a draft law that would amend the act that regulates the controlled substances in Germany to provide for supply of medical cannabis in the form of dried flowers and extracts. A key differentiating factor from other jurisdictions, is that the patients that may be permitted to use cannabis to treat their ailments may be covered by their medical insurance. Nutritional High aims to be at the forefront of legalization in Germany with a goal of bringing its proprietary manufacturing methods and high professional standards of approaching this new industry. The Company will bring its expertise in developing cannabis extract products which provide for different consumption methods and its knowledge of different extraction technologies to create leading products. David Posner, CEO of Nutritional High commented - "After visiting Europe last week and having an opportunity to meet with potential investors, politicians and influential financial power figures, it became clear to us that Germany can be a very lucrative medical cannabis market once the regulatory environment permits to do so. We look forward to continue monitoring the regulatory environment in Germany and developing potential strategies to capitalize on this change according to Nutritional High's mandate." About Nutritional High International Inc. Nutritional High is focused on developing, manufacturing and distributing products and nationally recognized brands in the hemp and marijuana-infused products industries, including edibles and oil extracts for nutritional, medical and adult recreational use. The Company works exclusively through licensed facilities in jurisdictions where such activity is permitted and regulated by state law. For updates on the Company's activities and highlights of the Company's press releases and other media coverage, please follow Nutritional High on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+. NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR OTC MARKETS GROUP INC, NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Such statements include submission of the relevant documentation within the required timeframe and to the satisfaction of the relevant regulators, completing the acquisition of the applicable real estate and raising sufficient financing to complete the Company's business strategy. There is no certainty that any of these events will occur. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be correct. We assume no responsibility to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Company's securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. Persons", as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law. Contacts: Transcend Capital Inc. Etienne Moshevich Investor Relations 604-681-0084 et@transcendcapitalinc.com Nutritional High International Inc. David Posner CEO 647-985-6727 dposner@nutritionalhigh.com The Edinburgh Investment Trust plc HEADLINE: Annual General Meeting Result At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 14 July 2016 shareholders approved the following resolutions: Ordinary Business Ordinary Resolutions 1) to receive and consider the Annual Financial Report for the year ended 31 March 2016; 2) to approve the Directors' Remuneration Policy; 3) to approve the Annual Statement and Report on Remuneration for the year ended 31 March 2016; 4) to declare a final dividend on the ordinary shares; 5) to re-elect Jim Pettigrew as a Director of the Company; 6) to re-elect Gordon McQueen as a Director of the Company; 7) to re-elect Maxwell Ward as a Director of the Company; 8) to re-elect Victoria Hastings as a Director of the Company; 9) to re-elect Glen Suarez as a Director of the Company; 10) to re-elect Sir Nigel Wicks as a Director of the Company; 11) to re-appoint KPMG LLP as Auditor; 12) to authorise the Audit Committee to determine the remuneration of the Auditor; Special Business (please refer to the Notice of Meeting for the full text of the resolutions) Ordinary Resolution 13) to authorise the Directors to allot securities; Special Resolutions 14) to authorise the Directors to allot securities for cash, disapplying statutory pre-emption rights; 15) to renew the Directors' authority to purchase shares of the Company in the market for cancellation or for holding in Treasury within the parameters specified; and 16) that the period of notice required for general meetings of the Company (other than AGMs) shall be not less than 14 days' notice; The resolutions were passed on a show of hands. The proxy votes lodged with the Registrar will shortly be available via the Company's website at: www.invescoperpetual.co.uk/edinburgh Invesco Asset Management Limited Corporate Company Secretary 14 July 2016 VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- LITE ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES INC. (the "Company") (CSE: LTE)(OTC PINK: LTCCF), a total integrated fibre optic solutions provider, is pleased to announce that it has appointed Mr. Mark Schnarr to its Advisory Board. "We are very pleased to have attracted Mark to our Advisory Board," stated Mike Plotnikoff, CEO of Lite Access. "Mark is a great addition to our existing Advisory Board members as Lite Access continues to drive forward on our journey of international expansion. I'm certain the Company will benefit from his insight, industry knowledge and relationships that have the potential to seize significant market opportunities." Mark has over 40 years of experience in the telecom industry. Most recently, he had served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Technologies, Ltd. from June 2006 to March 2016. Previously, he held several executive roles at TELUS Corp over a period of almost 30 years, including Executive Vice President, TELUS and President, TELUS Ventures. Mark helped establish the corporate venturing division in 2001, which provided financing to top-tier companies consistent with the strategic and business interests of its parent, TELUS. In that same capacity, he reorganized and led TELUS International to become a strong future strategic growth option for TELUS. Mr. Schnarr also held the role of Vice President of Internet Services in TELUS Corp from 1999 to 2001 with responsibility for a number of new IP-based companies, technologies and services. He has held advisory roles with a number of private and public organizations over his career and has served on the Board of such organizations as TELUS International, the TELUS New Media and Broadcast Fund, Medialinx, Rapport Interactive, Science World, Vision Critical, IP Unity, ePost, Pacific Place Communications, Wolf Medical Systems, and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Marketing) Degree from the School of Business Administration and Economics, Simon Fraser University, a Canadian Securities Course Certificate, and executive refresh from the Richard Ivey School of Business. About Lite Access Lite Access is a world leader in microduct and fibre optic technologies. Using its specially designed and innovative micro-trench and micro-drill methods of deployment, Lite Access' proprietary microduct technology extends a network provider's ability to deliver true broadband connectivity directly to end-users, such as homes, government and educational institutions, and emergency response facilities. Providing a full portfolio of fibre connectivity solutions for many types of Telecom infrastructure, Lite Access has successfully deployed thousands of kilometres of microduct and microtrench networks throughout North and South America, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, and Asia. Lite Access' products have been deployed in many high profile communication networks including the 2010 Winter Olympics, builds within the State of New York including Central Park, fibre to the home at Stanford University and numerous other locations around the globe that have adopted Lite Access as the "solution of choice" for future proof fibre optic connectivity. Forward-Looking Information Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties described in the Company's Listing Statement dated May 26, 2015 available on www.cnsx.ca. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: For further information please contact: Lite Access Technologies Inc. 1-604-247-4704 www.liteaccess.com For investor relations please contact: Rob Gamley 1-604-689-7422 rob@contactfinancial.com MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - The US Government has designated two Islamic State-allied Russians as global terrorists, including a former Guantanamo detainee and a Chechen militant tied to deadly attacks in Moscow. The Department of State said Wednesday that it has designated Aslan Avgazarovich Byutukaev and Ayrat Nasimovich Vakhitov as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), which imposes sanctions on foreign persons determined to have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. Byutukaev is the leader for Chechnya of the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) outfit the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-Caucasus Province (ISIL-CP). Vakhitov is a foreign terrorist fighter from Tatarstan, Russia who has fought in Syria. Vakhitov is associated with Jaysh al-Muhajirin Wal Ansar, a group that was designated by the U.S. Department of State as a SDGT under Executive Order 13224. Vakhitov has also used the internet to recruit militants to travel to Syria. 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. BERLIN, GERMANY and SAN FRANCISCO, CA and SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- AppLift, a leading mobile advertising technology company, today announced the appointment of Brendan Lyall as Managing Director U.S. East for the company's newly opened New York office. As a seasoned and successful entrepreneur himself, Lyall brings extensive experience in the mobile advertising space. He most recently served as the co-founder and CEO of Growmobile, a social advertising platform focused on mobile user engagement, where he saw the company through an acquisition by Perion in 2014. Prior, his resume includes experience at Storm8, Adknowledge, bebo and RockYou. "AppLift operates in a dynamic and shifting environment," said Tim Koschella, CEO of AppLift. "Our clients require expert and timely contributions, and we're confident that Brendan's years of experience in the mobile space, across a range of verticals, will be a key to further strengthen AppLift's presence on the East Coast." Lyall will be tasked with growing AppLifts presence in the U.S., as the company expands to service more clients on the East Coast. He will also work to build out the New York City office to further client services and business development. "I am thrilled to be joining this rapidly growing company that is making waves in the mobile ad tech space," said Lyall. "The opportunity to elevate and increase AppLift's presence is one that I'm excited to take on as I work side by side with the innovative leadership team." As the demand for AppLift's mobile advertising services continues to grow, plans are also underway to open new offices in Moscow and Paris, following the recent expansion into Sao Paulo. To learn more about AppLift, its leadership team and new office openings, please visit www.Applift.com. About AppLift AppLift is a leading mobile ad tech company that empowers mobile app advertisers to take control of every stage of the app marketing lifecycle. AppLift's programmatic platform, DataLift 360, enables advertisers to launch their apps as well as grow and retain quality users from one interface. With DataLift 360, app marketers can programmatically access all major mobile ad inventory worldwide and control their campaigns through a single proprietary technology platform, which provides advanced data integration as well as extended targeting and audience management capabilities. CONTACT INFORMATION Alexis Roberts Blast PR for AppLift 805-886-8511 Email Contact NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett, the leading business podcast on CBS RADIO and CBS Local Digital Media's podcast network Play.it, announced today a new title sponsor, Dunkin' Donuts. America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, Dunkin' Donuts, will sponsor the podcast that brings listeners the insights from today's biggest headline makers. All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett features a series of insightful conversations around the most compelling topics in business today, brought to life with guests' personal narratives -- challenges faced, setbacks overcome, innovations pioneered, objectives met, lessons learned. Past guests have included GE's Beth Comstock, publisher Steve Forbes, Piers Morgan, Gene Simmons, Kevin Jonas, Jon Taffer, Christie Hefner and more. Dunkin' Donuts has been an All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett partner for the past year. This new title sponsorship increases their participation with the show and will include further business development. "Dunkin' Donuts has been keeping me running for years so it's great to have one of my favorite brands participating in All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett," Hayzlett said. "This podcast strives to go beyond the sound bite conversations where guests open up to share stories and provide insights you won't hear anywhere else. This new partnership with Dunkin' Donuts will allow us to continue telling those stories." About Jeffrey Hayzlett: Jeffrey Hayzlett is a primetime television and podcast host of C-Suite with Jeffrey Hayzlett and Executive Perspectives on C-Suite TV and "All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett" on CBS on-demand network Play.It. Hayzlett is a global business celebrity, speaker, best-selling author, and Chairman of C-Suite Network, the world's most trusted network of C-Suite leaders. Connect with Hayzlett on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ or www.hayzlett.com Media Contact: Gena Larsen Show Manager, All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett Email Contact NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Marstone, an innovative digital wealth company, and Quovo, a financial data science company for the wealth management industry, today announced that they have completed a partnership to enhance Marstone's digital wealth solutions with Quovo's industry-leading data aggregation. Through this partnership, financial advisors using Marstone will benefit from Quovo's account aggregation technology, which seamlessly syncs data from thousands of financial institutions. Ranging from retail brokerage and banks to custodians and mutual fund families, Quovo's coverage gives financial professionals a current, correct, and holistic view of their clients' portfolios -- a key requirement for success in today's regulatory environment. "Since the DOL announced their fiduciary rule in April, we have witnessed first-hand an increased demand for state-of-the-art data aggregation and analytics," said Lowell Putnam, Co-Founder and CEO of Quovo. "We are excited to announce our integration with Marstone. As seen by their recent collaboration with IBM, Marstone is quick to adapt with new technology and innovations. We look forward to working together with Marstone as our industry continues to evolve." Margaret J. Hartigan, Co-Founder and CEO of Marstone, added, "Quovo enhances the Marstone experience, providing our customers with a holistic view of their financial lives by seeing all of their accounts from different institutions in one place. Together we are redefining how people think about and engage with their money." About Marstone Marstone is a digital wealth company based in New York, with additional offices in Pawtucket, RI and San Francisco, CA. Marstone is proud to be the first fully-integrated digital-advice partner of Pershing and an IBM Business Partner, making it the leading provider of digital wealth solutions that will incorporate cognitive analytics and artificial intelligence. Marstone will also continue to expand its industry partnerships to provide platform connectivity and integration with a full range of financial institutions. Additional information is available on http://www.poweredbymarstone.com/, or follow us on Twitter @MarstoneInc. Inquiries can be sent to info@marstone.com. About Quovo Quovo is a leading financial technology company for the wealth management and financial services industries. Quovo offers data aggregation and analytics services to help financial professionals and their technology providers better serve their clients with powerful and accurate data. For more information, please visit www.quovo.com. Follow @quovo on Twitter. Media Contact: Jacqueline Silva Email Contact (646) 405-6336 SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- The Aspen Institute's Future of Work Initiative yesterday released its first Portable Benefits Resource Guide, featuring Stride Health, the company redefining the way independent working Americans access health care and coverage. Stride Health was honored to contribute to the report, which provides guidance for policymakers interested in creating a standardized system of benefits for the budding 1099 economy. Stride Health supports the guiding principles of the Portable Benefits Resource Guide, in particular, portability and prorated benefit funding options for employers. Benefits need not be attached to a specific job. In today's workforce, many people have multiple jobs and switch jobs (and employers) regularly. A worker should maintain their benefits' stability throughout these changes and be protected regardless of which marketplace they're currently acquiring work from. Benefit funding should be opened up to give employers the opportunity to prorate premium contributions based on the amount of work done for each company, or the workers' respective earnings. "At Stride Health, we believe flexible, portable benefits drive sustainability into the increasingly independent labor force in this country," said Stride Health CEO and co-founder Noah Lang. "We have an opportunity to deliver independent workers the same financial security and protections that full-time workers currently enjoy through health coverage, disability coverage, retirement, accident or worker's compensation coverage, and even skills-based training -- without limiting the flexibility of labor in the New Economy." Since 2013, Stride Health has provided a benefits platform for the contingent workforce. Our on-demand economy partners have led the way in delivering our portable benefits platform, starting with health insurance as a leading edge. Stride Health is the first company to build health benefits platforms for the leading labor marketplaces in the on-demand economy, with clients including Uber, TaskRabbit, Postmates and Care.com, as well as capital marketplace companies like Etsy and financial management platforms like Intuit. Stride Health's technology ensures workers at these companies have access to the most affordable health coverage and the highest quality care. Stride Health is tightly integrated with major labor marketplaces, assessing an individual's banking data, health data and work lifestyle to deliver the optimal suite of benefits. In addition to powering health benefits for the 1099 economy, Stride Health delivers financial well-being guidance to ensure independent workers' income security, and has built bespoke ancillary coverages to meet the specific needs of the independent American worker. In addition to the guide's proposals, Stride Health believes the following concepts are essential to implementing a framework for portable benefits: 1. Extension of portable benefits should apply to all workers. Though the guide focuses on the immediate needs of non-traditional "gig economy" workers, it is imperative that all workers, including full-time and part-time employees, be allowed to participate in portable benefits. This will extend overall workforce income security (regardless of employment status), reduce regulatory overhead of job/employee classification changes and allow for a more stable, productive overall workforce. 2. Allow pre-tax, prorated contributions from employers to all benefits. Similar to current employer 401(k) contributions, expanding the definition of pre-tax benefit contributions--to include things like healthcare and liability coverage--will not only empower gig economy workers, but will also provide big and small employers with greater choice in their current "all-or-nothing" binary benefits system. 3. Let existing incentives drive the ecosystem ahead. Employers want a benefits solution that isn't mandatory and doesn't bankrupt them. At the same time, most labor marketplaces invest heavily in their labor "supply," and are naturally incented to retain those workers, which provides an organic market for flexible, prorated benefit delivery. The guide's proposed Benefit Innovation Zones is a concept that supports the premise of allowing the regulatory clearance for a market-driven solution to bear fruit. (Lang recently expanded on this concept in Newsweek magazine.) 4. Public-private partnerships to administer benefits can pave the way. Private companies can move fast to build the technology necessary to deliver a holistic set of benefits, and drive compliance directly into labor marketplaces, without adding a net-new cost to the ecosystem. A third-party framework can move the needle, and offers the opportunity for that administrator to be tightly coupled with the labor platform, while limiting the number of intermediaries involved in the ecosystem to keep the costs low for the workers and platforms alike. Coupled with existing marketplace incentives, competition among private administrators of the system will drive greater speed and diversity in solutions. Stride Health is encouraged by the expansion of the regulatory framework for portable benefits, just as Stride Health continues to expand the benefits offered to serve the health and financial needs of independent workers. Stride Health thanks the Aspen Institute Future of Work Fellows, Sen. Mark Warner and Bruce Reed for the opportunity to contribute to this guide. To learn more about working with Stride Health to deliver benefits to your workers, reach out to partner@stridehealth.com. To download the Aspen Institute's Portable Benefits Resource Guide, click here. About Stride Health Stride Health's hassle-free, user-friendly approach to healthcare and tax compliance helps independent contractors and self-employed Americans save time, reduce stress and tap into savings. The company has raised over $15 million in funding led by Venrock, NEA and Fidelity Biosciences. The company also works closely with a handful of on-demand economy companies and freelance workforces to cover their contractors, including Uber, Etsy and Intuit. More information at www.stridehealth.com. About the Aspen Institute The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org. Media contact: Theresa Maloney Cogenta Communications 415-225-5261 Email Contact MORRISTOWN, NJ--(Marketwired - July 14, 2016) - TM Forum, the global industry association for digital business, today announced that five individuals have been honored with its Outstanding Contributor Award. Now in its 18 th year, TM Forum's Outstanding Contributor Award recognizes members who have contributed significantly to the Forum's Collaborative R&D efforts to drive digital business excellence, best practices and standards. Presented by the Forum's Strategy Committee, this award honors individuals who go the extra mile in providing leadership and value to the Forum's Collaboration projects. These projects, which bring together diverse members from around the world, are a unique platform for sharing knowledge and collaborating to continuously innovate, solve pressing challenges, and enhance industry best practices and standards. TM Forum's newest Outstanding Contributors, which were announced yesterday at the Forum's bi-annual Action Week collaboration event, are: Robert Bratulic, IBM, is recognized as a long-standing leader of the Metrics project. He has over a decade of association, knowledge and leadership of the entire Metrics effort, including his work on the Business Metrics poster. As a premier ambassador of TM Forum's Metrics, Robert led the effort to align several standards organizations for whom TM Forum has become the default metrics repository. His clear communications and direction continue to lead the team to achieving a larger, cleaner and more mature Metrics Database. Randy Frantz, ESRI, is recognized for his leadership and participation in multiple Catalyst projects, including the award winning Smart Life: My Home, My City, My Planet project. Randy has co-led the Internet of Everything (IoE) Innovation work stream within the Open Digital Program, providing innovative ideas as well as pragmatic business guidance. Randy has also led the inclusion of location analytics and GIS technology in the program, which are critical to the success of the Internet of Everything. George Glass, BT Group, is an outstanding contributor who delivers impact and value consistently throughout his engagement on the topics of platforms and Open APIs, as well as in TM Forum's Collaboration Sub-Committee. George is a true advocate of the Forum who genuinely recognizes the value of industry collaboration, and he's a frequent contributor to industry thought leadership via the Forum's Inform channel. George is also a leader among his peers in engaging other members in the collaboration process. Veronique Mauneau, Orange, has been instrumental in the development of a number of APIs including product ordering, product catalog and onboarding. As one of the founding members of the Forum's Open APIs program, she was one of the creators of the API Data Model and has been one of the most influential architects in articulating the relationships between the Information Framework (SID), the API data model and the APIs themselves. Abinash Vishwakarma, Netcracker Technology, is an active and valuable participant in a number of Frameworx and ZOOM project activities. His input and expertise have driven the work in a range of work streams, including Information Framework (SID), Business Process Framework (eTOM), and NFV/SDN impacts on the Application Framework (TAM). Abinash is also active in the Customer Experience Management and Data Analytics projects, amongst others. "The strength and value of TM Forum's Collaborative R&D Programs is driven by the dedication and expertise of our members, and in particular, the contributions of these five individuals," said Nik Willetts, deputy CEO, TM Forum. "Through their leadership, our members have an even greater opportunity to understand and develop solutions to core digital business challenges on a broad range of topics -- from the Internet of Everything, to Open APIs, NFV and smart cities. Congratulations to each of our Outstanding Contributors, and our profound thanks for your commitment to the Forum and all of our members." Resources: Learn more about TM Forum's Collaborative R&D Program and how to get involved View Catalyst proof-of-concept videos, testimonials and more from TM Forum Live! 2016 Join us at Innovation InFocus 2016 in Dallas, Texas (November 2-3) and TM Forum Live! Asia 2016 in Singapore (December 7-8) Visit TM Forum Inform for industry news, features and expert opinions. About TM Forum TM Forum is the global industry association for digital business, connecting talented individuals, leading companies, and diverse ecosystems to accelerate our members' successful digital business transformation. The collective experience and interests of our member community -- comprised of tens-of-thousands of professionals within 900+ market-leading global enterprises, service providers and technology suppliers that together account for trillions of dollars in annual revenues -- drives everything we do, from thought-provoking research and publications, to practical guidance, collaboration programs, tools and best practices, hands-on events, and training for business and IT leaders. Through three key programs -- Agile Business and IT, Open Digital Ecosystem, and Customer Centricity -- we provide an open platform for our members to connect and collaborate with individuals and groups from around the world to solve key challenges and rapidly innovate to deliver new services, improve business agility, partner for success, reduce cost and risk, and enhance customer value and loyalty. To accelerate your R&D and join our digital journey as a valued member and collaborator, please visit www.tmforum.org. Embedded Video Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xQWf0gTPbE Press Contact: Hanah Johnson March Communications tmforum@marchpr.com +1 617 960 9875 MINNEAPOLIS, MN--(Marketwired - July 14, 2016) - TrueCommerce, a HighJump company and a global provider of trading partner connectivity and integration solutions, has announced the availability of a breakthrough EDI solution for the latest version of Microsoft Dynamics AX (previously referred to as AX7). For the first time, TrueCommerce is offering deep cloud-to-cloud EDI/Microsoft Dynamics integration, previously attainable only through on-premises deployments. The cloud-based platform enables AX users to collaborate with their supply chain partners using EDI and other data standards without having to customize AX or manage trading partner mapping and connectivity requirements. "Microsoft Dynamics AX has a long history of offering robust Enterprise caliber capabilities to help organizations scale their business," said TrueCommerce president Nick Manolis. "This release has repositioned Dynamics AX to deliver those same benefits, but with the advantages of cloud-based technology, including rapid deployment and high availability. We anticipate that the market response to this new platform will be very strong and have made a strategic decision to invest in this new integration with Microsoft. TrueCommerce is completely ready for the shift." The TrueCommerce EDI Integration for Microsoft Dynamics AX benefits include: Seamless access to the TrueCommerce global trading partner community, including support for XML and global EDI data standards through a single connection to AX cloud Reduced reliance on IT resources through Microsoft Dynamics-embedded cloud-to-cloud EDI integration, to align EDI processing with the business users that manage supply chain relationships Flexibility to accommodate for AX environment customizations that do not require duplication within the EDI solution Seamless integration with the Dynamics AX Warehouse Management and Transportation Management modules No on-premises software components to be installed or managed Immediate availability for customers in Europe and North America "Faster communication within the supply chain is essential for businesses today," says Chris Cunnane, senior analyst, ARC Advisory Group. "One obstacle can be costly IT software or customizations to achieve this communication. With the industry as a whole moving to cloud offerings, a cloud-to-cloud based integration for data exchange is the next logical step. It can eliminate the complexities of managing on-premises software while ensuring fast and seamless communication between trading partners." The Microsoft Dynamics AX integration is seamlessly connected to the TrueCommerce Global Commerce Network which includes over 10,000 pre-connected retailers, distributors and logistics service providers. As a true managed services provider, TrueCommerce manages the onboarding process for new trading partners as well as the ongoing management of trading partner specific mapping and labeling changes. TrueCommerce offers an end-to-end EDI solution for Dynamics AX users while also providing a robust and highly adaptable solution, built to scale for new supply chain partners, document types and distribution models. TrueCommerce fully automates the process of receiving purchase orders into Dynamics AX, as well as sending purchase order acknowledgments, receivable invoices, advance ship notices and other documents. Built-in process controls automatically validate pricing, discounts, customer tiers and other data to ensure EDI transactions are correct and complete before being processed. About TrueCommerce TrueCommerce, a HighJump company, revolutionizes trading partner connectivity by linking suppliers, retail hubs and end consumers in one global commerce network. With our flexible, integrated and fully managed service solutions, customers of any size can easily connect with any trading partner while enjoying the peace of mind of a proven service platform that reliably handles tens of millions of transactions annually without the need for any customer interaction. From the factory to the warehouse, from distributor to retail storefront, achieve new levels of business connectivity and performance with the world's most complete trading partner platform. TrueCommerce: Connect. Integrate. Accelerate. For more information, visit http://www.truecommerce.com/. About HighJump In almost every industry, buyers are becoming more fickle, and more demanding. For logistics executives, effectively meeting buyer needs has become a relentless quest for speed and agility. Traditional supply chain solutions -- siloed, complex and hard-to-implement -- no longer suffice, as competitors find ways to deliver goods faster and more profitably. In today's "now" economy, HighJump helps you stay agile, with adaptable, connected solutions that harness the power of your trading partner community. From the warehouse to the storefront, from the desktop to the driver's cab, we can help you achieve new levels of supply chain responsiveness, performance and profitability. HighJump's suite of warehouse management, business integration, transportation management and retail/DSD solutions form a complete, powerful and adaptable platform that allow you to drive growth, customer satisfaction and revenue. HighJump: supply chain accelerated. For more information, visit https://www.highjump.com/. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/7/13/11G106492/Images/AX7Cascade-fc2c0e090f448deeb6b112ebcdca8625.jpg Media Contact Yegor Kuznetsov HighJump 1-800-328-3271 x2221 Email contact 33 More Enterprises Benefit from Digital Workforce and Robotic Process Automation Reporting its interim results for the first time since debuting on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in March of 2016, Blue Prismreported noteworthy customer adoption of its enterprise-strength software robots and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platform in the first half of the year [six months ending April 30, 2016]. The company added 33 new enterprise clients and closed 64 licensing deals with new and existing clients. Total customers now include 90 predominantly blue-chip customers across the United Kingdom, United States, Europe and South Africa (FY 2015: 57 customers). The remaining license contracts from existing clients (28 up-sells) were demonstrative of increased adoption of Blue Prism through the roll out of more robots on increasingly strategic and transformational projects. "We are still in the market education stage for this powerful technology, but we are seeing an increasing adoption of RPA by large enterprises with significant back-office operations. These emboldened customers are becoming ever more ambitious in their demands for RPA, increasingly thinking in terms of building a digital workforce to complement their existing human workforce," noted Blue Prism CEO Alastair Bathgate. "We are very confident in our business momentum and our strong cash position, and so we are accelerating our investment in go-to-market programs to support our partners and customers in this market transformation." Blue Prism strengthened its partner ecosystem, with 90 percent of new customers acquired through or with channel partners. Some of the company's largest alliance partners include Accenture and Deloitte and value-added resellers (VARs) Thoughtonomy, Symphony Ventures, Neoops, Digital Workforce, RPAi, ID Management and Virtual Operations. The company has also dedicated significant resources to supporting its channel with training and development of certification programs. To that end, Blue Prism welcomed almost 200 members of its extensive partner network to the company's first series of Partner World events in London and New York this spring. "We find there is an important role for us to play in helping educate our clients about the different RPA vendors entering the market and navigating appropriate choices for enterprise deployments of a digital workforce," said David Brain, co-founder and COO, Symphony Ventures. "We have had significant success deploying Blue Prism in very large, regulated industries that require a high level of scalability, security, data integrity, resilience and governance." Other recent milestones include: Grew total contracted revenue* by 124 percent : Compared to the same period last year, the company increased total contracted revenue by 124 percent to 14.8m and revenue by 21 percent to 4.0m. The full financial release can be found here. : Compared to the same period last year, the company increased total contracted revenue by 124 percent to 14.8m and revenue by 21 percent to 4.0m. The full financial release can be found here. Added two new U.S. locations : In addition to its existing offices in Newton-le-Willows, London, Miami and Chicago, Blue Prism increased its presence in the United States with employees operating from new satellite locations in New York and San Francisco. : In addition to its existing offices in Newton-le-Willows, London, Miami and Chicago, Blue Prism increased its presence in the United States with employees operating from new satellite locations in New York and San Francisco. Named "Best Enterprise Application of Artificial Intelligence": AIconics awarded Blue Prism this prestigious recognition at the AIconics awards in London, organized by AI Business. About Blue Prism Founded in 2001, Blue Prism (AIM:PRSM) is the leading provider of enterprise-class Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software. The company's multi-skilled software robots are implemented as digital labor in the most demanding enterprise back-office environments to eliminate the disproportionately low-return, high-risk, manual data entry and processing work that humans shouldn't be doing. The company's pioneering technology is used to automate back office tasks in sectors ranging from banking, telecoms, energy, BPO, government, financial services, retail and healthcare sectors. With offices in Manchester, London, Miami and Chicago, Blue Prism debuted on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in March of 2016. Blue Prism has been recognized by Gartner as a Cool Vendor and by AI Business as the Best Enterprise Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the AIconics awards. For more information, visit www.blueprism.com and follow the company on Twitter. * total of all billings and future value of contracts not yet invoiced View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005632/en/ Contacts: Version 2.0 Communications for Blue Prism Jen Kaye Melissa Mahoney, 617-426-2222 blueprism@v2comms.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- UGE International Ltd. ("UGE") (TSX VENTURE: UGE), a global leader in distributed renewable energy solutions, is pleased to announce that it has secured a contract to design and develop a 300 kilowatt solar project near Kaladar, ON. The grid-connected project will derive revenue through Ontario's feed-in tariff FIT3 program and builds upon the relationship between UGE, Soventix Canada ("SCI"), and TREC SolarShare Co-operative (No. 1) Inc. ("SolarShare"), Canada's largest non-profit solar power community ownership cooperative, which will finance all construction activities and purchase the commissioned energy generating facility shortly after commercial operation. In partnership with SCI, UGE's wholly owned subsidiary Endura Energy Project Corp. ("Endura Energy") has the role of performing joint project development activities, along with the sole responsibility for all turn-key engineering, procurement and construction functions. "On the heels of several successful partnerships with UGE and Soventix in Ontario, we are thrilled to announce the addition of the Kaladar site to our portfolio of projects," stated Mike Brigham, SolarShare's President. "By focusing on community solar, we offer individuals the opportunity to financially benefit from our projects while advancing clean and safe solar energy." This ground-mounted facility, as well as the other SolarShare projects announced May 2, 2016, will utilize an advanced dual-axis solar tracking technology from Morgan Solar ("Morgan"). Morgan's Savanna Tracker uniquely features self-ballasting technology and 'drop-in-place' frames for modular building blocks. "With steadily decreasing feed-in-tariffs under Ontario's FIT Program, developers must use creative means to enhance revenue yields and increase project returns," said Cameron Steinman, Chief Strategy Officer at UGE. "Morgan's dual-axis technology boosts the energy production at an affordable cost per kilowatt-hour, while at the same time mitigating much of the geotechnical risk that traditional ground mounted projects experience. It was a natural choice for us to deploy the Savanna Tracker for this portfolio." Completion of the Kaladar project is expected to generate nearly $1 million CAD of revenue for UGE. Construction is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2016. "SolarShare, Soventix, and UGE are already well-known for their excellence in solar engineering and project execution throughout Ontario," said Nicolas Morgan, VP Business Development & Marketing for Morgan Solar. "We are honored to be the exclusive tracking technology provider for these projects, as we work toward creating a cleaner energy future locally, and across North America." About UGE International UGE delivers immediate savings to businesses through cleaner electricity. We help commercial and industrial clients become more competitive through the low cost of distributed renewable energy. With over 330 MW of experience globally, we work daily to power a more sustainable world. Visit us at www.ugei.com. About SolarShare SolarShare is Canada's foremost non-profit renewable energy co-operative, developing commercial-scale solar energy projects and enabling Ontarians to invest in them. The co-op was founded in 2010, currently owns over 6.5 MW of generation capacity, and is in the process of adding more than 6.3 MW to its portfolio. SolarShare's success is based on its over 1,100 members who are passionate about investing in renewable energy and have purchased more than $18,000,000 in Solar Bonds. SolarShare has proven that earning a financial return while promoting a clean, safe energy future is 100% possible today. solarbonds.ca About Morgan Solar Based in Toronto, Ontario, Morgan Solar is a technology company founded in 2007 with the goal of making unsubsidized solar energy competitive with traditional sources of generation. It has pioneered an entirely new approach to the design and manufacture of solar modules and Balance of System (BOS) components. The result is market-disruptive products that will lead the industry in efficiency, durability and low cost. To learn more about Morgan Solar, visit morgansolar.com. About Soventix Canada Soventix Canada is dedicated to delivering solar energy solutions that contribute to a sustainable energy future. Located in Toronto since 2010, Soventix Canada is a stand-alone subsidiary of a German headquartered, international solar energy developer with operating subsidiaries in the UK, Chile, South Africa, Canada, USA and Dominican Republic. Soventix Canada focuses on the development and construction of medium to large-scale solar energy installations in North American markets. The Soventix Group's expertise in the solar industry and the support of internationally recognized premium manufacturers enables it to realize high-performing photovoltaic power plants and to provide a variety of services including planning and development, financing and management, as well as service and operation. For more information on Soventix please visit: www.soventix.com 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. Statements made in this press release include forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. A number of factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from the events, performance and results discussed in the forward-looking statements, such as the completion of the Portfolio, the economy generally, competition in its target markets, the demand for UGE's products and the availability of funding. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and UGE does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from UGE's expectations and projections. Contacts: Ashley Fallon Communications Manager press@ugei.com Jennifer Bryan Community Investment and Marketing Manager jennifer@solarbonds.ca 416.977.7363 OAKVILLE, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Saint Jean Carbon Inc. ("Saint Jean" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: SJL), a carbon science company engaged in the exploration of natural graphite properties and related carbon products, is pleased to announce the preliminary results from the helicopter-borne magnetic and TDEM surveys flown over the Walker Graphite property in the Buckingham area in Quebec received by Prospectair Geoservices. The survey covered 168 linear kilometres of lines, which were flown at 100 m line spacing with orthogonal tie lines at 1000 m spacing. Lines were oriented WNW-E SE and were perpendicular to the stratigraphy. For the technical description of the equipment, please consult the precedent press release dated July 11th 2016. The airborne magnetic survey delineated two strong magnetic axes and several weaker formational anomalies where one corresponds with the old Walker Mine. Those magnetic axes need to be verified and qualified on the ground. The Time- Domain Electromagnetic Survey picked up a very wide conductive zone covering the Lievre River and its flat banks. This strong and wide anomaly corresponds to layers of marine clays deposited by the Champlain Sea. However, two magnetic anomalies coinciding with two NE oriented conductive anomalies are found and may represent isolated outcropping bedrock surrounded by clay. Christian Derosier PGeo., PhD., commented: "There is a very good conductive anomaly coinciding with the old Walker mine. This anomaly is about 500 m long and is oriented NNE, parallel to the magnetic axes. About 300 m more to the West, a string of weaker conductive layers have the same NNE direction than Walker and were picked up by the different flight lines over a distance of 1400 m. Those conductive layers also have a magnetic coincidence. All those anomalies need to be verified by ground surveys and prospecting before testing by trenching and diamond drilling." Paul Ogilvie, CEO, commented: "We are very pleased with the results obtained and we are planning to start the field work within two weeks. All samples will be collected over an area with 90 possible pit locations. The material will be tested then blended and will be used to make a batch of spherical shaped, carbon coated graphite in various sizes for the test manufacturing of a lithium-ion battery." Christian Derosier, P.Geo., PhD., is the qualified person (QP) as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and, acting on behalf of Saint Jean Carbon, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release. About Saint Jean Carbon Saint Jean is a publicly traded carbon science company, with interest in graphite mining claims in the province of Quebec in Canada. For the latest information on Saint Jean's properties and news please refer to the website: http://www.saintjeancarbon.com/ On behalf of the Board of Directors Saint Jean Carbon Inc. Paul Ogilvie, CEO and Director 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. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, concerning Saint Jean's business and affairs. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "intends" "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" 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". These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially. The forward-looking statements in this news release assume, inter alia, that the conditions for completion of the Transaction, including regulatory and shareholder approvals, if necessary, will be met. Although Saint Jean believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct. Statements of past performance should not be construed as an indication of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors, including those discussed above, could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this press release, and Saint Jean assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Contacts: Saint Jean Carbon Inc. info@saintjeancarbon.com (905) 844-1200 VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Rapier Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE: RPR) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement for the purchase of the Pen South property. Upon completion of the terms of the purchase agreement, anticipated to be completed prior to July 31, 2016, the Company will pay $325,000 and issue 1,500,000 common shares. The terms of the purchase agreement include acquiring 100% purchase of the Pen South property, subject to a 2% NSR. The entire NSR may be purchased for $3,000,000. The agreement covers 10,848 hectares and replaces the option to explore for gold on the Pen Gold South property entered into at the time of listing the Company. These claims are part of a contiguous block with the Pen Gold North claims, which total 5,600 hectares, and were acquired from Rio Tinto plc. The final terms of this share purchase agreement were met in February, 2016. The combined land position, totaling approximately 16,400 hectares (approximately 160 sq km), is outlined on the map attached as Appendix 1. The majority of the Company's exploration work to date has focused on Pen Gold North, with key target areas identified to date include: -- Talc Mine Area. The Company has completed 16 drill holes (5,769 m) in this area as a follow up to the 14 drill holes (2,561 m) completed by Rio Tinto plc. The most recent drilling took place at the Fox Outcrop in the Talc Mine Area, summarized in the Company's News Releases in February 2016. -- Westgate/Eastgate anomaly. A 3.5 km long anomaly located north of the Talc Mine Area where extensive sampling and prospecting has been conducted along with flying of high quality geophysics. -- Porphyry Hill anomaly. 1.5 km long anomaly extending east from the Talc Mine Area where some sampling and prospecting has been completed and new follow up work will be completed this summer, based on geophysics. -- Nib Yellowknife Area. A highly prospective area hosting occurrences of altered mafic volcanics and Carb Rock located south of the Talc Mine Area. Work to date has only been on the portion lying within Pen Gold North; our summer work will focus east and south from previous mapping and sampling, where high grade results were obtained at surface. Pen Gold Project Summary -- The Company's activities are exclusively focused on exploring the Pen Gold Project, comprising approximately 16,400 hectares (approximately 160 sq km) located on Highway 101, 75 km south west of Timmins, Ontario. Appendix 2. The project is approximately 45 km southwest of Tahoe Resources Timmins West Mine and the recently discovered 144 Exploration Area. -- Tahoe Resources (former Lakeshore Gold) are conducting an extensive exploration program on 144 Exploration Area, which is outlined in a very comprehensive section of the company's website http://www.lsgold.com/Mines-Projects-Properties/Review-of- Properties/Timmins-West-complex/144-Gap-Zone-Discovery/default.aspx -- The Pen Gold Project is located approximately 85 km northeast of Goldcorp's Borden Gold Project. In March 2015 Goldcorp acquired this project in the takeover of Probe Mines for $526 million. Goldcorp are actively advancing the Borden Gold Project as a source of ore for the 11,000 tpd Dome Mill, located 160 km away in Timmins. Appendix 2 shows the locations of the 144 Exploration Area and Borden Gold projects in relation to Pen Gold Project. -- The Pen Gold Project appears to be on the western extension of the Porcupine-Destor Fault Zone (PDFZ), one of the most productive gold structures in the world. This fault zone extends east into Quebec and hosts many of the largest and most famous gold mines in Canada. The Timmins Camp has produced approximately 72.5 million ounces to date. -- Probe Metals recently acquired the Ivanhoe Project located to the west of Rapier's Pen Gold Project and the West Porcupine and Ross Properties to the east of the Pen Gold Project. The location of these properties in relation to Pen Gold Project is outlined in Appendix 2. Goldcorp has retained its right to remain at 19.9% of Probe by participating in a private placement. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Roger Walsh, President & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: Certain disclosure in this release constitutes forward-looking statements. In making the forward-looking statements in this release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company, including that the Company is able to procure personnel, equipment and supplies required for its exploration activities in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis and that actual results of exploration activities are consistent with management's expectations. Although the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, among others, that actual results of the Company's exploration activities will be different than those expected by management and that the Company will be unable to obtain financing, or will experience delays in obtaining any required government approvals or be unable to procure required equipment and supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 are available at the following address: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/RapierGold_Appendix.pdf Contacts: Rapier Gold Inc. Roger Walsh President & CEO (604) 617-1627 roger@rapiergold.com www.rapiergold.com Vendor Comparison by Current Analysis Labels Netcracker a "Leader" in NFV MANO Netcracker Technology, an NEC company, announced today that industry research firm Current Analysis has named Netcracker a "leader" in network functions virtualization (NFV) management and orchestration (MANO), a critical component necessary for service providers who want to define, instantiate and manage network infrastructure and services in the cloud. This is Current Analysis' first formal assessment of vendor MANO offerings, detailed in the report, "NFV MANO: Competitive Dynamics and Solution Assessments," written by David Snow. The report can be downloaded here: http://www.netcracker.com/currentanalysis-nfvmano. Current Analysis evaluated nine vendors in five categories with 15 specific attributes subjectively graded as comparatively strong, weak or average. An overall assessment was then provided and each vendor was graded as "vulnerable," "competitive," "strong," "very strong" or "leader." Netcracker emerged as the only "leader" in the evaluation due to its technology functionality, sophisticated approach to security and licensing, as well as its flexibility in enabling service providers to onboard virtualized network functions (VNFs) from partners with ease. Along with NEC, Netcracker has created the Agile Virtualized Platform and Practice (AVP) to address the functions mentioned above and all other stages of virtualized network deployment and management for service providers. As announced earlier this year, AVP is a set of unique tools, platforms and services developed to accelerate and ease the adoption and commercialization of software-defined networking (SDN) and NFV. While acknowledging AVP's role in this NFV MANO evaluation, Snow writes in the report that "there can be little doubt as to its comprehensiveness in providing a platform capable of supporting almost every aspect of the carrier journey." You can find out more about AVP by visiting http://www.netcracker.com/avp. "Choosing a futureproof MANO solution is a major challenge for service providers because of the diverse requirements such solutions have to fulfill," said Ari Banerjee, Senior Director of Strategy at Netcracker. "Because this space is relatively new, there are a limited amount of unbiased vendor assessments out there. What Current Analysis has done here is remarkable because it gives operators a baseline to assess and select MANO solutions that have been exhaustively assessed across several major points of differentiation." "The results of our first solution-level assessment of vendor NFV MANO offerings really reiterates the competitive nature of this space and the ongoing tug-of-war between vendors with network and IT backgrounds," said David Snow, Principal Analyst of IP Services Infrastructure at Current Analysis. "This report helps service providers get a head start in their MANO vendor selection process and Netcracker can be proud of its early leadership position. At the same time, both service providers and vendors should note that this is a long race and there are many factors which will shape the market over the next few years." For more information on Netcracker's MANO solutions, please contact Joanna Larivee at Joanna.Larivee@Netcracker.com. About Netcracker Technology Netcracker Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, is a forward-looking software company, offering mission-critical solutions to service providers around the globe. Our comprehensive portfolio of software solutions and professional services enables large-scale digital transformations, unlocking the opportunities of the cloud, virtualization and the changing mobile ecosystem. With an unbroken service delivery track record of more than 20 years, our unique combination of technology, people and expertise helps companies transform their networks and enable better experiences for their customers. For more information, visit www.netcracker.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005219/en/ Contacts: Netcracker Technology Joanna Larivee, +1-781-419-3374 Joanna.Larivee@Netcracker.com Vilnius, Lithuania, 2016-07-14 15:04 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Central Bank of the Republic of Lithuania granted special closed-ended type private capital investment company INVL Technology (legal entity code 300893533, address of the registered office: Gyneju str. 16, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania) license of closed-ended investment company providing a right to carry-out activities of the closed-ended type investment company according to the Law on Collective Investment Undertakings. The person authorized to provide additional information: Kazimieras Tonkunas Member of Investment Committee of SCETPCIC INVL Technology E-mail: k.tonkunas@invltechnology.lt 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. Carnival Corporation & plc Names Helen Deeble to Board of Directors, Announces Quarterly Dividend MIAMI, July 14, 2016 --Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) today announced that on July 13, 2016, Helen Deeble, CEO of P&O Ferries Division Holdings Ltd., has been appointed to the company's board of directors, effective immediately. The announcement was made following the quarterly meeting of Carnival Corporation's board of directors held yesterday in Amsterdam. Deeble, a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in retail, shipping, logistics and leisure travel, will serve in a non-executive capacity onCarnival Corporation's 10-member board of directors. She will also serve on the board-level Health, Environmental, Safety and Security Committee. "We are very pleased to welcome Helen as an exceptional addition to our board of directors," said Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation & plc's chairman. "Helen brings extensive experience from her leadership roles across several industries, including decades of work in the maritime and travel sectors, and valuable time spent in consumer retail. We look forward to working with her closely and gaining insights from her unique perspective as we continue growing demand for our 10 global cruise line brands and delighting our guests with great vacations at an exceptional value." Since 2006, Deeble has been CEO ofP&O Ferries Division Holdings Ltd., a pan-European shipping and logistics business, following stints as the company's chief operating officer and chief financial officer starting in 1998. Prior to that, Deeble was chief financial officer for Stena Line UK Ltd., a Swedish-owned ferry operator, and held several financial roles with the retailer Sears plc in the UK. Deeble has served as a non-executive director for the Port of London Authority and The Standard Club since 2014. There is no other information required to be disclosed pursuant to LR9.6.13R in respect of Deeble. Following yesterday's board meeting, Carnival Corporation alsoannounced that it has declared a quarterlydividend of $0.35 per share. The company's board of directors approved a record date for the quarterly dividend ofAugust 24, 2016, and a payment date ofSeptember 16, 2016. Holders of Carnival Corporation common stock and Carnival plc ADSs will receive the dividend payable in U.S. dollars. The dividend for Carnival plc ordinary shares will be payable in U.S. dollars or sterling. In the absence of instructions or elections to the contrary, holders of Carnival plc ordinary shares will automatically receive the dividend in sterling. Dividends payable in sterling will be converted from U.S. dollars at the exchange rate quoted by the Bank of England in London at12 noononSeptember 1, 2016. Holders of Carnival plc ordinary shares wishing to receive their dividend in U.S. dollars or participate in the Carnival plc Dividend Reinvestment Plan must elect to do so byAugust 24, 2016. About Carnival Corporation & plc Carnival Corporation &plc is the largest leisure travel company in the world, and among the most profitable and financially strong in the industry. With a portfolio of 10 cruise brands inNorth America,Europe,AustraliaandAsia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Line, Fathom,Holland America Line,Princess Cruises, Seabourn,AIDA Cruises,Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises(Australia) andP&O Cruises(UK). Together, these brands operate 101 ships visiting over 700 ports around the world and totaling 225,000 lower berths with 15 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2016 and 2020.Carnival Corporation &plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour companies in Alaskaand the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both theNew Yorkand London Stock Exchanges,Carnival Corporation &plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P500 and the FTSE 100 indices. Additional information can be found on http://www.carnival.com/, http://www.fathom.org/, http://www.hollandamerica.com/, http://www.princess.com/, http://www.seabourn.com/, http://www.aida.de/, http://www.costacruise.com/, http://www.cunard.com/, http://www.pocruises.com.au/, and http://www.pocruises.com/. SOURCE: Carnival Corporation & plc CONTACT: Carnival Corporation Media Contacts: Roger Frizzell, Carnival Corporation, rfrizzell@carnival.com, (305) 406-7862; Mike Flanagan, LDWWgroup, mike@ldwwgroup.com, (727) 452-4538; Carnival Corporation Investor Relations: Beth Roberts, Carnival Corporation, eroberts@carnival.com, (305) 599-2600 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2016) - Galileo Petroleum Ltd. (TSXV: GPL) (the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement of up to $100,000. The private placement will consist of up to 2,000,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.05 per Unit and is subject to regulatory approval. Each unit will consist of one common share of the Company and onehalf of a common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.10 within one year of closing. A 7% finder's fee may be paid in cash on a portion of the private placement. The net proceeds of the private placement will be used for working capital and corporate purposes. Subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company plans to change its name to "Galileo Exploration Ltd.". The Company may, in connection with the change of name, change its stock symbol. Further information on the name change and symbol will be announced at a later date. ON BEHALF OF GALILEO PETROLEUM LTD. "David Hottman" David Hottman CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this News Release. This news release has been prepared by management and no regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. For further information contact: David Hottman, President & CEO at 604-629-1929 E-mail: info@galileopetroleum.ca REDONDO BEACH, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- CFN Media Group, the leading creative agency and digital media network dedicated to legal cannabis, announces the publication of an article and interview discussing Medical Marijuana Inc.'s (OTC PINK: MJNA) major investment in AXIM Biotechnologies. AXIM is developing the world's first controlled-release functional chewing gum to effectively treat chronic pain and spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis. In conjunction with the Free University of Amsterdam and other institutions, the company is conducting research under strict FDA/EMA guidelines with a 24-month timeline prior to registration. The company's researchers believe that the act of chewing -- known as mastication in the medical community -- could have neuroprotective benefits. According to a growing body of research, the act of chewing could prevent cognitive dysfunction by changing internal carotid arterial blood flow and thereby increasing cerebral blood flow. Chewing gum could therefore cause regional increases in neuronal activity that could be cognitively beneficial. To read the full article on CannabisFN.com, click the following link or copy and paste the URL into your browser: http://www.cannabisfn.com/axim-biotech-targets-superior-cannabinoid-delivery-at-a-lower-cost/ Learn how to become a CFN Media featured company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/become-featured-company/ Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from your smart phone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8 Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com About CFN Media CFN Media (CannabisFN) is the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis. We help marijuana businesses attract investors, customers (B2B, B2C), capital, and media visibility. Private and public marijuana companies and brands in the US and Canada rely on CFN Media to grow and succeed. About Medical Marijuana Inc. Our mission is to be the premier cannabis and hemp industry innovators, leveraging our team of professionals to source, evaluate and purchase value-added companies and products, while allowing them to keep their integrity and entrepreneurial spirit. We strive to create awareness within our industry, develop environmentally friendly, economically sustainable businesses, while increasing shareholder value. For details on Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s portfolio and investment companies, visit http://www.medicalmarijuanainc.com. The Company is committed to consistently providing the highest-quality CBD hemp oil products on the market. To see Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s video statement, click here. Shareholders are also encouraged to visit the Medical Marijuana, Inc. Shop for discounted products. CFN Media Frank Lane 206-369-7050 flane@cannabisfn.com ATLANTA, GA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- True Nature Holding, Inc. (OTCQB: TNTY) (the "Company") today updated its shareholders by announcing that it has progressed on its acquisition strategy, consolidating a leadership position in the Compounding Pharmacy space. "Over the last month we have advanced the due diligence and integration plan for the first phase of pharmacy acquisitions as well as started to build out our management team," said Jim Driscoll, the CEO of True Nature Holding, Inc. The following is a summary of the key actions completed in conjunction with the Company's strategy: ACQUISITION OF NEW COMPOUNDING PHARMACY BUSINESSES Integrity Compounding, Atlanta: Sells a range of women's and men's health products aimed at the mature community, such as hormone replacement therapy. Casey Gaetano, the founder, is now focused on corporate development for True Nature, including strategy, acquisitions and a national sales and marketing plan to promote the product set from True Nature network participants. Closed May 9, 2016 and True Nature received the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy approval. Cherokee Pharmacy, Holly Springs: Owned by Dale Coker, a noted industry leader for a number of years. Mr. Coker is the current Chairman of the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists as well as member of Georgia Pharmacy Association, Academy of Independent Pharmacy and other key industry organizations. He has agreed to chair the company's advisory board after the sale. Under letter of intent, expected to close July 31, 2016 subject to State Board of Pharmacy approval. The Company is negotiating the acquisition of four additional pharmacies. It expects to close a minimum of two additional acquisitions during the second half of 2016. CONSOLDIATION OF THE MANAGEMENT TEAM The Company has consolidated its management team under the leadership of Jim Driscoll, CEO. Steve Keaveney, who has 25 years of Senior Finance Leadership, is supporting Mr. Driscoll in the acquisition and integration efforts in the CFO role. Casey Gaetano, Integrity's founder, is fully engaged as VP of Corporate Development, assisting Mr. Driscoll on the integration plan, conducting due diligence on target acquisitions, identifying acquisition candidates and developing the Company's strategy. Gary Meyer, a pharmacist and former Compound Pharmacy owner with over 25 years of experience, has joined the team to lead the company's compliance effort. Gary has a passion for quality and safety in addition to a proven record of developing products that have achieved market acceptance. CONCLUSION and FOCUS for Q3 As the Company is executing on closing its initial acquisitions in the Atlanta market and finalizing the integration plan, management is focused on further expansion in Q3 and Q4 2016. The Company expects to exit 2016 with run rate revenue estimated in excess of $10MM. Management's objective is to identify and acquire a minimum of two additional acquisitions in 2016 and continue to build the pipeline of quality acquisition candidates, positioning the Company for continued growth in 2017. About True Nature Holding, Inc.: True Nature Holdings plans to acquire a number of compounding pharmacies, which create customized formulations for patients, around the US and from that network seek distribution to a larger market and the benefits of economies of scale and market consolidation. We are targeting the acquisition of pharmacies that serve the human, and in some instances, pet markets. True Nature plans to first consolidate a leadership position in the Southeastern US and then expand to create a national platform. Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act As contemplated by the provisions of the Safe Harbor section of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to future, anticipated, or projected plans, performances and developments, as well as other statements relating to future operations. All such forward-looking statements are necessarily only estimates or predictions of future results or events and there can be no assurance that actual results or events will not materially differ from expectations. Further information on potential factors that could affect True Nature Holding, Inc. is included in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For more information, please contact: Stephen Keaveney Chief Financial Officer True Nature Holdings, Inc. 404-254-6980 MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 07/22/16 -- In light of a large volume of inquiries submitted to the Company by shareholders in the last 48 hours concerning a press release issued by the Autorite des marches financiers ("AMF") on July 15, 2016, Geomega Resources Inc. ("GeoMegA" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: GMA) would like to make the following clarifications; 1. As mentioned in the AMF press release, GeoMegA is not the subject of the investigation. The inquiry is about, and only about one employee's and two of his acquaintances' alleged trading in GeoMegA securities. 2. To address the majority of recent shareholder inquiries, the Company has reviewed the evidence as presented by the AMF on the Company employee's alleged insider trading activities and to date, has not been able to conclude that the alleged transactions were linked in any way to the spikes in the Company securities seen in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Based on the Company's analysis, the volumes allegedly traded generally represent a small percentage of the volume traded on the specific days and during the specific period inquired by the AMF. Furthermore, based upon the evidence presented by the AMF, the Company employee named by the investigation appears to have been a net buyer of Company securities. 3. The inquiry has no bearing whatsoever on the integrity of the Company's technical or financial disclosure. GeoMegA has always reviewed its technical data. Separation results in 2014 and the hydrometallurgical results in 2015 were validated by an independent third party, and the Company has no reason to doubt the integrity of the data it has published to date. The Company will continue to monitor the investigation if and as it proceeds. About GeoMegA (www.geomega.ca) GeoMegA is a mineral exploration and evaluation company focused on the discovery and sustainable development of economic deposits of metals in Quebec. GeoMegA is committed to meeting the Canadian mining industry standards and distinguishing itself with innovative engineering, stakeholders' engagement and dedication to local transformation benefits. 77,433,712 common shares of GeoMegA are currently issued and outstanding. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding our intentions and plans. The forward-looking statements that are contained in this news release are based on various assumptions and estimates by the Company and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. As a consequence, actual results may differ materially from results forecasted or suggested in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We caution you that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, as discussed in the Company's filings with Canadian securities agencies. Various factors may prevent or delay our plans, including but not limited to, contractor availability and performance, weather, access, mineral prices, success and failure of the exploration and development carried out at various stages of the program, and general business, economic, competitive, political and social conditions. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward- looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws. Contacts: Kiril Mugerman President and CEO GeoMegA 450-641-5119 ext. 5653 kmugerman@geomega.ca Signavio, the Berlin-based software vendor for Process and Decision Management, is expanding its management team with leading experts in the Finance, HR and Sales departments. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005744/en/ Guido Sachs, CFO (Photo: Signavio GmbH) Guido Sachs CFO With Guido Sachs, Signavio is bringing an experienced financial expert on board. Guido Sachs is an expert in rapidly growing organizations and i-Business, as well as finance and controlling. Prior to joining Signavio he served as CEO of Interactive Media CCSP GmbH, CFO for clipkit GmbH and Head of Sales and Marketing Controlling for Thomas Cook AG. He will be responsible for the finance, HR and legal departments at Signavio and will work alongside Dr. Gero Decker, CEO. "I'm very happy to be part of the Signavio team. With an amazing team and innovative products, we are well-positioned for further growth," Guido Sachs, CFO Signavio GmbH. David Gaudin Senior Vice President of Sales North America Along with Guido Sachs, Signavio is also welcoming David Gaudin to the team. David Gaudin will represent the company as SVP Sales North America and will supervise the development of a new office in Boston. David Gaudin is an experienced sales expert and has previously built large sales teams at Concur (SAP) and WebEx (Cisco). "Signavio has the potential to become the worldwide market leader for Process and Decision Management software. I'm looking forward to developing the team in America and accelerating our expansion here," David Gaudin, SVP Sales North America Signavio Inc. With the addition of these two experts, Signavio is expanding its management team and making important preparations for the future. Torben Schreiter, founder and COO of Signavio is leaving the management team, but he will remain available in an advisory capacity. "We are at an exciting phase with Signavio. I'm happy to have Guido and David on board. They bring with them valuable experience which will help us with our ongoing growth. At the same time, Torben is reducing his time at Signavio after seven successful years. We are very proud of what we have achieved together and are looking forward to his ongoing engagement in his new role," Dr. Gero Decker, CEO Signavio GmbH. About Signavio The German software vendor, headquartered in Berlin with further locations in Sunnyvale CA, Boston MA and Singapore, offers web-based solutions for the modeling, analysis and optimization of business processes and decisions. Through its SaaS-Software, Signavio combines the advantages of a professional BPM and BDM solution with those of cloud collaboration. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005744/en/ Contacts: Signavio GmbH Katharina Clauberg marketing.emea@signavio.com Regulatory News: Vattenfall's interim report for the second quarter and the first half-year of 2016 will be published Thursday July 21 at approximately 09.00 CET on corporate.vattenfall.com. A press conference for analysts and media will start at 10.30 CET and will be broadcasted live on the web. To join the press conference: Vattenfall's president and CEO Magnus Hall and CFO Ingrid Bonde will host the press conference at Vattenfall's head office, Evenemangsgatan 13, Solna, Sweden. The press conference will be held in English. To join the webcast: Please click on the following link a few minutes before 10.30 CET: Vattenfall live webcast. A recorded version will be available after the press conference on corporate.vattenfall.com. To join by telephone: Please dial one of the numbers below a few minutes before 10.30 CET. +46 (0) 8 505 100 31 (Sweden) +44 (0) 203 059 58 62 (UK) Presentation slides: Presentation slides and other material will be available at approximately 09.00 CET on corporate.vattenfall.com. Facebook: facebook.com/vattenfallpressrum Twitter: twitter.com/Vattenfall_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/20160714005764/en/ Contacts: Vattenfall Johan Sahlqvist, Head of Investor Relations phone +46 (0) 8 739 72 51 cell +46 (0) 72 226 40 51 or Robert Pletzin, Media Relations Manager EU and Corporate cell +46 (0) 72 516 86 06 or Vattenfall's Press Office telephone: +46 (0) 8 739 50 10 press@vattenfall.com IRVINE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, approximately 438,513 BOTOX Cosmetic treatments were performed on men in 2015. Orange County facial plastic surgeon Ali Sepehr, MD explains that more men are choosing to have non-surgical procedures, like BOTOX injections, to reduce common signs of aging. As a result, he says some people have taken to calling the facial rejuvenation technique "Brotox." A type of neuromodulator, BOTOX Cosmetic works by temporarily suspending movement in the muscles that can form facial creases. Dr. Sepehr says that a skilled and experienced injector understands how to target specific areas of the face to reduce wrinkles while maintaining the patient's ability to show a full range of emotion. A natural-looking result is a primary concern for many, he adds, and the injection technique should be modified to suit the unique anatomic needs and cosmetic goals of the male patient. Part of what makes "Brotox" so popular, Dr. Sepehr suggests, is that it is a versatile, temporary anti-aging treatment. He says patients can try out the effects, which last approximately three to six months, and then decide if they want to continue with regular injections. Additionally, the Orange County facial plastic surgeon says BOTOX Cosmetic offers fast-acting results that are usually visible in about a week. Dr. Sepehr emphasizes that BOTOX Cosmetic should be administered by a qualified and experienced injector, and a facial plastic surgeon can be an ideal choice. He says facial plastic surgeons receive extensive training in how facial structures and tissues interact, allowing them to achieve excellent results for many patients, often with a lower risk of complications. About Ali Sepehr, MD Educated at the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Irvine, Dr. Ali Sepehr is a board certified and fellowship-trained facial plastic surgeon. He is the recipient of numerous honors, and he has been named one of "America's Top Physicians." Dr. Sepehr was also listed in "Who's Who in America." In addition to working as an instructor at UCLA School of Medicine, Dr. Sepehr is an active member of several medical associations, including the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the American Academy of Otolaryngology, and the American College of Physicians. He is available for interview upon request. For more information about Dr. Sepehr and his practice, please visit orangecountyfacialplasticsurgery.com and facebook.com/ocfacialplastics. To view the original source of this press release, click here: https://www.orangecountyfacialplasticsurgery.com/news/orange-county-facial-plastic-surgeon-discusses-brotox-trend Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3032284 The OC Center for Facial Plastic Surgery 16300 Sand Canyon Avenue Suite 201 Irvine, CA 92618 (949) 371-6963 Rosemont Media (858) 200-0044 www.rosemontmedia.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Editors Note: There are four photos associated with this press release. A prominent Toronto men's wear merchant has designed a way for the well-dressed North-American politico to vote for style and wear their political stripes. Located in the heart of Bay Street (Canada's version of Wall Street) Vassi, an exclusive high-end men's wear destination, today announced the creation of their exclusive 'Dump Trump' tie. While Vassi's Canadian clientele aren't able to formally impact the would-be Republican candidate's ascent to the White House, the 'Dump Trump' tie allows Canadians and Americans alike to be share in the political action and own a piece of presidential history from one of the most contentious campaigns in modern history. "Canadians will be greatly impacted by the results of this election and we have no influence to vote in it," added Vassi. "If we can't vote, at least we can choose to keep the our Dump Trump Ties around the necks of fashionable Canadian men." Featuring multi-colored dump trucks on the front and a bold (but hidden) 'Dump Trump' statement in text on the back, Vassi's 'Dump Trump' tie allows the well-dressed man to both embrace the US political circus in a fun way, and potentially be an 'Undercover Trump Dumper.' Vassi designed the Dump Trump tie because he believes that fashion, at its best, should relate to current social events and reflect the mood of the public ... but he's not taking sides. "I'm responding to what my clients tell me they want to wear. Canadians can't vote for a President, but they still want to feel like they are part of the process. If anyone comes in asking for a 'I Love Trump' or 'High-Five Hillary' tie, we'd probably do that too," added Vassi. The $100 (CDN) Dump Trump tie is handmade in Italy with 100% silk, America's politically-minded style seekers will need to hop over the border to snag one of the designs, as Vassi's 'Dump Trump' ties will be sold exclusively at his Toronto location starting Wednesday, August 10th. The Dump Trump Tie is available in three colors: 'Great Again' Grey Blue, 'Gonna Be Huge' Basic Blue and 'Believe Me' Baby Blue. Vassi is no stranger to political prominence, his store windows received international attention in 2012 by featuring both Obama and Romney tableau's. This year, he is planning a series of increasingly controversial bi-partisan windows to punctuate the US political circus. While Vassi is not making a play on his personal political stance, he is firmly against mediocre menswear and seriously considered using all proceeds from the 'Dump Trump' Tie to swing the vote against subpar suits in the White House. However, Vassi has instead chosen to donate all profits to Canada's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre - a cause to really believe in. To view the photos associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160714-trump1.jpg http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160714-Trump2.jpg http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160714-Trump3.jpg http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160714-Trump4.jpg Contacts: High res photos available by contacting: Patrick McCaully Pointman! Public Relations 416-855-9427 x-301 Patrick@pointmanpr.com www.pointmanpr.com Vilnius, Lithuania, 2016-07-14 16:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pursuant to Articles 25 and 26 of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania, please be informed that the agenda of extraordinary meeting of shareholders of Akcine bendrove "DVARCIONIU KERAMIKA, to be held on 25 July 2016 (the "Meeting"), has been supplemented. The Meeting is being convened at the initiative and pursuant to a decision of the Board of Akcine bendrove "DVARCIONIU KERAMIKA". The agenda has been supplemented pursuant to a proposal of the Board.I. Agenda of the Meeting supplemented pursuant to the proposal of the Board of Akcine bendrove "DVARCIONIU KERAMIKA" (together with items of the agenda announced previously):1. Regarding the Company's restructuring;2. Regarding increase of authorised capital of the Company;3. Regarding withdrawal of the pre-emptive rights of the Company's shareholders to acquire newly issued shares of the Company; granting of the right to acquire newly issued shares of the Company;4. Regarding approval of the new wording of the Bylaws of the Company.II. Proposed draft resolutions for new questions on the agenda of the Meeting1. Regarding the Company's restructuring1.1. To restructure AB "Dvarcioniu keramika", company code 110628481, registered address: Keramiku str. 2, Vilnius, Vilnius City Municipality.1.2. To approve the outline of restructuring plan of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" drawn at the initiative of the Company's Board (attached).1.3. To assent candidate to the restructuring administrator of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" suggested by the Company's Board, i.e. UAB Restrus (company code 145397810, order number in the List JA1, date of inclusion into the List 03 September 2001, registered at Konstitucijos str. 12-322, LT-09308 Vilnius).1.4. To commission Managing Director of the Company Liudmila Suboc on the terms and conditions established in the Companies Restructuring Law to make a claim to the court for initiating restructuring case for AB "Dvarcioniu keramika".1.5. To commission Managing Director of the Company Liudmila Suboc to suggest to the court to determine the administration expenses estimate of EUR 10,000.00, excl. VAT, for AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" for the period from the day of entry into effect of the court decision regarding initiating company's restructuring case until the day of entry into force of the decision on approval of the company's restructuring plan.1.6. To commission Managing Director Liudmila Suboc to suggest to the court to establish six months period for preparation of a restructuring plan for AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" and its submission to the court.2. Regarding increase of authorised capital of the Company2.1. To increase the authorized capital of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika", company code 110628481, registered address: Keramiku str. 2, Vilnius, Vilnius City Municipality, by EUR 3,500,000.14, i. e. from EUR 5,745,166.80 to EUR 9,245,166.94. The authorized capital of the Company shall be increased by additional monetary contributions equal to EUR 3,500,000.14.2.2. To set that authorized capital of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" is being increased by issuing 6,034,483 new ordinary registered shares with par value of 0.58 EUR each (the "New Shares"). Issue price of each New Share is equal to EUR 0.58. Total issue price of all the New Shares is equal to EUR 3,500,000.14.2.3. To set that the decision of shareholders of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" to increase the authorized capital of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" by the amount of EUR 3,500,000.14 shall automatically become null and void in case, until full payment for the New Shares, (i) a bankruptcy case of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" is instituted by an effective decision of a court or (ii) restructuring plan of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" fails to be approved in timely manner in the case of restructuring of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika". In case of abovementioned termination of the decision to increase the authorized capital of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika", all money paid for the respective new shares shall be immediately returned."3. Regarding withdrawal of the pre-emptive rights of the Company's shareholders to acquire newly issued shares of the Company; granting of the right to acquire newly issued shares of the Company3.1. Taking into account Article 57(5) of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania and with the aims of achieving the goals indicated in the outline of restructuring plan of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" as well as improving the financial standing of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika", to withdraw the rights of first refusal of all shareholders of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" to acquire newly issued shares and set that all 6,034,483 newly issued ordinary registered shares of the AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" shall be acquired for EUR 3,500,000.14 by an individual entrepreneurship incorporated and operating under the laws of the Russian Federation IP Michele Pulpito, legal entity code 314774626601121, registered office at Centralnaja str. 18/51, Pervomajskoe, Moscow, Russian Federation.3.2. To set that Share Subscription Agreement of the New Shares must be concluded in 1 month following adoption of the shareholders' decision to increase authorized capital of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika". All the New Shares have to be paid up in 12 months following subscription of the shares - part of the price of New Shares equal to EUR 250,000 shall be transferred to an escrow account opened by a notary public in 5 business days following coming into force of a court's decision to start restructuring case of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" and the remaining part of price of the New Shares shall be paid in 15 business days following adoption of a court's decision to approve a restructuring plan of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika". Detailed terms and conditions of settlement for the New Shares shall be indicated in Share Subscription Agreement."III. The Board of Akcine bendrove "DVARCIONIU KERAMIKA", pursuant to Article 25(4) of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania and with regards to the proposal to increase authorized capital of the company, also announces a new proposed draft resolutions for question already on the agenda of the Meeting as item 4 "Regarding approval of the new wording of the Bylaws of the Company":4.1. With regard to the adopted decision to increase the authorized capital of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika", to amend paragraph 3.1 of Articles of Association of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" and to read it as follows: 3.1. The Authorized capital of the Company consists of contributions of shareholders and is 9,245,166.94 EUR. It is divided into 15,939,943 ordinary registered shares with nominal value of EUR 0.58.Also, to change the parts of Articles of Association of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" that have to be changed in relation to decrease of number of Board members of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" to 4.4.2. With regard to the resolution above, to amend the Articles of Association of AB "Dvarcioniu keramika" and to approve their new wording (attached).4.3. To authorize General Director of Company Liudmila Suboc to solely sign the new wording of the Articles of Association as well as to prepare and sign any documents, requests, statements, forms, submit them or withdraw and perform any action in the competent authority, which are required by the company for the new wording of Articles of Association of the Company to be registered with the Register of Legal Entities of the Republic of Lithuania.Attachments:1. Outline of restructuring plan; 2. New wording of Articles of Association of the Company;3. Notice of the Board on revocation of pre-emptive rights of shareholders.General Director Liudmila SubocTel. +370 5 2317021Liudmila Suboc +37052317021 l.suboc@keramika.ltAttachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=578698 DUBLIN, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Aircraft Refurbishing Market 2016-2020" report to their offering. The global aircraft refurbishing market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 5.24% during the period 2016-2020. Commenting on the report, an analyst from the research team said: A trend helping to boost market growth is the rising popularity of VIP cabins. The growing demand for luxury travel and the desire for comfort and connectivity is increasing the demand for VIP cabin conversions. In order to meet the ever-rising expectations and changing preferences of customers who wish to fly on the finest aircraft, various teams such as engineers, ground interior designers, completion specialists, and manufacturers are focusing on advanced technology and high premium cabin refurbishments. According to the report, a key growth driver is the growing demand for premium economy class. The changing passenger preferences have necessitated airlines to explore more options for travel. With the growing income, the cost-sensitive passengers are tending toward comfort luxury travel. Therefore, the concept of premium economy class, which was first introduced by Taiwanese carrier Eva Air in 1991, was widely accepted by airlines globally. This provided an opportunity for air carriers to improve yields by providing an intermediate zone with extra space and comfort for a small hike in the economy fare. Further, the report states that one challenge that could hamper market growth is the complexities involved in the decision-making process. Questions Answered: What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? Companies Mentioned: AAR Ameco Aviation Partners Boeing L-3 Communications Aviation Recorders ST Aerospace Global AirWorks HAECO Honeywell Lufthansa Technik Rockwell Collins Zodiac Aerospace Report Structure: PART 01: Executive summary PART 02: Scope of the report PART 03: Market research methodology PART 04: Introduction PART 05: Market landscape PART 06: Supply chain system for aircraft refurbishment market PART 07: Market segmentation by aircraft type PART 08: Geographical segmentation PART 09: Market drivers PART 10: Impact of drivers PART 11: Market challenges PART 12: Impact of drivers and challenges PART 13: Market trends PART 14: Vendor landscape PART 15: Key vendor analysis PART 16: Appendix PART 17: About the Author For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/476qfq/global_aircraft Media 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 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lags behind her Republican rival Donald Trump in some of the key states like Florida and Pennsylvania, according to a latest poll. The poll conducted by Quinnipiac University found that Trump leads Clinton in Florida by a margin of 42 percent to 39 percent. In Pennsylvania, he is ahead by 43 percent to 41 percent. In Ohio, they are tied, with each having support of 41 percent of voters. The latest poll is not seen as a good sign by the Clinton campaign. This marks a huge swing from Quinnipiac polls last month, in which Clinton led 47 to 39 per cent in Florida, and in Pennsylvania by 42 percent - 41 percent. 'We know the battlegrounds are going to be close till the end. That's why we need to keep working so hard, Clinton's press secretary Brian Fallon said on twitter Wednesday. He admitted that Trump is a serious danger, while Trump tweeted 'Thank You.' Peter Brown, Assistant Director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said in a statement that the former Secretary of State has lost ground to Trump on questions which measure moral standards and honesty. 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) -- 07/14/16 -- Orckestra is proud to announce that our team has won the 2016 Microsoft Canada Enterprise Cloud Platform Innovation IMPACT Award. This recognition represents partners who have embraced technology to achieve more and are leading the path to innovation in the mobile-first, cloud-first world. Microsoft Canada presented these awards in 16 categories on July 10, 2016, at the Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) in Toronto, ON. Winners were selected based on the outstanding work the companies provided to their customers and community. "The 2016 IMPACT Award winners and finalists represent the most innovative and transformative work being done across our partner community," said Janet Kennedy, President, Microsoft Canada. "It is important to recognize and celebrate the value and opportunity these solutions create for our mutual customers. Congratulations to all of this year's winners on this tremendous achievement." This year the IMPACT Awards recognized partners who provided the most innovative and comprehensive solutions that empowered their customers to be more profitable, agile and ultimately achieve more. Orckestra won the Enterprise Cloud Platform Innovation Award for the second year in a row by demonstrating industry-leading innovation with the digital commerce transformation of a number of top specialty retailers in Canada. By providing a single commerce platform for traditional retailers to extend their digital commerce and operations capabilities, Orckestra is helping to level the playing field in the industry by providing exceptional customer experiences for retailers online and in their physical stores. The Orckestra Commerce Orchestration platform, built on Azure with an open cloud architecture, allows mid-size to large enterprises to drive all of their customers' shopping experiences on the web, mobile and in-store from one central platform. "We are truly honored to be recognized by Microsoft as a leader in the industry year after year. We work hard every day to offer our clients a state-of-the-art commerce platform, bringing retail experiences, data and operations together in one solution," stated Louis Fournier, Orckestra's President and CEO. ABOUT THE MICROSOFT WORLDWIDE PARTNER CONFERENCE (WPC) The Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) is an annual, global convergence of Microsoft's top partners. It's where we come together to network, drive business growth and identify new profitability opportunities. This year at WPC, we will continue to focus on key trends that represent the most profitable models for partners. ABOUT ORCKESTRA Orckestra is a leading provider of modern commerce solutions, offering a single commerce platform to create and manage the most engaging shopping experiences across the web, mobile and in-store. Built on the Microsoft Azure open cloud, our Commerce Orchestration platform establishes a unique central commerce layer that unifies all retail systems and customer touchpoints, and helps enterprise organizations grow their business successfully in the global marketplace. We fuel digital innovation for leading retailers, grocers and branded manufacturers, enabling them to deliver differentiating commerce experiences faster with lower IT burden and operating costs, and maximum revenue growth. Contacts: Maud Lorilliere Events and PR Manager, Orckestra 514 398-0999 maud.lorilliere@orckestra.com SAN FRANCISCO and INNSBRUCK, Austria, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Security product testers and industry join forces to broaden the range of security software testing. AV-Comparatives, an independent antivirus testing lab, based in Austria, has conducted the second public industry test using the AMTSO Real Time Threat List (RTTL). The RTTL is a repository of malware samples collected from around the world, and is managed, maintained and secured by the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO). Through the RTTL, AMTSO has provided a common platform where testers can access malware samples and related telemetry data provided by vendors and academics. The RTTL provides testers with a new option to develop testing based on prevalence-weighted and region-specific malware samples. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160713/389203LOGO ) "Using the RTTL extends the range of tests and certifications that can be applied, which allows businesses and consumers to make more informed decisions when selecting a product," said Andreas Clementi, CEO of AV-Comparatives. "In our Real-World Testing framework, we are simulating the "real-world" use of a computer. By mimicking this realistic behavior, and exposing the machine to samples pulled from the RTTL, we can give an accurate and relevant overview of the core protection capabilities of the tested security product." Even though testing based on the AMTSO RTTL is very new, nearly all of the vendors achieved AV-Comparative's certification. Righard Zwienenberg, President and CEO of AMTSO, which maintains the RTTL, stated, "We are pleased to see another test relying on the RTTL. AV-Comparatives' early adoption shapes RTTL's roadmap and ensures its quality, which we believe will ultimately help both the testing industry and end user." Detailed information about the methodology and test results are available on the AV-Comparatives website: http://www.av-comparatives.org/certification-tests/ http://www.av-comparatives.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/avc_rttl_201606_en.pdf Details about the AMTSO Real Time Threat List (RTTL) can be found on the AMTSO website at http://www.amtso.org. About AV"Comparatives AV"Comparatives [http://www.av-comparatives.org] is an independent organization offering systematic testing that checks whether security software, such as PC/Mac"based anti"virus products and mobile security solutions, lives up to its promises. Using one of the largest sample collections worldwide, it creates a real"world environment for truly accurate testing. AV"Comparatives offers freely accessible results to individuals, news organizations and scientific institutions. Certification by AV"Comparatives provides an official seal of approval for software performance which is globally recognized. Currently, AV" Comparatives' Real"World Protection Test is the most comprehensive and complex test available when it comes to evaluating the real"life protection capabilities of anti"virus software. Put simply, the test framework replicates the scenario of an everyday user in an everyday online environment - the typical situation that most of us experience when using a computer with an Internet connection. AV"Comparatives works closely with several academic institutions, especially the University of Innsbruck's Department of Computer Science, to provide innovative scientific testing methods. About the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO) AMTSO is a California-based non-profit mutual benefit corporation founded in 2008. AMTSO's mission is to improve business conditions related to the development, use, testing and rating of anti-malware solutions. AMTSO membership is open to industry-wide academics, reviewers, testers and vendors. Additional information regarding the organization, including charter documents, membership and educational materials are available on the AMTSO website at http://www.amtso.org . MEDIA CONTACTS: AV-Comparatives Peter Stelzhammer p.stelzhammer@av-comparatives.org AMTSO Tony Anscombe tony.anscombe@amtso.org New Certification Standard based on the AMTSO RTTL Technavio has announced the top five leading vendors for the global niobium marketin their latest research report. To identify the top vendors, Technavio's market research analysts have considered the top contributors to the overall revenue of this market. The report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the five prominent vendors operating in the market. Request sample report: http://bit.ly/29lIYK7 "Globally, the steel industry consumes a considerable amount of niobium. Niobium increases the toughness, strength, and weldability of steel products. Among flat steel products, it is used in the production of hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel strips and high-strength steel plates. Among long steel products, it is used for strengthening wire rods, reinforcing bars, structural sections, and rail steels. Therefore, the steel market has a significant impact on the demand for niobium," said Chandrakumar Badala Jaganathan, one of Technavio's lead analysts for metals and minerals Top five leading vendors in the global niobium market: Advanced Metallurgical Group Advanced Metallurgical Group (AMG) was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The company produces engineered specialty metals and mineral products. AMG functions globally with manufacturing facilities in Germany, the UK, France, the Czech Republic, the US, China, Mexico, Brazil, and Sri Lanka, and has sales and customer service offices in Russia and Japan. Anglo American Anglo American is headquartered in London, UK and was established in 1917. The company has mining operations in Southern Africa, North and South America, and Australia. In FY2015, the company recorded a revenue of $23 billion and had more than 128,000 employees globally. CBMM CBMM (Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineracao) is a privately held Brazilian company founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Araxa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, which is the site of a large niobium ore reserve. The company emphasizes on expanding the use of niobium technology, and transforming minerals into products that cater to specialized industrial. Magris Resources Magris Resources is a private equity firm specialized in mining and is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The company also invests in infrastructure and in the metals and mining sector, with a focus on assets located within North America. In January 2015, IAMGOLD sold its Niobec niobium mine in Quebec, Canada to Margis Resources to focus on its core gold mining business. Global Advanced Metals Global Advanced Metals was established in 2010 and is headquartered in West Perth, Western Australia, Australia. It is a fully integrated supplier of tantalum products, providing tantalum metallurgical products and tantalum powder for high-performance capacitors. These products find application in the electronics, aerospace, chemicals, and automotive industries. Browse related reports: Global Industrial Gases Market 2016-2020 Global Non-Ferrous Metals Market 2016-2020 Global Chromium Mining Market 2016-2020 Do you need a report on a market in a specific geographical cluster or country but can't find what you're looking for? Don't worry, Technavio also takes client requests. Please contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and our analysts will be happy to create a customized report just for you. 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/20160714005014/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com media@technavio.com Collaboration with Oxfam Great Britain, Heifer International and the Ford Foundation Delivers a Strategic Social Investment Regulatory News: This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005922/en/ Vetiver Together (Graphic: Business Wire) International Flavors Fragrances Inc. and Unilever announced today a new partnership with leading non-governmental organizations to enhance the livelihoods of smallholder vetiver farmers in Haiti. The partnership, Vetiver Together, aims to sustainably improve food security, increase yields, and diversify income, while working to support women's empowerment and environmental conservation. Vetiver oil is a common ingredient in many fragrances and an important crop for Unilever, found in brands such as Axe and Impulse. Haiti produces some of the best vetiver in the world, and many farmers rely on cultivation of the root for their entire source of income. But, due to economic pressures, farmers often harvest the roots before they are fully mature, leading to low prices, poor oil yields, deforestation and soil erosion. The partnership will help farmers address these challenges as well as provide training to community members including in crop and livestock production, soil conservation and nutrition to help improve social conditions and diversity of farm production and food security. The project is a strategic social investment that recognizes that improving smallholder and community livelihoods and strengthening the Haitian vetiver supply chain are mutually beneficial. It is supported by the Enhancing Livelihoods Fund a partnership between Unilever, Oxfam Great Britain, and the Ford Foundation which backs innovative models to improve agricultural practices and have a positive social impact, particularly for women. "IFF relies on small farming communities for many natural products. These farmers, their families, and communities are an important part of our supply chain," said Andreas Fibig, Chairman and CEO of IFF. "Sustainability is a key enabler of our Vision2020 business strategy, and this partnership is the embodiment of one of our key sustainability strategies, Sensational People, in which we engage our employees and stakeholders to make a positive difference in the world." "Sustainability is integral to how we do business at Unilever we aim to enhance the social and economic livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers in our supply chain," said Dhaval Buch, Chief Procurement Officer of Unilever. "Creating a more resilient supply chain is essential to make real impact on the ground. Partnerships, like Vetiver Together, are instrumental if we are to achieve the level of systematic change that is necessary across industries and supply chains." Heifer International will implement the project and provide access to livestock which delivers both an additional food source and diversified income through products that can be bartered and sold at market. "Livestock is a vehicle to support families and communities, provide highly nutritious foods, empower women, and manage economic risk," said Pierre Ferrari, CEO of Heifer International. "Coupling livestock with improvements in the quality of the vetiver crop through optimized conservation practices makes Vetiver Together a true example of the good that can happen when multi-stakeholder partnerships are managed and executed with care." "The Enhancing Livelihood Fund is particularly interested in supporting Unilever suppliers develop new business models that improve conditions for women, workers and smallholders in an innovative way. We have learnt from previous work, suppliers play a critical role." said David Bright, Head of Economic Justice of Oxfam GB. "This is why Oxfam together with Unilever and the Ford Foundation set up the Fund to support Unilever suppliers." View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714005922/en/ Contacts: International Flavors Fragrances Inc. Michael DeVeau, 212-708-7164 VP, Global Corporate Communications Investor Relations Michael.DeVeau@iff.com or Caroline Boin, +44 7917 214 712 (UK) Senior Global Media Relations Manager Caroline.Boin@unilever.com CUPERTINO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Workspot (workspot.com), a leader in next generation Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI 2.0), announces executive expansion with Brad Peterson as Vice President of Marketing, Prasad Krothapalli as Vice President of Engineering and Jimmy Chang taking on a new title as Vice President of Products and Alliances. All formerly with Citrix, these new leadership additions will help Workspot become a frontrunner in the VDI market. "I can't think of a bigger opportunity at a better time. Customers have been waiting for a simple VDI solution and we've launched VDI 2.0 to meet the need. With the successful reception of VDI 2.0 fueling the growth of our business, it's now time to grow the executive team along with the company to accelerate our market penetration," states Amitabh Sinha, CEO and Co-Founder of Workspot. As VP of Marketing, Brad Peterson will be responsible for the company's branding, marketing strategy, demand-generation and communications. He plans to help develop Workspot's brand as a top competitor in the VDI market amongst industry leaders Citrix and VMware. Prasad Krothapalli will direct the engineering team on new product development as Vice President of Engineering. Jimmy Chang will be taking on the role of VP of Products and Alliances to continue work on product management, product marketing, and building an ecosystem strategy. "I'm excited to bring my 20+ years of building and leading teams that drive high-growth business opportunities, shorter sales cycles, and faster revenue growth to Workspot. We're at the forefront of a massive shift in the VDI market where customers are now expecting the same web scale advancements delivered by the largest global cloud providers to apply to their VDI solutions. Workspot is disrupting this market by combining our cloud native, web scale, cloud control plane VDI 2.0 architecture with our hyper-converged solution partners to finally deliver on the promise of VDI," states Brad Peterson, VP of Marketing at Workspot. "As a seasoned, result-oriented VP with strong technical, organizational and business skills, I'm thrilled to bring my leadership expertise to Workspot. Workspot has built a very impressive cloud control plane infrastructure over the last 3 years. I plan to leverage my 15+ years of experience developing end user computing technologies to help grow and improve the platform to be an industry leader in VDI 2.0," states Prasad Krothapalli, VP of Engineering. "I'm proud of what we have accomplished in the past year and a half. We've launched VDI 2.0 which is an extremely disruptive new solution that simplifies VDI like nothing before it. The customer response to what we have built has outpaced all expectations. I'm excited by the expansion of leadership and where our growth takes us in the future," states Jimmy Chang, VP of Products and Alliances at Workspot. Previously, Brad was Vice President of Marketing at DocuSign, the global leader in eSignature and Digital Transaction Management. Before DocuSign, Brad worked with Citrix for almost a decade where he built the global EBC program, produced solutions videos driving millions in pipeline, and was a regular keynote speaker for Citrix and partner events globally. Brad joined Citrix in 2004 through the acquisition of Net6, where he relocated to the Citrix EMEA headquarters in Switzerland and launched the new security appliance business over a two-year period to a $30M run rate. Brad has also held executive roles at Net6 (acquired by Citrix), Octane (acquired by E.piphany), BayStone (acquired by Remedy) and Auspex (IPO). Prasad has lead globally based development teams at early stage start-ups and large companies, including NComputing and Citrix. He most recently held the position as VP of Engineering at NComputing, a leader in Desktop and Application virtualization solutions. Before NComputing, he was the Sr. Director of Engineering of Enterprise Desktops and Application Division at Citrix where he lead Citrix XenDesktop 7 development teams. Previously Prasad was Director and Architect at Everypath where he built Mobile Application Gateway and Mobile Application Platforms. Prasad holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from The Ohio State University. Jimmy has been the driving force behind Workspot's marketing, product management, and customer success efforts at Workspot as Director of Products. Prior to Workspot, Jimmy held various senior technical product and strategy roles at software, networking, and video compression companies, including Citrix where he was Director of Product Management and Strategic Alliances, responsible for XenDesktop product management and building the ecosystem strategy with technology partners including Google, HP, and Dell. About Workspot Workspot, the leading cloud-based provider of VDI 2.0, is the fastest and simplest solution for enterprise mobility. In 60 minutes, Workspot solves the corporate challenge of securely delivering apps and data to any device with a single frictionless user experience across mobile, Mac and PC platforms. Workspot connects all mobile users to all apps and data with zero footprint in the datacenter and without migrating data to the cloud. Based in Cupertino, California, Workspot is recognized by Gartner as a "Cool Vendor" in endpoint computing. For more information, visit www.workspot.com. Media Contact Jessica Hasson PulpPR for Workspot jessica@pulppr.com SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - July 14, 2016) - Tanya Dzhibrailova, Zephyr Real Estate's Top-Producing dynamo, was named one of the country's top real estate professionals by REAL Trends, as published in The Wall Street Journal. She is now ranked in the top one half of one percent of the more than 1.1 million Realtors nationwide. According to THE THOUSAND, Dzhibrailova had sales volume totaling $87,053,389, ranking her as 158 th in the nation, up from her previous position at 187. Dzhibrailova is dedicated to providing impeccable service to her clients as evidenced by the consistent stellar reviews on Yelp.com and Zillow.com. She is devoted to education, and avidly networks with her peers. She has earned many achievements and designations including Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI), Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), ePRO Internet Professional, and GREEN designations. She is a member of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, the Women's Council of Realtors, as well as the local, state and national REALTOR associations. She is also a member of Top Agent Network, an exclusive organization of agents producing in the top 10 percent of the market. She may be reached through her website at http://propertiesbytanya.com or by phone at 415-531-6779. "The best individual agents and teams-including Dzhibrailova's award-winning efforts-were nothing short of phenomenal considering the challenges in today's complex housing market," said Steve Murray, founder of REAL Trends, a Denver-based consulting, publishing and communications company and The Trusted Source that complies the yearly, third-party verified list. "What a thrill and an honor to be ranked with the elite across the country," commented Dzhibrailova. This awards program was developed jointly by WSJ. Custom Studios (and is not affiliated with the Editorial Department) and REAL Trends, a leading source of analysis and information for the residential real estate brokerage industry. REAL Trends THE THOUSAND honors America's elite real estate professionals and their companies and is compiled and analyzed by REAL Trends with a special ad section included in The Wall Street Journal. The ranking of THE THOUSAND can be found at: www.thethousandrealestateprofessionals.com About Zephyr Real Estate Founded in 1978, Zephyr Real Estate is San Francisco's largest independent real estate firm with nearly $2.3 billion in gross sales and a current roster of more than 300 full-time agents. Zephyr's highly-visited website has earned two web design awards, including the prestigious Interactive Media Award. Zephyr Real Estate is a member of the international relocation network, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World; the luxury real estate network, Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate; global luxury affiliate, Mayfair International; and local luxury marketing association, the Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco. Zephyr has six offices in San Francisco, a brand new office in Greenbrae, and two brokerage affiliates in Sonoma County, all strategically positioned to serve a large customer base throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, visit www.ZephyrRE.com. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/7/12/11G106278/Images/The_Thousand_logo-c3d14649fd85a496802d9536d3bb4a3f.jpg Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/7/12/11G106278/Images/Tanya_Dzhibrailova_headshot-c07a0298329ea0e293678255a0bb4b54.jpg Contact: Melody Foster Zephyr Real Estate San Francisco, CA 415.426.3203 Email contact CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this release. AltaGas Ltd. ("AltaGas") (TSX: ALA) and Halfway River First Nation (HRFN) signed a Comprehensive Relationship Agreement. The ten-year agreement provides the framework for consultation, financial benefits, community investment, employment opportunities, and support for a wildlife study in HRFN's traditional territory. "This agreement supports AltaGas' three guiding principles for developing energy infrastructure: respect the land, share the benefits, and nurture long-term relationships," said David Harris, President and Chief Executive Officer of AltaGas. "We look forward to continuing to build a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship with HRFN that recognizes and respects their values and traditions." "We are pleased to sign this relationship agreement with AltaGas," said Chief Darlene Hunter of Halfway River First Nation. "By working together with AltaGas, we have developed an agreement that will benefit our community for many years to come." AltaGas is constructing its Townsend Facility approximately 100 kilometres north of Fort St. John in Northeast British Columbia on HRFN territory. When completed, the Facility will include a 198 million cubic feet per day (MMscf/d) shallow-cut natural gas processing facility, a gathering pipeline, sales pipeline, two liquids egress pipelines, and a truck terminal on the Alaska Highway. The Townsend Facility is a key component of AltaGas' Northeast British Columbia energy strategy. The Project has provided members of HRFN with employment opportunities during construction and will continue do so once operational. "This agreement between AltaGas and the Halfway River First Nation is an important step towards sharing the prosperity that comes with natural gas development," said the Honourable John Rustad, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, for the Province of British Columbia. "The growth of a sustainable, responsible natural gas sector will bring substantial financial benefits, jobs and new business opportunities to Halfway River and other First Nations communities throughout northern B.C." AltaGas is an energy infrastructure business with a focus on natural gas, power and regulated utilities. AltaGas creates value by acquiring, growing and optimizing its energy infrastructure, including a focus on clean energy sources. For more information visit: www.altagas.ca This news release contains forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "target", "believe", "seek", "propose", "estimate", "expect", and similar expressions, as they relate to AltaGas or an affiliate of AltaGas, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, expectations with respect to the propane export terminal including, construction by AltaGas, site location, shipment, connection and transportation capabilities, sources of supply, estimated cost, anticipated timing of final investment decision and commercial operation, expectations of the propane export terminal being the first to export propane from British Columbia's west coast, and the potential for the propane export terminal to provide new markets for natural gas producers, business objectives, expected growth, results of operations, performance, business projects and opportunities and financial results. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect AltaGas' current views with respect to future events based on certain material factors and assumptions and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, changes in market, competition, governmental or regulatory developments, general economic conditions and other factors set out in AltaGas' public disclosure documents. Many factors could cause AltaGas' actual results, performance or achievements to vary from those described in this news release, including without limitation those listed above. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this news release as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, sought, proposed, estimated or expected, and such forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference in this news release, should not be unduly relied upon. Such statements speak only as of the date of this news release. AltaGas does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. To view the photo associated with this release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160714-HRFN.jpg. Contacts: Media 1.403.691.7197 media.relations@altagas.ca www.altagas.ca NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Fish & Richardson announced today that the Eastern District of Virginia has granted United Services Automobile Association's (USAA) motion to dismiss with prejudice a lawsuit alleging infringement of a patent for verifying online transactions using a trusted third party. In the case, Asghari-Kamrani v. USAA, Judge Robert Doumar ruled on July 5, 2016 that the Asgharis' '432 patent is invalid because it is directed to no more than an abstract idea and thus ineligible for patent protection under 35 U.S.C. 101. In October 2015, brothers Nader and Kamran Asghari-Kamrani accused USAA of infringing their '432 patent because of the manner in which USAA members can log on to USAA's website. The Asgharis, principals of Delphinus Technology located in Centreville, Virginia, demanded an eight-figure damages award. "This was a bellwether case since the Asgharis have threatened many other companies with this patent, from financial services entities to IT security firms," said Fish & Richardson principal Michael Zoppo, who served as lead patent counsel for USAA. "The plaintiffs should have known that their suit against USAA and threats against the industry are meritless. The '432 patent issued before the Alice decision came out, but in a later patent application related to the '432 patent, the United States Patent and Trademark Office rejected virtually identical claims under Alice. This was a victory both for USAA and for the industry at large." The Fish team representing USAA also included of counsel Dave Francescani, principal Ahmed Davis, and associates Matthew Berntsen, David Kuznick, and Grant Rice. Fish also filed two Covered Business Method (CBM) review petitions against the '432 patent for USAA at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) on May 2, 2016, which are currently pending. Fish & Richardson is a global patent, intellectual property (IP) litigation, and commercial litigation law firm with more than 400 attorneys and technology specialists across the U.S. and Europe. Fish has been named the #1 patent litigation firm in the U.S. for 13 consecutive years and is one of the busiest post-grant firms, representing more petitioners at the PTAB than any other firm. Fish has been winning cases worth billions in controversy -- often by making new law -- for the most innovative clients and influential industry leaders since 1878. For more information, visit www.fr.com. Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3033779 Contact: Amy Blumenthal Blumenthal & Associates 617-879-1511 amyb@blumenthalpr.com or Kelly Largey Fish & Richardson 800-818-5070 largey@fr.com DUBLIN, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Contract Packaging Market 2016-2020" report to their offering. The global contract packaging market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 10.62% during the period 2016-2020. Commenting on the report, an analyst from the research team said: A trend which will boost market growth is the growing focus on sustainable packaging. Consumers and manufacturers will give more importance to sustainable packaging during the forecast period because of it is recyclable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. There is a growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions, and manufacturers are finding it difficult to focus on packaging in addition to their core business areas. Therefore, these manufacturers are choosing contract packagers to assist them in packaging by using sustainable packaging solutions. According to the report, a key growth driver is the need to reduce operational costs. One of the major advantages of contract packaging is the overall reduction of operational costs for manufacturers. Machines used for packaging are costly, and in the long run, the operational and maintenance costs for these machines are high. Therefore, many manufacturing industries are opting for contract packaging. Questions Answered: What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? Companies Mentioned: Deufol GENCO Sharp Packaging Services Stamar Packaging Summit Packaging Unicep Packaging Aaron Thomas CCL Industries Co-Pak Packaging DHL Gardan Green Packaging Asia Jones Packaging Multipack Pharma Tech Industries Reed-Lane Signode Report Structure: PART 01: Executive summary PART 02: Scope of the report PART 03: Market research methodology PART 04: Introduction PART 05: Market landscape PART 06: Market segmentation by end-users PART 07: Geographical segmentation PART 08: Market drivers PART 09: Impact of drivers PART 10: Market challenges PART 11: Impact of drivers and challenges PART 12: Market trends PART 13: Vendor landscape PART 14: Key vendor analysis PART 15: Appendix PART 16: About the Author For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/s3hw2k/global_contract Media 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 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Saint Marc Pub-Cafe, Bakery & Cheese Affinage -- Pacific City's hottest spot for bold cocktails made by master mixologists and a trendsetting Americana-inspired menu -- will host a first Yappy Hour event in partnership with Tito's Handmade Vodka and Top Dog Barkery on Saturday, July 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 21058 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach to launch the restaurant's new dog menu. "We designed our restaurant to be pet-friendly, so we're looking forward to the launch of our official menu just for dogs," says CEO Thomas (Mac) McFarland Gregory III. "The Huntington Beach community loves its pets and to be able to offer another way for animals and their owners to enjoy themselves together is exciting. This has been a request since our doors opened in December 2015, so we know it will be a hit with the locals." To showcase the new menu, which includes items such as Cheesy Chow Biscuits, Peanut Butter Cookies and Birthday Bones -- Saint Marc has invited the OC Humane Society to host an adoption event in front of the restaurant. The event will also include contests with prizes for both dogs and their owners, including products from Tito's and Top Dog Barkery. Pacific City, the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce as well as Young's Market have also teamed up with Saint Marc for the launch. For more information on the Yappy Hour event, Saint Marc's new dog menu, and the latest happenings at Saint Marc, please contact Leslie Licano at leslie@beyondfifteen.com or visit www.saintmarcusa.com. About Saint Marc USA: Saint Marc Pub -- Cafe, Bakery & Cheese Affinage is the brand's first and flagship establishment, situated along the Huntington Beach coastline within the vibrant new Pacific City. Saint Marc offers nostalgic, Americana cuisine in a family and pet friendly environment. Ambassadors serving as personal culinary consultants offer expert advice on Saint Marc's unique selection of distinctive food and hydration available tableside or self-selected from free-standing stations. iPads of information offering images and on-demand ordering of what guests want when they want it, free-flow bread from the bakery, over 100 cheese selections from boards to fondue, craft beers in a can, 32 wines on draught, with mixology served in Red Solo Cups and dishes served on faux paper plates -- highlight just some of the enticing features and unique characteristics that set Saint Marc on a less-traveled path. To learn more, visit www.saintmarcusa.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Leslie Licano Beyond Fifteen Communications, Inc. 949.733.8679 saintmarc@beyondfifteen.com LINCOLNSHIRE, IL -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Bentley's Pet Stuff, a family-owned, multi-unit healthy pet foods retailer founded by Lisa and Giovanni Senafe, along with entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, host of CNBC's reality series, The Profit, today announced the acquisition of Go Dog Go, a pet products retailer located at 100 Main Street in Oswego. Bentley's has been a fixture in the Chicago market since 2008 and currently operates 25 stores in the Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Denver markets after recent acquisitions. "Our commitment to excellent customer service, and the health and wellness of cats and dogs is unlike anything in the market to date," said Lemonis, Bentley's Pet Stuff Business Partner. "Pets are an integral part of many families and a source of companionship for their owners, and we strive to reflect that bond and enjoyment in our stores while also growing the local economy with commerce and employment." Bentley's Pet Stuff sells natural food, pet care essentials, toys, grooming products and treats for their four-legged friends. The company focuses on the three critical elements in caring for pets: to nourish, energize and reward. Specialty pet food brands such as Fromm, Orijen, Zignature, Honest Kitchen and Stella & Chewy's can be obtained from all Bentley's Pet Stuff locations. In addition, seasonal products and holiday gift items are available for purchase throughout the year. "After our initial discussion, we realized that similar to our Bentley's Pet Stuff concept, Go Dog Go has been committed to the quality and integrity of their products," said co-founder and owner Lisa Senafe. "We also only feature high-quality ingredients and absolutely no corn, wheat, soy, or artificial flavors nor products made in China, so when we researched the market and the business, our holistic ideologies were a perfect fit." Previous owner, Katherine Manola, opened Go Dog Go in 2004 with a goal to serve as a one-stop provider of quality, affordably-priced pet foods and pet accessories. Plans are in place for Katherine and her current staff to transition into the new business and will assist with the expansion of the Bentley's Pet Stuff brand in the western suburbs. For more information about Bentley's Pet Stuff pet stores, products and history, please visit www.PetStuff.com. For information on the Bentley's expansion and opening plans, please contact Giovanni Senafe at 708-214-4197 or giovanni@bentleyspetstuff.com. About Bentley's Pet Stuff Bentley's Corner Barkery opened its doors in 2008 with a mission to feed animal lovers' pets genuine real meat products made in the USA. Their dedication to customers' animals is why they hand pick and research every item stocked on their shelves, allowing customers to be at ease when making a purchase at any of their retail stores throughout the Chicagoland area. Started from a single retail store eight years ago, Bentley's Corner Barkery grew to encompass seven locations offering natural pet food, a variety of treats, toys and more! In November 2015, Bentley's Corner Barkery acquired Pet Stuff and the newly formed company, Bentley's Pet Stuff, now features 25 locations across Chicagoland and new facilities in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Colorado. http://www.petstuff.com/ & www.facebook.com/bentleyscb/ About Marcus Lemonis Marcus Lemonis is an entrepreneur, investor, television personality, and chairman and CEO of Camping World and Good Sam as well as Marcus Lemonis LLC which includes Bentley's Pet Stuff Enterprises. Lemonis is known as the "business turnaround king" and host of CNBC's prime time reality series, The Profit, in which he lends his expertise to struggling small businesses around the country and judges' businesses based on a "Three P" principle: People, Process, and Product. The Profit returns on Tuesday, August 23rd at 10pm ET/PT on CNBC. More about Marcus Lemonis can be found at http://www.marcuslemonis.com, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/marcus.lemonis and Twitter @MarcusLemonis. Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3033824 For media, contact: Karen L. Porter Director of Media Services Email Contact OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- News Release - TransCanada Corporation (TSX: TRP) (NYSE: TRP) (TransCanada) along with the senior representatives of the four major pipeline unions and the Pipe Line Contractors Association of Canada (PLCAC) have come together to sign a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for work on the Energy East Pipeline Project. The MOU ensures that thousands of the skilled pipeline trade jobs required to build the project will be awarded to members of the PLCAC and the four union partners, including: the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA), Labourers International Union of North America (LiUNA), International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) and Teamsters Canada. The organizations came together to reinforce the fact that the work needed to construct the privately financed, $15.7 billion crude oil pipeline means thousands of quality jobs for their members. It also further ensures the pipeline will be built to the highest safety standards. Additional unions across the country will also be engaged to complete this work. "This MOU signing is very significant for TransCanada," said Russ Girling, TransCanada's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are committed to hiring the best workers this country has to offer for the over 14,000 jobs Energy East will create annually across Canada during the nine years it will take to develop and build the pipeline. And above all, we are committed to ensuring Energy East is built safely. "Pipelines remain the safest and least GHG-intensive way of transporting the crude oil Canadians need. Energy East gives our country the ability to use Canadian oil in its refineries rather than continuing to import the 700,000 barrels of foreign oil we import every day," concluded Girling. "This country's vast pipeline network has improved Canadians' quality of life for generations, and those pipelines were proudly put in the ground by the organizations that are together here today," said Lyall Nash, Chair of Canadian Pipeline Advisory Council. "The opportunity to work on the country's largest pipeline project builds on that solid foundation to ensure that quality of life continues for generations into the future and the project will be built to the highest safety standards." "We are proud to sign this MOU ensuring our members will have a role to play in this important nation-building project, just as they have for over 60 years on pipeline projects across the country. It goes without saying that pipelines are the safest way to move the oil products currently transported by rail and truck. Add that to the fact that we import so much of the oil Canadians need, building this pipeline just makes sense. It's the safest, most efficient and most environmentally responsible option," said Neil Lane, Executive Director of PLCAC. "We have represented people in the pipe trades for over 125 years. By the time they reach their accreditation through a rigorous training and apprenticeship program, these tradespeople can work on the most sophisticated systems anywhere, and have a thorough knowledge of the scientific principles required to complete this work safely. We are proud to bring that skillset to the Energy East Pipeline Project," said John Telford, International Vice-President of UA. "From being the safest and most environmentally responsible option for transporting oil, to providing layers of economic benefit including tax revenues that pay for things like schools, roads and hospitals, this pipeline makes sense for the future of this country. I'm so proud to be here today for this historic step for the benefit of Canadians and the Canadian middle class," Telford concluded. "Pipeline construction work requires a large number of highly skilled workers, which in turn creates high paying jobs for Canadians," said Joe Mancinelli, International Vice-president of LiUNA. "A project of Energy East's magnitude can generate the annual income for a worker and his or her family. This MOU to work on Energy East provides our members across the country and across the pipeline route with an opportunity to contribute to a monumental project for this country that will help restore the strength of the middle class." "Beyond the significant number of jobs this project will create through its first few years, there are over 3,300 direct and indirect jobs that will be created annually during the first 20 years of operations. These jobs can't be ignored and they ensure a basis for strong work opportunities for our membership decades into the future. I am proud IUOE's signature is on this MOU," said Lionel Railton, Canadian Director for the IUOE. "The direct employment created by this project doesn't even take into account the vast number of 'spin-off' jobs that will be needed to support building this project. Work across our membership such as trucking and transportation, construction materials, manufacturing, food services, airlines, hotels, automotive and communications will all benefit from the construction of the Energy East project. That means more good paying jobs and that's why we're here today proudly signing this MOU," said Gary Kitchen, National Representative for Teamsters Canada. Energy East by the numbers: -- Energy East is a 4,500 kilometre pipeline that will safely transport about 1.1 million barrels of oil per day from Alberta and Saskatchewan to Eastern Canadian refineries in Quebec and New Brunswick. -- Since the project was announced in 2013, TransCanada has already spent $800 million to develop Energy East across Canada. -- According to the Conference Board of Canada, Energy East will generate over 14,000 direct and spin-off jobs annually across Canada during nine years of development and construction, and support 3,300 direct and spin-off jobs annually during the first 20 years of operation. -- The Conference Board of Canada report also states Energy East will generate $10.3 billion in tax revenues for provincial and federal governments over 20 years, and add an additional $55 billion in GDP to the Canadian economy. -- We are committed to open, honest engagement on this project. To date, we have held 1,700 meetings with municipal representatives, emergency responders and other community representatives in these municipalities and have received 170 signed letters of support from municipalities and municipal organizations across the country. As well, well over 9,000 registered guests have attended 120 open houses across the project route. -- Energy East has held more than 2,500 meetings with 166 Indigenous communities and organizations across Canada since the launch of the project in 2013. -- In 2015, TransCanada generated $170 million in work for Indigenous businesses or their joint-venture partners in Canada and the U.S. for goods, contract services and employment on TransCanada projects and operations. -- So far, Energy East and TransCanada have donated $1,506,277 to communities along the project route. In 2015 alone, TransCanada donated close to $15 million in funding and in-kind donations to over 1,400 North American non-profit organizations. -- Pipelines are the safest way to transport oil over long distances and TransCanada has an industry-leading safety record. Our top priorities are incident prevention and safe operations. To date, we have met with representatives from 366 first responder organizations along the pipeline route to begin developing the emergency response plans for Energy East. 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 90,300 kilometres (56,100 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is the continent's leading provider of gas storage and related services with 664 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A large independent power producer, TransCanada currently owns or has interests in over 10,500 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is also the developer and operator of one of North America's leading liquids pipeline systems that extends over 4,300 kilometres (2,700 miles), connecting growing continental oil supplies to key markets and refineries. 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: Tim Duboyce 1 514 982 8403 or 1 800 608 7859 TransCanada Investor & Analyst Enquiries: David Moneta / Stuart Kampel 1 403 920 7911 or 1 800 361 6522 The global aluminum market for automotive industry is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% during the period 2016-2020. Commenting on the report, an analyst from the research team said: A trend which is driving market growth is the use of aluminum products in crash management systems. The crash management systems consider factors such as the ability to absorb collision energy, requirement of staying intact at high-speed impacts, weight management, initial and repair cost, and manufacturability. These are structural automotive models consisting of bumpers and other attachments connected to a longitudinal beam of the car to absorb maximum collision force during accidents. Aluminum extrusions are ideal material for crash management system as they are lightweight and cost effective. According to the report, a key growth driver is the shift from ferrous to non-ferrous casting. Over the last couple of years, there is a growing demand for aluminum and other non-ferrous materials in the automotive industry for developing lightweight and high-quality products. In addition, a shift from traditional metals such as steel to aluminum has been noted. Questions Answered: 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, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2016) - FEC RESOURCES INC. (OTC Pink: FECOF) ("FEC"), would like to draw attention to the recent reports in the media regarding the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague with respect to claims of the Peoples Republic of China("China") over resources in the South China Sea. While the ruling is clearly not in support of China's claims, the findings have been rejected by China. It is uncertain whether this ruling will resolve the dispute between the parties. FEC Resources' major asset is an 18.42% shareholding in Forum Energy Limited whose major asset is a 70% interest in a potentially valuable gas field which is located in an area in the South China Sea which is subject to the dispute between China and the Republic of the Philippines. Drilling of the South China Sea prospect held by Forum Energy Limited is currently under Force Majeure as a result of the dispute. On behalf of the Board of, FEC Resources, Inc. Paul Wallace This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and US securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any natural resources that may be located, variations in the market price of any natural resource products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the Company's inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, the Company's inability to produce natural resources from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2011 and its most recent quarterly reports filed with the United States Securities Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), and other information released by the Company and filed with the appropriate regulatory agencies. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and its United States public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sec.gov, and readers are urged to review these materials. For more information please contact (403) 290-1676 e-mail info@FECResources.com or visit the FEC Resources website at www.FECResources.com Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2016) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the agenda for the July 19 meeting of its Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies. The Committee will focus on the first year of Regulation A+, recommendations related to the definition of an "accredited investor," and the Commission's recent proposal to amend the definition of "smaller reporting company." The meeting on July 19 will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the multipurpose room at the SEC's headquarters at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C., and is open to the public. It will be webcast live on the SEC's website and archived on the website for later viewing. The committee provides a formal mechanism for the SEC to receive advice and recommendations on privately held small businesses and publicly traded companies with a market capitalization less than $250 million. Members of the public who wish to provide their views on the matters to be considered by the committee may submit comments electronically or on paper. Please submit comments using one method only. Information that is submitted will become part of the public record of the meeting. Electronic submissions: Use the SEC's Internet submission form or send an e-mail to rule-comments@sec.gov. Paper submissions: Send paper submissions to Brent Fields, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1090. All submissions should refer to File Number 265-27, and the file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. AGENDA VANCOUVER, BRISITH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Parkit Enterprise Inc. ("Parkit" or "the Company") (TSX VENTURE: PKT)(OTCQX: PKTEF) today announced that it will be mailing a letter to shareholders in advance of its annual general meeting currently scheduled for Tuesday July 26, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. (Pacific Time). In the letter, which is reproduced below, the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") responds to misleading statements made by the three dissident officers that initiated the proxy contest (the "Dissident Officers"). The Board urges shareholders to vote FOR the current Board nominees and vote using only the BLUE proxy or BLUE voting instruction form. The Dissident Officers have instigated this proxy contest because they fail to understand the purpose of Board oversight. As described in further detail in the shareholder letter reproduced below, Parkit shareholders should be aware that: -- Mr. Baxter and the Dissident Officers are attempting to circumvent the Nominations Committee of the Board, in an attempt to reconfigure the Board with the expectation that the incoming Board may be more pliable to the Dissident Officer's stated desire for greater compensation and control over the direction of the Company. -- Mr. Baxter, on behalf of the Dissident Officers, Argued For Over $1.4 Million as a Bonus and the Board Said No. -- Mr. Baxter, with the support of the Dissident Officers, proposed a JV Structure that Directed Fees and Commissions to an Independent Company to be controlled by Mr. Baxter and the Board Said No. -- The Dissident Officers have been very clear that if they win the proxy contest they will require the Company to reimburse ALL of their expenses. -- The existing Board has demonstrated that it is willing and able to demand accountability from management and protect the interest of shareholders. The letter to shareholders, a copy of which is available at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website www.parkitenterprise.com, follows: IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO SHAREHOLDERS VOTE THE BLUE PROXY TO KEEP THE CURRENT INDEPENDENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS July 13, 2016 Dear Shareholders, This letter is being sent to you as a reminder of the importance of your support and vote in connection with the July 26, 2016 Annual General Meeting of shareholders of Parkit Enterprise Inc. ("Parkit" or the "Company"). Three dissident officers (the "Dissident Officers") led by Rick Baxter have put forth nominees for an alternative slate of directors in an attempt to insert a board that would be willing to approve the Dissident Officers' unreasonable salary and contract demands and that will not hold these Dissident Officers accountable to shareholders. We have enclosed with this letter either a BLUE proxy or BLUE voting instruction form that is being sent to you in connection with the Annual General Meeting. Your board asks that you vote using only the BLUE proxy or BLUE voting instruction form to elect the current independent board nominees (Robert Emri, Pesach (Pace) Goldman, Joel Dumaresq, David Mullen, and Bryan Wallner, collectively, the "Board"). As a Parkit shareholder, you may have received a proxy and information circular from the Dissident Officers. If you have voted using the dissident yellow proxy and wish to change your vote for the current directors, please vote using the enclosed BLUE form of proxy or voting instruction form. This will automatically revoke any previous proxies submitted. PLEASE VOTE USING ONLY THE BLUE PROXY AND DISCARD ANY OTHER PROXY RECEIVED. A later dated proxy will revoke any previous vote submitted. If you have not voted, please take the time to vote as the outcome of this meeting will be determined only by the shareholders that participate. FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND PURPOSE OF BOARD OVERSIGHT The Dissident Officers, led by Richard Baxter do not appear to understand or accept standard norms of corporate governance or Board oversight. The Board wishes to remind shareholders that it was Mr. Baxter who nominated each and every one of the current Directors to serve on the Board of Parkit. Mr. Baxter, while a director of the Company, further approved in 2015 of the formation of a "Nominations Committee" of the Board to consider recommendations for further additions or changes to the membership of the Board. Mr. Baxter and the Dissident Officers are now attempting to circumvent the Nominations Committee of the Board, in an attempt to reconfigure the Board with the expectation that the incoming Board may be more pliable to the Dissident Officer's stated desire for greater compensation and control over the direction of the Company. The Board has consistently acted in the capacity in which it was formed, has represented the interests of all shareholders of the Company, and when necessary has acted to alter or oppose certain actions of the Dissident Officers when it deemed those actions as contrary to the interest of the majority of shareholders. Two recent examples of these efforts by the Board are as follows: -- Rick Baxter on behalf of the Dissident Officers, Argued For Over $1.4 Million as a Bonus and the Board Said No. In mid-2015, the current Board prevented the Dissident Officers from receiving unwarranted increased remuneration and other employment contract demands. In an email to the Compensation Committee of the Board, following the closing of the Joint Venture arrangement ("JV") in April 2015, Rick Baxter proposed a one- time bonus to the Dissident Officers of $1,460,240 (roughly three times their salary in place at that time) for a transaction that was carried out in the normal course of their duties as officers of the Company. The independent directors rejected this proposal. Ultimately, the board did approve a more appropriate bonus and then resumed contract negotiations for the Dissident Officers' employment on a pro forma basis. The Dissident Officers rejected multiple generous contract offers recommended by the independent Compensation Committee and reviewed by an independent compensation consultant. In the Board's view the Dissident Officers are well paid on an absolute basis and on a relative basis when compared to companies of similar size and in similar industries. The Dissident Officers' salary expectations and demands were not authorized or accepted by the Board because their expectations were unreasonable and not supported by industry standards. -- Mr. Baxter with the support of the Dissident Officers, proposed a JV Structure that Directed Fees and Commissions to an Independent Company to be controlled by Mr. Baxter, and the Board Said No. In early 2015, the Board prevented the Dissident Officers from structuring the JV in a manner that would have directed certain benefits, fees and profits away from the Company and its shareholders to a company that would have been owned by the Dissident Officers. The independent directors worked with the Dissident Officers to evaluate and then, eventually, unwind these arrangements. Ultimately, the independent directors were successful in restructuring the JV and ensuring that all shareholders would receive the full benefits of the JV. The Dissident Officers consider the current Board "obstructive". In particular, they view the Board blocking their attempt to structure compensation and corporate matters to the benefit of the Dissidents Officers as "obstructive". Regrettably, the Dissident Officers lack a basic understanding of the principles of corporate governance and do not seem to comprehend that the Board is simply acting as it should, by responsibly managing the senior officers of the Company and protecting the interests of all shareholders. The Dissident Officers' most recent attempt to replace the current Board is a direct result of the Board's diligence in holding the Dissident Officers accountable to the Company and its shareholders. QUALIFICATIONS: The current Board brings a significant level of industry experience and demonstrated leadership that is necessary to oversee Parkit's management and business. While the Dissidents Officers' nominees individually/collectively may possess some of the skill sets of the current Board, in aggregate they would not bring the same level of experience and balance that the existing board possesses. Moreover, the existing Board has demonstrated that it is willing and able to demand accountability from management and protect the interest of shareholders. The skills outlined below demonstrate the significant experience, leadership and knowledge that the current Board brings to the Company: To view the chart associated with this release, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1062774a.jpg RICK BAXTER'S PREVIOUSLY SELECTED NOMINEES OPPOSE HIS EFFORTS TO ALTER THE BOARD Shareholders should appreciate that this current proxy contest involves directors that Rick Baxter himself insisted to be on the Board. These well-regarded directors have consistently acted in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders. As many Parkit shareholders are aware, this is not the first time that Mr. Baxter has attempted to replace Board members. Shortly after the Dissident Officers were prevented from structuring the JV, which would have allowed them to personally benefit to the detriment of all Parkit shareholders, Mr. Baxter attempted at the 2015 AGM to replace two Board members with two of his own nominees at that meeting; namely, Bryan Wallner and David Mullen. Messrs. Wallner and Mullen were not vetted by the Board at that time, nor were their names put forth in advance of the 2015 meeting to allow all Parkit shareholders to consider their nominations. Moreover, neither Messrs. Wallner nor Mullen had been made aware of the fact by Rick Baxter that the Dissident Officers were using them to wage a covert proxy battle. Although Mr. Baxter was unsuccessful, following the 2015 AGM the Board considered the benefits of adding Mr. Wallner and Mr. Mullen as directors. After careful vetting and following the appropriate procedure for bringing on new Board members, the Board determined that both nominees had significant experience and welcomed them to the Board. Not only were Mr. Wallner and Mr. Mullen proposed by Mr. Baxter just last year, but each of the five independent current directors that the Dissident Officers are now trying to remove were identified and proposed by Mr. Baxter to serve on the Board in the past. It would appear that the Dissident Officers will not stop trying to change the Board unless and until they are able to find directors that will agree to accept their demands. THE DISSIDENT OFFICERS ARE NOT INTERESTED IN WORKING CONSTRUCTIVELY The Dissident Officers noted in their recent communication that they attempted to engage in "constructive dialogue" with the Board about the right Board composition and size but the Board "refused to engage in any such dialogue". The truth is that Mr. Baxter was given ample opportunity to demonstrate the need for reducing the size of the Board in advance of the AGM circular being filed and mailed to shareholders. When given the opportunity to reduce Board fees, Mr. Baxter voted against this proposal. The Board called a board meeting on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, to provide an opportunity for Rick Baxter to be heard regarding the Dissidents Officers' view of "what shareholders wanted" - specifically, that Board fees were "too high" and the Board was "too big" and "non-functional". After giving consideration to the Dissident Officers' arguments to reduce the size of the Board, the Nominations Committee determined that the evidence to support maintaining the existing Board slate was overwhelming, as the Dissident Officers provided no evidence to support the Dissident Officers' rationale to the contrary. Consequently, the Nominations Committee comprised of three independent directors nominated the existing Board for re-election at the AGM. To address the alleged issue that the Board fees were "too high", the Nominations Committee also proposed that the independent directors lower their fees. These recommendations were made to the Board and all five independent members of the Board voted in favour of the recommendations, while Richard Baxter voted against. The Board asked Mr. Baxter to clarify why he voted against the recommendations, including the proposed reduction in directors' fees. Contrary to his prior assertion, Mr. Baxter changed his reason and remarked that the amount of Board fees was not the "real issue" and that the "real issue was the unwieldy size of the Board". Mr. Baxter refused to substantiate any of his claims regarding shareholder preferences. The Dissident Officers comprise a management team that the current Board has inherited, and that has consistently attempted to assert control over the Board by undermining the nomination process in order to achieve their own objectives at the expense of shareholders. The Dissident Officers have not worked constructively with the Board's Investment Committee, and have not followed up on leads generated by this committee, resulting in multiple missed potential opportunities for Parkit, and its shareholders as well as virtually no new transactions in over a year. The Dissident Officers have derailed the Compensation Committee's recommendations, turning what should have been an independent process into a constant negotiation that has distracted the Dissident Officers for nearly a year from discharging their duties as officers. Shareholders should be concerned that the attempt to change the Board again, is an attempt on the part of Dissident Officers to avoid the much needed oversight and direction that they require. The current Board has held the Dissident Officers accountable and ensured contract terms are in line with industry standards and reflective of their performance to date. STRATEGY The Dissident Officers have failed to outline for shareholders what their plans for the Company will be if they are successful and give no indication what their strategic plan would be or why they need a new Board to carry out this plan. This view is shared with Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS"), a leading independent proxy advisory firm, who recommended that Parkit shareholders vote FOR the current independent board nominees. ISS stated in their report that "The dissidents seem to have not adequately explained why the continuance of the board would be a cause of concern which may be detrimental to the interest of all shareholders by giving concrete examples. More importantly, given that the dissidents are seeking the full control of the board, the dissidents have not disclosed a detailed business plan with elaboration of any new strategic initiatives." The current Board has made several attempts to work with the Dissident Officers over the past year to grow the business of the Company. The Dissident Officers have not been receptive to these attempts and have failed to execute any meaningful or value enhancing initiatives. The Dissident Officers have had ample opportunity over the past year to articulate the nature of their strategic plan and begin its implementation. Members of the Investment Committee repeatedly requested information from management and asked to meet to discuss potential investments. However, management only agreed to meet twice since the committee's formation in June 2015, with little communication from the Dissident Officers on any acquisitions being contemplated. The Investment Committee's requests for details on the JV's acquisition pipeline and/or properties under due diligence were met with a consistent response to the effect that the Dissident Officers "were working very hard". Unfortunately, few details were provided and the Board concluded that the Dissident Officers have not made any progress on these items. The Dissident Officers wanted the authority to enter into firm contracts for potential acquisitions without Board approval and/or Investment Committee recommendation. The Board will not accede to this request. Following the Annual General Meeting, and assuming the shareholders vote to re-elect the independent directors, the Board intends to initiate a complete review of the Company's business plan, consider all options for increasing value to all Parkit shareholders (particularly the existing large discount in share price relative to the book value as well as net asset value of the shares of the Company), and commence a formal review of management objectives and performance. If re-elected, the Board will endeavour to increase profitability by: -- Refreshing and/or pursuing any investment opportunities and/or leads with a view toward growing the company's presence in the parking industry; and -- Taking a fresh view of expenses currently imposed on the Company by the Dissident Officers, and endeavouring to bring the costs down in line with the size of the company. As is reflected in the Company's disclosed financial statements, the Company is not generating adequate revenue at its current size to support the weight of its current expenses, over 60% of which is management compensation. Based upon the Board and interim officers' review of the expenses of the Company, the Board is comfortable that it can reduce expenses excluding one-time items by approximately 50% thereby increasing annual recurring profit in the range of $600,000-$700,000 or $0.02 per share. SPENDING YOUR MONEY The Dissident Officers make the comment that the Board is spending the Company's money on the proxy contest that was initiated by the Dissident Officers themselves. For example, they complain that "The Board has hired expensive Toronto lawyers in addition to the Company's regular counsel" but fail to mention that the counsel that the Dissident Officers themselves have retained is an expensive, national firm and charges similar rates to the firm retained by the Board. More importantly, the Dissident Officers have been very clear that if they win the proxy contest they will require the Company to reimburse ALL of their expenses incurred in connection with the proxy contest that they started. The Dissident Officers seem to have no problem spending the Company's money simply to further their own interests. Moreover, Shareholders should note that the Company has NOT hired anyone "in addition to its regular counsel". While the Company historically has used two Vancouver-based law firms for different areas of its corporate and securities needs, the Company's regular counsel for such matters felt conflicted under the circumstances which prompted the Board to retain new counsel with extensive experience in fighting for the interests of shareholders. Your Board needs your support to prevent the Dissident Officers from taking control of Parkit. We urge you to support the current Board and to put the costly distraction of a proxy contest behind us and allow us to get back to building a stronger company. No matter how many shares you own, your vote is crucial to stop the Dissident Officers from taking control of your Company. The outcome of the vote will be determined only by the shareholders who participate. Please use the proxy control number located on the accompanying BLUE proxy or BLUE voting instruction form to vote using one of the available methods provided. We recommend that you vote on the internet or via the telephone, to ensure your vote is received prior to the voting deadline of Friday July 22, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. (Pacific Time). If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our proxy solicitor, Shorecrest Group toll free at 1-888-637-5789 or direct: 647-931-7454. Please visit the Company's website for updates www.parkitenterprise.com. Sincerely, Joel Dumaresq About PARKIT Parkit Enterprise Inc. is engaged in the acquisition, optimization and asset management of income producing parking facilities across the United States. The Company's shares are listed on TSX-V (Symbol: PKT) and on the OTCQX (Symbol: PKTEF). 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. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Contacts: Shorecrest Group Toll Free: 1-888-637-5789 Direct: 647-931-7454 Technavio analysts forecast the non-metallic minerals market in Turkeyto grow at a CAGR of 5.37% during the forecast period, according to their latest report. The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the non-metallic mineralsmarketin Turkey for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated through the sales of non-metallic mineral products by manufacturers in Turkey. The report estimated the non-metallic minerals market in Turkey to be worth USD 20.86 billion in 2015. The real estate market in Turkey is witnessing a steady growth, which will spur the demand for new buildings in the urban areas over the next five years. Based on the type of product, the non-metallic minerals market in Turkey can be classified as follows: Glass and glass-based products Porcelain and ceramic products (excluding ceramic tiles and flags) Clay-based building materials Stone-based products Refractory products According to Chandrakumar Badala Jaganathan, a lead analyst at Technavio for research on metals and minerals, "In 2015, the market was dominated by the glass and glass-based products segment, which accounted for a major share, followed by the porcelain and ceramic products segment. The demand for glass-based products is high in the residential and non-residential construction sectors, and increase in construction projects in the country is a major driver for the glass-based products segment." Technavio chemicals and materials analysts highlight the following three factors that are contributing to the growth of the non-metallic minerals market in Turkey: Resurgence in construction activity Increase in FDI inflow Increased focus on home decor Resurgence in construction activity With the resurgence in construction industry post the EU crisis of 2008, construction of new buildings is gaining momentum in the country, thereby providing potential growth opportunities for manufacturers. The real estate sector in Turkey is growing rapidly as a result of increased demand for new residential and non-residential buildings. The establishment of international corporate offices in Turkey is propelling the demand for commercial buildings. For instance, Best Western International, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, US, is planning to expand its presence in Turkey by setting up a regional office. Also, an increase in inbound tourists has opened up expansion opportunities for the hotel industry. For instance, in 2014, the Wyndham Hotel Group, a leading name in the hospitality sector in the US, expanded its business in Turkey by opening three new hotels. Increase in FDI inflow Growth in GDP, increase in per-capita income, and the country's strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia have made Turkey an attractive destination for foreign investors. The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey stated that, between January and August 2015, the country attracted an FDI inflow of over USD 10 billion. Sectors such as manufacturing, financial services, and energy were the top recipients of this inflow. "According to data provided by the bank, in 2014, the non-metallic minerals market attracted an investment of over USD 150 million. Joint ventures formed by such increase in FDI inflow is contributing to the growth of indigenous manufacturers," says Chandrakumar. Increased focus on home decor As a result of changes in lifestyle, middle-class consumers are spending heavily on home decor. This has resulted in an increase in demand for ceramic tiles. Consumers have a wide variety of options in terms of colors, textures, and patterns to choose from, and this is also having a positive impact on the market. Browse Related Reports: Global Non-Ferrous Metals Market 2016-2020 Global Welding Equipment Market 2016-2020 Global Zinc Market 2016-2020 Do you need a report on a market in a specific geographical cluster or country but can't find what you're looking for? Don't worry, Technavio also takes client requests. Please contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and our analysts will be happy to create a customized report just for you. About Technavio Technaviois 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/20160714005468/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com BELLEVUE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Esterline Technologies (NYSE: ESL) Members of the Investment Community, Esterline Technologies (NYSE: ESL) plans to announce financial results for its 3rd fiscal quarter 2016 on Thursday, August 4, 2016. Esterline will host a conference call featuring remarks by Curtis Reusser, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Bob George, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Following these remarks, there will be a question and answer session. The call is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2:00 p.m. Pacific Time) and will last approximately one hour. A news release announcing the earnings results will be issued at market close on the day of the call. To ensure that you are on the call when it begins, we suggest that you access the call approximately 5 to 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. Date: Thursday, August 4, 2016 Start Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2:00 p.m. Pacific Time) U.S. Dial-In Number: 1-877-307-0078 Outside U.S. Dial-In Number: 1-531-289-2890 Passcode: 49084439 Conference Call Host: Julie Albrecht The conference call will be replayed for one week, starting approximately one hour after the call ends. For callers within the United States, the replay number is 1-855-859-2056. For callers outside the United States, the replay number is 1-404-537-3406. The passcode for both of these numbers is 49084439. A live webcast and replay of the conference call also will be available on the company website at www.esterline.com. If you have any questions, please call Investor Relations at Esterline Technologies at 425-519-1872. About Esterline: Esterline Corporation is a leading worldwide supplier to the aerospace and defense industry specializing in three core areas: Avionics & Controls, Sensors & Systems, and Advanced Materials. Operations within the Avionics & Controls segment focus on high-technology electronics products for military and commercial aircraft and land- and sea-based military vehicles, secure communications equipment, systems and components, specialized medical equipment, and other industrial applications. The Sensors & Systems segment includes operations that produce high-precision temperature and pressure sensors, electrical power distribution equipment, harsh-environment connectors and other related systems principally for aerospace and defense customers. Operations within the Advanced Materials segment focus on technologies including high-temperature resistant materials and components used for a wide range of military and commercial aerospace purposes and combustible ordnance and electronic warfare countermeasure products. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA and JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (TSX: PTM)(NYSE MKT: PLG) ("Platinum Group" or the "Company") reports the Company's financial results for the nine months ended May 31, 2016 and provides recent highlights and outlook. For details of the consolidated financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the nine months ended May 31, 2016, please see the Company's filings on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or on EDGAR (www.sec.gov). All amounts herein are reported in United States dollars unless otherwise stated. The Company holds cash in Canadian dollars, United States dollars and South African Rand. Changes in exchange rates may create variances in the cash holdings reported in United States dollars. Recent Highlights -- In a news release dated May 31, 2016 the Company reported new high grade platinum, palladium and gold ("3E") assay results for recent drill intercepts completed on the Waterberg Project subsequent to the updated independent resource estimate announced on April 19, 2016. Assay results included those for Hole WB208 drilled on the Super T layer of 9.05 g/t 3E (2.16 g/t Pt, 5.32 g/t Pd, 1.57 g/t Au) over 5.5 meters from 1006.5 meters to 1012 meters vertical depth. -- On May 26, 2016 the Company announced the closing of a public offering of common shares. The Company issued 11,000,000 common shares at a price of $3.00 per Share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $33,000,000. -- Effective May 3, 2016 the Company amended the Sprott and the Liberty credit facilities to extend the provision whereby Maseve must reach and maintain a three-month rolling average 60% of planned production to commence six months post construction completion. The provision whereby Maseve must reach and maintain a three-month rolling average 70% of planned production will now commence nine months post construction completion. Construction completion occurred on March 31, 2016. In consideration for the amendments, the Company issued 131,654 common shares to both Sprott and Liberty. -- On April 19, 2016 the Company reported increased grade and a significant increase in indicated ounces in an updated independent resource estimate for platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold ("4E") at Waterberg. Mineral resources in the T and F zones at Waterberg (100% project basis) increased to an estimated 23.894 million ounces 4E in the Indicated category (209.559 million tonnes grading 3.55 g/t 4E (1.07 g/t Pt, 2.19 g/t Pd, 0.26 g/t Au, 0.03 g/t Rh, 2.5 g/t cut-off)) plus 11.710 million ounces 4E in the Inferred category (105.918 million tonnes grading 3.44 g/t 4E (1.04 g/t Pt, 2.09 g/t Pd, 0.28 g/t Au, 0.03 g/t Rh, 2.5 g/t cut- off)). The associated National Instrument 43-101 technical report was filed on April 29. 2016. -- Hot commissioning and final checks and testing of the Maseve conveyors, primary jaw crusher and mill were completed in February and March, 2016. Throughput capacity and floatation recovery rates were found to be at or exceeding design ratings. Financial Results for the Nine Months Ended May 31, 2016 At May 31, 2016 the Company held a cash balance of $45 million. During the nine months ended May 31, 2016, the Company incurred a net loss of $1.6 million (May 31, 2015 - net loss of $3.8 million). General and administrative expenses during the period were $4.5 million (May 31, 2015 - $5.4 million) and gains on foreign exchange were $2.2 million (May 31, 2015 - $7.5 million). Finance income consisting of interest earned and property rental fees in the period amounted to $0.8 million (May 31, 2015 - $3.0 million). Loss per share for the period amounted to $0.02 as compared to a loss of $0.04 per share for the comparative period in fiscal 2015. Amounts receivable at May 31, 2016, totalled $9.5 million while accounts payable and accrued liabilities amounted to $8.0 million. Amounts receivable were comprised primarily of value added taxes repayable to the Company in South Africa, amounts receivable on concentrate sales and amounts receivable from partners. Accounts payable included contract construction fees, drilling expenses, engineering fees, accrued professional fees and regular trade payables for ongoing equipment procurement, construction, development, exploration and administration costs. During the period ended May 31, 2016, total expenditures by the Company for development, construction, equipment and other costs for Maseve were approximately $90 million. Expenditures on the Waterberg Project, currently being funded by the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation ("JOGMEC"), were approximately $5.5 million. The Maseve Mine is fully constructed and is now in the ramp up phase of production. At present development at the Maseve Mine has established 20 ends where the Merensky Reef is exposed and of these 18 are currently working ends. Recent efforts have been focused on primary access development and raise lines. Active stoping areas are increasing as development and set up on Merensky Reef ends is completed. Grade reconciliation from underground sampling to the deposit block model has been good. Commissioning feed to the plant in February and March was primarily sourced from the low grade development stockpiles. During April and May a small volume of tonnes from underground mining were introduced along with the low grade development feed. To May 31, 2016 approximately 320,297 tonnes were milled at an average grade of approximately 0.74 grams per tonne. Approximately 5,326 4E ounces in concentrate were produced. Looking forward, tonnes mined are scheduled to increase as key mining blocks are accessed, developed and stoped. Stoping in bord and pillar mining and long-hole mining has started. Grade of material feed to the mill is increasing as the proportion of the stoped tonnes increases relative to development tonnes. A conveyor from underground has been commissioned that feeds directly to the overland conveyor and into the primary crusher and mill. First concentrate was produced in February 2016 with commercial production expected late in calendar 2016. Initial monthly revenue from concentrate sales before commercial production will be treated as a reduction in project capital cost. Cost recoveries to May 31, 2016 from concentrate sales totaled approximately $4.6 million. Outlook The Company's key business objectives for calendar 2016 will be to continue with underground development and production ramp up at the Maseve Mine and to advance the Waterberg Project. The Company plans to focus management effort and the cash on hand to increase production at the Maseve Mine, in line with the mine plan, with the objective to achieve positive cash flow in calendar 2016. Development work in blocks 12, 11, 10 and 9 in the North Mine and block 16 in the South Mine are key to the mining plans and ramp up of production for the Maseve Mine. Block 11 has some of the best grade thickness at the Maseve Mine and is an important part of the next two to three years of the mine plan. Primary access development is now approximately 90 meters away from mining block 11 and access should be completed in August 2016. Block 11 is a large, well-drilled and stable mining block estimated to host more than 545,000 4E Merensky Reef ozs. This block is flat dipping at 9.6 degrees, has an average seam thickness of 157 cm and is scheduled to be mined utilizing a bord and pillar mechanized method. (NI 43-101 report titled "An Independent Technical Report on the Maseve Project (WBJV Project areas 1 and 1A) located on the Western Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex, South Africa" effective July 15, 2015.) R. Michael Jones CEO said "The construction of the Maseve Mine has been completed with a good safety record and in accordance with designs. The deposit blocks that have been accessed for current mining show good grade thickness correlation to the block model. The concentrator plant performs at or in excess of design capacity and produced concentrate has been sold. Feed grades to the plant are increasing. Our challenge ahead is to open stopes and mine an increased volume of stoped material. Our most important and best grade thickness block in the mine plan is 90 m ahead of our declines and access and mining is expected in August 2016" Continued mining rate increases and production increases are required in the months ahead in order to meet the production covenants in the Company's loan agreements. Other risk factors include metal prices and a strengthening of the South African Rand, since costs are in Rand and revenues are in United States dollars. The Company plans to continue work on the Waterberg Project with its joint venture partners. An updated resource calculation for Waterberg was published on April 19, 2016. The updated resource calculation and resulting block model will be incorporated into pre-feasibility study work already in progress. Mine planning, metallurgical work and mill design optimization, infrastructure design and location planning and capital cost and operating cost estimating is all going well. The scope of the pre-feasibility study now includes portions of the Waterberg Extension area, due to the May 2015 2nd Amendment to the JOGMEC Agreement. Funding for drilling and engineering at Waterberg is in place from JOGMEC, allowing the project to advance and grow without a draw on the Company's working capital. Subsequent to the end of the fiscal quarter the South African Department of Mineral Resources requested an update from the Company regarding its efforts to achieve a possible empowerment transaction to increase its empowerment stake from 17.1% to 26% equity following the dilution of Africa Wide's interest in Maseve. The Company will provide the update as requested. No notice of non-compliance has been received. About Platinum Group Metals Ltd. Platinum Group Metals Ltd., based in Johannesburg, South Africa and Vancouver, Canada, has a successful track record with more than 20 years of experience in exploration, mine discovery, mine construction and mine operations. Formed in 2002, Platinum Group holds significant mineral rights in the Bushveld Igneous Complex of South Africa, which is host to over 70% of the world's primary platinum production. The Company is currently focused on ramping up the Maseve Mine, its first near-surface platinum mine, to commercial production. Platinum Group has expanded its exploration efforts on the North Limb of the Bushveld Complex on the Waterberg Project. Waterberg represents a new bulk type of platinum, palladium and gold deposit that is being studied for potential mechanized mining. Qualified Person R. Michael Jones, P.Eng., the Company's President, Chief Executive Officer and a significant shareholder of the Company, is a non-independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and is responsible for preparing the technical information contained in this news release. On behalf of the Board of Platinum Group Metals Ltd. Frank R. Hallam, CFO and Director Disclosure The Toronto Stock Exchange and the NYSE MKT LLC have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this news release, which has been prepared by management. This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. securities laws (collectively "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plans, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, the construction, development and ramp up of the Maseve Mine (also known as Project 1 of the former Western Bushveld Joint Venture); operational and economic projections with respect to the Maseve Mine; future activities at Waterberg and the funding of such activities; trends in metal prices; the Company's overall capital requirements and future capital raising activities; plans and estimates regarding exploration, studies, development, construction and production on the Company's properties, other economic projections and the Company's outlook. Statements of resources also constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they represent estimates of mineralization that will be encountered on a property and/or estimates regarding future costs, revenues and other matters. Although the Company believes the forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations and assumptions in such statements will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including; the Company's capital requirements may exceed its current expectations; the uncertainty of operational and economic projections; the ability of the Company to negotiate and complete future funding transactions; variations in market conditions; the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located; metal prices; other prices and costs; currency exchange rates; the Company's ability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities; the Company's ability to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, or to be fully able to implement its business strategies; and other risk factors described in the Company's Form 40-F annual report, annual information form and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulators, which may be viewed at www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com, respectively. Contacts: For further information, contact: R. Michael Jones, President or Kris Begic, VP, Corporate Development Platinum Group Metals Ltd., Vancouver Tel: (604) 899-5450 / Toll Free: (866) 899-5450 www.platinumgroupmetals.net CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/16 -- Computer Modelling Group Ltd. ("CMG" or the "Company") (TSX: CMG) announces that, at its annual meeting of shareholders held earlier today, all of the nominees listed in its Management Information Circular dated May 19, 2016 were elected as directors of CMG. The detailed results of the votes are set out below. Votes Votes For % For Withheld % Withheld ------------------------------------------------ Kenneth M. Dedeluk 57,284,086 99.96% 22,894 0.04% Christopher L. Fong 57,285,665 99.96% 21,315 0.04% Patrick R. Jamieson 56,993,804 99.45% 313,176 0.55% Peter H. Kinash 56,999,804 99.46% 307,176 0.54% Frank L. Meyer 56,236,340 98.13% 1,070,640 1.87% Robert F. M. Smith 57,163,373 99.75% 143,607 0.25% John B. Zaozirny 55,993,409 97.71% 1,313,571 2.29% Additionally, all other resolutions put to shareholders were duly passed at the meeting. For additional details on the voting results with respect to other resolutions, please refer to the Report on Voting Results which is filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Computer Modelling Group Ltd. is a computer software technology and consulting company serving the oil and gas industry. CMG, recognized by oil and gas companies worldwide as a leading developer of reservoir modelling software, has sales and technical support services based in Calgary, Houston, London, Dubai, Bogota and Kuala Lumpur. CMG is the leading supplier of advanced processes reservoir modelling software in the world with a blue chip client base of international oil companies and technology centers in approximately 60 countries. The Company's shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "CMG." Contacts: Kenneth M. Dedeluk President & CEO (403) 531-1300 ken.dedeluk@cmgl.ca Sandra Balic Vice President, Finance & CFO (403) 531-1300 sandra.balic@cmgl.ca BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - China is scheduled to release a raft of data on Friday, highlighting an otherwise light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. On tap are Q2 figures for gross domestic product, as well as June numbers for industrial production, retail sales and fixed asset investment. GDP is expected to add 1.5 percent on quarter and 6.6 percent on year after advancing 1.1 percent on quarter and 6.7 percent on year in the three months prior. Industrial production is tipped to rise 5.9 percent on year, slowing from 6.0 percent in May. Retail sales are expected to gain 9.9 percent, down from 10.0 percent in the previous month. FAI is called steady at 9.6 percent. Singapore will provide retail sales data for May; in April, sales gained 1.1 percent on month and 3.8 percent on year. Indonesia will release May figures for imports, exports and trade balance. In April, imports were worth $11.14 billion and exports were at $11.51 billion for a trade surplus of $375.6 million. 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. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 29, 2016) - Pure Nickel Inc. (TSXV: NIC) (the "Company"), announces that Jennifer Scoffield has resigned from the position of Chief Financial Officer to pursue other business interests. The Company has commenced a search for a new CFO. David McPherson, the Company's President and CEO commented, "We would like to thank Jennifer for her contribution to the Company over the past eight years and wish her continued success in all of her future endeavours." About Pure Nickel Inc. Pure Nickel is a mineral exploration company with a diverse collection of nickel, copper and platinum group element exploration projects in North America. Forward Looking Statements Some of the statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and resources, exploration results, expectations, plans, and objectives of Pure Nickel are forward-looking statements that involve various risks. The following are important factors that could cause Pure Nickel's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: changes in the world wide price of mineral commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in mineral exploration, risks associated with development, construction and mining operations, the uncertainty of future exploration activities and cash flows, and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events may differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Pure Nickel undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. 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. For further information: Pure Nickel Inc. David McPherson T. (416) 644-0066 info@purenickel.com www.purenickel.com In remembrance of July 16, 2015, Fairway Outdoor Advertising will honor the servicemen beginning at 10:51 a.m. on July 16, the exact time the attack started. 38 digital billboards in the Chattanooga area will display one single message honoring these five fallen soldiers. The tribute will last one hour. Officials said, "Please join us in honoring these four marines and one navy corpsman who lost their lives protecting our great nation." San Francisco, CA-based venture capital firm 8VC has launched a $400m fund. According to a regulatory form filed with the SEC, 8VC Co-Invest Fund I, L.P. has not sold any sum, yet. 8VC focuses on investing in companies enabling industry transformation in eight areas including smart enterprise, finance, government, consumer, energy, business processes, healthcare, and education also leveraging a community of fellow investors, entrepreneurs, advisors, friends, and others who play their role in enabling the firm to source deals and learn about markets. 8VC is led by partners: Joe Lonsdale, the co-founder of Palantir, a global software company known for its work in defense and finance, Drew Oetting, who focuses primarily on enterprise and consumer software investments, Alex Kolicich, who focuses on IT investments, Jake Medwell, who focuses on software investments in both the consumer and enterprise space, Kimmy Scotti, a a member of the investment team focusing on IT investments, and Jin-Young Kim, who leads the firms fundraising and investor relations strategy and operations. The portfolio includes Asana, Bloomz, Common, Medal, and Betterworks, among others. FinSMEs 13/07/2016 YouDo.com, a Moscow, Russia-based service marketplace for consumers to search for and hire local contractors, completed a $6.2M Series C financing. The round was led by Sistema Venture Capital, with participation from existing investors Sergey Solonin, Flint Capital and United Capital Partners. The company will use the funds to strengthen its market leadership in Russia and expand its operations internationally, including to the US, Europe and Asia. Founded in 2012 by Alexey Gidirim and Denis Kutergin, YouDo.com operates an online platform that allows users to search for and hire a contractor to complete a wide range of household tasks or single assignments. Prior to this round, the company raised a $1M Series A from Flint Capital in 2013, and then completed a follow-on Series B round with Flint Capital, United Capital Partners and Sergey Solonin, the owner of Qiwi. FinSMEs 14/07/2016 FRANKFURT The European Central Bank does not expect any squeeze in financial market liquidity or bank funding in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union after an initial shock was easily overcome, a senior ECB official said on Wednesday. "We do not expect indeed that such strains will materialize in the future," said Ignazio Angeloni, who sits on the board of the ECB's arm in charge of banking supervision. "The immediate market funding and the liquidity shock has already taken place and was handled well." Angeloni acknowledged that bank shares suffered more than others in the aftermath of the vote, but once corrected for a slump in the value of the pound, the changes were broadly the same on both sides of the English Channel. (Reporting By Balazs Koranyi, Writing by Francesco Canepa) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. SRINAGAR India will go on hunting militants in Kashmir despite widespread protests over the killing of a young separatist commander, officials said, as the government bets that force coupled with development will quell rebellion in the restive state. The strategy for the Muslim-majority region contested by nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan has worked in part. The number of militants crossing into Jammu and Kashmir state from Pakistan to launch attacks against India has dropped in the last few years, and home-grown fighters are estimated to number only around 100, according to one security official. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is closely aligned to the Hindu nationalist right, also pledged 800 billion rupees ($11.9 billion) in investment there. That has not prevented violent protests and rioting from breaking out when security forces killed Burhan Wani, a separatist militant commander and a Kashmiri, last Friday. At least 34 people were killed - almost all shot by Indian security forces - and more than 1,500 people wounded in the worst violence in Kashmir since 2010, underlining how the crackdown on militants is not enough to solve a conundrum that has frustrated India since independence in 1947. The government must also find a way to persuade local people that it is on their side, observers said, something it has failed to do since winning a landslide election in 2014. "There is no denial in Delhi ... that a problem exists," said retired Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain, an Indian army corps commander in the area from 2010 to 2012 who was deployed there seven times during his career. "But no one seems to be clear on how to get into engagement with the people on the ground." Under Modi, whose BJP is also in a coalition government in Kashmir, the federal government has taken a harder stance on engaging in political dialogue with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a separatist alliance. While Hurriyat leaders travelling to Delhi and meeting Pakistani officials had been accepted before, Modi's government has objected to such interactions, saying Pakistan should not interfere in Indian affairs. "WHY THIS HATRED?" Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the head of the alliance, said separatist political leaders felt isolated. "The government of India cannot continue to deal with Kashmir with a clampdown," he said. The state's deputy chief minister, Nirmal Singh of the BJP, said the government was ready to engage with the Hurriyat under a legal framework. "They are not ready, but they try to exploit every situation," Singh said. A senior BJP mandarin in New Delhi also said the government was open to talking to the Hurriyat, but did not appreciate it when they spoke with Pakistan. He added that the government will continue to go after militants, but with time it hoped the people in Kashmir would "realize that their anger is misdirected." "Be it jobs, education, health or any other amenities, the Kashmiri population gets all the same opportunities and benefits as any other Indian," said the BJP official. "Why this hatred against the Indian government?" A senior government official in New Delhi said Wani was a criminal facing 14 separate cases, including the murder of elected politicians and security forces, and that popular support for him was beside the point. CYCLE OF VIOLENCE In Wani's case, the security crackdown appears to explain his path towards militancy, and raises the possibility that other Kashmiri youths may follow. His father, school headmaster Mohammad Muzaffar Wani, told Reuters in an interview last year that Wani's decision to take up arms was linked to an incident in which he and his brother were beaten by Indian police. The brother, not known to be a militant, was killed by Indian security forces last year in circumstances that remain unclear. Wani, who was 22 when he died, grew in popularity through videos posted on social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp in which he would appear without a mask. Authorities have been accused by some of using excessive force to control the protests that followed his death. The Doctors' Association of Kashmir said in a statement that security forces launched tear gas shells into a hospital where victims were being treated, and officers beat hospital staff and damaged ambulances. Asked whether police and paramilitary forces used excessive force to control crowds after Wani's killing, BJP's Singh replied: "It is a matter of concern: this should not have happened. It is a worry as the anti-national forces will try to exploit the situation." The inspector general for operations at the Central Reserve Police Force, a paramilitary organization with some 60,000 troops in Kashmir, said his men had been told: "Don't get into confrontation with locals, defuse the anger." The official, Zulfiqar Hasan, said 300 of his men were injured in four days. (Writing by Tom Lasseter; Editing by Mike Collett-White) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Patna: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi today hit out at Lalu Prasad for his statement against the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar in Bihar and said that the RJD chief was a 'tired' man. "Lalu has now become old and tired ... he is harping on the old rhetoric without substance ... he doesn't have strength and capacity to wage a struggle ... he has lost on several scores," Modi alleged to reporters here. Claiming that he and the chief minister met people braving 45 degree celsius of scorching summer, Modi said "Lalu Prasad can't tolerate the temperature and he is speaking about going to the people." He claimed that the national executive meeting of the RJD held here yesterday was a mere 'formality' as Prasad had called to save the recognition of his party by the election commission. Three senior RJD MPS Jagdanand Singh, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Umashankar Singh, besides former chief minister Rabri Devi failed to turn up at the meeting, which he said, "reflected the erosion of faith." PTI GENEVA The United States warned China on Thursday that it had not done enough to qualify for market economy status, especially in steel and aluminium, sowing the seeds for a trade battle between Washington and Beijing at the end of 2016. Upon China's admission to the WTO in 2001, it was told by other members that they would not use its published, state-controlled prices to judge whether or not it was "dumping" exports unfairly in their markets, but rather "surrogate" prices reflecting what it should be charging without state subsidies. That was written into its WTO membership agreement in a clause that would expire after 15 years, on December 11, 2016. If the United States, European Union, and other WTO members begin to take Chinese export prices at face value, it will be much harder for them to challenge China's cheap exports. U.S. trade diplomat Chris Wilson told the WTO meeting that the expiry of the clause did not require other WTO members to automatically grant China market economy status on Dec. 11. Instead, China must establish under each WTO member country's domestic law that it is a market economy, he said, according to an outline of his remarks seen by Reuters. "Second, there is little doubt that China's market reforms have fallen short of the expectations that were held by many members when China joined the WTO," he said. "This is particularly evident in the steel and aluminum industries where China's pervasive interventions have led to a significant overcapacity of global supply that is threatening the viability of competitive firms in these industries around the world." China's envoy at the WTO meeting said Beijing agreed that the expiry of the clause did not require automatic granting of market economy status, according to a WTO official who was present at the meeting. However, he said its expiration would eliminate the legal basis for countries to continue to use "discriminatory anti-dumping methodology" against China, the WTO official said. The official said it was believed to be the first time the United States had responded to China on the issue at the WTO. U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said last month that the stance on China's market economy would be determined ultimately by the U.S. Commerce Department. The European Union is also debating China's market economy status. In a non-binding vote in May, the European Parliament overwhelmingly rejected the idea of loosening trade defences against China. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Europe's most powerful leader, has said she favours, in principle, granting China market economy status. (Reporting by Tom Miles; editing by Stephanie Nebehay) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Leadership Ministries Worldwide, a Chattanooga ministry with a global mission, announces the publication of the final book in The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible series, Psalms Volume 3 (chapters 107-150). Producing the 44 volume series has been a lifetime labor of love, study, prayer and devotion, said the pastor who began the writing 44 years ago. "With every section of scripture outlined for a preachers easy reference, and extensive commentary drawn from hundreds of sources, each passage is clearly explained with historical context, original language study, and supporting scripture," officials said. WORDsearch Bible Software notes, The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible is WORDsearchs bestselling commentary of all time. It is also the worlds top sermon outline tool, with over one million copies in print. "As each volume has gone to press, hundreds of pastors have added this unique resource to their personal library. For many, they are the most important volumes in their library," officials said. Noted pastor Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries in Atlanta said, I have used these outstanding materials for several years. They are absolutely the finest I know of for the busy preacher, pastor, teacher, church leader, or lay person. "Leadership Ministries Worldwide has a global mission to equip pastors all over the world. Up to 85% of the pastors called to ministry in the developing world have no access to or opportunity for seminary education. Equipping these pastors with The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible helps them glean insight and understanding from scripture, empowering them to share the gospel message with people who have not experienced the grace of Christ," officials said. The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible can be found in 125 countries and portions of the work have been translated into 17 languages. With the publication of Psalms Volume 3, the King James Version is complete, and most of the books are also available in the New International Version. The editorial team that produces the series remains anonymous, giving God the glory for the completed work, officials said. Each volume of the series has a complete bibliography of all the works consulted during the writing process often more than 200 sources, comprising hundreds of years of biblical thought. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who had courted controversy last year by marrying journalist Amrita Rai, significantly younger to him in age, has clarified that they did so only for love and had no ulterior motives in mind. He took to social platform Twitter on Wednesday and clarified that Rai will not stand to get any of Digvijaya's property and belongings. ! digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 13, 2016 "My wife Amrita Rai has sacrificed her right to my property and wealth, and asked me to transfer all rights to my son Jaivardhan. I have done what she asked me to do,"he said in a tweet. Back in 2015, when the duo claimed to be in a relationship, Rai, a journalist with Doordarshan, was blasted by several critics, who said she married him with one eye on his wealth and property. Given that Digvijaya was 67 at the time and Rai was 43, their affair became instant fodder for Internet laughter. In fact, BJP leader Sushil Modi jumped into the troll bandwagon and 'congratulated' Digvijaya Singh for 'having an affair at 67'. Given that nothing is too sacred for social media to tear into, Singh and Rai's relationship gave new fodder for internet jokes and memes. The rumours prompted her to issue a clarification. Rai, while announcing her decision to get married, wrote a lengthy post on Facebook, coming clear on all issues. "Last one and a half years have been particularly stressful and traumatic. I was the victim of a cyber crime, but was treated as a criminal. I was trolled and abused in most derogatory language for no fault of mine. Those who themselves have no concept or belief in love and dignity tried to shame me on social media. But all during this period, I kept a dignified silence and went on with my work, believing in myself and my love for Digvijaya," she writes in the post. In the same post, she has also said that her decision to marry a much older man had been panned by the public and motives had been randomly attributed to explain why she was in a relationship with Digvijaya. In what sounded like a clarification, Digvijaya added, "I have already requested him to transfer all his property and belongings to his son and daughters. I only want to embark on this new journey with him, working towards a dignified, professional career." Wing Commander Pooja Thakur has moved court after the Indian Air Force denied her permanent commission, reported CNN-News 18. #UPDATE | Wing Commander Pooja Thakur takes IAF to court on being denied permanent commission, reports @JournoPranay News18 (@CNNnews18) July 14, 2016 Armed Forces Tribunal admitted the matter and has sought IAF's response within 4 weeks: Wing CDR Pooja Thakur's Lawyer Sudhanshu Pandey ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 According to News 18, Thakur termed the decision as "biased, discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable" in her petition. However, former IAF officers denied any gender bias, the report said. IAF selects officers via selection panel, not a Rozgar Yojana: Wing Commander (retd) Praful Bakshi News18 (@CNNnews18) July 14, 2016 IAF says Pooja Thakur was offered permanent commission in 2012, she declined it then & now no new offer can be given: Pooja Thakur's lawyer ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 IAF citing a policy instruction not approved by Govt arent granting her permanent commision: Pooja Thakur's lawyer pic.twitter.com/wtJeA0t73E ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 Thakur was the first lady officer to lead the Inter-Service Guard of Honour which was inspected by the US President Barack Obama during his India visit in 2015. Thakur had told NDTV that while she was proud of the fact that she was allowed to lead the guard of honour, she really hoped that the incident inspired more women to join the armed forces in the country. Thakur joined the IAF in 2000 and belongs to the administrative branch. The officers father retired as a Colonel from the Indian Army, reported The Financial Express. According to Firstpost, last October, the government decided to open the fighter stream for women on an experimental basis for five years. But combat roles in the Army and the Navy are still off limits due to a combination of operational concerns and logistical constraints. Women pilots were first included in 1991, for choppers and transport aircrafts. The first batch of women fighter pilots, comprising three cadets, was inducted in the Indian Air Force on 18 June, the report said. The three women pilots were commissioned into the fighter stream after successful completion of the initial training, official sources said. Earlier this month, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar pitched for greater role of women in the armed forces,and proposed the idea of raising an all women battalion and stationing of women on warships as the "psychological barrier" has been broken with the induction of female fighter pilots, reported Firstpost. Salafist preacher Zakir Naik's controversial sermons strike at the root of the debate currently raging across the world over the link between radicalism and teachings of Islam. The smooth-talking televangelist's regressive and problematic teachings, thoroughly dissected and discussed threadbare, strike at the very foundation of the pluralist cultural component of our existence and promotes a version of Islam that is dreary and incompatible with the modern world. International non-profit think-tank Gatestone Institute has stated that although Naik "is not directly involved in terrorism, he has reportedly inspired many to take to terrorism through his preachings." It wouldn't have mattered had Naik been a fringe voice. But he isn't. His global television empire, through Dubai-based Peace TV, reaches 100 million viewers worldwide in 125 countries. Barring a few nations he travels around the world giving lectures, holding seminars. He is equally popular in cyberspace through social media. A 2010 Indian Express poll had found Naik to be India's 89th most powerful person, ahead of Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen or eminent lawyer and former attorney general Soli Sorabjee. By now, however, it is fairly established that banning or gagging Naik is never going to work. Firstpost has argued in a recent article that apart from the questions associated with muzzling free speech, any gag while ultimately futile, will make Naik a martyr and even more popular. The debate over Naik, right at this moment, is aligned to the larger debate around fundamentalism, violence and Islam. The Islamic scholar preaches Wahhabism, the same strain of Islamic movement that inspires extremists worldwide. In July 2013, Wahhabism was identified by the European Parliament in Strasbourg as the main source of global terrorism. The link between Saudi money and spread of Wahhabism as the most influential version of Islam right now doesn't merit repetition. Saudi Arabias King Salman, incidentally, handed Naik personally the 'King Faisal International Prize' for being one of the most renowned non-Arabic speaking promoter of Wahhabism. An award that had a cash component of $2,00,000. The scale of the problem is huge and well-documented. The question is, if Naik or his ideas cannot be gagged, how best to tackle his preachings? Most political leaders, analysts and liberals worldwide painstakingly insist that Islam is a peaceful religion and has nothing to do with hatred or violence and acts of terrorism. In India, the same explanation has been put forward during the debate over Naik. It is said that the televangelist's preachings cannot be identified with the bona fide teachings of one of the worlds greatest religions. His views, insist liberals, are more of a perversion of a religion that is essentially peace-loving and tolerant. It is here that moderate Muslims themselves can make the biggest contribution by being at the forefront of the debate. They do not suffer from the burden of political correctness that invariably results in deep hypocrisy marking most liberal discussions on this topic. One of the most important stakeholders in the debate in India over Naik, for instance, are the Muslim organizations. It is interesting to note what is happening here. The media pressure over the Mumbai-based preacher, ever since two of the Dhaka bakery attackers were found to be "inspired" by Naik, has caused a clear political asymmetry in their reaction. It won't be an exaggeration to say that the larger orthodox but moderate Muslim society, represented by various groups, has been split down the middle over Naik, the founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation. On Monday, Abid Rasool Khan, chairman of state minorities commission serving Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, admitted that the issue has created a "vertical division" in the community. He said the Muslim community today has two views on Naik, with half of them saying his preachings are right and the rest contending he is wrong. Recent events reflect the honesty of Khan's statement. Muslims for Secularism and Democracy, during a media conference on Tuesday, opposed Naik's views on comparative religion and called him a hypocrite and his logic "warped". "Naik is no messenger of peace and he is not propagating peace. He is spreading prejudice, if not contempt and hate for other religions," said journalist Javed Anand. He shared the platform with Islamic scholar Prof. Zeenat Shaukat Ali, Irfan Ali Engineer from Center for Study of Society and Secularism, Noorjehan Saia Niaz of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan and Kapil Patil, member of legislative council. The shias, who have been at the receiving end of Zakir Naik's mockings, are expectedly up in arms against him. Maulana Yasoob Abbas, a top Shia cleric from Lucknow on Wednesday has demanded banning his speeches and also an investigative probe into his funding. "The Saudi government is nurturing world terrorism, be it in the guise of Zakir Naik or ISIS or others. All these people and organisations are Saudi agents against whom the Indian government should make a swift intervention before it is too late, as is in the case of the recent Bangladesh attacks," said the Maulana who is also the spokesperson of the All India Shia Personal Law Board. On the other side of the divide, Hyderabad-based Salafi organisation Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadees (JAH) maintained that Naik "is an Islamic scholar who has nothing to do with terrorism". "It is wrong to do accuse him supporting terrorism," said secretary Shafiq Alam Khan. Mufti Mohammed Omar Abedeen, an Islamic cleric from Darul Uloom, Deoband, has claimed that Naik was being targeted. "He has spoken of co-existence on several occasions. His statements are being cherry-picked and twisted." Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen on Tuesday slammed the media for running a "trial" against the preacher. Party MLA from Aurangabad Imtiaz Jaleel, in a statement said: "By hounding Zakir Naik, the media, particularly some national television channels, have already pronounced their judgement even when a formal case is yet to be registered against him. On mere hearsay, the media cannot pronounce anybody as supporter of terrorism." In troubled Kashmir, supporters of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik took out a peaceful solidarity march in Srinagar to condemn any action that might be taken against the scholar. While it is encouraging to note the churning that the Muslim community is undergoing in confronting radicalism in its faith, there still exists far too many wrinkles that are yet to be ironed out. The Naik debate will rage on, but the biggest positive to have emerged from it is that there are certain signs feeble still of an increasing acceptability of the fact that inherent radicalism poses far bigger threat to Islam than any foreign faith or idea can ever do. A Delhi court pronounced all three accused in the 2009 Jigisha Ghosh murder case guilty, on Thursday. After seven years, the accused Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik and Ravi Kapoor have been convicted. Jigisha was an IT executive who was working with Hewitt Associate Pvt Ltd as operations manager, reported Business Standard. She was abducted and killed in 2009 when she was returning from work in her official cab at Vasant Vihar, at around 4 am. Shukla, Kapoor and Malik were drunk the day the murder happened and approached Jigisha on the excuse of asking for an address. She was then pulled inside a Santro car and her belongings were snatched. Her body was dumped on Surajkund-Faridabad Road. The trial began on 15 April, 2010 and Jigishas father was the first prosecution witness. Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav held the accused guilty of the offences of murder, abduction, robbery, forgery and common intention under the IPC. Kapoor was also convicted for the offence of using firearms under the Arms Act. The judge said, "It is abundantly clear from evidence that they committed the crime. There is no missing link of crime (and) hence innocence is ruled out. It is proved on record that Jigisha did not return home on expected time on the day of incident." The court fixed 20 August for hearing arguments on quantum of sentence. It also asked Delhi's Home Secretary to immediately appoint probation officers for filing reports on the background of the convicts and their conduct in jail. The weapon which was used to kill Jigisha led the police to another murder case of Journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. These three particular accused shot her dead on 30 September, 2008 when she was driving home from her office, reported CNN-News18. Jigishas mother Sabita told Times Of India, "I have developed neurological problems and Jigisha's father, too, has not been keeping well ever since she was murdered. There isn't a moment when we are not reminded of our daughter and how brutally she was killed. Her parents were receiving threat calls from unknown numbers calling for compromise. Here is a timeline of the murder case: With inputs from agencies. Senator Lamar Alexander released the following statement Wednesday, after voting to extend funding for the Federal Aviation Administration through September 2017.I voted for this bill because it makes it easier and safer for Americans to travel, provides the appropriate tools and additional resources to protect Americans against terrorism, and supports more than 172,000 Tennessee jobs. Senator Alexander said. The bill also requires the FAA to give preference to graduates of Middle Tennessee State Universitys Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative when graduates apply for FAA air traffic controller jobs."The FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act is a nearly 14-month extension of federal aviation programs through Sept.30, 2017. The bipartisan bill helps make airports safer by updating hiring standards for workers with access to secure airport areas and strengthening security at foreign airports. The bill also makes it easier to travel by expanding the TSA PreCheck program and requiring the Transportation Security Administration to reduce passenger wait times."The bill also simplifies medical checks for recreational pilots, strengthens mental health screening for pilots, and requires the FAA to give preference to graduates of Middle Tennessee State Universitys Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative for FAA air traffic controller jobs," supporters said.On July 11, the House of Representatives passed the FAA extension by voice vote. Wednesday, the Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 89 to 4. The legislation will now be sent to the president and signed into law. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on day found fault with the execution of its verdict by the Army in which it had asked the Centre to create 141 additional vacancies in the rank of Colonel to promote officers of 'Combat Support' streams who had joined the force between 1992 to 1997. Observing that the Centre had "misinterpreted" its verdict, a bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and AM Khanwilkar said, "the spirit of judgement cannot be defeated ...You (Centre) tell us who are the persons responsible for misinterpreting the judgement. We will hold them guilty." The court, on 15 February, this year had agreed to the plea of officers of 'Combat Support' corps like Engineering, Signals and Medical that their counterparts in Infantry and Artillery were getting undue favour in promotions and asked the Centre to create 141 additional posts to be filled up by officers of support corps who had joined the force between 1992 and 1997. The Centre, which created 141 posts in pursuance of the verdict, however allegedly considered the officers for promotion who had joined it in 1998 as well. Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for aggrieved officers, said that 16 officers of 1998 batch also got the promotion and consequently, injustice was done to those who had joined during 1992-97. "You have created the posts, allocated them for promotion, but misinterpreted it while promoting the officers," the bench said. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Singh, appearing for the Centre, initially tried to convince the court that the order has been implemented in letter and spirit. However, later the ASG agreed to the court's direction that the 1998 batch officers cannot be promoted in the 141 posts created in pursuance of the verdict. The court then disposed off the fresh plea seeking contempt action against persons including the Chief Of Army Staff and the Military Secretary for not implementing the verdict in entirety. Earlier, the court had upheld the 2009 'command exit promotion' policy of the Indian Army and had asked the Centre to create 141 additional vacancies to the rank of Colonel to promote officers of 'Combat Support' streams. The bench, in its verdict, had "partly allowed" the appeals of the defence ministry against the March 2015 order of Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) quashing the Centre's 2009 'command exit promotion' policy on the ground that it violated Article 14 (right to equality) of the Constitution. The AFT had quashed the policy on grounds, including that officers of Infantry and Artilery were getting undue favour in promotions over officers of 'Combat Support' corps such as Engineering and Medical. The bench, in its verdict had agreed with the contention that the officers of arms support corps have been "unfairly" denied their dues in promotions. Post-Kargil conflict in 1999, the government had constituted the Kargil Review Committee and then the AV Singh Committee to explore ways to enhance operational preparedness of the Indian Army. Earlier, the Centre had told the bench that government was ready to create 141 additional vacancies of Army officers of the rank of Colonel and above and they would be made available to officers over a period of time. The Centre had supported the "command exit promotion" policy saying, army officers of certain branches were given "combat edge" in promotions and it has never been disputed. The government had in 2001 asked the Chief of Army Staff to refer to the recommendations of AV Singh Committee (AVSC) on restructuring of the officer cadre of the Army. The AVSC report was aimed at reducing the age of battalion commanders. PTI The National Investigation Agency hot on Zakir Naik's heels appears to be one of his lesser concerns the bounties put on his head are likely to be far more worrying. While on Tuesday, Hindustan Times reported that a Shia outfit called Hussaini Tigers had placed a bounty of Rs 15 lakh on Zakir Naik, controversial right-wing leader Sadhvi Prachi has now joined the bandwagon by placing Rs 50-lakh bounty on the preacher's head, as reported by Zee News. Speaking to the media in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, Prachi justified her actions by labelling Naik as a 'terrorist'. Prachi also clarified her claims by saying that she has placed the bounty out of her own freewill and not as a leader of some organisation. Prachi further urged the government to look into the various links of 'all such preachers from madrassas with terrorists', The Indian Express had reported on Thursday. If Prachi's claims weren't enough, on Wednesday, Hussaini Tigers called Naik a 'khalnayak' (villain). Syed Kalbe Hussain Naqvi, the president of the outfit, over a Facebook post said, "He is a khalnayak. He has insulted the Prophet of Islam and whosoever kills him would be rewarded not only in life (and beyond_ but would also get cash reward from us (sic). Naqvi, also the son of senior vice-president of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board and prominent cleric Syed Kalbe Sadiq further added, "Naik is a kafir (heathen). He has insulted the Prophet and radical clerics are defending him saying he has no connection with the terrorists. The bounty announced by the two leaders is a criminal offence under Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code which carries a maximum of a seven-year jail term. While placing a bounty on someone is something that is not very uncommon in India, with various religious and political leaders having made such similar statements before, what is interesting is the fact that very few have been booked under the law. Naik, a doctor-turned-pracher, had earlier also courted controversy by showing his support for Osama bin Laden. But ever since the Bangladesh attack on 1 July where 20 people died, there has been a renewed focus on Naik. The Mumbai-based preacher had denied claims that he had inspired on of the attackers by saying that he has thousands of followers in Bangladesh. Mean while, the minority cell of Bharatya Janata Party burnt effigies of Naik on Tuesday. Shafat Hussain, a member of the BJP's minority cell said that Naik is 'misguiding the youth' by 'misinterpreting Islam'. The venue for radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naiks Thursday presser in Mumbai has been denied. Thats the fifth time in last two days. This time, Naik's own neighbourhood denied him audience. The management of Mehfil Hall in Agripada, hardly a kilometer and half away from his Dongri home, had offered him a place to hold a press conference via Skype, after three Mumbai hotels and the World Trade Centre in Cuff Parade allegedly denied space to the televangelist. "The management of the Mehfil hall in Agripada, around 11 pm tonight, told our team present at the venue that they cannot allow the press conference to take place and that we should dismantle and pack up all the venue arrangements we had made," an assistant of Naik told Firstpost. On Wednesday, senior members of Mumbais Muslim community and clerics held a media briefing denouncing Zakir Naik's speeches and distancing from his religious ideas. What does it tell us? Except a handful of people who went to the streets in Kashmir shouting slogans in favour of Zakir Naik and the likes of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader, Asaduddin Owaisi and Keralas Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Naik doesnt have any support from his own community, for that matter, even his own neighborhood. No one wants to associate with the preacher, who has been allegedly advocating the sole supremacy of Islam over other religions. Naik often connects the lines in different religious scriptures with his enchanting memory skills to come to his final point. Why Islam is one true religion and the rest arent and why Muslims should fight against the enemies of Islam. Such speeches have allegedly inspired Islamic State terrorists who perpetrated the attack in the upscale Dhaka cafe and even youth in India to join the terror outfit. But, Indias larger Muslim community (about 172 million of them as per Census 2011 data), except in certain pockets, do not approve his radical, religious fundamental ideas and the idea of religious supremacy. They believe in the larger ideals of religious pluralism and the countrys secular fabric. For them, the Constitution comes first even before the religion, something on which Naik has a different view. Naik has always maintained that Muslims will follow the law of the land till the time it doesnt goes against the law of the creator. Thats the reason he highlighted once, and warned both Mulsims and Hindus, not to say Vande Mataram (I bow the motherland). In a February 2012 video, addressing a large crowd, Naik implored Muslims to 'fight for Islam' and 'disobey the law of the land if it goes against the law of the creator'. Saying Vande Mataram, Naik said, is not desirable not just for Muslims, even for Hindus. Why? Because, Hinduism, Naik says, speaks against the concept of idol worship and hence, it is wrong to bow to the land. A Muslim is only obliged to bow to the 'creator', Naik added. The point here is, in a democracy, everyone does have the freedom to do what he or she wishes, provided it doesnt breach the law of the land and cause disrespect to the Constitution. But, only an ignorant mind would make a comparison of one's religious beliefs and his patriotic feelings in a secular, democratic setup. Naiks reasoning could be applied in a country that is run with Sharia law, where Islam is also a political entity and there is hardly any separation between religious and temporal powers. But, that isnt so in a secular society, where the constitution is the sacred text and the motherland is the goddess above all religions. So when Naik is saying, We (Muslims) are not ready to worship the country, he is disrespecting the Constitution of India and the motherland. By speaking up against Naiks radical religious thoughts and what could amount to hate speech, Indian Muslims have discarded the ideas Naik seeks to propagate and reaffirmed their faith in the countrys secular character and the supremacy of the constitution. Naiks biggest critics arent Hindus or Christians but the people in his own community and people in even his own neighborhood, who nurture the values of Indias secular character. The reason why India has produced so less number of 'Islamic terrorists', despite housing a bigger Muslim population than Pakistan, is Indias secular culture. Thats the biggest weapon India wields to fail those who advocate religious fundamentalism. Given its notorious political history, Article 356 should have been scrapped long ago. If the provision has continued to remain in the statute book, its only because of its usefulness to the ruling party of the day at the Centre, in executing the design of destabilising Opposition-run governments. However, the Supreme Courts decision on Wednesday, to quash Presidents Rule in Arunachal Pradesh and reinstate the Congress-led government, has once again placed the contentious Article under the scanner. It has extended yet another opportunity to seriously consider removing the politically pernicious Article from the statute book. Coming down heavily on the ruling BJP, the Supreme Court used strong words in describing Governor JP Rajkhowas decision to impose Presidents Rule in Arunachal Pradesh as illegal as well as a breach of Constitutional provisions. But the question remains: Will the political class, scalded time and again by such misadventures, draw any lessons from the court's indictment? If past history and present political unravellings are any indication, such a possibility is remote. Barely two months ago, the court pulled up the Central government led by Narendra Modi, after it leveraged Article 356 to dismiss Uttarakhands Congress government led by Harish Rawat. The court then ruled in favour of Rawat, giving him the opportunity to successfully prove his governments majority on the floor of the House. It must surely have been embarrassing for the Attorney-General to tell the court that the 'Centre wanted to withdraw the proclamation for Presidents Rule to enable Rawat to take charge as chief minister'. Predictably, the Congress has now hailed the Supreme Courts Arunachal Pradesh decision as a victory for democracy. Had the shoe been on the other foot, the BJP would have used the very same celebratory words and slammed the indiscriminate use of Article 356. The fact is there are no good or bad guys in this game. When it comes to misusing Article 356, all of them are equally guilty of political skulduggery. Political morality has no room in these cynical back-room manipulations, where governments of the day lean on governors who are deliberately appointed to facilitate elimination of regimes led by Opposition parties. As for the gubernatorial posts, they have long since come to acquire the dubious distinction of being nothing but partisan offices which are awarded to the pliable party faithful. Lets rewind to the original purpose behind introducing the idea of Article 356. Under this section, Presidents Rule can be imposed if a situation in which the government of the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution comes to prevail in a state. Yet the President's Rule provisions contained in Article 356 of the Constitution have been used mercilessly in the past 50 years in ways virtually uncontrollable either by the Supreme Court or captive majorities in Parliament. An Olympic runner-up in the list of constitutional subversions is the misuse of the ordinance-making power (Articles 123 and 213) of the President and Governors, wrote lawyer and Constitutional expert Rajeev Dhawan in an article in The Hindu, in September 2000. Since Independence, India has seen 124 cases of the imposition of Presidents Rule in different parts of the country. Manipur has been under Presidents Rule on 10 occasions, while Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have been nine times. According to Dhawan, the travails of Article 356 started in 1951, when then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru kept the Punjab Assembly in suspension for more than nine months in order to help the Congress government to get its act together. Eight years later and driven by narrow political objectives, Nehru dismissed Keralas Communist government led by EMS Namboodiripad. Former Congress prime minister Indira Gandhi made cynical use of Article 356 as many as nearly 50 times to get rid of governments headed by her political adversaries. On ascending to power, the Janata government dismissed nine Congress-ruled state governments, using Article 356. During the rule of the Vajpayee-led NDA government, TMC leader Mamata Banerjee, then an ally of the Central government, repeatedly urged the Centre to impose Presidents Rule in West Bengal (then ruled by the Left Front). Deterioration in the law and order situation was and still continues to be a fig leaf for political aggrandisement. On ascending to power, Modi repeatedly vouched his commitment to cooperative federalism, thereby attempting to set his government apart from the previous Congress-led regimes. But the blatant use of Article 356 in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh shows that the present prime minister too is ready to play along in the murky game of destabilising elected governments that are not friendly to the ruling BJP. Delivering a major blow to the BJP government at the Centre, the Supreme Court on Wednesday restored Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh after quashing the Presidents Rule. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday thanked the Supreme Court for "explaining to the Prime Minister what democracy is". Gandhi issued the statement after the apex court restored the ousted Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh. Thank you Supreme Court for explaining to the Prime Minister what democracy is. #ArunachalPradesh Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 13, 2016 The Supreme Court's verdict, which came on Wednesday morning, will mean Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa's December 2015 decision to advance the state assembly session by one month has been quashed. This will come as a major boost for Nabam Tuli, who has been restored as chief minister. In a unanimous judgment, a constitutional bench headed by Justice JS Khehar directed the restoration of the status quo as it existed on 15 December, 2015. The court also directed the manner in which the assembly proceedings had to be conducted and set aside all the steps and decisions the house had taken, describing them as unsustainable. Justices Dipak Misra and Madan B Lokur pronounced concurring judgments, also citing additional reasons to agree with Khehar. Chief minister Tuki was greatly relieved by the apex court's decision and said justice has been done. "We have got justice from the Supreme Court. The top court has saved this country and its Constitution. The Supreme Court has given a historic verdict," he said. Tuki added that this would help ensure democracy remains healthy in India. "This is a historic and remarkable judgment. According to the judgment, our government has been restored. I'll go to the state and talk to all the 47 Congress MLAs. We will call a meeting," he said. However, the BJP denied that it was a "setback" for the party. Speaking to the media, BJP national secretary Srikant Sharma said, "What happened in Arunachal Pradesh was due to internal conflicts. It's wrong to hold BJP responsible for the problems in the Northeastern state." With inputs from agencies Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander on Wednesday urged the President to sign bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senators Portman (R-Ohio), Ayotte (R-N.H.), Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Klobuchar (D-Minn.) to reform opioid programs. Senator Alexander noted that the Senate has also increased funding by 542 percent over the past three years to fight the opioid epidemic. This is a bipartisan bill to reform important programs and give a substantial boost to those fighting on the front lines of the opioid epidemic which in my state is taking more lives annually than gun shots or car wrecks, Senator Alexander said. I commend the co-sponsors of this legislation Senators Rob Portman, Kelly Ayotte, Sheldon Whitehouse and Amy Klobuchar for developing a consensus on how to attack this problem. The people in our states are counting on us, and Im urging the President to sign this bill without delay. Senator Alexander was one of seven Senate conferees who worked with the House conferees on the legislation passed by the Senate today. In his opening statement at the opioids conference committee meeting last week Senator Alexander said: Each year, more than 1,000 Tennesseans die from opioid abuse or overdosethis is an epidemic taking more Tennessee lives than car accidents or gunshots do. The way to fight this epidemic is not to wage a distant battle from Washington but for Washington to support those who are fighting on the front lines. That battle is being fought state by state, county by county, doctors office by doctors office. This legislation should provide a substantial help in this ongoing battle. The legislation sponsored by Senators Portman, Ayotte, Whitehouse and Klobuchar and passed Wednesday by the United States Senate will: Support education, prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts to address the opioid abuse crisis and help individuals with an opioid use disorder get and stay well; Provide grants to expand access to life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications and support veterans and law enforcement; and Provide grants to states to carry out a comprehensive response to the opioid abuse crisis, including education, prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts. The BJP has managed to charm an array of regional political parties in the North East and is clearly on course to realise its hope of becoming the lead political player in the region ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The saffron party is actually pursuing a simple strategyenter into alliances with the regional parties and begin by using them as props before goading some of them to merge with the BJP itself. Party president Amit Shah, general secretary Ram Madhav and other North East minders of the party gave shape to this plan right after the decisive victory in Assam. On 24 May, the day Sarbananda Sonowal took oath as Chief Minister of the BJPs first-ever government in Assam, or eastern India for that matter, Amit Shah held a meeting attended by Sonowal, and the chief ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim, Kalikho Pul, TR Zeliang and Pawan Kumar Chamling respectively in Guwahati. At this meeting, BJP formed a platform called the North East Democratic Alliance (Neda) and made the partys key strategist in the region, Himanta Biswa Sharma, its convener. On 13 July, the Neda was formally launched in Guwahati at a convention of the BJP units in the North East and their regional allies. After the convention, sarma said: Neda's political objective is to have a non-Congress government in each of the northeastern states within a year. Our immediate target is to remove the Congress in Manipur (polls due in 2017) and Meghalaya (2018)." Continuing to talks about its ambitious plans, Sarma added in the 2019 General Elections, BJP and its allies would strive to win all the 25 Lok Sabha seats from the region. For a party that is in power at the Centre, having almost decimated the Congress, the plan to consolidate itself in the North East is no surprise. What is significant, however, is the ease with which the BJP has been able to push ahead in the region which has been a traditional Congress bastion. First, one saw the Congress split in Arunachal Pradesh and a section merging with the near-defunct regional party, the Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA). Congress dissident-turned PPA leader Kalikho Pul became Chief Minister with the backing of the BJP MLAs, making it a PPA-BJP government. This happened after the Governor preponed the scheduled State Assembly session and allowed the Deputy Speaker to convene a House session in a community hall and declare the government of then chief minister Nabam Tuki as having been reduced to a minority with several MLAs changing sides. This made the path clear for a new government under Pul to be sworn in. Of course, in a landmark judgement on 13 July, the Supreme Court set aside the Governors action and restored the Congress government of Nabam Tuki with a directive to maintain status quo ante as on 15 December 2015. Now, the PPA is harbouring plans to merge with the BJP, and prove its strength on the floor of the House in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict. The idea is to have a complete BJP government in the sensitive frontier state. This is a concrete example of what I call the BJP strategy of first entering into an alliance and then pursuing the party to shed its identity and merge. Assam has been a slightly different story because the BJP had entered into pre-poll alliances with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF). But here again, the BPF and the AGP were actually eager to align with the BJP. The BPF was for long an ally of the Congress and the AGP was fighting for the same political space as the BJPtrying to corner the anti-Congress votes. The AGP readily agreed to limit its contest in 24 seats and brazened out dissent by sections within the party over the small number of seats left to it by the BJP. Now, the AGP and the BPF are junior partners of the alliance in Assam and they are okay with it. What is significant is the BJPs entry in the Christian-dominated states of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram. The BJP is already a partner in the Naga Peoples Front (NPF) government of Zeliang and is about to forge an alliance with the Mizo National Front (MNF). In Meghalaya, the BJP has a loose alliance with the National Peoples Party (NPP), led by Purno Sangmas son Conrad Sangma. The other ally in Meghalaya is the United Democratic Party (UDP). Of course, the BJP has a presence in Manipur and the party got a boost recently when it won 10 of the 27 Imphal Municipal Council seats, up from just one in 2011. This after the Neda was formed and Sarma visited Imphal ahead of the civic body elections. That the Neda means business is indicated by its decision to induct into the platform smaller regional parties like the Ganashakti in Assam, confined to the flood-prone districts of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Jorhat, and the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPTF), active in the hill areas and fighting for a tribal land in the Left bastion. As yet, the BJP is quite vague on how it would accomplish its task of consolidating the party organisationally in the northeastern states, particularly in Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya, while at the same time moving ahead to accomplish the job of freeing the region of its main rival, the Congress (Congress-mukt Northeast). Sarma says the BJP would grow in the region, but not at the cost of the regional parties who are its allies. This assurance is something that cannot be taken at face value considering the aggressive posturing of the BJP in its North East expansion campaign. The question ariseshas the BJP compromised or diluted its known Hindutva ideology to gain space in the North East, particularly in the Christian-majority states? This is a difficult question to answer because the Church in Mizoram, for instance, was openly opposed to the practice of Yoga, and, therefore, would not easily favour a party with such a strong ideological mooring on religious lines. But, the BJP has an alternative route for its allies to bank on in some of these statesthe plank of development. Some of the regional party leaders from these states have sought to address this question by saying they are ready to be with the BJP on its development agenda and pledge to boost the economy of the region and bring it at par with some of the developed parts of the country. In fact, the BJPs North East push, both politically and through development programmes undertaken by Centre, is part of the Narendra Modi governments strategy to translate its Act East Policy into action on the ground. The Neda convention in Guwahati, for instance, discussed how the region could take advantage of the Act East Policy and bring in economic growth through connectivity and other means. In fact, Modis neighbourhood first policy has paid dividends from Bangladesh, Myanmar and even Nepal to some extent. Since the North East is the bridgehead to South and Southeast Asia, the BJP could be thinking that having party-led governments in the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya could help. In Sikkim, the BJP has an ally in the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF). This leaves Amit Shah & co to tackle the Left in Tripura! For the results on the ground, one would, of course, have to wait and watch. The author is a political commentator and is executive director of the Guwahati-based Centre for Development and Peace Studies. Months of speculation came to an end on Thursday, when the Congress leadership announced that former Delhi Chief Minister and former Kerala Governor Sheila Dikshit will be the party's CM candidate in Uttar Pradesh. #FLASH Sheila Dikshit announced as UP CM candidate from Congress for UP Elections 2017. ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 Sheila Dikshit announced as UP CM candidate from Congress for UP Elections 2017. pic.twitter.com/4LlPsPHvid ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 Speaking to the media, Dikshit thanked the Congress leadership and said: Want to thank Congress high command for the responsibility: Sheila Dikshit after being announced as UP CM candidate pic.twitter.com/4UbDuMKdVR ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 Its a big responsibility, want to thank party high command for believing in me: Sheila Dikshit after being announced as UP CM candidate ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 The Congress had been indecisive over its Uttar Pradesh strategy ever since it was reduced to double digits by the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. However, the scale of the campaigning acceptable to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra remains unknown. in fact, when asked about Priyanka's role in the upcoming polls, Dikshit said: I would like her to campaign whenever she wishes to: Sheila Dikshit on Priyanka Gandhi Vadra #UPElections pic.twitter.com/it3NtUOOPx ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 Election strategist Prashant Kishor had recommended that Dikshit should play a major role in the party's poll campaign in the state as she is a prominent Brahmin face and could help Congress regain support of the electorally sizeable and significant community, whose support determines the poll outcome in several seats. The community, a traditional vote bank of the Congress, shifted allegiance to BJP in the aftermath of the emergence of Mandir-Mandal politics. A large chunk of Brahmin votes had also gone to Mayawati's BSP in the past when she gave tickets to many candidates belonging to the community. Dikshit is scheduled to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi later in the day. There was a buzz that 78-year-old Dikshit, who ruled Delhi from 1999 to 2014 before being thrown out of power by the AAP could be Congress' Chief Ministerial candidate. Sheila Dikshit is the daughter-in-law of prominent Congress leader from UP Uma Shankar Dikshit, who served as Union minister and governor for a long time. The Congress is trying to regain the lost ground in UP where currently it has just 30 MLAs in the 403-member assembly. Congress could win only two seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls represented by Rahul and Sonia Gandhi respectively. The Brahmin community plays a significant role in election outcome in central and eastern UP as it is the dominant caste in these areas. With inputs from PTI When a couple in its eighties chooses to write a letter to a communist party it has loyally served for over six decades, it calls for immediate attention. And when that couple happens to be Professor Irfan Habib, the 85-year-old doyen of Medieval Indian history, and his economist wife Professor Sayera Habib, one can surmise that the situation is definitely much more than merely serious. The Habibs have always been political, but they are not into politics in the sense it is understood nowadays. In short, they have no political ambition, only deeply felt concern for the future of India and a realisation that their party the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was not doing the right thing to save the country from fascists. In their opinion, the three-day meeting of the partys Central Committee held from 18 to 20 June in New Delhi has failed to offer a tactical line appropriate to that situation. Their concerns emanate from a realisation that the present BJP government is not just another parliamentary government of a bourgeois party, but represents a regime which openly acclaims the semi-fascist ideology of the RSS, is unconditionally committed to meeting all the demands of the top elements of the corporate sector, Indian and foreign, and is continuously undermining, in the most naked fashion (through saffronising education, raising new communal issues, etc) the secular basis of our nation. They maintain that the CPMs primary object should be to isolate the BJP as far as possible, and form a broad united front with all other democratic forces so as to foil the BJPs plan of gaining control over the states still outside its orbit, and finally, to secure its defeat the parliamentary elections due in 2019. What the Habibs are saying amounts to accusing the CPM leadership of having failed to identify the principal contradiction or the main political enemy in the present situation. The political-tactical line flows directly from such identification and, in their view, the principal contradiction is obviously between the fascist forces led by the RSS-BJP combine and the democracy-loving Indian people. Therefore, the major task today of all democratic forces, including the CPM, should be to offer firm united resistance to the BJPs offensive and its attempt to seize total power. In short, the Habibs are supporting what has come to be known within the CPM as the Bengal line that calls for uniting with all democratic forces including the Congress to defeat the BJP. They are also calling for the formation of a widest possible anti-fascist popular front against the saffron forces. However, this line militates against the partys political-tactical line of building a non-Congress, non-BJP alliance or front. Historically, the CPM has been swinging between the two lines of maintaining equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP, and aligning with the secular Congress to defeat the communal BJP. In the Bihar Assembly election, it shunned the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) of the RJD, JD(U) and Congress to form a Left alliance and drew a blank. As the Habibs point out, there was a real danger of BJP winning in the elections but for the emergence of a popular wave in support of the grand alliance. Strange things are happening in the CPM. On 10 July, the West Bengal state committee severely criticised the partys national leadership Politburo and the Central Committee and accused it of arbitrariness. It also accused the leadership of having shown disrespect to the 2.15 crore voters of the state who voted in favour of the Congress-CPM alliance. This was the first time that a state committee had openly attacked the central leadership, thus proving the critics right that the so-called democratic centralism does not really work in practice. And, this will also be perhaps for the first time that instead of the central leadership, a state committee will hold its own plenum to collectively brainstorm its future political course. The West Bengal unit has decided to hold such a plenum in September. It may also be recalled that the West Bengal unit was also not happy with the central leaderships decision to withdraw support from the UPA in 2008. The partys graph ever since has seen a consistent downward trend. Even before the CPM leadership could react to the Habibs note, Prasenjit Bose jumped into the fray and countered their view. Bose is a JNU-trained young economist whose meteoric rise in the party hierarchy came to an abrupt end, just like a meteor, when he was expelled in 2012 on account of his opposition to the partys decision to support the Congress presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee. Bose, whose intellectual arrogance oozes in his rejoinder, raised all kinds of questions about the corruption of the UPA-II, the internal mess of the Congress, and quality of Rahul Gandhis leadership while dubbing the Habibs as apologists of the Congress party. He also conjured up a possibility of a tie-up between the Congress and the TMC in not too distant a future. Not only that, he took a shockingly sexist stance and treated the joint letter written by the Habibs as if it was written by Irfan Habib alone. While he does mention the joint authorship of the note in the beginning, he addresses only Irfan Habib in the rest of his rejoinder. In contrast to the view held by the West Bengal unit of the CPM, which is obviously in much closer contact with the people of the state than an intellectual like Bose, he opines that the party could have become the main Opposition party in the state Assembly had it not joined hands with the Congress. In short, he claimed to know the ground situation in West Bengal better than those CPM cadres and leaders who have been facing the Trinmool Congress onslaught on a daily basis. Such problems will recur if communist parties in India do not have a fresh look at their organisational principles and practices. In a vast country like India with great regional diversities and with state and national politics in perpetual flux, it is impractical and unwise to devise a single political-tactical line that can be changed or modified only at the next party congress that is held after a gap of at least three years. The communist parties should learn from their adversary, the BJP, which can adapt itself with such adroitness that it leaves one surprised. The way it forged political alliances in Jammu and Kashmir and in the North East are there for everybody to see. It does not mean that communist parties should become wholly opportunistic or pursue politics sans principles. However, it does mean that they should find ways of adjusting to the ever-changing political situations in various states. Moreover, they should correct their self-image of being revolutionary organisations and should strive to become good, effective and influential social democratic parties. LONDON Theresa May became Britain's prime minister on Wednesday with the task of leading its complex divorce from the European Union, and quickly named leading 'Brexit' supporters to key positions in her new government. The former Conservative interior minister, 59, said after being appointed by Queen Elizabeth that she would champion social justice and carve out a bright new future for Britain after last month's shock referendum vote to quit the EU. "We will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us," she said outside 10 Downing Street, vacated hours earlier by David Cameron. Cameron stepped down after Britons rejected his entreaties to stay in the EU, a decision that has set back European efforts to forge greater unity and created huge uncertainty in Britain and across the 28-nation bloc. Just over an hour after entering her new office, May began naming ministers, appointing the steady and experienced foreign minister Philip Hammond to take charge of the finance ministry. He replaces George Osborne, whose determination to balance Britain's books made him synonymous with austerity. In a major surprise, May named former London major Boris Johnson, a leading eurosceptic who had until recently been seen as her main rival for the prime minister's job, to take over as foreign secretary. Other prominent 'Leave' campaigners were also rewarded. One, David Davis, took the key role of Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Another, Liam Fox, was named to head a new international trade department. May herself had sided with Cameron in trying to keep Britain inside the EU, so needed to reach out to the winning Leave side in order to heal divisions in the ruling party and show her commitment to respecting the popular vote. "Brexit means Brexit" has quickly become her new mantra. By awarding such a senior job to Johnson, she also showed a conciliatory side. The two had clashed over policing in London while Johnson was serving as mayor. And since last month's vote, for which he campaigned vigorously, Johnson had suffered widespread criticism and ridicule for failing to present a clear Brexit plan and swiftly dropping out of the leadership race. With his unkempt blonde hair, bumbling humour and penchant for Latin quotations, the man known to Britons simply as 'Boris' will be the government's most colourful figure, but a controversial choice for conducting sensitive diplomacy with world leaders. Among other appointments, rising star Amber Rudd switched from the energy ministry to take May's old job as Home Secretary. 'BURNING INJUSTICE' May will be Queen Elizabeth's 13th prime minister in a line that started with Winston Churchill. An official photograph showed her curtseying to the smiling monarch. She is also Britain's second female head of government after Margaret Thatcher. Seen as a tough, competent and intensely private person, already being compared to Germany's Angela Merkel, she must now try to limit the damage to British trade and investment as she renegotiates the country's ties with its 27 EU partners. She will also attempt to unite a fractured nation in which many, on the evidence of the referendum, feel angry with the political elite and left behind by the forces of globalisation. In comments addressed to ordinary Britons, she spoke of the 'burning injustice' suffered by large sections of society: poor people facing shorter life expectancy; blacks treated more harshly by the criminal justice system; women earning less than men; the mentally ill; and young people struggling to buy homes. Acknowledging the struggles faced by many people, May declared: "The government I lead will be driven not be the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives." She spoke of the "precious bond" between the nations of the United Kingdom, implicit recognition of the tensions generated by the referendum in which England and Wales chose to quit the EU, but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay, raising the possibility of a new Scottish vote on independence. Outside Downing Street, a group of demonstrators chanted: 'What do we want? Brexit! When do we want it? Now!' The United States congratulated May and said it was confident in her ability to steer Britain through the Brexit negotiations. "Based on the public comments we've seen from the incoming prime minister, she intends to pursue a course that's consistent with the prescription that President Obama has offered," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. May's predecessor Cameron, appearing earlier in Downing Street with his wife Samantha and their three children, delivered his parting remarks to the nation after six years dominated by the Europe question and the aftermath of the global financial crisis. "It's not been an easy journey and of course we've not got every decision right," he said, "but I do believe that today our country is much stronger." In his last parliamentary session as leader, Cameron took the opportunity to trumpet his government's achievements in generating one of the fastest growth rates among western economies, chopping the budget deficit, creating 2.5 million jobs and legalising gay marriage. Yet his legacy will be overshadowed by his failed referendum gamble, which he had hoped would keep Britain at the heart of a reformed EU. (Additional reporting by Kate Holton, Estelle Shirbon, William Schomberg, Guy Faulconbridge, Karin Strohecker, Michael Holden, Paul Sandle, Andy Bruce, Steve Addison and Ana Nicolaci da Costa; writing by Mark Trevelyan; editing by Philippa Fletcher) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. TUES/19 Red Bank Chamber Council Meeting Noon-1:00 p.m. Red Bank Community Center: Tom Weathers Dr. Speaker: Dixie Fuller, Friends of the Festival Meetings cost $10. Wed/20 Financing Your Business the SBA Way 8:30-9:30 a.m. BrightBridge Womens Business, 535 Chestnut St, Suite 161 Chattanooga, TN 37402 Overview of SBA loan programs, what loan will suite your business needs, 5 Cs of credit Jacqueline Merritt, SBA and BrightBridge Womens Business Center No charge. Reservation via www.BrightBridgeWBC.org or emailcontact@brightbridgewbc.org WED/20 Ooltewah/Collegedale Chamber Council Meeting 9:15-10:30 a.m. Collegedale City Hall: 4910 Swinyar Dr. Speaker: Jennifer Flynn- TDOT No meeting cost. Wed/20 Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) Contracting Rule 10:30-Noon BrightBridge Womens Business, 535 Chestnut St, Suite 161 Chattanooga, TN 37402 Overview of WOSB program, eligibility requirements and what opportunities are available Jacqueline Merritt, SBA and BrightBridge Womens Business Center No charge. Reservation via www.BrightBridgeWBC.org or emailcontact@brightbridgewbc.org WED/20 Hixson Chamber Council Meeting 11:45-1:00 p.m. Hixson Community Center: 5401 School Dr Small Business Awards Panel Kevin Kostka, Summit Physical Therapy Rebecca Bursch, Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services Allen Neely, Card Monroe Corp Meetings cost $10. WED/20 Ribbon Cutting for Edward Jones Investments 3:00-3:30 p.m. Edward Jones Investments:5948 Howe Lane, Ste 122 Join the Chattanooga Chamber for a ribbon cutting at Edward Jones Investments THUR/21 North Hamilton County Chamber Council Meeting 11:45-1:00 p.m. Budweiser: 200 Shearer St. Meetings cost $10. THUR/21 Business After Hours sponsored by Chattanooga Times Free Press 5:00-7:00 p.m. Chattanooga Times Free Press: 400 E. 11th St. Business After Hours brings an average of more than 75 area business people together for networking and refreshments. Business After Hours in June is a BBQ "Smoke-Off" sponsored by Chattanooga Times Free Press. BBQ provided by Beast + Barrel, Chicken Salad Chick, Clydes on Main, and Puckett's. eBay 101: Start Selling 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM BrightBridge Womens Business, 535 Chestnut Street, Suite 161 Chattanooga, TN 37402 Setting up account, how to buy/sell/watch items and basics of listing and shipping Smartphone/tablet or laptop required Emily Pilkington with BrightBridge Womens Business Center No charge. Reservation via www.BrightBridgeWBC.org or emailcontact@brightbridgewbc.org FRI/22 International Business Chamber Council AM Coffee 8:00-9:30 a.m. Chattanooga State's Wacker Institute: 4501 Amnicola Hwy Topic: To highlight apprentice program with several international companies: Wacker, Gestamp and Yanfeng partnership. FRI/22 Ribbon Cutting for Infinity Dance Connection 4:00-4:30 p.m. Infinity Dance Connection: 3733 Ringgold Rd, 37412 Join the Chattanooga Chamber for a ribbon cutting at Infinity Dance Connection Nicosia: The Cyprus parliament on Thursday approved the legislation slashing military service for conscripts from 24 months to 14 months, in the biggest reform of the Greek Cypriot army in decades. New conscripts to the National Guard will serve for 14 months, while those called to arms last year will do a reduced 18 months. Greek Cypriot parents have long criticised the length of time served, saying it interrupts further education and career prospects of their sons. Reducing army service was an election pledge by President Nicos Anastasiades when he came to power in March 2013 and cabinet approved a draft law in February. Defence Minister Christoforos Fokaides has said reducing military service is the first step towards creating a professional army as part of wide-ranging reforms. He said it would also see a decline in draft-dodging. To make-up the shortfall in numbers, 3,000 positions have been created for professional soldiers on government contract. Cyprus has been described as one of the most militarised places on earth, with the presence of UN peacekeepers, Turkish occupation troops, two sovereign British bases and a Greek army contingent stationed on the island. The eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece. Friends of the Chattanooga Public Library announces the Semi-Annual Book Sale from Aug. 3-15 at Eastgate Town Center. Sale hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday thru Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Thousands of books, cd's, dvd's audio tapes, and records will be for sale at bargain prices -- most under $2. Books for educators and charitable organizations are free on bag day, and free to anyone on Monday, Aug. 15. 1/2 price day is Saturday, Aug. 14 from noon to 6 p.m. Proceeds from this sale are used to support library programs for children in Chattanooga and the surrounding area. For further information please contact the FOL at 423-743-7747 or email: folibchatt@gmail.com. WASHINGTON The United States is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalise on an international court ruling that denied China's claims to the South China Sea, several U.S. administration officials said on Wednesday. "What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally," said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages. Some were sent through U.S. embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by Defence Secretary Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said. "This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the U.S. is leading a coalition to contain China," the official added. The effort to calm the waters following the court ruling in The Hague on Tuesday suffered a setback when Taiwan dispatched a warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend Taiwan's maritime territory. The court ruled that while China has no historic rights to the area within its self-declared nine-dash line, Taiwan has no right to Itu Aba, also called Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys. Taipei administers Itu Abu but the tribunal called it a "rock", according to the legal definition. The U.S. officials said they hoped the U.S. diplomatic initiative would be more successful in Indonesia, which wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the South China Sea to which China says it also has claims, and in the Philippines, whose fishermen have been harassed by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels. 'UNKNOWN QUANTITY' One official said new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains "somewhat of an unknown quantity" who has been alternately bellicose and accommodating toward China. Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ahead of the ruling he had spoken to Carter, who he said told him China had assured the United States it would exercise restraint, and that the U.S. government made the same assurance. Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Lorenzana added. Meanwhile, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed on Wednesday at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a move the State Department said would increase tensions rather than lower them. "We don't have a dog in this fight other than our belief ... in freedom of navigation," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Wednesday. "What we want to see in this very tense part of Asia, of the Pacific, rather, is a de-escalation of tensions and we want to see all claimants take a moment to look at how we can find a peaceful way forward." CONTINGENCY PLANHowever, if that effort fails, and competition escalates into confrontation, U.S. air and naval forces are prepared to uphold freedom of maritime and air navigation in the disputed area, a defence official said on Wednesday. Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own. "I don't think China wants a confrontation with the United States," he told reporters. "They dont mind a confrontation with a Vietnamese fishing boat, but they dont want a confrontation with the United States." The court ruling is expected to dominate a meeting at the end of July in Laos of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, will attend the ministerial. Sino-American relations suffered two fresh blows on Wednesday as a congressional committee found China's government likely hacked computers at the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the United States challenged China's export duties on nine metals and minerals that are important to the aerospace, auto, electronics and chemical industries. (Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Yara Bayoumy; Editing by John Walcott, Kieran Murray and Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Beijing: Branding the US and Japan as "paper tigers" and "eunuchs", China's state media has said that the military should remain ready for a "counter attack" if American warships hold exercises near islands claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea to enforce the UN-backed tribunal's verdict. An editorial titled 'Blustering US a paper tiger in S China Sea' in the state-run Global Times said that the US has voiced the strongest support for the verdict against China by The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The US has said that the award was legally binding. "More politicians and congressmen from the House and Senate have also made fiercer remarks, demanding regular challenges to China's excessive maritime claims through naval and air patrols. Japan's stance is precisely the same as that of the US, as if they have discussed their lines," it said. The tabloid daily said that the attitude of the Philippines which filed the petition against China at the tribunal is relatively mild as it called for restraint. The daily, which is part of the ruling Communist Party publications, is known for its nationalistic rhetoric. "An old Chinese saying goes 'the emperor doesn't worry but his eunuch does', meaning the outsider is more anxious than the player. In this case, Washington and Tokyo are the worrying eunuchs," it said. "The calls for the use of force have only been heard when the US clamoured to safeguard the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, which mirrors that the US hasn't made the determination to use the arbitration for a showdown with China in the waters," it added. "The People's Liberation Army should enhance its military deployment in the waters of the Nansha Islands (Spratly islands) and be fully prepared to counterattack if the US makes further provocations," it said. "We do not wish for any direct confrontation or friction between the military powers. But if Washington insists on doing so, we will never flinch," the editorial said. It also said many Chinese scholars believe that after the final award, the issue will gradually cool down. If there are no big moves from Manila, Washington and Tokyo, the case will "literally become nothing but a piece of paper", it said. The strongly-worded editorial came as China asserted that it would not abide by the verdict, which quashed its claims on parts of the South China Sea on the basis of historic rights. China flew two civilian aircraft on Thursday to assert its claims to the artificial islands built in the disputed area. It successfully tested two new airfields on the disputed islands with civil flights, a day after an international tribunal struck down Beijing's claims over the region. With this the number of airfields open to civil aircraft has gone up to three, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. China claims almost all of the South China Sea over which the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have rival claims. Another state-run newspaper China Daily called the verdict a travesty of international justice. "Washington has been so uneasy, and eager to contain China's rise. All the fanfare stirred up in the South China Sea, in essence, is part of that strategy," it said. Hanoi: Vietnam on Thursday protested China's recent activities in the disputed South China Sea, saying they seriously violate Vietnamese sovereignty. Chinese state media reported that two Chinese civilian aircrafts on Wednesday landed successfully on two newly-built airstrips on Mischief and Subi reefs. China also said it had completed four lighthouses on disputed reefs and was launching a fifth. The latest developments came as a UN arbitration tribunal this week ruled that China's vast territorial claims are violating international maritime law. The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines, which challenged Beijing's expansive claims to virtually the entire South China Sea. Beijing says it does not recognise the decision. Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh demanded Beijing cease actions that complicate the situation. "Despite the opposition of Vietnam and concerns by the international community, those actions conducted by China have seriously violated Vietnam's sovereignty and are unlawful and cannot change the fact about Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes," Binh told reporters, referring to the Paracel and Spratly islands in the South China Sea. Binh reiterated that Vietnam has all "legal basis and historical evidences" to affirm its sovereignty over the two island chains. Six regional governments have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, waters that are rich in fishing stocks and potential energy resources and where an estimated $5 trillion in global trade passes each year. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said today that "if anyone challenges China's rights and interests by taking provocative actions" based on the ruling, "China will surely make a resolute response." Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin yesterday said that said Beijing could declare an air defense identification zone over the waters if it felt threatened, a move that would sharply escalate tensions. Although it claims some of the same land features as the Philippines, Vietnam welcomed the arbitration process initiated by Manila and took a strong position against Beijing in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The government said it will study the ruling before commenting on it. Hamilton County Commissioners Geno Shipley and Chip Baker, thank you so much. I am so grateful to yall for restoring Mowbray Mountain back to the city of Soddy Daisy and Sale Creek District 1. The recent redistricting stripped Mowbray Mountain from District 1, and moved us to District 2. I never thought in a million years it would be possible to restore Mowbray Mountain and ... (click for more) My gas and diesel are up, it's going up again. Saudi Arabia cut 2 million barrels a day after Biden asked them to produce more. They said they did it for economic reasons. They did. The dollars they receive are worth less because of Biden and his lockstep Dems in congress printing trillions of extra dollars chasing the same amount of goods. The Saudis understand inflation and ... (click for more) The Chattanooga Hamilton County NAACP will hold their State of the Vote 2016: Voting Rights and Beyond on Monday from 6-7:30 p.m. at their branch office, 756 E. Milk Blvd. "Three years ago, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Shelby v. Holder, nearly dismantling the centerpiece of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by ruling that 16 states no longer needed to pre-approve their voting changes with the federal government. These were the states with some of the longest and continuous histories of voting discrimination. Since then, our nation has witnessed the greatest assault on voting rights since the Jim Crow era. As an effect, 2016 will be the first presidential election in 50 years without the full protections of the Voting Rights Act. "Likewise, with the Shelby decision, we have seen an onslaught of new voting restrictions in both Tennessee and in states across the country laws severely limiting early voting, States purging voter rolls, passing strict voter id laws, and implementing new restrictions on voter registration. "State of the Vote is also concerned with reducing the rate of recidivism and removing barriers to employment for ex-offenders. throughout the Chattanooga community. According to the National Employment Law Project 'Nationwide, over 100 cities and counties have adopted what is widely known as Ban the Box so that employers consider a job candidates qualifications first, without the stigma of a criminal record. Born out of the work of All of Us or None, these initiatives provide applicants a fair chance by removing the conviction history question on the job application and delaying the background check inquiry until later in the hiring.' In addition, many of our nation's largest retailers such as Target Corp., Wal-Mart, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Home Depot and most recently Koch Industries all Ban the Box and provide a fair chance at a second chance. Chattanooga can vote to Ban the Box during the August 2016 primary season and cast a "yes vote" to providing a fair chance at a second chance. "Finally, State of the Vote is striving to highlight the important role of the United States Census Bureau. Bureau representatives will be on hand to detail to the community the mission and purpose of the United States Census and how it effects the average citizen each day. Every person counted in their community impacts ten years of funding, representation, and the fair distribution and allocation of public services and infrastructure. In addition to providing vital public information to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census greatly effects redistricting. Census numbers re-draw boundaries for 435 congressional districts, 1,971 state senate districts, 5,411 house districts, city council, county boards, and determine which states gain or lose representation. Communities of color must guard against negative detriments like cracking, packing, gerrymandering and gentrification, which all lead to outright minority vote dilution. 2016 is the year to affirm that your power is in your vote," said Dr. Elenora Woods, president. For more information, call 423-320-8598 or email@naacpchattanooga@epbfi.com. Stephen Harding was an Art teacher par excellence! He taught in our city school system from approximately 1946 until about 1971 and was gifted in fields beside the teaching of Art. He was hired to teach at Kirkman Vocational High School, and that is where he remained for his entire teaching career in the U.S. Steve was a native of New York City - Manhattan - having grown up somewhere in the mid-town section, and attended classes held at the well-known (and still in existence) Art Students League. There he had classes under the influential anatomist and figure-artist, George Bridgman, whose books were standard textbooks for many generations of American art students. It was Kirkman Vocational High School's Principal, Frank Huffaker, who "discovered" Harding and asked him to come teach at Kirkman. Steve was hired during the first interview, inheriting a classroom I have described in another article, which was laid out by Sherman Paul, an established commercial artist and teacher of good reputation in the city. He (Harding) shared his expertise with his students and made us aware of new things in the world which broadened our horizons. Mr. Harding tried to ensure that all his students saw every art show in town, so as to be aware of what was considered "best", or from which we could draw our own conclusions as to what was best. Hunter Museum did not yet exist, and neither did Television. Our best examples of painting and sculpture were in black and white textbooks, so any art live exhibition was welcome. Lovemans Department Store sponsored the local entries for the yearly national "Scholastic Art Awards", and all these entries would be shown at Lovemans. One small anecdote about one of these shows: a boy from our Art department who did not seem too "savvy" about what he was doing, struggled on an entry where he created a fabric design by drawing around half-dollars, quarters, nickels, etc., and then connecting them with curved shapes. He laboriously colored several repetitions of the same pattern and submitted it to the Scholastic Art Awards competition. Everyone snickered at the not-very-creative idea of drawing around coins, but he won a very nice (monetary) prize in the National show and his work was purchased! Steve was a pipe-smoker, and smoked - at lunch - in the classroom with windows open and hall door locked. Those few of us permitted to remain in the room did not mind as he used only the finest tobaccos that had a really great aromatic fragrance. He had a fine collection of "old briar" pipes at his Highland Park home, and once, during a play rehearsal at his house, one of his most prized pipes disappeared. He was very upset when he discovered it missing - said it had been his long-deceased father's favorite pipe, hand carved and ornately decorated with ivory to resemble a fanciful animal - and Steve made a very emotional plea for its return. A few days later when he went home it was at his doorstep. That minor episode set very well for all of us who knew about it, and business proceeded as though nothing had happened. No suspicions were ever voiced, and not one word of discussion was uttered. We were always being encouraged to view the University of Chattanooga's annual Senior exhibitions, held downstairs from the UC library on McCallie Avenue. I have explained in another article how much we enjoyed these. ("UC" means "University of Chattanooga", by the way - its name before becoming part of the University of Tennessee system). Steve had also learned about directing plays while at home in NYC, and worked with two or three groups of players over the four years I knew him. One of these was a small group of truly excellent black performers. (I got to see at least one of their productions). I have described his work with the Frye Players Guild at Frye Institute on Cherry Street - how although the plays were free, they were ticketed: grabbed up very fast by a devoted public who could not bear to miss one of his great plays. The plays were repeated several nights in a row or on weekends. Steve knew some "key" people in town through these theatrical interests and they would come to visit him in our department at school, never failing to inspire us. One of our visitors was a very memorable Chattanooga businessman (by day) and actor (by night), the highly popular E.A. (Andy) Andrews. Andrews was from somewhere up north, but had made Chattanooga his permanent home. He owned a printing business in town which he advertised by frequently printing ink blotters with a message on one side from The Raider. (He called himself The Raider in honor of the Andrews Raiders, of Civil War fame, who are buried in National Cemetery, and were the very first individuals to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor). Andy Andrews was aging at the time we knew him and therefore well suited to playing roles such as the Biblical Noah. He did this for the Frye Institute plays that Steve Harding directed, and also for the Little Theater plays, directed by Mrs. Esther Dressler. Steve also credited himself with introducing "Theater-in-the-Round" to Chattanooga - where no actual stage is required and few "props". Today it is frowned upon for teachers to get too "close" to students, but in my day there were probably more instances of teachers pet relationships than today - wholesome in every way. Steve was one of those altruistic spirits who would take money from his own pocket, or open his house to any (male) student who was in real need. He sheltered more than one boy who lacked a secure home life. One of Steve's greatest student friends later named his first-born son in his honor. Nine years after I graduated (I recently found out) that there had been a female student in Steves class who lacked a prom date. Steve Harding personally volunteered to take her so the poor girl could be escorted properly to that significant event! It was a success! Mr. Harding could be perplexing as well: he was frequently embroiled in a minor war with other faculty members - especially one Bible teacher - or with the city school administration. He called faculty meetings, "difficulty" meetings, but I suppose that might be rather normal. His classroom voice did not carry well, but he was very critical of how we, his Southern students, spoke, "swallowing" our words, he said, and had problems with both our diction and pronunciation. I wondered if he had ever heard the strange accents of Brooklyn or Queens, where "Yizzle like goin' ta LaGuadier Airport" served for "you will like going to LaGuardia Airport." On the "good" side, he taught us a lot, and talked on occasion about his young days in New York City - how he remembered when horse-drawn milk delivery carts criss-crossed Manhattan in the dark of morning, etc. Then, once, his aging mother came to visit him - and us. She was a slightly built, very lively lady, quick to smile, and laugh with us. She went with us to Lula Lake for one long afternoon of picnicking and sketching, and was the life of the party. Steve set up to do an oil painting of the falls, but was disappointed with the results and spent the trip back to school trying to wipe the canvas clean. Following his retirement from the school system, Steve went to Japan where he spent the rest of his days. He had long admired the Japanese for their switch to Pacifism after WW 2. He returned to Chattanooga at least once or twice for a visit and told me how he had found instantaneous employment in Tokyo as an English teacher. He loved the Japanese people and seemed to have finally found his ideal home - at long last. (Chester Martin is a native Chattanoogan who is a talented painter as well as local historian. He and his wife, Pat, live in Brainerd. Mr. Martin can be reached at cymppm@comcast.net ) UK poultry farmers are calling for birds to be kept inside to tackle rising bird flu cases. The sector wants to see a nationwide housing order brought in urgently, as... Read More What: The shares of industrial services and engineered products provider Harsco (HSC 3.32%) were up 11% at 3:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday. Driving the rally was the release of a preliminary look at its second-quarter results, as well as its outlook for the balance of the year. So what: Harsco said that it expects its adjusted operating income to be $41 million for the second quarter, which is well above its guidance range of $22 million to $27 million. Driving this expectation-beating result was the company's metals and minerals segment, which is benefiting from the internal progress the company made to strengthen its performance, as well as improving market conditions. Because of these improvements, the company expects that its full-year results will be $20 million above its adjusted operating-income guidance range of $80 million to $100 million. Further, it sees improvements in the steel and energy markets driving better results as those markets recover. The steel market, in particular, is starting to show tangible signs of improvement. Leading global steelmaker ArcelorMittal (MT -1.46%), for example, recently projected that global steel consumption would rise by as much as 0.5% when compared to 2015. Because of this, ArcelorMittal's CEO, Lakshmi Mittal, said that the company expected "improved results in the coming quarters." This improving steel market should also benefit Harsco. Harsco did have some bad news: The company recorded a loss provision of $40 million related to its railway-maintenance contracts in Switzerland. This loss was due to increased vendor costs, increased estimates for commissioning, and other factors. As a result, the company expects that its second-quarter GAAP operating income will be $1 million. Now what: Harsco is finally giving its investors some good news. The company got the year off to a terrible start after its business segments came under pressure, which forced it to suspend its dividend to preserve cash. However, through a combination of internal improvements and a rebound in external markets, the company sees better days ahead. What: Shares of Line Corp. (ADR) (LN) jumped 26.6% Thursday following the Tokyo-based messaging platform's strong initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. So what: Line announced pricing for its IPO on Monday, saying it would offer 35 million shares of common stock, consisting of 22 million shares of common stock in the form of American Depositary Shares (ADSs) at a price of $32.84 per ADS, and 13 million shares on the Tokyo stock exchange. But shares skyrocketed shortly after the market opened here in the U.S., rising as much as 35.5% before settling to close up 26.6%, giving the company a market capitalization of roughly $7.3 billion. Of the 14 tech IPOs held this year, that makes Line the largest. Line's primary messaging app was launched just five years ago. But its apps have been downloaded a total of 628 million times, and as of last quarter, supported an impressive 218.4 million monthly active users, good for a 7% year-over-year increase. Within that number, 151.6 million resided in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia, representing growth of 23% year over year in those four key markets. That translated to a 21% year-over-year increase in revenue last quarter, to $303 million, of which $275 million came from the core LINE business, with roughly 35% from advertising, 35% from in-app content purchases, 22% from communication revenue, and 8% from other services and operations. Now what: Given the volatility that tends to surround these kinds of IPOs, I personally prefer to let the dust settle before I seriously consider picking up shares. Letting Line get at least another quarter under its belt as a publicly traded company can be very useful, for example, in gathering the necessary financial information to determine the sustainability of both its revenue and earnings growth. Considering Line has also voiced its intention to move into other potentially lucrative niches -- including music streaming, mobile payments, and taxi hailing -- creating a sort of one-stop shop, so to speak, for mobile consumers, I think it's worth at least adding Line to your watch lists to keep tabs on its progress in the coming quarters. The Tucker Foundation announces that Bradley County native Amy Moore has been promoted to vice president. Ms. Moore came to the foundation in early 2013 as the grants administrator."Ms. Moore has 25 years of experience in both the non-profit and local government arenas in both Bradley and Hamilton Counties. Moore has extensive experience in writing and administering grants, including $1.3 million in funding for construction of the Cleveland/ Bradley County Greenway. Moore was integral in developing and administering Bradley Countys Healthy Community Initiative, a grant program funded from the proceeds from the sale of Bradley Memorial Hospital."Moore has been key in successfully transitioning the foundation from a paper based system to an online grants management system.The foundation recently completed the sixth grant cycle using the new system. The new system manages the grant making process from the application to the review and award process. Grant applicants can access the system through the foundation website," officials said.Foundation President Andrew Cope said, Amy has done an exceptional job in representing The Tucker Foundation to the non-profit community in our focus area of Hamilton and Bradley Counties. Additionally, Amy has been essential to implementing our web based system which receives grant requests, documents their disposition, and measures the impact of approved grants on the lives of people and conserved resources. The European Commission today levied new antitrust charges against Google, sending the company two Statement of Objections regarding its search practices and AdWords business. In April 2015, the Commission formally accused the Web giant of favoring its own shopping products in search results, and demoting those of its competitors. It has since investigated further and today released a supplementary Statement of Objections that includes "a broad range of additional evidence and data that reinforces the Commission's preliminary conclusion." "The Commission is concerned that users do not necessarily see the most relevant results in response to queriesthis is to the detriment of consumers, and stifles innovation," the EU says. "Google's conduct has weakened or even marginalized competition from its closest rivals." When it comes to AdWords, the EU is concerned about those Google-branded search boxes that appear on third-party websites. When you search, your results and search ads are displayed. Click on the ad, and Google and the third party receive a commission. Google imposes certain requirements for sites using its search boxes: third parties cannot source search ads from Google's competitors; they must agree to premium placement of a minimum number of Google search ads; and third parties must obtain Google's approval before making any change to the display of competing search ads. These practices, the EU says, "hinder competition on this commercially important market." "Google has come up with many innovative products that have made a difference to our lives. But that doesn't give Google the right to deny other companies the chance to compete and innovate," Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement. Google now has eight to 10 weeks to respond to the Commission's concerns. "We believe that our innovations and product improvements have increased choice for European consumers and promote competition," a company spokeswoman told PCMag. "We'll examine the Commission's renewed cases and provide a detailed response in the coming weeks." Vestager promised to "consider [Google's] arguments carefully" before deciding how the cases should move forward. "But if our investigations conclude that Google has broken EU antitrust rules, the Commission has a duty to act to protect European consumers and fair competition on European markets," she added. The battle began in 2010, when the EUunder former competition chief Joaquin Almuniaopened an antitrust investigation into Google over allegations that the company abused its dominant position in online search. In 2014, the commission announced a deal whereby Google would feature links to competitors' services in its results, as well as make it easier for advertisers and publishers to work with competing firms. Almunia, however, later re-opened the case after a number of Google rivals requested further concessions. The EU is also investigating Google's Android business pratices. Across the pond, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2013 found that Google did not unfairly manipulate its search results to highlight its own products and demote competing firms. But the FTC recently expanded its probe into Google's Android business. This article originally appeared on PCMag.com. Each year, travelers take part in the World Airline Awards, the globes largest international airline passenger satisfaction survey conducted by the U.K. consulting firm Skytrax. Full-service and low-cost airlines are included, and the survey measures standards across 41 key performance indicators of airline front-line product and service, according to a release. Between August 2015 and May 2016, 19.2 million customers completed surveys on a wide range of topics. More than 104 nationalities participated in the customer satisfaction survey. Interestingly, not a single American carrier cracked the top 10. What gives? Theyre terrible, Christopher Elliott, author of How to Be the Worlds Smartest Traveler, said via email. When is the last time you heard someone say something nice about a domestic airline? With carriers charging families extra to sit together, its been harder to feel the love lately. But perhaps theres more to the story. Skytrax did not provide a specific geographic breakdown of the voters online, wrote Brett Snyder, who runs the blog Cranky Flier, and for years the U.S. airlines have lagged while theyve struggled to stay afloat. Stamping out the negative stigma is going to take time. What follows is a list of some of the worlds top airlines. If they dont fly near you (or you just cant afford them), take heart: Opening a travel rewards card can help cut down the costs of future trips via points or miles, while airline miles cards are renowned for helping cardholders secure freebie flights. Just remember to view your credit score which you can do for free on Credit.com before you apply. 10. Lufthansa The German airline, which recently launched nonstop flights from San Jose to Frankfurt, was also named the Best Transatlantic Airline and Best Airline in Western Europe by Skytrax. Elite Status: The carriers Miles & More program awards frequent fliers with seat upgrades, preferential check-in and fare guarantees. Dream Destination: Berlin, to check out the Bauhaus buildings and historic quarter. 9. Qantas Airways Australias national carrier reportedly treats its staff well, so perhaps its no surprise consumers approve of them too. Olympics Spirit: From July 22 to September 18, passengers in business class will be offered a patriotic green-and-gold PJ set featuring the hashtag #RoadToRio on the back. Dream Destination: Sydney, which is a just a nonstop flight away from Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Francisco. 8. EVA Air This Taiwanese line is so committed to style, they fly Hello Kitty jets complete with cat-shaped butter pats and pink jumper-clad stewardesses. Royal Treatment: Seats in this top-tier cabin convert into a fully lie-flat bed with a shoe cabinet, retractable armrest and hanger. Dream Destination: Jakarta, Indonesias bustling capital. 7. Turkish Airlines Europes Best Airline for six years running also flies to more countries than any other airline, with 289 destinations worldwide. Dig In: Turkish Airlines has also been recognized by Skytrax for its tasty inflight meals. Dream Destination: Rome, where history buffs can explore the city on foot. 6. Etihad Airways Earning not one but three awards from Skytrax Worlds Best First Class Airline, Worlds Best First Class Onboard Catering and Worlds Best First Class Airline Seat Etihad Airways has plenty to brag about. First Class: The companys First Class Lounge & Spa at Abu Dhabi International Airports Terminal 3 features a nail bar, TV room, fitness room and cigar lounge. Dream Destination: Abu Dhabi, just to check out that spa. 5. All Nippon Airways Once a helicopter operator, the Japanese airline now flies to around 50 domestic destinations, as well as 32 international destinations across North America, Europe and Asia. On-Time: ANA tied with Japan Airlines for offering the most timely service, per a separate report from FlightStats. Dream Destination: Tokyo, land of ancient temples and karaoke. You can find the full list of the 10 best airlines in the world on Credit.com. More from Credit.com This article originally appeared on Credit.com. Jill Krasny is an editor and writer at Credit.com. Prior to joining the company, she was a senior staff writer at Esquire.com and Inc. Magazine, where she covered a range of lifestyle topics. Her writing has appeared in Introspective, Travel + Leisure and MTV.com. More by Jill Krasny A group of 25 persons from The Cherokee Nation, originating from Tahlequah, Ok. under the leadership of Mr. George Roach, director of vocational programs for The Cherokee Nation, visited the historic Chief John Ross House in Rossville on Friday, July 9. "The group consisted of a contingent of scholastically exceptional young men and women and chaperons. The purpose of this trip is to visit cultural and various other sites pertaining to Cherokee heritage,and to acquaint these young future Cherokee Nation Leaders with insight into the operations and business practices in our Tri-State area," officials said. The group plans to visit sites in Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina, over the next few days. This visit is the second time Mr. Roach and a group cam to the House, having done so in July 2014. Larry Rose, president of The Chief John Ross House Association did a brief historical talk on the house and area and welcomed Mr. Roach and the Group. The Chief John Ross House is open during the summer months of June through August on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Group tours may be arranged at other times by calling 706-866-5171 and 706-861-3954. Any group tour will require 12 or more persons. Image source: Apple. Over the last 10 years, Apple has consistently increased its share of the PC market with its line of Macs. In fact, Apple has gained market share in 39 of the last 40 quarters. That trend may be coming to an end, however, as IDC estimates the global PC market didn't fall as much as originally expected last quarter, just 4.5%. The research firm expects Apple to report an 8.3% decline in Mac shipments when it provides its earnings results later this month. Mac sales accounted for 9.4% of Apple's total sales through the first six months of fiscal 2016. The product is of increasing importance in light of weakness in iPad sales and a hangover from strong iPhone 6 sales. Should investors worry about Apple's ability to grow its share of the PC market? A look at what's causing the sales slowdown In IDC's report, the research company provides an explanation for Apple's outsized decline in shipments: "Apple continues to face an increasingly competitive market as it awaits a refresh of its PC lineup." Apple's Macbook lineup is long overdue for a refresh. The company released the new Macbook last spring, but hasn't updated the Macbook Air, Macbook Pro, iMac, or Mac Pro lines in some time. They all still use older generations of Intel's chips, and the portables need a design refresh to support new ports like Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) and better displays on the Air. Apple is expected to unveil refreshes to its Mac lineup in the fall when it usually releases new iPhones and iPads. That means that Apple's Mac sales could languish for another quarter before getting a bump from the new releases in the last three months of 2016. Adding to that is the economic uncertainty hanging over Europe after the Brexit vote last month. That could cause a bigger decline in PC sales, particularly the premium-priced consumer-facing Macs Apple produces. Additionally, Apple is facing slowing growth in the Chinese market that drove its sales last year. Is a product refresh really all that's needed? Apple's PC market share growth was fueled by the adoption of its other devices like the iPhone and iPad. But Apple is now starting to experience a decline in iPhone sales, and iPad sales have been declining for some time already. That trend would indicate that Apple's Mac sales may have already peaked. Even with slight growth in the U.S. PC market last quarter, IDC says Apple failed to grow its Mac sales in the country year over year. Apple took just 11.2% of the market in the United States. By comparison, its share of the smartphone market in the country is close to 44%. That indicates that even Apple's well-established user base of over 1 billion active devices isn't enough to spur sales of the Mac. That might make investors question whether a product refresh is all that's needed to spur sales of the Mac. However consider the factors behind the slowing sales of Apple's other devices: It had a blockbuster product with the iPhone 6 (iPhone 6s sales are still outpacing iPhone 5s sales), and the product lifecycle is getting longer. While the latter factor may apply to PCs, the market has largely adjusted to the introduction of smartphones and tablets. Apple's Macbook release was popular, boosting sales of Macs for a few quarters, though not to the degree that the iPhone 6 increased iPhone sales (and on a much larger scale, no less). There's no explanation for the decline in Mac market share other than a lack of refresh. So, what's taking so long? Apple may have been too aggressive in its plans for a Mac refresh. Apple has historically held off on product ideas because it was missing some technology. This can be bad for short-term results, but ultimately benefits Apple in the long term as it leapfrogs the competition. Still, Apple's hesitation to push a smaller update to Macs with new processors and designs has caused it to fall well behind the competition, and certainly seems like an error in judgment. Nonetheless, Apple should be able to rectify the problem just by updating its product line, as there's no other indication that Apple is suffering a long-term decline in its brand. The article Is This Trend Over for Apple? originally appeared on Fool.com. Adam Levy owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Intel. 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 from House of Cards. Image source: Netflix. It's raining naysayers when it comes toNetflixthese days, and the latest boobird -- a Wall Street pro who is actually still bullish on the stock but lowered his price target for the shares on Tuesday -- fears that the Olympics will slow the leading streaming service's popularity this summer. It may not be fair to callCowen analyst John Blackledge a boobird. He did after all reiterate his "outperform" rating on the stock and lowering his price target from $135 to $130 still leaves plenty of headroom from present levels. However, Blackledge's concern that the Olympics will weigh on usage -- along with fear that Netflix cancellations will rise following a looming price hike for accounts grandfathered into a $7.99 or $8.99 rate over the past two years -- deserves a closer look. Her name is Rio It's not a crazy assumption. The Olympics will take place in Brazil from Aug. 5 to Aug. 21, and all eyes will be on Rio during those two weeks. If there are doubts about Netflix's stickiness during the summer games, it could be that Netflix itself planted the seed four years ago. "[T]his quarter the Olympics are likely to have a negative impact on Netflix viewing and sign-ups," Reed Hastings wrote about Q3 2012 in his shareholder letter detailing Netflix's second quarter results in 2012. This was two weeks ahead of the 2012 games, and it wouldn't be a surprise if Hastings again takes a cautious note when Netflix announces second-quarter results next week. And Netflix did indeed prove mortal that summer four years ago. The midpoint of its guidance at the time was calling for 1.4 million domestic net additions and 0.5 million internationally for the quarter. That's a total of 1.9 million more subscribers targeted for the end of Septrmber 2012 than it had three months earlier. How did it all turn out? Netflix closed out the period with 1.85 million net adds, just below the dot-com service's goal. It also only tacked on 1.16 million net subscribers domestically, a shortfall that was only partly offset by stronger-than-expected strength overseas. That's the kind of performance that can weigh on analysts that are paid to remember the past and learn from it. However, we did wind up with conflicting third-party perspectives on how the 2012 Olympics played out for Netflix. Procera Networks claimed that Netflix streaming traffic was off by a sharp 25% on a Sunday night during the Olympics. Rival internet traffic tracker Sandvine reported that traffic actually increased. Stream it again, Uncle Sam Netflix wound up serving 3 billion hours of content during the last Olympics quarter. That's not too shabby. However, the real takeaway is that it's silly to weigh a company over a rare two-week lull that happens every four years. Netflix's subscriber count may have come in a little light during 2012's third quarter -- and Cowen's Blackledge isn't the only one bracing for uninspiring Q3 guidance next week -- but what has happened between the 2012 and 2016 Olympics? Netflix has gone from 27.6 million streaming subscribers to what it expects to be 84 million accounts four years later. International growth is also the biggest driver of subscriber growth these days. That wasn't the case the last time the Olympic torch greeted the world's top athletes. The Olympics are a global event, sure, but don't forget that Netflix exceeded its international forecast four years ago. We also can't forget that Netflix followed up the 2012 Olympics by becoming the best-performing component of the S&P 500 in 2013. There may have been a setback following Netflix's ho-hum financials that summer, but it turned out to be an amazing buying opportunity. The competitive spirit is still alive in Netflix, and it has no reason to settle for anything less than gold next week, next month, and definitely next year. The article Netflix Can Still Go for the Olympic Gold originally appeared on Fool.com. Rick Munarriz owns shares of Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Netflix. 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. Seed company Monsanto Co, which rejected Bayer AG's buyout offer in May, is exploring various transactions, including the acquisition of BASF's agriculture-solutions unit, Bloomberg reported. In return, BASF would likely receive newly issued shares in Monsanto, Bloomberg said, citing people familiar with the matter. (http://bloom.bg/29xEtJd) The discussions are at an early stage, and no final decisions have been made, the report said, citing the people. Talks with Bayer are continuing, sources told Bloomberg. Monsanto, BASF and Bayer could not be reached for comment outside regular business hours. Monsanto's board is split over the merit of potential deals with rivals BASF and Bayer with some executives keen to remain independent and others preferring a takeover, Bloomberg reported, citing a source. (Reporting by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel) Billionaire investor Bill Ackman said on Thursday that he was still betting against Herbalife Ltd shares and that the company needed to make "material changes to its incentive structure." Ackman has waged a four-year campaign against Herbalife, making a $1 billion short bet against it in 2012 and accusing it of running a pyramid scheme which pays members more for recruiting new members than for selling the company's supplements and weight-loss products. Short sellers borrow securities to sell on the belief that the price will decline and allow them to be repurchased for less later. Ackman, the founder and chief executive of Pershing Square Capital Management, said in a CNBC interview that the cost on carry of his $1 billion bet is about $20 million. Ackman said he also believed Herbalife and the government were "quite close" to resolving a regulatory investigation into whether the company was operating a pyramid scheme. Ackman, said that regardless of the outcome, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission probe was unlikely to end well for the company because its business model is not built upon actual retail sales. "The incentives of the Herbalife marketing plan, the only way you can make money at Herbalife ... is by recruiting other people very heavily and getting them to invest thousands and thousands of dollars," Ackman said. "That is the only hope you have of making money. And that's because of how the incentive of the marketing plan work." Herbalife did not immediately return requests for comment. Ackman said he believed that Herbalife would not be taken private. "I feel very good about our investment. I think no private equity firm is going to buy this company," he said. Herbalife shares edged 0.54 percent higher to $59.73 late Thursday afternoon. Ackman, whose Pershing Square owns 9 percent of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc, defended the sale of almost $100 million of the Canadian drugmaker's shares by former Chief Executive Michael Pearson. He said Pearson had acquired stock on margin to make a $50 million charitable donation to Duke University. "When the stock collapsed, he got a margin call from Goldman Sachs," Ackman said, forcing Pearson to sell more Valeant shares than he had planned. Ackman said he had no plans to sell Valeant's core assets like Bausch & Lomb. "It's a franchise you build on." Valeant shares rose 6.5 percent to $23.03. (Reporting by Jennifer Ablan; Editing by Richard Chang) Although voters believe Donald Trump is better suited to handle top issues, Hillary Clinton is ahead in the battleground state of Virginia. Clinton bests Trump by seven percentage points in the presidential race (44-37 percent), according to a new Fox News Poll of Virginia registered voters. Thatas within the pollas margin of sampling error. The good news for Trump is that among just those voters aextremelya interested, heas up by three (45-42 percent). Thatas driven by the fact that more Republicans (43 percent) than Democrats (38 percent) say they are extremely interested in the presidential election. Clinton owes her edge to women (49-32 percent), blacks (83-5 percent), and voters over age 45 (45-39 percent). Trump is preferred among whites (48-34 percent), men (43-37 percent), white evangelical Christians (64-23 percent), and whites without a college degree (57-28 percent). Large majorities of Democrats (85 percent Clinton) and Republicans (83 percent Trump) back their partyas nominee. Independents prefer Trump (34 percent) over Clinton (23 percent), yet many volunteer they are undecided (11 percent), will vote for another candidate (16 percent), or not vote (16 percent). President Barack Obama won Virginia in 2012 by nearly four points over Mitt Romney, and beat John McCain by about six points in 2008. The state backed the Republican candidate in the three presidential elections before that. Clintonas advantage is five points in a hypothetical four-way race: 39-34 percent over Trump. Libertarian Gary Johnson captures 10 percent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein gets four percent. Most of those backing Clinton (86 percent) and Trump (88 percent) in the head-to-head ballot remain with them in the expanded race. Six percent of Trump supporters and five percent of Clinton supporters switch to Johnson. Three percent for each move to Stein. Voters narrowly think Trump would do a better job than Clinton handling almost every issue tested. He bests her on the economy (47-43 percent), illegal immigration (47-43 percent), government spending (46-40 percent), and terrorism (45-43 percent). Clinton is preferred over Trump by a double-digit margin on one issue: making nominations to the U.S. Supreme Court (51-37 percent). Nearly 9-in-10 Virginia voters say the economy (86 percent) will be important to their vote for president. Roughly three-quarters feel that way about terrorism (76 percent) and government spending (72 percent). Nearly two-thirds ranks Supreme Court nominations at the same level (64 percent). Temperament, experience, and empathy are clear advantages for Clinton. Virginia voters are twice as likely to say the phrase ahas the right temperament to serve effectively as president,a applies to Clinton (54 percent) than Trump (27 percent). By 48-30 percent, more feel aqualified to be presidenta describes Clinton than Trump. Forty-four percent think acares about people like youa applies better to Clinton, while 31 percent say Trump. One in five, 21 percent, volunteers the response aneither.a Clinton narrowly tops Trump on being a astrong leadera (41-39 percent). The two candidates tie on who is better described as being ahonest and trustworthya (32 percent apiece). One-third of voters say neither candidate is honest (34 percent). The real estate mogul has a clear advantage on bringing change: 48 percent think Trump would do a better job on a anew direction for the country,a while 35 percent say Clinton. aVirginia is clearly in play right now,a says Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, who conducts the Fox News Poll along with Republican pollster Daron Shaw. aA major challenge for Trump in closing the gap is convincing voters heall be different temperamentally as president than heas been as a candidate.a Overall, both candidates are unpopular. Clinton is underwater by 13 points (43 percent favorable vs. 56 percent unfavorable), while Trumpas ratings are more negative by 28 points (35 percent favorable vs. 63 percent unfavorable). In addition, majorities of independents have negative views of them. It could help Clinton that 49 percent of independents have a favorable opinion of Obama. Among all Virginia voters, 55 percent view Obama positively vs. 43 percent negatively. The Fox News Poll is conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R). The poll was conducted July 9-12, 2016, by telephone (landline and cellphone) with live interviewers among a sample of 601 Virginia registered voters selected from a statewide voter file and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points for the total sample. A Fox News Poll of Colorado registered voters finds Hillary Clinton ahead of Donald Trump by 10 points in the race for the White House. Clintons up 44-34 percent in a head-to-head matchup. Her lead is outside the polls margin of sampling error. The Democrat maintains her advantage in a hypothetical four-way race: Clinton garners 37 percent, Trump 28 percent, the Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson receives 13 percent, and the Green Party candidate Jill Stein gets 6 percent. Eighty-one percent of those backing Clinton in the two-way race stick with her in the four-way, six percent defect to Johnson, and four percent to Stein. For Trump, 79 percent stay with him, while 11 percent go to Johnson and 2 percent to Stein. Independents prefer Clinton over Trump in the two-way matchup (36-28 percent). However in the four-way ballot, Johnson moves ahead of Trump: Clinton is the choice of 29 percent, Johnson receives 22 percent, Trump 20 percent, and Stein 10 percent. In the head-to-head matchup, some of Clintons best groups include women (52-29 percent), Hispanics (60-15 percent), whites with a college degree (47-30 percent), and voters who are extremely interested in the election (50-43 percent). Groups most likely to back Trump include whites without a college degree (50-34 percent), rural voters (46-36 percent), and white evangelical Christians (58-22 percent). Theres less party unity for Trump, as just 75 percent of Republicans back him compared to Clintons 81 percent among Democrats. President Barack Obama beat Republican Mitt Romney in 2012 by just over five percentage points in Colorado, while Gary Johnson received about one percent of the vote. In 2008, Obama won the state by nearly nine points over Republican John McCain. In the three presidential elections before that, the state voted for the Republican candidate. Voters say Clinton is better described as having the right temperament, being qualified to be president, and being a strong leader. Fifty-five percent think the phrase has the temperament to serve effectively as president applies to Clinton. Thats more than twice as many as say the same about Trump (22 percent). By a 50-24 percent spread, Clinton rather than Trump is seen as qualified to be commander-in-chief. Plus, voters also say strong leader (43-34 percent) and cares about people like me (40-29 percent) are traits that better describe her. Roughly equal numbers say honest and trustworthy better describes Trump (28 percent) as feel that way about Clinton (27 percent). The largest number however, 41 percent, says that phrase applies to neither candidate. Overall, more voters say the economy (80 percent) will be extremely or very important to their presidential vote than say the same about nominations to the U.S. Supreme Court (66 percent), terrorism (66 percent), government spending (64 percent), a new direction for the country (59 percent), or illegal immigration (46 percent). Colorado voters think Clinton would do a better job than Trump on the priority issues. Shes preferred on Supreme Court nominations by a wide 17-point margin (51-34 percent). Clintons also narrowly the choice on terrorism (45-41 percent), illegal immigration (45-44 percent), and the economy (44-43 percent). "These results are obviously good news for Clinton and ought to give the Trump campaign pause," says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democratic pollster Chris Anderson. "It's not just that hes down in the trial ballot. She also beats him across all relevant issue and trait evaluations. He needs to significantly improve his image and substantive impressions of where he wants to lead the country." Trump tops Clinton by 12 points on taking the country in a new direction (46-34 percent) and by one point on government spending (42-41 percent). Meanwhile, Colorado voters dislike both major party candidates: 58 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Clinton, and 68 percent feel negatively about Trump. By a 55-32 percent margin, they have a positive opinion of Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. Seventy-three percent of Democrats view him favorably. Hickenlooper met with Clinton July 6 in Denver and confirmed the two spoke about the presumptive nominees search for a vice presidential running mate. Colorado voters also like Obama: 54 percent favorable vs. 44 percent unfavorable. The Senate Race In the Colorado Senate race, incumbent Michael Bennet leads his Republican opponent Darryl Glenn by 51-36 percent. Bennets strongest support comes from women (55-29 percent), suburban voters (60-30 percent), and independents (49-32 percent). Glenn does best among rural voters (46-37 percent), white evangelical Christians (61-26 percent), and those who say terrorism is extremely important (51-30 percent). Bennet was appointed to the seat in 2009, and won re-election in 2010 by two points. Eighty-six percent of Clinton supporters back Bennet, while just 73 percent of Trump backers go for Glenn. The Fox News Poll is conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R). The poll was conducted July 9-12, 2016, by telephone (landline and cellphone) with live interviewers among a sample of 600 Colorado registered voters selected from a statewide voter file. Bilingual interviewers were used. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points for the total sample. A makeshift refugee camp has sprung up in Lake Como, the popular celebrity hideaway in Italy favored by stars George Clooney, Richard Branson and Madonna. Hundreds of migrants heading towards northern Europe have erected tents and flimsy dwellings around the exclusive towns railway station. The migrant population in the town is now rapidly increasing after Switzerland shut its southern borders with Italy. According to La Repubblica, many migrants are camping out in the town until they can hire people smugglers to lead them through the mountains north. Lake Como has long been a destination favored by the powerful and wealthy, many of whom are attracted by its stunning lakeside villas built in Roman times. Roberto Bernasconi, from a local Catholic charity, said: We are helping them with food, clothing and we are also mounting showers. But it is very difficult, we do not know how to welcome all these people. In the Como diocese we have over 2,000 migrants in the facilities there is no room. I do not know how much longer we can bear the brunt of this mass of people who would like to cross the border but who are not willing to leave Como. The groups of migrants arrive in the area having likely traveled up Italy after landing in the south having crossed the Mediterranean by boat. Just yesterday nearly 1,000 migrants were saved in six separate rescue operations on the Med. All six boats including four rubber dinghies are believed to have set off from Libya, where criminal gangs charge people thousands to be lead on the perilous crossing. Italy has long been on the front line of seaborne migration from Africa to Europe. It is now the main point of entry after the EU struck a deal with Turkey to stem flows to Greece amid Europes worst migration crisis since WWII. This article originally appeared in The Sun. Adding the cheap antipsychotic drug olanzapine to conventional anti-vomiting medicine can help prevent nausea in cancer patients, according to a new test of 380 volunteers. During the first 24 hours after chemotherapy, 74 percent of patients receiving the drug along with their chemotherapy reported no nausea. That compares to 45 among those getting placebo. The benefits continued for five days as the drug therapy continued. "I was overjoyed that the results were statistically significant" because it was the first study to look at nausea alone, said chief author Dr. Rudolph Navari of the Indiana University School of Medicine in South Bend. Existing drugs are good at preventing vomiting but "we really don't have any effective anti-nausea treatment," he told Reuters Health. "That can be a big problem in terms of going to work, taking care of the kids and quality of life." "It adds to the number of weapons and options that might be considered if other strategies are not effective," said Dr. John Erban, clinical director of the Tufts Medical Center Cancer Center in Boston, who was not involved in the study. But a key side effect of olanzapine, extreme fatigue in some patients, could pose a problem, he said. The test was done on people who were receiving cisplatin or a combination of cyclophosphamide and anthracycline for their tumors. Both regimens are known for producing nausea and vomiting. Breast cancer was the diagnosis in 64 percent of the patients, lung cancer in 13 percent and the rest were being treated for other types of tumors, according to the report published in the New England Journal of Medicine. By the end of the five-day treatment period, 37 of those taking olanzapine had experienced no nausea at all, compared to 22 percent of placebo recipients. When the team looked at clinically significant nausea - a score of 3 or more on a 0 to 10 scale - 67 percent of the olanzapine recipients were free of it during the five-day period versus 49 percent among those getting standard therapy. Olanzapine is available in generic form. The five days of treatment cost about $2. The patients were only followed for one treatment cycle. Nonetheless, Navari said, it's likely that the drug's anti-nausea effect would persist through subsequent cycles. When used as an antipsychotic, "it's been given for three, six, nine months and its effectiveness did not wear off," he said. There were no serious side effects, although the drug did produce severe sedation in 5 percent of recipients around day two. That subsided over time, the researchers write, "suggesting that the patients adapted to the sedative effect." "There's really no drawback to using the drug because it doesn't cost anything and you only give it a couple of days," Navari said. "We saw evidence of mild sedation in 20 percent, but there really weren't any side effects. Those patients continued on the drug and the sedation resolved by day 3 and 4." But "the fatigue issue can be a problem," Erban told Reuters Health. "A lot of patients are trying to balance their work and their home life so they will want to find a formula where they get their treatment and be as functional as possible," he said. No patients discontinued treatment because of fatigue. "The principal concern with olanzapine treatment is weight gain and other metabolic consequences. However these usually occur with more extended exposure, which is not applicable to this situation," said Dr. David Greenblatt, a pharmacology researcher at Tufts. "Since there was no other antipsychotic agent comparatively evaluated in the study, it can't be concluded that olanzapine is unique," he said by email. "Another antipsychotic might well have similar properties." Facebook users were given a front-row seat Thursday as Prince Harry received the results of an HIV test that he took to help raise awareness and destigmatize the issue. The test was featured during a Facebook Live event on the royal familys Facebook page in an effort to show how simple the test is. Even being the person I am and knowing the type of people Im around, Im still nervous. Which is interesting, Harry told Robert Palmer, a psycho-sexual counselor who administered the test. Harry underwent a finger-prick test at Burrell Street Sexual Health Centre in London and saw a negative result for HIV. If youre a man, woman, gay, straight, black, white, whatever even ginger why wouldnt you come and have a test? Harry said in the video. According to PEOPLE, Harry is headed to South Africa next week for a conference on HIV and AIDS in Durban. On Tuesday, the U.N. AIDS agency said a long-term decline in the number of new HIV infections in adults had stalled and action was needed to prevent a rebound in the global epidemic. An estimated 1.9 million adults had become infected with HIV every year for at least the past five years. Globally, some 36.7 million are now infected. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Despite the prevalence of Alzheimers disease, relatively little is known about its causes. Now, scientists at Rockefeller University in New York City and funding from the Fisher Center for Alzheimers Research Foundation have developed a potentially groundbreaking way to create 3-D images of the protein that may lead to the debilitating disease. Over five million Americans suffer from Alzheimers, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The form of dementia robs people of their memory, their ability to think and eventually their brain function. Scientists say the buildup of beta amyloid, a protein, is related but its not yet known why this plaque develops in the first place. Gathering images of beta amyloid is difficult, requiring thin slices of brain matter to be observed under a microscope. This 2-D imaging has many limitations, especially with regards to the complexity of the brain. The Rockefeller/Fisher Center team is working to make it possible to create 3-D images. Previously, researchers would scan micro-slides of brain matter and layer them to construct a 3-D view, but this was very, very time consuming and you also include a lot of artifacts when you try to reconstruct a 3-D tissue. Dr. Marc Flajolet, a research assistant professor at Rockefeller University, told FoxNews.com. Dr. Paul Greengard is a Nobel Laureate and director of the Fisher Center. He has dedicated his life to Alzheimers research. He, along with Flajolet, wanted to move imaging forward to get a better understanding of the disease. When new technologies were coming around we decided it was a good time to try, Flajolet told FoxNews.com. Under the guidance of Greengard, Flajolet worked closely with Dr. Thomas Liebmann, a post-doctoral fellow in the Greengard lab, to develop a new type of 3-D imaging called iDisco. The technique combines multiple technologies and microscopic techniques to see an entire brain sample in 3-D. iDisco works by washing the mouse brain or sections of human brain through complex solvents to make the lipids, or fat, in brain matter transparent. Then the team uses state-of-the-art microscopes to scan whats visible the beta amyloid plaque. The microscope that is used in this case is called the Light Sheet Microscope, Dr. Marc Tessier-Lavigne, president of Rockefeller University, told FoxNews.com. That sends a sheet of light through the brain, scanning each plane in the brain in successive turns collecting all the information and using that data to reconstruct a three-dimensional brain. Researchers are hoping this new technology can reveal some of the secrets behind the development of plaque and ultimately the origin of Alzheimers disease. They were able to develop imaging technology so you can actually look at a beta amyloid in an entire mouse brain and substantial chunks of human brain and study where is it located, what kind of cells is it connected with, Greengard said. Flajolet hopes these images can lead to a categorization of Alzheimers, so treatment can be streamlined. A bit maybe like depression, right? Not everyone will respond to the same treatment he said. [Alzheimers is] a very complex disease where maybe we could organize those patients in different categories to adapt a treatment better. The Fisher Center for Alzheimers Research Foundation has received the exceptional 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator for the fifth consecutive year. For more information visit www.ALZinfo.org or follow them @FisherCenter on Twitter. The MACC offers a summer presentation of chamber music on Fri, July 22 at 7:30 p.m. Mezzo-soprano Sara Snider Schone, clarinetist Tim Mercer, and pianist Jim Lees will offer music for voice with clarinet, including Schubert's Evergreen The Shepherd on the Rock, opera arias by Mozart, and song sets by Gordon Jacobs, Antonio Salazar, and Simon Sargon. The concert will be presented in informal "cabaret" style in the MACC Cafeteria with coffee and water provided; come as you are. Admission is $10; $5 for students. About the authors: A native of upstate New York, mezzo-soprano Sara Snider Schone completed an undergraduate degree in bassoon before turning in earnest to a vocal career. With a plush, wide-ranging voice she has sung such principal roles as Mozarts Dorabella, Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti, and the title role of George Wakefield Chadwicks Shanewis; Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville comes up next season. She created the role of Lillith, Adams first wife in Tim Hincks experimental opera, Eve Apart which was written for her. An accomplished recitalist, Sara has performed numerous song cycles by such composers as Britten, de Falla, Mahler, Rorem, Ravel, and Ricky Ian Gordon among many others. She is a frequent soloist with the Chattanooga Bach Choir and Orchestra and is the Artistic Director of Chattanooga's own grassroots opera company, Artisti Affamati. A lover visual art and music, Tim Mercer received degrees in clarinet performance and graphic design from Southern Adventist University. Though he has made his career in graphic design, he is still an active musician in Chattanooga. Tim has performed concertos with the Southern Adventist University (SAU) Wind Symphony and the SAU Jazz Ensemble and he continues to contribute to the East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra and SAU Symphony Orchestra as principal clarinet. His instructors include Nikolasa Tejero and Patricia Silver. Jim Lees is the former pianist for the San Francisco Ballet with whom he made several tours, and he makes his home in St. Elmo where he is a founding member of the St. Elmo Piano Trio. An emerging voucher program that allows relatives to preemptively donate their kidneys to a potential loved one in need is slated to roll out in at least 10 U.S. hospitals. The program, developed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), aims to revolutionize the organ donation system and save lives. According to the National Kidney Foundation, over 20 million people are living with chronic kidney disease and more than 100,000 are awaiting a kidney transplant. An average of 13 people die each day waiting for a kidney donor match. This is groundbreaking and could completely change the field of transplantation, Dr. Jeffrey Veale, a transplant surgeon who helped start the program at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, said in a press release. The demand for a kidney transplant is tremendous, but with this program, I would argue that, for the first time in history, we can actually start reducing the number of people who are on the waiting list. Howard Broadman, a patient whose grandson was born with only one kidney that was not fully functioning, inspired the voucher program. I was 64 at the time, and my grandson was 4, Broadman said in the release. I knew my grandson would eventually need a transplant, but by that time I would be too old. So, I came up with the voucher idea. Veale said Broadmans case isnt usual. "Sometimes, patients may be heading toward transplantation in the next few years, but it would be more convenient for a friend or family member to donate a kidney now," Veale said in the release. "A friend or family member could donate a kidney now, before a major anticipated life event such as traveling, changing employment or getting married and their intended recipient who is nearing dialysis would receive a gift certificate to redeem for transplantation when needed." The American Society of Transplant Surgeons Ethics Committee, which oversees ethical concerns regarding organ transplants, has voted in favor of the voucher program. The societys ethics committee is now reviewing it. In addition to UCLA, nine other hospitals across the United States have agreed to honor the voucher program. Doctors hope the program will change the state of organ donation in the U.S. If one half of 1 percent of the adults in this country decided to become living donors, Veale said, we could wipe out the kidney donation waiting list 15 times over. At a Senate hearing on Wednesday, three senior U.S. government officials warned the Western hemisphere is under threat from the Zika virus, and that Florida, Puerto Rico and Brazil are the regions most at risk, McClatchyDC reported. The officials urged Congress to pass legislation stalled by partisan politics. In Florida, officials reported 13 new infections on Monday, bringing the states total known cases to 282, said state senator Marco Rubio, who convened the meeting of the Senate Foreign Affairs subcommittee focused on the Western Hemisphere. Of the sunshine states cases, 129 of them were identified in South Florida, a total more than any other state except New York, McClatchyDC reported. The growing threat of the Zika virus as a full-blown public health crisis in the United States is a clear call to action, Rubio said, according to McClatchy DC. Addressing the Senate Foreign Affairs subcommittee focused on the Western Hemisphere, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Tom Frieden noted funds already redirected from other important public health activities are not enough to support a comprehensive Zika response. Frieden criticized the partisan disagreements that have held up the emergency funding. This is no way to fight epidemics, he said, according to McClatchyDC. In February, President Barack Obama sent Congress a $1.9 billion emergency Zika-prevention package that has been blocked by Republicans, who hold a majority in the House and Senate. On Tuesday, his administration warned that failure by Congress to pass anti-Zika funds before exiting Washington for its extended summer recess would "significantly impede the administration's ability to prepare for and respond" to the Zika threat this summer and beyond. The CDC has recommended pregnant women not travel to Brazil for the 2016 Summer Olympics. American athletes and spectators can go if they observe safety precautions, Frieden added. The country has more than 100,000 cases of Zika, with at least 5,000 newborns affected by microcephaly. Forty countries and territories in the Western Hemisphere are currently experiencing active, mosquito-borne transmission of the Zika virus, Judith Garber, acting assistant secretary of state for scientific affairs told the Senate panel, McClatchyDC reported. It is only a matter of time before we experience local transmission in the continental United States and Hawaii as well, she said. Rubio criticized those whove blocked funding for Zika research, vaccine development and other forms of prevention. Its only growing by the day, Rubio said. And the links between our nations make this a hemispheric public health crisis. Garber reprimanded Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, for his failure to bring a clean Zika funding bill without the provisions opposed by Democrats to a vote, McClatchyDC reported. This is an emergency (of the sort) that is always dealt with in the history of this Senate as a bipartisan response to meet the situation of the emergency, Nelson said. And now this has been used ideologically as a political message in a partisan-driven bill. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Ive been thinking about Donald Trump or trying to. You might have noticed that unless Mr Trump is shouting at us from behind a forest of microphones, dressed in one of his ill-fitting suits, preening and grimacing and mugging Mussolini-like, wagging his under-sized finger, or sometimes making his finger into a pistol and pointing it at his own orange noggin, or cursing at some heckler out in one of his diminishing audiences that unless we have Mr Trumps iridescence squarely in front of us, its actually hard to keep him in mind. Which is odd, for such an out-sized individual who seems to want to win the US presidency on the argument that what you see is what you get the cliche he hopes will translate into a case for his authenticity. Indeed, Mr Trump who, I believe, is an actual human seems strangely insubstantial. Here, it should be said, Im leaving aside all his smoke n mirrors, hoo-doo positions and policies and blustery implausible intentions for what hed do if he were elected to what Andrew Jackson once called the first office in the world (it may not quite be that anymore). Im really just remarking on his personal affect. Watching Donald Trump, with all the gaudy hair and morticians tan and noisy, bludgeoning comportment reminds me of staring into a cheap kaleidoscope, wherein we can see one not-quite-bizarre, not-quite-interesting, not-quite-memorable, not-quite-distinct mandala after another. Thinking about Mr Trump, trying to fix on the there thats supposedly there, is like wanting to figure out what basic design a kaleidoscope really contains down there inside its hollow paper tube. There isnt one. It might seem unfair (it might be unfair, since Ive never met Mr Trump) to appraise him in this way. Of course, most of the indices we use to estimate and choose our presidents in the United States are hopelessly impressionistic and insecure. We wouldnt choose a person to mow the grass behind our house on such a pitiful amount of hard, supporting evidence. First of all, wed insist on references. After that, wed require to know that the applicant could fully identify a lawnmower, then show some aptitude for using it. Presidents we let off more easily. To get candidate Trump into better focus and measure his actuality, Ive tried to think of some regular everyday activities I might seek to share with him in essence match him against myself, since Im still fairly actual. For starters, Im sure that I could not have dinner alone with Mr Trump in my favourite restaurant in Paris. Hed ruin it. Im also sure I couldnt go fishing with him on a backwoods lake in Maine. Same reason. Im sure I couldnt explain to him and have him be interested in the anxiety-producing aspects of my saliva gland surgery (or my divorce if Id ever had one). Im sure I couldnt discuss with him a great novel Id just read. He wouldve read something better probably something he wrote. Im sure I couldnt go to most movies with him: hed talk non-stop. In all these activities things I could engage in with pretty much any stranger Mr Trump and I would have nothing to say to each other. Nothing mutual. And the result could be spiritually wounding for me. Im not sure why this seems important, but it does. To continue reading Richard Ford's personal essay in The Times Literary Supplement, click here. If you need another example of the growing backlash against the encroachment of the wind industry, consider this: residents of Penn Forest Township, Pennsylvania, are booing the Sierra Clubbers. On June 23, residents of Penn Forest Township, which sits near the heart of the Pocono Mountains, turned out for a zoning hearing on a 37-turbine wind project proposed to be built on land owned by the Bethlehem Authority, the financial arm of the City of Bethlehems water system. The next day, Nicole Radzievich, a reporter for the Morning Call , (based in Allentown) published an article on the hearing, held at a local fire station, which she reported was packed to capacity with mainly critics. Radzievich added that nearly 300 opponents of the proposed wind project hurled boos at Pennsylvania Sierra Clubs Donald Miles for supporting the wind project, and applauded verbal jabs against the wind energy company, Iberdrola Renewables. Of course, the backlash in Penn Forest Township and dozens of other towns, counties, and villages against the encroachment of wind energy doesnt fit the popular-media narrative. Wind energy, we are constantly told, is green or clean. That same narrative, which is endlessly pushed by the Green/Left claims that well have to install forests of wind turbines all across the countryside (and well have to put thousands of them offshore, too) if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change. Those may be the claims, but the opposition in Penn Forest Township provides a vivid example of how the land-grabbing subsidy-fueled energy sprawl of the wind industry is being met by a burgeoning backlash that can be seen from Maine to California and New York to Loch Ness. Over the past 18 months, according to published media stories, more than 100 governmental entities in about two dozen US states have moved to reject or restrict the development of wind-energy projects. (To see a spreadsheet with a listing of the entities, click here.) In 2015, more than 60 governmental entities in 22 states moved to reject or restrict wind-energy developments with a total capacity of some 3,100 megawatts. During the first six months of 2016, more than 40 governmental entities in 18 states have rejected or moved to restrict the installation of wind energy facilities having a total capacity of more than 2,400 megawatts. Among the recent rejections: last month the Lehighton Water Authority rejected Iberdrola's proposal to build three wind turbines on its property. Those turbines were to be part of the same 100-megawatt wind project Iberdrola wants to build on the Bethlehem Authoritys land. (As I reported a few weeks ago, Spain-based Iberdrola, which has a seat on the board of the American Wind Energy Association, has received some $2.2 billion in state and federal subsidies.) The backlash against the wind industry is not being covered by the New York Times or other national media outlets. But reporters like Radzievich who work for newspapers and TV stations in small towns are covering the rural backlash against Big Wind. And that coverage -- of zoning hearings, city council meetings, and court rulings shows how policies being pushed by 350.org, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Greenpeace, and other Big Green groups are in direct conflict with the interests of rural residents who dont want their neighborhoods filled with 500 foot-high wind turbines. Hank Orlandini, and his wife, Heather, live in Albrightsville, in a house that would be less than half a mile from Iberdrolas proposed wind project. He was at the June 23 zoning hearing. During a phone interview, I asked him about the statements made by the Sierra Club representative at the hearing. Orlandini chuckled and replied We booed him out of the place. He went on about the Sierra Club, saying, They claim to represent the environment, but to me they represent big wind, big government, and big business. Wealthy urbanites and climate-change activists may like the idea of wind turbines, but a growing number of rural residents like the Orlandinis dont. They dont want the noise, property-value depreciation, and visual blight that accompanies modern wind-energy projects. Here are few more examples of the backlash: Last July, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of an ordinance banning large wind turbines in the countys unincorporated areas. During a hearing on the measure, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich said Wind turbines create visual blight. In addition, he said the skyscraper-sized turbines would contradict the countys rural dark skies ordinance which aims to protect dark skies in areas like Antelope Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains. In January, two members of the Vermont State Senate (both Democrats) introduced a bill that would ban wind projects in that state. State Senator John Rodgers, the author of the bill, told me hes trying to save his states tourism industry. He said Destroying the natural environment in the name of climate change is moronic. In New York, where Gov. Andrew Cuomo is pushing a 50-percent renewable mandate, a 200-megawatt project called Lighthouse Wind, is being formally opposed by three New York counties -- Erie, Orleans, and Niagara -- as well as the towns of Yates and Somerset. In April, a wind project near Scotlands famous Loch Ness was rejected by local authorities because of its potential impact on tourism. After the ruling, Jim Treasurer of the Friends of the Great Glen, which had worked to halt all wind-energy development within a 22-mile radius of the loch, told a reporter for The Press and Journal, (a newspaper based in Aberdeen) that the Scottish Highlands had reached saturation point with wind energy projects. Its perverse to call these developments green when they could destroy the core attraction of the lifeline Highland visitor economy. The ramifications of the growing backlash against the wind business are obvious. Under the Clean Power Plan, the Obama administration expects domestic wind capacity to nearly triple by 2030. The most powerful Democrats in Washington, as well as Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee for the White House, are pushing a climate agenda that hinges on widespread deployment of wind energy. That same agenda is being pushed by the biggest and richest environmental groups in the US. Indeed, climate change was the rationale being pushed by the Sierra Clubs Mills at the Penn Forest zoning hearing on June 23. If all rural residents reject wind energy projects, Mills claimed, climate disruption is guaranteed for our grandchildren." Furthermore, the backlash is growing at the same time that nearly every wind-energy company is racing to get as many projects permitted and launched before the end of this year as possible. Theyre in a hurry because the wind industrys lucrative subsidy, the $23 per-megawatt-hour production tax credit, will be reduced by 20 percent next year and in ensuing years until it expires in 2019. Several wind-industry executives have recently admitted that any reduction in the subsidy gravy train could result in little or no new wind capacity being built after this year. A few weeks ago, Patrick Woodson, chairman of E.On North America, a subsidiary of German energy company E.On, told Recharge News that Its going to be enormously challenging to build projects, beyond this [six-month] window. (According to Good Jobs First, E.On has collected some $785 million in state and federal subsidies.) Another obvious point needs to be made: the backlash against the wind industry is occurring without any help from the Big Green groups, who, instead of protecting rural landscapes and viewsheds from the sprawl of wind energy, are, instead, solely focused on demonizing the oil and gas industry and the process of hydraulic fracturing. According to a report by the National Center for Policy Analysis, about 470 communities in 24 states have banned fracking or practices associated with the process. Nearly half of those communities are in one state, New York. But those bans have come about over the course of several years. Furthermore, they have been actively coordinated by national environmental groups with multi-million-dollar annual budgets who raise money by continually attacking hydrocarbons and nuclear energy. For instance, Food & Water Watch, which has an annual budget of about $13 million, actively promotes bans on hydraulic fracturing. With 17 offices in states across the country, it organizes for bans on the state level, working in partnership with local and statewide organizations. The Natural Resources Defense Council, which has an annual budget of about $84 million, does similar work. It has a Community Fracking Defense Campaign, that uses a policy and legal team to craft effective local laws on fracking, defending those laws in court when challenged, and working at all levels to preserve and protect community rights and local control. By contrast, the rural organizations fighting wind projects are invariably run by volunteers working on shoestring budgets. For instance, last December, the Partnership for the Preservation of the Downeast Lakes Watershed, a tiny group which had been fighting a $100 million 40-megawatt project known as Bowers Wind, won a major victory when the Maine Judicial Supreme Court upheld a ruling by the states Board of Environmental Protection, which had previously rejected the project. Gary Campbell, the president of PPDLW, told me that his group got no help from national environmental groups even though the wind project -- which was being pushed by the now-bankrupt alt-energy outfit, SunEdison -- was to be built adjacent to some of Maines most scenic lakes. Every time we approached Maine Audubon, they slammed the door in our face, Campbell told me. Campbells group fought the project for six years with no paid staff and no attorneys. Their total spending: about $15,000. Why did he fight so hard? The wind industry, Campbell said is destroying the tourism economy of Maine. What does the wind lobby have to say about the rural backlash? A few months ago, I put that question, and several others, to the American Wind Energy Association, which spends more than $20 million per year promoting wind energy. I emailed Tom Ward, the groups deputy director of strategic communications, as well as the associations CEO, Tom Kiernan. Both Ward and Kiernan refused to answer any questions. Perhaps thats not surprising. If the wind lobby acknowledges the widespread rural opposition to the landscape-destroying energy sprawl that fuels their business, it could put a major dent in the industrys social marketing efforts. While the wind lobby can attempt to ignore the opposition, it will have to contend with anti-wind groups like Save Our Allegheny Ridges, which is headed by a firebrand named Laura Jackson, who lives in Everett, Pennsylvania. In an email, Jackson told me that the site of Iberdrolas proposed wind project is a healthy forest with rare plants and animals in a beautiful area of the Poconosit is a spectacular area. Jackson also said that shortly after locals heard about the Iberdrola wind project, Jacksons group helped create a local chapter of SOAR in Penn Forest Township. Local residents then launched a private Facebook page which now has about 1,100 members. Orlandini, who works in the service department of a Ford dealership in Lansdale, is one of those members. Over the past few months, he has studied Iberdrola and the wind industry. Does he think wind energy is green? Orlandini quickly replied, Its not green energy. Its all about money so a company can build turbines and be subsidized by our government. The next zoning hearing on the Iberdrola wind project will be held on July 14 at Penn Forest Townships Volunteer Fire Company #1, in Jim Thorpe, at 7 pm. The upcoming GOP ational Convention is going to be the most consequential gathering of Republicans since 1976. As opposed to the Ford-Reagan nail biter, this convention has had its nominee for months. But as with 1976, theres a question thats yet to be answered. Will the nominee enjoy the enthusiastic support of the conservative Republican base? In the end, Gerald Ford didnt, and lost. This year the stakes are equally high. Donald Trump cannot defeat Hillary Clinton without the backing of a motivated conservative movement. He has some elements in place enthusiastically so. He has a minority in the #NeverTrump crowd (Hillary has her own deniers as well, it should be noted.) But then there is the sizable portion of the GOP that wants to support him, if only to stop Clinton, but too many in this camp are unenthusiastic. Too many could choose to stay home, as they did in 08 and 12. In parlance he understands, Trump must seal the deal. This convention gives him that opportunity. What is it conservatives want to see? 1. A conservative running mate. A moderate like General Flynn is unacceptable. A vice presidential pick along the lines of Gov. Mike Pence or Sen. Jodi Ernst will excite the base. 2. The platform untouched. While its true that Republicans have betrayed their conservative platform time and again, any changes would constitute a repudiation of core conservative beliefs. This would be unacceptable to conservatives embracing that plank. No longer having an ideological home, theyd leave. 3. The prime time speakers slots dominated by real conservatives on the order of Sen. Ted Cruz. If conservatives once again are forced to endure the cynical pronouncements from the likes of Sen. Mitch McConnell, millions of TV sets will click off. Ultimately its what Trump says that matters most, of course. What do conservatives want to hear? 4. Trump must exhibit a fundamental a commitment to reversing, not reducing the economic damage Obama has inflicted on this country. He has to fully embrace the challenge of reining in spending with a specific, serious and believable plan not just to balance the budget, but reduce an immoral debt. He should be frank about the state of peril facing our entitlement system, committing to reform without raising taxes. He must promise to lower, simplify, and flatten the tax code. He must pledge to put Obamas endless, and so often secretive regulations on ice. Small businessmen must know government oppression will end. 5. Trump cannot just promise to end ObamaCare. Conservatives have run out of patience with dishonest promises. Whether its repealed, defunded, dismantled or replaced, the undoing of this decimation of the American health care system has be a top priority, with a specific plan presented. 6. He should declare unequivocally that a powerful America, respected by friends and feared by enemies, will return. The American military will be rebuilt to face and destroy all threats to our nation. He must state in no uncertain terms that he will crush ISIS, target global Islamic extremism at home and abroad, defend Israel against Palestinian aggression and Iranian threats. He will scrap the Iran deal. He will put China, Russia, Iran and North Korea on notice that the United States will no longer tolerate their anti-American adventurism. 7. Trump will secure our borders. The wall will be built. Our existing immigration policies will be reviewed. Nations harboring terrorists will be denied entry. 8. Trump must be outspoken in supporting the rights and dignity of the unborn, including defunding Planned Parenthoods abortion factory. There must be a firm commitment to religious liberty, a historic freedom under constant and increasing assault by leftists. This could begin by reversing Obamas disgusting transgender bathroom directive. 9. The Republican nominee should demonstrate a commitment to nominating and confirming judges that have a clear commitment to the rule of law and a public fidelity to the Constitution. The GOP nominee must show an understanding and respect for the proper role of the executive branch and the separation of powers. There must be an unwavering commitment to defeating the radical lefts assaults on the 1st and 2nd Amendments. 10. Trump should scrap the federal education bureaucracy by ending No Child Left Behind and shelving Common Core while embracing charter schools. There should be no compromising on core conservative principles, and a sincere commitment to working with all three legs of the movement: Religious conservatives, national defense conservatives and free market libertarians. If Mr. Trump wants the enthusiastic support of his base, without which he cannot succeed, a renewed and invigorated commitment to conservatism must be the overall theme of the Republican National Convention. Where he must enter stage right. Expect the Obama administration to take more victory laps this week by claiming Iran has complied with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal that reaches its first anniversary on July 14. However, recent press reports paint a very different picture, one that confirms its critics worst fears: massive Iranian violations of the agreement. In an annual security report issued this month, German intelligence said Iran made a clandestine effort last year to acquire illicit nuclear technology and equipment from German companies at a quantitatively high level, and that it is safe to expect that Iran will continue its intensive procurement activities in Germany using clandestine methods to achieve its objectives. A German intelligence agency reported 141 clandestine Iranian attempts to acquire nuclear and missile technology in 2015 versus 83 in 2013. According to a July 7 memo from the Institute for Science and International Security, Iran recently tried, unsuccessfully, to covertly purchase tons of high-strength carbon fiber, which it uses to make rotors for uranium enrichment centrifuges. Under the JCPOA, Iran is required to seek approval for such purchases from a JCPOA procurement working group. The Institute said the JCPOA group probably would not have approved this sale, since Iran has enough carbon fiber to replace the rotors of centrifuges it is permitted to operate under the agreement. In a separate report, the Institute said many Iranian entities that had been sanctioned for illicit nuclear and missile procurement but were relieved of these sanctions by the JCPOA in January are now very active in procuring goods in China. Many other troubling reports indicate the JCPOA is much worse and much weaker than its critics believed. These include: Exempting Chinas redesign and rebuilding of the Arak heavy-water reactor from the JCPOA procurement process. Iran placing military facilities off-limits to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors. The Iranian parliament approving a much weaker version of the agreement. IAEA members voting to close the file on the Iranian nuclear weapons program, even though Iran failed to cooperate with an investigation that found its nuclear weapons work had continued at least until 2009. The IAEA dumbed-down its reports on Irans nuclear program to such an extent that it is difficult for anyone outside of the IAEA to know if Iran is complying with its JCPOA obligations. Iran has continued to test ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, even though President Obama said when the JCPOA was announced that Iran, under the agreement, would comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions barring missile tests for eight years. As serious as these issues are, the Obama administration is ignoring them, insisting the nuclear deal is a success because Iran has complied with it. The truth is that the JCPOA was negotiated entirely on Irans terms. As a result, Tehran made easily reversible concessions on its nuclear program that allow it to shorten the timeline to a nuclear bomb while the agreement is in force. Making this situation worse, Secretary of State John Kerry is trying to make more U.S. concessions to Iran such as granting Iran access to the U.S. financial system and the White House has become a lobbying shop to encourage American and international firms to do business with Iran. I predict in my new book, Obamabomb: the Fraudulent Nuclear Deal With Iran, that the Obama administration will become Irans lawyer by defending it against its alleged violations of the JCPOA, just as it did concerning Iranian cheating during the nuclear talks in 2014 and 2015. This was evident last week when State Department spokesman John Kirby struggled to dismiss recent reports that Iran was trying to acquire illicit nuclear technology. The JCPOA is national security fraud. The best way for the next president to deal with it is to tear it up on his or her first day in office. Given Donald Trumps denunciation of the nuclear deal as one of the worst international agreements in history, I am confident that, if he becomes president and sticks to his promise to renegotiate the JCPOA, he will either scuttle the deal or negotiate a stronger one that responsibly addresses the nuclear and other security threats posed by Iran. Obamabomb includes a list of nine principles to guide a Trump renegotiation of the Iran deal if he wins the presidential election. Every week we look at the numbers that will define the coming week in politics. This week much of the focus is on the tumultuous events that have come to define the summer of 2016 events that have begun to remind many Americans of the summer of 1968. Among the events to watch for this week are the: continuing fallout from the murders of five Dallas police officers, selection of Vice Presidential nominees, coming together of former rivals Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, and, overseas, the aftermath of Great Britains decision to leave the European Union. 2 The number of female prime ministers in British history In a few weeks the Democratic Party will become the first major political party to nominate a woman to be president of the United States. While the question of whether the U.S. will elect Hillary Clinton in November continues to loom large, across the pond, Great Britain is set to elect its second female prime minister. Following the Brexit vote and Prime Minister David Camerons announcement that he will be stepping down, the Conservative Party has witnessed a battle between two of the partys foremost female members Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom and Home Secretary Theresa May. Over the weekend, Leadsom dropped her bid, paving the way for May to be selected as the nations second female P.M., following Margaret Thatcher. Leadsoms move accelerated the timetable for Camerons replacement and helped insure that May will become Prime Minister by mid-week. 19 Months since President Obama established his task force on 21st century policing Several months after the deaths in 2014 of unarmed black men at the hands of police in Missouri and New York City, President Obama established a special task force on police reform. In March 2015, the 11-person task force headed by Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey issued a report that recommended numerous reforms. According to many critics, however, the recommendations fell short. They didnt, for instance, include requiring body cameras or linking federal funding to racial bias training. Now President Obama has returned early from a trip overseas and is scheduled to join his predecessor, George W. Bush, on Tuesday at an interfaith memorial in Dallas for five police officers who were shot to death last week during a protest of the killings of unarmed black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. 48 Years since the tumultuous 1968 election In the days since the massacre in Dallas and the release of videos showing the killings of black men last week at the hands of police in other parts of the country, many people have been asking if history is repeating itself. They are referring specifically to the late 1960s, when the nation was embroiled in the Vietnam War; protests were breaking out across the country; and Dr. Martin Luther King and Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. Given the unfathomable events of the last several months the massacre in Orlando, the civil unrest following the police killings of unarmed black men, the deaths of police officers, the pending nominations of two of the most unpopular presidential candidates in American history, and much more many Americans are asking themselves if this is deja vu all over again. As both the current and a former president descend on Dallas to mourn the dead, the question of a vacuum of leadership and its impact on the future of the nation continues to distress many Americans. 60 The percentage of the vote Bernie Sanders got in the New Hampshire primary In early February, Bernie Sanders lambasted Clinton in the all-important first primary of the 2016 presidential election, capturing not only more than 60 percent of the vote, but also 15 of the 24 delegates available. Now, five months later, Sanders and Clinton are slated to meet in the Granite State again on Tuesday, at Portsmouth High School, where Sanders is expected to finally concede defeat and endorse his one-time foe. His move comes despite Clintons tough week in the face of the email scandal and despite the fact that a majority of voters say they dont trust her. Sanders is likely to endorse her in part because she has moved in his direction on a variety of key issues, including, most recently, making college affordable. The question now is: Will Sanders 13 million supporters endorse Clinton as well, or will they seek another candidate or simply decide to sit this election out? 4:6 - Odds of Mike Pence becoming the GOP nominee for vice president With just one week to go until the Republican National Convention, speculation about whom Donald Trump will select to be his running mate has reached a fever pitch. A number of potential VP choices have been floated, and some, including Senators Bob Corker and Joni Ernst, have decided to clamp down the expectations by taking themselves out of consideration. This has left many people wondering if the choice really will come down to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie or Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who faced some tough questioning on the Sunday talk show circuit over the weekend. If you believe the oddsmakers, though, the most likely nominee is the governor of Indiana, Mike Pence. According to the major bookmaker, Ladbrokes, Pences odds are 4 to 6, Gingrich is 5 to 1, Flynn is 8 to 1 and Christie is 10 to 1. Today marks one year since Secretary of State John Kerry and Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). On this date, we ought to take the opportunity not to re-litigate that political commitment, but evaluate whether it has helped protect the United States, our people, and our interests. Unfortunately for our countrys future, the answer to that inquiry is a resounding no. As a result, Congress must act to change Iranian behavior, and, ultimately, the Iranian regime. The JCPOA can perhaps delay Irans nuclear weapons program for a few years. Conversely, it has virtually guaranteed that Iran will have the freedom to build an arsenal of nuclear weapons at the end of the commitment. Further, in the past year, the Islamic Republic of Iran has launched multiple ballistic missiles testing increasingly complex and longer range missiles. It has grown its support of terrorist groups, and it continues to take hostages. The deal has, in fact, made our country less safe. Every year since 1984, the U.S. State Department has designated Iran a state sponsor of terrorism, a finding the Department renewed again last month. Yet the Obama administration still holds out that its political commitment, drafted by a few bureaucrats committed to getting a deal at any cost, can change decades of Irans entrenched and militant commitment to death to America. As a result of the billions of dollars flowing into Iran after the JCPOA, the Iranian regime is able to increase its support to terrorist group groups like Hezbollah. That groups chief said recently that Hezbollahs budget, its income, its expenses, everything it eats and drinks, its weapons and rockets, are from the Islamic Republic of Iran. While Congress still awaits answers on whether the U.S. paid $1.7 billion in taxpayer dollars to free five Americans that Iran was holding hostage, the Iranian regime continues to capture and hold new hostages, including Americans. In March, Iran abducted a French woman. In April, Iran apprehended a British mother. A few weeks later, Iran arrested a Dutch broadcaster. In June, Iranian authorities detained a female Canadian professor. I fear what July will bring. One year on, the region is far less stable as well. Iran increasingly controls Baghdad, Damascus, Sanaa, and Beirut. Terror attacks have increased. While the deal itself is problematic, also devastating is the fact that America is no longer viewed as a reliable partner to our traditional regional allies. Unfortunately, instead of standing up to Iran, the Obama administration is giving in to the Iranians bizarre tantrums and illogical arguments. The Iranian regime is continuously threatening to walk away from the deal. They have thus co-opted the U.S. Secretary of State into acting as Irans Minister of Economic Development. Even Secretary Kerry admits he is going far above what is included in the deal: I have personally gone beyond the absolute requirements of the lifting of sanctions to personally engage with banks and businesses and others. The Iranian regime remains unchanged; we do not need to be dragged into lobbying for them. As a member of Congress, I am part of a large group of elected officials who remain clear-eyed about the threat emanating from Tehran. With legislation, we are pushing back on the Obama administration, most recently its intent to purchase nuclear material from Iran, specifically 32 tons of heavy water. I have introduced a bill to block the $8.6 million purchase and any future purchase. In the Obama administrations last months in office, it can stop acquiescing to the Iranians. It can do what is best for the U.S. and walk away from this deal. Either way, this November, Americans have the chance to choose elected officials at many levels of government, including voting for or against many representatives who supported the Iran nuclear deal. Fortunately, there is much bipartisan agreement on the danger Iran poses to American interests. Even former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said: if Im president, we will attack Iranwe would be able to totally obliterate them in retaliation against an Iranian nuclear strike on Israela goal, at least rhetorically, of the current Iranian regime. Let us hope we can reverse course before it gets to this. President Obama in a speech at Notre Dame in 2009 said, Lets honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion. And yet, as Democrats prepare for their convention in Philadelphia in a few weeks, party leaders are acting in direct contrast to this statement by including in their national platform a repeal of the Hyde Amendment, a decades-old bipartisan amendment to ban federal dollars from paying for abortions directly. Not only is the Hyde Amendment sound policy, polling also suggests it overwhelmingly represents the will of the American people. A recent Marist poll found 68 percent of Americans oppose taxpayer funding for abortion, including 51 percent of respondents who identified as pro-choice. Similar to the Hyde Amendment, the Weldon Amendment protects the individual consciences of all Americans by prohibiting federal, state, and local governments from discriminating against health care entities that decline to provide, perform, or refer a patient for an abortion. This provision has been attached to annual appropriations bills and signed into law since 1976. Recently, however, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Health and Human Services refused to enforce this law. OCR has allowed the State of California to require elective abortion coverage in all health insurance plans under their authority. This means churches and universities that object to abortion are being forced to cover abortion through the insurance plans they offer to employees. New York has followed suit, implementing a similar abortion mandate. The federal government has neglected its responsibility, denying these victims any relief from this injustice. America is built on the liberty to choose ones own beliefs. Why, then, is the pro-choice" agenda trampling on the right of men and women to choose not to perform or be complicit in an abortion? Choice means the absence of coercion. This is hypocrisy in the worst form. A persons views on abortion should be respected, not punished. Congress has a long history of providing bipartisan freedom and conscience protections. Its a cornerstone of our governing document the Constitution which is built upon individual rights and liberties. But, where Americans are being forced by the government to act against their deeply held beliefs, Congress must act to protect their rights. Currently, the only recourse against this discrimination is to file a complaint with OCR. In light of its extremely slow response to straightforward complaints or its outright refusal to execute the law, something had to be done. The House this week passed the Conscience Protection Act, a bill I proudly co-sponsored. This bill stops the federal government, and any state or local government that receives Federal funds from penalizing, retaliating against, or otherwise discriminating against a health care provider on the basis that the provider does not participate in abortion. Further, this bill provides a civil right to action for those discriminated against, including physicians, health professionals, hospitals, health systems, insurance issuers, insurance plans, and administrators of health plans, among others. They deserve a choice. They deserve their day in court. So, the president is right. We should honor the conscience of those who dont agree with abortion. Conscience protections are important for all of us. We enjoy the freedom to differ in opinion from one another. But, whatever view you may hold on this, or any other issue, I think we can all agree the government should not make our choices for us. With security looming as a critical priority in Cleveland in advance of next weeks Republican convention, city officials say theyre prepared including for those who come armed under Ohios open carry law. At the same time, Police Chief Calvin Williams noted the city had changed its security plans in light of last weeks murder of five police officers in Dallas but said he would not elaborate for obvious reasons. Steve Loomis, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmans Association, has complained bitterly for months that everything from riot gear to bikes was ordered late and training for the cops has been insufficient. With the moment now upon them, Loomis said the rank and file officers who will be at the center of the storm are edgy, but professional. Were going to do a great job whether we have the resources and the training that we need or not, Loomis said. He also offered this analogy: the convention is like a woman in labor and that baby is coming whether you are ready or not. There have been reports that cooperating municipalities rescinded their offers to contribute police officers because Cleveland did not assure them its insurance policies were adequate. On Wednesday, city leaders and Cleveland police disputed those accounts, saying as of June 24 they had reached the limit of officers who could come to help with crowd control. Williams said planning has been exhaustive and Cleveland is prepared. We invite people to come here enjoy the convention, exercise your constitutional rights and were here to assist you in doing that. One of those rights is to bear arms and Ohio is an open carry state. That means convention goers and demonstrators may pack heat everywhere but inside the secure zone, where they would be in close proximity to delegates, VIPs and the nominee himself. We will follow the law and the law of the state of Ohio is open carry, which means well follow the law. We had open carry things go on in the city before. This however is an entirely different circumstance, said Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson. The chairman of the New Black Panther Party designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center was quoted by Reuters as saying members will show up in Cleveland armed. "If it is an open state to carry, we will exercise our Second Amendment rights because there are other groups threatening to be there that are threatening to do harm to us," Reuters quoted Hashim Nzinga as saying. However, Nzinga later took to twitter and disputed the Reuters report. The 74 different agencies providing security will be overseen and coordinated by the US Secret Service. I dont sleep well to begin with, said Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy. He added that when there is an event the size of a convention, with all of its tension and dynamics, an emergency is unavoidable. Every event has some incident. The key is: do you have a good plan in place? Do you have good leadership that can adapt and be flexible to whatever is thrown your way? And I'm confident that here in Cleveland we have that," Clancy said. Dunkin Donuts, Americas all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, has officially announced its 2016 Thanks to You contest. The yearly event aims to recognize members of the community for their contributions to society. I am passionate about this event for so many reasons, said local franchisee, Dave Baumgartner. The Thanks to You contest gives us the opportunity to praise the unsung heroes of our community. There are so many individuals working to make this world a better place, and we are honored we are able to recognize them. Chattanooga residents and patrons in surrounding areas are encouraged to nominate an individual who has made an impact on the community. Judges will select five total winners. One grand prize winner will receive $3,000, and the additional four runners up will receive $500 each. Each entry will be judged based upon the following criteria: 25 percent adherence to theme 25 percent community engagement 50 percent commitment to making a difference Dunkin Donuts is accepting nominations through Aug. 31. For more information or to submit your nomination, visit www.thankstoyoutn.com or follow Dunkin Donuts on Twitter (www.twitter.com/DunkinTN). The FBI has confirmed to a senior Republican senator that agents were sworn to secrecy -- and subject to lie detector tests -- in the Hillary Clinton email probe, an extensive measure one former agent said could have a "chilling effect." A July 1 letter sent by a senior deputy to FBI Director James Comey to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, detailed the restrictions on agents. The letter, reviewed by Fox News, confirmed agents signed a "Case Briefing Acknowledgement" which says the disclosure of information is "strictly prohibited" without prior approval, and those who sign are subject to lie detector tests. "The purpose of this form is to maintain an official record of persons knowledgeable of a highly sensitive Federal Bureau of Investigation counterintelligence investigation," the agreement attached to the Grassley letter reads, "....I (FBI agent) also understand that, due to the nature and sensitivity of this investigation, compliance with these restrictions may be subject to verification by polygraph examination." The measures show the extent to which the bureau has gone to keep additional details of the politically sensitive case from going public. While Comey has provided some information on why the FBI did not opt to pursue charges, Attorney General Loretta Lynch repeatedly ducked questions on specifics of the case at a House hearing Tuesday. A recently retired FBI agent, who declined to speak on the record, citing the sensitivity of the matter, said a "Case Briefing Acknowledgement" is reserved for "the most sensitive of sensitive cases," and can have a "chilling effect" on agents, who understand "it comes from the very top and that there has to be a tight lid on the case." The former agent said the agreements can also contribute to "group think" because investigators cannot bounce ideas off other agents, only those within a small circle. Grassley first wrote to the FBI Director February 4 after a Fox News report that agents were asked to sign additional non-disclosure agreements. In his response to the senator, the FBI's Assistant Director, Office of Congressional Affairs, Stephen D. Kelly, said this was not a unique circumstance and agents "may from time to time be asked to sign similar forms. The July letter also says that the purpose of the agreement was two-fold: "to maintain an official record of all persons knowledgeable of this highly unusual investigation, and to remind individuals of their obligations to protect classified and sensitive information." The letter states "no one refused to sign" or raised any questions or concerns. Comey said last week more than 100 classified emails were sent or received by Hillary Clinton, including some at the Top Secret level, which would require agents to have the necessary clearance to review and investigate. Some of the intelligence came from the U.S. government's most closely held programs, known as Special Access Programs, or SAP and included human spying. The "Case Briefing Acknowledgement" is more evidence that the probe was always a serious criminal investigation, and never a "security review" or "security inquiry" as described by Clinton and her campaign team. Responding one day after the FBI director said he would not recommend criminal charges, Grassley pointed to Comey's conclusions that a limited number of emails had classified markings, thousands of work related emails were not turned over by Clinton to the State Department despite a sworn declaration to a federal court and her public assurances, as well as "potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information." "In light of all these inconsistencies, it is even more troubling that the FBI tried to gag its agents with a non-disclosure agreement on this matter, in violation of whistleblower protection statutes," Grassley said in the strongly worded letter. "...you indicated that agents working on this case were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement that failed to exempt protected whistleblowing. Only after I wrote to you did you advise your FBI agents that they are still free to speak with Congress regarding waste, fraud, and abuse." The "Case Briefing Acknowledgement Addendum" provided to Senator Grassley after the initial FBI response July 1 makes clear the agreement does not supersede or conflict with "communications to Congress" and "the reporting to an Inspector General of a violation, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or.any other whistleblower protection." Grassley also noted the timing of the FBI's response five months after his original request for information on the NDAs, with a partial response July 1, and full response on July 5 2016, the same day the FBI made a public recommendation at bureau headquarters against criminal charges. The New York Post first reported that the "Case Briefing Acknowledgement" was signed by the Clinton email agents, citing anonymous sources, but the Grassley letter is believed to be the first public acknowledgement by the FBI, and includes a sample copy of the non-disclosure agreement. Grassleys letter is wide ranging, and beyond the non-disclosure agreements, requests a response by July 20 to questions including whether, after Bill Clinton and Lynchs June 28 meeting on a Phoenix airport tarmac, there is no need for a special counsel. He also wanted to know about the FBIs reported agreement that some questions would be off limits for Clintons personal attorney Cheryl Mills, and whether the FBI or Justice Department raised concerns that several of Clintons associates used the same attorneys to represent them in the investigation. Donald Trump said late Wednesday he will announce his choice for vice president at 11 a.m. ET on Friday in New York City. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee posted the news on Twitter, adding, "Details to follow." Trump, his adult children and key staffers have been meeting with vice presidential prospects all week. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said his campaign still has three or four potential vice-presidential candidates but in my own mind, I probably am thinking about two. Trump discussed his finalists on Fox News Special Report with Bret Baier in a wide-ranging interview that included questions about his dustup with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Hillary Clinton and the GOPs nominating convention next week. Trump said Ginsberg recently calling him a faker and suggesting that a Trump presidency would be bad for America is an absolute disgrace to the high court and that she should apologize to the entire country. Theres almost something wrong with her, Trump said about the 83-year-old justice. I think I am questioning her mental capacity. Trump made the comments during an interview conducted in Indianapolis, which has become ground-zero for his vice presidential vetting and where has met with GOP Gov. Mike Pence three times in the past two days. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said a breakfast with Pence and the Trump family went really well. High quality person, Trump said about Pence, who now appears high on Trumps VP shortlist. Wonderful guy. We had a great meeting. Trump appeared Tuesday in Indiana at a campaign event and fundraiser with Pence, then talked again Wednesday with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, another potential pick. He dismissed assumptions that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is off the list, saying hes somebody I've liked a long time. He's a total professional. He's a good guy. A lot of people don't understand that. Trump said the greatest accomplishment for Clinton, the Democrats presumptive nominee, will be getting out of her email scandal -- referring to her using a private Internet server system while secretary of state to send and receive government information. How shes been able to get away from the lies, the deceit, the destruction of 33,000 emails. To me, thats her single greatest accomplishment, Trump said of his likely general election rival. The Clinton campaign declined to directly respond to Trumps comments, instead referring to earlier responses in which they called Republicans comments about the emails another partisan witch hunt. Trump also argued that hes not looking for a vice president to play the traditional role of attacking a general election rival. I just want to pick somebody thats solid, whos smart. Im not looking for an attack dog. Frankly, Im looking for somebody that really understands what were talking about, Trump said. I would rather be talking about policy not talking about Crooked Hillary. He also expressed optimism about how Republicans are putting together the draft party platform for the convention that includes his plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. A few people have said its like a Donald Trump speech, Trump said. But nobody has ever agreed with an entire platform. Trump also downplayed concerns about the partys Rules Committee perhaps drafting convention procedures for delegates that might help the so-called Never Trump effort, saying hes never been worried about such efforts. He said that he plans to give a law-and-order speech at the convention, similar to those hes recently given. Senate Republicans have taken big leads in key battleground states, according to a new poll suggesting the presence of Donald Trump at the top of the ticket may not be as damaging for congressional candidates as some party leaders feared and complicating Democrats hopes of taking back control of the chamber. Democrats are determined to pick up Senate seats this fall, and would need to gain five to win back the majority. The Quinnipiac University Poll released Thursday, though, showed the top GOP candidates in solid position in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. While all three states have been eyed as potential Democratic pick-ups, Florida has seen the most drama lately, as former GOP presidential candidate and Sen. Marco Rubio recently reversed his vow not to seek re-election. With him in the race, he is now leading potential opponents Rep. Patrick Murphy and Rep. Alan Grayson, 50-37 percent and 50-38 percent, respectively. In Ohio, meanwhile, Republican Sen. Rob Portman is leading former Gov. Ted Strickland, 47-40 percent And in Pennsylvania, GOP Sen. Pat Toomey leads Democrat Katie McGinty, 49-39 percent. "Many talking heads have suggested that with Donald Trump at the top of the GOP ticket, Republican Senate candidates might suffer," Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said in a statement. "But at least in these three key states, the Republican Senate candidates are running ahead of Trump and don't seem to be hurt by their shared party label." Strong leads for Republicans in these states also could be a good sign for Trump in the White House race. Quinnipiac said the poll focused on those states since no presidential candidate has won the White House without taking at least two of those states since 1960. The poll showed a particularly strong lead for Rubio, who is right at 50 percent despite only jumping back into the race last month. Rubio had said repeatedly throughout his run for the Republican presidential nomination that he would not run for his Senate seat, but reversed course under pressure from senior party leaders. I changed my mind, Rubio said in announcing his decision. He was mocked for his about-face, but it seems not to have had a significant impact on his poll numbers among Florida voters. Rubio is comfortably ahead as well with independent voters, 51-32 percent. Republican strategists say there is reason for the party to be optimistic about holding the Senate. I think the odds of Republicans holding on to the Senate are pretty good," Eric Fehrnstrom a former adviser to 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, told FoxNews.com. "A lot of the down ballot candidates are well-defined personalities. They are popular in their home states. They are running on their own records." Republican strategist Ron Bonjean told FoxNews.com the Senate majority will depend, in part, on Trumps performance. "If Donald Trump can edge out Clinton in these states as well as others across the map, we will have a better chance at keeping the Senate. However ... should Trump lose the election [it] could have a devastating impact on the ability for Republicans to hold the Senate majority," he said. Fehrnstrom added that candidates will have to walk a fine line with Trump, even as they keep their distance. I think it's important they not appear disloyal, especially as the presidential race tightens. If they're perceived as bashing Trump in a way that helps Clinton, that will hurt them with base voters, he said. Democrats shrugged off the Senate polls, saying it was too far out to take too much from a poll. A spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), pointed to a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll that showed McGinty up by 3 points in Pennsylvania and Strickland tied with Toomey in Ohio. Its not surprising that polls are all over the place four months from election day, Samuel Lau, director of rapid response communications, told FoxNews.com We are confident that come November, voters across the country will elect candidates who will fight for working families instead of the current Republican majority that isnt doing anything unless its for the special interests. The polls come as Democrats have opened up a new front in the swing state of Indiana. Former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh announced this week he will run for the seat to replace Republican Sen. Dan Coats -- a development that could dramatically improve the party's chances to win back the vacant seat, and Senate control along with it. Republicans hold 54 seats in the Senate while Democrats hold 46, with 34 seats up for grabs in November. Though Democrats need five seats to technically claim the majority, they could have de facto control of the Senate with just four if Hillary Clinton wins the White House since the vice president breaks a tie. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Warning: Donald Trump hasnt made a final decision about his running mate. So what follows is a mixture of reporting and analysis. My sources say it has come down to a choice between two very different political personalities, Chris Christie and Mike Pence. While Newt Gingrich is still in the mix, he appears a less likely pick at this point. The process has been unusually public, with Trump and his children and son-in-lawwho have become increasingly influential advisershuddling with the finalists, including Pence and Gingrich in Indiana yesterday. But the family is divided. If Trump were to lead with his heart, he would pick Christie, whose brash and pugilistic persona matches his own. Im told the New Jersey governor made a strong pitch in their meeting Tuesday, saying they have been friends for 12 years, that he has demonstrated his loyalty, and that he would help eviscerate Hillary Clinton. Christie would seem to fit the profile that Trump offered the Wall Street Journal in saying he wants an attack doga fighter skilled in hand-to-hand combatto go after Clinton. Pence, by contrast, is a low-key political personality, not terribly well suited for the attack-dog role. He and Trump have only met a handful of times. Trump doesnt connect with the Indiana governor in the backslapping way he does with Christie or Gingrich. The conventional wisdom is that Trump doesnt need an attack dog because he has such a sharp bite himself. But some insiders say that having a brawling running matesay, Christiewould free the nominee to act more presidential and read more scripted policy speeches. If Pence is on the ticket, Trump will have to provide most of the rhetorical firepower. Christie has some baggage, of course. Trump has told advisers that he doesnt even help carry his home state, given his unpopularity in New Jersey. And the media will revive the ugliness of the Bridgegate scandal. But Im told the campaigns vetters concluded that after all the investigations, nothing personally damaging to Christie is expected to emerge. But Christie faces a major obstacle in the person of Jared Kushner, Ivankas husband. Its no secret that as a federal prosecutor, Christie sent Kushners father to prison. So that is factoring into the process. Pence checks many boxes, as a traditional conservative, Midwestern governor and former congressman. Hes not that popular at home either, and would be giving up a tough reelection battle. He signed a religious freedom law last year that critics said could allow Indiana businesses to refuse to serve gays, and backed off to the point of signing a revised measure. Would his low-profile approach conflict with Trumps brand? Pence, for his part, has nothing to lose, and even being on a losing ticket would boost his chances of running for the White House in 2020. And then theres Newt. Fox News has suspended his contributor agreement as Trump settles on his VP choice. Hes a national celebrity, with the kind of outsized personality that Trump prefers, though he has a well-known tendency to wander off script. A Gingrich selection would give the 70-year-old nominee a 73-year-old running mate who has also been married three times. The media would revive all kinds of scandals and controversies from his days as House speaker, including the fact that he resigned under pressure after leading the impeachment drive against Bill Clinton. Gingrich is a force of nature who won South Carolina in his 2012 White House bid, but the betting is the odds are against him. And just as I type these words comes word that Trump is meeting with Jeff Sessions, the senator who many had written off as a VP choice. In the end, it may not matter all that much who Trump picks. People are going to vote for him or against him in this election. Whats important is how he is seen handling his first presidential-level decision. FBI Director James Comey predicted an exodus of Islamic State fighters spreading worldwide as they prepare for the potential fall of the so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria, warning lawmakers Thursday that ISIS will become increasingly desperate to launch attacks elsewhere. During a hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee, Comey and other top security officials also acknowledged concerns over ISIS operatives using fraudulent documents to gain entry into western countries. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson noted there is "general concern" over the issue. Comey repeatedly stressed the U.S. and its allies must stay vigilant, as ISIS moves its focus away from the Iraq and Syria battlefield, and operatives spread out. We all know, there will be a terrorist diaspora out of the caliphate as military force crushes the caliphate, Comey said. Those thousands of fighters are going to go someplace. Our job is to spot them and stop them before they come to the United States to harm innocent people. Comey essentially echoed a warning delivered last month by CIA Director John Brennan , who warned that U.S.-led efforts to strike at the terror group have not hampered its terrorism capability and global reach. Brennan had said ISIS likely will intensify terror attacks around the world even as its core fighters come under pressure in Iraq and Syria. On that point, Comey told lawmakers on Thursday, As the caliphate is crushed, the so-called Islamic State will become more desperate to demonstrate its continued vitality, and that will likely [take] the form of more asymmetric attacks, more efforts at terrorism. He said we can't take our eye off of what the next move will be by these killers. Battlefield gains against ISIS are fueling the warnings that global attacks will rise amid a wave of recent attacks. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the terror groups leaders in Syria are bracing for its strongholds to fall, but vow to continue its wave of terror attacks abroad. U.S. counterterrorism experts believe the recent large-scale attacks in Istanbul and Baghdad are a sign that its reign in the Middle East is dwindling. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who cited a prior diaspora prediction by Comey in his opening remarks, called the attacks and plots connected to ISIS since 2014 an unprecedented wave of terror. Im concerned that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg, McCaul said, adding that the exodus has now begun of jihadists returning home. Comey also noted a decline in the number of travelers leaving the U.S. to join ISIS. As he has in past remarks, Comey said he hopes the decline is a function of individuals seeing the "mirage" that is the so-called Islamic State. Comey did note, however, that the decline could very well be a result of individuals wanting to stay at home to commit violence. Fox News Matthew Dean contributed to this report. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Thursday she regrets the critical comments she made about presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, after facing a bipartisan backlash. On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them. Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect, she said in a statement. Ginsburg had given an interview to The New York Times saying she didnt even want to contemplate the country and court under a President Trump. She later called him a faker in a separate interview with CNN. "He has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment. He really has an ego. ... How has he gotten away with not turning over his tax returns? The press seems to be very gentle with him on that," she said. Trump hit back, accusing Ginsburg of politicizing the Supreme Court and questioned her mental fitness. "She's a disgrace to the Supreme Court. For her to politicize the Supreme Court, this is all the more reason I hope I win, because I have 11 justices who are incredible justices, highly respected by all, including liberal people, he told Bret Baier in an interview on Fox News' "Special Report." For her to come out and say [these] kind of things, there's almost something wrong with her," Trump added. Trump also took to Twitter to respond to Ginsburg. "Justice Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me. Her mind is shot - resign!," he tweeted Wednesday. His last pitch was a pointed reminder to conservatives of the importance of the election. "If I win the Presidency, we will swamp Justice Ginsburg with real judges and real legal opinions!," he vowed. Trump was hardly alone in taking Ginsburg to task. We all know that the justices on the Supreme Court have political views. Im not sure were well served by them airing them out in the open, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told Politico. She may have got out over her skis a little bit and more forthright and political than she should have been. Its very unusual, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told the outlet. Even mainstream media outlets chimed in on Trump's side. However valid her comments may have been, though, and however in keeping with her known political bent, they were still much, much better left unsaid by a member of the Supreme Court, The Washington Posts editorial board said Tuesday. Politicization, real or perceived, undermines public faith in the impartiality of the courts. The board noted the Code of Conduct for U.S. judges says that a judge should not . . . publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for public office. The New York Times also chimed in: Washington is more than partisan enough without the spectacle of a Supreme Court justice flinging herself into the mosh pit." The Associated Press contributed to this report. The U.S. Senate's lone black Republican said he has personally experienced discrimination by law enforcement, claiming Wednesday in a candid speech on race relations that he was pulled over seven times in one year. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina delivered the impassioned speech on the Senate floor, speaking of a "deep divide" between communities and the police officers responsible for protecting them. The remarks, which have since gone viral, came in the wake of the police killings of two black men in Minnesota and Louisiana and the fatal shootings of five Dallas officers by a sniper who said he wanted to kill white people. "I have felt the anger, the frustration, the sadness and the humiliation that comes with feeling like you're being targeted for nothing more than just being yourself," Scott said. "Was I speeding sometimes? Sure," said Scott. "But the vast majority of the time, I was pulled over for nothing more than driving a new car in the wrong neighborhood or some other reason just as trivial." "I do not know many African-American men who do not have a very similar story to tell -- no matter their profession, no matter their income, no matter their disposition in life," he continued. Scott also spoke about being asked by an officer to show his ID inside an office building on Capitol Hill even though he was wearing a Senate pin. U.S. Capitol Police officials did not return a request for comment. Scott urged his colleagues at the end of his speech to "recognize that just because you do not feel the pain, the anguish of another, does not mean it does not exist." "To ignore their struggles, our struggles, does not make them disappear, it simply leaves you blind and the American family very vulnerable." Scott's personal speech followed remarks he gave on Monday in which he praised the work of the majority of law enforcement around the country. "For the overwhelming majority of cops, it is a calling not simply a job but a calling," Scott said. "Law enforcement officers simply want to do two things: protect and serve. We cannot allow the actions of a few to overwhelm the good of the majority," he said. To illustrate his point, Scott spoke of the heroism of a young, black police officer named Jillian Smith, who was shot and killed after protecting an 11-year-old girl from her mother's boyfriend. "Officer Smith rushed to cover the 11-year-old and was fatally shot. The boyfriend also killed the mother before killing himself. But the 11-year-old survived," Scott said of the December 2010 shooting in Arlington, Texas. "Without a second thought, Jillian Smith, who first decided to become a cop in the sixth grade while participating in her school's DARE program, gave her own life to save another," he said. A Scott spokeswoman told FoxNews.com that the senator is scheduled to deliver a third speech later Thursday in which he will propose ways to "move forward." FoxNews.com's Cristina Corbin contributed to this report. A cluster of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea is giving up some of its deep secrets, as archaeologists have now found 45 shipwrecks there in less than a year's time. Back in September 2015, a team of Greek and American divers located an astonishing 22 shipwrecks over the course of a 13-day survey around Fourni, which is composed of 13 small islands, some too tiny to show up on maps. The team went back to the eastern Aegean islands in June to expand the search. By the time the three-and-a-half-week survey was finished, the researchers bested their first effort: They documented another 23 shipwrecks, bringing the total to 45. "Fourni is a constant surprise," said Peter Campbell, co-director of the project from the U.S.-based RPM Nautical Foundation. Fortuitous Fourni The archipelago might be a hotspot for finding shipwrecks today because it was such a popular destination for boats in the past, Campbell told Live Science. "Fourni is actually a really safe place," Campbell said. "It's just the volume of traffic in every time period that causes the volume of wrecks." Though Fourni didn't have any major cities in antiquity, it was known as a good anchorage and navigational point for Aegean crossing routes that went both east to west and north to south. Ships would have anchored in spots that were protected from the usual northwest winds. But once in a while, these vessels could be caught off guard by a big southern storm. If the position of the anchor wasn't changed fast enough, these ships would be in trouble, Campbell noted. Those are the unlucky ships that Campbell and his colleagues have been finding along the coastlines of Fourni. "The ships would just plow into the cliffs and then scatter down," Campbell said. "We find piles of amphoras [ancient Greek vases]. It looks like the scene of a giant car crash, with these ceramics cascading down." More awaits discovery The dates of the shipwrecks range from the late Greek Archaic period (525-480 B.C.) to the Early Modern period (A.D. 1750-1850). In addition to the amphoras, which served as the delivery containers of the ancient world, the divers discovered lamps, cooking pots and anchors. In some cases, a wreck's cargo had a clear origin, such as a set of amphoras from the Greek island of Kos dating back to the Hellenistic period (331-323 B.C.). Campbell and his collaborators from the Greek Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities took representative samples of artifacts from each wreck, but for the most part, they left the underwater objects in place after documenting each site. Fourni may have one of the world's largest concentrations of ancient shipwrecks. Many of the Mediterranean's larger islands contain only three or four wrecks, the researchers said, and in all of Greece's territorial waters, only about 180 ancient shipwrecks had been well documented (not including the discoveries at Fourni). There could be more to explore at Fourni, too: The project leaders said they have covered less than half of the archipelago's total coastline in their surveys so far. The deepest dives of the survey went to 213 feet (65 meters), but Campbell said he thinks there's more to discover below that level, "given how many ships are found in shallow areas and given how steep the cliffs are." In the next phase of the project, the team hopes to go even deeper with technology such as remotely operated underwater vehicles. In a dramatic photo, an Instagram user in Australia captured a close encounter between a boy and a very large bird when a wedge-tailed eagle grabbed the youths head with its talons. The incident which reportedly left the boy with "superficial" injuries happened during a wildlife show at Alice Springs Desert Park in the countrys Northern Territory last week. Christine OConnell, who snapped the photograph, wrote in its caption that the boy in question had been making noises with the zipper on his green sweatshirt. For some reason the Wedge Tailed Eagle did not like it and instead of flying over to the log he is meant to for a photo opportunity he flew straight at the young boy and attacked him, she wrote, adding: Those talons are huge he was a very lucky young boy. In a statement to NT News, an outlet that covers the Northern Territory, Alice Springs Desert Park said: A thorough investigation regarding the circumstances behind this incident is under way and the eagle will be removed from the show while this investigation is ongoing. In April, in Western Australia, a similar kind of incident occurred when a wedge-tailed eagle picked up a baby kangaroo which a local police officer had been caring for after it was orphaned and flew off with it. The police officer, who ran after it in pursuit, was able to save the joey. Wedge-tailed eagles can have a wingspan of over 7 feet long, according to NT News, and are the biggest bird of prey in the country. Public officials at Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia are concerned that tech-savvy tourists are risking their lives at the UNESCO World Heritage Site in search of the perfect selfie. Earlier this month, The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service tweeted at followers to stop making stupid and dangerous selfies following a recent incident involving a Canadian tourist who nearly to fell to his death while trying to take a selfie at a popular vantage point. According The Telegraph, the hiker miraculously survived the 246 foot tumble after a tree branch helped break his fall. Dear tourists, we respect you. It's time for you to start respecting yourself. So, stop making stupid and dangerous selfies. Thank you #HGSS Hrvatska GSS (@HrvatskaGSS) July 6, 2016 Katarina Poljak, one of the parks guardians, told Croatian media that, Visitors are no longer satisfied with sticking to the trails but are roaming beyond them to get away from the crowds and get nice photos. Earlier this year, a 54-year-old Slovakian tourist died after she reportedly ignored posted safety warning and jumped over a fence to get a selfie on the edge of a cliff. Maria Braun, an 82-year-old from Germany, also died when she fell from the same spot along the Plitvice Lakes vantage point, last year. The park has seen a surge in visitors in recent years, welcoming about 1.2 million guests in 2015up to 15,000 people a day. The Director of Plitvice Lakes Andjelko Novosel told Croatian media that UNESCO had raised concerns about nature site, one of the countrys eight World Heritage Sites, losing its status due to overcrowding and unchecked construction of vacation apartments. Plitvice is faced with two key problems: excessive visits and excessive construction, as UNESCO warned on its official web page, he confirmed. In addition to warning guests about selfies, authorities are planning to impose a ban on flip-flops and sandals in an attempt to prevent more accidents. Established in 1949, Plitvice Lakes is Croatias oldest national park. It draws huge crowds due to its vibrantly colored lakes, waterfalls and craggy, karst rock formations. Other UNESCO Heritage Sites have faced similar problems with tourists endangering themselves while taking photos. Earlier this month, a German tourist fell to his death while posing for a photo in Machu Picchu, the Inca citadel in southern Peru. The Alzheimers Association invites local caregivers to attend the Coffee with Kodsi and participate in an informational conversation on July 22 at The Bridge at Ooltewah. "A neurologist with Chattanooga Neurology Associates, Dr. Kodsi is the areas leading expert in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimers and dementia. His conversational style makes caregivers feel comfortable and confident when asking their questions about the disease," officials said. Caregivers face new challenges every day and the questions and concerns can be overwhelming, said Amy French, senior manager of programs for the Alzheimers Association Mid South Chapter. Community events such as this can help answer those questions while providing support for area caregivers. According to the Alzheimers Association 2016 Alzheimers Disease Facts and Figures there are 426,000 caregivers in Tennessee. "As the number of diagnoses rise, so will the number of those caring for loved ones. The Alzheimers Association provides programs and services that can help caregivers provide the best care possible, plan ahead and have someone they can turn to during their caregiving journey," officials said. Ms. French adds that caregivers are encouraged to attend this event with their most pressing questions in hand and that the conversation can benefit everyone in attendance. Coffee with Kodsi is free, but seating is limited. To register call 423-760-8540. If you are unable to attend but would like a personal care consultation, call the Alzheimers Association at 800-272-3900. The Bridge at Ooltewah is located at 5901 Snow Hill Road. A Connecticut TV meteorologist was arrested Wednesday and accused of possessing child pornography. Justin Goldstein, 33, was arrested at the studios of WTNH in New Haven. The station announced that Goldstein had been suspended for the duration of the investigation. Connecticut State Police told Fox 61 that their investigation of Goldstein began last month after videos depicting child pornography had been downloaded to an internet account registered to him. Investigators served a search warrant on Goldstein's home in Hamden Wednesday and seized computers and other electronic equipment. The Hartford Courant reported that Goldstein's biography and other references to him were scrubbed from WTNH's website. The paper reported that Goldstein, a Staten Island native, had worked at the station since 2013. Goldstein was released on $200,000 bail. He is charged with first-degree possession of child pornography and promoting a minor in obscene performance. Click for more from Fox 61. Click for more from the Hartford Courant. This is shaping up to be a great year for franchises. According to the International Franchise Association (IFA), the number of franchise businesses is expected to grow 1.7 percent in 2016. Franchises are also expected to add 278,000 direct jobs to the economy, an increase of 3.1 percent. Its no wonder that 43 percent of attendees to the recently-concluded International Franchise Expo (IFE) in New York City planned to invest $100,000 or more into a franchise. With franchising being presented as a safer path to big money and an ideal industry for entrepreneurs, now seems like the perfect time to get involved. Yet according to a 2015 randomized survey of U.S. franchisees by Franchise Grade, only 34 percent say they are satisfied with their business. More than 50 percent say they do not make a fair profit or a decent living from their franchise business and 83 percent would not recommend buying into their franchise to friends and family. An additional 43 percent of franchisees pledge their primary home as an asset to invest. Since over 65 percent of these investors are over the age of 50, this is an issue that should be of key concern. But for whatever reason, these numbers have not gotten the attention they deserve. People are continuing to buy into franchises without a clear understanding of the risks. Related: 10 Franchises Reveal What They Look for in a Franchisee As a former franchisee myself, I think its imperative that prospective franchisees get the full facts about franchising and not just the rosy picture painted by the industry. The International Franchise Association (IFA) agrees that franchisee satisfaction is important to the health of the industry. In fact, IFAs website published an article by Eric Stites, head of Franchise Business Review, explaining why a happy franchisee leads to a successful business. Related: For This Franchisee, Every Day Is Christmas As of this writing, however, Franchise Business Review is the only organization to my knowledge that releases annual franchisee satisfaction data to help rate their top franchises. However, their ratings include fewer than 20 percent of all U.S. franchisors. An annual survey not funded by franchisors would be even better. How can franchisees make informed decisions without easy access to unbiased information? This is a problem for which there is no easy solution, but there are steps that can be taken. The first is for franchisees to ratchet up their due diligence. The Franchise Grade survey suggests that franchisees are doing their homework -- 87 percent said yes when asked if they spoke to one or more former franchisees. But franchisees need to do more. For instance, rather than just talking to a few former franchisees, I recommend talking to at least 15 to gather a full range of viewpoints. Related: The Key to Working Well With Your Franchisees I recently launched a new website to help people trying to decide between opening their own business and buying into a franchise better understand the risks involved. Visitors to TheFranchiseFacts.com can test their knowledge about franchising and assess their suitability through quizzes, infographics and other resources. The website is meant to be educational, is free to use, and is not funded by franchisors. Ultimately, the franchise industry needs greater transparency. All franchisees should be entitled to: Unbiased, annual data on overall franchisee satisfaction and profitability rates of any franchise system A list of franchisors that explicitly refuse to publish or participate in systemized data collection by independent firms An executive summary of no more than 1,000 words that explains a franchisors Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) in simple English. Current surveys strongly suggest that far too many franchisees are buying into franchises without a clear idea of what they are getting into. If franchisors can get behind greater transparency -- and franchisees can double their due diligence -- we can have an industry that works better for both franchisees and franchisors. A man accused of setting fire to a boxer's north Philadelphia home in 2003 after a fight outside a club, killing him and four relatives, has been ordered to stand trial on murder, arson, conspiracy and related charges. The Philadelphia Inquirer (http://bit.ly/29FqSkY ) reports that a municipal court judge in Philadelphia upheld charges Wednesday against 32-year-old Abdu Rivera in the November 2003 blaze in the Olney neighborhood. Authorities said boxer John David Santiago had gotten into a fight with Rivera and a couple of his friends outside an Olney club earlier in the evening, but because Santiago was a skilled boxer, he beat two or three of them up. Investigators allege that Rivera and his friends tracked down Santiago's address and used accelerants to set fire to the Olney home later that night, he said. Santiago, 23, was killed along with his 41-year-old mother, Francisca DeJesus; his 17-year-old brother, Alex; his 17-year-old girlfriend, Clarissa Davila; and their 3-month-old daughter, Jacquelyn Enid Santiago. Three other family members escaped. John Santiago was a four-time Pennsylvania Golden Gloves state champion, first as a 119-pounder and then in the 125-pound weight class. He scored a second-round knockout in his only professional fight in January 2003. Capt. James Clark of the police homicide division said in April that the case was "over a bar fight and pride." He said two detectives reopened the case in 2014 and persuaded witnesses to come forward. One witness testified Wednesday that Rivera said after the fight that "he's going back to take care of it. It isn't going to stay like that," and after the victims' funerals talked about setting the fire and said "they got what they deserved." Defense attorney Gary Server challenged her credibility and that of another woman who gave a similar account of events, citing criminal records mostly for drug dealing. ___ Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.inquirer.com Many people dream of quitting the 9-to-5 grind to start their own business. Success as an entrepreneur can mean a life of financial independence and freedom. But with all the added responsibilities of having to juggle kids and family, paying household bills, and not to mention the massive start-up costs involved, many are left dreaming from the sidelines. Im not going to pretend that starting a business is easy or cheap, but there are cost-effective measures to jumpstarting a small business without breaking the bank. Here are three small business ideas you can start right now. 1. In-home tutoring business. If youre passionate about education and love to be around kids, why not start a tutoring service in your community. There are plenty of parents looking for knowledgeable and affordable tutors to teach their children after school. Related: 12 Low-Cost Business Ideas for Introverts In fact, one of the first businesses I started was a math tutoring company in New York City. In addition to inspiring young kids to learn math and science, I was able to help struggling college grads pay off their student debts with good paying tutoring jobs. If youre looking to make a real positive impact in your community, then this is definitely a great business to start. When beginning a tutoring business, you should try to recruit tutors at your local university campuses. To gain new customers, you can leave fliers outlining your tutoring services at nearby libraries, preschools, doctor offices, public schools and any other family-oriented places you can find. Make sure to also attend local school events and network with community leaders to build your reputation. 2. Ecommerce retail store. Retail sales for ecommerce have been growing steadily year-by-year, while traditional retail has faltered. In a recent article by the Wall Street Journal, online retailers were found to be the overall drivers for retail sales for more than a year, while traditional department store sales declined. So what does this mean for entrepreneurs? It means the playing field is leveling out, and there is a growing opportunity for small online niche brands to break into the competitive retail scene. As a manager at a digital marketing agency, Ive seen a considerable amount of capital poring into new ecommerce startups. Its now easier than ever to import products from overseas and sell them online. Ever heard of Alibaba or Aliexpress? If you havent, they are the largest wholesale marketplaces on the internet. You can order custom goods securely on your computer and have them shipped free from China straight to your doorstep. Wish, one of the latest retail startups, is using a similar business model, but in the mobile commerce arena. With the vast number of unique items available, you can virtually start any online retail business selling smartphone accessories, handbags, fashion jewelry shoes, clothing apparel -- the list goes on. Related: The 6 Best Ecommerce Platforms for Small Businesses 3. Maid cleaning service. This was actually a business I was interested in starting, but I eventually backed out after too many cleaning startups began raising overvalued evaluations. I hate to sound like Donald Trump here, but the market for cleaning services is huge. Yes, the margins in this sector are razor thin, and the field is filled with plenty of competition to go around. However, the demand for cleaning services is still high and cash flows are relatively consistent. Think about it for a minute. Both households and businesses are in constant need of weekly cleaning services, and that can translate into generous customer-retention rates. Although most of the current venture startups in this market are racing to become the next Uber of Cleaning, there are still opportunities for local cleaning businesses to carve out a small slice in this overwhelming market. Believe it or not, small businesses do have surprising advantages over well-financed startups. Call it a story of David and Goliath. To jumpstart a local cleaning business, its important to recruit only experienced cleaning staff. Most freelance cleaning maids are hard-working immigrants who would be more than happy to join a company for a modest and consistent paycheck. Although competition for cleaning services is stiff, there are still ways to advertise on a low budget. To gain customer traction, target middle-class to wealthy residential neighborhoods in your local area and leave your discount fliers on every doorstep. Related: 10 Businesses You Can Start From Your Dorm Room A second source of strategic revenue is to provide small businesses with cleaning services. Doctor offices, salons, preschools and tutoring centers are all examples of local businesses that can benefit from such a service. If you manage to sign a commercial building, then youve hit the jackpot. The most effective method to gain new business clients is by cold calling. Simply call a neighborhood business -- preferably right before closing time -- and ask if they might be interested in outsourcing their cleaning services to your company. As you continually gain new customers, you will slowly receive referrals and, before you know it, your small business will be booming. Civil rights groups and activists sued Baton Rouge law enforcement agencies over their treatment of protesters rallying against the police shooting death of a black man, saying officers used excessive force and physically and verbally abused peaceful demonstrators. The lawsuit, announced Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, came hours after Cameron Sterling, the 15-year-old son of the slain man spoke publicly for the first time, calling for peaceful protests following the death of his father, 37-year-old Alton Sterling. Sterling was shot to death July 5 as two white officers pinned him to the pavement outside a convenience store. The killing was captured on cellphone video and circulated widely on the internet, sparking widespread demonstrations across the capital city. Authorities arrested about 200 protesters over a three-day period, often taking to the streets in riot gear or riding in military-style vehicles. The arrests came amid heightened tensions in the city following Sterling's death, a deadly police shooting in Minnesota and the killings of five police officers in Dallas. The governor and the Baton Rouge police chief have defended the response, with the chief saying Tuesday that authorities discovered an alleged plot against police over the weekend. Authorities said they found out about the plot after they arrested three suspects in the burglary of eight guns from a pawn shop. The chief said one of the suspects said the burglary was carried out "to harm police officers," but he didn't give any details about when or where a possible plot would be carried out. "We have been questioned repeatedly over the last several days about our show of force and why we have the tactics that we have. Well, this is the reason, because we had credible threats against the lives of law enforcement in this city," Police Chief Carl Dabadie said. The lawsuit, which names Baton Rouge police as well as other agencies, blames law enforcement for escalating the situation. Members of the five organizations that filed the suit either took part in the demonstrations or observed them. "Plaintiffs have engaged in this peaceful speech, association, and protest on the streets, sidewalks, and medians of Baton Rouge," the lawsuit read. "Unfortunately, this exercise of constitutional rights has been met with a military-grade assault on protestors' bodies and rights." Among the allegations: Law enforcement officers gave contradictory and confusing orders to protesters and then arrested them when they didn't comply. Demonstrators were arrested for obstruction for stepping foot on any paved surface adjacent to the road, even if they didn't obstruct anything. Authorities used "unconstitutional levels of force, including physically tackling nonviolent demonstrators and use mace, taser charges, and/or pepper spray on nonviolent protesters." People in jail said they were Maced or pepper-sprayed for making comments or singing protest songs. A spokesman for the police said they do not comment on pending litigation and the state police said they were still reviewing the suit. The sheriff's department did not respond to a request for comment. Authorities have said that they have worked with demonstrators in many cases to allow them to protest peacefully, even blocking streets to traffic. But they have defended actions taken to keep demonstrators off a main artery in front of the police department and off the interstate. They also say they have recovered some weapons from protesters, and the governor said one police officer had his teeth knocked out because of a rock. Alton Sterling's son spoke of the protests while addressing reporters Wednesday morning. Calling his father a good man, he urged protesters not to resort to violence. "I feel that people in general, no matter what their race is, should come together as one united family," Cameron Sterling told reporters outside the store where his father died. The teen remained composed as he spoke, a contrast from a week ago when he broke down in sobs and had to be led away as his mother talked in front of television cameras about his father's death. In the first few days after Sterling's death, police took a reserved approach to enforcement, keeping a low profile as hundreds gathered outside the convenience store where Sterling died. But protests escalated during the weekend as demonstrations moved away from the store and into other parts of the city, marked by a show of force by law enforcement that included police wielding batons, carrying long guns and wearing shields. The Justice Department opened a federal investigation into Sterling's death, but Justin Bamberg, an attorney for Cameron and his mother, Quinyetta McMillon, said the family also hopes state Attorney General Jeff Landry's office "one day" will get involved. Landry said in a statement Monday he won't have access to details of the federal investigation until it's completed and a decision has been made on potential federal charges. Three monkeys at a Louisiana zoo were found dead Tuesday after dogs broke into the facility and attacked them as they reached out of their enclosures. Baton Rouge Zoo director of marketing and developing Kaki Heiligenthal told The Advocate on Wednesday that zoo officials are still trying to determine the events that led up to the primates death. The monkeys that died were spot-nosed guenons. Those particular primates are native of Africa and have distinct colorful markings. The oldest monkey was a 29-year-old female. She died with a 22-year-old male and an 18-year-old male. Heilingenthal told the paper that the domestic dogs werent able to actually enter the guenons exhibits. Zoo officials believe the dogs were able to get close enough to the exhibit to grab the animals as they reached out of enclosure, causing the fatal injuries. When the zoo keepers arrived in the morning, they found two of the monkeys already dead and they had to euthanize one more. The dogs are still loose and officials are still trying to capture them. Heiligenthal assured The Advocate that the fence was checked two weeks ago and is monitored on a routine basis. The deaths of the monkeys come at a rocky time for the zoo that has already seen the deaths of a few animals this year. The Baton Rouge Zoo lost two giraffes, a tiger, a lion and a few other animals in the spring. The zoo is also in the middle of a multi-million dollar rebuilding campaign to the public that could eventually relocate the zoo. The zoo previously suffered a similar dog attack in 2010. In 2010 a pack of dogs got into the zoo and killed 17 flamingos. Click for more from The Advocate. Every year, the federal government spends millions monitoring New England commercial fishermen to ensure they ply their timeless maritime trade in accordance with the law. Now, a judge is set to rule on who should foot the bill for the on-board monitors: the government or the fishing boat owners. The East Coast fishermen say sticking them with the bill would be the "death knell" for their industry and is illegal on the part of the federal government. Fishermen of important New England food species such as cod and haddock will have to start paying the cost of at-sea monitors soon under new rules. Monitors -- third-party workers hired to observe fishermens compliance with federal regulations -- collect data to help determine future fishing quotas and can cost about $18,000 a year, or $710 per voyage. The Cause of Action Institute, a legal watchdog representing a group of East Coast fishermen, sued the federal government in December in U.S. District Court in Concord, N.H., seeking to block the transfer of payments from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to the fishermen. It is unlawful for NOAA to force struggling fishermen to pay for their own at-sea monitors," said former federal judge Alfred Lechner, the institute's president and CEO. "The significant costs of these regulations should be the responsibility of the government." The lawsuit was filed against the Department of Commerce on behalf of David Goethel, owner and operator of F/V Ellen Diane, a 44-foot trawler based in Hampton, N.H., and Northeast Fishery Sector 13, a nonprofit representing fishermen from Massachusetts to North Carolina. It called the transfer of payments the "death knell for much of what remains of a once-thriving ground fish industry that has been decimated by burdensome federal overreach." Fishing is my passion and it's how Ive made a living, but right now, Im extremely fearful that I wont be able to do what I love and provide for my family if Im forced to pay out of pocket for at-sea monitors, Goethel said when the suit was filed last December. Im doing this not only to protect myself, but to stand up for others out there like me whose livelihoods are in serious jeopardy," he said. NOAA decided last November that the industry would have to take over funding of monitors in 2016, saying the government's money had run out. However, NOAA later revised its position about how much money it had, resulting in more assistance to the fishermen. Agency officials announced last month that NOAA will reimburse New England fishermen for an estimated 85 percent of the remaining cost of at-sea monitors in 2016. NOAA still plans to force fishermen to pay for monitors in 2017. U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante is expected to make a ruling any day in the case. In a statement to FoxNews.com, NOAA stressed the importance of the monitoring system to curb overfishing and assess the abundance of certain species. Under the law, fishermen are required to bring in everything they catch, even if they subject them to fines and other penalties that cut into profits. Without monitoring, they do not always comply. "The at-sea monitoring (ASM) program provides reliable estimates of catch (kept and discarded) by each groundfish sector in order to ensure their annual catch limits are not exceeded during the fishing year," the agency said. "This helps prevent overages that could stop a sector from fishing during the current year or result in a reduced quota in a subsequent year. The quotas are set to prevent overfishing and improve stock numbers where necessary," the statement continued. The Boston Globe reported in April that fishermen and on-board federal regulators are set to launch an experimental new program that would replace government observers with cameras, computers, and sensors to monitor their catch. But the potential alternative, critics say, would be even more of a burden, costing vessels as much as $50,000, according to estimates. Since the mid-2000s, the open-office layout has dominated design trends in American workplaces, thanks in large part to the unconventional offices of Silicon Valley tech giants Google and Facebook. Related: 9 Rules of Open-Office Etiquette As office walls came down nationwide, business leaders discovered that the move not only opened up more space for equipment and staff, but also fostered conversation, collaboration and team-building among employees. Today, about 70 percent of U.S. offices utilize open workspaces. However, recent studies have claimed that the open-office model causes employees more harm than good. Researchers argue that this type of work environment creates more disruptions and distractions, increases the spread of illness, generates more stress, decreases creativity and productivity and results in lower employee morale. The way I see it, office design, like everything in life, is not one-size-fits-all. The problems with the open office lie not in the concept, but in the limitations business leaders have placed upon it. Thats why, even in the face of these negative reports, I stand by this modern workspace design -- as long as business leaders provide the proper balance to make it work. Zen and the art of workplace design Over the years, my company has experimented with various office designs, some more successful than others. But overall Ive found that my team works best in an open-office setting. Removing the physical barriers that once separated our employees has opened up new levels of communication, idea-sharing and problem-solving. And, yes, this layout has generated a greater sense of camaraderie among staffers working together toward a shared goal. However, I recognize that some people simply need quiet or isolation to be their most productive selves. They just cant focus with so much movement and conversation around them, which is why I believe the balanced workspace trend is the office design of the future. This design model calls for more variety in the workspaces within an open office, including secluded or low-disruption areas for those who need fewer distractions in their workdays. One example of a well-balanced workplace is the New York City loft office of online investment company Betterment. Its multilevel office is largely open floor space, furnished with couches, work benches, tables and even lounge chairs. But the space also boasts closed-off sections, such as conference rooms for distraction-free meetings, and The Library, where noise must be kept to a minimum. This balanced layout has helped the company become an efficient startup in terms of productivity and morale. Related: 8 Tips for Staying Healthy in an Open Office Promoting productivity through balance Whether starting from scratch or modifying a work in progress,business leaders should evaluate the diverse needs of their employees, designing a space that offers a variety of areas from which to work. Here are a few design ideas to get you started: 1. Create quiet zones. While open offices are great for teamwork, they can generate a lot of noise. For employees who find noise bothersome, provide a quieter space away from the hustle and bustle of the shared workspace. Set up a few couches in a corner of the main area with signage that discourages phone calls or talking. Or construct a few small, closed-off rooms at the edge of the office for important meetings or individualized work. 2. Allow headphones in the office. Personally, I love listening to music at work; it helps me focus and knock out any project on my plate. But to others, music is just another concentration-breaker. So, rather than play music over speakers at workstations or throughout the office, allow staff members to bring headphones to work. That way, they can either listen to music or enjoy the silence. 3. Let the natural light flow. Studies have shown that employees exposed to natural light during the workday are less stressed and less sleep-deprived than those who work in windowless offices. Thats another great benefit of choosing the open office layout. When it comes to finding the best location or design for your open office, look for a place with a clear view of the outside world. Opting for big windows and lots of natural light will decrease employee stress and build a more productive, creative team. 4. Think beyond the office chair. Sitting from 9 to 5 every workday is truly terrible for you. In fact, it can bring on a whole host of health problems and even take years off your life. So, when designing an open office space that encourages employees to mingle and collaborate, get creative with seating. Look into standing desks, yoga balls, lounge chairs and treadmill desks. Or, find other ways to encourage employees to interact and stay active, like game tables (foosball, ping-pong, pool, etc.), yoga time or meditation breaks. 5. Open your doors to new horizons. Traveling has a big impact on creativity, and sending your employees on business trips has big psychological benefits. Adam Galinsky, a Columbia School of Business professor, is the author of several studies backing the connection between travel and neuroplasticity. Look for opportunities to send your employees out into the world, and break down the walls around your office building. Related: 10 Questions to Ask When Designing Your Office While the open office design may have some flaws, its not a lost cause. By recognizing the needs of a diverse workforce and incorporating some distraction-free zones into your office, you can achieve a balance that promotes collaboration, boosts productivity and keeps employees happy. Kenneth and Colleen Shults want to permanently welcome a foster child into their Fairmount, Ill., family, but claim in a federal suit filed this week they are being forced to surrender their Second Amendment rights to do it. Already parents of three, the couple is in the process of formally adopting a daughter through the state foster care system and is fighting Department of Children and Family Services rules they say severely restrict their gun rights. The couple charges that the firearm restrictions aimed at safeguarding foster children violate their constitutional rights and threaten their ability to keep their family safe. Our family has always owned and used firearms, said Kenneth Shults, 37, who is a firearms safety instructor and a machine shop manager. No foster parent should have to forfeit their constitutional rights in order to be a foster parent. Prospective Illinois foster parents must either certify that there are no firearms in their home or complete a form called the Foster Family Firearms Arrangement. That document requires a list of all guns and ammunition in the home and locations where they are stored. Would-be foster parents also must certify the guns have trigger locks and are stored unloaded, separate from ammunition and in locked containers accessible only with a key kept off the premises or on the owners person. The rules can be enforced by involuntary home inspections, according to the lawsuit. The states rules defeat the purpose of keeping a firearm for protection, said Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Washington-based Second Amendment Foundation, which has joined the suit as a plaintiff along with the Illinois State Rifle Association. "When seconds count, having your gun unloaded, locked up and ammunition stored somewhere else makes you a likely victim of a violent crime," Gottlieb said. The Shultses claim to have a legitimate need for the protection afforded by an accessible, loaded gun. Colleen, a nurse at the Illinois Department of Corrections Danville Correctional Center, was warned in March by her employer that prisoners were seeking home addresses of prison staff, including correctional officers and nurses. The letter warned that she and other prison employees should take unspecified precautions. The Shultses have complied with the state policy so far, but now believe they need guns at the ready for self-defense and defense of family. This lawsuit is important not just for foster families in Illinois, but all across the nation, said Gottlieb. What we are challenging is the denial of the fundamental right to defend yourself and your family. The suit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, accuses the director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services of deprivation of civil rights under color of law. The complaint maintains the constitutional Second Amendment rights of foster parents were violated because Illinois Department of Children and Family Services policy effectively prohibits current and prospective foster parents from possessing firearms for the purpose of self-defense. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services told FoxNews.com that the agency had no comment because it had not yet received and reviewed the lawsuit. The suit is one of a series filed by the Second Amendment Foundation challenging gun laws in the state of Illinois over the last several years. One of the most publicized was McDonald v. City of Chicago, in which Otis McDonald, a maintenance worker and grandfather living in Chicago, claimed he was unable to protect himself and his family in a dangerous neighborhood because of an ordinance banning the possession of handguns. The landmark case went to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2010, when, in a 5-4 decision, the justices held that the right of an individual to "keep and bear arms" in every state is protected by the Second Amendment. In another Illinois lawsuit, the foundation forced the State Legislature to adopt a conceal-carry statute. One would think the state would have wised up by now, Gottlieb said. But here we are again, to make sure that the state cannot discriminate against foster parents who merely wish to exercise the rights weve restored in Illinois. A motorist arrested early Thursday after erratically pacing in freeway lanes waving what appeared to be a handgun is not a shooting suspect wanted in seven Arizona homicides, Phoenix police and the California Highway Patrol said. The weapon Hector Vasquez, 43, brandished during an hours-long standoff in California's Riverside County following a high-speed pursuit turned out to be a pellet gun, CHP Officer Dan Olivas said. A vehicle pursuit began shortly after midnight about 30 miles away in the Orange County city of Costa Mesa. Police there received a call from a woman who said a man she met Wednesday night had a gun and looked like the Arizona shooting suspect sketch she had seen on TV, according to Sgt. Mike Manson. The woman provided a description of the man and his vehicle, a Subaru sedan, he said. Shortly after the arrest, Phoenix Police Sgt. Jonathan Howard said his department believed the California suspect was not connected to the Arizona shootings. The CHP later confirmed that there was no connection. "It is not the same guy that they're looking for in Arizona," Olivas said. Vasquez, of Beverly Hills, could face charges including brandishing a weapon, evading police and driving under the influence of drugs, Olivas said. It wasn't immediately known if he has an attorney. A number for Vasquez could not be found. He was taken into custody around 4 a.m. after stopping his car on State Route 91 and then pacing in lanes while waving the dark-colored gun, Olivas said. All lanes of the freeway were shut down for about two hours while the CHP negotiated with the suspect, a thin man with dark hair. He eventually put the gun down and surrendered without incident, Olivas said. The Phoenix task force assigned to the serial shooting case "has not found any reason to connect this man to our suspect," Howard said. Officials in Arizona said Tuesday that a seventh homicide and three other shootings were related to the same serial shooter or shooters believed responsible for six killings in recent months. Investigators said the description is of a thin or lanky young man, possibly in his early 20s. A police sketch showed a male with dark hair. Rhys Turner, daughter of Raymond and Shawn Turner of Lafayette, Ga., is the first college student from North Georgia to receive a scholarship to attend the Annual Christians United for Israel Summit in Washington, D.C., July 18-19. Ms. Rhys is a junior at Dalton State. She attended Northwest Technical College where she was a cheerleader for two years. Each year Christians United for Israels On Campus Program offers hundreds of scholarships for pro-Israel students to attend the CUFI National Summit in Washington, D.C., covering a students hotel, registration and transportation costs. These scholarships enable politically minded, pro-Israel student leaders to interact with top policy makers and diplomats, as well as receive intensive advocacy training from Washington insiders. In 2015, 5,000 people attended the Summitt. Applications for the scholarships are available on line, and ministry leaders and pastors have the opportunity to nominate outstanding students for priority consideration. After attending the summit, many students describe it as an experience that transformed their views on Israel and the historical ties that Christians have with the Jewish People. Students also gain admittance to CUFIs National Summit where they hear updates on the Middle East including threats to Israel and America. U.S Congressmen and Senators share their views on the need for supporting Israel. Students also attend CUFIs Night to Honor Israel. This year the Keynote Speakers will include Pastor John Hagee of San Antonio, Tx. and Pastor David Jeremiah from California. A suspected car bomb killed one person, injured another and sent auto parts flying across a rural Nevada town, authorities and neighbors said Thursday. A spokesman for the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office told Fox 5 the bomber was likely killed by one of two explosions outside a home in Panaca, about 110 miles northeast of Las Vegas near the Utah state line. Lincoln County Sheriff Kerry Lee said another person was treated for an injury that was not believed to be life-threatening. The FBI and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined the investigation, he said. Investigators said other people inside the home escaped before the first explosion. A motive for why the home may have been targeted was not immediately clear. "My neighbor says there's a 3-foot crater where the car was parked," resident Richard Katschke said. "The car is in pieces around town." Katschke said he and his wife, Karen, were just beginning Mormon prayers when the blasts shook their home. He said one couple reported a chunk of wreckage crashing through their roof more than two blocks away. "The sound was just horrendous. It was really quite a force," said Jeanett McCrosky, who lives about a block away. She said her house shook and a light fixture fell from the ceiling. Dave Free, who lives a block away, said he had broken windows, car parts in his driveway and shrapnel next to his horse feeder. The animals and his grandchildren, who feed the horses, escaped injury. "It could have a real bad deal," he said. Katschke said he attends Mormon church with the Cluffs, the family of five who lived in the house that was damaged. Joshua Cluff is a former hospital official and Tiffany Cluff is a nurse at Grover C. Dils Medical Center in a neighboring town, Caliente. They have three daughters ranging in age from about 8 to 12, Katschke said. Efforts by The Associated Press to reach Joshua and Tiffany Cluff on Thursday were not immediately successful. "We're a close community. This kind of thing, it'll pull this community together," Katschke said. Panaca began as a Mormon settlement in 1864, before Nevada became a state, and is now home to about 900 people and Lincoln County High School. It bills itself as a tourism gateway to several state parks. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click for more from Fox 5 Vegas.com. Parents shaking their heads over the current climate of in America need to ask themselves a critical question: How respectful are my kids to police? "I have teens routinely yell at me out car windows and treat me disrespectfully during traffic stops," one police officer on the north shore of Massachusetts told LifeZette. "These are kids who have had all the advantages in life." "Why should we write a card for cops? All they do is kill us," fifth graders said to their teacher. Other kids then joined in -- an example of the bandwagon mentality. He added that it's discouraging to be "disrespected by a kid decked out in Abercrombie & Fitch with the latest iPhone plastered to his ear. We are just working hard to keep them safe. But you can tell that many of them view us as the enemy." In today's culture, nowhere is the need for respect across all relationships more important than with America's kids. Immersed in their own lives (and their mobile devices), they often see a police officer as trouble -- or at least aggravation and annoyance. Exceptions, of course, to that attitude do exist among those who give law officers a fair chance and see them as fellow human beings. "I had a strong friendship with a police officer all though my growing-up years," one Murfreesboro, Tennessee, millennial told LifeZette. "No matter what, he was always kind to me, and shared details with me about his profession. I always looked up to him. I am glad I had his steady influence in my life." Paul Grattan Jr., a police sergeant and 15-year veteran of the NYPD, believes good things begin at home. Parents play an enormous role in developing respect in youth for law enforcement officials, and Grattan is concerned about the level of distrust and disrespect many young people have for police. "Over the last 16 years, it's grown steadily, and it's worse now than it ever has been," he told LifeZette. "That said, I do still find that the majority of people hold us in reasonably high regard. Negativity spreads so quickly, though -- this feeling of police being the enemy." The Volunteer State millennial agrees. "In this age of social media, people tend to focus on the small percentage of negative stories. That takes away from our ability to see all the good police do out there." "Disrespect spreads like wildfire," said Grattan. "When any bandwagon rolls up, many young people jump on. There's a big family problem in the U.S. -- strong homes and families make a huge difference in relationships with law enforcement. When you don't have the proper support and guidance in your environment, you are more likely to hold officials in contempt." Grattan said that in America's larger urban areas, single-parent families and the complex issues that often come with lower incomes create a lack of personal accountability that is central to all good relationships. "At the core of this problem is the ability to take responsibility for your own actions. I can't stress how huge that is," he emphasized. "It has to be taught by example in the home, and there's just no way around that. Now everyone blames others -- institutions, the government, the police -- and they don't look to themselves for fault." RJ Beam, a Wisconsin police officer and author of the popular website RescueHumor.com, said our smallest actions have big consequences with children. "Almost every other time I go for lunch at Subway, I will hear a variation of the same thing," he told LifeZette. "Some child, usually under the age of 8, will be whining in the parking lot. The parent will see me walking by, point at me and then say to their kid, 'You better start behaving right now or that policeman will come arrest you and take you away from Mommy and Daddy forever.' That makes me the boogie man -- something for this kid to fear." "We often live right in the communities we serve, so it benefits everyone to have healthy relationships," said one police sergeant. Good instruction from parents about the role of law enforcement has to be repetitive, said Grattan. "It has to be in all you do -- there are tons of teachable moments that parents are not capitalizing on. When an event occurs, break it down with the kids. React based on some level of fact, not just what others are saying. There's no more powerful educational tool than your own example. If parents go out of their way to demonstrate how approachable police are, that will go an incredibly long way." The level of distrust and even hate from young kids toward police is eye-opening. "A fifth grade teacher reported to my boss that some of her students refused to sign a card for two cops' families, after those cops had been killed. 'Why should we write a card for cops? All they do is kill us,' these fifth graders said. Then other kids joined in. It was that bandwagon mentality, again." Those in charge looked immediately toward positive change. "My boss saw it as an opportunity -- what can we do to improve that?" said Grattan. "Is it possible we're not touching these kids' lives as early as we could be? Now, precinct commanders are interacting with teachers and students. With greater interaction, kids can come to understand that they can be comfortable with police." "There are always ideas to be explored," Grattan continued. "We must lead by example, and we must maintain professionalism. We often live right in the communities we serve, so it benefits everyone to have healthy relationships. A lot of parents don't operate that way, however -- they're not teaching children to be respectful." He added significantly: "This will only lead to more of what we're seeing today." A Louisiana truck driver charged in a fiery interstate crash in Georgia that killed five nursing students last year pleaded guilty Thursday to nine counts, including five counts of first-degree vehicular homicide. A judge sentenced 56-year-old John Wayne Johnson to five years in prison, plus five on probation. He would have faced up to 93 years if convicted at trial. The sentence was part of a plea deal with prosecutors. Johnson, of Shreveport, Louisiana, told the judge he was cruising at 70 mph the morning of the crash, with traffic passing him, when he noticed tail lights ahead of him stopping. "I am getting closer and closer and I am running through my head, 'Why am I not stopping?'" Superior Court Judge Robert Russell asked Johnson why he didn't stop. "Sir, that's something I've been wrestling with since that morning." Judge: "You can't explain it?" Johnson: "No, sir." Johnson pleaded guilty before the judge in Bryan County, about 30 miles west of Savannah. A jury indicted him last month on the charges, including five counts of first-degree vehicular homicide. Johnson was driving a tractor-trailer toward Savannah in the early morning of April 22, 2015, when his big truck smashed into stop-and-go traffic backed up by an unrelated wreck. The impact crushed two vehicles directly in front of Johnson's truck, killing five student nurses. The women were commuting from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro to their shifts at Savannah hospital. Johnson's employer, Total Transportation of Mississippi, ultimately agreed to pay $78 million to settle civil suits by the victims' families. Company executives revealed in legal depositions that they hired Johnson even after he disclosed a previous employer had fired him for crashing his truck after falling asleep at the wheel. In his own deposition in the civil cases, Johnson acknowledged under oath that the deadly Interstate 16 crash was his fault, but insisted he was awake. In the criminal case, prosecutors made the unusual move of bringing charges against Total Transportation as a corporation. District Attorney Tom Durden agreed to drop his case against the company last week in exchange for Total Transportation spending an additional $200,000 to establish an education fund for student nurses. The young women who died in the crash were Amber DeLoach of Savannah, Emily Clark of Powder Springs, Caitlyn Baggett of Millen, McKay Pittman of Alpharetta and Morgan Bass of Leesburg. A series of explosions that sparked a fire and damaged a number of cars outside a Belgium cafe Thursday morning was deliberately started but is not believed to be terrorism, authorities said. According to Sky News Australia, about eight cars were damaged after two explosions occurred in Saint Gilles which is located south of Brussels. Firefighters had quenched the fire by 1:30 a.m. local time and there were no casualties reported. News.com.au reported that authorities had cordoned off the area and are investigating the incident. Videos and photos posted on social media showed the aftermath of the explosions. Saint Gilles - 2 or 3 explosions and firemen still trying to stop the fire pic.twitter.com/y8MZaZChwe Antonella Zarra (@anti_zeta) July 13, 2016 Click for more from Sky News Australia. Islamic State confirmed through its media outlet Wednesday that one of its top military commanders was killed fighting near the Iraqi city of Mosul. The confirmation of Abu Umar al-Shishanis death comes months after U.S. and Iraqi officials, as well as Syrian activists, said in March that he had died of wounds sustained in a U.S. airstrike in Syria. The terror groups Aamaq news agency reported that al-Shishani was martyred in the town of al-Shirqat, near Mosul, while helping to halt the military campaign against the ISIS-held city. Islamic State supporters published eulogies to al-Shishani on social media and messaging networks, according to the Associated Press. Aamaq had denied that al-Shishani was killed in March, without providing evidence that he was alive. Al-Shishani, originally known as Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili, was the ISIS equivalent of the Secretary of Defense. A senior U.S. defense official told Fox News back in March that he was killed near the Syrian town of Al Shadaddi, which was recaptured by the U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces. An airstrike initially had injured him, but U.S. officials later said he died of his wounds. A senior Iraqi intelligence official and the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed Batirashvili's death to the Associated Press. Batirashvili, was one of hundreds of Chechens who have been among the toughest jihadi fighters in Syria. An ethnic Chechen from the Caucasus nation of Georgia, specifically from the Pankisi Valley, a center of Georgia's Chechen community and once a stronghold for militants, he was known for his red beard. He joined ISIS in 2013, where he oversaw a prison facility near Raqqah, Syria where the terror group may have held foreign hostages. In mid-2014, he coordinated closely with ISIS's financial section to establish a base of operation near Minbij, Syria. He was later appointed northern commander to ISIS by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi with authority over the terror groups military operations forces in northern Syria, according to a U.S. defense official. The U.S. Treasury Department designated Batirashvili as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224 for action for or on behalf of ISIS, and offered a $5 million reward for information to bring him to justice. Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, Lucas Tomlinson, and the Associated Press contributed to this report. A gunman's bullet has shattered the jaw of a newspaper editor in Lesotho, and the publisher faces defamation charges because of a column that satirized the military commander in the landlocked southern Africa country. Lloyd Mutungamiri, editor of the Lesotho Times, was in critical condition after the shooting late Saturday outside his home in Lesotho's capital, Maseru, and doctors in neighboring South Africa have conducted facial surgery, publisher Basildon Peta said in a telephone interview Thursday. While authorities have not identified any suspects or made arrests, the attack came amid longtime tensions in Lesotho, where the country's former army chief was fatally shot last year and regional mediators recommended that the current military chief, Lt. Gen. Tlali Kamoli, be dismissed as part of efforts to reduce concerns about military interference in politics. Lesotho's coalition government is run by Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, who took office after 2015 elections. Last month, police in Lesotho questioned Mutungamiri after the Lesotho Times published two reports that allegedly defamed Kamoli. Peta, the publisher, was charged with defamation after a Lesotho Times column commented on Kamoli's perceived influence in politics with a joke about a hypothetical "invasion" of a Cabinet meeting, according to the newspaper. Peta, currently in South Africa, said he is due in court on July 19 but has asked his lawyers to try to postpone the hearing because of safety concerns. He said he wants a robust police investigation of Mutungamiri's shooting as well as government guarantees of free expression. "We are not scared to argue the case and to defend ourselves," Peta said. Mutungamiri is also editor of Lesotho's Sunday Express, which last month quoted the prime minister, Mosisili, as dismissing allegations that the military commander is meddling in politics. NATO remains at loggerheads with Russia over Ukraine but will consider a Kremlin proposal for reducing the risk of air accidents in the crowded skies over the Baltic Sea, NATO's chief said Wednesday. Alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg briefed reporters following a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Stoltenberg said NATO ambassadors informed their Russian counterpart, Alexander Grushko, about decisions made at NATO's July 8-9 summit in Warsaw. On Ukraine, "there was not a meeting of the minds today," Stoltenberg said. However, he said the Russian delegation made suggestions on risk reduction moves in Baltic airspace involving the use of warplanes' transponders. The NATO chief said "allies will study this proposal carefully," but want more details. The 2 -hour meeting at NATO's Brussels headquarters followed last week's gathering of alliance heads of state and government in Warsaw, Poland. Among other things, U.S. President Barack Obama and the other NATO leaders ordered reinforcements for allies closest to Russia with four new multinational battalions for Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Grushko told reporters NATO's plans are unjustified because "Russia is not a threat to the alliance." He accused the U.S.-led organization of raising tensions in an area of Europe that has been peaceful until now and added: "Of course, we'll take all necessary measures to protect our security." Building on an idea originally floated by Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and embraced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Grushko said he told NATO ambassadors "that our aircraft are ready to fly with their transponders switched on along certain routes. Of course, we count on NATO countries being ready to do the same." The Russian envoy said the measure should also apply to warplanes from non-NATO countries, like Finland and Sweden, and that Moscow wants military experts from the nations concerned to consult on how to make the plan a reality. A June report from European Leadership Network, a London think tank, said Russian military aircraft flying without their transponders switched on to alert civilian air traffic controllers to their presence twice forced airliners from SAS, a major Scandinavian carrier, to take evasive action. Russia has also claimed U.S. and NATO warplanes pose a similar risk, the ELN report said. When it comes to the use of transponders, "different NATO allies have different practices," Stoltenberg told a news conference. But he said he welcomed the fact Russia "has signaled that it wants to pursue risk reduction measures." Dutch NATO Ambassador Marjanne de Kwaasteniet, in a post on Twitter, said Wednesday's session of the NATO-Russia Council, the first in nearly three months, was intended to "keep dialogue with Russia open, despite differences." In a joint declaration issued in Warsaw, Obama and the other NATO leaders accused Russia of "destabilizing actions and politics," including the 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and what they called provocative activities near NATO borders, including repeated violations of NATO countries' airspace. NATO's supreme commander, U.S. Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, told reporters at the summit he'd like to speak regularly with Russian generals to defuse tensions, but hasn't been able to establish contact since he assumed his command in May. "We've said we're transparent and we're willing to talk, but we've not had that reach-out from them yet," Scaparrotti said. Foreign ministers from NATO's 28 member countries had wanted a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council before the Warsaw summit, but the alliance wasn't able to reach consensus with the Russians on the agenda and timing. The council was founded as a forum for consultation and cooperation in 2002 when relations between Moscow and the West were much warmer, but didn't convene for nearly two years following Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. Wednesday's council meeting "was an opportunity to clarify our positions and exchange views," Stoltenberg said. For the second time in a month, Russian jets bombed US-trained rebels in Syria, this time conducting two separate strikes on Tuesday, multiple US military officials in Baghdad told Fox News. The rebels had been trained by the Central Intelligence Agency, according to officials. The first Russian strike Tuesday involved a flight of Russian Backfire bombers from Russia, likely from Mozdok airbase in Ossetia, Russia, the sources said. Tu-22M backfire bombers first appeared over Syria in November, less than two months after the start of their air campaign to support embattled President Bashar al-Assad. The strike killed an unknown number of rebels. The second strike killed rebels and Syrian refugees near Syrian's border with Jordan. Again, there was no confirmation on casualties. Last month, the Russian Air Force bombed Pentagon and CIA backed rebels near al-Tanf, located near the Iraqi and Jordanian border in southern Syria. After the first strike, the US military called the Russians on a special emergency hotline between the two nations. The Russians ignored the request from the US military to stop bombing and launched a second strike. Fox News asked Gen Joe Votel about the Russian attack this week, "I am obviously concerned about that. It's hard for me to understand what they are hoping to achieve with those strikes. Food and medicine have begun to dwindle in the city of Aleppo after an advance by Syrian regime forces effectively cut off the only road into the rebel-held side of the divided city, residents and opposition leaders said Wednesday. Battles near the Castello road have intensified since last week even as the regime announced a cease-fire on July 6 that was extended twice. The United Nations said Wednesday it was deeply alarmed by the escalation of violence along the Castello road, particularly because residents in Aleppos rebel-controlled neighborhoods are heavily dependent on humanitarian aid. If regime and allied forces succeed in fully encircling Aleppos rebel-held eastern halfwith an estimated population of about 300,000it would become the largest civilian population under siege in Syria. Food and humanitarian blockades are a common battlefield tactic in Syrias bloody conflict. The U.N. has listed 19 areas with nearly 600,000 people as under siege. Dozens have died from starvation and untreated medical conditions in besieged areas, according to local activist groups. There are only enough food supplies for 145,000 people for up to one month in the rebel side of Aleppo, according to the U.N. Osama Abu al-Izz, a doctor with the Syrian American Medical Society in Aleppo, said some medical supplies could last for up to three months but that some medicineespecially for emergency carewas already beginning to run out because of more than a month of intense regime air attacks that wounded many. Click for more from The Wall Street Journal Bashar Assad, the embattled president of Syria, criticized the U.S. presidential elections for promoting candidates in both parties that he said fall short on foreign policy experience. Despite his country's years-long civil war that resulted in at least 250,000 deaths, the Damascus strongman warned the U.S. electorate on the consequences of choosing a leader with little experience on the world's stage. Who had this experience before? Obama? Or George Bush? Or (Bill) Clinton before? None of them had any experience, he told NBC News in an interview that aired Thursday. This is the problem with the United States. Assad made the critique as the Obama administration takes what might be its final offer to Moscow to enhance intelligence and military cooperation against ISIS and other extremist groups if Syrias Russia-backed Assad upholds a cease-fire with U.S.-supported rebels. When Secretary of State John Kerry meets Russia's top diplomat and possibly President Vladimir Putin in Moscow later this week, Syria's civil war and Assad's future will top the agenda. Kerry is trying to reverse a trend in which he has hailed a series of agreements with the Russians only for them to fall short, according to officials with knowledge of internal American deliberations. Kerry is making the trip "to try to resuscitate the cessation of hostilities," and get Russia's "buy-in on a process that can lead to a nationwide cease-fire," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Wednesday. "We haven't seen that thus far, but we're having another go at this." The NBC report pointed out that more than 250,000 died in the civil war and the U.N. has stopped keeping track of the death toll. Assad has been accused of deliberately targeting civilians during the violence, a charge he flatly denies. I hope that history will see me as the man who protected his country, from the terrorism and from the intervention and saved its sovereignty, he said in the interview. When you protect your country from the terrorists, and you kill terrorists, and you defeated terrorists, youre not brutal. Youre a patriot." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Cars and trucks were barred from the Promenade des Anglais during Thursday's Bastille Day festivities, but the terrorist who plowed a 19-ton truck into a mile-long crowd of revelers - killing at least 84 - reportedly got past police by telling them he had ice cream to hand out. Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old divorced loner, petty criminal and Tunisian national began his route of carnage by slowly moving onto the packed, seaside walkway around 10:40 p.m. local time. Then, say witnesses, he gunned the engine and weaved through the horrified crowd for nearly a mile, leaving a wake of dead and broken bodies. Police killed him in a shootout minutes later. "Such a monstrosity," French President Francois Hollande said Friday. "France is deeply saddened, but it is also very strong. I can assure you we will always be stronger than the fanatics who are trying to attack us." There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but two sources, including a U.S. counterterrorism source who collects and monitors jihadist social media, told Fox News that accounts linked to ISIS were celebratory and their followers were told to use the hashtag Nice. Bouhlel, who shot at revelers after driving through the crowd and was then killed by police, was reportedly known to police prior to the attack although his rap sheet included just one arrest, for a road rage incident in March French Justice Minister Jean-Jacques Urvoas said. "There was an altercation between him and another driver and he hurled a wooden pallet at the man," Urvoas told reporters. Bouhlel was given a suspended sentence and had to contact police once a week, which he did, Urvoas said. Two Americans among the dead were identified by a relative as Sean Copeland, 51, and his 11-year-old son Brodie. They were from the Austin area and were vacationing with other family members, according to relatives. Regional President Christian Estrosi also said that more than 10 children were among the dead. A childrens hospital in Nice said it had treated some 50 children and adolescents injured in the attack. Many of the dead were reportedly Muslim, including women whose bodies were seen still clad in the faith's head scarves. The Daily Mail reported that Bouhlel told police he was delivering ice cream when they questioned why he was parked on the promenade before the attack, which ravaged one of Europe's most scenic tourist destinations. Why Nice?" Hollande asked. "Because it is a city that is known through the world its one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Why Bastille Day? Because it is the celebration of liberty. Damien Allemand, a journalist for Nice-Matin, said the fireworks display was over and people were getting up to leave when they heard a loud noise and screams. "A fraction of a second later, an enormous white truck came along at a crazy speed, turning the wheel to mow down the maximum number of people," he said. "I saw bodies flying like bowling pins along its route. Heard noises, cries that I will never forget." Another witness, Wassim Bouhlel, told The Associated Press that he saw the truck drive into the crowd, then witnessed the driver emerge with a gun and start shooting. "There was carnage on the road," Bouhlel said. "Bodies everywhere." Video showed men and women -- one or two pushing strollers -- racing to get away from the scenes. And, in what appeared to be evidence of a gun battle, photos showed a truck with at least half a dozen bullet holes punched through its windshield. In addition to extending the countrys state of emergency and the Sentinel operation with 10,000 soldiers on patrol, Hollande said he was calling up "operational reserves," those who have served in the past and will be brought in to help police, particularly at French borders. President Obama condemned "what appears to be a horrific terrorist attack" in the strongest terms. He odered American flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims. "On this Bastille Day," Obama said, "we are reminded of the extraordinary resilience and democratic values that have made France an inspiration to the entire world, and we know that the character of the French Republic will endure long after this devastating and tragic loss of life." Le camion qui a fonce sur la foule pic.twitter.com/h4QuBabJMx Nice-Matin (@Nice_Matin) July 14, 2016 Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced late Thursday that he would postpone the announcement of his running mate, which had been scheduled to take place Friday morning. Flags were lowered to half-staff in Nice and in Paris. Marseille also canceled their fireworks celebrations for Friday. July 14 is a national holiday in France that commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris and the start of the French Revolution. Fox News' Catherine Herridge, Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report. The United States on Thursday offered Russia a broad new military partnership in Syria, hoping the attraction of a unified campaign against the Islamic State group and Al Qaeda and a Russian commitment to ground Syria's bombers could end five years of civil war. The deal, if finalized, could dramatically alter America's role in the conflict. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was to present the new ideas to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Thursday. The eight-page proposal, a copy of which The Washington Post published, shows the U.S. offering intelligence and targeting sharing, and even joint bombing operations a pact Moscow long had wanted, but Washington resisted. In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Russia had to limit its targeting to extremist groups such as IS and the Nusra Front, Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, and not the more moderate opposition forces fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. "There's a clear contradiction in Russia's approach to this situation," he said. While Moscow often talks about terrorism, he said it uses its "military might to prop up the Assad regime at the expense, or in some cases even to the detriment, of our efforts to go after extremists." The proposal would undercut months of U.S. criticism of Russia's military actions in Syria, such as those voiced by Earnest on Thursday, and put the United States alongside Assad's chief international backer, despite years of American demands for the Syrian leader to leave power. Russia, which began intervening in Syria on Assad's behalf last September, would get what it wanted, leading an international anti-terrorism alliance. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recalled Putin's desire for a united, U.S.-Russian approach to battling the jihadi groups that have exploited the chaos in Syria and neighboring Iraq to emerge as global threats. Much of Washington is wary about working too closely with Russia. A dissent cable signed by 51 State Department officials last month showed a sizable part of America's diplomatic establishment believing a U.S. military response against Assad's forces was necessary. Opposition to this latest Syria plan is shared by a significant number of officials at the State Department and Pentagon and among U.S. intelligence agencies, according to several American officials. The Obama administration has few other options right now. Suggestions of U.S. force don't carry much weight, given the unfulfilled threats throughout the war. There were declarations five years ago that Assad's days were "numbered," and President Barack Obama vowed a military response if chemical weapons were used, then backed down in 2013. The proposed, U.S.-Russian "Joint Implementation Group" would be based near Amman, Jordan. At its most basic level, the former Cold War foes would share intelligence and targeting information. They "should coordinate procedures to permit integrated operations," if the U.S. and Russia decide such operations are in their interests, the leaked document said. The proposal would address one of the most persistent problems with enforcing a cease-fire in Syria: the Nusra Front. The group is engaged in a variety of local alliances with other rebel groups the U.S. and its Arab allies want shielded by the cessation of hostilities. Nusra's fighters are often embedded with such groups on the battlefield or move between various fighting formations. For that reason, the U.S. has almost entirely avoided bombing Nusra targets in recent months. Russia hasn't hesitated. As Russia has taken out Nusra forces, the U.S. says Russia also has killed hundreds of moderate, anti-Assad fighters and civilians, undermining chances for peaceful diplomacy. The new offer represents a new recognition by the U.S. that Nusra must be defeated to end the fighting. Its offensives southwest of Aleppo have been viewed as particularly damaging to the truce. The document puts responsibility on Russia to get Syria's air force out of the sky, with some limited exceptions. It would subject Russian strikes against vetted Nusra targets to American approval. Moscow's biggest responsibility would be one it has been reluctant to assume: getting Assad to start a political transition that ends his family's four-decade hold over the country. Russia supports the vague idea of "transition," but has never publicly spoken of Assad having to resign. Reactions among U.S.-backed rebel groups in Syria were mixed. Capt. Abdelsalam Abdurrazek, a spokesman for Nur al-Din Zenki, a CIA-screened rebel entity fighting near Aleppo, decried the U.S. for offering "to support an ally of the Syrian regime and an enemy of the Syrian people." He said his group would continue fighting alongside Nusra. Mozahem al-Saloum of the New Syrian Army, which is fighting IS in eastern Syria, blamed Nusra for paving the way for IS, and said the U.S. plan could work if it guarantees Assad's departure. Al-Saloum, the group's spokesman, demanded "an immediate transitional period." Two months ago, Kerry said the transition had to start on Aug. 1, or Syria and its backers are "asking for a very different track." Any Plan B has remained undefined beyond vague hints of a military intervention involving Saudi troops. The White House and Pentagon have resisted a greater U.S. role. Wine Spectator magazine has recognized 212 Market Restaurants exceptional wine list with its Award of Excellence for the 18th year in a row. According to Wine Spectator, The Award of Excellence recognizes restaurants whose wine lists feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style. 212 Market Owner/Manager Sally Moses commented, It is truly an honor to represent Chattanooga for the 18th consecutive year on a listing of restaurants from around the globe that celebrate wine and food. We were recently recognized by Travel + Leisure as the best farm to table restaurant in Tennessee; and we are best known for serving locally sourced food, but we are also committed to offering a great selection of wines at great values. On Friday, July 22, 212 Market will host a 5-course dinner featuring a selection of wines from two wineries in the Finger Lakes region of New York, Hermann J. Weimer Vineyard and Damiani Wine Cellars. The menu includes pairings such as wild salmon and lemongrass curry soup served with a 2013 Hermann J. Weimer Gewurtztraminer and a spiced all-natural lamb Napoleon with grilled summer vegetables and heirloom tomato confit paired with a 2011 Damiani Meritage. The complete menu is available at www.212market.com/2016/06/ wine-dinner-finger-lakes- wines/ 212 Market Chef/Owner Susan Moses, who recently became interested in Finger Lakes wines after tasting some of the Hermann J. Weimer offerings, said, It had been a long time since I had tasted New York wines, and I was really impressed with the sophistication and elegance of these bottles. I could see why these wines have been so highly rated. Seatings for the dinner are $75 per person. For reservations, call 423 265-1212. Daniel Wysong, Marine combat veteran, and owner of Wysong Tree Service on Thursday announced his companys plans to honor those killed during the July 16, 2015 terrorist attacks in Chattanooga. On Friday, July 15, at noon Mr. Wysong and his brothers also involved in Wysong Tree Service will meet with military personnel now serving at the Armed Forces Career Center on Lee Highway and provide a steak cookout for them. The Career Center was the first site of the attack which also involved the U.S. Navy and Marine Reserve Center on Amnicola Highway. Mr. Wysong, who served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, said, Fine people in our community have organized public memorial observances set for this week in remembrance of the sinister events perpetrated against our Armed Forces and our community one year ago by a radical jihadi. I encourage maximum participation in those events. Additionally, I am motivated to personally express my deep thanks to our local heroes to those who died, to their families, and to those who continue to serve. "It was stunning to me, having by the grace of God served safely abroad, to come home and see fellow military members slaughtered right here in my hometown and to see the peace of my community shattered. Lets never forget the high cost of freedom, the sacrifices of those defending the United States from our enemies, and the need to stand united. Remember too, that on July 16, 2015, our local law enforcement officers were also under attack and acted with bravery and skill. Lets remain Chattanooga strong and pray for country." Dr. Melinda Biernacki receives grant from the Rally Foundation Dr. Melinda Biernacki, a senior hematology-oncology fellow at Fred Hutch, has received a $25,000 grant from the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research, a national nonprofit organization. She will apply the funding to develop targeted immunotherapy against pediatric acute myeloid leukemia, or AML. I am delighted that the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research has chosen to fund this project, said Biernacki, who works in the laboratory of Dr. Marie Bleakley in the Clinical Research Division. This award provides critical support that will help enable us to move toward the long-term goal of developing new targeted, less-toxic immune therapies for childhood acute leukemia. Specifically, Biernacki said, the project aims to identify immune T cells that can recognize specific mutations in childhood AML, with the ultimate goal of using these T cells to create immune therapies to safely and effectively treat children with this type of leukemia. AML is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes a large number of abnormal blood cells. Cancers that are acute usually get worse quickly if they are not treated. Rally and its medical advisory board, which consists of leading childhood cancer researchers from across the nation, award grants through a competitive, dual peer-review process that assures the best research is funded. All grants are made in honor or memory of a Rally Kid, a child who has fought or is currently fighting cancer. We are absolutely thrilled to support Dr. Biernackis cutting-edge pediatric cancer research, said Dean Crowe, founder and CEO of Rally. It is important to fund promising scientists like her as we work toward closing the childhood cancer research funding gap so that no parent ever has to hear that there is no curative option for their child. This grant is part of the $2 million Rally will be awarding this year to 22 hospitals and research centers nationwide. Since its founding in 2005, Rally has distributed more than $9 million to more than 217 childhood cancer research projects nationwide, including basic science, fellowships and clinical trials. According to the Rally Foundation, only 4 percent of federal funding is dedicated to childhood cancer research. Kristen Woodward / Fred Hutch News Service OC Pro Wins Award: Highest Rated Orange County Property Management Company As award winning property management company in Orange County, OC Pro Property Management works hard to adopt, develop, and incorporate seamless technology for an easy-to-use digital experience. Both tenants and property owners will find their experience greatly enhanced by using OC's expert management software. -- Orange, CA - OC Pro Property Management, a full-service residential property management company http://ocpropm.com with an A+ Better Business Bureau ranking and a 2 time Super Service award-winner on Angie's List (2013 and 2015) with an A rating. OC Pro Property management is one of the few highly-rated property management companies that specializes in residential Orange County property management. Borne from a passion for superior customer service for clients and provide property owners with peace of mind and ease in the frustrating property management process. OC Pro Property Management can help clients increase profits, reduce overhead expenses, and improve tenant retention rates. "Any property owner knows how intense and stressful the property management process can be, no matter how respectful or clean a tenant is," said Mitch Mills, Founder and Owner of OC Pro Property. "Our comprehensive business is equipped to take on everything from online rent payments through our tenant portals, maintenance requests, HOA compliance, lease preparation and signing, posting notices to tenants, rent and security deposit collection, advertising, inspection of properties, lease monitoring and much more. Our advanced technology is customized for residential properties. We do it all so property owners can focus on what really matters." As a premier property management company in Orange County, OC Pro Property Management works hard to adopt, develop, and incorporate seamless technology for an easy-to-use digital experience. Both tenants and property owners will find their experience greatly enhanced by using OC's expert management software. "Our expertise stretches from digital media and marketing, to extensive tenant backgrounds checks and every aspect of residential property management needed for assured protection," said Mitch Mills. "We serve a diverse group of properties and property sizes, and are capable of managing problems for both tenants and owners.. Spread the word on the availability of our high-quality and nationally recognized services, and head on over to our streamlined platform to get started today." For more information, please visit http://ocpropm.com Contact Info: Name: Mitch Mills Email: info@ocpropm.com Organization: OC Pro Property Management Address: 1045 W Katella Ave #360, Orange, CA,92867 Phone: (714) 202-8100 Release ID: 122986 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) Around Iowa Unveils 'Around Iowa Weather & Places' App All-new Android app has officially launched, offering a fun way to take and share photos Around Iowa -- The team at Around Iowa is thrilled to announce the official launch of their brand new Iowa Android app. Around Iowa Weather & Places is now available exclusively for Android devices. Through the new app, users get instant access to take photos and share their favorite Iowa scenes and weather with creative overlays on their images. According to the Around Iowa team, "This app has been in the works for quite some time, and we have a few others in the pipeline as well. This is a fun app that we hope can help bring our state together through pictures from locations around Iowa." "We love Iowa and we love technology, and we hope to continue to bring our communities across the state together and keep them growing. We had to make the difficult decision of launching on Google Play first simply because our traffic stats showed the use of more Android Devices than iOS devices. For the record, I am still an Apple fan, I still use an iPhone as my primary device, and all my computers are Macs. Rest assured we will release apps for the iOS platform equally, it is just going to take some more time," said Julio Medina, founder of Around Iowa. At Around Iowa, Medina has cultivated an alternative media source where Iowa residents and visitors can learn all about Iowa while getting the latest news, weather, user submitted images, and more. The site has been voted as the best online community in Iowa, and it has been recognized as Iowa's fastest growing online website and community. With Around Iowa Weather & Places, users can set their location and snap photos of their surroundings and weather conditions. Then, they can choose from 11 skins to frame their photo before sharing with other users. Around Iowa Weather & Places is rated E for everyone and can be downloaded for free. More information can be found at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aroundiowaweatherpics. About Around Iowa Around Iowa is a one-stop source for all things Iowa, including news, events, videos, pictures, and more. ### For more information, please visit http://www.aroundiowa.com/ Contact Info: Name: Around Iowa Email: contact@dbq.co Organization: Around Iowa Source: http://marketersmedia.com/around-iowa-unveils-around-iowa-weather-places-app/123413 Release ID: 123413 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) Center Of Modern Dentistry Announce Change Of Ownership and Grand Reopening On July 14th Center Of Modern Dentistry has changed ownership, with Doctor Mitul Amin returning to his home region of Southern California in order to deliver the highest possible quality of dentistry. -- Dentistry is a continually evolving discipline that combines science, technology and artistry to transform people's smiles. The Center of Modern Dentistry in Rancho Cucamonga, California has been known as one of the leading lights in the state for advanced, minimally invasive practices, helping people with both their health and cosmetic dental needs. The Center has just undergone a change of ownership, passing the torch to Southern California native Dr. Mitul Amin. He intends to provide the same exceptional quality of care as existing clients are accustomed to, and the change will be accompanied by a grand reopening on July 14th 2016. The grand reopening for the Center (ranchocenterofmoderndentistry.com) will include unique special offers and an open house opportunity for interested parties to tour the Center. They will see some of the advanced technological innovations that drive the exceptional, five-star customer rated service they provide. It is also designed for people to meet Dr. Amin, and get to know his work, approach, and personality. The grand reopening will help people see the comprehensive range of options available, including everything from routine treatments to advanced procedures, as well as cosmetic treatments, innovative approaches to sedation dentistry, and new diabetic treatment options. A spokesperson for Center of Modern Dentistry explained, "We are thrilled to be reopening the surgery on July 14th under the leadership of Dr. Amin. His truly impressive training and experience, as well as his impeccable reputation, are exactly what we require in such a high-spec environment. Our culture has always been one of complete commitment to delivering the best customer experience, and that is a passion shared by Dr. Amin. As a home grown dentist, he knows exactly what the people of Southern California need, and how they like to be treated. We can't wait to welcome new and existing clients through our doors at our grand reopening on July 14th. About Center Of Modern Dentistry: Center Of Modern Dentistry has been servicing the Rancho Cucamonga CA area for decades. It now looks forward to its next phase with renewed purpose, to help even more residents achieve the smile of their dreams. Using only the most modern and gentle techniques, patients will be in great hands as they are cared for by the expert team. Center of Modern Dentistry 8415 Haven Ave Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 (909) 980-2272 For more information, please visit http://ranchocenterofmoderndentistry.com/ Contact Info: Name: Dr Amin Email: staff@ranchocenterofmoderndentistry.com Organization: Center Of Modern Dentistry Address: 8415 Haven Ave, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 Phone: (909) 980-2272 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/center-of-modern-dentistry-announce-change-of-ownership-and-grand-reopening-on-july-14th/123427 Release ID: 123427 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) Karakorum Adventure Expand Range Of Activities Available To Include Coasteering, Balloon Rides And More Karakorum Adventure are now offering balloon rides and dedicated adventure courses for those who want to get the most from their holiday experiences, going above and beyond beautiful Mallorca. -- Adventure is, for many people, an innate craving. It is something that helps them to feel alive and happy. Stressful schedules and urban lifestyles mean adventure holidays are more popular than ever before. Unfortunately, exotic locations can be both expensive and difficult to reach. Those with a thirst for adventure may not have considered a tourist hotspot like Mallorca. Karakorum Adventure are helping people to discover the natural wonders and excitement of the island, away from the tourist crowds. The company has just expanded its offerings to include hot air balloon rides, coasteering and dedicated adventure courses. Mallorca has unique conditions for practicing coasteering, a wonderful adventure activity that combines hiking, climbing, rappelling, cliff jumping, zip-line, snorkeling, etc. The company, which offers hiking, caving, rock climbing and Canyoning activities in Mallorca, has now expanded to offer services quite literally above and beyond. The hot air ballooning experience will allow people to view Mallorca's stunning scenery from a unique perspective, in an intimate and exciting setting, with a professional hot air balloon pilot. The adventure course helps people pack the highest number of different activities into a single day, with climbing walls, zip lines, obstacle courses and raised platform traverses, like the Tibetan Bridge suspended between two trees. It is the perfect day trip for anyone who wants a taste of adventure in the safest possible surroundings. This can also be one of the destinations when setting out on Hiking activities in Mallorca, adding some excitement to stunning walks. A spokesperson for Karakorum Adventure explained, "We are thrilled to be able to offer these new experiences to new potential customers. We understand that caving and rock climbing can be considered extreme sports, and that not everyone wants to go such extremes. That doesn't mean they don't want some adventure on their holiday, so we have created ways for people to experience the thrill of adventure in a safe environment, as well as to experience flying high in the air over beautiful landscapes. All new experiences come with the same expert guides and open schedules as customers get on our typical day trips." About Karakorum Adventure: Karakorum Adventure is an adventure activity company based in Mallorca, offering unforgettable experiences away from the tourist traps. Their team of professional mountain guides will lead small groups through a series of adventures where participants mark the rhythm and pace. They offer hiking, canyoning and caving in Serra de Tramuntana (UNESCO's World Heritage) and Sa Fosca, and more. For more information, please visit http://www.karakorum-adventure.com/ Contact Info: Name: Julio Alou Roig Email: info@karakorum-adventure.com Organization: Karakorum Adventure Phone: (+34) 610 344 702 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/karakorum-adventure-expand-range-of-activities-available-to-include-coasteering-balloon-rides-and-more/123429 Release ID: 123429 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) Pullulanase Industry Report Provides 2010-2015 Market Shares for each Company:Radiant Insights Radiant Insights, Inc has announced the addition of the "Global and Chinese Pullulanase Industry, 2015 Market Research Report" report to their offering. -- The 'Global and Chinese Pullulanase Industry, 2010-2020 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Pullulanase industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Pullulanase manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. Download Full Research Report @ http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-and-chinese-pullulanase-industry-2015-market-research-report Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2010-2015 market shares for each company. Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Pullulanase industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export. Request a Free Sample Copy of this Report @ http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-and-chinese-pullulanase-industry-2015-market-research-report/request-sample 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 Pullulanase industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Pullulanase Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2010-2020 global and Chinese Pullulanase industry covering all important parameters. About Radiant Insight Radiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. It assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. The Organization has a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets. For more information, please visit http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-and-chinese-pullulanase-industry-2015-market-research-report Contact Info: Name: Michelle Thoras Email: sales@radiantinsights.com Organization: Radiant Insights, Inc Address: 28 2nd Street, Suite 3036 Phone: (415) 349-0054 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/pullulanase-industry-report-provides-2010-2015-market-shares-for-each-companyradiant-insights/123462 Release ID: 123462 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) China's PCs and Peripherals Market Share, Growth And Forecast Report : Radian Insights,Inc RadiantInsights.com has announced the addition of "China's PCs and Peripherals Market Trends, Growth And Forecast Report : Radiant Insights, Inc" Market Research Report to their Database. -- China's demand for personal computers (PCs) has seen a rapid ascent in the last decade. The market expects to garner revenue exceeding USD 250 billion throughout the forecast period (2018-2023). The number of computers manufactured in 2015 amounted to 348.2 million units. The market will see an upswing in sales in the coming years. Browse Full Research Report With TOC on http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/pcs-and-peripherals-markets-in-china This is evident by China's dominance in high performance computing. It recently unveiled the Sunway TaihuLight, a supercomputer with 1.31 PB of primary memory at the International Supercomputing Conference in June 2016. This denotes China's growth as a manufacturer without relying on the technology of Intel. The Chinese market will thrive due the rise of the urban middle-class. The current generation of consumers with the access to e-commerce platforms as well as disposable earnings will drive market growth. The market is projected to display a growth rate above 8% over the next five years. E-commerce portals are expected to account for nearly three-quarters of the market demand. With the changing market trends, China can easily overtake US in terms of PC sales. Sales of peripherals have seen a steady demand with the development of PCs. Input and output peripherals are the 2 major types. Some common input peripherals are keyboard, mice, touchscreens, and webcams. Some common output peripherals include printers, monitors, projectors, and speakers. See More Reports of This Category by Radiant Insights: www.radiantinsights.com/catalog/consumer-electronics Prominent players in the Chinese market are Shenzhen Sunrise Industry Co., Ltd., Lenovo Group Ltd., ASUSTeK Computer Inc., and Haier Group. These companies aim to expand their presence in urban areas and replace HP as the premier computer brand. Lenovo accounted for around 12% sales of the global computer industry in 2011 and remains one of the premium China brands. But the iPad Pro is likely to be a viable threat to Lenovo's quest for market dominance. The PCs and peripherals market in China has also seen the entry of new players. Xiaomi, a novice player in the smartphone market has become the fourth largest selling vendor globally. It currently deals in RAMs and hard drives, but could sell hardware and other computer-related peripherals in the near future. Request A Sample Copy Of This Report at: www.radiantinsights.com/research/pcs-and-peripherals-markets-in-china/request-sample About Radiant Insights,Inc Radiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. We assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. We have a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets. In addition to over extensive database of reports, our experienced research coordinators also offer a host of ancillary services such as, research partnerships/ tie-ups and customized research solutions. For more information, please visit http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/pcs-and-peripherals-markets-in-china Contact Info: Name: Michelle Thoras Email: sales@radiantinsights.com Organization: Radiant Insights, Inc. Address: 28 2nd Street, Suite 3036 San Francisco Phone: 4153490054 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/chinas-pcs-and-peripherals-market-share-growth-and-forecast-report-radian-insightsinc/123459 Release ID: 123459 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) Pronto Marketing Launches Fully-Managed Solution For Ecommerce Websites Pronto's new solution includes full website design as well as ongoing management and support, reports https://www.prontomarketing.com/. -- Seattle-based Pronto Marketing has recently announced the launch of their fully-managed e-commerce solution for online business owners. As is the case with their other managed website solutions, Pronto's new e-commerce offering includes full-fledged design services as well as ongoing back-end management and support. Those who are interested in starting an e-commerce business or would like to improve their existing one are invited to get in contact with the Pronto Marketing team to learn more about their new service. Derek Brown, a spokesperson for Pronto Marketing, commented "Building and managing a website is a tougher task than most people know. It requires skill coupled with a lot of time and determination. Just like our other managed solutions, this new fully-managed e-commerce solution takes that burden off of the shoulders of online business owners. Whether someone simply wants to sell a few hand-crafted items or a few hundred thousand products, we're here to help take on the task of managing it all for them." With over 300 available extensions and integrations, the team at Pronto Marketing has the ability and resources to build an e-commerce solution for any of today's industries. For an affordable price, business owners will get a fully-integrated, mobile-friendly website built on the highly-popular WooCommerce platform. The end-to-end design and management as well as unlimited ongoing support provide business owners with the benefits of scalability, security, and complete control over their site. Details on pricing and the design process are available at https://www.prontomarketing.com/. As Brown goes on to say, "The best thing about our new eCommerce website solution is that it's not only a high-quality option, it's also all-inclusive. This means that business owners will no longer have to worry about devoting all of their time to website maintenance. Now, they will be free to focus on what truly matters, which is achieving their business growth goals." About Pronto Marketing: After years of experience as a small business owner and with over thirteen years at Microsoft working with small business channel partners, Derek Brown knew first-hand the challenges small business owners have with marketing execution. In 2008 Derek teamed up with his son Cory and founded Pronto Marketing to address this very specific gap between what's needed, and getting what's needed, done. Pronto was built from the ground up with a single laser focus: to provide customers with fully managed websites and related online marketing. With over 1000 active customers, the Pronto team works daily to serve customers so that they can focus on what really matters. For more information, please visit https://www.prontomarketing.com/ Contact Info: Name: Derek Brown Organization: Pronto Marketing Phone: (800) 270-3440 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/pronto-marketing-launches-fully-managed-solution-for-ecommerce-websites/123492 Release ID: 123492 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) Honey for Healthy Living: Maple Holistics Releases New USDA Organic Honey Maple Holistics has announced the release of new USDA Certified Organic Raw Honey. The latest in their line of healthy food products, Maple Holistics Honey is available for purchase at mapleholisitcs.com or amazon.com. -- Representing yet another milestone in a line of successful food product launches, Maple Holistics has released new USDA Certified Organic Raw Honey - an exciting and healthy new product intended to supplement and promote a healthy lifestyle. Available for purchase now through the Maple Holistics Website, the organic honey is the latest product launched by Maple Holistics in the healthy foods category, and is certified organic, all-natural, raw, unpasteurized, and OU Kosher. Prepared with only the best extraction methodologies, Maple Holistics 12-ounce organic honey is geographically sourced from Brazil and never undergoes any kind of filtering process, allowing for the best in flavor and purity. Additionally, the Maple Holistics extraction process ensures no heat exposure above natural hive temperatures. The 100% pure honey has a sweet and rich taste which is apparent when used in cooking and baking, or simply eaten on its own. Honey is known to prevent cancer and heart disease as well as reduce ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders, among other health benefits, in addition to offering excellent taste. Packaged in an environmental-friendly facility, the honey is packaged in BPA-free plastic bottles which allow for easy storage. The packaging methods for the product are held to the highest standards to ensure that the honey retains full freshness and flavor. Primarily known for their hygienic, hair, and skin products, Maple Holistics has begun to introduce all-natural food products in their continued attempts to provide customers with the best in products that promote a healthy lifestyle. Like their hygienic products, the organic honey is made naturally and with an eye towards improving the health and lifestyle of Maple Holistics consumers. About the Company Maple Holistics provides industry leading all-natural hair, body, skin, and food products. The company offers a natural, holistic range of premium products which can enhance hygiene, health and daily living. Company products are made in the USA. For more information, please visit https://www.mapleholistics.com/ Contact Info: Name: Nate M Organization: Maple Holistics Release ID: 123074 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) Alien Virals Launches With Competition To Help Readers Win Money For Social Enagements Alien Virals is a new website curating the best extra-terrestrial content on the web, and has created a competition to help visitors to the site win money for liking, commenting, and more. -- 'Alien' is a word usually used to describe intelligent beings from other worlds, usually technologically and intellectually advanced far beyond humanity. Reports of aliens vary widely, from UFO sightings to abductions, while their representation in media is as varied as possible, from Star Wars to Avatar. Alien Virals (www.alienvirals.com) is a website that has just been launched to combine the best of all the alien content on the web into a single place, encouraging people to engage in and share their passion for the subject. The site has just launched a new competition to help them grow, with readers winning cash prizes. The competition (http://www.alienvirals.com/win) requires individuals to like their page on Facebook and follow on Twitter in order to be eligible for entry. Then, for every like, comment, share, retweet or reply, individuals garner one entry into the prize draw. This means the more engaged they are, the more likely they are to win the cash prizes. The prizes themselves are $100 for US participants and 100 for UK participants. They are designed to help motivate people to spread word of the site through their own established connections. This will help the site grow their fledgling community into a thriving center for alien discussion and content sharing. A spokesperson for Alien Virals explained, "We are thrilled to be able to launch the website, and we are committed to becoming the best online resource for the latest alien memes, videos, news stories and scientific discoveries. Our content is already hugely diverse, with news on three newly discovered earth-like planets, reviews of sci-shows based on current scientific knowledge, and even how aliens have been used in Singapore art shows. The wonderful thing about this topic is that it is so varied, and we want to provide a forum for active and lively discussion, as well as content sharing. This competition will help us build our audience and reward those all-important first followers." About Alien Virals: Alien Virals is a website designed to help people find the very best content published online about alien sightings, abductions, messages from outer space and more, together with the best science fiction and comedy content. The site is frequently updated by an expert team who check every post for authenticity and quality. For more information, please visit http://www.alienvirals.com/ Contact Info: Name: Scott Smith Email: info@alienvirals.com Organization: Alien Virals Source: http://marketersmedia.com/alien-virals-launches-with-competition-to-help-readers-win-money-for-social-enagements/123504 Release ID: 123504 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) Melbourne Essendon Ford Dealer New & Used Cars Service Expanded The Ford XLT Ranger is among the cars listed on the Essendon Ford dealership site in Melbourne, Australia, following a service expansion. Customers can get in touch for deals, with the staff priding themselves on customer service. -- A Ford dealership in Australia has expanded its service to include the Ford XLT Ranger, which has proved the most popular vehicle of the past month. Customers in Melbourne looking to buy a Ford can find this vehicle among a wide range of other cars available on the Essendon Ford website. More information can be found on the Ford Dealers Melbourne Australia site at: http://forddealersmelbourneaustralia.com. The car dealer website is run by Josh Fitzgibbon, a sales representative at Essendon Ford, and offers a wide range of both new and used Ford cars for customers to choose from. The site was designed to offer local customers a chance to get the best deals on vehicles in the area, and the company prides itself on its customer service. Josh explains that customers looking to get their name on the title of a vehicle that's both reliable and quality, Ford is one of the best car manufacturers on the market. The Ford Dealers Melbourne site goes on to say that the brand has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, with advances in features and reliability. The new Ford XLT Ranger is one such vehicle that exemplifies this, boasting a selection of advanced features while still being able to retain heavy towing and hauling capacity. It's listed on the site alongside other renowned vehicles, like the Ford Focus, which Essendon Ford underscores has earned a reputation for being one of the most reliable and affordable cars on the market. Other popular vehicles available to local customers in Melbourne include the iconic Ford Mustang, which the site lists as a feature of popular culture, having been included in a number of films and magazines. There are images and videos on site for customers to take a closer look at each vehicle, along with full descriptions of both new and used cars for customers to buy. Any interested parties looking to find out more about the Ford XLT Ranger or any of the other cars featured on the site can contact Josh at josh@erssendonford.com.au. For more information, please visit http://forddealersmelbourneaustralia.com/ Contact Info: Name: Josh Fitzgibbon Organization: Essendon Ford Address: 330 Wirraway Rd. Essendon Fields. 3041. Melbourne. Australia. Phone: 0411813182 Release ID: 123424 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. My wifes aunt, a sprightly 92-year-old, called me after she was phoned by somebody claiming to represent the Ministry of Justice, who told her she was entitled to a 3,000 tax rebate. She was to put 100 onto a cash card which would be collected by a courier to pay for secure delivery of the 3,000. She took the phone number and name of the person and called me wondering what to do with the information. I did not have a sensible answer. Fraud is a nasty crime, whether it is a boiler-room scam, computer hacking or turning up on the doorstep of an elderly person. People can be stripped of their life savings and left feeling humiliated and violated, often mistakenly blaming their own foolishness rather than the evil perpetrator. Yet as Fraud Advisory Panel, chair, David Kirk, says, Official support for fraud victims is still poor, and the local police response to the growing fraud threat remains inadequate. Launching a report, The Fraud Review 10 years on, he noted: Much fraud policing outside London is no better than in 2005, with little chance of any kind of investigation. Why this lackadaisical approach to fraud? Is it because there is usually no actual physical violence or because the victims are elderly or otherwise vulnerable and find it more difficult to raise merry hell with the authorities? Banks, for example, may have taken steps to tackle some forms of fraud, but when large sums disappear, there can still be an attitude that it is the customers problem rather than the banks. When large sums disappear there can still be an attitude that it is the customers problem rather than the banks Expectations placed on consumers by those attempting to prevent fraud can be unrealistic. A recent press release expressed horror that people often change their passwords less than once a year. Yet most of us find it difficult to remember the passwords we already have. The idea of constantly changing them is a non-starter. Police and government must treat fraud as a serious everyday crime in the same way as they would tackle a mugging, rather than passing it on to outside bodies or dismissing it as unimportant. Every fraud or scam effects someones life negatively and some have a lifelong impact. It is time those in charge recognised that, and responded accordingly. __________________________________________________________________________ Danger of having all your cash under one roof Property funds are no place for those who want their money in a hurry. We saw this in 2008 when in turbulent market conditions New Star was forced to suspend trading on its International Property fund. The fund had been launched in 2007, and was backed by a major advertising and marketing campaign. But those who argued it was the wrong time to invest were proved correct. Now as we once again navigate uncertain waters, property funds are under pressure. Standard Life Investments last week suspended trading in its UK real estate fund in response to increased outflows. This was followed by M&G Investments and Aviva Investors and a raft of others. British savers expect to spend 37 years contributing to a pension scheme before they can retire, putting the UK on a par with Australia as the country with the longest-projected working life out of a group of 17, according to a survey by HSBC. Over the 17 countries in the study, including France, Mexico, China, Egypt and the US, people on average expected to save for 30 years. The survey of 18,000 people found that, on average, people of working age begin saving at 30, five years earlier than current retirees. Todays retirees only saved for 23 years, seven years less than the new generation. Another feature common to both the UK and Australia was a reliance on property as a source of retirement income: 22 per cent of Brits and 26 per cent of Australian expect either to sell or downsize their property to help fund their retirement. There was also a common feeling that people were not saving enough for their retirement, with 38 per cent saying they wished they had started to save earlier, and 28 per cent saying they should have saved more by putting aside a larger share of income. Charlie Nunn, HSBCs group head of wealth management said: People recognise that they are living longer and may not be able to rely solely on more traditional forms of funding for their retirement, including state provision. As a result, they are realising they need to start saving for retirement earlier than previous generations and to consider alternative methods to help fund their retirement. Even small amounts set aside today can go a long way to helping fund a comfortable retirement in the future. Jon Gwinnett, product technical manager at Nucleus, said the 37 year projection was about right, but added it relied on people contributing an appropriate amount. He said current auto-enrolment contribution rates were far from enough to provide for retirement, even after 37 years. He urged the government not to put off increasing the auto-enrolment contribution rate, saying 12 per cent, or possibly more, was the desired rate. He went on: Unlike some of our European neighbours, we know we are not going to be funded by the state or by paternalistic employer schemes. The trouble is, we dont have enough free funds to save, he said. james.fernyhough@ft.com Story Highlights About three in four view corruption as widespread in government, business Perceptions of corruption have improved modestly since 2008 Rwandans least likely to see corruption in government FEEEDS Advocacy Initiative, Gallup and Allafrica.com are hosting an event on Thursday in Washington, D.C., ahead of the second U.S.-Africa Business Forum to examine the continent's investment environment and highlight the role of the African Diaspora in Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) job creation. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Majorities in sub-Saharan Africa view corruption as widespread in the government (75%) and businesses (72%) in their countries -- two barriers to foreign investment in the resource-rich continent. However, these perceptions have improved modestly since 2008, when more than four in five African adults perceived corruption as widespread in both the public and private sectors. Perceptions of corruption in sub-Saharan Africa now rate slightly better than in Latin America and the Caribbean, where 77% see government corruption as widespread, and are on par with the average for post-Soviet states (74%). Though Nigeria's embattled economy boasts abundant human and natural resources, more Nigerians say that corruption is widespread in their government (95%) than do residents in any other country in sub-Saharan Africa. President Muhammadu Buhari -- elected last year on an anti-corruption platform -- has cracked down, but has thus far struggled to reform a system in which corruption is pervasive at nearly every level of society. In Tanzania, which Gallup surveyed before President John Magufuli's election, nine in 10 (90%) view government corruption as widespread, staking a similarly difficult path for the country's new leader to fulfill campaign promises. Rwanda stands apart from other countries in 2015, with fewer than one in 10 (7%) saying corruption is widespread throughout their government. Rwanda's success in battling corruption is well-documented. In recent years, anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International reported Rwanda's corruption levels as "negligible," while the country's "zero tolerance" corruption policy requires all high-ranking officials to declare assets on an annual basis. Most Likely to Say Corruption Widespread in Government Is corruption widespread throughout the government in (country name) or not? Yes % Nigeria 95 Ghana 91 Tanzania 90 South Africa 88 Chad 87 Kenya 86 Uganda 84 Malawi 82 Zambia 80 Madagascar 79 Across 32 sub-Saharan African countries surveyed in 2015 Gallup Least Likely to Say Corruption Widespread in Government Is corruption widespread throughout the government in (country name) or not? Yes % Rwanda 7 Ethiopia 40 Togo 47 Somalia 47 Ivory Coast 50 Mozambique 52 Senegal 58 South Sudan 60 Burkina Faso 62 Guinea 63 Across 32 sub-Saharan African countries surveyed in 2015 Gallup Bottom Line With Africa's business-friendly population and opportunities for market growth, African GDP and foreign direct investment are increasing at a rate significantly higher than the global average. Still, corruption remains a serious impediment to outside investment, raising production costs and increasing uncertainty on future returns. According to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, corruption in Africa costs the continent $148 billion per year, an amount equivalent to roughly 25% of the continent's GDP. Efforts to promote job creation in Africa's rapidly growing private sector need to come in tandem with strong policies promoting transparency and accountability. Increased investment in key African markets requires the kind of stable business environment and transparency that endemic corruption erodes. The data in this article are available in Gallup Analytics. Survey Methods Results are based on face-to-face interviews with approximately 1,000 adults in each country, aged 15 and older, conducted between 2008 and 2015. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error ranged from 3.4 percentage points to 4.0 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The margin of error reflects the influence of data weighting. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls. For more complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details. Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works. Story Highlights Before recent events, 57% said race issues will be worked out Whites more positive than blacks, by 57% to 48% 53% rated current black-white relations as "good" PRINCETON, N.J. -- Speaking at the services of five slain Dallas police officers on Tuesday, President Barack Obama said the recent violence makes Americans wonder "if the divides of race in America can ever be bridged," but he urged them to "reject such despair." The majority of Americans, at least from a long-term perspective, share the president's optimism. Fifty-seven percent of Americans in June said that a solution to relations between whites and blacks "will eventually be worked out," while 40% said that black-white relations "will always be a problem." The latest results are from Gallup's June 7-July 1 Minority Rights and Relations poll, conducted before the events of the past two weeks in Louisiana, Minnesota and Texas -- the latter the occasion for Obama's speech in Dallas. Americans' optimism about black-white relations in the long term has held steady over the past three years, even with a number of incidents involving black men being killed in encounters with white police officers that sparked nationwide protests and, ultimately, the Black Lives Matter movement. In 1963, the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago asked Americans about the long-term prospects for race relations in the U.S., and 55% said that a solution would eventually be worked out. Gallup started updating the trend on this question in the 1990s and found Americans' optimism by that point had dropped significantly. They were most negative after the verdict in the O.J. Simpson murder trial in October 1995, when an all-time low of 29% said a solution would eventually be worked out. The public grew more positive in the 2000s, and, across 13 different surveys conducted since 2002, at least half of Americans have said a solution to black-white relations will eventually be worked out. Americans were most optimistic in November 2008, just after Obama's election as the nation's first black president. In 1963, blacks were significantly more optimistic than whites about an eventual solution to race relations issues. Since 1997, however, whites have consistently been more positive than blacks, with the size of the gap in attitudes between the two remaining fairly constant. This year's nine-percentage-point gap -- 57% of whites saying that a solution will be worked out, compared with 48% of blacks -- is about average for recent years. Majority of 53% Rates Current State of Race Relations as "Good" Last year, Gallup reported a precipitous drop in Americans' positive views of the current state of relations between whites and blacks, from 70% in 2013 to 47% in 2015 -- likely a response to the highly publicized deaths of several black men in dealings with police. In this year's survey, 53% of Americans rate relations between whites and blacks as "very" or "somewhat good," up marginally from year to year. Even with this slight increase in positive attitudes about black-white relations, Americans' views remain -- along with last year's -- the most negative of any measured since this trend began in 2001. The high point was 72% "good" in 2004. The uptick this year in positive views of race relations is driven mostly by a more optimistic view among whites, whose "good" rating rose from 45% to 55%. Blacks' views, in contrast, have stayed essentially the same, at 51% "good" last year and 49% "good" this year. Bottom Line A majority of Americans interviewed in June continue to say a solution to the problems associated with black-white relations will eventually be worked out. These attitudes about the long-term prospects for black-white relations have not changed materially over the past half-decade, even as race relations have been tested. The continued optimism about an eventual solution gives some hope that Obama's and others' calls for peace -- and for the races to work together instead of enacting violence -- may reach a receptive audience. Despite this long-term optimism, however, Americans' assessment of the current state of black-white relations in the country is much worse than it was before 2015. The racial breakdown in these results reinforces the general finding that whites and blacks tend to look at the world through different lenses. Similar to what is seen in terms of white and black attitudes toward the police, white Americans are more positive than black Americans about both the current state of race relations and about the prospect of a race relations solution eventually being worked out. After race riots and massive civil rights demonstrations in the 1960s, the presidentially appointed Kerner Commission warned that "our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white -- separate and unequal." These measures of current public opinion, along with a number of others showing that blacks and whites still see two different societies, continue to indicate the depth of the challenge in addressing what Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal more than 70 years ago called the "American Dilemma." Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics. Survey Methods Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted June 7-July 1, 2016, with a sample of 3,270 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, who had previously been interviewed in the Gallup Daily tracking poll and agreed to be re-interviewed for a later study. The sample is weighted to be representative of U.S. adults. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For results based on the sample of 1,320 non-Hispanic whites, the margin of sampling error is 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For results based on the sample of 912 non-Hispanic blacks, the margin of sampling error is 5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For results based on the sample of 906 Hispanics, the margin of sampling error is 6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. (271 out of the 906 interviews with Hispanics were conducted in Spanish.) All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting. Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. Lets recap. In the first article in this series, I discussed the idea of distinguishing games based on narrative. I used the example of Metroid and Mario to showcase how two mechanically similar games can be distinct because of their narrative and tone, even if they arent story games. In the second article in the series, I discussed the idea that even narrative games are sandboxes. Every game is built around a set of systems that can be played with, and narrative games simply incentivize us to follow the actions of one person as they play within that sandbox. In the third article I outlined an approach to writing based around four narrative throughlines that define a story arc for not only the player character, but all of their surroundings as well. In the third article I wrote a sort of pseudo-story as an example. This story centered around a cliche-ridden game about a dragon-punching protagonist being pitted against a great evil that has stolen the princess of a local kingdom. This story focused, primarily, on the kingdom and its reaction to the political problems of losing a primary member of the monarchy. The kingdom looks around itself for enemies, attacking all the nearby monsters, but comes to discover that the culprit was within its own borders, and only through introspection could it be defeated. Id like to take this story and move forward with it, developing it using the other methods I was describing in the previous articles. First off I would like to define the four throughlines of the story: 1. The world - A prominent kingdom has lost its princess. The power vacuum that creates causes a civil war to break out, weakening the kingdom. The ruling class redirects the attention outwards and creates a war between themselves and the nearby monster clans to give people a way to blow off steam. In the end, it is revealed that corruption within the kingdom was the true cause of the civil war and the lost princess. The kingdom must repair these problems, as well as those caused by declaring war on the nearby monsters. 2. The surroundings - The kingdom is a happy place that has lost its princess. As time goes forward, a civil war breaks out, and much of the city is ruined as a result of the violence. The city declines quickly throughout the events of the main narrative, showing signs of abuse and violence. Outside the city is much the same, as another war is declared and the landscape is ravaged to prepare for the coming hostilities. Monster attacks increase as tensions rise, and fewer and fewer travellers are seen in the wilds. When the war begins, peaceful meadows are replaced with siege weapons and military tents. This remains much the same even at the end of the narrative, as peace talks must begin and apologies be made before the armies can disperse. 3. The protagonist - The kingdom has lost its leadership, and our hero must rescue her. They rush into battle, planning to punch every enemy they find until the princess is returned safely. This idea quickly falls apart when it becomes apparent that there are simply too many things to punch. The hero becomes injured and is forced to return to the city. While there they discover that there is talk of corruption within the city causing the problems, rather than the monsters outside the city. The hero investigates and finds a secret group of traitors hidden beneath the city, planning its demise. The hero invades this secret group and punches them into submission, finding the princess was their captor, and returning her to her throne. The hero is rewarded and goes on to live happily ever after, the end. 4. The mind - Our hero is a very straight-forward sort. When the princess disappears, they go after her, fists raised, because this is the method by which our hero has solved all of lifes problems. For the first time, however, they are met with an adversary they cannot beat with violence. They become injured and are forced to look inward, questioning the very foundation upon which their life was built. Is violence not always the answer? As they are examining their actions, they hear rumors of corruption. Another enemy to beat into submission, and a welcome reprieve from all of this thinking, our hero rushes forward. They see this secret group causing so much strife, and attack that group. Once again, violence has solved their problems, but maybe that doesnt have to be the only way. The kingdom was nearly destroyed without a single violent act, a kidnapping did far more damage than any siege engine. Our hero must now contemplate their tendencies and figure out who they really are. So there is our story. A bit cliche and a bit simple, but good enough to build. So what is our sandbox? What are the toys that the player is playing with? Well, we need basic movement mechanics, and a combat system for sure. We need to be able to talk with NPCs in some way, or to be able to punch them. Characters in this world need to be able to use siege towers and defend castles, so well need some ability to operate machinery (because why program an NPC that can interact with something and not allow the player to do the same? (yes, I know there are a thousand answers to that question)). It would be better if we could climb ladders and shoot projectiles as well. We need large numbers of intelligent monsters around the countryside, but we dont necessarily have to have them all in one place at one time, so long as there are large packs that can stop our hero from progressing. Mostly, we need basic melee fighting mechanics. Non-player characters will use weapons such as swords and arrows, but our hero needs to be able to fight with their fists. Lets get more specific now, and dive into how to tell this story. As weve seen in my comparison to Metroid, just because a game is focused around a story doesnt mean that we have to convey that story through traditional means. "And then a giant metroid drained all of her energy!" So where do we need words in this game? Well, we can show the princess being abducted. We can show the kingdom falling apart, but it would greatly help if we could hear the outrage in the streets, so I think itd be worth it to have text or voice to setup the civil war. We dont need to stop for this, but you should get snippets as you go about your questing. We can convey a war without words, so long as we hear officers issuing commands. Well likely need some words to convey the players injury and being sent back to the city. Well start to see more and more words after this point, as our game shifts from being focused around violence and begins to focus more on political intrigue. Throughout this, however, we dont want to stop our main character. They are not the type to participate in heavy discussions, or go around investigating in a traditional manner. Our hero wants to punch things, so their actions should always be about going from one place to another, and the voice/text should simply be a part of the background as they travel from place to place, perhaps with a bit of text at the beginning and end of their trips to establish purpose. Think Half Life 2, where the player is rarely forced to stop moving for the sake of story. And from this point, we move into more standard techniques for figuring out storytelling in games, so I'll leave you to apply your own skills moving forward. Hopefully this article has given you enough to think about and adapt to your own process. This isnt a perfect method for constructing a story, and my own youth and inexperience may hinder my application of the technique, but hopefully this will help at least a few of you to organize and develop your stories more thoroughly. GoPro Hero 5 Latest News, Release Date & Update: Action Camera and GoPro Karma Drone Bundle Release Slated Later This Year? Rumors about the GoPro Hero 5 and the GoPro Karma Drone to be launched as a bundle may have not been confirmed yet, but a new report claims that the GoPro Hero 5 and the GoPro Karma Drone bundle will be released later this year. GoPro Hero 5 and Karma Drone will launch as a bundle? Earlier reports revealed that the GoPro Hero 5 will be launched after the GoPro Drone Karma will be released. And now it is rumored that the GoPro Hero 5 and the GoPro Karma Drone will debut as a bundle. Although the GoPro company has not commented on this speculation, Christian Times suggests that this could very well be the case. READ: GoPro Hero 5 Release Date, News & Update: Action Camera Faces Another Delay? Features & Specs Revealed! Ecumenical News reports that GoPro fans will finally get their hands on the GoPro Hero 5 and the GoPro Karma Drone bundle around Christmas time 2016. "And while we had to make the difficult decision to delay our drone, Karma, the upside is that Karma's launch should now benefit from the holidays," GoPro Founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman shared back in May. READ: GoPro Hero 5 Release Date, News & Update: Action Camera and GoPro Karma Drone Will Be Sold as a Bundle? Specs & Other Features Revealed The GoPro Hero 5 should be small enough so you can take it anywhere, but at the same time it also has to be sleek and nice-looking for people to be interested to purchase the action camera. But just because the size of the GoPro Hero 5 is very important, doesn't mean that the featured should be sacrificed. In fact, it is believed that GoPro Hero 5 will be the best action camera. "One of the biggest upgrades will be its ability to record up to 8K resolution at 30 fps, and it will also record in 4K at 60fps and 1080p at 240fps," WAC magazine reported. "The camera will be equipped with a more advanced processor and will have an A10 chip." READ: GoPro Hero 5 News & Update: Action Camera To Focus On A Specific Market? 'Scandal' Season 6 Air Date, Spoiler, News & Update: Will Olivia End Up With Fitz Or Jake? How Kerry Washington's Pregnancy Affected The Show "Scandal" Season 5 ended more than two months ago. To be exact, fans watched the intriguing finale on May 12 and it left many questions that needed to be cleared in the next installment of the political drama. Now, for "Scandal" Season 6, viewers have been offering many theories about what would happened next as the story concluded with lots of twists. Likewise, with the unexpected turn of events in the finale, fans of the show are waiting to see how the presidential election will go and what will be its outcome. Of course, fans are also focused on the love triangle the formed between Olivia, Jake and Fitz. Looking back at the last season's finale, after Mellie and Governor Frankie Vargas were nominated to run for president, their respective running mates were revealed as well. Jake Ballard ended up as the vice presidential candidate for Mellie's camp while Cyrus Beene finally got his chance to rise into power when it was announced that he will run for the VP race alongside Gov. Vargas. Jake and Olivia Spoilers Jake was not thrilled to be part of Mellie's camp but he is cooperating since he knew that Olivia has a plan to save him. On the other hand, Rowan, Olivia's father, seems to be hatching a major plan that would ensure that Jake, his daughter and himself would be in the White House after the election, using Mellie's ticket. Since Jake first appeared in "Scandal," viewers want him to end up with Olivia. However, with Fitz around, it was hard for Liv to decide on who to choose. Despite this, Jake is leaning on the positive side, that Olivia will choose him in the end. In his interview with Variety, Scott Foley, who is playing the character of Jake, relayed that Liv will dump Fitz for him. Why does he think that Liv will choose his character in the drama? "In the church right before he was about to marry Vanessa, she basically broke his heart and said, I love Fitz,' just to save Jake's life," Foley replied. "She sacrificed herself and her love for him. That's such a huge move. I think there's always hope them to be together." Meanwhile, "Scandal Season 6" has been cut short due to lead star Kerry Washington's pregnancy. ABC Network reduced the number of episodes from 22 to 16, in order to adjust to Washington's condition, TV Line reported. The show is also returning a bit later in 2017 as the protagonist is currently pregnant. Watch Olivia and Mellie search for VP running mate for the presidential election: The Darkest Minds Latest News & Update: Fox Taps Kung Fu Panda 3 Director To Helm Live-Action Film "Kung Fu Panda 3" director Jennifer Yuh Nelson was recently tapped by Fox to helm the live-action adaptation of the YA trilogy "The Darkest Minds," by Alexandra Bracken. This marks the live-action directional debut of Nelson. 'The Darkest Minds' Post-Apocalyptic World According to The Hollywood Reporter, Alexandra Bracken's "The Darkest Mind" is a combination of superhero and of coming-of-age stories. The book trilogy has tones from stories such as "Stand By Me" and "The Walking Dead." The first book of "The Darkest Minds" is set after a pandemic kills millions of American children and teenagers. Those who survived the pandemic developed extraordinary skills that made them a threat to the society. In turn, these kids were taken away from their family and were locked away in the internment camps. However, the 16-year-old with telekinetic powers was able to escape. "The Darkest Minds" follows the story of a 16-year-old with telekinetic powers who was able to flee from the internment camps set up by the government. 'Kung Fu Panda 3's' Jennifer Yuh Nelson is set to direct the 'Darkest Minds' movie! https://t.co/JPtbMbCQrV pic.twitter.com/1NIUy1tR6O Entertainment Weekly (@EW) July 13, 2016 Jennifer Yuh Nelson To Direct Jennifer Yuh Nelson had made a trail in the animation industry with her works in the "Kung Fu Panda" series. Before her directorial debut with the Oscar-nominated animated picture, Nelson worked for the animation department of "Spawn" and "The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest," Screenrant reported. "The Darkest Minds" marks Nelson's first directorial efforts in live-action film. After her efforts on "Spawn" and "The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest," she landed big budget franchise productions in 2005 with "Madagascar." It remains to be seen how Nelson will fare in making a live-action adaptation of "The Darkest Minds." Fox will probably establish the film in the likes of "The Maze Runner" or "Divergent." "The Darkest Mind" is penned by Chad Hodge while Shawn Levy and his 21 Laps banner are producing the live-action adaptation. To know more about "The Darkest Minds" story, check out the video below. CSULB alum wins gold at the 38th Long Beach Marathon which was his first 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 Photos: Massive Loop Vigil Marks 1 Year Since Sandra Bland's Death By aaroncynic in News on Jul 14, 2016 3:38PM Hundreds of people gathered in the Loop Wednesday night for a memorial for Sandra Bland, the 28 year-old African American woman from Naperville who died in police custody in Texas one year ago after being arrested during a routine traffic stop. To be here with folks who really just knew Sandy (from her death) a year ago, with so many people its amazing, Geneva Reed-Veal, Blands mother, told the Tribune. You couldve been anywhere but you chose to be here with us, Shante Needham, Blands sister, told the crowd. We are so grateful. The group, which included about a dozen relatives of Bland, sang songs, performed poetry and gave speeches to commemorate her and lift up the names of the hundreds of people of color killed by police. The anniversary of Blands death comes as tensions are extremely high in the wake of two more recent deaths of people of colorAlton Sterling and Philando Castileat the hands of police. In both cases, graphic and disturbing video of the killings was posted to social media. Protests demanding police accountability have rocked the country, and demonstrations have occurred almost daily in Chicago. Sandy still speaks, just like Rekia still smiles, said Martinez Sutton as he closed out a spoken word piece he performed. Sutton is the brother of Rekia Boyd, who was killed by Chicago Police officer Dante Servin after he fired an unregistered weapon over his shoulder into a crowd of people in Douglas Park. Vigil attendees held up large LED lights spelling out Sandra Speaks. I know for sure my sisters smiling right now, said Shavon Bland, another one of Sandra's sisters. Shes not in the ground. Shes with us every step of the way. Updated: Judge Rules Double Door Must Vacate Wicker Park Space By Gwendolyn Purdom in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 14, 2016 9:16PM double door photo via instagram Updated: 8:00 a.m.July 15. After a long and contentious legal fight, embattled Wicker Park music venue Double Door was ordered to vacate its long-occupied space Thursday. Judge Orville Hambright Jr. ordered representatives of the club to appear in court again Aug. 4 to determine when exactly they need to be out. The judge said he would take into consideration the Double Door's schedule, which has bands and shows booked into March 2017, according to the Tribune. Despite the ruling, Double Door's co-owner, Sean Mulroney, told the Tribune that he thinks he has "one more chance," to keep the club open. The decision comes following a months-long dispute in which the property's landlord claimed the club didn't give adequate notice that it wanted to renew its lease, while the club owners insist that they did. Patrons and fans of the venue flocked to its defense in droves, circulating a petition to save the more-than-20-year-old club that got 15,000 signatures in May. We've reached out to Double Door's legal team for comment and will update this story when we hear back. The Club released a statement via Facebook and Twitter Thursday night that said it is "business as usual" at the club and did not directly mention the ruling: "Thank you everyone for the support. It is business as usual with confirmed shows booked and announced through 2017, and we look forward to hosting many more events for you in the years to come. Visit www.doubledoor.com for our list of events, and see you soon!" William Dorsey, the attorney who represented the Double Door's landlords, told Chicagoist the Strauss family has not decided what to do with the property yet. But the ruling, he said, "is a vindication of what we've known all along...that the lease with Double Door expired. At this point, it's time to turn the page on this relationship." This isn't the first time Double Door has been threatened with eviction: In 2005, the club's landlords also wanted to boot it but eventually came to a much buzzed-about agreement with its owners in court. 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. Unitymedia network : Mehlem telephone disruptions Mehlem Some residents are experiencing ongoing phone disruptions due to unknown electromagnetic radiation sources. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Residents living in Mehlem might have experienced their telephone service dropping out for periods of time in the last days. Erwin von der Steinen, a German-American says he has lived in many countries but never experienced this problem with a telephone connection. Just in the last nine days, there were many disruptions in service, he said. At first, he was unable to reach anyone at Unitymedia and when he did, he was told it was a system error. His neighbors were also affected. What kind of errors are these when they are permanently coming and going? he wonders. In responding to a General Anzeiger inquiry, Unitymedia spokesperson Olaf Winter said the problem was mainly due to electromagnetic radiation disturbing the phone network. Its difficult to locate where this is coming from. It can be from the substance of a house, electric socket, or a cable antenna that someone has put up, he explained. Further, the source of the problem is not necessarily in the house where the problem is experienced. We already had a technician there twice and he found a small amount of radiation which he was able to eliminate, said Winter. However, after a short time, once again the customers experienced a disruption and were not able to be reached on their phones. Unitymedia has discovered that the problem only arises during certain times; the radiation stream is not permanent. This week, they plan to send another team to further investigate. July 14 Roundup : News briefs from Bonn The Bonn central bus station. Foto: Volker Lannert Bonn Here is a quick look at news from the Bonn central bus station, Victoria Bridge, the University of Bonn and crime in the city. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Bonn central bus station/train station. Plans for rebuilding the central bus station in Bonn can now be finalized since it has been made clear that the construction over the south end in front of the central train station can be torn down. The city bus stop area is too narrow altogether and will be redesigned. The situation should be improved and Maximilianstrae will be closed to motorists between Kaiserplatz and Wesselstrae. Two bike lanes are planned. Financing is still to be determined but it is hoped that the work can be completed before 2020 when Beethovens 250th Birthday celebrations will be in full swing. Viktoriabrucke. The Viktoria Bridge is now open for bicyclists to ride over the bridge. At a cost of 60,000 euro, the sidewalk was widened by 40 centimeters so there would be enough room for bicyclists to ride on it and not have to share the road with motorists. This goes for both directions over the bridge. Safety concerns had been expressed and bikes were only allowed to be walked over the bridge but protests and the threat of a legal challenge caused authorities to rethink the situation. University of Bonn. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has given a grant to the University of Bonn for 17 million euro. It was presented to the University in a ceremony on Wednesday and is meant to improve conditions for students as well as the quality of teaching. The University has taken part in the grant program for five years now. With the money, it is planned to improve support for students and make electronic teaching formats available. Bonn central bus station. A 43-year-old man was getting his ticket from a ticket vending machine at the bus station on Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m. when he was mugged by two men. According to police, a man from behind hit him in the side while the other man picked up his wallet which had fallen to the ground. Both men then fled in the direction of Hofgarten. One is described as 1.8 meters tall, sturdily built with short, light blonde hair. The other is described as 1.68 meters, slim and also short, light blonde hair. Any tips can be called into police criminal unit 32 at (0228) 1 50. Bonn city center. At around 1 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, two men approached a pedestrian at the corner of the Bonn market at Brudergasse and Wenzelgasse. They held out a piece of written material and ask him for a donation. The man refused to give a donation. A short time later he noticed that his fanny pack, attached around his waist and containing medicines, was missing. The thieves are described as both 25 - 30 years-old, 1.7 to 1.75 meters tall, slim and with short black hair. One wore a printed T-shirt and jeans, the other a long-sleeved shirt and light colored jeans. Any tips can be called into police criminal unit 36 at (0228) 1 50. Police advise to be alert and keep your distance from unknown persons. Valuables should be kept close to the body, preferably in inside closed pockets. Volunteer workers in Auerberg : Residents support refugees and build bridges At the Contact Cafe, refugees can discuss problems and get advice. Foto: Roalnd Kohls Auerberg Local volunteers are responsible for a successful program to help refugees in their community. English speaking volunteers are welcome. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Residents and members of the Protestant community in Auerberg have been volunteering since November to care for refugees that are being housed on Friedrich-Wohler street. Once a month the refugees are invited to Kontaktcafe (Contact Cafe), where a community forum is held. It is a good opportunity for the refugees to chat with other refugees and to build up communication and relationships with the German community. The monthly meetings are a place for the refugees to discuss their problems, and where advice is given and received. Pastor Michaela Schuster helped initiate the project and she is aware of the issues that consume the refugees; getting their families together in the same place, waiting for an appointment with authorities and wondering when they will be able to work. The refugees are happy to go to the meetings, between 50 and 100 people show up at the monthly gatherings. Eyad Rabia is there every time. The 31-year old Syrian enjoys the company, likes to exchange stories with others and learn German. He speaks of his wife and son, whom he hopes will be able to come to Germany soon, and says he would really like to work as an electrician again. 43-year-old Syrian Omar Huweishan is already a step ahead. Through a volunteer, the trained carpenter was able to gain an internship and is allowed to work for a month as a carpenter. Although he will not receive any money for his work, he will receive a certificate. He plans to show this to authorities and hopes he will then be allowed to work. The iniative has been able to get some things going in the last year. Approximately 40 volunteers offer language classes, a second hand clothing room, games for children and various Contact Cafe gatherings. Magdalene Schroers teaches German classes four times per week. All of her students are adults, many have received little or no education whatsoever. At the start it was a literacy course (because of the partial illiteracy), but since then weve gotten through three school books, says Schroers. Sometimes it can be hard to teach grammar, but everyone is very motivated and wants to learn. Since February there is a special offer for the refugee children. Every Saturday, 22-year-old Malika Imzouaren, her younger sister Amina and 28-year-old Fatima El Amri organize activities for children who are at least two-years-old. We play, do arts and crafts, cook, go out for ice cream or to the Rhine, says Malika Imzouaren. She appreciates the togetherness of the people in the community and says The people are totally friendly and very open. Background and religion did not play a role. Pastor Schuster praises the big engagement from the people of Auerberg. Its unbelievable what the volunteers here bring to the table she says. Additional help is needed for the project to continue its positive work. Help is needed especially to accompany refugees to official appointments and sponsors are needed who will generally support them and help them with their problems. It is essentially about listening and being there for them, says Schuster. Anyone who wants to volunteer can contact Pastor Michaela Schuster. They would be very happy to have English speakers to help. Call (0228) 22 78 715 or contact via e-mail to m.schuster@lukaskirche-bonn.de. Units In Palatial Vista Tower Keep Selling By Stephen Gossett in News on Jul 14, 2016 8:44PM Once completed, the monumental, riverside Vista Tower complex will be the third largest building in Chicago. And even though construction hasn't even begun, plenty of future residents are making moves to join the skyscraper set. Magellan Development Group is expecting construction to begin either this July or August, with a completion date of late 2019, but the contracts are already coming in. According to the Tribune, 110 of the available 406 condominiums are now under contract. (In early June, Vista contracts numbered in the 80+ figure.) The tower's multi-million-dollar condo unitssome priced as high as $10Mare selling at the same pace as the "average," $900,000 one-bedrooms, Jim Losik, National Marketing Director for Magellan, told the Tribune. The high-profile tower is designed by Jeanne Gang, the acclaimed McArthur Fellow architect whose firm is also responsible for Aqua and the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo. As is apparent from Vista's renderings, Gang will use her signature fluid, amorphous lines on this projectso even if you can't join the swelling ranks who will call the mouth-gapingly luxe digs home, we can at least all enjoy a stunning-looking facade. In three years. Uptown's Inspiration Kitchens Is Closing, And The State Budget Crisis Didn't Help By Mae Rice in Food on Jul 14, 2016 5:03PM Photo via Google Streetview Uptown's Inspiration Kitchens (4715 N. Sheridan Road) will shut down after brunch on July 31, leadership announced on Tuesday. The non-profit restaurant, which has a social justice mission and has been an Uptown fixture for a decade, has become financially unsustainabledue, in part, to that year Illinois spent without a state budget (that's only sort of come to close). Shannon Stewart, executive director of Inspiration Kitchens' parent non-profit, Inspiration Corporation, wrote in a statement obtained by Uptown Update on Tuesday: In 2014, we lost more than $350,000 in federal funding for our Foodservice Training program in Uptown... The following year saw cuts to funding from the State of Illinois for similar programs, culminating in an entire fiscal year without a state budget. We can no longer justify the cost of running Inspiration Kitchens - Uptown, which as a full-service restaurant carries high fixed costs with low profit-margins. This is a serious loss for Uptown and all of Chicago, not only because Inspiration Kitchens was a really good restaurant (with a daily pancake special!) but because it helped recently homeless Chicagoans, graduates of the company's food service training program, acquire on-the-job food service experience. Stewart told Chicagoist that the current staff, besides the executive chef, consists entirely of alumni of the training program. The state budget impasse didn't bring the restaurant to an end directly, but it did put a "burden" on Inspiration Corporation, Stewart said. Inspiration Corporation provides housing and job training to the Chicago area's homeless population, and the lack of state funding hit their housing program most directly. But that, in turn, "put a strain on other flexible funding that comes in." They had to use flexible funding and a line of credit to survive the past year. That problem was only compounded by federal funding cuts, which Inspiration Corporation suffered after the 2013 sequester. "There were tons of cuts across the board," Stewart said. "The ones that impacted us... came through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development." They shifted their funding for homeless services towards housing, specifically, and away from job-training, which they deemed "support services." Uptown's Inspiration Kitchens had to close its food service training program the next summer, due to a lack of funding; nowadays, all Inspiration Corporation's food-service training happens at Inspiration Kitchens' Garfield Park location. The news isn't all bad, however. Inspiration Corporation is discussing launching a new Inspiration Kitchens project in Uptown next year with an unnamed partner. For now, they will continue to run their Inspiration Kitchens location in Garfield Park (at 3504 W. Lake St.), and they'll maintain a presence in Uptown through Inspiration Cafe (at 4554 N Broadway Street in Suite #407, less than half a mile from Inspiration Kitchens). At Inspiration Cafe, a reimagined soup kitchen, a volunteer waitstaff serves hot, custom meals to Chicago's homeless in "an atmosphere of dignity and respect." [H/T Eater Chicago] The Abu Dhabi Global Market said yesterday that it signed with the Shanghai Free Trade Zone Authority a memorandum of understanding to foster cooperation and facilitate business development, UAE state news agency WAM reported. Aerial photo taken on Oct. 16, 2015 shows the Yangshan Deep-water Port's container pier of the Shanghai free trade zone (FTZ) in Shanghai, east China. [Photo/Xinhua] The MOU establishes a formal framework for further collaboration between the two bodies. It also aims to reinforce ADGM's commitment to building stronger ties with global financial centers, according to WAM. Last week, the ADGM signed an MOU with Paris Europlace, which promotes the French capital as a financial center, for closer cooperation. Apart from sharing of information and expertise, SHFTZA and ADGM will also consider joint activities to enhance the development of the financial centers of Abu Dhabi and Shanghai FTZs. "We are pleased to enter into this MOU with our Shanghai partner. Both SHFTZA and ADGM are established to support stakeholders in global expansion and tap growth opportunities in our respective regions," said Richard Teng, CEO of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of ADGM. He added that both zones would work jointly in boosting financial services activities, facilitating investment flows and encouraging business innovation. "The MOU marks another milestone between China and Abu Dhabi in strengthening economic cooperation," he said. China's e-commerce sector is expected to continue booming in the next five years, as the government targets more efficient trade flows and lower costs in domestic markets. The Ministry of Commerce said in its 13th Five-Year Plan on Tuesday that e-commerce transactions aim to reach 43.8 trillion yuan (US$6.55 trillion) by 2020, with an annual growth rate of about 15 percent. Total social retail sales are projected to grow 10 percent annually to hit 48 trillion yuan, among which online retailing will stand at 9.6 trillion yuan - an annual growth of 20 percent, according to the plan. The e-commerce sector witnessed explosive growth in the past few years, driven mainly by rapid logistics development and online shopping spree underpinned by mobile Internet technologies. In 2015, value of e-commerce transactions stood at 16.4 trillion yuan, up 22.7 percent from a year earlier, nearly tripling that of five years ago, according to a recent report released by Beijing-based iResearch Consulting Group. Business-to-business, online shopping and online travels are the top three segments to bolster the swelling industry, said the report. Meanwhile, retail sales via mobile internet increased 123.8 percent year-on-year to reach 2.1 trillion yuan, accounting for 55.5 percent of the total online retailing in the same period. Internet users hit 688 million as of December last year, with a penetration rate of 50.3 percent across the country, among which 90.1 percent access internet via mobile devices, according to an earlier report by China Internet Network Information Center. Article Protecting the worlds oceans an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs. China National Chemical Corp is planning to sell US$10 billion worth of preference shares in one of its units, to help fund its record US$43 billion acquisition of the world's biggest agrochemicals company Syngenta AG, according to sources who did not want to be identified. Under the proposal, half of the preferred shares on sale would be convertible, according to sources. ChemChina also reportedly plans to raise another US$15 billion in cash, bringing the total equity contribution to US$25 billion, and borrow the rest it needs via a loan package. Representatives at ChemChina did not immediately respond to calls and e-mails seeking comment. Shares of Swiss group Syngenta closed 0.2 percent higher at 373.10 Swiss francs (US$378) in Zurich on Tuesday, giving the company a market value of 34.5 billion francs. The fundraising would put State-owned ChemChina a step closer to completing the country's biggest-ever acquisition outside its borders and help the government secure technology that could help feed the world's most-populous nation. Still, hurdles remain as the deal is still subject to regulatory approvals in the United States during an election year. The shares are poised to be sold to government-linked entities, according to two separate people familiar with the matter, who declined to name the buyers. On the debt portion of the fundraising, ChemChina's lenders are preparing to line up US$12.7 billion in bank financing in addition to a US$20 billion loan in March, according to the sources. Syngenta has said it expects the deal, which is being reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, will be completed by the end of 2016. CFIUS can recommend to US President Barack Obama that transactions be blocked if they are deemed to pose a risk to national security. Novel mirror for tiny CubeSat telescope soon News oi -GizBot Bureau A lightweight telescope that NASA scientists are developing specifically for tiny CubeSat scientific investigations can become the first to carry a mirror made of carbon nanotubes embedded in an epoxy resin. Led by Theodor Kostiuk, scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, the effort is aimed at giving the scientific community a compact, reproducible and relatively inexpensive telescope that would fit easily inside a CubeSat that measures four inches on a side. Xiaomi Mi Max vs Yu Yureka Note: The Phablet War! "No one has been able to make a mirror using a carbon-nanotube resin. The technology is too new to fly in space, and first must go through the various levels of technological advancement," said Peter Chen, a Goddard contractor and president of Lightweight Telescopes, Inc. Small satellites, including CubeSats, are playing an increasingly larger role in exploration, technology demonstration, scientific research and educational investigations at NASA. These miniature satellites provide a low-cost platform for NASA missions, including planetary space exploration, Earth observations, fundamental Earth and space science and developing science instruments like cutting-edge laser communications, satellite-to-satellite communications and autonomous movement capabilities. Kostiuk's team seeks to develop a CubeSat telescope that would be sensitive to the ultraviolet, visible and infrared wavelength bands. It would be equipped with commercial-off-the-shelf spectrometers and imagers and would be ideal as an "exploratory tool for quick looks that could lead to larger missions," Kostiuk explained in a NASA statement. By all accounts, the new-fangled mirror could prove central to creating a low-cost space telescope for a range of CubeSat scientific investigations. Unlike most telescope mirrors made of glass or aluminum, this particular optic is made of carbon nanotubes embedded in an epoxy resin. Lenovo Vibe K4 Note with Wooden Back is Priced at Rs. 11,499: Here are 5 Wooden Edition Phones To make a mirror, technicians simply pour the mixture of epoxy and carbon nanotubes into a mandrel or mold fashioned to meet a particular optical prescription. They then heat the mold to to cure and harden the epoxy. Once set, the mirror then is coated with a reflective material of aluminum and silicon dioxide. "This technology can potentially enable very large-area technically active optics in space," Chen added. Source IANS Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Xiaomi Altun and Capricorn Spotted: New Mi Note Smartphones are on the Cards Features oi -Abhinaya Prabhu The tech world is awaiting the launch of the next big thing from the South Korean tech giant on August 2nd as per Samsung's confirmation with an invite. However, the other manufacturers should not be denied attention. It is evident that the other manufacturers are also in the spotlight as there are rumors and speculations related to all the makers. One such manufacturer is Xiaomi and it is circulating in many leaks and rumors lately. Also Read: 7 WhatsApp Hacks You Probably Didn't Know Right now, it is well known that Xiaomi is yet to announce some new smartphones this year. While we have already seen that the Redmi Note 4 might arrive with a dual-camera setup on its back, two Xiaomi phones with codenames Altun and Capricorn have surfaced online and these have been spotted on benchmark stats. Xiaomi Altun chipset remains unknown The Xiaomi Altun has been popping up on the Geekbench listings for a longer period of time. This device is listed to be powered by an octa-core ARMv8 processor clocked at 1.4 GHz. It is also claimed to run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow with the latest iteration of MIUI ROM. Also Read: HTC-made Google Nexus 2016 to be powered by Snapdragon 821 This device from Xiaomi has been spotted on the Geekbench database for almost 25 times since early May. Previously, the chipset details were left blank and only lately we have got to know some info on the same. Xiaomi Capricorn to have a Qualcomm SoC Earlier this month, Xiaomi Capricorn has been benchmarked. This device is listed to be based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and run on the most recent version of MIUI ROM. Going by the benchmark listing, the device codenamed Xiaomi Capricorn is listed to be powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 820 SoC clocked at 2 GHz paired with 3 GB of RAM. Other details are scarce The benchmark listings do not reveal the other aspects of these unannounced Xiaomi devices as usual. So, we are yet to infer what could be the battery, display, camera, and other hardware specs the Xiaomi Altun and Xiaomi Capricorn. Three Variants of Mi Note 2 Expected There is a rumor that there will be three variants of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 launching sometime in the next month. Of course, it is difficult to claim that the Altun and Capricorn are variants of the upcoming phablet. Also Read: List of 10 Sony Smartphones Likely to Receive Android Nougat Update The Mi Note 2 is likely to arrive with a 5.7-inch pressure sensitive display, 6 GB RAM, and 64 GB or 128 GB of internal storage support and sport a 16 MP dual-camera setup at its back. The device is expected to house a 4,000 mAh battery under its hood. Source 1, Source 2, Via Best Mobiles in India The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China on Wednesday published a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea". [By Zong Chao / China.org.cn] The Chinese government on Wednesday issued a white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea." "The Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law," said the document issued by the State Council Information Office. The core of the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea lies in the territorial issues caused by the Philippines' invasion and illegal occupation of some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands), it said. In addition, with the development of the international law of the sea, a maritime delimitation dispute also arose between the two states regarding certain sea areas of the South China Sea, it added. The two countries held multiple rounds of consultations on the proper management of disputes at sea and reached consensus on resolving through negotiation and consultation the relevant disputes, which has been repeatedly reaffirmed in a number of bilateral documents, according to the white paper. In 2013, the then government of the Republic of the Philippines unilaterally initiated the South China Sea arbitration. By doing so, the Philippines has violated its standing agreement with China to settle the relevant disputes through bilateral negotiation, has violated China's right to choose means of dispute settlement of its own will as a State Party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and has abused the UNCLOS dispute settlement procedures, it said. "The Arbitral Tribunal established at the Philippines' unilateral request has no jurisdiction over relevant submissions, and awards rendered by it are null and void and have no binding force," said the document. "China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall under no circumstances be affected by those awards. China does not accept or recognize those awards. China opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on those awards," it added. The white paper, consisting of more than 20,000 Chinese characters, also explained that Nanhai Zhudao (the South China Sea Islands), are China's inherent territory, saying the activities of the Chinese people in the South China Sea date back to over 2,000 years ago. China is the first to have discovered, named, and explored and exploited Nanhai Zhudao and relevant waters, and the first to have continuously, peacefully and effectively exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over them. "China's sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao and relevant rights and interests in the South China Sea have been established in the long course of history, and are solidly grounded in history and law," it said. China abides by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and is committed to upholding and promoting international rule of law. It respects and acts in accordance with international law, the white paper said. While firmly safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, China adheres to the position of settling disputes through negotiation and consultation and managing differences through rules and mechanisms, it added. "China endeavors to achieve win-win outcomes through mutually beneficial cooperation, and is committed to making the South China Sea a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship," it said. China is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea with other countries in the region and upholding the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea enjoyed by other countries under international law, according to the white paper. In the white paper, China urges countries outside this region to respect the efforts in this regard by countries in the region and to play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea. CONFIRMED! Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to Come With Iris Scanner (Pictures Inside) News oi -Vigneshwar A couple of days back, the South Korean tech giant Samsung has sent out the invite for the launch of Galaxy Note 7 at Unpacked event 2016 on August 2. As per the latest report, the Note 7 will go on sale on the same day of launch in some places. As of now, there is no information about the places, but we can say that the device will be shipped to India within one month of its global launch. Also, on the other side, a Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin has confirmed the presence of Iris scanner on the Note 7 and also revealed that it takes less than 1 second to unlock the device, In order to unlock the smartphone using iris scanner, user needs to adjust the phone so that their eyes fit perfectly in the two circle as shown in the image below. SEE ALSO: Moto E3 (2016) with Android 6.0 Marshmallow Announced Officially! Moving on to the specifications, the so-called Note 7 is expected to come packed with 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display, Octa-Core Exynos 8 / Quad-core Snapdragon 821 processor, 6GB LPDDR4 RAM, 64GB inbuilt memory, 12MP/5MP camera package, Android 6.0, IP68 rating, S Pen Stylus and 3600mAh battery. Expected in Black Onyx, Silver Titanium, and Blue Coral colors, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be announced in New York at 11 AM on August 2. Source Best Mobiles in India LEAKED: Upcoming iPhone 7 Pops Up Online in 4 Colors News oi -Akansha Srivastava While the date of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus launch is coming near, which is reportedly predicted to be around September 2016, more and more leaks are surfacing the online tech media world. Recently, we saw the leaked pictures of the upcoming lightning earpods, now Apple news and reviews site Macitynet has leaked a picture showing upcoming iPhone 7 molds in four colors, which as per reports are Rose Gold, Space Gray, Gold, and Silver. Apple iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus [Rumor Roundup]: 10 Features We've Heard So Far Also, with the iPhone 7, the makers are speculated to introduce a new Space Black color option. It is rumored to be a relatively darker shade than the Space Gray color. We even saw a slew of renders of the Space Black variant of the iPhone 7 leak online. At the same time, a new report from China also suggests that the Apple A9 is expected to be manufactured on TSMC/Samsung's 16 or 14nm process respectively. Reportedly, this time around Apple might also be looking at Intel. Adding on further to this, Apple could also increase the core count on the A10 to six, which should reportedly produce some very impressive results. Apple's processors are on par with others, even at two cores and with 6 cores, we can only imagine what the A10 can offer. Ulefone Metal Smartphone with Fingerprint Sensor Announced: All You Need to Know Meanwhile, the soon-to-be-launched iPhone 7 is rumored to come with a larger camera with the capabilities of DSLR cameras, 5.5-inch display, bigger battery and much more. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Wei Xiaodong has just left his comfortable post as a school manager in Nanjing and taken up a position as an elementary school vice principle in Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region. As a member of the latest group of volunteers to work in Tibet, Wei arrived in the southwest region with more than 70 education specialists. He will work in Lhasa for about two years. "Before September, another 700 teachers will come to work in Tibet," he said. Starting last year, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security decided to transfer teachers and doctors to Tibet, to improve services. "A single teacher can only teach a few classes, but by coming in groups, we hope to update education in Tibetan schools," said Wei. Dozens of doctors, too, have started residencies at hospitals across Tibet. "We different specialists, which will enable us to treat patients with more complicated afflictions, and train more doctors," said Yu Yabin, the leader of a doctors' team from Beijing. New government cadres are also arriving. By the end of July, the seventh group of officials, about 1,300, will finish their three-year tenure, and return to their posts in other provinces. Statistics show about 12.8 billion yuan was invested in Tibet in the last three years. Xu Ke, a geographic survey expert from Liaoning Province, has spent most of his time charting Nagqu. The data he collected was used to build water, irrigation and heating facilities for the locals herders. "About 90 percent of my time is spent in the wild," the 30-year-old said. Vegetable and fruit prices are exorbitantly high in Pulan County, Nagri Prefecture, as the area is hard to reach. Strawberries can cost as much as 240 yuan (about 36 U.S. dollars) per kilo. Gao Baojun, a cadre from Shaanxi Province, has been helping farmers explore new cultivation systems. "Vegetable prices are almost half now than two years ago," he said. "Volunteers from other provinces have been helping the people in Tibet, improving their lives and their children's future," said Trinley, Tibet religious affairs director. "Tibet needs skilled people to help it develop, and for the young, working in Tibet is an eye opening experience that they will cherish all their lives," said Deng Shengming, deputy director of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee. Man detained for allegedly passing defense secrets to China ROC Central News Agency 2016/07/13 16:40:24 Kaohsiung, July 13 (CNA) A 33-year-old Taiwanese man, surnamed Chuang (), has been detained and held incommunicado for allegedly passing Taiwan's defense secrets to China, Kaohsiung prosecutors said Wednesday. The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors' Office said it received a tipoff from military police in Pingtung County last year, alleging that active duty and retired servicemen were collecting military secrets for China. After a lengthy investigation, prosecutors searched 11 locations in Kaohsiung City, Pingtung County and Tainan City recently and discovered flash drives and confidential military documents, according to the office. Prosecutors questioned Chuang and five of his alleged accomplices and detained Chuang on suspicion of violating the National Security Act. Four of the suspects were released on bail of between NT$20,000 (US$621) and NT$40,000, while one was sent home after questioning, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said Chuang began contacting people in China through Skype in April last year. The contact Chuang developed there then treated him to a trip to China and convinced him to pass military secrets to the Chinese in exchange for money, prosecutors said. After returning to Taiwan, Chuang recruited retired and active duty service members to collect intelligence for him. The suspects allegedly passed confidential military information to the Chinese more than 20 times between May 2015 and June this year, receiving over NT$1 million in return, prosecutors said. Taiwanese authorities are now checking the nature of the leaked documents and investigating to see if others are involved. (By Chang Che-fon and Christie Chen) ENDITEM/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CIA: US Must Be Able to Enter Foreign Airspace Without Prior Notification Sputnik News 22:41 13.07.2016 The must be able to proceed with foreign operations as necessary, including invasion of foreign countries airspace without notifying local governments, said CIA Director John Brennan. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The US president must maintain the ability to proceed with foreign operations as necessary, including invasion of foreign countries airspace without notifying local governments, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan said in a speech at the Brookings Institution on Wednesday. "The president must maintain the ability to take action as appropriate," Brennan stated. "There are circumstances where I know that the commander in chief is going to continue to exercise his responsibility to do what is necessary, and sometimes that is going to be going into foreign airspace without the prior consent of the government." The CIA director recalled that in 2011, President Barack Obama authorized an operation to capture or kill Osama bin Laden in Pakistan without any consultations with the Pakistani government. Bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011 in Abbottabad, Pakistan as a result of a US special operation following a ten-year manhunt. The manhunt was initiated in part as a response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States that killed some 3,000 people. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistani Intelligence Honey-Trapped Indian Air Force Official Sputnik News 17:20 13.07.2016(updated 17:32 13.07.2016) Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and terror outfit JuD used a fake Facebook profile to honey trap an Indian Air Force official, coaxing him to reveal secrets. NEW DELHI (Sputnik) After months of grueling investigations, Indian intelligence agencies, have unearthed the startling fact that Indian Air Force official Ranjith K. K., who was arrested in December last year from Punjab for passing secret information to ISI, had been honey trapped by them. IAF official Ranjith K.K. was honey-trapped by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the terror group Jamaat-ud-Dawaaa (JuD) through a fake Facebook profile using the name Damini McNaught. Damini McNaught, in her Facebook profile, claimed to work as an executive at a UK based media firm and that she required Air Force-related information for an article she was writing for their news magazine. IAF official Ranjith shared important information relating to deployment, recent exercises, movements and the status of aircraft at the Bathinda Air Force Base in Punjab. In fact here has been an unseen rise in such incidents, where defense officials posted at sensitive positions were attempted to provide information via social media. According to Major General (Rtd.) G. D. Bakhshi, "In fact it is not a new thing; ISI has been trying to lure Indian military officials to gain access to the classified military information. Now they are using social media platforms to get top secret information. After these revelations, the Defense Ministry should advice military officials to be extra cautious on social media sites. Social media can be extremely dangerous, especially for officials dealing with sensitive information." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese man jailed in US for stealing F-35 data Iran Press TV Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:53PM The US has sentenced a Chinese hacker to jail for partaking in the hacking of US military secrets concerning advanced American attack and transport jets. Su Bin, a 51-year-old businessman, was sentenced to 4 years in prison by a US federal court in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday. Su had admitted his involvement in a years-long scheme to obtain confidential details about the F-22 and F-35 stealth jets as well as the Boeing C-17 military transport aircraft. In addition to the jail time, the alleged hacker, who also went by the names Stephen Su and Stephen Subin, must pay a $10,000 fine. The Chinese national was nabbed in Canada in 2014 and extradited to the US. In an indictment that dates back to August 2014, prosecutors alleged that Su used his China-based aviation and aerospace company that he ran from Canada as a cover to travel to America and help his two unidentified co-conspirators to steal the data. He traveled to the US at least 10 times between 2008 and 2014 and admitted to sending emails to his accomplices that were based in China, the prosecutors said. "Su assisted the Chinese military hackers in their efforts to illegally access and steal designs for cutting-edge military aircraft that are indispensable to our national defense," said John Carlin, who is assistant attorney general for national security. Although China has repeatedly denied hacking attacks against American military resources, Su has been long hailed by Chinese media as a hero. "We are willing to show our gratitude and respect for his service to our country," the Chinese newspaper Global Times wrote in March. "On the secret battlefield without gunpowder, China needs special agents to gather secrets from the US." Su's conviction comes shortly after Kan Chen, another alleged Chinese spy, received a 30-month prison sentence in America over charges of smuggling military equipment to his homeland. Washington has on different occasions threatened Beijing with retaliation for what it calls attempted cyber espionage. Last December, the two geopolitical rivals reached an agreement to expand cooperation on stopping the attacks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Counter-ISIL Strikes Hit Terrorists in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, July 13, 2016 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria Bomber, attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 10 strikes in Syria: -- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed three ISIL oil wellheads. -- Near Manbij, eight strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed eight ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle. -- Near Palmyra, a strike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle. Strikes in Iraq Bomber, attack, ground-attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 17 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government: -- Near Baghdadi, five strikes struck an ISIL beddown location, an ISIL staging area, two ISIL weapons caches and an ISIL weapons storage facility. -- Near Qaim, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL staging area. -- Near Beiji, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle. -- Near Habbaniyah, a strike destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun. -- Near Haditha, a strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL bunker, four ISIL tents and an ISIL petroleum, oil and lubricant site. -- Near Hit, a strike destroyed an ISIL artillery piece. -- Near Kisik, two strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle. -- Near Mosul, a strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position. -- Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL checkpoint and an ISIL fighting position. -- Near Ramadi, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle. -- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle. Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike. Part of Operation Inherent Resolve The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Carter Discusses 3 Major U.S. Decisions Regarding Afghanistan By Karen Parrish DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, July 13, 2016 Defense Secretary Ash Carter discussed three major decisions that the United States has made regarding Afghanistan during a news conference yesterday in the Afghan capital of Kabul. Appearing with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Carter noted that his third visit to Afghanistan as defense secretary gave him the opportunity to discuss with Afghan leaders the U.S. commitments "to enhance the authorities of our ground commanders, to maintain our financial commitment to the Afghan security forces, and third, to retain a more substantial U.S. force presence into 2017." Carter told reporters that a productive day of meetings with Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, as well as with Afghanistan's defense and interior ministers, "reaffirmed to me that we have strong partners here, with a common vision focused on a secure and prosperous future for the Afghan people." At last week's NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland, Carter noted, coalition partners "confirmed their commitment of financial sustainment to Afghan forces and the continuation of the Resolute Support Mission." Afghan Forces 'Continue to Step Up' Carter said Afghan forces, now in their second year providing security lead for their own nation, have demonstrated motivation, will and resilience in the face of a persistent enemy. "I commend them for fighting courageously last year during a tough fighting season, and for their continued dedication in the face of formidable challenges this year," he said. Every day, Carter said, nearly 320,000 Afghan soldiers and police "are serving and fighting courageously." The secretary said "far too many" members of Afghanistan's security forces have paid the ultimate price and that he and Ghani stand together "in honoring their sacrifices." Building on Afghan Success As Afghan forces move further into the lead, Carter said, "we are looking to build on their successes to find ways to support and enable them more effectively." Maintaining U.S. force levels in Afghanistan at 8,400 troops will enhance the United States' progress in its two central missions in Afghanistan: training, advising and assisting Afghan forces and supporting counterterrorism operations, he added. Carter said he and the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Army Gen. John W. "Mick" Nicholson Jr., discussed President Barack Obama's recent decision to grant additional flexibility in the use of forces. "This added flexibility, coupled with new integration of the A29 and MD530 close air support platforms, reflects our determination to seize every opportunity possible to use our resources in theater to the greatest possible effect," the secretary said. Continuing the Mission Carter noted that when Ghani visited the Pentagon in March 2015, the Afghan president thanked U.S. service members and their families for their sacrifices. Carter, in his turn, had a message for the Afghan people, "who have put themselves at risk and sacrificed so much to bring us to this point of promise, potential and strength. We're with you. We stand by you. And we will continue to work hard together to finish the mission we started." The defense secretary also thanked Nicholson and NATO partners, as well as American, NATO and Afghan troops "who have served and sacrificed together over the past 15 years in the name of peace, security and freedom, and who continue that mission today." Carter visited Afghanistan as part of an overseas trip that began at the NATO summit and also included a visit to Iraq. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Carter: U.S. Troop Level in Afghanistan Bolsters Global Counterterrorism Fight By Terri Moon Cronk DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, July 13, 2016 Addressing U.S. troops at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan yesterday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said President Barack Obama's announcement last week that the U.S. would maintain 8,400 troops in that country into next year bolsters the fight against terrorists around the globe. Carter said the president's decision will ensure "that the Afghan forces have success next year based upon our experience in the last fighting season and up to this time in this fighting season." Refresh, Retrain Afghan Forces The secretary said the number of U.S. troops will aid in the "process of refreshing and retraining" Afghan security forces. Calling the effort "sensible," the secretary also said next year's U.S. defense budget provides full funding to continue the mission. In Poland last week at NATO's Warsaw Summit, the United States' coalition allies agreed to provide the same support, Carter added. The United States' and its allies' efforts in Afghanistan aim to "make sure that Afghanistan can control its own territory [and] give its own people a better life [and] never again become a platform from which attacks can be launched on our country, and our people and our society," Carter emphasized. And, the United States is committed to "stick with" that effort "so it succeeds," the defense secretary said. "But right now, they need our help," Carter said of Afghanistan's government, adding, "And we're going to continue to provide that help." The United States wants Afghanistan as a long-term friend and security partner, the secretary said. Afghan Partners "Look at a map of this region. [It's] not a bad place to have good friends. So we're in this for the long run," Carter said. Providing support to Afghanistan and its security forces demonstrates America's commitment, he said. "It's buying a little extra insurance next year for us to make sure that we continue to be able to do what we're doing now," the secretary said of helping the Afghans defeat various terrorist groups that are trying to tyrannize a country that was "busted up for decades," and use it to mount attacks on the United States. "This is a really important part of the world. And it's a really important moment to be here," Carter told the U.S. troops. "And here you are, doing what you're doing with this part of your lives. You should feel very good about it. I'm very proud of what you've done." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S.-China tensions may increase in wake of South China Sea ruling ROC Central News Agency 2016/07/13 13:49:24 Taipei, July 13 (CNA) A ruling on disputes in the South China Sea that was unfavorable to China will likely ratchet up the wrangling between China and the United States in the region and threaten regional stability, Taiwan's National Security Bureau said Wednesday. In a written report to a legislative committee on the impact of the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, the bureau said the result was unfavorable to China and predicted Beijing might respond with more aggressive action. The bureau suggested Beijing could step up efforts to build more military infrastructure in the South China Sea, send more patrol ships to disputed waters, hold military exercises there and even declare an air defense identification zone over the region. The United States, meanwhile, has said the ruling by the tribunal is final and legally binding on both China and the Philippines, and it urged them to meet that obligation. It also called on all claimants to avoid provocative statements or actions. The U.S. will continue to maintain its military presence in the South China Sea, which will likely further fuel the wrangling between China and the U.S. in the region and threaten regional stability, the bureau said in the report. In the case brought by the Philippines against China over South China Sea disputes, the international arbitration court ruled that there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or resources in the islands in the South China Sea. There was therefore no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the "nine-dash line," the court said. The tribunal also concluded that all of the high-tide features in the Spratly Islands (including Itu Aba, Thitu, West York Island, Spratly Island, North-East Cay and South-West Cay) are legally "rocks" that do not generate an exclusive economic zone or continental shelf. The ruling backed Manila's argument that the features claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea were not islands and therefore not entitled to 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zones that underpin China's "nine-dash line" territorial claim over the sea's waters. Beijing has said it would not acknowledge or accept the ruling. While Taiwan was not party to the case, it still had an indirect stake in the verdict because its claims in the South China Sea are similar to those of China, and Taiwan-controlled Taiping Island (also known as Itu Aba) was brought up in testimony during the court hearings. After the result was made known, Taiwan said it will not accept the ruling and stressed its sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and surrounding waters. In Wednesday's report, the bureau said the government's efforts to safeguard the country's sovereignty over Taiping and the surrounding marine ecology will receive greater attention from around the world. Taiwan has long defined the 0.51-square kilometer Taiping as an island that can sustain human habitation and economic life. Taiwan took control of Taiping -- the largest natural feature in the Spratly Islands -- in 1956. It lies about 1,600 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan. (By Tang Pei-chun and Elaine Hou) ENDITEM/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan rules out cooperation with China on South China Sea issue ROC Central News Agency 2016/07/13 18:40:25 Taipei, July 13 (CNA) Taiwan has ruled out the possibility of cross-strait cooperation on the South China Sea issue after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague handed down its ruling on the disputes in the area that has been considered unfavorable to China. China's Foreign Ministry and Taiwan Affairs Office late Tuesday both made the call for Taiwan "to join hands with China in safeguarding the sovereignty of the South China Sea islands and the rights in the surrounding waters," saying that all these "have been the traditional assets of the Chinese people." "There has been no dialogue or communication between Taiwan and China on the South China Sea issue after the release of the court ruling," said Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council head Chang Hsiao-yeh () Wednesday at a legislative session. Chang, however, said but each side is trying to safeguard their rights based on their own interests. Chang's deputy, Lin Cheng-yi (), said the government "will not cooperate with China on the sovereignty issue in the South China Sea." Beijing may consider the South China Sea issue the biggest challenge to itself diplomatically, and may thus somehow ease its attitude toward Taiwan, Lin said. Cross-strait relations have been described as being in a state of "cold-peace" since President Tsai Ing-wen () has refused to compromise on the "1992 consensus" issue as requested by Beijing. The consensus, which had been adopted by the government of former President Ma Ying-jeou () in dealing with China, refers to a tacit understanding reached between the two sides that there is only one China with each side free to interpret what it means. The Hague-based arbitration court ruled Tuesday that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to resources in the South China Sea areas falling within the "nine-dash line" and that all high-tide features in the Spratly Islands, including Taiwan-controlled Taiping Island (also known as Itu Aba), are legally "rocks." In the case brought by the Philippines against China over South China Sea disputes, the court said there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or resources on the islands in the South China Sea. There is therefore no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the "nine-dash line," the court said in its ruling. The Philippines brought the case against China in the Court, arguing that the land formations claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea are not islands and therefore are not entitled to 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zones. While Taiwan is not party to the case, its claims in the South China Sea are similar to those of China, and Taiping Island was brought up in testimony during the court hearings. Both Taiwan and China have said the ruling is "unacceptable" to and non-binding on them. Six countries -- Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei -- claim part or all of the islands in the resource-rich South China Sea and their surrounding waters. (By Tang Pei-chun, Chen Chun-hua and Bear Lee) Enditem/ke NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese prosecutors have filed separate lawsuits against four senior officials suspected of graft, the Supreme People's Procuratorate announced Wednesday. Su Rong, former vice chairman of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body, is charged with taking advantage of his positions to seek benefits for others, accepting a huge amount of bribes and abuses of power which caused "great losses" to the state. Su's property and expenditure obviously exceeded his legal income, and he could not explain how he came by the money. He is also accused of holding a large amount of property with unidentified sources. Du Shanxue, former vice governor of north China's Shanxi Province, is charged with offering and taking bribes, and holding a large amount of property with unidentified sources. Sun Zhaoxue, former general manager of the state-owned Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco), is accused of accepting a huge amount in bribes and holding a large amount of property with unidentified sources. Zhao Shaolin, former member of the standing committee of the Communist Party of China Jiangsu provincial committee and secretary-general of the provincial party committee, is charged with bribing others to seek benefits for his son's business and purchasing foreign exchange through deception. U.S. Department of Defense Press Operations News Release No. NR-261-16 July 13, 2016 Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on Death of Umar Khalifa On July 9 Umar Khalifa, a known terrorist leader with the Tariq Gidar Group, was killed along with four other enemy combatants in a U.S. Forces-Afghanistan airstrike targeting Islamic State - Khorasan Province members in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Khalifa orchestrated multiple terrorist operations in Pakistan to include the January 2016 attack on Bacha Khan University, the September 2015 Badaber Air Force Base attack, and the December 2014 Peshawar school attack that resulted in the deaths of more than 130 children. While this strike was taken pursuant to U.S. rules of engagement and counter-terrorism interests, the specific relevance it has to Pakistan and Afghanistan's security underscores the common security interests shared by the United States, Afghanistan, and Pakistan on matters of terrorism. The United States maintains a robust counter-terrorism partnership with Afghanistan and Pakistan and we recognize the sacrifices made on behalf of our respective militaries to pursue terrorists for the sake of regional peace and security. Only through continued cooperation will we collectively succeed in eliminating terrorist safehavens in the region. In this regard we also recognize the importance of Pakistan's chief of army staff's recent directive to all commanders, intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies to take concrete measures against those who would attack Afghanistan. http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/836651/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Secretary General welcomes frank and open discussions in NATO-Russia Council NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 13 Jul. 2016 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the value of political dialogue following the NATO-Russia Council on Wednesday (13 July 2016). "Today we had very useful discussions. We addressed some of the most important issues on the Euro-Atlantic security agenda. This shows the value of the NATO-Russia Council," he said. The NATO-Russia Council discussed the crisis in and around Ukraine and the need to fully implement the Minsk agreements. NATO Allies made clear that they stand united in their support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "All signatories to the Minsk agreements have to stick to their commitments, and Russia has a significant responsibility in this regard," said Mr. Stoltenberg. He stressed that Russia's actions in Ukraine have undermined Euro-Atlantic security, as well as NATO-Russia relations. He added that a settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine by peaceful means would contribute to an overall improvement in the relations between NATO and Russia. Transparency and risk reduction was also a topic of discussion. NATO briefed Russia on Warsaw Summit decisions, and Russia briefed NATO Allies on their analysis and the steps they are taking. The Russian delegation also raised a proposal on air safety in the Baltic Sea. "I welcome that Russia has signalled that it wants to pursue risk reduction measures," said the Secretary General. The security situation in Afghanistan was also discussed. Mr. Stoltenberg highlighted NATO's decisions at the Warsaw Summit to sustain the Alliance's military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2016 with current troop levels and to continue funding for the Afghan security forces until 2020. The NATO Secretary General underlined that the NATO-Russia Council remains an important forum for dialogue. "There was not a meeting of the minds today. But it was an important opportunity to clarify our positions to each other," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address France to end military intervention in CAR in October: Hollande Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 6:26PM French President Francois Hollande says his country will end its military intervention in the Central African Republic (CAR) in October. "Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will go to the Central African Republic next October to officially declare the end of Operation Sangaris," Hollande said at a reception at the French Defense Ministry on Wednesday. France launched a military operation dubbed Operation Sangaris in the CAR in December 2013 in what it claimed aimed to end the bloody violence in the African country. The Central African Republic is one of several countries where the French army is engaged. The former colonial power had around 2,500 troops deployed as part of its military operation at its peak, but it progressively wound down its forces, which were reduced to 350 personnel in June. The announcement comes as France has been embroiled in charges of child sex abuses by foreign troops in the Central African Republic. The United Nations has found out several cases of child abuse by its peacekeepers as well as troops from France in the African country. The UN has peacekeeping forces known as MINUSCA, which is made up of more than 12,000 foreign police and soldiers, as well as more than 500 foreign civilian staff in the conflict-ridden country. In April, the world body announced that it had documented 108 new cases of sexual abuse committed by French troops mostly against minors, describing them as "sickening" and urging investigations that "leave no stone unturned." The CAR, one of the world's poorest countries, plunged into turmoil in late 2013, when Christian armed groups engaged in clashes with Muslims. According to the latest UN estimates, the conflict in the CAR has internally displaced 399,000 people and forced more than 460,000 to flee to neighboring countries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Sudan president pardons ex-rebels who fought govt. troops Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 5:56PM South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has granted amnesty to former rebels backing his deputy Riek Machar, who recently engaged in clashes with government forces in the capital city of Juba. In a statement released on Wednesday, Kiir said he was "granting (an) amnesty to forces who took up arms against the transitional government of national unity from the 8th to the 10th of July, with effect from July 13." Fighting between Kiir's forces and those supporting Machar, who until this year led a rebellion against the government, erupted throughout the capital on Thursday. The rivals confronted each other at a roadside checkpoint, leaving five government soldiers dead. Anti-aircraft guns, artillery, attack helicopters and tanks were used in the latest bout of violence. The warring sides, however, reached a shaky ceasefire on Monday, which has reportedly been holding until now. Machar troops leave Juba In another development on Wednesday, Machar's spokesman James Gatdet Dak said the vice president withdrew his troops to the outskirts of Juba, assuring, however, that the official was not planning for war. "We had to move away from our base (in Juba) to avoid further confrontation," the spokesman said. South Sudan death toll higher than 272: UN Meanwhile, the United Nations peacekeeping chief said the official government death toll of 272 for the fresh flare-up of violence in Juba is likely "only the tip of the iceberg." Herve Ladsous told the UN Security Council that while the truce appears to be holding, further clashes cannot be ruled out. "We remain very worried about the potential for the resumption of violence and spillover into other parts of the country, as we have seen in the past," Ladsous said. Government troops seem to be in control of Juba, but opposition forces remain around the west of the city, he added. The UN said about 42,000 people had fled their homes during the latest fighting in Juba, with 7,000 of them taking refuge at its compounds. A bloody civil war in South Sudan began in December 2013, when Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of plotting a coup against him. The two parties then got involved in a cycle of retaliatory killings that have split the impoverished country along ethnic lines. Thousands of people have been killed and more than three million forced to flee their homes in the war. Nearly five million people are in need of food to survive a famine in South Sudan. The two sides eventually signed an agreement in August last year to bring the conflict to an end. As part of the deal, Machar returned to Juba in April to take up the post of vice president in a national unity government. Despite the peace deal, battles persist across the African state. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Death toll from Kashmir clashes rises to 36 Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 5:3PM At least three dozen people are now confirmed dead following days of violent clashes between protesters and New Delhi forces over the killing of a popular rebel leader in the Indian-controlled region of Kashmir. Two injured protesters succumbed to their wounds in the Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, raising the death toll to 36 since July 8. Hospitals across the Muslim-majority region have been overwhelmed with patients. Over 1,500 people have been injured, many of them critically. Doctors at a main government hospital say they performed more eye surgeries in the last three days than they ever did in three years. Medical sources have expressed serious concern that a severe lack of blood and life-saving medicines could cause more deaths. Indian authorities on Wednesday extended a curfew in most parts of the region. Thousands of armed police and paramilitary soldiers in riot gear have been deployed to the streets of many areas, including the city of Srinagar. Clashes erupted after Burhan Wani, a top figure in the pro-independence Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) group, was killed along with two others in a shootout with Indian troops. Anti-riot troops have used live ammunition, pellet guns and tear gas to disperse the crowds and calm down the outrage over the past few days. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held an emergency meeting to discuss the intensifying violence in Kashmir. India's Minister of State Jitendra Singh said Modi has "appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to maintain calm and peace so that normality returns in the valley." Anti-India protest in Pakistani-administered Kashmir Up to 3,000 people gathered at a massive anti-India rally in Muzaffarabad, the capital of the Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, on Wednesday. Addressing the demonstration, Sayed Salahuddin, the chief of the HM, accused New Delhi of committing "genocide" in the disputed valley. "If India's occupation troops continue with the genocide of Kashmiris, then along with armed struggle we will also start a civil disobedience movement in occupied Kashmir," Salahuddin said, adding, "People on both sides will have to march and trample that bloody line that divides them." Kashmir has been at the heart of a bitter territorial dispute since India and Pakistan became independent in 1947. New Delhi and Islamabad both claim the Himalayan region in full, but rule parts of it. The two countries have fought two wars over the disputed territory. The last bout of serious violence in the scenic valley was in the summer of 2010, when more than 100 people died in anti-India protests, which broke out after police shot dead a teenager. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemeni forces fire Zelzal-3 missile at Saudi camp in Ma'rib Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 4:41PM Yemen's army and fighters of the Houthi Ansarullah movement have fired a home-made Zelzal-3 missile at a Saudi military camp in the Yemeni province of Ma'rib. Yemeni sources said the missile hit the Tadawin military camp in Yemen on Wednesday. The missile caused heavy casualties among the Saudi-backed forces and militants loyal to Yemen's resigned president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, and inflicted heavy losses on their military equipment, sources in the camp said. It is the second time in the last few days that the Yemeni forces have fired Zelzal missiles at the military camp. Late on July 9, the Yemeni forces fired a Zelzal-3 rocket at Tadawin. The rocket attacks have prevented the pro-Hadi militants from advancing in Nihm district towards the capital, Sana'a. Riyadh launched its fatal campaign against the impoverished nation of Yemen on March 26, 2015, in an attempt to bring back to power Hadi and to undermine the Houthi movement. More than 9,400 people have been killed in airstrikes conducted by Saudi Arabia ever since the campaign began. Yemenis, in return, have been carrying out retaliatory attacks on the Saudi forces deployed in the country as well as targets inside Saudi Arabia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US says China must adhere to South China Sea court ruling Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 3:26PM The United States says an international tribunal's ruling that rejected China's claim over the waters of the South China Sea should be considered final and binding. The White House urged all countries on Tuesday to adhere to the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and said it should not be a reason to raise tensions. "We certainly would urge all parties not to use this as an opportunity to engage in escalatory or provocative action," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in a briefing aboard Air Force One. On Tuesday, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that there was no legal basis for Beijing to claim historic rights to resources within much of the South China Sea. However, China immediately rejected the ruling, vowing to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty over the disputed waters. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Tuesday his country will ignore the ruling. "We won't accept any of their so-called materials, no matter what they are." China's territorial claims over the South China Sea overlap in parts with Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. Japan, which has its own territorial dispute with China in the East China Sea, said The Hague tribunal ruling on the South China Sea is final and legally binding, urging the parties in the case to comply. Beijing has repeatedly blamed Washington for stirring up tensions in the region. China frequently criticizes the US military presence in the Asia-Pacific and suspects Washington's military drills with countries in the region are part of efforts to contain Beijing. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Do not make South China Sea cradle of war: Beijing to US, allies Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 1:54PM A senior Chinese official has warned the US and its regional allies not to "turn the South China Sea into a cradle of war" after an international tribunal declared invalid Beijing's claims to the disputed waters. China's Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin issued the warning during a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday while introducing a government paper on the tribunal's findings. The remarks came a day after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled against China and sided with the Philippines in a case brought by the latter. The tribunal said China had violated the Philippines' sovereignty and caused "severe harm to the coral reef environment" by building what it called artificial islands in the contested waters. Air defense zone over contested islands The Chinese official described the ruling as waste paper, emphasizing that his country had "the right" to establish an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea. "Whether we need to set up one in the South China Sea depends on the level of threat we receive," he said, adding, "We hope other countries will not take the chance to blackmail China." In another development on Wednesday, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the South China Sea. The aircraft touched down on Mischief Reef and Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands before returning to the southern Chinese island province of Hainan from where they had taken off, the official Xinhua news agency reported. On Tuesday, Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the US (pictured below), said the ruling by The Hague-based tribunal will "certainly intensify conflicts and even confrontation." He further reiterated Beijing is still committed to dialogue with other parties to the long-running row over the South China Sea. Beijing claims nearly all of the strategically vital South China Sea which is also claimed in part by Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. The contested waters are believed to be rich in oil and gas. The dispute has at times drawn in trans-regional countries, particularly the US. China accuses the US of interfering in the regional issues and deliberately stirring up tensions in the South China Sea. Washington, in turn, accuses Beijing of carrying out what it calls a land reclamation program in the South China Sea by constructing artificial islands in the disputed areas. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese aircraft land at South China Sea airports Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 12:13PM Two Chinese civilian aircraft have landed at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the South China Sea a day after a tribunal in The Hague denied Beijing's claims to the energy-rich waters. The aircraft touched down on Mischief Reef and Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands on Wednesday before returning to the southern Chinese island province of Hainan from where they had taken off, the official Xinhua news agency said. China also said it has the right to set up an air defense zone in the area as it pledged to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty over the South China Sea. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said Beijing could declare an air defense identification zone over the waters if it felt threatened. "We hope that other countries will not take this opportunity to threaten China and work with China to protect the peace and stability of the South China Sea, and not let it become the origin of a war." China's ambassador to the US blamed the rise in tension in the region on the United States' "pivot" toward Asia in the past few years. The tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, on Tuesday rejected China's claims to the islands, which overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. China's Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin took aim at the judges on the tribunal, saying that as not one of them was Asian they could not possibly understand the issue and it was unfair of them to try. China's Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai said the arbitration case "will probably open the door of abusing arbitration procedures." In a front page commentary, the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily said, "China will take all necessary measures to protect its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests." The South China Sea waters are believed to sit atop vast reserves of oil and gas. The dispute has at times drawn in trans-regional countries, particularly the US. Beijing accuses Washington of meddling in regional issues and deliberately stirring up tensions in the South China Sea. The US, in turn, accuses China of carrying out what it calls a land reclamation program in the South China Sea by building artificial islands in the disputed areas. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Indian premier holds emergency meeting over anti-govt. protests in Kashmir Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 7:30AM Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held an emergency meeting to discuss intensifying violence in Kashmir after nearly 30 people were killed in protests over the killing of a popular rebel leader. India's Minister of State Jitendra Singh said Modi has "appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to maintain calm and peace so that normality returns in the valley." The emergency meeting was attended by ministers of home affairs, external affairs, finance, defense, along with the national security adviser and senior security officials. "Soon after returning from his four-nation tour on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister convened the high-level meeting. This is evidence that he was keeping a close tab on the situation of Jammu and Kashmir," Singh further said. He said Modi has promised to provide any assistance to the violence-hit state and hoped that innocent people should not face inconvenience. The clashes came after residents of Kashmir held a funeral for separatist Burhan Wani, the young leader of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), who was killed on July 8 along with two other people during a brief gun battle with government forces. During the past five years, Wani had become the iconic face of militancy in Kashmir, using social media to reach out to young people in the region. Wani's body was handed over to his family earlier on Saturday and the locals, who see the slain 22-year old as a hero, turned the mass funeral into a full-scale protest. According to Indian police, anti-riot troops used live ammunition, pellet guns and tear gas to disperse the crowds and calm down the outrage. Authorities have also suspended mobile networks and the internet to prevent massive demonstrations. So far, at least 28 people, most of whom teens and young men, were killed and hundreds of others sustained injuries in the clashes. One policeman has also been killed in the clashes and nearly 100 others wounded. Meanwhile, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah called on Modi in a tweet to send optometrists to Kashmir, where, according to local doctors, hundreds of young people risk losing their eyesight due to wounds from pellets fired by security forces. For the past few days, Indian authorities imposed a curfew to the whole Kashmir valley, including the major city of Srinagar to curb the protests. The protesters, however, openly defy the curfew and continue with their rallies. Kashmir, a Himalayan region known for its beautiful landscapes, lies at the heart of more than 69 years of hostility between India and Pakistan. Both neighbors claim the region in full but have partial control over it. India controls two thirds of Kashmir while the remaining one third is under the Pakistani rule. The neighbors agreed on a ceasefire in 2003, and launched a peace process the following year. Since then, there have been sporadic clashes, with both sides accusing the other of violating the ceasefire. Thousands of people have been killed in the violence in Kashmir over the past two decades. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Raytheon, Norway's Kongsberg Agree to Build Naval Strike Missiles in US Sputnik News 19:06 13.07.2016(updated 19:34 13.07.2016) US aerospace behemoth Raytheon announced on Wednesday it reached an agreement with Kongsberg Defense Systems of Norway to manufacture Naval Strike Missiles and launchers in the United States. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The two defense concerns had also worked together to manufacture the Joint Strike Missile and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, the release noted. "We will assemble the missile and launchers in the same Raytheon factories where we produce many of the world's most advanced missiles and other weapons systems," Raytheon Missile Defense Systems President Taylor Lawrence said in a press release. The Naval Strike Missile is designed to destroy sea and land targets no more than 100 nautical miles in distance, and is set for use on the US Navy's littoral combat ships. "[It is] the world's only Fifth Generation Naval Strike Missile with Land Target capabilities for the United States and our allies," Kongsberg Defense Systems President Harald Annestad stated in the release. Production of the Naval Strike Missiles in the United States will secure ramp up and sustainability, Annestad noted. Moreover, the agreement will secure jobs in both, the United States and Norway, he added. The Naval Strike Missile is outfitted with an infrared image seeker and autonomous target recognition. The missile skims just above water level to its target. The system will be manufactured primarily in the US states of Arizona and Kentucky, according to the release. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Sudan: Amid possibility of renewed fighting, UN peacekeeping chief calls for Security Council action 13 July 2016 Given the unstable security situation in South Sudan following clashes between Government and opposition forces which left some 72 people, including 33 civilians, dead, the United Nations peacekeeping chief today proposed that the UN Mission there be extended until the end of August to allow a rapid assessment on the need for a stronger mandate. "The current situation in the country remains fluid and uncertain," said Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous in his briefing to the Security Council on the activities of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), whose mandate will expire on 31 July. "The Secretary-General's recommendation for a technical roll-over of the UNMISS mandate remains valid and necessary, while we conduct an assessment of the requirements to address the situation on the ground," he said, adding that the temporary arrangement should be for one month to give the Secretariat time to do a quick assessment, consult the region and the African Union and make recommendations to the Council. He said that if the Mission needs to be reinforced, including through additional troops and more robust capabilities such as attack helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles to fulfil a "protection of civilians" mandate, it will be imperative that these reinforcements implement the same mandate as all other troops, and answer to the same chain of command. Today's meeting comes after days of heightened concern at the United Nations in the wake of the deadly clashes that erupted in and around the capital, Juba, between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those backing First Vice-President Riek Machar. Mr. Ladsous told the Council that as of this morning, humanitarian partners estimated that at least 42,000 civilians have been displaced by the fighting between the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the SPLA in Opposition. According to initial Government figures at least 272 people have been killed, including 33 civilians. "I am convinced, however, that this is only the tip of the iceberg, given alarming reports over the last few days indicating that civilians were barred from safer grounds, including UN compounds," he said. Security situation in Juba A ceasefire declared by Mr. Kiir on the evening of 11 July, and seemingly endorsed by Mr. Machar, appears to be holding in Juba, with the exception of sporadic shooting heard in parts of the city, he said, noting that the SPLA appears to be in "full control" of Juba. Reportedly, opposition forces are currently scattered around the areas of Jebel and Yei road while SPLA troops are setting up defensive positions along the Yei and Gudele road. "Further clashes, therefore, cannot be ruled out," Mr. Ladsous explained. Juba airport has reopened, and is firmly under the control of the SPLA. The UN Mine Action Service, yesterday, conducted a visual assessment of the ramp, taxiway and runway of Juba airport and did not find any shells or unexploded ordnances. UNMISS has been able to conduct limited patrolling to assess the security situation and the safety and security of personnel and assets at UN compounds, but securing freedom of movement, however, remains a challenge, with security forces limiting UNMISS's movement every step of the way, citing insecurity, he said, urging the Government to allow UNMISS and humanitarian actors freedom of movement and access to provide vital assistance to the affected civilian population. He said that some fighting has taken place outside of Juba, and the UN remains extremely worried about the potential for the resumption of violence and spill over into others parts of the country, as it has in the past. Political developments On the political front, several efforts were made by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and UNMISS chief, Ellen Margrethe Lj, and various regional and international leaders, he said. Members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) also met in an emergency session in Nairobi, Kenya, on 11 July and issued a communique condemning the violence in South Sudan, stressing accountability for the breakdown of rule of law, and demanding a revision of the UNMISS mandate to establish an intervention brigade and increase in the number of troops from the region to secure Juba, among other decisions. Following suit, the African Union Peace and Security Council also met yesterday in Kigali, Rwanda, and endorsed the IGAD communique in full. Mr. Ladsous said that late yesterday, media outlets reported that President Kiir dismissed Deputy Foreign Minister Cirino Hiteng, allegedly for his presence at the IGAD ministerial meeting in Nairobi. Mr. Hiteng was an appointee of the Former Detainees party to the peace agreement signed in August 2015. The President's unilateral dismissal of him is a breach of the peace agreement itself. "If this is a forewarning of what is yet to come, only a strong political and coordinated approach can salvage the peace process now," Mr. Ladsous said, urging the UN Security Council to urgently reconsider an arms embargo, and immediately enact additional targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders blocking the implementation of the peace accord. "While we were cautiously optimistic about the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity back in April, it is unclear now what further progress can be made under current conditions," he concluded. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN mission deplores violence, loss of life following protests in Mali's northern city of Gao 13 July 2016 Deploring the outbreak of violence that occurred yesterday in Gao, following a demonstration that turned violent, leaving four dead and many injured, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali is encouraging Government-led initiatives to better familiarize the population with the recently agreed peace deal. In a press statement, the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) called for calm, while deploring the loss of life, in Gao, which is located in Mali's restive northern region. The Mission noted that Malian authorities plan to conduct an independent and impartial investigation that will aim to shed light on the "regrettable events." The Mission said that before and during the incident, it tried to calm the situation by promoting dialogue between local authorities and protesters in order to address the concerns of various parties. This effort is ongoing, the Mission added. Further to the statement, MINUSMA encouraged any initiative in line those such as today's deployment in Gao of a strong Government delegation, which could help end possible misunderstandings and familiarize the population with the Agreement for Peace and National Reconciliation. Such actions would also help with while promote discussion on the ways and means envisaged for implementing the accord, which was signed in June. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO-Russia Council Session Does Little to Ease Tension by Luis Ramirez July 13, 2016 A meeting Wednesday of NATO and Russian ministers, billed as an opportunity to defuse tensions after the alliance's recent declaration that it was in deterrence mode on Russia, produced no "meeting of the minds," NATO's chief said. The NATO-Russia Council, set up 14 years ago to help avert crises, met in Brussels following last week's NATO summit in Warsaw, where the alliance announced it was deploying four battalions along its eastern flank in the face of Russia's more assertive, more aggressive behavior. Russia is not happy about the NATO buildup in nations that have historically been under its control, and analysts expected those tensions to dominate Wednesday's meeting. They did. "It was a useful meeting with frank and open discussions," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after Wednesday's meeting. He said Ukraine topped the agenda. "NATO allies do not and will not recognize Russia's illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea," Stoltenberg told reporters. Rare session The meeting of the council was only the second since 2014, when NATO suspended all practical civilian and military cooperation with Russia after Russian-backed forces seized parts of eastern Ukraine and Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula. Prior to that, the council had suspended formal meetings following Russia's invasion of Georgia in 2008. NATO said it continues to call on Russia to reverse its decision to recognize the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. With cooperation suspended, analysts expected little progress in resolving the impasse between Russia and NATO, but the meeting was crucial since it followed what Moscow views as a dramatic and provocative change in the alliance's posture. Russia's representative at NATO called the measures "excessive." "I would expect them to fume. I would expect a lot of angry rhetoric out of Moscow," David Shlapak, a defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, told VOA. Analysts said the decision by the United States and NATO to boost the alliance's presence in the Baltic States and Poland was necessary as Russia builds up its forces to dangerous levels, putting NATO members Estonia and Latvia in a potentially vulnerable position. War games conducted by RAND show Russian forces could currently deploy to the outskirts of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, or the Latvian capital, Riga, within 60 hours. Shlapak, who advised U.S. officials on their current Russian strategy, said NATO has very few forces postured in the region and their ability to move tanks, armored personnel carriers and heavy artillery into the region on short notice is very limited. Russia, he said, has a strong edge. "It turns into a fight of steel on the Russian side against flesh on the NATO side, and that's a very one-sided battle," Shlapak said. Call for transparency While there was little evidence that tensions were eased in Brussels on Wednesday, there was a call for both sides to play by the rules. "Everyone around the table today has a responsibility to ensure that our relations are characterized by predictability, confidence and stability," Stoltenberg said, while urging Russia to behave in a transparent manner. "Transparency and risk reduction is particularly important if we are to avoid incidents, accidents and misunderstandings." Seeking to ease tensions after a series of near misses, Russia proposed steps to reduce the risk of air collisions. Stoltenberg welcomed the gesture as something the alliance has been advocating for a long time and said the alliance would study the proposal carefully. U.S. officials and analysts deny any suggestion that the tensions, NATO's new buildup and the new deterrence posture signal the start of a new Cold War. But signs of any warming remain elusive. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Peacekeeping Chief Urges Action on South Sudan by Margaret Besheer July 13, 2016 The U.N. peacekeeping chief has urged the Security Council to take concerted action and "urgently" consider imposing an arms embargo on conflict-ridden South Sudan. Addressing the Council Wednesday, Herve Ladsous asked members, who have been reluctant to impose an arms embargo in the past, to reconsider it now, although he admitted the "the threat of one has done little to deter the parties." He also reiterated the Secretary-General's call from Monday for additional targeted sanctions on leaders and military commanders who are obstructing peace. "South Sudan's never-ending cycle of devastating violence that has wreaked havoc on its people must come to an end now," Ladsous said. Violence in the five-year-old nation resumed last Thursday, after forces affiliated with President Salva Kiir and first Vice President Riek Machar engaged in a deadly clash at a checkpoint in the capital, Juba. A tenuous cease-fire declared by Kiir and endorsed by Machar on Monday appears to be holding. Since the clashes erupted, the government says at least 272 people have been killed, including 33 civilians, but the United Nations fears the toll could be much higher. At least 36,000 civilians are also estimated to have been displaced by the recent fighting; many are sheltering at two U.N. bases and churches in the capital. Wednesday, South Sudan's newly appointed U.N. Ambassador Akuei Bona Malwal reiterated the government's explanation for the cause of the fighting, saying opposition leader Riek Machar's spokesman posted a false news story saying President Kiir had called a meeting at his presidential palace in order to "set up" Machar for arrest and possible harm. The ambassador said 21 mounted vehicles with bodyguards loyal to Machar came to the palace, accompanied by an ambulance that contained ammunition, to rescue Machar. This led to tensions between the two forces and a palace guard was killed in the chaos. Malwal said the transitional government remains committed to implementing the peace agreement. Council to consider embargo The Security Council will consider in the coming days whether to impose an arms embargo and how to respond to a regional request for more troops and equipment for the U.N. mission in South Sudan, UNMISS. France's envoy, Francois Delattre, said the council can no longer "procrastinate" and must use all the leverage at its disposal, including an embargo and targeted sanctions on those who are responsible for the violence and obstruct implementation of the peace agreement. "There is the need, immediately, to impose an arms embargo, that's long been the British position and increasingly it's becoming position of others on the council, which I welcome," British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters. But not all 15 council members are yet on board. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Tuesday that Moscow is "not completely opposed" to an arms embargo, but that "we need to consider the situation comprehensively and the arms embargo is not a magic wand, [a] recipe for averting the worst." When the idea of an embargo was first broached several months ago, some council members expressed reluctance about it because they feared it would hurt the government and favor the opposition, since it would be difficult to enforce. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Besigye Tells Supporters to Continue Fighting for Better Uganda by James Butty July 13, 2016 Ugandan opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change has urged his supporters not to give up the fight for a better Uganda. Besigye told his supporters that they are fighting to reclaim their country, and that until that is achieved there is no turning back, the Ugandan Monitor reported. Besigye, who came second in last February's presidential election, was arrested and charged with treason after he declared himself president. He was released on bail Tuesday. In issuing the bail, the judge admonished the opposition leader to refrain from acts of violence and preserve peace in the community until his case is disposed-off. George Kanyeihamba, a former justice of the Ugandan Supreme Court, said while the judge has the power to set conditions for bail, especially in the case of a treason charge, Ugandans are baffled by the restrictions which they may view as depriving Besigye of his constitutional rights. "Defiance is not an offense under our law," he said. "But if defiance means that I will not obey your unlawful order; I will not respect when you violate the constitution, then they are preventing him from doing what the constitution requires them to do, namely the right to demonstrate, the right march against unlawful orders and the brutality of the police." In effect, they are criminalizing activities which are constitutional and legitimate under the law," he said. "Most Ugandans believe that the reason he is being chased and arrested and indicted for non-existing offenses is not so much that they fear any break down of law and order but because of his popularity," Kanyeihamba said. "I think that this is what the government fears. It fears that his continuous popularity undermines their legitimacy and reminds Ugandans and the world that the elections we had in February were not free or fair, he said. Kanyeihamba said he has no confidence in the judicial system. "I am almost a one-man campaign who says that the judiciary has been compromised; that the judicial today in Uganda has been corrupted; that many judicial officers, including judges are corrupt," Kanyeihamba said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, July 14, 2016 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 12 strikes in Syria: -- Near Raqqah, a strike destroyed an ISIL front-end loader. -- Near Shadaddi, a strike destroyed an ISIL excavator. -- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed two ISIL oil wellheads. -- Near Manbij, nine strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units, destroyed 14 ISIL fighting positions and damaged two separate ISIL fighting positions. Strikes in Iraq Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 15 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government: -- Near Habbaniyah, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb. -- Near Haditha, a strike destroyed two ISIL vehicles. -- Near Hit, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL mortar systems and an ISIL mortar cache. -- Near Kisik, a strike destroyed an ISIL assembly area. -- Near Mosul, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas. -- Near Qayyarah, four strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL weapons storage facility and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL tactical vehicle, and four ISIL mortar systems and denied ISIL access to terrain. -- Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, destroyed four ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL staging area, and damaged a separate ISIL fighting position. -- Near Sinjar, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas. Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike. Part of Operation Inherent Resolve The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Marines and Mexican Navy conduct AAV Ops US Marine Corps News By Courtesy Story | July 14, 2016 U.S. Marines and the Mexican Navy ship ARM Usumacinta (A-412) conducted assault amphibious vehicle operations at Naval Base San Diego as part of the multinational exercise Rim of the Pacific, July 6, 2016. Six U.S. Marine AAVs, attached to Company B, 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, took part in the exercise. This event served as the initial certification for U.S. amphibious assault vehicles that embarked Usumacinta. "This exercise is really one of the first times that we were able to get some foreign crews familiarized with AAVs, their capabilities and limitations, and what we can offer a ground force as well as an amphibious force," said 1st Lt. Robert Plante, Company B, 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion. "This evolution promotes joint operability that can pay dividends in the future." The AAVs launched from Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in transit to the Usumacinta, moored at Naval Base San Diego. Mexican and U.S. forces worked side-by-side to safely recover the vehicles, guiding them onto the ship's ramp and into the well deck. The scenario tested the Marine combat team's versatility, while providing realistic training to the Mexican navy. "We are certifying not just the vehicles but our signalmen and our trafficmen," said Lt. Diego Galeana, ARM Usumacinta's officer in charge. "This experience for the crew and the U.S. Marines has been a unique one. Through working together we are strengthening the partnership between U.S. and Mexican forces." The Southern California portion of RIMPAC allows U.S. and partner nations to train together with sea and shore based commands. Participants will receive relevant and realistic training in amphibious operations, explosive ordnance disposal, mine warfare countermeasures, and dive operations. Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 30 to Aug. 4, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghanistan has no plans to revive talks with Taliban: Ghani's spokesman Iran Press TV Thu Jul 14, 2016 3:49PM The Afghan government says it has no plans to revive a peace process aimed at bringing the Taliban militant group to the negotiating table. Haroon Chakhansuri, the spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, said on Thursday that a four-nation group, -- made up of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and the United States -- has no plans to meet again after previous rounds of talks yielded no results. "There is no set time for another meeting of the group," the official noted. The four-country group was formed in January to help bring the Talban into dialogue with Kabul. The group has met five times since January, in Kabul and Islamabad. The meetings did not include the Taliban, which refused to join peace talks. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has repeatedly accused Islamabad of harboring Taliban leaders, an accusation that Islamabad denies. Afghanistan continues to suffer from "terrorist groups that operate from and have a support base in Pakistan," Chakhansuri said. On Thursday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria confirmed that no new meetings of the four-country group are planned, but he insisted that "Pakistan will support any effort aimed at bringing peace to Afghanistan." Pakistan mediated the first round of direct peace talks between delegates from the Afghan government and the Taliban last summer, but a planned second meeting was canceled after news broke that Taliban's founder and long-time leader Mullah Omar had died two years ago. Meanwhile, Javid Faizal, a spokesman for Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, has accused Pakistan of failing to keep promises made at earlier meetings, including ending support to the Taliban. The militants group's leaders are widely believed to be based in Pakistani cities near the border, including Quetta. There have also been growing differences among Taliban elements over the negotiations, with some vowing to fight for power instead of taking part in the talks. In late May, the Afghan Taliban's newly-appointed leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, pledged in an audio recording that the militant group will not enter into any peace talks with the government in Kabul. "No, no we will not come to any type of peace talks," the man, identified as Akhundzada, said in the recording provided by the Taliban's militant group on May 25, adding, "Taliban will never bow their heads and will not agree to peace talks." "People thought we will lay down our arms after Mullah Mansour's death, but we will continue fighting till the end," he added. Afghanistan is gripped by insecurity 15 years after the United States and its allies attacked the country as part of Washington's so-called war on terror. The war removed the Taliban from power but insecurity is still rampant in the country despite the presence of thousands of foreign troops. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippines calls on Beijing to respect tribunal ruling on South China Sea Iran Press TV Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:0AM The Philippines has called on China to respect the recent ruling by an international tribunal that dismissed Beijing's territorial claims in disputed areas in the South China Sea. In a statement on Thursday, the Philippines' Foreign Affairs Department said Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay will urge "the need for parties to respect the recent decision" by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague at an upcoming summit. The court had earlier declared that China's claims to the resource-rich and strategically vital South China Sea were baseless. "There was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the 'nine-dash line,'" the court said in reference to a 1947 demarcation line. China had said before the ruling was issued that it would not recognize it. Beijing reiterated that position after the announcement of the ruling. Yasay, the Philippine foreign affairs secretary, will be attending a two-day Asia-Europe summit known as ASEM, starting on Friday. In its Thursday statement, the Philippines' Foreign Affairs Department said Yasay will officially raise the issue at the conference. "Secretary Yasay will discuss within the context of ASEM's agenda the Philippines' peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision," the statement read. Following the ruling, which was announced on Tuesday, Manila had urged restraint and sobriety. China has warned of the prospect of intensified conflict and even military confrontation over the waters, saying, the maritime dispute should not be part of the ASEM agenda. Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou has said the meeting was "not an appropriate venue" to discuss the issue. The ASEM summit, which is to be held in Mongolia, brings together nations from Asia and Europe, including the other claimants to the sea Vietnam and Malaysia. China claims most of the energy-rich waters, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have overlapping claims. In their dispute, they are propped up by the US. Beijing accuses Washington of meddling in regional issues and deliberately stirring up tensions in the South China Sea. The US, in turn, accuses China of carrying out what it calls a land reclamation program in the South China Sea by building artificial islands in the disputed areas. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Flash China remains committed to stronger ties and closer cooperation with Britain, hoping to continue to write a new chapter for "Golden Era" of bilateral relations, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said Thursday. At the Young Icebreakers' Dinner in London, Liu said in his first speech on China-Britain relations after the Brexit Referendum, that "we respect the choice of the British people, we respect Britain's independent choice of its own development path, and we hope the UK and the EU will consult and negotiate and reach an early arrangement that is acceptable to both sides." China values its relations with Britain, and this position remains unchanged, he said. "Whether the UK is in the EU or not, we will take a strategic and long-term perspective when it comes to China-UK ties, as we always have done." "We hope that, regardless of any British domestic political changes, a positive relationship with China will continue to be the consensus for both the UK government and opposition political parties," he stressed. "We also hope that, despite any possible foreign policy adjustments here in the UK, advancing ties with China will continue to be a priority of the UK government," added the ambassador. "Given the immediate market fluctuations and uncertainties, the Chinese businesses will inevitably need to be more prudent and stay cool-headed. But in the long run, there is no way that our bilateral cooperation should be allowed to go down," Liu noted. "We are respectively the world's second and fifth largest economies. That means we have so much to offer for each other and there is huge potential for cooperation," he added. "I am confident that Britain will do all it can to strengthen its economic standing, to attract foreign investors and to keep its door open to Chinese businesses. We hope that the British side will continue to advance cooperation with China on investment and trade in an open and pragmatic manner," he said. Liu said China continues to attach importance to its cooperation with Britain on global issues. This position remains unchanged. "China and the UK are now engaged in a global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century. This is a strategic choice that our two countries have made. It is based on our respective international responsibilities and obligations," the ambassador said. "In the coming September, China will host the G20 summit in Hangzhou. We look to work with all the other member states to boost global growth and improve world economic governance. We also look to Britain's support and contribution to the summit," said the envoy. "It is also our hope that China and the UK will reinforce our cooperation on a series of global issues, including sustainable development, counter-terrorism, anti-corruption, anti-microbial resistance, etc," he said. "China and the UK, working together, have a great deal to contribute to peace and stability of the world and the sustainable development of humanity," he said. The Young Icebreakers is a leading network for young China-Britain business leaders, providing a channel to share ideas, raise awareness and promote the achievements of Chinese and British people. Kerry To Offer Russia Greater Cooperation Against Islamic State July 14, 2016 by RFE/RL U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Moscow for a visit in which he is expected to offer greater military cooperation against Islamic State (IS) militants in exchange for Russia and Syria starting a political transition to a new government. Kerry was expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during his two-day visit. Syria's civil war and the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are at the top of the agenda, along with the crisis in Ukraine. The Washington Post reported on July 13 that Kerry is carrying a major proposal from President Barack Obama regarding cooperation against IS militants and Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front. "The United States is suggesting a new military command-and-control headquarters to coordinate the air campaign that would house U.S. and Russian military officers, intelligence officials, and subject-matter experts," the newspaper said. "The proposed Joint Implementation Group would be housed near Amman, Jordan," it said. The White House said on July 14 after Kerry's arrival in Moscow that the United States is "not coordinating military operations" with Russia, but would "welcome military contribution from Russia" that focuses on IS militants and the Al-Qaeda presence in Syria. Kerry's attempts to persuade Russia to help establish a lasting settlement in Syria have been repeatedly frustrated. But he is trying once again "to try to resuscitate the cessation of hostilities," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on July 13. "We have teed up ideas to the Russians" on cooperation, he added. Kerry is answering in part Russia's long-sought request for intelligence sharing and targeting assistance for its bombing raids against IS and other extremists groups in return for Russia using its influence to end the fighting and start ushering Assad out of power. Not all signs point to a breakthrough, however. Fighting is intensifying near Aleppo, Syria's largest city, and Assad has reasserted control over areas of the country he once lost. With reporting by AP and Reuters Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/kerry -offer-russia-greater-cooperation-against-i slamic-state-al-nusra-front-al-qaeda- syria-peace-transition-assad/27857469.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rights Group: Cameroon Abuses Human Rights in Fight Against Boko Haram by VOA News July 14, 2016 Amnesty International has accused authorities in Cameroon of committing numerous human rights abuses in their crackdown on militant group Boko Haram, including the killing of dozens of civilians, torture, and arbitrary mass arrests. The human rights group said officials have detained more than 1,000 people in "horrific conditions," resulting in an average of eight deaths each month from malnutrition, disease and torture in Maroua Prison in the Far North region of the country. "In seeking to protect its population from the brutality of Boko Haram, Cameroon is pursuing the right objective; but, in arbitrarily arresting, torturing and subjecting people to enforced disappearances, the authorities are using the wrong means," said Alioune Tine, the organization's director in west and central Africa. Cameroonian officials criticized the report upon its release Thursday. Military spokesman Colonel Didier Badjeck said the country's troops are well trained to do their jobs and do not abuse the rights of anyone. Government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary described the report as biased and said Amnesty has never raised concerns for the 2,000 Cameroonians he said have died in the Boko Haram war. Amnesty is calling on the government to implement measures to end the alleged practices and allow detainees access to their families and to lawyers. Amnesty said its report was based on interviews with more than 200 people between October 2015 and July 2016. Boko Haram has killed an estimated 20,000 people since launching its insurgency in northeastern Nigeria in 2009. Fighting and violence have displaced more than 2.5 million people. Since 2013, the group has expanded its attacks to Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Last year, it pledged allegiance to Islamic State. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN agency urges heightened vigilance after H5N1 outbreaks in West and Central Africa 13 July 2016 The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) altered Western and Central African governments to be vigilant, and to continue their raised surveillance and prevention efforts after H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks were recently confirmed in chicken farms in Cameroon. "We're looking at a quickly spreading disease that has devastating effects on livelihoods in communities," said Abebe Haile Gabriel, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa, in a news release today. "H5N1 causes major losses of nutritious food and threatens farmers' livelihoods, particularly in resource-poor environments where governments have difficulty providing financial compensation for losses," he added. The agency added that the H5N1 strain of avian influenza has caused the death of tens of millions of poultry and losses of tens of billions of dollars worldwide since the virus first spread internationally in 2013. In Cameroon alone, losses have added up to an estimated $20 million, according to local media reports. The recent outbreak in Cameroon has brought the number of countries that have battled bird flu in West and Central Africa to six, also including Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Niger and Nigeria. FAO has also called on the governments to include common messaging to the public and data sharing between the public health and agriculture sectors as part of their prevention efforts. The statement further noted that a major concern is that the disease may become endemic in the entire region, particularly in Nigeria where avian influenza has become so entrenched in poultry production and marketing systems that it will be difficult to eliminate. For that reason, FAO said, producers and traders need to be made aware about the clinical signs of the disease symptoms, how and to whom to report it, and implement good hygiene practices to halt its spread. In its response to the outbreak, the agency is working closely with the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health to offer assistance such as risk assessments, contingency planning, technical advice and laboratory material. They also help with investigating potential avian influenza cases in animals and humans and locating the source of infection. In Cameroon, FAO is boosting the local veterinary services' capacity to respond rapidly to new outbreaks and is working with the government to finalize an action plan similar to effective plans applied in other countries stricken by the virus. The agency further said that it will continue to assist governments in mobilizing funds to combat H5N1, in addition to the agency's own efforts to help boost local veterinary systems, strengthen laboratories, and deploying FAO specialists to affected and at-risk countries. It added that it is seeking $20 million to support its regional response to H5N1. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Classifies Two Russians as Global Terrorists by VOA News July 13, 2016 The U.S. Department of State has named two Russians as "Specially Designated Global Terrorists," including one who officials say is responsible for deadly attacks in Moscow. Aslan Avgazarovich Byutukaev, also known as Amir Khamzat, is the Islamic State leader in Chechnya, according to the State Department. A statement said that since becoming an IS leader 13 months ago, he has planned attacks for the terrorist group. The statement also said that in November of last year, Russian special forces discovered a large bomb hidden on the side of the road in Ingushetia, thwarting an IS attack planned by Byutukaev. Byutukaev also directed a 2011 suicide bombing that killed 35 people at an airport in Russia's capital city of Moscow, officials say. Separately, the State Department said Ayrat Nasimovich Vakhitov, who goes by the name Salman Bulgarsky, has fought in Syria and recruits militants via the internet to travel to Syria. Officials say he is linked to the group Jaysh al-Muhajirin Wal Ansar. "Today's action notifies the U.S. public and the international community that Aslan Avgazarovich Byutukaev and Ayrat Nasimovich Vakhitov are actively engaged in terrorism," the State Department said. The designation prohibits Americans from interacting with the two and freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Islamic State Said to Be Shrinking in Cyberspace Too by Michael Bowman July 13, 2016 America's top diplomat for countering terrorist propaganda said Islamic State's cyber outreach has been constrained, but that its message continues to resonate with disaffected, angry, and mentally unstable Muslims. Portions of Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Richard Stengel's assessment were significantly more upbeat than those of other U.S. officials in recent weeks. "The virtual-caliphate itself is shrinking," said Stengel, testifying Wednesday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "Now we see the tide turning. "There's now six times as much anti-ISIL content as pro-ISIL content," he added, using an alternate acronym for Islamic State. Stengel helps oversee an inter-agency group that coordinates U.S. counterterrorism messaging to foreign audiences. The initiative has sought to channel non-governmental elements to fight extremist messaging, drawing on technology companies, Hollywood producers, and peaceful Muslims around the world. As an example, Stengel said, thousands of pro-terrorist Twitter handles have been removed, and YouTube and Facebook are aggressively removing extremist material. If such efforts are beginning to succeed and Islamic State's cyber platforms are shrinking, terrorist messaging still reaches eager audiences, according to Stengel. The under secretary of state called it a "misnomer" that "ISIL's messaging is so diabolically clever that they are taking nice, young Muslim boys and girls and turning them into foreign terrorist fighters." "They are tapping into an already existing market of grievance and unhappiness that is [exists] throughout the Muslim world. They are sometimes pushing on an open door," Stengel said. The committee's chairman, Republican Congressman Ed Royce of California, said Islamic State's cyber outreach remains potent. "ISIS operates a vast network of online recruiters, online propagandists," Royce said. "They use popular media sites, and through that process ISIS can reach a global audience it does this within seconds." Last week, the FBI assistant director, Michael Steinbach, told a Senate panel that Islamic State had boosted the quality and volume of its messaging. "No matter the format, the message of radicalization spreads faster than we imagined just a few years ago," Steinbach said. "The most concerning trend that we've seen in the past year when we identify these individuals online is the speed with which they mobilize." Stengel told lawmakers that Islamic State's military losses are beginning to impact the group's cyber capabilities as well. "With our success on the military battlefield, getting back almost 40 percent of the territory in Iraq that ISIL once held, we are getting rid of a lot of those people who were creating that [cyber] content," he said. Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel said that pressure must continue. "We're connected on a global scale like never before. And so much good can come of that," Engel said. "But we know it cuts both ways. This incredible tool can also be used for incredible harm." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Are Uzbek Militants In Disarray? July 14, 2016 by Bruce Pannier The actions of less than 1 percent of Central Asians are giving the entire region an odious reputation as a prime recruiting ground for Islamic extremist groups. In Syria and Iraq, for example, there have been reports and videos of Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Turkmen, and Uzbeks who have joined some extremist group there. Of all the peoples living in Central Asia today, Uzbeks are the most likely to be reported in militant groups from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Syria and Yemen. There are at least several explanations for why this is true, the most obvious being they are the largest ethnic group in Central Asia. The most notorious Central Asian militant group to date is the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which has resurfaced in the news recently, but there are also Uzbeks in the ranks of Al-Qaeda and the extremist group Islamic State (IS). RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, known locally as Ozodlik, has been looking into the current state of Uzbek militants and uncovered some interesting details about them. We'll start with the IMU. The IMU was thought to have ceased to exist as of the end of 2015. Its most recent leader, Usman Ghazi, declared an oath of allegiance to IS in the summer of 2015 and late last year led a large group of his fighters from their sanctuary in Pakistan's tribal region to the Zabul Province in southeastern Afghanistan to join a Taliban splinter group under Mansur Dadullah that was loyal to IS. The traditional Taliban of then-leader Mullah Mansur joined with local ethnic Hazara forces that had suffered at the hands of the IMU, and together they annihilated the IMU in battles in late October and early November. Nearly all the approximately 200 fighters, including Ghazi, were killed. IMU fighters in northeastern Afghanistan came under Tajik leadership -- a group called either Jamaat Ansarullah or Jundallah. Those in northwestern Afghanistan appear to have been largely absorbed by local Taliban groups. IMU Reforming? But on June 6, a statement purportedly from the IMU was released. The statement mentions Ghazi's announcement that the IMU was joining IS but later refers to many "scholars" who said IS leader "Abu Bakr Baghdadi is not a caliph of Muslims but only an Ameer [Emir] of the 'Islamic State' group." The statement says "the activities of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan did not stop," admits that its fighters were "dispersed in many faraway fields" and then later states the IMU will "stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Muslim brothers of Afghanistan." Ozodlik spoke with people who said the IMU was reforming under the leadership of former IMU leader Tohir Yuldash's son in the Fayzabad area in northeastern Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province. Tohir Yuldash was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan's tribal area in August 2009. Ozodlik spoke to someone close to Uzbekistan's Interior Ministry. Under condition of anonymity, this person said the number of IMU fighters in northern Afghanistan was likely somewhere between 60 and 100, far lower than figures given by officials in Central Asia, Afghanistan, or Russia. Asked why the Uzbek government claims there are hundreds of IMU fighters in northern Afghanistan, the source said, "To get money." They told Ozodlik that mid-level security officials in the border area know the real IMU numbers but report higher figures to keep their departments open, and people employed. Clearly, authorities in Tashkent are still concerned about events in northern Afghanistan. RFE/RL's Gandhara website recently reported Uzbek security forces were conducting cross-border raids into Afghanistan, sometimes capturing Afghans and taking them back to Uzbekistan. High Casualty Rate Further away, Uzbeks are taking part in fighting in Syria and Iraq. Ozodlik contacted sources in Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Russia to get information about those groups of Uzbeks. The vast majority of Uzbek militants in the Middle East are in Syria and most of those are in or near Raqqa. It has been reported that some are in IS but others are in extremist groups fighting against IS. Their numbers are nearly impossible to estimate, likely hundreds, possibly more than 1,000. They suffer a high casualty rate, which makes guesses at counting them even more difficult. Some are veteran fighters from the IMU but most are not. They were recruited among migrant laborers in Russia and Turkey [See Noah Tucker's work on the Registan website] and most of these, according to Ozodlik's sources, are Uzbeks from Kyrgyzstan. Ozodlik spoke with people involved in or familiar with recruitment efforts for extremist groups in Syria or Iraq. These "recruiters," or perhaps human traffickers would be a more appropriate term, are paid up to $10,000 for sending Uzbeks without military experience to extremist groups in the Middle East.An IMU veteran on the other hand, can be worth $30,000 or more to the person who successfully recruits and delivers such an experienced fighter. So Uzbek militants are out there but their numbers are small. Depictions in some media give the idea that there are many thousands of them but a more sober estimate would be somewhere around 2,000 spread out from the Arabian Peninsula to Pakistan's tribal region. Among the other Central Asian peoples, the number is even smaller. That is something worth considering when assessing security aid to the Central Asian governments, particularly to the Uzbek government. Sirojiddin Tolibov of Ozodlik contributed to this report Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/qishloq-ovozi-uzbekistan- militants-disarray-recruitment/27858308.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Despite Mass Protests, South Korea to Deploy Missile Defense Shield Sputnik News 23:30 13.07.2016(updated 00:25 14.07.2016) The South Korean government has chosen the site for a new THAAD anti-missile defense unit supplied by the United States, despite opposition from China, Russia, and South Korean citizens. Citing North Korean threats, Washington and Seoul formally agreed last Friday to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on the peninsula. On Wednesday, the South Korean government announced that the system would be placed in the southern town of Seongju, roughly 184 miles southeast of the capital. "[This will] more firmly secure the safety of our people living in two thirds of South Korea's territory while dramatically increasing the capacity to defend key state facilities like nuclear power plants and oil storages as well as the South Korea-US alliance forces," Ministry of National Defense's deputy minister for policy Yoo Jeh-seung said during a news conference. Speculation about the location led to mass protests in multiple cities, including Seongju. Nearly 5,000 people took the streets, arguing that the needs of local communities were not being addressed. The county's commissioner went on a hunger strike. The decision has caused outrage in the international community. While the US and South Korea claim the system is to defend against the DPRK in light of recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests, China maintains the THAAD violates its own strategic safety. "The US and the Republic of Korea, ignoring the clear position of other interested countries, including China, have announced the deployment of the US THAAD missile defense system in South Korea," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "The Chinese side expresses its extreme dissatisfaction and strong protest in this regard." Chinese President Xi Jinping had previously urged Seoul to "cautiously and appropriately" respond to US efforts to deploy the system on the peninsula. Russia has also condemned the move. "South Korea and our US partners are perfectly aware of Russia's position, which has been repeatedly announced by our leadership," Russian Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Timonin told Sputnik. "The stance consists in the idea that it is categorically unacceptable to deploy THAAD anti-missile complexes in South Korea because we consider it as a direct threat to our country's security." Yevgeny Serebrennikov, deputy chair of the Russian upper house's Arms Committee, stressed that Moscow will be forced to respond in kind. "We will take into consideration the decision on deployment of US missile defense in South Korea for our military planning," he said. "In cooperation with the defense ministry we will work out certain decisions on the strengthening of influence in this direction, including through deployment of missile and ground units." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Korean president advocates THAAD deployment amid protests Iran Press TV Thu Jul 14, 2016 12:54PM South Korean President Park Geun-hye has supported the deployment of the US advanced missile system Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) amid opposition from both inside and outside the country. Speaking at a National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Thursday, Park said the THAAD deployment is aimed at boosting the missile capabilities of Washington and Seoul against what she called "threats" from North Korea. "The decision has been made based on a sense of urgency to ramp up missile defense capabilities of the South Korea-US alliance in a swift manner," she said. "This is because we've judged that nothing is more important than protecting the lives and the safety of our people under the situation that the North's nuclear and missile threats have become a reality." On July 8, the United States and South Korea said they had made a final decision to deploy the THAAD missile system in the South, claiming it will only be used in defense against what they called North Korean threats. The decision has sparked opposition both in South Korea as well as outside the country. China, which shares a border with North Korea, has been voicing its opposition to the deployment of the system for months, warning it would destabilize regional security. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a press conference on Wednesday that the deployment of the THAAD missile system in South Korea jeopardizes regional stability. Russia has also opposed the plan, arguing the missile system tends to undermine stability in the region and "most negatively affect global strategic stability." The announcement of the system deployment has also angered North Korea which has threatened to take "physical action" in response to the deployment of the missile system on the Korean peninsula. Meanwhile, the deployment has sparked strong protests from local residents, including those of Seongju, where the system is scheduled to be deployed. According to the South Korean Defense Ministry, the US missile system will be deployed in the southeastern county of Seongju, located 296 kilometers southeast of the capital of Seoul, to maximize its effectiveness while minimizing any impact on residents and the environment. The ministry has also said it aims to have the system operational by the end of 2017. Washington and Seoul began intense consultations on THAAD after North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test in January, which was followed by a satellite launch and a string of test-launches of various missiles. THAAD has been designed to intercept ballistic missiles inside or just outside the atmosphere during their final phase of flight. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China commissions new guided-missile destroyer Yinchuan People's Daily Online (Global Times) 09:50, July 13, 2016 The South China Sea Fleet of the Chinese PLA Navy held on July 12 a commissioning ceremony for the new guided-missile destroyer Yinchuan (hull number 175) at a naval port in Sanya, a port city in China's island province Hainan. Zhou Xuming, deputy commander of the South China Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy attended the ceremony and presented the navy ensign and naming certificate for the new destroyer. With the hull number 175, the guided-missile destroyer Yinchuan is more than 150 meters long and about 20 meters wide. It is the PLA Navy's most advanced guided-missile destroyer in active service developed and built by China independently, and has stronger regional air defense and maritime combat capabilities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Air defense zone called option People's Daily Online (China Daily) 14:33, July 14, 2016 It will depend on 'level of threat' from others, senior diplomat says China could set up an air defense identification zone over the South China Sea if it felt threatened, a senior diplomat said on Wednesday amid rising maritime tensions caused by the Philippines' arbitration case. The declaration of such a zone, which would require aircraft entering the zone to identify themselves to the military, will depend on "the level of threat we receive", said Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin. "If our security is being threatened, of course we have the right to demarcate a zone. This would depend on our overall assessment," Liu said, adding that other countries should not "take this opportunity to threaten China" and not "let it become the origin of a war". "China's aim is to turn the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation," he added. Liu made the remarks at a news conference during which a white paper was released by the State Council Information Office. The five-chapter white paper elaborated on China's policy of adhering to "the position of settling through negotiation the disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea". The core of the disputes between China and the Philippines lies in territorial issues caused by the Philippines' invasion and illegal occupation of some islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands, the white paper says. Liu accused the five judges of the temporary Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague, which announced its ruling in the case on Tuesday, of "making money from the Philippines", adding that "maybe other people gave them money, too". The tribunal, which ruled that China has no "historic title" over the South China Sea, has no jurisdiction over sovereignty issues, Liu said. A Japanese former president of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Shunji Yanai, "manipulated the entire proceedings" from behind the scenes, Liu added. The diplomat also questioned whether the five judges, four from EU countries and the Ghanaian chairman, a longtime resident of Europe, could understand the complex geographic politics of Asia. "I hope you put this (arbitral) decision in the wastepaper basket, or on the bookshelf, or filing cabinet and keep it there," Liu told reporters. China hopes that the Philippines' new government, led by President Rodrigo Duterte, will not use the arbitration results, Liu said. He added that China is willing to negotiate with its South China Sea neighbors on jointly exploiting oil and gas resources in the waters. Guo Weimin, vice-minister of the State Council Information Office, China's top international publicity authority, said during the news conference that Chinese deem the South China Sea as their "ancestors' sea", where arbitration "could not make a wave". Wang Chong, deputy secretary-general of the think tank Charhar Institute, said negotiation is the most feasible and effective way to deal with maritime disputes now. The talks must be held directly between China and the Philippines, without meddling from other countries, including the United States, he added. Apart from making political and diplomatic efforts, China should also keep high military alert in the South China Sea in case of emergencies, said Wang Yusheng, executive director of the Strategy Research Center at the China International Studies Research Fund, a government think tank. Meanwhile, the Japanese Coast Guard and Philippine Coast Guard started a joint military exercise on Wednesday in the waters off Manila Bay of the Philippines. They said the exercise aims to enhance the capabilities of both countries' coast guards. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address You are here: Home Flash President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China will not change its policy of support for European integration and is glad to see a prosperous and stable EU as well as a prosperous and stable Britain. Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd R, front) meets with European Council President Donald Tusk (3rd L, front) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (2nd L, front) in Beijing, capital of China, July 12, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] Xi made the remarks when meeting with visiting European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in central Beijing. China hopes European countries will actively participate in the Belt and Road initiative, Xi said, with better docking of development strategies and mutual learning. Xi also called on China and the EU to enhance coordination and collaboration under the G20, IMF and other multilateral frameworks. China hopes the EU will carry out its obligations on Article 15 of the protocol on China's accession to the WTO as scheduled, he said. In addition, Xi urged both sides to work for the success of the 2016 G20 summit, scheduled for Sept. 4-5 in China's Hangzhou. The EU leaders said the EU side will cooperate with China in a wide range of areas to contribute more to world peace, security and prosperity. Britain's exit from the EU will not affect EU-China relations, they said. The EU wants to remain China's largest trading partner, they said, and both sides can do more in innovation, the environment, digital economy, green growth and other fields. The EU will work to fulfill its obligations to the WTO, they said. Earlier on Tuesday, Premier Li Keqiang co-chaired the 18th China-EU summit with the two EU leaders. Li said China wants a high-level investment agreement at an early date and a feasibility study on a China-EU FTA. Li called on both sides to enhance cooperation in infrastructure construction, 5G, network security, maritime sectors and people-to-people exchanges. Both sides exchanged views on climate change, global development and other affairs of shared interest. The EU leaders expressed condolences to the two Chinese UN peacekeepers killed in South Sudan. China-made 3,000-ton frigate exported to North Africa People's Daily Online By Huang Jin (People's Daily Online) 15:31, July 14, 2016 A frigate designed and manufactured by China Shipbuilding Industry Group was officially delivered to the customer on July 12. So far, three ships from the project have all been successfully delivered. The frigate was the third combat ship constructed for a North African country. The first two were delivered respectively on August 15, 2014 and January 26, 2016. The frigate is 120 meters in length, with a full load displacement of about 3,000 tons. Compared to previous exported military ships, the new frigate has increased tonnage and more interior space. The shipbuilding company applied new standards during the research and development phase, and new installation techniques and equipment were also used during construction. The frigate is designed not only to meet the demands of coastal defense, but also to carry out long-range combat missions at sea. The frigate has set several news records in tonnage, fire and combat capability for exported Chinese military ships. These advances reflect the maturation of China's shipbuilding industry, including electronic weapons system capabilities that have reached international levels. From all appearances, the successful construction of this latest frigate is only the beginning of China's expanded influence in military ship trade around the world. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USSTRATCOM Detects, Tracks North Korean Missile Launch U.S. Strategic Command Public Affairs 7/11/2016 U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) systems detected and tracked what we assess was a North Korean submarine missile launch at 9:28 p.m. CDT, July 8, 2016. The launch of a presumed KN-11 submarine-launched ballistic missile occurred off the coast of Sinpo. The missile was tracked over the Sea of Japan, where initial indications are it fell. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America. The men and women of USSTRATCOM, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Pacific Command remain vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and are fully committed to working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to maintain security. USSTRATCOM's mission is to conduct global operations in synchronization with other combatant commands and appropriate U.S. government agencies to detect, deter and prevent strategic attacks against the U.S., its allies, and partners, and to be prepared to deliver warfighting capability to defend the nation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Should Be Sternly Judged as Heinous War Criminal State, Human Rights Abuser: Spokesman for DPRK FM Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS) Pyongyang, July 13 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPR of Korea gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA on Wednesday as regards the announcement of an official report in UK on unreasonable Iraqi war: At the end of its seven-year survey, the committee for the probe into the truth about the Iraqi war, organized by the UK government in 2009, announced a report concluding that the Iraqi war ignited by the U.S. in 2003 was illegal and unreasonable. The report noted that the U.S. allegation about Iraq's "production of biochemical weapons" and the "threat of its WMDs", a direct motive of the war, was totally groundless and the Iraqi war was launched despite the opposition of the most member nations of the UN Security Council. As the UK officially admitted the illegality of the Iraqi war which was unleashed by the U.S. fabrication called "threat of WMDs", it was proved once again that the U.S. is, indeed, the root cause of state terrorism, human rights violations and all misfortune in the world. The U.S. can never evade the blame for the massacre of many innocent Iraqi civilians, chaos in Iraq and the international security threats such as Islamic extremism, terrorism and refugee crisis in the Mideast region. The U.S. should be sternly judged by mankind as a heinous war criminal state and human rights abuser as it unhesitatingly hatched mean plots and perpetrated war of aggression in a bid to realize its ambition for domination. Nevertheless, the U.S., styling itself an "international judge", is more undisguisedly committing interference in internal affairs of other countries and encroachment upon their sovereignty like a thief crying "stop thief!" Recently, the U.S. dared take issue with the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK while talking about the "human rights issue", not content with resorting to the moves against it. This is the worst crime which can never be pardoned. All facts clearly prove that the only way of defending the sovereignty of the country and nation is to bolster up one's own strength and how just the DPRK was when it decided to have the strongest military muscle for self-defense as now. We will in the future, too, bolster up the war deterrent with the nuclear force as a pivot as firm as a rock and thus resolutely shatter the unheard-of vicious hostile acts and new war moves of the U.S. against the DPRK and firmly defend peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in the region. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address French Aircraft Carrier to Return to Anti-Daesh Mission in Persian Gulf Sputnik News 00:01 14.07.2016 French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will return to its mission to combat Daesh in Persian Gulf, French President Francois Hollande said Wednesday. PARIS (Sputnik) French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will return to its mission to combat Daesh terrorist group in Persian Gulf, after undergoing technical maintenance in France, French President Francois Hollande said Wednesday. The head of the country added, that France will boost its assistance to the Iraqi army in the fight for freeing Mosul from terrorists in northern Iraq by sending military instructors to the country. In 2015, the French aircraft carrier was deployed to the Persian Gulf to back military operations against Daesh militants, outlawed in Russia and numerous other countries. In spring of 2016 it returned to Toulon in southern France, where it underwent technical maintenance. Iraqi forces are carrying out operations in Nineveh in preparation for an assault on Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city that has been under Daesh control since 2014. The US-led coalition of more than 60 nations, including France, has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria and Iraq since the summer of 2014. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Nuclear Deal, a test for US global credibility IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, July 13, IRNA -- A year after Iran and the world six major powers' landmark nuclear deal - known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - which was expected to ease economic restrictions on Tehran, the Iranians still have difficulties to do business with the world, what they see largely due to the US failure to fulfill its promises. After two years of negotiations, Iran and the P5+1 the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany finally clinched a deal on July 14, 2015, putting an end to a 12-year old dispute over Iran's nuclear program. Under the terms of the agreement, Iran would redesign, convert and reduce its nuclear facilities in exchange for lifting all nuclear-related economic sanctions on the country, freeing up tens of billions of dollars in oil revenue and frozen assets. With the completion of the nuclear deal with Iran and the opening of its market, European companies expected a trade bonanza. Different delegations rushed to Iran one after another in order not to be left behind by their rivals in the Iranian market. Germany's Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel was the first top European official to visit Iran at the head of a large economic delegation in the wake of the nuclear deal. The Implementation Day for the accord came on January 16, 2016 after the International Atomic Energy Agency certified that Iran had met provisions of the nuclear deal, a move that cleared the way for Tehran to get relief from international nuclear-related sanctions. Later, in several other reports the IAEA confirmed Iran's commitment to its promises. But a year after the lifting of a number of sanctions against Iran, there is growing frustration among European politicians, diplomats and businessmen over their inability to fulfill dozens of energy, aviation and development deals they signed with the Iranians. The main obstacle, the Europeans say, is their ally and the influential member of the nuclear talks, the United States. US authorities continue blacklisting a number of Iranian banks and companies in the post-JCPOA era and act in a way which made Tehran to call on Washington to do more to remove obstacles from banking sector so that foreign companies could invest in Iran with no fear of the US penalties. Europeans also pointed to the new American visa regulations put into force on January 21, 2016, that made it more difficult for them to enter the United States if they have traveled to Iran. Those financial and travel restrictions, they say, make it nearly impossible to reach agreements with their Iranian counterparts. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the new visa regulations could serve as a de facto new sanction on Iran, in violation of the nuclear deal. He also said Tehran could declare the visa rules a breach of the agreement. "We want the United States to implement its commitments [to the nuclear deal] in a way that Iran benefits from this deal in practice," Zarif told reporters on the sidelines of a UN visit in April. Above all, the quality of US commitment to its promises under Iran nuclear deal has become a test for US global credibility. Speaking after meeting his Iranian counterpart in Oslo last month, US Secretary of State John Kerry said, 'I feel that it is important for us if we're going to have future dealings (with Iran) or we want to have a reputation for good faith in negotiations we conduct anywhere. It's important for us to show good faith in executing this agreement and I intend to see to it that we do that.' Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly warned that the US government should not be trusted. Addressing a meeting with the heads of the three branches of government, the Leader said it is a misconception that the Islamic Republic of Iran can come to terms with the US. 'We cannot rely on illusions,' the Leader stressed noting that, 'Washington's problem with Iran is the very existence of the Islamic Republic' that cannot be negotiated. "Whoever trusts in the United States is committing a big mistake and will be hit with a slap by them," he said in a televised address last month. "First they enter with a smile and (soft) language but later in practice they will not do what they should do and will not keep their commitment." In March, presumptive Republican candidate Donald J. Trump said, "My number one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran." Ayatollah Khamenei responded in June, by warning that if the next US president tears up the nuclear deal, Iran will "set fire to it." 'We do not violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but if the opposite side violates it as the US presidential candidates are threatening to rip it apart, we will burn it if they tear it out,' Ayatollah Khamenei said. Author: Ahmad Mohammadi Editor: F. Safaei 9341**1394 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran can fully restore nuclear program if JCPOA violated: Rouhani Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 10:12AM President Hassan Rouhani says Iran can restore all those aspects of its nuclear program that it has agreed to limit under a deal with six world powers if the agreement is violated by those countries. Speaking at a ceremony in Tehran Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the deal, Rouhani said Iran will remain committed to the accord but will also be able to quickly return the nuclear program to any desired level if the agreement is violated. The accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was reached between Iran and the the US, Britain, Russia, France, China, and the Germany known as the P5+1 on July 14, 2015 following some 23 months of intensive talks. Under the deal, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program and provide enhanced access to international atomic monitors in return for the termination of all nuclear-related sanctions against the Islamic Republic. "If, some day, the P5+1 refuses [to fulfill] its commitments, we will be completely prepared, and, in terms of nuclear capabilities, we are at such a level so as to be able to reach our desired stage in a short period of time," Rouhani said. The JCPOA, the president said, "is beneficial to all countries, and to global peace, security, stability, and development, and its violation will be to everyone's detriment." "Anyone that initiates the violation of the deal will be the loser on the international arena," he added. The president said everyone should make efforts "toward the implementation and consolidation of the JCPOA and toward benefiting from it in general." Suggesting that July 14, the day when the deal was signed, be called the "Day of Interaction with the World," President Rouhani said the JCPOA proved Iran's might. "On this day, the Islamic Republic of Iran proved to the entire world that it has such competence and proficiency in political, technical and legal issues as well as in logic that it can negotiate with big powers to resolve a complex international issue and adequately defend the Iranian nation's rights." President Rouhani went on to enumerate the benefits of the JCPOA for Iran, and thanked those involved in the negotiations that led to the deal, including negotiators. The president praised the "new atmosphere" created by the accord, saying it can lead to "better economic, defense, and technological activity" for Iran. "In some fields, including banking, we still haven't reached the expected level, although good steps have been taken in this regard and some connections have been made with big international banks," he said. Rouhani said one such benefit was that the threat of military invasion against Iran was removed as the nuclear pretext for such an invasion was proven hollow. It was also made clear that Iran has never been and will never be seeking to obtain nuclear weapons, and "what mattered to us was capabilities in enrichment as a technical and scientific issue," he added. "Negotiationsmade it clear that nuclear activities and enrichment are Iran's inalienable rights," Rouhani said, adding thanks to the JCPOA, sanctions on arms sales have also been lifted and Iran can upgrade its defensive and military might. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran missile program serves national interests, will not be ditched: Iran official Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 9:46AM A senior Iranian official says the Islamic Republic's missile program serves the country's national interests and will not be abandoned. Speaking to reporters in Tehran Wednesday, Hamid Ba'eedinejad said Iran's missile program is defined in completely defensive terms, dismissing recent opposition expressed by the UN and the West. "We cannot set the country's national interests based on others' viewpoints," Ba'eedinejad told reporters on the eve of the first anniversary of a nuclear accord reached between Iran and other countries. His remarks were apparently aimed at a report by UN chief Ban Ki-Moon last week, claiming that Iran's missile tests were not in the spirit of the country's landmark nuclear deal with world powers. "The foreign opponents of Iran's missile program should not expect Iran to quit its defensive and security interests. Iran's missile program is no threat against" regional and other countries, Ba'eedinejad said. In his first six-monthly report to the Security Council on implementation of a UN resolution endorsing the landmark deal, Ban called on Iran to stop conducting ballistic missile launches. Ba'eedinejad said Ban's draft report on the resolution is "highly imbalanced," expressing hope that the version of the report to be officially published will be "balanced and comprehensive." The senior negotiator at the nuclear talks also said the agreement with the so-called P5+1 group of countries is holding a year after it was agreed but more needs to be done to ensure its full implementation. "The total process has been relatively satisfactory despite the difficulties that we see in the implementation," he said. "We believe that the deal has not been violated so far and efforts continue to resolve the remaining issues," Ba'eedinejad added. The deal between Iran and Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States envisages Tehran scaling back its nuclear program in return for the lifting of all nuclear-related sanctions. However, months after the accord went into effect in January, the US and EU maintain some sanctions on Iran, driving off companies from resuming trade with the country. European banks have also balked at the idea of resuming transaction with Iran, fearing punitive US measures. US Republicans, meanwhile, are pushing through three anti-Iran bills in Congress which seek to wreck the nuclear agreement. Ba'eedinejad said Iran "had more expectations on the removal of economic, banking and financial restrictions, but despite all these deficiencies there is a feeling of hope inside our country to remove these obstacles" through more talks. "We will not agree to anything less than the full implementation of the JCPOA," he said, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as the nuclear agreement is officially called. The agreement caused "great optimism" in Iran on "unrelated issues", Ba'eedinejad said, but those expectations are "fortunately being balanced and adjusted to reality." Ba'eedinejad expressed hope that "with negotiations and consultations, the likelihood exists for the resolution of the problems." He said the joint commission on the JCPOA which monitors the implementation of the deal will convene in Vienna next week with the participation of Iranian and P5+1 representatives. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia confirms Iran commitment to JCPOA Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 5:38AM Russia has verified Iran's commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement signed between Iran and six world powers last year. Sergei Ryabkov, a Russian deputy foreign minister and a chief negotiator at the talks that led to the deal, made the remarks in a meeting with Iran's Ambassador to Moscow Mahdi Sanayi on Tuesday. "While referring to Iran's commitment in fulfilling its JCPOA commitments, the Russian deputy foreign minister said, 'Moscow would also lend its support to other parties' fulfillment of their obligations,'" the Iranian Embassy in Moscow said in a press release. Ryabkov's remarks come even as certain Western parties have accused Iran of having violated the spirit of the JCPOA and a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution that endorsed it by engaging in developing and testing missiles. Resolution 2231 was adopted on July 20, 2015 to endorse the JCPOA, which was itself signed six days before. The accusations against Iran come despite the fact that Resolution 2231 puts no limits on Iran in terms of missile activities, and merely "calls upon" Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles "designed to be capable of" delivering nuclear weapons. Iran says it is involved in no such missile work and has no such weapons. Under the JCPOA, Iran has in fact limited its nuclear program and provided enhanced access to international atomic monitors. The other sides have in return committed to terminating all nuclear-related sanctions imposed by the United States, the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) against Iran. During the Tuesday meeting, Sanayi, for his part, called Russia's cooperation with Iran in the fulfillment of the JCPOA obligations valuable and constructive. Moscow played an instrumental role in the negotiations leading to the agreement and the implementation of the deal. Ryabkov and Sanayi also expressed satisfaction with the increased level of cooperation between Iran and Russia in the wake of the implementation of the JCPOA. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kurdish Rebels, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Renew Decades-old Conflict by Sirwan Kajjo, Mehdi Jedinia July 13, 2016 Kurdish rebels have been clashing with Iran's Revolutionary Guard since mid-June in an area along the Iran-Iraq border, according to Iran's state TV. Videos on social media also allegedly show Iran shelling positions held by Kurdish rebels. The fighting, near Oshnavieh, in northern Iran, between the two sides has resulted in the deaths of at least seven Iranian soldiers and a dozen Kurdish rebels, according to the Iranian government. The number of causalities for either side could not be confirmed. Kurdish fighters, affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), said they are fighting to force the Iranian government to acknowledge the rights of the Kurdish minority in the country. Ethnic Kurds make up nearly 9 percent of Iran's 80 million population. They are largely Sunni Muslims, but their political parties have secular tendencies. Fighting 'terrorists' Tehran said the Iranian army is fighting "terrorists" who plan to destabilize the country. It has accused regional powers of providing financial assistance to the Kurdish rebels. However, Kurdish officials say it was the Iranian military that began the campaign in the Kurdish region. "We haven't started the fight," Miro Aliyar, a leading figure of the KDPI, told VOA. "We are in a defensive position. But we will not let the mullah regime abuse the Kurdish population on a daily basis." The Iranian Kurdish rebellion against the government isn't new. Several Kurdish groups, including those with ties to the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), have launched military operations against the state. Analysts say the ongoing conflict between the Iranian government and Kurdish rebels is anything but local. The majority of Iranian Kurdish fighters have been based in Iraq's Kurdistan Region for years. But with the resumption of the conflict, some have returned to the border areas between Iraq and Iran. In the early 1990s, Iraqi Kurdish groups reached an agreement with Iranian Kurdish groups that they would stop their armed struggle in return for safe refuge in Iraq. The agreement was valid until early this year, when the KDPI announced a military operation against Iranian forces. Iraqi Kurdish officials are concerned the conflict may damage their relations with Tehran. "This will affect us [Iraqi Kurds] directly," said Nazim Dabagh, the Iraqi Kurdistan Region representative to Tehran. Dabagh told VOA in a telephone interview: "We have told our Iranian Kurdish brothers that armed struggle won't solve their problems with Iran." Commercial, political relations The Kurdish region of Iraq has maintained solid commercial and political relations with Iran. Consequently, Iran has been supportive of the Iraqi Kurds in their fight against the Islamic State militants since the group's rise in 2014. "We have built a successful experience in Iraqi Kurdistan," Dabagh told VOA. "We can't jeopardize it by antagonizing our neighboring countries." In a bid to keep the situation under control, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reached out to local Kurds for cooperation, said local reporter Ahmad Hedayati, who recently met with Jaafar Ghafarian, the deputy head of IRGC in the Kurdish town of Sarvabad. The IRGC has also allocated money for programs focused on young Kurds to deter them from joining Kurdish rebels, according to local news reports. "This is a very extreme shift in IRGC's outreach [in the Kurdish region]," said Zana Bashmaqi, a local journalist in the city of Sanandaj. "It seems that they are moving from military confrontation with Kurds to cultural ties with them." Emboldened by Kurdish gains in Syria and Iraq, Iranian Kurds say the time has come for them to get political and cultural recognition from Tehran. "Any Kurdish victory, whether in Syria or Iraq, has its positive impact on other Kurds throughout the region," Aliyar, of the KPDI, told VOA. Iranian Kurdish rebels have called on local residents in Kurdish-majority areas to begin a series of public strikes. This coincides with the 27th anniversary of Abdulrahman Ghassemlou's death, a Kurdish leader whose followers have accused the Iranian government of his assassination. "Our goal is to start a popular movement that is a combination of political activism and military campaign in Iranian Kurdistan," Rostam Jahangir, another KDPI official, recently told VOA. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address One Year After Iran Nuclear Deal, Sides Remain Compliant but Wary by Chris Hannas July 14, 2016 One year ago, exhausted diplomats from Iran and a group of six world powers emerged from a meeting at a luxury hotel in Vienna, Austria with what they had been seeking for nearly two years: a comprehensive agreement limiting Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting harsh economic sanctions. Today, the pact is in effect with clear results on its major components, but there are lingering suspicions on both sides that the other may take advantage and not live up to its responsibilities. "We need to continue to work and we will continue to work and we have a specially designated ambassador whose day-to-day effort is leading a team to make sure that this deal continues to be lived up to, that we continue to be able to resolve any problems," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday. President Barack Obama called the pact a success, saying, "All of Iran's pathways to a nuclear weapon remain closed." He said the deal, implemented in January, has pushed the time frame for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon if it violated the agreement from two or three months to "about a year." But U.S. opponents of the deal a year ago have not changed their view, that it would not force to Iran to end its military activities in the Mideast or ultimately block it from developing a nuclear weapon. Senator James Risch, an Idaho Republican, told a congressional panel, "It is a much worse deal today," adding that "Iran is continuing to do the wrong thing," such as carrying out ballistic missile tests. Risch said the U.S. would have to enforce the pact on its own, declaring that the other five nations who agreed to the deal -- Britain, China, France, Russia and Russia -- "aren't going to help us." Negotiations The negotiations sprang out of Western fears dating back to 2002 that Iran was working to develop nuclear weapons, which the Iranian government repeatedly denied. There were United Nations sanctions and others imposed by the United States and European Union to pressure Iran into abandoning any nuclear arms ambitions. Iran kept up its nuclear activity, largely focused on enriching uranium, while the sanctions badly hurt its economy. The talks hit a breakthrough point in late 2013 when Iran and the group that included the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany reached an interim agreement with some limits on Iran's nuclear activity and the easing of some sanctions. They gave themselves until the middle of 2014 to come to a comprehensive deal, but like with much of the negotiation process, the talks hit roadblocks and missed multiple deadlines. An intense final set of meetings over the course of three weeks in Vienna finally clinched the deal. Praise EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini praised the agreement as a path to "a new chapter in international relations" that uses diplomacy to overcome decades of tensions. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that while the pact was not perfect, it was an important achievement and represented a foundation for a new diplomatic beginning. Iran removed thousands of centrifuges that had been used to enrich uranium and shipped out the majority of its existing stockpile. World powers lifted their sanctions, unlocking billions of dollars for Iran and paving the way for new business opportunities there. Last month, U.S. aerospace giant Boeing announced a tentative deal to sell 100 jets to Iran's state-owned airline. Throughout the past 12 months, however, officials on both sides, particularly from Iran and the U.S., have spoken about the deal with comments that range from suspicion to outright rejection. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that if the world powers fail to meet their responsibilities, then Iran stands ready to restore its nuclear program. Meanwhile, some members of the U.S. Congress want to ban the United States from purchasing nuclear-related material from Iran, accuse the Obama administration of giving up too much too soon in the negotiations, and are wary about how Iran is spending its newly unlocked money. Iran has complained that despite the lifting of sanctions that once barred financial institutions from doing business with the country, foreign banks remain reluctant to be involved in transactions. Agreement The agreement spells out a 10-year limit on Iran's centrifuges, a 15-year limit on how much it can enrich uranium and a 25-year period for U.N. inspectors to have access to its nuclear facilities, all pushing its major effects beyond certain changes in leadership among the nations involved in the negotiations. The United States and nuclear experts point to the main result, extending the timeline under which Iran could rush to build a nuclear bomb. "Fundamentally, I think the world can take pride in the fact that this multilateral complicated negotiation has produced a result that makes the region less volatile and makes the world itself safer in terms of nuclear proliferation," Kerry said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Flash Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for reciprocal opening-up and improved trade and investment liberalization and facilitation between China and the European Union at the 11th China-EU Business Summit in Beijing on Wednesday. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker attend the 11th EU-China Business Summit in Beijing, capital of China, July 13, 2016. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Addressing the meeting, Li said China and Europe can offer more opportunities to each other against the backdrop of a sluggish global economic recovery. He suggested the two sides implement the China-EU 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation to better align their development strategies, and that they should "properly deal with" trade disputes, oppose trade barriers and speed up negotiations on a China-EU investment treaty. He encouraged European companies to invest more in China's advanced manufacturing, service industry and the central and western parts of the country, and promised that foreign companies registered in China will enjoy the same treatment as Chinese companies. China will continue to reform its foreign investment management system and gradually build up the management system for pre-establishment national treatment plus a negative list, according to the premier. Li said China would continue to ease market access, enhance intellectual property protection, guarantee the legitimate rights of all types of enterprises, and be committed to creating a fair, transparent and expectable investment environment. He also called on China and Europe to cooperate more in finance, innovation and infrastructure connections. China has the ability to hit its targets in economic and social development in this year, which will also bring more opportunities for European business, said the premier. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said at the business summit that the EU was willing to enhance its partnership with China and accelerate negotiations on the EU-China investment treaty. Li and Juncker also attended a signing ceremony of cooperation projects under the China-EU urbanization partnership and witnessed the signing of 12 cooperative documents. Before the summit, Li held talks with Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk. The two sides exchanged views on European integration, China-EU economic and trade ties, the EU's fulfillment of its obligations on Article 15 of the protocol on China's accession to the WTO, as well as international and regional issues of common concern. China hopes the EU will carry out its obligations on Article 15 of the protocol on China's accession to the WTO as scheduled, said Li. He also suggested the establishment of a special mechanism between China and the EU for in-depth discussion on steel trading. US Extends Sanctions Against Individuals Supporting Iran's Missile Program Sputnik News 15:49 13.07.2016(updated 16:05 13.07.2016) According to a notice by the US Industry and Security Bureau, United States has extended the January 7 order, which denied export privileges to 15 individuals and entities involved in supporting Iran's missile program. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The United States has extended the January 7 order, which denied export privileges to 15 individuals and entities involved in supporting Iran's missile program, according to a notice by the US Industry and Security Bureau released on Wednesday. "Renewal of the TDO [Temporary Denial Order] is necessary in the public interest to prevent an imminent violation of the EAR [Export Administration Regulations]," the notice stated. The sanctioned companies include Iranian Mahan Airways, French Kerman Aviation, British Skyco, Jordanian Al Naser Airlines and Sky Blue Bird Group from the United Arab Emirates, among others. The US Department of the Treasury designated Mahan Air in 2011, alleging that the company provided support to a special forces unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the Quds Force, and facilitated arms and funds shipments. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi premier demands unity amid calls for demonstrations Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 9:56AM Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has called for unity among all Iraqi factions to preserve military gains on the ground against the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group. Abadi's office, in a statement released on Tuesday, announced that the Iraqi army's achievements, among them the takeover of the strategic western city of Fallujah, must be praised and political parties should rather focus on the campaign against Daesh extremists instead of holding anti-government protests. He added that the Baghdad government is resolute to fulfill its pledge to enact anti-corruption reforms, stressing that public demands cannot be met through "chaos and vandalism." The statement came as prominent Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has called for nationwide protests next Friday over the deteriorating security situation and rampant corruption in the country. In late April, hundreds of outraged protesters broke into the restricted Green Zone of the capital, Baghdad, to demand government reforms amid allegations of corruption. The protests broke out after lawmakers failed to approve new ministers proposed earlier by the Iraqi prime minister in a number of consecutive parliamentary sessions. Security has also been scarce in Iraq, particularly in the capital, Baghdad, where bomb attacks have become a routine. On Wednesday, a car bomb attack killed at least seven people and injured 11 others at an area to the north of the Iraqi capital. An attack on the same area had killed 25 people a day earlier. In a deadly attack on July 3, nearly 300 people lost their lives after a bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle at a shopping district in the Iraqi capital's Karrada neighborhood. Daesh claimed responsibility for that assault. The fresh wave of violence in Baghdad prompted Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to sack a number of high-ranking officials responsible for security in the capital, including the head of the Baghdad Operations Command. The crisis in Iraq's political scene comes at a critical juncture as government forces, backed by fighters from allied Popular Mobilization units, are fighting to win back swathes of land that Daesh terrorists have overrun in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Report: Hard-to-Kill Islamic State Commander Finally Dead by Jeff Seldin July 13, 2016 A key Islamic State terror group commander known for his brutally effective tactics and for surviving numerous attempts to kill him has died in battle, according to an IS-linked media organization. The Aamaq News Agency said Wednesday that Abu Omar al-Shishani, also known as "Omar the Chechen," was killed in the town of Shirqat while trying to "halt the military campaign" against the self-declared caliphate's Iraqi capital of Mosul. U.S. and coalition forces had targeted Shishani numerous times, including in an airstrike on March 4 in al-Shaddadi, Syria. "It's our assessment that that was a successful strike and that he was killed in that strike," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said at the time. Until now, IS repeatedly denied claims Shishani had been killed. Pentagon officials said they were aware of the Aamaq report of Shishani's death in Shirqat, but that they could neither confirm nor deny it. Previous claims "He's been reported dead nine times now, but this might be the one," said Patrick Skinner, a former intelligence officer now with the Soufan Group, a New York organization that provides strategic security intelligence services to governments and multinational organizations. "Shirqat is key to Mosul, and Shishani is a tactical commander," Skinner said. "It would make sense Shishani would be where the fighting was." Shirqat is about 100 kilometers south of Mosul and is within about 35 kilometers of Qayyarah. Iraqi security forces, backed by U.S. air power, began advancing on the area late last month and just days ago seized the key Qayyarah West airbase. During a visit to Baghdad on Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he was sending an additional 560 troops to Iraq, in part to help turn the base into a logistics and air hub for the assault on Mosul. Pentagon officials have described Shishani as IS's "minister of war," a battle-hardened commander with ties to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Shishani pledged allegiance to IS in mid-2013, bringing with him hundreds of Russian-speaking fighters. He quickly rose to the rank of IS northern commander and gained a seat on the terror group's Shura council, responsible for helping to implement IS's religious doctrines. Georgian national The Syrian-based Georgian national previously served in an intelligence unit with the Georgian army, where he was trained in U.S. counterterrorism and counterinsurgency tactics. Shishani is also credited as being one of the driving forces behind the militant group's rapid gains in Iraq's Anbar province in 2014. "It was tactically brilliant," said Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a senior fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington group that conducts research on global terrorism. "[Shishani] didn't use that many men to capture territory," Gartenstein-Ross said. "He used a relatively light force to capture a significant amount of ground." Defense officials have said removing Shishani from the battlefield would strike a blow to the group's ability to coordinate its defense of key cities, such as Mosul and the group's Syrian capital of Raqqa. They said it would also damage the ability of IS to recruit, and possibly keep, foreign fighters from Chechnya and the Caucasus regions. The U.S. State Department had announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Shishani's arrest or death. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japanese emperor expresses wish to abdicate: local media People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:41, July 14, 2016 TOKYO, July 13 -- Japanese Emperor Akihito has expressed the intention to end his reign in coming years, local media reported, quoting government sources. The 82-year-old emperor, who has reigned for over 27 years since 1989, has expressed his hope to abdicate to the Imperial Household Agency, said public broadcaster NHK. His 56-year-old son, Crown Prince Naruhito, is expected to succeed to the throne, said NHK. But Kyodo News denied the news, quoting Shinichiro Yamamoto, a senior official from the Imperial Household Agency. "I know there are media reports about this, but it is definitely not true," Shinichiro Yamamoto was quoted by Kyodo News as saying. Emperor Akihito has no health issues requiring immediate abdication, said Kyodo News, quoting another source who said the emperor has been expressing his intention to abdicate to people around him for about a year. Meanwhile, according to local media, if the emperor is to abdicate, the Imperial House Law might need revision, as the law, enacted in 1947 to rule for imperial affairs, does not include any provision for a reigning emperor to abdicate. The process of revising the law, involving deliberations by an expert panel to the government, is expected to require a few years, said Kyodo News. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Creation of United Army Against Daesh Main Task for Libya - UN Envoy Sputnik News 09:05 13.07.2016(updated 09:10 13.07.2016) Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya said that Libya's primary task must be the creation of a unified army to fight the Daesh militant group. CAIRO (Sputnik) Libya's primary task must be the creation of a unified army to fight the Daesh militant group, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya Martin Kobler told Sputnik. "The first challenge right now is really to establish a united army for the fight against Daesh [Arabic acronym for IS]. This means what also here has to follow the Libyan political agreement. It says very clearly that the supreme commander of an Army is the Presidency Council not the HOR [House of Representatives] or anybody else," Kobler said in an interview. Libya has been in a state of turmoil since 2011, when a civil war broke out in the country and long-standing leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown. The country has been contested by two rival governments the internationally-recognized Council of Deputies based in Tobruk and the Tripoli-based General National Congress since mid-2014. On March 31, the long-anticipated UN-backed Government of National Accord in Libya started to perform its duties, with the conflict outcomes yet to be addressed. The government has so far failed to unite the country. The internal conflict and instability prompted the advance of militant groups, particularly Daesh, which is outlawed in Russia and many other countries. In recent months, the Libyan forces led by Gen. Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the armed forces loyal to Libya's Tobruk-based government, have been launching offensives against Daesh. According to media reports, Libya's unity government opposes Haftar's operation against Daesh, fearing that it could escalate tensions in the region. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Drone strike kills school massacre mastermind: Pakistan army Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 5:56PM A top Pakistani Taliban militant commander wanted for his role in a deadly school massacre in Peshawar has been killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan, the Pakistani military says. Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa, the director general of the Pakistani army's media division, said in a message posted on Twitter Wednesday that Umar Narai, also known as Khalifa Umar Mansoor or Khalid Khurasani, died in Afghanistan's troubled eastern province of Nangarhar on July 10. Bajwa added that Afghanistan-based US General John W. Nicholson called Pakistan's army chief, General Raheel Sharif, and confirmed the death of the militant commander. The CIA spy agency regularly uses drones for airstrikes and spying missions in Afghanistan as well as Pakistan's northwestern tribal belt near the Afghan border. Meanwhile, one senior militant commander said the pro-Taliban militants had decided not to comment on the death until a successor is chosen. "It's a huge loss to the small but most effective Taliban faction of Khalifa Umar Mansoor," Reuters quoted the commander as saying, adding, "There is no such prominent figure of his status to run his organization." Pakistani security officials said Narai was one of those responsible for the deadly attack on a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar in December 2014, where more than 150 people were killed, most of them children. Narai had also claimed responsibility for a separate attack on Bacha Khan University in the northwestern Pakistani city of Charsadda on January 20 this year, in which 22 people, most of them students and teachers, were killed. Pakistan has been engaged in a major offensive against militant hideouts across the northwestern tribal regions since June 2014, when a deadly raid on the Karachi International Airport ended the government's faltering peace talks with the pro-Taliban militants. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mastermind Of Pakistan School Massacres Killed By U.S. Drone Strike In Afghanistan July 13, 2016 Pakistan's military says that the mastermind of a 2014 attack on a Pakistani school that killed about 150 people, mainly children, has been killed by a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan. Pakistani Army spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said on July 13 that a U.S. Army general had confirmed the death of Taliban leader Khalifa Umar Mansoor in a phone call to Pakistan's army chief, General Raheel Sharif. The Pentagon on July 13 confirmed the report, saying Mansoor was killed on July 9 by an air strike in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar along with four other militants. Mansoor, also known as Umar Naray and Khalid Khurasani, had claimed responsibility for training and dispatching a Taliban suicide squad to the school in Peshawar. The attack killed about 150 people, 144 of them children. Mansoor also planned an attack on a university in northwestern Pakistan earlier in 2016 that killed 21 students and teachers. Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and Dawn Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/pakistan- taliban-leader-mansoor-school-massacres- killed-drone-strike/27856674.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Drone Kills Mastermind of 2014 Pakistan School Attack by Ayaz Gul July 13, 2016 The United States has confirmed that a drone strike in Afghanistan has killed a top Pakistani Taliban leader who was responsible for planning the 2014 attack on a Pakistani school, one of the country's worst terror attacks. A Pakistan military spokesman said Wednesday that the U.S. commander of international forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, telephoned his Pakistani counterpart, General Raheel Sharif and "confirmed death of terrorist Umar Narai through drone strike" in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar. Narai was wanted in Pakistan for masterminding the Taliban attack on an army-administered school in Peshawar in December 2014. Nearly 150 people, mostly young students, were massacred in what was condemned as one of the worst militant attacks in the country's history. The slain Taliban commander was also blamed for plotting the September 2015 deadly raid an Air Force base near Peshawar and the attack on a university not far from the city in January this year. Around 50 people were killed in the two attacks A Pakistani security official requesting anonymity told VOA Islamabad welcomes Narai's elimination, saying it shows that Pakistani militants fleeing security operations have taken refuge in Afghanistan. On May 21, the U.S. military reported that a drone strike killed chief of the Afghan Taliban Mullah Mansoor in the southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan. Both Afghan and Pakistani officials accuse each other of sheltering militants involved in terrorist activities on their respective territory. Authorities cite the long porous border dividing their countries for being unable to completely stop illegal movement on both sides. On Wednesday, General Sharif chaired a meeting of his top commanders to discuss security along the Afghan border. "To scrutinize cross border movement and ensure strict check on terrorist's movement, the forum reviewed progress of measures being taken for effective border management," an army statement said after the meeting. Afghan and U.S. officials have lately increased pressure on Pakistan to stop Taliban and their allies, including the lethal Haqqani network, from using Pakistani soil for plotting insurgent attacks in Afghanistan. U.S. Senator John McCain told VOA's Afghan Service Wednesday that it is "obvious" the Haqqani Network is still operating "with great effect" in Afghanistan. "The Haqqani network issue and their relationship with Islamic State still exists," he said. "But I do believe that the Pakistani military leadership is interested in making progress in that direction. Now whether they actually will or not, we will see." McCain added it is in Afghanistan's interest to see progress toward a better relationship with Pakistan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address OSCE Expresses Concern Over Russia's List Of 'Terrorists, Extremists' July 13, 2016 by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has expressed concern over the decision by Russian authorities to publish what they called an updated "list of terrorists and extremists," which includes journalists and activists. "Publishing this list could put the journalists at risk and jeopardize their safety," said OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic. "It's the government's responsibility to ensure journalists' safety; it should not put them in harm's way based on state prosecutors' suspicions under an antiextremism law," Mijatovic said in a statement on July 12. Nenad Pejic, vice president and editor in chief of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), said in Prague on July 13 that "Russian officials are targeting journalists and activists for their journalism -- for reporting honestly on developments in Crimea independent of the Kremlin's orders." Authorities in Moscow have listed 22 people who were born on Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula as "terrorists and extremists." The list, published on July 12 by Russia's Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring), includes journalists, civil activists, and political prisoners who have criticized Moscow's occupation and illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. Among those named is Mykola Semena, a contributor to Krym.Realii (Crimea.Realities), a news site run by RFE/RL. In April, Semena was charged by Crimean officials with using his journalism to make calls for separatism. Russia, which illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, has banned as "extremist" or "separatist" any description of Crimea as a continued part of Ukrainian territory. The list also includes Anna Andriyevska, a Crimean investigative journalist who now works in Kyiv as a staff reporter for Krym.Realii. Prior to joining RFE/RL, she was investigated by Russian security services for extremist content in her work. The list also named several Ukrainian prisoners held in Russia -- including Oleh Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Oleksiy Chemiy, and the recently freed Hennadiy Afanasyev. Rosfinmonitoring was created by a decree from President Vladimir Putin and reports directly to the Russian president. The United States, the European Union, the OSCE, and international media rights groups have all expressed concern about a clampdown on independent journalists and activists in the Russian-occupied territory. Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-crimea-journalists- list-extremists-terrorists/27855992.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moscow slams NATO's 'confrontational' plans for military buildup near Russia Iran Press TV Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:50AM Russia has lambasted NATO for expanding its presence in the Baltic states near Russia, saying the US-led alliance is fomenting a Cold-War atmosphere. NATO held a summit in the Polish capital, Warsaw, last week, when member states approved plans to deploy additional forces four battalions totaling up to 4,000 troops to northeastern Europe on a rotating basis to support Eastern European member states against perceived threats from Russia. Speaking after talks with NATO in the Belgian capital of Brussels on Wednesday, Alexander Grushko, Russia's permanent representative to NATO, called such measures "confrontational." "We believe these measures are superfluous, counterproductive... they are confrontational, essentially weakening pan-European and regional security while bringing us back to the safety models of the Cold War era," Russia's NATO envoy said. He said the measures force Moscow "to adapt our military strategy to a new security situation." 'A meeting of bodies, not minds' NATO and Russia had held their first meeting since bilateral relations soured over the crisis in Ukraine in April. That meeting reportedly ended in deep disagreements on the Ukrainian crisis and the accession of new states to NATO. In June 2014, NATO suspended its military cooperation with Moscow over the crisis in Ukraine, where the government and its Western allies accuse Moscow of backing pro-Russia forces in the east of the country. The Kremlin strongly denies the allegation. In March that year, the then-Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea joined the Russian Federation following a referendum in March 2014, further angering the West. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said following the meeting with Russia that the alliance's military build-up in its so-called eastern flank was a "direct" response to "Russian actions in Ukraine." He added that NATO "briefed" Moscow on the issue during the Wednesday meeting and that the alliance would invite "international inspectors, including from Russia" to observe its military drills in the region. "We had an open and frank atmosphere in the meeting but we didn't agree. Allies and Russia have profound and persistent disagreements on Ukraine. There was not a meeting of minds today," he added. Stoltenberg had said after the NATO summit in Poland, where plans for the deployment of the new forces were approved, that, "These battalions will be robust and they will be multinational. They make clear that an attack on one ally will be considered an attack on the whole alliance." 'Springboard for pressure on Russia' NATO accuses Russia of massive militarization at the bloc's eastern borders, saying the move is disturbing its allies in those regions, while Moscow says NATO is brandishing the so-called Russian threat to expand eastward and include countries in the Balkan region. Russia says the move directly harms Russia's strategic interests in the Balkans. In his Wednesday remarks, Grushko, the Russian envoy to NATO, said, "The danger lies in the fact that today's confrontational policy, which is built on the basis of the mythical threat from Russia, takes the form of military planning and military preparations at our borders." "In fact," he said, "the East European members of the alliance, who declared themselves the frontline, become a springboard for military deployments and the provision of military and political pressure on Russia." NATO recently launched its biggest-ever joint maneuvers in Poland, to the west of Russia, a move that was immediately condemned by Russian authorities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Flash British Home Secretary Theresa May became prime minister Wednesday after an audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. She becomes the 13th prime minister of the Queen's reign. Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech after arriving at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain on July 13, 2016. Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May arrived at Downing Street on Wednesday after gaining consent from Queen Elizabeth II. (Xinhua/Han Yan) Her audience with the Queen at the palace came just minutes after outgoing prime minister David Cameron arrived at the palace to tender his resignation to the British monarch. Cameron arrived at the palace in a police-escorted convoy with his wife Samantha and their children. After Cameron's final private audience with the Queen, the monarch said her farewell, again in private, to Cameron's family. A large crowd gathered at the gates of the palace to watch the transition of power from one prime minister to his successor. May arrived at the palace with her husband Philip for her private audience with Queen Elizabeth II just minutes after the Camerons left. As soon as Cameron departed from the palace a spokesman for the Queen issued a formal statement stating that the monarch had "graciously accepted the resignation of the prime minister." Cameron announced his resignation on June 24, just hours after the Britons voted by a 52-48 majority to leave the European Union. He had intended to carry on at 10 Downing Street until September to enable time for Conservative Party members to vote for his successor. But after the only other candidate for the job, Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom, dropped out of the contest, it left May as the sole candidate, leading to a swift transition. Earlier Wednesday Cameron performed his final official duty at Prime Minister's Question Time in the House of Commons, earning warm praise from all sides of the house, including from his main adversary, Jeremy Corbyn, leader of main opposition Labour Party. After the audience at the palace May headed to 10 Downing Street to start the task of choosing her new front bench, with her first appointments expected Wednesday night and Thursday. 28 Daesh terrorists killed in battle for Syria's Manbij Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 5:21PM Nearly 30 Takfiri terrorists have been killed in clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Daesh terrorists in Syria's strategic northern city of Manbij. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) took control of Sabaa Bahrat square and several other areas in the key stronghold of Daesh on Wednesday, the German news agency, DPA, quoted local sources as saying. According to the report, the SDF forces are now in full control of the neighborhood of Hazwanah in southern Manbij. The SDF forces also captured the school of Harun to the north of the al-Matahen square in southern Manbij. Fierce clashes go on in western Manbij. The report further said the SDF forces also launched rocket attacks at the post office and government institutions in the center of the city. Sources said the Kurdish forces have taken control of 60 percent of the city so far. The operation to seize full control of Manbij has become more difficult due to the terrorists' use of car bombs and landmines in the city. Some 28 Daesh terrorists were killed in the clashes. The SDF forces have urged residents not to use motorcycles and to travel in the city only from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and to remain indoors the rest of the day. Residents have also been told to stay about 300 meters away from the areas of clashes. Manbij lies along the only supply line of Daesh between the Syrian-Turkish border to the north and the group's main stronghold, Raqqah, which lies to the southeast. If Manbij is liberated, it will be the biggest strategic defeat for Daesh in Syria since July 2015, when the terrorist group lost the strategically important town of Tal Abyad on Syria's border with Turkey. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian destroys major Daesh base with long-range bombers Iran Press TV Tue Jul 12, 2016 7:55PM Daesh has been dealt a major blow in Syria by Tupolev Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bombers launched from an airbase located in Russian's southern regions. According to Russia's Defense Ministry, six bombers took off from Russia early on Tuesday morning and carried out airstrikes against a major Takfiri base and several ammunition depots located to the east of Palmyra and in the towns of Sukhna and Arak and returned home after the attack. "The strike resulted in the destruction of a large militant field camp, three depots of arms and munitions, three tanks, four infantry combat vehicles and eight vehicles fitted with heavy machine guns, also neutralizing a large number of enemy fighters," read the statement. The US-led coalition -- which is conducting a separate campaign purportedly against terrorism in Syria-- was notified before the attack, added the statement. It added that the targeted sites were "recently detected and confirmed through several intelligence channels." On Friday, two Russian pilots were killed after Daesh downed a helicopter, close to Palmyra in the country's central Homs province. "On July 8, Russian military pilot-instructors Evgeny Dolgin and Ryafagat Khabibulin, were conducting a calibration flight on a Syrian Mi-25 (export version of the Mi-24) helicopter loaded with ammunition in the province of Homs," read an official statement released by the ministry on Saturday. According to Russia's Interfax news agency, the militants used a US-made TOW antitank missile system in the attack. Daesh captured the ruins of Palymra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the adjacent modern city in May 2015, destroying ancient monuments there, including the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel and the iconic Arch of Triumph. The Syrian army, backed by volunteer forces and Russian air cover, wrested back control of Palmyra on March 27 following four weeks of military operations against Daesh. Russia started its military campaign in Syria on September 30, 2015, based on a request from the Syrian government. The airstrikes have greatly boosted the morale of the Syrian army as it has managed to retake key areas from militants across the country with Russia's support. Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Army Completely Surrounds Aleppo Sputnik News 21:32 13.07.2016(updated 21:56 13.07.2016) After several days of heavy fighting, the Syrian army managed to establish control over a vital route in the vicinity of Aleppo, effectively cutting off the last supply line for the rebels still entrenched within the city. During the offensive launched about a week ago, Syrian government forces aided by Russian military aircraft finally managed to establish control over the Castello Road. Earlier this year the Syrian army also managed to cut off the supply lines between jihadists in Aleppo and the city of Azaz located on the Turkish border, leaving the Castello Road as the last route the rebels could use to resupply their forces in the city. The Nusra Front terrorists holding the road were finally forced to retreat after sustaining serious casualties due to massed air strikes, allowing the Syrian forces to advance and declare the surrounding area a battle zone in an attempt to limit losses among the civilians. While Syrian army was fighting in the vicinity of Castello Road, jihadists launched an offensive in the city center using heavy weapons. The attack was repulsed by Syrian government troops and Hezbollah forces, but the vengeful rebels retaliated by shelling the western residential districts of the city, killing 12 and destroying numerous buildings. At the present time the center of Aleppo is being controlled by the Syrian government forces while the city outskirts are held by jihadist groups. If the Syrian army manages to completely liberate the city, it would allow over a million of displaced Syrians to return to their homes. Before the war the city of Aleppo and its surroundings served as a home to almost 5 million people. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syria: deploring hostilities spreading across Aleppo, UN urges end to indiscriminate attacks 13 July 2016 Deploring the spread of hostilities throughout the Syrian city of Aleppo, senior United Nations officials today called on all parties to the conflict to end indiscriminate attacks on civilians and fully respect international humanitarian law. "The United Nations is deeply alarmed by the escalating violence in and around Aleppo city putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk of death and injury," said a joint statement issued by Yacoub El Hillo, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, and Kevin Kennedy, Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis. The UN further called on all parties to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance, as required under relevant Security Council resolutions, and enable the rapid, safe and unhindered evacuation of civilians who wish to leave. Since 7 July, heavy clashes between the Government of Syria forces and non-state armed groups have rendered the Castello road, the last remaining access road in and out of eastern Aleppo city, impassable, according to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Government and Kurdish forces have since then reportedly gained control of the majority of Castello road, cutting off humanitarian, commercial and civilian movement in and out of eastern Aleppo city, and putting an estimated 200,000-300,000 people closer to the line of fire and at risk of besiegement. Even before the recent escalation of violence, 10,000 to 30,000 people fled the area between January and June due to increased insecurity. The statement went on to highlight the dangerous security situation, citing intensified airstrikes by Government forces in rural Aleppo, hundreds of mortars and projectiles targeting western Aleppo in the past week, and explosive anti-aircraft projectiles straying into several civilian neighborhoods. From 8 to 11 July, 57 people were reportedly killed including 15 children and 497 were injured, the statement said. The UN and partners in east Aleppo have enough food supplies for 145,000 people for one month, but humanitarian needs must be immediately addressed, including through re-establishing medical evacuations from east Aleppo. "While it is difficult to collect information on eastern Aleppo due to access restrictions, it is among the areas hardest hit by conflict with most people heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance," the statement said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Says Syrian Government Denies Medical Aid to Civilians in Besieged Areas by Lisa Schlein July 14, 2016 United Nations officials accuse the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad of denying medical aid to hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in besieged areas. The officials say people are dying for lack of medicines and treatment. A special adviser on Syria, Jan Egeland, says progress, although not enough, is being made in providing food and other relief to hundreds of thousands of Syrians in besieged areas. Egeland, however, says the United Nations and partner aid agencies have failed to provide medical care to all Syrian civilians in need in the war-torn country. He says too many people are malnourished and even starving because of lack of food; however, he notes the biggest killer is lack of medical services. "People are bleeding to death inside these areas ," Egeland said. " One third of the war-wounded are women and children. It is not fighters; It is women and children and they are bleeding to death because they cannot be evacuated or theyare dying because they get insufficient aid because there are no doctors there, there is no surgical equipment there. They may even die because they are attacked in their beds in hospital." The Assad government has long said that it allows U.N. humanitarian deliveries to besieged areas. But aid workers on the ground say that is frequently not true, with government forces barring trucks from reaching affected areas, leading western powers to occasionally airdrop emergency supplies. A World Health Organization survey of 19 countries in 2014 and 2015 found that the largest number of attacks against medical facilities and health workers has occurred in Syria. The WHO director in Syria, Elizabeth Hoff, criticized the targeting and destruction of medical facilities and lack of protection for health workers. She says Syrians in besieged areas also are being denied medical care because the government removes medical items from aid convoys. "It is particularly disturbing to us that surgical equipment, burns - you know that are mostly affecting civilians - are continuing to be removed from convoys, as well as antibiotics, analgetics," Hoff said. "So, people, if they are not properly treated, cannot even die in peace because they are not receiving the necessary painkillers and palliative care that is needed in many of the besieged areas." The United Nations has set August 1 as a deadline for restarting the Syrian peace talks. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Thursday. The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, says these world powers were instrumental in getting a new round of Syrian peace talks started in March. He says he hopes their meeting will be as effective in getting them back on track. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan stepping up Coast Guard patrols in South China Sea ROC Central News Agency 2016/07/13 19:13:25 Taipei, July 13 (CNA) Taiwan will strengthen its Coast Guard patrols in the South China Sea to protect its fishermen there, Cabinet spokesman Tung Chen-yuan () said Wednesday, one day after an international tribunal delivered a ruling that was seen as detrimental to Taiwan's territorial claims in the region. A 1,000-ton Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol vessel named the "Taitung," which will be dispatched to the Taiwan-controlled Taiping Island (also known as Itu Aba) on July 16, will remain in the area indefinitely to safeguard Taiwan's territory and protect its fishermen's rights, Tung said. In addition, the 1,800-ton "Wei Hsing" patrol vessel, which left Taiwan proper on July 10, is already in the Taiping area, Tung said, adding that Taiwan remains committed to protecting its fishing rights. On Wednesday, a La Fayette-class Navy frigate set sail from Taiwan for the South China Sea on a patrol mission, departing one day ahead of schedule. Before its departure, President Tsai Ing-wen () gave a pep talk to the crew on board, saying that the government was committed to maintaining Taiwan's sovereignty over Taiping and other islands in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, Deputy CGA chief Hu Yi-gang () said during a legislative committee meeting Wednesday that Taiwan's Coast Guard would drive away any foreign fishing boats that venture within 200 nautical miles of Taiping. Not many foreign fishing boats are usually seen near Taiping and those that have been spotted there in the past have been from Vietnam, Hu said. However, despite the increased patrols, the government of Taiwan is aiming to handle the South China Sea issue cautiously, according to Tung. Tung told reporters on Wednesday that as a responsible member of the international community, "the Republic of China (Taiwan) has a responsibility to maintain regional peace and stability." In response to reporters' questions about the possibility of Premier Lin Chuan () visiting Taiping, Tung said he would not rule out such a visit since Taiping is part of the Republic of China's territory but the premier had no immediate plans to do so. In a case brought by the Philippines against China, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled Tuesday that none of the Spratly Islands, including Taiping, could be considered "islands" and therefore are not entitled to 200-nautical-mile economic zones. Taiwan's government, which was not a party to the case, has said it will not accept the ruling and that the ruling is not binding on Taiwan. An island is entitled to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, compared with only a 12-nautical-mile zone for "rocks." Taiwan has long defined the 0.51-square kilometer Taiping, which lies about 1,600 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, as an island that can sustain human habitation and economic life. Taiwan took control of Taiping -- the largest natural feature in the Spratly Islands -- in 1956. Six countries -- Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam -- fully or partially claim the islands in the South China Sea and their surrounding waters that are strategically critical lanes for ships and planes that navigate in the region. (By Tang Ya-chen, Claudia Liu and Elaine Hou) ENDITEM/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sending marines back to Taiping on the table: defense official ROC Central News Agency 2016/07/13 16:33:24 Taipei, July 13 (CNA) Sending Taiwan's marines back to Taiping, the largest land feature in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea, can be considered as an option in response to the need to defend the country's sovereignty over the Taiwan-controlled island, a senior defense official said Wednesday. Asked by a lawmaker during a legislative committee meeting on whether the military will increase its personnel and send marines back to Taiping, Deputy Defense Minister Cheng De-mei () said changes to the deployment of soldiers will be made as necessary and consideration could be given to this idea. The top priority is to safeguard the country's sovereignty over its territory, he added. In response to questions by lawmaker Huang Chao-shun () of the opposition Kuomintang on the military's preparation for China's plan to ramp up combat readiness, Cheng said the military has response measures in place. Since Taiwanese marines were ordered to withdraw from Taiping in 1999 in a gesture of goodwill to reduce regional tensions, it has been garrisoned by Coast Guard personnel. The Coast Guard officers stationed there have received the same combat training as marines, Cheng said during the hearing in the Legislature's Internal Administration Committee. Cheng's remarks came one day after an international tribunal delivered a ruling seen as having an adverse impact on Taiwan's claims in the South China Sea region. On Tuesday, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague gave its ruling on a case brought by the Philippines against China that focused in part on whether islands claimed by China were entitled to 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones. The court ruled that none of the land formations in the Spratly Islands, including Taiwan-controlled Taiping Island (Itu Aba), were islands under international law and were therefore not entitled to exclusive economic zones. During another meeting in the Legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, lawmakers also passed a proposal to suggest the Ministry of National Defense immediately begin to study the possibility of sending marines back to Taiping in an effort to safeguard the country's sovereignty. The proposal also urged President Tsai Ing-wen () to visit Taiping to give a speech to assert Taiwan's sovereignty claims and rally the Coast Guard officers and other personnel stationed there. Meanwhile, Minister of the Interior Yeh Jiunn-rong () said during the Internal Administration Committee meeting that although the result of the ruling was among the various scenarios the government had prepared for, the outcome was still unacceptable. Taiwan will make every effort to assert its rights over the South China Sea islands and their surrounding waters, based on the principle of maintaining regional peace, Yeh said. The committee's lawmakers also passed a proposal suggesting President Tsai to visit Taiping and call an international conference there to demonstrate Taiwan's effort to protect its territory. Taiping lies about 1,600 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan. Taiwan has long defined the 0.51-square kilometer Taiping as an island that can sustain human habitation and economic life. Taiwan took control of Taiping in 1956. Six countries -- Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam -- fully or partially claim the islands in the South China Sea and their surrounding waters that are strategically critical lanes for ships and planes that navigate in the region. (By Chen Chun-hua, Tang Pei-chun and Elaine Hou) ENDITEM/ke NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan's military to ensure maritime rights in South China Sea ROC Central News Agency 2016/07/13 15:19:24 Taipei, July 13 (CNA) A day after the release of a court ruling unfavorable to Taiwan's claims in the South China Sea, Deputy Defense Minister Lee Hsi-ming () declared Wednesday that the military will provide any support needed to safeguard the country's maritime rights in the region. In a case brought by the Philippines against China, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said none of the Spratly Islands, including the Taiwan-held Taiping Island, could be considered "islands" and are therefore not entitled to 200-nautical-mile economic zones. Taiwan's government, which was not a party to the case, has said the ruling is not binding on Taiwan, and Lee echoed that stance by committing to support Taiwan's territorial interests in the South China Sea at a legislative hearing on the impact of the ruling. Opposition Kuomintang Legislator Ma Wen-chun () said the ruling will have the biggest impact on Taiwan's fishing sector, and she asked how the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) would respond if fishing boats from other countries were operating within 200 nautical miles of Taiping Island. Deputy CGA chief Hu Yi-gang () said the Coast Guard would drive the boat away in accordance with the law. According to Ma, Taiwan was the biggest loser in the ruling because it undermined Taiwan's sovereignty claims and hurt its economic zones. An island is entitled to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, compared with only a 12-nautical-mile zone for "rocks." Lee said it was the Ministry of National Defense's responsibility to protect the nation against any encroachment of its sovereignty. He said the Navy, in addition to showing resolve, will put a priority on maritime rights and enforcement of the law. "We want to ensure the enforcement of law in the sea so as to protect our maritime rights," Lee said. He also said the Di Hua Frigate (), which was originally scheduled to set off on a routine patrol mission in waters near the Spratly Islands on Thursday, set sail a day earlier to "underscore the resolve" to safeguard the country's land. (By Claudia Liu and Lilian Wu) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tsai gives pep talk aboard frigate headed to South China Sea ROC Central News Agency 2016/07/13 12:35:23 Taipei, July 13 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () vowed on Wednesday to protect Taiwan's interests in the South China Sea a day after an international tribunal delivered a ruling seen as having an adverse impact on Taiwan's claims in the region. "Just yesterday, new changes took place in the South China Sea, and now is the time for us to demonstrate our resolve to safeguard the country's interests," Tsai said aboard the Di Hua frigate () at Zuoying naval base in Kaohsiung before it set off on a routine patrol mission in waters near the Spratly Islands. Tsai was referring to the ruling handed down by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on a case brought by the Philippines against China that focused in part on whether islands claimed by China were entitled to 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones. The court ruled that none of the land formations in the Spratly Islands, including Taiwan-controlled Taiping Island (Itu Aba), were islands under international law and were therefore not entitled to exclusive economic zones. Tsai was intent on rallying the troops following the verdict, which the Presidential Office said would not be accepted by the Republic of China (Taiwan) and was not legally binding on the government. "Today, the Di Hua frigate is set to set off to conduct patrols in the South China Sea," the president said of the mission, which began a day ahead of schedule. "The mission carries special significance as new changes just occurred yesterday in the South China Sea." Tsai criticizing the ruling, particularly its interpretation of Taiping Island, saying it "has seriously jeopardized our country's sovereignty over islands in the South China Sea and their surrounding waters," she said. "This ship represents the ROC and the uniform that you are wearing represents the responsibility that you assumed from the people. This patrol mission (will) demonstrate our determination to protect our country's interests." The president reiterated Taiwan's position that South China Sea disputes should be resolved peacefully through multilateral negotiations and said Taiwan was willing to pursue stability in the region through dialogue based on equality. She also urged the ship's crew to help rebuild the military's reputation after a series of recent incidents that hurt its image, including the firing of a live missile by mistake into the Taiwan Strait. "Now, a greater mission has fallen on your shoulders and everyone of you must show the result of your regular training and fully carry out the mission in the South China Sea to safeguard the country's interests," she said. Six countries -- Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam -- fully or partially claim the islands in the South China Sea and their surrounding waters that are strategically critical lanes for ships and planes that navigate in the region. The court's ruling dealt a major blow to China's claims, saying there was no legal basis for China to claim "historic rights" to resources within South China Sea waters falling within China's "nine-dash line." (By H.H. Liu and Flor Wang) enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Patrols to continue in South China Sea: Taiwan's military ROC Central News Agency 2016/07/13 11:05:23 Taipei, July 13 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Wednesday it will continue to send planes and ships to the South China Sea to carry out patrol missions and defend Taiwan's territory and sovereignty. In a written report submitted to the Legislative Yuan, the MND said it will cooperate with the Cabinet-level Coast Guard Administration to step up intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities in the South China Sea and continue patrols there. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), meanwhile, said in a written report that it remains to be seen if tensions in the South China Sea will escalate after a ruling on a case involving the region by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on Tuesday. Taiwan and China have each expressed their stance on the issue, the council said, and it did not believe that the ruling would affect current relations across the Taiwan Strait. Cross-strait relations are crucial to regional peace and security, and Taiwan's government will make efforts to maintain the peaceful and stable development of that relationship and will closely watch China's response, the MAC said. The MND and MAC were asked by the Legislative Yuan to report on how the ruling by the Hague-based court will affect Taiwan and its neighboring countries. In its ruling, the court invalidated China's "nine-dash line" that underpins Beijing's claims in the South China Sea -- dealing a blow to Taiwan's similar claim to territory within an "11-dash line." It also said all high-tide features in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, including Taiwan-controlled Taiping Island, are "rocks" and not islands, and therefore are not entitled to 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones. Taiwan has rejected the ruling and said it is not legally binding on the Republic of China (Taiwan). It also reiterated its sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their surrounding waters. (By Tang Pei-chun and Christie Chen) ENDITEM/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Flash Three Chinese and one Rwandan peacekeepers who were injured in the weekend renewed fighting between two South Sudan rival army factions in the capital, Juba were airlifted Wednesday to Uganda for treatment. Photo provided by the Chinese Embassy to Uganda shows a plane carrying Chinese peacekeepers who will receive medical treatment in local hospital arrive at the Entebbe International airport in Kampala, Uganda on July 13, 2016. (Xinhua) Rosa Malango, UN Resident Coordinator in Uganda and Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, Zhao Yali received the three Chinese peacekeepers, Huo Yahui, Wu Le, Yao Daoxiang and Rwandan peacekeeper James Habiyakare who were wounded on Sunday after a mortal shell hit their vehicle around the UN compound in Juba. The four were flown to the East African country abroad a chartered plane that landed at Entebbe International Airport, about 40 kilometers south of the capital, Kampala and rushed to Nakasero Hospital for treatment. Edward Rukwaro, Chief Executive Officer of Nakasero Hospital said the Chinese peacekeeper Huo Yahui has severe injuries and broken bones, while the three others have minor injuries and need just pain management. "We have stabilized their conditions. Immediately they arrived we started their management. We have taken the critically injured to the theater for operation. He will be fine. He will take about six weeks to recover," said Rukwaro. Malango said the UN is securing a specialized plane to evacuate the critically injured Chinese and Ethiopian peacekeepers for specialized treatment in Kampala. "We have two injured peacekeepers whose conditions are fragile. They can't be flown using ordinary planes. We are working to secure a specialized plane to evacuate them for treatment," said Malango. Two Chinese peacekeepers under UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were killed and five others injured on Sunday in renewed fighting between government troops of President Salva Kiir and forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar in the capital Juba. Ambassador Zhao while addressing reporters on Wednesday in the capital, Kampala condemned the killing of two Chinese peacekeepers and those injured. "We are all shocked how these people attacked the peacekeeping forces. We condemn this brutality. We express condolences to the families of the bereaved soldiers," said the ambassador. South Sudan's Health Ministry says at least 271 people were killed in the latest clashes. The exact number of those killed in fighting since Sunday to Wednesday is not yet known. There are fears that the war-torn country could descend into civil war again. President Kiir and former rebel leader Machar have fought a civil war which broke out in December 2013 and left tens of thousands of people dead. A peace deal signed by the two men last August under UN pressure led to the formation of a national government in April with Machar returning to his old post. Ambassador Zhao who said his government that has 700 peacekeepers in the country expressed disappointment over the failure by President Kiir and Machar to respect the peace deal. "We hope the two sides can come down and sit together to find the immediate solution to stop the fighting. The innocent people are dying. We can't allow that. We really hope the ceasefire will be respected for the sake of this young state," said Zhao. President Kiir and Vice President Machar on Monday evening ordered ceasefire respectively after days of heavy fighting between their forces in the capital Juba. President Kiir directed all commanders to cease hostilities, control their forces and protect civilians, Information Minister Michael Makuei said in a televised speech on the state broadcaster. Zhao said the Chinese government and UN are committed to secure peace, stability and protection of civilians in world's newest nation. "Our mission is to safeguard the peace. That is our commitment. That is why we are there. We shall do all best to ensure peace prevails," said Yali. Taiwan warship sets sail for South China Sea after verdict Iran Press TV Wed Jul 13, 2016 5:48AM A Taiwanese warship has set sail for the South China Sea "to defend Taiwan's maritime territory," a day after an international tribunal ruled against China's claims to islands and undermined Taipei's claims to the islands there. On Tuesday, a tribunal in The Hague ruled that China has no historic rights in the waterway and sided with the Philippines that had filed the complaint. It also ruled that Taiwan-controlled Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys chain, was legally a "rock" that did not give it an exclusive economic zone, undermining Taiwanese claims to waters surrounding the island. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen rallied troops on the deck of a frigate on Wednesday, saying the Taiwanese are determined to "defend their country's rights." The warship headed for Taiwan-administered Taiping island in the Spratly island chain from the southern city of Kaohsiung. Taiwan's government meanwhile rejected the ruling as "completely unacceptable," saying it had no legally binding force since the tribunal did not formally invite Taipei to participate in its proceedings or solicit its views. "The South China Sea ruling, especially the categorization of Taiping island, has severely jeopardized our country's rights in the South China Sea islands and their relevant waters," Tsai told soldiers on the deck of ship. "This patrol mission will show Taiwanese people's determination to defend their country's rights," she said, before disembarking from the warship ahead of its departure. The Taiwanese Defense Ministry vowed to "firmly defend Taiwan's territory and sovereignty" and said there would be no change to Taiwan's claims in the strategic seas because of the ruling. The ministry said it would continue to send aircraft and ships for patrol missions to the region and remain "highly vigilant" to protect national security. Several countries, including Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines, have overlapping claims over the South China Sea. The waters are believed to sit atop vast reserves of oil and gas. Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai on Tuesday warned of "conflicts and confrontation" in the waters following the verdict. "It will certainly undermine or weaken the motivation of states to engage in negotiations and consultations for solving their dispute. It will certainly intensify conflicts and even confrontation," he said. China on Wednesday dismissed as "baseless" the Philippines' claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea, saying the islands are "China's inherent territory". "The Philippines' territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands) is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law," Beijing said in a white paper. In the new policy paper, China asserted its sovereignty over the islands and their surrounding waters and opposed other countries' "illegal claims and occupation." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kerry Congratulates New British Foreign Secretary Johnson As Others React To Appointment July 14, 2016 by RFE/RL U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has called British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to congratulate him on his new post and to urge "a sensible and measured approach" to the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. New Prime Minister Theresa May surprised many on July 13 when she named the controversial Brexit campaigner and sharp-tongued Johnson to be foreign secretary. The State Department said Kerry and Johnson "agreed that the U.S.-U.K. special relationship is as essential as ever" and pledged to work together. They also agreed to meet next week in Brussels. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called Johnson "a crafty party politician who managed to use the Euroskeptic mood for himself." But he added that Johnson now must take on "completely different political tasks" and take "foreign-policy responsibility beyond Brexit." French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on July 14 that he is not "worried" about Johnson but said he "lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back against the wall." He added that France needs "a partner with whom I can negotiate and who is clear, credible, and reliable." Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, predicted that Johnson would tone down his rhetoric and be "more diplomatic" in his new role. With his disheveled blond hair and sharp-edged humor, the man known to Britons simply as "Boris" was a controversial choice for conducting sensitive diplomacy with world leaders. Asked by a reporter whether as foreign secretary he would apologize to U.S. President Barack Obama for once saying the "part-Kenyan" president was biased against Britain because of "an ancestral dislike of the British empire," Johnson said on July 13: "The United States of America will be in the front of the queue." That quip was an allusion to a comment by Obama during Britain's EU referendum campaign that the country would be at the back of the queue for trade deals with the United States if it voted to leave the bloc. Johnson also caused consternation in Europe during the campaign by comparing the EU goal of consolidating Europe with those of Adolf Hitler and Napoleon. And some past comments could prove awkward with whoever becomes the next U.S. president in January 2017. In 2007, Johnson likened Hillary Clinton, the presumptive U.S. Democratic presidential candidate, to "a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital." More recently, he joked that he feared going to New York because of "the real risk of meeting Donald Trump," the presumptive Republican candidate. On Russian President Vladimir Putin, Johnson said in his London Telegraph column: "Let's deal with the devil: We should work with Vladimir Putin and [President] Bashar al-Assad in Syria." "This is the time to set aside our Cold War mind-set. It is just not true that whatever is good for Putin must automatically be bad for the West. We both have a clear and concrete objective -- to remove the threat from [Islamic State]. Everything else is secondary." In appointing Johnson, May moved Britain's experienced foreign minister, Philip Hammond, to the Finance Ministry, where he will be responsible for working out many of the critical details of Britain's new trade and economic relationship with the EU during Brexit negotiations. May, who had campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU, appointed two other prominent Euroskeptics and "Leave" campaigners: David Davis to lead the overall effort to exit the EU and Liam Fox as her international trade chief. The appointments conveyed that while she may have personal qualms about leaving, as prime minister May will be serious about carrying out the public's mandate. She has repeatedly said that "Brexit means Brexit." But doing it will take time, May told the leaders of France and Germany in a phone call on her first day in office even as French President Francois Hollande repeated his demand for a quick departure. "The prime minister explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke of her hope that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit," a May spokeswoman said on July 13. "We face a time of great national change," the 59-year-old May said. "As we leave the European Union, we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world. And we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few but for everyone of us." With reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/britain-boris- johnson-foreign-secretary-theresa-may/27857579.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Pledges Close Cooperation with Britain's New Cabinet by VOA News July 14, 2016 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson have pledged to work closely together as NATO allies to address challenges and meet responsibilities around the world, according to the State Department. In their first telephone conversation, Kerry offered his congratulations to newly appointed Johnson in the top British diplomatic post. The two agreed the U.S. - British special relationship is as essential as ever in face of the present dynamic of world affairs. Kerry stressed U.S. support for a sensible and measured approach to the Brexit process and offered to stay engaged as Britain's government develops its plans, a statement said. They also touched upon the situation in Syria, the broader Middle East and agreed to meet at next week's Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. Speaking Thursday in London, Johnson also pledged to reshape Britain's global profile. Addressing the Brexit referendum to leave the European Union, he said that it "does not mean in any sense leaving Europe," adding that "there is a massive difference between leaving the EU and our relations with Europe, which if anything I think will intensify and be built up at an inter-governmental level." Earlier Thursday, European Parliament chief Martin Schulz blasted the Cabinet picks of new British Prime Minister Theresa May as part of a "dangerously vicious cycle" that will hurt Britons in the long run. According to Schulz, the Cabinet picks were designed more to solve internal party political issues than to promote the national interests of Britain. "We will work constructively with the newly elected British government in these difficult times, as we have in the past," Schulz said Thursday in a statement. "However, the composition of the new Cabinet shows that the focus is less on the future of the country, but more about satisfying the internal cohesion of the Tory Party." French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault branded his British counterpart "a liar" in an interview Thursday with the popular Europe-1 radio network. Ayrault said people had seen Johnson's style during the referendum campaign, adding that he "lied a lot to the British people" while campaigning to leave the European Union. Johnson has an uphill struggle ahead of him, Ayrault said, adding that "now he is the one to have his back against the wall, to defend his country and to clarify his relationship with Europe". German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Johnson is a crafty party politician who managed to use the Euroskeptic mood for himself. But completely different political tasks now stand at the forefront, he told Bild am Sonntag newspaper. "This is about taking foreign policy responsibility beyond Brexit," Steinmeier said. Germany's influential Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, however, signaled a willingness to forget past statements by Johnson. Before last month's referendum on EU membership, Johnson compared the bloc's aims with those of Adolf Hitler. Asked Thursday what he expected of working with Johnson, given such comments, Schaeuble said "we in Germany have had good experience with putting comments made during a campaign into the file for election campaigns, and forgetting them on the day after the democratic decision has been made." Johnson led the campaign to drop out of the EU. He angered and frustrated many Britons who voted to remain, along with other European leaders who believe Britain made a great mistake. Conservative lawmaker David Davis took the newly formed job of minister in charge of negotiations with the European Union that will set up the conditions for leaving. Those talks are expected to take as long as two years. Thursday, May announced more Cabinet appointments, placing strongly anti-EU figures in key international roles. Andrea Leadsom, a Conservative leadership contender and a Brexit proponent was given the environment department. Some of former prime minister David Cameron's Cabinet ministers kept their portfolios, including Defense Secretary Michael Fallon, but most ministries were shuffled, with new ministers including Justice Secretary Liz Truss and Education Secretary Justine Greening. May appointed other Brexit supporters to major Cabinet posts, Wednesday, including former Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond as finance minister and Amber Rudd to May's old job of home secretary. Hammond on Thursday said he would not submit an emergency budget in response to the Brexit decision, and would instead submit the budget in the fall, as is customary. Hammond said during Brexit negotiations with the European Union he will push for British access to the European market for London's financial services. "It's not only in London's interest, it's in the interest of the European Union as well. London provides a crucial financial service," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Report Finds 'Rampant Impunity' For Killings In Eastern Ukraine July 14, 2016 A UN human rights report says there has been "limited accountability" in eastern Ukraine for arbitrary killings and torture by separatist fighters and Ukrainian soldiers. "Impunity for killings remains rampant, encouraging their perpetuation and undermining prospects for justice," said the report, issued on July 14 by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The report was based on research into the killings of more than 9,400 people in Ukraine's Donbas region since fighting started there in 2014 through May 2016. "Accountability will be key to the establishment of sustainable peace in Ukraine," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein. "This is the only way forward, as has been fully and tragically demonstrated by the many countries which have not dealt properly with serious international crimes and human rights abuses." UN investigators found evidence of arbitrary killings by Russia-back separatists, Ukrainian troops, police forces, and volunteer battalions of fighters. The report cited executions of prisoners by both sides and indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas using imprecise weapon systems. The OHCHR said some of the killings of civilians could be considered "war crimes." Although some of the people involved in arbitrary killings have been prosecuted, the OHCHR said many investigations into deaths are delayed or left unfinished. The report said probes into killings in separatist-held areas of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions appear to be selective and suspects are not guaranteed a fair trial. Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/eastern-ukraine- rights-abuses-un-report/27858071.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Flash Japanese Emperor Akihito has expressed the intention to end his reign in coming years, local media reported, quoting government sources. Japanese Emperor Akihito (Xinhua file photo) The 82-year-old emperor, who has reigned for over 27 years since 1989, has expressed his hope to abdicate to the Imperial Household Agency, said public broadcaster NHK. His 56-year-old son, Crown Prince Naruhito, is expected to succeed to the throne, said NHK. But Kyodo News denied the news, quoting Shinichiro Yamamoto, a senior official from the Imperial Household Agency. "I know there are media reports about this, but it is definitely not true," Shinichiro Yamamoto was quoted by Kyodo News as saying. Emperor Akihito has no health issues requiring immediate abdication, said Kyodo News, quoting another source who said the emperor has been expressing his intention to abdicate to people around him for about a year. Meanwhile, according to local media, if the emperor is to abdicate, the Imperial House Law might need revision, as the law, enacted in 1947 to rule for imperial affairs, does not include any provision for a reigning emperor to abdicate. The process of revising the law, involving deliberations by an expert panel to the government, is expected to require a few years, said Kyodo News. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - July 13, 2016) - NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. WIRE SERVICES Thor Explorations Ltd. ("Thor") or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:THX) is pleased to announce that it has completed a technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") on the Segilola Gold Project. The filing of this technical report supports the disclosure made by the Company in its news release of June 27, 2016 entitled "Proposed Acquisition of Segilola Gold Project and Private Placement Financing". The technical report is entitled "Updated Resource Estimate for the Segilola Gold Deposit, Osun State, Nigeria for Thor Explorations Ltd." dated February 25, 2016 and was prepared by an independent "Qualified Person" (as that term is defined in NI 43-101) Alfred Gillman, Bsc (Hons); FAusIMM,CP and Stephen Mawson, Msc, SACNSP, GSSA. The technical report will be available today on both SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and the Company's website (www.thorexpl.com). About Thor Thor Explorations Ltd. is a Canadian mineral exploration company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in Senegal and Burkina Faso. Thor holds a 70% interest in the Douta Gold Project located in south-eastern Senegal. The Douta Gold Project lies within the Kenieba Inlier which hosts significant gold resources and has attracted major international mining companies. Thor also holds a 100% interest in the Bongui and Legue gold permits located in Hounde greenstone belt, south west Burkina Faso. Thor trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "THX". Thor Explorations Ltd. Segun Lawson, President & CEO 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 This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase securities. The securities to be offered in the offering have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the benefit or account of, a U.S. person, except pursuant to an available exemption from such registration requirements. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented constitutes "forward looking statements" within the meaning of certain securities laws, and is subject to important risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the completion of the acquisition of the Segilola Gold Project and the use of the proceeds of the private placement. The words "may", "could", "should", "would", "suspect", "outlook", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "plan", "target" and similar words and expressions are used to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this news release describes the Company's expectations as of the date of this news release and accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES./ TSX.V: SCZ FSE: 1SZ VANCOUVER, July 14, 2016 /CNW/ - Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. ("Santacruz" or the "Company") (TSX.V:SCZ) is pleased to report that it has closed its previously announced public offering of units (the "Offering") through a syndicate of agents led by Haywood Securities Inc. and including M Partners Inc. (collectively, the "Agents") and has completed the previously announced restructuring of its Silver Pre-Payment Agreement with JMET, LLC ("JMET"). The restructuring amends the Silver Pre-Payment Agreement such that, among other things, the Company no longer has any metal delivery obligations to JMET. The Company has issued 37,975,000 units (the "Units") pursuant to the Offering at a price of C$0.40 per Unit for total gross proceeds of C$15,190,000. The Offering included 4,875,000 Units issued pursuant to the Agents' exercise in full of their option to purchase additional Units. Each Unit consisted of one common share and one-half of one transferable common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share (a "Warrant Share") at a price per Warrant Share of C$0.55 for a period of 30 months from closing. The Company has used a portion of the net proceeds of the Offering to restructure its obligations to JMET, as described below, with the remainder to be used for general working capital purposes. Concurrently with the completion of the Offering, the Company has closed the restructuring of its obligations to JMET by amending the terms of the Silver Pre-Payment Agreement. The Company has paid US$7,776,600 from the proceeds of the Offering to JMET as partial payment of the outstanding indebtedness under the Sliver Pre-Payment Agreement and has issued JMET a new secured note in the amount of US$4,889,933 (the "JMET Note"), representing the remaining indebtedness to JMET after giving effect to the restructuring. The JMET Note bears interest at a rate of 14% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears commencing September 30, 2016, with principal repayments of US$500,000 per quarter commencing September 30, 2017 and ending on December 31, 2019. Also pursuant to the restructuring, the Company has issued 3,750,000 warrants to JMET (the "JMET Warrants"). Each JMET Warrant is exercisable to acquire one common share of the Company at a price of C$0.55 per share and will expire on December 31, 2018; provided that, if the volume weighted average price of the Company's common shares for any consecutive 20-day trading period on the TSX Venture Exchange equals or exceeds C$0.88, the Company has the right to deem the JMET Warrants to be exercised. The Company has also agreed to pay JMET certain restructuring and finance fees, which fees will be payable in 2019. In certain circumstances, the principal repayments due under the JMET Note and payment of the restructuring and finance fees will be accelerated without penalty if the Company receives net proceeds from sources other than the sale of concentrates or if the Company's working capital and cash balance exceed certain thresholds. About Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. Santacruz is a Mexican focused silver company with a producing silver mine (Rosario); the right to operate a silver mine and mill facility (Veta Grande); an advanced-stage project (San Felipe); one exploration stage project (the Gavilanes property) and three early stage exploration properties including the El Gachi property, the Minillas property and the Zacatecas properties. The Company is managed by a technical team of professionals with proven track records in developing, operating and discovering silver mines in Mexico. Our corporate objective is to become a mid-tier silver producer. 'signed' Arturo Prestamo Elizondo, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director 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 press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the "United States" or to "U.S. persons" (as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act, and any applicable state securities laws, or the availability of an exemption therefrom. Forward looking information Certain statements contained in this news release, including information concerning the use of proceeds of the Offering, constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions. In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, that the Company will be able to raise additional capital; that the proposed exploration and development will proceed as planned; and that market fundamentals will result in sustained silver, lead and zinc demand and prices. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, that the Company's financial condition and development plans change, delays in regulatory approval, risks associated with the interpretation of data, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information or statements, other than as required by applicable law. SOURCE Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. TORONTO, July 14, 2016 /CNW/ - Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd. (TSX: WM, FWB: WC7) ("Wallbridge") is pleased to announce that it has received the updated mineral resource estimate for Discovery Zone on the Fenelon Property in Quebec which it is in the process of acquiring from Balmoral Resources Ltd. ( "Balmoral"; TSX:BAR, OTCQX:BALMF) as prepared by Pierre-Luc Richard, P.Geo. and Catherine Jalbert, P.Geo. of InnovExplo Inc. ("InnovExplo"). Highlights: A 90% increase in tonnes, and a 26% increase in contained ounces, relative to the previous historic Measured and Indicated Resource estimate, to 91,100 tonnes grading 12.97 g/t Au containing 38,000 ounces of gold. A large proportion of the resource is located in close proximity to existing underground workings at shallow depth. The bulk of the resource is located in the first 150m from surface (87% of the tonnes and 91% of the ounces). There are several opportunities to add additional resources to the Fenelon Property by drilling 1) depth extensions of the ore shoots that originate in the resource area, 2) in-fill drilling on modelled exploration targets currently not included in the resource, 3) subparallel mineralized zones in the vicinity of the currently identified zones. "We are extremely pleased that the InnovExplo resource estimate has confirmed our own work in terms of tonnes, grade, and exploration potential, upon which we based our decision to acquire this very attractive, underground accessible, high-grade gold property," stated Marz Kord, President and CEO of Wallbridge. "We will be moving forward rapidly to complete the acquisition of the Fenelon Property and advance permitting. Our goal is to, quickly after acquisition, dewater the existing workings and commence additional underground exploration, which together with completion of a feasibility study in early 2017, will allow us to rapidly reach a production decision." Background The Fenelon Property covers 1,052 hectares and is located in West-Central Quebec about 75 kilometres northwest of the town of Matagami. Geologically it is situated proximal to the Sunday Lake Deformation Zone which hosts the Detour Gold Mine in Ontario (514 million tonnes reserves grading 0.99 g Au/t, 16.4 M ounces) as well as the Martiniere gold project being explored by Balmoral. A total of over 50,000 metres of drilling have been completed on the project and, very significantly, two bulk samples have been mined and processed from the Discovery Zone deposit. In 2001, a 13,835 tonne bulk sample mined from a small open pit at the Discovery Zone was test milled at the Camflo mill in Malartic and returned 132,039 grams (4,245 ounces) of gold giving a reconciled head grade of 9.84g/t gold using a calculated recovery of 97%. A second bulk sample, mined from underground and also milled at Camflo was comprised of 8,169 tonnes and returned 80,731 grams (2,596 ounces) of gold giving a reconciled head grade of 10.7 g/t gold. Prior to the current resource estimate, resources were last estimated in September 2004 and were updated in January 2005. About 16,000 metres of additional diamond drilling have been completed since that time. Wallbridge has signed a Letter Of Intent with Balmoral (see Wallbridge press release dated May 25, 2016) to acquire the property as part of Wallbridge's strategy of acquiring projects having a short timeline to a potential production decision, an initial minimum 1-3 year mine life with additional exploration upside, a manageable capital cost and most importantly having the potential to generate a high margin return for our shareholders. Resource Estimate InnovExplo was retained by Wallbridge to prepare a resource estimate and an independent 43-101 report on the property. The resource estimate was prepared by Pierre-Luc Richard, P.Geo. and Catherine Jalbert, P.Geo. of InnovExplo, using all available information. The information used to prepare the estimate has been generated by previous operators and Wallbridge has not completed any work on the property to date. InnovExplo's data verification included a site visit to the Fenelon Camp and a review of the logging and core storage facilities. It also included a review of selected core intervals, drill hole collar locations, assays, the QA/QC program, downhole surveys, information on mined-out areas, and the descriptions of lithologies, alterations and structures. InnovExplo was able to collect and send to the laboratory numerous drill hole quarter-splits and stockpiled mineralized samples to provide additional confirmation of historic results. The 2016 resource area measures 500 m along strike, 210 m wide and 280 m deep. The resource estimate is based on a compilation of historical and recent diamond drill holes and wireframed mineralized zones largely inspired by previous work and Wallbridge's interpretation. The final model was constructed by InnovExplo. The GEMS diamond drill holes database contains 356 surface diamond drill holes and 63 underground drill holes. From these, a subset of 230 holes (169 from surface and 61 from underground) crosscut the mineralized zones. Additionally, the database contains 357 surface channel samples and 192 underground channel samples. In order to conduct accurate resource modelling of the deposit, InnovExplo based its mineralized-zone wireframe model on the drill hole database and the authors' knowledge of the Fenelon mine and similar deposits. A total of nine mineralized solids (coded 102 to 110) that honour the drill hole database were created. Given the density of the processed data, the search ellipse criteria, the drill hole density, and the specific interpolation parameters, InnovExplo is of the opinion that the current mineral resource estimate can be classified as Measured, Indicated and Inferred resources. The estimate is compliant with CIM standards and guidelines for reporting mineral resources and reserves. Table 1.1 below displays the results of the In Situ Mineral Resource Estimate for the Fenelon Project at the official 5.00 g/t Au cut-off grade. Table 1.1 Fenelon Project Mineral Resource Estimate at a 5.00 g/t Au cut-off grade > 5.00 g/t Au Tonnes Au Contained Au (t) (g/t) (oz) Measured (M) and Indicated (I) Measured (In-situ) 27,000 13.94 12,100 Measured (broken) 3,100 6.14 600 Indicated 61,000 12.89 25,300 Total M+I 91,100 12.97 38,000 Inferred In-situ 6,500 9.15 1,900 The Independent and Qualified Persons for the Mineral Resource Estimate, as defined by NI 43-101, are Pierre-Luc Richard, P.Geo., M.Sc. and Catherine Jalbert, P.Geo., B.Sc., of InnovExplo Inc., and the effective date of the estimate is July 5, 2016. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. The model includes nine gold-bearing zones, eight of which include resources at the official cut-off grade. Results are presented in situ and undiluted. Sensitivity was assessed using cut-off grades from 2.00 to 10.00 g/t Au with 1.00 g/t Au increments. The official resource is reported at a cut-off of 5.00 g/t Au. Cut-off grades must be re-evaluated in light of prevailing market conditions (gold price, exchange rate and mining cost). A fixed density of 2.80g/cm 3 was used for all zones supported by limited information. was used for all zones supported by limited information. A minimum true thickness of 2.0 m was applied, using the grade of the adjacent material when assayed, or a value of zero when not assayed. High grade capping (Au) was done on raw assay data and varies from 30 g/t to 140 g/t based on statistical analysis of individual mineralized zones. Restricted search ellipsoids were used during interpolation using 1X variography ranges and a threshold of 30 g/t Au. Compositing was done on drill hole intercepts falling within the mineralized zones (composite lengths vary from 1m to 3m in order to distribute the tails adequately). Resources were evaluated from drill holes using a 2-pass ID3 interpolation method in a block model (block size = 5 m x 5 m x 5 m). The inferred category is only defined within the areas where blocks were interpolated during pass 1 or pass 2 where continuity is sufficient to avoid isolated blocks being interpolated by only one drillhole. The indicated category is only defined by blocks interpolated by a minimum of two drillholes in areas where the maximum distance to the closest drill hole composite is less than 20m for blocks interpolated in pass 1. The measured category is only defined by blocks interpolated by a minimum of two drillholes in areas where the maximum distance to the closest drill hole composite is less than 20m for blocks interpolated in pass 1 and in close proximity with sampled drifts (<10m). Ounce (troy) = metric tons x grade / 31.10348. Calculations used metric units (metres, tonnes and g/t). The number of metric tons was rounded to the nearest hundred. Any discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding effects. Rounding followed the recommendations in NI 43-101. InnovExplo is not aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issue that could materially affect the Mineral Resource Estimate. Table 1.2 displays the official in-situ resource and sensitivity at other cut-off scenarios. The reader should be cautioned that the figures listed in Table 1.2 should not be misinterpreted as a mineral resource statement. The reported quantities and grade estimates at different cut-off grades are only presented to demonstrate the sensitivity of the resource model to the selection of a reporting cut-off grade. Note that broken measured resources are not included in this table since it was included in the official resource statement as a whole. Table 1.2 Fenelon Property Mineral Resource Estimate* at a 5.00 g/t Au cut-off grade and sensitivity at other cut-off scenarios. Measured Indicated Inferred Cut-off Tonnage Grade Ounces Tonnage Grade Ounces Tonnage Grade Ounces 2.00 39,400 10.57 13,400 144,900 7.23 33,700 27,500 4.15 3,700 3.00 33,600 11.97 12,900 100,900 9.33 30,200 11,100 6.86 2,500 4.00 29,800 13.04 12,500 77,100 11.13 27,600 7,700 8.39 2,100 5.00 27,000 13.94 12,100 61,000 12.89 25,300 6,500 9.15 1,900 6.00 25,000 14.60 11,800 50,400 14.46 23,400 5,100 10.11 1,700 7.00 22,100 15.67 11,100 42,300 15.98 21,700 4,700 10.44 1,600 8.00 20,400 16.33 10,700 34,200 18.00 19,800 4,100 10.87 1,400 9.00 17,100 17.87 9,800 30,400 19.19 18,800 3,100 11.63 1,200 10.00 14,200 19.59 8,900 27,400 20.24 17,900 2,200 12.50 900 *Note that broken measured resources are not included in this table since it was included in the official resource statement in Table 1.1 above. Figures showing the resources as estimated by InnovExplo and their location relative to the existing mine workings can be found on the Wallbridge Mining website at http://www.wallbridgemining.com/s/fenelon.asp . Exploration Potential After conducting a detailed review of all pertinent information and completing the 2016 Mineral Resource Estimate, InnovExplo concluded the following: Geological and grade continuity were demonstrated for eight gold-bearing zones on the Fenelon Project. A large proportion of the resource is located in close proximity to existing underground workings at shallow depth. The bulk of the resource is located in the first 150m from surface (87% of the tonnes and 91% of the ounces). It is likely that additional diamond drilling would upgrade some of the Inferred Resources to Indicated Resources. There is the potential for upgrading some of the Indicated Resources to Measured Resources through detailed geological mapping, infill drilling and systematic channel sampling from the underground workings. One zone intercepted by four mineralized intervals (Zone 110 in Figures A & B) has been modelled, but not interpolated and is considered as an exploration target at the moment due to the large drill spacing. There are several opportunities to add additional resources to the Fenelon Project by drilling 1) depth extensions of the ore shoot that originates in the resource area, 2) subparallel mineralized zones in the vicinity of the currently identified zones. A property-scale compilation and target generation program should be completed. Conversion drilling should be devoted to upgrading part of the Inferred resources to the Indicated category, while exploration drilling should target the currently identified oreshoots at depth, but also target the discovery of additional zones over the entire project. The full Resource Estimate report will be posted within 45 days from the date of this Press Release at www.sedar.com, with a link from the Wallbridge Mining Company website. Attila Pentek, P.Geo., the Qualified Person for the contents of this Press Release and Pierre-Luc Richard, P.Geo. and Catherine Jalbert, P.Geo., who are the Qualified Persons responsible for the Resource Estimate have reviewed the technical content of this press release. About Wallbridge Mining Wallbridge creates value through the acquisition, discovery, development, and production of metals. Wallbridge is working to establish a portfolio of projects that will support sustainable production and revenue as well as organic growth through exploration and scalability. Wallbridge is currently in discussions regarding several advanced stage projects which could become the Company's next production platforms. These discussions benefit from the operating capabilities Wallbridge demonstrated by safely and efficiently mining the Broken Hammer deposit, which was completed in October 2015. One of those advanced discussions turned into a Letter of Intent dated May 24, 2016 for the outright purchase of the Fenelon Gold Property (the "Fenelon Mine Property") from Balmoral Resources Ltd. (TSX: BAR) for a minimum purchase price of $3,600,000. The Fenelon Mine Property is an advanced stage project with near-term production potential, as well as drill intersections suggesting potential for resource expansion. The project is located in West Central Quebec, within the same geological belt spanning across Ontario and Quebec that hosts the Detour Gold mine. Wallbridge is continuing active partner-funded exploration on its large portfolio of nickel, copper, and PGM projects in Sudbury, Ontario. Most of this work is funded by joint venture partners and has led to the discovery of numerous mineral occurrences including the Broken Hammer deposit. Wallbridge has further exposure to active exploration for copper and gold in Jamaica and British Columbia through its 16.8% ownership of Carube Copper Corp. ("Carube Copper") (CUC:TSX-V, formerly Miocene Resources Limited). Carube Copper's activities in Jamaica benefit from the funding by OZ Minerals Ltd., with whom Carube Copper has two joint ventures. This press release may contain forward-looking statements (including "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) relating to, among other things, the operations of Wallbridge and the environment in which it operates. Generally, 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", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Wallbridge has relied on a number of assumptions and estimates in making such forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the final acquisition of the Fenelon Property, the ability to acquire the necessary permits and approvals to advance the Fenelon Property toward production, the ability to safely and successfully dewater the underground workings at Fenelon, the ability to add to the existing resource base at Fenelon through drilling, the costs associated with the development and operation of its properties. Such assumptions and estimates are made in light of the trends and conditions that are considered to be relevant and reasonable based on information available and the circumstances existing at this time. A number of risk factors may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or outcomes of such exploration and/or mine development to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements including, without limitation, whether such discoveries will result in commercially viable quantities of such mineralized materials, the possibility of changes to project parameters as plans continue to be refined, the ability to execute planned exploration and future drilling programs, the need for additional funding to continue exploration and development efforts, changes in general economic, market and business conditions, and those other risks set forth in Wallbridge's most recent annual information form under the heading "Risk Factors" and in its other public filings. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and such information is inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and may be beyond the control of Wallbridge. Although Wallbridge has attempted to identify important risks and factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors and risks that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Consequently, undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements. In addition, all forward-looking statements in this press release are given as of the date hereof. Wallbridge disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, save and except as may be required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified by this disclaimer. SOURCE Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd. VANCOUVER, July 14, 2016 /CNW/ - Vanadiumcorp Resource Inc. (TSX "VRB") (the "Company") is pleased to announce the execution of a partnership agreement with EnSciTech Inc. ("EnSciTech") through the Vanadium Electrolyte Process Partnership ('VEPP"). The objective of this partnership is to collaborate and explore the joint business opportunity of low cost near term production of Vanadium Electrolyte. The primary focus of this agreement will look at the following components: VE process technology development (pilot scale to full production) Commercialization of efficient and environmentally friendly mineral extraction EnSciTech located in Alberta, Canada is working on clean initiatives within the oil sands industry. The primary purpose is to convert waste from the oil sands into battery materials for leading storage technologies. The process recovers secondary high purity vanadium from oil sands helping Canada to meet energy storage and renewable energy targets for North America. EnSciTEch is currently planning development of their vanadium electrolyte pilot plant, which would facilitate Alberta's climate change commitment by reducing wastes from the oil sands industry and transforming them into battery materials. The Company's CEO Adriaan Bakker commented, "EnSciTech represents the possibility of near term, low cost production from an exclusive supply source. Combining processing technology with new supply could bring stable, secure cost VE to the market for the first time." The Vanadium Electrolyte Process Partnership (VEPP) is an independent alliance of vanadium developers collaborating to establish low cost vanadium electrolyte (VE) solutions. The importance Vanadium's role in energy storage is growing dramatically. The announced VRFB installation in Dalian, China is planned to reach 3,000 MWh. This currently represents the world's largest battery or energy storage system "ESS". Lithium technology is simply not capable of this scale and performance with the largest installation approximately 100X smaller in MWh capacity. Adriaan Bakker, CEO of Vanadiumcorp states, "Canada has an opportunity to become the world's leading supplier of battery materials for energy storage. Superseding China's production of battery raw materials would allow Canada's to fulfill its mandate with the Paris climate change commitment and the trilateral Canada-USA-Mexico agreement to reach 50% clean energy by 2025." VanadiumCorp is the only Company planning to develop primary high purity vanadium directly from source. Unlike conventional producers worldwide that must upgrade and convert from lower quality V205, The Company's Lac Dore Vanadium Project mineralization already has the high quality profile required for vanadium batteries. Demonstration of Lac Dore quality for VRB technology was confirmed through pilot plant production at SGS Lakefield in 2002. Lac Dore Vanadium Project Preliminary Economic Assessment "PEA" Completion Schedule: VanadiumCorp is pleased to announce its plans to publically disclose PEA results and file a concurrent supporting NI 43-101 report 30-60 days from the effective date of this news release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE VanadiumCorp Resource Inc. First dates. The worst - and also best - of all dates. It's a jungle out there but the Good Food Guide's got your back. Here are 10 of our favourites. 121BC Related Content How Tinder is affecting our bar culture This pint-sized restaurant and bar has three strengths when it comes to a brand new date. It's dark (everyone is good looking in the dark), there's wine (everyone's good looking when there's wine) and there are delicious balsamic glazed ribs (everyone looks good when they're eating ribs don't they?) 4/50 Holt Street, Surry Hills, 02 9699 1582 Will your romance blossom like this blooming onion at Bar Brose? Photo: Dominic Lorrimer Bar Brose What could be more romantic than splitting a carafe of wine, a late night sandwich and a blooming onion? Very few things. And if that doesn't do it for you, hedge your bets and order the carbonara. 231a Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, barbrose.com.au Advertisement Bibo Dark and moody with a short and very classic cocktail list, this is a winner for first and fourth dates alike. Order a few Portuguese-inspired snacks, a round of Old Fashioneds and see where the night takes you. 7 Bay Street, Double Bay, 02 9362 4680, bibowinebar.com.au Bodega Unsure about your date? Feeling nervous and have run out of conversation? This loud and lively tapas bar is your answer. It's fast, it's furious, it's delicious and regardless of how successful your date, you'll still have a fun dinner. 216 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, 02 9212 7766, bodegatapas.com Check in for a Mar-tinny cocktail at Continental Deli Bar Bistro. Photo: Hollie Adams Continental Deli Sometimes the thing you need most is a third party to help carry the conversation, or at least kick it off. Get comfortable at the bar, order a round of Mar-tinnies and a cheese plate, and let your friendly bartender do the rest. 210 Australia Street, Newtown, 02 8624 3131, continentaldelicatessen.com.au The Dolphin It's the ultimate first date pub where you can get a round of beers, some interesting Italian wine and a pizza all in the same 10 minutes. And depending which way it's going, you can move through for dinner or more wine. Big failure? The footy'll probably be on too. 412 Crown Street, Surry Hills, 02 9331 4800, dolphinhotel.com.au Fratelli Paradiso If you're the type of revolutionary that's by-passing the first date drink and heading straight for a full-on dinner (more power to you), this might happily tick off both. Grab a table on the street, order some risotto, a little wine and let an army of swarthy Italian waiters look after you. 12-16 Challis Avenue, Potts Point, 02 9357 1744, fratelliparadiso.com There's a wall of miniature bottles at Restaurant Hubert - and a huge amount of fun in store for patrons. Photo: Steven Siewert Hubert Caveat lector: you'll want to either get here super early or super late. This French bistro and bar has all the ingredients for a successful date (dim lights, banging cocktails, a menu of food that won't run down your face) along with being the most popular new opening in town. 15 Bligh Street, Sydney, restauranthubert.com Love, Tilly Devine Wine + a modest food menu + great lighting and a fun soundtrack = great potential for romance. Plus, if all else fails, sommelier Gabrielle Webster is a deadset legend. If your date doesn't entertain you, she definitely will. 91 Crown Lane, Darlinghurst, 02 9326 9297, lovetillydevine.com Play Video Replay Video Play Video Don't Play How to make a Halal Snack Pack Sam Dastyari is in King Kebab House, Campbelltown and shows us how to put together the best HSP in Sydney. (This video was originally published in 2016). Let's get one thing straight: the halal snack pack is an Aussie invention. The HSP's rise from humble late night post-party pit stop (devised by drunk uni students who couldn't decided between chips or a kebab, according to urban legend) to bona fide cultural icon has been nothing short of meteoric, helped in part by a 156,000 member strong Facebook appreciation society and a certain politician. When Labor senator Sam Dastyari invited his anti-halal colleague Pauline Hanson to share one of the kebab shop specials, he almost broke the internet (and has an email from Facebook to prove it), garnering 1.9 million views of the televised invite. The senator has been repeatedly called Sydney's president of HSPs after delivering a passionate review of Campbelltown's King Kebabs number in Parliament earlier this year. Sam Dastyari's top three Sydney HSP spots 1. King Kebab House 2/171-179 Queen Street, Campbelltown, 02 4656 1707, kingkebabhouse.com.au 2. New Star Kebabs, Auburn 15 Auburn Road, Auburn, 02 9643 8433, facebook.com/New-Star-Kebabs Advertisement 3. Metro One, Ashfield 309 Liverpool Road, Ashfield, 02 9797 1034, metrooneashfield.com.au A halal snack pack from King Kebab House, Campbelltown. Photograph by Edwina Pickles. He took Good Food to the HSP hot spot to teach us the fine art of constructing a snack pack, and explain why the kebab does far more than ease a hangover. "What's important here isn't just the food, but the fact that's being used to make a political statement," he said. "It's an embracement of the diversity of Sydney and multiculturalism. Look at who is eating these; they've probably never fasted in their life, but they are respecting and embracing what halal food is. People are using food to make a political statement. It's the modern equivalent of a peaceful rally, and it's become quite powerful as a result." Senator Sam Dastyari samples a halal snack pack. Photograph by Edwina Pickles. The fun side? A good halal snack pack is really bloody delicious. "At a simple level, it's chips and meat with the holy trinity of sauces: garlic, chilli and barbecue," Dastyari said. "The trick is to achieve a delicate balance between the juiciness of the meat and crispiness of the chips without any sogginess." To construct, you layer up hot chips (cooked in fresh oil, preferably), chicken salt and grated cheese, shaved chopped kebab meat, more cheese, and top with an aesthetically pleasing pattern of sauce. Pauline Hanson, a former fish and chip shop operator, has repeatedly slammed halal food, and said she's "not interested" in sampling a HSP. Most meat in Australia is halal. Yet, when Dastyari visited the far north Queensland electorate of George Christenson, a staunch anti-halal campaigner, he said the local kebab shop was forced to hide all halal signage after repeatedly being abused over it. "It's about giving people that space and confidence to embrace their cultural and their identity without feeling like they're being excluded. That's what becomes a social movement - it may not be the initial intention, but it's giving store owners that confidence." A halal snack pack. Photograph by Edwina Pickles. Halal certification, which businesses are charged to obtain in the same fashion of organic or animal cruelty certification, is crucial to our export market, which services some of the two billion Muslims (almost 30 percent of the world's population), worldwide. Most of the meat in Australia is already halal, and has been certified as such for close to a century. "The export standard is very rigid, and as our entire beef industry is build on export markets, if there was to be any doubt of the halal standards, it could result in a country such as Saudi Arabia turning around and banning Australian meat, which would have devastating effects," Dastyari explains. "The act of halal certification makes meat cheaper for all of us in our grocery stores, because it extends that market. All kosher meat is halal, but not all halal meat is kosher - kosher goes a step further. Halal certification just means that Islamic tradition must be respected during the production of the meat and processing of animals, including making sure that there is no contact with products related to pigs, and that prior to slaughter, animals are given prayers and rights." Dastyari's number one pick for a halal snack pack is the now-famous King Kebab House, in Campbelltown - "without a doubt the best place in Sydney," he said. New Star Kebabs in Auburn and Metro One in Ashfield are also favourites. Mevlana Cific, owner of King Kebab House, is a HSP expert, having manned kebab snack shops and even worked in a kebab factory for the past 16 years. He has his kebabs made to order, to his specific recipe of undisclosed herbs and spices, and delivered each morning, and uses super fresh oil to ensure his chips are as crisp as possible. On a Tuesday at 10am, half of the suburban store is chowing down on the famous packs, which are some of the cheapest in Sydney, forcing whole tables into silence until the entire massive sauce-laden plates are completely clear. HSPAS (Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society) has deemed Cific's store as HSP "mecca", organising a 2000-person strong pilgrimage to the store earlier in the year, prompting Cific to add on optional donations to support local and African charities. "It doesn't matter if they are Muslim, not Muslim, Christian or Buddhist - when they eat it [the HSP], they are laughing and happy. We have no trouble here. It's not a Turkish food - it's an Australian food." he said. "If Pauline Hanson knew what halal is, she wouldn't complain about it. Everyone that comes in here complains about Pauline Hanson. This is my country, too. I love this country. My kids love this country. A lot of different people come to this place - they're not thinking about what is halal, they are just enjoying their meal. African, Vietnamese, Chinese - they come to this place, and no one is angry, they just enjoy their meal." Flash The resurgence of the civil war in South Sudan after more than two years of peace talks is totally unacceptable, said Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chairperson of the African Union Commission, on Wednesday. A screenshot shows a local militant opening fire in Juba, capital of South Sudan, on July 10, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] Dlamini-Zuma observed that it is unfortunate that instead of the citizens of South Sudancelebrating their five years of independence, they are barricaded in their homes as others flee their country. "We must begin to respect the lives of the people and should not tolerate leadership that has no regard for the people's lives," Dlamini-Zuma said during the ongoing 27th AU Summit held July 10-18 in Kigali, Rwanda. She said that governments and leaderships exist to protect the vulnerable, to serve, but not to cause massive suffering to women and children. "It is sad that this is happening when the cost of conflict management and peace is currently the largest single budget item of the AU yet these resources should be spent on promoting the African skills revolution, supporting young entrepreneurs and women farmers," she noted. She said that while there is no resources to buy food for the hunger and medicine for children, it's unacceptable that political leaders in the country have resources to buy weapons that they use in causing havoc to the vulnerable citizens. "We must strive to honor a pledge and stop war and conflicts to future generations of Africans and silence guns by 2020," she noted. According to the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHCR) almost 36,000 people have been displaced since the fighting that flared yet again. The agency said that some 7,000 internally displaced people have sought shelter in the UN's bases in Juba. Dlamini-Zuma called on governments to intervene in conflict situations before they escalate into violence and ensure that democracy and human rights are promoted. Fierce fighting broke out Friday between troops loyal to South Sudan President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar. More than 300 people were reportedly killed during days of fighting. On Monday evening, Kiir and Machar ordered respective ceasefire which appears to be holding until now. The AU is holding its 27th ordinary summit in Kigali Rwanda, which is being attended by representatives from the 54 member states. First responders get free medium sub at Firehouse Subs on Friday First responders get a free medium sub at Firehouse Subs on Friday, Oct. 28 with any purchase, according to a news release. SHARE Lopez Jasso Montez Antonio Flores By Mike Kelly of the San Angelo Standard-Times Authorities made 11 arrests Wednesday, including nine San Angeloans, in connection with an unsealed federal indictment alleging a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Arrested, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas office, were: Rudolfo Ledesma Castaneda Jr., 30, of San Angelo conspiracy to distribute meth, 500 grams or more, and 50 grams or more, aiding and abetting, possession of a firearm by a felon Nancy Ann Flores, 41, of San Angelo conspiracy to distribute meth, 500 grams or more, and 50 grams or more Silvia Prado, 35, of Austin conspiracy to distribute meth, 500 grams or more, and 50 grams or more Adam Gabriel Castaneda, 29, of San Angelo conspiracy to distribute meth, 500 grams or more, and 50 grams or more Jesse Huerra, 31, of San Angelo conspiracy to distribute meth and possession, 500 grams or more, and 50 grams or more, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime, possession of a firearm by a felon Antonio N. Flores, 51, of San Angelo conspiracy to distribute meth, 50 grams or more Bruno Rudolfo Velasquez, 32, of San Angelo conspiracy to distribute meth, 50 grams or more, possession of a detectable amount, aiding and abetting, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, aiding and abetting Joe Lopez III, 32, of San Angelo conspiracy to distribute meth, distribution and possession with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more, aiding and abetting Richard Jasso, 39, of San Angelo conspiracy to distribute meth, distribution and possession with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more, aiding and abetting Jose G. Montez, 37, of San Angelo conspiracy to distribute meth, distribution and possession with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more, aiding and abetting Shayna Kaye McCann, 24, of Great Falls, Montana conspiracy to distribute meth, distribution and possession with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more, aiding and abetting The indictment named a 12th defendant, Daniel Roy Lombrana, 29, of San Angelo, who was still at large and is charged with conspiracy to distribute meth, 50 grams or more. The release said while making the arrests authorities also seized $30,000 in cash. Firearms discovered in the operation included a Springfield XD-40 .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, A Springfield XD-9 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a Cobra .380 ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Kimber CSM Crimson Carry II .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a Rossi .357 caliber pistol. The 11 accused people appeared before a federal magistrate Wednesday. Agencies involved in the arrests and investigations included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Department of Public Safety and the San Angelo Police Department, assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Department of Homeland Security and the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office, according to the U.S. Attorney. A federal indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. If convicted, however, the conspiracy count carries a maximum statutory penalty ranging from 20 years to life in federal prison and a $1 million to $10 million dollar fine. The other drug counts carry a maximum statutory penalty ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment. One firearm count carries a statutory penalty of not five years to life in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The other firearm count carries a statutory penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag is in charge of the prosecution. SHARE In 1953, newspaper attorney Harold Cross authored a report titled "The People's Right to Know," in which he made the case for government transparency. "Public business is the public's business," he wrote. "Freedom of information is their just heritage. Without that, the citizens of a democracy have but changed their kings." His report came out amid Cold War paranoia and heightened government secrecy, when Washington had gone so far as to classify the amount of peanut butter that U.S. forces consumed. But Cross' efforts, alongside the advocacy of Congressman John Moss, led President Lyndon B. Johnson, on July 4, 1966, to sign a law guaranteeing the public's right to obtain government information: the Freedom of Information Act. This month, the FOIA turned 50. Over the past half-century, the act has been instrumental in revealing government overreach and negligence, and it has provided a vital tool for scholars seeking to correct the historical record. But the FOIA remains plagued by problems: crippling delays, hefty fees and outdated technology not to mention expansive loopholes that federal agencies routinely exploit to deny legitimate requests. The statistics are staggering. Government agencies deny nearly half of all applications, and they heavily redact many of the documents they do release. In 2014, they improperly withheld an estimated 154,750 requests, and the backlog soared to a record 159,741 requests. At least one has been pending for 23 years. Too often, agencies invoke laughable excuses to retain documents. In 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that a 30-year-old volume of a CIA history on the Bay of Pigs could be withheld because, as the CIA argued, it might "confuse the public." In response to a request from Human Rights Watch for data on deportations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement claimed that fulfilling the request would cause the agency to "virtually grind to a halt." After the advocacy group appealed the decision, ICE promptly handed over the information without any apparent difficulty. These problems stem from obvious and fixable flaws. The first is federal agencies' poor use of technology. In 2008, a survey of government agencies found that none kept consistent electronic records. Today, agencies still print and physically file emails to keep a record of them. In 2011, the State Department saved a mere 0.00006 percent of its emails. The second is a lack of oversight. Different agencies exercise broad discretion in responding to FOIA requests, and there is no independent organization to enforce consistency. In 2015, for example, Human Rights Watch requested identical information from each branch of the armed forces. The Air Force demanded $168,316 in processing fees; the Army asked for $1,584. Technically, the Department of Justice's Office of Information Policy is tasked with overseeing the Freedom of Information Act. But the Justice Department has been antagonistic toward it from the start, testifying early on that the act was unconstitutional. The OIP's director, Melanie Pustay, insists the FOIA "works well for many requesters," and the department recently awarded itself five points out of five for its "proactive" release of records. (Hearing this, Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told Pustay: "You live in la-la land.") The final problem is the ease with which agencies can refuse legitimate requests. Under Exemption Five, also known as the "withhold it because you want to" rule, agencies can suppress internal communications that would be inconvenient or incriminating or simply difficult to process on the grounds that they constitute an "interagency or intra-agency communication" or "draft." Of course, agencies sometimes have legitimate reasons for withholding information national security, for example. Yet too often, agencies err on the side of excessive secrecy. In 2014, agencies cited exemptions more than 550,000 times. In June, President Barack Obama signed a bill designed to close some of these loopholes. Under the bill, agencies are allowed to withhold information only when there is a foreseeable harm to releasing it, codifying a presumption of openness. The bill prevents agencies from using Exemption Five for information older than 25 years, and it creates a centralized online portal for all FOIA requests. But there is more to be done. The bill does not authorize any new funding to help agencies comply with the amendments, even though they need money to process backlogged requests, hire new FOIA officers and invest in record keeping. Nor does the bill include penalties for agencies that miss deadlines for responding to FOIA requests, creating little incentive for them to change their approach. What's needed, ultimately, is a shift in priorities: The Freedom of Information Act must become a central part of every agency's mission. Perhaps then it can truly live up to its promise, as Johnson articulated a half-century ago. "No one should be able to pull curtains of secrecy around decisions which can be revealed without injury to the public interest," he said. "The United States is an open society in which the people's right to know is cherished and guarded." Nikita Lalwani is a former staff editor at Foreign Affairs and freelance writer. Sam Winter-Levy is a staff editor at Foreign Affairs. They wrote this for The Los Angeles Times. SHARE Donald Trump recently told a group of evangelicals that he has doubts about the Christianity of both President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Some were turned off by Trump's accusation, while others winced at the use of religion in a campaign. Like it or not, religious language has become affixed to American politics. Every campaign season now has a faith component in which candidates use the language of the faithful to attract attention and convince voters that their policies are in line with divine teachings. What is missing is that while the candidates are espousing a particular political ideology, they are also expressing a religious ideology. Religious language, practices and beliefs are now used as a proxy for political language. As candidates tout their faith, they are using it as a tool to both inspire and shame people into supporting their policies. Even though many cringe at the use of religion in campaigns because it can be divisive, religion has a rightful place in politics. However, in order for it be a positive, people must be willing to thoughtfully engage their own religious beliefs. By recognizing and investigating the religious ideologies articulated by candidates, this rhetoric can help people gain both a better understanding of what their religion requires of them and how it can be applied to politics. However, an unwillingness to do this can erode American civil society and make religion even more divisive. One of the reasons for the continued relevance of religion in America is that the U.S. lacks an official religion, which provides the opportunity for various religious faiths to develop and create a vast religious marketplace. This is especially true of Christianity, the most prominent religion in the U.S., which seems to have more flavors than a Baskin-Robbins. This variety is beloved, but it is also the cause of tension. This competition intensifies during election years as candidates have tapped into these differences and used a variety of religious ideologies to advance their political ideologies. This year's election has seen Trump promote both the gospel of prosperity and religious nationalism. The prosperity gospel emphasizes individualism and personal wealth acquisition, while religious nationalism argues that the nation is divinely inspired, favored and directed. These belief systems are manifested in slogans such as "Make America Great Again," proposing temporary bans on specific religious groups, and emphasizing the need to reinforce the nation's Christian identity. In contrast, Hillary Clinton has worked to tap into the social gospel tradition, which stresses actively working to change societal structures to create a more just society. What many seem to miss is that this is not a conflict between evangelicals and non-evangelicals. Research has shown that evangelicals are split on their ascription to the various religious ideologies that exist. The battles over the dominant religious ideology are being waged within and across faith traditions. As religion became increasingly intertwined with American politics, candidates picked up on these divides and used them as tools for mobilizing religious populations. In doing this, the competition moved from being a theological debate to a political debate. Those who believe America is the land of opportunity that provides everyone with a fair shake see the criticisms of American political, economic and social structures as blasphemy. Those who believe discrimination and oppression are rampant argue that America has forgotten or ignores religious mandates to protect the powerless. What all of this demonstrates is that there is no consensus on what it means to be religious. The constant use of religious rhetoric in political campaigns, however, has made the battle over what it means to be religious a political fight. Moving forward, we should not just dismiss it as pandering to religious groups, but as signals of what it means to be religious in America and what Americans are divinely mandated to accomplish. Once we appreciate this, we can better understand both the religious and political conflicts in America and what this means as we enter our places of worship and voting booths. Eric McDaniel is an associate professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin. SHARE By David Super Americans watched with detached amazement as British voters embraced the blatant lies of pseudo-populists and turned the structure of their nation on its head. We should not be smug. A "Brexit"-scale event could happen here. Indeed, right now a campaign to call a constitutional convention with the ostensible purpose of proposing a balanced-budget amendment is gathering momentum. Like Brexit, this would risk grave damage to the global economy. It also would drastically reduce America's standing in world affairs far more than handing the presidency to an incoherent, shopworn reality TV star. Article 5 of the Constitution allows for two paths to change the Constitution. The first is for an amendment to be proposed by Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate and ratified by three-fourths of states. That's how it's been done 27 times. But the same article also allows for two-thirds of the states to come together to demand Congress call a constitutional convention to propose amendments. An effort to call a convention to propose a balanced-budget amendment garnered some attention in the 1970s and early 1980s but fell well short and was abandoned. Now, after a hiatus of 28 years, campaigners have again been peddling constitutional convention resolutions in statehouses. The effort is spearheaded by a hodgepodge of right-wing advocacy groups, among them the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force, Citizens for Self-Governance and the American Legislative Exchange Council, the latter being the corporate-funded group that gave us "stand your ground" gun laws. By its proponents' dubious math, the constitutional convention push is just six states shy of reaching the required two-thirds of the states. They are now targeting seven states with Republican legislatures, and four more with split control, to close that gap. Even if a balanced-budget amendment were the only item on a convention's agenda, that would be a disaster. Locking the world's largest economy into a fiscal straitjacket would preclude any effective response to economic recession, forcing deep cuts in unemployment benefits and other aid at the very moment they are most needed. Suggested provisions that would allow supermajorities in both houses to waive the balance requirement would provide little relief. Consider that this year, neither chamber of Congress could muster a simple majority to pass a budget. If Congress fails to agree upon a balanced budget, who decides on the cuts? The president, acting unilaterally? The courts? The bigger threat is that a constitutional convention, once unleashed on the nation, would be free to rewrite or scrap any parts of the U.S. Constitution. Do we really want to open up our nation's core defining values to debate at a time when a serious candidate for the White House brags about his enthusiasm for torture and the surveillance state, wants to "open up" reporters to lawsuits, scoffs at the separation of powers and holds ideas about freedom of religion that are selective at best? Convention proponents claim that some of this country's founders intended for constitutional conventions to be limited to a single purpose. But that just sidesteps the critical question: Which institution could and would enforce any limits on a rogue convention? The only precedent we have the convention of 1787 quickly shredded its mandate to propose modifications to the Articles of Confederation. The specific danger of a runaway convention prompted the late Chief Justice Warren Burger to state his opposition to a constitutional convention in a 1988 letter to conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly. Today's proponents of a constitutional convention brazenly assert that they should be able to add together 12 state resolutions passed in recent years to the 16 passed decades ago. That would put them only six states shy of the 34 needed to call a convention. The Constitution gives Congress acting without the possibility of a presidential veto authority to call constitutional conventions. Of course, cobbling together the results of two entirely different periods of state legislative action and resolutions with quite different terms would be a completely unprincipled thing for Congress to do. But then, so is acknowledging that remarks by your party's presidential candidate are textbook racism but endorsing him anyway. Depressingly, some progressives who ought to know better are going along with the constitutional convention idea in the far-fetched hope that an amendment might emerge to reverse the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision that gutted campaign finance laws. As the November election approaches, liberals and conservatives alike will bombard voters with declarations of love for the Constitution. A good way to demonstrate that love would be to take a stand against this dangerous adventure. All candidates for Congress should be pressed for their stance on a constitutional convention. The Congress we elect in just four months could well be asked to call a constitutional convention based on purported demands of 34 states. Those who care about this country's most basic values can no longer ignore this danger. David Super teaches law at Georgetown University. He wrote this for The Los Angeles Times. SHARE Mark Stevenson, San Angelo I believe the author of the article, "Dallas scarred again by national tragedy after police ambush," may have mischaracterized his description of the terrible event. Dallas is not scarred but "scared." The response by the peaceful protesters after the shootings reflects a strong moral code among those Dallasites, rather than those in other cities that turn to looting and destruction. This helps prove that "all lives matter." SHARE By Joe DiMiceli In the summer of 2008 I turned on the TV to watch the Republican National Convention. I assumed that, as they had done in the past, they would have a Harry Truman theme. Truman, a Democrat from a border state and a moderate, seemed a safe choice, but not this time. Instead they had a Lincoln theme and I almost fell off the couch. The Republican Party is not the party of Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation is a liberal and not a conservative document. In the 1860s, the conservatives were the Southern Democrats who were in rebellion and the liberals were the Republicans as the successors to the recently defunct Whig Party. Since that time, beginning around 1880, we have had a series of realignments within the two major political parties. Under the direction of Mark Hanna, U.S. senator from Ohio, the Republican Party became the party of big business (the robber barons) and it dominated the political scene (except for the Wilson administration) through campaign contributions and bribery until the election of Franklin Roosevelt in 1932. In addition to the rich, the Republican Party made successful overtures to religious fundamentalists and fiscally and culturally conservative voters. Ironically, until the 1960s, African-Americans voted overwhelmingly Republican in deference to Abraham Lincoln. Today, of course, they vote overwhelmingly Democratic. The Democratic Party was fractured along regional lines with the Northeast and Midwest drawing voters of a liberal or moderate bent and the South, the 11 former Confederate states, drawing voters of conservative dispositions. Irrationally, these conservative voters refused to join the Republican Party over their hatred of Lincoln and the outcome of the Civil War. A more accurate name for these Southern conservative voters would be Dixiecrat. This realignment continued until 1964, when outrage in the South over the civil rights movement and subsequent legislation led some segregationist leaders, notably Strom Thurman, to switch to the Republican Party. (Thurman, an avid crusader against miscegenation, was himself the father of a mixed-race child. The hypocrisy of Southern racists is beyond belief.) In 1968, Richard Nixon, sensing an opportunity, began his Southern strategy by luring Dixiecrat racists, who had been voting Democratic, into the Republican Party. He used dog whistles (racial code words), fears over student unrest and promises to appoint conservative judges to the Supreme Court and undo civil rights legislation. This method, while hardly sophisticated, was certainly effective and repeated 12 years later by Ronald Reagan with his attacks on "young bucks" and "welfare queens." The party realignment was now complete. Today, the Republican hierarchy claims to be shocked! Shocked! at the full-frontal racism, misogyny and xenophobia and anti-Hispanic, anti-immigration and anti-Muslin statements of presumptive nominee Donald Trump. All I can say is, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." The only difference between Trump and many other Republicans is that he is up front about his racism and his followers love him for it. Of course, the Republican leadership is in disarray over how to deal with this situation (the racist cat is out of the bag). When asked about Trump's negative statement concerning a judge of Mexican descent, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan replied that it was "a textbook definition of racism." However, Ryan refused to disavow Trump, claiming that he had more points of agreement than disagreement with the presumptive nominee. (These "points" remain unspecified, perhaps because the presumptive nominee moves from point to point and walk-back to walk-back with astonishing alacrity.) Many Republican leaders even refuse to use Trump's name, instead saying they will support and vote for the party's nominee, whoever that is. One newspaper editor, decrying his Republican senator's refusal to disavow Trump for his racist remarks, informed the senator that he had seen stiffer spines on an invertebrate. And on June 25, George Will, often acknowledged as the leading Republican intellectual, resigned from the Republican Party citing the rise of Trump and the party's inability to deal with him. As a Democrat, liberal, bleeding heart, whatever you want to call me, it should be fun to watch the Republicans twist themselves into pretzels as they try to deal with the Trump phenomenon, but it's not. The political situation today, both domestically and internationally, is too dangerous to take anything lightly and Trump is starting to look like the real deal. Here's why: 1. Polls show that Trump is closing the gap with Clinton, this despite his and his amateur campaign's never-ending attempts to self-destruct. "Let Trump be Trump," no matter how counterintuitive, seems to be a winning formula. 2. Thomas Edsall, columnist for The New York Times, noted a marked discrepancy between polls taken face-to-face or by phone and those conducted anonymously over the internet. In the anonymous surveys, Trump scored significantly higher. Edsall speculated that some potential voters were ashamed to state that they were going to vote for Trump in face-to-face interviews, but declared their true preference in anonymous interviews. If true, this means that Trump actually may be leading Clinton. 3. With less than four months to go, Trump has the momentum and voters are starting to get used to his offensive statements, outlandish ways and in-your-face style. He will go down in history as the Teflon candidate nothing, no matter how racist or offensive, sticks to him. 4. Further terrorist attacks in the Middle East will be red meat for fearmonger Trump. 5. As usual, the Democrats will self-destruct. The Southern strategy has come home to roost and the Republican Party has succeeded in rebranding itself, although not in the (full-frontal) way it intended. It is not the party of Truman or the party of Lincoln, but rather the (now exposed) racist party of Trump. Joe DiMiceli is a retired college professor living in San Angelo. Contact him at socrateslite@gmail.com. Flash Diplomatic efforts to solve the South China Sea disputes will not be blocked by "a scrap of paper" from an arbitral tribunal nor by "a fleet of aircraft carriers," Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said Tuesday. Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai speaks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on July 12, 2016, in Washington D.C., the United States. [Photo/Xinhua] "China remains committed to negotiation and consultations with other parties (in the South China Sea). This position has never changed and will not change," Cui said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S. think tank. His remark came after the tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration unilaterally initiated in 2013 by the former Philippine government issued its award earlier on Tuesday, which sweepingly sided with Manila's claims. "Such absurd proceedings were taking place in combination with military coercion -- with mounting activities by destroyers, aircraft carriers, strategic bombers, reconnaissance planes and many others," Cui said. "I believe this is an outright manifestation of 'might is right.' " By opposing and rejecting the arbitration, China is safeguarding its own interests and defending international justice and the true spirit of international law, the ambassador said. "We will not yield to any pressure, be it in the form of military activities, media criticism or some self-claimed legal bodies," he said. "And we will certainly not make deals with our core interest just for a few words of praise." The ambassador reiterated that China firmly stands for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, as sea lanes there are the economic lifelines for China and many other regional countries. However, he expressed concerns over the assembly of aircraft carriers, airplanes and sophisticated weapons in the region, warning that it could pose a real threat to the freedom of navigation of commercial and civilian vessels. "Such a concentration of fire power, anywhere in the world, would be a source of concern," he noted. Cui said the tensions in the South China Sea started to rise about five or six years ago, about the same time when the world began to hear about the U.S. "pivoting to Asia" policy, and the disputes intensified in the last few years. "If Asia-Pacific is destabilized, if the momentum of regional economic growth is weakened, if armed conflict started, everybody' s interest will be hurt," Cui said. On the relations between China and the United States, Cui said the territorial issue in the South China Sea should not become an issue between them, nor should it be seen as part of a "strategic rivalry." A Cold War mentality will not solve the problems of today' s world, Cui said, calling for partnership among countries and new international relationships centered on win-win cooperation. "We are here to see what kind of choices the U.S. will make: how you see the world today, how you see China' s development, and how you see the relationship between our two countries," he said. The long-simmering feud between Eric Greitens and John Brunner, two Republicans seeking the party's nomination for Missouri governor, broke open on a stage at Lindenwood University on Wednesday, with Greitens accusing Brunner of being a campaign saboteur and liar, and Brunner counterattacking over the controversial source of Greitens' single largest campaign contribution."Take responsibility for what your team did," Greitens demanded angrily near the end of the one-hour debate, which was televised on KMOV-TV (Channel 4)."(I) refuse to be lectured by a guy who took $1 million from the owner of a teenage sex slave ... Have you no shame?" Brunner countered, as the audience of opposing supporters cheered and booed.Greitens, Brunner and the other two candidates for the nomination -- former Missouri House Speaker Catherine Hanaway and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder -- participated in what was otherwise a familiar debate scene, with all four candidates generally agreeing on low-tax, pro-police and pro-gun rights policy goals.Greitens, a former Navy SEAL and author, is running as a political outsider. Brunner, a former Marine and wealthy retired businessman, argues that his business background will allow him to fix the state's economy.Greitens alleges that Brunner is behind an anonymous attack video posted last year calling Greitens' military record into question. Brunner has denied involvement in the video, though it was created and publicized with the involvement of former Brunner Chief of Staff Paul Holzer.Holzer confirmed his connection to the video during a radio interview with KTRS's McGraw Milhaven last week -- though he didn't acknowledge his past role with Brunner until the Post-Dispatch pressed him about it.Brunner, Kinder and Hanaway, meanwhile, have repeatedly challenged Greitens over his acceptance of $1 million from California venture capitalist Michael Goguen. The investor is the subject of a lawsuit alleging that Goguen "sexually, physically and emotionally" assaulted a woman for 13 years. Greitens has rejected calls to return the money, saying he doesn't want to pre-judge Goguen while the suit is in progress.Beyond the Brunner-Greitens showdown, the debate unfolded much as multiple previous ones have.As in the past, Hanaway presented herself as the law-and-order candidate, and said she believes the state should encourage local police departments to use body cameras to help navigate police-community conflicts.Kinder stressed that he is the only proven statewide vote-getter in the field, and said his history of forming alliances with urban leaders would help him lead during Fergusonlike conflicts.The four candidates were asked about Kansas' experiment with massive tax cuts to spur the economy, a move that critics say hasn't worked and has caused a budget crisis. All four candidates stood by the concept of tax-cut economics but said they wouldn't emulate Kansas' all-in approach.The winner of the Aug. 2 primary will face likely Democratic nominee Chris Koster, currently Missouri's attorney general, in the Nov. 8 general election. Flash Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has congratulated Theresa May on her new role as British prime minister. In a message dated Wednesday, Li said that China-Britain relations have maintained momentum in recent years, as shown by frequent exchange of high-level visits, steady development of pragmatic cooperation and more people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China appreciates Britain's pioneering spirit in its effort to boost cooperation with China, and is ready to work with Britain to expand and deepen bilateral relations so as to better benefit the two peoples, Li said. China is looking forward to May's attendance at the Group of 20 summit in Hangzhou, China, scheduled for September, said Li. He also expressed the hope that a new round of annual prime ministerial meeting could be held at a time convenient to both sides. President Obama recently signed into law a highly anticipated -- and much debated -- rescue bill for debt-laden Puerto Rico. While the bill has its detractors, it marks a positive step toward the promise of recovery for the island. But the bill's impact could go far beyond the commonwealth's shores.Puerto Rico, like states and many cities, can't legally declare bankruptcy. Saddled with $70 billion in debt, Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla's administration has spent the last few years unsuccessfully trying to reach an agreement with creditors. During that time, the commonwealth watched its tax base decline as residents fled stateside and Puerto Rican government entities defaulted on debt.That's what life without bankruptcy protection is like for governments, Padilla said this week in a speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. He went on to suggest that Puerto Rico, with its smaller economy and population size, might simply be farther along on a path other U.S. governments are also traveling. "We are only ahead of the curve -- the curve that looms for many states and municipalities," he said. "We are forced to try the route that others have not tried before, to knock on the doors that others may need to approach in the not-so-distant future."When asked to elaborate afterwards, Padilla explained that he was asked several times by Congress this year how a Puerto Rican rescue bill might also help troubled states. Padilla pointed to Illinois, for example, which has the lowest credit rating of any state and has struggled to find a long-term solution to its crippling debt, including its pension liabilities. "The fact is that if you go through the timeline [and look at] what's happening in other states if they do not react in time they will face the same cliff we were facing two weeks ago," Padilla said.At the start of this month, Puerto Rico defaulted on a $2 billion debt payment. But it did so under the protection of the rescue package referred to as PROMESA. Among other things, the law puts a temporary moratorium on litigation regarding Puerto Rico's debt and creates a seven-member financial oversight board with final say over the commonwealth's finance decisions. The board can also file debt restructuring petitions in federal court as a last resort if creditor negotiations fail.Bankruptcy law allows states to decide whether their municipalities can file for bankruptcy -- cities in about half of U.S. states are eligible -- but states themselves are prohibited from declaring bankruptcy. Given the current laws, some worry that Puerto Rico's rescue plan will be used as a road map for a struggling state or city. It's not unprecedented -- PROMESA's structure was inspired in part by rescue legislation for Washington, D.C., in the 1990s.Speaking on a panel after Padilla's speech, Florida's bond director Ben Watkins called the legislation "troubling" because it sets a precedent of allowing the federal government to change how money is paid back. "You're loaning someone money for 30 years and you think you know what you'll get in return for that," he said, referring to bondholders. "And then courts come in or federal legislation comes in to trump that -- which is in effect, what has happened. That's troubling to me because I'm a state's rights kind of guy."Still, many believe that if Congress had not approved a rescue plan in time for Puerto Rico's default this month, it would have roiled the municipal market by creating uncertainty as to whether the island would ever find protection to restructure its debt. Inside a cramped committee room on the cactus-dotted campus of Arizonas Capitol, Kelsey Lundy stepped to the podium to detail new legislation and the higher costs it would impose on struggling borrowers.But Ms. Lundy is not a lawmaker, a government employee or even a statehouse intern.She is a lobbyist for one of the nations largest lenders.That lender controlled by the Fortress Investment Group, one of Wall Streets most powerful private equity firms wrote the bill. Months later, in 2014, the states legislators passed the law, making it easier to charge interest of 36 percent to borrowers living on the financial margins.The political access in Arizona was just one component of a broader effort to loosen consumer protection laws, according to emails obtained through public records requests. In nine other states, Ms. Lundys client helped win legislative changes, persuading lawmakers that it needed to raise costs to stay in business and serve borrowers.Since the 2008 financial crisis, Fortress and other private equity firms have rapidly expanded their influence, assuming a pervasive, if under-the-radar, role in daily American life, an investigation by The New York Times has found. Sophisticated political maneuvering including winning government contracts, shaping public policy and deploying former public officials to press their case is central to this growth.Yet even as private equity wields such influence in the halls of state capitols and in Washington, it faces little public awareness of its government activities, The Times found. Police in Arizona may legally search an individual's home or vehicle based solely on the smell of marijuana, even though the drug is legal for medical use, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday.In two unanimous opinions, the states highest court said the smell of marijuana can be used as probable cause to obtain a search warrant despite the fact that Arizona allows its use for medical purposes.The odor of marijuana in most circumstances will warrant a reasonable person believing there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime is present, wrote Chief Justice Scott Bales.The court rejected claims that a 2010 law legalizing the medical use of marijuana in the state means the smell test could no longer be used.The ruling came amid liberalizing attitudes toward marijuana among many in the country. Arizona is one of several states, including California and Nevada, where advocates are pushing ballot initiatives to legalize the drug for use by adults. Local and state law enforcement agencies have run roughshod over the First Amendment in dealing with protesters in the wake of Alton Sterling's July 5 shooting death at the hands of Baton Rouge police, Louisiana's leading civil liberties organization and local organizing groups alleged Wednesday in a federal lawsuit.The suit claims the Baton Rouge Police Department, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office and Louisiana State Police have used excessive force, physical and verbal abuse, and wrongful arrests to disperse protesters who have gathered to speak out against Sterling's death.Citizens "have engaged in this peaceful speech, association, and protest on the streets, sidewalks, and medians of Baton Rouge -- traditional public for a where individuals' First Amendment rights are at their zenith," the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Louisiana and other groups state in the suit. "Unfortunately, this exercise of constitutional rights has been met with a military-grade assault on protesters' bodies and rights."The suit, filed in Baton Rouge federal court and assigned to U.S. District Judge John deGravelles, seeks a temporary restraining order against local and state law enforcement agencies to prevent authorities from interfering with the constitutionally protected right to gather peacefully in the days ahead."The police didn't do their job in Baton Rouge, again," said Marjorie Esman, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana. "They are bound to protect us from harm, to keep us safe, to do everything possible before throwing someone to the ground or pulling the trigger."Esman said protests of Sterling's killing "have turned into circuses of violence where the First Amendment is tossed aside."Dozens of protesters were arrested in Baton Rouge over the weekend as police donned riot gear and carried assault rifles. Most of the arrests were for obstructing roadways.In addition to BRPD, defendants are the City of Baton Rouge; Police Chief Carl Dabadie, Jr., Louisiana Department of Public Safety; Louisiana State Police and Col. Michael Edmonson, the superintendent of State Police; East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Sid J. Gautreaux III; Mayor President Kip Holden; and District Attorney Hillar C. Moore, III.Joining the ACLU in the suit are North Baton Rouge Matters; Black Youth Project 100; New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice; and the Louisiana Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. In late September 2011, a lobbyist for United Airlines had some good news for his longtime friend David Samson, then chairman of the powerful Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.Samson, a former top adviser to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, had recently asked the airline to resume a route between the Port Authority-run Newark Liberty International Airport and the airport in Columbia, S.C., that would make travel to his vacation home in nearby Aiken more convenient."You have them dancing," the lobbyist, Jamie Fox, told Samson in an email, court documents show.Samson welcomed the development. "I hope they dance to my tune _ let me know if there's a way to keep the pressure on this issue: It will save me a lot of heartache," he told Fox.On Thursday, federal prosecutors said Samson and Fox successfully ratcheted up the pressure on United _ with a bribe. And if what became known as the "Chairman's Flight" saved Samson time commuting to his vacation home, it ultimately cost him his reputation and quite possibly his freedom.A former state attorney general and cofounder of the prestigious law firm Wolff & Samson, Samson, 76, of Aiken, pleaded guilty in a federal courthouse here Thursday to a felony corruption charge alleging that he abused his power as chairman of the Port Authority to "corruptly solicit, demand, accept, and agree to accept a thing of value" of at least $5,000.His leverage: United, the largest carrier at Newark Liberty, was seeking approval of a new hangar that would allow the company to perform maintenance on its fleet on-site. The airline needed Samson on its side.Samson took the money-losing nonstop flight 27 times between October 2012 and January 2014, according to court documents.Under a plea agreement with the office of U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, Samson faces a sentence ranging from probation to two years in prison. Under the federal corruption statute he violated, Samson faces 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.Samson was released on $100,000 bail.Also Thursday, Fishman announced that he had charged Fox, 61, of Lambertville _ a longtime Democratic operative, as well as transportation commissioner under both former Democratic Gov. Jim McGreevey and the Republican Christie _ with conspiring to commit bribery.Five former Christie aides and appointees have now been charged with crimes in connection to their work at the Port Authority, uncovered during investigations of the George Washington Bridge lane-closure scandal in 2013. Two have pleaded guilty.Samson was New Jersey's attorney general in the early 2000s under McGreevey and led Christie's transition team in 2009 after Christie defeated Democratic Gov. Jon S. Corzine. Samson retired from his West Orange law firm in April; it then rebranded itself as Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi P.C.At a news conference Thursday, Fishman noted that Samson and Fox each had distinguished careers in public service."That for me is what makes this case both so significant and, honestly, so sad," Fishman said. "As Mr. Samson admitted and as we allege against Mr. Fox, they both should have known better. They both did know better. And this kind of conduct, their conduct, shakes public confidence in our institutions of government."As recently as last month, Fox, who resigned in October 2015 as transportation commissioner, appeared energized as he attended a Statehouse news conference where lawmakers had announced a tentative deal to replenish the fund for New Jersey's roads and bridges.Fishman said he would not bring charges against United officials, several of whom, including CEO Jeff Smisek, were ousted from the company after it hired an outside law firm to conduct an internal investigation.Fishman said the company had agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine and was cooperating in the case against Fox."As we move forward, continuing to earn and keep the trust of our employees, customers, shareholders, and the communities we serve around the world remains critical to our success," United CEO Oscar Munoz said in a statement Thursday.Fox's attorney, Michael Critchley, said his client would "aggressively fight these charges."Critchley said that Fox was "suffering from multiple serious illnesses" and that "anyone who knows Jamie knows that he would never jeopardize his reputation by engaging in the behavior alleged in the indictment."Christie had remained steadfast in his support of his mentor. "David's a friend," Christie said in an interview in September 2015 after the United officials were fired. "I find all of this hard to believe."When Samson resigned from the Port Authority in March 2014, Christie told reporters that he had "every faith and trust and confidence in David's integrity, as do people on both sides of the aisle in this state over the course of the past 40 years."Christie's office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.If Samson and Fox were optimistic about their hopes for a new route in September 2011, by the following month, prosecutors say, things weren't going so well.United had essentially rejected the proposal, noting that the airline had previously scrapped the route because it wasn't profitable.So, according to court records, the two discussed how they might get United officials to change their minds. On Nov. 2, 2011, Samson told his friend in an email that he was "reviewing current Board agenda items of interest.""One on newark airport I think coming up," Fox responded, referring to the hangar agreement. "Maybe it needs further review!!!!!""Yes," Samson replied, "it's already off this month's agenda: I hate myself."Indeed, at the board's Nov. 15 meeting, Samson had removed the hangar from the agenda.Over the next couple of weeks, the documents show, Fox told United officials that Samson was angry and that reinstating the route was important to the "airline's relationship with the Port Authority."A top United official indicated he would "become involved personally" in reassessing the airline's position, at which point Fox directed Samson to keep the hangar agreement on the board's December agenda.On Dec. 8, the board voted unanimously in favor of the project."It worked," Fox wrote in an email to Samson that day. "Chicago just called to discuss how to get this done," he said, referring to United's headquarters.About a week later, United agreed to accommodate the chairman's schedule: It would run flights from Newark to Columbia Metropolitan Airport at 6 p.m. Thursdays and from Columbia to Newark at 6:20 a.m. Mondays.The flights would save Samson about 90 minutes of driving time, compared with his previous flights to Charlotte, N.C.With everything finalized in January, Samson wrote to Fox: "you are the best. Mayors across the country delivered State of the City addresses this year outlining their most pressing challenges and top priorities.To gauge the direction that cities are headed in, the National League of Cities (NLC) compiled transcripts of speeches from 100 jurisdictions of varying sizes. A report released Thursday details some of the major areas that mayors are focusing on and highlights a few of the more recent trends.Speeches were considered to devote significant coverage to a topic if they included at least three paragraphs on a subject. The following list summarizes a few of the more prominent themes from the mayors' addresses. Job Creation Public Safety Energy and the Environment Housing Utilizing Data and Technology Economic concerns served as the top agenda item in mayors speeches, as has been the case in prior years. Three-quarters of all speeches featured significant mention of economic development.Some mayors highlighted efforts to boost manufacturing. Others discussed the maker movement among small businesses. Thirty-five percent mentioned economic development opportunities around arts and culture. Mayors John Tecklenburg of Charleston, S.C., and Andrew Ginther of Columbus, Ohio, spoke about attempts to assist entrepreneurs in growing or starting businesses.Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Sly James said his city has focused on improving digital literacy to better prepare the workforce for an economy that places a greater premium on tech and computer skills.In order for those folks who have been displaced to compete, they have to relearn skills, said James on a conference call. We have to recognize that we have pockets of the city that are digitally left out.NLCs review of speeches found 70 percent included significant coverage of public safety issues.Community policing served as one of the most common themes. Buffalo, N.Y., Mayor Byron Brown highlighted monthly meetings held at each of the citys district stations to provide for an ongoing dialogue between law enforcement and the community.A quarter of mayors also mentioned body cameras as more police departments seek to adopt the technology. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser was among the mayors pledging to outfit all patrol officers with cameras by the end of the year.One trend around energy and environmental issues is that theyre receiving more attention from mayors of smaller cities.Duluth, Minn., Mayor Emily Larson announced plans to restart an environmental advisory council and emphasized a need to fix water leaks and inefficient energy systems.My priority will be to look for every way to cut energy waste and shift to cleaner, more efficient energy alternatives, she said. Duluth loses millions of dollars each year because of these inefficiencies.Some mayors took an opportunity to highlight their role in combating climate change. Mayors of at least 129 U.S. cities have signed on to participate in the Compact of Mayors , a global effort around climate issues. Across all cities, just over a quarter of mayors devoted significant time to energy or environmental topics in their speeches.Housing issues were featured more prominently in mayors speeches compared to prior years. Forty percent of speeches included significant coverage of housing, focusing on areas such as affordable housing, blight and homelessness.We need to build more housing. Period, said San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.More than a third of mayors cited efforts around affordable housing, often talking about reducing costs for seniors and veterans. Following the lead of other cities, places like Eugene, Ore., are attempting to effectively end homelessness among veterans. Leaders of a few smaller cities discussed alternatives to put an end to tent cities where the homeless are living.One-fifth of mayors speeches devoted significant coverage to data or technology.Columbia, S.C.; Escondido, Calif.; and Nashville, Tenn.; all committed to becoming Smart Cities, which encompasses various initiatives leveraging data or technology to enhance quality of life.Several mayors also highlighted efforts to better integrate data into policing. Jersey City, N.J., Mayor Steven Fulop cited the citys open data portal as a way to provide residents with timely information on crime and police activities.Five speeches mentioned open-data initiatives, while another three mentioned drones. On Wednesday, in the morning, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Administrator of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia and Mrs Kaye de Jersey departed Brisbane for Sydney. In the evening, at ANZ Stadium, Sydney, the Administrator and Mrs de Jersey attended the 2016 Holden State of Origin Game III. Description GIS - 14 July, 2016: To educate is to make others learn, to train young minds to ask the right questions and seek answers. The answers may not necessarily be those that you expectbut, then, it is not so much the answer as the thinking process behind the answer that matters. And that is what you have to help develop. To educate is to make others learn, to train young minds to ask the right questions and seek answers. The answers may not necessarily be those that you expectbut, then, it is not so much the answer as the thinking process behind the answer that matters. And that is what you have to help develop. This statement was made this morning by the Minister of Education and Human Resources, Teriary Education and Scientific Research, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, at the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE) Graduation Ceremony held at the Octave Wiehe Auditorium, Reduit. Some 254 graduates received their diplomas in Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), Teachers Diploma Secondary (TDS), Teachers Diploma Primary (TDP) and Diploma in Educational Management (DEM). Some of them are already in the teaching sector while others will be called upon to join the education sector, both at primary and secondary levels. The Education Minister emphasised that there is a need for children to familiarise themselves with what have been called the Deep Learning skillsor more commonly, the 21st Century skills. Our learners have to develop their critical faculty, their problem-solving and communication skills along with a whole set of competencies that will allow them to face and overcome as yet unpredictable challenges and it takes inspired teachers to be able to do that. It takes inspired teachers to, in turn, inspire students, she added. Minister Dookun-Luchoomun congratulated the graduates who have opted for this profession voluntarily and who look forward to a satisfying career. She made an appeal to them to invest fully in their duties and responsibility of refurbishing the image of the profession. She recalled that through the reform process, through the capacity building enterprise of teachers, through the inculcation of the notion of accountability for learning, we are in fact investing in the future of our country and insisted on the fact that whole person development is the centerpiece of the reform. The Minister gave assurance that everything is being put in place for the success of the reform and the support structures are already there and properly keyed up. She concluded by stressing that what is needed now are agents in each school to implement this vision and to take the learners to a different level and this is where the young generation of teachers, are being entrusted with the responsibility of not only making the reform work, but also, of shaping the future of the learners. Description GIS - 14 July 2016: A regional forum held on 12 July 2016 at the University of Mauritius, Reduit, focused on Strengthening Research Universities in Africa. The Higher Education Research and Advocacy Network in Africa (HERANA) Forum had as objective to offer a platform for the African region to synergise its efforts in its quest for relevance, quality, efficiency and effective partnerships in the vital field of higher education and research. In her opening address the Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, said that Government has made it its priority to transform Mauritius into a Knowledge Hub and the countrys Tertiary Education Institutions obviously have a major stewardship role to play in that process. Speaking about higher education in Africa, Mrs Dookun-Luchoomun stated that African tertiary institutions have been facing many challenges such as Faculty Shortage, issues related to quality and relevance, financial constraint and lack of capacity of diversification. All these factors, she observed, have limited those countries ability in meaningfully contributing to their development. However, the Minister pointed out, one of the most important challenges which remains to be addressed relates to improving research and innovation capacities. On that note, the Minister expressed relief that the HERANA, which is coordinated by the Centre for Higher Education Transformation, has a research component investigating relationship between the higher education and development in Africa. As part of the African renaissance, our several countries have to get themselves the means and wherewithal to join the global knowledge society and compete with sophisticated economies, Mrs Dookun-Luchoomun stressed. Description GIS - 14 July, 2016: As a major step to keep up with the rapid technological advancements in the field of maritime surveillance, a new Dornier aircraft, constructed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has been acquired by the Mauritius Police Force/National Coast Guard to the tune of 16 Million USD under the Indian Line of Credit. As a major step to keep up with the rapid technological advancements in the field of maritime surveillance, a new Dornier aircraft, constructed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has been acquired by the Mauritius Police Force/National Coast Guard to the tune of 16 Million USD under the Indian Line of Credit. The commissioning ceremony was held yesterday at the Police Hangar of the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in Plaisance in the presence of the Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth. Equipped with sensors such as the sophisticated Maritime Patrol Radar, Automatic Identification System and Forward Looking Infrared Camera, the aircraft will prove to be a vital asset to protect our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and ward off any threat to the invaluable source of the countrys wealth. In addition, it will also provide enhanced Search and Rescue capability within the region, and help in the prevention of piracy, drug smuggling, and illegal fishing. In his address, Sir Anerood Jugnauth pointed out that the acquisition of the new Dornier aircraft is yet another milestone in the countrys long journey towards enhancing maritime safety and security, especially in the combat against poaching of our marine and fish resources, illicit activities in our seas, including drug trafficking and other types of transnational crimes. A high degree of maritime security and control of our EEZ is one of the prerequisites for economic growth. The induction of the new aircraft will surely contribute to our endeavour to develop our ocean into one of the innovative pillars of our economy , he said. The Prime Minister stated that with this latest induction, the Mauritius Police Force and the National Coast Guard are further strengthening their capacity and are better equipped to meet the emerging challenges in the maritime security environment, especially taking into account the vast expanse of ocean that surrounds Mauritius. Speaking about enhancing our maritime surveillance capabilities, Sir Anerood Jugnauth stressed that various steps have been taken towards positioning Mauritius as o ne of the leaders in the region. Since 1990, he said, with the commissioning of the Maritime Air Squadron of the National Coast Guard, our maritime surveillance capabilities and our capacity to provide support to our Outer Islands have received a boost. For his part, the General Manager of HAL, Mr M. Tapase, recalled that the relationship and partnership between Mauritius and HAL dates back to several decades when in 1974, the company manufactured a Chetan helicopter for the Mauritius Police Force, Since then, he added, several helicopters and Dornier aircrafts have been built by HAL for Mauritius. He highlighted that the new Dornier aircraft comprises of state-of-the-art equipment and is more effective and reliable. According to him, the Indian-built maritime aircraft will add up to the capabilities of the Mauritius Police Force and the National Coast Guard. He expressed confidence that the aircraft will make a difference and will help maintain vigilance at sea. Acquisition of the new Dornier The contract for the acquisition of the new Dornier was signed in Nov 2014 with HAL for the manufacture and delivery of the new aircraft. In February 2016, a Project Monitoring Team visited HAL in Kanpur to plan a schedule of delivery and technical training. The New Dornier aircraft was ready in May 2016 six months ahead of schedule. After successful flight trials, the aircraft was handed over on 22 June 2016 at a ceremony in Kanpur. The aircraft commenced its ferry to Mauritius. Traversing through the Middle East and Africa on an eight-day long journey, the aircraft landed in Mauritius on 1 July 2016. Description GIS - 14 July, 2016: The Former President of Swiss Confederation and Chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, Geneva, Mrs Ruth Dreifuss, lauded Mauritius for being proactive regarding the combat against drug. The Former President of Swiss Confederation and Chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, Geneva, Mrs Ruth Dreifuss, lauded Mauritius for being proactive regarding the combat against drug. She made this statement yesterday following a courtesy call on the Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis. Mrs Ruth Dreifuss, commended Mauritius for being at the forefront in taking several initiatives to tackle the problem of drugs in the country while adopting measures such as the needle exchange programme and the methadone therapy as well as the newly introduced detoxification program for drug addicts, the suboxone. These, she said have been effective in the combat against drug resulting in a reduction of risks associated to drugs consumption. She further emphasised that Mauritius should build on the foundation that has been laid concerning the combat against drug as according to her the country is making progress with regards to a decrease in the risks associated with drugs namely in the rate of HIV cases as well as in crime cases in connection with drugs. She also expressed concerns with regards a change in policies on the global front whereby access to the methadone therapy and the needle exchange programme are becoming more and more difficult for drug users. The Chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy reiterated her full support to the Mauritian government in its combat against drug and called for a greater collaboration among countries for the sharing and exchange of experience and expertise in combatting the drug scourge. Last year, Kansas City, Mo.'s Innovation Partnership Program led to a relationship with software company RF365 that helped streamline the city's RFP process. And on July 12, Mayor Sly James launched the program's second year, which will seek new relationships and technologies from civic entrepreneurs.Having learned a few things from the first go-round, things will be more structured this time around. Last year's program was launched on an ad hoc basis people applied when they were ready and a committee gathered as needed to judge each applicant. So this year, there is a 30-day application period and a more structured partnership process. Until Aug. 15, the city will accept program applications to develop, test and demonstrate technologies that improve the quality and efficiency of city services."Efficiency has been one of my Four E agenda items since 2011," James said. "The Innovation Partnership Program is a unique way to explore technology that makes our processes and services better and more efficient. Our reputation as an innovative city is growing, and this partnership between entrepreneurs and City Hall is another way to encourage that innovation."The city is particularly interested in applications around economic development and internal operations. Attracting and retaining talented people in government is a growing challenge for governments everywhere as large numbers of IT workers are expected to retire within the next five years. The focus areas aren't different than last year, said Kate Garman, innovation analyst with the mayor's office, but there's more governance and mentorship this year.Winning applications, the number of which has yet to be disclosed, will be selected for a 12-week testing period within City Hall. During this time, the technologies will be plied against the city's data and infrastructure as the team works with a department deputy director who will help guide the implementation. Mentors from universities and local businesses will supply guidance to the winners, who will also have bi-weekly meetings with Garman and the Office of Innovation. Another new addition to the program is that after 12 weeks, teams will present their projects to the mayor, city manager and the public."It was because we had a shift in CIO and our chief innovation officer, and I had talked to some people in City Hall and in San Francisco with their [ Startup in Residence] program , and ... we heard from our partners that city bandwidth is a problem in how much attention we can give," Garman said, "so we knew we needed a top-down priority. ... The ad-hoc application process was a problem. It was very scattered. Now we know 12 weeks is the commitment and expectation."This type of program provides a unique avenue of entry for civic innovators into government, where they might otherwise have no method of collaboration."Every city knows procurement processes are burdensome," Garman said. "And [with this program], there are zero dollars exchanged, so it's very much a pilot program [that helps you decide] whether or not you want to go through those bothersome procurement issues. I think what's happening with cities now is the procurement process is: We've identified a problem and we're seeking a solution. But now, technology has gotten so advanced, cities are starting to say, 'We might not even know the problem.' ... And you can't do that with an RFP."Applications will be judged on their perceived ability to "improve the quality and efficiency of city services and operations, [create] new markets and jobs, [attract] and [retain] top talent, and improve economic vitality, social equity and environmental quality," according to the city website. (TNS) PHILADELPHIA In the biggest effort yet to find a cure for HIV, the National Institutes of Health on Wednesday named six large scientific teams, one led by Philadelphias Wistar Institute and the University of Pennsylvania, to tackle different parts of the challenge.The government will commit $30 million a year for five years to the project. The Philadelphia collaboration will get $4.6 million a year.For years, with the world focused on getting treatment to millions of infected people and preventing further spread of the disease, the notion of a cure seemed naive and overambitious, said Luis J. Montaner, a Wistar scientist who will share leadership of the Philadelphia team. People didnt use the word.That has gradually changed, with major funding now being dedicated to finding a vaccine and an outright cure, although any possible success would be years in the future.A simple, safe and scalable cure for HIV would accelerate progress toward ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Anthony S. Fauci, the NIH director, said in a statement announcing the teams, five days before the start of the international AIDS conference in South Africa.In a departure from the way research is typically funded, the NIH requested proposals from large teams that would collaborate.Wistar, an independent biomedical research center that will oversee the Philadelphia grant, has long been a leader in research on boosting the immune system to fight HIV. With the help of a molecule named pegylated interferon alpha 2b, Montaner said, HIV-positive patients who had required antiretroviral therapy have been able to control the virus for up to six months without the drugs.A few blocks away, at Penns Perelman School of Medicine, gene therapy researchers were engineering T-cells, a key part of the immune system, to recognize and destroy the virus while not being obliterated themselves.Penns work comes from the same group of scientists that is producing a form of immunotherapy considered to be one of the most promising mechanisms to attack cancer. The cancer research has gotten more attention but much of the work is related.Advances have ping-ponged back and forth for the last 10 or 15 years, said James L. Riley, a research associate professor in microbiology, who was named co-principal investigator with Montaner.A key goal of the collaboration is to see if the two methods could work together.Luis technology reduces the amount of HIV present, Riley said of Montaners work with interferon. The lower the virus when we put in T-cells, the better we will be able to control the infection long term. You would only have to be treated once.Each group expects to start clinical trials within one to two years.Both researchers said that their long-term partnership with Philadelphia FIGHT has speeded up the work. The AIDS services organization has helped educate the community, leading to more successful recruitment for clinical trials.FIGHT is one of six institutions, in addition to Penn and Wistar, that are collaborating on the Philadelphia-led effort, which includes 30 researchers nationwide. The team includes a research group at Johns Hopkins that first reported that HIV can persist in reservoirs even when antiretroviral therapy has driven the virus down to undetectable levels, Montaner said, allowing the infection to grow if treatment is stopped.Scientists at Rockefeller University were recruited because of their report last year that they had developed a type of antibody that Montaner said might make immune responses more effective.Also involved in the partnership are the VA San Diego Healthcare System, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Utah.The NIH grant, officially part of the Martin Delaney Collaboratory: Towards an HIV-1 Cure, will provide $23 million over five years to the Philadelphia group. Montaner estimated that at least $18 million of that would remain in the city.A smaller round of grants to what some refer to as scientific dream teams to cure HIV was made five years ago. The new $150 million round will go, in addition to Philadelphia, to teams based at George Washington University, the University of California, San Francisco, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.Montaner said the emphasis has shifted toward finding a cure in recent years as treatment, which also prevents transmission, has proved possible, if woefully underfunded internationally.Nearly a decade ago, a Merck trial of an HIV vaccine that many scientists had expected to be a new frontier failed abysmally. Around the same time, a man who became known as the Berlin Patient was cured of HIV through a series of treatments that, while not practical in most circumstances, proved that a cure was possible. Three years ago, President Barack Obama pledged to further support cure research.Cure became a reasonable goal in the scientific community, Montaner said. (TNS) -- The Senate approved a bill Wednesday to extend the Federal Aviation Administration's legal authority another year and keep its unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test site program up and running.The bill passed 89-4 and received support from North Dakota Sens. Heidi Heitkamp and John Hoeven."North Dakota is on the cutting edge of UAS technology and innovation, and it's critical to have an environment that fosters that creativity," Heitkamp said in a statement.The bill now goes to the desk of President Barack Obama for his signature. Hoeven authored an amendment included in the legislation that extends the test site program through September 2019.The move impacts six test sites designated to research the safe integration of unmanned aircraft, also called drones, into the national airspace. Grand Forks is the headquarters of the Northern Plains UAS Test Site.The North Dakota test site has worked on research projects with clients that include using unmanned aircraft to inspect homes for insurance purposes, inspect railways, bridges and other infrastructure, monitor crops and livestock, and simulate beyond line of visual sight flights.In addition to strengthening UAS development, the bill also contains reforms for air travel safety and consumer protections.Benefiting travelers are new rules saying airlines will be required to refund bag fees if items are lost or the bags' arrival is delayed and return fees for services that are purchased but not received by customers.Families also will be allowed to purchase seats near one another and minors can be accompanied by a family member through the security screening process.Security also should be improved through the bill, which increases the level of vetting aviation employees who have access to secure areas of airports undergo, enhances security for international flights bound for the United States and increases training and preparedness for airport security personnel. Who influences lawmakers? Its a question we've asked since the American political experiment kicked off some 240 years ago. And while it may often be difficult to connect the dots in real life, researchers have taken to Twitter to determine the most influential accounts at the heart of each states legislature.What was found and published in a July 12 study from FiscalNote doesnt necessarily clear up all the mystery behind who votes for what and why but it does lend some interesting insights into the accounts they follow and take information from. To the surprise of FiscalNotes senior researcher Daniel Argyle, his work shows that legislators are far more interested in local accounts rather than larger, national accounts.We were interested in seeing, external to legislators, who was actually important and influential, he said. We found that the types of people that were most important were pretty similar across states, sort of state political organizations, state media and in a few cases national people, but it was interesting how localized most everything was. I was expecting that people would follow party leaders and things like that nationally.Governors, public officials and other legislators were popular follows for many. Additionally, less traditional media meaning smaller, more hyper-focused outlets seemed to also be a beacon for those in the larger state legislative environment. In Georgia and Massachusetts, for example, political news sites and blogs garnered significant attention from lawmakers.One of the interesting things to me about the specific media accounts it was interesting how many accounts were, I guess new media is not the right term, but they were sort of less traditional outlets, Argyle toldEven with these insights into the Twittersphere of state politicians, the researcher said it is still not clear just how much influence their respective social networks have in daily political life. He did say, however, that the general power structure of state legislatures seemed to translate to the accounts of the members.Argyle said while many members may not be very active on the social media platform, their choices of who to follow are a prime indicator of the external account holder's importanceOn some level, who you follow on Twitter is not a substantive thing, but the interesting thing is that it does seem to reflect the power structure of the legislature at the time," he said. "So if you look at Republican-dominated states, the party organizations that are most prominent are public and party organizations, which is not too surprising, but it does indicate that the Twitter patterns mimic the actual power patterns that are in the legislature at the time.Argyle went on to say this study represents only a small sample of the available data, but is somewhat representative of the larger state legislative environment. Sweetgum trees thrive under diverse conditions, grow as fast as pine trees and provide the type of fiber needed for specialty papers-and theyve long been desired by paper and bioenergy producers. However, harvesting mature sweetgums can often be too costly or even ill-advised because they typically grow the best on the edges of swamps and in river bottoms, which are often inaccessible during the wet winter months. Researchers at the University of Georgia (UGA) have crossed American sweetgums with their Chinese cousins, creating hybrid sweetgum trees that have a better growth rate and denser wood than natives, and can produce fiber year-round. The hybrid sweetgum trees have enormous potential for the production of bioenergy and paper, said Scott Merkle, a professor in UGAs Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. The very best hybrid sweetgums are being propagated to produce elite varieties, so that landowners will be able to plant trees that produce more biomass in a shorter time than the top-rated native sweetgum trees. Scott Merkle The new hybrid varieties are already being sold commercially by ArborGen Inc., which began offering rooted cutting seedlings of the new varieties in 2015. This important step came after ArborGens extensive field testing of the trees produced from tissue cultures in Merkle's lab in Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. The tests showed these new hybrids outperform either of the parent species by 20% in both growth rate and wood density. The hybrid varieties are co-owned by ArborGen, a forest seedlings company headquartered in South Carolina, and UGARF, the University of Georgia Research Foundation. The new hybrid has been well accepted by forest landowners, particularly in the western areas of the Southeast, including Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. ArborGen officials say they produced 300,000 seedlings this year and sold out before the hybrid could even be marketed. A number of other hybrid trees have been produced for forest crops, including hybrid poplars, Eucalyptus and pines. But they havent been that popular in the Southeasts forestry industry, said Merkle, who is also Warnells associate dean for research. Hybrid poplars havent performed well in the Southeast because they dont tolerate drought well, he said, and hybrid Eucalyptus cant grow north of Florida because theyre not cold tolerant enough to survive freeze damage. And the only commercially available hybrid pine trees, he added, are crosses between loblolly and pitch pines, which are really best suited to grow in the mountains of West Virginia. But sweetgumsincluding hybridshave already adapted to grow in the region in a variety of sites. Merkle decided to combine hybrid breeding with somatic embryogenesis, the process of mass propagating trees from somatic cellsessentially propagating the embryos from seeds produced from crossing the two sweetgum species. The work began in 1999 when other researchers with International Paper Company used pollen collected from three Chinese sweetgum trees in a test plantation in Mississippi to pollinate selected American sweetgums. They sent Merkle the seeds from these cross-pollinated trees, and then he propagated trees from their embryos. Merkle used these seeds to start cultures in his lab, creating thousands of embryos that they then germinated to produce somatic seedlings they then planted. A second round of hybrid breeding and culturing happened in 2005, creating several hundred seedlings of this new hybrid that were then planted in field tests by International Paper and ArborGen over the next 10 years. These new hybrids can be identified by their unique leaf shape, Merkle said, which is midway between the five-lobed American sweetgum and the three-lobed Chinese sweetgum. Combining these two techniqueshybridizing and propagatingsped up testing that could have taken much longer, Merkle said. It also allowed them to more accurately test the quality of the new trees than by growing one tree from one seed and then waiting. By testing multiple trees of the same variety, we can be sure that the superior growth and wood density are due to their genetics, rather than other factors. The combination of hybrid breeding with somatic embryogenesis is very powerful, both for testing and for eventual scaled-up production of planting stock for deployment. We are also employing this strategy to help The American Chestnut Foundation produce blight-resistant varieties and to propagate ash trees so they can be tested for resistance to emerald ash borer. Scott Merkle After planting the seedlings, researchers simply watched to see which ones fared the best, ultimately narrowing it down to four varieties that showed the best growth rate and the densest wood. ArborGen then picked out those trees with the best traits, produced thousands more by rooted cuttings and began selling them last year. Merkle said the timing for a new hardwood hybrid lines up with an uptick in prices for hardwood timber. Recent data indicate that either demand for hardwood fiber in the Southeast is rising or supply is decliningor both. This means that prices for hardwood pulpwood and pine pulpwood are currently essentially equal. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) on Wednesday rejected proposed plans submitted by Volkswagen/Audi and Porsche for repair of undisclosed Auxiliary Emission Control Devices (AECDs) and defeat devices in 3.0 liter, diesel passenger cars manufactured for model years 2009-2016. This decision affects about 16,000 3.0-liter diesel Volkswagens, Audis and Porsches sold in California. CARB staff determined that the proposed recall plans submitted by the companies are incomplete and deficient in a number of areas. CARB said it, in conjunction with EPA, will continue the on-going technical discussions with the companies through the enforcement process to ensure a legally and technically acceptable resolution is reached which fully mitigates the excess emissions. The Port-Cartier plant will also be the first commercial-scale facility of this kind in Quebec. The goal of the project is to convert forest residues into 40 million liters (10.6 million gallons US) of renewable fuel oil per year. When upgraded into transportation fuels, this will remove up to 70,000 tonnes of CO 2 -equivalent emissions per year. Production of renewable fuel oil is set to begin in 2017. The Governments of Canada and Quebec will provide $76.5 million in funding to AE Cote-Nord Canada Bioenergy Inc. for the production of renewable fuel oil (RFO) from forest residues. The plant, which will use Ensyns RTP (rapid thermal processing) ( earlier post ), will be the first commercial RTP facility designed and optimized for the production of biocrude used for heating, cooling and refinery applications, according to Dr. Robert Graham, Chairman, Ensyn Corporation. Ensyns RTP technology has been in commercial use for more than 25 years, producing biocrude used for food ingredients, with by-product liquids being used for industrial heating. RTP uses heat to crack carbon-based non-food solid biomass feedstocks (including wood residues) into high yields of a higher-value liquid product. The RTP pyrolysis process is based on the application of a hot transported bed (typically sand) that is circulating between two key vessels. Feedstocks are subjected to fast, intimate contact with the hot sand for under a few seconds, resulting in the thermal cracking of the feedstock to gases and vapors. Product vapors are rapidly quenched, or cooled, and recovered as a light liquid product. Simplified RTP process flow. Source: Ensyn. Click to enlarge. The RTP process is actually an analog to Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC), used in petroleum refineries. An FCC system circulates catalyst in a closed loop between two key vessels in order to convert vacuum gas oil to gasoline. Ensyn uses a similar mechanical process, but typically circulates readily-available sand while converting biomass to high yields of a light liquid product. Utilizing RTP technology, the Cote Nord Project will convert approximately 65,000 dry metric tons per year of slash and other forest residues from local sources to biocrude. The biocrude will be sold to customers in the Northeastern US and in Eastern Canada for heating purposes and as a renewable feedstock for petroleum refineries for the production of low carbon transportation fuels. The RTP conversion unit is being engineered and supplied by Envergent Technologies LLC, a joint venture between Ensyn and Honeywell UOP. The Government of Canada is providing $44.5 million for this project, through a $27-million investment from Sustainable Development Technology Canada and $17.5 million from Natural Resources Canadas Investments in Forest Industry Transformation program. The Government of Quebec is contributing $32 million to the project, including $10 million from Investissement Quebec. In March 2016, to ensure the fibre supply for the project, the Quebec Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks reserved 170,000 green tonnes of residues from government forests for the plant. Through an alliance of three companiesEnsyn Bioenergy Canada, Arbec Forest Products and Remabec Groupthe private sector is demonstrating its substantial involvement with the confirmation of a $27.4-million investment. The Cote Nord Project is located adjacent to Arbecs sawmill on the north shore of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Ensyn owns 50% of the equity of the project. The projects renewable fuel oil is a cleaner alternative to conventional fossil fuels; it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 70 to 90% compared with fossil fuels and has a multitude of uses, including for heating and the production of transportation fuels. A significant fraction of the GDI PM 2.5 is black carbon (BC)a pollutant with large positive radiative forcing on the climate due to its ability to absorb incoming sunlight and reduce surface albedo on snow. In other words, while the use of GDI engines can reduce CO 2 , it also can increase BCcontributing to further warming. A new study by a team at the University of Toronto has made a preliminary assessment of the climate trade-off (i.e., CO 2 vs. BC) to ensure that integration of GDI vehicles will result in a net reduction of CO 2 -equivalent emissions. Their paper appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology . The upside of gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines is widely seen as being improved fuel economy coupled with an increase in specific power (especially with turbocharging), enabling significant downsizing. The downside of GDI engines, however, is a substantial increase in emissions of particulate mattera problem with which heretofore only diesels had to deal. GDI particulate emissions GDI PM is primarily formed due to incomplete fuel volatilization causing fuel impingement on cylinder and piston surfaces, and incomplete fuel mixing with air resulting in pockets of fuel-rich combustion. Less fuel-air mixing time is available with GDI engines compared to PFI engines, in which fuel mixes with the air intake upstream of the exhaust cylinder. The extent of fuel-air mixing can be affected by injection system design. There are two major classes of injection systems for GDI engines: spray-guided and wall-guided, which differ in where the fuel is injected into the cylinder, the piston head design, and the fuel injection strategy. Spray-guided systems direct some of the fuel toward the spark plug for ignition, while the remaining fuel is dispersed into the remainder of the cylinder. Wall-guided systems primarily rely on piston head geometry for fuel-air mixing; the fuel spray is injected near the wall toward the piston head where it is redirected toward the spark plug. The authors note that there has been some movement toward spray-guided systems in commercial systems due to their potential to reduce the number of particles emitted and BClikely due to improved fuel-air mixing with the spray-guided design. For the study, the Toronto team took BC emission rates they had determined in an earlier study, and compiled those with rates from the literature. From these emission rates, the authors constructed BC emissions scenarios to determine the fuel economy improvements needed to offset the increase in black carbon using both global warming potential (GWP) and global temperature potential (GTP) metrics. GWP is a measure of the radiative forcing integrated over a given time horizon; GTP is an end-point metric of the temperature change at the end of a given time horizon. The authors also explored the trade-offs between the fuel penalty of using a gasoline particulate filter and BC reduction efficiency. They used four emissions scenarios to represent the broad range of reported BC emissions, which were reported across variable ambient temperatures, vehicle operation, and fuel compositions. They then converted the four BC emission rate scenarios into CO 2 -equivalent emissions using GWP data for a 20-year time horizon. Subsequently, they calculated the required percent fuel economy improvement to offset the BC emissions by comparing the increase in CO 2 -equivalent emissions from BC (CO 2 g-eq/ mile) to the reduction in CO 2 emissions by reducing fuel consumption by a given percentage. Required fuel economy improvement to offset the increase in BC emissions for scenarios A (mean, red bars), B (low BC, purple bars), C (high BC, blue bars) and D (extreme BC, gold bars) (see Table 1 for emission scenario details). Gray and green lines: fuel economy improvements (Adjusted Combined) by replacing a fleet-average 2005 (gray) and 2010 (green) PFI vehicle with a GDI vehicle. Credit: ACS, Zimmerman et al. Click to enlarge. They assumed a baseline fuel economy of 21.4 mpg (10.99 l/100 km)the average fuel economy of the in-use United States light-duty fleet in 2014. The cO 2 emission factor was calculated assuming a fuel carbon content of 8887 g/gallon. From this study, it was determined that a broad range of fuel economy improvements (0.04% to 26%) with GDI vehicles are required to offset the BC-induced warming. This large range was primarily due to the large uncertainty in the impacts of GDI engines on BC emissions. From the more complex GTP-based analysis with a sustained emission release scenario of 10 years, it was determined that replacing a fleet-average pre-2010 PFI vehicle with a fleet-average GDI vehicle will generally offer climate benefits within 20 years of putting the vehicle into use. As such, detrimental climate impacts due to the integration of the current generation GDI vehicles into the fleet will likely still be observed in the near-term, especially for new car purchase scenarios, where PFI vehicles outperform GDI vehicles on the basis of fuel economy and BC emissions. Generally, installing a gasoline particulate filter with a < 1% fuel penalty would result in a net climate benefit for filtration efficiencies exceeding 80%. However, if BC emissions are sufficiently small then installation of a GPF is never advantageous to the climate if there is any associated fuel penalty. Given that preliminary implementations of GPFs suggest that negligible fuel penalties are possible, we suggest a more holistic regulatory approach that also considers a reduction in BC as an offset to the demands for greater fuel efficiency by 2025. Furthermore, if GPFs can be implemented with a negligible fuel penalty, there may be considerable co-benefits to human health by a reduction in vehicle exhaust PM. This could also be achieved through modifications to GDI engine design that promote less PM and BC formation. Of greatest significance to BC emissions were fuel properties, in particular total aromatic content, which may vary substantially by geographic area. As such, it is recommended that additional GDI emissions studies in regions where total fuel aromatics are high, or studies of a broader range of fuel types are needed to better understand the potential range of BC emissions. Additionally, more studies of the impacts of spray-guided or advanced GDI engines on BC emissions are needed to verify if this engine technology results in lower BC emissions than the wall-guided GDI design. In this study, the BC emissions data from spray-guided GDI engines were too limited to develop an emissions scenario and our focus was on the climate impacts of GDI vehicles purchased now, at their current state of development over the near term. It is expected that as spray-guided injectors are increasingly used in GDI engines or as GDI engine technology develops, BC and PM emissions may be significantly reduced. As such, it is recommended that these metrics be revisited when more data is available from engines with advanced injection strategies. Zimmerman Resources GREENWICH - The Greenwich Conservation Commission is leading an effort to claim a trio of adjoining cemeteries - the Byram Cemetery, the Lyon Cemetery and the African American Cemetery - for the Town. The town first has to solve the mystery of who owns them. There was no deed on record, which led commission members to reach out to the descendants of those buried there. The Greenwich Preservation Trust has used its extensive network of Lyon family and descendants to see what they knew. In this century, that takes an email blast. The Lyon family has a long history in the Town of Greenwich, and that lineage is most effectively traced by the Thomas Lyon House and those who run it. The Greenwich Preservation Trust has the most comprehensive list of contact information for Lyon family descendants, and they reached out to all the descendants to weigh in on the cemetery annexation. None of them could pinpoint that one of their descendants was actually there, said Chairman of the Greenwich Preservation Trust Jo Conboy. It was rumored that Thomas Lyon Sr. was buried there, but we arent really sure. Convoy said it is more likely that Thomas Lyon Sr. was buried somewhere on his farm land, which today would be in the vicinity of the Lyon House in Byram. It is also possible he was exhumed and buried elsewhere, but the Trust has no record that happened, Conboy said. Many of the Lyon family descendants did respond positively and advocated for the city to assume ownership of the cemetery, but no one claimed that someone else owned the property, Conboy said. The Lyon family worked very hard from all over the country. They sent many letters to try and save the cemetery, Conboy said. These people were in Alaska, Ohio and all over the country that are Lyon family and descendants of the Lyon family and they just wanted to make sure the town acquired it and saved it for perpetuity. Conboy said she hoped the town would add the trio of cemeteries to the National Register of Historic Places, a list of places deemed worthy of preservation by the federal government and protected under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The program is run by the National Park Service. The first major project of the Greenwich Preservation Trust was the Thomas Lyon House, which was built sometime around 1675, according to the Trust website. Many of the headstones in the cemetery that still have legible script are from the 1800s, but it is possible the cemetery is even older than that. For the past few years, upkeep for the cemetery has come from a mix of neighbors and the Greenwich Parks and Recreation department, Convoy said. At one time they thought someone may be taking rocks from the African American cemetery, which would be more easily enforced if the city has ownership, Convoy said. pfrissell@hearstmediact.com; @PeregrineFriss A mystery involving a home-grown hero from Chippewa County was resolved Thursday with the results of a DNA test. The debate has been going on for over a century: Was Old Abe, the Civil War hero that lived in Jim Falls, actually a female? The DNA testing by the University of Wisconsin Biotechnology Center Molecular Archaeology Group showed that Old Abe was a male, according to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Three of the four feathers we tested came from Old Abes handler, said Michael Telzrow, the museums director. The fourth feather used was donated to the museum by Wisconsin Gov. Robert M. La Follette Sr. Tiny samples from the feathers were taken on March 29 and then examined by the laboratory, which did the work for free. The museum got the results on June 24. Telzrow said the test of Old Abe began as idea at the museum in 2013. It took time to find a laboratory to do the work, which happened in February. A heros place Old Abe was a mascot of the 8th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, and was taken into battles from 1861-64. He was wounded in the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863. The bird was said to instill such fear in the enemy that Confederates placed a bounty on it. Old Abe has strong ties to the Chippewa Valley. The bird was captured by a Native American, Ah-Ga-Mah-We-Ge-Zihg, near Park Falls and was later traded for a bushel of corn to Margaret McCann in Jim Falls. Her husband, Dan McCann, then sold the bird to a regiment forming in Eau Claire of soldiers from Chippewa and Eau Claire counties. Old Abe, named after President Abraham Lincoln, would go on to appear at rallies and parades before dying of smoke inhalation in a fire in the basement of the Wisconsin State Capitol in 1881. The bird was then stuffed and put on display in Memorial Hall which honored Civil War veterans. But the bird was lost in yet another fire at the Capitol in February 1904. Great debate In 1889, suffragette Lillie Devereux Blake said she saw Old Abe laying eggs. Then in 1915, Old Abes original taxidermist said the size of bird confirmed it was a female. Each time, it set up a debate in newspapers about whether the bird was male or female. Articles appeared in newspapers as far away as northern California, Telzrow said. Others popped up in papers in South Carolina and Kansas. Old Abe remains ingrained with residents of Chippewa and Eau Claire counties. There is a memorial of the bird in Jim Falls, which also has Old Abes Supper Club. State officials this week held an event on the Old Abe State Trail, linking Chippewa Falls with Cornell and going past Jim Falls. And Eau Claire Memorial High Schools mascot is Old Abe. The DNA analysis resolves the question of whether Old Abe one of the first females the U.S. Army allowed into combat. It turned out the eagle just one of the guys. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH Twenty years later, Capt. Mark L. Berry is still dealing with the death of his fiancee in TWA Flight 800 off Long Island. Susanne Jensen of Greenwich was one of 230 who perished in the crash of the Paris-bound 747-100 jet in the Atlantic a flight that Berry, a TWA pilot himself, would have taken with Jensen if he did not have to stay behind to make arrangements for them to buy a house in Westport. That purchase would have come nine days later. Thats one of the reasons that I have such survivors guilt, he said. Because I didnt go with her. Plus the fact that she was flying on my airline. Berry now lives in Dallas, and he has sought to process the loss first with a novel and now with a memoir, 13,760 Feet My Personal Hole in the Sky. When the 20th anniversary of the crash arrives this weekend, Berry will be back in Greenwich, his home town. He is scheduled to give a reading and talk about the crash and his life afterward at 8 p.m. Saturday at Carens Cos Cobber restaurant, 31 East Putnam Ave. The following day is the actual anniversary of the July 17, 1996, tragedy. Im going to describe that night and what it was like as a TWA pilot and a surviving family member to go through that, said Berry, 50. After the crash, 13 years passed before Berry could talk about it publicly. When he did, it was in a column in The Greenwich Time. That column helped secure him a place in Fairfield Universitys Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing to study writing non-fiction. He wrote the memoir in 2013. The memoir followed a 2012 work of fiction, Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun, that also helped him process the grief, with two character who react differently to a death, one by living recklessly and the other by seeking deeper meaning. Investigators determined that Flight 800 was most likely brought down by short circuit that ignited fuel and caused the center wing fuel tank to explode. Berry believes that a missile struck the aircraft another theory that was explored and that federal investigators continue to cover it up. But his writing is mostly about how the tragedy has affected him. In the years since the crash, he has continued serving as a pilot. For some 15 years, he trained other pilots to fly, and was transferred to St. Louis, Mo., which was the home of TWAs main training center, he said. About five years ago, he returned to flying as a commercial pilot. But it was difficult to get back to a cockpit immediately after the downing of Flight 800. He took off three weeks before he stepped back on a 767, but the crew looked at him strangely, all except for a flight attended named Meg. Meg came right up to me, he recalled. She was a 90-pound flight attended, but she gave me a 300-pound hug. The captain he would have shared the cockpit with on that flight asked him to leave because he would not fly with the crew in such an emotional state. Berry was devastated to be sent off the flight, but almost every other 767 pilot got in touch with him to say they would be happy to fly with him, he said. He began visits with a company psychiatrist who eventually taught him that he did not have to be completely free of grief to go back to flying. It was another month before he was in a cockpit after his first attempt three weeks after the crash. When he did, one of the obstacles he had to overcome was flying to where Flight 800 had been going. I had a hard time flying to Paris the first time, he said. But I got through that, too. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH When a crowd of close to 50 gathered outside a coastal home in Riverside to hear from Greenwichs delegation to Hartford, State Rep. Livvy Floren (R-149th) couldnt help but speculate about what brought them there. We like to think in the delegation that you are here to hear about policy and politics, Floren said. But in my heart of hearts, I know you are here for the view of the water and for the deviled eggs. Theres no question about it. Floren spoke Thursday at the League of Women Voters of Greenwichs annual legislative picnic. She was joined by her fellow state representatives Michael Bocchino (R-150th) and Fred Camillo (R-151st) and State Sen. L. Scott Frantz. After lunch and dessert, all the legislators made brief statements about the work their committees are doing and then took questions from the audience. A member of the legislatures Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, Floren spoke of the states looming budget deficit, estimated at $890 million or more for next fiscal year. Its been said that its darkest before pitch black and I have to tell you in these dire economic times, its beyond pitch, Floren said. However, one glimmer of hope was the bipartisan bond bill that passed unanimously in the house and had only two dissenting votes in the senate. Floren said the committee was able to take money out of dormant accounts, eliminate earmarks and postpone spending on projects not shovel ready to cut more than $1 billion from bonding proposals a savings of $1 billion from on-going debt. In the past year, Florens committee approved bonding proposals for New Lebanon School, Greenwich High Schools auditorium and soil cleanup projects, the renovation of The Bruce Museum and YWCA Greenwichs domestic abuse services program. Although it was difficult, we remained optimistic and fiscally responsible while still providing a mechanism for advancing proven projects in a timely, cost effective way, Floren said. Frantz, ranking member in the Senates Commerce Committee, helped get what is known as the entrepreneurs working permit passed and signed by Gov. Dannel Malloy. The program, which allows people starting new companies in Connecticut to have registration fees paid for by the state, was stopped last year by the states Office of Fiscal Analysis but Frantz brought it back and pushed it through with broad bi-partisan support. This can be a big boost, Frantz said. A lot of companies start with $20,000 in the garage. If they can save $6,000 for two years in a row, thats a huge boom for them. Camillo, who is ranking member of the houses Commerce Committee, said, It was one of the best bills we did this year. A member of the Banks Committee, Camillo reported on work to combat fraud. That committee amended the law to require banks to report an altered signature on a bank document within a year of being informed of it. The original wording made the report optional. This is something we needed to make stronger, Camillo said. Well see if that works, but this has become a problem in the state. Bocchino spoke about his work on the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, and his push to create partnerships between private universities and local community colleges. We would have, for an example, Sacred Heart University partnering with Norwalk Community College and creating feeder programs into the schools so these kids have an opportunity to finish their four-year degrees and really go and take the courses that will get them into these other institutions and find jobs in the workplace, Bocchino said. Bocchino, who also serves on the Energy and Technology Committee, spoke about the growing issue of private drones, many of which are equipped with cameras and could impinge on privacy. We are trying to look at not only the negatives but the many positives drones have for our municipality and the state, Bocchino said. Drones are key when you have agricultural areas with lost livestock. They can be used for forest fires and can extinguish them a lot quicker. They are also used to help find loved ones who have dementia or Alzheimers. There is a lot of great potential for drones and were trying to peel away all the layers of the onion. kborsuk@scni.com NORWALK A Norwalk man accused of posting Facebook threats advocating the killing of police officers may have once had his life saved by a Norwalk police officer, court records show. In a statement from a relative of the accused identified as 35-year-old Kurt Vanzuuk an arrest affidavit released Wednesday shows that a Norwalk police officer had on a previous occasion saved Vanzuuks life by pushing him out of the roadway to prevent him from being struck by a vehicle. While strongly urging Vanzuuk to take the Facebook postings down, the relative reminded Vanzuuk about that incident, and told police that he could not understand why Vanzuuk would advocate violence against police officers. According to court records, the threats were brought to the attention of police by an anonymous source who reported that Vanzuuk called the shooter of Dallas police officers a hero and advocated the killing of Norwalk police. "To me the shooter in Dallas is a hero everyone of us should do the same, reads one such post on Vanzuuks Facebook page, which has since been taken down. Five police officers were slain in Dallas, Texas on July 7 and several more were seriously injured after Micah Johnson, an Army veteran, opened fire on police protecting a crowd that was protesting police shooting deaths of black men in Baton Rouge, La., and St. Paul, Mn. in the days prior. Postings on Vanzuuks Facebook page, as stated in court records, included: "(Expletive) talking on facebook, on a Sunday when you see the ... pig standing at the construction site getting his overtime circle around and kill him. and An eye for an eye, anything less isnt gonna do anything, its been going on since day 1. followed by "#getagunkillacop." The relative told police that whenever Vanzuuk is upset, he routinely expresses his anger on social media. That assessment was confirmed by a pastor at a local church who told police he has spoken with Vanzuuk numerous times about the manner in which he expresses his emotions on social media, the affidavit states. Due to the serious nature of Vanzuuks posts, investigating officers released a citywide bulletin for officer safety at police headquarters. Norwalk police also disseminated the bulletin on Connecticut Intelligence for other police agencies. According to court records, Vanzuuk confirmed to police that he had made the postings advocating violence against the police. He acted remorseful and said it was not his intention to cause harm to police, court records show. Police advised Vanzuuk that while he stated that it was not his intention to cause harm to police, someone else could read his postings and then act on them. He was also advised that he would bear some responsibility if a police officer was harmed, and it was later determined that his postings were a contributing factor. When asked why he had made the postings, Vanzuuk reportedly said that he was angry about his previous contacts with law enforcement when they allegedly used excessive force against him. He further stated that he was angry over incidents that have spread across social media in which police contacts with individuals have resulted in fatalities and injuries, court records show. Court records stated that Vanzuuk has had numerous contacts with Norwalk police and has a criminal history running from April 1998 to February 2010. His convictions include larcenies, probation violations and narcotics. A warrant was applied for, and on July 9 Vanzuuk was charged with inciting injury to persons or property, a felony. He was released on a $20,000 bond and was given a court date of July 19. It is unclear if Vanzuuk is being represented by an attorney. A telephone number for Vanzuuk was unavailable. llake@hearstmediact.com; 203-354-1092. On April 4, 1968 the day that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed by a sniper Robert Kennedy gave (arguably) one of the greatest American speeches not given by a president. Speaking in a tough section of Indianapolis, Kennedy informed the shocked crowd that King was dead, quoted Aeschylus on the wisdom that comes drop by drop from pain, and set out the ideal of a politics that could make gentle the life of this world. Kennedy urged Americans to make an effort to understand offering empathy as the best hope in rather difficult times. Indianapolis was calm that night, but there were soon riots in 110 other American cities. So, on April 5, 1968, Kennedy spoke in Cleveland, giving a brief speech, undeservedly neglected. No wrongs have ever been righted by riots and civil disorders, he said. A sniper is only a coward, not a hero; and an uncontrolled, uncontrollable mob is only the voice of madness, not the voice of the people. This balance between empathy and a concern for order is what many leaders strive for today. Our country is less riven than in 1968, but our leaders are not as skilled, at least when it comes to rhetoric. We are not asking for Aeschylus, and would probably mock his appearance in a speech today, but it would be nice if politicians did not immediately fall into partisan ruts, or post Facebook banalities. What American leader is equal to explaining this moment and moving us forward? The question just echoes. President Obama, as he demonstrated in a fine speech on the 50th anniversary of Selma, can sometimes find the words. But he has become symbolic of the limits of symbolism. Many thought his election was a fundamental turning point on issues of race. But just 15 percent of Americans now believe his presidency has brought blacks and whites together. It is a failure not entirely his fault, but it contributes to an atmosphere of cynicism. Hillary Clinton argues that we are stronger together, but she remains one of the most divisive and distrusted politicians in America. Speaker Paul Ryan spoke movingly on the floor of the House in reaction to Dallas, urging Americans to defy the predictions of division but he is at least partially discredited by his endorsement of a presidential candidate who thrives on discord. Chuck Todd of NBC News wonders if support for Trump will be a stain or a tattoo. I would bet a tattoo, leaving only a handful of Republicans unmarked by exclusion. Trump is the entrepreneur of enmity, employing ethnic stereotypes on the first day of his campaign, and breaking through imagined ceilings of GOP support by encouraging fear of Muslims after the San Bernardino attack. Some in the conservative media are actively practicing a white identity politics witness the Drudge Reports headline Black Lives Kill. The whole political enterprise of turning out the white vote the only real hope of the Trump campaign is morally problematic and dangerous. In fact, there are people on the left and right who benefit from encouraging just enough division, just enough fear, to motivate their supporters, without tipping them over into violence. They are playing with fire in a parched and withered land. Even as an outsider to the world of liberal advocacy, I think it is possible to see some troubling trends. Civil rights movement-era figures thought they could improve society by changing institutions passing legislation or winning judicial battles. And the aspirations of the movement were carried in the durable institution of the African-American church. But younger activists seem to have less faith in institutional reform because they have less faith in institutions including religious ones. But without a belief in reform, how is justified anger channeled into constructive purposes? Maybe it just sags/like a heavy load, offered Langston Hughes. Or does it explode? Even if we cannot, as individuals, hope to change systemic racism, most of us have the ability to defy our times and reach out across lines of race and religion. And religious people have a particular calling in this area. A pastor friend who runs a retreat center in rural Virginia found an abandoned slave cemetery on the property. His religious community reached out to African-American leaders and together they rededicated the cemetery, asking for forgiveness and praying for healing. None who participated came away unchanged. While waiting for leaders, perhaps the most practical and hopeful path is to become them. Following Brexit, the price of the British Pound has fallen significantly, forcing companies in the UK to raise prices in order to compensate. HP is not the only company to raise its prices. OnePlus has already raised the price of the OnePlus by 20 to 329. As you will be aware, we have seen an unprecedented weakening of the pound to US dollar exchange rate over the past few weeks. In order to maintain a sustainable and consistent approach to our operation in the UK and Ireland, we have taken the decision to make some adjustments to our channel-supported and directly-contracted end-user pricing strategy. reads an email from HP to its partners. Effective from 1 August, we will be implementing an adjustment of circa 10 per cent across HPs Personal Systems portfolio. This applies to all HP commercial/business products in the HP Personal Systems category (core PC/laptop, value technology and mobility solutions). As always, you may freely determine your resale price to your customers. Many other companies are likely to follow suit. The Brexit result has caused the British Pound to drop to its lowest value in 30 years. Via These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. House Speaker Paul Ryan previewed the case hell be making for Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention next week in a CNN town hall Tuesday, calling the presidential election a binary choice. She represents a third Obama term. I dont think thats good for America, Ryan said of presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Its a binary choice. It is either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Its either one or the other. You dont get a third option and I know where I want to go. Ryan will speak on Tuesday.Ryan was asked by an audience member how he can morally justify supporting someone who has expressed racist and xenophobic views about minority groups. Ryan opened his response saying that basically means youre going to help elect Hillary Clinton. And I dont think Hillary Clinton is going to support any of the things you stand for if youre a Republican. Haiti - Cuba : 12th International Meeting on early childhood and preschool education A Haitian delegation from the Ministry of National Education, headed by Minister Jean Beauvois Dorsonne participates since Monday and until July 15, at the 12th International Meeting on early childhood and preschool education which is held in the Palace of Conventions in Havana (Cuba). Organized by the Latin American Reference Center for Early Childhood Education (CELEP) and the Ministry of Education of Cuba, the summit brings together about twenty representatives of countries of Latin America, the Caribbean and the Europe on the problems of early childhood and the sharing of experience and research in the field. The Minister Dorsonne is pleased to participate in this important meeting which covers topics including some are currently the object of reform in Haiti. The Minister acknowledged that the first six years are critical in the formation of the child and its personality, noting that Haiti has a policy document on early childhood, recently validated by the partners of the education sector. In addition, a curriculum was developed and adopted for the preschool giving the broad guidelines for the mentoring of children, believes that this is a key momentum for the development of this sector too long neglected to the free rein of each stakeholder. The minister thinks that Haiti will draw on best practices for the implementation of the Integral Development of Early Childhood (IECD) while innovating and taking account of resource limitations. Mme Marie Yolaine Vandal, Director of Preschool Management Office (BUGEP) member of the delegation, expressed appreciation for the quality of exchanges and work including on cultural diversity and the integral development of early childhood, the early childhood curriculum and the protection of children's rights. Miriam Diaz, director of CELEP, providing an update on the theme of these international meetings "From the womb to the future. Focusing on cultural diversity and integral development" stressed the importance of understanding the evolution of the child to clearly identify its development and promote its full development. It is also "to understand all the factors that allow an integral development of the child in terms of its course." HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politic : Privert evokes the necessity to assist CASECs and ASECs Wednesday at the National Palace, the de facto President Jocelerme Privert, accompanied by Francois Anick Joseph, Minister of Interior and Territorial Communities (MICT) and Jude Saint-Natus, Director General of MICT, met with representatives of Associations of Boards of communal sections (CASEC) and of Communal Sections (ASEC), gathering 570 communal sections of the country. This meeting follows a first meeting that took place last week with the local authorities. The discussions focused on the functioning of local authorities, the need to supervise and support the CASEC and ASEC pending the organization of elections for the administrations of communal sections. In his speech, Privert spoke of the need for the State to assist local authorities in order to meet the basic needs of the population. He asked the different CASEC and ASEC to take inventory of their different needs as well as materials available to them to facilitate effective management of State resources. Recall that before the meeting, Jocelerme Privert had chaired the first symposium of mayors https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18022-haiti-politic-launch-of-forum-initiation-of-new-mayors.html HL/ HaitiLibre By Lisa Espinosa | Published on 2016/07/13 At KCON New York 2016 presented by Toyota HanCinema had the privilege and the pleasure of being on two panels with some amazing colleagues: "The Return of the Secret Life of K-pop Fans Over 30" and "From K-pop Fan to K-pop Professional". These panels represented HanCinema's first panel experience at KCON and we felt so welcomed by our fellow panelists. Advertisement Hallyu professionals from all over the spectrum gathered to talk about their expertise, and their passion. The element of passion is what makes the Hallyu journalism one of the more unique subsets of journalism. It is also that passion that made the panels successful. The "The Return of the Secret Life of K-pop Fans Over 30" panel was successful because of the five women from different walks of life and Hallyu journalism. It was moderated by entrepreneur, Youtuber, and all around life of the party, Multifacetedacg. She prepped music, games, giveaways, and kept the flow of the session moving while engaging the audience with questions and callouts. Young Ajummah, a Youtuber, podcaster, blogger, and pre-school teacher explained her very subtle way of sharing K-pop with the world as a working adult: play it during class and use it for learning about music and culture! I, Lisa Espinosa AKA Raine, talked about my trip to Korea with the Korea Joa program, and felt privileged to have the other over-30 ladies accept me into their fold. Leah Westbrook AKA Zombie Mama, writer, photographer, mother of four and lover of all things Korean, has gotten to do some amazing interviews while also being an involved mother and wife. Stephanie Kurtz from Kchat Jjigae, a writer and podcaster, despite being asked at a concert if she was a chaperone, continues to represent older K-pop lovers with gusto and verve! As older fans of the Hallyu wave, we sometimes receive confused and ageist comments from an audience mostly comprised of teens and young twenty-somethings. Have any of you older HanCinema readers experienced this? As long as we love K-pop, Korean Drama, Korean Film, and Korean culture, there is nothing to stop us from loving and enjoying as much as anyone else. And in the case of the panelists, we also make careers out of loving, knowing, and writing/photographing/Youtubeing/podcasting about Hallyu. This was discussed during HanCinema's second panel "From K-pop Fan to K-pop Professional" moderated by documentary maker and writer, Adrienne Stanley. Jeff Benjamin of Fuse, the man who paved the wave for K-pop journalism in the United States, was the lone man on the panel, but very much loved and well-received. Tamar Herman of Billboard and KultScene has made a career for herself writing, recently interviewing K-pop powerhouses like Tiffany and Jessica of Girl's Generation. Angie Mills, photographer for Kpopstarz captures amazing moments in Hallyu to share with the world and has photographed award ceremonies, K-pop concerts, conventions, and more. Multifacetedacg and I rounded out the panel. This panel traversed a number of topics ranging from light to more serious. On the happier side of things, Tamar was recently followed by Tiffany on social media, while Adrienne attended last year's MAMA awards in China. We also spoke about how we got started: Multifacetedacg started on her camera phone and I was contacted via Twitter. Please check out the video below to have a taste of the awesome panels HanCinema got to sit on. Let us know what you think in the comments below! Your browser does not support the video tag. Written by: Lisa Espinosa AKA Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy' Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help 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. 13:18, 27 OCT 2022 The harassment suit filed against the chairman of Fox News, Roger Ailes, on July 6 is a headline waiting to happen, but it could also bring everyday workplace issues onto a global stage. Gretchen Carlson, 50, a news anchor with Fox, filed a suit in Superior Court in New Jersey last week. In the suit she contends that during a meeting in late 2015, to discuss concerns about unfair treatment, Ailes told her: I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then youd be good and better and Id be good and better. When Carlson rebuffed him, Ailes reduced Carlsons salary, curtailed her on-air appearances and, then in June of this year declined to renew her contract. Carlsons lawyer, Nancy Erika Smith, said Carlsons grievance was with Ailes personally, not the Fox network, and that, We were considering taking action before she was terminated. The firing sort of pulled the trigger for us. Roger Ailes has denied all the charges, and said Carlsons contract was discontinued because of poor ratings. Beyond the celebrity attention of this case, many of the details are familiar in terms of workplace culture, sexism and the lack of systems to contain a culture which is potentially driven from the very top. Of concern is the role of Foxs HR department, given that Carlson had been complaining of harassment and sexism since at least 2009. Carlson in an interview with the New York Times this week said she complained of harassment in 2009, when Steve Doocy, then her co-host on Fox and Friends, pulled her arm down while on the air to quiet her. Ailes labeled Carlson a man hater, and instructed her to learn to get along with the boys. In her complaint, Carlson claims to have had several meetings about harassment with Ailes over the years. The suit claims Ailes labeled her a man hater, and instructed her to learn to get along with the boys. Carlson claims she had between six and 10 meetings with Ailes in which he talked about her body and heard her complaints of harassment. Asked by the Times if there was a problem within the Fox News culture, Carlson said: Everyone knew how powerful Roger Ailes was. I certainly felt intimidated by that. In 2012, after a disparaging comment about women made by her co-host Brian Kilmeade, Carlson walked off the set in apparent protest. She later said she was joking. When she was terminated, Carlson told the Times, It was cold and calculating. It took 30 seconds, there was no Thank you for your service of 11 years, and there was absolutely no discussion of ratings. A Fox News spokeswoman has said that Carlson never filed a formal complaint about sexual harassment to the HR department or to the legal department. Perhaps the real question is where was the HR department? And what level of harassment are women expected to endure in the workplace? Of greatest concern to many workplace lawyers is that Gretchen Carlson is suing for Ailes alleged retaliation actions (in firing her), not the harassment evident in her workplace life. I just wanted to stand up for myself, first and foremost, said Carlson. And I wanted to stand up for other women who maybe faced similar circumstances. Frozen yoghurt chain Yogurberry is facing court proceedings after the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) claimed the franchise underpaid four overseas workers. According to a recent FWO statement, four Korean nationals on 417 working holiday visas were allegedly short-changed almost $18,000. While working at the World Square store in Sydney between July 2014 and May 2015, the employees were paid $8 an hour for a six-hour training program before being offered hourly flat rates of as low as $11. Legal action will be taken against YBF Australia, the master franchiser of Yogurberry in Australia, which the FWO claims controlled the World Square outlet through its associated company Yogurberry World Square. Part owner of YBF Australia, Sook Ok Oh, is also facing court proceedings as are Yogurberry World Square and CL Group (another Yogurberry Group Company). The workers were underpaid $17,827 in total, the agency claimed. Furthermore, the company failed to provide special clothing allowance or superannuation, and made unlawful deductions from the workers wages. Laws relating to minimum shifts, classifications, record-keeping and pay slips were also violated, according to the FWO. The investigation was sparked after one employee lodged a request for assistance with the agency. All entitlements have now been back-paid except for superannuation which is owed to two workers. Prior allegations This is not the first time the franchise has come under the watchful eye of the FWO with the agency investigating a series of underpayment allegations as far back as 2013. YBF Australia has previously been presented with a letter of caution and two infringement notices (including on-the-spot fines), along with multiple requests to back-pay affected workers. These previous instances and the fact this case involved overseas workers were significant factors in the decision to take legal action, Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James said. External audits YBF Australia, Yogurberry World Square and CL Group each face fines of between $25,500 and $51,000 per infringement while Soon Ok Oh faces penalties of between $5,100 and $10,200. The FWO is also seeking a court order to conduct a full external audit of all Yogurberry stores in Australia next year and remedy all underpayments discovered. An additional order requesting the firms to hold workplace relations training for all managers has also been requested. The directions hearing will be held at the Federal Court in Sydney on 26 July. HC has contacted Yogurberry for further comment. We are the most effective way to get your press release into the hands of reporters and news producers. Check out our client list. Ten Students from the River Bend Middle School in Claremont, NC recently completed The Grandfather Challenge hiking program at Grandfather Mountain in Linville. The Grandfather Challenge program is sponsored by The Jason Project, Inc., which was formed by the parents of Jason Matthew Nipper, who passed away in June of 2014 at age 26. This private foundation provides outdoor/wilderness and hiking excursions and similar programs which are designed to build self-confidence in struggling youth, as well as trust and positive rapport with adult mentors. Because of Jasons abiding love of the outdoors and mountain hiking, James & Cheryl have established The Grandfather Challenge, through which students navigate all of the hiking trails at Grandfather Mountain. Although the program includes at-risk kids suffering from mental problems and/or drug addictions, the program also seeks to assist any special kids who are struggling with personal adversities, including family, school, or other personal problems or challenges. The ten very special students who just completed this program are: Aaron Bryant, Jesse Cortez, Christian Field, Elvis Garcia-Robles, Luiz Gutierrez-Reyes, Timothy Hambrick, Elijah Khampengphet, Kameron Phillips, Jonathan White, and Jordan Winchell. Each and every one of these very special students did a wonderful job of accepting and completing The Grandfather Challenge course at Grandfather Mountain. Very special thanks are due to River Bend Middle School Principal Chip Cathey, who volunteered to implement a pilot program for The Grandfather Challenge in Catawba County. Not only did Mr. Cathey himself drive a school bus from Claremont to Grandfather Mountain and back five times (including a makeup hike for three of his students who had missed a hike), but he also served as one of the school chaperones and completed each of the four rigorous hikes !! Organizers estimate that Mr. Cathey drove approximately 750 miles in order to transport his students to and from these hikes. Principal Cathey truly exemplifies servant leadership in his school. In addition to spearheading and leading a pilot program for Catawba County, Mr. Cathey has also proposed to the county a blended learning summer enrichment opportunity where students attend online classes through the use of online modules such as Canvass or Google Classroom; meet face to face in Catawba County several times for educational and volunteer civic activities; complete the four hikes; then attend the completion ceremony as a graduation activity. What an opportunity that Mr. Cathey has proposed for credit recovery, which will likely increase graduation rates for these kids !! The organizers of The Grandfather Challenge are hoping that this unique syllabus will be accepted not only by the full Catawba County School system, but will also serve as a model for other counties in the North Carolina school system. In addition to Principal Cathey, School resource officers Victor Morales and Dale Lail also served admirably as chaperones. Each of these adult chaperones did a wonderful job of accepting and completing The Grandfather Challenge course at Grandfather Mountain ! These hikes were conducted and supervised by Curtis Batten and Seth Barker of Appalachian Mountain Leadership, which is a highly certified, experienced, and faith-based outfitter group headquartered in Boone, NC, which provides wilderness activities of various kinds, including extended wilderness excursions, rock climbing, overnight camping, and other experiences in which they teach servant leadership, wilderness management, discipline, and character building values and goals. (You can learn more about Appalachian Mountain Leadership by visiting their website at www.amlnc.org). These ten students quickly bonded with these fine young men, and learned valuable lessons of leadership and team unity. The Jason Project, Inc. has formed alliances with the Avery, Catawba and Caldwell County School systems, representing a total of 14 high schools and 9 middle schools. Also, the Grandfather Mountain State Park of North Carolina (through its Superintendent Sue McBean) has issued a Special Activity Permit to the project, and the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation (with the support and encouragement of Jesse Pope) has issued a special pass for entrance to the Grandfather Mountain attractions. Jasons parents are deeply appreciative of the community support they have received for this exciting program ! The Jason Project, Inc. provides hiking boots, backpacks, socks, raincoats, professional guides, and all other costs associated with this program. At the successful completion of each round of hikes, the youth participants are each given a Certificate Of Completion and a gift certificate at an awards ceremony in their honor. This current group just celebrated their achievements at Piccolos Italian Restaurant in Lenoir, NC. Once again, our deepest thanks and appreciation goes out to all of these special students and chaperones who participated in The Grandfather Challenge! Anyone seeking further information about The Grandfather Challenge and/or who may wish to sponsor a student may contact James or Cheryl Nipper at (828) 765-6561 or (904) 354-7378, or via email at [email protected], or visit their Go Fund Me page at GoFundMe.com/TheJasonProject. Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket By Jesse Wood In a temporary, cost-saving maneuver, the Town of Boone recently dismissed its civil lawsuit against the Mountain View Speedway, according to a statement Boone Town Manager John Ward provided to High Country Radio News. The town has dismissed the law suit involving Mountain View Speedway as a temporary measure to avoid unnecessary legal expenses while the matter is being heard through the Board of Adjustment process. The Board of Adjustment reconvenes on July 27th to hear the Speedways appeal of the notice of violation issued by the town, Wards statement reads. Once the Board of Adjustment process is completed, all options including refiling the civil suit will be on the table as we move forward with addressing this issue. Ward didnt immediately respond to High Country Press on Thursday. Conflict between the Mountain View Speedway and nearby residents began last year, when the Mountain View Speedway opened back up at the High Country Fairgrounds off of Roby Greene Road after a 17-year hiatus. Prior to opening, Boone Planning Director Bill Bailey told a raceway promoter that racing was a grandfathered use in the fairgrounds, which is located in the towns ETJ. Soon after racing started up again, a Locust Hill resident, Annette Reeves, complained about the noise of the racetrack to both Watauga County Board of Commissioners and the Boone Town Council. Last summer, the Boone Town Council meetings were regularly attended by raceway supporters, who feel that racing is just harmless, family-friendly fun on a Saturday evening, and residents who feel their quality of life is negatively affected by the action at the nearby raceway. Two groups the Watauga Citizens for Local Control (WCLC) and Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) then filed an appeal to the Boone Board of Adjustment regarding the legality of the raceway under town code. At a Boone Board of Adjustment hearing earlier this spring, Bailey reversed his interpretation and stated that racing was not allowed under the towns ordinances. The town subsequently issued a cease-and-desist order to the raceway operators, Mike and Cyndi Budka, in April, and the appeal by WCLC and BREDL was dismissed. In May, the Town of Boone filed a complaint regarding the enforcement of the cease-and-desist order in Watauga County Superior Court. (Attorney Nathan Miller, who is representing the raceway, said that motions on this complaint will likely be heard in July.) The Budkas and the Keller Brothers Inc., which own the property, responded by appealing the cease-and-desist order with the Boone Board of Adjustment, which meets in a couple weeks as Ward noted in his statement. Racing continues during the Boone Board of Adjustment appeal process. Read more about the conflict between neighbors and the speedway here. Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket One Year Later: Planned Parenthood Videos and Lawsuits Contact: Alexandra Snyder, Life Legal Defense Foundation, 202-717-7371 NAPA, Calif., July 14, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Exactly one year ago today, July 14, 2015, David Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress released the first video exposing Planned Parenthood's illegal sale of the bodies of babies dismembered in its abortion facilities. Since that time, Congress has taken a number of actions to investigate the nation's largest abortion provider, including: Demanding that US Attorney General Loretta Lynch investigate Planned Parenthood's violations of federal law, including the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. Holding hearings examining Planned Parenthood's sale of baby body parts and the altering of abortion methods to procure intact babies for sale. Establishing a Select Investigative Panel responsible for investigating Planned Parenthood and human tissue brokers like StemExpress. Issuing dozens of subpoenas to Planned Parenthood, fetal tissue brokers, and fetal body part researchers seeking information about the abortion industry's practice of pricing and selling aborted babies. In addition, the videos served as the catalyst for initiatives to defund Planned Parenthood in 24 states. Daleiden's undercover investigation did not come without challenges. He faces three lawsuits, the first of which was filed by StemExpress just two weeks after the release of the first video. Daleiden was then sued by the National Abortion Federation in federal court to keep any further evidence exposing its members' role in the trafficking of fetal tissue out of the public view. Earlier this year, Planned Parenthood Federation of American filed a federal lawsuit seeking millions of dollars in damages in order to put the Center for Medical Progress out of business. In addition, Daleiden was indicted by a Harris County Texas grand jury on two baseless criminal charges, one of which was recently dismissed. His one-bedroom apartment was raided by twelve California state agents representing California's Attorney General Kamala Harris. The agents seized David's computers, papers, and other personal effects. While the Congressional investigations have yielded additional evidence of illegal activity, no one from Planned Parenthood has been fired or charged with criminal activity. "Life Legal has represented David from the beginning, fighting for his freedom to publish information gained through his undercover investigations," noted Life Legal Defense Foundation executive director Alexandra Snyder. "Our attorneys have invested hundreds of hours writing motions and briefs, providing counsel on criminal investigations into David's activities, and arguing in state and federal court. The National Abortion Federation and Planned Parenthood filed their lawsuits for no other reason than to silence David by forcing him to defend lawsuits that consume a huge amount of time and resources." The firms representing the abortion cartel rake in over $1.5 billion annually. Planned Parenthood's annual revenue is $1.3 billion. This is truly a battle between Goliathwho is well-connected and well-fundedand David Daleiden, whose only goal is to take down the abortion giant that claims the lives of over a million unborn human beings every year and then sells the parts of those babies for profit. Life Legal Defense Foundation was established in 1989, and is a nonprofit organization composed of attorneys and other concerned citizens committed to giving helpless and innocent human beings of any age, and their advocates, a trained and committed voice in the courtrooms of our nation. For more information about the Life Legal Defense Foundation, visit www.lldf.org. There's no such thing as a Nato option as an option would mean that you get to choose what to do. This isn't one of those situations when it comes to Nato membership for Finland or Sweden. We have the option to apply for membership, not the option to join Nato, he explained during a panel discussion organised by the Ministry of Defence in Pori on Wednesday. The so-called Nato option is, despite being much discussed, widely misunderstood in Finland, says Jukka Juusti, the highest-ranking official at the Ministry of Defence. I held several posts over the past eight years in Brussels. Not once during those eight years did anyone propose that Finland join Nato. The issue is widely misunderstood in Finland, said Juusti. Both Finland and Sweden should nevertheless keep the option open, commented Jamie Shea, a deputy assistant secretary general at Nato. Finland and Sweden would in my opinion do well to keep the option open not necessarily use it but keep it open, he said. Shea declined to offer advice on whether or not Finland should apply for membership and reminded that no country is under any pressure to join the defence alliance. The door is open, but we aren't going around like missionaries twisting arms and saying you should join Nato. We only want countries that want to become members, he said. Nato can, on the other hand, help Finland and Sweden understand what the membership would entail, added Shea. Mika Aaltola, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, called attention to Shea's remarks in a panel discussion he moderated later on Wednesday: Nato's representative said that while Nato is accepting new members, it isn't actively looking for them. It's not that Nato has sought to expand against Russia but that countries have always wanted to be there. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly criticised the defence alliance for increasing its presence near the borders of Russia. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Handout Ministry of Defence Source: Uusi Suomi Whenever you send a text message or post something on Facebook or Twitter, there's one hundred per cent proof. You can no longer deny anything. And that's why you should be a bit careful, he said in a speech at Suomi Areena, a debate event held in Pori, on Wednesday. Timo Soini, the chairperson of the Finns Party, has urged his party comrades to think twice before posting comments on social media. Helsinki Times reported earlier this week that Leena Meri (PS), a first-term Member of the Parliament, commented on recent allegations of police misconduct by suggesting that immigrants who feel they have been treated unjustly in Finland should go back to their home country. Related posts: - MP responds to controversy over alleged police misconduct (13 July, 2016) YLE, in turn, pointed out that Mika Raatikainen (PS), another first-term Member of the Parliament, has expressed his concerns about the rights of people who have to endure the suggestive looks of gay people in the shower and toilet facilities of swimming pools and other public places. Soini estimated in his speech that whenever one of his party comrades says something silly, it will be the topic of public discussion for weeks. I've noticed that the Facebook updates of Finns Party MPs and other decision-makers are apparently checked quite thoroughly in case something silly is found there. And yes, sometimes something like that can be found, he said. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Roni Rekomaa Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi Fine Gael TDs dissatisfied with Taoiseach Enda Kenny's leadership should consider quitting the party and becoming Independent, a Government minister has claimed. Dublin TD Catherine Byrne said she was "sick to the pit of my stomach" with the in- fighting in the party and said it was not the way to do politics. Her comments came during a tense meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party which saw backbenchers warn Mr Kenny that he needed to address their concerns over his ability to lead the party. Backtrack There were also calls for him to backtrack on the appointment of James Reilly as deputy leader. Mr Kenny defended the decision and said he wanted to "draw a line" under the leadership issue. He also spoke of the need to "pull together" and emphasised the importance of "loyalty". In a bid to quell the disharmony in the party, he promised to meet individually with his detractors "for a coffee". He is understood to have named Cork South West TD Jim Daly, Carlow/Kilkenny TD Pat Deering, Louth TD Fergus O'Dowd and Kerry TD Brendan Griffin as individuals he will hold 'clear the air' talks with. In one of the stand-out contributions from the floor, junior health minister Catherine Byrne called on TDs dissatisfied with the leadership to quit the party. In a separate stand-off, Mr O'Dowd said he would not be "lectured" by Mr Kenny about the issue of showing loyalty. Mr O'Dowd is believed to have said that loyalty is "putting your neck out" and bringing in two seats for the party in a constituency. A number of TDs and senators spoke up for Mr Kenny, who received a round of applause following his contribution. Senator Paul Coghlan told the meeting that Mr Kenny is the party's "captain" and that he deserves their full support. Much of the focus of the meeting was on the Reilly appointment. Cork South West TD Jim Daly said that if he were to table a motion of confidence in Dr Reilly, not one member present would support it. He called on the newly appointed senator to reflect on his position. Detractors Mr Daly was backed at the meeting by Carlow/Kilkenny TD John Paul Phelan and by Mr Griffin, who earlier this week had called on Mr Kenny to step down as Taoiseach. In response, Dr Reilly accused his detractors of criticising him as a proxy to "get at" Mr Kenny. He said he was offered the job by the Taoiseach and accepted it - rejecting suggestions that he is unpopular with members of the party. "He spoke passionately and fiercely, but I think people remain unconvinced," one source said. After the meeting, Mr Kenny had dinner with Dr Reilly, Mr O'Dowd and Mr Deering, who has also expressed disquiet about issues within the Fine Gael party. The Kinahan cartel has called off a death threat on a north Dublin criminal after a significant cash sum was handed over to the mob. The "five-figure cash sum" was exchanged at a "sit-down meeting" between the gang and close associates of the under- threat Ballymun gangster. This led to a promise that he will no longer be targeted by the vicious mob. The cartel had identified a younger associate of Michael 'Mad Mickey' Devoy - a criminal they murdered in 2014 - as a "prime target" after his release from jail last year. With the death threat no longer active, the Balymun man - aged in his mid-30s - is now free to continue his criminal activities in north Dublin. "This individual has been under grave threat from the cartel since he got out of jail but he seems to think he is in the clear after the meeting," a source said. "The sit-down was attended by a Finglas criminal who is a close friend of his. "The word is that a deal was negotiated and a significant cash sum was handed over to sort out the dispute." The subject of the threat was close to Michael 'Mad Mickey' Devoy (41), from Balbutcher Drive in Ballymun, who sustained multiple gunshots to the head and neck and died on January 18, 2014. The main theory behind Mad Mickey's murder is that he was shot dead because he was the gunman for a botched murder attempt on heroin trafficker and cartel figure Greg Lynch three months earlier. When Devoy's close associate was released from jail, gardai set up a number of armed checkpoints near his home because of fears that he would be shot dead by the cartel but no shooting incidents happened. While the threat against the gangster has calmed down, the cartel have previous form for reneging on deals after assuring other criminals that they would not be targeted. An example of this was the murder of Gary Hutch in Spain's Costa-Del-Crime. It kicked off the deadly feud between the cartel and Hutch's associates. After the savage murder, it emerged that Gary's uncle Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch had organised a payment of 200,000 to the Kinahan cartel to spare his life and allow him to "retire" from the gang. However, mob reneged on this deal and then demanded a further 200,000 from Hutch's family. Brutal When this money was not paid, Hutch was shot dead outside his Spanish apartment. Earlier this month, it emerged that the country's latest gangland murder victim - David 'Daithi' Douglas (55) - had been assured by cartel members that they were no longer in dispute with him. Sources revealed that Douglas, who was loosely associated with the Hutch gang, received a phone call from a brutal Cabra-based hitman for the cartel, weeks before he was murdered stating that the gangsters "no longer had an issue" with him. Douglas was subsequently shot up to six times in the head and chest outside the Shoestown shop at Bridgefoot Street on June 30 by a lone gunman. home Tech HTC Desire 10 release date and specs rumors: Midrange smartphone expected to hit the market in September? A new iteration of the HTC 10 series might arrive in the midrange smartphone market by the end of September. According to the latest reports, the Taiwanese manufacturer of Android and Windows smartphones has already been planning to release the all new HTC Desire 10. The goal is to release a device to compete with the leading handsets in the midrange market today. Many fans are hoping that the upcoming smartphone will perform better than the disappointing HTC 10. Despite its impressive specifications, the device failed to capture the attention of the tech industry. The current HTC 10 runs on a Snapdragon 820 processor from Qualcomm. It also has 4 GB RAM and an expandable storage capacity of up to 2 TB. The device has 5.2-inch display with quad-HD technology and a 3,000 mAh battery. Nonetheless, tech observers are saying that the device lacks the design and features to topple the current smartphones in the market today. HTC 10 has definitely failed miserably in the competition against the flagship smartphones from Samsung and LG. With the rumored release of the HTC Desire 10, industry observers are hoping that the device will live up to its expectation. The company has yet to provide concrete details with regard to its development and release date. However, fans are already expecting that it does not have the same powerful specs as the current HTC 10. Nonetheless, it is intended for midrange market so fans expect for it to come at a very affordable price. Meanwhile, GSM Arena recently reported a leaked image of the HTC Desire 10. Apparently, the device will still have the same dual-LED/Laser AF combo present on the current HTC devices. However, the publication claimed that it is definitely a budget version of HTC 10. Not much has been reported about the device as of the moment; however, fans expect the company to make an announcement anytime soon. Carlos Acosta salutes the crowd with his daughter Aila Acostaduring his final curtain call after performing 'Carmen' for the last time at The Royal Opera House on November 12, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for the Royal Ballet) Katie Derham and Anton Du Beke during the final of Strictly Come Dancing. Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire Judges (left-right) Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli during the final of Strictly Come Dancing. Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire As Len Goodman steps down from his role as Strictly Come Dancing's head judge, we look at the favourites set to replace him. Professional dancer Anton du Beke is favourite to replace Goodman. The popular dancer is at 2/1 to move from the dance floor to the desk, having danced on the show since it began in 2004. Expand Close Katie Derham and Anton Du Beke during the final of Strictly Come Dancing. Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Katie Derham and Anton Du Beke during the final of Strictly Come Dancing. Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire Here are other potential contenders. Karen Hardy Expand Close Karen Hardy. Photo: BBC / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Karen Hardy. Photo: BBC The former Strictly pro is a world-renowned Latin American dancer with her own dance school, proving she has the chops to take on the celebrities' cha-cha-cha. Hardy (right) regularly casts a critical eye over the show's dances on sister show It Takes Two in her 'Choreography Corner', so it would be a hop, skip and a jump to the main show's judging panel. Arlene Phillips Expand Close Choreographer Arlene Phillips will tour London in a bus in the run up to the Big Dance festival / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Choreographer Arlene Phillips will tour London in a bus in the run up to the Big Dance festival The campaign to bring Phillips back starts here. The veteran choreographer (73) was dropped from the show in 2009 in favour of former contestant Alesha Dixon (37). Having made her name as the director of dance troupe Hot Gossip, Arelene (right) also choreographed the film Annie, as well as music videos for the likes of Duran Duran and Whitney Houston, and West End classics including Starlight Express and Grease. Carlos Acosta Expand Close Carlos Acosta salutes the crowd with his daughter Aila Acostaduring his final curtain call after performing 'Carmen' for the last time at The Royal Opera House on November 12, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for the Royal Ballet) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Carlos Acosta salutes the crowd with his daughter Aila Acostaduring his final curtain call after performing 'Carmen' for the last time at The Royal Opera House on November 12, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for the Royal Ballet) Cuban ballet dancer Acosta retired from The Royal Ballet in November 2015 after 17 years. Having danced with many of the world's leading ballet companies, he is considered the greatest male dancer of his generation and a star choreographer. With plenty of free time now in his schedule, Acosta (right)could easily turn his eye to rumoured contestant Louise Redknapp's Paso doble. home Tech Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 release date, specs news 2016: Dual camera teased in new leak The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 once again stars in a brand new leak, where the midranger was shown with a dual-camera module on its rear. According to Phone Arena, this is quickly becoming the trend in new smartphone releases, which is why it won't be a shock to see the Redmi Note 4 with the said technology. In addition, Xiaomi is also known to spice things up, in its effort to enrich its portfolio and compete with the rest of big name companies in the smartphone world. With that said, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is expected to indeed come with twin camera setup on its back. The LED flash can be seen in between the camera. GSM Arena points out that there's no sign of a fingerprint scanner on the back of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, which hints that if it will have one, it will likely be embedded in the home button of the device. Because of these big changes, users expect the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 to be much different in appearance than its predecessor, the Redmi Note 3, which only had a single primary camera with the fingerprint scanner on its back. The Redmi Note 4 will also come in a sleek metal body, as hinted by the same teaser leak. This hints that Xiaomi is upping its game on the design front as well. In terms of the other specs, such as the size of the display, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is expected to come with a 5.5-inch display. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor will power up the device. Helping the chipset out is at least 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. There's a big expectation on the battery of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 since its predecessor had a massive 4000mAH battery. With regards to the release date, it is expected that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 will make a splash this November, a year after the Redmi Note 3 thrilled the mobile world. Former Maugansville Little League treasurer pleads in theft case The former treasurer of the Maugansville Little League in Washington County was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to theft. McCrory held a ceremony at a Union County elementary school to sign the $22.3 billion state spending plan the General Assembly sent him two weeks ago on the last day of its annual work session. McCrory's signing was expected he never made any public pronouncements against the proposal, which adjusts the second year of the two-year budget approved last September. The measure raises teacher pay by 4.7 percent on average and should increase the expected teacher salary from all funding sources including local supplements to above $50,150, according to a budget document created by the General Assembly's nonpartisan fiscal staff. The final teacher pay provision hammered out by House and Senate Republican budget writers differs from McCrory's proposal, which also had included large one-time bonuses. The measure, however, does provide performance-based bonuses for third-grade and some high school teachers. Rank-and-file state employees also get a 1.5 percent pay raise and bonuses of at least 0.5 percent. There are also income tax cuts through higher standard deductions of $1,000 to $2,000 depending on one's filing status that will be phased in this year and next. There was no tax cut or across-the-board raises for state employees in McCrory's original budget proposal, released at a time when there was a predicted $237 million surplus in the previous year's budget. The surplus ultimately grew to $425 million. The law puts aside $474 million more in the state's rainy-day reserve fund. It also directs three University of North Carolina campuses to begin offering $1,000-a-year in-state tuition and $5,000-a-year out-of-state tuition in fall 2018 and all campuses to fix tuition rates for incoming freshmen this fall while they get bachelor's or five-year degrees. Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, and House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, praised the Republican governor for signing the bill. Thursday's focus was primarily on the teacher raises, an issue that spilled over into the gubernatorial race between McCrory and Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper. The governor was surrounded by teachers, local officials and legislators as he signed the bill. Behind them was a banner that read "Teacher Pay to $50K." McCrory's campaign soon after announced an online ad campaign with teachers praising the governor for the pay raises and those in recent years under Republican control of state government. Campaign manager Russell Peck said Cooper allowed the public schools and teacher pay to decline while in the legislature previously and in state government: This budget "continues to right the wrongs under Roy Cooper and previous leadership." But Cooper's campaign said the budget didn't go far enough to help teachers who are being plucked out of their classrooms from districts in other states. The campaign pointed to a projection by the nonpartisan Public School Forum of North Carolina that North Carolina's average pay will jump from ninth among 13 Southeastern states to seventh. Thursday's event was "vintage Pat McCrory: a campaign-style rally with a giant banner paid for with taxpayer money, touting a plan that makes big promises but doesn't actually get the job done," Cooper campaign spokesman Ford Porter said in a news release. 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/ As the Kashmir protests broke out, over a coffee in a central Delhi cafe, a senior intelligence official told this writer that the violence will fade away. But, he added, this was a serious challenge. The unrest is primarily local, unlike the 90s when Pakistani and foreign militants were swarming the valley. We will have to manage this local factor. Even as the more thoughtful elements within Indian state - and civil society - were emphasising the local roots of the trouble, Pakistan walked in. Its Foreign Office spoke about human rights violations in Kashmir, and reiterated support for the demand for the realisation of the right to self determination. PM Nawaz Sharif and Army chief Raheel Sharif condemned Wanis killing. At the United Nations, on a debate over human rights, Pakistan raised Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wanis killing, drawing a sharp Indian response. Read | Pak extols virtues of terrorists, covets territory of others: India at UN Screaming about Kashmir on international platforms may help the Pakistani elite score brownie points at home. It may make them feel reassured about the the two-nation theory, which has received too many jolts to count. And it may help entrench the power of the military-jihad complex. But it delegitimises a local Kashmiri movement; shrinks the space for a genuine conversation within India; gives ammunition to those within the Delhi establishment who see Kashmiri discontent only through the prism of Pakistan; and only provokes a stronger, militarised response - which harms the Kashmiri people the most. Given Pakistans own track record in how it deals with democracy and rights, in places like Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Balochistan, its concern is also deeply hypocritical. Look at the context. India is confronting the most serious challenge to state authority and legitimacy in Jammu and Kashmir since 2010. The killing of Burhan Wani triggered mass protests, the manifestation of deep political alienation in the valley against the excesses of the Indian state. The protests provoked the excessive use of force; civilians were killed; and this in turn led to more rage. Read | Stay out of our internal affairs: India tells Pakistan over Kashmir remarks Pakistani protesters offer prayers for Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani, who was killed in an encounter in Kashmir. (AP) You dont need to be anti national to empathise with the sentiment that drove the protests. You dont have to be an admirer of the politics of violence to understand the vicious cycle - alienation, terrorist violence and state repression - that the place is stuck in. The situation led to critiques of the Indian states handling of the situation. Mainstream national dailies honestly reported on the popular upsurge at Wanis funeral. The Indian media and civil society dropped the self censorship they often exercise while reporting on the valley - to the extent that PM Narendra Modi was reported to be unhappy about the lionising of Wani in the press. There have been many commentaries about the need for a political outreach to Kashmir; not just reliance on a militarised solution. Read | Call on India to respect human rights in Kashmir: Pakistan tells UNSC Pakistan then stepped in, with its self righteousness few can take seriously. This is a state that has exported terror both to its east to India, and west to Pakistan for three decades. It is a state that has, for only short bursts in its history, allowed citizens to exercise democratic rights. It is a state which is dominated by a single ethnic group, and has done little to tackle violence against minorities - be it Shias or Ahmadis or Christians or Hindus. It is a state that runs its part of Kashmir firmly from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Its words on restraint in use of force and respecting human rights ring hollow. Take Kashmir itself. The Kashmir movement would have enjoyed more moral strength and legitimacy but for its overt identification and alliance with Pakistans establishment. Islamabad may have helped internationalise the issue - but what did this internationalisation bring? It may have made some Kashmiri politicians richer and given them junkets. But it did little to bolster their negotiating power with Delhi or provide relief to the Kashmiri people from everyday violence. As Indias power grows, and as the nature of Pakistans sanction to violent groups becomes more and more obvious, Islamabads instrumental use of the Kashmir card will bring even fewer dividends. Over the decades, it has become clear to many Kashmiris that the card is merely used by Pakistan to embarrass India - and for that, Kashmiris have had to pay a heavy price. There is a problem in Kashmir. Those in Delhi who delude themselves into pretending otherwise better wake up with an effective political response to the local anger. But along with that, those in Srinagar who want a respectable accommodation should tell the Pakistanis to stay away. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON It is exactly a year since Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Skill India Mission on the World Youth Skills Day, marked globally on July 15 under a United Nations initiative. The PM-led governing council of the ambitious mission that seeks an end-to-end, outcome-focused scheme that matches employers need for a skilled work-force with sustainable employment for citizens has met only once since its inception. Just over 10 million have been skilled last year, just 1/40th of the target set for 2022. The mission aims to train as many as 400 million people more than the entire population of the United States, and the scale itself is challenging by any standards. Yet, there is a case to say that well begun is half-done. Read | Skill India needs a Tell India: We need to match skills with real jobs The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), the lynchpin of the skill strategy, was launched last year and got a fresh boost this week when the cabinet approved its 2.0 version with an outlay of 12,000 crore for the next four years to train 6 million youths afresh and certify another 4 million in non-formal Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). The key part is that direct benefit transfer (DBT), a favourite tool of the government, will be used to support trainees who will get travel allowances, boarding and lodging, while trainers will get support as partners through an Aadhar-linked plan. The plan to use placement and mobilisation camps resembling village melas is an imaginative. But the clock is ticking fast, given the audacious target set for the mission. Let us look at the past year. While the aim was to train 1.4 million people afresh and certify another 1 million under the RPL plan, a total of 2 million were trained across 32 sectors and 416 job roles across the nations wide expanse. This falls short of the target, especially in terms of RPL, but there is a welcome attempt to give it an overhaul by balancing the interests of the trainees with the trainers. Read | Modis Skill India initiative scores low on placements However, implementing such a scheme is a daunting task involving details that can be painful. For instance, common norms formulated to harmonise the payment rates and criteria across different participating ministries came to effect from April 1, and had to keep in mind incentives and additional payments for those involved in skill development schemes for difficult regions, women and differently abled persons. This has raised the per-candidate cost in some cases. This in turn can hurt budgets and growth. We have had a significant first step. What we need perhaps is a competitive framework in which those who can implement the missions aims at lower costs can be encouraged through a challenge system assuming the outcomes remain the same. Care should be taken not to crowd out private sector self-funding models. Administrative challenges also involve multi-agency collaboration which in traditional bureaucratic terms would take more time or resources or both. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has managed to sign MoUs with 14 other ministries, and the activity that followed has covered a lot of ground from initially sharing infrastructure and using corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to training retired defence personnel as trainers. The challenge is to scale up what was done on a pilot basis in the early stages. Hopefully that should happen this year, especially with increased budgetary resources. Needless to say, skill growth must be matched by job creation on the other side to meet the missions objectives. More than 1,100 new industrial training institutes (ITIs) have been created in a year with a capacity to train 173,000 people and there is a cabinet outlay of 10,000 crore to incentivise employers to offer apprentice schemes. Only this can complete the loop of the employer, trainer and trainee the true measure of the missions success. The key here would be execution on a large scale to enable candidates to obtain National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) certification, which is now enabled for 1,500 courses. Read | The direction is right, now pick up speed The Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) promoted by the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), a public-private partnership company, has set the ground by developing more than 1,700 qualification packs for different roles across 32 sectors,. It has also evolved 250 model curriculums and created 58 handbooks, taking inspiration from practices in the UK and Australia. The SSCs, though in uneven stages of growth, are led by some of the best leaders in industry. There is a need to nurture them more actively and make them truly independent. The mission runs deeper into the level of schools and now covers 22 states. Courses like a B.Voc (Bachelor of Vocation) are a welcome idea but need to be scaled. Recognition and acceptance of vocational certificates after the 10th standard as equivalent to the 12th is still a work in progress. However, the transition of those from the vocational stream in schools to college or university is not yet as desired and this needs to be integrated going forward. All such skilling initiatives need to be tied up with entrepreneurship promotion programmes such as the Startup India and Stand up India schemes that are only just taking off. The NSDC now needs to try new ecosystem models to help organize the unorganized sector as only that would make the Skill India mission a pervasive one. There are other programmes on the anvil such as the establishment of model skill centres in 500 districts by March 2017. According to the government, more than 10.4 million people were trained overall under the plan in 2015-16. That is an impressive 36.8% growth. But the path to 400 million by 2022 would require increased speed as well as scale. Government funds alone would not suffice for this. The challenge lies in building private sector partnerships. Dilip Chenoy is the former CEO and managing director, National Skills Development Corporation The views are personal Bollywood actor Salman Khan on Thursday skipped personal appearance for the third time before the Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW), but sent a letter to the panel in response to the summons issued to him over his rape remarks. Khan had recently landed himself in controversy for his statement that he felt like a raped woman after the gruelling shoot for his film Sultan, in which he plays a wrestler. He was asked to come for hearing on two previous occasions, but did not turn up. Subsequently, he was asked appear before the commission on Thursday. Hindustan Times spoke to noted author Rachel Dwyer, a professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, University of London, for her reaction on the superstars controversial statement. Controversy and Salman Khan go together. He is always going to do something controversial and his fans are always going to support him. His father apologised for him, bolstering his image of a naive and innocent person who is good at heart. It is odd because Salman is a 50-year-old man, so why does he need his father to apologise for him? In a way, it is also reinforcing patriarchy because it seems to suggest that if the head of the family has apologised, that should be enough. There is no need for Salman to do so. Why he came up with the remark, the very phrasing, is also odd. Why compare wrestling with sex? Why make a feminine association with it? Also, he said he felt like a raped woman. Why did he single out women? Men get raped too. Theres no point asking for an apology from Salman. He never apologises. Its like Kate Moss, the model, in the UK -- she seems to have a never explain policy. It has been said that his remarks were taken out of context. But what was the context? Read | Whats the point of apology under guillotine: Dad on Salmans remark Salmans fans will always support him. Most of them are male and they believe that Salman is a very moral person who is good to his family, good to his fans, who does a lot of good work and charity. According to them, all this controversy is manufactured. Some people dont realise how damaging his words are. Salman Khans fans dance during release of the actor's movie Sultan at a cinema hall in Kolkata. (PTI Photo) I would say the remark itself was wrong. Of course Salman is not the only person to think like that. It is terrible that anybody would think like this. But that [controversy] is what happens when a celebrity does it. It is undeniable that celebrities have power. Whether Salman wants it or not, he has it. Read | Salman Khans rape comment was unfortunate and insensitive: Aamir Khan Though Im not entirely sure what the Maharashtra State Commission for Women hoped to achieve by asking him to apologise. Today, in the UK, it has become a crime to say something misogynistic. But its not yet a crime in India. Rachel Dwyer, a professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, University of London, has written several books on Bollywood. Views expressed are personal. Devoted to the history of cameras, Gurgaon will soon have The Museo Camera Centre of Photography, a museum just dedicated to cameras. There will be more than 700 cameras collected by photographer Aditya Arya over a period of 40 years, on display. In addition, there will be a photography exhibition at the museum to showcase the works of other photographers. Vivek Kalia, Joint Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) says, The museum will showcase cameras picked by Aditya Arya. We will also conduct photography classes, weekly exhibitions and competitions to promote art among youth. He adds, The museum will also provide details of the development of photography, from the pinhole and the camera obscura, to daguerreotypes and dry plates. Vintage century graphic from 1899. (India Photo Archive Foundation) The museum is under construction at Chakkarpur Village, Gurgaon and is expected to open in November. Arya also runs a room size museum in his home at DLF Phase-2 to spread knowledge about evolution of cameras, but he finds the place really small because of his growing collection. His treasure includes cameras of various shapes and sizes made between 1880 to 1990 with original patent. While some cameras in the collection were bought by him, others were donated to his existing museum which Arya, runs from his home in Gurgaon. Read:Museum renamed after Dec 16 gangrape victim in shambles, awaits funds Among these fascinating pieces, the museum will also feature cameras which were mounted on the bomber aircraft during attacks on Hiroshima. His major sources for these are the rag pickers and vintage camera sellers across the world. He says,Being a history student and photography enthusiast, I have always believed in in-depth research. I travelled a lot to understand how the camera evolved. Its a craft and has instruments involved, so reading about them is not enough. I wanted to touch them and see how they look like to understand their functioning. He adds, We believe this new museum will be worlds largest with two photography galleries, one dark room, and a workshop area. Vageeswari camera from 1930. (India Photo Archive Foundation) My place is quite small, I get a lot of request from schools and colleges but only twelve to thirteen people could see the collection at one go. In the museum around 100 people will be able to see the collection at once. The whole idea is to establish a place where students can enjoy history, says Arya adding Over 70 per cent of the cameras on display are in working order or can be repaired. Read: Dagger gifted to former PM Nehru stolen from Delhi museum SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An Uttar Pradesh court on Thursday asked police to file an FIR for alleged cow slaughter against the family of a Muslim man whose lynching last year sparked nationwide outrage amidst allegations of rising intolerance. The Gautam Budh Nagar district court accepted a plea filed by a group of people accused of killing 55-year-old Mohammad Ikhlaq on September 28 at his house at Bisada village in Dadri. Ikhlaqs son Danish was left with a fractured skull when the mob attacked them for allegedly slaughtering a cow and storing its meat for consumption. Ram Sharan Nagar, a lawyer of the petitioners, said the FIR will name Ikhlaq and police will have to investigate his role in the alleged cow slaughter and beef consumption, both banned in Uttar Pradesh Several states have stringent laws that bar slaughter of cattle considered sacred by Hindus -- and consumption of beef. Penalty for violation include jail term. The mob had recovered a bowl of meat from Ikhlaqs residence and remains of an animal from near his house. Forensic tests later confirmed that samples collected from both places belonged to a cow or its progeny, first reported by HT online. The court found enough evidence supporting our plea and ordered the police to register an FIR and investigate the matter, said Nagar. Eighteen people, including three juveniles, were arrested on charges of murderous assault on Ikhlaq. Two of the juveniles were later granted bail. If found guilty, the accused can get a maximum punishment of seven years imprisonment and fined up to Rs 10,000 fine, said Thakur Shishpal Sisodiya, the counsel of another petitioner. Families of those accused of killing Ikhlaq had moved court after police refused to charge the slain man and his family of cow slaughter. Read | Bisada lynching: Meat report doctored, says Ikhlaqs family This is what we wanted. The truth should prevail. They violated a law and they should face the law. We have full faith in the judiciary..., said Sanjay Rana, a former BJP member and father of an accused. Anurag Singh, Dadri deputy superintendent of police, said they are yet to receive the courts order. Yusuf Saifi, the lawyer for Ikhlaqs family, however, refused to comment as they are a part of the case and we respect the court. The Dadri incident had led to stinging criticism of the BJP-led government at the Centre for allegedly failing to rein in fringe groups which were targeting dissenting voices and curbing freedom of personal choice. A host of prominent historians, litterateurs, scientists and filmmakers had also returned different awards as a mark of protest against what they said was growing intolerance in the country under of the BJP-led government. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ranveer Singh, who never misses a chance to show his feelings for Deepika Padukone, preferred dodging questions on their recent marriage rumours. Read: Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh head for a vacation with their families According to Pinkvilla, when the 31-year-old actor was quizzed about this at the Mumbai airport, he said, Arre yaar, main abhi toh aaya hun aur neend bhi poori nahi hui hai aur tu shuru hogaya! (I have just arrived back in Mumbai. I havent even got enough sleep and you have started). Watch: Ranveer, Deepika in a song from Bajirao Mastani Earlier news was doing rounds that Ranveer and his alleged girlfriend Deepika are all set to tie the knot next year. It was also said that the two have secretly exchanged rings earlier this year. Follow @htshowbiz for more. Actor Sharman Joshi was surprised when a fan in the US bought maximum tickets of his play to watch it with her relatives. I couldnt believe a fan got to know that I am bringing my play to the States. She bought maximum seats and got her family to watch. It was an amazing gesture and I couldnt thank her enough, says Joshi, whose play, Raju Raja Ram Aur Main, has been appreciated by art lovers. Read: Sharman Joshi raises the bar, to direct a play now In return, Sharman decided to do something special for her. I spent time with her after the play and got to know more about her. It is always nice to know that fans like your work. My entire team joined us and we had a good time after the play, he says. Read: Sharman Joshi eagerly waiting to work on 3 Idiots sequel Sharmans fan has been in touch with him over the past few years and he knows her well. So, when the actor went to the US and realised that she was coming for the play, he decided to meet her family once the play ended, says a source. His fan has seen all his interviews and knows everything about him. Sharman was surprised that she knew so much, the source added. Follow @htshowbiz for more. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MUMBAI: Tata Group-owned Indian Hotels Co Ltd (IHCL) has sold the 90-year-old Taj Boston Hotel in the US to a consortium of private equity and real estate development firms for $125 million (around 839 crore), lower than the price at which the Tatas bought the historic hotel in 2006. Proceeds from the sale will be used by IHCL to reduce its debt of around 4,386 crore. IHCL bought the 273-rooms Ritz-Carlton-run luxury hotel from Milenium Partners, for $170 million (765 crore) in November 2006 and renamed it Taj Boston. It was similar to the expensive acquisition that group company Tata Steel did in 2007, when it paid $13 billion to buy UK steelmaker Corus. Tata Steel has been looking to sell its UK business. Taj Hotels will retain its brand presence in Boston through a long-term management services agreement. As part of the transaction, New England Development, Eastern Real Estate and Highgate will serve as asset managers working closely with Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces team, Rockpoint Group and Lubert Adler, Taj Hotels said in a statement. For the Tatas, the agreement was done by United Overseas Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IHCL. Taj Boston is a landmark in the Back Bay skyline of the city, adjacent to the citys premier retail district. The Tata Group had bought it to boost its presence in the US. However, after the Lehman Brothers crisis in 2008, leisure as well as corporate travel took a hit in the US. IHCLs US-based properties, which besides Boston includes Pierre in New York and Campton Place in San Francisco, has been a drag on its balance sheet. For the year ended March 31, 2016, IHCL reported a consolidated loss of 61 crore, compared to 378 crore a year ago. The US remains an important market for us and we are committed to our presence, which we have built over the past decade in cities like New York, San Francisco and Boston, said Rakesh Sarna, managing director and CEO, IHCL. The company had received board approval in May this year to sell the Boston hotel for at least $125 million. Analysts welcomed the deal. It (Taj Boston) was a loss-making investment, not giving shareholders any returns. IHCL had been trying to turnaround the hotel for last seven to eight years, without success. Therefore, exiting the property is the best strategy, said an analyst with a large investment bank. Earlier this month, IHCL sold 5.1% stake in Belmond Ltd (formerly Orient Express Hotels) for $50 million. Coupled with the sale of the Boston hotel, it will help reduce IHCLs debt by a fourth around 1,170 crore. As they start selling properties, earnings will start looking better as losses will reduce and it will free up capital for use elsewhere, said the analyst quoted above. NEW DELHI: The anti-corruption branch (ACB) on Wednesday began probing alleged irregularities in dismantling of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor by collecting documents from government office concerned. Sources said three ACB officers had gone to the PWD office at ITO. The Delhi government accused the Centre, which oversees the ACB, of going after it by raiding its offices. ACB chief MK Meena denied the charges and said his officers visited the offices to collect documents related to the complaint. Though an FIR is yet to be registered, the ACB is probing the case on a complaint filed by city advocate Vivek Garg and BJP MLA OP Sharma. The complainants alleged that the PWD minister, officers and contractors had conspired to misappropriate the hard earned public money. In their joint complaint, the duo alleged the Delhi cabinet allotted Rs 10.97 crore to be paid to a contractor to dismantle the BRT corridor between Ambedkar Nagar and Moolchand. The complaint said the government did not collect money from the contractor in exchange for the materials that were removed. Huge quantities of steel, iron and other stuff/metals costing crores were removed and taken by the contractor. The contractor was supposed to pay the PWD for getting these metals and other materials, the complaint said. The two alleged that the nexus of politicians/officers/ contractors managed to make crores by taking the materials, as well as paid the contractors Rs 10.97 crore, causing a loss to the exchequer. However, Delhi government and AAP leaders said the tender for the project was for Rs 3.96 crore. I was the first one to put a hammer to the ill-conceived BRT project, on the demand of the people. We are ready to go to jail for fulfilling the promises made to the people of Delhi.., deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia tweeted. PWD minister Satyendar Jain had on Tuesday denied the allegations and said bus stops made of steel would remain and that there was no steel waste in the demolition. NEW DELHI: A governor must keep away from any disagreement or discontent within individual parties, and not get embroiled in political controversies, the Supreme Court held while restoring the Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday. The five-judge-bench judgment on the political crisis that gripped the northeastern state last year has underscored that a governor must function within the countrys constitutional framework. The verdict also ruled that assembly speakers when faced with a precarious situation such as a resolution for removal must demonstrate their right to continue in office by winning majority support in the state legislature. When there is an expression of intention to move a resolution for removing him (the speaker), it is requisite that he stand the test and then proceed, the verdict said. It added that the speakers conduct must not only be impartial, but also perceptible in its impartiality. The ruling assumes importance in view of the unprecedented development in the Arunachal assembly, where speaker Nabam Rebia disqualified rebel Congress ML As even before are solution to remove him could be taken up. Noting that the speaker was tasked with the duty to ensure that the business of the House was carried out in a decorous and disciplined manner, the verdict said: This functioning requires him to have unimpeachable faith in the intrinsic marrows of the Constitution, constitutional ism and rule of law. The judgment stated that the governor, as an executive nominee appointed through the President, can issue orders on the functioning of a legislative assembly only on the aid and advice of the chief minister and his council of ministers. It further ruled that as the governor was not an elected representative, he cannot have an overriding authority over legislators chosen through a democratic process. Allowing governor to overrule there solve and determination of the state legislature or the state executive will not harmoniously augur with the strong democratic principles enshrined in the provisions of the Constitution , the bench headed by justice JS Kehar said. The bench found fault with every decision that Arunachal Pradesh governor JP Rajkhowa took, causing the fall of Nabam Tukis government in the state. It said a governor must keep clear of political horse trading and unsavoury political manipulations during the course of his work. The governor in this case had humiliated the elected government, it added. Besides this, the court declared Rajkhowas December 9, 2015 letter which advanced the assembly session by a month and set out the manner in which the House must be conducted as unconstitutional . The bench also comprising justices Dipak Misra, MB Lokur, NV Ramana and PC Ghose further said it is not within the governors domain to interfere with the speaker s functions, and can have no role in the removal of the speaker. Both the governor and the speaker have independent constitutional responsibilities, said the verdict, which overruled an earlier SC judgment conferring greater discretionary powers to a governor. NEWDELHI/GUWAHATI: The Supreme Court restored the Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday, embarrassing the central government for a second time in two months over its decision to impose Presidents Rule in opposition-ruled states. A five-judge bench led by justice JS Khehar quashed governor JP Rajkhowas decision to advance the legislative assembly session by a month last year, a move that precipitated the fall of the Congress government led by Nabam Tuki in December. He was succeeded by Kalikho Pul, who led a Congress rebellion and formed the government with support from the BJP. In May, the Union government clamped central rule in Uttarakhand but the Congress-led state government successfully challenged that decision in court. Despite the verdict, Tuki might find it difficult to hold onto power in Arunachal Pradesh if a floor test is held as the Congress currently has just 15 legislators in a house of 58. On Wednesday evening, he wrote to the acting governor about the transition of power and claimed to have taken charge as the chief minister from the Arunachal Bhavan in New Delhi. A Raj B ha van spokesperson in Guwahati confirmed receiving the letter and said that there was no action yet from the governor. The judgement has to be implemented and the governor will take all necessary actions and steps, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said after a high-level convened by the home minister Rajnath Singh at North Block. According to sources, the Centre is not going to seek any review of the Supreme Court judgement since it was not a party to the case. If any clarification has to be sought, it will be sought by the governor, the sources said. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court restored the state assembly to its state before December 15 which means the dismissal of the Congress government, Presidents Rule and the new administration have all been effectively declared invalid. The court scrapped the governors December 9, 2015 message directing the manner in which the assembly proceedings had to be conducted .This order top rep one the assembly violates the constitution , the bench said. All decisions taken by the Arunachal Pradesh assembly after December 9 are unsustainable and set aside , held the ben china unanimous judgment. It disapproved of the governors interference with the functioning of the assembly on the ground there was political turmoil in the state. The provisions of the constitution do not enjoin upon the Governor, the authority to resolve disputes within a political party, or between rival political parties, the bench said and admonished Rajkhowa for issuing the illegal order. It violated the constitutional rules that demarcate the role of a governor and speaker. A governor, the court pointed out, could not have participated in the House proceedings including the speaker s removal and disqualification of the 21 rebel Congress lawmakers. The verdict is historic. It paves way to protect healthy democracy in the country, said ousted chief minister Nabam Tuki. The Congress demanded the resignation of Governor Rajkhowa. Party president Son ia Gandhi said, Those who trampled upon constitutional propriety and democratic norms have been defeated today. Sitting CM Pulalsos truck a defiant note, saying the government is run by numbers, not court verdicts. For his part, Pu land the dissidents can seek a review of the verdict. Signs of opposition consolidation around the court decision were visible on Wednesday as the Congress, Left Front, Aam Aadmi Party and Biju Janata Dal indicated they will make it an issue in parliament that begin son July 18. The conviction of three men in the murder of IT executive Jigisha Ghosh has brought justice to one family and raised the hopes of another that of slain journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. In September 2008, six months before Ghosh was shot dead, TV journalist Vishwanathan was murdered. She was 25. The accused in both cases are the same. The judgment in Jigishas case gives us hope. It is a very fair judgment and we are happy. We are hoping something happens soon in Soumyas case as well, said Vishwanathans mother Madhavi Vishwanathan. It took six months for Delhi Police to catch the accused in Vishwanathans murder. That too was by chance as Ghoshs killers also confessed to the former murder. The trio allegedly robbed and killed a taxi driver Mohd Nadeem. Vishwanathan was shot dead near Vasant Kunj while she was driving home from work at 3 am. In January 2009, Nadeem was killed in Vasant Kunj. Two months later, Ghosh was abducted and killed in nearby Vasant Vihar. But Vishwanathans case has seen several delays. Read: Murder accused takes out knife in court; jail asked to explain lapse We did not have a public prosecutor for a long time. Then there were several other delays from the side of the accused. Right now, the examination of witnesses is still under process. While the killers have confessed to their role in Soumyas murder, the evidence is circumstantial, said Madhavi Vishwanathan. Vishwanathans parents had demanded that the case be fast tracked. But in 2014, the prosecutor in the case Rajiv Mohan left the case. For 10 months, there was no prosecutor in the case. The Delhi government finally appointed Mohan as the special prosecutor in the case in August last year. The case brought womens safety in the city into the spotlight in 2008-09. The then Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had waded into controversy in the case when she said that women should not be adventurous and should not travel alone at night. Shyam Sunder Kausal, the man who lost his daughter to a stray bullet during celebratory firing three months ago, said the incident should be a wake-up call to authorities. Kausal, who runs a tea stall near his home in Mangolpuri, said such incidents could happen to anybody if the practice of celebratory firing was not stopped. His earnings barely meet the needs of his family of two daughters and a wife but he is bent on changing the status quo that led to the death of his daughter. With help from friends and family and advocate Akash Vajpai, he filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Delhi High Court, seeking stringent guidelines to curb the practice of celebratory firing. Taking note of his plea, the high court in May sought a response from the centre and the city government. The case is listed for hearing in August. Read More: Crime branch of Delhi Police to probe death of girl killed by wedding revellers Main to bahut toot chukka tha (I was broken). Magar mujhe crime branch se umeedh hai (I have hope in the crime branch), he told HT after coming out of the courtroom. The high court had just ordered the probe in the case to be transferred to the crime branch. Kausal said he was happy with the high court order and was looking forward to the crime branch bringing the real culprit to justice. He described Anjali, his deceased daughter, as a bright student and said she was expecting good results in her Class XII exams that she had written just before her death. Usko teacher bannaa tha (she wanted to be a teacher), Kaushal said, adding that Anjali used to teach her younger sisters too. He said his focus now would be on the PIL. Logon main awareness lana hai, taki joh mere beti ke saath hua who kisi aur ke saath na ho (Need to create awareness, so that we could prevent others from similar fate like my daughter), he said. He, along with his advocate Vajpai, made suggestions in his plea, which he says may ensure the practice was curbed. Amongst others, it says that a new law prohibiting Arms in marriage should be brought in. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Delhi health minister Satyendar Jains daughter, who was as an advisor in the Delhi government for the mohalla clinic project, has resigned from the post after a controversy regarding her appointment. Saumya Jain, an architect, was working on the design of the clinics and was not being paid any remuneration, the government spokesperson said. She was appointed as an advisor to the Delhi health secretary, who is also a director of the National Health Mission. Jain said her post was non-executive in nature. My daughter has resigned and now I demand that the BJP make all those people, who are related to ministers, resign from the posts they are holding. Many such relatives are not just appointed, they are also drawing fat salaries, Jain said. Saumya resigned after the Bharatiya Janata Party raised an objection to her appointment and accused the Aam Aadmi Party of nepotism and corruption. My daughter had been working on the mohalla clinic project regularly for the past two-three months as an advisor. She has resigned as she did not want to be associated with any controversy. Neither was she paid a salary nor was she given any perks. She had got admission in IIM Indore but she let go of that so that she could help with the project. I did not ask her to resign. She has quit on her own. The news (about her appointment) was running in channels all day and it hurt her, Jain said. Jain added that she has quit as an advisor but if the director wants, she can continue working as a volunteer. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The cyber cell of the Delhi Police will now be available online 24/7 to address residents queries on cyber crime. The Social Media Cell will engage with citizens, particularly the youth, through campaigns on Facebook and Twitter, to spread awareness on cyber crime and cyber safety. The campaign began Thursday and will run for a week on trial. Under the hash tag #CyberSafety, topics like secure usage of social websites, information on cyber laws and how to deal with cyber stalking and harassment will be discussed with users. The initiative will be an interactive one that lets users connect with cyber investigators and answers their queries. A special team has been designated for the same. Read: Are the police ready to take on cyber criminals? Social media is an important medium of engagement with the citizens, particularly the younger generations. Recently, there has been a spurt in cases and complaints of cyber stalking, account hacking, online shopping frauds and transactions, because people are not aware of how to safely operate while in cyber space. This initiative aims at educating people who spend most of their time on the internet on cyber safety and its laws, additional commissioner of police, Economic Offences Wing, Arun Kampani said. He added: The Social Media Cell of the Delhi Police has lined up a series of online campaigns on topics of cyber security and to make it interesting, we have designed catchy visuals and slogans with messages of cyber safety ingrained within posters. The purpose being that the image gets stuck in the users mind and while they are operating in cyber space, it is somewhere in their sub conscious. Read: Less honey, more trap: Extortionists held for conning men through dating sites We will also carry out tweet-retweet sessions on a daily basis, wherein tweets by citizens on public safety topics will be retweeted by official handles of Delhi Police, including that of the Commissioner of Police. The objective of these activities is to inform and empower the citizens and to involve them in actively spreading the public interest messages, Kampani said. We request all citizens of Delhi, especially the youth, to join it in this process and become an active participant, Kampani said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A seven-year-long fight won, a teary-eyed Sabita Ghosh said she on Thursday had found a reason to live the killers of her only daughter Jigisha Ghosh had been convicted. A Delhi court found accused Ravi Kapoor, Baljit Malik and Amit Shukla guilty of abducting Jigisha from outside her house in Vasant Vihar, robbing, murdering and abandoning the body in Haryanas Surajkund. Their punishment, Sabita said, should not be anything less than a death penalty. The court is yet to pronounce the sentence. I have been waiting for this day for seven years. My husband and I have not been living. We are merely breathing. Not a single day has passed when I do not think about Jigisha. The images of her body lying lifeless in the bushes still haunt me, she said. Sabita says she still cant believe Jigisha is no more. I keep thinking why they had to kill her? She gave them all her money, cards and jewellery, she said. Read: Delhi court convicts all three for robbing, murdering Jigisha Ghosh in 2009 The fight for justice hasnt been easy for her or her husband Jagannath N Ghosh. These seven years have been a long, hard and a lonely battle for both of us. The verdict will not bring our daughter back, but at least we will be satisfied that the men who killed her in cold blood have been brought to book, she said. Sabita recounts how her husband got details from the bank about purchases made using Jigishas card. He also identified the shops from where the transactions were done. He accompanied the police during their raids to the shops from where the killers had bought a watch, a TV, a cap and glasses using Jigishas debit card. The CCTV footage from those shops finally led to their arrest, she said. Sabita said she had been receiving threat calls from unknown numbers. We had nothing to lose. We stood firm. The calls that we had been getting since last year stopped only last week, she said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A gang of robbers and carjackers in Delhi-NCR that allegedly used Uber cabs for their crimes, was busted by the Delhi Police crime branch. One member of the gang, a driver with Uber, has been arrested for his alleged association with the Danish-Monu gang of robbers and carjackers, police said on Thursday. Police arrested a Uber cab driver, Mohammad Intezar, 34, who was involved in two crimes reported in Delhi and Noida in 2015 and 2016. Intezar used to ferry gang members posing as passengers in his cab before and after any crime. Intezar was last arrested in a house robbery case reported from Pandav Nagar area in east Delhi in March 2015. A Hyundai Xcent car, owned by Intezar and allegedly belonging to Uber, was seized by the police. They claim the taxi was used by Intezar and other gang members when they robbed a Honda City car near Wave shopping mall in Noida in May this year. A case of carjacking was registered at the Sector-20, Noida police station, said police. Investigators told HT they were interrogating Intezar to find out how exactly he managed to get a job with Uber, despite having a criminal case against him for which he was already arrested. They suspect he provided Uber with forged documents for permission to be associated with them. Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of police (crime branch), said Intezar was arrested on July 5 after assistant sub-inspector Yudhveer Singh received information that he was wanted in Noidas carjacking case. More information revealed that Intezar would come near Goyla Dairy in Dwarka to meet his associates. Accordingly, a trap by our team led by ACP Sanjay Sehrawat and Inspector PC Khanduri near the dairy. When Intezar arrived driving his Uber cab, out team signalled him to stop. He tried to flee but was successfully apprehended, said Yadav. Questioning Intezar revealed he joined the Danish-Monu gang around a year ago. The gang members used his services in one of the crimes committed in Noida. We are interrogating him to ascertain if he was involved in some more crimes, the officer said. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has written to all central universities asking them to provide the names of research scholars getting a fellowship and their Aadhaar numbers by the end of July so that there is no duplication and real beneficiaries get the benefits of government scholarships and fellowships. According to a senior UGC official, fellowships and scholarships have been linked to Aadhaar from this academic year. It has been made mandatory for scholars who have qualified NET and are availing the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) to provide their Aadhaar card number to the universities. The HRD ministry had instructed the UGC that from the financial year 2016-17 Aadhaar has been made mandatory for disbursement of all government subsidies/scholarships/fellowships. These will be disbursed directly to the beneficiaries account (Direct Bank Transfer), a senior official said. The official said that they have sent a number of communications to the universities to comply with the order. He added that the proposal will ensure students get their fellowship amount on time and there is no discrimination. A decision was taken to link every students bank account with their respective Aadhaar numbers to ensure they can apply for their fellowship as well as scholarship without any problem. It will also allow greater transparency and we will have a data of the number of students who are getting the benefit, the official said. Sources said there will be a delay in processing the fellowship amount in case students are unable to provide their Aadhaar number. Many students, however, are wary of the proposal and raised fears that their grant will be allocated late. Some even said they do not have Aadhaar number yet. We will have to apply for the card. Im not from Delhi and I dont have address proof so I will have to provide my hometown address. I hope there will not be a delay during verification otherwise, my fellowship will get delayed, a student of a central university said. The Supreme Court said last year that Aadhaar could be linked to six government schemes - Public Distribution Scheme, LPG distribution Scheme, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the National Social Assistance Programme, Prime Ministers Jan Dhan Yojana and Employees Provident Fund Organisation - on a voluntary basis. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Indian Institute of Mass Communications (IIMC) bids to be counted as a media university which can award degrees instead of diplomas has received a shot in the arm with the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry giving it a go-ahead to apply for a deemed university status. According to ministry sources, IIMC, an autonomous institute under the ministry, can now seek permission from University Grants Commission (UGC) for a change in status. A deemed university status means the institute does not have to seek consent from Parliament for its elevation. At present, IIMC offers post-graduate diploma courses, which are not counted as a degree for pursuing higher education, research or a career in academics. Information and broadcasting minister Venkaiah Naidu has agreed in principle to the institutes request. It has been proposed that instead of introducing a bill in Parliament for seeking an institute of national importance status for it as was suggested earlier, IIMC will be a deemed university with Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI) and the National Centre of Excellence in Animation, Gaming and Visual Effects affiliated to it, an official said. While presenting the general budget for 2014-15, finance minister Arun Jaitley had said both FTII and SRFTI will be accorded the status of institutes of national importance. IIMC has been receiving requests from students to offer them a degree as a post-graduate certificate made them eligible for pursuing higher education and government jobs. IIMC director KG Suresh said: We are in an expansion mode and this will help us prepare students for higher education and career options other than journalism, advertising and public relations. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Delhi University will announce its fourth cutoff for admissions to its undergraduate courses on Thursday night. Most of the colleges have closed admissions to popular courses but say there are seats that are yet to be filled in some. The cutoff may come down by at least 0.25-2.00 percentage points. This year, the university will only bring out five cutoffs after which admission will be held at college level depending on the number of vacant seats in courses. Most popular colleges with high cutoffs kept admissions open for many courses even as many off-campus colleges have closed admissions in BCom (honours), economics (hons), political science (hons) and history (hons). The cutoff remained around 95% and above for most courses in popular colleges in the third list that was released on Sunday. Admissions under the third cutoff were held until Wednesday. Read more: DU colleges may see 0.25-2 percentage point dip in 4th cutoff list Heres a list of the number of seats filled in some of the colleges: Shri Ram College of Commerce: Over 600 out of 674 Lady Shri Ram College for Women: 432 out of 730 Ram Lal Anand College: 383 out of 608 Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College: 711 out of 1,179 seats SGTB Khalsa College: Around 400 out of the 780 Ramanujan College: Around 500 out of the 800 College of Vocational Studies: 489 out of 550 Kirori Mal College: 950 out of 1,385 Hindu College: 750 out of 752. Admission reopening for English, economics, physics, electronics. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The admissions to BCom (hons) at Delhi Universitys Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) has been closed. The cut-off for Economic (hons) at SRCC is 97.25% in the 4th list. For other colleges which declared their fourth list on Thursday there is a dip in the cutoff ranging from 0.25 to 0.5 percentage points. However, even after the dip, the cutoff at Lady Shri Ram College for Women across all courses is above 95%. The college has opened admission for Sociology (hons) at 96.50%. Hindi (hons) and Sanskrit (hons) is closed in the fourth list. The college has filled 432 seats out of total 730. At Kirori Mal College, the dip in cutoff is higher ranging from 0.25 to 1.5 percentage points. The college still has seats opened for BCom (hons), Economics (hons). BCom programme has been opened in the fourth list at 96 %. However Geography, Political Science, Sanskrit, Zoology, Chemistry (hons) admissions is closed in the college. Read more: DU colleges may see 0.25-2 percentage point dip in 4th cutoff list At South campus college like Aryabhatta College the cutoff for Economics (hons) still remains at 95%. The admission has been closed for BCom (hons) and for BCom programme the cutoff is at 93.5%. An earlier version of the story said that admissions to Economic (hons) at SRCC has been closed. Read more: Check all about the colleges in Delhi University in HTs College Explorer SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Twenty-one of the 25 colleges under Delhi Universitys Non-Collegiate Womens Education Board (NCWEB) have set same cutoff for admission to BA (Programme) and B.Com at 78% and 88%, respectively. But the centres at Miranda House and Hansraj College set the cutoff for BA (Programme) and BCom at 88% and 92%, respectively. The cutoff at Aditi Mahavidyala and Bhagini Nivedita College was at 76% and 87% for the two courses. The same cutoff shows that all colleges are the same when it comes to studies. Students should not go by the name of college but pick the institution which is near their house, said Anju Gupta, officiating director NCWEB. The admissions will begin on Friday and continue till July 18. The second off list for NCWEB will be out on July 20. From this academic session, the NCWEB -- which offers courses only for women students -- has added 12 new centres adding around 5,700 more seats to its undergraduate courses. This brings the total number of seats under the NCWEB to 11,700 seats. Read: DUs non-collegiate board to admit 5,700 extra students NCWEB is preferred by students who want to pursue professional courses while pursuing an undergraduate degree to increase their prospects of getting a job. The non-collegiate students are, however, not allowed to pursue any other full-time degree course. Students will have to submit their original certificates at the time of admission and the annual fee is approximately R3,500 per year. No fee will be charged from students under the Persons with Disability (PwD) category. The new NCWEB centres have come up at Aditi Mahavidyalaya College, Aryabhatta College, B R Ambedkar College, Bhagini Nivedita College, College of Vocational Studies, Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Miranda House, Motilal Nehru College, Rajdhani College, Ramanujan College and Aurobindo College. The Supreme Court on Thursday admonished the Centre for bringing an ordinance exempting states from the ambit of NEET, a common entrance test for admission to medical colleges across India, but refused to intervene in the matter, saying it will lead to chaos. The Centre initially accepted the apex courts order to hold the single-window test for admission to all undergraduate medical and dental courses in government and private medical colleges this year but partially reversed it through the ordinance later. The May 24 ordinance deferred the SC order to conduct the National Eligibility Entrance Test by a year. What you (Centre) have done is not in good taste. It shouldnt have been done after the Supreme Courts verdict. Why did you do this? Prima facie the ordinance was not proper. This is disturbing, a bench headed by justice AR Dave told attorney general Mukul Rohatgi, who was representing the government. The bench, also comprising justice Shiva Kirti Singh and AK Goel, made the remark after it was told the ordinance virtually put an interim injunction on the top courts order. The SC was hearing the petition of Sankalp Charitable Trust that said the ordinance was in violation of constitutional ethos. It demanded immediate stay, arguing it should not be allowed to become a precedent. We are not interfering as it will create more chaos, it, however, told the petitioner. We wanted uniformity in medical examination. Today even upper middle class cannot afford a seat in medical college, the bench told Rohatgi who tried to justify the notification. According to him, some states had already held their own exams before the SC order. We could not have allowed his disparity, Rohatgi said. He added the ordinance makes it optional for states to either have their own exams or admit students to government colleges and seats in the private ones. Minimum standard in medical education should be there. It isnt only matter of students. It an issue of larger interest of the society, the bench commented in response. The court also refused to entertain the petitioners plea for centralised counselling for candidates of various entrance tests. The SC also heard another petition, moved by Indore-based doctor Anand Rai, that challenged the ordinance on the ground it was in direct conflict with the stand taken by the government in the case before the SC. Rai, known for exposing the Vyapam scam - an admission and recruitment scandal in Madhya Pradesh, said it was improper for the Centre to take a U-turn in the case. The top court had earlier ruled that admission to medical and dental courses would be done only through NEET and scrapped the entrance tests conducted by the state governments and private medical colleges. The court revived NEET after recalling its 2013 order by which the common entrance test was declared unconstitutional. As per the order, NEET is being held in two phases. The second test has been scheduled for July 24. . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Many B-school aspirants are of the view that NMAT by GMAC is an expensive exam compared to other tests and not worth the cost because of the limited number of B-schools accepting the test scores. As of now, scores of NMAT by GMAC are accepted by 18 institutes, which include SVKMs Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai (NMIMS); ICFAI Business School Hyderabad; Woxsen School of Business Management, Hyderabad; Shoolini University, Himachal Pradesh; Gitam School of International Business, Andhra Pradesh; BML Munjal University, Haryana, and Amity University. Many students say NMIMS, Mumbai, is their top choice and they would not want to look beyond it. Also, NMAT by GMAC is not the only test score that one needs to have, to be able to get into the other B-schools. While NMIMS accepts only NMAT by GMAC test score for admissions, all the other 17 B-schools accept test scores of other B-school entrance tests too, like CAT, XAT and GMAT. Paying the high registration, retest and rescheduling fee is not worth it because through NMAT by GMAC, the only institute most of us want to go for is NMIMS. So, I stuck to my CAT score and applied to a few institutes and was lucky enough to get into one of the new Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), says a Kolkata boy who had appeared for NMAT 2015 by GMAC. Candidates registering for NMAT by GMAC need to pay a test registration fee of Rs 1,700 or Rs 2,000 (for late registrations). Those not happy with their score and wanting a retest have to pay Rs 1,700. For rescheduling the test date, one is supposed to pay an additional Rs 1,000. The test registration fee allows candidates to send their score reports to seven institutes accepting NMAT by GMAC score. Candidates wanting to apply to more institutes need to pay Rs 200 per score report. An additional Rs 1,000 is required if they wish to register for group discussion - personal interview (GDPI) round at NMIMS. For all other non-NMIMS institutes, they need to pay up as per the admission norms of the particular institute. This amount is also exclusive of taxes. Someone who makes multiple test attempts needs to pay about Rs 6,000 for a single top-tier institute (that is, NMIMS, Mumbai). One could probably take all other popular tests, cumulatively spending the same amount and would have a shot at equivalent/better institutes, says Shashank Prabhu, CAT 2011 topper, and director, Learning Roots, an entrance test preparation platform. Read more: Why are management aspirants rejecting offers from new IIMs? To give you a comparison, the cost of taking NMAT by GMAC exceeds that of all the other institutes by a considerable margin. While CAT has been priced at Rs 1,600 (no charges for those applying only to the IIMs), Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) at Rs 1,500 (and Rs 250 for every additional programme of XLRI, Jamshedpur, such as PGDM human resource management, PGDM business management and PGDM global business management, etc), Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) at Rs 1,500 (with application forms to individual institutes being sold separately). A Mumbai girl who has already registered for NMAT by GMAC 2016 says, I will appear for the test only once. If I score well enough to get into NMIMS Mumbai, I will go ahead with the admission process. Else, I dont plan to go for a retest or apply to other colleges that accept the test score. That will not be worth my money. I will anyway be appearing for CAT 2016 and will be able to apply to more colleges (compared to this test), through the CAT score, at a lesser price. When NMIMS used to conduct the paper-based NMAT, candidates had to pay for the test and an additional Rs 1,000 if they got a top rank and wanted to register for the GDPI process. In 2009, citing the inability to cater to around 50,000 aspirants through a paper-based test, NMAT went online (computer-based). The test was the costliest among the popular Indian MBA entrance tests, priced at Rs 1,650 and the additional fee for confirming intent to appear for GDPI was retained. Then, the options of retakes and re-scheduling were introduced during 2012-2013. According to GMAT council (GMAC), the conducting body for NMAT by GMAC now, over 70,000 students registered for the exam in 2015 out of which 31% candidates took the retest. Read more: GMAC taking over NMAT in India from Narsee Monjee More than 2, 30,000 scores were sent to the 16 NMAT by GMAC-accepting universities across India in 2015. NMIMS received close to 54,000 scores, says Vikram Shah, director, product management, GMAC. However, a high registration fee can be probably justified by saying that a few thousand rupees is not a big amount to pay when compared to paying the fees of a B-school. In fact, CAT does not have provisions for retest and rescheduling, which means candidates have to wait for one complete year before they can reappear for the test. As Prabhu says, A lot of aspirants do stick around and eventually take at least one shot at the test. We have seen a lot of students going for unplanned second or third attempts, after seeing the scores of students who take it at a later date, with the hope that they will better their previous score. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A few days ago, Keralas policy makers proposed a 14.5% fat tax on junk food, burgers and pizzas sold at fast food restaurants in the state, with the aim to curb obesity. The Kerala government is not the first to propose such a plan though. Denmark started the trend by levying a tax on food that contained saturated fats. A couple of years ago, Mexico introduced a sugar tax to reduce high rates of obesity and diabetes. In April, the UK government announced a sugar tax on restaurants that served sugary drinks (sugar content above 5gm per 100 milliliters) in an attempt to tackle childhood obesity. Just a couple of days ago, South Africas treasury proposed a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in a bid to curb consumption of such products. The list goes on. But, the real question is do these taxes serve the purpose? Chefs, across the city, arent entirely convinced. Do these taxes serve the purpose? Chefs, across the city, arent entirely convinced. (Shutterstock) A good idea Some say the tax could lead to a win-win situation. Restaurateurs also feel that this move will help increase awareness about fitness. The government will generate extra revenue, whereas the consumers will change their eating habits for good, says Kshama Prabhu, corporate chef, Bar Stock Exchange.The move is a step in the right direction, and will help curb obesity to some extent, feels Rohan Talwar, owner of Ellipsis, Colaba. Chef Rakhee Vaswani of Palate Culinary Studio, Santacruz (W), however, has her doubts about the diktat. She explains, A large number of people frequent fast food restaurants because they are cheaper than the other options available in the city. The tax will deter these people from eating such food. But for how long? Read: Kerala wants 14.5% fat tax on junk food Fat chance of success Denmarks fat tax policy fell through within 15 months of it being imposed. According to reports, Mexicos sugar tax has had no impact on the sales. Back home too, many chefs are questioning the move. Have heavy taxes on cigarettes reduced the number of people who smoke cigarettes? asks celebrity chef Kunal Kapur, adding, Levying tax on people for consuming fatty food wont help anyone, except the government. Chef Saransh Goila of Goila Butter Chicken, Andheri (W), echoes a similar stance. According to him, if a consumer wants to eat unhealthy food, he or she will do so in any case. There is nothing that is stopping people from going to a street food place and getting the same kind of food. They could always switch to cheaper, but unhealthier options. Wouldnt it be wiser to make healthier options cheaper? he says. Consumers choice The choice should definitely be left to the consumer. We can only educate them, and it is our responsibility to raise awareness. They should know the difference between good and bad food, says celebrity chef Ranveer Brar. Helping the customer make an informed choice would be the ideal thing to do, but we cant stop them from eating what they want, say restaurateurs. The consumer should be aware of what is fried or baked, and what is gluten free or rich in proteins, says Gaurav Dabrai, co-owner, Dishkiyaoon, Bandra (E). Alternate solution Earlier this month, the US Food and Drug Administation (FDA) introduced a rule that requires restaurant chains of a certain size to display calorie information on their menus. In Mumbai, restaurants like Thai-Baan in Colaba and Ministry Of Salads in Breach Candy, display the calories of dishes on their menus. Is this move more feasible? It would be a wiser option, says Brar, adding, Itll be interesting if eateries could adjust their portions according to the calorie count. If something is rich in calories, maybe they could serve smaller portions, as compared to those dishes that are healthier. However, restaurateurs are also of the opinion that there needs to be an authority to standardise the process. There needs to be an institute that provides these numbers. Otherwise, it will only encourage malpractice of a different kind, warns Abhijeet Shetty, partner, Soho Tapas Bar, Andheri (W). Read: Fat tax: Does Delhi need to go the Kerala way? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Model-actor Amber Heard reunited with her ex-girlfriend Tasya Van Ree for lunch earlier this week amid her bitter legal battle with estranged husband Johnny Depp. The 30-year-old actor was spotted tucking into lunch with Ree, whom she split from five years ago, at Republique in Los Angeles earlier this week, reported Female First. After 15 months of marriage, Depps wife Amber Heard filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. (AP) Heard, who brought her pet Yorkshire Terrier along with her, arrived at the plush eatery five minutes after the 40-year-old photographer before spending an hour catching up. UHQs | July 12th: Amber Heard has lunch with Tasya van Ree at Republique on La Brea Ave in Los Angeles, CA [3] pic.twitter.com/2vUzArfTIK Amber Heard USA (@AmberHeardNews) July 13, 2016 The lunch date comes two months after Heard filed for divorce from Depp, 53. Read: Johnny Depps wife Amber Heard files for divorce She claimed in court at the time that her decision was prompted by the actors physical assault. Read: Johnny Depp physically abused me throughout marriage: Amber Heard The actor was granted a temporary restraining order, which instructs Depp to remain 100 yards away from his wife at all times, although her request to ban him from seeing her pet dog was thrown out. The pair, who met on the set of 2011 film The Rum Diary, are not thought to have put a pre-nuptial agreement in place before they wed in February 2015 in Los Angeles followed by another ceremony in the Bahamas. Follow @htshowbiz for more Matt Damon starrer Jason Borne has been embroiled in a controversy after actor Lena Dunham encouraged a protest against the display of guns in the films posters. The 30-year-old Girls creator lent her support behind an Instagram user suggesting people to rip any posters they see of the film, reported Huffington Post. The poster for the fifth instalment in Bourne franchise features The Martian star posing with a gun. Read: Jason Bourne trailer: Matt Damons reborn Bournes more like Liam Neeson Dunham re-posted a picture from television producer Tami Saghers Instagram account, in which Damons gun-bearing picture has been peeled away. Hey New Yorkers, what if we do some peeling & get rid of the guns in the Jason Bourne subway ads. So tired of guns. A photo posted by Tami Sagher (@tulipbone) on Jul 12, 2016 at 3:32pm PDT Hey New Yorkers, what if we do some peeling and get rid of the guns in the Jason Bourne subway ads. So tired of guns, Sagher wrote while sharing the photo. Dunham shared the post along with the caption, Good idea...Lets go! This comes after two black men - Alton Sterling and Philando Castile- were shot dead by cops, which led to the subsequent deaths of five officers in a shooting during the Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas. Read: Obama says attacks on police hurt Black Lives Matter cause Follow @htshowbiz for more The 35-km stretch between Namakkal and the quaint temple town of Tiruchengode in Tamil Nadu is a nightmare to navigate. The single lane road is being widened, cut up in parts and the path is paved with sharp stones. The route seems eerily symbolic of author Perumal Murugans situation in these two towns. Tiruchengodes residents are not happy. On July 5, the Madras High Court issued a lyrical, landmark judgement in the case, opening with a quote misattributed to Voltaire: I may not agree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana went on in their order to uphold Perumal Murugans freedom of expression in writing his controversial book Madhorubagan (One Part Woman). Some had protested the books depiction of historical traditions of the Ardhanareeswarar temple in Tiruchengode. The choice to read is always with the reader, read the verdict. If you do not like a book, throw it away. There is no compulsion to read a book. Literary tastes may vary - what is right and acceptable to one may not be so to others. Yet, the right to write is unhindered. The verdict ended with a poignant note to Murugan himself - Let the author be resurrected to what he is best at. Write. An unhappy Tiruchengode Write? Of course let him write, repeated an animated S Sasidevi, an advocate practicing in the temple town of Tiruchengode. No one is stopping him from writing. But if he continues to write in this manner, we will definitely oppose it. If he writes about anything else, we do not care. Sasidevi, 43, was one of the loudest voices opposing Madhorubagan and condemning Murugan in late 2014 and early 2015. She, along with a number of women in the area, submitted a petition to the district authorities demanding a ban on the book in December 2014. Sasidevi is still upset and claims that she feels humiliated by Murugans work. I myself did not have children for six years after marriage, she explained. We prayed to all deities, including Ardhanareeswarar (deity of the temple in Tiruchengode), for a child. If someone writes a book saying that saamikoduthapillai (God given child) is a demeaning thing, how can we stomach it? He has written demeaningly about the God too. This God is the most powerful God in these parts, she said. The controversy over Madhorubagan began late in 2014 when its English translation was released at an event in Singapore. Originally published in Tamil in 2010, the book was suddenly noticed by Tiruchengode residents four years later, who began to buy and circulate it amongst themselves. Their ire was directed at the plot of the novel itself. In Madhorubagan, Murugan weaves a tale of a childless couple Kali and Ponna, living in a village near Tiruchengode and their travails in a society that places a premium on bearing children. The Ardhanareeswarar temple is well known here for one key reason - it is believed that childless couples who pray there will be blessed with child. Women, especially, throng the temple. A view of the Ardhanareeswarar temple atop the hillock in the background at Tiruchengode. (Photo: Sandhya Ravishankar) Madhorubagan attributes such birth miracles to a more banal reason - on the 14th day of Vaikasi (the month of August) when the Ardhanareeswarar deity is said to come down from the hillock, a ritual abounded whereby a childless woman was allowed to be impregnated by a stranger, and the subsequent conception attributed to the miracle of the God. According to the book, the term saamikoduthapillai (God given child) was, in fact, a consequence of this accepted but unspoken practice in the area. This, in essence, was the cause for the angst among Tiruchengode residents. The daughter of one of my friends lives in Chennai and she called home crying one day, continued Sasidevi. Her husband had asked her whether she was a child like this (the result of the ritual described in Madhorubagan), since she was born after four years of her parents marriage. How humiliated she was! The novel insults all of us women in Tiruchengode, she stated angrily. However, Sasidevi admits that she has not read the book entirely. The Tiruchengode Girivalam Sangam people told me about this and I bought the book and read some of it, she said. I could not stomach reading it fully. I was very angry and told all my relatives and neighbours about it. They too read it and got angry. Even the elders said nothing of this sort had ever happened in this area. Why has he written about things which never happened? It will become history, wont it? Fury over Madhorubagan Protests against Madhorubagan gathered pace in December 2014, with copies being burnt and small gatherings formed condemning the book and author. A complete bandh was also organised in Tiruchengode to protest the novel. On 24th December 2014, Perumal Murugan, having received threatening phone calls, decided to seek police protection for himself and his family. They were living in neighbouring Namakkal at the time and Murugan was an assistant professor of Tamil at the government college there. On 12th January 2015, the district administration called for peace talks in an effort to settle the issue amicably. It has been alleged in subsequent litigation at the Madras High Court that Murugan was browbeaten by both the protesters as well as the district administration into submitting an unconditional apology, promising never to write about Tiruchengode again and that he would withdraw all copies of Madhorubagan from circulation. He and his wife then applied for a transfer to Chennai. Following this, Murugan put out a statement on his Facebook page saying - Author Perumal Murugan has died. He is no god, so he is not going to resurrect himself. Nor does he believe in reincarnation. From now on, Murugan will survive merely as a teacher, as he has been. He thanks all magazines, media, readers, friends, writers, organisations, political parties, leaders, students and anyone else who supported Perumal Murugan and upheld the freedom of expression. The issue is not going to end with Madhorubagan. Different groups and individuals might pick up any of his books and make it a problem. Therefore, these are the final decisions that Perumal Murugan has taken: 1. Other than those books that Perumal Murugan has compiled and published on his own, he withdraws all the novels, short stories, essays and poetry he has written so far. He says with certainty that none of these books will be on sale again. 2. He requests his publishers - Kalachuvadu, Natrinai, Adaiyalam, Malaigal and Kayalkavin not to sell his books. He will compensate them for their loss. 3. All those who have bought his books so far are free to burn them. If anyone feels they have incurred a waste or loss in buying his books, he will offer them a compensation. 4. He requests that he be not invited to any events from now on. 5. Since he is withdrawing all his books, he requests caste, religious, political and other groups not to engage in protests or create problems. Please leave him alone. Thanks to everyone. Pe. Murugan This self-professed obituary of an author sent shockwaves through the literary community, which went up in arms against the alleged harassment of the author. Following a slew of Public Interest Litigations filed by various groups against the peace talks held by the district administration over the issue, in late January 2015, the Madras High Court directed that Murugan be impleaded in the case himself. A reluctant Murugan submitted his version to court in February. More than a year later, in July 2016, the Madras High Court gave its judgement asking Murugan to write once again. Can Perumal Murugan write again? Will he? The court verdict, while welcomed and celebrated by the literary community, has again angered the protesters. Perumal Murugan wrote lies and hurt people who are living here and now, said K Mahalingam, a Tiruchengode resident who operates a rig. We do not accept the court order. A respondent in the Madhorubagan case and one of the key protesters in Tiruchendgode, Pon Govindarasu said he and his lawyer are mulling the possibility of an appeal against the verdict. It is a shock for all of us, he said. The Court has not understood the feelings of the people of Tiruchengode. Govindarasu, who also heads the Arulmigu Ardhanareeswarar Girivala Nala Sangam (Welfare Association of Ardhanareeswarar temple), states that there is no personal vendetta against the author. We were hurt by the book and we all went back to our lives and work after he apologised, he said, referring to the unconditional apology tendered by Murugan during the peace talks. He went to court and so we too filed a counter affidavit. We are not violent people. We do not threaten anyone. If this issue had taken place anywhere else in the state, things would have gone out of hand. Govindarasu repeats fervently that no one asked Murugan not to write again. We never asked him not to write, he said firmly. He created a scene. It is his right to write. We are saying - dont hurt us with your words. Govindarasu, who was also present at the peace talks, said that when the district administration asked the protesters to meet Perumal Murugan face to face to resolve the issue, he refused. I said no, if we meet, the problem will become bigger. Let him give the apology to us in writing. There ended the matter, he said. However, other writers living in the area disagree. They say the atmosphere in both Namakkal and in Tiruchengode is much more vitiated. There has been a fear amongst all of us writers - should we write or not? said B Velusamy, a friend of Perumal Murugan and a writer himself. We can maybe write in Chennai, but can we write sitting in rural areas? Writers are all afraid and worried (now). Writer Velusamy says that Perumal Murugan must have the courage to come back to Namakkal and write again. (Photo: Sandhya Ravishankar) Velusamy, 66, adds that the literary community had urged Perumal Murugan to stay and fight, promising to support him, but that Murugan was badly frightened by the alleged threats to his family. He is afraid because his children were threatened at the time, said Velusamy. The police cannot protect anyone all the time. But Perumal Murugan should have the courage. He can come back to Namakkal and write. It is for him to decide. While Murugan himself issued a statement on messaging service WhatsApp in the wake of the Chennai High Court order, stating that he would write once again, he has been reluctant to give interviews on the subject. Murugan did not respond to repeated calls from this journalist. An innate caste bias? On the face of it, the Perumal Murugan issue did not initially seem to have caste overtones. The author, a Gounder himself (also known as Kongu Vellala Gounder), faced criticism from the dominant Gounder community in the area, who form around 75% of the population in Namakkal district (people from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities form a little over 23% of the population). But caste does seem to have played a subtle role in the whole controversy. Murugan is of mixed birth, said a member of the Gounder (OBC) community in Tiruchengode, who did not wish to be named. His parents had an inter-caste marriage. His anger against Tiruchengode is a result of this. Advocate Sasidevi also spoke of caste. The book says that a lot of porikkis (thugs) and Dalit people impregnate Gounder women. There are so many women who come to the temple to pray. He (Perumal Murugan) himself is a Gounder. If people like him write so poorly about this area, everyone will tend to believe it, she said. The western belt of Tamil Nadu, comprising the districts of Coimbatore, Erode, Namakkal, Salem and Nilgiris amongst others, is also known historically as the Kongu belt. In the past few years though, honour killings have been on the rise in this area, turning the spotlight on rising casteism here. Sasidevis comment is a reflection of the mood among the dominant Gounder caste - that it is considered demeaning and a social taboo for a Gounder, and especially a woman, to have physical relations with a Dalit. What is illuminating is the list of respondents and counter petitioners in the Madhorubagan case - all the people and organisations at the forefront of protests against the book in 2014 and 2015, such as the Federation of Kongu Vellalar Sangam, Morur Kannakula Kongu Nattu Vellalar Trust, Kongu Vellalar Sangangal Kootamaippu and Sengunthar Mahajana Sangam, are all affiliated with the Kongu Vellala Gounder caste. A small pro-Hindutva political outfit, the Hindu Munnani (Hindu Front) too is a respondent in the Madhorubagan case. Another respondent is Yuvaraj, who heads the Dheeran Chinnamalai Peravai, a tiny political outfit based in Sankagiri near Tiruchengode, proclaiming to represent the Gounder community. Yuvaraj himself is currently out on bail, charged with the murder of Dalit engineer Gokulraj in 2015, an alleged honour killing. Yuvaraj is charged with murdering Gokulraj for the crime of speaking with a Gounder girl who was his classmate in a Tiruchengode college. Political analyst N Sathiyamoorthy of the Observer Research Foundation points to another factor in the controversy. The book became an issue in the long run-up to elections in the state, he said. Caste outfits and Hindutva outfits clearly vied with one another to make this into an issue. It is not enough if the courts pass an order, there should also be a mechanism to ensure that the court orders are enforced, as far as the freedom of expression is concerned. Writer Velusamy agreed that the community had indeed become more deeply invested in Hindu religious rituals and beliefs in the past three decades. The Gounders and Naickers (another dominant caste group in the area) have historically never had the concept of thali (mangalsutra) or all these rituals involving priests, he said. All of these are recent traditions. While the verdict from the Madras High Court has exhorted Perumal Murugan to write again, the verdict from Tiruchengode is also clear. Murugan can certainly come back and live in his home again at Kongu Nagar in Namakkal. He may resume his life as a Tamil professor. He may even write again. But at his own peril. (Published in arrangement with GRIST Media) All private telecom operators in Jammu and Kashmir have been asked to suspend their services for a day, starting this evening, as a precautionary measure in the wake of widespread violence in the state. Prepaid services of government-owned BSNL have also been suspended for a day, officials sources said here on Thursday. Sources said the decision to suspend mobile services has been taken to prevent spreading of any misinformation. The Kashmir Valley has been witnessing violent protests over the killing of Hizbul poster boy Burhan Wani by security forces on July 8. About 36 people have been killed in the ongoing unrest in the Valley, mainly in south Kashmir. The sources said the decision to review the suspension of mobile services will be taken on Friday evening. Besides BSNL, Aircel and Reliance operate in the state. Gudwan Poshwan, a small hamlet near Pulwama town in southern Kashmir, wore a mournful look on Wednesday. Its residents had just returned from burying a young boy, whose body was fished out of the Jhelum from the Awantipora area a few kilometres away. Locals said there were torture marks all over the body of the victim, identified as 18-year-old Zahoor Ahmad from the nearby Kisirgam Kakapora village. His wrists were slashed, his legs bore cuts. It was difficult to even identify him, said a resident. Zahoor had reportedly left home to attend slain militant Burhan Wanis funeral, but never returned. Everybody was searching for him. Someone said he was picked up by security forces. Today, they found his body, said another Gudwan Poshwan resident. The boy is survived by his mother, a differently-abled brother and four sisters. His father had died a few years ago. As the cause of Zahoors death was unclear, his name did not figure in the list of 35 killed in the Kashmir violence until now. The list gets updated in the local papers every day. Official figures post a much lower estimate of casualties, with the Srinagar police insisting that not over 25 people have died in the violence. Villagers on the other hand say many youngsters have gone missing ever since the violence erupted on July 9. The snapping of communication links has made tracing them all the more difficult. After their return from Zahoors funeral, the villagers gathered at the residence of Irfan Ahmad a 15-year-old boy who died on the first day of the agitation. Slowly, they listed out the names of all the people who were either dead, lost or in custody. Read| Kashmir protests: Information blackout, communication breakdown adds to woes A villager recounted how 14 of a family from the nearby Newa village were detained by security personnel while travelling to Srinagar to donate blood to an injured relative. Nobody has heard from them since then. Another resident described how one of three boys riding a bike was picked up by security personnel on Tuesday. We went to their camp today to fetch him, but they denied having anybody in custody, he said. Reports of missing people poured in from other places across south Kashmir as well. A couple in Srinagar had to postpone their daughters wedding, scheduled for July 20, after the grooms elder brother disappeared. The wedding is out of the question until he is traced, said a relative of the bride. It is believed that the number of dead and disappeared people will rise once the communication networks are restored. Telephone and Internet services in the Valley have been cut since Wanis death on Friday. While a youngster identified as Bashir Ahmad Dar of Anantnag was killed in police firing on Wednesday, two others reportedly succumbed to their injuries in Srinagar. Clashes were also reported from Srinagar, besides south and north Kashmir. Read| Talk peace: Dialogue alone can draw Kashmir out of the abyss Full Coverage| Kashmir Erupts: Burhan Wani Aftermath SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Congress on Thursday named former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit its CM candidate for next years crucial assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, hailing her vast political experience and good governance. The party also said Sanjay Singh would head its campaign committee and Pramod Tiwari its coordination committee, days after it appointed Raj Babbar as its new state unit chief. All three are Rajya Sabha MPs. The naming of Dikshit, 78, is a departure from past practice for the Congress. The party usually keeps the issue open and alive in the face of multiple claimants, except when it has an incumbent CM, and ultimately lets the elected legislators authorise the high command to take a decision. A move to deviate from this policy didnt work in the 2012 Punjab polls when Rahul Gandhi declared Captain Amarinder Singh the chief ministerial candidate in the middle of elections. The Congress suffered a shock defeat at the hands of the Shiromani Akali Dal, which made history by returning to power in a state that had always thrown out the incumbent government. There is a rule and then, there is an exception, Congress general secretary in-charge of UP, Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Thursday. Read | Sheila confident of Cong performance in UP, BJP dismisses her as scapegoat Dikshit who ruled Delhi for three consecutive terms over 15 years before being shocked by Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party in 2013 thanked the Congress leadership for the big responsibility. She promptly appealed to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to join her in the campaign, saying, She is a very popular leader. My plea would be that she campaign across the state. Born in a Punjabi Khatri family in Kapurthala, Dikshit is the daughter-in-law of the late Uma Shankar Dikshit, a Brahmin leader from UP who served as a minister in the Indira Gandhi cabinet and later as a governor. The Congress election strategist Prashant Kishor had consistently pushed for a bigger role for her in the UP polls. With this move, the Congress hopes to win back the support of the Brahmin community, a traditional vote bank that has over the years shifted loyalties to the BJP and even the Mayawati-led BSP. The thinking in the party is that Brahmins, who make up around 12% of UPs voting population, have the ability to attract other castes, and along with Muslims another big vote block at around 19% could help the Congress consolidation in the state. The Congress big announcement was marred somewhat as Delhis Anti-Corruption Branch sent Dikshit a notice asking her to join the investigation into the alleged R400-crore water tanker scam, a move the CM pick called politically motivated. The Congress is backing her fully and plans to counter the corruption allegations against her with a demand for the removal of the chief ministers of BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh (Raman Singh), Rajasthan (Vasundhara Raje) and Madhya Pradesh (Shivraj Singh Chouhan), who also face graft cases. If the BJP takes action against its chief ministers, we will consider changing her, Azad said. As a daughter-in-law of UP, Dikshit will still have to fight the outsider tag. But with her presence, the Congress hopes to bring different factions on board. She is far too senior for the others to create any problem, said one party leader. Organisational weaknesses have often been blamed for the Congress poor show in UP, where the party is desperately seeking a revival of its political fortunes after being thrown out of power in 1989. With the fresh appointments, the party hopes it will once again emerge a key player in the political map of the countrys most populous state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Human rights group Amnesty International slammed the Centre and the states for ignoring the voice of tribal coal mine workers in the country, saying abusive laws and poor enforcement of safeguards in state-run coal mines is provoking local tribal communities into opposing expansion of these blocks. Abusive laws, poor enforcement of existing safeguards and corporate neglect of human rights are now leading Adivasi communities to oppose the expansion of the very mines they once thought would bring employment and prosperity, until they receive remedy for violations, Amnesty International executive director Aakar Patel said in a report on Wednesday. The report on coal mining in India and violations of tribal rights, said the Centre and the states dont seem to care to speak or listen to the vulnerable Adivasi communities whose lands are acquired and forest is destroyed for coal mining. State miner Coal India Ltd (CIL), which has near-monopoly of the fuel production in India, has targeted an annual output of one billion tonnes by 2020. Amnesty international India ED Aakar Patel (L)addresses a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday. (AFP) The report speaks of a pattern of human rights violations in three mines run by CIL subsidiaries examined by it -- Kusmunda mine in Chhattisgarh, Tetariakhar mine in Jharkhand and Basundhara- West mine in Odisha. The report claimed that in these mines the Centre acquired land without directly informing the affected families, or consulting them about their rehabilitation and resettlement. Frequently, the only official notice given was a declaration of the governments intention to acquire land in an official government gazette, which is virtually impossible to access for affected communities, it said. The report is based interviews with 124 affected tribals, village, district and state officials of the states concerned, forest and pollution control boards, journalists, activists, as well as with CIL representatives. Wing Commander Pooja Thakur, who led the Guard of Honour during US President Barack Obamas visit in Delhi last year, has moved the Armed Forces Tribunal after being denied a permanent commission by the Indian Air Force (IAF). In her petition, the officer has claimed that IAFs decision to deny her permanent commission is biased, discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable. The tribunal has admitted the matter and has sought IAFs response, Thakurs lawyer Sudhanshu Pandey said. Thakur led an Inter-Service Guard of Honour last year when President Obama visited India in January. Obama had said later said the sight of incredible Indian women in the armed forces was one of his favourite things in India. Thakur had then said, It feels good that we have been able to achieve our aim of giving him a befitting Guard of Honour. I am glad that he has appreciated. The defence forces, in a first, had chosen women officers to lead their marching contingents during the Republic Day parade last year. Thakur, who joined IAF in 2000, belongs to the administrative branch and is currently posted at Disha, the publicity cell under the Directorate of Personnel Officers at the Air Force Headquarters. As part of her duty, she was involved with the initiation and development of the IAF mobile game Guardians of the Sky which was visualised as a new and innovative step to reach the mobile-friendly tech-savvy students. India and Japan are on Thursday likely to discuss the events unfolding in South China Sea, with Beijing rejecting a United Nations-backed tribunals ruling in a case related to the disputed waters. South Block sources said Japanese defence minister Gen Nakatani and his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar would discuss a broad range of issues on Thursday, including the fragile security situation the South China Sea and Beijings aggressive posturing there. Nakatani is on a days visit to India, cutting short a three-day tour amid rising tensions in the region. The court in The Hague on Tuesday rejected Beijings claims to the resource-rich waters. India has maintained that freedom of navigation and overflight should be upheld as per international law, and the dispute should be resolved peacefully. China has rejected the tribunals order as null and void and threatened to impose an air defence over over the disputed waters. Beijing boycotted the hearings at the court. Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have been simmering in the East China Sea over a chain of disputed islands. Read | Does India back China on South China Sea? Beijing seems convinced China has also objected to Indias oil exploration efforts in the sea, despite the blocks allotted to New Delhi falling in Vietnams exclusive economic zone. There have been some significant developments (in the South China Sea case) and these are likely to come up for discussion, a source said. China has been wary of deepening maritime cooperation between India and Japan. India and the US have broadened the scope of their naval partnership called Exercise Malabar, which is now a trilateral engagement with Japan on board. China has been suspicious of the trilateral engagement and has even lodged formal protests in the past. Read | President Xi leads Beijings charge against ruling on South China Sea Tokyo assigned a naval attache to its embassy in New Delhi for the first time two years ago, signalling a desire to expand its maritime ties with India. Japan is hoping to conclude a deal to supply nine ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft to the Indian Navy, in what could be Tokyos first overseas military sale since it imposed a weapons export ban in 1967. The deal is worth more than Rs 6,000 crore. Two days after China rejected the ruling of a United Nations-backed tribunal denying its historical claims over South China Sea, India and Japan on Thursday sent out a message that Beijing should respect the order. Referring to the tribunals award, a joint statement issued after the Indian and Japanese defence ministers urged all parties to show utmost respect for the UN Convention on Law of the Seas without mentioning China. The statement was issued by a PR firm on behalf of the Japanese embassy. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar and his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani reaffirmed the importance of respecting international law, peaceful settlement of the disputes and freedom of navigation and overflight. The two sides stressed the importance of unimpeded lawful commerce in international waters. The court in The Hague on Tuesday rejected Beijings claims to the resource-rich waters. China has rejected the tribunals order as null and void and threatened to impose an air defence over the disputed waters. Beijing boycotted the hearings at the court. The statement said the two sides agreed that the security of the seas connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans was indispensable for peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region. The security situation in the South China Sea remains fragile, amid aggressive posturing by Beijing that seeks to control the disputed waters. Nakatani is on a one-day visit to India, cutting short a three-day tour amid rising tensions in the region. Itanagar/Guwahati/New Delhi Arunachal Pradesh appeared to be headed for another round of political turmoil, after the Supreme Court restored the Congress government in the northeastern hill state on Wednesday. Acting governor Tathagata Roy on Thursday asked chief minister Nabam Tuki to take a floor test in the state assembly on Saturday to prove he has the numbers to rule. Read | Tuki asked by governor to take floor test by July 16, seeks more time The Tuki government could, however, be on a slippery ground with ousted chief minister Kalikho Pul parading 29 dissident Congress lawmakers before the media in Guwahati. He claimed the support of 11 BJP and two Independent MLAs in the 60-member assembly, in which two seats are vacant because of resignations. I have the support of these 29 MLAs. So we are 30, half of the total strength of the assembly In the number game, I have the majority. In a floor test, my government will survive, Pul said at a Guwahati hotel. Read | Legally, I am CM of Arunachal Pradesh, says Cong rebel Kalikho Pul That leaves the Congress with only 15 legislators, just half of the requisite majority figure in a House with an effective strength of 58. AICC secretary Jay Kumar flew to Itanagar to woo back the Congress rebel MLAs, who had sided with the BJP to unseat Tuki last December. The Arunachal capital was abuzz with talks about the possibility of horse-trading. Congress sources said the party could call the legislature party meeting ahead of the vote of confidence, and absent lawmakers might face disqualification. If Tuki fails to muster the numbers, sources said, he could recommend dissolution of the assembly and fresh elections. But he could face a gubernatorial hurdle in that case. The decision of Roy, the Tripura governor officiating on behalf of his ailing Arunachal counterpart, to give only two days to the Congress government to prove its majority raised eyebrows too. I will win the floor test, but I need 10-15 days. Many MLAs are away and they cannot come to Itanagar by Saturday because of the difficult topography and communication bottlenecks, Tuki said in Itanagar. HOW IT COULD PLAY OUT ON THE FLOOR SCENARIO 1 Nabam Tuki is able to woo the dissident MLAs to return to the party and proves majority during the floor test SCENARIO 2 Congress requests rebel MLAs be disqualified ahead of voting and tries to establish majority in a reduced House SCENARIO 3 Tuki loses trust vote and resigns. Pul gets opportunity to stake claim to form the government SCENARIO 4 If no one gets the requisite numbers, governor may decide to put assembly in suspended animation or dissolve it and order elections. Arunachal was placed under Presidents Rule on January 26 after 21 of 47 Congress legislators rebelled against Tuki, reducing his government to a minority. Before the apex court reserved its verdict on February 20 this year, rebel Congress leader Kalikho Pul was sworn in as chief minister with the support of dissident Congress MLAs and BJP legislators. The Congress rebels joined the Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA) later. The top courts order on Wednesday to maintain pre-December 15 status quo means the MLAs who went away to PPA are now Congress members, Tuki said. And so the Congress strength is now 45, as it was then. I have appealed to those who joined the other camp to return and take part in the floor test. All of them will have to abide by the decision of the Congress legislature party, he said. Read | When governors play politics: From Uttarakhand to Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal governor JP Rajkhowa, who got a rap from the apex court for his actions leading to the Tuki governments fall, was reportedly in Guwahati, the hotbed of action where Pul brought his flock of Congress dissidents to guard against poaching. Rajkhowa is on leave for medical reasons. He was discharged from hospital last Monday, but chose to recuperate in the Assam capital. Almost a week after a Hizbul Mujahideen commander and two militants were gunned down in an encounter, angry locals burned down the house in which they were cornered by security forces. Locals alleged that Burhan Wani, the Hizbs commander considered a hero by some for his anti-establishment stand, might have been given up by the family who owned the house, leaking information to the police. Confirming the incident, additional director general of police (Crime Investigation Department), SM Sahai, said the house had been torched by some angry protesters in Kokernag. However, the motive behind the attack is yet to be officially ascertained. More details are awaited. Since July 8, when the encounter took place, security forces maintained that they were unaware of the identities of the militants until after they were killed. However, locals alleged that the attack on the house in Bemdoora village in south Kashmirs Kokernag area was a targeted one. They further said that Wani couldve been taken alive but was killed after being identified. Wanis death triggered protests immediately, leading to violent protests throughout Kashmir Valley. Despite a curfew being clamped down, locals took on security forces wherever possible. Read | Kashmir unrest: One more youth succumbs to injuries, death toll reaches 37 So far, 37 people have died from injuries sustained in the protests, mostly from bullet wounds. More than 1,400 people have also been injured in the ensuing six days since the encounter, and scores more have been reported missing. Wani was considered a poster boy for the militant outfit fighting for the cause of an independent Kashmir. The 21-year-old had leveraged social media to recruit Kashmiri youth, his videos on Facebook being attributed to the recent spike in locals taking to militancy. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As Kashmir Valley continues to simmer in the aftermath of Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Wanis death, the state government announced strict curfew in at least four districts on Friday. District magistrates of Srinagar, Anantnag, Ganderbal and Baramulla announced the imposition as the death toll from protests notched up to 37 on Thursday. The curfew will mean no public or vehicular movement, except medical emergencies, an official spokesperson said. The decision has been taken in view of intelligence reports that Pakistan has pumped huge Hawala money to flare up violent street protests in Kashmir, which could be exploited by the militants by staging attacks on security forces, a home department source added. Violence erupted in the Valley following the killing of Wani and two militants in an encounter on July 8 in South Kashmirs Kokernag village. The trio was cornered in a house that was later torched by angry protesters on Thursday. In the six days since the killing, locals sustained serious injuries, many succumbing to them. The latest death was of a young resident of Kulgam Irshad Ahmad Dar, who was admitted with a critical head injury, hospital sources said. He had very serious haemorrhage in his head and was fighting for his life since his admission, said a doctor. Dar was wounded after security forces severely beat him up, sources said. More than 1,400 people have also been hurt. A majority of them with bullet and pellet injuries are being treated in various hospitals. Most youth who lost their lives have been injured in clashes with security forces on Friday and Saturday, following the death of militant commander Burhan Wani. Scores of people are also reported missing. Reports from Pulwama said a dead body was allegedly outside the district hospital but the slain youth couldnt be identified as there was no identity card in his pocket. There was a cell phone with the dead body and the civil society people started contacting numbers saved in the cellphone, Dr Ab Rashid Para at the Pulwama Hospital told a local news portal Kashmir Life. We had no death case in the hospital till then. It was the first one. The dead body had bullet injury in his abdomen, Dr Para said, and the civil society members succeeded in getting through one of the cell numbers. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Authorities extended curfew in all major towns of Kashmir for the sixth straight day on Thursday, hours after the death of another young man in Anantnag pushed the unofficial death toll in the recent violence up to 36. Waves of violence have swept the Valley this week after the killing of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Wani and two of his associates in an encounter. Tens of thousands of people have clashed with security forces, whose bullet and pellet firing left more than 1,300 people injured amid rising criticism of the states tactics of crowd control. Meanwhile, a three-member team of eye specialists from Delhis AIIMS hospital were sent to the state on Wednesday to assist in the treatment of pellet injuries, even as sources at SMHS hospital said doctors have performed more than 90 eye surgeries in the last six days. Read| As if I was hit by electricity: Many may lose eyesight in Kashmir pellet firing In Srinagar, shops and business establishments remained closed for the sixth straight day and pellet and bullet victims were treated in major hospitals. Separatists have extended the shutdown call for two more days. On Wednesday, Hilal Ahmad Shah, was killed in Anantnag districts Harnag area. Activists say 36 people have died in the violence but the government says its not more than 25. Reports said police fired at a vehicle of SDPO Zainapora in Shopian but there was no loss of life. Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Miwaiz Umer Farooq were taken into preventive custody on Wednesday for some time after they attempted to come out of their homes in Srinagar, but are now back to being under house arrest. Train services between Baramulla and Bannihal town remained suspended for the sixth day on Thursday. All exams scheduled up to July 17, have been postponed as authorities said fresh dates for holding these exams would be announced later. The movement of Amarnath Yatris from Jammu which was suspended for some time last night, has resumed, sources said. Read| Talk peace: Dialogue alone can draw Kashmir out of the abyss Full Coverage| Kashmir Erupts: Burhan Wani Aftermath There seems to be no end to the governments legal troubles. The human resource development (HRD) ministry has made Aadhaar mandatory for government scholarship and fellowship from this academic year, a move that violates the Supreme Courts order. Under this decision, the government will transfer the funds to the students bank accounts only after they submit their Aadhaar number. The court had last August barred the government from using Aadhaar for any purpose other than distributing food grain and cooking fuel such as kerosene and LPG. The SC had gone further to rule that production of Aadhaar would not be condition for obtaining any benefits due to a citizen. It was this SC order that prompted the government to push the Aadhaar law through Parliament to ensure that the courts restriction did not come in the way of expanding the direct benefit transfer project. The law that was passed by Parliament gave the government powers to make Aadhaar mandatory for receiving any benefit, facility or service that involved any expenditure from the public exchequer. But most provisions of the Aadhaar law have not come into force yet. This week, it notified provisions that enabled it to appoint the chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) that issues the 12-digit unique number and set up offices in cities outside Delhi. This appears to be contempt of court, said Sunil Abraham, head of the Bengaluru-headquartered advocacy group, Centre for Internet and Society. Thomas Mathew, one of the petitioners in the case pending before the Supreme Court, agreed. I am going to move a contempt petition against the HRD ministry and UGC, Mathew said, pointing that oil companies were also forcing people to get Aadhaar. The UGC directive to central universities sets July-end as the deadline for scholars at central universities to get their Aadhaar number. Many scholars who did not have an Aadhaar number said the fellowship were an important source of income for them to get by. India on Thursday contested Chinas claims that Arbitral Tribunal has no authority to resolve territorial disputes in South China Sea (SCS), saying the authority of the court and its award is recognised in the provisions of United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). External affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup also asserted that India was not in favour or against any particular country and the whole issue was a matter of law. The authority of the Annex VII Tribunal and its award is recognised in Part XV of the UNCLOS itself. Indias own record in this regard is also well known, he said. Asked whether India was with or against China on the issue of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) verdict on SCS, he said, This is not an issue of being in favour or against any particular country. It is about the use of the global commons. It is not a matter of politics, it is a matter of law. Ours is a principled position, deriving from India being a State Party to the UNCLOS. As a State Party, we believe that all Parties should show utmost respect to the UNCLOS which establishes the international legal order of the seas and oceans. Earlier this week, PCA ruled against China in a bitter row over territorial and concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights within the sea areas falling within the nine-dash line. Asserting that it does not accept and does not recognise the ruling, China rejected the verdict as null and void. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours. On a statement by the Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister that war-like situation may develop in the South China Sea, Swarup reiterated his earlier comments that India believes that states should resolve disputes through peaceful means without threat or use of force and exercise self restraint in the conduct of activities that could complicate or escalate dispute affecting peace and stability. No unilateral action should be taken which may cause tension in the area, he added. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said the two flights sent to evacuate Indians from South Sudan, where a fragile ceasefire holds amid civil war, had cleared the conflict zone late on Thursday. In a series of tweets on the micro-blogging site, the minister gave updates on Sankat Mochan the evacuation operation stating both flights had left Kampala and would reach Delhi at around 10 am on Friday. The flights will, however, first reach Thiruvananthapuram at around 5 am. Indian railways and Air India will facilitate their onward journey, the minister added on Twitter. The foreign ministry earlier announced that more than 140 Indians had been airlifted from South Sudan, the worlds youngest nation where more than 150 people were killed in the last week amid fighting between rival political factions. Minister of state for external affairs, VK Singh, flew to South Sudan early on Thursday morning with an Indian Air Force contingent in two C-17 Globemasters to ferry Indians to safety. Clashes broke out in South Sudan last week between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and vice-president Riek Machar after reports on social media suggested that Machar had been detained at the presidential palace. Several days of fighting passed before Kiir called a ceasefire on Monday and asked his troops to respect the truce. The two have been locked in a power struggle since 2013, a struggle that has killed more than 50,000 people since. As the violence boiled over, several countries, including the US, Germany and Sudan, arranged to have their nationals evacuated from the country. By the Thursday afternoon, 143 Indians, including 10 women and three infants, flew out of South Sudans capital Juba in one of the Globemasters. Singh interacted with the Indians on the aircraft, which made a technical halt at Entebbe in Uganda before resuming the flight to India. The ministry is yet to ascertain the number of Indians on the second flight. #SankatMochan, Homeward Bound! 143 inc.10 women & 3 infants onboard as 1st C-17 Globemaster prepares to depart Juba pic.twitter.com/ZsGoKzmhmr Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 14, 2016 Swaraj had in the past few days urged Indians to leave the war-torn country, cautioning that evacuating them later could be impossible. Pls move out of South Sudan. We hv sent two aircrafts. If situation deteriorates, we will not be able to evacuate u, she tweeted. Indian nationals - Pls move out of South Sudan. We hv sent two aircrafts. If situation deteriorates, we will not be able to evacuate u.Pl RT Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 14, 2016 There are an estimated 600 Indians in South Sudan, including 450 in the capital Juba. About 300 registered to be evacuated from the country, officials said. Indian nationals with valid travel documents were allowed to board the aircraft with a maximum five kilograms of cabin baggage, officials said. Indian peacekeepers posted with the UN mission in South Sudan were helping with the evacuation, external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup had tweeted. Read| Precarious calm in South Sudans capital Juba as foreigners flee Singh, a former army chief, had overseen the evacuation of nearly 4,000 Indians from conflict-ridden Yemen last year. Here is a list of some other major evacuations organised by the Indian government in the past quarter century. 1990: GULF WAR: More than 100,000 Indians were evacuated from Amman to Mumbai by Air India in association with Indian Airlines. More than 170,000 Indians were also evacuated from Kuwait in 488 flights. 2006: LEBANON WAR: The government evacuated 2,280 people, including 1,764 Indians, (others included Nepalese and Sri Lankans) during this war. Called Operation Sukoon, it was undertaken by the Indian Navy. 2011: LIBYAN CIVIL WAR: The government ordered the evacuation of 17,927 Indians trapped in Libya during the civil war. The Indian Navy, with help from Air India and some private airlines launched Operation Homecoming to bring back more than 15,000 Indians. 2011: EGYPT CRISIS: India evacuated 750 citizens from Egypt. 2011: Yemen: The government evacuated 846 citizens from Yemen. 2012: SYRIAN CIVIL WAR: India evacuated about 100 citizens, mostly families of its diplomatic staff, when the civil war intensified. 2014: UKRAINE CONFLICT: The government made arrangements to bring back 1,000 nationals, mostly students, from conflict-torn eastern Ukraine. 2014: IRAQ CRISIS: India evacuated 7,000 citizens from Iraq. 2015: YEMEN CRISIS: India evacuated 4,741 of its nationals and 1,947 people from 48 countries from war-torn Yemen. Read| A look at South Sudan, a young country divided by civil war Whenever it mattered, Boris Johnson, the rock star British politician and the new foreign secretary of the UK, flaunted his love for India. As he steps into the new office, hopes are high that he would continue to wear it on his sleeve. As the mayor of London, he took his first trade delegation to India, and said and wrote (an article in Daily Telegraph) all right things about India. So he is a known entity to us as much as India is a known entity to him, said an Indian official who didnt wish to be named. When he came to India 2012, on a five-day visit, Johnson said everything Indians would love to hear. He was effusive in his praise for everything he saw around. He even praised the air quality of Delhi, a dread for most foreigners. Johnson was in awe of the teeming energy of the Indians and the growing ties between the two countries in various spheres. M J Akbar, present minister of state in the external affairs ministry had then famously commented in his capacity as an editor and commentator he (Johnson) has said what the elite here want to hear Its not about deeper Anglo-Indian relations or anything like that, its just Boris. READ: Why Boris Johnson is no stranger to controversies Then, that is how he played his politics-- with an overwhelming flamboyance. Perhaps, much similar to his personal life, which often hit salacious headlines. Johnson has an India connection at another level. His wife Maria Wheeler is part-Indian. She is the daughter of late Charles Wheeler, one time Delhi correspondent of the BBC, and his Sikh wife, Dip Singh. By many accounts the Indian connection helped Johnson in his political life, especially winning election as London Mayor. Then Johnson with a wacky sense of humour during the same visit he said men should never compare his the size of their metro railway systems in a press meet with an Indian ministerknows where the future of the India-UK bilateral ties mostly lies Weve made 9 Boris Johnson gifs. Youre welcome! look at that very Jaguar, Indian-owned firm that is made by Brits and exported to China; or look at the JCB 3DX backhoe loader, a British machine made by Indians and exported to Africa, he had noted. He had promptly recalled Prime Minister David Cameron made India his first port of call in 2010. And the way he had concluded his Daily Telegraph article said much about the way he would see the future of the relationship. But it is the economic partnerships that offer the most extraordinary prospects. Imagine selling a Jag to one in every 100,000 Indians. Thats a lot of Jags, and a lot of jobs. Britain remains the third largest FDI investor to India and India invests more in UK than it has invested in rest of Europe. India overtook 122 FDI projects in UK in 2014-15, which made it Britains third largest source of foreign investment. The UK remains an important partner for India and vice-versa. That will continue to be the same. We always talk about personal chemistry between leadership, how a particular leader has a thing for India etc. but in diplomacy great leaders manufacture personal chemistry, says Lalit Mansingh, a former foreign secretary who had also served as Indian envoy to the UK. Post Brexit, Mansingh reckon, there are more opportunity for two countries to work together. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In an attack on the Narendra Modi government, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said on Thursday that the greed for power of the government at the Centre toppled the governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. She said the Modi government was scrapping the welfare schemes launched by the previous UPA government for the welfare of the downtrodden, farmers, minorities, children and women. Gandhi said imposing the Presidents rule in the two states showed contempt for the public mandate and it was the Supreme Court that stood firm in safeguarding the democracy. We are very proud of the Supreme Court which has duly protected the Constitution of India and safeguarded the democracy, she said on the backdrop of the Supreme Courts decision of restoring the Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh, terming the dismissal of chief ministers Nabam Tuki unconstitutional, on Wednesday. Sonia was speaking at a public rally after inaugurating the statue of former Maharashtra chief minister and Union minister late Shankarrao Chavan and a museum dedicated to him at Nanded in central Maharashtra. The Congress president alleged that the central government was scrapping the welfare schemes for the backward section of the society. As a result of the attempt by the Modi government, the section of the society was deprived from the benefits. Most parts of the country is facing the drought and the government at the Centre is responsible for it, she said. She said the central government waived off the loans of the capitalists and the rich, but the farmers were left to suffer the most. She said it was because of the policies of the Modi government that the farmers are committing suicides. Praising Shankarrao Chavan, Sonia said he scripted policies that favoured the tribals and the farmers. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said strengthening the Congress under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi would be a real tribute to Chavan. He said he had worked with Shankarrao Chavan in the planning commission and the Union cabinet in the early 1990s. State Congress president Ashok Chavan and other state leaders were also present on the occasion. A 38-year-old IT professional allegedly shot dead his gynaecologist wife after a domestic fight at her clinic in Hinjawadi area of Pune, police said on Thursday. Manoj Patidar allegedly shot his third wife Dr Anjali Patidar (34) with a country-made pistol on Wednesday night after they had a fight over some domestic issue, they said. We have received the information that Patidar, who works in an IT firm in Hinjawadi IT hub, had procured the country-made pistol for Rs 20,000 a week ago, said Mahendra Aher, assistant police inspector, Wakad police station. On Wednesday, following a fight over some domestic issue, he allegedly shot her in the forehead and ran away leaving their one-and-half-year-old baby, he said. Patidar, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, was about to escape from the city when he was nabbed and arrested in Pune late last night. This was his third marriage. During his interrogation, we have come to know that his earlier two wives died in mysterious circumstances as he is claiming that they had allegedly committed suicide by falling off from building. However, foul play is suspected in earlier deaths, Aher said. The accused has been booked under section 302 (murder) of IPC and he will be produced in court on Thursday. We are also looking for a person from whom the accused had procured the arm a week back, the police officer said. When the Congress declared Raj Babbar as the president of its Uttar Pradesh unit Tuesday evening, the instant reaction in the party circles was a joke: that UPiites may not have to worry about their food any more. It was in reference to the cinestar-turned-politicians remarks in 2013 that one could get a full meal in Mumbai for `12. It triggered a controversy and he apologized. Congressmen are not known to forget mistakes, especially if they were committed by a party colleague. Here was a leader who had cut his teeth in politics in VP Singhs Janata Dal and had a long stint in the Samajwadi Party before he joined the Congress in 2008. He came to prominence soon, as he defeated SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadavs daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav in a Lok Sabha by-poll in 2009. The Firozabad seat had been vacated by Akhilesh Yadav, her husband and the incumbent UP chief minister. The veteran actor hasnt looked back since, becoming a prominent face of the Congress on campaign trails. But his appointment as UP Congress chief hasnt gone down well with many party leaders. After 2007 and 2012 assembly elections, top Congress leaders refrain was that the party did badly due to organizational weaknesses. Raj Babbar is now known to be an organiser. A former Congress MP from UP, however, defended the choice: He can gather the crowd, at least. The leadership, after months of deliberations, zeroed in on Babbars glamour quotient. The choice of the cinestar raises a big question: Is the Congress running out of ideas to revive itself in UP? Prashant Kishor, the partys poll strategist and the man with the Midas touch, initially came up with what many thought was a no-brainer: make Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Vadra the chief ministerial face in UP and the party might have a fighting chance on at least 100 out of 403 Assembly seats. The idea was meant to be shot down. Then came another out-of-box idea: project Sheila Dikshit, instead. She was born in Punjab and married to a UP Brahmin. The 78 years old former Delhi chief minister, assessed Congress strategists, could draw Brahmin voters. They had switched their loyalty from the BJP to the Bahujan Samaj Party in 2007 assembly elections but have returned to the BJP fold since. There was a time when the Congress used to count Brahmins as its loyal votebank but that was in the distant past. Read | Refuse to indulge in speculation: Congress on Priyankas role in UP polls The grand old party hasnt given up hope. Congress sources say that Dikshit is still in the reckoning as the CM face. Another name under discussion for a leg up in UP is Sanjay Singh who, until a couple of years back, was sidelined in the party. He is the top contender for the post of UP Congress campaign committee chief, according to party sources. Thanks to his clout in certain areas of Rahul Gandhis Amethi constituency, he got Congress nomination to the Rajya Sabha from Assam in January 2014, just when speculation was gaining ground about BJP making overtures to him. Congress veteran Sheila Dikshit is set to become the partys chief ministerial candidate for next years Assembly polls in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh. Election strategist Prashant Kishor had recommended that Dikshit should play a major role in the partys poll campaign in the state as she is a prominent Brahmin face and could help Congress regain support of the electorally sizeable community. An announcement naming 78-year-old Dikshit as Congress chief ministerial face is likely to be made soon, party sources said. Dikshit is the daughter-in-law of prominent Congress leader from UP Uma Shankar Dikshit, who was a Brahmin face and had served as a Union minister and governor for a long time. Earlier this month, Dikshit, a three-time Delhi chief minister, had said as UPs daughter-in-law she was ready to play any role in the state. Dikshit had met party President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi last month during which she was said to have been sounded by them for a leading role in UP. The Brahmin community, a traditional vote bank of Congress, had shifted allegiance to BJP in the aftermath of the Mandir-Mandal politics and a section in Congress feels it should make efforts to win back the support of the community. A large chunk of Brahmin votes had also gone to Mayawatis BSP in the past when she gave tickets to many candidates belonging to the community. The communitys support determines the poll outcome in several seats in central and eastern UP. Read | Mission UP 2017: How parties are paving their way to the top The Supreme Court said on Thursday that it would hear the contempt petition filed by a consortium of banks against businessman Vijay Mallya on July 18. In April, the apex court had directed Mallya to disclose all of his assets held by him and his family. The consortium of banks had also rejected his offer to repay Rs 4,000 crores as settlement of all debts. The one-time owner of Kingfisher Airlines owes 17 banks, including the State Bank of India, over Rs 9,000 crore with interest. One time Member of Parliament, Mallya is under investigation by various agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), which probes white collar crimes. Last month, a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai had declared Mallya a proclaimed offender in a loan default case. On March 13, Mallya claimed that the consortium had already recovered Rs 2, 494 crore from Kingfisher Airlines since 2013. On June 11, the Enforcement Directorate had attached properties worth Rs 1,411 crore of Mallya and UB Ltd in connection with its money laundering probe in the IDBI Bank loan default case. Mallya left for the United Kingdom on March 2 using his diplomatic passport that was later revoked by the Ministry of External Affairs. Known for his staunch belief in ancient Hindu customs, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is all set to appease Lord Vishnu in a big way. He is preparing for yet another major Vedic ceremony, this time to apparently ward off evil forces causing hurdles in implementing government programmes. Preparations are on for KCR performing the Sudarshana Yagam in his assembly constituency in Medak district next month. The detailed religious ritual will be held at Gajwel on August 7 to invoke Sudarshana, the mythological disc associated with Lord Vishnu in decimating evil forces. The 62-year-old CM will perform the Yagam along with the family. Ahead of its start at Gajwel town, he will formally inaugurate the first phase of his governments Mission Bhagiratha that aims to provide drinking water to every household, according to Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao, who is a nephew of KCR. Mission Bhagiratha, which was originally called Telangana Water Grid project, was proposed two years ago. Since then, it has been considered a pet project of KCR. In fact, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader has gone on to openly declare that next assembly elections in the state would not see him asking for votes if the project is not completed within three years. The Rs 40,000-crore mission has been facing several hurdles right from the beginning due to monetary constraints. Official sources said the government could so far get into financial tie-ups for only Rs 15,000 crore with institutions like Hudco and Nabard. Since the government has taken up the project as a matter of prestige, it is spending its own budgetary allocations for the missions first phase, a source said. While it was expected to be completed state-wide in another two years, the project saw partial fruition only in a few blocks in Gajwel. There are obstacles. It is precisely to steer clear of them the CM is seeking divine intervention, another source said. Last year-end, KCR caught the attention of the entire country by performing a five-day Ayutha Maha Chandi Yagam. The venue for the December 23-27 event was his farmhouse in Erravelli--also in Medak district of central Telangana. Over 2,500 priests participated in the yagam performed in 101 homa kundams (bricks-raised pyres) at the 40-acre yagasala in the presence of seers like the Sankaracharyas and spiritual gurus like Sri Sri Ravishankar besides a large number of VIPs, including politicians. Rama Sastry, who was one of the priests at that Chandi Yagam, said any such ritual was meant for the welfare of the person and his family who perform the ritual. It also benefits the entire country, he told HT. The yagam, if performed with devotion and dedication, will benefit the people by bestowing the country with good rains, wealth, wealth and other positive benefits. TRS sources said KCRs head had improved after the 2015 Chandi Yagam, The party had won the prestigious Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections and byelections in Palair in Khammam, a TRS leader pointed out. The Sudarshana Yagam will definitely help KCR overcome the obstacles in the accomplishment of his tasks. Even before coming to power, KCR has performed yagams. They include Chandi Yagam and Maha Mruthyunjaya Homam at Telangana Bhavan, the headquarters of the TRS. KCR believes such rituals did help him in realising the dream of achieving a separate state for Telangana. He also has a strong faith in Vasthu and astrology. In fact, after coming to power, the CM made quite a few changes to his office and residence in tune with his stars. Even during the ongoing Haritha Haram programme (tree plantation drive), his government has campaigned for planting of trees by people to suit their zodiac signs and stars. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Acting Arunachal Pradesh governor Tathagata Roy on Thursday asked Nabam Tuki to prove his majority in the state assembly by Saturday after informing him that he stands reinstated as the chief minister. Tuki has sought 10-15 days. Tuki, who had assumed charge as CM in Delhis Arunachal Bhavan hours after the Supreme Courts verdict on Wednesday, flew back to Itanagar on Thursday afternoon. From the helipad, he drove straight to the chief ministers office at 3:45 pm and took the guard of honour. Tuki got down to business, signing a few files, the first of which was to grant R7.5 lakh for the treatment of Punyo Tamo of Hong village in Lower Subansiri district. Tamo is suffering from kidney disorder. I will win the floor test, but I need 10-15 days time because many MLAs are away and they cannot come to Itanagar by Saturday because of the difficult topography and communication bottlenecks, Tuki told Hindustan Times in his office. The Supreme Courts order to maintain status quo ante as on December 15 means the MLAs who went away to PPA (Peoples Party of Arunachal) are now Congress members, Tuki said. The chief minister said the assembly strength as on December 15 was 58 with two MLAs have resigned earlier. The SC order means there are no PPA members, and so the Congress strength is now 45 as it was then. I have appealed to those who joined the other camp to return and take part in the floor test. All of them will have to abide by decision of the Congress Legislature Party, Tuki said. Pul and 29 other PPA legislators are camping in Guwahati. Thirteen other MLAs, including 11 of BJP who went to Assam for a two-day conclave, are also away. If the PPA members fail to turn up for the floor test, Tuki can be declared winner on the basis of the number of MLAs present in the house. If they attend and vote against Tuki, reinstated speaker Nabam Rebia can disqualify them for defying the party whip. Rebia, impeached by Congress rebels during the controversial December 16-17 assembly session, resumed charge as speaker on Wednesday evening. I shall be writing to the governor to give us more time for the floor test, he said. Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, facing multiple probes over alleged provocative speeches, will address the media through video calling service Skype on Friday, his aide said on Thursday. Dr Zakir Naik will address the press conference via Skype at around 10 am, he said in a statement in Mumbai on Thursday night. The press meet will take place in a small hall in Mazgaon area of South Mumbai, he said. The 50-year-old Mumbai-based televangelist, who is currently abroad, was slated to interact with the media today but cancelled his press briefing, citing pressure from management of the venue where it was organised. The management of the Mehfil hall in Agripada, around 11 last night, told our team present at the venue that they cannot allow the press conference to go ahead. Given no choice, our team removed arrangements made for the meet and left by around midnight, Naiks aide said earlier in the day. The preachers media interaction was first scheduled earlier this week at Trident Hotel in South Mumbai, but the venue was subsequently changed to World Trade Centre. Later, it was shifted to Mehfil hall. The organisers of Naiks press briefing had yesterday claimed Mumbai Police have instructed top hotels in the city not to provide space for his conference, a charge they later retracted. There were media reports that Naiks provocative speeches had inspired some of the Dhaka attackers. The sermons of Naik are under the scanner of the state and the Central agencies in India. The radical preacher, a medical doctor by professional training, has denied promoting terrorism in anyway. His sermons are telecast on Peace TV, run by his Islamic Research Foundation, and he also organises public lectures. His speeches on Peace TV were said to be popular in Bangladesh, where the network has been banned post the terror attack. Arunachal Pradesh governor JP Rajkhowa is not the first--and hardly likely to be the last--of those holding high gubernatorial positions to find themselves in the eye of the storm. From Ram Naik in Uttar Pradesh and Tathagata Roy in Tripura to PB Acharya in Assam, governors appointed by the Narendra Modi government have been in the news for all the wrong reasons. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court overturned a key decision by Rajkhowa that had led to the fall of the government in the border state and its decision doesnt seem to be misplaced. Governors have limited powers, which should be used in a fair manner, so that democracy survives, a five-judge SC bench headed by justice J S Kehar said. In a critical note on the governors role in Arunachal Pradeshs political crisis, the Supreme Court bench said the governor had no business to call an assembly session on whims. Such action amounts to interfering with the legislative functions. Stay clear of manipulation: SC draws the line for speakers, governors The top courts observations seem to be leading to this question: Should the role of governors be downsized? Governors--not entirely for misplaced reasons--have been accused of functioning as political tools of the government in power at the Centre. Each change in government at the Centre has been followed by en-masse removal of individuals appointed to the post by the previous government. After the Narendra Modi government assumed power in 2014, five governors were made to resign. These included MK Narayanan of West Bengal, Ashwani Kumar of Nagaland, BL Joshi of Uttar Pradesh and Shekhar Dutta of Chhattisgarh. 85-year-old Gujarat governor Kamla Beniwal was first transferred to Mizoram and later sacked from the position, two months before she was to complete her term. SC revives Cong govt in Arunachal, Nabam Tuki takes charge as CM Chief ministers of opposition-ruled states have often cried foul over the alleged misuse of constitutional posts by governors to serve the political interests of the ruling dispensation at the Centre. Following Ram Nath Kovinds appointment as the Bihar governor in the run up to the state assembly elections last year, chief minister Nitish Kumar complained that he was not consulted. I came to know about the appointment from the television news channels, he had then said. Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naiks run-ins with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav are numerous. Naik has rejected the chief ministers candidate for the post of the state lokayukta and has also been sitting over names forwarded by Akhilesh for nomination as members of the state legislative council. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals political battles with the lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung- one of the few survivors among the UPA-era appointees- have been kept the Capitals rumour mills abuzz, while former cop Kiran Bedis selection as the Puducherry governor has raised eyebrows. Several governors have made headlines on account of their controversial statements. Tripura governor Tathagata Roy described those attending 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Menons funeral as potential terrorists and also raised the bogey of killing of 10,000 Hindus by the Pakistan army in 1971. Assam governor P B Acharya triggered controversy with his Hindustan for Hindus assertion. The long list of disputes and contentious remarks prove that ostensibly, there is justification to the Supreme Courts advice to governors to stay out of political developments. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In three days, 19-year-old Yogesh Kumar has to make up his mind on either forsaking the opportunity of getting a job with the CRPF or to convert to Islam. He is a Hindu but people from his caste, according to a quirky government order, are Muslim. I belong to the Rana caste, which was considered part of the Dholi community under the other backward class category till 2013. There are Hindus as well as Muslims in my caste, Kumar said. But the ministry of social justice decided that members of my caste had converted to Islam from Hinduism in the Mughal era and, so, people from my caste are marked as Muslims after 2013. Besides the Rana caste, anybody from Nagarchi-Damami, and Baiti (Barot) castes are also considered Muslim. Before 2013, the Hindus of Rana caste got reservation under the OBC category but Muslims were not covered. In 2013, the government changed the rule and gave Hindus reservation under the SC category and Muslims under the OBC category. However, a notice has not been circulated in the districts. In observations made by the OBC commission in 2013, it was decided that those who are Hindu and also from these three castes will come under the scheduled caste category, but no circular has been issued till date in this regard, said Kumar, who is originally from Nawalgarh in Jhunjhunu district. Kumar, who has applied for the job of a head constable in the CRPF, has been called to Gandhi Nagar in Gujarat on July 16 for his physical exam as well as document verification. Since he has said that he is from the SC category, Kumar needs to produce a caste certificate issued by the government. As the circular to include Hindus from the Rana caste in the SC category hasnt been issued, I cant get a caste certificate, Kumar rued. He now has little choice either convert to Islam or forsake the chance of getting a government job. Even if I convert to Islam, my family will become social outcasts in our community. How is this fair that our ancestors have been Hindus but became Muslims, even though we follow Hindu customs? The Rajasthan state OBC Aayog had recommended in 2013 that people from these three sub-castes of Dholi had converted to Islam during the rule of Aurangzeb and Shah Alam because they were among the castes most exploited by the upper castes. The Aayog had recommended that these castes be, therefore, recognised as Muslims. Minister of social justice Arun Chaturvedi said the notification to include these castes was released a long time ago. It was decided by the OBC commission to make those people who are Muslims eligible to get reservation as OBC. At the same time, Hindus have been included under the SC category. It shouldnt be a problem for anyone in getting a caste certificate made, he said. But the Nawalgarh sub-divisional magistrate, Bhagirath Shakh, said he hasnt received any clarification from the social justice department to include people from Rana caste in the SC category. We havent received any official order or clarification. Once an official order is received, we can prepare the caste certificates giving reservation, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In a significant development, the Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) on Thursday arrested a 31-year old suspect from Parbhani who was in touch with handler of Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) in Syria. Sources added he was getting ready for an operation when he was picked up the anti-terror agencys Aurangabad unit. ATS sources said they have arrested Naser Bin Yafai Chaus - a civil contractor from Parbhani, after it came to the fore that he was radicalized by foreign handlers of the ISIS and he was in touch with them using various chatrooms for the past one year. Sources added he had plans to cross over to Syria in order to fight for the ISIS there. After the suspect was kept on ATSs radar, they monitored him and ATS found that he was in touch with one Faroque from Syria for which he used various social mediums. He also created multiple IDs to enter various chat rooms which the foreign handlers of the ISIS use. The ATS investigations so far have also pointed at possibilities of Chaus preparing for an attack on the instructions of his foreign handlers. So far the ISIS has not managed to strike in the country and many of their modules have been busted by security agencies including state ATS and the National investigating agency (NIA). (See graphic) After Chaus was arrested the ATS has filed a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal code and under the sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. He has been remanded to police custody till July 20 by a local court in Aurangabad. Police sources added Chaus was a college drop out and did some technical course later on. He lives in Parbhani along with his family. Investigators are now looking into whether Chaus was a lone wolf operator or whether he had accomplices. Most of the ISIS modules busted in the past by security agencies in the country have pointed to them operating in small modules. ATS officials are now going through all the emails and other technical evidence to check if he has any associates. Graphic: Other ISIS cases: - Malwani module case: The ATS busted the Malwani module in December, 2015, ATS registered a case against Ayaz Sultan of Malwani, currently last believed to be in Iraq under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. Two persons have been arrested. - Shah Mudassir and Shoeb Ahmed Khan two youths from Maharashtra were allegedly brain washed by jihadis overseas using internet chat rooms. The two were arrested on October, 2014 by police in Hyderabad after they were in the process of trying to get passports to go to Afghanistan for weapons training - In first week of November 2015, a Maulana from Pusad in Yavatmal district was arrested after it was found he allegedly radicalized four youths one of whom stabbed a police constable over beef ban in September. Shoeb Khan who was earlier arrested by Hyderabad police has been arrested in this case as well - A software techie Anees Ansari was arrested in mid-October 2014 by ATS for allegedly plotting to blow up an American school in BKC. Officials of ATS said that Ansari was inspired by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Ansari has been watching videos and lectures of Syria and ISIS and also checking sites of making weapons. And as of now no terror link beyond chat rooms has been found - Kalyan case, 2014: The four youth from Kalyan - Areeb Majeed, 22, an engineer, Aman Tandel, 27, Fahad Maqbool Sheikh, 24, both engineering students and Shaheen Tanki, 25, a call centre employee- who went to Iraq reportedly to fight with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in May. Areeb returned back and the case is with NIA. ------------------------ SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Maharashtra government has classified dengue as a notified disease which will now enable officials to enter residential premises to check for larvae breeding of dengue which creates the Aedes aegypti mosquito, state public health minister Dr Deepak Sawant has said. Notably, health workers from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had last year served notices to some Bollywood actors for not taking measures to prevent breeding of mosquito larvae at their residential premises. He said last year, there were 442 cases of dengue in which two deaths were reported. This year, 14,203 cases of dengue have come to light and two deaths reported so far. But the mortality rate in case of dengue has come down. Nearly 2,800 health workers have been imparted clinical management training to deal with dengue cases, he said. Sawant said that last year 14,201 malaria cases were detected, whereas this year till June end 9,378 cases were found and no deaths have been reported so far. Swine flu cases have also come down to just 68, as compared to 8,583 cases of the viral infection detected last year. Compared to last year, the number of malaria patients has declined. The government will distribute 1.10 lakh mosquito nets sent by the central government in regions where malaria cases have been reported, Sawant said. Referring to the rise in cases of water-borne diseases like gastroenteritis, the minister said that authorities have been asked to carefully map drinking water sources. So far (this year), 31 cases of gastroenteritis have been detected, 25 cases of diarrhoea, nine cases of hepatitis, one case of typhoid and five cases of cholera have been detected in the city, he said. Most of the cases of water-borne diseases have been detected from BMCs M and R civic wards, he noted. Sawant said that health officials have been asked to conduct surprise visits to hospitals in Mumbai to check for stocks of medicines and hygiene conditions. The minister also said the government has intensified its drive against companies in the business of selling ice. I have asked the FDA to intensify drive against companies selling ice. The source of water they use needs to be ascertained to keep in check water-borne diseases. Since there is a spike in water-related ailments cases, we have decided to conduct a massive drive to control diseases spreading through water, he said. A survey conducted by the BMC last month had found ice cubes samples collected from hotels, roadside vendors and juice centres to be contaminated by E Coli bacteria. E Coli is known to cause food poisoning symptoms such as abdominal cramps and diarrhoea. Water conservation minister Ram Shinde assumed charge of his department on Thursday, hours after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis instructed him to. Shinde said he had deferred taking charge on the advice of party state chief Raosaheb Danve. Shinde has been given the charge of water conservation, earlier held by rural development minister Pankaja Munde, after his elevation to the cabinet rank last week. Upset with Fadnavis decision of taking away the important department without informing her, Munde had taken to Twitter to express her unhappiness. She had tweeted that she was on her way to the World Water Leaders Summit in Singapore but would not attend it since she was no longer minister of the department. However, Fadnavis had on Twitter replied that she being a senior minister of the state government should be attending the same. Sensing trouble coming his way, as Munde and he are from the adjacent constituencies, Shinde avoided to take charge of the department saying he will start working only after having a word with Munde. After the tweets from the two leaders, I spoke to Danvesaheb, who advised me to assume charge only after Pankajatai and honourable CM are back from their respective foreign tours, Shinde said. Though I did not get to speak to Pankajatai, I have been told by the CM to take charge of the new department, Shinde said on Friday. Sources in the Mantralaya said it was only after the CMs instructions, Shinde took charge. Shinde was wary of the political repercussions as his constituency has sizable chunk of Wanjari community to which Munde belongs. The community is upset over the wings of Munde being clipped by the CM. Facing heat over allegedly inspiring some of the Dhaka attackers through his speeches, Islamic preacher Zakir Naik cancelled his press briefing again, citing pressure from authorities of the venue where he was slated to interact with the media via Skype. He was slated to interact with media via Skype on Thursday, for which arrangements had been made at a small hall in South Mumbai. The management of the Mehfil hall in Agripada, around 11pm last night, told our team present at the venue that they cannot allow the press conference to take place and that we should dismantle and pack up all the venue arrangements we had made. Given no choice, our teams dismantled everything and left by around midnight, an aide of Naik said in a statement issued in Mumbai. Naiks media interaction was first scheduled earlier this week at Trident Hotel in South Mumbai, but the venue was subsequently changed to World Trade Centre. Later, the venue was again changed and a hall in the congested Agripada area of South Mumbai was chosen for the press briefing, which has also been cancelled now. The organisers of Naiks press briefing had on Wednesday claimed that Mumbai Police has instructed top hotels in the city to refrain from providing space to hold a conference, a charge which they later retracted. Facing heat over allegation of inspiring some of the Dhaka attackers through his speeches and under scanner of the state and the central agencies, Naik was expected to clarify his position during the media interaction. There were media reports that provocative speeches had inspired some of the terrorists who carried out Bangladeshs worst terror attack at a cafe in Dhaka that left 22 dead. A top home department official in Maharashtra had earlier said that a report on Naik would be submitted to the state government, before the commencement of Monsoon session of the state Legislature, which starts on July 18. Contrary to media reports, Zakir Naik has not been given any clean chit by the Mumbai Police. All angles are being probed and a report will be submitted to the government before the Monsoon session of the state Legislature, a senior government official had told PTI, requesting anonymity. NEW DELHI: The Congress leadership has asked Nabam Tuki to open channels of communication with all the dissident leaders, including Kalikho Pul, and take everybody on board in strengthening the party in Arunachal Pradesh. Soon after the Supreme Court verdict, Tuki said he is already in touch with the rebel legislators and will soon establish fresh contact with Pul. They continue to be Congress legislators They are part of the Congress family, he said. Kalikho Pul has not come from some other party. We have assured them that if there are grievances, those will be addressed. We are talking to everyone and all of them want to be in Congress. As of now, Tuki claimed that the Congress has 47 legislators in the 60-member assembly. We have a clear majority in the assembly. There is nothing to worry. For his part, senior leader Kapil Sibal also tried to reach out to the rebels. The political message to them is that they are part of our family, he said. Later in the day, Tuki called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence. Both Sonia and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who was also present there, congratulated him. They asked me to talk to all Congress MLAs and strengthen the party, he said after the meeting. Congress leaders were of the view that there is no need for Tuki to take fresh oath as the chief minister. But Sibal said the situation reverts back to December 15 last year. Everything thereafter, therefore, is irrelevant. The verdict restores the political status quo in the state as of December 15, 2015. The five-judge bench, headed by Justice JS Khehar, said the clock should be turned back in Arunachal Pradesh. The Congress government, led by Tuki, was dismissed after 21 MLAs rebelled against him and the state was brought under Presidents rule on January 26. Pul was sworn in as chief minister on February 19 with the support of Congress rebels and 11 BJP legislators. Sources close to Tuki said he will take a legal opinion on convening the assembly session and seeking a trust vote. As of now, there is no clarity on the issue. When the assembly meets, then we will see what happens, is all what Sibal had to say. Tuki is leaving for Itanagar on Thursday and may take charge immediately. He is also expected to convene a cabinet meeting soon on his arrival in Itanagar. NEW DELHI: Union home minister Rajnath Singh has asked the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and National Investigation Agency (NIA) to examine if Islamic preacher Zakir Naiks speeches, books and videos have incited or radicalised Muslim youth towards religious fundamentalism. The Mumbai-based 50-year-old televangelist, currently touring Qatar after spending time in Saudi Arabia, has been under the lens over allegations that his sermons influenced some of the terrorists killed in the July 1 Dhaka siege. Bangladesh has banned his Peace TV, saying it incited the attack on a Dhaka cafe in which 22 people were gunned down. Officials of anti-terrorism agency, NIA, and the IB have started sifting through Naiks speeches and videos, examining his sermons and literature in the light of Supreme Court judgments on freedom of speech. Law-enforcement agencies are looking if he had overstepped his right to speak without restraint and incited people, which will allow them to build a watertight case against him. Any further action on Naik will depend on whether there is a case made out against him and will it stand judicial scrutiny, a senior official said. Government sources said home minister Singh decided last Friday to get Naiks speeches examined after a number of arrested sympathisers of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group as well as the banned Indian Mujahideen outfit were alleged followers of the preacher. Mumbai police had registered a case of incitement against Naik three years ago. According to the home ministry, suspected IS recruit Arif Majeed of Kalyan, Burdwan-based Shah Noor Alam, who is allegedly loyal to the Jamaatul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, Muttabir Mohammed Sheikh of Mumbai, who is the so-called IS emir of Jund-e-Khalifa, and members of a busted IS module in Hyderabad have confessed during interrogation to be Naiks followers. Arrested Indian Mujahideen operative Tehseen Akhtar alias Monu, the son of a chemist in Bihars Samastipur, had allegedly told interrogators that he used to visit a library in Darbhanga to read Naiks books. A top bomb-maker, Akhtar targeted the October 27, 2013, election rally of Narendra Modi in the run-up to next years Lok Sabha elections. He is an accused in a string of bombings 2010 in Varanasi, 2011 in Mumbai, 2012 in Pune and 2013 in Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad. The Modi government is worried about radicalisation of Muslim youngsters after seven youth allegedly operating under the banner of Jund-e-Khalifa-fi-Bilad Al Hindi, or Warriors of Caliphate in India, were arrested in Hyderabad. About 44 Indians have been arrested by the NIA for links with the IS, with no less than 23 from southern India. Besides, four youth from Kerala have been suspected to have joined the IS in Syria while another 17 were missing since May this year. The IS radicalisation issue is a matter of concern as a large number of those arrested have been in touch with Bhatkal-born Shafi Armar, who calls himself Yousuf al-Hindi. Nearly 25 lakh has reached IS sympathisers through the hawala route with the intention of launching attacks in India, said a counterterrorism expert. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Tokpam Samarendra waited almost 16 years for justice. He didnt get it on July 8 when the Supreme Court said the armed forces cannot use excessive or retaliatory force even in areas where the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (Afspa) is in force. But the 72-year-old man from Manipur saw a ray of hope when the top court sought an independent inquiry into 1,528 cases of extra-judicial killings between May 1979 and May 2012 in his home state. His son, Shantikumar, is on that list. This wont make my son come back to life. But an honest probe should save other fathers in Manipur the trauma of losing their sons to bullets, Samarendra said. His 19-year-old son was among 10 people that Assam Rifles personnel, reacting to a bomb blast, had allegedly gunned down at Malom near the Manipur capital Imphal on November 2, 2000. Read | The State must follow SCs tough ruling on AFSPA in letter and spirit The incident made Irom Sharmila, then 28, go on an indefinite fast against the draconian Afspa, which gives security forces extra-judicial powers during anti-insurgency operations. Manipur had seen massacres by armed forces before Malom. In March 1984, CRPF personnel gunned down 13 people, including a 10-year-old girl, watching a volleyball match at Heirangoithong on the outskirts of Imphal. The CRPF men, a probe panel said later, had reacted after a group of Manipuri militants snatched the rifles of nine constables standing guard near the volleyball court and shot the tenth before melting away. Operation Bluebird followed three years later at Oinam, a Naga village 95km north of Imphal. An Amnesty International report said the armed forces tortured the villagers from July to October 1978 after National Socialist Council of Nagaland rebels attacked an Assam Rifles outpost, killed nine soldiers and took away their arms and ammunition. Read | No space for impunity for the armed forces That period of punishment for helping rebels claimed 27 lives, though the official count is 15. Such incidents of mass killings stirred human rights campaigners into action. Sharmilas silent protest put the focus on the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and how it gives the security forces the licence to kill. Sharmila, who has vowed to end her fast only if the act is repealed, has been going through a release-and-re-arrest routine and is nose-fed at a government hospital ward, which has been converted into a jail for her. Imphal-based Human Rights Alert Manipur (HRAM) and Extra-judicial Execution Victim Families Association, Manipur (EEVFAM), which petitioned the top court on the 1,528 cases, say people are often picked up at random and killed in encounters a name given to shootouts with militants, real or staged. The associations president, 33-year-old Renu Takhellambam, lost her husband Monghangjao in one such encounter on April 6, 2007. The Supreme Courts observation in connection with our cases is welcome, but justice still eludes us, she said. Babloo Loitongbam, executive director of HRAM, termed the courts view a small step forward in a long legal battle. We have been demanding a special investigation team to probe the 1,528 cases, but we are not clear what this probe (as sought by SC) means, he said. Read | Here are 10 things to know about controversial legislation Afspa The court, said rights activist Beenalaxmi Nepram, has reaffirmed peoples faith in the justice system. The ruling will ensure that those who violate rights or indulge in extra-judicial killings will not go unpunished. A blanket Afspa on the people of Manipur is in itself a violation of the Constitution. We will keep fighting for its repeal from the entire country, she said. But army and paramilitary officers say they never use excessive force, pointing out that Manipur Police commandos without the Afspa shield are accused in many of the 1,528 cases. An instance is that of Hijam Sanjoy, 26, who the commandos had killed in an encounter on June 28, 2008. Full removal of Afspa is not desirable. But every state should review the situation and remove it from areas where it is not needed. Tripura decided to lift Afspa last year while the army does not operate in certain cities of Assam. Manipur too made the Imphal area Afspa-free, but states troubled by terrorism want the act to stay, Guwahati-based Ranjit Barthakur, retired brigadier, said. In 2005, the Justice Jeevan Reddy panel recommended repealing Afspa and incorporation of its provisions into the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Manipurs Afspa-phobia does not necessarily translate into hostility towards the army or paramilitary forces. But reining in the armed forces and probing the extra-judicial killings, many feel, would go a long way in delivering justice to a scarred state. NOT SO SPECIAL Irom Sharmilas marathon hunger strike has put the spotlight on Afspa, which gives extraordinary powers to armed forces in strife-torn areas Nov 2, 2000 : Assam Rifles personnel gun down 10 persons at Malom near Imphal Assam Rifles personnel gun down 10 persons at Malom near Imphal Nov 5, 2000 : Irom Sharmila, then 28, begins her indefinite fast and vows not to comb hair or look into a mirror until Afspa is repealed Irom Sharmila, then 28, begins her indefinite fast and vows not to comb hair or look into a mirror until Afspa is repealed Nov 9, 2000 : She is arrested and charged with "attempt to commit suicide", a crime under IPC then; subsequent release and re-arrest becomes a routine affair She is arrested and charged with "attempt to commit suicide", a crime under IPC then; subsequent release and re-arrest becomes a routine affair Nov 21, 2000 : Authorities begin forcefeeding her through nasal tubes while in custody Authorities begin forcefeeding her through nasal tubes while in custody July 11, 2004 : Bullet-ridden body of alleged rebel Thangjam Manorama, 34, found a day after Assam Rifles personnel picked her up Bullet-ridden body of alleged rebel Thangjam Manorama, 34, found a day after Assam Rifles personnel picked her up Aug 12, 2004 : Afspa withdrawn from seven assembly constituencies in Imphal after Manoramas death triggers violent protests Afspa withdrawn from seven assembly constituencies in Imphal after Manoramas death triggers violent protests Nov 2004 : PM Manmohan Singh constitutes five-member Jeevan Reddy Committee to study Afspa PM Manmohan Singh constitutes five-member Jeevan Reddy Committee to study Afspa June 2005 : Reddy panel recommends withdrawal of Afspa in 147-page report but centre takes no action Reddy panel recommends withdrawal of Afspa in 147-page report but centre takes no action Oct 2, 2006 : Sharmila takes stir to New Delhi and is arrested Sharmila takes stir to New Delhi and is arrested Jan 2013 : Supreme Court constitutes Santosh Hegde Commission to probe Manipur fake encounters after PIL lists 1,528 cases Supreme Court constitutes Santosh Hegde Commission to probe Manipur fake encounters after PIL lists 1,528 cases April 4, 2013 : Hegde panel finds six cases to be fake-encounter killings Hegde panel finds six cases to be fake-encounter killings Dec 10, 2014 : Centre decides to decriminalise "attempt to suicide" by deleting section 309 from IPC, queering Sharmilas case Centre decides to decriminalise "attempt to suicide" by deleting section 309 from IPC, queering Sharmilas case May 2015 : Tripuras Left Front government decides to lift Afspa after 18 years of imposition but Meghalaya wants the act (With inputs from Sobhapati Samom) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON He is hard of hearing and has lost his teeth. Naik Sarup Singh, 105, doesnt have any medical problem as such. The soldier inside him is still alive. I never feared, though had a close shave with death several times during the World War II and 1947-48 Indo-Pak conflict. I never got injured in the army, he says. On Wednesday, 15 Punjab, which has a history of 311 years and is one of the oldest regiments, reached Chira village in Pinjore to honour its only alive soldier who fought the Battle of Zoji La in the 1947-48 Indo-Pak war. I have met my paltan after 56 years, says Sarup Singh. I am thankful to you, he adds. Subedar Satnam Singh handed him an appreciation letter of Commanding Officer of 15 Punjab, Col Vikas Sharma, Rs 25,000 in cash and a trophy. In his message to his paltan, Sarup said, I am honoured. Chardi kalan to all ranks. I am thankful. Khalsa ji ki fateh. The battle of Zoji La On May 11, 1948, the First Patiala (now 15 Punjab) was flown from Jammu to Srinagar for securing Zoji La pass (11,000 ft) through which passed the strategic Srinagar-Leh highway. Sarup Singh was part of the recee patrol. He went as close as 50mt from enemy positions and weapons. The attack followed and we succeeded. It is because of such people that 15 Punjab is respected, said Subedar Satnam Singh, who had come on behalf of 15 Punjab. The battle earned the First Patiala eight Maha Vir Chakras and 18 Vir Chakras. It not only evicted the Pakistan Army from the pass, but also cleared the looming threat to the Valley. Furthermore, the battalion continued its advance up to Kargil and linked up with Indian troops arriving from Leh and thus saved Ladakh. 15 Punjab now celebrates Zoji La Day to celebrate the victory. Sarup Singh came home after 18-month-long engagement in the battlefield. Turns 106 tomorrow Sarup turns 106 on July 15. Born in 1911, he got recruited in the army in 1941. He was engaged to a girl before the World War II but couldnt solemnise his marriage and finally got hitched when he was 42. His wife is also fit and is now 86-year-old. None of Sarups three sons could join the army. Now, his grandson Malkiat Singh is aiming to join 15 Punjab. Sarup retired in 1959 and later worked as a security guard in a cement factory in Pinjore. I only trust God. Everything belongs to him. All human beings are a same community. He is said to have saved the lives of 116 Muslims at Karanpur village in Pinjore when riots broke out after the Partition in 1947. Villagers wanted to kill Muslim men and violate their women. But I resisted and succeeded, he says. He had a gun and gave shelter to Muslims in his house for over a month. He got late in joining back to unit by 45 days but when he told the reason he was honoured. Families which migrated to Pakistan later also kept coming to meet him, said Rajinder Singh, eldest son of Sarup Singh. Once 45 of his colleagues died but not a single pellet touched him in Java (Indonesia) in World War II. Later during 1947-48 Indo Pak war, Sarup and others from his unit were surrounded from all sides and their ammunition got exhausted. Also read | HT Special: Celebrating life @ 100 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 17-year-old boy died here on Wednesday after he shot himself with his fathers revolver the previous night, hours after he was reportedly scolded by his teachers and mother over low score in Class-11 mid-term exams. The boy was identified as Karanbir Singh Bhullar of Malave-Ke-Kothi village in Batala sub-division of Gurdaspur and was studying at Cambridge International School in Amritsar, around 35 km away. His mother, Parminder Kaur, told the police that her son was upset due to poor performance in Class-10 exams, but she denied having scolded him. His friends, however, said on the condition of anonymity, Karanbir was scolded by teachers and his mother on Tuesday over his marks in the mid-terms. She then took him home. He came back after a few hours to take his motorbike from the parking, they said. At night, Karanbir locked himself in a room at the house and shot himself with a .32bore revolver. Hearing the gunshot, family members broke in through the door. He was rushed to a hospital in Amritsar, where he died. Ravneet Kaur, the school principal, said his performance was not good for many months; he often bunked school, and did not deposit fee that he took from home: When his mother came to the school to know about it, he was not able to give a satisfactory reply. She did not scold him in front of me. Assistant sub-inspector Jagir Singh said the matter will be probed from different angles. The Punjab and Haryana high court directed the Punjab government to provide security to former Punjab director general of police (DGP), prisons, Shashi Kant, in the next 24 hours, on Wednesday. The order came after Kant told the bench of justice Surya Kant and justice Darshan Singh that three persons tried to barge into his Sector-18 house on July 12-13 night, hours after he revealed a few names those who were inimical to him to a Punjab intelligence official. The official visited his house regarding assessment of his threat perception. Shashi Kant is assisting the court in a matter in which it is monitoring measures being taken by Punjab to fight drug menace, including the investigation into the Jagdish Bhola drug racket case. Concerned over his submissions, the bench directed the Punjab to provide the security to Kant, and later have consultations with the UT Police about the same as he resides in the city. The court has observed that the house security can be taken care of by the local police, while for his movements, the Punjab police can step in. Punjab government counsel Reeta Kohli stated the government should be given time to first examine the threat perception. The high court observed that all these were excuses, saying that in many case, the state has even provided the security on flimsily grounds. You, yourself, should come forward to provide him the security. He is your critic, the bench said amidst suggestions from other counsels as well. The former DGP said, in his complaint to Sector-19 station house officer Maninder Singh, he stated he was threatened, with many abduction bids made on him in the past. Yesterday, an intelligence official visited my house to assess the threat perception. I told him that the threat emanates from top persons of the government and the Punjab police. I also revealed some names, he said, adding that hours after his visit around midnight three persons tried to trespass into his house, but probably got scared due to presence of a pet dog. They banged the main gate, and kept ringing the bell. They also flashed light beam of their car at my house, and made efforts to get us out, he said in his complaint to police, seeking appropriate action against the accused. Station house officer (SHO) Maninder Singh said that police station was not informed about the trespassing attempt at the former DGPs house last night. However, he said Kant has filed a complaint at the SSP office in Chandigarh, and that he will verify the facts of the complaint before taking any action. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and state Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh are busy building castles in the air but their hopes of wresting power in the state would never become a reality, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal said during a sangat darshan at Garhshankar village near here on Thursday. Badal said Kejriwal failed in discharging his duties in Delhi and Amarinder proved a failure in Punjab. Despite being the most inaccessible CM, Amarinder has now embarked on mass contact programme which is nothing but a trick to mislead voters, he said. People of Punjab are wise, but still I request them to check the antecedents of political leaders before voting for them, added Badal. Read: Gurdas Maan selected icon for 2017 Punjab assembly elections He said the Congress always meted out step-motherly treatment to the state thereby shattering its economy. The AAP and the Congress had a regressive agenda whereas the SAD-BJP alliance was committed for the development and prosperity of Punjab, he said. Chief minister (CM) Parkash Singh Badal said here on Wednesday that Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Captain Amarinder Singh was trying to imitate him by holding mass contact programmes such as Coffee with Captain and Halke wich Captain. He, however, said it was a futile exercise as the former CM was not in a position to deliver anything to the people of Punjab. Talking to the HT at the residence of Garhshankar MLA and district SAD president Surinder Singh Bhulewal Rathan, he said that Captain should have gone to the people when he was in power, but at that time he ignored the constituents. It was now futile to make promises when you were not in a position to fulfil the same, he added. He said that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also tried his hand at sangat darshan, but soon realised that it was not his cup of tea. The CM is holding 15 back-to-back sangat darshan programmes in Garhshankar constituency in three days. Sangat darshans give me an X-ray scan of the area. I get to know the ground situation by getting direct feedback from the people. Even if 60% of their problems are solved on the spot, I believe it is worth the effort, he added. Badal clarified that the Punjab Control of Organised Crime Act (PCOCA) was put on hold not for any political reasons but to allay the fears of its misuse. He said the advocate general had been asked to review the draft once again and modify clauses if required. We do not want to leave any lacunae for its misuse, he said. Reacting to objections of certain outfits to PCOCA, he said Punjab was not the first state to adopt such a law. It was imperative, he said, to bring such a legislation to control organised crime. Asked if Sarbat Khalsa leaders would be allowed to march to Bargari on July 17 in protest against sacrilege incidents, he said the government would look in to it. We will not allow anyone to disturb peace in the state. Sometimes, it takes time to reach the culprits, but it does not give one the licence to politicise the issue, he said. He dismissed allegations that AAP MLA Naresh Yadav had been falsely implicated in the Quran desecration case stating that the police had acted on some leads. We are not the ones who entangle anyone for political reasons, he claimed. Badal said that AAP leaders were not sincere to Punjab and they had proved it time and again. First, they show their true colour, but when caught in a controversy, they feign innocence and apologise. People understand their theatrics. They have no respect for any religion. How they have disrespected Guru Granth Sahib and Golden Temple is for everyone to see, he said. He slammed the Kejriwal government in Delhi for cancelling Baisakhi holiday and demolishing Piau outside gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib. The AAP suffered from an anti-Punjab syndrome, he added. He said the Congress had done maximum harm to Punjab. Had it not been for its wrong policies, SYL and Chandigarh issues would not have cropped up. It was late prime minister Indira Gandhi, who gave a go-ahead to SYL digging and now they (Congressmen) are speaking against its construction. It is nothing but cheap politics, he asserted. He said that Congress leader Sunil Jakhar was shedding crocodile tears for the peasantry, but his political gimmickry would not absolve his party of the sin it had committed by conceiving the plan to deprive the state of its waters. Referring to farmers agitation, Badal said his government had done its best to bring relief to the community by way of free power and water supply but waiving debt was not within his rights. He alleged that politics was at play behind all agitations going on in the state. The announcement of three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit as the Congress chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh led to both hope and despair in the party circles in Punjab, depending on which side of the fence they are. Awaiting a similar announcement for Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh, his detractors within the party dubbed it as a snub to the former CM, while Amarinder himself said Punjab could be next after UP. Also read | Captain Amarinder trying to imitate my sangat darshans, says Badal Though party strategist Prashant Kishor is learnt to be keen on the early announcement of Amarinders name as the CM candidate, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has steered clear of it during his last two Punjab visits in April and June. According to Amarinder, the party is first focusing on UP, which he said, is five times larger than Punjab. First Raj Babbar was named as state party president, followed by Sanjay Singh as head of the campaign committee, and now Sheila Dikshit. After UP, they will take up Punjab. We are pitted against regional parties and to deal with their onslaught, we have to announce a CM candidate. If we dont, we cant compete with them. So an announcement of the CM face for Punjab will be made in due course of time, he said. HT Analysis | Congress cant win Punjab polls by losing the perception game However, many in the party believe that unlike UP, where the Congress has to revive itself, in Punjab it is a force to reckon with. We are the main opposition party in Punjab, with a vote share of 40.9% in the 2012 state elections, which was more than the Akali-BJP combined. The Congress has to be seen shaking up UP in a big way to come back into its mainstream politics after being relegated to the fourth slot. In Punjab, it has to just put its house in order, a senior party leader said. Also read | Punjab only hope of rebound, stakes go up for Cong, Capt But there are others who feel the Congress is wanting to keep all warring factions at bay by delaying the announcement. All senior party leaders in Punjab eyeing the CMs chair are now working together. The suspense on the CM face will keep the party united. This momentum could be derailed if Amarinders name is announced, party insiders said. But the Congress, which is building Brand Amarinder like never before through Kishors Coffee with Captain and Halke Vich Captain programmes, cannot deny Amarinder the announcement any longer after naming Dikshit. Rahul just wants to show Amarinder who is the boss. Amarinder, too, had flexed his muscles recently by revealing in a television interview that he had plans to quit the Congress. But they both know it will have to be done in due course of time, or the entire campaign to corner the AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) on its CM face or projecting Amarinders government as better than the SAD-BJPs will fall flat, said a source. Must read | Kishor said join AAP if made CM face as its sweeping Punjab: Jagmeet Brar Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday asked Punjab education minister Daljit Singh Cheema to focus on improving the infrastructure of schools and fill up vacant teaching posts rather than summoning the teachers and blaming them for poor results in state government schools. Poor infrastructure of schools, lack of teachers are the reasons behind poor show by government school students in Punjab, AAP member of parliament (MP) Sadhu Singh and the partys women wing chief Baljinder Kaur claimed. Rather than summoning the teachers and seeking explanation, the minister should send them to educational institutions abroad to get advanced training about teaching, the leaders said. Read: When grammere proved out of sylabbus for Punjabs English teachers They said, Punjab government must learn from Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government that has sent teachers of government schools abroad to learn new techniques in teaching. Singh advised Cheema to remove the unnecessary burden on government school teachers imposed by the state government. From enrolling new voters to making people aware about government schemes, teachers do all the work assigned unnecessarily to them. How can you expect better results when teachers dont even get time to teach? Kaur asked. Following the footsteps of Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu who is receiving and resolving complaints of railway passengers through his Twitter (micro blogging site) account the Ludhiana police have invited people to file their complaints on its Twitter account. Residents can file their complaints by tagging the departments Twitter handle: @ldhpolice. People can file their complaints regarding violence, domestic violence, public safety, problems faced by senior citizens, traffic problem, crime against children and women on our Twitter account, said Jatinder Singh Aulakh, commissioner of police. People can also inform police about social events to be organised in the city. The officer will forward the complaint to police station concerned, and appropriate action will be taken after investigation. Aulakh said, People can also post documents, pictures and videos in reference to their complaints. The step will decrease work pressure on officers and will also save time of people, who have to wait outside police stations. Ludhiana police have been operating their Twitter account for past one year to post advisories and achievements. Police are also connected with people through their Facebook page. Even a mobile phone application stree samman has been launched for women safety. More dera heads and other spiritual figures in Punjab are opting for bullet-proof vehicles, beefing up their protective cover with hired gunmen in addition to the ones provided by state police. Some of these self-styled godmen are on the hit list of Sikh radicals, others fear attack from rival sects. Gods will is supreme, they preach. But new-age babas (spiritual leaders) the self-appointed messengers of God dont take chances when it comes to their physical wellbeing, going by the security paraphernalia, including bullet-proof vehicles. A number of them already have such vehicles and many are getting their luxury cars customised to survive attacks from sophisticated weapons such as AK-47 rifles or even grenades. These spiritual leaders move in convoys that are no inferior to those of VIPs of the land. Head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, for instance, has a convoy of swanky bullet-proof cars, including Lexus, Audi, and BMWs. When he is on the move, his convoy has three cars of the same colour, make and registration number, besides jammer vehicles, to not let anyone know which car he is in exactly. Head of Delhi-headquartered Nirankari sect Hardev Singh, who died in a car crash in Canada in May, also had a fleet of bullet-proof vehicles. A top Punjab police officer, who deals with the security of babas and dera heads, told HT that their security was very important for the police and state government because of large-scale following and chances of a law-and-order problem if something goes wrong. Especially when we are going through days of low-intensity terrorism, and Punjab being a border state, deras and their heads can be possible targets, says an officer of the rank of director general of police in Punjab. Budha Dal Nihang Samparday chief Balbir Singh is guarded by a team of handpicked, trained followers, along with Punjab Police personnel. He, too, moves in a convoy of bullet-proof Land Cruisers, having recently upgraded from Mahindra Scorpios. Dals army was established in the 18th century and, with such a glorious history, we need to protect our identity through elaborate security paraphernalia, says Balbir Singh. A cop with light machine gun in Budha Dal head Balbir Singhs cavalcade in Hoshiarpur on Wednesday. (Ravi Kumar/HT Photo) Many other sects are doing market research to get customised secure vehicles for their leaders. We are looking for bullet-proof Toyota Fortuners to protect our baba-ji, said a close aide of Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwala, who heads a dera on the outskirts of Patiala. The dera supporters have approached vendors in northern India for the bullet-proofing of three vehicles. Dhadrianwala had escaped unhurt in an attack on his convoy in May, though a follower in the same SUV was shot dead. To minimise the threat when in public, Dhadrianwalas supporters are also contemplating to have a bullet-proof detachable glass enclosure that can be used to deliver sermons. Babaji doesnt like to be under any kind of security, but we cant take chances, especially after the attack, adds the follower. Namdhari sect head Udai Singh is also planning to buy a bullet-proof vehicle. The Bhaini Sahib (Ludhiana)-based sect has a considerable following and its head already enjoys Z-plus security from the government. About three month ago, the sects matriarch Chand Kaur (Udai Singhs aunt) was murdered on the dera premises. We have received commandoes and jammer vehicles, and the government wants us to get customised bullet-proof vehicles of our choice, said Udais aide Lakhbir Singh. The sect is in the process of finalising the vehicles. Buying readymade bullet-proof vehicles from abroad is also under consideration. Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahims cavalcade moving amid security in Panchkula. (Sant Arora/HT File ) Bullet-proofing cost A customised bullet-proof vehicle can cost between Rs 40 lakh and Rs 1.5 crore depending on the weapon one wants to protect the vehicle against. Preferred cars are Toyota Fortuner and Land Cruiser. Usually, spiritual heads go for level-3 bullet-proofing, which is resistant to grenades, and sophisticated SLRs (self-loading rifles) and AK-47. Customising vehicles involves fitting sheets of complex metallurgical alloy steel along the vehicles body, said Gurvendra Singh of Jeet and Jeet Glass, a firm based in Jaipur. Under police cover Inspector general (security) of Punjab Police Naresh Arora loses count of the dera heads and other babas who enjoy state protection. We give security to smaller deras and their heads as per need, but heads of the bigger deras are under constant security cover, Arora said, adding that some babas have Z-plus security cover. They dont have to pay for the police cover. Security of heads of Namdhari sect, Bhaini Sahib; Dera Sachkhand Ballan, Jalandhar; Dera Garanwala, Phillaur; Bhaniranwala dera near Rupnagar; Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, Nurmahal; Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa; Nirankari Dera, Delhi, and Dhadrianwala in Patiala, are some on priority of the state police. Despite being prominent, Amritsar-based Damsdami Taksal head Harnam Singh Dhumma is not protected by the state police. The Taksal has its own men for that. Whats to fear? A number of dera heads have been attacked at some point of time, making the followers and the police concerned about their security. Dhadrianwala was attacked by Damdami Taksal supporters last month. Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh escaped unhurt in an attack by supporters of a Sikh radical group in 2008. Bhaniara dera head Piara Singh was attacked too. The second in hierarchy of Dera Ballan, Niranjan Das, was killed allegedly by Sikh radicals in Vienna, Austria, in 2009, leading to widespread protests in Punjab. There are also inter-dera rivalries due to various reasons. We cant take chances with their security as there is a serious law-and-order threat if something goes wrong, said a top police officer, requesting anonymity. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Police detained 100 members of the nurses and ancillary staff union for three hours on Tuesday midnight, acting on a tip-off that they could be travelling to chief minister Parkash Singh Badals village to protest for regularisation of jobs. We made frantic calls to everyone on our contact list. It was a scary experience for us. Cops were under the suspicion that we will gherao the CMs residence in Badal village, but we were on our way to Damdama Sahib gurdwara in Talwandi Sabo, said Amandeep Kaur Sandhu from Ferozepur. The nurses were travelling in a private bus when they were stopped at a checkpost near Mansa-Kainchiyan road. Cops took them to the police lines complex where the nurses refused to get out of the bus. It was parked outside the complex amid tight security for hours as police failed to come to an understanding with the nurses. Some of our members are pregnant. Police detained us despite genuine medical reasons, said Karamjeet Kaur Aulakh. One of the nurses fell unconscious due to the heat and many alleged that they were ill-treated. Punjab kisan union leaders were also present at the spot. Though the nurses were later allowed to go to Damdama Sahib, cops escorted them to their destination. Senior superintendent of police Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar said the nurses were detained because they had intelligence that they were travelling to Badal village in Muktsar. We detained them as a precaution but they were not charged with anything, as they agreed to not go to Muktsar, said Bhullar. Later on Wednesday afternoon, the nurses returned to Patiala escorted by police after a formal protest in Talwandi Sabo. Similar case in Ferozepur Nurses from Amritsar were also detained near Zira in Ferozepur around 10pm on Tuesday. They were released on Wednesday noon. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Border Security Force (BSF) troops have gunned down 11 Pakistani intruders, including smugglers, in just over six months in Punjab this year. Also read: BSF guns down 3 Pak intruders, nabs 3 in Ajnala near Amritsar Only six intruders were killed while trying to cross the border last year, while 11 and seven Pakistani nationals were gunned down in 2014 and 2013, respectively, state records obtained from the BSF Punjab Frontier headquarters here. Of the 11 intruders intercepted and killed this year, six were smugglers while the remaining had entered India with arms and ammunition, said the BSF senior public relations officer, deputy inspector general (DIG) RS Kataria. The number of intruders apprehended this year also shows an upward trend. While on an average 21 Pakistani nationals have been captured on the border (other than the cases where the intruders were handed over to Pakistan Rangers for crossing the border by mistake), this year 20 intruders, including three on Tuesday, have been detained already. Read more: BSF troops foil intrusion bid at Narli outpost, recover 21kg heroin, arms Talking to HT, a senior BSF official involved in border operations said ground reports have been confirming an increase in the number of intrusion bids, a rare phenomenon during this time of the year unlike during foggy winter season. A change in strategy BSF inspector general (IG), Punjab Frontier, Anil Paliwal, however, attributed the increase in figures this year to the extra efforts being made by the force. With the addition in manpower along the border and deployment of latest equipment, the BSF has become more effective in foiling intrusion bids. This year, we have also changed our strategy for checking activities across the border, which has bore positive results, said Paliwal. In a reply to a question in Rajya Sabha in March this year, Union minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju had stated that the Centre has deployed 18 additional companies, with strength of 100 each, along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab, which comprises four sectors: Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Abohar. On technology front, the move to install laser walls is one of the measures taken up by the BSF recently. The technology cautions troops in case of trespass by raising the alarm and lighting up the breached area. In addition to this, thermal imaging cameras, night vision monoculars, portable battlefield surveillance radars and LED lights are also helping in better surveillance. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Management of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) paid Rs 40 lakh to a defaulter firm, despite rejection by the finance wing, it has come to light. The money, held back as penalty, was released two months ago, even though the firm had failed to supply transformers before deadline. It was in 2013 that the PSPCL placed an order with Nucon Switchgear Private Limited, Ludhiana, to supply five power transformers for Rs 6.18 crore. The tender was floated to streamline supply. It said the firm had to give the first transformer within two months and the one each month. That is, five transformers from August 3 to December 3, 2013. Also read: From top, PSPCL slips to 10 in power ministrys performance ratings However, before the deadline, it supplied only one, documents with HT show. Invoking the penalty clause, the PSPCL officials imposed a penalty of Rs 40 lakh approximately on the firm and withheld that part of the payment. The firm approached the PSPCL finance department with the argument that it could not meet the deadline because one of its directors was kidnapped for three days. Due to this, the work of the factory remained affected for three months and caused delay, said the firm. But the finance department rejected the contention in May 2014. It said the firm had to inform about any such reason in a month, but it did so a year later. The firm made a plea to reconsider the decision in November 2014. Sources said a senior functionary of the corporation asked for legal opinion beyond the terms of the tender, and put it on the agenda of the whole-time directors meet that cleared it in August last year. Despite repeated attempts, PSPCL chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) KD Chaudhry could not be contacted for comments. A senior engineer, requesting anonymity fearing persecution, said the firm was favoured in the past too. In this case, too, details of power consumption of the firms factory can show that production was normal for the three months that the firm cited, he said. Also read: If Punjab is power-surplus, why does it need to buy 372 crore units? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Raninder Singh, the son of Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh, failed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday. Raninder, who also heads the National Rifles Association of India, said he was busy with preparations for the Rio Olympics. This is the second time in less than a month that Raninder has sought adjournment after the ED summoned him in a case of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violation. On June 16, he sought exemption on medical grounds. ED summons on income tax department complaint ED assistant director Ajai Singh issued the summons asking Raninder to explain the alleged movement of his funds to Switzerland and the creation of a trust and a few subsidiaries in the British Virgin Islands. The ED initiated action on the complaint of the income tax department, which says Raninder lied under oath to it about trusts allegedly owned by him in the British Virgin Islands. The income tax department had found that Raninder was the settler (donor) of Jacaranda Trust in the UK and the owner of business entities Mulwala Holdings Limited, Limerlock International Limited, Chillingham Holdings Limited and Allworth Venture Holdings Limited. The authorities in the British Virgin Islands told the income tax department that the business entities were holding substantial financial assets, including bank accounts in HSBC, Geneva, and properties in the United Kingdom and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The authorities provided the IT department with a copy of the trust deed that showed the settlement was made on July 22, 2005, in the British Virgin Islands between Raninder and HSBC Trust Company Limited. Raninder acted as a trustee. Nothing to hide, says Raninder Raninder says he has nothing to hide. This is being looked into by the income tax authorities. I will cooperate with the enforcement directorate, he said. In March, Ludhianas chief judicial magistrate Ranjeev Kumar issued notice to Raninder for lying to the income tax department about his foreign bank accounts. Acting on a criminal complaint by income tax deputy director (investigation) Amit Dua , the Ludhiana court asked him to file a reply on July 26, the next date of hearing. Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Sukhpal Singh Khaira criticised deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal for comparing the party to terrorist outfit Islamic State. In a chat with HT, Khaira spoke on a range of issues concerning the upcoming elections, and rubbished charges against the party over the Malerkotla sacrilege incident. Excerpts: When every party in Punjab is against the construction of SYL, why has AAP not tried for a consensus over the issue? We cannot have a consensus with SAD and Congress over this issue. While they target Arvind Kejriwal over the SYL issue, their national leaders Narendra Modi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have not said anything in Punjabs favour. Now SAD is holding a rally asking people to make sacrifices over this. Why are they not making that sacrificing? The CM has failed Punjabis on every front, be it the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab or any other burning issue. An AAP MLAs name has cropped up in connection to the Malerkotla sacrilege incident. Its all political vendetta because both the Centre and state are rattled by AAPs emergence in Punjab. Narendra Modi tried fixing Kejriwal through the CBI and now Badals are trying to corner us through unfair means, be it the sacrilege issue or the error in our manifesto. When Jagdish Bhola accused Bikram Majithia of running the drug syndicate, the CM defended him saying the statement of an accused was unreliable. Here, an accused Vijay Kumar has named an AAP MLA and the entire party is targeting him. We want Chandigarh police to probe the incident as Punjab police has lost its credibility. Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal has compared your party to terror outfit Islamic State. Read here: AAP is leaderless like the ISIS; its a party of political rejects, radicals It is a serious allegation. But coming from Sukhbir, it has no credibility. This is not the first time he has called us names. He recently called AAP the East India Company that intended to loot the state. It is Sukhbir and his gang who have looted the state. That way, I can say Sukhbir is a combination of Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein because his nature is that of a ruthless fools. Sukhbir Badal has also alleged that your party has the backing of Sikh hardliners settled abroad. I ask him to provide evidence regarding this. The actual reason for his outburst is that his party leaders have been ridiculed and insulted abroad (read Total Singh in Canada). He has painted NRI Punjabis as hardliners and Khalistanis. Most of your party leaders have repeatedly said in the past that unlike other political outfits AAP will prefer to engage a common man either for an assembly ticket or other important roles within the party. However, in Mansa and surrounding areas, AAP has appointed people from influential and well-to-do families for organisational activities. We dont say a well-off person cannot be seen as an aam aadmi. In our ticket distribution, you will obviously see ordinary people being fielded as MLA candidates. This year, Independence Day celebrations at Sector-17 Parade Ground will not have the usual mass drill or the physical training (PT). The day will rather have yoga flavour. The schools students, who had performed yoga on the second International Yoga Day last month, will display different asanas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had performed yoga along with 30,500 people in Chandigarh at the Capitol Complex on June 21. School and college students were imparted a month-long training in protocol yoga. The same will be exhibited during the August 15 celebrations. The decision was made during a meeting to review the preparations for the day. The UT deputy commissioner (DC) Ajit Balaji Joshi said, We will have 20-minutes protocol yoga on the day. We will also try to put up other cultural programmes involving students. The sources in the administration said with yoga being included this time, residents will get to see something different and this will promote healthy lifestyle. Sources said the DC instructed the officers to come up with ideas for cultural items and can also loop in the cultural department of Punjab and Haryana. Names of the students who will perform at the event are yet to be finalised. They said an idea of holding an early morning march or rally, in the background of patriotic songs was also discussed but is yet to be finalised. The security arrangements were also discussed. The Punjab convener of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Sucha Singh Chhotepur, has condemned the portrayal of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as Nihang on its cover by a weekly magazine. Talking to reporters in Amritsar, Chhotepur said, Kejriwal is not at fault. I also appeal to the Nihang community not to blame or criticise our leader for this. How are we responsible? he said. He said Kejriwal was as much hurt. Lashing out at the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), he said, The Sikh body should not issue statements to please Akali Dal or it will lose whatever reputation left. He confirmed that Kejriwal will Darbar Sahib to perform sewa. The AAP convener is coming with humility to pay obeisance and perform sewa. If there is need for an apology, it will be rendered to the Guru and sangat, not an individual. Chhotepur said Badals were raking up non-issues to malign the image of AAP. Actor Jyothika, who made a comeback in 2015 with the Tamil drama called 36 Vayadhinile, has begun shooting for her next film. It will be directed Bramma, better known for his film Kuttram Kadithal. The Jyothika-starrer is yet to get a name. Dear all! Jo is starting her next with a great cast & crew today! Official announcement soon! As always, need your wishes, actor Suriya, Jyothikas husband, wrote on his Twitter page on Thursday. Dear all!Jo is starting her next,with a great cast & crew today! Official announcement soon ! As always, need your wishes!! #Excitedhusband Suriya Sivakumar (@Suriya_offl) July 14, 2016 Read: 36 Vayadhinile review | Jyothika wows but English Vinglish influence is palpable Read: Suriya, Jyothika may work together in 2016 Also starring Bhanupriya, Urvashi and Saranya Ponvannan, the film is tipped to be a women-centric thriller. Jyothika had reportedly undergone two weeks acting workshop. Watch the trailer of 36 Vayadhinile here: ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Tamil film producer S Thanu moved the Madras High Court on Thursday to prevent the illegal downloads of Rajinikanths upcoming film Kabali through 180 websites and countless unknown sites. S Thanu, in his writ petition, sought a direction to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to issue instructions to all service providers to block such websites. Read: In Kabalis song teaser, Rajinikanth tells the world hes back Read: Kabalis audio unveiled, songs become a huge hit on YouTube The counsel said they had arranged a live demo of a website to the court, to show that an entire feature film could be downloaded for as little as Rs 10. From that single copy several thousand copies could be made and sold in the black market, he added. While the pirates make Rs 20 to 30 a copy, the producers, artists and others involved in the making of a multi-crore film incur a huge loss, he contended. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Gurvinder Singhs Chauthi Koot, the first Punjabi film which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015, will release across India on August 5. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes. Set during the Sikh separatist movement during the 1980s, Chauthi Koot has been adapted from two stories written by Waryam Singh Sandhu called Chauthi Koot and Hun Main Theek Haan. The film was shot mostly around Amritsar and Ferozepur in Punjab. Read: Why Baahubali, why not Visaaranai? A critics view of National Awards The film has been produced by Kartikeya Singh under his banner The Film Cafe along with France-based Catherine Dussart of Catherine Dussart Productions and the National Film Development Corporation (India). The Film Cafe will be releasing and distributing Chauthi Koot in over 50 screens in Punjab and nearly 30 screens in the major cities across India with English subtitles. The film was screened in over 13 international and Indian film festivals and has won the best film award in the India Gold section at MAMI 2015 along with the 2016 National Award for the best feature in Punjabi. Read: Cinema must portray a multiplicity of emotions and perspectives, says Gurvinder Singh Im happy that Chauthi Koot is finding mainstream release in India, not just in Punjab but outside the linguistic boundary of Punjab. Because cinema is a universal language that speaks of humanitarian concerns, it knows no limitation of the spoken language, the director said in a statement. Im sure the film will speak to the audience across the country, as it addresses concerns not just limited to Punjab and its history, but reflects the tumult across the world in todays time, and the human endeavour to continue to live a life of dignity and simplicity in the face of turbulence, he added. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Women with metabolic syndrome are likely to have lower sexual urges, desire and satisfaction, post their menopause, finds a new report. According to a new study published in The American Journal of Medicine, researchers looked at the role metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease play in postmenopausal women sexual health. The study also showed that coronary artery disease was more prevalent in women with low rates of sexual activity. Read: Sleep apnea gets worse in postmenopausal women Researchers from the University of California surveyed 376 postmenopausal women using a Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire. Waist size, diabetes, and hypertension were additionally associated with decreased sexual activity and elevated triglycerides were linked to lower desire, revealed the study. In these healthy community-dwelling older women, the prevalence of low sexual desire was significantly higher in women who met the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome, explained Susan Trompeter, MD, University of California. Increased waist size, diabetes, and hypertension contribute in the decrease in sexual activity among women post menopause. (Shutterstock) Researchers also looked at various cardiovascular events and their effects on sexual health. They discovered that heart attack, coronary artery bypass, and angina were associated with decreased sexual activity, but that those cardiovascular factors did not influence sexual desire or satisfaction. Additionally, women with low sexual activity were more likely to have coronary artery disease. Metabolic syndrome in women may be more closely related to coronary artery disease than other cardiovascular outcomes, said Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, MD, UC San Diego School of Medicine. Read: Past your menopause? Stay alert as fatty liver disease may go undetected While some cardiovascular events lead to lower sexual activity, the study found that a past diagnosis of heart failure, poor circulation and stroke had no association with sexual function and that no cardiovascular disease was linked to sexual desire or sexual satisfaction. Decreasing estrogen levels have been reported to precede a decrease in sex hormone-binding globulin and testosterone, which may decrease sexual desire or sexual activity, or both, said Trompeter. This new study shows that metabolic syndrome can play a part in the decline of sexual desire and function in postmenopausal women. Coronary artery disease was more prevalent among women with low rates of sexual activity, and women who had suffered a heart attack, had a coronary artery bypass, or angina were also less sexually active. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more. The no-dating clause which actor Ishita Dutta and her co-actor Vatsal Sheth were made to sign for their show Rishton Ka Saudagar Baazigar, created quite a stir in the TV industry. Although many actors reacted to it, saying that they would have been uncomfortable with such a clause, Ishita says that she never had an issue signing it. Read: No dating clause: TV actors sign contracts promising theyll stay single I didnt really think too much about this clause. The only thing was that I found it funny. But I agreed to sign it. I guess the makers must have faced an issue before, which is why they wanted us to sign it. But anyway, I am not here to date, I am here to work, she says. But I know that everyone has spoken about it and I respect their opinion, adds Ishita, who is actor Tanushree Duttas sister. Although many actors feel that since they spend most of their time on the sets of their shows, its impossible for them to find love outside, Ishita disagrees. I believe that if something has to happen, it will happen. If I have to be with someone, all it will take is one conversation. Of course, its tough to maintain a relationship like this, but there are always ways to manage, she says. Read: Just Mohabbat still has recall value: Vatsal Sheth Meanwhile, Ishita, who was seen in actor Ajay Devgns film 2015 film Drishyam, says that its tough to get a break in the industry. I have to admit that its very difficult. It all depends on luck, destiny and the hard work you put in. My first show (Ek Ghar Banaunga) wasnt a very big show, but that is what got me the film and my current show. But I have a long way to go, she says. Follow @htshowbiz for more. The founder of Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba warned in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press that violence in Kashmir will escalate. Hafiz Saeed, designated a terrorist by the United States with a $10 million bounty on his head, also said he will lead nationwide demonstrations in Pakistan to force its government to sever ties with the United States if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute. The US-declared terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba is suspected of carrying out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and was banned in Pakistan in 2015 but Saeed, who leads its charity arm in Pakistan, travels freely and gives speeches inciting people to attack Western and Indian interests. Indian government has long demanded Islamabad arrest Saeed. Militants are demanding that the Himalayan state of Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. At least 31 people have been killed in Kashmir amid recent street protests after Indian troops last week killed Burhan Wani, a Kashmiri militant. America is supporting this oppression by India by saying it is an internal matter, Saeed said in the interview, which took place on Wednesday at his home in the eastern city of Lahore. This has given India encouragement and because of this the killings and violence will continue. A Pakistani national, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was the only person arrested in the Mumbai attacks. Kasab testified that he received training at a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp in Muridke, located outside Lahore, where Saeed now lives. Kasab, who was hanged in India in 2012 for his part in the attacks, also said Saeed was among the inspirational speakers that would visit the training camp. India has repeatedly demanded Pakistan arrest Saeed but when he has been detained, his incarceration has been brief and Pakistani courts, including its Supreme Court has cleared him of terrorism charges Many times I have been arrested on the order of America and India . . . (but) the Lahore high court freed me and also my organization saying we were innocent of terrorism charges and did not participate in any terrorist activities, said Saeed. Boris Johnson, the top Brexit campaigner and former London mayor, made a sensational comeback Wednesday after two weeks in the political wilderness to become foreign minister in new Prime Minister Theresa Mays government. Johnson is one of Britains most recognisable politicians with his blond mop-top hair, bumbling manner and tendency to drift into Latin during speeches. He is also one of the most controversial after he drove the campaign for Britain to leave the EU and then spectacularly ducked out of entering the race to succeed Remain-campaigning prime minister David Cameron -- a contest Johnson had been expected to win. Johnson, one of a coterie of Conservative politicians who attended Britains elite Eton boarding school, was the figurehead of the Leave campaign. The job of foreign secretary is the first in government for Johnson, whose tenure as London mayor from 2008 until May this year included overseeing the 2012 Olympic Games. The leadership ambitions of the former Brussels-based journalist had been the worst-kept secret in British politics, ever since his victory in Londons mayoral race eight years ago sent his profile skyrocketing. At the time, he was the most senior Conservative in elected office. Many within the centre-right party and the country believe prime ministerial ambitions, rather than ideology, drove him to rebel against Cameron by campaigning for a divorce from the EU. But after securing a victory which forced Cameron to quit, Johnsons close Brexit ally Michael Gove decided to stand for the leadership himself. Gove said Johnson was incapable of doing the job -- forcing Boris to step aside from running. The decision prompted a furious reaction from former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine who described Johnson, a huge admirer of Winston Churchill, as a general who marches his army to the sound of the guns and the moment he sees the battleground he abandons it. Read| Brexit: When paranoia is the other side of patriotism King of the world Known to millions simply as Boris, he was born in New York in 1964 as Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson into a competitive, high-achieving family. His father Stanley was a Conservative member of the European Parliament; one brother, Jo, was a minister in Camerons government and his sister Rachel is a journalist and writer. All three gave their support to the Remain camp. Rachel Johnson told her brothers biographer that, as a child, he wanted to be king of the world when he grew up. Johnson won a scholarship to Eton, which Cameron also attended two years below him. The pair were then contemporaries at Oxford University and both members of the Bullingdon Club -- an elite, all-male dining society known for its rowdy behaviour. After graduating in classics, Johnson became a journalist, working at The Times -- from which he was sacked for fabricating quotes -- and The Daily Telegraph newspapers, including as Brussels correspondent. He became a lawmaker for the then opposition Conservatives in 2001 and was later appointed as the partys arts spokesman before being sacked over accusations of lying about an alleged extra-marital affair. After leaving the London mayoralty in May he spearheaded the Leave campaign. Johnson is the bookmakers favourite to become the next Conservative Party leader. Despite constant speculation, Johnson had always batted away rumours about his political ambitions, once saying that his chances of being prime minister were on a par with my being reincarnated as an olive. Read| Theresa May makes Johnson foreign secy, says needs time before Brexit talks Should South Asia replace India as more representative of the geographical spread of early civilisations on the subcontinent? Was religion a key aspect of the caste system? These and many questions regarding the teaching of Indian history in California schools as part of a general overhaul, which have been debated fiercely over the past months, will get a final hearing and a decision on Thursday. Scores of activists, parents, experts and students have testified in multiple hearings held by the Instructional Quality Commission of Californias department of education over several months. One of the most contentious changes being proposed is that of replacing references to India as a geographical entity with South Asia in the History-Social Science Framework, a teaching guide. On one side of the debate are the Hindu Education Foundation, which works towards enriching the understanding about Indian civilisation and Hinduism in the US, the Uberoi Foundation, which, its website said, promotes awareness of the four major Dharmic religions of Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism and advocacy group Hindu America Foundation. On the other side are the South Asian Histories for All (SAHFA), an interfaith and inter-caste coalition of 24 organisations across California and the US, and the South Asia Faculty Group, a group of academics drawn from across US colleges and universities. Both sides have claimed varied degrees of success. In a November 2015 note titled South Asia Studies Faculty Review of Proposed California Curriculum Framework, the South Asia Faculty Group suggested changes to a section entitled The Early Civilisations of India in the Grade 6 curriculum. We recommend changing the Title of this Section to The Early Civilisations of South Asia. At several other places in the text, we also recommend substituting South Asia for Ancient India or India, the group said. It argued the Indus Valley Civilisations major urban centres, Harappa and Mohenjodaro, were both in Pakistan. The other groups pushed back, arguing the word India was being erased from Californias textbooks. A petition headlined School students in California will be forced to learn that there was never an 'India' unless you act! was signed by more than 22,000 people. And the department decided to retain India in many instances, which was claimed as a victory. Neither side is happy with the changes despite subsequent revisions, and disagreements are likely to resurface at the final hearing on Thursday. The Hindu America Foundation is likely to bring up its objection to the description of the caste system in the draft as a social and cultural structure as well as a religious belief. In a letter to the commission, the foundation suggested this description be changed to say the caste system was a social and cultural structure, rather than a foundational religious belief. The ongoing debate has attracted national and international attention, especially in India, where the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh welcomed the effort to prevent all references to India from being replaced with South Asia. China on Thursday continued to defy an arbitral tribunals ruling against its claims in the South China Sea, landing civilian aircraft on disputed islands in the region while state-run media referred to the US and Japan as worrying eunuchs. Beijing rejected the ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) that it has no exclusive rights over islands and resources in the South China Sea, saying it was null and void. It also warned it could create an air defence zone over the contested waters. In what appeared to be planned retaliation, China successfully tested two new airfields on the Nansha (Spratly) Islands with civil flights, state media reported. This took the number of airfields in the archipelago open to civil aircraft to three. The two flights, an Airbus A319 chartered by China Southern Airlines and a Boeing 737 by Hainan Airlines, both returned to Haikou after a short stay on the reefs, official news agency Xinhua reported. The round trips came one day after a Cessna CE-680 flew to the two reefs to ensure that both airfields are prepared for civil flights, Xinhua reported, giving more details about the build-up by China on the islands. Including the airport on the Yongshu Reef opened in January, China now has three functioning airports on the Nansha Islands, which lie under one of the worlds busiest airspaces, it said. Besides the airports, there are four multi-purpose lighthouses on as many reefs and the construction of a fifth on Meiji Reef is nearing completion, according to the transportation ministry. State-controlled media continued to castigate the US for purportedly manipulating the Philippines, which had approached the PCA, and for destabilising the region. An editorial in the nationalist tabloid Global Times stood out for its use of language that usually doesnt get into print. It said the US and Japan were more worried than the Philippines, whose attitude was relatively mild after the tribunals ruling on Tuesday. The editorial said the Philippines had described the ruling as a milestone decision and called for restraint. An old Chinese saying goes The emperor doesnt worry but his eunuch does, meaning the outsider is more anxious than the player. In this case, Washington and Tokyo are the worrying eunuchs, the editorial added. It said: It should be noticed that the arbitration tribunal is not a permanent court for arbitration, but a temporary institution for the South China Sea case established against the spirit of international law. It also has nothing to do with the UN. A post on the UNs Chinese microblog saying the body has nothing to do with the PCA was another point repeatedly emphasised by the Chinese government and state media. The UN said on Wednesday the PCA operated out of the same building, the Peace Palace, as the UNs primary justice branch, the International Court of Justice, but the two agencies were unrelated. China was quick to latch on to the microblog post. We have noted the reports, which showed that the temporary arbitration tribunal is not an international tribunal. It has no legitimacy. The award given is not authoritative, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a news briefing on Thursday. In fact, the PCA in The Hague just happens to be the neighbor of the International Court of Justice, both located in the Peace Palace in The Hague in the Netherlands, Xinhua reported. On the other side, the PCA, established in 1899, writes on its official website that unlike the International Court of Justice, the PCA has no sitting judges and its sessions are held in private and are confidential. China warned Thursday of a decisive response to provocations in the South China Sea, as it faced mounting pressure to accept an international tribunals ruling against its claims to most of the strategically vital waters. The Philippines, which launched the legal challenge, called for Beijing to respect the decision but sought to defuse tensions saying it would send a former president to China for talks. China, which had already vowed to ignore Tuesdays verdict by the UN-backed tribunal in The Hague, responded with another firm warning that it was in no mood to back down. If anyone wants to take any provocative action against Chinas security interests based on the award, China will make a decisive response, foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said. China claims nearly all of the sea -- which is of immense military importance and through which about $5 trillion worth of shipping trade passes annually -- even waters approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. China justifies its claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named and exploited the sea, and outlines its territory using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940s. Unlawful China However the tribunal sided with the Philippines in ruling Chinas claimed historic rights to resources within the nine-dash map had no legal basis. It also declared that China had acted unlawfully by violating the Philippines sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone -- waters extending 200 nautical miles from the Filipino coast. China had done so by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration within the exclusive zone, as well as by building artificial islands there. China has in recent years undertaken giant land reclamation works in the Spratlys archipelago, one of the biggest island groups in the sea which partly falls within the Philippines exclusive economic zone. The United States and Australia were among Philippine allies this week to quickly call on China to respect the ruling, pointing out it was legally binding. The Philippines initially refrained from asking China to abide by the verdict -- in line with new President Rodrigo Dutertes directive to achieve a soft landing with Beijing on the issue. On Thursday Duterte asked former president, 88-year-old Fidel Ramos, to go to China for talks. War... is not an option. So what is the other side? Peaceful talks, Duterte said without providing a timeframe. I have to consult many people, including president Ramos. I would like to respectfully ask him to go to China and start the talks. Ramos, who forged close relations with China when he was in office from 1992 to 1998, hinted he might not accept the offer because of his age and other commitments. Duterte, who took office on June 30, has said he wants better relations with China and to attract Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects. Beijing has said previously it wants to negotiate, but at the same time insists it will never concede on sovereignty. Tougher stance The Philippines filed the legal challenge against China in 2013 under Dutertes predecessor, Benigno Aquino. Relations between Beijing and Manila plummeted over the row. Earlier Thursday, the Philippines offered a hardened stance with a statement detailing Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasays priorities when he attends a two-day Asia-Europe summit, known as ASEM, in Mongolia along with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang starting on Friday. Secretary Yasay will discuss within the context of ASEMs agenda the Philippines peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision, the foreign affairs department said in a statement. Even just raising the issue at the summit would anger China, which has long bridled at Philippine efforts to have the dispute discussed at multilateral events. Chinese assistant foreign minister Kong Xuanyou insisted on Monday the ASEM meeting was not an appropriate venue to discuss the South China Sea. But Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said Thursday as he left for Mongolia that he wanted the sea to be discussed at the summit. Vietnam, another claimant in the sea, added to the pressure on Beijing. Vietnam asks China to immediately end moves that violate Vietnams sovereignty, Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh told reporters in Hanoi. China and the United States, which insists it must help ensure freedom of navigation in the sea, had already deployed significant naval firepower into the disputed waters ahead of the verdict. Taiwan, which has a very similar claim to the waters as China, sent a warship into the waters on Wednesday to protect its interests. The Islamic State group claimed its fighters shot down a Syrian regime warplane near the eastern city of Deir Ezzor and killed its pilot, in statements on jihadist websites. The extremist group said the MiG fighter jet was downed over the south of Deir Ezzor city after it had carried out several raids on villages in the area. The pilot died when the plane crashed, it said. There was no immediate confirmation from the Syrian government. But state-run SANA news agency reported that Syrian warplanes had carried out several sorties on Thursday to the east and south of Deir Ezzor city. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that IS fighters shot down the regime plane as it flew over an area adjacent to a military airport. IS controls large parts of Deir Ezzor city and most of oil-rich Deir Ezzor province, but has so far failed to overrun the airbase. The Observatory -- which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information -- says it determines what planes carried out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved. It said the plane downed on Thursday was the fourth shot down by IS fighters since April. Controversial Tory leader and Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson has been named as Britains new foreign secretary, a move that has both shocked and amused the international community. In his new role, the former London mayor will be required to foster Britains relationships with other countries, but Johnsons track record suggests that his tenure may be marked by more diplomatic crises than wins. When it comes to politically incorrect, and frankly, racist or offensive remarks, Johnson is a gift that keeps on giving. Offending entire countries and cities, insulting heads of state, throwing in a racist or sexist joke or two - is all in a days work for Britains new foreign secretary. A not-so-exhaustive list of everyone Boris has insulted in his inimitable style: 1. Insulting other countries: In 2002, when the then British prime minister Tony Blair was on an official visit to Congo, Johnson wrote in The Telegraph: No doubt the AK47s will fall silent, and the pangas will stop their hacking of human flesh, and the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down. In 2006, clearly not having learnt any lesson, he had to apologise to the country of Papua New Guinea for suggesting that they were prone to orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing. 2. Insulting British cities: If you can offend countries, there is nothing to stop you from a spot of homegrown stereotyping. Johnson described the city of Portsmouth as one of the most depressed downs in southern England, a place that is arguably too full of drugs, obesity, underachievement and Labour MPs. 3. Insulting heads of state: In an otherwise serious column on the war in Syria, Johnson compared Russian President Vladimir Putin, who prides himself on his physique and martial skills, to a house-elf from Harry Potter. Despite looking a bit like Dobby the House Elf, he is a ruthless and manipulative tyrant, he wrote. But this seems mild compared to the limerick he wrote for Turkish President Erdogan, suggesting a goat should be his sexual partner and clumsily rhyming wankerer with Turkish city Ankara. Read| Boris Johnson: From fallen Brexiteer to foreign minister 4. Insulting Americas current president: On April 22 this year, Johnson wrote a column for right-leaning tabloid The Sun, inexplicably blaming Barack Obama for removing a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office, as a symbol of the part-Kenyan Presidents ancestral dislike of the British empireof which Churchill had been such a fervent defender. 5. Insulting Americas potential president: Johnson also holds the dubious distinction insulting both of Americas presidential candidates, which should make the US-UK partnership fun under his tenure. He compared Hillary Clinton to a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital with her dyed blonde hair and steely blue stare in a 2007 column. And though many feel he has an uncanny resemblance to Donald Trump, in both appearance and ideology, it did not stop Johnson from uttering this gem: The only reason I wouldnt visit some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump. 6. Insulting the EU: Of course, as the poster boy for Brexit, Johnson has no love lost for the European Union. But sample his snarky summing up of the union: First they make us pay in our taxes for Greek olive groves, many of which probably dont exist. Then they say we cant dip our bread in olive oil in restaurants. We didnt join the Common Market betraying the New Zealanders and their butter in order to be told when, where and how we must eat the olive oil we have been forced to subsidise. 7. Insulting homosexuals: Though he now supports LGBT rights, in one of his books, Johnson thought it was good idea to say this: If gay marriage was OK and I was uncertain on the issue then I saw no reason in principle why a union should not be consecrated between three men, as well as two men; or indeed three men and a dog. 8. Insulting voters: Johnson also made this cringe-worthy sexist joke to lure voters: Voting Tory will cause your wife to have bigger breasts and increase your chances of owning a BMW M3. If Japanese cars and goods were targeted during a wave of anti-Tokyo protests four years ago, the unlikely symbol of Chinese ire against a tribunals ruling this week against Chinas claims on the South China Sea is the highly rated Philippines mango. Considered a delicacy and a top variety worldwide, mangoes from Philippines are popular in China, where they are imported and consumed in large quantities. The dried variety of the fruit too is widely available across China in mom-and-pop stores and 24-hour convenience shops. Not any more, if one is a true Chinese patriot. Online groups are urging Chinese citizens to boycott mangoes from the Philippines to protest against The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitrations (PCA) decision that went in favour of Manila and against Beijing. On Tuesday, a tribunal set up by the PCA said China had no historic rights over islands in the South China Sea and that Beijing had violated Manilas maritime rights. A subsequent online ruling by some Chinese social media groups apparently says Filipino companies have no right to sell mangoes in China. Does India back China on South China Sea? Beijing seems convinced The nationalistic Global Times tabloid reported online groups had urged traders on Taobao, Chinas biggest online retailer, not to buy mangoes from the Philippines. Vendors who sell snacks, especially imported dried mango from the Philippines on Taobao...began to change their advertisements into we boycott any products made in the Philippines and the rise and fall of the nation is the concern of every Chinese and our dried mango comes from Thailand and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, not the Philippines, the newspaper reported. The BBC reported slogans such as If you want to eat mango, buy Thailands and Starve the Filipinos to death being circulated on Weibo. Whether the call for a boycott is successful will only be known in a few days. For the time, it doesnt seem the demand for implementing a boycott will spiral out of control. The calls for mango boycott, of course, are a reminder of the anti-Japan protests in China--first around 2005 and then, more recently, in 2012-13 when Sino-Japan bilateral ties were particularly sensitive. Some reports during those protests said a few Chinese citizens even scratched their own Japanese cars in somewhat unhinged acts of patriotic passion. Beijing could declare air defence zone over South China Sea The fervour this time is yet to touch that pitch but thousands and thousands of patriotic comments are circulating on Chinas Twitter-like Weibo social media platforms and on WeChat, the mobile phone app. Comments, maps of the South China Sea and cartoons were widely shared on these platforms with Chinese citizens mostly saying China would not allow even a bit of its territory to be taken away. The SCS belongs to China, we wont lose a bit, wrote one user. On the Paris peace conference, China had nothing to do but to wait for sanctions from western countries, but today, Chinese people sneer at this illicit arbitration result. No diplomacy in weak countries, but now China has become powerful, was one of the hot picks comments on Sina Weibo that was shared numerous times. Said another user:China will not take a bit that does not belong to it, and will fight for all thats bound to be its part. When faced with territorial integrity issues, were all serious. If theres to be a war, well definitely stick up for our nation regardless of any condition. Some comments called for peace and talks. Theres no doubt that China has to affirm its attitude on the SCS problem. Honestly I dont know much about politics, but we should not be radical, wrote a Chinese citizen on Weibo. Violence cannot completely solve a problem, we have to settle the problem with long periods of negotiation and consultation, and seek a proper solution on the precondition of territorial integrity...hyping the problem does not help. Embattled Nepal Prime Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is facing a no-confidence motion, hinted on Thursday that India could be playing a role in attempts to oust him from office. Oli, a known India-baiter, made remarks to this effect at a seminar on national security in Kathmandu a day after the Maoists and the Nepali Congress registered a no-confidence motion against him in parliament. Meetings to remove the government have not taken place on their own, but are being (remotely controlled) by batteries. Its a sad situation for the country, he said. Oli, who used the nationalist plank to reach his office last October, stressed he wouldnt compromise on national security in the name of having cordial relations with neighbours. Neither we think against anyone, nor have we spoken against anyone. We wont let this country be used against others, he said. In New Delhi, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup he wasnt aware of Olis reported remarks. I havent seen any such comments. Even it there is one, we reject it, he said. Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba were invited to the seminar but they were conspicuous by their absence. Competition should be on other issues. But not on the question of national security, Oli quipped about their absence. The CPN-MC and Nepali Congress have inked a seven-point agreement on power-sharing. If the no-confidence motion is passed, Prachanda is likely to assume the premiers chair first, followed by Deuba. Both parties and their allies have the number of votes needed in parliament to oust Oli. The Madhesi parties, which have been seeking amendments to the constitution, have decided to support the motion. Oli has refused to resign and plans to face the motion, which could come up for voting on July 23. This is not the first time Oli and his party, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, have accused India of making attempts to remove him from office. They did it earlier in May, when the Maoists made an unsuccessful bid to dislodge the prime minister. It was followed by the cancellation of President Bidhya Devi Bhandaris visit to India and the recall of Nepals ambassador to New Delhi. Despite Indias denials of involvement in the five-month border blockade imposed by Madhesis last year, Oli, who had not become prime minister then, had accused New Delhi of imposing it. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A suspected recruiter for the Somalian militant group al Shabaab shot dead at least four Kenyan policemen in the station where he was being held on Thursday after he snatched a weapon from a guard, police said. The suspect is now holding other prisoners as hostage and police have surrounded Kapenguria police station in west Kenya, police inspector general Joseph Boinnet said in a statement. The man is suspected of links to terrorism, it said, without being more specific. The number of casualties is not clear, the statement said. Another police officer, who declined to be name, told Reuters at least four officers were killed and that figure could rise. Al Shabaab has launched a series of attacks against Kenya in recent years, including using local recruits. The group says the attacks are aimed at driving Kenyan forces out of Somalia, where they are part of an African force fighting al Shabaab. Kenyan television channel KTN said as many as six officers had died in the continuing stand-off in Kapenguria. Boinnet said that police had also repulsed an attack by al Shabaab militants on a camp in the Lamu region of eastern Kenya, near the Somali border. Several militants were believed to have been killed or escaped with severe injuries from that assault. He did not give figures. Theresa May became Britains prime minister on Wednesday with the task of leading it out of the European Union, and quickly named leading Brexit supporters including former London mayor Boris Johnson to key positions in her new government. The former Conservative interior minister, 59, said after being appointed by Queen Elizabeth that she would champion social justice and carve out a bright new future for Britain after last months shock referendum vote to quit the EU. We will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us, she said outside 10 Downing Street, vacated hours earlier by David Cameron. Cameron stepped down after Britons rejected his entreaties to stay in the EU, a decision that has set back European efforts to forge greater unity and created huge uncertainty in Britain and across the 28-nation bloc. May faced immediate pressure from EU leaders to serve formal notice of Britains withdrawal and set the clock ticking on a two-year countdown to its final departure. In phone calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, May said she needed time. On all the phone calls, the prime minister emphasised her commitment to delivering the will of the British people to leave the European Union, a spokeswoman for May said. The prime minister explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke of her hope that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit. Just over an hour after entering her new office, she started naming ministers, appointing the steady and experienced foreign minister Philip Hammond to take charge of the finance ministry. He replaces George Osborne, whose determination to balance Britains books made him synonymous with austerity. In a major surprise, May named Johnson, a leading eurosceptic who had until recently been seen as her main rival for the prime ministers job, to take over as foreign secretary. Other prominent Leave campaigners were also rewarded. One, David Davis, took the key role of Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Another, Liam Fox, was named to head a new international trade department. May herself had sided with Cameron in trying to keep Britain inside the EU, so needed to reach out to the winning Leave side in order to heal divisions in the ruling party and show her commitment to respecting the popular vote. Brexit means Brexit has quickly become her new mantra. By awarding such a senior job to Johnson, she also showed a conciliatory side. The two had clashed over policing in London while Johnson was serving as mayor. And since last months vote, for which he campaigned vigorously, Johnson had suffered widespread criticism and ridicule for failing to present a clear Brexit plan and swiftly dropping out of the leadership race. Newly appointed Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson waves as he leaves 10 Downing Street in central London on July 13, 2016 after new British Prime Minister Theresa May took office. (AFP Photo) With his unkempt blonde hair, bumbling humour and penchant for Latin quotations, the man known to Britons simply as Boris will be the governments most colourful figure, but a controversial choice for conducting sensitive diplomacy with world leaders. Asked by a reporter whether he would apologise to U.S. President Barack Obama for controversially saying the part-Kenyan president was biased against Britain because of an ancestral dislike of the British empire, Johnson said: The United States of America will be in the front of the queue. The quip was a reference to a comment by Obama during Britains EU referendum campaign that the country would be at the back of the queue for trade deals if it voted to leave the bloc. Among other appointments, rising star Amber Rudd switched from the energy ministry to take Mays old job as Home Secretary. Burning injustice May is Queen Elizabeths 13th prime minister in a line that started with Winston Churchill. An official photograph showed her curtseying to the smiling monarch. She is also Britains second female head of government after Margaret Thatcher. Seen as a tough, competent and intensely private person, already being compared to Germanys Angela Merkel, she must now try to limit the damage to British trade and investment as she renegotiates the countrys ties with its 27 EU partners. She will also attempt to unite a fractured nation in which many, on the evidence of the referendum, feel angry with the political elite and left behind by the forces of globalisation. In comments addressed to ordinary Britons, she spoke of the burning injustice suffered by large sections of society: poor people facing shorter life expectancy; blacks treated more harshly by the criminal justice system; women earning less than men; the mentally ill; and young people struggling to buy homes. Read| May or May not: What to expect as Theresa starts untangling the UK from the EU Acknowledging the struggles faced by many, May declared: The government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. She spoke of the precious bond between the nations of the United Kingdom, implicit recognition of the tensions generated by the referendum in which England and Wales chose to quit the EU, but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay, raising the possibility of a new Scottish vote on independence. Outside Downing Street, a group of demonstrators chanted: What do we want? Brexit! When do we want it? Now! The United States congratulated May and said it was confident in her ability to steer Britain through the Brexit negotiations. Based on the public comments weve seen from the incoming prime minister, she intends to pursue a course thats consistent with the prescription that President Obama has offered, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. Mays predecessor Cameron, appearing earlier in Downing Street with his wife Samantha and their three children, delivered his parting remarks to the nation after six years dominated by the Europe question and the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Its not been an easy journey and of course weve not got every decision right, he said, but I do believe that today our country is much stronger. In his last parliamentary session as leader, Cameron took the opportunity to trumpet his governments achievements in generating one of the fastest growth rates among western economies, chopping the budget deficit, creating 2.5 million jobs and legalising gay marriage. Yet his legacy will be overshadowed by his failed referendum gamble, which he had hoped would keep Britain at the heart of a reformed EU. Read| Forge a new Britain, come what May A tropical storm in China has left 69 people dead, reports said Thursday, after it lashed Taiwan with typhoon-grade winds and rain. Super Typhoon Nepartak brought chaos to Taiwan last week, forcing more than 15,000 people to flee their homes as part of the island saw its strongest winds in over a century. It had weakened to a tropical storm by the time it made landfall in the eastern province of Fujian on Saturday, but still wreaked havoc, with pictures showing cars upended, buildings ripped apart and towns left wallowing in a thick sludge of brown mud. By Thursday more than half a million had been forced to evacuate and around 8,300 homes destroyed, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Later in the day Xinhua said 69 people in Fujian had been killed, up from an earlier toll of 21, with six missing. Direct economic losses, it said, had reached 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion), adding that the typhoon had destroyed 19,510 hectares of crops and forced 233 factories to suspend production. Nepartak killed three people in Taiwan and injured more than 300, according to the islands central emergency operation centre. Xinhua said in a separate report that in incidents not necessarily directly related to the tropical storm, floods across China had left 237 dead and 93 missing as of Wednesday. It did not specify the time period within which the fatalities occurred. Flooding is common during the summer monsoon season in southern China, but rainfall has been particularly heavy this year and many areas have recently been lashed by torrential rains. Donald Trumps campaign has signalled he is likely to pick Indiana governor Mike Pence as his running mate, The New York Times reported on Thursday citing conversations his aides have had with Republican party officials. Trump has said he will announce his pick on Friday,just two days ahead of the Republican convention in Cleveland, Ohio, where he is to be officially named as the presidential nominee. Pence, 57, is on a shortlist of four people whom Trump has been vetting privately and publicly,as only Trump can, through joint campaign appearances. The other three are New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who ran against Trump for the nomination, former House speaker Newt Gingrich and Alabama senator Jeff Sessions. The Times said Trump advisers have told Republican party officials they are preparing an announcement with Pence, but warned the unpredictable Trump could still change his mind. The presumptive Republican nominee conducted an unusual vetting process, including joint public appearances and meetings that were announced to the press. Trump and his three adult children Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump had breakfast with Pence at his governors mansion on Wednesday, with TV crews outside. And then they met also met the other contenders. But Trumps campaign chairman Paul Manafort told The Times:We have not been reaching out to Washington to tell them to prepare for any particular candidate. Pence is a low-profile politician who,The Times said,was largely defined by his Christian faith, and is thus likely to help the nominee with conservatives still sceptical of him. Republican Donald Trump conducted last-minute talks with his top potential picks for his vice presidential running mate on Wednesday and said he would announce his choice on Friday in New York. I will be making the announcement of my Vice Presidential pick on Friday at 11am in Manhattan. Details to follow, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee tweeted on Wednesday night. Trump had a breakfast meeting on Wednesday with Indiana governor Mike Pence, and later sat down for talks with former US House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich. His family met on Tuesday with New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who speaks to Trump on a near-daily basis. In addition, US Senator Jeff Sessions, 69, of Alabama, a fourth potential candidate for the No 2 spot who has been a close adviser to Trump, was seen going into the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis, where Trump was. A source close to the campaign said Trump appeared to be leaning toward Pence but that he could always change his mind. Its not done until its done, the source said. Trump seemed to be trying to decide between Pence and Gingrich, the source added. The New York businessman is to be formally nominated at the Republican National Convention next week in Cleveland. Traditionally, the vice presidential choice is used to build enthusiasm among party loyalists. Pence, who faces a Friday deadline on whether to have his name on the ballot to seek another term as governor, said he was humbled to be considered for Trumps running mate. I think hes giving it very careful consideration, and were humbled to be a part of that, Pence told reporters later. There are a number of other noteworthy Americans that they are considering, and Im just honored to be on that list. Read: Donald Trump calls Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg mentally unfit Republicans close to the campaign said they believed Trump had narrowed his short list to Pence, Gingrich and Christie. He has campaigned with all three in recent days as he girds for perhaps the most consequential decision of his campaign ahead of the November 8 election. In a sign of how seriously the campaign is considering Pence, Trump was joined at the governors residence for breakfast by his daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump. Kushner and Trumps children have played important roles in the campaign. Trumps children met with Christie on Tuesday, a source close to the governor confirmed, describing the meeting as good and saying both parties had an existing relationship and were already friendly. Trump, who wants an experienced politician to join him on the ticket, campaigned with Pence at a rally on Tuesday night in Westfield, Indiana. More attention than usual Trump, a political outsider before entering the presidential race last year, has a tough choice to make. Pence, a 57-year-old former congressman who has flirted in the past with a presidential run of his own, would be perhaps the safest choice for Trump given the governors popularity among conservatives and his experience in government. He would also bring Midwestern appeal. But Pence has had a couple of missteps as Indianas chief executive. A religious freedom law he signed had to be revised because it was seen as discriminating against gays and lesbians, and he had to abandon plans to create a state-run news agency. Throughout history vice presidential selections seldom make much difference in the election. Because Trump has never held office and people are anxious to see how he would assemble a government, this pick might get more attention than usual, said Republican strategist Charlie Black. Pence would be a very good pick from the standpoint of having federal and state government experience, and also he has been a card-carrying member of the conservative movement his whole life, Black said. Trump is clearly comfortable with both Gingrich and Christie, a factor that Trump advisers say is important to him. Both Gingrich and Christie have been supportive of Trump throughout much of his bitter feud with establishment Republicans. Gingrich is popular among many Trump advisers because of his grasp of policy and his counsel. He was House speaker when Democrat Bill Clinton was president in the 1990s, and they achieved welfare reform, among other legislative achievements. Trump has staked his candidacy on revolutionary change in Washington and there is no one being considered who has actually achieved revolutionary change like Newt Gingrich, said Rick Tyler, a former spokesman for Gingrich. If Trump picks him, Ill know that Trump is serious about reforming Washington. But at age 73, Gingrich could have trouble appealing to younger voters. Trump is 70. Christie, 53, a one-time rival to Trump in the presidential race, is seen as a kindred spirit of Trump who would be a strong counterpuncher to Democrat Hillary Clinton, 68. But many conservatives doubt he really is one of them. Read: Donald Trump praises Saddam Hussein for killing terrorists, again Britains new Prime Minister Theresa May set about building her team to implement the Brexit vote, making a clean break from the past, but her appointment of Boris Johnson as foreign secretary evoked much mirth and moans in European capitals and elsewhere. The hitherto dominant Notting Hill set comprising Tories such as David Cameron, George Osborne and Michael Gove did not find a place in the new dispensation, as May sacked chancellor Osborne and justice secretary Gove. She created a new department called Exiting the European Union and gave key cabinet portfolios to leading lights of the Brexit camp, including Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox. Defence secretary Michael Fallon survived in his post. As May continued the appointment process on Thursday, Johnsons appointment was perceived as a joke, ridicule or worse across the world, particularly in the US, Europe and Turkey, where his wit and remarks in the past riled many. US state department spokesman Mark Toner was hard pressed to suppress a smirk when asked for a reaction to Johnsons appointment, while former Swedish premier Carl Bildt tweeted: I wish it was a joke, but I fear it isnt. According to French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, Johnson is a liar with his back against the wall. Asked if he was surprised by the appointment, he told French radio: I dont know if it surprised me. Its a sign of the British political crisis that has come out of the referendum vote. During the campaign, you know he told a lot of lies to the British people and now it is him who has his back against the wall. He is up against it to defend his country and also so that the relationship with Europe is clear, Ayrault added. Britons voted on June 23 to exit the European Union, triggering a political crisis that led to the resignation of former premier David Cameron. Newspapers in Europe, Australia and elsewhere recalled Johnsons many gaffes on the international stage, and wondered how a person alien to using diplomatic language could represent Britain in hard-nosed diplomatic talks. Johnsons gaffes include calling US President Barack Obama half-Kenyan and Hilary Clinton a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital, penning a rude poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and making a wild claim about China during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Newspapers recalled that last week May had ridiculed Johnsons negotiating skills in Europe by recalling her quote: Boris negotiated in Europe. I seem to remember last time he did a deal with the Germans, he came back with three nearly new water cannon. Columnist Sonial Purnell wrote in The Guardian: The new foreign secretary has no ministerial experience, a weakness for headline-grabbing insults of world leaders and a track record of causing upset on overseas trips. Even his recent leave campaign colleagues doubt his credentials as a statesman. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BEIJING: China could set up an air defence zone in the South China Sea (SCS) if it feels threatened, a top official said on Wednesday, a day after a UN-backed tribunal ruled the country had no historic rights over islands in the contested region. An arbitral tribunal set up by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PAC) in The Hague ruled that China had violated the sovereign rights of the Philippines and caused harm to the coral reef environment. A belligerent China dismissed the verdict, calling the tribunal illegal and the ruling null and void. Vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin told a news conference that China has the right to set up an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea if our security is being threatened. Whether we need to set one up in the South China Sea depends on the level of threat we receive, Liu said. Setting up an ADIZ would mean that international flights flying over the waters would be required to notify China. Liu spoke while releasing a white paper explaining Chinas position on the South China Sea disputes. China had set up an ADIZ over the East China Sea in 2013, prompting angry reactions from the US and Japan, though the zone was not fully enforced. Reacting to Indias call for parties involved in disputes in the South China Sea to abide by international law to ensure calm in the region, the Chinese foreign ministry said it agreed with the opinion. In those public statements made by relevant governments, if it is said that the dispute should be resolved by fully complying with the international law, I think it is the same with what Chinese government is upholding, foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said when he was asked to react to Indias statement. In an attack against the tribunal that gave the ruling on the South China Sea, Chinese officials indicated the panel could have been bribed. They said it was financed by the former government of the Philippines. Quoting vice foreign minister Liu, Lu Kang said the tribunal was financially supported by the former Philippines government. It is not the same as the International Court of Justice or the United Nations. These judicial organs are supported by the UN. But things (in the tribunal) are different. I believe it will be helpful to make that clear. The white paper explaining Chinas position dismissed the Philippines claim on several islands and reefs. The Philippines territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law, the paper issued by the State Council Information Office said. It noted that the then government of the Philippines had unilaterally initiated arbitration on the South China Sea dispute in 2013. By doing so, the Philippines has violated its standing agreement with China to settle the relevant disputes through bilateral negotiation, has violated Chinas right to choose means of dispute settlement of its own will, it said. BEIJING: A state-run newspaper on Wednesday proudly displayed a world map showing countries that support Chinas position on the South China Sea (SCS) disputes and in what some would describe as a flight of diplomatic fancy, it included India. The countries purportedly backing Beijing, actually most of the world barring North and South America and Australia, were predictably coloured in red in the map on the front page of China Daily. The text above the map said: More than 70 countries have publicly voiced support for Chinas position that South China Sea disputes should be resolved through negotiations and not arbitration. In contrast, just several countries, mainly the United States and its close allies, have publicly supported the Philippines and called for observing the ruling as legally binding. The report raised eyebrows in New Delhi, as it came a little more than a fortnight after China blocked India s application to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group during the elite clubs plenary in Seoul last month. Sources in New Delhi described the report as part of a misinformation campaign by China. A source said: Our statement yesterday makes our position very clear. Asked about the map, Chinas foreign ministry told HT :For the China Daily map, please ask the newspaper. DHAKA: Confusion surrounds the fate of two former hostages from the grisly attack on a restaurant in Bangladeshs capital, with their families saying they havent returned home and authorities announcing they are not in custody. The two men are considered vital for the investigation into the July 1 attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in the Gulshan diplomatic zone that left 20 hostages, mostly foreigners, dead. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State but authorities have insisted it was carried out by home-grown militants. The families of Hasnat Karim, a British citizen, and Tahmid Hasib Khan, a student at the University of Toronto, have sought information on their whereabouts and rights group Amnesty International has urged the government to clarify. Police said they had earlier questioned Karim and Khan but they were no longer in custody. Amnesty said Karims family was taken into custody for questioning on July 2, and all, except Karim, were released on July 3. Hasnat Karims family must immediately be told whether the Bangladeshi authorities are still holding him in custody, and if so allow him contact with the outside world. They have already suffered a traumatic episode, and his enforced disappearance prolongs their ordeal, said Champa Patel, Amnesty Internationals South Asia director. Authorities have a poor track record on human rights in custody, with torture and other ill-treatment to obtain confessions and the denial of medical treatment, Patel said. KATHMANDU : Nepals Maoists joined hands with Nepali Congress, the largest opposition party, to lodge a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday but the increasingly isolated leader pledged to fight on. The motion came a day after the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre withdrew support to the government, reducing it to a minority. It was registered in parliament after Oli rejected a demand from both parties that he step down. CPN-MC, the third largest party in parliament, and the Nepali Congress have agreed to form the next government, likely to be headed by Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda. Though his nine-month-old government has been reduced to a minority, Oli has refused to quit and plans to face the no-confidence motion. Oli has the support of other parties in the coalition, but their total votes add up to 252 while the CPN-MC and Nepali Congress have 342 votes - much higher than the 298 votes needed to prove majority. The agitating United Democratic Madhesi Morcha, which comprises four Madhesi parties seeking amendments to the countrys constitution, has decided to support the no-confidence motion against Oli. We have decided to support the motion. Whether we join the government or not will depend on how the new coalition handles our demands, senior UDMF leader Upendra Yadav told journalists. Olis party, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, the second largest in parliament, has decided to garner support from allies in the government and other parties to defeat the no- confidence motion. Earlier on Wednesday, CPN-MC and Nepali Congress gave an ultimatum to Oli to resign by 3 pm or face the no-confidence motion. The CPN-MC said it had withdrawn support because of the governments insincerity in implementing agreements signed with Olis party. The two agreements on power-sharing and implementing the constitution were signed in May after the Maoists threatened to oust Oli from office. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON WASHINGTON: US Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg has surprised fans and critics alike by publicly attacking Donald Trump, calling him a faker, but he fired back by calling for her resignation. Ginsberg started the row by telling AP in an interview the next president whoever she will be will have a bunch of appointments to make to the Supreme Court. Asked about Republican presidential candidate Trump, she said she doesnt want to think about that possibility (of Trump elected president), but if it should be, then everything is up for grabs. It is unusual for a Supreme Court judge to comment on a nominee. She made similar comments to The New York Times the next day. By now Ginsburg, one of the four liberal judges on the Supreme Court, was being criticised even by liberal pundits that she may have crossed a line. She told CNN on Monday, He is a faker. He has no consistency about him.. Trump fired back on Tuesday, calling the judge a disgrace. He told The New York Times, I think she should apologise to the court. I couldnt believe it when I saw it. He followed with a late night tweet: Justice Ginsburg of the US Supreme Court has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me. Her mind is shot - resign! ISTANBUL: Turkeys prime minister suggested on Wednesday his country wants to normalise ties with Syria in what would mark an about-turn in policy amid a broad diplomatic offensive. Binali Yildirim said in a televised address on Wednesday that Turkey is expanding its circle of friends. The statement follows the restoration of diplomatic ties with Russia and Israel. Ankara cut ties with Syrian President Bashar Assad after an uprising erupted in 2011. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON WASHINGTON: Citing weariness over Pakistans support for terrorism, US lawmakers on Tuesday said it was time to consider harsher measures, starting with cutting off financial aid to the country. A lawmaker said if that doesn t work, the US could consider declaring Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism like Sudan, Syria and Iran and subjecting it to crippling sanctions. That would be a new low for Pakistan, currently held close by the US as a non-NATO-ally and a critical counter terrorism partner , but not entirely unexpected. Republican and Democratic lawmakers came together recently to block an Obama administration move to sell Pakistan eight heavily subsidised F-16 fighter jets. They also sought to make future financial aid contingent and not optional, covered by waiverson the administration certifying Pakistan s counter terrorism measures. Now, however, they are asking if it is time to stop all aid altogether. Speaking of newly endemic weariness with Pakistan, Republican Congressman Matt Salmon said that patience is growing very thin. If our current efforts in Pakistan are not producing the results we seek then what are our options ? he asked while chairing a House sub-committee hearing. 'It was the best of times. It was the worst of times'. In 'A tale of two cities', Charles Dickens explored the imminent changes before and during the French Revolution in London and Paris. Although the hospitality industry is not facing the loss of kings, there's an important disruption due to technology. And we want to write a book to guide new and experienced hoteliers. The global hospitality industry has seen an upward growth trajectory in the last years with a steady growth of travellers globally and new players. With new hotels and more travellers fueling the hospitality industry, we want to contribute to the development and improvement of hospitality. As we mentioned in our last editorial, in Base7booking we are constantly exposed to the latest trends, tech news, and management ideas. However, it has come to our attention that this information is not always available equally to all hoteliers. We have identified this communication gap as an important barrier to tackle between hoteliers and good practices, innovation, news, and valuable insights. As hoteliers working for hoteliers, we are fortunate to be exposed to the industry's many faces. Base7booking was, after all, created and developed in Frank Martin's hotel before helping hoteliers in more than 45 countries around the world. With this in mind, we are currently writing a book covering lodging fundamentals with the freshest perspective: from location to brand management, to room distribution and pricing strategies, passing by online and offline distribution strategies, heading to operations, and ultimately becoming the best hotel in 100 kilometers. Coming from one of the world's best hospitality schools in Switzerland, we are combining theory with years of practical expertise and tech knowledge. Our aim is to give hoteliers a complete and updated guide to the latest available key drivers and essentials they need to start and run their business. Although our book is not a historical novel as Dicken's 'Tale of two cities', we certainly aspire to inspire hoteliers and business minds who have an interest in the hospitality industry. Regarding the release date, our pens are still humid from the ink and our keyboards on fire, but we hope to distribute it by the end of the year. Do you have topics we definitely should write about? We are open to any comments, questions, and ideas. Send us an email to [email protected] and we'll make sure to cover them in our book. Until then, we continue thinking and writing about change, thinking right now could also be the best of times for hospitality. Let us know in our social media in Facebook or @Base7booking, and we'll do our best to help you. 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 Flyte Systems InfoBoard at Hampton Inn Des Moines Airport Guests Enjoy Access to Digital Signage Information on Area Attractions, Local Dining, Airline Flights and Current Traffic Status without Searching their Mobile Our guests love the convenience and it saves our front desk staff time they would be answering guests questions, said Terry Landers, general manager of the Hampton Inn Des Moines Airport in Iowa. The property recently installed a touch screen InfoBoard digital signage display from Flyte Systems. Flyte Systems is a division of Industrial Television Services (ITS), based in Chicago. ITS is a respected digital signage solutions company with more than 50 years of experience specializing in real-time information delivery. Click here to request information on Flyte Systems' travel and guest information services. Hampton Inn Des Moines Airport recently completed a total renovation and upgraded all its 120 rooms. Convenient to downtown and the airport, its 24-hour airport shuttle, complimentary breakfast, Wi-Fi and fitness center is ideal for business travelers and leisure guests. In addition to the new upgrades, guests can now find a wealth of travel information on its new InfoBoard. The large digital signage display lets guests search property amenities and services, dining options and things to do in Des Moines, and shows airline flights and gates, weather and local traffic. Our new InfoBoard has a very crisp, sharp picture of area activity options and travel information our guests value, said Landers. The InfoBoard is near our front desk and we expect guests will enjoy learning about Des Moines and having current travel information. The airline schedules and local traffic updates are extremely valuable since about 75 percent of our guests arrive and depart through the Des Moines Airport. Landers noted that one of his corporate VPs saw an InfoBoard at another hotel while he was traveling and thought it would be a great amenity for the Hampton Inn Des Moines property. InfoBoard is an economical solution for properties that want to offer a valuable amenity to guests and visitors unfamiliar with their area. Flyte Systems is the leading provider of cost effective airport travel and flexible digital signage property information. The company delivers displays and digital signage content for hotels, corporate training centers, convention centers and related businesses. Flyte Systems provides low-cost property promotions, local events and flight information Flyte Systems suite of products that serve the traveling public includes: FlyteBoard displays live flight information for one or more airports. It can be customized with Doppler radar, local traffic, and guest messaging to create an all-in-one travel dashboard. Flyte Board can be wall, floor, or ceiling-mounted and is ideally suited for passenger terminals, lobbies, restaurants, airport parking, convention centers and other off airport venues. FlytePass combines real-time flights with free, secure boarding pass printing. It is available for both iMac & Windows computers and can be neatly packaged within a kiosk with options to match your decor. FlyteChannel lets guests view live airport flight information comfortably from their in-room television. FlytePad is a mobile-ready service that delivers real-time airline information via the iPad. EventDisplay professionally formats your meeting & events schedule on custom branded digital display. Flight information and wayfinding can also be included for the convenience of your traveling guests. EventChanne l shows property events and specials on the guests TV. l shows property events and specials on the guests TV. AmenityBoard lets hotels boost revenue by displaying and promoting onsite amenities anywhere. lets hotels boost revenue by displaying and promoting onsite amenities anywhere. InfoBoard is an interactive touch screen that saves labor, provides greater guest service, and generates revenue with flight information and much more. Many hotels and resorts also use Flyte Systems applications to increase revenue with innovative marketing approaches for distressed travelers. For tips on how to generate revenue by providing guests with Flyte Systems airline information, please log on to the Flyte Systems website at www.flytesystems.com. About Hampton Inn Des Moines-Airport The Hampton Inn Des Moines-Airport hotel is within a mile of Des Moines International (DSM) Airport, and conveniently located less than 15 minutes from central Des Moines, IA. The property offers a free 24-hour shuttle service covering the surrounding area as well as the airport, local restaurants and attractions. The hotel provides free 24-hour and free Wi-Fi access throughout the property. Guests enjoy Hamptons free hot breakfast with oatmeal and fresh waffles to accompany hot and cold selections. The property also provides traveling guests with its Hampton On the Run Breakfast Bag, available Monday to Friday. Consult our local experts the friendly Hampton Inn Des Moines-Airport team for local bar and restaurant recommendations. Click here for more information. About Flyte Systems Flyte Systems is a division of Industrial Television Services (ITS), based in Chicago. ITS is a leading digital signage solutions company with 55+ years experience specializing in real-time information delivery. Flyte Systems was formed in 2007 to offer real-time, web-based travel technology solutions. Flyte Systems provides subscription-based, environmentally responsible airport flight information and digital signage displays for the hospitality, convention center, digital signage industries, and related businesses. The companys solutions deliver accurate, instant, airport-centric updates of flight information not just FAA-provided departure times that may be inaccurate when there is a ground delay. Flyte Systems solutions enable properties to differentiate themselves and boost repeat business with 'glance-and-go' content and property promotions. Its products use Energy Star-compliant digital displays to help significantly reduce energy consumption and eliminate unnecessary trips to the airport. Clients include Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Starwood, Westin, IHG, Days Inn, Hotel Sofitel, independent properties, convention centers, and transportation centers. Contacts: Flyte Systems Sandra Ries Flyte Systems Phone: 877-Go-Flyte / 877-463-5983 or 847-671-4793 (International) Email: sandra.ries@flytesystems.com www.flytesystems.com Media Contact Julie Keyser-Squires, APR Softscribe Inc. 609 SW 8th St., Suite 600 Bentonville, AR 72712 Phone: 404-256-5512 Email: Julie(at)softscribeinc.com www.softscribeinc.com In comparison with a full 2015 week that did not include the Fourth of July, the industry's occupancy decreased 6.4% to 67.4%. Average daily rate was up 1.3% to US$121.11. Revenue per available room fell 5.2% to US$81.59. The U.S. hotel industry reported mixed year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 3-9 July 2016, according to data from STR. In comparison with a full 2015 week that did not include the Fourth of July, the industry's occupancy decreased 6.4% to 67.4%. Average daily rate was up 1.3% to US$121.11. Revenue per available room fell 5.2% to US$81.59. Among the Top 25 Markets, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia, recorded the largest year-over-year increase in RevPAR (+9.4% to US$98.39). Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida, posted the largest rise in ADR (+8.2% to US$114.98). Overall, six of the Top 25 Markets experienced RevPAR growth, while 12 markets reported a rise in ADR. Of the three markets to report occupancy growth for the week, Oahu Island, Hawaii (+2.0% to 91.1%), reported the largest increase in the metric. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota-Wisconsin, saw the steepest declines in occupancy (-23.5% to 60.6%) and RevPAR (-31.8% to US$62.70). Five additional markets experienced a RevPAR decrease of 20.0% or higher: Houston, Texas (-30.0% to US$48.25); Atlanta, Georgia (-27.6% to US$61.35); Chicago, Illinois (-27.3% to US$87.68); Boston, Massachusetts (-21.2% to US$128.74); and San Diego, California (-20.0% to US$138.71). San Diego reported the steepest drop in ADR, down 19.2% to US$173.92. Four other markets reported a double-digit drop in ADR: Chicago (-13.8% to US$127.71); Houston (-12.9% to US$89.68); Atlanta (-11.5% to US$93.74); and Minneapolis/St. Paul (-10.8% to US$103.41). After Minneapolis/St. Paul, three markets experienced an occupancy decrease of more than 15.0%: Houston (-19.7% to 53.8%); Atlanta (-18.2% to 65.4); and Chicago (-15.7% to 68.7%). View weekly U.S. hotel performance review About STR STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com. Daily Hotel Industry News Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest hotel news and trends. Initial Impact of Leave Decision Shows UK Travel Demand to the US Down 17.9% in June The world took a collective gasp on June 23 when the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. And with a new Prime Minister being named this week, changes in the UK are being watched carefully. Initial impacts of the UK's Brexit decision are already been felt in the travel industry with demand for summer travel from the UK to the US down 17.9%. Initial data was compiled by nSight for European travelers actively shopping online during June for July, August, or September stays in the US. Brexit is proving to influence not only travel behavior from the UK, but also other major European source markets for the US including France and Germany. Highlights of the initial Brexit impact: For UK demand into the US, growth trends leading up to the Brexit decision are strong peaking at +22.7% YOY at five weeks prior to the decision. In the weeks prior to the vote, UK demand begins to fall. Travelers in the UK were preoccupied with Brexit as opposed to planning trips to the US, culminating in significant weekly drops in demand (except for the week prior to the decision when demand remained relatively flat YOY at +3.4%). While overall demand for the US from the UK was down 17.9% for June, the last two weeks of the month showed the greatest declines. Demand was -23.3% for the week of June 20 and decline for the week of June 27 doubled to -53.0%. For Europe Demand (excluding the UK): Over the last 60 days, demand has been down approximately 20% YOY for most weeks. During the Brexit decision weeks, demand to the US recovered slightly to -6% YOY, indicating that while UK demand was declining, EU demand to the US was growing. France demand to the US for the summer is down with the biggest drop in July (-13.2%) and August and September down less than 5%. Germany demand increased for July (+10.8%) and then dropped moderately YOY for August (-7.5%) and September (-8.5%). This analysis is a preliminary view of the influence of Brexit on US visitation. nSight will continue to monitor the trends, providing regular updates on consumer behavior and the potential impact on US tourism. Commemorate the storming of the Bastille with some benign British pop-rock It's Bastille day, lets celebrate the birth of the French Republic with a tenuously linked look back in the archives at some of our interviews with British rock band, Bastille. We first spoke to the London band back in February of 2013 Yes, there has been a fair amount of drinking and partying, nods Smith. A couple of nights in particular. Targeting the days off and enjoying the nights before those has been a big theme of the tour. Its been wicked. here We talked to them again in July ahead of their appearance in the Indipendence festival I never wanted to be in a band when I was younger, he explains. Obviously Im happy and its crazy that its happened and we have this opportunity to do it as our jobs, but I wanted to write about films, I wanted to be a film journalist. Id always just done music for fun, as a hobby, although it feels weird calling it that now! here Advertisement Heres our review of their live show in The Academy, Dublin, back in 2013 here And a photo gallery of the night! here And finally in honour of the French, here's the English band's latest video! Delivers speech on equal treatment and fair business practices Yesterday, Jack White was confirmed as a member of the Council On Gender Equity in Nashville, Tennessee. The new panel was established by Megan Barry, Nashville's current mayor. She is the city's first female mayor. White is a Nashville resident and operates Third Man Records' headquarters there. During a press conference announcing the council, White spoke about adopting fair business practices, noting how Third Man has established a $15 minimum wage, paid maternity and paternity leave, and equal pay. White also expressed his belief that "the labels of gender and sexuality are completely up to the individual and not the people who employ them, or the government". He then called for fair treatment of genderqueer persons both in the workplace and in society. Thanks to Jack White, musician and business owner, for joining our Council on Gender Equity. @thirdmanrecords pic.twitter.com/rVL8W3Sen0 Megan Barry (@MayorMeganBarry) July 13, 2016 Advertisement Jamie XX has cast off his shy-boy shackles to become one of the most innovative figures in electronic music. This article can only be read with a Premium Account Please Log In or Subscribe to continue reading With only a day to go until Longitude kicks off in the stunning Marley Park, we're pulling the best reviews, interviews and galleries from our archives to get you excited for a jam packed weekend in Rathfarnham. HP Loves Longitude!!! Tick tock, tick tock, there's only one more day till The Longitude extravaganza hits Marley Park. With the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Major Lazer, The National, The Coronas, Roisin Murphy, Jamie XX, Action Bronson, Run The Jewels and many more performing, it's going to be a phenomenal weekend. To keep you occupied till that time, we've decided to delve into the archives and share our favourites from a wealth of Longitude-related material. Check out a fascinating article about Father John Misty discussing his inner demons. You can check out the piece here. Advertisement And stay tuned throughout the weekend, as there will be a host of Longitude related reviews, interviews and galleries to check out. Samuel L. Jacksons ability to be hilarious, heartbreaking, terrifying and compellingly watchable is well documented, but his role in The Legend Of Tarzan brings his politics to the fore. This article can only be read with a Premium Account Please Log In or Subscribe to continue reading Condemns the "disposable art society" Rapper after rapper has weighed in on the Rich Homie Quan flub, and now The Roots' Questlove has thrown in his opinion. Quan has faced much derision since flubbing the lyrics of Biggie Smalls' 'Get Money' verse at VH1's Hip Hop Honors. Quan went so far as to apologize to all of New York for his misstep. The incident seems to have had a big impact on Questlove. In an online rant, Quest condemned the disposable nature of mass consumer culture and suggested despairingly that most people can't name ten "worthy acts that give [them] the chills in 2016". He particularly called out artists who cultivate large social media presences while lacking genuine magnetism. Quest used Instagram to make this assertion. Check out the full post below. LEIGH Imagine everything you love is gone. Thats how Shawn Schweitzer gets herself to cry. I envision who I am and everything I have and then I imagine it all being taken away -- loved ones, an idea of who I am, said Schweitzer, adding that crying on cue is one of the hardest things about acting. Schweitzer and 15 other Nebraska actors are part of The Coldest Blood, a movie being shot in the Columbus area over the next month. Writer, director and lead actor Lucas Schmidt, a David City native, said acting has been his dream since he was a kid. While studying secondary education at Concordia University in Seward, he realized he didnt have to live in Hollywood to act. During his time there he participated in many diverse roles in theater. Over time he began to network, making connections outside the college campus in theater and film. Omaha and Lincoln are actually pretty big film communities, the 23-year-old said. After running out of money, Schmidt dropped out of school about halfway through and returned to the David City area, putting aside his acting dreams. Then he started to miss the world of acting. Schmidt figured the only way to juggle everyday life and his dreams was to bring the movie set to him. I never did it for the money anyway. I do it because I love it, he said. Schmidt started writing day and night, before and after work until he had a 100-minute script titled "The Coldest Blood." Now all he needed were actors. Schmidt posted a casting call on a Facebook page directed toward in-state actors. He was flooded with interest for his project. Schweitzer, a Lincoln resident who plays the quiet, nerdy older sister of Schmidts character, said shell go anywhere the work is while auditioning for films numerous times a year across the state. Most of the time I get picked for roles specifically, not necessarily because I auditioned for them, said Schweitzer, whose tattoos can sometimes determine whether she lands a role. She was perfect for this film since her character is closely related to who she is in real life. For just a moment, you get to be someone else, in someone elses shoes, she said of her love for acting. Although it's being filmed around the Columbus area, the movie is based in the Chicago suburbs. The lead character and his fiance, played by Justin Parker, find themselves amid a string of murders in their quiet neighborhood. Since the victims are heterosexual couples, they don't fear for their safety until Schmidt's character finds clues that point to his fiance as the killer. The movie is expected to be released around Thanksgiving, or Valentines Day at the latest. Schmidt is hoping to premier it in area theaters, but said nothing is set in stone. The film's progress can be tracked by looking for "The Coldest Blood" on Facebook. Available for download on their website In honour of Star Wars's one-year anniversary, Wilco have released a new song. 'Locator' is available for free download over at Wilco's website. All you have to do is give them an email address. The band came through Dublin last Sunday as part of their tour in support of Star Wars. We couldnt think of a better way to mark the one-year anniversary of 'Star Wars' than with the gift of song: https://t.co/fCTwKatIc4 WILCO (@Wilco) July 14, 2016 A certain Richard Branson once said that the easiest way of becoming a millionaire is to start off as a billionaire and then open an airline. The people who stand behind Baltia Air Lines Inc ( OTCMKTS:BLTA BLTA message board ) have probably never heard these words. The company was incorporated a while ago and it set itself an ambitious task - becoming "America's newest airline". They noticed that there is no scheduled nonstop service between New York and St. Petersburg, Russia and decided to make one. They bought a Boeing 747 during Q4 of 2010, but for various reasons, they are still unable to get it off the ground. Unfortunately, the same thing can be said about the stock. Trading hasn't been particularly active over the last couple of years and, apart from a few brief spikes, BLTA has never really managed to make any sort of consistent run up the charts. Is there anything to suggest that this is about to change? Well, the ticker hasn't registered a red session since June 24. Back then, it was sitting at $0.018 whereas right now, it's hovering just above the $0.03 mark which means that in a matter of just seven sessions, it has gained around 83%. The question is: "Can it hold on to the current levels?". Judging by the posts around the message boards, some people believe that BLTA will finally be able to show us that it's a solid investment opportunity. They reckon that although there are no official announcements confirming this, the end of the scheduled maintenance of the Boeing is near and that the certification process is progressing along nicely. Others, however, are a bit more skeptical. Some bloggers weren't convinced four years ago and we doubt that they are much more enthusiastic right now. In actual fact, BLTA's latest 10-Q doesn't really give investors many reasons to cheer. Here's a summary of the most important figures: current assets: $530 thousand in cash current liabilities: $2.1 million NO revenue since inception quarterly net loss: $2.6 million As you can see, BLTA is in a rather big financial mess and if you take a quick look at the older filings, you'll see that this has been the case for a while. You'll also spot another problem - dilution. Between April 15, 2013 and March 31, 2014, the O/S count grew by more than 1 billion. The latest report tells us that during the first quarter of this year, 65 million shares were issued in exchange for services and a further 241 million were sold for cash. The resulting dilution is putting tremendous pressure on the price, but things could get even worse if the aforementioned stock hits the open market. That's because the shares were issued at levels that are way below the current price. The ones printed in exchange for services, for example, were valued at around $0.01 a piece while the 241 million shares were sold for just $1.1 million ($0.0047 per share). In conclusion, there's no shortage of people who can benefit from BLTA's current climb. Unfortunately, unless the company succeeds in convincing everyone that it's making some actual progress, the regular investors won't be among them. That's why, careful evaluation of all the risks is absolutely essential. In 1981, Rod Canion had to make a decision, and fast. He could either continue at his day job, plugging away for the next two years on a project he knew ultimately wouldn't succeed in the current marketplace. Or he could take a risk and dive into the deep end, quickly. In the computer industry's formative years, any time wasted could be the difference between long-term success and constantly coming in last. Ultimately, Canion decided this time was too valuable to waste. "There's a stage in your career where you really don't know whether something is right or wrong, but you do it because your boss asked you to do it," Canion said. "But at some point, you begin to have enough understanding, visibility of what's going on in the world." So Canion and two colleagues from Texas Instruments stepped out of their comfort zone and left to start Compaq, a computer company that forever altered the tech industry not from the innovation mecca of Silicon Valley, but thousands of miles away from their home base in northwest Houston. To get there, Canion and co-founders Jim Harris and Bill Murto benefitted greatly from pragmatism and some good timing. They decided to stay in Houston not only because of their families, but also because they already knew people who could join their startup team. Also, the oil bust of the 1980s proved to be an undeniable advantage for Compaq when it came to recruiting and hiring top engineering talent that otherwise wouldn't be available. More Information TIMEline 1982:Compaq develops its first portable computer, clocking in at 28 pounds. 1983:The company hits $111 million in sales in one year, a record first. 1986:Compaq lands on the Fortune 500, after four years. 1988:Along with 60 other companies, Compaq pushes for an extension to industry standards for computer architecture, halting IBM's push for a proprietary model. 1991:Compaq sees its first quarterly loss, a record $70 million that led tolayoffs and theeventual ousting of CEO Rod Canion. 2002:HP purchases Compaq. 2012:Compaq celebrates its 30th anniversary at Minute Maid Park. See More Collapse Canion and team knew to not only tread water but rather snatch up the same market share of industry sharks such as IBM, their product would have to stand for something more. It had to be portable, and more importantly, compatible with software made for IBM products, the current industry standard. "This was like the early days of the auto industry," Canion said in a recent interview from his home in River Oaks. "Everyone was out there, with no barrier to entry." Startups were fast forming in garages, buying parts and piecing together their own modified take on a computer. Computers were becoming the way of the world. Instead of choosing someone as TIME's "Man of the Year," the magazine chose the computer, giving it the "Machine of the Year" distinction. So Canion's idea to create a portable version that could run spreadsheets and other software written for an IBM PC immediately felt right. He knew that the practical approach would be the answer. Now all they had to do was figure out how to make it. First, the team met at a computer store along Westheimer Road near the Galleria to check out the Osborne, a portable computer with a 5-inch screen and strap to help lug around the 24.5 pound mound. Aesthetically, it was the exact opposite of what Canion was going for. "It's ugly," Canion said. He wanted something smooth, curved and eye-catching that looked like it would belong in an office. After the field trip, they walked across the parking lot to House of Pies to talk things over. They sat down at a booth for a cup of coffee, only to realize no one had a pen or paper handy. So, they borrowed a pencil from a waitress, flipped over the paper menu and sketched out a preliminary vision of what the Compaq portable could look like. The keyboard had to look exactly like the IBM PC, they insisted. They wanted smoother edges made out of molded plastic, less of a utilitarian look compared to the existing Osborne portable. Think less Jeep and more Audi. That paper menu eventually became one page out of their original four-page business plan, touted around to secure investors in business meetings. Within weeks of that House of Pies brainstorming session, the company was up and running in early 1982. Compaq resembled the standard definition of a startup with the expected fast pace and rapid growth, but with a more practical flair that came from more than a decade of professional experience. Founders Canion, Murto and Harris all worked on projects at TI, where they developed basic business know-how, including how to market, forecast and consider all aspects before finalizing a decision. Within their first year, Compaq made a record $111 million in sales. "The truth is, you can't go from 0 to $111 million in 12 months without a lot of planning," Canion said. "The PC business overall was growing rapidly, with a lot of demand. The ability to get manufacturers to even agree to sell us this many parts took a lot of work." Murto and Canion took their portable computer to retailers for show-and-tell, all of whom loved the concept, Canion said. "When they found out it ran IBM software, they almost did backflips," he said. "They really wanted them right then." While Compaq achieved several milestones in its early days, with record sales and a quick ascent to the Fortune 500 in four years, Canion considers their lead in establishing an industry standard key to the company's legacy. When IBM wanted to switch to a proprietary model where it would sell licenses for other companies to use its software, Compaq rallied the ever-growing number of computer companies to challenge the tech giant's will. "We also knew IBM's brand was so powerful. If we just went up against them, they would win," Canion said. Instead, Compaq and 60 other companies teamed up in 1988 to support an extension of the industry standard for software rather than IBM's preference. It worked. That's why it's Mac or PC today, and not Mac or IBM, he explained. It also would've severely limited the pace of technological growth. "If we had lost in the '90s, would we have iPads and iPhones today?" he asked a stadium full of former Compaq employees at the company's 30th anniversary party at Minute Maid Park in 2012. Consequently, the industry standard that Compaq fought for also leveled the playing field for its competition, too. By opening up the doors to dozens of companies to develop cheaper computers, Compaq limited its own dominance. Eventually, its record pace for sales and growth slowed down, at the hands of newer computer companies such as Dell with direct-to-customer sales models and lower price points. In late 1991, the company saw a record $70 million quarterly loss and its first ever instance of layoffs. Shortly after, Canion was replaced as CEO. In 2002, HP purchased Compaq, in theory relegating its story to only Compaq insiders. Canion had different plans. He's since written a book on his time at the head of his company, which then became a documentary called "Silicon Cowboys." He may be drawn by equal parts nostalgia and pride for what he and his team created, but it's also about the legacy that lasts until today. "Everybody thinks of it as a Silicon Valley story, and to a degree it was," he said. "But no one knew what Compaq had done, the things we did that molded the industry." GALVESTON Gay Smither acknowledges that "forgiveness is a journey," but she said that one day she'd like to sit down and look into the eyes of William Reece, the admitted serial killer linked to the death of her 12-year-old daughter Laura. "I don't know if he'll agree to that," Smither, 56, told reporters after a court hearing Wednesday. "I would like to share my faith and talk to him about his soul and the only path to redemption is to, really, come forward with the truth of his life if he has any hope of saving his soul. I'd like to share that with him." Smither made her comments after Reece, a convicted kidnapper and rapist, agreed during a court hearing Wednesday to be returned to Oklahoma to be tried for capital murder in the 1997 death of another young woman. Reece, who is serving a 60-year prison sentence in Texas for kidnapping, recently led police to the remains of Jessica Cain and Kelli Cox, who vanished in Texas in 1997. His attorney says he has admitted responsibility for their deaths and for the slaying of Laura Smither, who disappeared while jogging in her Friendswood neighborhood that same year. Her body was found two weeks later in Pasadena. READ MORE: Who is William Lewis Reece? A history of the convicted felon who keeps leading police to new bodies Accompanied by her husband Bob outside the court hearing, Gay Smither said Wednesday she realized that a meeting with Reece would not be possible until after he had been convicted and sentenced in Laura Smither's death. "Forgiveness is a journey," she said, "but one day I would like mediation." Such a meeting would require the agreement of Reece and his attorney, according to Kevin Petroff, an assistant district attorney in Galveston County. RELATED: Accused serial killer moved to Oklahoma Earlier Wednesday, a bearded Reece, 57, entered the courtroom of Galveston County District Judge Kerry Neves wearing a blue polo shirt, faded jeans and beige high-topped boots. Neves asked Reece if he agreed to be transferred to Oklahoma County, Okla., to be tried for the 1997 kidnapping, rape and strangulation of newlywed Tiffany Johnston in 1997. "Yes sir," Reece said. A Galveston County sheriff's deputy brought Reece a document on a clip board and held it as Reece scrawled his signature. Watching the proceedings from the gallery were the Smithers. Before the hearing, Galveston County District Attorney Jack Roady had assured the couple that Reece would be sent back to Texas after the Oklahoma trial, even if a death sentence were handed down there, to face trial for the killing of their daughter. Reece's attorney, who was not present Wednesday, had previously said his client hoped his cooperation with Texas investigators would help him avoid the death penalty in the Oklahoma case. Oklahoma prosecutors have refused Reece's request to rule out the death penalty, but have not decided whether to seek it. Gay Smither said she hopes prosecutors don't do so. "I don't believe in the death penalty," she said, adding that she thought life imprisonment was punishment enough. Even if Reese is convicted and sentenced to death in Oklahoma, the Smithers want Reece to face charges in their daughter's death. "We want him to be tried here," said Bob Smither, 71. Gay Smither said she was grateful to Oklahoma prosecutors for allowing Reece to remain in Texas to assist investigators. "The wheels of justice grind slow and we have learned to be patient," Gay Smither said. Reese was identified years ago by police as the "prime suspect" in the killing of Laura Smither. After her disappearance, a massive search was mounted through boggy swamps and woods for the aspiring ballerina, among a select few who had been accepted into the Houston Ballet Academy the year before. Her face was flashed over the nightly news for 17 days until her body, clad only in a pair of socks, was found 12 miles from her home in a Pasadena retention pond on April 20, 1997. Reese became a suspect after investigators learned he was a registered sex offender working off Moore Ranch Road, where the child was last seen jogging. On that particular day, Reece had been let go from work early because of rain. However, Reece was never charged, and he even got a judge to restrict officers from interviewing him again without his permission in 1999. At that time, he told the Chronicle, "Hey, look. Enough is enough. Either file the (expletive) murder charges ... or get off me." The girl's parents later won a $110 million wrongful death lawsuit against Reece, who chose not to participate. Reece, a former truck driver, had spent almost 10 years in an Oklahoma prison for two rapes in that state before being released on Oct. 5, 1996. He has been linked to five attacks on young women, four of which were fatal, over a five-month span in 1997. The sole survivor, Sandra Sapaugh, then 19, escaped by leaping from Reece's truck on Interstate 45. Reece was convicted the following year in her kidnapping and received the 60-month prison term in Texas. Investigators began to zero in on Reece as a possible suspect in some of the other cold cases after advances in DNA testing connected him last year to the death of Johnston, who was abducted from the Sunshine Car Wash in Bethany, Okla. on July 26, 1997. Her body was found the following day. Oklahoma authorities agreed to let Reece remain in Texas to assist in the investigation of the other young women's deaths on the condition that he would be returned to Oklahoma to stand trial before charges were brought in Texas. Reece was transferred from a Texas prison to the Friendswood city jail. He led investigators to the remains of Cain and Cox, who vanished in the summer of 1997. Cox, a 20-year-old University of North Texas student and mother, went missing down the street from the Denton Police Department after touring the station for a criminology class on July 15, 1997. Her remains were found this past spring in Brazoria County. Cain, a Galveston teenager, disappeared on Aug. 17, 1997, as she was driving home from a high school musical cast party at a Clear Lake restaurant. Her truck was later found on the shoulder of I-45, with her purse locked inside. Her remains were found this past spring in a horse pasture near Hobby airport. 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. When it comes to country comparisons, Canada often comes out near the top, but theres one where the Great White North is right near the bottom: The cost of air travel. Canada places 124th out of 141 countries ranked by the World Economic Forum on the cost competitiveness of its travel and tourism industry, and a recent analysis says much of that has to do with ticket taxes and airport fees. Advertisement Ultimately, these taxes and charges represent extra costs that are passed on to consumers and to air carriers, wrote Alexandre Moreau, a policy analyst at the Montreal Economic Institute. Moreau notes that the federal government still owns almost all of the 26 major Canadian airports run by the National Airports System (NAS), and collects rent from the lease-holders. That rent can amount to as much as 12 per cent of an airports revenues, he writes, and Canadian airports don't receive government subsidies. That helps explain why Toronto's Pearson International Airport ranked as the world's most expensive airport to land in for years, before recently falling to fourth place. Advertisement Toronto's Pearson International Airport ranked for years as the world's most expensive airport at which to land. (Photo: Bruce Bennett via Getty Images) To reduce costs to airlines and travelers, Moreau says the federal government should consider privatizing the countrys major airports. Replacing the current system of excessive rents ... with a tax on companies profits would encourage airports to invest more and to reduce the fees charged to carriers and consumers. The federal government relies on airport revenue to meet its budget; it collected $313 million from NAS airports in the last fiscal year. Advertisement But Moreau argues that the loss of government revenue would be counterbalanced by the long-term economic gains made possible by the increased competitiveness of Canadian airports. Also on HuffPost Jeff McIntosh/CP Alberta is changing its beer tax for the second time in just under a year, and Tory MP Jason Kenney is none too pleased. The NDP announced Tuesday it would be updating the markup on all beer sold in Alberta to $1.25 per litre, regardless of a company's size or location. The new markup is set to take effect August 5, with grants available for small brewers in the province. Advertisement In the NDP budget tabled in October, the government said beer would be taxed on a sliding scale small, local brewers would pay only 10 cents per litre. "To add insult to injury, the NDP are hiking the price of beer in August, when many of us enjoy a beer or two during a hot summer day." Kenney announced his intention to run for leader of Alberta's Progressive Conservative party last week. It didn't take him long to wade into the province's political fray, posting a scathing diatribe to Facebook Wednesday against two things few people like: taxes and taxes on beer. "The announcement by the NDP to jack up the price of beer from small and medium sized breweries to $1.25 per litre amounts to a $2.50 increase for many six-packs," wrote Kenney. Advertisement "To add insult to injury, the NDP are hiking the price of beer in August, when many of us enjoy a beer or two during a hot summer day." Kenney isn't the only one concerned about the new tax. 'It all comes down to the details' Its a little scary. Its an 1,100 per cent increase in our taxes, said Kelti Boissonneault, co-owner of Theoretical Brewing Company Ltd. in Lethbridge, in an interview with Global News. However, others are waiting for more details on the grants which have yet to be released. "Our hope is that we're no worse off," Terry Rock, executive director of the Alberta Small Brewers Assocation, told the Calgary Herald. "It all comes down to the details of the grant program we don't want this to be passed on to consumers of Alberta beer." Also on HuffPost: Have you ever caressed a loved one's baby-soft smooth skin and thought, "Give me this blemish-free flesh, you perfect monster"? Or at least, experienced some degree of skin envy towards those with flawless skin? A London-based student designer has taken that to the next level with her proposed line of leather fashion and accessories you can own, so long as you're fine with everything being made out of revered fashion icon Alexander McQueen's skin. In Tina Gorjanc's "Pure Human" collection, Gorjanc presents jackets and bags, swathed in a disturbingly suggestive colour palette of peachy pink tones and camel hues. Advertisement For added effect, Gorjanc garnished some pieces with freckles, moles, and tattoos that mimic those her own body has. Advertisement Her project could be possible thanks to one of the late McQueen's first collections. In his graduate collection "Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims," McQueen sewed a lock of his hair to each garment, pinning them inside clear plastic baggies attached to the labels. A photo posted by ThomasMercurio (@thomas.mercurio) on Jan 14, 2016 at 11:10am PST In keeping with his penchant for storytelling through fashion, it was meant as a homage to when Victorians exchanged locks of hair between loved ones as mementos. McQueen claimed that he was inspired by Victorian sex workers who would sell their hair to individuals who wished to exchange, but did not want to cut their own. In its own way, his hairy memento mori paid tribute to Jack the Ripper's alleged victims, as well as nodded to his own ties to the serial killer (a relative of McQueen's owned an inn that the Ripper had supposedly stayed in). A photo posted by Hilary Alexander Official (@hilaryalexanderobe) on Mar 12, 2015 at 2:21am PDT Advertisement In order to turn hair into flesh, Gorjanc plans to harvest McQueen's DNA from his follicles, then grow his skin tissue using a genetic process she's filed a patent for. From that skin tissue, Gorjanc would tan and leather it. This refined material can then be adapted into the creations she's mocked up. Gorjanc attends Central Saint Martins, of which McQueen is an alumni of. She chose to grow McQueen's skin for her graduate project to make a statement on commercial access to genetic data. Advertisement "If a student like me was able to patent a material extracted from Alexander McQueen's biological information as there was no legislation to stop me, we can only imagine what big corporations with bigger funding are going to be capable of doing in the future," she told Dezeen. Right now, Gorjanc's project exists 100 per cent flesh-free. The garments displayed were made out of pigskin, treated with layers of silicon. However, as soon as she's able to guarantee her patented process works, the owner of McQueen's "Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims" collection has said they'd be willing to send a lock of hair Gorjanc's way. If all this gets under your skin, you might not be happy to hear that human skin as fashion isn't unheard of. In Aztec times, war god Xipec Totec was depicted wearing human skin, with his worshipers following suit. And nowadays, the aptly named U.K. company Human Leather claims to sell clothing made out of donated human skin, but hasn't released any images of its wares. OTTAWA There were some things that bothered Tony Clement about the last years of the Conservative government, but he doesn't want to dwell on them. The 55-year-old former Treasury Board president, industry, and health minister told The Huffington Post Canada Wednesday that he's looking towards the future. Advertisement "I think there are a few things that went wrong. I don't want to itemize them. But I think we got the big things right," he said, citing the government's economic record specifically. Conservative leadership candidate Tony Clement is shown in his Ottawa office in July 2016. (Photo: Althia Raj/HuffPost) Last year, Clement made headlines for saying he wished, in hindsight, that he had not got rid of the mandatory long-form census. Advertisement It was one example in a series of Conservative reversals notably interim leader Rona Ambrose's welcome of an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and of a much more relaxed attitude towards marijuana that surprised political watchers. Clement said he's proud of his record and "proud of Stephen Harper's record in the 9 years that we were in power, but it's really time to turn the page and move forward." He signalled that he does regret Bill C-51 and the way the last election campaign was run. But he was also asked specifically if there is anything he wishes he had done differently such as, say, that $45 million for streetlights, sidewalks and gazebos in his riding. "Haters are going to hate on social media," he responded. "That's all part of being open and accessible." 'Haters are going to hate' In an interview in his Ottawa office Wednesday, Clement sat surrounded by memorabilia his 52 snow-globes (he started buying them as a student and now he just keeps getting them), a piece of the Berlin wall a friend chiseled for him hanging in a frame on the wall. There is a 1990 poster from Hungary's first free elections since 1945 that reads, according to Clement, "Comrades, you are toast!" and a poster of Superman from 1984 has the words "Knowledge is real power!" scrawled over top. Clement found it in a library and asked if he could have it. Advertisement The four-time MP for Parry SoundMuskoka launched his bid for the Conservative leadership this week. It's his second attempt at the job, having come in third in 2003, behind Harper and Belinda Stronach with eight per cent support. On Tuesday, in a Mississauga riding the Tories lost to the Liberals last October, Clement told supporters he is the leader who can recapture this seat and others like what he's saying. "We've got to reconnect with new Canadians, new arrivals, first-generation Canadians," he said. It's a tough but not impossible task. Clement loves snow globes and social media. (Photo: Althia Raj/HuffPost) The Tories alienated many communities during the last election that for years they had tried to court. Many Muslims felt the party was using them as scapegoats with anti-niqab arguments and the promise of a barbaric-cultural-practices tip line. Other communities, in particular the South Asians, feared the Tories would deport their children to the countries of their birth if their sons and daughters were ever convicted of a crime. But it wasn't just ridings with large ethnic populations around the Greater Toronto Area or urban Vancouver where the Tories sank, Clements noted. Advertisement "It's a problem in a lot of urban areas outside of Alberta." Clement believes he can reconnect with new Canadians by playing up his immigrant roots his father is Greek, his mother's mother Syrian Jewish. His parents came to Canada from Britain to start a new life, believing that if they worked hard and played by the rules they'd get ahead, he said. "That's the Canadian dream, right?" Clement also wants to reach out to urban Canadians, millennials and younger voters those who gave Justin Trudeau a majority government last fall. Clement thinks he is uniquely qualified to speak to younger voters. He's very active on social media. He proudly reports that the launch of his leadership campaign on Facebook Live reached 170,000 people. "We crushed. Our reach was like incredible." He may not represent change physically, but pointing to 74-year-old former Democratic contender Bernie Sanders, Clement said, young people have shown that it's not "chronological age but the ideas" that matter. Advertisement Millennials may be attracted to a number of Conservative policies if the party and the leader start speaking their language, he said. "They care about freedom. They care about having that freedom online. They care about policies that are not the nanny state policies of Liberalism," Clement said. All those young people who protested against the Tories' controversial Bill C-51 might find a home with a Tony Clement Conservative government, he added. Not enough debate on C-51 Freedom of the Internet is a positive force in our society, Clement said. "There are those who use freedom of the Internet for violent destructive purposes, so there is always a need to help our security personnel to find the bad guys and shut down their use of that to recruit terrorists. But having said that, by and large, that is not the case on the Internet. "I just want to have a better balance in our public policy, where we do help security personnel with the appropriate tools and with the appropriate oversight of those tools . But we can't be in a situation where the government of the day is at war with the Internet . That is what China does." Advertisement Clement suggests he thinks there wasn't "enough debate" on C-51 before it was tabled in the House. Conservatives need to be the custodian of freedoms, he said. "With me as leader, that debate will occur and we will have a better balance of that in our society." Opposed to carbon pricing to combat climate change On the environment, an issue young people routinely say they care about, Clement said is opposed to carbon pricing. He believes the Liberals' still-unannounced plan to reach Canada's climate change targets won't be revenue neutral, and he's opposed to any new taxes. British Columbia has a carbon tax, introduced by the right-leaning Liberal government, that is revenue neutral. It's a consumption tax but it's provincial, Clement noted, by way of explanation for his acceptance of that tax. "I want Canada to meet the targets that are part of the Paris Agreement, but there are many different ways to do that," he said. His plan will "unleash the private sector" to help reach those goals without sacrificing the economy, he added. Running on experience By the next election in 2019, Clement said he believes people will be tired of a Liberal agenda that keeps raising taxes and building bigger deficits. Advertisement "I certainly don't ascribe to the theory that we can spend our way out of the low growth that is in parts of the country," he said. "In three years time, people in Canada will want a Conservative leader who has a wealth of experience who has been tried and tested and at the same time has a really important agenda for Canada when it comes to productivity, innovation, better environmental policy, better economic policy." Conservatives haven't had much to say on issues such as poverty reduction or indigenous peoples and their place in society, he said, but under his leadership they will. Clement speaks at a rally in Mississauga, Ont. to announce his candidacy for federal Tory leader on Tuesday, July 12, 2016. (Photo: Chris Young/CP) Advertisement Clement said he has the skills needed for the job. He has slashed budgets, helping find $10 billion his count in ongoing government savings. He has also helped build political parties, from Ontario PC leader Mike Harris' 'Common sense revolution' to being the Canadian Alliance's founding president. His goal is to modernize the Conservative party by bringing the party's grassroots back into the fold, and by being an accessible and responsive leader. On Tuesday, Clement announced that he wants to introduce a one-page tax form. That means he would get rid of some very popular Conservatives boutique tax credits. "I think we need to look at things differently," he said. "We ought to have a simpler tax system." There should be fewer loopholes for rich Canadians, he said, and fewer Canadians who miss out on tax credits they are unaware they should receive and so do not claim, he said. CBC subsidy 'makes no sense' Another change Clement would like is to end CBC's billion-dollar subsidy. The Crown corporation unfairly competes with other content providers from the private sector who perform the same service, he said. "It makes no sense. We have to move to a fairer, level playing field for content providers. The day and age when the government of Canada, through taxes, is the main provider of the main income of the CBC is long gone." Advertisement CBC radio should still be subsidized, Clement thinks, but it's the other CBC programming television, music streaming, online that concerns him. Won't overturn Liberals if they legalize pot On marijuana, Clement said he favours decriminalization for possession. But if the Liberals legalize pot, he said: "I will not overturn that law, I will instead concentrate time and energy to make sure our children are protected." If weed is legal and taxed, but people still grow their own plants for personal use, Clement told HuffPost he doesn't think they should be charged with a criminal offence. What he is really concerned with, however, is ensuring that the pot distributors and manufacturers who get lucrative contracts don't have "cushy Liberal insider connections." If that happens, Clement said, he'll cry "foul." So far Clement's competition for the Tories' top job includes MPs Maxime Bernier, Kellie Leitch and Michael Chong. Advertisement "In three years time, people in Canada will want a Conservative leader who has a wealth of experience who has been tried and tested." Tony Clement Former cabinet minister Peter MacKay is still considering whether to run, as are several other MPs. TV personality and businessman Kevin O'Leary, with whom Clement is meeting on Friday, appears less likely to join the race. Bernier, the former foreign affairs minister who captured national headlines after leaving cabinet documents at his girlfriend's house, promised that if elected leader next May he would privatize Canada Post and get rid of supply management. Clement also favours privatizing Canada Post, he told HuffPost, but he doesn't think anyone is interested in buying the postal service because of its costly pension plan. "Ain't nobody going to be buying up Canada Post unless the government says we're going to take over the multibillion dollar liability of the pension plan. Advertisement "If somebody wants to buy Canada Post with the pension liability, tell me now. I'd love to see that." Former defence minister Pete MacKay speaks to reporters on Parliament Hill as Clement looks on in April 2013. (Photo: Fred Chartrand/CP) On supply management, Clement believes that if Canada wants to transition away from it, the government must find some way of helping farmers adapt "You can't just cut them loose and say 'that is going to be our policy from now on.'" Clement said he decided to join the contest officially at this point because he couldn't wait any longer for MacKay to make up his mind. The Nova Scotia MP quit politics last year citing the need to spend more time with his family. He's a Bay Street lawyer now who told reporters at the Conservative convention in May that he won't be rushed into joining the race. Advertisement Clement needs the summer to start organizing and fundraising. He said he'll need a lot of cash for the contest, the spending limit for which is $5 million. #Empower The theme of Clement's launch is empower, or rather #empower. "Our party needs a leader whose door is always open. Who is open to dialogue with caucus, dialogue with party membership, the broader supporters of our party, that is what empower means to me," Clement said. He wants to create "a constant dialogue" to resolve issues, move policy forward and design electoral strategy in a collaborative way. Similarly, to empower Canadians, Clement said, the government has to ensure the economy is working better. "That the policies of government help the private sector rather than in some ways infringe on the private sector. And [that] this will empower our economy to move forward, and people to be able to provide for their families better." "Why is it me who can do that? I have got the experience, I've got the innovative agenda, and I've been tried and tested in a couple of decades of private life and I'm looking forward to this challenge." Advertisement ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Chris Wattie / Reuters Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a plenary session at the North American Leaders' Summit in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 29, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Wattie When damning videos showing armoured vehicles being used against Saudi civilians surfaced last May, officials at Global Affairs Canada downplayed the obvious risk that the Canadian-built armoured vehicles at the centre of Canada's $15-billion deal with Saudi Arabia might be used for the same purpose. Instead they questioned whether the armoured vehicles shown in that particular footage were in fact made in Canada. But the videos released by The Globe and Mail unequivocally established reasonable risk. It didn't matter whether or not the vehicles in these particular videos were made in Canada. The videos documented the proclivity of the Saudi regime to use force -- and, specifically, armoured vehicles -- against civilians. And let this be clear: the threshold established by Canada's export controls was never proof that Canadian-made goods had been involved in human rights violations. The threshold is a reasonable risk that they might be so used. Advertisement Now The Globereports that explosive breaching gear that literally says "Made in Canada" has been found at the scene of a deadly raid against Shia civilians in the Qatif region of Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. This disturbing new evidence of Riyadh's heavy-handedness should silence any lingering doubt about the very real risk of misuse of Canadian military exports in Saudi Arabia. Global Affairs Canada has stated, on multiple occasions, that it would reconsider existing authorizations for the armoured vehicle deal should new information emerge. But GAC officials responded to this latest incident with a technicality: the explosives for this gear are lined after the export has taken place, thus the breaching equipment is not subject to military export controls. Again, they seem to be missing the point. Although no doubt aware of the recent evidence of Saudi abuse, Ottawa appears determined to proceed with this dubious contract. Saudi Arabia's recent history is riddled with examples of use of force against civilians and disregard for the most basic tenets of human rights. In January, approximately 50 Saudis were summarily executed by the state. A UN panel report leaked in February accused Saudi forces of war crimes, denouncing "widespread and systematic" targeting of civilians in Yemen last year. Advertisement At the same time, efforts to minimize or dismiss this risk have become routine. While former Prime Minister Stephen Harper referred to the armoured vehicles as "transport vehicles," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used the even more innocuous-sounding "jeeps." In fact, these ultra-modern fighting machines are as subject to the human rights safeguards of Canada's military export control policy as are Canadian-made bombs, missiles or high-calibre automatic weapons. Even so, it has now been established that the required export permits were issued by the current Liberal government, which apparently saw "no reasonable risk" that the vehicles would be used against civilians. Although no doubt aware of the recent evidence of Saudi abuse, Ottawa appears determined to proceed with this dubious contract to supply the Saudis with armoured vehicles, "no matter what." And when pressed to justify the issuance of the requisite export permits, Trudeau simply stated that proceeding with the multi-billion dollar arms deal with human rights violator Saudi Arabia is "a matter of principle." Authoritative organizations that track human rights internationally warn of a worsening human rights situation in Saudi Arabia. Global Affairs Canada's own 2015 human rights report on the Kingdom, released in April, pointed to "a significant increase in the number of executions, restrictions on universal rights, such as freedom of expression, association and belief, lack of due process and fair trial rights." Yet Ottawa still refuses to acknowledge the reasonable risk of misuse of Canadian military exports. If its primary line of argument is that it needs to "stick to its word," the Canadian public needs to know if there are ANY limits to Ottawa's contractual obligations. Would anything prompt the government to reconsider the authorization of this deal? Advertisement National polling has consistently shown that most Canadians disapprove of arms deals with known human-rights violators in general, and Saudi Arabia in particular. The latest poll, conducted by Nanos Research for The Globe and Mail in late June, left little doubt about where Canadians stand on this deal, with more than seven in 10 indicating some degree of opposition to sales of military equipment to Saudi Arabia. Canadians have spoken. Reasonable risk has been established. Evidence has been presented. All possible red flags have been raised. At this point, proceeding with this deal will utterly and predictably undermine the integrity of Canada's export control system. A state simply cannot claim to protect human rights while providing arms to one of the most repressive regimes on Earth. The implications of this complicated stand will become even more apparent when Canada joins the Arms Trade Treaty later this year, and could also play a role in Canada's bid for a UN Security Council seat. Further, it is far from clear that respecting domestic export control regulations would hurt Canada's ability to conduct international business. What is certain is that Canada's international credibility on human rights matters will be take a significant hit if the deal goes forward. For the Trudeau Liberals, adhering to the requirements of domestic and international military export controls is not only the right thing to do. They may not have realized it yet, but it is also in their own best interests. Advertisement Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: Lora-Sutyagina via Getty Images 'Peace' word written with pebbles on the sand. Aged photo. 'Peace' word made by small stones on the beach. Word on the sand - toned photo. Antalya Province, Turkey. Wide photo for site slider. By Beth Woroniuk On July 1st, we marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. The tragic slaughter of hundreds of thousands of young men echoes through the century. I am Canadian because of my Scottish grandmother who turned 19 the year World War I ended. She looked around and saw that 'there were no young men left.' So she made a new life in western Canada. Fast forward 100 years. Armed conflict has changed. The line between combatants and civilians is blurred. Today suicide bombers attack airports and cafes. Armed groups abduct young schoolgirls. Sexual violence is an all too common military tactic. Population displacements are at an all-time high. Casualties in countries like Syria continue to mount, where some estimates put the death toll at just under half a million people. Advertisement War has changed: our approaches to building peace must also change. Understanding the gender dimensions of armed conflict, security and building peace is crucial for the International Assistance Review. Women's empowerment and gender equality are strongly linked to peaceful and stable societies. The evidence is clear. Women's empowerment and gender equality are strongly linked to peaceful and stable societies. When they can set their own agendas, women's organizations have been successful at moderating violent extremism. Peace agreements are more likely to be reached and to stick when there is meaningful participation from women's movements. Women's organizations mobilize across ethnic, political and religious divides, building bridges for peace. The argument is not that all women are peaceful. But there is clear proof that women's organizations and movements have been and can be powerful tools in building sustainable peace. Yet there is resistance from the security sector in general and from pockets within the Department of Global Affairs in particular. Policy frameworks and analysis are generally silent on gender dimensions. The critical importance of bringing women into peace-building in a transformative way is still not part of the worldview of the majority working in this area. All too often "women, peace and security" investments are perceived as luxuries or marginal after-thoughts. We have heard from Global Affairs Canada officials that applying a feminist lens to our international development program involves "bringing women and girls into the heart of what we do." Nowhere is this more relevant than development assistance that aims to contribute to peace and security. Advertisement Putting Canada's stated support for women, peace and security objectives into practice will require more than rhetorical statements. It involves strengthening our analysis of how gender inequalities and roles contribute to armed conflict and how addressing these issues actually helps drive peace. It includes strengthening analytical capacity - inside the department and in Canadian civil society. It includes mobilizing political capital to bring these issues into the mainstream of policy formulation, mediation, negotiations and diplomacy. And it involves making smart financial investments: supporting women's meaningful participation in peace processes and decision making, responding to and preventing conflict-related sexual violence, and ensuring women benefit from post-conflict economic recovery initiatives. Will we back our claims to support women as agents of change with significant, predictable and long-term funding? A crucial dimension is support for local or grassroots women's rights organizations and women peacebuilders. These organizations are doing brave frontline work, yet they are often neglected by the international community. During recent hearings of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, civil society organizations were unanimous in urging the Government to listen to and fund women's grassroots organizations, women's human rights defenders and women's peace organizations. Yet early signs are disappointing. In the new programs announced during Minister Bibeau's recent trip to Colombia, there was no funding for women's rights organizations, no direct funding for women peacebuilders and no specific initiatives to address 'women, peace and security` issues such as conflict-related sexual violence. Women's organizations played a fundamental role in bringing the Colombian peace process to where it is now. Canadian support to the women's movement during this delicate period would have been a powerful signal. If women and girls truly are a "key piece of the peace and development puzzle" as Minister Bibeau wrote recently in the Globe and Mail, then we must fund their organizations, defend their rights and support their activism. Advertisement This blog was first published on July 13 in the Hill Times Beth Woroniuk is Coordinator of the Women, Peace and Security Network - Canada. The views expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of CCIC, the WPSN-C or their members. CP Imagine this: You buy a house. You like the house a lot. You find it welcoming and can imagine having a long life with that house. You particularly like the kitchen, and the neighbours seem nice. So you sign the deal and go to the bank to work out the mortgage. Just as you get to the bank, your realtor calls. Turns out, that kitchen you liked so much? It's no longer part of the deal. Or maybe it will be. It's going to take a couple of years living in the place to sort out. Advertisement In the meantime, the sale price stays the same, and your mortgage will be just as high as before. Would you sign that mortgage? Of course not. And yet, that's what's happening now with Canada's Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union. The United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union, and yet our federal government seems determined to see the deal in force by 2017. With all the uncertainty surrounding this already deeply flawed deal, there is absolutely no rush to ratify CETA post-Brexit. That's because the former Harper government signed the CETA deal in 2014 with a Europe that included the United Kingdom, our largest trading partner in Europe. A lot has happened since then. The Harper government has been booted from power, and the U.K. has voted to leave the European Union. Both its national parties are in meltdown, and its new prime minister says she will negotiate her country's exit from the EU -- something that must happen within two years, once formal notice is given. Advertisement This is a problem for Canada. A Europe without Britain is a much smaller and much less desirable partner to sign a trade deal with. The United Kingdom is our most important trading partner in the EU, taking more than 40 per cent of our European exports and accounting for about a third of our European trade in services, including banking. Worldwide, the U.K. is our third-largest trading partner, after the U.S. and China, with some $16 billion in trade last year. In short, a Europe without Britain is a much smaller and much less desirable partner to sign a trade deal with. That matters, a lot. Not that it was ever a great deal, anyway. It would limit the right of all levels of government to direct procurement to Canadian companies (to ensure government spending creates jobs in Canada), threaten supply management, extends drug patents and contains only phantom advances in auto exports to Europe. While CETA's odious investor-state dispute settlement mechanism (ISDS) was tweaked earlier this year in the face of public outcry in both Europe and Canada, it still gives too much power to corporations to sue governments over laws that may be in the public interest, but which hurt their profits. Advertisement As well, it turns out the United Kingdom is not so united. Ever since the Brexit vote, both Scotland and Ireland have made loud noises about leaving the U.K. Even in London, the financial capital of Europe that voted to stay in the EU, there's talk of separation. And yet, Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland has said she still wants to see CETA implemented in 2017. The Minister is applying nowhere near the same degree of scrutiny to the CETA as she is with the equally-concerning Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. As with the TPP, there is no need to rush ratification of the CETA, and every reason to wait and see how things shake out in Europe as Britain negotiates its exit. Anti-EU forces in other countries, including France and the Netherlands, are feeling emboldened by the Brexit vote and pushing for referendums of their own. In such an uncertain atmosphere, committing to CETA seems premature, when we don't even know what Europe will look like in a few years. I have made no secret of my distaste for CETA. It was always a bad deal. Without Britain, it becomes a pointless one. We have, thanks to Brexit, a good reason to step back, take a harder look at the Harper-era deal and re-evaluate what we want from a trade pact with Europe, or anyone else for that matter, and negotiate a fair trade deal that truly helps Canadians. Advertisement Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: BC Gov Flickr We've known for a long time that Todd moves in mysterious ways. Todd Stone, B.C.'s minister of transportation, has apparently told the Victoria Regional Transit Commission (VRTC) that he will approve their long-standing request for a two cents per litre gas tax hike in the Victoria region. The VRTC wants the tax, which would generate $6.6 million, for bus improvements. Stone had dithered on this for a long time, but the VRTC's Susan Brice told the Times Colonist that their effort to show "public support" for the tax hike by having a dozen local city councils send supportive letters, swayed him. However, Stone has yet to make a public announcement. Advertisement If Brice is right, Stone has neglected a vital point: these city councils have never asked the public if they support a gas tax hike. They have no idea what the will of the people is on this. After Brice made her comment that the public is on board this tax, we asked the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's supporters in the region what they thought. We received hundreds of emails, many of which were copied to Stone. Hopefully he's reading them, because they paint a different landscape than the one Brice and city politicians are living in. "If Victoria City Council thinks this is a good idea, they don't represent me!" wrote one Victoria resident. "Tough love -- not handouts -- is required to help BC Transit be the best that it can be." "I do not support higher gas taxes, and I want BC Transit to find other ways to pay for un-improved service," added a Langford resident. "I really don't care what Todd Stone claims, city hall might support a gas tax hike, but Victorians don't. We are already taxed too much." Advertisement Another Langford taxpayer wrote, "I was most distressed to hear that [Stone's] reason for now going along with this 'rip off' was that [Stone] had spoken with the local politicians and determined that everyone in the area was 'on side'. Perhaps [Stone] should start listening to the actual residents not the politicians before [Stone] make(s) a decision like this." "I can tell you that there is definitely not support from most of the citizens in the Victoria area, at least the many I see and converse with on a regular basis," said a Saanich taxpayer. "It is my opinion that the only real support comes from the elected politicians who in this area appear to make up their own minds on such matters irrespective of what the local public deem appropriate." There are better options to find this $6.6 million a year without taxing drivers more. A provincial audit of BC Transit revealed millions of wasted dollars within the agency. Transit staff get paid a 50 per cent premium for working on Sundays, at a cost of $700,000 a year. Too many spare drivers and buses are scheduled to sit around, sick days have gone through the roof and the board of directors are improperly collecting extra meeting fees. BC Transit CEO Manuel Achadinha was paid $349,891 in 2015, including a $66,000 bonus and a $8,650 car allowance. Achadinha, unbelievably, got paid $10,000 more than the CEO of the Toronto Transit Commission. The audit also showed purchasing issues, a lack of interest in going after advertising revenue, poor scheduling, questionable management of two commercial ventures and expensive choices in bus types. Advertisement So Stone's own government audit shows there's plenty of room for efficiency at BC Transit. His alleged reaction: side with the municipal politicians to gouge drivers for more gas taxes. Minister Stone, it's not too late to change your mind. But don't take our word for it (and certainly don't take city hall's word for it) -- hit a Tim Horton's and see what the people really have to say about a Victoria gas tax hike. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: Irada Humbatova / Reuters Densa Tadicha, 10, collects water from a pond used by animals at El-Ley village in the drought affected region of Moyale June 12, 2009. The consumption of contaminated water from shallow wells and ponds meant for cattle, poor nutrition and unsafe hygiene practices have led to an outbreak of cholera and acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) which has left 25 people dead and 1,300 needing emergency medical care in the Moyale region of Ethiopia and Kenya, home to some half a million people. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) says it needs some 100 million Swiss francs to prevent conflict, famine and epidemics as well as restore the livelihoods of 2.5 million people in the Horn of Africa. Picture taken June 12, 2009. REUTERS/Irada Humbatova (ETHIOPIA SOCIETY CONFLICT IMAGES OF THE DAY HEALTH) Imagine having to walk hours for a drop of water. For many Ethiopians, this is a reality. The El Nino weather pattern has caused a drought, leaving people without access to safe, clean drinking water. More than half of rural households in Ethiopia cannot easily access this life source. Malnourished children are unable to go to school or play, instead they must walk kilometres to the nearest well, fill a jug and walk back home burdened by its weight. The effort many children in Ethiopia put forth to access even the most basic of life's necessities is heartbreaking. Drought is also forcing families to migrate in search of food, making them vulnerable to dangerous situations, including exploitation and displacement. Advertisement The El Nino-induced drought has created a crisis that is becoming more serious with every day. Having travelled to Ethiopia earlier this year, I've seen the severity of the situation firsthand. While the Government of Ethiopia is doing all it can, the need is now overwhelming. It has confirmed that the number of people affected by the drought exceeds 10 million. That is equal to the populations of Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, Halifax and St. John's, N.L. combined. The United Nations estimates that close to a half a million children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Generations are at risk. Hundreds of thousands of herd animals have perished in the drought, so less milk is available. Children under the age of five and nursing mothers are the worst affected. In fact, one in four children is already underweight, and an estimated 350,000 babies have been born in the last six months. The Canadian government is committed to international development efforts in Ethiopia, as the fifth-largest bilateral donor. To minimize interruption during the crisis, Christian Children's Fund of Canada's (CCFC's) in-country teams have been supporting children and families in the affected communities by providing four rounds of wheat, pulses and oil to 2,400 people. We have also contributed books and other educational materials to 25 drought-affected elementary schools, supporting 3,800 students as well as given 13 elementary teachers grants equivalent to seven months of pay so learning can continue. With the recent rainfalls, 864 farmers are being provided with wheat and bean seeds, the mainstay for 4,000 community members. Advertisement As of June 22, the Ethiopian Government and donors have contributed more than US$1 billion towards the US$1.52 billion Ethiopia needs, leaving a critical funding gap. There's a need for seeds, agricultural products for the approaching crop season and vaccination and veterinary services for the remaining livestock. The need for support is urgent and helping children survive is our main concern. Canada has played a leadership role in international development and Canadians have always been known to provide relief in humanitarian crises. To learn how you can make a difference, click here. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: dc1975 via Getty Images brexit and eu flag on a pc keyboard Most people felt the outcome of Brexit with U.K. voting to leave the E.U. would have a minimal impact outside its borders. Instead, financial markets, defence, technology, cyber security and privacy are affected because the U.K. is globally interconnected. For decades, the 28-member European Union bloc acted as a single unit to make decisions and policy in many industries. Now, the U.K. will need to build individual relationships with countries like Canada. Geo-political events, like Brexit, do impact how business leaders think about technology, security and privacy. I cover three technology related lessons businesses can learn from Brexit. Advertisement 1. "Open for Business" countries attract talent The U.K., like other market economies has a shortage of highly skilled talent. Their open border relationship with the E.U. has allowed talented professionals to live and work in the U.K. and Europe. Currently, there are two million people with E.U. passports in the U.K. People currently travel freely between both countries. Post-Brexit, the rules will likely change, making it harder for those two million E.U. professionals to stay in Europe if it means more red tape and higher costs. British citizens working in E.U. will likely face similar restrictions. The devaluation of the British pound presents a strong argument for highly skilled professionals to look for better opportunities outside the U.K. Canadian and American companies may shift people and resources to Ireland, which already has good R&D infrastructure, tax breaks and talent. Advertisement Canada may benefit from an immigration inflow. BBC reported that Google Trends in late June showed Internet searches related to moving to Canada hit an all time high. Two big reasons are Brexit and Donald Trump's near-certain victory as the Republican U.S. presidential nominee. Canadian business regularly complains about the skills shortage. Brexit may offer Canada some of the best and brightest from the U.K. and the U.S. if they get strict on immigration. 2. Technology and social networks shapes public opinion The Brexit result shows the growing influence of powerful social media companies influencing public opinion. Social media channels like Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter have an ability to create online bubbles because newsfeeds are a popular way people receive their information. Newsfeeds are based on content your friends and family consume. Social media online newsfeeds like Facebook act more like filtered bubbles than diverse sets of opinions. People consume and share snippets and sound bytes with friends and family, who think alike. According to a Guardian article, Facebook persuaded publishers years ago to use the platform to publish their news. Engagement subsequently numbers dropped because people didn't want to be bombarded with news from third parties. After Facebook changed the algorithm, the platform began promoting links and recommendations from friends and family. People want to consume filtered news from people they trust, with similar views. As the Guardian reported Brexit didn't stand a chance in the online bubble. A Washington DC strategy company, Goddard Gunster, explained to Brexit organizers that, "the facts don't work". The "Remain" campaign featured fact after fact, instead of appealing to people's emotions. The "Leave" campaign featured emotional, well-crafted snippets that were compelling and often false. This online bubble may explain Trump's rise in the U.S., because of his effectiveness in connecting emotionally with voters using sound bytes on social media. Advertisement 3. Confusion and chaos about cyber security laws One of the most effective ways for organizations to fight cyber crime is to share cyber threat intelligence data, based on common standards. E.U. members believe in a "me today, you tomorrow" acknowledgement. This allows E.U. businesses to monitor and share actionable cyber intelligence using an authority framework to prosecute criminals. The Data Protection Act (DPA) in the U.K. was enacted in 1995. It morphed over the years into the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), representing all E.U. members, which goes into effect May 25th, 2018. Currently, the EC3 (European Cybercrime Centre) and J-CAT (Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce), of which the U.K. is a member are effective in resolving cyber threats in Europe. If the U.K. is no longer part of these agreements, it must negotiate new ones that will lead to confusion and chaos for its businesses and citizens. British citizens and businesses will need to understand their rights and learn how their information is stored, secured and privately held in each E.U. country. Cyber criminals act as gangs and groups, and operate in many jurisdictions. Historically, the ability to respond to criminal activity and cyber threats in different regions and countries has been easier when a common set of rules and standards exists. Brexit complicates this because new agreements need to be made with the U.K. Summary The Brexit decision should serve as a reminder to Canada that our North American neighbors create more than just economic growth from trade. As Brexit is teaching us, thousands of agreements with the E.U. and international community need to be rewritten with the U.K. One positive is that nothing can happen until the British parliament votes on article 50, which begins a two-year process for the U.K. to leave the European Union. Advertisement Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: 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. Fernando Vazquez Miras via Getty Images Approach Matera from virtually any direction and your first glimpse of its famous sassi is sure to stay in your memory forever. Haunting and beautiful, the sassi sprawl below the rim of a yawning ravine like a giant nativity scene. The old town is simply unique and warrants at least a day of exploration and aimless wandering. Although many buildings are crumbling and abandoned, others have been restored and transformed into cosy abodes, restaurants and swish cave-hotels. On the cliff top, the new town is a lively place, with its elegant churches, palazzi and especially the pedestrianised Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Hotel food is rarely ever good and it is often overpriced. In fact, the chefs who work within these business conglomerates aren't keen to sing its praises either. It's rare to have a dish that deviates from the standard chicken, beef, or salmon selections. For big hotel chains that cater to business folk and large conventions, it's all about the high volume production and offering something familiar rather than creative. However, Curio Collection, a new string of boutique hotels, aims to change such stigmas held against hotels and alter perceptions that it only offers cuisine that has been subject to forms of industrialization. Advertisement Chef de Cuisine Jacob Verstegen at LondonHouse, Chicago explains: Curio chefs I spoke with say that it is possible for hotel kitchens to have life and vibrancy; and more importantly, they do not have to go through chains of command to exercise creative control. Curio hotels hope to offer authentic experiences coupled with enriched dining moments. Since launching the brand in 2014, the collection currently offers 25 hotels that span the United States, Jamaica, Spain, Germany, and Argentina. In an ambitious push to expand, they hope to have 300 more locations open by 2021. The newest hotel to join the family, LondonHouse in Chicago, is a sign of the times. Curio belongs to Hilton Hotels and this latest entry into the market proves that even large organizations cannot be complacent; they must innovate and stay ahead of the curb. But Curio is decidedly less flashy than its hotel relatives. In fact, there's nary a Hilton sign in sight (with the exception of a small Hilton HHonours sign at Check-in). SVP and global head, Curio A Collection by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton, Dianna Vaughan, explains that it is more about showcasing "individual components" of the hotel and how it ties into the local community. The aim is to cultivate and maintain a unique personality that will attract locals and tourists. For instance, the LondonHouse building itself is a historic landmark. The integrity of the interior and exterior have been preserved to honour many of the architectural components that were created in 1923 when it was originally an insurance company: the London Guarantee & Accident building. This building was considered one of four 1920s anchors of the Michigan Avenue Bridge, which included the Wrigley Building, Chicago Tribune Tower and the 333 North Michigan Avenue. Advertisement Along with architectural significance, Curio hotels hope to capture the spirit of each city through its Food & Beverage Program. Ironically, to execute this successfully-- these hotels do essentially the opposite of what a regular Hilton does. At all Curio hotels, it is about freedom and not adhering to conventional standards. Chef de Cuisine Jacob Verstegen at LondonHouse Chicago, Curio Collection by Hilton says that he probably wouldn't have taken the job had it been offered through a regular Hilton Hotel. It remains to be seen if this evolution of hotel dining will affect Hilton's other brands in the future. At the moment, Vaughan says that they are not in conflict with one another because this type of hotel attracts a different kind of audience. But if you're a talented Chef and restaurateur to begin with, why you would enter into a partnership with a hotel chain at all? Executive Chef Frank Bertram, owner of Slowman at the Reichshof Hamburg, Curio Collection by Hilton in Germany explains his decision: Advertisement All the chefs spoke about their craft in relation to preserving the integrity of their artistry at Curio. Chef Stephanie Thiboutot-Bollinger of Diplomat Resort & Spa shares her thoughts on this: Chef Frank says that when you eat their Cordon Bleu for instance, your memory will always be tied to them. Imbued within his dishes are the spirit and story that he wants diners to take away. For him, he partners with Curio because the hotel allows him to not only maintain his local and seasonal philosophy, but offers more resources to build further relationships in the community that wouldn't otherwise be feasible due to financial or time constraints. The most important aspect for these restaurateurs is to have a symbiotic relationship. They do not have to adhere to stringent hotel regulations when it comes to menu planning and dining experience. This freedom results in financial success not only for the hotel but the restaurant too. Chef John Tesar of Knife at the Highland Dallas Hotel explains: Advertisement The five things you need to know on Thursday July 14, 2016 1) SHOWING HER METAL Its Bastille Day in France and over here in Britain were witnessing our very own political revolution as Theresa May sweeps out the Cameroons and brings in the Brexiteers. As I say in my piece on the historic handover, May doesnt do deals, but she does steel. And, sometimes, she does surprises. Advertisement Putting Osborne to the sword was the best way of getting Tory Leavers on board. But it also seemed designed to skewer the Treasury orthodoxy that migration doesnt impact on the wages of ordinary working class families. May knows she will be judged on this central issue and wont back off pledges to cut the numbers. The Big Reveal was Boris at the Foreign Office, but Philip Hammonds appointment as Chancellor shows that May values unshowy solidity most of all. And Hammonds very first significant statement - I dont anticipate the need for an emergency Budget on Today - is another reassuring sign for the Leavers (despite his own Osborne-like Project Fear warnings in the referendum campaign). Meanwhile, as Ken Clarke said yesterday no two people know what Brexit means But Mays canny decision to split responsibilities between Davis, Fox and Boris ensures that they will have to between them come up with some concrete answers. It also allows her a Nixon in China strategy of making the Leavers make the toughest calls on what to compromise on. Yet May will be the one who takes the biggest decisions on things like the timing of Article 50. And she is the one whose personal relations with Angela Merkel will matter most. Despite Junckers plea for her to get on with it, May will conduct Brexit in her own time and in her own way. I wouldnt be surprised if she spent a long time getting a deal hammered out before formally triggering Article 50. DD has talked in the past about taking time to get it right. Lord Lawson's wish for an Act of Parliament before Christmas (let alone Leadsom's September trigger or Gove's end-of-year trigger) looks like a pipedream. Advertisement Mays first phone call to Merkel last night had a telling line. No.10 said The Prime Minister explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations.. It could be some time indeed. 2) GROWN UP GOVERNMENT Yesterdays first intent seemed to be to say that this was a Government of grown ups. As I tweeted last night, apart from Rudd, the appointment of May, Hammond, Davis, Fallon and Fox raised the average age of the top offices of state by several years. Today, we expect those well-briefed promotions for women with figures like Karen Bradley, Justine Greening and others set for new posts. But what happens to Chris Grayling? Having backed May very early on and acted as one of her campaign managers, the man who was her Leaver human shield must surely get a reward despite the no deals mantra. Will he get party chairman, the First Secretary of State title, a wide-ranging Cabinet Office brief, or even a new Secretary for Immigration and Borders slot, carved out of the Home Office? Grayling said yesterday I looked her in the eye, I got a promise from her that she really meant that Brexit meant Brexit. Will she look him in the eye today? On the face of it, getting Liam Fox and David Davis to work together looks pretty brave in itself. Though they share many beliefs, theyve never been bosom buddies, perhaps because they are so alike. Add in Boriss ability to drop a clanger and it could be a combustible mix. John Major was famously harried by his Eurosceptic bastards. If the Leavers cant get on, or get fed up with their reluctant Remainer PM, July 13 may turn out to be not Mays Bastille Day, but her very own Bastards Day. Advertisement 3) HUMBLEWAG On his arrival at the Foreign Office last night, Boris said Im very humbled, very proud to be offered this chance. And it didnt sound like a humblebrag. Though May wants to harness his popularity, some think Boris will have to grow up fast if he is to survive in post. He may yet surprise people by showing the serious side that operated behind the scenes in City Hall, but was often overlooked. Still, his past remarks were very present last night. Asked whether he planned to apologise to Barack Obama for saying the part-Kenyan" president was biased against Britain because of "an ancestral dislike of the British empire", he said: "The United States of America will be in the front of the queue." But its not just the outgoing Obama whom Boris offer a diplomatic olive branch. Hes referred to Hillary Clinton as being like a nurse in a mental hospital, theres those watermelon smiles about Africans, and a host of other quotes and quips from years of newspaper and magazine columns. Still, May had her own jibe about Boris and water cannon, and looks ready to wipe the slate clean - as long as he doesnt gaffe again. Angela Eagles reaction to Boriss appointment last night was priceless. Oh Boris is fun, hes great isnt he, bouncing around, going to be the next prime minister and all of that, and they never actually.. she began at a leadership event, before being interrupted with the news. Theyve just made him foreign secretary? Watch it HERE. May will want to use Boris, Davis and Fox to press on the bruise that is Labours leaver problem up north. But in creating new departments, shes also instantly caused a fresh headache for Corbyn. He finds it difficult enough to fill shadow posts, so who on earth will he get to shadow Fox and DD? Still, May could help him on that score if she does merge DECC with BIS, as some suspect. And today could be the last ever DECC Questions in the Commons as a result. Advertisement BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR Watch some cows act like puppies playing with a toilet roll 4) BREXIT DOESNT MEAN BREXIT At least it doesnt seem to for Owen Smith. The new kid on the block in the Labour leadership challenge is set to launch properly tomorrow but today he has come out with a firmer statement on Brexit than either Jeremy Corbyn or Angela Eagle have to date. In an interview with the Guardian, he says that many of the public were misled by the Leave campaign and will want to see the actual deal offered by the May government on what Brexit looks like. And then we should give them another chance. That does mean a second referendum or a general election when the terms are clear. The Labour government should be committing to that. This is canny politics by Smith, exploiting the one big policy area that matters most right now, while carving out a clear difference between himself and both Eagle and Corbyn. Corbyns Achilles heel in the leadership race is the anger felt by many Labour voters that he didnt do enough to campaign for Remain strongly enough. Smith is obviously positioning himself too as the man who can come up with actual policies, as opposed to generalised anti-austerity mood music of the Corbyn-McDonnell leadership to date. Expect more stuff about Smith sharing Corbyns values, but having policies to put them into practice. Maybe Eagle will outflank him by saying clearly that her Labour party would vote against a Brexit deal it wasnt happy with, given Parliament will have to approve any such deal over the next few years (as former Commons Clerk Lord Lisvane told me last week). 5) INTIMIDATION NATION The awful levels of abuse on Twitter and Facebook these days are just one indication of how our road rage culture has spilled online. But its the offline stuff that is really worrying too, from attacks on migrants and to rape and stalking threats. Advertisement And Labour is suffering particularly as violent and angry individuals lob bricks through windows and spit at Labour staff simply for attending a local meeting. Thats why the party has taken the extraordinary decision to suspend all local meetings during the leadership election campaign. Jeremy Corbyn joked in PMQs yesterday that democracy is an exciting and splendid thing and Im enjoying every moment of it. But his opposition to a secret ballot at the NEC on Tuesday is still being seen as him not doing his utmost to protect those in his party, particularly women, who feel under threat. One of those on the NEC who complained most about the new levels of intimidation was Alice Perry, an Islington councillor who represents local government on the Labour ruling body. Shes blogged for HuffPost today on why its not enough for Corbyn to issue statements about harassment and abuse. He should now take action, she says. Angela Eagle yesterday launched her own pledge to keep the leadership campaign 'comradely'. She's a tough cookie, but as a woman - and one of those whose office has been targeted - can have a powerful claim to speak up for those under threat. If youre reading this on the web, sign-up HERE to get the WaughZone delivered to your inbox. To add to the full-blown working class revolt against global capitalism -- already stoked by the rapid rise of inequality, free trade deals, stagnant wages, trickle-down economics, and tax regulations skewed for giant corporations and the elites -- we now have Britain's rejection of the EU's single market, an institution that has been in place for decades. The discontent morphs into various forms. Across the Atlantic it has produced a season of unpredictable, almost unbelievable presidential primaries. The surprise successes of both Donald Trump on the right and Bernie Sanders on the left are fuelled by a rampant sense of betrayal and a simmering distrust of the elite. Trump and Sanders present fundamentally different analyses of what's wrong with America, but both draw support from constituencies that feel alienated and angry over the threat of globalisation and perceive a corrupt economic system rigged against them. Hillary Clinton is a capable candidate; But a bank account swollen over the years with speaker fees from Goldman Sachs only defines her as a candidate of continuity and a creature of the establishment. Perhaps this is the reason that Clinton has so far underwhelmed younger voters, who constantly feel they are being stiffed and are instead drawn to the promises of radical change offered by Sanders. Advertisement There are similar feelings -- of being unheard or excluded -- behind the rise of the Brexit movement, which convinced fifty-two per cent of the British electorate to vote to deliver a massive kick in the teeth to the world's political and financial establishment, a historic move that will undoubtedly plunge the United Kingdom into uncertainty for years. From now on, the narrative of the EU project will be framed around backlash and disintegration, not integration. A study published by Working America interviewed over 1,600 white working-class voters in the suburbs of Cleveland and Pittsburgh. The study found support for Donald Trump ran strong among people who were fearful for their economic security and their place in the new global economy. The survey "confirmed what we heard all the time: people are fed up, people are hurting, they are very distressed about the fact that their kids don't have a future" and that "there still hasn't been a recovery from the recession, that every family still suffers from it in one way or another." American political philosopher Michael Sandel said in a recent interview that "A large constituency of working-class voters feel that not only has the economy left them behind, but so has the culture. The sources of their dignity, the dignity of labour, have been eroded and mocked by ... globalisation, the rise of finance, the attention that is lavished by parties across the political spectrum on economic and financial elites, [and] the technocratic emphasis of the established political parties." A lot of the energy animating Brexit, said Sandel, was "born of this failure of elites." The parallels between United States and European politics are greater now than in many decades because societies on both sides of the Atlantic face similar predicaments -- the same detachment of political elites from public opinion. This in turn breeds a political and regional disruption in which technology accelerates the scope of globalisation, offshoring millions of jobs and disintegrating societies. According to a Brookings Institute Study, technology in the context of globalisation has had a "polarizing" impact on the US work force -- it has made the professional class at the top more productive and better paid but has had little effect on the "hands-on" jobs at the bottom of the labour force while hollowing out opportunities and secure jobs in the middle. Advertisement Which brings us back to the real source of the chaos. When mainstream politics fails to deliver, populism inevitably thrives. The financial collapse of 2008 and the austerity regime that followed with impunity explain the fast rise of Podemos in Spain and the landslide election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour party. Then there is nationalism, whose genius lies in its mobilization of emotions, a unifying force that exploits the resentment of economic and demographic upheaval to achieve political goals. On the European right, Marine Le Pen and her National Front in France, as well as other extremist parties across the continent, draw support from anti-immigrant and anti-globalisation sentiments. In an age of broken politics and financial calamities, it is refreshingly simple to attract passionate voters channelling the nationalist mantra with anti-immigrant nativism. And it is much easier to blame immigrants for stealing jobs than it is to help workers adopt new skills in a fast-changing world. What the fuming politics of the United States and other advanced countries show is that the current trends are untenable. Another decade or two of trust in neoliberal globalisation to deliver sustainable economics will lead to social breakdown, the triumph of chauvinism, and perhaps further fragmentation. The French historian Fernand Braudel once wrote that "history can be divided into three movements: what moves rapidly, what moves slowly and what appears not to move at all." Advertisement Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire At Wednesday's Labour National Executive Committee meeting I raised a number of concerns about bullying, harassment and intimidation. The NEC had met to discuss our Leadership election, its timetable and process. There was intense media interest in whether Jeremy Corbyn would automatically be eligible to stand as a candidate. There was a wider context to this meeting of a growing concern about the general atmosphere within the country and sadly even in the Labour Party. Advertisement Councillors contact details are publicly available. The home addresses of MPs are also often public knowledge. Female members of the NEC spoke about the abuse we have faced. One NEC member has had her car smashed and bricks thrown through her window. As a public figure she is threatened so often that this seems normal. The EU Referendum campaign sleep walked into a very scary place. I was stunned when local activist told me that they had received multiple death threats when they ran a street stall one weekend at a local market. Social media has also morphed into something which can be extremely ugly. Since the EU Referendum the UK has seen a rise in hate crimes. As a nation we have a problem we must confront. Labour has its own problem to confront. In the 1980s fringe groups sort to gain control of local Labour Party branches. One method of achieving this was deliberately disrupting meetings and bullying and harassing members in order to create such a toxic environment that normal people would decide there were far nicer ways to spend their free time. Similar tactics were employed British National Party when they tried to gain control of local Councils. Advertisement Conflict itself is no bad thing. If managed constructively conflict can be positive, preventing group think, driving creativity, stretching and testing ideas. People in political parties must be able to debate ideas, take opposing views and speak openly and freely. In a socialist democratic party, we settle our differences through debate and voting. There is very a big difference between healthy, comradely disagreements and threatening to rape someone's daughter or threatening to "kick the f*****g s*** out" of someone, or even "Cox" someone you disagree with. If you think this behaviour is acceptable, if you think the ends justify the means, then you do not belong in the Labour Party. On Wednesday I reminded colleagues that as an NEC we spend a lot of time talking about how to make politics more engaging. We talk about ways to encourage ordinary people to stand for elected office. We discuss how to encourage more women, BAME, disabled, LGBT and working class people to stand to be candidates. But we will utterly fail to persuade ordinary people to become involved in politics if the meetings they attend are so vitriolic and unpleasant. It extremely disappointing and very, very sad that things have now got so out of hand. It is thoroughly depressing that the behaviour of a thuggish minority has contributed to the NEC decision to suspend local Labour Party meetings. The NEC and Labour Leadership have put out statement after statement condemning this behaviour when it takes place within our party. This is right. We all condemn this behaviour. Advertisement The problem is, words are not enough. It's time for Labour to take strong action against these people. We cannot allow them to continue to bring our politics into disrepute. We must send the strongest message possible that this will not be tolerated. Guilty parties must be kicked out of the Labour Party. Labour's NEC has a key role to play in ensuring we get our house in order. What message would it send to the public if we are can't stop the bricks being thrown through windows, or the threats to rape or kill our MPs? It's time to take responsibility and end this, before it ends us. According to statistics compiled by Ipsos MORI, only 43% of 18-24 year olds voted in the 2015 British General Election, compared to 78% of over 65 year olds. Similarly, projected statistics show that only 64% of 18-24 year olds voted in the EU Referendum, compared to a huge 90% of the 65+ demographic. The difference between the voter turnout rates suggests that there is something wrong somewhere within the political system, why do so few young people take an active role within our democratic society and vote? Despite the disparity between these figures I want to stress the opinion that young people in the United Kingdom are interested in politics, they simply feel unengaged with the British political system, causing this democratic indifference. Despite making up 20% of the population and 100% of the future, politicians are largely uninterested in attempting to engage the demographic of 18-24 year olds. If young people are an incredibly ignored demographic within the political realm, how should young people be expected to maintain an interest in the system and use their vote? Clearly something must be done, young people are the future of our country and political system, and without their engagement we face a worrying future of democratic apathy. Unlike other recent campaigns which have attempted to use social media to target young voters, such as Bite the Ballot, 45ForThe45th takes a unique and different approach to youth engagement, sending a group of carefully selected '45ers' across the Atlantic Ocean to participate in the ongoing 2016 Presidential elections. The process is a simple two-fold one, the '45ers' would travel to the United States, working on the Presidential campaign of our choice, in order to soak up American political enthusiasm and take home ideas and inspiration to apply to British politics. The second strand of the process is currently in motion, this being the legacy report. The legacy report is a way for all of the '45ers' to amalgamate their findings, enthusiasm and inspiration collected during our time on the campaign trail in American into one comprehensive document. This document will quite simply be recommendations for the government and political parties with how they should be tackling the very real and prominent problem of youth disengagement. These findings will be displayed to politicians, journalists and the general public during an official 45ForThe45th event in January. Advertisement It cannot be denied that there is an infectious energy and excitement surrounding American politics, particularly the 2016 Presidential election. The American youth voter turnout generally surpasses the UK, with 48% of youths voting in the 2008 American election. Whilst the figure doesn't seem that remarkable, this is a huge disparity of millions of young voters, compared to the 43% of 18-24 year olds that voted in the 2015 British elections. Clearly then there is something to be learned from our transatlantic neighbours. With the current high profile election involving the possibility of the first female president or a right-wing controversial celebrity, these records and statistics look like they are going to be annihilated, and youth voter turnout will once again be on the rise in the United States. We wanted to gain an understanding of what it is that makes American politics much more high profile, accessible and engaging to the youth population, inspiring ideas for what the United Kingdom government could be doing. The US Presidential elections reach dizzying heights of public awareness and it is this atmosphere we wanted to absorb on our travels. We aimed to observe as many methods of voting as possible so we began our journey in Iowa, to experience the caucus approach to voting, from which the entire presidential election would commence. We arrived in Iowa three days prior to the election and having never visited the state before or experienced any campaigning in America it was an entirely alien experience. Our campaigning involved going door to door to remind people to caucus and to attempt to convince any undecided voters to vote for Hillary Clinton (my chosen campaign). What I found most striking about my first experience of American campaigning was the persistence of the campaign teams. An individual could never be reminded to vote and be communicated with too many times. This approach clearly has its positives and negatives. As a young British person who has never been visited by a door to door campaigner or been reminded to vote in this way, I can see the clear positives in this approach as a way of engaging individuals and increasing voter turnout. However, by speaking to American voters, persistence often failed to have the desired engaging approach, people began to associate campaigners and thus politics with a feeling of annoyance and intrusiveness. The method of persistence however clearly provides a stark comparison to British campaigning and politics, a lack of which being something that has left the demographic of young people feeling unengaged. Advertisement The caucus process was additionally an eye opening experience, particularly the community nature and chaos surrounding the voting process. In the United Kingdom voting is an entirely personal process which is seldom discussed, a disengaging approach which is accountable for the failure to engage young people. Caucusing is far more time consuming than a conventional voting method because it involves an open, public voting process with active discussion about candidates. The voting method emphasised the family unit, families arriving together to show their support for their candidate, introducing children into the political realm from a young age, this encouraging future engagement. The process of convincing entirely reinforced this community spirit, you could hear people pleading for their neighbours to convert their vote to their own preferred candidate purely through personal connections, simply because they were their neighbour. Thus we found that politics in Iowa is a widely discussed realm, people are far less reserved about announcing support for their candidate than people in the United Kingdom. Through this public, community approach it is easy to understand the higher levels of political engagement in the United States. With active discussions about politics seemingly more likely to take place, it is clear how young people would be more likely to have an understanding of their democratic system and thus utilise their vote. The caucus approach provided a stark contrast to the more private and reserved style of voting within the UK, a possible explanation for youth political apathy. However, there are also obvious negatives to this voting method, it is a lengthy, time consuming and inaccurate method of voting. Following experiencing a caucus in Iowa, we followed the campaign trail to New Hampshire to observe the more conservative primary method of voting. New Hampshire was an entirely different political environment than Iowa, most striking was the personal nature of the campaigns in New Hampshire. From speaking to American citizens it seemed to be entirely normal to have met the candidates and even have entertained them in their own homes, a concept that would seem entirely alien to voters in the United Kingdom. This was a level of personal politics entirely unprecedented to us, the ease of meeting and seeing the candidates speak providing a possible explanation for the increased political engagement. The possibility of having a personal connection with the candidates seemed to be the driving forces of many peoples interests in the campaigns, an approach British politicians could adopt to reduce democratic apathy amongst young voters. Residents in New Hampshire were actually surprised that the '45ers' hadn't met all of the candidates yet. Is this personal politics something that British MPs could embrace in a quest to increase youth engagement in politics? Advertisement There are clearly many lessons we can learn from the United States when it comes to youth engagement in politics, ideas 45ForThe45th hope to introduce to the political parties through their legacy report, and will prevent a future of democratic apathy. We need to take this undeniable and palpable energy of American politics and use it to capture the millions of missing votes, caused by youth disengagement. Young people simply feel disengaged in the system and feel that the political realm is not open to themselves. Thus we need to translate the energy surrounding American politics, captured during our trips to our transatlantic neighbours, and bring this energy to the British political stage to ensure a future of continued democracy. The '45ers' will travel to Florida in November during the final week of the Presidential Election to experience the excitement around American politics once more, compiling our findings upon our return in order to produce our legacy report which will outline our suggestions for British political parties as to how they can increase youth engagement. Anders Thomas Jensen's 'Men and Chicken' is wonderfully absurd, darkly comic, wacky, slapstick and bizarrely inventive - 'Summertime' portrays an all consuming, passionate and tragic lesbian love affair set against the background of prejudice in 1970s rural France - 'The Hard Stop' revisits Mark Duggan's killing in Tottenham Hale in 2011 seen through the eyes of two of his friends but it offers little insight into police action beyond well aired archive footage and news comments. Director: Anders Thomas Jensen. David Dencik, Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas. Comedy, Drama. Danish with English subtitles. Denmark, Germany 2015 104 mins. (15) **** Advertisement When Gabriel (David Dencik) and his brother, compulsive masturbator Elias (Mads Mikkelsen) discover they're adopted half-brothers in their late father's videotaped will, it's who are we question time. Their real father's a 100-year-old scientist who lives on the top floor of a dilapidated mansion on the Danish island of Ork, and they've got three off-the-planet half-brothers, Franz (Soren Malling), Gregor (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and Josef (Nicolas Bro), each with the hereditary hair lip. There's no family welcome for Elias and Gabriel but they stick it out amongst the unusual farm animals who have the run of the place and a steroidal bull lodged in the basement. When the brothers aren't fighting or duelling one another with stuffed animals, Gabriel goes one better and tries to draw the family into bible reading and thoughts of higher things. Unusual passions, beastiality, genetic mutations and the mystery of their father's wives, all of whom died in childbirth leads to a long hidden dark family secret. It's a mad life, be philosophical and just accept it. Wonderfully absurd, darkly comic, wacky, slapstick and bizarrely inventive. Released 15th July Advertisement Director: Catherine Corsini. Cecile de France, Izia Higelin, Noemie Lvovsky. Drama. French with English subtitles. France 2016 105 mins. (15) *** Sneaking out at night, Delphine's (Izia Higelin) father (Jean-Henri Compere) assumes it's for a romantic liaison with a local lad, maybe Antoine (Kevin Azais), a local farm hand. Marriage, a family and the farm's safe. It's rural Limousin in the 1970s and Delphine's affair with a local girl is over. Her lover's getting married. A move to Paris offers freedom, the thrills and buzz of the city, and an all consuming and passionate love affair when she meets Carol (Cecile De France), an activist at the forefront of the feminist movement. When her father suffers a stroke, Delphine returns to the farm to help her mother (Noemie Lvovsky) and to the tranquility of Limousin and to her former self. Carol, desolate without her lover follows as a 'Paris friend' into a world of whispers, sly looks and prejudice. Beautifully shot with strong lead and support performances, 'Summertime' portrays a gentle, passionate and ultimately tragic love affair, in an turbulent era of social, political and personal struggles, but at times it does seem all too familiar territory. Released 15th July Advertisement Director: George Amponsah. Kurtis Henville, Marcus Knox Hooke. Documentary. UK 2015 85 mins. (15) *** Alleged to be in possession of a handgun, Mark Duggan was shot dead by Operation Trident police in Tottenham Hale on 4th August 2011 which led to 5 days of rioting, looting and arson. The bitterness and controversy remained and in January 2015 a majority jury verdict came up with unlawful killing. 'The Hard Stop' revisits the case through the eyes of two of Mark Duggan's friends. Marcus Knox-Hooke who works as a mentor to try to keep kids out of the gang-gun culture, was charged with inciting violence and surprised to receive a lenient 32 months sentence and Kurtis Henville who has a conviction for cocaine smuggling but is trying to go straight. The festering wound remains and there's a deep rooted hatred of the police with the 1985 killing of PC Blakelock in the Broadwater Estate taken as the on-going police revenge strategy. It's interesting and rewarding to see that Marcus Knox-Hooke and Kurtis Henville have turned their lives around but it's only half the story that neglects any investigative insight reference to the police action, beyond well aired archive footage and news comments. Released 15th July Recommended Blu Ray/DVDs Advertisement Director: Xavier Giannoli. Catherine Frot, Andre Marcon, Michel Fau. Drama. French with Englisg subtitles. France, Czech Republic, Belgium 2015 129 mins. Winner of 4 Cesars including Best Actress for Catherine Frot (15) **** A delightful comedy of manners with Catherine Frot captivating as the soprano who couldn't sing. Released 18th July I recently returned from a trip to visit rural villages in Angola to look at the impact that Unicef's sanitation partnership with Andrex is having on children and families there. It's incredible to think that seven out of ten people living in rural Angola do not have a clean, safe toilet to use. This has a huge impact on the health of Angola's children and one of the reasons the country has the highest rate of child mortality in the world. As I began my journey into the heart of Angola, I visited villages that were in different stages of learning about sanitation. Due to a number of reasons, such as the poor economic climate in Angola and the poverty that the country suffers, many people do not have access to basic sanitation. Without a toilet, the reality is that many people still have to go to the toilet out in the open, often in the bush or a lake and near their homes. This risks faeces contaminating their food and drink, causing sickness to children and families. The first village I visited was called Calipanguela, located over an hour away from the nearest city, Nharea. The village is incredibly rural, filled with mud huts, dirt tracks and livestock. The process of educating the community about the importance of using a toilet, washing their hands and sanitation in general had not reached this village yet but would start with a 'Triggering' meeting. Advertisement Triggering meeting with villagers and village elder (copyright Karin Schermbrucker) The meeting involves gathering all of the villagers together and sharing food and water between them. Then something shocking happens. To exemplify the danger of open defecation, the facilitators place fresh human faeces, found that day in the village, near the food and water they'd been sharing. The flies become instantly attracted and begin moving between the faeces, food and water. The method is deliberately provocative. People immediately understand the danger of going to the toilet outside and realise they may have been eating food contaminated by their faeces. The village then designs an action plan to tackle why so many people go to the toilet outside and improve the health of the community. Advertisement Children learning about the importance of washing hands at the triggering meeting (copyright Karin Schermbrucker) I went onto the village of Luwawa, this village was triggered a year ago, after being monitored on a monthly basis to ensure the community were using and maintaining their toilets, it was about to be awarded a certificate. Villagers no longer went to the toilet out in the open and it had been declared 'Open Defecation Free'. This is a huge honour in Angola and to mark the occasion, there was singing, dancing and a party to celebrate. Villagers gather to mark the occasion (copyright Karin Schermbrucker) Finally, to complete my journey, I visited a village that had been declared 'Open Defecation Free' for a year. Here I met a wonderful family and a mother called Sabina who wanted to share her story. Sabina is 39, married, has four children and lives in a village called Waleka. Advertisement Sabina with her children pictured in her home (copyright Karin Schermbrucker) Sabina tells me about life before her village was triggered and her family built a toilet. Sabina says: "Before we had a toilet we went outside to the bush to defecate which made me feel uncomfortable. When we went to the toilet outside I was worried about my family getting sick or being bitten by a snake. "Defecating outside made my children sick, they were always ill. When they were ill they didn't manage to go to school." Sabina told me that it always smelt before the village was triggered and the toilets were built. Sometimes there would be faeces all around the village and it didn't feel clean. Sabina working in the village (copyright Karin Schermbrucker) Now that they have all built toilets and been declared open defecation free she feels happy, she can see that there has been a reduction in illness for all of the villagers. Advertisement Sabina said: "Now there is a real change in the village. Now everything is ok." The Andrex partnership raises funds for Unicef's Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) programme which empowers communities to build, maintain and take pride in their own hygiene and sanitation. The great work that the partnership has helped to fund was clear to see in all of the villages that we visited, no matter what stage of the journey they were in. 60,000 lives will be impacted this year thanks to the funds raised by Andrex for the Unicef programme. As I plan my next trip back to the villages, I feel confident that thanks to this partnership, villagers will continue to feel empowered to use their toilets and benefit from the programme. Brexit continues to prompt debate and discussion about the need to reform the UK's electoral system and engage more young voters in the democratic process. Would the result have been different, for example, if more 18-24 year olds had cast their votes? Recent figures from Opinium suggests the number of young people voting in the EU Referendum may be higher than originally thought but the figure is still significantly lower than over 65s voters, 90% of whom turned out to vote. The debate around why there are lower numbers of young voters frequently comes back to the idea of disaffected youth who feel misrepresented and disenfranchised from the UK political system. But is it just disaffection keeping millennial voters away from the polling stations? A failure by government to understand digital natives and their desire to vote online is likely to contribute to the lower numbers of voters in this age bracket. Although technology allowing voters to cast their votes securely and efficiently online has been available for some time, uptake from governments has been noticeably slow and almost non-existent in the case of the UK. John Bercow's call for online voting by 2020, via the Digital Democracy Commission, seems ludicrously far off when we consider the pace of change and the types of technology already being used by prospective voters. Advertisement So why has the government been so resistant to the adoption of online voting - especially when you consider the huge advantages including a faster and more accurate vote counting process, greater accessibility for remote or disabled voters, prevention of human errors like over or under counting, multi-language support, greater convenience - not to mention greater engagement from younger voters. Security has been a reoccurring objection, with some claiming it is too easy for hackers to break into online voting systems and increase the risk of election rigging. While standard encryption and decryption technology have proven to be more vulnerable to cyber-attack, advanced security including digital certificates, digital signatures, immutable logs and end-to-end encryption guarantee that voters are strongly authenticated, voter privacy is protected and election results can't be manipulated. So while the level of security is wholly dependent on which system is used, online voting can actually be more secure than traditional, paper-based voting and is proven to be more secure than postal voting. Trust has been another well-cited barrier to the adoption of online voting systems by governments in the past. Will voters feel comfortable with a new, internet-based platform? And how do they know their vote has been cast and counted? Of course the introduction of online voting should be progressive and there will always be voters who prefer traditional methods, but governments risk losing out on a large proportion of votes, whether they are overseas or disengaged young people, if they fail to evolve and utilise technology. It's not even as though online voting were new and untested technology. Governments such as Switzerland, France, Australia and the US, to name a few, are already helping voters overseas securely and privately cast their vote without having to rely on 'snail mail' or proxy voting. Australia, and specifically New South Wales, is a prime example as well as how persons with disabilities can now vote on equal terms thanks to the progressive deployment of online voting. Switzerland has been securely leveraging online voting since 2004, not only for government elections but for ongoing citizen referendums. Advertisement Additionally, many private sector organisations such as trade unions, shareholder groups and professional organisations, have adopted online voting options for their internal electoral processes. Last week I chaired a panel at London Writers' Week on how the industry and academia can work together to improve arts education and, via this, create a more sustainable arts industry. Panelists included John Yorke, creator of the BBC Writers Academy, former Controller of BBC Drama Production, former Head of Channel Four Drama, author of the bestselling book on storytelling "Into the Woods" and Managing Director of Angel Station; Philip Shelley, instigator of the Channel Four screenwriting course and script consultant; Steve Winter, Director of the Kevin Spacey Foundation and co-founder of the Old Vic New Voices 24 Hour Plays and TS Eliot US/UK Exchange and former Director of Old Vic New Voices; Ola Animahawun, founder of the Royal Court Theatre's young writers programme and Creative Director of Euphoric Ink; Caroline Jester, Dramaturg and author of "Playwriting Across the Curriculum", and myself, Course Leader of the new MA Dramatic Writing at Drama Centre London at Central Saint Martins, Director of Writers at Work Productions and Director of London Writers' Week. Advertisement Key points which came up were: 1.There is a disconnect between the industry and academia at present, who are running separate, sometimes contradictory, training programmes, rather than often working together 2.Is it odd that courses around the UK teach very differently so there is no benchmark/ guidance on what consists of/should be a part of good training? 3.If we can teach craft (for example structure in dramatic writing) and business skills (for example how meetings work and what expectations to have, what are the companies out there, how to apply for funding, how to deal with rejection as part of a freelance career etc), we can help writers and artists to succeed in establishing sustainable careers 4.Teaching craft shouldn't mean getting rid of a writer's or artist's individuality, it should mean supporting it by allowing that talent to be expressed in the best way (just like a violinist is meant to improve with violin lessons rather than deteriorate was one example cited by one panel member) Advertisement 5.As thought leaders, universities could be the home for developing and supporting new ideas in the arts in the UK - for example, in the MA Dramatic Writing Lab at Drama Centre London at Central Saint Martins, companies like the Bush Theatre, Old Vic New Voices, the Kevin Spacey Foundation, Caroline Horton, Tim Crouch, Tamasha and BBC Writersroom have come in to develop new ideas, benefitting both the organisations via giving them space and time to explore and the students by giving them insights into the process and, in some cases, commissions or other contributions as well (for example for the last two years Tamasha has offered response piece commissions in return for helping to develop a project, which have been showcased at London Writers' Week, providing the students with their first professional work as well as insight into the development process). Other thoughts included the importance arts education as a whole plays in creating a diverse arts industry - the more we teach the arts at school and University level, and in the right way, the more a diverse range of people become open to that possibility as a career and, in terms of writing training, the more our writers are diverse, the more other areas of the industry become diverse too (such as actors, directors and the audience), creating a more sustainable industry. Publishing and digital initiatives such as Oberon Books' new collaboration with the MA Dramatic Writing at Drama Centre London at Central Saint Martins and the Bush Theatre to provide access to leading industry training that has never been published before were also highlighted as key to making the arts industry a more accessible, and as such, sustainable place. With the Cultural Learning Alliance's recent figures showing falling numbers of students studying arts subjects at school level, the end of the creative writing A level and the recent debate over whether arts subjects should be a part of the new EBACC now is the time to protect arts education. Advertisement For more information on the EBACC please go to: http://www.baccforthefuture.com/ Three weeks on from the biggest political event of our lifetimes, it seems the UK has not recovered any sense of normality. The economy is crashing. Racist attacks are up. Communities remain divided and national dialogue is still conducted in a tone of dishonesty and vindictiveness. Leadership has been either absent or insufficiently commanding. The only thing of which we can be certain is dramatic and total uncertainty itself. As a result, it seems entirely possible that a significant number of those who voted for the UK to leave the EU have now changed their minds. Polls certainly suggest this. However, as the lead up to the last two national votes has demonstrated, polls are also often misleading, and there is only one way to tell for sure how people feel, and that's to count up the ballot papers after an election and declare a result according to the rules that were established in advance. For this reason, the result of the referendum must be respected. Calls to simply rerun the vote again in the hope of a different result risk alienating the very people whom we are told used their vote to express a more general disenfranchisement from politics, society and the world as a whole. However warped we believe the arguments were in favour of isolation, how palpably false their predictions for life after a 'no' vote have already turned out to be and, in fact, how nonsensical it was to hold a vote asking people to chose between a certain, definite and tangible form of government (however imperfect) and an abstract, unintelligible promise of something somehow better, rerunning the vote now would get us no closer to settling this matter nor helping the UK to escape the spiral of economic crisis, division and violence that the result sent us down. This government, which both promised the referendum and then lost it, must now take responsibility and try to negotiate a deal that best serves its electorate, and it must do so soon. Advertisement But that shouldn't mean that this argument is over, nor that the role of Remain campaigners is now redundant. The events of the next two years are entirely unclear, and we must press on with making the argument over why EU membership is in all our interests. The last thing we can afford to do now is merely resign ourselves to the fate of cutting ourselves off from the unmatchable levels of trade, dialogue and cooperation with our neighbours that the EU enables. This vote does not mean that climate change, terrorism nor the globalisation of the economy have gone away, nor the need to work with other Europeans to deal with their consequences. The UK will need the EU just as much when negotiations are completed as when they eventually begin. And whenever a proposed deal is finalised, we need to have been consistently making the point that the EU as it already exists is a tremendous benefit to everyone on these islands - arguments that are likely to have been intensely reinforced by the political and economic fortunes of the UK during that period. This means that, as well as maintaining a passion for Europe and the benefits and freedoms we enjoy as a result of the EU, the campaign must also focus on obtaining a democratic say on the deal when negotiations are finished. Even a fortnight after the vote, no one knows what Brexit amounts to in any detail whatsoever. Once those details are established, the UK - or whatever remains of it - must be allowed to democratically endorse what the government has secured -or indeed to reject it in favour of what we have already built. Advertisement In Bristol, which we are proud to say voted overwhelmingly to remain, we intend to maintain the pressure for as long as necessary. Europe will now dominate political and social debate for years, and we intend to remind the government - and our allies in the rest of the continent and beyond - that a large proportion of the population never wanted to leave, and that we are determined to continue a dialogue with those who voted differently (and those who didn't vote at all) until the matter is settled. Despite the horrors that will now descend on so many in the UK, this is not a time for I told you sos, nor for insulting anyone merely as racists or fools. That such people did indeed feel a sense of victory on the morning of 24 June does not mean that everyone who agrees with them on this one issue, however colossal it is, should be dismissed as being as bad. Together, we made a terrible mistake with the referendum, but that wasn't just the fault of the Brexit campaign. Their arguments were 20 years in the making, whereas we pro-Europeans, either through arrogance or naivety, didn't set out our case until the final few months of the campaign, and even then largely did so in a way that was defensive, negative and viewed as suspiciously histrionic (if not it turns out, inaccurate). We must now take responsibility to bridge the divide between us all through conversation and respect. We must let the government enter their negotiations with the Union's other members. And we must keep making the case for both a democratic and free Europe - and of the necessity of a public vote on the terms of whatever exit deal is produced. What do shoes have to do with Brexit? Since the 23rd June the Brexit vote has highlighted how deeply divided our society is. An unexpected positive is that it has engaged the electorate in politics in a way no Prime Minister or political party has managed for decades. It has also brought us the country's second female Prime Minister; Theresa May. There is much debate over whether or not Mrs May will prove to be a good leader for the UK in the coming months and possibly years. However I became confused as to why Mrs May's choice of footwear was seen to be an important factor in the debate. But a factor it is, as one look at all the major newspapers and networks reveals an outdated and I would argue, sexist attitude towards the new Prime Minister. The Evening Standard seems more interested in 'the most talked about shoe closet' than it is in Mrs May's qualities as a leader. The Telegraph has published a gallery of 'Theresa May's greatest footwear hits'. The day after it was confirmed Theresa May would be the new PM, The Sun's front page headline screamed 'Heel Boys' alongside a blown up picture of Mrs May's shoes. Even the BBC supposedly the bastion of unbiased reporting, decided to list 'shoes' as one of the 'seven notable things' we should know about the UKs next Prime Minister. I echo Susanna Reid on ITV's 'Good Morning Britain' breakfast show by asking 'Does this frustrate you?' The question was asked of Esther McVey, a former Conservative minister, but it might as well have been asked of the wider public in general and women in particular. Advertisement Does this frustrate you? Because it frustrates me a lot. McVey suggested that Theresa May wears different shoes as a subtle way of giving away a little bit of her personality. Mrs May's former campaign manager Sam Olsen has also said that her shoes are part of her personality. Why should anyone care though? I would suggest that Theresa May's shoes highlight a very sad fact about our society. I'd like to think her choice in footwear is her way of thumbing this fact forcefully at journalists everywhere; not that many are listening or appear capable of understanding. The media are obsessed with her shoes because she's a woman. She probably couldn't care less. It's that simple. Perversely this could work in her favour, as the over-eager reporters and photographers training their cameras on her feet, forget to look at what she's doing in government. The fact that Theresa May chooses to wear leopard print heels or bright red shoes to work has no bearing on her ability to do her job, but outdated dinosaurs like Piers Morgan, Rupert Murdoch and perhaps hundreds of other rich white misogynists think that it does. Sadly even journalists like Alice Cuffe help to compound the problem by devoting an entire article of debate to how Theresa May's shoes are as important to her power as her politics. Maybe they are. Maybe they're not. The point is, it doesn't matter and people shouldn't care. Advertisement I was disheartened to read that Sally Biddulph at ITV stated that an analysis of what women in the public eye wear is wrong, but it comes with the territory. Now that makes me angry. It should make every single man, woman and child living in the 21st Century angry. Sexism is tragically nothing new, and it can cut both ways. The CIPD recently reported comments from both male and female workers who are regularly on the receiving end of sexist remarks. "As I plugged in my laptop under a meeting room table, a senior director said: 'While you're down there love...' I wish I had said something but I just sat there and fumed." "I am the only male member of staff in our HR department, and I often hear a lot of comments from female staff discussing male colleagues in inappropriate ways. I often feel very uncomfortable by these lewd comments, but I am really unable to challenge this behaviour." Anonymous Quotes Reported in 'People Management' July 2016 Until more people, men and women, stand up and say 'You can't say things like this," until more journalists and reporters have the guts to say 'no I won't write about Theresa May's shoes because they're irrelevant to her position', comments like the ones above will continue to be reported. Jennifer Aniston wrote an extremely insightful piece on the way women are portrayed by a wider society, and reflected in a sexist press posing under the guise of serious journalism. But people like Aniston cannot highlight these problems alone. And they are problems. More men need to stand up and speak out against the sexism that still lingers like dog faeces in our society. Women and men in positions of authority must support anyone - male or female - strong enough to do this, and we all must encourage others to stand up and join us. Like racism and bigotry, these outdated and unacceptable attitudes will hopefully die out along with their propagators, but we have to hurry them along to an early grave and ensure that they stay dead. Advertisement However I know that there will still be people who read this, shaking their heads and binning it as hyperbolic nonsense. To them I ask this; can you name me a male Prime Minister or male business leader where the media focused on his shoes more than his ability to do a job? It's been fascinating watching the UK political system change drastically in just 3 weeks. Yes, 3 weeks. I've now been living in the Channel Islands for around 10 months since my move over from England - so I've been following the rumblings prior to and following the Brexit vote with a keen interest, but from afar - so to speak. The Channel Islands as Crown Dependencies aren't part of the UK - but are connected with the EU thanks to it's current relationship through 'Protocol 3'. That's set to end when the UK does leave the union - unless a new agreement is reached. So locals I've spoken to here have kept a close eye on proceedings as to what impact it may have on the islands - but it's 'business as usual' according to our ministers. Advertisement The focal point in British politics has given may a time to reflect on the work of the now former UK Prime Minister's six years in office. David Cameron may not have been everyone's cup of tea - but he did achieve some landmark changes in an area I'm particularly passionate about - equal marriage. I won't forget the scenes I saw on social media last summer as Pride took place in towns and cities across Britain. Sir Ian McKellen joyously greeting crowds at Manchester Pride, then earlier this year the amazing moment when a police officer proposed to his partner in front of thousands at Pride in London. Advertisement What we have seen is a more welcoming and progressive attitude which ever includes the LGBT community - and the Government's landmark move to bring in same sex marriage helped push that forward. Now three weeks on since the UK's iconic vote to leave the EU, we've seen monumental change in the British political system. Theresa May is now Prime Minister, a new cabinet's being brought in to run the country and a leadership contest begins in the Labour party. Many will hope will see more progression on issues to do with social rights, helping those in need and addressing some of the inequalities in society. If there's one key message that could be reinforced during a time of turbulence and drastic change it's this: Advertisement Yes, bad things have happened, we might not agree with a lot of decisions that have been made - but we must not forget the real change, solidarity, strength and courage that's also been seen in events in recent history. BEN STANSALL via Getty Images As Theresa May, our new Prime Minister, moves into 10 Downing Street, she'll be welcomed by a team of household staff, press photographers and....Larry. Larry is no. 10's resident cat and has been living at the Westminster residence for more than six years, taking up the role as chief mouser. Theresa May will have to become accustomed to seeing the four legged feline padding around the London residence and it brought a thought to mind. Advertisement Moving into a new home where a cat is already ruling the roost is not something that happens on a regular basis, however, it could happen. Therefore, I'm here to offer some feline tips to anyone who is facing a similar situation... including Theresa May. Bonding is essential Play fighting with your cat is a great way to strengthen the bond between the two of you, however try to remember that as they get older, their scratches and bites will be a lot stronger, and in all likelihood they'll still see your hands and socks as good targets to pounce on. Watch out for their hunting skills As they grow and their hunting skills improve, cats have even been known to ambush their owners as they walk in the door, or while owners absent-mindedly tap their feet on the sofa. Larry's honed hunting-instincts as chief mouser are clearly evident so we'd recommend the new Prime Minister purchases a teaser or a feather tail mouse, so that he is entertained by that rather than Mrs May's fingers and toes. Make your cat feel secure Fear of invasion by another cat is the main cause of cat stress, so it's important to make sure that your cat's food and bed areas are kept clear of overwhelming smells. Advertisement Larry is going to have to face a lot of changes when the new residents move in so it's important to ensure he doesn't think any other cats are set to intrude on his territory, letting Larry have the run of the house when moving in means he can explore and satisfy his concerns. Scratch-toys Scratch toys are perfect for keeping your cat occupied and the new PM could try and make Larry associate her arrival with happiness by buying him a scratch post or scratch and play centre. It's a win-win as Larry will have fun with his new toys and 10 Downing Street's furniture will stay in tip-top condition. Make them feel loved Finally, above all else, cats should be given plenty of love and affection to make them feel secure, safe and loved. The Afghan war is still raging with no end in sight as the Taliban are ever more resurgent with deadly effect. The latest suicide bombing, which killed 30 police cadets and injured another 58, happened on June 30th. It took place in the capital, Kabul, presumably the safest city in Afghanistan. The US and its NATO allies began Mission Resolute Support in January 2015 by giving the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) full security responsibility. More than 18 months on, ANSF continues to struggle with many security challenges, discipline, staffing, lack of adequate leadership, and so on. The current US troop level in Afghanistan stands at 9800 and the initial plan called for a troop reduction by the end of this year to 5500. However, President Obama, calling the security situation precarious, announced that 8400 troops will remain in the country through the end of his term. President Obama also stated that US national security concerns were one of the reasons for the slower withdrawal. US Afghan policy hawk Senator John McCain accused President Obama of being responsible for the deteriorating Afghan situation. Was Obama's hand forced by a resurgent Taliban, is the US national security at risk? Or is Obama derelict as Senator McCain charges? Yes, US national security is the most important consideration, as the Taliban are becoming more assertive. No, it is not President Obama's fault that the Afghan situation remains precarious. Mr. McCain and others would be remiss in forgetting that the Taliban's resurgence began anew when we had tens of thousands of troops in Afghanistan in 2006 and beyond. Advertisement The New Taliban Leader, Mawlawi Haibatullah Following the death of the Taliban's second in command leader, Mullah Mansoor, by US drone strikes in Pakistan, there were expectations that the Taliban were in disarray leading to their weakening. But they wasted no time closing ranks behind Mullah Haibatullah as their new leader. Their increased brazen attacks show that they are anything but weak. While any failed state provides perfect grounds for the emergence of terrorism, the Taliban are no longer a direct threat to the US homeland. The Taliban have learned their lesson not to harbor groups again who are a threat to mainland US, such as Al Qaeda. The Taliban recognize the fact that had they not welcomed Al Qaeda to Afghanistan in the 1990s, they (the Taliban) would still be in power. They reason that the US would not have invaded Afghanistan under the banner of a "global war on terrorism." The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), on the other hand, is a direct threat to the US in the form of terror activities. However, they are at odds with the Taliban, and although they have established a presence in eastern Afghanistan, ISIS is much weaker than the Taliban. Furthermore, due to animosity between the two groups, the Taliban are expected to keep ISIS's growth in check. But the Taliban are a huge threat to the existence of the current Afghan government. Reducing troops will put the Afghan government in jeopardy. So perhaps in this sense the Taliban may have indirectly forced President Obama's hand to only nominally reduce troop levels for now. The Afghan Taliban are more powerful and hold more districts in Afghanistan than at any time since 2001. While mistakes have been made over the years, the US and its president did not fail Afghanistan. Rather it is the two Afghan governments since 2001 that have spectacularly failed the Afghan people and squandered the opportunity to lay the foundation of a viable nation state. President Ashraf Ghani, the head of the National Unity Government (NUG) welcomed the decision to leave more troops in Afghanistan. But very few people expect the decision to delay US troop reduction will have a significant effect on curbing the Taliban's rise. Ghani and his once rival but now partner, CEO Abdullah, will not be able to survive without US troops. In the absence of serious efforts by the NUG to reform, US presence will maintain the status quo, prolonging the ever deepening Afghan problems. Advertisement Italian police officers lead Sicilian Mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano (C) from a police station in the southern city of Palermo April 11, 2006. Provenzano, the undisputed chief of the Sicilian Mafia who had been on the run for more than four decades, was arrested while hiding in a farmhouse near Corleone in Sicily on Tuesday, officials said. REUTERS/Marcello Paternostro They say that Bernardo Provenzano (known as Binnu) had begun to lose it, that he started raving over the last few years. It's easy to forget that that he had been the Godfather of the Corleonesi faction. Even when he was arrested, he was wearing an old-fashioned handkerchief around his neck and had chicory boiling in a pan in his stable hide-out; not exactly the image of a man in the top ranks of the notorious Cosa Nostra. The same could be said of his longtime crony and ally Toto Riina (Salvatore Riina), who at least managed a silent and ferocious expression for the police photographers. Binnu was instead carted away wearing a foolish grin, although it was accompanied by the legendary phrase he uttered as the handcuffs were slapped on his wrists: "You don't know what you're doing." When a godfather dies, there is always someone who breathes a little easier. And Bernardo Provenzano, despite his silence and recent ravings, has certainly been a source of anxiety for more than a few men inside and outside of the government; namely those privy to that secret of secrets, which is protected by a verdict that did not constitute a crime: the lack of a police search of Toto Riina's house after his arrest. Eighteen days were lost in January of 1993, during that period of time the Cosa Nostra organized the emptying and cleaning of the house without a single camera or Carabinieri (Italian military police) to record the activity in the residence of a man who once brought the country to its knees with endless massacre and murder. Advertisement That lingering questions: Was Riina's arrest a deal with the government? And was Provenzano the one to make the deal? These questions are still part of an ongoing, albeit vague, legal procedure. But one thing is certain: after the transfer of power from one godfather to another, that is, from Toto' "Shorty" Riina and Bernardo "the tractor" Provenzano, the Cosa Nostra assumed a new, more comfortable, relationship with the government, one resembling that of a friendly, but divorced couple. In some ways, this change was also related to the economic crisis that dried up the flow of money that the Corleonesi faction had used to build much of its fortune. Enough massacres: the new strategy was integration and survival. Both the mafia and the government minded their own business, despite the constant interference of some officials who came and went like a series of bothersome colds. Massimo Ciancimino, son of old-school mobster Vito Ciancimino, recalled Provenzano's visits to his father's house in Piazza di Spagna in Rome. He would go pick Provenzano up around the corner from the subway stop like he were an elderly uncle and bring him to his father, Don Vito. The two would then discuss Riina's infamous list of demands to the government in exchange for an end to the recent bombings, deciding that "Shorty" was crazy and needed to be taken down a couple of notches. Whether Ciancimino's story is true or not (and it is very likely true), Provenzano presented a much more accommodating image. He was the behind-the-scenes godfather. And in the end, on that day of his arrest 10 years ago, that boiling pot of chicory only helped to cement that image. When a godfather dies, many secrets die with him. And whether figurehead or not, raving or silent by choice, "Binnu u tratturi"(Binnie the tractor) remained true to his reputation. Someone will breathe easier tonight. Everything else isn't personal, just strictly business. Advertisement A few weeks before I went to China I was on a tour in Marrakech and met a travel blogger couple from the States. When I mentioned excitedly that I was going on a press trip to China, their reaction caught me off guard. "Why would you want to go there? The people are disgusting and the food is horrible!" Yes, maybe I had been bragging just a tiny bit because -- business class flight! -- but that reaction seemed outright rude. And as it turned out, they had never been. With that, I was really confused how someone can call an entire 1.4 billion people disgusting without ever having set foot in their country. This was the first of a few incidences that had me thinking about traveling and racism, the privilege and the prejudice of seeing the world, writing about it and sharing our thoughts. I wrote my thoughts down in a post and was happy to see the overwhelmingly positive reactions. It gave me hope that traveling and travel blogging really does connect people, opens us up to the new and the unknown, and lets us overcome fears and prejudices, the ones we know of and the ones we never knew we had. Advertisement I've said it in this post and I will say it again -- everybody is entitled to their opinion and to not liking certain places. People have different preferences so it is only natural that some prefer a rugged Canadian mountain scenery, others skyscrapers or warm oceans to surf. As a travel blogger, just as much as a traveler you don't have to rave about the world and you can, of course, have favorites of what you want to see or where you never want to go again. Life is short, go where your heart longs to go, for whatever reason. So I didn't mind that these travel bloggers didn't want to go to China but for them to disregard it based on prejudice and generalizations seemed just wrong. I used to believe Mark Twain when he said "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness" because I believed the same. But after my own experience about going to China, I was shocked to realize that prejudice and traveling are not mutually exclusive. A few incidences came up and while I thought it horrible that these things happened, I also thought that they sparked a very good and healthy debate. I was amazed to read an article by an Asian-American blogger about how she is still on the receiving end of so much everyday racism not only in her daily life but also in the world of travelers (who are supposed to be so above and beyond it all, right?!). It made me incredibly mad and very sad. It also served as a really good reminder to myself that I need to check my white privilege and mind my words. Words matter. I guess it was naive to think that this one debate sparked by a few very influential travel bloggers was going to resolve 'the issue'. Alas, of course, it hasn't. People are still people. Advertisement Before I was flying back to Germany I stumbled across the post "Why I completely hated Oslo, Norway". I clicked on it either expecting one of those satire pieces or a very personal account on why she genuinely disliked Oslo so much that she would use the word 'hate'. I got the latter and then some. The post has been taken down since as it has allegedly crashed her site so I can only paraphrase. The author describes how she felt Oslo was completely overrun by refugees which really bothered her and made her -- as a blonde girl -- fear for her life when she tried to explore a city full of Arabic graffiti. Because, you know, that's what you better do when Muslim men walk around minding their own business. You should fear for your life. I had to re-read certain paragraphs to actually fully understand the extent of what she was saying. I honestly couldn't believe that someone could make such horrible, racist remarks in a blog post thinking she was giving a personal account of a city trip. Luckily I wasn't the only one who felt that way as some of the comments showed; comments that went, of course, unanswered (unlike the ones, hoping that she made it safely out of Oslo!). The girl was scared and that is okay, whether her fear was rational or not. I too get scared. However, this cannot lead me to generalizations. Whatever my background, my past, my story, I like to think that me being a traveler will also show me the other side. That it will allow me to walk in someone else's shoes. To look behind the curtain of fear and prejudice and to reconcile whatever baggage I carry with me. I am not perfect. I do constantly need to check my white privilege not only when I am home, in South Africa but anywhere in the world. And often, I think, I fail. I do have prejudices, make comments that are not okay, say things that may offend. Just because I don't put them in writing, doesn't mean that I don't have them. Advertisement Of course, that doesn't always work. As I said, I too, fail at keeping my emotions, my prejudices, my fears in check at times. But when I fail at it, I would rather be called out than not. If I say something wrong, something offensive, something racist, something hurtful, I want to know. I am not perfect, but if I fail, I want to have a chance to do better. I want a chance to think things over, to regret, to repent and to hopefully become a better person, a better traveler, and a better writer in the process. I want to be held to higher standards as a travel blogger, as a traveler, and as a human being. Don't you? Money for nothing - it sounds like a utopia, but is now being trialled as government policy around the world. Variations on the idea of a guaranteed basic income are attracting global headlines as pilot studies are devised in the US, Canada, Finland and the Netherlands. Here we dig down into what those pilots actually mean; are we on the brink of a work-free golden age? Is it because the robots are taking all the jobs? Does this mean that Finns and Canadians will be paid to do whatever they like? The idea has been around for decades. Richard Nixon proposed a variant in 1969 (run by Donald Rumsfeld and an assistant called Dick Cheney) and Canada ran a pilot in the town of Dauphin, Manitoba, in the 1970s. Those ultimately failed to overturn resistance to the very notion of simply giving poor people money. Now, however, the idea is enjoying a resurgence across the political spectrum as regular, contracted employment seems to be in danger of breaking up: either being chopped up into 'gigs' and freelance work, or being made obsolete by new technology and automation. Because a guaranteed basic income appeals to people from the socialist left to the libertarian right, from European Green parties to the tech entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley, these trials are being constructed in very different ways and with very different objectives. Nevertheless, the government schemes in Finland, Holland and Canada are working in the same materials as the trial being set up by investment firm Y Combinator in Oakland, California, and the universal adoption proposed by citizens in Switzerland (pictured top, and now rejected by referendum). Moreover, NGOs have been running schemes like this for more than a decade in countries such as Namibia, India and Brazil. The biggest ever trial is now being planned in West Africa. Advertisement Here are the five key things you need to know: 1) Governments are not thinking the same as tech optimists The schemes in Switzerland or California are trying to achieve something different from the government equivalents. You can see that in how much money they're offering. Y Combinator are thinking of giving people up to $2,000 a month, more than if they worked 40 hours a week at the minimum wage, while the Dutch example is half that, and the Finnish one is almost half again. Technology will eliminate traditional jobs and create massive new wealth Aside from the question of ready money, Y Combinator is making preparations for a future in which, according to its president, Sam Altman, 'technology continues to eliminate traditional jobs and massive new wealth gets created'. The belief is that we are on the brink of a paradigm shift in how people get an income; that automation will make vast swathes of the populace unemployed, but will also create enough wealth to guarantee everyone a minimum standard of living. So instead of having to slave away at tedious tasks in exchange for our monthly pay packet, we'll all be freed up to think of brilliant new entrepreneurial or creative means of contributing to the economy. For governments, however, it is about a more efficient and humane way of providing welfare benefits to the poorest people in society. In Holland, for example, councillor Lisa Westerveld has said, 'In Nijmegen we get $116million to give to people on welfare, but it costs $20million a year for the civil servants running the bureaucracy of the current system. We will save money with a "basic income".' And Finnish prime minister Juha Sipila said his scheme was to 'reduce bureaucracy and simplify the now complicated benefit system'. 2) People already get money for nothing There are lots of ways in which governments already give people money to live, such as unemployment benefit. What supposedly makes a basic income different is that the money comes without any strings attached, i.e. no obligation to perform community work or look for a job. It is not supposed to be temporary. But money for nothing already exists in the state pension. And there are places where it - or something very close to it - already exists for people of working age. Advertisement Alaska pays every resident an annual Permanent Fund Dividend - a share in the profits from the state's oil wealth. It's nowhere near enough to live on, with the biggest ever payout, last year, set at $2,072. But it does work on a principle that is closely related to the arguments about a basic income: that society holds assets that all citizens own in common, like shareholders, and that can pay them a dividend. Meanwhile, Brazil, which passed a law mandating a guaranteed basic income as long ago as 2004, runs a system which its government considers an intermediary step. Like equivalent programmes in other countries, notably Mexico, it gives cash to 12million poor Brazilian families in exchange for them doing things that are in their own interest, like keeping their children in school or attending medical check-ups. The obligations are minor and, in a context of extreme poverty, the results can be striking. When the Mexican programme started, children who were in it from birth grew a centimetre a year taller than those who weren't. Nevertheless, conditional cash transfers do still operate on the principle that public servants know what is best for poor people and should incentivise them to do it. 3) The schemes in the developing world aren't really analogous Although basic income programmes in Namibia, India and rural Brazil have all had a striking impact on people's quality of life, the context that they're working in is so different that their findings can't be easily transferred. For them, it's not about the transition to an automated economy or efficient administration of a complex welfare system, it's about borderline starvation among society's poorest. The Namibian study, for example, handed out 100 Namibian dollars a month, which was still significantly below the level of food poverty (defined as 152 NAD a month). The Indian and rural Brazilian schemes gave or give out a handful of dollars each month and one of the organisers of the Indian scheme, Professor Guy Standing, wrote in his summary of results that, 'Perhaps the most important finding was the significant improvement in the average weight-for-age of young children.' The crucial finding that could be transferred to the developed world is that the people in the studies didn't work less; instead, they were more entrepreneurial and invested in their own long-term prosperity, buying things like better seeds or sewing machines. Where the analogy breaks down is in the way the schemes create incentives. Those incentives depend on comparison with the incentives created by other forms of support in those countries. And a semi-employed person in, say, Holland, is guaranteed vastly more than one in Namibia. Advertisement 4) It actually all comes down to incentives The main criticism of a basic income is that it will disincentivise people from working, a criticism that's also made of existing welfare systems. Hugh Segal, who is in charge of advising Ontario on its basic income pilot, told Apolitical, 'One of the problems we have with existing systems is that if someone does find work, there will be a clawback of benefits, not just financial benefits, but things like free medical care and housing support, so you end up with the contradiction that welfare programmes keep people trapped in poverty. So the challenge becomes: can you craft a programme that has a better impact than that?' In any of these schemes, achieving that better impact will depend on the precise calibration of payments against welfare benefits and the living wage. For that reason, the proposed Canadian pilot would actually test various means of giving people money, such as a negative income tax (which was used in the Canadian 'mincome' pilot in the 1970s), a universal grant or upgrading existing income support. The Dutch scheme will have variations in which people are obliged or have the option to do work for the community. Economic security will give people freedom to create a better job Moreover, the incentives are not just about finding jobs. More than 60% of Canadians living in poverty are actually in work, for example, and the state can also place a value on incentivising people to do things like stay in education. In California, Y Combinator president Sam Altman writes, 'We hope a minimum level of economic security will give people the freedom to pursue further education or training, find or create a better job, and plan for the future.' What makes a guaranteed basic income different from giving people benefits in other ways is that it removes the paternalistic apparatus of carrot and stick. The fundamental divide on the subject is between those who believe that if you remove sanctions and obligations, people will get lazy or mess things up and those who believe that people will use their new freedom to achieve more. Proponents also believe that if you trust poor people to order their own affairs, they will do so better than public servants can plan. 5) It's not utopia or bust Just as we are not going to switch to an automated economy overnight, a basic income is not an all-or-nothing proposition. These pilots are not attempts to create a new kind of society this year or next; they are milestones that, if passed, will lead in that direction. If they succeed, they will establish the principle that you can simply give people money and trust them to use it in a way beneficial to themselves and, indirectly, to society. Once that principle is established, the system could be expanded in both scope and generosity, depending on whether the tech utopia actually comes to pass. Advertisement So what will a success look like? At its simplest, the schemes will have to demonstrate that guaranteeing people a basic income is a cheaper means of giving money to poor people than the means we have already, and that it encourages them to keep working and look after themselves better than a paternalistic state could. Photograph by Mia Collis, KWS from the Ivory Burn pyres in Nairobi of me painting a young boy's face with the "Elephants Aflame" symbol. If we were to compress geological time in to 24 hours, human beings would have manifested only a second before midnight. We, as a species, have had all this impact within that second. We are, but a small blip on the giant radar of life, but our imprint on this planet is as pronounced as the meteor that caused the dinosaurs to go extinct. Perhaps in growing aware of our impact, we can consciously choose to make that impact, positive. Advertisement Wild is where we come from, wild is who we are, and wild is how we will continue to thrive. We had no part in its conception but we play every part in preserving it for future generations! We need to feel a part of this intricate pulsating web, not apart from it. I certainly do, and all my creative expressions evoke this truth, that degrees of separation are actually degrees of connection. Photograph of a baby elephant at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust mistaking my head for a coconut and swallowing me into a black out kiss. When we poach, cull or slaughter wild for short sighted monetary gain, we interrupt and inhibit the osmotic dialogue between all living things that transcends our linear comprehension of time; we create breaks in what is otherwise a continuous, complex and cyclical biological narrative. This is particularly evident with the trade in blood ivory and rhino horn, which has crippled herds of these magnificent, irreplaceable animals across African nations. It is for this reason that Kenyans needed to light a fire to their stockpiles of death. When we monetize death, and fund life with it, we can only perpetuate more death in this world, because that's what we have prioritized and assigned value to. We need to tilt this model on its head and monetize life. This monumental burn not only underscores the need to put illicit wildlife products beyond economic use, but to stop depositing death in to bank accounts. Advertisement Photograph of a young voice for wild elephants by Mia Collis, KWS Information is a catalyst for change. Knowing evolves your engagement. The more I know today, the less I want tomorrow. When you know that an elephant is worth 76 times more alive, it makes little sense to slaughter one for a commodity that has no legal market anyway. Knowing reforms a person's purchase perspective. Time and again, we buy into choices at a price that does not account for the product's real cost. We buy because we are desperately trying to assimilate the world external to us, to make our selves bigger. What we need to recognize is that we are already all encompassing, because the world external is already a part of our biological lineage and story. All we need to do to expand ourselves is to reconnect to our wild past. If our internal landscape was aware of its origin story, we would not continue to denude the external landscape, because we would understand the external as an extension of the internal. So as a generation we need to change our priorities, our value system, economic paradigm and how we each impact the world with our daily choices. We each have impact on the world around us irrespective of our awareness of it. This is why every household and every individual in it need to be conscious consumers. Original artwork by Asher Jay, "Fueling Life with Death". The greatest change we can evoke is to move away from our antiquated obsession with ownership and the need to amass personal wealth at the cost of collective welfare. We operate from deficiency instead of contentment, we are insatiable in our wants, and avaricious in our take. In recognizing we have one finite planet, and we are one people inhabiting its various ecosystems, we might be encouraged to bring our fences and walls down and open up our borders to embrace those in need. We need to cultivate the humility to concede that the boundaries, and caps we impose on the natural world, stem from a limited understanding and the humanity to facilitate the necessary shift toward coexistence. The good news is that the current paradigm is not the only way to be. I encourage YOU: the young, the able, the determined, the brave, and the compassionate visionaries of the era of change, to redesign our flailing system, economically, politically, financially, spiritually, psychologically, culturally, socially and ecologically. We need to put the long haul welfare of the collective ahead of our own immediate gain. I am not going to preach formulas of success or advocate a single strategic way to embrace a wild, inclusive future. On most days I have not a clue as to how to channel my creativity toward impact, but I wake up and I spend hours hacking away at various issues that affect me on a personal level. If you do not take responsibility for the world around you, who will? If you do not decide to fix a failing framework who will? Only when you own a problem will you feel the need to resolve it. You cannot come up with necessary answers unless you take it upon yourself to ask the right questions. Hope without understanding, seldom evokes action or enables a solution. We cannot simply hope for a better way forward, we cannot simply hope we will change. We need to apply ourselves, we need to assume responsibility, find a better way forward today, and enact change now. So here's to now, and the possibilities it holds, here's to the dark past that delivered us to this monumental burn, and here's to the future that will see us evolve from the ashes of this action. Stuck in the mud, in Nairobi National Park during the rains in April 2016 with Paula Kahumbu. Bernie Sanders recently endorsed Hillary Clinton at a campaign event in New Hampshire, telling supporters that he "intend[s] to do everything [he] can to make certain she will be the next president of the United States." The endorsement was expected and followed months of Democrats and journalists calling for him to drop out of the Democratic primary. Some of those Democrats, like Raul Grijalva and Jeff Merkeley, had been Sanders supporters. They argued that Sanders should exit the race because doing so would make "the process of unifying to defeat Trump and elect Hillary smoother," in the words of Grijalva. Whether or not you agree that party unity should be a primary goal, this argument at least made sense: it's hard to imagine that Sanders' seal of approval wouldn't be helpful in shoring up votes for Clinton in the fall. Democrats and journalists less sympathetic to Sanders, however, had been making a much less coherent argument: that Sanders was actually undermining his political power and the ideas he campaigned on by staying in the race. This claim was obviously incorrect but was nonetheless repeated over and over again by numerous journalists and pundits, including: Advertisement Gabriel Debenedetti and Sahil Kapur, who penned pieces entitled "Sanders loses convention leverage" (for Politico) and "Sanders' Long Refusal to Endorse Clinton Hurts His Leverage" (for Bloomberg), respectively, on June 17; Joan Walsh, who argued in The Nation on June 27 that "Sanders may... be setting himself up for less influence in Philadelphia, rather than more;" Jamelle Bouie, who contended in Slate on June 28 that "the leverage [Sanders] held at the end of the primary just isn't there anymore;" Stuart Rothenberg, who wrote in The Washington Post on June 30 that "Sanders is not yet irrelevant[, but] he reached a point weeks ago when his stubbornness became counterproductive;" A "senior Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity," who told Politico on July 6 (after Sanders was booed by House Democrats for saying that his goal "is to transform America," not just "to win elections") that Sanders was "squandering the movement he's built;" and Joshua Green, who asserted in Bloomberg on July 7 that "Sanders increasingly looks like an afterthought who's squandering an historic opportunity." Their arguments boiled down to the following: The more Sanders waited to endorse Clinton, the more he alienated her team, encouraging them to ignore parts of his platform that they'd be otherwise inclined to support and to rely on other politicians, like Elizabeth Warren, for progressive credibility. Sanders' "first and most prominent supporters [had already] jumped off the bandwagon, congratulating and in some cases endorsing Clinton," Debenedetti noted, and Bouie later added that Sanders had lost his chance to "claim credit" for the "natural movement to Clinton among Democratic primary voters" that had already begun to take place. Bouie believed Sanders could have taken "a starring role in the campaign against Trump," opening "the doors to lasting influence," but in the words of Rothenberg, "Clinton [did]n't need Sanders anymore." If "Sanders delivers a late or halfhearted endorsement," Walsh had argued, Clinton might even turn to Republicans for votes. These clams were proved false by Sanders' consistent string of negotiation wins. As Jeff Stein observed in Vox, the original draft Democratic party platform, released on Friday, July 1, "show[ed] Sanders winning on at least six signature issues that reflect long-held goals of his movement... on top of victories Sanders [had] already won over the platform." Bouie was right to point out that "Team Sanders... lost out" in early platform discussions about "more contentious" issues like the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and environmental regulation, and Green wasn't far off when he said the platform is "a purely symbolic document," but it was also undoubtedly the case, as Stein observed, that the party was "moving [Sanders'] way on several key issues." Clinton's new plan to make college free for families making under $125,000 a year (a proposal that isn't quite as good as Sanders' but represents a striking reversal from her earlier campaign rhetoric) and Sanders' additional platform wins on issues ranging from the environment to marijuana policy to the minimum wage in Orlando on July 8 and 9 only underscored Stein's point: Sanders' "hard-line negotiating tactic [was] rewarded." To his credit, Bouie has now admitted that his original argument was wrong. Advertisement The reason these concessions happened is simple: Clinton wanted Sanders' endorsement. Yes, some Sanders supporters had already committed to voting for Clinton, but even they often have negative perceptions of her and are unlikely to volunteer and/or donate in the same way they would have if Sanders was the nominee. Clinton knew that generating the enthusiasm and votes necessary to beat Donald Trump in November would be easier with Sanders on board and the possibility that he wouldn't be was the best bargaining chip Sanders had. In fact, if winning concessions from Clinton and applying pressure to the Democratic party were Sanders' only objectives, his endorsement would be a huge mistake. It's hard to believe that Sanders would have secured the gains he did if he had followed the pundits' advice and tried to ingratiate himself to Clinton sooner, and the aftermath of his endorsement -- in which it's becoming clear that he will abandon some of the policy fights he had planned for the Democratic convention -- is already showing that his open support of Clinton has compromised his ability to exact further concessions. At the same time, Sanders' endorsement is consistent with what he has said all along: applying pressure to Clinton and changing the Democratic party is not his only or even his primary goal. Sanders has explicitly prioritized making "certain that Donald Trump is defeated and defeated badly," as Bouie has pointed out, and a brief glance at Sanders' past statements makes clear that his decision "to do everything [he] can to make certain [Clinton] will be the next president of the United States" is almost certainly motivated more by opposition to Trump than support of Clinton. Sanders' position is not unreasonable; though the differences between Trump and Clinton are often overstated, Clinton is undoubtedly the lesser evil facing those who believe in power-balancing policy. But it also deprives Sanders of a whole lot of bargaining power, and voters who want to salvage some of that power would do well to continue to withhold their support. Advertisement In fact, Clinton can court a growing list of Republicans not because of the delayed endorsement by Sanders that Walsh feared, but for precisely the opposite reason: as one Republican strategist has explained, many Sanders supporters "have already shown, by and large, that they'll fall in line and back" Clinton despite policy positions they dislike. The loss of bargaining power that pledging to vote for Clinton entails is also apparent in pressure from Wall Street about Clinton's choice of a running mate: "moderate Democrats in the financial services industry argue that Sanders voters will come on board anyway and that Clinton does not need to pick [Elizabeth] Warren to help her win." A commitment to lesser-of-evilsism is indisputably accompanied by a loss of leverage in situations in which you and the candidate you're backing disagree. Some Sanders supporters, like the candidate himself, have already decided that a united front against Trump is more important than that leverage. Others believe that fixing a Democratic party that is seriously broken is a more pressing concern and that the concessions Sanders has won, while not meaningless, are very different than binding commitments Clinton would be likely to adhere to if elected; we wish Sanders had maximized his leverage by seriously entertaining a third-party run. Sanders, on the other hand, has been attempting to balance his attention to both goals, to influence the Democratic party platform as much as possible without materially affecting the Democrats' chances in the fall. It's perfectly fine to disagree with Sanders' relative weighting of priorities -- I do, and I encourage Sanders supporters to consider voting for Jill Stein come November. But whether you decide to do that or not, let's be honest about the tradeoffs involved. A mostly unconditional commitment to party unity comes at the expense of leverage over the party's direction, and there's no denying that. Westchester is one of the nation's wealthiest communities. It is also one of the most racially polarized. Not that long ago Yonkers, the largest city in Westchester and fourth largest in New York State, became infamous for its epic 27-year defiance of federal court orders to desegregate its schools and neighborhoods, which nearly bankrupted the city. Today Yonkers hasn't changed that much. Nor has Westchester County generally. The county still reflects a deeply segregated landscape in which blacks and Hispanics are clustered in a few cities - Yonkers, White Plains, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and Peekskill - creating a grossly inaccurate demographic picture of a racially diverse county when in fact in 19 towns and villages the black and Hispanic household population is less than 2 percent, and more than half of the communities are less than 5 percent black and less than 10 percent Hispanic (the county's population is 15 percent black and 22 percent Hispanic). One cause of segregated communities is the existence of exclusionary zoning laws that prevent minorities from finding adequate and affordable housing. Ten years ago, the county was sued by the Anti-Discrimination Center in New York City under the federal False Claims Act - enacted during the Civil War to prevent fraud against the federal government - for fraudulently misrepresenting its efforts to end segregation in overwhelmingly white communities when it applied for and received over $50 million dollars in federal housing assistance. The lawsuit alleged that Westchester County violated the Act by certifying to the federal government that it was "affirmatively furthering fair housing," had properly analyzed the impact of race on housing opportunities in the county, and took appropriate actions to overcome the effects of racial discrimination in impeding minority access to housing. Advertisement The county's representations were false, as Federal District Judge Denise Cote found. She found that the county had violated the Act by its "utter failure" to analyze the degree of segregation and restricted housing opportunities due to race, and to comply with federal regulations requiring the county to make a record of impediments to fair housing choice in terms of race. Thousands of claims made by the county were "false or fraudulent." Judge Cote further found that during the period when it applied for and received millions of dollars in federal funds, the county took a "hands off" approach towards towns and villages that engage in exclusionary zoning. Among its most outrageous misrepresentations, the county affirmatively assured the court that no municipality had failed to provide affordable housing to minorities, and that no municipality was impeding the county's alleged commitment to provide affordable housing to minorities. The county made these assurances despite the fact that during this period over one-third of the municipalities in the county had created not a single affordable housing unit. In 2009, after years of litigation at huge costs to the county, an historic settlement was reached in which the county agreed to build 750 affordable residences and also to analyze obstacles to affordable housing and present strategies for overcoming them. However, shortly after this settlement, a new administration under Republican County Executive Rob Astorino was elected, largely on Astorino's demagogic appeals to NIMBYs ("Not in My Backyard") with inflammatory rhetoric about "the federal government's assault on Westchester." While not as raw and overtly racist as George Wallace ("segregation today, segregation tomorrow segregation forever"), Astorino's rhetoric was just as provocative and inciting. He was applauded by his constituents when he vetoed the "source of income" bill - required under the settlement - that required landlords to accept government vouchers as rental payments. According to Astorino's cynical interpretation, the settlement required him to "promote" the legislation; it did not require him to "sign" it. A federal judge disagreed. The county continued to play housing games. It repeatedly assured a federal judge, a federal housing agency, and U.S Attorney Preet Bharara, charged with enforcing the settlement, that it was complying with the agreement. But these assurances were false, causing the federal government to withhold at least $22 million dollars from the county because of its noncompliance. Under pressure, the county began building some of the 750 affordable housing units required under the agreement and actually is on track to complete the process. Critics contend that many of the units have been built on desolate sites in sparsely populated areas, or next to railroad tracks, highways, and bridges, or adjoining largely minority communities, and almost always isolated from more affluent communities. Advertisement Moreover, although the county's commitment to build affordable housing is a significant part of the settlement, it is really only a small part of the larger objective of creating a much broader framework for integrated, affordable, and fair housing throughout the county. It is here that the county had engaged in tactics of resistance and obstruction. While the settlement stipulated that the county ensure that its municipalities end their exclusionary zoning practices, and submit an analysis of impediments to affordable housing, the county continued to represent, falsely, that none of its municipalities have exclusionary zoning. And predictably, Federal Judge Cote last week rejected the county's assurances, labeling its analysis a "failed process." In fact, according to James Johnson, the federal housing official overseeing the settlement, more than a half-dozen towns and villages in the county continue to have exclusionary zoning rules. The judge gave county officials 30 days to select a consultant to prepare a proper analysis. The county has protested the judge's order, has claimed, incorrectly, that it is no longer required to submit an analysis of impediments to fair housing, and threatens to appeal. Meanwhile, the county's tactics have undermined its professed commitment to an integrated community, caused costly delays, deprived the county of millions of dollars in federal funds, and continues to cast over the county a dark cloud of racial bias that similarly shrouded Yonkers thirty years ago. Little did I know when I had dinner with Adm. Jim Stavridis last Sunday that two days later news would surface that he is on the short list for the Vice Presidential pick. He did confess that the next president will face challenges whoever "SHE" may be. I am not a fan of Generals and Admirals. Ever since the Vietnam War, our military leaders have been so wrong, for so long. Perhaps this is too harsh, and ultimate blame should go to the politicians. But our military leaders, for the most part, just went along with insane schemes. Some six to seven million civilians have died in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and other broken countries, not counting dead American soldiers. Advertisement Most of the dead came as a direct consequence of misguided, blunderous, counter-productive military fiascos. As a result, there are failed states all over the Mideast and Central Asia: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, and Syria, mostly as a consequence of US military campaigns. Millions of refugees are swarming over Europe displaced from their homes. The EU is in danger of falling apart as a result of this massive immigration from these dysfunctional states. But when I heard Admiral Stavridis talk I knew instantly that this guy was the real thing -- a genuine soldier-scholar, a thinker and a writer. He has a Ph.D, has written three books, most recently The Accidental Admiral, and dozens of articles. He seems to know the world so well and think so strategically, he is not war-drum beater. Advertisement As a retired admiral, Stavridis has served as Supreme Commander of NATO (2009-2013), and currently is the Dean of Fletcher School of Law at Tufts University. He agrees that grand-scale military intervention in the Middle East has resulted in much of the region's destabilization. With millions of refugees the failed intervention is clear. Anti-American fury, which is rampant throughout the Middle East as a result of military actions, is a continuing threat to our soldiers and civilians. These are truths the Admiral is willing to accept. He listens. He knows the world well and though empathetic and compassionate, he also possesses a succinct and strategic mind to safeguard US lives and interests. What is intriguing about this possible democratic nominee is that Donald Trump is determined to make this election about who can protect us the most in this dangerous world. Advertisement Like a true demagogue, Trump is already gearing up to scare the bejesus out of the populace. Weekly terrorism attacks, domestic and overseas keep bolstering his candidacy. With 1968 Nixonian overtones, his campaign theme is focusing on "I am the only one who can keep America safe." This is the wheelhouse swing he intends to ride to the presidency. To beef up his credential on terrorism, Trump is vetting Retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn to be his running mate. Clinton -- although often known for her hawkish views-- is already having a tough time besting Trump on the issues of national security and terrorism in the polls. By a margin of 15% Voters have more confidence in Trump to deal with terrorism. But by choosing to run with 4 Star Admiral, Stavridis would be the perfect Clinton foil to Trump's lower ranking Lieutenant General Flynn. Advertisement Stavridis and Clinton worked closely together when she was Secretary of state and Stavridis was Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. When Stavridis is in full dress uniform, he can barely wear the more than 50 metals he earned during his illustrious service. Such a choice would make Clinton bulletproof on the issue of national defense and the ability to protect us from terrorism. Consider Trump's rhetoric: he yells for carpet bombing the Middle East and reiterates walls, walls, walls. In comparison, Stavridis tells me, "Walls don't work." He says, "Instead of building walls, we need to build bridges." Advertisement "In order to combat 21st-century threats like cybercrime, terrorism, trafficking and piracy, the military cannot work alone," he says. He brings up Wikipedia to further prove his point. "[Wikipedia] was not created by 12 brilliant people locked in a room. Wikipedia is tens of thousands of people inputting information daily," he says. "It's the perfect image for the fundamental point that no one of us is as smart as all of us thinking together." This represents a kind of Wisdom of the Crowd approach with democratic overtones. Cyber terrorism, not ISIS, is our biggest threat according the Admiral. A separate force with large resources should be created to focus on this. Stavridis also stressed that we must begin working with the Russians. He says, "NATO and Russia will need to cooperate in order to achieve a political and diplomatic solution in Syria." As a supporter of smart power and diplomacy, this was a guy I could listen to. A guy I could get behind. Advertisement Cynics, however, will likely dismiss the pick as a move back to the right: an attempt to appeal to the swing vote, middle of the road conservatives who are undecided. True, such a pick might alienate the more progressive democrats who have begrudgingly accepted Clinton as the democratic nominee. But, Clinton already has the progressive votes, what she need now is to install confidence in her ability to protect our country from its enemies. Still, liberals don't have to worry. A deeper look into Stavridis' background shows that to be false. His record is fairly progressive and left-leaning, and incredibly fair. An academic, he seems more pre-occupied with the law than political pandering--a statement similar to those said about Obama in 2008. On the Middle East, he favors international cooperation and interagency stabilization efforts; investment in Afghan security forces over US intervention; and maintenance of 15,000 troops rather than sending in additional "boots." Advertisement To bring on someone who is liberal, yet strong on defense and security, is perhaps the smartest move Clinton can make. It asserts her commitment to national security, yet also proves she has listened to calls for a more progressive agenda. Jim Stavridis is a smart choice to guide us through an upcoming series of "Smart Wars." The two worked together often when she was Secretary of State--but as far as military-minds go, Stavridis is the best. Other pluses for Stavridis is that he is from Florida, a state the democrats must win, and that he would be a silver-tongued debater. Truly a rare find. By Ben Walker Few industries produce more data than the legal industry, and the amount of data produced every year is constantly increasing. While technology adoption rates have been slower in the legal field than in some other industries, as more and more millennials enter the legal profession, they bring their technological savviness with them, which is slowly changing the entire landscape. As CEO of Transcription Outsourcing, LLC, a company that provides law enforcement, legal, academic, financial and general transcription services, I have seen that transformation firsthand. The information that can now be accessed is helping the legal field in ways that were simply not possible before. Until just a few years ago, a large number of legal firms used to store their case files in hard copies. They reluctantly digitalized when they realized the space constraints and lack of security hard copies require. Most legal firms have moved their case files to the cloud, which makes searching and storing a hassle-free task. Instant access to large amounts of data has resulted in greater levels of collaborations within law enforcement agencies and shortened trial lengths. Advertisement Digitalizing case files enables faster analysis, which streamlines decisions. Algorithms are now starting to come into play within the legal industry at an amazing rate. Law firms can utilize algorithms to make predictions on outcomes based on data from past cases. It used to take firms several days to determine whether a case was worth taking. Use of an algorithm has shortened this process down to just 20 minutes. Big data has also provided new insights and transparency for those seeking legal services. A new smartphone app, RateDriver, helps its users find out the fees which they should expect to pay their legal counsel for any specific case. This app contains cost estimates for legal services within all 50 states in the U.S. It also enables people to get cost estimates before contacting attorneys, so they know what to expect from a financial perspective. Startups can target their pay-per-click campaigns down to, for example, 35-to-55-year-old male dentists in a specific zip code with the help of big data. If you know your audience, you can pinpoint your marketing with unbelievable accuracy, which means you can save money and spend it more wisely than in the past when you would just buy magazine ads or radio spots on a certain station you were told male dentists listened to. Big data is also helpful for legal firms' HR departments during recruitment. It can help them find the most suitable candidate for the job. Advertisement Managing the large amounts of data has proven a challenge, especially since in legal, it must be entered manually. It usually starts with a paralegal or court reporter, and now it's becoming more and more legal transcriptionists. Legal transcriptionists are usually people like us who work remotely and with another company that specializes in legal transcription so that courthouses and law firms don't have to have a paralegal (not trained for transcription) or a court reporter do it. Small law firms can now compete with the international juggernauts with a few clicks of a mouse. Imagine not needing dozens of paralegals and interns to dig through files and files just to get insurance rates on men over age 50 in the state of Florida because you have all that data at your fingertips. We as small business owners can and do have access to the same data our bigger colleagues have. You can take advantage of it or plow through the mud at a snail's pace. We can target law firms in the state of Texas who do a certain number of depositions per year and send them our company information. Why would we blanket all of Texas's law firms with our company information, when we know which firms do what we do, down to the exact number? It only makes sense to use the available data, and a lot of it is free. Big data has shown its potential value in the legal system with a promise of reducing the time lawyers need to complete research and casework, which should eventually lower costs and increase access to the justice system for all. "Relationships set us apart from Algorithms and Artificial Intelligence computers. No relations, no humanity, no life, no meaning." -- Sir Anthony Seldon Who among us feels happy? Who among us would like to be happier? Who is responsible for us feeling happy or not? Who believes that we have it in our power to be unbelievably happy? These are all questions Sir Anthony Seldon might ask of the audience in one of his presentations on happiness. At a time when thought leaders in education all over the world are pointing to curriculum needing more focus on character development, character strengths and well-being, Seldon's recent book, Beyond Happiness: The Trap of Happiness and How to Find Deeper Meaning and Joy, is very timely. In the book he explores how to achieve sustainable happiness, distinguishing between pleasure, happiness and joy, and offering an original 8-step approach on how to make our lives far more meaningful and rewarding. Sir Anthony Seldon is a leading authority on contemporary British history and education and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham. He was formerly Master of Wellington College, one of the world's most famous independent schools. He is one of the founders of Action for Happiness, a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society. He is President of the International Positive Education Network (IPEN). Advertisement It is my great pleasure to welcome Sir Anthony Seldon to The Global Search for Education. "If Children have happy childhoods, and happy experiences of schools, then there is a good chance they will stay happy for life." - Sir Anthony Seldon Sir Anthony, Socrates thought that self-knowledge was the path to happiness. Aristotle argues that happiness comes from a virtuous life. What relevance do these ancient ideas have for us today? Aristotle is extremely relevant as no virtue, no happiness; pleasure can be free of virtue, but not happiness. Socrates is talking about neither pleasure nor happiness but about joy. Self-knowledge leads one to an understanding of the divine, which brings joy. This is not theory but can be experienced by all. Kids are growing up in a volatile, uncertain, complex world. How important is happiness and well-being in this context? Is it more important than ever before? Advertisement It has always been important. If Children have happy childhoods, and happy experiences of schools, then there is a good chance they will stay happy for life. Schools and homes need to have high expectations, and high moral standards, but also be kind and generous places too. Well-being makes us happy, and schools should do much more to teach good physical and mental health hygiene. What is the difference between pleasure, joy, and happiness? How do we teach young people to distinguish the three? Pleasure is material and self-centered, for example a bar of chocolate, a new car, loveless sex, pornography, which is all pervasive. Happiness is shared, deeper, often costs nothing and is enfolded in goodness for example a beautiful view, a lovely walk, good conversation, sharing with family and friends, making love with someone one loves. Joy is deeper still and most certainly cannot be bought. Indeed money can often get in the way of experiencing it. It is a spiritual feeling of harmony with one's soul or the soul of another, or the soul of God. It cannot be described, possessed or grasped. It just is. "Happiness is shared, deeper, often costs nothing and is enfolded in goodness for example, a beautiful view, a lovely walk, good conversation, sharing with family and friends, making love with someone one loves." - Sir Anthony Seldon We live in a world where success and happiness seem related. We know that's not always the case. How do we challenge success? Advertisement We don't challenge success. But learn its value. Every human should strive to be the best they can be. For one person it may mean working all their life as a shop assistant, for another, to be President of a giant corporation. We should merely try to achieve our potential and be content with that. Problems come when the individual or the parents push, push, push the child beyond their natural limit. So we should strive to be as successful materially as we can but we should also accept the result. Happiness comes from wise acceptance of oneself and one's limits. How serious of a problem is it that many private institutions teach well-being and character while most public schools focus their resources on testing? Does this have an effect on the overall happiness and success of each of these demographics? Public schools should be ahead of private schools on well-being, not vice versa. It is not a big problem though if they do not formally teach well-being and character as long as the principal running the school sets the right culture and values and ensures they are lived throughout the whole school community. This does not cost a cent to do. It is open to each and every person alive, should we will it, to live a life that takes us way beyond happiness. What are your top tips for cultivating meaning and happiness? Take time every day to switch off the restless ego and be perfectly still. Mindfulness will help this, so will prayer, or deep relaxation. Many people live and die asleep. They're constantly talking, doing, commentating, judging, but never still. Stillness is all. Advertisement "Happiness comes from wise acceptance of oneself and one's limits." -- Sir Anthony Seldon How important is the education of art and self-expression to long-term well-being? It is vital as long as it's done well. Artistic creation is the outlet of the individual soul onto the world. For many people, artistic creation is the only time that their individuality can be expressed. Without these opportunities, humans grow resentful, listless, even mad. How important is developing meaningful relationships to happiness? Is there a way to educate young people to better cultivate long-lasting and fulfilling relationships? Relationships set us apart from Algorithms and Artificial Intelligence computers. No relations, no humanity, no life, no meaning. Example is all important to young people both at home and in school. If they see the wonder, beauty and happiness of good and kind relationships, the model will burn itself into the mind of the student. (All photos are courtesy of CMRubinWorld) For More Information on The Festival of Positive Education. C. M. Rubin and Sir Anthony Seldon Join me and globally renowned thought leaders including Sir Michael Barber (UK), Dr. Michael Block (U.S.), Dr. Leon Botstein (U.S.), Professor Clay Christensen (U.S.), Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond (U.S.), Dr. MadhavChavan (India), Professor Michael Fullan (Canada), Professor Howard Gardner (U.S.), Professor Andy Hargreaves (U.S.), Professor Yvonne Hellman (The Netherlands), Professor Kristin Helstad (Norway), Jean Hendrickson (U.S.), Professor Rose Hipkins (New Zealand), Professor Cornelia Hoogland (Canada), Honourable Jeff Johnson (Canada), Mme. Chantal Kaufmann (Belgium), Dr. EijaKauppinen (Finland), State Secretary TapioKosunen (Finland), Professor Dominique Lafontaine (Belgium), Professor Hugh Lauder (UK), Lord Ken Macdonald (UK), Professor Geoff Masters (Australia), Professor Barry McGaw (Australia), Shiv Nadar (India), Professor R. Natarajan (India), Dr. Pak Tee Ng (Singapore), Dr. Denise Pope (US), Sridhar Rajagopalan (India), Dr. Diane Ravitch (U.S.), Richard Wilson Riley (U.S.), Sir Ken Robinson (UK), Professor Pasi Sahlberg (Finland), Professor Manabu Sato (Japan), Andreas Schleicher (PISA, OECD), Dr. Anthony Seldon (UK), Dr. David Shaffer (U.S.), Dr. Kirsten Sivesind (Norway), Chancellor Stephen Spahn (U.S.), Yves Theze (LyceeFrancais U.S.), Professor Charles Ungerleider (Canada), Professor Tony Wagner (U.S.), Sir David Watson (UK), Professor Dylan Wiliam (UK), Dr. Mark Wormald (UK), Professor Theo Wubbels (The Netherlands), Professor Michael Young (UK), and Professor Minxuan Zhang (China) as they explore the big picture education questions that all nations face today. The Global Search for Education Community Page You've heard the mantra over and over - there are no safety concerns associated with genetically engineered crops. That refrain, music to agrichemical and biotech seed industry ears, has been sung repeatedly by U.S. lawmakers who have just passed a national law that allows companies to avoid stating on food packages if those products contain genetically engineered ingredients. Sen. Pat Roberts, who shepherded the law through the Senate, dismissed both consumer concerns and research that has fed fears about potential health risks related to genetically engineered crops, in lobbying on behalf of the bill. "Science has proven again and again that the use of agriculture biotechnology is 100 percent safe," Roberts declared on the Senate floor on July 7 before bill passed. The House then approved the measure on July 14 in a 306-117 vote. Advertisement Under the new law, which now heads to President Obama's desk, state laws mandating GMO labeling are nullified, and food companies need not clearly tell consumers if foods contain genetically engineered ingredients; instead they can put codes or website addresses on products that consumers must access for the ingredient information. The law intentionally makes it difficult for consumers to gain the information. Lawmakers like Roberts say it's okay to cloud the issues for consumers because GMOs are so safe. But many consumers have fought for years for foods to be labeled for GMO content precisely because they do not accept the safety claims. Evidence of corporate influence over many in the scientific community who tout GMO safety has made it difficult for consumers to know who to trust and what to believe about GMOs. "The 'science' has become politicized and focused on serving markets," said Pamm Larry, director of the LabelGMOs consumer group. "The industry controls the narrative, at least at the political level." Larry and other pro-labeling groups say there are many studies indicating that GMOs can have harmful impacts. This week, the French newspaper Le Monde added fresh reason for skepticism about GMO safety claims when it unveiled details of University of Nebraska professor Richard Goodman's work to defend and promote GMO crops while Goodman was receiving funding from top global GMO crop developer Monsanto Co. and other biotech crop and chemical companies. Email communications obtained through Freedom of Information requests show Goodman consulting with Monsanto frequently on efforts to turn back mandatory GMO labeling efforts and mitigate GMO safety concerns as Goodman conducted "scientific outreach and consulting on GM safety" in the United States, Asia and the European Union. Advertisement Goodman is but one of many public university scientists engaged in such work. Similar collaborations have been revealed recently involving public scientists at several universities, including the University of Florida and the University of Illinois. Cumulatively, the relationships underscore how Monsanto and other industry players exercise influence in the scientific arena of GMOs and pesticides to push points that protect their profits. In its examination of those concerns, the Le Monde article shines a light on how Goodman, who worked at Monsanto for seven years before moving to the public university in 2004, came to be named associate editor of the scientific journal Food and Chemical Toxicology (FCT) to oversee GMO-related research reports. Goodman's naming to the FCT editorial board came shortly after the journal angered Monsanto with the 2012 publication of a study by French biologist Gilles-Eric Seralini that found GMOs and Monsanto's glyphosate herbicide could trigger worrisome tumors in rats. After Goodman joined the FCT editorial board the journal retracted the study in 2013. (It was later republished in a separate journal.) Critics at the time alleged the retraction was tied to Goodman's appointment to the journal's editorial board. Goodman denied any involvement in the retraction, and resigned from FCT in January 2015. The Le Monde report cited email communications obtained by the U.S. consumer advocacy group U.S. Right to Know (which I work for). The emails obtained by the organization show Goodman communicating with Monsanto about how best to criticize the Seralini study shortly after it was released "pre-print" in September 2012. In a Sept. 19, 2012 email, Goodman wrote to Monsanto toxicologist Bruce Hammond: "When you guys have some talking points, or bullet analysis, I would appreciate it." Emails also show that FCT Editor in Chief Wallace Hayes said Goodman started serving as associate editor for FCT by Nov. 2, 2012, the same month the Seralini study was published in print, even though Goodman was later quoted saying that he was not asked to join FCT until January 2013. In that email, Hayes asked Monsanto's Hammond to act as a reviewer for certain manuscripts submitted to the journal. Hayes said the request for Hammond's help was also "on behalf of Professor Goodman." Advertisement The email communications show numerous interactions between Monsanto officials and Goodman as Goodman worked to deflect various criticisms of GMOs. The emails cover a range of topics, including Goodman's request for Monsanto's input on a Sri Lankan study submitted to FCT; his opposition to another study that found harmful impacts from a Monsanto GMO corn; and project funding from Monsanto and other biotech crop companies that makes up roughly half of Goodman's salary. Indeed, an October 2012 email exchange shows that around the time Goodman was signing on to the FCT journal and criticizing the Seralini study, Goodman was also expressing concern to his industry funders about protecting his income stream as a "soft-money professor." In an October 6, 2014 email, Goodman wrote to Monsanto Food Safety Scientific Affairs Lead John Vicini to say that he was reviewing an "anti-paper" and hoped for some guidance. The paper in question cited a 2014 report from Sri Lanka about a "possible exposure/correlation and a proposed mechanism for glyphosate toxicity related to kidney disease." Glyphosate is the key ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide and is used on Roundup Ready genetically engineered crops. The World Health Organization in 2015 said glyphosate was a probable human carcinogen after several scientific studies linked it to cancer. But Monsanto maintains glyphosate is safe. In the email to Vicini, Goodman said he did not have the expertise needed and asked for Monsanto to provide "some sound scientific arguments for why this is or is not plausible." The emails show other examples of Goodman's deference to Monsanto. As the Le Monde article points out, In May 2012, after the publication of certain comments by Goodman in an article on a website affiliate with the celebrity Oprah Winfrey, Goodman is confronted by a Monsanto official for "leaving a reader thinking that we really don't know enough about these products to say if they are 'safe.'" Goodman then wrote to individuals at Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, BASF and Dow and Bayer and apologized "to you and all of your companies," saying he was misquoted and misunderstood. Advertisement Later in one July 30, 2012 email, Goodman notified officials at Monsanto, Bayer, DuPont, Syngenta and BASF that he has been asked to do an interview with National Public Radio about whether or not there is a relationship between GMO crops and increasing food allergies. In an Aug 1, 2012 reply, an official at Bayer offered him free "media training" before his interview. The emails also show Goodman's collaborative work with Monsanto to try to defeat GMO labeling efforts. In one October 25, 2014 email to Monsanto chief of global scientific affairs Eric Sachs and Vicini, Goodman suggests some "concepts and ideas" for advertisements that can educate "consumers/voters." He wrote that it was important to convey the "complexity of our food supplies" and how mandatory labeling could add to costs if companies responded by sourcing more non-GMO commodities. He wrote of the importance of conveying those ideas to the Senate and the House, and his hope that "the labeling campaigns fail." The emails also make clear that Goodman depends heavily on financial support from St. Louis-based Monsanto and other biotech agricultural companies who provide funding for an "Allergen Database" overseen by Goodman and run through the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program at the University of Nebraska. A look at the sponsorship agreement for the allergen database for 2013 showed that each of six sponsoring companies were to pay roughly $51,000 for a total budget of $308,154 for that year. Each sponsor then can "contribute their knowledge to this important process," the agreement stated. From 2004-2015, along with Monsanto, the sponsoring companies included Dow AgroSciences, Syngenta, DuPont's Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Bayer CropScience and BASF. One 2012 invoice to Monsanto for the Food Allergen Database requested payment of $38,666.50. The purpose of the database is aimed at "assessing the safety of proteins that may be introduced into foods through genetic engineering or through food processing methods." The potential for unintended allergens in some genetically engineered foods is one of the common fears expressed by consumer groups and some health and medical experts. Advertisement "GMO safety is hardly proven, not to the level a healthcare provider should feel ok with for all their patients," said Ashley Koff, RD, a nutrition expert who favors mandatory GMO labeling. In comments on the House floor, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said the QR codes were a gift to a food industry seeking to hide information from consumers. The law is "not what's in the interest of the American consumer, but what a few special interests want," he said. "Every American has a fundamental right to know what's in the food they eat." Goodman, Monsanto and others in the biotech ag industry can celebrate their win in Congress but the new labeling law is likely to only breed more consumer skepticism about GMOs given the fact that it negates the type of transparency consumers seek - just a few simple words if a product is "made with genetic engineering." The fossil fuel divestiture campaign GoFossilFree equates the end of oil, gas and coal to the great moral crusades of our time -- Apartheid and tobacco -- while hoping to reduce demand for fossil fuel stocks and thereby threaten their stock prices. It's a tall order. As long as GoFossilFree was focused on divesting university endowments, the campaign was a gnat on the haunch of the elephant. After all, why should an industry worth $5 trillion be afraid of endowments worth $467 billion, whose investments in oil and gas are probably 10%, or $50 billion, at best? Chump change to this industry's behemoths. But more recently, the FossilFree campaign began targeting pensions as well, and that's a problem. Consider the numbers: as of 2013, US pension assets totaled $21 trillion. Using that same 10%, you're talking $2.1 trillion in fossil fuel stocks. That's a number big enough to scare even Big Oil. Advertisement The first real threat came in 2015 from California's state pensions. In April of that year, the California legislature voted to divest its coal stocks from the pensions' $657 billion investment fund. A scary precedent and one that got Big Oil's attention. Evidence of Big Oil's alarm is clear on the anti-divestment site divestmentfacts.com. Funded by the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), the site used to publish letters from University Presidents justifying their decisions not to divest and a few reports on how much individual college endowments would lose through divestment. In June, the DivestmentFacts site underwent a radical change. Focused now on pension funds, the site promotes the idea that under divestment, pension funds will lose $7 billion over twenty years. Three studies from three separate universities support the claim. A closer look at the study authors reveals how much more the IPAA is investing to stop pensions from divesting. The lead study is authored by none other than the notorious economist and lawyer Daniel Fischel, the short-lived dean of Chicago Law School who resigned over a sex scandal and one-time expert witness in criminal trials of Mike Milken and Charles Keating as well as officers of Enron and Philip Morris. Fischel is Chairman and President of Compass Lexecon, one of the largest consultancies that specialize in what Charles Ferguson described in the Huffington Post as "The sale of academic 'expertise' for the purpose of influencing government policy, the courts, and public opinion... now a multi-billion dollar business." The other two studies are by academics who are also Senior Consultants at, yes, Compass Lexecon. That's some pricey research. Advertisement Shortly after releasing the three studies, the IPAA published a survey of pensioners conducted by FTI Consulting, which owns -- wait for it -- Compass Lexecon. FTI's report warns, "Even the largest college endowment funds in existence today hold only a fraction of the assets managed by public pension funds," then goes on to present "statistics" that prove pensioners don't want divestment. A spokesman from the American Petroleum Institute (API) draws on heart strings when he concludes, "Millions of retirees and pension holders depend on income from oil and natural gas investments to live." Both oil lobbying organizations, API and IPAA, are funded mostly by the fossil fuel majors, with the bulk coming from Shell, BP and Chevron, companies that have the most to lose from divestiture. And they're right to spend whatever they have to, because the truth is, the smart money in pensions should flee oil and gas for economic reasons. Looking ahead, HSBC Global Research found that global carbon regulations could result in fossil fuel companies losing 40-60% of their value, which will translate into reductions in share price. Similar warnings have come from CitiBank, Standard and Poor's, and the Bank of England. Big Oil is right to be afraid. Pension fund divestment has moved to Europe. Just two weeks ago, the EU issued a directive that, on ratification, will require all pensions to "consider climate and risks related to...'stranded assets,'", referring to oil and gas reserves that may never be used. EU pensions total 3.2 trillion, $4.4 trillion at today's depressed exchange rates. Spending on anti-divestment is just a finger in the dike. Big oil and gas will lose to carbon-free energy. Will they follow buggy-manufacturers who never embraced the automobile and were pushed out of business? Or will they imitate American carmakers that entered the electric car market? Perhaps divestment will exact the same financial pressure on oil and gas that forced dramatic innovation in the American auto industry. Advertisement Keep your fingers crossed. The Huffington Post has acquired the transcript of a secret meeting Trump held with his family to create the greatest show on Earth. TRUMP: The last Republican convention was the single most boring convention I've ever seen. IVANKA: Dad, you didn't see the last convention. TRUMP: So? IVANKA: We've got Scott Walker on board. TRUMP: Great! We need Florida. ERIC TRUMP: Dad, Scott Walker is governor of Wi... TRUMP: I told you, be quiet. IVANKA: Rubio says he's too busy to come. TRUMP: Put out a press release saying Little Marco wasn't invited. Who else is on the no-fly list? HOPE HICKS (Trump spokeswoman): The Bushes, Romney, McCain, (Ohio Gov) Kasich and all of Hollywood. TRUMP: A bunch of losers. Let's get some real stars. How 'bout Pat Boone? IVANKA: Dad, I think he's dead. TRUMP: Glen Campbell! He'll appeal to those Republicans. JARED KUSHNER (Ivanka's husband): Glenn Campbell's got Alzheimer's. TRUMP: I forgot. We need tough guys. Get me Wayne Lapierre (of the NRA). Tell him to bring his AR-15. That'll add some excitement! ERIC TRUMP: But Dad, the Secret Serv... TRUMP: Eric, speak when I ask you something. Sean Hannity can be our Master of Ceremonies. IVANKA: He's a reporter, Dad. I don't know. TRUMP: (Chuckling) He'll do whatever I tell him to. DON TRUMP: What about Paul Ryan for authenticity? TRUMP: Mr. Conservative-Shermative. DON TRUMP: We'll need women speakers. TRUMP: Right. We've got Ivanka and Melania, both 10s. We need more? IVANKA: Dad, I'm concerned about Melania's speech. It's hard for people to understand her. It'd help if her ESL teacher came three times a week. Advertisement TRUMP: Sure, but I'm not paying a cent more. Anyway, that's not why people watch Melania. On the final night, I want everybody on stage: Melania, Ivanka, Donny, Eric and Baron. Color-coordinated. JARED KUSHNER: Donald, don't forget Tiffany (his daughter with Marla Maples). TRUMP: I always forget Tiffany. IVANKA: Dad, what about being inclusive? How about mom and Marla (Trump's first and second wives)? TRUMP: Your mother looks old. I gotta have excitement. Get me Kayne West and Kim Kardashian for the first night. Bobby Knight on the second night. IVANKA: He says he'll need a chair, Dad. TRUMP: No chairs and no Clint Eastwood. On the third night I want to l bring on Bill's Bimbos: Jennifer Flowers, Paula Jones DON TRUMP: Dad, that's too dirty. TRUMP: Want to see the ratings? And get me Monica Lewinsky. DON TRUMP: She endorsed Hillary. TRUMP: What a bitch. You see what she looks like now? Get me Sarah (Palin). Tell her to wear something sexy. IVANKA: Newt and Callista (Newt Gingrich's current wife) are on the line. TRUMP: Tell them I can't take the call but I love Newt's elephant idea. (Soto voice) Who wears the pants in that family? OK, more women. I'll tell Lyin' Ted he has to bring that wife, what's-her-name on stage. DON TRUMP: But you insulted her, Dad. TRUMP: So? HOPE HICKS: What about Carly? TRUMP: She's a three. I only want good-looking women. Caitlyn Jenner! She's attractive and she'll sew up the lesbian gay bisexual transgender vote! IVANKA: But the Republican platform doesn't support transgender rights, Dad. TRUMP: What do I care about Republicans? Gotta be inclusive. Ben (Carson) can be my black friend. Let's put the media on a platform so when I target them and say 'They're horrible people,' you can see them. Promise me we'll have protesters. Get ahold of Cirque du Soleil. HOPE HICKS: They're opposed to your immigration policies. TRUMP: F--- them. What kind of circus are they anyway? They don't have animals. Get me the Cleveland Zoo. HOPE HICKS: It's owned by the state of Ohio. Kasich would never go for it. TRUMP: F--- Kasich and F--- the Cleveland Zoo. IVANKA: Dad, Newt's on the line. Hey Newt, I don't want to listen to your trade policies. That's not what this election is about. It's about me. Get an elephant delivered to Cleveland and I'll make you VP. And bring a dung pan. Dad, Chris (Christie) is on the line. (Trump hangs up on Newt Gingrich and takes the call.) Chris, come with an elephant and I'll make you my VP. Yeah, I mean it. No, you weigh too much. It's for me to make my grand entrance! See ya buddy. (Trump hangs up.) Advertisement Mike Pence would never go for the elephant. He's too straight. Too churchy. How many more talking slots do we have to fill? HOPE HICKS: 23. TRUMP: Who says the convention is four days? We're gonna make ours three. ERIC TRUMP: You better check that with Reince, Dad. TRUMP: Wimpy Reincy Priebus? Whose party is it anyway? OK, folks. We'll meet again tomorrow. Come with ideas. While everyone remains silent, Trump tweets: The speaker's slots at the Republican Convention are totally filled, with a long waiting list of those that want to speak. (Trump tweet July 2, 2016) Dear fellow 30-something mom, I see you in the supermarket, I see you at the playground. I see you at the school drop-off, I see you on the train and in the kid-friendly restaurants. Sometimes you see me too, and we exchange a little smile, an eye-roll, an "I get it" moment. More often, you don't see me -- you are chasing your toddler down the aisles, watching your pre-schooler like a hawk as she climbs higher than you'd like, admonishing your kid for pinching her brother, reaching for a wet wipe, mopping up a spilled drink. Advertisement A few days ago, I was at our public swimming pool, and if ever there was a stark metaphor for life as a mom in her 30s, the public swimming pool has to be it. There we all are: the stereotypes we swore we never would be, wading knee-deep in the kiddies' pool, eyes locked on our littles -- and genuinely delighted by their antics. Although we may be there in pairs or groups, our conversations are piecemeal, we cannot relax. Our focus is entirely on our children. We are tired. We are distracted. Our tankini-clad bodies are battle-scarred and utterly not what they used to be. Up on the hill are the shiny 20-somethings. They are flipping through magazines, chatting to their friends, Facebooking and selfie-snapping on their iPhones. They are rested. They are toned. They are magnificently oblivious to what is coming their way in the future. They don't even see us. Or if they do, they swear they will never be us. It's okay. We were there once, and we know better than to be offended. You see, the truth is, we 30-somethings have let ourselves go. No. We have let our SELVES go. We have small children and for the next little while, our SELVES will not come first. We will be sleeping (or not) according to the timetables of our toddlers and/or newborns and/or a combination of the above. Our hair will not be washed as often as we'd like. Advertisement Sit-ups? What sit-ups? We will be wiping noses and bottoms and messes from the walls. We will be cooking what feels like continuously from breakfast to supper time and not leaving the table until at least a forkful of peas have been eaten. We will spend hours a week kneeling by the side of the bath and then reading "just one more" bedtime story until we pass out on the edge of the toddler bed. We will be fluent in the language of Paw Patrol, Sofia the First, Peppa Pig and Doc McStuffins, and will use said characters shamelessly as threats, bribes or as digital babysitters so we can dash upstairs to grab a shower. We will find ourselves negotiating with terrorists even though we swore we never would. We will answer to "Uppy" and "More" and "I don't want to", and we will say "What's the magic word?" more times a day than we ever imagined possible. This is 30-something. It's not easy -- and that's the truth. But there is another truth: Up there on the hill, nestled subtly amongst the 20-somethings, are the 40-somethings. They too are rested. They too are toned. They are alone, quietly reading a book. They see us, and they are sympathetic but also a bit smug. They've been there and done it and they know it doesn't last forever. Girls, 40-something is the holy grail. 40-something is coming. The decade we get our SELVES back. Not that I want to wish away the time. Although 30-something so far is a bit of a blur, it's also a kind of magic. Never again will I feel a squidgy cheek rest on my chest in the middle of the night. Little arms reaching up to me after a fall. The delicious baby smell and the little pairs of skinny jeans and sparkly trainers. The scooter rides and monkey bars and the bed time stories with a small person in the crook of each arm. Hearing "I want Mommy," and "Please can you help me?" and "I want to huggle you." Yes, 40-something is coming, and it's going to be bliss. But don't let it come too fast. If I'm to lose my self for a decade, motherhood sure is a delicious thing to lose it to. Advertisement Love, Catherine Photo Credit: B.C. Lorio via flickr By Wendi C. Thomas It was only a matter of time before actor activist Jesse Williams' all-the-way woke speech on BET the last week of June would be made all too real. It took 10 days. On Wednesday, July 6, the country awoke to another instance of police shooting a black man. This time, his name was Alton B. Sterling and he was shot and killed in Baton Rouge by police while selling CDs. The next day, Americans awoke to the shooting of another black man. This time, his name was Philando Castile and he was shot and killed by police in Falcon Heights, outside of Minneapolis, after they stopped him for a busted tail light. The day after that, they awoke to the ambush killing of five Dallas police officers at the end of a peaceful protest, shot by a sniper who said he was angry at the police shootings. The tragedies further bolstered what Williams said in a now-famous speech that tapped into the anger and frustrations of black Americans. In particular, there was a part of his speech that deserves a thorough unpacking because he was talking about Sterling, Castile and the more than 1,000 black men who die at the hands of police. He was talking about the fractured relationship between the black community and police that has left many angry, resentful and distrustful of any officer in their midst. Williams said this: "Now, what we've been doing is looking at the data. And we know that police somehow manage to de-escalate, disarm and not kill white people every day. Advertisement "So what's going to happen is we are going to have equal rights and justice in our own country, or we will restructure their function and ours." But what would it look like to restructure the role of police? How would we go about dismantling a system that, as some say, isn't broken but does exactly what it was designed to do: Mete harsh punishment on a disproportionate share of black and brown people? To those who think deeply about police reform, restructuring the police's role in America would mean abandoning the broken window approach to policing, focusing on crime prevention, decriminalizing poverty and investing less in militarized police departments and more in youth services. Williams didn't say what data he was referring to, but it could have been The Guardian's 2015 report showing that young black men are five times more likely to be killed by police than young white men. Advertisement Or it could have been the 2005 study published in Psychological Science that indicated "officers were more likely to mistakenly shoot unarmed Black compared with unarmed White suspects." Or it could have been the stream of cases of black men shot and killed by police. The killings of Sterling and Castile are the latest jarring examples. Williams, who starred in the BET documentary "Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement," is not new to the cause -- he's true to this. He taught African and African-American history in Philadelphia charter schools, sits on the board of the Advancement Project, a civil rights organization, and supported the BLM movement from its early days. "He used that platform in a way that was so powerful and frankly, needs to happen more often," said Samuel Sinyangwe, co-founder of Campaign Zero, a national campaign committed to ending police brutality and holding law enforcement accountable. "He spoke to the full range of violence that we face," Sinyangwe said. "It is not just police violence, it is economic violence, it is cultural violence, the commodification of black bodies that is violence in itself." Advertisement To Sinyangwe, restructuring means "curtailing the function of the police to things that threaten public safety and not the broken window policing we've seen in so many cities, where police are there to enforce social norms," Sinyangwe said. Last month, Campaign Zero released an analysis of the police contracts in 81 of the nation's largest cities. In 72 of those cities, contracts contained language that stands in the way of keeping police accountable for misconduct, such as allowing police to wait several days before being interrogated after allegations of misconduct or excessive force. He called for police to use a wider range of tools, such as "connecting homeless people to homeless shelters instead of arresting them for loitering." "Police departments haven't always been around and maybe they don't always need to be around," he said. "How can we begin to build up the capacity of other departments to do what police departments are doing now?" In Memphis, community organizer Tami Sawyer saw Williams' speech as a call to action to black Americans who face the threat of death every day at the hands of police, even more so than a message for law enforcement. Advertisement Sawyer's activism following the police killing of an unarmed black teen in Memphis led her to run for a seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives. The white officer who killed 17-year-old Darrius Stewart retired on disability, saying he had post-traumatic stress disorder. He was not indicted in connection to Darrius' death. "We need to demand human decency and respect," Sawyer said. "It's only in communities of color where the police are showing up as a violent force." When Jim Bueermann was the police chief in Redmond, California, he helped the department re-engineer itself. "We reworked our mission statement to say that our strategic purpose was to control crime before it occurs by supporting strong families and resilient youth, and safe and sustainable neighborhoods," said Bueermann, now the president of the Police Foundation, a nonpartisan police research organization. "Police know how to suppress crime," Bueermann said. "It's the prevention and the intervention skills that police need to work on." Advertisement Whether the message is forcefully delivered from the stage at the BET Awards or shouted on street corners in cities across the country, it is a message that must be heeded. Bueermann said, "Policing should be listening to (these) voices. If I were still a police chief and there was a Black Lives Matter group, I'd be sitting down and talking to them. "The police ignore those voices at their own peril." Just look at Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights and Dallas. In 1781, Benjamin Franklin wrote a satirical letter, purporting to be a proposal for a subject for European scientists to study. Franklin, an amateur scientist himself, was making a snide point about what he considered to be rather frivolous research by the Europeans. The equivalent today would be those American politicians who routinely point out some of the more far-fetched research the federal government now funds. This tongue-in-cheek document is now known by the title "Fart Proudly," although Franklin didn't actually use that phrase in his satirical essay. Franklin lays out his case that holding your farts in is actually dangerous to your health, so science should come up with a way to alleviate the odiferous problem so that everyone could, for lack of a better term, fart proudly: It is universally well known, That in digesting our common Food, there is created or produced in the Bowels of human Creatures, a great Quantity of Wind. That the permitting this Air to escape and mix with the Atmosphere, is usually offensive to the Company, from the fetid Smell that accompanies it. That all well-bred People therefore, to avoid giving such Offence, forcibly restrain the Efforts of Nature to discharge that Wind. That so retain'd contrary to Nature, it not only gives frequently great present Pain, but occasions future Diseases, such as habitual Cholics, Ruptures, Tympanies, &c. often destructive of the Constitution, & sometimes of Life itself. Were it not for the odiously offensive Smell accompanying such Escapes, polite People would probably be under no more Restraint in discharging such Wind in Company, than they are in spitting, or in blowing their Noses. My Prize Question therefore should be, To discover some Drug wholesome & not disagreable, to be mix'd with our common Food, or Sauces, that shall render the natural Discharges of Wind from our Bodies, not only inoffensive, but agreable as Perfumes. In case you missed the fact that he was kidding, in his final paragraph Franklin ponders how pleasing it would be if everyone's farts smelled wonderful, which would thus give everyone the "Liberty of Expressing one's Scent-iments." His final word on the subject of what the Europeans were currently studying was that they were "scarcely worth a FART-HING." Franklin wasn't above tossing puns around with abandon (another vice normally frowned upon in polite company), and one can only imagine that if he were alive today he would be amused to hear the news that some Democrats -- in the town Franklin once called home -- will be organizing a "fart-in" at the upcoming Democratic National Convention. Yes, you read that right. A fart-in. Beans are already arriving by the caseload from all points of the compass, in support of the protest. One organizer stated: "The fart-in is to raise attention about things that really stink in our society," and another explained: [Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton] do not represent the American people. It's like they're reality-show characters, two villains who can't be trusted. It shows the level of absolute disgust that we're at -- we think we're going to remember 2016 as the year we begin to bury the two corporate political parties. It's really a shame -- this whole thing does stink. Democrats and Republicans are like Pepsi and Coke. They listen to corporations and they don't listen to anti-poverty activists. The plan, according to the news article, is to: "feed beans to Democratic National Convention delegates for Bernie Sanders, and send them into the Philadelphia convention hall to show what they think of the former secretary of state." Beans will be provided in two "feeding locations" to entice delegates attending the convention with a number of varieties of beans to sample. The article also gives proper credit for the idea, noting: "Inspiration for the protest comes from Saul Alinsky, the community organizing theorist, who decades ago proposed a fart-in protest in Rochester, New York." See, just like the Republicans have always claimed, everything does reach back to the nefarious Saul Alinsky! While one does sincerely hope that the ventilation system in Philly will be up to the task, you have to at least give the protesters points for creativity. Political protest and political theater always struggle to get noticed by the media, which has led to tactics designed to provide them with the click-bait "hook" the media so desperately craves. The Yippies refined this concept back in the 1960s (such as when they nominated a pig for president outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention), but the real expert at it in today's media environment is none other than Donald Trump, who routinely plays the media like a fiddle. All kidding aside, however, this could be a year where the media is forced to pay more attention to what happens outside the conventions than the scripted campaign extravaganzas going on inside. Which could get interesting, to say the least. Protesters have always shown up to political conventions -- at least going back to the fracas in Chicago in '68. Most of the time, their voices never get heard beyond those in earshot of the protest itself. At best, they might rate four or five seconds of video footage with a tossaway line about "and some protesters marched outside," without any coverage of the protest's message itself. The police and the conventions (and, shamefully, the courts) have conspired to further marginalize such protests, creating "free speech zones" where protests may officially happen -- usually miles away from where any delegate could possibly hear them. This legal pendulum is slowly swinging back to where it should be, I should add, since the Constitution actually designates the whole country as a "free speech zone" -- especially with regards to political speech. This year, however, has seen wide divides in both political parties. There are a large number of people seriously dissatisfied with the way the primaries worked out. Add to this the usual partisan protests (Republicans protesting the Democratic convention, and vice versa), and the fact that the media is actually already primed to exploit the "serious divisions remain" storyline, and we might actually see some protests on television this time around. The Republican National Convention is first on the calendar, and what everyone is wondering is whether the pro-Trump protesters and the anti-Trump protesters will clash in the streets of Cleveland. The New Black Panther Party ominously has called for protesters to (legally) carry firearms, "for protection" from the pro-Trump protesters. We've already seen several street battles between anti-Trump protesters and the police, anti-Trump protesters and pro-Trump crowds, as well as pro-Trump protesters reacting violently to anti-Trump protesters inside Trump rallies. The possibility for violence in Cleveland is very real, in other words. The media may be forced to cover protests just on the off chance that violence does erupt, to put this another way. If all goes well in Cleveland, though, less attention will be paid to any protests in Philadelphia, since few really now expect the progressive or liberal protests to end in such chaos. Violence should never be the "media hook" for any organized protest, it almost goes without saying. Getting coverage in this way always backfires, as most Americans recoil in disgust when seeing streetfighting -- even when it comes from people they would otherwise agree with. Humor has always been a better tactic, because by making the story outlandish and hilarious, protesters can gain coverage that they otherwise wouldn't get -- and be able to actually make their serious point (after the initial laughs die down) to a much wider audience than they'd normally reach (which usually consists solely of those walking by on the sidewalk, at the time). I am a member of the media myself, much as that occasionally embarrasses me. As such, I will not be taking place in protests in Philadelphia but rather attempting to cover them as news. So I will not be partaking of the free beans, but I might just talk to a few people who are. Whether a real stink is raised in the convention hall or whether the air conditioning prevents it, I have to say that the organizers of the "fart-in" have certainly gotten my attention. In the spirit of Saul Alinsky, in the spirit of 1968 Yippie nominee "Pigasus," and in the spirit of Philadelphia's most famous Founding Father, I believe that people deserve to know whether this year's Democratic conventioneers will be farting proudly or not. Advertisement Chris Weigant blogs at: Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier The board earmarked $1.54 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for the dredge, designed to keep channels open and supply sand to nourish eroding beaches up and down the York County coast and beyond. UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES - 2016/01/27: Christiana Figueres briefs the press. In conjunction with the opening of the 2016 Investors Summit on Climate Change, a panel of experts, including Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, held a press conference at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. (Photo by Albin Lohr-Jones/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) The United Nations was founded 70 years ago in the turmoil and trauma of World War II with the firm conviction that a better future was possible, and it was ours to create. Much has been achieved in the intervening years that has certainly kept the world on a safer trajectory, but today, only 16 years into the new millennium, we seem beset on all sides by impossible problems. Terrorism, inequality, environmental degradation, financial crises, wars, forced migration. There is a growing sense that our problems have changed and become more complex but also that they have become too large for us to solve. As a result, we have become used to not really addressing the fundamental issues but lurching from one crisis to the next, just getting by. Advertisement People have lost trust that their lives can get better and that institutions are on their side. This in turn is leading to apathy, depression, despair and in some cases to the development of radical views. This cycle must be stopped, before it consumes our collective future. The truth is that the problems of today can only be addressed through working together, using multilateral dialogue to find common ground and take collective action. The last years have seen a discrediting of multilateralism as agreements on issues such as trade and the refugee crisis have proved elusive. These failures themselves further feed the narrative that our problems have grown beyond our control. It does not have to be this way. I joined the UN Climate Secretariat after the disaster of the Copenhagen negotiations in 2009 and left in 2016 on the back of the most ambitious climate agreement in history. The Paris Agreement was not an accident -- it was strategy and attitude. It was the culmination of six years of patient rebuilding of a broken system that had lost all trust and confidence, into one that was capable of entering an upward spiraling of commitment and ambition. It was the result of a shared commitment that arose from the collective realization that we would all be losers if we did not find a way to win together. It was the harvest of years of careful listening that enabled the elusive common ground to emerge. Paris can be an anomaly or it can become the norm for multilateralism in the 21st century. We must ensure it is the latter, so that we can rebuild the world's confidence in the ability of the UN and its Member States to work together and solve the most difficult problems of our times. Advertisement As our world becomes more interdependent and more complex, the necessity to make genuine progress through dialogue, commitment and investment is further increased. This is because the interconnections are such that failure to address critical areas of concern means that they will quickly spread and become destabilizing. Without stronger mechanisms for managing critical cross-border issues, including resource management, refugees, and migration, we will not build the shared security needed to support everyday practical cooperation. Without adequate restrictions on the proliferation and use of weapons, we will continue to see growing displacement and inequalities generated by conflict and violence. Without climate stability there will be no food or water security, reducing our ability to remain in our communities, towns and countries. Without securing women's rights to education, land ownership, and political participation, we will not see a rise in equitable economic development. Without building more resilience to natural disasters, we will not create the economic or political space to plan for long-term development. Without respect for human rights, citizen participation, and reduced corruption, we cannot build the conditions for a sustained peace. The interconnectedness of these issues further underlines the essential role that the UN must play. Indeed, only the UN can provide the forum through which Member States can coordinate effectively to address the intricate and interconnected issues that affect our world. If this is not achieved, then we face a risk that the unstable parts of the world will continue to destabilize other parts. This is unacceptable. We must embrace the tough challenges and refuse to believe that real solutions are beyond our ability to find. It is our best chance to improve the lives of people everywhere. Advertisement We need a UN that reclaims its standing as a beacon of hope; a reason for global optimism that calls us toward a compelling vision of the future, rekindling our confidence and inspiring each and every one of us to live up to our highest purpose. Impossible is not a fact, it is an attitude. That is my conviction and my experience. It is also my invitation; together we can restore hope. It is for the opportunity to pursue this vision that I have accepted the nomination of Costa Rica for the position of UN Secretary-General. Reuters The United States and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea haven't had formal diplomatic relations since the bloody Korean War ended in 1953. Since that time, U.S.-North Korean relations have been about as productive and pleasant as the ties that bind Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. And for most in Washington, that's ok; with few exceptions, sanctioning North Korea for its nuclear weapons program, ballistic missile activity, or egregious human rights abuses is something every politician can agree on. If you desire to get the most conservative Republican and most liberal Democrat together in the same room, all you need to do is mention that the madmen of North Korea's leadership is on the chopping block. Kim Jong-un's decision to completely sever any and all contact with U.S. officials, however, is a bold and potentially dangerous move that will not only make a bad relationship even worse, but could also contribute to heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. A tit-for-tat between Washington and Pyongyang is nothing new for these two powers. It's beyond understandable, after all, for the U.S. Government to shy away from any improvement in relations with a state that threatens to turn Washington, DC into a cloud of nuclear debris. History over the past two decades and through successive Democratic and Republican administrations point to a North Korean problem that is immune to every policy option on the table. Economic sanctions through the U.N. Security Council, isolation, containment, "strategic patience," occasional negotiations, and threats of military force have all led to an equally undesirable solution: Pyongyang with an ever growing nuclear weapons stockpile. As such, Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush all left office frustrated in their dealings with the Kim dynasty. President Barack Obama will follow in their footsteps. Advertisement The normal cycle of reaction-counter reaction, however, has been especially pronounced this year. With every belligerent action from the North Koreans comes a response from the west that only angers Kim and his clique further. A series of ballistic missile tests and the North's fourth underground nuclear test explosion in January resulted in a severe round of recrimination from the U.S. For the first time in three years, the U.N. Security Council passed a strong resolution with China's support that would mandate inspections of all cargo into and out of the DPRK. But it was the Treasury Department's decision to slap sanctions on Kim Jong-un personally "for having engaged in, facilitated, or been responsible for an abuse or violation of human rights," that sent Kim over the edge. Cutting off Pyongyang's New York channel may not seem a big deal in the grand scheme of things. On the bright side, at least North Korean officials were prudent enough to refrain from violence as a form of retaliation. But Kim's decree is in actuality highly consequential; the DPRK's delegation at U.N. headquarters has been an effective point of contact in the past for possible nuclear talks between North Korea, the U.S. and the Six-Party group. Options have been explored, preliminary discussions and letters have been exchanged with North Korean diplomats stationed in New York, and situations that could have spiraled into something much more serious were toned down to a degree by leveraging reaching out to the DPRK delegation. At the very least, North Korea's permanent mission in New York afforded the United States with a better understanding of a country that is frequently described by U.S. intelligence officials as a black hole. Advertisement Kim has upped the ante by cutting the last point of contact between U.S. and North Korean officials. It may not be popular in a town that is used to demonizing the North Koreans, but the U.S. would be best served by signaling to Kim's circle that Washington will not continue this round of escalation and is willing to pare back the tension if Pyongyang is willing to reciprocate. Sometimes staving off further deterioration means taking the initiative through a bold diplomatic gamble. We may be at that point now with the North Koreans. The petition garnering over 500,000 signatures in support of a downed zoo gorilla reveals the damning truth about white racial sensibilities when compared to their deafening silence following the recent gruesome deaths of 2 black men at the hands of white law enforcement captured on video. Why is it so difficult for most white folk to muster empathy toward their black brothers and sisters? This lack of compassion felt toward black people was inherited from centuries-old white racial framing of people of African descent as evil incarnate. Most white Americans have been subconsciously primed to view black people in this manner; hence, they harbor unexamined racist attitudes that govern both thought and deed. This is what researchers have consistently referred to as unconscious bias. As we listen to the media pundits speak on various news programs, it is frightening to hear law enforcement representatives speak disparagingly about black communities they swore an oath to protect and serve, often blaming them for their own problems under a cultural lens of white supremacy. However, the idea that blacks as a whole commit more crimes than whites is a false conception taken out of context to support a myth. Even more concerning, this dialogue by police administration only perpetuates the racial narrative that black people are inherently more threatening and dangerous. The "scary black man" metaphor, thus, trickles down to rank and file officers, informing individual behavior and action. As a result, police are generally given a license to operate in their capacity of power and authority without ever truly interrogating their unexamined and unresolved racist attitudes and beliefs. The "cultural competency training" that they receive, consisting of the three F's -- food, fun and festivities -- of other cultures, does nothing to disrupt the ingrained tendency for white Americans to engage in discriminatory practices during their run-ins with black people while on patrol. These badged-warriors are not given adequate intellectual tools to interrupt the reflex of branding black and brown people as a "perceived threat" to the point that lethal force is often deployed as an automatic reaction. Advertisement Simply put, most white Americans have little empathy for any other group but their own. Psychologists refer to this condition as alexithymia, which was developed through our nation's past and was socially conferred and epigenetically transmitted upon the souls of white folk. This mental disorder makes it difficult for most whites to see the suffering of other people let alone to the pain and sense of outrage felt by sable Americans made to live a less than full human existence. Just as a men can never fully appreciate what women go through day to day in a male patriarchal society, from cat calls to sexual advances to judgment based off appearance rather than merit, whites can never truly comprehend the daily racial indignities that blacks experience from sunup to sundown. But that does not mean, however, that white America can deny these atrocities occur. My question for white people is when do you consider black death a tragedy? What do you feel as you watch the traumatic and disturbing footage of the blood and life drain out of Philando Castile's body? Did a chilling affect wash over you when you noticed the bluecoat's weapon trained on Alton Sterling bloody chest as he lay dying in the street? Did dread fill your chest when you realized no officer was administering potentially life-saving aid to either of these fathers, brothers, sons? What do you feel, white America, when you listen to the devastated voices of the victim's family? Do you feel any heartache at all? Or do you feel the same indifference as your ancestors who gathered in throngs to watch callously as black bodies swung from trees? Advertisement I ask this question because your voices were heard loud and clear when a gorilla was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo. But we do not hear your collective rage now. We do not see your mass petitions this time around. The silence does not conceal your true feelings, but in fact, it confirms them. The inaction and general disregard for human life sends a resounding message to the black masses that we do not matter much in the world. The message being that African Americans are not deserving of a modicum of decency because we are deemed less than human, garnering less sympathy than a zoo animal. You have always feared us based on folklore and fairytales that we are superhuman, overtly aggressive and overly sexed. But the reality is that we should fear you. There is a long history of marginalization and abuse toward black Americans at the hands of white men, and we are still dying at the hands of the oppressor at alarming rates. But you have somehow twisted the narrative so that we appear to be the violent and dangerous ones. As one Facebook user so poignantly wrote: "WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY IS TERRIBLE! But.(sp) I'm beginning to look at cops like loose dogs. Not all dogs are bad. Most are wonderful. But when I'm walking through the neighborhood and see one. My first instinct is fight or flight. Why? Because I don't know what it wants. I don't know how it was trained. I don't know whether or not it wants to play or rip my throat out. My life is on the line. I've been approached and chased by dogs. I've been pulled over by police. And I promise you. I PROMISE YOU. I get the same feeling in my gut. THE EXACT SAME FEELING. And I shouldn't. I used to run from loose dogs until one day I saw my grandmother run a stray out of our yard fearlessly with a stick. She didn't hesitate to protect us. I never ran again. Not from anything. I do not want to look at cops like dogs. I DO NOT. I always comply. But I could still die and that's the shame." -Stefan Greenlee African Americans have every right to be fearful of white people, as the stereotype has been historically misapplied. In the face of barbarous injustice and inhuman conduct, black folk are repeatedly expected to exercise restraint -- this, after years of denigration and outright slaughter. Not only do these senseless killings deprive families of loved ones, they have deep-seated implications as the effects ripple through families and communities, leading to further radicalization of younger black males and the destruction of any potential public confidence among black and brown people in policing. Enough is enough! And yet, change will not come until whites admit the gross inequalities heaped upon African Americans and take long overdue measures to redress past and contemporary wrongs. As Benjamin Franklin put it, "Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are." The for-profit college industry clearly is spending heavily to try to convince non-profit and public colleges to oppose new Department of Education regulations imposing accountability on badly-performing schools. Last week I wrote about how the industry has hired a former long-time New York Times reporter to try to argue to traditional higher education groups that the rule will hurt them. The Obama administration rule spurring this lobbying frenzy would: 1. Implement a law already on the books by providing standards and procedures for the government to forgive the federal loans of students who were defrauded by their schools. 2. Require schools that behave irresponsibly to post financial letters of credit so money will be available to pay claims in case the school melts down. Advertisement 3. Allow students who believe they were defrauded or abused to take their claims to court, instead of permitting for-profit colleges to keep forcing such students into secret arbitration proceedings that rarely provide relief or accountability. For-profit college owners and lobbyists have been meeting at the White House, paying for reams of op-eds by consultants parroting industry talking points, and claiming the new rule would destroy their companies and destroy the opportunity for students to get an education. But the rule would impose serious penalties only on those schools that consistently abuse their students, by means of deceptive recruiting and advertising and other serious misconduct. In the emerging environment where the Department of Education begins imposing some basic standards on schools getting federal aid, colleges that offer quality programs and act responsibly will be able to thrive. Such schools should not be fooled by the persistent defenders of awful predatory colleges into attacking proposals that implement President Obama's long-time determination to protect students and taxpayers and the integrity of the financial aid system. Within a few years, if properly implemented, the rule should start saving taxpayers billions. The letters of credit would compel irresponsible schools to keep some cash on hand to pay victims; the notorious fraud Corinthian Colleges was getting at much as $1.7 billion a year from taxpayers, and yet when it shut down it claimed it was deep in debt. Seven of the biggest for-profit colleges, all under law enforcement investigation, now get $8.1 billion a year from taxpayers, and one, EDMC, last year pleaded poverty to the Justice Department to limit to an easy $95 million its punishment for an alleged $11 billion worth of fraud. The new rule's constraints on mandatory arbitration would help punish, expose, and deter egregious misuse of taxpayer dollars. Perhaps most importantly, the establishment of debt forgiveness for victims of fraudulent schools will force the Department of Education to think harder about what institutions should be getting our tax dollars in the first place. Advertisement Which is precisely why people like Steve Gunderson, head of the for-profit college trade association APSCU, and Donald Graham, the owner of for-profit Kaplan University, are so worked up. Traditional higher education faces a critical choice with respect to these new rules. When the history of this debate is written, do they want it said that they aided and abetted widespread for-profit college fraud, and undermined the futures of millions of Americans, by helping to block reasonable rules? The new rules won't damage honest, effective schools. The rules will help struggling low-income students who want a chance for a good career. Traditional higher ed leaders should step up and support President Obama's efforts here, not simply act like a special interest group, and a dumb one at that. The articles linked below give a flavor of the efforts to scare traditional higher ed into opposing the rule: -- Numerous quotations in an Inside Higher Ed piece entitled "Proposed federal rules for student debt forgiveness worry some nonprofit colleges," which quotes, among others, Stanley A. Freeman, "a lawyer with the D.C.-based firm Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville" (without mentioning that he is a former board member of APSCU), and Diane Auer Jones, "a senior fellow at the Urban Institute and a former official in the department during the George W. Bush administration, who later worked for Career Education Corporation" (without noting that Jones is also now "President AJsquared Consulting ... Successful in leading organizations through start-up and turn-around activities, in achieving regulatory compliance, in developing and implementing effective strategic plans, in leading change management efforts and in transforming organizational culture through decisive, respectful and effective leadership," meaning she is an education industry consultant) - link Advertisement -- Inside Higher Ed op-ed by Dr. Julianne Malveaux, who also is quoted in the IHE article above -- link -- The Hill op-ed by Brian Robertson, "CEO of Crispin Solutions, a public affairs and communications consulting firm," who warns, "Since the proposed rule will apply to all types of higher-education institutions, public, taxpayer-funded schools would also be implicated for shouldering loan discharges..." -- link -- UPDATE 07-20-16: A Washington Post essay by Jeffrey Selingo that extensively quotes the same Cooley lawyer, Katherine Lee Carey, raising concerns about the rule's impact on traditional colleges and linking to the Forbes interview and the Inside Higher Ed piece. Days earlier, the Post published an editorial entitled "An overreach on for profit-colleges" that warns, "A cottage industry already is forming with law firms and loan-consolidation companies trolling for students with borrower defense claims. Their appeals are not limited to for-profit schools but include well-established traditional colleges and universities. Taxpayers could be on the hook for billions of dollars in student loan discharges." Until recently, the Post was owned by the company that owns the predatory for-profit Kaplan University and also owned, until its collapse, a significant stake in predatory Corinthian Colleges. (There are indeed, as the Post editorial says, some questionable companies currently using misleading pitches and trying to charge students to apply for debt relief that they can apply for on their own -- I have filed complaints with federal agencies about them this year -- but that doesn't mean the Department will be forced to approve meritless claims.) Advertisement -- UPDATE 07-14-16: A Weekly Standard piece parroting the for-profit college industry's doomsday warnings about the impact of the rule on traditional higher education and linking to the Inside Higher Ed piece and a Cooley law firm analysis. According to this piece, by Alice B. Lloyd, "The proposed guidance, lawyers warn, is dangerously vague--vague enough that we could sue our alma maters for our lost innocence. Cha-ching!" -- UPDATE 07-15-16: An op-ed in The Hill opposing the rule and warning of bad consequences for public and non-profit colleges, this time authored by "Phil Goldberg ... the Director of the Progressive Policy Institute's Center for Civil Justice and a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Shook Hardy & Bacon, LLP." Shook Hardy & Bacon certainly is a civil justice pioneer, known for its aggressive representation of tobacco, coal, and other toxic special interests. -- UPDATE 07-16-16: Mark Kantrowitz, the President of MK Consulting Inc. and formerly with the lead generation company Edvisors, posted a comment on the Inside Higher Ed article that warns: Law school graduates who are unable to repay their student loans will seek to cancel their debt under the defense to repayment. When they are successful, some will set up businesses helping other borrowers discharge their debts. Colleges will fight any obligation to repay the student loans of their graduates, arguing that the regulations lack sufficient due process (e.g., allowing discharge on the allegation of malfeasance without any actual proof). The federal government will then be left shouldering the cost of the defense to repayment discharges. The U.S. Department of Education may be correct in estimating that the cost will be $4 to $5 billion a year, but that's only after pent up demand of $200 to $300 billion is satisfied.Many traditional colleges, not just for-profit colleges, misrepresent the benefits and outcomes of the education they provide. Many colleges misrepresent loans as grants in their award letters. Many colleges provide inaccurate information to college rankings (e.g., reporting just need-based loans instead of all loans, reporting the average debt among all graduating students as opposed to just those students graduating with student loan debt). Advertising routinely overstates the value of the education. Advice to colleges: Have an attorney review all advertising and marketing materials, plus all communications with students and parents. UPDATE 07-20-16: A "coalition of 18 national taxpayer organizations, representing millions of members and supporters" sent a letter to Secretary of Education John King on July 19; they demand that the Obama regulation "be immediately withdrawn." The coalition includes the conservative groups Heritage Action, Tea Party Patriots, and Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform. They warn that many students at public colleges will seek debt relief under the rule. They say, "We do not need another federal bailout.... Forcing taxpayers to pay for bad student loans is wrong." UPDATE 06-16-16: The emerging narrative from this public relations campaign is disturbing. For-profit colleges, their paid allies, and others are seeking to paint students as scam artists whose enrollment in school is simply the beginning of a long con aimed at defrauding taxpayers. In reality, few students will commit their precious time, their grant eligibility, their own out-of-pocket tuition payments, and their private student loan costs, simply in the hopes of getting their federal loans alone forgiven at the end. In reality, most students who were not genuinely defrauded and disadvantaged won't spend time seeking loan forgiveness, and the Department of Education will not grant claims that lack merit. The new rules give the Department the flexibility to focus on real frauds without harming honest schools. Advertisement In reality, most of the documented fraudulent behavior is not by students but by for-profit colleges, large and small, that have scammed billions of dollars from students and taxpayers alike. The for-profit college industry's effort to portray students as scammers in order to block reforms that would provide relief to students who themselves were scammed is shameful. But then this industry has demonstrated that it has no shame. However, the consultants and lobbyists who have taken money from the for-profit college industry to parrot these phony arguments should be ashamed, as should those in traditional higher education who would oppose these pro-student rules out of selfish, short-sighted, and ultimately mistaken analysis about the harms to their own schools. It's been two years since the shooting and subsequent riots in Ferguson. One year after that event, I wrote about having the dubious honor of witnessing three generations of protests related to race, inequality and injustice. In the 1960s, protest marches were televised nationally, inspiring many of us. Yes, some protests became violent riots, but some gave rise to long-term institutions promoting racial equality. Those of us deeply invested in the movement shared a vision and were committed to making a difference through advocacy, education, politics, and, as I did, urban planning. However, after the shootings of unarmed African American men in Baton Rouge and St. Paul, the killing of police officers in Dallas, the numerous street protests, and the ongoing threats, I am less hopeful than I was coming out of the sixties. Sixties Conflicts The 1960s riots took place in our major urban areas. Cities had policies and politics that isolated African American communities into ghettos: Harlem/NYC, Watts/LA, Newark/NJ, Detroit/MI. In every case, the catalyst to violence was a confrontation between a member of those communities and law enforcement. In several cities, the protests began as peaceful demonstrations. As more aggressive protesters emerged, the police response was increasingly brutal. By the time I attended New York University in Greenwich Village in 1970, the distrust and hostility on all sides were incendiary even on a good day. Advertisement In 1967, the Kerner Commission (National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders) was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to analyze the underlying causes of these urban race riots. The Commission's 1968 report stated that we were in effect two nations, Black and White. In "What Is the Kerner Commission and Why It Should Be Revisited in Light of Ferguson," civil rights attorney, James Meyerson recounts the Commission's findings concerning the root causes: lack of economic opportunity, inadequate education institutions, and social isolation. A sense of helplessness resulted from the reinforcement of white privilege by law enforcement, magnifying disrespect of the justice system. The Commission described how the socio-economic system assured the status quo. By 1992, new technology brought the race-related issues into greater focus. The video of four white police officers beating an African American, Rodney King, into our living rooms. As difficult as it was to wrap our mind around the scene, it was virtually impossible to fathom that more than a dozen officers stood around watching. When the officers were acquitted of police brutality, Los Angeles erupted with six days of violent protests, looting, and riots. New Jersey Senator Corey Booker recently tweeted an article he wrote as a graduate student following that trial saying, "Not guilty... Not shocked." Booker then cited the causes for the riots: "Poverty, estrangement, continuously aggravated by racism, overt and institutional." It's not surprising that Ferguson prompted him to revive that article. LA was a distant echo of the events in Ferguson. The root causes ooze out of the 1960s like radioactive muck doing time travel. Life in South Central LA in the early 1990s was harsh. According to South Central History site, murder rates were three times higher than they are now. There was an epidemic of crack cocaine and related crimes. The government housing projects were cauldrons of gang activities and wars, ceasing only when the gangs united against the police. The root causes were familiar: lack of economic opportunity, inadequate education institutions, and social isolation. There was a sense of hopelessness towards law enforcement, the justice system, and a political/economic system that enabled the status quo. Advertisement Following an analysis of the root causes, changes in the leadership of LA law enforcement was made. There were plans to remake the Watts housing project, a source of so much friction. The urban planning designs would have created a mixed income community that would create new infrastructure and a ripple effect of opportunities. Yet, Los Angeles was eliminated in the federal granting process that would have provided the necessary leverage. Ferguson Conflicts Fast forward another 20-30 years and we come to Ferguson, Missouri. Originally farmland, it grew into a railroad stop called Ferguson Station and become a suburban hub largely populated by railroad executives and former slaves. Ferguson boomed during the post-World War II years with manufacturers providing plentiful jobs and a parallel growth in housing and population. The jobs attracted an influx of African Americans into Ferguson and other close suburbs of St. Louis. By 1954, Ferguson was a city for the future, one of the first in the state to have a council-manager form of government. Ferguson and the Rust Belt then experienced a demographic and economic shift. Niall McCarthy in Forbes Magazine described how white flight intensified. Between 1990 and 2010, there was an increase from 27% to 67% in Ferguson's black population. The white population decreased from 64% to 29%. Other researchers (Brookings, August 2014) described how the unemployment rate of 7% in 2000 rose to 13%. Earnings fell by one-third. One in four residents were below the federal poverty line with a large percentage of falling below twice that level. Despite the huge shifts, Ferguson's power structure remained relatively unchanged. Ferguson's mayor was white, its City Council had only one black member. The police force was only 6% African American. The school board's six white members and one Hispanic suspended its popular African-American superintendent, who then resigned. A year ago, I asked if Ferguson could be this generation's symbol of urban isolation, economic distress, and inferior education. My hope that Ferguson would be a watershed event leading to massive change across the country has yet to be realized. Today's Lack of Vision Today's national debate is an inflammatory mix of accusations and counter accusations, much like the 1960s. Discussions of root causes and major restructuring of urban areas are sporadic at best. Advocates can be forgiven for suspecting that counties, states, and the federal government will not, or cannot, allocate the resources required. Healing a chronic set of race-related circumstances is not our strong suit. Historically, we have struggled with the long-term political will, material investment, and education resources needed to overcome the economic inequities that leaves so many with nothing to lose. Advertisement Rather than address issues such as housing, education, jobs, and wages, we blame, insult, and accuse our way through the political process. We have made law enforcement the primary actor in managing the results of our deeply embedded societal challenges. We put them on the front lines, equip them with military-style firepower, and express sympathy when they are killed or injured. We urge them to do better in neighborhood relations and conflict management as if a friendlier police force can fix everything. While I have no sympathy for rogue police, my heart goes out to law enforcement. What comes next? Jean Luc Nancy. Foto: Aicha Messina Jean-Luc Nancy (Bordeaux, 1940) is one of the foremost French thinkers of our time. For many years, he was Professor at the Universite Marc Bloch in Strasbourg. His Christian background, present in his beginnings, evolved with his discovery of Heidegger's philosophy. Another decisive influence was his discovery of Structuralism and his contact with Derrida, which among other things served to strengthen his preference for the contemporary in his philosophical reflections. We began by talking about the challenges that philosophers face nowadays. Elena Cue: What would you say are the greatest challenges that philosophical thought faces today? Jean Luc Nancy: In philosophy, nothing is a given. No meaning can be considered obvious. For example, it isn't possible to talk about "man", "society" or "science" as if these words designate well-identified realities. The challenge is precisely not to latch on to any acquired identity. For a philosopher, nothing should be taken for granted. Preconceived and established meanings must be constantly reevaluated, and new possibilities opened. How can a philosopher teach a society to think this way when it is as anxious as ours is for answers and truths that it can cling to? It is precisely this impatience that can be a trap. In one sense, impatience is right: there is no reason to wait, and the conditions for a decent life can be demanded at any time. On the other hand, there are obscure and complex questions to which emphatic or "radical" answers, as we like to say, can be dangerous. The recent Brexit is a good example: the vote has just taken place, and its supporters have already become nervous and begun to question it. Or Podemos, which started off very strong but has quickly lost strength instead of gaining it. Furthermore, the current complexity is the result of opposing "impatiences": the one felt by those who are excluded and the impatience of those who fear exclusion (the middle class); the impatience of people seeking refuge and the impatience of those who fear being overrun by refugees; and the impatience of those who miss how things were in the past vis-a-vis those who want to accelerate the arrival of the future. Advertisement At present it's much more difficult to set a course than it was at the time of the workers' struggles or the end of dictatorships. How did Franco's dictatorship last so long when many people were against it? Because it was a time of societal transformation and transformation of the European economies, and in turn these transformed the conditions that would prepare the end of the dictatorship. Why are the European Socialisms and Communisms in crisis? Because their motors are too old. We have to find new ways for a new state of affairs in which techniques, powers and expectations have transformed slowly. And in fact, this is what needs to be made understood: a patience that is active rather than passive. An impatient patience and a patient impatience. You have written often about terrorism, especially after the grave attacks in France. What is your opinion on this subject? This terrorism is the combined effect of two forces: that of the change in Western dominance and of the assertion of Islam, which has seen its equilibrium destroyed by colonization and the end of the Ottoman Empire. This terrorism reveals an extreme situation created by the very strong contradiction between the Western model of development and wellbeing, and the reality of existence in countries that feel marginalized, and where the upper classes or casts preserve the enormous differences in terms of wealth and status. Advertisement At the same time, the West is weak in its own strength. It doesn't believe in its own civilization any more, it is preoccupied with its own technique and sees how capitalism grows without lessening differences in standards of living, while no Socialist economy has been able to last long (the Soviet economy was a State capitalism). In fact, there is no "West" anymore, and instead there are techno-economic poles of power whose visible heads are the United States of America and the Non-United States of Asia, but whose possessions and actions are found almost everywhere, and wherever there are resources to be exploited. Europe no longer has a consistency of its own, and it is subjected to this division of world powers. And globalization... Therefore globalization provokes explosions, tragedies and social and cultural collapses of all kinds. For five centuries we believed that utopias were achievable, and we have believed in their vanity. Now we have to think differently, and reflect on our place in the world. This will take a very long time... centuries, forcibly... But societies have always shown that they are able to overcome considerable challenges. What are you referring to when you talk about the "surprise of liberty" Do you believe that we are free, or not? Liberty is not a faculty we possess, or a right that we have at our disposal. Liberty resides in the fact that our existence is not programmed, and must find its own path. However, it has to do so as existence in a world that has conditions and limits. We are not free if that means "to be able to do what one wants" and "be independent of everything" because we depend on a lot of things, and most times our "will" consists only of propensities, hopes and yearnings that come from somewhere else. Understanding this and what that means is the beginning of liberation. And that is why liberty surprises us, because we discover that there is something other than what we thought was obvious. For example: I become ill and cannot do my job, but I can see my state as an experience; the experience of not being in charge of all of my decisions, or of my preferences. Sometimes the ailing "give lessons" to those who are in good health. Advertisement Could you explain how suffering is an opportunity to broaden liberty? That's not what I am saying... and above all I'm not saying that it is an "opportunity". Suffering is not a favorable occasion, it's a reason to rebel, and especially to look for how to rebel, in the best of cases. In other words, to what end? Surely the aim is to not suffer more, but even that must be defined. For a long time, that goal was grounded in the word "Communism" or "Socialism". But these concepts were never truly developed, except for in the Soviet form, and that form failed. Why did it fail? That analysis has not been done yet, or not sufficiently. Instead of looking deeper into that question, communists are happy to just deplore the dirty capitalism that has supplanted any idea of a fair society with that of consumer freedom. They complain about injustice, but they dont know where justice is found. For example, we often hear talk today about a universal minimum wage. It seems like a fair and good idea, but it is also a very dangerous idea that would contribute to keeping many people at that minimum. The truth is that nowadays, in order to invent, first we must think. And we must scream as well. Brexit was an outcry by those who have been treated with contempt by the ruling class in Europe. We have to listen to that outcry. But what should we understand from it? That is what remains to be seen. In your book The Deconstruction of Christianity, you talk about religion in today's world. Could you tell me a bit more about that? It isnt about breaking, or annihilating, but about taking apart or de-structuring an edifice to show what it is made of. Now, Christianity is not made of religion. It was made from a profound mutation of Mediterranean humanity when it needed to emerge from the Ancient World, a world of limits, a finite world, and what we could even call de-finition. Everywhere there were gods with precise functions, rules to comply with, models to imitate and fixed horizons. At some point, that all crumbled. Undoubtedly, with the Roman Empire we saw the first "globalization" - when there was a departure from closed territories and fixed conditions (such as "free man vs. slave"). So then a desire for the infinite, and the promise of infinity began. This attainment produced a change in civilization, culture and society gave rise to the great adventures of the modern world, with all of their risks. Advertisement And with this deconstruction of Christianity, what specific conclusions have you come to? The first conclusion is the most important: the profound transformation of the culture that occurred with the arrival of Christianity was the departure from religion as idolatry, as superstition, towards a cosmo-vision with an infinite horizon. The universal, the "whole" of Christian catholicity means, above all, the unlimited: no more idols, and instead an open infinity. So there is also energy for enterprise: we can and we must transform ourselves, and transform the world, infinitely. Christianity has materialized itself as humanism, as capitalism and as technical progress. This all becomes problematic and obscure, but we are always looking towards infinity. And religion as a collective point of reference has disappeared from the West. The second conclusion is just the opposite: if Christianity took on the imposing religious form that it has had for centuries, it is because the certainties and references on which it is based are always desirable and highly desired. Then there are those who appropriate these references to construct meaning, as an instrument of power, an ideal of beauty or of the gratification of thought, and those who (and strangely, they are sometimes the same) seek representations, images and legends they can deliver themselves to. Atheism is unable to resolve many doubts. And that's a shame, because religion as assurance is a lack of liberty, except for mystics and great spiritual men who have, on the other hand, helped many religions evolve as well. To end, let's talk about art. In what ways do you think that the meaning of "contemporary art" is different from traditional art? Traditional art was linked to the possibility of the representation of truth - a religious, political or heroic truth, or a truth of perception, sensation or feeling. The modern world sees truth as an infinite process of searching. There arent stable and accessible figures or forms anymore, not even in what art has been able to produces in terms of forms we call abstract or colors without precise forms (Rothko, Newman, Pollock). A whole culture is being invented where the very meaning of "art" is becoming more obscure, precisely because it is no longer about representing given truths. Advertisement What would it mean? "Last night, I was texting my sister just to catch up on the happenings in each other's lives (admittedly, I don't do this enough), until she abruptly didn't reply. I didn't think much of it, I know she's a busy woman: she's a Dallas police officer. What would happen over the course of the next 8 hours would leave me confused, hurt, distraught, angry, and then completely, devastatingly numb. My phone buzzed and instead of a text from my sister, I received a news alert that there was an active shooter in Dallas and I was overcome with what can only be explained as a combination of anxiety to protect my loved ones and gripping reality that there was not a god damn thing I could do. As the hours passed, more reports came in: Shooter, then Sniper, then wounded officers, then dead officers. 5. It was only until the wee hours of this morning that my sister texted me back to tell me she had finally made it home safely but could only describe what she witnessed as "surreal" and "stomach-turning." In the days prior, I wrote scathingly, and rightfully so, about the deaths of two men at the hands of police officers. Alton Sterling, who was shot 6 times will be subdued by two police officers for "resisting arrest" and Philando Castile, the cafeteria manager at the local elementary school who was shot 4 times in his car with his 4 year old child in the backseat and girlfriend helpless to protect him for the heinous crime of reaching for his identification during a routine traffic stop. These names were added to an ever-growing list of people of color who have been turned to hashtags because of instances of police brutality. In speaking with my sister about the shootings in Dallas and parrying the stupidity of people who felt the death of these two men were somehow justifiable, I found myself here to reflect on my reality: a brotha fearful of becoming just another hashtag, trying to make it home and a brother of a police officer fearful that I will get a call that my sister won't make it home. I urge you all to understand what Black Lives Matter is about. It blows my mind that no matter how many accurate analogies there are to describe the movement, people still paint it as something it's not. It's not and has never been about black lives mattering more than others or some absurd declaration of war against the police. It's acknowledging the fact that people of color, people like me, are fearful of one day having a routine traffic stop end in our death and there will be no justice for it. This is not an indictment of all police officers. A vast majority of police officers are like my sister: good people who just want to make a difference and make it home at the end of the day. However, the reality is there are some officers who extend past their duty into moral depravity, succumbing to the myth of an inherent black threat and using it to justify our murder. Just as we condemn negligent teachers without labeling all teachers as bad, just as we condemn clergyman who molest children without labeling the entire church as evil, just as we condemn murderers, rapists, and racists without damning humanity as a whole, we can stand up and say cops who kill innocent people need to face justice without saying all cops are bad. We can say that murdering police officers as retribution for atrocities they didn't commit is deplorable and disgusting. We can both believe Black Lives Matter while we Back the Blue. These are not mutually exclusive. Love is not mutually exclusive. Humanity is not mutually exclusive. Dallas is my city. It will forever be home. It is who I am. Today my heart is broken for my city, for my family, for my people, for those officers who died senselessly, for every person murdered by those who swore to protect them without justice. This country as a whole is broken and drawing lines in the sand will not mend it. For our people, for our families, for the sake of our humanity, we must to unite to defend it. For the families of black men who never made it home after being stopped by an officer who thought they were a threat, for the families of officers who stay up at night worried that their loved ones won't make it back from patrol, this violence and the death we have to end it. Stay blessed. I love you Asia Shaw." Voter Registration Application for presidential election 2016 The button worn proudly in Orlando by many Bernie Committee members. Photo Credit: Dorothy Nicole Bagg This weekend in Orlando, Florida members of the Platform Committee met to help create the Democratic party's positions on a number of key issues. I was honored to attend as a Committee member on behalf of Senator Bernie Sanders. Advertisement The Platform adopted by the Committee contains victories on social, racial and economic justice issues that have been championed by Senator Sanders and his supporters: it calls for a $15 federal minimum wage, paid family leave, the Department of Justice to investigate all shootings involving police officers, and the removal of marijuana as a Class One controlled substance (which squeaked to victory, 81-80.) The Platform passed with overwhelming support from members appointed by Secretary Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and Senator Sanders. However, the platform falls short on several key issues, specifically the Trans-Pacific Partnership (also known as TPP or "manure," as Sanders Committee member Jim Hightower dubbed it) and Medicare-for-All. There were amendments offered on TPP by both the Sanders and Clinton camps. Clinton Committee member Lee Saunders, president of AFSCME, took to the mic to support his amendment on TPP, joined by AFT president and Clinton Committee member Randi Weingarten. "We have been against TPP," Weingarten told the audience. "And we are glad that both of our candidates are against TPP." Advertisement "We have open opposition from both of our candidates," echoed Saunders in his remarks. "For once all Democratic candidates and Labor are of one view: No on TPP." The amendment, which totaled 452 words, states, in part: "[Trade agreements] must not undermine democratic decision making through special privileges and private courts for corporations, and trade negotiations must be transparent and inclusive... [W]e will oppose trade agreements that do not support good American jobs, raise wages, and improve our national security... Any trade agreement must protect workers and the environment and not undermine access to critically-needed prescription drugs...These are standards all Democrats believe should be applied to all trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership." But what was missing from this amendment of 452 words? Four words that made the position of the Democratic party on TPP explicit: "We oppose the TPP." Former NAACP president Ben Jealous, representing Sanders, offered those words in an amendment to Saunders' amendment, imploring Committee members to be leaders, not bureaucrats. But the Clinton and DNC members of the Platform Committee voted down the Jealous amendment in a vote of 74 to 106. Advertisement Let me recap for you: Clinton Platform members got up to tell the Committee, guests, and the audience watching at home on CSPAN that they oppose the TPP. But they would not add these words to the platform: "We oppose the TPP." A subsequent amendment was offered by Sanders Committee member Jim Hightower which stated the TPP must not get a vote in Congress. It too was voted down by the Clinton and DNC platform members (77 to 104), despite one of the most stirring and captivating speeches of the weekend, delivered by Dr. Cornel West. Sanders Platform members signing Minority Reports to bring their defeats in Orlando to the Convention in Philadelphia. Photo Credit: Nomiki Konst On healthcare, the platform language as adopted states that "healthcare is a right, not a privilege" and that "Democrats will never falter in our generations long fight to guarantee health coverage as a fundamental right for every American." This fight is far from over as millions are still without insurance, many are underinsured, and those with insurance still struggle to afford their healthcare expenses. Our system of healthcare is still largely market-based, not rights based. But the DNC and Clinton Committee members refused to support an amendment, presented by Sanders Committee member Michael Lighty of National Nurses United, which stated: "The best way to achieve this goal is through a Medicare-for-All health care system that builds upon the ACA [the Affordable Care Act] and gives everyone in this country the freedom to get the medical care they need when they need it." Advertisement "If this [single payer] is controversial in this room, it is the only room of Democrats in which it is controversial," Lighty told the Democratic Platform Committee this weekend. Single payer is supported by 58% of US residents and 81% of Democrats. This vote to refuse to endorse Medicare-for-All -- in a 66 to 92 vote -- was, as Dr. West said at the drafting committee meeting, an embrace of the abstract over the specific. While my heart is heavy knowing I will vote for Secretary Clinton in November -- and, yes, I hope you will do the same -- we must cherish and celebrate the victories we have achieved. But we must also examine our defeats, for they are telling for what they say about the current Democratic establishment and Senator Sanders' campaign and the millions of people it mobilized. It is a defining difference - it is the difference between the platitude and the action, between the promise and the execution, between, to borrow Dr. West's phrase, the abstract and the specific. By Elizabeth Boggs Davidsen Elizabeth Boggs Davidsen is acting chief of the Multilateral Investment Fund's Knowledge Economy Unit, which seeks to cultivate the driving forces of the new economy--technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship--to promote inclusive growth and job creation in Latin America and the Caribbean. "Add Impact" is the new rallying cry of the Global Impact Investing community, which concluded a two-day plenary meeting of its Steering Group in Lisbon, Portugal on July 8. Championed by Sir Ronald Cohen, founder of Big Society Capital (BSC), which is hailed as the world's first social investment bank, the Global Impact Investing Steering Group is the heart and mind of a growing social investment movement bent on making impact investing mainstream. Impact investments are those that intentionally target specific social objectives along with a financial return and measure the achievement of both. BSC formally launched in April 2012, using an estimated 400million in unclaimed assets left dormant in bank accounts for over 15 years and 200million from the UK's largest high street banks. Advertisement The UK experience is now informing a global impact investing movement, and the Lisbon meeting provided a venue for many country delegations to showcase their fledgling National Advisory Boards, comprised of policy makers, impact-oriented organizations, nonprofits, and intermediaries. New boards from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, the UK, and the US are organizing and innovating to solidify and strengthen the impact investing landscape and resources in their respective countries. And it's clear the UK is the trend setter. Many countries are following the Big Society Capital model and working to set up impact investment wholesalers funded with unclaimed assets to unleash new sources of social finance to support access to basic services, education, improved housing, and aging populations in underserved communities in rich and poor countries alike. What's needed: scalable enterprises, new funding facilities, regulations, and champions of impact investing However, along with this greater mobilization of impact capital comes the need to stimulate deal flow, which still lags behind investor demand. There is an overall lack of scalable social enterprise models, signaling the need for catalytic grants, other flexible financing tools, and acceleration support to help social entrepreneurs validate proof of concept, solidify business models, and become investment-ready. Advertisement It's also clear that new funding facilities, regulations, and champions are needed to make impact investing mainstream. Social impact bonds (SIBs) were introduced in 2010, a type of "Pay For Success" model where private investors invest capital and manage public projects, usually aimed at improving social outcomes for at-risk individuals. SIBs are gaining traction with 57 models operating, but they have proven complicated and costly to design and implement. Yet, the practice of pay-for-performance that the SIB model requires has captured the minds of policy makers, non-profits, development finance institutions, and private sector investors, including the Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, which is working to help bring the first SIBs to Latin America. Pixabay Likewise, in addition to direct investments in high-impact companies, impact investing funds are taking different approaches towards strengthening the sector. For example, the US$20M Inter-American Opportunity Facility - a partnership between Calvert Foundation and the IDB Group - provides debt financing to socially responsible financial institutions intended to support small business lending, education, housing, and other businesses that benefit the base of the pyramid. Among the US policy and impact investing experts who make up the National Advisory Board, there is agreement on the need to change regulation to enable more capital from pension, endowment, and public finance vehicles to meet the needs of entrenched social and environmental challenges. Innovative impact-oriented businesses need investment, and certain regulatory barriers stand in the way--leaving much private capital on the sidelines. According to the US Advisory Board members, the IRS could further clarify and refine its rules about foundation investments in for-profit enterprises to help fill the funding gap between grants and commercial capital, and this would be cost neutral. As for champions, there are many and the field is growing. Having Pope Francis sign on to the impact investing movement certainly helps to raise visibility. But, it's time for business to broaden out its buy-in. The Sustainable Development Goals are helping to raise the profile and alignment of business and development goals. CEOs from large companies and banks are signaling that they want to be part of the development conversation in the communities where they operate. Corporates are playing an increasingly important role in enabling and driving innovative solutions for the world's most pressing challenges, alongside impact investors. Today, we see VC tools being used to seed corporate startups, as many large companies are deploying capital to innovate with entrepreneurs and invest for the future. While many of these investment vehicles have expectations of financial return, they also require that the startups make a positive social and/or environmental difference, a de facto impact investment. Advertisement Measuring social outcomes will help make the business case But, the business case still needs to be made. As Shawn Cole, of Harvard Business School commented in a panel on Unlocking Flows of Impact Capital at the GSG meeting in Lisbon, not one finance text book includes impact investing. Measuring and embedding impact in investment decisions is needed, and firms like Bridges Ventures, which has over $1 billion invested in impact, are helping to develop the metrics and tools to capture positive social outcomes of their investments. And the rise of the Benefit Corporation and B Corps --those companies that use business as a force for good and meet defined standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency--is taking hold. Today, there is a growing community of more than 1,812 Certified B Corps from 50 countries and over 120 industries working together toward one unifying goal: to redefine success in business. In the US, 31 states have passed legislation to allow for Benefit Corporations. Danone, a leading global food company, pledged in December 2015 to help more people use business as a force for good by joining B Lab's Multinationals and Public Markets Advisory Council (MPMAC). Danone has joined a group of experts committed to using the B Impact Assessment to measure and manage the social and environmental performance of 10 Groupe Danone subsidiaries in 2016. Danone's example opens the door for other multinationals to measure their impact, an important step towards creating the shared prosperity many in the impact space are seeking. As David Blood, cofounder of Generation Investment Management, commented in his closing remarks in Lisbon, there's no evidence that you have to trade impact for return. But for scale to happen, more dollars, billions of dollars, need to flow into the impact space. Advertisement Tom Albanese Chief Executive Officer, Vedanta Resources Corporate managers have a fiduciary obligation to deliver on the expectations of their shareholders in a legally compliant manner. By contrast, there is no regulatory requirement for businesses to create social value for the various stakeholders in society. As a result, there is an unfortunate perception that the corporate sector ignores social obligations and impact. This is not in fact the case. Though there are, indeed, exceptional cases in which companies choose to ignore their social responsibilities, for the most part, those who have been in business for a long time know that their relationships with their employees, their communities and their customers require at least some degree of engagement. Expectations on this front are rising. Today, sustainable business practices demand that attention be paid to social impact. It is therefore imperative for corporations to build 'inclusive capitalism' into their operating models. Advertisement I believe that - in the extractive sector in particular - the social license to operate is the strategic bridge that enables management to strike a balance between maximizing the investors' returns and fulfilling societal responsibilities. Mines cannot relocate in the way that factories can, and they generally have a lifespan of many decades. This means that operators have to work within a framework that integrates ethics, governance, sustainability and corporate social responsibility while also generating returns for their shareholders. Tax transparency is a critical element. Should schools with student bodies primarily from low-income families spend less on the education of those children than is spent on the education of other students in the same school district? Of course not! That practice violates common sense norms of justice and equity. If anything, children from poor families generally need extra assistance to do as well as students from more affluent families. Yet, American school districts commonly spend less from state and locally generated funds in schools with concentrations of children from low-income families than they do in their other schools. Why? Advertisement Teacher pay is tied to years of experience, and teachers in schools with many low-income students tend to be less experienced while more experienced teachers opt to work in other schools. Thus, expenditures are lower in poor schools and higher in other schools. Will this policy of inequitable funding based on teachers' salaries change? Based on my involvement in a half century of education policy, I doubt it -- unless other reforms, described later, are adopted. A major battle over the current policy is occurring as the U.S. Department of Education writes regulations for the new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Last year that law replaced the misguided No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) which pressured teachers to raise the scores of their students through extensive testing and imposed penalties for not succeeding. That policy did not achieve its objective, and caused resentment from educators. NCLB placed the full burden of student success on teachers' shoulders, without considering whether assistance to help students do better was available and without considering the social, medical, and emotional problems that many students brought with them to school. Advertisement President George W. Bush and leading Republican and Democratic congressional leaders passed this law in 2002 and then refused for the next 13 years to make changes, despite the pleas of educators. Opposition to NCLB boiled up like steam in a tea kettle until it exploded. Its replacement emphasizes state and local decision-making while placing unprecedented limitations on the U.S. Secretary of Education. In writing regulations for the new law, Secretary of Education, John B. King, proposes that school districts spend as much per student of state and local funds on students in poor schools as is spent on students in the district's other schools. Compliance would be mandatory for receipt of federal aid. Currently in effect is a weaker provision with little enforcement. The new, stronger regulation could lead to school districts having to make up the lower spending in heavily poor schools through hiring more teachers for those schools or shifting more experienced teachers to them. Since teacher pay is such a large factor in the inequities, some changes will have to occur with the teaching force in order to even out the expenditures by school. Senator Lamar Alexander (Rep.-Tenn), the chair of the Senate education committee, opposes this rule as a federal incursion into local decision violating the spirit of ESSA. Alexander's allies include the National Education Association which at its recent convention urged teachers to sign petitions opposing this rule. Nevertheless, King said that he will proceed with this policy; and Alexander threatens congressional action overturning the rule. As Yogi Berra famously said, this is deja vu all over again. The early 1980s witnessed the same fight. In Presidents, Congress, and the Public Schools (Harvard Education Press: March 2015), I describe how Congress imposed the same obligation on the schools as the Department's proposal. Local school administrators opposed that requirement once it took effect, and successfully worked with President Reagan and Republican congressional leaders to repeal it. Inserted in its place was the provision currently in effect which states the principle of equity but permits weak compliance. Advertisement I am afraid that we will see the same result this time. Teachers who are normally supportive of equity measures oppose this one because they may be reassigned to schools with large numbers of students who are more difficult to educate and will not be assured of the assistance they need to succeed. This reminds them of NCLB where all the pressure for student success was placed on teachers. The way out of this dilemma is to reshape the way that the federal, state and local governments operate the schools. In my book I propose equitable funding for education, but argue that the federal government must substantially increase its aid to achieve this end. Currently, federal aid covers less than 10 percent of the costs of elementary and secondary education. Secretary King is asking local school districts and states to reallocate substantial amounts of the 90 percent of the aid they provide to bring about funding equity. Ten percent is a very weak lever to move the 90 percent of funds from state and local sources. Unfortunately, equitable funding is not going to happen. Congress will find some way to block it, and teachers and some other educators' organizations will applaud. Major reform is dependent on increasing federal funding, hopefully to a third of the costs, to help pay for improvements. In addition, states, local districts, and the federal government must work together to raise the quality of schooling. My book proposes a way to bring that about by dramatically changing the way education is provided today. Advertisement If the federal government really wants major improvement, it should put its funds where its mouth is. Colorado's Trump campaign is relying on the "robust operations" of the Colorado Republican Party to mobilize Trump voters, including "many new people" who are drawn to Trump but are not yet in the campaign databases. "Because Donald Trump has been bringing so many new people back to politics and to politics, they are really not in our databases," Colorado Trump campaign director Patrick Davis told KLZ 560-AM's John Rush on Thursday. "We don't know what they believe. In some cases, they are not registered to vote. In some cases, we don't know how to find them to remind them when Election Day is, because, believe it or not, people do forget. You do have to remind them." [BigMedia emphasis] Davis said the Colorado Republican Party, with its "robust operations," is tasked with finding these newly politicized people, along with voters of "all stripes," totaling 1.3 million people, the number of votes Davis thinks Trump needs to win in Colorado. Advertisement "Because the Trump campaign did not invest in a ground game--everybody knows it; it happened all over the country--we are having to graft ourselves into the robust operations at state Republican parties all over the country," said Davis on air. After Davis made these comments, a key county Republican chair in Colorado said there's no signs of any Trump ground game in Adams County. "Honestly, I have not seen [the Trump ground game] in Adams County," Adams County Republican Chair Anil Mathai told KNUS host Chuck Bonniwell Saturday. "It's consistent with what happened before caucus. Really, there's no ground game. There's no campaign here in the state. I know that [Republican donor and Colorado Statesman owner] Mr. Mizel is helping with fundraising here in Colorado. Also, I believe Mike Shanahan and Pete Coors are helping to raise major donations for Mr. Trump." Still, Davis sounded optimistic about Trump's chances in Colorado. "Colorado is one of 11 battleground states, and the state Republican Party here has been preparing for this day for over a year," Davis said on the radio. "Now, I run campaigns based on metrics and numbers. We believe that for Donald Trump to win Colorado, he needs to identify and turn out 1.3 million voters in Colorado of all stripes. Republicans, Democrats, independents, Libertarians, liberals, conservatives, we got to turn them out." Advertisement Trump officials have been saying in recent weeks that the campaign will rely on state parties, which have uneven strengths around the country. This past February, I spent time in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, meeting with several top tech firms, to explore how I could leverage my role as a Dean at Columbia University to support talent in the industry. My intention was not to talk about diversity, but it quickly became clear that the gender gap in STEM was of imminent concern and an emerging top priority at each company. There is endless opportunity in the US market to build careers in STEM-related fields. President Obama recently announced $4 billion in funding over the next seven years for K-12 computer science programs--which represents one of the largest education initiatives during his tenure in office. There is currently a pressing need to improve STEM education to bridge the gender gap--particularly to better serve minority women. In 2011, 26% of all people employed in STEM fields were women, and 74% were men. Only 2% of employed engineers and scientists are Hispanic and Black women, though they make up 8% and 6% of the population, respectively. Some of the country's top tech firms recently released data on diversity--women hold anywhere from 17 to 30% of leadership jobs at these companies and only 13 to 24% of technical jobs. Columbia University's School of Professional Studies has developed a national pre-collegiate program to address the gap: the Columbia Girls in STEM Initiative. The School, along with corporate partners and community organizations, is piloting programs in STEM education for girls from underrepresented populations in three cities this summer: San Francisco, Miami, and New York. The high school students learn core competencies in the STEM fields, develop leadership skills, and establish mentoring relationships with senior female executives. Workplaces will, in turn, use this opportunity to evolve, and attract and retain the confident, capable employee base they want and need. Microsoft's San Francisco office hosted students from KIPP: San Francisco Bay Academy and other public and charter schools in the area in June, and the girls heard guest speakers from women in leadership roles at Microsoft and GoPro. The iPrep Academy in Miami is hosting students next week from across the Miami-Dade school system, and the girls' guest speakers will visit from the Miami Heat and the Miami Dolphins. In August, Goldman Sachs' New York headquarters will host a group of students from the Harlem Children's Zone, Madison Square Boys and Girls Club, and the Achievement First Charter School. Advertisement There are three strategic approaches this new program advances, and I encourage similar educational programs to consider: 1) Introduce female STEM role models and leadership; 2) Build a bridge between K-12 and college; and 3) Connect the STEM classroom to the real world. Introduce female STEM role models and leadership Research carried out by the Girl Scouts of America found that, despite high interest in STEM from girls (and from African-American and Hispanic girls in particular), several factors stand in the way of their pursuing further education and careers in STEM fields. One of the major findings was that there were too few female role models in these fields. Columbia's program will offer not only the opportunity to learn STEM subjects from female professors, it will also invite women who are actively working in technical leadership positions at top companies to speak directly with the girls about what they do. Giving girls the chance to see women who are succeeding in STEM fields makes it more likely that they will pursue jobs in those areas. Besides being able to see women STEM leaders, it's important that girls are also able to see themselves as leaders. Columbia's program includes leadership training sessions that will instill confidence and allow girls to pursue challenging careers in STEM fields. Build a bridge between K-12 and college Greater equality in STEM needs to start before college--as the disparity at that level is already great. Fewer than 20% of engineering and computer science bachelor's degrees were awarded to women in 2011. For young women, and particularly for lower-income young women, ensuring greater access to STEM careers is a matter of improving the quality of STEM education at the K-12 level and also making a stronger connection between education at the high school level and college courses. If girls are more familiar with what it's like to study STEM in college at a younger age, more of them will be interested in choosing these majors. And to better prepare these girls for higher education in general, Columbia's program includes coursework on how to succeed in college. California is facing a power calamity. Not only does the state have the most expensive energy in the continental U.S., but also the least reliable. It's leading the nation with more than 470 power outages this year alone, and is expected to enact 14 planned blackout days throughout the summer as a response to power sourcing issues. Power lines at dusk. Natural disasters are, and will be, the main undoing of California's power structure. Climate change is already impacting the grid, due to significant shifts in temperature and weather patterns. Because of the ongoing drought, hydro dams (a primary energy source in the state) are only producing 20% of their normal capacity. Extreme heat led the California ISO to post a Flex Alert on the first day of summer, setting the stage for the beginning of rolling blackouts. Wildfires, a yearly and growing grievance in the arid Southern California climate, can impact the grid in a variety of ways; flames damage transmission poles and smoke and particulate matter can ionize the air, leading electricity away from transmission lines and forcing a shutdown of the system. However, the elephant in the room is not the drought, or rising temperatures, or even wildfires. It is what Kathryn Schulz referred to in The New Yorker as "The Really Big One": An earthquake of epic proportions that is likely to hit the West Coast any day. Advertisement While all natural disasters can lead to blackouts and power complications, earthquakes make an exceptional impact. In a 2011 article in IEEE Power and Energy Magazine, Hugh Rudnick points out that countries such as China, Japan and the U.S. have all suffered from serious energy infrastructure damage during earthquake aftermath, leading to extended economic ramifications. A high magnitude earthquake could destroy California's entire energy system. "The whole western side of (San Francisco) is built on sand," Cal Broomhead, the energy and climate program manager for SF Environment told the website GreenBiz. "If we have a massive earthquake, the gas infrastructure will be shot, and we could face an extended power outage." Historically, the country relied on diesel and gas generators and large-scale gas turbines for emergency power. Beginning in World War II, naval ships had diesel engines in case one of the main boilers malfunctioned. It wasn't until the 1990s that utilities began exploring flywheel energy storage and deep cycle batteries for emergency power generation. Yet diesel and gas are both still largely relied upon to provide backup power. Not only are these generators wieldy and loud, but they are also environmentally damaging and require investment in finite resources. By having generation rely on a continuous supply of gas, these systems are not fully independent and can be unworkable in emergency situations. Additionally, they are expensive to keep on hand. Fuel-powered generators require valuable space, and they need to be cycled often to ensure the fuel is fresh and usable. Advertisement San Francisco earthquake, 1909. Although this paints a grim picture of energy inertia, a silver lining exists. As mentioned, batteries and energy storage are becoming increasingly attractive options. Right now, most deep cycled batteries are made of lead-acid, the cheapest material on the market, which is heavier, and lower in power capacity and lifespan than other batteries such as lithium-ion. Lithium-ion is not only superior to lead-acid in performance, but is rapidly dropping in price. These batteries are quickly becoming the main choice for energy storage innovation on both a large and small scale, making them likely to price out lead-acid in the next few years. An influx of second-life lithium ion batteries, which were once in cars and other high-energy positions but still have power capacity for other uses, are a cheap and valuable power source. In addition, flow batteries, made of vanadium and zinc, and sodium-ion options are undergoing testing with large-scale commercial potential. This research is not solely geared towards one state. Overall, the U.S. energy infrastructure received a D+ from the American Society of Civil Engineers during its most recent assessment, and utilities across the nation are investigating energy technology. However, California is pioneering emergency power preparedness. In 2013, the CPUC passed a mandate requiring the three largest state utilities to add 1.3 gigawatts of energy storage by 2020. That same year, California lead the country (tied with Texas) in smart grid success, receiving 83 out of 100 points awarded by the GridWise Alliance and Smart Grid Policy Center. Locally, cities are also exploring resilient backup systems, with San Francisco being one of the most prominent examples. In 2015, the Solar Market Pathways Program gave the city funding to integrate renewables and storage into its emergency response plan. Additionally, local government is working with PG&E to develop a series of microgrids -- energy systems that can operate both independently and in tandem with the larger power grid. The city is also urging private developers to build affordable homes that are more resilient to natural disasters. According to Rudnick, this cooperative strategy is integral to the success of worst-case scenario preparations. "Resilience not only depends on equipment, building codes and technology, but more so on the organization and standardized emergency preparedness of well-structured electric companies," he explains. Advertisement Miami legend James "Jimbo" Luznar has died at age 89. Gramps, the bar in Wynwood partially inspired by the Key Biscayne dive bar and shrimp shack, will host a public memorial to Jimbo this Sunday afternoon. This is Miami history. You should go. The original Jimbo's closed in 2012, which means anyone who is 22 or younger, or new to Miami, probably has no idea what Jimbo's was and how important that bar was to our community. Located at the very, very, very end of Virginia Key was a tiny dive bar that only sold $2 beers, bait, and some seafood. It was swampy and hot and dirty Miami. It looked run down, filled with abandoned cars and junk. There were crippled dogs, one eyed cats and locals that literally lived at the bar. Advertisement It was awesome. There will never be another Jimbo's. His birthday parties in April were a must attend... It was a biker bar. Yet frat boys and sorority girls from the U chilled there. Musicians, artists, weirdos, boat heads and Miami scenesters chilled there. You felt safe and welcome there. All were friends. Hollywood used the bar as a location. Models used it to shoot pictures. It epitomized Miami weirdness and was effortlessly simply there... And old Jimbo was always there, wearing his red shirt, taking pictures with girls 60 years younger than him, smiling like the Miami playboy that he was. In his last years, the former shrimper and proprietor of Jimbo's unfortunately suffered from Alzheimer's disease and will be missed. Gramps is a bar in Wynwood that is literally the closest thing we have to Jimbo's. It's partially designed by the setting at Jimbo's: the bocce ball court the biggest homage, but so is the whole outdoor, tropical, intimate vibe Gramps represents. I haven't been to Gramps in awhile and the last time I went, with a beer and a shot in hand, sitting out back feeling the fans with water, eating pizza from their new pizzeria, I felt very, very comfortable and safe and home, kind of like how I felt at Jimbo's. It's only fitting Gramps is paying tribute to Jimbo's. The vibe might be a little older on Sunday, but nothing wrong with that... Go. Here is the event info direct from the Facebook page Remember & Celebrate Jimbo! 1927-2016 RIP Celebrate the life of the man who brought Miami together and taught us all how to relax the right way! Advertisement Honor his memory and celebrate his life by swapping stories, drinking drinks, playing bocce, and dancing to rock'n'roll!* Noon to Midnight this Sunday! FREE BUD AND BUD LIGHT (Until the kegs kick). Cheap cans all day. Bill Clinton's silly drive-by on the Phoenix airport tarmac clearly rendered Attorney General Loretta Lynch incapacitated from making - as would otherwise fall to her - the final decision on whether or not to indict Hillary Clinton over her (intentional, or not) email misconduct. Even if she had, as was reported, been thinking about recusing herself from making a decision, the airport's casual chat unalterably disabled her. So, rather than a Deputy Attorney General making the decision in Lynch's stead, Lynch announced that she would accept the recommendation of FBI Director James Comey, who was charged with investigating the Clinton email incident, and later testified to that. At the end of the day, Comey seems to have made the decision that Clinton should not be indicted (although he testified that "Don't Indict" was unanimous among the entire FBI/Justice personnel who investigated the matter). In doing so, he publicly and stridently announced that "no reasonable prosecutor" would have brought that case, and thus, ostensibly, spoke on behalf of every federal prosecutor in the nation, before and now. Had he stopped there, Hillary would have been in the pink - "No Reasonable Prosecutor." So there! In stating what was in actuality his personal belief about the unreasonableness of such a prosecution, one should take Comey, a man of consummate integrity, at his word. And I would have seen it the same way if Attorney General Lynch (full disclosure: a personal friend, and a woman of unfailing integrity), had made the final decision using that precise verbiage, rather than summarily announcing the Justice Department's acceptance of the Comey and team recommendation. Advertisement Based on how Comey presented his decision - which was heard (and analyzed) the world over - there is nowhere for anyone to go. Yes, Donald Trump and even non-Trump Republicans who are nonetheless anti-Clinton, as well as vituperative congressional hearings and editorial blasts can - some will maintain, should - argue that Comey's statements strongly undermine the Clinton candidacy. And the House Judiciary Committee has grilled both Comey and Lynch, but their testimony will not change the fact that the system is set up so that one person - whether the Attorney General or, in this instance, basically the Director of the FBI - would decide whether Hillary Clinton would remain the Democrat candidate for President of the United States. But what about that? Granting an up or down decision to a single FBI director or a single attorney general (or deputy) or both on whether to indict an individual who is a candidate for the presidency might raise genuine questions about placing too much power into the hands of just one or even two persons. I mean, it wasn't so long ago that a pro-Bush Katherine Harris, Florida's then Secretary of State, counted "hanging chads" to put George W. Bush into office. But there, at least, the courts were in place to look at what she did, whereas, in the Clinton scenario, case law makes clear that courts have absolutely no power to compel an indictment. Of course, one alternative would be for the Justice Department to have put the whole email episode before a grand jury to let it decide Clinton's fate. But that doesn't work too well, even putting aside the fact that it would put the decision of whether she can run into the hands of only 23 Americans; 23 people who could basically decide the presidency. But beyond that limitation, the fact is that a grand jury follows evidence that the prosecutor chooses to present and the law as she instructs it on. If a prosecutor believes a grand jury should not indict, it likely won't. So the window dressing of a grand jury presentation aside, the decision will have been made by the prosecutor whose office is presenting the case. Or at least that specter will remain. Another alternative is to take the case out of the criminal justice realm altogether. In an impeachment proceeding, the entire United States Congress and Senate participates in the decision, as happened in the impeachment and trial of Bill Clinton. Although one could argue that such a scenario would allow for a representative democracy to act, let's face it, any decision would likely fall along party lines, particularly given that today those lines are drawn with cement. Advertisement Now, particularly given who Secretary Clinton's opponent is and what, in my personal view, he may present to the United States and the world, I am truly pleased that Hillary Clinton can proceed to an up or down vote on Election Day. My personal bias aside, is it really acceptable that there has been essentially a one man band decision? Could we go so far as to say that the Director of the FBI, or indeed an Attorney General of the United States, could decide an election? I don't think so. The email scandal is and will remain through November a very big deal. Director Comey gave Clinton the relief of no indictment while certainly not giving her a clean bill of health - General Lynch chose to not discuss the matter factually. Secretary Clinton's opponents thus obtained the ability to publicly analyze the facts and draw inferences for the electorate in a way that no FBI Director or any law enforcement official should properly use them. And, at the same time, it allows Clinton and her campaign to use Comey's very deliberate words as helpful as they could be to her. So maybe, just maybe, what Comey was really doing by laying out a detailed account of his findings - exquisite detail about Secretary Clinton's "extremely negligent" conduct - while recommending that Clinton not be indicted, was to let the voters decide. Let Clinton and her camp have their say; let the pundits debate; let Trump spin away - Comey certainly gave them all fodder. Yes, perhaps, albeit without saying so, Comey was specifically intending to let the American people at large decide Clinton's fate precisely so that he (recognizing the limitations placed on Lynch) wouldn't be the one man to decide the election. FILE - In this March 16, 2015 file photo U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, listens to Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, right, before resuming talks over Iran's nuclear program in Lausanne, Switzerland. As negotiators prepare to start drafting a final deal to curb Iran's atomic activities, conflicting U.S.-Iran takes on key elements mean tough work ahead of a June 30 deadline. Though six world powers remain at the bargaining table, the real negotiating is between the two nations. (Brian Snyder/Pool Photo via AP, File) John Adams, explaining why even British soldiers accused of the Boston massacre deserved a fair trial, famously stated: "Facts are stubborn things." It's as true today as it was in 1770. But critics almost immediately ignored the facts after President Obama announced that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, also known as the Iran Deal) was signed in Vienna. Opposition from some members of Congress rallied behind sentiments that the deal was unenforceable, would financially reward Iran for supporting terrorist activity, and would actually help the country develop a nuclear weapon. That was one year ago. Today the facts tell a very different story. During a rally outside of the U.S. Capitol last year, Senator Ted Cruz argued that the JCPOA "will facilitate and accelerate the nation of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons." The implication was clear: the Iranians duped the Obama Administration and five other international partners who negotiated the agreement. Advertisement It wasn't accurate then and it has been proven false now. Iran's breakout time -- or the time needed to produce enough fissile material for one nuclear weapon -- is widely considered to be one year, compared to the two to three months before the agreement. That's because more than 25,000 pounds of low-enriched uranium were shipped out of the country -- 25,000 pounds that would still be in Iran if the JCPOA never came to fruition. That's not all. With the most invasive, comprehensive, and thorough verification regime ever created, including the use of continuous online enrichment monitors and frequent site visits, the international community has an unprecedented tracking ability to enforce the deal and catch attempts at further developing nuclear technology. How do we know for sure? We already caught Iran barely exceeding its threshold of stocked heavy water, a moderator that can be used for enriching uranium. It was corrected almost immediately. Rather than facilitate and accelerate, the JCPOA has severely constrained Iran's nuclear weapons program. Other opponents relied on technical critiques. Senator Bob Menendez, for example, claimed that the agreement "requires no dismantling of Iran's nuclear infrastructure and only mothballs that infrastructure for 10 years." This just isn't accurate. Due to the agreement, Iran removed the core of the Arak heavy-water nuclear reactor and filled it with cement, rendering it unusable and blocking Iran's pathway to a plutonium-based nuclear weapon. Iran has also reduced its installed centrifuges by two-thirds and only the most primitive and often unreliable centrifuges are currently operational. The more advanced centrifuges are in storage and will be for at least a decade -- a long enough time for nuclear infrastructure to experience serious deterioration and likely impairment. Advertisement The attacks didn't stop there. Senator Cruz also alleged that, due to nuclear-related sanctions relief required by the JCPOA, "over $100 billion dollars will flow to Iran" and much of it will get funneled directly to terrorist groups. Senator Menendez held similar concerns, arguing that Iran would receive $100-150 billion of its own frozen assets within a year of meeting its obligations. Both of these statements are inaccurate. Iran has not -- and will not -- receive anywhere near $100-150 billion. In fact, the U.S. Treasury Department estimates that, because $50-70 billion are unfrozen assets that they owe, only about $50-55 billion will be available - of which just $3 billion has thus far been sent back to Iran as of April. This is a small portion considering that Iranian demand for domestic investment, like unpaid military pensions and salaries, as well as infrastructure, is estimated at over $500 billion. Left with only refuted claims about the specifics of the JCPOA, critics have changed course. Now, the argument goes, it doesn't matter whether the deal is working or not because the "sunset provisions" -- whereby aspects of the deal are phased out after 10, 15, 20, and 25 years -- mean that Iran is simply waiting to leverage its newfound sanctions relief to covertly build a nuclear weapon in the future. But yet again the argument falls flat to the facts. Augmenting the JCPOA, Iran agreed to implement the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol, which never expires and allows increased access to inspectors, including to military installations if nuclear activity is suspected. Before the Iran Deal, inspections in the country were a pipedream. They're now a long-term reality. The Iran Deal is working, plain and simple. It's not a perfect accord (few diplomatic agreements are), but it's the best option to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon - by a long shot. Other routes, like the elusive "better deal" or military confrontation, are either not viable or drastically less effective. If Iran cheats, the U.S. can issue snapback sanctions. And if the situation ever reaches a boiling point, our newfound understanding of Iran's nuclear infrastructure only enhances military options. One year later, the facts are as clear as they are stubborn. Struck with a prolonged and worsening illness, Faith, a 37-year-old Nairobi woman raising her two children, sought help from local clinics. She came away each time with no diagnosis and occasionally an absurdly useless packet of antihistamines. Finally, a friend urged her to get an HIV test. When it came back positive, Faith wanted to kill herself, and got hold of a poison. All epidemics arise from weak health systems, like the one that failed to serve Faith. Where people are poor and health systems are under-resourced, diseases like AIDS, Yellow Fever, Ebola, TB, Zika, Malaria, steadily march the afflicted to an early grave, decimating families, communities and economies along the way. Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic alone, over 34 million have died, leaving 25 million children orphaned. Strong or even adequate health systems would have prevented this tragedy. A strong health system seeks to provide the largest numbers of people with the most opportunities to stay healthy. This requires infrastructure that many regions, countries and communities lack--well-supplied hospitals and clinics, research capacity and a skilled workforce. But it takes more than medical solutions. Public health approaches with community connections are essential to inform the public about available treatment for diseases and how to prevent their spread. South Africa, for example, has announced a 3-year HIV awareness campaign focusing on girls and young women between 15-24 years, and the men who are infecting and impregnating them. It will cost $3 Billion ZAR (over US $200 million) funded by the government with help from international donors. Countries across the globe have made tremendous progress in loosening HIV's stranglehold on the world's poor. Millions more people are on treatment and deaths have decreased even in the most impoverished and HIV-ravaged regions in Africa, yet a staggering 37 million people worldwide are living with HIV, with over 2 million newly infected just last year. Stigma continues to ostracize people from their homes and communities such that mothers like Faith would rather be dead than face her HIV diagnosis. The problem is not only elsewhere; it's here in America. Poor communities in the southern states happen to be home to the nation's highest HIV rates. The United Nations has called for the end of AIDS by 2030, a goal that should be realistically attainable since we now have the tools to defeat the disease. We have learned that successful antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppresses the HIV virus and dramatically reduces transmission. No longer waiting for an HIV-positive patient's viral loads to increase, countries are rapidly adopting the "test and start" protocol which begins treatment as soon as a person tests positive. Another innovation--PrEP-- prophylactic medications combined with outreach and prevention strategies--is under way among people who are substantially at risk. They include men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, sex workers, couples where one partner is HIV-positive, transgender people and women and girls. Self-testing for HIV is gaining ground too; the more who learn their status, the more we can treat--and the more transmission arrested. The new approaches are working. With daily adherence to medication, a person can enjoy a long and healthy future. When Faith found this out, she traded in the poison for a new lease on life. While the UN 2030 target merits optimism, we have to answer tough questions: How will we reach HIV-positive people if there are no clinics for people to get tested at or treated, especially in rural areas? Or, what if there are clinics, but no supplies? Or clinics, and enough medications, but too few trained medical personnel to serve everyone who shows up? Or, if there are no prevention and outreach campaigns to dispel shame, how will we encourage those who most need testing and treatment to seek it--rather than remaining ignorant, untreated and a sexual risk to others? What good are targets then? What countries need to battle AIDS is the same as what's needed for Zika or any emerging diseases. They need support from institutions in wealthy nations--funding that isn't split between diseases but investments to fight them all, at once, while providing basic care that keeps people healthy. There are models. Through the Global Health Security Agenda, a global initiative to strengthen health systems worldwide, countries from Peru to Uganda are working to openly assess and improve theirs. With the opening of a new healthcare skills and training institute, GE Healthcare recently committed to training over 10,000 healthcare professionals from across East Africa at its new facility in Kenya. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is partnering with the African Union to create the new African CDC to capacitate countries to address complex health challenges. Just this week, the World Bank announced the first of a series of investments to improve human and animal disease surveillance and health systems in West Africa following the Ebola crisis. There are many such examples--yet many more are still needed to diminish the microbial threat to humanity. We can have all the medications and knowledge available to heal the sick, but if we don't build strong health systems, we will continue to see AIDS and other epidemics cause needless illness suffering, and death, while crushing economies. We can enable people and countries to thrive, or continue to lurch from one public health crisis to another instead of stopping them all. ___ ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Jonathan Quick is President, Management Sciences for Health, a Harvard Medical School faculty member, and author of The End of Epidemics: The looming threat to humanity and how to stop it. (St. Martin's Press/Macmillan, U.S. and Scribe, UK and Australia, 2017) http://blogtoscano.altervista.org/sel.jpg By all accounts, the past few years will not be characterized by future generations as a time of peace and harmony. Between Britain leaving the EU, Syrian refugees struggling to find refuge, divisive politics, and the tragic shootings of and by police officers, 2016 is seeing an ever-mounting list of scary, heart-wrenching events that challenge the notion that people are inherently compassionate beings. It is hard to see a period of immense social change when it is happening, but I think we will look back on these years as just such a period. One common theme of many of our current societal troubles is fear of the "other." The person with a different skin color, religion, or socioeconomic status incites a primal fear humans possess -- suspicion of those that don't belong to their tribe. This primal fear may have offered some biological advantage eons ago when we were still evolving into modern humans. Now, however, in a completely interconnected, globalized world, blind tribalism isn't useful. It is the opposite, sometimes revealing the most ugly and shameful qualities of the human condition. Advertisement So, what is the cure for our current malady? We need to learn how to intrinsically recognize the humanity in others. And the best way to do that is through direct contact with people who are different from ourselves. There is a Zulu word, "Ubuntu," which roughly translates to, "I am what I am because of who we all are." It is a word that puts simply the very complex philosophy of interconnected humanity and the necessity of compassion. It is wonderfully appropriate that this word comes from a language that is strange and unfamiliar to most of us. For the best way to cultivate intrinsic compassion is to seek other points of view and discover new cultures. It is also commonly accepted that when people open their hearts and minds, the imaginary labels, the preconceived notions and the prejudices weaken. Think of this tactic as a small-scale approach to peace making. Today's young people are listening to a worldwide conversation. They are hearing both sides: those of fear and those of acceptance. And I, for one, would like them to grow into adults with an ubuntu philosophy in their hearts. One approach to encouraging this kind of development is through a gap year, a period of personal development whereby a young person deliberately seeks opportunities that challenge and motivate them. In a recent survey conducted by the American Gap Association, 94 percent of gap year students reported that their time out allowed them to, "learn to interact with people of backgrounds other than [their] own" and 90 percent stated that their time helped them develop, "a greater understanding and/or respect for other cultures." The more we encourage our young people to take the time to learn outside of their cultural comfort zone, the better off we will be as a global society. Advertisement While a gap year can include travel to far-flung locations, the benefits of cross-cultural interaction can have the same profound effects closer to home. A student who grew up in a predominantly white, upper-middle class suburb can volunteer in the schools of inner city Chicago with City Year and develop a complex, nuanced view of the challenges faced by people with a much different upbringing. Another student may choose to shadow traveling doctors in Guatemala and understand the health challenges faced by people in rural poverty. The people on both sides of these interactions will benefit, so long as the experiences are rooted in mutual respect. A sophisticated understanding of a gap year acknowledges that students may engage in activities that appear indulgent (international travel, short-term volunteering), but that the internal changes are usually the longest lasting positive effect. Offering gap year students the opportunity to develop empathy firsthand at such an impressionable age will inform who they become as adults. And most likely, they will grow into adults who look at complex issues with a nuanced lens and implicit compassion. Having more people with this skill set positively impacts businesses, politics and communities. Imagine a world where a generation of young people engaged outside the bubble they grew up in through meaningful volunteer work, civil service or ethical travel. They would uncover a truth that is often drowned out by the noise of media, pundits and unconscious prejudice: we are all human, deserving of love, compassion and respect. In a word, ubuntu. Fifteen billion dollars! Ouch! That's a painful penalty for even a global automotive giant like Volkswagen. The news of the US government's suit against the car company, brought for deliberately misleading customers about fuel efficiencies on their diesel-powered vehicles, was a chilling wake up call for companies in any regulated industry. There are forces in the world of business that no brand is completely insulated from: tragic accidents, human error, environmental ambush, regulatory change, biological or digital bugs. But when a corporation engages in premeditative corporate malfeasance, you're gambling with your brand big time. Obviously, there is no denying the damage wrought on brand reputation after incidents such as the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill all over Prince William Sound, Alaska, or, more recently, the BP's Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The impact was clear and significant. However, Chipotle didn't deliberately add E.coli to their menus to sicken sixty people in over a dozen states. Nor was Ikea intending for six buyers of its MALM furniture to lose their lives after negligent installation, despite the company's extensive safety instructions. The recent auto fatality involving Tesla Model S Autopilot self-driving feature was the unfortunate result of adolescent technology and an unanticipated confluence of roadway events, not purposeful impropriety. These unintentional mishaps cause great crisis, though nevertheless still force a company to absorb the financial pains incurred through lost revenue and penalties, not to mention the tarnishing of their brands. Advertisement Here are three ways to "triage" a damaged brand: Speed The most essential part of brand triage is to address the issue head-on proactively and expeditiously before it is manipulated by competitors, misrepresented by the media, or, worse, misinterpreted by customers. Quick acknowledgement of the problem, even in the absence of all of the facts, will buy valuable time and foster the benefit of the doubt from the public. Innocent until proven guilty holds true, but brands would be wise not to abuse customer trust and act fast. Transparency The old adage "the cover up is worse than the crime" holds true especially for corporations, whether embezzlement or infidelity. The willing and open invitation for scrutiny suggests the absence of deliberate wrongdoing and demonstrates genuine commitment to customer loyalty and restitution. Conversely, aggressive denial risks the impression of greedy capitalism, indifference to customers, or corporate arrogance. Generosity In the end, Volkswagon's settlement with its customers appears to be fair. However, the actual reality of this will be tested in the coming months. Brands must weigh the short-term bottom line pain of paying reparations to customers against the arduously painful consequences of dwindling investor confidence, continuing bad press, and diminishing brand loyalty. Invest generously in the future of your brand. In the case of Chipotle, Ikea and Tesla the damage, although costly, was addressed immediately and their brands will survive their wounds. For Volkswagon, it is too early to tell what the long-term effect will be for their brand and subsidiaries. Their bond of trust is badly broken. Advertisement If your brand is causing a crisis in customer confidence, simply do the right thing early, clearly and generously. We arrived at Bhutan Mandala Resort in Paro around 5:30pm after a four hour drive from Punakha. The past few days have been absolutely incredible but they have also been intensely nonstop. Our eyelids weigh more than a Japanese sumo wrestler right now and our bodies feel like a melted container of jello, all over the place with no substance. Since tomorrow is the big Tiger's Nest hike, we treated ourselves to some much needed down time in our room, grabbed some dinner at the hotel and called it a night by 10:30pm. We wanted our mind, legs and stamina to be 110 percent by morning. Today, March 19th, we met Kezang and Tenzin in the hotel lobby around 9am and drove about twenty minutes to the base of the Taktsang Monastery, otherwise known as Tiger's Nest. This monastery is one of the most important cultural icons of Bhutan, the granddaddy of them all and what we've been "training" for over the last few days. Now that I have explained a few of Bhutan's out-of-this-world mythological beliefs such as the phallus warding off evil and the Temple of Fertility allowing those challenged to conceive, let me now tell you the history behind this specific establishment. According to legend, Guru Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) reached the temple site of Paro Taktsang in the 8th century by flying on the back of a tigress from Tibet. Guru Padmasambhava was a Brahmin royal who spread Tantric Buddhism throughout Bhutan in the 700's. The name "Taktsang" literally means Tiger's Lair and was derived when the people in the locality came across a tigress residing in one of the caves. Rinpoche meditated in thirteen small monasteries or 'tiger nest' caves, of which Paro Taktsang is the best known. It is said he meditated in the cave on the mountain for three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours. After completing his meditation, Guru Padmasambhava subjugated the eight categories of evil spirits and converted the Bhutanese to Buddhism. Today, he is viewed as holy as the Buddha himself, regarded as the Second Buddha, and a guardian spirit of Bhutan. His followers are convinced he is still alive and active but in another form, as Rainbow Body. So there you have it. Another wild concept strongly believed throughout this fascinating country. Of course a tigress flew up there, how else would one have arrived back then? At least now they have paths for us tourists because riding a tiger probably isn't considered humane anymore. Duh. Advertisement This is where we started. Down on the ground, with only two tiny white dots playing peek-a-boo with you high in the mountains yelling catch me if you can. From this point, I kept thinking "there's no way you can walk to that". It seemed as though the monastery was floating at an unobtainable level. But after a little while, you slowly realize it is obtainable and I can't wait to add this to my collection of memories. The path wasn't paved nor was it flat. It was rocky, dusty, and all uphill but without sounding cheesy or cliche (although that is my speciality), it really added to the overall experience. Since Monks live at The Tiger's Nest and there is a cafeteria mid-way through the hike, various supplies such as food, water, etc. need to make its way up somehow. Us humans aren't really equipped for that sort of weight so they use donkeys. And, for those folks that are a little older or not in that great of shape or just plain lazy, they can pay a pretty penny to ride a donkey half way but after that, it gets a little too steep and a little too narrow to depend on an animal you can't fully communicate with. What an ass. Breathtaking (literally because of the altitude) scenery every next level you reached... And with every turn, you could see the Tiger's Nest getting closer and closer, bigger and bigger, brighter and brighter... Advertisement Prayer flags and prayer wheels were everywhere along the way... There was also a guard dog, making sure everyone is safe... After about an hour and forty five minutes of huffing and puffing uphill, we came to an official photo opp of the Tiger's Nest. This was the closest we've seen it and oh boy was it absolutely stunning. It literally hugs the side of the cliff over 10,000 feet above sea level. The green forest trees mixed with the brown mountains mixed with the red, white and gold architecture leaves you in complete and utter awe. I could have stayed at this point all day and just stared. One of the most beautiful creations I've ever witnessed in person. Now that we've snapped almost a hundred photos, we then had to slowly and carefully go up and down over 850 steps before arriving at the entrance. If you are afraid of heights, this probably isn't for you. One trip on your shoe lace and your done. There isn't much room for a careless mistake and unfortunately, a 54 year old woman from Thailand learned that the hard way. In January 2015, she was taking a photo, lost her balance and fell over the side. I think then there weren't any railings but now they have added them to avoid the same situation from occurring again. Very tragic. To hike the Tiger's Nest is a challenge in itself, I couldn't imagine doing it with a baby on my back, only being supported by a piece of cloth and still managing to smile for a random tourists photo... I was pretty hot and sweaty the entire way up but once we reached the top, the weather drastically changed. It was absolutely freezing and fairly windy. My nose was as red as Rudolph's, my toes and fingers quickly became numb and with every heavy breath I let out, it was as if I was exhaling smoke from a cigarette. From this point on, we couldn't take any photos. In fact, we had to check all of our belongings before entering. For the next hour, we visited eight different temples, all holding such a significant importance. Kezang was mentioning that this is one of the holiest Buddhist monasteries in the world and that every Buddhist dreams of being right where we are standing at this very moment. One the way back down, we stopped at the cafeteria and had some tea and biscuits. Going up was much easier for Vinny and going down was much easier for me, although my left knee cap was still bruised from my bike fall in Mumbai. We always seem to be on opposite levels but somehow it works (or at least I think it does). Advertisement Here is our guide, Kezang, in his traditional Bhutanese attire. He did manage to swap out his nice black dress shoes for some more Tiger's Nest appropriate footwear. We were on such a high after this experience. It would have been totally okay with us to call it a day at this point because nothing could really ever match, or even come close, to what we just saw. However, with limited time in Bhutan, there's no rest for the wicked. Next on our agenda was Kyichu Lhaknang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. It is widely believed to have been built in 659 by King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet, to pin down the left foot of a giant ogress who was thwarting the establishment of Buddhism into Tibet. As you enter the intimate inner courtyard you'll see a mural to the right of the doorway of King Gesar of Ling, the popular Tibetan warrior-king, whose epic poem is said to be the world's longest. The inside of the temple, which we couldn't take photos of, supposedly still has its original floors, made from real wood (would love these in whatever house I might or might not own down the road) and original paintings on the walls, which are very much faded now. Then we walked around the actual town of Paro. Since the annual Paro Tsechu Festival began today, there were a ton of activities happening. There was a flea like market that had at least twenty tents selling random stuff, including a balloon man -- you can't have a festival without a balloon man. And various craft stores along the main street had decorated phalluses in their windows for sale. Fascinating. Last but certainly not least, Bhutan Swallowtail treated us to a very special evening at a traditional farmhouse. This farmhouse has been with the same family for over 300 years. Advertisement To help our bodies recover from the Tiger's Nest hike (not that it was that strenuous at all), they set up a traditional hot stone bath for us, which is widely practiced in Bhutan and is also a method to overcome various complications and illnesses. This consisted of heating the river rocks with fire then moving them into the water of the wooden made bath, which essentially is supposed to release key minerals and relieve deep-set aches of the body. It was just Vinny and I in the room. We closed our eyes and enjoyed this somewhat pampering, extremely relaxing feeling for about forty five minutes. Whenever we felt the water was getting cold, they would bring us more stones. Every time the hot stones would enter the bath, it sizzled dramatically as if they were serving chicken fajitas (or beef fajitas or shrimp fajitas, you get the point). And when we came out, our bodies had so much steam escaping them. What a neat concept. The farmhouse family hosted a handful of us for a traditional Bhutanese dinner after our hot stone baths. We all sat on the floor, in a semi circle and ate a home cooked meal. People were representing countries from all over the world including Japan, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, London, USA, and obviously Bhutan. The woman in the middle of this photo pouring the butter tea is part of the family who owns this farmhouse. She is the eighth generation to live there and her kids are the ninth generation. What an incredible, authentic, memorable day and night we had. I literally feel like a flying tigress, I'm that high on life right now. The next day, March 20th, was our last day in Bhutan and what better way to celebrate it than with the Paro Tshechu Festival. Featuring dances performed by trained monks and laymen in amazing masks and costumes, we were told by Bhutan Swallowtail that Tsechus (festivals) are one of the best ways to experience the ancient living culture of Bhutan. A Tsechu is a Buddhist festival in honour of Guru Rimpoche, the saint who brought Buddhism to Bhutan and the one who mediated at The Tiger's Nest (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you obviously didn't read the history I explained in great detail earlier. Shame on you). Thousands of locals and tourists come from all over the country to witness this festival. The overall vibe was nothing like we've ever seen before. People were so calm, captivated, happy and of course, dressed in their very best Bhutanese attire. Advertisement These adorable girls came up to talk to us because they wanted to practice their English. They asked if we loved our King as much as they loved their King and when I tried to explain we have Presidents that are elected, not Royalty that is inherited, they didn't quite understand that concept. But they were real sweet and I was quite impressed with their vocabulary. Easterners love to give the peace sign so I played along. That night, Bhutan Swallowtail hosted nineteen of us for dinner outside by the river. There was a bon fire (it was sooooo cold!) and all the guides taught us some local songs and dances. The alcohol was flowing (the Bhutanese love to drink!) and everyone was slowly loosening up with every sip. It felt like sleep away camp almost. What a fun night and a wonderful way to end such an unbelievable week in such an unbelievable country. Bhutan is as close to heaven as you can get while still being alive. Every day for seven days, we experienced the natural charm of the first country where Gross National Happiness is deemed more important than Gross National Product. It's a fairytale kind of land sprinkled with the perfect amount of joy, contentment, respect, happiness and an overall genuine appreciation for life. Everywhere else in the world should strive to have the same vision and values as the Bhutanese. It's hard to believe a place like this exists but it does and we were lucky enough to experience it first hand. First Female President Bidya Devi Bhandari, First Woman Chief Justice Sushila Karki, And First Female Speaker of Parliament Onsari Gharti Magar. Women's Power! First time in the history, finally, the Himalayan country Nepal got first woman chief justice. Sushila Karki became the first female Chief Justice of Nepal's Supreme Court ending the male domination of top posts in the judiciary. A parliamentary panel had endorsed the appointment of Sushila Karki as Nepal's first woman chief justice. The Constitutional Council had recommended Supreme Court Justice Sushila Karki for the post of chief justice. Advertisement On Monday, Nepalese first female President Bidya Devi Bhandari had conducted the oath of office and secrecy ceremony to induct the first female head of judiciary Sushila Karki. Now, Nepal made history with the first female president, the first female speaker of Parliament and the first female Chief Justice. The Himalayan country Nepal made history with the first female president, the first female speaker of Parliament, and the first female Chief Justice. Nepal is yet to get its first female prime minister. Nepalese are waiting for that milestone. In September 2015, the new constitution had declared Nepal as an inclusive federal democratic republican country. The Constitution of Nepal, which came into effect on Sept 20, 2015, replacing the Interim Constitution of 2007. This special day is the major milestone in the history of Nepal. The constitution was endorsed by 90% of the total lawmakers out of 598, however, some human rights activists, political groups, and some ethnic groups remained dissatisfied. They accused the Constitution of being gender discriminatory especially in regards to citizenship provisions. On the one hand, citizenship provisions in the new constitution discriminate against women; on the other hand, after the declaration of the new constitution, Nepalese women are creating one by another milestone. First time in the history, women are leading the major bodies of federal democratic republic Nepal. Last October, Nepalese lawmakers elected the country's first woman Speaker of Parliament. Parliament unanimously elected UCPN-Maoist lawmaker Onsari Gharti Magar as the Speaker of the House. With that victory, Gharti became the first woman to lead the legislative body in Nepal's parliamentary history. Earlier she had served as Deputy Speaker of Parliament. Within two weeks of that historical milestone, Nepalese lawmakers elected the country's first woman president. Parliament elected Bidhya Devi Bhandari as first female president of Nepal. She received 327 out of 549 votes cast. Female House Speaker Onsari Gharti announced Bidya's victory as the new president of Nepal. Bhandari was the vice-chairperson of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) before winning the presidential election on 28 October 2015. Within few months of that milestone, Nepal got first woman chief justice. Sushila Karki became the first female Chief Justice of Nepal's Supreme Court ending the male domination of top posts in the judiciary. DALLAS, USA - JULY 13: Motorcycle Policemen escort the casket of slain Lorne Ahrens on the way of Restland Memorial Park's Garden of Honor cemetery in Dallas,Texas, USA on July 13, 2016. Ahrens was one of five officers killed last week when a gunman opened fire on a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas. (Photo by Bilgin S. Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Graphic images in video. America learns about race by way of corpses. It took the lynched corpses of thousands to teach America about the horrors of the segregated south. It took the corpses of civil rights workers and a few civil rights icons to teach America the depth of resistance to black civil rights. It has taken the corpses of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling and more to teach America about unequal policing and systemic racism in the American justice system. Advertisement As Americans, only death teaches us about our propensity for prejudice. And with few exceptions, the corpses have been black. Black blood has been the principal lubricant for America's education on these topics. We die, America talks about learning. More of us die, America talks about learning and changing. More of us die, and America appoints a commission to make recommendations about learning and changing. More of us die... Now, however, the curriculum has changed. This time, the bloody horror visited not just white men, but white police officers -- a class whose sometime legitimate heroism has been cliched and fetishized into the verbal tic of "our heroes in blue." This time, a man trained in our armed forces to kill the enemy amassed weapons of war and used them on American streets to mercilessly, indiscriminately, and cold-bloodedly murder white police officers. Like the Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, like Dylann Roof who murdered worshippers on a Charleston South Carolina church -- like many an angry white man brimming with race hatred before him, black U.S. Army Reserve veteran Micah Johnson wanted to teach America. Only this time, he coated his lesson in white blood. Johnson was white America's perennial fear come true -- the vengeful black man out for white blood. However, Johnson upended the conventional vision. His was no rageful, self-defeating ghetto rampage that burned down his own house. This was cold and merciless. It was calculated, well planned and stunningly effective. It was surgically efficient, so much so that police initially thought there were multiple shooters. Advertisement Johnson's murderous rampage ignored the non-violent 'beat me until you can no longer bear to watch yourself beat me anymore' societal requirements for the expression of black anger. He expressed his rage with the same weaponry as the Bundy's, the same self-righteousness as the occupiers of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. The difference is that we had just seen in the deaths of Castile and Sterling that Johnson's rage, expressed so horrifically, had a legitimate source. When it comes to race, America learns by death. Newt Gingrich, who just a few days ago denied the existence of racial disparities in policing with the "all lives matter" dodge, now says, that "normal white Americans" don't understand the discrimination black Americans face. Vox magazine had an article entitled, "Conservative writers explain why they're now more skeptical of police." We're making our way to Corsica through July. First stop: Iceland. I'm usually so clear about where to go and what to see when we travel. Not so with our visit to the Land of Fire and Ice. There are so many options, many of them far flung, and I'm completely baffled. I just don't know where to start. To narrow our choices, we focus on the number three. Three days to: drive the Golden Circle (including three stops); hike above the Skogafoss waterfall (divided into three legs); and, visit the Blue Lagoon (for three activities). Iceland suffers frequent gloomy weather but the sun -- the midnight sun -- which stays up for twenty-three hours, welcomes us. At eleven at night, after an extended sunset, it slips below the horizon and hangs there, allowing an hour or so of dusk, until rising once again. "You're very lucky," several told us. "These are the most beautiful days of summer so far." Advertisement Settling into Reykjavik, the country's capital, we have first impressions: There are few trees but hitchhikers abound (I can't remember the last time I saw one in the US). Most buildings look like they were built yesterday. Many, especially residences, are sheathed in corrugated steel. Because it withstands the harsh climate and is plentiful and cheap, Icelanders use it like New Englanders use wood shingles. I find the houses charming, especially those of the white-trimmed tomato red and forest green variety. Most in the service industry are young. Very young. Under 25 young. The bright purple and white lupines that line roads and blankets meadows are reminiscent of Provence's lavender fields. The island is no bargain. You pay dearly for its treasure: one and a half to two times US prices. Our simple airport hotel is $147, and our Reykjavik hostel (called a guesthouse in Iceland) is $150 a night. It's clean, the shared bathroom is across the hall, the staff is friendly and the breakfast is hardy. But still, it's pricey for basic lodging. 1. The Golden Circle On day one, we drive the Golden Circle to see its three main sights. It loops 300 kilometers from Reykjavik into central Iceland, and is a great alternative to driving the island's perimeter -- a full week's endeavor. We're alarmed by sheep grazing dangerously close to the road and pass field after field of sturdy Icelandic horses, many pony-sized, with adorable faces, thick, mop top bangs and long, shaggy manes. In a flash, I'm Arya in Game of Thrones (some of which is filmed here), mounting her trusty steed, taking off into deep, verdant waterfall-lined valleys. Our first stop is ingvellir national park, where Iceland's Parliament of chieftains first met in 930 AD. It's also where the North American and Eurasian continental plates meet. As they slowly drift apart, they've created the Silfra fissure, the only place in the world where you can see such a crack in the earth above sea level. Advertisement Our next stop is Haukadalur, haunting geothermal grounds with steam rising from vents in mud pools. Geysir, the original and now dormant geyser, gave its the name to all those that followed. The Strokkur spout is still active and shoots steam and boiling water one hundred feet high, erupting every six minutes or so amid the smell of rotten eggs. Stop three on the Golden Circle is the spectacular Gullfoss waterfall. The wide, powerful Hvita river turns a corner and crashes over cliffs into a ravine, creating Iceland's answer to Niagara Falls. The roaring cascade of water generates thick mist and rainbows a-plenty. 2. The Hike Day two has us up at 5:30 am (I was going to say dawn, but that would have been five hours earlier) for the two-hour drive to the Fimmvorduhals (five cairn trail) above Skogar on the southern coast. We continue the theme of threes with the trek section names: Waterfall Way, The Ashtray, and Godaland. Let's cut to the chase: it's the most beautiful day hike we've ever done. We take the steep stairs alongside Skogafoss, an elegant two hundred foot waterfall, follow the river that feeds twenty-two powerful chutes whose elevations attest to our ascent. We hike at a brisk pace, the GR20 and Corsica in mind. It's a steady climb with occasional steep rises but there is one scary scramble where the path becomes a tight ledge above a ravine. It's tough to enjoy the cascade thundering across the way as we side step along. We hear the successive falls before we see them -- the powerful roar of water falling off a cliff -- and then feel the mist. The lush chasm of each fall looks positively tropical; we could easily be in Hawaii or Tahiti. We leave the waterfalls behind once we cross the rickety bridge over the Skoga river. Part two of the hike stretches before us: the desolate, cratered moonscape of the Ashtray. We're buffeted by fierce winds as we approach the Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull glaciers and the still steaming, red-hued volcano that erupted in 2010. After four hours to climb 2,400 feet, we decide to turn around. Part three of the hike, called Godaland, and the descent into "fairytale" Porsmork will certainly bring us back to Iceland. On our return, we'll be sure to bring our tent and sleeping bags so we can do the hike to the end. 3. The Blue Lagoon We save our trip to the Blue Lagoon for our third and final day. We stick to a three-pronged plan: soak sore hiking muscles in its warm, milky blue waters; enjoy facial masks; and, have lunch at the Lava restaurant. It's an expensive outing in line with the costs of the rest of the country. We pre-book the package that included a bathrobe, flip-flops, a drink, unlimited facial masks, and a reservation at the restaurant with a glass of champagne. I fear the attraction will be kitschy but it's far from it. Yes, we join a United Nations of tourists, from grandparents to babies in water wings, but it's a very nice spa - beautifully designed, well organized and spotless. It's not overly crowded since they limit the number of visitors. The levels of silica in the geothermal water can turn hair to straw, especially blonds like us, so we layer on conditioner in the locker rooms. The lagoon is ethereal with steam rising from one hundred degree pools and visitors drifting through the water, faces masked in silica mud and algae cream. We soak for two hours, sip drinks at the swim-up bar, and repeatedly slather our faces with masks. (I know several who would pay to see my typically buttoned-up Joe sport a facial treatment!) Hair conditioned, skin tightened and fingertips like prunes, we retreat to the chic Lava restaurant for lunch. Delicious food, sophisticated decor, friendly service, and champagne. All enjoyed in our fluffy white bathrobes. What's not to love? When I was 5 years old, my family gathered around our black-and-white TV in the living room and watched a cowboy movie. One guy shot another guy, and he fell off his horse, clinched his bloodless side, spat out a few final words and died. I remember pressing my cheek on my mother's thick, soft arm and asking her why the man agreed to be killed just to have a chance to be on TV. My mother chided me. "Child, they're just actors. No one actually dies on TV. When the cameras turn off, those actors get up and go home, laughing." Advertisement I was relieved. You see, I had recently attended my paternal grandmother's funeral and the older kids on my block broke down the harsh realities about death to me after I told them that I was to visit her again next weekend. I had a hard time processing the fact that my grandma, the one who gave me sponge baths, called me "Sugga" and always had a freshly baked cake in a glass platter on her kitchen counter ready for the tastin', was never, ever coming back. That's how I learned about the ugliness of death. In the subsequent 35 years, I had never watched a man actually get shot on TV. That is, until Laquan McDonald, Alton Sterling and the most graphic of all, Philando Castile. All were Black men (among many others) who didn't deserve to die, shot by White police officers, caught on candid camera. Advertisement This blog post is not about my political outrage, although I've voiced that previously. Today, I'd rather take a moment to grieve for the children who have seen these horrible images and now know too much. The Danger of Knowing Too Much Kids are watching people, real people, die on their TV and computer screens. If not on cable news, then on YouTube, and no one can comfort them with the assurance that after the video ends the people they see will get up and go home laughing. The blood is real. The bullets are real. The police are real. The gangs are real. The Black men they see bleeding out on the concrete are real. I'm not a psychologist, but I know that these images have a profound effect on one's psyche. I've had a hard time sleeping. I've cried more tears than I'd like to admit. I'm scared. Just this past Sunday, my husband decided to take our van to a local gas station in Chicago to fill the tire with air, and I practically begged him not to go. It was just 9 at night, but it was dark outside and he was alone. Advertisement I asked him to wait until the morning. He shrugged at my suggestion and left. I found myself checking the clock and peeking out the window. He's not back yet? My husband is a 6'1", 215-pound muscular African-American man, yet I was dreaming up ways to protect him. What about the kids? So if I'm somewhat of a wreck, how are our babies coping with the violence? It was devastating to see Alton Sterling's 15-year-old son wailing "I want my daddy" at his family's press conference. Teachers, what kind of students can you expect this boy and his 4 siblings to be next year? He and tens of thousands of kids around the world saw his father slammed to the ground and shot by a policeman in the chest at point-blank range. What about the 4-year-old girl who sat in the back seat of the car as Philando Castile was shot by police while sitting in the passenger seat? She is heard at the end of the video consoling her mother, saying, "It's okay, Mommy. I'm here with you." Advertisement I praise God none of the bullets that killed her mother's boyfriend ricocheted in the car to take her life, too. I fear we are raising a generation of Black children who distrust cops. I don't want our children to equate cops with killers. When that happens, the ambush in Dallas that resulted in five slain cops and seven wounded will occur again and again. Their children have also been traumatized and the ripple effects could be significant. #BlackLivesMatter supports peaceful demonstrations against police brutality, not violence--especially not violence against the police. As the mother of a 2-and-a-half-year-old Black boy, I hold my son close at night and make Psalms 91 his lullaby. It's a prayer of protection, a promise. Advertisement Even though my heart melts at the sight of his caramel-colored face, big brown eyes and kinky-curly afro, I'm aware that as he ages those features could fit the description of a random police suspect or be perceived as a threat. I dread the day when my sweet baby boy realizes for himself these sad realities of being a Black man in America. Hopefully, he won't come asking me at age 5 about whether the man shot on TV is really dead. I want him to be a child long enough to recall the days of his innocence, when death and dying were just for actors who pretended, then got up and laughed their way home. DALLAS, TX - JULY 7: Dallas police stand watch near the scene where four Dallas police officers were shot and killed on July 7, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. According to reports, shots were fired during a protest being held in downtown Dallas in response to recent fatal shootings of two black men by police - Alton Sterling on July 5, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Philando Castile on July 6, 2016, in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) If you weren't whiplashed, heartsick, nauseated, outraged and exhausted last week, you weren't paying attention. Within the span of 24 hours, we were pummeled by horrifying images and unbearable grief -- nothing as awful as personally enduring it, but real and real-time enough to scar our spirits, and to put "reality" TV in its infantilizing, counterfeit place. Advertisement The killings in Louisiana, Minnesota and Texas were a shared national tragedy. But so far that common trauma has failed to cauterize the wound that created it and that it created. These miserable days since then have united us in our experience of anger, but we remain divided by our experience of race. We cannot agree who the victims and villains are. We demand solutions, but we are polarized by our accounts of the problems. We want justice and we want law and order, but we are split by our explanations for their absence. When he arrived in Warsaw for the NATO summit, after two Black men had been killed by cops in Baton Rouge and Falcon Heights but before five cops had been killed by a Black sniper in Dallas, President Obama went to a podium to draw a connection between the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile and the severity disproportionately meted out to Americans of color by our criminal justice system. Those disparities, he said, should trouble all fair-minded people. They make it "incumbent on all of us to say, 'We can do better than this; we are better than this' - and to not have it degenerate into the usual political scrum." Are we, truly, better than this? We can't even agree on what "this" is. To some Americans, "this" is a Black parent having to teach a Black son how to "yes, sir" his way out of turning a broken tail-light stop into an execution. Advertisement To other Americans, like Rudy Giuliani, "this" is a prompt to say that "the reason there's a target on police officers' backs is because of groups like Black Lives Matter." To some, "this" is a list that did not start with Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Walter Scott, Sandra Bland, Laquon McDonald and Freddie Gray, and that now includes, but does not conclude with, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. To others, like talk radio host and former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, "this" is a cue to tweet, "This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming after you." To cable news, "this" is a ratings bonanza, an opportunity for infotainment. Even if you didn't see it, you know how it goes. Former New York Police Department detective Harry Houck shouts that race isn't a factor in tail-light stops; defense attorney Paul Martin shouts back, "You're not living on the same planet we are." Political commentator Van Jones says, "the statistics don't lie" about the criminal justice system's bias against blacks; Houck counters that minorities commit a majority of crimes and "the statistics bear that out, and you don't want to face that.... Many police officers put their lives on the line for minorities every day, and to say that police departments are systematically racist is a ridiculous statement." Jones tries to calm the waters: "There's something called unconscious bias." Houck retorts, "That's a new narrative, I know -- you guys made that up just recently in the last six months." On TV, apparently, we are not better than this. On July 7, as the wrenching video live-streamed by Diamond Reynolds went viral on Facebook, as we watched her four-year-old daughter Dae'Anna witness her mother's boyfriend die, as we saw the gun and heard the voice of the cop who killed Castile, as their literal terror became our virtual terror, a second drama shared the nation's screens. On Capitol Hill, FBI director James Comey was grilled by the House Oversight Committee about not recommending criminal charges against Hillary Clinton. Democrats, though relieved by his decision, fumed about the fodder his press conference and testimony gave Clinton's opponents to claim she is unfit for office. Republicans, fuming about his decision, wanted Comey to say, as Donald Trump tweeted, that the system is rigged -- that once Bill Clinton met with Attorney-General Loretta Lynch on her plane, the fix was in. But to the allegation of a conspiracy, Comey responded, "Look me in the eye and listen," and gave no ground. Watching the hearing on TV while, at the same time, watching the Sterling and Castile videos on social media, I was struck by how Comey bridged the two stories. It was Comey who had irritated Democrats and others last October by suggesting that rising crime rates might be attributable to cops' reluctance to get out of their cars for fear that they would be unfairly depicted in viral videos. "A chill wind," he said, has been "blowing through American law enforcement" over the past year, deterring cops from effective policing. He said it twice within a few days, leading White House press secretary Josh Earnest to counter, "The evidence that we've seen so far doesn't support the contention." Undeterred, Comey said it again in May, again arousing pushback. I wonder how much of that resistance is substantive, and how much is tribal. When Donald Trump says he is not shackled by political correctness, what he means is that if you hold him accountable for his racism, he will try to bully you for upholding America's highest ideals. But there are times when the ways we pursue our ideals can surface uncomfortable tensions between them. This is especially true, and especially troubling, in the case of race and justice, and it is not racist to say so. But the fear of that accusation can make it hard to talk about them honestly. Even if the partisan climate were less toxic, even if the business model of the media were not to inflame and monetize civic conflict, solving our race and justice problem will take more than the political leadership to put the right policies in place. Finding common ground on moral issues requires moral leadership. Last February, Comey gave a speech at Georgetown University in which he quoted the song "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" from the Broadway show, Avenue Q: Look around and you will find No one's really color blind. Maybe it's a fact We should all face Everyone makes judgments Based on race. What Comey says in that speech about race and justice is uncommon for its candor and its empathy. Here's a sample: "Those of us in law enforcement must redouble our efforts to resist bias and prejudice. We must better understand the people we serve and protect -- by trying to know, deep in our gut, what it feels like to be a law-abiding young Black man walking on the street and encountering law enforcement. We must understand how that young man may see us. We must resist the lazy shortcuts of cynicism and approach him with respect and decency." In that speech, and in another he gave last year at the University of Chicago Law School, the one in which he first mentioned the "chill wind," Comey wrestles with some of America's most intractable problems. I don't know if he's right about the way ubiquitous videos may undermine policing, and neither does he; he's careful to offer it as a conjecture, though one informed by widespread anecdotes in the law enforcement community. But I would rather have his speculation and his moral leadership than the demagoguery of the Rudy Giulianis and of the Trumps whom they support. Advertisement I will miss Obama's moral leadership. If Clinton succeeds him, I hope her passion for policy, beneficial as that is, isn't the last step she takes toward the pulpit the presidency provides. Imagine if Clinton and Comey, together, were to lead the nation to common ground on race and justice. That's just a dream, I know. But what could be the best answer to, "Are we better than this?" is this: "I have a dream." The major takeaway from a new report by the Center for American Progress and the Fiscal Policy Institute is that refugees integrate soundly into American society and economy in their first decade here. We've reported on such findings before, but this comprehensive new study focuses on four major refugee groups: Somali, Burmese, Hmong, and Bosnians, amounting to a total of about 500,000 people. While reasons for fleeing their homelands differ, they have integrated quite seamlessly in terms of English language skills, educational endeavors, home ownership, wage growth, and other factors. Advertisement The report finds that in their first decade here, nearly nine in ten refugees learn to speak English well. Children of refugees develop remarkable command over the language, often at a level equal to natives. In fact, it's often a bigger problem for parents of refugee children to ensure they remain fluent in their native tongue than it is for them to master English. Eighty to 90 percent of refugee children graduate from high school. Some of them, particularly Burmese refugees, graduate from college at even higher rates than U.S.-born peers. There are areas that the report reveals refugees are integrating remarkably well in American society. Many refugees marry U.S.-born spouses, often outside their community and ethnic group. Over time, a vast majority become naturalized citizens. These refugees embed themselves in communities, making it difficult to ascertain refugees from native-born Americans. Another example of this is home ownership rates. After a decade in the United States, the homeownership rate among Burmese and Bosnian refugees is above 70 percent and Hmong refugees are at 58 percent. Meanwhile, homeownership rates among U.S.-born Americans living is housing is 68 percent. Somalis struggle with low rates of homeownership -- and more research on why they struggle in this measure is needed. Advertisement In a number of Midwestern cities that see a disproportionate share of refugees, the report finds that refugee groups have played a vital role in metropolitan revitalization. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul, for instance, Somalis and Hmong (and a decently sized number of Burmese) helped the population rebound, opened businesses, and generally brought renewed vibrancy to the region. Bosnians helped do the same in St. Louis and Somalis in Columbus. Part of this revitalization is driven by the strong economic integration that refugees experience across the country. The report details the impressive record of economic integration, as refugees' gain a foothold in the American labor force. After their first decade, they have similar labor force participation rates as native-born Americans and similar business ownership rates. Refugees experience substantial wage gains once they are established in their new country. For example, after more than a decade in the U.S., Burmese women have a median wage of $50,000--up from $21,000 for recent arrivals. Also illustrative is that after ten years, 43 percent of Somalis have white-collar jobs, almost double the rate from when they first arrive. The report also notes that over 20 out of every 1,000 refugees are opening businesses, creating jobs and growing their local economies in the process. Advertisement This refugee labor market integration is better in the United States than elsewhere in the world, where refugees are often not allowed to work. They don't only improve their own economic circumstances; they also help grow the economy, driving wage growth for native-born Americans as well. The takeaway of the report is clear: refugees integrate substantially and contribute positively to American society. After a decade in the U.S., adult refugees are in similar social and economic circumstances as native-born Americans, and refugee children are virtually indistinguishable from natives. And the more time spent in the United States, the more assimilated they become. Street scene with vintage car and worn out buildings in Havana, Cuba. For the first time the Castros do not have a patron. 57 years they exerted power backed by the economic support of the Soviet Union (1959-1989) and Venezuela (1999-2016). But celebrations this July 26th are gloomy. Raul Castro acknowledged economic difficulties, and he encouraged everyone to trust and have faith in the present and future of the revolution, during a speech on July 8th. The thread of a Periodo Especial aggravated is a campaign of the enemy, the elder guerilla leaders argue. But Cubans have been increasingly aware of the incoming chaos, as news from Venezuela arrived, the oil price dropped, the General did not speed up economic measures, store lacked inventory, fuel was rationed and a blackout started. Fidel Castro was confident that the soviet bloc would last forever, over ten years, Cubans confronted the worst crisis ever, called Special Period in Peace Time. The underpaid imports and overvalued exports, technical and scientific cooperation, and investments stopped overnight. The huge assistance had been thrown away in wars abroad and unproductive mega plans at home. First the Comandante blamed Gorbachev, but as blackouts and lack of supplies dragged on too long the population was upset, and he got hold of the American embargo. But lucky him! After Hugo Chavez intended a coup d'etat in 1992, Fidel guided his soul mate to save the revolutions and reconquering the world as president elected in 1999. The small openings in farmers markets, self-employment, State owned and foreign enterprises that supposedly Raul Castro convinced him to allow had relieved the economic turmoil, but they were reversed as soon as Venezuela's oil and dollars were pumped in 2000. Only tourism survived, handled by the military. Advertisement In 2006, Raul Castro inherited the power he had been supporting with his military and a worn out country. The socio-economic levels existing in 1989 had not been regained; the infrastructure was destroyed, and Hugo Chavez tried to keep Fidel's body and ideas alive. Raul Castro tried to gain Cuban's support by lifting absurd bans, such as allowing cell phones and admission in hotels, and recognized that changes in the economy had to be brought about, but the measures taken have been too timid and slow. He sought international acceptance and new financial support. In 2013, Chavez passed away and Venezuela's comprehensive support became at stake. The situation was ripe for the United States to change its approach toward Cuba, thus Obama's people to people policy, and Raul Castro's eagerness for the embargo to end. Most of the creditors (mainly European) have forgiven the external debt that the Cuban government stopped paying in 1986 and foreign investment is promoted. Raul Castro announced the impossibility of gaining economic growth, lack of liquidity (money), delays in trade payments allegedly due to drop in the prices of exports and less oil from Venezuela, during his speech at the National Assembly of the Popular Power on July 8th.. He determined that energy consumption and short-term credits would shrink, and priority wouble be given to investments in productions for export and substitution of imports, infrastructure and tourism. Advertisement Women's-only hours at swimming pools are nothing new. Many secular institutions have long hosted separate swim hours for women and girls who, for reasons of faith or personal preference, desire to swim without the presence of men. The list includes Barnard College, Harvard University, Yale University, and swim clubs, JCCs, and YMCAs across the country. Recently, women's-only swimming hours have become a topic of debate, especially in New York, where promoters of liberal secularist ideology (including the editorial page of the New York Times) are campaigning against women's-only hours at a public swimming pool on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. They claim that women's-only swimming hours, even for a small portion of the day, must be abolished in the interest of "general fairness and equal access" and to avoid "discrimination" in favor of certain religions. This is doubly wrong. First, accommodation is not the same as discrimination. Second, critics emphasize the importance of upholding "public, secular rules" without recognizing that an honorable, fair, and therefore desirable secularity is not one that imposes secularism as an ideology; rather it is one that accommodates on terms of equality the needs of members of the various communities, including faith communities, composing society as a whole. Advertisement As two religious women who attend secular universities and work in secular environments, we speak about secularity and diversity from our mutual experience. On Princeton's campus, where we met as college students in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and as leaders of the Religious Life Interfaith Council, we stood out among our peers both visibly (by the way we dress) and through practice. One of us covered our hair with a hijab, and one of us always wore long sleeves and skirts. We needed and received many religious accommodations that enabled us to be full participants in a diverse college community. We were permitted to leave class early on Fridays to attend prayers; our examinations were rescheduled when they fell on the Sabbath; Kosher and Halal food options were offered at events; and, yes, Princeton offered women's-only hours at its swimming pool. If Princeton had not offered women's-only hours, we would not have been able to swim at college, and we likely would have felt that we were being discriminated against by a policy that accommodated women who were happy to swim in the presence of men, while excluding women like ourselves. We would have resisted any claim that such a policy was "neutral." After all, we were paying tuition like other students who had full access to the pool. To its credit, Princeton (like Barnard and Harvard) recognized that discrimination can go both ways, and its definition of fairness was based on welcoming students of all faiths and perspectives as full participants in all aspects of collegiate life--including swimming. During the summer of 2009, students from Princeton's Religious Life Council traveled to India to explore the interfaith atmosphere there and to meet with various leaders and students. During our trip, we stopped the bus to allow a religious member to recite afternoon prayers before sundown; in the same way, we stopped the bus to allow another member to find a restroom and buy a soda. Both delays were reasonable accommodations to meet people's legitimate needs. Critics' fundamental mistake is that they would, we are sure, accept the bathroom stop as legitimate, but not the stop for prayers. By the same token, they would allow separate hours for lap swimmers and children (as that is a "practical" accommodation), but not women's-only swim hours (as that is "religious segregation"). Advertisement Critics are wrong, in any case, to assume that single-sex swimming hours are based always on religious motivation. They insist that it is discriminatory "to tell a sweaty Brooklynite on a Sunday afternoon that he should be ejected onto Bedford Avenue because one religious group doesn't want him in the pool." That statement (from a New York Times editorial) overlooks the fact that some women, and men, prefer single-sex swim hours for reasons beyond those of religious mandates; traditional values of modesty and concern with body image have been cited by many people as reasons for desiring single-sex hours at pools. Additionally, research shows that many female victims of sexual assault feel safer in all-female spaces when wearing less clothing than usual, as one ordinarily does when swimming. Institutions that offer separate swim hours, such as universities, JCCs, and YMCAs state that single-sex swim hours are created for, and used by, the general population, and should not be perceived as religious "segregation," much less "gender discrimination." Institutions offering separate swim hours demonstrate that they seek to include in their community people from many different cultures, faiths, and traditions, representing a range of values, beliefs, and experiences. They embrace pluralism rather than impose secularism. A number of pools that have been accused of discrimination, such as the Tukwila Pool Metropolitan Park District, began to offer swim hours for both men and women. Rather than ending "religious segregation" in pools, as critics call for, the example of Tukwila can function as a possible solution for the Bedford Avenue, assuming there is genuine demand for men's-only hours. "Don't they treat us like animals?" It's a hot friday morning, in the third week of Ramadan, and we're at Qalandiya checkpoint, monitoring access for Palestinian women, children, and the elderly (including men over 45) who are traveling to Jerusalem for Friday prayers at al-Aqsa. It is for one day only, and men under 45 are not allowed through, because the Israeli authorities have identified them a "security risk." "We just want to pray," a Palestinian man exclaims, as he tries to argue with the soldiers. "How are we a security risk for wanting to pray in al-Aqsa? You can check me! I'm carrying nothing!" Advertisement Men under 45 are not allowed through, because the Israeli authorities have identified them a "security risk." "We just want to pray," a Palestinian man exclaims, as he tries to argue with the soldiers. "How are we a security risk for wanting to pray in al-Aqsa? You can check me! I'm carrying nothing!" I'm here with a Christian program, monitoring occupation related human rights abuses in the West Bank, and three times a week, we monitor the access--or lack thereof--through Qalandiya checkpoint. Outside of the men's entry to the checkpoint, many men under 45 are gathered. Some try and pass through, even though they know that they will be rejected. At first I ask the men coming back why they have been rejected, but after a few hours I've moved on to asking how many times they've tried to pass through. "Ten times now," says one man, smiling broadly. I am encouraged by him; I see it as a peaceful kind of resistance, to attempt to do something which should be your right, despite knowing you won't be allowed to. Advertisement At first I ask the men coming back why they have been rejected, but after a few hours I've moved on to asking how many times they've tried to pass through. "Ten times now," says one man, smiling broadly. I am encouraged by him; I see it as a peaceful kind of resistance, to attempt to do something which should be your right, despite knowing you won't be allowed to. As soon as someone nearby hears that I, despite my Scandinavian features and big blonde hair, speak Arabic, a big group of teenage boys bombard me with questions. Two topics are reoccurring: Whether or not I am fasting, and if I think what I see happening is right. Do you fast, they ask me. No, I'm a Christian we fast in or before Easter, I tell them. Is this right what you see here, they ask me. Every time I answer the same way: No, of course this is not right. How can you put an age limit on the right to pray? A relationship with God is an undeniable, inalienable human right. Praying is an undeniable, inalienable human right. A relationship with God is an undeniable, inalienable human right. Praying is an undeniable, inalienable human right. The next day I am walking through the Old City of Jerusalem, and as I pass by, I overhear a man leading a group of Muslim pilgrims say, "And remember to buy from Christian shop owners too; they are also oppressed by the occupation, and need our support as well!" I smile, and think of the many examples of interfaith relations between Muslims and Christians here in the Holy City, and how the occupation brings them together in strange ways. The occupation does not care if you are Christian or Muslim; it oppresses both, and sometimes, even Jews as well. The occupation does not care if you are Christian or Muslim; it oppresses both, and sometimes, even Jews as well. One of my neighbours in East Jerusalem, named Nur Amro, says "It's a holy place here, for all of us. We live right where people of all faiths pass by in order to reach the Old City. On every holiday, my kids used to stand under a tree outside, and hand out water and sweets to people of all faiths passing by, but they can't do that anymore, because when the soldiers demolished my house, they also tore down the tree." One of my neighbours in East Jerusalem, named Nur Amro, says "It's a holy place here, for all of us. We live right where people of all faiths pass by in order to reach the Old City. On every holiday, my kids used to stand under a tree outside, and hand out water and sweets to people of all faiths passing by, but they can't do that anymore, because when the soldiers demolished my house, they also tore down the tree." There is no denying that wars between groups belonging to the three main religions--Muslims, Christians, and Jews--residing here have been fought, and has shaped the city. But in modern times, the co-existance between Christians and Muslims in Jerusalem--and all over Palestine--is, in my eyes, built on friendship and respect. But in modern times, the co-existance between Christians and Muslims in Jerusalem--and all over Palestine--is, in my eyes, built on friendship and respect. "I have worked with Christians in Damascus Gate for ten years," says my friend Firaaz. "Never have I seen any of them smoke or drink water outside during Ramadan; they respect us." The mutual respect between Muslims and Christians is key in this holy land...literally. The keys for the Church of Holy Sepulchre, which holds the tomb of Jesus, and is one of the two holiest churches for us Christians, have been held by two Muslim families since the year 1192. The mutual respect between Muslims and Christians is key in this holy land...literally. The keys for the Church of Holy Sepulchre, which holds the tomb of Jesus and is one of the two holiest churches for us Christians, have been held by two Muslim families since the year 1192. In addition to monitoring the Qalandiya checkpoint, my colleagues and I also monitor access to the al-Aqsa compound every morning. The gates are guarded--and sometimes closed--by the Israeli military, who decides who is allowed to pass in and out. Unfortunately, access to worship is not only compromised by checkpoints, but also by recurring clashes on the al-Aqsa compound, and closure of access. My colleagues and I also monitor access to the al-Aqsa compound every morning. The gates are guarded--and sometimes closed--by the Israeli military, who decides who is allowed to pass in and out. As a human rights monitor in Jerusalem, I observe daily how Israel's military occupation and its associated regime of control, dramatically restricts Palestinians' freedom of worship and access to their mosques and churches here. Photo credit: www.commondreams.org; photo by Mussa Qawasma for Reuters. As we reached the end of Ramadan, I enjoyed many delicious iftaars with lovely friends and neighbours, eaten way too much qatayef, and unfortunately, witnessed many human rights violations that are direct results of Israel's military occupation of Palestine. Advertisement Despite a promise to not demolish houses during Ramadan, Israeli forces have continued to carry out so-called punitive house demolitions. Punitive demolitions are a form of collective punishment, where the house of someone who has carried out an crime, usually an alleged attempted stabbing attack against an Israeli citizen, is demolished. Despite a promise to not demolish houses during Ramadan, Israeli forces have continued to carry out so-called punitive house demolitions. Punitive demolitions are a form of collective punishment, where the house of someone who has carried out a crime, usually an alleged attempted stabbing attack against an Israeli citizen, is demolished. A few months ago, one was carried out just down the street from where I live. The son of a family was shot and killed while allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli soldier. As punishment, the kitchen of his family's house was filled with cement. My colleague was there, and told me a coffee cup used that morning was resting at the top of the cement block, which now filled half of their house. This means that not only did this family lose their son, they also had to pay fines for their son's crime, and had half their house filled with cement, and they had to pay for this. This is how house demolitions work here. Your house is demolished, often with little to no warning, and then you yourself have to pay the Israeli authorities the cost of demolishing your house. Advertisement This means that not only did this family lose their son, they also had to pay fines for their son's crime, and had half their house filled with cement, and they had to pay for this. This is how house demolitions work here. Your house is demolished, often with little to no warning, and then you yourself have to pay the Israeli authorities the cost of demolishing your house. One week later, on the last Friday of Ramadan, my colleague returns from Qalandiya with tears in her eyes. "I thought I expected the worst," she says. "But this was beyond what I was prepared for." As usual, men under 45 had gathered at the checkpoint. When they were denied access, they gathered at the checkpoint area and refused to leave as a form of peaceful protest. Israeli soldiers responded by shooting tear gas canisters and sound grenades. Rubber bullets were also fired, and soldiers rode their horses into the crowd. As a result of the violence, and elderly man died of tear gas inhalation, and another 21 were injured. Israeli soldiers responded by shooting tear gas canisters and sound grenades. Rubber bullets were also fired, and soldiers rode their horses into the crowd. As a result of the violence, and elderly man died of tear gas inhalation, and another 21 were injured. This is what the occupation is: Daily human rights abuses, and suffering of Muslims, Christians, and Jews. On days like these, peace seems far away, but I know from meeting so many determined Palestinians and Israelis, that it is possible, and the international community must play an important role in calling for human rights to be respected. As a Christian, I believe we must support everyone living here in finding a peaceful end to the occupation, so that among many, many other things, there will be an end to the checkpoints stopping Palestinian Muslims from praying in al-Aqsa, and an end to the collective punishment of Palestinians. Written by Johanna, who has requested that her last name remain anonymous for safety concerns due to the constant threat of settler harassment and violence. Kasey Saeturn, a 20-year-old journalist, got the idea for her most recent reporting project while attempting to grab take-out in Oakland's Chinatown. That summer afternoon, she and other reporters left the Youth Radio headquarters to find cheap eats. Most returned empty-handed, unable to find anything affordable in the gentrified neighborhood. The situation prompted Saeturn, a first-generation Mien-American whose family came from Laos, to think about urban renewal, wondering: Was a lack of affordable cuisine unique to the Easy Bay or did kids across the country choose between an empty stomach and an empty wallet? To answer her question, Saeturn built a map and used Facebook and Twitter to collect responses from across the country to fill it. Last month, her story (which was produced by Youth Radio) appeared before a national audience on NPR's website. "I wouldn't have even found out if I liked [storytelling] if I didn't join Youth Radio. I never saw myself as a journalist," Saeturn, a college student with a second job at a ramen shop, says. With kids manning the mics, Youth Radio, a public radio station, launched from Berkeley, Calif., in the 1990s. As shootings ravaged low-income neighborhoods, its founder, Ellin O'Leary, hoped to end the prevailing news narrative that all teens were violent gangbangers or victims by giving minority, low-income youths the opportunity to explain their lives for themselves. That mission continues today at bureaus in L.A., Atlanta and Washington, D.C., as Millennials -- burdened with college debt and unemployment -- create stories about living in a hashtag-centric world. Keeping up with the times, Youth Radio now also streams its content online and in 2009, started its Innovation Lab, a digital storytelling platform, where young people design interactive mobile apps that give a fresh take on the news in a format that's relevant to their peers. Advertisement "There's multiple ways to tell a story," says Asha Richardson, a Youth Radio alum who now manages the Innovation Lab. Richardson, the station's former tech journalist, wanted her reporting to go beyond the reels and was intrigued how technology -- video, music, graphic design, coding -- and new platforms that appealed to her peers enhanced reach and storytelling impact. Students in the program (80 percent come from low-income homes) receive real-world tech skills, learning not only how to use a recording device, set levels and mix their audio, but also how to design and code, says Lissa Soep, a senior producer who cooked up the Innovation Lab with Richardson. APPLY: Youth Radio is an NBCUniversal 21st Century Solutions grant winner. Apply to the 2016 program here. Youth Radio's apps transform the century-old two-minute radio story and make it better by allowing a reader to spend as much time with a story as she desires (the same way a listener could binge on Serial). A series of interviews about gentrification in five Oakland neighborhoods, for example, allows a visitor to turn about the city through an online map, visiting schools and playgrounds, a Disneyesque theme park, grand old hotels and new high-rise condos. Richardson's Bucket Hustle app combines trivia questions about California's drought with an arcade-style game of collecting falling water drops in a bucket. And another online interactive, Double Charged, lets a viewer follow three people through the juvenile justice system and watch as thousands of dollars in fees pile up throughout the process. Advertisement Youth Radio's multi-platform approach extends young people's voices far beyond their Twitter feeds and Tumblr accounts. So far, its stories have reached more than 28 million users and the digital tools created in its Innovation Lab have an active user base of more than 3 million people worldwide. That ability to reach a diverse audience changed the way Saeturn thinks about her own life and how much she's willing to share on the radio. When she sits down to brainstorm, she asks herself, "What's going on in my life that other people can relate to?" Knowing her words will be shared justifies "putting all the thought and feeling and heart" into each story, hoping her experience helps another young person listening on the web. More than any hackathon or a media studies class, Youth Radio allows young people to express themselves and connect with listeners. By telling stories, Saeturn feels like she's finally found her voice. Not in the sense that it gave her thoughts and opinions she didn't hold before, but that it gives her a platform to stand on. "A lot of adults, they don't really care for what children have to say. To them, it's whatever we say goes. They forget that the youth is our next generation. They forget that we have the same thoughts and opinions as you do. We have worries as well," Saeturn says. "That's the biggest thing: we've been silent for so long, forced to believe that nobody cares." With Youth Radio as their outlet, they're finding people that are willing to listen. Online, they're able to reach more of them than ever before. Contrary to a well-worn slogan, it really is guns that shoot people. This principle is laid bare to a shocking extent by comparisons of police shootings between US and other developed countries. US versus UK In Europe, most citizens feel no need to carry handguns. That is just as well because they would find it hard to get a permit to carry guns, or to purchase anything but the long guns used in hunting, and sport shooting. The relative lack of guns in many European countries makes neighborhoods so safe that police go about unarmed. As one might expect, homicide rates are substantially lower in Europe than in the US. In the UK, homicide rates are about five times lower than in the US. The incidence of police-involved shootings is strikingly lower as well. Advertisement Police shoot close to a thousand people dead every year in this country (965 in 2015). In the UK, police shot 55 people dead over the last 24 years that is less than US police kill every 24 days. Adjusting for population differences, police in the US are about 70 times as dangerous to civilians as they are in the UK. Of course, US police are more at risk themselves with 42 police dying by gunfire in the line of duty in 2015, compared to the UK where there were just 8 deaths of police officers over the past five years. What to do The pattern is clear enough. Handguns are very dangerous for the police and the public alike but what to do with this evidence is a lot trickier. Clearly, it would be a lot better if most police were unarmed. One obvious compromise would be to use more non-lethal weapons such as tasers, and tear gas that are commonly used where police do not carry guns. Yet, US police may be unwilling to give up guns. Police do not carry revolvers because they are trigger happy but because they must venture into dangerous neighborhoods where they confront armed suspects. Advertisement So it may be difficult to disarm the police if the public are not disarmed first. Political pundits doubt that can ever happen in this country where the supposed constitutional right of the public to bear arms (outside of a well-ordered militia) is essentially a religious belief and where legislators are afraid of the NRA. If anyone needed a historical parallel, just how wrong the individual right to bear arms can go is well illustrated by the infamous frontier feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys whose drunken brawls frequently devolved into shootings. These impetuous homicides brought endless retaliations. U.S. shale is the lowest cost option for new oil production and is likely to be more competitive than conventional offshore drilling, according to a new report from Wood Mackenzie. The U.S. shale industry has weathered the oil price downturn, tweaking drilling practices and cutting costs in order to stay in business. A new report from Wood Mackenzie finds that the industry is proving to be resilient and flexible in the face of the worst oil market crisis in three decades. The report concludes that U.S. shale companies have managed to cut costs by as much as 40 percent since 2014. Much of that comes from lower costs from equipment suppliers and oilfield services firms. But it also comes from improved productivity from the average shale well. Instead of drilling anywhere and everywhere, U.S. shale companies are getting better at finding the "sweet spots." Advertisement Intriguingly, the report finds that conventional oil drillers have not had as much success in reducing costs. Non-shale drilling projects only achieved cost reductions on the order of 10 to 12 percent, Wood Mackenzie found. That means that a lot of large oil projects are not economical with oil prices at $60 per barrel. By comparison, the Eagle Ford has an average breakeven price of $48 per barrel for Brent, and the Wolfcamp in the Permian Basin has a breakeven price of just $39 per barrel. In other words, America's shale industry is now more competitive than places like the North Sea, West Africa or other deepwater drilling areas, places that have seen high levels of interest and investment for a much longer period of time. "There are more opportunities to invest in the U.S., and that's where the investment will take place," Simon Flowers of Wood Mackenzie said. Wood Mackenzie found that 60 percent of the oil production that is profitable with oil at $60 per barrel comes in the form of shale production, compared to only 20 percent that is deep water. Advertisement As a result, the number of megaprojects that have been given final investment decisions has dropped off a cliff recently. Between 2007 and 2013 the global oil industry greenlit 40 large projects per year. But that figure fell to just eight in 2015 as large projects became unviable with oil prices less than half of what they were in 2014. A Wood Mackenzie estimate from earlier this year found that the industry has put off investment decisions on about 68 major projects across the globe, deferring some $380 billion in investment. In short, future investment dollars will increasingly find their way into U.S. shale at the expense of deepwater. This backs up recent data from other outlets, such as Rystad Energy, which a few weeks ago released data showing much greater interest in smaller, short-cycle drilling projects as opposed to the megaprojects of the past. Shale is comparatively lower risk, as giant oil projects require years of investment and billions of dollars while they also tend to suffer from cost overruns and frequent delays. But not all shale drillers are made the same. Low oil prices have forced the default rate for U.S. shale drillers to a record high, according to Fitch Ratings. Fitch says that almost one in three oil producers in the U.S. that used high-risk debt to finance their drilling frenzy have now defaulted on a combined $29 billion in debt. By the end of the year, the defaults could encompass $40 billion in debt. In the five years before oil prices started to crash in 2014, the shale industry took on $500 billion in risky debt, The Houston Chronicle reports. The result is a major shake out in the industry. The exact tally is a little murky, but at least 130 North American oil and gas companies have declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy since the beginning of 2015, a number that is surely set to rise as oil prices fall back from $50 per barrel. And the outlook for oil prices is not exactly bright. The market has been oversupplied for quite some time, and while supplies have retreated, demand is now suddenly looking not quite as robust as many had thought. Chinese demand continues to show signs of weakness. And as the IEA noted in its latest Oil Market Report, exceptionally high volumes of gasoline sitting in storage is dragging down oil prices. Advertisement "It doesn't look as though we'll put much of a dent in global (oil) inventories until the second half of 2017," Tim Evans, energy futures specialist at Citigroup, told Reuters in an interview. "The market is making considerable progress relative to the surplus of the past two years, but it's going to take more time to bring inventories back down to more normal levels." Photo credit: A Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officer receives comfort at the Baylor University Hospital emergency room entrance Thursday, July 7, 2016, in Dallas. (Ting Shen/The Dallas Morning News via AP) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Columbine. Newtown. Aurora. Charleston. San Bernardino. Orlando. Dallas. These communities will be forever etched into our collective consciousness and our country's history for horrific mass shootings that left a total of over 100 women, men and children dead. Mourning the lives lost is not enough. Each of us must commit to speak up, take action and be part of the solution. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is asking all health care professionals, policymakers and the public to join us in our declaration to Stop the Madness: End the Violence! Now is the time to pass meaningful gun control legislation at the state and federal levels to protect society. Advertisement This is not about taking away anyone's Constitutional rights. It is about restoring safety where we live, work, learn, and play. No one should live in fear that they, their loved ones, or our public servants, will be felled by the next bullet. Of grave concern to nurses are all human rights violations, including hate crimes, reflected in some of these recent killings. The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements calls on nurses to respect all cultures, value systems, sexual orientation or gender expression. Furthermore, the Code calls on us to act to change those aspects of social structures that detract from health and well-being. Gun violence occurs virtually every day in this country and most shootings receive little or no media coverage. Registered nurses and other health care professionals witness the carnage and devastation to victims and their families when these senseless acts of violence occur. We know that the pain and loss -- to individuals, families and society -- are great. In 2015 alone, the Gun Violence Archive noted that 13,438 people died and 27,017 were injured in violent gun incidents -- with 700 of the injuries and deaths occurring in children up to 11 years old. (These statistics omit suicide, which is estimated at about 20,000 casualties annually.) The common thread in many of these tragedies was easy access to guns and inadequate access to mental health services. The most recent high-profile shooting in Dallas left five police officers dead. The Orlando massacre -- the deadliest not only in 2016 but also in modern U.S. history -- left 49 people dead and 53 injured. During both shootings, the killers used assault-style guns. According to The Washington Post, in the past 10 years, assault-style rifles have been used in 14 mass shootings. Advertisement Since 1994, ANA has declared that gun violence is a public health issue, and in so doing, has called for limiting the availability of handguns, a ban on assault weapons, and both a waiting period and background check for anyone purchasing a gun. Recently, ANA joined other public health groups in asking Congress to lift a long-standing ban on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from studying gun violence and to provide appropriate funding to examine its causes and effective prevention strategies. At a July 12 memorial service in Dallas, President Obama noted that if Americans cannot talk honestly and openly with those who may look different from themselves or hold different perspectives, then we will never be able to break the cycle of violence. The answer, he said, lies in part in "forging consensus, and fighting cynicism, and finding the will to make change." The time to unite and take action is now. Together we can halt the growing list of victims. We can stop the madness by forging solutions that address the myriad issues that promote cycles of violence. We must raise our voices to join with members of our communities and at every level of civil society in dialogue and action, to address the underlying issues that result in hate and motivate unspeakable acts of violence. USA, Columbia, Washington DC, Capitol Building On the eve of the Republican National Convention, which begins on July 18 here in Cleveland, we'd like to introduce you to Everett Stern, Independent candidate for the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania. He is in a campaign to unseat a powerful Republican senator in his home state in a "David versus Goliath" sort of show down. In this year when Independents have made substantial inroads into the political process, we realize being Independent in a two-party system is an uphill battle, and surely an often quixotic attempt to change the entrenched system. You might not win, but at least your ideas can be heard. Everett Stern used to be a Republican, but circumstances forced him to become disenchanted with the internal politics within his home state's party to silence his voice and candidacy. He felt in order to get his ideas presented to the public, he needed to become an Independent. In a concerted effort throughout the run up to the Pennsylvania primary, Mr. Stern's candidacy was met with rejection by the state's GOP collective leadership and anointed champion Pat Toomey, the incumbent. He was excluded from many party events that would have gotten his message across to prospective voters. Advertisement Before we address anything else, it should be noted that Everett Stern is a whistle blower. As a banker for HSBC, he realized that funds were being diverted to terrorist organizations and individuals. Noting that HSBC was laundering funds to Hezbollah and other terrorist groups, Everett notified the FBI and CIA, launching a massive investigation that resulted in HSBC being fined $1.9 billion. Other allegations followed, and Everett continued speaking out about the laundering of funds. After his patriotic duty, which should have offered him respect and admiration, Everett found himself unemployed and working as a waiter at P.F. Chang's. As a result of his involvement with the HSBC scandal, and to use the investigative skills he discovered at HSBC, Everett founded Tactical Rabbit, an intelligence firm offering customized investigation services. This organization takes meaningless data, and synthesizes it into intelligence, providing answers to customers' concerns and providing a unique, novel, and legal way to reach informed decisions. We sat down with Everett and asked him some questions to determine who he is, and what made him run: Briefly, how would you describe Everett Stern? Character, Loyalty, Honor, Integrity and Principles What has been your favorite experience while campaigning? Meeting voters and learning about how I can help them. It is a great feeling to meet with the people you are fighting for. Advertisement What has given you the greatest satisfaction in life? Trying to make a significant, positive difference. Believe me, taking down HSBC was a hard choice, but had to be made, to protect us against those who would harm the U.S. Why run as an Independent for the Senate Seat in Pennsylvania? The Republican Party in Pennsylvania did whatever it could to keep me off the Republican ballot for U.S. Senate. Why? I challenged their incumbent, Senator Pat Toomey. They wanted me to go away. So I did. I left the party and became an independent. Everything they've done to keep me off the ballot only serves to strengthen my resolve to be heard. The biggest mistake people make is to look at me as if I'm a politician. I'm not a politician. I'm a fighter. And I know how to fight like I've got nothing to lose because I've been there before. What newspapers and online news do you follow? How do they affect your views I read about five to ten newspapers a day. I don't have a TV so the newspapers and magazines are how I stay informed. My views do not change. The news serves as a window to the outside world but nothing more. I try to be as nonpartisan and unbiased as possible when I read. Describe your personal philosophy and how it relates to America? I believe in assuming personal responsibility and making your own way. I do not want the government interfering in my business or personal life. I do not believe in the redistribution of wealth. The Republican Party I am fighting MUST show empathy for those that are trying to make it. I am not saying people should be mandated to give back. I am advocating for a society where people willingly give back. I want to help create an America where we are all fighting apathy and making a significant, positive difference. I am fighting to ensure the good guys win in the end. America will only become great again by people caring. Maybe I am too idealistic, but I am on a mission to defend goodness while fighting like I have nothing to lose. You began an intelligence company called Tactical Rabbit as a private alternative to the FBI/CIA paradigm. How does this intelligence gathering prepare you for being a Senator? Advertisement My company, Tactical Rabbit, does not just collect information; we turn information into actionable, meaningful intelligence. As a senator I would have to do the same thing. I need to take the information or feedback I am receiving from my constituents and turn it into action. What is your platform? Please tell us at least three or four causes you will espouse as a U.S. Senator? I will stop terrorist financing in our banks. I will end "too big to jail". I will restore honor and integrity to Washington. How do you feel about the Patriot Act? support the Patriot Act. I've even composed a white paper on the war against terrorism. I am particularly concerned over the use of social media as a recruiting methodology for terrorists. As Americans, we must understand that we too must wage the war on social media and spread our ideology. We must bring justice to terrorists that are using social media to harm the United States of America. We must fight terrorism by monitoring and actively confronting terrorists on this new battlefield. While I have infinite respect for the CIA, the days of fighting shadow wars are over. The new battlefield against terrorism is the internet - specifically social media. Most people think of Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn as innocent methods for people to connect: Wrong. Social media is a place to spread ideology, intelligence, logistic movements, and recruit impressionable members into terrorist ranks. We need to counter those sites with ones of our own by using the provisions of the Patriot Act to track down and expose the terrorists and their insidious plots against the United States and our allies. Advertisement If you are elected, what part could lobbyists or partisan politics play? None. I can be neither bought nor sold. What drives you? What is your passion? believe that in America today, we have an insidious problem with Apathy. Of not caring. Apathy is at the root of many of our problems. When I blew the whistle on HSBC for its poor anti-money laundering practices that led to financing terrorists, I fully expected it would be brought to justice, and not only as an institution. I believed that individuals within the institution would be criminally prosecuted for their roles in facilitating the financing of terrorism. That didn't happen. As an institution, HSBC has paid some of the largest fines in history, and yet those astronomical fines are but a drop in the bucket of its steady stream of profits. No one has served any time for these egregious violations of banking laws and regulations. We live in an era where "too big to fail" also means "too big to jail." My passion is to restore passion and commitment to America. Not politics as usual, but real change that affects all of us. Your efforts brought attention to HSBC's interactions with terrorists. If you are a Senator, will you support whistleblowers such as Edward Snowden? Why or why not? I do not support Snowden because I think his actions were treasonous. What I did was very different. I stole information from a bank and passed it to the CIA. I did not profit from it or cause harm to the government. I helped the government stop terrorist financing. Advertisement Other than the HSBC investigation, have you ever done anything that others thought could not be done, stood alone in any public controversy, just because you believed it was right and it needed your courage and conviction? I have stood alone for my entire life and have built myself from nothing. My company tackles the hard stories, the intelligence no one wants to hear or believe. We did a thorough analysis behind the Sweetbriar College scandal, and the motivations that led to a sudden announcement of its closings. I've followed up with HSBC, and even though they've been given only a tap on the wrist by my opponent Pat Toomey's committee, at least we are on record that they are still funding terror organizations. We've written open reports on such issues as the Herbalife Stock manipulation and the T-Mobile/Sprint merger as well. What is your stance on the separation of church and state? There must be an absolute separation. As for the separation of powers, do you feel that the President should, by his or her constitutional right, appoint federal judges and SCOTUS judges for ratification by the Senate? How do you feel about the current atmosphere in Congress? Congress is too divided among party lines. It is in gridlock and nothing can get done. I want to get in there and start working with everyone. We have to stop the partisan war. What is your stance on pushbutton issues? Civil Rights, LGBT marriage? Gun Control? Anti-choice and others? Advertisement I am an absolute advocate for the second amendment. I have a license to carry a firearm and carry often. I am not against gay marriage. I personally am pro-life but I am nervous about taking away a woman's right to choose. Everett Stern is in a fight against a well-funded incumbent who may or may not be linked to the funding of global terrorism, and he's trying to do everything he can on his own. It's truly a battle against the entrenched political engine. We have to applaud him in his attempts to defy the odds and rage against the machine. One thing is for certain. It may have taken a tad longer than many wanted, myself included, but Bernie Sanders ended his campaign with the grace with which he began it. In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, when he endorsed Hillary, he did so with a focus on the issues he campaigned on. The issues that resonated with young Americans across the nation. It was great to hear Bernie say about Hillary, "I will do everything I can to make sure she is the next President of the United States." He spoke about the importance of this election "In these stressful times for our country, this election must be about bringing our people together, not dividing us up. While Donald Trump is busy insulting Mexicans, Muslims, women, African Americans and veterans, Hillary Clinton understands that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. Yes. We become stronger when black and white, Latino, Asian American, Native American - all of us - stand together. Yes. We become stronger when men and women, young and old, gay and straight, native born and immigrant fight to rid this country of all forms of bigotry." A recent poll by PEW research showed "Democrats and Democratic leaners who backed Sanders in the primary contests: 85% say they plan to vote for Clinton in the general election." Before November many more will decide to vote for Hillary. Whether it is because they love and admire her, or because they understand they should fear Trump, the result will be electing Hillary as the nation's 45th President. Advertisement Many of those remaining 'Bernie or Bust' people who are now upset with Sanders appear to have little understanding of how our government works. Some are agitators and that is fine. If they truly believe in what Bernie fought for they will never vote for Trump. Bernie has already begun explaining to them why Trump is the antithesis of everything he believes in. Hillary made it clear to his supporters they are welcome in this campaign when she said "Let me close with this. To everyone here and everyone across the country who poured your heart and soul into Senator Sanders' campaign, thank you! Let's open the doors to everyone who shares our progressive values. This is one of the most important elections in our lifetimes. So, I'm asking you to stand with us, and then I'm asking you to keep working in the weeks, months, and yes, years ahead. You will always have a seat at the table when I am in the White House. I can't tell you how grateful I am to be standing here with Senator Sanders. Because I think both of us realize that each of our campaigns together represent the best of who we are." Sanders is right when he says, "The profound lesson that I have learned is; this campaign is not really about Hillary Clinton, or Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders, or any other candidate who sought the presidency. This campaign is about the needs of the American people and addressing the very serious crises that we face. And there is no doubt in my mind that, as we head into November, Hillary Clinton is far and away the best candidate to do that." The final melding of campaigns is always done by staff and Robby Mook, Hillary's amazing campaign manager, deserves much credit for all his work. In a Politico interview Mook said "the most important message we have here is that there is a seat for everybody at the table and we need every voice to not only to be successful on Election Day but to get these policies enacted next year and in the years to come." Advertisement Working to put the campaigns together from the Sanders side is Jeff Weaver, Sanders campaign manager. Weaver praised Mook's efforts in bridging the divide saying "At the end of that process (a long tough primary) it's always a little difficult to come together with the people you've been competing against the last so many months, but I have to say Robby really extended an olive branch and I think evidenced himself to be a fair player who wanted to make things work, who wanted to be straight up in terms of dealing with the Sanders people and who was willing to put himself in the shoes of the millions of Sanders supporters who are obviously disappointed that the senator didn't win." In the next two weeks in Cleveland and Philadelphia the Party tickets will be completed amid the speeches and the balloons. Vice Presidents will be named and platforms approved. The general election will formally begin. Bernie Sanders is ready to enter the fray for Hillary saying "Our job now is to see that platform implemented by a Democratically controlled Senate, a Democratically controlled House, and a Hillary Clinton presidency. And I intend to be in every corner of this country to make certain that happens." This will be a hard fought campaign. We are seeing polls all over the place but wise people won't look at polls till sometime in September when people begin to get fully focused on the campaign. One thing to remember is we don't actually have a national election. We have fifty-one elections with each state and the District of Columbia determining electoral votes in the Electoral College which actually elects the President. There are five hundred thirty eight electors and a candidate needs two hundred and seventy to become President. So come September we will begin to see which states are in play and how many electoral votes each candidate can count on. It is my belief as the election progresses more and more people will see the real Hillary Clinton. Not the caricature twenty-five years of Republican attacks and a billion dollars have drawn. Voters will understand why New Yorkers elected her as their Senator for two terms. They will understand the courage of the woman who stood up in Beijing in 1996 for women's rights and in Geneva as Secretary of State for LGBT rights. They will learn of the woman who knocked on doors in the Deep South to help the Children's Defense Fund fight school segregation. They will learn of the woman who joined with Republicans to achieve healthcare for children; healthcare for the National Guard; and made it easier for couples to adopt a child. They will get to know better the Hillary who has committed her life to public service to make our lives better. They will get to know the Hillary Clinton who Bernie Sanders knows and about who he says "I have known Hillary Clinton for 25 years. We were a bit younger then. I remember her as a great first lady who broke precedent in terms of the role that a first lady was supposed to play. And as she helped lead the fight to universal health care. I served with her in the U.S. Senate and know her as a fierce advocate for the rights of our children. And I know her and all of you know her as one of the most intelligent people that we have ever met." Are the behavioral differences between boy and girls biological or only cultural? originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. Answer by Joyce Schenkein, Neuropsychologist, College Professor, and Vision Scientist, on Quora. An early answer to the question of gender identity being biological or cultural was offered by Sigmund Freud in his statement that "anatomy is destiny". His opinion was that all girls experience "penis envy" whereby they endlessly feel cheated by nature. In contrast, all boys undergo an Oedipal Complex, whereby they sexually desire Mama and then live in constant fear that Papa will discover their lust and castrate them. Furthermore, Freud postulated that boys must resolve their complex, ultimately by identifying with Papa (and thereby acquiring social values). Advertisement Because girls do not go through this complex, Freud postulated that women were "amoral" (which meant they should not be empowered to vote or hold political offices, etc.) Later, Karen Horney tried to level the playing field for girls. She postulated that girls go through an Electra Complex (love Daddy, fear Mommy) which leads to similar dynamics to the boys. Finally, others have pointed out that being able to bear a child actually tops having a penis and as a result, new imaginary terms emerged, such as "womb envy". Because of Freud's belief that a male must identify with his father to be masculine, he explained homosexuality as a failure in this process. In other words, homosexuality was "caused" by family dynamics and therefore could be reversed by psychotherapy, which turns out NOT to be true. It is also not possible to reverse gender-related preferences with electric shock therapy or hormones in adulthood - as in the travesty regarding Alan Turing. Eventually, Malinowski, who studied young males in the Trobriand Islands, failed to support Freud's notion of the Oedipal complex. Advertisement Welcome to the scene, Margaret Mead. She appeared to dispel Freud's ideas by identifying three tribal societies in which the male-female behaviors all differed (Arapesh, Mundugamor, and the Tchambuli). In one culture, both males and females were gentle. In another, both were aggressive. And in the third, roles were reversed so that men were vain and preened a great deal while the women were the hunters. Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies. Never mind that Mead's work was not well substantiated by others. Even her husband, who traveled with her, had no idea how she derived her conclusions. At the time, however, her monograph was a force in liberating women by suggesting that they were shaped according to a cultural model. Thank you, Margaret Mead. The new belief that culture was responsible for masculinization and feminization led to a emergence of unisex clothing during the 1970's in the USA, permission for men to wear pink shirts, girls to wear pants, and a deliberate departure from buying dolls for girls only (the emergence of G.I. Joe dolls for boys). Girls were also pictured on the covers of construction toys. Regarding this hypothesized lack of brain-based gender bias, Dr. John Money further claimed that a baby could be raised to be either gender. Therefore, a child with ambiguous genitalia could be surgically altered and raised as whatever sex the parents/surgeon decided. Poor David Reimer fell victim to this thinking. Following a botched circumcision, David's parents were advised to surgically alter him to be a girl, give him a girl's name (Brenda) and withhold the truth. However, David/Brenda suffered tremendously, always wanting to play the same games as his twin brother, to urinate facing the toilet etc. Eventually, he was told the truth. He elected to be surgically restored to have a male body. The book As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as A Girl by John Colapinto describes the enormous pain attendant in David/Brenda's life. Advertisement Revisiting the children studied by J. Money, it became very clear that Money had altered his data and intimidated his subjects. The new conclusion is that any decision regarding a child's gender must be made by the child himself (or herself). Later studies by Maccoby & Jacklin found that males and females do differ. In all cultures, males are more aggressive than females. In IQ testing, females perform better on verbal tests while males are superior on spatial/performance tests. Note: this is a statistical difference between males and females. It applies to large populations only. The majority of the distributions that describe these traits overlap, which means that in many areas, males and females are alike. Certainly, a given female may be more spatially adept than a given male. And a given male may far exceed a given female in verbal abilities. The male preference for wheeled objects and the female preference for dolls is true, not only in human children but also in monkeys. We are currently much more sophisticated about brain gender. We know that the presence or absence of sensitivity to various hormones during fetal development has a profound effect upon gender-related behavior and mating preferences ("SciCafe: How the Brain Shows its Feminine Side"). Finally, Daphna Joel (2011) protests the uni-dimensional model of gender where bias can be measured along a single continuum. Instead, she points out that gender consists of many different components, such as parenting/nurturing behavior, cognitive styles, aggression, response to stress, tendency toward depression, autism, learning disabilities, and criminality. Many of these traits are independent of each other (have their own genetic bases), but interact with gender and life experience. For example, in rats who were conditioned to an eye-blink task, exposure to stress improved learning in males, but hampered it in females. Advertisement Her model would consider all these factors in deciding one's male and female predilections. President Barack Obama walks to the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, April 2, 2015, to talk about the breakthrough in the Iranian nuclear talks. The president said the Iran nuclear deal _ if completed_ will make US, allies and the world safer. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) This Thursday, we mark the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Iran Nuclear Agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The importance of this agreement cannot be overstated. The P5+1 -- the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and Germany -- spent enormous time and effort to address one of the most pressing dangers of our time: the possibility of a nuclear Iran. This hard-fought agreement demonstrates the power of diplomacy. The JCPOA ensures that Iran will never have access to a nuclear weapon. Since the signing of the agreement, Iran has removed over two-thirds of its centrifuges. Iran has reduced its stockpile of fissile material to less than 300 kilograms -- a reduction of 98 percent. The remaining material is far below the level of enrichment needed to create a nuclear weapon. The International Atomic Energy Agency continues to aggressively and intrusively inspect and monitor Iranian facilities, and the core of the Arak reactor has been filled with concrete, rendering it unable to produce the material needed to develop or create nuclear weapons. Advertisement In exchange for these significant Iranian concessions, the U.S. and its P5+1 partners have fulfilled our obligations. This includes the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions. However, contrary to what opponents of the nuclear deal would have you believe, this has not created a windfall for Iran. Instead, as Secretary Kerry said in April, Iran has received roughly $3 billion in sanctions relief, far short of the feared $150 billion. What's more, these are unfrozen Iranian funds - not taxpayer dollars. At the same time, the U.S. has not abandoned holding Iran's feet to the fire on issues outside of the JCPOA. In January, the Administration levied addition sanctions against Iran's ballistic missile program. Sanctions remain in place for their support of terrorism and their human rights abuses. The JCPOA has made the world safer. The deal ensures that Israel does not have to live with the threat of a nuclear Iran in its backyard. Many Israeli military and defense officials are now openly supportive of the JCPOA. Former Israeli Defense Minister, Moshe Ya'alon, said on June 16, that because of the JCPOA, Iran's nuclear program, "has been frozen in light of the deal signed by the world powers and does not constitute an immediate, existential threat for Israel." Unfortunately, Republicans in the House of Representatives remain determined to undo all of this progress. This week, they are bringing a series of bills to the floor that are designed to undermine and undo the agreement that made us safer. They are wasting our time on wrongheaded legislation in the last week before the House takes a seven-week break. At a time when the country faces significant challenges from gun violence to Zika, Republicans are refusing to act on issues of importance. Instead, they are dangerously politicizing our safety and the safety of our closest allies, while ignoring their responsibility to the American public. Advertisement Dear Elijah, What shall I tell you? Shall I tell you your body is of equal value to all citizens? Shall I tell you your rights are protected and racism is now a scourge banished from society? Shall I tell you that you are entitled to freely act and live as a teenaged boy in this country, dance playfully with minor mischief, and speak with a quick immature tongue? Shall I tell you that your body is safe and your mind is valued and your future is free? If I tell you this, these words will be perjury before God and an assault upon the memory of our ancestors. I must share a hard truth with you today. The truth is you are not safe. You are not valued by certain others because of their persistent melanin phobia. There is nothing wrong with you, but there is something wrong with adults who hold on to myths created to maintain power and control over people kissed by Nature's sun. You do not yet have the right to be a frolicking teenager like other children in our community, for your boisterous actions might be misconstrued by people who refuse to remove the racialized lens from their soul. Advertisement As your father, I am bound by duty and love to share this truth, but it is not the only truth you must know. What is often forgotten and deleted from your primary and secondary curriculum are these simple truths: You are a beautiful boy of color, a child of African descent, a magical creation of God, yet under threat by a mythological dragon birthed into existence by hate, theft, and Freudian fear of your great spiritual power. These days of recorded "Black Death" will tempt your spirit to run to the room of despair and play the chords of cynicism. Do not shy away from the pain of this moment. Do not become a modern pessimist afraid to take action or one who believes hope is nothing but a fairy tale. Dare to lean into the storm, son, and draw strength from the history you hold and the faith you profess. Not the faith others claim you are to profess, but the faith where justice, protest, intellect, wonder, grace, and righteous fury meet with fists raised to do battle with dragons fashioned by old men. Never let your anger become unchecked rage, scratching at the lining of your heart. I tell you often, you are loved and designed with purpose and immeasurable potential. You carry a lineage of women who refused to bow and men who dared to live. Never forget who you are and the legacy you hold. The world we live in will attempt to steal your essence and drain away every ounce of your beautiful life from your soul. Never allow the external noise to disrupt your inner life. The practice of silence, meditation, prayer, reflection, community gathering, and healthy grieving will serve to strengthen you on this journey. I am sorry I must write this letter to you, but it is the duty of every Black father to share the stories of this battle with his son. You are the solution to this nations problems and the prey of dying wolves who want yesterday to always be tomorrow. You and your generation are the gifts God has sent to victims of an old story. You are our joy and you are "their" fear. It is unfair that I must share this with you, but your capacity to handle the weight of this truth is evident through your spiritual maturity. I shall always be with you, though it is my prayer my physical body shall precede you in death. This is the silent request of all parents especially those of us who still wait to fully sip from the cup of democracy. It is my prayer that I will leave you the best fuel for this struggle - my love. I love you and shall always fight for you and with you. Be well and be strong my son. Better days are ahead if you choose to fight with your head and heart. Advertisement Love, Dad With exquisite sensitivity, a new documentary called CARE deftly weaves the stories of two elderly women and two chronically disabled men with those of the four women paid to care for them. In spite of the geographic, racial, income, and ethnic diversity of the subjects, their struggles spring from a single source: the lack of value given to care. There are many deeply affecting moments of compassion and rich human connection in CARE. Surrendering to the care of others requires immense courage and faith in the basic kindness of strangers. Preserving the dignity of another person, even when it means heartbreak, loss, and, living in a shelter, is a heroic act. Our need for each other emerges as the defining transcendent mark of our common humanity. Advertisement CARE reminds us how foolish we are, behaving as if we will never grow old, never fall ill, and never be dependent on the physical and mental strength of other people. There are no winners here. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, about 12 million Americans require long-term care, two-thirds of them over age 65. In the next 35 years, the number of people using paid long-term care services will more than double to approximately 27 million due to the explosion in our aging population. If present trends continue, more of us will face a sharp decline in cognitive ability as well as physical impairment. On the caregiving side, 20% of all US households currently deal with adult caregiving demands. Over 65 million Americans provide care to an ill, elderly, or disabled family member. Almost 9 million provide care to someone with dementia. Two-thirds of elders receiving care get all of it informally from family, usually wives and daughters. One quarter use a combination of paid help and informal care. The vast majority of caregivers are women. The strain on family caregivers is immense. On average, a family caregiver loses over $300,000 in income and benefits in her lifetime. Indeed, the failure of US policy to support caregiving in tangible ways that put food on the table and a roof over people's head is a major reason for the disproportionate poverty of women. Advertisement How does the US compare to other countries in terms of crafting an infrastructure of care to help us age in place, maintain a level of optimal functioning, and promote an adequate supply of skilled caregivers? The Center for Partnership Studies' Caring Economy Campaign provides the metrics that answer this vital question. Its Social Wealth Economic Indicators Report reveals that only 0.5% of our GDP goes to public funding of long-term care expenses. In countries where family care is shared between men and women, like many Nordic nations, public investment rises to three times as much: 1.5% of GDP. (Sec. 3.1.5). Jobs in the direct care field -- the fastest growing occupation -- are also paid less in the United States than in other developed nations. Rather than offering good jobs that support families and fuel the economy, many paid care providers depend on public assistance and work-related health issues are common. As the Social Wealth Economic Indicators Report states, improving the remuneration for these jobs "will not only benefit families (by supporting employed family caregivers) and local communities (since direct-care workers spend largely on locally produced goods and services in their communities), but also create economic resilience (since direct-care jobs are usually recession-proof and can't be outsourced), and alleviate the strain on public resources." (Sec. 4.3). With appropriate policy supporting care work, the costs to public health programs can be contained. Families will be able to sustain their financial stability in spite of caring for loved ones with long-term illnesses. Living wages commensurate with the training, effort, and exertion required in caring for a frail or disabled adult will enable caregivers to provide adequately for their own families. And all of this decreases the need for public assistance and strengthens the economy. Advertisement But in order to get there, we have to start now. That's where Social Wealth Economic Indicators can be helpful. They show that adequate support for both paid and unpaid care work is essential not only for those requiring care and those providing it, but to build a stronger economy and a healthier society. Those who say theyre retiring from Thoroughbreds are kidding themselves. The latest example of that came over the last few days with the news of the re-sale of Wimborne Farm near Paris, Ky., and its former owner, Diane Perkins, winning the Arlington Handicap (gr. IIIT) July 9 in Chicago with her homebred Kasaqui. Perkins was enjoying herself the day following the big win at Arlington, driving to Kentucky with trainer Ignacio Correas IV. And why not? The 1 14-length win gave the 6-year-old Argentine-bred son of Lasting Approval and his connections a berth in the Aug. 13 Arlington Million XXXIV (gr. IT). Three years after the death of her husband, Peter Perkins, in 1996, Diane Perkins retired from training. She later set about to disperse her stock and farm and move to Argentina. The horses, which included blue hen La Gueriere, sold for $3,268,700 in July 2002 under a tent at the farm in a sale conducted by Bruce Hundleys Saxony Farm. Perkins farm, Wimborne Farm in Bourbon County, was also sold at auction in 2002, selling through Tom Biederman in three tracts for $1,167,566 to three separate bidders. Retired; dispersal; auction of property. In any other walk of life, youre off to the Shadybrook Rest Home. Not in the Thoroughbred business. The passion runs too deep. The property had been consolidated by Dr. George Veloudis and was put back on the market. According to Zach Davis of Kirkpatrick and Co., who represented the seller, it was on the market for less than 30 days. I was jumping up and down with pride that it brought $7,924 an acre, Davis said. The farm has tremendous potential. I tell people from out of town when they come to look at propertieslook at your neighbors. Wimbornes neighbors are Claiborne Farm, Siena Farm, Darley Stonerside, and Stone Farmwhat else do you need to know? I went to look at it the other day, Perkins said. We put a lot of love and care and kindness into that place. Of course, back in 2002, Perkins was unable to part with all of her stock and bought back a couple of horses that she took to Argentina. One of them was Kemosheba, the dam of Kasaqui. I bought her off of Johnny Jones (at the 1999 Keeneland January sale). She has a beautiful pedigree; she goes back to an old Widener family, so I was delighted to have her, Perkins said. Kasaqui won an allowance race at Keeneland and ran second in the Wise Dan Stakes (gr. IIT) prior to the Arlington Handicap. The Million is a race Perkins said shes dreamed about running in. We hoped to do it with Lord At War, but he had a little setback, she said. I love Arlington; its beautiful; the people are so nice; its really great. Lord At War, bred in Argentina by the Perkins Hara San Francisco de Pilar, came to the U.S. in 1984, winning the 1985 Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) and four other graded stakes with trainer Charlie Whittingham. He didnt make the Million but went on to a solid stud career at Wimborne Farm, siring 47 stakes winners, including La Gueriere, the dam of Lasting Approval. Perkins has enjoyed the run with Correas, the son of one of her best friends. The younger Correas is off and running as a private trainer after working for several years with Kevin Planks Sagamore Racing. Well keep our fingers crossed that he can take us to the next step, Correas said. I suppose the competition will be tougher, but well take a shot. Its a million. Perkins was a pretty good trainer in her own right. She won 56 of 364 races and saddled Lasting Approval to a pair of graded stakes wins. One of those wins came in the 1998 Makers Mark Mile Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland with Robby Albarado aboard. Albarado was up in the Arlington Handicap. We rode Robby Albarado 18 years ago, she said. Everything came around for us. Retirement? Perkins will catch that the next time around. NEW YORK, NY - MAY 15: (L-R) Former U.S. president Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attend the opening ceremony for the National September 11 Memorial Museum at ground zero May 15, 2014 in New York City. The museum spans seven stories, mostly underground, and contains artifacts from the attack on the World Trade Center Towers on September 11, 2001 that include the 80 ft high tridents, the so-called 'Ground Zero Cross,' the destroyed remains of Company 21's New York Fire Department Engine as well as smaller items such as letter that fell from a hijacked plane and posters of missing loved ones projected onto the wall of the museum. The museum will open to the public on May 21. (Photo by Mike Segar-Pool/Getty Images) For a Presidential candidate to be successful, the candidate must have a message which fits the times, and must have developed an ideological direction that is both palatable to the base and not hostile to the General Election constituency. This year, presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton had a tougher than expected primary challenge because her message was more compatible with another era than with the present. By contrast, Bill Clinton in 1992 had a message that the base grudgingly accepted, and that also struck a resonant chord with a General Election contingent. When Bill Clinton announced his candidacy for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 1991, the party was on the heels of losing in two consecutive landslide Presidential elections. In 1984, the party's nominee, Walter Mondale, won the Democratic nomination by running as a traditional liberal with the support of most Democratic special interest groups. His strongest opponent, U.S. Senator Gary Hart (D-CO), countered by running as the moderate alternative, critical of the power of labor unions and the "special interest government in Washington." During the General Election, Mondale injudiciously declared that Republican President Ronald Reagan: "Will raise your taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did." The American electorate did not want a traditional liberal. Mondale lost 49 states. Advertisement Four years later, in 1988, two Democratic Presidential candidates, Al Gore and Bruce Babbitt, ran as moderates. Gore presented himself as a Southern centrist and bragged about the tobacco he grew on his family farm. He excoriated one of his Democratic opponents, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, for being soft on crime. In addition, Gore was a hawk on foreign policy. In fact, he was the only Democratic candidate to support the conservative Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Shamir, in his refusal to negotiate a "land for peace" deal with the Palestinians. Babbitt failed to muster any electoral traction when he tried to convince Democratic voters that fiscal necessity required the nation to means test Social Security and Medicare. Rather than pander to the party's liberal base, Babbitt called his ideological mindset "radical centrism." The party nominated Dukakis. Ironically, Dukakis had enraged many liberals in his home state by cutting the Commonwealth's budget. When he ran for re-election as Governor in 1978, some liberals supported Dukakis' liberal primary challenger Barbara Ackerman. Then State Representative Barney Frank was one of Ackerman's devotees. A reporter asked Frank if he had a problem with Dukakis riding the subway from his Brookline home to his office at the Massachusetts State House. Frank replied: "No, I don't object that he rides the subway. I merely object that he gets off at the State House." Advertisement Still, Dukakis could not shed the imprimatur Republican Presidential nominee George H.W. Bush stamped on his as: "that liberal Governor from Massachusetts." In addition, Bush asserted that the Governor's "foreign policy views born in Harvard Yard's boutique would cut the muscle of defense." The electorate feared a Liberal assuming the Presidency, and Dukakis lost 44 states. By 1992, many Democratic Party voters were sick of nominating candidates who the Republicans could defeat by portraying them as too liberal. They were willing to accept at least a modicum of recreance to liberal orthodoxy in their nominee in return for winning the brass ring. This was the perfect electoral environment for Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. He had flirted with running in 1987, but wisely chose not to run. Clinton had worked to inoculate himself from the traditional charges that he was just another liberal Democrat. He was Governor of a conservative state where Bush defeated Dukakis by more than 14 points. As Governor, Clinton, with the help of his wife Hillary, implemented an education reform plan which required teacher competency testing. In addition, Clinton was a past chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, which advocated a more moderate approach to governing. Clinton called himself a "New Democrat." He advocated expanded markets, "ending welfare as we know it," and said he wanted "to be tough on crime and good on civil rights." In addition, Clinton lambasted the "brain-dead politics of both parties" and praised Republican President Bush's handling of the Persian Gulf War. Just before the New Hampshire Presidential Primary, Clinton left the campaign trail to go home to preside over the execution of Ricky Ray Rector, who had killed two people. Rector had essentially lobotomized himself in an attempted suicide with a handgun. As President, Clinton emphasized fostering economic growth over redistribution of wealth, deficit reduction over social works programs, and free trade over protecting domestic special interests. Abroad, Clinton exercised an interventionist bicep, sending U.S. troops to Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo. In addition, he enforced a no-fly zone over Iraq and supported ongoing economic sanctions against Iraq. Advertisement Clinton reformed the image of the Democratic Party, and even Democrats running in liberal states like 1994 Massachusetts Gubernatorial nominee Mark Roosevelt, labeled themselves as "New Democrats." Even U.S. House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO), who became the champion of the populist wing of the party, admitted in 1997: "we are all New Democrats now." Though her voting record in the U.S. Senate was to the left of many Democrats, Hillary Clinton carved out an image as a centrist in the vain of her husband. She voted for the 2003 resolution to authorize the use of force in Iraq, and did not apologize for her vote until 2015. In addition, Clinton inflamed liberals, such as then Harvard University Law Professor Elizabeth Warren, by voting in favor of legislation to overhaul the nation's bankruptcy system. The legislation was supported by the financial services industry, and Warren warned that the bill: "would permit credit card companies to compete with women after bankruptcy for their ex-husbands' limited income." As U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary advocated a troop surge in Afghanistan of 40,000 troops as part of a counterinsurgency mission. In addition, she spearheaded the administration's effort to remove Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi from the reigns of power, and advocated aiding the insurrectionists in Syria. Furthermore, while the left forgave her husband for accepting Wall Street contributions, since "The Great Recession" the financial services industry is held in lower esteem. Her chief primary opponent, Bernie Sanders, was able to capitalize on that by asserting: "She has not one, but several super-PACs and has raised tens of millions of dollars from Wall Street and other special interests. You can't take their money and take them on." The donations to Bill Clinton in 1992 from the financial industry were of minor importance to a Democratic Party focused with laser beam intensity on victory. His administration included Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, a Goldman Sachs Alumni who was heralded for his stewardship of the economy. Some Democrats even wanted Rubin to be the Vice Presidential runningmate to the party's 2000 nominee Al Gore. Advertisement However, in 2016 Rubin is seen as a villain on the left, and many chastise Bill Clinton for his leadership in deregulating parts of the banking industry. In addition, many on the left, particularly millennials, are cynical toward Hillary for the large contributions she accrued from the likes of City Group, JP Morgan Chase and Company, and the despised Goldman Sachs. In 1992, Bill Clinton was able to use his hawkishness as a political advantage, and inoculated himself from traditional charges made against Democrats for being soft of defense. Today, in the wake of the unpopular invasions of Iraq and Libya, and the perpetual troop presence in Afghanistan, the American people are wary of foreign intervention. Hillary is in a similar predicament as another Democrat who has a message which would have resonated with a prior Democrat electorate, but that has became antiquated. From the end of WWll in 1945, until the Vietnam War became unpopular with "the new left" in the mid 1960's, the Democratic Party won elections by emphasizing a munificent social services regime coupled with a muscular approach abroad. By 1968, when the party nominated Vice President Hubert Humphrey for President (He won with the support of the party's high command, having not won a single primary), that message did not resonate with the party. The Democrats wanted an indignant critic of the status quo. Humphrey supported the U.S. role in Vietnam, and trumpeted: "the politics of joy." His exclamation of being "pleased as punch" was alien to the new Democratic electorate. Subsequently, though he softened his stance on Vietnam, Humphrey could not galvanize enough liberal voters to win the Presidency. For Bill Clinton, the political stars were aligned perfectly in his favor in 1992. The Democratic Party and the country were ready to gravitate to a centrist who would challenge traditional liberal orthodoxy. Contrariwise, Hillary is swimming against the political tide. Like Humphrey, voters see her as a tribune of the status quo, at a time when the electorate is tired of establishment politicians and hungry for transformational change. Many progressives, especially millennials who supported her primary opponent, Bernie Sanders, are looking for a change agent, and see Hillary as a handmaiden of financial interests and an interventionist on foreign policy. She has a Herculean challenge in convincing progressives not to defect to Republican Donald Trump or to a third party candidate, or to write in Sanders name on the ballot. Defending the rainbow is an LGBT issue. From the joy of Election Night 2008, we have fallen to this. In Baton Rouge, 15-year-old Cameron Sterling sobs for his dead father Alton, "I want my daddy." In Falcon Heights, Minnesota, a police officer screams justifications at Philando Castile's girlfriend while still pointing his gun into their car with a 4-year-old in the back seat, and other officers comfort their colleague as Castile's life drains away. In Dallas, the pop-pop-pop of a high-powered rifle scatters the crowd as a sniper ambushes police on duty at a protest against police violence. Our nation's stubborn marriage of racial injustice and guns feels like an awful flashback as a militarized police force in Baton Rouge tramples the First Amendment at a protest over the murder of Alton Sterling. The next day, activist DeRay Mckesson is still wearing his "Stay Woke" t-shirt as he is released after being arrested while live-streaming the protest on Periscope. Chris LeDay, who circulated the video of Sterling's murder, claims police retaliation when he is arrested. The deranged killer in Dallas met his own quick justice at the hands of a bomb robot after he refused to surrender. By contrast, there is little expectation of justice for Sterling and Castile because their killers wore badges. Someone commented on a photo of Sterling and his family, "They kill our fathers then mock us for being fatherless." Grim irony mixes with outrage. Advertisement Extrajudicial killings over minor offenses like broken taillights and bootleg CD sales will doubtless continue, because our nation resents being shown the evidence that black lives are deemed expendable. There is no crime wave driving this. The inevitable posthumous slanders against the latest victims of trigger-happy cops as having "gotten what they deserved" are checked only thanks to the ubiquity of cell phone cameras. The New York Post ran a reckless, despicable cover on July 8 that screamed "Civil War" and implicitly blamed the Dallas sniper attack on the peaceful demonstrators, whom the Post termed "anti-police." As President Obama stressed a few hours before the attack, protests against discriminatory policing are entirely consistent with praising good police officers who risk their lives protecting us. Predictably, however, right-wing voices blamed Obama. The National Association of Police Organizations accused Obama of conducting a "war on cops." Former congressman Joe Walsh posted an unhinged tweet, which was later deleted, saying, "3 Dallas Cops killed, 7 wounded. This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming after you." By "Real America" he means White America. The murdered police officers had names: Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, and Lorne Ahrens. We rightfully mourn them and honor their service and sacrifice. But theirs are not the only wrongful deaths being mourned. Alton Sterling was a father of five. Philando Castile left behind a school full of broken-hearted children. Advertisement [Side note: kindly do not belittle the Gays Against Guns group that formed after the Orlando massacre, as if gun control is not an LGBT issue. Excuse me, but our movement is grounded in a demand for full enfranchisement as citizens, not for some object like a golden chalice. Our community crosses every demographic category. Having advocated equality, we can hardly dismiss intersectional issues as someone else's problem. We may differ over the proper response to gun violence, but calling a widely shared one illegitimate for being liberal insults our intelligence.] Police are supposed to protect all of us. The white supremacist mindset infecting so many police forces not only degrades and endangers our neighbors and colleagues and loved ones of color, it diminishes everyone in our rainbow society. Americans are not all straight, white, Christian men. There is no reason why one subset of the population should bully and control everyone else. If police do not target me for extra scrutiny in search of a pretext to arrest me, then neither should they target a black or Muslim neighbor based on legally irrelevant characteristics. Our national motto, "E pluribus unum," means "Out of many, we are one." The disparate treatment of black people by police in communities across this country makes it shockingly clear how far we are from putting that motto into practice. Originally published in the University of Toronto Magazine. On June 12, a Muslim man named Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people and injured 53 others in an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida. From Toronto, there was not much I could do except condemn the shooter. But what was meant to be a simple gesture on social media made me the target of hate from hundreds of Muslims around the world. Such is the life of an openly gay Muslim. "I'm sad you weren't in the club in Orlando," one man wrote in a tweet, adding at the end "Have a nice day" with a smiley. "Please get hit by a bus," another said. "I'll be among those to stone you to death," one Muslim tweeted. "Please prepare for hell," warned another politely. As an openly gay Muslim, I am terrified of the Muslim community. As a Muslim, I know that acts of terror do not reflect Islam. With more than 1.6 billion Muslims on this planet, I know the vast majority of them are non-violent and peaceful just like me. As a gay man, I find no comfort in this fact because I know firsthand that hatred of LGBTQ people runs rampant within the Muslim community. Muslims cannot claim that Islam is the Religion of Peace if it is the Religion of Homophobia. Advertisement We cannot be both because to be the religion of homophobia means people die. Not just by the people that ISIS throws off the roofs of buildings, not just by people shot in cold blood by Muslims such as Omar Mateen, nor by the people hacked to death inside their homes. Muslims also kill people with the homophobia in their hearts and on their lips because that homophobia leads LGBTQ Muslims to hate themselves. This self-hate leads many to take their own lives. This is a truth that is all too familiar to me and nearly cost me my life. Growing up, I found it was easy to deny that I was gay. My immigrant parents did their best to raise their children in line with their traditional Bangladeshi Muslim values. Pork, alcohol, even (heterosexual) dating were all forbidden. In high school, I dismissed my lack of interest in girls as me being a good and obedient son. Moving out for the first time, to be an undergrad at the University of Toronto, I tried to bring those traditional Muslim values with me to the dorm. This included the homophobia I learned from the Muslim community. Moving onto campus was like entering the belly of the beast. Throughout the hallways were rainbow-coloured "positive space" stickers. I was disgusted. How could there be so many queers? Did they have no shame? Why did they have to be so open? What I did not know then, and what many Muslims still do not understand, is that being an LGBTQ person and being openly proud forces you to empathize. In the Muslim community, few people are brave enough to come out so most Muslims see LGBTQ issues as a distant "Western" problem. It's easy to hate in the abstract. By being brought face-to-face with open and proud LGBTQ people, I had to choose between hate and love. I chose love. I chose love even when I did not love myself enough to accept that I was gay. I chose love because Allah has 99 names and bigotry, hate and homophobia are not among them -- but love is. Many Muslims are proud of their racial and religious identity even though openly embracing this identity can lead us to be targets of racism and Islamophobia. What many Muslims don't understand is that this same pride lives in the hearts of LGBTQ people even though we face homophobia, transphobia and biphobia. Advertisement Omar Mateen's act of terrorism shows us that being openly gay and proud can still cost us our lives. As a proud and openly gay Muslim, I know that I am a target within the Muslim community. Maybe one day it will cost me my life. But by being open and proud of who I am, Muslims are forced to choose. They must choose between loving me or hating me. If they choose love, they will see that both the gay community and the Muslim community have shared truths. Both believe that life is precious and both want to live in a world with tolerance. As a matter of policy, I judiciously avoid wading into politics, particularly on matters and issues being debated in a state some 1500 miles from my California home and office. But I'm going to make an exception and give a shout out to Minnesota Representative John (Jack) Considine Jr., who is waging a battle that I've long been proud to be part of: Increasing the wages of professional caregivers. Considine, a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party, is outraged that caregivers in his state earn, on average, between $9 to $11 an hour, given the critical and demanding nature of their work. "I just find that terribly embarrassing, and terribly wrong that these people work their fannies off for $9 an hour," the Mankato Free Press has Considine on record as saying. "Some of them have two or three jobs. If you work hard, and these people work hard, these people should be able to get paid enough to raise a family." Advertisement The Mankato Free Press says that despite "some early progress and widespread legislative support," a bill to increase caregiver wages "went nowhere this year." I'm no expert on Minnesota politics, but I'm willing to wager the reason the bill ultimately died was because of intense lobbying from the powerful nursing home lobby, which has successfully and repeatedly fought to keep caregiver wages low. Considine says getting caregivers more pay will be one of his legislative priorities for 2017. But raising caregiver wages across the board by government fiat may not be the most effective way to achieve his goal. There is increasing evidence that it's more cost efficient to finance programs aimed at keeping people in their homes, rather than confine them to institutions. Nursing homes get a significant portion of their revenues from state Medicaid programs, and Considine may want to examine this avenue of influence. Increasing demand for caregivers, particularly when there already is a shortage, is a surefire way to drive up wages. As Uber founder Travis Kalanick has explained to justify the on-demand car service's surge pricing, "it's all about supply and demand." In fairness, most nursing homes can't afford to pay higher wages. The overhead to support their bricks-and-mortar businesses is quite significant, and many nursing homes are saddled with onerous franchise fees, which significantly deplete their profits. It's hardly surprising the nursing home industry is expected to shrink by 20 percent by 2021. Advertisement I wish Considine great success in his quest to increase Minnesota's caregiving wages. There aren't many politicians across the country willing to take up the cause and go the distance, and Considine deserves lots of credit for fighting the great fight. It's a common refrain among Republican and Democratic candidates running for office that they wish to bring "unity" to the country and that they will fight for our "common" good. Then, when they win an election with 51 percent of the vote, they claim to have a "mandate" from the "people" to govern and proceed to mow down the political opposition with whatever weapons they can muster. The sad truth is that few if any politicians ever bring the people together in "unity." No president since George Washington has ever received a unanimous vote in the Electoral College. In one sense, this is because it is human nature to disagree, but it is also because the very structure of our political system engenders disunity, not unity. Our second president, John Adams, said this about the formation of political parties in the U.S. in a letter dated October 1780: "There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution." Advertisement One need ask, what exactly did Adams dread? He does not clarify what he means in the letter, but today one can certainly imagine what he might have feared. America is becoming increasingly polarized, so much so that Party Loyalty is beginning to even define people's marriage choices. According to NPR, in a 1960 Stanford University study, only 4 percent of Democrats and 5 percent of Republicans said they would be "displeased" if their son or daughter married someone who belonged to the other party. The Pew Research Center reports that that in 2010, 33 percent of Democrats and 49 percent of Republicans would be "somewhat or very unhappy" if their child married a member from the opposite party. The Founding Fathers, who began the Constitution with "We the People..." would surely not approve of such trends. The Pew Research Center has unearthed another revealing finding. In an election year in which people are deeply dissatisfied with the choices presented to them (41 percent of the population believes that neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton would make a good president), many nevertheless are voting for one or the other out of fear that the other candidate will be elected if they do not. Half or more voters on both sides are voting "against" the other candidate more than they are voting "for" the candidate they are favoring. For tens of millions of Americans, this election is about what people do not want rather than what they do. Is this really what "democracy" has come to? Why should we be content with voting for the "lesser of two evils?" And why must we kow-tow to the political "tribes" of Democrats and Republicans that have dominated American politics for far too long? Advertisement We Americans have lived so long with the Democratic and the Republican parties that we have trouble conceiving of any other kind of political arrangement. I remember, however, as a graduate student at Oxford University being fascinated by the political discussions that surrounded me during the hung parliament in the U.K.'s national election of 2010. In that election, both the Conservative and Labour parties failed to secure enough seats in Parliament to take control of the government. What ensued then was dramatic political theater, as the third-largest party, the Liberal party, agreed to form a coalition with the Conservative party across ideological lines. I marveled then at such compromise, so foreign now to our own land, and wondered why we could not do something like this here. Of course, I recognize that our political structure is very different from the parliamentarian one. But who is to say that the development of a robust third or even fourth party that matched in strength the parties we already have would not do America great good? Congress has perhaps never before had so much difficulty compromising. Could that be because we have only two parties that drive the partisan message "if you're not with me, you're against me?" Might not a system that forces parties to compromise with and make alliances however tenuous with other parties be a good thing for such a divided land as ours? Moreover, in this land of supermarkets where we have an incredible array of products to choose from, why do we think that we are stuck with only two choices in each general election? All of us are complex individuals, with a mix of "conservative," "moderate," and "liberal" positions (whatever those categories may mean). Neither of the two dominant parties nor its candidates represent all of my positions. Why should I not be able to choose a candidate that more closely represents my positions rather than forcing myself into the mold of one of the two dominant parties? But all of this is just "pie in the sky" thinking as long as Americans continue to vote out of fear of the "other" candidate winning. It is not enough for a few of us to vote like this; we must convince our friends, our neighbors, strangers even, that they can and should vote for candidates who they can truly support. We must vote in the millions and tens of millions without fear in order to avoid the dreaded stigma of being a "spoiler" voter in this election. Only in great numbers is there strength enough to break the stranglehold the Democratic and Republican parties have on this country. So, I present you who are reading this with a challenge. Rather than casting our vote out of fear of the "other" this election, let's be true to our consciences and write in the candidate of our choice. If that means choosing Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, fine, vote for them. But if you are like half of the electorate this year and want neither of these people to be president, then stop settling for the lesser of two evils. Advertisement WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 17: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg waits for the beginning of the taping of 'The Kalb Report' April 17, 2014 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The Kalb Report is a discussion of media ethics and responsibility at the National Press Club held each month. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs scorning of Donald Trump, and his inevitable response, demonstrate the continued relevance of an old adage, one that Justice Ginsburg should have heeded: never wrestle with a pig, because you only get dirty, and the pig enjoys it. The lesson of that adage should not be lost on progressives who are now attempting to justify Ginsburgs comments. A few legal academics have defended Ginsburg by offering a sophisticated cynicism about the Supreme Court, arguing that no one really believes the myth of judicial neutrality anymore. The Court is already viewed as political, they say, and so Ginsburgs comments didnt really cross any new line. Other commentators argue that Trump is an existential threat to America as we know it, and so desperate times call for desperate measures. Their message is, in effect: bring it on. Advertisement But for progressives, buying into such thinking would be very foolish. The danger of Ginsburg's comments is not that they reveal that justices, like all other people, have personal political preferences. The danger is that Ginsburg will be perceived correctly &ndash as having sought to use her very privileged position to influence the election. The authority of the judiciary depends on its perceived legitimacy, and its legitimacy in turn depends on its perceived integrity and fairness. The Court's public image and approval have suffered in recent years. Ginsburg's comments bring us closer to the day when the Supreme Court's decisions may be seen by a critical mass of Americans as no more worthy of respect or obedience than the pronouncements of any other political actor. For decades, attacks on the credibility and legitimacy of an independent judiciary have been a leitmotif of the legal and political right. Southern racists did it in the 1950s to resist school desegregation. Christianist religious activists do it today to resist marriage equality. Appealing to the same populist resentments that Trump has harnessed, they have derided the very idea that unelected judges should be allowed to frustrate the will of the majority, as judges occasionally do, or to have the last word on controversial legal questions that divide our society. Some progressives also play this game, arguing that the Supreme Court traditionally has been the enemy of everyday people. But the political right is far more committed to the project of judicial delegitimization and, frankly, far better and more effective at it than progressives ever could be. In law as well as politics, the right, far more than the left, has pursued the scorched-earth strategy of delegitimizing both people and institutions that prevent it from getting its way, painting opponents as not just wrong but as corrupt and driven by bad motives. Most progressives are not nihilists about the law. They still believe that an independent judiciary one that is respected, or at least regarded as legitimate, by most citizens is fundamental to the American system of government. Yes, the conservative Supreme Court of recent years has delivered many decisions that disappointed progressives. Progressives criticize decisions like Citizens United (which unleashed money in politics) or Shelby County (which weakened the Voting Rights Act), and rightly so. They expose the hypocrisy and puncture the sanctimony of conservative-activist jurists like Antonin Scalia. But most stop short of arguing that these decisions call into doubt the very legitimacy of the Court itself. Advertisement Apologists for Justice Ginsburg are playing with fire, because if the Supreme Court were delegitimized, progressive values especially civil rights and civil liberties -- would be the biggest losers. Our Constitution, enforced by judges, enshrines fundamental rights and values. It thus stands as a bulwark against short-term political passions and tyranny of the majority. As the Supreme Court itself said in a landmark 1943 religious liberty case, one vital purpose of a Constitution, as enforced by judges, is to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials, and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts. One's right to life, liberty, and property, to free speech, a free press, freedom of worship and assembly, and other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections. Without an independent judiciary that is willing to enforce constitutional norms when the political process has been captured by interests hostile to equality and liberty, we would not have legal nationwide same-sex marriage. We would not have continued protection for a womans right to choose abortion, which the Court reaffirmed just this spring. Police could more easily troll through everything on your smartphone. Religious extremists in states like North Carolina and Mississippi would have no check on their ability to enact laws that assault the dignity of LGBT persons. As Trumps candidacy demonstrates, right-wing politics in its purest form seeks to prevail through bullying, demagoguery, and appeals to ignorance and the poorly educated. (As Trump himself observed, Justice Ginsburgs foray into partisan commentary only energizes my base even more.) But this is not a playing field that favors liberals. Justice Ginsburg is not going to win a battle of insults with Donald Trump, and progressives cannot afford to give up the firewall of an independent judiciary as protection against the worst impulses and excesses of our politics. Progressives do not want to live in a world where we have completely erased the line between politicians and judges. Zoe Winters, Max Baker, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Babak Tafti, Brad Heberlee, and Marcia DeBonis in Small Mouth Sounds Photo: Ben Arons One of the unexpected theatrical joys of the spring of 2015 was Bess Wohl's Small Mouth Sounds, presented by Ars Nova. That production [reviewed here] has happily been remounted at Signature Center in a fairly identical production, with three cast changes. (This is a commercial production, unaffiliated with the Signature Theatre Company.) Small Mouth Sounds is a play about communication; it is also a play done mostly in silence. There is some dialogue, although it is generally against the rules at the upstate New York spiritual retreat where the play takes place. Silence, though--as theatricalized by Wohl (American Hero) and director Rachel Chavkin (The Great Comet, The Royale)--is golden. Four solitary strangers and one couple have come to commune in the woods under the instruction of an unseen moderator (Jojo Gonzalez), who soft-talks them over a loudspeaker. The various interactions are perhaps more aggressive than soothing, but that is the playwright's point. What makes the play remarkable is that so much of this is expressed without words, or with minimal dialogue. Sitting there in the rectangular space transplanted from Ars Nova to Signature's Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre--with three rows against either wall, and a capacity of about 160--we slowly absorb the inner workings of these diverse characters. Advertisement Marcia DeBonis (as the needier part of the couple), Babak Tafti (as a yoga instructor) and Brad Heberlee (as a sad sack of a loser) recreate their roles; they are joined by Max Baker (as the altogether silent attendee), Zoe Winters (desperately clutching her Trader Joe's bag) and Quincy Tyler Bernstine (as the other half of the couple). Ms. Bernstine gives the most penetrating performance as the seemingly strongest and most assured of the group, although we glean early on that she is seriously (or fatally) ill. DeBonis, meanwhile, is giving what might be an even better performance than before; from her very entrance, she seems weighed down with inexpressible anguish. Small Mouth Sounds is a play unlike any other, yes; but Wohl and Chavkin bring you right into the drama, and it makes an engrossing and pretty much delightful evening of theatre. Bess Wohl's Small Mouth Sounds opened July 13, 2016 and continues through September 25 at Signature Center * Michael Cerveris and Gabriella Pizzolo in Fun Home Photo: Joan Marcus Fun Home--which I unhesitatingly considered an instant classic of the American musical theatre when it first opened at the Public in September 2013, and which was even better when reconfigured for the Circle in the Square in April 2015--is now entering the final weeks of its Broadway run (through September 10). Advertisement A year and a half is not a significant run, at least compared to the likes of Phantom, Les Miserables or Chicago; but for a musical with cutting edge social significance and untold joys that might be seen as subversive to a fair portion of American consumers, it has done marvelously well. For the investors, yes, who received their money back in a swift eight months; but more importantly, authors Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron have triumphed with what has to be considered "difficult" subject matter. For starters, we are told early on that the leading man will kill himself before the final curtain; what's more, no sooner has the heroine/narrator introduced us to her traditional (?) small-town American family than she adds that she's a lesbian and her father a closeted homosexual. Seducing minors, too. Despite this--or, perhaps, because of this--Fun Home is a monumental piece of art (if we want to sound lofty) or a charmingly refreshing crowdpleaser loaded with laughter and tears (if we don't want to sound lofty). The show will hit the road beginning in October in Cleveland, and will visit all the usual spots (including Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Denver, L.A., San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Washington; and that's only the first eight months.) Audiences nationwide will hopefully embrace this show, which deserves to be embraced. Fun Home is not about the gay characters, or the suicidal father; it's about people and love and family--accompanied, mind you, by one of the most impressive scores of the century thus far. This is one of those "don't miss it" musicals, the sort that you'll want to see and you might well want to see again. There are, at this writing, nine weeks left at Circle in the Square. A visit last week demonstrated that Fun Home is as powerful as ever. The cast doesn't play it like actors gliding towards the end of a happy, long run; they are right into the material, giving the essence of "this is happening now for the first time" with honest-to-goodness, unforced lumps in their throats. The original cast is intact with the exception of the children playing Small Alison and Christian, who have aged out. The central role of Small Alison is now played with flair by the enchanting Gabriella Pizzolo, a former Matilda. Of the others, Judy Kuhn and Michael Cerveris remain incomparable, while Beth Malone demonstrates an even stronger link to the audience. Advertisement Gabriella Pizzolo, Beth Malone and Emily Skeggs in Fun Home Photo: Joan Marcus The time is ripe for conversations about criminal justice reform, especially when it comes to drug use. It can no longer be ignored that our prisons are swollen with non-violent offenders or that many people with problematic drug use could probably benefit more from drug treatment options than from jail. We know how a felony conviction can haunt a person for the rest of his or her life by restricting access and eligibility for jobs, housing, scholarships, governmental assistance and other services that most people need to survive. The buzz word these days is "diversion programs," or programs that divert people from the criminal justice system into rehabilitation programs to address the root of the problem instead of merely inflicting punishment. But what exactly are these programs and how do they work? By Bill Piper The war on marijuana appears to be coming to an end. Twenty-five states have so far legalized marijuana for medical use, four of which have decided to regulate it for adult use like alcohol. Seven or more states could vote on marijuana reform in November; California definitely will. This is good news because it reduces marijuana arrests and the lifetime consequences that come with them. But the emerging legal marijuana industry appears to be mostly white, and legalization campaigns often ignore issues of importance to communities of color. The industry, the reform movement and policymakers need to focus more on racial justice -- and consumers and activists should demand action and hold us all accountable. Marijuana legalization without racial justice risks being an extension of white privilege. Despite the fact that people of different races use and sell marijuana at roughly equal rates, most marijuana arrests are of black or Latino men. In Chicago, the ratio of black to white arrests for marijuana possession is 15 to 1. In Connecticut, 5 to 1; in Wisconsin, 10 to 1. And even though young white people in New York City use marijuana at higher rates, nearly 85 percent of the people arrested for marijuana possession there are black or Latino. Advertisement Looking at national rates, a 2013 ACLU report, "The War on Marijuana in Black and White," found that black people are almost four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, despite equal usage with white people. These disparities have severe and long-lasting consequences. Once charged with a marijuana offense, people can be legally discriminated against in housing and employment, denied student loans, denied public housing and denied public assistance. If their marijuana law violation was a felony, they can even be denied the right to vote -- in some states for life. It's no coincidence that the War on Drugs was launched right after the civil rights movement made major gains. President Richard Nixon wanted to build a system that could destroy black communities (and hippies). In Nixon's words (paraphrased by one of his staffers), "the whole problem is really the blacks, the key is to devise a system that recognizes this while not appearing to." In many parts of the US, a black man can't walk around his own neighborhood without being stopped by the police, told to line up against the wall and randomly frisked. Police are often looking for marijuana or other drugs, although in most instances they don't find any. The war on marijuana has stripped people of color of their civil rights. Police kick in doors. They shoot young black men. They point machine guns at children. Shoot pets. Throw people on the ground, handcuff them and take them to jail. They break up families, throwing kids in foster care because one or more of their parents or guardians consumed marijuana. The war on marijuana is often the reason that many young men of color come into contact with police in the first place, increasing the likelihood of future involvement and discrimination and death. Advertisement For many Americans, particularly young men of color, a marijuana offense is a gateway -- the only way in which marijuana can accurately be described as a "gateway drug" -- to a lifetime of civil and criminal punishment, fines, legal debt, unemployment and constant surveillance and harassment by police and other agents of the state. This context needs to be kept in mind, not just when legalization is debated, not just when people campaign for legalization, but when legalization measures are written. When regulations on the industry are crafted. When people are choosing who to buy from, who to invest in. Racial justice isn't just about greater diversity, although greater diversity would be nice. It's about structural and institutional change. Laws prohibiting people with felony convictions from getting marijuana licenses should be eliminated. It should be much less difficult to get a marijuana license than it is now in many jurisdictions. Laws requiring people to put down tens of thousands of dollars just to apply for a license are also discriminatory and arguably racist. A significant part of tax revenue that is generated from marijuana sales should be invested in rebuilding the communities destroyed by decades of war and helping those who have been impacted get the education and training they need to be business owners. Reparative measures are long overdue. There is some movement. More and more people are saying enough is enough, the industry and the reform movement need to support racial justice (notably, these voices are usually people of color, and often women of color). Organizations have formed to represent the interests of women and people of color, such as Women Grow, the Minority Cannabis Business Association, and the Cannabis Cultural Association. Some largely white marijuana industry entities, including ArcView and the National Cannabis Industry Association, have stepped up a bit in support of greater inclusion. Advertisement Policymakers in Oakland, California recently passed an equity amendment prioritizing medical marijuana licenses for people who have been arrested for drugs or live in a highly policed, oppressed community. In Ohio legislators included a provision in the recently passed medical marijuana law ensuring that 15 percent of licenses go to people of color. Maryland's medical marijuana law requires the regulatory agency to actively seek racial, ethnic and geographic diversity when licensing, and requires it to encourage applicants who qualify as a minority business enterprise. The Massachusetts legalization initiative on the November ballot would require the state to develop procedures and policies that promote and encourage full participation from communities disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition. Portland, Oregon voters will vote in November on an initiative that would expunge people's criminal records and use marijuana tax revenue to provide support for neighborhood small businesses, with a priority for businesses owned by women and people of color. The most racial-justice-oriented marijuana measure ever is the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), which California voters will decide on in November. AUMA reduces and in many cases eliminates criminal penalties for marijuana offenses. It reduces barriers to entry to the legal market. And it drives hundreds of millions of dollars in investments to low-income communities that have been most negatively impacted by the drug war. If approved, AUMA will set up a process for letting people currently incarcerated for marijuana offenses out of prison and expunging their records. Unfortunately, for every marijuana measure that has a racial justice component, there are a bunch more that don't. Even worse, industry players sometimes lobby to get new laws and initiatives to include a range of crony capitalist provisions that reduce competition and exclude people from the market. The marijuana reform movement continues to mostly ignore issues of importance to people of color, such as stop-and-frisk, racial profiling, deportation for marijuana offenses and rising racial disparities in post-legalization arrest rates. It is not enough to simply legalize marijuana or ease criminal penalties. Marijuana reformers and policymakers should embrace fairness and civil rights. Advertisement Those of us with privilege and access should use it to amplify the voices of people of color and hold the industry and movement accountable. To be good allies and fight for equity and inclusion. To call out policy makers and groups that ignore racial justice when drafting proposed laws. If you're a marijuana consumer, don't buy weed from companies that lack diversity, ignore equity and short-change the drug policy reform movement. Such people need to pay a price, and a reckoning is long overdue. The lack of focus on racial justice in cannabis reform is widespread. It is a problem that is movement and industry-wide. My own organization, Drug Policy Alliance, could be better. I could be better. A lot more needs to be done by all. We can start by changing the white, conveniently narrow, definition of marijuana reform to include issues affecting the communities harmed by the war on marijuana the most. Advocates and policymakers should make these issues the foundation of all reforms: We need to fight not just for legalization but for racial justice as well. In a recent Huffington Post blog, "Protecting Consumers: Making the Solar Industry a Safe and Fair Marketplace," former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard makes some important points on solar consumer protection that we can all agree with. Unfortunately, he neglects a key piece of context. The solar revolution is sweeping America and bringing a choice of clean, reliable and affordable solar power to millions of Americans, the vast majority of whom are fully satisfied with their solar systems. I agree whole-heartedly with Goddard's points that consumers deserve to be well-informed regarding their choices to go solar. They also shouldn't have to deal with the rare cases of misrepresentation of energy savings made by a few rogue solar providers, whom should be behind bars. Let's face it, every single industry in America has a few bad apples. Advertisement But that's no reason to condemn an entire industry. Especially one that employs more than 208,000 Americans and supplied more new power generation capacity to America in the first quarter of 2016 than all other fuel sources combined. In fact, this is why the FTC held its educational workshop and dubbed it "Something New Under the Sun": to learn more about competition and consumer protection in the new, fastest-growing source of electricity in America. At SEIA, we want to see consumers and companies benefit by choosing solar. Consumers deserve accurate information and companies should have opportunities to grow using sound business practices. To that end, we proactively created a suite of consumer protection materials, working with states, consulting with the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission, and winning the accolades of the Better Business Bureau. The goal is to make sure consumers are fully informed. Mr. Goddard states that SEIA's new Consumer Guide to Residential Solar, reviewed by dozens of consumer protection specialists and posted on state websites as a resource, is a "good place to start, but would be better with some enforcement mechanisms." We're way ahead of him. Last year, SEIA's Board of Directors put into force the first national Code of Conduct for the solar industry, along with a complaint resolution and enforcement process by which every one of our 1,000 SEIA member companies must abide. Today, any American can easily submit a claim to SEIA for examination and enforcement. SEIA stands ready to work with state and federal regulators to ensure justice is served. We also built and released disclosure forms - similar to HUD-1 statements for home purchases -to give consumers a snapshot of the key terms in a contract, as well as free standard lease and power purchase agreement templates to boost transparency. What's more, we're building out a full suite of educational programs for consumers, including hot topic alerts, a just-released community solar consumer protection guide, and Spanish language versions of key documents due out this summer to reach even more Americans. And all of these materials are available free of charge. Advertisement Placing consumer protection first is a top priority for our industry. The residential solar industry depends on good consumer experiences because referrals are the number one source of new business. It's unfortunate that some critics focus myopically on the rare instances of poor behavior in an industry that's installing more than one hundred solar panels per minute across America for very satisfied consumers. A larger danger to consumers is red tape from well-intentioned regulators based on knee-jerk reactions to guard consumers from new products without first checking the laws already on the books. Today, all fifty states have consumer protection, fraud and contract laws on the books that provide strong protections to consumers. Combined with federal consumer laws, these state policies prohibit misleading savings claims, bar unwanted phone calls, require leases to disclose payment schedules, and more. In Arizona, for instance, instead of enforcing existing law, legislators enacted purported consumer protection legislation that damaged residential solar markets in the state. The Arizona proposals crushed law-abiding small businesses, sent thousands of good jobs out of the state and nearly eliminated solar as a consumer choice. Weis Markets plans to purchase 38 Food Lion stores in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based company announced plans for the purchase Thursday. The company says regulatory approval is pending but it plans to convert most of the stores in September and October. It is interested in hiring Food Lion teams at the purchased locations. This transaction provides us the opportunity to expand into markets that are contiguous to our current trade area, particularly in Maryland where we are adding 21 stores essentially doubling our store count in a state where we have steadily grown in recent years, said Weis Markets Chairman, President and CEO Jonathan Weis. Were also looking forward to expanding our operations into two adjacent states with the addition of 13 stores in Virginia and four in Delaware. In May, Weis announced plans to purchase five Baltimore County Mars Super Markets. When both purchases are complete, Weis Markets will operate 202 stores in seven states. This transaction is part of a larger sell-off of stores by food retailers, Koninklijke Ahold NV and Delhaize Group. The companies are selling 86 stores in an effort to divest and win approval by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for a $31 million merger announced last year. Ahold, which owns Giant Food Stores, based in Carlisle, announced last year it was buying Brussels-based Delhaize, which owns Food Lion, for $10.4 billion. Food Lion will sell off five stores in York and Franklin counties as part of a pending merger between parent company Delhaize Group and Ahold. Saubels Markets is buying the Food Lion on East Market Street in York and Supervalu is buying stores on Philadelphia Avenue and Lincoln Way West in Chambersburg, on North Antrim Way in Greencastle, and on Buchanan Trail in Waynesboro, the companies said in a statement. Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based Weis Markets is purchasing 38 Food Lion stores in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Weis Markets said it expects to complete the conversion process for the majority of these stores in September and October All of the purchase agreements are subject to the approval of the Federal Trade Commission. Recent discussions about revising the textbooks used in schools all over the country is enough to make a person rethink everything they learned in history class. Advocates believe that students are taught insufficient or incorrect information, but what does this mean to us? History is defined "as the systematic narrative of past events as relation to a particular period or person." This definition has caused many controversies for schools around America, as certain nationalities and demographics demand that students learn more about their past. The discussions have played out in several states, especially California. Many groups, such as Korean Americans, have accused the schools of teaching students "a whitewashed version of history." One of the main points they want revised is the issue of "comfort women." Advertisement This historical issue involves the use of Korean women who were said to be forced into becoming sex slaves to serve the Japanese Imperial Army that occupied the territory during WWII. The groups created petitions and continuously brought the issue to California educators. "Omission of the truth is, in fact, a form of lying. I would offer that the purpose of teaching history in schools is to create critical thinkers capable of meaningful participation in a democratic society," explains a California teacher. It is not only the Korean Americans that are speaking up about their national history. Some group of Vietnamese Americans, Voices of Vietnam, stated at a public hearing that the systematic rape of innocent Vietnamese girls during the Vietnam War by the Korean military should be acknowledged as a historical fact. The fact that some women were murdered after being raped can cause a discrepancy in the total numbers, but it is said that the number of women who were raped can be as high as several thousands to tens of thousands. In addition, some historians have suggested replacing "India" within the text with "South Asia" depending on the context. The reason for this is that, once upon a time, India used to encompass areas that were outside of the India that we know today (Pakistan, Nepal, etc.). Indian Americans have shown their opposition to this proposal at public hearings and other public events. Advertisement The revisions are a milestone for the educational system. Until now, history and social studies classes have focused on European history, but it is time for students to learn about the rest of the world. Especially now that the majority of students are from immigrant families from these countries. It is important that people understand history and how the events from the past continues to affect us. Obviously, this has been a very emotional fight for these activists. "People were angry, people were pleading. People were excited, happy. Every emotion you can think of," said Nancy McTygue, a former teacher who has taught high school history and one of the educators responsible for the curriculum changes. "History is an interpretive discipline, and everybody's got their own interpretation." Knowing that everyone is going to interpret historical events differently is even more of a reason to make sure these children are taught objectively and thoroughly. Despite the emotion-filled battle, immigrant parents say in the end they just want their children to know the truth about their nationality. They want them to be proud and know their heritage. "We want our kids to take pride in what was good, and learn from what was bad," explained one parent, Jaleh Niazi. "This is not only about my children. It's important for California as a whole to know the world they live in." It's true what they say, history repeats itself. However, if we educate ourselves on the transgressions of our past, we can make sure society does not make the same mistakes. We can make the world a better place by knowing what happened in the past. Advertisement This is why it is so important that we understand that it is more than textbooks that need to be revised. We need to rethink our entire understanding of the world. There are events in our history that have been so warped by years of misinformation, such as the story of Christopher Columbus. America celebrates a holiday with his name, but is he really a hero? Many believe that he was a brave explorer who discovered new lands. However, that was very far from the case, "He actually led a lot of devastating movements against indigenous people," explained Native American Community Development Institute President Jay Bad Heart Bull to MPR News Columbus arrived at a new land and discovered that the Indians had already cultivated that and the indigenous people greeted him with hospitality, but Columbus and his men were very hostile. Their land was taken and the majority of them were killed. The publicity of his violent acts has led many cities to rename Christopher Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day to help commemorate his victims. After the spate of shootings involving police (as both alleged perpetrators and victims) last summer, I suggested limiting the role of the police to responding to emergency calls and serving warrants. A year later, the article is being widely circulated again following a tragically similar series of events. If the comments or e-mail responses are any indication, this seems to horrify most conservatives in the so-called "land of the free," even though limiting the government to reactive (rather than proactive) power is the whole idea behind the 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments. But while the White House regurgitates its gun control talking points and conservatives predictably line up with the police, hardcore libertarian ideas are coming from some unlikely sources. Advertisement Diamond Reynolds, the grieving partner of Philando Castile, who died after being shot during a routine traffic stop, didn't demand a government solution for blacks being disproportionately stopped and/or shot by police. She said "the powers of those whose job it is to protect the people need to be curtailed." At least one prominent member of the police forces agrees. In the aftermath of the Dallas tragedy, in which five cops and two civilians were killed, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said cops are trying to do too much. We're asking cops to do too much in this country," Brown said at a briefing Monday. "We are. Every societal failure, we put it off on the cops to solve. Not enough mental health funding, let the cops handle it. Here in Dallas we got a loose dog problem; let's have the cops chase loose dogs. Schools fail, let's give it to the cops. That's too much to ask. Policing was never meant to solve all those problems. Just a few weeks back, The Atlantic ran a story in which Yale Law professor Stephen L. Carter acknowledged a reality libertarians are often ridiculed for pointing out: Advertisement Every law is violent. We try not to think about this, but we should. On the first day of law school, I tell my Contracts students never to argue for invoking the power of law except in a cause for which they are willing to kill. They are suitably astonished, and often annoyed. But I point out that even a breach of contract requires a judicial remedy; and if the breacher will not pay damages, the sheriff will sequester his house and goods; and if he resists the forced sale of his property, the sheriff might have to shoot him. But the most strikingly libertarian view came from none other than Black Lives Matter activist Jessica Drisu: Here are the solutions. We need to abolish the police, period. Demilitarize the police, disarm the police, and we need to come up with community solutions for transformative justice," said Jessica Disu, drawing some shocked reactions. Murray Rothbard smiled in his grave. Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly displayed typical establishment tone deafness in response, asking, "How do we protect the community if we abolish the police?" Disu had just told her how she proposed to protect the community. But Kelly, though highly intelligent and trained in the law, just couldn't muster enough imagination to even consider that perhaps securing life and property could be handled privately. Advertisement For all of the twentieth century, Americans led by establishment media turned to the government during times of crisis. But after several generations of government failure in the wars on drugs, poverty and terrorism, better informed Americans seem to be thinking out of the box. And libertarian ideas are beginning to blossom in the most unlikely places. For many religious leaders, there has been dismay as they have witnessed the strong support that Donald Trump has gleaned from white, Protestant, Christians, and especially among those who define themselves as Evangelicals. A recent meeting in New York that brought Donald Trump together with prominent Evangelical church leaders gives evidence of a growing ideological marriage between Trump and the Evangelical community. While this group of church leaders did not overtly endorse his candidacy, the very nature of this meeting gives the impression of an endorsement. Add to that the highly visible support of Donald Trump provided by two of the most prominent Evangelical leaders in America -- Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell Jr. There's the obvious realities that Hillary Clinton's promotion of the rights of LGBT Americans generate the ire of the majority of Evangelicals. Add to that, the negative attitudes of many Evangelicals towards the kind of feminism that she espouses and it is easy to understand some reasons why they should look for an alternative to a Clinton presidency. But even given such negative concerns that Evangelicals have about the Democratic party in general, and about Hillary Clinton in particular, there is among some social critics a belief that something even deeper may be a latent reason for Evangelicals becoming a major voting bloc for Donald Trump. That unarticulated underlying basis for the support given by Evangelicals for Trumps candidacy may be related to what they believe about God. Advertisement It is a truism among most social scientists, following the lead of the famous French sociologist, Emile Durkheim, that the concept of god held by any given group is often a projection and incarnation of that group's dominant traits and values. Picking up on that theme George Bernard Shaw once said, "God created us in his image, and we decided to return the favor." The values inherent in the American society, which values arguably tend to be the values of many American Evangelicals, are values that they have projected to be the values of God. Those values are wealth, power and prestige (or fame). That being the case, Donald Trump embodies those very values. He's a billionaire. His tough talk depicts a man of power, and his fame, via his television show, gives him incredible social prestige. Trump, for many, is the incarnation of the traits and values of their cultural version of God. It does not follow that Evangelicals worship Trump, but it just may be that he represents the values that they project as the values of God. What is ironic is that the perceived values of many white American Evangelicals that are found in Donald Trump are the anti-thesis of what is found in the Jesus revealed in the New Testament. There, Jesus promotes a lifestyle of simplicity wherein wealth is sacrificed to help the poor. In the New Testament Jesus gives up power as he comes into the world to express infinite sacrificial love. While Trump proudly parades success, the God revealed in Jesus, according to the Bible, "humbled himself" and made himself of no reputation. (See Philippians 2:5-8). Evangelicals (of whom I have been one) need to be asking themselves, "Do we affirm a culturally created deity, as expressed in the lifestyle of Donald Trump, or do we worship the God revealed in Jesus?" I can almost hear the Hebrew prophet crying out: "Choose ye this day who you will serve!" Advertisement This skyline of downtown Baghdad with rooftops and terraces is a very typical urban view seen all over the Middle East. On July 12th, 2016, I woke to news that a bombing in a Shia-dominated district of Baghdad, Iraq had claimed the lives of 11 people and injured dozens. Immediately after, I heard someone joke that it was "just another day in Iraq". While it was only eight days ago that another Shia district was bombed and 250+ were killed, the Iraqi people, whether they are Sunni, Shia, Christian, or Yazidis, are anything but used to this. There are many things a human being can get used to in life. I once forced myself to eat oatmeal for 6 months, eventually I was not only used to it, I started to enjoy it. Advertisement I'll never get used to the sound of a helicopter above my head, not after I spent weeks listening to war planes drop missiles on my village in the summer of 2016. No, there are some things you never get used to. Sure, some could call it PTSD, maybe I should deal with my memories in a better way. A friend once suggested I move to an area where helicopters were common, eventually my ears would get used to it, like my nose gets used to a bad smell. But living in the greater NYC area, 5 minutes from the Hudson River, means helicopters are part of my daily life. I'll never get used to them. You don't get used to bad things. You get used to tolerable things. You get used to the way your partner leaves their towel on the floor when the rack is right above it. You get used to your neighbor's dog barking in the middle of the night. You get used to the cold in NYC 18 years after leaving Los Angeles. You never get used to the loss of a loved one. You never get used to the sight of dead bodies on the ground. You never get used to the smell of burning cars. You never get used to the taste of bile in your throat. You never get used to the sound of a woman's screams when she discovers her son was one of the victims. It's easy to rid ourselves of moral responsibility by deciding that people who consistently endure bad things ought to be used to it. The woman next door who endures physical and mental abuse will eventually get used to it, no need to call the cops anymore. But who is really used to it? The woman, or you? Her screams in the house have become tolerable, you are used to it. She is not used to the bruises on her body or the fear in her chest. Numbness is not the same thing. You don't adapt to bad things, survival of the fittest does not apply to our memories. Advertisement So, yes, society may be used a bombing in Baghdad every other day. No, Baghdad is not used to it. Adnan Safaa Abo-Altman, a young man who had graduated law school four days before, wasn't used to having his life taken. His mother will never get used to the loss of him, his father, and his brother. Hassan Ali's wife, and mother of Raqia and Hadi will never get used to losing her husband and children in one moment. Her husband and children weren't used to shopping for Eid clothes one moment, and being victims of a bombing the next. The three victims are pictured below. Daughter, Son & Dad... Beautiful family among 300 casualties of #Karrada bombing by Daesh in holy #Ramadan#Baghdad pic.twitter.com/ogdnt9aX9K Iraq & Middle East Updates (@IraqLiveUpdate) July 3, 2016 Adel al-Jaf, a dancer who planned on moving to the US, was probably used to leg soreness the day after a long dance practice. I don't think he was used to his city being bombed. I don't think his family will ever get used to his death. Akram and Mohammed's mother was not used to hearing that her two sons had died in the Karrada bombings. For if she was, she wouldn't have died from shock. Advertisement We are used to it, so we don't make hashtags, change our profile pictures, or memorize their names. By taking away these rights away from them, and yes, they have become rights, as long as other victims are given them, we are taking away their connection to us as humans. We forget that we would probably never get used to having our hometowns bombed every day, that just like us, they are humans who don't forget, can't forget. By Dimitar Georgiev In February 2016, President Obama finally eliminated a loophole in the Tariff Act of 1930 that allowed imports regardless of how products were manufactured if there was insufficient supply to meet domestic demand. The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, which now prohibits the importation into the United States of any goods produced by child or forced labor, became reality largely due to the efforts of investigative journalists from the Associated Press and the New York Times, who exposed slavery practices in the fishing industry in Southeast Asia. American multinationals are now on the front lines of combating modern day human trafficking, including child labor, forced labor, and slavery. Up until this point, consequences for companies, whose supply chains were proven to have used child or forced labor, were largely limited to reputational damage. Forced labor has been an ongoing issue of global proportions and, according to the most recent Global Slavery Index report issued by the Walk Free Foundation, 48.5 million people are enslaved globally with 60 percent living in some of the world's largest manufacturing and trade-exporting nations: India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan. Among these, China, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan are also on the U.S. State Department Watch List, an annual report ranking governments' efforts in combatting human trafficking. Advertisement For multinationals sourcing from these countries, reputational risks can be considerable and cause long-lasting brand damage, as was the case with Nike sweatshops in the 1990s. Other major companies facing accusations of slavery in their supply chains include tech giants Apple and Samsung, retailers Wal-Mart and JC Penney, and food giant Nestle. In total, the U.S. Government has identified 136 products from 74 countries on its list of goods produced by child and forced labor. The June seizure of sweeteners produced for PureCircle in China by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents was only the latest episode of stepped up efforts by the U.S. Government to combat human trafficking and forced labor. This underscores that the Administration has become more serious in combating human trafficking and companies should expect even more seizures. However, the problem is not with the multinationals, but rather with a segment of their suppliers. For their part, multinationals have struggled to develop effective controls programs. These suppliers, usually second-tier, can often be small businesses in remote places, where multinationals lack any infrastructure to ensure forced laborers are not used. Yet, the government has now placed the burden on these corporations to ensure their supply chains are divested of such practices. Fortunately, with targeted investment and dedicated efforts, there is much multinationals can do to mitigate the risks of slave labor in their supply chains. An obvious first step is to develop internal policies and procedures, including training for employees to recognize the signs of forced labor. Even more important is for companies to use a risk-based assessment approach to identify at-risk suppliers in locations and industries with high levels of forced labor. Such assessments should lead to concrete action plans and corrective action, which at times will necessitate cooperation with authorities. Advertisement It is equally important for companies to communicate with all stakeholders--customers, suppliers, employees, investors, and regulators--about the steps taken to root out forced labor from their supply chains. Public relations campaigns will not only help raise positive awareness about multinationals' actions, but can inform and share best practices across industries and sectors. For example, large multinationals, including Coca Cola, Microsoft, and Delta have come together to share best practices. This visibility also has the added benefit of building trust with regulators and law enforcement, who have limited resources to investigate the numerous leads they receive and therefore must prioritize. Having established trust with authorities by taking steps towards becoming better global citizens, multinationals can reduce the risk of becoming target of investigations and seizures. The development of a robust and healthy private sector has been the greatest driver to building wealth and lifting billions of people out of poverty. Due to the success of so many corporations, we today live in the best conditions yet in human history. However, major challenges remain and companies have not only the opportunity, but also the responsibility, to stem out modern day human trafficking and forced labor. With the President's action in February, society is taking a step forward and demanding action and accountability. By Sonari Glinton-Los Angeles Back in college, NPR reporter Sonari Glinton studied with the Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, who died this month at the age of 87. Here, Glinton reflects on Wiesel's profound influence on his life and work. Glinton also issues a challenge to young journalists at Youth Radio and beyond: tell courageous stories, including the ones others don't want to hear. The following is republished with permission from NPR. In the late 80s, when I was in the 5-6th grade, my school's librarian took a special interest in me. Actually she'd taken a special interest in a lot of us. Mrs. Newton was not only the librarian but the keeper of our little black minds. She'd play a Dick Gregory speech here or show a civil rights documentary there. One day our assignment was to do a book report. Ms. Newton pointed me toward the biography section. So being lazy, I picked out the thinnest book I could find. Barely a hundred pages, I thought. I can knock this out. I barely had to skim it, I thought, and I'd get an A. The book was Night, by Elie Wiesel. I was right about one thing. It was a quick read. That was it. I'd read stories with all kinds of protagonists, Laura Ingalls, Huck Finn, even the Diary of Anne Frank. Having read that book-and watched a few made-for-TV movies about the Holocaust-- made me think that I was already a bit of an expert on that experience. Advertisement But as I sat up reading, Night stirred something deeper in me. Maybe it was the simplicity of the story. Maybe it struck me because of how bookish and isolated and weird the young Eliezer was, just like me. He was concerned with books and theology. So was I. Being Jewish made him vulnerable in a way that I understood. I knew as a black child in Chicago, I lived in an isolated community where I was deeply loved, but with the racial turmoil of the time, I also knew there were hostile forces all around me. The more I saw myself in Eliezer, the more Night frightened me. It was the language, the simplicity of his prose...the immediacy of the horror, the distance he seemed to feel from himself. To say the book changed my life would be a cliche and not entirely true. If I could be so much like Elie, I reasoned, then the life I loved could be taken from me. The book made me aware. It not only made me aware that suffering existed elsewhere, but that my world was fragile as well. I imagined being removed from South Shore, from my church and school, from my family. The Holocaust felt very present. He made it personal. That stayed with me for years. So when I was applying for college, and got a shiny brochure from Boston University, I remember turning the page and seeing Elie Wiesel's picture. That the author existed in the real world seemed magical. Advertisement That, and a few well-placed pictures of the crew team, and I'd decided. Boston University not only had Boston going for it, but also Elie Wiesel. I realized during orientation that one doesn't just take a class with Elie Wiesel; HE picked you. And it was much easier to get in if you majored in Religion, Philosophy or something like that. So I switched majors. I entered BU to study communications, but changed to Religion and History. I put my name on the list and in my junior year, I got the note that I'd been accepted to take his course on Memory subtitled: Writers on Writing. If I had expected this to be some easy survey course with a lightweight celebrity professor, the surprise would be mine. (He didn't have a real PhD, snarled some of my fellow pseudo intellectuals.) It was a graduate course with a syllabus that still remember (Letters to Young Poet, Rumi, Iphigenia in Tauris, Plato). Each of the 16 or so students had to present a book. I picked The Bluest Eye. On the first day, Professor Wiesel breezed into class and quickly destroyed my ideas of what he'd be. Professor Wiesel doffed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves and immediately started with the jokes. Trim and stylish, with his perfectly knotted tie and lapel pin, which I assumed was for the French Medal of Freedom. He was goofy, cute and super funny, kind of like Jackie Mason on valium. Frequently while speaking, he shoved his wild tuft of hair to the side. I often puzzled over his hair. His vanity and arrogance were on full display. So was his sensitivity, generosity and humor. "The relationship between teacher and student is sacred." Those are the only words I remember. He informed us that his office hours were mandatory. And we were expected to schedule our time with him. This would be a rigorous class. We would be graded on the quality of our participation, our presentation, and the final. Advertisement As the weeks went by, my time to present my book came up. "Why did you choose the black book?" I thought to myself. I was already the only black guy in the class. Why draw attention to it? I'd had enough of being the only black whatever at my predominately white Jesuit high school to be extremely wary. As I read Toni Morrison's debut novel, I was struck by how beautifully she captured the feelings of being not just black but dark. Unlike Night, this book took no imagination on my part. I knew it. I felt it. I'd lived it. Pecola Breedlove, the black protagonist who dreamed of getting blue eyes, was a girl I knew. Sometimes she was me. When I began my presentation, looked down at my notes about skin color, race, blackness, I was overcome. I glanced at Wiesel, who looked at me with encouragement, and I immediately began to cry...not a Denzel Washington dignified Glory tear, but a full on Oprah "ugly cry". What strikes me about that course was not that I cried. It was the environment he created in the class. It was a collective sense of empathy. You see, though Wiesel was a celebrity professor, he didn't act like a celebrity professor. If you could get over the Nobel Prize thing he was easy enough to chat up, especially as he waited for his car to the airport. Martha Hauptman, his assistant, played gatekeeper and earth mother. His office was a place I genuinely felt comfortable hanging out in...even if (actually especially if) he wasn't around. During our first office hours, Professor Wiesel turned back to that moment in class. We spoke about race. This was pre Million Man March and OJ trial, but post LA riots. In my college youth, I was quick to want to "get beyond' race. I apologized for what I thought was an unmanly outburst in class. I admonished myself for "not being able to get past it." I remember him leaning in and asking why I would want to forget. Memory, he said, wasn't just for Holocaust survivors. The people who ask us to forget are not our friends. Memory not only honors those we lost, but also gives us strength. In those office hours, over the years he gave me a shield, practical words and thoughts that would help me as a gay Nigerian Catholic journalist. He gave me tools that would aid me in an often hostile world. Over the years I found myself quoting Professor Wiesel to white people who want me to "get over race." "That's old." "It was a hundred years ago." He was emphatic: Nothing good comes of forgetting...remember so that my past doesn't become your future. Advertisement From his Noble Prize lecture: Of course, we could try to forget the past. Why not? Is it not natural for a human being to repress what causes him pain, what causes him shame? Like the body, memory protects its wounds. When day breaks after a sleepless night, one's ghosts must withdraw; the dead are ordered back to their graves. But for the first time in history, we could not bury our dead. We bear their graves within ourselves. For us, forgetting was never an option. Remembering is a noble and necessary act. The call of memory, the call to memory, reaches us from the very dawn of history. No commandment figures so frequently, so insistently, in the Bible. It is incumbent upon us to remember the good we have received, and the evil we have suffered. So as a journalist, at times without noticing, I find myself helping others to remember or bear witness. I will not forget the victims of police torture I reported on, or LaFonso Rollins, who was falsely imprisoned for rape, until being exonerated in 2004 by DNA testing. I will not forget his eyes when that judgment was announced, and how -in that moment-- he looked to me for assurance. I remember the kids I covered who were being held in the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and where staff members sometimes paid them to fight. And when Trayvon Martin's parents went to Capitol Hill and the press corps was less than sensitive, I remember being sure to kneel down in front of his grieving parents with my microphone. Why in those moments would I want to forget? In my personal life, though, remembering -and making others remember--the unfairness of racism is a harder choice. I am NPR's car reporter. For a normal gay man being a car reporter and living near Beverly Hills should be a dream come true. I am a black man. That means that driving exotic cars cars or testing cars can be dangerous. I have been stopped at least five times this year (July 5th most recently). During the 2012 presidential campaign, I was stopped in Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio. I have tried to shield my friends and coworkers from the fear, anger, and indignities I face on a daily basis. That futile exercise has cost me dearly. I realize that I have a responsibility to let people know about what affects me as well. But I also know that as a black man, that costs as well. Mentioning race to white Americans has almost never failed to cause me pain or to be attacked. (Recently, I said Britain might have a problem with race and a white friend called me an a**hole for suggesting it.) As I grow older, and feel the need to speak up more, I understand just a little the burden Elie Wiesel took on. I last spoke with him during the aftermath of the Bernie Madoff scandal. As a producer for NPRs All Things Considered, I was determined to book him. I was working in Boston...I spoke to him briefly around the time of one of his lectures. As I rushed to remind him that I had been his student, about the courses I took (Writers on Writing, The Philosophy and Literature of Friendship among them), his tone lightened and his frail body stood a little taller. He smiled that broad, open smile of his with pride that one of his students had become a persistent journalist. Advertisement But, no, he was not going to speak to Robert Siegel about Madoff. He'd said all he had to say about Bernie Madoff--plus he'd been through much worse and so had others. His exasperation, sadness, and bemusement with the whole thing was evident. In his jokes it was implied, "I survived the Holocaust, broke nearly every bone in my body. And now there's this." Even that was said with a weary laugh. And that's what I mourn when I think about him now. I mourn the man who taught me that in many ways, laughter is the greatest victory. I don't mourn the Laureate. I don't mourn the activist, the celebrity, or the intellectual, There will be plenty of eulogies and monuments to that man. I mourn the man who saw me struggling and tried to give me tools to survive. I'll mourn the man who let me know that those demanding that I forget, are not my friends. I mourn the teacher who made a solemn vow to me as a student in the 90s and kept it. I mourn the fact that with him gone, I'm now responsible for bearing witness. It saddens me that there's still so much to bear witness to. I think it's fair to say that director Ivan Reitman's Ghostbusters from 1984 enjoys a level of adoration that's probably disproportionate to the film itself. Now, that's not say it isn't a great film. If you read my retro review, you can see all the ways it just works. However, if it weren't for the massive merchandising apparatus that sprang up in its wake, with an entire generation coming of age watching the animated cartoon show while playing with the action figures in between chugs of Ecto Cooler, Ghostbusters '84 would be a well-regarded '80s comedy like Stripes or Caddyshack, and that's it. Which would be fine, by the way. But of course, that's not the case. Instead, Ghostbusters has enjoyed an extended pop culture half-life that's made it an IP that's just as valuable to the corporation that owns it (Sony) as it is to the folks who grew up with it, which in turn has led up to this moment. And while another Ghostbusters film has been in perpetual development practically since the second one hit theaters in summer of '89, it was only after Bridesmaids and The Heat director Paul Feig replaced Reitman and announced that he was going to (gasp) ignore the previous films, and (choke) populate his main cast with women that comments sections across the Internet nearly collapsed under the weight of bilious manboys forced to deal with a changing world. Whether decrying the unmitigated hubris (!) of putting females (!!) in those unisex overalls, or having to let go of a fictional reality they were fond of before puberty, the new Ghostbusters had suddenly become a cultural flashpoint -- a crucible where the fate of mankind was being decided. Bottom line though, all the wailing and rending of garments across the web has obscured the fact that at its heart, the Ghostbusters franchise is one very good movie, one okay movie, and a bunch of tie-ins. And in that context, Feig's reinvention is totally fine. It's an enjoyable refresh of the brand that I fully expect will play for contemporary crowds the same way the first one did in the '80s. Advertisement The story, by Feig and Katie Dippold, borrows its broad strokes from the original's script by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis while switching things up in the margins. Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) and Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) are childhood friends and aficionados of the paranormal who've since drifted apart as Gilbert attempts to find a "serious" role in academia. When a New York tourist attraction is beset by a supernatural phenomenon, the pair reunite to investigate, along with Yates' colleague Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon). Investigating the phenomenon, they soon realize that there's more where that came from, and with Erin losing her cushy teaching gig once word of her ghost-hunting goes viral, they decide to start a business hunting ghosts. Moving into an empty space above a Chinese restaurant, the trio hires a dim bulb beefcake receptionist (Chris Hemsworth) and is also eventually joined by MTA worker Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) as the fourth part of the team. But even as they go to work ridding the city of spooks, they're largely written off as a fraud by the media (who saddle them with the pejorative "Ghostbusters" tag) and the city establishment (including Mayor Andy Garcia and his assistant Cecily Strong). However, when a new supernatural force is looming and threatens to destroy all of New York, well, who you gonna call? (Cue the Ray Parker Jr. theme song.) At its core, just like the first one, Ghostbusters '16 benefits simply by putting a supremely talented comedic director and cast together and letting them do their thing. This is the kind of film that lives or dies by its ensemble, and Feig picked the perfect people to occupy these roles. We believe in their friendship, and we enjoy seeing them together. There's a spirit (pun unintentional) of camaraderie that makes it easy to go along with them on their adventure, and while the third act gets a bit lost in the same CGI wonderland that afflicts many a blockbuster these days, with a villain who's not particularly compelling, I laughed a lot during the early goings, which in turn made the later stuff go down easier. What was smart was not to make the new characters one-to-one analogs of the first-gen GBs. There's no one comparable to Bill Murray's Peter Venkman, for example, and while McKinnon's off-kilter Holtzmann clearly occupies the "Egon" role played by the late, great Harold Ramis, she's a different creature entirely. Speaking of that, this new take is populated with numerous cameos and callbacks to the franchise's history, and while the thought is appreciated, those moments are easily the weakest. It's understandable the filmmakers want to pay fealty, but it feels like they're hitting the pause button every few minutes while looking to the audience for approval. Don't get me wrong, it's always nice to see them, but not at the expense of what the remake is trying to accomplish. Advertisement In particular Bill Murray wanders through a few scenes looking like there's literally nowhere else on this planet he wouldn't rather be. If this is him in a glorified walk-on, one can understand his famous reticence at doing a full-on sequel all these years. To that point, the truth is there isn't a lot of reason this Ghostbusters needed to be a full-on restart. Feig said he wanted the thrill of discovery as our characters invent their various doodads, but he could have accomplished that goal within the extant framework with a few minor tweaks. Would that have been enough to hush the Internet commentariat? Probably not, but it does seem a shame to not take advantage of that accumulated history. That's a small gripe, mind you. Ultimately, with a project like this you have to sort of look past the bright and shiny facade to the franchise machinery whirring and humming underneath. First and foremost, this is an exercise in brand management for Sony, hoping to jolt a somnambulant property back to life. And on that score Paul Feig's Ghostbusters pretty much hits all the marks it needs to hit. One can choose to be cynical about it, but I'd rather not be. The original is a special movie for a lot of people, and while this new one probably won't play for them the same way that one did, it also doesn't need to. They've got their Ghostbusters. I don't see anything wrong with letting a new generation have theirs. Each year the Carlisle-based AMVETS Post 274 Ladies Auxiliary sends care packages to deployed soldiers, but this year, theyre welcoming special guests in their efforts. Auxiliary president Donna Moyers garage Wednesday was lined with two tables overflowing with items to be packed and mailed by the auxiliary and the American Gold Star Mothers, who are partnering together for the latest mailing. Carol Fahnestock of Carlisle said the Gold Star Mothers are parents whove lost their children in the service of their country. Now, we dedicate our time to serving veterans and their families, she said. Peggy Morrison, also a gold star mother, said she and Fahnestock are members of the Central Pennsylvania chapter, and hold their meetings at the Giant Food Store in Camp Hill. We remembered the AMVETS and what they do, so we got ahold of Donna and said were joining your group whether you like it or not, Morrison said, eliciting a smile and a nod from Moyer. In total, the women packed nine boxes six smaller boxes and three larger ones, which included toiletries, games, movies, candy and snack items. We sometimes get requests for snacks, Moyer said. Sometimes theyll have movie nights, so we always send movies that they can watch while having something to snack on. The items will be shipped to Iraq for deployed soldiers, and totaled about $1,000. Being members of the Gold Star Mothers is rewarding, but the cost of joining such a club is heavy. Fahnestocks daughter was only 26 when she was killed in Iraq, and Morrisons son was 23. Despite their loss, both decided to give back and do what they can to honor the memory of their children. Its a club that no one wants to belong to, Fahnestock said. The women were in high spirits Wednesday as they chatted over food and discussed their latest endeavor, which Moyer called a worthwhile cause. Its close to my heart, she added. Advocates say healing takes time after former police officer arrested After a former Hutchinson police officer was arrested in a series of rapes and sexual assaults, victim advocates worry some victims might stay silent. YWCA Carlisle announced Thursday it will host a community candlelight vigil Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Carlisle. The event is planned as a community gathering providing a safe and brave space to grieve, heal and hope as residents reflect on recent violent events happening across the nation and its emotional impact felt here by individuals, families, law enforcement, churches, schools and organizations, the YWCA said in a news release. YWCA Carlisle recognizes that the community needs access to process what has been playing out across our country over the past month and how that impacts individuals on a very personal level here, said Robin Scaer, executive director of the YWCA. By helping our neighbors come together sparking hope and inspiring positive change in attitudes and actions, we can be part of that front line making things happen in a safe, peaceful and positive way. The vigil will run from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the YWCA Carlisle located at 301 G Street in Carlisle. The public is welcome to participate in the community vigil. The evening will begin inside the YWCAs gymnasium with remarks from select speakers. Participants will then proceed outdoors for the candlelight vigil portion of the event. YWCA Carlisle will share light beverages with attendees. Indie Shuffle, SubmitHub And The Hassle Of Submitting To Music Blogs In this interview, Jason Grishkoff, founder of the established music blog Indie Shuffle, discusses his latest project, SubmitHub, a site designed to streamline the complex and disorganized process of submitting to music blogs. _______________________________ Guest Post by Kevin Cornell on the TuneCore Blog Whether youve got some scratch for a publicist or youre an indie artist handling it yourself, pitching music to press outlets can feel like a long, tedious, and often unfulfilling process. Lots of email addresses, figuring out a proper word count, providing the right links, establishing relationships with bloggers and staying on top of their output and that doesnt even include the waiting for a potential response. Jason Grishkoff knows all about this but from the perspective of one of those folks whose inbox youre jamming up. Founder of the well-known music blog, Indie Shuffle, Jason was able to ditch his job at some search engine company (Google) and pursue his taste making and curating passion full-time. Even as indie music blogs exploded and eventually died down in numbers, artists, labels and publicists still consider this outlet to be an extremely important facet of press outreach. While he still runs Indie Shuffle, Grishkoffs latest venture SubmitHub sets out to solve the problem faced by parties on both sides of the equation: The goal of [SubmitHub] is to centralize the disorganized process of submitting to music blogs. Premium submissions to SubmitHub see a response-rate that significantly exceeds standard email campaigns. Blogs respond quickly, provide feedback, and actually *listen* to your music. Even if they dont like the song enough to share it, using Premium credits means youll be able to get insight into why. On top of that, bloggers earn money for spending time with your submission: premium credits encourage focused listening and timely responses. To provide a little more insight on his new platform (now with over 24,000 users!) and how it impacts the way in which artists and music industry professionals can pitch to bloggers, Jason was kind enough to answer some questions for us: Lets take it back to 2009 a glorious time for indie blogs what drove you to start Indie Shuffle in the first place? How did you grow it? Jason Grishkoff: Glorious indeed! Indie Shuffle began as a mailing list in ~2008, and I honestly had no clue about the crazy music blogging world that existed at the time. It wasnt until I joined a forum on a site called Elbo.ws that I discovered there were a few hundred other bloggers out there, many of them scrambling to grow their own passion projects into something sustainable. We shared a lot of tips and ideas, and we probably owe a lot to Hype Machine, an aggregator that drove many new visitors our way. Tell us a bit about your time working for Google and how you wound up taking on Indie Shuffle full-time. I was doing something completely unrelated at Google (figuring out how much to pay their executives), so Indie Shuffle provided a great outlet for my more creative side. It wasnt until the blog was ~four years old that I decided I was ready to take the leap and make it my full-time schpiel. And boy-oh-boy has it been a roller-coaster ride since then. Quitting a safe and comfortable job is always a risky move, but I was confident at the time that I left that Id built a solid foundation for Indie Shuffle both from a traffic and a monetization standpoint. In fact, I was already running pretty well at least a year prior to quitting Google, so it took some time to take that leap of faith. In your experience, how has the way active music listeners consume and discover new music since the time you started Indie Shuffle? I reckon a huge portion of music enthusiasts (the audience that used to frequent blogs) has transitioned over to the major streaming services. If youre paying $10/month for Spotify, why look elsewhere? Especially given that theyre getting better and better at highlighting new music. As for the remaining active music listeners who havent yet put all their eggs in the Spotify basket I think a lot of power still lies in the hands of bloggers. Were the ones that A&R folks at major labels are keeping an eye on, and regardless of how much our web traffic might be slipping, theyre still relying on us to weed out the gems from the rubble. Similarly, do you feel there has been a tide change in the way bloggers organize, keep up with or choose to promote up-and-coming indie artists that get sent their way? I think were going to get to this in a moment, but, SubmitHub has changed that dramatically. Prior to its arrival, bloggers were seeing their passion turn into an unpaid job one where they would have to sift through thousands of unsolicited email submissions, rather than focusing on the methods that got them into music discovery in the first place. The net result was that for many of us it was no longer fun to find new music; we were too busy telling people to stop emailing us. And in doing so, we missed a lot of up-and-comers. As the founder/editor of a successful indie music blog, what do you consider to be some of the pain points of receiving pitches from artists? 95% of them arent going to make the cut, and when youre receiving 300 of them a day and getting not much in return, it becomes hugely frustrating. Music bloggers didnt start blogging because they wanted unsolicited emails; they started blogging because they like finding new music on their own. SubmitHubs Popular Charts How did you establish the idea for SubmitHub and what drove you to pursue its creation as a platform? I think youve laid out your line of questioning nicely, with the end result landing us on this one: why SubmitHub? The short answer: it was to solve a major pain for me as a blogger. The slightly longer answer is that I wanted to learn a new stack of coding languages, and needed a project to do that with. What was the initial reaction of bloggers who eventually made themselves available for artists or publicists using SubmitHub? Relief. Pretty much everyone who has signed up has done so because they were frustrated with the unrelenting barrage of email pitches. SubmitHub puts the focus back on the music: all they have to do is click play and make a decision. No need to open multiple tabs or sift through 300-word promo pitches for a link. How are you ensuring integrity across the board while being up front and transparent about the entire submission/review process? This is one of the biggest challenges right here! I think weve got a nice community going, and Ive focused primarily on getting Hypem-listed blogs to join. Those guys already have a reputation for being reliable, and so 95% of the blogs on SubmitHub are a dream to work with. The whole system of SubmitHub makes things really transparent. Submitters have access to statistics such as when a blog listened and what their reactions were. On top of that, Ive put a lot of emphasis on setting expectations: when submitting, you can see how likely it is that a blog responds, what their most-likely response will be, and what their preferences might be. All of this 1.) helps the submitter ensure their song finds the best possible fit; and 2.) ensures that blogs arent overwhelmed by songs that arent a good fit for them. In what ways specifically are you hoping to expand the services that SubmitHub provides in the coming year or so? More blogs! More SoundCloud channels! More YouTube channels! And Im also planning to open it up to record labels one of these days so that they can receive demos via SubmitHub, rather than having their inbox flooded. Share on: NMPA And Spotify Declare Victory, But David Lowery Says Fight Has Just Begun For Indie Songwriter, Publishers This week, the National Music Publishers Association and Spotify declared the settlement over unlicensed tracks a smashing success, with 96% of NMPA members signing on. But the fight for fair compensation from Spotify is far from over for many indie publishers and songwriters; and David Lowery, who filed suit against Spotify, explains why. _________________________________________ 7 months ago musician and artist rights advocate David Lowery filed suit against Spotify claiming, among other things, that the streaming service had failed to obtain the appropriate mechanical licenses from many artists and publishers. As a defensive move, Spotify negotiated a seemingly small $5 million settlement with the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) on behalf of its members. With that settlement's opt in period just ending, the NMPA declared victory claiming that 96% of its members had signed. Digital Music News went so far as to falsely declare that Spotify had "crushed the $200 million songwriter lawsuit. " Not so fast, says Lowery, in this exclusive statement to Hypebot: "The NMPA statement seems to be designed to mislead. "96% of NMPA publishers" is not the same as 96% of all publishers and songwriters. I estimate the NMPA publishers plus the big three publishers represent less than 60% of the songs on Spotify. Further the class action lawsuit is not about "unmatched royalties" it's about unlicensed songs. Even with the NMPA settlement Spotify is still larded with unlicensed songs and will continue to generate new copyright infringement liabilities daily. Already we see Spotify heralding the NMPA settlement as silver bullet. If Spotify or their bankers (Goldman Sachs) present this to investors as a "solution" to the songwriter class action they may be committing securities fraud. Finally you have to wonder why the NMPA has been so eager to settle so quickly on less than favorable terms. Well remember that until July of 2015 NMPA owned the Harry Fox Agency. The Harry Fox agency was hired by Spotify to license songs. It is now clear to everyone that Harry Fox Agency failed at this job. This would seem to imply that NMPA is partially liable for the Spotify infringement. How is this not a cover up NMPA members should question their leadership. Specifically are they dragging them into yet another federal investigation?" Share on: The United States Department of Agriculture is providing the Borough of Newville with funding for new police equipment. This funding comes from the Rural Development branch of the USDA. USDA Rural Development is proud to provide loans and grants for police equipment for communities like Newville, said Rural Development State Director Tom Williams. Funding projects such as this one ensures that the law enforcement of the area will be able to respond to all types of emergency calls quickly and efficiently. The funding for the project comes from a USDA Rural Development Community Facility Loan of $32,500 and a Rural Development Community Facility Grant of $17,500. Rural Development funds will be used to purchase a new AWD Police Interceptor, seven Harris portable radios and two commercial truck scales. An applicant contribution of $6,022 puts the total project cost at $56,022. In Pennsylvania last year, the USDA Community Facility Program invested over $199 million in rural Pennsylvania through 58 community facilities loans and grants. Community Facilities programs help build, expand, rehabilitate, purchase, and support the development of police and emergency fire stations and equipment, museums, child care centers, hospitals, clinics, schools and more. Republicans have taken aim at struggling co-ops established under the A ordable Care Act but are they the real problem?No Obamacare actually discourages competition, in spite of all the rhetoric, due to the risk adjustment requirement. Also, plan benefits have been decimated by higher deductibles and higher out of- pocket costs. By not addressing the escalating cost of healthcare, we will pay higher premiums for less and less coverage. The combination of higher premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs keeps insurance unaffordable for way too many people, thus perpetuating the need for greater and greater subsidies to keep people insured, an ever-increasing tax burden. Its about time we stopped making the consumer the primary bearer of the burdensome costs of supporting the healthcare industry.Obamacare has improved access to health insurance for millions of previously uninsured people. Conversely, it made health insurance more difficult for people to afford with its additional mandates, high deductibles and increased taxation to subsidize free services and make plans affordable for low-income families. The real problem is the cost of healthcare, which the Obamacare plan originally set out to reduce. However, midstream, that changed to health insurance reform after realizing that bigger government does not make healthcare cheaper. Instead of treating the disease (the cost of healthcare), only the obvious symptom (the cost of health insurance) was addressed.The answer depends on who you are. If you are poor, then you will have received free or subsidized healthcare. But the healthcare has not improved. I would say a certain percentage of recipients arent even concerned about healthcare. They dont know how it works. Lets talk about everyone in the country renewing or applying for coverage in December for January of the new year. Thats a disaster. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois received applications in late November for a January effective date, and we didnt receive those approvals until mid- to late February. In the meantime, [clients] are left wondering if they have coverage or not. Has Obamacare improved health insurance? I would say no. The Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.), based in New York, announced Wednesday that it has named Sean Kevelighan as its new president and CEO, effective Aug. 8.Kevelighan replaces Robert Hartwig, who stepped down to join the University of South Carolinas Darla Moore School of Business in Columbia, South Carolina. Hartwig accepted the position of co-director of the Moore Schools Risk and Uncertainty Management Center.Previously, Kevelighan was Zurich Insurance Groups global head of public affairs.While at Zurich, Kevelighan was responsible for setting the corporations global public policy and corporate responsibility agendas, I.I.I. stated in its announcement.Over nearly two decades, Sean has attained impressive accomplishments in public affairs and communications as well as a deep technical knowledge of insurance issues, remarked EMC Insurance Cos. President and CEO and I.I.I. chairman of the board of directors Bruce Kelley.The search committee screened dozens of high-caliber candidates, but the final vote was unanimous. Sean is an ideal fit for the CEO role due to his success as a media spokesperson in both corporate and government settings, as well as his international insurance industry experience. AssuredPartners, the Florida-based firm which has bought 150 insurance brokerages in the past 5 years, has expanded into Canada with the acquisition of speciality oil and natural gas insurance brokerage LJ Stein.We are excited to have the clients and staff of LJ Stein join AssuredPartners. said Tom Riley, President and COO of AssuredPartners. This team is so focused and passionate about the energy industry, it is demonstrated in their dedication and highly technical skill sets. With this union, AssuredPartners now has a presence in Canada with LJ Steins Calgary location.The 13 staff of LJ Stein in its offices in Northern Appalachia and Calgary will continue to be part of operations under CEO David Stein.Sun Life Financial has revealed its fourth annual report on the costliest medical conditions covered by Sun Life stop-loss insurance from 2012 to 2015 and explores emerging trends to help brokers and self-funded employers understand and mitigate their risks.The report shows a 25 per cent rise in million-dollar claims compared to last years analysis. During the four years of the study, billed charges from medical care providers totaled $9 billionCancer continues to dominate, accounting for 26.6 per cent of all stop-loss claims and occupying the top 2 slots of the table with claims totaling $618 million in stop-loss reimbursements; Chronic/end-stage renal disease (kidneys) held steady in the number-three spot on the list, accounting for over $369 million in combined first-dollar claims and stop-loss claims reimbursements.Transplants have seen a sharp rise in the 4-year study period, rising 65 per cent and totaling $62.2 million; and a 79 per cent rise in bone marrow/stem cell transplant costs.Businesses in the consumer products sector are too often putting the acquisition of customer insights ahead of data privacy; risking fines and reputational damage.In analysis of more than 300 executives at 86 large global consumer products firms by Capgeminis Digital Transformation Institute, 90 per cent of firms said they have been hit by a breach of customer data although half do not have a clear policy on customer data security and privacy.The report comes ahead of new regulations affecting organizations which holds data within the European Union, including many North American multinationals.Capgemini calculates that with the current preparedness of organizations, the global consumer products industry risks sanctions with magnitudes of over 3.5 per cent of its U$9 trillion value by failing to comply with the new EU rules alone. 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 Leave it to firefighters to know the best way to beat the heat. These volunteer first-responders not only have to battle the high temperature and humidity of summer weather, but scorching flames, choking smoke and stuffy turnout gear. Its a challenge they will face throughout July in the Cumberland Valley with a majority of days forecast to feature 90 degree temperatures over the next two weeks. When managing a scene, Deputy Fire Chief Mike Farrell makes sure all the volunteers under his watch stay hydrated and that there are enough people on hand to rotate crews off the line for a drink of water or a cool-down at a rehab unit. An officer with the Monroe Fire Company, Farrell was in charge of coordinating the response to a barn fire last Friday in Monroe Township, a day when temperatures hit 90 degrees with humidity levels high. Firefighters were at the scene about seven hours. We had a big enough fire, we went to a second alarm for additional tanker support and to get additional manpower, Farrell recalled. We didnt leave until shortly after 5 Friday night. Farrell kept vigil making sure the volunteers did not push themselves too hard beyond the threshold of fatigue. The bunker pants, turnout coats and helmets each volunteer wore added protection but also trapped body heat sapping their strength. With ambient temperatures and high humidity, its going to drain them a lot faster, said Dan Grimes, fire chief of Carlisle Fire and Rescue Services. He added volunteers with his company respond differently to summer calls depending on the nature of the incident. For non-injury crashes or medical assists, they may arrive on the scene in bunker pants while building fires and accidents involving entrapment require full turnout gear, Grimes said. Rehab units are often called to an extended scene no matter the weather or season of the year. The difference with summer calls is the rehab unit often arrives earlier than normal to counteract the threat of added heat stress, Grimes said. Warning signs Cumberland Goodwill EMS has a rehab unit in its fleet of vehicles equipped with tents for shade, bottled water, cool towels and fans that blow a mist that help firefighters cool down, said Nathan Harig, assistant chief. Firefighters are taught the warning signs to look for in themselves and other volunteers manning the line. If an individual is sweating profusely or appears to be acting confused, it could mean the onset of heat exhaustion and the need to pull that firefighter off the line, Grimes said. In preparation, the Monroe Fire Company stocks a supply of bottled water at its station to place into coolers when called to a scene, especially in the summer. You keep yourself hydrated, Ferrell said. When the time comes to do something, the body is going to be prepared. Firefighters are not the only ones pressed to work in high heat and humidity. Work crews employed by Bitner Brothers Construction Inc. have jobs outside throughout the summer installing roofs, siding, decks, windows and doors. What we do is have the guys start earlier, owner Charles Bitner said. We try to be at the job site at 7 a.m. to try to beat the heat. Each crew has a cooler packed with bottled water on ice. Employees are encouraged to stay hydrated and take frequent breaks every half hour to an hour especially if a job takes them away from the shade. While most work can be ongoing during the day, any roofing has to be done before noon because of the potential damage to shingles, Bitner said. They can start to tear and melt if you walk on them. There is no shade. You are in the direct sun. It heats up really hot. And there is no getting away from it, so most roofing jobs are scheduled to end early in the day when the work is done in the summer. Brent Lucas is landscape manager for Cumberland Valley Tree Service which also makes adjustments to account for summer heat and humidity. We are rolling in the 90s and above, Lucas said referring to the temperature. The job schedule is often modified to allow more work to be done earlier in the day when its cooler. While landscape crews are allowed to dress down in shorts, tree crews have to wear long pants for safety reasons. Tailgate meetings are held every week to remind workers of the dangers of heat stress and the importance of staying hydrated, Lucas said. He added water coolers are standard equipment on summer job sites. Thanks to the FBIs press conference about Hillary Clintons emails we now know with a good degree of certainty that in America the rule of law no longer matters. Last week we witnessed Democrats not just living above the law, but reveling in lawlessness just like pigs in slop. You cant make this stuff up. During a July 5 press conference, FBI Director James Comey acknowledged that Hillary Clinton met every requirement for a felony violation under Section 793(f) of the federal penal code. Mr. Comey said Hillary acted in gross negligence in the removal of (or causing the removal of) highly classified information, transmitting it to those not authorized to see it. Comey acknowledged Hillary was also extremely careless, and likely allowed correspondence to be intercepted by foreign intelligence agencies. Even still, Mr. Comey said the FBI did not recommend prosecution because he claimed there was no intent to harm the United States. To be clear, said FBI Director Comey, this is not to suggest that in similar circumstances, a person who engaged in this activity would face no consequences. To the contrary, those individuals are often subject to security or administrative sanctions. But that is not what we are deciding right now. And who is surprised? Get used to it, peasants; laws are for us, not political elites. Considering the punishment applied by the Obama administration to former CIA Director David Petraeus but not to IRSs Lois Lerner or Hillary Clinton the arc of Martin Luther Kings moral universe might be long but it obviously doesnt bend toward justice if liberals are in control. Enter: Donald J. Trump. Before you spit out your coffee, please allow me to reconfirm that I still hold deep concerns about what a Trump presidency means. Please do not accept this as an all-out endorsement, and please understand that if Ted Cruz were still in the race, this part of the column would be moot. But, it is what it is, and we are where we are. That said, the world is on fire and it seems the one country that can do anything about it, America, is on the brink of collapse unless something gives. For me, last week changed everything when I heard FBI Director Comey confirm that Hillary Clinton indeed lied to the American people but he wouldnt recommend that the DOJ prosecute. Later, Obamas Department of Justice dropped the case. Add to that, as I write, police across the country are being targeted for assassination. Numerous police were killed and injured while protecting a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas. NBC News reports the assassin told officers he was upset about recent police-involved shootings and wanted to kill white people, especially white officers. This is hard to say, but no less true. America has grown more racially divided the past eight years and Hillary Clinton would only make things worse. Rather than standing against wrong and defending right, todays Democrats coddle just about anyone who will vote for them. And what about all the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil? Liberals bow at the altar of political correctness and its killing us. Thanks to the FBI investigation, we know how seriously Hillary takes national security. The last thing we need is a president so preoccupied with all the scandals she creates she cant address what matters. With that said, I can definitively say Id never vote for that woman. And Donalds all weve got.This evangelicals thankful hes surrounded himself with good Christian leaders thatll hopefully rub off on him. He promises to protect Christians from the oppression theyve seen at the hands of this administration and court system leftists. Tough times call for tough measures. I sure hope Ive been wrong about Trump. Itll be a joy if I have to eat some humble pie. Susan Stamper Brown lives in Alaska and writes about culture, politics and current events. She was selected as one of Americas 50 Best Conservative writers for 2015. Her columns are syndicated by CagleCartoons.com. Email her at writestamper@gmail.com. Union Cabinet approves the Revised Cost Estimate of Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan Published: July 14, 2016 The Union Cabinet has given its approval for Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of 7290.62 crore rupees for the ongoing 1020 MW Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Bhutan. The Hydroelectric project seeks to provide surplus power to India and thus augment power availability in the country. The approval of RCE would enable project works to proceed smoothly without interruption and the total cost escalation for the project after RCE at this stage is 3512.82 crore rupees. Background India and Bhutan had signed a bilateral agreement to execute the Punatsangchhu-II HEP in April 2010. The project was approved cost of 3777.8 crore rupees with funding by Union Government as 30% grant and 70% loan at 10% annual interest. The main factors behind cost escalation were due to inflation from March 2009 to March 2015 and increase in capacity of HEP from 990 MW to 1020 MW. Besides, change in surface power house to underground power house and additional requirements of Bhutans National Transmission Grid Master Plan and adverse geological condition also escalated the cost. Month: Current Affairs - July, 2016 Topics: Cabinet Decisions Hydroelectricity India-Bhutan infrastructure National Latest E-Books Imperial Valley News Center Supporting the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons Through the Global Equality Fund Washington, DC - The United States and Montenegro recognize that supporting and promoting the human rights of all persons is the responsibility of every government and that the human rights of LGBTI persons are not different or separate from the human rights of any other persons. Defending the human rights of LGBTI persons is part of our shared human rights policies and of our respective foreign policies. To build on this shared commitment and partnership, we are pleased today to announce the Government of Montenegro as the newest partner of the Global Equality Fund. Launched in December 2011, the Global Equality Fund has provided assistance in support of civil society-led efforts to advance and protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons around the world. The Fund brings together the resources and expertise of governments, corporations, foundations, and civil society organizations with the shared objective of creating an environment in which LGBTI persons can live free from intimidation, discrimination, or violence. Montenegro joins the United States and other like-minded partners including the governments of Argentina, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Uruguay as well as the Arcus Foundation, the John D. Evans Foundation, FRI: the Norwegian LGBT Organization, the MAC AIDS Fund, Deloitte LLP, the Royal Bank of Canada, Hilton Worldwide, Bloomberg L.P., the Human Rights Campaign and Out Leadership to advance freedom, equality, and dignity for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Imperial County Department of Public Works Appoints New Deputy Director of Public Works for Field Operations El Centro, California - Yesterday, during the Imperial County Board of Supervisors meeting in Westmorland, the Imperial County Department of Public Works Director, William Brunet, announced the appointment of Lucio Martinez as the new Deputy Director of Public Works for Field Operations. Mr. Martinez was promoted last week on July 6, 2016. Mr. Martinez is an Imperial County native who graduated from Calexico High School and received an Associates Degree in Business Management from Imperial Valley College. He is a veteran of the United States Navy in which he served in from 1975 to 1979. Mr. Martinez has worked for the County of Imperial for more than 28 years, when he began his career with the Department of Public Works in January 1988 as an Equipment Operator I. Since Mr. Martinez first started with the County, he has served in several positions including Equipment Operator II, Field Operations Crew Leader, Assistant District Road Superintendent, District Road Superintendent and Regional Road Superintendent, leading to the position he now holds. About his new position, Mr. Martinez stated, I am very grateful for the opportunity and will do my best to serve the citizens of the Imperial Valley. Bastille Day in France Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the people of France in commemorating Bastille Day. "This July 14, as we observe the anniversary of the French nation, we also celebrate our mutual commitment to peace, liberty, and prosperity a commitment that has sustained our friendship for more than two centuries. Through good times and days of deepest peril, the United States and France have stood together in defense of our shared interests and values. I'm delighted President Hollande has invited me to attend this year's celebration. "This past year marked a milestone in our common fight against the harmful effects of climate change. Last Decembers Paris agreement sent a clear message to governments, the private sector and citizens everywhere that a clean energy revolution is underway with the potential to preserve the environmental health of our planet and create millions of good new jobs. The United States and France must remain leaders and partners in this historic effort. "The past year also included moments of profound tragedy and sorrow as terrorists attacked the City of Light and tested the resolve of France and her friends. Our answer was emphatic that we will not be intimidated by murderers and will not rest until the perpetrators of terror are defeated and our citizens safe. Here, too, continued leadership from the United States and France is essential. "France is one of Americas oldest friends and yet we are as close today as we have ever been. Happy Bastille Day! And may our alliance endure for countless generations to come." Zimbabwe Man Who Started 'Pak Bean' Rivalry Had This to Say After Pakistan's Defeat 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 }} If Knox-Hooke ever had the chance to have a face-to-face conversation with the police officer who killed Mark Duggan on 4 August 2011, he would simply ask what made him shoot. I would say to him: what made you shoot? Did you feel threatened? He would give me his answer and I then I would just say: You need to apologise to the family, he told The Independent. Five years after the lawful killing verdict of an unarmed man, Knox-Hooke still hopes that police will tell the real story behind his best friends death: Look at the result of the Stephen Lawrences case or Hillsborough, these things tend to come out after a certain amount of years. So, hopefully, one day is sitting down and he thinks: You know what? I need to tell the world what actually happened. The Hard Stop, a new documentary on Mark Duggan, whose shooting by police triggered the wave of riots that swept the UK in 2011, is coming out in cinemas on July 15. Georges Amponsahs latest film follows the journey of Marcus Knox-Hooke and Kurtis Henville, two of Duggans childhood friends over 24 months until his lawful killing verdict in 2012. In August 2011, after a peaceful protest in front of Tottenham Police station - where Duggan used to live - Knox-Hooke was filmed attacking a police car when the demonstration turned into the riots that spread across the country. When saying that I started the riots, obviously I did, but I always have to address that it wasnt something that I was proud of because a lot of innocent lives were affected, he said. Mark Duggan inquest: commission investigating police shooting that sparked summer riots 'not fit for purpose' Show all 4 1 /4 Mark Duggan inquest: commission investigating police shooting that sparked summer riots 'not fit for purpose' Mark Duggan inquest: commission investigating police shooting that sparked summer riots 'not fit for purpose' pg-6-duggan-pa.jpg PA Mark Duggan inquest: commission investigating police shooting that sparked summer riots 'not fit for purpose' DugganREX.jpg Rex Features Mark Duggan inquest: commission investigating police shooting that sparked summer riots 'not fit for purpose' Pg-2-police.jpg Mark Duggan inquest: commission investigating police shooting that sparked summer riots 'not fit for purpose' 634155.bin Hugh Pinney/Getty Images Five people died and more than 200m of damage was done to businesses and property during the riots. Knox-Hooke was later charged with inciting the violence and sentenced to over two years in prison. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up I felt that I went to jail for a just cause in my heart, because you [police] killed my boy, he wasnt willing to fight and this is your way of getting back at me, which is a coward move as far as Im concerned, Knox-Hooke said. The film also follows the struggle of Duggans friend Kurt Henville to rebuild his life after the 29-year-olds death. Throughout the filming process, director George Amponsah learned that - regardless of their backgrounds - Marcus and Kurtis have an impressive courage and capacity to change. Although he stresses that he never wanted to do a whitewash job on the Broadwater Farm estate community. We never wanted to present them [Marcus and Kurtis] as two boys scouts. When you watch the film you can see the rough edges. They dont try to hide it and I dont think weve done that either in terms of editing decisions, he said. 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 }} When JK Rowling first announced that new wizarding story Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was coming to the theatre, where it would remain a play and a play alone, eyebrows raised. Sure enough, news of the script being released in book form followed and now, film studio Warner Bros has reportedly filed for a Cursed Child trademark should they ever want to make it into a movie. You know, just in case. Blogger Brian Conroy has shared the full UK application from the producers of both the Harry Potter films and the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchise online. They really are covering all eventualities, most notably motion picture films featuring comedy, drama, action, adventure and/or animation, and motion picture films for broadcast on television featuring comedy, drama, action, adventure and/or animation. This could mean a filmed performance of the play, or it could mean a new movie altogether, maybe even with Daniel Radcliffe returning as an adult Harry. We just dont know at this stage. Warner Bros are not stopping there. Oh no. They also want to trademark Cursed Child computer games, stationary, board games, Halloween costumes, sweets, lunchboxes sunglasses, phone covers, cutlery, sleeping bags, jewellery and, of course, colouring books among a ream of other things. Either dollar signs are glowing in their eyes (the franchise has grossed over $7.7 billion worldwide) or they want to stop anybody else from cashing in on all things Hogwarts. Update: Representatives for JK Rowling have responded to our request for comment: The trademarking process is simply a formality. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a stage play, with no plans for there to be a film, a spokesperson said. First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Show all 11 1 /11 First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Anthony Boyle as Scorpius Malfoy First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Alex Price as Draco Malfoy First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Anthony Boyle and Alex Price as Draco and Scorpius Malfoy First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Paul Thornley as Ron Weasley First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Cherrelle Skeete as Rose Granger-Weasley First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Paul Thornley, Noma Dumezweni and Cherrelle Skeete in The Cursed Child Pottermore First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child James Parker as Harry Potter First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Poppy Miller as Ginny Potter First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Sam Clemmett as Albus Potter First look at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child The Potter family in The Cursed Child Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been previewing in two parts for the last month at Londons Palace Theatre but does not officially open until 30 July. Tickets are currently on sale until May 2017, with touts selling them online for upwards of 2,000. Those unable to see the play can buy it as a book from 31 July. Just keep those spoilers to yourself, some of us might want to wait for the film... : ; - CM ?; - Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for insider tips and product reviews from our shopping experts Sign up for our free IndyBest 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 IndyBest email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Its doesnt seem long ago that in order to obtain a decent fruit beer you would have to travel to Belgium, where the marriage of sweet fruits and sour beers has a proud history. But times in the brewing world have very quickly changed and brewers from other countries are not only mimicking those Belgian ales, but also bunging ripe fruits into any kind of beer they can think of. Sour styles, such as Lambic, Berliner Weisse or Gose, may be the most obvious fit for fruity additions, where the flavours of ingredients such as cherries and raspberries naturally enhance the sharpness created by wild fermentation. But smarter brewers have worked out how to successfully combine fruit with almost any kind of malt and hop mix. Citrus and tropical fruits, in particular grapefruit, orange and mango, have similar flavour profiles to some modern American hops making them work well in pale ales, whereas autumnal ingredients including plums and blackberries compliment the richer flavours and aromas of dark porters and stouts. And those new sour beers in particular seem to encourage all sorts of fruity playfulness, from Hawksheads Key Lime Tau to Boundarys Lactose and Blueberry Berliner Weisse. Weve been puckering up our lips for some fruity fun from a vast range of beers and have picked out 10 that we think show off some of the finest flavours available. You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Boon Kriek, 4%: 3 for 375ml, Waitrose We could give several places in our top 10 to Belgiums amazing cherry Lambics, but have opted for Brouwerij Boons version as its now readily available in the UK. Brewed using spontaneous fermentation by wild yeasts unique to the Pajottenland region, Lambics have deliciously crisp, sour flavours and a fizz worthy of the finest champagne. Its the perfect foil for the load of cherries Boon adds to the mix, with their tart fruity flavours mingling with an almond sweetness that lends the drink a mellow richness. Buy now Stringers Damson, 6%: 3.09 for 330ml, Beer Hawk If you like to drink the seasons then we suggest loading up on Camden Brewerys Strawberry Hells Forever during the summer months before switching to this Cumbrian treat when the nights start to lengthen. Its a dark beer that has undergone a slow re-fermentation with damsons and is produced in limited editions, so snaffle it while you can. It has a bit of vinegar sourness, a grape mustiness and is unusually dry. Within its plummy depths youll find some rich damson jamminess and cherry-like tartness along with some spicy, yeasty flavours. Unusual, complex and hugely enjoyable just what we look for in a fruit beer. Buy now Westbrook Brewing Co Red Raspberry Port Pipe Finish, 5%: 13.75 for 375ml, Beer Gonzo As with a lot of American craft brewers, South Carolinas Westbrook Brewing Co like to experiment with barrel ageing and this pricey beer has been through quite a lengthy process to arrive in the bottle. Its a blend of mixed fermentation sour beers from two different oak foudres (vats) that has been re-fermented for six months in port pipes (barrels) in the company of a load of raspberries. Its a light brown, murky beer that has been tinged with pinkness and has an instant aroma of ripe raspberries that intensifies on drinking, tasting so fresh you have to check there are no pips between your teeth. The effects of the barrel-ageing develop with a leathery, tannic maturity and a biting sour tang. Buy now Siren Pompelmocello, 6%: 3.19 for 330ml, Honest Brew In recent years the grapefruit has barged its way to the front of the fruit queue when breweries go hunting for interesting adjuncts to plunge into their beers. Brewdog, Magic Rock and St Peter's are just three that have helped popularise its citrussy charms in the UK, but its Siren that has produced our favourite version. Described as a Sour IPA the ingredients also include lactose, which enhances the sweeter grapefruit flavours and makes the sourness reminiscent of citrus flavoured yoghurt. The beers grapefruit makeover is complete with a slap of tartness and some pithy bitterness. Buy now Wild Beer Co, Sleeping Lemons, 3.6%: 2.59 for 330ml, Beer Hawk The gose style of beer takes a lot of abuse from brewers who pimp it up with overpowering fruits and excruciating sourness, but thats not the case with this Wild Beer Cos effort. They have preserved lemons in salt before adding them to the beer and, while theres the tart acidic bite you would expect from a sour beer and lemon combination, the delicacy of the malt and hops still shines through. The slight salinity is as you would expect from the style (salt is a traditional gose ingredient) and the overall effect is of a breezy beer that makes a perfect, refreshing accompaniment to a light lunch. Buy now Buxton Sonrisa, 4.7%: 4.99 for 375ml, Honest Brew Buxton Brewery describe this as a breakfast beer on account of it being made with oats, clementines and a squeeze of lemon. Its a pale ale in which the fruit has been used to give a zesty twist to the beer rather than be the dominant flavour. It has a faint citrussy aroma and is an easy sipping beer with the clementines softly nudging you for attention before becoming more apparent at the finish. Its a simple fresh and fruity drinking pleasure, but if youre eager for more orange then check your beer shops in April for Beavertowns Bloody Ell, their much anticipated annual IPA flavoured with blood oranges. Buy now Titanic Plum Porter, 4.9%: 1.65 for 500ml, Morrisons The roasted malt flavours of this porter provide a more flavoursome base than many of the brews in this list, so the plum juice addition has to do a little more work to make its presence known without wrecking the beer. It makes an instant impression with the aroma sweet fruity fragrances mingle nicely with the coffee notes and the plummy pleasures continue with every sip, adding a rich fruity intensity to the brew and a sweet, juicy contrast to the toasty bitterness that lurks beneath. Buy now Lindemans Pecheresse, 2.5%: 1.70 for 250ml, Beer Merchants This beer isnt a hit with everyone some people will grumble that its too sweet and not strong enough but if, like us, you occasionally fancy a bit of peachiness in your beer then its as good as youll find. Another Belgian Lambic beer, it has traces of the mature oaky funk found in other beers of this style but those sweet peaches take centre stage before finishing off with flickers of tart and bitter notes. Buy now Samuel Smith, Organic Apricot Beer, 5.1%: 2.39 for 355ml, Drink Supermarket We like Samuel Smiths fruit beers and featured their raspberry version in our Best Organic Beers list, so this time were tucking into apricots. Its made by blending a mature beer with apricot juice (and more beer) to create a golden ale that has the sticky jam sweetness of apricots up front with a smooth, pale malt in the background. Theres even a touch of beery bitterness going on, but even this only helps accentuate the apricots sweet pleasures. Buy now Innis and Gunn, Mangoes on the Run, 5.6%: 1.75 for 330ml, Morissons There are slim fruit pickings at the cheaper end of the supermarket shelves, but we were pleasantly surprised by this mango flavoured IPA from Scotlands Innis and Gunn. Theres some graininess evident in the malt and more noticeable bitterness than most fruit beers, which sits well with sweet, fruity mango and citrus. A great value can of fruit flavours. Buy now The Verdict: Best Fruit Beers A Belgian fruit Lambic is a thing of beauty, so to have Boons Kriek readily available in the UK at such a reasonable price is a reason to pop the cork and celebrate. 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 }} Britain's vote to leave the European Union is expected to trigger a rush in new applications for special health insurance cards that entitle travellers to discounted medical bills on the continent. According to data obtained by This Is Money, seven million European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) cards are due to expire this year. If caught out, tourists will have to pay more in medical bills than expected. This further adds to the worries of UK citizens who fear Brexit could mean the loss of cheaper medical bills abroad. When in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, EHIC cards enable the holder to receive emergency medical care at the same cost and standard as state-provided care in the country. Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list Show all 10 1 /10 Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 1. Peloponnese, Greece GETTY Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 2. Aarhus, Denmark ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 3. Venice, Italy GETTY Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 4. The Dordogne, France REUTERS Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 5. Lviv, Ukraine GETTY Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 6. Warwickshire, England GETTY Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 7. Extremadura, Spain GETTY Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 8. East Coast Tenerife, Canary Islands Getty Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 9. Texel, the Netherlands REUTERS Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 10. Northern Dalmatia, Croatia GETTY According to the NHS, this means cardholders receive treatment at a reduced cost or, in many cases, for free. After submitting a freedom of information request to the NHS business services authority, This Is Money revealed that 7,196,592 EHIC cards are set to expire this year. The number expiring this year is unprecedented and marks an increase of 66% when compared with 2015. Last year 4,333,892 cards expired, whilst only 2,797,576 expired in 2014. However, data is only stored for two years and This Is Money warned: This wasnt reflective of the whole of that year. Brussels welcomes appointment of May as British PM The findings suggest that a large number of UK tourists are set to be caught out if they produce an expired EHIC card when in Europe. Failure to produce a valid card may result in expensive private medical treatment. Reminders are not sent out to EHIC cardholders and it is the responsibility of the owner to renew his card. All adults over the age of 16 require their own EHIC card to benefit from the reduced cost in medical expenses. An EHIC card is free but This Is Money warned: several websites have been set up in the past few years selling EHIC cards for a fee. However, these sites are a scam and you can apply for an EHIC card through the official EHIC website, by calling 0300 330 1350 or by printing an application on the NHS website. 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 }} Andrea Leadsom has been appointed the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Theresa Mays new cabinet. The former Minister for Energy at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Ms Leadsom will replace will Liz Truss, the newly appointed Justice Secretary who marked her time at Defra with a passion for promoting British produce. Ms Leadsom was raised in Tonbridge, Kent, attending Tonbridge Girls' Grammar School, and studied at Warwick University. After a career in banking and finance, she became the MP for South Northamptonshire in 2010. Aside from being Ms Mays political rival, suddenly dropping out of the Tory leadership race and making the suggestion she could be better suited to the role of Prime Minister because she has children, Ms Leadsom is also more recently known for asking if climate change was real on her first day as an energy minister. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images Is climate change real? Ms Leadsom reportedly told a parliamentary fracking group in November she had to ask whether climate change was real after accepting the role as an energy minister. She said she is now completely persuaded that it is, according to the energy site Drill and Drop. Apologies Ms Leadsom apologised to the incumbent Prime Minister for any hurt I have caused after a row over remarks she made to The Times which appeared to suggest being a mother gave her an advantage as a potential prime minister. Ms Leadsom, a mother of three, was asked whether she felt like a mum in politics. Yes. I am sure Theresa will be really sad she doesn't have children so I don't want this to be 'Andrea has children, Theresa hasn't' because I think that would be really horrible, but genuinely I feel that being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake, she responded. She possibly has nieces, nephews, lots of people, but I have children who are going to have children who will directly be a part of what happens next. May's new cabinet Controversial views Ms Leadsoms bid for leadership was marked by her beliefs on gay marriage and views expressed on her blog over the last decade. In an interview after a speech in Westminster, Ms Leadsom said that she did not like the same-sex marriage legislation and would have preferred for it to include civil partnerships for heterosexual people. Fracking As an energy minister she has been positive about hydraulic fracturing, believing it be the answer to a growing dependency on gas. She told Politics Home in March: Theres the ridiculous argument that somehow we dont need gas, we can just do it with windfarms and solar. Of course thats absolutely implausible. 85 per cent of us use gas for heating and cooking, so weve got to have it. Gas is absolutely essential to the UKs energy security and wed be mad not to look at what we can do at home. Family Ms Leadsom is married and has three children. 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 }} Fox news host Bill OReilly has called for the US to adopt the English legal model of losers pay to prevent people from filing frivolous sexual harassment lawsuits. In an interview with Seth Meyers, Mr OReilly was referring to the sexual harassment lawsuit brought by former Fox host Gretchen Carlson against the chairman and CEO of Fox, Roger Ailes. Until the United States adopts the English system of civil law, whereby if you file a frivolous lawsuit and you lose, the judge has a right to make you pay all court costs - until we adopt that very fair proposition, were going to have this out of control, tabloid society that is tremendously destructive, he said. I stand behind Roger 100 per cent. Mr Ailes, 76, had been accused by Ms Carlson, who worked at the network for 11 years, as sexist and would ogle her, ask her to turn around so he could look at her, and asked her to engage in a sexual relationship to solve their work-related issues. But Mr OReilly said 95 per cent of people who had worked for Mr Ailes would disagree with those statements. Ive worked for Roger Ailes for twenty years, alright? Best boss Ive ever had. Straight shooter, always honest with me, he said. His comments were backed up by Fox News producer Greta Van Susteren, who accused Ms Carlson of being a disgruntled employee after the network did not renew her contract and she was terminated in June. I've often been alone with Roger Ailes in his office over the course of 15 years and I've never seen anything like what I'm reading about in the papers and the magazine, she told People. Mr O'Reilly said that every famous, powerful or wealthy individual is a target. Youre a target, he said, pointing at Mr Myers. Im a target. Any time, somebody could come out, and sue us, attack us, go to the press or anything like that. "And thats a deplorable situation, because, I mean, I have to have body guards. Mr OReilly was sued himself for $60 million for sexual harassment by former producer Andrea Mackris who worked with him between 2002 and 2004. He had been accused of sending lewd messages, and he filed an extortion suit against Ms Mackris. He later dropped that suit and settled the case for an undisclosed figure. The OReilly Factor host also hit the headlines recently after he lost custody of his children to his ex-wife, whom he was accused of dragging by the neck down the stairs in front of his daughter. Mr OReilly denied the accusations. 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 }} Boris Johnsons surprise announcement as the Foreign Secretary in Theresa Mays cabinet has caused some consternation overnight. The outgoing former Mayor of London has used his various columns and op-eds across the years to air his sometimes controversial, often provocative views on world issues and even world leaders. Mr Johnsons key responsibilities as Foreign Secretary will be to represent Britain on the world stage, act as a connection between British politics and the political system in different countries, oversee diplomacy and build relationships with foreign ministers. But inbetween holding some of the most memorable photo-ops conducted by an MP, he has made a number of contentious comments, making his appointment to the role an interesting one. Here are a few examples below: Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Show all 7 1 /7 Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson plays rugby with Japanese elementary school children in Tokyo Getty Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson bumps into a schoolchild during a Street Rugby event at Tokyo Square Gardens building EPA Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson collides with 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson falls down after colliding with 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson falls down after colliding with 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Barack Obama Mr Johnson responded to Mr Obamas plea to the UK to stay in Europe with an editorial published by The Sun claiming the part-Kenyan president had an ancestral dislike of the British empire of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender. Hillary Clinton In 2007, Mr Johnson used his column in The Telegraph to declare his support for Ms Clinton as the woman to succeed George Bush in the White House - just to have Bill Clinton as a First Husband. This is how he described her: She's got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital." Recep Tayyip Erdogan Mr Johnson won a 1,000 prize for a limerick, published by the Spectator, about the Turkish President amid a debate about freedom of speech. There was a young fellow from Ankara, Who was a terrific wankerer, his poem began. Till he sowed his wild oats, With the help of a goat, But he didn't even stop to thankera." Boris Johnson's most controversial quotes Angela Merkel Mr Johnson took issue with the German Chancellor over her decision to prosecute the German comedian who insulted President Erdogan and sparked the free speech row in the first place. What is truly incredible indeed what is positively sickening is that the German government has agreed at the express request of Angela Merkel that the prosecution should go ahead," he wrote. She numbly decided to kowtow to the demands of Erdogan. George W. Bush During his time as editor of the Spectator, Johnson also took a swipe at Mr Bush, describing him as "a cross-eyed Texan warmonger, unelected, inarticulate, who epitomises the arrogance of American foreign policy" in an unsigned editorial. Tony Blair Mr Johnson was somehow even less restrained with the former Prime Minister in a Telegraph column in 2004. He is a mixture of Harry Houdini and a greased piglet. He is barely human in his elusiveness. Nailing Blair is like trying to pin jelly to a wall. 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 }} Theresa Mays unveiling of her new cabinet this morning continues with the appointment of Elizabeth Truss to the position of Secretary of State for Justice. Ms May promised more women would appear in senior roles ahead of her primary reshuffle and female MPs to be appointed to roles in her cabinet include Amber Rudd, replacing her as Home Secretary, and Justine Greening as Education Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities. Ms Truss, 40, has reiterated Ms Mays promise that Brexit means Brexit. The MP for South West Norfolk since her election in 2010, Ms Truss has also served as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under David Camerons administration since 2014. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images She grew up in a left-wing family before becoming a rebel A self-described "practical Yorkshire girl, Ms Trusss background is unusual in comparison to her colleagues in that she was raised in a northern, left-leaning family and educated at a comprehensive. She grew up in Paisley and Leeds, going to marches, peace camps and protests with her parents as a child before attending the University of Oxford to read philosophy, politics and economics at Merton College. In a 2014 Conservative Party Conference speech, Ms Truss described her defection to the Tory party as a personal rebellion. I, Conference, became a rebel, she told delegates. I became a CONSERVATIVE. Her father, a maths professor, reportedly refused to campaign for her during the election. His profession clearly influenced his daughter however and Ms Truss has argued extensively for education reform, particularly in maths. Before entering politics, Ms Truss worked in energy and telecoms, as an economist and as the Deputy Director for the think-tank Reform. Food Ms Truss is a self-confessed foodie who pushed buying British products to the top of her agenda as the Environment Secretary. I want people to buy British because its the tastiest food and the most exciting food, she told The Telegraph in 2015. When I was growing up, other countries food like the French - was perceived as exciting and innovative and our food wasnt seen like that. Its still the case with wines. Our sparkling wines are award-winning and compete very well with champagne but Im not sure if people realise the extent to which it really is a very high-quality product. Viral star Ms Truss is perhaps better known to some for the excruciatingly awkward speech she gave to delegates at the 2014 Conservative Party Conference on the admittedly somewhat unenthralling topic of British food exports, such as tea, pork and cheese. After introducing herself to delegates, a grinning Ms Truss continued her food-themed address with the now infamous line: In December I'll be in Beijing, opening up pork markets, pausing for dramatic effect after delivering this sentence. During the same speech, she added: We import two-thirds of our cheese. That. Is. A. Disgrace." A speech delivered at the Party conference the following year calling for children to know the proper names for animals and trees made her a viral star once again. No prizes for guessing how Twitter responded on this occasion. Ms Truss will have no doubt refined her orating skills in the two years up until her appointment to Theresa Mays cabinet. Family Ms Truss is married with two daughters. What she watches to unwind "Brat Pack flicks from the 1980s. I watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off a lot; The Breakfast Club, St Elmos Fire, that kind of thing. Just popular culture." 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 }} Louise Mensch has provoked a backlash on Twitter after calling a man who disagreed with Jeremy Hunt's re-appointment as Health Secretary a "loathsome scumbag". The fomer Conservative MP, who left her post to spend time with her family, appeared to mock a father waiting for his son in surgery because of their political differences over Mr Hunt. Jonathan Bartley had taken his 14-year-old son, who was born with spina bifida and is suffering from a 90 degree curvature of the spine, to St George's hospital in London to try to get him into theatre. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images When the surgeon told him he was yet again too overbooked to fit in Mr Bartley's son - with 17 emergency operations alone to do by the weekend - news arrived that Jeremy Hunt might be losing his brief as Health Secretary. Mr Bartley, who is also work and pensions spokesperson for the Green Party, sent out a single tweet saying a cheer had gone up among the staff: He then said the decision by new Prime Minister Theresa May to keep Mr Hunt in the post after all was unlikely to encourage NHS workers. Ms Mensch, who has been accused of sending offensive tweets before, tweeted a number of responses to both Mr Bartley and his defenders before concluding he was a "loathsome tit". She also said she believed junior doctors who were striking over changes to their pay and working hours were "selfish". Jonathan Bartley said he was "surprised" at her response, adding that Twitter users had sent him supportive messages but some had also targeted Ms Mensch with unacceptable abuse. Hunt keeps Health job "I was surprised. I don't hold a grudge against her. She's entitled to her opinion," Mr Bartley told The Independent. "I was saddened by the huge anger and abuse that Louise received. It was harsh. Some of the stuff she got back was much more vile than what she said to me." Some of the less offensive posts suggested it was Ms Mensch's tweet that had been "vile". Others referred to her previous admissions of plastic surgery or re-tweeted an article in which she once cited her poor mental health. Jeremy Hunt is widely seen as a controversial figure in David Cameron's former cabinet after imposing a contract on junior doctors which counts the weekend as normal working time and changes pay frameworks. More than 98 per cent of junior doctors went on strike over the issue - the first general strike by medical unions in 40 years - and the contract was rejected by the 54,000 junior doctors in England in a ballot in July. Yet Mr Hunt is set to follow the contract through, and has now kept his post to do so. Mr Bartley added that post-Brexit Britain felt a divided place, in which people echoed polarised opinions on social media especially. "There's a real issue in terms of Facebook and Twitter - you exist in your own bubble," he said. "So where social media could be playing a really good role in encouraging debate, what tends to happen is everyone has a distorted sense of reality." 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 }} Prince Harry has been praised by the Terrence Higgins Trust for taking a HIV test live on Facebook, with the charity heralding it a "groundbreaking moment in the fight against HIV". The Princes test was broadcast live on the Royal Familys Facebook channel from Guys, St Thomas hospital in London where a doctor was preparing to prick his finger for an instant test. The quick test produces instant non-reactive or reactive results. If the test is non-reactive, it means its negative whereas reactive would require further testing. The results came through in a matter of minutes, which the Prince said was amazing. After receiving his non-reactive (negative) test result, the 31-year-old questioned what the process would be if the test was reactive and further tests showed a patient was HIV-positive, with the pair discussing how if a patient is HIV-positive they can continue to live a normal, long life by taking daily medication. Whether youre a man woman, gay, straight, black, whatever, even ginger, why wouldnt you come and have a test? the Prince asked. Even people who arent at risk, if were trying to de-stigmatise the testing, my understanding is we shouldnt even be at the other side of the river, for instance, pointing to this part of London saying you should get tested [] to normalise this situation surely it's better that everyone gets tested, why wouldnt you? the Prince said before urging viewers: Lets all get tested." 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 Terrence Higgins Trust have praised Prince Harry's decision to get tested live on air, heralding it as a groundbreaking moment in the fight against HIV. Ian Green, the HIV and Aids charity's chief executive said: Not only does it show His Royal Highnesss genuine and personal commitment to tackling the HIV epidemic, it will amplify a message to millions all over the world: testing for HIV is easy, quick and nothing to be feared. [] Too many people are either put off testing by the stigma that still surrounds HIV or simply do not think HIV is an issue anymore. Today, Prince Harry has got people talking about HIV again and has normalised HIV testing to a global audience. In doing so, he could inspire a generation to take control of their sexual health. Thanks to treatment, testing for HIV could stop you from getting seriously ill, enable you to live a normal lifespan and prevent you from passing the virus on to anyone else. That's why its so invaluable to have Prince Harrys support as we aim to bust stigma and end the HIV epidemic. HIV and Aids is an issue close to Prince Harrys heart and he has followed his mother Princess Diana in his commitment to tackling the illness and reducing the stigma which surrounds it. In 2006, he co-founded the charity Sentebale which works with children affected by the virus in Lesotho, Africa. 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 }} Justine Greening has been appointed Education Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, taking over the reins from Nicky Morgan. Theresa May has wasted no time in hiring and firing cabinet members since replacing David Cameron as Prime Minister on Wednesday. Her cabinet reshuffle has included a few divisive appointments, including the announcement of Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary. Her reshuffle continued on Thursday with the promotion of Ms Greening and the sacking of Ms Morgan. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images As a female, northern, woman who attended a comprehensive school and is in a same-sex relationship, Ms Greening stands in stark contrast to many of her Tory colleagues. Same-sex relationship Last month, two days after Britain voted to leave the EU, Ms Greening marked the LGBT Pride festival by publicly announcing she was in a same-sex relationship. The 47-year-old's announcement was met by a wave of congratulatory messages and support, including from Mr Cameron and the former Chancellor George Osborne, who told her that following Brexit it was the "best news he had heard in 48 hours. The announcement means Ms Greening is the first openly LGBT woman to serve in the UK cabinet. After making the announcement, which she said was a big thing to do, she told the Evening Standard she and her partner Tess had been together for several years. She revealed her family were incredibly supportive but not all of her friends were aware of her sexuality before she made the announcement. Unfortunately were still in a world where people need to do an announcement but I was pleased to do mine. And I think Tess is very pleased that I felt able to be clear about our relationship, she said. Citing a recent report which found 75 per cent of people in same-sex relationships do not feel they can be open about it, Ms Greening said: I can certainly relate to that. But I just felt that I didnt want to be part of that 75 per cent [any more]. Hopefully I can encourage the [remaining] 75 per cent to be happy about who they are and to realise what Im steadily realising: that people like you for who you are. When Ms Morgan was given the role in 2014 there was some anger over her appointment in light of her voting record: she voted against the introduction of same-sex marriage in 2013. The appointment today of an openly LGBT woman heading up this department has been largely regarded on social media as a positive shift. The LGBT equality campaign group Stonewall also tweeted their support to Ms Greening. Similarly, others have reviewed her comprehensive school background as a good fit for leading the Education department. Background Ms Greening was educated in Rotherham and is the daughter of a steelworker. Last year, she told the Independent on Sunday she would have got nowhere without education. I passionately believe that everybody has something that they do really well. If they can find that then people can be amazingly self-motivated, she said. Recommended Read more Justine Greening becomes first Education Secretary from comprehensive Ms Greening studied economics at Southampton University and earned an MBA at the London Business School. She was an accountant at Price Waterhouse Coopers and also worked at GlaxoSmithKline and Centrica. Political career Ms Greening became MP for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields in 2005 regaining a typically Tory seat from a Labour hold. She was then appointed shadow Treasury minister before being moved by Mr Cameron to shadow minister for communities and local government in 2009. She entered the Cabinet in 2011 after being appointed as Secretary of State for Transport before being reshuffled to Secretary of State for International Development, the role she held from 2012 until the present day. 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 }} Remarkable archaeological evidence from the site of a prehistoric village in eastern England, suggests that Bronze Age Britons had a liking for high-end fashion. Excavations, 30 miles north-west of Cambridge, have unearthed the earliest examples of superfine textiles ever found in Britain. They are also among the most finely-made Bronze Age fabrics ever discovered in Europe as a whole and are of huge international significance. Archaeologists from the University of Cambridges archaeological unit have so far unearthed more than 100 fragments of textile, unspun processed fibre and textile yarn at the site. Some of the yarn is of superfine quality with some threads being just 100 microns (1/10 of a millimetre) in diameter, while some of the fabrics themselves are so finely woven that they have 28 threads per centimetre, fine even by modern standards. Its likely that some of the fragments of textile are from items of clothing. Recommended Read more Discovery of Bronze Age wheel sheds light on prehistoric transport Originally, some of the textiles must have been of very substantial size because they had been folded, in some cases in up to 10 layers. If made to be worn, these folded fabrics may well have been large garments, potentially, capes, cloaks or even large drapes, perhaps similar to those known from elsewhere in the ancient (and sometimes modern) worlds the ancient Greek chiton, the Roman toga and the Indian sari. A drape folded into 10 layers for temporary storage would have served as a substantial garment potentially up to 3 metres square (i.e. 9 square metre). Most of the superfine fabrics from the site Must Farm near Whittlesea, Cambridgeshire were made of linen. When the village was flourishing around 3000 years ago, textile manufacture seems to have been a key craft practised there. Hundreds possibly thousands of flax seeds have so far been found on the site (some of which had been stored in containers). Flax is the crop which produces the fibres used in linen production. Amber bead and others found in situ (CAU/Dave Webb) Whats more, the presence on the site of unspun processed fibre, yarn and finished textiles all strongly suggests that the village was involved not only in using textiles but also in manufacturing them. Timber fragments with delicate carpentry, found during the Historic-England-funded excavation may well be the remains of looms. Indeed fired clay loom weights have been unearthed there. The archaeologists have also discovered that Bronze Age Britons also had a penchant for a different type of fabric made of processed nettle stems (from a locally available non-stinging subspecies of nettle today known as fen nettles). Unlike flax, nettles grew wild and therefore did not need to be cultivated. Whats more, well-made nettle textile was often particularly fine and silky. But nettles may well have had additional benefits at least in the eyes of the users of the fabrics. In traditional ancient folklore, nettles of various types were often regarded as having magical powers. They were seen as being able to protect both humans and animals from sorcery and witchcraft. Whats more, garments made of nettles were therefore sometimes seen as protecting their wearers from evil. Indeed one of Europes most famous folktales the Wild Swans (written by Hans Christian Andersen, but thought to be based on traditional folk stories) reveals how shirts, made of nettle yarn, enabled their wearers to break a witchs spell. So far no evidence of any extensive patterns or coloured dyes have been found on any of the linen and nettle yarn textile fragments although the edge of one piece of fabric (perhaps part of a shawl or cape) seems to have been decorated with fringes, rows of knots, and strips featuring different styles of weave. Certainly, dying the linen would have presented substantial technical difficulties but bleaching it would have been much less challenging. It is therefore very likely that the naturally light brown linen was bleached to achieve a creamy white or possibly even dazzlingly pure white appearance. Basic bleaching of the fabric might well have been achieved with the use of a mixture of urine and milk or by simply laying out the fabrics on wet grass on a succession of sunny days. The village appears to have been very prosperous, yet tragically short-lived. Close-up of finely wooven textile made from plant fibres. The roundhouses contained Europe's finest collection of fabrics and fibres (CAU/Dave Webb) As well as making (and presumably using) ultra-fine fabrics, at least some of the inhabitants wore exotic jewellery made of blue, black, yellow and green glass manufactured in the eastern Mediterranean region probably in what is now the Syria or Turkey. They lived in large well-built houses and had a wide range of tools and other possessions. So far, around 50 bronze axes, sickles, spears, swords, razors, hammers, tweezers and awls have been found along with some 60 wooden buckets, platters and troughs as well as around 60 well preserved ceramic bowls, mugs and storage jars. Dug-out canoes, and two wooden wheels have also been unearthed. The initial wheel discovery was reported on in The Independent in February But the archaeological evidence suggests that this thriving and prosperous settlement was probably attacked, burnt and destroyed by its enemies less than a year after it was built. In the five houses excavated so far, the population seems to have fled or been captured or killed, leaving all their possessions behind meals half eaten, salted or dried meat still hanging in the rafters, garments neatly folded on or around well-made wooden furniture. Its a bit like discovering the Marie Celeste. Everything is exactly as it was left. Only the inhabitants are missing, said the director of the excavation, Mark Knight of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit. Discoveries that change the way you see the world Show all 30 1 /30 Discoveries that change the way you see the world Discoveries that change the way you see the world Million-year-old human footprints discovered Million-year-old human footprints have been discovered on the beach as Happisburgh, Norfolk Discoveries that change the way you see the world The world's oldest face Scientists discovered the worlds oldest face, which belongs to this 419 million-year-old fish - an ancient sea predator that might also re-write the history of our evolution from the seas Discoveries that change the way you see the world Discovery of the ancient forest Ancient forest revealed by storms. The recent huge storms and gale force winds that have battered the coast of West Wales have stripped away much of the sand from stretches of the beach between Borth and Ynyslas. The disappearing sands have revealed ancients forests, with the remains of oak trees dating back to the Bronze Age, 6,000 years ago. The ancient remains are said by some to be the origins of the legend of Cantrer Gwealod , a mythical kingdom now submerged under the waters pif Cardigan Bay Discoveries that change the way you see the world 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 Discoveries that change the way you see the world Researchers develop 'imaginary meal' pill An 'imaginary meal' pill called fexaramine has been developed by researchers at the Salk's Gene Expression Laboratory Discoveries that change the way you see the world 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 cell Discoveries that change the way you see the world Green tea can help cure oral cancer Green tea can help kill off cancerous cells, say researchers Discoveries that change the way you see the world 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 Discoveries that change the way you see the world 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) Discoveries that change the way you see the world 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 Discoveries that change the way you see the world 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 Discoveries that change the way you see the world The world's oldest skull Divers Alberto Nava and Susan Bird discover the world's oldest skull found in an underwater cave in Mexico, believed to be the earliest trace of first Americans Discoveries that change the way you see the world 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 Discoveries that change the way you see the world 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 Discoveries that change the way you see the world Discovery of the medieval royal palaces Archaeologists in southern England have discovered what may be one of the largest medieval royal palaces ever found buried under the ground inside a vast prehistoric fortress at Old Sarum. The probable 12th century palace was discovered by archaeologists, using geophysical ground-penetrating x-ray technology to map a long-vanished medieval city which has lain under grass on the site for more than 700 years Discoveries that change the way you see the world The world's rarest diamond This rare diamond that survived a trip from deep within the Earth's interior confirmed that there is an oceans worth of water beneath the planets crust Discoveries that change the way you see the world 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 procedure Discoveries that change the way you see the world 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 Discoveries that change the way you see the world 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 Discoveries that change the way you see the world Fossil fight 'Astounding' fossil find from Montana revealing two dinosaurs locked in mortal combat Discoveries that change the way you see the world 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 Discoveries that change the way you see the world Discovery of the whale skeletons Chilean and Smithsonian paleontologists study several fossil whale skeletons at Cerro Ballena, next to the Pan-American Highway in the Atacama Region of Chile Discoveries that change the way you see the world Discovery of The Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls are almost 1,000 biblical manuscripts discovered in the decade after the Second World War in what is now the West Bank. The texts, mostly written on parchment but also on papyrus and bronze, are the earliest surviving copies of biblical and extra-biblical documents known to be in existence, dating over a 700-year period around the birth of Jesus. The ancient Jewish sect the Essenes is supposed to have authored the scrolls, written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, although no conclusive proof has been found to this effect Discoveries that change the way you see the world Complete mammoth skeleton discovered The first complete mammoth skeleton to be found in France for more than a century was uncovered in a gravel pit on the banks of the Marne, 30 miles north-east of Paris. Picture shows experts at work making a silicon cast of the mammoth's tusk Discoveries that change the way you see the world Byzantine mosaic discovered Plans for a walkway at the centre of the furious dispute over Jerusalem's holiest site were delayed by the discovery of a Byzantine mosaic Discoveries that change the way you see the world Neolithic 'lost avenue' - prehistoric stone circle discovered The discovery of a Neolithic 'lost avenue' was described as one of the most important finds of the last century. Since the 1700s, archeologists and historians have argued over the existence of the huge sarsen stones, which were unearthed at the site of the world's biggest prehistoric stone circle at Avebury in Wiltshire Discoveries that change the way you see the world Ancient gold found near Stonehenge Gold fitting for a dagger sheath (around 1900 BC.) found near Stonehenge Discoveries that change the way you see the world The Rosetta Stone discovery The Rosetta Stone is a basalt slab inscribed with a decree of pharaoh Ptolemy Epiphanes (205-180 BC) in three languages, Greek, Hieroglyphic and Demotic script. Discovered near Rosetta in Egypt Discoveries that change the way you see the world We are made from stardust In 1957, a paper was published which said we are all made of stardust. Well, not quite that, but almost. Four scientists of the University of Cambridge, Fred Hoyle, William Fowler and Margaret and Geoffrey Burbidge, had conducted extensive research into stellar nucleosynthesis, the theory that all elements are created in the oldest chemical factories in the universe - stars. This paper, called Synthesis of the Elements in Stars, but better known as B2FH because of the initials of its authors, was at odds with the theory common at the time that all the elements were synthesised during the Big Bang. B2FH argued that when a star ages and dies it will enrich the interstellar medium with heavier elements, from which new stars - and, presumably, we - are formed Discoveries that change the way you see the world Optical fibres discovery The internet is a truly incredibly thing, but we all hate it when it works too slowly. Thats where optical fibres come in. Made of a high quality extruded glass called silica, they guide light through a process of refraction, and in doing so are able to transmit bandwidths at a remarkably high speed and over remarkably long distances. As such, they are used in telecommunications and computer networking to speed up internet connections, able to do so due to the fact that the total internal refraction of light means very little data is lost. And the best thing about optical fibres is when at Imperial College London they were first demonstrated to be able to bend light by Harold Hopkins and Narinder Kapany, dubbed the founding father of fibre optics This site is providing the modern world with an image of daily life in the British Bronze Age that was until now beyond our dreams. It is only the very specific and unusual circumstances of the destruction of the settlement that has, paradoxically, allowed so much of it to be preserved intact, he said. Because the village had been set alight, large numbers of wooden, textile and other artefacts were charred and because the houses were built on wooden stilts in a river (flanked by marchland), everything ultimately ended up underwater, where it was subsequently covered with silt and mud. This rare combination of charring and waterlogging and natural burial under sediment has been responsible for the extraordinarily high levels of preservation. Most of the artefacts have been found inside the settlements houses. So far, five of these large 6-8 metre diameter structures have been found at the site. Again, because of charring and subsequent waterlogging, around half of all the wall, roof and other timbers from these buildings have been preserved. The excavation is being directed by archaeologist Mark Knight of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit, with textile research being carried out by textile specialist, Dr Susanna Harris of the University of Glasgow. Because of its national and international importance, the entire project is being funded to the tune of 1.4 million by Historic England and the owner of the site, one of the UKs major brick-making companies Forterra. The finds include the largest group of prehistoric textiles ever discovered in Britain and the largest collection of complete bronze, wooden and ceramic artefacts ever found in a British Bronze Age settlement. 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 }} On his first day as a Cabinet minister, Boris Johnson said he is very excited to be the new Foreign Secretary but what will his new job actually entail? The former London mayor told reporters outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Thursday he hoped to reshape Britain's global profile and identity as a great global player. And on Europe clearly we have to give effect to the will of people in the referendum, but that does not mean in any sense, leaving Europe, he added. There is a massive difference between leaving the EU and our relations with Europe, which if anything I think are going to be intensified and built up at an intergovernmental level. Mr Johnson, who was appointed to the senior diplomatic post yesterday by new Prime Minister Theresa May, will be expected to represent the UK overseas and oversee relations with the wider world in his new role. He will travel widely, attending diplomatic meetings on matters from international security to the outcome of the US elections. The Secret Intelligence service (MI6) and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) are now his reponsibility. And he will take charge of matters relating to the Commonwealth countries and British Overseas Territories such as Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands. Boris Johnson says Brexit vote does not mean leaving Europe 'in any sense' But Mr Johnsons appearance in the Cabinet office has raised eyebrows due to controversial comments he has made in the past. These include the recent suggestion Barack Obama might hold a grudge against Britain because of his part-Kenyan heritage. In 2008, he made a public apology for offence caused by his comments in a Daily Telegraph column, in which he referred to black people in Commonwealth countries as piccaninnies and wrote about watermelon smiles. Boris Johnson as our Foreign Secretary? Is this a bad dream? An elaborate wind up? Please God help us, wrote Labour MP David Lammy in a tweet. Foreign Secretary, short for Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, is one of the four most senior positions in the UK government. These jobs, known as the Great Offices of State, include the role of Prime Minister, which Theresa May assumed after her only rival for the position, Andrea Leadsom, pulled out of the Conservative leadership contest on Tuesday. The other two Great Offices are Chancellor of the Exchequer - now Philip Hammond, who was previously Foreign Secretary - and Home Secretary, named by Ms May as Amber Rudd. Recommended Read more Climate change department killed off by Theresa May Its very important that people should realise when you leave Heathrow or Dover, a British citizen is basically the responsibility of the Foreign Office, Mr Johnson said of his new role. But Ms Mays creation of a trade department, led by right-wing Brexit supporter Liam Fox, who is now the countrys first Secretary of State for International Trade, means Mr Johnson will not be involved in discussions of a commercial nature. And another new position, Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, has been filled by leave campaigner David Davis, who will manage intricate negotiations as the UK leaves the EU. When asked about how the role of Foreign Secretary might change after the creation of these new appointments, Mr Johnson said: We will be working very closely, as you can imagine, with the new departments for international trade and for the withdrawal from the EU. They will be borrowing some of our staff, as is only proper. But I think its a huge opportunity. The mood here today - Ive been very struck at how excited and how positive people here are about the opportunities for Britain. Mr Johnson is a former journalist who became MP for Henley in 2001 who was mayor of London for eight years. He was a key campaigner for Britain to leave the EU. 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Show all 6 1 /6 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you More expensive foreign holidays The first practical effect of a vote to Leave is that the pound will be worth less abroad, meaning foreign holidays will cost us more nito100 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you No immediate change in immigration status The Prime Minister will have to address other immediate concerns. He is likely to reassure nationals of other EU countries living in the UK that their status is unchanged. That is what the Leave campaign has said, so, even after the Brexit negotiations are complete, those who are already in the UK would be allowed to stay Getty 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Higher inflation A lower pound means that imports would become more expensive. This is likely to mean the return of inflation a phenomenon with which many of us are unfamiliar because prices have been stable for so long, rising at no more than about 2 per cent a year. The effect may probably not be particularly noticeable in the first few months. At first price rises would be confined to imported goods food and clothes being the most obvious but inflation has a tendency to spread and to gain its own momentum AFP/Getty Images 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Interest rates might rise The trouble with inflation is that the Bank of England has a legal obligation to keep it as close to 2 per cent a year as possible. If a fall in the pound threatens to push prices up faster than this, the Bank will raise interest rates. This acts against inflation in three ways. First, it makes the pound more attractive, because deposits in pounds will earn higher interest. Second, it reduces demand by putting up the cost of borrowing, and especially by taking larger mortgage payments out of the economy. Third, it makes it more expensive for businesses to borrow to expand output Getty 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Did somebody say recession? Mr Carney, the Treasury and a range of international economists have warned about this. Many Leave voters appear not to have believed them, or to think that they are exaggerating small, long-term effects. But there is no doubt that the Leave vote is a negative shock to the economy. This is because it changes expectations about the economys future performance. Even though Britain is not actually be leaving the EU for at least two years, companies and investors will start to move money out of Britain, or to scale back plans for expansion, because they are less confident about what would happen after 2018 AFP/Getty Images 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you And we wouldnt even get our money back All this will be happening while the Prime Minister, whoever he or she is, is negotiating the terms of our future access to the EU single market. In the meantime, our trade with the EU would be unaffected, except that companies elsewhere in the EU may be less interested in buying from us or selling to us, expecting tariff barriers to go up in two years time. Whoever the Chancellor is, he or she may feel the need to bring in a new Budget Getty Images Simon McDonald, Under-Secretary of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, tweeted a picture of Mr Johnsons first meeting with staff as Foreign Secretary on Thursday. Over 800 came to Boris Johnsons first all staff meeting [at the] Foreign Office. Standing room only. 1000s overseas listened in, he wrote. Speaking to BBC news after his appointment on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said he was obviously very, very humbled, very, very proud to be offered this chance. Clearly now we have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our relationship with Europe and with the world and I'm very excited to be asked to play a part in that, he said. 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 }} Nicky Morgan has been fired from her post as Education Secretary, it has been confirmed. The MP for Loughborough joins former Chancellor George Osborne, Michael Gove and John Wittingdale in being removed from the cabinet as part of Theresa May's cabinet reshuffle. She has also been relieved of her role as cabinet member for women and equalities. Announcing the news on Twitter, Nicky Morgan said: "Disappointed not to be continuing as Education Secretary & Min for Women & Equalities - two wonderful roles it's been a privilege to hold". Ms Morgan was appointed as Michael Gove's successor in July 2014, during a reshuffle aimed at refeshing the then coalition bench ahead of the 2015 general election. She leaves behind a mixed legacy following her challenged relationship with many of the teaching unions. In April, she was the first Conservative education secretary to address the NASUWT teacher conference since 1997, where she attacked critics of government policy. She was also heckled by school leaders at the NAHT headteachers' conference in Birmingham in MAy, after telling teachers to "step up" and help the government with its reforms. She has been praised however, for her attempts to tackle funding inequalities in schools and develop a national funding formula a proposed scheme allowing schools top-up funds based on individual pupil needs, as well as indivudual school and area costs. Ms Morgan is most likely to remembered for her party's controversial academies expansion programme, inherited from Michael Gove. As she leaves office, almost 65 per cent of secondary schools have academy status, with the number of academy primary schools having almost doubled since 2014. A proposal to force every school in England to become an academy by 2022 proved deeply unpopular with education leaders and ministers, leading to a signifcant U-turn shortly after the May elections. Several teaching groups and campaigners have called on Ms Morgan to resign in recent weeks, with a Change.org petition attracting thousands of signatures asking for the MP to apologise for "failing" a whole generation of school children. 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 }} Vehicles are to be banned from the busiest shopping street in Europe in a bid to tackle air pollution and congestion, the Mayor of London has announced. Sadiq Khan revealed plans for the entire 1.2-mile stretch of Oxford Street between Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street tube station to be pedestrianised by 2020. The central London street welcomes more than 200 million visitors annually to its large department stores, and is used by about 270 buses every day. The process will be rolled out in two stages to reduce disruption to the street, starting with the eastern section leading from Oxford Circus. Cars, with the exception of taxis, are already banned from most of Oxford Street between 7am and 7pm every day apart from on Sundays. In 2014, researchers from King's College London found Oxford Street was the most polluted place on Earth, even exceeding pollution levels in Beijing. Valerie Shawcross, Londons deputy mayor for transport, told the London Assembly that bus movements in the area would be substantially reduced, rather than simply rerouting them to surrounding roads. High air pollution levels across the UK Show all 7 1 /7 High air pollution levels across the UK High air pollution levels across the UK pollution-5.jpg High air pollution levels across the UK pollution-3.jpg High air pollution levels across the UK pollution-2.png High air pollution levels across the UK pollution-1.jpg High air pollution levels across the UK pollution-4.jpg High air pollution levels across the UK pollution-7.jpg The Shard and St Paul's Cathedral from Hampstead Heath in London High air pollution levels across the UK pollution-6.jpg The number of shoppers coming to Oxford Street is expected to increase substantially with the opening of Crossrail, which will have two stations opening at Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street in December 2018. The move comes as part of Mr Khans mayoral manifesto pledge to tackle Londons air pollution crisis over the next few years, having said last week a charge will be introduced for the highest polluting vehicles. In May, Mr Khan revealed he has recently started suffering from asthma and attributed his condition to the quantity of toxic substances in Londons air. In early July, Paris launched its latest drive to reduce air pollution by introducing a ban against vehicles built before 1997. 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 }} Boris Johnson's appointment as Theresa May's new Foreign Secretary has been met with surprise and bewilderment throughout the world. It remains to be seen how Mr Johnson will work with other members of the Cabinet such as Amber Rudd, who once described him as "not the man you want driving you home at the end of the evening" during a fierce debate on the EU referendum. Ms Rudd, who has been given the role of Britain's Home Secretary, accused Mr Johnson and the Vote Leave campaign of making up statistics - such as the claim made on the side of the campaign's battle bus suggesting 350 million a week could be diverted from the EU to the NHS. Chris Grayling later said the idea of spending money on the NHS instead of the EU was only "an aspiration". Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images Both Ms Rudd and Labours former shadow business secretary Angela Eagle accused Mr Johnson of only being on the Leave campaign to further his ambition to replace David Cameron as Prime Minister. Although long touted as a successor to Mr Cameron, Mr Johnson sensationally announced he would not stand for leader at the last minute before deadlines closed. Instead, the former London Mayor's was elevated to the UK's most senior diplomatic role, where he will represent Britain abroad on the world stage. Speaking after his appointment on Wednesday, Mr Johnson told BBC News: "Obviously very, very humbled, very, very proud to be offered this chance. "I think Theresa made a wonderful speech this afternoon about her ambitions for the country and how she saw the Conservative government taking Britain forward." 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 }} Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Following her abandoned Conservative Party leadership bid that handed the premiership to Theresa May, Ms Leadsom will now head up the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs. She replaces Liz Truss, who had been Defra Secretary since July 2014 and who has now been appointed Justice Secretary. May's new cabinet Ms Leadsom was previously Minister for Energy at the Department of Energy and Climate Change. She disappointed pro-Brexit Tories after pulling out of the leadership race, leaving Theresa May as the uncontested candidate to become Prime Minister. Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said he was disappointed, when Ms Leadsom announced her withdrawal from the race citing enormous pressure, and saying a nine-week leadership campaign following the Brexit vote was highly undesirable. 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 }} Boris Johnson has said the result of the EU referendum must be respected - but that it did not mean leaving Europe "in any sense". Speaking outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the former London mayor set out his vision for Britain to be a more global player. He said: I set out what I think that we need to be doing and what we need to be focusing on, and that is reshaping Britain's global profile and identity as a great global player. And on Europe clearly we have to give effect to the will of people in the referendum, but that does not mean in any sense, leaving Europe. There is a massive difference between leaving the EU and our relations with Europe, which if anything I think are going to be intensified and built up at an intergovernmental level. Mr Johnson, a former journalist who became MP for Henley in 2001 and was mayor of London for eight years, was chosen for the post yesterday by Prime Minister Theresa May on her inaugural day in office. His appointment to the Cabinet office has raised eyebrows, with some referring to his controversial comments including the recent suggestion Barack Obama might hold a grudge against Britain because of his part-Kenyan heritage. Labour MP David Lammy summed up the reaction to Mr Johnson's appointment in a tweet, in which he wrote: "Boris Johnson as our Foreign Secretary? Is this a bad dream? An elaborate wind up? Please God help us". 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Show all 6 1 /6 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you More expensive foreign holidays The first practical effect of a vote to Leave is that the pound will be worth less abroad, meaning foreign holidays will cost us more nito100 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you No immediate change in immigration status The Prime Minister will have to address other immediate concerns. He is likely to reassure nationals of other EU countries living in the UK that their status is unchanged. That is what the Leave campaign has said, so, even after the Brexit negotiations are complete, those who are already in the UK would be allowed to stay Getty 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Higher inflation A lower pound means that imports would become more expensive. This is likely to mean the return of inflation a phenomenon with which many of us are unfamiliar because prices have been stable for so long, rising at no more than about 2 per cent a year. The effect may probably not be particularly noticeable in the first few months. At first price rises would be confined to imported goods food and clothes being the most obvious but inflation has a tendency to spread and to gain its own momentum AFP/Getty Images 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Interest rates might rise The trouble with inflation is that the Bank of England has a legal obligation to keep it as close to 2 per cent a year as possible. If a fall in the pound threatens to push prices up faster than this, the Bank will raise interest rates. This acts against inflation in three ways. First, it makes the pound more attractive, because deposits in pounds will earn higher interest. Second, it reduces demand by putting up the cost of borrowing, and especially by taking larger mortgage payments out of the economy. Third, it makes it more expensive for businesses to borrow to expand output Getty 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Did somebody say recession? Mr Carney, the Treasury and a range of international economists have warned about this. Many Leave voters appear not to have believed them, or to think that they are exaggerating small, long-term effects. But there is no doubt that the Leave vote is a negative shock to the economy. This is because it changes expectations about the economys future performance. Even though Britain is not actually be leaving the EU for at least two years, companies and investors will start to move money out of Britain, or to scale back plans for expansion, because they are less confident about what would happen after 2018 AFP/Getty Images 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you And we wouldnt even get our money back All this will be happening while the Prime Minister, whoever he or she is, is negotiating the terms of our future access to the EU single market. In the meantime, our trade with the EU would be unaffected, except that companies elsewhere in the EU may be less interested in buying from us or selling to us, expecting tariff barriers to go up in two years time. Whoever the Chancellor is, he or she may feel the need to bring in a new Budget Getty Images Simon McDonald, Under-Secretary of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, tweeted a picture of Mr Johnsons first meeting with staff as Foreign Secretary on Thursday. Over 800 came to Boris Johnsons first all staff meeting [at the] Foreign Office. Standing room only. 1000s overseas listened in, he wrote. Foreign Secretary, short for Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, is one of the four most senior positions in the UK government. 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 }} Britain's newly appointed Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has previously lied to his people and now has his "back against the wall", his French counterpart has said. Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French foreign secretary, broke with his usually mild-mannered tones to deliver strong words about Theresa May's appointment of the former Mayor of London to one of the most senior jobs in government. He said Mr Johnson had lied to the British public with a key claim by Vote Leave to "give our NHS the 350 million the EU takes every week" proven wrong and warned that the French government needed a "credible" partner across the Channel. "I am not at all worried about Boris Johnson," Mr Ayrault told Europe 1 radio, before appearing to change tack and express some apprehension at the appointment. "But during the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back against the wall." Jean-Marc Ayrault said Mr Johnson was dishonest during Brexit claims (Associated Press) Mr Ayrault said pressure on Mr Johnson to defend the UK's interests should not worsen the relationship with the rest of Europe. Most EU leaders are frustrated both at the UK's decision to Leave and its government's apparent reluctance to initiate an official exit. "He has his back against the wall to defend his country but also with his back against the wall, the relationship with Europe should be clear," said Mr Ayrault. "I need a partner with whom I can negotiate and who is clear, credible and reliable. "We cannot let this ambiguous, blurred situation drag on... in the interests of the British themselves." Mr Johnson, who was a journalist before entering politics, was sacked in 1988 from his role as a correspondent for The Times after fabricating a quote. He was also accused of closing all of London's ticket offices when he had promised they would be manned, seeing transport fares increase when he said they would reduce and rough sleeping double when he had promised to solve it, during his tenure as London Mayor. Following the Brexit vote, Mr Johnson also wrote that immigration would not necessarily fall despite this being a key criticism of the Leave campaign against membership of the EU. 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Show all 6 1 /6 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you More expensive foreign holidays The first practical effect of a vote to Leave is that the pound will be worth less abroad, meaning foreign holidays will cost us more nito100 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you No immediate change in immigration status The Prime Minister will have to address other immediate concerns. He is likely to reassure nationals of other EU countries living in the UK that their status is unchanged. That is what the Leave campaign has said, so, even after the Brexit negotiations are complete, those who are already in the UK would be allowed to stay Getty 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Higher inflation A lower pound means that imports would become more expensive. This is likely to mean the return of inflation a phenomenon with which many of us are unfamiliar because prices have been stable for so long, rising at no more than about 2 per cent a year. The effect may probably not be particularly noticeable in the first few months. At first price rises would be confined to imported goods food and clothes being the most obvious but inflation has a tendency to spread and to gain its own momentum AFP/Getty Images 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Interest rates might rise The trouble with inflation is that the Bank of England has a legal obligation to keep it as close to 2 per cent a year as possible. If a fall in the pound threatens to push prices up faster than this, the Bank will raise interest rates. This acts against inflation in three ways. First, it makes the pound more attractive, because deposits in pounds will earn higher interest. Second, it reduces demand by putting up the cost of borrowing, and especially by taking larger mortgage payments out of the economy. Third, it makes it more expensive for businesses to borrow to expand output Getty 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Did somebody say recession? Mr Carney, the Treasury and a range of international economists have warned about this. Many Leave voters appear not to have believed them, or to think that they are exaggerating small, long-term effects. But there is no doubt that the Leave vote is a negative shock to the economy. This is because it changes expectations about the economys future performance. Even though Britain is not actually be leaving the EU for at least two years, companies and investors will start to move money out of Britain, or to scale back plans for expansion, because they are less confident about what would happen after 2018 AFP/Getty Images 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you And we wouldnt even get our money back All this will be happening while the Prime Minister, whoever he or she is, is negotiating the terms of our future access to the EU single market. In the meantime, our trade with the EU would be unaffected, except that companies elsewhere in the EU may be less interested in buying from us or selling to us, expecting tariff barriers to go up in two years time. Whoever the Chancellor is, he or she may feel the need to bring in a new Budget Getty Images Mr Johnson's previous assertion that he would vote "in favour of the [EU] single market" does not square with Europe's politicians, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, promising that free trade will not be granted without freedom of movement. But the former Mayor of London is not set to negotiate the terms of Britain's exit from the EU under new Prime Minister Theresa May; that responsibility has been handed to fellow Leave campaigner and right-winger David Davis, who is heading a special department set up precisely for that purpose. France continues to be one of the most vocal critics of Britain's wrangling over its place in the EU. Following the Leave result, Emmanuel Macron, the French economy minister, said Europe had allowed itself to be held to ransom by one, hostile, member state. He said: "If we have failed, it was to have allowed a member to take the European project hostage in a unilateral way." 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 }} Labour MP David Lammy has summed up the reaction to Boris Johnson's appointment as Foreign Secretary in a single tweet. Several hours after Theresa May's decision to make Mr Johnson foreign minister, Mr Lammy, MP for Tottenham, took to Twitter to express his reaction. In what seemed to be a joke masking genuine concern about Mr Johnson's appointment as the UK's minister for foreign affairs, Mr Lammy asked whether it was "a bad dream", adding: "God help us". He wrote: "Boris Johnson as our Foreign Secretary? Is this a bad dream? An elaborate wind up? Please God help us." The tweet was shared more than 1,000 times and Twitter users reacted with further irony and sarcasm. One said: "I am genuinely terrified", while another joked that "World War Three" was on its way. Another replied with a cartoon of Mr Johnson walking smugly away from a London in ruins, while others expressed real concern for the serious effects they believe the appointment will have on the world. Other Labour MPs have expressed their shock at Mr Johnson's appointment. Angela Eagle, who heard the news while she was speaking at a campaign event, released a weary sigh before turning her back on the audience. Boris Johnson says Brexit vote does not mean leaving Europe 'in any sense' Meanwhile Chuka Umunna, MP for Streatham, tweeted that Mr Johnson's first meeting with President Obama would be "interesting" and joked he should start with the word "sorry". There have been a lot of raised eyebrows following Ms May's decision to appoint Mr Johnson, leader of the Brexit campaign, as foreign minister. People are particularly shocked after the numerous times he has insulted world leaders. Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Show all 7 1 /7 Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson plays rugby with Japanese elementary school children in Tokyo Getty Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson bumps into a schoolchild during a Street Rugby event at Tokyo Square Gardens building EPA Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson collides with 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson falls down after colliding with 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson falls down after colliding with 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Since his appointment Mr Johnson has said the United States would be in the front of the queue. Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said: Clearly now we have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our relationship with Europe and with the world. "I'm very excited to be asked to play a part in that. 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 }} Labour leadership contender Angela Eagle was speaking at a campaign event when she was informed mid-speech that Boris Johnson had been made Foreign Secretary. The former Shadow Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills was even discussing Mr Johnson's public perception when she received the news of Theresa May's most controversial Cabinet appointment. Ms Eagle said: "Oh Boris, he's fun, he's great. Bouncing around, going to be the next Prime Minister and all that, and they never actually..." Then, clarifying what she heard from the crowd, she said: "They've just made him Foreign Secretary?" To the hilarity of those attending, Ms Eagle released a weary sigh before turning her back on the audience. When she faced the crowd again, the MP for Wallasey looked less than impressed. Not alone in her reaction, fellow Labour MP David Lammy tweeted: "Boris Johnson as our Foreign Secretary? Is this a bad dream? An elaborate wind up? Please God help us." Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images US State Department spokesman Mark Toner stifled a laugh when he heard live on TV of the new Foreign Secretary's identity. US State Department spokesman almost laughs while hearing Boris Johnson appointed Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson, the de-facto leader of the Vote Leave campaign has said he is "very excited" on returning to front-line politics in one of the big three cabinet posts. He told BBC News: "Obviously very, very humbled, very, very proud to be offered this chance. "I think Theresa made a wonderful speech this afternoon about her ambitions for the country and how she saw the Conservative government taking Britain forward. "I completely agree with her sentiments and about opportunity, about giving people better life chances. "Clearly now we have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our relationship with Europe and with the world and I'm very excited to be asked to play a part in that." 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 }} Boris Johnson has said the United States would be "in the front of the queue" following his unexpected appointment as Theresa May's new Foreign Secretary. The quip was a play on US President Barack Obama's suggestion during the EU referendum that the UK will go to "the back of the queue" for trade deals if it voted to leave the bloc. Asked by a Sky News reporter whether he planned to apologise to Mr Obama for controversially saying the "part-Kenyan" president was biased against Britain because of "an ancestral dislike of the British empire", Mr Johnson said: "The United States of America will be in the front of the queue." "We have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our new relationship with Europe and with the world, and I'm very excited to be asked to play a part in that," he added. May's new cabinet As Foreign Secretary, the former Mayor of London will represent Britain abroad on the world stage. He will also take a key role in negotiations to leave the EU once Article 50 is triggered. Speaking after his appointment on Wednesday, Mr Johnson told BBC News: "Obviously very, very humbled, very, very proud to be offered this chance. "I think Theresa made a wonderful speech this afternoon about her ambitions for the country and how she saw the Conservative government taking Britain forward. "I completely agree with her sentiments and about opportunity, about giving people better life chances. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images "Clearly now we have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our relationship with Europe and with the world and I'm very excited to be asked to play a part in that." Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron attacked the appointment of Mr Johnson, pointing out that during the referendum campaign he compared the ambitions of the EU with those of Hitler and "insulted" Mr Obama by referring to his "part-Kenyan" ancestry. "Presumably Boris Johnson's first act as Foreign Secretary will be to apologise to the President of the United States, and then the leaders of our European partners," he said. "At this incredibly important time that will determine Britain's economic and cultural relations with Europe, it is extraordinary that the new Prime Minister has chosen someone whose career is built on making jokes." Additional reporting by agencies 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 }} Boris Johnsons appointment as Theresa Mays new Foreign Secretary has raised some eyebrows. From describing Hillary Clinton as looking like a "sadistic nurse" to referring to "flag-waving piccaninnnies with watermelon smiles", the former London mayor has offended a wide range of people. Here's what he said about... ...Barack Obama Johnson faced accusations of dog whistle racism less than three months ago after he appeared to suggest Barack Obama had a grudge against Britain because of his part-Kenyan heritage. May mocks Boris Hitting out at the US President for intervening in the Brexit debate, Mr Johnson wrote in The Sun about how he had removed a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval office. He said: No one was sure whether the President had himself been involved in the decision. Some said it was a snub to Britain. Some said it was a symbol of the part-Kenyan President's ancestral dislike of the British Empire - of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender. ...Hillary Clinton In November 2007, Mr Johnson said of Hillary Clinton: Shes got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital." ... black people Mr Johnson was forced to apologise back in 2008 after the then-London mayoral candidate was presented with his comments, written five years earlier, about black people. In a column mocking Tony Blair's globetrotting, he wrote: "What a relief it must be for Blair to get out of England. It is said that the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies. It also mentioned "watermelon smiles" linking black people to an appetite for watermelons is a racist stereotype, particularly common in the US. ...China In a 2005 column for the Telegraph entitled Getting our knickers in a twist over China, Mr Johnson played down the importance of the worlds most populous nation when compared to that of, for example, the British Empire. Boris Johnson's defining moments Show all 32 1 /32 Boris Johnson's defining moments Boris Johnson's defining moments 2016 Boris Johnson swings from a bus as Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers (left), Northern First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster and Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment Jonathan Bell (second right) look on during a visit to Wrightbus Chassis plant in Antrim PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2015 Boris Johnson takes down 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson's defining moments 2015 Boris Johnson planting flowers at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2015 A commuter gesturing to Boris Johnson as he cycles across Vauxhall Bridge PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2014 Mayor of London Boris Johnson boxes with a trainer during his visit to Fight for Peace Academy in North Woolwich Boris Johnson's defining moments 2014 The Mayor of London Boris Johnson wears a traditional headdress during a visit to the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, a major new Hindu temple being built in Kingsbury in London Boris Johnson's defining moments 2014 Many Conservative Party members gagging to have Boris Johnson as their MP PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2014 Boris Johnson prepares to deliver a speech in Bloomberg's European headquarters on Britain's involvement in the EU. Mr Johnson also announced his intention to become an MP again at the 2015 general election, whilst serving out the remainder of his term as mayor. Getty Images Boris Johnson's defining moments 2014 The Mayor of London Boris Johnson during a speech and Q&A session at Bloomberg, London, where he has said that 'in all probability' he will seek to stand for Parliament in next year's general election. PA Wire Boris Johnson's defining moments 2014 London mayor Boris Johnson helps shear a sheep held by New Zealand's most successful competition sheep shearer, David Fagan (L) on a visit to Lister Shearing Equipment in Stonehouse Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Mayor of London Boris Johnson takes a helicopter ride over Hong Kong as part of week long visit to China to promote trade between the far east and London PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Boris Johnson explains why he's such a hit with female voters PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Boris Johnson celebrates after a wildly successful interview with Eddie Mair PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Mayor of London Boris Johnson sits in the operator's cab of a crane on the quay at DP World London Gateway Port in Stanford-le-Hope Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Boris Johnson shoots a basketball Getty Images Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 The Mayor of London make a strong pose in what appears to be a particularly bad tourism advert for Asia PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Boris Johnson meets saltwater crocodile George, which was named after the royal baby EPA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Perhaps the only person ever who has ridden on the Emirates Air Line Getty Images Boris Johnson's defining moments 2012 Boris Johnson's encounter with a zip wire only served to prove how adept the London Mayor is at defying political gravity in 2012 Getty Images Boris Johnson's defining moments 2012 Boris Johnson playing tennis Getty Images Boris Johnson's defining moments 2012 Aside from his mayoral duties, London Mayor, Boris Johnson, is looking displeased at his seven appearances Rex Features Boris Johnson's defining moments 2012 Boris goes for a bounce in one of favourite places... (the Olympic village obviousy) Reuters Boris Johnson's defining moments 2011 London Mayor Boris Johnson on the streets of Clapham REUTERS Boris Johnson's defining moments 2011 Like a raging bull, Boris Johnson challenges a statue to a duel AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade Boris Johnson's defining moments 2010 Boris Johnson embraces a member of the public in Ealing, west London, who seems to have taken a shine to him FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2009 Frothy top? Boris Johnson visits Starbucks in Mayfair PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2009 Johnson tries on one of his favourite pink and sparkly hats Getty Images Boris Johnson's defining moments 2008 Johnson smiles smugly as he thinks of his fine mop of hair, worthy of a L'Oreal advert PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2008 Boris Johnson tries his hand at policing the capital - primarily by wearing a new hat PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2008 The hippie world welcomes a new member to the fold in Boris Johnson Reuters Boris Johnson's defining moments 2004 Boris Johnson jogs on the streets of London PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 1980's Boris as a young'un. He was fired from his first job as a trainee reporter at The Times for making up a quote about the Plantagenet King Edward the II and his gay lover BBC We do not need to fear the Chinese, he said. China will not dominate the globe. We do not need to teach babies Mandarin. Compared with the old British Empire, and the new American imperium, Chinese cultural influence is virtually nil, and unlikely to increase. ...the French In a speech in 2013, Mr Johnson recalled how he had met with the former French PM Alain Juppe, the mayor of Bordeaux at the time and therefore the representative of 239,517 people the ninth biggest city in France. Mr Johnson said: I got the ball back very firmly over the net, folks, because I said there were 250,000 French men and women in London and therefore I was the mayor of the sixth biggest French city on earth. ...the EU and Hitler The former London Mayor said in May that the EU was an attempt to recreate the Roman Empires united Europe. Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically. The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods, he added. The incendiary comments sparked an immediate backlash and Donald Tusk, the European Council President, said Mr Johnson had crossed the boundaries. But when asked on BBCs Andrew Marr Show whether it was abominable to make the comparison between the Nazi dictator and the European Union, Mr Johnson responded: I dont write the headlines. ...the Turkish president Amid an international free speech row between Turkey and Germany, Mr Johnson agreed to take part in a poetry competition organised by his former magazine The Spectator. His limerick reads: There was a young fellow from Ankara, Who was a terrific w*nkerer. Till he sowed his wild oats, With the help of a goat, But he didnt even stop to thankera. 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 }} Wales, which voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU, has now been told by the UK Government that it can't automatically expect a Brexit administration to match the level of funding it received from Brussels. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns announced in the House of Commons that Simply replacing what are currently EU funds with another source from Westminster misses the point. When pressed by Shadow Welsh Secretary Paul Flynn to guarantee that Wales will not lose any of the funding that it has now under Brexit, Mr Cairns would only say: I can guarantee that Wales will get its fair share. Cameron can't guarantee Wales funding His response raises the prospect that in voting to leave, Wales has voted to lose a chunk of the EU money that according to analysis by Cardiff Universitys Wales Governance Centre gave it a net annual benefit - (once payments to Brussels were deducted) of 245 million - or about 79 per head. It also comes after the areas of Wales that benefit most from EU funding voted very strongly to leave. West Wales and the Valleys had been a particular target of EU Regional Policy funding because it was classed as a less developed region where GDP was less than 75 per cent of the EU average. But every area in the Valleys still voted Leave, with the Brexit share of the vote being as high as 62 per cent in Blaenau Gwent and 56.4 per cent in Merthyr Tydfil. Mr Cairns seems to have used this to bolster his position, telling MPs on Wednesday: The EU referendum sent out a number of messages, and those areas that receive most EU funds were the areas, sadly, that voted most strongly to leave the EU. We need to look at models of regional aid in a different way. Only five Welsh council areas voted for Remain, compared to the 17 which backed Leave, producing an overall Wales vote of 52.5 per cent in favour of Brexit and 47.5 per cent for staying in the EU. Brexit reactions in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit reactions in pictures Brexit reactions in pictures Supporters of the Stronger In campaign look at their phones after hearing results in the EU referendum at London's Royal Festival Hall AP Brexit reactions in pictures Leave supporters cheer results at a Leave.eu party after polling stations closed in the Referendum on the European Union in London Reuters Brexit reactions in pictures Mr Cameron announces his resignation to supporters Getty Brexit reactions in pictures Donald Tusk proposes that the 27 remaining EU member states start a wider reflection on the future of our union Getty Brexit reactions in pictures Ukip leader Nigel Farage greets his supporters on College Green in Westminster, after Britain voted to leave the European Union PA Brexit reactions in pictures Supporters of the Stronger In Campaign react as referendum results are announced today Getty Brexit reactions in pictures Boris Johnson leaves his home today to discover a crowd of waiting journalists and police officers Getty Brexit reactions in pictures Leave EU supporters celebrate as they watch the British EU Referendum results being televised at Millbank Tower in London Rex Brexit reactions in pictures Supporters of the Stronger In Campaign react as results of the EU referendum are announced at the Royal Festival Hall Reuters Brexit reactions in pictures Supporters of the Stronger In campaign react after hearing results in the EU referendum at London's Royal Festival Hall PA This was despite the Welsh Government telling voters that since 2007, EU projects have helped 72,700 people into work and created 36,970 jobs. It was reported that Wales has been given more than 4 billion of European money since 2000, with grants approved between 2007 and 2013 including 79 million for improvements to the A465 Heads of the Valley road and 80 million for town centre improvements in places like Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd and Llanelli. But during the referendum campaign, Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, insisted: Wales could be as much as half a billion pounds a year better off if the UK votes to leave the European Union. The UK is a massive net contributor to the EU and Wales would be entitled, under the Barnett Formula, to its share of that 9.98 billion Brexit dividend. No ifs, no buts. After the referendum result became known, Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones wrote to David Cameron to express his concerns about the impact on jobs and growth if the funding level for Wales was reduced. Mark Drakeford, Finance Secretary in Wales Labour-led government, also insisted that every penny lost to the Welsh economy in EU funding would need to be replaced by the UK Government. The refusal of Mr Cairns to guarantee that a Brexit government will match EU funding levels may also cause anxiety in areas that voted to leave the EU despite receiving large sums from Brussels. The day after Cornwall voted 182,665 to 140,540 for leave despite having received 1 billion of EU aid in the past 15 years, John Pollard,the leader of Cornwall Council announced: We will be insisting that Cornwall receives investment equal to that provided by the EU programme which has averaged 60m per year over the last ten years. Now that we know the UK will be leaving the EU, he added, We will be taking urgent steps to ensure that the UK Government protects Cornwalls position in any negotiations. What might be at stake was suggested by Jonathan Lindsell, the author of a report on industries that benefit from the EU, who in 2014 had said that as well as Cornish farmers and fishermen benefiting from the Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy, the county received structural and convergence funds to support local economic growth and communities. If Britain were to leave, he added, The Treasury would have to take great care in ensuring its [Cornwalls] local economy was not crippled as a result. 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 flew in his brand new Prime Ministerial plane just once before his departure from office, it has emerged. It was announced last year that former Mr Cameron would get an aircraft for himself and senior members of the Cabinet for their official trips. An RAF Voyager A330 was to be refitted as a passenger aircraft at a cost of about 10 million, dubbed "Cam Force One". But the customised jet only made its debut flight last week when the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary boarded the jet to travel to the Nato summit in Warsaw. And following Theresa Mays appointment to officer as the new Prime Minister, the aircraft is now under new ownership. When the plane was announced last November, the government said it was a money-saving exercise, claiming it would save up to 775,000 a year on replacing charter flights currently used for long-distance trips abroad. But the move, announced just a week before billion-pound cuts were revealed in the 2015 Autumn statement, received much derision. Many claimed it locked the Government to a single wide-bodied aircraft, with a correspondingly massive carbon footprint. Nonetheless others believed that compared with other governmental aircrafts in other countries Cam Force One was fairly modest. David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 David Cameron's premiership - in pictures David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Queen Elizabeth II greeting David Cameron at Buckingham Palace for an audience to invite him to be the next Prime Minister on 11 May 2010 PA David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha wave from the steps of Number 10 Downing Street on 11 May 2010 Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures On 12 May 2010 Prime Minister David Cameron said in a press conference with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, who was then deputy PM, they plan to "take Britain in a historic new direction" and Conservative-led coalition government would be united and provide "strong and stable" leadership Rex David Cameron's premiership - in pictures A decade ago, David Cameron visited the Arctic to witness the effects of climate change. However since coming to power in 2010, his government has gradually dropped down a succession of green policies David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David cameron told the then New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Queen had purred down the line after he told her Scotland had voted against independence in September 2014. He was forced to apologise for breaking constitutional convention Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron greeted soldiers working on flood relief in York city centre after the river Ouse burst its banks, in northern England in December 2015 REUTERS David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Claims that David Cameron performed an obscene act with a dead pig and smoked cannabis during his studies at Oxford University spread around the world in September 2015. The extraordinary allegations were made in an unauthorised biography of the Prime Minister written by Lord Ashcroft David Hartley/REX Shutterstock David Cameron's premiership - in pictures In 2016, Mr Cameron was caught up in a worldwide scandal dubbed the Panama papers Reuters David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha with seven week old Regan as they meet her parents, first time home buyers Robert Arron and Kelly Jeffers at the Heritage Brook housing development in Chorley, Lancashire. David Cameron has joked that he wants "another baby" and said that he feels a "bit broody" every time he sees a newborn on the campaign trail David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David Cameron was criticised for branding refugees in the Calais jungle camp as a bunch of migrants in January 2016 after thousands of refugees died in their attempt to cross the Mediterranean in 2015 Sky News David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron speaks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during an EU summit meeting on 17 March 2016 at the European Union council in Brussels. Cameron was in Brussels to renegotiate deal of UK membership with other European leaders. The deal, sealed after hours of haggling at a marathon summit, paved the way for a referendum on whether Britain will stay in the EU AFP/Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures President Barack Obama shakes hands with British Prime Minister David Cameron at a meeting at 10 Downing Street in London on 22 April 2016. The President and his wife visited 10 Downing Street where he joined press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron and made his case for the UK to remain inside the European Union Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures After David returned from Brussels claiming victory in his renegotiation with European leaders, Boris Johnson announced that he will not support the Remain campaign. The prime minister said publicly he was "disappointed but Boris remains a friend" PA David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David Cameron makes a joint appearance with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan as they launch the Britain Stronger in Europe guarantee card at Roehampton University on 20 May 2016 in London. The 'guarantee card' lists five pledges should Britain remain in the EU, including the protection of workers' rights, full access to the single market and stability for Britain David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron speaks outside 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2016. Cameron announced his resignation after Britain voted to leave the European Union after a bitterly divisive referendum campaign AP Tony Blair had planned to buy two private jets when he was Prime Minister at the cost of about 100m, but it was scrapped by Gordon Brown, while the US Presidents Air Force One cost 200m. Now that Cam Force One is under new ownership, there is speculatuion as to what it will be called. Patrick Kidd of The Times has suggested "May Fly (although that sounds a bit pessimistic)" or "ThereasyJet". 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 }} Philip Hammond has said there will be no emergency budget following Britains historic European Union referendum and vowed to do whatever is necessary to keep the economy on track. In his first interview since being appointed to Chancellor in Theresa Mays newly-formed Cabinet, Mr Hammond told ITVs Good Morning Britain: There is no plan for an emergency budget, as Theresa May made clear. There will be an Autumn Statement in the normal way and then there will be a Budget in the normal way. But the markets do need signals of reassurance; they need to know we will do whatever is necessary to keep the economy on track, he added. During the EU referendum campaign the former Chancellor George Osborne joined forces with Alistair Darling, also a former Chancellor, to warn of an emergency budget dubbed the punishment budget by opponents in the event of a Brexit vote. Together they claimed that 15 billion of tax rises and 15 billion of spending cuts would have been needed to make up for a 30 billion black hole created by Britains exit from the EU. But Liam Fox, the newly-appointed International Trade Secretary, said at the time of the warning: A punishment budget would be rejected by both sides of the House of Commons. It would damage the chancellors credibility and would be putting his own position in jeopardy. Mr Hammond also used the interview on Thursday to admit the role of Chancellor is one he has always been keen on, and one he believes will be important as Britain negotiates its exit from the European Union. Amid reports his predecessor George Osborne, who he previously worked with, was sacked from the role, he said he did not believe the change was a policy decision, but rather one to allow Mrs May to bring together a team to help "reunite" the country. He told BBC Breakfast: "I worked with George Osborne when we were in Opposition as his shadow chief secretary to the Treasury so it's an area that has always been of great interest to me and I believe is now going to be incredibly important as we move forward from the historic decision that we've made to leave the European Union and try and build on that decision to stabilise our economy and then go forward to build a new future for Britain." "I think the new Prime Minister has a difficult job to build a team which reunites the party and reunites the country and sends a signal about how we are going to take forward the decision that the British people made on 23rd June and how we are going to do it in a way protects Britain's prosperity and Britain's standing in the world and, by putting her team together in the way she has, she is setting out how she intends to go about this task, he added. Mr Hammond also said his successor as Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, would be "very good in this job". Asked for his thoughts of Mr Johnson and the potential differences in their approach to the job, Mr Hammond said it would be ridiculous to have everybody as clones. We have all got different styles and that is why we make a strong team, he said. We are very different people and when you are building a team for anything you want different kinds of people with different kinds of skills. And I think Boris will be very good in this job - Boris is a very big figure in the Conservative Party, he is a big figure in the country, he is a national figure. He will be an asset to both the party and the country working as part of a team closely together with the rest of us to make sure we deliver for Britain in the circumstances we find ourselves in. 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 Camerons new family home is a 16m Holland Park mansion owned by the PR mogul Sir Alan Parker. Having spent the night the under armed guard of the Diplomatic Protection Group (who also guard Tony Blairs doorstep nearby), Mr Cameron emerged this morning and stepped into a waiting Range Rover. There are some people around here who are up their own **** but I don't think the Camerons are like that, said a neighbour who asked not to be named. They're relaxed and chilled people. It's a very family friendly street. There's a lot of children around here, Im sure we'll be looking out for them too. The Camerons are not expected to stay there long, perhaps just until their three children have finished school for the year. The mansion cost 16m two years ago Neighbours include the Sainsburys family, while Robbie Williams used to live nearby The Camerons outside Downing Street yesterday (EPA) Their own home in Kensington is being rented out, but they have another home in Camerons constituency in Witney, Oxfordshire. One of their new neighbours, who voted to leave the EU, added: When you're the leader of a team you have to take responsibility for the team, you can't say one thing and then jump ship. Cameron had to stand down or it would have looked like a bit of a dictatorship. David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 David Cameron's premiership - in pictures David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Queen Elizabeth II greeting David Cameron at Buckingham Palace for an audience to invite him to be the next Prime Minister on 11 May 2010 PA David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha wave from the steps of Number 10 Downing Street on 11 May 2010 Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures On 12 May 2010 Prime Minister David Cameron said in a press conference with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, who was then deputy PM, they plan to "take Britain in a historic new direction" and Conservative-led coalition government would be united and provide "strong and stable" leadership Rex David Cameron's premiership - in pictures A decade ago, David Cameron visited the Arctic to witness the effects of climate change. However since coming to power in 2010, his government has gradually dropped down a succession of green policies David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David cameron told the then New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Queen had purred down the line after he told her Scotland had voted against independence in September 2014. He was forced to apologise for breaking constitutional convention Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron greeted soldiers working on flood relief in York city centre after the river Ouse burst its banks, in northern England in December 2015 REUTERS David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Claims that David Cameron performed an obscene act with a dead pig and smoked cannabis during his studies at Oxford University spread around the world in September 2015. The extraordinary allegations were made in an unauthorised biography of the Prime Minister written by Lord Ashcroft David Hartley/REX Shutterstock David Cameron's premiership - in pictures In 2016, Mr Cameron was caught up in a worldwide scandal dubbed the Panama papers Reuters David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha with seven week old Regan as they meet her parents, first time home buyers Robert Arron and Kelly Jeffers at the Heritage Brook housing development in Chorley, Lancashire. David Cameron has joked that he wants "another baby" and said that he feels a "bit broody" every time he sees a newborn on the campaign trail David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David Cameron was criticised for branding refugees in the Calais jungle camp as a bunch of migrants in January 2016 after thousands of refugees died in their attempt to cross the Mediterranean in 2015 Sky News David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron speaks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during an EU summit meeting on 17 March 2016 at the European Union council in Brussels. Cameron was in Brussels to renegotiate deal of UK membership with other European leaders. The deal, sealed after hours of haggling at a marathon summit, paved the way for a referendum on whether Britain will stay in the EU AFP/Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures President Barack Obama shakes hands with British Prime Minister David Cameron at a meeting at 10 Downing Street in London on 22 April 2016. The President and his wife visited 10 Downing Street where he joined press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron and made his case for the UK to remain inside the European Union Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures After David returned from Brussels claiming victory in his renegotiation with European leaders, Boris Johnson announced that he will not support the Remain campaign. The prime minister said publicly he was "disappointed but Boris remains a friend" PA David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David Cameron makes a joint appearance with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan as they launch the Britain Stronger in Europe guarantee card at Roehampton University on 20 May 2016 in London. The 'guarantee card' lists five pledges should Britain remain in the EU, including the protection of workers' rights, full access to the single market and stability for Britain David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron speaks outside 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2016. Cameron announced his resignation after Britain voted to leave the European Union after a bitterly divisive referendum campaign AP They are at least back within walking distance of their favourite Notting Hill restaurants, and their old Notting Hill set friends too, even if the demographic of that particular group has shifted dramatically during Mr Camerons six years at Number 10. Michael Gove and his wife, Sarah, were regular dining companions. Since Mr Gove campaigned for Brexit, bringing down his friends career and, eventually, his own, the two families are no longer on speaking terms. The other staple was Steve Hilton, who along with Mr Gove was godfather to the Camerons' son, Ivan, who died in 2009. But he returned from California with a book to sell, and embarked on a lengthy pro-Brexit media tour. But it is possible, via their new lodgings, that the Camerons might make an unlikely new friendship. It is nine years since Alan Parkers wedding, in March 2007, attended by both the then leader of the opposition, David Cameron, and Mr Parkers longstanding friend, Sarah Brown, and her husband Gordon. 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 news Jeremy Hunt was remaining in the Cabinet - despite earlier reports that he was being sacked - has provoked a strong reaction from members of the public. Hundreds of social media users expressed their disappointment after reports the controversial figure was being removed from government turned into news he would, in fact, remain as Health Secretary under Theresa May. Following his reappointment, Mr Hunt posted a tweet saying "reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" and that he was "thrilled to be back in government". In response, a barrage of Twitter users said they were "gutted", with many who appear to work for the health sector accusing him of "incompetence" for his previous dealings with the NHS. Other Twitter users made references to films to describe Mr Hunt's reappointment as Health Secretary, comparing it to scenes from Dawn of the Dead and Fatal Attraction. There had been widespread confusion earlier on in the day, when it was widely reported Ms May had decided not to keep Mr Hunt in the role. Many people had responded with jubilation to reports he was sacked, with some hospital wards reportedly erupting into cheers. But celebrations turned into despair when it was revealed Mr Hunt would remain in his Cabinet position. As he left Downing Street after being reappointed, Mr Hunt smiled broadly and said he was thrilled. Mr Hunt is the UK's longest-serving Health Secretary, after taking on the role in 2012 following a two-year stint as Culture Secretary. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images His long-running row with medics has seen him clash with not only the British Medical Association (BMA) but powerful royal colleges, academics and even the British Medical Journal (BMJ), and made him highly unpopular with many NHS employees. 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 }} Justine Greening has been appointed as Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, the first education minister to have attended a comprehensive secondary school. Ms Greening replaces Nicky Morgan as part of a major cabinet reshuffle, and moves to the role from the Department for International Development, where she has been secretary of state for nearly four years. She was tipped to be a likely candidate for Education Secretary after the new Prime Minister Theresa May said she was keen to assign more women to top cabinet positions. May's new cabinet The MP for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields is the first education secretary to have attended a state secondary school, having been educated at Oakwood Comprehensive School in Rotherham. She is also believed to be the first openly LGBT equalities minister. Last month, she announced she was in a same-sex relationship during Pride, making her the first openly gay female Cabinet minister. Leaving Downing Street after the announcement, Ms Greening reportedly told onlookers it was her perfect job. As well as being a Remain supporter during last months EU referendum, the MPs past campaigns include working with police to reduce crime and a drive to reduce aircraft noise at Heathrow. She has previously spoken out against gender inequality and supported projects with UNICEF, rallying against FGM and child marriage. Ms Morgan took to social media to congratulate Ms Greening on her new role, tweeting: Congrats to my successor Justine Greening shes committed to excellence in education, equalities and did great work for women at DIFID. 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 }} One of Labour's biggest donors has announced he will legally challenge the party's decision to allow Jeremy Corbyn onto the leadership ballot without seeking nominations. Michael Foster, whose family has given 400,000 to the Labour Party, said he was concerned over the "apparent manipulation" of party rules by the ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC). On Tuesday the NEC voted 18-14 to allow Mr Corbyn onto the leadership ballot without the backing of 51 MPs or MEPs. Angela Eagle has already reached this threshold, while Owen Smith is expected to launch his leadership campaign tomorrow. Mr Foster, who once stood as the Labour Parliamentary candidate for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle in Cornwall, said: "I'm simply concerned that this is an important issue. It's about the rule of law. "The advice given was certainly not given the expert consideration given by a high court judge. "When you conduct a membership association and it has a set of rules, you cannot, in Britain, a democracy that stands or falls by application of law, bend the rules to suit a particular circumstance or particular position." He insists his legal challenge was "not about politics" and expects the court to hear the case within days, the BBC reports. Jeremy Corbyn: Democracy is splendid Tom Watson, deputy leader of the Labour party, said: "This legal challenge is very unhelpful and destabilising to the Labour Party. "The NEC made a decision. They ruled that Jeremy Corbyn is automatically on the ballot paper. "We must respect that decision and give our members a choice of candidates as soon as possible." Mr Foster caused controversy in September last year for heckling Jeremy Corbyn after the party leader failed to say "Israel" at a Labour friends of Israel meeting in Brighton. Mr Foster could be heard repeatedly shouting: "Say the word Israel." 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 }} Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary as Theresa May continued the process of appointing ministers to her new administration. Mr Gove, who was hoping to carry on with prison reforms at the Justice department, was eliminated from the Conservative party leadership contest in the second round of voting by backbench Tory MPs. He is credited with not only contributing to the demise of David Cameron's career but also also effectively ruined the leadership ambitions of the former London mayor Boris Johnson. Downing Street declined to comment on reports that he had left the Government, but it is understood that Mrs May has told him he will not form a part of her team. He is the second major casualty from Mr Cameron's Cabinet, joining the former Chancellor George Osborne on the backbenches. May's new cabinet In 2014 a battle between Ms May and Mr Gove over the Trojan horse extremism in schools came to a bitter climax as Ms Mays closest adviser, Fiona Cunningham, resigned and Mr Gove was ordered to apologise to the Prime Minister. The then Education Secretary was forced to admit that it was wrong to brief The Times against the Home Secretary and her intelligence chief, Charles Farr. Downing Street said Mr Gove had written letters of apology to Mr Cameron and Mr Farr in acknowledgement of his role in claiming that the Home Office had failed to drain the swamp of Islamic extremism. Ms Cunningham, the Home Secretary's special adviser and trusted aide resigned over her improper release of a retaliatory letter from Mrs May that criticised Mr Gove over extremism. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary in David Cameron's government, has also lost her job in the reshuffle. Ms Morgan had backed Mr Gove for Tory leader. The demotion is the first time Mr Gove will not be in the Cabinet since the Conservative party returned to government in 2010. He was initially appointed as Education Secretary under David Cameron, where he made a series of controversial reforms and became a hate figure amongst the teaching profession. The MP was later moved to Leader of the House of Commons. He was then appointed Justice Secretary, where he undid many of the changes implemented by his predecessor Chris Grayling. Gove out of Tory race Mr Goves intervention in the leadership race is believed to have been crucial in undermining Mr Johnsons campaign and prompting his announcement that he would not formally enter the race. But Mr Johnson has since been appointed as Foreign Secretary by Ms May. Mr Goves approval ratings, usually high among Conservative activists, fell dramatically in the wake of his assassination of Mr Johnson, according to polls. 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 }} The newly appointed minister in charge of negotiating Britains exit from the European Union appears unaware of how EU trade deals work, it has emerged. David Davis was appointed as Theresa Mays Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union on Wednesday evening immediately after she arrived at Number 10. The staunch Leave backer, a former Europe Minister, however said during the referendum campaign that Britain would negotiate individual trade deals with other EU countries. Who is David Davis? Recommended Read more David Davis has been named minister for Brexit However one of the main basic features of the European Union is that EU countries cannot negotiate individual trade deals without side countries and instead do so as a bloc of 28. The basic fact, which was paraded by other parts of the Leave campaign during the referendum, leaves Ms Daviss original plan for one-on-one trade deals in tatters. Post Brexit a UK-German deal would include free access for their cars and industrial goods, in exchange for a deal on everything else, he said on 26 May this year. Similar deals would be reached with other key EU nations. France would want to protect 3 billion of food and wine exports. Italy, its 1 billion fashion exports. Poland its 3 billion manufacturing exports. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images Mr Davis was one of the first appointments in Ms Mays cabinet and will head a brand new government department with responsibility for Brexit. Other key appointments who will be involved in secession negotiations include Boris Johnson, who will be Foreign Secretary. Negotiations will not begun until Ms May triggers the so-called Article 50, a provision in EU treaties which formally starts the process of a country leaving the EU. Though the exact shape of Brexit has not been decided, the new Chancellor Philip Hammond this morning told LBC radio: "We will come out of the single market as a result of our decision to leave the European Union." He went one to say that he hoped Britain would be able to negotiate "access" to the market through trade deals. David Cameron declined to trigger the treaty provision, arguing that it was for his successor to do so. 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 }} More than half of British people believe the UK will not exist in 10 years time, a new poll has found. The BBC/ComRes poll found 53 per cent of the 1,000 adults surveyed thought the union would break up in the next ten years following the vote to leave the EU. Nearly 72 per cent of British adults do not trust their politicians do a good job in the Brexit negotiations - and 52 per cent believe the civil servants cant be trusted either. Some 52 per cent expect immigration to fall after the UK leaves but 47 per cent believe the economy will be worse in two years time. Most Britons, 66 per cent, believe maintaining access to the single market is more important than restricting freedom of movement. But 31 per cent still think immigration is more important - and 45 per cent said they will be dissatisfied if the government does not guarantee it. It comes as the new prime minister, Theresa May, told foreign leaders she will implement the will of the British people in her first phone calls in No 10 on Wednesday. In her conversations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French president Francois Hollande and Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny she reiterated her earlier declaration that Brexit means Brexit. Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Show all 12 1 /12 Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Brexit protest: Thousands march in London A woman poses with a home-made European Union flag as Remain supporters gather on Park Lane in London to show their support for the EU in the wake of Brexit PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Remain supporters demonstrate in Parliament Square PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Tens of thousands of people gathered to protest the result of the EU referendum PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London A majority of people in the capital voted to remain in the European Union Reuters Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Protesters chanted: What do we want to do? Stay in the EU PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London The march follows a similar rally in Trafalgar Square that was cancelled due to heavy rain but which tens of thousands of people turned up to anyway Reuters Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum by 52 per cent to 48 per cent Reuters Brexit protest: Thousands march in London But support for the Leave campaign in urban areas and among young people was significantly lower Rex features Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Marchers gathered at Park Lane at 11am and marched towards Parliament Square PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Some protesters held up baguettes in a display of affection for our continental neighbours PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London The disparity between different parts of the country has promoted a four million signature petition calling for a second referendum and even a renewed push for Scotland to cede from the UK PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London The events organiser, Kings College graduate Kieran MacDermott, wrote: We can prevent Brexit by refusing to accept the referendum as the final say and take our finger off the self-destruct button" Reuters But in her speech outside Downing Street following her meeting with the Queen Ms May said she wanted to preserve the precious bonds of the union between the UKs four countries. She will travel to Scotland on Friday to meet Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for the first time since becoming leader. Ms Sturgeon has said she will do everything she can to find a way for Scotland, which voted Remain, to stay in the EU - and has called for a second independence referendum. The Leave side won a narrow victory in the referendum on 23 June with 52 per cent of the vote. But in days following the result - which saw many Brexit politicians resigning and backtracking on promises they had made during the campaign - enthusiasm for Brexit turned to anger. A petition calling for a second referendum soon reached four million signatures and the issue will now be debated in the House of Commons. 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 }} Nigel Farage has been heckled by a protester during a live news broadcast. The former Ukip leader was being interviewed by Sky News ahead of David Cameron's resignation when a heckler began making remarks through a megaphone. During the interview outside the House of Commons, the male heckler could be heard saying: Sky News have got a racist on their channel. Are you really listening to this man? Mr Farage, who resigned as Ukip leader earlier this month, ignored the colourful remarks. When the interviewer Kay Burley thanked him for persevering, he said: "I've been used to it for years". The protester continued to make slurs - most of which were inaudible - through the megaphone until the interview ended, and reportedly continued until 10.30pm. His remarks also included: Nigel Farage, youre an embarrassment to the human race and Kay, you need to smile a lot more, you look miserable". Twitter responded to the incident with both amusement and frustration, with one user describing the heckler as a "genius" while another called his actions "momentarily amusing" but "annoying". Mr Farage, who backed Andrea Leadsom in the Tory leadership race, was discussing Brexit negotiations in the broadcast. He said the "real negotiation" is going to happen in "German car factories" and "French win producers" rather than Brussels. Amid the heckles Mr Farage also expressed his view that if Article 50 isn't triggered in the next few months "it won't just be the Labour Party that splits in half, it'll be the Tory Party too." 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 }} Philip Hammond has said Britain will come out the single market as part of its decision to leave the EU, but will negotiate access to the bloc. We will come out of the single market as a result of our decision to leave the European Union," Theresa May's new Chancellor told LBC. The question is how we negotiate with the European Union, not from the point of view of being members of it but from the point of view of being close neighbours and trade partners of it." He added: "I would like to see us negotiating access to the single market for Britain's businesses, so we can go on selling our goods and services into the European Union market and indeed enjoying the benefits of consuming European Union goods and services here as we do now." Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images Mr Hammond is one of a number of new appointments to the Conservative cabinet, which saw the surprise appointment of Boris Johnson the new Foreign Secretary. Mr Johnson, who has previously made several controversial quotes about world leaders, said he was "obviously very, very humbled, very, very proud to be offered this chance". When asked by a Sky News reporter whether he planned to apologise to US President Barack Obama for controversially saying the "part-Kenyan" president was biased against Britain because of "an ancestral dislike of the British empire", Mr Johnson quipped: "The United States of America will be in the front of the queue." May's new cabinet In his first interview after being appointed Chancellor, Mr Hammond said there will be no emergency budget following the EU referendum vote. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We will face some challenges in the short term in managing the economy. It has had a shock as a result of the decision on June 23 to leave the European Union. "That has shaken confidence, it has caused many businesses to pause investment decisions that they were making. "The challenge for us now is to send signals of reassurance about the future as quickly and as powerfully as we can to the international investment community, to British business and to British consumers, so we can get those decisions starting to be made and investments starting to flow into the UK." During the EU referendum campaign, the former Chancellor George Osborne joined forces with Alistair Darling, also a former Chancellor, to warn of an emergency budget in the event of a Brexit vote. Together they claimed that 15 billion of tax rises and 15 billion of spending cuts would have been needed to make up for a 30 billion black hole created by Britains exit from the EU. Mr Hammond said investment, job creation and business confidence had all been hit since the referendum result. "There has been a chilling effect. We have seen an effect in markets, we have seen business investment decisions being paused because businesses now want to take stock, want to understand how we will take forward our renegotiation with the EU, what our aspirations are for the future trading relationship between Britain and the European Union." 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 }} The Liberal Democrats have denounced the decision to appoint Boris Johnson as foreign secretary - saying Theresa May has "lost credibility after 90 minutes as Prime Minister". The party, which has pledged to campaign on a platform of remaining in the EU at the next election, said the appointment showed Ms May was "not serious" about negotiating a deal with with Europe and the rest of the world. A party statement highlighted some of Mr Johnson's more colourful recent exchanges with world leaders during the EU referendum - such as comparing EU leaders to the Nazis and referring to Barack Obama as "part-Kenyan". May's new cabinet Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: I cannot believe that Boris Johnson is now going to be the person to represent Britain abroad. "Presumably Boris Johnson's first act as Foreign Secretary will be to apologise to the President of the United States, and then the leaders of our European partners. "At this incredibly important time that will determine Britains economic and cultural relations with Europe, it is extraordinary that the new Prime Minister has chosen someone whose career is built on making jokes." Mr Johnson's appointment is one of several key appointments for members of the Vote Leave campaign. David Davis and Liam Fox also got two new roles to facilitate Brexit - the secretaries of state for leaving the European Union and international trade respectively. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images Speaking to the BBC, Mr Johnson said he was "very humble, very proud to be offered this chance". He said: "I think Theresa made a wonderful speech this afternoon about her ambitions for the country and how she saw the Conservative government taking Britain forward. "Clearly now we have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our new relationship with Europe and with the world; and I'm very excited to be asked to play a part in that." When asked if he planned to apologise to any world leaders for his comments in the past he said the US would be "at the front of the queue". 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 }} Theresa May has made a clear break from David Camerons administration with a string of Cabinet appointments that will overhaul the frontbench. A host of big names have been cut from the Cabinet including Justice Secretary Michael Gove, Culture Secretary John Wittingdale and Education Secretary Nicky Morgan. Philip Hammond has been appointed Chancellor, and former Mayor of London Boris Johnson is a surprise addition to one of the Great Offices of State as the UKs new Foreign Secretary. Here's what we know so far: Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images Whos in? Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer Former Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond will step into No 11 Downing Street to take George Osbornes place. He has said there will be no emergency budget, as Mr Osborne had promised. Amber Rudd, Home Secretary Amber Rudd became an MP at the 2010 general election and was taken under George Osbornes wing as his parliamentary private secretary. After the 2015 general election she replaced the Lib Dems Ed Davey as the Minister for Energy and Climate Change. She was a passionate campaigner for Remain ahead of the European Union referendum and is now the second most powerful woman in Britain. Who is Amber Rudd Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnsons promotion to one of the great offices of state has left commentators, politicians and foreigner leaders alike stunned. Some have suggested that May has been pragmatic in this appointment; she needed to appoint a Brexiteer to a key post, but the brief of Foreign Secretary has been diluted by the creation of international trade and Brexit ministers. Boris Johnson's most controversial quotes David Davis, Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union A hard-line Eurosceptic but staunch defender of civil liberties, Mr Davis lost out to David Cameron in the Conservatives 2005 leadership race. He has previously said he is ready to play hard-ball with Brussels, suggesting industrial subsidies if the EU applies levies to UK exports. The move was unexpected, with Chris Grayling having been tipped for the newly created post. Who is David Davis? Liam Fox, Secretary of State for International Trade Just five years after resigning from the government in disgrace after he admitted allowing his friend Adam Werrity to take an unofficial and undeclared role as his advisor, Liam Fox is back. Dr Fox previously stood for the Conservative party leadership and was a Leave campaigner. Justine Greening, Education Secretary Former secretary of state for international development, Justine Greening replaces Nicky Morgan as Education Secretary. Ms Greening becomes the UKs first openly gay female Cabinet member. Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health A hate figure for many in the National Health Service and another contemporary of Cameron and Osborne at Oxford. Hunt was appointed culture minister in the Coalition Government of 2010, where he worked on the 2012 London Olympics. He was given the Health brief after a 2012 reshuffle. He supported remain in the referendum. Michael Fallon, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has retained his role as Defence Secretary which he has held since 2014, when he took over the role from Philip Hammond. Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary Mr Grayling takes a leap up from Leader of the House of Commons, a position he has occupied since the 2015 election, to Transport Secretary. He was first elected to parliament for Epsom and Newell in 2001, and in 2005 was appointed by David Cameron as shadow Transport Secretary. He takes over the role from Patrick McLoughlin. Andrea Leadsom, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Following the abandoned leadership bid that handed the premiership to Theresa May, Ms Leadsom will now head up the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs. She replaces Liz Truss, who had been Defra Secretary since July 2014 and who has now been appointed as Justice Secretary. Gavin Williamson Conservative Party Chief Whip Having previously served as parliamentary personal assistant to David Cameron, Williamson was sworn into the Privy Council in 2015. His appointment has been something of a surprise to many, who have seen this as an enormous promotion for a relatively unknown MP. Patrick McLoughlin, Conservative Party Chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster MP for the Derbyshire Dales, Patrick McLoughlin has been transport secretary since September 2012. He has now been moved into Oliver Letwins position as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and has also been appointed as Chair of the Conservative party, taking over from Lord (Andrew) Feldman. James Brokenshire, Northern Ireland Secretary The MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, James Brokenshire takes a leap into Theresa Mays Cabinet where he will be Northern Ireland Secretary. He was previously Minister for Security and Immigration, a position he has held since February 2014. He replaces Theresa Villiers, who was reportedly offered a different role by Ms May, but did not take it. Whos out? George Osborne Chancellor of the Exchequer David Camerons closest ally, Osborne was a member of the informal Notting Hill set of Conservatives. He served as Chancellor from 2010 until 2016, and had been tipped as a frontrunner for the leadership. Theresa May used her first speech as leader to signal that she wished to change tack on economic policy. He had quietly stayed on after the referendum, unlike the Prime Minister, possibly in hope of retaining a senior ministerial brief. Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove was appointed Education Secretary in the Coalition Government in 2010, where he championed the controversial academies programme. Following a move to the Justice brief after the 2015 general election. He played a major role in the campaign to leave the European Union alongside Boris Johnson. In the subsequent leadership race, he withdrew his support for Mr Johnson and stood for leader himself, coming a distant third behind Andrea Leadsom and Theresa May. Nicky Morgan Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities Elected to represent Loughborough in 2010, Morgan served as an economic secretary to the Treasury from 2013 until she replaced Maria Miller as Minister for Women, leading to accusations that she was minister for straight women due to her stance on gay marriage. She then replaced Michael Gove in 2014 as Education Secretary, a position for which she was said to have little interest or experience. She supported Remain and then Gove in the leadership contest. John Whittingdale Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport John Whittingdale began his political career as political secretary to Margaret Thatcher. He was elected to parliament in 1992. He was a leading member of a Thatcherite group in the right of the Conservative Party, voting against both gay marriage and equal pay in the 2010 coalition government. He became Culture secretary after his work investigating the phone hacking scandal. He backed Leave in the referendum. His disputes over the future of the BBC became infamous after his controversial white paper was released, where he advocated a leaner and more strictly controlled service. Oliver Letwin, Chancellor for the duchy of Lancaster MP for West Dorset, Oliver Letwin has been a Cabinet member since the 2005 general election. Until his departure, Mr Letwin had overall responsibility for the Cabinet Office and was widely regarded as David Camerons fixer, Mr Letwin had recently been given charge of the governments brexit unit. Stephen Crabb, Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb has taken the reshuffle as an opportunity to quit his role. He inherited the work and pensions brief from Iain Duncan Smith in March 2016. He said he was stepping down from the role in the best interests of my family. At the weekend the Times revealed Mr Crabb, who had put himself forward for the Conservative leadership, had made sexual comments in messages to a young woman. Theresa Villiers, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on. Matt Hancock, Minister for the Cabinet Office The MP has been in the post since the general election last year and is widely regarded as loyal to Mr Osborne. Despite this he was an early backer of Ms May's leadership bid. The full list Full Cabinet members Theresa May Prime Minister Philip Hammond Chancellor of the Exchequer Boris Johnson Foreign Secretary Amber Rudd Home Secretary David Davis Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Liam Fox Secretary of State for International Trade Jeremy Hunt Health Secretary Justine Greening Education Secretary Damian Green Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Truss Justice Secretary Chris Grayling Transport Secretary Andrea Leadsom Environment Secretary Priti Patel Secretary of State for International Development Karen Bradley Culture Secretary Sajid Javid Communities Secretary Alun Cairns Welsh Secretary David Mundell Scottish Secretary James Brokenshire Northern Ireland Secretary David Lidington Leader of the Commons Baroness Evans Leader of the Lords Matt Hancock - Minister to the Cabinet Office Attending Cabinet Patrick McLoughlin Conservative party chairman/Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster David Gauke Chief Secretary to the Treasury Gavin Williamson Chief Whip Jeremy Wright Attorney General 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 }} Theresa May moved to re-unite the nation and the Conservative Party after the divisive EU referendum as she vowed to govern for struggling working class families rather than a privileged few on becoming Britains second woman prime minister. Ms May, who backed Remain in the referendum, handed top Cabinet posts to Leave campaigners. She sprung a major surprise by making Boris Johnson her Foreign Secretary an astonishing comeback by the man who was the front-runner to succeed David Cameron before being pushed out of the Tory leadership race by his fellow Leave campaigner Michael Gove. It is the former Mayor of Londons first Cabinet post, and puts him back on course to eventually become prime minister if he makes a success of it. David Davis, a Eurosceptic former Europe Minister, landed the key job of Brexit minister in charge of negotiating the UKs exit with the 27 remaining EU countries. Another prominent Leave campaigner, Liam Fox, also won a recall to the Government as an International Trade Secretary. The reshuffle was designed to reassure Tory MPs that the new Prime Minister would honour her pledge that Brexit means Brexit. Some Eurosceptics fear that she might try to avoid the clean break with Europe they demand. Recommended Read more Theresa May reconfirms Brexit pledge in phone calls to world leaders But before her first day in Downing Street was over, Ms May was on the phone to European leaders, pledging to establish a "constructive relationship" while reconfirming her commitment to follow through the will of the people as laid out in the referendum. Philip Hammond moved from the Foreign Office to the Treasury. The man he succeeded as Chancellor, George Osborne, was sacked from the Cabinet a remarkable fall for a man often seen as Mr Camerons most likely successor. Just over a year after they won a general election, Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne are now both in the political wilderness. Amber Rudd, a prominent Remain campaigner, won a big promotion to Ms Mays previous job as Home Secretary after only 15 months in the Cabinet as Energy Secretary. Michael Fallon kept his job as Defence Secretary. Speaking outside Downing Street earlier, Ms May promised to lead a One Nation government, boost social mobility and tackle burning injustice as she described her mission as to make Britain a country that works for everyone. But the new Prime Minister skated over the daunting challenge that will dominate her first two years in power clearing up the mess she inherits from Mr Cameron after the Brexit vote and negotiating the EU exit terms. Also at the top of her in-tray will be SNP demands to keep Scotland in the EU after it voted for Remain. Ms May will meet Nicola Sturgeon, Scotlands First Minister, shortly to discuss SNP calls for a second independence referendum. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images Ms May said: My party is the Conservative and Unionist Party and that word unionist is very important to me. It means we believe in the Union, the precious, precious bond between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - but it means something else that is just as important. It means we believe in a union not just between the nations of the United Kingdom but between all of our citizens - every one of us - whoever we are and wherever we're from. "That means fighting against the burning injustice that if you're born poor you will die on average nine years earlier than others. If you're black you are treated more harshly by the criminal justice system than if you're white. If you're a white working class boy you're less likely than anybody else in Britain to go to university. If you're at a state school you're less likely to reach the top professions than if you're educated privately. If you're a woman you will earn less than a man. Making clear she had got the message from the EU referendum, Ms May said: If you're from an ordinary working class family, life is much harder than many people in Westminster realise. She promised these families: The Government I lead will be driven, not by the interests of the privileged few but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. "When we take the big calls we will think not of the powerful, but you. When we pass new laws we will listen not to the mighty, but to you. When it comes to taxes we will prioritise not the wealthy, but you. When it comes to opportunity we won't entrench the advantages of the fortunate few, we will do everything we can to help anybody, whatever your background, to go as far as your talents will take you. Mr Cameron formally tendered his resignation to the Queen after winning a standing ovation in the Commons at his swansong at Prime Ministers Questions. He urged his successor to keep Britain "as close to the European Union as we can. Looking ahead to her talks with Ms May, Ms Sturgeon said a second Scottish referendum was on the table - and relegated any option short of full EU membership to "second, third or fourth best". She added: We will want to get a very firm assurance from Theresa May that Scotland and the Scottish Government will be centrally involved in the process that will now take shape. 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 }} Theresa May has reconfirmed her intention to honour the decision to leave the EU by the British public in her first phone conservation with world leaders. A Downing Street spokesman confirmed to the BBC that Ms May had several phone conversations with European leaders where she pledged to establish a "constructive relationship" with her neighbours. In a call to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the pair agreed to establish a "constructive relationship, recognising the importance of close co-operation". When speaking to French President Francois Hollande, she discussed the importance of their bilateral relationship - particularly on security, defence and border controls. French politicians have suggested it is considering revoking or renegotiating the decade-old Le Touquet treaty between the two countries which allows for British border guards to be stationed on the French side of the channel to prevent asylum seekers and illegal immigrants stowing away on ferries and lorries. Although the agreement is separate to EU freedom of movement rules, French presidential frontrunner Alain Juppe has suggested moving the border "back where it belongs" after the British voted to leave the EU. France has grown increasingly frustrated by the large refugee camps which have sprung up in Calais and Dunkirk over the past two years as desperate refugees from Syria and Iraq arrive and try to get to the UK. Ms May became prime minister this afternoon after visiting the Queen The French government said it has no plans to change the treaty so far but Britain's former ambassador to France, Sir Peter Ricketts, has warned this position will not last for ever. Mr Hollande also urged Ms May to begin the Brexit negotiations as soon as possible. Ms May also spoke to the Irish Taoiseach, Enda Kelly, and they agreed that collaboration between their countries should continue. Mr Kelly is believed to have offered to visit London soon to discuss the future of its border with Northern Ireland. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images Northern Ireland, which voted to Remain, is the only part of the UK which shares a land border with the EU could potentially see the collapse of the Good Friday Agreement if the UK loses freedom of movement and sees a return to border controls. In her speech outside No 10 this afternoon, Ms May pledged to maintain the "precious bonds" between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In her speech declaring her intention to stand as leader of the party, Ms May said "Brexit means Brexit" in a bid to quell the disquiet of many party members who were unsure about electing a leader who backed the Remain campaign. British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives in Downing Street (EPA) 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 }} Theresa May is announcing her new Cabinet, having been appointed as Prime Minister on Wednesday. The latest updates are: Who's in, who's out? New Cabinet in full Michael Gove sacked from front bench Nicky Morgan out as Education Secretary Boris Johnson appointed as Foreign Secretary David Davis new Brexit minister, unaware of EU trade rules Philip Hammond is new Chancellor George Osborne sacked Please allow the live blog a moment to load On Wednesday night Theresa May made her first round of appointments, including Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary and Philip Hammond as the new Chancellor. Key figures in the previous government including George Osborne, Oliver Letwin, and Michael Gove have been sacked. The new PM has also created a new Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union post, which will be filled by David Davis. It is becoming increasingly clear that Ms May intends to abolish the Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills having distributed its responsibilities amongst a new Department for International Trade and the Department for Education. Liam Fox, the former Defence Secretary, will head that department. Other key appointments include Justine Greening as Education Secretary the Conservative government's first not to attend private school. Liz Truss is the new Justice Secretary, replacing Mr Gove. Conservative MP Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip he was formerly David Cameron's PPS. 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 }} Theresa May stamped her authority on the new Government by carrying out a ruthless reshuffle in which she exiled key figures from the Cameron era while promoting her own allies. Allies of David Cameron, who had seen Ms May as the Cameron continuity candidate, were dismayed as his successor wielded the knife. She was accused of demolishing the Notting Hill set, the group of modernisers around Mr Cameron when he became Conservative leader in 2005. Some Tory MPs doubted that her appointment of right-wingers would help Mrs May deliver her pledge to govern from the centre ground and champion struggling working class families. After sacking George Osborne on taking power on Wednesday, the new Prime Minister dismissed Michael Gove; Nicky Morgan, who backed Mr Gove for the leadership; Oliver Letwin, Mr Camerons policy chief and three Osborne allies --Matthew Hancock, Greg Hands and Baroness (Tina) Stowell, who was Leader of the Lords. Lord (Andrew) Feldman, another member of the Notting Hill set, resigned as Tory chairman and was replaced by Patrick McLoughlin. Boris Johnson says Brexit vote does not mean leaving Europe 'in any sense' Tory sources told The Independent that Boris Johnson had won his surprise promotion to Foreign Secretary after offering to back Ms May for the leadership while he was still a candidate, in return for her promising to stand aside later to make way for him. They claimed he became disengaged when Mr Cameron announced his resignation following the Brexit vote and that Mr Gove decided to run for the leadership because Mr Johnson lacked the appetite to become prime minister now. The claims will fuel speculation that Ms May rewarded Mr Johnson with the plum Foreign Office post a charge his allies denied. Although he supported Andrea Leadsoms leadership bid after pulling out of the race, he is said to have acted as an unofficial go-between for the Leadsom and May camps before Ms Leadsom withdrew from the contest. Twelve senior ministers including Mr Cameron left their posts. The brutal reshuffle was dubbed the day of the long knives at Westminster a reference to the night of the long knives when Harold Macmillan sacked seven Cabinet ministers in 1962. Ms May was also compared to Margaret Thatcher, who purged moderate Tories she dubbed the wets from her Cabinet in 1981. Ms May promoted to her Cabinet three former Home Office ministers who worked under her -- Karen Bradley, the new Culture Secretary; Damian Green, the Work and Pensions Secretary and James Brokenshire, the Northern Ireland Secretary. Another May ally, Justine Greening, won a big promotion to an expanded Department for Education, which will take over responsibility for universities, further education and skills. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images The Whitehall shake-up faced criticism as Mrs May was accused of downgrading the importance of climate change by abolishing the Department for Energy and Climate Change. Responsibility for energy goes to a new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, headed by Greg Clark. Caroline Lucas, the Green Party MP, denounced the move as a "serious backwards step" as it would mean no minister for climate change at the Cabinet table. But the Prime Minister's official spokeswoman said: "This is a bold Cabinet. It's hitting the ground running. What you have seen with the appointments today is that commitment to putting social reform at the heart of her Government. Mrs May spared the sacked ministers the walk of shame past TV crews stationed in Downing Street by meeting them in the privacy of her Commons office. Other departures included John Whittingdale, the Culture Secretary; Mark Harper, the Chief Whip and Theresa Villiers, who lost her job as Northern Ireland Secretary after the province voted to Remain and she backed Leave. Stephen Crabb stood down as Work and Pensions Secretary in the best interests of my family reasons after revelations that he sent sexually explicit WhatsApp messages to a young woman. Surprisingly, Jeremy Hunt kept his job as Health Secretary despite his bitter dispute with the junior doctors over their new contract. The number of women in the Cabinet rose from seven under Mr Cameron to eight under Ms May. The other women promoted to Cabinet rank were the prominent Leave campaigners Ms Leadsom, who became Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, and Priti Patel, the new International Development Secretary. Mrs May tried to reassure Tory MPs by appointing Remainers and Leavers and right-wingers and moderates. The average age of Cabinet members 52-- is a year older than Mr Camerons team, after the recall of the veteran Eurosceptics David Davis, the Minister for Brexit, and Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary. The new Prime Minister is expected to visit Scotland shortly to underline her determination to keep the country in the UK even though a majority of Scots voted to remain in the EU. She will hold talks with Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP First Minister. Barack Obama rang Mrs May to congratulate her on becoming prime minister in a 15-minute call described as warm by Downing Street. The two leaders agreed to maintain the much-vaunted special relationship but did not discuss the prospects of the UK securing a trade deal with the US. Mrs May told the US president she wanted "constructive and positive talks" with the 27 EU countries, a point she emphasised in a phone call to Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission President. Speaking outside his new Foreign Office base, Mr Johnson said: On Europe clearly we have to give effect to the will of people in the referendum, but that does not mean in any sense, leaving Europe. There is a massive difference between leaving the EU and our relations with Europe, which if anything I think are going to be intensified and built up at an intergovernmental level." Philip Hammond, the new Chancellor, signalled a softening of austerity by pledging to do whatever is necessary to keep the economy on track after the shock of the vote for Brexit. He said the economy would require a new set of parameters. For Labour, Jon Ashworth, the shadow Minister without Portfolio, said: We had warm words from the Prime Minister on the need for her Government to stand up for more than just a privileged few. But Theresa May's appointments are completely out of kilter with her words on the steps of Downing Street. Its difficult to see this new-look Cabinet as anything other than a sharp shift to the right by the Tories. The test now is to demonstrate that all members of the Tory Government are wholly committed to the priorities Theresa May set out. 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 }} No sooner had Theresa May stepped into Downing Street than she had managed to unite the international community in bewilderment by her appointment of Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary. The former London Mayor and leading Brexit campaigner's elevation to the UKs most senior diplomatic role has led to disbelief and bafflement across the world. After crashing out of the Conservative Party leadership race, for which he was branded a coward, Mr Johnson has made a rapid re-entry to the political landscape and will be the person responsible for British interests abroad and for the UKs secret intelligence service, MI6. Here's how the world has reacted (so far): France The foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has described him as an out and out liar. Speaking to Europe 1 Radio Mr Ayrault said: I am not at all worried about Boris Johnson, but... during the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back against the wall." America The US State Department spokesman Mark Toner could scarcely stop himself from openly laughing at the news, struggling to keep a straight face before managing to say the US could always work with the British no matter who is occupying the role. And for good reason, Mr Johnson's outlandish remarks about various international figures over the years hardly hint he had his eyes on the foreign office. He was criticised in April for describing Mr Obama as a part-Kenyan who harboured an ancestral dislike of Britain. US State Department spokesman almost laughs while hearing Boris Johnson appointed Foreign Secretary Germany In Germany, the hashtag #Auenminister (foreign minister) has catalogued amazement and reaction to the news. TV presenters couldnt stop themselves from laughing as they announced Mr Johnsons new job, and journalists speculated whether UK politics had morphed into an episode of Monty Python. Sweden The former Prime Minister was another who could scarcely believe the news, writing "I wish it was a joke", on Twitter. Hollywood Even the pop star Cher weighed-in, telling a journalist on Twitter: Think hes a F-ing idiot who lied to the British ppl. Australia Away from the bemusement, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott welcomed Mr Johnson's appointment. But perhaps Labour leadership contender Angela Eagle said it best when she said nothing at all upon learning of Mr Johnsons new job while addressing a crowd. Turning her back to the audience and looking bereaved, she was unable to hide the hammer blow, remaining speechless and grimacing for several seconds. 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 Davis's appointment as Brexit Secretary will be a dream come true for the former Europe minister who delighted in the nickname of "Monsieur Non". A long-standing Eurosceptic, his Cabinet posting ends a spell in the political wilderness after he walked out of David Cameron's front bench on a point of principle. Theresa May's decision to put him in her top team comes despite Mr Davis pursuing legal action in the European courts against surveillance laws she introduced. May's new cabinet The Tory MP joined forces with Labour deputy leader Tom Watson to jointly challenge the legality of the Government's Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014. As Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union he will be keen to play hardball in the negotiations to take Britain out of the bloc. Mr Davis gained a fearsome reputation after taking a series of ministerial scalps in the role of Shadow Home Secretary. Among those he claims as his victims are former home secretaries David Blunkett and Charles Clarke and ex-home office minister Beverley Hughes. He was regarded by many as the likely next Tory leader after Michael Howard announced he was to resign, but after a weak campaign - in his second tilt at the leadership - he was soundly beaten. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images His rival, David Cameron, had caught the mood with his careful presentation and youthful optimism. On the 42-day detention issue, Mr Davis had to persuade Mr Cameron and George Osborne that the party should be firmly on the side of civil liberties. In June 2008 he shocked Westminster by announcing that he was resigning as an MP to "take a stand" against the terror detention plan, sparking a by-election that saw him hold his Haltemprice and Howden seat. A libertarian who was never afraid to speak his mind, even if his opinions fell outside the party line, he worked closely with former Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti. His friendship with former Downing Street spin chief Alastair Campbell raised Conservative eyebrows. Mr Davis once revealed that he offered to buy Mr Campbell's old newspaper the Daily Mirror so the former journalist could edit it. He put their unlikely friendship down to his liking for "strong mavericks" and there is something of that description in him. His upbringing was far from that of a typical Tory MP. Brought up on a south London council estate by his single mother, he shone at grammar school and got an Army scholarship to Warwick University, hence his membership of the Territorial SAS. As a part-time member of the SAS, he has broken his nose no fewer than five times. He also studied at Harvard before starting a successful business career at Tate and Lyle. His background, supporters argued during his Tory leadership campaign in 2005, made him ideal to win back the working-class voters who had deserted his party for new Labour. Despite Eurosceptic views, he acted as a whip for John Major during the bruising battle to ratify the Maastricht Treaty. In the 2001 leadership contest Mr Davis cut his losses and quit after twice finishing way down the pack in early ballots of Tory MPs, throwing his support behind Iain Duncan Smith. The contest successfully raised his profile and Mr Duncan Smith appointed him party chairman. 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 }} In becoming Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox rejoins the ranks of Conservative heavyweights after years of being out in the cold. The right-wing Brexiteer was cast into the margins of his party five years ago - forced to resign from the front benches in disgrace in 2011 after allowing his friend and best man Adam Werritty to take on an unofficial and undeclared role as his adviser. Dr Fox, who stood in the Tory party leadership contest but fell at the first round of voting, was the architect of his own political downfall by blurring the lines between his personal friendships and professional responsibilities. He allowed Mr Werritty, a man 17 years his junior, to attend meetings at the Ministry of Defence without obtaining the necessary security clearance and join him for meetings with foreign dignitaries. The pair even lived together for a short while in Dr Fox's taxpayer-funded London flat. An inquiry was launched over concerns about the nature of their relationship, and in October 2011 Dr Fox resigned after admitting errors of judgment. In 2012 he was ordered to repay 3,000 of expenses for allowing Mr Werritty to live rent-free at the London home for a year. In 2013 he claimed 3p of taxpayers' cash for a car journey of less than 100m, one of 15 claims of under 1 for car travel approved in 2012/13. He said that his office submitted his expense claims, all done correctly according to rules. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images The Scots-born doctor has often raised eyebrows at Westminster with his colourful personal and professional life. A hardline right-winger, his relationship with No 10 has at times been strained, particularly after two highly-critical letters he wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron found their way into the press. His traditional right-wing views have secured him a strong powerbase within the party but he failed in his bid to become party leader in December 2005. A Brexit-backer, two years ago he urged Cameron to ditch the promise of bringing net migration down to the tens of thousands and instead focus on curbing the number of low-skilled workers entering the UK. Dr Fox voted against gay marriage, and in 2013 called for the Guardian to be prosecuted over its role in the Edward Snowden leaks, accusing the newspaper of collaborating in "indiscriminate publication" of material which damaged national security. Before becoming an MP, Dr Fox worked both in the NHS and as a civilian army medical officer. He has credited his military work with convincing him of the Government's need to look after the armed forces. Born and raised in East Kilbride, Scotland, he attended the local comprehensive school before going on to study medicine at Glasgow University. After working as a GP in Somerset and Buckinghamshire, he successfully contested the rural Somerset seat of Woodspring, now North Somerset, in 1992. The newly-elected MP soon became a polished Westminster performer thanks to his prize-winning debating skills, rising quickly through the ranks of Tory MPs and arriving at the Foreign Office in 1995. He was made party chairman in 2003 under then-leader Michael Howard, and his slick, reliable performances often saw him named as a potential successor. In 2005 he married long-term girlfriend Jesme, a fellow doctor from the same area south of Glasgow. In an interview shortly before the big day, he said: "I know that some people use smears and I have heard them for years. They'd say 'Why are you not married? You must be a playboy or a wild man or gay', or whatever. Well, I'm getting married in December and I'm perfectly happy with my private life." 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 former Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has risen to some of the highest offices in Government while leaving little trace in the public imagination. His reputation - within Westminster at least - has been as a highly articulate and effective "safe pair of hands" who can plough a steady course without causing drama, upset or excitement. It is exactly those qualities which have made him the "reassuringly boring" choice for successive promotions to Transport Secretary, Defence Secretary, Foreign Secretary and now Chancellor of the Exchequer. Despite being a permanent fixture in David Cameron's shadow frontbench team and Cabinet throughout his time as leader, he was rarely mentioned as a possible successor - and that is probably the way he liked it. Recommended Read more Theresa May makes pitch for centre ground in first speech as PM The Treasury has always been his goal, and he is understood to have been disappointed to miss out on the number two job there in 2010 when the necessities of coalition gave Liberal Democrats the Chief Secretary's post - a role he had shadowed for three years in opposition. Sent instead to the Department for Transport, he was swiftly moved on to Defence in the aftermath of the exit of Liam Fox amid a public furore over his special adviser. With a reputation forged in the shadow Treasury team as the Tories' public spending "axeman", he was ideally placed to preside over a big spending squeeze to close the "black hole" in Ministry of Defence budgets. His installation as Foreign Secretary in 2014 was hailed by Eurosceptics, who detected signs of a fellow spirit in comments which appeared to suggest he was ready to contemplate withdrawal from the EU if the Government was unable to negotiate a better deal. But when the referendum came, he remained true to his practice of never rocking the boat, loyally backing Mr Cameron's renegotiation and backing the Remain side during the campaign. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images After the result came in, Mr Hammond, 60, did not demur from Theresa May's insistence that "Brexit means Brexit" but left little doubt that he thought voters had handed the new Prime Minister a thankless task, warning that the process of leaving the EU could take six years. As Foreign Secretary, he played a key role in the 2015 agreement for Iran to give up its military nuclear ambitions. And he was the minister who tabled the fateful European Union Referendum Bill in the House of Commons. State-educated in his native Essex, Philip Anthony Hammond arrived at Oxford University to study philosophy, politics and economics on the day Labour won the second general election of 1974. His devout belief in economic stability and prudent public finances were forged in the turbulent years that followed, culminating in Margaret Thatcher sweeping to power in 1979. Mr Hammond made his first steps in party politics during that campaign as a volunteer in Westminster, going on to be chair of the Lewisham East Conservative Association for several years. After a failed 1994 by-election bid, his entry to the Commons came on another day of victory for Labour - Tony Blair's 1997 landslide when he secured the Surrey seat of Runnymede and Weybridge which he has held ever since. Quickly promoted to William Hague's opposition front bench at health, he held several other positions and moved into the shadow cabinet as chief secretary under Michael Howard in 2005. Married with three children, he faced some criticism during the expenses scandal for claiming almost the full second home allowance despite living in the commuter town of Woking. He is reported to be one of the richest individuals in the Cabinet with the success of the property company he co-founded said to have netted him an 8 million fortune. 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 }} Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer Former shadow Chief Secretary, No 2 to George Osborne in opposition, and an MP with pre-politics experience of the private sector, some of it even in manufacturing. He has a reputation as a safe media performer, although just the other day set off unhelpful headlines about Brexit possibly taking six or more years. Once worked for a company making medical equipment that was briefly chaired by Jeffrey Archer. They didn't get on. Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary The big surprise of the new Prime Ministers first-day appointments was the roller coaster ride back up of the career of the man who a few days ago seemed certain to be the next prime minister. As soon as the appointment was announced, however, its rationale was evident. He was the leading figure in the Leave campaign, and putting him in one of the three great offices of state should keep the Eurosceptics happy. Without Europe and international trade the scope for him to get into mischief is limited, although journalists are already having fun trawling through his extensive journalism to find examples of his being rude to foreigners. Amber Rudd, Home Secretary One of the fastest rises to high office of recent years for someone who became an MP only six years ago. She joined the Cabinet only last year in the junior post of Energy and Climate Change Secretary, didn't make a mess of it and made an impression in the referendum campaign as an aggressive Remainer who clashed with Johnson, saying he was the life and soul of the party but you wouldn't want him to drive you home afterwards. Shes a social liberal who is known for being the sister of Roland Rudd, the pro-EU campaigner, and for being posh enough to have been the aristocracy co-ordinator for Four Weddings and a Funeral. The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address Show all 6 1 /6 The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address Brexit The big one. Theresa May has spoken publicly three times since declaring her intent to stand in the Tory Leadership race, and each time she has said, Brexit means Brexit. It sounds resolute, but it is helpful to her that Brexit is a made up word with no real meaning. She has said there will be no second referendum and no re-entry in to the EU via the back door. But she, like the Leave campaign of which she was not a member, has pointedly not said with any precision what she thinks Brexit means Reuters The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address General election This is very much one to keep off the to do list. She said last week there would be no general election at this time of great instability. But there have already been calls for one from opposition parties. The Fixed Term Parliaments Act of 2010 makes it far more difficult to call a snap general election, a difficulty she will be in no rush to overcome. In the event of a victory for Leadsom, who was not popular with her own parliamentary colleagues, an election might have been required, but May has the overwhelming backing of the parliamentary party Getty The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address HS2 Macbeth has been quoted far too much in recent weeks, but it will be up to May to decide whether, with regard to the new high speed train link between London, Birmingham, the East Midlands and the north, returning were as tedious as go oer. Billions have already been spent. But the 55bn it will cost, at a bare minimum, must now be considered against the grim reality of significantly diminished public finances in the short to medium term at least. It is not scheduled to be completed until 2033, by which point it is not completely unreasonable to imagine a massive, driverless car-led transport revolution having rendered it redundant EPA The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address Heathrow expansion Or indeed Gatwick expansion. Or Boris Island, though that option is seems as finished as the man himself. The decision on where to expand aviation capacity in the south east has been delayed to the point of becoming a national embarrassment. A final decision was due in autumn. Whatever is decided, there will be vast opprobrium PA The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address Trident renewal David Cameron indicated two days ago that there will be a Commons vote on renewing Britains nuclear deterrent on July 18th, by which point we now know, Ms May will be Prime Minister. The Labour Party is, to put it mildly, divided on the issue. This will be an early opportunity to maximise their embarrassment, and return to Tory business as usual EPA The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address Scottish Independence Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP are in no doubt that the Brexit vote provides the opportunity for a second independence referendum, in which they can emerge victorious. The Scottish Parliament at Holyrood has the authority to call a second referendum, but Ms May and the British Parliament are by no means automatically compelled to accept the result. She could argue it was settled in 2014 AFP/Getty Michael Fallon, Defence Secretary The only no-change of the day-one appointments, Theresa May obviously thought it important to send a signal that she takes national security seriously by confirming the Defence Secretary in his post. Fallon is another reliable all-round defender of the Government in the media. He joined the Cabinet only two years ago, but feels as if he has been there for ages. He has actually been an MP for a very long time, a rare retread who was MP for Darlington 1983-92 before returning to the Commons for the safe Tory seat of Sevenoaks after a five-year gap in 1997. David Davis, Secretary of State for Exiting the EU Accidental prize for the silliest cabinet title since Children, Schools and Families, which was known by civil servants as Curtains and Soft Furnishings as a way of remembering the order of the words. A remarkable comeback for the career of Davis, destroyed by an impetuous and quixotic resignation as shadow Home Secretary to fight a by-election on a point of principle that no one can remember. He thinks he is qualified for the job, having been Minister for Europe under John Major and the Government Whip during the passage of the Maastricht Treaty through the Commons. Liam Fox, International Trade Secretary A less surprising comeback for the former Defence Secretary who resigned in 2011 for having allowed Adam Werrity, a friend, access to the heart of government. Fox recently wrote a book about the rise China as an economic power and had a good referendum campaign, arguing for Leave without attacking his Remainer colleagues. Another change to the structure of Whitehall: a new department to give a Brexiter responsibility for making good his rhetoric about a world of trading possibility outside the EU. Implications for the Business, Innovation and Skills department possibly to be clarified on Thursday. Fox has a reputation as a right-winger: he was narrowly the third-placed candidate for the Tory leadership in 2005, after David Cameron won over some of his Eurosceptic supporters by promising to break with the Christian Democratic grouping in the European Parliament. But he came fifth out of five this time, winning just 16 votes, and was eliminated first. 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 father of a 13-month-old girl who died after she was found with serious injuries at her home will not face any criminal charges, months after a judge ruled he had sexually assaulted her. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Thursday morning that there was still insufficient evidence to charge Paul Worthington with any offence over daughter Poppi's death. A spokesman said: The CPS has looked at the original decision in this case that there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction - as we often do in other cases. We have reached the same conclusion. Poppi collapsed with serious injuries at her home in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, on December 12 2012 and was rushed to hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Mr Worthington, who was arrested and questioned on suspicion of sexual assault in August 2013, has always denied any wrongdoing. High Court judge Mr Justice Peter Jackson ruled in January this year that the 48-year-old had sexually assaulted his daughter shortly before her sudden death. The conclusion from the CPS comes after prosecutors reviewed the case once again following a decision not to pursue criminal charges in the case. The CPS had previously decided there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction but, following Mr Justice Jackson's findings, said it would be reviewing the case. In its latest statement, the CPS said it was not its function to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for the criminal (courts) to consider. Poppi's mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has said she is angry and disappointed with the decision not to bring about any charges. In a statement, she added she was desperate to understand more about the police investigations and the events leading up to the little girl's sudden death. Mr Justice Jackson's ruling was made as part of care proceedings in the family court involving siblings of Poppi. The judge concluded that Cumbria Police carried out no real investigation into the death of the toddler for nine months, and highlighted a list of basic errors in evidence-gathering. Cumbria Police referred themselves to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in June 2014. The force later confirmed that three officers were subject to the IPCC probe - which has yet to be published - with one suspended and two others moved into different roles. The suspended officer has since retired, one was dealt with by management action and the third is awaiting performance proceedings. Cumbria Police have since apologised to the family of Poppi Worthington for their investigation failings. The Chief Constable of Cumbria Police Jerry Graham said that investigations had fallen well short of the standard that should have been expected and that it had hindered the ability of legal proceedings charged with the responsibility of determining what happened to Poppi. A second inquest into Poppi's death was ordered by High Court judges and will take place later this year after a first inquest took seven minutes to declare her death as unexplained. Press Association 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 }} US Congress is expected to release 28 pages of classified information that contains information about alleged ties between the Saudi government and the September 11 terror attacks. The 28 pages, which have been kept secret since the 2002 congressional investigation into the attacks that killed nearly 3,000, could be released as early as Friday, CNN reports. The top secret documents are said to contain information about "specific sources of foreign support for some of the September 11 hijackers. President Barack Obama announced in April that the pages would be declassified during his administration. Nationall Intelligence director James Clapper had originally aimed for a mid-June release. Former Democratic senator Bob Graham, who chaired the commission, first received word from a source close to the Obama administration for the summer release back in April. I hope that decision is to honour the American people and make it available, Mr Graham told NBC. The most important unanswered question of 9/11 is, did these 19 people conduct this very sophisticated plot alone, or were they supported? In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 Show all 12 1 /12 In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 11 September 2001 President Bush was visiting Emma E Brooker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida as news of the attack on the World Trade Center broke In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 11 September 2001 The president and his staff, including Press Secretary Ari Fleischer (L) were then brought to a holding room at the school, where he prepared to address the nation In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 11 September 2001 President Bush was then rushed onto Air Force One and was flown to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. He watched television coverage of the attacks from his office on the plane In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 11 September 2001 President Bush talks on the telephone at the General Dougherty Conference Center at Barksdale Air Force Base In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 11 September 2001 President Bush is seen with his senior adviser Karl Rove at Barksdale Air Force Base In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 11 September 2001 The president with White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card at Barksdale Air Force Base. Before leaving the base, the president held a press conference at which he said, Make no mistake: The United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 11 September 2001 The president was consoled by Lt Col Cindy Wright of the White House Military Office aboard Air Force One. After leaving Louisiana, the president was flown to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska before he headed back to Washington In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 11 September 2001 President Bush arrived at the White House Presidential Emergency Operations Center around 7 pm. Here he is shown with his wife, First Lady Laura Bush, Vice President Cheney and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 11 September 2001 At 8:30 pm, the president addressed the nation from the White House. In his speech, he set the tone for the wars to come in Afghanistan and Iraq In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 11 September 2001 Ive directed the full resources for our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and bring them to justice, the president said. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbour them In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 11 September 2001 The presidents speech on the teleprompter In pictures: President Bushs immediate response to 9/11 11 September 2001 Immediately following the speech, the president had a national security meeting with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card and others However, Mr Graham told CNN that administration officials stopped returning his calls when the mid-June date approached. I was told onn 12 April that the decision as to whether to release the pages would be made before 12 June, he explained to CNN. Well, we're now well beyond that date and no decision as to whether a decision is going to made has been released. But CNN reports that State Department officials have reviewed the 28 pages and plan to release them with "minimal redactions". White House Criticises Senate Bill Allowing 9/11 Victims to Sue Saudi Arabia According to Tim Roemer, who took part in both the bipartisan Congression inquiry and the 9/11 Commission, described the 28 pages as a "preliminary police report". There were clues. There were allegations. There were witness reports. There was evidence about the hijackers, about people they met with all kinds of different things that the 9/11 Commission was then tasked with reviewing and investigating, Mr Roemer, a former Democratic congressman, told the Associated Press. Pressure mounted on the Obama administration to declassify the documents, as both Democratic and Republican members of Congress said they would pass legislation to compel the release of the documents if the President does not. If the Obama administration does not move forward then we need to pass [the legislation] to have the House Intelligence Committee publish the pages, Massachusetts Rep Stephen Lynch said last week, according to CNN. Saudi government officials reportedly want the documents to be released so they can have a chance to respond to the allegations. 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 }} From the White House to 10 Downing Street, the telephone line is still active. US president Barack Obama called Theresa May, the new British prime minister, to congratulate her and to say he wanted to protect and deepen the special relationship between the two countries. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Mr Obama is looking forward to working with Ms May to advance that goal" until the end of his term in January 2017. The president called to offer his congratulations to her on her new leadership position; the president reiterated our oft-stated commitment to not just protecting but deepening the special relationship between the United States and the UK, said Mr Earnest at a press briefing. Ms May replaced former prime minister David Cameron, who stepped down after the UK voted to leave the European Union. Asked about how Mr Earnest felt about Boris Johnson being appointed to foreign secretary, he said the US-UK relationship transcends any single personality. Mr Earnest added: Were confident we can do this work and well pursue it irrespective of specific personalities. Boris Johnson's defining moments Show all 32 1 /32 Boris Johnson's defining moments Boris Johnson's defining moments 2016 Boris Johnson swings from a bus as Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers (left), Northern First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster and Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment Jonathan Bell (second right) look on during a visit to Wrightbus Chassis plant in Antrim PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2015 Boris Johnson takes down 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson's defining moments 2015 Boris Johnson planting flowers at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2015 A commuter gesturing to Boris Johnson as he cycles across Vauxhall Bridge PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2014 Mayor of London Boris Johnson boxes with a trainer during his visit to Fight for Peace Academy in North Woolwich Boris Johnson's defining moments 2014 The Mayor of London Boris Johnson wears a traditional headdress during a visit to the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, a major new Hindu temple being built in Kingsbury in London Boris Johnson's defining moments 2014 Many Conservative Party members gagging to have Boris Johnson as their MP PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2014 Boris Johnson prepares to deliver a speech in Bloomberg's European headquarters on Britain's involvement in the EU. Mr Johnson also announced his intention to become an MP again at the 2015 general election, whilst serving out the remainder of his term as mayor. Getty Images Boris Johnson's defining moments 2014 The Mayor of London Boris Johnson during a speech and Q&A session at Bloomberg, London, where he has said that 'in all probability' he will seek to stand for Parliament in next year's general election. PA Wire Boris Johnson's defining moments 2014 London mayor Boris Johnson helps shear a sheep held by New Zealand's most successful competition sheep shearer, David Fagan (L) on a visit to Lister Shearing Equipment in Stonehouse Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Mayor of London Boris Johnson takes a helicopter ride over Hong Kong as part of week long visit to China to promote trade between the far east and London PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Boris Johnson explains why he's such a hit with female voters PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Boris Johnson celebrates after a wildly successful interview with Eddie Mair PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Mayor of London Boris Johnson sits in the operator's cab of a crane on the quay at DP World London Gateway Port in Stanford-le-Hope Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Boris Johnson shoots a basketball Getty Images Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 The Mayor of London make a strong pose in what appears to be a particularly bad tourism advert for Asia PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Boris Johnson meets saltwater crocodile George, which was named after the royal baby EPA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2013 Perhaps the only person ever who has ridden on the Emirates Air Line Getty Images Boris Johnson's defining moments 2012 Boris Johnson's encounter with a zip wire only served to prove how adept the London Mayor is at defying political gravity in 2012 Getty Images Boris Johnson's defining moments 2012 Boris Johnson playing tennis Getty Images Boris Johnson's defining moments 2012 Aside from his mayoral duties, London Mayor, Boris Johnson, is looking displeased at his seven appearances Rex Features Boris Johnson's defining moments 2012 Boris goes for a bounce in one of favourite places... (the Olympic village obviousy) Reuters Boris Johnson's defining moments 2011 London Mayor Boris Johnson on the streets of Clapham REUTERS Boris Johnson's defining moments 2011 Like a raging bull, Boris Johnson challenges a statue to a duel AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade Boris Johnson's defining moments 2010 Boris Johnson embraces a member of the public in Ealing, west London, who seems to have taken a shine to him FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2009 Frothy top? Boris Johnson visits Starbucks in Mayfair PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2009 Johnson tries on one of his favourite pink and sparkly hats Getty Images Boris Johnson's defining moments 2008 Johnson smiles smugly as he thinks of his fine mop of hair, worthy of a L'Oreal advert PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2008 Boris Johnson tries his hand at policing the capital - primarily by wearing a new hat PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 2008 The hippie world welcomes a new member to the fold in Boris Johnson Reuters Boris Johnson's defining moments 2004 Boris Johnson jogs on the streets of London PA Boris Johnson's defining moments 1980's Boris as a young'un. He was fired from his first job as a trainee reporter at The Times for making up a quote about the Plantagenet King Edward the II and his gay lover BBC Mr Johnson was criticized for claiming that "part-Kenyan" Mr Obama had an ancestral dislike of the British empire and that rationale might explain the president's dislike of Brexit. Whomever they choose, its up to them, insisted Mr Earnest. He said he had not addressed the reporters to demand an apology from Mr Johnson. The United States State Department spokesperson Mark Toner could barely contain his laughter when he was informed on Wednesday that Mr Johnson had secured his position in the cabinet. He then regained composure and replied: Were always going to be able to work with the British, no matter who is occupying the role of the Foreign Secretary because of our deep abiding special relationship with the United Kingdom." We congratulate Foreign Secretary [Philip] Hammond on his new role [as Chancellor of Exchequer] and we look forward to engaging with Boris Johnson as the new foreign secretary. 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 }} After doctors gave Bella just three to six months left to live last year, Robert Kugler took his three-legged dog on one last road trip across the country. Bella, a nine-year-old chocolate labrador, has lung cancer and her condition is terminal. Mr Kugler, a Marine veteran from Nebraska, told CNN: I just didn't want her to be gone one day when I came home. After heading to the Marine Corps Ball in Chicago in November, the pair continued across the US in his Toyota 4Runner. They travelled across states including Detroit, Kentucky and Ohio, checking out the sunset, Niagara Falls, monuments, museums and the Adirondack Mountains in New York. Along the way, they stayed with friends or camped in his car, documenting his travels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. They are currently on the west coast of Florida. Mr Kugler is considering driving back to Nebraska to avoid the summer heat, which Bella struggles to cope with. Mr Kugler also plans to visit Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks. Continuing to move and see the country is a good excuse to spend time with my dog, he said. The dogs from Instagram Show all 6 1 /6 The dogs from Instagram The dogs from Instagram Noodle the Dachshund is just over a year old and comes with her own hashtag (#OodlesOfNoodle) The dogs from Instagram Three-year-old Staffie Ramsey was malnourished when he was adopted as a puppy but is now big and boisterous with ripped muscles and a cheeky grin The dogs from Instagram Winny the Welsh Corgi has been credited with the breed's upsurge in popularity The dogs from Instagram Bruno the miniature Dachshund has 66,700 followers The dogs from Instagram Mika the Husky has 58,900 followers The dogs from Instagram Elle the French Bulldog has 8,868 followers Speaking about her death, he said: Some days I'm completely prepared. I pictured her just swimming out to sea. "But there's other days when I'm like, oh my God, I can't bear the thought of it." 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 }} Large swathes of Philadelphia will go car-free during a weekend in September. The city is the fifth largest in America, after New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. The last time the city opened up its streets was during Pope Franciss visit last September, inspiring bicyclists and pedestrians to push for more car-free days. At least eight miles worth of roads in the East Coast city will be closed to traffic between 8am and 1pm on Saturday 24 September, according to the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Services. Pedestrians will be able to walk, run and bike freely during the Philly Free Streets event, and activities for all ages and interests will be planned, a city spokesman said. A group called the Philly Distance Runners said on their Facebook page, they were excited a date for traffic-free streets had been set. 15 most polluted cities in the world Show all 15 1 /15 15 most polluted cities in the world 15 most polluted cities in the world 1. Delhi (290 mg/u3 PM10) Getty 15 most polluted cities in the world 2. Karachi (280 mg/u3 PM10) Getty 15 most polluted cities in the world 3. Dakar (180 mg/u3 PM10) Getty 15 most polluted cities in the world 4. Dhaka (175 mg/u3 PM10) Getty 15 most polluted cities in the world 5. Abu Dhabi (160 mg/u3 PM10) Getty Images 15 most polluted cities in the world 6. Doha (160 mg/u3 PM10) Getty 15 most polluted cities in the world 7. Ulaanbaatar (150 mg/u3 PM10) Getty 15 most polluted cities in the world 8. Cairo (140 mg/u3 PM10) Creative Commons 15 most polluted cities in the world 9. Amman (135 mg/u3 PM10) Visit Jordan 15 most polluted cities in the world 10. Bejing (120 mg/u3 PM10) Getty Images 15 most polluted cities in the world 11. Kathmandu (110 mg/u3 PM10) 15 most polluted cities in the world 12. Paris (100 mg/u3 PM10) in March 2015 Getty Images 15 most polluted cities in the world 13. Tehran (90 mg/u3 PM10) Getty Images 15 most polluted cities in the world 14. Jeddah (80mg/u3 PM10) Getty 15 most polluted cities in the world 15. Muscrat (75mg/u3 PM10) Getty "What better way to enjoy the freedom of zero car traffic on the wonderful streets of philly than by lacing up your favorite running shoes and running those Open Streets! As always there will be laughs, selfies, fun, and sweating!" Fun and education programs, physical activity, history, arts, culture and sustainability events will be held across the space. City spokesman Mike Dunn said the day will focus on residents being active. The planned route will generally run the length of South Street winding its way through Fairmount Park ending at the Belmont Plateau, Mr Dunn said. 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 }} Two men trying to collect virtual reality Pokemon Go characters in the popular smartphone game have reportedly been rescued after falling off a cliff in Encinitas, San Diego. One man fell about 50 feet down the cliff and the other fell between 80 90 feet down onto the beach, Encinitas fire battalion chief Robbie Ford told The San Diego Union Tribune. Both men were taken to the citys Scripps La Jolla Hospital, though the extent of their injuries is unknown. This video of Pokemon Go players in Central Park is a glimpse of our dystopian future Mr Ford said one of the men had told police that he and the other man had been playing Pokemon GO when they fell over the edge of the cliff. Lifeguards treated the man who fell to the beach. Firefighters used ropes and harnesses to pull up the other man who had fallen part of the way down the cliff and was found unconscious. Despite signs warning of the unstable cliff faces, the men had climbed over a fence to go in search of Pokemon, San Diego Sheriffs department said. The incident is one of many international news items relating to Pokemon Go since the launch of the virtual reality game earlier this month. A teenager from Wyoming found a dead body in a river after she climbed over a fence to go in search of Pokemon near her home. 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 }} US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has apologised for her recent remarks about GOP presumptive nominee Donald Trump. On reflection, my recent remarks and response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them, Justice Ginsburg said in a written statement released by the Court. Recommended Read more Trump says Supreme Court Justice should resign after withering remarks Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future, I will be more circumspect. In a series of interviews this past weekend, Ms Ginsburg, 83, attacked the notion of a Trump presidency, suggesting he would harm the US. I dont want to think about that possibility, she told the Associated Press, but if it should be, then everything is up for grabs. She then told the New York Times: I cant imagine what the country would be with Donald Trump as our president. Ms Ginsburg joked that she would likely move to New Zealand if he is elected. In a third interview with CNN, she called Mr Trump a faker with no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment, she added. He really has an ego. 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 Mr Trump responded to her remarks on Tuesday. I think its highly inappropriate that a United States Supreme Court judge gets involved in a political campaign, frankly, Mr Trump told the Times. I think its a disgrace to the court and I think she should apologize to the court. I couldnt believe it when I saw it. The New York businessman furthered his criticism via Twitter on Wednesday. "Justice Ginsburg of the US Supreme Court has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me," he wrote. "Her mind is shot resign!" Washington pauses for Justice Antonin Scalia's funeral Ms Ginsburg received criticism from both the Times and the Washington Post, who said her remarks, especially in the context of this extremely volatile election season, should have remained unsaid. House Speaker Paul Ryan accused the liberal-leaning justice of showing bias. "I think it is out of place in an appointed branch of government. That shows bias to me," Mr Ryan said. "I don't think that is something she should have done." The White House did not weigh in on the matter beyond telling USA Today, "She didn't earn the nickname, 'The Notorious RBG' for nothing." Justice Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993 thirteen years after Jimmy Carter appointed her to the US Court of Appeals. 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 }} Senator Tim Scott told the senate floor that he had been stopped seven times by police in one year due to the colour of his skin. The black senator was giving a floor speech about the deep divide and trust gap between black people and police across the country - and even within government buildings. The South Carolina Republican admitted he had been speeding in a few instances, but the vast majority of those encounters were nothing more than driving a new car in the wrong neighborhood or some other reason just as trivial. He recounted one incident where the Capitol police chief called him to apologize after an officer had stopped him in the building, reportedly believing he was impersonating a senator by wearing a members pin. The officer looked at me, a little attitude, and said, 'The pin I know you I don't. Show me your ID, Mr Scott said. Later that evening I received a phone call from his supervisor apologizing. The call from the police chief was "at least" the third such call he had received since joining the senate in 2013. He said his former staff ended up selling his Chrysler 300 car out of frustration as he had been pulled over by police too many times for driving a nice car. I have felt the anger, the frustration, the sadness and the humiliation that comes with feeling like youre being targeted for nothing more than being just yourself, Mr Scott said. His remarks come after police officers killed two black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, in Louisiana and Minnesota, and a 25-year-old shot dead five police officers in Dallas in retaliation days later. Mr Scott said that peoples frustration and anger was no reason to break the law. There's never, ever an acceptable reason to harm a member of our law enforcement, he said in his floor speech. Yet he asked people not to "ignore" racism, which could leave the "American family blind", just because other people might not personally experience or witness discrimination themselves. President Barack Obama said at the memorial that nobody is entirely innocent and that no institution is immune to racism. He stressed that the US is "not even close" to bridging the gap between police and the communities they protect. 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 }} Political convention attendees are accustomed to hot air, but this is another matter: hard-core supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders are reportedly planning to stage a fart-in at the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia later this month, to protest the partys policy platform and its nomination of Hillary Clinton for president. Cheri Honkala, an organiser with anti-poverty group the Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign, told US News and World Report that she had been stockpiling tins of beans sent from to her organisations Philadelphia headquarters by supporters, with donations wafting in from as far away as Texas and Wisconsin. Recommended Read more Bernie Sanders finally endorses Hillary Clinton Mr Sanders officially endorsed Ms Clinton this week, saying his progressive vision for a transformed America would be best served by the defeat of Donald Trump. But many of the Senators followers remain unhappy about the choice between Mr Trump and Ms Clinton. Its like they're reality-show characters, two villains who cant be trusted, Ms Honkala said. While the donations include navy, pinto and lima beans, Ms Honkala said baked beans would probably be the most popular with those taking part in the malodorous protest, who will eat the beans with hot dogs at designated feeding locations in Philadelphia, before being sent into the convention hall to unleash their collective flatulence on the unsuspecting delegates. Dr Walter Tsou of the group Physicians for Social Responsibility, who lives in Philadelphia and plans to pass wind on the convention floor, said he was not satisfied with the Affordable Care Act and wanted to press for further healthcare reform. The fart-in is to raise attention about things that really stink in our society, he said. Ms Honkalas organisation also intends to protest at the Republican convention in Cleveland next week, but has no plans for a fart-in there. Perhaps one Trump is enough. 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 }} Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reportedly turned down an offer from the Trump campaign to be the presumptive Republican nominees vice-presidential running mate. Sources told CNN reporters Dana Bash and Elise LaBott that Donald Trumps team had reached out to Condi Rice in [the] last few days, Ms Bash tweeted, adding that Dr Rice had no interest in the role. Dr Rice served as National Security Adviser and later as Secretary of State in the George W Bush administration. She left office in 2009 and is presently a political science professor at Stanford University in California. Her spokesman said last month that she was not interested in being vice president, adding: She's happy at Stanford and plans to stay. Dr Rice was also named as a potential running mate for Mitt Romney in 2012, and spoke at that years Republican National Convention. Like Mr Romney and several other GOP grandess, she is thought not to be attending this years convention, which begins on 18 July and is expected to nominate Mr Trump as the partys 2016 candidate. Adding a black woman to the ticket would have been a coup for Mr Trump, who is polling at zero per cent among black voters in the key swing states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, according to two new NBC/Wall Street Journal polls. National surveys also show Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, enjoying overwhelming support among women. Mr Trumps vice-presidential short-list, however, is thought to have been whittled down to three middle-aged white men: Indiana Governor Mike Pence, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Mr Pence, currently running for re-election in Indiana, met with Mr Trump and several of his family members at his Indiana home on Wednesday. Mr Gingrich, who staged an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination in 2012, was let go this week as a contributor by Fox News, which cited his vice-presidential prospects as a potential conflict of interest. He and Mr Christie also travelled to Indiana on Wednesday to meet with the Trump family in a final round of Apprentice-like interviews, NBC News reported. Mr Trump is expected to announce his running mate on Friday, before they are confirmed at next weeks convention in Cleveland. 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 is expected to name Mike Pence, the Governor of Indiana and a social conservative, as his running mate at a press conference in New York on Friday morning, several media outlets have reported. If confirmed - and Mr Trump is fully capable of pulling a last-minute surprise - the choice of Governor Pence will signal the continuing shift towards a more conformist campaign for president by the New York billionaire, who might have been tempted to pick an outsider like himself or a retired member of the military to help him take on Ms Clinton in November. There was no confirmation of the choice of Governor Pence by the campaign on Thursday, which referred reporters instead to the plans for Friday mornings official roll-out. A decision has not been made, insisted campaign spokesperson Hope Hicks. We are not confirming anything, campaign manager Paul Manafort said meanwhile. It appears to signal disappointment for supporters of the two other figures believed to have made Mr Trumps final shortlist. They were Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, and Chris Christie, the Governor of New Jersey. In the event Mr Trump wins the presidential race, both men would be assured senior positions in his administration as rewards of their support, however. Secrecy has shrouded the process of choosing the right person to take the number two slot on the Republican ticket. Some of the more likely Republican names declared themselves uninterested in competing for the job because of their distaste for Mr Trump. A former member of the US Congress and radio talk show host who backed Texas Senator Ted Cruz before Indianas crucial primary vote last Spring, Mr Pence, 57, apparently won the approval of Mr Trumps family, notably Ivanka, Donald Jr and Eric Trump. The Governor met with Mr Trump and his children earlier this week. Mr Pence had been bracing for what was promising to be a bruising re-election campaign for a second term as Governor of his state. If he is indeed tapped for the vice-presidential run he will be required to register his decision not to compete to retain the Governors mansion by noon on Friday. Married to a former school teacher and the father of three children including one son who is a US Marine Corps officer, Mr Pence has solid credentials as a conservative - he signed into law one of the largest tax cuts in the history of his state - a critical consideration for Mr Trump whose own standing with the conservative wing of the party has been shaky at best. A man who wears his devout evangelical Christianity on his sleeve - he once called himself a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order - Mr Pence has a reputation as a hardliner on social issues like gay rights and abortion. As governor he signed into law one of the most restrictive laws on womens rights to access abortion in the country. He is seen as similarly unyielding on immigration, a key area of concern for Mr Trump also. He has been opposed for instance to any laws that would give those in the country illegally a pathway to legal residence or citizenship. All these positions have earned him the deep scorn of liberals in his state and he is known to have clashed even in his own home with his youngest daughter, Audrey Pence, who has advertised her own more progressive views on life. The downside of the choice of the Governor may be that his presence on the ticket will make it harder for Mr Trump to attract more progress independent voters who will be looking for more flexible stands and issues like abortion. It doubtless also mattered to the campaign that Mr Pence comes from one of the traditional, rust-belt states of the Midwest, a region that will be crucial to both partys candidates for president. Indiana, known as the Hoosier State, will be an important swing state in November and the choice of Mr Pence could help Mr Trump seize it. It could be that Mr Pence, meanwhile, has calculated he has little to loose by joining Mr Trump because of the adversity he would have faced running for re-election for Governor. Last year he infuriated some on the right of the state party by first signing a strict freedom of religion bill that would have adversely affected gay and lesbian rights and then backing away from it after it triggered a storm of protest mostly from the business world. It was his radio programme, The Mike Pence Show, that first launched in the early 1990s that first brought him statewide recognition and eventually propelled him to the US Congress in Washington and thereafter the governorship. 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 }} France has a national holiday every year on 14 July to celebrate a mob breaking into a 18th century Parisian prison. Akin to the United State's 4th of July, the date marks the beginning of republican democracy and the end of tyrannical rule. Here's everything you need to know about France's national day and why it is still celebrated. What was the Storming of the Bastille? It took place on July 14 1789 amid a deep economic and political crisis, with an out-of-touch Louis XVI increasingly unable to manage anti-monarchist forces. The Bastille, a medieval fortress and prison, was a symbol of tyrannical Bourbon authority in central Paris and had held many political dissidents. Following the king's dismissal of the progressive minister of finance, Jacques Necker, and the concentration of Royalist troops in the capital, liberal Parisians feared a coup against the National Constitutional Assembly. As a result, violent conflict between Royalist and anti-Monarchist elements broke out across Paris, with the Bastille's garrison eventually finding themselves surrounded by an armed mob on the morning of 14 July. After hours of negotiation and increasing frustration, the mob numbering just under 1,000 broke into the fortress. Following hours of fighting, they took the castle at the cost of nearly 100 assailants' lives and one defender's. Nearby Royalist troops had chosen not to intervene and disperse the mob Ironically, at the time the prison was stormed, there were only seven elderly prisoners French President Francois Hollande and Chief of the Defence Staff, French Army General Pierre de Villiers arrive in a command car for the annual Bastille Day military parade (EPA) What is its significance? While there are key events in the lead up to 14 July, the storming of the Bastille proved to revolutionaries across Paris and France that the power of King Louis and his control over his armed forces was nominal at best. It became the flash point for the revolution to spread and eventually lead to the overthrow of the Bourbon monarchy and the execution of Louis XVI and his wife Queen Marie Antoinette. The prison was completely destroyed within five months and only a monument now stands on the site in the middle of a cobbled square. Why do French people celebrate it today? Like Independence Day in the United States, the French celebrate all things that symbolise France, such the tricolore flag and La Marseillaise - both of which originate from the revolution. Rather than commemorating the storming of the Bastille itself, it is a day to celebrate the three tenets of the republican national motto: "liberty, equality and fraternity". Patriotic pride rather than political history is the order of the day. Members of the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion march in front of the Presidential Tribune at the Place de la Concorde during the Bastille Day military parade in Paris (Reuters) How is it celebrated? A public holiday in France, the day is celebrated with an abundance of fireworks, communal eating and parades. Along the historic Champs-Elysee avenue, a military parade takes place where French troops march, ride and drive with world leaders in attendance. It is the oldest military parade in the world, having first taken place on Bastille Day in 1880. 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 }} Support for remaining within the European Union has grown in Sweden since Britains vote to leave, according to a new poll. A total of 63 per cent of Swedes asked said they would vote to remain if a referendum on Swedens EU membership were held today, up from 53 per cent in June, the survey by Swedish pollsters Novus found. Meanwhile, public confidence in the union itself has surged from 38 to 48 per cent in less than a month, despite the belief in some circles that Sweden might follow the UK out of the EU. The poll was conducted shortly after Britain voted on June 23, and took in the opinion of 1,000 Swedes aged between 18 and 79. Sweden joined the European Union on New Years Day 1995 following a national referendum in 1994, and has since been one of Britains most important allies in dealing with the eurozone. The country voted against adopting the euro currency during a referendum in September 2003, deciding to retain its native Swedish Krona. Political scientist Ian Manners lives in Sweden and said Britains decision had prompted Swedes to re-evaluate their attitude towards the EU. The average Swedish person doesnt think or care much about the EU, but Brexit brings it to the fore. The UK referendum made a complicated issue real, he told The Local. People in Sweden are suddenly forced to think about what the EU is, rather than just having a vague opinion on it. There are political, economic, and social factors at play. The potential for political chaos, for economic trauma, and the possibility of a single-issue referendum on immigration, as happened in the UK. Brexit reactions in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit reactions in pictures Brexit reactions in pictures Supporters of the Stronger In campaign look at their phones after hearing results in the EU referendum at London's Royal Festival Hall AP Brexit reactions in pictures Leave supporters cheer results at a Leave.eu party after polling stations closed in the Referendum on the European Union in London Reuters Brexit reactions in pictures Mr Cameron announces his resignation to supporters Getty Brexit reactions in pictures Donald Tusk proposes that the 27 remaining EU member states start a wider reflection on the future of our union Getty Brexit reactions in pictures Ukip leader Nigel Farage greets his supporters on College Green in Westminster, after Britain voted to leave the European Union PA Brexit reactions in pictures Supporters of the Stronger In Campaign react as referendum results are announced today Getty Brexit reactions in pictures Boris Johnson leaves his home today to discover a crowd of waiting journalists and police officers Getty Brexit reactions in pictures Leave EU supporters celebrate as they watch the British EU Referendum results being televised at Millbank Tower in London Rex Brexit reactions in pictures Supporters of the Stronger In Campaign react as results of the EU referendum are announced at the Royal Festival Hall Reuters Brexit reactions in pictures Supporters of the Stronger In campaign react after hearing results in the EU referendum at London's Royal Festival Hall PA Sweden can look at Britain with horror and think what do we have, and what do we not want to have? A poll by TNS Sifo in June suggested only 32% of Swedes would want to remain in the EU if Britain left, with 36% in favour of leaving in such a scenario. Meanwhile, Denmarks support for remaining in the European Union has reportedly risen sharply since the UK voted to leave, countering fears the Scandinavian nation might be the next country to hold a referendum. A total of 69 per cent of Danish people endorse the countrys membership of the union, according to a Voxmeter poll - up 10 per cent from the week leading up to the Brexit vote. The Swedish and Finnish prime ministers have both repeatedly ruled out the prospect of holding referendums in their countries. 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 }} An American journalist allegedly killed by a government air strike in Syria was responsible for her own death as she was acting illegally and working with terrorists, the countrys president Bashar al-Assad has said. Marie Colvin, a veteran reporter for The Sunday Times, died in February 2012 when rockets hit a house she was staying at in the Baba Amr region of Homs, western Syria. It's a war and she came illegally to Syria. She worked with terrorists, and because she came illegally, she's been responsible of everything that befall on her, Mr Assad said in an interview with NBC News, denying government forces had been responsible for the attack. The army forces didnt know that Marie Colvin existed somewhere because before that we hadnt known about Marie Colvin. Why single out this person in order to kill her? There is no reason. Nobody knows whether she was killed by a missile, what kind [of rocket], and where it was fired from. No one has any proof, these are just allegations. Last week Colvins family announced they were bringing a lawsuit against the Syrian government, in which it is alleged the reporter was tracked on her passage from Lebanon before being targeted for assassination deliberately and with premeditation. Court documents alleged Syrian government forces had intelligence sources keeping track of foreign journalists traveling from Lebanon to Syria, as punishment for reporting on atrocities committed by the Assad regime. French journalist Remi Ochlik also died in the strike, while British photographer Paul Conroy, Syrian activist Wael al-Omar and French journalist Edith Bouvier were left critically injured. Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Show all 10 1 /10 Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Graffiti on the ancient stones reads in Arabic Shooting without the permission of the chief is prohibited Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Damaged artefacts lay inside the museum of the historic city of Palmyra Reuters Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Syrian pro-government forces rest by Palmyra Citadel as they take control of the city from the hands of Isis Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces The UNESCO world heritage site appears surprisingly intact after its recapture from the militant group Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Many had feared the ancient city would be destroyed following its capture by Isis in May Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Smoke billows from the Palmyra Citadel as Assads forces drive the Jihadist group from the city Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Palmyra is one of the most important cultural centers of the world Unesco says Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Pro-government forces play football in the streets following the recapture of the city Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces The extent of the destruction caused by Isis 10 month occupation of the city has yet to be fully realised Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces The City Council of Palmyra building in ruins Reuters It is alleged that it was the first time a direct order was given to kill foreign journalists operating in Syria. As many as 100 journalists are thought to have been killed in the country since 2011, the majority of them Syrian. Colvins sister Cathleen, who brought the case to court, said: We are seeking truth and justice not just for her, but for thousands of innocent Syrians tortured or killed under the Assad dictatorship. Colvin was 56 years old when she was killed and had previously worked for the BBC, Channel 4 and CNN during a long and distinguished career in the worlds most dangerous war zones. She wore a black eye patch after losing her right eye in a grenade blast while reporting on Sri Lanka's civil war in 2001 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 senior Islamic State fighter known as Omar the Chechen has reportedly died in combat in Iraq, more than four months after the US said he was killed by an air strike in Syria. Georgian-born Omar al-Shishani, who was described by the US Defence Department as the Isis minister of war, was originally thought to have died in a US airstrike on 4 March. UK-based human rights monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed his death at the time, and US officials touted it as evidence of the success of their Isis policy, with Defence Secretary Ashton Carter telling a Senate panel in March that the US recently killed Isils minister of war, the Chechen fighter Omar al-Shishani. But now the Pentagon has admitted it was probably wrong, and that Shishani was in fact the victim of an airstrike targeting an Isis meeting near Mosul, Iraq, on 10 July. Iraqi forces have been closing in on Mosul, which remains the largest Iraqi city under Isis control. On Wednesday the Isis news agency Amaq reported that Shishani had been killed in fighting in nearby Shirqat. Isis supporters have since mourned Shishanis death on social media. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told reporters on Thursday that US officials had believed the assessment in March was correct, but had received very recent information suggesting that Shishani was still alive before the 10 July strike. Born Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili in Georgia in 1986, Shishani fought as a rebel against Russian forces in Chechnya as a teenager and then fought the Russians again as part of an elite Georgian military unit from 2006 to 2008. He left Georgia for Syria in 2012, following a spell in prison for weapons possession. He raised his profile in 2013 when, as leader of a militia of mostly foreign fighthers, he led the brutal capture of the Menagh Airbase from Syrian government forces in northern Syria. He then joined Isis and rose to the top. He was a big personality. Troops liked him, Joshua Landis, director of the Centre for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, told Al Jazeera. According to the US State Department, Shishani was introduced as the Isis military chief in a 2014 video. He was also believed to have been involved in running a prison in Raqqa, the groups Syrian capital, when foreign hostages were held. The State Department had offered a reward $5m for information regarding his movements. 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? Celebrate Spains Ano del Modernismo 2016, the Year of Modernism, in a little-visited city with some prime some examples of early 20th-century architecture. But that is just the start. After the Spanish navy moved out of this magnificent deep-water Murcian port, the archaeologists moved in. Since then, the former naval base has been dramatically revived as a tourist hub that reveals the citys history with a series of imaginative new attractions. The heritage of New Carthage makes Cartagena an ideal weekend escape, with easy access from the UK a bonus. Touch down Murcia San Javier airport (1) is only 20km north of Cartagena. You can fly in on easyJet (0330 365 5000; easyJet.com) from Bristol and Gatwick; on Jet2 (0800 408 1350; jet2.com) from Belfast, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle; and on Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com) from Birmingham, Bournemouth, East Midlands and Manchester. There is no direct bus from the airport to Cartagena. The main Murcia-Cartagena highway, which is served by bus, is 3km away. Otherwise a taxi will cost around 25. If the fares to Murcia look too high, then consider Alicante and Madrid as alternative gateways; public transport from both is good, and you will arrive at either the handsome old railway station (2) or the distinctive bus station (3), topped with a tower that resembles a lighthouse. The port at sunrise (Shutterstock) Get your bearings Cartagena is poised between the Mediterranean and the Mar Menor, an inland sea on Spain's south-east coast Most places of interest to the visitor are contained in an area enclosed by the city walls long stretches of which are still intact. Wrapping around the old city are the broad Paseo de Alfonso XIII to the north, a strip of parkland and crooked avenue to the east, the seafront (and cruise terminal) to the south and the former naval docks to the west. The eastern tourist office (4) (cartagenaturismo.es) is built into the city walls on the Plaza Bastarreche. The western tourist office is part of the City Hall (5) on the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Both open 10am-2pm and 5-7pm daily except Sundays (with the lunch break beginning at 1.30pm on Sundays); the western office also opens 10am-1.30pm on Sundays. Check in Until the NH Cartagena (6) opened on the Plaza Heroes de Cavite (00 34 968 1209 08; nh-hotels.com), the city was short of an outstanding place to stay. The property brings boutique touches to an old naval building. Doubles typically cost 100-120, or a little more for a sea view. Check availability The three-star Hotel Los Habaneros (7), commemorating the ports link with the Cuban capital, is close to the citys eastern wall at Calle San Diego 60 (00 34 968 50 52 50; hotelhabaneroscartagena.com). Premium doubles cost 85, excluding breakfast. Check availability The two-star Pension Balcones Azules (8) is ideally located in the old city on the corner of Calle Balcones Azules and Calle Ignacio Garcia (00 968 500 042; email pensionbalconesazules@hotmail.es). The clean and simple rooms are available for around 60, excluding breakfast. Check availability DAY ONE Take a hike Calle Mayor and its continuations, Puerta de Murcia and Carmen, extend for barely more than a kilometre north-west from the Plaza de Ayuntamiento, but are full of interest. Start at the handsome City Hall (5), then note the Casa Cervantes (9) on the same side of the street a short way up - Victor Beltri began work on it in 1900, one of his earliest commissions in the city. The Capitania General (10) is the opulent former naval headquarters, dating from 1738, while just across the Plaza San Sebastian the old Gran Hotel (11) - another work by Beltri - is the city's the most lavish Modernista monument. HIs early 20th-century work continues in Casa Pedreno (12), with a final example of the citys devotion to fine architecture in the neo-baroque flourishes of the Casa Dorda (13). The Modernist City Hall (Shutterstock) Window shopping La Chinata (14), just back along Calle Carmen at number 33, is a delicatessen with a strong suit in extra virgin olive oil and sidelines in cosmetics. South of the muscular Artillery Headquarters (15), Calle San Fernando has some interesting gourmet locations such as El Rincon Manchego (16) at number 34 (el-rincon-manchego.com). The main produce market, Mercado Gisbert (17), is on Calle Gisbert. While it closes on Sundays, many other stores are open on the Sabbath so long as a cruise ship with more than 300 passengers is tied up in Cartagena. Lunch on the run You could assemble a picnic and enjoy it in one of the lovely squares, such as the Plaza de La Merced (18). But Cartagena has plenty of tempting lunch options, many of them offering a good-value menu del dia for 10-12. Tucked away from the main drag at Calle Balcones Azules 12, the Cafeteria El Molinete (19) offers something of the ambiance of the city before it was gentrified, and offers good-value seafood and meat dishes. If you are happy to pay a little more, the Cibus gastrobar at the NH Cartagena (6) has an 18 menu including gazpacho, bacalao (cod) and dessert. Cultural afternoon Cartagenas history stretches back well before the birth of Christ. Carthago Nova became part of the Roman empire in 209BC, and was raised to a colony in 54BC at which point investment poured in to create a forum and the amphitheatre. The layers are only slowly being peeled back, with some superb new attractions opening in the past decade. The fascinating Roman Theatre Museum (20), whose entrance is on the Plaza de Ayuntamiento provides an excellent preview for the amphitheatre (00 34 968 50 82 07; teatroromanocartagena.org). You wander from street level into a visitor centre designed by the leading architect, Rafael Moneo. It opens 10am-8pm from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-2pm on Sunday, closed Monday; 6. If Cartagena needed one more attraction to put it on the map, it has arrived in the ship-like shape of ARQVA (21), the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. Its half-submerged bulk occupies a stretch of the southern waterfront, just outside the walls (00 34 968 12 11 66; museoarqua.mcu.es). Highlights include remnants of a 7th-century BC wreck of a Phoenician ship, an Islamic serving dish depicting a ship and part of the cargo of the wrecked frigate, Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes - which sank in 1804 but whose treasure the Spanish government successfully claimed back from the US in 2012. It opens 10am-9pm from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-3pm on Sundays, closed Mondays. Admission is free on Saturday afternoons (from 3pm) and Sundays; on other days, its 3. An aperitif Cartagena has only recently started to celebrate its waterfront, but since the marina was completed a string of bars has opened up along the shore - with Coyote (22) in the middle the most popular, if not the most authentic. For a more traditional tapas bar, just wander along Calle Mayor, where Cerverceria La Mejillonera (23) at number 4 (00 34 968 52 11 79) is among the best-value choices. El Encuentro Dine with the locals Infiltrating the old colonnade at Calle del Parque, 2, Taberna A La Brasa (24) offers a 20 tasting menu that includes salad, paella, a mixed grill and a drink. El Encuentro (25), on the corner of Calle Canon and Principe de Vergara, offers squid (11) and a range of paellas, as well as the best steaks in town (elencuentrocartagena.com). DAY TWO Sunday morning: go to church At the Centre for the Interpretation of the Punic Rampart (26), an imaginatively conceived structure has been placed over excavations of a stretch of Carthaginian city wall created that predates the Roman era. You can roam around the structure - and discover the crypt of a late 17th-century Christian hermitage that nests within the rampart, complete with burial niches. It opens 10am-8pm daily, admission 3.50. Take a view On Calle Gisbert, an elevator (27) will lift you for a fare of 1 to the Castillo de la Concepcion (28) but before you explore the castle, take time to appreciate the view to the east from the top station of the lift, which includes the old bullring. Walk up the zig-zagging path to the castle, which opens 10am-8pm daily, admission 3.75. The highest point in the city was originally the location for a Roman temple dedicated to the god of health, Asklepio, a Moorish citadel and, after the reconquest, the 13th-century castle bullt by Alfonso X. Climb to the top, both to admire the engineering prowess and more particularly the outstanding panorama including the mighty headlands that protect the harbour, and which attracted waves of colonisers. During the Spanish Civil War, the air-raid siren was sounded from here (an air-raid shelter is adjacent to the ground station of the elevator). Then walk west along the path that winds past the Roman Theatre (18), yielding even more views, and descend the steps to ground level. Out to brunch You emerge close to Plaza de Ayuntamiento, where the Chocolateria Valor (29) offers the indulgence of chocolate and churros (chocolateriasvalor.es). The best location for this Spanish treat, thought, is Churreria Tofi (30), on the corner of Calle Angel Bruna and Muralla de Tierra (churreriatofi.es). Note that it takes a break between 12.15-5.15pm each afternoon. The lighthouse (Simon Calder) Take a ride The Barco Turistico departs from the waterfront (31) each hour from 11am to 3pm, then half-hourly from 4.30-7.30pm for a trip around the harbour, providing a fresh dimension on the city and the chance to see the old submarine pens and the historic lighthouse (32) that guards the approach to Cartagena; fare 5.57 (cartagenapuertodeculturas.com). A walk in the park The Molinete Archeological Park (33) is a 2012 addition to the cultural repertoire (00 34 968 50 00 93; cartagenapuertodeculturas.com). From the entrance on Calle Paraiso, you can roam across a hillside than includes relics of the Roman sanctuary, then study the meticulous archaeology that has laid bare the forum. The archaeological park has a canopy over the skeleton of the thermal baths and the atrium, together with some outstanding mosaics. It opens 10am-7pm daily except Tuesday, The whale tail fin (Simon Calder) Icing on the cake Impressive street sculptures and military monuments are strewn around the city, including an old fighter plane on the eastern side, the Casa de Mar (34) to the south-east and a monument to Spanish struggles in Cuba in the Plaza Heroes de Cavite (35). The theme continues out into the water from here, in the shape of the tail fin of a whale. 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 }} Copenhagen is further north than Newcastle; Los Angeles is further south than Crete. The two cities are 5,600 miles apart. So what happens when you draw a line between the pair? That all depends on the map you use. Mercators projection is a fair attempt to represent the earths surface in two dimensions, as if it was the skin of an orange carefully peeled and then flattened. On a map like that, a straight line from the Danish capital to Californias largest city crosses northern England and Northern Ireland. It skims the southern coast of Nova Scotia, then makes landfall in the US just north of Boston. The line briefly crosses the southernmost tip of Canada, which intrudes on the US close to Detroit, then cuts across Chicago and, like Route 66, aims from there to LA. Were you to fly between the two cities, though, your journey would be completely different and rewards the investment in a window seat with a view across the top of the world. The pilot begins the 11-hour trip by aiming west-north-west, not west-south-west, missing Britain altogether. The direct track passes north of Shetland (sit on the left for a view of the islands, weather permitting) and clips the far north of Iceland. A full hour is spent north of the Arctic Circle, crossing the solid ice-sheet that permanently shrouds most of Greenland. Then it makes a tour of northern Canadas greatest hits: jigsaw-puzzle-shaped Baffin Island, Hudson Bay and Churchill, Manitoba polar bear capital of the world. The flight path crosses only one US city of note, Salt Lake City, and in the last hour aims south-south-west to LA. That is the Great Circle route: the shortest path between two points on the surface of the planet. Pilots, passengers and airline accountants like them because they save time and fuel. With so much long-haul aviation taking place in northern hemisphere, so-called polar routes are the way to go. Earlier this month, a British Airways plane from Heathrow to Tokyo returned to base when it was just beyond the halfway point, well above the Arctic Circle in far northern Siberia. The fact that the Boeing was perfectly able to fly another six hours back the way it had come to Heathrow (because of what the airline called a minor technical fault) shows the capabilities of modern planes. But in the early jet age, a non-stop journey such as Copenhagen to California was impossible. Which is why the Scandinavian airline, SAS, came up with a spectacular solution involving a US Air Force base in south-west Greenland. The Americans first built a runway at the head of the islands largest fjord during the Second World War, so that aircraft being ferried to Europe could refuel. They called it Bluie West Eight, being slightly easier to pronounced than Sondre Stromfjord or Kangerlussuaq the Danish and Greenlandic names respectively. During the Cold War, Bluie West Eight was in the frosty front line: thousands of miles closer to Moscow and Leningrad than any base in the US, under six hours as the B52 bomber flies from the Russian capital. But SAS, one of the great pioneers of long-haul aviation, negotiated to use the airfield to open up the fast track between Europe and the West Coast. It became known as SFJ. With a decaying two-billion-year-old volcano at the east end and a wall of rock to the north and south, its an exciting place to land and take-off. To show the short-cut in all its glory, the airline commissioned a signpost that put the air base at the centre of the world: London and New York four hours or less, and the North Pole just three hours 15 minutes away. As jet technology improved, SFJ fell off the world aviation map. Today, it is the hub for Air Greenland, but the only two international destinations are Copenhagen and Reykjavik. Icelands capital has created its own niche as a North Atlantic crossroads, using the ex-military base at Keflavik to offer passengers from Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow quick connections to New York and Toronto. Two airlines, Icelandair and Wow Air, compete to exploit Reykjavik's geographic advantages, and offer adventurous travellers the chance of a sub-Arctic stopover. But SFJ is much more spectacular, and offers a taste of the true north with that ice sheet just half-an-hour away along the longest road in the entire country. When oil next soars in price, making long-haul flights much more expensive and incentivising refuelling stops, Greenland will be in line for an aviation revival. 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 }} Q Do you think Flybe might pull out of the new Manchester-Luxembourg route because of Brexit? Erin Welander A All airlines are looking closely at profitability after the vote to leave the EU, and the subsequent impact on business in terms of sinking sterling and rising costs. Flybe will no doubt be studying booking levels and yields (average fares) across its network. Typically, new routes are slow to turn a profit, and in many previous downturns the first links to be axed are the most recent to be introduced such as the new Manchester-Luxembourg route, which is scheduled to begin in Septemeber. Yet in the short term at least, the route may actually thrive. With so much coming and going to Europe as the UK detaches from the mother ship, it may be that business actually rises. But once we have left, it seems likely that the demand for links to Luxembourg and other Euro cities such as Brussels and Strasbourg will decline. Every day, our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, tackles a readers question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet@simoncalder 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 }} When I heard the new Prime Minister Theresa May speak on television yesterday, I thought to myself that maybe, just maybe the UK was in a safe pair of hands after the Brexit vote. A few hours hadnt even passed before Id completely changed my mind. Genuinely, I cannot believe that our new PM has appointed Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary, Britains chief diplomat. Johnson, a man perhaps best known for his racist and xenophobic gaffes, will now be representing UK interests abroad to some of the most powerful foreign dignitaries in the world including US President Barack Obama, who he recently suggested had an ancestral dislike of Britain which guided his opposition to Brexit, being part Kenyan and all. Boris Johnson is now someone who will have to deal directly with the Commonwealth, an area where predominantly non-white people live. And alongside Secretary of State for Exiting the EU David Davis, he will presumably have negotiations with the rest of those European bureaucrats he so despises to attend. Put simply, Theresa May has totally undermined Britain's international presence and status, and made us a global laughingstock. Its an embarrassing decision of epic proportions. Boris Johnson has gone from being bad for our country to being bad for the world. Theresa May's first speech as PM I write often about my differences as a modern day Briton, because I am proud of them. My diversity as a mixed-race gay man from Liverpool of black and Irish heritage is meant to be all that is good about a forward-looking UK. Yet Boris Johnson has been disparaging about all that I am, and hes often rewarded for it. He has had to apologise for referring to black people as "piccaninnies" with "watermelon smiles" in the past. He has also had to say sorry for commenting that black people have lower IQs, and suggested that same-sex marriage could lead to three men and a dog getting married. He referred to Londons St Patricks Day event as lefty Sinn Fein crap, was the editor of a magazine whose editorial stated that people from Liverpool want to wallow in their victim status because of their deeply unattractive psyche, and said of Hillary Clinton, the likely next President of the United States: Shes got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital. I could go on, but I think you get the point. So I'm dismayed that the new PM, who in her first speech banged on about One Nation, social justice and the likes, appointed such a man to a prestigious international position. Im beyond furious, and shes lost any future vote of mine. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images I watched last night as the US State Department spokesperson could hardly contain his laughter when he heard Johnson was our new Foreign Secretary. To some Britons this might all seem brilliant, and like weve taken our country back - but to where, the Middle Ages? Do we really want to be known as Little Britain around the world? Do we want these backward views to define us and do we want Boris Johnson to speak for us? Ive heard some people say it is a shrewd move by May, an attempt to keep her enemies closer than her friends. But our international image and future of our country isnt and shouldnt be a political game. Johnson has been rewarded for Brexit, yes, and dividing a nation and its people. Now hes set to divide us from every other country as well. 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 }} David Cameron promised his would be the greenest government ever, but ultimately he prioritised fossil fuel and agri-business interests. I hope that Theresa Mays new government will get the UK back on track; whatever happens with the EU negotiations, our existing environment protections must be defended and extended. But the signs are not good. Just hours into her new job, the Prime Minister has downgraded the governments focus on climate change by announcing that the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is to fold. Cameron, for his part, started well when he took over as leader of the Opposition in 2005. He identified climate change as a core issue, using it to detoxify the Tory brand from being (in Theresa Mays words) the nasty party. He responded to genuine public and business pressure for action to cut emissions and to build a new green economy. For a while, Cameron shifted the politics of climate change. In 2008 the Bill was passed the Climate Change Bill near-unanimously, with MPs on the Conservative benches filing through the division lobby in a moment of political consensus across the House. And Cameron made a bold start as a new Prime Minister in 2010, declaring himself the fourth climate change minister. But his record in his first term of office was mixed and showed that solving environmental problems would come second to economic and political vested interests. Appointing Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne to head up DECC was interpreted as a clever means of accelerating climate action whilst ducking the flak coming from Camerons right flank. The department oversaw a steep increase in renewable energy deployment, boosted by the implementation of the previous governments feed in tariff policy to encourage green energy. David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 David Cameron's premiership - in pictures David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Queen Elizabeth II greeting David Cameron at Buckingham Palace for an audience to invite him to be the next Prime Minister on 11 May 2010 PA David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha wave from the steps of Number 10 Downing Street on 11 May 2010 Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures On 12 May 2010 Prime Minister David Cameron said in a press conference with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, who was then deputy PM, they plan to "take Britain in a historic new direction" and Conservative-led coalition government would be united and provide "strong and stable" leadership Rex David Cameron's premiership - in pictures A decade ago, David Cameron visited the Arctic to witness the effects of climate change. However since coming to power in 2010, his government has gradually dropped down a succession of green policies David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David cameron told the then New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Queen had purred down the line after he told her Scotland had voted against independence in September 2014. He was forced to apologise for breaking constitutional convention Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron greeted soldiers working on flood relief in York city centre after the river Ouse burst its banks, in northern England in December 2015 REUTERS David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Claims that David Cameron performed an obscene act with a dead pig and smoked cannabis during his studies at Oxford University spread around the world in September 2015. The extraordinary allegations were made in an unauthorised biography of the Prime Minister written by Lord Ashcroft David Hartley/REX Shutterstock David Cameron's premiership - in pictures In 2016, Mr Cameron was caught up in a worldwide scandal dubbed the Panama papers Reuters David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha with seven week old Regan as they meet her parents, first time home buyers Robert Arron and Kelly Jeffers at the Heritage Brook housing development in Chorley, Lancashire. David Cameron has joked that he wants "another baby" and said that he feels a "bit broody" every time he sees a newborn on the campaign trail David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David Cameron was criticised for branding refugees in the Calais jungle camp as a bunch of migrants in January 2016 after thousands of refugees died in their attempt to cross the Mediterranean in 2015 Sky News David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron speaks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during an EU summit meeting on 17 March 2016 at the European Union council in Brussels. Cameron was in Brussels to renegotiate deal of UK membership with other European leaders. The deal, sealed after hours of haggling at a marathon summit, paved the way for a referendum on whether Britain will stay in the EU AFP/Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures President Barack Obama shakes hands with British Prime Minister David Cameron at a meeting at 10 Downing Street in London on 22 April 2016. The President and his wife visited 10 Downing Street where he joined press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron and made his case for the UK to remain inside the European Union Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures After David returned from Brussels claiming victory in his renegotiation with European leaders, Boris Johnson announced that he will not support the Remain campaign. The prime minister said publicly he was "disappointed but Boris remains a friend" PA David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David Cameron makes a joint appearance with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan as they launch the Britain Stronger in Europe guarantee card at Roehampton University on 20 May 2016 in London. The 'guarantee card' lists five pledges should Britain remain in the EU, including the protection of workers' rights, full access to the single market and stability for Britain David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron speaks outside 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2016. Cameron announced his resignation after Britain voted to leave the European Union after a bitterly divisive referendum campaign AP But getting to grips with climate change is just not compatible with boosting fossil fuels; its a choice between two. It became clear to me that David Cameron was not prepared to stand up to fossil fuel or to his own backbenchers. By September 2012, the Conservative mood on the environment had shifted. The environment no longer seemed part of Camerons strategy to win over the nation. He appointed Owen Paterson, who made climate sceptic comments and went unchecked when he did so. It was a significant capitulation from Cameron to the right of his party, and one that he didnt have to make. Budget after Budget announced more tax breaks for fossil fuel exploration. DECC pursued a gas first strategy, describing it as a bridge fuel towards decarbonisation. In reality, it diverted funding for renewables. There was a bloody fight over the fourth carbon budget (the limit on emissions between 2023 and 2027), with George Osborne wanting to reject the advice of the Governments independent climate change advisors. It was ultimately passed, but Cameron allowed his authority on the issue to be weakened. Were going all out for shale was his statement in 2014, as he announced plans to try to bribe local communities which had become resolute against fracking wherever it was proposed. The vote blue, go green vision had been scrapped for good. Securing a majority government in 2015, Cameron faced a test. The Conservative manifesto made two important commitments that would form part of his green legacy: the phasing out coal in power generation, and the protection of large areas of ocean around UK overseas territories. But the new Government quickly set to work lighting a bonfire under some of the most important climate change policies and nature protections. The rug was pulled from under the renewables industry: following through on the pledge to virtually ban onshore wind, and slashing the feed in tariff. Overall UK carbon emissions had been falling but, as warned, the growth in renewables deployment stalled, and solar companies employing thousands of people around the country went bust. The Government scrapped the most important energy efficiency schemes including schemes to protect the most vulnerable people from cold. And they removed the requirement for new homes to be zero carbon, consigning another generation to high fuel bills and high carbon footprints. Fracking was proposed to be allowed in precious wildlife sites in National Parks, through water aquifers and even under peoples houses but were forced into a partial retreat. All this was in the run up to the global Paris climate negotiations in which the UK was claiming to play a leadership role amongst nations. The UK entered the talks as the only G7 country to be increasing tax breaks for fossil fuels. It is young people whose lives will be affected most by David Camerons legacy and political decisions taken now by the new Prime Minister. Just this week the governments own advisors warned of ever growing risks to our businesses, homes and food if we dont do more to cut fossil fuel pollution. Otherwise, we will have taken back control only for Britain to again be the dirty man of Europe. Cameron Gives Parting Speech Outside 10 Downing Street Now, with Theresa May in power, we are looking for a clear commitment to policies that will put the country on track to meeting out Climate Change Act goals and to delivering the Paris climate change Agreement to keep global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees. But there is no department directly responsible for this. Alarmingly, May has also appointed a vocal climate sceptic to the role of Brexit minister. She and David Davis must commit to uphold and strengthen environmental protection, whatever the outcome of negotiations with Europe. She must not concede to the powerful vested interests intent on a race to the bottom on environmental as well as social protections. Time is running out to avert catastrophic climate change and to halt the decline of nature. This is about protecting people as well as the planet we live on. There is no time to lose for the new prime minister in changing path and, thanks to David Cameron, so much time has already been lost. Craig Bennett is chief executive of Friends of the Earth 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 }} Two good friends were telling me at dinner a few nights ago how much they enjoyed Richard II when it was performed in Ramallah. They didnt understand much of it the play was performed in Arabic but they understood the parallels. Richard was the arbitrary and corrupt Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine, and the audience loved it. Perhaps King Henrys determination to purge his sins in Jerusalem was a bit much, but you can see the point. Like theatre in Stalins Russia, you can read into everything. Hence my weariness at being told the other day that Naguib Mahfouz was Egypts Dickens. But for Gods sake, weve already got Dickens, I replied. Why do you want an Egyptian version? Now I acknowledge Mahfouzs novel Midaq Alley as a great work and, yes, of course he deserved his Nobel Prize. But isnt there a bit of a risk that Arab art (literature, painting, even films) has fallen into the terrible adjective of derivative? I dont mean this in a snide way. On my wall at home in Beirut I have a wonderful copy of Moustafa Farroukhs Rock and Pine Trees, painted in Lebanon in 1935. It captures perfectly the soft mist of heat in a Lebanese valley and the way in which trees lift up their leaves to heaven in order to breathe. And yet it could be painted in France, by a French artist, in the 1930s. Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Show all 10 1 /10 Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Graffiti on the ancient stones reads in Arabic Shooting without the permission of the chief is prohibited Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Damaged artefacts lay inside the museum of the historic city of Palmyra Reuters Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Syrian pro-government forces rest by Palmyra Citadel as they take control of the city from the hands of Isis Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces The UNESCO world heritage site appears surprisingly intact after its recapture from the militant group Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Many had feared the ancient city would be destroyed following its capture by Isis in May Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Smoke billows from the Palmyra Citadel as Assads forces drive the Jihadist group from the city Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Palmyra is one of the most important cultural centers of the world Unesco says Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces Pro-government forces play football in the streets following the recapture of the city Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces The extent of the destruction caused by Isis 10 month occupation of the city has yet to be fully realised Getty Palmyra recaptured by Syrian government forces Palmyra recaptured by Syrian pro-government forces The City Council of Palmyra building in ruins Reuters I think at once of Algeria, that most original as well as derivative of nations magnificent in its bravery to free itself from France, imitative of that colossal colonial power more than half a century after its independence whose finest authors can only write of their countrys most recent tragedy in fiction. The 1990-98 war between the pouvoir and the Islamists unleashed violence of Bosnian or Syrian proportions, yet so dangerous are the political landmines that still lie in the earth of this land that its truths can only be written in novels. One such describes how the Algerian army dealt with a soldier who betrayed his comrades to their enemies. He was tied to a tree and his wife and children were helicoptered to the scene where they watched their husband and father doused with petrol and burned alive. The story is accurate, but Algerias authors have to tell these tales as fiction. This particular tale was written in French the language of Algerias earlier oppressors but how come art must be a slave to truth? I wonder how much colonialism has to do with art. After Napoleon arrived in Cairo with his scientists and Egyptologists, the footprint of French culture was forever stamped upon the Nile. In the decades to come, Egypts artists and writers would swarm to Paris and return with the fruits of French civilisation; they would quote endlessly the works of Racine, Moliere and Rousseau. A few French-language newspapers linger on in Cairo today as a faint dream of this period and Egypt still boasts membership of la Francophonie, along with Albania and Bulgaria and other unlikely competitors. One of the early translations of Shakespeare into Egyptian Arabic was from a French translation of the original. Early British imperialists tended to learn the languages of the peoples they ruled. The French tended to teach their subjects French (a language Nelson despised until he realised that this was how he would have to address a certain Lady Hamilton). The Russians, though they had no Arab possessions, doggedly learned Arabic perfectly but without much enthusiasm. Tolstoy only became popular in the Arab world in the early 20th century. Many Russian military officers in Syria today speak excellent Arabic but fewer Syrians speak Russian. One of the best Russian-speakers in the Syrian army was trained in the Moscow military academy (and in what is now Ukraine) although his English is flawless because he played Iago in Othello at the University of Aleppo. This week, LOrient Litteraire, the monthly books supplement of Lebanons magnificent LOrient-Le Jour newspaper whose French is occasionally so royalist that French readers have to turn to their dictionaries to understand it celebrates its 10th anniversary. It has carried plaudits from publications such as Le Point and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which praise it as a cultural bridge between east and west. On its front page a few days ago, it carried an important interview with Andre Miquel, a French scholar of Arabic literature, who spoke frankly about the problem of Islamists in the Middle East. His words are worth translating: Syrian group races to safeguard monuments from destruction I wanted very much to say to my countrymen that the Arabs dont correspond to the image that we too often have of them, especially [during] the present madness. But I must equally say to young Arabs that they would do well to look a little more closely at the basic texts of their culture [where] they would find the seeds (germes in Miquels French) that would allow them to be themselves in todays world, alongside others. Their ignorance feeds their fanaticism. And there, I fear, Miquel gets it right. As Tarif Khalidi said in a recent and brilliant speech in Beirut, there is a lack of humanist studies in the universities of the Middle East. There is an absence of the texts that flourished in the very golden age of the Arab world that the Islamists so often proclaim. Im not suggesting that Arabs should copy the West I remember with horror how Thomas Friedman in the New York Times referred to CNN as one of our cultural benefits to the Arabs but surely it is possible to use our literature to advantage. Richard II is a classic example. Macbeth would be an uncomfortable play for many Middle East potentates. Maybe thats why we can only indulge in the great works of western literature in good old Lebanon whose democracy, however damaged, at least exists. But then I suppose we must acknowledge that in the lands of tyrants, non-derivative literature original work that turns the door on its hinge is not going to flourish, especially when we ourselves support the very dictators that rule these people and who, though Miquel did not say this, keep closed the basic texts of their culture. 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 }} Britain used to take international affairs and our relationship with other countries with the seriousness it deserved. But with just two strokes of her pen, new Prime Minister Theresa May has returned Britain to its newly found status as an international joke. When a US State Department spokesman was told about Boris Johnson becoming Foreign Secretary last night, he almost laughed, while German TV presenters didn't even hold back. A friend who was at the Foreign Office messaged me last night to say: Boris fucking Johnson in Beirut dealing with Syria? I can't even deal with this lunacy." But if appointing Johnson is a joke, the PMs decision to put Liam Fox on front-line politics again is nothing short of dishonourable. Remember that Fox was forced to resign in disgrace as Defence Secretary in 2011 because he had invited his old mate Adam Werrity, a lobbyist, to international trips and private Ministry of Defence meetings even though he had no official role in Government and no security clearance. Werrity handed out business cards suggesting he was Foxs adviser and went along to meetings with defence contractors and diplomats. It was a serious breach of security and a serious abuse of governmental power. Liam Fox shouldnt have just retired from the front bench; he should have been asked to resign as an MP in disgrace. Even in much more corrupt countries than ours, such a dereliction of duty on national defence matters is taken very seriously. May mocks Boris Theresa May was supposed to be a safe pair of hands so why did she start denigrating our position on the world stage within hours of becoming PM? Because she put domestic politics ahead of our international standing. Both Johnson and Fox were prominent Brexiteers (along with David Davis, who is now in charge of actually implementing Brexit) and she wanted to ensure no one could accuse her of being soft on our referendum choice to leave the EU. And May will probably get away with it because political journalists in Westminster are too busy being awed by her bold move. On the BBC Radio 4s Today programme this morning there was no mention of Liam Foxs resignation in disgrace at all. It was as if it hadnt even taken place. If a Labour government had done something similar, you can bet John Humphryss salary he would have harangued a Labour MP about it. Arguably, it is clever to ask those who broke Britain by getting us to vote Leave to fix what they started. But I dont want clever politicking I want Britain to get serious about the huge challenges we face as a country now we have to leave the EU. And those who praise the politicking over the implications this has are being derelict in their duty. Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images Liam Fox doesnt have the moral authority any more to criticise other countries on corruption or conflicts of interest. He is tainted and by association so is the entire British Government. By appointing Johnson and Fox, our new Prime Minister has put her political priorities ahead of Britains priorities. And that is a dangerous start at a very precarious time. 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 }} Theresa May has two reasons to thank Margaret Thatcher. The first is that there is far less hullaballoo surrounding the arrival of a female prime minister. The second is that a host of preconceptions about how a woman might change foreign policy kinder, gentler, less upfront, more devious, and averse to armed conflict have been thoroughly dispelled. Strange though it may sound, given the UKs current political meltdown, May will also have it much easier than most of her predecessors, including Thatcher, in one crucial respect. The national ambivalence about the European Union that hobbled UK foreign policy in almost every respect is over. Theresa May: How her leadership speech differed from her voting record Mays position as a shy Remainer taking on the Brexit mandate obliges her to respect the referendum result, and she has set out her stall quite explicitly: Brexit means Brexit, she said, and were going to make a success of it... There will be no attempts to remain inside the EU, no attempts to rejoin it by the back door, and no second referendum. We Remainers may not like it, but we cant say she has not been clear. EU leaders will probably be grateful for that clarity, too, though they would probably prefer the new Government to invoke the now famed Article 50 almost at once, just to drum the irreversibility point home. The EU needs to think about the UK in post-Brexit terms, and the UK does, too. One way of doing this would be for May to entrust EU negotiations not to the new Foreign Secretary or necessarily to his department, but to a convinced and qualified Brexiteer, who would have full Cabinet rank. Not to an old-styler, such as Liam Fox or David Davis, either, but to a driven technocrat, such as Daniel Hannan, who knows the trade and migration briefs inside out. The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address Show all 6 1 /6 The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address Brexit The big one. Theresa May has spoken publicly three times since declaring her intent to stand in the Tory Leadership race, and each time she has said, Brexit means Brexit. It sounds resolute, but it is helpful to her that Brexit is a made up word with no real meaning. She has said there will be no second referendum and no re-entry in to the EU via the back door. But she, like the Leave campaign of which she was not a member, has pointedly not said with any precision what she thinks Brexit means Reuters The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address General election This is very much one to keep off the to do list. She said last week there would be no general election at this time of great instability. But there have already been calls for one from opposition parties. The Fixed Term Parliaments Act of 2010 makes it far more difficult to call a snap general election, a difficulty she will be in no rush to overcome. In the event of a victory for Leadsom, who was not popular with her own parliamentary colleagues, an election might have been required, but May has the overwhelming backing of the parliamentary party Getty The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address HS2 Macbeth has been quoted far too much in recent weeks, but it will be up to May to decide whether, with regard to the new high speed train link between London, Birmingham, the East Midlands and the north, returning were as tedious as go oer. Billions have already been spent. But the 55bn it will cost, at a bare minimum, must now be considered against the grim reality of significantly diminished public finances in the short to medium term at least. It is not scheduled to be completed until 2033, by which point it is not completely unreasonable to imagine a massive, driverless car-led transport revolution having rendered it redundant EPA The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address Heathrow expansion Or indeed Gatwick expansion. Or Boris Island, though that option is seems as finished as the man himself. The decision on where to expand aviation capacity in the south east has been delayed to the point of becoming a national embarrassment. A final decision was due in autumn. Whatever is decided, there will be vast opprobrium PA The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address Trident renewal David Cameron indicated two days ago that there will be a Commons vote on renewing Britains nuclear deterrent on July 18th, by which point we now know, Ms May will be Prime Minister. The Labour Party is, to put it mildly, divided on the issue. This will be an early opportunity to maximise their embarrassment, and return to Tory business as usual EPA The 6 most important issues Theresa May needs to address Scottish Independence Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP are in no doubt that the Brexit vote provides the opportunity for a second independence referendum, in which they can emerge victorious. The Scottish Parliament at Holyrood has the authority to call a second referendum, but Ms May and the British Parliament are by no means automatically compelled to accept the result. She could argue it was settled in 2014 AFP/Getty Having just left the Home Office, May might be tempted to keep her hand in with the talks on judicial matters, intelligence-sharing, the European arrest warrant, and the like. She might also want to keep a watchful eye on the file marked free movement. With the big EU question decided, however, at least in principle, she might reasonably decide to spin the globe a few times and peruse the options. Potentially, she has more freedom actually to shape the UKs foreign policy than any other recent prime minister. She could certainly consider the close ties that the UK still has further afield, for better (the US, Australasia, the New Commonwealth) and for worse (the legacy of recent wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya). She might also take a new look at old unresolved quarrels (Argentina, Gibraltar), and more recent sources of different tensions (off-shore tax havens). There is an opening, now the EU issue is decided, if not to branch out, then to take stock and do some tidying up. This does not mean that Europe will be neglected, but that it could, and should, be considered in a different way as the geopolitical region the UK inhabits, rather than an institutional arrangement to which the UK is committed. This could mean closer coordination with those around the EUs edge the Nordics in particular, whether in or out of the Union and more attention, through Nato, to defence. The difficulty for May is that while the referendum brought clarity on the EU, it also left a big doubt. Did the Leave vote reflect a desire to bestride the world or to pull up the drawbridge? National or internationalist in spirit, that will be the question. 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 }} In the end, Theresa May made a bigger re-ordering of the Cabinet than Gordon Brown did when he took over from Tony Blair in 2007. Brown brought in five new ministers, May appointed nine. In part this was because her administration had to reflect a fundamental change in the Governments direction, not from one party to another, but from supporters of Britains membership of the European Union to opponents of it. In fact, the number of Leavers in the Cabinet only rose from five to seven, but May surrounded herself with a ring of Brexit steel at a high level, with the Foreign Office, International Trade and Brexit negotiations themselves all in the hands of Outers. That means that May has protected herself from accusations that she as a Remainer will sell out the mandate of the referendum. She has adopted what is called the Pottery Barn principle, after the rule in the American retail chain, telling the Brexiteers: You break it, you own it. Boris Johnsons appointment was the biggest surprise of the new Cabinet, but it makes sense to give him, still the most popular politician in Britain, a senior post. May managed to complete two important Venn diagrams by giving one of the great offices of state (Prime Minister, Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary) to a Brexiteer, and by ensuring that half of the great offices of state are held by women for the first time. The Cabinet as a whole is slightly older, slightly less posh (the number of Etonians has halved from two David Cameron and Oliver Letwin to one, Johnson) and slightly more female than it was under David Cameron. There are now eight women in the Cabinet, up from seven, and matching the previous record under Tony Blair in 2006-07. In a way it was a defensive reshuffle, building ramparts against the Brexiteers and dismantling what was left of George Osbornes empire. The biggest surprise on Thursday was the reappointment of Jeremy Hunt as Health Secretary. He appeared not to expect it himself, having taken off his NHS badge on his way into 10 Downing Street, and put it back on when he came out again. Hunt was halfway to solving the junior doctors' dispute. He had reached agreement with the British Medical Association, but the revised contract was still rejected by the doctors themselves. He intends to impose the contract on them anyway, but it would have been better to persuade doctors to accept the new terms, and it might have been possible for a new Secretary of State to do so. Hunt has become such a hate figure for doctors that the dispute is now likely to drag on indefinitely, which cannot be good for the NHS. So he survives, against all odds, for the second time in his career. He held on as Culture Secretary in 2012 despite having appeared to favour Rupert Murdochs failed bid to gain complete control of Sky TV. The new Cabinet leaves only four posts unchanged Hunt, Michael Fallon at Defence and David Mundell and Alun Cairns at Scotland and Wales. Which makes it, I think, the biggest reshuffle ever for a Cabinet of the same party. She let nine Cabinet ministers go (although Patrick McLoughlin will still attend Cabinet as Conservative Party Chairman); Harold Macmillan sacked only seven in 1962. That gives May a huge opportunity to present her Government as a fresh start, just a year after a general election. Her reputation for boring, discreet competence will be enhanced by the speed of the appointments, completing the whole Cabinet in less than 24 hours, by surprising the media, and yet by generally giving the impression of fitting round pegs in round holes. Yet there are enough slightly square-ish appointments in a generally smooth and impressive operation to cause her problems in future. A prime minister is never so powerful as when making cabinets, and a new prime minister is the most powerful of all. From now on, it is all downhill. Collaboration has always been strong and will continue to be strong, says France Ireland Chamber of Commerces Cliona McGowan France is seen as one of Ireland's main competitors for attracting foreign firms who are assessing their options after the Brexit vote. Last week the French government made initial overtures to multinational firms, saying it would offer extended holidays to executives, allowances for school fees, and significantly, said it would speed up the licencing process for firms willing to relocate there. Competition for firms based in Britain has the potential to spark some friction between the French and Irish governments over the next couple of years. Ireland holds an advantage from a tax standpoint; our 12.5pc corporation tax rate is markedly lower than the 33.3pc charged by the French authorities. However it is clear that the French are already putting packages in place that could attract interest away from Ireland. Ireland's corporation tax arrangements have been the subject of criticism from France in the past, with the former Fianna Fail government coming under pressure to raise the tax rate for multinationals during the country's bailout negotiations with the EU and IMF. Former French President Nicholas Sarkozy caused consternation in 2011 when he suggested that Ireland should not receive any European funds for a bailout unless the government here were willing to change its stance on taxing corporates. That notion was given short shrift by the government at the time, with Ireland eventually securing bailout money, albeit with painful conditions attached. That issue now appears to be off the table as governments from across the continent scramble to scoop up foreign firms currently based in the UK. However Ireland should tread carefully in the negotiations, due to France's position as an important trading partner. Trading between Ireland and France rose to 8.9bn in 2015, up over 500m on the previous year. A key factor in fostering good relations between the two countries is the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce (FICC). Members include Smurfit Kappa, BNP Paribas and French utilities firm Veoila. The FICC was set up to support bilateral trade between France and Ireland. According to Cliona McGowan, managing director of the FICC, the relationship is going from strength-to-strength. "There is continuing development in the relationship between the two countries each year. On a day-to-day basis, we have hired seven new staff this year at the FICC so things are picking up all the time. This year we added 20 new companies to the FICC, 50pc of which were French companies." The FICC has been building relations between Ireland and France for over 30 years, and Ms McGowan believes the present climate represents a key opportunity to make the relationship even stronger. "Collaboration has always been strong and will continue to be strong. There is a willingness on behalf of both governments to make sure that strong bond continues. President Hollande will visit Ireland this year and the Taoiseach has visited Paris on a number of occasions. I think that underlines how important both sides see the relationship," Ms McGowan said. The FICC is currently conducting a survey of its members which will ascertain how the UK vote will affect companies. "We will use the survey of our members as a starting point to see how Brexit is likely to affect our members. It will be an initial reaction to gauge how companies are feeling," Ms McGowan added. The France Ireland Chamber of Commerce currently has 150 members under four brackets; patrons, corporates, SMEs and start-ups. At present, there are 300 Irish companies operating in France, providing 20,000 jobs. That was an increase of 80 companies and 4,000 jobs over the course of 2015, underlining France as an increasingly popular destination for Irish firms. IT firms account for 33pc of all Irish companies in the country, while construction companies made up 27pc of Irish firms based there. Last year Enterprise Ireland announced a number of new deals between the two countries. Former jobs Minister Richard Bruton embarked on a trade mission which included meetings with over 100 French companies around the St Patrick's Day celebrations in 2015. This week French multinational Veolia announced a deal which that will see it upgrade the Ballymore Eustace water treatment plant which serves the greater Dublin area. Niall Gleeson, managing director at Veolia Ireland said: "We will be able to assist in ensuring the greater Dublin areas needs are met now and into the future." A Dublin woman who previously worked with Theresa May has said she believes the new UK prime minister will work well with Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the aftermath of Brexit. Zoe Healy, who worked with Ms May in the early 2000s, said the new UK leader is forward-thinking but has a keen awareness of our country's shared history. "Theresa would be aware of what Brexit could mean for Ireland, positively or negatively, and that Ireland will play an important role in terms of their negotiations out of the EU," Ms Healy told the Irish Independent. Read more: Theresa May appointed UK's second female Prime Minister "I think she will be turning her attention to Ireland's place in all this, definitely," she said. Ms Healy, who began working with Theresa May in 2003 as her media advisor while she was chairperson of the Conservative Party, said that new prime minister has already established relations with Ireland and in particular with the Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald. "She already has a good working relationship with the Irish Government," said Ms Healy. "She has worked very closely with Frances Fitzgerald because the Home Secretary, is pretty much the same as the Department of Justice. They would have a good, strong working relationship already. I'd say she'll probably be meeting with Charlie Flanagan and also with Enda Kenny, sooner rather than later." Read more: Theresa May vows to govern for all not just 'privileged few' - New PM's speech in full Ms Healy, who also worked with Fine Gael on its 2007 General Election campaign, said she had every confidence Ms May would be a great leader. "I had no doubt that she could [lead the Conservative Party]. I always knew that she was leadership material. What makes me so pleased is that she's never been one to talk about it," Ms Healy said. "We could be looking at Hillary Clinton, Theresa May and Angela Merkel all working together - that would be something else." Ms Healy, who now runs her own public relations firm, Zenith PR, said that she is confident Ms May and Mr Kenny will work well together. "I've worked with them both and I think that they are absolutely resolute in doing what's best for their country," she said. "I know that Theresa May and Enda Kenny will be talking soon about maintaining the good relationship that the UK and Ireland have." Boris Johnson was last night appointed as Britain's foreign secretary as the new prime minister Theresa May reached out to Brexiteers in an attempt to reshape Britain's role in the world. Just minutes after officially becoming prime minister, Ms May gave Mr Johnson one of the most powerful roles in government and removed George Osborne as chancellor without offering him an alternative job. In her first address to the nation, Ms May instantly distanced herself from David Cameron's government by vowing not to "entrench the advantages of the fortunate few". She then entered Number 10 and began a reshuffle, which started with Mr Osborne being told he would not be a part of the government. He was replaced as chancellor of the exchequer by Philip Hammond. In a surprise move, Ms May then made Mr Johnson foreign secretary, less than two weeks after he had pulled out of the Tory leadership race after Michael Gove had "betrayed" him by running for the post himself. The new prime minister made David Davis, a prominent Leave campaigner, secretary of state for exiting the European Union. Dr Liam Fox, another senior Brexit supporter, was made international trade secretary, nearly five years after stepping down as defence secretary during the coalition government. Amber Rudd, who backed the campaign to stay in the EU, became the new home secretary and will lead the bid to reform Britain's immigration system in the wake of the Brexit vote. Michael Fallon, an early backer of Ms May for the Tory leadership, remained as defence secretary. The future of Mr Gove, the current justice secretary and one of Ms May's biggest cabinet opponents, was unclear last night. The appointment of senior Leave campaigners was welcomed by Tory backbenchers and Eurosceptics, who said it was proof that Ms May, who supported staying in the EU, will stick to her promise that "Brexit means Brexit". Nigel Farage, the former UK Independence Party leader, praised the "inspired choices" and said he was now "more optimistic" that the vote to leave the EU would be implemented. It had been widely claimed that Mr Osborne, the former chancellor of the exchequer, wanted to continue in government despite anger from Eurosceptic MPs over his conduct during the referendum campaign. It marks a remarkable fall from grace for Mr Osborne (45), who just months ago had been the clear favourite to succeed Mr Cameron as prime minister. One Tory minister said that Ms May was in such an unassailable position after she won the Tory leadership unopposed that "she doesn't need him". In a statement on Twitter, Mr Osborne said: "It's been a privilege to be chancellor these last six years. Others will judge - I hope I've left the economy in a better state than I found it." Mr Osborne also signalled that he would support Ms May's government when he joins Mr Cameron on the backbenches. In a second tweet, he said: "Good luck to new prime Minister Theresa May and Chancellor Philip Hammond - they have my full support in the big challenge that lies ahead." Ms May's appointment of Mr Hammond (60) means that the two most powerful positions in the new government are still filled by two politicians who fought for Britain to remain in the EU. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Bernard OHare, managing director, Bibby Financial Services; Minister for Finance Michael Noonan; and Nick Ashmore, chief executive of the Strategic Banking Corporation, at the announcement. Photo: Iain White/Fennell Photography The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) and Bibby Financial Services Ireland (BFSI) have launched a new 45m invoice financing fund for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The fund provides more favourable rates for BFSI's invoice finance facilities accessible for Irish firms and is available immediately. Invoice financing frees up cash for companies by giving them up-front payment against the value of outstanding invoices. The deal marks the SBCI's first venture into invoice financing. The State-controlled banking corporation was set up in 2014 to provide lower-cost long-term funding to smaller businesses. Finance minister Michael Noonan welcomed the new fund. "This new 45m package further diversifies the funding available to SMEs at a critical time for Irish businesses, especially those who include exports to the UK as part of their sales. "It is a welcome fact that BFS is a global business with a strong presence throughout the UK and Ireland. "Irish SMEs are now in a position to benefit from SBCI funding available through an expert Invoice Finance provider," Mr Noonan said. Bibby deals with over 9,500 customers annually and had a turnover of 9.3bn (11.1bn) last year. The finance firm employs 30 staff in Ireland at its base in Sandyford, Dublin. Invoice financing allows companies to grow at the same rate as their sales. As part of the fund companies will also be offered protection against bad debts should customers become insolvent. BFS chief executive Steve Box said he was "delighted" to announce the partnership. "At a time where there is some uncertainty in markets across Europe, the most basic support that SMEs need to grow and scale-up their businesses is access to finance. "Our 45m facility agreed with SBCI will enable us to deliver lower cost, more flexible and competitive funding solutions to SMEs throughout Ireland. "While there is still a high level of dependency on traditional banks amongst SMEs, we are seeing a growing appetite for alternative sources of finance and we look forward to helping Irish businesses to thrive and grow, both domestically and internationally," Mr Box said. In order to avail of the lower SBCI rates the minimum facility period firms must sign up for is two years. The fund can also issue loans up to a maximum of 5m. SBCI chief executive Nick Ashmore said the new fund broadens the finance options available to Irish SMEs. "This facility will considerably strengthen BFSI's ability to serve the Irish market and provide a more competitive product. We are particularly excited to be working with BFSI, given the important support invoice finance offers businesses looking to grow." Last year 26pc of the SBCI's funding went into the agri sector with just 3pc going into construction services. Two-thirds of its 172m worth of lending went into five sectors - hotels and restaurants, agri, health retail and other business services. Tim Martin, chairman of JD Wetherspoon, and Boris Johnson, former mayor of London, attend a drinks reception in Exeter during the first day of a nationwide bus tour to campaign for a Brexit last May. Photo: Bloomberg PRO-BREXIT pub boss Tim Martin says Belfast could have room for another two JD Wetherspoon pubs on top of its two existing projects. Mr Martin, who went to school in Northern Ireland, said there could be an appetite for another two pubs in the city centre. JD Wetherspoon is already planning two new pubs in Belfast the chain bought the former JJB unit on Royal Avenue and a former Methodist Church on University Road. He said that Belfasts Titanic Quarter and Cathedral Quarter were two areas where he saw potential for the brand but added that no immediate plans were in place. Mr Martin said the chains two Belfast projects will set the company back by 3.5m, with the majority ring-fenced for the renovation of the listed former Methodist church. Permission has been granted for the Royal Avenue site, but it still needs a drinks licence, while the Methodist Church site is still in the planning system. Its expected the plans will bring around 100 new jobs to the city. Mr Martin said he was not shocked by the referendum result and said he was not worried at the prospect of an exit from the EU. The chairman was an outspoken backer of the Leave camp, and toured 100 of the companys pubs in a bid to convince customers that the UK would be better off outside the EU. Im very pleased by it. I think the EU is undemocratic and becoming increasingly more undemocratic with five unelected presidents, he said. Im hoping that Brexit will be sensibly carried out, but it cant be done overnight. I know our main political parties have been preoccupied by leadership issues, but by the end of the summer plans should start to be put in place. And Mr Martin rejected reports that problems with planning and property prices had put the chains expansion plans in the Republic on hold. In Dublin, its biggest project a 100 bedroom hotel and pub complex on Camden Street is still in the planning system. Mr Martin said he hopes to open a further six in Dublin four in the city centre and two on the outskirts. The property market has definitely been heating up and its getting more difficult to acquire, but we are very much still pressing ahead with the plans, he said. Within reason we would look at some more sites another one or two in Belfast and several in Dublin. The firm currently runs 920 UK pubs including nine in Northern Ireland. Its latest trading update saw like-for-like sales rise 4% in the final quarter and increase 3.4% over the year. He said he felt that the UK needed a Prime Minister who could not be intimidated and had found one in Theresa May. He said he had not been asked to meet her for a pint yet but added that this had also been the case with the countrys previous leaders. And he has criticised former Chancellor George Osborne, the IMF, the Bank of England and a host of other organisations, blaming them for a potential slowdown following the EU referendum vote. In my opinion, the above individuals and organisations are either dishonest or they have a poor understanding of economics, since democracy and prosperity are closely linked and the EU is clearly undemocratic, added Mr Martin. Above: the Wetherspoons in Bedford Street, Belfast. Below: the University Road site planned for a new Wetherspoons and (left) chairmanTim Martin BY RACHEL MARTIN PRO-bREXIT pub boss Tim Martin says Belfast could have room for another two JD Wetherspoon pubs on top of its two existing projects. Mr Martin, who went to school in Northern Ireland, said there could be an appetite for another two pubs in the city centre. JD Wetherspoon is already planning two new pubs in Belfast the chain bought the former JJB unit on Royal Avenue and a former Methodist Church on University Road. He said that Belfasts Titanic Quarter and Cathedral Quarter were two areas where he saw potential for the brand but added that no immediate plans were in place. Mr Martin said the chains two Belfast projects will set the company back by 3.5m, with the majority ring-fenced for the renovation of the listed former Methodist church. Permission has been granted for the Royal Avenue site, but it still needs a drinks licence, while the Methodist Church site is still in the planning system. Its expected the plans will bring around 100 new jobs to the city. Mr Martin said he was not shocked by the referendum result and said he was not worried at the prospect of an exit from the EU. The chairman was an outspoken backer of the Leave camp, and toured 100 of the companys pubs in a bid to convince customers that the UK would be better off outside the EU. Im very pleased by it. I think the EU is undemocratic and becoming increasingly more undemocratic with five unelected presidents, he said. Im hoping that Brexit will be sensibly carried out, but it cant be done overnight. I know our main political parties have been preoccupied by leadership issues, but by the end of the summer plans should start to be put in place. And Mr Martin rejected reports that problems with planning and property prices had put the chains expansion plans in the Republic on hold. In Dublin, its biggest project a 100 bedroom hotel and pub complex on Camden Street is still in the planning system. Mr Martin said he hopes to open a further six in Dublin four in the city centre and two on the outskirts. The property market has definitely been heating up and its getting more difficult to acquire, but we are very much still pressing ahead with the plans, he said. Within reason we would look at some more sites another one or two in Belfast and several in Dublin. The firm currently runs 920 UK pubs including nine in Northern Ireland. Its latest trading update saw like-for-like sales rise 4pc in the final quarter and increase 3.4pc over the year. He said he felt that the UK needed a Prime Minister who could not be intimidated and had found one in Theresa May. He said he had not been asked to meet her for a pint yet but added that this had also been the case with the countrys previous leaders. And he has criticised former Chancellor George Osborne, the IMF, the Bank of England and a host of other organisations, blaming them for a potential slowdown following the EU referendum vote. In my opinion, the above individuals and organisations are either dishonest or they have a poor understanding of economics, since democracy and prosperity are closely linked and the EU is clearly undemocratic, added Mr Martin. The new census has put the spotlight on the housing crisis. With an exploding population, especially in Leinster, and a startling 259,562 vacant homes around the country, the Governments efforts to match the two seem as far apart as ever. Here are five things that could be done right now to fix, at least in the short term, the problem: 1. Reverse the bedsit ban: No, theyre not ideal, or even desirable. Even the most flowery estate agent would struggle to call them bijou living, but prior to 2013 they were home for thousands of single people the biggest demographic on the housing list. New rules meant all accommodation has to be en-suite, turfing thousands of perfectly happy tenants out on the streets and leaving landlords with insurmountable bills to bring them up to scratch. Many stand desolate and derelict in city centre locations. 2. Hurry up with the Land Levy: Developers sitting on idle land which could be used for building, were to be taxed under the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015. However, it has been kicked to touch and now wont come into force until 2018, for no clear reason. Then a land register has to be drawn up by councils, with landowners free to appeal (twice) the 3pc tax. Dont hold your breath. 3. Sell Land: With over 60 hectares of unused State land in Dublin city centre alone, it seems almost criminal that it isnt being used for accommodation. The Government could make it available (with a tax refund) for affordable shared student accommodation, which is at crisis level. Ziggurat did this most successfully on the old Montrose site, adjacent to UCD a few years ago. 4. Redesign the starter home rebate scheme: Set up last November by the Dept. of Finance, the scheme incentivised builders to construct starter homes by repaying development contributions imposed by local authorities, as long as at least 50 homes costing less than 300,000 in Dublin (250,000 in Cork) were built. So far, exactly zero developers have signed up. 5. Big is Better: Before exiting Government in the Labour meltdown, former Housing Minister Alan Kelly blazed a trail of well, apathy, for his decision to reduce the minimum size of new build apartments from 55sqm to 45sqm and insist on dual-aspect windows. Well intentioned it may have been, but nobody wants to build, or pay, for them because theyd be like well, bedsits (see Point 1). Eir is to spend 50m in the next nine months upgrading its mobile network and expanding coverage across the country. The operator says this will add to the 300m it has already spent on the network in the last four years. The new money will be used to build and connect 100 extra mobile sites around the country, according to Eir's director of mobile networks, Fergal McCann. "This will boost our 4G population coverage from 81pc today to 95pc in early 2017," he told the Irish Independent. "We will have over 2,000 active sites and our own built out 4G network." Mr McCann said that a current site-sharing agreement with Three would remain in place. And he said that 5G networks will require further heavy capital spending, with hundreds of millions in new industry expenditure required. "5G is going to demand a lot more investment, but equally there is a demand there for continuous high speed services," he said. "I expect to see the first 5G trials in the next two to three years. Ireland will be positioned quite well." Eir's rivals have also spent heavily on capital investment upgrades in recent years, with Three committing 300m to its recent integration with O2 Ireland and upgrades to 4G. Vodafone Ireland is currently in a 550m investment plan, although this includes more than just its mobile network. Mr McCann said that the current network expansion would see the company's 4G coverage extend to over 90pc of the geographical territory. Irish telecoms rules only require population coverage as part of licensing obligations for mobile operators. In recent months, government figures have complained about poor mobile coverage in non-urban areas. The minister for Communications, Denis Naughten, has promised to convene a task force on the issue. Mr McCann singled out planning issues as biggest challenge to extending mobile coverage to more rural communities. "There's a lot of noise out there but there's equally a lot of opposition when we want to build sites," he said. "Retention of planning is a huge problem for the industry. It helps to create coverage blackspots." Microsoft has won a court appeal to prevent it from handing over email data located on Irish servers to US authorities. The legal victory is likely to have major repercussions for police forces and tech companies who are increasingly at odds over what sort of information should be available to authorities investigating crimes. The tech giant had fought an attempt by US law enforcement agencies to retrieve email account information as part of a US anti-narcotics investigation. But the email information, associated with an Outlook.com account, was located on Irish servers belonging to Microsoft. When Microsoft refused to hand the email information over, a US District Court held the company in contempt. However, a US Court of Appeal has upheld Microsofts non-disclosure, arguing that warrants from US authorities do not have extraterritorial effect. [We] conclude that section 2703 of the Stored Communications Act does not authorise courts to issue and enforce against USbased service providers warrants for the seizure of customer email content that is stored exclusively on foreign servers, said the US Court of Appeals today. Because Microsoft has complied with the warrants domestic directives and resisted only its extraterritorial aspects, we reverse the District Courts denial of Microsofts motion to quash, vacate its finding of civil contempt and remand the cause with instructions to the District Court to quash the warrant insofar as it directs Microsoft to collect, import, and produce to the government customer content stored outside the United States. Intel agreed to acquire the software security company in 2010 for $7.7bn Intel's computer-security unit, McAfee, is drawing interest from private equity firms as the company considers selling the business, people with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. Thoma Bravo, Permira and Vista Equity Partners are among firms conducting preliminary research on McAfee in the event of a sale, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. While Intel has held discussions with banks about an auction of the unit, according to the people, none have been hired and Intel may choose to keep McAfee. The 'Financial Times' reported last month that Intel is weighing options for the business. A spokeswoman for Intel declined to comment on the latest reports. A representative for Permira declined to comment, while spokesmen for Thoma Bravo and Vista didn't respond to requests for comment. Intel is considering offloading McAfee, which made its name as an anti-virus software provider for personal computers, as it moves away from investments in the shrinking PC market business and concentrates on offerings for its more profitable data-centre business. The Santa Clara, California-based chipmaker agreed to acquire the software company in 2010 for $7.7bn in order to build security features directly into its silicon and gain an edge for its products. That took longer than Intel had predicted, and as a part of the company's software division the unit continues to under- perform the chipmaker's main businesses. In 2015, Intel's software and services division, which has other products outside of security, contributed $2.2bn of revenue and $210m of operating profit. That gives the division an operating margin that's less than half of Intel overall. (Bloomberg) The French government came under fire this summer from disgruntled citizens who are angry about the imposition of new labour laws aimed at making the economy more competitive. The "Responsibility and Solidarity Pact" will reportedly reduce labour costs by 30bn. French workers are notorious for their capacity to stage strike action, but the current government is determined to force through measures which is says will ensure economic stability. France has had difficulty in the past meeting its commitment to keep its budget deficit under the 3pc of GDP mandated by the EU. Widespread protests erupted this summer at the plan to introduce the laws which will make it easier for employers to fire staff. Those most likely to be affected by the new laws are younger workers. French GDP per capita stands at 35,890 per annum and the economy posted a modest growth rate of 1.2pc last year. A presidential election is scheduled for 2017, with Francois Hollande facing an uphill task to retain the office he has held since replacing Nicolas Sarkozy back in 2012. Sarkozy has declared his intention to run again. This one will bring about all the feels. Grandmothers are the best, they take our side when we're having a disagreement with our parents, they make sure we're well fed and they keep us abreast of all the latest neighbourhood gossip, especially death notices. So it's a great feeling when we're able to show our appreciation to them through random acts of kindness, like Tipperary girl Lorraine Butler who surprised her grandmother Olive Chester with a trip to New York for her 80th birthday. Lorraine, who is based in Russia, originally told her grandmother that she would meet her in London for the celebrations but surprised her by showing up in Shannon Airport to meet her as she knew her grandmother didn't like to travel alone. And then came the biggest surprise: the two were actually flying to the Big Apple, not London. As Olive checks in she still thinks she's flying to London as Lorraine had let the woman at the check-in desk in on her scheme. When the surprise is revealed, Olive's reaction is so lovely. Lorraine told Independent.ie that the pair are "having an absolutely fantastic time ". She said: "We've been out wandering the streets, soaking up the atmosphere and the heat! We've been up the Empire State building and around times square and today we'll head off to The Statue of Liberty. Nan is having the time of her life, she's enjoying the food, the cocktails and the craic." Speaking of Olive's new-found celebrity status, Lorraine said: "She deserves it! She's the best. You're only 80 once!" Fair play Lorraine, putting us all to shame. Happy Birthday Olive! Jennifer Zamparelli and Bernard O'Shea have a busy few months ahead as their hit show Bridget & Eamon has been renewed for a second series. The former Republic of Telly stars set off on their own last year when they brought their popular 1980s Irish couple to RTE2 screens. Debuting to healthy ratings, RTE bosses have given the go-ahead to the creative pair to work on the second series. Writing on social media, Zamparelli shared a photo of herself and O'Shea with co-writer Jason Butler in what looks like a brainstorming session for the upcoming series. "And so it begins. Bridget & Eamon, series two, with Bernard O'Shea and Jason Butler," she wrote alongside the snap. RTE confirmed the good news for the pair following Zamparelli's post. "We're happy to confirm that the second series of Bridget & Eamon will be returning to RTE2 later this year," a spokesperson for the station told the Herald. Mum-of-one Zamparelli previously hinted they were in talks to return for another series after the first was well received by audiences - although it drew mixed reviews from critics. She said they will continue to draw on Irish experiences in the 1980s for the next batch. "We only did six episodes and a lot of series are longer now. There's a lot more to do with them - we wouldn't change it too drastically. We're sticking in the '80s for now," she said. She added she has received advice from her mother on how to play the role of Bridget. "My mum watched one of the scenes where Eamon keeps making me get up to change the channels, and said 'I'd have been more angry in that scene'. She directs theatre so she gives me little tips," she said. Meanwhile, Republic Of Telly continues to do well following Zamparelli and O'Shea's departure from the programme after six series. Replacement Joanne McNally has been a fan favourite - but she has admitted she's yet to meet Zamparelli in person. An 88-year-old housewife, now living with constant back pain as a result of having been trollied in a Dunnes Store, has been given the maximum 60,000 personal injury damages a Circuit Civil Court judge can award. Barrister Eileen McAuley told Judge Jacqueline Linnane that a worker in Dunnes Northside Shopping Centre store struck her in the back as he blindly pushed a pallet trolley stacked with boxes along a shopping aisle. Ms McAuley, who appeared with Synnott Lawline solicitors, said the boxes had been stacked above eye level and the shop worker had failed to see the then 86-year-old Christina OReilly doing her shopping with her daughter Mary. She said the pallet trolley had struck Ms OReilly in her lower back and leg, jolting her forward without actually knocking her to the ground. The accident had aggravated existing degenerative changes in her lower back and, as a result, had left her with constant pain. Prior to the accident Ms OReilly had led an active social life which included ballroom dancing every Sunday night which she had to give up, Ms McAuley said. She can no longer do her own shopping. Ms McAuley told the court that Dunnes Stores had, just before the case was opened in court, conceded liability for the accident meaning that the case was now one of an assessment of damages only. She said the entering of a full defence earlier against Ms OReilly, who lives at Adare Drive, Coolock, Dublin, had delayed the proceedings coming to court due to her legal team having been put on full proof of what had happened. She said Ms OReillys daughter Mary, who was with her in the store when the accident happened, had since died. She was helped in court by another daughter, Bernadette Gallagher, and insisted in giving evidence despite serious hearing difficulties. Judge Linnane said Ms OReilly had led a full, active social life up until the accident and had been living independently. She was now dependent on the help of her family as a result of having been left with residual permanent pain. The judge awarded Ms OReilly 60,000 damages and her legal costs and when counsel for Dunnes Stores asked for a stay to facilitate consideration of an appeal to the High Court, Judge Linnane ordered payment out of 45,000 to Ms OReilly. Judge Linnane directed that in the event of her decision being appealed an application be made at the earliest opportunity to the President of the High Court for a very early hearing of the appeal because of Ms OReillys age. Former Rehab Group chief executive Angela Kerins has claimed that "bullying, harassment and persecution" led by members of the Dail's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) forced her to attempt suicide. Ms Kerins fell unconscious after taking a large quantity of pills and some alcohol and would have died if a work colleague had not broken into her home after becoming concerned. Expand Close PAC member John McGuinness (chairman) Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp PAC member John McGuinness (chairman) Photo: Tom Burke The dramatic events, which occurred in the aftermath of a bruising appearance by Ms Kerins at the PAC, were outlined as she began a High Court action for damages. The 58-year-old, with an address in Blackrock, Co Dublin, said she came to the "totally irrational" decision to take her own life as she believed it was the only way to end the controversy which surrounded Rehab. In an affidavit submitted to the court, she detailed how she prepared notes for her family to explain her actions. "At the time I was very angry that I did not succeed," she said. Expand Close PAC member Shane Ross Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp PAC member Shane Ross Photo: Tom Burke Read more: Angela Kerins 'took pills and alcohol in suicide bid' following PAC appearance - High Court In a landmark case, Ms Kerins claims that she lost her job, having been chief executive of the charity and commercial group for eight years, and had her constitutional rights breached as a result of the conduct of the committee. She directly linked the suicide attempt to the actions of PAC members, stating: "The level of bullying, harassment and persecution was so intense that this happened. And it was led by a group of politicians." A major plank of her case is an allegation that committee members knowingly acted outside their remit, seeking commercial information and details of private earnings, rather than inquiring solely into Rehab services paid for by the HSE and Solas. Ms Kerins claims they pursued "a vendetta" against her. "One of the PAC boasted that my resigning was one of their greatest achievements," she said. A three-judge High Court, led by its president, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, is to decide whether Ms Kerins is entitled to damages and whether the committee operated outside its legal remit. The outcome of the case is set to have major implications for the way Oireachtas committees conduct their business. Opening the case, John Rogers SC, for Ms Kerins, detailed how on March 14, 2014, just over two weeks after the appearance at the PAC, Ms Kerins "self-harmed". "She became unconscious in her own home and had to be rescued for her life," said Mr Rogers. The PAC was investigating the activities of charities at the time, following the Central Remedial Clinic scandal, and much of the hearing focussed on Ms Kerins' 240,000 salary and governance issues at Rehab. In her affidavit, Mr Kerins said that such was her state of distress after the seven-hour hearing on February 27, 2014 and "persistent hounding by politicians and subsequent media, with hundreds of articles published" that she suffered "a number of physical collapses". She attended a doctor in her native Waterford on March 2, was "barely able to get out of the car" and felt unsteady on her feet. The doctor thought she was suffering an acute stress reaction and that this needed to be investigated in hospital. She arranged for Ms Kerins to be admitted to the Whitfield Clinic in Waterford under the care of a consultant gastroenterologist, who in turn insisted that she be seen by a psychiatrist. Ms Kerins stayed at the clinic until March 6, when she was transferred to the Beacon Clinic in Dublin, where she remained until March 11. "While I was in hospital, I struggled to cope with what was happening and to see a way through for the Rehab Group," she said. Her appearance before the committee had not taken the sting out of media coverage of Rehab, which had been ongoing for months. "Our whole work was being rendered worthless by politicians and certain sections of the media," she said. "I thought of resigning at the time but very quickly came to the conclusion that this would not be enough. "I became irrationally convinced that the solution was for me to sacrifice myself. I had a bizarre belief that if I was off the planet that the Rehab Group and everyone else close to me would be saved. "My death would resolve the controversy which the Rehab Group found itself in and would also protect my family from further fall-out from the PAC. "While at the Beacon Hospital, this action was occupying my thoughts. "My conviction that the destruction of my life would stop the abuse for everyone grew. I need to say that I really felt forced into this decision. I was really upset that it had to be done but I had been persecuted into thinking that this was the sacrifice needed to stop the destruction of all I held dear." Ms Kerins went on to describe how she attempted to take her own life on the evening of March 14, three days after her discharge from the Beacon Hospital. Read more: Medical evidence to be central in Kerins's legal case against Dail committee "I sadly wrote notes to my family, explaining the need to do this, before consuming a large quantity of pills and some alcohol," she said. "I did not succeed in my suicide attempt because a colleague from the Rehab Group grew concerned following a telephone call to me. She raised the alarm and sought assistance to break into my house and called an ambulance." Ms Kerins was rushed unconscious to St Vincent's Hospital and remained there until the following day. In her affidavit, she said that what she had attempted to do was "not a way out" or "an act of revenge or an impetuous act". "The only way I can explain it is that I had always seen my role as being to find solution for problems, specifically the Rehab Group's problems. "Due to my totally irrational way of thinking at the time, sacrificing my life became my solution for the problems of the Rehab Group." Ms Kerins sat in the court with her husband Sean as details from the affidavit were read into the court record by Mr Rogers. HER counsel described Ms Kerins as "a most courageous woman" and said her submission to the court had to be one of the most difficult a person could make. He said that matters dated back to January 2014, when his client was "confronted" with a growing amount of negative material. He pointed to a 'Sunday Independent' article by Shane Ross, then a member of the PAC, from January 12. This article dealt with an interview Ms Kerins gave to 'Morning Ireland' presenter Gavin Jennings, in which she was asked about her salary. Mr Ross said in the piece that Ms Kerins's "hubris was breathtaking", referring to her responses to questions about her remuneration. Mr Rogers told the court that this article "set the tone" for what was to follow. Ms Kerins was asked to attend the PAC in a letter on January 22 and there was further correspondence on February 18, outlining the format of the hearing. Mr Rogers said the tone of the meeting was critical. "I think I can safely say that members of the committee used, in some instances, upbraiding language," he said. "The meeting on occasion became judgmental. Ms Kerins was examined on private matters. She was re-examined and cross-examined about her pension and bonuses." In Ms Kerins' affidavit, she described it as a "tsunami of abuse" and "a McCarthy-like witch hunt". She said committee members had "a horrific agenda in the pursuit of headlines". Ms Kerins said she had not been naive and had sought and received assurances in advance of the hearing that questioning would be limited to the publicly funded element of the charity and commercial group's operations. She had pointed out in advance that her salary was not drawn from any public funding. MS Kerins said she was "helpless in the face of what happened next". PAC members asked the same questions again and again, even though other members had asked them already. She was "shocked" that the PAC chairman John McGuinness had not intervened on her behalf and said she felt that she had been "entrapped" by him. After the hearing, she had difficulty leaving the house and felt that her name "had become like poison". A trip to the hairdressers was enough to produce sensational headlines. People had begun hanging around outside her house at night and she had a real fear of a break-in. She was, said Ms Kerins, the subject of an anonymous death threat and her "whole world had been turned upside down". The hearing continues today and is expected to last for over a week. The Samaritans can be contacted by phone at 116 123. This number is free to call. A Dublin mother who was brutally stabbed and left and die by her former partner outside her city home has today told how she feared if she closed her eyes after the attack she would die. Rose Kenny (51) was walking from her home at School Street Flats in Dublin 8 on September 23 2014 when she was savagely attacked and stabbed multiple times in the body, neck and throat. She underwent emergency life-saving surgery in St Jamess Hospital and is still recovering from her physical and mental scars. Last June Roses former partner Denis Leahy (50) of Queen Street in Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to her attempted murder. He was due to be sentenced today but Judge Paul Butler adjourned the matter until next Thursday after hearing a victim impact statement from Rose and submissions put forward on behalf on Leahy. Rose Kenny walked behind Leahy in the Central Criminal Court today and took her seat near the judge to deliver her statement of how the attack has changed her life forever. Bravely, and with emotion, she read out how her life had been normal until September 23 2014. I always had a carefree spirit that my family and friends enjoyed. I never gave a second thought to stepping outside my house and just got on with my normal day to day activities. I tried to be a good mother, a good daughter, a good sister and generally just to be a good person, she said. Expand Close Victim Rose Kenny (51) leaving court with family and friends after Denis Leahy has pleaded guilty to attempting to murder her at School Street Flats, Dublin 8 in September, 2014. Photo: Courtpix / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Victim Rose Kenny (51) leaving court with family and friends after Denis Leahy has pleaded guilty to attempting to murder her at School Street Flats, Dublin 8 in September, 2014. Photo: Courtpix Now my life is in two segments. My life before the attempted murder on me and my life after it. I was attacked that morning by a man that I didn't recognise as being Denis Leahy, a man that I had shared many years with as my partner. Although I'm the victim here. I have to live with the guilt I feel of how I brought this man into my life and without knowing that I put my life and that of my daughter and family and friends life in danger. How could I have known that he was capable of doing such gruesome things to another human being. Every day I ask myself how could I of been such a bad judge of character, she added. I never lost consciousness until I got to the hospital. I knew if I closed my eyes I would never open them again. Denis Leahy left me in hospital for seven weeks with horrendous injuries, for four of them weeks I couldn't even swallow my saliva and had to have suction tube in my hands at all times. I couldn't walk, talk or swallow and was totally dependent on others, Rose explained. I had my sister Jeanette and my beautiful daughter Jamie sleep with me all night in the hospital for the first week as I was so sure I was going to die. I spent 12 hours in surgery the day of the attack. My back, abdomen, chest and neck are destroyed with stab wounds but these can be hidden. But what I can't hide is my horrible gravelly voice, it embarrasses me when I speak and especially when strangers in shops that are serving me ask was I out singing last night. How I wish that was the case, she added. Rose said she was never able to return to the home or community she had lived in for 22 years, but instead moved in with her 80-year-old mother who had to learn how to dress and plug her wounds. I just feel so broken. I don't trust the world in the same way that I always had. I'm always in a state of anxiety for both myself and my family. I fight these feelings every day but some days I just want to curl up and stay in bed, said Rose with emotion. I now have a new flat where I had to start from scratch. I'm waiting to get speech therapy and then with the help of my counsellor I hope to return to work next year. I know I will never be the carefree easy going woman that I was before Denis Leahy tried to murder me but will try very hard to get as near as possible to being that person again. After trying his best to murder me and leaving me so damaged he still has shown no remorse for what he did, she added. Counsel for Leahy asked that his guilty plea be taken into consideration, and expressed sorrow for his actions on his behalf. Sentencing will occur next Thursday. A young man has been brought to hospital after a stabbing incident in Dublin last night. It is understood that the man was knifed after attempting to break up a brawl outside a home in Coolock, North Dublin. The incident happened in the Moatview estate after 9pm. A source said a scuffle broke out in the estate and the 25-year-old victim, who was visiting a friend's home, went out to intervene. He was stabbed at least once in the lower back with a kitchen knife. Emergency services were called but it is understood that the man was brought to Beaumont Hospital by a family member in a private car. His injuries have been described as "not life-threatening". Earlier this week a man was rushed to hospital after he was attacked with a broken glass at a house in Belcamp Green, Coolock. The man, named locally as Paul Clarke, was attacked by a woman after a row developed in the house. Neither the victim or the alleged attacker own the house where the attack took place, but were said to be visiting at the time. The prospect of the Department of Education acquiring Rehab's landmark headquarters at Sandymount in Dublin 4 could see former education minister Ruairi Quinn's ambition to secure the site for an Educate Together school finally come to fruition. The Irish Independent has learned that Mr Quinn held a series of negotiations with the Rehab Group in an effort to acquire the property, which it is now being speculated could change hands for up to 21m. Should the department secure the 5.16-acre site, it would represent a price of over 4m per acre. A source familiar with the matter recalled the past discussions with Rehab as being tough. "They weren't going to give it away for nothing, that's for sure," the source said. They added: "Ruairi was well aware that the constituency was crying out for an Educate Together school, and he really felt that it should happen, but it wasn't to be." When asked for comment, Educate Together CEO Paul Rowe confirmed that the talks with Rehab had taken place prior to the period in 2013 in which Rehab came in for questioning over the remuneration of its then CEO, Angela Kerins. Mr Rowe said the fact that Mr Quinn had sought to secure the Rehab Roslyn Park property for an Educate Together school had been in the public domain. He said that Educate Together had not had any conversation with the department in relation to its current efforts to acquire the Rehab site. He added that he had been unaware the department's officials had been seeking to acquire the property prior to reading recent media reports that it was in "exclusive talks" to take control of the campus. Educate Together currently operates a primary school within the vicinity of Rehab's headquarters. Temporary Since being opened in 2014, the Shellybanks national school has been housed in temporary accommodation at the RDS in Ballsbridge. Asked if he was hopeful that Educate Together might secure a permanent home for the school on the Rehab site, Mr Rowe declined to comment. However, the Irish Independent understands the Department of Education and Educate Together have held talks in the past about locating the Shellybanks school in the vicinity of Roslyn Park and that a search for a suitable site has been ongoing for a number of years. The department has also been seeking a location for a new secondary school which has been proposed for the area. A department spokesperson last night said that while it was in the process of acquiring sites in the south Dublin city centre area, "due to commercial sensitivities we are not in a position to provide further information at this time". Several leading housebuilders have also expressed interest in acquiring the Rehab property, which is offered for sale at a guide price of 12m. 'Apply high-factor sunscreen early on and regularly. It is important to apply sunscreen at least 20 minutes before going out in the sun' (stock photo) Knowing how to protect your skin against the sun is crucial. Each year, around 1,000 people in Ireland are diagnosed with melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Although rates of the disease are increasing generally, they rise even further with age, according to Dr Marie Laffoy of the National Cancer Programme. The majority of people diagnosed with melanoma in Ireland are over the age of 50 and the average age of diagnosis is around 63. Sixty per cent of cases are in women. This, after all, is the age-group that not only invented the sun holiday but whose members also, in their younger days, routinely roasted their bodies in the hot sun with nothing but a brush of baby oil for protection. Figures Skin cancer, in fact, is the most common cancer in Ireland. And it is on the increase, with the National Cancer Registry expecting figures to double. Dr Patrick Ormond, consultant dermatologist at St James's Hospital in Dublin, said both melanoma and non-melanoma rates had increased year on year and that skin cancers were much more prevalent in the over-50s. "If you're over 50, it's never too late to protect your skin. It's not just about sun block but about all the other methods; wearing a wide-brimmed hat, seeking the shade, wearing loose clothing," he said. Dr Ormond said that it was also important for anyone over 50 to check their skin regularly and consult their doctor if they notice anything unusual. The general advice is: - Apply high-factor sunscreen early on and regularly. It is important to apply sunscreen at least 20 minutes before going out in the sun. As a general rule, the experts say, the amount of sunscreen that is needed to cover the body of an average adult is around six full teaspoons of lotion. Dr Laffoy said you should expect to use about a shot glass full of sunscreen in order to properly cover the exposed parts of the body such as face, arms and legs. - Don't bother with once-a-day sunscreen. Research from the UK-based consumer watchdog 'Which' tested a number of sunscreens labelled 'once a day' and found that after six to eight hours, their average protection factor fell by nearly 75pc. - Get SPF-smart. There's not a huge difference between the level of protection offered by SPF 30 and SPF 50, says Dr Laffoy. SPF 30 will protect against about 98pc of the sun's UVB wavelength rays, while SPF 50 will protect against about 99pc. However, an SPF of 50 is recommended for children, or people at high risk of skin cancer, for example, those with a family history of the disease. The Kinahan cartel has called off a death threat on a north Dublin criminal after a significant cash sum was handed over to the mob. The "five-figure cash sum" was exchanged at a "sit-down meeting" between the gang and close associates of the under- threat Ballymun gangster. This led to a promise that he will no longer be targeted by the vicious mob. The cartel had identified a younger associate of Michael 'Mad Mickey' Devoy - a criminal they murdered in 2014 - as a "prime target" after his release from jail last year. Expand Close Michael Mad Mickey Devoy, who was shot dead / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michael Mad Mickey Devoy, who was shot dead With the death threat no longer active, the Ballymun man - aged in his mid-30s - is now free to continue his criminal activities in north Dublin. "This individual has been under grave threat from the cartel since he got out of jail but he seems to think he is in the clear after the meeting," a source said. "The sit-down was attended by a Finglas criminal who is a close friend of his. "The word is that a deal was negotiated and a significant cash sum was handed over to sort out the dispute." Expand Close Daniel Kinahan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Daniel Kinahan The subject of the threat was close to Michael 'Mad Mickey' Devoy (41), from Balbutcher Drive in Ballymun, who sustained multiple gunshots to the head and neck and died on January 18, 2014. The main theory behind Mad Mickey's murder is that he was shot dead because he was the gunman for a botched murder attempt on heroin trafficker and cartel figure Greg Lynch three months earlier. When Devoy's close associate was released from jail, gardai set up a number of armed checkpoints near his home because of fears that he would be shot dead by the cartel but no shooting incidents happened. Read More While the threat against the gangster has calmed down, the cartel have previous form for reneging on deals after assuring other criminals that they would not be targeted. An example of this was the murder of Gary Hutch in Spain's Costa-Del-Crime. It kicked off the deadly feud between the cartel and Hutch's associates. After the savage murder, it emerged that Gary's uncle Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch had organised a payment of 200,000 to the Kinahan cartel to spare his life and allow him to "retire" from the gang. However, mob reneged on this deal and then demanded a further 200,000 from Hutch's family. When this money was not paid, Hutch was shot dead outside his Spanish apartment. Earlier this month, it emerged that the country's latest gangland murder victim - David 'Daithi' Douglas (55) - had been assured by cartel members that they were no longer in dispute with him. Sources revealed that Douglas, who was loosely associated with the Hutch gang, received a phone call from a brutal Cabra-based hitman for the cartel, weeks before he was murdered stating that the gangsters "no longer had an issue" with him. Douglas was subsequently shot up to six times in the head and chest outside the Shoestown shop at Bridgefoot Street on June 30 by a lone gunman. Sunday World Editor Colm MacGinty at the funeral of of Joe Hayes, former Managing Director of Independent Newspapers in Cross Chapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin 14/7/2016 Daughters of Joe Hayes Amber and Georgina and son Thady at his funeral in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Crosschapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin 14/7/2016 Collette, widow of Joe Hayes is comforted by her daughter Danielle at his funeral in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy at Crosschapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin 14/7/2016 A floral tribute at the funeral of Joe Hayes, former managing Director of Independent Newspapers in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Crosschapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin 14/7/2016 Bill Cullen and Jackie Lavin were at the funeral of Joe Hayes, former managing Director of Independent Newspapers in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Crosschapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin 14/7/2016 Former editor and senior executive at INM Michael Brophy and Sunday World editor Colm MacGinty at the funeral of Joe Hayes, former managing Director of Independent Newspapers in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Crosschapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin 14/7/2016 Gerald Murphy, former of Independent Newspapers and Frank Cullen, former co-ordinating director of National Newspapers of Ireland were at the funeral of Joe Hayes, former managing Director of Independent Newspapers in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Crosschapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin 14/7/2016 Daughters of Joe Hayes Amber and Georgina and son Thady at his funeral in Cross Chapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin 14/7/2016 Collette, widow of Joe Hayes walks with his coffin accompanied by her son Colin and her daughter Danielle at his funeral in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Crosschapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin Dynamic businessman Joe Hayes was an extraordinary man with an extraordinary vision said his son Thady at his funeral yesterday Requiem Mass for the former managing director of Independent Newspapers was held at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Crosschapel, Blessington, Co Wicklow. Denis Joseph Hayes (69), who died on Monday after an eight month cancer battle, was a native of Ballyduff, County Kerry. He lived at Rathmore, County Kildare. Thady Hayes said his father had a keenly logical, organised, and fiercely intelligent mind. Expand Close Joe Hayes RIP formerly of Independent Newspapers / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joe Hayes RIP formerly of Independent Newspapers Hired at 20 as a salesman by Gallahers tobacco firm, He became its managing director at 26. He moved to Independent Newspapers at 31 and became managing director of the group at 33, said Thady. He led by example and would master anything he turned his hand to and did it to perfection. He was able to retire from business at 46 when he achieved the comfort and security to enjoy his passion for farming, he said. Read More Joe and his wife Collette enjoyed 50 years of love and devotion together. Mum made Dad what he was and vice versa, said their son. During his illness, Colette was a source of strength for Joe and all the family. He thanked the familys friends for their great support. His father fought his illness with his usual acute diligence and practicality and was acknowledged for his heroic struggle. He will live on in the hearts of all who love him, he said. Later, during the prayers of the faithful, Joes daughter Danielle said the family were grateful for the years they had with him. He had been the most incredible, selfless and heroic Dad. Among the symbols of his life brought to the altar were photographs, a sheaf of grain from his farms, and two bags of his favourite jelly sweets. Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close PR consultant Brian Purcell with former Independent Newspapers Managing Editor, Michael Denieffe at the funeral of Joe Hayes, former managing Director of Independent Newspapers in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Crosschapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin 14/7/2016 Collette, widow of Joe Hayes is kisses his coffin watched by daughter Georgina and sons Thady and Colin at his funeral in Cross Chapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin 14/7/2016 Collette, widow of Joe Hayes is comforted by her daughter Danielle and son Colin at his funeral in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Crosschapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin 14/7/2016 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp PR consultant Brian Purcell with former Independent Newspapers Managing Editor, Michael Denieffe at the funeral of Joe Hayes, former managing Director of Independent Newspapers in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Crosschapel, Blessington. Photo: Tony Gavin 14/7/2016 After communion, his granddaughter Robyn (9) sang Castle on a Cloud. Celebrant Fr Kevin Lyon, Archdeacon of Glendalough, also paid tribute to an incredible man. Chief mourners were his wife Colette, his children Colin, Danielle, Amber, Thady and Georgina, sisters Nodie and Angela, and his nine grandchildren. President Michael D Higgins was represented by his aide de camp Lieutenant Commander Patrica Butler. A large number of friends from the business, journalism and farming community attended, including Sunday World editor Colm MacGinty, former Independent News and Media (INM) managing editor Michael Denieffe, former chief executive INM (Northern Ireland) Michael Brophy, former INM director Brendan McCabe, David Gaffney, managing director of Adsales, and Frank Cullen, former co-ordinating director of National Newspapers of Ireland which is now NewsBrands Ireland, and friends Bill Cullen and Jackie Lavin. A private cremation service was held at Mount Jerome Cemetery in Dublin. Saying I do at the top of a mountain might not be everyones ideal big day, but it was for one Galway couple recently. Filipe and his wife Anna decided to climb Croagh Patrick and marry in the small church at the top at the end of May. Speaking to Independent.ie, Filipe said the pair had climbed the mountain once before and wanted to have a small, private wedding there. After making it to the peak in ordinary climbing clothes, the pair had a room in the small church to change in. We were very happy to know that it was possible to get married there. It was a very small wedding in a very small venue. We didnt take too long to arrange it. It was very straightforward. We just had to climb the mountain. They were then married by Fr John Kenny who Filipe said was very happy to do it. Expand Close Friends gathered for the ceremony / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Friends gathered for the ceremony Filipe said he was concerned about the weather on the day and the pair had chosen May as they thought May and September would be the driest months. He explained: Its always a risk to climb Croagh Patrick because its a bit hard to predict the weather. We were lucky, to be honest, we were lucky. It didnt rain at all that day. It was a bit sunny when we were climbing, which was beautiful. After the ceremony we had some sunny spells. If it was the day after it wouldnt be so nice, so we were lucky. However the weather was not going to put a dampener on the couples big day as Filipe explained they had a plan B. Of course we had a plan B. We went to the Westport church to book. We had the plan B to book the St Patricks Church at the bottom [of Croagh Patrick], in the event that it would be very nasty weather. But thank god we didnt need the Plan B. As well as planning for the perfect month, Filipe said they also wanted to get married on a weekday rather than a weekend, so they could avoid the tourist rush. Thats one of the reasons we booked during the week. We didnt want to do it on a Friday or a Saturday because of that. We didnt want to have many people around, just us. There were a few Irish but lots of tourists - Canadians and Americans. They hadnt seen us really on the top because when we got to the top and we dressed up there wasnt that many. But while we were climbing Fr Kenny was introducing us. The couple had two days in Westport and went to the Westport Coast Hotel after returning from the mountain. They followed up their unique wedding with a honeymoon to Spain, where they walked the Camino de Santiago. Filipe told Independent.ie: It was perfect. We did the Camino de Santiago, the North one, the one by the coast. Last year we did a portion of it. This year we finished it. We decided to do that on our honeymoon because climbing Croagh Patrick is a pilgrimage, lets say, so we just continued that walking. It was excellent. A little bit painful because its always painful the first week, but afterwards its just amazing. You clean your head. Its good to do housekeeping on your brain and on your thoughts and everything, so it was very nice. Filipe and Anna finished their wedding celebrations in Spain with three days just to chill out. The couple, who now live in Galway, met in Portugal before Filipe moved to Ireland eight years ago for an IT job. A close female associate of Fat Freddie Thompson has been warned that her life is in danger. Kinahan mobster Thompson has been regularly spotted at the womans flat in Dublin 4 and now gardai fear that she herself may become a target of the rival Hutch gang. Thomspon (35) has been staying around South Dublin in recent weeks and is known to drink at upmarket bars in the area. His female associate is originally from Crumlin but has been living in Ringsend in recent years. She has no involvement in crime and was the victim of a serious assault a number of months ago. A source explained: Traditionally the Kinahan gangs have stayed out of this area of Dublin but recently Thompson has been spotted in and around this womans flat. Neighbours in the area are naturally concerned for their own welfare as Thompson is involved in both the Hutch/Kinahan feud and the older Crumlin/Drimnagh dispute. This woman has been warned that her life is in danger as well. Expand Close Vicky Dempsey, the former partner of gangster 'Fat' Freddie Thompson, is said to have no involvement in crime Photo: Courtpix / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Vicky Dempsey, the former partner of gangster 'Fat' Freddie Thompson, is said to have no involvement in crime Photo: Courtpix More than 50 women who have been linked to the dangerous mobs involved in the bitter Hutch and Kinahan feud have been warned that their lives are under threat. Over 30 of these women are linked to the gang associated with feud murder victims Gary Hutch and his uncle, Eddie Hutch Snr. The age profiles of the women involved range from girls in their mid-teens to great-grandmothers in their 70s. Despite the serious threats against his own life, sources have told Independent.ie that Thompson continues to drink in upmarket bars in the Leopardstown area of South Dublin. Expand Close 'Fat' Freddy Thompson at the funeral of David Byrne / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 'Fat' Freddy Thompson at the funeral of David Byrne Thompson married his childhood sweetheart Vicky Dempsey on New Years eve 2013 but the couple are believed to have split in recent months. He was released from jail last August after he served a 15-month sentence for violent disorder after an attack on another man at Morrissey's Pub on Cork Street on January 7, 2013. The mobster was extradited from Amsterdam in May 2014 and was immediately remanded in custody before he eventually received a 20-month sentence for his involvement in the vicious brawl. In February 2015, he admitted the charge which the court heard was sparked by a slagging match to which Thompson reacted by throwing a punch and a bottle. Since his release, he has become embroiled in the Kinahan and Hutch feud which has claimed the lives of nine men since Thompsons former pal Gary Hutch was gunned down in Spain last September. The fisherman who alerted the gardai that Mary Boyle was missing said he believes the six-year-old was snatched by a red car. Mary vanished from her grandparents home in Cashelard, Co Donegal in March 1977. Cold case detectives are reviewing her disappearance case. Fisherman PJ Coughlan has said he saw a red Volkswagen Beetle speeding away from the area that Mary went missing ten minutes before he saw Marys uncle Gerry frantically searching for her. I believe I saw her being driven away in a car. Theres no doubt in my mind she was lifted, told the Irish Daily Star. Mary had been at her grandparents' house in Cashelard, a remote and boggy townland outside Ballyshannon, where the extended family had lunch. Her uncle, Gerry Gallagher, was the last person to see her alive after she walked back to her grandparents house but never made it there. Gardai, her family and scores of neighbours scoured the 450-yard stretch of land between the only two houses in the area. The search escalated over the following weeks and was extended into a trawl of bog holes, lakes, streams and the countryside beyond. Not a trace of Mary was ever found. Coughlan (73) told the Irish Daily Star: He came to the top of the mountain shouting Mary, Mary. Where are you? He was looking for his niece he was upset surely. Coughlan was the first person at the Garda station in Ballyshannon in 1977 to report Marys disappearance. He said he told gardai about the car but he claimed that this wasnt recorded because the gardai already had a suspect. Meanwhile, Detective Superintendent Walter OSullivan has confirmed that the cold case investigation into Mary's disappearance will be launched in the next few weeks and will last up to six months. Marys sister Ann recently filed a complaint to Garda watchdog GSOC over gardai leaking information about the new investigation to the Irish Daily Star before she was notified. Ann Dohertys solicitor Darragh Mackin released a statement that said she has not been contacted by An Garda Siochana about the cold case review. It is deeply troubling, that a decision was taken to provide such a development in an exclusive to a national newspaper, before conveying same to our client. Our Client, Ms Doherty has still not been contacted by An Garda Siochana to confirm the contents of the article and therefore we are not in a position to confirm the accuracy of whether or not there is in fact a fresh probe into the disappearance of Mary Boyle, on foot of the recently published documentary, said Mackin. Marys twin sister Ann said she believes Mary was being sexually abused and was killed to cover "the secret". Scene at Forge Road cafe on Thursday morning - Picture courtesy of The Neil Prendeville Show on Corks RedFM A restaurant owner has told how she arrived into work to find a joyrider had smashed through her front window. Nichola Crowley runs Forge Road cafe in Blackpool, Cork City and she explained that she was unable to open the business fully today after the unwanted arrival overnight. She told The Neil Prendeville Show on Corks RedFM that the business is alarmed and they received a call from their security company to say that it had been activated. They arrived at the restaurant to find a 02 Volkswagen Boro had smashed through the front window. "He's very lucky because there's actually two foot of concrete under the glass so that actually saved him from coming all the way through. "The front of the car just bounced off the window pane here. And the double glaze glass just shattered." The restaurant owner explained that the driver took out "seven bollards" and the main set of traffic lights before careering into her business. "It must have been travelling some awful speed to do the damage he did." Nichola added: "If we had been open, if we had been trading at that hour this morning we would have had punters and customers sitting on the window blocks." She added that the crash has hurt her business. "We are only open for takeaway. There is a lot of glass in the furniture and the fixtures. I'm just trying to put some order back into it." The cafe was previously targeted in a burglary. Gardai confirmed that they are investigating this latest incident and no arrests have been made at this stage. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy A radio show appeal has raised over 22,000 for the treatment of a seriously ill child who faced a three-year wait for crucial surgery. A distressed granmother called Corks RedFMs Neil Prendeville Show on Thursday when plans for her sick granddaughters medical tests in the London were thrown into freefall. Kathleen Weir spoke to the show about her seven-year-old granddaughter Abbeys condition. Abbey was very sick from the time she was born. At three and a half she was diagnosed with a diplomatic hernia. The organs in her chest had to be moved. She ended up with a little tiny lung because her bowels were on top of her lung and her heart had to be shifted a little bit and her appendix had to be taken. Her bowel had to be brought from her chest down to its proper placing, but from that day to this her bowel has never worked properly. Ms Weir said many of Abbeys organs were in the wrong place and that the issue had been ongoing for all of Abbeys life. Now its been going on for seven years now. She wasnt actually diagnosed till she was three and a half but were up and down to Crumlin for the last five years. Then last January the consultant told us he thinks its time for a second opinion. So we went to London, got a second opinion and they told us in London that she probably would need surgery but they would do these tests first that cannot be done in Ireland and they would let us know from there what can be done for her. So he wrote to Dublin, he sent all his data to Dublin, told them in Dublin what he was going to do and he told us in the meantime to apply to the travel abroad scheme to get her funding, so we did. All the papers were sent out, they were filled up, went to Dublin, went to London, they were back and forwards. Anyway on the 3rd March we got the letter stating that they were giving her funding for the tests. So that was grand. We were waiting and waiting then for London to come back to us and they did come back to us saying that she was going to have the tests on Thursday, 21st [July], but wed have to go out on the 15th [July] for the simple reason that shed have to be cleaned out. After paying 2000 for flights and accommodation for the Kathleen, Abbey and her parents, Kathleen was left at a loss about what she should do. We were due to fly out at 6:20 in the morning. Had everything arranged and then we got a phone call yesterday evening from the travel abroad scheme to say they werent funding it, for the simple reason that they said that shes going private, which we knew nothing about. We have the flights booked, the hotel booked and now were going to lose the lot. Its actually being done in Great Ormond Street. But the consultant is doing it private for the simple reason that he thinks she needs to be done straight away. Abbey is vomiting out stool. And thats been going on for a long time. Kathleen told the show that she had no idea there was a problem until Wednesday evening when the family received the call from Dublin. They would do the tests if she goes on the waiting list which could take her two and half to three years. Like she could be dead within this time because shes vomiting her stool. The child could die with poisoning. Following Kathleens harrowing account, the people of Cork managed to raise over 22,000 within an hour for the sick girl. A local Sinn Fein TD, Jonathan O Brien also heard the about the familys plight and made contact with the office of the Minister for Health Simon. Tesco has recalled its beef ravioli from Irish stores over fears it contains rubber. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said the 400g pack of Tesco beef with an expiry date of December 2018 has been recalled due to potential traces of rubber. The FSAI said Tesco Ireland is asking any customers who bought the recalled food to return it to the store. Similarly Tesco in the UK and Sainburys were also recalling the food as a precautionary measure. A statement on the UKs Food Standards Agencys website said: As a precautionary measure Sainsburys and Tesco are recalling the affected products and point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in stores where the products are sold. The agency added: If you have bought any of the above products, do not eat it. Instead, contact the store from where it was bought for a full refund. In June Tesco had to recall guacamole over concerns that salmonella may be present. Communications Minister Denis Naughten has defended the 38m cost of rolling out Ireland's Eircode system, which was introduced one year ago. When RTEs Morning Ireland presenter Fran McNulty called Mr Naughten on the fact that his own website does not display an Eircode, the politican replied that he had been fully endorsing the use of Eircodes to his constituents. During the General Election he distributed 57,000 keep safe cards to his constituents urging people to use their Eircodes and leave it by the phone if they ever have to call emergency services, he said. Mr Naughten said when Eircode on which 21m has been spent so far - is fully operational, it will be good value for money. Its like taking a small baby whos started to crawl and saying why isnt the baby running? he told RTEs Morning Ireland. Significant progress has been made over the last 12 months in relation to how the location code system is being used, he said. Since February the National Ambulance Service are using Eircode now that Eircode can pinpoint particular homes, it will mean the ambulances will get there an awful lot quicker. If an incident happens in a home they can immediately deploy the ambulance instead of people giving them directions. He added: Gardai are now using it in relation to firearms so they know each premises in the country that the firearms are in. Talks are now at an advanced stage with Google Maps in relation to Eircode, he said. Residents of a town that has been dubbed "Ireland's cancer capital" have called for more cancer studies as they fear for their health and that of their children. The concened residents of Cobh in Cork held a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss a recent report which indicated that cancer rates in their town were above average in Ireland. The study, conducted by the National Cancer Registry of Ireland (NCRI), found that the harbour town had the highest rate for cancers in Ireland. The rate for prostate cancer is 71pc higher than the national average, while the rate for female breast cancer is 38pc above the norm. In the town, which has 12,000 residents, the rate for colorectal cancer is 42pc higher, blood cancers are 42pc higher, and lung cancer is 19pc above the average. Cobh councillor Kieran McCarthy said Tuesday's meeting was the fourth of its kind organised by the Cobh Community for Change group. People are worried without a doubt that the cancer rates for Cobh are higher than the national average, he said. People never realised that the place they were living in had the highest rate of cancer, he said. "People will obviously leave if theyre concerned for their health." Its time for a thorough health-based study now not just for Cobh." He said the Government need to wake-up and that the people of Cobh will continue to speak out about the issue. No representative from the HSE or the Government came to the meeting despite being invited. We need results and we need them now. McCarthy said the community is calling for more health studies on the area because they need results as to whats causing their higher levels of cancer. Were sick of people in Dublin telling us its our lifestyles. We smoke and drink as much as any other county, why should we be any different? This summer, teenager Cian Weldon landed his first student job. The 17-year-old began work in early June in the human resources and logistics department of the Meade Potato Company, a thriving family-owned vegetable grower and distributor near Navan. Cian's job is to help other employees - the company has a workforce of 240 - train on the online orientation system. "I'm really enjoying the job," he says. "To me, what's important is doing the work with a good attitude and to give it my all. My goal is to come back here every summer through school and college, so it's about getting my head down and doing what is asked of me to the best of my ability. "It's important that your employer sees your potential so that they won't want to get someone else next year. It's already opened my eyes to the possibility of careers in areas like HR or logistics." Cian is one of tens of thousands of students who enter the workplace during the summer. Some 55,500 students were hard at work during July, August and September last year, according to the Central Statistics Office, and the figure is expected to be similar this year. And while for many it's an opportunity to make a few quid to fund summer socialising, for many more, that first paid job can provide the first clues to how they'd like to spend the rest of their working lives. Fiona Higgins, senior manager of employer relations with the Irish Business and Employers' Confederation, believes students should fully understand the value of workplace experience as a building block for a future career. "Don't underestimate the opportunity and experience that any kind of summer work gives in terms of skill development, whether the work is in a sandwich bar or a large retail outlet," she says. "Go in with the attitude that you're here to learn a useful skill and be prepared to exploit that opportunity for your own self development." And you can actually start getting some valuable experience under your belt from quite an early age - under the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996, children aged 14 and 15 may be employed in 'light work' during the school holidays, although they must have at least 21 days off work during this time. The maximum working week for children (14 and 15 year olds) outside school term time is 35 hours, or up to 40 hours if they are on approved work experience. Young people (16 and 17 year olds) can, however, be employed on a regular full-time basis. It's important to carefully research your new workplace, its key players and its policies before starting a job there, Higgins explains, particularly in terms of standards of acceptable behaviour, dress code and phone or social media use. And remember - you have your rights: part-time teenage workers are covered by the bulk of employment rights laws. According to business and employer association IBEC, certain industries subject to seasonal fluctuations in business, such as agriculture, food processing, retail, tourism and catering, tend to hire extra staff on a temporary basis when business is extra-brisk - and it is in these sectors that many work-hungry students find summer work. Initiative, punctuality and a positive attitude are the attributes of the successful summer employee, believes Eleanor Meade, business operations manager of the Meade Potato Company in Lobinstown. Put your phone away, she advises, be respectful to supervisors, avoid short-cuts, do small jobs well (they lead to bigger jobs and more responsibility), never lie about uncompleted tasks - your supervisor will check - and always be prepared to take instruction and constructive feedback well. "In the past we've had teenagers who were averse to constructive feedback or instruction and they generally didn't last the test of time," she says. Publican Ray Blackwell, who manages the West Cork bar and music venue, de Barra's, in Clonakilty, has been hiring students for more than 10 years. "Our students are generally over the age of 18 and quite often it's their first summer job. "They collect classes, sweep up breakages, stock the bars, stock the cold-room, clean up at the end of the night, plus there are kitchen duties and meal serving," he explains. Ray's advice - stay busy. "If you've completed a task don't stand around waiting to be told to do the next thing. "If things are quiet, sweep the floor, clean tables or wash glasses. Like most employers, Ray is big on punctuality, and attentiveness. If you're not sure what to do, ask, he says, but pay attention to the answer so that you don't ask the same question again. "It's hard work," he adds. "Being in front of the bar sipping a pint and working behind it are two different worlds!" Last but not least, he says, avoid using your phone when you're working and never ever simply fail to turn up to work. Kathryna O'Driscoll, owner of the Kidstuff clothes store in Newbridge, Co Kildare has taken on students every summer for the past 10 years. They're generally over 18, and work in areas such as pricing, customer service, till operation and warehouse manager. When possible, arrive at work 15 minutes early, she advises. "Avoid moodiness - when you're in a professional space and being treated as an adult, you have to behave like an adult," she adds. Be mature - don't get mum to ring in if you're ill, she says. Do it yourself. Junior Certificate student Brian Deasy was delighted when he landed a summer job in his local hotel - the 15-year-old started work towards the end of June stocking the bar and clearing up after large functions. "It's great. There are a lot of people around my age there and it's a nice place to work. I'd like to be taken back again, and to do that you have to work hard, you can't slack. "It's also important to be able to take feedback." Brian is one of a group of a 70-strong team of summer students taken on by hotelier Neil O Neill, operations manager in the busy, family-run Fernhill House Hotel in the West Cork town of Clonakilty. For Neil, punctuality, initiative, a good attitude, strong team-work and reliability are crucial in any employee. If you agree to come in for an extra shift, always turn up, he warns - the other staff are counting on you. "Be polite and courteous. This may seem obvious but sometimes teenagers can be unwittingly off-putting," he observes. And avoid mobile devices in working hours. "This is a big no-no," he warns. "We're not paying people to consult Facebook!" And save at least some of your earnings! Because cumulatively, over an entire summer, they may add up to a quite tidy sum. Since January 1, the national minimum wage is 9.15 per hour, although this does not mean that everyone is automatically entitled to this. Young people aged under 18 are only guaranteed up to 70pc of the national minimum wage, which is 6.41 per hour, although an employer is, of course, free to pay more if he or she so wishes. "Don't fritter your wages away!" says O Neill."Keep them for something you need or else for your school or college year." Dun Laoghaire Harbour could soon have its own floating hotel under plans by the company that runs the port. The idea of having a cruise liner with around 100 cabins permanently berthed at a pier in the harbour is being actively explored by Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company. The company is seeking expressions of interest from firms that would like to provide and operate a large vessel as a floating hotel or flotel. We want to see what interest there might be in parking a cruise ship at the Carlyle Pier and operating it as a hotel, said harbour company spokeswoman Carolyn Hanaphy. The vessel would need to have around 100 double rooms, she said. The plan would mean the operators would pay rent for the berth. There is a huge shortage of hotel accommodation in the Dublin region and the harbour is only 20 minutes from the city centre, she said. This would have a significant affect for tourism in Dun Laoghaire and bring many more visitors to the area, she said. Many international ports have flotels and an example of these floating enterprises can be seen in London on the Thames. Flotels have also been used as accommodation for workers in industries such as offshore oil drilling or for emergency situations. Fifteen years ago, the Irish Government had examined the possibility of using flotels for asylum seekers. Meanwhile, the harbour company is hoping to get approval from Bord Pleanala next month for its application to undertake work in the harbour to allow cruise ships to berth at the old ferry terminal at Saint Michaels pier. The company would then be able to use both piers in the centre of the harbour with one pier for the regular arrival of cruise ships and the other as a berth for a flotel. Making the harbour a regular destination for huge cruise ships would bring more prosperity to the borough with between 70 and 250 jobs created in the first two decades of becoming a cruise liner destination, according to the company. Brendan Keenan: 'Better laws and foreign money needed to overcome worrying homes shortage' There is a district in Belfast known as the Holy Land. Not because of its religiosity, but because the streets - Jerusalem Street, Damascus Street and so on - are called after places in that region. Once, there were others; Little Crimea, India, and so on. Seemingly, houses were built so quickly for the city's huge expansion in the 19th century that it was too much trouble to think up original names. They eventually gave up altogether, so far as names were concerned. The Shankill area got First Street, Second Street etc, all the way up to Tenth. Premium Colette Browne Opinion Every effort must be made to retrieve oral histories of mother and baby home survivors With three days to go until the Mother and Baby Homes Commission ceases to exist as a legal entity, we are being told that audio recordings of hundreds of witnesses which were deleted may not actually be gone forever. It is another usual twist in a most emotional saga. For decades, survivors of mother and baby homes have been denied a voice and denied autonomy. When they fell pregnant, many through rape and abuse, they were marched to the doors of religious institutions. Early Wednesday morning personnel with the State Fire Marshals Office was out investigating the fire that took place Tuesday evening at TAG Truck Center off U.S. 67 on the southern edge of Farmington. Wolf Creek Fire Chief Bart Mabry said there were two fire marshals, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and an insurance investigator on the scene. There was not a rekindle (Wednesday) morning. The two marshals found a spot they wanted us to water down to be safe, said Mabry. The investigation will be a lengthy process and its a large loss. They will probably spend the day here, then the insurance company will move in and its going to be a while. Mabry said he believes the building will be a complete loss, but there may be some minimal salvage. There were various lubricants - of which the company is a dealer - stored in the building and Mabry said that was what made the firefighting very difficult. The fire load was so great with the different types of oil, said Mabry. They had oil in bulk all the way down to quarts. Also all the diesel fuel, starter fluid, brake fluid and anything you can imagine. A lot of it was stored upstairs, which made it fairly tricky, but it was the oil that made it last as long as it did. Mabry said the department was called at 7 p.m. for heavy black smoke and when they arrived they could see flames coming out of the second story of the building. He added they were on the scene until 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. The overhaul was really intense, what they were using for a warehouse was full of stuff and we had to go through it and make sure everything was put out, added Mabry. Most all departments were out there until after midnight and we started slowly releasing people from then until we left. Mabry said they struck a four alarm for manpower and tankers and had approximately 37 fire trucks tankers assisting. Initially the Daily Journal was unable to get the full list of assisting departments since Mabry was busy at the scene. He later said he wanted to thank everyone who came out to assist with the fire and said they all did a very good job. Assisting departments responded from: Farmington, Doe Run, Park Hills, Desloge, Big River, Leadwood, Leadington, Weingarten, Bismarck, Pilot Knob, Zell, St. Marys, Ste. Genevieve, Desoto Rural, Terre Du Lac, Goose Creek, Lake Timberline, Bonne Terre, Desoto, Jefferson R-7, Festus, Hematite, Cherokee Pass and Fredericktown. Also two Big River engine crews covered the Farmington firehouse to handle any unrelated calls, and Desoto Rural had two engines and crews at the Big River firehouse and Desoto City covered the Desloge firehouse. The reason we had so many departments and firetrucks was for manpower for the extensive ovehaul we had to do, said Mabry. We had to do a tanker shuttle and luckily it was a short run to the city. At one time there were tankers lined down U.S. 67. Mabry said they started inside the building when arrived but quickly had to get everyone out after 10 minutes. Then we went external for about an hour or so before we could go back in because we had to knock back the fire, said Mabry. We had three ladders on site and we had ours set up and tried to use the ladder a little bit to spray, but where the fire was there wasnt a good way to get the trucks close enough. So we had to use all hand lines/hoses. Mabry said they had a few trouble spots that took a couple hours to get under control because it was in the warehouse of flammable oils. I know the highway was shut down at first and then they eventually opened it back up but Im not sure when, said Mabry. We did have a few firefighters that got overheated but no one was injured. Mabry said each firefighter will work until their air tank gets too low, which is about 15-20 minutes, and then they will have to go back to the staging area to cool off and take a break. Then other guys will rotate in and depending on how many people we have available will depend on when they can rotate back in again, said Mabry. When we first got there they were worked pretty hard until we could get more help here. Mabry said they got DNR involved because of all the oil. He added the fire compromised the containers and the oil was running out of the building before it was burning. So we had the oil run off concern and the TAG employees kept that under control, but we called DNR in just to advise, said Mabry. Again, everyone did a great job and we really appreciate all the help from all the departments who came out. TAG Truck Center provides sales and service for large trucks and trailers, and lubricants and other fluids and parts used to keep them in service. Premium Dan O'Brien Opinion While we catastrophise about Covid, we ignore risk of running out of cash We Irish view the world in an increasingly strange and unhealthy way. We catastrophise about Covid in a way other European countries do not. We focus on how bad the effects of the virus could get, on how many more restrictions might be imposed by Government and how helpless we are in the face of the virus. Premium John Downing Opinion New British prime minister Rishi Sunaks succession proves an important milestone in British political inclusivity There is an old saying in British politics that goes: The right looks for converts while the left seeks out traitors. It comes to mind when one reflects upon the election of Rishi Sunak as the UKs first non-white prime minister in a party traditionally seen as most opposed to mass immigration and the dilution of national identity via multiculturalism. So much for Enda Kenny's much-trumpeted special relationship with Angela Merkel. With friends like the German Chancellor... There's no sugar-coating it. Merkel's de facto dismissal of the suggestion that Ireland should be a 'special case' in the Brexit negotiations is a blow to our national interests. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised. Ireland's interests are always going to lag behind those of Germany, and the wider EU, in Merkel's mind. Fair enough. That's realpolitik. Yet even allowing for that, there was still something shocking about her attempts to draw an equivalance between Germany and Ireland's situations in the wake of the Brexit result. Of course, the large British market is important for the German economy and the rest of the EU. But there can be no comparison with the unique impact on Ireland of the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Is Germany or any other country talking about changing its budgetary plans in the light of the Brexit vote? Is there any other EU country that shares a land border with the UK or that is so dependent on it for trade? Is there any country with an involvement in a peace process that risks being destabilised by what has happened? The answer to all of those questions is a resounding 'no'. Even allowing for Merkel's political need to balance the conflicting demands of the other EU states - not least Germany's - it was hardly expecting too much for this to be recognised, at least in principle. Instead, we were told that "Ireland's voice will be heard as much as any other member state" - whoopee! There was a reference to the 800,000 cars sold by German car manufacturers to the UK market. And that "we have the same objective, to make sure that our economies are not hard hit by the decision of the UK citizens - we want to keep the economic impact as small as possible for all of us." Sorry, Chancellor Merkel, but our objective is just a little more pressing than everyone else's - it would be only fair for you to acknowledge that. It was all deeply sobering and a reminder of where we stand in the pecking order. Enda Kenny put on a brave face, but he must have been disappointed about what he was hearing - in Merkel's public comments anyway. Ireland hasn't always been an exemplary member of the EU, thumbing our noses at the warnings coming from Brussels and Frankfurt during the boom years. There has been a lot of nonsense about us being sold down by the river by Germany, the ECB and other EU countries in relation to our banking crisis. Arguably, we took too big a hit for the rest of the EU by being forced to exclusively foot the bill for our own banks. But we as a country made our bed with the craziness of the Celtic Tiger, so it was fair enough that we were forced to lie in it. And it would be wrong to say that nothing was done for us after the crash. For example, the deal done on the promissory notes was a significant, and vastly underrated, concession which went against all the instincts of the Bundesbank and ECB. Equally, the notion that austerity was forced upon us is laughable. Any state with a budget deficit of 20bn has no choice but to cut its cloth accordingly. However, notwithstanding all those caveats, we have also done our bit for the European project over the past six years. We didn't do a Greece and fight the inevitable every step of the way. We largely stuck to the plan, swallowed the tough medicine and emerged as one of the EU's few success stories of recent times. That, surely, should cut us a little slack. Unlike 2008, this Brexit crisis is absolutely not of our making. We are being hit by circumstances absolutely beyond our control. It is hugely troubling that as of yet no allowances are being made for that. And it raises obvious questions about what the Government's next move should be. It's easy to talk about playing hardball and banging the table. But such tactics rarely work, particularly when you're in the minnow category, as Ireland undoubtedly is. Unless we're getting very different signals behind the scenes, it might be time to start upping the ante a little. The EU prohibits member countries doing unilateral deals with non-members, but there may come a time when we have to push the boundaries - as we did with the promissory notes amid serious objections - and test that politically. If Merkel is impervious to our pleas to be made a 'special case', perhaps we need to start specifically (and pointedly) seeking to make separate arrangements with the UK. In relationship lingo, it's not that we're even thinking of breaking up, we're just interested in seeing other people too. The Common Travel Area has been in place for centuries and it is not in either Britain's or Ireland's interests for that to change. We might find an unlikely ally in that respect in the Ulster unionists, who will not want to see any barriers introduced between Britain and Northern Ireland, which could happen post-Brexit. Such contacts with the new British government would not be made in isolation. It's vital that whatever weight we have is still brought to bear in persuading our EU allies that the UK's place is in the single market. But if there is any suggestion of Ireland being sidelined, then, given what is at stake, we need to remind our friends in the EU of their responsibilities to us - by whatever means necessary. Whoopee! 26.3pc growth. We've really done it this time; the fastest-growing economy in the world; possibly the fastest-growing economy of all time. We must all be millionaires with the best health and education and social and everything else system there is. I don't know what all the worry about Brexit is; Britain, if it has any sense, will do its damnedest to join us. With a performance like last year, even the mighty US could give up the 'Stars and Stripes' and row in under the 'Green, White and Gold'. That really would be inversion taken to the ultimate. But then reality takes hold and we discover the whole thing is a farce. Gurus who keep crowing about our astonishing "growth" tell us the statistics don't really mean anything at all and cannot be taken seriously. They actually admit to a bit of a sham; people and multinationals routing enormous revenue deposits through our little country so they pay little or no tax to anyone. Meanwhile, the real story is that the world is closing down on growth. Continually increasing the amount of goods and services being produced each year is no longer needed or possible in a world which over the last decade or so is producing grossly too much. Security of business and employment is in a spin; nobody can be sure of the economics of the future any more. There is talk of Italian banks latching onto deposits to keep themselves afloat; pensions are entering Neverland; savings are returning minus earnings and the Bank of England warns of 15 million UK jobs in peril from automation. This is why people turn to extreme politics and vote against the establishment. But the real reason is the inability of existing economic philosophy and ideology to manage an economic system transformed by modern technology. Padraic Neary, Tubbercurry, Co Sligo Advances in education 2x2=4, 2x3=6, 2x4=8 etc . . . the sound of tables being chanted in many Irish classrooms down through the years. Then came project-based learning and rote learning became a thing of the past. This week, the UK Department of Education announced it is to spend 41m (48.6m) on retraining primary teachers to use a traditionalist 'Shanghai Method' of maths teaching. This method sees the layout of the classroom changed - out goes the carpet, and in comes rows of individual desks with every child working on their own facing the front with their eyes glued to the teacher and the interactive whiteboard. The lesson is highly repetitive, with children going over and over the same point, with a tiny additional element added on once the whole class has mastered the previous level. The children carry out a lot of chanting and recitation of key facts to "embed" the principles. The lessons are also much shorter (35 minutes), and then followed by unstructured play (15 minutes), before starting over again. It sounds very familiar to a lot of teachers and children of 1970s Ireland. So, are we going back to go forward? Time will tell. Parents, I suggest you keep those old table books you used in school. Who knows, they might be useful again? Dr David O Grady, Killarney Blaming the Russians for our ills Ray Kinsella (Irish Independent, July 11) wrote an enlightening piece on the continued militarisation of Europe. As the EU leaders attended a summit in Warsaw, their military forces staged war games near Russia's border. This encirclement of Russia by Nato forces has been underway for quite some time, now it seems sinister forces in Brussels and Washington are hell bent on igniting a conflict with Russia at all costs, a conflict that could only lead to all-out nuclear war and the end of life on this planet. I can only imagine the reaction of the Americans if Russian forces started playing war games along the Mexican border with the US. They've demonised Vladimir Putin because in 2000 he took control of Russia and booted out the robbers and exploiters who'd been looting the country, as Boris Yeltsin was in a stupor 24/7 for 10 years; and the ones that he didn't kick out were sent to prison for their crimes. The fact Putin put the Russian economy back on the rails and brought the chaos to an end is what's bugging certain faceless bureaucrats who are behind the war games. We would do well to remember that if it hadn't been for the Russians in the 1940s, the Nazis would have enslaved the world. Paddy O'Brien, Balbriggan, Co Dublin RTE keeps me hanging on I look forward to the 'Documentary On One' (Radio 1) on Saturday. Apparently it's about James O'Sullivan, Ireland's 'elusive' hangman. In the meantime, I'll be kept in suspense. Tom Gilsenan, Beaumont D9 It's no longer a crisis when we act Gavin Wylie's irrational predilection for the terms 'problem' and 'situation' as substitutes for the equally acceptable 'crisis' is symptomatic not only of pedantry, but also of a misunderstanding of the word he so abhors (Letters, July 13). Wylie suggests that "a crisis, by definition, has no solution". This is certainly not the case. A 'crisis' is not an irresolvable catastrophe, but in fact, being derived from the Greek verb 'to decide' refers to some pivotal or crucial moment in which a consequential decision is made. By this definition, the present difficulties in housing in this country are undoubtedly a crisis, as they present an opportunity where we must decide to act or passively watch the problem grow worse, with both options having very significant consequences on our society. Christopher McMahon, Castleknock, Dublin 15 Access to Children's Hospital My daughter has a complex, life-limiting medical condition and attends Temple St Children's Hospital. On Saturday she became very ill and we needed an ambulance. We live fairly close to the city and as it was a Saturday afternoon, I thought we wouldn't have a problem. We got to Heuston Station quickly enough but then traffic was bumper to bumper - in some places, cars were blocking bus lanes so we couldn't get through. This continued for the rest of the journey. At one point, the driver was shouting out the window to get cars onto the footpath. I couldn't believe the mayhem we had to try and get through to get my very sick child to the hospital. The decision to build the new Children's Hospital at St James's means what happened to my little girl on Saturday will only continue to happen. Our Government has the chance to rectify this horrendous decision now -but no one seems to be listening. Samantha Hogan-Villena, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 And how you can win a 2 night getaway to Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa Scroll to the end of the article for the chance to win a luxurious twonight break with dinner and spa treatments at Irelands AA Hotel of the Year. Wicklow has a charm all its own and with some of the best scenery in Ireland, proximity to the capital, beautiful beaches and some hidden gems of hotels and restaurants its the perfect place for a foodie getaway. Afternoon Tea before the Sugar Loaf Relive the splendour of the Irish aristocracy with afternoon tea at Powerscourt Hotels Sugar Loaf Lounge. Late on a sunny afternoon, with the sun casting long shadows on the impeccable lawns, the fountain spray wafting gently on the breeze and the great Sugar Loaf looming in the background, its a totally unique experience in Irish dining. Tuck into a selection of finger sandwiches and scones, before choosing from a selection of sweet treats from the dessert trolley, prepared daily by the hotels masterful pastry chef Pawel. Get Happy in Greystones Just a short drive from Powerscourt is Greystones Happy Pear restaurant. Identical twins David and Stephen Flynn have been serving up a menu of super-healthy food for their patrons in a lively and friendly atmosphere for the last few years and created quite a buzz about the place. Their no-fuss approach to high quality produce and vegan-friendly health food has won them an army of followers from foodies to just about anyone who loves to eat well. Dine in Style at Sika restaurant With an emphasis on local excellence and seasonality, Sika Restaurant at Powerscourt Hotel offers the best of Irish contemporary cooking against a spectacular backdrop of Wicklow's hills and mountains. Enjoy well-loved classic dishes deliciously prepared and executed with a distinctively modern twist, by Chef de Cuisine Peter Byrne and his team. And for foodies seeking a truly unique experience, book an unforgettable meal at the chefs table in the heart of the Sika restaurant kitchen. Work up an appetite along the Wicklow Way Walking and eating go hand in hand and you can get the best of both along the Wicklow Way. There are parts of the Wicklow Way to suit every level of rambler from off road, over mountain bog-hopping, to gentler walk ways along well marked trails. The Wild Atlantic Way gets all the press these days but the Wicklow is the original wild getaway in Ireland and for the food lover, what better way to build up an appetite before a well-earned pint and the best of Irish cuisine. The hidden pint Wicklow and boast some truly spectacular Irish bars. Byrne & Woods in Roundwood is a perfect balance of high quality bistro cuisine and the relaxed atmosphere of the Irish pub. Glenmalure Lodge is a beautiful little bolthole that sits as gateway to Lugnaquilla, one of the Wicklow Ways most impressive stages. Macs Bar in Enniskerry has everything youd expect form an Irish village bar; pints, music, food, sport and a warm welcome. Powerscourt Hotel itself has its own hidden gem of a bar in McGills, so you dont have to leave the Resort to steal an afternoon in a special Irish pub. Picnic at the Waterfall Just 7 km from Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa is Irelands tallest waterfall. A stunningly beautiful, peaceful place its the perfect spot for a romantic picnic. You can drive the short distance from the hotel to the waterfall, spread a blanket and enjoy Wexford strawberries and a glass of prosecco to the soothing backdrop of falling water. Avoca The Wicklow food company is synonymous with Irish food excellence and preparing the best of wholesome Irish recipes with artisan produce. Avoca have a Cafe at Powerscourt House where you can go the full hog and eat multiple courses, or just nip in for coffee and a slice of something delicious. Either way, you wont be disappointed. GROWN UP GETAWAY... Getting away from it all... Spoiling yourself a little... Indulge in a Grown Up Getaway this summer. Enjoy an overnight stay with breakfast overlooking the Sugar Loaf & dinner in Sika restaurant. PLUS, get 20% off ESPA treatments. From 155 per person sharing. Sponsored by: Actress Tara Reid has claimed that a 'Sharknado' could actually happen. The xx-year-old, who starred in last year's cult Syfy film which features a tornado of sharks, says that it's a legitimate weather concern. "You know, it actually can happen," she said. "I mean, the chances of it happening are very rare, but it can happen actually. Which is crazy. Not that it the chances of it are, like, you know, it's like probably 'pigs could fly'." She went on to say that she didn't 'think' pigs could fly, but was certain that sharks could become engulfed in tornados. "Like, I don't think pigs could fly, but actually sharks could be stuck in tornados. There could be a sharknado," she added. Reid is currently promoting the made for tv movie's sequel, Sharknado 2: The Second One - which will take a bite out of New York City this time around, when a freak weather system unleashes sharks on the populace and famous sites. "It's a whole different story, not just sharks ripping through flesh," Kari said at NBC's summer TV presentation. "New York is a character in the movie, the weather is a character in the movie." Ian Ziering and Tara Reid return from the original film, which attracted nearly 1.37 million viewers. They are joined by Vivica A Fox and Mark McGrath, along with Kelly Osbourne, Judah Friedlander, Andy Dick, Judd Hirsch and Perez Hilton. Actress Tara Reid attends the premiere of Vertical Entertainment's "Undrafted" at ArcLight Hollywood on July 11, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Dave Mangels/Getty Images) Tara Reid attends The 2003 Teen Choice Awards held at Universal Amphitheater on August 2, 2003 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) Actress Tara Reid attends the premiere of Vertical Entertainment's "Undrafted" at ArcLight Hollywood on July 11, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Dave Mangels/Getty Images) Actress Tara Reid attends Celebrity Sweat's After ESPYs VIP Bash at The Palm Restaurant on July 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/WireImage) Long time no see on the red carpet for Tara Reid. The American Pie star (40), who has enjoyed cult movie star status in recent years thanks to her role in the B-movie "franchise" Sharknado. And the actress, who is as famous for her partying as she is her early film roles, made the most of her time in the spotlight with two red carpets this week. On Wednesday night, she appeared at an ESPYs after-party hosted by Celebrity Sweat, wearing a white shift dress. Earlier in the week, she posed for photographers at the premiere of Undrafted. Reid recently lamented about her flailing career, saying: "Where did my career go?" Expand Close Actress Tara Reid attends the premiere of Vertical Entertainment's "Undrafted" at ArcLight Hollywood on July 11, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Dave Mangels/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actress Tara Reid attends the premiere of Vertical Entertainment's "Undrafted" at ArcLight Hollywood on July 11, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Dave Mangels/Getty Images) While speaking on Today Extra in Australia, she interrupted herself while describing her latest role - a Bollywood movie - entitled Tie The Knot. "Its weirder than Sharknado," she said. "I was doing that movie and Sharknado at the same time. Im like, What am I doing anymore? Where did my career go? Never did I think Sharknado would be a cult film, she said. Theyre talking about Sharknado 5 already. Expand Close Actress Tara Reid attends the premiere of Vertical Entertainment's "Undrafted" at ArcLight Hollywood on July 11, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Dave Mangels/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actress Tara Reid attends the premiere of Vertical Entertainment's "Undrafted" at ArcLight Hollywood on July 11, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Dave Mangels/Getty Images) Actress Jennifer Aniston arrives at the Open Roads World Premiere Of "Mother's Day" at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on April 13, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage) Jennifer Aniston has written a piece for the Huffington Post hitting back at tabloid pregnancy rumours. The piece is well argued and tightly written. It would be convincing were it not produced by a woman who is lobbing rocks in a greenhouse she not only inhabits, but part owns. Aniston makes inarguable assessments of the faults in the modern portrayal of women. She writes: The message that girls are not pretty unless theyre incredibly thin, that theyre not worthy of our attention unless they look like a supermodel or an actress on the cover of a magazine, is something were all willingly buying into. Expand Close Actress Jennifer Aniston arrives at the Open Roads World Premiere Of "Mother's Day" at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on April 13, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actress Jennifer Aniston arrives at the Open Roads World Premiere Of "Mother's Day" at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on April 13, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage) Who does Aniston think is driving this? It cant be her, shes too busy discussing her flat stomach and morning routines with Elle Ill have a cup of coffee, feed the dogs, then a shake, eggs and a little avocado and a little coconut oil on Ezekiel whole wheat toast. Then I usually read the paper and hit the gym. I make sure I get three or four (waters) a day. Its such a habit for me now. Despite being flummoxed by the source of this modern focus on appearance she is at least concerned about the impact on her fellow women This conditioning is something girls then carry into womanhood. We use celebrity news to perpetuate this dehumanising view of females, focused solely on ones physical appearance, which tabloids turn into a sporting event of speculation. Such a facile and fatuous focus on appearance is, she correctly points out, damaging both to the public discourse and to our view of women. Read More Luckily if this damaging misconception takes its physical toll on any of the women reading her piece, she provided a solution via Marie Claire. Expand Close Happy couple: Jennifer Aniston with husband Justin Theroux. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Happy couple: Jennifer Aniston with husband Justin Theroux. Video of the Day The product Ive been using for years and years and I just love is Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion. I send it to everyone I know like my manicurists who love it for massage and for feet its absolutely fabulous. Its so hydrating and helps my skin feel soft all day, she says. Dont worry though, Aniston is only willing to perpetuate this damaging focus on appearance for a good reason. Shes paid to. Heres how the Huffington Post reported her contract with the cosmetic sub-division of the $11bn (9.9bn) S.C. Johnson company Jen is a fresh-faced, yoga-loving beauty with mass appeal; Aveeno peddles natural, eco-friendly skincare products to the same masses who buy the tabloids. Aniston seems to have forgotten her markets taste in magazines. She wrote in the Huff Post: We get to decide how much we buy into whats being served up, and maybe some day the tabloids will be forced to see the world through a different, more humanised lens because consumers have just stopped buying the bulls***. So dont buy the bulls***. But do buy Living Proof make-up, from a company The Wall Street Journal reported Aniston was spokesperson for and an investor in (complete with a pic from their lab, showing her ring on the day she got engaged). Pretty pot, meet cute kettle. Activists at a demonstration in front of the Chinese consulate in Manila ahead of a UN tribunal ruling on the legality of China's claims to an area of the South China Sea Photo: AFP/Getty Images China has raised tensions in the South China Sea by threatening to declare an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) over disputed waters where a tribunal has quashed its legal claim. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled on Tuesday that China had "no legal basis" for its 'nine-dash line', which lays claim to almost all of the South China Sea. After considering a case brought by the Philippines, it ruled against China on virtually every substantive point. President Xi Jingping said China "refused to accept" the decision. Yesterday, Liu Zhenmin, the vice foreign minister, said: "If our security is being threatened, of course we have the right to demarcate a (air defence identification) zone." If such an ADIZ were to be imposed, China would require all aircraft entering the designated airspace to identify themselves. China declared an ADIZ over disputed islands in the East China Sea in 2013, escalating tensions with the United States and Japan. America responded by sending two B52 bombers through the ADIZ, without identifying themselves to China. A new ADIZ in the South China Sea could provoke a similar response. It would also increase tensions not only with the Philippines, but also with other rival claimants in the South China Sea, including Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. The ruling by the court in The Hague provided powerful diplomatic ammunition for China's Asian rivals in their dispute with Beijing over the South China Sea. As well as declaring that China's historic claims had no legal standing, the court also denounced the environmental damage inflicted by Beijing's programme of creating artificial islands in the area, which have destroyed coral reefs and disrupted fishing and oil exploration. Nonetheless, Mr Liu insisted that most of the South China Sea, including the Spratly and Paracel island chains, were China's "inherent territory". He added: "We hope other countries will not take this opportunity to threaten China and will work with China to protect the peace and stability of the South China Sea and not let it become the origin of a war." The court in The Hague has no power to enforce its rulings. But the resounding victory for the Philippines could spur other nations to bring their own cases against China. Arthur Ding, a military expert based at Taiwan's National Chengchi university, said: "China will be watching closely the reaction of other countries - particularly Vietnam." The ruling is binding but the Permanent Court of Arbitration has no powers of enforcement. The Philippines' defence secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he had spoken to his US counterpart Ash Carter ahead of the ruling, who told him China had assured the United States that it would exercise restraint and the US made the same assurance. Mr Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Mr Lorenzana added. "The ruling can serve as a foundation on which we can start the process of negotiations, which hopefully will eventually lead to the peaceful settlement of the maritime dispute in the South China Sea," Charles Jose, a spokesman for the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs, said. The United Nations human rights office has condemned both sides fighting in Ukraine for killing civilians in indiscriminate shelling. The report released by the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights office says up to 2,000 civilians have died in the two-year conflict in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed rebels, nearly 90% of them in shelling of residential areas. The authors cited executions by both Ukrainian forces and rebel groups of "significant numbers" of people who allegedly were affiliated with, or sympathetic to, the other side and of fighters who had surrendered or were out of action. The report also claimed to have found cases of Ukrainian servicemen intentionally killed for revealing abuses by Ukrainian forces. It also noted that no arrests have been made over the fatal shooting of 13 policemen in the capital Kiev during the final days of the massive street protests that drove Ukraine's Russia-friendly president to flee. The human rights office said it was concerned that authorities had not conducted an effective investigation into the deaths of 48 people in the city of Odessa on a day of clashes in 2014 between supporters of the new pro-Western Ukrainian government and their opponents. Some 42 of those died in a fire at a building where anti-government demonstrators had taken shelter. Many believe the blaze was started by firebombs thrown into the building. Fiona Frazer, head of the UN human rights monitoring mission for Ukraine, said that her office has been in contact with the government about the report. "There needs to be strong investigation in order to identify perpetrators of crimes committed, to bring justice to the victims and their families to end the continued suffering, and at the end of the day to ensure there is accountability in this country," she said. Overall, the UN says more than 9,400 people have died in the conflict in eastern Ukraine since it broke out in the spring of 2014. AP A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry statement said the country "highly values" the work of UN human rights monitors in the country, but it focused blame on the rebels. The ministry claimed that the report found the majority of civilian deaths was due to rebel artillery and said Ukrainian forces are banned from firing on rebel positions near civilian areas. A student who lay dying after falling into a Moroccan ravine may have been ignored for hours by onlookers worried about being liable for medical bills, an inquest has heard. Luke Sewell, 20, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, was on a university surfing trip in Agadir when he was found at the bottom of a 20ft ravine near his hotel in March 2014. Coroner Dr Janet Napier said it was likely the Newcastle University undergraduate was spotted by passers-by en route to a nearby mosque up to three hours before emergency services were alerted. Dr Napier suggested people did not stop to help due to fears over financing the bill, Manchester Evening News reported. According to the World Health Organisation, Morocco struggles with a shortage of doctors and equipment in its public health system, which means payment is often necessary to receive medical attention. Tracie Stringer, Mr Sewells mother, told the inquest in Warrington: We were told everybody walked past Luke for a long period of time and nobody would go near him as they would be liable if he was taken to hospital. Thats terrible. The coroner found there was no evidence of self-harm or severe intoxication although, on the night of his death, Mr Sewell had drank some alcohol. Having returned to his hotel with friends at 1.30am, it is thought Mr Sewell ventured outside to retrieve his missing mobile phone, which was found under a table the following day. The student was discovered lying alive at the bottom of a ravine, on a riverbank near his accommodation, at 7am the following morning. He was taken to hospital and treated for severe head injuries but died on April 2, 2014, with his parents at his bedside. It is believed there was no time to airlift him to the UK for treatment. The Manchester City supporter has been described as a much-loved son who helped care for his autistic younger brother Joel, 19. The surfer is also thought to have suffered from depression but, after switching from chemical engineering to study maths and statistics, was in a more positive mindset and happy on his new course, an inquest heard. On hearing the news in 2014, senior lecturer Dr Peter Avery who worked with Mr Sewell as he made his transition between the two courses said he had many friends and was a talented student. Luke had been with us at Newcastle University for more than two years and had made many friends in that time, he told The Courier. Luke was a talented student with a bright future ahead of him and embraced every aspect of university life. Moroccan authorities found his death to be non-suspicious but refused to share the findings of their investigation. Suspicions arose as the route was not guarded by a fence or warning sign and it was not Mr Sewells usual path back to the hotel. Recording a narrative conclusion, the coroner said Mr Sewell died from head and chest injuries, adding: Luke Sewell was found with severe head injuries at the bottom of a ravine near his accommodation block. There is no evidence as to how this happened. Police officers and rescue workers arrive at the scene of an attack on July 14, 2016, after a van ploughed into a crowd leaving a fireworks display in the French Riviera town of Nice. Photo: AFP/Getty Images There is no hostage situation in Nice where dozens of people were killed in the French Riviera city when a truck ploughed into a crowd on France's Bastille Day national holiday, a spokesman for the French interior ministry said on Thursday. Spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet told BFM TV: "I can't give you information on the man's motives yet." French president Francois Hollande looks on during the Bastille Day parade in Paris (AP) French president Francois Hollande has hit back at criticism of the exorbitant price of his haircuts. Revelations that the Socialist leader - elected on a populist mandate of taxing the super-rich - spends nearly 10,000 euros (8,300) a month on his presidential barber has been dubbed #Coiffeurgate. In his traditional Bastille Day televised interview, Mr Hollande, 61, who has thinning, dark hair, was forced to defend his spending. He said that since being elected in 2012 as a self-styled "Monsieur Normal" and defender of the poor, he has cut his own salary by 30%, reduced the Elysee Palace budget by 9 million euros (7.5m) and cut its staff by 10%. "You can reproach me on anything you like, but not on that," he said, visibly uncomfortable with the subject. Declaring that he was not the person responsible for overseeing his grooming arrangements, Mr Hollande said that "concerning the hairdresser's costs, we used to use external contractors until now, and I preferred that it was handled from here". Critics expressed surprise that a leader whose hair is thinning could spend so much per month, when a posh men's haircut in Paris costs about 50 euros (42). There was no suggestion that the money was being used for hair plugs or other surgical hair costs. Detractors noted that Mr Hollande was elected because comments such as "I do not like the rich" marked a strong contrast with the image of his conservative predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, who loved flashy jewellery and fancy restaurants. The barber's monthly salary could also anger French workers, coming on a day when Mr Hollande was defending his government's divisive labour law reforms, which have triggered crippling strikes across the country. The new laws make it easier to hire and fire workers and to expand the working week. French media calculated that Mr Hollande's monthly hair spending is nearly four times that of an average French worker's salary. The Bastille Day interview follows the country's national military parade down the grand Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris. If polls are to be believed, this could be Mr Hollande's last Bastille Day as France's leader. The original story by the Le Canard Enchaine newspaper was confirmed on Wednesday by French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll, who awkwardly tried to defend his boss. "Doesn't everyone have their hair done?" he quipped, adding that the barber is present in France and on trips abroad. "He is always there." Others defending him included his ex-partner Valerie Trierweiler, with whom relations have been frosty since 2014, after a tabloid magazine exposed Mr Hollande's affair with actress Julie Gayet. Ms Trierweiler took to Twitter to say that Mr Hollande initially did not know about the high salary for his barber, and was furious when he found out. Mr Hollande's image has been important for his political persona since the once-portly politician drastically slimmed down ahead of his 2012 election victory. AP Valerie Castile, right, rides in the horse-drawn carriage with the casket of of her son, Philando Castile, during the procession to the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Minnesota. Faith leaders and musicians have delivered messages of hope at a funeral for a black man who was shot by a police officer while his girlfriend live-streamed it on Facebook. Philando Castile was fatally shot during a traffic stop in St Paul, Minnesota, last week. Mourners filled the 3,000-seat Cathedral of St Paul to pay their respects to the 32 year old, whose white casket arrived and left on a horse-drawn carriage. After the service ended, people lined up along the cathedral's long stairs holding "Unite for Philando" signs as Mr Castile's casket passed. Texts for the ecumenical service focused on preserving peace, justice and reconciliation. The Rev Steve Daniels Jr. of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church asked during the funeral why racial profiling still happens. He said he is thankful for police and their service, but that people need to find a way to come together. Governor Mark Dayton, who has suggested that race played a role in Mr Castile's death, was attending. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis says Mr Castile's mother, Valerie Castile, requested the cathedral hold her son's funeral. Mr Castile's girlfriend said he was shot while reaching for his ID after telling the officer he had a gun permit and was armed. His sister Allysza Castile says she and her brother took a gun class together last year. They went to Total Defense in Ramsey, where owner Dan Wellman says they teach students to hand over their permits with their driver's licenses. The attorney for St Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez, who shot Mr Castile several times, says the officer was reacting to the presence of a gun when he fired. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (R) and Indiana Governor Mike Pence (L) wave to the crowd before addressing the crowd during a campaign stop at the Grand Park Events Center in Westfield, Indiana, U.S. on July 12, 2016. REUTERS/John Sommers II/File Photo Republican Donald Trump told Republican officials he has picked Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his vice presidential running mate, a Republican source said, choosing a conservative with the potential to unify divided Republicans. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee is to announce his choice on Friday at 11 am (1500 GMT) in Manhattan. Trump told national Republican officials that he had settled on Pence, according to the Republican source, who is familiar with the campaign's operations. Sources had told Reuters earlier that Trump had been leaning toward Pence but cautioned that he could still change his mind. Trump is to be formally nominated as the party's candidate for the Nov. 8 election at the Republican National Convention next week in Cleveland. Traditionally, the vice presidential choice is used to build enthusiasm among party loyalists. Trump's choice of running mate is seen as critical because his defeat of 16 rivals in the Republican primary race left the party divided and some party leaders are still uneasy about some of his campaign positions, and his style. Roll Call, which first reported the news, said Trump was reportedly impressed with Pence's calm demeanor, his experience on Capitol Hill and as a governor, and Pence's potential to assist in governing if Trump wins in November. Trump, a New York businessman, has never held elected office. Trump had also considered former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich, 73, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, 53, as finalists. Gingrich told an ABC News correspondent earlier that he expected to hear Trump's decision after 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) and would not be surprised if Trump chose Pence. Pence, 57, a former congressman, is seen as a safe choice, not too flashy but popular among conservatives, with Midwestern appeal and the ability to rally more party faithful behind Trump. Pence also could give a boost to Trump's campaign fundraising efforts. The governor has strong ties to billionaire donors Charles and David Koch, including current and former staff members who have worked for them. Pence is to the right of Trump on social issues, signing restrictive abortion legislation and pushing to defund the Planned Parenthood women's healthcare organization. Trump has said he opposes abortion, but his views have been inconsistent, and he has said Planned Parenthood provides some valuable services. Pence also criticized Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the country. And in 2006, he introduced immigration legislation that would let illegal immigrants apply for U.S. work visas if they left the country for a period, a plan that was criticized by some conservatives. Read More Pence and Trump met on Wednesday at the governor's residence in Indianapolis. They were joined by members of Trump's family. Pence had backed a Trump rival, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, in April before the Indiana primary, but he praised Trump and said he would work on behalf of the eventual Republican nominee. Trump won Indiana anyway, prompting Cruz to drop out of the race to be the party's nominee. Pence had considered running for president himself in 2016 before deciding to run for re-election as governor. Conservatives had urged him to seek the White House, but missteps last year related to an Indiana law seen as anti-gay hurt his national profile. This year, he was the target of a mocking social media campaign by women outraged at a law he signed creating new restrictions on abortions. Feeling that the law invaded their privacy, women responded by calling Pence's office to describe their menstrual periods or tweeting similar messages. Pence ran unsuccessfully for Congress twice before he won election to the House of Representatives in 2000, where he was chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservatives. FLURRY OF MEETINGS In what has been an unusually public process of making his choice of running mate, Trump, 70, sat down with both Pence and Gingrich separately in Indianapolis on Wednesday. He also met with a fourth potential No. 2, U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, 69, of Alabama, who has been one of Trump's closest advisers. Trump had dinner with Pence on Tuesday night after they appeared together at a rally. Joined by daughter Ivanka and sons Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, Trump also had breakfast with Pence and his wife, Karen, on Wednesday at the governor's residence in Indianapolis. Trump adviser Ed Brookover told CNN that Trump "first and foremost" wants a running mate who he has good chemistry with and someone who can help him govern best. Donald Trump met with Indiana governor Mike Pence yesterday, heightening speculation that Pence could emerge as the Republican presidential candidate's choice for vice-presidential running mate. Mr Trump was joined at the governor's residence in Indianapolis by his daughter, Ivanka; son-in-law Jared Kushner; and sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee and Pence had campaigned together at a rally on Tuesday night in Westfield, Indiana. Trump is expected to announce his choice on Friday. Republicans close to the campaign said they believed the New York businessman had narrowed his short list to Pence, former US House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey governor Chris Christie. Decision Mr Trump has campaigned with all three men in recent days as he girds for perhaps the most consequential decision of his campaign ahead of the November 8 election. Mr Pence introduced Mr Trump at the campaign rally in Westfield and during his speech, Mr Trump teased the possibility of picking Pence. "I don't know if he's going to be your governor or your vice president," Mr Trump told the rally. Who the hell knows?" Mr Trump is to be formally nominated at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland next week. Traditionally, the vice-presidential running mate choice is used to build enthusiasm among party loyalists. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is extremely unpopular among young adults, in particular young people of colour, and nearly two-thirds of Americans between the ages of 18 and 30 believe the presumptive Republican nominee is racist, according to a survey. The GenForward poll also found just 19pc of young people have a favourable opinion of Mr Trump compared with the three-quarters of young adults who hold a dim view of the New York billionaire. Mr Trump's likely general election opponent, Hillary Clinton, is also unpopular with young people, but not nearly to the same extent as the real estate mogul and reality TV star. A mere 6pc of young African Americans, 10pc of young Hispanics, 12pc of young Asian Americans and 27pc of young whites see Mr Trump in a favourable light - ratings which suggest the celebrity businessman faces a staggering task this summer to win their backing in his bid for the White House. A video of a toddler mimicking Sylvester Stallone's moves while watching a clip of the training montage in Rocky II has won praise from the US actor. The video posted on Facebook by an Ohio father shows the nappy-wearing boy doing one-armed press-ups and pretending to work a speed bag, chop wood and lift weights in sync with the big screen boxer. The video has received millions of views online and Stallone reposted it to Instagram on Wednesday with a note saying "this kid makes me so proud". He jokes that he may have to fight the boy in Rocky 10. Stallone earned a Golden Globe earlier this year for reprising his most famous role as Rocky Balboa in last year's Creed. AP America is not even close to where it needs to be in terms of resolving issues between police and the communities they serve, President Barack Obama has said. His comments came after a meeting at the White House with community activists, politicians and police representatives. But Mr Obama expressed optimism and said the participants, including members of the Black Lives Matter movement, agreed that such conversations needed to continue despite emotions running raw. Mr Obama has devoted his attention this week to the gun violence directed at officers as well as shootings by police, days after a black US Army veteran killed five policemen in Texas as revenge for the shooting of black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Minneapolis suburbs. On Tuesday the president attended a memorial service for the five Dallas officers and called the families of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota to offer condolences. He said he wanted Americans to have an open heart so they could learn to look at the world through each other's eyes and Wednesday's White House meeting, which lasted more than three hours, followed that theme. Mr Obama said it would be key to repeat the "kind of respectful conversations we've had here" across the country. "The conversation that took place around this table is very different than the one that you see on a day-to-day or hourly basis in the media," he said. But he also said making progress was hard. "We're not even close to being there yet, where we want to be," Mr Obama said. The nearly three dozen people invited to the White House included some police organisations that have little regard for Black Lives Matter, a group they blame for inciting violence against police officers. White House officials acknowledged that enhancing the trust that has been frayed in so many communities will be a job for future presidents, but said Mr Obama was determined to get all sides to commit to steps they could take to improve relations. Those attending the meeting included Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards and Chris Coleman, mayor of St Paul, Minnesota - the two locations where police shootings sparked protests around the country. Mayors from Los Angeles, Newark, New Jersey, and Anaheim, California, also attended. Attorney general Loretta Lynch joined the president. "At a time when our country, when we are talking past each other, the president's convening allowed us to hear one another," said Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti. Also on the list were Mica Grimm of Black Lives Matter Minnesota, and DeRay Mckesson, who was arrested on Saturday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on a charge of obstructing a highway. Civil rights activist t he Rev Al Sharpton also attended. Police said Mr Mckesson "intentionally" placed himself in the road after protesters were repeatedly warned to remain on private property or the kerb. Mr Mckesson was released from jail on Sunday. "We learned a lot about the shocking emotions that police have going to work every day and they felt our pain of having to tell our children to be careful of policemen," Mr Sharpton said. He said the talk, however, must lead to change, and when it comes to shootings by police "they can't be right every time". Police groups and activists emerged from the meeting saying they did not always agree with each other on the issues, but they did concur that the meeting was productive and could lead to building trust and improving accountability in police departments. "From the law enforcement perspective, we hear it, we understand it," said Terry Cunningham, president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. "I think that too often we comment about statistics. This isn't about statistics from one side or another. This is about emotion. This is about people's lives. This is about fear in the community and it's our job to make people safe." Mr Cunningham said the Dallas Police Department exemplified that commitment to its community when officers used themselves as human shields to protect bystanders from possibly being shot. Mr Obama also took to Facebook to encourage more participation. "Going forward, I want to hear ideas from even more Americans about how we can address these challenges together as one nation. That means you," he said. He called on people to submit their stories and ideas to go to: go.wh.gov/VDPvKz AP The United States is offering Russia a new military pact against Islamic State and al Qaida in Syria, according to a leaked proposal. The document, published by The Washington Post, calls for joint bombing operations, a command-and-control headquarters and other synchronised efforts. US and Russian officials with expertise in intelligence, targeting and air operations will "work together to defeat" the extremist groups, the eight-page paper states. US secretary of state John Kerry, who was due to discuss the proposal in Moscow on Thursday, declined to comment. "I'm going to Moscow, meeting with President (Vladimir) Putin tonight," Mr Kerry said. "We'll have plenty of time to talk about it and I'll give you all a sense of where we are." Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said only that joint US-Russian efforts were key to fighting terrorism in the region. Such a partnership would undercut months of US criticism of Russia's military intervention in Syria, and it would put the US alongside Syrian president Bashar Assad's chief international backer, despite years of American demands for Assad to leave power. Russia would be getting what it wanted since it first intervened in Syria on Assad's behalf last September - to be a leader in an international alliance. Washington has rebuffed Moscow's requests for military cooperation, accusing the Russians of using anti-terrorism objectives as a pretext for protecting Assad's position, of repeatedly violating truces and attacking moderate rebel groups backed by the US or its allies as well as civilian targets. Much of Washington is wary about working too closely with Russia. A document signed by 51 State Department officials last month showed a sizeable part of America's diplomatic establishment believed a US military response against Assad's forces was necessary, given Moscow's increased leverage as a result of its intervention. Opposition to this latest Syria plan is shared by a significant number of officials at the State Department, Pentagon and in the US intelligence community, according to several American officials. The proposed, US-Russian Joint Implementation Group, would be headquartered near Amman, Jordan. At its most basic level, the former Cold War foes would share intelligence and targeting information. But they "should coordinate procedures to permit integrated operations," if the US and Russia decide such operations are in their interests, the document said. Russia would confine air strikes to vetted targets and not let Syrian forces bomb "designated areas". In exchange for US cooperation, the Russians would pressure Assad into ending a bombing campaign against moderate militant groups and civilians, and allow unfettered aid to besieged, rebel-held areas. Washington also wants Russia's help in forcing Assad to start a political transition that would ultimately end his family's four-decade hold over the country. Russia supports the vague idea of "transition" but has never publicly spoken of Assad having to resign. AP This week marks the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, a Category 3 storm which formed on October 22, 2012 and caused $70 billion in damage in roughly two weeks as it moved from the Caribbean to Canada, $11 million of which came from its impact in Rhode Island. Do you believe Rhode Island is more or less prepared to handle a large storm in the decade since Hurricane Sandy? Let us know in this week's poll question below. You voted: Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. Receive information of your transactions directly from Exchanges on your mobile / email at the end of day and alerts on your registered mobile for all debits and other important transactions in your demat account directly from NSDL/ CDSL on the same day." - Issued in the interest of investors. 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Trying to explain my love for Taste of the Caribbeans jerk chicken nachos leaves me speechlessand this comes from a foodie whos had her fair share of tortilla chips, queso and salsa. I first discovered the food truck while attending a natural hair event in the city. The host invited the truck to the event and that is when I ordered and became completely obsessed with their jerk chicken nachos. Any time someone would mention nachos, I couldnt help but compare them to the flavorful spice found on Taste of the Caribbeans nachos. Because their dish was so good, they appeared at the Recorders Food Truck Friday event in 2015 (look out for our next food truck event July 22!) and again, I was blinded by the great taste of the nachos. This past weekend, I attended the Taste of Indy held on Monument Circle where 30 or more food trucks lined up to serve their specialties. Of course when I saw Taste of the Caribbean on the map, I immediately ran over to order my favorite. In fact, my face lit up so much, my friend who I was attending with couldnt believe my excitement and made fun of my expression for about 5 minutes. She laughed until she, too, experienced the delicious nachos. Their motto is giving away Caribbean vacations one plate at a time, so they offer much more than nachos. The truck also serves buffalo shrimp mac and cheese, lobster mac, Jamaican beef patties, conch fritters, salads, plantains and more. Side items include mac and cheese, spinach and sun dried tomatoes, and Caribbean coleslaw. The owner, Larry Wharton, explained the story behind the business as we ordered. I learned he grew up in New York but his wife is from Jamaica, which is where the authentic cuisine derives from. He also mentioned the couple would be opening a 107- seat restaurant, Cafe Caribe, in the Irvington neighborhood within the next two weeks. I was thrilled to learn this as I no longer will have to track down the truck, usually once per year, just to enjoy those nachos. The restaurant will also sell alcohol. After exploring some of the other food trucks in the area, I decided to pay a last visit to the truck. The line had gotten much longer and smiling customers were walking away with portions big enough for two. I also noticed the beverages sold werent the ordinary sodas. Customers can order ginger beer, Ting, kola champagne and even coconut water to go along with their meals. After seeing a photo of the lobster mac on Taste of the Caribbeans Facebook page, Ill definitely have to go back and try that dish. If youre looking for authentic Caribbean food with a twist, I challenge you to try a dish outside of the traditional American genre and try Taste of the Caribbean. To see footage from my Taste of Indy 2016 visit, go to facebook.com/indyrecorder. Taste of the Caribbean 5603 E. Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46219 (317) 643-1092 tasteofthecaribbeanindy.com Indiana has an extensive history of hosting high profile events, from the Indianapolis 500 to the Indiana Black Expo, which attributes to todays local law enforcement tactics to prevent terrorism. In the wake of recent terrorist attacks in Orlando, Florida, and not too long ago, San Bernadino, California, officials were able to prevent a Brownsburg, Indiana man from successfully enacting an attack. This poses the question: Why has Indiana found success in preventing terrorism attacks? Jim White, public safety lecturer at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) School of Public and Environmental Affairs(SPEA), has 40 years of public safety experience including military service in Iraq. He says that Indianas rich history of law enforcement working closely together attributes to its success in prevention tactics. Its the 100 year anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, and thats the catalyst. Indianapolis has a long history of State Police, the Indianapolis Police Department, the Speedway Police Department, the Cumberland Police Department, all the police departments in Central Indiana, have a long history of working together. SPEA Professor Abdul Sadiq at IUPUI also says the amount of collaboration among our local and state law enforcement agencies and the federal law enforcement agencies contributes to terrorism prevention. Likewise, Indianapolis has established a better emergency management system due to previous local emergencies. William Foley Jr., SPEA professor at IUPUI, has also worked in the homeland security field for decades including the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Foley notes previous emergencies that have attributed to Indianas terrorism tactics: the Indiana State Fair Coliseum in 1963; the series of great tornadoes in Spring 1965; the town square explosion in Richmond, Indiana in 1968; the jet collision with Ramada Inn at the airport in 1987; ice storms in Winter 2004; straight line winds in 2008; and a New Madrid seismic zone earthquake in 2008. With 9/11, Indiana was one of the first states to create a state Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), an Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center (IIFC). Indiana also was one of the first states to draw up a full set of state operations plans for major possible disasters by type, from 2006 through 2008. In addition, Foley says IDHS has received adequate funding for counter-terrorism from the Bush and Obama administrations due to its innovative practices. Along the lines of funding, SPEA Professor Jeremy Carter at IUPUI adds that the level of resource support provided by the state or municipality can affect counterterrorism efforts. According to White, the most important factor is understanding that all events are local and that counter-terrorism is a collective effort by the state, local and federal entities. 9/11 was a New York City and Washington, DC event. There were national implications, but those were local events. You have to understand that, and you have to get the locals involved. Indianapolis probably has one of the best partnerships locally and that means with the feds, state police, the local police, of any community in the country, and Ive done security events all over the nation, said White. White, along with others, stresses the importance of law enforcement working efficiently and working together to prevent terrorist attacks. Law enforcement has to be right 100 percent of the time. The bad guys only have to be right once. This week, hundreds of Indianapolis residents gathered on the lawn of the Indiana Statehouse for one purpose to rally and advocate for the Black lives that have been lost to police brutality and racial discrimination. The protest, organized by Black Lives Matter, DONT SLEEP, and Indy10 was attended by various races and ages from all over the state. When I got to the statehouse, I was amazed by the amount of people who showed up and were engaged, said Zoe Nicole Black, a University of Michigan student who attended the protest. Then the group that marched to the statehouse showed up and the energy grew. People clapped and shouted and welcomed this new wave of fellow protestors. Since attending the gathering, Black said she looks forward to participating in the next protest and local elections. She said she plans to use her art and video skills to allow more people tell their stories. The root of these protests lies in police-action shootings, which continue to occur in the African-American community. Many residents question the level of excessive or deadly force often used by police officers but much of their trainings and cultural education processes are unknown to the public. Lawrence Police Department Deputy Chief Gary Woodruff told the Recorder the department has not formally had a discussion on how to address the specific and more recent police action shootings but informally, officers and surrounding police departments have connected to share what they see happening in the field and media. When asked if the department has had a distinct discussion on how officers should treat African-Americans, in light of recently highlighted police brutality events, Woodruff said the department has not, as they want to treat everyone with dignity and respect without adding tension. To go into a situation or a traffic stop with preconceived notions (on how to treat African-Americans), Im not sure if thats the best thing to do because that can lead to discomfort and tensions can heighten. We had a training class last year on how to deal with people in crisis situations but it wasnt directed toward any specific demographic. He said the department is trying to keep the lines of dialogue open when it comes to interacting with the community. In the past, the department participated in a panel discussion involving their newly hired officers and churches in the area. There is still work to be done on all sides. We want the same thing the public wants and thats to be treated with dignity and respect, stated Woodruff. As social media has exposed much of the police brutality cases within the last few years, the Recorder asked the department how they respond to video recordings of traffic stops and other interactions with police. We tell our officers to act as if they are on camera all of the time so we embrace video and if a person feels something inappropriate is happening, they can bring it to our attention and we will address it, said Woodruff who said although the department hasnt invested in body cameras as of yet, they plan to add funding for them in their 2017 budget. Dominic Dorsey, associate director at Adaptive Educational Services located at IUPUI and founder/president of DONT SLEEP, said he would like to see comprehensive racial equity training in police departments. I know they do diversity training, but its nowhere near as sophisticated as it needs to be when were discussing the various populations that police interact with, he said. [I suggest] training that unpacks the beliefs and behaviors both conscious and unconscious; personal and institutional; that ultimately result in the oppression of people of color and benefit the dominant group. Dorsey mentioned he would also like to learn more about use of force as he said, We have no idea what standard use of force is because all we hear about is either excessive force or deadly force. Woodruff explained the levels of force to the Recorder and which actions take place during each. Level one involves officers being present and on the scene. Level two involves verbally controlling an individual, including officers themselves. Level three includes soft hand techniques such as physically directing someone to a place. Level four are hard hand techniques, which includes taking a person down to the ground. Level five involves intermediate weapons such as pepper spray and baton use. The last level is deadly force. Deadly force is the absolute last option, stated Woodruff. Due to the diverse makeup of the city and the nation, residents feel as if cultural and racial competency should be apart of officer training. Woodruff said when put into the words of cultural and racial competency, the department has not completed this type of training for their officers. We expect our officers to treat everyone fairly. On the front side of our hiring, we have made effort to diversify our hiring and recruit additional minority officers to the department to help reflect the diversity of the community we serve. The Recorder spoke with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officials to learn more about the initiatives they are working on to prevent police brutality cases. Kendale Adams, IMPD public information officer said for the past year and a half the department has been working with the staff of IUPUIs office of diversity and inclusion to partner on educating new recruits in the departments cultural awareness courses. The department has also increased their diversity training hours from 40 to 100. Adams explained the department is in the planning stages of developing a Use of Force Review Team, made of both department and community members to look at the departments use of force to make training recommendations to the chief of police. This team was in development prior to last weeks shootings, he said. That team will also hear views from community members who may have an opposing view about how IMPD operates under its use of force. In addition, the department has already intertwined de-escalation and communication skills into officer training. When it comes to extinguishing these tragic occurrences, despite some progression over the years, Dorsey said there is more work to do. Its messed up that so many lives had to be lost in a six-day span before folks who couldnt bring themselves to say it a year ago are finally able to, he said. Now we just need everyone else to get the message. Fair, equitable and accountable policing. Its all we want. That should never have to be demanded. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat, and Periscope are a few of the many social media platforms taking a toll on how people receive information. With the recent live stream of the Philando Castile shooting death, it is a platform that should be explored in depth. Just this past week, especially with Philando Castile, if it had not been for his girlfriends presence of mind, social media, immediate impact and the live streaming on Facebook, people would not have known what was happening there, said Sandra Davidson, professor of communications law at the University of Missouri. The new live stream feature on Facebook is the catalyst of how information is documented and distributed. As many may recall, the live video projected images of Castile being shot multiple times by policeman Jeronimo Yanez after complying with the officers requests to retrieve his license and registration, and informing the officer he had a gun, which he was licensed to carry. Millions of Americans were able to view the raw, unfiltered version of the killing before law enforcement or the media had the opportunity to edit it with their own narrative. In addition the violent protests in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, led officials to a media blackout, which censored all mass media from sharing updates on the protest in the death of Michael Brown. As a result, social media became the primary resource for people to stay informed about the riots. The hashtag, #mediablackout, became a trending topic the next day as people from all over the world expressed their disapproval of the censorship on Twitter. The presence of social media means we have more insight into what goes on in this country, oversight over public officials and Im counting police officers and I think openness is good, said Davidson. Thats a very positive effect I think, the fact that we have openness for oversight, and its also a big negative with openness. She continues, Ill give you one example, a dear woman lost her only son when he committed suicide. He jumped from a building in San Francisco, and people were there with their cell phones posting pictures on the internet. Is it good, is it a bad? Well, who is the person doing the posting? What is their intent? The vivid graphics of police shooting and killing of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana also align with the necessary, but disturbing images projected on social media. Chris LeDay, who posted one of the videos of Sterling on social media and was arrested briefly after sharing the images, because he allegedly fit the description of a person that committed a crime. Ramsey Orta, who captured video of the chokehold killing of Eric Garner in New York City, was arrested after sharing the video on social media and was prosecuted for a weapon and drug charge from 2014. Likewise, terrorist organizations such as ISIL have been able to recruit across a wide platform on social media. In fact, local officials were able to track and arrest Brownsburg, Indiana man Akram Musleh, an alleged terrorist who posted a graphic of his allegiance on his social media account. On the contrary, social media can connect millions of people all over the world. Davidson says, I love the fact that social media allows people to keep in contact with each other, especially family. They can reach across the world It opens up channels of communication, and Im a great believer that the more we can interact with people from other countries, the better off well be as a world. By just a pull of the trigger, lives have been lost. As multiple bullets leave deadly weapons, they continue to strike those of the African-American community, causing fallen tears by neighborhood leaders, family and friends. The Black community has been fighting to combat police brutality for years but as of recently, in the age of technology and social media, situations have visually heightened causing devastation for parents who hope their children arent the next target. The day Alton Sterling, 37, was killed by police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; parents voiced their concerns on social media with some leaving tears on their keyboards and sorrow in their hearts. One of those mothers was Crystal Black Davis who explained her reality as a Black mother on Facebook. Im in tears because this could have been Anthony Davis, Evan Black or any of the countless law abiding, compliant, hard working, respectable African-American men in my life. As a Black mother, my reality is that although Elijah is cute and adorable at four years old, the moment he becomes a teenager and begins looking like a man, it wont matter that his mother is the vice president of a global CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) or that his dad graduated at the top of his MBA class. In the eyes of many, Elijah or any Black teenager/man whether inner city or suburban, affluent or poor, well spoken or a mouth full of slang automatically equates to trouble/bad/menacing/up to no good/criminal based on their existence alone. She went on to explain an incident that occurred at the Childrens Museum of Indianapolis just over a year ago when an older white woman took one look at her son Elijah and made an uggh gesture, as she called it. If a reaction such as that can be directed at an innocent toddler, now you understand what keeps me up at night, she continued. Just one day after Sterlings death, another African-American male, Philando Castile, 32, was fatally shot by a Latino police officer just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. As protests broke out, hearts in the African-American community were heavy. Black Davis said these frequent microagressions are what create an undercurrent of anger and frustration. Racism isnt only defined by cross burnings and Hitler salutes, its the daily occurrences that are internalized and eat away at our souls. Watching the white person in front of you in line receive a warm greeting by the cashier then get not so much as a hi when its your turn to pay. Its the doubling back to make sure their car door is locked when they see me in the parking lot. Its when a woman runs back to her grocery cart because she assumes Im trying to steal her purse that she walked away from while getting something from the shelf. Its complying with officer requests but still end up getting shot, she wrote. Robert Lawrence, father to a 6-year-old boy said he has constantly feared for his sons life the moment he was born. As a parent, I want to raise him as normal as possible but around the age of 13 is the time to learn about the reality of the world, Lawrence told the Recorder. Letting him know he will be racially profiled and what he does once that happens will be one of the most important decisions of his life is whats important. He can choose to act or not react but unfortunately either could have deadly consequences. By the time hes 13, it will be past 2020 so who knows what the world will be like. Lawrence said there are several reasons why the acts of police brutality have heightened. He attributes one of those reasons to the upcoming presidential election. Nothing sirs up voters more than chaos and when you insert the race debate, things really get crazy. It forces presidential candidates to gather their opinion and out of all of this chaos, comes order so we as the public then run to our government for help but their system is even more chaotic and corrupt. He also attributes the debate on the right to bear arms as a reason why so much stress had been brought to the Black community through gun violence. He believes these actions are a plan to take away Americas rights to carry guns. These parents used social media as a platform for their voices to be heard, but mother of three and grandmother to four, Nicole Black sat down with the Recorder to share her fears. My son is leaving to fly back home tomorrow and Im sacred to death, she said in tears. I want so much to just keep my kids and their kids close. Full time work isnt an option anymore because I am so paranoid. Things are not the same anymore and Im scared for my safety, so I just stay home. Black said she tells her 23-year-old son to avoid the police, if at all possible, but explains he has developed a militant attitude due to social media. He complies with social drama, which makes him challenge me. I am so afraid for himyou just dont know. For many centuries in America, Black people have been considered nonhuman. It wasnt until the Three-Fifths Compromise of 1787 that an African-American could be considered subhuman or three-fifths of a person. These politics have influenced the way society views African-Americans as a whole and Black men in particular. Bessie House, director of the Africana studies program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) says, These stereotypes come from theories that argue some races are biologically and genetically superior to others, and if you believe that certain groups are superior to each other, then it also follows that some groups are also inferior. House gives specific examples of societal stereotypes that affect Black men. There has been a lot of negative stereotypes of African-American men as people who are not taking care of their families, not taking care of their children, people who are prone to participate in violent activities. These are really powerful negative images of African-American men, and so, stereotypes also affect how people relate to each other. She continues, If you meet someone in an elevator, if you have been taught your entire life that this particular type of person is going to rob you or mug you or murder you, then youre going to react with that stereotype in mind and most of the African-American men out there love their family, nurture their family; many of them are not involved in violence, but they dont get the benefit of the doubt when theyre out in public encounters. Executive Director of OpportunINDY Michael Twyman says, on the other hand, the positive capabilities of Black men, such as resilience and overall talent, affect attitudes directed toward them due to lower expectations set historically. The things people often admire about us are the things that have been used against African-American males, and those are probably feared the most. Living at least in this country and being Black is a unique experience, said Twyman. Alexander Burks is a professional in the nonprofit sector pursuing his masters degree, but as a Black male, he has had horrific experiences of being stereotyped. When I was 20 or so, I was driving to Indianapolis from Evansville. I used to be big into racing cars at the track and the car I was driving was a vehicle I was fixing up, so I had removed the seats out of the vehicle to install some roll bars, said Burks. A cop pulls me over, looks inside the vehicle and despite me giving him my registration and license, which all matched, he took me out the vehicle and handcuffed me. He made me sit on the curb, because he was so sure the vehicle was stolen. Another local Black man, Samuel Porter, recounts experiences he had while on the job at an auto mechanic shop. I worked with the white guy there. We were working on a Ford F-150 one day, and he was like, its for a really important client. Were doing our work, and some of us had on gloves. I took them off and touched the truck, and he was about to say, You N-word, but he just said, Dont touch the truck. You need to leave before I say something I will regret and I did and never returned These are only a few of the accounts of Black men that have encountered instances of alleged racism locally. This epidemic has not only affected African-American men in Indianapolis, but is plaguing individuals across the nation as demonstrated in the Black Lives Matter movement and other civil rights groups. House says the media has perpetuated many of the stereotypes into the world. For example, when we had a caucasian man that entered the African-American church and killed the minister and a number of members of the congregation, the media was reluctant to describe that as an act of terrorism. However, when we have an African-American man that gunned down the policemen, the word terrorism was used repeatedly. Both of these individuals perpetrated equally heinous acts. She continues, So, this is a narrative that the media cast. It is up to us, scholars, and other members of the community to give a counter narrative. We need to work across all lines for understanding. I support equal opportunities for all people across all racial, class, gender or sexual orientation [classifications]. I believe that everybody should have their fair share of the American dream. Donald Trump has officially selected a running mate in Indiana, Gov. Mike Pence, who has previously attempted to run for president, himself. This news doesnt come as a surprise, as media outlets have hinted for months at this choice. It is rumored that Pence competed against others such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Pence will not become the official nominee until the Republican National Convention on July 18. If Trump wins the presidential race, Pence would be the sixth VP from Indiana. The last was Dan Quayle who served under the George H. W. Bush administration. Tuesday, Recorder columnist Ebony Chappel wrote an opinion piece in light of Pences recent visit to the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood. The Ten Point Coalition helped arrange for Pence to enter the neighborhood with officials to promote change for the community. The event caused controversy due to its strategic timing in the midst of rumors of his vice presidential bid with Trump and recent shooting deaths. Pence is currently in a tight race against Democrat John Gregg. He has until Friday at noon to officially withdraw from the gubernatorial race. There is no word yet on who will be his replacement. Honor killings are a common practice in the Middle East, but many are unaware of the brutal realities its victims endure. The name is derived from killing individuals to maintain their families honor. Afghanistan native Laila Anwarzai Ayoubi, professor at Butler and Martin universities, teaches language, sociology and culture, but her newest novel, Nikis Honor, tells an enduring story of a victim against the brutal practice. The killings are widely considered sexist, targeting both women and girls. Students frequently ask Ayoubi about the origin of the honor killings, which her book is based on. My answer was the honor killings are a pre-Islamic tribal tradition and extrajudicial punishment that is not our [religious law]. It actually doesnt have to do anything with Islam. She continues, Honor killings also are among the Christian minorities in Arab countries, also among Jews and the communities still living around the Middle East. Her son, criminal law attorney, Sly Ayoubi who owns his own firm, says it is a cultural practice that varies across regions. It has a great deal to do with the holy sanctity of a womans virginity. And several comparisons can be made around all cultures. For example, if a girl gets raped, she can experience abuse from her own family or the guy that raped her can experience abuse from her family or his family. The honor killings are not just limited to women. Men can be killed as well. [For example], if I had a sister and something like that happened to her, then, my brothers and I would go after him as opposed to punishing her. Mr. Ayoubi elaborates, In some places, its viewed as shame to go punish her for having an illegitimate child or something around those lines. It really comes down to what the community finds as dishonorable or shameful. The pre-Islamic tribal practice is not limited to rape victims or offenders either. Any sinful or illegal act such as homosexuality, adultery, stealing, and premarital sex are all considered for the honor killings. Generally, whatever breaks a community standard or societal norm is a variant. However, there are universal standards transferable amongst most regions, such as home break-ins or offenses against children, according to Mr. Ayoubi. Americans may be surprised to find that these honor killings are not limited to the Middle East. Everything in the book is not only happening in Afghanistan. Its happening all over the world, even in Italy and Scandanavia, Ms. Ayoubi says. According to FBI Crime reports, there were 27 victims of honor killings in the United States. Mr. Ayoubi says the potential victims of honor killings fear embarrassment. During my time as a prosecutor here in Ohio, I saw that a lot of the reported rapes were not even followed up, because either the victim didnt want to testify in court out of fear of being labeled or the fear of embarrassment. He adds, There is a sense of fear, but its the fear of being victimized. But for the perpetrator, theres not as much fear as it is for the victim. Ms. Ayoubi has never personally witnessed an honor killing but frequently tells her students about the people who went missing. After I asked my mother and she told me Nikis story, then I remembered something happened to people. I knew them at the school and different places. Ms. Ayoubi says, The book has a message that violence against girls and women needs to be stopped. Think the Arabs live a lavish life? Think again. Our Maharajas weren't too far behind. 1. The Nawab of Junagadh - Mahabet Khan Rasul Khan mens-den.com The Nawab of Junagadh loved his dogs. So much so that he had 800 of them and each with its own room, telephone and a servant. Why? Just. But that's still not the craziest thing Mahabet Khan Rasul Khan did. The Nawab's favourite pet dog was Roshanara who had 'fallen in love' with a golden retriever named Bobby. The Nawab was so happy to learn this that he decided to throw a lavish wedding ceremony for the two dogs. All this while people in his town rotted away in poverty. The wedding, as expected, was larger than life. He even invited Lord Irwin (the viceroy of India back then) for the event, which was politely declined. The bride was dressed up beautifully with shampoo and perfume. She was even made to wear expensive jewellery and brought in a silver palki to the Durbar Hall where the wedding was supposed to happen. The groom wore gold bracelets and a necklace and was received at the railway station by 250 dogs in a brocade, a military band and a guard of honour. Rs 22000 was spent on the wedding - a figure that comes to a very generous Rs 2.25 crore in today's time. 2. Mir Usman Ali Khan inmemory.inmemoriaproduct.netdna-cdn.com Mir Usman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad was a rich guy. Actually, a filthy rich guy. Time magazine even featured him on the cover page for one of their issues. But here's how much money he had just lying around - the Nizam used to use the "Jacob Diamond", the fifth largest diamond in the world, worth approximately 100 million pounds, the size of an ostrich egg and weighing around 184.97 carats, as a paper weight! AS A PAPER WEIGHT. 3. Maharani Indira Devi of Cooch Behar pinterest The Maharani of Cooch Behar used to just love her footwear. A big fan of the famous Italian shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo, she had once ordered 100 pairs of shoes from him. Including some which were diamond studded! 4. Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II wikimedia Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II was clearly a bit off, with his whims and fancies. How else would you describe this? He ordered his craftsman of Jaipur to make two massive silver vessels just so that he could carry Ganga Jal along on his trip to Britain. 14,000 silver coins were melted to make this gorgeous vessel and it even found a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest silver vessel. 5. Maharaja Bhupinder of Patiala wikimedia It wasn't really anything materialistic that stood out with Maharaja Bhupinder, just his love for people, or women rather. The Maharaja of Patiala had 365 wives and 88 children! There were so many women that some of the wives wouldn't even get to see the Maharaja for months at a stretch. In fact, to make sure that his wives don't think he's dead, he used to parade around the palace butt naked. Just because he could. 6. Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV of Mysore bwbx.io The Maharaja of Mysore was known to be a generous man. And being one of the wealthiest men on the planet (35 billion pound valuation) during that time, it paid to be friends with him, or working for him. Take this for example. When the Maharaja learnt that he had to do something to shield his servants from the scorching heat, he didn't just build a shelter. No, sir. He just ordered a customised Rolls Royce for them! The car was finally auctioned in August 2011 for 400,000 pounds. 7. King Jai Singh of Alwar guruprasad.net The story goes that the king of Alwar was once insulted by a Rolls Royce salesman as he was mistaken for a pauper on his trip to London. That very day, Jai Singh ordered a fleet of Rolls Royce cars only to be used as garbage trucks to carry the rubbish of his city. It eventually stopped after Rolls issued an official apology to the King. 8. Udaipur Royal Family holidayiq.com The Udaipur Royal family had a fascination with crystals. Seriously, they loved crystals so much they had it in everything possible, including chairs, tables, thrones, even fans! 9. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala pinterest Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala in 1926 sent a trunk full of precious stones worth millions to jewellery design company Cartier. The Maharaja wanted a Parisian style necklace made for him. Cartier did come good and made for him what remains to be one of the finest pieces of jewellery ever made. 10. Lalbagh Palace panoramio.com We have always had this fixation with Britain. So much so that the Lalbagh palace in Indore had its palace gate crafted and shipped all the way from London to Indore. 11. Jagatjit Singh, the Maharaja of Kapurthala thetoptier.net Very few know that one of luxury brand Louis Vuitton's very loyal customers was Jagatjit Singh, the Maharaja of Kapurthala. The Maharaja loved his LVs so much that he owned more than 60 LV trunks that he would use for his travels. Im not homophobic. The LGBT flag just hasnt been my cause. Im a straight guy, and since this is about #pride, I dont give a fuck about sexuality till its fuck-giving time. barcex That last sentence, thats normal, boring masculinity. Yet campuses in America and Europe push a rampant obsession with making male sexuality vulgar. My masculinity is apparently so evil it can even cause global warming. So what was I, an evil straight male, doing at a gay pride parade? Flashback to 2009 I was tagging along with a girl to Delhis second gay pride parade, to support her out-and-out gay friend. I wasnt really there to support the gay dude. I was there to spend time with the lady so that shed think me worthy of hooking up. Shocker. You think thats sleazy? Nope. Gays and lesbians are literally encouraged to hook up at the pride parade. Flashback to 2015 A drunk gay colleague of mine turns to me in a bar, points out another dude, and tells me: I want his cock. Am I progressive enough to tell him that he sounds disgusting? Imagine, reader, your male friend pointing out a girl at a pub, telling you that he wants her vagina. Thats the kind of stuff that makes for outrage-feminist videos. In the name of being not-homophobic, we straight guys have been told to keep our own sexuality zipped up. Wheres the pride for me to not be called a perv because I want to bang chicks - and not be 'shamed' for it? Where's the NGO, the flag, and the Facebook filter for that? I was #BornThisWay, but somehow my sexuality should be zipped up guillaume paumier flickr What does Lady Gagas Born This Way mean, anyway? Is the global LGBT community really concerned for people of all colors? afp/getty They might secretly be conservatives after all. Theres a Gay Pride Parade coming up in July in Sweden this year, and marchers will prance and booty-shake through Tensta and Husby two areas where Muslim immigrants are more than 75% of the population. It was called off last year for being too unnecessarily provocative for marching through a Muslim area - cue ZERO outrage from the Pride community. Instead, one of the oldest gay communities in the world, has literally attacked this Gay Pride Parade . Does India really need a pride parade? Many American states, where gays and lesbians enjoy rights at par with the rest of us, STILL, for some weird reason, have parades and this is what were copying in India. Many would find it hard to believe that even in America, a bastion of the LGBT movement, less than 5% of the population identifies as LGBT. Shocker. By not creating a consensus that gay people are just like the rest of us - just different in the bed. Few know this but your handwriting reflects all your character traits, right from your strengths, weaknesses, and intelligence to your deepest desires. This ingenious method of handwriting analysis is known as Graphology. Many people, on hearing the word 'handwriting', travel back in time to their cursive writing books in school and remember how horrid their handwriting used to be. Others wonder how handwriting analysis can be done for uneducated people, or for those who write in vernacular languages. Others just doubt if such a thing actually exists. brynbenning Pradeep Kirpalani, Mentor and Director of the Pune campus for Handwriting University International, has been in the field of graphology for 15 years, and explains, Graphology studies the slants and strokes of your handwriting. We analyse the physical characteristics and patterns of handwriting purporting to be able to identify the writer, indicating psychological state at the time of writing. It is an X-ray of your subconscious mind. Milind Rajore, a graphologist who has trained more than 16,000 students all across India in the last 21 years, says, "Handwriting is brain writing. It is a documented fact that when a person communicates by way of speaking, only 15-20% of his brain cells are activated, whereas when a person writes, nearly 85-90% of the brain cells are activated. Hence it is always easier for a graphologist to understand the person thoroughly through the handwriting. Grapho-therapy and child development Grapho-therapy is a remedy given to a person after understanding his personality traits through his handwriting. "It's a therapeutic process of correcting flaws and making positive changes in a person by assigning right pen strokes for 21 days at least," says Shweta Gupta, a graphologist from Pune. Being a teacher for 14 years and a graphologist for 9, Guptas forte is child development. Her mind-developing program through handwriting is a hit among children in Pune. She says, It is a 25-day program for children from kindergarten till high school. For a layman, it's just a handwriting improvement course but we teach students right pen strokes, which help them improve their concentration and do well in academics. It is also beneficial for overall development of the child." Child developing Their mind-developing program has also been adopted by many schools like City Pride school and the Stepping Stone School in Pune. Manish Pande, another graphologist with more than 15 years of experience in the field, shares, "I have had many cases where the child has gone through abuse, neglect, chronic illness, separation or bereavement. These issues lead to other defining personality characteristics like - sensitivity towards self criticism, traits of temper, lack of concentration, tendency to hide things, stubbornness etc." Snehal Dave (name changed) one of Pande's patients during her boards was going through severe depression and had become a recluse. Her parents brought her to Manish for therapy and two months of therapy helped her to not only get good grades in her boards but also improved her mental state. Handwriting "In therapy we use the person's own handwriting to program their behavior. One simply practices specific handwriting strokes each day designed for them you work through each day for a specific period of time until it becomes a habit and new neuro-connections are formed in the brain while a new muscular movement is being taught to the hand." Pande explains. Graphology can be used in understanding yourself, your friends, colleagues and relatives better. It can also be helpful in choosing a life or a business partner. Apart from that it is used in criminology and recruitment. Graphology for business With the help of graphologists, it has become a cakewalk for business owners to hire the right employees even before meeting them. Srikant Paranjape, a USA certified graphologist and mentor, first learnt the art of graphology to use it for his business. Today, he has trained thousands of students and helps companies in recruiting employees. He says, "All I need is the applicants handwriting sample. By scanning a persons writing, it is possible to judge his competency, suitability and the intellectual level." Pradeep He adds," Graphology helps you understand a candidate's psyche rather than just judging him on the face value or resume. This is of utmost importance for companies hiring for a senior level post." Paranjape has also mastered the art of logo and visiting cards designing for companies based on graphology. According to him, just like how strokes in handwriting can be analysed similarly lines, drawings and colour can be analysed in graphic. He shares, "Logo and visiting cards are like the face of the company. We can analyse how a business is flaring and in what field it is lacking by that. Corrections in the logo and visiting cards have produced immense results for institutions." Paranjape designs logos and helps multi-billion IT companies like Semantic for their recruiting process. Rajore, on the other hand, has helped transform people from rags to riches. One of his most profound success stories is of a clothing merchant in Pune. "I was a nobody 10 years back doing a menial salary job and today I have my own garment brand, dealing in retail and wholesale," says 32 year old Vipul Khaire. Graphology for health The accuracy by which a graphologist can predict a physical ailment in your body is astounding. It can even creep out some people. I am the latest example added to their fan list. When I went to Rajore for this interview, I expressed my desire for a demo analysis. He happily seconded. Among the many things he told me, one that struck me like lightning was when he said that somebody in my family recently passed away from cancer. I was speechless, as my grandmother had passed away in November last year, from liver cancer. According to Rajore, graphologists can not only give you precise reading about yourself, but about your parents, grandparents, and husband/wife as well. 22-year-old Prerna Shah met Pande in Mumbai for an analysis four years back. "He told me my mother will suffer a heart attack in six months and will most likely not make it. I didn't believe it. In exactly six months she passed away due to cardiac arrest," says Prerna in a stoic voice. What is even more shocking is Pande had predicted the exact same date. Milind_Rajore Such cases are extremely rare but every graphologist has such mind-boggling examples that they seldom share with others. Prevention is better than cure and graphologists swear by it. According to them, graphologists can detect early signs of mild and grave diseases in handwriting and cure them to an extent with therapy. Gupta shares, "We take handwriting samples of every child who comes to our program, whenever we find any sign of a prospect disease we try to eradicate it on individual bases. After the course we again take the handwriting sample of the child and mostly the therapy works its magic." Gupta has eradicated grave diseases like cancer, asthma, heart, gynaec problems etc. Kirpalani, who has won the best handwriting analyst in the world 2015 from Bart Bagget's Handwriting University International, took up this science professionally after a touching incident. "My father passed away after a long fight with Parkinson's. When I was learning graphology that is when I read his handwriting samples from the time he was fine till this deadly disease crept in. His earlier writing had shown signs of the disease and eventually it became more prominent." According to him mental diseases like depression, Alzheimer, Parkinson, etc. are prominently seen in a person's handwriting and with early detection and grapho-therapy, it can very much be cured. How we wish Mohammad Ali knew about this. Graphology in crime Another interesting field in which handwriting analysis can be used is criminology. Graphology is an imperative aspect of forensics. It is also used to crack cases related to forgery. Pande has a rich experience in cracking such cases. He has not only helped the Maharashtra and Dubai police crack cases, but has also trained them in handwriting analysis. Pande shares the most thrilling case of his life, when he was picked up by the Nasik police and taken to a secluded spot, asked to keep the entire case secretive for a year. He shares, "Few years back a politician had been murdered in Nasik and the case was not solved for two years. My handwriting analysis gave the cops the breakthrough needed for the case and the murderer was arrested." Graphology in Crime Rajore's expertise is in signature analysis. According to him, signature is like DNA - every person's sign is different. Even if it is copied and the common eye cannot spot any differences, it can't fool a trained graphologist's eye. He shows us all the reports lying in his office assigned to him by RBI, central government, judiciary and other government and private organisations. Reminds you of the movie Catch Me If You Can?. Rajore plays Tom Hank's part here. Handwriting analysis has come a long way from being considered a pseudoscience to an impeccable method used in different fields. As all handwriting analysts opine - it's not a job, it's a passion, an addiction, an art we use to dive in the vast sea of human psyche and the satisfaction we obtain from it has no value in money. No wonder these graphologists are no less than celebrities in their circle. Just a few days ago, a Canada-based fitness blogger names Navpreet Banga became the talk of the town (read social media), all thanks to her uncanny resemblance to Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra. Her Instagram pictures went crazy viral and she hogged some major limelight. The world was talking about Navpreet Banga and thanks to social media word of mouth that PC too noticed her! PC took to Twitter to respond to her doppelganger and wait, IT IS THE BEST ONE EVER! Bringing her mother Madhu Chopra into the picture, she tweeted: With mob storming police stations and taking away semi-automatic assault rifles, and terrorists attacking the security forces with grenades while hiding behind Kashmiri youth, the situation in valley is getting worse. BCCL According to sources, several incidents have occurred in valley where weapons have been looted from the security forces, be it the police, CRPF or even the army. On Monday a mob stormed a Police station in Damhal Hanji Pora in Kulgam, took away 70 semi-automatic assault rifles and later torched the place. In two other incidents on Tuesday, two separate attempts were made to snatch weapons from the troops. In Tral, a group attacked four constables at a police post in the morning and tried to take their weapons. The policemen managed to save their rifles but protesters fled with the magazines. BCCL While later in the evening, a police station was attacked in Karalpura with a possible objective to loot the armoury. But the joint effort of CRPF and Police thwarted the attempted of the mob and saved the armoury. "The jawans fought despite being hit on the head with rods and stones and didn't let the protesters take the rifles," said a CRPF official while applauding jawans who were taking a civilian to hospital who had a heart condition. In key areas of valley such as Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama districts in south Kashmir and Baramulla, Sopore, Kupwara, Ganderbal and Bandipora towns, there have been sporadic attacks on the police and paramilitary and the forces are having a tough time in repulsing these attacks. The security experts believe that snatching the weapons from security forces by local youth is a strategy of separatists to raise an arsenal for terrorists who aren't getting enough weapons from across the border since the patrolling on border and LOC has been quite strict. BCCL Experts also say that this trend is not new and a decade ago, the snatched weapons would end up in the hands of local militants and were being used against the forces. This further compounds the threat forces face from heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad sent by ISI to the valley. Another worry, apart from snatching of weapons is the lobbing of grenades on security forces by terrorists hiding behind the stone peltors. According to intelligence sources, during the protests over the past few days in J&K, it has come to light that terrorists were using stone-pelting youth as shelter to attack forces with grenades. BCCL "Deaths of young men have a spiralling effect, leading to further protests against use of force and giving terrorists a reason to fan popular sentiment against the security forces in J&K," said an intelligence officer. Another new trend visible to the security establishment is that while towns are relatively quiet, outlying areas have become the new terror hotbeds. This is where more terrorists are hiding and being engaged in encounters by counter-terror forces, the officer said. Security forces also know the mass killing to quell the protest isn't an option and it would further add fuel to the fire. "The belligerence of protesters is a bigger problem than their numbers. It has been noticed while the strength of the protesting mobs may not be huge, they are more belligerent in engaging the security forces in a confrontation," a top officer of the security establishment said. The officer also pointed to recent incidents of violent mobs setting fire to police stations and CRPF pickets and even pushing a policeman along with his vehicle into the Jhelum river. "This shows that if there are indeed 'outsider' elements instigating the mobs, they have succeeded in convincing the protesters to be more belligerent and destructive," said the officer. BCCL The violence that followed Wani's encounter has given the terrorists who had surrendered before to take up arms once again. "Around 5-8 surrendered terrorists are said to have turned around in the recent past and rejoined terror ranks," said an officer. Incidentally, Hizbul terrorist Sartaj Ahmed Sheikh, killed along with Wani in the Kokernag encounter on Friday, was also one of a 'recycled' terrorists. He was arrested and released as part of a surrender scheme but is believed to have rejoined Hizbul ranks in 2014. A four-year-old girl who had gone missing from her house on July 10 was found dead on Wednesday morning, her mutilated body raising suspicion that she was tortured and murdered. shutterstock/Representative image The probe opened a Pandora's box as a local shopkeeper was detained for the alleged murder and triggered anger and revulsion as the killing seemed to be the fallout of a set of medieval beliefs in the middle of Millennium City. The family of the child alleged the shopkeeper, a 40-year-old man, wanted to buy their daughter and had made several offers. Villagers also claimed the child's body was smeared with vermilion and there were bangles on the child's hands, indicating some ritual had been performed before she was killed. Police, however, denied this. "It is a case of murder and not of any kind of sacrifice," said Kishori Lal, ACP (city), Gurgaon. "We have formed special teams to investigate the matter and verify the facts. The suspect will be arrested soon," he added. The discovery of the child's body, decaying and with the right palm, eyes and tongue missing, sent shockwaves across Kadipur village near Sector 10A. It was found near the shanties where she lived with her parents. The child, Rinku, had been missing since Sunday afternoon, and the family had suspected the shopkeeper, Sanjay, had kidnapped her. Police said they received a call early on Wednesday morning about a decomposing body. Rinku's parents had informed the Sector 10A police station Sanjay had previously offered to pay Rs 4-5 lakh for the child and would often lure her to his shop with toffees. "Sanjay wanted to buy our daughter but we kept rebuffing him. I never thought he would kidnap and murder her," said Mishri Lal, Rinku's father. He works as a labourer, and is from Ajmer in Rajasthan. shutterstock/Representative image Rinku's maternal grandfather claimed police had arranged a meeting between Sanjay and the child's family after the alleged kidnapping, during which he assured the parents she would return. "Police had taken him in custody, and made us meet him in the police station. He assured us our daughter will be returned. But we found her body instead," said Om Prakash. A case of kidnapping was filed only on Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday, Section 302 (murder) of IPC was added to the FIR. "The body had decomposed, and it looked like the palm had been eaten off by animals. No other cut mark was found on her body. Though it does not seem like she was raped, we have sent the viscera for further examination," said Dr Deepak Mathur, a forensic expert who conducted the autopsy. He said she was strangled to death. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump is known to avoid alcohol, coffee and cigarettes, but anyone can benefit from a glass of green tea. Especially when it is a premium brew from Assam, famed the world over for its finest leaf picks. Indian tea company Te-A-Me Teas has delivered enough Assam green tea to last 4 years of 3 cups a day to Trump with a message: "Cleanse yourself" Also read: Hindu Sena Just Celebrated Donald Trump's Birthday In Jantar Mantar With 7 KG Cake And Prayer "Dear Mr Trump, namaste from India, we are sending you lots and lots of natural green tea. It fights against harmful free radicals. It helps purify mind and body and regain a healthy balance. It has also proven to make people smarter. Please Mr Trump drink the tea. For your sake, for America's sake, for the world's sake," Kolkata-based Te-A-Me Teas said in a video explaining the idea of sending green tea to Trump. "The message is simple: Mr Trump, it's never too late to cleanse yourself," the company said on Wednesday, a day after its representatives delivered a consignment of some 6,000 green tea bags to the Trump Towers in New York. "Donald Trump has the whole world worried... we can't stop him, but maybe we can change him," the video said. "We believe that green tea with all its goodness can help Mr Trump and in turn benefit his country and the world at large," said an official of the company, adding that the consignment of tea bags is based on the presumption that the real estate tycoon would drink three cups a day. "If he needs more, we'll be happy to provide. Green tea has been proven to fight against harmful free radicals and cleanse the mind and bodies, helping one regain a healthy balance," he said, adding that these green teas can help change Trump for the better. The Trump campaign has not responded. Firebrand Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Sadhvi Prachi, known for her hate speeches and rants against religious minorities is back in the news again. This time her target-controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik who is in the eye of the storm for allegedly inspiring terrorist in Dhaka and ISIS recruits in Hyderabad. PTI While speaking to media on Tuesday she announced a cash reward of Rs. 5 lakhs for anyone who beheads the controversial televangelist. I have announced the reward because Zakir Naik is not a religious preacher, but a terrorist, Prachi said. The Indian Express reported that she later clarified that the announcement was made in her personal capacity and not in behalf of the VHP. Prachi also alleged that after she made the announcement she received an anonymous call which threatened to kidnap her. Sadhvi Prachi's reward for beheading was the second of its kind against Zakir Naik ever since he was embroiled in the controversy. The Sun Earlier a Shia outfit called Hussaini Tigers had placed a bounty of Rs 15 lakh on Naik. Syed Kalbe Hussain Naqvi, the president of Hussaini Tigers in a Facebook post said, "He is a khalnayak. He has insulted the Prophet of Islam and whosoever kills him would be rewarded not only in life (and beyond) but would also get cash reward from us. Naik who is in Saudi even before the controversy broke out,has not yet confirmed the date for his return to India. The Indian rescue team lead by MoS External Affairs, Gen. VK Singh has reached the Juba, the capital of South Sudan which is in the middle of a civil war. Please ask all your relatives and friends in South Sudan to pl make use of this opportunity and move out. #SankatMochan Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 14, 2016 The Indian contingent along with two C-17 military transport aircrafts plan to airlift around 500 Indian nationals who are caught up in the conflict zone. MEA The first batch of 143 people including 10 women three infants onboard a C-17 Globemaster has already departed Juba and is on its way back to New Delhi. Singh also met with South Sudan Foreign Minister Deng Alor Kuol to make the Indian mission smooth. Opn #SankatMochan Close co-ord'n with local authorities. MOS @Gen_VKSingh meets with S Sudan FM Deng Alor Kuol pic.twitter.com/aZbkS7p60R Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 14, 2016 He also met with the Indian soldiers posted in South Sudan as part of the UN Peacekeeping Mission. MEA India which had been keeping a close watch on the developments in the world's youngest country stepped into action immediately after a ceasefire came into effect on Monday. Operation #SankatMochan Check-in formalities begin for evacuation as the first C-17 expected to land in Juba soon pic.twitter.com/xsvHGobqmy Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 14, 2016 MEA More than 300 people have been killed in the latest outbreak of violence in the country. The music of Kashmir is unique. In the past decade, these songs and lullabies have been drowned out by the violence. Mohammad Muneem, who grew up in Kashmir, has been documenting the sounds of the Valley with a contemporary twist. First, with his college friends in Pune for a band named Highway 61 and now, with a more evolved sound that highlights the elements of Kashmiri music and folk instruments - fused with rap, rock and other genres. And it talks a lot more about the reality of Kashmir. In an exclusive chat with Indiatimes, Mohammad Muneem speaks about the need to let go of hate and make more room for tolerance and love. BCCL "I grew up in Srinagar. The things that I remember the most are stories that we all grew up with," he recalls. "The number one priority of our parents and families was to keep us safe. We were not allowed to stay outdoor after evening. Everything would be shut by evening. Nevertheless we found our ways to grow up. In between all this my school, Tyndale Biscoe, kept me busy. "In all things be men" this was the motto of my school, a boy's school founded in 1880." BCCL He continues, "Climbed mountains when ever we could. Crossed Dal lake twice as our schools annual event. Sitting home in curfew. Regular crackdowns by forces. Hiding under the table during firing. Parents working hard to give us the best they can afford. And thankfully so." BCCL "I had never thought music or poetry would happen to me. But as I grew up, creative arts gave me confidence, and I liked that feeling after being bullied for being below what was average. I finished my Engineering and MBA and fell in love with Kashmir even more when things started to make sense to me. And eventually I chose to express myself through creative arts." Talking about the issues plaguing Kashmir, he says, "The plague you mention when talking of Kashmir is a mistrust developed over the years and years of misuse of force and promises. It is based on historic and political facts. What can be done first first and foremost is to stop relying on brute force, which results in what we have been seeing for four days now. How unfortunate is that?" BCCL The Kashmir he sees today is best described as, "It's dark, it's scary. Hospitals are crowed with injured. Some people have more conscience than the rest and some choose to stay indoors for safety reasons and some defy them to help." Emphasising the need for more tourists to muster the courage to visit Kashmir, he says, "Tourism is an industry that can certainly create awareness as well as give exposure of Kashmir to the world. We need more people to carry unbiased stories and experiences. Travellers can travel to anywhere they desire, if you are a true traveller you shall always have the heart to seek. We need more and more travellers going in and out to share the facts." "Let's go beyond hate! We are all capable of being kind and giving." Rejecting media reports that Dr Zakir Naik has for now been given a clean chit conceding that there is simply no case to be made out against the televangelist, investigators said on Thursday that no clean chit has been given to the Islamic preacher and all possible angles of the allegation that his misinterpretations of Islam inspire Muslim youth to pick up arms are being investigated. tarbiyah.net We have not given a clean chit to Dr Naik. Following reports that one of the militants of Dhaka terror attack was inspired by his misinterpretations of Islam, all angles are being thoroughly investigated. He can be questioned if needed once he returns to the city, an officer of the Mumbai Police told Indiatimes requesting anonymity. He said several teams drawn from different investigating agencies like the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and other agencies are now probing the activities of the controversial Islamic preacher. Also Read: Who Is Zakir Naik,The Controversial Indian Islamic Preacher Followed By Two Of The Dhaka Attackers? Sources say the NIA may contact Dr Naik, who is presently out of the country. It has been waiting for his return. Once he lands here, the agency can formally ask him to appear before it to give clarifications, said the sources adding that the central investigating agency has tried to contact him over his cell phone but it was switched off. Officials close to the development said evidence has been provided by other intelligence teams in various states, including Hyderabad, where an IS module reportedly inspired by the speeches of Dr Naik was busted. Videos of Dr Naiks secret meetings with suspected individuals are also among evidences collected by the agency. NIA officials have examined hundreds of speeches delivered by the preacher in the country and abroad and found majority of them highly objectionable. In addition, investigators have scanned his emails as well and many of them related to donations, funding and foreign trips have been found to be suspicious, said the sources. However, Dr Naik claimed in a statement that he has not been contacted by any investigating agency so far. Not a single official Indian government agency has so far contacted me for any clarification regarding this issue. It would be my pleasure to cooperate with any official Indian government investigation agency for any information they might require from me, the doctor-turned preacher said in the statement, strongly condemning terrorism or violence in any form. The Sun...I repeat what I have always maintained I do not support terrorism or violence in any form whatsoever. I have never supported any terrorist organisations and have mentioned this over and over again in thousands of my public talks worldwide. I strongly condemn anyone taking my statements out of context and using it for violence of any form, he added. Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi newspaper that painted Dr Naik responsible for the attack on Dhaka cafe that left 20 dead later retracted the story claiming it did not report that any terrorist was inspired by Dr Zakir Naik to kill innocent people. After the sensational report surfaced, Dr Naik grabbed headlines and sine then there are growing demands for strict action against him. A priest in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh 'purified' a temple with `Gangajal' soon after a group of Dalit women visited it for worship as part of marriage rituals. photoshelter/Represenatational image Though the group was denied entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in Mangalpur town on Monday , the temple priest and his wife performed the ritual by "cleansing the premises with the sacred water of the Ganga". "Munni Devi of the Balmiki community visited the village temple along with a dozen women as part of rituals related to her daughter's marriage that is yet to be solemnized. After the women left, the priest closed the temple for over an hour and washed it with Gangajal," one of the villagers told TOI. deseretnews/Represenatational image "The priest opposed our entry into the temple and used caste insults against us. When we questioned him, he threatened us. We later performed the puja with the help of some locals," Devi said. ADM Shiv Shanker Gupta has assured an investigation into the issue. While the whole of India was reeling under a spate of drought, the Baksa district in Assam was reaping three crops a year. The farmers are oblivious to drought and are taken by surprise when asked if they are affected by climate change. Thanks to the 100-year-old indigenous irrigation system called Dong Bandh- farmers have never seen their harvest ruined by drought or delayed rainfall, despite having no access to irrigation pipes or water pumps. In this district, over 183.7 km of canals have been restored through cleaning and dredging work, which has benefited several hectares of cultivable land. Across much of India, farmers are struggling to have a good peak but drought-like conditions have ruined their crops. So what if they employed the Dong Bandh system? What is the Dong Bandh system? Indian Diaspora This is a network of canals that uses the downhill flow of the areas rivers and streams to bring water to villagers and their fields. Farmers get ample water and are able to grow three crops a year, and this is solely because of the Dong Bandh irrigation network. The system is built, monitored and maintained by locals. This system gives the districts residents access to clean water even as droughts devastate many other areas of the country. How did this system of irrigation come about? Samsul Huda Patri/Flickr The Baksa district in Assam at the foothills of Bhutan is particularly reliant on the rivers and streams that crisscross it, carrying water down from the hills - because digging for underground water is a challenge in this area. This area is rocky making it difficult to dig wells and install hand pumps. Farmers, a century or more ago, found a way to make the land work for them. They built small dams on the rivers and routed the water through canals to their paddy fields and household ponds. Spread throughout an area of around 300 square kilometres, the dong bandh irrigation systems of Baksa serve around 149,000 farmers and 94,600 agricultural labourers, who use it to grow rice, maize, vegetables, tea, betel nuts and leaves. Even though there are no irrigation facilities in the villages, the farmers have no difficulty in cultivating their crops. Irrigation by the committee SANDRP There are 10 local groups responsible for making sure the water keeps flowing. Lahkar is the Secretary of the Dong Bandh Committee which is one of the 10 local groups. The irrigation system uses canals dug from a nearby river and then smaller sub-channels that carry the water to fields and villages. The 50-member committee puts one member in charge of each sub-canal, with the job of monitoring it every day and reporting to the committee about any damage or other issues. The watchman inspects the canal and, if any repair is needed, immediately informs the committee president or secretary, and they in turn ask a member to go and repair it. The committee does the work diligently and any watchman who doesnt show up for work is fined 100 rupees a day. If a new household wants to join the network, it has to apply to the committee and pay a deposit of around Rs. 1000. That money gets them a seat on the committee and access to the water. After that, every household that uses the system pays an annual fee of 40 kg of rice into the committees coffers. Each year, the committee uses around 1,600 kg of the rice to pay the watchmen and committee secretary. Everyone else works for free. Together, the committees and locals have restored much of the irrigation system, parts of which had been abandoned over its century of use. PTI To make sure everyone gets the most out of the system, the central canal management committee oversees the dong bandh network. This committee is made up of 21 executive members from all the branch canal management committees who help resolve disputes in case any arise. How widely can the Dong Bandh system be used? Reuters While the dong bandh system was created before the world recognised the effects of climate change, people in Baksa see it as a prime example of how communities can work together to overcome the challenges of their environment. But how widely it could be used remains a question. Just over 100 kilometres away, villagers and farmers from the nearby Koniha village are still at the mercy of rain for cultivation. The water from hand pumps is also not enough. Asked if the dong bandh irrigation system could benefit other struggling areas, the Canal Management Committee said that it depends on both the place and its people. In Baksa, it is an ideal situation, with the landscape, the nearby rivers and the cooperation of the people. But elsewhere it might not be possible to create such a system. Inspired by the Facebook page, Humans Of New York, a student of chemical engineering at Banaras Hindu University felt inspired to start something similar. He set out to look for something unique as his subject and found inspiration around the bend of the road. Originally from Muktsar, Punjab, Shivdeep Singh, spotted the cows - some in rather bizarre places - and figured he had discovered a goldmine. His narrative, aided on several occasions by his friends and fellow students at BHU, has taken the form of a compelling read. Facebook/Shivdeep Singh "I am a huge fan of Humans of New York (HONY), a human-portrait photography blog on Facebook that has risen above being just a page to a phenomenon. I wanted to do something similar, yet unique. Since I study at Banaras, I remember counting cows along the way on an auto ride from the railway station to my college campus. The number had risen to almost three dozen before I lost count of them. So, since cows are as omnipresent as humans and temples in the city, I decided to do a HONY parody on cows," he says. Cows of Benaras While most people in India are fighting to raise their voices above the din, Singh has no such agenda with the page. "I don't really have much to say. I chose it as a medium to spread smiles and nothing else," he shares. "I intend to establish a parallel world of cows, as a satire on the incidents and experiences that we humans come across in the society. A moo has laughter, sorrows and all emotions too. That's pretty much it." He is equally delighted and inspired by the 'Goats of Bangladesh' page as well. "They are a huge thing now," he says. Funny captions make the photo stories come alive. Cows of Benaras Captioned: "I'm a huge Salmoo Bhai fan. And so I'm preparing myself for Sultan. Bhai looks mast with Anushcow. All those blackbucks and footpath dogs can hate Salmoo bhai as much as they like, but I me and myself don't give a damoo to their bull shit. Eid Moobaraq, by the way." Over the past few months, any talks related to cows is considered "controversial". What is Singh's take on the most revered animal on Indian streets? "Cows are something that a typical Indian city can not do without; and Banaras is no different," he explains. "I could have done an actual Human series by interacting with people but that didn't come so naturally to the introvert in me. So I decided to choose cows as I could find many of them around me, camouflaging with the hustle and bustle of Varanasi. I wanted to speak through them, and hoped it created smiles." Cows of Benaras The caption reads: "I am very fond of Delhites. The bulls over there are so hospitable and soft spoken. They see all cows as sisters. I remember asking this bull where he was from and he said, "Dilli se hoon, behencow." August brings back the memory of a time when the Kashmiri locals joined hands with the Indian army to chase away the Pakistan-backed terrorists who came to Indian territory with an induced imagination of capturing Kashmir, in 1965. Although the Pakistani advancement led to a full fledged war, the brave Indian soldiers along with the fearless locals made sure that the plans of the enemy are buried in the valley forever. Pakistan called it 'Operation Gibralter' to replicate the success of Muslim army in south of Spain centuries ago. defencePK What was 'Operation Gibraltar'? Operation Gibraltar was the code-name given to the operation, Pakistan armed forces especially army launched to infiltrate Jammu and Kashmir in August 1965 in the garb of locals and start a rebellion against Indian rule. Pakistan sought to cash on the growing discontent of Kashmiris and thus infiltrated Kashmir in hope that once instigated, Kashmiris would do rebellion against India and while taking benefit of chaos, Pakistani army regulars would defeat Indian Army and capture the valley. madrasregiment-.org Pakistani General Akhtar Hussain Malik described Operation as "to defreeze the Kashmir problem, weaken Indian resolve, and bring India to the conference table without provoking general war." What led to this Operation? Post India's China debacle in 1962, Indian army was going through massive changes both in personnel and equipment. Pakistan army despite being way smaller than Indian army got a qualitative edge in air power and armour for brief period of time which Pakistan's military establishment wanted to utilise before India could recover from Chinese drubbing. thehindu Moreover, an event of disappearance of a holy relic from Srinagar's Hazratbal shrine in 1963 created turmoil and intense Islamic feeling among Muslims in the valley, which was viewed by Pakistan as ideal opportunity to instigate the sentiment of revolt in Kashmiris. How the operation began? In August 1965, Pakistan Army's 50th Airborne paratroopers and Pakistan Army's guerrillas, disguised as locals, entered Jammu and Kashmir with an objective of fomenting an insurgency among Kashmiri Muslims. Pakistan's plan was that after instigating Kashmiris for rebellion, the 40,000 strong well armed army of Pakistanis garbed as locals would launch offensive against Indian Army. Indian Army broken by the Chinese thrashing wouldn't be able to cope with this sudden attack and since rebellion will be led by Kashmiris themselves, it would be hard for Indians to launch a counter attack. theweek Though Pakistan President Ayub Khan wasn't fully convinced with the plan, but Pakistani generals went ahead with it. In first week of August 1965, Pakistani troops especially of Azad Kashmir Regimental Force (Now Azad Kashmir regiment) who looked like locals infiltrated Kashmir. The troops were divided into 10 forces (5 companies each) and were given different code names, mostly after historically significant Muslim rulers. voiceofnation Initially Pakistani troops got some success and without even encountering with Indian Army, they got hold of key positions. Pakistani-held Kashmir across the Pir Panjal Range into Gulmarg, Uri and Baramulla. They planned to encourage a general revolt, which would be followed by direct combat with Indian army. How Kashmiris failed Pakistan's plans? Despite initial success, the law of averages did Pakistanis in and poor coordination between Pakistan forces resulted in discovery of infiltrators. adityaaryaarchive Kashmiris instead of taking the bait from Pakistanis refused to revolt and many of them became informers for Indian Army who helped Indians to throw Pakistanis out of Kashmir. Pakistani forces had to retreat in haste. Fearing the massive killing of their soldier due to half baked plan, the Pakistan Army had to Open front in Punjab to divide the engagement of Indian army which further led to first full-fledged war between the two neighbours. The Delhi high court on Wednesday asked Arvind Kejriwal to explain the meaning of the word 'thulla' he allegedly used against policemen, as it stayed a trial court order summoning the Delhi chief minister in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by a constable. Image for representational purposes only. Original Images: Firstpost/ Reuters As Kejriwal's entire campaign is proof, the power of words is immense. Police constables had filed a complaint against the Foremost Aam Aadmi of the nation, one of them was hospitalised for this traumatic verbal assault for the word 'Thulla', a North Indian slang word for police officer. Justice Mukta Gupta granted the relief to Kejriwal till August 21 on his plea seeking stay on the summon issued to him by a trial court for his appearance on July 14, which prima facie found that he had committed the offence. "Till the next date (August 21) the petitioner (Kejriwal) is exempted from personal appearance before the trial court," the court said. However, "you (Kejriwal) will have to satisfy this court what is the meaning of the word that was allegedly used by you. So be ready," the court said. image for representational purposes only/twitter The word used by Kejriwal was a Hindi word and the court wanted to know its meaning as it does not exist in the dictionary. "If you have used this word, you must be knowing the meaning. I have not seen this word at all," the judge orally observed. The court's order and oral observation came during the hearing of the plea by Kejriwal who sought stay and setting aside of the trial court's order summoning him as an accused in the case. Senior advocate N Hariharan, appearing for the chief minister, submitted that the word 'thulla' was not used against all policemen but against those indulging in wrong practices. Constable Taneja, posted at Lajpat Nagar police station here, had claimed that being a member of Delhi Police he was defamed by the word used by Kejriwal. In the complaint, filed on July 23, 2015, Taneja had claimed that Kejriwal had used the "derogatory" term for policemen on a news channel while talking about AAP government's "constraints" in ensuring effective functioning of the Anti-Corruption Branch. Indian Air Force Wing Commander Pooja Thakur who in 2015 created history after leading the guard of honour during US President Barack Obama's India visit is taking her organization to the tribunal. BCCL She has approached the Armed Forces Tribunal after being denied permanent commission by the IAF. In her complaint Thakur said the IAF action is "biased, discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable". "The Armed Forces Tribunal admitted the matter and has sought the IAF's response within four weeks," Thakur's lawyer Sudhanshu Pandey said. "IAF says Pooja Thakur was offered permanent commission in 2012, she declined it then and now no new offer can be given," he added. PIB The daughter of an army colonel, Thakur joined the Indian Air Force in 2000. She belongs to the administrative branch and is currently posted at Disha, the publicity cell under the Directorate of Personnel Officers at the Air Force Headquarters. Infamous for his "tractor" style of shooting, Sicilian mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano could have died in a hail of bullets. Instead, the 83 old Cosa Nostra crime groups boss of bosses died of cancer at the San Paolo hospital in Milan in northern Italy. AFP He was born in the village of Corleone the name of which became associated with the Sicilian mafia thanks to the Godfather novels and films and reportedly committed his first murder aged 25, when he killed a rival boss. Provenzano was supreme in the Cosa Nostra family, until his arrest in 2006 after 40 years on the run, during which he communicated with his lieutenants by word of mouth or typewritten notes. He became second in command to mafia leader Salvatore Toto Riina, who presided over a series of gangland wars, and killings of top judges, that were a hallmark of Italian life in the 1980s. AFP Provenzano became the uncontested head of Cosa Nostra after Riina was arrested in 1993 something one informer said Provenzano had had a hand in. He gained a second nickname, the accountant, because of his mastery of his crime empires finances. Italys most-wanted man for many years, he was finally arrested in a farmhouse in his fiefdom in the Corleone region near Palermo, Sicily. Sentenced to several consecutive life sentences, he was transferred in 2014 to hospital in Milan suffering from neurological problems. Italys supreme court rejected a plea from his lawyers to release him on the grounds of ill health. AFP Provenzano had reportedly attempted suicide in his cell in 2012 but was stopped by prison guards. Bosses captured in Italy are imprisoned in particularly severe conditions under a law known as 41-bis, which greatly restricts their contact with other inmates and non-prisoners in an attempt to stop them continuing to orchestrate crime from the inside. If Pokemon Go were a person, then the headline of a front page story would definitely read: "Pokemon Go has made it!" Reuters And made it, it has. Its beaten porn for goodness sake, the one pastime that has maintained top spot on the internet, come rain, come shine. Its become the most popular mobile game in the history of the States. This success then begs the question about the man of the hour. Who is behind the creation thats gotten people off the couch, outside and running? John Hanke is the name youre after. The Man - John Hanke The MBA graduate from Berkeleys Haas School of Business has held some prestigious positions. At Haas, he co-founded a company that developed one of the first games online that allowed people to play together in the virtual world. He then went on to co-found Keyhole, which bridged the gap between geospatial data visualisation and navigation apps on our smartphones. Keyhole was acquired by Google for a staggering $35 million in 2004 and thats when he joined Googles GEO as a Vice President in 2004 and oversaw the development and operation of Google Earth, Google Maps and Google Street views. Newsroom.haas It is at Google that he launched Niantic Labs, which eventually turned his vision into reality. Hankes said, My essay to Haas was written about the opportunity in the space of interactive gaming and technology. I wanted to build applications that would deepen peoples involvement in their town or community, to encourage people to actually meet up in the real world. The pit stop to Pokemon Go was Ingress, which was launched by Hanke and Niantics team in 2011 and is an augmented-reality multiplayer game. Much of the geographical and mapping data for Pokemon Go has been taken from Ingress. Business Insider has called Pokemon Go a spiritual sequel to Ingress. On Niantics blog, Hanke wrote Ingress gave millions of players an entirely new way to see the world around them. NianticLab He wrote, Five years ago, Niantic set out a path to change the way people interact with the world around them by creating the worlds first real world gaming platform. By exploiting the capabilities of smartphones and location technology and through building a unique massively scalable server and global location dataset, we have helped users all around the world have fun, socialize, and get more fit as they play and explore. The success of Pokemon Go does go to show that John Hanke and his team at Niantic definitely brought the world (well, parts that are lucky enough to play it) to its knees by creating the next evolution of real world gaming. The Islamic State terror group which is rapidly losing ground in both Iraq and Syria have been dealt with another major blow. The terror outfit has confirmed that Abu Omar al-Shishani, often referred as the ISIS Minister for War has been killed. RT Isis media outlet Amaq announced the news on Wednesday evening, saying al-Shishani was killed in combat in the Iraqi city of Shirqat, south of Mosul. It however did not specify when he was killed. Twitter Omar-al-Shishani, whose real name was Tarkhan Batirashvili is a Georgian of Chechen roots and a former army commander. In 2010, Batirashvili was diagnosed with tuberculosis, discharged from the army, and later jailed on illegal gun charges. After leaving prison, Batirashvili made his way to Syria and later joined ISIS. Twitter He made a name for himself after being instrumental in the takeover of Menagh Air Base from Syrian government forces in 2013 by Syrian rebels. He later joined ISIS and played a key role in the terror group's systematic attacks and capture of various cities. Twitter Even though his exact designation was unknown, US intelligence believe it was equivalent to a secretary of defence. You don't know it ,but you've probably spotted endangered Bengal tigress Indira, the 96 kg tiger in movies like 'George of the Jungle' and 'Anaconda'. The 15 year old tigress is near blind, and suffers from a rare cataract that also makes her cross-eyed. As a result, she walks into things, falls into ditches, and can't even spot her own food. Along with cataracts, Indira suffers from strabismus, which causes the muscles around the eye to deteriorate. Staff at the University of Sydney anaesthetised and gave her scans today. If we can improve her vision it will absolutely improve her quality of life, Professor Barrs said. "She will be eating better and, for a tiger, vision is so important." She received an ultrasound, MRI and a CT/CAT scan at the universitys veterinary teaching hospital, and veterinary ophthalmologists are now analysing the results. The tigress is under care by the Zambi Wildlife Retreat, an hour's drive from Sydney. Soon after the tests are analysed, she will return to the university for surgery to remove her cataracts. Were excited to announce that indmin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com. A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets. Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials. If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details. Why it Matters the Dallas Police Used a Drone to Kill Someone in America By Peter Van Buren July 14, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - The Dallas police ended a standoff with the gunman who killed five officers with a tactic that is unprecedented: it blew him up using a robot. This represents the first time in American history that a drone (wheels for now, maybe wings later) was used to kill an American citizen on American soil. I get it, I get it. The Dallas sniper had killed five cops. He was prepared to kill as many more as he could. He was in a standoff with police, and negotiations had broken down. The Supreme Court has made it clear that in cases such as this, the due process clause (i.e., a trial before execution in this instance) does not apply. If not for the robot bomb, the Dallas police would have eventually shot the sniper anyway. They were fully in their legal rights to kill him. None of those issues are in contention. I am not suggesting in any way the cops should have invited the sniper out for tea. I am suggesting we stop and realize that in 2016 the police used a robot to send in an explosive to blow a person up. I am unaware that such a thing has happened in Russia, North Korea, China, Iran or other places where the rule of law is held by the few in power. Weapons of War The robot represents a significant escalation in the tools law enforcement use on the streets of America. Another weapon of war has come home from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. In the isolated case of the sniper, dead may be dead, whether by explosive or rifle shot. But in the precedent set on the streets of Dallas, a very important line has been crossed. Heres why this is very bad. As in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is clear that an escalation in force by the police can only serve to inflame a situation, and trigger a subsequent escalation among those who will then seek to defend themselves against robots sent against them. In Americas wars, the pattern of you use a drone, I plant an IED is all to familiar. Will person being blown up by the cops likely soothe community tensions, or exacerbate them? Did the use of other military weaponry calm things in Ferguson, or encourage the anger there to metastasize into other locations? More Force Sooner? And will robots increase or decrease the likelihood cops will employ more force sooner in a situation? The further we remove the officer from the use of force and the consequences that come with it, the easier it becomes to use that tactic, said Rick Nelson, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former counterterrorism official. Its what we have done with drones in warfare. Yet in war, your object is always to kill. Law enforcement has a different mission. Who is Responsible? With a drone, it becomes easier to select the easier wrong of killing over the harder right of complex negotiations and methodical police work. Police officers sign up accepting in some ways a higher level of risk than soldiers, in that cops should be exercising a much more complex level of judgement in when and how to use force. Simply because they can use deadly force or can get away with it does not make it right. A robot removes risk, and dilutes personal responsibility. For example, if an individual officer makes a decision to use his/her personal weapon, s/he takes on full responsibility for the outcome. In the case of a robot, the decision is the product of a long chain of command extending far from whomever has a finger on the switch. The same is true for Americas drone army abroad. The shooter and the decider are far removed from one another. Who is responsible? What if we start to believe no one is? Peter Van Buren, a 24-year veteran of the State Department, spent a year in Iraq. Following his book, We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People, the Department of State began proceedings against him. Through the efforts of the Government Accountability Project and the ACLU, Van Buren instead retired from the State Department on his own terms. His second book, Ghosts of Tom Joad, A Story of the #99Percent (2014) is fiction about the social and economic changes in America between WWII and the decline of the blue collar middle class in the 1980s. Hoopers War , an anti-war novel, is due out in 2016. It is a tale of moral complexity, of decisions made in the split seconds that make up war, set in a fictional WWII where the atomic bomb never worked, and a land invasion of Japan took place. http://wemeantwell.com/ If NATO Encroaches On Nuclear Russia, It Will Be Punished By Sergey Karaganov July 14, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " RT " - Russia has zero trust in NATO and believes that the alliance is preparing to go to war against it, a leading Russian foreign policy expert told 'Spiegel', while warning that, if it comes to a new big conflict, Moscow wont fight it on its own soil. In an interview with the German magazine, Sergey Karaganov, a veteran political scientist and member of the influential Foreign Policy and Defense Council of the Russia Foreign Ministry, said in bold terms that the risk of a new shooting war in Europe has been on the rise for a decade and is now as high as it was at the height of the Cold War. The abundance of propaganda coming from both sides attests to the dangerous state of the crisis, Karaganov said. The Russian media is more reserved than Western media. Though you have to understand that Russia is very sensitive about defense. We have to be prepared for everything. That is the source of this occasionally massive amount of propaganda, he said. But what is the West doing? It is doing nothing but vilifying Russia; it believes that we are threatening to attack. The situation is comparable to the crisis at the end of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s. The expert was referring to a massive build-up of intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe that could have easily led to an unintended nuclear war. The missiles had a very short approach time that left almost no time for an attacked side to react, making automatic retaliation the only possible reaction to a decapitating nuclear barrage. The situation was defused by a ban on intermediate-range missiles signed in 1987. The current buildup of NATO forces on Russias border is not unlike the installation of Pershing and SS-20 missiles three decades ago, at least in terms of the misguided justification for deploying them, Karaganov said. Fears in countries like Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are to be allayed by NATO stationing weapons there. But that doesnt help them; we interpret that as a provocation. In a crisis, we will destroy exactly these weapons. Russia will never again fight on its own territory, he said. The help offered by NATO is not symbolic help for the Baltic states. It is a provocation. If NATO initiates an encroachment against a nuclear power like ourselves it will be punished, he stressed. Part of the problem is the breakdown in communications, as evidenced by the work or lack thereof of the NATO-Russia Council, which was created to resolve differences between the alliance and Russia, but is no longer a legitimate body, according to Karaganov. NATO has become a qualitatively different alliance. When we began the dialogue with NATO, it was a defensive alliance of democratic powers. But then, the NATO-Russia Council served as cover for and the legalization of NATO expansion. When we really needed it in 2008 and 2014 it wasnt there, he said referring to Russias most recent major security crises Georgias attack on South Ossetia and the violent coup in Ukraine. The enmity between Russia and Europe hurts both parties in other ways as well, the expert said. After decades of careless life, Europe has forgotten how to engage in realpolitik, unlike Russia, Karaganov says, meaning that Europe loses out on Russias help on issues such as the refugee crisis, which Moscow is unlikely to offer in the face of the confrontation. In Europe, you have a different political system, one that is unable to adapt to the challenges of the new world. The German chancellor said that our president lives in a different world. I believe he lives in a very real world, Karaganov said. Russia, for its part, is hurt because Russias elites find an excuse not to undertake painful but necessary domestic reforms as long as the threat from NATO exists. Karaganov says Russia wont offer any concessions to the West in the face of the stand-off anytime soon, but, rather, it will refocus its attention eastward while drifting further from Europe, though he admitted that such an outcome is not the best for Russia. We believe that Russia is morally in the right. There wont be any fundamental concessions coming from our side, he said. Psychologically, Russia has now become a Eurasian power I was one of the intellectual fathers of the eastward pivot. But now I am of the opinion that we shouldnt turn away from Europe. We have to find ways to revitalize our relations. Bashar Al-Assad Says U.S. Is 'Not Serious' About Defeating ISIS Video "We wanted to defeat those terrorists, while the United States wanted to manage those groups in order to topple the government in Syria," Assad said. Posted July 14, 2016 Damascus, SANA, President Bashar al-Assad gave an interview to NBC News published Thursday, following is the full text: Journalist: Mr. President, thank you for having us and allowing NBC News to ask you some important questions. President Assad: Youre most welcome in Damascus. Question 1: A few weeks ago, you told lawmakers here that you would retake every inch of Syria. The U.S. State Department called that delusional. Youre a long way from winning this war, arent you? Never mind retaking every inch of Syria. President Assad: Actually, the Syrian Army has made a lot of advancement recently, and that is the goal of any army or any government. I dont think the statement for the United States is relevant. It doesnt reflect any respect to the international law, to the Charter of the United Nations. It doesnt reflect respect of the sovereignty of a country that it had the right to take control of its full land. Question 2: But how long do you think this will take you to win this war? President Assad: Youre talking about something that is related to many factors. The most important factor is how long are the supporters of those terrorists are going to keep supporting them, especially Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with the endorsement of some Western countries including the United States. If you dont have that support, it wont take more than a few months. Question 3: More than a few months. You see, Ive been here ten times, and Ive heard your governors say it will take a month to retake Homs, it will take six months to retake somewhere else. It always takes longer than that. So, realistically, this will take years, wont it? President Assad: Thats why I said that depends on how much support the terrorists are going to have, how much recruitment are you going to have in Turkey with the Saudi money, to have more terrorists coming to Syria. Their aim is to prolong the war, so they can prolong it if they want, and theyve already succeeded in that. So, that depends on the question. If youre talking about how much its going to take as only a Syrian conflict, an isolated conflict, this is where it wont take more than a few months. But if its not isolated, as is the case today with the interference of many regional and international powers, it will be going to take a long time, and no-one has the answer to the question you have posed. Nobody knows how the war is going to develop. Question 4: A year ago, the war was going quite differently. You made a speech in which you said you were short of troops, you had to give up some areas reluctantly. What changed after that? Was it that Russia entered the war? Thats the real reason this war is turning, isnt it? That Russia is on your side. President Assad: Definitely, the Russian support of the Syrian Army has tipped the scales against the terrorists. Question 5: Its the crucial factor? President Assad: It is, it is, definitely. At the same time, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have sent more troops since that Russian legal intervention started, but in spite of that, it was the crucial factor, as you just mentioned. Question 6: So, you owe President Putin a lot. President Assad: Everyone who stood beside us; Russians, Iranians, and even the Chinese stood, but each one in its own way, whether political, military, or economic, because its not one factor; you cannot only talk about the firepower or the human resources. Its a multi-factor issue. All those countries supported Syria, beside other countries who supported to a lesser degree. Question 7: Has President Putin demanded anything of you? Whats the deal? President Assad: When he wanted to intervene? He didnt ask for anything. Question 8: Nothing? President Assad: For a simple reason: first of all, their politics are built on values. This is very important. The second thing, their interest is common interest with us now, because they are fighting the same terrorists that they should fight in Russia. We are fighting the terrorists that could be fighting in Europe, in the United States, anywhere else in the world. But the difference between President Putin and the other Western officials is that he could see that clearly while the other officials in Europe or in the West in general couldnt see that. Thats why his intervention is based on values, and at the same time based on the interest of the Russian people. Question 9: Do you speak much with him? President Assad: When theres something to speak about, of course we speak, or through officials. Question 10: How often, for example, this year, have you spoken with him? President Assad: I didnt count them, but many times. We spoke many times. Question 11: And how would you describe your relationship with him? President Assad: Very frank, very honest, mutual respect. Question 12: But he has demanded nothing of you, is that the case? President Assad: Nothing at all, nothing at all. Question 13: Because the suspicion is that Russia may be working in concert with the United States, and Secretary of State Kerry is meeting Vladimir Putin Thursday in Moscow. The suspicion is that they are coming to some sort of deal that might be bad news for you. President Assad: First of all, regarding the first part, if he wanted to ask for something, he would ask me to fight the terrorists, because this is where his interest as a president and as a country I mean Russia lies. Second, regarding that allegation from time to time, that the Russians met with the Americans and they discussed something about the Syrian issue, like, in order to give the impression that they are deciding what is going to happen in Syria. Many times, the Russian officials many times said clearly that the Syrian issue is related to the Syrian people, and yesterday Minister Lavrov said that clearly; said we cannot sit with the Americans to define what the Syrians want to do. This is a Syrian issue, only the Syrian people can define the future of their country and how to solve their problem. The role of Russia and the United States is to offer the international atmosphere, to protect the Syrians from any intervention. The problem in that regard is that the Russians are honest, the Americans didnt deliver anything in that regard. But, this is not to take the decision about what we have to do as Syrians. Question 14: So just to be clear: neither Foreign Secretary Lavrov nor President Putin has ever talked to you about political transition, about a day when you would leave power? Thats never come up? President Assad: Never, because as I said, this is related to the Syrian people. Only the Syrian people define whos going to be the president, when to come, and when to go. They never said a single word regarding this. Question 15: And youre not worried in the least about Secretary Kerry meeting Vladimir Putin and coming to an understanding in which you may have to leave power? President Assad: No, for one reason: because their politics, I mean the Russian politics, is not based on making deals; its based on values. And thats why you dont see any achievement between them and the Americans because of different principles. The American politics are based on making deals, regardless of the values, which is not the case for the Russians. Question 16: But of course its not just Russia thats bombing your enemies; its the United States. Do you welcome American airstrikes against ISIS? President Assad: No, because its not legal. First of all, its not legal. Question 17: Its not legal for Russia to do it, is it? President Assad: No, they are invited legally and formally by the Syrian government. Its the right of any government to invite any other country to help in any issue. So, they are legal in Syria, while the Americans are not legal, with their allies, of course all of them are not legal. This is first. Second, since the Russian intervention, terrorism has been, lets say, regressing, while before that, and during the American illegal intervention with their allies ISIS was expanding and terrorism was expanding and taking over new areas in Syria. Theyre not serious. So, I cannot say I welcome the un-seriousness and to be in Syria illegally. Question 18: Thousands of missions, hundreds of airstrikes the United States is not being serious in Syria? President Assad: The question is not how many strikes. What is the achievement? Thats the question. The reality is telling, the reality is telling that since the beginning of the American airstrikes, terrorism has been expanding and prevailing, not vice versa. It only shrank when the Russians intervened. So, this is reality. We have to talk about facts, its not only about the pro forma action that theyve been taking. Question 19: So, American airstrikes are ineffective and counterproductive? President Assad: Yes, it is counterproductive somehow. When terrorism is growing, it is counterproductive. Thats correct. Question 20: Whose fault is that? Is that a military fault, or is President Obama simply not being, lets say, ruthless enough? President Assad: No, first of all its not about being ruthless; its about being genuine. Its about the real intentions, its about being serious, its about having the will. The United States doesnt have the will to defeat the terrorists; it had the will to control them and to use them as a card like they did in Afghanistan. That will reflected on the military aspect of the issue. If you want to compare, more than a hundred and twenty or thirty Russian airstrikes in a few areas in Syria, compared to ten or twelve American allies airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, it means militarily nothing. But that military ineffectiveness is a reflection of the political will. Question 21: There was a political will, as you put it, to remove you from power. That was the will of Washington. That seems to have changed. Have you any idea why the United States has changed its mind apparently about your future? President Assad: No, because the problem with the American officials is that they say something and they mask their intentions, they go in a different way. They say something, they say the opposite. They say something, they do something different. So, you cannot tell what are their real intentions. What Im sure about is that they dont have good intentions towards Syria. Maybe they are making tactics, maneuvers, but they havent changed their intentions, as I believe. Question 22: President Obama wanted you out. Hes leaving office soon, and youre staying. Did you win? President Assad: No, its not between me and him. Its between me and whoever wants to destroy this country, and mainly the terrorists within Syria now. This is where we can win as Syrians; if we can get rid of those terrorists, if we can restore the stability in Syria, this is where we win. Otherwise, we cannot talk about winning. Thats true, they didnt succeed, but if they dont succeed in their plans, if it went into a fiasco, it doesnt mean we win the war. So I have to be realistic and precise about choosing the terms in that regard. Question 23: But one of the presidents key aims, which was to remove you from power, has clearly failed, or do you believe its failed? President Assad: Yeah, I said hes failed, but that doesnt mean I win, because for him the war is to remove me, for me the war is not to stay in my position; for me the war is to restore Syria. So, youre talking about two different wars; for me Im not fighting my war, Im not fighting the war that the president should stay. My war is to protect Syria. I dont care about if I stay or not as long as the Syrians dont want me to be in my position. For me, I dont care about what the other presidents want; I care about what the Syrians want. If they want me to stay, Im going to stay, if they want me to leave, Im going to leave. So, its different, a completely different thing. Question 24: Do you feel the United States has fundamentally misunderstood your war with ISIS, with what you might call a common enemy? President Assad: Again, its not a common enemy, because for us we are genuine in fighting not only ISIS but al-Nusra and every affiliated to Al Qaeda organization within Syria. All of them are terrorists. So, if you want to talk not about ISIS, about the terrorist groups, we wanted to get rid of the terrorists, we wanted to defeat those terrorists, while the United States wanted to manage those groups in order to topple the government in Syria. So, you cannot talk about common interest unless they really want to fight those terrorists and to defeat them, and they didnt do that. Theyve been in Iraq in 2006, they didnt try to defeat them. Question 25: But America is very genuine about fighting ISIS. ISIS is a threat to the American homeland. How can you say America is not serious about fighting ISIS? President Assad: Because ISIS has been set up in Iraq in 2006 while the United States was in Iraq, not Syria was in Iraq, so it was growing under the supervision of the American authority in Iraq, and they didnt do anything to fight ISIS at that time. So why to fight it now? And they dont fight it now. Its been expanding under the supervision of the American airplanes, and they could have seen ISIS using the oil fields and exporting oil to Turkey, and they didnt try to attack any convoy of ISIS. How could they be against ISIS? They cannot see, they dont see? How the Russians could have seen it from the first day and started attacking those convoys? Actually, the Russian intervention unmasked the American intentions regarding ISIS, and the other terrorist groups, of course. Question 26: Three years ago, President Obama made a threat against you. He drew a red line, and then withdrew from that and did not attack you. What do you feel about that? Is that the sign of a weak president? President Assad: Thats the problem with the United States. Theyve been promoting for years now that the only good president is ruthless or tough and who should go to war. This is the definition. Otherwise, hes going to be a weak president, which is not true. Actually, for the American administrations since the second World War, they have shared in stoking the fire in conflicts in every part of this world. And as the time goes by, those administrations are becoming more and more pyromaniac. The difference now between those administrations is only about the means, not about the goal. One of them sends his own troops, like Bush, the other one is using surrogate mercenaries, the third one using proxies, and so on, but the core is the same, nothing has changed. Question 27: But to go back to that moment three years ago, was that the sign of a weak United States and a weak president? President Assad: No, because if you want to talk about the core, which is the war attacking Syria, theyve been attacking Syria through proxies. They didnt fight ISIS, they didnt make any pressure on Turkey or Saudi Arabia in order to tell them stop sending money and personnel and every logistic support to those terrorists. They could have done so, they didnt. So, actually they are waging war, but in a different way. They didnt send their troops, they didnt attack with missiles, but they send mercenaries. Thats what I meant. I mean, its the same. Question 28: Did it surprise you that they didnt attack? President Assad: No, no. It wasnt a surprise, but I think what they are doing now had the same effect. So, between mercenaries and between missiles, this one could be more effective for them. So, no, I couldnt say that I was surprised. Question 29: Youre a leader. By drawing a red line and not following through, has that damaged Americas credibility, not just in the Middle East, but in the world? President Assad: But this credibility hasnt ever existed for us, at least since the early 70s, to be frank with you, since we restored our relations with the United States in 1974 we never saw any administration that has real credibility in every issue we dealt with. They never had it. So, I cannot say that it is harmed. Many of their allies dont believe them. I think the American credibility, not because of what you mentioned, because of their politics in general, their mainstream politics, are at an all-time low. Thats how we see it. Question 30: An all-time low in terms of its credibility in the world? President Assad: Generally, yeah. Regarding the politics in general, not regarding Syria. Yeah. Question 31: Do you welcome the end of President Obamas term of office? President Assad: It means nothing for us, because if you change administration but you dont change politics, it means nothing. So, its about the politics, and in Syria we never bet on any president coming or any president going. We never bet. Because what they say in their campaign is different from what they practice after they are elected. Question 32: Youve talked about presidents being the same, never changing their policy, but there will be a new president in the United States next year. Do you hope for a new relationship? Do you believe anything like that is possible? President Assad: Yeah, of course. We always hope that the next president will be much wiser than the previous one, less pyromaniac as I said, less militaristic, adventurist president. Thats what we hope, but we never saw. I mean the difference is very marginal. So, we keep hoping, but we dont bet on that hope. Question 33: So, there will be a new president. There are two main choices: one of them is Donald Trump. What do you know of Mr. Trump? President Assad: Nothing. Just what I heard in the media, and during the campaign. Thats what I say, we dont have to waste our time hearing what they say in their campaign; theyre going to change after they are elected, and this is where we have to start evaluating the president, after the campaign, not during the campaign. Question 34: And youre here in Damascus, what are you hearing in the media about Mr. Trump? President Assad: The conflict between the Americans, but we dont pay much attention to it. I mean, even this rhetoric between the different, lets say, nominees, is changing during the campaign. So, what you hear today is not relevant tomorrow. So, we cannot build our politics on day-to-day politics. Question 35: But youre following this election? President Assad: Not really, not really. Because as I said, you dont follow anything that you cannot consider as connected to the reality yet. Its only connected to the reality when they are in office. So far, its only rhetoric. We dont have to waste our time with rhetoric. Question 36: Simply rhetoric. So, for example, talking about Mr. Trump; anything Mr. Trump says, you wouldnt necessarily believe that would be the policy of a President Trump? President Assad: No, we cannot. Whether Trump or Clinton or anyone. Im talking in general, its not about the names. Its a principle for every American president in every campaign. Question 37: Hes made very few comments about Syria or the Middle East, but hes described you as a bad guy. Does that worry you? President Assad: Thats his opinion. No, its a personal opinion. He doesnt have to see me as a good guy. The question for me: do the Syrians see me as a good guy or a bad guy, not an American person or president or nominee. I dont care about it. Its not part of my political map, lets say. Question 38: One of the things hes said and been very clear about is that he would be much tougher on ISIS. You would welcome that, wouldnt you? Because you just said President Obama isnt serious. President Assad: You dont have to be tougher. This word doesnt have any meaning in reality, in real life, in this region. You have to fight ISIS in different ways. ISIS is not only fighters you have to attack with the strongest bomb or missile. Its not like this. The issue of terrorism is very complicated, its related to the ideology. How can you be tough against the ideology of ISIS? Thats the question. How can you be tough regarding their economy, how they offer money and donations? How can you deal with that? Question 39: I think Mr. Trump is talking about military toughness. He wants to- President Assad: Its not enough, its not enough. You have to be smart. Its not enough to be tough. First of all, you have to have the will, you have to be genuine, then you have to be smart, then you can be tough, and being tough and being militarily active, this is important, but this is the last option when you fulfill the first criteria. Question 40: From what you know of Mr. Trump, is he smart enough? President Assad: I dont know him. When I sit with him face-to-face, I can judge him, but I only look at the person on the TV, and you know on the TV you can manipulate everything, you can make, how to say, you can rehearse, you can prepare yourself, so thats not the issue. Question 41: Do you like what you see on TV of Mr. Trump? President Assad: I dont follow the American elections as I said, because we dont bet on it. We dont follow it. Question 42: He seems to respect President Putin. Does that give you hope that maybe hes a man you could do business with? President Assad: If hes genuine, I think hes saying the right thing, because every person on Earth, whether they agree or disagree with President Putin, should respect him, because hes respectable. He respects himself, and he respects the other, he respects his values, respects the interests of his own people, and hes honest and genuine. So, how cant you respect someone with those descriptions? If hes genuine, I think hes correct. Thats what I can say. Question 43: Mr. Trump has also made comments about Muslims, and not allowing Muslims into the United States. Did that anger you, upset you? President Assad: Yeah, especially in Syria as a melting pot country made of many, many religions and sects and ethnicities, we think this diversity is richness, not the opposite. Its the way the government and the way the influential forces in the society that made it a problem or a conflict. If you can have all those people living in one society with real integration, with harmony, this is richness, this is for the interest of any society, including the United States. Question 44: So, Mr. Trump should not have made those comments about Muslims? President Assad: Anyone shouldnt make any discriminative rhetoric in any country. I dont believe in this kind of rhetoric, of course. Question 45: Mr. Trump has no experience in foreign policy. Does that worry you? President Assad: Who had this experience before? Obama or George Bush or Clinton before? No-one of them had any experience. This is the problem with the United States. You have to look for a statesman who has real experience in politics for years, not because of having a position in Congress for a few years or being minister of foreign affairs for example. That doesnt mean you have the experience. The experience in states should be much much longer. So we dont think that most of the presidents of the United States were well-versed in politics. Question 46: So, a man with no experience in foreign policy in the White House is not necessarily dangerous in your view? President Assad: Anyone who doesnt have experience in any position, in the White House or in the Presidential Palace in Syria or any other country, is of course dangerous for the country, generally. Of course, the United States as a great power, could have more impacts on the rest of the world. But its not only about the experience. At the end, when you have institutions, they can help. Its about the intention. Is he going to be with good experience but with militaristic intentions? Destructive intentions and so on? So, you have to talk about many factors. Its not enough to talk only about the experience. Question 47: Someone with more experience in foreign affairs is Hillary Clinton. She is known to you, in one sense. What would the consequences be if Hillary Clinton wins the election? President Assad: Again, the same, I have to repeat the same answer. It depends on her politics. What politics is she going to adopt? Is she going to prove that shes tough and take the United States to another war or to make escalations? This is where its going to be bad for everyone, including the United States. If shes going to go in another direction, that will be good. And again, we focus more about the intentions before talking about the experience. The experience is very important, but the intention is the most crucial thing for any president. So, can you ask them the question: can they tell genuinely the American people and the rest of the world what their real intentions about their politics are? Are they going to make escalation or were going to see more entente around the world? Question 48: Well, one difference between them clearly is that Mrs. Clinton is determined, it seems still, to get rid of you. At least thats her stated position. Mr. Trump says hes focusing on ISIS, leave you alone. Thats a clear difference between the two. Hillary Clinton, well, Ill ask you the question: does Hillary Clinton represent more of a threat to you than Donald Trump? President Assad: No, because since the beginning of this crisis we heard the same motto Assad must go many times from nearly every Western official in different levels, whether leader or foreign official or any other official. We never cared about it. So you cannot talk about this as a threat; this is interfering in our internal issues were not going to respond to. As long as I have the support of the Syrian people, I dont care about whoever talks, including the president of the United States himself. Anyone. So its the same for us. Thats why I say Clinton and Trump and what Obama said, for me, nothing. We dont put it on the political map, we dont waste our time with those rhetoric, or even demands. Question 49: But if Hillary Clinton as president establishes a no-fly zone over your territory, over northern Syrian for example, that makes a huge difference. President Assad: Of course. This is where you can talk about threat, thats why I said the policy is the crucial thing for us. When they started supporting the terrorists with such projects or plan or step, this is where you can have more chaos in the world. Thats another question: does the United States have an interest in having more chaos around the world, or the United States have more interest in having stability around the world? Thats another question. Of course, the United States can create chaos. Theyve been creating chaos for the last 50-60 years around the world. Its not something new. Are they going to make it worse, more prevailing? Thats another question. But its not about me. Its not about the president. Its about the whole situation in the world, because you cannot separate the situation in Syria from the situation in the Middle East, and when the Middle East is not stable, the world cannot be stable. Question 50: Let me just probe you about how far you might want a new relationship with the United States. ISIS is headquartered in your country in Raqqa. If you knew that ISIS was about to attack the United States, would you warn America? President Assad: As a principle, yes, because they may attack civilians, and I cannot blame the innocents in the United States for the bad intentions of their officials. This is not correct. And as I said many times, I dont consider the United States as a direct enemy as they dont occupy my land. But at the same time, this is, lets say, not realistic, for one reason; because theres no relation between us and the United States. This kind of information or cooperation needs security cooperation based on political cooperation. We have neither. So you cannot have it anyway. Question 51: Ive spoken to your [Deputy] Foreign Minister Dr. Fayssal Mikdad many times, and hes described to me the danger of Syria and its crisis exploding, not just across the Middle East, but across the world, and that has clearly happened. Is, as ISIS is driven back or broken, is there a danger that their fighters scatter? Is there a danger that as you defeat ISIS, the United States becomes more vulnerable to terrorism? President Assad: No. If we defeat ISIS we are helping the rest of the world, because those terrorists coming from more than a hundred countries around the world, including the Western countries, if they arent defeated they will go back with more experience, more fanaticism, and more extremism, and theyre going to attack in those countries. So, if we defeat them here, we are helping every other country, including the United States. Question 52: But ISIS fighters may leave Raqqa, and as weve seen with terrorist attacks in Europe, they come to France, they come to Belgium. They could come to the United States as well and attack. That is a real risk, isnt it? President Assad: Yeah, thats what Im talking about. I said if we defeat them here, if we defeat terrorism in the meaning they cannot go back, we are helping then. If they leave, if they escape, if you keep having this terrorism, this is where you can start exporting those terrorists to Europe, as what happened in France recently. So what you said is correct, thats what I mean. If we defeat them here, and they cannot go back, this is where we help the others. If they go back, they will be a danger to the rest of the world. Question 53: Like any war, there are two sides. Your forces have been accused of doing some terrible things. Ive been here many times and I have seen some of the terrible things as a result of your forces airstrikes, bombardments, and so on. Do you believe one day you will face an international court? President Assad: First of all, you have to do your job as a president. When you are attacked by terrorists, I mean as a country, you have to defend your country, and that is my job according to the constitution. So, Im doing my job, and Im going to keep doing it no matter what Im going to face. Lets be clear about this. Defending the country cannot be balanced with the personal future of the president, whether he is going to face a criminal court or anything like that, or to face death. It doesnt matter. If you dont want to face all these things, leave that position and give it to someone else. Question 54: But the reason people are saying you should face a war crimes tribunal is that you are clearly using any means whatsoever. I mean, I know you dont agree that there are such a thing as a barrel bomb. Never mind the metal, the charges that you are using, indiscriminate force, indiscriminate weapons in civilian areas. Thats true, isnt it? President Assad: First of all, those people, do they have any criteria that what the means that you should use with the terrorists? They dont have. So, this is irrelevant. It has no meaning from a legal point of view and from a realistic point of view. Second, if you talk about indiscriminate, no army would use indiscriminate armaments in such a situation where theres nearly intermingle between the two sides. Question 55: With respect Mr. President, I have seen a bomb thrown from a helicopter. That was indiscriminate. President Assad: Lets say, technically, this is not the issue whether to throw it from a helicopter or from an aircraft. So, this is not the issue. The more important thing, if you want to talk about precise, lets say we are using precise armaments like the Unites States using the drones and the highest precision missiles in Afghanistan, how many terrorists have they killed so far? They have killed many, many folds of civilians and innocents. Question 56: Even if thats true, that doesnt make anything that you do right. President Assad: No, no, no. I mean, first of all, the kind of armament that you are using is not related to what you have mentioned. It is not whether you use high precision or less precise armaments. Theres no such criteria. This is only part of the media campaign recently. Im talking now legally. So, we had the right- Question 57: With respect, it is not just a media campaign. The United Nations, as you well know, has spoken about this. Human rights groups have spoken about this, not just indiscriminate use of weapons against civilians, but the UN spoke this week about the problems in Aleppo, in Darayya, which is just very close to here, of the use of starvation as a weapon of war, sieges. Thats going on right now close to us, isnt it? President Assad: Were going to talk about the siege. Now, regarding the armaments, the only thing that the government cannot use in any war is the armaments thats been banned by international law. Any other armaments that youve been using against terrorism, its your right. So, its our right to use any armament to defeat the terrorists. Question 58: And you know theres a charge that you have used chemical weapons, which you deny. President Assad: We didnt. So far, it has been three years and no one had offered any evidence regarding this, only allegations. Question 59: There is plenty of evidence but you reject them. President Assad: No, no. There is no evidence, actually, only pictures on the Internet and any one can- Question 60: Photographic, scientific, eyewitness President Assad: Nothing. You have a delegation coming from the international organization of chemical weapons. They came to Syria and they didnt have any evidence. They went and collected everything, samples and everything to offer evidence, but they couldnt. There is no evidence. So, we didnt use it, and there is no logic in using it. Question 61: Lets talk about the methods your forces are using close to here which is cutting off an area and besieging it, and there are thousands of civilians very close to here, who are starving. Do you recognize that? President Assad: Lets presume that what you are saying is correct, lets presume that. Now, you are talking about encircled or besieged by the army for years now, not for months, for years. They dont have food, and every basics because the government doesnt allow them, but at the same time they have been fighting for two years, and they have been shelling us with mortars and killing civilians from their area. It means, according to this narrative, that we are allowing them to have armaments, but we dont allow them to have food, is that realistic? Question 62: Thats what the UN says. The UN says, for example, in Madaya its only managed to get four aid convoys in, in all these years. President Assad: How do we prevent them from having food and we dont prevent them from having armaments to kill us? What is the logic in this? This is contradiction. We either besiege everything or we allow everything. This is first. Second, the proof that this is not correct is that you have every video about the convoys coming from the United Nations to reach those areas. Otherwise, how could they survive for years if they are under the siege? Its been years, they have been talking about the same narrative, repeating, reiterating for years now, but people are still alive, how could they live without food? Question 63: As you know, targeting civilians in a war is a war crime and just recently, the family of Marie Colvin, an American journalist, has launched a suit in the United States charging you and your government with deliberately targeting and killing her. You know Marie Colvin; she was a friend of mine. President Assad: Yeah, a journalist, yeah. Question 64: Did your forces target Marie Colvin and her colleagues with an intention to kill her? President Assad: No, very simply. First of all, the army forces didnt know that Marie Colvin existed somewhere, because before that we hadnt known about Marie Colvin. So, its a war and she came illegally to Syria, she worked with the terrorists, and because she came illegally, shes been responsible of everything that befall on her, this is first. Second- Question 65: She is responsible for her own death? President Assad: Of course, she came illegally to Syria. We can be responsible of everyone within our country when they come legally to Syria. She came illegally, and she went with the terrorists. We didnt send her anywhere, we dont know anything about her. Question 66: As you know, that doesnt explain why missiles hit the house that she was in in Homs? President Assad: No, no, nobody knows if she was killed by a missile or which missile or where did the missile come from or how. No one has any evidence. This is just allegations, because its a conflict area, its a war. You know about crossfire, when you are caught in a crossfire somewhere, you cannot tell who killed who. So, these are allegations. Second, we had hundreds of journalists who came to Syria legally and illegally, and they covered for the terrorists, not for the government, and we didnt kill them. So, why to single out this person in order to kill her? There is no reason. This is second. Third, tens of journalists working for the government and support the government have been killed, did we kill them? We didnt. So, this is war. Have you heard about a good war? I dont think that anyone has heard about a good war. Its a war. You always have causalities, you always have innocent people being killed by any means, and no one can tell how. Question 67: You see the impression you give, Mr. President, is of a man who feels he bears no responsibility for the terrible things that are done in his name to the Syrian people. You have an air of oh well, it really does not matter. President Assad: You only bear the responsibility for the decision that you take. You dont bear the responsibility for the decision that you didnt take. Question 68: But some of the decisions youve taken have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. President Assad: Like? Question 69: Attacking certain areas, launching campaigns, airstrikes, the use of certain weapons. President Assad: The only two decisions that weve taken since the beginning of the crisis are to defend our country against the terrorists, and thats a correct decision. The second one is to make dialogue with everyone. We made dialogue with everyone, including some terrorist groups who wanted to give up their armaments, and we made it. Were very flexible. We didnt take any decision to attack any area that doesnt include terrorists or where terrorists dont shell the others cities adjacent to them. Question 70: Do you ever see pictures, photographs, videos of children, for example, in rebel-held areas? And I wonder if you have seen these photographs, what do you feel? Sorrow, regret, nothing? President Assad: My question is, how could you verify that those children that you saw on the internet are in their area? Question 71: You see, there you go again, Mr. President. An answer like that simply reinforces peoples view that you are evading responsibility- President Assad: No, no, no. Question 72: That actually you dont care for the people on the other side that your forces kill. President Assad: That question could be answered, if you answer that question: how can you blame now Bush for the one million Iraqis dead since the war in Iraq in 2003? Question 73: Im not talking about President Bush; I am here to ask you- President Assad: No, no. Im talking about the principle now; its about the principle. The same principle. He attacked a sovereign country, while I defend my country. If you want to use one standard, it is one thing, but if you want to do a double standard, that is another thing. Question 74: Youre still not giving me the impression that actually you care very much. President Assad: No, no. I talk to an American audience, so there must be an analogy between the two things, because it is about the logic that you use to explain something. It is not only about my answer. He attacked a sovereign country while we are defending our country. He killed Iraqi people on their land, we are defending mainly against terrorists who are coming from different places in that world. So, this is our right, while to talk about a clean war where there is no causalities, no civilians, no innocent people to be killed, that doesnt exist. No one could make it. No war in the world. Question 75: Is this how you explain the war, for example, to your children at the breakfast table, I am sure they are very- President Assad: Of course, Im going to talk about the reality, about the facts, while to talk about children being killed, children of who, where, and how? You are talking about propaganda and about media campaigns, and about sometimes fake pictures on the internet. We cannot talk but about the facts. We have to talk about the facts. I cannot talk about allegations. Question 76: Have you ever cried about what happened to Syria? President Assad: Crying doesnt mean you are a good man, and doesnt mean you have a lot of passion; its about the passion thats within your heart, it is not about your eyes, it is not about the tears. This is first. Second, as a president, its about what youre going to do, not about how youre going to feel. How are you going to protect the Syrians? When you have an incident, bad incident, and you have it every day, do you keep crying every day, or you keep working? My question is how I can help whenever I have a bad event or incident. I ask myself how can I protect the other Syrians from having the same problem. Question 77: What are you going to do next? Are you just going to go on and on and on? You and your father have been in power for forty-six years, is that right? President Assad: No, its not right, because he is a president and I am another president. So, its not right. The description is not right at all. He was elected by the Syrian people, and I was elected after he died. He didnt put me in any position, so you cannot connect. Im a president, and hes a president. I have been in power for sixteen years, not for forty-five years. Question 78: You have been in power for sixteen years, my question is: are you going to go on and on and on? President Assad: Ah, in my position? In my position, you have to ask the Syrian people. If they dont want me, I have to leave right away, today. If they want me, I have to stay. It depends on them, I mean, if I want to stay against their will, I cannot produce, I cannot succeed, and I do not think I have the intention not to succeed. Question 79: How do you think history will remember you? President Assad: How I hope history will remember me. I cannot foretell; I am not a fortuneteller. I hope that history will see me as the man who protected his country from terrorism and from intervention and saved its sovereignty and the integrity of its land. Question 80: Because you know what the first draft of history is saying, that youre a brutal dictator, you are a man with blood on your hands, more blood on your hands than even on you father. President Assad: No, again, I will draw that example if you have a doctor who cut the hand because of a gangrene to save the patient, you do not say hes a brutal doctor. Hes doing his job in order to save the rest of the body. So, when you protect your country from the terrorists and you kill terrorists and you defeat terrorists, you are not brutal; you are a patriot. That is how you look at yourself, and thats how the people want to look at you. Question 81: And that is how you see yourself, as a patriot? President Assad: I cannot be objective about looking at myself. The most important thing is how the Syrians look at me, that is the real and objective opinion, not my opinion. I cannot be objective about myself. Journalist: Mr. President, thank you very much for answering NBCs questions and for taking time to talk to me. Thank you very much. President Assad: Thank you. The Myth of the War on Terrorism Debunked at last By Justin Raimondo July 14, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Antiwar " - Remember Were fighting them over there so we dont have to fight them over here? That was the justification for the worldwide war on terrorism the Bush administration trumpeted in the early days of the post-9/11 era. Keeping in mind that the American people dont really care about what goes on thousands of miles away, and that the purpose of our foreign policy is ostensibly to keep us safe here at home, the Bushies and their neocon Praetorian Guard always kept their focus on the threat that was supposedly hanging over our heads: another 9/11. As that Old Right prophet Garet Garrett put it some sixty years ago, US foreign policy was rationalized to the public with a complex of vaunting and fear, and this was the fear part. But now we hear that the latest iteration of the Terrorist Threat ISIS is losing ground in Syria, its home base: some 12 percent of its territory has been lost to a combination of opponents, and the Caliphate, were told, is shrinking. So does that mean the Terrorist Threat is abating, and we can get back to living our lives? Heck no! As CNN reports: IHS [Information Handling Services] senior analyst Columb Strack says that as the Islamic States caliphate shrinks and it becomes increasingly clear that its governance project is failing, the group is re-prioritizing insurgency." He told CNN: As a result, we unfortunately expect an increase in mass casualty attacks and sabotage of economic infrastructure, across Iraq and Syria, and further afield, including Europe. In other words, ISIS is going to become a more traditional terror group, boasting of its international reach to attract recruits and bolster morale as it loses ground in Iraq and Syria. So lets see if I have this straight: we fought them over there so we dont have to fight them over here, but now that were winning over there theyre coming over there. Got that? This preposterous shell game is becoming so transparently phony that not even the experts and government officials pushing it can possibly believe it. In reality, the war on terrorism had nothing to do with protecting the American people from harm: it was always all about projecting US power as far as possible and effecting regime change throughout the Middle East. And not only there The real regime change came about right here in the good ol US of A: a system of universal surveillance was instituted as the Patriot Act was passed by a Congress that never bothered to read it. The police were militarized after all, the Bad Guys were about to launch an attack on Peoria, or wherever, and we had to be ready. The banks were forced to report all suspicious transactions, and if you bought a pressure cooker your name went on a list of terror suspects. This was followed, more recently, by an attack by the Left on the Second Amendment: if your name is on a terrorist watch list, or the mysterious no fly list, the Nanny State would prevent you from getting your hands on a gun and screw the Constitution. Regime change at home and abroad thats the real point of the war on terrorism. The idea was and is to overthrow not only whatever government dares to get in the War Partys way, but also to overthrow the Constitution and the rule of law in the United States. A real double-header! In fact, our strategy empowers what might have been marginal terrorist groups, and seems almost designed to do so. We attacked Iraq, and created a power vacuum which al-Qaeda and ISIS filled: then we aligned with moderate jihadists in Syria in order to overthrow Bashar al-Assad and drain off support from ISIS. Instead we accomplished exactly the opposite of our intended goal: the moderates defected to ISIS and al-Qaeda, and the Caliphate grew in size and stature. Thousands of Muslims flocked to the region to fight the latest holy war. So we essentially re-invaded Iraq Obama just sent in more troops, with more to come and retook 12 percent of their territory. And now theyre spreading into Europe and trying to reach the US, as they did in San Bernardino and Orlando. ISIS split off from al-Qaeda over a strategic issue: where to concentrate their forces. The original strategic vision of Osama bin Laden was to go after the far enemy that is, to hit America and wait until going for their ultimate goal: the creation of a global Caliphate. ISIS disagreed with this gradualism, and determined that it was time to establish the Caliphate here and now. The advantages of this strategy were twofold: 1) It would show that they could actually govern, and that their program wasnt just a nihilistic vision of destruction for its own sake, and 2) The Caliphate would attract foreign fighters in sufficient numbers to fight the infidels and win. Like all successful revolutionaries, the leadership of ISIS employs an entrepreneurial strategic and tactical flexibility while never losing sight of its ultimate goal. So while the Caliphate may be losing territory at the moment, it is extending its reach to make the enemy pay a high price and attracting more recruits in the process. The idea that we can stamp out these terrorist outfits by going on the offensive in distant Syria, or wherever denying them safe havens is a delusion that never seems to die. Thats because the delusion serves the domestic interests of our rulers so well. The nations of the Middle East were never real entities to begin with: the borders of Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and the Gulf states were determined by the European colonialists who carved up the remnants of the old Ottoman empire to suit their own purposes. And when these nations achieved independence, they did not suddenly become more real. What is happening today is the shakeout of competing factions along religious and ethnic lines: the Sunnis, the Shiites, the Kurds, etc. etc. are all asserting their right to self-determination. When ISIS demolished the flimsy barrier that separated Syria from Iraq, and proclaimed the abolition of the Sykes-Picot agreement, they were expressing their contempt for the post-World War I order imposed by the West an order that is dying a bloody and chaotic death in spite of our futile efforts to preserve it. So whats the solution? Terrorist attacks on the West wont stop any time soon, no matter what we do or dont do. Too much blood has been spilled, and the dead cry out for vengeance. We cant undo the invasion of Iraq the single most destructive act in the modern history of the Middle East but we can stop making the same mistake unto eternity. As Ive written before, we should quarantine the entire region. Stop intervening, and let the religious fanatics who are making the region a killing field stew in their own poisonous juices. Stop supporting the Saudis the main agitators of jihadism; stop supporting Israel: stop supporting the Iraqi government; stop sending in troops and concentrate our limited resources on making sure the terrorists dont make it to the continental United States. And if this be isolationism, then let the War Party make the most of it. Because the American people are done with global crusading. Enough is enough: let them kill each other if thats what theyre intent on doing. Lets just make sure that they arent killing us. Justin Raimondo is the editorial director of Antiwar.com, and a senior fellow at the Randolph Bourne Institute. He is a contributing editor at The American Conservative, and writes a monthly column for Chronicles. He is the author of Reclaiming the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative Movement [Center for Libertarian Studies, 1993; Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2000], and An Enemy of the State: The Life of Murray N. Rothbar After Dallas Shootings, Police Arrest People for Criticizing Cops on Facebook and Twitter By Naomi LaChance July 14, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " The Intercept " - Four men in Detroit were arrested over the past week for posts on social media that the police chief called threatening. One tweet that led to an arrest said that Micah Johnson, the man who shot police officers in Dallas last week, was a hero. None of the men have been named, nor have they been charged. I know this is a new issue, but I want these people charged with crimes, said Detroit Police Chief James Craig. Ive directed my officers to prepare warrants for these four individuals, and well see which venue is the best to pursue charges, he added. Five police officers were killed in the Dallas shootings, constituting the highest number of police casualties in an attack since September 11. And as a result, law enforcement officials everywhere are suddenly much more sensitive to threats against their lives. But one result has been that several police departments across the country have arrested individuals for posts on social media accounts, often from citizen tips raising concerns among free speech advocates. Arresting people for speech is something we should be very careful about, Bruce Schneier, security technologist at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, told The Intercept. Last weekend in Connecticut, police arrested Kurt Vanzuuk after a tip for posts on Facebook that identified Johnson as a hero and called for police to be killed. He was charged with inciting injury to persons or property. An Illinois woman, Jenesis Reynolds, was arrested for writing in a Facebook post that she would shoot an officer who would pull her over. I have no problem shooting a cop for simple traffic stop cuz theyd have no problem doing it to me, she wrote, according to the police investigation. She was charged with disorderly conduct. In New Jersey, Rolando Medina was arrested and charged with cyber harassment. He allegedly posted on an unidentified social media platform that he would destroy local police headquarters. In Louisiana, Kemonte Gilmore was arrested for an online video in which he allegedly threatened a police officer. He was charged with public intimidation. Certainly, posting that kind of thing on social media is a bad thought, professor Larry Dubin of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law told the Detroit News. But having a bad thought isnt necessarily a crime. The policing of online threats is hardly a new issue. The Supreme Court set a precedent last year when it ruled that prosecutors pursuing a charge of communicating threats need to prove both that reasonable people would view the statement as a threat and that the intent was to threaten. Elonis v. United States dealt with a man who had posted violent rap lyrics about his estranged wife; the court reversed his conviction. After Dallas, threats may seem more threatening to police officers around the country, said Daniel Medwed, professor of law at Northeastern University. We might be seeing more arrests right now because the police will interpret that they have probable cause to make the arrest, he said. But that doesnt mean in the end that this will result in convictions, he added. Schneier urged that law enforcement use caution. This is complicated, he said. We dont know how to do this were doing it pretty badly, and we should do it better. Six men on Thursday appeared before a Federal High Court in Lagos charged with illegal sale of petroleum products at Seme near Badagry. The accused are Peter Loco, Isaac Okpono, Abagbo Achika, Kulubu Itieni, Sode Junior and Ado Sikiru. They are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and illegal distribution of petroleum products. They pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following an oral application for their bails by defence counsel, Mr John Owoyemi, Justice Babs Kuewumi, admitted the accused to a bail of N500, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum. He added that one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below grade level 12, while the other surety must be a blood relation of the accused and must have a landed property in Lagos. Earlier, Prosecutor Rita Ezeilo, told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 1. She said they were arrested at Ilero near Seme border in Badagry, Lagos State, for dealing in petroleum products without lawful authority or licence. Ezeilo said the sale of the products was a contravention of Section 7 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004. The judge adjourned the case to Sept. 7 for trial Source: Vanguard Abia state government is close to securing a $200 million loan facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for infrastructure rehabilitation in the state. A team of experts from the AfDB led by the Banks transport specialist, Mr. Mwila Aerondeal Katambula was in the state capital to check how far the state had gone in meeting the conditions necessary to access the loan including setting up Abia State Integrated Infrastructure Management (ASIIM) and conceptual engineering designs of the projects which the expected fund would be used to finance. The team had earlier held meeting with governor Okezie Ikpeazu as well as the commissioner for works, his finance counterpart, Mr. Obinna Oriaku and the Speaker of Abia House of Assembly, Rt Hon Martins Azubuike. The governor in the meeting said the state was eagerly awaiting the intervention of the AfDB in the rehabilitation of infrastructure in the state, especially the commercial city of Aba. Road infrastructure is very important to us in Aba. Apart from being the commercial nerve Centre of Abia, Aba is the SME Centre of Nigeria. Aba is very important to the economy of both Abia and Nigeria, Ikpeazu said. He said road infrastructure, waste management and storm water management remain big challenges we face in Aba, adding that Abia State does not have the resources to do good work on the problematic roads like Port Harcourt and Ikot Ekpene roads. But he noted that the AfDB has renewed our hope will come very soon and the roads will be fixed, assuring his government has done its part in doing what is required of us in terms of ensuring that the ground work is done to enable AfDB come in. The AfDB team leader, Katambula said: We are eager to participate in the development of Abia State. Our mission today is a follow up to meeting we had before, we want to ensure that everything is ready because we want to fast track the projects that the Bank will take up in Abia. A support group of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives to jettison their purported plans to sabotage the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari in putting Nigeria back on the path to sustainable development. The group, APC Vanguard for Peace and Tranquility, in a statement issued by one of its leaders, Sanusi Alhassan Kandahar, in Bauchi on Wednesday, called on Buhari not to relent in his efforts of restoring the lost glory of Nigeria, no matter the threats and frustration from corrupt leaders. According to the group, the alleged ongoing systematic sabotage of the anti-corruption war by the National Assembly, spearheaded by embattled Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, was intended to destroy the APC and restore corrupt practices and bribery in government business. Bukola and Dogara insulted the credibility of the APC by occupying their positions, the group said. It further claimed that the duo have been banding together in their mission to destroy what remains of the APC. Kandahar further said that the legislators were only interested on how to discourage President Buhari from serving the people through baseless allegations and intimidation, calling on Nigerians to stand against their antics. Going by their political interactions and actions against the state government, Dogara and other National Assembly members from Bauchi State are more of PDP than APC, he said. The #BringBackOurGirls group, Lagos State chapter, has berated Senator Dino Melaye for threatening to beat up the senator representing Lagos Central District, Oluremi Tinubu, during a heated debate in an executive session held by the senators on Tuesday. In a statement issued Wednesday and jointly signed by Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, Aisha Oyebode, Ayo Obe, and Habiba Balogun, the group described Melayes actions as disgusting. While the issues of the senate and their disagreements remain strictly their issue, it is pertinent to put an end to this recurring act of threat of violence against women, the group said in the statement also signed by Yemi Adamolekun, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Ngozi Iwere, Olalere Babasola, and Adwoa Edun. It is further disheartening that there is no indication to suggest that the leadership of the Senate has referred this weighty allegation for investigation by its Committee on Ethics and Privileges. According to the #BringBackOurGirls group, the Kogi senators actions are a reminder of the dark ages, calling on National Assembly to stop tolerating misogynists like Mr. Melaye in their ranks. With the likes of Senator Dino Melaye in the Nigerian Senate, the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill which we are campaigning for might never see the light of day, the group said. How can we encourage women to take elective positions without fear when the senate, which has only seven (7) female members out of the 109 members, has men like Senator Dino Melaye threatening the few that have dared the odds to get into politics? How can we put an end to violence against girls and women when those who lead/make these laws are guilty of the same acts? Are there no rules and code of conduct in The Senate? Are there no penalties for irresponsible behavior? Our future and that of our children depend on the actions we take now and we must put an end to this recurring act of violence, abuse and threats. The group noted that with the Lagos #BringBackOurGirls group being members of the constituency represented by Mrs. Tinubu, a former first lady of Lagos, they are calling for an action against Melaye. The Nigerian Senate should not aid and abet him this time, they said. If we, as BBOG Group, are asking the State to protect our girls, then such statements in our hallowed chambers should most definitely be strongly condemned and properly dealt with. President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday met separately behind closed-doors with the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo III, and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali NaAbba at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. First to have audience with the president inside his office for less than an hour was the monarch, but no official statement was made as to the agenda of the meeting Oba Gbadebo attended the meeting alone, accompanied to the presidents office by the protocol officers in the State House. When he was accosted by State House correspondents as he departed the presidential villa, the monarch declined making any comments. At about noon, President Buhari also granted audience to NaAbba. Like the monarch, he was also escorted to the meeting, which held behind closed doors by the protocol officers. No official statement was issued on why the former Speaker met privately with the president. Buhari also met with a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice George Oguntade, in his office. Former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro has been granted permission to seek medical attention abroad by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Moros lawyer, Paul Erokoro (SAN) had prayed the court to allow his client seek medical treatment abroad. Lawyer to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Farouk Abdallah, while arguing that the ex-minister failed to show that his ailment cannot be treated in the country, and that he also failed to provide evidence of an appointment with a specialist abroad opposed the motion. However, Justice Dimgba, in a brief ruling, ordered the release of Moros international passport, currently in the custody of the courts registrar and directed him to return the passport to the court 48 hours after his return from the two-week medical trip. The judge also ordered Moro to ensure his presence in court on September 29 for the continuation of their trial. Moro is being tried with a former Permanent Secretary in the Interior Ministry, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, an ex-director in the ministry, Felix .O Alayebami and a firm, Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited, on an 11-count charge of defrauding 675, 675 graduate applicants of about N675,675,000 having been made to pay N1000 each as processing fees for 5,000 (five thousand) job openings They are being tried over their alleged involvement in the botched 2014 recruitment exercise of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) while Moro was Minister. The four defendants were also accused of breaching the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 in the award of the contract for the organisation of the recruitment test to Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd. A popular Nollywood actor, Emeka Ike has informed a Lagos Island Customary Court that he had filed an application before a High Court restraining the lower court from hearing the divorce suit filed by his estranged wife, Emma. Emma had sometime in 2015 approached the court to dissolve the 16 year union between her and the Nollywood actor on grounds of incessant battery. The allegation which the actor had vehemently denied, and begged the court not to separate them, saying I still love my wife. When the matter which was slated for judgment came up on Tuesday, Emekas lawyer, Mr Abdul Labi-Lawal informed the court that his client had filed a stay of proceedings before a High Court in Lagos. The application marked FCMP/20054/16 had Emma and the Customary Court President, Mr Awos Awosola as the first and second defendants respectively. The application sought the High Courts declaration that the Lagos Island Customary Court lacked requisite jurisdiction to entertain and determine the Ikes divorce suit. The application noted that the marriage between the estranged couple was conducted in Enugu State under the Igbo customs and traditions. Emeka also urged the High Court to declare that all the proceedings already conducted by the Customary Court in respect of couples marriage be rendered null and void. The Nollywood actor also applied for a perpetual injunction restraining the Customary Courts President, Awosola, and any other person appointed in the capacity of entertaining and or continuing the proceedings in respect of the couples divorce suit. Labi-lawal, therefore, urged the court to stay proceedings on the suit pending the hearing and determination of the suit at the High Court. Opposing the application, Emmas lawyer, Mr Iheanyi Awa urged the court to discontinue the stay of application and deliver judgment. Awa, who said Emekas application was aimed at arresting the courts judgment, informed the court that neither his client nor himself had been served with the application. It is an attempt to arrest the judgment of the court, I am aware that the respondent wants to arrest the judgment which is to be delivered today. The stay of proceedings has been decided for a long time and court has ruled that it has jurisdiction to entertain the matter. It is a ploy to frustrate my client, they just want to delay the judgment till another day. The court should give its judgment and if they are not satisfied, they can appeal, he said. After listening to the submissions of both parties, the court said; In view of the submission of the respondent, the stay of proceedings is hereby granted, and the matter is hereby adjourned sine die. Source: Vanguard Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi west senatorial district has been in the news lately. He allegedly called Senator Oluremi Tinubu names during an explosive session of the National Assembly. Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, he refuted reports that he threatened, during a closed door session of the senate on Tuesday, to beat up Senator Tinubu and impregnate her. INFORMATION NIGERIA brings you up to speed with everything we need to know. 1.Mr Melaye says the allegation is malicious and a lie that he said he would impregnate Mrs Tinubu. 2.That it is even biologically impossible to impregnate Mrs Tinubu because she has arrived menopause. He added how can you say you want to beat somebody and at the same time impregnate the person. 3.Melaye says everything started when told the senate that since it had passed a resolution saying that its rules were not forged, senators who went to court should withdraw the case of face suspension. 4.He said Senator Oluremi Tinubu got up and was recognised to speak and immediately she started speaking, she specifically mentioned his name. 5.And Mrs Tinubu said she said that she was being harassed in this chamber by Senator Melaye at this point. A 38-year-old man, Festus Ajaere, has met his Waterloo after defrauding a stove seller of N10 million and has been sentenced to 36 months in Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos. The convicted criminal who posed as an importer on the false excuse of importing and supplying stoves to the businesswoman had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges. The Prosecutor, Insp. Nurudeen Thomas told the court that the accused had some time in February 2012 at Evans Street, Lagos Island, obtained the money under false pretences. Ajaere, who said he was an importer with others still at large, defrauded a kerosene stove and lantern seller (names withheld) of N10 million under the pretext of supplying her stoves. In her ruling, The Chief Magistrate of Tinubu Court, Mrs Kikelomo Ayeye, said: You are hereby sentenced to three years imprisonment with hard labour without an option of fine. She however, warned those in the habit of defrauding innocent citizens to desist and find decent jobs to do. Politics is a game of many paradoxes and it gets no better than this. 61 year old French President, Francois Hollande whose campaign promise before coming to power was to lead like a normal president has been discovered to maintain a hairdresser that has cost taxpayers about $10,000 per month since 2012. To put the extravagant cost in perspective, Hollande pays his personal hairstylist just as much as a French minister earns monthly! The hairdresser has been identified as Olivier Benhamou and he is certainly earning princely wages! If he finds the expense normal, most taxpayers certainly do not! It has sparked a twitter hashtag #CoiffeurGate for a man who has become increasingly unpopular over the years. Perhaps an all time low for Hollande was the stringent opposition to proposed labour reforms just over a month ago. Nigeria Senate sources speaking to SaharaReporters about the rancorous closed-door meeting yesterday have disclosed further damaging details of the outburst of Kogi State Senator Dino Melaye, including his use of the F-word on a female colleague. Yesterday, SaharaReporters published an article on how Mr. Melaye threatened and made defamatory remarks to Senator Remi Tinubu (APC Lagos Central Senatorial District) Mr. Melaye also threatened to kill anyone who showed up to testify against Senate President Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu in their ongoing forgery case. Senators present during the meeting told SaharaReporters that Mr. Melayes meltdown was far worse than initial reports suggested. It would be recalled that SaharaReporters reported that Mr. Melaye threatened, in effect, To Molest Mrs. Tinubu, saying he would beat her up and impregnate her on [the floor of the Senate] and nothing will happen. In a related report on Wednesday, Premium Times quoted one of the Senators as confirming Mr. Melayes full statement to be, Look this is not Bourdillon (the Lagos residence of Mrs. Tinubus politician husband, APC National Leader Ahmed Bola Tinubu). I will beat you upimpregnate you and nothing will happen. The source described the event as being one of those dirty sessions in the Senate, saying, There [were] ramblings, uproar and profanities. It was so sad. Our Senate sources told SaharaReporters Mr. Melaye let Mrs. Tinubu have the full brunt of his anger, telling her F you! Apparently then thinking about what he had just said, he added condescendingly that he would not actually do that because it would be like being with a dried-up Bonga (dry fish). I would rather be with a more robust and beautiful woman like Stella Oduah, Mr. Melaye assured Mrs. Tinubu. Melaye has over time proved to have a problem with women, with his volatile marriages the source of juicy gossip in the media in recent years because of reported abuse allegations against him. His first wife, Tokunbo Melaye, reported that he had repeatedly beaten her when she was pregnant, and later posted photos online to show the public how abusive Mr. Melaye had been to her. He became embroiled in a messy adultery case during his marriage to Tokunbo when Nollywood actress Bisi Ibidapo Obe accused him of being responsible for her pregnancy. On Twitter, Tokunbo accused him of lying about his relationship with the actress, stating among other choice words, You have a Masters degree in lying, but I have a Ph.D. in detecting bullsh*t! In 2015, SaharaReporters exclusively reported how Mr. Melaye used unlawful bank accounts he opened and runs in the United States to remove a tattoo of his second wife, Alero Melaye, from his body while he was on an official trip to the United Nations with embattled Senate President Bukola Saraki. His marriage to Alero, which was also short-lived, was similarly marred by allegations of physical abuse, and ended in 2014. In the wake of the public humiliation following that report, as well as a series of reports questioning how Mr. Melaye is able to afford the lifestyle of a king on the salary of a public servant, he suffered another meltdown and appeared in the Senate Chambers dressed up as a Babalawo. Earlier this year, in a contribution on the floor of the Senate concerning the need for Nigerians to patronize made-in-Nigeria goods, Mr. Melaye criticized Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole for importing his wife rather than marrying a Nigerian woman. Mrs. Lara Oshiomhole is from Cape Verde. In response, the governor noted that it is no secret that Senator Melaye cannot maintain a decent matrimonial home, hence his ability to descend to using the hallowed chambers of the Senate to cargorise women as if they were pieces of items for purchase. Dismissing him, Governor Oshiomhole said, Any responsible individual that is truly worth to be called a Senator, a position that convokes respect, decorum, and decent public conduct, should know the limits of his verbal diarrhoea. [His] outbursts have become more frequent from Mr. Melaye, who gained considerable notoriety for protesting against Mrs. Oduah following her BMW car scandal in 2014 during her tenure as Minister of Aviation. It will be recalled that last February in Lagos, Mr. Melaye refused to answer questions from a SaharaReporters correspondent concerning his August 2015 New York tattoo removal at a time he was supposed to have been at the 4th United Nations Conference of Parliamentary Heads with Senate President Bukola Saraki. Mr. Melaye also became very hostile to SaharaReporters when asked about how he has amassed enough wealth to purchase his many cars and properties in Nigeria. He subsequently went on to become one of the major proponents of the social media bill, which was laughed out of relevance and out of the Senate by Nigerians. Since yesterday, Mr. Melaye has attacked SaharaReporters and other platforms for reporting on his threats and vulgar comments in the Senate, but he has neither denied making the remarks nor retracted them. Nigerians have been criticizing Senator Melaye in droves. Since yesterday, our initial report on his latest meltdown has attracted over 600 comments, over half of them in the first couple of hours. Source: Sahara Reporters The Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has appointed two professional audit firms to carry out comprehensive audit of Police Investments and subsidiaries. The acting IG made the disclosure while addressing the Board and Management of Police Investments Bodies and subsidiaries, at the Police Headquarters Abuja on Wednesday. A statement on Thursday from the Force Public Relations Officer, Don Awunah, quoted Mr. Idris as saying the measure is in line with the Federal Governments agenda to institutionalize fiscal discipline, transparency, probity and accountability in the management of public funds. He also said the exercise is aimed at carrying out due diligence to ascertain the true financial position, assets and liabilities, challenges and recommendations on how to restructure and reposition the subsidiaries for effective and efficient services, profitability and return of investment to shareholders and Nigeria Police Community at large. According to Acting IG Idris, fighting corruption at all levels is part of his vision for the Police, which is in tandem with the cardinal point of the present dispensation. He disclosed that the Force Management Team appointed Messrs. Nsebot William & Co and Gbenga Abimbola & Co to carry out the special assignment, which would be completed in six weeks. He, therefore, urged the board and management of the investment bodies and subsidiaries to corporate with the various auditing firms assigned to their respective outfit by giving them unhindered access and other assistance to ensure a smooth and successful audit exercise. The statement listed the Police Investment bodies and subsidiaries to be audited to include: NPF Pensions, NPF Mortgage Bank, NPF Corporative Ltd, NPF HMO, NPF Insurance and NPF Property Dev, Company. Ahead of the Nov. 26 governorship election in Ondo State, The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has commenced the training of 204 e- collation staff of the commission. While speaking with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Akure, the Head of Voters Registration and ICT in the state, Mr Olubunmi Egbeeye, said the training which would last for six days was necessary for the conduct of the election. Mr Egbeeye said: We want to get our staff acquainted with ICT knowledge and with all the new technology to be used during the Nov. 26 gubernatorial election. We aim to cover every member of INEC family with in-depth ICT knowledge. It is better we start training e- collation officers now as they would be the one to train ad-hoc staff in all the 36 state of the federation. He added that, E- collation is done only by INEC staff and the manual collation will be done by outsiders as it will be a check to manual collation. A Lagos Senator representing Lagos East Constituency and Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Gbenga Ashafa has expressed his displeasure at Senator Dino Melayes uncouth remarks to Senator Remi Tinubu, wife of a former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu. INFORMATION NIGERIA brings you everything he said in this piece. They reviewed the matter 1. Having reviewed the undenied happenings in the senate on 12th July 2016, myself and @YAYIAdeola have since issued a press release to wit: Gbenga Ashafa (@SenGbengaAshafa) July 14, 2016 They are not pleased 2. We deplore in very strong terms the use of abusive, threatening, uncouth, vulgar and un-parliamentary language by ANY senator. Gbenga Ashafa (@SenGbengaAshafa) July 14, 2016 And only appreciate dialogue and due process 3. We are strongly in favour of resolving ANY conflict that has arisen in course of our representation through dialogue and due process. Gbenga Ashafa (@SenGbengaAshafa) July 14, 2016 But would tolerate threat or intimidation 4. We will not be part of any solution obtained through any form of coercion, threat, intimidation and ungentlemanly conduct of a senator. Gbenga Ashafa (@SenGbengaAshafa) July 14, 2016 And they refuse to be part of those comments 5. We dissociate ourselves from the comments and behavior of Sen. Dino Melaye (APC Kogi West) at the Executive Session of 12th July 2016. Gbenga Ashafa (@SenGbengaAshafa) July 14, 2016 And their reason thus; 6. Reason being, we represent people known for finer character and noble culture of social interaction in Lagos State. Gbenga Ashafa (@SenGbengaAshafa) July 14, 2016 And would make things better 7. We equally state that we will be part of efforts to instill and enshrine decorum & gentlemanly conduct associated with the Upper Chamber Gbenga Ashafa (@SenGbengaAshafa) July 14, 2016 They noted their disgust at the abuse 8. We particularly take offense to the use of abusive and denigrating words against the person of Distinguished Senator @oluremitinubu . Gbenga Ashafa (@SenGbengaAshafa) July 14, 2016 And they said Melayes words were demeaning 9. The words of Senator Melaye greatly demeaned the female gender and the hallowed chamber of the Senate. #NoToViolenceAgaintWomen Gbenga Ashafa (@SenGbengaAshafa) July 14, 2016 They said they are not scared o 10. Pursuant to the threat of physical abuse against Senator Oluremi Tinubu by Senator Dino Melaye we state that we are not lily-livered Gbenga Ashafa (@SenGbengaAshafa) July 14, 2016 They said no one can intimidate them 11. We cannot be intimidated or deterred from our primary assignment of representing the good people of Lagos State. Gbenga Ashafa (@SenGbengaAshafa) July 14, 2016 And nothing can deter them A man was caught while attempting to steal recharge cards worth N44,000 from a female vendor at a complex around Bode Thomas area of Lagos State on Wednesday. According to an eyewitness account: The suspect, who was well dressed, told the young lady selling recharge cards that he owned an office in the complex and one of the parked Sport Utility Vehicles. He took all the ladys recharge cards and asked her to sit somewhere in the compound to calculate the total cost, while he informs his Secretary to bring her the money. After pretending to climb the stairs into the building, the suspect returned and told the young lady that her money is on the way, she should wait for his Secretary. Unknown to him, the vendor was watching. The suspect quickly got to the gate, jumped into a tricycle (Keke Napep) but was grabbed by the observant vendor, who pulled him off the Keke and raised the alarm. He was then given a light beating and has since been handed over to the Bode Thomas Police Unit. The senator representing Sokoto North District on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, has denied reports that he hosted senators to nocturnal meetings at his Abuja residence where an alleged plot to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari was hatched. An online news medium had reported that Tuesdays executive session of the Senate, where an impeachment threat against the president was made, was part of the outcome of the meeting at Wamakkos house. But the former Sokoto State governor, in a statement issued on Wednesday, explained that he only hosted his colleagues once, adding that the meeting was convened to address the impasse between the executive and the legislature. The statement read: My attention was drawn to a false and malicious story published by an online newspaper, that series of meetings were held in my residence to strategize on the impeachment proceedings of President Muhammadu Buhari. To set the records straight, a meeting was only held in my residence towards finding amicable solution to the frosty relationship between the Executive and Legislature. We have observed the growing disharmony between the two arms, and we resolved that finding amicable solution to the impasse will move the nation forward and give the president focus to pursue his change agenda. Punch The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has berated the lawmaker representing Kogi-West senatorial district, Senator Dino Melaye, for allegedly threatening to attack Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of the National Leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu. Vanguard A local government audit panel set up by the Enugu State government has discovered nearly 4,000 ghost workers in the 17 local government councils. The Sun RIGHT now in Lagos, the battle line has been drawn. A war looms between the state government and street hawkers plying their trade across the state. Thisday The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) wednesday described the judgment of Lagos Federal High Court reversing the 45 per cent increase of electricity tariff by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the federal government as a courageous judgment in the interest of the people. Daily Times Rampaging hoodlums operation in Delta State communities, on Tuesday, night allegedly attacked corpers deployed Beach Secondary School, Koko Community, Warri North Local Government Area of the State and carted away estimated sum of N75, 000 and several handsets. Daily Trust The Edo State chapter of Accord Party (AP) has asked a Federal High Court in Benin to restrain Don Pedro Obaseki from parading himself as the candidate of the party for the September 10 governorship election in the state. The Nation The Executive Chairman, Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (PSUBEB), Prof Mathew Sule, has lamented the deplorable standard of education at primary and secondary levels such that a Primary Four pupil cannot speak English language. Daily Independent The House of Representatives on Wednesday said it would conduct an investigative hearing into the activities of the management of National Hospital, Abuja, with a view to coming up with legislative intervention aimed at restructuring and repositioning the tertiary health institution for better and efficient service delivery New Telegraph After a long-drawn battle from a civil right organisation and pressure from the media, police in Enugu State Police yesterday released seven-year-old Chibuike Oramalu accused of accidentally killing somebody with a gun. Chibuike spent nearly two months in detention, in what the state Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ojukwu, described as protective custody. Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the seven North-west states have pledged loyalty to the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led national caretaker committee, saying the ex-Kaduna State governor holds the key to re-positioning the party. The declaration of support for Makarfi came on the heels of a similar move by members of the PDP in the North-east states for the disputed national chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. Sheriff and Makarfi are locked in a battle for the soul of the PDP as both men lay claim to the leadership of the party. Speaking yesterday on behalf of party chieftains from the zone when they visited Makarfi in Abuja, Ambassador Ibrahim Musa Kazaure said: The purpose of this visit is to declare the total support of the entire PDP North-west zone to your committee. We are behind you, and hereby identify with your leadership as the only option to save the PDP. We hope and pray for Allahs guidance and support for you in the discharge of this important assignment of repositioning the PDP. Responding, Makarfi assured them that his committee would discharge its duty to the satisfaction of members, adding that on the legal front, the PDPs May 21 national convention in Port Harcourt, which appointed the caretaker committee, was upheld by the courts. A wholly indigenous company, Pan Africa Solar, has partnered with the Federal Government to sign Nigerias first Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The 75 megawatts (MW) solar photovoltaic power project which will be launched in 2017 in Katsina State, will sell power at 11.5 U.S cents per kWh The project which is expected to generate an estimated 40,000 new jobs from the additional economic activity stimulated by the power plant will be the second largest in Sub-Saharan Africa once launched. The signing of the agreement was held at the office of the Nigeria Bulk Energy Trader (NBET) The Chief Executive Officer of the power firm Marcus Heal said: We are delighted that the Federal Ministry of Power is pushing ahead with its solar energy policy. This tariff has been achieved through harnessing lower construction and lower solar panel prices and the commitments of the projects lender. The power plant is expected to provide power to 1.1 million Nigerians after completion. As reactions continue to trail the reported verbal assault of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, leaders of the Lagos Central Senatorial District, who Mrs. Tinubu represent in the Senate, have called for an investigation into the motives behind the attacks on her. Senator Dino Melaye (APC/Kogi West) was alleged to have verbally assaulted Mrs. Tinubu, a former first lady of Lagos State, during an executive session of the Senate on Tuesday. Although he denied raining invectives on her, several senators confirmed that Melaye used unprintable words on his female colleague and threatened to beat her up had he not been restrained by other senators. Reacting to the show of shame from Senator Melaye, the leaders in a statement on Wednesday signed by the APC chairman of Lagos Central Senatorial District, Chief Tajudeen, vice chairman, Mr Fouad Oki, and acting secretary, Hakeem Bamgbola, condemned the attack on Mrs. Tinubu. According to them, the development betrayed what was expected from an occupant of a seat in the Senate. We consider Senator Dinos behaviour as unbecoming of the exalted office he holds and want to remind him that he cannot muscle a colleague and a ranking senator for that matter, the statement. The right of every senator is guaranteed and Dino cannot seek to circumscribe it. The founding fathers of our democracy left behind a tradition of discipline, decorum and selfless patriotism. We hope the 8th Senate will uphold this tradition. We stand behind Senator Oluremi Tinubu and firmly support her activities in the Senate. We salute her courage and consistent defence of democratic principles and the rule of law. Senator Oluremi Tinubu, a ranking Senator has a tradition of speaking truth to power and never one to be cowed. Lagos State regards Senator Dinos attack as an affront on Lagosians and its political leadership, the statement said. Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) on Thursday denied widely circulated reports that he threatened to beat up and impregnate Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central). Melaye had in an executive session of the Senate on Tuesday, clashed with Mrs. Tinubu. During their heated exchange, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT was reported to have used expletives and rained invectives on the wife of the national leader of his party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The development made her husband to issue a statement warning the Kogi senator. Dino Melaye sank to the lowest ever on Tuesday. From this point, it is downhill for him. A disgrace to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If Dino thinks nothing will happen if he dares to beat up another senator, then he must be living in a fools paradise. Things will happen, said Tinubus spokesman, Sunday Dare, on Twitter. But while addressing newsmen at the Senate today, Melaye admitted using harsh words, but did not say what exact words he used. He said he did not use insolent, abusive, degrading and mannerless language against any Senator, adding that he abused Mrs. Tinubu because she called him a thug and dog during the executive session. Reacting to claims that he said he was going to impregnate the Lagos senator, the former House of Representatives member said that was not true as according to him, It is not biologically correct for me to impregnate her because she has attained Menopause. Giving his own account of what transpired during the closed-door session on Tuesday, Melaye said when Tinubu was recognized to speak by Senate President Bukola Saraki, for reasons best known to her, rather than address issues at hand, she accused him of harassing her. She went ahead to say that why would he (Melaye) come here and be threatening senators and there was a large chorus from senators. At that point I was still calm. She got up again and said that this thug must be tamed, he narrated. Senator Melaye said it was when the former Lagos first lady likened him to a thug that he got infuriated and in his words, told her that she was very stupid. His reaction, he claims, led to his being called a dog by Senator Tinubu. She called me a dog, and when she called me a dog I stood up and reacted and I told her that this was not Bourdillon (in reference to the famed residence of the Tinubus in Ikoyi, Lagos) and she should look at my face, I am not one of those senators who normally come to prostrate to them in Bourdillon|. In direct reference to his non-allegiance to the APC leader, who single-handedly controls the politics of Lagos, Melaye pointed out that he is from Kogi and Tinubus political influence does not extend to the middle-belt state. Senator Melaye also accused his colleague of selling what he called falsehood to an online news platform, saying none of the senators that spoke during the executive session mentioned the impeachment of President Muhammdu Buhari. The issue of the Presidency was not the subject matter but because of deliberate wickedness and satanic manifestation, they brought in the issue of Presidency to garnish their aim and purpose, he added. It was an evening of glitz, glamour and style as eminent personalities gathered to witness the grand finale of the 5th Miss Tourism Nigeria World queen competition held recently. At the end, Ogenna Ekwubiri representing Abia emerged as the new Miss Tourism Nigeria World 2016, and will represent Nigeria this October in Malaysia among over 70 countries at the Miss Tourism World pageant. Ogenna Ekwubiri, describes herself as a Child of God, an entrepreneur and a feminist. She says I believe in God, Karma & love and she is an advocate for peace, gender equality and education in Africa. See more stunning photos below: On this day in 2013: Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir came to Nigeria for an African Union summit on HIV/AIDS, as his hosts chose to ignore an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him. Also on this day in 2011: German Chancellor, Angela Merkel met with President Goodluck Jonathan, after her trip to Angola the previous day sparked controversy over an offer to sell patrol boats. Markel was with the former President to discuss energy and African security matters. The German Chancellor was welcomed by a military guard at the Presidential palace in Abuja. Equally on this day in 2013;The Bayelsa State Police Command, , carpeted the 4th Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Benin City over the arrest and parading of a police inspector, Nanagha Aduomeni, for alleged involvement in armed robbery along Bomadi Road in Delta State. And on this day in 2015;GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State accused the former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of illegally taking $1 billion from the Federation Account to prosecute the re-election bid of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He also insisted that Okonjo-Iweala must explain to Nigerians what happened to the countrys finances, saying that Nigerians deserve to know what happened to the nations economy under her management. 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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 The federal government has assured Nigerians that it has not neglected her citizens in Juba, South Sudan, as discussions about their safety is ongoing. Senior Special Assistant to President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, that plans are afoot to evacuate Nigerians from the war-torn country. Fighting broke out in Juba on July 7, in the worlds newest country as troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar engaged in a fierce battle. After five days of fighting and uneasy calm returned to the South Sudanese capital on Tuesday, no fewer than 272 dead bodies were counted in the aftermath of the bloody conflict. While some countries moved swiftly to evacuate their citizens while the fight raged on, Dabiri-Erewa blamed the delay on Nigerias part to logistics and the non-willingness of citizens affected to return home. The SSA, who spoke through her media aide, Abdul-Rahaman Balogun, also dismissed the claim that 100 Nigerians living in Juba were stranded. She said the federal government had offered to evacuate Nigerians from Juba in the early stage, but the delay was due to logistics, but that there was no immediate threat to their security and safety. However, many refused due to their businesses that needed to be secured. Many of them demanded they should be evacuated to the neighbouring countries like Kenya and, DRC or Central African Republic because of their investment in Juba, he said. According to her, most of them have very good investments in Juba and they are afraid of losing them, so they dont want to be far away from it even if they are evacuated. Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa however assured that there has been a regular contact with the Nigerian mission in the country and necessary steps are being taken to ensure safety of the people. She explained that although relative calm had returned to the country, the federal government was still ready to evacuate those willing to come back home as soon as possible. The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Clement Aduku, had earlier said the ministry was monitoring the situation in Juba. Aduku said the Nigerian mission in South Sudan was in contact with the ministry, while assuring that the welfare of Nigerian citizens in the country is guaranteed. (NAN) For some applications, the public cloud is only as good as the slowest connection to it. Latency of cloud providers -- the amount of time it takes for a cloud-based service to respond to a user's request -- is one of many critical factors that customers consider when choosing a cloud provider and monitoring their workloads. So which cloud provider has the best latency? The real answer is it depends. Myriad factors influence latency: Where the user connects to the cloud from; which cloud data center the user connects to; which network provider is used; the route of the network traffic, among others. During a 48-hour period in May network-monitoring company Cedexis compiled data across five leading IaaS public cloud providers to take a snapshot of latency in four regions of the country. This is what Cedexis found. +MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: Who's right behind Amazon in IaaS cloud revenue? Not Microsoft | 4 Tips for buying cloud management software + IBM's SoftLayer cloud performed the best of five cloud providers. SoftLayer had the lowest latency in the Northeast and in the Southwest. In the Northwest, Amazon Web Services had the lowest latency and in the Southwest Microsoft Azure had the quickest response times. To compile the data Cedexis deploys a simple piece of javascript code in virtual machines of the five providers: IBM, AWS, Azure, along with Google Cloud Platform and Rackspace. Cedexis then pings those VMs using 10 network providers from multiple sites across the country to create four regional latency reports. None of the five vendors in the report chose to comment on the data. Warning: Your mileage will vary Individual latencies will vary based on different use cases. The data provided for this report represents an average of 10 different network connections to these public cloud providers. So, for example while IBM SoftLayer may have the lowest average latency in the Northeast, another customer may have a lower latency thanks to a more direct connection or by using a different network provider. "There's no one provider that's the best," says Pete Mastin, an evangelist at Cedexis, who compiled the data. Other factors that could skew the results too: In most cases Cedexis uses the closest cloud region or availability zone to where the requests originate from. In the Northeast test, for example, Cedexis measured network connections to IBM SoftLayer's Washington D.C. data centers. In the Northwest region testing, Cedexis measured the connections to AWS's U.S. West region in Oregon. Cedexis used only one cloud region for Google however: U.S. Central. Google has a U.S. East region available but Cedexis did not include that region in this study. Google also has plans to launch a U.S. West region this year. This is also a point-in-time view of latency. These measurements could change minute-by-minute. Jim Davis from 451 Research says 48 hours -- the amount of time Cedexis used for this report -- is "a good starting point" for measuring latency. He cautions though: "It requires further digging based on your individual criteria." Latency is just one factor that can influence performance, he adds. The speed of the IaaS vendor's infrastructure (virtual machine, storage and database response times) can impact workload performance. Application-layer issues can have profound impacts on workload response times too, and those are the end user customer's responsibility, not the cloud or network provider. No matter which cloud provider has the lowest latency, the closer you can get your end users to the cloud you're using the better, says Mastin from Cedexis. If you have a lot of customers on the West Coast, then host the data there. "If you're a provider, a gaming company, or any enterprise that wants to launch a service in the cloud, then know where you customer base is, that will help direct you to which cloud to use," he says. What else can be done about high latency connections to a public cloud? Network vendors like Level 3, AT&T and Verizon offer direct connections into public cloud providers. Vendors like Equinix provide collocation facilities with direct connections into the public cloud too. There are a variety of network mapping software tools available that allow organizations to optimize traffic routes from origin to end point. Latency is just one factor users should take into account when choosing a public IaaS cloud provider, Davis says. Services offered, cost and future road map should also be considered when selecting a vendor. Davis says in his interactions with customers, he hasn't found latency to be a determining factor in vendor selection, but it is one of many factors to consider. This story, "Whos got the best cloud latency? " was originally published by Network World . Cocoa Prices Close Higher on Reduced Demand Concerns Barchart - 5 minutes ago December ICE NY cocoa (CCZ22 ) on Thursday closed +36 (+1.58%), and December ICE London cocoa #7 (CAZ22 ) closed up +12 (+0.63%). Cocoa prices Thursday closed higher after the U.S. Q3 GDP report of +2.6%... CCZ22 : 2,314s (+1.58%) CAH23 : 1,869s (+0.54%) Sugar Prices Extend 2-week Decline on Prospects for Higher Production Barchart - 9 minutes ago March NY world sugar #11 (SBH23 ) on Thursday closed -0.15 (-0.84%), and Dec London white sugar #5 (SWZ22 ) closed down -2.10 (-0.40%). Sugar prices Thursday extended the 2-week sell-off, with NY sugar... SBH23 : 17.71s (-0.84%) SWZ22 : 517.20s (-0.40%) Coffee Prices Sink on Continued Demand Concerns Barchart - 10 minutes ago December arabica coffee (KCZ22 ) on Thursday closed down -0.90 (-0.50%), and Jan ICE Robusta coffee (RMF23 ) closed +3 (+0.16%). Arabica coffee prices Thursday extended the sharp sell-off seen in the past... KCZ22 : 178.85s (-0.50%) RMF23 : 1,878s (+0.16%) Coffee Prices Sink on Continued Demand Concerns Barchart - Thu Oct 27, 11:55AM CDT December arabica coffee (KCZ22 ) today is down -1.25 (-0.70%), and Jan ICE Robusta coffee (RMF23 ) is up +3 (+0.16%). Arabica coffee prices today extended the sharp sell-off seen in the past three weeks... KCZ22 : 178.85s (-0.50%) RMF23 : 1,878s (+0.16%) Triple Digit Losses for Midday Cotton Barchart - Thu Oct 27, 11:49AM CDT Cotton futures are down at midday with losses of as much as 264 points led by the Dec contract. Dec is now printing lows not seen since April of 2021. Cotton export sales were 68,437 RBs for the week... CTZ22 : 75.11s (-3.48%) CTH23 : 74.81s (-3.32%) CTK23 : 74.53s (-2.89%) Hog Prices Fading through Thursday Barchart - Thu Oct 27, 11:49AM CDT Lean hog futures are trading with triple digit midday losses of as much as $3.15 in the December contract. The USDA National Average Base Hog Price was $91.65 on Thursday morning after a $6.66 drop. The... HEZ22 : 85.125s (-3.81%) HEJ23 : 92.125s (-2.18%) KMZ22 : 95.500 (-1.27%) Wheat Futures Trading Weaker Barchart - Thu Oct 27, 11:49AM CDT Midday wheat quotes show the domestic market is down 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cents in SRW. KC wheat is trading 9 1/4 to 10 1/2 cents weaker so far in the front months. MPLS spring wheat futures are down 2 to 6... ZWZ22 : 838-4s (-0.24%) ZWH23 : 858-0s (-0.17%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.7193 (-0.26%) KEZ22 : 932-2s (-0.90%) KEPAWS.CM : 8.9049 (-0.94%) MWZ22 : 950-4s (-0.16%) Midday Cattle Complex in Red Barchart - Thu Oct 27, 11:49AM CDT Front month live cattle futures are trading 7 to 27 cents weaker so far at midday. Feeders are down by 35 to 75 cents in the front months. Cash trade remains quiet through Thursday morning, with some reports... LEV22 : 151.400s (-0.03%) LEZ22 : 153.425s (-0.10%) LEG23 : 156.850s (-0.11%) GFV22 : 175.975s (-0.26%) GFX22 : 178.125s (-0.39%) The recent SCOTUS decision striking down Texas restrictions on abortion rights was surely greeted with cheers in those foundations that have, year after year, poured millions into ensuring access to safe abortions across the United States. But don't be fooled: That decision is just the latest twist in what remains a long-running battle over reproductive rights that draws in many millions of dollars in philanthropic money annually from funders on both sides of this contentious issuewith no end to this giving in sight. In fact, it is hard to think of an area in which opposing camps of highly motivated funders have fought longer and harderonly to remain largely stalemated over many years. Pro-life forces have made big gains in advancing state laws that have restricted access to abortion in wide swaths of the country, but pro-choice forces have pushed back effectively in some places, including challenging the Texas lawwith the SCOTUS decision now opening the door for extensive state-level litigation to strike down other restrictive laws. Here's a rundown of some of the big philanthropic players in this battle. Top Pro-Choice Funders Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation The foundation named after Warren Buffett's late wife and bankrolled by Buffet family wealth is the most important player by far in the abortion space. STBF has given tens of millions of dollars to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, as well state affiliates, since 2010. The foundation gave over $35 million in 2014 alone. We don't yet have data for 2015, but we're betting that the pattern has continued, with the biggest grants going to Planned Parenthood's national infrastructure and a range of smaller ones going to state affiliates. (Keep in mind that Planned Parenthood is a big overall provider of services for women's health, and it's impossible to know what proportion of grant dollars going to this group relate to abortion. Further confusing things is the fact that Planned Parenthood Federation of America also has a global division, and some of the grant dollars catalogued in this article may fund that work, which is unrelated to the U.S. abortion battles. The same is true of other nonprofits in this space, such as the Center for Reproductive Rights, which works globally as well as in the U.S.) Meanwhile, STBF is the single largest funder of the National Abortion Federation, the professional association of abortion providers. Its given the group tens of millions of dollars in recent years, money whichamong other thingsfunds training doctors to perform abortions, a skill no longer taught at most medical schools. In 2014, it gave the group $23 million to support its national telephone hotline, which NAF describes as the only toll-free source of information about abortion and referrals to providers of quality care in the U.S. and Canada. Other big STBF grants fund an array of pro-choice groups that are deep in the policy fights over abortion access, like NARAL and the National Womens Law Center. William and Flora Hewlett Foundation The next-largest donor to the fight for reproductive health and justice is the Hewlett Foundation, which has given over $10 million to support Planned Parenthood's U.S. work since 2010. While that figure is significant, it is less than a 10th of what STBF gave. Likewise, Hewlett is a big supporter of the National Abortion Federation, though it doesn't approach the level of STBF, with grants to NAF totaling under $4 million since 2010. A range of other groups advocating for abortion rights have also received Hewlett money. They include the National Women's Law Center, Guttmacher Institute, and Center for Reproductive Rights. (Again, not all this grant money related directly to abortion.) Open Society Foundations OSF is not widely associated with the reproductive rights struggle, but it makes sense that it would be, and grantmaking confirms that the Soros-backed foundation has given big at different points. In 2012, it made a $13.2 million grant to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and at least $5 million in other OSF grants have gone to that group since 2010. That grantmaking reflects an announced $20 million investment in 2011 to be distributed over a four-year period, with the specific purpose of building centers in South and Southeast regions of the U.S. for reproductive health services. Again, bear in mind the earlier point about the many services provided by Planned Parenthood that have nothing to do with abortion. OSF has also backed various other pro-choice groups over the past five years, at smaller levels. David and Lucile Packard Foundation The Packard Foundation is another longtime player in the reproductive rights space. And, through its program for Population and Reproductive Health, is another key funder of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, giving over $7 million to this group since 2011. Packard also backs the National Abortion Federation to the tune of around $2.2 million in the past few years. In addition, Packard grants fund smaller pro-choice groups such as NARAL, which has pulled in $400,000 in the past few years. The Center for Reproductive Rights, another popular group among funders, has received over $2 million in Packard money since 2011. The National Women's Law Center has also gotten steady funding. Ford Foundation Ford isn't a huge player in the abortion space, but it weighs in at times, and sometimes the grants are large. For instance, it gave Planned Federation of America a $1 million grant in 2015. If you dig through Ford's grants database, you'll find various grants for U.S. pro-choice work here and there. JPB Foundation JPB is a newer and less consistent player in the reproductive rights space, but it pops up now and again as a significant funder. It gave Planned Parenthood Federation of America a total of $6 million in 2012 and 2013. Big Pro-Life Funders On the other side of abortion battle, there are fewer heavyweight funders, and these folks tend to keep a fairly low profile. Much of the money funding pro-life initiatives is also done on the state level, so it is harder to get aggregate totals for the amounts contributed, as each state has dozens of foundations and individuals making donations. Additionally, funders give quite a bit of pro-life money through donor-advised funds, so it's harder to identify the grants or funders. Some of these funds also go to pro-life groups that aren't easily identified as such, like those running crisis pregnancy centers. Related: The NationalChristianFoundation Is a Top Backer of Crisis Pregnancy Centers One example of a big pro-life funder with a national focus is the Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation, out of South Palm Beach, Florida, which made 10 grants totalling over $8.4 million to Americans United for Life between 2003 and 2013. This foundation funds pro-life causes in several states across the country, including Minnesota, where it has donated over $1.5 million between 2003 and 2013 to the Human Life Alliance of Minnesota. The DeMoss Foundation is also a big funder of CRU, the campus Crusade for Christ, which is one of the largest fundamentalist Christian organizations operating on college campuses across the country. Another foundation heavily invested in right-to-life organizations is the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust out of Washington State, which donated a total of $715,000 to Americans United for Life between 2006 and 2015. One other national funder worth noting is the Chiaroscuro Foundation, bankrolled by the hedge funder Sean Fieler. Related:Sean Fieler's Philanthropy: The Hedge Funder Who Promotes Conservative Values Many donors to right-to-life causes focus their giving within their own states. For example, Michigan Right to Life has received substantial funding from the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundationa total of $1.1 million between 2003 and 2011, and another $250,000 from the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation in recent years. Another local Michigan funder of pro-choice causes is the Edwin J. and Ruth M. Shoemaker Foundation, which donated $550,000 to Right to Life Michigan between 2007 and 2014. In Texas, the Thirteen Foundation, run by Farris and JoAnn Wilks, contributed $160,000 in 2012 to the Texas Right to Life Committee Educational Fund. We've written about Farris Wilks and the funding of "Crisis Pregnancy Centers," a strategy used by the pro-life movement to detour women away from the full spectrum of contraceptive choices. Related: Farris Wilks: The Pro-Life Fracking Billionaire Bankrolling "Crisis Pregnancy Centers" Also contributing to the Texas Right to Life Committee Educational Fund repeatedly and consistently is the Greater Houston Community Foundation, which donated a total of $19,000 between 2007 and 2013 to the fund. Many community foundations across the country support local right-to-life causes, including the Greater New Orleans Foundation, which donated a total of $11,700 between 2007 and 2014 to the National Right to Life Educational Committee Educational Trust Fund. Also in Texas, the Shell Oil Company Foundation is a small but steady supporter of pro-life causes, making eight donations totalling $2,000 between 2013 and 2014 to the Texas Right to Life Committee Educational Fund. The Shell Oil Company Foundation also made a largely symbolic contribution of $200 to the National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund in Washington, D.C., in 2014. While the environments not explicitly in its mission, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund carved out a unique niche in its grantmaking to help small schools and other institutions go green. The Jessie Ball duPont Fund has kind of a narrow mission, in that it is a perpetually operating, community-focused foundation thats restricted to awarding funds only to a set of about 320 eligible organizations. That said, times have changed since the funds launch in 1976, and staff has been creative about how it makes grants, taking on emerging causes like energy conservation from a financial perspective. The fund was established in the will of the mid-20th century philanthropist, who married a member of the wealthy duPont family and handled his business dealings and estate after he died in 1935. A big part of that was philanthropy, and her will specified that future grants fund organizations she supported during a specific window in the 1960s. Related:Jessie Ball duPont Fund: Grants for Higher Education Its actually a varied lot of groups, ranging from many churches and schools to the Audubon Society. She was also very devoted to supporting communities in the states in which she livedDelaware, Virginia and Florida. These days, foundation leadership doesnt have much connection to the donor, with a full-time professional staff that oversees the $12 million to $18 million in grantmaking a year. But they face the challenge of carrying out the intent of the donor in a fast-changing world, 40 years later. Its focused on justice and building assets of people and communities, but a relatively recent focus on energy efficiency actually sprang out of its organizational capacity-building efforts. In 2008, as the foundations staff was meeting with leadership on college campuses about the challenges they were facing, both operational costs and being environmentally friendly kept coming up. This was around the time sustainability began to surge on college campuses. The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment launched in 2007 to get university leadership around the country to commit to reducing carbon footprints. By 2014, nearly 700 institutions had signed on, representing more than 40 percent of U.S. students. DuPont embraced the idea as a way to build the organizational strength of universities it supports by helping schools, and also some of its grantee churches, to reduce energy costs. Today, the program is still going strong, with the Fund giving a handful of six-figure grants in recent years. The funder has backed energy audits, educational programs for students and faculty, new energy efficiency staff and training, and seeded green revolving funds that can be used to pay for capital investments that improve efficiency. We often write about how climate and energy issues are about so much more than the environment, and how it really impacts every institution and foundation, regardless of mission. Basically, how every funder should be a climate funder on some level. This is a nice example of a foundation that, despite having no mandate to focus on the environment or certainly climate change, was able to see the way the wind was blowing and figure out how the need for conserving energy fit within its own longstanding mission. Related: Like many regions of the U.S., the Southeast has seen big new wealth gains over the past few decades, and now it's seeing a new level of philanthropy. Still, when compared with the rest of the nation, giving in the Southeast is still very young and has many opportunities to expand and evolve. It's an exciting moment. This region has a painful history of racism and inequality, and some of America's most entrenched social problems can be found here. But quite a few local grantmakers have pushed past Southern politeness to tackle the hard questions and support positive change. To learn more about the regional grantmaking scene, I recently met in Atlanta with the Southeastern Council on Foundations (SECF), which has a membership association of over 360 grantmakers in 11 states. SECF was established by the leaders of North Carolina and Georgia funders in 1970 in response to the Tax Reform Act of 1969. It has grown to become the nations second-largest regional association of grantmakers today. President & CEO Janine Lee and Marketing & Communications Director David Miller were kind enough to provide me with a big picture view of the regional grantmaking scene and point me in the right direction as we launch our brand new Southeast section. Top Southeast Funding Issues: Education & Health Early childhood education has emerged as a huge grantmaking focus, and education in general is perhaps more funded than anything else in this region. Meanwhile, health legacy foundations are transforming nonprofit support in rural Southeastern communities. These are foundations grown from healthcare mergers and acquisitions, and these new funders have started making up a big part of SECFs membership. Taking Care of Rural Communities A majority of the Southeast is rural; however, only a small percentage of grants have funded rural communities. This is a big regional issue and one that funders are well aware of. Rural health expansion is at the top of many funders priority lists these days. Poverty in this region is a continuous issue, and the American South has the largest number of persistent poverty counties in the U.S. Funders here try to tackle poverty by providing jobs, homelessness strategies, health, and nutrition. Other Issues Important to Southeast Funders Some of the top emerging issues gaining steam with funders in the Southeast are immigration, LGBT rights, and mental health. North Carolina funders, in particular, are very concerned about immigration reform because of the influx of Latinos in recent years. And in South Carolina, immigrants now make up about 5 percent of the total population, including increasing numbers of European, Latin American and Asian immigrants. In these Southeastern states, funders need to be aware that theres not enough affordable housing, rental housing, or jobs to sustain new immigrants. Being gay in the South has never been easy, but initiatives like Out in the South are trying to change that. More than three in 10 LGBT adults live in the South, which means its home to more LGBT adults than any region in the U.S. However, the South only receives 3 to 4 percent of national LGBT funding, so theres a huge regional opportunity here for open-minded and equality-driven funders. A final emerging issue thats increasingly important to Southeast funders is mental health. The mental health and well-being of both children and adults is finding its way onto many regional funders priority lists. Major Players in Southeast Philanthropy With 11 states in the mix, its definitely a challenge to wrap your head around who the major grantmaking players are in the region at any given time. However, one that comes up frequently is the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, which is now in the midst of a leadership transition. Other funders worth watching include the Duke Endowment, the Mary Black Foundations, the Woodruff Foundations, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundations, the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, and many more that well be covering in our Southeast funders guide. The Push for Place-Based Philanthropy A majority of funders in the Southeast are private family foundations committed to their home communities, which lends itself nicely to place-based philanthropy. Only about 10 percent of SECF members are locally based corporate givers, although it's working to grow that constituency. Its also been working to update its guidelines to better accommodate individual local donors in the Southeast and work with giving circles. A regional trend, here, is an appreciation of the South as a place, even though it has a painful history that many people arent comfortable talking about. Its been said that there would be no philanthropy in the South without the cotton gin. But these days, were seeing an increasing number of funders willing to push past Southern hospitality and politeness to take a stand for social change. Advice for Southeastern Grantseekers When I asked SECF President and CEO Janine Lee for a piece of advice that shed offer local grantseekers, she gave me several. One is to remember that inside the beautiful facilities of foundations, there are real people in charge of executing a donor or organizations wishes. These people are striving for alignment of a vision and mission for mutually beneficial outcomes, and connecting on a personal level with them is the only way that real positive change will happen. Lees other big piece of advice was to adhere to your mission. Staying mission-driven is the key to any nonprofits success, and you should never give that power away to a foundation. Nonprofit leaders must be representatives and advocates for their cause, and if money takes you away from that mission, then reject it and refuse to compromise. Final Thoughts Compared to the big-name foundations on the East Coast or in the Bay Area, Southeast philanthropy is among the youngest of all philanthropic regions and quite small in comparison. This just means that Southeastern foundations need to leverage their assets more than ever to have the impact they seek. In a place that has long struggled with hate and inequality, philanthropy has an important place in the love of human kind. Now is the time for the Southeast to use its precious dollars to create change around hope and desire for people in the region and around the world. It would benefit all donors and grantseekers in the Southeast (Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida) to connect with SECF and read its Connectionsweekly e-newsletter to stay informed about news, trends, and issues on philanthropy for grantmaking foundations. Here at IP, we're excited to expand our regional coverage to the Southeast and dive into an incredibly unique local grantmaking scene that holds so much promise. Tune in to our Southeast funding guide and Southeast news blog as we get to know locally focused funders and how theyre having an impact on our communities. Update 7/13/16 Willis will be a featured speaker at Search Marketing Expo (SMX East), Sept., 27-29, in New York City. Hell be one of three panelists discussing search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing for the session, SEO & Social: Let's Dance at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 27. The session will be moderated by Chris Sherman, partner and vice president of event programming for Third Door Media. Willis will be joined on the panel by Maggie Malek, head of social media for MMI Agency, a marketing and public-relations agency; and Mark Traphagen, senior director of marketing for Stone Temple Consulting, a digital-marketing agency. The session will cover how search and social media marketing teams can use their unique skills and knowledge to complement and amplify their respective marketing efforts, according to a Storage West press release. SMX East will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The event will feature more than 50 sessions and four in-depth workshops covering search-marketing topics related to link-building, mobile search, paid search, SEO and social media. The keynote speakers are Babak Pahlavan, senior director, measurement and analytics; and Jerry Dischler, vice president, product management AdWords, for Google. Don Willis, director of sales and marketing for Storage West Self Storage, will speak as part of a panel discussion on small-company success during Search Marketing Expo (SMX West) next month in San Jose, Calif. Willis will be one of four panelists discussing search-marketing strategies for the session titled The Small Company: Big Results. Willis has nearly 15 years of search engine optimization (SEO) and Internet-marketing experience. As a strong believer in purpose-driven branding, I look forward to sharing the tactics that have built Storage West into a leader in the regional self-storage industry, he said. By taking advantage of the flexibility accorded to small businesses and being willing to be creative and take risks, other small companies can find a way to achieve big success in their online marketing. The March 12 session will be moderated by Matt McGee, editor-in-chief of Search Engine Land, an online publication owned by Third Door Media, which produces SMX West and other events as part of its Search Marketing Expo conference series. Willis will be joined on the panel by Fionn Downhill, CEO of Elixir Interactive, and Angela Needham, senior search specialist at Nina Hale Inc., both SEO agencies, as well as Andrew Melchior, vice president and founder of Internet-marketing firm Avalaunch Media. SMX West will be held March 10-13 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. The event will feature 60 sessions covering search-marketing topics related to SEO, mobile search, paid search and social media marketing. The keynote speaker is Amit Singhal, search chief at Google. Storage West Self Storage is the operating brand for LAACO Ltd., a California limited partnership that acquires, builds and develops self-storage facilities. The company owns 52 facilities in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. @NASCAR @hondaindy #NASCARPintysSeries @ChryslerCanada @CBRTinc (July 13, 2016)- Stemming back to his childhood years at the legendary Mosport International Raceway (now Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) and racing in go-karts, Robin Buck has been a lifelong fan of racing. The Campbellville, ON native has spent his years honing his race craft and has a history of dominating the circuits in his Canadian backyard. Now racing in the NASCAR Pintys Series, Buck has proven that he knows his way around road courses after placing second in the 2016 season opener at his childhood stomping grounds: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Another Canadian course with a rich history for Buck is the Exhibition Place Circuit in the heart of downtown Toronto. Buck first raced on the notable street course in its first running 30 years ago in Players Challenge. He then went on to race in (and win!) the first CASCAR (now NASCAR Pintys Series) race there in 1999. On July 16th, Buck will return to the narrow streets of the Exhibition Place Circuit for the 30th anniversary of Honda Indy Toronto and the inaugural Pintys Grand Prix. Im excited to be coming back to Toronto to a race that has so much history for me, commented Buck. I wouldnt be able to do this without the support for my family, friends, Ontario Chrysler Dealers Association, and the amazing fans. This is going to be a special race for me and I cant wait! The Ontario Chrysler Dealers Association offers new Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and Chrysler cars along with used cars, trucks, and SUVs from top manufacturers. For years, they have offered auto body and collision repair, auto parts, and expert auto financing. Today the Ontario Chrysler Dealers Association a proud partner of Robin Buck debuts a special, throwback paint scheme for this weekend. The iconic Dodge Challenger lime green with a flat-black hood and pin stripe will be hard to miss as Buck hits the streets of Toronto. Robins a great driver and were excited to have him under the CBRT awning for such a special event, commented CBRT general manager Joey McColm. Ive had the pleasure to race with Robin in past events seeing his skill and talent up-close during our door-to-door action. Were glad to be a part of his return to the Honda Indy Toronto. CBRT is a Canadian company established in 2013 that currently fields teams in the NASCAR Pintys Series and Trans Am Series. CBRT is a highly competitive team of professionals who are invested in the cars and drivers they put on the track. Committed to environmental sustainability, CBRT is a pioneer of sustainability in auto racing, while simultaneously promoting excellence, integrity, and loyalty to their fans. Currency markets reacted strongly to todays announcement by the Bank of England that it would hold rates steady; the pound sterling then rose sharply against the U.S. dollar, on top of earlier gains ahead of the announcement. Consensus forecasts among analysts and economists had indicated that a preemptive easing ahead of the U.K.s departure from the European Union was likely. Separately, newly installed Prime Minister Theresa May surprised many political observers by appointing former London Mayor Boris Johnson as foreign secretary. Installing Johnson, a sharped-tongued proponent of Brexit who is prone to gaffes, potentially sets the stage for a contentious series of exit negotiations with EU leaders. BlackRock profits fall, J.P. Morgan beats estimates. Today BlackRock, the worlds largest global money manager by assets, announced second-quarter financial results that included a 3.7 percent decline in profits versus the same period last year. The biggest bank in the U.S., JPMorgan Chase & Co., also reported a 1.4 percent contraction in profits year-over-year that beat consensus analyst estimates, as the banks bond-trading operations swung back to profitability. Google faces another challenge in Europe. The European Commission alleged that Alphabet, the parent of Google, unfairly promoted proprietary products in search engine results. Specifically, the European regulator claims that the Google search engines promotion of its own ad placement service violates EU competition guidelines. Robo adviser surpasses $5 billion. Bloomberg reported today that Betterment has become the first so-called robo adviser to surpass $5 billion in assets under management. The online financial planner and advisor drew criticism when it prevented clients from liquidating positions during early hours of trading following the U.K. referendum to leave the European Union. Devon to sell Canadian pipeline interest. In an announcement today, Devon Energy Corp. revealed that it has entered into an agreement to sell its stake in Canadas Access Pipeline to an entity related to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in a deal valued at more than $1 billion. The transaction is part of a larger sale of assets by the shale oil producer as Devon management seeks to shore up its balance sheet. Fed sees U.S. Brexit risks. The monthly beige book release by the Federal Reserve yesterday included concerns over the potential regional impact of the U.K.s departure from the EU. In particular, the report highlighted possible fallout for financial services centers because of market volatility, as well as tech hubs. The decision by an international tribunal to rule against Chinese claims to rights in the South China Sea should have a limited impact on the insurance market, a marine specialist has said.The Permanent Court of Arbitration, based in The Hague, ruled that there was no evidence that China had held exclusive control over the disputed waters or resources.Andrew Brooker, founding partner of marine specialist Latitude Brokers, told Insurance Business that he would not expect insurers to penalise the shipping industry by increasing premiums for trading through such an important area, as the decision does not change physical risks to the vessel, crew or cargo.It is difficult to see any immediate effect on the global shipping market or the marine insurance market, which traditionally focuses on physical risks to the vessels, crew and cargo on board, Brooker said.Unless the physical risk to vessels or crew changes as a result of this ruling, or there is an attempt to limit trade routes through the South China Sea, we do not anticipate any material impact on shipping.Whilst Brooker noted that uuncertainty creates opportunities for both competition and new products where risks are developing that are not currently insured by existing marine policies, this ruling appears unlikely to create either of those positions in the near future.With a limited impact expected Brooker did noted that monitoring of the situation will be a must for those in the marine space.As brokers, we are constantly reviewing geopolitical risks for our clients, Brooker said.As risks change, there can be a rapid increase in costs or a limit on available insurance protection which could affect not only their operating expenses, but also their ability to undertake certain trades.In that way, yes we consider there is a need to maintain a close watch on developments, but we dont consider there is a need for the shipping community to be concerned at this point in time. New Jersey is offering almost $200 million in incentives over 10 years to insurance, technology and financial companies to operate across the Hudson River from Manhattan. One applicant, Ernst & Young U.S. LLP, would score $40 million over 10 years with a Grow New Jersey Assistance Program grant to build in Hoboken, where ferries and rail service make Manhattan reachable in less than 10 minutes. New York-based Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. would qualify for $22 million to operate there as well. Since he came to office in January 2010, Republican Governor Chris Christie has offered more than $6.5 billion in tax breaks to lure companies or encourage them to stay, according to a September study by New Jersey Policy Perspective, a Trenton group that studies issues affecting the poor and middle class. The incentives arent awarded unless the applicants satisfy employment, retention and other requirements. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority, which oversees the grants, will vote on the applications Thursday, when details of the companies proposed capital investments and job figures will be available. In all, $198 million is at stake for development in Hoboken and Jersey City, where incentives have created whats called Wall Street West in skyscrapers along the Hudson. It is the EDAs longstanding policy not to comment or provide details on projects prior to board action, Virginia Pellerin, an authority spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. Five companies would have operations in Jersey City: private insurer Clover Health LLC, First Data Corp., Omnicon Group Inc., Zurich American Insurance Co. and RVM Enterprises Inc. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics New Jersey The family of an 11-year-old Massachusetts girl who died after choking on a marshmallow at a friends birthday party has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages in the death of Azriel Estabrooks, of Somerset, in April. The complaint alleges that the parents who hosted the birthday party failed to provide adequate supervision for the children who attended the party. A lawyer for the hosts did not immediately return a call seeking comment. The lawsuit says Azriel had been without oxygen for an extended period of time when she was found unconscious on the floor. She died several days later. An attorney for the girls parents says there are many unanswered questions about the circumstances leading to her death. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Presque Isle, Maine-based regional insurer MMG Insurance Co. has promoted John Herweh to vice president and director of Human Resources. Herweh replaces Lynn Lombard, who retired on July 1, 2016 after a 45-year career with the company. Herweh brings 20 years of experience from human resource management and senior technical roles within mid-sized to large companies. Prior to joining MMG, his immediate previous position was vice president of Human Resources with a government contract IT services firm in Washington D.C. Previous, Herweh held employee relation and senior staffing roles with Perdue Farms and the Hershey Co. Herweh recently retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves after a 28-year military career. MMG has operations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Topics Human Resources XL Group Plc, the insurer that expanded last year with the purchase of Catlin Group Ltd., said second-quarter catastrophe costs were probably about $240 million pretax, with wildfires in Alberta, Canada, responsible for about half the total. Flooding in Europe and earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador also contributed to the losses, the Dublin-based company said in a statement Wednesday. The sum includes $140 million in the reinsurance segment and $100 million from primary coverage. XL joins insurers including Chubb Ltd. in releasing preliminary results for a quarter in which the industry was hit by costlier-than-average natural disaster claims. Chubbs pretax costs probably totaled $390 million, the Zurich-based company said Tuesday. These preliminary estimates involve the exercise of considerable judgment, XL said in the statement. Given that the facts are still developing, as well as the complexities of the nature of the events, there is considerable uncertainty associated with the loss estimates of these events and such estimates are accordingly subject to revision. The company will post complete results on July 27. Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd. announced Wednesday that its losses were about $65 million in the quarter, led by claims from the Canadian wildfires that were the most costly natural disaster in that countrys history. At Assurant Inc., the figure was at least $22 million, according to a regulatory filing Wednesday. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire The Bermuda insurance industry is projected to grow at a steady pace as a result of new regulations and consistent growth in external business, such as offshore and captive, according to a new report published by London-based business intelligence company Timetric. Timetrics Insurance Intelligence Center forecasts the Bermudian insurance industry will rise to US$167.1 billion in 2019, from $102.3 billion in 2014, which amounts to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3 percent. The Bermudian industrys gross written premium rose from $64.9 billion in 2010 to $102.3 billion in 2014 at a CAGR of 12 percent, the report said, noting that this increase was also the result of growth in offshore and captive insurance. During the same time period, reinsurance premiums grew from $42.7 billion to $68.0 billion, at a CAGR of 12.3 percent, said Timetrics report titled The Insurance Industry in Bermuda, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2019. The report noted that North America mainly the U.S. and Canada accounted for the largest share of Bermudas gross written premium, followed by Europe, and Australia and New Zealand. Solvency II Equivalence The conditions for future growth in Bermuda were enhanced last year when it achieved Solvency II equivalence, the report indicated. Equivalence is a stamp of approval for the Bermuda Monetary Authoritys (BMA) competence as a regulator and recognition of Bermuda as a major financial hub, Timetric explained. Timetric quoted Jeremy Cox, CEO of the BMA, who said in a recent speech that achieving Solvency II equivalence had helped to legitimize Bermuda as an international financial services center. Other advantages will include less onerous regulation of cross-border business with companies based in Europe. Many European jurisdictions had restrictive regulatory provisions that Bermuda based re/insurers will no longer have to comply with, Timetric said. Solvency II equivalence is expected to simplify group supervision for Bermudian insurers with operations in Europe. This is because they are able to have a more efficient group supervisory structure regulated only by the BMA, recognized by European insurers as a group supervisor, commented Jay Patel, analyst at Timetric. Timetric also expects increased investment in Bermuda from U.S. and Canadian re/insurers as it will be a destination from which they can conduct their European reinsurance operations, the report said. Because Europe recognizes the BMA as a group supervisor, a re/insurer with European operations will enable a more efficient group supervisory structure, Timetric affirmed. Healthcare Captives As of 2015, healthcare accounted for 10 percent of Bermudas captive business, the report continued, noting that this business has been an area of focus for Bermudas trade development agencies and industry associations. Key areas involving the formation of healthcare captives include medical malpractice, laboratories and research facilities, the report said. Timetric noted, however, that the ramifications of the Affordable Care Act also known as Obamacare on the Bermuda captive healthcare sector are currently unknown. Enacted in March 2010, Obamacare made it compulsory for all individuals to obtain health insurance and also required organizations with 50 or more employees to provide their workers with health insurance, the report explained. It is changing the structure of hospitals and how they approach patient care, and many healthcare firms and hospitals are merging to operate more efficiently and effectively. Firms may also choose to also merge their captives, which could have either negative or positive implications for the captive healthcare sector, the report added. This article was based on the executive summary of Timetrics industry forecast report about Bermuda. The full report is only available to Timetric clients. Source: Timetrics Insurance Intelligence Center Topics USA Trends Legislation Europe Reinsurance Market At least two people have died in flooding caused by powerful storms that damaged homes, washed out roads and stranded motorists in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. In northern Wisconsin, an 84-year-old Illinois man died when his vehicle became submerged in a flooded ditch, according to Bayfield County sheriffs officials, who identified the victim as Delmar Johnson of Tower Lakes, Ill. A firefighter was able to rescue the mans wife, also 84, who was a passenger. The firefighter went back in the water and pulled Delmar Johnson from the vehicle, but couldnt resuscitate him, officials said. Also in Wisconsin, the Iron County Sheriff Tony Furyk said that Montreal firefighter Mitchell Koski died in the flooding, but the sheriff declined to provide details. Furyk said the 56-year-old Koski was also a former county board member and was once mayor of Montreal, a city of about 800 near Hurley. In southern Michigan, a woman and her 2-year-old son were rescued Tuesday evening in Jackson after lightning struck and toppled a tree onto their car, trapping them for about an hour. Storms that hit the state Tuesday flooded roads and left several thousand homes and businesses without power in Jackson County. The Michigan Emergency Operations Center was activated to provide assistance to those affected by the storms. In Minnesota, Gov. Mark Dayton planned to travel to Litchfield and Watkins, where Mondays tornadoes flattened homes and uprooted trees. No serious injuries were reported. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker declared a state of emergency Tuesday in eight northern counties, including Bayfield and Iron, where sections of major highways and secondary roads remained flooded. The governor instructed the Wisconsin National Guard and all state agencies to help those affected by the storms. Also in Bayfield County, sheriffs officials said a deputys vehicle fell into a washed out section of roadway and was carried along by the powerful current. The deputy was able to get out of the vehicle and clung to a tree for more than two hours before he was rescued, authorities said. The deputy is hospitalized in good condition, according to the sheriffs department. Part of U.S. Highway 2 in Iron and Bayfield County remained impassible Wednesday, according to sheriffs officials. Other road closures in northern Wisconsin include portions of Highways 137, 63, 22, 169, 27 and 77. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Auto Flood Michigan Homeowners Wisconsin An Illinois health insurance co-op with 49,000 policyholders in the state has become the latest casualty among a dwindling group of nonprofit alternative insurers set up under the Affordable Care Act. Illinois regulators took steps on July 12 to shut down Land of Lincoln Health, a 3-year-old startup that lost $90 million in 2015 and more than $17 million through May 31. Illinois Department of Insurance officials announced they are seeking a court order allowing the state to take over Land of Lincoln Health and prepare the company for liquidation. The departments acting director, Anne Melissa Dowling, will work with the federal government to establish a 60-day special enrollment period for Land of Lincoln policyholders to find and purchase new health coverage. During the transition, policyholders must continue to pay their premiums to maintain their coverage and health care providers must continue to honor their contracts for service to patients, according to a department news release. Land of Lincoln is a nonprofit co-op, one of 23 established under the Affordable Care Act. Nationwide, more than a dozen of the original co-ops have closed. Last month, Dowling tried an unusual maneuver to help the company by blocking it from paying a $31.8 million bill to the federal government. Dowling wrote in a June 30 letter to the federal government that she has ordered Land of Lincoln Health not to pay until it gets what its owed by the feds nearly $73 million under a separate provision of President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act. That didnt work, according to the Illinois departments news release, which said the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would not suspend the companys risk adjustment program liability. Its an unfortunate day for Land of Lincoln members and for competition in the Illinois insurance market, said Land of Lincoln spokesman Dennis OSullivan. Its unfortunate that CMS chose not to work with the state of Illinois as it went above and beyond with a plan to help consumers. Land of Lincoln was formed under the Affordable Care Acts nonprofit health insurance co-op provision and funded by low-interest federal loans. The co-ops were intended to increase competition among insurance companies and lower prices for consumers. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Illinois Insurers could soon be able to deploy drones for speedier response to natural disasters under a provision in legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration passed by the Senate Wednesday. The process called for in this legislation represents a vital step toward the use of drone technology to help policyholders during their time of greatest need, said Jimi Grande, senior vice president of federal and political affairs for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC). Drones can go into disaster-stricken areas long before those areas can be established as safe for humans, which means damage can be surveyed and claims can begin to be processed far more swiftly to help victims begin their recovery process. Among several provisions dealing with unmanned aircraft systems in the legislation is congressional direction to the FAA to establish a process by which civil or public operators may apply to use drones in areas affected by natural disasters. This process will ensure that local officials can maintain control of the situation and the safety of the affected communities, while at the same time allowing insurers to unleash the benefits of this emerging technology to help their policyholders, Grande said. The legislation, passed by the House on July 11 via voice vote, authorizes FAA operations through September 2017. With passage by the Senate, the bill now moves to the presidents desk to be signed into law. Drone technology is constantly evolving, with new potential uses being explored and developed, Grande said. NAMIC applauds Congress for acknowledging this growth and working to keep up with it. Source: NAMIC Topics Carriers Legislation Aviation Aerospace Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) reported that Adam Posner has been named senior underwriter for Terrorism & Political Violence insurance. Posner will be based in New York and he will report directly to Marcos Garcia Norris, regional practice group leader for Crisis Management in North America. Posner, a graduate of the University of Birmingham (UK) joins AGCS from XL Catlin (London) where he was a terrorism underwriter managing relations with brokers and serving as the point of contact for global terrorism inquiries. He was also responsible for daily risk analysis and published materials on the changing nature of terrorism exposures. Prior to this role, Posner focused on catastrophe modeling assessment for XL Catlin, including the areas of New York and Chicago. According to Garcia Norris, business are looking for more customized terrorism coverage than ever. Whether its a lone-wolf terrorist attack or group riot situation, todays commercial landscape is rife with new and evolving exposures, and so its imperative that we have the right talent to assess todays threats faced by clients, said Garcia Norris. Christof Bentele, head of global Crisis Management for AGCS, said more clients in the U.S. are inquiring about international insurance programs, looking into expanding their terrorism cover into Europe and elsewhere, with a particular emphasis on business interruption. Launched earlier this year, the AGCS Crisis Management division in North America assists clients in preventing, preparing for and recovering from crisis incidents. It resides within AGCSs global liability line of business and provides insurance and services pertaining to product recall and contamination, hostile environment as well as terrorism and political violence. Related: Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Underwriting AXA XL Allianz Brentwood Services Administrators Inc. (BSA), headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., promoted LaTronya Roberts on its Tennessee Claims Department team to the position of claim representative, according to Jeff Pettus, president and chief executive officer of BSA. Working under Shirley Mahorney, BSA claims supervisor, Roberts has increased responsibility for managing medical-only claims, loss-time, subrogation and settlements in an expanding client base of hospitals and clinics. Previously, Roberts joined the company as a claim assistant supporting adjusters in the BSA Occupational Accident Department in April 2013. She was promoted to claim examiner II in July 2014, handling medical-only claims loss-time, subrogation and settlements. Before coming to BSA, she worked for Amerigroup as a customer services representative. Roberts received her associate of applied science (AAS) degree in May 2011, with a paralegal studies major, from Volunteer State College in Gallatin, Tenn. Brentwood Services Administrators Inc. provides claims management and loss control services to employers and employer associations with self-insured and large deductible programs for workers compensation and other casualty lines throughout the contiguous 48 states. Topics Tennessee Police in Tuscaloosa say several young men broke into a gun store and stole between 10 and 30 guns. Police Capt. Brad Mason tells the Tuscaloosa News the break-in happened early in the morning on July 12. Mason said the men used a stolen van to break down the door of the store. Mason said a witness told officers he heard a loud crash and then saw five or six men enter and leave the store and then drive away in a white vehicle. Officers who responded to the scene noticed a white Chevrolet Express van nearby with the engine running, a damaged ignition switch and a damaged bumper. Mason said the store owners are working to determine exactly how many guns were stolen. Federal authorities are helping with the investigation. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Fraud Law Enforcement Gun Liability Alabama FFVA Mutual Insurance Co. has selected Insuritys core processing suite and Oceanwides Bridge Portal to replace its existing legacy system, the company announced today. The Florida-based insurer will use insuritys core suite, Insurance Decisions, for all policy admin, claims and billing needs, the companies said. FFVA Mutual currently provides workers compensation insurance in 10 U.S. states. It now joins Atlas General Insurance and Selective Insurance as the software providers newest customers. We selected the Insurity systems based on a number of key factors; modern user experience, the solutions flexibility and the ability to make changes on our own all of which will improve our internal and external user satisfaction, said Alan Hair, secretary/treasurer and CFO of FFVA Mutual, in a statement. During our selection process, the Insurity team demonstrated tremendous insurance expertise and workers compensation knowledge. This solidified our confidence in Insurity as our vendor of choice. American Integrity Insurance Company is making it easier for insurance agents and policyholders to buy and sell coverage in the state of Florida. Along with ISCS, AIIC has developed a new tool, MyRateQuote, which allows homeowners to receive quotes online. The insurer predicts its new platform will provide customers with both convenience and approprotate knowledge of all options available to them before purchasing a policy. Our goal is to provide customers with solutions and a user experience that is unmatched in Floridas home insurance marketplace, said Victor Mandes, AIICs vice president of information technology. MyRateQuote can be used by homeowners seeking up to $1.5 million of coverage for their home and up to $1 million for those who live in condominiums. Customers seeking coverage above those amounts will need to work directly with one of AIICs agents, the company said. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is offering as much as $1,500 to good-guy hackers who find potential bugs and vulnerabilities in its vehicle software, in a program managed by a crowd-sourced cybersecurity company. The automakers FCA US unit is working with Bugcrowd, which taps a network of 32,000 researchers worldwide. Those who identify possible security threats will get cash awards of $150 to $1,500, depending on the severity of the vulnerability and the scope of the those affected, Fiat Chrysler said in a statement Wednesday. Running software basically by its virtue or nature means that youre going to introduce vulnerabilities at some point, and thats a problem that every organization shares, Casey Ellis, Bugcrowds founder and chief executive officer, said in an interview. What it comes down to is, who is going to find those vulnerabilities first. Fiat Chrysler said its the first major automaker to offer a bug bounty reward program. The vulnerability of connected autos was driven home for car manufacturers last year when hackers took control of a moving Jeep sport utility vehicle. After that incident, Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.4 million cars and trucks equipped with radios that were vulnerable to hacking, an industry milestone. Houston Thefts This month, police in Houston said thieves used laptop computers to steal a 2010 Jeep Wrangler by hacking into the vehicles electronic ignition. The Wall Street Journal reported that police said the same method may have been used in the theft of four other late-model Wranglers and Cherokees in the Texas city. In those incidents, thieves employed the same software used to program electronic ignition keys at dealerships, rather than hacking a system vulnerability. Theres no hacking involved, said Titus Melnyk, FCA USs senior manager of security architecture. This is like a locksmith thats breaking the rules. The Bugcrowd program will focus on software bugs, but Fiat Chrysler doesnt want to limit what issues are reported. All relevant material reported to Bugcrowd will be relayed to the automaker and, based on the researchers findings, the scope of the program may be adjusted. The program is focused on Fiat Chryslers 3G connected vehicles, including the systems within them, external services and the applications that interact with them. Bugcrowds clients also include Tesla Motors Inc. In an interview with the Financial Times, George Osborne said the cut is one of five measures he is planning that will build a super competitive economy with low business taxes and a global focus. A treasury spokesperson confirmed the Financial Times article was correct, but could not provide additional details on the plans or when a lower rate might be introduced. A cut in the corporate tax rate from 20% to a rate closer to Irelands 12.5% would give the UK the lowest corporation tax rate of any major economy. Such a change could accelerate the race to the bottom on corporation tax rates among EU nations and potentially give the UK a tax haven status. "The Chancellor has clearly turned his attentions to maintaining the competitiveness of the UK in attracting investment and ensuring that it holds on to big businesses, who may now be looking at transferring operations overseas to ensure access to the single European market," said Tim Wach, managing director at Taxand. "The decision marks an escalation of corporate tax rate reductions across the globe and will undoubtedly spark the next round of inter-country competition, as rates hurtle towards those seen in countries such as Ireland at 12.5% - which have previously been seen as outliers," he said. OECD Director for the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration Pascal Saint-Amans has warned that the negative impact of the Brexit on UK competitivenessmay push the UK to be even more aggressive in its tax offer, according to an internal memo cited by Reuters. However, he said that further steps in that direction would really turn the UK into a tax haven type of economy, adding that there were practical and domestic political barriers to doing this. The UK's move "will no doubt re-open the debate over what constitutes a tax haven. At 15% or less, the UK looks set to be confirming its position in this bracket, which will no doubt anger those, across the G20, who have long been working to garner support for a more harmonised global tax system," Wach said. "This move, on the back of the Brexit decision, is a step backwards for harmonisation, though multinationals will no doubt welcome the fact that their interests are high on the agenda in an increasingly uncertain economic environment," he added. Besides the tax cut, Osborne's five-point plan includes pushing for investment from China, ensuring support for bank lending, increasing efforts to invest in the Northern powerhouse, and maintaining the UKs fiscal credibility. Stark contrast The Chancellor's efforts to boost foreign investment in the UK post-Brexit is a change in approach. Before the June 23 referendum, Osborne said he would announce an emergency budget if the UK chose to leave the EU, including tax rises and spending cuts. Since the vote, however, he has tried to calm fears among businesses and investors, stressing that the British economy remains stable and reliable. I want to reassure the British people, and the global community, that Britain is ready to confront what the future holds for us from a position of strength, Osborne said in a published statementafter the referendum vote. The plans for a reduction in the corporation tax rate go further to reassure businesses. Osborne is awaiting official forecasts before announcing new measures in the Autumn Statement. Hollow gesture A cut way in the future will have little impact. Without any indication as to when this will happen, it is virtually meaningless, Richard Murphy, chartered accountant and Director of Tax Research UK, said in an article posted online today. It is also something of a hollow gesture when the chance that Osborne will be Chancellor [in] September looks to be very remote indeed, he added. Murphy said Osborne could choose to amend the current Finance Bill to introduce the rate cut, but this would look like a poisoned chalice for his successor. Tax avoidance According to Murphy, reducing the corporation tax rate would also massively increase the return to tax avoidance when even the basic rate of income tax is 20% and one can be a substitute for the other in our tax system. Worse though, it may not work to attract business. With country-by-country reporting in place, any company that artificially relocates profits to the UK to exploit this new tax rate can easily be identified by its home tax jurisdiction, and therefore be subject to challenge. Most tax cuts in the past have not been subject to such challenge: now that they are, George Osborne shows that he does not understand the risk to companies now of being seen to go near low tax jurisdictions in any way that looks artificial. The risk to them will be real, Murphy said. Freddy Karyadi Luna Puspita The House of Representatives approved a draft tax amnesty law on June 28 2016. The tax amnesty entails a waiver of outstanding tax for taxpayers, not subject to any sanctions under tax law, enabled by disclosing the assets/property and paying compensation money as regulated under the tax amnesty regulation. This regulation is expected to be enforced immediately until the end of March 2017. The law is expected to boost the government tax revenue and capital inflow. The redemption payment rates to participate in the tax amnesty are as follows: 2% to 5% for taxpayers whose assets are located in Indonesia, or are not located in Indonesia but would be invested in Indonesia for at least 3 years; 4% to 10% for taxpayers whose assets are not located in Indonesia and remain abroad; Special rate for small medium taxpayer is as follows: 0.5% for taxpayers that disclosed its assets at the amount of Rp 10,000,000,000.00 ($765,000); 2% for taxpayers that disclosed its assets at the amount of exceeding Rp 10,000,000,000.00 Taxpayers participating in the amnesty are prohibited from doing certain set-offs of their tax obligations with carried-forward fiscal losses, and from depreciating or amortising the newly declared immovable assets. There are 200% penalties for any future finding of undisclosed assets to be imposed to the taxpayer participating to the amnesty. The government plans to issue three implementing regulations of this law. It is unclear how the controlled foreign corporation rules will be applied to the newly disclosed assets in the form of shares in offshore entities, whether the market value or acquisition costs of the newly disclosed assets to be used as the basis of the redemption payments, and how to achieve sufficient information on the ownership of the foreign assets held through foreign trusts, foundations, holding company and nominee structures. Separately, the Indonesian government has issued Minister of Finance Regulation No. 200/PMK.03/2015 on the tax treatment for taxpayers and taxable entrepreneurs using certain collective investment contracts in the financial sector (PMK 200/2015). This regulation introduced the tax exemption given for collective investment contract in the form of real estate investment funds (REITs). REITs are used to raise funds from investors for investment in the real estate assets, assets related to real estate, and/or cash or its equivalent. Tax exemptions are given to REITs under a special purpose company (SPC) established for the purpose of REIT in the form of collective investment contract. The SPC shall be owned by REIT at least 99.9% from its paid up capital. Tax facilities given under PMK 200/2015, released on November 10 2015, are as follows: Dividend received by collective investment contract form of KIK DIRE are not deducted by income tax; Real estate transfer from the existing owner to REIT is exempted from the normal final 5% tax over the gross revenue but subject to normal corporate income tax on the net income; REIT is given a VAT refund priority or the excess tax payment. As an update, Indonesian Coordinating Ministry of Economy announced the 11th Economy Policy Package (Economy Package) in March 2016, which aims to lower the high tax rates applicable on the sale of property under real estate investment funds (DIRE). The economy package regulates several changes in the policy including, among others: to deduct tax from 5% to 0.5% for the company which establishes a REIT; to reduce the land and building acquisition duty from 5% to 1% for the land and building in the DIRE's assets. It is believed that the implementation of economy package will boost real estate investment in Indonesia. Freddy Karyadi (fkaryadi@abnrlaw.com) and Luna Puspita (lpuspita@abnrlaw.com), Jakarta Ali Budiardjo, Nugroho, Reksodiputro, Counsellors at Law Tel: +62 21 250 5125 Website: www.abnrlaw.com India is one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world. It harbours enormous opportunities for domestic and foreign investments because of its highly skilled manpower, huge domestic market and natural resources. Foreign investors have found India to be a very attractive investment destination, leading to enormous growth in the economy. Significant and expanding cross-border trade has led to the Indian government increasing its efforts in providing an investor friendly tax regime, without losing major revenue. As a result, India has signed agreements with a large number of countries for the avoidance of double taxation (DTAs). Besides preventing income from being taxed twice, the treaties also promote trade and commerce. However, in certain cases, effective DTAs have also resulted in double non-taxation. This has led to a large number of investors routing their investments through jurisdictions that have a favourable DTA with India, such as Mauritius, Singapore, and to a certain extent, the Netherlands and Cyprus. While the DTA provisions allowed investments to be steered into India from a tax efficient intermediate jurisdiction, the issue has also led to an increased amount of litigation because of treaty shopping, among other issues. Time and time again, the legislature made attempts to eliminate grey areas and doubts over the application of DTA provisions, while the judiciary made substantial developments with landmark judgments. An example of this is the case of the Union of India v Azadi Bachao Andolan (2003) 263 ITR 706 (SC). In this case, the Supreme Court of India (SC) said the Indian government had power under Section 90 of the Income-tax Act (IT Act) to enter into an agreement to avoid potential double taxation by demarcating the respective areas of each jurisdictions taxation even if no tax is presently levied in the other country. It also upheld the validity of Circular No. 789, which stated that the tax residency certificate issued by Mauritian tax authorities is enough proof of residency. In a step towards substance-based taxation, the Indian tax laws have undergone some significant changes that have inter alia directly impacted the conventional ways in which foreign investments are structured. To name a few, these changes include: The taxation of offshore indirect transfers of Indian assets; The notification of Cyprus as a non-cooperative jurisdiction (see below); The recent amendments to the India-Mauritius DTA and the consequential impact it has on the India-Singapore DTA; The introduction of the General Anti Avoidance Rules (GAAR); The change in corporate residency tests that are now based on the place of effective management of a foreign company; and The mandatory disclosures of foreign assets, including offshore trusts. Some of these changes are discussed below, followed by how the amendments are making some conventional structures outdated. Blacklisting Cyprus Cyprus was originally one of the preferred jurisdictions for routing investments into India. Its low tax regime for offshore and resident companies, as well as its identity protection for investors was highly sought after by institutions. However, Cyprus failed to share information on tax avoiders and the Indian government declared Cyprus as a non-cooperative jurisdiction in November 2013 and imposed a 30% withholding tax on any payment to a Cyprus entity by Indian residents effectively suspending the tax benefits otherwise available under the India-Cyprus DTA. A recent press release issued by the Indian Ministry of Finance said the notification may be withdrawn following negotiations between the two countries. The press release also stated that India and Cyprus may soon sign a revised DTA under which, among other changes, the capital gains will be taxable at source, rather than on a residence basis (the latter resulting in a double non-taxation of capital gains where a Cypriot resident sells shares of an Indian company). Amendment to India-Mauritius DTA Under theIndia-Mauritius DTA, capital gains were exempt from tax in India and could be taxed only in Mauritius. However, Mauritian tax laws meant capital gains were not taxable in Mauritius either. This double non-taxation made Mauritius a favourite jurisdiction for foreign investors to route their investments into India. Due to this provision, the government lost a substantial amount of tax revenue, resulting in India renegotiating some terms of the DTA with Mauritius. A protocol signed by the authorities on May 10 2016 plugged the double non-taxation loophole. Under the revised DTA, capital gains tax will be charged on the sale of shares of Indian companies from April 1 2017. However, the protocol provides a grandfathering period for investments made in Indian companies before April 1 2017. Impact on India-Singapore DTA Like the original India-Mauritius DTA, Indias DTA with Singapore provides a similar capital gains tax exemption on alienation of shares in an Indian company by a Singapore resident. The revised measures in the IndiaMauritius DTA will impact this exemption in the India-Singapore DTA. The protocol to the IndiaSingapore DTA provides that the said exemption will remain in force so long as the DTA between India and Mauritius provides exemption from capital gains tax in the source state in case the sale of shares of a company (for instance, in India when the shares of an Indian company are sold by a Mauritian resident). There is lack of clarity on aspects such as: a) Whether the protocol to the IndiaMauritius DTA would automatically result in the withdrawal of the exemption or would require re-negotiation of the IndiaSingapore tax treaty itself; b) Whether there would be any grandfathering provision; and c) Whether the exemption under the IndiaSingapore DTA would only be withdrawn for equity instruments and not for debt, among other instruments. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has confirmed that India will renegotiate the DTA with Singapore soon. Indirect transfer of assets The tax landscape of indirect asset transfers has also changed in recent years. In 2012, the Indian legislator introduced a provision to levy tax on capital gains earned by a non-residents transfer of shares or interest into a foreign company that derived substantial value from underlying Indian assets. The SC ruling in the Vodafone dispute case had been sought to be overruled by the retrospective amendment. In 2015, a number of important amendments were made to the criteria, including the definition of substantial value for taxing income attributable to Indian assets. The changes also introduced a reporting requirement for Indian entities. In June 2016, the government released rules relating to the method of computing the fair market value of Indian and global assets and other compliances. The underlying Indian entities, as part of their reporting obligation, must maintain extensive information regarding multi-level and multi-jurisdictional structures. Introduction of GAAR The Indian governments primary focus has been to revise its laws to eliminate double non-taxation and discourage illegitimate tax planning. As part of this plan, GAAR will enter into effect from the next financial year, commencing on April 1 2017. The rule will empower the Indian tax authorities to scrutinise investment structures and other transactions that have been made only to achieve a tax benefit and do not have any commercial substance. Hence, investments made in India through a third country may need to pass the test of GAAR before receiving a tax benefit under a DTA. The principle of substance over form Looking at the recent changes made by the Indian government in its taxation policies and the decisions made by the Indian judiciary, it is evident that the tax authorities will look into the commercial substance of an arrangement rather than the form. Tax authorities will scrutinise transactions and will deny tax benefits to any such transaction or arrangement that could be a tool to evade tax or that is lacking any commercial substance. Even in the amended India-Mauritius DTA, a Limitation of Benefits (LoB) clause has been introduced. The provision, which is similar to the LoB clause in the India-Singapore DTA, does not allow a shell company in Mauritius to be entitled to claim benefits of the reduced tax of half the applicable rate during the two year transition period between April 2017 and March 2019. POEM test India has adopted Place of Effective Management (POEM) as the basis for determining corporate residency of a foreign company. POEM means a place where key management and commercial decisions that are necessary for the conduct of business of an entity as a whole are made. Accordingly, a foreign company could be considered an Indian tax resident if its POEM is for the relevant year is considered to be in India. On December 23 2015, the government issued draft guiding principles for the determination of the POEM of a company (POEM Guidelines). These guidelines emphasise that: (a) The determination of POEM is based on all relevant facts related to the management and control of the company; (b) The POEM concept is one of substance over form; and (c) The POEM determination is an annual exercise, i.e. the POEM of a company is to be determined on a year to year basis. Once the POEM of a foreign company for a particular financial year is in India, its global income for that particular financial year is exposed to Indian taxation unless the applicable DTA resolves the tax residence of the taxpayer in favour of the other jurisdiction. These changes have led multinational enterprises and the investor community to re-think their methods for investing in India or divesting from their existing Indian investments. Traditional structures becoming outdated Given the more evolved tax law in India, below we briefly discuss some of the conventional structures for investing in India that may no longer be used. SPV structures that use an intermediary holding company in a tax friendly or tax neutral jurisdiction for routing investment to India would be exposed to a greater level of scrutiny under GAAR when the rule enters into effect. With the recent DTA amendments influencing the attractiveness of Cyprus, Mauritius and Singapore (for the time being), investors may have a limited choice in how they structure investments into India from the perspective of achieving a tax efficient exit. With the indirect transfer tax provisions being part of law, using an intermediary entity to indirectly transfer underlying Indian assets/ business would be subject to tax in India. Also, the Indian tax law has strict disclosure requirements on the Indian companies to disclose such offshore transactions. The obligations ensure the Indian tax authorities are aware of such offshore transactions. Tightening of disclosures of foreign assets, including offshore bank accounts and trusts, discourages the use of structures set up to accumulate the wealth of Indian residents outside India to avoid residence-based taxation, as well as those structures where Indian funds are routed back into India through structures, which are able to achieve a no tax outcome. Tougher disclosure rules also give the tax authorities more tools to track down such structures. Based on the POEM, a foreign company that has its intelligence in India would be considered to be an Indian resident. While POEM based taxation would be more relevant for outbound investment structures, it may potentially also impact fund structures where the fund managers or advisers are in India and are providing advice regarding the Indian investment market on which investment vehicles are being used to invest into the country. In such structures, factors such as independent decision making of the investment vehicle, substance in the investment vehicle in terms of its head and brain, location of the real decision makers and the nature of advice provided by the Indian teams, both on paper and in conduct, would be critical. Note that the POEM Guidelines do recognise the electronic/ virtual modes of attending meetings and thus, use of technology to flout rules may not be an option for taxpayers. ALL is not lost Given all these recent significant developments concerning taxation in India, the substance in structuring is going to be critical and that will be the biggest challenge in terms of structuring foreign investments into India in a tax efficient manner. This may require a change in mind set from the first step. The structuring exercise would need to consider and build a commercial and non-tax justification supported by the underlying documents and actual conduct. Investments made prior to April 1 2017 will be grandfathered from a GAAR perspective whereby taxability of income from the transfer of such investments will not be tested under GAAR. Similarly, April 1 2017 is a critical date for investments from Mauritius. The amendments to the India-Mauritius DTA only shuts the equity investment route as the capital gains arising from the sale of shares would no longer be exempt from Indian taxes. However, capital gains from the transfer of other capital assets situated in India, such as units, non-convertible debentures, debt securities, etc. will continue to enjoy exemption from capital gain taxes under the amended India-Mauritius DTA, but they may be susceptible to GAAR. Therefore, the debt route may still be tax efficient under the amended India-Mauritius DTA with a 7.5% withholding tax rate on interest arising to a Mauritian beneficial owner of such debt from India. Thus, going forward, Mauritius could be the most preferred jurisdiction for debt investments into India. Furthermore, based on this changed scenario, the Netherlands could be an interesting jurisdiction worth exploring for the purposes of investing into India. Under the India-Netherlands DTA, when a resident of the Netherlands transfers its investments in an Indian company to another foreign/non-resident buyer, its capital gains would be exempt from tax in India. Also, in relation to indirect transfer taxation, the transferors jurisdiction of tax residence and the applicable tax treaty with India are also relevant as there are several tax treaties under which there is a favourable provision in this regard whereby only the residence country gets the right to tax the transaction. Thus, all is not lost and there are structuring opportunities which could be considered while ensuring that the structures have adequate substance. Il jazz va nel museo, per usare il titolo delledizione 2016 di Umbria Jazz che vede, come principale novita, il ritorno della musica in una delle location piu prestigiose ed evocative del capoluogo: la sala Podiani della Galleria Nazionale dellUmbria. Il ciclo di concerti, che si svolgeranno tutti i giorni da sabato 9 luglio a domenica 17 luglio a mezzogiorno, riprende una tradizione molto praticata in America ma che in passato anche Umbria Jazz aveva tradotto in eventi memorabili come, per esempio, il pianoforte di Brad Mehldau, Uri Caine e Danilo Rea o il duo Charlie Haden Pat Metheny. E, naturalmente, non bisogna dimenticare che anche la Galleria Nazionale dellUmbria ha una antica consuetudine con la musica, visto che e stata la sede di stagioni leggendarie degli Amici della Musica di Perugia. Il jazz va dunque nel museo dove e custodita la grande arte del Medioevo e del Rinascimento umbro e dellItalia centrale, e lo fa con un programma colto e curioso. Inoltre, esibendo il biglietto di un concerto di Umbria Jazz 16 si avra diritto al biglietto di ingresso ridotto per la visita alla Galleria: 40 sale in due piani di Palazzo dei Priori, uno dei maggiori esempi di architettura civile gotica italiana. Vi sono esposte, tra le altre, opere di Piero della Francesca, Beato Angelico, Benozzo Gozzoli, Arnolfo di Cambio, Pinturicchio, Gentile da Fabriano, Duccio di Boninsegna e, naturalmente, lartista di casa, il Perugino. Per i concerti alla sala Podiani, e stato scelto un programma italiano con i musicisti della Tuk Music, letichetta fondata sei anni fa da Paolo Fresu, ma che guarda anche allinternazionale con due pianisti ragazzini di cui si parla molto, il cinese A Bu (17 anni) e lindonesiano Joey Alexander (13 anni) con il suo trio. Jazz goes to the museum, il cui programma completo e scaricabile dal sito ufficiale dei Umbria Jazz, e stato reso possibile anche grazie alla fattiva collaborazione del direttore della Galleria, Marco Pierini. Contributing to a spousal individual retirement account (IRA) is a way for married couples to build a bigger retirement nest egg, even if only one spouse is currently employed. Individuals without income from jobs generally can't contribute to tax-advantaged retirement accounts, such as IRAs, because they don't have "eligible" compensation. However, there is an exception for married, non-working individuals whose spouses are employed, as long as they both meet certain requirements. Here is what you need to know. Key Takeaways If one spouse has eligible compensation, that spouse can fund an IRA for the non-employed spouse as well as their own IRA. Traditional and Roth IRAs have the same contribution limits but different eligibility requirements. Each spouse's IRA must be held separately. IRAs cannot be held jointly. Eligibility for Spousal IRA Contributions If you are the working spouse and want to make an IRA contribution for your non-working spouse, you must: Have eligible compensation of at least the total spousal IRA contribution, plus your own IRA contributionif any. For IRA contribution purposes, eligible compensation includes wages, salaries, tips, commissions, nontaxable combat pay, and income from self-employment. File a joint income-tax return with your spouse. Age Limits There are no longer any age limits on making IRA contributions. (At one time traditional IRAs had such limits, but that changed in 2019.) It might be worth keeping in mind, however, that Roth IRA account owners must have had a Roth for at least five years in order for their withdrawals to be tax-free. This will generally not be an issue for younger taxpayers, but older ones may want to plan accordingly. Contribution Limits for Traditional and Roth IRAs For 2022, the individual contribution limit for both traditional and Roth IRAs is the lesser of: $6,000 a year for individuals under age 50 as of the end of the year and $7,000 for anyone 50 or older, or 100% of eligible compensation You can contribute those amounts to both your and your spouse's IRAs, for up to a maximum of $14,000 if both of you are 50 or over. Note that those are the total amounts you can contribute for the year, regardless of how many IRAs you have. For example, if you have both a traditional and a Roth IRA, you could split $6,000 between the two, putting $3,000 in each. Compensation Limits There is no income cap on your eligibility to make traditional IRA contributions, although people with incomes over a certain level may not be able to take a tax deduction for their contributions. These rules are explained in IRS Publication 590-A. However, if you want to contribute to a Roth IRA for your spouse (or yourself), there are income limits. For 2022, a married couple who file a joint tax return and have a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of up to $204,000 can contribute the full amount to each of their Roth IRAs. Couples with incomes between $204,000 and $214,000 can make partial Roth contributions. If their income exceeds $214,000, they no longer qualify for Roth IRAs. Other IRA Rules In addition to the spousal IRA rules addressed above, there are some other relevant rules that apply to IRAs in general. No joint accounts Individual retirement accounts are just that: individual accounts. Unlike a checking or savings account, for example, they cannot be held as joint accounts. Instead, each spouse's IRA must be held under that spouse's name and taxpayer identification number (typically their Social Security number). When to contribute Your IRA contributions for the year must be deposited or mailed to the financial institution you have chosen as your IRA custodian or trustee by your tax-filing due date for that year, typically April 15 of the following year. (When April 15 falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is extended to the next business day.) So, for example, you can make a contribution to an IRA for 2022 anytime between Jan. 1, 2022, and April 17, 2023. Note that even if you file for an extension to complete your taxes, your IRA contributions are still due by the April deadline. Bear in mind that you don't have to make your full contribution in one payment. Instead, you can make partial contributions throughout the year, as long as they all arrive before the April deadline. You can also make an IRA contribution even after you have filed that year's income tax return, providing you meet the deadline. If you mail your contributions, be sure to obtain a receipt or send them by traceable mail. You may need to provide proof of the date of mailing should your contribution reach your IRA custodian or trustee after the deadline. Remember to specify the tax year Finally, remember to indicate the tax year to which your contribution should be applied. IRA custodians or trustees will generally deposit your contribution for the year they receive it unless you indicate on the check or accompanying documentation that the contribution is for the previous year. What Is a Non-Working Spouse? A "non-working" spouse is a bit of a misnomer. It simply refers to a spouse who is not bringing home income from a job or self-employment. The spouse may be doing plenty of work caring for children or an elderly relative, maintaining a household, studying for a degree, volunteering for charity, etc. A retired spouse who no longer works for a living would also qualify. What Can a Spousal IRA Invest In? Your investment options for a spousal IRA are the same as for any IRA. These include mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individual stocks and bonds, and so forth. What Is the Difference Between a Traditional IRA and a Roth IRA? The primary difference between a traditional and Roth IRA is how they are taxed. With a traditional IRA, you're eligible for an upfront tax deduction for your contributions but your withdrawals will be taxed as income. With a Roth IRA, you don't receive a tax deduction, but your withdrawals can be tax-free if you follow the rules. Both types of IRA enjoy tax-deferred growth over the years (ultimately tax-free in the case of the Roth). The Bottom Line A spousal IRA allows a working spouse to fund an IRA for a non-working spouse, effectively doubling their retirement savings for the year. Otherwise, spousal IRAs are subject to the same rules as any traditional or Roth IRA. Markets are constantly in a state of uncertainty and flux, and money is made by discounting the obvious and betting on the unexpected. George Soros. To George Soros, the words listed above are no hyperbole. Drilling down and gathering critical investment information, and investing when others are divesting, is the calling card of George Soros, one of the most famous financiers of the past half-century. That said, dont judge Soros on his investment acumen alone. Hes also proven to be a major power broker on the global political scene as well as a benevolent philanthropist. To understand the Soros Way of investing, it helps first to know Soros the man, Soros the political force, and Soros the champion of the global lower class. Who is George Soros? Investopedia / Lara Antal There is no template for an investment legend like Soros, but you can start with the financiers background as a child in Budapest, Hungary, where he was born on August 12, 1930. As a pre-teenager, Soros witnessed the atrocities of the Nazi regime, and survived to flee Eastern Europe in 1947, making his way to England to study at the London School of Economics. It was in London, after reading Karl Poppers tome, "The Open Society and Its Enemies," where Soros first combined the concepts of science and politics. Soros never abandoned that concept, and relied on it again and again as he championed individual rights over the collective. Soros applied science and free markets to his investment principles, starting with his first post-graduate job at F.M. Mayer, a New York City money management firm. Within 20 years, Soros had opened his first Wall Street enterprise, Soros Fund, which later was renamed to the Quantum Fund, where he was able to test his free market principles in the capital markets. Soros turned an original seed funding of $12 million into $20 billion by the first decade of the 21st century. If you had invested $1,000 in Soros Quantum Fund in 1969, you would have earned $4 million by 2000 at an annual growth rate of 30%. 1:34 Investing the George Soros Way The Soros Way Along the way, Soros founded the Open Society Foundations in 1984, a philanthropic organization that builds vibrant and tolerant societies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people, according to the foundations website. With the OSF, Soros sought to strengthen the rule of law; respect for human rights, minorities, and a diversity of opinions; democratically elected governments; and a civil society that helps keep government power in check. George Soros has donated $8.5 billion to charity as of March 31, 2013 through his institution. (Soros' generosity still doesn't match up to two other powerful billionaire philanthropists - Bill Gates [$28 billion charitable giving] and Warren Buffet [$17.5 billion].) Soros shaped his individual liberty and free market concepts after a decade of testing his investment principles in the global financial markets. That blend of free markets, human rights, and scientific inquiry found its way into Soros investment strategy a strategy erected on the scientific method Soros studied at the London School of Economics, merged with his passion for social change. Here are five key points on how George Soros invests his money: The reflexivity theory Soros uses reflexivity as the cornerstone of his investment strategy. Its a unique method that values assets by relying on market feedback to gauge how the rest of the market is valuing assets. Soros uses reflexivity to predict market bubbles and other market opportunities. Soros uses reflexivity as the cornerstone of his investment strategy. Its a unique method that values assets by relying on market feedback to gauge how the rest of the market is valuing assets. Soros uses reflexivity to predict market bubbles and other market opportunities. Applying the scientific method Soros also bases his market moves on the scientific method creating a strategy that tracks what will transpire in the financial markets, based on current market data. Invariably, Soros will test his theory with a smaller investment first, then broadens his investment if the theory proves positive. Soros also bases his market moves on the scientific method creating a strategy that tracks what will transpire in the financial markets, based on current market data. Invariably, Soros will test his theory with a smaller investment first, then broadens his investment if the theory proves positive. Physical cues Soros also listens to his body when making investment decisions. A headache or a backache has proven enough for him to abandon an investment. Soros also listens to his body when making investment decisions. A headache or a backache has proven enough for him to abandon an investment. Blending political acumen with investment acumen - On September 16, 1992, Soros famously bet heavily against the U.K. governments decision to hike interest rates. That would set off a trigger effect, devaluing the British pound and sending stocks higher after that devaluation. That move earned Soros $1 billion, along with the famous moniker as The Man Who Broke the Bank of England. Effectively, Soros went short a position in the British Pound (worth $10 billion) and earned $1 billion as the British currency slid amid political and economic turmoil linked to a policy of higher interest rates. - On September 16, 1992, Soros famously bet heavily against the U.K. governments decision to hike interest rates. That would set off a trigger effect, devaluing the British pound and sending stocks higher after that devaluation. That move earned Soros $1 billion, along with the famous moniker as The Man Who Broke the Bank of England. Effectively, Soros went short a position in the British Pound (worth $10 billion) and earned $1 billion as the British currency slid amid political and economic turmoil linked to a policy of higher interest rates. Consolidate . . . and reflect Soros uses a handful of advisors to make big investment decisions. Once he confers with his team of analysts, making sure to review at least one contrary view to his strategy, Soros says he takes time to read and reflect before pulling the trigger. Can Investors Learn the Soros Way? Can regular folks invest like George Soros? It takes moxie and it takes confidence, two attributes that Soros has in abundance. Once he makes up his mind, Soros often goes all in on a position, holding the view that no investment position is too large - as long as its the correct position. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the Soros method is that you cant be too bold once your mind is made up on a market move. One of Soross favorite maxims is to be in the game, you have to endure the pain. For regular investors, that means picking the right broker/advisor and sticking with that broker/advisor taking a trial and error approach to ones portfolio decisions, and keeping emotion out of ones investment picks. It's also imperative to understand that, even for the greatest investors, not all investments will prove profitable. Soros has had both his good picks and his bad investments: Best Investment: In 1992, George Soros wagered $10 billion against the currency policy of the Bank of England, and its underlying currency, the pound. Essentially, Soros' bet the pound would flounder in global currency markets. On September 16, 1992 - a day known as "Black Wednesday" among currency traders - the British pound cratered against the German mark and the U.S. dollar, earning Soros $1.2 billion in profits over the next few weeks - a bet that went down in history as the day George Soros broke the Bank of England. Worst Investment: On March 14, 2008, George Soros purchased a huge chunk of Bear Stearns' stock, valued at $54 per share. Only days later, the fabled Wall Street investment firm was sold to J.P. Morgan at $2 per share. Soros was correct in his assessment that Bear Stearns was on the trading block. But he was dead wrong on the takeover value of the company, an expensive lesson he details in his book, The New Paradigm for Financial Markets. The Bottom Line It's not easy emulating the portfolio results of George Soros, but you can learn a great deal from the patience, discipline and research Soros demonstrates with his investment strategy. Researching investment ideas by taking into account both the economic and the political realities, sticking with your convictions and getting out when your gut tells you to are some of the ways Soros wins. (For related reading, see "How George Soros Got Rich") If you are in your 20s and ready to open an individual retirement account (IRA) to save for retirement, youll have two basic types to choose from: traditional or Roth. Which would be right for you? In most cases, the answer will be a Roth. Heres why. Key Takeaways A Roth individual retirement account (IRA), rather than a traditional IRA, may make the most sense for people in their 20s. Withdrawals from a Roth IRA can be tax free in retirement, which is not the case with a traditional IRA. Contributions to a Roth IRA are not tax deductible, as they are for a traditional IRA. Younger savers tend to be in lower tax brackets, which means that they benefit less from tax-deductible contributions to a traditional IRA than those in higher brackets. Roth vs. Traditional IRAs A traditional IRA provides a tax deduction for your contributions and a tax deferral on any gains in the account until you withdraw the money. Once you begin making withdrawals, they will be taxed based on your tax bracket at the time. Roth IRA contributions, on the other hand, are not tax deductible, but your withdrawals can be tax free if you follow the rules. Younger investors who are just starting out in their careers tend to be in lower tax brackets and dont benefit as much from the tax deductions for contributions to a traditional IRA as older investors in higher brackets may. In addition, the younger you are, the more time that your account will have to grow and compoundand with a Roth, all of that money can be tax free someday. Heres a closer look at how each type of IRA works and why a Roth is usually a wiser choice for 20-somethings, especially if they can afford to forgo an immediate tax deduction. Traditional IRA Tax Benefits Traditional IRAs have been around since the 1970s and were once the only choice that people had. While their tax benefits provided an attractive incentive for Americans to save for retirement, the government wanted its cut eventually. As a result, traditional IRAs can trigger a big tax bill when account holders begin to withdraw their money. The government also made withdrawals mandatory after a certain age, currently 72. Those are known as required minimum distributions (RMDs). Here is a somewhat simplified example of how a traditional IRA can grow in value, while also accumulating a substantial tax obligation: Suppose youre 23 years old, currently earn $50,000 annually, and contribute the maximum of $6,000 this year to a traditional IRA. Because you are in the 22% tax bracket, your tax deduction for your IRA contribution will save you approximately $1,320 in federal income tax. Now suppose you continue to contribute $6,000 each year to your traditional IRA until you are 63 years old (40 years multiplied by $6,000 = $240,000), and your traditional IRA grows to $1.6 million by that time (this is possible at an 8% annual return). If all of your contributions were fully deductible, then you saved $52,800 in taxes over the 40 years, assuming (for the sake of simplicity) that you remained in the 22% tax bracket. At age 63, you decide to retire and to withdraw $50,000 a year from your traditional IRA for living expenses. If you are still in that 22% tax bracket, you will owe $11,000 in federal income tax on each $50,000 withdrawal every year thereafter. In other words, youll net just $39,000. If youre in a higher tax bracket when you begin making withdrawalseither because you have more income or because tax rates have gone up overallyou could owe more still. And remember, once you hit age 72, youll have no choice but to start taking withdrawals and paying taxes on them. A Roth IRA allows you to withdraw your contributions (but not investment gains) free of taxes or early-withdrawal penalties before age 59, which is not the case with a traditional IRA. Roth IRA Tax Benefits The Roth IRA, introduced in 1997, works differently. Suppose that you contribute the same $6,000 a year for 40 years to a Roth IRA. You dont get any tax deduction, but the Roth IRA still grows to $1.6 millionassuming the same 8% annual return. At age 63, you start to withdraw $50,000 per year. The difference now is that there is no tax due on the Roth withdrawal, because distributions from a Roth are tax free as long as you have had a Roth account for at least five years and reached age 59. In this scenario, you can withdraw $50,000 (or as much as you want) and keep the full amount. Another key difference between Roth and traditional IRAs is that Roths are never subject to RMDs during the original owners lifetime. So if you dont need the money, you can simply pass it along to your heirs when you die. Theyll have to withdraw it eventually, but their withdrawals can also be tax free. How much can you contribute to a Roth individual retirement account (IRA)? In 2022, the maximum amount that you can contribute to a Roth or a traditional individual retirement account (IRA)or to the two accounts combinedis $6,000 for anyone under age 50 or $7,000 for anyone age 50 or older. Who is eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA? To contribute to a Roth IRA, you first must have earned income from a job or self-employment that is at least as much as you plan to contribute. There are also income limits on your eligibility for contributing. For example, in 2022, a single taxpayer is eligible to make a full Roth IRA contribution if their modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is under $129,000. In the $129,000$144,000 range, they are eligible for a partial contribution. Above $144,000, they are ineligible. Are Roth 401(k) plans a good idea for young investors? A designated Roth 401(k), if your employer offers one, has the same advantages as a Roth IRA. It also has considerably higher contribution limits, allowing you to save even more for tax-free income after you retire. One key difference, however, is that a Roth 401(k)unlike a Roth IRAis subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs) after age 72. This means that the RMD money can no longer continue to grow tax free in your account. The Bottom Line Because of the Roth IRAs unique tax benefits, 20-somethings who are eligible should seriously consider contributing to one. A Roth IRA can be a wiser long-term choice than a traditional IRA, even though contributions to traditional IRAs are tax deductible. Top News - Investor Idea REE Stock News - Defense Metals (TSX-V: DEFN.V) (OTCQB: DFMTF) Drills 113 metres of 2.50% Total Rare Earth Oxide at Wicheeda Vancouver, British Columbia - October 26, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mining / Metals / Green Energy Stock News - Defense Metals Corp. (TSX-V: DEFN / OTCQB: DFMTF/ FSE:35D) is pleased to announce high-grade Rare Earth Element ("REE") assay results from one additional core hole, totalling 383 metres (m), collared within the northern area of Defense Metals' 100% owned Wicheeda REE Deposit. Top Health and Wellness News - Investor Idea Health and Wellness Stock News - Endexx (OTCBB: EDXC) Secures Third Order for Non-Nicotine Vape Product HYLA Worth Approximately $1.5M in Revenue for First two Fiscal Quarters of 2023 CAVE CREEK, Ariz. - October 27, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Endexx Corporation (OTCBB:EDXC), a provider of innovative, plant-derived, and sustainable health and skincare products, today announces it has secured three key significant orders for its newly acquired, non-nicotine plant-based vape product, HYLA. Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking EV Stock News: Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) FIVE 'Strikingly Different' EV Crossover Tour Starts Tomorrow, Oct. 27, in Pasadena, California; New Los Angeles Area Stop Added BREA, Calif. - October 26, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN) ("Mullen" or the "Company"), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces today the beginning of the Mullen FIVE Strikingly Different EV Crossover Tour, which will commence on Oct. 27 in Pasadena, California. Due to overwhelming interest, new dates have been added for Nov. 1 and 2 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. 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 Kerrville, TX (78028) Today Partly cloudy. High 76F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening followed by thunderstorms late. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 58F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. The fallout from the Brexit vote began to emerge here last week, despite the best efforts of the Irish government to carry on as though nothing has changed. In fact everything has changed. As we said here last week, Brexit is going to hit Ireland harder than any other country in Europe. Despite this, our political leaders here are adopting the Three Wise Monkeys approach see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. They are doing this on the basis that nothing is going to happen immediately because it will take a minimum of two years for the U.K. to actually leave the EU and probably even longer than that to negotiate trade deals with the EU that would affect us. So the official attitude appears to be to play it all down as much as possible. But minimizing it or just wishing it away is not going to get rid of this almighty headache. The problem is here to stay, and even though Britain will be a member of the EU for at least another two years we are already seeing the consequences of the uncertainty that has been created. Enda Kenny survives but Fine Gael dissent remains https://t.co/kM8pIsUqy0 pic.twitter.com/uzPxdisQEh Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) July 12, 2016 Last week there was both political and economic fallout. At the political level Taoiseach Enda Kenny had the worst week since the new government was formed, with members of his own party even saying it was time he retired. Read more: Enda Kenny says he will not step down as Irish leader Fine Gael needs a younger, more dynamic leader if they are to have any chance at the next election, and the sooner they make the change the better. The main opposition party, Fianna Fail, are now way ahead according to the latest opinion poll despite being the people who wrecked the country a few years back. Kenny has been particularly inept in his attempts to address Brexit. He looked extremely foolish a week ago when his big idea for an all-Ireland forum to assess the consequences of Brexit for both parts of Ireland was rejected by the First Minister for Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster. The no-nonsense Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader dismissed the idea out of hand in front of the media at a joint press conference with Kenny. It was beyond embarrassing. She said later that she had not been given advance warning of the proposal and was not going to allow herself to be bounced into it. The fact that the advance work had not been done with the DUP shows the level of disorganization there is at government level here now. Increasingly, Kenny is looking like a lame duck and his sticking plaster cabinet is all over the place, with the independent members saying whatever they like. Fine Gael, despite being the biggest party, has been forced into awkward positions on several difficult issues, most recently on proposals for limited abortion. At the very time the country needs strong and coherent leadership Kenny is dithering, and the young bloods in his party are positioning themselves for a challenge. Brexit has made this worse, but it's not just political fallout that is evident here. It's also economic. The fact that the London Stock Exchange has regained all the value it lost after the shock U.K. exit vote has led some Irish politicians to hope that the British economy may hold up and, therefore, that the effect on our trade with the U.K. may not be so great. But the recovery in the FTSE (the top 100 shares in the London market) means little. A lot of the big stocks listed there are major international companies for which the British market is only a minor part of their overall business. They are not so vulnerable to the predicted post-Brexit recession in the U.K. If Britain is out of the Single Market the big losers will be the small and medium sized British businesses which export into Europe. A recession in the U.K. is virtually guaranteed, and one can see that already in the fall in the value of sterling, the British pound. This is much more relevant for Ireland and instructive for us on what lies ahead. Sterling is now down around 15 percent on the average rate against the euro last year. So if you are one of the many small and medium-sized businesses in Ireland that export to the U.K., you are now getting 15 percent less for your products or services than you did a year ago. Read more: What Theresa May as British PM will mean for Brexit and Ireland Given the tight margins most businesses operate on, that probably means your profit has been wiped out and you are making a loss. If it continues and there is no sign of sterling recovering you are in serious trouble. It's not just SMEs (the small and medium-sized enterprises which employ the most people here) who are feeling the pain and are fearful for the future. Bigger exporters to the U.K., which is still our biggest market, are also suffering. Our meat exports are worth just over 1 billion euro a year, and they are already being hit by the fall in the value of sterling. Last week farmers here were accusing the Irish meat factories of using Brexit to cut cattle prices immediately even though many are hedged against currency fluctuations for at least a year. It would surprise no one if the meat factories here were doing this, but the fact is that the medium and long-term outlook is grim for all our food exports to Britain. If Brexit finally happens and we are still in the EU we will face not only the fall in the value of sterling, but new tariffs on our produce arriving in the U.K. and increased competition from food exporting countries around the world who will have new access to the British market. This is not just a problem in relation to our food exports. The EU tariff wall for food produce coming from non-EU countries is much higher than for manufactured products or services. But even the lower tariff wall on manufactured goods and services has given our non-food exports a slight advantage over global competitors in the U.K. market. That ends when Britain leaves the EU and the British market becomes a level playing field for exporters around the world. As if all this uncertainty was not enough for Ireland, the former British Chancellor of the Exchequer revealed plans to cut Britain's corporate tax rate to 15 percent or less. His aim was to encourage foreign multi-national companies to continue to invest in the U.K. even though they won't have free access to the EU Single Market from the U.K. when Britain has left the EU. How his successor views these issues is unclear as I write this. That will obviously have a direct effect on the amount of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Ireland attracts with its much publicized 12.5 percent corporate tax rate. Contrary to the impression some people have, Britain already attracts far more FDI than Ireland does. A reduction on this scale in the U.K. corporate tax rate would be bound to steer a significant amount of FDI away from us and into the U.K. in the future. How much that will affect future investment planning of big players like Apple, Google and so on remains to be seen. Yes, we will be able to offer direct access to the Single Market, but our tax advantage will be gone. The London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said this week that its research showed that the proposed cut in corporate tax to 15 percent would boost FDI into the U.K. by just under 11 percent. A CEBR executive told the Irish Independent that there is a push in the U.K. to cut the corporate tax rate further, with one eye on the success achieved by Ireland. "We're copying you," he told the reporter. This is very worrying for Ireland, given our very high dependence on FDI and on all the big American companies that are here. It may or may not happen but it does seem likely. It's just one of the unforeseen possible fallouts from Brexit that could affect us badly. All we can do is hope that British voters may come to their senses in a few years when the full details of what Brexit will do to the British economy and trade with the EU will become clear. If that happens they could demand another referendum and reverse this ridiculous situation. Then we in Ireland could breathe normally again and pretend we never had this terrible nightmare. Read more: Irish passport forms sell for $130 on eBay due to Brexit panic The Irish Central Statistics Office is facing international ridicule for its leprechaun economics, after announcing a 26% growth rate in Irish GDP for 2015, up from an initial estimate of 7.8%. Concern has been shown by many of the worlds top economists that the enormous growth rate is not reflective of the true rate of growth in Ireland in the last year. They feel the figure should be closer to the increase shown in consumer spending for 2015, which stood at 4.5%. Nobel-prize award-winning economist Paul Krugman, in particular, criticized the growth rate, coining the phrase leprechaun economics in a tweet in which he highlights one-off occurrences he believes should not have been considered in an accurate reflection of growth rate, such as the restructuring of multinationals that did not see them completely physically relocate to Ireland, the movement of patents, and activity in the aircraft leasing sector. Leprechaun economics: Ireland reports 26 percent growth! But it doesn't make sense. Why are these in GDP? pic.twitter.com/h6M0LhQkSd Paul Krugman (@ paulkrugman ) July 12, 2016 The rate released by the CSO includes a 102 percent spike in net exports, which would not have occurred if these activities weren't taken into account, and many economists feel they have no real relation to the Irish economy. The open Irish economy, with its 12.5 percent corporation tax, has attracted several US companies in recent years and this has been blamed for the spike in GDP in 2015. Many of these companies take advantage of tax inversions to relocate their headquarters to Ireland but maintain most of their operations overseas. Under these terms, however, the company is still deemed Irish in terms of the annual government finance figures. This may not be an accurate reflection of the percentage of the company's assets based in Ireland itself or the employment being created in these headquarters, however. The growth reported for 2015 is clearly an aberration, mainly caused by inversions during the period, but it does have some tangible consequences for the country, Dermot OLeary, an economist at Goodbody Stockbrokers in Dublin, told Bloomberg. In a highly charged U.S. political climate where the issue is likely to be prominent, it brings unwanted attention on Ireland as a location for large inversions. The CSO stand by their figures, however, acknowledging that such a large increase may have come as a shock. "That's how we understand it," Michael Connolly of the CSO told Newstalk. "We are a very small economy and if we get a big increase in assets, this is what happens. "We were obviously looking over countries where these sort of numbers occur and they occur when something very dramatic happens or a collection of things comes together." Mins Donohoe and Noonan insisting no leprechaun economics here.True, it's Pokemon Go economics, with fantasy indistinguishable from reality Lise Hand (@ liseinthecity ) July 13, 2016 Ridicule of CSO growth figure might lead people to question their unemployment figures #leprechaunEconomics Mick Caul (@ caulmick ) July 13, 2016 The rate of GDP growth for 2015 is almost four times that which was recorded by China last year and may result in an increase in Irelands contribution to the EU as the country's debt-to GDP ratio has now plummeted from 94 percent to under 80 percent. Read more: Ireland has paid 42% of the European banking crisis We can expect that there will be an increase on the circa 2.1 billion euros contribution we had expected to pay in 2017, the Irish Department of Finance told Bloomberg on Wednesday. The final impact on our EU Budget contributions will depend on a number of variables including the size of the overall EU Budget for 2017 which is not due to be agreed until November. The CSO-announced growth rate is also the fastest rate on record for an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member and is over three times the original estimate of 7.8 percent. @TweetCormac @paulkrugman it clearly has bigoted overtones. Call it silly economics or crazy economics if you like but leprechaun nope Paul lynam (@ pauldclynam ) July 12, 2016 It's never good when a Nobel Laureate uses the term "Leprechaun economics" https://t.co/4tDUzUAKiS aquigley (@ aquigley ) July 12, 2016 Central Bank Governor Philip Lane has voiced his concerns about the extremely high rate and is believed to be meeting with the CSO to discuss their figures on Monday. Irish opposition leader Micheal Martin has also called the figures into question and yesterday requested an inquiry into how the CSO came to this rate. Earlier this year the governing parties - Fine Gael and Labour - lost seats in the general election, a remarkable outcome if the economy was growing at 26%. Political commentators believed that the weak showing for the Labour Party in particular, suggested the general Irish public was not feeling the effects of the recovery. The GDP growth rate is sure to draw further attention on how the countrys tax system is organized. Vincent Boland from The Financial Times believes the current figures will only reinforce Irish cynicism about its much-touted recovery mocking the CSO announcement, calling it a work of Irish fiction. David McNamara, an economist at Davy, Irelands largest securities firm, laid some of the blame on the standard for national accounting within the EU, which does not suit Irelands open economy. Clearly, the standard European national accounting methodology is not fit for purpose as an indicator of economic growth in an economy like Ireland, he said "It throws away the European rule book in terms of its sensible application to Irish economic conditions," stated KBC chief economist Austin Hughes. "A major rethink is required to formulate fiscal rules that are likely to lead to sustainable and healthy trends in Irish public finances. Should I be concerned/amused that this is a pretty accurate explanation of our 26% GDP figure? #leprechaunEconomics pic.twitter.com/waghviZ1My Sandra Lewis (@ ayreslewis ) July 13, 2016 Read more: Remember the Celtic Tiger? Now its the Celtic Phoenix H/T: The Irish Times James Brokenshire has been appointed as the British Government's new Northern Ireland Secretary. He was offered the position by the new Prime Minister of Great Britain Theresa May following the resignation of Theresa Villiers. Brokenshire has been the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Old Bexley and Sidcup, in the south east of London, since 2010. He previously worked closely with May during his time as Immigration Minister. During the recent campaign over the referendum to leave the European Union Brokenshire voted in favor of remaining. This will be his first cabinet position. James Brokenshire appointed new Northern Ireland Secretary, but who is he? @MichaelLCrick joins @drivetimerte next pic.twitter.com/5rriqUjeDv RTERadio1 (@RTERadio1) July 14, 2016 Brokenshire attracted attention following the Brexit referendum campaign, during a Commons debate, when he refused to offer a guarantee that European Union nationals would be allowed to remain in the United Kingdom. The prime minister has been clear that decisions on issues relating to the UKs exit from the EU will be for a new prime minister, he said. Im therefore not in a position to make new policy announcement this afternoon. He continued by saying that the matter would be decided by a reciprocal arrangement with EU countries. This would be unwise without a parallel assurance from European governments regarding British nationals living in their countries, he said. Such a step might also have the unintended consequence of prompting EU immigration to the UK. Speaking about Brokenshire's new appointment Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said he hoped to meet with the new Secretary soon. I warmly congratulate James Brokenshire on his appointment as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and hope to have the opportunity of an early meeting with him, he said. The post carries significant responsibilities on important matters that remain within the competence of Westminster, such as security, parades and dealing with the legacy of the past. Flanagan added that the Good Friday Agreement remains the foundation stone for relations on the island of Ireland. I look forward to working closely with Mr Brokenshire in discharging these responsibilities in the interests of all of the people of Northern Ireland. That work assumes even greater importance in the context of the challenges arising from the decision that the UK should exit from the European Union. For more Northern Ireland news click here Theresa Villiers resigned from the position of Northern Ireland Secretary earlier on Thursday. She also declined the offer of a role from the new Prime Minister Theresa May. Upon leaving her post she said she believes that Northern Ireland is more stable than it has been in years. Villiers, the former Transport Minister, went four years in the Northern Ireland Office. She also said she is confident that further political progress would be made at Stormont to solidify peace in Northern Ireland. "I regret to say that I have left the Government," she said. "The new Prime Minister was kind enough to offer me a role but it was not one which I felt I could take on. "I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to serve on the front bench for 11 years, first in the shadow Cabinet, then as transport minister, and finally as secretary of state for Northern Ireland for four years in David Cameron's Cabinet." Villiers, a vocal supporter of the Brexit campaign faced calls to quit her position as Northern Ireland Secretary. Sinn Fein were among her strongest critics. They claimed her position was untenable seeing as 56 percent of the people of Northern Ireland voted for Britain to remain in the EU. The British province of Northern Ireland is the only land frontier between Britain and the European Union. The Irish government is seeking support to ensure the freedom of movement of goods across the island of Ireland is preserved. During her four years in Belfast Villiers played a key role in negotiating two political deals - the 2014 Stormont House Agreement and the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement. These accords aided in keeping the power-sharing executive afloat during times of threat. Reaction on Twitter to her resignation was mixed: I u/stand Theresa Villiers is not staying as SoS. I enjoyed working with her & wish her all the best for the future. Arlene Foster (@DUPleader) July 14, 2016 Theresa Villiers will be no loss - all British Secretary of States should stay over there MEP Martina Anderson (@M_AndersonSF) July 14, 2016 As the incumbent Northern Secretary Brokenshire will be attempting to find a resolution for the impasse which was prevented the establishment of new mechanism for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Read more: Fall in sterling post-Brexit pounds Ireland Lets face it folks: Alexander Hamilton would never have made it to America in the world we have today. He immigrated from the Caribbean as a penniless, fatherless child, with no training and minimum schooling. Under Donald Trump hed never even get to board the ship. Under President Obama he would never have qualified for admission. I wish Donald Trump could see the tour de force that Hamilton is on Broadway, if only to learn how incredible Hamilton was and how he saved the US from bankruptcy among other achievements. Maybe Trump would look differently on the immigrants he attacks with such abandon if he saw what one man, who arrived here with nothing but terrible prospects, accomplished. Hamilton would never have made it to the New World today. Then neither would William Ford, father of Henry Ford who force-migrated in 1847 during the Famine with only his carpenters tools. Neither would Thomas Fitzgerald or Patrick Kennedy a barrel-maker, both ancestors of of JFK and both who also force-migrated at the same time. In more modern times, Trump would certainly have blocked Abdul Fattah Jandali, a Syrian refugee from Homs who was fleeing a war in Lebanon in 1954. Read more: Hamiltons problem with immigration, the Irish and Donald Trump He was forced to give a baby up for adoption because his pregnant girlfriends father would not let him marry his daughter. The son turned out to be Steve Jobs. Google was the co-invention of Russian emigre Sergey Brin. It is now one of the largest companies in the world. A bankrupt America no massive development of the automobile, no JFK as president, no iPhone or Mac, no Google were it not for these immigrants. Does that strike home Mr Trump? I watched the musical Hamilton yesterday in New York at a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton. I went fearing I would not like it because it was likely overhyped. It wasnt. In the presence of practical, tactical brilliance @hamiltonmusical. pic.twitter.com/iIkjPoWLhA Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 14, 2016 The sheer energy, bravado and genius of Hamilton as reconstructed in this stage production is incredible. The fact that we were watching in the presence of the woman who is close to making history by becoming the 45th president and first women made it even more special. At the end, as Clinton strode out on stage, I'm sure that was everybodys thought. The production itself is among the best I have ever seen. There is a black Jefferson and a black Washington, blacks play slave traders, the world is upside down, but history is right side up. The powerful story of Hamiltons incredible rise to power makes for great material and Hamilton certainly cashes in. Rumor has it the show is making $2 million a week and thats before the touring shows start up. The show displays how Hamilton, the penniless immigrant, turned out to be among the greatest of the Founding Fathers main author of the 'Federalist Papers' which explained the constitution to Americans, the man who saved the fledgling United States from bankruptcy, stood loyal as Washingtons chief Aide De Camp for four years, led a command in the Revolutionary War, and ensured his bitter rival Thomas Jefferson became president for the good of the country. He lived many lifetimes in one before needlessly dying in a duel with his arch-rival Aaron Burr. We see the British monarch George III, played brilliantly played by Rory OMalley, not knowing why he was replaced as Americas ruler and laughing at the absurdity of ordinary men ruling themselves. Its called a Republic someone should have told him. We see how a small bunch of revolutionaries overthrew a mighty occupying nation and capsized the stars. In a week when Britain also looks likely to witness the breakup of the United Kingdom the lessons of those first seceders from the British empire is stark. That message is we can make it on our own. From America to modern day Scotland on the brink of leaving the UK that belief has driven men and women to seek their national freedom as we Irish know only too well. Hamilton was an incredible man and his achievements just grow larger by the year. He underlines again how important immigration is and what immigrants have brought to America. The scene that got the largest cheer in "Hamilton" occurs when Lafayette and Hamilton high five each other after both winning battles. Immigrants get it done again or words to that effect, they say. America needs to take those words to heart. By Audrey Ellard Walsh Update 12.11pm: A spokesperson for the Garda Siochana confirmed that the cause of a fire at a Mallow school last night "would not appear to be suspicious." "A technical examination will establish whether any criminality occurred." Earlier: A secondary school in north Cork has been left badly damaged following a serious fire which erupted in the early hours of this morning. Five units of Cork City and County Fire Services worked through the night to control the blaze at Mallow's Patrician Academy, which engulfed the local secondary school from about 3am. Fire brigades from the city, Mallow, Charleville and Kanturk stations responded to the dramatic fire, battling for hours to bring the flames under control. Video of intense nature of the Patricia Academy Fire in #Mallow Last Night pic.twitter.com/RaUyxbwwwe Patrick Hogan (@CorkBizPatrick) July 13, 2016 It is understood that an older section of the school was not affected by the fire, but that an extension built in the 1990s was heavily damaged. The boys secondary school, which dates back to the 1880s, is located on Fair Street in the town, close to many residential properties. Residents were woken by the sound of the blaze and by emergency services who worked to evacuate properties close to the fire. A view of last night's fire. Picture: Giedre Klovaite Michael Sullivan, a resident of Courtview, New Road, was one of the first to wake and described the scene as horrifying to watch. Fair Street remained closed until late morning between the New Road junction and the Lisseen Road junction following the incident. US president Barack Obama has met elected officials, law enforcement leaders and members of the Black Lives Matter movement with the goal of getting them to work together to curb violence and build trust. Mr Obama has devoted much of the week to the issue of violence by and against police, days after a black Army veteran killed five officers in Dallas, Texas, in revenge for the police shooting of black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the Minneapolis suburbs. On Tuesday the president attended a memorial service for the five Dallas officers and called the families of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota to offer condolences. On Monday, Mr Obama and vice president Joe Biden met police officers at the White House and Wednesday's session, which lasted more than two hours, was expanded to include mayors, academics and civil rights activists, including some from the Black Lives Matter movement, which has focused on police shootings of African-Americans. "We'll share solutions from communities that have already found ways to build trust and reduce disparities," Mr Obama said on Facebook. "Going forward, I want to hear ideas from even more Americans about how we can address these challenges together as one nation. That means you." He called on people to submit their stories and ideas to go.wh.gov/VDPvKz White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there would be law enforcement officers in the room who were deeply troubled by Black Lives Matter activists. But he reiterated that Mr Obama has cautioned against judging any one group by the actions of some members. "Resisting that impulse and keeping open our hearts will be necessary to make some progress on this challenge," Mr Earnest said. Those attending the meeting included Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards and mayor of St Paul, Minnesota, Chris Coleman , the two locations where police shootings sparked protests around the country. Also on the list were Mica Grimm, with Black Lives Matter Minnesota, and DeRay Mckesson, who was arrested on Saturday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on a charge of obstructing a highway. Police said Mr Mckesson "intentionally" placed himself in the road after protesters were repeatedly warned to remain on private property or the kerb. Mr Mckesson was released from jail on Sunday. The Rev Al Sharpton also attended. Mr Biden told CNN after Monday's meeting that a couple of the police groups criticised the president while others told him he was "doing it just right" with his comments. He did not offer detail about the complaints, but said Mr Obama stressed how he had repeatedly voiced support for law enforcement and offered to send critics a list of when he had done so. Mr Biden said Mr Obama asked the police officials at the meeting: "Fellas, what do you think I'm not doing? What have you not heard me say?" Mr Biden also said some of the police groups voiced concerns for the safety of their members. "It's the first time I've ever heard police organisations say, 'My guys are frightened'," Mr Biden said. A station master has reportedly admitted giving the green light to one of the commuter trains that collided head-on in southern Italy. But Vito Piccarreta said that he did not bear sole responsibility for the crash that Five key members of David Cameron's Cabinet, including justice secretary Michael Gove, have lost their jobs in Government as Theresa May continues the process of appointing ministers to her new administration. Mr Gove was sacked by the new Prime Minister on the second day of a round of appointments which has already seen fellow Brexiteer Boris Johnson - the man whose leadership plans he dashed - appointed Foreign Secretary. The Belgium-based brewer, on the verge of buying its largest rival SABMiller, has forecast lower and zero strength beer will grow from a small base to make up 20% of its sales by the end of 2025. That is a bold target. Industry monitor Plato Logic says beer of up to 2.8% alcohol by volume had only a modest 2.5% share in 2014, although annual growth was 4% to 6% versus just 1% for beer as a whole. Brewers pioneered non-alcoholic beer in the 1980s and 1990s, with only limited success. This time they believe they have two game-changers sustainable consumer demand and a product that actually tastes like regular beer. AB InBev, best known for its Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona brands, has committed $1bn (900m) to reducing alcohol abuse, with pilot projects to start in six cities later this year. It will spend far more than that on developing new low alcohol products of up to 3.5%, or no-alcohol products of 0.5% and lower. Its latest, 0.0% Budweiser Prohibition Beer, launched in Canada in May as a possible prelude to its sale in larger markets. Faced with the rising challenge from smaller craft brewers and limited growth of mature markets, major brewers hope weak beer is a sector where they can rapidly expand. The higher alcohol segment is largely covered by craft, said Euromonitor senior drinks analyst Spiros Malandrakis. The mainstream boys have decided to go to a segment that is less saturated. The attraction is clear, with potentially stronger growth and fatter margins as brewers sell non- alcoholic products at the same price or more than a regular beer, but pay far lower or no excise tax. InBev is not alone. Carlsberg chief Cees t Hart said in March the Danish company wanted to be a leader in non-alcoholic beverages, noting more rapid growth in that niche. The brokers only remaining domestic UK underweight is on REITs, particularly offices, which it sees as the most sterling- sensitive sector. Share prices are also not discounting a sharp enough fall in commercial property values, Credit Suisse says. Stocks exposed to the domestic British economy, such as house builders and property companies, slumped after Britains shock vote on June 23 to quit the EU. Aberdeen Asset Management yesterday lifted the suspension of its 3.2bn (3.8bn) UK property fund, as funds attempt to control withdrawals after the Brexit vote. More than 18bn in UK commercial property funds aimed at retail investors was frozen last week following a tide of redemption requests after the Brexit vote last month. Aberdeen temporarily suspended the fund last week and cut the value by 17%. It has extended the suspension twice. The market may take time to find its level, Aberdeen chief executive Martin Gilbert said. Investors should be aware the price may be adjusted daily to reflect the funds requirement to provide liquidity and the need to protect all investors, Mr Gilbert said. The fund is looking to sell some of its property assets to meet redemption requests. Credit Suisse analysts said they had upgraded house builders outside London. We upgrade non-London housebuilders to benchmark, as outside of London, the house price-to-wage ratio is not extended, the rental yield is around 2% above the mortgage rate, it is a highly undisrupted sector where supply is two-thirds of required demand and government policy will likely remain supportive, they wrote in a strategy note. They also upgraded UK life insurers to overweight but cut European utilities to underweight. Meanwhilke, interdealer broker ICAP reported a 15% slump in first-quarter average daily volume on its foreign exchange trading platform EBS, despite a trading surge after Britains vote to leave the EU sent sterling plunging. The company, soon to be named NEX Group after the sale of its telephone broking business to rival Tullett Prebon, said daily volumes roughly doubled to top $200bn (180.5bn) on its currency trading platform the day after the June 23 vote. Sterling has fallen to its lowest level against the US dollar since 1985. The former Wexford primary school teacher has sold over 25 million books translated into 44 languages charting the adventures of his teenage criminal mastermind, Artemis Fowl. Newly-filed accounts for Mr Colfers firm, Artemis Fowl Ltd, show accumulated profits last year jumped by just under 395,000 to 3m. This followed an 800,000 increase in 2014. The firms cash pile fell from 2.6m to 1.68m last year, on account of Mr Colfer investing over 1.1m in financial assets. Mr Colfer is listed as director of the company with his wife, Jackie and the accounts show their combined pay last year decreased from 150,791 to 101,620. Last year, Mr Colfer won the prestigious commission from Marvel Comics to write a new instalment of the Iron Man comic book series, with it due to be released in October. He has set the book in Ireland with the Iron Man/Tony Stark character attending an international eco-summit in Dublin. In 2013, Disney added to Mr Colfers coffers when they confirmed that the adventures of Artemis Fowl are to be made into a movie with Robert de Niro lined up as executive producer. One of the most influential figures in cinema, Harvey Weinstein will also produce. The film will cover the first two books of the series. Mr Colfer - who celebrated his 51st birthday in May of this year - published the eighth and final book in the best-selling Artemis Fowl series in 2012. In a new policy document, the business group also advises the Government to temporarily secure a break on the EU spending rules and splash 1bn in building social housing next year. It says a massive programme to build new social homes - the largest in the history of the State - is the only way to start to address the housing crisis. Ibec said its new document, called Ibec priorities for budget 2017, represents a call to arms for the Government to respond in a new way to the threat of the Brexit on Irish businesses. The most important thing about this budget is it is seen as a Brexit response. A real aggressive drive is required. "The Government has sat on its hands but we have already seen [UK chancellor] George Osborne setting the terms for the UK government what they want to do with corporation tax cuts to 15%, possibly lower, said Ibec policy chief Fergal OBrien. The UK has laid down the gauntlet on its business tax ambitions, Ireland must now respond, he said. We are looking for a more aggressive approach. Ibec said a corporate tax rate cut should be part of the Governments armoury, the budget should address the immediate challenges of the Brexit vote. It said it was most concerned about the Irish indigenous companies which now face financial pain because of the slump in the value of sterling against the euro since the Brexit vote on June 23. Ibec urges more favourable tax terms for the self-employed to match and compete with the incentives the UK offers its entrepreneurs, in capital gains and in the taxing of share awards. Sterling is a massive issue. This budget has to be about reacting to Brexit and addressing those competitive concerns which will help Irish business to be more competitive, Mr OBrien said. We think it would be completely illogical for example to increase our minimum wage to impact on those sectors such as food processing, tourism, retail and indigenous exporters, who are trying to cope with an exchange rate, he said. Mr OBrien said Irish companies were already suffering after the plunge in sterling and it was up to Government to control business costs. Not that many companies are hedging. The majority of the smaller companies are going to be exposed really quickly, he said, adding that proposals to introduce a sugar tax and raise excise duties on tobacco would hurt retailers. The UK is going to take out the bazooka. If they are outside the EU, they are going to act on state-aid issues. "We are going to have to react. The budget is the first opportunity for the Government to show what they can do for indigenous companies, Mr OBrien said. Ibec said that cutting the USC rate would not help businesses. It said its tax measures would cost 469m and its recommendations for spending on infrastructure and research and development would cost an extra 250m. Spending on social housing would be covered by the Government securing a derogation from EU spending rules, Ibec said. Wetherspoons five Irish-based pubs located in suburban Dublin and Cork city centre werent mentioned in the groups latest trading update, yesterday, but speaking after its publication, founder and chairman Tim Martin said they are currently performing well and the group remains committed to expanding in Ireland. However, he said the wait for planning permission for acquired sites and high prices being quoted for potential new sites are slowing Wetherspoons growth here. If you have a volatile property market, you are unable to dictate the pace [of growth] unless you over-pay. "The Irish property market has heated up a lot in the last year and its a very tight market, particularly in Dublin, he said, refusing to say the groups Irish plans are now effectively on hold. JD Wetherspoon currently has four sites two in central Dublin and one each in Waterford and Carlow either in varying stages of development or awaiting planning approval. Mr Martin said approval for the two Dublin sites, in Camden Street and Rathmines, would provide a major boost for the company, but any new opening in Ireland remains some time off. He said the group continues to look for a number of new Irish sites and could still grow its portfolio here to 30 pubs. However, he said reaching that kind of number will take a good few years and that things are slow regarding new site acquisitions. He added that Wetherspoon had a bid for a third central Dublin site turned down in the past week. Yesterdays trading update showed that Wetherspoons total sales for the 11 weeks to July 10 rose by 5.5%, year-on-year. It added that the group remains in a sound financial position, with net debt at the end of the current financial year (which runs to July 24) likely to be around 670m (795m). The group expects to have opened 16 new pubs by the time its financial year closes. Around 13m of exceptional, non-cash losses will be incurred for the year, mainly associated with pub disposals and closures. The group operates more than 900 bars across the UK and Ireland. Mr Martin a big advocate of Britain leaving the EU said the Brexit result will not affect Wetherspoons Irish plans, but said the vote was the right result as the EU is becoming increasingly undemocratic. He added it is creating huge economic problems. Our concerns, quite rightly, have focused on how it will affect us and what we could and should do to protect ourselves. The overall view in Ireland was that our best bet was to keep our powder dry until we had a better understanding of how it would pan it. That was a reasonable conclusion given the total and utter lack of any foresight on the terms that the EU would agree with the UK. If any terms or conditions associated with the export of UK products into the EU turn out to be onerous; the UK reducing its corporate tax rate as George Osborne recently suggested lowering from a 20% to a 15% rate by 2020, instead of the 17% he originally announced a number of months ago might just be enough to compensate companies for the additional costs of shipping to the EU. On the other hand, a more relaxed regime for the UK would mean that a 15% rate in the UK, if the EU were to accept it and that is far from certain, could be a big problem for us. If it stopped there it would be fine and dandy. But unfortunately, it doesnt. As were all aware several of our European neighbours continue to have considerable problems with our low corporate tax rate and have been trying for a long time to have that rate changed upwards. Brian Hayes, Fine Gael MEP for Dublin, recently confirmed his and Fine Gaels opposition to the final report of the European Parliaments Tax II Committee, saying that this represents a further EU push for tax harmonisation. It would appear that the parliaments view is that the aggressive tax planning that some companies utilise to reduce their tax bill can only be solved by harmonising corporate tax rates right across the EU. No doubt the bigger EU members resent Irelands success in attracting foreign direct investment but they also ignore the fact that we are a small open economy on the periphery of Europe. Supposedly, the issue of corporate tax rates is a red line issue for most European countries and is one where each country is supposed be able to set its own tax rates and to have, in effect, a veto on any change. It would appear by this constant trawling up of the harmonisation issue that the parliament believes that it can either browbeat us, and others, into accepting its vision for European tax rates or alternatively reach some compromise where irrespective of what we agree, we would not be winners. It is an attempt to harmonise taxes by the back door. Funny, but this never-ending attack on our tax rate is actually ironic given our own propensity for resetting referenda until we get the right answer. Brian Hayes made it clear that Irelands wish is to remain as part of Europe. Given general comment on Brexit he is probably right in that contention. One of the potential fallout issues from Brexit is the issue of the financial services industry in London. The view is that if Britain actually exits from the EU its position as one of the major EU financial centres will become untenable. That seems to make sense. Given the considerable high-quality jobs involved and the importance of the financial sector to the EU economy every major centre is chasing the opportunities. The French government has reportedly already stated unashamedly that it would make locating in France very attractive by reducing tax rates for those who come with the sector and giving long-term tax holidays to individuals. By so doing it immediately and openly undermines any possibility we might have of attracting those jobs to Ireland. The reasons are simple; our personal income taxes are too high, particularly the very low level at which the top rate of tax kicks in. On top of that, even if we were lucky enough to be successful in attracting these companies here, where would the employees live given the housing shortage which is particularly focused on Dublin where most of the jobs would likely end up. The tax harmonisation drive needs to be stopped dead in its tracks. However, we must also look at what we need to do to ensure that we maintain our competitiveness. After all, competitiveness is not just about low corporate tax rates and the availability of a young well-educated workforce. Mind you posting a claim of 26% economic growth isnt going to help our case much. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star contacted a New York based business to move a couch from his apartment which he was due to have upholstered. Despite being over an hour late, and offering Burgess a 50% discount, Frank's Express tried to withold business from the actor until he posted a review of their company on review website Yelp. The test took lest than a minute and the results, which came back negative, followed shortly after. He told press at the event that even those who don't believe they have been exposed should get tested in an effort to normalize the process. "It's better that everyone goes and gets tested....whether you're a man, woman, gay, straight, black, white, or even ginger, why wouldn't you get tested?" The UK has now become the divided Kingdom with Northern Ireland and Scotland voting to stay in the EU while England and Wales voted to leave. In England the youth, middle class, London and the prosperous south east voted to remain while the majority of farmers and the working class voted otherwise. The political establishment has somewhat imploded in England and Wales, so there is a distinct lack of political leadership right now. Clearly there was no plan B and the leave campaign did not expect to win so their Brexit plans were somewhat hazy. Confusion after vote Despite promises made by the leave campaign, some of the farmers who voted to leave the EU now wonder who they can believe. After all neither the Labour party or the Conservatives have a great record in looking after farmers in Britain. Cheap food for the consumers, cheap holidays for the working class and keeping the green lobby happy are the vote getters. For example not long after fighting a bloody and expensive war in the Falklands the British army was back buying their beef from Argentina. British dairy farmers are feeling the pinch from low milk prices and many are losing money. So there is a greater interest in once a day milking, lower milk yields, producing more milk from forage or any technology which can improve profitability by reducing agri inputs, improve herd health and minimise labour costs. Range in milk contracts There is a huge variation in milk prices and about 57 contracts currently in operation in Britain. These could be with supermarket groups, for liquid milk, cheese manufacturing etc. Dairy farmers in remote regions such as Cornwall or Scotland find that their options are quite limited unlike those who produce milk in the midlands. Indeed the range between the average prices paid for the top 10% of contracts and the lowest increased from 11.7 pence/litre to 13.9 pence/litre between March 2015 and March 2016. In fact the lowest price for milk was 15.76 pence/litre and the best was 31.94. pence/litre. Indeed the First Milk group have five different regional milk prices so Irish dairy farmers should appreciate their Coops and Plcs. So to compensate for low milk prices those unfortunate farmers responded by increasing their average herd size by 32 cows. Also according to the Kingshay dairy costings focus report for 2016 the top 10 % ranked by forage used saved 2pence/litre or 32,000 on purchased feed for an average sized herd. In the short term the immediate impact of the Brexit vote is a much weaker sterling which has been a significant benefit to British farmers. Cattle producers now find their meat more competitive on the home market while British lamb is more competitive on the important French markets. In Britain the price of lamb recently was almost 2 per kg compared to just over 1.50 the previous year. So livestock farmers are benefiting from better prices as are arable farmers and milk producers. Farmers will also be receiving higher EU subsidies because of a weaker sterling. Land and rental prices have not been impacted although those signing tenancyagreements are advised to have a clause inserted to protect them if Brexit has a negative impact on their farm incomes in the longer term. Nothing much will happen for at least two years to farm subsidies and in the meantime buying land in Britain is a more attractive option for foreigners. The weaker sterling will also benefit agri and other tourism, farm machinery exports from Britain such as Massey Ferguson tractors and of course firms based in Northern Ireland such as Teemore Engineering who had a big stand at the Livestock Event. Irish companies such as Hi Spec and Keenan will have to increase their prices. However these firms dominate the market for mixer wagons and their main competitors are other EU based firm so they will not be at any competitive disadvantage. The demand for mixer wagons, concrete slats and cow mats is determined to some extent by farm incomes so if the British farmer is better off then they can afford to buy more Irish products. In any event the trend in Britain is inexorably towards bigger herds so those farmers need to buy bigger machines, build bigger cubicle houses, install bigger concrete water troughs etc. which means more business for Irish companies north and sound. For example to save time and money on straw bedding more farmers are switching to concrete slats and cow mats and the market for these is dominated by Irish companies. Apparently most mats are sold to suckler herds and Irish firms have also built up a nice business in Holland and in the USA. There is a heavy environmental levy in Britain on concrete manufacturing so this gives Irish firms a competitive advantage. In total the UK is importing 87m of cement annually to supplement domestic production. As regards milk supplies these fell by 9.1% during the last two weeks of June and this was 4.3% below a three year average. This had a positive impact on milk prices as the actual milk price equivalent increased by 12%. This was due to a 16% increase in butter prices, a 4% increase in skim milk powder, a 19% increase in whey butter and a 10% increase in whey powder. The actual milk for cheese equivalent also increased by 14% while bulk cream prices were up by 28%. So no wonder Dairy Crest has reversed the milk price cut originally announced for July. Migrant workers However one group of farmers in Britain who are worried are those in the Horticulture sector where 35,000 migrants and seasonal workers are employed, 65 % of whom come from the EU and Eastern Europe. Will these guys be asked to leave and can they be replaced by a student visa scheme which could import replacement workers from India, Africa etc. According to a survey by the NFU 29% of growers struggled for sufficient workers last year. Four polls commissioned by the Farmers Weekly before the referendum confirmed that the majority of farmers would vote to leave the EU. For many the EU had come to represent a bureaucracy gone mad to the point where farmers are required to measure fields to four decimal points before claiming a subsidy. Add in arrogance, incompetence, a lack of support for hard pressed producers and a negative attitude to what they perceive as modern farming their vote was not surprising. What will replace CAP? The big question in Britain and Norther Ireland is what will replace the CAP which currently accounts for 55% of their farm income. DEFRA Minister George Eustice (Equivalent of our Minister for Agriculture) said options already being discussed included market measures and a renewed focus on agri-environment schemes. So farmers in Britain can most probably expect less emphasis on direct payments and a move towards other forms of farm support in a post-Brexit UK agricultural policy So what is the bigger picture and why did a majority of farmers vote to leave the EU. In 2015 the UK government paid 13 billion to the EU budget, and EU spending on the UK was 4.5 billion. So the UKs net contribution was estimated at about 8.5 billion. UK imports 600,000 cars a year from German, plus thousands more from France, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic; so, as one farmer said to me, if the EU does not give Britain a good deal the car companies will put pressure on Angela Merckel et al. In addition the proportion of the UKs goods exported to the EU has been shrinking since the early 2000s, when it accounted for around two thirds of total UK goods exports. Among its 53 members the Commonwealth contains at least seven of the fastest-growing global countries with ballooning new markets collectively exporting more than 1.5 trillion of goods and services each year. Some of the biggest leaps in UK exports of both goods and services in the last two years have been to Commonwealth countries via a 33.5 per cent rise in exports to India, 31.2 per cent to South Africa, 30 per cent to Australia, 18.3 per cent to Canada. As the worlds sixth biggest trader, Britain exports 54 billion to the Commonwealth - less than a quarter of its European trade but growing at over 10% a year. So in theory at least Britain can manage without the European Union and can afford to replace EU subsidies with the savings from Brexit. In the short term, however, a lack of business confidence could seriously damage the UK economy while EU exit arrangements and new trade agreements are being negotiated. Until the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, the refugee crisis was the greatest problem Europe faced. Indeed, that crisis played a critical role in bringing about the greater calamity of Brexit. The vote for Brexit was a great shock; the morning after the vote, the disintegration of the EU seemed practically inevitable. Brewing crises in other EU countries, especially Italy, deepened the dark forecast for the EUs survival. But as the initial shock of the British referendum wears off, something unexpected is happening: the tragedy no longer looks like a fait accompli. Many British voters have started to feel a degree of buyers remorse as the hypothetical becomes real. Sterling has plunged. Another Scottish referendum has become highly likely. The erstwhile leaders of the Leave campaign have engaged in a peculiar bout of internecine self-destruction, and some of their followers have started to glimpse the bleak future that both the country and they personally face. A sign of the shift in public opinion has been a campaign, supported by more than four million people so far, to petition Parliament to hold a second referendum. Agri-food sector faces uncertain future after Brexit https://t.co/MC5Xx2MjnR pic.twitter.com/WqxiOaev6h Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) July 13, 2016 Just as Brexit was a negative surprise, the spontaneous response to it is a positive one. People on both sides of the cause most important, those who didnt even vote (particularly young people under 35) have become mobilised. This is the kind of grassroots involvement that the EU has never been able to generate. The post-referendum turmoil has highlighted for people in Britain just what they stand to lose by leaving the EU. If this sentiment spreads to the rest of Europe, what seemed like the inevitable disintegration of the EU could be instead creating positive momentum for a stronger and better Europe. The process could start in Britain. The popular vote cant be reversed but a signature collecting campaign could transform the political landscape by revealing a newfound enthusiasm for EU membership. This approach could then be replicated in the rest of the European Union, creating a movement to save the EU by profoundly restructuring it. I am convinced that as the consequences of Brexit unfold in the months ahead, more and more people will be eager to join this movement. What the EU must not do is penalise British voters while ignoring their legitimate concerns about the deficiencies of the Union. European leaders should recognise their own mistakes and acknowledge the democratic deficit in the current institutional arrangements. Rather than treating Brexit as the negotiation of a divorce, they should seize the opportunity to reinvent the EU making it the kind of club that the UK and others at risk of exit want to join. If disaffected voters in France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Poland and everywhere else see the EU benefitting their lives, the EU will emerge stronger. If not, it will fall apart faster than leaders and citizens currently realize. The next trouble spot is Italy, which is facing a banking crisis and a referendum in October. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is caught in a Catch-22 situation: if he cannot resolve the banking crisis in time, he will lose the referendum. That could bring to power the Five Star Movement, a partner of the pro-Brexit UK Independence Party in the European Parliament. To find a solution, Renzi needs the assistance of the European authorities, but they are too slow and inflexible. Brexit, cannabis and the loss of his son: Key quotes from Cameron's career https://t.co/DM4WUo5I2f pic.twitter.com/5kzaAg3Lni Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) July 13, 2016 Europes leaders must recognize that the EU is on the verge of collapse. Instead of blaming one another, they should pull together and adopt exceptional measures. First, a clear distinction must be drawn between membership of the EU and of the eurozone. Those fortunate countries that are not members of the eurozone should not face discrimination. If the eurozone wants to be more closely integrated, as it should be, it needs to have its own treasury and budget, to serve as a fiscal authority alongside its monetary authority, the European Central Bank. Second, the EU should put its excellent and largely untapped credit to use. Leaders would be acting irresponsibly if they failed to employ the EUs borrowing capacity when its very existence is at stake. Third, the EU must strengthen its defences to protect itself from its external enemies, who are liable to take advantage of its current weakness. The EUs greatest asset is Ukraine, whose citizens are willing to die in defence of their country. By defending themselves, they are also defending the EU rare in Europe nowadays. Ukraine is fortunate to have a new government that is more determined and more likely to deliver the reforms for which both its citizens and its outside supporters have been clamouring. But the EU and its member states are not providing the support that Ukraine deserves (the US is much more supportive). Fourth, the EUs plans for dealing with the refugee crisis need to be thoroughly revised. They are riddled with misconceptions and inconsistencies that render them ineffective. They are woefully underfunded. And they use coercive measures that generate resistance. I have proposed a detailed remedy for these problems elsewhere. #Business: CPL Resources shares fall further as firm warns of Brexit risk https://t.co/pmEmgjGjHm pic.twitter.com/pFTMppioCm Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) July 12, 2016 If the EU makes progress along these lines, it will become an organisation to which people will want to belong. At that point, treaty change and further integration will once again become possible. If Europes leaders fail to act, those who want to save the EU in order to reinvent it should follow the lead of the young activists in Britain. Now more than ever, the EUs defenders must find ways to make their influence felt. George Soros, chairman of Soros Fund Management and of the Open Society Foundations, is the author of The Tragedy of the European Union: Disintegration or Revival? Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2016. In the Dail last night, Anne Rabbitte said there is no legal definition of au pairs, a situation which has created a legal lacuna for host families and au pairs. She highlighted a recent Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ruling on au pair payments, which, said Ms Rabbitte, threatens to undermine the tradition of au pair exchanges. In March the WRC ordered a Spanish au pair be paid at least the minimum wage. The issue affects 20,000 families who use au pairs and who have been criminalised by the ruling, Ms Rabbitte said during a discussion on a Fianna Fail private members bill to regulate the use of au pairs. Ms Rabbitte told the Dail that as a mother who works full time, she needs the support of an au pair. I dont see myself as a criminal and thats what I would be classified as, she said. The bill lays down a maximum of 30 hours light domestic help per week in exchange for hospitality, lodging, and pocket money. Ms Rabbitte said while the idea of providing pocket money rather than a wage has been criticised, such criticism is misguided. Junior Minister Pat Breen said Fine Gael would not be supporting the motion, adding that it is completely silent on employment law. Do the members opposite truly believe that one human being should work 30 hours per week, or seven hours per day, for another in return for board, lodging, and pocket money? That is why we cannot support this, he said. Sinn Feins Maurice Quinlivan said his party would be opposing the bill and described it as vague and lacking clarity. The companys annual report shows 241m journeys were made on Irish Rail, Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus services in 2015. However, while there was a corresponding increase in fare revenue, the companys overall financial position was worse than in 2014, with the net deficit increasing from 3.3m to 26.4m. This was due mainly to reduced Public Service Obligation (PSO) subsidies, higher payroll costs due to recruitment of extra drivers and greater expenditure on rail infrastructure. CIE group chair Vivienne Juup said there were considerable challenges ahead, with the rail network significantly underfunded, and the possibility that Government funding for maintenance may be found to be a breach of the EU rules on state aid. She also said a 22.2m cut in the PSO provision from 211.8m to 189.6m last year had more than offset the gains made in increased fare revenues. Ms Juup said the changing level of State supports annually, and reliance on occasional supplementary budgets, caused uncertainty. The availability of multi-annual funding, to secure the provision of transport services which are both financially and operationally sustainable remains a principal concern of the CIE board. That is according to the mother of the deaf man, Shane Carey, who yesterday gave her own victim impact statement on the effect the crimes of Mr Matthews have had on the Carey family. The victim impact statement by Anne Carey was one of eight victim statements handed into Ennis District Court yesterday in relation to the crime spree committed by Matthews, aged 34, that spanned from March 10, 2015, to February 20, 2016. As part of his crime spree, Matthews ripped off 25 individuals through bogus DoneDeal adverts for holiday home rental and one One Direction ticket. At Ennis District Court, native of Miltown Malbay in west Clare, Patrick Matthews, pleaded guilty to a total of 115 charges where 30 victims were scammed out of a total of 26,282. The 25 DoneDeal victims were 6,850 out of pocket as a result of Matthews theft. Matthews, of Bishop Street in Cork City, went on his crime spree to fund debts that arose from his chronic addiction to one armed bandits gambling machines. Matthews offences also involved stealing 18 cheques from Shane Carey, with whom he shared accommodation, with Matthews cashing 13 of the cheques totalling 7,252. Insp Tom Kennedy said that the bank in question fully reimbursed Mr Carey the amount. Insp Kennedy said that Matthews cashed five further cheques from Mr Carey at shops, creating an additional loss to the shops concerned of 2,250. In her statement, read out in court yesterday by Judge Patrick Durcan, Anne Carey said that she is very proud of her son Shane and that he has never let his deafness be a factor in anything he did and has established a successful business. However, Mrs Carey said: I have seen a huge change in Shanes personality where he now struggles with his deafness. He was always a very outgoing young man but I now see that he has turned more introverted and reserved and he struggles with trusting people. She added: This whole ordeal has had a big impact on my family life and has been a distressing year for us all. Mrs Carey said that she interviewed Patrick Matthews for the shared accommodation and I feel guilty that I subjected my son to Patrick Matthews. Solicitor for Matthews, Daragh Hassett told Mrs Carey: Mr Matthews wants to apologise to your son for what he did. You probably wont accept it but it is heartfelt. Shane Carey wasnt in court yesterday. Gardai only became aware of Matthews crime trail after a Co Tipperary woman, Helen McCormack, made a complaint to gardai in Thurles after she paid over 75 to Matthews in June 2015 for a One Direction ticket that never materialised. Judge Durcan yesterday further remanded Matthews on bail for the preparation of a Probation Report to September 14 when he will be sentenced for his crimes. Matthews has 17 previous convictions, including eight theft offences. Detectives are investigating if the thwarted murder attempt is linked to the Kinahan-Hutch feud or a local dispute. A 24-year-old man from Crumlin was arrested on Tuesday night on Old County Road, around the corner from the homes of senior Kinahan cartel bosses. Local detectives from Sundrive Garda Station were praised yesterday for spotting the gunman, who is a known criminal. When they stopped his car they recovered a loaded firearm. A source said the arrest most definitely save lives. Detectives dont suspect the gunman was about to travel across the city to conduct a shooting and that the gun was going to be used in the local area. It comes less than a month after gardai foiled a Kinahan murder team not far away on the junction of Long Mile Rd and Naas Rd. But detectives are also investigating if Tuesdays arrest is connected with a separate, locally based feud. That feud which previously claimed the life of a youth and the near killing of an unarmed garda appeared to be resurrected last month after an attempted murder of a man on nearby Monasterboice Rd. The general area has been receiving significant levels of patrolling since the Kinahan-Hutch feud broke out, and was ramped up again after the murder of Gareth Hutch on May 24. Roaming checkpoints and patrols, involving regional support units and the Emergency Response Unit, as well as local units, are a common feature, backed up by the Garda helicopter. Sources said Tuesdays arrest shows that gunmen are willing to take the risk and run the gauntlet of being apprehended. The areas of Crumlin, Drimnagh, and neighbouring south inner city have been on alert awaiting retaliation from associates of the Hutch gang, which is based in the north inner city. While the Hutch gang carried out one murder, the Kinahan cartel is behind at least six murders, one in Spain and five in Ireland. Four of those, including two members of the Hutch family, took place in the north inner city. Gardai are also investigating if the murder of David Daithi Douglas in the south inner city on July 1 is connected with the feud. It comes as Garda figures show that 6,221 checkpoints, 872 mobile patrols, and 2,196 searches have been conducted under Operation Hybrid, covering both sides of the city. Evan Meehan, aged 22, of Dernish Lawn, Shannon, Co Clare, appeared at Ennis District Court yesterday in connection with uploading 30 photos of local teenage girls to a pornographic site between October 2013 to the end of June 2014. The 30 charges relate to 19 women, with 17 having Shannon addresses and with two other girls living in the nearby villages of Sixmilebridge and Newmarket-on-Fergus. All were Facebook friends of Mr Meehan, while most went to the same secondary school in Shannon as him. The alleged offences took place during a period when Mr Meehan was aged 19 and 20. The alleged offences first came to light when a number of girls presented themselves to Shannon Garda Station in June 2014. The girls arrived at the station after discovering that profile pictures they uploaded to their personal Facebook pages had been uploaded to a pornographic site without their knowledge or consent. Det Garda Paul Coleman told the court previously that sexually explicit captions describing activities of a sexual nature were added to the girls photographs. The detective said: The alleged injured parties were happy to upload the pictures themselves to Facebook. They were in no way lewd or anyway suggestive in the poses contained. He said: It is the captions that were added that caused offence at the time and that has lessened in time. Last month, Judge Patrick Durcan said he would accept jurisdiction in the case, meaning it will be heard in the district court. The case was yesterday adjourned to see if Mr Meehan would be pleading guilty or not guilty in relation to the offences. However, before any plea could be entered yesterday, Insp Tom Kennedy said that there was an issue between the State and defence regarding the charges and they would require minor alterations. Judge Durcan said that he would grant a two-month adjournment in the case to September 14. Insp Kennedy said that such an adjournment would allow the State make substitute charges. Limerick-born Jason Corbett was found dead in the early hours of August 2 in the home he shared with Molly Martens Corbett in Panther Creek, Wallburg, North Carolina. Ms Martens Corbett, 32, and Thomas Martens, 66, have been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Defence for the pair claim a video statement recorded last May by Mr Corbetts son Jack in the Limerick home of Mr Corbetts sister is hearsay, was obtained under coercive circumstances, and is not sufficiently trustworthy to be admissible. In documents filed with the Superior Court of Davidson County in North Carolina , the defence argues the statement attempts to contradict prior statements during which Jack and his sister Sarah, 8, described incidents of verbal and physical abuse by Jason Corbett inflicted upon Molly Corbett. The documents reveal how, in the days after their fathers death, the children were interviewed by social services officials, with detectives observing behind a two-way mirrored glass wall. Sarah reported that: her dad started fights with her mom for ridiculous reasons; he would hurt her mom; he would scream at her mom every day and sometimes twice a day; he would call her mom names on a daily basis; he would call her mom a lot on the phone; she saw her dad step on her moms foot, pull her moms hair, roll over her moms foot with the car, hit her mom in the face and call her mom names like worthless, the documents stated. Jack reported that: his dad would physically and verbally abuse his mom; he would punch, hit and push her; he saw her [sic] dad push her [sic] mom down one time because he wanted to look through her phone; his dad would cuss and scream at her; his mom would cry and try to block her ears; his dads anger was worse over the past few months, he would scream, get mad and cuss more, he was getting angrier; his mom would try to get him to stop but his dad was strong; his mom would scream for him to stop but sometimes she would just ball up under the covers and block her ears. The defence documents claim the interview with Jack on May 27 was procured under coercive circumstances without any of the safeguards to insure trustworthiness or reliability. Shane Murphy, counsel for the inspectors, urged the court not to halt the continuing investigation by the inspectors, which involved them taking from the offices documents and a computer linked to the stores takeover in June 2015. The workers lost their jobs on June 12, 2015, hours after Clerys was sold to a joint venture, Natrium by its previous owners, the US Gordon Brothers group. 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. Mollie Tamara Powell, 16, a member of Co Dublins Rush 38th Scouts and Sean Thompson, 16, from 6th Wexford Tuskar Sea Scouts, rescued the boy from the Dim Cay River in Mahmutlar, Turkey, where they are on holiday with their families. They went to the boys aid during the incident on Tuesday and pulled him from the water, even clearing his airways and preparing to do CPR before a nurse, who was also on holiday, took over. The boy, now in recovery, was taken to hospital. Sean said: There was some fear involved. I was afraid to dive in but that feeling disappeared and my instinct kicked in when I realised what I had to do. I am vision impaired with poor sight but I was still able to do this equally as good as someone with full vision. It was scary looking down at the boy. He is only around 14. He is in our own age group. All we knew was we had to keep his head above water and get him out of the water. Sean, who attends Bridge Town College in Wexford, said that because it was around 1pm, most of the Turkish residents nearby were having lunch, and the river is a spot mostly used by local children. The family say that the young boy had jumped into the river and banged his head, while his younger cousin, a boy aged around 10, had also suffered a head injury and was also being treated. The Turkish boy has no clue he was rescued by Irish teenagers and now they are planning to visit him when he is well enough and present him with an Irish scouting T-Shirt to remember them by. Mollie, a Lusk Community College student, said: It was instinct to save the boy. I saw him and dont know what went through my head apart from I have to get the child out of the water. I feel we did what any decent person wouldve done. If another scout was there theyd have done it. My training definitely helped and I have to give mention to Rush 38th Scouts for teaching me what to do. As Sean swam to land with the boy, Mollie stood on steps, helping to pull him out of the water. Both Sean and Mollie have been attending the scouts for around 10 years. Their parents are all involved in the movement and Seans mother, Olga Thompson, 46, said the pair had jumped into action without even knowing what the other was doing. Mollie added: I dont feel like a hero, I feel any decent person would have done what we did. As the teenage scouts rescued the boy, their siblings and friends, Seans younger brother, Brendan, 11, also a sea scout, and Mollies sister, Mia, 11, a land scout, along with two other young people, Ben Hughes, 15, and Chloe Duffy, 20, took control of the situation near the water, ushering children away. Ian Carey, County Commissioner for Fingal Scout County, said the actions of Mollie and Sean are an inspiration to scouts and all young people. Karen Lam also alleges the former Fianna Fail minister kept goods and money belonging to her. Lam, who ran a restaurant at 191 Howth Road, Killester, Dublin, claims she entered into an agreement with Mr Callely to rent the place in July 2014 and paid a 4,000 deposit. She claims the premises contained a limited amount of furniture and equipment and she made considerable improvements at her own expense. Ms Lam alleges, about a year later after both parties had negotiated rents due and owing, Callely unlawfully took possession of the premises, changing locks and retaining her fixtures and fittings. She claims when she, her husband, and an engineer visited and requested the goods and the 4,000 deposit be returned, Mr Callely pulled down shutters in an aggressive and threatening manner, locking them all inside. She alleges that, despite repeated requests, he refused to return her goods, comprising of a gas Chinese cooker worth 6,000, a dishwasher, two refrigerators, two computers, a television, deep fat fryers, a grease trap, 50 chairs, plate warmers, a stereo system, chopping boards, and kitchen utensils. Ms Lam, of Park Place, Drogheda, Co Louth, claims Mr Callely has converted her goods to his own use. She claims she suffered loss, damage and inconvenience, trespass, and false imprisonment. She seeks in her proceedings a judgment in the sum of 4,000 and a mandatory injunction directing Mr Callely to return her goods. Her solicitor, Peter M Douglas, of Douglas & Barrett solicitors, told County Registrar Rita Considine that attempts to serve Mr Callely with the court proceedings had failed. The court heard a solicitor had tried to serve Mr Callely personally at his office in the Killester premises and also at an address at St Lawrence Road, Clontarf, Dublin. Mr Douglas said he had been informed Mr Callely was selling his office in Killester. He said during his application, which was made ex-parte (one side only), Ms Lam was seeking an order for substituted service. Ms Considine directed that Mr Callely be served with the court proceedings by ordinary, pre-paid post. Backbenchers pressing for the Taoiseach to step down as party leader clashed at the parliamentary party meeting with Senator Reilly, who was forced to defend his reappointment. Despite a pact agreed by phone with Mr Reilly the previous night that there would be no confrontation, the deputy leader was vexed when TDs began complaining. Mr Kenny was confronted by several TDs about Mr Reillys reappointment, a week since the announcement at the last party meeting first sparked a backlash. It had been agreed by phone on Wednesday night that there would be no confrontation. This came after days of backbenchers pushing for Mr Kenny to set a date for his exit amid fear Fine Gael could face a snap election under his watch. Mr Kenny told the meeting that ministers should concentrate on their portfolios with the build-up to the budget and ensure the Governments stability. But the Taoiseach did not address calls for him to outline when or how he will step aside and allow a successor lead Fine Gael. Cork South Wests Jim Daly, one of the TDs linked to a draft motion calling for a change of leader earlier this week, spoke about Mr Reilly taking back his position. He said it was a bad appointment and Mr Reilly had been incapable of holding his Dublin seat. He said he wanted the appointment reversed and that it would not help rejuvenate the party. Several sources said Mr Reilly told the meeting he was ready to listen and tour constituencies to hear concerns about Fine Gael. But he also lashed back at TDs criticising his reappointment, accusing them of using him as a punchbag, and as a proxy to get to Mr Kenny himself. But Mr Daly said it was not personal and that he had actually written to Mr Kenny when Mr Reilly was health minister saying he should stay in his post. Carlow-Kilkenny TD John Paul Phelan repeated the call for Mr Reillys appointment to be reversed, before similar questions were raised by Waterford TD John Deasy and Kerry TD Brendan Griffin. The latter, the only backbencher to date to publicly call for Mr Kenny to step down over the summer, repeated the call in front of the Taoiseach. He said the issues behind his concerns had not gone away, and Mr Kenny needs to put the party first. One TD said: Kenny responded but he didnt really say anything. He got a kicking, Reilly got a kicking. I dont know where this is going. The row was described as tense as hell. A number of TDs confirmed no senior minister, including Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar, Housing Minister Simon Coveney and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, spoke at any point. All three are considered potential leadership candidates should Mr Kenny step down, with some TDs yesterday saying this may happen by Christmas. After the tense party meeting, Mr Kenny and Mr Reilly then had tea with TDs Pat Deering and Fergus ODowd, two of the rebel backbenchers. Editorial: 10 The 17-year-old became suddenly ill during the show at Marlay Park on Friday night and passed away later in hospital. At the end of yesterdays funeral Mass at St Johns Church in Kilkenny city, the four-piece stunned her family and friends when they were brought out. The Dublin group performed their song Love Will Set You Free before conveying their sympathies. Ciaras parents, Eimear and John, and her brothers, Jack and Barry, were supported in their grief by girls from Loreto Kilkenny secondary school and members of OLoughlin Gaels GAA club, who formed a guard of honour as the hearse left the church. The club recalled the teenagers character in a statement expressing condolences to the Lawlor family. Ciaras brothers, Jack and Barry, cousin Huw, and many friends all play at the club with Ciara often in support carrying that infectious smile that warmed the hearts of all around her. Rest in Peace Ciara, OLoughlin Gaels GAA club said on its Facebook page. Ciara had a pre-existing medical condition, Kodaline told fans when they issued a statement expressing their devastation about the news at the weekend. She had been treated by teams at the medical centre at the south Dublin venue when she took ill. Ciara was later taken to Tallaght Hospital, but was pronounced dead a short time later. The four members of Kodaline also spoke to mourners after the funeral Mass, which was followed by Ciaras burial at St Kierans Cemetery. Catherine Fitzpatrick, principal of the Patrician Academy in Mallow, Co Cork, said she is liaising closely with the Department of Education as investigation s into yesterdays devastating blaze continue. The schools 1992-built two-storey extension was gutted in the blaze which broke out around 3.20am. It contained three science laboratories with a tiered demonstration room, two drawing rooms, a building construction room, a geography lab, and four classrooms. Ms Fitzpatrick said it was devastating for the entire school community. But we are already liaising with our insurers, and with Department of Education officials, to make the necessary arrangements to resume classes as planned on August 25, she said. It was not clear last night whether the school will have to use prefabs, or will have to relocate to temporary accommodation elsewhere. Ms Fitzpatrick said staff, students, and parents will be briefed as soon as possible. The alarm was raised at 3.20am and firefighters from the retained units of the Cork County Fire Service based in Mallow, Kanturk, and Charleville responded, before units of Cork City Fire Brigade arrived as back-up. Senior executive fire officer Barry Collins said up to 50 firefighters managed to contain it within two to three hours, preventing damage to the schools original monastery section, which dates from the 1880s and was converted for admin use, and preventing damage to nearby houses. No injuries were reported. Gardai plan to examine CCTV footage and are awaiting results of forensic examinations before making further comment. Cork East Fine Gael TD and Junior Justice Minister David Stanton contacted Education Minister Richard Bruton to ensure alternative accommodation, and funding is found. Local Labour TD Sean Sherlock, a past pupil of the Patrician Academy, also contacted the secretary general of the department. He said the fire was a real shock for the town. A team from the NMCI met with department officials this week, when it was agreed the Marine Survey Office (MSO) will, once the necessary requirements are in place, accredit the NMCIs refresher course for mariners. This refresher training is mandatory for all mariners from January. However, uncertainty remains over the 400 Irish mariners who completed the course at Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, since last August. The course was accredited by the British MCO, but the Department of Transport has questioned the validity of this for Irish students. If the department is correct, it means the students have a certificate of proficiency to work outside Ireland, but not in Irish waters. NMCI head Conor Mowlds said department officials told the NMCI team they are still awaiting evidenceof how a British organisation can sanction a course for Irish mariners held in Ireland. An emergency general meeting was held at NMCI yesterday to decide how to respond to the departments stance. We are still in limbo land in terms of the 400 people who have completed the MCO-accredited course. The next week will tell a lot, said Mr Mowlds. Because of this, we cannot still say if mandatory severance will be announced in the next week. The NMCI was forced to seek UK accreditation for its refresher course last year as, when the college applied to the Departments Marine Survey Office (MSO) office, they were told it would take at least a year before it could consider the application. Under time pressure, the NMCI turned to the British for ratification of the course. The department has said it will not recognise the certificates of proficiency, which mean that under changes to maritime law, the mariners everyone from a ships officers to hairdressers on a cruise ship will not be able to work from January 2017. The NMCI argues the UK certificates are valid in every EU state as a consequence of the provisions of Article 3 of Directive 2005/45/EC on the mutual recognition of seafarer certificates. In the Dail, Minister for Transport Shane Ross said that approval was granted in Autumn last year in respect of two of the five categories of courses requested and that final preliminary approval for the rest of the courses is in place since May. Similar programmes have been provided [at NMCI]. My department had a number of concerns, including legal and jurisdictional concerns, in relation to these programmes, he said. The firm said last night that the allegations were ill-informed, inaccurate, and without foundation. Speaking during Leaders Questions yesterday, the Independents4Change TD told Taoiseach Enda Kenny he must open an investigation into the Nama claims. Using Dail privilege, the Wexford TD said he has been informed a big player in Nama was central to the sale of the gardais Harcourt Street headquarters to Hibernia REIT. Mr Wallace said the vulture fund was set up by a former Nama portfolio manager, and alleged this individual had moved his 30% shareholding in the firm to an offshore trust when he joined the state body. Between 2009 and 2012, when he worked at Nama, the TD said this person used insider knowledge to help the company purchase a number of properties. The majority of people in Ireland think it [Nama] is rotten to the core, he said. In a statement last night, Hibernia REIT said the claims were without foundation and hit out at Mr Wallaces use of Dail privilege to detail the situation. Hibernia REIT did not purchase Harcourt Square from Nama. Harcourt Square was sold by Nama to Starwood Capital in 2013, as part of a large portfolio of assets called Project Aspen. Hibernia acquired the property from Starwood Capital in February 2015, it said. However, before the statement was released, Mr Kenny said any allegations should be brought to the immediate attention of the gardai, adding: A lot of rumour is going around, a lot of speculation, a lot of allegations. In separate claims during the debate, Mr Wallace also outlined back handers involving Nama deals. He said it has been more than a year since he gave the name of an individual to gardai who he claimed had handed over 15,000 in a bag to ensure favourable treatment. Forensic engineer Stephen Mooney told Judge James ODonohoe in the Circuit Civil Court yesterday that by putting her children, aged 3 and 6, on the trolley, Patricia Martin had destabilised it and caused it to topple. Ms Martin, aged 43, claimed she had injured her knees and left thigh when the trolley knocked her down while she tried to protect her two children from hitting the trolley ramp. The video was played to the Central Criminal Court yesterday on the seventh day of the 29-year-olds trial. Marta Herda, of Pairc Na Saile, Emoclew Rd, Arklow, Co Wicklow, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Csaba Orsos, aged 31, on March 26, 2013, at South Quay, Arklow. Mr Orsos brother, Zoltan Sandor, testified yesterday that he and his family had celebrated Mr Orsos birthday at his home in July 2012. He was shown a video of the celebration in court. Ms Herda could be seen sitting at the table next to Mr Orsos as he blew out the candles on his cake. Mr Sandor agreed with the defence that he (Mr Sondors) could be heard telling Ms Herda that she was the present or something similar. He was also asked if Ms Herda could be heard replying that she had come to the house to warn Mr Orsos that his manager knew he had lied when he had rung in sick. My English at this time is 50/50, he replied, indicating that he couldnt be sure what she had said. The jury heard that Ms Herda had pointed to the brides and grooms seats at a wedding, telling Mr Orsos: This will be us one day. The evidence was given by their colleague, Martin Penn. Under cross-examination by the defence, he accepted that this could have been a line that Mr Orsos had used many times. Katryna Sobek testified that she had known Ms Herda for four years by 2013. The Polish woman said Ms Herda and Mr Orsos had been friends but that he had fallen in love with her and problems had started. She said Ms Herda had complained to her about him many times. The court later heard from the man with whom Ms Herda spent the hours before the incident. Viktor Szentesi said he hadnt been in a relationship with her, but agreed that they used to kiss. The Hungarian said he and Ms Herda had gone to his apartment around midnight. He said she insisted on going home around 5am. He drove her home in her car and then walked the 25 minutes back to his home. He said there were several missed calls on his phone when he arrived home and he called her back. She asked was I OK, had I got home, he said. She was looking for me. He said there was loud music where she was and that he figured she was in her car. He agreed with the defence that he had told gardai that Mr Orsos had been stalking her, but that she had refused his help in sorting it. The trial continues. I hope you are alright, hope youre alright, murmurs Black Francis early in the set, launching into Mr Grieves. Minutes later the crowd is singing every word of Gouge Away. Its going to be a good night. They arrived in Cork sweatily fresh from a blistering, sold-out show at Brixton Academy on Monday, with the social networks hailing their magnificence. We kind of take that for granted, but Im sure the band doesnt. Despite their reincarnation shows of recent years having gained global bucket list status, their initial 1986 to 93 incarnation was great, but not deified like they are here today. Their after life is definitely more exalted than their first coming. Theyve kind of crept up on an unsuspecting world over a deeply committed 30-year ascent from underground cult niche band, the ultimate festival warm-up act, to the top of everyones must-see list. Well, certainly this Marquee crowd loved every magical second of it. Aisling OConnor, Blackrock, and Anna Butler, Kinsale, at the Marquee. This looks like a very different set of people to those weve been rubbing shoulders with on most nights for the past six weeks. I dont mean clothes and hairdos, more to do with passion than fashion, more attitude than hattitude. First off, everyone is either listening and/or rocking out. Very few, if anyone, chatting their way through the night, just waiting for the hits, as can happen here. There are hits with the Pixies, but youd be waiting. In a non-stop set that had anything from 25 to 30 songs (who stopped to count?), they did deliver some, though not all, of their radio hits: Where Is My Mind?, Here Comes Your Man, Debaser, Monkey Gone To Heaven, and Hey. David Price, Emily Coughlan, and Richard Price from Gurranabraher at Pixies. No chat. None whatsoever, none on stage and none off. Just a burn through a string of two-minute and three-minute wonders. All about the music, and the musicianship. Lead guitarist Joey Santiago rarely indulges in what Eric Clapton would call a solo, yet hes got an awesome sound. No indulgence either from Black Francis, bassist Paz Lenchantin, and no drum solos from David Lovering. No frills, just epic songs. Sure what more could you want? Awesome. Highlight? The crowd singing Monkey Gone To Heaven. Tom Jones on Tuesday. Pixies on Wednesday. Misery on Thursday and every day until Marquee 2017. And a word too to warm-up act, Bleeding Heart Pigeons, three Limerick lads we highly recommend you see. Ones to watch. The airport attributes the growth in the number of people travelling to a range of factors, including the many new routes and services at Dublin Airport, lower oil prices, which make for competitive fares, the good performance of the Irish economy, and the falling unemployment rates. Last year, Dublin Airport had a record year, with more than 25m passengers travelling through the airport. Some 10.3m passengers have passed through the airport in the first five months of this year a 15% increase on 2015. Dublin Airport currently has direct flights to over 180 destinations in 40 countries on four continents. Traffic at Cork Airport is also continuing to soar with latest figures released by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) showing further growth in June, with terminal flights up by 19.1% compared with the same month last year, the biggest increase of any Irish airport for the month. The figures show that, while the amount of traffic safely handled by air traffic control nationally climbed 8.1% in June, traffic at Cork Airport grew at almost twice this rate. Year-to-date passenger numbers at the airport also continue to rise, with figures to the end of June showing an 8.5% increase. Meanwhile, Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune said she is now pressuring the European Commission to immediately exhaust all avenues, including legal arbitration, to put political pressure on the US authorities to grant a licence to Norwegian Airlines to fly from Cork and Shannon to Boston. Its over to the US to make a decision on the licence, and now the European Commission must heap the pressure on them to live up to their obligations under the EU/US open skies agreement. If we need to move into arbitration, then so be it. We need a decision, and political events in the US seem to be stalling such a decision, as opposition mounts from US unions and established airlines who are unwilling to accept new competition in the marketplace, she said. Passing sentence on Arnold Viguurs, aged 63, yesterday, the three-judge court in the city of sHertogenbosch (Den Bosch) described the violent death last November of Martina OBrien Viguurs, bludgeoned with a hammer and then strangled by her husband as a shocking act of violence. The punishment is very severe by Dutch standards as the accused had no previous convictions. In their judgment, the court said a severe punishment was necessary because of the immense pain, suffering, and loss her death had caused to her eight children and 11 grandchildren. A kind, warm-hearted woman devoted to her family and looking forward to moving back to Ireland to be near them had died needlessly at the hands of a callous coward of a man whose only way out of telling her the truth about their severe financial problems was to cold-bloodedly plot and carry out her murder, the court ruled. Just hours before she believed they would catch a flight to Ireland to visit family and view houses for sale as they had recently sold their Dutch home, Martina, aged 64, a former nurse and air hostess, already lay dead on the living room floor. Viguurs, a former estate agent, told his trial two weeks ago that he killed her because he was desperate and afraid to admit they could not travel to Ireland as there was no money to pay for the tickets nor enough to buy a new home there. He had lived a lie for years, telling his wife, a native of Rathkeale, Co Limerick, they would have enough money to retire comfortably and move back to Ireland after selling their home in Den Bosch, a small city 100km south of Amsterdam. Viguurs finally told Martina the truth that debts had eaten up their entire savings from his half of a local real estate business he sold in 2013 and there was nothing left for the air tickets or a house in Ireland, before killing her. He claimed it was a spur-of-the-moment action but, during his interrogation, Viguurs admitted that he had thought about ways of killing her the previous night as an escape from coming clean about their financial meltdown. When he told her he planned to end his own life in 2014 because he was so desperate about money, she begged him not to do so, saying she could not live without him. The killer wrote a suicide letter two days earlier. It said: Tina I have always loved you I am sorry I have made such a mess of our life. I hope you can forgive me. I cant leave you behind in the trouble Ive caused. I hope you find peace in heaven. I realised that if I was to kill myself I had to take her with me Viguurs told the court. After killing Martina he went upstairs but was unable to commit suicide. Instead, he called the emergency services. Forensic evidence showed Martina suffered injuries to her hands and elbows consistent with an attempt to defend herself. But it was strangulation, and not the hammer blows, that caused her death on November 9 of last year. Patients trying to contact their assigned community mental health nurses via mobile numbers are receiving voicemails stating the nurse is advised not to answer because of an industrial relations dispute and, in case of emergency, to ring the local day hospital. At larger psychiatric units, only administrative staff are answering phones. Psychiatric nurses are refusing. Patients in the South West have contacted the Irish Examiner to say service users are being punished and claimed the industrial action is unduly unfair on patients in crisis who generally have strong relationships with community mental health nurses. The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) confirmed industrial action includes not answering some phones. The PNA was due to begin phase three of its action today but it was deferred for 24 hours to allow for further talks at the Workplace Relations Commission, according to the PNA. We have made progress on some issues while there are other issues that are proving more difficult such as incremental pay for nurses recruited between 2011 and 2015, said PNA spokesman Derek Cunningham. The PNA is also seeking a significant increase in psychiatric nurse training places but the HSE has not yet agreed to the increases. Tentative contact was made between health service employers and the union at the WRC last Friday and more formal talks took place this week. As part of phase three of its action, PNA members were to begin refusing overtime. Under phase two, nurses refused to use IT unless it was direct inputting of patient reports. They also limited the use of their own transport, refused to co-operate with reconfiguration, and only attend clinical meetings. Limerick Coroners Court heard what was described as serious stuff was found on the Facebook page of the 21-year-old student. Fellow students were in their apartment on February 8 last and were getting ready to take part in a rag week event. One went to the room of the student and saw him near the door. However, on entering, the occupant was lifeless. The emergency services were called and attempts at CPR were unsuccessful. A medical report showed blood and urine samples contained traces of ecstacy and cannabis. The student died from asphyxia. A relative of the student told coroner John McNamara that she looked at his Facebook page and found it contained serious stuff. She said she would be very concerned with the kind of communication he had with another person. The coroner said there were some drugs in the students system and this could have affected the young mans decision-making capacity. Accordingly, the coroner said he felt it appropriate to record an open verdict. The inquest also dealt with two other cases. An open verdict was also recorded into the death of another 21-year-old man whose body has never been found. The man was last seen on January 10, 2009, entering water from the Shannon Bridge in Limerick. Two people witnessed the man go into the river. Major search operations were conducted over a period of weeks involving marine river rescue teams, and also a coast guard helicopter. Meanwhile, a verdict of misadventure was recorded into the death of a 34-year-old mother who died while seated in her sitting room. After her partner put their young child to bed, he was unable to awake her. Efforts to revive her failed. A pathologists report found she died from high levels of a prescribed drug. The coroner told the womans family the medical report indicated she had passed away in her sleep and did not suffer. He was satisfied the woman did not intend to die and recorded a verdict of misadventure. Fine Gael last night moved to seek support for a citizens assembly which will examine numerous issues including the countrys aging population, fixed-term parliaments and the possibility of repealing the Eight Amendment. But Ruth Coppinger of the AAA-PBP group described the establishment of a citizens assembly as a charade that the Government felt they had to come up with. She acknowledged that a number of other issues would be discussed but added that this is really about the Eighth Amendment lets not kid ourselves. The Government is struggling to find a formula to not deal with what has essentially become the key civil rights issue for this generation, she told the Dail. She said her group would not be supporting the bill because we recognise abortion is a reality for thousands of women in this country and they cant wait any longer for this Chamber to deal with what they know has to be done. Labours Joan Burton said it was simply kicking the can down the road in relation to the Eighth Amendment and described it as a cynical political exercise. Galway West Independent TD Catherine Connolly said the Government had got themselves into an absolute mess. I think the Constitution when it was amended in 1983 led to the more serious problems that repeated Dails have refused to look at. It has led to the death of women; it has led to the chair of the UN Human Rights Committee condemning Ireland on more than one occasion. In the case of Amanda Mellet it said the treatment amounted to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Fianna Fails Jim OCallaghan said his party would be abstaining from voting on the motion. We recognise that the impact of the Eighth Amendment is a matter that does merit discussion and consideration, however, Fianna Fail believe that because it is an issue of such sensitivity and complexity that it cannot adequately be dealt with by putting together 100 citizens in whats referred to as a citizens assembly. We know that the breadth of opinion on the issue in Irish society and we believe that would simply be reflected in the citizens assembly. He said Dail Eireann could do that task easily and instead called on a judge-led commission which would call on experts and interest groups. Minister of State Damien English told the Dail that the citizens assembly, which will be established by October, would be made up of 100 randomly selected members of the public which would broadly represent society. He said citizens would have power over the process and no politicians would be members of the assembly. He encouraged all those selected to accept a position: Dont be afraid of that phone call when it comes, I think it would be a very interesting experience. The motion was last night passed. n the sublime and moving His & Hers, he told a 90-year-old love story through the collective voices of dozens of different women during various periods in their lives. Now Irish filmmaker Ken Wardrop is exploring the female psyche again this time in the relationship between mother and son. Wardrop is leaving behind Irelands midlands for the less familiar terrain of the midwestern US state of Oklahoma. But the resulting stories are no less universal, or touching. Opening with the famous Oscar Wilde quote: All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. Thats his, Wardrops film, Mom & Me, observes their relationships using the springboard of the mens on-air exchanges with colourful radio host Joe Cristiano. Given that Oklahoma is officially Americas Manliest City, this doesnt always come easily, but what emerges is by turns tender, funny, and heartbreaking. For the amiable filmmaker, the location came about by accident. I wanted to construct something around a radio show. I went on YouTube, looking for a radio show host who was small town. Joe was the very first person I listened to. He made me laugh several times. Hes a libertarian, so it was all about government and I had no idea what he was talking about. Hes really quite a clever man. It was all very Italian and I was laughing because to me, he was a real Woody Allen. Scenes from Mom & Me. Wardrop says, Youre representing these people in a way that is not normal. I imagined he was in Manhattan, but then Joe tells me hes in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He fell in love with a woman and moved there 25 years ago. Undaunted and convinced he had his man, Wardrop began to explore the idea of setting the film in this community. We started to look at Oklahoma as a location for the film and had a eureka moment when we realised it had recently been voted the manliest state in America. That seemed to be appropriate and then the fun started. The research did, too, as Wardrop and his production team aimed to find the right people for their movie. We literally got on the telephone and rang around the state. We called barbers, cattle marts, using the Irish charm, he says, laughing. Like His & Hers, Mom & Me is rich in detail and texture as details emerge of the men and their mothers lives, challenges, and relationships. From the mother who is comically encouraging her son to marry his new girlfriend, only for it to emerge that shes recently been diagnosed with dementia, to the son who imagines life without the nightly game of chess with his ailing mum, the film is universal in the hopes and fears of its protagonists. Scenes from Mom & Me. Wardrop says, Youre representing these people in a way that is not normal. But culturally, it couldnt be more different. Whereas His & Hers was tea and scones and slippers and tractors, Mom & Me features stetson hats, rosary beads, and even guns. Did Wardrop worry that such references would have a distancing effect? I didnt come at it from this angle, but of course people bring their prejudices to it, and none more so than east and west coast America. Youre representing these people in a way that is not normal. They are normally sensationalised. I touch on guns, but I dont pass comment, he says. Theres a man who is trying to get his mum to (use a gun to) protect herself. That opens up a big, big question, but Im interested in their relationship, and this is just a note in that scenario. I could step back from that, because after spending four or five days with these people, I really liked them. You might be out at a fast food restaurant and youd be asked to hold hands, bow your head, and say grace. That is not usual for me, I would feel very uncomfortable in that scenario, but I went with it. I knew these people from chatting to them and they were no different to you or me. OK they would show me their cabinet of guns and I could not get my head around it. But thats their way of life. its about their relationships, and I didnt want to pass comment on this stuff, because thats another film. I thought it was enough to use it as a backdrop and concentrate on the characters. One of the films most moving scenes features a prisoner who is anguished over the pain his criminal lifestyle has caused his mother. We found a character in a prison, Jefferson, with whom we all connected when we met him. He was a very endearing figure but at the same time he did cause his mum a lot of heartache. I think what you see is him realising he needs to make amends. Its very poetic when you hear him speak. One person thought it was scripted but there was no script. Wardrop turned to filmmaking in his mid-twenties, garnered early attention for short film Undressing My Mother (the quirkily funny Useless Dog is also worth a look). I took up film when I was 26. It coincided with my dad dying of cancer and it became the biggest thing ever to happen in my life, losing a parent. Ken Wardrop took up film aged 26. It coincided with my dad dying of cancer. I think that informed a lot of my filmmaking in those early days. Undressing My Mother was definitely a cathartic experience for both myself and my mum. Its about her love for her husband, her loss, and how thats impacting on her physicality. It garnered enough attention to enable him to make His & Hers, a documentary daring in its ambition to tell a story of life and love through 70 different women. It was about the important male characters at that moment in your life, but it resonated with so many people in different ways, he says of it now. Wardrop, currently involved in a film project revolving around piano lessons for the Arts Council, says while filming Mom & Me he found the dynamic between these men and their mothers revealing, especially in the tenderness it brought out in the men. That was an interesting aspect. Not all of them were manly but you put them beside their mum, they revert to being a boy. They have this respect, this adoration in many respects, but there was, in general, a real tenderness towards their mums, and a real respect. And I noticed youd often get more slagging from the mammy than the son, whereas in Ireland its probably quite equal. The Coolmakee road isnt really much more than a boreen but it offers some spectacular views overlooking Fermoy. In the afternoon sun, the sound of birdsong fills the air. To the left are the evergreens bordering the woods, to the right is an uneven hedgerow, the whites of blackthorn trees and devils porridge dusted with the yellows of furze and buttercups. Across from the entrance to the Coillte forestry, at a break in the hedge, the view is almost perfect. The blue sky seems huge and the Galtee Mountains tower to the north. Three miles to the west across sloping fields and beyond the trees lies Fermoy, its bright walls, slate roofs, and twin church spires scattered along the Blackwater valley. Far away to the east, high against the Knockmealdowns, the Ballyduff windmills stand white and tall. The vista is breathtaking. Sadly, though, the smell is breath-taking too. While the scenery in the distance is indeed very beautiful, whats in the immediate foreground is horrible. Someone has dumped perhaps a dozen full black plastic bags of domestic rubbish in the ditch. The bags have broken or been torn open and their contents scattered all over. Food waste, plastic bottles, cans, and more are spread everywhere. Half-sealed synthetic nappies hang from branches of trees. I recently spent a day travelling the byways and roads between Ballyhooly and Fermoy with a friend who works as a contractor for Coillte, the semi-state company which manages Irish woods and forests. John (surname withheld) patrols a huge area of Munster in his anonymous van. Youd pass him and never know. His job is to monitor litter blackspots and, where possible, bring the litterers to justice. To this end, he uses a combination of old-fashioned detective work and an up-to-the- minute network of hidden cameras. Johns beat covers Coilltes massive Munster South business area, which stretches from Clonakilty, on up past Rockchapel and across to Charleville, taking in the Ballyhouras, Aherlow, and Tipp town, and on then to Clonmel and down to Dungarvan. And from Dungarvan back to Clonakilty. And all points between. Nationally, Coillte manages over 445,000 hectares of forestry, almost 8% of the land cover of Ireland. Last year, it sold 1.34m cubic metres of logs to sawmill customers in Ireland. Coillte replaces every felled tree, and last year it planted 14m new trees. That works out at about 20,000 trees planted every single hour. Coillte is big business. Last year it reported a staggering 64% increase in profits, from 29.1m in 2014 to 47.6m in 2015. Coillte last year increased its annual dividend to its shareholders by 25% to 5m. That might seem remarkable in itself, but the key thing about Coillte is that it only has two shareholders: the finance minister and agriculture. Which means seeing as Michaels Noonan and Creed work for us Coillte is owned by you and me. Coillte manages our forests on behalf of and for the profit of the citizens of Ireland. And, in doing so, Coillte ensures that we as the owners of our forests can walk our property, free of charge, pretty much any time we wish. Over 18m people visit our woods and forests every year. Which is as it should be, but unfortunately Coillte faces a growing problem in that some of those visitors are bringing their rubbish with them and leaving it after them. This varies from the contents of a cars ashtray to the remains of a family picnic to wholesale dumping of domestic (and sometimes industrial) waste. Annually, Coillte spends approximately 450,000 on cleaning up and removing litter from forestry. Thats roughly a euro per hectare. In Cork alone, clean-up and removal of litter costs an average of 40,000 per annum. To tackle this, Coillte is investing in preventative measures. Thats where John and his hidden cameras come in. You should see the cameras. Although thats the point: If youre planning on littering, you wont see them. Theyre tiny. About the size of a twig. John tells me theyre planted in most litter black-spots. We have some signs up, but we dont always advertise them. If you litter, theres an excellent chance you will be caught. Driving from Ballyhooly towards Glenville, we wind around corners on narrow, hilly roads, sunlight breaking through the trees. Crossing an old stone bridge, John tells me We took 1,300kg of rubbish out of that stream last year. I ask the obvious question: Are people littering because they cant afford bin charges? Ah, look, says John, There isnt sense or meaning to it. We prosecuted someone recently who had travelled from Co Kerry to dump rubbish in Ballyhooly. Why would you do that? How much money would you spend on petrol? Even Cork City to Ballyhooly is a 40-mile round trip. On the Glenville road, John points out the earthen mounds blocking the entrances to forestry land. Theyre there to stop vans from reversing in and dumping bags. An increasing problem, he says, is the commercialisation of dumping. Kenny confirms households will have the option to switch to pay-by-weight bin charges in J https://t.co/QtTeNA16P4 pic.twitter.com/uq0jYv1YAB Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) June 21, 2016 Fill up your Skippo bag and pay a man to take it away, no questions asked. There was a woman from Mayfield recently who paid a man to take her rubbish away. It was found in a stream beyond in Castleblagh. She was fined and had to pay the removal costs too. That would have set her back a grand or more. Behind one of the mounds, we find the back of a television. John says this is run-of-the-mill stuff. And things will likely only get worse when if? pay-by-weight comes in. While were chatting, a fox cub about the size of an adult cat saunters out of the ditch and looks us up and down. Clearly unimpressed, he gives us a glance I could only call disdainful, before heading back to the hedges. As we drive away, I spot his face, glaring out at us from the undergrowth. Back in the Coolmakee Woods, as we finish up for the day, John drives us along a mud-track through what I cant help but think of as a woodland cathedral. The beech trees seem impossibly tall, the evening sunlight slanting golden between them. All around, the last of the bluebells carpet the ground. Further along the trail, past the ruins of the old Castlehyde Estate walls, Coillte workers have been harvesting trees planted a lifetime ago, and the sweet smell of sap fills the air. Each tree cut down will be replaced when the time comes to replant. I think again about that statistic: 20,000 trees planted every hour. Its beyond me how anyone could dump rubbish in a place as beautiful as this, says John as he turns the van in a clearing and we head for home. Beside us, the ground dips steeply toward the Knockananig road. Below, away past yellow hayfields and the Blackwater river, is Castlehyde House, gleaming white, thanks to Michael Flatleys renovations. Behind it, a patchwork-quilt of fields and hedges, the odd copper beech tree purple-brown in the green. Beyond again, the Nagle, Galtee, and Knockmealdown mountains, blue and grey against the darkening sky. Internationally renowned French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli will join NI culinary maestros Jenny Bristow, Paula McIntyre, Noel McMeel, Brian McDermott, Ian Orr and Emmet McCourt, for the gastronomic gala as part of the wider Foyle Maritime Festival hosted by Derry City and Strabane District Council. Clipper Race Kitchens, which is expected to be one of the highlight events of Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016, features popular local restaurants cooking signature dishes to try and buy from around 5, live cookery demos and sampling in the huge Clipper Race Kitchen marquee, which incorporates an impressive Flavours of the Foyle showcase. Other elements of the four-day extravaganza include the Clipper Race Food Pavilion marquee showcasing top local artisan food producers, and the Clipper Race Village is the go to destination for the finest locally sourced street food. Clipper Race Kitchens is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs NI Agri Food Programme, Tourism NI and Loughs Agency through the Sustainable Development Fund. Special guest chef Jean-Christophe Novelli will be cooking at Clipper Race Kitchens from 1.30pm-5pm on Friday, July 15th, while a host of local celebrity chefs and award-winning restaurant talent have demo slots throughout the four-day event. Admission to the events is free. Mary Blake, Councils Tourism Development Officer, said Clipper Race Kitchens would build on the success of the three-day LegenDerry Food Festival which attracted 38,000 visitors to the city in March this year, and the citys very worthy place as runner-up in the Foodie Towns Ireland competition last year. Clipper Race Kitchens will celebrate everything that is superb about our local food offer, she declared. Having tasted the best of continental, festival-goers are also invited to taste the best of what is grown here not flown here, cured and matured here, and through the Flavours of the Foyle showcase, the best of what is caught here, hook line and sinker! Michele Shirlow, Board member with Tourism NI and CEO of Food NI, said they were delighted to be supporting Clipper Race Kitchens, showcasing LegenDerry food and produce from across the region during NI Year of Food and Drink. This is an excellent platform to profile the city as a leading food destination with international appeal, particularly following the citys success last year in the Foodie Towns competition. Food NI are all about showcasing the finest food and drink from Northern Ireland. With over 350 members from across the food and drink industry, we promote the people who produce it, rear it, make, catch and cook it, and those who distribute it to shops and catering outlets. We believe we have world class ingredients and chefs and we work tirelessly to get that message out near and far. Collectively, we are telling people here and abroad about the products and enterprising and creative people behind them and encouraging consumers to opt for local food and drink because it is of the highest quality. John Pollock, CEO Loughs Agency, one of the funders, said the Agency was also keen to be involved with Clipper Race Kitchens. He continued: This affords an opportunity to promote local produce, including seafood such as Lough Foyle mussels and oysters. In addition to this involvement, the Loughs Agency has worked with water based recreation clubs and providers to ensure animation on the river throughout the Maritime Festival. The Festival is a unique opportunity to showcase the potential of the Foyle - both river and lough - for tourism and other economic development. Chefs taking part in the Clipper Race Kitchens at Ebrington Square include: - Thursday, July 14th, 1-2pm Jenny Bristow, 2-3pm Paula McIntyre, 3-4pm Jenny Bristow, 4-5pm Pier 59; Friday, July 15th, 12.30-1.30pm Colman ODriscoll, (Everglades Hotel), 1.30-5pm Jean-Christophe Novelli; Saturday, July 16th, 1-2pm Harrys - Derek Creagh, 2-3pm The Sooty Olive - Johnny Heaney, 3-4pm Browns restaurant- Ian Orr; 4-5pm The No Salt Chef - Brian McDermott; Sunday, July 17th, 1-2pm White Horse Hotel- Noel Ward, 2-3pm The Lough Erne Resort- Noel McMeel, 3-4pm Feast or Famine- Emmett McCourt, 4-5pm The Lough Erne Resort- Noel McMeel. The family-friendly Clipper Race Kitchens event, which opens from 12 noon until 6pm daily from July 14th -17th, also has a kids zone with arts and crafts, water boats, jungle playground, and chairoplanes in Ebrington Square. The high-profile Italian brand long associated with chef, cookery book writer, TV chef and businessman Antonio Carluccio has 80 restaurants already, mostly in the UK. It has two in Dublin and six in Dubai, and now is to open in Cork citys French Church Street, in an area known as the Huguenot Quarter. Paying a rent in excess of 130,000 pa, Carluccios saw off other bidding interest to finally secure a Cork city footprint, eight years after it arrived in Dublin and was known to have had an eye out for a new Irish presence, outside of the Capital. Its understood that Milanos also was interested in the building, for a second Cork pizza restaurant to add to its presence on Oliver Plunkett Street. The city sector near Opera Lane and off Patrick Street and which serves Apples city offices base too on Half Moon Street is already home to an unprecedented number of Cork cafes, ethnic eateries, creperies, coffee houses and mainstream restaurants which have surged into any available units in tandem with a return of consumer spending. Carluccios was founded by the godfather of Italian gastronomy the 79-year-old Antonio Carluccio, who first worked with Terence Conran in Neal Street, London, where he part-trained a certain young chef called Jamie Oliver. He went on open his own food shop deli in 1991, and his first Carluccios Caffe in 1999, expanding rapidly in the 2000s. He sold the business in 2010 to a Dubai-based company, in a deal valued at as much as 90 million. He has been retained as a food and business consultant. Now, in Cork following a planning clearance in the past week for change of use, Carluccios is taking space earmarked for restaurant use at the back of the former Moderne store, one of Corks 20th Century icons, now occupied on the Patricks Street end by Superdry. Carluccios will be seen as a coup for the city centre and Huguenot Quarter and a very strong draw, even regionally, as it also retails Italian food products to take away. On French Church Street, it will have its main restaurant area on the first floor of five-storey 19th century former stone warehouse, above a deli and seating section, with street seating also. The upper floors of the very old, protected structure have been untouched for the best part of a century. Its close to where Nandos have opened in the past year, and also joining the feeding fray here are international brands like Starbucks on Emmet Place, and Wetherspoons, on Paul Street. Indigenous and smaller traders including salad bars too have flooded in, joining long-time stalwarts such as Amicus, Brackens and the Ballymaloe Cafe at the Crawford Art Gallery, while a new arrival and top bakery on Paul Street Plaza is Alis Kitchen. The French Church Street restaurant space (c 2,000 sq ft per floor) now to be occupied by Carluccios (represented by Karl Stewart, DTZ) was marketed by agents Leigh Hegarty and Lia Dennehy of Savills Cork, and was actively viewed by a number of out-of-town food chains as well as local restaurateurs, as well as Milanos who still have a further city space requirement. The highly rated Carluccios opened in Dublin in Dawson Street in 2008, and subsequently in south county Dublin, at Glenageary. Its Cork city, its xx-seat French Church Street premises of 10,000 sq ft over five levels will require work to be done by the buildings landlord and considerable fitout prior to opening, likely to be in 2017. Carluccios coming to Cork is a real, further vote of confidence in the city centre, which also is getting new retail presence on Grand Parade/Patrick Street in the rapidly-delivered Capitol cinema complex, say Savills. DETAILS: Savills, 021-4271371; www.carluccios.com In Ireland, and many other countries around the world, we're still waiting for iTunes and the Google Play Store to release a proper version but that hasn't stopped plenty of people from getting involved. This involves downloading a copy from another region on Android or tricking your phone into using a different app store on Apple devices. Now one of the big fears for those who are playing unofficial versions is what will happen when they upgrade? Will all of their progress, and precious Pokemon, be lost? Well it seems we can put those fears to rest, as reports are coming in that the two apps will be compatible. Algerians don't remember too much "egalite, liberte and fraternite" from their horrific war of independence with France between 1954 and 1962 which France attempted to suppress with appalling ferocity. French estimates of the death toll run to about 450,000 while the Alergian estimate is 1.5 million people. The 50th anniversary of the peace agreement was marked with official queasiness but it was then-President Sarkozy who came out in the city of Nice with the line, "There were atrocities on both sides... but France cannot repent having conducted this war." When I visited refugee camps in Greece last month "being sent to France" was a running bad joke among the Syrians who mostly seemed to see France as an oppressor. Travelling around Tunisia and Morocco I have had cause to be glad we were colonised by the British and not the French for they are countries in which the ability to self-govern seems to have been severely compromised. Our lack of any will to understand that we westerners are often seen as savage oppressors in the Muslim world creates the vacuum into which leaders like Tony Blair and George W. Bush can step and create mayhem. Which in turn creates a scenario for a lone psychopathic Tunisian to con himself that there is justice in ploughing into innocent people out enjoying themselves on a public holiday. Which in turn creates a scenario for a lone psychopathic Tunisian to con himself that there is justice in ploughing into innocent people out enjoying themselves on a public holiday. Even a glance at the main findings of the Chilcot report into the Iraq War should bring a chill to the heart of every citizen of the western world. It makes clear that there was no urgency about disarming or effecting regime change in Iraq. British intelligence believed Iraq probably had biological and chemical weapons, because the US had sold Saddam Hussein anthrax and Thatchers government approved chemical and munitions factories there. Theresa May makes her first speech as Britain's prime minister outside her new home https://t.co/VPlfMBjLlx pic.twitter.com/zE4SksUpka Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) July 13, 2016 But they asked: Why is it now so urgent that we should take military action to disarm a military capacity that has been there for 20 years and which we helped to create? As for Iraq posing a terrorist threat, British Intelligence had told its government that there was no evidence of any collaboration between Iraq and Islamic terrorists and they judged it unlikely. Yet the pretence for the invasion of Iraq was 9/11 and Chilcot says that Mr Blair encouraged President Bush to address the issue of Iraq in the context of a wider strategy to confront terrorism after the attacks. I have always seen the 9/11 context as a convenient excuse for regime change considered necessary for the free flow of oil out of the region. After reading Chilcot, I have changed my mind. It seems paranoia gripped the US and UK establishments after 9/11, born from their astonishment that mere I have always seen the 9/11 context as a convenient excuse for regime change considered necessary for the free flow of oil out of the region. After reading Chilcot, I have changed my mind. It seems paranoia gripped the US and UK establishments after 9/11, born from their astonishment that mere A-rabs could launch a major attack on western soil. Blair himself conflated al Qaeda with Iraq when asked if he was worried that an invasion would recruit Islamic terrorists: Unless we take action against them, they will grow. How could it be argued that attacking Saddam Hussein would disarm al Qaeda, unless from the position that Arabs are all the same? Arabs or anyone else silly enough to wear tea-towels on their heads, such as Afghans had to be taught once and for all who was boss. We tend to forget that Islamic terrorism and indeed the war on terror originated in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the last stand-off of the Cold War between the USSR and the US. Afghanistan, sitting as it does bang in the middle of the Passage to India and all that tea, was invaded by Britain in 1839, 1878, and 1919 but the only policy they evolved in relation to this mountainous country was to arm the locals against each other. Tony Blair regrets not disputing WMD claims before Iraq war https://t.co/bmdbywhzt5 (DOD) pic.twitter.com/OQlYqtCSdL Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) July 8, 2016 The Soviets, who invaded in 1979 were defeated by local Islamist fighters armed by the US and controlled by Pakistan. Back then, American paranoia was mostly triggered by Russkies, not Muslims. As Afghanistan expert Christina Lamb puts it in her book, Farewell Kabul, the US was happy to use Islam as a rallying cry. The University of Nebraska produced textbooks for primary school-children known as the ABC of Jihad which contained such charming ditties as J is for Jihad. Jihad is an obligation. The Americans were apparently delighted to see the Afghan Jihad attract fighters from all over the Middle East and Lamb says reception centres were set up for Arabs in Pakistans airports. They were particularly delighted when a rich Saudi arrived called Osama Bin Laden. The US set up Afghanistan as the perfect laboratory conditions in which to grow the Islamist terrorist movement which plotted 9/11. They temporarily defeated the Taliban in the wake of the atrocity But Christina Lambs portrait of US-mandate in Afghanistan is devastating. She writes of Tarts and Taliban dress-up parties in western compounds, of poor and under-resourced military planning and of walking into President Karzais HQ to find his officials watching Tom and Jerry cartoons. Meanwhile Islamist terrorism was allowed to fester, ISIS was forming in Iraqs Camp Bucca and Osama Bin Laden had a nice house less than a kilometre from Pakistans leading military academy. Tony Blair allied with George Bush months before war https://t.co/NvhVCQX29d (DOD) pic.twitter.com/qv9CfRNxKz Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) July 7, 2016 Everything about the taking out of Bin Laden compounded Western errors. There was no fire fight, as Barack Obama told the American people. Bin Laden was shot at point blank range, watched on TV by Obama, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton back in Washington. We got him, announced Obama, as if he had just caught a big fish. Back in an aircraft hangar in Afghanistan Admiral William McRaven laid Bin Ladens corpse out to measure it and make sure he had the right man but he didnt have a measuring tape. Obama later presented him with a measuring tape mounted on a plaque. The fiction of a West so powerful it can win wars while watching telly has continued. Any remaining hummock of moral high ground was abandoned. Bin Ladens son Hamza is vowing to take revenge for his fathers death and he will succeed. Radical Islamic terrorism is clearly a response to Western imperialist invasions of Islamic countries. The taking out of Arab dictators such as Saddam Hussein and Bashar-al-Assad has cleared the ground for the growth of Islamic terrorism but the hatred of the Western Crusader has been their rallying cry. Tony Blair was explicitly warned by British intelligence that an invasion of Iraq would act as a recruiting sergeant for a young generation through the Islamic and Arab world and his numbskull response was that the West had to get its retaliation in first. It seems any Arab nation would do. A quarter of a million people died in the Iraq War, including 179,585 civilians. At least 92,000 Afghans have been killed since 2001, 26,000 of them civilians. We are faced with the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War. And Theresa May, who voted for the invasion of Iraq, has a tough stance on immigration as her calling card. Chilcot must mark the end the use of Shannon by US military. It is time for Ireland to move definitively away from the UK and the US on foreign policy and take the line of France and Germany who refused point blank to support this mindless invasion. **** THE FULL TEXT OF VICTORIA'S ORIGINAL COLUMN Radical Islamic terrorism a response to our Western imperialist invasions Is it time for Ireland to move definitively away from the UK and the US on foreign policy, asks Victoria White EXACTLY a week since the Chilcot Report found that one British prime minister had undermined the UN by invading a sovereign state due to an unfounded conviction that it posed a terrorist threat a new prime minister eis installed whose big promise is a tough stance on immigration. Earlier this year Theresa May even suggested ending the UKs support of the European Convention on Human Rights because it tied their hands when seeking to deport foreign nationals. Her big win was the deportation of Islamic cleric Abu Qatada though it was claimed he might face torture in Jordan. He was eventually found not guilty of any links with terrorism. She hasnt come out with Donald Trump and said shes going to stop Muslims coming to the UK. Shes just said shes going to bring immigration down to sustainable levels. I predict a wee difference of opinion as to what is a sustainable level of immigration between Brexit voters and those in the EU negotiating the UKs access to their markets. The Tories have done Tony Blair a big favour by creating such a rumpus this week that Chilcot has virtually disappeared from the news media. But even a glance at its main findings should bring a chill to the heart of every citizen of the western world. It makes clear that there was no urgency about disarming or effecting regime change in Iraq. British intelligence believed Iraq probably had biological and chemical weapons, because the US had sold Saddam Hussein anthrax and Thatchers government approved chemical and munitions factories there. But they asked: Why is it now so urgent that we should take military action to disarm a military capacity that has been there for 20 years and which we helped to create? As for Iraq posing a terrorist threat, British Intelligence had told its government that there was no evidence of any collaboration between Iraq and Islamic terrorists and they judged it unlikely. Yet the pretence for the invasion of Iraq was 9/11 and Chilcot says that Mr Blair encouraged President Bush to address the issue of Iraq in the context of a wider strategy to confront terrorism after the attacks. I have always seen the 9/11 context as a convenient excuse for regime change considered necessary for the free flow of oil out of the region. After reading Chilcot, I have changed my mind. It seems paranoia gripped the US and UK establishments after 9/11, born from their astonishment that mere A-rabs could launch a major attack on western soil. Blair himself conflated al Qaeda with Iraq when asked if he was worried that an invasion would recruit Islamic terrorists: Unless we take action against them, they will grow. How could it be argued that attacking Saddam Hussein would disarm al Qaeda, unless from the position that Arabs are all the same? Arabs or anyone else silly enough to wear tea-towels on their heads, such as Afghans had to be taught once and for all who was boss. We tend to forget that Islamic terrorism and indeed the war on terror originated in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the last stand-off of the Cold War between the USSR and the US. Afghanistan, sitting as it does bang in the middle of the Passage to India and all that tea, was invaded by Britain in 1839, 1878, and 1919 but the only policy they evolved in relation to this mountainous country was to arm the locals against each other. The Soviets, who invaded in 1979 were defeated by local Islamist fighters armed by the US and controlled by Pakistan. Back then, American paranoia was mostly triggered by Russkies, not Muslims. As Afghanistan expert Christina Lamb puts it in her book, Farewell Kabul, the US was happy to use Islam as a rallying cry. The University of Nebraska produced textbooks for primary school-children known as the ABC of Jihad which contained such charming ditties as J is for Jihad. Jihad is an obligation. The Americans were apparently delighted to see the Afghan Jihad attract fighters from all over the Middle East and Lamb says reception centres were set up for Arabs in Pakistans airports. They were particularly delighted when a rich Saudi arrived called Osama Bin Laden. The US set up Afghanistan as the perfect laboratory conditions in which to grow the Islamist terrorist movement which plotted 9/11. They temporarily defeated the Taliban in the wake of the atrocity But Christina Lambs portrait of US-mandate in Afghanistan is devastating. She writes of Tarts and Taliban dress-up parties in western compounds, of poor and under-resourced military planning and of walking into President Karzais HQ to find his officials watching Tom and Jerry cartoons. Meanwhile Islamist terrorism was allowed to fester, ISIS was forming in Iraqs Camp Bucca and Osama Bin Laden had a nice house less than a kilometre from Pakistans leading military academy. Everything about the taking out of Bin Laden compounded Western errors. There was no fire fight, as Barack Obama told the American people. Bin Laden was shot at point blank range, watched on TV by Obama, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton back in Washington. We got him, announced Obama, as if he had just caught a big fish. Back in an aircraft hangar in Afghanistan Admiral William McRaven laid Bin Ladens corpse out to measure it and make sure he had the right man but he didnt have a measuring tape. Obama later presented him with a measuring tape mounted on a plaque. The fiction of a West so powerful it can win wars while watching telly has continued. Any remaining hummock of moral high ground was abandoned. Bin Ladens son Hamza is vowing to take revenge for his fathers death and he will succeed. Radical Islamic terrorism is clearly a response to Western imperialist invasions of Islamic countries. The taking out of Arab dictators such as Saddam Hussein and Bashar-al-Assad has cleared the ground for the growth of Islamic terrorism but the hatred of the Western Crusader has been their rallying cry. Tony Blair was explicitly warned by British intelligence that an invasion of Iraq would act as a recruiting sergeant for a young generation through the Islamic and Arab world and his numbskull response was that the West had to get its retaliation in first. It seems any Arab nation would do. A quarter of a million people died in the Iraq War, including 179,585 civilians. At least 92,000 Afghans have been killed since 2001, 26,000 of them civilians. We are faced with the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War. And Theresa May, who voted for the invasion of Iraq, has a tough stance on immigration as her calling card. Chilcot must mark the end the use of Shannon by US military. It is time for Ireland to move definitively away from the UK and the US on foreign policy and take the line of France and Germany who refused point blank to support this mindless invasion. Amnesty International urged the Egyptian president to acknowledge and investigate serious human rights violations. But Egypts Foreign Ministry hit back at Amnesty, saying the group was biased and that it seeks to tarnish Egypts image. The exchange came as Amnesty released a new report that says there has been an unprecedented spike in enforced disappearances since early 2015 in Egypt under the pretext of fighting terrorism. International human rights law defines enforced disappearance as the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person, followed by the states refusal to acknowledge that persons fate. Amnestys report entitled Egypt: Officially, You Do Not Exist documents 17 cases that the London-based group says reveal the shocking and ruthless tactics of the Egyptian authorities to crack down on government opponents. Rape, electric shocks and arrests of other family members were also used to force victims to give false confessions, it said. Theresa May has appointed Amber Rudd to replace her at the UK Home Office and ally Philip Hammond becomes the chancellor of the exchequer. George Osborne, whose career was inextricably linked with Mr Camerons fortunes, has left government amid claims he was sacked. David Davis will become Secretary of State for Brexit and Michael Fallon is to stay on as defence secretary. The flurry of appointments came within hours of Ms May taking office. In a speech in Downing Street, Britains second female prime minister said that the decisions of her administration would be driven not by the interests of the privileged few but those of voters struggling with the pressures of modern life. I know you are working around the clock, I know you are doing your best and I know that sometimes life can be a struggle, she told voters. The government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. At the age of 59, Ms May becomes the 13th holder of the office of British prime minister of Queen Elizabeth IIs reign. She was invited to form a government by the Queen in a simple ceremony at Buckingham Palace less than half an hour after Mr Cameron had tendered his formal resignation to the head of state. Her appointment came as she gave the Queen her hand and bent her knee in a traditional procedure known as kissing hands. Earlier, the PM-designate sat alongside Mr Cameron as he answered questions to the prime minister for the last time in the House of Commons. The outgoing PM was given a standing ovation by Conservative MPs as he said his farewell with the comment I was the future once a self-deprecating reminder of the jibe he directed at Tony Blair as the fresh-faced new Tory leader in 2005. Mr Cameron was accompanied by wife Samantha and children Nancy, Elwen, and Florence as he left 10 Downing Street for the last time as prime minister. Just over an hour after her speech, foreign secretary Philip Hammond and then Boris Johnson entered Number 10, the former London mayor ignoring reporters questions. Ms Rudd was next to enter Downing Street followed by Mr Fallon. Mr Johnson again ignored reporters questions when he left Downing Street. Instead he just waved as he climbed into a ministerial car and was driven away. David Davis, a former Tory leadership rival to Mr Cameron, was next to enter Number 10. He had backed Mr Johnson in the latest leadership race until he pulled out, when Mr Davis threw his support behind Mrs May. Downing Street said later that Mr Fallon would be staying on as defence secretary. As that was being announced, former defence secretary Liam Fox arrived at Downing Street where he was made international trade secretary. He held the defence post from 2010 but resigned the following year over allegations he had given a close friend access to the ministry of defence and allowed him to join official trips overseas. Its a little bit like The Apprentice, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, one of Trumps finalists, said in an interview with Fox News Channel. You find out sooner or later who the last one standing is. Pence, Gingrich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie were said to be the final contenders to the vice presidential candidate on the Republican ticket less than a week before Republicans meet in Cleveland for the formal nomination. All three have had auditions as Trumps partner by opening for the billionaire at speeches over the last week. Yesterday morning, Trump and his children were seen entering and exiting Pences residence. Pence is a steady, staunch conservative who would help calm nervous Republican wary of Trumps impulsive style. Gingrich is a rabble-rouser who has spent decades in Washington, including as House speaker. Christie, a one-time rival, has become one of Trumps most trusted advisers. Thats according to a person familiar with Trumps thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions is also still in the mix. Trump has spent weeks consulting with friends and family as he weighs the most important decision of his campaign to date. Hes also met with the candidates and brought his finalists on tour to test their receptions before his crowds. On Monday, it was Christies turn in Virginia. On Tuesday, he was joined in Indiana by Pence. Introducing Trump at a rally in Westfield, Indiana, on Tuesday evening, Pence received an enthusiastic reception as he compared Trump to Republican icon Ronald Reagan and dug into Trumps likely Democrat rival, Hillary Clinton. Trump told The Wall Street Journal he is looking for a fighter skilled in hand-to-hand combat as his second-in-command, but hadnt seen enough of Pence to measure his fight. Pences speech appeared to be an effort from the former congressman to show Trump he could take on such a role. While Trump kept his cards close, he spoke playfully of Pence at the rally: I dont know whether hes going to be your governor or your vice president. Pence and Gingrich would be welcome picks among anxious Republican officials already gathering in Cleveland for next weeks convention. Their governing experience and popularity among the partys conservative base would mark a sharp contrast to Trump, whose brand of politics has alienated hard-line conservatives and establishment Republicans alike. Calling the investigation one of the longest and most exhaustive in the agencys history, the FBI Seattle field office said it was time to focus on other cases. The agency said it will preserve evidence from the case at its Washington DC headquarters, but it doesnt want further tips unless people find parachutes or Coopers money. The mystery surrounding the hijacking of a Northwest Orient Airlines flight in November 1971 by a still-unknown individual resulted in significant international attention and a decades-long manhunt, the FBI said. Although the FBI appreciated the immense number of tips provided by members of the public, none to date have resulted in a definitive identification of the hijacker. On November 24, 1971, the night before Thanksgiving, a man described as being in his mid-40s with dark sunglasses and an olive complexion boarded a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. He bought his $20 ticket under the name Dan Cooper, but an early wire-service report misidentified him as D.B. Cooper, and the name stuck. Sitting in the rear of the plane, he handed a note to a flight attendant after takeoff. Miss, I have a bomb and would like you to sit by me, it said. The man demanded $200,000 in cash plus four parachutes. He received them at Sea-Tac, where he released the 36 passengers and two of the flight attendants. The plane took off again at his direction, heading slowly to Reno, Nevada, at the low height of 10,000 feet. Somewhere, apparently over southwestern Washington, Cooper jumped. He was never found, but a boy digging on a Columbia River beach in 1980 discovered three bundles of weathered $20 bills nearly $6,000. It was Coopers cash, according to the serial numbers. Over the years, the FBI and amateur sleuths have examined innumerable theories about Coopers identity and fate, from accounts of unexplained wealth to purported discoveries of his parachute to potential matches of the agencys composite sketch of the suspect. They are focusing in particular on the antiquated telephone alert system used to advise station masters of trains running on the single track. Recovery operations using a giant crane and rescue dogs continued to remove the mangled debris after the two commuter trains slammed into one another in the Puglia region just before noon on Tuesday. After visiting the crash site between the towns of Andria and Corato, Premier Matteo Renzi declared it an absurd tragedy and vowed to investigate fully. His transport minister was due to brief parliament later last evening. Union leaders and railway police blamed human error, noting that that particular stretch of track did not have an automatic alert system that would engage if two trains were close by on the same track. Instead, news reports said the alert system relied on station masters phoning one another to advise of a departing train. Surely one of the two trains shouldnt have been there, said railway police Commander Giancarlo Conticchio. And surely there was an error. We need to determine the cause of the error. Italian Red Cross workers were shuttling family members to the morgue in Bari, the regional capital, to help identify the dead. Coroner Franco Introna told the Ansa news agency that 22 bodies were at the morgue, with a 23rd expected to arrive later from Andria. Passengers described being thrown forward at the moment of impact. The GenForward poll also found just 19% of young people have a favourable opinion of Mr Trump compared with the three-quarters of young adults who hold a dim view of the New York billionaire. Mr Trumps likely general election opponent, Hillary Clinton, is also unpopular with young people, but not nearly to the same extent as the real estate mogul and realty TV star. A mere 6% of young African Americans, 10% of young Hispanics, 12% of young Asian Americans and 27% of young whites see Mr Trump in a favourable light - ratings which suggest the celebrity businessman faces a staggering task this summer to win their backing in his bid for the White House. I think if you want to be a moral young person, you cant support Trump, said Miguel Garcia, 20, of Norwalk, California. The grandson of Mexican immigrants and a college student who also works at a tyre shop, Mr Garcia is a registered Democrat who has not chosen a candidate to support this autumn - but is resolute in his disdain for Mr Trump. Its really hard to back anything Trump does, Mr Garcia said. He just says prejudiced stuff. GenForward is a survey by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research. The poll, the first of its kind, pays special attention to the voices of young adults of colour, highlighting how race and ethnicity shape the opinions of the countrys most diverse generation. It surveys adults between the ages of 18 and 30, not necessarily registered or likely voters. Those questioned may not end up voting, or casting a ballot for either major party candidate for president. The poll found that only 39% of young people have a favourable opinion of Mrs Clinton compared with 54% who have an unfavourable view of the presumptive Democratic nominee. ENGLAND: Prime ministers may come and go, but Larry the cat is staying put. Known officially as the chief mouser at the prime ministers residence at No 10 Downing Street, Larry has not joined outgoing chief David Cameron and his family as they moved out. Instead, he was in place to welcome Camerons successor, Theresa May, and her husband Philip while trying to keep the famous residence and offices vermin-free. The never shy brown and white tabby rescue cat was seen on patrol as the international press gathered in front of No 10 to await Mr Camerons departure and the arrival of May. He looks the part but some suggest hes not so great at catching mice. Cocaine find USA: Authorities say a Florida beach-goer found over two pounds of cocaine floating in waters at a state park along the Gulf Coast. Charlotte County Sheriffs officials say the suspicious package was spotted at Don Pedro State Park, part of a chain of barrier islands extending along the coast. Authorities told the Herald Tribune the parcel contained 2.58 pounds of powder cocaine. The case is under investigation. Bunking off ITALY: The mayor of a small town outside Naples had to shut down most municipal offices after police arrested 23 of his staff in the latest revelations of absenteeism in Italys public sector. Police arrested around half of all employees in the town hall offices of Boscotrecase following a weeks-long investigation which they said revealed 200 cases of absenteeism involving 30 people. Staff were filmed clocking in and then leaving to go about their personal business or using multiple swipe cards to register absent colleagues, in scenes which have become familiar after numerous similar scandals. A police video showed one man trying to tamper with a security camera and then putting a cardboard box over his head to hide his identity before swiping two cards. Ill probably have to shut down the town hall, Pietro Carotenuto, elected just a month ago as mayor of the town of 11,000 people, told Sky Italia. He said four major town hall departments had been closed on Tuesday due to a lack of staff. Those arrested, accused of fraud against the state, included the head of the local traffic police and the head of the towns accounting department. Frying pan fight USA: Police say a Maryland woman struck her fiance with a frying pan after an argument and now faces charges. The Daily Times of Salisbury reports 32-year-old Kiesha Latasha Lee of Salisbury was arrested on charges including first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and use of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure. The paper says charging documents state the couple got into an argument on Saturday night. State police say Lee grabbed the frying pan and struck her fiance with it across the left side of his face. Her fiance has a loose front tooth as a result. Mayor arrested USA: A small-city mayor in Cincinnati whos also a veteran standup comedian was indicted on four felony counts including election falsification and theft. The state auditors office announcement followed a monthslong investigation of Republican Hillsboro mayor Drew Hastings by special prosecutors appointed by a Highland County judge. The counts also include theft and tampering with records. Mr Hastings said he has done nothing wrong and was mystified when he was served with the indictment while having lunch at a restaurant. Im only guilty of trying to represent our citizens without the consent of an established political structure, he said. Among allegations probed were improper personal use of Hillsboro city bins, a $500 (450) vacant building fee refund he received and election falsification concerning his residency in the city of 6,600 residents, where he has a downtown apartment. He has called the investigation a politically motivated witch hunt and a waste of taxpayers money. Fine dodger USA: Police in New Jersey say a man on a motorcycle used a retractable licence plate to try to prevent paying a toll at the Holland Tunnel. A Port Authority police officer saw the licence plate was concealed as the motorcycle entered an E-ZPass lane. The officer then saw the man use a toggle switch to return the licence plate to its proper position. Authorities charged 51-year-old Henry Pogue of Roselle with theft of service and possession of drug paraphernalia. Toilet roll disguise USA: Police in Tennessee are looking for a man who they say robbed a Nashville petrol station while covering his face with toilet paper. The man entered the station just before 2am. He went into the bathroom, grabbed toilet paper and used it to cover his face as he pulled out a gun and demanded money from the clerk. Police are reviewing the stores surveillance video. Burma Journalists, Farmer Fined Under Defamation Charge A farmer and a former reporter and editor are handed fines of 20,000 kyats for defamation related to a 3-year-old news story. PYAY, Pegu Division A farmer, a former reporter and an editor from The Ladies Journal were each handed fines of 20,000 kyats (around US$17) by a local court in Pegu Divisions Thaegon Township on Tuesday after being charged with defamation over a news story. The Vol. 1 No. (81) of The Ladies Journal issued in the last week of September 2013 featured a news story which alleged that a retired lieutenant colonel had confiscated land in Thaegon Township on the false pretext of building an airport, before selling it off in plots instead. Following the publication of the article, Lt-Col Khin Maung Win, the retired officer in question, sued then-resident reporter Maung Me and then-editor Ko Sai Sai, as well as Pyone Cho, the farmer who was quoted in the story. The trial started in September 2013, and after over 50 court appearances spanning 2 1/2 years, the three accused were finally sentenced on Tuesday, with a choice between a fine of 20,000 kyats each or six months imprisonment; they paid the fine. Ko Sai Sai, the former editor of The Ladies Journal, restated his innocence, saying that he had had no intention of personally attacking the retired officer, but had published the article because it included information that he felt the public had a right to know. I dont think the court decision is fair even though it is just a fine, Ko Sai Sai said. It is ridiculous to charge the media with defamation, I think. In my view, we can even write [against] the president when there is a truth that people should know. This is the second case of punishment handed to journalists under the countrys civilian-led government; during the first week in June, a Mandalay-based reporter working for the BBCs Burmese-language news service was sentenced to three months imprisonmentwith hard laboron police assault charges. In the last week of June, the Burma Army filed a lawsuit against the 7 Day Daily local news outlet over a story which included former general Shwe Manns message to graduates of the Defense Services Academy urging them to work with the countrys newly-elected democratic government. Later, the military dropped the lawsuit. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. Burma Rangoon Govt Orders Safety Modifications to High-Rise Buildings Under Construction A city review committee has carried out inspections on 12 high-rise structures to assess whether they could harm the city or its residents. RANGOON Despite complaints from developers, a review committee for the construction of high-rise buildings has ordered safety modifications to 12 structures, stating that failure to follow Rangoons updated urban planning standards could cause harm to the city and its residents. This week the Rangoon divisional government ordered the developers of the buildings to reduce the height of their projects, adhere to original car park designs, and improve safety on-site. The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) has ordered the suspended construction of a total of more than 200 high-rise buildingsclassified as structures with at least nine storiessince May. In June, they formed a 13-member committee, largely made up of architects and engineers, who started their work by reviewing and inspecting the 12 high-rise projects in question, which range in height from just over 12 to 29 stories. They submitted their findings and recommendations to the regional government earlier this month. Another 185 buildings are currently being reviewed. Ye Min Oo, the review committees spokesperson, told The Irrawaddy that many of the buildings currently under construction or slated for future construction are not in line with Rangoons urban planning standards. We understand that developers were hurt to some extent by the review. We took every step [of the] review very carefully and seriously, as the chief minister told us that a loss for the developers is the countrys loss, because they are our nationals, he said on Thursday. But, Ye Min Oo said, during the review process, the committee found that some buildings had not followed the original proposed designs, and could therefore be dangerous or simply problematic. We found out that there were not enough car parking spaces. [Another] one of the 20-story buildings has a 3-foot-wide strip of land adjoining it. In the case of a fire, this could be a problem, he pointed out as examples. Nyan Myat Mins ongoing 29-story Kabaraye Executive Residence on Kabaraye Pagoda Road was one of the 12 buildings under review and ordered to be modified. The director of Living Square Constructionthe developer responsiblesaid that they have been told to halt the construction of the building at its current height of 18 stories. They said we need to resubmit car parking [plans], but we have set car parking for 245 vehicles, which is more than the requirement of 220 cars, he said. Weve been following the rules [set] by the YCDC. We had to wait at least three years to get permission. Now its really harming us, he added. All of our structures, drawings and everything has been approved by technicians as well as by the members of CQHP [Committee for Quality Control of High-Rise Building Projects], Nyan Myat Min said. Weve not been told by the YCDC about the road-to-building ratio since then, so now, when they change it, its really a shock for us, he said. Ye Min Oo said the committees process is quite transparenteven the president of the Construction Entrepreneurs Association is among the committee members, and recommendations were submitted after approval from all members. We know the developers followed the rules. But they are no longer in line with urban planning standards today. Thats why the committee is reviewing the buildingsto make Rangoon a beautiful, safe, sustainable urban system, he explained, outlining the high-rise review committees goals. The 12 high-rise construction projects in question involve buildings with 12.5, 18, 19, 23, 27 and 29 stories, respectively. The investigation into these buildings extends to Kyeemindaing, Ahlone, Botahtaung, Bahan, Tamwe, Hlaing, Insein, Mayangone and Yankin townships. According to the YCDC, the previous Rangoon divisional government and municipal council had given initial approval for proposals to more than 200 high rise buildings from 2013 until March 31 of this year. Burma Religious Affairs Minister Says No Monk is Above the Law Minister Aung Ko says all extremist monks, including anti-Muslim firebrand Wirathu, can be prosecuted for spreading hatred of other religions. RANGOON Extremist Buddhist monk Wirathu could be charged if someone were to complain to the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, said Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs Aung Ko, who also criticized Ma Ba Tha for making problems with other religions. He said that those charging Wirathu or other extremist monks would need to have evidence that a law had been violated. The State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, popularly known by the Burmese-language acronym Ma Ha Na, is a government-appointed clerical council that oversees Buddhist monastic discipline in Burma. Wirathu, and the ultra-nationalist monks association Ma Ba Tha that he belongs to, have fronted hate campaigns against Muslims in Burma, and lobbied successfully last year for the passage of four Protection of Race and Religion lawsrestricting religious conversion, religious intermarriage, polygamy and childbirthwidely interpreted as targeting Muslims. On Tuesday, Ma Ha Na announced that Ma Ba Tha was not a lawful monks association because it was not formed in accordance with the countrys monastic rules. Aung Ko was speaking to reporters on the second day of the 10th national conference of Burmas Sangha (monkhood), convened by Ma Ha Na in the grounds of Rangoons Kabaraye Pagoda. The minister had briefly joined one of the morning sessions. I do not want to attack anyone personally, Aung Ko said. I am just saying to any monk that, if you or anyone else violates the law, we will take action against you. The minister said that if anyone were to come to Ma Ha Na with a complaint against a monk using hate speech, and were to supply evidence including voice recordings, the Ma Ha Na would instruct their members to investigate and take necessary action. Aung Ko added that that if Ma Ba Thawhose full name translates as the Association for the Protection of Race and Religionkept making problems with other religions, disturbing the peace and flouting Buddhist discipline, the government would take action against them according to the existing laws. He confirmed that Wirathu, who frequently speaks on behalf of Ma Ba Tha, would be charged if someone were to file a legitimate complaint against him. The minister lamented that the actions of some extremist people had led to criticism of Buddhism in Burma from other countries. He said that, by co-existing with the other religious, Burmese Buddhism could demonstrate its peacefulness. He compared existing religious pluralism in Burmaevident in the mosques, churches and Hindu temples sitting alongside Buddhist pagodas in downtown Rangoonfavorably with that of extremist countries, which do not let other religions exist alongside their religion. He said that, if they were to work together with the government based on friendship and justice, and support peace and national reconciliation between ethnic groups, Ma Ba Tha could reclaim their dignity. The minister also mentioned a new Hate Speech lawwhich would criminalize verbal attacks on other religionsbeing developed in consultation with interfaith groups comprising members of Burmas various religious communities. Such as law, whose precise contents are not yet known to the public, would empower ordinary citizens to report discriminatory speech, he said. At an evening press conference the same day, Rangoon Division Religious Affairs Minister Tun Nyunt reiterated Aung Kos words encouraging anyone to sue members of Ma Ba Tha if they had legitimate grounds. However, Tun Nyunt suggested that complainants be directed to police stations rather than Ma Ha Na. If you have found that [Ma Ba Tha members] have violated laws, you can file charges directly at a police station. Civilian courts should punish them. You do not need to go to Ma Ha Na. However, if they violate the discipline of the Sangha, our Ma Ha Na will take action. Everyone has the right to charge them, said Tun Nyunt. Asked by The Irrawaddy whether Ma Ba Tha would be deemed an illegal organization, the divisional minister said, The government will investigate whether Ma Ba Tha was formed within the law and the 2008 Constitution. If not, they will be declared illegal. Burma State-Backed Monks Council Decries Ma Ba Tha as Unlawful Leading Buddhist cleric organization Ma Ha Na declares that Ma Ba Tha was not formed in accordance with the countrys monastic rules. RANGOON Burmas leading state-backed cleric organization, Ma Ha Na, has announced that the ultranationalist group Ma Ba Tha is not a lawful monks association as it was not formed in accordance with the countrys monastic rules. In a public statement made on Tuesday night, Ma Ha Nashort for the Sangha Maha Nayaka, a government-appointed council of monks which oversees Buddhist monastic discipline in the countryalso denied Ma Ba Thas claim last week that it was formed as an offshoot of a 2013 conference of Buddhist clerics attended by multiple orders within the Sangha. We have had five All-Order Sangha meetings so far since 1980. In none of those meetings, was the name Ma Ba Tha mentioned, nor was there the recognition and formation of Ma Ba Tha, the statement said. Burma has nine major Sangha Orders, and Ma Ha Na is made up of 47 senior monks from within those orders. Signed by the 14 senior monks, including the chairman of the organization, the announcement added that there should be only one Sangha organization in the countryMa Ha Nain accordance with the Sangha charter. Wirathu, a leading Ma Ba Tha monk known for engaging in anti-Muslim hate speech, responded to Ma Ha Nas announcement with his own statement on Wednesday portraying Ma Ba Tha as the last bastion of Theravada Buddhism. I dont feel anything special regarding their statement, as senior monks within Ma Ha Na are part of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and they were just following the governments wishes, he said. Wirathu also declared that, as a typical nationalist, he would continue protecting race and religion until his death. Sopaka, another high-ranking Buddhist monk within Ma Ba Tha, told The Irrawaddy that he had no further comment regarding Ma Ha Nas announcement, simply admitting that what Ma Ha Na said was true. Founded in 2014, Ma Ba Tha is led by Buddhist monks and is infamous for its hardline anti-Muslim stance. Its name comes from the Burmese acronym for its full title, the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion; since its formation, the organization has built a network across the country. The state Sangha organizations Tuesday night announcement came one week after Rangoon Division Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein publically described Ma Ba Tha as not necessary in Burma. His criticism sparked condemnation from Ma Ba Tha, which demanded that the countrys President Htin Kyaw and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi take action against the minister for his criticism, threatening to stage nationwide protests if their July 14 deadline was not met. Yet Ma Ba Thas leaders called off the protest on Tuesday, saying that they no longer took Phyo Min Theins comments seriously. Htin Lin Oo, a former NLD member who was sentenced two years in prison in 2015 for criticizing Ma Ba Tha, told The Irrawaddy that he believed the Ma Ha Nas denouncement of the group could serve to reduce the religious intolerance that he feels has become more prominent in Burma since Ma Ba Thas formation. I dont like Ma Ba Tha. As a Buddhist, I am very sad to see Buddhist monks involvement in laymens affairs, Htin Lin Oo said, referring to Ma Ba Thas lobbying which led to the passing of four controversial laws placing restrictions on religious conversion, interfaith marriage, polygamy and childbirth. These Protection of Race and Religion measures have been condemned by rights groups as discriminating against women and religious minorities. Buddhist monks have to be free of any racial bias, he added, referring to how, in Burma, religious discrimination and persecution is known to cross ethnic lines. Burma Suu Kyi and Committee Stakeholders Discuss Challenges in Arakan State The head of the Central Committee for Arakan State Peace, Stability and Development invites stakeholders to discuss challenges facing local development projects. RANGOON As head of the Central Committee for Arakan State Peace, Stability and Development, Aung San Suu Kyi invited stakeholders to discuss on Thursday in Naypyidaw the challenges they face when implementing local development projects, according to a statement from the State Counselors Office. Arakan State suffers from severe underdevelopment after decades of neglect under former military-led governments, but at the forefront of the talks was the citizenship verification process and National Verification Cards (NVCs), which were handed out to those who would be scrutinized for citizenship eligibility under the 1982 Citizenship Law at a later date. At the center of the NVC conflict are those who self-identify as Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority, who have refused to accept the cards because the bearers religion and and ethnicity is not stated on them. The citizenship verification program is an extension of the Rakhine State Action Plan, unveiled under the former government in 2014 in response to the violence between Buddhists and Muslims in 2012 and 2013. As originally conceived, Arakan States Rohingya population was only permitted to apply for citizenship on the condition that they self-identified as Bengali, a term which implies that they have migrated from neighboring Bangladesh. Thein Swe, minister of labor, immigration and population, said that the ministry has issued about 2,000 NVCs. He added that scrutinization would occur and security issues would be addressed in the coming months before national registration cards would be handed out. Suu Kyi said that divisional progress should be tracked through practical gains, and that in order to issue NVCs, trust must first be gained by participants, citizens and the international community. Lt-Col Kyaw Swe said in order for the NVC project to work, there must be mutual understanding as well as job opportunities available locally. During the meeting, Arakan State Chief Minister Nyi Pu brought up social welfare, resettlement activities and recent natural disasters in several townships. Ye Aung, minister of border and security affairs, drew attention to over 140 requirements needed to address rural development in Arakan States townships. At the conclusion of the meeting, State Counselor Suu Kyi stated that collaboration between the Union government and the Arakan state government was crucial for the quick implementation of development projects. Various Union-level ministers, permanent secretaries, the attorney general and the Arakan State chief minister attended the meeting in Naypyidaw. Burma In Western Burma, a Town Ravaged by the Drugs Trade The Sagaing Division trading town of Kalay pays a heavy price for its strategic location near the Indian border, as police fight in vain against a flood of drugs. KALAY, Sagaing Region On a cloudy afternoon in June, Lt Bo Bo Win Htut and several officers of Kalay Police Station were hiding in the long grass near a bridge outside of the Sagaing Division trading town. Dressed in plain clothes, and with backup provided by a local armed militia and members of the civil service, they waited to ambush a small-time drug dealer heading to Tamu, a town on Burmas western border with northeast India located some 80 km from Kalay. As dusk fell, a middle-aged man and a young man on a motorcycle covered with mud popped up and crossed the bridge. With his hand on the pistol in his waist, Bo Bo Win Htut jumped onto the road and blocked the bike. Other officers simultaneously surrounded the two and then handcuffed them. Give it up openly, if you have any material, said the officer, but the men did not respond. Maung Maung, 45, was found to be carrying 1.2 grams of low-grade heroin and a bottle of what appeared to be methamphetamine pills. The young man on the bike, a 21-year-old university student named Aung Kyaw Kaung, was also taken in. After quickly questioning the detained, police sped off to West Khone Thar Village, located on Kalays outskirts, to find a man who allegedly provided the confiscated drugs. At 8 pm, they arrested Maung Maung Oo, a man with a criminal record for dealing, but no narcotics were found at his bamboo hut. It was June 26, the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, and Kalay police allowed Myanmar Now reporters to join their operations to show they were combating the rampant narcotics trade in Kalay, a rundown market hub of around 400,000 inhabitantsa mix of Bamar and ethnic Chinin the mountainous border region. In other cities that day, top police officers held their annual ceremonies to burn large amounts of seized illicit drugs. In the former capital Yangon, state media reported, US$20 million worth of narcotics was torched in the presence of representatives of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Despite such public shows of intent, Myanmar authorities have long failed to stem the vast, entrenched narcotics trade. In lawless conflict areas in the countrys rugged north, pro-government militias, transnational criminal gangs and some ethnic rebel groups produce vast amounts of opium, heroin and methamphetamine that are destined for China, Thailand, India, and the domestic market. Much of the law enforcement response has focused on arresting drug users and small dealers for illegal possession, which carries stiff penalties under Burmas drug laws. Asked if they were making gains against the Kalay drug trade, Lt Bo Bo Win Htut sighed and said, You arrest one dealer, but then ten more pop up. His officers made about 80 drug-related arrests in the past half-year, he said, adding that because of the mountainous terrain and lack of resources, police struggled to catch any ringleaders. The big drug dealers drive land cruisers, but we have only motorbikes, he said. They know their areas well, but we dont, and the locals there are also not very helpfulIf you are unlucky, you could even get shot. Heroin is Much Cheaper Here Than Beer In the last five to ten years, drug abuse has reached crisis levels among Burmas ethnic communities in Kachin and Shan states, as well as in transport nodes and border towns such as Lashio, Muse, Kalay and Tamu. Transnational drug-smuggling routes pass through the towns. Vast amounts of precursor chemicalssuch as pseudo-ephedrine, which is used to make methamphetamineare imported illegally from India and China and flow through the border towns. In the mountains surrounding Kalay, poverty-stricken ethnic Chin farmers are reportedly also turning to opium poppies to sustain their livelihoods. On June 26, Maung Maung and his nephew Aung Kyaw Kaung, were taken handcuffed to Kalay Police Station to be photographed, along with the other alleged dealer, Maung Maung Oo. The mother of Aung Kyaw Kaung came to visit him and wept at the sight of her son in handcuffs. Just eight months before, Maung Maung had been released after serving a prison term for a drug offense. I used to be a truck driver and got a lot of back pain from my jobthats why I started using drugs and became involved in this business, he told a reporter. Si Thu Win, an emaciated-looking young man loitering on Kalays streets, told Myanmar Now later that drug addiction was a widespread problem in Kalay. You can buy heroin easily hereits much cheaper than beer, he said, adding that he tried repeatedly to quit drugs but failed. According to data collected by the UNODC in 2014, there are 1,200 injecting drug users in Kalay, making it one of the cities with highest number of users after Mandalay, Lashio, Yangon, and several towns in Kachin State. Dr. Htet Myat Soe, a physician at Kalay Hospital who specializes in drug addiction and related psychiatric issues, said 200 addicts receive methadone at the state-run hospital every day in order to wean themselves off heroin and opium. The main problem is that when they meet their old friends they tend to relapse, he said. Police Net Only Small Fry According to police records obtained by Myanmar Now, a total of 35,481 people were arrested across the country between 2011 and 2015 on drug-related charges. One of them was a 38-year-old ethnic Chin man from a village in the mountains around Kalay who only give his name as Thang. He was imprisoned in 2012 for drug trafficking and released last August. Thang explained in an interview that he was assigned by traffickers to move pseudo-ephedrine coming from India. He would pick up the precursor chemicals at various places around Kalay and bring it to a warehouse. Then someone above me would go and carry all of those materials down to Mandalay, he said. Kalay Prison and the prison labor camps around the city are filled with poor Chin who had become drug users and small dealers like him, Thang said, estimating that more than half the prison population was arrested for drugs. Lalremthang, a Chin community activist, said poverty among her people was driving the Chin into the trade and drug abuse. They have nothing for their survival. So they turn to the drug trade, for which they dont need any capital, she said. In recent years, as sweeping reforms ripple through Myanmars government, there has been a growing recognition among top law enforcement officers that harsh penalties for drug users and small dealerswho often spend years in prison for possession of small quantities of drugsare ineffective in combating the drug trade and abuse problems. Dr. Win Mar, UNODC Burmas national program specialist for HIV prevention and care, said the police approach to drug users was slowly changing. But drug users are sometimes still targeted during special operations, she said. Incapable or Corrupt Cops? While Kalays prisons overflow, the drug trade continues unabated, addiction levels stay high and few ringleaders are arrested, said Aye Aye Mu, a Lower House lawmaker who holds a seat in Kalay for the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD). Authorities hardly arrest any major drug traffickersinstead they arrest many users, she told Myanmar Now. Aye Aye Mu said police had failed to break up drug rings because of a lack of capability and resources, or because they are corrupted. They will definitely know the prominent drug traffickers. I wonder why they have difficulty arresting these traffickers, she said, adding that the central government should boost law enforcement efforts in Kalay. In 2013, a special police team from the capital Naypyidaw investigated allegations of corruption in the Kalay police force. A district-level officer and several of his lower-ranking officers were later dismissed or imprisoned. Kalay Police Chief Lt-Col Tin Zaw Tun told Myanmar Now that his force was now clean, but struggled to fight the trade due to high demand from traffickers in India, who use the Indian border town of Moreh and the Reed Mountain Range in Chin State to move drugs. Kyi Ya Aung, 35, is a former addict and member a local volunteer group Kalay Lwin Pyin, which helps communities hit by last years devastating floods. He said the continuous influx of cheap drugs made it nearly impossible for Kalay addicts to quit, adding that he recovered after he left for Yangon, where he worked for 10 years as a trader before returning to Kalay. Kyi Ya Aung said he had only one piece of advice for local addicts wanting to quit the habit: Drugs are so abundant here get out of the town. (Edited by Paul Vrieze and Ros Russell) This story first appeared on Myanmar Now. The Evolution of Communication Technology SecuraTrac, a mobile health and safety technology provider in Hermosa Beach, Calif., has developed some innovative GPS technology to help safeguard the well-being of seniors and remote workers. While thats a good thing, if the folks at SecuraTrac had their way, theyd be focusing more on developing products to help safeguard the well-being of kids. But it turns out there isnt enough consumer interest in that for SecuraTrac to make a go of it. In a recent interview, SecuraTrac CEO Chris Holbert said that when his company was founded in 2008, it was principally focused on the safety of children, and it kept that focus for three and a half years. But due to the markets lack of interest, he finally gave up. It never worked for us, but it never worked for anyone else, either, Holbert said. Theres a lot of concern, but not a lot of real action and spending for children, when it comes down to it. Its hard to know why. Weve run a number of focus groups to try to figure it out, but it was a quick way to spend a lot of money and go nowhere. Holberts experience was consistent with my own failure to understand why there has never been the will to make implanting locator chips in kids a viable, affordable option for parents. It has always seemed to me that any parent of a missing child would have given anything to have had such a chip implanted. When I raised that subject with Holbert, he echoed the refrain of other experts Ive spoken with over the years: We have the technology today to make it happen. We just dont have the will. The challenge we have as a society has nothing to do with the technology, because the technology already exists not commercially, publicly available, but it exists, Holbert said. You can actually go and do it in other countries its a small tube, about the size of two grains of long-grain rice. No doubt, making such a device affordable is a challenge. The biggest hurdle has always been the power source. It seemed to me that if that issue has been solved for pacemakers, it shouldnt be such a big deal for a GPS chip implant. But Holbert explained that its apples and oranges a pacemaker requires a tiny level of power to function, whereas a GPS device requires significantly more. Holbert said that due to its small size, a locator chip would need to be powered by the bodys own heat and motion. In any case, he said the technology will be commercially viable and affordable sooner than the regulatory bodies are going to be willing to sign off on it. This would have to be an FDA-reviewed medical device that would have to pass muster on a number of fronts, he said. It will take years to get through the moral discussion, as well as the health-related aspect of it. SecuraTrac has embarked on other valiant efforts, most recently a device thats used by seniors and remote workers to signal for help in the event of a fall. The device, Mobile Defender Model S, is the size of a large key fob, and weighs about two ounces. Mobile workers tend to wear it on the hip, Holbert said. In the senior market, its typically worn around the neck on a breakaway lanyard. Holbert said the device is essentially a CPU with key ladder logic-like firmware built into it, along with a number of radios and modems. One is a GPS-based radio/modem; another is a 3G cellular modem, with backward-compatibility down to 2.5G and 2G. There are other components, Holbert said, but whats core in terms of fall protection is a three-axis accelerometer. The three-axis accelerometer does a number of things that help us determine if someone may have fallen, he said. It determines force of impact sudden stoppage or start of motion. Thats the first decision made in the evaluation of a likely fall. Second is the direction of angle, creating an angle of change. The third is lack of motion. So if you hit something with a certain force, and you started and ended at greater than a certain angular change, you then measure the time that there is no movement. If it exceeds a certain threshold, then its likely this person has fallen. Holbert said the next version of the Model S firmware, to be released later this year, will have a wake-on SOS function, which allows it to essentially stay in sleep mode until an SOS button is pushed. This will allow the Model S to last more than 30 days on a single charge, he said, whereas the Model S today lasts about three days. Successive iterations will have the ability to turn themselves on automatically in the event of a fall, Holbert said. A contributing writer on IT management and career topics with IT Business Edge since 2009, Don Tennant began his technology journalism career in 1990 in Hong Kong, where he served as editor of the Hong Kong edition of Computerworld. After returning to the U.S. in 2000, he became Editor in Chief of the U.S. edition of Computerworld, and later assumed the editorial directorship of Computerworld and InfoWorld. Don was presented with the 2007 Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity by American Business Media, and he is a recipient of the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for editorial excellence in news coverage. Follow him on Twitter @dontennant. Save Save Save According to reports, Samsung will enhance the S Pen functions in its upcoming flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. Phone Arena reports that the Unpacked event invitations that Samsung sent out on Wednesday, July 13, feature the S Pen front and center throughout the header image. Koh Dong-jin, the boss of Samsung Mobile, also confirmed in a statement the renewed focus on the stylus. According to him, the Galaxy Note 7 will introduce improved S Pen functions and upgraded software that will ensure a better user experience. The South Korean company is beta testing currently the new Note UX interface on some Note 5 handsets in Korea. All the disparate stylus applications such as S Note or Action Memo will be featured in one app called Notes. Mr Koh also added that Samsung will compete on a saturated market, but the launching of Note 7 on August 2 might bring a boost to the traditionally slow Q3. According to SamMobile, among the most interesting features of the upcoming Galaxy Note 7 is its iris scanner technology. The new feature will be able to authenticate a user faster than the fingerprint sensor currently found on previous versions of Samsung smartphones. The Galaxy Note 7 may be Samsung's most advanced to date, so tech analysts warn that consumers should not expect it to come cheap. According to the same publication, SamMobile, the Galaxy Note 7 could sell for 849 in Europe, a price that converts around $910. However, the South Korean high-tech giant typically prices its mobile devices similarly in dollars to what it does in Euros. This means that the Galaxy Note 7 would likely cost in the United States around $849. According to reports, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 7 may be available in Blue Coral, silver Titanium and Black Onyx color options. SlashGear reports that the flagship mobile device could also be available in pink. Tech analysts and consumers expect that the Galaxy Note 7 will be announced Aug 2. The flagship mobile device will become available for purchase on Aug 15. Google has failed to set up any effective anti-piracy measures for YouTube. This is the recent charge made by artists including Taylor Swift, U2 and Paul McCartney. The search engine giant recently released a report detailing how it paid more than $2 billion to copyright owners through a new anti-piracy YouTube tool called Content ID. However, music groups such as the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI) described Content ID as inadequate to stop online piracy in YouTube, according to the BBC. Content ID is basically a tool in YouTube that alerts copyright holders if their materials have been uploaded by unauthorized sources. The holder can either have the content blocked or insert ads to the video. Money earned from the ads will then go directly to legitimate owner and not to the one who uploaded it. Google stated in their report that most music copyright owners choose the latter. The company also claimed that it has collected around 50 million data files and has invested at least $60 million to develop the anti-piracy tool. The report did little to appease the music industry. Many artists including Taylor Swift are now pushing for the amendment of the Digital Millennium Copyrights Act or DMCA. The artists wanted to hold internet services such as YouTube liable for the unauthorized music uploaded by its members or users. Experts believed that YouTube is doing its share in the fight against piracy. It introduced a novel way for artists and copyright owners to make money off the pirated videos. It's puzzling why artists are still complaining that Google and YouTube are not doing enough. Fortune reporter Jeff Roberts believed that the simple reason is money. Artists are not earning as much in the digital age compared to the days when they were mostly selling theirs songs on CDs. Taylor Swift and her colleagues somehow believe that punishing YouTube will restore the earnings they have lost. A minion in accounting receives an email from the chief executive requesting transfer of funds to a company and it needs to be done yesterday, or there will be dire consequences. The chief executive is uncontactable, and it seems legitimate what does said minion do? Well, usually they will raise the matter with their boss who coincidentally has received a copy of the request, so consider it done. Symantec calls this the business email compromise (BEC) and according to recent FBI reports more than US$43 billion has been lost in the past three years by 22,000 known victims. Symantec says its email security cloud data shows that over 400 businesses are being hit by BEC scams daily and of that 38% are affecting small or medium enterprises while the remainder are larger with finance, technology, healthcare, energy, and retail the top five targets. What is most concerning is that apart from fairly low-tech spoofing of the chief executive's email address, the cyber criminals know whom to send it to, whom to copy in, and when the chief executive is uncontactable all elements which ensure success of the scam. Symantec says this is an extension of the old Nigerian 419 email scams where a well-connected, deposed prince wants to share his ill-gotten gains with you if you will just be kind enough to share your bank account details. Easy money. In fact, 46% of the BEC scams originate in Nigeria, followed by 27% from the US (more about email hosting than the country) and 15% from the UK. One group, in particular, is responsible for 12% of all BEC and has at least 68 legitimate email accounts, targeted over 2700 businesses and is smart enough to send BEC during business hours from 0700 to 1100 and then 1400 to 1800 in target countries. Subject lines always contain one or more of the following words: request, payment, urgent, transfer, inquiry. There are simple, innocuous subject lines less likely to arouse suspicion and are also harder to filter. Symantec says minions should question any emails requesting actions that seem unusual or arent following normal procedures. Responding to the email Hi Boss did you mean this? simply lets the scammers reply Yes, I did mean this. There is an old saying, If it seems too good to be true it probably is! So it's timely to warn of the latest scam purporting to be from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). In the past week, several businesses have reported receiving bogus requests from the ACCC to respond to a complaint that has been made about their business, or to seek payment for an infringement notice for breach of copyright. The ACCC is warning people that there are scammers trying to use the ACCCs name to try and to steal money from businesses. People should be on the lookout for ransomware, which is a type of malware that freezes your computer and demands a ransom for you to be able to access your computer again. Scammers commonly ask for bitcoins or ask you to transfer money by wire transfer but even if you pay the fee, there is no guarantee that your computer will be unlocked, ACCC acting chair Dr Michael Schaper said. Fortunately, no money has yet been reported to Scamwatch as being lost from these particular scams. The emails are easy to spot as fakes, and you can avoid falling victim by checking the email address of the sender before clicking on any links, he added. The warning comes after a raft of tax-time and Telstra scams and shows how enterprising cyber criminals can be except this one appears to come from either comm.dept @ outlook.com or @acc.govt.au (note that all government email addresses end in .gov.au). There is usually a claim that a complaint has been filed against the business and a link to a .PDF or .zip file. The ACCC advises Do not click on any suspicious links in emails and check the senders address very carefully. If you think it is a scam, delete the email. Ensure your business has up-to-date virus protection and firewall software installed. Regularly back-up your computers data on a separate hard drive. If your computer is infected by malware or ransomware you can restore the factory settings and easily re-install all of your software and data. Do not respond to contact details provided in unsolicited emails. Independently verify contact details from the phone book or search online for official details. Keep your staff informed about security threats and provide them guidance on how to deal with scam emails. You can report scams to the ACCC via the Scamwatch Report a Scam page. And if this is news to you then read the Scamwatch page that will educate you on the latest techniques. Customers are getting increasingly good at blocking interruptive marketing and sales tactics. Be it via ad-blockers, junk mail filters, or just tuning out, the old methods are just not working as they once were. HubSpot started with the premise that people dont want to be interrupted by marketers, or harassed by salespeople they want help on their terms. It was time to make the sales process human again and to treat people like individual buyers not demographics or groups or numbers in a machine. It is now nearly two years since one of the worlds leading inbound marketing and sales company HubSpot arrived in Sydney. It helps customers in more than 90 countries rethink how they market their business and create content that resonates with their target audience across some platforms. iTWire spoke to Kipp Bodnar, chief marketing officer of HubSpot, who was recently in Sydney to discuss the companys strategy and provide insights to navigate the current industry trends in the ever-changinglandscape of inbound marketing. Kipp previously served as vice-president of marketing, overseeing all demand generation activity worldwide, building out the EMEA and APAC marketing teams, and managing HubSpots field marketing, localisation, strategic partnerships, and social media efforts. Kipp serves as a marketing adviser for SaaS companies including SimplyMeasured, InsightSquared and Guidebook. He is the co-author of The B2B Social Media Book: Become a Marketing Superstar by Generating Leads with Blogging, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Email, and More. An industry-leading speaker and blogger, Kipp is also a strategic advisor to three companies. He holds a BA in journalism from Marshall University. Q. What is HubSpots key area of focus in Australia? The marketing industry is rapidly evolving, and we are focused on educating marketing and sales professionals about the benefits of inbound marketing and arming them with the tools to ensure they are consistently up to date on the best practices available to them. We want to provide them with marketing and sales solutions that are both easy to use and effective. We also want to raise awareness of the inefficiencies of interruptive marketing and advertising and the rise of consumer resistance and immunity to traditional advertising techniques and urge marketers and sales professionals to change their approach to ensure they remain relevant in todays competitive landscape. Q. How does technology fit in with inbound marketing? Technology allows us to derive data and streamline tasks for efficiency. A holistic technology stack ensures business work smarter not harder. Our technology provides marketers with insights to help them understand what techniques are and arent working for them. For example, our software can show a business owner where people are exiting their website or Facebook page. This enables them to make the right choices and determine if they need to change the layout of the website, or the content on the page, improving customer satisfaction and brand perception in the process. Our free CRM system allows sales teams to be more in tune with their customers needs, streamlines their processes, and they can easily access and share information required. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing the sales and marketing industry at present? Consumers today are resistant to traditional marketing and interruptive advertising and sales techniques. People dont want to be hindered by pop-up ads or have their inbox filled with spam which doesnt interest them. Our latest research shows that more than 80% of Asia Pacific consumers have closed a browser or exited a website because of an auto-playing ad or a pop-up. It has become an ultra-competitive and saturated market presenting a challenge for businesses. Marketers need to adopt a new way of thinking and instead consider permission-based marketing, presenting consumers with content that appeals to them and makes sense in the environment where they are consuming media. In recent times we have seen the rise and success of inbound marketing across all industry sectors. Content marketers are starting to create content that treats consumers like people, not just numbers. This is why a thoughtful content strategy should be top of the agenda when it comes to making the marketing and sales process more human. Q. How do businesses resolve these challenges? HubSpot provides some software tools that can help businesses achieve targets such as attracting visitors to closing customers. From a subscription-based CRM system suitable for SMBs to advice on SEO, social media, analytics and website management. Our integrated tools provide businesses with more control and helps them be able to devise an inbound marketing strategy that works. We have recently launched the HubSpot Academy, which is a free training programme to help with a range of issues such as the creation of landing pages and navigating CRMs. Q. What can you say about the benefits of having an integrated system versus individual tools that are tailored to individual channels? Integrated analytics tools bring all your marketing and sales data together in one place which is a distinct advantage as it makes it easy to pinpoint where your current strategies need to be improved or tweaked. An integrated technology solution allows you to make insightful decisions on what to do next. For example, integrated metrics gives you rich, detailed contact profiles that track every interaction between your prospects and your company. This in-depth knowledge can help businesses become more efficient and reduce the cost of marketing campaigns. Q. Hubspot celebrates its 10th year in 2016. What has been the secret to the companys success? Over the last 10 years, we have not been afraid to share knowledge with the industry, which has created a culture of openness and collaboration across a global community of marketers and salespeople. This sharing of ideas has helped us to problem solve effectively and in turn helped businesses realise their potential. We have placed a huge focus on our workplace culture, and I think this has been paramount to our success. Our people are at the heart of our brand and creating a workplace that drives engagement, creativity and collaboration have meant our employees thrive and love contributing to the success of the business and the industry at large. Q. What advice do you have for marketers looking to make an impact? My advice would be to step out of their business mindset and stop creating content that urges consumers with a call to action to buy something or click something. On the other end of the message is a human, just like you, who wants real value and far less noise. We need to rewind our thinking and consider where base customer needs are derived and tune into those early thoughts, potentially picking up customers before they have even identified a desire themselves. We need to provide consumers with content that is valuable to them and content that they are searching for (typically higher in the sales funnel) rather than content that is jarring or conflicts with their digital interaction journey (typically about the company/brand, vs. about a topic of interest to the consumer). Telstra continues to ramp up its strategic investment and aggressive acquisition strategy, with its latest announcement that it is acquiring MSC Mobility (MSC), a leading provider of Enterprise Mobility solutions in Australia. While the big telco has focused on the global marketplace with many of its investments, particularly in the Asia region, it has turned its attention once again to the local domestic market with its agreement to buy MSC. Australian-based MSC has been a Telstra enterprise mobility management partner for more than a decade, delivering device management services for Telstras enterprise customers. Telstra executive director global products, Michelle Bendschneider says this latest acquisition of MSC is a key step in the telcos global enterprise and services (GES) focus on enterprise mobility which has been prioritised as a fundamental part of Telstras growth strategy. This acquisition is an investment capturing the fastest growing segment of the enterprise mobility market: managing the supply of apps, content and mobile services to enterprises. To achieve our growth aspirations in enterprise mobility, we need to develop our customer relationships from a holistic mobility view, rather than just what sits on their device or tablet. By acquiring MSC we can now work with a customers entire enterprise mobility experience and can manage it through one unified platform. This provides Telstra with an enhanced offering in the market and a seamless experience for our customers. In addition, MSCs established processes and platform can be expanded to host and support the service in Asia, Europe and the US, which also supports our objective of growing this portfolio globally. Leuk Andersen, managing director, MSC, says the sale to Telstra will give the two companies powerful capabilities in device and mobile applications management, security, IoT, machine to machine and asset tracking". This is a great fit for our people and we are really excited by the opportunity to be part of Telstra's strategic plan. MSC employs around 100 staff, mostly based in Sydney, and is a founding member of the Global Enterprise Mobility Alliance (GEMA). The acquisition of MSC is one of a string of businesses picked up by Telstra in recent years. Only last month Telstra announced the acquisition of another Australian company, Readify, an application development and management services consultancy. And, it moved further into the mining industry with the purchase, also in June, of Brisbane-based mining communications technology services business, CBO Telecommunications, and the formation of a new business division, Telstra Mining Services. Other successful acquisitions and integrations by Telstra over the past three years include O2 Networks, Bridge Point Communications and NSC. Telstra Health has also been busy expanding, buying up Silver Chain Group technology arm EOS Technologies and investing in UK health analytics firm Dr Foster, Medibanks Anywhere Healthcare, and iCareHealth, one of Australias primary providers of software solutions to the aged care sector. Pronto Software has tripled in size during Jackman's 17-year tenure; he led the staff buyout of the company in 2002. That growth was internally funded, without resorting to debt or external shareholders. Part of the culture he nurtured was to recognise and value the contribution of long-serving staff, so it is no surprise that an internal successor was appointed. "The hallmark of Pronto Software is our ability to adapt and build long-term success and industry leadership through our continual investment in innovation and people. Succession planning is part of our commitment to excellence and it is with great pleasure that I pass on the responsibility to Chad, a proven executive that has grown with the business over the past 11 years. Chad has deep knowledge and longstanding experience, from marketing and product development to customer engagement whilst also being a respected individual and leader," said Jackman. "Pronto Software has evolved over the years, adapting to growth and ever changing technical and customer needs. Chad has already made immeasurable contributions to the company's success, and will continue its progress into the future. Big thanks to the wonderful team at Pronto Software for their commitment and enthusiasm over these many years. I know that our customers will continue to prosper as they improve their business outcomes using our products and services." Gates has been with the company for 11 years, and, as chief operating officer since 2014, was responsible for the latest releases of Pronto Xi and prepared the company for the launch of Pronto Cloud Managed Solutions and digital consultancy Pronto Woven. "I'm incredibly honoured to be appointed as managing director. Pronto has a strongly agile, innovative and open culture and I am excited to lead the talented team and execute our long-term growth strategy. We will continue to make significant investment in the areas of cloud, analytics and mobile applications ensuring we deliver smarter and more flexible ERP solutions that help our customers excel and succeed," said Gates. "David has been an inspiration and mentor during my time at the company, and I wish him all the very best on his new chapter." The handover from Jackman to Gates has been underway for two years and culminates today. The worlds first AC5400, MU-MIMO, router; first AC1900, MU-MIMO range extender; and first AC600, MU-MIMO USB adaptor are all helping to extract the ultimate performance from your skinny-band pipe coming into most homes. The key word above is MU-MIMO multi-user, multiple inputs/multiple outputs, which in laymans terms means not only a multi-lane highway but lanes with dedicated high speeds that wont let slower cars choke the flow. They are branded Linksys Max-Stream, and each product is a quantum leap over current technology. I mean AC5400 that is more than twice as fast as the current speed demon AC2600 which is just becoming popular in homes. It is interesting to see how Linksys has progressed since Belkin purchased it from Cisco and gaev it sufficient funds and resources to regain its former top spot in the home router market. In just two short years it has gained the number two position in most markets taking sales from Netgear, D-Link, Asus, and others all of which make formidable products. Yes, it wants to be number one. I spoke to the ever affable Greg Morrison, Linksys business manager for Australia and New Zealand. Linksys seems to be on the ascent why? "We are much more focused under Belkin who have allowed us returned to our roots and that is the consumer, prosumer, and small office markets. Our strong technology base gives us the ability to innovate and get to market quickly," Morrison said. "And we have realised that it is not just about boxes flying off the retailers shelves but the quality of after sales support and, if required, problem-solving that needs a personal touch. We are based on Sydneys northern coast, and we know Australian issues like the NBN and all the ISPs. You wont find a better support network than from our call centre, self-help web pages, tutorials, email support and real technical support. Even our install app is highly automated." In part that response was to my question about ease of installation, given that most people are still using ADSL. The few lucky ones have Telstra Cable access. The Max-Stream range is designed to supplement your existing gateway or router. You can leave them in place and simply plug an Ethernet LAN cable from it to the Max-Stream and immediately get the benefits. There is no overlap in the two, and you dont have to do a thing to your existing gateway/router that is probably delivering 300 to 600Mbps maximum out of your Internet pipe, he said. But isnt AC5400 overkill? (Morrions's responses are paraphrased). It is like that V8 supercar you almost always never use all its power but when you do!!! What this does is give you the power to expand the number of Wi-Fi devices in your home so that is good for security cameras; Internet of Things (IoT) devices like smart locks; appliances like robotic vacuum cleaners, fridges, kettles, ovens; games consoles; smart TVs and video streaming especially HD and 4K; music streaming; smartphones and tablets; and desktop computers. But wait there is more. The $549 EA9500 Max-Stream router is tri-band. That is a 2.4GHz band for older Wi-Fi N/G devices providing up to 1000Mbps to be shared by them. It is also good for going through walls so it will get a signal almost anywhere in the typical Australian home. Then we have two 5Ghz bands offering up to 2166Mbps each. Many existing dual band routers are becoming overcrowded on their single 5GHz band so now you can dedicate one band to bandwidth-hungry devices and still get speed for your computer and smartphones on the other. But it is not only about tri-band. The EA9500 has four simultaneous data streams per band using eight tunable antennas for maximum performance and coverage. Add to that beamforming where each Wi-Fi signal can be focused on a specific device to give increase signal strength and every device will get maximum speed from this router. Can you tell me about the AC1900 MU-MIMO range extender? This $199 device works with any router to eliminate dead spots, but when it is paired with a Max-Stream it also allows seamless roaming around the house one SSID. It is incredibly easy to set up using spot finder and push a button to connect. It has MU-MIMO to allow multiple devices to use it and not have to share bandwidth and all the Max-Stream features like beamforming and cross band (making the best use of dual band to get maximum speed). You would want one of these in a large house where signal strength may vary in rooms some distance away or put it in the shed or pool house! And the AC600 MU-MIMO USB plug? Unless you have replaced your notebook or desktop computer very recently, it will have either older Wi-Fi N or G and is most likely single band 2.4GHz. While newer devices may have dual band, they dont have MU-MIMO. This $59 device plugs into a USB port and supercharges the Wi-Fi connection regardless of the age of the device. Base Specifications: iTWire will be reviewing these units over the coming weeks. Linksys MAX-STREAM AC5400 tri-band Wi-Fi router with MU-MIMO (EA9500) 1.4 GHz Dual Core Processor; Tri-Band Wireless AC5400 (1000 Mbps 2.4Ghz + 2166 Mbps 5Ghz + 2166 Mbps 5GHz) = AC5400; The Latest Wi-Fi Standard 802.11ac Wave 2 includes MU-MIMO; Room-to-Room Wi-Fi with seamless roaming technology; 9 Gigabit Ethernet ports (8 LAN, 1 WAN) and USB 3.0, 2.0 ports; 8 external antennas for maximum coverage; First router capable of supporting up to 8 simultaneous MU-MIMO Streams; WPA2 encryption and SPI firewall help keep your network safely connected; and Linksys Smart Wi-Fi app for simple set up, remote access, control, and troubleshooting. A video on the EA9500 can be seen here. RRP $549.95 (NZ$569.95) Linksys MAX-STREAM AC1900+ MU-MIMO Wi-Fi range extender with room-to-room Wi-Fi (RE7000) Dual Band Wireless AC1900 - AC1733 + N300; Room-to-room Wi-Fi with seamless roaming; The latest Wi-Fi standard 802.11ac Wave 2, includes MU-MIMO; Crossband technology; Multi-Mode repeater, access point; and One Gigabit Ethernet port. RRP $199.95, (NZ$229.95) Linksys MAX-STREAM AC600 USB MU-MIMO Adapter (WUSB6100M) AC Wave 2 - MU-MIMO (AC433/N150); Beamforming for more reliable connections; Simple plug and play setup (Windows only); and Works with any Wi-Fi router; optimised with Linksys Max-Stream solutions. RRP: $59.95 Any last words? These are all NBN-ready so when you do get a bigger pipe you will automatically have the best use of it. Oh, and why not buy all three devices to make it a winning trifecta? HEERO is a visual monitor and power controller that enables any standard electrical device to be monitored via a smartphone app and switched on or off. Its a Australian Kickstarter project that closes on 25 August. It already has 55 backers and is well over 10% of its way to its $97,000 goal. The solution was originally developed to remotely visually monitor via a smartphone app 3D printing which can often go belly up and yet continues to print wasting expensive polymer and time. The $98 device comprises a HEERO head a Wi-Fi enabled 720p wide angle camera, SD slot, and LED lighting that will also fit onto a standard tripod mount or attach via magnets; and a cut-off module that plugs into an 110-240V/10A socket (1100W at 110V or 2400W at 240V). It has a trigger (one way) switch on or off not both. The device can be used for any product that needs to be watched and the power cut or switched on. It has use in monitoring rooms, kids' TV, laser or engraving devices, etc. The real power is in the app which I suspect will develop to include a lot of other surveillance tools and alerts. If the funding target is reached, the product is ready to be produced and should ship in November. After launching revamped versions of the Moto X Moto G earlier this year, novo-owned Motorola is rolling out an updated Moto E smartphone this September. Dont expect a reimagining of the wheel, though: The Moto E3 is a slight upgrade from last years modestly-priced 4.5-inch version. The new device features a 5-inch display with 1280-by-720 resolution, an unnamed quad-core processor, a 2,800 mAh battery, as reported earlier by several news sites, including cket-lint. Theres no word on internal storage, but the device will come with microSD card support yet again. The 2015 model offered 8GB of onboard storage a microSD slot that supported up to a further 32GB. novos staying mum about most other details. The third-gen Moto E will come with Android 6 Marshmallow, an 8 mega-pixel rear camera, a 5Mcamera on the front. The cameras are upgrades from the 2015 models, but they still appear to be modest at best. In our review of the 2015 Moto E we hated the camera, which worked well enough in bright sun but absolutely failed in low- or ambient-light settings. The Moto E3 will be priced at 99 (about $132) when it hits the U.K. in the fall. The company has yet to announce a U.S. release date or U.S. pricing. The 2015 version was priced at $150, which is close to what the British version set for September costs in U.S. dollars. The impact on you at home: If youre in the market for a low-end smartphone as a primary or back up device, it may be worth it to wait see if the third-gen Moto E hits U.S. shores later this year. ile the Moto E hasnt been a stout in the camera department it does cover most other smartphone needs, the display is a nice size with a decent resolution. Town sued over denied water service The town council met in executive session last week to discuss its defense after a lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court by a Jamestown homeowner who was denied permission... Scout earns Eagle rank with boardwalk work A local Boy Scout is the latest member of Troop 1 Jamestown to lead an environmental project at a wildlife sanctuary in his mission to attain the Eagle rank. Alex... State: Steer clear while deer breeding As deer begin mating during the rut, public safety officials are urging drivers to be cautious on the roads because herds tend to move around more frequently during this time.... Email Links to our top local news stories of the day, Monday through Saturday. By of the Heading into next week's Republican convention, New York businessman Donald Trump trails Democrat Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin, according to Wednesday's Marquette University Law School Poll. But the Trump campaign is poised to fight for Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes. Pete Meachum, Wisconsin state director of the Trump campaign, said in a statement: "This is a head to head race between the true outsider Donald Trump and untrustworthy Hillary Clinton." "Wisconsin will be a battleground," Meachum added. "In November, voters will know the difference between Donald Trump, who is fighting for them, fighting for real change, and Hillary Clinton a candidate who has spent her entire career enriching herself and lying to the American people." In the poll, Clinton led Trump, 43% to 37% among registered voters and 45% to 41% among likely voters. The Clinton campaign declined to comment on the poll. By of the Milwaukee's collection of conservative talk-radio hosts garnered national attention for their firm stance opposing presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. But one of the city's biggest right-wing voices has caved. Mark Belling of WISN-AM (1310) declared on his show and in a Waukesha Freeman column this week that he is now backing Trump for president primarily because of his animus toward presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. "Rewarding Hillary Clinton's decades of lying, corruption and inside dealing with the presidency is untenable," Belling said via email. "Donald Trump is the only plausible way to stop it. Were there other credible alternatives, I'd be open to them." In the past, Belling has railed against Trump, having called him -- as Belling recounts in the Freeman a "'blowhard,' 'buffoon,' 'clown,' 'fraud,' and, worst of all, 'liberal.'" Belling said he isn't backing away from those past remarks. "I have not retracted anything I have said about Trump," Belling wrote. In other words, Trump may be a buffoon, but he is now Belling's buffoon. But don't expect Milwaukee's other top talker, Charlie Sykes, to join the ranks of Trumpkins. "#NeverTrump means never Trump," said Sykes, whose show airs on WTMJ-AM (620). "But I am also #NeverHillary. So I'll probably be spending a lot of time this fall talking about the Packers." By of the Call it the Cheesehead Convention. Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump released the list of speakers at next week's Republican National Convention in Cleveland, and five Wisconsin pols made the cut. Among them are House Speaker Paul Ryan, Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. and U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy. Trump had earlier announced that Gov. Scott Walker, who ran briefly for president, would be taking the stage, as would -- of course -- Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus. Ryan, the chairman of the convention, has been on a media tour promoting party unity. He initially declined to endorse Trump after he secured enough delegates to win the nomination. But the Janesville Republican did eventually come around, even while criticizing Trump's statements on various issues. Clarke -- who runs as a Democrat but talks and acts like a Republican -- has been a big Trump supporter, saying recently, "Im going to do everything that I can to get Donald Trump elected the next president." He confirmed last month that he was headed to Cleveland but declined to comment on rumors that he would be a featured speaker. Duffy announced in May that he was backing Trump after suggesting that the real estate mogul "doesn't have any ideas" during the hotly contested primary. The third-term Republican has suggested more recently that Trump has the "template for the conservative movement." The Trump campaign has hired Duffy's former chief of staff to run its campaign operation in Wisconsin. Walker has been a reluctant supporter of Trump's. He endorsed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz before the Wisconsin primary, during which Trump repeatedly attacked Walker's record. Earlier this month, Walker posted this less-than-enthusiastic tweet supporting Trump (though not naming him): Last August, I said I'd support the GOP nominee. It's now clear who the RNC delegates will vote to nominate. And he is better than she is. Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) July 6, 2016 Walker is set to speak on the second night of the convention, which runs Monday through Thursday. Jonco Industries Vice President Mike Ryan looks over a portion of the 1,162 solar panels installed on the roof of the company. The solar panels are low profile and not visible from the ground. Credit: Michael Sears SHARE By of the Jonco Industries has opened the largest rooftop solar system in the city of Milwaukee, with more than 1,100 solar panels atop the roof of its factory at the corner of N. Custer and N. 27th streets. The $1 million solar installation will offset some of the energy used for metal fabricating, laser cutting and other industrial services at Jonco, which expanded to its current location in 2015. The system generates 372 kilowatts of power, or enough to offset 46 typical homes. Tom Ryan, president of Jonco, said he was looking to reduce his energy costs and was interested in finding ways to save beyond his recent move to retrofit the lighting at the factory with energy-saving LED technology. Ryan said he has the ability to control his utility bill, "if we want to invest the money and time to build the rooftop solar. I'm not looking for today, but I've calculated it out it's going to take me four years to pay for that roof." After that, it will help produce energy cost savings for years to come, said Ryan, who added that he'd like to install a solar system on another of his businesses in the years ahead. Together his two companies employ 165 people, including 115 at Jonco. Support for the project came from a variety of sources, including a $200,000 grant from the Focus on Energy program and the 30% federal investment tax credit for solar, Ryan said. The project was overseen by SunVest Solar Inc. and installed by Current Electric. The state Focus on Energy program and state Manufacturing Extension Partnership supported the project, as did the city of Milwaukee which participated through its Milwaukee Economy, Energy and Environment program. The project is one of several commercial projects that have received grants through the state Focus on Energy program, which funds energy-saving and renewable energy projects at state businesses. The statewide program is funded through a surcharge on monthly energy bills. Other sizable projects that opened in recent months include the Central Storage & Warehouse project, 741 kilowatts, in Madison; and the Letterhead Press solar project, which generates 337 kilowatts, in New Berlin. "Focus on Energy wants to help businesses and customers understand their energy usage and reduce their bottom line, because when you reduce your bottom line you can create opportunities for expansion and hiring more staff," said Leah Maggio, an energy engineer with the program. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett praised Ryan for investing in a sustainable energy project and repurposing and modernizing facilities in the city's neighborhoods. "That's creating jobs and economic opportunity," he said. The Jonco project ranks in the top 15 among the largest solar projects in the state. Jesse Dabney, a postdoctoral researcher at the UW-Madison Biotechnology Center Molecular Archaeology Group, sequenced Old Abes DNA and confirmed the famed infantry eagle was a male. Credit: Calvin Mattheis SHARE Old Abe, the famed Wisconsin eagle mascot, posed with a color guard after the fall of Vicksburg during the Civil War in 1863. Scientists have solved a century-long controversy: Old Abe was male. Journal Sentinel files A replica of Old Abe is shown on display at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison on Thursday. Old Abe, the mascot of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War, was confirmed to be male through DNA sequencing genes in its feathers that were collected before it died in 1881. CALVIN MATTHEIS / calvin.mattheis@jrn.com Related Photos Old Abe, Wisconsin's celebrated war eagle By of the Madison Old Abe, Wisconsin's celebrated war eagle who was carried into numerous Civil War battles, was in fact male, according to University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists who sequenced his DNA to settle a centurylong controversy. Wisconsin Veterans Museum officials made the announcement Thursday to answer a dispute over whether Old Abe was seen laying eggs, which would have meant the battle-hardened veteran was a she and not a he. "I can say at this time that Old Abe does not have to change his name," said museum Director Michael Telzrow. Named after President Abraham Lincoln, the bald eagle was revered by 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry soldiers who adopted the bird as their mascot, reviled by Confederate troops intent on killing the raptor and acclaimed by Wisconsinites after the war when Old Abe became a celebrity living at the state Capitol. Old Abe survived dozens of battles, only to die of smoke inhalation following a fire at the Capitol in 1881, and was stuffed and put on display in the statehouse rotunda several months later. President Theodore Roosevelt viewed the stuffed bird in 1903, one year before a fire razed the Capitol and destroyed Old Abe. The bird is still seen on shoulder patches of members of the Army's 101st Airborne Division, which was founded in Wisconsin following World War I, and replicas are on display in the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and the state Assembly chamber. Three feathers collected by one of Old Abe's handlers, plus a feather given as a gift to Gov. Robert La Follette Sr., were put in a display case in 1904, which ended up in the Wisconsin Veterans Museum archives. So when the question of Old Abe's gender came up at a museum staff meeting a few years ago, officials decided to see if ornithologists could determine gender by looking at the feathers. They can't. Eagle plumage is pretty much the same for males and females. Then museum officials wondered if DNA could be extracted from the feathers, and eventually partnered with the UW-Madison Biotechnology Center Molecular Archaeology Group, which had never sequenced eagle DNA before. "We were quite intrigued when the museum approached us with this project," said Jesse Dabney, the postdoctoral researcher who carefully extracted DNA from each of the four feathers. Eagles have two sex chromosomes, Z and W. Males have two Z chromosomes, while females have one Z and one W. DNA sequenced from the feathers showed only Z chromosomes, which meant Old Abe was not Old Abigail. Dabney sent an "it's a boy" email to museum collections manager Andrea Hoffman, who decided to wait until a staff meeting a few days later to reveal the results. She and another staff member baked a cake with pink and blue frosting on top. When Telzrow cut into the cake he saw that the bakers had dyed the cake blue that's when the rest of the museum staff learned Old Abe's gender. Questions about Old Abe's gender became front-page news in newspapers across the United States in 1889, after suffragette Lillie Devereaux Blake made the claim the bird was female, saying the raptor had spent leisure time laying eggs. Apparently, some members of the 8th Wisconsin also believed Abe was female. Sgt. Ambrose Armitage, whose Civil War diary was published after the conflict ended, wrote on Sept. 14, 1861, that Company C had brought an eagle from Eau Claire (the bird actually was captured near Park Falls) as they headed into battle. "It is a female eagle of the gray species and is now about four months old," Armitage wrote. Two years later, Armitage's diary mentions the growing fame of Old Abe as the bird's reputation grew following numerous battles. "The passing troops have been running in as they always do to see our eagle. She is a great wonder," he wrote on July 25, 1863. It's likely nervous, homesick Wisconsin soldiers who marched into battle with Old Abe didn't care about the raptor's gender they just saw the large, majestic bird as a good luck talisman from their home state. Now that 21st-century technology has confirmed Old Abe's gender, the Wikipedia entry can be changed, said Telzrow. "Obviously, it doesn't change the history of the bird," Telzrow said. "It is a symbol of strength, of patriotism and of sacrifice." SHARE By of the A Milwaukee police officer was injured Wednesday evening when he was struck and dragged by a stolen car after four teens jumped from the vehicle while it was still moving, according to Milwaukee police. The car, which was stolen from a dealership in Sturtevant, was spotted by officers shortly after 6 p.m. in the 3100 block of N. 74th St., according to a news release from the Milwaukee Police Department. According to the release, when the officers attempted to stop the car the four teens jumped from the vehicle, which began to roll backward. The 51-year-old officer attempted to stop the rolling car to prevent injury to others but lost his balance and was dragged by the vehicle until it struck a pole. The officer was taken to a hospital and is expected make a full recovery, and police arrested two 17-year-old boys and two girls, ages 15 and 16, who fled from the stolen car. It was unclear whether the car was one of two taken shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday when, according to the Racine County Sheriff's Office, thieves smashed windows at Racine Hyundai, 9503 Washington Ave. in Sturtevant, and drove two new cars out of the dealership through the windows. Racine County sheriff's deputies and Mount Pleasant police chased the cars but terminated their pursuit because vehicles where being driven at a high rate of speed with headlights off as they traveled north into Milwaukee County, according to a news release from the Racine County Sheriff's Office. One of the stolen cars was recovered shortly before 1 p.m. in Milwaukee in the 6500 block of W. Keefe Ave., where a juvenile suspect was arrested, according to the release. SHARE By of the Sexual assault victims in Wisconsin can still be barred from testifying against their accused assailants if they refuse to let a judge see their mental health treatment records, after the state Supreme Court divided three ways on the issue Wednesday. It took the court 135 pages to reach its virtual nondecision, which means the prior ruling of the Court of Appeals, upholding the current law, stands. That means Dodge County prosecutors will either have to bring a case against former Fox Lake Police Chief Patrick Lynch without the aid of the victim's testimony, persuade her to let the judge review her records, or drop the charges. The same issue reached the high court, and ultimately met the same fate, in the case of S.C. Johnson heir Samuel Curtis "Curt" Johnson III in 2014. He was later convicted of two misdemeanors. While five justices would have reversed the Court of Appeals, in whole or in part, only three could agree on the reason and result. Chief Justice Patience Roggensack, along with justices Michael Gableman and Rebecca Bradley would have simply overturned a line of cases dating back two decades that sets out when and how defendants can get a judge to review a victim's confidential medical records to see if information relevant to guilt or innocence exists. The cases, known as the Shiffra/Green doctrine, also dictate that if the victim refuses such access, she can't testify at trial. Two justices, Shirley Abrahamson and Ann Bradley, would have affirmed the Court of Appeals but allowed trial judges to obtain victims' records without their consent, under an exception in a different statute. Justice David Prosser would not overturn the precedent, though he might support other remedies for prosecutors if a victim refuses access to records, just not the one advanced by Abrahamson and Ann Bradley. Justice Annette Ziegler simply would affirm the Shiffra/Green precedent, and the single remedy of precluding victim testimony, calling it a well-tested way to balance defendants' rights to due process against complainants' interests in maintaining the confidentiality of treatment records. Sexual assault defendants can't always get complainants' psychological records. They must first make a showing that the records likely contain information relevant to the defendant's guilt or innocence. Only then does a judge, alone, review the records and decide if the information should be made available. A Dodge County judge and the Court of Appeals ruled Lynch had made that showing, and that the victim could not testify because she wouldn't release her counseling records. The victim's father was convicted of sexually assaulting her in the early 1990s. Some time later, she said Lynch also assaulted her, during the same period. He was charged in 2010 with sexual assault of a child and stalking. Lynch suggested the records would show the victim suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and other conditions that would seriously affect her credibility, and that records would show she never reported the alleged assaults by Lynch at the time her father was being investigated and charged. By of the Two more people have gotten the nod of approval from a city committee to join Milwaukee's Fire and Police Commission. But some aldermen and others voiced concern during Thursday's Public Safety Committee meeting that none of the members of the commission one of the country's most powerful civilian boards supervising public safety operations have any experience serving as police officers or firefighters. "For years I have felt, and have conveyed my thoughts to the mayor and to the executive director of the Fire and Police Commission, that I believe we need at least one or two individuals on this committee that have some experience in police and fire work," said Ald. Bob Donovan, chairman of the safety committee. "And that has repeatedly been rejected. At the same time I am told recently by the executive director that it is the highest priority for the administration. I will say this publicly that is a joke." Donovan said he couldn't support the nominations of either Angela McKenzie or Nelson Soler for that reason, but their appointments passed the committee on a 4-1 vote. McKenzie, an administrative law judge for the State of Wisconsin, and Soler, an entrepreneur, spoke before the committee Thursday and fielded questions from aldermen as well as members of the public. Both also previously spoke last month at a community forum. MaryNell Regan, the commission's executive director, was also up for appointment. She fielded questions from aldermen before being recommended for reappointment on a 5-0 vote. The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners is a nine-member civilian body that oversees policies, standards and rules for the Milwaukee Fire Department and the Milwaukee Police Department. The commission also appoints all employees of both public safety departments, and decides citizen complaints against fire and police employees. The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin said that while it agrees commissioners should be knowledgeable about public safety, it disagrees that some of them must be former police officers or firefighters. "Former officers could not serve on these committees without giving the perception of undue influence and potential bias," said Chris Ahmuty, the group's executive director. In recent years, the Fire and Police Commission has come under public criticism for its handling of high-profile discipline cases involving police officer misconduct. And nominations to the commission also have been fraught with criticism from aldermen and members of the public about a lack of transparency. Several members of the public raised similar concerns during Thursday's meeting. Board members are appointed by the mayor and approved by the Common Council, which is expected to take up the appointments at its July 26 meeting. SHARE Column was divisive After reading the headline of columnist James Causey's latest piece, I felt the need to write ("It's scary and stressful being black," Crossroads, July 10). He simply wrote that being black in America is stressful, and, by doing so, illustrated the very division and problems that all of us face. Is it stressful being black in America? Of course it is, but then it's stressful being white, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, young, old, rich, poor, Democrat, Republican, etc. Being an American and going about one's day-to-day life is stressful, and by pointing, blaming or signaling that the stress or your life's problems are more important or stressful than others does nothing more than further divide an already divided city, state and nation. Right now with the eyes of the nation and the world on them, every single man and woman who puts on a badge and goes out to serve and protect can claim an abundant amount of stress. I'm going to guess that their stress just comes with the job and can and should and will be easily dismissed by most people. I don't want to waste time or words going on and on about how everyone in the nation can claim their stress is bigger than their neighbors because it wouldn't do any good. All it would accomplish is exactly what this column did, which is further divide, further separate, further strain a nation that is already coming apart at the seams with stress. Brian Brehmer Milwaukee What about Walker and Ryan? Kudos to Christian Schneider for taking Ted Cruz to task for putting ambition before dignity by agreeing to speak at the Republican convention this summer ("Ted Cruz: Another politician who puts ambition before dignity," Crossroads, July 10). Too bad he exposed his own "profile in courage" by failing to include Gov. Scott Walker who famously dropped out of the presidential campaign in order to help clear the field and allow "sensible" Republicans to coalesce behind a non-Trump candidate. Walker, days before Cruz did, just as eagerly and cravenly accepted a chance to speak at the convention. And I must have missed mention of Paul Ryan's continuing pretzel logic of condemning Donald Trump's racist statements and policies while continuing to support his candidacy. Schneider's words would have gained much in credibility had he not shied away from looking a little closer to home. Michael Boerger Madison More guns don't make us safer Today, not even the National Rifle Association can repeat its tired idea: if only there had been a virtuous gun owner at the scene, he could have prevented the terrible carnage. This time, in Dallas, many of the people living their worst nightmares that night were trained, armed, on-duty police officers. A few gun-carrying citizens, spontaneously present at some future tragedy, are clearly inferior to those professional police officers. Make no mistake, their bravery and heroism saved lives, and we should all be thankful for that. But lives were still lost. It was still a tragedy. We are again grieving, and asking ourselves why. In an ambush, the element of surprise is a deadly ally for those few who seek to harm many. After all, it is a military tactic used on the battlefield. The armament of the victims is not the issue, but rather it is the armament of the killer that should be our concern. This argument, that carrying guns makes us safer, has no basis in reality. A gun on the hip of every citizen has no deterrent effect on a broken human being with no regard for his own life. Furthermore, the concept of a gun-carrying sheepdog, whipping around like Dirty Harry and taking out a rampaging maniac is pure fiction. It just doesn't happen. Let Dallas be the tragedy that finally teaches us a clear lesson: even if we all carried guns and were as well trained as police, we could not prevent a motivated individual with such a powerful weapon from shedding so much innocent blood. More guns have never been the answer, but now, after Dallas, no one can pretend anymore. Nate Eklof Madison Please email your letters to jsedit@jrn.com, or mail them to Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, P.O. Box 371, Milwaukee, Wis. 53201-0371. Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Cpl. Gary Hutchinson salutes the funeral procession for Dallas police Sgt. Michael Smith on Interstate 20 in Duncanville, Texas on Wednesday. Credit: Associated Press SHARE By After witnessing the recent violence against police and by police, it should be clear that we don't need "them vs. us" rhetoric. We need to look to one another to find ways to reduce tension by solving problems. Take a look at police officers. Police officers frequently are in stressful, not to mention dangerous, situations. The public adds to their stress because it has high expectations and sometimes unreasonable expectations regarding the ability of officers to reduce, crime, fear, disorder and associated societal harms. When stress affects officers' ability to do their job properly, that is a problem. A Wisconsin legislator says he will introduce a "Blue Lives Matter" bill in January. Proponents of this type of legislation to make crimes against police officers into hate crimes are offering little solace and no practical support. Police officers and their families will not be helped by gaining a heightened sense of victimization. They should not adopt the mantle of a beleaguered minority because, in fact, they are valued public servants. We give them the power of life and death and great discretion. We should recognize the stress police officers and their families confront, but piling on by claiming that there is a war against police or that the law isn't already severely penalizing attacks on police, does a disservice to everyone. Even after the killings in Dallas, the declining number of attacks on officers during the Obama administration doesn't support the notion that we are at war. Furthermore, there already are severe penalties for attacks on police officers in many states, including Wisconsin, where even a true threat may be charged as a felony. A more fruitful approach to creating a better working environment for officers and better public safety for residents is community-oriented policing, which has existed in various forms for decades now. The Milwaukee Police Department claims to use community-oriented policing. Community-oriented policing is based in part on the premise that police officers who have regular contact with all sorts of residents will create trust between police and residents. Unfortunately, across the country and in Milwaukee there still are too high levels of distrust between police and communities of color. Distrust is not accurately reflected by the number of complaints filed against police officers, as many residents believe that the complaint process is not effective. At community forums, Milwaukee residents have reported being ignored or treated with disrespect when they contact police, including at district stations. Surveys by the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission and the ACLU of Wisconsin suggest most residents are only somewhat satisfied with the Milwaukee Police Department, and that the more contacts residents have with police, the less likely the residents will be to help the police. Every time there is an officer-involved killing, community members justifiably demand accountability, and when it does not appear to be forthcoming, trust is undermined. In Milwaukee, since at least 2008, the Milwaukee Police Department has used a police strategy based on establishing a large presence in neighborhoods afflicted by high crime rates. It has done so in part by utilizing roughly 200,000 officer-initiated stops per year. The stops are often not made for the reason given and potentially abuse the use of consent searches. Because Milwaukee has such a robust stop-and-frisk program, the good things that the MPD and its community partners are doing may not result in the benefits we should expect from community-oriented policing. Community-oriented policing in Milwaukee appears to be subservient to a policing strategy that is concerned with giving the illusion of control. Who could disagree that every neighborhood deserves professional, unbiased and cost-effective policing? We can do that and respect the civil liberties and civil rights of everyone. If we avoid "them vs. us" rhetoric, listen to one another and adhere to fundamental principles, we can improve police-community relations. Chris Ahmuty is executive director of the ACLU of Wisconsin. Steve Case: His new book, The Third Wave: An Entrepreneurs Vision of the Future, predicts a new round of disruption. Credit: European Press Agency There is no bigger evangelist for entrepreneurs right now than Steve Case. Present at the birth of the Internet as a founder of America Online, he's now the top dog at Revolution, an investment firm in Washington, D.C., that is plowing money into start-ups from coast to coast. Since 2014, he's taken his "Rise of the Rest" bus tour to cities across the country. Why go to Cincinnati, Detroit, Pittsburgh or Buffalo? Because Case believes that's where the next big things are likely to happen. If he's right, it's very good news for the lands that the venture capitalists forgot. So far, the data don't necessarily support the Case thesis. Money is still flowing mainly to traditional tech hubs Silicon Valley, New York and Massachusetts, Case acknowledges. Last year, half of it went to companies in the Bay Area alone, way up from 20 years ago, The Wall Street Journal reports. But Case believes that is about to change. He sees the signs in companies such as Detroit's Shinola, a maker of handcrafted watches, bicycles and handbags that makes its watches in the former home of General Motors research labs in the Motor City. Case is an investor. Or in the recent success of American Underground, an entrepreneurial hub in Durham, N.C. And if his bus ever rolls into Milwaukee, he'd see it here at the business accelerator gener8tor. Case's new book, "The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur's Vision of the Future," is a riff off futurist Alvin Toffler's 1980 book of the same name that Case read while in college. Toffler foresaw the information age. Case foresees a new round of innovation the Internet of Everything in which the web is an organic part of every product. He sees an Internet fully integrated into everything we do. Health care, education, manufacturing, food production and other whole industries are going to be disrupted, Case predicts. But the very nature of the change should mean more opportunities outside traditional tech belts for smart entrepreneurs who can navigate change and form the right partnerships. Third wave products "will be tech-enabled, they won't be tech-centric," he writes. "They'll use apps, but the product won't be an app. And so the benefit derived from being surrounded by the tech world won't be as high.... "It may make sense, for example, for a company that wants to revolutionize the agricultural industry to settle in the Midwest, where the right supply chains already exist and the culture of farmers is best understood." Zach Brandon, president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, says Wisconsin should be ready to catch the wave. "The third wave is not a guarantee; the third wave is an insight of where the economy is going," he said. "But the undertow of the third wave is scary. If, in fact, Case is right and the industries that he identifies...are about to change significantly based on this concept of the third wave and we're not riding that wave we're in trouble." Brandon sees opportunity in Wisconsin's "health highway" the nearly 100 companies clustered between Madison and Milwaukee that focus on health care. And he sees it in software publishing. Madison has the second-highest density of software publishing jobs in the country, Brandon says, and when combined with Milwaukee, the state has 3.8% of the country's software publishing jobs. That's nearly equal to Wisconsin's share of ag jobs and more than its share of manufacturing jobs. "We talk about these 68 miles (between Madison and Milwaukee); that's an hour in the car," Brandon said. "There are some cities on the West Coast where it takes you an hour to get from one side of the city to the other. We need to be selling this corridor." Maybe it's finally time for "the rest" to have their day. David D. Haynes is editorial page editor for the Journal Sentinel. Email dhaynes@jrn.com Twitter: @DavidDHaynes Crowds attend the Milwaukee Bucks arena groundbreaking ceremony on N. 4th St. and W. Juneau Ave. last month. Credit: Calvin Mattheis The rap against Rocky Marcoux in some circles is that the Department of City Development commissioner has focused too much on downtown Milwaukee and not enough on the city's neighborhoods. And so Marcoux stands in jeopardy of not being reconfirmed by the Common Council, despite the strong support of Mayor Tom Barrett. The criticism is wrong on two levels. First, although not as dramatic as the boom in downtown development, or as much in the spotlight, there has been progress in the neighborhoods in housing and commercial developments. Second, the developments downtown and the taxes they bring in help feed growth in the neighborhoods. The two are interrelated; the city needs both to succeed, and it is getting both under Marcoux, although perhaps not always as fast or effectively as could be accomplished, as Ald. Tony Zielinski and other critics maintain. We understand Zielinski's points, and perhaps some of the criticism is warranted and Marcoux should continue to improve. But unhappiness over a few individual projects is not enough to push him out. The council should vote to confirm when his appointment is reconsidered later this month. As Ralph Hollmon, president and CEO of the Milwaukee Urban League, told the Journal Sentinel, "I think that when you look at his entire body of work, he's done an outstanding job." The controversy over Marcoux is nothing new; he faced a similar attempt at an ouster in 2012. Four years ago, we wrote that Marcoux deserved confirmation but needed to make some changes: "We think removal from office goes too far. But Marcoux needs to get the message that he should improve the way he does business and articulate a strategic vision for city development. Right now, the city doesn't have one." Now it does. And Marcoux told us this week that the 10-year strategic plan, "Growing Prosperity" is among the things he is most proud of. He also said he took to heart much of the criticism last time around and has made changes. We agree. Development is moving forward, for example, at the massive Century City Business Park project in the 30th St. corridor, and while it hasn't taken off as fast as we'd like, neither did the Menomonee Valley at first, and there has been development nearby such as the M-WERC energy consortium. Century City is a work in progress with the emphasis on the word progress. Other neighborhood projects that have not received the attention of, say, the Milwaukee Bucks arena or the Couture, include housing subdivisions such as Walnut Circle and more than 6,000 affordable housing units, commercial corridor grants, business improvement districts and developing green corridors. In talking about his support for Marcoux to the Journal Sentinel, Barrett noted projects such as the Menomonee Valley redevelopment, Century City Business Park, the Pabst Brewery complex, the Water Council area and others, saying the city has invested tens of millions of dollars in neighborhood projects. And Tim Sheehy, president of the Metro Milwaukee Association of Commerce, said of Marcoux, "My sense is that he's been making tough decisions for 12 years, and that doesn't leave everyone happy. But this isn't a business of making everybody happy. It's a business of Milwaukee using its assets in the best possible way to attract capital investment and jobs." We think that, aside from a misstep here and there, that's what Marcoux has been doing. And what he should continue to do. David Stearns steps down as Brewers president of baseball operations Stearns was hired in 2015 and oversaw the most successful run in franchise history Improvements were discovered in 2015 to land owned by the Department of Natural Resources in Vilas County. Then, Elizabeth Uihlein, a major donor to Gov. Scott Walker, had a tentative agreement to buy the land on Rest Lake. That deal was later tabled by the DNR. A new proposal calls for a land swap between Uihlein and the state. Credit: George Meyer By of the The Department of Natural Resources has reworked details of a high-profile land transaction in northern Wisconsin that involves a major political supporter of Gov. Scott Walker after an initial deal drew sharp criticism and complaints of favoritism. The DNR said Wednesday it is proposing to trade land in Vilas County with Elizabeth Uihlein, which will give the businesswoman 765 feet of lake frontage next to land she owns on Rest Lake in the Town of Manitowish Waters. In exchange, the DNR would receive 42.7 acres and 2,100 feet of frontage on Mann Lake, also in Vilas County. The previous deal was tabled by the Natural Resources Board in September after protests from sporting groups and others. An official with the agency said Wednesday the new deal is more favorable. Uihlein owns an 11-unit condominium complex adjacent to the DNR's Rest Lake property. The condos do not have direct access to the lake. The initial deal drew complaints because the DNR was giving up frontage on a popular northern Wisconsin lake. Also, the agency was engaging in a direct sale with one of Walker's largest financial supporters instead of putting the property up for bid. Uihlein and her husband, Richard, had donated millions of dollars to Walker at the time Uihlein wanted to buy the land. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported last year the couple donated $2.5 million to Unintimidated PAC, a political action committee supporting Walker's presidential bid that was formed in April 2015. They also had contributed nearly $290,000 to support Walker's elections for governor. Also, Richard Uihlein donated $200,000 to Our American Revival, an organization formed by Walker in January 2015. A general reference to the proposed sale is listed in the August agenda of the Natural Resources Board posted online late Wednesday afternoon. The board meets Aug. 3 in Ashland and must give final approval. In an interview, Douglas J. Haag, the DNR's chief real estate official, said agency officials worked with the Uihleins for a possible land swap. They also tried to swap land initially, he said, but the property the couple wanted to sell did not meet state criteria. The Uihleins are closing in on an acquisition on Mann Lake that they will then trade with the DNR. The land is in the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest a plus for the DNR because the agency no longer buys property that lies outside official state forest borders, Haag said. Haag said the property provides greater public access than at Rest Lake. The identity of the seller of the Mann Lake property was not available on Wednesday. Appraisals of the Rest Lake property ranged from $238,000 to $384,000, according to the DNR. The agency had tentatively agreed to sell the land to Elizabeth Uihlein for $275,000. Appraisals for the Mann Lake property ranged between $250,000 and $470,000, according to Haag. Mann Lake is a 253-acre lake with a depth of 18 feet. Haag said the parcel in question is the only remaining property on the south side of the lake that is not owned by the state. One reason the agency was willing to sell the Rest Lake property is that it lies outside the official project boundary of the state forest. The department has been directed by the Legislature to sell surplus property, and is targeting parcels that lie outside project boundaries. A critic of the initial deal was George Meyer, a former secretary of the DNR and currently executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. Meyer said then that his group opposed the deal not because of the Uihlein connection but because of its value for shoreline fishing. He also noted a 1980s DNR policy that encouraged the purchase of undeveloped shoreline in the north because the land was disappearing rapidly. If the DNR had to sell, "it should require a land trade for similar lake or river shoreline property," Meyer told board members last year. On Wednesday, Meyer said he wanted to look more closely at details of the transaction. But "if it's high and dry and usable to the public, we would not oppose the land trade," Meyer said. Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, of Lake Forest, Ill., are founders of Uline Corp., a Pleasant Prairie-based company that distributes shipping and packaging supplies. The company employs more than 4,000 in North America. Elizabeth Uihlein is the owner of several businesses in Manitowish Waters; the couple owns a home in the area; and they have made large donations, including money for a 17-mile bike trail and upgrades to a lakeside park. Elizabeth Uihlein has said that she and her husband are close to Walker. In an interview last year with the Journal Sentinel, she said she was on the phone with the governor for 35 minutes the afternoon of Sept. 21, shortly before Walker dropped out of the presidential race. On Thursday morning, Uihlein spokesman Bill Broydrick said in an email, "We have worked cooperatively with DNR and reached an agreement that we can all support." A section of state Highway 122 near Saxon remained washed out and closed Thursday from floods that hit the region late Tuesday. Credit: Jacob Byk / Wausau Daily Herald SHARE By of the Residents in northern Wisconsin are grappling with the aftermath of extreme storms and flooding that swept through the area earlier this week, leaving three people dead, roads washed out and some residents still stranded in their homes. Authorities on Thursday confirmed that a third person had died as a result of the flooding. Elmer Lippo, 82, of Marengo, was found early Thursday in a pickup truck in the floodwaters of the Marengo River in the Town of White River. The Ashland County Sheriff's Office said Lippo was an elected supervisor for the Town of Marengo. Meanwhile, authorities said Thursday that main roads in several counties are still closed, including U.S. Highway 2 between Ashland and Hurley, state Highway 13 and U.S. Highway 63. And chances are they will not reopen anytime soon. State and county engineers will be out evaluating damage to bridges and roads over the next few days. "We want to make sure we're making these roadways as safe as possible, as soon as possible," said Diana Maas, spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation's northwest region. "We're out there actively working to resolve as many issues as possible, and many other roadways are open already." Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in eight northern Wisconsin counties Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Sawyer, Washburn and Price counties after torrential rains flooded parts of the area, causing three fatalities, closing roads, destroying a harbor and washing out multiple roads. Maas said the main corridors of U.S. Highway 2, state Highway 13 and U.S. Highway 63 are a major concern. Repairs on state Highway 13 in Ashland County will take the longest, up to five months, she said. Two bridges near Highbridge were washed out and significantly damaged. The agency is hopeful an alternate route on county trunk roads can be used in a couple of weeks until the bridges on the highway can be replaced. A bridge on U.S. Highway 63 also was significantly damaged near Grand View in Bayfield County. The state is working on terms to hire an emergency contractor by Monday. The highway will be closed for about a month, and there are no reasonable alternative routes in that area, according to Maas. Water levels on U.S. Highway 2, which passes through Ashland, Bayfield and Iron counties, are too high to assess the damage right now, she said. Officials suspect the damage is minimal and that the road will reopen in a few weeks. "We're hopeful the water will go down by the end of the week and we'll be able to fully assess the damage," Maas said. The closures come at the height of the region's busy tourist season. And local businesses and the state Department of Tourism are encouraging visitors not to cancel their vacation plans. Many businesses and parks remain open, they say. But they urged travelers to call the local chamber or tourism office, or check state websites for road closings and park and trail conditions. Claire Rupnow of the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau, said the annual Bayfield Festival of Arts is still on for this weekend, but some people will have to make a significant detour to attend. "Roads to the west are open, so people coming from that direction, like Duluth will be fine," Rupnow said. "People from Michigan's Upper Peninsula or southeast Wisconsin will have about a three-hour detour." High waters and road closures continued to strand some residents in Bayfield and Iron counties on Thursday. In the Town of Lincoln in Bayfield, about 26 people were isolated in their homes, and authorities were using boats to get supplies to them "on a road that is now a river," said Jan Victorson, director of emergency management for Bayfield County. Washed-out roads in the Town of Gurney in Iron County had left four families stranded in their rural homes off state Highway 169 as of Thursday morning. Town Chairman Tom Innes said authorities were hoping to reach them through a back channel by the end of the day. Elsewhere, the U.S. Coast Guard continued to patrol Saxon Harbor in Ashland County and monitor stranded boats, which were destroyed by the storms. Local and county officials are meeting with the U.S. Coast Guard to determine a damage estimate to the facilities and develop a repair plan for the harbor. About 85 boats and 100 boat slips were damaged or destroyed, according to the Wisconsin Emergency Operations Center. As of Thursday morning, 40 of those were displaced, some ending up miles off shore. Six were unaccounted for, and four had sunk, said Christopher Yaw, public affairs specialist with the U.S. Coast Guard. "Pollution is the main concern because most of those vessels have fuel and oil on board," Yaw said. "We don't want any of that leaking and getting out into the environment so we're helping to get that cleaned up and mitigate those posing a threat." Also Thursday, Sawyer County authorities were assuring residents that the Nelson Lake Dam is not in danger of failing. They continue to monitor water levels in Hayward, they said. And inmates from the Department of Corrections' Gordon Correctional Facility are helping to fill sandbags through Saturday. The extent of the damage across the region is still being assessed. The Department of Transportation is working with the governor's office and the state Department of Administration, as well as the Federal Highway Administration, in an effort to secure relief funds. U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy and Sen. Ron Johnson sent a letter to President Barack Obama on Thursday seeking disaster assistance. Below are the preliminary damage estimates for counties assessed so far by the Wisconsin Emergency Management Center. Burnett County: about $375,000 in damage to roads, bridges and other public infrastructure. Douglas County: about $602,800 in damage and repair costs from flooding of roads, bridges and public buildings. Sawyer County: about $70,000 in minor damage reported to 15 homes, and $365,000 to public infrastructure, including roads and bridges. Chippewa County: About $25,000 in damage was reported to one home. The damage was caused by a tornado that touched down near the O'Neil Creek Campground. SHARE By , Two Rivers A Two Rivers resident died in an overnight house fire, the Two Rivers Fire Department said Thursday. Firefighters were called at 11:49 p.m. Wednesday by a neighbor who noticed heavy smoke coming from a residence in the 1100 block of 16th Street. Fire crews found and removed the victim, who lived on the first floor, from the burning house, a news release said. The department hasn't identified the victim or the victim's gender. Residents on the second floor of the building were awakened by a neighbor and were able to escape. A dog owned by second-floor residents was safely removed from the house. The fire was under control by about 12:15 a.m., and fire crews remained on the scene until 3:30 a.m. The blaze remains under investigation. Fire officials said the blaze originated on the first floor, but the cause is still unknown. Damage to both floors and the attic was estimated at more than $50,000. The Manitowoc and Mishicot fire departments also responded, and the Salvation Army assisted the residents. Alyssa Bloechl: 920-686-2152, email abloechl@htrnews.com, Twitter@alyssabloechl Reddit Email 0 Shares TeleSur | The two countries had been allies before the 2011 uprising in Syria. Turkey is seeking to normalize relations with its neighbor Syria, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said in a televised address on Wednesday. The news comes just weeks after Turkey restored diplmatic relations with Israel and one of Syrias top international allies, Russia. Turkey broke off relations with Syria in 2011 after the government of President Bashar Assad violently cracked down on peaceful protests. Yildirim did not specify whether Turkey is formally restoring diplomatic relations just yet, but he did say that, as with Israel and Russia, I am sure were going back to a normal relationship with Syria, according to the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency. The development follows reports that Turkish and Syrian officials were secretly meeting in Algeria. Prior to the current unrest in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had referred to President Assad as a friend and had worked to strenghten economic and military ties between the two nations. In 2009, Syrias ambassador to the United States told an audience at the University of Oklahoma that Turkey is Syrias best friend. Since then, Turkey has provided support to some rebel groups seeking to unseat the Syrian leader. It also now hosts more than 2 million Syrian refugees. However, U.S. support for Kurdish militants in Syria has angered both governments and a shared opposition to an autonomous Kurdish region seemingly has now pushing them to reconcile. Assad is, at the end of the day, a killer, a member of Turkeys ruling AKP part told Reuters in June. But he does not support Kurdish autonomy. We may not like each other, but on that were backing the same policy. Via TeleSur Related video added by Juan Cole: NewsBeat Social: Turkey Wants Normalized Syrian Relations Reddit Email 0 Shares By Golnaz Esfandiari | (RFE/RL) | In late May, Iranian state and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officials turned out in force at a state funeral in Ardebil Province. Revolutionary Guard Hashem Dehghani-nia's was among the latest coffins to have returned from the battlegrounds of Syria, where a rising Iranian death toll testifies to Tehran's flinty determination to bolster regional ally President Bashar al-Assad. Dehghani-nia, 28, was what official Iranian circles deem a "shrine defender," Iranians and Afghans who ostensibly travel to Syria as volunteers to defend Shi'ite Islam's holy sites. Televised images of his funeral and those of other Iranian casualties of Syria's four-year conflict have shown masses of their countrymen marching in procession on main streets, truck-mounted loudspeakers trained on the huge crowds, and uniformed soldiers and plainclothes mourners weeping and throwing themselves on flag-draped caskets. In Dehghani-nia's case, reports said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative to Ardebil held prayers over his casket. Dehghani-nia and hundreds of other Iranians killed in Syria are being hailed as "martyrs" who sacrificed their lives for Islam and their country. Their numbers have increased in recent months, and have included senior IRGC commanders. The IRGC said last month that Dehghani-nia, "the first martyred shrine defender" from Iran's northwestern Ardebil Province, reached martyrdom "on the path for the defense of Islam." "His name and his fame will remain forever in history," the IRGC said in a statement published by domestic news sites. Dusting Off Cult Of Martyrdom Such carefully orchestrated tributes are a sign of Iran's deepening involvement in Syria where hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed and millions displaced, and a complicated web of interests threatens to recast regional alliances. They are also reminiscent of the total war footing that enveloped Iran during the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-88, when hundreds of thousands of Iranians died in a devastating ground war against Saddam Hussein's forces from neighboring Iraq. The cult of martyrdom, a central component of Shi'ite Islam, was used by the Iranian authorities to inspire and encourage the troops in that war. California-based Iranian-American historian Abbas Milani says that now Iran's "authorities are using martyrdom as a tool to justify the increasing number of deaths of [Iranian troops] in Syria in the face of questions by some people who, I believe, are asking why are these people killed there." Hard-line media affiliated with the IRGC have hailed the Iranian dead in Syria as selfless individuals driven by religious conviction. IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari and other officials have paid visits to their families to pay their respects, and many of those same relatives have appeared on state-controlled media to rejoice over the martyrdom of their loved ones and announce that other family members are ready to follow their path. Video clips and songs have praised them, including one produced by a group allied with Iran's conservative volunteer militia, known as Basij House Of Music, with the participation of the son of a shrine defender. A number of state-organized events have been held in past months in their honor, including a Shrine Defenders Film Festival. In March, officials in a city outside Tehran said several streets would be named after "martyred shrine defenders" to keep their memories alive. Varamin Mayor Ali Heydarian made the announcement at a meeting with the family of one of the Syria dead, at which he praised those killed there for sacrificing their lives while standing for "the defense of Islam and revolutionary ideals." 'Sacred Defense' Iran's highest authority, Ayatollah Khamenei, has saluted the new wave of martyrs' bravery and assured the public that God will remember their sacrifices. Speaking at a meeting in March with the families of Iran-based Afghans killed in Syria, he said that "martyrs who die on this path are privileged." "In fact, your children have created a shield with their life to protect the holy shrines from these evil [forces]. Therefore, their status is very important," Khamenei explained. Local media reported that a delegation led by Khamenei's local envoy told Dehghani-nia's family on June 3 that he and other fallen troops in Syria had a "special place in the Islamic society" because they're being martyred for Islam, holy Shi'ite figures, and for the defense of Iran. The head of the Center for the Propagation and Preservation of the Values of the Sacred Defense in Ardebil has promised that Dehghani-nia's memoirs and biography will be issued by the end of the year. Iran sent hundreds of thousands of young men to the front lines in the Iran-Iraq War with a promise that by dying for their country and Islam they would reach paradise and eternal peace. The war was dubbed a "sacred defense," a battle against evil. The Syrian conflict has recently been described in similar terms by Iranian officials. Khamenei has claimed that if shrine defenders had not fought the enemy in Syria and Iraq, Iranian forces would have to face them inside the country. "If they were not stopped, we would have to fight them in Kermanshah and Hamedan," he was quoted on his website as telling a meeting of families of the fighters killed in Syria and reportedly in Iraq. Fighting IS Or Helping Assad? Tehran has been among the Syrian leadership's most assiduous allies since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, despite the secular and socialist roots of the Ba'athist ideology that was first forged in Syria and ultimately brought Assad's father to power there in 1970. Assad's government has "become increasingly dependent on Iran for military and financial support since the outbreak of Syria's civil war" in 2011, according to the U.S. Institute of Peace. In addition to helping Russia prop up Assad's regime in Syria, Shi'ite-dominated Iran's sights are trained on combating the radical Sunni militant group Islamic State (IS), which has ruthlessly sought to massacre Shi'a as it carves out swaths of Syrian and Iraqi territory for a self-described "caliphate." Nima Mina, who teaches Iranian studies at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies, tells RFE/RL the Iranian establishment benefits from "fear-mongering" over the threat posed by IS. "The [IRGC] seem to use the propaganda about their fallen members to repair the damage their public image has suffered after decades of functioning as a key instrument of the regime's repressive apparatus, most recently following the events that followed the presidential elections of 2009," Mina says. Waves of protest after the 2009 election were crushed in the streets and through mass arrests and televised trials of some of the Iranian regime's toughest domestic critics. Mina says that Iran's intervention in Syria is being promoted as a "national project" that serves the interest of the entire nation. He adds that the conflation of Iranians' and Assad's perceived interests is used to silence any criticism or questioning of Tehran's support for Assad, who with increasing support from Iran, Lebanon's Hizballah, and Russia has managed to remain in power despite Western calls for his exit and support for his opponents. A Tehran-based analyst who requested anonymity suggests Iranian state propaganda surrounding the country's involvement in Syria appears to be working. "Many people do believe that Iranian troops are fighting the Islamic State, which is hated by everyone," the analyst says. "There's little mention of Assad's crimes and the role Iran is playing to keep him in power." Via RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036. - Related video added by Juan Cole: Iran Hulk: powerlifter Hulk from Iran heads to Syria to fight ISIS TomoNews Reddit Email 0 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | The relatively even-handed Arabic newspaper Oman reports that the Syrian Democratic Forces (a mixed Kurdish and Arab group) advanced further into the city of Manbij on Wednesday. Manbij is a major outpost for Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) in northern Syria, and the likelihood is that the Syrian Democratic Forces will take it entirely in coming days with US air support. On Wednesday, some 28 Daesh fighters were killed. Manbij is a major supply route for men and materiel entering Syria from Turkey. Cutting it off will hurt Daeshs ability to resupply its capital, al-Raqqah. The SDF is a majority Kurdish organization with some Arab tribesmen, but the latter have been put in the forefront in taking the the Sunni Arab center of Manbij. When Manbij falls, the Daesh fighters will be increasingly cut off, and you could start to see defections. At the same time, Secretary of State John Kerry is in Moscow hoping to increase US and Russian military cooperation in Syria. Kerry is offering to share information on the rebels if in turn Moscow will agree to focus solely on Daesh and al-Qaeda in Syria (the Nusra Front), leaving the remnants of the Free Syrian Army in control of their pockets of the country in preparation for a permanent ceasefire and ultimately new elections. Meanwhile, the Syrian Arab Army again successfully resisted attacks on it by fundamentalist rebels at the Malah Farms area north of Aleppo. The SAA holds territory near the Castello Road, by which supplies used to come into besieged East Aleppo. The road is now effectively cut off. The UN says it has enough food for East Aleppo to last its some 200,000 residents for about a month, after which they are at risk for starving to death. The rebels holding East Aleppo are fundamentalists but are not Daesh, and al-Qaeda/ the Nusra Front is weak there. These are mainly Muslim Brotherhood types. They have been sending mortar fire on ritzy West Aleppo, where many students go to university and life for the two million residents is as normal as it can be under the circumstances. Some 600,000 civilians are under military siege in Syria. If Aleppo falls entirely back into regime hands, the rebels seem doomed. And thats the way it is in Syria today, folks. Euronews: Syrian rebels prepare for Aleppo siege Reddit Email 0 Shares By IMEMC | The Turkish Minister of Forestry and Water Affairs announced, Tuesday, that Turkey is to establish a seawater desalination plant to solve water crisis, estimating the coast of the project to $300,000,000 USD. The minister noted, according to Al Ray, that the project is big-ticket, noting that some countries announced that they will contribute to the project. Gaza water infrastructure has shuddered under the burden of an almost decade-long Israeli-Egyptian siege. Three major Israeli wars on Gaza since 2008 have only exacerbated the problem, with jets bombing every square kilometre of the strip, inflicting damage onto reservoirs above and pipelines below the ground. The director of Coastal Municipalities Water Utility in Gaza explained that the proportion of groundwater that is unfit for drinking is more than 97%. He added that the amount of chloride in the groundwater is higher than the normal average according to the Palestinian specification and the standards of World Health Organization which estimated the chloride in the water up to 1.500 milligrams per liter. However, the standards of World Health organization warns of the increasing of chloride in water to more than 400 milligrams per liter. Via IMEMC Related video added by Juan Cole: TeleSur: European Union Commissioner Visits Gazas Desalinization Plant TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 13, 2016) - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. Latin American Minerals Inc. (TSX VENTURE:LAT) (the "Company") announces the appointment of two additional directors; Richard Patricio and Stephen Keith. Both new directors have extensive capital market and management experience in the resource and mining sectors. Richard Patricio is President and Chief Executive Officer of Mega Uranium Ltd. (since February 2015), having been its Executive Vice President since 2005. Until recently, Richard was Chief Executive Officer of Pinetree Capital Ltd. (since February 2015). He joined Pinetree Capital Ltd. in November 2005 as Vice President, Corporate and Legal Affairs. Richard previously worked as in-house General Counsel for a senior TSX-listed manufacturing company. Prior to that, Mr. Patricio practiced law at Osler LLP in Toronto where he focused on mergers and acquisitions, securities law and general corporate transactions. Richard has built a number of mining companies with global operations and has held senior officer and director positions in several companies listed on stock exchanges in Toronto, Australia, London and New York. Richard received his law degree from Osgoode Hall and was called to the Ontario bar in 2000. Stephen Keith has almost 20 years of experience in the natural resources sector, with a specific focus on Latin America, mining and finance. Stephen has worked in the industry as a geological engineer, investment banker and as an executive and board member for public and private companies. He has experience with projects and finance in over 30 countries, having been involved in more than $2 billion in resource financing and has built projects and companies from the ground up, including Rio Verde Minerals Development Corp., a company that Stephen co-founded, financed, listed on the TMX and then eventually sold to one of Brazil's leading private equity firms. Stephen is presently the Managing Director of Fertoz Ltd., a phosphate developer listed on the ASX (ASX:FTZ) and a member of the Board of Directors of Aura Minerals (TSX:ORA). He is a Professional Engineer and holds an International MBA with a specialization in South America. Basil Botha, Chairman and CEO commented: "The appointment of Richard and Stephen rounds out the board with the necessary mining, geology, financing and business skills and experience to build LAT into a successful junior in Paraguay. Following the closing of our very successful financing on 27th June 2016, immediate first steps will include reconfiguring the mill and the start of a 10,000 metre drilling program." These appointments are subject to clearance of PIFs by the Toronto Stock Exchange. About the Company Latin American Minerals Inc. is a mineral exploration and gold mining company which holds its core gold and diamond projects in Paraguay. The Company is currently expanding its Independencia Mine gold processing plant to encompass vat-leach gold recovery from mineralization extracted in open pit bulk mining activities at its fully permitted mining concession. Management has identified six gold zones for drill testing on the Company's adjacent exploration claims, which is part of the Company's 15,020 hectare Paso Yobai gold project. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided, and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws. VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - July 13, 2016) - East Africa Metals Inc. (TSX VENTURE: EAM) ("East Africa" or the "Company" or "EAM") is pleased to report on an anticipated active Fall 2016 program on the development and exploration fronts, as the Company looks to address corporate objectives including; the completion of mine permitting, closing of project financing, and the initiation of development for the Terakimti Gold Oxide project, the anticipated startup of operations at Magambazi in Tanzania, and continued work to grow the resource base in Ethiopia through exploration and definition drilling. The Company's current resource base in Ethiopia comprises 926,000 gold equivalent ounces in the indicated category plus 860,000 gold equivalent ounces in the inferred category (see table below and news release dated June 29, 2016) from Terakimti, Mato Bula, and Da Tambuk mineral resources. Exploration targets that EAM plans to test, to continue the growth of the resource base, will include the VTEM09 and Mayshehagne prospects (highlight intersections previously released are listed in the table below), and new targets along the largely underexplored Mato Bula trend. Options for geophysically assessing the entire Mato Bula trend are presently being investigated, potentially providing the most cost effective forward program to systematically develop additional gold targets at depth for drill testing. Ground geophysical testing has yet to be initiated on the property, and offers significant opportunity for identification of additional prospective zones. VTEM09 and Mayshehagne Previously Released Highlight Intervals *Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m)* Copper % Gold g/t Silver g/t Zinc % Local Azimuth Dip Prospect HD002 24.00 44.70 20.70 5.00 1.03 31 8.20 90 -61 Mayshehagne including 28.75 41.55 12.80 7.77 1.62 50 12.66 HD006 62.00 80.00 18.00 3.23 0.95 22 3.78 90 -45 Mayshehagne including 62.00 67.45 5.45 7.05 1.24 46 6.45 TVD001 20.29 30.50 10.21 3.16 3.97 87 3.82 271 -47 VTEM09 including 21.58 24.40 2.82 5.61 7.48 102 0.72 TVD002 58.20 68.95 10.75 2.24 2.63 71 3.74 263 -60 VTEM09 *Original holes and qualifying data released March 12, 2012, August 8, 2012, July 23, 2013, and May 27, 2015. Minor variance may occur due to QAQC interval adjustments. East Africa's Mineral Resources at Harvest and Adyabo. Project Ownership Resource Summary Adyabo 3(Indicated) 100% 446K Ounces AuEquiv Adyabo 3(Inferred) 100% 434K Ounces AuEquiv Terakimti Oxide Update 1 (Indicated) 70% (Permit Pending) 132K Ounces AuEquiv Terakimti Sulphide 2 (Indicated) 70% 348K Ounces AuEquiv 139M lbs CuEquiv Terakimti Sulphide 2 (Inferred) 70% 426K Ounces AuEquiv 170M lbs CuEquiv The resources stated above have been previously disclosed in News Releases. 1Terakimti Oxide Resource update disclosed October 27, 2015; effective date October 18, 2015. Full mineral resource estimate disclosure can be found in the company's press release dated October 27, 2015, available at www.eastafricametals.com or at www.sedar.com. Subsequent to the release of the Oxide Resource update, a review by the resource QP identified an error in the tabulation of mineral resources. The corrected resource information was disclosed via press release on January 11, 2016. Metal prices for gold and silver are $1,300/oz and $17.50/oz, respectively. 2Terakimti Initial Resource Estimate as disclosed in the 43-101 Technical Report dated February 14, 2014; effective date January 17, 2014. Full mineral resource estimate disclosure can be found on the company's website or at www.sedar.com. Metal prices for gold, silver, copper, and zinc are $1,400/oz, $25.00/oz, $3.50/lb, and $0.90/lb, respectively. 3Adyabo project updated mineral resource estimate disclosed via press release dated June 14, 2016; effective date May 31, 2016. Metal prices for gold, silver, and copper are $1,400/oz, $20.00/oz, and $3.20/lb, respectively. Metallurgical recoveries of 97% for gold, 72% for copper, and 50% for silver were applied at Da Tambuk. About East Africa The Company's principal assets and interests include both the 70%-owned Harvest polymetallic VMS exploration Project, which hosts the Terakimti Deposit and which covers approximately 86 square kilometres in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, 600 kilometres northnorthwest of the capital city of Addis Ababa, and the Adyabo Project, hosting the Mato Bula trend Adyabo Resource, covering 225 square kilometres immediately west of the Harvest Project. The Company owns 80% of the Adyabo Project, and upon execution of a net smelter return agreement the Company will own 100% of the Adyabo Project, subject to a 2% NSR. East Africa now has mineral resources defined at both projects in Ethiopia and plans to continue to test priority targets. Additionally, the Company owns the 93 square kilometre Handeni Property located in north-eastern Tanzania. Handeni includes the Magambazi Project, a gold deposit discovered in 2009. East Africa has entered into a definitive agreement with an arm's length private exploration and development company to advance the project. More information on the Company can be viewed at the Company's website: www.eastafricametals.com. Jeff Heidema, P.Geo., VP Exploration, a Qualified Person under the definitions of National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. On behalf of the Board of Directors: Andrew Lee Smith, P.Geo., CEO Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "forecast", "project", "budget", "schedule", "may", "will", "could", "might", "should" or variations of such words or similar words or expressions. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by East Africa as at the date of such information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of East Africa to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: early exploration; the closing of the agreement with the exploration and development company to advance the Magambazi Project or identify any other corporate opportunities for the Company; mineral exploration and development; metal and mineral prices; availability of capital; accuracy of East Africa's projections and estimates, including the initial mineral resource for the Adyabo, Harvest and Magambazi Projects; estimated exploration licence extensions, interest and exchange rates; competition; stock price fluctuations; availability of drilling equipment and access; actual results of current exploration activities; government regulation; political or economic developments; foreign taxation risks; environmental risks; insurance risks; capital expenditures; operating or technical difficulties in connection with development activities; personnel relations; the speculative nature of strategic metal exploration and development including the risks of diminishing quantities of grades of reserves; contests over title to properties; and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, as well as those risk factors set out in East Africa's management's discussion and analysis for the year end December 31, 2015, management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and East Africa's listing application dated July 8, 2013 and Tigray Resources Inc. Management Information Circular dated March 28, 2014. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The contained gold, copper and silver figures shown are in situ. No assurance can be given that the estimated quantities will be produced. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the successful integration of Tigray Resources Inc.'s business with the Company; the price of gold, silver, copper and zinc; the demand for gold, silver, copper and zinc; the ability to carry on exploration and development activities; the timely receipt of any required approvals; the ability to obtain qualified personnel, equipment and services in a timely and cost-efficient manner; the ability to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner; and the regulatory framework regarding environmental matters, the renewal or extension of exploration licences, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although East Africa has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. The Company does not update or revise forward looking information even if new information becomes available unless legislation requires the Company do so. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. 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. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - July 13, 2016) - Auryn Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:AUG) (OTCQX:GGTCF) ("Auryn") and Alturas Minerals Corp (TSX VENTURE:ALT) ("Alturas") are pleased to announce that Auryn has entered into an option agreement (the "Agreement") on Alturas' 100% owned, 3,800 hectare, copper-gold Sombrero property mining concessions located 340 kilometers SE of Lima in southern Peru. The Sombrero property is hosted in the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt and is interpreted to be on the north-western margins of this Eocene-Oligocene aged copper-gold porphyry and skarn belt that hosts the Las Bambas, Haquira, Los Chancas, Cotambambas, Constancia, Antapaccay and Tintaya deposits (figure 1). The principal target at Sombrero is copper-gold skarn mineralization that Auryn feels have similarities to the Tintaya and Las Bambas mines in terms of their geological setting. The project is characterized by a strong structural control and significant copper and gold values from historical surface samples. Importantly there has been no drilling that has occurred on the project to date. Shawn Wallace, CEO of Auryn Resource states, "Auryn's technical team has identified an excellent opportunity to explore within this very important copper-gold endowed belt within Peru as we continue to develop our exploration strategy within the country." Under the terms of the Agreement dated on June 28th, 2016 (the "Effective Date"), Alturas granted to Auryn the exclusive assignable right and conditional option (the "Option") to acquire either 80% or 100% of the Sombrero concessions. In order to exercise the Option and acquire a participating interests ("Interest") for 80% of the Sombrero concessions, Auryn must incur up to US$2.1 million work expenditures within a five year period and make cash payments of $200,000 as follows: $140,000 upon entering into this Agreement which has been paid; and $60,000 on or before the first anniversary of the Effective Date Upon Auryn having completed its requirements to earn an 80% interest in the Sombrero Project, the parties shall form a customary 80:20 joint venture vehicle. For a period of 1 year after the formation of the Joint Venture (the "Initial Period"), Alturas' 20% interest shall be "free carried" and Auryn shall have a right to acquire the remaining 20% from Alturas for $5 million. Furthermore, upon execution of this Agreement, the Company committed to transferring, within 120 days of the Effective Date, its 100% interest in its subsidiary (Alturas) to Auyrn free of encumbrances. Prior to completion of this transfer, the Company will transfer all of its assets currently held by Alturas to a new subsidiary. Miguel Cardozo, President and CEO of Alturas commented: "The Company welcomes this agreement with Auryn, as it is consistent with our ongoing strategy to focus its resources on our more advanced properties. The agreement with Auryn brings in additional cash that will help Alturas to continue its corporate activities in a period of market uncertainty". Figure 1 illustrates the position of the Sombrero property in relation to other major deposits in the Eocene-Oligocene copper-gold porphyry skarn belt. About the Sombrero Copper-Gold Project, Peru Sombrero lies within the northwestern most projections of the Andahuaylas-Yauri Belt of southern Peru, an emerging and increasingly important porphyry copper and skarn belt. The Belt strikes NW-SE and can be traced for more than 300 kilometers of strike length hosting important copper-gold-molybdenum deposits at Las Bambas, Haquira, Los Chancas, Cotambambas, Antapacay, Tintaya and Constancia, and is probably a northern extension of the copper-rich belt of the same Eocene-Oligocene age that strikes broadly N-S in Chile. In Chile, this Belt broadly follows the trace of the "West Fissure" Fault and hosts giant deposits of similar age such as Escondida, Zaldivar, Chuquicamata, and El Salvador. In the Sombrero region, dismembered blocks of Precambrian metamorphic rocks form the basement. Mesozoic sequences, comprising several thousand meters of mainly Jurassic-Cretaceous marine clastic sediments and limestones, were deposited in a broad marine shelf to deep water environment on this basement. During the Eocene to Early Oligocene these sequences were intruded by an extensive Batholith complex (Andahuaylas-Yauri Batholith). This orogeny folded the earlier Mesozoic sequences into moderate to tight folds with NW-SE to E-W -striking axial planes. Three main structural systems are recognized in the zone, the oldest one has a NW-SE direction and is recognized by its long, mostly straight strike length fault segments cutting through the Jurassic -Cretaceous units. The second system strikes NE-SW and control most of the drainage systems in the area. The latest recognized system is represented by E-W faults that affect mostly the Tertiary units and it clearly overlaps the first two systems. Geological mapping and geochemical sampling were completed over the project in 2007, and high-resolution ground magnetic, and more recently induced polarization, surveys were completed during 2008. A limited outcrop sampling program (96 samples) conducted by Alturas identified significant copper-gold-molybdenum values from oxidized magnetite skarn bodies. The induced polarization survey completed in the last quarter of 2008 has defined two anomaly complexes centered approximately 3.0 kilometers apart beneath the same strong copper-gold anomalies and oxidized skarns. The complexes are 1.5 and 1.8 kilometers in diameter and consist of several individual high-chargeability anomalies between 100 and 400 meters in diameter, mostly flanked or overlapped by magnetic anomalies previously defined in the ground magnetic survey. The combined magnetic/chargeability anomaly complexes are interpreted as zones of disseminated sulphides formed within contact skarns and endoskarns. For further information on the Sombrero project, please refer to Alturas' web page and the 43-101 report at www.sedar.com prepared by Dr. Paul Pearson in 2010 as Alturas's designated Qualified Person for the supervision of exploration of the project. On Behalf of Auryn Resources Shawn Wallace On Behalf of Alturas Minerals Miguel Cardozo About Auryn Resources Auryn Resources is a junior mining exploration company focused on delivering shareholder value through project acquisition and development. The Company's management team is highly experienced with an impressive track record of success in the discovery, development, financing and monetizing of mining assets for shareholders. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.aurynresources.com. About Alturas Minerals Alturas is a Canadian corporation, and is the indirect parent of the Peruvian company, Alturas Minerals S.A. ("Alturas Peru") and of the Chilean company, Alturas Chile Limitada ("Alturas Chile"). Alturas Peru has been exploring various mineral projects in Peru since January 2004 and has three mineral exploration projects in drilling-stage, including the Utupara, Sombrero and Huajoto projects. Alturas also entered into a transfer agreement on its Pampa Colorada property in northern Peru with Origen Group S.A.C. but maintains royalty rights and a claw back clause on 60-100% of the mining rights under certain conditions (see press release dated January 5th, 2012). In 2014, Alturas interrupted its exploration activities in Chile and is focused in maintaining its exploration projects in Peru. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.alturasminerals.com. The TSX Venture Exchange and the Bolsa de Valores de Lima do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Language and Forward Looking Statements This press release may contain "forward-looking statements", which are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Investors are cautioned that such statements are not guarantees of future performance and results. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities authorities Hundreds of Egyptians have been abducted and tortured by Egypts National Security Agency during a crackdown on political activists and protesters, Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] reported [press release] Wednesday. Authorities have denied the accusations, but individuals have been prosecuted for isolated incidents. AI estimates three to four individuals are abducted each day. The report states there have been 17 incidents of torture where individuals have been held for as long as seven months with no access to the outside world. Tactics include beating and raping these individuals, who reportedly are as young as 14 years of age, in an attempt to obtain confessions. AI called for all states to pressure Egypt to end these human rights violations and cease all transfers of arms and equipment being used to conduct these acts. Egypt [BBC timeline] has been internationally scrutinized in recent months over its many human rights infringements and free speech violations. Of particular concern is the prosecution and imprisonment of journalists by the Egyptian government, which has garnered widespread criticism from governments and rights groups worldwide. In March Egypt Justice Minister Ahmed al-Zind was relieved of his position after he stated that he would even imprison the Prophet Mohammed in response a question regarding the imprisonment of journalists. In January non-governmental organizations issued a joint statement [JURIST report] to the Egyptian parliament giving recommendations to ensure the enforcement of constitutional and human rights. In December Egyptian lawyer Nasser Amin challenged a law [JURIST report] that allows writers to be jailed for writings that violate Egyptian morals. In August 2015 Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi [BBC profile] approved [JURIST report] a 54-article counter-terrorism law that has been met with significant controversy, as many believe it infringes on the freedom of the press. Many have said that the law defines terrorism too broadly and imposes harsh sentences and fines on violators. The same month Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] criticized [JURIST report] the law saying it infringes on freedom of the press. The European Unions [official website] highest court released an advisory opinion [text] Wednesday stating that Asma Bougnaoui, a French Muslim woman who lost her job in 2009 for wearing a head scarf, was unlawfully discriminated against. The opinion found that Bougnaouis release was not related to her ability to perform at work, rather it was directly related to her religious belief. However, the opinion noted, had Bougnaoui been wearing something that covered her face completely, the opinion may have been different. The court is expected to issue a formal judgment in the coming months. While the advisory opinion is not binding on the court, it is likely to be adopted. Face veils and other symbols of religion have been a controversial subject around the world. Last year the US Supreme Court [official website] ruled [opinion, PDF] in favor of a Muslim woman who was denied a job [JURIST report] at Abercrombie & Fitch [corporate website] because of her headscarf. In September a Canadian court ruled that women may be allowed to wear [JURIST report] face-covering veils while swearing the oath of citizenship after an individual sued the country because she was not allowed to take part in the ceremony. Also in 2015, after suicide bombings in Fotokol by two women wearing burkas, Northern Cameroon banned [JURIST report] women from wearing burkas and face-covering veils as the bombs had been smuggled into public under veils. In July 2014 the European Court of Human Rights ruled [JURIST report] that Frances face covering ban is permissible under European law and complies with all articles of the Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and does not violate freedom of religion. In February 2013 the Spanish Supreme Court struck down [JURIST report] a city ban on wearing veils over the face in municipal buildings, finding that the law infringes on religious freedom. Dallas, TX, USA, 07/14/2016 /SubmitPressRelease123/ In a prior blog post the four primary ways of getting a sentence reduction in federal drug cases were covered by Dallas drug lawyer John Helms: 1. Cooperate with the government. 2. Negotiate a plea to a charge with a lower mandatory minimum sentence. 3. Negotiate a plea agreement with a maximum sentence cap. 4. Invoke the safety valve provision of 18 USC Section 3553(f). This post is will go into detail about negotiating a plea agreement. As most of the best drug attorneys in Dallas can tell you, plea bargaining in federal criminal cases is very different from plea bargaining in state court criminal cases in Texas. In state court, a defendant can choose to have either a jury or a judge decide the sentence at trial, so plea bargains usually include an agreed upon sentence. State judges are not literally required to comply with the plea agreement, but they rarely refuse to accept them. Federal court is different. A judge ALWAYS decides what the sentence will be. A plea agreement with an agreed sentence is not favored by federal judges because it takes away some of their power to decide the sentence. For this reason, the Justice Department puts serious limits on a prosecutors ability to agree to a specific sentence in a plea agreement. Plea agreements with an agreed upon sentence do happen, but they are rare. One thing you CAN do in plea bargaining in a federal case is to ask for an agreed cap on the sentence. This means the plea agreement says that the LONGEST sentence the defendant can get is, for example, 20 years. A judge still has to approve this type of plea agreement, but they are more likely to approve a cap than an agreed sentence. Caps are especially useful when there is uncertainty over the Federal Sentencing Guideline range or when the defendant is looking at a fairly lengthy sentence so that a prosecutor does not mind capping it at a length the prosecutor believes is reasonable, even if the prosecutors case is very strong, adds Dallas drug lawyer Helms. It is usually relatively easy to ask for a cap during plea bargaining, and I have used this concept successfully many times. If you or someone you know has been charged with a federal drug offense or are facing other drug charges, contact Dallas drug lawyer John Helms immediately. Call 214-666-8010 Read more here: http://johnhelms.attorney/federal-drug-defense-attorney-cooperate-government-cut-sentence/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-helms-69172699 source: http://johnhelms.attorney/dallas-drug-lawyer-plea-bargaining-can-reduce-sentence-federal-drug-cases/ Social Media Tags:Drug Defense Lawyer Near Dallas, Attorney John Helms criminal defense lawyer for Collin county, plea bargaining in federal drug cases Newsroom powered by Online Press Release Distribution SubmitMyPressRelease.com Like Us on Facebook It's only fair to share... Pinterest Linkedin email Print Dallas, TX, USA, 07/14/2016 /SubmitPressRelease123/ In an earlier post, called Dallas Drug Possession Lawyer- Getting a Sentence Reduced in Federal Drug Cases, Federal drug defense attorney John Helms outlined four strategies that a person accused of federal drug distribution can potentially use to get a reduction of their sentence. These are: 1. Cooperate with the government. 2. Negotiate a plea to a charge with a lower mandatory minimum sentence. 3. Negotiate a plea agreement with a maximum sentence cap. 4. Invoke the safety valve provision of 18 USC Section 3553(f). This post discusses in detail how negotiating a plea to a charge with a lower mandatory minimum sentence can get you a sentence reduction. Federal drug charges usually have mandatory minimum sentences. This means that, with only a couple of exceptions (cooperation with the government and the safety valve), you cannot get a LOWER sentence than the mandatory minimum. When it applies, the judge cannot give you a lower sentence because doing so would violate the law. As an example, for a first offense for distribution of, or conspiracy to distribute, between 500 grams and 4999 grams of a mixture containing cocaine, or between 50-499 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, the mandatory minimum sentence is 5 years in prison. However, for 5 kilos or more of a mixture containing cocaine, or 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, the mandatory minimum sentence is 10 years. If you are charged with a drug crime that carries a ten-year mandatory minimum, for example, sometimes prosecutors may be willing to agree to lower the charge to a lower quantity that carries only a five-year mandatory minimum. If that is part of a plea agreement, the Government will file what is called superseding information, which replaces the more serious charge in the indictment with the less serious charge. A plea agreement like this is helpful when it is expected that you will get a sentence of LESS THAN the mandatory minimum of the more serious charge. For example, if it is expected that you will get a sentence of between six and eight years under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, if your mandatory minimum is ten years, then you would (absent an exception) get at least ten years. But if the plea agreement results in a charge with a five-year mandatory minimum, then you are likely to get between six and eight years instead of ten years. Prosecutors are not always willing to do this by any means. They are usually more willing when the accused has a minor role in a drug conspiracy or if they think it will be difficult to prove the larger quantity of drugs for some reason. Ask your drug defense lawyer about this option. I have been able to get good results for clients using it. If you or someone you know has been charged with a federal drug offense or are facing other drug charges, contact Federal drug defense attorney John Helms immediately. Call 214-666-8010 Read the first article here: Dallas Drug Possession Lawyer Getting a Sentence Reduced in Federal Drug Cases source: http://johnhelms.attorney/federal-drug-defense-attorney-getting-sentence-reduction-federal-drug-cases/ Social Media Tags:Drug Defense Lawyer Near Dallas, Attorney John Helms criminal defense lawyer for Collin county, sentence reduction in federal drug cases Newsroom powered by Online Press Release Distribution SubmitMyPressRelease.com Like Us on Facebook It's only fair to share... Pinterest Linkedin email Print WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Republican Arkansas Senator John Boozman has given up his delegate status ahead of the Republican National Convention next week. Senator Boozman has held his delegate status at the last three national conventions but says he's given it up this year due to the "unprecedented interest in participating." Boozman says he will still attend the convention and is able to participate in other ways due to his role as senator. "I have senate credentials, so that allows me to go any place I wanna go or do anything I wanna do," he added. The senator says he plans to spend time with his delegation and have high profile republicans visit with the group. Ahead of the convention, many in the Republican Party are still struggling to come to terms that their presumptive nominee is Donald Trump. Boozman has said throughout the election season he would support the nominee of his party but has not officially endorsed Trump. Boozman is running for re-election in his state. Great questions...and I have the answers...or at least some answers. The GOP does not trust the American people. Their guy is NOT the best guy and they KNOW it but he got the "GO" from the American people which brings us back to WHY the GOP does NOT trust the American people. The GOP hates Trump. The GOP does not want Trump to be the nominee but they don't know HOW to dump him. The GOP big dogs are not particularly intelligent. They have had 7 long years to groom their next POTUS--7 long years to analyze what they did wrong and what they need to do right...but they are NOT a party that thinks ahead or moves forward. They are the party that regurgitates the same mistakes. So now they have another wealthy, white dude who will probably pick another wealthy white dude for VP and they are RIGHT back where they started. Gary Johnson will be mostly forgotten and categorized as an 'also ran', as historians spin this weird 2016 election. There is 186 countries in this world , unless you don't count Taiwan , if you don't we have 185. If you were to take 1 adult male from each country and asked a group of judges to select (1) person from each country to be executed who would they pick ? What lives matter , what race matters more than the other , how could you choose a name for who matters most , why would you select a name for who matters most ? We all matter equally. When you label a group with a name that should represent the group and what it stands for should it not be fair , equal and unbiased ? BLM is like putting your group above and beyond the other races or color of people. How about PLM (Peoples Lives Matter) ? The founder of BLM has labeled the group as a selected preference. There is no preference when it comes to loosing a persons life thru violence. That's just how I feel , I am sure many want agree , I do hope some believe and are willing to love their fellow man. Albany schools have begun testing for lead in water fixtures around the district and should have the first results in by the end of the week. Summer employees with the Greater Albany Public Schools physical plant began taking samples July 7. Waverly, Periwinkle and Oak Grove elementary schools were first on the list and their results should be the first back, said Doug Pigman, director of facilities. If any come back positive, were obviously going to do whatever we have to to get them to come back negative," he said. Pigman said he is expecting testing to wrap up sometime in August. The cost is $18 per test and it's expected to take about 500 tests to cover the district. The testing will take time because Albany is following a daylong process that involves first flushing all sinks and taps for 15 minutes, then letting them sit for eight to 18 hours before taking a sample, said Stephanie Dilbone, one of the department's summer employees working on the project. That means she and her fellow testers sister Jessica Dilbone and coworker Kristina Groome can't do a test when custodians or other maintenance workers need to be in the building using the plumbing. They're scheduling their visits around that work. The three testers start by first mapping each building, documenting the locations of all sinks and water fountains. They then post signs reminding anyone in the building not to use the taps. After the designated wait period, they come back and take a 200-milliliter sample from each location. Those must be sent for testing within 10 days. School districts throughout Oregon are spending the summer testing for lead following reports of elevated levels at several Portland schools. Gov. Kate Brown, the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority all have recommended schools perform lead tests. The states Board of Education is expected to vote in August on a recommendation that would require schools to develop safety plans that, among other things, would test for lead and radon, monitor air quality and reduce exposure to toxic materials. No safe level for lead ingestion exists, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA requires treatment techniques if the lead in more than 10 percent of a tap water sample exceeds 15 parts per billion. Even as a committee of Oregon lawmakers is working to come up with a transportation package for the 2017 Legislature, Gov. Kate Brown is making it clear she has no intention of repealing the state's low-carbon fuel law. A recent story in The Oregonian reported on a May invitation-only meeting in Portland between the governor, lawmakers, lobbyists and business executives. At the meeting, Brown said that any repeal of the state's Clean Fuels Program was off the table. You may recall the fuss over the program during the 2015 legislative session. The program itself is a well-meaning attempt to reduce the carbon intensity of Oregon's transportation fuels by 10 percent over the next decade. It's not clear whether the program will do much to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, but it is relatively clear that it will increase the price of fuel: Estimates say it could cost consumers anywhere from 4 to 19 cents a gallon. (It's worth noting here that the Oregon Environmental Commission has voted to delay enforcement of the mandates until 2018 to allow time to develop cost-containment strategies and to work on other tweaks to the program.) Democrats renewed the program in 2015, despite warnings from Republicans that they would be unable to support any later transportation package that relied on an increase in the gas tax. Republicans said they didn't want to saddle their constituents with what amounted to two separate price increases at the pump. To the astonishment of Democrats (and some Republicans), GOP legislators held steady on that promise, and since the increase in the gas tax required at least some Republican support, the transportation package died. Now, a group of legislators is working to come up with the outlines of a transportation package to present to the 2017 Legislature. The key question, of course, is how to pay for the package of badly needed work on the state's transportation infrastructure, and at least some Republicans were thinking that any proposed increase in the gas tax might be more palatable if it went along with a rollback of the Clean Fuels Program. As governor, Brown likes to keep her cards close to her chest (we still don't know her positions on the proposed corporate tax increase or capital punishment, for that matter), so it seems a little out of character for her to take one possible negotiating chip off the table so soon. The governor's communications director, Kristen Grainger, didn't shed much light on the matter, telling The Oregonian in an email that "Brown doesn't think Oregonians should have to choose" between clean air and better roads. "We need both." Well, it's hard to read between the lines of that kind of "false choice" blather. But here goes: Maybe Brown is betting that at least some Republicans will come around by the time the 2017 session begins, and there are some indications that might be a good bet. Maybe she's betting that the cost-containment work going on now will pay dividends in the next couple of years. Or maybe she's walking a finer line: Could be signaling that while she's against outright appeal, she might be willing to considering rolling back the program? In any event, the governor needs to keep as many options open as possible: The failure of the 2015 transportation package was the session's major disappointment. In fact, Brown pronounced during the session that she wouldn't let legislators leave Salem until the transportation deal was done. Then they left Salem without the deal. Neither the governor nor Oregon can afford a similar ending in 2017. (mm) At KCON New York 2016 presented by Toyota HanCinema had the privilege and the pleasure of being on two panels with some amazing colleagues: "The Return of the Secret Life of K-pop Fans Over 30" and "From K-pop Fan to K-pop Professional". These panels represented HanCinema's first panel experience at KCON and we felt so welcomed by our fellow panelists. Hallyu professionals from all over the spectrum gathered to talk about their expertise, and their passion. The element of passion is what makes the Hallyu journalism one of the more unique subsets of journalism. It is also that passion that made the panels successful. The "The Return of the Secret Life of K-pop Fans Over 30" panel was successful because of the five women from different walks of life and Hallyu journalism. It was moderated by entrepreneur, Youtuber, and all around life of the party, Multifacetedacg. She prepped music, games, giveaways, and kept the flow of the session moving while engaging the audience with questions and callouts. Young Ajummah, a Youtuber, podcaster, blogger, and pre-school teacher explained her very subtle way of sharing K-pop with the world as a working adult: play it during class and use it for learning about music and culture! I, Lisa Espinosa AKA Raine, talked about my trip to Korea with the Korea Joa program, and felt privileged to have the other over-30 ladies accept me into their fold. Leah Westbrook AKA Zombie Mama, writer, photographer, mother of four and lover of all things Korean, has gotten to do some amazing interviews while also being an involved mother and wife. Stephanie Kurtz from Kchat Jjigae, a writer and podcaster, despite being asked at a concert if she was a chaperone, continues to represent older K-pop lovers with gusto and verve! As older fans of the Hallyu wave, we sometimes receive confused and ageist comments from an audience mostly comprised of teens and young twenty-somethings. Have any of you older HanCinema readers experienced this? As long as we love K-pop, Korean Drama, Korean Film, and Korean culture, there is nothing to stop us from loving and enjoying as much as anyone else. And in the case of the panelists, we also make careers out of loving, knowing, and writing/photographing/Youtubeing/podcasting about Hallyu. This was discussed during HanCinema's second panel "From K-pop Fan to K-pop Professional" moderated by documentary maker and writer, Adrienne Stanley.Jeff Benjamin of Fuse, the man who paved the wave for K-pop journalism in the United States, was the lone man on the panel, but very much loved and well-received. Tamar Herman of Billboard and KultScene has made a career for herself writing, recently interviewing K-pop powerhouses like Tiffany and Jessica of Girl's Generation. Angie Mills, photographer for Kpopstarz captures amazing moments in Hallyu to share with the world and has photographed award ceremonies, K-pop concerts, conventions, and more. Multifacetedacg and I rounded out the panel. This panel traversed a number of topics ranging from light to more serious. On the happier side of things, Tamar was recently followed by Tiffany on social media, while Adrienne attended last year's MAMA awards in China. We also spoke about how we got started: Multifacetedacg started on her camera phone and I was contacted via Twitter. Please check out the video below to have a taste of the awesome panels HanCinema got to sit on. Let us know what you think in the comments below! Source:HanCinema LINCOLN Day one: A 6-year-old North Platte, Neb., boy falls and hurts his arm. Day three: He complains that his elbow is burning like the sun. Day seven: His parents look on as emergency room doctors and nurses work unsuccessfully for 45 minutes to resuscitate him. It's a heartbreaking case in which those who came in contact with Preston Curtis over one week in 2007 tried to do right, yet the outcome couldn't have turned out more wrong. On Tuesday, the Nebraska Court of Appeals rejected Michael and Tracey Curtis's request for a new malpractice trial against the medical professionals who treated their son. The court let stand a Lincoln County District Court jury verdict last year that said the parents shared responsibility for the death along with the doctors. Tracey Curtis said the couple have not decided whether to appeal the ruling to the Nebraska Supreme Court. It's very disheartening,'' she said. Preston was a healthy, outgoing child who loved going to kindergarten and playing with his sister and friends, his mother said. While at home on April 6, 2007, he turned a table and a chest freezer into makeshift parallel bars, swinging his feet in the air as he held his arms rigid. He fell in the process. Because he could bend and move the arm, his mother thought little of the fall until two days later, when he complained of a burning sensation in his elbow. The next morning, she took him to a North Platte family practice clinic, where he was examined by Jill McAdam, a physician's assistant. An X-ray of the elbow showed nothing wrong, so she ordered the boy to use an arm sling and take ibuprofen for pain. The mother took her son back to the clinic the following day, asking for a second opinion. This time, Dr. Douglas States saw Preston, ordered a CAT scan and scheduled an appointment with an orthopedic specialist at the end of the week. The scan revealed no broken bones or other obvious damage that could have been causing the pain. Over the next two days, Preston said the pain was getting worse, he began to eat less and he had trouble sleeping. About 1 a.m. April 13, Michael Curtis woke to check on his son and found him collapsed on the living room floor, cold, clammy and nearly unresponsive. The father took him to the emergency room, where his injured arm was now swollen to the size of his leg and his body temperature had fallen to 94 degrees. Red splotches appeared on his arm and spread to the rest of his body. Medical personnel determined that he was suffering from a severe blood infection. His condition rapidly deteriorated. As emergency room personnel worked to stabilize the boy and made arrangements to have him flown to Children's Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, the attending physician told Preston's father, If you're a praying man, pray. The boy died at 5:35 a.m. During a five-day malpractice trial last year, two medical experts for the parents testified that the pain in Preston's arm was caused not by trauma from the fall, but by septic arthritis. An internal infection developed at the site of the injury, which required immediate surgery to remove the infected tissue and treatment with powerful antibiotics, they said. Given a lack of physical evidence to explain the boy's pain, additional tests should have been ordered during his two office visits to rule out infection, they testified. Had the correct diagnosis been made and treatment been started a day sooner, the boy would have survived, the experts said. Medical experts for the family practice said it appeared that the infection started after the boy's second office visit. They testified that the doctor and physician's assistant both provided the appropriate standard of care and that additional tests would have been unnecessary without other clear symptoms of infection. On appeal, the parents argued that the medical experts called by the clinic were unqualified and that the trial judge allowed an improper jury instruction. The Appeals Court found the argument without merit. Tracey Curtis said she fought for her son, but she wishes she would have fought harder, asked more questions, demanded more answers. The main reason for us doing this lawsuit was to make parents aware they can't solely rely on the opinions of their doctors, she said. They need to do the research and fight for their loved ones.'' A white cop shoots and kills an unthreatening black man at point-blank range during a traffic stop, and liberal activists demonize law enforcement. A black sniper executes five officers from one of the most reform-minded police departments in the country, and conservative commentators demonize the Black Lives Matter movement. Our dominant political culture in this country is sick, and we have ourselves to blame. From Ferguson, Mo., to Dallas, too many of us organize our reactions to news events not by fact or principle, but by antipathy to hated political tribes. #DallasPoliceShooting has roots in first of anti-white/cop events illuminated by Obama, tweeted the reliably inane Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. Black Lives Matter, Rush Limbaugh informed his listeners, is a terrorist group. At press time there was no evidence linking killer Micah Xavier Johnson to BLM. Democrats did not fail to sink to the occasion, either. If this Congress does not have the guts to lead, then we are responsible for all of the bloodshed on the streets of America, whether it be at the hands of people wearing a uniform or whether its at the hands of criminals, Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., told reporters Friday morning, using the opportunity to advance his partys gun-control agenda. The New York Post, like all great tabloids, knows that conflict sells, headlining its morning-after coverage CIVIL WAR. So we have the war on cops (title of a new Heather Mac Donald book), even though fewer officers were fatally shot in 2015 than in all but two years over the last decade. And we have a war on people of color (as Beyonce declared on her website) even though the number of citizens shot by police has plummeted since the early 1970s. This hyperbolic war of words is unfolding even as the federal criminal justice reform movement, which could greatly mitigate the tension, is collapsing precisely because we insist on viewing the world through tribe-colored glasses. The events in Ferguson brought to the forefront many criminal-justice issues that had been percolating for decades among social conservatives, libertarians and progressives: overincarceration, prosecutorial immunity, the militarization of police and so on. Meanwhile, the proliferation of cell phone cameras and social media kept these issues in the news. A newfound sense of urgency gave rise to some unlikely coalitions the Koch brothers and the American Civil Liberties Union, Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., Grover Norquist and President Obama. And as of this spring the betting money was on these stars aligning to make long-overdue changes to a system that most Americans now recognize as being far too susceptible to injustice. As FBI Director James Comey told hostile Republicans on Capitol Hill last week, We dont want to put people in jail unless we prove that they knew they were doing something they shouldnt do. Its a great principle regardless of whether its being applied correctly in this case and it should be extended to people not named Clinton. And now anti-reform conservatives are using the Dallas shootings to drive a stake through the heart of compromise. The same habit of mind that creates enemies out of fellow citizens seems destined to block much-needed reform. If theres a safe bet to make, its that the politics displayed last week will produce many more victims. Matt Welch is an editor at large of Reason and a contributing writer to the Los Angeles Times opinion section. When James Comey announced his decision not to recommend the prosecution of Hillary Clinton for the misuse of classified information, it was not his first investigation of Clinton that ended without the filing of criminal charges. It was his third investigation of Clinton, and the second in which he personally decided not to charge her with a crime. For Comey, in the words of Yogi Berra, it must have seemed like deja vu all over again. In 1996, Comey was appointed as a deputy special counsel to the Senate Whitewater Committee that investigated, among other things, allegations of obstruction of justice by top Clinton White House officials, including Hillary. In 2002, Comey had just been appointed the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York when he again found Hillary Clinton in his crosshairs. As the new U.S. attorney, Comey had inherited a well-developed investigation into allegations that the Clintons had traded presidential pardons for financial contributions to Bill Clintons presidential library and Hillary Clintons New York Senate campaign. Although a grand jury was empanelled and heard testimony from witnesses, Comey closed the investigation without filing any charges. Curiously, one of the last-minute pardons issued by President Clinton went to John Deutch, his former CIA director. Deutch had agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor for the misuse of classified data that was found on a home computer connected to the Internet, but the information charging him with the crime had not been filed by the time he received Clintons pardon. Deutchs pardon, which specifically mentioned the criminal information, was widely reported in the press. As Hillary Clinton was intimately involved in the granting of pardons by her husband and received specific warnings that her use of a personal Blackberry and private email server put classified information at risk it is difficult to understand how Comey could reasonably conclude that she had not broken the law. Perhaps the Clintons greatest crimes have been against the historical record, which is now full of holes thanks to their penchant for concealing and destroying official government documents. The Whitewater investigation was dominated by allegations that top officials in the White House Counsel deliberately concealed and ultimately destroyed records that were sought by law enforcement from the Department of Justice. In 2003, Sandy Berger, President Clintons former National Security adviser, was caught attempting to steal official White House records from the National Archives by stuffing the documents down his pants. The documents included classified terrorist threat warnings President Clinton received before 9/11. Berger later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, was forced to give up his law license and lost his security clearance for three years. Since 1995, the written policy and regulations governing State Department officials have specifically provided that electronic mail ... are considered federal records that must be preserved under the Federal Records Act. Since 1943, applicable federal laws have stated that a document can constitute a federal record regardless of physical form and characteristics. Yet Clintons lawyers admitted to the FBI that they deleted thousands of emails from her personal server without even reading the contents. Not only did the lawyers delete the emails, according to Comey, but they cleaned their devices in such a way as to preclude complete forensic recovery. At heart, Comey is an establishmentarian who is deeply invested in the revolving-door cronyism of Washington D.C.s financial-security-industrial complex the rigged system that both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump complained about. Throughout his career, he has shifted between high-powered jobs in the DOJ, the defense contractor Lockheed Martin, the large hedge fund Bridgewater Associates and, very briefly, academia. One doesnt succeed in such a tight-knit, incestuous community by making enemies or antagonizing important, powerful people. The currency that matters most in this milieu is power and wealth, not a burning desire to see justice done by getting to the truth of a matter. Comeys first priority as an establishmentarian is to avoid political chaos, which goes a long way toward explaining why, for him, the third time was not the charm in his prosecutorial investigations of Hillary Clinton. Nat Hentoff is a nationally renowned authority on the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form 1K Shares Share I accompanied my husband to an office visit with his orthopedic surgeon. Jamie had been experiencing setbacks in his recovery from major surgery. I went with him because I understand how hard it can be to distill medical information on the spot, much less remember it. Documenting what the surgeon said would allow us both to reference it later. The more information Jamie had about his condition, the more of an informed choice he could make about treatment options. My husband was in pain, something that complicates information recall even in the best of situations. I hoped that just being with him might also help him feel more at ease. Since I suspected this office visit might contain some complicated and possibly stressful information, I considered recording what the surgeon said by using an app on my iPhone. I envisioned asking the doctors permission to record the conversation and decided against it because he might not have responded well to that idea. Some physicians and other providers react with suspicion and a defensive medicine posture when asked by patients to record what theyve said. My husbands surgeon had a reputation for highly successful surgeries but not the greatest bedside manner. Hed always been pleasant with us, but since my husbands recovery had been compromised with episodes of severe pain, I decided that an audio device could have instigated alarm. That would have interfered with the doctors focus on Jamie. With only 7 to 10 minutes, we had to make the most of this office visit. I wanted my husband out of pain. In place of an audio recording, I took notes instead. Health care professionals are well aware that patients experience anxiety in their exam rooms. Its called white coat syndrome or white coat hypertension. Anxiety interferes with cognitive function, especially memory, making it difficult not only to process medical information, but to remember it. Besides, medical information can be complex. Its difficult to understand, especially in a foreign and uncomfortable medical environment such as a doctors office. 40 to 80 percent of medical information conveyed by health care practitioners is forgotten immediately by patients. Half of information retained by patients is incorrect. Thats such a small percentage that youd think doctors would be handing out their own recordings to patients at every office or hospital visit. It might actually help with discharge planning from hospitals. In theory, it should be perfectly acceptable for patients to record conversations with their medical providers. Its a known fact that physicians are plagued by their patients lack of follow through with treatment recommendations. But recording brings up fear of medical malpractice lawsuits for some physicians, even if permission is requested ahead of time. According to American Medical News, recording the visit between doctor and patient could exacerbate physicians temptation to practice defensive medicine. If patients want to record conversations with their providers, its hard to imagine that they wouldnt ask permission and instead record in secret. According to the KPCC article, When is it OK to record your doctors orders? patients are in fact secretly recording conversations with their doctors without asking permission first. Talk about a blow to the doctor-patient relationship. I understand the hesitation to ask permission to record an office or hospital visit with a medical provider as I experienced it myself. But secretly recording is a violation of trust. In California, the law specifies that both parties must be aware that a recording is in place. Doctors are already afraid of being sued. Why would any patient surreptitiously tamper with the relationship with their doctor, something that is considered the cornerstone of quality care? Documenting information your doctor gives you is essential because its just too easy to misunderstand or forget the medical information conveyed. Its helpful if a doctor or other provider has a patient portal with access to notes and medical records, but that doesnt take the place of your own documentation. Tips to remember what the doctor tells you 1. Prepare questions ahead of time for your doctor. This allows you to think about what you want out of the doctor visit. 2. Document diagnosis, recommended treatment plan, treatment options, and suggested next steps. 3. If you want to record what the doctor tells you, keep in mind that it might hamper the conversation for you and for your physician. Both of you might be less willing to be candid. Instead, consider asking to record important facts at the end of the visit instead of the entire conversation. But ask permission to record first. 4. If you decide not to record, take notes in a notebook, on your smartphone or other device. 5. Bring a loved one with you to take notes for you. 6. Some physicians offer a summary of your visit. Ask for it if it isnt offered. But in addition take your own notes. Martine Ehrenclou is a patient advocate. She is the author of Critical Conditions: The Essential Hospital Guide to Get Your Loved One Out Alive and the Take-Charge Patient. Image credit: Shutterstock.com The field is expected to produce about 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. Vietnams national oil and gas group PetroVietnam is hoping the government will give approval later this month for the Overall Development Plan at Ca Voi Xanh, the largest gas field ever discovered in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea. Ca Voi Xanh is one of PetroVietnam's priorities for this year. In the second half, the company is looking for the government to green-light a gas processing plant and a gas-fired power project, which will use gas from Ca Voi Xanh, the company said in a recent statement. The Ca Voi Xanh gas field is located about 100km off the coast of Quang Nam Province. ExxonMobil said in 2011 it had found hydrocarbons while drilling in the field, before making additional discoveries in the area in July 2012. The U.S. energy giant will set up a wellhead platform, which will process natural gas to be produced from eight wells at Ca Voi Xanh. An 88km pipeline will connect the field with facilities onshore, according to PetroVietnam. The two oil and gas giants expect to produce the first gas from Ca Voi Xanh by 2021. It is hoped the field will produce about 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, almost the same as Vietnams total output in 2015. Ca Voi Xanh is estimated to hold reserves of 150 billion cubic meters of natural gas, which is three times bigger than the combined reserves of the countrys two most productive gas fields, Lan Tay and Lan Do, in the southern Nam Con Son Basin. Quang Ngai's Dung Quat Bay where natural gas from Ca Voi Xanh field is expected to be transported to the Dung Quat Economic Zone via a pipeline. Photo by VnExpress/Tri Tin PetroVietnam signed an agreement with Quang Nam Province in March this year to begin selecting sites for the projects. The local provincial government has pledged to push forward infrastructure development in the area to support the proposed projects. Vietnams national oil and gas group plans to set up a gas processing plant and a gas-fired power project with a capacity of about 1,400 megawatts in Nui Thanh District. The two projects are expected to be operational by 2023. PetroVietnam also wants to set up another power project of similar capacity near the Dung Quat refinery in the nearby province of Quang Ngai. The company said it plans to supply about one billion cubic meters of natural gas to a petrochemical unit to be built near the refinery. Related news: > New energy projects to tap huge offshore gas field Workers say it's not enough, but companies warn it's too much. Vietnam is looking to raise its minimum monthly salary by 10-11 percent next year, the lowest level since 2013, a move that has still faced fierce opposition from the corporate sector. Le Dinh Quang, a senior official at the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (the only legal trade union for Vietnamese workers), told the press at a policy dialogue on Wednesday in Hanoi that his organization has proposed an increase of VND250,000 - VND400,000 (US$11-$18), depending on the location. The government approved a minimum wage hike of 12.4 percent in 2016. Currently, minimum wages range between VND2.4-VND3.5 million ($108-$157) a month, depending on locations. But Quang said even that salary only covers only around 80 percent of a Vietnamese person's basic living costs, citing studies commissioned by his agency. Even though he acknowledged that the salary hike would affect the operations of businesses, we want to implement a roadmap of minimum-wage increase that can ensure the basic living standard for workers and their families, Quang said. The National Wage Council, which advises the government on wage policies, is set to finalize the proposed wage hike this month and submit it to the government for approval. Men work at a steel mill in Hai Duong Province. Photo by Reuters/Kham. The proposal comes as the corporate sector is lobbying against any wage hikes next year. Both foreign and local companies often lament that minimum-wage increases will hit their operations. They warn any further wage hikes will have grave consequences on Vietnams competitiveness in the short-term, adding it needs to be considered very carefully. Vietnam's per capita GDP remains just around $2,000, according to the World Bank. Experts say the minimum-wage hike is a step in the right direction, but even the annual adjustments are not sufficient enough for workers to make ends meet. A total of 245 wildcat strikes took place across Vietnam last year with disgruntled workers demanding better pay and working conditions and protesting against overtime. Related news > 1,000 Vietnamese workers strike after South Korean factory docks wages > Wages rise sharply in Southeast Asia Local TD Kathleen Funchion tlast week closed the final session and day of the 52nd Plenary of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly as the new Irish co-chair of BIPA. The two-day Plenary took place last Monday and Tuesday, July 4 and 5 in Malahide, County Dublin. It was attended by members from the Westminster Parliament, the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh and Northern Assemblies, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Deputy Funchion was recently nominated by her party to take the role as Chair of the Good Friday Agreement Committee in the Oireachtas. She is both the first Sinn Fein elected representative and first ever woman to hold the position. Her BIPA co-chair is Andrew Rosindell, a Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Romford constituency in Greater London. The main themes addressed this Plenary were topics which affect us all: tourism and inter connectivity opportunities between the two islands, visa systems, the impact of the referendum on EU membership and most crucially, its implications for the Good Friday Agreement, said Deputy Funchion. Obviously, Brexit featured heavily. It was positive to hear that the overriding sentiment by members is one of cooperation. The scale of issues arising is still being unveiled. The potential for fundamental change to relationships between our islands is clear. However, it was obvious from the contributions shared that there is a will to work through things in a constructive manner. Deputy Funchion said she was 'heartened' to hear consensus on no desire to return to a hard border on the island of Ireland. Also, the Kilkenny TD said there was agreement on working to strengthen economic, social and political cooperation, and to ensure the gains of the peace process are maintained. Brexit will undoubtedly feature in the next Plenary in November again later this year, said Deputy Funchion. So it is vital that work continues through the BIPA committees in urgently addressing and examining its implications between now and then. A local councillor has said there are growing concerns among many local communities surrounding the recent news that the Department of Education is undertaking a review of school bus places. The School Transport Scheme is currently under review, and many people living in rural parts of Kilkenny have been expressing their concerns. Local councillor Peter 'Chap' Cleere said it appeared as if the Department of Education was encouraging Bus Eireann, which is the provider of the service, to reduce the number of seats on their buses or to use smaller buses on their school runs. The Department had admitted attempting to reduce the number of 'concessionary' seats available, said Cllr Cleere. These are students who do not qualify for the School Transport Scheme, because they do not live far enough away to qualify, but who have been allowed to use school transport if there were spare seats on the bus. Cllr Cleere said he had been contacted by about a dozen families in the last couple of weeks regarding this particular issue. It seems very unfair to me that these children (who pay an annual fee to be accommodated on these buses) appear to be targeted, he said. It is my view that school transport use should be encouraged , not targeted. It would be a disaster of any child lost their seat on a school bus as a result of this 'review'. I am calling on the Department to make a statement as a matter of urgency to allay the many fears and concerns many local Kilkenny families have. Silver investment has soared in 2016 as investors sought the metal as a safe haven and leveraged exposure to the sharp rally in gold, says the Silver Institute. "Investors actively accumulated silver in the first six months of the year, including both the physical and paper markets," the organization says. Exchange-traded-product holdings rose by 44.3 million ounces, or 7.2%, to a record high of 662.2 million. Investors have also raised their net-long positioning in Comex silver futures and options to a record high of 80,522 contracts as of July 5th, after this was 6,282 contracts at the end of 2015, the Silver Institute says. Coming on the heels of record global silver coin demand in 2015, silver coin sales increased in the first quarter of 2016 by 29%, says the Institute, citing the GFMS Thomson Reuters quarterly coin sales survey. "Regionally, North America has continued to be the bright spot in silver investment product demand. In the coin market, coin sales grew at double digit paces in all the major regions -- North America, Europe, Japan, Asia, Africa and other -- as coin demand has remained elevated since the second half of last year," the Silver Institute says. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Walsh's Lusk: Gold Eases As Stocks Rise; 'Something Had To Give' "Something had to give," and the result is gold has fallen back as U.S. stock indices soar to record highs, says Sean Lusk, director of commercial hedging with Walsh Trading. The metal fell back as stocks rose on Wednesday, and gold is lower again early Thursday with stock-index futures higher. "The abandonment of safe-haven anxiety following the Brexit has finally spilled over to the precious-metals sector," Lusk says. Gold previously was "technically overbought," he says. "Rarely will you have rising equities, Treasuries and metals all rallying at the same time for an extended period, therefore something had to give." He points out that some banks have called for a correction, citing extreme long positioning in the market. "Therefore if the market is to endure more of a corrective break, I would look at a 50% retracement from the near-term high/low at around $1,295 an ounce for a downside target near term, basis December futures." As of 8:28 a.m. EDT, Comex August gold was down $18.70 to $1,324.90 an ounce, while the September S&P 500 futures were 16.20 points higher. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Commerzbank: Silver ETFs Post Biggest Inflow Since March Strong exchange-traded-fund inflows are occurring in silver, says Commerzbank. "The iShares Silver Trust, the world's largest silver ETF, saw inflows of 162.6 tonnes yesterday its most pronounced daily inflow since early March," Commerzbank says. "Holdings in the silver ETFs tracked by Bloomberg have soared by 334.3 tonnes to a record 20,375 tonnes since the beginning of the month. The situation has been rather different for platinum recently, with ETF outflows of a good 50,000 ounces having been recorded on the last two days of trading." By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com TD Securities: Palladium Could Rally To $725/Oz TD Securities sees "more upside still in the cards" for palladium even after it rallied some 24% from the late-May lows to where it left off in trading on Wednesday. "We would not be surprised to see palladium test the highs near $725/oz recorded back in October 2015," TDS says. The metal rallied 2.5% on Wednesday due to increased risk appetite and speculation about more monetary stimulus in China. "Given that Chinese auto sales which drive palladium auto-catalyst demand have picked up already in recent months, it is reasonable to assume that new stimulus could accelerate this trend and tighten this market," TDS says. As of 8:28 a.m. EDT, Nymex September palladium was up 40 cents to $644.60 an ounce. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Triland: Palladium Posts Technical Breakout To Upside Palladium posted a technical breakout through a long-term trendline as it outperformed other precious metals on Wednesday, says Triland Metals. "It has been the least popular of all four metals, especially if you look at the COTR (Commitments of Traders report) levels compared to the all-time high, and given the overarching bullish risk-on sentiment that is sweeping metals and equities, it only makes sense that it plays a little catch up." The metal is again outperforming the rest of the precious complex early Thursday, holding steady as gold, silver and platinum all ease. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com SHARE USS Michigan is moved out of dry dock July 8. PSNS riggers Jarrod Coley (left) and David Di Matteo help with line handling operations during the USS Michigan's undocking July 8. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO / PSNS PHOTOGRAPHER JEREMY MOORE A piece is maneuvered into place on the USS Michigan. By Ed Friedrich of the Kitsap Sun BREMERTON The first enlisted women to serve aboard a Navy submarine have arrived and are preparing to sail on the USS Michigan. The Ohio-class guided-missile sub is wrapping up a major maintenance period at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. Among other work, living quarters were installed for up to three female chief petty officers and 36 crew members. The project reached a milestone Friday when the boat, which arrived in August, left dry dock and tied up at a pier. The Navy in June 2015 announced the names of four chief petty officers and 34 lower-ranked sailors who were selected for USS Michigan gold and blue crews. They were chosen from 113 applicants. The two crews are comprised of 15 officers and about 140 enlisted sailors each. Female officers three per crew have served aboard some Ohio-class subs, including the Michigan, since as early as 2011, but no structural changes were needed for them. That's far from the case with female enlisted living quarters. The shipyard, USS Michigan builder Electric Boat and the ship's crew enlarged the forward washroom, added four showers by converting a bunkroom into shower space, split the aft washroom to allow for a shower and head combination and a watchstander head, and created a new bunkroom from the old crew's study, the Navy said. The two or three chiefs will share a living space and washroom. The others will split into nine-person bunk rooms and share a head. The Navy estimated the cost of the reconfiguration at about $6 million. Melissa Kittrell, the project's work integration manager, said in a Navy release that it was exciting to watch history unfold before her. "The very first female enlisted sailors have reported for duty during this (major maintenance period)," she said. "As a former enlisted sailor, I am so excited to be part of this alteration and drive the work to completion." The enlisted women have been preparing for nearly a year. They went through Basic Enlisted Submarine School in Groton, Connecticut, as early as last August. Many had to change rates, which required retraining for their new jobs. Seven Ohio-class subs will add about 550 enlisted women by 2020, comprising 20 percent of crews. Ten of the 18 Ohio-class boats are based at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. The USS Ohio will be the next Bangor sub to convert. This is the second major transformation for the USS Michigan. It was originally built to patrol with ballistic missiles. In the mid-2000s, it was modified to carry conventionally armed cruise missiles. Creating a female living area was only a fraction of the work performed on the Michigan. Crews also repaired the sub's sail, superstructure, engineering spaces and missile compartments. Dozens of locals have developed similar symptoms. The diphtheria epidemic, which started on June 24 in Binh Phuoc Province (140 kilometers to the north of Ho Chi Minh City), has so far killed three people. All of the victims were under 25 years old. A local hospital in Dong Phu District has admitted 10 new cases of diphtheria, said health officials, raising the total number of the infections to 47. The victims displayed all the symptoms linked to diphtheria, including a sore throat, fever, swollen glands in the neck, difficulty breathing and loss of appetite. [We] have asked the provincial Peoples Committee to declare an outbreak, said Nguyen Dong Thong, head of Binh Phuoc Provinces Heath Department. The Preventive Medicine Center is preparing to distribute antibiotics and give vaccinations to those who are at a high risk of infection. 29 people in the districts of Thuan Loi and Thuan Phu have already developed similar symptoms, and four have tested positive for the disease. Local health authorities are closely working with the Pasteur Institute and Ho Chi Minh Citys Hospital of Tropical Diseases to take immediate measures to stop the disease from spreading, including testing for bacteria and spraying disinfectant. Vietnam has managed to contain the disease for years through the national vaccination and immunization program. On June 30 the Kitsap Sun hosted an evening with Lloyd Pendleton, who spoke to a crowd of about 100 readers on the "housing first" approach his state, Utah, uses to combat chronic homelessness. Pendleton also spoke at a Kitsap County sponsored event the same day, and you may have read coverage of that in the Kitsap Sun. One challenge issued to the Sun that evening was to keep the conversation going in this community, if indeed we feel that solving this issue is a priority. So we've asked those who attended to submit questions they had after hearing Pendleton's talk. Below is a selection of answers, from Pendleton as well as Kirsten Jewell, program coordinator for the Kitsap County Housing and Homelessness Program. If you'd like more of the background to these questions, please watch the video of Pendleton's speech at kitsapsun.com/housing. Also, the slides Pendleton showed during his presentation are available, as well as information about the Kitsap County housing first effort. *** Polly Gerrish: Mr. Pendleton said that in Utah's program, moving into publicly provided housing did not mean that people had to stop drinking or using drugs. I am amazed at this! I would think that residents under the influence of alcohol or drugs would cause damage to property, fight frequently, start fires and a create a very undesirable atmosphere. How do they keep this under control? Waiting until an addict wants to go to treatment sounds like a great idea, but how is the peace kept in the meantime? Lloyd Pendleton: On the question of a harm reduction model approach in permanent supportive housing (housing first) one would think there would be much destruction and a bad environment with the residents being allowed to continue to drink and use drugs. It is fairly well understood if there were no case management working with the residents there could be much damage and a bad environment created. However, for the chronically homeless population, which represents about 10 percent of the homeless population, research has shown, and our experience has been, that when these individuals have a place of their own where they can be safe, the drinking and drug use decreases. Also, with effective case management support, we have found a positive supportive community is created in the single site locations. That is a little more challenging in the scattered site locations. That does not mean there are not challenges, because many of these individuals, in addition to substance abuse, have some significant mental health challenges. We do have an eviction rate of around 6 percent because some do need to move out. However, even with those who are evicted they will be moved to another facility to see if that is a better fit. We find that many times this second chance works for many. However, some need to be put back on the street as there are consequences with violent behavior. If a "housing ready" model that is, clean, dry and sober is required for the chronically homeless citizens, very few would go into housing. It is very challenging, if not impossible, for most to get clean, dry and sober while living on the street or in a homeless shelter. So the housing first harm reduction model meets them where they are and begins the process to a more stable life, including getting into any needed treatment programs when they want to as it is not required to keep their housing. *** James Docter: In Utah there were eight locations across the state that participated in the "housing first" project. A comprehensive, statewide application. If Bremerton/Kitsap committed to a similar project, without the simultaneous participation of other cities in Western Washington, cynics will note that people seeking services will tend to migrate to where the services are/housing is. This has already happened on Sixth Street at the Salvation Army and Kitsap Rescue Mission. Assuming some homeless will be drawn here from other areas, how will the scarce subsidized housing units be allocated? Mr. Pendleton noted the homeless are "members of our community." Will Kitsap give preference to the Kitsap homeless? The program would have broader appeal if we were providing housing for our neighbors, rather than the homeless of neighboring communities. Cynics will also note that medical and social services will still be in high demand by the "newly homed." Let's not forget, Westpark housed hundreds of poor people several years ago, and was the focus of a deliberate dismantling because of the crime rate. I suspect the crime rate will continue to be a factor among those who occupy the new residences. Kirsten Jewell: I welcome the effort. Sounds like a great and positive undertaking. I'm trying to anticipate the skepticism of some in our community so the project's "champions" will be prepared to effectively address it. Homelessness and the affordable housing crisis is at a critical level across our state and our country, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. The housing first model is focused on helping the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness people who have been homeless for long periods of time and/or who have disabilities, including severe mental health issues and substance use disorders, that make it nearly impossible for them to break the cycle of homelessness. Housing first programs use a vulnerability screening tool to target this type of program to those who most need it those who are least likely to be able to help themselves off the streets. Whether someone experiencing long-term homelessness was born and raised in Kitsap, had lived in Kitsap before becoming displaced, or just arrived in Kitsap seeking a better life that person needs help and our community saves money when we help them with housing first. Studies of housing first programs have consistently demonstrated that it is less expensive to provide housing for people with a history of chronic homelessness than it is for taxpayers to subsidize their interactions with emergency responders, law enforcement, criminal justice and health care. Over time, as these formerly homeless individuals regain stability through a housing first program, their long-term disabilities can be better managed and their health and well-being improves. As you point out, some people will need long-term mental health and physical health supports, but it is less expensive to provide these on a consistent- and preventive-basis than through emergency room visits. Mr. Pendleton has shared that neighborhoods that host housing first programs in Utah have not seen an increase in crime. Eviction rates are not higher than in the general rental market (he cited a 6 percent eviction rate in Utah). Case management is the key to this success, and housing first models provide intensive supports for participants to help them stay housed so that they can re-integrate into society. In fact, law enforcement and neighborhood groups have become supporters of this model which often provides many opportunities for volunteering and community service projects. *** Carma Foley: Who is leading this effort in Kitsap County if people wanted to help? Jewell: Leadership on the issues of homelessness and affordable housing is spread throughout our community. It comes from social service organizations who serve people experiencing homelessness, from our two housing authorities, which work to provide affordable housing for low-income households, from elected leaders at our county and cities, from the Housing and Homelessness Program at the Kitsap County Department of Human Services, and from citizen advocates who are passionate about these issues. The Kitsap Continuum of Care Coalition is a network of social service and housing providers who collectively make up Kitsap's homeless response system. That group works to implement the Kitsap Homeless Housing Plan, which was updated for 2016. The Plan contains specific goals, strategies, and action steps that we need to take to make homelessness rare, brief, and one-time in Kitsap County. The plan is available at www.kitsapgov.com/hs/housing/housing_grant.htm. On the topic of housing first specifically, a task force of homeless service providers and our two housing authorities has come together to focus on how we can bring the housing first model to Kitsap more widely. There have been two small pilot projects for families using the housing first model, and those have produced great outcomes for participants and the community. Now we need to expand the number of housing first units that are available for vulnerable singles and couples with long-term mental, physical, and behavioral disabilities so that they are able to break the cycle of homelessness. There are many ways that citizens can get involved in helping with alleviating homelessness for our neighbors. Most of the social service providers have opportunities for volunteering at their programs; people can donate specific items that are needed at our emergency shelters or provide financial support for homeless programs; talking to other people in your community about homelessness can help raise awareness and foster a compassionate response. A list of specific ideas for ways to get involved is included in the brochure, "How to Help People Living Homeless," available at this link: www.kitsapgov.com/hs/housing/resources.htm. *** Cheryl Felmlee: What can a mere member of the community do to be actively involved in bringing Housing First principles to Kitsap County? Jewell: Kitsap Community members can get involved with bringing housing first model programs to Kitsap in several ways: be informed about housing first principles and how a housing first program impacts participants and communities as a whole; keep the community discussion alive about housing first as a successful strategy by sharing information with friends, neighbors, and community groups; and attend stakeholder meetings and public hearings about housing first programs starting in Kitsap. Authorities urged to throw the book at future culprits. The source of a laser that was shone onto a plane above Noi Bai International Airport was a circus group from a hamlet in nearby Soc Son District, police in Hanoi said Thursday. They were performing at a stadium having received permission from local authorities, and the show included high-powered lamps. It is not immediately clear if the police would take any action against the circus group. This is one of four cases in which airplanes at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi were targeted by laser beams since June, reported the National Committee of Civil Aviation Security. The laser attacks are considered violations of international and domestic aviation security regulations. Earlier, security experts and airport authorities said that the culprits behind several cases of laser beams being projected onto airplanes were probably youngsters, rather than hostile forces. The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam has asked authorities to criminalize targeting airplanes with a laser, saying it as an act of obstructing air traffic. Under the proposal, those responsible for a fatal incident or injuring a pilot could be fined VND30 to 100 million ($4,400), non-custodial reducation for up to three years or a prison term of one to five years. Projecting laser beams at a pilot's eyes is a safety threat, especially if the aircraft is landing or taking off. Experts have called for a control in sale of laser projecting devices to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Related news: > Laser beams threaten planes at Vietnam's international airport > Vietnam considers jail time for culprits behind airplane 'lasering' The leafy stimulant is popular in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. The drug criminal control unit under the citys Customs Department last month alone uncovered some 2,000 kilograms of khat leaves being smuggled into Vietnam through post and courier services. Khat leaves are chewed as a stimulant and are banned in Vietnam. The leafy plant induces a euphoric, excited feeling. Its side-effects include mouth disease and tooth loss as users chew the leaves so they slowly break down and enter the bloodstream. More seriously, the drug takes a heavy toll on addicts and can cause mental illness. Khat is popular in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. While heroin remains the most widely used illicit drug in Vietnam, the use of amphetamine-type stimulants is on the rise in the country, and drug police have recorded a steady increase in methamphetamine seizures in recent years. Related News: >73-year-old woman faces death penalty for drug smuggling >Drug users stage massive breakout from rehab center >Local councilor candidates accused of drug trafficking photos by AMY SMOTHERMAN BURGESS/NEWS SENTINEL The school ambassadors pose for a photo with Knox County superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre, and Tennessee Board of Education executive director Sara Heyburn after a tour of the Career Magnet Academy at Pellissippi State Community College on Nov. 10. The school offers a curriculum in advanced manufacturing, homeland security, sustainable living, and teacher preparation in a partnership with Pellissippi State Community College. SHARE State Rep. Bill Dunn, left, gets some information about a training machine from Seth Giles in the Mega Lab at the Career Magnet Academy at Pellissippi State Community College Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015. Kim Fawver places components for Honda door ring in place for a robot to weld them at the Eagle Bend Manufacturing plant in Clinton Wednesday, Mar. 26, 2014. Eagle Bend is the poster child for advanced manufacturing initiatives in East Tennessee on two fronts: technology and workforce development. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) By Ed Marcum of the Knoxville News Sentinel Pellissippi State Community College has landed a $3.8 million workforce development grant it plans to use to prepare more women, young adults and others for careers in advanced manufacturing and information technology. Awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor, the grant will be used for the school's Knoxville Area Information Technology and Engineering program (KITE). The program is meant to help people who have been underrepresented in technology fields to find jobs in them. "Primarily this is an outreach program," said Anthony Wise Jr., president of Pellissippi State. "It is about building connections and working with organizations to get women and underrepresented minorities into high-technology fields." The target is to serve about 420 participants, including women and young people ages 17-29 who face significant barriers to gaining employment in certain fields, Wise said. KITE will also be available to nontraditional college students, particularly those ages 45-60 who are underemployed and lack skills to obtain jobs or promotions. This effort will mean some extra positions at Pellissippi State, including lab technicians, academic-success specialists, math tutors and others, Wise said. There will be about seven full-time positions and a number of part-time positions, he said. The grant is through an Obama administration initiative meant to expand the technology economies of communities and create jobs. Called TechHire Partnership grants, the $150 million in Labor Department funds have been awarded to 39 programs across the country, including the one at Pellissippi State. Wise said the Pellissippi program will work through key organizations and employers to create internships, apprenticeships and co-ops for students. Some of these will include DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee, Jewelry Television, Staffing Solutions, Scripps Networks Interactive and others. "KITE is going to address identified gaps in training within the fields of information technology and advanced manufacturing, including the fact that women, minorities and other underrepresented populations are often rare in these fields," Wise said in a statement. Part of the Labor Department grant will also go to help buy specialized computer equipment at Pellissippi State's Magnolia Avenue and Strawberry Plains campuses. Both of these have advanced computer labs used to support the school's new Cyber Defense concentration. Other funds will go to help Engineering Technology programs at the school's Blount County, Hardin Valley and Strawberry Plains campuses. At the Strawberry Plains campus, Pellissippi State operates its Career Magnet Academy, which is a stand-alone, districtwide magnet school offering four clusters advanced manufacturing, sustainable living, homeland security and teacher preparation. I'm tempted to file this under "Man Bites Dog." But that's not completely accurate. Yes, it does involve a bite; but from a shark, not a dog. The "biter" and the "bitee" are who you might expect. But the conditions under which this attack occurred are way out of the ordinary: You see, the man was in the water. The shark wasn't. If this is too confusing, just ask Bob Hamilton to show you the fresh scar on his right leg. Hamilton lives in Knoxville but travels a couple of times every summer to Cudjo Key, Fla., about 20 miles north of Key West. He fishes almost every day. "There's a channel that flows into the Atlantic near the place I rent," he told me. "I take my boat out there, anchor it off, then get out and wade in the shallow water. The place is loaded with sharks. I enjoy catching them for fun. I use a circle hook so they're easy to release." That's what Hamilton was doing a couple of weeks ago. Using a 6-inch pinfish for bait, he cast into the current and soon had a hookup. It turned out to be a nurse shark roughly 30-35 pounds, Hamilton guessed. After a spirited tussle, he reeled in the exhausted fish and reached to unhook it. I know what you're thinking. That's when the shark bit him, right? Nope. Not yet. "The hook was embedded deeper than usual, and I was having a tough time getting it out," Hamilton said. "I grabbed him by the tail and flipped him into the front of my boat where it would be easier to work." After a minute, the hook popped out. That's when things got, uh, "interesting." "My leg was closer to his head than I thought," Hamilton said. "He just opened his mouth and clamped down on the tender part, right behind my knee. "He didn't bite all that deep, but he wouldn't let go. If I hadn't had him by the tail, he probably would have started flopping and really torn me up. "I can't tell you how bad that hurt. It was like two men clamping down as hard as they could with vice grips." Hamilton had a long-bladed knife on his belt. He unsheathed it, pushed the blade into the shark's mouth sideways, next to his own skin. Then he turned the blade upright, prying the mouth open just enough for separation. "I bled like a stuck hog for a little while but fortunately didn't need any stiches," he said. "I cleaned out the wound and treated it with hydrogen peroxide. Everything turned out fine, except I did wind up with a nice tattoo on my leg." I don't know if they keep records, but this may be the first time in Florida tourism history a vacation tattoo was applied without needle and ink. photos by MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL Knoxville Police Department Officer Andrew Olson, left, describes to a jury photos given him by Assistant District Attorney General TaKisha Fitzgerald, right, during the trial of Quantavious Williams before Judge Bob McGee in Knox County Criminal Court on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Olson is explaining Facebook photos that show Williams was a member of the Rolling 20s Crips gang. SHARE Quantavious Williams enters the courtroom before Knox County Criminal Court Judge Bob McGee on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. A Knoxville police officer testified Williams was a member of the Rolling 20s Crips gang. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) Quantavious Williams during his trial before Judge Bob McGee in Knox County Criminal Court on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Olson is testifying that Williams was a member of the Rolling 20s Crips gang. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) Defense attorney Jackson Whetsel shows the jury a photo of Tennessee coach Butch Jones and his family during the trial of Quantavious Williams. Whetsel asked whether the "Vol for Life" hand sign and wearing orange meant Butch Jones was in a gang. Related Photos Photos: Gang initiation murder trial By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel If these 12 Knox Countians walked into a courtroom with the notion that gang violence amounts to nothing more than criminals victimizing criminals, a trial this week has disabused them of it. For three days, a panel of jurors in Knox County Criminal Court has seen and heard evidence of the threats that gangs pose to innocent people, no matter their race, income level or address. The Rev. Larry J. Mathis, a black inner-city pastor, had stopped by his church to turn on the heat for the next day's services when armed gang members randomly chose him as a victim of robbery, kidnapping and carjacking. Jack Hutchins, a white construction worker, was bringing home food for his family after a long day's work when he, too, became a victim of random gang violence, gunned down in his yard. It was, jurors have learned, a crime spree borne from a gang initiation in which recruits are commanded to commit random acts of violence against innocents, a ritual that testimony showed is now commonplace among street gangs. Now, these jurors must decide whether Quantavious Williams should be held criminally responsible for the random acts of violence that authorities say were carried out by members of the Rolling 20s Crips gang in the space of a few hours in November 2013. Judge Bob McGee on Wednesday instructed jurors on the laws at play in the case and ordered them to return Thursday to begin deliberations on charges against Williams, including felony murder, carjacking, aggravated robbery and especially aggravated kidnapping. The three-day trial left little doubt Williams was a fan of the Rolling 20s Crips gang. Knoxville Police Department Officer Andrew Olson told jurors he found plenty of proof of that on Williams' Facebook page, which was replete with the colors Pittsburgh Steelers black and gold with a little Crips blue mixed in the hand signs and the lingo. By Williams' admission in an interrogation video, he wanted to join a Chattanooga-based sect of the street gang so badly he suited up for a home invasion to prove his worth and was with the ranking Rolling 20s members when Mathis was carjacked and Hutchins killed. Jurors must determine whether Williams, then 17, was entrenched enough in the gang's murderous crime spree to render him guilty of crimes the others committed or if he instead was a failed wannabe who, as he said, "froze up" early on but remained stuck in the company of criminals over whom he had no control and in whose misdeeds he did not profit. "At the time he makes the decision to step out of his house and into the car, he is a member of the venture," Assistant District Attorney General TaKisha Fitzgerald told jurors in closing arguments Wednesday. "He is a member of the team." Defense attorney Jackson Whetsel countered prosecutors had failed to present proof beyond a reasonable doubt Williams aided, assisted or promoted the Rolling 20s members in their crimes as required under the law on criminal responsibility. "He's a 17-year-old boy in the back seat of a car," Whetsel told jurors. "He never gets out of the car. He never points a gun at anybody. He didn't do it." Facing separate trials in the case are Nolandus Sims, Andre Terry and Antonio Marlin. SHARE Gregory Allen Roberts (Knox County Detention Facility) By News Sentinel Staff KNOXVILLE A Knox County man was being held in lieu of $1 million bond Thursday on charges he raped a 14-year-old girl and later attacked the girl's guardian with a knife, according to court records. Authorities responded Saturday morning to East Tennessee Children's Hospital on a report that the teenager was raped the night before by 35-year-old Gregory Allen Roberts, arrest warrants state. The girl's guardian told detectives that she had walked into the teen's room to find Roberts pulling up his underwear. The woman told authorities the teen said, "Roberts made her have sex with him," the warrants read. The woman said he fled the residence off Oak Ridge Highway when she called police. She later found video images on Roberts' cellphone of him sexually assaulting the girl, according to the warrants. The woman called authorities again Monday to report that he had returned to the residence over the weekend, attacked her with a knife and held her against her will. Roberts jumped on top of the woman and cut her left arm several times, according to records. The woman told authorities he had threatened to kill her. "The victim said the suspect sat at the edge of the bed while she was sleeping during the night and he would not let her leave," according to warrants. Roberts was arrested Wednesday night at the Austin Homes public housing complex in East Knoxville, according to a Knox County Sheriff's Office news release. The release states that Roberts was taken into custody "without incident." The suspect has two black eyes in his booking photo. A Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said Roberts was assaulted in the days before authorities tracked him down. He now is charged with two counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, statutory rape by an authority figure, aggravated assault and kidnapping. His local criminal history includes convictions for burglary, unlawful weapons possession and possession of cocaine for sale. More details as they develop online and in Friday's News Sentinel. SHARE Quantavious Williams during his trial before Judge Bob McGee in Knox County Criminal Court on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Olson is describing that Williams was a member of the Rolling 20s Crips gang. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel A Knox County jury deadlocked Thursday on whether a gang recruit whose initiation led to a fatal shooting of an innocent man should be held accountable for crimes committed by others. Jurors in Knox County Criminal Court deliberated roughly seven hours before declaring themselves deadlocked in the trial of Quantavious Williams in a November 2013 crime spree that ended with the shooting death of Jack Hutchins, 52, in the front yard of his Parkridge community home. Judge Bob McGee was forced to declare a mistrial. The state seeks to retry Williams, whose charges included felony murder, carjacking, aggravated robbery and especially aggravated kidnapping. McGee set the retrial for Oct. 3. Williams was 17 and, according to his statement to police, seeking to join the Rolling 20s Crips street gang. Chattanooga ranking members Nolandus Sims, then 19, Andre Terry, then 15, and Antonio Marlin, then 20, came to Knoxville in a stolen car to initiate Williams via a requirement he participate in "randoms" robberies of randomly selected innocent victims to prove his mettle, according to testimony. The crew first sought to commit a home invasion robbery against a drug dealer in the Townview Towers apartment complex near downtown Knoxville but found the apartment empty. Williams' attorney, Jackson Whetsel, argued the teenager performed poorly in the robbery attempt and was rejected for gang membership. Williams remained with the trio of gang members in the back seat of the stolen car as they set out in search of either a new vehicle or gas money to get back to Chattanooga, he told police in a statement. The Rev. Larry J. Mathis was confronted at gunpoint outside his church on Martin Luther King Boulevard and forced to get on the ground and turn over the keys to his vehicle, his wallet and his cellulphone. Mathis' vehicle was low on gas, so the gang next went to Parkridge, where Hutchins was just getting out of his truck with food for his family. He, too, was confronted at gunpoint. Hutchins was shot six times and died. "My client had no idea what they were going to do," Whetsel argued to jurors on Wednesday. "They're mad at Mr. Williams, because he didn't do anything (in the Townview robbery bid). He froze up." Prosecutor TaKisha Fitzgerald countered Williams knew Sims and Terry earned their rank through violence and that they were armed with violent intent when he got in the stolen car with them. Authorities say Terry was the first to fire shots at Hutchins. Williams accused Sims of also firing at the handyman. Sims, Terry and Marlin are being tried separately. SHARE Candice McQueen speaks to reporters after Gov. Bill Haslam introduced her as his new education commissioner in Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig) By Jason Gonzales, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee NASHVILLE Tennessee has cut the first part of spring standardized testing to create only one assessment window at the end of the school year. The changes are expected to reduce testing time for students and teachers by about 30 percent and are made possible by the Tennessee Department of Education's two-year, $60 million contract with Minnesota-based Questar Assessment, which was finalized Wednesday morning. For grade 3-8 students, that's about three and a half hours less time spent on state-mandated standardized testing. High school students also will see a cut in year-end tests with a typical 11th grader seeing about the same reduction in testing time. "This keeps flexibility for schools, but also maximizes instructional time," Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said to reporters Wednesday. "And it will have a positive impact for school climate." McQueen praised Questar for helping eliminate the first part of spring testing. "It is a blessing that we found a partner that wants what we wanted, but also was able to match the feedback we were getting throughout the state," McQueen said. In the 2016-17 school year, however, social studies tests for grades 3-8 won't be measured due to the issues the state saw last year with its previous test vendor. The eventual cancellation of elementary and middle school testing caused a delay in test development, according to Assistant Education Commissioner Nakia Towns. All students will be given a required test that will be used to help develop social studies questions for the 2017-18 year. By that time, every test will be ready for students. McQueen also answered questions posed by lawmakers, who worried about Questar's ability to meet the requirements of a new law saying testing materials will be released to parents and educators. Again, McQueen expressed confidence in the vendor. "We will be able to deliver on as many test items as we are allowed," she said. The state has also slowed the rollout of standardized testing. For districts statewide in the 2016-17 school year, that means students in grades 3-8 will take tests on paper and pencil. And the department will work with Questar to provide an online option for year-end high school exams if both the schools and the testing platform demonstrate early proof of successful online administration. The state offered the two-year, $30 million per year contract last week. The department didn't need any approval from lawmakers for the contract, despite concerns from legislators. Tennessee had been searching for a new test vendor since April, when the education department canceled the contract of testing company Measurement Inc. The vendor had numerous issues in fulfilling its contract with the state, including missteps that led to the cancellation of online tests in the 2015-16 school year. The state paid $1.6 million for Measurement Inc. to develop testing materials, and the department is in settlement negotiations with the company. The canceled contract also led to the education department canceling grades 3-8 TNReady testing and announced it would eliminate accountability measures for those grades. All high schools were required to take TNReady paper tests, with Pearson Education being awarded an $18.5 million contract to score those tests. SHARE Jeremy Durham - 65th District By Dave Boucher And Kirk Bado, USA TODAY-Tennessee NASHVILLE The day after the release of a scathing report detailing accounts from 22 women about the alleged sexual misdeeds of state Rep. Jeremy Durham, the leaders of the Tennessee House and Senate will meet to discuss adopting of a new workplace discrimination and harassment policy. The proposed policy suggests more transparency including public reports of transgressions by lawmakers and other employees along with mandatory reporting. "I think you'll see an improved, modernization. (The old policy) was 19 years old so we needed to modernize it with new terminology for today's world, we are also including much more transparency so that any violation will be in the violators personnel file and that will be accessible to the public," Harwell told reporters Thursday. "I don't think anything could have avoided what happened with Durham. He violated our current policy, and I think he would violate any policy." Harwell and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey are set to discuss the proposed new policy Thursday. If and when the leaders sign off on the recommendations, it would become the new policy for the entire Legislature. Both chambers already have policies. The Senate policy already includes some of the suggestions in the new policy. The House policy specifically came under fire in January after a Tennessean investigation found three women who said they'd received inappropriate late-night text messages from Durham's phone. Durham has repeatedly noted that no formal complaints were ever filed against him under the House's sexual harassment policy. But several experts told The Tennessean the policy was mired in secrecy and created little accountability. The day after the Tennessean published its investigation, Harwell announced the creation of a task force aimed at creating a new policy. In addition to repudiating Durham's conduct in a fiery statement Wednesday, she noted the work of the task force. Although Harwell and others argue Durham's actions are isolated, the investigation from the attorney general quotes several people who say the actions are indicative of a broader culture at the statehouse. Many of the women interviewed by the attorney general investigators say they felt they couldn't report Durham's inappropriate behavior for fear of harming their future employment chances, earning a negative reputation or garnering some form of backlash. "The investigation revealed that legislative staff members and interns rely on their relationships with legislators for employment and references for future employment opportunities at the capitol. There was a perception among some staff members we interviewed that those who displease a legislator may risk loss of these opportunities, if bad references are shared among legislative members," the report states. The task force finished its work in April and sent its final recommendations to Harwell at that time. Harwell said the legislature's human resources officials, as well as the attorney general, had to review the policy before it could be finalized, and that "took a little bit of time." In addition to a new policy, Harwell said House members will now be required to go through training on how to handle sexual harassment allegations. The new policy address the concerns experts raised with the old policy. The old policy said no information about a complaint could ever become public, and said neither party in the complaint could ever publicly discuss the problem. The new policy states that if investigators determine a lawmaker or employee sexually harassed someone, a report about the incident will be included in the violator's personnel file that is available to the public. The new policy also has a mandatory reporting requirement. Although the old policy said harassment victims should report the incidents to their supervisors or the director of legislative administration, there was no requirement for what those supervisors needed to do. Under the new policy, anyone in a supervisory position who receives a complaint or has "personal knowledge of conduct that may violate this policy" must report that conduct to legislative leadership or the director of legislative administration. "So they can make a report to their immediate supervisor, to the clerks or go to the HR agency. In the house version, we can also include that they can reach out to the Tennessee Sexual assault center for counseling and guidance there," Harwell said. The director of legislative administration the main human resources official for the Legislature, who is currently Connie Ridley will lead all investigations of allegations against lawmakers or employees, unless the employee works for the administrator. After any investigation into a lawmaker, the new policy would require the complaint be reported to the ethics committee in the appropriate chamber. The policy doesn't include some of the recommendations from Harwell's panel, though. The panel suggested releasing annual reports about the number of complaints and founded violations, but there's no mention of this practice in the proposed policy. There's also no mention of a "outside, independent advocate" in the policy, although the panel suggested such a person could help those who receive reports or those who want help with filing complaints. Once Harwell and Ramsey sign off on the new policy it would take effect immediately. It is not clear how he managed to survive and got home, however. To Hong Ngoc, a fisherman reported missing after Thailands Navy shot at some Vietnamese fishing boats in the formers waters last week, has safely returned home, Le Hai Binh, Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesman, said at a regular press briefing Thursday. Binh did not provide further details. The Vietnam Embassy in Thailand has informed Thai authorities about the case so that they could stop searching," Binh said. "The embassy is also working with relevant agencies to look into the incident and safeguard the fishermens legitimate rights. The Vietnamese foreign ministry said in a statement Monday that in the encounter on July 8, Thai naval forces opened fire on three Vietnamese fishing boats from Ben Tre with 18 crew members on board, leaving two fishermen injured and another missing. Two of the boats sank after colliding with Thai naval vessels. Vietnams Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh said in a press briefing Thursday. Photo by VnExpress/Tung Dinh The shooting prompted Vietnam to lodge protest against the use of force against its fishermen. Nguyen Hai Ngoc, the first secretary of the Vietnam Embassy in Thailand, had said earlier that firing on foreign fishing vessels over territorial disputes is against the law and international practices. The latest shooting incident was the second time Thai warships opened fire on Vietnamese fishing vessels and injured fishermen. In September last year, Thai warships opened fire on a Vietnamese fishing boat, killing one crew member. Related news: > Thailand urged to account for shooting at Vietnamese boats > Thailands navy shoots at Vietnamese fishing boats > Thailand backs naval buildup with three Chinese submarines U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., on Wednesday, March 1, 2016, on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) SHARE By Michael Collins of the Knoxville News Sentinel WASHINGTON Republicans on a special House panel investigating the practices of abortion providers said Thursday that those providers and their middlemen have violated federal law by selling tissues and organs from aborted fetuses. In an interim report to Congress, the panel's GOP majority said it has uncovered evidence that some providers were so eager to profit from selling fetal tissue that they altered abortion procedures to put financial benefit above the health of women . "No one should profit from the sale of human fetal tissue," said Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who chairs the panel. According to the 88-page report, some late-term abortion clinics engage in what Republicans say is the disturbing practice of harvesting and selling the organs of infants who have been born alive. The report, which the panel said provides a snapshot of what it's uncovered so far, also accuses abortion providers and companies involved in the procurement of fetal tissue of stonewalling the committee's investigation by refusing to turn over accounting and banking records critical to understanding their business practices. In cases where records were provided, they often were heavily redacted, the report says. "If they are proud of this industry, if there is nothing to hide, if they think this is moral and meets the laws of America, then open up," said Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis. "Give us the documents we are asking for." Democratic members of the panel had no immediate comment on the report. The 14-member House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives was formed last year after a firestorm over undercover videos that accused Planned Parenthood of breaking federal laws by selling tissues and organs of aborted fetuses. Planned Parenthood and its supporters said the videos were deceptively edited, and a number of state investigations cleared the organization of any wrongdoing. The House panel's investigation has been riven by partisan warfare, with Democrats charging that Blackburn and Republicans are abusing their authority and putting lives at risk. Democrats have repeatedly called on House Speaker Paul Ryan to disband the panel, but Ryan and other GOP leaders have expressed support for the panel's work. At a news conference on Thursday, Republican Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana accepted the interim report from Blackburn and made it clear GOP leaders stand behind the committee. "Based on what the panel has uncovered so far, everything continues to point to abortion and middlemen breaking federal laws to profit off the disgusting practice of selling baby body parts," Scalise said. Republicans accused Democrats on the committee of working with abortion providers and procurement companies to help thwart the investigation. Some individuals have defied congressional subpoenas to turn over the records and justified their refusal by pointing to memoranda written by Democrats, Blackburn said. She said the committee will continue its investigation and issue its final report by the end of the year. "We are going to pursue getting the truth," she said. Tennessee Republican Rep. Diane Black said that, based upon what the committee has found so far, she is more certain than ever of the need for the investigation. GOP Rep. Vicki Hartzler of Missouri said the investigation has uncovered "a dark, dark industry" that not only harvests tissue from aborted fetuses but misleads women and puts their health at risk. "We are proving and showing the sad reality they are not for women's health they are for a profit," she said. SHARE Many Americans see this year's presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as a classic example of having to pick the lesser of two evils. Voters in a couple of Knox County Commission districts face just the opposite dilemma choosing between two superb candidates. In the 4th District, which extends from Sequoyah Hills west to Bluegrass, the two candidates are Marleen Davis and Hugh Nystrom. Davis, a Democrat, is an architecture professor at the University of Tennessee. She has worked in private practice and has been heavily involved in the revitalization of downtown, particularly the renovation of the Tennessee Theatre. Davis points out that Knox County's population is predicted to increase by 30 percent over the next 25 years, and says her experience as a planner can help the community prepare for the growth. As might be expected of a professor, she is passionate about education and wants to collaborate with the school board to improve the schools and encourage lifelong learning. Nystrom, a Republican, works in community relations for Childhelp Tennessee, a nonprofit that provides training and support for foster families. Prior to that, he spent 13 years in sales and marketing with the Walt Disney Company. He touts his collaborative leadership style, which he says will help in working with the district's school board representative and in his preference for contributing county funds to the city's Lakeshore Park. His business aptitude is coupled with a keen appreciation for the need to help struggling families. Either would make a fine representative for the district, but Nystrom should get the nod for his combination of business acumen and understanding of family issues, as well as his pragmatic approach to governance. Voters in the 2nd District also face a tough choice between Laura Kildare and Michele Carringer, both longtime North Knoxville residents and Central High School graduates who downplay the importance of political parties in addressing local issues. Carringer, a Republican, has long been active in Fountain City and has an extensive community service record. She served a partial term on county commission as an appointee, but has lost two previous election bids. Education and support for law enforcement are top priorities. She wants to promote a positive business climate and work with city officials on public safety in neighborhoods where crime is prevalent. Kildare, a Democrat, is a special education teacher who wants to shut off the "school-to-prison pipeline" that has ruined too many young lives. She wants to stem violence in the community, especially in the neighborhoods between downtown and Interstate 640. She also wants to ensure a positive new use can be found for Physicians Regional Medical Center (still known to North Knoxvillians as St. Mary's) when Tennova builds a new hospital in West Knoxville. As with Nystrom and Davis, either Kildare or Carringer would make solid commissioners. Kildare, with her commitment to improving economically challenged neighborhoods, along with her understanding of the concerns of middle-class residents in Fountain City, is the best choice for the district. Massey announces reelection campaign JULY 13, 2016 at 10:01 p.m. State Sen. Becky Duncan Massey is running for reelection in District 6 based on a strong record of legislative accomplishment over the last five years. Senate District 6 runs from Corryton in the northeast corner of Knox County to West Knox County. Massey is chair of the Senate Calendar Committee and also is a member of the Health and Welfare Committee and Transportation and Safety Committee. I am proud to have sponsored and supported several measures in the General Assembly that will have a positive impact on the lives of all Tennesseans and especially the people of my district, Massey said. There is still work that needs to be done to make government even more efficient and to address the real needs of Tennessee families, especially those who are most vulnerable. I would appreciate the voters support for another term. Massey is executive director of the Sertoma Center in Knoxville that serves adults with intellectual disabilities. She is the only Tennessee legislator who is a social services provider-businesswoman. Becky Massey has been an extremely effective member of the General Assembly and led the way on a number of key pieces of legislation, said Lt. Gov. and Speaker of the Senate Ron Ramsey. She is respected by her colleagues and will continue to take a strong role in moving Tennessee forward through her legislative leadership. Massey won a special election in 2011 to fill a vacated Senate seat and was reelected to a full term in 2012. She has supported measures in the Legislature that greatly reduced the tax burden on Tennesseans. She sponsored legislation that addressed critical health care needs in the states population. Massey was the lead Senate sponsor on the following bills that became law: Three Stars of Tennessee Award for peace officers, firefighters and medical first responders killed or injured in the line of duty. The new law calls for the governor to present the award to each recipient or surviving next of kin during a public ceremony. It recognizes the heroic sacrifices of first responders who give their lives or suffer career-ending injuries in service to the public. Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) legislation that passed in 2015. The legislation encourages and assists disabled individuals and families to save money by establishing tax advantage investment plans to help pay living expenses. The Mabry Kate Webb Act that also passed in 2015. The law enhances newborn screening, including tests for lysosomal storage disorders (rare inherited metabolic disorders), and is named for a Knoxville infant who died of Krabbe disease at nearly 11 months old. Cannabis Oil law to aid children with intractable seizures. Testimony showed that children with Dravet Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy, can suffer several hundred seizures a day and that the oil can have a dramatic effect in reducing episodes. The law decriminalizes possession of the oil, a derivative of marijuana, that does not produce euphoric effects. Advanced Practice Nurses/Healthcare Task Force. This legislation enacted a 19-member task force to make recommendations on health care issues in Tennessee. Specifically, the task force will consider the professional range of advanced practice registered nurses to work to the full extent of their training. Massey also supported the following legislative tax reductions, which reduced the overall tax burden on Tennesseans by more than $525 million: Cut the Hall income tax on senior citizens in 2011 and 2013, reduced the rate this year and eliminated the tax altogether by 2022 Repealed the gift tax Phased out the inheritance tax in 2016 Reduced the sales tax on food Reduced the tax burden on small business Exempted diabetic testing supplies from the sales tax The primary election is Aug. 4 with early voting July 15-30. The general election is Nov. 8 with early voting from Oct. 19 to Nov. 3. Published July 13, 2016 Truman Strike Group Completes Eight-Month Deployment JULY 13, 2016 at 9:10 p.m. NORFOLK, Va. (July 13, 2016) Lt. Rank Eric mans the rails aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) as it returns to homeport at Naval Station Norfolk, completing an 8-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Adelola Tinubu/Released) NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Approximately 6,000 Sailors from Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 8 returned home July 13, after completing an eight-month combat deployment. Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) with embarked CSG 8 staff, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio (CG 68), Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28 staff and guided-missile destroyers USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) and USS Gravely (DDG 107) pulled into Naval Station Norfolk following an extended deployment to the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. USS Ramage (DDG 61) remains deployed and will return to Norfolk later this month. The deployment is credited with supporting U.S. strategy to degrade the Islamic militant group, ISIL. "We received the best training in the world prior to deployment and were extraordinarily fortunate with the opportunities that presented themselves over the course of the last eight months. Being a part of this team, with the standards of professionalism sustained across the entire crew, is something I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life," said Rear Adm. Bret Batchelder, commander, Carrier Strike Group 8. As a result of OIR missions, analysts report a significant reduction in funding operations and estimate up to 45 percent of territory in Iraq and 20 percent in Syria has been seized from the terrorist force. "Throughout deployment, more than 200 days at sea, the crew excelled in every opportunity to deliver direct and positive effects in theater, especially during Operation Inherent Resolve," said Capt. Ryan B. Scholl, Truman's commanding officer. "I couldn't be more proud of their performance." Truman, the carrier strike group's flagship, began deployment conducting integrated carrier operations with the French Navy's Charles de Gaulle Strike Group over a six-week period in the Arabian Gulf. During the coalition fight against ISIL, Truman and embarked CVW-7 completed 2,054 combat sorties, expending 1,598 pieces of precision ordnance--the most carrier-based ordnance throughout OIR--to degrade ISIL resources and leadership. "The close-air-support sorties we conducted supported coalition forces, taking the fight to ISIL," said Capt. David Little, commander, CVW-7. "By engaging dynamic terrorist targets and delivering precision guided ordnance we contributed significantly to the coalition goals of ultimately destroying ISIL." Anzio, commanded by Capt. Frank Castellano, served as Air-Missile Defense Commander and expertly managed the congested battle space in the Arabian Gulf to enable uninterrupted air strikes in support of OIR. "The technology employed on board escort vessels, such as Anzio, allowed for early and accurate identification of inbound air traffic," said Castellano. "This early identification enabled prompt de-confliction and appropriate action, if required, to ensure the safety and security of U.S. and partner forces operating in the region." Strike group destroyers performed escort and maritime interdiction missions as well as seven partnership-enhancing exercises. In addition, Gravely partnered with patrol ship USS Sirocco (PC 6) to seize more than 1,500 suspected Iranian arms in transport to Houthi Rebels in Yemen. "The destroyers operating in Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28 conducted operations across a dispersed area, in support of OIR, theater security cooperation, and other national missions," said Capt. Derek Lavan, commander, DESRON-28. "In addition to escort duties for Truman, they demonstrated the Navy's flexibility and adaptability by successfully conducting simultaneous operations in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation." In June, the strike group disaggregated to support OIR from both the Arabian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea - marking the first time during OIR a U.S. carrier conducted air strikes from the Mediterranean. Although separated by distance, the strike group remained connected through seamless communications. "I'm extremely proud of the Combat Systems and Information Operations teams that performed brilliantly during deployment," said Capt. Rod Burley, information warfare commander. "Their efforts provided, by far, the best off ship connectivity I've experienced on any deployment. Individual unit teams worked around the clock to ensure networks were secure, protected, and defended." "The strike group was successful not only because of its exceptional Sailors, but because we were all part of a larger team effort," said Batchelder. "We had incredible collaboration across 65 nations and our joint partners, specifically the Combined Air and Space Operations Center, which is a testament to the global priority of OIR." The squadrons of CVW-7 include the California-based "Wallbangers" of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 117, the "Fist of the Fleet" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 25, and the "Patriots" of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140; the Virginia Beach-based "Rampagers" of VFA-83, the "Jolly Rogers" of VFA-103, the "Pukin' Dogs" of VFA-143, the "Rawhides" of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 and the "Nightdippers" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5; and the Florida-based "Proud Warriors" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 72. Batchelder summarized the feelings of the strike group's Sailors as CVW-7 launched their fly-off: "We can't thank our families and friends adequately for the love and support they provided over the entire deployment. They are patriots in the truest sense of the word and our many successes were built on their sacrifices and the strength they provided each and every day." Air Wing aircraft returned to their home stations July 12. Published July 13, 2016 The move came on the heels of an international ruling against China's territorial claims. Vietnam on Thursday protested China taking civil flights to new airfields on the Spratlys, a flashpoint island chain in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea), saying it seriously violated Vietnam's sovereignty. The Chinese actions have been conducted regardless of Vietnams opposition and the international communitys concerns," Le Hai Binh, the Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesman, said at a regular press briefing Thursday. "The Chinese illegal activities could not change Vietnams sovereignty over the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa Islands, Binh said, using the Vietnamese names for the Spratlys and Paracels, another island chain the East Sea. On July 13, according to Chinas Xinhua News Agency, an Airbus A319 chartered by China Southern Airlines took off from Haikou, the capital of China's Hainan Province, at 8:30 a.m. and landed on Mischief Reef two hours later, while a Hainan Airlines Boeing 737 took off from Haikou at 8:40 a.m. and landed on Subi Reef at 10:28 a.m. The round trips came one day after a Cessna CE-680 flew to the two reefs to ensure that both airfields are prepared for civil flights. The Xinhuas report came a day after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague concluded China's claims to almost all of the East Sea are groundless and its large-scale land reclamation and construction of artificial islands there have inflicted "irreparable harm" to the marine environment. Vietnam asked that China cease all actions that violate Vietnams sovereignty, strictly comply with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and avoid actions that could further complicate the situation, Binh said. A Chinese J-11 fighter jet is seen flying near a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon about 215 km (135 miles) east of China's Hainan Island in this U.S. Department of Defense handout photo taken August 19, 2014. Photo by Reuters//U.S. Navy Related news: > Vietnam opposes China sending military aircraft to Spratly Islands > Vietnam demands China remove oil rig from overlapping area; protests lighthouse By Lee Hyo-sik KT&G's AFRICA MAPACHO KT&G has introduced its latest product containing Africa Mapacho, a potent variety of rainforest tobacco used for hundreds of generations, including by the ancient Mayans. Korea's largest cigarette maker said Thursday that to develop AFRICA MAPACHO, its developers reinvented the way the Mayans smoked Mapacho 1,300 years ago with a modern point of view. "Mapacho was widely used by the ancient Mayans when they made offerings to their gods or when they prayed for victory prior to battles," a KT&G official said. "By including this unique and rare type of tobacco, we were able to produce cigarettes that offer a rich flavor." The cigarette package, covered in blue, the color symbolizing the Mayan Civilization, also has a Mayan symbol on it, the official said. "AFRICA MAPACHO is a Mayan-themed product, which contains 5 milligrams of tar and 0.4 milligrams of nicotine. We expect to attract a great deal of attention from consumers who seek a new, distinctive taste." AFRICA MAPACHO is priced at 4,500 won per pack. By Jhoo Dong-chan Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor have approved to stage a strike for a fifth year in a row after failing finding middle grounds in the wage negotiations, a union spokesman said Thursday. Hyundai Motor workers plan to continue rallies throughout summer to carry through their demands, pressuring the company to the edge amid its sales downturn. They are also considering staging a joint strike with workers at Hyundai Heavy Industry (HHI) this year, concerning negative impacts in local economy in Ulsan area. It is the first time in 23 years if workers at two companies stage a joint strike. A Hyundai Motor Union spokesman said 77 percent of Hyundai Motor's 48,806 unionized workers approved the strike action. "The overwhelming support is a natural result of the anger of our 48,000 union workers," it said in a statement. Since its establishment 29 years ago in 1987, Hyundai Motor Union has staged strikes 25 times except in 1994, 2009, 2010 and 2011. A total walkout days were 410 days in the last 29 years. Hyundai Motor together with its sister unit Kia Motors reportedly suffered a 0.9 percent decline in sales in the first half this year. The union demanded a 7.2 percent rise in the basic monthly wage and performance pay totaling 30 percent of the automaker's 2015 net profit while the company pushed to freeze wages, revamp the wage structure and expand the so-called "peak wage system." Mayor Park seeks to mimic Singapore's multiculturalism By Kim Jae-kyoung Mayor Park Won-soon SINGAPORE Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said he will beef up policies to promote multiculturalism, taking a cue from Singapore to internationalize the capital of South Korea. Singapore is well known for its liberal multicultural policy embracing all races and religions. Any racial and religious discrimination either in schools or workplaces is strictly banned by the law. In an interview at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Convention Center in Singapore, Park indicated that he will seek ways for foreign immigrants to play a bigger role in their communities to make Seoul a more competitive, internationalized city. "What we have to learn from Singapore is multiculturalism or clearly having the aspect of a global city," said Park who visited Singapore to promote Seoul and attend the World Cities Summit from July 9 to 12. "Of course, that's because English is used as an official language," he added. "However, in Singapore, foreigners are participating not only as tourists but also as key members in the city state's operations." The interview was conducted after Seoul and Singapore signed a memorandum of cooperation, Saturday, to drive tourism traffic and exchanges between the two cities. Park's comments came in a reply to a question on how he plans to work together with the Singaporean government to further globalize Seoul. Multiculturalism in his view is the key driver not only to internationalize the city state but also to make its people more competitive on a global scale. "I visited a staff cafeteria at MBS where around 9,000 people are working. They have different food sections Malay, Asian and Western. Such diverse people live and work in a single place," he said. "Since (people in Singapore) are trained that way, it is much easier for them to advance into the global market." Park's remarks can be interpreted as a signal that he will adopt some of Singapore's multicultural policies to create more workplaces employing immigrants regardless of their racial and religious backgrounds. Park, one of the leading potential presidential candidates from the opposition party, has repeatedly said that the city should work hard to embrace cultural and religious diversity because multiculturalism is an essential prerequisite for prosperity. During his stay in Singapore, he attended the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship to learn about Singapore's policies. He also had meetings with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and former Prime Minister GohChok Tong. Park also stressed the importance of learning foreign languages at an early age, indicating that he will seek ways to encourage young children to learn multiple languages. "I believe that Koreans, young children, should be able to read France's Le Monde and Japan's Mainichi Shimbun (as well as The New York Times)," he said. "(Learning) language is the way Korea can ensure success in competition with bigger countries," he added. "Getting access to diverse civilizations should be easy, and languages are the gateway to that. It is not easy but young people have to learn languages." The civil activist-turned-mayor said that Seoul aims to become the world's top destination for meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) by refurbishing infrastructure in the coming years. "Under the current infrastructure, it is difficult to accommodate an event with over 20,000 people. We plan to build larger-scale, multipurpose integrated facilities on the site of Hyundai Motor's Global Business Center and surrounding area by 2022," he said. "Given that we have been doing decently under the existing situation, we can compete with Singapore and become the world's top MICE destination with the construction of new facilities." Seoul ranked third in international meeting cities in 2015 just behind Brussels and Singapore. Park cited Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul as the best-developed cities in Asia. "Each city has strengths. Cities should be developed with their own individuality and characteristics," he said. At the plenary session of the World Cities Summit, Monday, Park introduced Seoul's green policies for sustainable growth to mayors and governors from other countries. He shared Seoul's successful campaign to reduce nuclear power plants, through which the city managed to save 2 million tons of oil equivalent energy in just two years. By Yoon Ja-young The free trade agreement (FTA) between Korea and Colombia will take effect today, opening doors wider for Korean exporters to Latin America's third-largest market. "Colombia is an important member of the Pacific alliance leading Latin American economies. The Korea-Colombia FTA will provide new opportunities for businesses of both countries," said Kim Hak-do, Korea's deputy trade minister. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), tariffs will be eliminated immediately on 4,390 export items while 2,797 items will see lower tariffs. Colombia is a rapidly growing market in Latin America. Its population of 47.6 million is the third largest in the region while its $377.9 billion GDP is the fourth largest. The country attained 3.1 percent economic growth in 2015, following 4.9 percent growth in 2013 and 4.4 percent in 2014. The country also boasts abundant natural resources. It is the fourth-largest oil producer in Latin America, second-largest in nickel and the sixth in natural gas. Colombia is the third Latin American country to sign an FTA with Korea, following Chile and Peru, while Korea Colombia's first Asian FTA partner. Korea and Colombia officially signed the FTA in February 2013, but it took some time to take effect due to delayed ratification in Colombia. This brings Korea's active FTA partners up to 52 countries. Korea exports cars, auto components and petrochemical products to Colombia while importing crude oil, coffee and ferroalloy. Korea's exports to Colombia totaled $1.1 billion last year, while imports marked $800 million. Korea expects cars, auto components and cosmetics to benefit most under the free trade pact. A tariff on cars, currently at 35 percent, will be scrapped within 10 years while the auto parts tariff will also be eliminated within five years. Cosmetics will also get a tariff exemption within seven to 10 years while medical devices and non-alcoholic beverages such as aloe and red ginseng drinks will see tariffs eliminated immediately. The ministry said that the outlook is especially rosy in sectors like beauty, medicine and health as Colombians are showing increasing interest due to rising household income. KOTRA reported that Korean businesses will benefit from the FTA with Colombia in the medium to long term. "Price competitiveness against Chinese steel companies is especially expected to improve," it noted. Citing Colombia's natural resources, KOTRA picked coffee, foods and cosmetics as promising industries. "When combined with Korean companies' advanced technologies, the two countries are likely to complement each other," it added. By Nam Hyun-woo The ailing Hanjin Shipping is exploring all avenues to sell assets and secure liquidity to stay afloat, but it faces an uphill battle with two weeks until a looming creditor deadline. The firm, under a creditor-led restructuring program, said Wednesday it sold its 21 percent stake in Tan Cang Cai Mep International Terminal in Vietnam for 23 billion won ($20 million) to Hanjin Transportation, a parcel delivery company under Hanjin Group. The move is the latest in Hanjin's 411 billion won self-rescue plan it submitted to creditors in April. It also sold a bulk carrier to H-Line Shipping for 14 billion won as well as its H-Line Shipping stake for 33 billion won. Last month, Hanjin Shipping sold its trademark rights to Hanjin Kal for 74.2 billion won and operating rights on eight Southeast Asian routes for 62.1 billion won. The company also sold its London and Tokyo offices for 32.2 billion won and 8.2 billion won, respectively. Through the selling spree, the company has so far secured some 267.7 billion won. But despite efforts to avoid court receivership, the situation remains tough for Korea's top shipping line. In May, Hanjin Shipping's creditors, led by state-run Korea Development Bank, granted three months of debt relief until Aug. 4 on condition the shipper reduces charter costs by 30 percent and holds meetings with bondholders and shareholders to reschedule debt payments, including loans worth up to 1.1 trillion won set to mature next year. If the company fails to meet the deadline, it will fall under court receivership. But the company has made little progress in charter fee talks with foreign ship providers due to its unpaid fees. The company also reportedly believes it is "almost impossible" to hold a shareholder meeting before the deadline due to difficulties setting up the ratio of the debt-equity swap or other debt-restructuring measures with no concrete progress in the charter fee talks. Hanjin is reportedly seeking ways to extend the Aug. 4 deadline by a month, but an official from the creditors said they are unlikely to accept the proposal. "For creditors to allow a month suspension, they need to be convinced that at least the company has a will for normalization," the official said. Sources close to the matter expect that the extension hinges on Hanjin Group's decision to support its ailing shipping unit as demanded by creditors. The CEO of Google Korea who formerly headed the local unit of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser was summoned again by prosecutors Tuesday to face questions over the British firm's toxic humidifier sterilizer which has caused numerous deaths and illnesses here. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office summoned John Lee as a suspect in the snowballing case that involves scores of deaths since 2011, including some pregnant women. The summons came about two weeks after he was first grilled by prosecutors last month. During the first summons, Lee flatly denied allegations he was aware of the toxicity of the product, prosecutors said. Lee headed the South Korean unit of the consumer goods company from June 2005 to May 2010, when sales of the sterilizer product were at their highest. Maestro Chung Myung-whun was summoned by prosecutors Thursday to face questioning over a recent rumor scandal around a former chief of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO). "I believed what my colleagues, who I worked with for 10 years, said," the conductor told reporters before entering the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul. "There needs to be a thorough investigation so a conclusion can be reached and that is why I came here today." The 63-year-old maestro is locked in a legal battle with Park Hyun-jung, the ex-CEO of the orchestra, who quit earlier in March over alleged sexual and verbal harassment she committed on some members of the orchestra in 2014. The case came to light as 10 employees at the orchestra filed a complaint with police against Park in December. Police, however, concluded in March that Chung's wife, 67, identified only by her surname Koo, is suspected of ordering Chung's secretary to spread the rumors. Koo, known to be in France, is flatly denying the charges. Following the police announcement, the 54-year-old Park filed a petition with the prosecution, seeking investigation into Chung over libel charges. Chung also filed a counterclaim against Park on charges of defamation and false accusation. Prosecutors said they will question Chung over whether there was proof that Park actually harassed the employees. Amid the legal wrangling, the maestro resigned as the orchestra's music director after a decade of service at the end of last year. Chung will undergo a separate police probe into his alleged embezzlement charges on Friday. (Yonhap) Police seized user information from popular Korean online communities to find those who started a rumor that Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee had died./ Yonhap By Lee Jin-a Police are investigating popular Korean online communities to find who started a rumor last month that Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee had died. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Wednesday, the rumor was first posted on "Ilbe Storehouse" and "DC Inside" on June 30. Netizens quickly shared it through social media. Samsung asked police the next day to find the rumormongers. The company said its stock price dropped significantly when the rumor spread. "We found posts sharing the rumor on Korean online communities," police said. "On July 5, we seized and searched personal information of members of the communities who allegedly started the rumor." According to Korean telecommunications law, those who spread false information online to gain benefit or cause damage can be punished. By Kim Bo-eun Senior prosecutor Jin Kyung-joon apologized for having lied about how he profited from trading of Nexon shares as he turned himself in to the prosecution Thursday to be questioned over the high-profile bribery case. The summons came a day after Jin submitted a document to the investigation team to partially acknowledge the allegations. Nexon founder and holding company NXC Chairman Kim Jung-ju was also questioned the same day. "I acknowledge my wrongdoings and regard them as serious," Jin told reporters before entering the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul. "I sincerely apologize for not telling the truth and covering up my wrongdoings." In the document submitted Wednesday, Jin admitted to having received, not borrowed, money from Nexon to purchase its shares. Jin and Nexon earlier claimed last month that the company had lent 400 million won to Jin and other investors as they promised to pay back the amount soon, and they did. However, during the prosecution's questioning, Kim also admitted that Nexon had provided, not lent, the money to Jin. Both Jin and Kim deny the money offering was in return for any favor from Jin to Kim and his company. In 2005, Jin bought 10,000 unlisted Nexon shares for 425 million won, which he sold back to the company the next year for around 1 billion won. With the money, he then bought Nexon Japan's stocks. Nexon Japan's stock price skyrocketed after the company was listed on the Japanese bourse in 2011, and Jin sold those for 12.6 billion won last year, making nearly 12 billion won in profit. Before Jin purchased the first stocks, he worked at the Financial Services Commission's Korean Financial Intelligence Unit from 2002 to 2004. And later from 2009 to 2010, he was in charge of finance and taxation investigations at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. Suspicions have arisen that Jin provided confidential work-related information to Kim and received favors in return. There are also suspicions that Jin used his ties at the prosecution to shield Kim and Nexon from investigations into alleged irregularities. On Monday, a civic group filed a complaint with the prosecution against Kim, alleging that he had engaged in professional negligence, embezzled corporate funds and evaded tax payments of 2.8 trillion won. Separately, Jin is suspected of having halted investigations into conglomerates in return for having them use the services of a cleaning company owned by his brother-in-law. It is alleged that in 2010, Jin was investigating tax evasion allegations of Hanjin Group, but halted investigations within the year. Since the cleaning company was set up in July 2010, it has earned 13.4 billion won in sales and all the money came from providing services to Hanjin Group's affiliates. Although the company was registered under Jin's brother-in-law's name, it is said that Jin's wife actually operated it. The prosecution is set to summon her for questioning as well. Representatives of civic groups hold a press conference at the Korea Press Center, Thursday, to call on the government to scrap its decision to allow the U.S. Forces Korea to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery. / Yonhap By Kim Hyo-jin The Ministry of National Defense is struggling to persuade residents amid a strong backlash over the planned deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here. Defense Minister Han Min-koo will soon visit Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where the battery will be set up next year, to explain about safety issues regarding the anti-missile system to residents, a defense official said Thursday. While taking flak from parties for not seeking public understanding in advance, the defense ministry said it will seek all possible measures to ease public discontent until it sees out the deployment as planned. "The minister will soon visit Seongju as he promised the people from the town," a ministry official said. "We will listen to the public voice and work on addressing their concerns; other ministries are expected to join such efforts." The defense minister on Wednesday met with about 200 Seongju residents who made a protest visit to the ministry and strongly defended the safety of the THAAD system. "When deployed, I will test it myself to prove it is harmless by standing right in front of the (X-band) radar," Han said. "I understand your concern but no harm has ever been detected in many sites where the military operates radar." The government's announcement to deploy the battery in Seongju angered residents, Wednesday. They staged a massive rally in the town, expressing concerns over the potential health impact of the electromagnetic waves emitted from THAAD's X-band radar, as well as the possible damage to the reputation of their melon crop. In the face of the residents' uproar, the ruling Saenuri Party also started calling for countermeasures by the government to ease public anxiety. "If needed, the Prime Minister and Defense Minister should visit the town and reassure the residents," party floor leader Rep. Chung Jin-suk said during a meeting, Thursday. Meanwhile, the minor opposition parties continued demanding that the government seek parliamentary approval for the deployment, while the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) called for follow-up measures to quell public concerns over deployment. "If there's nothing to be ashamed of concerning the decision, why not seek an Assembly endorsement?" asked Rep. Kim Song-sik, chief policymaker of the opposition People's Party. "If the government keeps avoiding it, we will take it to mean that the decision was made without full consideration of the national interest." Defense officials will be grilled Rival parties agreed to hold a two-day interpellation session from Tuesday to Wednesday to question security and defense officials about the decision to deploy the THAAD battery in Seongju. They plan to grill the government over how it will operate the anti-missile defense system and whether its radar carries safety concerns. "We decided to open a parliamentary interpellation session to settle public controversy doubts over the decision," Rep. Kim Do-eup, vice floor leader of the Saenuri Party told reporters. "The nation is divided following the government's announcement. As a countermeasure, the parties agreed to further question the government about the safety issues and the effectiveness of having the battery here," said Rep. Kim Kwan-young, vice floor leader of the People's Party. By Kang Seung-woo The U.S. anti-missile battery to be deployed in the southeastern county of Seongju next year will prioritize protecting U.S. troops and its military equipment here, some opposition lawmakers alleged Thursday. They claimed the South Korean government rushed to agree to the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system under U.S. pressure, putting its relations with China at risk. South Korea announced Wednesday that the anti-missile system, operated by the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), will be located in the county, triggering fierce protests from residents. The missile interceptor, which has an effective range of 200 kilometers, can protect key U.S. military installations, including those in Pyeongtaek and Daegu. However, Seoul and its surrounding area, with a population of roughly 25 million and major facilities, are out of its coverage range. Seongju is located 210 kilometers southeast of Seoul. In order to calm opposition to THAAD, the defense ministry has repeated that it will ensure the security of South Korea and its people as well as American troops here against North Korea's hostilities. "It has become clear that the goal of the THAAD deployment is just to protect U.S. troops and their equipment," said Justice Party Chairwoman Rep. Sim Sang-jeung. Minjoo Party of Korea floor leader Woo Sang-ho also said, "In the case of war, Seoul and its surrounding areas will apparently become the main target, but THAAD cannot protect them, despite coming to South Korea to counter North Korean nuclear and missile threats." He added: "Given that, doubts about the necessity of bringing THAAD here are escalating." By Kang Seung-woo President Park Geun-hye left for Mongolia on Thursday to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit that begins its two-day run on Friday. She also plans to hold bilateral talks with the Mongolian president later this week. The ASEM summit will bring together leaders from 51 countries across Asia and Europe, including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, but Park has no plans to sit down with them on the sidelines of the event, according to Cheong Wa Dae. This is her first visit to Mongolia during her presidential term. The presidential office said Park will focus on strengthening international cooperation to handle challenges that the international community faces, including issues about North Korea and global economic uncertainties from Brexit. "President Park will drum up support from the international community to address North Korea's nuclear and missile issues and fully implement United Nations sanctions on the North, stressing they are the biggest stumbling blocks to increasing cooperation on the Eurasian continent," said Kim Kyou-hyun, senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs. He said the President will also touch on economic uncertainties that were fueled by Britain's recent decision to leave the EU. On the sidelines of the ASEM summit, President Park will hold talks with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to discuss ways to boost ties between South Korea and the EU following Brexit. She also plans to hold bilateral talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Laos' Prime Minister, Thongloun Sisoulith. Following South Korea's decision last week to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, Park's participation in the ASEM summit is drawing extra attention over whether she would meet the Chinese prime minister and talk about the issue. China has strongly opposed THAAD, worrying that its deployment in Korea will monitor its military capabilities. "We have no plans that the President will meet with them," Kim said. Following the ASEM summit, Park will begin her two-day official visit to Mongolia on Sunday and hold a meeting with Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj. They are expected to seek ways to strengthen cooperation in tackling climate change through the development of renewable energy and an anti-desertification program. They also are expected to discuss cooperation in telemedicine and electronic governance, as well as cultural areas, according to the presidential office. Park will return home on Monday. Security tourism in South Korea's northwestern border areas has suffered a blow due to cooling inter-Korean relations amid a series of incessant North Korean provocations, including missile tests. The number of tourists visiting security attractions, including observatories and underground tunnels dug by the North, has been decreasing every year, the border towns of Paju and Yencheon, north of Seoul, said Thursday. According to a Paju tally, the number of local and foreign visitors during the first half of this year stood at 265,696, including 71,518 Chinese tourists, down 36,762, or 12.2 percent, from the 302,457 during the same period of 2014. In particular, the Chinese figure was a 34.7 percent drop from 109,585 in the first six months of 2014, the tally said. Yeoncheon was not an exception. The monthly number of visitors to the town's Taepung Observatory, where tourists are able to look at the North Korean area, plunged to 785 on average during the January-April period this year from 1,710 and 1,570 during the same period in 2014 and 2015, respectively, according to Yencheon data. Such North Korean provocations as land mine attacks and shelling in the Demilitarized Zone last August, its fourth nuclear test in January, and the recent discharge of border dam water without notice are believed to have exerted a bad influence on border tourism more noticeably this year, officials here said. (Yonhap) By Kim Se-jeong A K-pop museum and music institute may be set up in Chang-dong, northeastern Seoul, along with the construction of a mega cultural performance arena. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday that it is considering opening the museum, the school and other facilities as part of its urban redevelopment project for the region, and has just undertaken a feasibility study. By 2020, the area will also house Seoul Arena, the nation's biggest performance hall with 20,000 seats, for contemporary music and dance performances. "By the time Seoul Arena opens and hosts performances, it will attract hallyu fans who may fuel demand for other cultural attractions there," a city official said. By Mark Tokola To be clear, the United Kingdom has not yet left the European Union. The June 23 referendum in the UK was an expression of the will of the people (by a majority of 52 percent to 48) that the British government should begin the process of negotiating an exit from the EU. The EU Treaty allows for such a process. British government officials have said that negotiation may take a decade because of its complexity. The Brexit decision, however, marks a historic turning point that will have ramifications in expanding circles from inside the UK, to the EU, and to the rest of the world, including the United States and Korea. Europe and Korea, and their relationships to the U.S., and to one another, are not separate issues. The U.S., Korea, and EU are all part of the democratic, market-oriented group of countries that must for their own interests work together to promote the rule of law, liberal economic policies, collective security, and human rights. Anything that happens in one makes a difference to the others. What happens next after the Brexit vote? In the immediate future, not much. The economic agreements between the U.S. and the EU, and the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement remain intact and the UK remains part of those agreements until the terms of its departure from the EU can be agreed and implemented. Even then, it is imaginable that that the UK will remain part of an economic relationship with the EU that keeps it within international trade agreements. If, for example, the UK became a member of the European Economic Area, along with Norway and other non-EU member states then, for all practical purposes, the U.S. and Korea would continue torelate to the UK as a member of the European trading bloc. At a more extreme case, it is conceivable that the EU may reconfigure itself into a different type of organization, with a European Political Union consisting of a smaller set of member states, and a European Common Market consisting of a different set. In that case, countries such as Denmark, the Netherlands, or Ireland might join the UK in a reformed Common Market, with themselves departing from the Political Union. If the break is complete, then the U.S. and Korea would need to conclude economic agreements with the UK separately from the EU. It is worth noting that the UK only comprises 17 percent of the overall economy of the EU. It would be an important trading partner on its own, but for the U.S. and Korea, not in the same league as China or the rest of the EU. Some commentators simply do not believe that the result of the Brexit will be a UK departure from the EU. They believe that during the years ahead, the British public will change its mind and decide to stick with an EU that may have reformed itself in the meantime. There are many uncertainties ahead. One of the issues that will soon surface will be that Brexit from the EU does not mean that the UK would leave the European Convention on Human Rights and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. That is part of the Council of Europe legal framework, which is not part of the EU. What will the British public (and the Scots in particular) think of burning yet another bridge with Europe? The main point to be taken from the Brexit vote is that it is part of the tide running against globalization everywhere. While being very different phenomenon, Putinism in Russia, Chinese international assertiveness and its crackdown on domestic dissent, violent religious extremism, and populist nationalist movements within democratic societies (including the U.S. and Korea) have in common their rejection of globalization. There is a strong strain within global society and politics of people who want to live within traditional communities, stop having to compete in a global market, maintain traditional attitudes and cultures, and to have a pride in the groups to which they belong, which are often defined by which people do not belong. People in the UK who voted for Brexit often said in interviews that they just wanted "to live the way we used to." It is hard to think of any society that has succeeded in recreating a past in which to live. And in the end, the problem with building walls to keep the world out is that they also keep you in. Mark Tokola, a former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Seoul, is vice-president of the Korea Economic Institute of America in Washington, D.C. The views expressed here are his own and should not be taken as representing those of the KEIA. The air forces of South Korea and the United States are conducting a five-day joint military drill to hone their skills on rescuing downed pilots in enemy territory, the military said Thursday, as part of their ongoing efforts to strengthen their readiness in the event of conflict breaking out on the Korean Peninsula. In the Pacific Thunder drill being held both in North Jeolla Province and Gangwon Province, some 200 Korean pararescuemen and 250 of their U.S. counterparts are participating in the exercise aimed at saving pilots downed during a mission, the South Korean Air Force said. The drill kicked off on Monday and will run through Friday. A senior U.S. Air Force officer said the Pacific Thunder drill is a good opportunity for U.S. airmen to practice their infiltration and rescue mission on the Korean Peninsula. It is also a very important chance for the two air forces to practice a joint rescue operation. Seoul has allocated 10 military aircraft such as the HH-32 and F-15K for the exercise, with 20 U.S. fighter jets including the A-10 and F-16 taking part in the drill, official sources said. Starting in 2010, the South Korean Air Force joined the annual Pacific Thunder drill, initiated by the U.S. Air Force in 2008. The two countries agreed to hold the drill twice a year from 2015. (Yonhap) By Yi Whan-woo President Park Geun-hye urged the nation, Thursday, to stop what she called unnecessary debates over a decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province. During a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) at Cheong Wa Dae, Park warned that conflicts and clashes among vested interests will lead the nation to "fail to safeguard itself and the people." "The country's national security faces a grand challenge," Park said, referring to North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. "The decision concerning THAAD was made after we judged that there's nothing more important than protecting our people's lives and safety. And we had a sense of urgency to bolster missile defense capabilities of alliance military forces of South Korea and the United States." The NSC meeting took place just hours before she left for Mongolia to attend the Asia-Europe (ASEM) summit on Friday and Saturday. The President convened the meeting amid vocal opposition from residents of Seongju, civic activists and opposition lawmakers over the location of THAAD, an advanced U.S. missile defense system. The Ministry of Defense announced the location, Wednesday, after discussing it with the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). The President called on the government to be "attentive in listening to the residents of Seongju" to help address their concerns over health and environmental risks associated with electromagnetic radiation emitted from THAAD's long-range radar. "It's important to explain to them in an objective and scientific manner that THAAD will pose no danger to their health and agricultural products," Park said. "We should make their town a safe and good place to live as a reward for taking a big part in national security." North Korea made a false claim about the April 23 launch of its submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), multiple government sources in Seoul said Sunday, saying the missile is presumed to have exploded in the air. "It is believed that the SLBM that the North launched on the 23rd (of April) from the East Sea flew about 30 kilometers before exploding," a government source said, noting that the missile may have split into two to three pieces without any booster separation. The 30 km is far below SLBMs' minimum range of 300 kilometers, the source added. "One of the most convincing possibilities is that the North Korean military commanders and missile developers submitted fake reports to their leader Kim Jong-un, alleging the SLBM launch was successful," the source said. "The North's SLBMs have not reached the level where they can be deployed to deliver a nuclear bomb." North Korea's media claimed on April 24 that it successfully launched an SLBM the previous day in the presence of leader Kim Jong-un that can greatly advance the fighting capability of its navy. It quoted Kim as saying that with the SLBM launch, the North now possesses a powerful nuclear weapons arsenal and a credible delivery system. SLBMs, if launched underwater, are very hard to counter because such a missile cannot be detected until it is airborne. By Yi Whan-woo Officials and scientists in North Korea may have lied to the nation's leader Kim Jong-un that the country successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) last week after a trial failed, according to South Korean military sources, Sunday. Citing their analysis, the sources said the missile exploded in midair after it was launched from a 2,000-ton Sinpo-class submarine in the East Sea and traveled 30 kilometers. After the test-firing, the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of Pyongyang's Workers' Party, reported that the SLBM successfully separated its fairings and "proved an accurate operation of its nuclear detonator." "It instead broke into two or three pieces after the explosion, which means the test failed," a source said on condition of anonymity. By Yi Whan-woo North Korea is capable of producing up to 21 nuclear weapons, according to a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives. The House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a draft resolution on North Korea's nuclear program released Thursday, stated that Pyongyang has an estimated stockpile of nuclear materials that can be converted into 13 to 21 nuclear weapons. Previously, the committee presumed that North Korea could make 10 to 16 nuclear weapons. The committee also assessed that the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system on the Korean Peninsula will improve missile defense capabilities in South Korea against potential North Korean missile attacks. It reaffirmed the importance of the security alliance of the U.S., South Korea and Japan to counter North Korea's military threats and nuclear proliferation, calling for "expansion of information, intelligence sharing and sustained diplomatic cooperation" among the three allies. By Lee Jin-a A Korean man has been reported to police for allegedly hitting a foreigner at the Yangju subway station. According to police on Wednesday, the man allegedly slapped the foreigner's face several times after they got into a quarrel over bumping each other at the station on Sunday evening. The assailant disappeared before police arrived at the scene. The bodies of Willie Kimani, a lawyer and investigator working with the U.S. non-governmental organization International Justice Mission, or IJM, IJM client Josephat Mwenda, and IJM driver Joseph Muiruri were recovered on July 7th from a river in Machakos County, east of Nairobi. Willie Kimani, a human rights lawyer, was acting on behalf of Josephat Mwendwa, who claimed he had been shot and injured by police. The three men went missing following their appearance at proceedings in a Nairobi-area courthouse on June 23. Three Kenyan police officers were arrested in connection with the deaths and appeared at the High Court in Nairobi on July 11, where an application to detain them for 14 days pending investigation was granted. The case will return to court on July 18. A joint statement was issued on July 1 by the Heads of Mission in Kenya from the United States; Australia; Denmark; Germany; the Netherlands; Norway; Sweden; and the United Kingdom. Our diplomatic missions have offered law enforcement assistance to the Government of Kenya in this matter, the statement reads. Human rights defenders play a key role in promoting human rights and strengthening the rule of law, and we are committed to supporting their work and protecting them. The individuals responsible for these crimes must face prosecution regardless of whether they are private citizens or members of the NPS (the National Police Service). Holding police officers accountable for violations of human rights and other forms of misconduct is vital to end impunity in the police service and to establish safety and security for all Kenyans. Prosecutors on Thursday said they have indicted a former CFO of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) over his alleged involvement in the financially troubled company's accounting fraud. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said the former executive, identified only by his surname Kim, has been charged for rigging the company's books between 2013 and 2014. Kim, who was also a vice chairman of the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), held the position of the shipyard's financial chief from 2012 to 2015. KDB is Daewoo Shipbuilding's biggest shareholder. Prosecutors said they have detected some 5.7 trillion won ($5 billion) worth of accounting fraud committed between 2012 and 2014 to cover up what turned out to be years of corruption and business losses. Former CEO of the company Ko Jae-ho has been denying his involvement in the process, but prosecutors said such mass-scale fraud could not have been conducted without the involvement of the executive board. About a month earlier, the country's state auditor said DSME may have rigged its books to hide up to 1.5 trillion won ($1.28 billion) in losses between 2013 and 2014. The outcome of the probe by the Board of Audit and Inspection was based on an analysis of orders for 40 offshore plants won by the South Korean shipbuilder over the cited period. Prosecutors are currently looking into some 500 orders clenched by Daewoo Shipbuilding since 2006. The company, along with two other major shipbuilders here, is currently carrying out self-created debt-restructuring plans in the face of weak orders caused by the protracted global economic slump. (Yonhap) By Won Joung-hun One of the more meaningful experiences during travel is visiting various restaurants and enjoying new foods. If there's someone who is planning to visit a North Korean restaurant on a trip, however, think twice whether it's wise to dine there. Currently, there are about 130 North Korean restaurants all over the world. One might be curious about the food of this extremely closed country. And that curiosity can lead one to visit the restaurants. But people should remember that going there can have problematic consequences. One serious problem is that the North Korean regime earns money from these restaurants. Annually, the North Korean government raises around $10 million by operating the restaurants. And this money is not going to be used for citizens' welfare, but for the maintenance of a dictatorship. For example, the money from the overseas restaurants can be used for the North's nuclear program. The North Korean nuclear threat is reaching a serious level these days. Because of their irresponsible and indiscreet nuclear experiments, many countries have imposed sanctions on North Korea, even China. With these increased international sanctions, North Korea's overseas restaurants have become an important source of income for the country's nuclear development. This means that the more people visit North Korean restaurants and spend money there, the more money the North's government has for its nuclear program. Even though it seems minor, nobody wants to be a contributor to the nuclear development of a dictatorship. Therefore, if there's a person who doesn't want to contribute to North Korea's nuclear ambitions, withholding one's business from North Korea restaurants can be a better choice. Working conditions are another problem of these restaurants. The employees there are exploited and harshly forced to raise sales. They usually work for more than 12 hours per day, with a monthly income of 10 to 15 dollars. And each of them is also obligated to raise sales to over $200,000 every year. Customers' repeat business at North Korean restaurants can mean the workers are trapped in continuous exploitation. Workers might have additional workloads and pressures if customers keep increasing. Most people might agree that restaurants where workers are exploited should be shut down. North Korean restaurants overseas, in this sense, are worth skipping. Customers also can be directly damaged by visiting a North Korean restaurant, as their personal information can be leaked. According to a former restaurant worker, the restaurant's waitresses have an information-gathering mission. They gather customer's personal information and report it to their supervisors. People usually visit a restaurant not only to enjoy food, but also for the cultural experience. If there is a restaurant that monitors customers' conversations and hacks their credit card information, that's not a real restaurant but a mere trap for illicit information-collecting. North Korean restaurants, from this viewpoint, are not real restaurants but places of subterfuge. Choosing where to eat is one's freedom. But if it's a North Korean restaurant, more careful consideration is needed beforehand. Dining at a North Korean restaurant is just for a moment, but the consequence of this can be negative and long-lasting. Therefore, when you see a North Korean restaurant on a trip, just passing it by can be a wise choice. Won Joung-hun is a student at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. Write to topswagger@naver.com. Nexon scandal shows there is a long way to go A special prosecution team summoned senior prosecutor Jin Kyung-joon for questioning Thursday over the wealth he amassed through shares of Nexon, the nation's leading online gaming company. Before entering the prosecutors' office in southern Seoul, he admitted partly to his wrongdoings and apologized for concealing the truth, surrounded by reporters. On Wednesday, prosecutors summoned Nexon founder and CEO Kim Jung-ju, Jin's Seoul National University alumni, over his alleged involvement in the shady stock trading. In March, Jin was found to have made 12 billion won (about $10.5 million) last year by selling Nexon shares he purchased for 400 million won in 2005. This fact came to light in the course of a mandatory disclosure of personal wealth held by high-ranking public officials. Suspicions arose immediately over how Jin was able to buy the coveted unlisted shares amid speculation that the Nexon founder offered them as de facto bribes to insure the fledgling company against any future prosecution investigations. Doubts mounted further as Jin reiterated lies about the source of the 400 million won. At first, he said he had bought the shares with his own money, but later said during an inspection by an ethics committee that the money came from his mother-in-law. However, it turned out that Nexon lent the money to Jin for free. Jin is also suspected of using luxury sedans provided by the gaming company under the name of his brother-in-law. Most recently, it was revealed that he turned a blind eye to irregularities at Hanjin Group while serving as a prosecutor in Seoul investigating financial and tax crimes in 2009 and 2010. In return, one of the top 10 conglomerates entrusted a building cleaning service contract to a small company established by his brother-in-law. If all these suspicions prove to be true, Jin deserves criticism for having used his public position as a means of conducting business. One cannot help but wonder how such a man has climbed the ladder to become one of the nation's highest-ranking prosecutors. It may be reasonable to guess that there are more people like him in the prosecution. The point here is to uncover whether any favors were given to Nexon and its officials, including Kim. In fact, the prosecution might find it difficult to punish Jin if it fails to prove the existence of favors with clear evidence. And even if the existence of favors is upheld, it won't be easy to penalize him, considering the 10-year statute of limitations applied to bribery charges. All this explains why the highest law enforcement agency should leave no stone unturned in investigating the suspicions thoroughly and bringing all offenders to justice. The Nexon scandal shows that reforming the prosecution has been an unfinished national task. This is clearly evidenced from the fact that Prosecutor General Kim Soo-nam launched the special investigation team reluctantly only after public opinion simmered. The top prosecutor is tasked with restoring confidence and honor to the prosecution, but it's doubtful if he will be up to it. Now may be the time for reform from the outside once again. South Korea's military on Thursday stressed that electromagnetic waves generated by radars used by the Patriot PAC-2 and other missile systems pose no health risks, as authorities move to calm worries following the decision to deploy an advanced anti-missile system in the country. In a media event held at a Patriot PAC-2 missile base in southern Seoul, the Ministry of National Defense conducted a test on the radar used on the PAC-2. "The military wants to deliver the exact information on the U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense battery and show that electromagnetic waves emanating from radars will not cause health problems for residents in the rural town of Seongju," a ministry official said. Earlier in the week, Seonju, located 296 kilometers south of Seoul, was selected as the site for the country's first THAAD battery, which can shoot down incoming ballistic missiles from the North during the terminal phase of flight. Like THAAD, the PAC-2 system is also used to intercept incoming missiles as they fall towards the ground. The decision made by Seoul and its close ally Washington triggered strong objections from China that claimed the powerful X-band radar, used by THAAD, could spy on its military activities. Seongju residents are also against the deployment due mainly to health concerns. The test carried out to soothe unfounded safety worries in Seongju and across the country over the planned THAAD deployment highlighted the military's safety requirements when operating missile batteries. The electromagnetic waves measured during the first six minutes after radar beams were activated reached a maximum of 0.2826 watt per square meter and an average of 0.0735 watt per square meter. The results were far lower than 10 watts per square meter which is the maximum permitted under Korean laws, according to the ministry. "Given the maximum level of electromagnetic waves just 20 meters away from the PAC-2 system that is just 2.8 percent of the max permissible level, neighborhoods located away from the radar and lower from down the mountain (where the PAC-2 unit is based) are utterly unaffected by the electromagnetic waves," the official said. To further alleviate doubts, the radar waves gauged at a point 120 meters away from the PAC-2 antenna dropped to a maximum of 0.0336 and an average of 0.0065, the ministry official pointed out. As there are no towns near the mountainous area of Seongju, the venue for THAAD, he also predicted no impact from the THAAD radar system. Others at the demonstration emphasized that missile battery radars direct their beams into the sky to detect incoming threats so there is no reason for people on the ground to be worried. Despite such assurances, some critics have pointed out that the radar beam from THAAD's AN/TPY-2 is much stronger compared to those used on the PAC-2 system. Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in January and the long-range rocket launch the following month offered a strong impetus for Seoul and Washington to reach an agreement on the deployment of THAAD in the South. The two allies said they aim to get the system working by the end of 2017. (Yonhap) By Donald Kirk LONDON Nobody does politics like the Brits. Just as Hillary and the Trumpster were turning into bores in the U.S., along came an unpredictable change in the leadership of the United Kingdom. While one conservative takes over from another as prime minister, confusion reigns. For the benefit of anyone thinking Japanese or Korean or Taiwanese political struggles are nasty, what could have been nastier than the quick dash for power that grabbed headlines here after a majority of Brits voted for Britain's exit from the European Union? If the outcome of the Brexit vote came as a shock, the aftermath of dirty politics was a second act mingling still more surprise with moments of comic relief and silliness. The world's conflict-ridden democracies should take note of the really good news: the power shift happened mercifully quickly with the ascent of the home secretary, Theresa May, to prime minister. After May won an overwhelming majority of her party's members in parliament, David Cameron decided to resign right away. Why put the country through months of time-wasting "transition," as he had originally planned, before bowing out after the humiliation of the Brexit vote? May's sudden rise came after the nation was treated to the goofiness of another woman, her last major opponent, known for her extreme rightist views. Her mistake was to say that "being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake." That jab at May, who has no children, totally backfired. The woman, whose resume was suspect anyway, had to apologize and bow out to catcalls from all sides. No British political ruckus would be complete without a sex scandal. In this political season, another member of Cameron's cabinet with prime ministerial visions was revealed to have sent sexually suggestive messages to a young woman. The papers had a field day quoting one message in which he said he wanted to kiss her "everywhere." Cameron said whatever the man had sexted was "private," but he was finished. Amid all the fun, issues were sublimated if not lost. For one thing, nobody really knows what Brexit is all about. Cameron, and now May, are trying to assure everyone that a lot of the deals made as a member of the European Union will go on, Brexit or not. There's even speculation Brexit won't happen. Voices are heard saying the referendum was "non-binding." Negotiations on the breakup have yet to begin. They may go on for a long time. May herself was for staying in the EU not loudly but enough to delay an "inevitable" breakup that may not be inevitable after all. But what's really interesting is there's no serious political counter to the conservatives. The opposition Labour Party remains a weak and divided force. The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, faces revolt led, yes, by a woman, Angela Eagle. Corbyn represents the far left of a party that's almost centrist. There's scarcely any chance of the Labour Party leader winning a majority of seats in parliament in a general election. In any case, Labour leaders, ostensibly opposed to Brexit, seem uncertain about it considering how many party members, fearful of losing their jobs, oppose staying in Europe. In the combustible admixture of British politics, pro-Brexiters in Labour share a common cause with the patriotic rightists who are loudest in their horror over the EU. U.S. leaders, and their friends in power in Seoul, Tokyo and elsewhere, should breathe sighs of relief over May's rise. She's dedicated to fighting terrorism along with Russian expansionism and definitely not going to advocate compromise with Kim Jong-un. Corbyn, in contrast, is ritualistically anti-American. An outfit called "Stop the War Coalition," which Corbyn once led, believes "the interference, aggression of the U.S. and its allies" is responsible for tensions on the Korean Peninsula. What else but "the criminal U.S. embargo" and the presence of nearly 30,000 U.S. troops could create such havoc? May, however, faces military issues closer to home. What's to happen to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), while EU members, still including Britain, quarrel among themselves? What commitment can Britain make to standing firm against the Russians while under pressure from the U.S. to fight against the Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East? For a day or two after Brexit, the fight over leadership of the Conservative Party and the nation was interrupted by the release of a sensational 12-volume report on a seven-year investigation, led by Sir John Chilcot, of the British military role in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. The Chilcot report castigated the decision of Tony Blair, prime minister at the time, to side with George W. Bush, then the U.S. president, in his decision to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein on the false grounds that Saddam had a nuclear weapons program. The report was so scathing that it's unlikely any British prime minister, even the conservative, resolute Theresa May, will want to make a similar commitment while worrying about Brexit, right or wrong, real or imagined. Donald Kirk, www.donaldkirk.com, a frequent visitor to London, has been covering war and peace in the Middle East for decades. He's at kirkdon4343@gmail.com. Dr. Kim In-kwon By Yoon Ja-young Dr. Kim In-kwon has been awarded for his care of patients of Hansen's disease, or leprosy, and others with disabilities. He's been selected as the winner of the Seongcheon Prize awarded by the JW Foundation, a nonprofit run by the pharmaceutical JW Group, to recognize those offering medical services for the underprivileged. The foundation said that he was selected for his contributions to improving the human rights of the underprivileged as well as for their rehabilitation. As a graduate of Seoul National University's medical school, Kim had an affluent and cozy life guaranteed. However, he gave up that life and volunteered to work at the national hospital for leprosy patients on Sorokdo, an island in Goheung County, South Jeolla Province, where lepers were kept isolated for nearly a century. The young doctor was accompanied by his wife and their daughter who was only two months old when they left for the island in 1980. His friends and family thought it would be okay for him to spend a few years serving there at the start of a long career that he was to build as a doctor, but he came to dedicate his whole life there. He moved to Wilson Leprosy Center and Rehabilitation Center in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, in 1983, where he has been treating patients there since then. The hospital, close to Sorokdo, dates back to 1909 when a clinic for leprosy patients was built with donations from the United States' Southern Presbyterian Church. "I thought that these patients who were marginalized from society would need me the most," the doctor said, explaining why he chose to stay with the leprosy patients. The doctor, who specializes in orthopedics, had been focusing on treating patients suffering from leprosy and polio, but he switched to artificial joint surgery in the mid-1990s. While the number of leprosy and polio patients decreased thanks to vaccinations and medical advances, he noted that many elderly patients in the nearby rural area were suffering from degenerative arthritis and couldn't get treatment due to financial problems. He started performing artificial joint surgeries for underprivileged patients at minimal fees, and around 3,000 underprivileged arthritis patients receive surgery at the hospital every year. The 66-year-old doctor reached the official age of retirement in March, but he is continuing to treat dozens of patients daily as a director emeritus. The ceremony to honor him is scheduled next month at The Westin Chosun Seoul. An SK Telecom official introduces the company's nationwide LoRa Internet of Things network during a meeting of mobile carriers and IT firms in Nice, France, Thursday. / Courtesy of SK Telecom By Yoon Sung-won SK Telecom wants to establish a global roaming network for Internet of Things (IoT) services in cooperation with overseas telecom operators. The nation's top mobile carrier said Thursday the global IoT roaming network will enable services such as luggage tracking. "We will actively share our knowhow obtained while establishing and commercializing the LoRa network nationwide with partners at home and abroad, contributing to a global IoT ecosystem," said Park Jin-hyo, SK Telecom's network R&D center senior vice president. SK Telecom said it participated in a meeting in Nice, France, this week to discuss partnerships for establishing an international roaming system for the LoRa network connecting Korea and Europe. The network is designed to provide wide coverage, low energy consumption and long battery life for IoT modules for small devices. The network was developed by the LoRa Alliance, a group of global mobile carriers and network equipment makers that includes Cisco and IBM. On July 4, SK Telecom said it has established the LoRa network in Korea and plans to connect 4 million IoT devices to it by next year. SK Telecom said it suggested its partners including Spanish telecom company Telefonica and France's leading system integration providers EGM and CEA jointly develop a LoRa-based roaming system. The French companies, which are testing their LoRa networks in the European market, welcomed the suggestion and agreed to discuss standardization of roaming systems, SK Telecom said. The Korean telecom company also said it will meet officials from the LoRa Alliance in Berlin next week to discuss the matter. SK Telecom said the IoT roaming system plan is a part of the Korean government's national policy research projects. In June, the telecom company joined a consortium of Sejong University and EGM to cooperate in the IoT sector. Company plans to promote Samsung Pay' in US By Kim Yoo-chul The latest figures on smartphone sales in the U.S. show Samsung Electronics beating out its rival Apple there between March and May. Data from Kantar WorldPanel showed that Samsung's Galaxy S7 smartphone outsold Apple's iPhone 6S and 6S Plus between March and May this year. The research firm said Samsung Electronics was the top player with a share of 37 percent, followed by Apple with 29 percent. In terms of shares for their flagship products, the Galaxy S7 grabbed 16 percent, while that of Apple's iPhone 6S and 6S Plus line remained at 14.6 percent, according to Kantar. Samsung Electronics has expanded its product lineup to more than a dozen models on the back of its in-house manufacturing capability, compared to Apple's nine iPhones. But Apple had stronger brand loyalty than Samsung, as 88 percent of current Apple device users responded that they will continue to use Apple products, compared to 86 percent of Samsung Galaxy users. Five percent of Apple users moved to Samsung Galaxy, while the portion moving from Galaxy to the iPhone was 14 percent. Samsung officials and analysts say the latest results don't necessarily mean that Samsung is a "firm leader" in the U.S. smartphone market. But they say the analysis is indicative that Apple is losing its luster on its home ground. "The question is will consumers want to buy iPhones at a time when Samsung phones and even phones from other companies are getting better and more sophisticated in terms of software and hardware. This is why Apple will be releasing its curved iPhones using much brighter OLED panels late next year which Samsung Display will be handling," said an official. Samsung Pay in US A senior executive said the company plans to jointly promote its mobile payment system, Samsung Pay, with U.S. carriers. "Talks with major U.S. carriers were successful. Samsung plans to launch campaigns to promote Samsung Pay in the U.S.," said Samsung Electronics President Ko Dong-jin, who also oversees the company's handset business. The executive added the company hopes for upcoming promotional campaigns to win over more U.S. customers to the Samsung-developed mobile payment system. "Initial response of Samsung Pay was quite impressive and solid. The response from markets where Samsung Pay has already been available is also good. If U.S. consumers are satisfied with Samsung Pay, then they will buy Samsung phones," Ko said in a meeting with local reporters. "Samsung is hoping to enjoy more lock-in effects by expanding Samsung Pay in the U.S. Whether or not we will see an increase of Samsung phone sales will depend on the expansion of Samsung Pay," said Kwon Seong-ryeol, an analyst at Dongbu Securities. Samsung Pay was introduced there last October. Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, Edge Plus, S7, S7 Edge, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy A9 and Galaxy A7, support the Pay system. Ko remained confident on the outlook for Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Note 7. Samsung sent an invitation letter to industry officials, press and developers for a company event to release the Note 7 in New York, Aug. 2. The "Unpacked" event will be broadcast live in London and Rio de Janeiro. Sirajuddin Haqqani is a fugitive who is wanted in connection with the January 2008 attack on the Serena Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed six people. A Pashtun Afghan believed to be hiding in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Afghanistan, Haqqani is about 37 years old, stands five feet seven inches tall, weighs approximately 150 pounds, with a light wrinkled complexion and black hair. He also is known as Siraj Haqqani or Khalifa. Haqqani is a senior leader of the terror network founded by his father Jalaladin Haqqani and he maintains close ties to al Qaida. He had admitted planning the January 14, 2008, attack on the Serena Hotel in Kabul that killed six people, including an American, Thor David Hesla. He also admitted planning the April 2008 assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai and taking part in attacks in U.S. and Coalition forces in Afghanistan. The Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to five million dollars for information leading to Haqqani's arrest or prosecution. The U.S. guarantees that all reports will be investigated and the identity of all informants will be kept confidential. If appropriate, the U.S. is prepared to protect informants by relocating them. If you have information on this man, contact the Regional Security Office at the nearest U.S. Embassy, and the tip line at www.rewardsforjustice.net or e-mail information to RFJ@state.gov. ELKO U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., announced the hiring of Martin Paris as his rural representative in Elko. Im thrilled to have Martin join our team. As a life-long Nevadan with a strong ranching background, Martins understanding of the unique needs of our rural communities will serve Nevadans very well. His experience will bring great value to Nevada and Im excited to welcome him aboard. As Amodeis rural representative, Paris will assist Nevadans by putting them in contact with federal, state and local agencies. He most recently worked as a resource technician at an environmental consulting company where he handled rangeland issues among other projects, and he previously worked in Washington, D.C., as a Legislative Fellow specializing in natural resource issues. Paris was born in Reno and grew up on his familys cattle ranch in Battle Mountain. After graduating from Battle Mountain High School, he attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif., where he graduated with a bachelor of arts in political science in 2014. His office is located at 905 Railroad St., Suite 104D. The phone number is 777-7705. An easier-than-expected first mammogram experience HUNTERSVILLE Scheduling a cancer screening probably ranks somewhere on your to-do list between "clean out the garage" and "donate those clothes that don't fit." Sure, you'll get to it at... Chamber retreat helps discover strengths in communication The Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce has proved that networking can come in many ways. It doesnt have to come at a luncheon or happy hour or Christmas party, but... Road to Healing Audio Article Ceyapi, this past Saturday we cried as we listened to the stories of many who were hurt in one of... Disparities can bring early death Audio Article This past week brought me to the Black Hills and to Bear Butte. Bear Butte is a one of small... 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 This editorial appears in the July 15, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. EDITORIAL Deutsche Bank Must Be Saved, for the Sake of World Peace! Statement issued by Helga Zepp-LaRouche, Chairwoman of the German Civil Rights Movement Solidarity (BuSo), on July 12, 2016. [PDF version of this editorial] The imminent threat of the bankruptcy of Deutsche Bank is certainly not the only potential trigger for a new systemic crisis of the trans-Atlantic banking system, which would be orders of magnitude more deadly than the 2008 crisis, but it does offer a unique lever to prevent a collapse into chaos. Behind the SOS launched by the chief economist of Deutsche Bank, David Folkerts-Landau, for an EU program of 150 billion to recapitalize the banks, lurks the danger openly discussed in international financial media, that the entire European banking system is de facto insolvent, and is sitting on a mountain of at least 2 trillion of non-performing loans. Deutsche Bank is the international bank which, with a total of 55 trillions of outstanding derivative contracts and a leverage factor of 40:1, even outdoes Lehman Brothers at the time of its collapse, and therefore represents the most dangerous Achilles heel of the system. Half of Deutsche Banks balance sheet, which has plummeted 48% in the past 12 months and is down to only 8% of its peak value, is made up of level-3 derivatives, i.e., derivatives amounting to circa 800 billion without a market valuation. It probably came as a surprise to many that Lyndon LaRouche called today for Deutsche Bank to be saved through a one-time increase in its capital base, because of the systemic implications of its threatened bankruptcy. Neither the German government with its GDP of 4 trillion, nor the EU with a GDP of 18 trillion, would be able to control the domino effect of a disorderly bankruptcy. The one-time capital injection, LaRouche explained, is only an emergency measure which needs to be followed by an immediate reorientation of the bank, back to its tradition which prevailed until 1989 under the leadership of Alfred Herrhausen. To actually oversee such an operation, a management committee must be set up to verify the legitimacy and the implications of the obligations, and finalize its work within a given timeframe. That committee should also draw up a new business plan, based on Herrhausens banking philosophy and exclusively oriented to the interests of the real economy of Germany. Alfred Herrhausen was the last actually creative, moral industrial banker of Germany. He defended, among other things, the cancellation of the unpayable debt of developing countries, as well as the long-term credit financing of well-defined development projects. In December 1989, he planned to present in New York a plan for the industrialization of Poland, which was consistent with the criteria used by the Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) for the post-1945 reconstruction of Germany, and would have offered a completely different perspective than the so-called reform policy, or shock therapy, of Jeffrey Sachs. Herrhausen was assassinated on November 30, 1989 by the Third Generation of the Red Army Fraction, whose existence has yet to be proven to this day. It happened only two days after Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who counted Herrhausen among his closest advisors, had presented his ten-point program for gradually overcoming the division of Germany [between East and West]. The cui bono of the terrorist attack remains one of the most fateful issues in the modern history of Germany, and one which urgently needs to be clarified. The fact is that Herrhausens successors introduced a fundamental paradigm change in the banks philosophy, which brought Deutsche Bank into the wild world of profit maximization at all costs, and also into countless unpunishable and punishable legal entanglements, which those responsible have avoided until now, mainly because of the too big to fail premises. The transformation of Deutsche Bank into a global investment bank with the highest derivatives exposure, combined with the simultaneous credit crunch for German small and medium-sized enterprises, is symptomatic of the folly which has led to the current catastrophe. We must now act with resolution, but not in the way Folkerts-Landau proposes, that is, not with more of the same medicine, which would certainly kill the patient. Although it has mainly operated over the past years out of London and New York, Deutsche Bank is too important for the German economy, and therefore for Germany, and ultimately for the fate of all of Europe. Its reorganization in the spirit of Alfred Herrhausen is not only the key to overcoming the banking crisis, but also for averting the acute danger of war. Herrhausens assassination has gone unpunished. However, there exists the dreaded might, that judges what is hid from sight, which is the subject of Friedrich Schillers poem Die Kraniche des Ibykus. The Erinyes have begun their dreadful dance. It is now incumbent upon all those who, in addition to the family, have suffered from the assassination of Herrhausen, upon the representatives of the Mittelstand, of the German economy, and the institutional representatives of the German population, to honor his legacy and to seize the tremendous opportunity which is now offered to save Germany. This article appears in the July 15, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. THE FOUR NEW LAWS TO SAVE THE U.S.A. NOW! No t a n Optio n: A n Immediat e Necessity by Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr. Initially published June 13, 2014 [PDF version of this article] The following statement is for immediate action by all associates in all regions of the National Caucus of Labor Committees and its associated practice. The priority is assigned to all means and measures of public action, nationally and internationally, without reservation. That priority is existential for the policies of our republic, and for the general information of, and by all relevant circles world-wide, beginning this date of June 8, 2014. 1. The Fact of the Matter The economy of the United States of America, and also that of the trans-Atlantic political-economic regions of the planet: are, now, under the immediate, mortal danger of a general, physical-economic, chain-reaction breakdown-crisis of that region of this planet as a whole. The name for that direct breakdown-crisis throughout those indicated regions of the planet, is the presently ongoing introduction of a general Bail-in action under the several, or more governments of that region: the effect on those regions, will be comparable to the physical-economic collapse of the post-World War I general collapse of the economy of the German Weimar Republic: but, this time, hitting, first, the entirety of the nation-state economies of the trans-Atlantic region, rather than some defeated economies within Europe. A chain-reaction collapse, to this effect, is already accelerating with an effect on the money-systems of the nations of that region. The present acceleration of a Bail-in policy throughout the trans-Atlantic region, as underway now, means mass-death suddenly hitting the populations of all nations within that trans-Atlantic region: whether directly, or by overflow. The effects of this already prepared action by the monetarist interests of that so-designated region, will, unless stopped virtually now, will produce, in effect, an accelerating rate of genocide throughout that indicated portion of the planet immediately, but, also, with catastrophic side effects of comparable significance in the Eurasian regions. The Available Remedies The only location for the immediately necessary action which could prevent such an immediate genocide throughout the trans-Atlantic sector of the planet, requires the U.S. Governments now immediate decision to institute four specific, cardinal measures: measures which must be fully consistent with the specific intent of the original U.S. Federal Constitution, as had been specified by U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton while he remained in office: (1) immediate re-enactment of the Glass-Steagall law instituted by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, without modification, as to principle of action. (2) A return to a system of top-down, and thoroughly defined as National Banking. The actually tested, successful model to be authorized is that which had been instituted, under the direction of the policies of national banking which had been actually, successfully installed under President Abraham Lincolns superseding authority of a currency created by the Presidency of the United States (e.g. Greenbacks), as conducted as a national banking-and-credit-system placed under the supervision of the Office of the Treasury Secretary of the United States. For the present circumstances, all other banking and currency policies, are to be superseded, or, simply, discontinued: as follows. Banks qualifying for operations under this provision, shall be assessed for their proven competence to operate as under the national authority for creating and composing the elements of this essential practice, which had been assigned, as by tradition, to the original office of Secretary of the U.S. Treasury under Alexander Hamilton. This means that the individual states of the United States are under national standards of practice, and, not any among the separate states of our nation. (3) The purpose of the use of a Federal Credit-system, is to generate high-productivity trends in improvements of employment, with the accompanying intention, to increase the physical-economic productivity, and the standard of living of the persons and households of the United States. The creation of credit for the now urgently needed increase of the relative quality and quantity of productive employment, must be assured, this time, once more, as was done successfully under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, or by like standards of Federal practice used to create a general economic recovery of the nation, per capita, and for rate of net effects in productivity, and by reliance on the essential human principle, which distinguishes the human personality from the systemic characteristics of the lower forms of life: the net rate of increase of the energy-flux density of effective practice. This means intrinsically, a thoroughly scientific, rather than a merely mathematical one, and by the related increase of the effective energy-flux density per capita, and for the human population when considered as each and all as a whole. The ceaseless increase of the physical-productivity of employment, accompanied by its benefits for the general welfare, are a principle of Federal law which must be a paramount standard of achievement of the nation and the individual. (4) Adopt a Fusion-Driver Crash Program. The essential distinction of man from all lower forms of life, hence, in practice, is that it presents the means for the perfection of the specifically affirmative aims and needs of human individual and social life. Therefore: the subject of man in the process of creation, as an affirmative identification of an affirmative statement of an absolute state of nature, is a permitted form of expression. Principles of nature are either only affirmation, or they could not be affirmatively stated among civilized human minds. Given the circumstances of the United States, in particular, since the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, and his brother, Robert, the rapid increase required for even any recovery of the U.S. economy, since that time, requires nothing less than measures taken and executed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his actual term in office. The victims of the evil brought upon the United States and its population since the strange death of President Harding, under Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover (like the terrible effects of the Bush-Cheney and Barack Obama administrations, presently) require remedies comparable to those of President Franklin Roosevelt while he were in office. This means emergency relief measures, including sensible temporary recovery measures, required to stem the tide of death left by the Coolidge-Hoover regimes: measures required to preserve the dignity of what were otherwise the unemployed, while building up the most powerful economic and warfare capabilities assembled under the President Franklin Roosevelt Presidency for as long as he remained alive in office. This meant the mustering of the power of nuclear power, then, and means thermonuclear fusion now. Without that intent and its accomplishment, the population of the United States in particular, faces, now, immediately, the most monstrous disaster in its history to date. In principle, without a Presidency suited to remove and dump the worst effects felt presently, those created presently by the Bush-Cheney and Obama Presidencies, the United States were soon finished, beginning with the mass-death of the U.S. population under the Obama Administrations recent and now accelerated policies of practice. There are certain policies which are most notably required, on that account, now, as follows: Vernadsky on Man & Creation V.I. Vernadskys systemic principle of human nature, is a universal principle, which is uniquely specific to the crucial factor of the existence of the human species. For example: time and space do not actually exist as a set of metrical principles of the Solar system; their only admissible employment is for purposes of communication is essentially nominal presumption. Since competent science for today can be expressed only in terms of the unique characteristic of the human species role within the known aspects of the universe, the human principle is the only true principle known to us for practice: the notions of space and time are merely useful imageries: Rather: The essential characteristic of the human species, is its distinction from all other species of living processes: that, as a matter of principle, which is, rooted scientifically, for all competent modern science, on the foundations of the principles set forth by Filippo Brunelleschi (the discoverer of the ontological minimum), Nicholas of Cusa (the discovery of the ontological maximum), and the positive discovery by mankind, by Johannes Kepler, of a principle coincident with the perfected Classical human singing scale adopted by Kepler, and the elementary measure of the Solar System within the still larger universe of the Galaxy, and higher orders in the universe. Or, similarly, later, the modern physical-scientific standard implicit in the argument of Bernhard Riemann, the actual minimum (echoing the principle of Brunelleschi), of Max Planck, the actual maximum of the present maximum, that of Albert Einstein; and, the relatively latest, consequent implications of the definition of human life by Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky. These values are, each relative absolutes of measurement of mans role within the knowledge of the universe. This set of facts pertains to the inherent fraud of the merely mathematicians and the modernist musical performers since the standard of the relevant paragon for music, Johannes Brahms (prior to the degenerates, such as the merely mathematicians, such as David Hilbert and the true model for every modern Satan, such as Bertrand Russell, or Tony Blair). The knowable measure, in principle, of the difference between man and all among the lower forms of life, is found in what has been usefully regarded as the naturally upward evolution of the human species, in contrast to all other known categories of living species. The standard of measurement of these compared relationships, is that mankind is enabled to evolve upward, and that categorically, by those voluntarily noetic powers of the human individual will. Except when mankind appears in a morally and physically degenerate state of behavior, such as within the cultures of the tyrants Zeus, the Roman Empire, and the British empire, presently: all actually sane cultures of mankind, have appeared, this far, in a certain fact of evolutionary progress from the quality of an inferior, to a superior species. This, when considered in terms of efficient effects, corresponds, within the domain of a living human practice of chemistry, to a form of systemic advances, even now leaps, in the chemical energy-flux density of societys increase of the effective energy-flux-density of scientific and comparable expressions of leaps in progress of the species itself: in short, a universal physical principle of human progress. The healthy human culture, such as that of Christianity, if they warrant this affirmation of such a devotion, for example, represents a society which is increasing the powers of its productive abilities for progress, to an ever higher level of per-capita existence. The contrary cases, the so-called zero-growth scourges, such as the current British empire are, systemically, a true model consistent with the tyrannies of a Zeus, or, a Roman Empire, or a British (better said) brutish empire, such as the types, for us in the United States, of the Bush-Cheney and Obama administrations, whose characteristic has been, concordant with that of such frankly Satanic models as that of Rome and the British empire presently, a shrinking human population of the planet, a population being degraded presently in respect to its intellectual and physical productivity, as under those U.S. Presidencies, most recently. Chemistry: The Yardstick of History We call it chemistry. Mankinds progress, as measured rather simply as a species, is expressed typically in the rising power of the principle of human life, over the abilities of animal life generally, and relatively absolute superiority over the powers of non-living processes to achieve within mankinds willful intervention to that intended effect. Progress exists so only under a continuing, progressive increase of the productive and related powers of the human species. That progress defines the absolute distinction of the human species from all others presently known to us. A government of people based on a policy of zero-population growth and per capita standard of human life is a moral, and practical abomination. Man is mankinds only true measure of the history of our Solar system, and what reposes within it. That is the same thing, as the most honored meaning and endless achievement of the human species, now within nearby Solar space, heading upward to mastery over the Sun and its Solar system, the one discovered (uniquely, as a matter of fact), by Johannes Kepler. A Fusion economy, is the presently urgent next step, and standard, for mans gains of power within the Solar system, and, later, beyond. This article appears in the July 15, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. LaRouch es Fou r Law s Urgentl y Needed To Save the U.S. Space Program by Kesha Rogers [PDF version of this article] July 12Following this article, the reader will find Lyndon LaRouches June, 2014 statement, The Four New Laws to Save the U.S.A. Now! Not an Option: an Immediate Necessity. In Mr. LaRouches pronouncement, he stresses that the only pathway out of the escalating global financial crisis and economic breakdown is through a return to the economic outlook of the specific intent of the original U.S. Federal Constitution, as had been specified by U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton while he remained in office. The urgent necessity for the reprinting of this article at this time is highlighted by events of the past week, centered on the heightened danger of an imminent banking collapse in Europe, including the precarious position of Germanys Deutsche Bank. The steps that Mr. LaRouche prescribes must be adopted at this time as a matter of policy, both in the United States as well as in Europe. The full discussion of these measures is to be found in the accompanying article. Here we will simply state that LaRouche insists that no economic recovery is possible unless the following four criteria are met: The immediate re-enactment of the Glass-Steagall law instituted by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, without modification, as to principle of action. A return to a system of top-down, and thoroughly defined as National Banking. The deployment of a Federal Credit-system, to generate high-productivity trends in improvements of employment, to increase the physical-economic productivity, and the standard of living of the persons and households of the United States. Adopt a Fusion-Driver Crash Program. The essential distinction of man from all lower forms of life, hence, in practice, is that it presents the means for the perfection of the specifically affirmative aims and needs of human individual and social life. Return to Real Economics We must put an end to a culture of degeneracy and economic collapse which has been brought about under the murderous policies of the last two U.S. Presidential administrations of collectively Dick Cheney/George W. Bush and Barack Obama. The actual attack carried out on the physical U.S. economy by these two presidencies, is now most clearly expressed in the destructive policies of Obama to move to ultimately shut down our manned space program, exemplified by the elimination of the Constellation program in 2010, a program which had been established as part of a mission to return to the moon, including the development of a permanent base of operations for space travel from low earth orbit to the moon and other planetary bodies, such as Mars. In addition, the continued egregious cuts to fusion energy research under Obama are intended to keep society in a state of backwardness and to promote a system of zero-growth, and the bestialization of human society. We are re-introducing LaRouches Four Laws policy paper, with special emphasis on the fourth law, Adopt a Fusion-Driver Crash Program, as this is integral with my campaign to revive the space program. As LaRouche stated in his policy document, A Fusion economy, is the presently urgent next step, and standard, for mans gains of power within the Solar system, and, later, beyond. As far back as the 1980s, LaRouche had defined a space program which would be the most important and efficient science driver program to develop the physical economy and productive potentials of the nation. This was presented in his 1986 paper The Science and Technology Needed to Colonize Mars, and also in his popular video presentation of that program in The Woman on Mars. The development of space travel and colonization is the expression of a healthy human culture, which rejects a zero-growth society that confines humans to one planet, in a state of so-called limited existence. A fusion science-driver crash program is essential to increasing the powers of a societys productive abilities for progress, to an ever-higher level of per-capita existence. The revival of a clearly defined national mission for our space program, would lay the basis for the development of highly skilled productive work, which would produce net returns, not merely in monetary accounting terms, but in the increase of the creative and productive powers of the human mind. A system of federal credit, as defined in LaRouches Third Law, will be absolutely required to invest in long-term capital improvements of the real economy, while the unleashing and rapid development of the space program will create powerful net returns through technological spin-offs, as we have witnessed under the Apollo program before. Space Program Requires Fusion Power Krafft Ehricke, a German-American space pioneer, and a collaborator of Lyndon LaRouche, made remarkable contributions to the creation of our space program and the development of the rockets and space craft that carried our astronauts to the moon. Ehricke was also very aware of the necessity for nuclear power and fusion energy as the basis for efficient space travel and colonization. He stated, The universe is run by nuclear energy. Space will be conquered only by manned nuclear-powered vehicles. Planning anything else for the late 1960s is, in my opinion, flirting with obsolescence almost from the start. . . . Ehrickes prophetic 1960 warning was absolutely correct. Today people are foolishly calling for manned flights to Mars using chemical propulsion a dangerous proposal which would subject astronauts to the harmful zero-gravity and high-radiation environment of space for many months at a time. Advanced fusion propulsion could cut the trip down to weeks, or less, truly opening up the entire Solar System to mankind. What has been demonstrated here in the presentation thus far, is the essential need for a fusion energy crash program, as defined in LaRouches Four Laws program, as the basis for human progress, and the freeing of mankind from a state of lower forms of bestial existence, to reach mankinds fully human, creative potential, as defined as absolutely superior to that of all lower species. LaRouche presents this as: The knowable measure, in principle, of the difference between man and all among the lower forms of life, is found in what has been usefully regarded as the naturally upward evolution of the human species, in contrast to all other known categories of living species. The standard of measurement of these compared relationships, is that mankind is enabled to evolve upward, and that categorically, by those voluntarily noetic powers of the human individual will. The stated program must be adopted immediately as the measure for improving the condition of life on the planet and beyond. We must define a new national and international economic platform that establishes peaceful cooperation among nations, and puts an end to the drive for war once and for all. This is clearly represented through the policies of space exploration now being defined by the nations of Russia and China, in cooperation with other nations. Most emphatically, it is China, in its course to develop spacecraft for landing on the far side of the moon, which represents a total shift of unlimited potential for the progress of mankind. We must move now to put forward this urgently needed program for development and cooperation, and end Obamas continued attack on human progress. PRESS RELEASE Former Australian Diplomat: NATO Playing a Dangerous Game July 13, 2016 (EIRNS)In a short but sharply focused letter to the Guardian, former Australian diplomat Tony Kevin warns that NATO is playing a dangerous game in Poland and the Baltics. At the just concluded NATO summit, "Western leaders emphasised in their public rhetoric a balanced message of deterrence and dialogue with Putins aggressive Russia. But the reality is that they have just given weighty political endorsement to 4,000 NATOmostly USforces now being stationed in the Baltic states and Poland..." "We have not been in such a dangerous place since Europe 1913 or 1939," Kevin goes on. "The west has truly sleepwalked into these new and unnecessary east-west dangers, supported by a false narrative of Russian aggression. The US, the UK and France are now hostage to their Polish and Baltic states NATO-allied governmentsthe maturity and judgment of whose leaders I have no great confidence in," he concludes. "It is Obamas, Camerons, Merkels and Hollandes greatest foreign policy failure, to have allowed the worlds security to drift into this hair-trigger, tripwire situation." Kevin, a career diplomat from 1968 until 1998, served as Australias ambassador to Poland in 1991 to 1994 and to Cambodia from 1994 until 1997. PRESS RELEASE Philippines Leaders: Start China Cooperation Now July 13, 2016 (EIRNS)Several Philippine political leaders have spoken out against the mass hype in the West over the Hague ruling against China, backing the new Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes intention to start bilateral talks with China despite the ruling of the Hague Arbitration Court against China. Xinhua quotes Butch Valdes, the former Undersecretary of Education and now the head of the Philippine LaRouche Society, saying: "The negotiations must start immediately. The arbitral ruling is both useless and irrelevant." Alberto Encomienda, the former secretary-general of the Marine and Ocean Affairs Center at the governments Foreign Affairs Department, agreed with Valdes, said his government should never have taken the case to the Hague in the first place. He said of the Hague ruling, "if left to the two of us (China and the Philippines), the ruling would not intensify anything," since both sides want to negotiate an agreement which would involve joint development. "However," he added, "if there is U.S. intervention in the region, thats a different story." Former Senator Kit Tatad, in his regular column in the Manila Times, reported that the argument before the Hague Court by then-Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario was fraudulent, when he told the Court, "to the surprise even of Filipino observers, that efforts at bilateral negotiations with China had failed." Sen. Tatad added, "The Philippines has spurned any attempts at bilateral talks as far as this observer is concerned." He then promoted working with China in the New Silk Road programs, but asked: Will cooperation and connectivity with China be compatible with the Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCAthe deal by the former government to allow massive US military deployment into the Philippines) with Washington? Obviously, there would be some problems, if the US deployment through EDCA is aimed principally at Beijing. But what exactly is the official narrative here? Is the US willing to say, and is [Duterte] ready and willing to believe, that EDCA is not intended against Beijing? Sen. Tatad then calls on President Duterte to follow the advice from organizations associated with Butch Valdes, PRESS RELEASE Carden: NATO Worried About Aggression? Better Look at Ukraine! July 13, 2016 (EIRNS)James Carden, Executive Editor for the American Committee for East-West Accords, EastWestAccord.com, writing in The Nation, argues that if NATO is really worried about aggression, it is looking in the wrong place. "Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko," who was front and center at the NATO summit, "has repeatedly fired indiscriminate Grad rockets on heavily populated civilian areas, a war crime under the Geneva Convention and International Criminal Court protocols. Nevertheless, the principal summit deliverable was aimed at placating Poroshenko and his vocal band of alliance supporters (particularly the United States, United Kingdom, Poland and the Baltics)." "Yet the troop buildup is based upon the faulty, though widely believed, premise that Russias assistance to the rebel forces in the breakaway republics of Luhansk and Donetsk is a prelude to even grander designs by the Kremlin," Carden writes, adding that, in reality, Russia hardly wants the conflict. "As the neo-Nazi Speaker of the Ukrainian Rada, Andriy Parubiy, told The Washington Post in February, Putin will proceed until he is stopped by force. This idea, repeated ad nauseam by Ukrainian officials, is one without any basis in reality. Yet NATO member states, particularly those along Russias borders, have embraced Kievs rationale, the better to squeeze the alliance for as much money as possible." But, Carden reports, there are "cracks in the facade" of NATO unity, including dissenting voices from Italy and Germany. "Ideally, summit meetings should be a time for truth-telling, and the truth is this: NATO has become an insuperable obstacle toward the formation of what Europe needs most: an inclusive security architecture that takes into the account the national-security interests of all parties on the continent, from Lisbon to Vladivostok," Carden concludes. Carolyn See, an author, teacher and colorful woman of letters whose scrappy humor and survivors wisdom spiced her novels about the disaster-prone fantasyland that was her California, has died. She was 82. She died Wednesday in Santa Monica of cancer, said her daughter Lisa See. Awarded the L.A. Times Book Prizes Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement in 1993, See was long established as a leading literary figure of Southern California. She wrote more than a dozen books and received a Guggenheim Fellowship; taught creative writing at UCLA; was a regular book critic at the L.A. Times and the Washington Post; served on the board of PEN Center USA West; and was the mother of the best-selling novelist Lisa See. Advertisement Born Carolyn Penelope Laws in Pasadena Jan. 13, 1934, Carolyn See wrote of the Southland with a natives intimacy. Her fourth novel, Golden Days (1986), brought her the greatest attention. A dark comedy set in Topanga Canyon, where See lived for many years, the story builds around misfits, free spirits and the starry-eyed graduates of self-help workshops. The novel sealed her identity as a writer. Carolyn was the defining voice for a certain kind of California experience in the mid-70s and 1980s, author and critic Jonathan Kirsch told the Times in 2008. Others looked at California as a cliche, a broken dream, a joke. Carolyn looked at the same California and saw redemption. In Golden Days, the narrator, Edith, rails against the powerful men in Washington who seem bent on war and the ruin of her utopia. Then, a lone crazy drops a nuclear bomb somewhere in Central America. Edith and her friends see nuclear fallout as the start of a better world to come. They watch for new growth on the hillsides and they survive while others in Sees story do not. In its weird way, this may be the most life-affirming novel Ive ever read, wrote Carol Sternhell in the New York Times. Sees most recent novel was 2007s There Will Never Be Another You. She moved fluidly between fiction, criticism and nonfiction. Her 1995 memoir, Dreaming, Hard Luck and Good Times in America, was among of her most popular books. Her parents drinking binges, her mothers nasty snipes and her own wild streak are detailed with humor and understanding. Carolyn could be brutally honest, never more so than about family, author Judith Freeman, a longtime friend, said in 2008. Her third novel, Rhine Maidens, (1981) established See as a distinctive voice from the West Coast. The story builds on the strained relationship between a mother and daughter that seems inspired by Sees own experience with her mother. Sees depiction ... is so vivid the reader sees, smells, feels, weeps, even laughs along with the characters, according to a 1981 review in the Washington Post. It is a novel in the best tradition of comedy, where laughter is close to tears. In all of her fiction, See dotted the scenery with unofficial Los Angeles landmarks. Rhine Maidens unfolds against the May Company department store on Wilshire Boulevards Miracle Mile, the Georgian retirement home in Santa Monica, the Charthouse restaurant in Malibu. People referred to her as the Grande Dame of Southern California literature and she took some pride in that, Lisa See said Thursday. When she started, there were very few women writers on the West Coast. In her life, she said, everything was related to writing and friendship. Sees parents, George and Kate Laws, were both alcoholics who had survived their own miserable childhoods; they reminded her of starlings getting sucked into the jet plane of life. Her father was a reporter for the Daily News who later wrote pornographic pulp fiction. He slathered his daughter with kindness while her mother often locked her out of the house. She hated me worse than snakes, See wrote. In August 1945, when See was 11, her father left home. Three weeks later, the United States dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. For the rest of her life she linked the two disasters. A bomb dropped in two separate ways in my life and I began to have nightmares about the bomb from then on, See said in a 1986 interview with the New York Times. The tangled memories surfaced in Golden Days. Her mother remarried, and See went to live with her father and his new wife until she graduated from John Marshall High School. She then left home and worked her way through Cal State University Los Angeles. She graduated in 1957. Five years later she earned a doctorate in English at UCLA. In her memoir, she describes her two marriages with a lingering fondness for the good times. She married Richard See, an anthropologist, in 1954. They spent a year living in Paris where their daughter, Lisa, was born; they divorced in 1959. Lisa See is also a successful writer, author of the novel Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and the Shanghai Girls series. The year after See divorced her first husband, she married Tom Sturak, a teacher and editor. In their nine-year marriage, See wrote, alcohol, Beatles music and parties on the deck of their Topanga house were the glue that kept them together. They had one daughter, Clara, before they divorced. See had no regrets. Theres something to be said for free fall, the wild life, she wrote in her memoir. Its given us our stories. Her most lasting romantic relationship was with John Espey, a professor of English at UCLA. He was 21 years older than See and had been her dissertation advisor. They never married but remained a couple from the mid-1970s until Espey died in 2000. What kept John and me together ... was Johns relentless goodness and the fact that we both loved to drink, See wrote in her memoir. See, Espey and her daughter Lisa co-wrote two popular novels under the pseudonym Monica Highland: Lotus Land (1983) and 110 Shanghai Road (1986). They also wrote Greetings From Southern California, a nonfiction book about vintage postcards, in 1988. For many years See taught creative writing classes at Loyola Marymount University and at UCLA. Before she retired in 2004 she created a $100,000 endowment at UCLA, for the study of Southern California literature. Her guidebook for beginning writers, Making A Literary Life ( 2002), came out of her teaching experience. The humor and a few of her tips resonate with her offbeat fiction. This book is for the timid, forlorn, and clueless, See wrote in the introduction. To learn about story structure, she advised reading detective novels, those guy-written, plot-driven novels that dont pretend to be masterpieces. As a leading figure in the Southern California literary scene, she never forgot the hard work of getting started. Carolyns role as a mentor was huge, Freeman said of See. She was incredibly supportive in every important way. Carolyn was pivotal to the writers community in Los Angeles. Former Times book editor and critic David L. Ulin also found her to be a powerful example. Carolyn taught me how to be a writer in California, he wrote in 2014, when See retired from reviewing for the Washington Post. For her, that meant a three-dimensional literary life: writing, teaching and reviewing, all of them inextricable from the whole.[she] always regarded reading as an act of engagement. But for all her seriousness, insight and craft, Sees work never lost its sense of humor. Support Your Local Author, the license-plate frame on her car once read. Buy My Book. She is survived by her two daughters Rourke is a former Times staff writer. Times staff writer Carolyn Kellogg contributed to this report. Consumer Reports called on Tesla Motors Inc. on Thursday to disable automatic-steering capabilities in its electric cars and stop using the name Autopilot for its semi-autonomous driving technology. Tesla declined. The technology is under intense scrutiny following the May 7 death of a driver who was using the Autopilot feature on his Tesla Model S sedan when it crashed into a tractor-trailer in Florida. Federal safety regulators are investigating the crash and Teslas Autopilot feature, which uses cameras, radar and sensors to automatically steer the car and adjust speeds. Advertisement The Palo Alto, Calif.-based automaker, run by Elon Musk, has emphasized that Autopilot is still in a beta phase of introduction and has limitations. It says Tesla drivers are warned to stay alert and keep their hands on the steering wheel because the technology does not provide fully autonomous driving. Consumer Reports said in a statement on its website that these two messages your vehicle can drive itself but you may need to take over the controls at a moments notice create potential for driver confusion. It also increases the possibility that drivers using Autopilot may not be engaged enough to react quickly to emergency situations, the magazine said. Consumer Reports urged Tesla to disable its automatic-steering operation until it can be reprogrammed to require drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel and to stop referring to the system as Autopilot as it is misleading and potentially dangerous. But Consumer Reports said Tesla responded to its request by saying that while we appreciate well-meaning advice from any individual or group, we make our decisions on the basis of real-world data, not speculation by the media. Tesla also defended the safety record of the system, writing that 130 million miles have been driven on Autopilot, with one confirmed fatality, Consumer Reports said. Tesla reiterated that statement to The Times and added in an email that Tesla Autopilot functions like the systems that airplane pilots use when conditions are clear. The driver is still responsible for, and ultimately in control of, the car. This is enforced by onboard monitoring and alerts. Rob Enderle, president of the technology strategy firm Enderle Group Inc., said he favored dropping the Autopilot name because Autopilot does lead people to believe the system does something it doesnt. But Enderle said he was not convinced the [auto-steering] feature needs to be disabled. I am convinced people need to know how to properly use it. The Consumer Reports report came a day after Tesla confirmed that it had ended its resale-guarantee program in North America. The program, which began in 2013, guaranteed that Tesla vehicles would have a higher resale value after three years than premium sedans from manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Musk personally backed the program, saying he wanted to give buyers peace of mind. Buyers who used Tesla financing were eligible. A Tesla representative said Wednesday that the program reassured customers in Teslas early years when its cars didnt have a track record, but Tesla sedans are now holding their value even better than the resale value guarantees, so the program is no longer necessary. Teslas stock closed Thursday down $1, or less than 1%, to $221.53. The Associated Press contributed to this report. james.peltz@latimes.com Twitter: @PeltzLATimes ALSO Teslas autopilot mode puts it at risk for liability in crashes Elon Musk tweets he might unveil Top Secret Tesla Masterplan this week Tesla is said to be under investigation by the SEC for failing to disclose a fatal crash UPDATES: 1:47 p.m. This article was updated with Teslas closing stock price. 12:56 p.m.: This article was updated with remarks from Rob Enderle, president of the technology strategy firm Enderle Group Inc., and with details of Tesla discontinuing its resale-guarantee program in North America. 10:09 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with Times staff reporting. This article was originally published at 9:04 a.m. Many Fox News employees have rallied around their boss, chairman and chief executive Roger Ailes, who faces a sexual harassment and retaliation suit from former anchor Gretchen Carlson. But there has been one notable exception among them the cable news channels most popular female anchor, Megyn Kelly. Various anchors have sung their praises for Ailes, defending him in interviews with journalists and talk-show hosts without commenting directly about Carlson. Advertisement Its a very sad situation, No. 1, and I am just going to say this about it Ive worked with Roger for the past 20 years, Fox News host Bill OReilly said Wednesday on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Best boss Ive ever had. Straight shooter. Always honest with me. And I believe that over the years hes been in the business 50 years 95% of people that have worked for Roger Ailes would say exactly the same thing I just told you. Other big names at Fox News have also described Ailes as a supportive boss, adding they have not witnessed behavior described in Carlsons suit filed in a New Jersey Superior Court on July 6. People are so loyal to Roger because hes loyal to them, said Maria Bartiromo, who was hired by Ailes to report from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange for CNBC when he ran that network. He has his peoples backs. With a chorus of supporters that includes OReilly, Bartiromo, Sean Hannity, Greta Van Susteren, Bret Baier, Kimberly Guilfoyle and Jeanine Pirro, Kellys absence has become conspicuous as the charges leveled against Ailes are the talk of the TV industry. A Fox News spokesperson declined to comment as to why Kelly has not chosen to speak publicly in support of her boss after there was no response to a request for a statement from the anchor. Kelly was effusive about Ailes back in May when she was promoting a prime-time special for the Fox broadcast network. I love working for Roger Ailes, she told the Los Angeles Times. Hes taken great care of me in the last 12 years. You need someone looking out for you if you want to thrive in any business, but particularly in broadcast news. It helps to have somebody blocking for you. He always has. According to one former Fox News executive who was not authorized to speak on the matter publicly, its possible that Kelly wants to avoid becoming involved in any internal controversy before her contract comes up in mid-2017. Kelly, who is represented by Creative Artists Agency, is expected to generate interest from other networks when she becomes available. Ailes has denied Carlsons account of his alleged treatment of her. Her suit said Ailes sabotaged her career because she rebuffed his sexual advances and complained about a hostile work environment at the cable channel where she worked for 11 years. He has also denied charges of inappropriate behavior from other women who have come forward after contacting the lawyers representing Carlson. Carlson left Fox News after her contract expired on June 23. Fox News spokespersons have noted that Carlson was released because her ratings were not strong enough to remain at the cable news network. Carlsons attorneys have dismissed that claim. It was Kelly who previously held the anchor chair in Carlsons afternoon time slot. Kelly was promoted to a prime-time hour in late 2013. stephen.battaglio@latimes.com Twitter: @SteveBattaglio ALSO: Gretchen Carlson steps up pressure in lawsuit against Fox News Roger Ailes, gives her first interview Ousted Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson hits Roger Ailes with sexual harassment suit In defense of Roger Ailes, Fox News cites Gretchen Carlsons ratings as reason for dropping her Roger Ailes lawyers want arbitration for Gretchen Carlsons sexual harassment suit Quentin Tarantinos The Hateful Eight took a low-budget B-western premise and staged it like an expensive old-time Hollywood epic. Now the similar Outlaws and Angels shifts the genre back toward the gritty, though ironically, writer-director JT Mollners own Tarantino-esque pretensions get in the way. Chad Michael Murray stars as Henry, a bank robber who spends most of Outlaws and Angels hiding out in a remote farmhouse with a deeply religious family. Over the course of several days and nights, the dynamic between Henrys gang and their reluctant hosts shifts as secrets are spilled. The film starts with a literal bang, as a prostitutes explicit sexual conversation ends with her getting shot through the eye. That sets the tone for a movie thats heavy on chit-chat, punctuated by raw shock. Advertisement Mollner has a good ear for lowlife-speak evident when one of Henrys men complains about needing a bath, saying, My parts is itches. But Mollner also bogs the picture down with overly lyrical voiceover narration by Luke Wilson (playing a lawman). While Mollner elicits some strong performances especially from Francesca Eastwood as a vengeful farmers daughter Outlaws and Angels cant overcome its distractingly showy camera moves or its tendency toward scenes that drag on interminably. To say this film lacks QTs panache would be an understatement. Its not even as sharp as the movies The Hateful Eight rips off. ------------- Outlaws and Angels Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 59 minutes Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills For a movie about the creator of some of the most pointed, controversial comedies in television history, Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You has a curious habit of sidestepping some of the thornier and more interesting aspects of its subjects life. The brisk documentary, co-directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, certainly serves as a fine, celebratory introduction into the career of Lear, the prolific show runner (before that job title was coined and worshiped) behind such acclaimed 70s hits as All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons and Good Times. Problem is, most people seeing this movie probably know all the talking points the movie presents. Itd be nice to discover something new about the man. Lear, who will turn 94 later this month, remains active, sharp and curious about the world and human nature. The filmmakers followed him around on a recent book tour, including a 2014 appearance on The Daily Show (good to see Jon Stewart again, if only for a couple of minutes) and a PEN American Center honor, introduced by Amy Poehler. Footage from these events is interspersed with a fresh interview of Lear looking back on his life. Theres also an interesting framing device featuring a child actor playing a young version of Lear, underlining his youthful vigor as well as the way his childhood informed his career. Advertisement Lear reveals that he based his most famous creation, Archie Bunker, All in the Familys bigoted patriarch, on his own racist, sexist father, who was jailed for fraud when Lear was 9. Critics often called Archie a lovable bigot, a term that Carol OConnor, the brilliant actor who portrayed him, didnt like. Hes an unhappy man, OConnor said, poisoned by his prejudices. The show was Lears attempt to understand his father and reconcile his love for him. How could your father be wrong? Archie asks in one episode, after revealing a time when his dad hit him and locked him in a closet for hours. How can any man who loves you tell you anything thats wrong? Decades later, Lear cries as he watches the scene. At the height of his success, Lear had six shows in the Nielsen Top 10. Good Times, which followed a black family dealing with the realities of life in a housing project in inner-city Chicago, was one of them. It was groundbreaking in its topicality. But it was not a happy set as Lear battled with the shows stars, Esther Rolle and John Amos, over the shows tone, particularly after costar Jimmie Walkers Dy-no-mite! catchphrase took off with viewers. You can have comedy without buffoonery, Rolle said. Lear did not agree. The filmmakers include a new interview with Amos who was fired from the show and his character killed off and an archival account from Rolle, but dont press the issue of racial representation. Likewise, the treatment of the disintegration of Lears marriage to his second wife, Frances, is rushed. Were told she suffered from manic depression and attempted suicide. And thats pretty much where the movie leaves her after earlier making much of her importance in Lears life. Lear left TV in 1978, saying he wanted to exercise some other muscles. If you simply went by what you saw in this deferential documentary, youd think Lear never returned to the medium after he founded the progressive advocacy group People for the American Way in 1981. But Lear made several attempts at producing new shows in subsequent decades. A couple of them 704 Hauser, Sunday Dinner made it to the air with great fanfare, but failed spectacularly. Why didnt viewers give them a chance? Did tastes change? Did Lear lose his topical touch? He likely has some thoughts on those subjects but the questions are never raised. Near the end of the movie, we see Lear visit Sony Studios for a meeting. The clip lasts for less than a minute and goes unexplained. Im guessing it had to do with Guess Who Died, a sitcom set in a retirement community that Lear has been pitching for the last five years. (No takers. Undesirable demographic, he has been told.) Lear also has a reboot of his 1970s sitcom, One Day at a Time, currently in production at Netflix with Rita Moreno starring. Hes still out there, trying to make waves. This documentary, though, seems more interested in consigning him to a museum. Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You MPAA rating: Unrated Running time: One hour, 31 minutes Playing: Landmarks Nuart Theatre in West Los Angeles glenn.whipp@latimes.com Women have a way of leading society into its sociopolitical future, putting their livelihoods on the line for what can be seen as the greater good. Like Claudette Colvin, the first person arrested for resisting bus segregation in Montgomery, Ala. Or Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, the creators and founders of #BlackLivesMatter. The stories of these women, and countless others, often collect dust on the shelves of history as younger (and often male) leaders take up their movements mantle. But with Political Animals, a documentary about Californias first openly gay legislators -- all women -- and how they set the stage for nationwide marriage equality, director Jonah Markowitz is aiming to properly contextualize the present-day LGBT movement. The film is screening at Outfest on Thursday. For the record: 3:09 p.m.: This article originally said an interview took place in Jackie Goldbergs downtown office. It took place in Sheila Kuehls office. This article originally posted at 4:00 a.m. I feel like we havent had a lot of queer history centered around womens contributions and, in a broader context, a lot of womens stories havent been told about their contributions to many civil rights struggles throughout the country and the world, he said. We all know about Harvey Milk, and though [he was] extremely important to our struggle, these women also played a significant role. Theyre important, yet often overshadowed. Advertisement Political Animals tells of the formed sisterhood between Sheila Kuehl, Carole Migden, Jackie Goldberg and Christine Kehoe, the first four openly gay people -- male or female -- in the California Legislature. Kuehl was the first, elected to the Assembly in 1994, followed by Migden in 1996 and Goldberg and Kehoe in 2000. While elected officials, they together passed the states anti-discrimination and bullying law for gay and lesbian students, included crimes against gay and lesbian people in the states hate crime bill and developed the first domestic partner registry in the country. And all of this came before the Proposition 8 case that brought about the final push for marriage equality nationwide. But it wasnt easy. In an interview with The Times, in Kuehls downtown office at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration where she serves as a Los Angeles County supervisor, with Goldberg in attendance, Kuehl now 75, described the political atmosphere when she, as the first lesbian, was elected in the mid-90s. When I was elected, it was a Newt Gingrich election time and the first time in 25 years that Republicans were a majority in the Assembly and they were a very new kind of Republican that weve grown used to now, but then was a little different, she said. The bring-your-Bibles-to-the-floor-and-quote-from-them, very religious, very right-wing kind. This didnt make for a simple time, even though the Democratic caucus, on the whole, was supportive and happy to have another first under their belt. (They had already elected their first black and Latino representatives.) One of Kuehls first attempts to put forth a bill was to protect gay students from discrimination at school. It took five years to get enough votes. I was not prepared for the level of open hostility and Bible reading and accusations that youre going to burn in hell. Jackie Goldberg It was exhilarating and disappointing and heartbreaking and exciting all at the same time, she said. When Goldberg, now 71, joined Kuehl in the Assembly six years later, after already serving as an open lesbian for 16 years on the LAUSD school board and the city council combined, she too was thrust into what she called a homophobic (and sexist) environment that took an emotional toll. I was not prepared for the level of open hostility and Bible reading and accusations that youre going to burn in hell, she said. The first few times I was there, Sheila had to come and keep me from leaving. In the film, Markowitz, along with his co-director Tracy Wares, intersperses C-SPAN footage of the floor debates with interviews of the four women. In a number of instances, other governmental officials likened being lesbian and gay to bestiality and referred to homosexuality as unnatural and ungodly. It was never meant to be personal, though, as both Kuehl and Goldberg remember their colleagues saying. We had to keep reminding them: How could it being anything but personal? Youre talking about me, my family, said Goldberg, who is now a professor in UCLAs social justice program. To deal with all of the opposition, the group found solace in their friends and family, and each other. They werent trying, necessarily, to equate same-sex relationships with opposite-sex ones as they were accused. They just wanted to protect people, students in school and folks who wanted to see their dying partners in the hospital. In fact, marriage equality was unthinkable. It was never the big issue, Goldberg said, noting that external pressure eventually made marriage the focus. Im not saying it was not important, because it has such an important symbolism in our culture, but it wasnt my priority. I was worried about education and kids and housing discrimination. The domestic partner registry bill, drafted by Goldberg, however, would make the legalization of same-sex marriage inevitable, Kuehl said. It was called AB205 and, when passed, allowed Californias registered domestic partners to be extended all rights and privileges available to married, heterosexual couples. (Passed in 2003, it was the first such law in the country.) But neither Goldberg or Kuehl actually thought marriage for gay people would come to pass as it did on June 26, 2015. In an eight-year span -- and Im going to keep my fingers crossed on this one -- the first African American president, first woman president and gay marriage? said Kuehl. There are three things I never thought would happen in my lifetime. I never thought it would happen so fast, but like every other civil rights movement, it didnt happen that fast. But with the current presidential election looming, Goldberg warns that people must remain committed to consistently fighting for equality especially if recent attempts, and successes, to limit things like affirmative action and voting rights is any indication. Im worried because I thought we had made changes that couldnt be undone and they have been undone, she said. I no longer have the faith that when you win something, you get to keep it. It makes me lie awake at night. But it keeps me being an activist. And thats why Markowitz and Wares titled the film, which won the Los Angeles Film Festivals documentary award earlier this year, as they have, because we felt that these women were such forces of nature, so powerful and strong and determined, Markowitz said. They were like animals, fierce and primal in their desire to make sure everyone around them they felt responsible for was protected, he said. Like a mother lion and her cub, they were out there trying to protect all of us. And they still are. What: Political Animals at Outfest When: Thursday at 5 p.m. Where: Directors Guild of America, 7920 Sunset Blvd. Tickets: $15 More info: outfest.org Get your life! Follow me on Twitter: @TrevellAnderson. MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Emmy updates & nominee reactions: Game of Thrones leads the pack, Beyonce scores and Samantha Bee is snubbed Woody Allen finds himself at ease in his lush Hollywood story Cafe Society Viacom chief nears Paramount deal that investors doubt will get past Redstone As previous documentaries ranging from the serious (Kimjongilia) to the frivolous (Dennis Rodmans Big Bang In Pyongyang) demonstrate, North Korea is one strange place, a truly foreign country where they do things differently. The nation is so strange and different, in fact, that each new glimpse inside and Under the Sun is the latest and one of the best involves us completely. As directed by veteran Russian documentarian Vitaly Mansky, this is a very particular kind of film in the way it reveals the stage-managed nature of this intensely regimented society. The first documentary to have, at least initially, the cooperation of the North Korean government, Under the Sun recently made news for a different reason when New Yorks Museum of Modern Art had to apologize after an assistant curator bumped it from a documentary festival out of fear of possible cyber retaliation from that rogue nation. Advertisement What Mansky found out when he started shooting, and probably always suspected, was that North Korea had more unusual ideas of what documentaries were than he did. The director was presented with a scripted scenario about an 8-year-old girl named Zin-mi, raised by role model parents, who is about to become part of the prestigious Korean Childrens Union on the Day of the Shining Star, the national holiday commemorating the birth of former leader Kim Jong Il. Scrupulous about filming what his ever-present minders wanted him to, Mansky also kept his digital camera rolling at all times, performing sleight of hand with different memory cards to ensure that the Koreans, who inspected the footage daily, never knew what he was doing. As a result, we get to see how a nominal documentary was stage-managed to such a ferocious extent that even the folks who do the honors for this countrys compromised reality TV would be impressed. When young Zin-mi delivers a spontaneous endorsement of the nutritional virtues of kimchi, the Korean national dish, at what is supposed to be a genuine family dinner, the films minder appears after the scene and advises her to act naturally, like you do at home before the retake. Mansky was also fortunate in his cinematographers, Alexandra Ivanova and Mikhail Gorobchuk. The visuals in Under The Sun are always artful, providing haunting cityscape shots of the half-empty streets of capital city Pyongyang as well as stunning vignettes like Zin-mi and a classmate, immaculate in their school uniforms, singing softly together as they polish their already spotless school desk. That scene points up one of the interesting paradoxes of Under The Sun, that its bizarreness means that the staged scenes are as interesting as what were not supposed to see because of the glimpse they give us of what business as usual must be like for the citizens of that country. This comes out first with young Zin-mi, whose classroom we visit and listen in on as her zealous teacher tells these tots that today, American scoundrels threaten us and reads to them about how as a young man North Koreas future founder, Kim Il Sung, threw boulders at Japanese landowners. Then we see Zin-mi at that enormous Childrens Union ceremony, where ancient Korean War veterans, their chests completely covered with medals, help the youngsters tie their ceremonial kerchiefs. All Americans are cowards, one of these ancients says later. They thought only of surviving and returning home. Similar scenes are manufactured for Zin-mis on-screen parents, who are given jobs created to enhance the propaganda value of the film, both toiling in factories where our work is very important for our country. One of the most fascinating things about Under the Sun is the contradictory thoughts it inspires. On the one hand, there is the lure of seeing this singular place, where citizens salute an enormous bronze statue of Kim Il Sung and loudspeaker-equipped trucks drive the streets spewing propaganda about building the best Communist country in the world. Yet Under The Sun also reminds us that, their dissimilar society notwithstanding, the North Koreans are not some alien race but people like us, trying to get by the best they can. The last image we see is a small tear on the face of a young girl, and nothing is more universally human than that. Under the Sun In Korean with English subtitles MPAA rating: None Running time: 1 hour, 46 minutes. Playing Laemmles Monica, Santa Monica, Playhouse 7, Pasadena. Critics Choice. Under the Sun. North Korea is such a strange and different nation, that every documentary glimpse inside, and this is one of the best, involves us completely. - Kenneth Turan This weekend, the Los Angeles rock n roll label In the Red Records will celebrate 25 years of unsung achievements with three nights of jagged, distorted bands from across its catalog of more than 300 titles. Its a celebratory occasion for one of Los Angeles most enduring, and confounding, rock labels, and no small feat considering the turmoil that has rattled the industry since the companys birth in 1991. In fact, given the profound shifts in music consumption over the past quarter-century, In the Reds biggest achievement just might be surviving at all, especially given the labels handshake-deal philosophy, bare-bones business model and oddball aesthetic. Advertisement This is a label, after all, that last month released an album by a duo dubbed the Double that consists of a single 40-minute song. Called Dawn of the Double, the instrumental work repeats the same one-note guitar mantra and Bo Diddley-inspired drum beat and nothing else for the duration. The labels many musical mantras are more varied, but founder and label head Larry Hardy has earned a reputation as a consistent purveyor of quality plastic during his decades issuing frantic, guitar-based music. Even the years where everyone was like, Man the industry is about dead, its been better for me. Because back when things were great, I was small and still climbing anyway, says Hardy, 52, sitting in the music room of In the Reds headquarters in Eagle Rock. Beginning Thursday, In the Red will take over the clubs the Echo and Echoplex for a roster of gritty sets by acts including the Gories, Cheater Slicks, Ty Segall and Mikal Cronin, Boss Hog, Meatbodies, Wand, the Double and a dozen others. The last few years have been some of Hardys most successful, commercially and artistically, a confirmation of his skills as a taste-maker. Until recently, he was the labels sole employee. Among the companys notable achievements: introducing the world to the raucously catchy Atlanta garage-rockers the Black Lips, focusing attention on the acclaimed post-punk band Vivian Girls and solidifying the reputation of the late Memphis jack-of-all-trades rocker Jay Reatard. Perversity is something that runs through the In the Red catalog. Jon Spencer of Boss Hog After In the Red issued its music, the tough Detroit garage-rock band the Dirtbombs landed its song Trainwreck in a Wal-Mart commercial, quite the financial coup for working musicians. A trashy track by a band called the Clone Defects earned a big payout from Mitsubishi Motors. Those commercial placements helped oil In the Reds gears, and allowed its owner to explore the vibrant scene currently thriving in Highland Park and Eagle Rock. Its chugged along, and it seems to be growing for me, says Hardy. Based in his pristine bungalow in northeast Los Angeles, Hardys got a keen sense of style that, coupled with a preference for B-movies, cheap horror films and quirky space-age-era design, makes his headquarters feel like a rock geeks chocolate factory. A label that has issued vinyl 45s by bands with names like the Deadly Snakes, the Lord High Fixers, King Khan & the BBQ Show and Knoxville Girls, In the Red has delivered a body of music that Hardy has hand-selected, and the result is a singular, and raucous, achievement. I only pick bands if I like them, and thats my only criteria, he said. The label chiefs most obvious aesthetic bent is garage rock, the raw sound of basement bands, mostly dudes, banging out three- and four-chord anthems of rebellion and lust. A lot of his signees, though, are too extreme for your average garage-rock fan. When I started the label, garage rock was a lot of bands that sounded like authentic replications of a bygone era, says Hardy. The Cheater Slicks are not that. He characterizes his oeuvre as atonal garage music. With Larry, its not so retro, says Jon Spencer, who has issued In the Red releases by three of his bands: Pussy Galore, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and, most recently a new EP by his long-running project with wife Cristina Martinez, Boss Hog. A lot of In the Red bands are borrowing from certain genres and older types of American music, but theres always been a lot of play in there. (Boss Hog will perform at the Echo on Friday.) Theres certainly noise and sonic extremes or even attitudinal extremes. Perversity is something that runs through the In the Red catalog, Spencer adds. Perversity, strangeness. Theres an alien, or other, element that fits in nicely. When he finds a band, Hardys offer is straightforward. A handshake deal, and well split the profits. Theres always an escape hatch: If at any point the band is unhappy, they can go. And if I dont want to deal with you anymore, Im not stuck with you. Despite getting burned a few times Hardys certainly lost bands to bigger labels his strategy has worked. In the 00s, when Napster was upending the music industry and compact discs were on their way out, Hardys vinyl-first philosophy kept him in the black during a tumultuous moment. I had these bands that were suddenly selling more than I was used to, even though the industry was in decline. The Los Angeles trio Fuzz, which features Segall on drums, just surpassed a new In the Red milestone. Its sophomore album for the label, Fuzz II, says Hardy, is officially the labels top-selling release ever. Informed of this news in the midst of a phone interview, Segall was silent for a second. Thats so crazy I dont believe that, he said, cussing with pleasure and then referencing one of Jay Reatards albums. How did that sell more than Blood Visions? Putting out a record on In the Red, said Segall, had been a mission since he was a teenager driving up to the city from Orange County. They were the label in Southern California for all of my friends and me growing up. All of the harsh, weird rock n roll came from that label. ALSO: Bon Iver, Justice headline O.C.'s Beach Goth festival Television and Primus added to lineup for Desert Daze fest Bad Boy Records to release anniversary box set featuring Notorious B.I.G., Danity Kane and others Museo Jumex, the new spiky-roofed contemporary art museum in Mexico City, is a beacon for a global cultural capital. Nestled between billionaire Carlos Slims own glittery private-collection monument Museo Soumaya and rows of gleaming new condo towers, the space is analogous to L.A.s Broad Museum. For six months in 2015 and this year, it hosted the club-music weirdos of the Mexican record label N.A.A.F.I in a residency unlike anything else the crew had played before. We had to think deeper about the social implications of what we were doing, said Alberto Bustamante, the N.A.A.F.I artist and DJ who performs as Mexican Jihad. We got to use the experience to talk about things like sexism and the club as a safe space. Usually we only get to do that as a side discussion. But there, we were playing for people with children who would never have showed up at night. Advertisement For N.A.A.F.I, it was a career-changing gig, one emblematic of its growing international audience and the new question of what to do with it. Founded in 2010 by Tomas Davo (who performs as Fausto Bahia) with friends Bustamante, Lauro Robles and Paul Marmota, the crew will make its proper L.A. headlining debut on Saturday at La Transicion, a Red Bull Music Academy Radio mini-festival at downtown L.A.s Pollution: Studios. As N.A.A.F.I has grown from a misfit warehouse-party crew into perhaps the most visible group in Mexicos underground-club-music scene, it has become a flash point for the citys changing image abroad. Its members represent Mexico Citys growing cosmopolitan status, a role they embrace and resist in equal measure. Theres a crowd abroad thats willing to open themselves to this music, Davo said. But at the same time, he added, Mexicans are really aware of their political situation, and its centuries of resisting colonialism while absorbing outside influence. While cities such as Berlin (or downtown L.A.) can change in the wake of a club-music renaissance, N.A.A.F.I takes a certain pride in how Mexico City remains a tough place for foreign dilettantes. Mexicans are very welcoming, but its a hard city to live in, Bustamante said. Its getting comparisons to Brooklyn and Berlin, but its a huge city and not at that gentrification-impact yet. If you just come for the cheap rent, the city will chew you up and spit you out. They also sneer at the U.S. dance-music promoters who have lately taken to Mexicos beaches particularly the hippie-friendly enclaves around Tulum to throw EDM festivals aimed at moneyed tourists. Tulum is a fantasy for Americans, Davo said. To Mexicans, [those festivals] all seem elitist. Its a whole other economy just meant for white people. The sound of N.A.A.F.I (an acronym for a charmingly profane statement of commercial disinterest) is similarly defiant and hard to pin down. While the collectives tracks hit hard in after-hours spaces, N.A.A.F.I has also embraced outre local Mexican styles such as Tribal (low-budget, fast-paced electropop) and a panopoly of Latin and western electronic genres, refracted through a modern Mexican lens. That sensibility made N.A.A.F.I allies with other genre-busting electronic scenes such as L.A.s Fade to Mind label, with which N.A.A.F.I threw a 2014 New Years Eve festival in Puerto Escondido that helped cement the labels global reputation. While the artists have earned an international following online, they remain resolutely analog in person, preferring hand-painted murals and other extremely localized ways of getting word out for shows. For Nacho Nava, the founder of the gay-centric, Latin-leaning Mustache Mondays party at the Lash in downtown L.A. (who consulted and collaborated on the Transicion showcase), L.A.s current underground scene shares a scrappy sensibility, with which N.A.A.F.I will fit right in. I think the kids here really connect with N.A.A.F.I because of their punk mentality, Nava said. I live and work out of Boyle Heights and its interesting to see this new generation of club kids and just how punk and DIY they are. Mexico City and Los Angeles nightlife share a lot of these same qualities. [Its] just what we need. Of course, its no coincidence that commercial interests (like, say, an energy drink company) might look at N.A.A.F.I and see the future. As the crew figures out how to grow internationally, it will have to balance that new attention with everything that makes it fundamentally punk. That includes resisting plans to box its sound into too-easy identity politics. N.A.A.F.I has seen some U.S. promoters send pitches that were overtly pandering, where they want to make it all about being Latino and brown, Bustamante said. At the same time, N.A.A.F.I has a testy relationship with the idea of malinchismo, or the sense that cosmopolitan Mexicans can sometimes look down on local culture. For its members, N.A.A.F.Is not just about representing Mexico. Its about absorbing the rest of the world as well. The community around N.A.A.F.I takes it really personally. Theyre proud that weve gotten this attention, but there is a side that does worry that maybe well sell out, he said. We do want to reach out to the mainstream, or produce for pop artists. Bustamante laughed, confident in the sanctity of the project. But Mexico City is extremely woke. august.brown@latimes.com Twitter: @AugustBrown ALSO Beyonce's Lemonade up for four Emmys Aint no mountain high enough: 5 times Diana Ross was a total boss Alicia Keys, Beyonce and more on 23 everyday actions that got black people killed in America Shortly before Samantha Bees essential late-night talk show, Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, premiered this year on TBS, Vanity Fair published a story spotlighting all the titans of late-night television. The group of 10 talk show hosts was entirely male and made up of the usual suspects Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Maher, among them and also included Trevor Noah, who hadnt yet taken the reins at The Daily Show. That tired boys club scenario was shockingly repeated Thursday as Emmy voters ignored Bees bold, electrifying series in favor of a show in which Jerry Seinfeld drives around with his celebrity pals in fancy cars to grab a cup of coffee. Most embarrassing snub: Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Advertisement Maybe with most members of the Television Academy living in L.A., there was a simple-minded inclination to reward variety shows Seinfelds Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and James Corden doing his carpool karaoke thing on The Late Late Show that featured people stuck in automobiles. Or maybe the predominantly male Emmy voters couldnt yet wrap their heads around the idea that a woman such as Bee could dominate and enliven the cultural conversation with her late-night platform. Whatever the reason, Bees snub and her omission merits the use of the overworked word is an embarrassment for the television academy. Of course, with so much terrific TV, it wasnt the only voter lapse on nominations morning. For every pleasant surprise the deserved breakthrough for FXs Cold War spy drama The Americans and its stars, Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell there were several grievous oversights. Gina Rodriguez and Rachel Bloom snub: Network bias or is the TV academys age showing? Gina Rodriguez, left, and Rachel Bloom (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times; Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times ) Too often, the failings involved shows starring strong, interesting women. Once again, Emmy voters shut out the CW, ignoring Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, shows that spotlight the considerable and irresistible (well, to most people, anyway) talents of their leads, Janes Gina Rodriguez and Ex-Girlfriends Rachel Bloom. These women won the last two Golden Globes for lead comedy actress. And yet, somehow, they cant manage even an Emmy nomination for playing two of televisions most fully formed characters. Call it a case of network bias. Or maybe the series youthful energy is just a little too much for some TV academy members. Outlander is too beautiful to ignore (but the Television Academy did anyway) Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan of Outlander (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times ) There was also some thought that Outlander, Starzs immersive, intelligent period wartime drama, would break through with voters for its superb second season. Bold, romantic and beautifully shot, the series ranks among the best dramas on television, featuring superb work from leads Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan. But outside of nods for production design and costumes, it was ignored. Gorgeous, sexy shows can be awards-worthy too. Maybe Starz can put that credo on a billboard next year. Why the (sudden) lack of love for Orange Is the New Black or The Good Wife? Strange, too, how Orange Is the New Black and The Good Wife fell so far out of favor. After 16 nominations for its first two seasons, Orange earned just one this year for casting. And voters failed to send CBS celebrated Good Wife out in style for its final season, shutting it out in the major categories. Admittedly, it wasnt the shows best run of episodes. But you probably wont hear too many people making that claim for House of Cards either, a series that, inexplicably, Emmy voters cant stop rewarding even though, outside the Beltway, nobody is really talking about it. Maybe the best explanation for some of these snubs lies in something that Robert King, who created The Good Wife with wife and writing partner Michelle King, told me a couple of years ago when lamenting their choice of a title for the series. All my writer friends, theyll watch any episode of something they consider tough and manly, King said. But they will not be caught dead watching something called The Good Wife. Broaden that out to late-night talks shows, the CW and sumptuous costume dramas and you have a pretty tidy summary of this years Emmy omissions. glenn.whipp@latimes.com Twitter: @GlennWhipp Theres a nude revolution going on. The colors nude and flesh used to be synonymous with lighter skin shades. But as the worlds population gets more diverse, those definitions continue to change, especially because of the strong consumer demand for fashion and beauty products for darker skin colors. During the last decade, fashion and beauty brands have responded to this audience, going beyond pale pinks and beiges to include products in a rich palette of browns and other skin tones like the colors of people seen in a diverse city like Los Angeles and around the globe. Footwear designer Christian Louboutin, for example, debuted the Nude Collection of flats and heels, ranging from pale to deep, in 2013. Shoes in this collection include the flats called Solasofia and heels named Pigalle Follies, Senora, Iriza and So Kate. Advertisement The Nude Collection is dedicated to people who want to have great legs, to have a great silhouette, said Louboutin via email. As style rules go, nude-colored shoes tend to make a persons legs appear longer. Louboutin is part of the growing trend as brands offer more collections and products designed for consumers of color. Label Nude Barre, whose taglines includes Discover Your Nude, sells womens undergarments and hosiery for a range of skin tones, while Nubian Skin offers nude hosiery and lingerie for women of color. Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez and business partner Catalina Girald co-founded Naja lingerie featuring a Nude For All collection, which launched this year. And also this year, underwear brand Bjorn Borg introduced a line of nude undergarments in six skin tones for women and men. There isnt just one nude anymore, says Shannon Romanowski, a category manager for research firm Mintel, which has headquarters in Chicago and London. Brands are recognizing that women [and men] come in all shades, and theres been a huge expansion in tones and foundations. Offering a wider range of product colors also has touched classical ballet. In London, Royal Ballet soloist Eric Underwood, whos African American and a British citizen, posted a video on Instagram last year showing the hassle of having to color his ballet shoes to match his skin color before a performance. I simply wanted to have a flesh-tone shoe that reflected my skin color. Therefore, I wouldnt need to apply makeup to my ballet shoes because its a long and messy process, Underwood said. In response, Australian company Bloch, which primarily sells dancewear including Pointe and ballet shoes, announced it would make a ballet shoe in a color called Eric Tan named for Underwood this fall. However, the largest color expansion for various skin tones has been in the beauty segment. Mass-market and prestige makeup brands such as LOreal Paris and Lancome have more color offerings for a global range of skin tones. They join new and legacy beauty lines dedicated to women with deeper and multiethnic complexions, including Iman Cosmetics, black|Up Cosmetics (If you try it, consider the brands Nude Nail Lacquer and Perfect Nude Lip Balm, $12.50 and $27 respectively), Fashion Fair and Mixed Chicks, which sells makeup and hair-care products. Last year, actress Eva Mendes introduced Circa Beauty makeup because she found it difficult to find a foundation color to match her skin, particularly during the early days of her career. Im Cuban American, Mendes says. And under the Latin umbrella, a lot of people dont realize the diversity among us. She says it was important for her to be able to have beauty products to serve this diverse community. Romanowski cites Lancomes line of foundations including foundation sticks, creams and liquids such as the brands Nude Miracle Weightless Foundation and LOreal Paris True Match makeup as standouts from larger brands for their color range and the brands themselves for using diverse spokesmodels in their marketing campaigns. Cosmetic chemist Balanda Atis, manager of LOreals Women of Color Lab, also has been examining color and the expanding beauty landscape. As a woman of color myself and speaking for friends and family for many years we were challenged with finding the right foundation shade, says Atis, who has collected skin-tone data from more than 57 countries of origin. LOreals products are available in more than 140 countries. Almost everyone has their own unique skin-tone [identification], says Atis, mentioning an October 2013 National Geographic article about the growing U.S. multiethnic demographics and what Americans will look like in 2050. Every day new skin tones are born, she says. image@latimes.com A Beverly Hills woman celebrating her birthday had a Chanel collection ferried to her home so she and her friends could shop privately. A new mother didnt want to leave her baby to look for new wardrobe pieces so she asked to have a selection of clothes dispatched to her. And a chief executive who was in need of new attire before a morning flight made a call and had a rack of clothes brought to her. In each case, a sleek, black Mercedes-Benz van emblazoned with the words Saks at Your Service Anytime, Anywhere made the sartorial house call. Advertisement Saks Fifth Avenue, which is owned by Toronto-based Hudsons Bay Co., and other retailers including Barneys New York as well as Revolve, the online retailer that opened a local brick-and-mortar space, are looking for new ways to reach customers, personalize shopping and add a dose of good cheer and convenience as the retail and apparel landscape continues to change. Retailers say cultivating closer personal relationships with shoppers has become a major strategy as stores try to woo people away from shopping only online while trying to remain competitive with other retailers. Saks, for example, introduced its mobile shopping service last year but only recently started promoting it in Los Angeles. A crew including a store stylist will come to you if you cant make it into the Beverly Hills store or 12 other stores nationwide, including ones in New York and Florida. If people like shopping online in the privacy of their homes, this could be the way we can deliver, says Marc Metrick, president of New York-based Saks Fifth Avenue, during a recent call from Houston, where he was on-site to roll out the service. Its all about figuring out how, in this new age, we can best service our customers. The way the service works is shoppers provide basic details including sizes, their preferred color palette and silhouettes and whether theyre looking for daytime or evening wear. A selection of clothes and accessories from the store is pulled and brought to a shoppers home, office or hotel. As part of the service, alterations can be made, and an on-hand stylist can evaluate an existing wardrobe and make suggestions for new clothes and help shoppers mix and match new selections with their current tops, pants and accessories. You know what the minimum purchase requirement is for the service? Metrick says. Its zero. You dont have to be special to enjoy it. Every customer that walks into our store is special regardless of their spending threshold. People who have used Saks mobile-shopping service are traditionally customers of the store who often have established relationships with the retailers personal shoppers. Metrick says the outreach doesnt stop at dressing the client only. Through the service, shoppers also have access to makeup artists, hairstylists and wardrobe stylists. According to a company spokeswoman, the Barneys New York store in Beverly Hills has three personal shoppers available to help style shoppers in shopping suites at the store. The store also is willing to send clothes to a customers home to try on for convenience. To get more buzz, Barneys, like other retailers including Saks, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus in the L.A. area, often schedule personal appearances with fashion designers and celebrities such as Derek Lam and Victoria Beckham to meet and mingle with customers. The desire to increase personal attention isnt only for traditional retailers. Online shopping behemoth Revolve, which sells dresses by Rory Beca and BCBG Max Azria, opened a members-only, three-level space, including the rooftop Revolve Social Club, on Melrose Avenue in March that is part events space, part lounge and part shop. The stores 4,500-square-foot rooftop deck was outfitted so shoppers could relax and socialize, says Raissa Gerona, Revolves vice president of brand marketing and strategic partnerships. We serve drinks and have different events, like our tequila, beer and tacos night for Cinco de Mayo, she says. Our intention was to not have a typical retail setup but instead to allow a high level of personalization and to create a special, intimate, authentic experience for shoppers. Also, the Revolve store offers shoppers a chance to work with well-known names. For example, shoppers and their friends could be styled by their favorite fashion influencers or celebrity stylists, Gerona says. Retailers are starting to figure out that they need to get back to the time of greater service and loyalty to customers, says Robert Cohen, Los Angeles-based vice chairman of RKF, a company founded by retail broker Robert Futterman, providing retail leasing strategy and consulting to high-end brands such as John Varvatos, Saint Laurent and Swarovski. Retailers need to give customers a reason to go shopping again. He says he has noticed a positive shift in the way retailers pursue their potential shoppers. For example, he visited a Sephora store during special customer loyalty days when lavish food and wine were served to shoppers. Cohen says many retailers are willing to deliver locally out-of-stock merchandise to customers overnight or offer them same-day delivery service by sending the goods from another local store. He says those little touches matter, including having salon-style VIP rooms, making house calls and sending thank-you notes from store employees in keeping shoppers coming back. It seems old-fashioned, he says. But there are fewer customers shopping more stores. And unless a retailer knows how to create a better shopping experience, they will be left behind. Based on anecdotes from retailers, this personal attention appears to be helping attract and retain shoppers. Metrick says one Saks customer asked the store to deliver high-end jewelry for her to consider buying via Saks at Your Service. She loved it so much that thats the only way she shops now, he says. image@latimes.com I was, I confess, expecting to see a lot of mournful faces in the line outside the original U.S. Din Tai Fung in Arcadia last weekend, only a few hours before it was scheduled to shut down for a remodel. The faded strip-mall restaurant may not have served the first xiao long bao in town when it opened a decade and a half ago, but it certainly kicked the movement into high gear, and the soup dumplings XLB, for short drew Westsiders into the San Gabriel Valley in a way that no other Chinese place really had before. It was among the first Taiwan-based restaurants to catch on in the United States, and the chain was reportedly a hit in Shanghai, the city where the XLB was born. The original Arcadia store begot a second restaurant just around the corner from the first, and then swank mall outlets in Glendale and the South Coast Plaza. Even as it became a cliche, and certain cognoscenti (including me) touted the soulfulness of the XLB at Mei Long Village, the cheerful sturdiness of the XLB at Dean Sin World and the plumpness of the XLB at Long Xing Ji, it is also true that most of those people could be found at Din Tai Fung more often than they could at the places they supposedly liked better, although when you called them out on it they would insist that they were there for the limpid double-boiled chicken soup or the sauteed mustard greens with ginger. For the record: An earlier version of this post said that the original Din Tai Fung location was closing for good. It is closing temporarily for a remodel. And while it is true that Din Tai Fung was set to open a new flagship restaurant up the street in the Westfield Santa Anita mall, it was not that long ago that the original store had added truffle dumplings to its menu and begun to serve throughout the afternoon. Even the XLB had achieved a kind of polished delicacy they hadnt quite shown before. I had a wonderful lunch steamersful of XLB; spinach with garlic; cold sliced cucumbers with chile; chewy rice cakes sauteed with slivers of pork but it was seasoned with sadness. Id had a lot of great dumplings in that room. Advertisement Two days later, I was in the huge new Din Tai Fung, a few steps from the Nordstroms and not far from the gleaming mega-restaurants Dongpo and Hai Di Lao Westfield Santa Anita has clearly become the SGVs center of Chinese grandeur. And if youve been to the Glendale or Costa Mesa stores, youll definitely recognize this one a glassed-in clean room where masked dumpling makers cluster like surgeons around an operating table, triple-height ceilings, and acres of dark carved wood. There is an elaborate system in place to deal with what are bound to be endless waits. You still order by ticking boxes on a bilingual paper menu, although the servers in the new place seem more eager to explain the difference between steamed beef soup and braised beef soup. The prices tend to be 10-15% higher in the new place. The boba tea menu is expanded if you want sea-salt whipped cream on your iced green tea, youre in the right place. The dumplings are served in new bamboo steamers instead of the battered metal ones down the street. The XLB are pretty much the same thin-skinned, beautifully pleated, meaty, almost engineered which is to say that they dont quite pop on your tongue like steamy bubbles, but neither are they likely to leak on the way to your spoon. Do I miss the old shop? Terribly, not least because I am finally enabled to sharpen my nostalgia on behalf of Din Tai Fung, which is really pretty good, rather than at its expense. On the upside: matcha smoothies. Its a tough call. Din Tai Fung, at Westfield Santa Anita mall, 400 S. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, (626) 446-8588, dintaifungusa.com ALSO: Enchilada Month! Jonathan Gold finds splendid spicy fried chicken at the upscale Chinese restaurant Dongpo in Arcadia Curtis Stones new restaurant is open. Want spiced lamb ribs and burnt cucumbers? Get in line A year after the United States and five other world powers signed a historic nuclear deal with Iran, the most steadfast supporters and the most fervent detractors can both say they were right. Neither faction can claim full victory. But nor has the deal flopped. Iran, for the most part, has complied with the agreement to crimp its ability to build nuclear weapons, allowing the Obama administration to take credit for averting a Middle Eastern arms race and making, as Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday, a safer world. Advertisement Conservatives who opposed the agreement both here and abroad can assert -- also correctly -- that nothing has held Iran back from other illicit activities, such as the financing of terrorism, curtailing of human rights and jailing of dual-national opponents. The deals terms focused only on curtailing Irans nuclear program. Those hoping for moderation from Iran as a result of the detente are left holding a mixed bag. Iran saw numerous moderates elected to Parliament over the last year. But anti-Western hardliners also reasserted themselves, and the financial windfall that many Iranians had come to expect from lifting of sanctions has not materialized. A program that so many people said will not work, a program that people said is absolutely doomed to see cheating and be broken and will make the world more dangerous, has, in fact, made the world safer, lived up to its expectations, Kerry said in Paris. He said Iran has met its part of this bargain and obligation. President Obama also praised the nuclear deal for ending a major threat. In a White House statement, he hailed what can be achieved by principled diplomacy. None of that has discouraged U.S. critics from trying to torpedo the year-old deal. Before leaving on summer break, the Republican-controlled House passed legislation banning purchase of heavy water from Iran, a byproduct that can be used for nuclear production. (U.S. purchase of the material is authorized under the deal, which requires Iran to shed excess amounts of heavy water.) Obama has vowed to veto the bill if it reaches his desk, and Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Relations Committee who opposed the Iran agreement, accused the Republicans of political theater. A bi-partisan group of senators, meanwhile, announced they would sponsor a bill to expand sanctions on Iran for ballistic missile development and support for terrorism. We need to look no further than Irans dangerous and destabilizing activities to see the disaster that the Iran nuclear agreement has been over the last year, said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), one of the sponsors. Similarly, some members of Congress are attempting to block a reported sale by the Boeing Co. of 80 to 100 passenger jets to Iran. It would be the first major commercial deal between a U.S. company and the Islamic Republic in decades. The Boeing sale is the sort of business that many expected would follow lifting of key international sanctions that had been imposed on Iran because of its nuclear program. As part of the deal signed a year ago, Iran dismantled the core of its main nuclear reactor, got rid of thousands of centrifuges and shipped out 98 % of its enriched uranium stockpile. In exchange, several sanctions were lifted and billions of dollars in frozen assets were released. Critics claimed, incorrectly, that Iran would get $150 billion; even a more accurate $50 billion has not yet flowed into Iranian coffers. In part, thats because of low oil prices as Iran reentered the global market as well as the skittishness many businesses and investors still have in working with Iran and its turgid banking system. If Iran doesnt reap economic benefits, analysts warn, popular support for the nuclear deal, which was strong, could erode. The government of President Hassan Rouhani has blamed the U.S. for continuing to block international investment. A real threat to the [agreement] is that Iran will blame the slow recovery of its economy on U.S. failure to conscientiously fulfill its sanctions-relief commitments and, using that as a pretext, will curtail or even end its own implementation of the deal, Robert Einhorn, an arms control expert for the non-partisan Brookings Institution, wrote in an analysis for the organizations website. As Obamas second term enters its final months, he and Kerry hope to cite an eased nuclear threat from Iran as a cornerstone of their foreign policy legacy, along with rapprochement with Cuba after half a century of official hostility. Unlike the warming relationship with Havana, however, the U.S. has gained little else from the nuclear deal with Tehran. Americas willingness to engage directly with Iran opened the door to talks, Obama said. But he added, serious differences remain. ALSO Doctors travel a dangerous road to help ease the horrors of war-torn Aleppo, Syria Pentagon to increase U.S. troops in Iraq to help prepare assault on Mosul Egypt wants to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process Theyre not kidding when they say theyll leave the light on for you. A long-forgotten neon lamp that was switched on during the Great Depression and left burning for about 77 years has been discovered hidden behind a dusty partition at Cliftons Cafeteria. The find was made amid an extensive renovation of the downtown eatery, according to the buildings owner, Andrew Meieran. Advertisement The neon fixture is believed to have been installed in 1935 when Clifford Clinton purchased the lease to Boos Bros. Cafeteria on Broadway and 7th Street and converted the place into a forest-themed restaurant. The discovery has delighted fans of neon lighting, who point out that Americas first neon sign was erected blocks away at Olympic Boulevard and Hope Street. Thats where automobile dealer Earle C. Anthony installed a glowing Packard emblem outside his showroom in 1923. ------------ For The Record May 31, 2012: An article in the May 26 LATExtra section about the discovery of a hidden neon lighting fixture at Cliftons Cafeteria misquoted Los Angeles Conservancy Director Linda Dishman as saying, The Cliftons saved everything. In fact, she said, The Clintons saved everything, speaking of the longtime owners of the restaurant. ------------ Neon lamps can last 20 to 40 years before the glass deteriorates or transformers go out, said Kim Koga, executive director of the Museum of Neon Art. That this one has survived, lit, for as long as it has is incredible. The newly revealed lamp isnt exactly a work of art, however. The walls of the restaurant featured numerous hand-tinted transparencies of mountain and forest landscapes, each of which was backlit by a rectangular neon light. One such light was installed in a window-like nook in a basement restroom, where it softly illuminated a woodland scene. In 1949, the nook was covered over with plastic and plywood when part of the restroom was partitioned off as a storage area. But for some reason, workmen never got around to disconnecting the electricity. For the next 62 years the illuminated tubing was hidden within the wall. Meieran estimates that the neon tube has racked up more than $17,000 in electrical bills. The glowing light was discovered Feb. 9 when Meieran inspected the small storeroom with a member of his renovation crew. We were using flashlights, and I thought I caught a glimpse of a little light coming through the wall, Meieran said. I asked, What is that? The pair shut off their flashlights, thinking the beams were reflecting off something in the wall. A faint light still glowed within the pitch blackness of the storeroom. Wondering whether the light might be coming from the basement next door, Meieran peeled away more of the wall covering. When the hole was large enough to stick his phone camera through, he reached inside and snapped several pictures, including one that clearly showed electrodes at the base of neon tubing. Puzzled, Meieran uncovered the entire 3-by-5-foot nook, exposing six rows of neon tubing. Blackout paint covered one half of the neon tubes to obscure them. Koga said she was amazed that insects or rodents werent drawn to the warmth of the fragile neon tubes, jeopardizing their operation. She speculated that being out of the weather and away from human touch for so long has contributed to the lights longevity. Meieran bought the building from the Clinton family for $3.6 million and plans to spend an additional $3.5 million on renovations before reopening it next year. He said workers have found other treasures within its walls and hidden crannies. The building was constructed in 1904 as a furniture store, and renovation workers have uncovered a steel support post that was painted with directions to various store departments, as well as a non-functioning ice water neon sign from the 1930s. Workers have also unearthed vestiges of past renovations. A piece of Sheetrock used in a 1949 remodeling bears the autographs of workers. Other items recovered by workers include Edison incandescent light bulbs circa 1932, original Boos Bros. Cafeteria tableware, an ancient Orpheum playbill and long-hidden original subway wall tiles and decorative honeycomb floor tiles in the cafeterias serving line area. Youre literally peeling away layers of time here, said Rick Ringer, a partner in the Cliftons renovation project who likened the work to an archaeological dig. Clifford Clintons original 1931-32 diary also turned up, Meieran said. In it, he outlined his long-range plans to serve Depression-weary Los Angeles residents with decent food in a restaurant governed by the Golden Rule. When the cafeteria reopens Meieran plans to erect a display area that will show off the rescued neon light and other artifacts. A hand-tinted transparency similar to one of the originals will be mounted in front of a portion of the neon, which will remain lighted. From a preservation perspective, its phenomenal what Andrew is doing, said Linda Dishman, executive director of the Los Angeles Conservancy. Im sure hes going to find more. The Cliftons saved everything. Instead of throwing things out, they covered over them. Arlene Burns, the mayor of a teensy Oregon town on the Columbia River, was speaking into a bullhorn in a park here the other day, telling a crowd about what happened when a mile-long train loaded with crude oil derailed in Mosier last month. Sixteen of 96 cars toppled from the tracks. Four exploded. The area, a windsurfing mecca known for its constant high winds, was spared more explosions only because the air was unusually still that day. If it had been a normal, windy day, Burns said, the explosions would have had a domino effect. Still, a monstrous plume of black smoke could be seen for miles. Advertisement About 200 yards away, 225 schoolchildren were evacuated and began their summer vacation a week early. Their school was quickly converted to an incident command center. Twenty-three miles of I-84, which runs along the southern edge of the Columbia River, was closed, blocking access to Mosier. Guess who couldnt help us? Burns said. The first responders. They were stuck in gridlock traffic. The Mosier fire burned for 15 hours. No one was hurt, but the towns sewage treatment plant was inundated with 10,000 of the 42,000 gallons of spilled Bakken crude oil a volatile, highly flammable mix. For days, toilets didnt flush and showers didnt work. Then, while annihilated cars lay by the tracks, their crude oil cargo still inside, Union Pacific Railroad repaired its faulty tracks and prepared to resume shipments. The Mosier city council passed an emergency ordinance asking the railroad to hold off until the area was cleared. Union Pacific ignored the request. We were told the tracks were safe, Burns said. A preliminary investigation by the Federal Railroad Administration determined that Union Pacific was to blame for the accident. It had failed to properly maintain the tracks and to detect that lag bolts, which fasten rails to their wooden ties, had rusted and snapped. When they broke, the weight of the tanker cars forced the tracks apart, leading to the crash. What made this finding especially worrisome was that the tracks had been inspected three days earlier. NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily Before this is all over, Burns said, they might wish they had killed us off, because we cant shut up about it. :: When I read about the Mosier derailment, I immediately thought about San Luis Obispo County, where a proposal to extend a rail spur at an existing Phillips 66 oil refinery in Santa Maria is being vigorously challenged by a group of citizens who dont want three mile-long oil trains traversing their county each week, bringing air pollution, noise and the risk of derailment. These folks, the Mesa Refinery Watch Group, had invited Burns to speak at Saturdays rally, which drew about 150 people. It was timed to coincide with the third anniversary of the disastrous oil train crash in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, which killed 47 people and destroyed an entire town. The fight has spread beyond San Luis Obispo. Supervisors in counties up and down the state have officially opposed the project. So have at least 22 city councils, from Berkeley to Los Angeles. The crude oil boom in places like North Dakota has lead to a significant increase in the number of such trains, along with a significant increase in derailments. Most people dont want potentially explosive cargo barreling through their community. One thing we have learned is trains derail. Its not a matter of if, its a matter of when. Arlene Burns One thing we have learned is trains derail, Burns said. Its not a matter of if, its a matter of when. If its corn, OK, birds might be happy. But when you have oil, everyone along the tracks is in a blast zone. Its only by a quirk of law that the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, which will vote on the project next year, even has a say. As it happens, only the federal government controls what is transported by rail in this country. State and local governments have no say over railroads; a huge body of law supports this. But Phillips 66 needs a permit from San Luis Obispo County to build tracks and oil storage tanks. That is why supervisors and council members up and down the state can scream as much as they like; only San Luis Obispo gets to vote on it. (The California Coastal Commission staff has recommended a no vote on the project as well. In truth, the project is likely to be tied up in litigation no matter what.) The San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission, which is slated to vote in September, has already intimated that it supports the project, despite a recommendation by its staff to reject the proposal because of unavoidable impacts on air quality and the potentially serious fallout from a derailment. In this county, the board of supervisors leans conservative. Two of its five seats are up for grabs in November. It should be the biggest issue in the election, said Charles Varni, who helped organize last weekends rally. :: The other day, when I drove from San Luis Obispo back to Los Angeles, I had images of the Mosier derailment in my head. I imagined explosions and flames. On Highway One, I drove past the tiny, historic train depot in Oceano, and thought, this could go up like kindling if an oil train tipped over here. Off Highway One, down 14 winding miles to Jalama Beach, the remote surf and camping spot with legendary afternoon winds that whip the ocean into froth, I thought, a derailment here probably wouldnt hurt too many people. But near downtown Santa Barbara, theres a pretty sharp bend in the tracks near downtown. Heavy tankers put enormous stress on curves. A derailment in Santa Barbara? Unlikely, but best not even to think about it. As long as we depend so heavily on oil, we will have these battles. It makes economic sense for oil companies like Phillips to fight on. But I take what Mayor Burns said to heart. Oil trains will derail. They are disasters waiting to happen. San Luis Obispo County supervisors are in a unique position to help protect every Californian who lives within a mile of Union Pacifics tracks, often called the blast zone. I hope they can rise to the occasion. robin.abcarian@latimes.com @AbcarianLAT ALSO Recall effort of judge in Stanford rape case gains steam and political allies U.S. now has bigger recoverable oil reserves than Saudi Arabia or Russia Column: In San Francisco, a coordinated media effort to solve homelessness stirs the city Los Angeles County is considering a controversial plan to spur housing development in rural unincorporated areas by allowing property owners to haul in drinking water if no other source is available. If adopted, the initiative would make 42,677 parcels in the northern one-third of the county potentially eligible to construct as many as 3,680 single-family homes over the next two decades, officials said. For the record: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the city of Santa Clarita as Santa Clara. The proposal aims to allow hauling water for construction of new homes despite a 2003 California Department of Public Health determination that hauled water does not provide the equivalent level of health protection and reliability as a permitted public water system or certified private well. Advertisement These constituents have a right to develop vacant land they bought as a nest egg. Edel Vizcarra, deputy to Supervisor Michael Antonovich Since then, building permits have not been issued for single-family residences on north county parcels unless the developers can tap groundwater or a public or private water supply. All of the parcels that would be affected are in county Supervisor Michael Antonovichs 5th District and include areas northeast of the city of Santa Clarita; Mojave high desert areas north and east of the San Gabriel Mountains in Antelope Valley; and north and south of California State Route 14 and southwest of the city of Palmdale in the communities of Agua Dulce and Acton. Antonovich, who has announced that he will seek the state Senates 25th District seat next year, said the proposal is the result of years of working with the community, local town councils and residents. Edel Vizcarra, Antonovichs deputy in charge of land use and planning, said, This is something north county communities have been asking the supervisor for years. These constituents have a right to develop vacant land they bought as a nest egg. So wrongheaded and dangerous it defies belief. Dan Silver, executive director of the Endangered Habitats League Critics point out that the draft environmental impact report for the Single-Family Residential Hauled Water Initiative is based on data gathered in 2010, a year before the start of the ongoing five-year drought, which included the driest four-year stretch recorded in California. In an interview, Dale Sakamoto, a spokesman for the initiative and a civil engineer with the county Department of Public Works, said, The plans supporting this initiative are admittedly outdated. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected to make a final decision in November. Opponents include Dan Silver, executive director of the nonprofit Endangered Habitats League, who described the proposal as so wrongheaded and dangerous it defies belief. My big question, he said, is this: Why is the county spending time and money to produce thousands of pages of environmental analysis if theres not enough water to haul to new homes up there in the first place? Damon Nagami, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said he worried the proposal would open the door to urban sprawl in areas with extreme water scarcity. He is also troubled by an environmental impact reports findings that there would be significant and unavoidable impacts to air quality, biological and cultural resources, land use and planning, public services, recreation and utilities. This proposal raises a lot of pressing questions, he said. Where would the hauled water be stored? Who would ensure it was safe enough for use in homes? What if a water-hauling company goes out of business? According to the environmental impact report, water supplies would depend on the availability of water haulers and retailers. Rates for hauled water would be based on myriad factors including hauling distances and contract fees. Each new development would need to build tanks to store potable water for consumption and fire suppression. The report predicts ample supplies of hauled water during average weather years, but warns that in single-dry and multiple-dry-year scenarios, there will not be sufficient water. Realtors in north countys rural unincorporated territories support the proposal. It could help a bunch of moms and pops trying to do the best they can on the outskirts of Antelope Valley. Chuck Lynn, a spokesman for the Greater Antelope Valley Assn. of Realtors It could help a bunch of moms and pops trying to do the best they can on the outskirts of Antelope Valley, said Chuck Lynn, a spokesman for the Greater Antelope Valley Assn. of Realtors. Peggy DeHaas, a realtor in the north county community of Lake Hughes, agreed. I have listed properties that are remote or rural and would see their values rise under this plan, she said. So its probably a positive move. Louis.Sahagun@latimes.com Twitter: @LouisSahagun ALSO Fresno police release body-camera footage of fatal shooting of unarmed 19-year-old State Sen. Sharon Runner, longtime Republican lawmaker, dies at 62 Why home prices in Southern California keep climbing UPDATES: 10:27 a.m.: This article has been updated with comment from Supervisor Michael Antonovich. This article was originally published at 3 a.m. For the last 15 years, a number between 200 and 1,000 told parents in California how good their childs school was. Up next: They might have to decipher performance through a series of colored boxes. For the record: A previous version of this article included an image from Education TrustWests proposed display for parents. The group is still working on the display. California is in the process of redefining its system for rating public schools, in a way that is both transparent for parents and more precise than just using test scores. The changes come after the number system, called the Academic Performance Index, was suspended and as the state tries to satisfy the Every Student Succeeds Act, the federal governments replacement of No Child Left Behind. Advertisement The latest proposal, presented Wednesday at a meeting of the State Board of Education in Sacramento, is the California Model, a display of 17 colored boxes that summarizes how a school is doing in such categories as math or career readiness, both in terms of current status and progress over time. Performance is rated on indicators set by state and federal law as well as those evaluated under the states new school funding formula. Though officials cautioned the draft was preliminary, it engendered a long debate over graphics, with one board member begging to move away from Easter egg colors because one pastel-tinged draft didnt seem serious enough. A school in the red on graduation means that too many students are dropping out; the best color ranking would be blue. To understand what each color means in a particular category, parents could refer to a lookup table, a grid of 25 colored boxes explaining in more detail what it means to be labeled a certain color. Eric Crane, a designer of the mock-up from the nonprofit consulting firm WestEd, presented a slideshow showing how year-over-year progress doesnt always improve a schools color standing. Theres no hiding performance that would be of concern, he said. The short- and long-term goals, he said, would be for schools to get to green. The new federal law requires states to meaningfully differentiate between schools that are doing better and worse, and the federal government has proposed regulations that would require each school to get an overall rating. But the proposal presented Wednesday did not provide an overall rating of each California school. The board voted to send a letter to the feds that will include their feedback on the regulations. The display which, board members cautioned is the forerunner of a website that will contain much more information was the subject of an hours-long discussion. Its also the product of months of debate over how to better represent what happens inside schools, after years of using a single number largely based on standardized test scores. But some said the proposed color-coded system had become too convoluted in an effort to include more and more factors in the ratings. Several aspects of the latest version seem overly complicated, said Patty Scripter, vice president for education of the California State PTA. We encourage the board to pilot-test the words and colors with parents. Gabe Rose, the chief strategy officer for Parent Revolution, which has helped parents change management at many public schools, said, Our No. 1 concern continues to be whether or not the system is easily usable for all families. Unfortunately, right now we feel the answer is no. State Board of Education president Mike Kirst said there is time for the design to be refined. Education Trust West, a California-based advocacy group, sent the state education department a letter saying it had major concerns and questions about how these many indicators and data points fit together. The letter also contended that its unclear how the evaluation of local funding formulas fit into the state reporting tool. The group is working on an alternative proposal for a school report card display for parents. In May, the education board voted on many components to be included in the school report card: English and math test scores and growth on those exams, high school graduation rates, suspension rates, measures of college preparedness, chronic absenteeism and how quickly English language learners are absorbing the language. Also on Wednesday, the board voted to approve details concerning several more measures of how schools should be evaluated including a measure of college and career readiness that takes 11th grade test scores into account. It also approved the use of surveys on school climate, a measure of how safe students feel in school and the inclusion of an equity report, which signals how well schools are serving specific groups of students, such as minority groups. The board is slated to vote on a final plan in September. As the board debated, a group of about 50 students organized by Californians for Justice stood outside the Department of Education building and took turns talking about what they wanted from the board. Gov. Jerry Brown, one student said, you have an all-important role in working with students to close the achievement gap. We are asking you to believe in us. A popular former Los Angeles Unified teacher who was investigated and fired after allegations of inappropriate behavior will be allowed to continue his defamation lawsuit against the school district, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday. Rafe Esquith, a longtime teacher at Hobart Boulevard Elementary School, ran a theater nonprofit for his students, many of whom were low income, and was nationally recognized for his teaching methods. Esquith was removed from his classroom in April 2015 after another employee complained about a joke he made to students. Advertisement He sued in state court last August, asking that the district retract allegations of sexual misconduct and pay him damages. The school district filed a motion this year in April asking the court to dismiss the case. That motion was denied Wednesday morning, as Los Angeles School Report first reported. In an email after the ruling, district spokeswoman Shannon Haber said: We respectfully disagree with the Courts decision and we intend to appeal the judges denial of our motion. Esquiths attorneys have also filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of about 2,000 teachers under investigation for various complaints who have been placed on paid administrative leave and housed offsite in so-called teacher jail during the workday, while substitutes and other teachers take their place. That federal lawsuit is pending. You have hundreds of teachers ... who just sit there and stare at a cubicle all day, Ben Meiselas, one of Esquiths attorneys, said in an interview. And this could go on for years. That has negative psychological and professional ramifications for the teachers, many of whom are not facing criminal charges or civil lawsuits while they are being investigated, the lawsuit contends. In December, The Times obtained records of the districts investigation into Esquith, including allegations that he fondled children in the 1970s and that in recent years he inappropriately emailed former students, describing them as hotties and sexy and referring to himself as their personal ATM. Esquiths work computer contained inappropriate pictures and videos, according to the documents. Some women were shown wearing bikinis, while others were topless or nude. The emails were taken out of context, Meiselas said. In fighting the districts motion to dismiss the defamation lawsuit, Esquiths attorneys included a statement from a former student who had received one of the emails singled out. The former student said portions of the email that the district points to are cherry-picked to depict our conversations as having an inappropriate or sexual nature that is completely inaccurate. Esquith has not been charged with any crimes and his lawyers have denied any misconduct. Meiselas contends that other allegations from the district are also false and an attempt to undermine Esquiths credibility after he began to criticize the districts handling of teacher investigations. Times staff writer Zahira Torres contributed to this report. Reach Sonali Kohli at Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com or on Twitter @Sonali_Kohli. Summer school classes operated normally Thursday at Van Ness Avenue Elementary the morning after police searched in vain for a reported gunman in the neighborhood and found instead an assault victim on the campus. Today, Van Ness Avenue Elementary School opened as usual, and all students are safe, L.A. schools Supt. Michelle King said in a statement on Thursday. Police had converged on the neighborhood around the Larchmont-area campus Wednesday afternoon after a report about a man with a gun in the schools parking lot came in about 11:30 a.m. The report came from a campus volunteer, according to an officer at the scene. The volunteer then told a teacher, who informed school police. Advertisement L.A. Unified officers were managing the situation and did not immediately ask for help from their city counterparts, but events soon drew the LAPD to the campus. Police cordoned off both ends of the block in front of the school, said a resident who lives in the neighborhood with his daughter. The school also went on lockdown, with students held in place. The result was a slightly delayed dismissal, said district spokeswoman Barbara Jones. Summer school hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. at the school, where 317 students are taking classes in grades from pre-kindergarten through sixth. No evidence of a gunman was found, but police remained at the scene. An officer said the investigation had turned in an unrelated direction, but he declined to elaborate. Late Wednesday night, police were still guarding the one entrance to campus that was not padlocked. A detective, a specialist in sexual assault cases, was called to the scene. Officers responded to a man with a gun call, according to the statement provided by Capt. Andrew Neiman. While at the scene, officers determined that an assault occurred against a school district employee. No information was immediately available on the condition of the victim or the circumstances leading to the assault. Detectives still were conducting interviews at the school well past 11 p.m. Wednesday. In her statement, King said the situation related to the assault did not involve students. Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report. howard.blume@latimes.com Twitter: @howardblume MORE LOCAL NEWS Crackdown on Bay Boys surfer gang begins after years of complaints Santa Monica convicts its first Airbnb host under tough home-sharing laws Fresno police release body-camera footage of fatal shooting of unarmed 19-year-old UPDATES: 12:05 p.m.: This article was updated with new information from police about an unrelated assault victim found on campus. This article was originally published at 11:27 p.m. July 13. A man was taken into custody early Thursday after a pursuit and standoff on the 91 Freeway in Corona, authorities said. The California Highway Patrol said a woman called police after she thought the man matched the description of a gunman wanted in connection with seven killings in the Phoenix area. Costa Mesa police tried to stop the man, but he continued driving. Authorities began pursuing the man about 12:45 a.m. Costa Mesa, CHP Officer Marcelo Llerena said. Advertisement The man, driving a Subaru, led law enforcement on a chase on the north 605 Freeway, then east on the 210 Freeway, west on the 10 Freeway, south on the 215 Freeway and finally west on the 91. About 2 a.m., the man, identified as Hector Vasquez, 43, of Beverly Hills, stopped east of Promenade Avenue, but he refused to surrender, Officer Dan Olivas said. The standoff went on for about two hours and forced the CHP to close the freeway in both directions. He was holding what appeared to be a black handgun as he exited his Subaru, authorities said. Vasquez then tossed the handgun onto the eastbound freeway lanes before he was finally taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, brandishing a weapon and evading police, he said. A pellet gun was recovered from Vasquezs belongings, he said. Olivas thinks Vasquez evading police because he was under the influence of drugs. Phoenix police were in contact with California authorities and think the arrest is unrelated to their case, Sgt. Jonathan Howard said. Phoenix police said the random killings occurred mostly at night in west Phoenix. The last shooting resulted in the deaths of three women on June 12. veronica.rocha@latimes.com For breaking news in California, follow VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter. ALSO Fresno police release body-camera footage of fatal shooting of unarmed 19-year-old Local control of Ontario International Airport headed for President Obamas signature Los Angeles County proposal to let landowners use hauled-in water worries environmentalists UPDATES: 10:03 a.m.: This article was updated with details that led to the police pursuit. 8:30 a.m.: This article was updated with details about the suspect. 7:25 a.m.: This article was updated with Phoenix police saying the chase was not related to the serial killer. This article was originally published at 6:53 a.m. Salmorejo with a classic ham and egg garnish. For 10 years, a group of researchers from Cordoba University has been trying to establish a basic standard recipe for salmorejo that could be used by a quality brand, and thus gain broader recognition for this traditional tomato-based dish, which is similar to cold gazpacho soup. The research began in 2007 at the universitys Food Science and Technology Department. Their work has allowed an association called the Gastronomic Salmorejo Guild of Cordoba to suggest a core recipe consisting of one kilo of tomatoes, 200g of Telera bread, a local specialty, 100g of extra virgin olive oil, a clove of Montalban garlic and 10g of salt. A survey carried out in 754 bars and restaurants confirmed that this basic recipe was the general departure point for the salmorejo that is served to the public. The survey covered more than 22% of the census, says research director Rafael Moreno. That is a big enough percentage to offer a reasonable idea of the uses and traditions of the dish in the city. Although salmorejo is served fresh and thus linked in many peoples minds with summer, it is not considered a seasonal dish in bars and restaurants Researchers found that the average salmorejo recipe uses a kilo of plum tomatoes (66%), generally unpeeled (44%), 108g of extra virgin olive oil (61%), 197g of dry, day-old bread (46%), 5.8g of Montalban garlic (44%) and 9g of coarsely ground salt. Other interesting data concerning the dish included the fact that 79% of establishments garnished salmorejo with ham and 66% with hard-boiled egg, while 28% served it with a dash of olive oil. 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. Although salmorejo is served fresh and thus linked in many people's minds with summer, it is not considered a seasonal dish in bars and restaurants. In fact, 78% of eateries feature it on the menu year-round, not least because in 50% of cases, it is among their three top orders at an average price of between 5.50 and 6. Published in the journal Nutricion Hospitalaria, the research also found that salmorejo without garnish is low in calories and cholesterol. It is also a good source of water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins and monounsaturated fats. Homegrown variety Researchers are now keen to find out about the homemade variety and are carrying out surveys among shoppers and on social networks. There is a wide range of answers, says Moreno. People add beetroot, peach, cucumber, onion, pepper and raw egg. Between 15% and 20% of homemade salmorejo also features vinegar. Now we are going to find out why the homemade recipe is so diverse, says the nutrition professor. English version by Heather Galloway. Dozens of Black Lives Matter demonstrators remained on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall Tuesday night into Wednesday afternoon in protest of a fatal police shooting, and later marched on the LAPDs headquarters, roping off the building with crime scene tape. The sit-in followed protests involving hundreds of people descending on a meeting of the citys Police Commission early Tuesday morning. A segment of the crowd marched on City Hall after the commission ruled that an LAPD officer did not violate the departments deadly force rules when he shot and killed 30-year-old Redel Jones last year. Jones, who was black, was killed in a South L.A. alley after officers noticed that she matched the description of a suspect in a nearby robbery. Police said she moved toward an officer with a kitchen knife before she was shot. Advertisement Immediately following the commissions decision Tuesday afternoon, a crowd of about 100 demonstrators attempted to enter City Hall, pounding on the buildings glass doors, but they were blocked by police. Jones name was chanted repeatedly on Wednesday night as the demonstrators returned to the LAPDs headquarters, shouting Black lives, they matter here while beating a drum. No justice, no peace, no racist police, the crowd chanted around 7:30 p.m. At least 30 people stayed on the steps of City Hall overnight, Jasmine Richards, a 29-year-old activist from Pasadena, said earlier on Wednesday. The front of the building was marked by signs reading Fire Beck and Black Lives Matter, as demonstrators milled around chalk sidewalk scrawlings and cases of bottled water. A few people had erected tents as well. Richards said the group did not plan to leave until they received a meeting with Mayor Eric Garcetti, or until Beck was fired. Were just holding this place, showing resistance and resilience, she said. No arrests had been made outside City Hall, according to LAPD Capt. Andy Neiman, who said the department was monitoring the situation. As long as they are not interfering with the access in and out of City Hall or people as they are traversing on the sidewalks, then they will be allowed to express their 1st Amendment [rights], he said. Richards said the group has not attempted to enter the building because of what she described as hostility shown by police Tuesday, when police officers blocked the doors to City Hall as protesters tried to enter. Melina Abdullah, a prominent Black Lives Matter activist in the city and a Cal State Los Angeles professor, was briefly detained by police and pushed by an officer Tuesday, according to Richards. The group has not been in contact with Garcettis staff, said Richards, who promised political consequences against the mayor if he did not act on their call to remove Beck. He will not win another black vote or Latino vote, she said. The crowd outside City Hall was a small fragment of the much larger protest presence outside of LAPD headquarters Tuesday morning. Many said Tuesday that they were drawn to the scene after a pair of controversial police shootings in which black men were killed in Louisiana and Minnesota last week. Although the protest was peaceful, demonstrators grew agitated when the commission decided the officer who shot Jones last year had not violated the departments use-of-force policy. The commission determined in a 3-0 vote that the shooting was justified because an officer could reasonably have believed that Jones actions while armed with a knife presented an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury, according to a written summary of the commissions findings. Times staff writer Kate Mather contributed to this report. james.queally@latimes.com Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California. UPDATES: 7:34 p.m.: This story was updated when protesters returned to the LAPDs headquarters. This story first published at 6:16 p.m. A Chinese national was sentenced Wednesday to nearly four years in prison for plotting with Chinese military officers to hack computers belonging to U.S. defense contractors such as Boeing Co. and obtain trade secrets involving designs of American military aircraft. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder ordered Su Bin, a 51-year-old man who is also known as Stephen Subin and Stephen Su, to pay a $10,000 fine. Bin, who operated an aviation and aerospace company in Canada, pleaded guilty March 23 to a federal conspiracy charge of gaining unauthorized access to a protected computer. He was arrested in British Columbia in 2014, and he waived extradition to the U.S. in February 2016. Advertisement Starting in 2008 and continuing until 2014, Bin informed military officers in China about what sites to hack and which files to steal, and he advised his co-conspirators on which information was significant, according to the U.S. attorneys office in Los Angeles. Bin did not get any money from the scheme, but he admitted that he entered into the plot in order to profit. One of the companies targeted in the conspiracy was Chicago-based Boeing, whose computer servers in Orange County stored detailed files on the C-17 military aircraft. Bin admitted that sensitive military information was accessed on the servers and sent to China, according to a plea agreement filed in the Central District of California. Bin and his co-conspirators also handled data related to the F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, both made by Lockheed Martin Corp., according to court papers. As part of the conspiracy, Bin reviewed files and translated a technical flight test plan from English into Chinese. He and his co-conspirators also drafted and sent reports summarizing the information and technology gained from the hacking effort. Prosecutors contended that although Bin may not have actually hacked American companies, he showed his conspirators which ones to target and what to pilfer. Su Bins sentence is a just punishment for his admitted role in a conspiracy with hackers from the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force to illegally access and steal sensitive U.S. military information, said John P. Carlin, the assistant attorney general for national security. Defense attorney Robert J. Anello asked the judge to impose a 30-month sentence, arguing that the offense was an aberration in a lifetime of generosity and kindness. Anello also told the judge that Bin would be permanently saddled with this conviction and pointed out that such a conviction would hamper his future efforts at doing business. The lawyer wrote: He is sorry for his actions. For more news in California, follow @MattHjourno. MORE LOCAL NEWS Crackdown on Bay Boys surfer gang begins after years of complaints Santa Monica convicts its first Airbnb host under tough home-sharing laws Fresno police release body-camera footage of fatal shooting of unarmed 19-year-old A friend of a 19-year-old man fatally shot by two undercover California Highway Patrol officers last week has been arrested on suspicion of making threats against one of the officers who opened fire, according to interviews and court documents. The 17-year-old suspect surrendered to Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies on Tuesday afternoon, said his attorney, John Blanchard. According to a search warrant reviewed by The Times, the teenager posted a picture to Instagram of a CHP officer involved in the July 3 shooting death of Pedro Erik Villanueva. The caption on the picture asked others to find out where the officer lived, referred to him as a pig and used another profanity to describe the officer. Advertisement Person Who Finds his patrol vehicle #, Or Home location, gets a BIG tip, the post said, according to the warrant. To All Officers Of The Law, nothing here is illegal, this officer has become famous, And reasons for info, due to wanting to interview the officer. On another Instagram post that included the same photograph, the teen posted a comment saying he wanted to dump the officers, which investigators took to mean he wanted to shoot or kill police, according to the warrant. Other users on the same thread called for payback, and at least one made a reference to shooting the officer, the warrant said. The photo had been circulating among Villanuevas friends, the teen told The Times in a phone interview shortly before he surrendered to authorities Tuesday. The teen, who went to school with Villanueva several years ago and last spoke to him in June, said he had no plans to hurt police. Investigators misinterpreted his messages, he said. The Times is withholding his name because he is a juvenile. Its not clear how the Instagram users were able to identify the officers who shot Villanueva. The CHP has yet to publicly identify the pair. Blanchard called the arrest an overreaction by law enforcement after the killing of five police officers in Dallas last week. Like a lot of other citizens, hes upset that his friend was killed for no reason. He was venting, Blanchard said. This is a 17-year-old boy who has no means, no intent of harming any officer. Certainly after the Dallas shootings, the cops are hyper-sensitive. They circled the wagons, and now theyre lashing out. CHP investigators discovered the Instagram post on July 6, the day before the Dallas shooting, according to the court document. The warrant for the teens arrest was obtained on Monday, several days after the attack. The search warrant asked a judge for permission to examine a residence associated with the teen and his car for weapons along with electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones for other communications and messages. Sgt. Jose Nunez, a spokesman for the CHPs Southern Division, said the teen was being held at Los Padrinos Juvenile Detention Center. He is scheduled to be in court on Friday, Blanchard said. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County district attorneys office later this week, according to Nunez, who said releasing further information might jeopardize a prosecution. The threat involved social [media] posts advocating violent acts, shooting officers, however the thread singled out a specific CHP officer as the objective of the violent acts, Nunez wrote in an e-mail. Villanueva was driving one of dozens of trucks that were performing doughnuts and other dangerous vehicle stunts at a sideshow near the Santa Fe Springs swap meet on July 3, the CHP has said. Two undercover officers were monitoring the sideshow. Authorities said Villanueva fled from the scene at speeds approaching 90 miles per hour when marked CHP cruisers came to break up the rally. The undercover officers followed Villanueva for five miles into Fullerton. Villanueva made a U-turn after reaching a dead end on North Pritchard Avenue and drove his red Chevy Silverado pick-up toward the officers, who both opened fire, according to Fullerton Police. Villanueva died at the scene. His 18-year-old passenger was wounded, but survived. While the passenger was not charged with a crime, Fullerton Police have declined to release his name, citing the ongoing investigation. Before he surrendered this week, the teen accused of making threats told The Times anything he posted on social media after Villanuevas death was only meant as a call for justice for his friend. My intentions were pretty much just part of the black and brown movement, he said. Pretty much it was just justice for Pedro. james.queally@latimes.com Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California. ALSO Man sought in Arizona serial killings arrested after chase, standoff in Corona Search for gunman yields assault victim instead at Van Ness Elementary Black Lives Matter demonstrators rope off LAPD HQ with crime scene tape after City Hall sit-in Visitors to Pyramid Lake this week are being urged to avoid touching the water because of a large algae bloom pumping toxins into the lake. Flourishing because of warm temperatures, calm conditions and plenty of sunlight, the blue-green algae bloom was detected Tuesday near the recreational swimming area and triggered the warning a day later, the state Department of Water Resources said. Visitors can still move across the water on a boat but are advised to be extremely careful because the toxins in the water can turn into vapor that can be inhaled if the lake surface is churned up, officials said. Advertisement Boiling the water does not remove the toxins so dont drink it, the agency said. Eating fish or shellfish from the lake is not recommended, but if a person is going to eat marine life from the water, authorities say, the guts and liver must be removed and the fillet washed clean with fresh water. The conditions can change day to day, but visitors are urged to be cautious throughout the summer when the conditions are ripe for the algae. A similar notice went out to visitors of the Pit River Arm of Shasta Lake in Northern California on Thursday. Blue-green algae appears as bright green in the water, with streaks that look like spilled paint. It can also appear as blue-green, white or brown foam or scum that can float on the water or accumulate along shore, state officials said. In high concentrations, the toxins in the algae can cause skin rashes, irritate the eyes, nose, mouth or throat, and trigger headaches and gastrointestinal issues. Pyramid Lake is north of Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County along the 5 Freeway. For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter. ALSO Tagger known as Liter arrested on suspicion of defacing Vietnam veterans memorial in Venice Children left in blistering Mojave Desert town without shoes or water as punishment Fresno police release dramatic body-camera footage of fatal shooting of unarmed 19-year-old Homicide investigators on Thursday released a sketch of the man they say has killed three homeless men and critically injured a fourth in separate, brutal attacks in San Diego. The simple pencil sketch shows a man with a large chin, prominent eyes and a cap. Investigators previously released surveillance video of the suspect as he entered a Bay Park gas station store and bought a gasoline can. In that video, he wore a green cap with a short visor, similar to a Greek fishermans hat. His age was estimated at 35 to 50. Advertisement The series of violent assaults began July 3, with the death of Angelo De Nardo, 53, who was killed and then set on fire under the Clairemont Drive overpass at Morena Boulevard, near the 5 Freeway, about 8 a.m. On July 4, about 4:50 a.m., Manuel Nunez Mason, 61, was critically injured on Greenwood Street in the Midway District. Less than two hours later, Shawn Mitchell Longley, 41, was found dead of injuries on Bacon Street in Ocean Beach. Then, about 5 a.m. on Wednesday, witnesses heard loud banging noises and saw one man set another on fire along a walkway between condominium complexes between State Street and Kettner Boulevard, south of Broadway in downtown San Diego. Investigators said a towel was ignited on top of the critically injured man, identified as 23-year-old Dionicio Derek Vahidy. A witness snatched away the towel before the victim was seriously burned. Vahidy died of his injuries Sunday. Investigators arrested Anthony Padgett on Thursday as a suspect in the case but released him from jail Monday, saying they didnt have enough evidence to hold him. Repard writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. ALSO 2 California men fall off edge of ocean bluff while playing Pokemon Go Fresno police release dramatic body-camera footage of fatal shooting of unarmed 19-year-old Children left in blistering Mojave Desert town without shoes or water as punishment A man was arrested Wednesday after his moniker was found spray-painted on the face of a Vietnam War mural in Venice days before Memorial Day. Detectives had identified Angel Castro, 24, earlier this month as one of four vandals who defaced the wall bearing the names of 2,273 soldiers declared missing in action or prisoners of war in Vietnam, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Castro admitted to participating in the vandalism during an initial interview with lead Det. Michael Thibodeaux, who later obtained a warrant to arrest him, authorities said. Advertisement Castro, who goes by the moniker Liter, was taken into custody in the Exposition Park area on suspicion of felony vandalism. He is being held in lieu of $95,000 bail. Investigators are still looking for the three remaining taggers: Pheb, Noner and Snake. The moniker Noner has been linked to a Bay Area tagging group, the sheriffs department said. Community leaders condemned the vandalism, while others were stunned to find the massive white lettering sprayed across the mural along Pacific Avenue. With a black background, the art piece features columns of soldiers names with a message that reads, You are not forgotten. Volunteers worked quickly to scrub off remnants of the graffiti. Created by artist Peter Stewart in 1992, the project raised money for the Vietnam Veterans Aid Foundation. Stewart was inspired to create the art installation after attending a welcome-home parade for Operation Desert Storm. Longtime Venice resident Stewart Oscars said the graffiti stretched on for about 100 feet. Its like a direct attack, he said. If you have any sense of history, youd never do this. Anyone who may know the identities of the remaining taggers is urged to call the Transit Policing Division at (888) 950-7233. To remain anonymous, call LA Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. Tipsters can also text TIPLA with information to CRIMES (274637), or visit lacrimestoppers. veronica.rocha@latimes.com For breaking news in California, follow VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter. ALSO San Diego police release sketch of suspect in multiple killings of homeless men Children left in blistering Mojave Desert town without shoes or water as punishment Fresno police release dramatic body-camera footage of fatal shooting of unarmed 19-year-old Ventura County firefighters were battling a brush fire in the Lake Sherwood area Wednesday evening. The Sherwood fire has burned about 78 acres. No mandatory evacuations have been ordered. https://twitter.com/actprogressive/status/753426293211951104 The Los Angeles Fire Department said the smoke from the fire was moving into the San Fernando Valley. Officials said they hope to have the blaze under control soon, but no containment numbers were immediately available. https://twitter.com/MayorOfLA/status/753394981633597440 ALSO Rescuers rappel down cliff to save stranded puppy in San Diego County Fresno police release body-camera footage of fatal shooting of unarmed 19-year-old Chinese citizen is sentenced to prison in the U.S. for plotting to steal military secrets By releasing police body camera footage of a controversial shooting, Fresnos police chief has gotten in the middle of a fierce debate about whether the public should have access to these videos. Law enforcement agencies across the nation are equipping their officers with body cameras in an effort to have a record of their interactions with the public. The body camera trend picked up steam in the wake of the much-debated shooting of a black teenager in Ferguson, Mo., two years ago. The Los Angeles Police Department plans to have most of its officers equipped with body cameras soon. But like many agencies, the LAPD does not plan to routinely release those videos to the public. Advertisement Why did Fresno release the video? Chief Jerry Dyer said at a news conference that he decided to release the graphic videos of officers firing four gunshots into Dylan Noble, a white 19-year-old, because of the intense public interest in the shooting. Dyer acknowledged that the footage is extremely disturbing to watch, but he said he hoped it would clarify what led officers to stop Noble on June 25 and eventually open fire. I anticipate that some of this video will answer many of the questions out there in this community, Dyer said. However, I believe this video is also going to raise questions in the minds of people, just as those questions exist in my mind as well. What did the video show? The video shows officers spotting Nobles black pickup and pursuing the truck with police sirens blaring. Dyer said officers had been responding to a report of a man armed with a rifle. As soon as Nobles truck is parked, an officer is heard yelling: Turn off the truck. Get your hands out the window. Both hands out the window. Later, an officer screams: Let me see both your hands. Get both your hands out. Noble exited the truck and approached, then retreated from the officers. Police called for backup, and officers gave about 30 commands for Noble to show his hands, lift his hands or lie on the ground, Dyer said. Noble did not comply with officers orders and turned around to face them. He reached his right hand behind his back and appeared to carry an object in his right hand that officers believed could be a weapon, Dyer said. Noble is heard saying that he hates his life. One officer shoots him twice. Noble falls to the ground, rolls over and is seen moving his hand into his waistband and under his shirt. The officer fires a third round at Noble, and after about 12 seconds, another officer fires a fourth bullet into the man. The object in Nobles hand was determined to be a 4-inch plastic container with malleable clay. Why do departments oppose releasing body camera videos? They generally cite issues of privacy for both the officers and those with whom they come in contact. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck has said he did not expect to disclose footage in the majority of cases. In an interview last year, Beck explained his concerns. Beck said the cameras still would bring transparency, even if the public lacked access to all footage. He noted the LAPDs civilian overseers the Police Commission and inspector general, along with the district and city attorneys offices would have the authority to review the recordings. I think people misunderstand transparency as having everybody and all the public have access to everything. And it isnt so much that as having the ability for oversight by multiple entities outside of the Police Department, Beck said. I think thats the meaning of transparency. I dont think that transparency means we post every interaction on YouTube. The chief said he felt there was a moral prohibition as well. People invite us into their homes on their worst possible day, and I dont think they invite us with the intention of having that interaction made public, he said. Families call us when theyre in crisis. Victims call us when theyve had horrific things done to them by evil people. And to make those things public revictimizes them, doesnt serve justice. And I dont think its the right thing to do. What do critics say? The American Civil Liberties Union has urged federal officials not to give the department money to buy more of the devices, citing a lack of transparency. We believe that the LAPDs policy does not promote and in fact undermines the goals of transparency, accountability and creation of public trust that body-worn cameras should serve, the organization wrote last year. Peter Bibring, an attorney for the ACLU, applauded Dyers decision to show the public the video from the Fresno officers body cameras. This shows departments can release video footage less than three weeks after a fatal shooting as a way to lend transparency, Bibring said. At two community meetings in Los Angeles last year on the body camera issue, police commissioners and top brass heard from residents who questioned why the public would not get to see the footage. Many said that by withholding the recordings from the public, the department would undermine the transparency and officer accountability touted by proponents. Whats next in Fresno? Dyer declined to offer an opinion about whether the shooting and conduct of the officers aligned with department policy. He said he is waiting for the conclusion of an internal investigation as well as one by the Fresno County district attorneys office. The prosecutors investigation is expected to conclude by late August. The FBI and the U.S. attorney generals office also have agreed to investigate the shooting. ALSO Man arrested after chase and standoff in Corona Friend of teen killed by CHP accused of making threats against officer who opened fire Black Lives Matter demonstrators rope off LAPD HQ with crime scene tape after City Hall sit-in UPDATES: 10:15 a.m.: This article was updated with a final question at end of story. This article was originally published at 7:48 a.m. The veteran FBI agent and a local sheriffs deputy took no chances when they got a credible tip about a potential terrorist. In a joint operation, they ran his name through a maze of federal criminal and terrorism databases and scrutinized his telephone records for suspicious contacts. Without a warrant, they couldnt read his emails or listen to his calls. But they watched him from unmarked vehicles to track his daily routine and to see whom he met. Advertisement They deployed two confidential informants more than a dozen times to secretly record his conversations. They interviewed him twice and convinced him to provide a written statement in which he admitted he previously had lied to agents. In the end, after a counter-terrorism investigation that stretched from May 2013 to March 2014, the agent and his supervisor concluded that Omar Mateen was not a threat and closed the case. Just over two years later, on June 12, the 29-year-old security guard strode into a packed gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., and massacred 49 people and wounded dozens more in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. He pledged allegiance to Islamic State before he was killed by police. 1 / 81 Inaya Bava, 5, on June 16, 2016, draws on crosses set up to remember the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting at the Orlando Regional Medical Center. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 81 Relatives of those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack arrive at Amway Center on June 16, 2016, for private meetings with President Obama. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 81 President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden bring flowers to the makeshift memorial at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 4 / 81 Jiffy Lube employee Ralph Nieves puts up a sign of support for the Orlando community following the shooting at the Pulse nightclub. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) 5 / 81 Sarah Roemer, left, and Brandi Van Dongen, nurses at Arnold Palmer Childrens Hospital in Orlando, pray at one of the memorials. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 81 The Parliament House is one of the largest nightclubs catering to the LGBT clients. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 81 Rafael Rivera, left and Jeannette Gonzalez grieve at a wake for Eric Ortiz, one of the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 81 Members of the media and public wait to catch a glimpse of President Obama at Amway Center. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 81 A prayer service is held on June 15, 2016, for the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting at Delaney Street Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) 10 / 81 Kelly Greenwood prepares a casket on June 16, 2016, at the Cardinal Casket Company in Orlando, Fla. (John Taggart / EPA) 11 / 81 Candles are placed under American flags set in a circle outside a vigil at Christ Church Unity for the shooting victims. (Charles King / Orlando Sentinel) 12 / 81 At the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Taylor Green, 25, left, and Brittany Spencer, 25, grieve for those killed in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 81 ATF investigators continue to work the scene of the Pulse nightclub shooting along Orange Ave. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 81 Friends and family attend the funeral of Angel Luis Candelario-Padro. It was the first funeral for the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) 15 / 81 Doctors, nurses and first-responders at a prayer service in the emergency room at Florida Hospital in Orlando to honor the victims of the nightclub shooting. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 16 / 81 FBI investigators continue to work at the Pulse nightclub on June 15. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 81 Mourners embrace outside the visitation for Pulse nightclub shooting victim Javier Jorge-Reyes. (David Goldman / Associated Press) 18 / 81 Mourners gather at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for a vigil in honor of the nightclub attack victims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 81 Mourners gather at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for a vigil in honor of the nightclub attack victims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 81 Mourners gather at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for a vigil in honor of the nightclub attack victims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 81 Michelle Moment sing praise during a service at the First Baptist Church of Orlando during a special prayer service for the attack on Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 81 We were protected, we were saved it was just a miracle, said Orlando Torres, 52. A promoter at Pulse, Torres was trapped in a bathroom stall with a friend. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 81 With stitches in his hand, gunshot victim Angel Colon tells his story to the media at a news conference at Orlando Regional Medical Center on Tuesday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 81 Patience Carter after describing the attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times ) 25 / 81 Gunshot victim Patience Carter, 20, left, is consoled by Dr. Neil Finkler at a news conference at Florida Hospital, joined by Dr. Brian Vickaryous, center, and fellow survivor Angel Santiago, 32, right, where they described the attack and its aftermath. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 81 Angel Santiago on June 14, describes how events unfolded during the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando two days earlier. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 81 Doctors and other staff at Orlando Regional Medical Center involved in the response to the nightclub shooting answer questions at a news conference on June 14, 2016. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 81 Thousands gather for a memorial at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on June 13, 2016, to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 81 Alison Cossio, center, holds a photo of her friend Christopher Sanfeliz, who one of the victims of the Orlando shooting, during a June 13, 2016, candlelight vigil and rally, hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, at Los Angeles City Hall. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 81 Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels plays guitar and sings during the Islamic Center of Southern California and ICUJP Interfaith Vigil Against Violence and Hatred Monday,night in remembrance of the 50 people killed in Orlando. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 81 Marwa Balkar holds a candle at the Islamic Center of Southern California and ICUJP Interfaith Vigil Against Violence and Hatred on June 13, 2016, in remembrance of the 49 people killed in Orlando, Fla. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 81 Los Angeles City Hall is lit up in colors of the rainbow during a candlelight vigil and rally, hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 81 Scott Phillips and Em Enagan mourn for the 49 lives lost in the Orlando shooting during a vigil at Los Angeles City Hall. (Callaghan OHare / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 81 A song is sung during a candlelight vigil and rally, hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, at Los Angeles City Hall, for the victims of Sundays shooting massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 81 Thousands gather for a memorial rally at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 81 Madeline Lago, 15, and her mother Carmen Lago were among the thousands who gathered for a memorial at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. They bowed their heads as the bell was tolled. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 81 Thousands gather for a memorial at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 81 Friends and relatives bring flowers and remembrances to the plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 81 Danielle Irigoyen brings flowers to the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. Im very close to many of the people who go to Pulse. Pulse was a safe place for us all, she sail. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 81 Investigators gather at the Pulse nightclub on Monday morning. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 81 Investigators set up at the Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 81 Family gather for victims at Beardall Senior Center in Orlandoon Monday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 81 Friends of Shane Tomlinson, who was killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting, gather in prayer and remembrances in downtown Orlando on Monday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 81 Friends of Shane Tomlinson, including Richie Compton, left, and Erik Winger, right, gather in prayer and remembrances in downtown Orlando on Monday. Shane Tomlinson was killed killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 81 Family and friends arrive at the Senior Center in Orlando as they await news on their loved ones on Monday. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 81 Volunteers gather in prayer on Monday at the Senior Center in Orlando where they are there to help grieving family and friends of those killed and injured in the shooting at Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 81 FBI investigators in Orlando, Fla., look at the floor plans of Pulse nightclub as they gather on Monday morning to continue the investigation. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 81 People gather at Taylor Square in Sydney, Australia, to show solidarity with victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. (Dan Himbrechts / EPA) 49 / 81 City Hall in Tel Aviv, Israel, is lit up in solidarity with Orlandos shooting victims. (Oded Balilty / Associated Press) 50 / 81 New Zealand residents gather at Frank Kitts Park in Wellingtond to mourn victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla. (Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images) 51 / 81 A man lights a candle in Paris on June 12 to remember those slain and wounded in the Orlando nightclub shooting. (Rapahel Satter / Associated Press) 52 / 81 New Zealand residents gather in Frank Kitts Park to mourn victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. (Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images) 53 / 81 Residents gather at Joy Metropolitan Community Church near the Pulse nightclub in Orlando to mourn the mass shooting victims of the early morning attack on June 12, 2016. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 81 Johnpaul Vazquez, right, and his boyfriend Yazan Sale sit by Lake Eola, in downtown Orlando, thinking of those killed and injured. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 81 Judy Rettig, center, and Dave Hack, left, hug after a prayer service held at the Joy Meropolitan Community Church in Orlando. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 81 Zafar Basith prays at a vigil for the Orlando shooting victims at the Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 81 Raymond Braun, right, right, gets a hug after a vigil held in West Hollywood for the victims of the shooting at the nightclub in Orlando. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 81 Monte Dobbs and Jhoanna Galvez of Long Beach, comfort each other during a vigil service at the corner of La Cienega Blvd. and Santa Monica Blvd. (Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 81 Orlando, second from right, was at the nightclub and trapped for three hours in a bathroom. Orlando and family attend a vigil and church service held at Joy Meropolitan Community Church very close to Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 81 People hug in solaceafter a vigil and church service held at Joy Meropolitan Community Church very close to Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 81 Susan Stephens, right, gets a hug from Karen Castelloes before a vigil and prayer service is held at Joy Meropolitan Community Church very close to Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 81 Investigators view the site of the early morning mass shooting on June 12, 2016, at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 81 People hold signs in support of the Orlando shooting victims on Sunday. (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) 64 / 81 Kelvin Cobaris, a local clergyman, consoles Orlando city commissioner Patty Sheehan (right) and Terry DeCarlo, an Orlando gay-rights advocate, as they arrive on the scene near where at least 50 people were reportedly shot and killed in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, June 12, 2016. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 65 / 81 Aerial view of the shooting scene at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel) 66 / 81 A bomb disposal unit checks for explosives around the apartment building where shooting suspect Omar Mateen is believed to have lived on June 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 67 / 81 Ray Rivera, a DJ at Pulse nightclub, is consoled by a friend outside of the Orlando Police Department after 50 people were killed at the club on Sunday. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 68 / 81 Orlando police officers outside of Pulse nightclub after a fatal shooting and hostage situation on Sunday. (Gerardo Mora / Getty Images) 69 / 81 Terry DeCarlo, executive director of the LGBT Center of Central Florida, right, is comforted by an Orlando Police officer after a shooting involving multiple fatalities at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla. on Sunday. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 70 / 81 An aerial view of the shooting scene at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel) 71 / 81 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, center, and others have a moment of silence on June 12, 2016, in West Hollywood for the victims of the shooting in Orlando, Fla., that happened early that morning. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 81 Emergency personnel at Orlando Regional Medical Center wait with stretchers for the arrival of victims from the fatal nightclub shooting. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 73 / 81 A police officer stands guard outside the Orlando Regional Medical Center after a fatal shooting at nearby Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 74 / 81 Law enforcement agencies and local city representatives speak at a news conference after 50 people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) 75 / 81 An Orange County (Fla.) Sheriffs Department SWAT member arrives at Pulse nightclub. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 76 / 81 Orlando police direct family members away from the Pulse nightclub, where 50 people were killed. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 77 / 81 Jermaine Towns, left, and Brandon Shuford wait down the street from the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 78 / 81 Bystanders wait down the street after a mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 79 / 81 The scene outside Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., after the shooting early Sunday. (Univision Florida Central / EPA) 80 / 81 An injured person is escorted out of the Pulse nightclub after a shooting rampage Sunday morning in Orlando, Fla. (Steven Fernandez / Associated Press) 81 / 81 An injured man is escorted out of the Pulse nightclub after a shooting rampage Sunday morning in Orlando, Fla. A gunman with an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside a gay nightclub, killing at least 50 people before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers, police said. (Steven Fernandez / Associated Press) Since then, senior FBI officials have scoured the 3-inch case file from the 2013-2014 investigation to see whether agents had missed clues to his murderous intentions or apparent radicalization. We dont have a crystal ball, unfortunately, said a senior FBI official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the case remains under investigation. We went right up to the edge of what we could do legally, and there was just nothing there. In interviews with The Times, senior FBI officials provided new details of their early focus on Mateen and some of the lessons they have drawn as the FBI assesses and tracks more than 1,000 suspected extremists across the country. The 10-month probe remains one of the enduring and frustrating mysteries of Mateens deadly rampage at the Pulse nightclub. The day after the attack, FBI Director James B. Comey broadly outlined the 2013-2014 investigation to reporters. He staunchly defended the bureau, saying he didnt see anything in reviewing our work that our agents should have done differently. Still, the post-massacre review uncovered a surprising gap. The senior FBI official said agents could have been more aggressive in accessing Mateens social media accounts, including Facebook. But the official noted that in 2013 such checks of online posts were not yet routine or part of our investigative DNA. Today, one of an agents first investigative steps is to check a suspects social media, especially in light of the Islamic States aggressive recruitment efforts on Facebook, Twitter and other digital networks and apps. In Mateens case, it wouldnt have changed the outcome. The post-shooting review determined his social media accounts contained no ties to terrorist groups. He did not post radical statements until the night of the shooting, and then just to a group of friends, not the public, according to a second FBI official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the investigation. After the shooting, the FBI determined that Mateens laptop computer had been used in recent years to view extremist videos online, including grisly beheadings. It also was used to seek information on Islamic State. Watching offensive videos is not a crime, however, and federal agents did not have the probable cause necessary to obtain a search warrant in 2013 to even learn that much, FBI officials said. This was not a baseline shake-the-bushes ... kind of investigation, said Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer and director of special projects for the Soufan Group, a security firm based in New York. They looked and didnt find anything, he added. That doesnt mean that the investigation was bad, or wrong. It shows how difficult it is to get in front of these things. The FBI began investigating Mateen in May 2013 after the St. Lucie County Sheriffs Office reported that the American-born son of Afghan immigrants might pose a threat. Mateen was a private security guard at the county courthouse, where the Sheriffs Office oversaw security. Co-workers had warned that Mateen had claimed connections to the terrorist groups Al Qaeda and Hezbollah, and that he wanted to die as a martyr, the Sheriffs Office told the FBI. The bureau gets tens of thousands of tips each year from people reporting suspicious activity. Most are discarded after rudimentary investigation. The FBI took the concerns about Mateen seriously because the report came from another law enforcement agency, because he had access to firearms and because he worked in a public building. The bureau assigned an FBI agent with at least 10 years of service in the bureau in its Fort Pierce office, and a sheriffs deputy on the local Joint Terrorism Task Force, to investigate. The agent was skeptical that Mateen posed a real risk. When Mateen said he was a member of Hezbollah, a Shiite group, and had family ties to Al Qaeda, a Sunni group, it was clear he didnt know or care they were bitter rivals, the senior FBI official said. Even so, the agent realized that people becoming radicalized dont always understand the fine points of jihadist politics, two FBI officials said. The lead agent opened a preliminary investigation. Under Justice Department guidelines, such an inquiry can run six months and be extended for six more. The designation permitted the investigators to use a variety of tools searching databases, obtaining cellphone records and conducting surveillance, for example. More invasive techniques such as seeking a warrant from the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to read email and to eavesdrop on phone calls are reserved for full investigations and then only if the FBI can convince the court there is probable cause of a crime. While the probe was underway, the FBI added Mateens name to the selectee list on the bureaus Terrorist Screening Database, also known as the Terrorist Watchlist. It would ensure he got special screening at airports and that an FBI agent would be alerted if he tried to buy a gun or was stopped by police. About 1,700 Americans are on the selectee list. The first search checking Mateens name against criminal and terrorism databases came up dry. After obtaining his call records from his phone company, the team also ran his number and his contacts through terrorism databases. Again, they found nothing suspicious. During the next few months, they conducted surveillance of Mateen as he went to work and met friends, but they saw nothing unusual. They had two confidential informants meet repeatedly with Mateen over the 10 months to see whether he might say something incriminating while they were recording him. The FBI routinely uses informants to gather evidence in terrorism cases, and often relies on them to help set up sting operations. FBI officials refused to identify the informants or say where they met with Mateen, although a senior FBI official said they had nothing to with the mosque, the Islamic Center of Fort Pearce, that Mateen attended. Mateen admitted to the informants that he had claimed terrorist ties at work. But he said he had been joking, trying to scare co-workers who had bullied him for being a Muslim. In September 2013, FBI officials said, the lead agent and deputy sheriff interviewed Mateen. He initially denied having made any radical statements. The investigators returned a month later and accused Mateen of lying. This time, he admitted in a written statement that he had not been truthful, and had in fact claimed terrorist ties because co-workers had teased him for being Muslim. It was true: When FBI agents interviewed Mateens co-workers, they admitted they had teased him about his religion. They were being jerks, said a U.S. counter-terrorism official who also spoke on condition of anonymity. He wasnt making that up. He wasnt paranoid. Concerned it might have missed something, the FBI extended the investigation in the fall of 2013. When they closed it in March 2014, they removed Mateens name from the Terrorist Watchlist. The FBI typically only charges someone with lying to agents if there is an underlying crime. In this case, officials said, they had none. That summer, the FBI came knocking again. The focus this time was Moner Mohammad Abussalha, a former member of Mateens mosque who had become a suicide bomber in Syria. Agents scrambled to learn whether he had associates in Florida. A member of the same mosque told agents that Mateen had mentioned watching online sermons by Anwar Awlaki, the influential American-born Al Qaeda cleric who was killed by a CIA drone in 2011 in Yemen, two FBI officials said. The man said he didnt think Mateen was dangerous, but suggested the FBI keep an eye on him. When the FBI interviewed Mateen for his third time in July, he said he recognized Abussalha from the mosque but was not an acquaintance. When pressed about the radical videos, the security guard denied having watched them. And with that, the FBI moved on to other potential threats. del.wilber@latimes.com Twitter: @delwilber ALSO Its not just Dallas police officers have been killed across the country Once again, President Obama tries to convince America that it is united Fresno police release body-camera footage of fatal shooting of unarmed 19-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg issued an extraordinary apology Thursday, saying she regretted her ill-advised comments about Donald Trump and his presidential campaign. Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect, she said in a statement issued by the court. Ginsburg, the courts senior liberal, sought to quickly end an embarrassing flap that had drawn her into a public feud with the Republican candidate for the nations highest office and had brought her sharp rebukes from critics who accused her of politicizing the court. Advertisement In three separate interviews, the 83-year-old justice had said that she despaired for the country if Trump were elected, and she described him as egotistical, inconsistent and a faker. She faulted Trump for saying whatever comes into his head at the moment, but then acknowledged on Thursday that she too had spoken without thinking about the consequences. Many legal commentators said it was unprecedented for a justice of the high court to speak out against a political candidate during an election year. This expression of regret was exactly the right response, said Charles Geyh, an Indiana University law professor who specializes in legal ethics. Justice Ginsburg is a candid person, and 80% of the time, thats a good thing. But not in this instance. There is a reason we dont want judges involved in politics. The code of conduct for federal judges says a judge should refrain from political activity [and] should not publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for public office. The Supreme Court justices say they follow the code, but are not bound by it. Its unfortunate the nine most powerful judges are not subject to the code, Geyh said. This might put more pressure on them, but I dont see a sign that the Supreme Court justices will be shamed into doing something they dont want to do. Ginsburgs apology was welcomed by many who had criticized her earlier and were concerned her comments might have a lingering effect. Without her apology, I worried that other judges would take sides in political contests by citing the Ginsburg defense. They could say, If its OK for her, its OK for me. Now that precedent is erased, said New York University law professor Stephen Gillers. However, she cant retract what she said. If there is a case whose outcome decides the presidency, there will be a motion to recuse her. I fear it will be correct, not because she cant decide fairly I think she would but because the public wont believe she can. The aim of the recusal law is to ensure public confidence in the integrity of court decisions. Trumps sharp public rebuke of Ginsburg would only serve to increase the pressure on her to step aside. In one of several tweets, he called her comments very dumb, adding her mind is shot resign!. Such comments would be seen as evidence she could not rule impartially on an issue affecting him or his campaign. The controversy over Ginsburgs comments dealt a clear setback to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and his effort to keep the court separate from the poisonous partisan politics of Washington. Still, Ginsburgs retraction could serve as a useful warning to judges and justices. If there is one thing most judges want to avoid more than bad publicity, it is the embarrassment of a public retraction, said Northwestern University law professor Steven Lubet. So I think that Justice Ginsburgs expression of regret will definitely influence other judges and justices in the future. It is rare for Supreme Court justices to issue an apology or express regret for what they have said or done. In 2004, Justice Antonin Scalia was sharply criticized for refusing to step aside from deciding a case involving Vice President Dick Cheneys energy policy task force. Scalia had flown to Louisiana with Cheney to go duck hunting a few days after the court agreed to hear the case. But Scalia insisted he had done nothing wrong and could decide the matter impartially. He said later he was proud to have withstood the pressure to withdraw. But the same spring, Scalia apologized to two reporters after federal marshals seized and erased their tape recordings of a public speech he gave. The action was not taken at my direction. I was as upset as you were, Scalia said in a letter. One of the most famous admissions of regret came in 1937, shortly after Justice Hugo Black was confirmed to the Supreme Court. In a national radio address, the former Alabama senator admitted he had been an active member of the Ku Klux Klan in the early 1920s, but said he had quit the organization and wanted no part of it. He went on to serve 34 years and became one of the courts leading advocates of civil rights and civil liberties. On Twitter: DavidGSavage ALSO New polls show Trump-Clinton race tightening The public feud of Ginsburg vs. Trump casts harsh spotlight on courts liberal lion Why the Republican and Democratic platforms are as consequential as they are unwieldy and arcane UPDATES: 2:12 p.m.: The story was updated with information about previous apologies from Supreme Court justices. 1:28 p.m.: This story was updated with additional reaction and background information. This story was originally published at 6:29 a.m. A 2015 protest against the Tajo-Segura water transfer. Nacho Izquierdo (EFE) The European Parliaments Petitions Committee (PETI) on Wednesday approved a tough report criticizing Spains management of its water. The Spanish governments policies aimed at sharing out the countrys limited resources must be re-evaluated in line with the requisites of new European water regulations, says the document. Repealed by the Socialists Vera Gutierrez Calvo On June 18, 2004, the administration of then-Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero rolled back an initiative by the previous Popular Party (PP) government to build a giant pipe and transfer water from the Aragonese section of the Ebro to the areas of Valencia, Murcia, Almeria and Barcelona. Environment Minister Cristina Narbona promised 20 new desalination plants to get water to these regions instead, though by 2009 only four had been built. The transfers repeal earned praise from environmentalists, although later Zapateros government carried out other, smaller water transfers that were criticized by the same groups The text also asks the European Commission (EC) to reject the new series of river management plans that Madrid has been approving in recent years. The report was approved with 22 votes in favor and nine against the latter from the European Peoples Party. The conclusions are the result of an inspection by 11 members of the European Parliament who personally visited the Ebro and Tajo rivers in February of this year. The main sticking points have to do with the conservation of the so-called environmental flows, or the minimum water flow a river must have in order to conserve its ecosystems. In the case of the Tajo River, the report notes that the low levels established for the minimum flow in the Tajo Water Plan in [the municipalities of] Almoguera, Aranjuez, Toledo and Talavera de la Reina, together with a non-existent seasonal change in the rivers flow [] creates a constant alteration of the habitat for fish and other species within the communitys areas of interest, seriously affecting their conservation and failing to contribute to their recovery. A political fight Water transfers have long been a source of conflict between Spanish regions and regional and central authorities. And with rains few and far between, and many reservoirs at historical lows, the hard-hit southeastern regions of the country are more keen than ever on maintaining the water transfers. 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. Scope for water savings is substantial, especially in agriculture, where much irrigation water generates little added value. Successive governments have subsidized the use of more efficient irrigation technology at considerable budgetary cost, which has contributed to a modest reduction of water use in irrigation in recent years. Following a change in power in the region of Castilla-La Mancha, which switched from the Popular Party (PP) to the Socialist Party (PSOE) in regional elections last year, the new administration launched a battle against the central government over the long-running Tajo-Segura water transfer project. On Wednesday, the Socialists applauded the European decision, criticizing the fact that despite the Tajos low levels, Madrid is still authorizing water transfers from this river to Spains dry southeast. The report also asks Spain to use the network of desalination plants financed with European funds to cover water demands on the Mediterranean coast. These plants were built, but are currently underutilized, because the price of water obtained in this way is higher, which dissuades farmers from using it. A 2011 OECD report into Spains water management noted: A participatory approach in water policy governance should be extended further to stakeholders beyond the irrigation community, to include more scientists or representatives of institutions protecting local ecosystems. Steps to better take into account water scarcity should include the progressive inclusion of market instruments, such as the tendering of water concessions as well as the elimination of some barriers to the exchange of such concessions among users, the report concluded. English version by Susana Urra. The system designed to defend American cities and towns against a nuclear attack by North Korea is simply unable to protect the U.S. public and will remain ineffective unless Congress exerts rigorous oversight, according to a new report. The report, to be released Thursday by the Union of Concerned Scientists, recommends that the Obama administration halt the expansion of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, known as GMD, until its technical problems have been solved. The story of this system is a cautionary tale about how the lack of appropriate oversight of a politically charged missile defense program has led to a system in tatters, said the report, written by three physicists with expertise in missile defense. Advertisement Despite more than a decade of development and a bill of $40 billion, the GMD system is simply unable to protect the U.S. public, the authors wrote. The GMD system is intended to thwart a limited nuclear strike by a non-superpower adversary, such as North Korea or Iran. In the event of an attack, rocket interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County and Ft. Greely, Alaska, would be launched from underground silos. Once in space, the interceptors would separate from their booster rockets and attempt to slam into and kill enemy warheads. The report notes that in heavily scripted flight tests that are set up for success, GMD interceptors have often failed to hit mock enemy warheads. In the seven most recent tests, interceptors destroyed their targets just three times, the report says -- a finding consistent with conclusions of the Pentagons operational test and evaluation office. Personnel conducting the tests know the speed, location and trajectory of the target ahead of time, as well as when it will be launched information they would not have in a real attack. The report relies extensively on articles published over the last two years by the Los Angeles Times, along with a National Academy of Sciences report and the findings of federal auditors and the Pentagon test office. The report said members of Congress and Pentagon officials insisted on deploying and expanding the system at a rapid paceat the expense of sound procurement and engineering. Repeatedly, the report said, the Pentagon has sacrificed quality, shortened engineering cycles and sidestepped acquisitions best practices to meet a deadline imposed by political rationales rather than technical realities. Pentagon officials have also made unsubstantiated claims about the systems effectiveness, the report says, calling this both cynical and a disservice to the public. The Pentagon has sacrificed quality ... to meet a deadline imposed by political rationales rather than technical realities. Union of Concerned Scientists report The finding dovetails with a July 6 Times article about a GMD flight test held in January. The Times revealed that a crucial component stopped working during the test, causing an interceptor to fly far off course. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency and two of its lead contractors nevertheless issued news releases that pronounced the test a success, with no mention of the malfunction. Asked for comment on the report, agency spokesman Chris Johnson said the National Missile Defense Act of 1999 called for deploying an effective system as soon as was technologically possible. He added: This rapid deployment was a driving factor in delivering a ground-based interceptor capability with reliability challenges. The agency is trying to make the system more reliable while staying on track to expand the fleet of interceptors, Johnson said. The Union of Concerned Scientists was formed in 1969 by students and faculty at MIT to resist what they saw as the governments misuse of science and technology for military aims. In the 1980s, the group opposed President Reagans Strategic Defense Initiative, the proposed space-based anti-missile system known as Star Wars. No such system was ever deployed, but efforts to create a missile shield continued. The GMD system was one of the results. The reports lead author is Laura Grego, a Caltech-trained physicist who is a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. The coauthors are physicists David Wright, also with the group, and George N. Lewis, a visiting scholar at Cornell University who gained attention for challenging the claimed success rate of rockets launched by Israel to intercept Iraqi missiles during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. The 60-page report, Shielded from Oversight: The Disastrous U.S. Approach to Strategic Missile Defense, traces GMDs problems to President George W. Bushs decision to make the system operational in 2004 before the highly complex interceptors had been adequately tested. The report said that the Obama administration has continued a similarly lax approach to missile defense. For instance, the administration has kept in place Bushs decision exempting the Missile Defense Agency from standard Defense Department acquisition and testing procedures. With bipartisan support in Congress, Obama has directed the agency to expand the GMD fleetdespite its technical shortcomingsfrom the present 30 interceptors to a total of 44 by the end of next year. Congress and the administration should halt the deployment of additional interceptors until all known flaws have been eliminated from those additional interceptors and a testing program shows they are effective and reliable, the report says. The physicists write that the continued development of the GMD system without adequate oversight and accountability, and the continued fielding of interceptors without adequate testing, means the system is not even on a path to achieving a useful ability to intercept ballistic missiles. Boeing Co. is the Pentagons prime contractor for GMD. The interceptors are built by Raytheon Co. The component that malfunctioned during the January flight test, called a divert thruster, is manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc. david.willman@latimes.com Twitter: @dwillmannews MORE ON MISSILE DEFENSE $40-billion missile defense system proves unreliable Pentagon skips tests on key component of U.S.-based missile defense system How the U.S. Missile Defense Agency burned $231 million on a program that never should have left the drawing board Donald Trump turned the final hours of his vice presidential selection process into a cyclone of rumor and speculation Thursday, with most of the guessing focused on Indianas buttoned-down governor, Mike Pence. The Indianapolis Star reported that Pence had been chosen, and the governor said as much in a private conversation with members of his political team. Separately, a Trump campaign insider confirmed that the candidate was moving in Pences direction, but cautioned that his decision would not be final until the actual announcement. Trump, who was in Southern California raising money Thursday, had planned a news conference in Manhattan on Friday to unveil his vice presidential pick. Advertisement But shortly after an apparent terrorist attack killed scores of Bastille Day revelers in Nice, France, Trump announced on Twitter that he was postponing the event. He told donors in Bel-Air on Thursday evening he would announce his choice over the weekend The ritual of choosing a running mate has long been shrouded in mystery and conjecture, much of it unfounded, but Thursdays frenzy reached new heights, owing to voracious speculation on social media and Trumps penchant for springing surprises and misdirecting the media. After word of Pences supposed selection began circulating, the Trump camp hastened to say nothing had been settled. Trumps son, Donald Jr., said on MSNBC that despite reports to the contrary his father was still choosing between Pence and two other finalists, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. He could end up picking someone else entirely, the junior Trump added. You never know, he said. Hes still my dad. But Pence, at least, seemed convinced he was the one. He met with Trump several times over the last few days, including on Wednesday at the governors Indianapolis home. The Pence people think its him, according to an official familiar with the governors team who was granted anonymity to discuss the vice presidential vetting process. Pence thinks its him, the official said. He walked out of that [Wednesday] meeting and told his people: Its us. Donald Trump announced Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his vice presidential running mate. Adding to the days circus atmospherics was the unusually open way two of the finalists discussed the vetting process. Protocol dictates discretion from anyone being seriously considered. But Gingrich behaved like a contestant on Trumps former reality TV show, The Apprentice, keeping a high public profile as he awaited word on who would join the GOP ticket. In a 16-minute video monologue Thursday on his Facebook page, Gingrich said Trumps chief legal vetter, Washington lawyer A.B. Culvahouse, had asked him and his wife, Callista, 113 questions and required more than a decade of tax returns and a list of everything hed ever written. Its a very, very serious, elaborate process, Gingrich said. Christie acknowledged on MSNBC his hankering for the job, another breach of political protocol. Im not going to say it wont bother me if Im not selected. Of course it bothers you a little bit, Christie said. Because if youre a competitive person, like I am, and youre used to winning, like I am, again, you dont like coming in second, ever. But the risks of picking Christie were underscored Thursday when one of his closest associates, David Samson, pleaded guilty to bribery for abusing his post as a Port Authority chairman. Pence, 57, is an Indiana native, a lawyer by training and a former talk radio host who served six terms in the House before winning the governorship in 2012. A favorite of the religious right, he has described himself as a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order. Responding to reports of Pences selection, Republicans were largely pleased. This is a bold and symbolic gesture to the conservative policy wing of the party and the conservative grass-roots of the party, many of whom were with [Texas Sen. Ted] Cruz or other candidates in the primary, said Ralph Reed, a longtime leader of the GOPs conservative Christian wing. Hes saying his vision for the future of the party includes them, which is a very important thing. Later Thursday, CNN reported that Trump has formally offered the job to Pence and he accepted.Adding to the days circus atmospherics was the unusually open way two of the finalists discussed the vetting process. I think [Pence] will be able to do what Trump is unable or unwilling to do. Reed Galen, GOP strategist Reed said Pence also appeals to the governing wing of the party and could use his years in Congress to help Trump navigate Capitol Hill one of the things the Manhattan businessman has said he wants in a running mate. Reed Galen, a GOP strategist who worked for former President George W. Bush, said Pences even demeanor and family-man image would balance Trumps more picaresque personality. Hes the yang to Donalds yin, Galen said. Galen said that though vice presidential nominees typically lead the attack on the opposition, he could see the roles reversed if Pence joins the ticket. I think he will be able to do what Trump is unable or unwilling to do try and parse together from Trumps statements something he can articulate as a vision for Trumps leadership, he said. No one thinks Mike Pence is going to go give a speech that blows the doors off. I would venture to say on any given day, Trump will be out attacking Hillary, and Pence will be the one giving the policy speech or holding the town hall meeting. But Pences history of taking positions contrary to Trumps could prove troublesome. In December on Twitter, Pence called Trumps proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States offensive and unconstitutional. Pence is also a longtime champion of the free trade agreements that Trump has denounced as harmful to American workers. Trade means jobs, but trade also means security, Pence tweeted in September 2014. Democrats, not surprisingly, were harshly critical of Trumps putative selection. If Trump picks extreme right-wing Governor Mike Pence as his running mate, he will be doubling down on his divisive and hate-filled approach to politics, the liberal group MoveOn said in a statement. As governor, Pence focused early in his terms on education and economic issues, winning praise for his communication skills and willingness to work across the partisan aisle. In 2015, though, he drew nationwide attention and sparked an outcry at home by signing legislation that, critics said, allowed businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians. After initially standing by the law, Pence signed a hastily passed measure clarifying that such discrimination remained illegal. He also signed strict antiabortion legislation, which critics seized upon Thursday to press Democrats political advantage among women. Live coverage from the campaign trail Combined with Donald Trumps proposal to criminalize a woman who has an abortion and his threat to appoint Supreme Court justices who will overturn Roe v. Wade, a Trump-Pence ticket could spell out a scary reality for American women and our families, the Pro-Choice America political action committee said in a statement condemning the governor. Pence has long harbored national ambitions. For a time he considered his own run for president, in both 2012 and 2016. In May, he gave a muddled endorsement to Trumps rival Cruz just before Indianas crucial primary, saying he would vote for the Texas senator but heaping praise on Trump and urging Indiana Republicans to make up their own minds. Trump won the contest handily, effectively clinching the GOP nomination. Pence faces a tight deadline to end his reelection bid. State law bars him from running for both governor and the vice presidency, and Pence has until noon Friday to withdraw his name from the state ballot. He was facing a competitive rematch against former Indiana House Speaker John Gregg, whom Pence edged out to win the governorship in 2012. Times staff writers Lisa Mascaro and Seema Mehta contributed to this report. mark.barabak@latimes.com Twitter: For more political news and analysis follow me @markzbarabak ALSO New polls show Trump-Clinton race tightening All things Trump Q&A: Has Trump violated the 1st Amendment? Not yet Why the Republican and Democratic platforms are as consequential as they are unwieldy and arcane UPDATES: 7:42 p.m.: The story was updated with Trump telling donors he would announce his vice presidential pick over the weekend. 4:31 p.m.: The story was updated with news that Trump had postponed his running mate announcement because of the apparent terrorist attack in France. 3:43 p.m.: The story was updated with new information throughout. The story was originally published at 12:11 p.m. Trump and Clinton both see U.S. at war with jihadists in aftermath of attack in France Donald Trump struck a bellicose posture on terrorism and immigration Thursday in the aftermath of the truck attack that killed scores of people in France, saying he would take extreme measures to keep Islamic jihadists out of the country. Asked by Fox News host Bill OReilly whether he agreed that we are in a world war scenario, Trump said: I certainly do, and I have been saying it for a long time, and its out of control. The Republican presidential hopeful, who has called for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S., vowed to make it very, very hard for people to come into our country from terrorist areas. I would do extreme vetting, he said in one of two phone interviews with Fox from his house in Beverly Hills before leaving for a campaign fundraiser in Bel Air. I would call it extreme vetting, too. Trump said he would ask Congress to declare war on the Islamic State terrorist group. He attacked President Obama for letting Syrian war refugees into the United States and criticized the former secretary of State for supporting the policy. Were weak, and were weakly led and ineffective, he said. Trump also accused Clinton of creating the Islamic State terrorist group with her stupid policies. In a CNN phone interview, Clinton said the U.S. was at war with these terrorist groups and what they represent. Its a different kind of war and we have to be smart about how we wage it and win it, she said. She called for focusing on intelligence, partnering with other nations and cracking down on the Islamic States ability to recruit members online. But she urged caution at the prospect of waging a traditional boots-on-the-ground effort to defeat them. They would love to draw the United States into a ground war in Syria, she said. They actually think the end times could be hastened if we had some great confrontation in the region. Clinton largely avoided engaging Trump, except when asked about his remarks on Syrian refugees. Trump has said this repeatedly and has been called out for his blatant lies about it, she said, adding that refugees would only be admitted after they were thoroughly screened. Both candidates spoke as French authorities were still clearing dead bodies from the streets of Nice, where a truck loaded with weaponry plowed over revelers at a Bastille Day fireworks celebration on the waterfront. Its not easy for us to acknowledge this, and wed be surprised if we have much occasion to repeat it, but on one point, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is absolutely correct: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs scathing public criticism of him was highly inappropriate. (We dont concur in Trumps characteristically crass addendum that Ginsburgs mind is shot and that she should resign.) In a series of press interviews in recent days, the 83-year-old associate justice appointed by President Clinton has criticized Trump in increasingly acerbic terms. Last week, she told the Associated Press that I dont want to think about the possibility that Trump might be elected. Then she told the New York Times that I cant imagine what this place would be I cant imagine what the country would be with Donald Trump as our president. For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be I dont even want to contemplate that. Finally, on Monday in an interview posted by CNN, Ginsburg called Trump a faker and noted correctly that he has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment. He really has an ego. What is wrong with Ginsburg lighting into Trump the way other Americans (including the editorial writers at this newspaper) have done? Advertisement First, although its an admittedly remote possibility, this years presidential election could land in the Supreme Court. In 2000, the court resolved questions about a recount in Florida in a way that assured that George W. Bush would be declared the winner. If the case were not Bush vs. Gore but Trump vs. Hillary Clinton, does anyone doubt that Trump would demand that Ginsburg recuse herself from the case? And hed have a strong case. But even if Trump vs. Clinton never makes it to court, Ginsburgs comments threaten to politicize the judicial system in ways that ethics guidelines are designed to prevent. The Code of Conduct for United States Judges is not technically binding on members of the Supreme Court, But, as Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has written: All members of the court do in fact consult the Code of Conduct in assessing their ethical obligations. In this way, the code plays the same role for the justices as it does for other federal judges. The code contains a general statement that judges should avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety. But, beyond that, it says that a judge should not make speeches for a political organization or candidate, or publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for public office. That applies even when there is no possibility that an election will end up in court. Why was Ginsburg so indiscreet in her comments about Trump? The most plausible explanation seems to be that [he]... brought out the worst in the justice. Its entirely possible that Ginsburg, despite her public criticism of Trump, might be able to rule on a case involving his candidacy or his policies if he were elected in a completely objective manner. But if her objective ruling went against him, many voters would quite reasonably suspect otherwise and, as the code states, judges are to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Stephen Gillers, an expert on legal ethics at New York University Law School, made the point pithily in the New York Times: We want the public to view judicial rulings solely as the product of law and legal reasoning, uninfluenced by political considerations. Acceptance of court rulings is undermined if the public believes that judicial decisions are politically motivated. Its not that judges dont disagree among themselves. But disagreements must be over legal principles, not a rulings effect on a political candidate or party. Some of Ginsburgs defenders argue that this canon of ethics encourages hypocrisy. We all know judges have political preferences theyre citizens, after all so whats the point of shrouding them in secrecy? The problem is that when a judge starts opining about politics, a significant number of litigants will doubt (or claim to doubt as a legal strategy) the judges impartiality. Appearances do matter a lot precisely because they can be misleading. Ginsburg seemed to recognize that reality last year when she concurred in a decision upholding a rule that prevented judicial candidates from personally soliciting campaign contributions. Writing for the court in that case, Roberts reaffirmed that public perception of judicial integrity is a state interest of the highest order. So why was Ginsburg so indiscreet in her comments about Trump? The most plausible explanation seems to be that Trump, a uniquely offensive candidate, brought out the worst in the justice. Call it Trump Derangement Syndrome. But just as Trumps awfulness doesnt justify violations of his or his supporters free speech, it doesnt give judges who abhor his message a license to act injudiciously. If Ginsburg believes joining the campaign against Trump is a moral imperative, she should do it as a private citizen. Otherwise she should keep her own counsel. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Running out of time and options to raise money to address the homelessness crisis, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors turned Tuesday to a new funding source: weed. The supervisors agreed to seek voters approval in November for a gross receipts tax of up to 10% on marijuana businesses. But its far from clear that marijuana could or should be the pot of gold that county leaders are hoping for. The board has spent the last several months trying to figure out a way to raise the $450 million a year that county officials estimate they need to provide outreach, mental health services, rental subsidies and housing for the homeless. But proposal after proposal has been taken off the table Gov. Jerry Brown wouldnt support changing state law to allow the county to consider a tax on millionaires, and supervisors balked at proposing sales or parcel tax hikes that would compete with ballot measures to raise taxes for public transportation and parks. With the deadline looming to put something on the November ballot, the board voted to go with the pot tax the most iffy proposal of them all. Heavy taxes could push up the price of pot so much that customers and suppliers return to the black market. Advertisement The marijuana tax measure would be on the same ballot as Proposition 64, which would make recreational use of marijuana legal under state law (it would remain verboten under federal statutes). The Adult Use of Marijuana Act is polling well so far some 60% of likely voters have said cannabis should be legalized. Still, theres no guarantee that Prop. 64 will pass. If it does and two-thirds of county voters also support the pot tax, the county could collect as much as $130 million a year. (Thats significantly less than the local sales or parcel tax measures mulled by the county would have raised.) But if Prop. 64 fails and the county measure passes, the countys gross receipts tax would apply just to medical marijuana businesses, which would generate only about $13 million a year for homelessness services. Supervisors are gambling on the arrival of legal pot. But even if voters support legalization, theres another reason to be concerned: Elected officials are increasingly counting on marijuana to fund public programs without considering the consequences of jacking up the price of legally purchased pot. Prop. 64 would slap a 15% excise tax on recreational marijuana. Thats in addition to state and local sales taxes, which range from 7.5% to 10% depending on the county and city. The countys proposed tax of up to 10% on marijuana businesses gross receipts that is, the merchants total revenue would add another layer, as would any municipal taxes on marijuana sellers. For example, the city of Los Angeles imposes a 6% gross receipts tax on medical marijuana outlets. Although such taxes would be paid by businesses, the cost would almost certainly be passed on to their customers. This is exactly what a Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy warned against last year: Dont treat legal marijuana as a cash cow. The panel, which was organized by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and included legal, health and policy experts, said government agencies should be cautious in setting taxes so as not to undermine the goals of legalization. In particular, the commission noted, one goal of legalization is reduce the power and profit of the violent drug cartels that have trafficked in illicit marijuana. But heavy taxes could push up the price of pot so much that customers and suppliers return to the black market. At what point do all the proposed and existing taxes push the price of pot too high? Its too early to determine, and we reserve judgement on the marijuana tax because, frankly, homelessness is such a crisis that all options must be on table. But heres a word of caution to county, state and local leaders: Legal marijuana should not be seen as the solution to your revenue problems. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Last year, faced with one of the worst droughts in California history, Gov. Jerry Brown issued a mandate to cities across the state to cut water use by 25%. And guess what the cuts were successful. Up against a daunting challenge, Californians proved that, when asked, they could come together to meet the task at hand. Last month, however, in response to heavy rains filling reservoirs in the northern half of the state last winter, the governor relaxed his conservation mandate. But the drought is not over by any stretch of the imagination particularly in the Southland. Only 5 inches of rain fell in the Los Angeles area during the 2015-16 rainy season, significantly below the 14-inch average for the region and the 30 inches of rain that was anticipated due to El Nino conditions. Hydrologists say we will need at least three years in a row of above-average rainfall to get us back to pre-drought conditions. That scenario seems unlikely, as forecasters are projecting a dry winter this year that would deepen the drought. Saving water in a dry climate is hard, and as this drought has progressed weve begun to see signs of what I call drought fatigue. Although Santa Monica reached its water reduction goal very quickly, our water utility began to see water use start to creep back up in January, and last month it rose by 6%. It is clear that temporary requirements to use less water wont solve our problems as a society we need to begin thinking differently about this vital resource. Its time to finally acknowledge that droughts in the American West arent short-term nuisances they are the new normal. There is no way to sustainably go back to our old way of life. In Santa Monica, where we get much of our water from local aquifers, we understand this, which is why we are keeping our drought restrictions in place and are busy planning for a drier future. Advertisement Thankfully, a potential path to water sustainability lies ahead if we choose to take it. New guidelines for the outdoor and indoor use of alternate, non-potable water sources issued by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in February make a holistic approach to water management possible. The most promising plan of attack, dubbed One Water by experts, looks to make use of rainwater, urban runoff, wastewater and even brackish groundwater to create a sustainable and resilient water supply. Instead of the massive, centralized reservoirs-to-pipes-to-drains infrastructure system that weve relied on for centuries, One Water distributes water management technology across the urban landscape. This includes off-the-shelf systems that allow buildings to capture rainwater for use in flush toilets, and small treatment plants that tap into sewer lines under our streets to filter the water that we flush away for reuse. In our effort to abide by the One Water philosophy, Santa Monica has banned new sprinkler systems. That may sound draconian, but why permit a technology that is 55% efficient at distributing water when there are others that cost about the same, such as drip irrigation, that are 95% efficient? We are also working to make our buildings hyper-efficient. To start, Santa Monica is looking to replicate the water savings achieved in Seattles Bullitt Center Americas greenest commercial building by incorporating new-generation composting toilets into the design of a city services building slated for construction next year. These toilets use three tablespoons of water combined with a biodegradable foaming agent to convey waste to a composter, where it is converted via aerobic digestion and evaporation into commercially viable, pathogen-free compost. These fixtures alone will cut the water consumption for the life of the facility by 60%. You might be thinking yuck, no way. But this technology is clean, efficient and the wave of the future. No smells, no mess, massive savings. By showing this is not only feasible but, in fact, a better solution to an age-old problem, our hope is that it will become the norm rather than the exception. In order for this technology and the larger One Water approach to work, however, we need to acknowledge the reality we are faced with and embrace the long-term challenge it presents. California is past the point of using a little bit less and thinking that will save the environment. The planet is undergoing a major transformation. We are already feeling the impacts of those changes. We know what we have to do and we already have the tools we need to start. Now is the time to act. Dean Kubani is Santa Monicas chief sustainability officer. ALSO What drought? Many Californians no longer required to curb water use Santa Monica convicts its first Airbnb host under tough home-sharing laws It will take years of wet weather before California recovers from drought, study finds Any moment now, Donald Trump will make a big announcement not Youre fired but Youre hired. Trump needs a running mate, and reports suggest hes choosing between former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Pences appeal, to pundits at least, is all about balance. Where Trump is impulsive, Pence is disciplined; where Trump is brash, Pence is calm; where Trump is ideologically pliable, Pence is sturdily conservative. But as a Hoosier and one of Pences constituents, I think this analysis gets him exactly wrong. The Pence of 2016 isnt Trumps perfect counterbalance. Hes Trumps perfect yes man. There was a time when yes man was the last thing youd call Pence. He rose to prominence as a congressman during the George W. Bush years, challenging his fellow conservatives to be pure on principle. Pence objected to Bushs Medicare expansion and his top-down education policies, such as No Child Left Behind. He pushed for smaller-government outcomes far more consistently than other young Republicans, including Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan. His rigid far-right stands earned Pence private grillings from GOP leaders and even the president. But Pence never backed down. As he put it in a 2011 interview, I was tea party before it was cool. Advertisement This is the Pence being touted as Trumps potential VP. But it is not the man Hoosiers have seen since we elected him in 2012. Instead, we got someone more interested in protecting his own presidential ambitions than in articulating and pursuing a consistent statewide vision. We got a governor whose administration veers between the cautious and the catastrophic. Pences calculations began long before he ran for Indianas top office. In 2010, he hosted a private meeting with staffers, family and friends to discuss a gubernatorial bid. The group spent a long day debating what his candidacy would stand for, and Pence listened to various suggestions, including one for a bid that would have highlighted his evangelical views on abortion and same-sex marriage. In the end, though, he made it clear he would stick to a message with a wider appeal: jobs and schools. He ran a bland and careful campaign built on a Roadmap for Indiana, a densely footnoted pamphlet that aides passed out on the stump. Whats clear now is that this was actually just a Roadmap for Mike Pences Election. Pence won, barely. Once he moved into the governors residence, he expanded his agenda, especially where it could boost his political future. Nowhere in the Roadmaps 77 pages does it mention gay rights or same-sex marriage. And yet, in the spring of 2015, Pence happily infamously signed into law Indianas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which many believed was intended to allow Hoosiers to discriminate against gays and lesbians. It seemed in part a reward for the social conservatives hed need in 2016, whether he was running for reelection in Indiana or on a larger stage. Instead, a stunned Pence watched as it grew into a national PR disaster. Lately it looks like Pence might not even win a second term as governor, with his in-state approval rating falling below 50%. I always thought it fitting that Pence signed Indianas RFRA in a ceremony behind closed doors just like that meeting where he laid out his campaigns original jobs and schools feint. Those two private sessions, linked not by ideas or convictions but by clumsy careerism, tell you everything you need to know about the new Mike Pence. Where Congressman Pence took principled stands, Gov. Pence tried to flatter and appease various interest groups, whether they were middle-of-the-road voters (jobs and schools!) or social conservatives (religious freedom!). Too often he ended up frustrating everyone, as when his RFRA fix left both progressives and conservatives angry and unsatisfied. There have been many such examples during Pences time as governor. In 2014, and despite campaigning on schools, he killed Indianas application for $80 million in federal funding for pre-K education. Pence offered vague fears about federal intrusion; those fears kept thousands of kids from a chance at a better start in life. Like so many of Pences moves, this one seemed motivated by a simple test: How would it play if he ran for higher office? (Im the only governor in the race brave enough to reject federal handouts...) Pence never did run for president, probably because he realized he couldnt win after the religious freedom fracas. In fact, lately it looks like Pence might not even win a second term as governor, with his in-state approval rating falling below 50%. That number explains why earlier this summer, Pence decided he could finally live with some federal intrusion; Indiana is now chasing those pre-K funds. (As governor, I fought for Indianas neediest children...) But it also explains why Pence seems so eager to accept the VP slot, should Trump offer it. Surely theres a better future for vice presidential nominees, even losing ones, than there is for defeated incumbent governors. As a connoisseur of power, Trump must understand Pences motives. But he also must know that those motives make Pence an ideal partner: Hell do what hes told, even if it contradicts his actual beliefs, just so long as its good for the career of Mike Pence. Craig Fehrman is working on a book about presidents and their writings. He profiled Pence for Indianapolis Monthly in 2013. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook ALSO Election forecasting in the age of Trump The Democrats just ceded economic justice to Donald Trump America could be 4 months away from electing its first female president. So why cant we handle an all-women Ghostbusters? A little-known court in the Netherlands rattled Asia this week. The Permanent Court of Arbitration concluded that China has no legal basis for its expansive claims in the South China Sea, where China has been attempting to intimidate its neighbors into conceding their rights. While the overlapping claims are devilishly complicated, the main point is that China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all have competing claims in the South China Sea. The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (to which all except Taiwan are parties) permits national sovereignty in waters out to 12 nautical miles and exclusive economic rights out 200 nautical miles. All of the countries want to maximize their hold over gas and mineral deposits, as well as protect their national sovereignty. China is alone in making claims far in excess of the treaty standards, opposing international arbitration, advancing its claims by force and using civilian fishing fleets as military tools. Although the court has declared China in violation of its international obligations, it has no means to enforce such a decision. China refused to participate in the legal proceedings and, as expected, has denounced the courts verdict. What stands between China and its ambition is, therefore, the United States. Advertisement The U.S. has for decades upheld the terms of the Law of the Sea treaty, even though we are not party to it (the Senate never having taken it up). We have taken no position on countries claims, other than that they should be resolved peacefully. We ensure freedom of navigation in Asia by routinely sailing our Navy through waters that China claims exclusive rights to. We conduct military exercises by ourselves and with allies to demonstrate both our willingness and our ability to defend the rules. We encourage cooperation among countries in the region, for example trying to get Japan and South Korea to settle historical grievances and work more closely together. Chinas government argues the U.S. is using the treaty as a pretext for isolating China. In reality, China is isolating itself: The countrys aggressiveness has strengthened Americas alliance relationships across Asia, as countries seek a strong partner to balance against it. War will become more likely if we do not run the risks of enforcing the rules that every country in Asia except China accepts. What makes Chinas policy in the South and East China seas so curious is that it is so contrary to the governments description of its peaceful rise. At the most recent meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations a regional organization not notable for taking tough, principled stands on security issues the group issued a unanimous condemnation of China before governments got cold feet and retracted it. Chinas behavior is so egregious that other countries now blow up the countrys vessels captured in their waters. It should worry China that so many nations overpowered by it militarily and linked to it economically are willing to challenge it. In the aftermath of the court decision, China likely will test the U.S. readiness to uphold the rules, creating military provocations that could escalate into war. It will redouble the use of civilian fishing fleets for military purposes and likely will try to intimidate Asian countries over which it has economic leverage. The government will argue that because the U.S. is not an Asian power, it should not be allowed to set the rules in Asia. It is reasonable to ask why Americans should care about uninhabited rocks in the South China Sea. Would we really risk war over that? The answer is that war will become more likely if we do not run the risks of enforcing the rules that every country in Asia except China accepts. If we allow China to strong-arm weaker states, an international order that has benefited us all will erode: Military conflict will become more likely as countries try to protect their waters from Chinese incursion, and trade will be pinched. (More than $5 trillion in trade is carried on ships through these waters annually). Countries such as Australia and Japan, on which the U.S. relies as partners in military operations around the world, will narrow their focus to more immediate regional concerns. Only by keeping the steady course of enforcing the rules and supporting our allies can the U.S. forestall bad outcomes in Asia. Kori Schake is a research fellow at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Newt Gingrich may have said it best. I told [Donald Trump] quite directly that I thought he had a choice between having two pirates on the ticket, or having a pirate and a relatively stable, more normal person, Gingrich said Thursday on Facebook Live. If reports are correct, Trump is leaning toward Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a low-decibel social conservative, as his running mate although, as of Thursday afternoon, Trump aides said the choice wasnt final. Pence would be for Trump a surprisingly conventional choice. It would mean he has decided that one pirate is enough. Advertisement Pence, who supported Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the Indiana primary, can serve as a link to GOP conservatives who dont yet trust their presumptive nominee. Hes served as a governor and a member of Congress, providing a dash of the government experience Trump lacks. More important, Pences style bland, colorless, normal to a fault makes him a counterweight to Trumps shoot-from-the-hip braggadocio. But theres far more separating the two men than personal style. On substantive policy grounds, the choice seems jarring if anyone were paying attention to such things. Trump won support for the nomination, in part, by calling for a ban on Muslim immigrants to the United States. Pence called that position offensive and unconstitutional. Trump has denounced the North America Free Trade Agreement and the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership as job killers. Pence has consistently championed those deals. Trump has said Hillary Clintons 2002 vote in favor of the Iraq war was evidence of colossally bad judgment. Guess who else voted in favor of the war? Mike Pence. But vice presidential nominees have often swallowed their pride and abandoned previous positions when the No. 2 spot was offered. Pence wont be an effective spokesman for the anti-TPP position, but thats not why Trump would choose him. Instead, it will be because Trump decided to follow the most basic rule of vice presidential nominations: First, do no harm. The choice here is whether you want to stir things up, in which case you choose Newt, or calm things down, in which case you choose Pence, a GOP strategist told me. Trumps campaign manager, Paul Manafort, reportedly lobbied in favor of Pence. His view, apparently, is that two pirates would be twice as scary to skittish voters as one. The argument for Gingrich, on the other hand, is that Trumps whole purpose is to shake things up. Thats not going to change, so why not double down? So heres the most intriguing question: Will choosing the conventional candidate, Pence, mean were seeing the rollout of a New Trump one whos more cautious, more scripted and more conventional in his positions? Dont bet on it. The pirate king will still be in charge. He will merely have decided, for strategic reasons, that one pirate was enough. doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com Twitter: @DoyleMcManus EH Bildu councilors at the commemoration event on Wednesday. I. A. (EFE) In a historic first, representatives of the Basque radical pro-independence party EH Bildu attended the annual commemoration of a Popular Party (PP) councilor, Miguel Angel Blanco, who was kidnapped and murdered by ETA 19 years ago. EH Bildu, which includes former members of Batasuna considered the political wing of ETA before it was banned sent two senior figures from the party, along with local councilors, to the event in the small town of Ermua, in Bizkaia, where Blanco had been a councilor himself. The kidnapping and assassination on July 13, 1997 of Blanco, who was 29 at the time, made headlines around the world and galvanized Basque society into more openly rejecting ETAs terrorism, which killed more than 800 people and left many thousands more injured. Opinion surveys showed social support for ETA falling from 20% in 1995 to 3% in 2007. Wednesdays commemorative event, organized by Ermuas local council, which is run by the Socialist Party (PSOE), was attended by representatives of the main political parties in the town. But until now, EH Bildus councilors had abstained from the annual homage. This year also paid tribute to Sotero Mazos, who was murdered by ETA in Eibar in 1980. Blancos death marked a turning point: within a decade, ETAs ability to carry out deadly attacks had been severely reduced, in part due to cooperation with the French police, and a halting peace process had begun Members of EH Bildu, which enjoys around 25% support in the Basque Country, have taken part in a number of commemorations of the victims of terrorism over the last two years. But those events were for all the victims of violence in the Basque Country, including suspects who died in police custody and those killed by the GAL vigilantes who targeted ETA members in the 1980s. The GAL death squad is believed to be responsible for 27 murders. In many ways, Blancos death marked a turning point: within a decade, ETAs ability to carry out deadly attacks had been severely reduced, in part due to cooperation with the French police, and a halting peace process had begun that saw ETA declare a number of ceasefires until it announced it was definitively laying down its arms in October 2011. Wednesdays tribute brought together senior figures from across the political spectrum, as well as the heads of a number of organizations representing the victims of terrorism. A plaque was unveiled in memory of both Blanco and Mazos. Addressing the crowd, Carlos Totorica, the mayor of Ermua, said that for four decades, the Basque Country had suffered from a parallel state where anybody who publicly said they did not support Basque nationalism was threatened in public, and their names posted on bulls-eyes on the walls of their communities and printed in pro-independence newspapers with ties to ETA. This was a parallel state made up not just of ETA, but also Batasuna and other organizations and associations that monitored everybody and brooked no dissent. A parallel state that for more than 40 years gave rise to fear, paralysis and terrible frustration in Basque society, added Totorica. 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 He highlighted the significance of Blancos murder, noting: Frustration with the injustice of violence and the suffocating lack of freedom was transformed into social protest. From that point, violence no longer served to achieve political aims and became a problem for the despots, adding: It was society, democracy and the law that defeated ETA politically and militarily. The mayor concluded his speech by calling on ETA to definitively disband, as well as to formally apologize for a past that produced so much damage for victims, families, freedom and plurality in the Basque Country. English version by Nick Lyne. To the editor: I agree that the definition of rape must change and I applaud the two California legislators who introduced legislation to do so. (Recall effort of judge in Stanford rape case gains steam and political allies, July 8) I also believe the Legislature should quickly pass tough social host laws that give victims the right to hold accountable fraternities, sororities and other organizations that serve alcohol to minors and obviously intoxicated persons. Existing California law should be strengthened to allow victims to seek civil justice against such organizations including, of course, universities that serve alcohol without regard to the consequences. Institutions and organizations that tacitly promote atmospheres of drinking and partying must be held accountable for the shocking outcomes on their campuses. Advertisement If we truly want to change the culture on college campuses where one in five women is sexually assaulted, then we can start by changing the law. Our state should be a leader when it comes to these types of legal rights. As a society, we must recognize that the civil courts are sometimes the only real opportunity for sexual assault victims to be heard and to get true justice. John Manly, Corona del Mar The writer is an attorney who represents sexual assault victims. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook The pretty young Latino woman wore a stars-and-stripes scarf tied around her forehead, barely holding her long, thick brown hair in check. Another length of star-spangled red, white and blue cloth was tied around her left bicep. Her tight blue jeans were purposely shredded in the popular style. A dark gray hoodie draped her hips. And her light gray T-shirt was printed with red, white and blue letters that read, FEEL THE BERN. She told me her name was Alyssa Garcia and, with a serious single-lens reflex camera in hand not a mere cellphone she had come to shoot photos of Bernie Sanders at a rally in Pomona 10 days before the California primary. Garcia said she was a Bernie fan because of his plan to give free healthcare and college tuition to young people. Knowing the likely outcome of the race for the Democratic nomination, I had to ask her if she would vote for Hillary Clinton if Sanders were to fall short. I was especially interested because her demographic profile fairly well met the criteria of a dependable Democratic voter: young, female, non-white. The vehemence of her answer surprised me. She should not be able to run because shes under investigation for a felony. Advertisement 1 / 51 la-1491523602-y7ephyarj1-snap-image (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 51 la-1491368625-0bgh58ihw8-snap-image (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los angeles Times) 6 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 51 Trump inspires millions to take to the streets -- to oppose him. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 51 Cartoon caption contest winner at the DENT conference in Sun Valley, Idaho: Jon Duval, executive director of the Ketchum Community Development Corporation. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 51 Old radicals and big media descend on Selma (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 51 Horsey imagined the creation of the Ann Coulter phenomenon in this cartoon from 2007. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 51 This David Horsey drawing is a reconfiguration of a cartoon he first published in 2006. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 51 Donald Sterling, owner of the L.A. Clippers, should give Cliven Bundy a call. After Sterling loses his NBA franchise and the deadbeat Nevada rancher loses his cattle, the two old racists will both need a buddy. Maybe they can team up together and open an all-white rodeo. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 51 Besides sending a chill up the spine of the international community, Vladimir Putin has accomplished one other thing by seizing Crimea and threatening the rest of Ukraine: Putin has brought back the bear. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 51 The right-wing insurrection at the Bundy ranch in Bunkerville, Nev., has taken another weird turn with new revelations about the family history of Cliven Bundy. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 51 David Horsey / Los Angeles Times (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) At another rally the next day in Bakersfield, I heard much the same from many young voters: The investigation into Clintons misuse of an email server while she was secretary of State was a disqualifying demerit against her candidacy. Possibly the Justice Departments recent ruling that there are insufficient grounds to warrant criminal charges will have changed some minds, even though FBI Director James Comey presented the findings with a searing condemnation of Clintons poor judgment in the matter. Still, the distaste lingers and could remain a problem for a candidate plagued with high negative numbers in polls. Clinton is just lucky she is running against a man whose negative numbers are even higher. As we steer into two weeks during which our two major political parties will meet in conventions to nominate their candidates for the presidency, the awkward question facing the country is how the insanely lengthy primary election season managed to leave us with a choice between the two most unpopular candidates in American political history. The numbers shift on a daily basis and poll to poll, but they continue to add up with discouraging results for Clinton and Donald Trump. As the FiveThirtyEight blog said of voters in May, These are people who dont just like or dislike the candidates, they really like or dislike them. No past candidate comes close to Clinton, and especially Trump, in terms of engendering strong dislike a little more than six months before the election. Both Clinton and Trump are burdened by strongly negative public perceptions whether accurate or not that no amount of feel-good convention propaganda may be able to shake off. A study reported in this months Fortune magazine suggests that both presidential candidates will suffer from their past bad acts no matter how much good they advertise in the present, and therefore face an uphill battle in trying to change their reputations with voters before November. The pivotal factor in this grand unpopularity contest could prove to be the intensity of feeling among those in both parties who actually like their candidates. Trump has a loyal following that has shown the ability to ignore or, in their own minds, refute every attack against their man. Clinton is adored by a unshakeable cadre of female voters who have stood by her through the years and whose longing to see a female president is as fervent as ever. The conventions may give us a clue about which base of loyalists is more powerful. In Cleveland, will the sizable number of Republican elected officials and party operatives who are refusing to support the GOP nominee be forgotten amid the triumphant ecstasy of Trumps angry outsiders? And when the Democrats gather in Philadelphia a week later, will the harsh judgments of young Bernie fans such as Alyssa Garcia be forgotten in a love fest for the first woman to be nominated for president by a major party? Even in an unpopularity contest, there has to be a winner. MORE TOP OF THE TICKET Empathy is the path to healing between cops and black citizens At a South Dakota rodeo, Americas political divisions feel like a passing storm Bill Clinton spoils Hillarys moment of liberation from Benghazi Think of it as a counterinsurgency within the Republican revolution. Suburban mom Kendal Unruh, 51, doesnt look like much of a rebel, but shes descended upon Cleveland to wage a long-shot battle that GOP establishment leaders gave up on long ago: to deny Donald Trump the partys presidential nomination. The conservative activist, who hasnt missed a Republican convention since 1988, left her Colorado home to lead a rag-tag band of party faithful still clinging to the hope that they can nominate anyone else but Trump. Advertisement Party leaders with similar reservations about Trump have already given up trying to fight against the businessmans strong tide of support within the GOP base. Many have opted to skip the convention or swallow their pride and fall in line behind Trump. But Unruh has come to fight, describing the struggle in biblical terms as an epic campaign for the soul of the Republican Party. I cant believe the others cant see so clearly whats going on, said Unruh, who works as a Christian high school teacher in Denver. They want so desperately to win theyre willing to sacrifice a lot of ideals. Though Trumps anti-establishment campaign drew record numbers of GOP primary voters, some of the partys longtime grass-roots activists are vowing to take back control from a candidate they say does not represent Republican principles. Unruh, who backed Sen. Ted Cruz in the primary, said her distaste for Trumps bullying style hardened back in May, when the real estate mogul blasted Colorados complicated caucus system as rigged. She said Trump was knowingly misrepresenting the process. I found out he could lie and had no compunction about lying, she said. Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Sign up for the newsletter She and others from several loosely aligned groups are staging a last-ditch campaign during pre-convention organizing meetings this week in Cleveland to Free the Delegates pushing for a change in party rules that would allow convention-goers to vote for the candidate of their choice, rather than the one chosen by their states primary voters. The crusade is likely to go down in flames. Even if Unruhs group succeeds in the wonky business of crafting favorable rules at the organizing sessions, Republicans are unlikely to dump Trump during prime-time convention coverage next week in what would be interpreted as a sign of party chaos and disunity. The country hasnt seen a floor fight for the nomination in decades. Insurgents dont even have a consensus alternative candidate. Some back Cruz while others support Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker or Ohio Gov. John Kasich. All three men are expected to be in town next week. But that hardly matters to Unruh and others. Party purists say they simply want to show they did something anything to save the party of Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln from being hijacked by Trump, or at least lay the groundwork to begin picking up the pieces should he drag the party down to defeat. The Never Trump folks are emblematic of this resistance element in the Republican Party right now, said Kevin Madden, a former top aide to 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney and former House Speaker John A. Boehner. Madden opposes Trump, but is not part of the Free the Delegates movement. Their long-term goal will be to get the party back to reform and ideas, he said, restructuring or rebuilding the party in Donald Trumps aftermath. Republican party officials are uncomfortable with the prospect of the convention usually a pageantry of party unity descending into reality TV-style chaos. As delegates arrived in Cleveland for the rules-setting sessions this week, tensions were high. Unruhs allies had a visible presence, distributing copies of a manifesto asserting that no delegates are bound by party rules. That argument was countered by John Ryder, a Republican Party attorney who tried to clip the mutiny by flatly asserting: Thats not true. Under existing Republican National Committee rules, most of the conventions 2,472 delegates must cast their first-round votes according to their state primary and caucus results. Trump is poised for an easy win. He needs 1,237 delegates to secure the nomination, and scooped up 1,543 while winning 37 states in the primary season, according to an Associated Press tally. But Unruh and her colleagues are seeking a resolution from the partys rules committee that would explicitly allow delegates to vote as they wish. Knowing that such a conscience clause is not likely to be adopted by the committee, they are hoping to convince at least a quarter of the panel 28 members to back the plan and produce a minority report. Then two sets of proposed rules would go before the full convention for debate next week. You can expect to see an aggressive effort from both sides, said Matt Moore, a South Carolina delegate on the rules committee who does not support the free-the-delegates effort. Even if they could, the spirit of the Republican Party is we should adhere to the election results. Donald Trump won. Others, though, say concerns about Trumps unconventional candidacy have created enough support among delegates for a full airing of the nomination issue. When you try and force unity, Im not sure that works very well, said Saul Anuzis, a former party chairman from Michigan who backed Cruz but said he would vote for Trump because the businessman won that states primary. Id argue let them have the vote of conscience, he said. It doesnt necessarily mean its an anti-Trump amendment .... Theres a sympathy among the majority of the delegates to allow a conscience amendment to come into play. Informal whip counts show some two dozen rules committee members may back Unruhs plan, though numbers remain in flux. One wild card will be Cruz ally Sen. Mike Lee of Utah a conservative leader and committee member whose approach will likely sway others to his side. The threat of an insurrection led to a tense and at times conspiratorial atmosphere as the committee kicked off its meetings Thursday. Proceedings were repeatedly delayed, apparently due to a printer jam that hindered distributing new amendments. The explanation elicited some skepticism among committee watchers. Recess until 1 pm. Probably not the printer. Not an accident this happened when Sen. Mike Lee arrived. Can he fix printers? tweeted Ben Ginsburg, a veteran Republican lawyer and RNC rules expert. Indeed, the lag coincided with a closed-door meeting that included Unruh reportedly with GOP Chair Reince Priebus and Lee. Dozens of reporters huddled outside the convention meeting room as RNC staffers stood guard outside. One GOP strategist gave the effort a 30% chance of success up from 20% last week but added there is value in simply raising the issue. You have to at least show that you tried, said the strategist, granted anonymity to discuss the situation. I dont think its helpful to the party to sit back and allow everything Trump stands for to happen. There is a symbolic reason to do it. Theres also momentum in the idea that it could actually happen. Others believe that even if a vote comes to the floor, Trump will survive to become the nominee. Were going to pick him anyway, said Steve House, the GOP chairman from Colorado, who viewed the situation through his own historic lens: How do I explain to our six children that we changed the rules at the end of the process? That doesnt make much sense. Unruh is not backing down. She said shes willing to endure the wrath of party leaders, even the scorn of former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, to stand up against Trump. Before arriving in Cleveland, she attended a recent event back home in Colorado when Palin sneered at the anti-Trump movement as Republicans Against Trump or RAT for short. As Unruh sat in the audience, she received a text from her daughter. It read: Im proud to be a rat. lisa.mascaro@latimes.com Twitter: @LisaMascaro ALSO As activists prepare to protest the RNC, the FBI comes knocking Heres the list of speakers at the Republican National Convention I have other stuff to do. Why some California politicians are skipping the Republican National Convention The 1st Amendment is no stranger to debate. Centuries after its ratification, it is again under scrutiny as events pertaining to the 2016 election, and more specifically, Donald Trumps campaign, have raised questions about its power and limitations especially when it comes to the freedoms of speech and press. Trump in June added the Washington Post to his list of organizations banned from accessing media credentials to his rallies. Individual reporters for other outlets have been denied credentials or ushered out. Hes removed silent protesters from rallies. But none of these acts are in violation of the 1st Amendment because the 1st Amendment applies only to government action. Theres a huge gulf between Trump the president and Trump the candidate, said USC law professor Michael Shapiro. As tens of thousands of journalists prepare to descend on Cleveland, where Trump will headline the Republican National Convention and claim his partys nomination, we took a look at how his actions relate to the 1st Amendment. Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Sign up for the newsletter Trump says hell make it easier to sue news organizations. Trump has said that if elected president, he will make it easier to sue news organizations by changing libel laws. "I'm going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money," he told supporters at a rally in February. According to an American Civil Liberties Union report released Thursday morning, claims for libel fall under state law, not federal. Were he to become president, the report reads, Trump could not open up our libel laws because there is no federal libel law for the president to open up. Theres a huge gulf between Trump the president and Trump the candidate. USC law professor Michael Shapiro Current law, under the 1964 case of New York Times Co. vs. Sullivan, says a public figure can only win a libel suit against a media organization if it is proved that incorrect information was knowingly published. "Im not sure that Trump understands the basic structure of the American government, Shapiro said. The president cant just do all of this stuff on his own." In order for these laws to be eliminated, the Supreme Court would have to overturn them. In May, Trump threatened to sue the New York Times over an article on his treatment of women. Trump's lawyer has since retracted that statement. Trump has banned seven news organizations from gaining media access to his events. The Washington Post was the most prominent addition to the so-called blacklist the list of news organizations Trump has banned. The candidates reasoning? Inaccurate coverage. The Posts counter-argument said the decision is nothing less than a repudiation of the role of a free and independent press. But its technically not out of constitutional bounds. Candidates are not subject to the 1st Amendment even though their candidacies are part of the fabric of government. Otherwise, the scope of private action would be unduly constricted, Shapiro said. What if if Trump upheld a media ban as president? That to me would be a flat violation, Shapiro said If elected, Trump would presumably continue to have private meetings, just as presidents have throughout history. But if he routinely privatized what previously were public events, Shapiro said, it would threaten our democratic foundations by providing an avenue for closed, authoritarian governance. Trump regularly removes protesters from rallies. Following a surge in protests and violent incidents, the Trump campaign started playing the following announcement at rallies in December: If a protester starts demonstrating in the area around you, please do not touch or harm the protester. This is a peaceful rally. In order to notify the law enforcement officers of the location of the protester, please hold a rally sign over your head and start chanting: Trump! Trump! Trump! Ask the people around you to do likewise until the officer removes the protester. Thank you for helping us make America great again. Trump isnt violating a protesters freedom of speech by removing the person from his events. Though his rallies are often held in public areas, they can still be deemed private functions. From Trumps standpoint, it's his party and he doesn't have to invite everyone," Shapiro said. What about the future? Could Trumps actions now be held against him if he were to become president? No. Becoming president isn't going to retroactively turn his private candidacy actions into government action," Shapiro said. Trump has called for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. The ACLU says Trumps call to ban Muslims entry into the country would violate the 1st Amendments establishment clause by explicitly disapproving of one religion and implicitly preferring others. The ACLU says U.S. citizens could challenge a ban and argue that it impedes on the freedoms of religion, speech and association. Logistically, Trumps proposal is a matter of immigration. For more on that, read Noah Biermans explainer. colleen.shalby@latimes.com Twitter: @cshalby ALSO News coverage of campaign greatly aided Trump and hurt Clinton, study finds Red vs. Blue states: Check out our interactive Electoral College map Im Christina Bellantoni. This is Essential Politics, and the next time you get this newsletter, well know who Donald Trump has chosen as his running mate. He stirred speculation about just who that person might be with a series of meetings in Indiana, then made it official that the announcement will come Friday. Our team is covering every angle of the campaign on Trail Guide. Make sure to follow @latimespolitics for the very latest. JUDICIAL FEUD Advertisement Its a strange week when Trump lectures a Supreme Court justice on whats highly inappropriate, and many legal experts say hes right, David Savage reports. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs unprecedented public criticism of the presumed GOP presidential nominee has left those experts and her own supporters scratching their heads. No one could recall a similar instance of a justice on the nations highest court openly and repeatedly denouncing a candidate running for its highest office. How will it affect the reputation of the woman affectionately dubbed by fans Notorious RBG? CUT HIM LOOSE? In a tough Thursday column, George Skelton has a bit of advice for California Republicans he predicts will be dragged down by Trump this fall: Cut any ties to that sinking ship. VOTING FROM BEHIND BARS Police chiefs and sheriffs throughout California are at odds with Democratic lawmakers over a proposal to allow thousands of felons serving their time in county jails to vote in California elections from behind bars, Patrick McGreevy reports. People in favor of the idea argue it would increase civic participation by convicts and therefore reduce the chance they will commit new crimes, but law enforcement is trying hard to stop the measure from passing the state Senate next month. SENDING TAXPAYER FUNDED MAIL Reps. Steve Knight and Ami Bera must have a lot to say to constituents. The two California congressmen spent more than their colleagues back home on ads, fliers and other communications funded by taxpayers in a process known as franking. Sarah Wire spoke with members of Californias delegation about the mail they send within their districts, and why nine members dont spend any taxpayer money on mailings or communications at all. SAVE THE DATES: WATCH THE CONVENTIONS WITH THE L.A. TIMES Watch this space next week as we release details of two convention watch parties hosted by Times journalists. Youll be able to join me, Sacramento bureau chief John Myers and columnist Robin Abcarian at free live events on July 21 and July 28 in downtown Los Angeles. The watch parties will run from 6 to 9 p.m. Pacific. TODAYS ESSENTIALS Hillary Clinton charged that the Republican Party, once headed by a president who held the union together, is now led by a man who intentionally stokes divisions for personal gain, blasting Trump for pitting American against American when the nation needs a president who can help pull us together, not split us apart. A few days before the convention frenzy begins, Melanie Mason and Chris Megerian report that while they may seem like relics of yesteryear, party platforms have retained an important place in the American political process. Watch Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist David Horsey show us how he draws Trump and Clinton during the election season. Californias House delegation kept up wrangling over water legislation Wednesday, with Republicans beating back Democrat Rep. Jerry McNerneys attempt to strip language about pumping Delta water to the Central Valley from an appropriations bill. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced Wednesday that hell lead the campaign to defeat Gov. Jerry Browns ballot measure to overhaul prison parole law, a.k.a. Proposition 57. Faulconer, often talked about as a potential gubernatorial candidate, made the announcement at an event with law enforcement and victim advocates. A bill that paves the way for local control of Ontario International Airport is headed to the White House for Obamas signature. Trump is seeking $10 million in damages from a former senior campaign consultant, Sam Nunberg, alleging that Nunberg leaked confidential information to reporters in violation of a nondisclosure agreement. Who will win the November election? Give our Electoral College map a spin. Ill be chatting with Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom Friday as the Los Angeles Times presents a discussion on energy policy. Theres still time to RSVP for the day-long summit. 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. Thousands of felons serving time in county jails would be allowed to vote in California elections from behind bars under a bill moving swiftly through the state Legislature despite widespread opposition from law enforcement officials. Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) introduced the measure with an aim that providing convicts the right to vote will give them a better sense of belonging to society and possibly reduce their chances of committing new crimes when released. Civic participation can be a critical component of re-entry and has been linked to reduced recidivism, Weber told her colleagues during a recent heated floor debate on the bill. Advertisement But police chiefs and sheriffs throughout California say the proposal that passed narrowly in the state Assembly undermines a longstanding social compact: those who commit a serious crime lose not only their freedom to live in society for a time but also their right to participate in democracy. We believe that there have to be consequences to your action. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood We believe that there have to be consequences to your action, and the consequences of being a convicted felon are that you cant vote and you cant possess firearms, said Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, president of the California State Sheriffs Assn. We believe those are appropriate consequences for felonious actions. The proposal also has roiled the Legislature, where it received the bare minimum number of votes in the Assembly with Republicans joined by some Democrats in voting against the bill. Republican Assemblyman Matthew Harper of Huntington Beach is among those who opposed the bill, which he said is motivated by politics. I think most citizens think its pretty outrageous, Harper said. There is a pattern nationwide where Democrats are working to try to get as many felons, as many criminals on the voting rolls as possible. Harper claimed felons are more likely to support Democrats in California because the majority party has generally backed reducing sentences and other punishment for crimes. Its because Democrats are soft on crime, he said. Currently, only two states Maine and Vermont allow felons to vote while behind bars, according to a report by the National Conference of State Legislatures. The concept of taking away a criminals right to vote referred to as civil death has existed since the times of ancient Greece and Rome and was imported to America by the English colonists, the report said. Voters in California changed the state constitution in 1976 to prohibit voting in elections while imprisoned or on parole for conviction of a felony, but allowing participation in elections after time served. California is one of 29 states that restore felons rights to vote once they complete parole and/or probation. In April, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, issued an executive order restoring voting rights to some 200,000 convicted felons no longer in prison, repealing a Civil War-era policy that he said was aimed at disenfranchising African Americans. His move prompted a lawsuit. Harper noted that Virginia is a swing state in the November election and McAuliffe is a friend and fundraiser for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter The new bill in California is in response to the state adopting a plan in 2011 that sought to reduce state prison populations by assigning many nonviolent felons to serve their sentences in county jails, while those released were put under mandatory supervision or post-release supervision at the local level. In 2014, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the state and won a court order saying those felons under supervision should have their right to vote restored. Secretary of State Alex Padilla dropped his predecessors opposition to voting by low-level felons in the county probation system and supports the pending legislation. If we are serious about slowing the revolving door at our jails and prisons we need to engage, not shun, he said. Supporters say there is precedent given that people in jail for a misdemeanor conviction, awaiting trial but not convicted or in jail as a condition of probation are eligible to vote. There were 18 people who cast ballots from Los Angeles County jails in the June presidential primary election. But the law currently does not explicitly say the same voting privilege should be extended to those convicted of low-level felonies and still behind bars. State officials estimate there are more than a few thousand such prisoners. If approved by the state Senate and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, the Weber bill would clearly establish that convicted felons can vote in jail, said Michael Risher, an attorney with the ACLU which supports the measure. The groups position is that low-level felonies committed by those diverted to county jails do not justify the surrender of a fundamental right. The mere fact that someone might be convicted of a minor felony I dont see any reason to restrict their right to vote, Risher said. Senate Republican leader Jean Fuller of Bakersfield plans to take up the fight when the bill is heard in the Senate. Criminals convicted and imprisoned for crimes like child abuse, elder financial abuse, and voter fraud should not be rewarded with a vote simply because they are not serving their sentence out in a state prison, Fuller said. Ventura Police Chief Police Ken Corney, president of the California Police Chiefs Assn., said the belief in California is that felons need to go through the whole process, including parole or probation before their rights are restored. There is a long-standing history of if you broke the communitys rules in a severe enough way you are not going to have the same rights as everybody else until you are properly rehabilitated, Corney said. patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com @mcgreevy99 ALSO Virginia Gov. McAuliffe, a Clinton ally, reinstates voting rights to convicted felons Texas photo ID law stands despite challenges since Supreme Court ruling weakened Voting Rights Act Senators spar over the need for new voting rights legislation Updates from Sacramento Donald Trumps anticipated crowning next week as the Republican presidential candidate will amount to Christmas in July for California Democrats. Theyll gleefully use their priceless gift in an effort to regain supermajorities in both houses of the state Legislature. Maybe even pick up a seat or two in Congress. For the record: An earlier version of this article said that Democrats have a 38-14 advantage over Republicans in the California delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrats outnumber Republicans 39-14. And their chances of success are pretty good, given the extreme unpopularity in California of the GOP standard-bearer. Advertisement That would render Republicans even less relevant in Sacramento, if theyd have any relevancy at all. Theres no question among California political pros that Trump will be a drag on down-ballot Republican candidates in November. Just how much will depend on their self-survival skills. Its like holding onto a boat in the middle of the ocean and Trump is underneath hanging onto you, says veteran Republican strategist Richard Temple. What you have to do is reach down and cut him loose. Democratic pros are working hard at registering new voters. We dont have to do much, says Charu Khopkar, strategist for the state Assembly Democratic Caucus. Just put a Trump picture on the back of a clipboard with a line through it. Those clipboard-carrying registrars are going house-to-house in heavily Latino districts, where Trump is particularly reviled. They recently signed up roughly 8,000 new voters around Oxnard. Theyve also registered 10,000 in the San Joaquin Valley around Merced and Chowchilla. And theyre moving into other areas. Weve just gotten started, Khopkar says. Its like holding onto a boat in the middle of the ocean and Trump is underneath hanging onto you. Richard Temple, Republican strategist The current party breakdown in Sacramento is lopsidedly Democratic: 26 to 14 in the Senate, 52 to 28 in the Assembly. Thats just short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass tax increases, bond issues or constitutional amendments without Republican help. Democrats briefly enjoyed two-thirds majorities after the 2012 presidential election. Presidential races typically turn out more voters than gubernatorial contests and help down-ballot Democrats. Republicans regained a few seats in 2014 when the party made major gains across the country and reclaimed control of the U.S. Senate. This year, Democrats are licking their chops, not only because its a presidential year, but because Trump is such an easy mark. Also, since 2012, the shrinking California Republican Party has lost more voter registration down from 30% of the electorate to 27% while Democrats have gained slightly to become nearly 45% of the electorate. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrats hold a huge 39-14 advantage in the California delegation and are looking to add on. The latest nonpartisan Field Poll shows how Republicans are burdened by their flag carrier. The survey was taken before FBI Director James B. Comey called out Hillary Clinton for being recklessly sloppy with her classified emails as secretary of State. Still, she enjoys a big cushion over Trump in California. And she wasnt indicted. The poll found 73% of likely voters holding an unfavorable view of Trump. Only 24% looked at him favorably. Clintons image among those surveyed was 43% unfavorable, 53% favorable. In the November matchup, Clinton held a 2-1 lead: 58% to 28%. Statewide among Latinos, who probably will vote in record numbers this year, Clinton was crushing Trump by 63 points. The danger for GOP candidates, Temple says, is that voters will side with Clinton and then keep voting Democratic because they think the Republican is like Trump. California used to be a ticket-splitting state, but that has changed in recent decades. Elections have gotten nationalized, says Tony Quinn, editor of the California Target Book, which charts down-ballot races. Its no longer, I vote for the man, not the party. Its now, I vote for my party and hate the other party. Another danger is that some Republicans will be so turned off by Trump that they just wont vote at all. That seems to have been the case for many in the June primary. Fewer than half the counties have reported their turnout data. But based on a preliminary analysis by Paul Mitchell, who crunches voter stats for Political Data Inc., it appears the Democrats share of the electorate has increased and the Republicans share has decreased compared since the 2012 presidential primary. A prime example of a Republican legislator in jeopardy is Assemblyman David Hadley of Manhattan Beach. Its a typical swing district. In 2014, Hadley eked out a win over Democratic incumbent Al Muratsuchi, who now is trying to recapture the seat. Another Republican whos in trouble is Assemblywoman Young Kim of Fullerton. In 2014, she won comfortably over Democratic incumbent Sharon Quirk-Silva. Now theyre in a rematch. Other Assembly Republicans in tough races include Marc Steinorth of Rancho Cucamonga and Catharine Baker of San Ramon. What you need to know about the legislative races after the primary Typically in these districts, polls find Trump is losing by landslide margins, while the Republican legislator is trying desperately to hold on without any coattails to grab. In the state Senate, Democrats are making a run on the seat of the late Lancaster Republican Sharon Runner. (Runner, who had announced her retirement, died Thursday.) In Congress, Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) is a fat target in a heavily Latino district. Democrats are trying to chain him to Trump. So Valadao recently disavowed his partys presumptive nominee. I cannot back a candidate who denigrates people based on their ethnicity, religion or disabilities, he said recently. If you cant support Trump, says longtime Republican consultant Wayne Johnson, then you should not be afraid to say so. Speak out. People will understand. Dont try to be coy. Its the right thing to do both for self-survival in November and perhaps the long-term survival of the party. george.skelton@latimes.com Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter ALSO: Republican in heavily Latino district says he cant back Trump All Things Trump What you need to know about the legislative races after the primary Updates from the campaign trail UPDATES: 12:33 p.m.: This article was updated to reflect the death Thursday of state Sen. Sharon Runner. This article was originally published at 12:05 a.m. Police used pepper spray and a Taser on a 16-year-old boy who became combative, punching an officers head and body, during a traffic stop Friday, authorities said. When reached Wednesday evening, the boys mother said through tears that she repeatedly warned the officer that her son was autistic while apologizing for his unresponsiveness. According to Burbank police, the officer stopped the woman just before 4:30 p.m. near Burbank Boulevard and Hollywood Way after noticing the front passenger, the teenage boy, was not wearing a seatbelt. The teen told the officer that he forgot to put it on, while his mother, the driver, said she was in a rush to get somewhere, police said. Join the conversation on Facebook >> During the stop, the teen began to argue with his mother and the officer, at one point indicating that he wanted to fight the officer hand-to-hand, said Burbank Police Sgt. Claudio Losacco. Tawnya Nevarez, the boys mother, said Wednesday that during the stop, she asked the officer to step back so she could calm her son down, but the officer would not move. According to police, the officer, whos been with the department for four years, explained that everyone is required to wear a seatbelt. After the boy interrupted him with inflammatory dialogue, the officer decided to deescalate the situation by returning the drivers license to the mother with a warning instead of a citation, Losacco said. The officer then asked the teenager to put his seatbelt on. He reportedly responded that he would only do so when the officer walked away. When the officer stepped back, the boy put on his seatbelt. According to police, sometime after the boy put his seatbelt on, he removed it and told the officer he was going to fight him right now, kicking the car door open into the officers knees. He then reportedly dared the officer to call for backup while his mother tried to keep him in the car. Eventually he got out of the car, police said, took off his sweatshirt and approached the officer in a fighting stance, telling the officer to pepper spray him. The officer used pepper spray, but it didnt have an effect on the teenager, who then punched the officer multiple times, knocking off his glasses, Losacco said. At that point, the officer shot him with a Taser and handcuffed him. Nevarez said that her 14-year-old daughter was also pepper-sprayed, and her 3-year-old niece was also in the car. She referred all other questions about the incident to her attorney, who was not immediately available for comment. After the boy was medically cleared at a local hospital, he was admitted to a mental health facility, police said. Juvenile detectives are investigating the incident, which was captured on the officers audio recorder. The agencys critical incident review board will also review the officers conduct a routine for all uses of force. -- Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @atchek Children raised in nonreligious households are more generous than those from religious families, according to a study published this month in the journal Current Biology. In a test involving 1,170 children from various religious backgrounds and from seven cities around the world, nonreligious children were found to be more willing to share stickers with their peers and less likely to endorse harsh punishments for people who bumped into or pushed others. The researchers also found that the more religious the family, the less altruistic the child. This pattern held up for all religions in the study, according to the Los Angeles Times. The children ranged in age from 5 and 12 years old. Forty-three percent were Muslim, 24% were Christian, 2.5% were Jewish, 1.6% were Buddhist, 0.4% were Hindu, 0.2% were agnostic, 0.5% were classified as other, and 28% were from families classified as not religious. The findings call into question whether religion is vital for moral development, the Times reports. They dont seem to think so; separating religion from morality, they wrote, will not reduce human kindness in fact, it will do just the opposite. Q. What is your take on the results of the study? Is religion necessary in the development of altruistic and moral children? -- The studys findings are reasonable. However, one study is not enough to base an absolute conclusion. Even the most professionally done studies are imperfect, so in order to get the most accurate results possible, numerous large sample, objective, controlled studies must be done and analyzed. This particular study tested religious people versus non, but it utilized different sample amounts from the various religions. Had there been equal numbers of respondents from each test group, or even other percentages tested, the results may have been different. That being said, I think multiple studies would come up with the same result. I absolutely believe morality and ethics is not at all a function of religious belief and, as the study suggests, is often undermined by faith. When children are taught to do good because of threat of punishment or promise of reward, rather than simply because it is the right thing to do; they dont really learn the lesson or internalize the behavior. When the threat or reward is removed from the equation; the behavior changes as well. Children should learn to do good based on their own judgment and instinct of how it affects others, the world and themselves. Guiding by example rather than commandment is the best way to teach ethical behavior. Joshua Lewis Berg Humanist Celebrant Glendale -- For the longest time I have believed that one can be moral without being religious. And the findings in the study seem to suggest the same thing. However, I must confess that I am amazed that the nonreligious seemed to be better on all counts than the religious. I would have expected some equality in the results, but not the nonreligious coming out more moral or generous or altruistic than the religious. I suppose I am surprised because I recently read something about how the power of prayer, worship, and being charitable helps with ones all-around good health. And so I guess Id expect the benefits of being religious would spill over into other aspects of life, such as treating others nicer or being more moral or altruistic. Maybe another study needs to be done! But for the time being, I remain amazed at the results of the aforementioned study. Good for you, you godless pagans! Once again you have shown up us pious souls! The Lord be with you! Rev. Skip Lindeman La Canada Congregational Church La Canada Flintridge -- These are counterintuitive and disturbing findings. I think that what each religion actually teaches about punishment and altruism should be factored into the study, although it doesnt appear to have been. A religion that emphasizes holiness might produce children who lean toward stricter treatment in situations that require discipline. A religion that emphasizes rote memorization of religious passages without understanding their practical application toward the treatment of others might produce children who are less altruistic. These statistics actually substantiate Jesus words of wisdom to Nicodemus the religious man: You must be born again (see John 3:7). Apparently, being religious doesnt make people better than others. In fact, it could even make them worse. Religious people were Jesus worst and most violent opponents. Only God can produce the changes in our hearts that make us truly kind, gentle and giving. Indeed, any person who is not born again has only an unredeemed nature that will naturally produce immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these (Galatians 5:19-21). Only people who are filled with the Holy Spirit will naturally produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Religion is not what we need. A relationship with God is what we need, with the accompanying, divinely produced change of heart that deepens the longer we know him. Jesus Christ came as the way, and the truth, and the life to make this relationship with God a reality for all who have faith in him. Pastor Jon Barta Burbank -- When I read the title of the magazine Biology Today, I wondered why this journal was touting a study of morality. When I saw its conclusion I understood. It is another science fusillade against religion in the battle over which is more beneficial to mankind, secularism or religion. Having taught children from all the ages 5 to 12, I am not sure I ever saw true altruism. So let us look at the communities in question, some multicultural and some unicultural. Without seeing the empirical data, it is hard to see which group was the most altruistic, the multicultural religious or the unicultural secular. In a cosmopolitan community, the biblical injunction, Love thy neighbor as thyself (Lev. 19), may include people from a different religious group, hence a stranger. In an insulated unicultural religious group, it is hard to find a stranger to give to. Also, in certain religious groups children below the age of maturation, 12 for girls and 13 for boys, the child is not held responsible for sins, improper behaviors, such as refusing to care for widows and orphans, Isiah 58:7. So let Biology Todays staff use adults over the age of 18, the secular norm, and let them use the rubric of Moses Maimonides, a man revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims as well as Aristotelian philosophy students, toward giving: 1. the lowest: giving begrudgingly and making the recipient feel disgraced or embarrassed; 2. giving cheerfully but giving too little; 3. giving cheerfully and adequately but only after being asked; 4. giving before being asked; 5. giving when you do not know who is the individual benefiting, but the recipient knows your identity; 6. giving when you know who is the individual benefiting, but the recipient does not know your identity; 7. giving when neither the donor nor the recipient is aware of the others identity; 8. the highest: giving money, a loan, your time or whatever else it takes to enable an individual to be self-reliant. Let us then rely on those results to guide us in our judgments. Then we ourselves can rely on truthful results not child"-ish ones. Rabbi Mark Sobel Temple Beth Emet Burbank -- An important take-away from any survey research is that association is not causation. We do not know that being secular has made the children more altruistic, and though similar findings from more studies would strengthen the association, proving cause is more challenging. It is theoretically possible that pure luck brought the researchers generous secular children and selfish believers. Some of the seculars parents could own sticker stores so that amassing stickers is the furthest thing from their childrens minds. While these are far-fetched scenarios, my point is that there is no proof in this research that being secular causes more altruism than being religious. Interestingly, the findings in this study are not borne out based on my extended family among whom I, my husband and our children, all secular, are the exceptions. My seven siblings, hordes of nieces and nephews, and their children are mostly believers, yet are neither selfish nor harsh, in my observation. However our family isnt causal proof one way or the other either. But if being secular does tend to make you more altruistic, I can see a possible explanation. Given the high level of religiosity in the U.S., those who have broken free of our cultures religious domination may have given more conscious thought to living morally, whereas believers may assume that their religion covers them on the moral front. Roberta Medford Atheist Montrose -- I think the study is flawed in several ways, but maybe it reveals some conclusions that were not considered by the researchers. The assumption that nonreligious kids are morally superior, based on a mere thousand participants, is hardly definitive. Given another thousand and another study, the results could be opposite, especially if nonreligious participants were increased to half, rather than just a quarter. That should be obviously more equitable. Since almost half of the participants were Muslim (the majority) a conclusion might be that Muslims are the worst, but again, the collection of representatives seems rather unbalanced. Given that theyre kids, it may say nothing about what sort of people theyll grow up to be with or without religion. People often grow into or out of childhood attitudes, and much of this is a direct result of their cultivated religious beliefs. While the study showed the minority of nonreligious children evidencing an inclination toward sharing, it also showed that they were less inclined to justice. Justice is a moral good thats often understood better by people who perceive the differences between right, wrong, fair and unfair. Religion deals with this issue, and within Christianity, the central message is based upon this, with the leap to mercy being Gods final answer to sinful humanity. God reveals ultimate altruism through Jesus Christ who shared our pain and took our punishment. He taught us the Golden Rule; Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. (Luke 6:31 MEV). Religion per se, has never been a guarantee of better behavior or morality, as there are many religions with disparate views. Most religions will share some of the same social morals, but unless a religion is true, then its not any better morally than atheism. Morals are found in the biblical God, apart from whom there is no true morality, only accepted social behaviors. Finally, of the nearly 200 countries in the world, America is always in the top slots as most altruistic. More than 90% of us identify as religious, and more than 80% identify as Christian. In other words, our religious nation stands above the secular and nonreligious nations of the world. Both foreign and domestic sharing by predominantly Christian America is unmatched. Without our Christian religion, we wouldnt be nearly as altruistic and moral as we are. I know I wouldnt. Rev. Bryan A. Griem Tujunga -- There is some peril in placing too much faith in studies. There have been others, with larger sample groups, which concluded that those who are religious have the greater tendency to be generous. We gain nothing but contention from arguing over which study is definitive. There is even greater risk in debating whether any one group is kinder, more charitable in essence, better than another. It is a conversation that at best nurtures hubris and at worst leads to hypocrisy and intolerance. From the perspective of Mormon doctrine, such debate also is irrelevant. In the eyes of God we are not compared with others, nor are we measured in terms that can be quantified on a researchers spreadsheet. Instead, the scriptures tell us, God looketh on the heart. None of us has the capacity to follow Gods teachings perfectly. Fortunately, he can see what we truly desire. He can look into our hearts to see the good even as human weakness and frailty sometimes cause us to fail. Because of Christs atonement, a sincere heart, coupled with repentance, can erase those moments of failure. Jesus parable of the widows mite helps explain this concept. The poor widows small offering was of little consequence to the treasury, but was great in the eyes of God because it represented all that she had. Our task, then, is not to give more than someone else, but to lay all that we have on the altar for God to take should he require it. Michael White The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints La Crescenta Judge Ruth Ginsburg at a conference this May Mike Groll (AP) More information Donald Trump pide la dimision de una juez del Tribunal Supremo Once again, Donald Trump finds himself at the center of a row, this time with a member of the US Supreme Court. The Republican presidential hopeful has demanded Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg resign, calling her a disgrace to the court after she criticized his campaign in several interviews. Ginsburg, one of the most progressive justices on the Supreme Court, described Trump as a faker to CNN. He has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment, she said, noting the press seems to be very gentle with him, and that unlike most presidential candidates he has not released his income tax returns during the primary race. The Republican Party hopes Trump will win in November and appoint a judge who will maintain the conservative leanings of the court Ginsburg has never shied away from making her opinions known in interviews and conferences, but it is rare for a Supreme Court justice to comment on the presidential race. Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, accused Ginsburg of bias, saying: I find it very peculiar, and I think it's out of her realm. Responding to the furore on his Twitter profile on Tuesday night, Trump said simply: Resign following up on comments suggesting that Ginsburg was no longer coherent, saying: Her mind is shot. The Republican candidate then told The New York Times that the judges remarks were highly inappropriate, adding: I think its a disgrace to the court, and I think she should apologize to the court and then saying: I would hope that she would get off the court as soon as possible. Over the weekend, Ginsburg told the Associated Press she did not want to contemplate the possibility that Trump might become president and much less the consequences his victory would have on the Supreme Court. But if it should be, then everything is up for grabs, she added. Instead of walking back her statements, she went even further in an interview with The New York Times saying: I cant imagine what the country would be like with Donald Trump as our president. For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be, I dont even want to contemplate that. Ginsburg was alluding to an issue that has become especially relevant in this presidential campaign: who will replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia? Since Scalias death in February, the remaining eight justices have handed down several four-to-four decisions, thus failing to provide resolutions on constitutional issues such as Obamas executive orders on immigration. Scalias vacancy remains open because the Republican majority in both houses of Congress and their presidential candidate are refusing to hold confirmation hearings for President Obamas pick for the bench. 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 The Republican Party hopes Trump will win in November and appoint a judge who will maintain the conservative leanings of the court. And should Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton win, she may have the opportunity to name progressives judges to fill Scalias seat and replace Ginsburg, who, at 83 years old, may chose to retire during the next presidential term. Supreme Court justices are not prevented from expressing their opinions to the media. Still, attorneys who argue before the court may ask a judge to recuse herself if they believe there is a conflict of interest. Ginsburgs remarks would become an issue if the court were to rule on a case involving the real estate mogul-turned-presidential candidate. In May, Trump also questioned the impartiality of a federal judge of Mexican background who is overseeing a fraud lawsuit against Trump University. English version by Dyane Jean-Francois. Laguna Beach police arrested a man on suspicion of driving under the influence after he struck a utility pole on Laguna Canyon Road Saturday morning. The 4 a.m. crash caused police to temporarily restrict traffic to vehicles of 15 feet tall or under because of an overhanging power line, Sgt. Tim Kleiser wrote in an email. Join the conversation on Facebook >> Advertisement Police said a 22-year-old Laguna Beach man was headed south on the state highway when he hit the pole. The man, who was alone in the car, was not injured and no other cars were damaged, Kleiser said. The crash, south of Willow Canyon Road, did not cause a power outage and Southern California Edison crews replaced the damaged pole and wires, company spokeswoman Susan Cox said. Police reopened the road to all cars at 11:30 a.m., Kleiser said. -- Bryce Alderton, bryce.alderton@latimes.com Twitter: @AldertonBryce For years, Back Bay High School English teacher Joel Flores told his students that their class might be the last to write letters to author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. But every year, when Flores classes at the Costa Mesa school would write and send their letters, Wiesel would write back. That wont happen again. When Wiesel died July 2 at age 87, the world lost a powerful voice for human rights. But the Back Bay students lost a pen pal. Flores and his class received Wiesels last letter on June 23, the last day of school. I took it for granted every year and Id think, Yeah, were still going to get letters, Flores said. I feel a deep sense of loss. Starting in 2005 at Costa Mesas Estancia High School, Flores had his classes read Wiesels 1956 book, Night, based on the authors experiences as a teenage prisoner in the Nazis Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps in 1944-45. Afterward, the students would have a letter writing lesson. Its part of the curriculum to cover how to write business letters, Flores said. I combined the learning about how to write a business letter with the end of this book project because we were running out of time to cover everything. The time-crunch solution soon led to a tradition that Flores would carry to Back Bay sophomore English classes. After reading Wiesels work, the sophomores would use their letters to him to learn how to write a proper salutation, format the body of the letter, ask questions, conclude by thanking him for his time, then fold, address and stamp the letter. Each year, the students handwritten letters were sent to The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity based in New York City. A single response from Wiesel was sent to the whole class. Back Bay sophomore Sarah White a student in Flores class of about 15 who wrote to Wiesel this past spring said her letter was the first she had written to an author in school. I asked him how he gets through his days, how does he keep strength even with all the horrible memories? Sarah said. He shows that no matter what age you are, you can have the strength of an adult. Night chronicles Wiesels memories of seeing Jews lined up on their way to the gas chambers and how he felt his God had been murdered. In the letters, [the students] mostly tell him how much they admire him and how brave he is, Flores said. On the last day of this past school year, Flores stopped at his mailbox in the Back Bay office and found what would be the last letter he and his students would receive from Wiesel. He read Wiesels words out loud to his class. I am moved to learn of the effect that my memoir Night had on you, the letter read. As a writer, nothing is more important. Knowing that you will never forget the tragedies of the past fills me with hope. In reading Night, sophomore Jennifer Chavez said she found a story she hadnt come across in history books and lessons. This is more than just history, its something people went through, Jennifer said. Mr. Flores said [Wiesel had] written back to classes before, but I was surprised that we were the last class. Hes lived so long and journeyed through a lot. Wiesel, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, was 15 when he was sent to Auschwitz with his family in 1944. After he was moved to and freed from the Buchenwald camp in 1945, only he and two of his sisters had survived. Hes such a monumental example of someone who stands for peace, Flores said. Even though [the story] happened during World War II, its still relevant today. The hate that causes violence is still manifested today, but the more aware and sensitive we are, the more we can change ourselves, our community and our world. In his last words to the Back Bay students, Wiesel wrote: You can use your knowledge and understanding to educate those who are unaware. You can make a difference in creating a new kind of century. Keep learning and reading, more and more, to continue to think higher and feel deeper. A previously rejected proposal to repair Irvine Avenue and replace browning grass in the median with drought-tolerant plants received a green light from the Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday. The council voted 6-0, with Councilman Marshall Duffy Duffield absent, to approve a $1.7-million contract with All American Asphalt to reconstruct sidewalks, curbs, gutters, access ramps and pavement, as well as fix the irrigation system and plant new colorful drought-tolerant landscaping along the median between Santiago and University drives, adjacent to Upper Newport Bay. Its a gateway into West Newport Beach and its a scenic vista, Councilman Tony Petros said. When you consider that drive and the welcoming sense it has for our community, it deserves what we have put together for the plant palette. It is a modest cost and over time will prove to be a great sustainable benefit to the city. The council had voted 4-3 on June 14 to reject a portion of the bid, sending public works staff back to the drawing board and likely out to bid again, which would delay the work for months. However, Councilman Ed Selich, who originally voted against the proposal, asked his colleagues to reconsider the item at Tuesdays meeting. Selich said he was initially concerned that the city was spending too much money on the Irvine Avenue median work and might have to forgo other median projects in the city. However, after the June meeting, he met with city staff members who told him there was enough money in the budget to cover the Irvine Avenue project and still replace other browning medians with green ground covers, which are more drought-tolerant. Councilman Scott Peotter, who had previously suggested the city scrap the landscaping portion, estimated to cost about $500,000, and instead put down wood chips or hydroseed grass, also was swayed after meeting with staff, he said. Our efforts to save money may be too late, considering how far along they are in the process, Peotter said. Im not looking to downgrade the standards of this island as much as I am trying to do it in a more cost-effective manner. Several homeowners who live near Irvine Avenue spoke in favor of the project, saying it would put the landscaping in line with other medians in the city. What we have today with brown grass and dirt is very definitely not something we can be proud of, said longtime resident and former Councilman Don Webb. Construction is expected to begin in August and likely will be completed by the end of the year, city staff said. -- Hannah Fry, hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN Former Costa Mesa Councilwoman Wendy Leece has asked the Orange County district attorneys office to look into whether the City Council violated the state open-meetings law last week when discussing the possibility of having a mayor elected by public vote. Leece sent a letter to District Attorney Tony Rackauckas asking for an investigation of whether council members violated the Ralph M. Brown Act during their July 5 meeting. The council voted 3-2 at that meeting, with members Katrina Foley and Sandy Genis opposed, to endorse creating an elected mayor position as part of a plan to change to a council election system with six voting districts. Neither the July 5 agenda nor the agenda report mentioned that the City Council would be discussing and possibly voting that night to put an elected at-large mayor on the November ballot, Leece said in a statement this week. Leece contends that deprived the public of the opportunity to review the concept before the meeting or to comment on specifics. The city believes no violation occurred, according to spokesman Tony Dodero. According to our attorneys, there was no Brown Act violation, he said Wednesday. The July 5 council agenda included four options for splitting the city into voting districts, including the six-district option the council eventually chose. The agenda didnt specify that the six-district option would include an elected mayor, though an attached consultants report did reference the concept. The council voted Tuesday to officially place the plan on Novembers ballot. If the city is found to have violated the Brown Act, the council would have to give the public another chance to comment on the item and then re-vote on it, according to Leece. -- Luke Money, lucas.money@latimes.com Twitter: @LukeMMoney A man who reportedly matched the description of a gunman wanted in connection with seven serial killings in the Phoenix area was taken into custody early Thursday after a pursuit that started in Costa Mesa and ended with a standoff on the 91 Freeway in Corona. A woman who had been with the man called Costa Mesa police around 12:30 a.m. to tell them the man had a gun and that he looked like the composite sketch of the killer released by Phoenix police, according to Costa Mesa police Sgt. Mike Manson. Phoenix police later told KTLA-TV/5 that they had been in contact with local authorities and do not believe the incident was related to the killings. Police said the man had just dropped off the woman at the Sandpiper Motel. Officers who responded saw his vehicle, a Subaru, about a block away at the intersection of Newport Beach and 19th Street, police said. Officers went to stop him and the chase was on, Manson said. Costa Mesa police quickly handed off the chase to the California Highway Patrol. Law enforcement chased the man on the northbound 605 Freeway, then east on the 210 Freeway, west on the 10 Freeway, south on the 215 Freeway and finally west on the 91 Freeway. At about 2 a.m., the man stopped near McKinley Street but did not surrender, CHP Officer Marcelo Llerena said. The standoff closed the freeway and went on for about two hours until the man was taken into custody. He was identified as Hector Vasquez, 43, of Beverly Hills. He was holding what appeared to be a black handgun as he exited the Subaru, according to authorities, who said he tossed the gun onto the eastbound freeway lanes before he was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, brandishing a weapon and evading police. A pellet gun was recovered from Vasquezs belongings, authorities said. KTLA contributed to this report. I receive lots of interesting feedback on my columns, both the political ones and the monthly Barbaras Bits and Bites, which discovers and rediscovers fun places to eat in Newport-Mesa. Last month I reviewed the new Ritz Prime Seafood restaurant in Newport Beach. Pretty much the only thing liked about the place was the decor, which prompted the restaurants designer, Rick McCormack, to check in and thank me for my comments. McCormack is an interesting guy. He grew up in Costa Mesa and has been in the hospitality design biz for more than 40 years. My claim to fame was being head of design for the Cheesecake Factory for almost 14 years, says McCormack. After designing 150 restaurants, McCormack left the Cheesecake Factory in 2008 to start his own firm, Studio McCormack, in Costa Mesa. His clients include the Yard House, BJs, Seasons 52 ,Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill, Rubys Diner, Pizza Nova, The Winery, Bruxie and, of course, the new Ritz. Never having interviewed a restaurant designer before, I took the opportunity to address one complaint I constantly hear from readers: noise levels in new restaurants, like the Ritz and Winery. Theres a fine line between too noisy and too quiet. Everyone wants an energetic atmosphere, and that happened at The Winery, he says. McCormack explained that noise issues had to be addressed there after the fact, using acoustical material and consulting with an acoustical engineer. In the case of the Ritz, a great deal of money went into acoustical materials, including a perforated wood ceiling that acts as an acoustical damper. But what McCormacks team didnt anticipate was that the Ritzs live musical duo performances would kick up the sound level for diners, creating some complaints. Hes meeting with the owners now to address the issue. So what about trends in restaurant interior design? Trends come and go, he says. McCormack has seen his share of concrete floors, barn wood interiors and exposed rafters, all of which he feels are now overdone. That was a good look for the recession days, he says, but now trends are leaning more toward refinement and fine dining. And as his clients see their clientele aging, theres a shift toward wanting to attract millennials, because their sheer numbers make them a driving economic force. Millennials look for design characteristics that reflect local flavor, which is difficult when designing for a chain, says McCormack. But this can be accomplished by simply hanging local photographs, he explained. And though none of his clients have asked him for this specifically, McCormack says dog friendly is another trend thats here to stay. Without a doubt, people are taking their dogs everywhere. Its a nice thing to see, he says. Each restaurant design has its own unique inspiration. In the case of the Ritz, McCormack originally wanted to reflect more of the original restaurant, but the new owners, Grill Concepts, chose to focus on the waterfront location. McCormack calls it a contemporary seaside look with the use of coral patterns reflected throughout. In the new Rubys Diner in San Clemente opening later this year, the local flavor of surfing will be injected into design elements, McCormack tells me. McCormack wasnt the only one who reached out after my Ritz review ran. Reader Doug Forde gave me the 411 on the group formally known as the Ritz Brothers. For those unfamiliar with their legacy, the Ritz Brothers was founded by Hans Prager, the original owner of the Ritz Restaurant in Fashion Island. The group met regularly at his restaurant and donated millions to local charities over the years. Ron Salisbury, owner of the Cannery on the Peninsula and El Cholo in Corona del Mar, has been a member since the 1970s. In their heyday, the Ritz Brothers had approximately 600 members and donations of more than $100,000 annually, he says. Salisbury is now reviving the group at the Cannery. The first luncheon was March 14, in honor of St. Patricks Day. Charlene Prager, Pragers widow, was there too. Salisbury says with her help they are renaming the group. Apparently they cant use the Ritz Brothers name or well be sued, he told me. Maybe well be Hans Cannery Boys, says Salisbury. But regardless of what they call themselves, Pragers tradition of meeting five times a year for a clam bake, Oktoberfest, St. Patricks Day, Cinco de Mayo and Christmas will continue, according to Salisbury. Membership is $150, with each member choosing to donate to some pre-selected local charities. Those charities are still being determined. At 83, Salisbury is very enthusiastic about this effort. Though the name will change, the group Prager started many years ago will continue, as will its good works. And if youre interested in joining, just email Salisbury at ron@elcholo.com. The next gathering will be May 2 at the Cannery. BARBARA VENEZIA, whose column appears Fridays, lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com. Its often said two heads are better than one. But in the case of Chrissy Pietrosh and Jessica Goldstein best friends and longtime creative partners whose television writing and producing credits include Cougar Town, My Name is Earl and most recently Eva Longorias Telenovela, its not so easy to tell where one head, and the thoughts therein, ends and the other begins. We have one of those crazy, sick. Pietrosh begins. "intertwined lives, Goldstein finishes. NEWSLETTER: Stay up to date with whats going on in the 818 >> They met their husbands on the same dating website and both got married in Philadelphia, where Goldstein grew up, because Pietroshs husband hailed from there as well. When my husband proposed to me he brought Jessica a ring, too, because he knew he had to propose to her too, recalls Pietrosh, herself a New Jersey native. We were a package deal. We go together. Today, the local duo (Pietrosh lives in La Canada Flintridge, and Goldstein in La Crescenta) operate Tall and Short Productions and serve as showrunners for Telenovela, which means they, along with Longoria herself, are responsible for creating and managing each episode. The 37-year-olds recognize working on a comedy show they adore, with a dream cast and even dreamier lead star and creator, is the fulfillment of a shared dream whose roots go back more than 15 years. I feel like weve been saying 15 years for the past five years, Pietrosh jokes of their long association. Television comedy writing and producing duo Jessica Goldstein, left, and Chrissy Pietrosh are currently working on Telenovela." Their past work includes Cougar Town" and My Name is Earl. (Roger Wilson / La Canada Valley Sun) Their paths crossed in Illinois during the late 90s, when they were both enrolled in Northwestern Universitys Radio, Television and Film program. Despite their commonalities, they didnt really forge a friendship until a mutual friend insisted they get to know one another better. They did, and from that point their paths became inextricably interwoven. Goldstein and Pietrosh found a satisfying creative outlet in writing for and performing in a televised student comedy sketch show called Northwestern Sketch Television (NSTV), where as women they were among the minority. Thats where the two of us realized we had the same sense of humor, Pietrosh says. Its also the show that gave us the confidence to do this (career). At the time, neither of them knew much about how to break into TV comedy writing. Goldstein recalls expressing her interests to a befuddled college counselor, who advised her to look up career options on the Internet. I realized I needed to come out here and take a risk, she says. Pietrosh agreed. In August of 2000, the duo decided to make the 1,800-mile journey to Southern California, where the lure of Los Angeles, Burbank and Hollywood beckoned. They packed the contents of their lives into their purple cars (another coincidence) and carried walkie talkies to keep in touch with each other along the way. They didnt know it at the time, but the repartee they developed on that extended road trip laid the foundation for how they would later brainstorm and write comedy together. Almost afraid of the grown-up responsibilities that awaited them, they dragged out the cross country-trek to two weeks, inspecting Americas nooks and crannies and speaking candidly to the strange cast of characters they met along the way. Whenever someone asked them what brought them around these parts, they unequivocally answered We want to write for TV. Today, Pietroshs key piece of advice to those looking to break into the industry is to be very specific about ones dream. If you want to be a TV comedy writer, then say that, she suggests. When Goldstein and Pietrosh reached Los Angeles, they settled into a Los Feliz apartment complex and sought temporary jobs that got them on the Warner Bros. Studio lot. We gave ourselves a five-year goal and said if were not close to it in five years, well try something else, recalls Goldstein, who worked as a casting assistant for WB while Pietrosh held down a gig there as a production assistant. We were aiming for as close to TV comedy as we could get. As they began to meet separately with the same contacts and wrote comedy together on the side, the idea to form a partnership naturally evolved. Once their talents were paired, things took off at a fast clip. A co-worker of Pietroshs handed work the pair had written to his boss at WB, who was impressed. Within about a week they had an agent lined up and began writing episodes for the 2002 series remake of the 60s sitcom Family Affair, starring veteran actors Tim Curry and Gary Cole. They worked as co-executive producers for My Name is Earl and Cougar Town and in 2014 inked a two-year deal with Universal TV, under which they would help develop new products. Chrissy and Jessica are an inspired writing team with a unique comedy voice that fits perfectly for the type of shows were producing, Universals then-Executive Vice President Bela Bajaria said in a statement announcing the deal. Our future couldnt be brighter with both of them on board. Life since then has been especially good for the duo, as professional good fortunes continue to be paired with personal ones. After both trying to conceive for years, and undergoing in vitro fertilization, Pietrosh and Goldstein began to realize their dreams of motherhood. Today, Goldstein has two children Lucas, 4, and 17-month-old Arlo with husband Camilo Zaks, while Pietrosh is raising Bea, 5, and 3-year-old twins Gus and Archie with her husband, Jeremy McDowell. They acknowledge they are able to have it all only because of the sacrifices their spouses have made, and because they conveniently took turns being pregnant, yet one more perk of partnership. I cant even imagine how people do it by themselves, says Goldstein, whom Pietroshs children lovingly call Tia, sharing her appreciation for having a built-in therapist, fashion consultant and friend. Our husbands could not be bigger cheerleaders, but even they dont know, she added, pointing to Pietrosh. The only person who really knows what I did this year is her. -- Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com Twitter: @SaraCardine Residents can once again water their lawns three times a week and no longer have to pay a drought charge on their utility bills following a vote by the City Council on Tuesday. About two years ago, council members limited turning on yard sprinklers to twice a week after the California Water Board mandated that Glendale cut its usage by 20% in 2015 in response to one of the states worst ongoing droughts. However, during the past year, residents have reduced water usage by more than the target and, combined with a larger water supply, utility officials said residents can water a bit more. Join the conversation on Facebook >> Steve Zurn, general manager of Glendale Water & Power, said the Metropolitan Water District the source of about 70% of the citys water has received a recent influx it hasnt seen in four years. Zurn said residents did their part in meeting the conservation challenge. This is a bit of a reward for the citizens for the good job they did, he said. The council responded by voting 5-0 to allow the extra day of watering. Watering three times a week as part of the second phase of the citys mandatory conservation ordinance will still meet state conservation requirements, Zurn said. That schedule may even become the new norm, he said. The updated watering schedule will stay in place until February, when the council will review it again. Another reason Zurn said he recommends the watering schedule change is because he thinks the residents who learned to conserve got used to it. Mayor Paula Devine said she agreed. This shouldnt be a signal to start to waste water. Were still in conservation mode, she said. I hope people whove formed those habits continue to conserve for the betterment of everybody. The updated watering schedule will now allow residents to switch on their sprinklers on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Councilman Zareh Sinanyan also commended residents who chipped in and did their part to conserve, saying the evidence was visible when driving around town and seeing how many front lawns in Glendale were brown. Some even ripped out their lawns and installed drought-tolerant landscaping, he said. Those that havent done that, their lawns were either burnt out or theyre cheating somehow, so this extra day of watering is going to help, Sinanyan said. In recent months, the city monitored water usage and issued warnings to residents who watered lawns on prohibited days, while also fining some repeat offenders. In addition, the council voted to suspend a drought charge implemented to make up for the loss of revenue triggered by increased conservation. The rate started last year and added 75 cents per hundred cubic feet of water or 748 gallons to a single-family homes utility bill. That averaged about $14 a month. Along with a review of the watering schedule, council members will decide whether to keep the drought charge off the table or to reinstate it in February. -- Arin Mikailian, arin.mikailian@latimes.com Twitter: @ArinMikailian Due to construction activities, the Foothill (210) Freeway between Lake Avenue and Mountain Street in Pasadena and the SR-134 connector to westbound I-210 will be closed for 55 hours beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and running through 5 a.m. Monday, according to Caltrans. The closure is one of two anticipated for the area as part of a project to create a smoother driving surface and reduce the need for future maintenance. The second closure begins Friday, July 29, at 10 p.m. and runs through 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 1. Detour signs will be posted, and motorists might experience delays. Residents are advised to avoid the area, use alternate routes and check traffic conditions before traveling. Real time freeway traffic information can be found at quickmap.dot.ca.gov. County to host dam meeting The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works will host an informational meeting Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge to provide details on impending sediment removal activities planned for next year at Devils Gate Dam. Department officials have estimated initial brush clearance at Hahamongna Watershed Park could begin as early as January, with the construction of access roads anticipated to take place sometime next spring. Local environmental activists have filed a lawsuit challenging the scope of the project and its impact on already threatened wildlife habitats. Local residents are encouraged to ask questions and learn more about the project, which could take up to five years to complete. The meeting takes place in the community centers Main Room, 4469 Chevy Chase Drive, in La Canada Flintridge. For more information, visit dpw.lacounty.gov/lacfcd/sediment/prj.aspx?prj=1. One City One Book invites author A novel inspired by the authors family history with the Armenian Genocide has been named the featured selection for the 2016 La Canada Flintridge One City One Book event. Orhans Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian is the story of two families, one Turk and the other Armenian. In her debut novel, Ohanesian weaves a story that takes the reader from 1915 and the beginning of the atrocities against Armenians, to 1990, when a young man, Orhan, inherits a rug business from his grandfather. On learning there was a second bequest of a house and that it was left to a stranger living in the United States, Orhan decides to investigate further. He subsequently learns more than he expected to of his own countrys history. A gift from Friends of La Canada Flintridge Library to the authors favorite charity is bringing Ohanesian to the city to participate in this years One City One Book discussion, set for 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6 at the library, 4545 Oakwood Ave. Readers are invited to read the book in advance and meet the author for the event, which will include an opportunity to have the book signed. Missing 1966 classmates sought As the La Canada High School Class of 1966 gears up for its 50th anniversary reunion, several missing classmates are being sought, according Joani Bartoli Porto, chairman of the reunion committee. The three-day reunion begins Friday, Oct 7, with a social mixer in the evening at BarCelona in Pasadena. On Saturday, Oct. 8, there will be a dinner at the La Canada Thursday Club and the weekend will wrap up on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 9, with coffee and pastries in Memorial Park. On the missing list are Rich Arrotta, Leslie Bowman, Ross Branch, Richard Brinegar, Susan Brown, Donna Cockrell, John Cocon, Sheri Corson, Dave Evans, Eric Fassbaugh, Pete Fullenwider, Diane Gearheart, Stephanie Gibbs, Dick Harmon, Kathy Heady, Craig Hicks, Debbie Kay, Helen Keenan, Gayle Keppler, Maria Lerner, Sheri Linn, Bill Logan, Donna Londelius, Suzi McClellan, Steve Michetti, Diane Miller, Marcella Murillo, Lynetta Nicols, Betsy Powell, Phil Ramsey, Christopher Robinson, Jeannie Roberts, Christopher Smith, Bob Spencer, Claire Stroup, Dave Ward, Nancy Watson, Linda Westbrook and Gail Wyckoff. Anyone with leads as to how to contact these members are invited to send an email to lchs1966@gmail.com. Reservations for the event are due by Sept. 10. To learn more reunion details, including costs, visit www.lacanada1966.com or join the La Canada High Class of 1966 Facebook group. Lucky for La Canada, the coffee options have improved. If you dont want to stand in line at Starbucks (475 Foothill Blvd., Suite M), go a couple of doors away to Trader Joes (475 Foothill Blvd., Suite D). Trader Joes gives out free mini-cups. If you dont want the free Trader Joes mini cup, the Starbuck sisters at Goodie Girls (637 Foothill Blvd.), sell mini cupcakes, latte, espresso and plain java. Local options are limited for the obsessive craft coffee aficionado. Gelsons does sell Stumptown and Intelligentsia in the bean, but the roast dates vary. Intelligentsia is in Old Town Pasadena, but Around Town has been on the lookout for better coffee options, ever since the Reimann familys investment firm, JAB Holding Co., acquired whole or majority investments in Stumptown, Intelligentsia, along with Krispy Kreme Donuts, Einstein Bros. and Noah Bagels, Peets and Keurig. Stumptown and Intelligentsia say that nothing will change, that each is a separately managed subsidiary, and that quality will never suffer. Despite the assurances, its good to have a backup plan. Not that were against globalization, but even Rep. Adam Schiff, a tea drinker, should be concerned about the corporatization of third wave coffee. Schiff told Around Town a couple of years ago that I have never been a coffee drinker, and apart from having a cup forced on me by the Slovak Attorney General when I was working for the Justice Department, Ive never even tried the stuff. Schiff should be concerned because JAB recently acquired a stake in Mighty Leaf tea. That leaves us with Jones Coffee Roaster, now located at the Pasadena Vromans (695 E. Colorado Blvd.), LAMILL (1636 Silver Lake Blvd.) and, the newest arrival Philz! Philz! Its amazing. In 2003, Phil Jaber founded Philz, at 24th and Folsom, not exactly the best neighborhood in San Francsico. The first Philz was funky, hipster and crunchy, complete with worn out sofas. Jabers philosophy of one cup at a time drip preparation, and opinion that baristas should be coffee artists, earned him a cult-like following. By 2003, Peets had expanded and appeared more corporate. Philz was a throwback to 1966, when Alfred Peet opened up the first Peets in Berkeley. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Philzs reputation grew. A diverse group of coffee purists followed. One brew was called Code 33, a special blend made for the San Francisco Police Department to keep them alert while keeping our great city safe, now available for the world to enjoy. The Pasadena Philz (146 S. Lake Ave., Suite #106) is in the small plaza with Soul Cycle, Lemonade and Williams Sonoma. Its a clean, bright and airy venue, not as crunchy as the stores in Northern California. Parking can be rough, but Philz opens at 6:30 a.m., and despite the infernal meters, the street parking is free until 9 a.m. Philz sells light, medium and dark roasts. Unlike Trader Joes, Peets and Starbucks, the Philz dark roast beans are never oily when we grind them at home. The brew is never bitter. Good to know that as the corporate craft coffee wars heat up, there are still some local options. -- ANITA SUSAN BRENNER is a longtime La Canada Flintridge resident and an attorney with Law Offices of Torres and Brenner in Pasadena. Contact her at anitasusan.brenner@yahoo.com. Follow her on Instagram @realanitabrenner, Facebook and on Twitter @anitabrenner. Lesbia Yaneth Urquia. Twitter More information Detenidos los asesinos de otra ecologista hondurena Honduran police have arrested three men for the murder a week ago of Lesbia Urquia, an environmental activist who fought against hydroelectric and mining projects on indigenous lands in the Central American country. Urquia was found dead with wounds to her head a week ago in the town of Marcala,100km west of the capital, Tegucigalpa. Among the three men arrested on Wednesday was Urquias brother-in-law, Manuel Lopez. He had threatened to kill Urquia, 49, over a family dispute involving property and was suspected of hiring the other two men to carry out the crime, authorities said. But the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), where Urquia had worked since 2009, insisted that her death was linked to powerful mining companies. 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 Urquia was a colleague of murdered Honduran activist Berta Caceres Caceres, another activist and indigenous leader of the COPINH, who was murdered in March. Authorities have arrested five people for the murder of Caceres, including an employee from a company behind a hydroelectric dam project she helped block. The company said it had no connection to Caceres murder. Like the case of Berta Caceres, authorities said [Urquias murder] had first been because of a robbery and then attributed it to a crime of passion, COPINH leader Lilian Martinez said. Honduras has one of the highest murder rates in the world. English version by Nick Lyne. The news wasnt new. When Japans public broadcaster, NHK, said Wednesday that Emperor Akihito intended to hand over his position while he is still alive, it was repeating what one of the countrys top weekly magazines had reported three years ago. Now, as then, the Imperial Household Agency vehemently denied it. This time, however, the report blew up on social media, unleashing widespread speculation about the timing and the veracity as the once-esteemed broadcaster came under attack for spreading lies. NHK reported that the 82-year-old emperor wanted to step down in the next few years, handing power to Crown Prince Naruhito. The emperor still conducts his main duties, including his constitutional functions. Advertisement Roughly half of the 125 previous Japanese emperors abdicated while they were alive. Such an abdication, however, has not occurred for about 200 years. The Imperial Household Law, which establishes the rules for the royal family and succession, currently has no stipulations regarding abdication. NHK, which is funded with public money and is legally mandated to be fair and balanced in its reporting, was once lauded as the BBC of Japan. But it has recently come under attack for lacking objectivity. In 2012, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appointed his friend, Katsuto Momii, president of the broadcaster. Momii quickly stirred controversy by saying that programming should follow the Japanese government line, famously stating: We cant say its left, if the government says its right. A recently published book asserted that Abes Cabinet has a direct hand in deciding what NHK airs. That belief has fueled speculation that there were political motives behind the report about the emperor. The report came a day after the liberal newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported that the new chairman of the board of governors of NHK, Susumu Ishihara, was also a special advisor to the extreme right-wing religious group Nippon Kaigi. The prime minister advises the political arm of the group, which advocates for a repeal of Japans pacifist constitution and believes that the emperor is akin to a god and should be reinstated as the head of state. Some foreign media, along with some Japanese media, released their own stories quoting the NHK report. The broadcaster then reported on foreign media reporting on its reporting. NHK has not directly addressed the Imperial Household Agencys denial of its reports on the airwaves. Nor did it respond to The Times requests for comment. Philip Brasor, a media columnist for the Japan Times, said that NHK is still the countrys gold standard for journalism: If NHK says something first, the rest will report it since NHK tends to play it safe. ALSO China has been killing turtles, coral and giant clams in the South China Sea, tribunal finds Why Indias killing of a 21-year-old militant sparked days of deadly rioting in Kashmir After tribunal rules against China, some Filipinos call for Chexit. But Southeast Asian leaders arent gloating Adelstein is a special correspondent. In normal times, presiding over Britains storied Foreign and Commonwealth Office is a job weighted with historic gravitas, a coveted post held by a seasoned diplomat who employs tact and discretion to advance the nations complex interests spanning the globe. But these are far from normal times in Britain, and the shambling figure of Boris Johnson known for outlandish serial insults aimed at a variety of targets now calls those stately Italianate corridors his political home, a state of affairs that triggered a tsunami of derision from inside and outside the country. Political observers worldwide groped for explanations Thursday as to why new Prime Minister Theresa May, whose reputation revolves around steadiness and caution, chose the remarkably undiplomatic Johnson as the symbol and personification of British diplomacy. Advertisement This is, after all, a man who attributed President Obamas purported ancestral dislike of the British Empire to his half-Kenyan parentage, who likened Hillary Clintons appearance to that of a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital, who bowled over a Japanese child in a televised rugby scrum, and who penned a limerick suggesting the Turkish president had engaged in sexual congress with a goat. Johnson has also suggested that the 28-nation European Union has aspirations similar to those of Napoleon and Hitler sentiments that inspired outrage at the groups headquarters in Brussels. But in Britain, buffeted by fallout from last months vote to leave the EU, some saw Mays move as a canny means of appeasing an electoral majority that had voted 52% to 48% in favor of Brexit while at the same time holding the Leave camp accountable for the referendum result. May says she will implement the break from the EU despite being on the Remain side during the campaign. Its a kind of insurance policy if it all goes horribly wrong, and is horribly complicated, said BBC political correspondent Rob Watson. Johnson, with his trademark blond mop and well-documented penchant for buffoonery, was the most visible symbol of the campaign to leave the bloc. He was even touted as a prospective prime minister, and when his side won, it was a development that apparently caught him and his allies flat-footed, with little notion of how to keep promises made in the course of the campaign. Johnson is expected to have far less of a hands-on role than other ministers during Brexit negotiations and in coping with the far-reaching economic repercussions of the prospective split. May picked as her finance minister the departing foreign secretary, Philip Hammond. In that post, formally known as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Hammond is expected to work hard to calm world markets roiled by the referendum. Veteran Conservative lawmaker David Davis was named to the newly created post of secretary of state for exiting the EU, and will be tasked with leading overall Brexit negotiations. Liam Fox tarred by a 2011 scandal that forced him to resign as defense secretary - was to head up a new international trade department also expected to be deeply involved with delicate talks with European trading partners. Suggesting the Britain may be in no hurry, Hammond this week told lawmakers that implementing the decision to leave could take up to six years. May has not given any timetable for invoking Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, which would trigger a formal start to two years of negotiations on Britains EU departure. May on Thursday told Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the EU Commission, that Britain would need time to prepare for talks over the prospective divorce, her spokeswoman said. The Johnson appointment provoking a mix of laughter and fascinated horror was a break, if temporary, in the nonstop and obsessive speculation over how the split from the EU would play out. Some officials managed to strike a diplomatic tone even as they struggled to contain their bemusement. An instant online classic was State Department spokesman Mark Toners reaction Wednesday, in which he digested news of the appointment while simultaneously uttering a carefully worded response about the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom transcending personalities. Less measured was the French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Avrault, who on Thursday gave a blistering interview to French radio in which he described Johnson as a liar who now has his back against the wall. Johnson and other leading Brexit advocates have walked back a number of high-profile claims made in the course of the campaign, such as the amount of money that could be diverted from the EU to Britains beleaguered National Health Service. Some observers said the job could play to Johnsons strengths as a charismatic cheerleader for Britain and that by corralling him in a position of responsibility, May could avoid the headache of having him on the outside looking in. Some European leaders took a welcoming tack, like Austrias foreign minister Sebastian Kurz, who tweeted that he looked forward to working with Johnson. But derision poured in from other quarters. The German business daily Handelsblatt dismissed Johnson as a jester. Belgiums former prime minister, Guy Verhofstadt, tweeted that British humor has no borders. At home, lawmaker Angela Eagle, who has launched a bid to lead the opposition Labor party, was captured on video sighing, shaking her head in incredulity and turning her back on an audience when she heard the news. Supporters of Mays decision insist that the 52-year-old Johnsons cartoonish public persona belies a sharp intellect and a cosmopolitan outlook. Oxford-educated and multilingual, he wrote a well-received book about Winston Churchill, whom he describes as one of his heroes. Johnsons appointment was not the only one to cause a stir. May summarily sacked Cameron loyalists like George Osborne, the finance minister. The lineup she finalized on Thursday included a number of women in leadership posts, including the naming of Amber Rudd to Mays former position as home secretary and Liz Truss as justice minister, replacing Michael Gove, the onetime Johnson ally who did not support him for leadership of the governing Conservative party. Mays former rival for the leadership, Andrea Leadsom, was promoted to a full ministerial position from her former junior post in the previous Cabinet. Johnson, meanwhile, appeared on his best behavior when he reported for duty Thursday at the Foreign Office, telling reporters that he had received a warm message from the French counterpart who had criticized him, and had a cordial exchange with Secretary of State John F. Kerry. Clearly we have to give effect to the will of the people in the referendum, but that does not mean in any sense leaving Europe, he declared outside his new workplace. Theres a massive difference between leaving the EU and our relations with Europe, which if anything are going to be intensified. UPDATES: 2:16 p.m.: This article has been updated throughout. 10:39 a.m.: This article has been updated with additional background information and reaction. This article was originally published at 9:37 a.m. The murder of Berta Caceres, an internationally acclaimed environmental activist in Honduras, briefly focused global attention on embattled grassroots efforts to protect indigenous lands from government-backed hydro-electric projects in the Central American nation. Caceres, a recipient of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, was gunned down at her rural home on March 3 in what appeared to be a targeted assassination. The killing sparked worldwide condemnation and allegations of the involvement of government officials and private entrepreneurs. While initially suggesting that the murder was a crime of passion, Honduran authorities have since arrested five suspects, including an Army officer and at least one employee of a company running a dam project that she opposed. Advertisement In the meantime, two other activists affiliated with the same group as Caceres the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras have also been murdered. The string of slayings has raised alarms about a possible systemic effort to target the group, which has been at the forefront of regional opposition to the government-backed privatization and exploitation of natural resources. Government officials have denied any involvement in the slayings and defended hydro-electric projects as necessary for generating electricity across the country. The latest victim was Lesbia Janeth Urquia, a 49-year old mother of three who was apparently hacked to death with a machete last week. Denying a political motive, prosecutors said this week that she was killed in a family dispute over an inheritance and announced the arrest of Urquias brother-in-law, the alleged plotter, and two men he allegedly hired to carry out the murder. But Honduran activists immediately rejected that account as a cover-up and suggested that Urquia was killed for publicly opposing a controversial hydro-electric project on the Chinacla River. We dont believe in this [official] version, Tomas Gomez, head of the indigenous environmental group, said Thursday in a telephone interview. In this country they invent cases and say that the murders have nothing to do with political issues. The government always tries to dis-connect so as to not admit that these amount to political killings. He said the group would continue to push for thorough investigations of all three murders of its members and called for support from international organizations. Critics of various hydro-electric projects said they would cut off water and otherwise damage the lands of the Lenca people, Mayan descendants who constitute Honduras largest indigenous group. The activists allege widespread collusion in Honduras between government officials and large companies seeking to profit from hydro-electric and other projects affecting native lands. Olivia Marcela Zuniga, the daughter of Caceres and an environmental activist herself, called for an international investigation into the three killings. We dont believe the government, Zuniga said Thursday in a telephone interview from Honduras. Here they murder social activists, peasants, indigenous people, women. Members of the government are involved. Thats why we call them political assassinations that almost always remain unresolved, with impunity. In the case of her mothers homicide, Zuniga noted, authorities initially suggested that her killing was the result of a crime of passion. The suspects arrested in that case were poor people and not the masterminds who planned and financed the killing, she said. Before her slaying, Caceres had received dozens of death threats because of her high-profile opposition to the Agua Zarca dam project on the Gualcarque River. Weeks after that murder, Nelson Garcia, another Honduran activist affiliated with the indigenous environmental council, was killed in what police have said was an apparent robbery attempt. Activists have rejected the official version and called for more investigation. Urquias body was found last week near a garbage dump in the highland town of Marcala, west of Tegucigalpa, the capital. She had last been seen going out on her bicycle, her family said. Her head showed signs of trauma from machete blows, according to accounts in the Honduran media. Honduras has one of the worlds highest rates of murder. Many killings remain unresolved amid widespread gang violence, a proliferation of arms and allegations of official links to criminal bands. Global Witness, the London-based environmental advocacy group, labels Honduras the most dangerous nation for environmental activists. More than 100 activists have been killed in Honduras since 2010, according to the group. Sanchez is a special correspondent. patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com Twitter: @mcdneville 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 An Allentown man is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a city salon. Allen Nhin, 57, was arrested Wednesday night and charged with aggravated indecent assault without consent, indecent assault without consent and attempted aggravated indecent assault. The Jade Nails Hair Spa in the Allentown Commons shopping center at 1302 Hanover Ave. in Allentown. (Sarah Cassi | lehighvalleylive.com) Nhin, of the 1000 block of Club Avenue, was sent to Lehigh County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail. City police said the assault occurred July 6 at the Jade Nails Hair Spa in the Allentown Commons shopping center, 1302 Hanover Ave. The accuser went to the salon after work to get her nails done; Nhin is an employee at the salon. The woman said Nhin tried to persuade her to get a massage, which she declined several times before he offered a discounted rate and she agreed to a 20-minute massage, police said. The woman was led to a private room, where Nhin began massaging the woman; she told him to only massage her back, police said. Nhin sexually assaulted the woman, who immediately yelled, got down from the massage table and began getting dressed, police said. Nhin reportedly said the woman still had time left for her massage, which she refused and then left. The accuser immediately reported the incident to her husband, then filed a police report, authorities said. She sought medical treatment the next day for injuries from the attack, police said. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Serzh Sargsyan sends congratulatory message to Francois Hollande (video) On the occasion of National Holiday of France, President Serzh Sargsyan visited today the Embassy of France in Yerevan. The President of Armenia congratulated Ambassador Jean-Francois Charpentier, the staff of the Embassy and in their person - the people of France. The President of Armenia underscored that he was glad to say once again on the occasion of the Holiday that Armenia is proud to have special relations with the friendly France. In the development and strengthening of the interstate relations, President Sargsyan stressed the importance and highly valued activities of the Embassy of France in Armenia and wished the diplomatic staff of the Embassy new achievements for the benefit of the two peoples and countries. Ambassador Charpentier expressed gratitude to President Serzh Sargsyan for the visit to the Embassy, warm congratulations, good wishes and for the high assessment of the activities of the Embassy. He noted that it is a great honor and responsibility for him personally and for the staff of the Embassy through their daily work to further deepen the centuries-long friendship between Armenia and France which, according to the Ambassador, needs constant care. On the occasion of the holiday, President Serzh Sargsyan also sent a congratulatory message to the President of the French Republic Francois Hollande. I cordially congratulate and send my best to you and the friendly people of the French Republic on the occasion of National Holiday. The high level political dialogue between our two friendly nations and atmosphere of mutual trust constitute a solid base for the future comprehensive development and deepening of the Armenian-French relations. I am confident that through our joint efforts, we will continue to strengthen the ties binding together Armenia and France in the bilateral as well as multilateral formats for the benefit of our peoples. You personal persistent stance on the issue of the criminalization of the denial of the Armenian Genocide is highly appreciated in Armenia; it once again underscores Frances and personally yours devotion to the universal human values, particularly to the international fight aimed at the prevention of crimes against humanity. We attach the utmost importance to the involvement and efforts of France, as a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, together with Russia and the United States in the process of a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict for the benefit of peace and stability in our region. I once again congratulate you on the occasion of National Holiday, wish you success and all the best, and I wish the friendly people of France greater advancement and prosperity, reads the congratulatory message of the President of Armenia. The Bethlehem Planning Commission is backing plans to create a new tax district on the city's north side. The commission on Thursday recommended Bethlehem City Council support the creation of a new Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance -- LERTA -- district running from Main and Maple streets on the east and west and Liberty High School and Broad streets on the north and south. "I think this is a great thing," commission Chairman Rob Melosky said. LERTA is designed to encourage property improvements in deteriorating areas by phasing in over time any increases in taxes that come with renovations. LERTA allows property owners to continue to pay their base tax bill while the increased taxes are phased in over 10 years. Fixing up a facade won't trigger a reassessment but changing a property's use or adding square footage with a new garage or porch does. It is not a tax break, just a deferment, said Allyson Lysaght, Bethlehem's housing and community development planner. Commission member Louis Stellato said he doesn't know how much activity a new district will drum up but the city needs to try. The administration is concerned about the overall trajectory of the neighborhood, which has an aging housing stock. In the last six months, 65 properties in the proposed district either went up for sheriff's sale or are bank-owned. And about three-quarters of the neighborhood elementary school students qualify for free and reduced lunch, up almost 25 percent in the last decade. "We really feel there's nothing to lose," Lysaght said, noting the average assessed value of the homes is not high. LERTA could be an important tool due to the fact that 63 percent of the homes in the proposed boundaries are rentals, Lysaght said. All of the city's current housing rehab programs are geared toward owner-occupied renovations, she sad. Bethlehem needs to make it attractive for landlords to improve their properties, Lysaght said. The city hopes LERTA and federal money available encourages folks to convert multi-unit homes back to single-family homes. "Peer pressure is a good thing in this case," Lysaght said. The city hopes to also pair LERTA with its robust housing rehab offerings open to home owners -- like $20,000 deferred payment loans and up to $60,000 loans for exterior building improvements. There's currently a year-and-a-half wait for the housing rehab program. Melosky questioned how the administration plans to publicize the district if it is approved. Lysaght outlined ideas, such as a landlord training in September, mailers in utility bills, town hall meetings at the schools and including an application when building permits are issued. A council committee meeting on the proposal and then a public hearing are scheduled for July 19. If council agrees to create the new district the Bethlehem Area School Board and Northampton County Council will also be asked to sign off on it. If all three bodies approve it, it would go into effect in January 2017. Council could opt to extend the LERTA district after five years, although the abatement lasts for 10 years for enrolled property owners. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. There are no easy answers, no magic wand to free the public and the police from the fear, suspicion and mistrust with which they can view each other. Otherwise, some 80 members of the Easton community wouldn't have gathered in a steamy basement Wednesday night for a dialogue between residents and police. Greater Shiloh Church hosted the "Our Lives Matter" event in its chapel on the city's South Side, drawing together members of its 228 Student Ministry, their neighbors and three members of the Easton Police Department. Some of the community members came wanting to know why the city's police force isn't more representative of the diverse local population, and why police don't apologize when an officer kills a young black man as in the recent string of well-publicized incidents. "But what really hurts me," one woman said, "is that it's not only the cops killing the blacks. It's blacks killing blacks on top of that. That hurts. We need to come together as one, like God wants us to." Police led by patrol Lt. Steve Homoki, an Easton police officer for 19 years, and residents voiced a common wish: to get home to their families each night safely. "Let me ask you this: How many of you guys have to go to work wearing bulletproof vests ... just to go to work, just to get a paycheck?" Homoki asked the audience. "Any hands?" Audience members challenged the officers on the issue of diversity, saying police could do a better job of going into the community to seek out applicants. One man spoke of applying and getting through the first round of hiring, only to be cut over a years-old technicality for a once-expired driver's license. Local police don't make the rules on hiring standards, the officers stressed. Disproportionate incarceration of blacks and people of Hispanic descent over minor drug offenses came up, to which Homoki said that a minor infraction such as possession of a small amount of marijuana won't automatically derail a career in law enforcement. Youth in the audience shared some of their feelings about national incidents of deaths at the hands of police. Two girls spoke of fear for their brothers, and another said the killings stoke fear and hatred of police. "I don't want to be black anymore," Greater Shiloh member Chloe Jackson said, reciting a poem she'd written. "Because that means I'm a walking target. Aim your gun at me because my life means nothing." A man told of his 10-year-old son and the pressure he feels to ensure the soon-to-be-teenager knows how to act if he runs into an overzealous officer. There are "bad apples" in any profession, Homoki allowed, but he sought to drive home they're the exception. "Nobody hates bad cops more than good cops," Sgt. Dominick Marraccini said. Brandon Sardik, student pastor at Greater Shiloh, opened the dialogue with a call for mutual respect during the evening, and asked that all opinions be valued. Respect outside the walls of the chapel basement is the first stepping stone to closing the growing rift between the public and police, both sides agreed. "The problem in America, the problem with all the shootings is that they lost respect for that person," one young woman said through the public-address system set up for the event. "What was supposed to happen when that person got shot was they were supposed to be taken to the jailhouse, gotten a case, gone to jail. ... "But the problem is that someone decided that their life didn't matter, and that's why we're gathered here today." Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. john.jpeg Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli on Thursday, July 14, 2016 held a news conference discussing the county's detainment of those in the country without authorization who commit state crimes. (Pamela Sroka-Holzmann | For Lehighvalleylive) ( ) Northampton County District John Morganelli is calling for unauthorized immigrants to be arrested and high bails to be set in Northampton County when they break the law. The district attorney held a new conference Thursday afternoon laying out his continued stance on the deportation of accused criminals. Morganelli stated the most violent criminals at large today across the U.S. are unauthorized immigrants. He estimated the U.S. population of unauthorized immigrants to be between 9 to 13 million people. "Just about every day, municipal and state police all over the country come in contact with illegal aliens who are utilizing fraudulent documents, false names and other people's identities," Morganelli said. "Accurate identification of these individuals is often impossible and quite frankly, many of the illegal aliens committing crimes here in the United States have criminal records from their country of origin." Morganelli in 2014 requested all county law enforcement continue to recognize and honor detainers lodged by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by identifying the individuals and placing them under arrest. The request came following a Third Circuit Court of Appeals decision that ruled federal regulations dealing with the issuance of detainers sent to state and local law enforcement agencies were not mandatory. "Since that ruling, some local law enforcement agencies and county prisons got cold feet with respect to compliance ... Under threats of litigation from the ACLU and others, some law enforcement became chilled in its duty and obligation to enforce the law," Morganelli said. "In Northampton County, that was not the case." Detaining unauthorized immigrants Under Morganelli's direction, he said law enforcement worked with federal authorities and local police continued to be "well aware" of his stance on detaining unauthorized immigrants. "When they (unauthorized immigrants) commit state crimes, they need to be arrested," Morganelli said. "When arrested, they should be brought to Northampton County Prison with high bail set." Then, immigration officials may decide whether detainers should be issued. Morganelli said since the court decision, Northampton County Prison continued to honor ICE detainers. "Essentially, I wanted to make sure Northampton County didn't become a safe haven for foreign criminals," he said. "This is not immigration enforcement. This is making sure that Northampton County does not become a magnet for foreign criminals based on their belief that local law enforcement and the Northampton County Prison would be powerless to turn them over to immigration officials." The county has been named a recipient of State Criminal Alien Assistance Programming grant funding to further the efforts. No 'Sanctuary County' The continued effort by Northampton County Prison and Northampton County law enforcement has been essential to assure the county does not become a "sanctuary county," Morganelli said. A "sanctuary county," described by Morganelli, is a county or city that prohibits the police from reporting unauthorized immigrants who commit crimes and offering them a safe haven. Morganelli said the "sanctuary county" policy has led to additional crime. He cited such examples as an authorized immigrant who became a 16-year-old apprentice sniper terrifying the Washington D.C. area; an unauthorized immigrant kidnapping a child in California in 2003; and a rape of a woman by an unauthorized immigrant in New York City in 2002. And more recently, a 29-year-od unauthorized immigrant who had been deported six times nearly killed an Arizona family in a car crash on July 7, 2015, he said. The crimes could have been avoided without those areas having sanctuary policies in place, Morganelli said. "These incidents are only a handful of a long list of Americans who have been killed by illegal criminal aliens often after having been deported more than once and often residing in 'sanctuary cities,'" he said. A bill crafted by U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa, to end sanctuary counties recently failed in the Senate, but Morganelli said the Department of Justice is taking a step toward it anyway. The department, he said, now will more strictly enforce existing requirements for grant recipients to cooperate with immigration authorities. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. The board at a Salisbury Township charter school failed to properly file financial disclosure forms and didn't inform the public of special board meetings, a state audit has found. The Arts Academy Charter School is located in Salisbury Township. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced Thursday that over the three-year audit the Arts Academy Charter School largely complied but the review turned up two violations. Members of the charter school's board of trustees and an administrator did not file, filed later or filed incomplete statements of financial interest. The forms must be filed annually by May 1 in compliance with the public official and employee ethics act. Failing to file the report opens someone up to fines. "When a public official does not file or fully complete a required (statement of financial interest), the public cannot examine the statement's disclosures in order to determine whether conflicts of interest exist," the audit states. "This in turn erodes the public's trust." The disclosures must be filed while someone holds the position and for a year after leaving the position. That seems to be where the charter middle school got hung up -- school staff did not realize that board members that resigned needed to file by May 1, the audit states. The state audit report details how some board of trustees members and an administrator failed to file statement of financial interest. The board of trustees properly advertised its regular board meetings in accordance with the Sunshine Act but did not let the public know it was holding special meetings once in 2012 and twice in 2013. The school opened during the 2012-13 school year. "In the absence of notification to the public, the public is unaware that the Charter School is holding a meeting," the audit states. "Without prior knowledge of a board meeting, a taxpayer cannot attend the meeting if they choose to do so." In its response, the charter school lays out a plan for ensuring that members of the board complete the forms when they first become available. And it lays out a protocol if they aren't completed properly. The school acknowledged it erred in not properly advertising the special meetings and promises to do so in the future. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. It's blueberry time in Bethlehem. The annual Blueberry Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Burnside Plantation. The festival will feature a wide variety of blueberry dishes to sample, ranging from kiffles to beer. For the second year, events include a Blueberry Festival Cooking Contest that will even include a Gluten Free Blueberry Bars or Cookies category. New to this year's cooking contest is a special kids competition, open to children 15 and under. While the judges deliberate, kids can enjoy pony rides, crafts and even learn about local history. The festival is organized by Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, a nonprofit organization, and is billed as the "sweetest festival of the summer." In addition to the sights, smells and tastes, the weekend will also include a variety of sounds. More than 15 bands have been scheduled to perform. Also new this year are two events featuring furry friends. Pet Adoption Day will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday thanks to the help of Logan's Heroes Animal Rescue and Tails of Valor, which will have dogs in need of homes at the festival. On Sunday, the festival will include a costumed pet parade at 4 p.m. A prize will be awarded for the best costume, which under the rules must be all blue. Tickets can be bought online and at the Visitor Center. They're $10 for adults, $5 for children and $25 for families. Two-day and combo passes are also available. For more information as well as a full schedule of events visit HistoricBethlehem.org. Proceeds help Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites maintain its 20 historic landmarks in the city. Melissa Reph is lehighvalleylive.com's Student Achievement Award intern. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. 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 Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Bunoscionn are releasing a new single called Stoned Hippy in the Village Pump marquee, Rathangan on Saturday next, July 16. Joining them on the night will be local popular rock band Lemon and west African roots project Fakoli. There is a 70s-themed fancy dress and prizes for best dressed. Admission is 10 including free barbecue. Proceeds from the door will go towards Pieta House. Kicking off from 7pm, there is bound to be good support. be making an appearance. Bunoscionn are a five-piece alternative Irish folk group featuring local Lullymore drummer Mick Cross. Bunoscionn started out in pubs but soon found themselves playing at some of the best festivals in Ireland including Electric Picnic, Spirit of Folk, Knockanstockan and Sunflowerfest. At the same time, they were perfoming various different shows including Irish Trad, a two-hour straight through set of 90s dance music to an all trad cover of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon. They accomplished all this while self recording their own EP of original compositions. They can also be found in venues and festivals around Europe including Munich, Amsterdam, Salzburg, Vienna and many more. The band is made up of Ciaran Connaughton on vocals and guitar; Michelle Lynch on vocals, banjo and guitars; Glenda McCormack on vocals, whistle and flute; Conleth Dunne on bass and, on drums, Michael Cross. Life of a person, who worked for 58 years (video) 75-year-old Senina Melkonyan came to Yerevan Vernissage for the last time in order to sell her handicrafts and other items, which arent used at home. Starting from July 1, only artwork can be sold at Vernissage. Mrs Senina was offered to trade at Hrazdan fair, but in that case she wont be able to go there on foot. There I was able to earn 1000-3000 drams. There were days, when I took money from home in order to pay the area rent; one meter costs 300 drams, and the storehouse costs 400-500 drams, so 1000 drams was spent in that way, besides I used to go to work on foot, Mrs Melkonyan told A1+. Senina Melkonyan lives with her 2nd category disabled husband; they dont have children, I have worked whole my life and what, what is the result; AMD 30 000 pension. Suren Melkonyan, who worked at Armelectro for 42 years, receives AMD 56 000 pension, which is today considered above average. This family spends more on medicine than food. They spend large sums of money on utility payments, too. In winter months they pay about AMD 25 000 for electricity. The rest is spent on food and other payments. After all we go to market, he waits for me while I do shopping and buy everything necessary for about 10 days, then we put everything in a car and come back, tells Senina Melkonyan. The couple lives on Saralanj Street in Yerevan, where the doors of the house overlook the street, and it is real extreme to walk on narrow sidewalks. Mrs Seninas close friend, Knkush Yeghoyan, lives next to their house. Every Saturday-Sunday they used to go to Vernissage together.79-year-old Knkush Yeghoyan lives alone. Her husband died; she doesnt have children. She spends her AMD 39 000 pension only on food. We bought everything together with my husband long ago; at present I cannot buy anything. I worked as a cook for 33 years at Masis company; I worked for 15 years at bakery for free. Collecting money during the whole year, she saves AMD 80 000 in order to buy 4 cubic meter firewood for winter, 1 cubic meter costs AMD 20 000, and I pay AMD 20 000 for breaking the wood What can I do without firewood? Her house is in an extremely comfortless condition. When it rains, water leaks from the ceiling, I am afraid of standing here and working, says 79-year-old pensioner Knkush Yeghoyan. The idea of safe old age has been on the bases of the recent pension reforms. The pension age in Armenian is 63, average pension is about AMD 41 000, the maximum amount depends on the work experience. Among 465 000 pensioners, women make up about 60 percent. The pension reforms are implemented in two directions; current- solidarity between generations, and multi-level pension system, which entered into force in 2014. It aims at ensuring targeting of the pensions. The people, who have a right, should receive pension. During the recent years e-pension system has been implemented, as a result of which the lists are being filtered, corruption risks are decreasing, and, in essence, we are able to give opportunity of realization of the right to a pension to the people, who have that right prescribed by law. As a result, we are able to save billions of budget means, which are directed to increase in pensions, said Anahit Galstyan, Head of Pension Department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. The amount of pension depends on three main dimensions, It is the amount of basic pension, the value of one year work experience in case of less than 10 years work experience and in case of more than 10 years work experience. According to the current legislation, the amount of the basic pension is AMD 16 000, yet the value of one year work experience in case of less than 10 years work experience is equal to 800 drams, and if more than 10 years- 500 drams for a year. The second direction of the pension reforms is the mandatory funded pension system, which must have been exercised starting from January 1, 2014 for all the citizens, who were born after January 1, 1974. According to the system, people getting less than AMD 500 000 salary, must have paid 5 percent of the salary, and the same amount must have been paid by the state, and in case of more than AMD 500 000 salary, fixed AMD 250 000 must have been paid. Large wave of protest rose against the system; I am against (Dem.am) civil initiative was formed. Mane Tandilyan was among the activists of the initiative, and she took to the streets with a clear understanding that the reforms cannot be mandatory. It was renamed, called social payment, but it continues to be of mandatory nature, which means we invest and are forcibly deprived of our means entering into high-risk reforms, noted Mane Tandilyan, member of I am against civil initiative and Bright Armenia party. As a result of public pressure, the Constitutional Court recognized a number of provisions of Pension system to be anti-constitutional, then according to the decision of the National Assembly (NA), from July 1, 2014, it became mandatory only for state sector employees. For the representatives of the private sector, who rejected the system according to their own application, the payment of the renamed social payment was postponed until July 1, 2017. This year the NA has made one more change; the system was postponed for one more year, by July 1, 2018, for the private sector. New Tax Code is intended to be implemented in 2018, by which the income tax levy from salaries will be amended; the income tax rate for employees, who receive up to AMD 120 000 salary, will slightly decrease, becoming from 24.4 percent to 23 percent, and the employees, who get from AMD 204.000 to AMD 2 million salary will start paying 2-7 percent more tax. In our country, the burden of the income tax will heavily fall on the citizens, who receive more than AMD 200 000 salary, and it will rise with the salary. Again there is a unfair atmosphere, where those, who dont pay, and those, who receive shadow salary, wont be affected, and only the citizens, who have fair income, will be affected, those, who also carry the burden of their family, and, in general, there is no minimum threshold for those, who dont make any payments, says Mane Tandilyan. One of the authors of Mandatory funded pension system, the NA Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) faction member Hakob Hakobyan considers it to be natural that not all the forces must have approved this reform, and the society must have expressed its discontent. Why? As it is natural; it is the matter of future of the society, which cannot react to all the phenomena unequivocally, said the NA HHK faction member Hakob Hakobyan. He says that the result of this system cannot be seen in 2-3 years, The result can be seen at least after 20 years, as the more money, the higher its effectiveness will be and, naturally, those, who do payments today, will receive pension at least after 20 years and will be able to compare. Though Hakob Hakobyan considers this pension reform to be established, he voluntarily hasnt joined the system. I am not a participant, as I will receive special pension, and I think it will be enough for the pensioner to live. At present the number of participants in the pension system is 146 000, 65 000 of whom are from the state sector and 81 000- from the private. There are people, who have voluntarily joined the system; they are people born in 1964-1974, and people born after 1974. To put it in other way, more than 50 percent of the system are the representatives of the private sector, noted Karen Hakobyan, Head of Securities Market Regulation Division at Central Bank of Armenia. The Mandatory funded pension system is comprised of 3 funds- high-risk, medium-risk or conservative, and low-risk or stable income. These three funds are governed by two international administrators- French Amundi-Acba Asset Management CJSC and German C-Quadrat. According to Karen Hakobyan, at present our pension assets make up AMD 41 billion, which are invested in different financial assets; 19 billion out of 41 billion are the allocations made by the people, another 19 billion is the co-financing by the state and about 3 billion is already ensured income got as a result of management of the administrators of the funds. About 31 percent out of that 41 billion was directed to the financing of the RA economy; the RA bonds have been acquired with about 40 million and about 29 percent has been invested in different bonds and shares quoted in different international market. He says that during two years about AMD 500 000 has already been accumulated on the funded account of a person, receiving average salary, AMD 180 000. If a person works 20-30 years by the age of 63; it is a large amount of money, also to take into account that it is governed and ensures income. Our target is that a person receives 40-50 percent of his last salary as a pension until the end of his life, said Karen Hakobyan. Before the age of 63, a citizen can withdraw his money from his account ahead of time in case of serious illness. In case of a persons death, his descendants will receive that money. There is a smell of defeatism in the air, a widespread view that the people have spoken and that we must respect them and accept their verdict. What nonsense! There is nothing sacred about a referendum vote, any more than the result of a General Election. We Lib Dems cannot accept Brexit because it would be a calamity that would undo everything we have always fought for. Furthermore reversing Brexit is not a hopeless cause. When the time is right, there is every justification for a new referendum. A referendum must offer a clear choice, which the last did not. When Theresa May says Brexit means Brexit, what does Brexit mean? Some Leavers want no more free movement of labour, which means no access to the single market. Others want access, which means the free movement of labour must stay. Indeed with only a very tiny margin in favour of Leave, far more votes were cast for Remain than for each of these two incompatible objectives of the Leave Camps. A re-run is especially justified if there is a dramatic change in circumstances, such as a massive shift in public opinion. This is very likely. Most economists and every independent expert organization, the IMF, the IFS and the Bank of England, predict a serious recession. Leavers promised a future in the sunny uplands, and lots of new money for the NHS, not more austerity and severe cuts in spending. Now they may be ringing their bells, but soon they will be wringing their hands. So what should Lib-Dems do now? Fortunately there will not be an early general election it would ensure a large Tory majority, with UKIP possibly the main opposition. The Labour party is in chaos and we have not yet rebuilt the strong base in local government we need for winning seats in Parliament. As for a second referendum, the right time will be when we know the terms of the settlement for exit that Parliament must accept or reject. That will not be for years. Delay may be frustrating, but the recession will only develop gradually and opinion will not change overnight. So what can we do meanwhile? There are rumours of talks about a new party, but few Conservatives will abandon Theresa May when she has only just become Prime Minister. What is needed now is a cross-party movement, which we could help initiate, to prepare the ground for the new referendum. Why not call it Common Cause? It would fight to change the public mood, praise the positive merits of EU membership and expose the consequences of Leave. Wherever there are redundancies, whenever companies relocate abroad or investment plans are cancelled, when there are cuts and staff shortages in the NHS and in social care, or when prices rise, as well they may, we must shout from the rooftops and swamp the social media with the cry that its cause was the vote for Brexit. It would be a campaign that would mobilise the enthusiasm of our new members who want action now. The Common Cause is clear: to restore an outward looking United Kingdom at the heart of Europe of which we can be proud, not a Brexit nightmare of an isolationist and isolated little England with little or no influence in the world. * Lord Taverne - Dick Taverne QC - was a founding member of the SDP and then the Liberal Democrats and has been a life peer since 1996. A familiar face heads back to Lib Dem HQ. Phil Reilly, the man who wrote Nick Cleggs brilliant resignation speech which inspired 20,000 people to join the party, has been appointed interim Head of Communications following the departure of James Holt to pastures new. Phil has been working for Nick since then including helping Nick with his new book which is coming out in September. Since the election, hes shared some funny stories on his blog, Blimey OReilly. The most recent involves his old colleague Mr Holt, who had a bit of a brainwave at the Eastleigh by-election to get Nick Clegg out of the campaign HQ without being harassed by a throng of journalists. I wonder if Boris might consider using the same technique when he leaves home every day although I doubt the same personnel would be as willing to help him. The entrance to the building was an enormous roll-up, corrugated metal affair, like a huge garage door or the sort of thing you would use to protect a massive off license after hours. The press pack were all expecting the DPM to come out through the smaller front door, built into the roll-up wall, into an open car park, where they could pounce on him like jaguars on a gazelle. So, Holty arranged dozens of activists, some gripping placards and bright orange diamonds, inside the building facing the entrance, like infantry preparing to march into battle. Behind the advanced guard was Nick Clegg flanked by dozens more activists and, rather conspicuously, a couple of the Metropolitan Polices finest close protection officers. On the count of three, the roll up wall was flung upwards and out charged the activists, Nick among them, cheering and chanting the campaigns slogan I like Mike (our candidate was Mike Thornton) over and over again as they pushed through the befuddled journalists and out towards the car at the other end of the car park. Nick was safely escorted, through a crowd of cheering activists, to his car, and whisked away back to London. No reporter got close to him. As the crowd dispersed, a few bamboozled journalists were left standing in an increasingly empty car park wondering what on Earth had just happened and what they were supposed to tell their newsdesks. Tim Farron said of Phils appointment: Finally the report from The Committee of Climate Change on fracking has been released and produced some interesting results, raising concerns of the effect of fracking on the UKs climate change targets. Shale gas production of the UK is not going to be the answer to our energy needs when it comes to meeting our climate change targets. It is now obvious the UK has missed the boat on this payday unless development is done on a huge scale, industrializing vast areas of rural England. The recommended regulations in the report to facilitate the size of expansion needed will never be in place. The regulations needed to mitigate fugitive emissions are also not financially viable, making the cost of fracking even more expensive. There will always be methane leaks, the industry cannot stop it. The industrys own figures of 2% to 5% expected leakage of methane from exploration, production and the supporting infrastructure needed, will put the UKs climate change targets in jeopardy. The report states that UK shale gas production must displace imported gas rather than increasing domestic consumption. Allowing unabated consumption above these levels would not be consistent with the decarbonisation required under the Climate Change Act. Each alternative has an almost identical climate change footprint and the imports are likely to be cheaper. If the government commits to use domestic fracked gas this will drive up energy prices and eventually hit the poorest families in the pocket! The report does not consider the ongoing technical issues such waste disposal, water pollution, set back distances, community disruption, seismic concerns, industrialisation, etc. etc. etc! It is time for the government to stop bending over for the gas and oil lobbyists and realise they are backing the wrong horse. Since the Brexit vote the mood of the country has changed, both politically and economically. Fracking is again back on the agenda, but Fracking wont fund the Northern Powerhouse or the UK economy post Brexit as Im sure the new government hopes. The future of the UKs energy needs hangs in the balance; it is up to the current generation to put into place the plans for a low carbon future. Dragging the country kicking and screaming back to the fossil fuel age of the 80s is not the answer. But Brexit could provide a chance to lead the world. We have the opportunity to lead the new low carbon Industrial revolution, rather than having to play catch up. The next decade will prove to be decisive in energy generation. A technology disruption in energy generation and storage is on its way and is unstoppable. As in the same way that petrol engine cars, mobile phones and the internet did in previous generations, this new technical disruption will be not lead by government, but the commercial needs and wants of society. Ironically the drilling techniques used in fracking led to a technology disruption in the fossil fuel industry. Unfortunately this disruption just extended the life of a progressively out-dated fuel source. The generation of electricity from renewables, such as the sun and the wind, will be a necessity to combat climate change. The technologies of photovoltaic cells, wind turbines, concentrated solar power, hydroelectric, ocean-wave power and geothermal energy are already up and running and are being used across the globe. They are a very cost effective way of generating energy particularly when used with storage technologies such as pump storage and batteries. Storage technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells, already power electric and hybrid vehicles plus billions of devices like mobiles and tablets. They are developing at such a speed that even home battery storage is now commercially viable. Advances in energy-storage technology will make electric vehicles cost competitive, allow access to electricity in remote areas and enable developing countries to install state of the art utility grids and improve the efficiency of the aging first world energy infrastructure. Up to 40 to 100 percent of vehicles in 2025 will likely be electric or hybrid. This will have a massive effect on Oil production with demand falling through the floor and prices at rock bottom. We will still need oil for plastic products, chemicals and air travel but not for electricity generation or transport. A lower oil price usually means a lower gas price. Fracking cannot be done cheaply and to rely on expensive imports will push up energy costs for the consumer. Developing interconnectors with other nations to provide carbon free energy such as Geo Thermal from Iceland, Hydro from Norway and Nuclear from Europe should also add to the UKs low carbon energy mix and the nuclear option should not be dismissed. With the costs of Hinkley Point rising and looking more an uncertain with the Brexit Result, Small Modular Reactors should be the considered. These are efficient compact designs that could play an important role in addressing the UKs energy security, economic and climate change goals. Our government has to be ready to respond to these new technologies. To have a plan! The best way would be by using and taking these technologies further, by looking for innovations that can capture value for business and society. Policy makers need to use the new technologies to improve their own operational challenges. Retraining, education and investment will all be necessary to equip this country for the future. Other disruptive technologies in the communications industry like the internet and the mobile phone revolution must be embraced to facilitate new educational and training programs. These future disruptive technologies already exist and will cause huge changes in society over the next 10 to 15 years. It is important for the government to be prepared and lead the way when the inevitable tipping point comes in the transition from a future technology to a commercial necessity. With planning, policy makers can adapt these disruptive technologies to serve the common good of society and the generations to come. It is the responsibility of a forward thinking party like the Liberal Democrats to campaign for a low carbon future for all. * Steve Mason joined the Liberal Democrats after the May 2015 General Election and is active in Thirsk and Malton local party. THE prize fund for this years Limerick Going for Gold is up to a huge 70,000, with a top prize of 10,000 on offer in the challenge category. Over 140 applications have already been received for the competition, which is funded by the JP McManus Charitable Foundation and backed by local media, including the Limerick Leader newspaper. Deputy Mayor of Limerick City and County, Noel Gleeson welcomed sponsors, supporters and friends of Limerick Going for Gold 2016 to launch the initiative in City Hall this week, and he said he was delighted to see the positive impact of the Going for Gold Grant and Competition on communities across the city and county and were delighted with the number of entries received. All of the participating groups receive grant funding ranging from 200 to 2,000 to assist with environmental work and help with the overall aim to make Limerick a cleaner, brighter, place to work live and visit, the deputy mayor said. The groups are also in with a chance to win an award in the Going for Gold Grand Final which will take place in October. Judging of all Going for Gold entrants is on-going and will take place up to mid September, with categories including Limerick in Bloom, Residential Areas and the Challenge category. Gerry Boland of the JP Mc Manus Charitable Foundation said he was delighted to confirm on behalf of the Charitable Foundation that the prize fund for Limerick Going for Gold 2016 is now over 70,000 with a top prize of 10,000 in the Challenge category and 5,000 in the Limerick in Bloom category. We wish everyone the best of luck in the competition and congratulate them on all their hard work to date. SINN Fein deputy Maurice Quinlivan has called on the Criminal Assets Bureau and the Government to amend the Proceeds of Crime Act to ensure that money seized by the bureau goes back into the communities affected by drugs. Deputy Quinlivan highlighted that Limerick city has no local drugs task force, nor does the city have a detoxification centre, in spite of a worsening drugs problem. Limerick, like the rest of the country, needs detox spaces, properly resourced drug treatment services and an end to policies that reproduce deprivation and socio-economic exclusion in communities. In Limerick, drugs are still a huge factor in the citys informal economy, and criminal elements continue to make huge profits while destroying communities and trading in misery, he said. Deputy Quinlivan who is a member of the Mid-West Regional Drug and Alcohol forum said that it has suffered funding cuts of more than 50% since 2008. He was specifically commenting on the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016, which he claims will do nothing to assist drug-ravaged communities. If the Minister of State [Catherine Byrne] had a bit of imagination, she could redirect money seized from criminals to fund directly organisations delivering vital services in the field. That would be an important step in the battle against drug crime. We can bury our heads in the sand and pretend in the face of research proving otherwise that criminalising already disadvantaged people will help to solve this very human problem, but it will not. Children in their very early teens and even younger are becoming addicted to antidepressants like Xanax and other prescription drugs. I know first-hand the effect that abuse of Xanax and other prescription tablets has on young people and I can only describe it as the worst type of addiction to get off. Drug and alcohol counsellors have noted that it can take anything up to three years for some of these teenagers to come off this type of addiction properly. They are buying prescription-type drugs online which are not from the most credible sources. Xanax is a drug used to treat depression but they are mixing it with drink to get high and it is certainly not meant for that. The Bill provides for a series of amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. THREE lesbian, gay and transgender (LGBT) people from Limerick have shared their experiences of coming out, as part of a new exhibition. Between now and Friday, the Belltable will play host to the A Day in May photographic exhibition, which is based on the book by top journalist Charlie Bird. In the weeks after Irelands decision to back marriage equality, Mr Bird toured the country logging the experiences of LGBT people. Three were based in Limerick: Jenny Hannon, Caroline Jessica Stewart and Sharon Slater. And on Monday, portraits of them and the others featured in the book were put on display to mark the start of Pride 2016. Jenny said appearing in the book was the first time her family in Dublin could read of her experiences. It was very healing, and I was so delighted I was able to do it, she said. Just because I am in a place where I am very comfortable, and consider myself a confident, mature woman, there are times we all feel vulnerable and we all struggle. To acknowledge that is a sign of strength. Caroline moved to Limerick two years ago after coming out as transgender to her family who rejected her. The abuse from the people she thought were her nearest and dearest got so great, she had to contact the gardai. They said to me they have never seen any kind of threats like the ones I have received from my family. But I am proud to be in Limerick. I lost my family [in Tipperary], but I have gained a new proper family in the whole Pride community, she said. Sharons son Stephen, 18, wrote an open letter to reject the criticisms levelled by some groups about having gay parents. Standing beside her eldest child, Sharon expressed her pride, saying: When people were confronted with this, it changed their mind. When people finally got to see the child they were so terrified was going to be raised up poorly. I am very proud of him, and I was delighted he had the ambition to write from his own experience. Charlie said a play based on the experiences of those featured in A Day in May will follow, and is confident it will come to the Lime Tree Theatre. In September, he added a crowdfunding initiative will start in order to get a copy of the book available to buy at OMahonys in schools. AFTER the highs of the street party to welcome the European Capital of Culture 2020 jury to Limerick on Tuesday, the bid team and wider public faces an agonising wait until the winner is announced on Friday. The bid team, accompanied by Limerick CEO Conn Murray, Stephen Kinsella of UL and Fiona Quinn of Limerick County Youth Theatre, will present to the ten person judging panel in the National Concert Hall in Dublin this Thursday. Thank you to everyone for the tweets, texts, posts, wishes and emails of encouragement this morning! #Limerick2020 pic.twitter.com/NyLPzeTGXC Limerick2020 (@Limerick2020) July 14, 2016 By lunchtime on Friday, the winning bid from Galway, Limerick and the Three Sisters clustering of Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny, will be known. The prized European designation is worth an estimated 170m to the winner and Stephen Kinsella, who will present the economics behind Limericks bid to the panel, reckons it is potentially worth several thousand new jobs. Regardless of whether we win or lose, I think culture will remain at the heart of what we do here, he has written. The Limerick 2020 bid team expressed its belief that the judges were obviously excited by what they saw, making several unscheduled stops on the highly choreographed eight hour visit. 18 months of work culminated in the 100-page document recently handed up to the judges, with a budget of 37m over four years, that it must now bring to life on Thursday. For the festivities taking over the city centre on Tuesday, months of preparation went into choreographing the day, while the judges were taken to Moyross, Cleeves, the University of Limerick, Troy Studios and on an extensive walking tour of the city. Deputy bid director Sheila Deegan said that whatever message, whatever engagement has happened, it has been another seismic shift in the way that we think about culture. We dont have to explain the word culture any more; people own it in Limerick, she said after the judges had left. If we can bring that to the table on Thursday and bring the idea that culture is something that is inherent in Limerick, now we have to show Europe how we deliver it. Because the whole project is about learning, about connecting citizens, about people engaging, she said. What was very nice was, we had choreographed the visit in a very particular way to reflect what is in the bid book and to reflect the potential of Limerick, but they actually asked to stop at places. So we went to the gallery and our offices, that wasnt planned, and they were very obviously excited by it, she explained. She added: I think we are certainly a contender after today. I think we showed them that by taking over the city, that idea of occupying the streets, Limerick has become really good at that, and a number of our projects are about that spectacle. Bid director Mike Fitzpatrick said that the difference to winning it and not, is that it would be the lever that would allow the investment. If we dont get it, we have no fancy lever, but it would be a great energiser. Essentially I think we will carry the culture within ourselves, it wont go away, but what we would gain, would be us playing in the European league. What I am proud of, after today, is that the people of Limerick have given a great boost. It was fantastic, led by the city and the people so I am very happy. You can be proud to walk around, it is now a city that doesnt feel a fear, there is a sense of attention, engagement and companionship, which is phenomenal. Let us hope we can maintain that wonderful sense of interaction with diversity. Professor Don Barry, president of UL and chair of the Limerick 2020 bid steering committee, said that Limerick put on a truly wonderful and engaging show today to demonstrate how much capacity exists in and around the city to deliver an imaginative and engaging European Capital of Culture in 2020. I am so proud of how the entire community responded to this challenge to impress on our visiting judges that Limerick has the collective inspiration, passion, drive and resources to bring our story to Europe and bring Europe to Limerick for uniquely memorable cultural experiences in 2020. Limerick trended nationally for the entire day on Twitter as the sun came out and the public joined in the fun, sharing their love for the city on social media. Mayor of Limerick Cllr Kieran OHanlon said he was looking forward to going up on Friday and lifting the European Cup. - The Limerick Leader will be in attendance at the announcement of the winning bid in Dublin this Friday. Stay with www.limerickleader.ie and on Twitter and Facebook for updates. Best of luck to the @Limerick2020 today as they present in front of #ECoC2020 today. pic.twitter.com/oqhUjUTiVt Ray D'Arcy (@raybeag) July 14, 2016 Great to see the excitement building in Limerick for @Limerick2020 this morning. Our city should be so proud of its efforts. #Limerick2020 Maria Byrne (@senatormbyrne) July 14, 2016 @Limerick2020 Best of luck from all of us! Nevil's Shoes (@NevilsShoes) July 14, 2016 Best of luck to @Limerick2020 team for their final presentation to ECOC jury from all at Limerick GAA #Limerick2020 pic.twitter.com/z8OeqmLx0b Limerick GAA (@LimerickCLG) July 14, 2016 Best of luck to the bid team today. You've done us proud! @Limerick2020 #Limerick2020 Ann Blake (@annblake78) July 14, 2016 Best of luck to the @Limerick2020 team today for their final presentation to the ECC jury #Limerick2020 pic.twitter.com/rJntfqsm43 Sinead Hope (@HopeSinead) July 14, 2016 THIS IS the first photograph of a Lithuanian man who was shot in the head by a garda in County Limerick. Gintare Mikalajuniene, the wife of 36-year-old Tomas Mikalajunas, released the picture to the Limerick Leader. She issued a statement, through their solicitor Michael ODonnell, which says it is a miracle her husband is alive. It is believed the gun may have been discharged accidentally by the garda at a checkpoint between Ardagh and Shanagolden on June 28. The other Lithuanian man in the vehicle - Aurimas Petraska has been remanded in custody after he appeared in court charged in connection with a series of robberies in three different counties. In the statement, Mrs Mikalajuniene said that the bullet went in a downward direction after he was shot in the right hand side of his face. Part of the lead is lodged around the top of his spine and has not been removed. He has recently been removed from intensive care and now is in the high dependency unit in University Hospital Limerick. He is disorientated and cant communicate. He has ear damage, his jawbone is damaged, he has lost a lot of teeth. He is fed at the moment through a tube. It is a miracle he is alive, it reads. Mr ODonnell said he has been retained by Mrs Mikalajuniene due to her husbands condition and has been asked to put the information into the public domain. Mrs Mikalajuniene received a phone call in Lithuania telling her that her husband was in a grave and serious condition. This call was received from strangers. This is obviously a source of great upset and distress to her and her two daughters aged 12 and 3. The distress is obviously compounded and greatly added to as there are reports of her husband being involved in criminal activity. She is extremely mystified at this and grievously upset because her husband arrived in Ireland on June 23 with a return ticket for July 1. Her husband sourced work in the construction industry and was happy at giving his family the good news. He is a qualified builder with certificates and also has a full licence for driving trucks in Europe. She cannot comprehend how her husband came to be shot at very close range and is now left in a very serious condition in hospital. She now hopes that GSOC will investigate this is in a comprehensive, detailed and timely fashion and that the truth of the circumstances surrounding the shooting will come into the public domain, says the statement. Two separate investigations are underway, one by gardai in Limerick and the second by GSOC who say it is ongoing. 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. One of the skeletons found in the possible Philistine cemetery in Ashkelon, Israel, had a juglet stuck to its skull. A 3,000-year-old graveyard with the bones of about 200 individuals discovered in Ashkelon, Israel, is being hailed as the first (and only) Philistine cemetery ever found. If valid, the finding would reveal more about a mysterious people known as the Philistines. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Philistines came from the Aegean Sea region, along with other groups of people, during the 12th century B.C, at a time when cities and civilizations in Greece and the Middle East were collapsing. According to the Hebrew Bible the Philistines fought a series of battles against the Israelis. The conflict between the Philistine giant Goliath and Israel's King David (who was armed only with a slingshot) is the most famous encounter. Little is known about the burial practices of this culture, archaeologists said. However, experts not affiliated with the excavations are not yet convinced of the claim, saying that the identity of the people buried at the Ashkelon cemetery is not clear-cut and the finding itself has not been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Further muddying the waters, other burials found in known Philistine cities, though never confirmed, also have dibs on the title of "first-discovered Philistine cemetery." [See Photos of the Possible Philistine Cemetery and Artifacts] Archaeologists are waiting to see what the scientific publication of the Ashkelon cemetery will show. "Though the Ashkelon Philistine cemetery received much media attention, the full professional archaeological picture still awaits further clarification," said Shlomo Bunimovitz, an archaeology professor at Tel Aviv University in Israel. Here, a skull found in a 3,000-year-old cemetery in Ashkelon, Israel, that may be the first Philistine cemetery known. (Image credit: Copyright Tsafrir Abayov/Leon Levy Expedition) The excavators acknowledge that other burials identified as Philistine have been found before, but say that their finds will show that most of the past discoveries were incorrectly identified as "Philistine." "Ninety-nine percent of the chapters and articles written about Philistine burial customs should be revised or ignored now that we have the first and only Philistine cemetery, found just outside the city walls of Tel Ashkelon, one of the five primary cities of the Philistines," expedition co-director Lawrence Stager, a professor at Harvard University in Massachusetts, said in the press release announcing the find. Are these Philistine people? Radiocarbon dating and analysis of the cemetery's pots indicate that the cemetery was in use between the late 11th century B.C. and the early eighth century B.C., said Daniel Master, a professor at Wheaton College in Illinois and a co-director of the excavations at Ashkelon. During this time period, Ashkelon was a Philistine city, as were Ashdod, Ekron, Gath and Gaza, according to ancient texts, Master said. [The Holy Land: 7 Amazing Archaeological Finds] "We have a high degree of confidence that Ashkelon was a major Philistine city in this period because of a convergence of earlier and later texts from Egypt, the Hebrew Bible, Assyria and Babylon," Master said. He also noted that the burial styles seen at the cemetery appear different than those of other groups who lived in the region, such as the Canaanites. Amihai Mazar, an archaeology professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said he believes the answer is more complicated. Previous archaeological studies indicate that the Philistines arrived in Israel from the Aegean Sea region during the 12th century B.C., he told Live Science in an interview. By the 10th century B.C., the Philistines were intermixing with the local Canaanite population and adopting local traditions as well as Canaanite artifacts and practices, Mazar said. He said that while you "can call [the cemetery] Philistine," there may be differences between how people were buried in this 3,000-year-old cemetery and how they would have been buried 3,200 years ago, when the Philistines were newcomers to the region. Images of the cemetery published in media outlets show numerous Phoenician pots and a structure with Phoenician architectural elements, Mazar said, adding that these features suggest that some of the people buried in the cemetery could be Phoenician merchants rather than Philistines. Master agreed that not all the people buried in the cemetery were Philistine. "No one can be sure of the affiliation of every person in any ancient cemetery," he said. Additionally, the people buried in the cemetery may not have thought of themselves as being Philistine and may have identified themselves more on the city they lived in or on their religious practices, said Raz Kletter, a professor of theology at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Kletter doesn't dispute that the people buried at Ashkelon used a series of artifacts that modern-day archaeologists identify as belonging to the Philistines. However, that doesn't mean the people buried there thought of themselves as Philistine, he said. "We do not know how they [the Philistines] viewed themselves, having few written sources that are mostly from outside Philistia," Kletter said. "People living in Iron Age Philistia could identify themselves by city or religion, and not necessarily by an ethnic group." Is it the first Philistine cemetery ever discovered? Neither Mazar nor Kletter agree with the assertion that the cemetery found at Ashkelon is the only known Philistine cemetery. Kletter has been excavating an ancient city in Israel called Yavneh, which he says also contains artifacts that can be identified as "Philistine." Additionally, he and his colleagues found a cemetery there, which they described in the journal Atiqot in 2015. That cemetery also dates to a time when ancient texts say that Yavneh was a Philistine city. "I believe the people buried there [in Yavneh's cemetery] were Philistines," Kletter said. Other sites with burials that could be considered "Philistine" have also been previously discovered both Kletter and Mazar said. For instance, a Philistine cemetery at Azor, a site located near modern-day Tel Aviv, was excavated in the 1950s by the late archaeologist Moshe Dothan said Mazar. Additionally, some archaeologists consider burials dug up in southern Israel by British archaaeologist Sir Flinders Petrie a century ago to be Philistine, Mazar added. "Ashkelon is not a 'first,' but it is certainly an important find," Kletter said. Identifying a burial as that of a Philistine is difficult because archaeologists have to use ancient records of the areas that the Philistines ruled and try to confirm, using the artifacts they find, that the people in a cemetery are Philistine and not from other groups. These findings are published in scientific journals and can be the subject of debates that can go on for many years. Original article on Live Science. The United States Senate today by a vote of 74-18 confirmed Dr. Carla D. Hayden, longtime chief executive of the Enoch Pratt Free Library system in Baltimore and a former president of the American Library Association, as the 14th Librarian of Congress, for a renewable 10-year term. Dr. Hayden was nominated by President Barack Obama in February. "This is truly a great honor to be nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the nations library, the Library of Congress," Dr. Hayden said. "It has been my privilege to serve the citizens of Baltimore for 23 years and help restore the Enoch Pratt Free Library as a world-renowned institution. I look forward to working with the dedicated staff of the Library of Congress. I will be honored to build on the legacy and accomplishments of my predecessors in this position, to be part of a continuing movement to open the treasure chest that is the Library of Congress even further and to make it a place that can be found and used by everyone." Dr. Hayden is the first woman, and the first African American, to serve as chief executive of the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world, with 162 million items in its collections. It also oversees the U.S. Copyright Office and the Congressional Research Service. It serves Congress and makes its research collections accessible on site and online. She takes the helm from Acting Librarian David S. Mao, who has served since the retirement of Dr. James H. Billington on September 30, 2015. She will be sworn in at a date to be determined and is expected to assume her duties soon. Dr. Hayden has recently overseen the renovation of the central branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, a four-year, $112 million project, and has also led $40 million in renovations to other units within the 22-branch Pratt system. The system is named for the businessman and philanthropist who financed its founding in 1886. She took the helm of the Baltimore system in 1993, winning strong praise for her work to ensure that the citys library system offers a broad array of services to assist citizens from all walks of life, from access to books and other learning materials to computer access and job information. A program of outreach into neighborhoods served by the Pratt libraries included after-school centers for teens, offering homework assistance and college counseling; a program offering healthy-eating information for residents in areas with insufficient access to high-quality food; programming in Spanish; establishment of an electronic library, and digitization of the Librarys special collections. Dr. Hayden won high praise, during recent civil unrest in some Baltimore neighborhoods, for keeping library branches open citywide to continue service and provide citizens with safe havens. Dr. Hayden first served as a childrens librarian in the Chicago Public Library system, eventually rising to the post of deputy commissioner and chief librarian in that system. She also taught Library and Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh. She received Library Journals 1995 Librarian of the Year Award, and served as president of the American Library Association 2003-2004. Dr. Hayden received a B.A. from Roosevelt University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago. The Library of Congress is the worlds largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States and extensive materials from around the world both on site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov and register create works of authorship at copyright.gov. Music, Movies & Entertainment, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Arts & Culture, Hot Spots & Night Life, Seasonal & Current Events By Michael Adams Published: July 14 2016 Long Island socialites and celebrities gathered on the Long Wharf in Sag Harbor to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Bay Street Theater. The Long Wharf in Sag Harbor was bustling with vaunted foot traffic Saturday evening, as socialites and celebrities from Long Island and beyond gathered for a gala to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Bay Street Theater. Tony winning actor BD Wong led a star-studded night of ceremony that included appearances by Alec Baldwin, Jason Alexander, and Richard Kind. The crowd honored theater patrons Jerry and Adrienne Cohen, as well as founding supporter Patrick Malloy III and Bay Streets founders, Stephen Hamilton and Emma Walton-Hamilton. Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Thomas outside Bay Street Theater prior to the awards ceremony. Photo by Michael Adams. Founded by the Hamiltons and the late Sybil Christopher in 1991, the theater sits across from a replica of an eighteenth-century windmill, dedicated in memory of Nobel laureate John Steinbeck, who lived in Sag Harbor during the twilight of his life. The location has previously been used for a munitions factory, a roller rink, and a nightclub. Bay Street Theater has been called one of the countrys pre-eminent regional theatres by CBS Sunday Morning, and has debuted productions that have made their way to Broadway and Off-Broadway. Richard Hamilton and Emma Walton-Hamilton posing with their award outside the gala. Photo by Michael Adams. The theater has seen a wide variety of performances over the course of its quarter-century lifespan, from stand-up comedy to plays and musicals, even a fair amount of puppet shows. Productions at Bay Street have featured the likes of SNL alum Darrell Hammond, Academy Award nominees Alan Alda, Roy Scheider, Alec Baldwin, and Academy Award winner Mercedes Ruehl. The theaters 25th anniversary consisted of an awards ceremony hosted on the main stage of the building itself, followed by a dinner and a celebrity-led fundraiser auction held inside an ornate canopy tent at the end of the Long Wharf. A small army of volunteers helped to keep the operation running smoothly while New Yorks wealthywho paid anywhere from $260 to $1,250 for a seatdrank champagne and made idle small talk. Cheri Wicks, a volunteer at the Gala who has on occasion acted in the theaters stage productions, spoke about the role Bay Street has played in the community since it first opened up shop. I think its an important opportunity for the community to be able to see live performances, Wicks said, whether its theater or comedy or music. Its an opportunity for the kids to participate in the activities that go on here, which also brings families to the theater. So it represents, I think, a core of community in Sag Harbor. The overcast skies did nothing to dampen the mood of the attendees, many of whom were brand names in the worlds of theater and media. After the conclusion of the awards ceremony, the rich and powerful bumped elbows before the press was told to make themselves sparse. Richard Kind, who served as an auctioneer for the gala, and Steve Kroft, of 60 Minutes, told jokes with their friends while perusing the items up for sale later. The likes of Alec Baldwin and Harris Yulin asked the Hamiltons how their children were doing in school. The whole affair was gilded in grace and sophistication, and felt like an echo of something out of the Jazz Age, or an F.Scott Fitzgerald novel. Bay Street Theater Gala Dinner, Interior . Photo by Michael Adams For the Hamiltons, the success of Bay Street Theater still feels like something out of a screenplay. When we first started, it was like we were lucky to get through the next week, said Steve Hamilton, after which Emma Walton-Hamilton clarified it was hard to get beyond the day. Its amazing, and yet it has flourished. On the legacy of the theater and its impact on Long Island, Emma touched on the sense of community between theatergoers. The thing about a theater, she said, is that it is a unique gathering place, where people from all walks of life can gather together under one roof and have a shared experience. It provides a unique opportunity for those people to experience something together, to commune, to connect, to think or see something a little differently. There are very few places like that, there are churches and there are theaters, and thats about it. On the same subject, Steve touched on what the theater meant to people following the events of September 11th. It brings to mind the story about the play that opened under our leadership on September 12th, 2001. People would come out and thank us for what we were doing, for providing the community an opportunity to laugh and gather. His wife called it the unifying gift of theater. Jason Alexander and Jules Feiffer posing with an easel inside Bay Street Theater. Photo by Lenny Stucker What began twenty-five years ago with a far-fetched dream of a successful theater has grown and morphed into a staple of the world of the stage, a true pillar of the Long Island community. Through all of it, in the midst of a gala of A-list celebrities and patrician benefactors, the Hamiltons have somehow managed to stay humble, never forgetting the work it took to bring this dream of theirs to life. As Bay Street Theater enters its second quarter-century of existence, the surrounding community and theater-lovers everywhere will no doubt look forward to the productions that will come to life on the stage at the end of Sag Harbor. They will laugh, they will cry, and just maybe be lucky enough to witness the birth of a legend for themselves. Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: July 14 2016 In light of recent events in Dallas and around the country, Rabbi Yakov Saacks, Director of The Chai Center in Dix Hills, wants to encourage peace in the community. Huntington, NY - July 13, 2016 - In light of recent events in Dallas and around the country, Rabbi Yakov Saacks, Director of The Chai Center in Dix Hills, wants to encourage peace in the community. Rabbi Saacks brought cookies to the second precinct police station in Huntington, NY on Sunday, July 10, to show his appreciation for their hard work and sympathy for their fallen brothers. They are there to protect, said Rabbi Saacks. They are the only stop measure between peace and anarchy. God bless the souls of those that were gunned down in Dallas. Rabbi Yakov Saacks at the 2nd Precinct in Huntington, NY. Photo By: The Chai Center. On Tuesday, July 12, teens from the Chai Centers CTeen group also delivered a sweet treat, along with some homemade gifts, to the second precinct to show their gratitude to those in blue who keep them safe. It is so important that we continually encourage our youth to give back to our community, particularly during these challenging times, said Rabbi Dovid Weinbaum, Director of Youth Programming at the Chai Center. CTeen is the fastest growing Jewish teen network in the world, with over 200 chapters worldwide. Family & Parenting, Local News, Business & Finance, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: July 14 2016 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced an additional $30 million in funding for the successful Urban Youth Jobs Program. Albany, NY - July 13, 2016 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced an additional $30 million in funding for the successful Urban Youth Jobs Program, an innovative tax credit program which connects minority and at-risk youth with employment opportunities in communities across the state. The record investment brings total funding for the program to $50 million this year and builds on the Governors sweeping, multi-faceted efforts to remove barriers to unemployment in The Bronx and across New York. To accompany this initiative, the Governor announced the launch of a new website designed to connect young people with job opportunities and provide them with the skills they need to succeed as they pursue their future education and career goals. Governor Cuomo also announced the official launch of the nations first state-sponsored Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which he outlined in the 2016 State of the State Address. The state will today issue a Request for Proposals to training providers, who will prepare participants for a career in the building and construction trades. The program will match qualified trainees with permanent employment opportunities on major state infrastructure projects, including the new LaGuardia Airport and the complete overhaul of Penn Station. "In every corner of this state, we are taking aggressive action to restore economic opportunity and social progress by creating jobs, and The Bronx is at the forefront of this effort," Governor Cuomo said. "From the Unemployment Strikeforce to the Urban Youth Jobs program, we are making smart investments to tackle unemployment in communities where it is most pervasive, and connect tomorrow's workers with the skills they need to succeed in a 21st century workplace. Our efforts are demonstrating that government can be a vehicle for progress, and I thank Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. for their partnership in building a better future for the Bronx community." Photo Credit: Don Pollard/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. Food, Wine, & Dining, Pets & Animal, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases, Seasonal & Current Events By Long Island News & PR Published: July 14 2016 On Friday, July 8th and Saturday, July 9th, The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation hosted the Dog Days of Summer Party at addo in Sag Harbor. Sag Harbor, NY - July 13, 2016 - On Friday, July 8th and Saturday, July 9th, The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation hosted the Dog Days of Summer Party at addo in Sag Harbor, along with Stella Flame and Vinkara Vineyards, as a pre-party for their seventh annual Unconditional Love Dinner Dance Gala on Saturday, July 16th. Pictured: Jordan Lippner and Dr. Jennifer Jablow. Photo By: The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation. The Galas Chair Jean Shafiroff, Board President Jonathan McCann, and the Shelters Director of Marketing Kate McEntee welcomed guests including Jill Rappaport, Susan Allen, Dan Gasby, Lori Snyder, Renee Schlather Barbara McEntee, Dr. Jennifer Jablow and Jordan Lippner, who shopped Stella Flames summer jewelry collection. A percentage of sales from all purchases were donated to the Southampton Animal Shelter to aid the Foundation's mission of finding homes for animals in need. Guests also enjoyed wines from Vinkara Vineyards. Jean Shafiroff thanked attendees for coming, saying, Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is vitally important to the well being of our homeless animals. We are a no kill shelter, ranked in the top 10 percent of animal shelters in the country, as we provide a loving environment for the animals." She continued to thank attendees for their support as the shelter "relies on private donations to continue our operations." Photo By: The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation. In addition to the stunning jewelry and the delicious Turkish wine, guests were able to play with adorable dogs up for adoption, of which 12 found forever homes as a result of the event. "Dog Days of Summer Party photos are available here 100% of the proceeds go directly to Southampton Animal Shelter's crucial initiatives, such as their low-cost spay/neuter mobile van granted by the ASPCA, efforts to rescue animals enslaved in puppy mills, and the daily care of the rescues within the shelter. They will also benefit the shelter's various programs that help special needs children, along with educating, mentoring and implementing SASF's "Playing For Life" program, which is currently in over 40 shelters and highlighted at the major animal conferences throughout the U.S. The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation will hold its Seventh Annual Unconditional Love Gala on Saturday, July 16 with cocktails at 6:30pm and dinner at 7:30pm. Tickets begin at $1,000 and can be purchased by contacting Adrienne Walter by phone at 631-488-8000 or by visiting www.southamptonanimalshelter. com. Local News, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: July 14 2016 The nation's largest offshore wind farm off the coast of Long Island is under consideration. 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 Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has released a video showing the Hamza al Zinjibari training camp for its special forces. The video was produced by both AQAPs Al Malahem Media, as well as Ansar al Sharias Morasil (Correspondent). Ansar al Sharia is another front for AQAP in Yemen. The camp, which is named after the former military leader of AQAP, appears to be within a large compound in an area controlled by the jihadist group, likely in southern Yemen, where it is the strongest. The US killed Zinjibari, who is also known as Jalal Balaidi, in a drone strike in February 2016. Zinjibari was a prominent field commander in the provinces of Abyan, Bayda, Hadramout, Lahj, and Shabwa. He led AQAPs takeover of the town of Jaar in December 2015. In the AQAP video, fighters and recruits are shown undergoing weapons and physical training, live fire exercises, as well as training in martial arts. The fighters are also trained to conduct assaults and kidnappings using vehicles. The bulk of the training may be held indoors to avoid detection from US drones. Senior AQAP leaders, including Khalid Batarfi and Ibrahim al Qosi, give speeches in the video. Qosi, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee explains that among the important goals of al Qaeda training camps is training any Muslim who wants to be trained in weaponry and skills of war. So thousands of Mujahideen have benefited from these camps and had a clear impact in different jihadi fronts. In Yemen, he continues, training camps have produced thousands from different tribes and areas, Muhajireen [emigrants, or foreign fighters] and Ansar [local fighters]. Even though they are trained in al Qaedas camps, the organization does not impose upon the trainee to work in our organization or to be bound by us, Qosi states. In doing so, he says the goal of al Qaeda is to advance the standards of the Ummah [worldwide Islamic community]. Qosi has become a prominent fixture in AQAPs propaganda since last December, when he first revealed that he is a senior leader in the group. Since then, he has been featured in several videos of the group and likely serves in a larger capacity in al Qaedas global hierarchy. [See LWJ report, Ex-Guantanamo detainee prominently featured in al Qaeda propaganda.] Members of the special forces battalion also spoke directly to the United States. We have indeed prepared for you that which will inflict you pain, a special forces member states. As for your killing of Hamza [al Zinjibari], you have indeed given life to an Ummah that is risen and awaken by the blood of the martyrs. O America, if you are truly men then descend upon the battle and the field of men. Another fighter exclaims that they will make you [America] taste much greater from what you tasted in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia. Khalid Batarfi, who has risen in AQAPs command structure and who has been targeted by US drones in the past, states that this camp is an extension of the training camps of the Mujahideen in Afghanistan since the 1980s It is an extension of the Sada, Furqan, Sadiq, Khalden, and Jihad Wal camps, he notes, naming prominent camps in Afghanistan. Batarfi continues by saying that these camps have produced not hundreds, but thousands of commanders in Jihad. Before the video ends, Qosi notes that while the US succeeded in killing Zinjibari, you are far away from reaching your goals. He goes on to explain that the organization has grown militarily since the death of Zinjibari and that America should go die in your rage. Qosi echoes sentiments of the Afghan Taliban in the wake of Mullah Mansours death in a US drone strike in Pakistan two months ago, as well as comments made by Hamza bin Laden. After the US killed Mansour, Taliban said that it is able to thrive despite the loss of senior leaders. Hamza, in a recently released video, noted that al Qaeda has expanded its operations despite the loss of key leaders. Screenshots from the video: Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of The Long War Journal. Caleb Weiss is a research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal and a senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation, where he focuses on the spread of the Islamic State in Central Africa. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. Established by Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to fight in the Syrian Civil War on behalf of Bashar Assads government, the Afghan Fatemiyoun Division is comprised of Afghan Shias primarily recruited from the diaspora in Iran, and some from Afghanistan. The Fatemiyouns call to jihad is to defend Shia shrines in Syria, particularly the Sayyida Zaynab mosque in Damascus. They are thus referred to as defenders of the shrine. Iranian media began acknowledging Afghan fatalities in 2013. Iranian press claim the Fatemiyoun upgraded from a brigade to a division last year, though the actual number of fighters may be less than 10,000. At least 383 Fatemiyoun fighters have been killed in combat in Syria, according to Iranian media. Media coverage of dead Afghan combatants are not uncommon in Iran these days, particularly in the cities of Mashhad and Qom, which have sizable Afghan communities. Tasnim News Agency, an Iranian media outlet affiliated with the IRGC, published on July 12 a report revealing Lebanese Hezbollahs role in training new Fatemiyoun special forces units. Hezbollah has been at the forefront of training other IRGC-backed militias in Iraq. A group of Fatemiyoun forces have recently completed both special training and advanced military courses, according to Tasnim. These forces have been deployed as a stimulant combat arm alongside regular Fatemiyoun militia combatants, according to the media outlet. The first group of these special forces that have been deployed to various areas in Syria, Tasnim claims, have completed advanced sniper courses under the supervision of Lebanese Hezbollah snipers and Afghan instructors. The notable point is that the special Fatemiyoun forces have been trained under skilled Afghan instructors who themselves have completed training in special courses under the supervision of skilled Hezbollah forces, according to Tasnim. Hundreds of special Fatemiyoun snipers have been deployed to defend sacred shrines across Syria and have joined Fatemiyoun combat units, Tasnim claims. Additional groups of special Fatemiyoun forces with advanced training in combat, commando capabilities, guerilla warfare, anti-armor missiles, shoulder-launched missiles, etc. are expected to join the combat organization of the resistance front in Syria, Tasnim announced. The Fatemiyoun have gained many achievement in liberating occupied areas in Syria and also defending the shrines in this country, Tasnim boasted. Amir Toumaj is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a contributor to The Long War Journal. Amir Toumaj is a independent analyst and contributor to FDD's Long War Journal. 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. Khalifa Umar Mansour, who leads the Tariq Gidar Group (TGG), as seen in Taliban propaganda. Image from Dawn. The US killed Khalifa Umar Mansour, the commander of the Tariq Gidar Group (TGG) who was responsible for attacks on Pakistani schools, in an airstrike in Afghanistan. The US listed the Tariq Gidar Group as a terrorist organization less than two months ago. News of Mansours death was released by Pakistans Inter-Services Public Relations directorate, or ISPR. Commander Resolute support Mission called #COAS [Pakistans Chief of Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif], confirmed death of terrorist Umar Narai alias Khalifa Umar, also alias Khalid Khurasani through drone strike in Afghanistan, the ISPR posted on its official website. General Asim Bajwa, the head of the ISPR, tweeted a similar statement on his official Twitter account. The exact date and location of the airstrike that killed Mansour was not disclosed. He is thought to have operated in the eastern Afghan provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar. Pakistan often accuses Afghanistan of sheltering commanders from the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan (TTP). The US has killed several TTP leaders in airstrikes inside Afghanistan. However, the TTP operates in areas that are out of the control of the Afghan government. Mansour led the TTPs forces in the districts of Peshawar and Darra Adam Khel. He is responsible for numerous deadly assaults in Pakistans northwest. He is best known for two brutal attacks on schools in northwestern Pakistan: the December 2014 attack on a military high school in Peshawar that killed more than 141 people, mostly students; and the January 2016 suicide assault on a university in Charsadda that killed more than 20 students and faculty. Mansour gloated about the 2014 Peshawar assault in a videotape released by the TTP. The attack galvanized the Pakistani military to ferret out the TTP in Pakistans lawless tribal agency of North Waziristan. While the military targeted the TTP and other groups that attack the state, it left groups such as the Haqqani Network and the Hafiz Gul Bahadar Group unscathed. These groups do not advocate attacks against the Pakistani state, but still provide shelter and support for the TTP and groups such as al Qaeda. He also is responsible for the September 2015 suicide assault on the Pakistani Air Force camp in Badabair. Mansours Tariq Gidar Group was listed by the US State Department as a terrorist organization on May 23, 2016. According to State, the TGG was responsible for the 2008 kidnapping and beheading of Polish geologist Piotr Stanczak in Attock, Pakistan. According to reports, a Taliban commander known as Zakir Mehsud was responsible for kidnapping Stanczak. Fighters loyal to Qari Hussain Mehsud, the former head of the TTPs suicide teams, beheaded Stanczak. [See LWJ report, Taliban feud over murder of Polish hostage.] Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal. 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. 15 Itineraries, 30 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, One PONANT From Vietnam to Myanmar Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) Yangon (Myanmar) aboard L'Austral From Indonesia to Australia Bali (Indonesia) Cairns (Australia) aboard L'Austral The Best of New Zealand Noumea (New Caledonia) Dunedin (New Zealand) aboard L'Austral The Subantarctic Islands Dunedin (New Zealand) Wellington (New Zealand) aboard L'Austral PONANT, the only French-owned cruise line, offers its passengers a unique travel experience aboard smaller-scale, luxurious yachts. Travelers will discover the major sites of Oceania and Asia under the guidance of passionate lecturers and specialists. From visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, to encounters with natives and zodiac outings, these itineraries place an emphasis on discovering the local cultures, fauna and flora.Eight exceptional cruises, which include 16 stops at UNESCO World Heritage Sites, sail through five Asian countries, offering the chance to discover the Orient's traditions and ancient culture in the company of expert lecturers.Aboard L'Austral, discover emblematic sites from the Vietnamese shores to the golden pagodas of the land formerly known as Burma. Stops in Singapore, Port Klang, the gateway to Kuala Lumpur, and the Shwedagon Pagoda visit in Burma are a only a few highlights of this cruise.From October 28 to November 9, 2017 13 days/12 nightsrices from US$5,040 per person, including port taxes and security chargesDuring this Expedition cruise, passengers visit the Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to the famous Komodo dragons, the last survivors of prehistoric times. Zodiac excursions, a visit of the Asmat region and its local tribes, as well as Lizard Island are also part of the program.From November 24 to December 8, 2017 15 days/14 nightsPrices from US$6,770 per person, including port taxes and security chargesThrough seven itineraries and destinations whose very names are enough to transport guests away, PONANT passengers will discover the archipelagos and atolls of Polynesia and Oceania. These itineraries feature 14 stops at UNESCO World Heritage Sites, swimming and snorkeling in turquoise lagoons, shore visits in zodiac dinghies in the company of naturalist guides, and encounters with traditional tribes such as Papuan, Aboriginal, and Maori.The festive season is bound to be an unforgettable Expedition cruise to New Zealand, which offers a unique opportunity to sail to the heart of Dusky Sound and Milford Sound and two fjords listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Other highlights include meeting the Maori people, visiting Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, and Rotorua Thermal Wonderland.From December 23, 2017 to January 5, 2018 12 days/13 nightsPrices from US$6,840, including port taxes and security chargesIn the company of expert naturalist guides, L'Austral will take its passengers to the heart of the mysterious and primitive beauty of the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands to discover fjords, black-sand beaches and imposing cliffs.From January 5-21, 2018 17 days/16 nightsPrices from US$7,900, including port taxes and security chargesVisit website: A Visit to 5 Luxury Spas in the Maldives South Male Atoll. Accessible by a 30 minute speedboat from Male airport.Awarded as the 'Leading Wellness and Spa Resort' and Leading Wellness And Spa Brand Chain by the Maldives Matato Awards 2015.In-house Ayurvedic doctor.All four of theresorts are focused on health and wellness. This year they launched their Balance series that invites guests to put themselves on a path of wellness while being a world away from home. They offer healthy cooking classes, meditation and yoga classes, treatments with visiting practitioners and nutritious balance wellness juices on the menu.I sampled their wellness program which included a consultation with their in-house Ayurvedic doctor followed by a traditional ayurvedic massage called Abyhanga, a deep pressure massage using medicated oils that focus on the head, neck, shoulders and back to effectively release knots and tightness in the muscles where we tend to store the most stress and tension. It's a therapy which is highly helpful for insomnia and induces sound sleep for those who have sleep irregularities and travel a lot like myself. Private yoga classes are offered with guest teachers, having practiced for 10 years I hadn't actually tried Strala yoga before which focuses on an overall concept of moving with ease and incorporates eastern influences of tai chi and shiatsu. After yoga I took a healthy Japanese cooking class in the Spice Spoons cooking school and reaped the rewards by eating it afterwards.South Male Atoll. Accessible by a 25 minute speedboat from Male airport.The Spa at Velassaru unveiled its new menu in April this year including the new signature massage and couples retreat ritual and body treatment.Overwater spa palace and ocean setting.The spectacular Velassaru overwater spa is like a Spa Palace built on stilts that takes in the breathtaking views of the Indian ocean. Its ten treatment rooms, pool and yoga pavilion are all perched on stilts. This is THE place to indulge in a massage. I went for the totally relaxing Indian head massage on the first day and the next day experienced my longest massage ever -- two and a half hours! It began with a foot cleansing and aromatic inhalation ritual, and then an exfoliating body scrub followed by their signature Velassaru massage - warm homemade coconut oil is applied, then hands on' rolling movements and wooden massage pestles (made from the islands coconuts and palm wood) are used to release tension from the shoulders and spine and stimulate positive energy. After the treatment there's the incredible hydropool for even more blissful relaxation.Hidden in the North Ari Atoll of the Maldives, reached in 25 minutes by seaplane from Male airport then a 10 minute speedboat.The Varu Spa uses organic marine-based treatments provided by VOYA, the first genuinely organic seaweed-based cosmetic products in the world.Feeling like you're living on your own island. Robinson Crusoe eat your heart out!Varu means energy' in the local language Dhivehi and forms the basis of every person, creating emotional responses and movement. When this energy is unbalanced or met with resistance due to stress, it can leave us feeling anxious and fatigued. The focus at the Varu Spa is to realign and unite the mind, body and spirit by helping to rebalance and strengthen this energy. Their signature two hour Coral Voyage treatment is highly recommended and really unique. Beginning with a body brush, then a full head to toe body massage that's inspired by the movements of the sea and a marine eye treatment that uses layered seaweed compressed on to the skin. As they say, the results speak for themselves and the proof is immediately visible plumper and radiant skin.Falhumaafushi island, on one of the largest and deepest atolls in The Maldives. Reached by a 70 minute domestic flight from Male to Kooddoo airport, then a 7 minute speedboat transfer.The first and only Spa by Clarins in the Maldivian archipelago.Overall 'retreat' style wellness itinerary.The wellness program began from the moment of arrival with a wellness consultation to help tailor the itinerary of yoga, spa and healthy food on the menu and select my favorite detox juice that could be served with every meal. The 3 days consisted of a more retreat style program, starting each day with a private in villa one hour yoga class, 30 minutes of pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation. The room came with a pair of yoga mats so I could do my own practice as well.The only Clarins Spa in the Maldives, the setting is simply breathtaking and serene. I felt totally zen before I even set foot in the water-villa treatment room! My spa treatments included a 30 minute neck and shoulder massage and a Vital Light' facial with pioneer plants, a super luxurious treatment that restores the luminosity and vitality of the skin. I was lucky enough to be there during International Yoga Day and got to celebrate it with a full moon yoga class on the incredible yoga deck.Located south of the equator on Villingili Island, on the southernmost tip of Addu Atoll. We took a 70 minute domestic flight to Gan then a seven minute speedboat to Villingili.The CHI spa is located in its own spa village and offers new five-day Ayurvedic programs.Out of this world authentic spa treatments.The treatments I had at the CHI spa were hands down the best spa experience of my life. The therapists deserve a hundred stars! On the first day I experienced the Kandu Boli Ritual, a treatment that's exclusive to this resort. My therapist used cowrie shells to draw energy from the sea and pour warm Maldivian coconut oil made by the local community on to my body, face and scalp. The most unexpected part is when the therapists begins to chant as the shells were held over my ears. This massage hits the spot on many levels and is really quite magical. On the second day I tried the Shirodhara and Ayurvedic Massage which was absolutely divine. The first part of the massage was given outside by the ocean, listening to the waves. No need for spa music out here, this is the real thing!Shirodhara is an ancient Ayurvedic therapy where warm oil is poured in a continuous stream over the forehead or ajna marma', an area where nerves are highly concentrated. The pressure of the oil onto the forehead creates a vibration and penetrates into the nervous system. The gentle pressure and soothing warmth of the oil allow the body, mind and nervous system to experience a deep state of rest, similar to meditation.Links for further information and booking: Princess Charlene of Monaco Christens Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built Godmother of Seven Seas Explorer, Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco, cut a red velvet ribbon which sent a Primat bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne smashing against the ship's hull to officially christen the newest member of the Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleet, unquestionably the most luxurious cruise ship ever built.Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco delivered the traditional maritime blessing before the bottle of champagne broke against the ship's hull, officially christening the vessel. The jubilation of the bottle breaking moment was followed by a spectacular 40-minute private performance from musical maestro Andrea Bocelli, capping an incredible evening for a ship that sets new benchmarks for luxury."This is truly a special moment, not only for the Regent Seven Seas Cruises brand, but for the entire Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings family," shared Frank Del Rio, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings president and chief executive officer. "Tonight we celebrate the realization of our vision. Seven Seas Explorer is not only the world's most luxurious ship - she sets a new benchmark for luxury vacations and lays the foundation from which Regent Seven Seas Cruises will continue to build. We have already begun a massive $125 million refurbishment effort to ensure every ship in our fleet matches the luxury standard found on Explorer, and will introduce a sister-ship in 2020."During his christening remarks, Del Rio reflected upon the humanitarian efforts undertaken by Her Serene Highness as part of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. The Foundation's mission is to save lives by teaching children and adults basic water safety techniques."It is an honor to be the Godmother of this magnificent ship, Seven Seas Explorer. I am also thrilled by the discussions taking place between my Foundation and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to implement my Water Safety program on all their ships. Developing awareness of the risks attached to aquatic environments is, for me, a cause of most importance," stated Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene.Seven Seas Explorer delivers an unrivaled luxury cruise experience. The ship features extravagantly designed theaters and lounges, an unparalleled collection of opulent and spacious suites, five lavish gourmet restaurants and an unprecedented level of personalized service. At 55,254 gross-registered tons and carrying only 750 guests, the all-suite, all-balcony ship boasts one of the highest space ratios and lowest crew to guest ratios in the cruise industry, not to mention the largest private verandas in the cruise industry and a new category of luxury suite, the nearly 4,500-square foot Regent Suite. The luxury liner's maiden voyage will take place July 20, 2016, and will spend its inaugural season in Europe before heading to Miami for a series of Caribbean voyages."Seven Seas Explorer is the most luxurious ship ever built, and we are truly grateful and privileged to have Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco serve as the ship's godmother," added Jason Montague, president and COO, Regent Seven Seas Cruises. "Our guests have waited patiently for over a decade for a new Regent Seven Seas Cruises ship, and once they sail Seven Seas Explorer I'm confident they will agree it was well worth the wait." Faizal Dwi Nugraha is missing media: The Photos app works well; iTunes works well too; but I cant see any files in the Photos/Music/Movie folders within the Media folder. As I noted recently, one way to import to upload media items from Apple software is via the Open dialog box under the Media label. You should see Music, Photos, and Movies, which, when selected, should link to libraries and other storage. This lets you pick items from your Photos library, for instance. Faizal sees these icons, but clicking them doesnt reveal any media items. A veritable wasteland of missing media. Because these are referenced through the system, the most likely cause is a corrupt Spotlight index or having Spotlight disabled entirely. Open the Spotlight system preference pane. Click the Privacy tab. If the startup volume or any volumes on which media libraries reside or any relevant folders are listed in the Privacy tab, remove them. This starts Spotlight indexing. Check back later, and the Open dialog items should show items. If the Privacy tab doesnt list relevant volumes, the index may be corrupted. Drag the startup and other volumes into the Privacy list; wait a moment, as the indexes will be disabled and removed. Now select the volumes and click to remove them, which will restart indexing. Now, if that fails, boot into Recovery HD mode (restart your Mac, and then hold down Command-R), and run Disk Utility. Select First Aid for each volume. Restart your Mac. Ask Mac 911 Weve compiled a list of the most commonly asked questions we get, and the answers to them: read our super FAQ to see if youre covered. If not, were always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com including screen captures as appropriate. Mac 911 cannot reply to email with troubleshooting advice nor can we publish answers to every question. Pandora is an internet radio company based in Silicon Valley. It serves the US, Australia and New Zealand. One of the big focuses for the company in the next year is to figure out how to expand internationally. When you are dealing with music and licensing, depending on what the regime is, a lot of people will say: I think the UK should be next! Nakeena Taylor, an IP lawyer and compliance expert at Pandora, tells Managing IP. When it comes to considering all the regimes and extra costs, its wise to stop and think: does this make sense? Issues regarding territorial expansion are mainly handled by Pandoras strategy and licensing team. Taylor says her focus is helping product and advertising managers, engineers and fellow employees to consider their plans from a business perspective. Thinking through that is interesting because its unchartered territory and there is growing competition, Taylor explains. We are giving a lot of information on how to think through these scenarios without having a lot of information to pull from. We are learning and looking around us saying: Spotify has this lawsuit coming up, maybe we need to think about how we do this, so we dont have to go through that same thing. Nakeena Taylor Ambiguity in IP law In addition to ever-increasing competition in music technology, Taylor predicts more partnership with the music industry. Were having a much bigger push on policy, she says. There is a lot of talk about updating rules, but they are never usually in favour of the new up-and-coming technology. This adds a little bit of pressure. To illustrate her point, Taylor refers to a case in 2012. A users listening history was inadvertently posted and the plaintiff discovered some obscure law about borrowing and video rental history, she says. Does this really apply? You are talking about something in the sense of VCRs and VHS while trying to talk about a streaming service that is more of internet radio service! She continues: It was really tortured in the sense of trying to apply these old laws. The issue was more related to privacy. Even in talking about how the technology works, it still does not apply so we are always playing catch-up. At the same time, as advisors, we are trying to figure out what kind of claims can be made that might actually outplay of a lot of these really old laws. Taylor says this type of issue can make it hard to be able to give clear advice and manage risk. There are some risks that seem so out there but people will still try, because there is no other law to go to, she says. Licensing and royalty determination Taylor highlights a number of legal areas surrounding music technology that she feels are in need of modification. It would be helpful to have clarity on anything related to royalties so that there is a set rate and a rate that is fair. Here in the US, we have different rates for terrestrial radio, streaming, on-demand, depending on the type of interaction. Thats fine; the problem is that they change all the time. For example, the US Copyright Royalty Board last December announced the per-performance rate for 2016 will increase to $0.0017 for ad-supported streaming, up 21% from $0.0014 under the present "Pureplay Rate" for 2015. However, the rate decreased to $0.0022 for subscription streaming from $0.0025. Taylor also mentions law surrounding pre-1972 recordings, looking for the correct rights owners and data mining as additional challenges of accurate and efficient licensing. Before becoming a lawyer, Taylor worked in music and licensing. Taylor suggests a national database of rights owners: We need to come up with something that will enable us to actually get the money to where its supposed to go, so we can start to the change the narrative of musicians feeling they are not getting their fair share. She continues: We have plans to introduce more transparency of what we pay out and how, for that very reason. We want to put that pressure on all the stake holders in the industry to do the same. This is why we need reform. At the end of 2015, Pandora negotiated a licensing deal with leading performance rights organisations ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and BMI (Broadcast Music Inc. The company agreed to pay 2.5% revenue to BMI as part of their commitment to ensure that music thrives and grow the music ecosystem, as stated by Pandoras then-chief executive officer Brian McAndrews. Recently, the antitrust division of the United States Department of Justice has received criticism from music artists, producers and songwriters for its decision to proceed with plans to introduce 100% music licensing. The decision comes as a nasty shock and despite strong opposition from the music community over concerns that the decree will impose greater depreciation of royalty payments to content owners. Creative industries and innovation With an educational foundation in media, culture and communication, Taylor maintains respect for artists and creative professionals Before going to law school, I knew I wanted to go into the creative industry, she says. For me, trade mark, copyright, media and the creative industry was really interesting. After taking cross-registered classes in media law, Taylor opted for a career in IP law. I wanted to be on that side. I found a really good medium between the IP industries and technology industry, mixed with the business side, she says. I am excited by these industries and I know that they cannot exist without IP. Pandora is mostly recognised for its Music Genome Project technology in which a team of musicologists listen to all content on the system and suggest songs for users based on hundreds of scoring attributes, instead of algorithms. The exact list of attributes is a trade secret, but Taylor says it is hard to keep secrets in such a competitive industry. Its one of those things that might change, especially when we go into the on-demand area, she says. Essentially, we are using those new features and aspects of the service as ways to attract customers to our services and stand out from our competitors. With this considered, Taylor rhetorically asks: What can you actually protect? She responds: We need to protect the technique. It is what makes Pandora different. Eventually, we may also need to protect music playlists. She adds: We are having these conversations and dont really have the answers right now, but the future is exciting. The reluctant lawyer Despite the fact that she has been in the legal profession for almost a decade, Taylor says she at times sees herself as a reluctant lawyer. I was late. I did not decide that I wanted to be an IP lawyer until I was in the middle of my degree! she explains. There are so many stereotypes attached to the legal profession that I never felt that I identified with, but I love this profession. I feel that the more diversity we get in thought and perspective, the better. Outside her role as corporate counsel, Taylor is president of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Northern California. Reflecting on her responsibilities in the IP community, Taylor says: I rise to the challenge, but sometimes it takes some nudging from the network around me. What drives Taylor in her philanthropic efforts? Its about representation, honestly. Just both from being a black female and just being a female in technology and IP; it has its own challenges. You want more people to be able to say: You know what? I can do this! Thats really why I try and get involved outside my main responsibilities at work. In addition to promoting better representation of women and underrepresented groups in the legal profession, Taylor is a champion of diversity within the IP field: A lot of people tend to focus on patents and prosecution. There are all these other roles centred on protecting IP that you dont learn about at law school, such as product counsel. I decided to get out there and show a different example, a different path and perspective. She continues: You have these other pressures. Sometimes you want to tap out and you start to think maybe this isnt the right lifestyle. For me, I do still feel the pressure but we have got to be present for something to change. Taylor : We need to continue to reach back to make sure that people who are in the industry, those that are coming in, and new attorneys are supported. We also need to be able to reach even further back, whether that is to middle school or before that to support others early on so that when they get to this point, they are confident already. United Nations : Strongly hitting back at Pakistan for raising in the UN the issue of the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, India has said Pakistan "extols" the "virtues" of terrorists and uses terrorism as a state policy towards the "misguided end" of coveting the territory of others. India's Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin responded strongly to the remarks made by Pakistan's envoy Maleeha Lodhi on Kashmir and Wani's killing during a debate on human rights in the 193-member UN General Assembly here yesterday. In her statement, Lodhi, apart from raising the Kashmir issue, also mentioned the "extra-judicial" killing of Wani, whom she described as a "Kashmiri leader", by Indian forces. In his statement, which sources here termed as perhaps the hardest-hitting against Pakistan in recent times, Akbaruddin said Pakistan "extols" the virtues of terrorists and could not gain membership of the UN's human rights body because of its "track record". Lashing out at Lodhi's raising of the Kashmir issue at the multi-lateral world body, Akbaruddin said it is regrettable that Pakistan attempted to "misuse" the UN platform. Regrettably, earlier today we have seen an attempt at misuse of this UN platform. The attempt came from Pakistan; a country that covets the territory of others; a country that uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end; a country that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists; and a country that masquerades its efforts as support for human rights and self determination," he said. Akbaruddin asserted that Pakistan's "track record" failed to convince the international community that it should gain membership of the Human Rights Council in this very session of the UNGA. "The international community has long seen through such designs. Cynical attempts, like the one this morning therefore, find no resonance in this forum or elsewhere in the United Nations," he said. PTI 33 PHOTOS click for more New York City-based designer Nikki Chasins clothing makes you want to book a permanent vacation and ride off into the sunset, slit skirts and striped dresses in hand. Theyre the kind of clothes that manage to match elegant draping with sporty cuts and bold prints with beautiful textiles, all resulting in pieces that look just as at home at the beach as they do on a city street. Chasin spent her childhood in Miami. Growing up in Miami also meant that Cuba, only a couple hundred miles offshore, was a looming presence. Cuba was virtually closed off to Americans for almost all of Chasins life, meaning that although she grew up in a city with one of the largest Cuban populations in the United States, the country was unreachable. So when travel restrictions between Cuba and the United States were loosened, its no surprise that the ever-adventurous Chasin planned a trip. And when it came to picking a travel buddy, Chasin looked to her grandmother Lila, to whom (along with her grandmother Libby) she dedicated her Parsons thesis collection in 2012. The two set off on an exploration of Cuba, soaking in the sights and sounds of an at once familiar and foreign culture. And lucky for us, they brought back an album full of gorgeous pictures documenting their adventure. Why did you decide to go to Cuba? Im originally from Miami, where theres a large Cuban population. When travel restrictions to Cuba were softened, it was huge news. Cruise ships only started to travel from Miami to Cuba in May, which is when we went. We spent three days there. Why did you decide to go on this trip with your Grandma Lila? Her 85th birthday was in May and my mom had the idea to take her on this trip to celebrate. Does she have a favorite piece from your collection? She has a lot of opinions, but she was especially fond of the Ada Buttondown, both the eyelet and the stripe. I love to put her in anything colorful and playful. It goes with her style. Did you find any inspiration in Cuba? Because Cuba has been so cut off from the U.S. and because of trade restrictions with the rest of the world, its like stepping back in time. Most people do not have cars, and there are many outdoor communal spaces where locals hang out during the day. The colors of the buildings lots of pinks, greens and blues were really inspiring. The mix of different architectural styles, like Moorish, Art Deco and Eclectic, brings to mind the mix of textures and silhouettes that Im often drawn to. What was your favorite place that you visited? What about Cuba was the most surprising or least expected? I loved Old Havana the open plazas and interaction in the streets. While Im aware of the history between Cuba and the United States, I was still surprised by the lack of commerce and choice. Most of the businesses are owned by the government. There is generally one brand, which is government owned, for items like soda and dry goods. Do you have any favorite memories from your trip? The show at the Tropicana nightclub in Havana was kitschy and fun, with crazy costumes in unusual color combinations. I loved traveling in a car from the 1950s a bit outside of Havana to Ernest Hemingways house. Its beautifully kept and gives a great sense of what Cuba was like for visitors before the revolution. Shop Nikki Chasin and follow her on Instagram @omgnikkic. Were New Here The site design is new and the brand name is shorter. Find out who, what, where, when, and why in one handy little post. China said on Thursday it had issued a formal protest after Australia announced it would continue to exercise its right to freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea following a court ruling against China's claims. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague concluded this week that China had no historic claim to the waters and it had violated the Philippines' economic and sovereign rights. China rejected the ruling, having declined to participate in the case saying the court had no jurisdiction. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop urged all South China Sea claimants to resolve their disputes peacefully, saying Australia would keep exercising its international rights to freedom of navigation and overflight, and support the right of others to do the same. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China had formally protested against Australia's "wrong remarks", and that China hopes Australia does nothing to harm regional peace and stability. "Honestly speaking, I'm a bit shocked at Bishop's comments," Lu said. Australia should join the majority of the international community in not taking the result of the "illegal outcome" of the case as international law. "We hope that Australia can set more store by international law, and not treat it as a game," Lu added, repeating that China respected freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law. While China and Australia have close business ties, including a free trade agreement, Canberra is also a strong security ally of the United States. Bishop told ABC radio on Wednesday that China's reputation would suffer as a result of the court ruling, insisting relations with the international community were crucial to its rise as a superpower. "To ignore it would be a serious international transgression," she said. Asked on Thursday by reporters what Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's message to his ministers was in a cabinet meeting immediately after Tuesday's ruling was delivered, Budget Secretary Benjamin Dioko answered, quoting Duterte. "Let's be magnanimous in victory. Let us not do anything. They are already piqued and you taunt them more. It is really hard to enforce that decision. How do you enforce it? But he said we will start the bilateral talks and now we're starting from a better position. Because of that decision we are on a better place." China claims much of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims. Meeting on the sidelines of a regional summit in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told his Vietnamese counterpart on Thursday that he hoped Vietnam would together with China jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, state news agency Xinhua reported. Li repeated China's stance that the South China Sea issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties "on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with international law", Xinhua added. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Jane Wardell in Sydney and Neil Jerome Morales in Manila; Editing by Nick Macfie) Freight rates for large capesize dry cargo ships on key Asian routes could rise next week on higher volumes of iron ore cargoes, ship brokers said. "It's a bit more positive, optimistic next week," a Singapore-based capesize broker said on Thursday. Australian iron ore miners BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals Group, which have largely been absent from the chartering market this week, could step up iron ore shipments on higher iron ore prices, brokers said. "It's only really been Rio Tinto that's been active for much of this week. BHP has taken the odd ship," the Singapore broker said. All the iron ore cargo charters from Australia to China this week were fixed at $4.55 per tonne, signalling a flat market, brokers said. That is equivalent to daily time charter earnings of around $7,500, Norwegian ship broker Fearnley said. Daily operating costs are about $7,000 for a capesize ship, accountancy firm Moore Stephens said. "Sentiment is good although the market this week was not as good as we expected. Ship owners are confident about cargo volumes so they would rather wait on the expectation rates and cargo volumes will rise," a Shanghai-based capesize broker said. The Brazil to China market has been fairly stable but rates could firm after several fixtures were concluded at the time charter equivalent of $15,000-$16,000 per day, Fearnley said in a weekly note on Wednesday. "Iron ore prices have seen a strong increase lately and this has triggered some expectations of higher activity level from shippers and hence higher freight levels," the note added. Spot iron ore prices <.IO62-CNI=SI> rose 9 percent in June, and are up about 37 percent so far this year, while iron ore imports rose 9 percent in the first six months compared with a year ago. Capesize charter rates for Western Australia-China slipped to $4.56 per tonne on Wednesday, against $4.63 per tonne last week. Freight rates from Brazil to China were at $9.38 per tonne on Wednesday, from $9.49 per tonne the previous week. Charter rates for smaller panamax vessels for a north Pacific round-trip voyage hit a new nine-month high on Wednesday, soaring to $6,233 per day buoyed by stronger coal and iron ore cargo volumes. That compared with $5,822 per day on the same day last week. Freight rates in the Far East for smaller supramax vessels rose to around $6,200 per day on increased coal volumes. "With most of the requirements covered, the coal market could cool down in the following days; however there is still positive development seen for steel in north China," Fearnley said. The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index rose to 726 on Wednesday from 694 last week. (Reporting by Keith Wallis) Carnival Corporation & plc today announced the official opening of its Arison Maritime Center, a world-class facility dedicated to providing safety training for its bridge and engineering officers responsible for the navigation and operation of the companys fleet of cruise ships. Located in Almere, Netherlands just outside Amsterdam, the new 75-million-euro facility features some of industrys most advanced simulators and training equipment to provide annual training to more than 6,500 bridge and engineering officers from Carnivals 10 global cruise line brands. The center, featured in the June 2016 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, was officially opened with a ceremony honoring longtime board chairman Micky Arison and his father Ted, founder of the company, that was attended by many of Carnivals global leaders, board members and government, community and business officials. The centerpiece of the seven-acre campus is a new and more than two-times-larger Center for Simulator Maritime Training Academy (CSMART), Carnival Corporations maritime training, professional development and research facility that began operations in Almere in 2009. The center will feature high-tech bridge and engine room simulators from Transas that utilize the most innovative technology and training solutions in the maritime industry, modeled closely after the technology and practices used in the airline and other industries, the result of almost two-years of R&D investment. Carnival recognized that a step-change was required in the way seafarers are trained to improve safety at sea, according to Transas. The interaction of human factors on board cruise vessels are some of the most complex in the maritime industry. Crews empowered with a solid foundation of generic core competencies ensure significantly better safety outcomes than those that rely heavily on established roles and procedures. The CSMART facility houses navigational and engine room simulators in various configurations from classroom stations up to part-task and full mission solutions, interlinked to provide training and assessment for the entire crew. It features four full-mission bridge simulators and four full-mission engine room simulators designed to provide a wide array of programming and simulated exercises that can recreate an extensive range of maritime scenarios. The new five-story facility will also include 24 part-task engine simulators, eight debriefing rooms and eight part-task bridge simulators all designed to provide participants access to the visual elements of 60 ports around the world including Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Singapore and Glacier Bay, Alaska. Through cooperation with Dell, Transas reduced the number of physical machines by 77 percent from 650 to 150 and cut energy consumption by 30 percent compared to a traditional deployment by the virtualisation of simulation tasks into nVidia Grid System. Full interswitching capabilities where any task can be available on any screen within the Simulator (Blackbox IP-matrix) allow for a zero percent downtime which was one of the key requirements due to a to high volume throughput of seafarers with defined limited training windows. CCTV camera technology, similar to the one used at the ESA Space Centre, observes and records everything on the bridges and in the engine room to allow full picture team training. Access is available to any task on any screen within the simulator while the CCTV provides professional broadcast, AV control, recording and archiving system with full synchronization of all workstations, cameras and audio. To ensure realistic team situational training for engine room and machinery functions, Transas has implemented high tech 'gamification' technology with 3D Engine compartments walk-through including usage of avatars controlled via large touchscreens or gaming controller. The trainee moves avatar through the machinery compartments and can act as a team with other trainees in case of emergency procedures. The state-of-the-art technology provides high-quality maritime training services that reflect real-world scenarios and sea conditions including ship traffic, aircraft interference, weather events and wildlife circumvention. Modeled after the newly designed bridge of the Koningsdam from the companys Holland America Line, CSMART Academys full-mission bridge simulators provide an authentic shipboard experience for participants to build skills in navigating complex control and automation systems. Like the bridge simulators, the full-mission engine room simulators are based on actual ship layouts and systems, scaled to size and representing a diesel electric engine room comprising six diesel generators and two propulsion motors, along with ancillary and auxiliary equipment. The simulators allow trainees to navigate their way around the actual engine room of a ship to operate and repair equipment, with the genuine sights, sounds and even temperatures found in a cruise ships engine room. Transas CEO Frank Coles commented, The CSMART project is an important milestone in the Transas history. We are proud of what has been achieved in such a short time through our close work with the Carnival Corporation, the CSMART team and our project partners. By applying technological advancements never before utilised within the maritime industry, Transas have created a multi-simulator integrated training that delivers an immersive real world situational environment in which multiple crew members can operate and interact simultaneously, as if on a real vessel. This is the standard by which all training should be measured. The new facility and team of highly experienced CSMART Academy instructors have developed a curriculum that sets the industry standard for safety and maritime training and keeps pace with advances in ship technology, fostering critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making and confidence. The CSMART Academy has played a leading role in developing and refining a function- and team-based bridge and engine room management system on a large scale. This approach is based on roles rather than ranks, with officers operating as a coordinated team, with each officer assigned a role for specific functions. It also includes encouraging team members of all ranks and seniority to speak up to challenge or question a decision. In keeping with the faculty team's leadership, the Arison Maritime Center will provide the additional space needed to implement the industry's first Proficiency Training and Assessment (PTA) program. The week-long course is based on a specially developed curriculum that annually refreshes and then evaluates each of the corporation's maritime officers. With its scale, technology and equipment, and innovative training approach, the new facility will be the most progressive maritime center of its kind in the world for training and continually improving industry-wide safety and excellence. The opening of the new Arison Maritime Center and expansion of our CSMART Academy is a major milestone in our companys history and an exciting day for all of us at Carnival Corporation, said David Christie, senior vice president of maritime quality assurance for Carnival Corporation. The safety and comfort of our guests and crew is our most important priority, and the Arison Maritime Center underscores the depth of our commitment to making sure our ships sail as safely as possible. Our bridge and engineering officers are the heart and soul of our ship operations, and this center takes to a new level our dedication to providing our officers with the maritime industrys most comprehensive and progressive safety training. Added Christie, With 10 cruise line brands sailing 11 million guests a year to over 700 ports around the world, we take tremendous pride in having a team of highly trained, skilled and prepared officers operating the bridges and engine rooms on our ships. With the new Arison Maritime Center and CSMART Academy officially up and running, our tradition of excellence and continuous improvement in safety training is stronger than ever. At 110,000 square feet, the environmentally friendly facility is more than double the size of the companys current facility, allowing Carnival Corporation to provide annual training to over 6,500 officers and engineers across the companys 10 cruise line brands. It will also include an advanced medical center and an 11-story, 176-room hotel for Carnival Corporation trainees. Following a speech by Carnival Corporations CEO Arnold Donald at todays ceremony, the center was dedicated to honor the legacy of the Arisons, the first family of cruising. Micky Arison has been chairman of the board of directors for Carnival Corporation & plc since 1990. He began his career at Carnival Cruise Line in 1972 and was appointed chairman of Carnival Corporation in 1990, a title he still holds today. Considered one of the most respected leaders and experts in the cruise industry, Arison's vision and leadership played the central role in building Carnival Corporation into the world's largest cruise company and helping grow cruising from a niche holiday to one of the most popular vacation experiences available. His late father, Ted Arison, founded the company in 1972 with one ship with the firm belief that cruising is one of the best ways to enjoy a vacation and a commitment to making cruising available to people from all walks of life. Referred to by The New York Times as "the godfather of the modern cruise industry," he is credited with building cruise operations that give travelers the opportunity to enjoy a cruise vacation with prices that range from affordable to upscale. Today, the company has 101 ships, over 120,000 employees and welcomes 11 million guests annually. About one of every two travelers who go on a cruise vacation do so on a Carnival Corporation ship. The official grand opening of the center was commemorated today with a ceremony, tours and a celebration at the facility attended by Carnival Corporations global leadership team and board members as well as government officials, including Maarten Camps, secretary general of the ministry of economic affairs for the Netherlands, and Franc Weerwind, Mayor of Almere. Carnival Corporation worked with Dutch property group AMVEST Vastgoed B.V. to purchase the seven-acre plot of land in Almere Poort called the DUIN, a planned business and residential community in Almere, one of Europe's newest and fastest growing cities. The center's campus and buildings were designed by Dutch architect Paul de Ruiter, and the Dutch construction company Dura Vermeer built the CSMART Academy and hotel. The design and construction were built to meet rigorous environmental and sustainability standards that will achieve "LEED Gold" certification, and the campus will fit esthetically into the Duin environment, per AMVEST'S original plan for the development. Carnival Corporation and the Arison Maritime Center, including the CSMART Academy, produce a significant economic impact in Almere and the greater Amsterdam region. It is estimated that Carnival Corporation and the Arison Maritime Center will generate an annual estimated economic impact of up to 17.5 million euros for the local community and region. Harry Diamond, Vice President and Chief Claims Officer at WQIS, is celebrating 21 years with the company this year. Diamond is a graduate of LaSalle University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in social studies education and history; he also holds an Associate degree in Risk Management. He began his insurance career right out of college when he was hired by a brokerage firm whose main client was Keystone Shipping Company. Diamond continued with the firm for four years until he changed his career path because of an itch that needed to be scratched his desire to be a teacher. For the next six years, Diamond taught eighth grade at St. Marys Interparochial School in the Society Hill area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While he found teaching satisfying, he was drawn back to the marine insurance industry, where he has been ever since. He accepted a job at Keystone, where he worked as a risk manager for 11 years. Diamonds career with WQIS started in March 1995, when he was hired as a claims manager. He was promoted to Vice President of Claims in 1997. In his more than two decades at WQIS, Diamond responded to over 2,500 spills. In 1996, one year after Diamond came on board as claims manager, WQIS was hit with three major multi-million dollar claims: The North Cape, a grounding in Rhode Island with a major release of oil, and the Buffalo 292 and Buffalo 286two major hull failures with releases into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Texas. WQISs response to these incidents forged the organizations reputation as the best spill response insurer in the business. As the industry changed over the years, so did Diamonds role at WQIS. In addition to handling claims, Diamond also serves in a public relations capacity by lecturing at industry events, delivering educational speeches, and presenting to organizations such as the U.S. Coast Guard Crisis Center, which has a longstanding relationship with WQIS. Despite the normal challenges of working in claimslike negotiating with other insurance carriers when divvying up claims, or fielding phone calls at 2 a.m.Diamond still finds his position rewarding. His job has taken him to interesting places in the country and the world; and he says the view from his downtown NYC office isnt too bad. For the past three years, Ryan Puttick, Assistant Vice President of Claims, has worked alongside Diamond at WQIS. Puttick, an attorney, previously worked at a maritime law firm and at another leading marine insurer before joining WQIS. Harry Diamonds name is synonymous with marine pollution liability insurance and pollution claims, says Puttick. Speaking of the companys competitive advantage, Puttick asserts that WQISs claims handling is second to none, because other firms dont have a Harry Diamond. Hes a gentleman and a professional, Puttick says of Diamond. He has the right demeanor to set the proper tone for handling a claim correctly. Puttick added that Harry is an excellent mentor. In addition to his WQIS duties, Diamond is a member of the American Association of Average Adjusters, the Marine Insurance Claims Adjusters, and the Maritime Law Association. He also serves on the board of the American Waterways Operators, the national advocate for the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry. Diamond has been married to Kathleen for 34 years. They have two sons, Joey (29) and Gregory (25), and a six-year-old granddaughter, Chloe. In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his wife and family, especially the traditional trip to the Jersey Shore for two weeks in August. Diamond enjoys continuing to work at WQIS in both claims and in a PR capacity, drawing in new business for the company. This is the perfect job for me, he says. The Port of Port Elizabeth is home port of a third ship to be registered on the South African Ships Register. This marks another step in South Africas drive to become a recognized Maritime Nation in line with the governments Operation Phakisa initiative which aims to unlock the potential of the countrys ocean economy. On Wednesday, 13 July 2016, oil tanker MT LEFKAS docked at the ports berth 100 where a ceremonial plaque exchange ceremony was officiated. The merchant vessel was previously registered under the flag of Liberia but will be using the Port of Port Elizabeth to provide a new offshore bunkering operation in Algoa Bay. In December 2012 the concept of attracting vessels to the Algoa Bay region was identified as an opportunity to grow the maritime industry in the region. In bringing this initiative to fruition, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) and Aegean Bunkering Marine Services worked together to formalize the concept. Aegean subsequently embarked on a rigorous process of securing approvals from the necessary authorities. The company has also obtained bunkering licenses from Transnet National Ports Authority to conduct bunkering operations in the Ports of Port Elizabeth and Port of Ngqura. Aegean is the first company able to offer fuels outside port limits (OPL) in South Africa and expects to attract passing ships with bunkers at anchorage in South Africas Algoa Bay. The registration of the MT LEFKAS and other vessels that will follow is significant towards the employment of South African seafarers. Every vessel has extra accommodation that allows for the training and development of cadets. The registration of the vessel is not restricted to our bunkering operations only but also introduces many economic benefits for the people of Port Elizabeth such as surveying, offshore services and crew changes (more traffic through the airport), hotel accommodation and light and heavy manufacturing said, Greek businessman Kosta Argyros. Port of Port Elizabeth Manager, Mr. Rajesh Dana added: The Port of Port Elizabeth is proud and honored to be the registered home port for the Aegean vessel, MT LEFKAS. We congratulate Aegean for the registration of the vessel on the South African flag and look forward to the opportunities that this will present to Nelson Mandela Bay and South Africa. This historic event is significant to the Port of Port Elizabeth and South Africa at large as it marks the catalytic growth in the South African Ship Registry and once again highlights Nelson Mandela Bays attractiveness as a Maritime City and its potential to exploit the Blue Oceans Economy. Previously the South African Department of Transport had noted that most shipping lines registered their ships outside the country, with the country relying on about 12 000 foreign vessels to export South African goods to the rest of the world. In September 2015 the bulk carrier CAPE ORCHID became the first ship to be registered on South Africas merchant ship registry since 1985, followed by sister ship Cape Enterprise. The development of a locally owned commercial shipping fleet in South Africa is among the intended outcomes of South Africas involvement in BRICS to increase trade and co-operation. European governments are torn over how to respond to China's defeat in a legal battle over the South China Sea, fearful of alienating their second-largest trading partner and hampered by a maritime dispute among their own members. China angrily vowed to ignore the ruling by a court in The Hague dismissing its claim to much of the South China Sea. Its envoy to Washington said the verdict would "intensify conflict and even confrontation", though he also said Beijing remained committed to negotiations in disputes over the vital trade route. Despite U.S. pressure on the European Union to take a stand on the issue, the bloc has so far been unable to agree a common statement, leaving diplomats to argue over the wording acceptable to all 28 member states. The EU says it takes no position in the dispute between China and the Philippines, whose accusation that Beijing has violated its economic and sovereign rights was upheld in Tuesday's ruling by a five-judge tribunal under the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNLCLOS). But the EU remains concerned by China's militarisation of islands and reefs in the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. It says it wants to see international law upheld. A maritime dispute between EU members Slovenia and Croatia has hampered the bloc's response. Croatia pulled out of an arbitration process in 2015 at the same court that ruled on the South China Sea case, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). Croatia wants no mention of UNCLOS in the final statement, leaving other governments frustrated just as senior EU officials head to a summit of Asian and European leaders, known as ASEM, in Mongolia on Friday, wanting a common position. "We should be able to say that the finding of an international tribunal should be respected," said one diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because discussions were still underway. "This is not about apportioning blame." Lucrative Contracts Adding to the difficulties, eastern European countries including Hungary have been heavily lobbied by China in recent months. Beijing has offered lucrative contracts and investment in return for supporting the Chinese position on issues ranging from the South China Sea to Beijing's bid to be treated more favourably in trade disputes with Brussels, diplomats say. Britain and France have been most vocal in calling on China not to escalate tensions in the area, diplomats say. However, British diplomats in Brussels have taken a lower profile since Britons voted last month to leave the European Union, they say. Such divisions leave the EU looking timid to speak up for international maritime order and could undermine its standing, some analysts say. Even though a statement may eventually come, the wording has been significantly watered down in meetings over the past few days, and top EU officials largely side-stepped the issue at an EU-China summit in Beijing this week. At stake for the EU are China's long-awaited investment in the bloc's new infrastructure fund, negotiations to curtail Beijing's production in steel that European industry says is destroying local jobs and efforts to win European companies greater freedom to invest in China. While Donald Tusk, head of the European Council which represents national governments, did mention the issue in public remarks in Beijing, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini was careful to say the bloc did not take a stance on sovereignty in South China Sea, although she also urged all countries to respect UNCLOS rulings. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker kept the focus of his public remarks firmly on deepening investment ties and seeking to resolve the issue of steel overproduction. (Reporting by Robin Emmott) The International Windship Association (IWSA) has announced the shortlist, selected by shipping industry experts, for the inaugural Wind Propulsion Innovation Awards 2016 and voting is now open to everyone to select the winners in three categories Innovation, Technology User and Research. The Lifetime Achievement Award is a closed vote for IWSA members. The Awards will be presented at a ceremony at the SMM2016 on 8th September 2016 in Hamburg. The Wind Propulsion Innovation Awards were launched by IWSA to recognise pioneering projects and technological innovation in the development of wind propulsion for technically and commercially viable solutions for different vessels across the maritime industry. The awards spotlight individuals and companies making a real difference in advancing wind propulsion as a low carbon, sustainable solution for the worlds shipping fleet. IWSA received a large number of nominations for these inaugural awards, underlining the immense effort and innovation in the development of wind propulsion solutions in the industry. The award shortlist was independently judged by a panel of industry experts, wind propulsion specialists and researchers including; Alistair Fischbacher CEO, Sustainable Shipping Initiative, Dr. Pierre C Sames - DNV GL, Catherine Austin Editor, Shipping Efficiency Review, Craig Eason Deputy Editor, Lloyds List, Katharine Palmer Lloyds Register Marine, Gavin Lispith Editor, Motorships, Dimitris Argyos - BG Group, Gary A. McIntyre - J.Lauritzen A/S, Dr. Jasper Faber (PhD) CE Delft, Dr. Michael Traut Tyndall Centre, Manchester University, Capt. Michael Vahs Emden Leer University, Dr. Nishatabbas Rehmatulla - UCL Energy Institute. Prof. Orestis Schinas - Hamburg School of Business Administration (HSBA), Prof. Osman Turan- University of Strathclyde, Peter Schenzle Wind propulsion specialist, Sam Kimmins & Sara Skold- Sustainable Transport Consultants Gavin Allwright, IWSA Secretary said, We are really pleased by both the number and high quality of the nominations we have received. This is testament to the growth of interest in wind propulsion solutions across the industry and the innovative, pioneering spirit of the project teams dedicated to bringing these low carbon technologies to market. Japan's anti-monopoly regulator is investigating whether clauses in liquefied natural gas (LNG) contracts preventing buyers from selling the fuel to third parties hurts competition, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing unidentified sources. The investigation by the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) is in the early stages and may be completed by the end of year, the report said. A spokesman for the JFTC would not comment on the issue when contacted by Reuters, including whether any probe is under way. Japan, the world's top LNG buyer, and other buyers have long complained that so-called destination clauses on oil price-linked contracts place unfair restrictions on trade of the fuel when it would make more economic sense to sell into other markets. "We are very keen to sort it out," Kazushige Tanaka, director of the international affairs division in the Japanese trade ministry's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, said on Thursday. He said he could not say if the JFTC was investigating the issue because it was a separate, independent department. "Destination clauses are not good for expanding the market for LNG so we want to persuade or convince the private sector, consumers and producers to abolish them," Tanaka said. Producers have rebuffed objections to the clauses, but that is changing as U.S. LNG supplies, which are linked to gas prices, became available. The European Commission has taken issue with destination clauses because they say it hurts competition. Yuki Sadamitsu, director of the petroleum and natural gas division in the natural resources agency, said that the government was exchanging information with the JFTC on destination clauses, minutes of a government committee meeting held in May showed. Japan's trade ministry issued a report in May recommending Japan should abolish or relax destination clauses in the future so that the utilities can take advantage of reselling and arbitrage trading opportunities in pursuit of more reasonable prices. Japan, Europe, South Korea, China and India, which together account for about 80 percent of the world's total LNG imports, have jointly called for relaxing or abolishing the destination clause, the trade ministry said. (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori and Aaron Sheldrick; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) The Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) Andhra Pradesh will soon have a world class maritime university. AP has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia's State Marine Technical University to promote marine education and technology. The agreement was signed at the port city of St. Petersburg on the first day of AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's visit to Russia on Wednesday. The Chief Minister held consultations with the heads of the university during his tour. The representatives of the university have also signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government on exchange of investment and naval technology between the two states. The university works in close connection with the United Shipbuilding Corporation and Rosoboronexport and would now share its expertise with Andhra Pradesh. The universitys 60 per cent of the graduates are employed in ship building activity. The varsity offered courses in marine economics as also maritime law to familiarise budding engineers in law and economics related aspects of the seas. Companies involved in the marine segment in India and Andhra Pradesh will benefit from this collaboration, said a government statement. The Chief Minister welcomed the universitys decision to have its base in Andhra Pradesh and briefed him the facilities available in the State for the ship building and water transportation. We are planning to promote inland water transportation, both passenger and cargo. The State has a good number of rivers and canals that could be used for water transportation, he said. A fire at the Rumo sugar and grain terminal in Brazil's Santos port that started early Thursday restricted operations but caused no injuries, according to a spokesman for the company controlled by sugar and ethanol producer Cosan SA. The blaze broke out around 4 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) and the company expects to resume normal operations by midday Thursday, the spokesman said. The fire started at a conveyor belt which connects two of Rumo's warehouse complexes and was controlled within an hour, after loading and unloading were temporarily suspended. News of the incident in the world's biggest sugar producing nation triggered a more than 4 percent rally in sugar prices . Futures have pared back some early gains but are still trading up 2.5 percent at 11:00 a.m. local time. Adailton D'Alves, operations technician at Rumo, said none of the sugar or grains stored in the terminal's various warehouses were affected. The Santos Fire Department said their teams were still investigating. It was the second fire at Rumo in two years and follows a string of blazes at the port, which is South Americas' largest. Cosan had no immediate comment. (Reporting by Reese Ewing and Stephen Eisenhammer) The SENER engineering and technology group signed a contract last year with the U.S. based shipbuilder Fincantieri Marine Group for the license to use SENERs FORAN System. FORAN is currently in use at one of the companys shipyards, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS), located in Sturgeon Bay, Wisc. The scope of the contract included the installation, setup, training and support for the three main FORAN disciplines: Hull Structure, Machinery & Outfitting, and Electrical Design. The training and support have enabled the FORAN users to cope with the new projects design in time and budget, so far. There are three units currently under development with FORAN System: two pusher tugs and one 185,000 BBL barge, all from the same ATB (Articulated Tug Barge) concept. The work currently performed in FORAN covers from basic design to production, through a very detailed 3D digital mock-up, having everything integrated within a single database. The project is done in a real collaborative environment (remote access), with all stakeholders accessing the same data in real time. The FORAN database with all the project information is located at the shipyard facilities, in Sturgeon Bay, while the subcontractors are accessing the data remotely by using a Citrix access solution (Terminal server solution). With this approach, Guarino & Cox is developing the basic and detail design for hull, machinery and pipe from Covington, La., the shipyard is developing the electrical design, foundations and it is exploiting the 3D model for production. HVAC and Joiner are developed by subcontractors as well using their own systems and then imported in the FORAN model to allow checking of arrangements and development of effective routings. During the design development, production personnel at the shipyard have direct access to the model and have been trained to add final production data directly. This includes plate strakes, bevel and gap data, pipe spool breaks, etc. Then production engineering at the shipyard extracts production documents directly from FORAN for steel fabrication, pipe spooling and installation, outfitting, foundations and electrical installation. This approach has lead to a further increase in collaboration between various departments within the shipyard as well as designers and subcontractors. Another relevant aspect from the process is the development of the basic (class) design in FORAN in 3D, from which there are automatically obtained all the required class drawings. This procedure differs from the traditional set of 2D drawings approach and its room for drawings misalignment, at the same time that permits a seamless transition to the production mock-up. After one year using FORAN in some projects, the Engineering Manager Brennan Smith expressed, The implementation of the FORAN system at the shipyard represents a significant step in the evolution of ship design and construction in the U.S. For a couple of decades most U.S. shipyards have had functional designs developed in 2-D, often to a high level of detail, for a separate lofting operation to use in developing 3D models of hull structure and pipe with minimal outfitting. This resulted in two or more sets of design documentation that was then used to manually develop purchasing and planning documents. This was better than the old loft floor but like the loft floor this process is no longer the best available approach. FORAN allows most all of the design to be developed or added to the 3D model providing in single database of design and production information that is fully accessible by the shipyard. This shortens the time from contract to production and improves overall shipyard efficiencies. International law firm Hill Dickinson continues to strengthen its growing commodities team with the return of partner Andrew Buchmann. Following qualification in South Africa, Andrew joined Hill Dickinsons London office in 2003. He returned to South Africa in 2008, where he established a commodities consultancy, advising on commodity trading transactions and contentious issues in relation to physical trades, shipping, finance and insurance. Andrew is a dual-qualified lawyer with an in-depth commercial knowledge of both the UK and Sub-Saharan markets. Commenting on Andrews arrival, Hill Dickinson Head of Commodities, Jeff Isaacs, said: Were delighted Andrew has decided that he can best move forward with his legal career in London and with Hill Dickinson. Andrews outstanding experience and skills will further strengthen our capabilities, broaden our practice areas and greatly enhance our already expanding team of specialists. Andrew added: I am pleased to be back at Hill Dickinson, especially at such an exciting time for the firm. I now look forward to adding my experience to what is a very impressive commodities team and playing my part in contributing to its ambitious growth plans, particularly in the areas of Africa business and emerging markets trade. Andrews appointment follows the arrival of partner Patric McGonigal, who joined the commodities team in April from Hogan Lovells, Tokyo, where he spent more than four years as head of the Tokyo international disputes team. Patric will work closely with the firms Singapore office as the team continues to build on its presence in the Asian market. The captain and first officer of an ocean going tug boat have been found guilty of drug trafficking following the biggest ever U.K. seizure of class A drugs, the countrys National Crime Agency (NCA) announced. The cocaine, worth an estimated potential street value of 512 million once adulterated, was found hidden aboard the Tanzanian flagged MV Hamal in April 2015. The vessel had been intercepted by the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Somerset and Border Force cutter HMC Valiant in the North Sea approximately 100 miles off the coast of Aberdeenshire. They were acting on intelligence supplied by the NCA, working in cooperation with the French customs investigation service DNRED and the U.K.s National Maritime Information Centre. NCA officers were deployed on HMS Somerset as the MV Hamal was boarded and escorted into the Port of Aberdeen. After the vessel arrived in port on Friday, April 24 the cutter crew and specialist Border Force deep rummage teams commenced a search, alongside NCA and Scottish Police Authority forensic teams. Ballast tanks on the Hamal were pumped out so that search crews could gain access. As they began to drill through a metal panel inside one of the tanks, a white powder was seen on the drill bit. It tested positive for cocaine. The panel was removed, revealing bales of cocaine concealed inside a neighboring compartment. The way the bales were stacked inside showed that there must be another access point in the vessel. Investigators began a detailed search for the main access point and in crew quarters above the compartment, underneath a medical cabinet, they found an area of floor that had been cemented over. They chipped through the cement and found a sealed metal hatch, which provided access to the tank containing the cocaine. Border Force officers wearing specialist breathing equipment entered the tank and over the next two days (April 27 and 28) 128 bales of cocaine were removed, each weighing approximately 25 kilos. The total weight of the cocaine taken off the MV Hamal was in excess of 3.2 metric tons. A mobile crane removed the recovered bales from the vessel and Police Scotland then took the drugs under armed guard to a secure location. Forensic tests revealed the cocaine had a purity of between 58 and 74 percent. It would likely have been cut three times over before being sold, meaning it had the potential to create almost 10 metric tons of adulterated street level purity cocaine, valued at around 512 million. NCA officers detained the nine Turkish crew members and they were formally questioned in Aberdeen, while investigators scoured the ship for clues as to the vessels route. A deck log and engine log books stated that the MV Hamal had spent time in West Africa after leaving Turkey. However, analysis of the ships navigation system showed that, even though the AIS navigational beacon was turned off, GPS had continued to monitor movements on a laptop computer. This proved that the ship had sailed from Tenerife on March 8, 2015 and travelled across the Atlantic, arriving in Georgetown, Guyana, on March 21. It left five days later and, significantly, paused its journey for around 12 to 15 hours around two days after leaving port. This is where investigators believe the drugs were loaded on. Following the seizure NCA international liaison officers worked with the Guyanese authorities to trace the location of the vessel whilst it was in Guyana as well as obtaining details regarding individuals associated with it. Mobile phone evidence placed a number of the crew in the Georgetown area of Guyana, contradicting the log books. Officers also recovered a coded satellite phone email message from the vessel, containing a series of numbers. When checked against a key found in a notebook on board this corresponded with co-ordinates for a location in the North Sea, north of the Dutch/German border, where investigators believe the drugs would have been offloaded. Following a 12 week trial at the High Court in Glasgow, ship captain Mumin Sahin and first mate Emin Ozmen were found guilty of two counts of drug trafficking. The charges against four crew members were found not proven. Three others had been acquitted earlier in the proceedings. They will be sentenced on August 12. NCA senior investigating officer John McGowan said, This seizure was unprecedented in scale, the biggest ever class A haul in the U.K., and we believe the biggest ever maritime seizure of cocaine in Europe. While we suspect that the end destination for this load would have initially been mainland Europe, there is no doubt given the size of the seizure that a good percentage would have ended up being sold in the U.K. and fuelling further criminality. Our investigation has been truly international and we have relied on support of law enforcement colleagues across the globe, including France, Turkey, Guyana and Tanzania. I would like to pay tribute to the assistance we have received from the Royal Navy, Border Force, Police Scotland, the SPA and the Crown Office in making this seizure and putting those responsible before the courts. Tony McMullin, Regional Director, Border Force North Region said, The skill and expertise of Border Force search teams are world-leading and this was one of the most intricate concealments weve ever encountered. Once discovered, it took nearly three days for the team to remove all the cocaine bales from Hamal - demonstrating the scale of the this operation and the ability and dedication of our officers. We work closely with law enforcement colleagues in the U.K. and around the world to protect the security of our border. By preventing drug trafficking and putting those responsible behind bars, we are also protecting our communities from the harm these drugs could have caused. South Korea's largest shipping line Hanjin Shipping has sold its entire 21.3% stake in Tan Cang Cai Mep International Terminal (TCIT) in Vietnam to its affiliate in order to secure liquidity. The financially-troubled shipping line will raise about $33m from the sale. The move came after the government and creditors, led by state-run Korea Development Bank, pushed Cho Yang-ho, the chairman of Hanjin Group, to pour more cash to the ailing shipping arm of the company. TCIT is a joint venture company of Saigon Newport Corporation with Hanjin, Mitsui OSK Lines and Wan Hai as partners. Cai Mep in the Mekong Delta is a huge complex of terminals built in the past 12 years. Almost all the terminals in the area have failed to make money. The shipping firm, which is currently under creditor-led restructuring, has been in talks with shipowners on charter rate cuts. Hanjins first round of talks with 22 shipowners failed to receive any positive response. Hanjin is mulling ways to extend the deadline to meet all obligations to receive debt relief from creditors by another month, according to multiple sources from the financial industry and Hanjin Shipping. SPENCER Its interior is small, but the AirCare medical helicopter stationed at the Blue Ridge Regional Airport in Spencer is as well-equipped as a hospital emergency room, according to medics who fly in it. They can perform many emergency procedures, including giving electrical shock to patients whose hearts have stopped, nurse Jacob Moore told Martinsville City Council members who toured the airport on Tuesday. About 200 medications are kept aboard the chopper, added emergency medical technician Dave Lockwood. "I think thats cool, man!" said Vice Mayor Jennifer Bowles, who was thrilled to be allowed to sit in the pilots seat. She was astonished at all the technology and medicines in the helicopter. However, AirCare has its limitations. For instance, Lockwood said, medics cannot stop internal bleeding. Yet they carry supplies of fresh blood and other fluids that are administered to patients needing them, he said. Moore and Lockwood work for Air Methods, which provides air medical personnel to Wake Forest Baptist Health Critical Care Transport of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which operates the AirCare service. From offices inside the airports old terminal, AirCare crews work around the clock even on holidaysin 12-hour shifts. Crews consist of a total of four pilots, 10 nurses and 10 emergency medical technicians, as well as two mechanics, said airport manager Jason Davis. The service averages transporting one patient per day, Moore said. Although it is affiliated with Baptist Health, AirCare regularly transports patients to both the Winston-Salem hospital and Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Both regional medical centers are a little more than 40 miles away from Martinsville-Henry County by air, and the helicopter generally can fly patients to either in about 20 minutes, Lockwood said. Under insurance regulations, AirCare is supposed to fly patients to the nearest regional medical center, he said, adding that when it doesnt, it has to explain why to insurance companies. There must be a good reason, such as weather problems, he added. Because Winston-Salem and Roanoke are so close, though, it often doesnt matter which one that patients are flown to, and patients frequently are asked which one they prefer, Moore said. But the helicopter has transported patients as far as Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond and Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., such as when people who live closer to those hospitals who visited the area needed emergency care and preferred to receive it near home, Moore noted. AirCare has maintained a base at the airport since May 2012, Davis said. Still, crews sometimes encounter people who say, "Weve got a (medical) helicopter here? I didnt know that," Moore said. The airport is to receive $9,000 from the city for the new fiscal year that started July 1. It is one of about two dozen local organizations which the city helps fund, with allocations set by the council during annual budgeting processes, because officials believe the organizations provide valuable services to the community. About 22,000 people fly in and out of the airport each year, Davis said. The airport averages 66 activities including takeoffs and landings of planes and helicopters daily, he said. Fifty-five aircraft are based there, he mentioned. Davis, City Manager Leon Towarnicki and Councilman Gene Teague all agreed that the airports presence is a major economic development tool for the area. For example, Towarnicki said, executives fly in and out to visit their companies area plants and/or see sites where their firms might want to locate. "A corporation doesnt want to go through a major airport," added Mayor Danny Turner. Rather than flying into a large metropolitan airport such as Piedmont Triad International and then traveling by car a considerable distance to the Martinsville area, executives prefer flying into Blue Ridge Regional on smaller planes that the airport accommodates and not having to travel as far by car, according to airport and city officials. They also prefer the one-on-one service that smaller airports can provide, officials said. Having a medical helicopter stationed at the airport often impresses visiting executives, they indicated. In the next nine years, the airport hopes to secure an estimated $13 million to $15 million to extend its runway by 1,000 feet, which would be "a game-changer" in terms of the amount of air traffic it can host, Davis said. With its current 5,002-foot-long and 100-foot-wide runway, the airport can handle smaller planes and jets that weigh up to 120,000 pounds, he said. "Can we land a 747 here? Yes, but not every day," Davis continued, referencing a type of commercial airliner that routinely flies into metropolitan airports. Perhaps in an emergency one might be able to land there. A judge in Patrick County General District Court on Tuesday denied bail for Isaiah Tyre Stokley of Stuart, who is charged with malicious wounding, robbery of a residence and armed burglary in connection with an incident June 5. He and co-defendant Raekwon Keyon Manns of Stuart, who also is charged with those three offenses, are scheduled to have a preliminary hearing in Patrick County General District Court on Oct. 4, at 1:30 p.m. A criminal complaint alleges the following: On June 5, Josh Bowman was staying at 50 Developmental Lane. Bowman stated he heard a knock at the door about 3:45 a.m. Bowman did not answer and a few seconds later, he heard something being wedged in the door. Bowman approached the door. The door then came open and a man with a bandana covering the lower portion of his face pulled Bowman out of the residence, striking him in the face multiple times. At that point, Bowman stated, he recognized the males voice. A second male came around the residence also wearing a bandana around the lower portion of his face. Bowman said the male stated, "This is for breaking (another persons) jaw." Bowman stated this male had small braid-type hair and that he later recognized him. Bowman stated that after being struck in the face multiple times, his wallet (containing his identification and $34) and his cell phone were taken. Bowman said his sister and a 4-year-old were sleeping in the main room of the residence. The males made Bowman go wake his sister up to see if she had any money. She said no and that they needed to leave. Bowman said one of the males had a machete at his back throughout the incident and forced him back outside the residence. Bowman was then hit in the face with some type of object that he thought was a handgun but was unsure. Bowman alleged that one of the males "choked him out and he came back a few a few seconds later." At this point that malehad taken the bandana off and Bowman had recognized him. That male stated, "Hope you have made peace with God," and kicked Bowman in the face. Bowman had injuries to his face. Bowman advised he knew the two males from an encounter at Stuart United Methodist Church earlier on June 4. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com WESTFIELD -- The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce drew a record crowd of more than 1,100 hungry flapjack-loving visitors of all ages Thursday to its 39th Annual pancake Breakfast. "It brings people together," said executive director Kate Phelon. "We have community people. We have business people. We have young people." The crowd includes more than 300 children participating in summer programs at the Westfield Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA of Greater Westfield and at the Westfield Public Schools. The chamber hosts the event each year at the South Middle School on Silver Street. In its beginnings, the breakfast was part of the annual summer sidewalk sales Westfield merchants organised downtown, a tradition that has faded with the changes in retail and shopping habits. Thursday's event featured vendor tables representing area businesses as well as a bounce house for the children. Westfield firefighters gave tours of hook-and-ladder truck. The organizing committee for Babe Ruth World Series was there looking for volunteers and selling tickets. Westfield hosts the Babe Ruthers Aug. 10 through 18 at Bullens Field. Next year, the chamber plans a special event for the breakfast's 40th anniversary, possibly writing "40" in pancakes. 2202308545_d9b5797e5e_o.jpg A Klondike bar. (Flickr Creative Commons) BOSTON -- What would you do for a Klondike bar? If you live in Boston, you won't have do much more than fiddle around with your smartphone on Friday. That's because Uber is encouraging customers to order ice cream treats -- including some free options -- right to their doors through its UberEATS app from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday. The free choices include Magnum and Klondike bars, but customers can also pay for ice cream from some local shops, according to the ridesharing service. Boston is one of around 400 cities worldwide, and the only in Massachusetts, to be offered the promotion. The sweet deal is in homage to one of many made-up food holidays, National Ice Cream Day, which is technically on Sunday. Back in April, Amanda Currie spent $1,500 on a concert ticket to see Johnny Depp's band play at Foxwoods Resort Casino on July 2. The pricey ticket promised a meet-and-greet with Depp and his Hollywood Vampires bandmates, Joe Perry and Alice Cooper. The 23-year-old Chicopee native calls herself Depp's No. 1 fan, and her favorite movie is "Edward Scissorhands." "He's my hero," Currie said. Currie was pumped. Really pumped. And to put it mildly, she needed the pick-me-up. In Sept. 2015, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer that has spread to her spine. She was studying for her master's degree in secondary education at Westfield State University -- she wants to be a math teacher -- but the illness derailed her plans. As the concert approached, it became clear Currie would have a tough time getting there. Currie began losing feeling in her legs. She was in a wheelchair for a while. By June, she was completely paralyzed from the neck down. "I felt very bad, but I understood my limitations," Currie said in a phone interview with MassLive on Thursday. "When she started declining, her uncle emailed someone from the event and said, 'Is there anything that can be done?'," Currie's best friend, Tianna Procon of Chicopee, recalled. Depp's people refunded the ticket completely, and told Currie's family that if she could make it to the show, she and her mom would still be able to meet the band. Procon started making calls. She told Currie's story to Patrick Leonardo, the operations manager for a Springfield ambulance company, American Medical Response. She asked if he might be able to help. "It was an easy choice," Leonardo said. "I would want someone to do that for me, under the circumstances." On the night of July 2, a ambulance and two EMTs --Chase Reisbig and Mike Frydryk -- showed up at Currie's house. The EMTs put Currie on a stretcher and into the vehicle, and Holmes and Procon hopped in. Off they went to Foxwoods. Currie got to meet with Depp privately for about 10 minutes before the concert, and then Cooper and Perry joined in for a few minutes. The band gave Currie an electric guitar with a special message written on it: "Keep up the fight." "She told me, probably a million times, it was the best day of her life," Procon said of Currie. "He kissed her all over the place." Currie said she wants to keep her conversation with Depp between herself and the actor. It was a special, private moment, her mom explained. "He was so sweet and sincere and kind, and the whole band was absolutely amazing. They were genuinely concerned about her," Holmes said. "You could tell that they were impressed that she, being as sick as she is, still wanted to be there and get into the concert." "My dream came true, seeing my daughter with Johnny Depp," Holmes when on to say. Currie, who at this point is only able to speak in a whisper, said meeting with Depp was "absolutely wonderful." "I'm just so grateful," she said. "I'm just so grateful." It was an emotional night for Procon, too. She had seen her best friend struggle. It had been a painful past few months. "I started crying because the doctors told us she wouldn't make it this long, and she's just proving them wrong every day," Procon said of Currie. "It's been 12 days since the show, and she's still proving them wrong." Currie's uncle, Christopher Winslow, launched a GoFundMe page for his niece in December. The goal is to raise $20,000 that will help cover medical costs -- Currie is undergoing chemotherapy -- and modifications to Currie's grandparents' house, where she is living, so she can get around easier. Editor's Note: This is the fourth part in a series of stories on Massachusetts immigrants in collaboration with Professor Razvan Sibii's UMass-Amherst Social Justice Journalism class. ___________ By Lucy Martirosyan As Anahit Margaryan stood at the memorial for her friend's son who had died in a car accident, she realized this was no ordinary funeral. It was, in fact, a military funeral. The 21-year-old man was entitled to it because, rather than visiting with his friends for the past two weeks as he had told his family, he had actually spent the days before the accident took his life fighting alongside fellow ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory in the South Caucasus. Margaryan, now a resident of Hadley, grew up in Armenia at a time when that country was still a constitutive republic of the Soviet Union. The story of her family mirrors that of many recent immigrants who have come to the United States after decades of hardship in one of the countries of the former USSR: relative stability during the Soviet dictatorship, sudden economic disaster brought about by the breakup of the empire, ethnic conflict between neighbors, survival, and the quest for a better life somewhere else. Twice Christened Margaryan was born in 1954, at a time when the Soviet Union was emerging from the iron rule of Joseph Stalin, who had died a year before, and was entering an eventful period marked by the establishment of the Warsaw Pact, the crushing of the Hungarian Revolution, Nikita Khrushchev's destalinization drive and Sputnik. By then, Margaryan's family had been deeply scared by the brutality of the Soviet regime. Her grandfather's seven brothers had all been executed by the Bolsheviks for being kulaks, that is, peasants who had managed to accumulate a measure of personal wealth and owned their own farms. Her father's brother also owned a factory in Russia, and the Communist authorities threw him in prison for 10 years. "[A] very nice man. I saw him when he came back from jail. He was very sick," Margaryan recalls. Despite her family's history of being on the wrong side of the Soviet regime, Margaryan has a nuanced view of life in the old USSR. "Soviet Union has good things and very bad things," she explains. "Good things I love in Soviet Union: education is free. You [don't] have to pay nothing in school. Always they help children. Education staying [at a] high level. Everyone [has] to go to school. Everyone has to learn. Everyone has to be educated. Now, no. If you don't wanna go [to] school, don't go. Some children can't pay [for] it. And I like medical [in Soviet Union] is free. Again, you [don't] have to pay nothing if [you have] insurance. And not like very expensive. Soviet Union time, not expensive. When you're working - even if you're not working - if you going to hospital, government [pays for it]." In the years before the USSR's dissolution, Margaryan's family was able to recover some of the economic status they had lost at the height of collectivization. She characterizes her pre-1992 lifestyle as "high middle class," as her husband managed a big construction outfit, owned three cars and more than one house, and was able to open a savings account for each one of his four children. What was gained in prosperity and stability, however, was lost in personal freedom. "When I [was] born, my mother secretly christened me," Margaryan recalls. In an avowedly atheistic country, baptizing one's child could cost one his or her job. Five years later, with the anti-religious restrictions somewhat loosened up, she was baptized again, by an aunt who had no idea she had already gone through the ritual as a newborn. The Year of Tremors In December 1988, a 6.8 magnitude quake struck Armenia, killing 25,000 people and ravaging the northern part of the country. The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, located about 60 miles away from the epicenter, was shut down for the next six years. It had fulfilled a large portion of Armenia's energy needs. Electricity was now provided only intermittently, for a few hours each day, and people were increasingly desperate to find something to heat their homes with. Many cut the trees in their yards, Margaryan says, but her husband refused to do that. Instead, he chopped off the wooden floor in their cellar and used that as fuel. This year was not only the year of the catastrophic earthquake, but also the year the Armenian independence movement got its start. "Armenia was the first republic of the Soviet Union that openly fought for its independence, so it launched a struggle, a peaceful struggle for its people to petition, to mass around this," explains Armen Baibourtian, a professor of political science at UMass Amherst and a former Armenian ambassador to several other countries. "But very many experts concluded later on that this movement gave birth to wider, broader movement on the territory of the entire Soviet Union, and was the trigger [of] the collapse of the entire Soviet Empire." Economic breakdown and war That collapse came in the last days of 1991. People around the world celebrated the end of the Cold War and the diminishing prospect of nuclear war. But in Armenia, the dissolution of the Soviet Union also meant a complete economic breakdown. When the country changed its currency from the Soviet ruble to the dram, people's savings were wiped out. "One day, we wake up, we [were] changing money, and zero money! And not just mine. Many, many Armenians who put money in bank, nothing!" Margaryan remembers. The business her husband had managed went bankrupt. He died of a heart attack soon afterwards. Margaryan is convinced that it was the loss of everything he had worked so hard for that killed him. For Armenia, the demise of the USSR also meant war with neighboring Azerbaijan. The bone of contention between the two former Soviet republics was the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The majority of the population was ethnic Armenian, but the region had been incorporated into Azerbaijan by the Bolsheviks. In the first years of the conflict, Margaryan kept 14 people as refugees in her home. They were her brother-in-law's family who had fled Nakhchivan, an autonomous area of Azerbaijan close to Nagorno-Karabakh. "The [were] scared, crying," Margaryan says. "I cook[ed] for everyone. They help[ed] me. My husband [did the] shopping. They help[ed] me with dinner. My big family. Because, poor people, what they going to do? I [felt] very, very sorry for them." After three years of full-scale war, a ceasefire agreement was signed in May of 1994, under Russia's mediation. Nagorno-Karabakh was thereafter known as one of the many "frozen conflicts" of the former Soviet Union. Recently, the conflict warmed up again, and Margaryan now worries that her son will become involved in the conflict, just like her friend's son had. A New Life Three years after her husband's death, Margaryan moved to Hadley in 2011 to join her daughter, Araksya, her son-in-law, and their daughter. Today, Margaryan looks after the house and her granddaughter, while Araksya, a Smith College graduate who has been living in the U.S. for 20 years, works as a nurse in cardiology at the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. In a year, Margaryan says she will have her American citizenship. She then hopes to bring her two other daughters, Ruzan and Liana, as well as her son, Tigran, to the United States, because life in Armenia is still nearly very hard. "I love my country. I love my Armenia. Really. I love [it] very much. I want to live there. Every Armenian wants that. But just ... no freedom. You can't work which way you want," Margaryan says. "I don't want to too much complain. My daughter [used to] work in hospital, she make awful, hard work. She work [in] head and spine surgery. Sometimes she stay eight hours [in surgery]. Anesthesia. Six months they [did] not pay her. Six months without money!" America is different, she says. "What I like her very much, person is very safe her. Really. When someone feeling badly, not healthy, they calling emergency. I saw emergency cars coming very quick to just help that person. I like that very much, too. Life, person, here, valuable," she says. __________ Interviews with Anahit Margaryan were made possible by the Center for New Americans. Sen. Eric Lesser State Senate challenger James "Chip" Harrington (R-Ludlow) has challenged incumbent Eric Lesser (D-Longmeadow) to a series of nine debates -- but Lesser's campaign is not biting yet. Harrington, who lost to Lesser in the 2014 Democratic primary before joining the Republican party and launching a rematch campaign this year, said he hopes to debate Lesser in each of the nine municipalities within the First Hampden and Hampshire state Senate District. "I believe that every voter deserves the opportunity to compare and contrast the candidates for this very important position. I have some very different thoughts on the role of elected officials than Mr. Lesser does and I also have very different life experiences than he has had," said Harrington, a convenience store owner, part-time police officer and School Committee chair in Ludlow. "Furthermore, with it being a Presidential election year, a ton of attention will be paid to that race and I believe that this election is just as important because local and state law can have a greater impact on a citizens day to day life," Harrington continued in a statement. "These debates will give folks an opportunity to hear firsthand from us." Lesser's campaign said the senator welcomes debates, but did not commit to the nine debates proposed by Harrington. "Senator Lesser is looking forward to debating the issues with the Republican nominee, whomever that may be, across the district and at times and places allowing the most possible voters to attend or take notice," Lesser's campaign chair Candy Glazer said in a statement. "Senator Lesser has a lot to talk about, including new laws he helped pass to reduce the cost of lifesaving anti-overdose drugs, new funding he secured for job training in Western Massachusetts, and achieving real progress on east-west rail. He looks forward to discussing this record in the fall." A source close to Lesser's campaign said the debate proposal was premature, given that the legislature is still in session and that Lesser and Harrington are yet to be formally nominated by their parties. The source also said Harrington's campaign had not directly invited Lesser to debate, with Lesser's campaign learning of the proposal from a press release. "We didn't reach out to them directly, we just sent out the release assuming that the public would see it and them being in the public would accept or not accept," said Ryan McCollum, a campaign consultant for Harrington. "We haven't seen a response from them publicly or privately." Harrington announced his switch from the Democratic to Republican parties in February, sparking speculation that he was considering another run for office. Later that month Harrington launched his campaign to challenge Lesser for the state Senate. Harrington, who grew up in Ludlow, graduated from Ludlow High School and continued his studies at Holyoke Community College and Westfield State University. He worked as a corrections officer at the now-closed York Street jail in Springfield, as a legislative assistant in the Massachusetts State House and again as a corrections officer before opening Our Town Variety store on Fuller St. in Ludlow. Harrington is also a part-time police officer in Ludlow. He has a history of local political service, including a spell on Ludlow's Board of Selectmen from 1993 to 1997 and a seat on the town's School Committee for the past 11 years. He was endorsed by Gov. Charlie Baker (R) in May. Lesser, a former aide for President Barack Obama, won his state Senate seat in 2014 in his first run for elected office. Since taking office he has helped write and push transit legislation through the Senate, including a study of high-speed rail between Springfield and Boston and last month's controversial set of ridesharing regulations. Lesser also serves on the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs and the Special Senate Committee on Opioid Addiction Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Options. Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank. by J. Max Robins , Featured Columnist, July 13, 2016 I was onYouTube earlier, taking in President Obamas most-eloquent, heartfelt speech at the memorial for the five Dallas police officers so tragically gunned down while they were on duty at a peaceful protest of the two senseless deaths of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement that had happened just days before. Listening to the president, I also thought about Philando Castile, the Falcon Heights, Minn. resident whose last horrific moments of life were broadcast on Facebook Live by his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds from the passenger seat of the car. That nightmarish video has been viewed by more than 6 million people. When Facebook Live was launched to the public in April, it was promoted as a lighthearted tool for video fun and games. As Kate Knibbs noted in Facebook Lives Identity Crisis, a smart essay in The Ringer about social media and the triptych of violence we witnessed last week, the viral sensation that put the new tech on the map was Chewbacca Mom, showing a happy Texas homemaker broadcasting herself prancing around with a Chewbacca mask. Of course, the sublimely silly is not going to go away anytime soon. Nor should it. We need respite from so much grim injustice. advertisement advertisement Im know Im not the only one who sees a connection thats more than coincidental between recent events and Facebooks announcement of a change in algorithms that determined users would see more dancing cat posts by family and friends rather than the cold, hard, violent facts of the perpetual news cycle. Still, Facebook Live, like other streaming tools and social media platforms, quickly became another in a series of essential reporting outlets bringing the most crucial issues of our time up close and personal for everyone who has a screen. The murderous assault on the Dallas police, the deaths of Castile and that of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge both at the hands of the police and scores of other seemingly avoidable act of gun violence, have become a streaming staple. Id argue its of prime importance that cameras bear witness to all the madness and injustice. If youre like me, you have children who are teenagers or young adults, who are watching all this pixelated murderous hate, and are hearing their anger, sadness and frustration about the racism and violence that is epidemic. Ive heard pundits attempt to compare whats happening now to those events in the 1960s, when images on the evening news showing police violence against those protesting for civil rights or against the Vietnam War spurred social change. But what young people, perpetually glued to their screens big and small, are experiencing currently in real time in an all-too-real world is exponentially more graphic and pervasive than at anytime else in history. Weve traveled media eons from that era. We are even light years from 1991, when an inexpensive lightweight video camera caught the beat-down of Rodney King by Los Angeles police. And remember: Decades ago, these haunting images hit us once or twice per day; now, such pervasive, era-defining awfulness keeps to no such schedule. The question I keep hearing from my kids and their friends who, I imagine, would remind me that the police officers in the Rodney King case were exonerated is, how much progress has truly happened because of our ability to bear video witness in real time? My answer would be that huge change happens much more slowly than the speed of images. Still, sometimes hope can be born out of the worst tragedies when the whole world is watching. Focusing mainly on streaming shows actors:Three streaming comedies--"Master of None"(Netflix), ""Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Netflix) and "Transparent" (Amazon) are among the seven nominees for outstanding comedy in this year's Emmy race. Only "House of Cards" from Netflix was nominated in the outstanding drama field. The Emmy nominations were just announced in Hollywood. Among actors nominated were Lily Tomlin as outstanding actress in a comedy "Grace and Frankie (Netflix) and Ellie Kemper from "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." In the drama end of that competition, Robin Wright was nominated as best actress in "House of Cards." Kyle Chandler was nominated for his starring role in "Bloodlines" (Netflix) and Kevin Spacey repeated for "House of Cards." Among men, Aziz Ansari was nominated for best actor in a comedy for "Master of None" and Jeffrey Tambor repeated for his transgender role in "Transparent." (Amazon). In total, Netflix received 54 nominations, behind HBO's usual leading tally--94 this year--and FX's 56. Amazon Video has 16 nominations. But "Orange Is The New Black" (Netflix) was shunned for outstanding comedy honors, and so was "The Good Wife (CBS) in the drama category. Some thought the durable Sunday night CBS drama would have earned a congratulatory nod in its last season. The most nominations of all sorts went "Game of Thrones" (HBO) with 23, and "The People Vs. O.J. Simpson" (FX), with 22. Check for updates. The major primetime Emmys are awarded on Sept. 18. Helicobacter pylori, commonly called H. pylori, is a type of bacteria that infects the stomach and small bowel. It was discovered in 1982 by two Australian researchers who also found that it causes peptic ulcer disease. Peptic ulcers are open sores in the lining of the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine. Peptic ulcers are often simply called ulcers or stomach ulcers. H. pylori also increase the risk of developing stomach cancer and gastritis. This article explains what H. pylori are, how it makes people sick, and how it causes stomach ulcers. Symptoms of H. pylori Many people with H. pylori do not have any signs or symptoms. However, if people get an illness caused by H. pylori, they may have various symptoms. Symptoms of a stomach ulcer might include a dull or burning pain in the upper belly area. The pain is sometimes worse at night or when the stomach is empty. There may be temporary relief from taking an antacid. However, the pain does come back. Symptoms of gastritis often include upper belly pain, nausea, and vomiting. Possible symptoms of stomach cancer include : belly pain or swelling loss of appetite nausea or indigestion feeling full without eating very much vomiting People with any of these symptoms should talk with their doctor. Other conditions can cause these symptoms, so proper medical care is needed to diagnose the issue. Possible complications of stomach ulcers An ulcer can lead to serious complications if left untreated, including: internal bleeding that can become life-threatening a hole in the stomach that can lead to infection scar tissue that can block the stomach or intestine, preventing it from emptying food These complications require immediate medical attention. Possible warning signs include: severe stomach pain black or tarry stool stool with bright red blood vomit with bright red blood vomit that resembles coffee grounds feeling weak or short of breath feeling dizzy or faint chills or fever Tests for H. pylori Doctors can conduct a blood test to see if H. pylori antibodies are present in a persons blood. However, since antibodies can remain in the body after the bacteria is gone, this may not be the best way to test for an active infection. Other ways to test for the bacteria include : An urea breath test (UBT) , in whuch a person swallows a capsule containing urea and then gives a breath sample after 1020 minutes. This allows the doctor to see if the bacteria is present in the stomach. , in whuch a person swallows a capsule containing urea and then gives a breath sample after 1020 minutes. This allows the doctor to see if the bacteria is present in the stomach. An endoscopy can help a doctor find the infection, as well as any related ulcers or inflammation. can help a doctor find the infection, as well as any related ulcers or inflammation. A stool sample can also show if a person has antigens for the bacteria on their stoll. This tells the doctor if the person has an active infection. Diagnosis of H. pylori conditions Doctors diagnose ulcers, gastritis, and stomach cancer with a combination of the following tests: Medical history: Past medical problems and symptoms are discussed. Past medical problems and symptoms are discussed. Physical exam: The doctor will examine and listen to the belly. The doctor will examine and listen to the belly. Special X-rays: These can show the inside of the stomach. These can show the inside of the stomach. Endoscopy: Doctors view the inside of the stomach with a special instrument while the patient is sedated or put to sleep. Contagiousness of H. pylori H. pylori is contagious, though the way it transmits is not clear. The two most likely ways the bacteria transmit are: direct person-to-person transmission environmental contamination Causes of H. pylori infection When it comes to environmental contamination, the likely source is contaminated food or water. It has been found in human saliva, so experts think it can spread from person to person. There is no known way to prevent H. pylori infection. However, experts recommend: Washing hands before eating and after using the restroom. Eating food that has been handled and prepared safely. Drinking only clean, safe drinking water. H. pylori infections are more common in developing countries where people may not have access to clean, safe food and water. Treatment for H. pylori conditions People who have symptoms of an ulcer, gastritis, or another stomach issue may receive testing for H. pylori or other problems. If doctors find an ulcer, they may treat patients with a variety of medications, including some or all of the following: antibiotics to kill H. pylori medications that reduce stomach acid called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or histamine receptor blockers medications that coat the ulcer and help it heal Sometimes, a peptic ulcer can come back after treatment. To help avoid this, experts recommend that a person: Stop NSAIDs or take a much smaller dose. Only take NSAIDs with special medications that protect the stomach. Avoid alcohol. Consider quitting smoking. Experts also recommend that children and adolescents with H. pylori are first treated simultaneously with 1-2 mg/kg/day of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), and two different antibiotics: amoxicillin (50 mg/kg/day) and clarithromycin (20 mg/kg/day). This treatment should last 14 days. If this is not successful, the doctor may attempt to increase the dosages or substitute the antibiotics. Manipulating novel target could lead to new treatments. Northwestern Medicine scientists have shown how manipulating a novel target in the brain using gene therapy could lead to new treatments for depression. The investigators showed decreasing a set of proteins called HCN channels reduced depression-like behavior in mice. If replicated in humans, the findings could inform fresh therapies for millions of patients who do not respond to existing treatments for depression. "Drugs currently available for treating depression help most patients, but they stop working for some patients and don't work from the get-go for others," said senior author Dr. Dane Chetkovich, ?a professor of neurology and of physiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine neurologist. "There is a real need for new therapies to help patients desperate for alternatives to the available therapeutic options." The study will be published July 12 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. Most existing antidepressants affect mood and emotions by increasing levels of neurotransmitters called monoamines, namely serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. But the fact that these drugs are not effective for many patients suggests there are additional mechanisms underlying depression yet to be uncovered that could be targeted with new therapies. In previous research, Chetkovich's lab and others showed those mechanisms might involve the hippocampus, a region of the brain important for learning, memory and emotional regulation. There, they saw changes to HCN channels, typically involved in controlling the electrical activity of cells in the heart and brain, also played a critical role in behaviors linked to depression. In the new study, a group of Northwestern scientists led by Chetkovich took steps to translate that insight into a potential gene therapy using mouse models. The scientists surgically injected mice with a nontoxic virus engineered to express a gene that turns off HCN channel function in hippocampus neurons. "When the HCN channels stopped working, the mice behaved as if they'd been given antidepressant medications," Chetkovich explained. In contrast, increasing the function of HCN channels removed the antidepressant effect. To measure depression-like behavior, the scientists measured how long mice would seek to escape an environment before giving up - a test commonly used by the pharmaceutical industry to screen compounds for effectiveness as antidepressants, including medications currently on the market. "This work not only identifies a totally new treatment target for depression, it provides a detailed molecular description of the structures that need to be manipulated for it to act as an antidepressant and develops viral tools to do so," said Chetkovich, who is also director of Feinberg's Medical Scientist Training Program. In future research, the scientists are focusing on adapting the viral gene therapy approach to human patients. They also have a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to find small molecules that could be developed into oral medications to turn off HCN channels in the brain. This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grants 2R01NS059934, R01MH106511, R21MH104471 and 2T32MH067564, Brain Research Foundation grant SG 2012-01 and Chicago Biomedical Consortium grant HTS-004. Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder that causes a range of motor and non-motor symptoms. During the course of the disease, dopamine (DA)-producing neurons are lost and bundles of proteins known as Lewy bodies (LBs) form in the brain. A study reported in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease provided molecular evidence that the FDA-approved leukemia drug nilotinib may restore brain dopamine and reduce toxic proteins associated with LB formation in PD and dementia patients. Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center conducted a small phase 1 study that included only 12 patients, primarily intended to evaluate whether patients could tolerate the drug. The results showed unanticipated improvements in clinical outcomes and motor function. "This is the first study to treat subjects with advanced PD with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor," explained lead investigator Charbel Moussa, MD, PhD, of the Department of Neurology, National Parkinson's Foundation Center for Excellence, Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC), Washington DC. "This study suggests that low doses of nilotinib appear to be relatively safe in a small cohort of participants with advanced PD or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and although the data are supportive of additional trials, caution must be used in any future studies. The data give a clear signal to move forward with more definitive trials to determine an appropriate therapeutic dose and evaluate nilotinib effects in larger, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials." Autophagy, a "housecleaning" process that removes various entities from inside cells, may be impaired in PD and DLB patients. Nilotinib is an Abelson tyrosine kinase inhibitor (Abl-TKI) that induces autophagy to destroy cancer cells. The researchers had found previously that this drug could penetrate the blood brain barrier and degrade the protein bundles, which are primarily composed of -synuclein. Based on this observation, they conducted a small proof-of-concept, non-placebo-controlled clinical trial. Twelve patients with late-stage PD or DLB randomized into two groups were given either 150 mg or 300 mg of nilotinib daily for six months, significantly lower than the 600-800 mg doses used in leukemia treatment. Careful safety monitoring included physical and neurological exams, EKGs, and extensive blood chemistry testing. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were collected at the beginning of the study and again after 8 and 24 weeks. Nilotinib uptake was measured at various intervals after dosing, and a variety of biomarkers associated with PD and neurodegeneration were assessed. "Patients progressively improved in motor and cognitive functions as long as they were on the drug - despite the decreased use of dopamine replacement therapies in those participants with Parkinson's and dementia with Lewy bodies," stated the study's lead author, Fernando Pagan, MD, medical director of the GUMC Translational Neurotherapeutics Program and director of the Movement Disorders Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. In addition, motor symptoms were monitored using the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The researchers observed improvements in all participants at 24 weeks, with the effects reversing by the 36-week follow up visits, after treatment had concluded. Among the biomarker findings were that: The level of the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid - an indicator that dopamine is being produced - steadily doubled, even with the loss of most dopamine neurons. Most study participants were able to stop using, or reduce their use of, dopamine replacement therapies; The level of the Parkinson's related oxidative stress marker DJ-1 - an indicator that dopamine-producing neurons are dying - was reduced more than 50 percent after nilotinib treatment; and The levels of cell death markers (NSE, S100B and tau) were significantly reduced in CSF suggesting reduced neuronal cell death. "Our hope is to clarify the benefits of nilotinib to patients in a much larger and well controlled study. This was a very promising start," Dr. Moussa said. "If these data hold out in further studies, nilotinib would be the most important treatment for Parkinsonism since the discovery of Levodopa almost 50 years ago." He added, "Additionally, if we can validate nilotinib effects on cognition in upcoming larger and placebo controlled trials, this drug could become one of the first treatments for dementia with Lewy bodies, which has no cure, and possibly other dementias." In an accompanying commentary, Richard K Wyse, MD, The Cure Parkinson's Trust, London, UK, Patrik Brundin, MD, PhD, Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA, and Todd B Sherer, PhD, Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, New York, New York, USA, put these findings into perspective and address some of the limitations of this small but innovative study. "The current paper by Pagan et al. substantiates a new direction, addressing a molecular pathway not previously targeted in a clinical trial in this context, for potential disease modification in PD and DLB. However, this study is just a first step and a major concerted effort is needed to determine whether there is still hope that can match the hype for nilotinib in alpha-synucleinopathies." Article: Nilotinib Effects in Parkinson's disease and Dementia with Lewy bodies, Moussa, Charbel, Journal of Parkinson's Disease, doi: 10.3233/JPD-160867, published 11 July 2016. The marker Flattop subdivides the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas into those that maintain glucose metabolism and into immature cells that divide more frequently and adapt to metabolic changes. This could provide a starting point for regenerative diabetes therapies, as scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, in collaboration with colleagues of the Technical University of Munich and the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), report in the journal Nature. The beta cells of the pancreas produce the metabolic hormone insulin when blood glucose levels rise, in order to keep glucose levels in equilibrium. If the beta cells are destroyed or lose their function, this can lead to serious diseases such as diabetes. However, not all beta cells are identical. "It has long been known that there are different subpopulations of beta cells," said Professor Heiko Lickert, director of the Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen. "But until now, the underlying molecular mechanisms have remained elusive." Flattop is a marker for mature beta cells In the current study, the researchers led by Lickert searched for molecular markers subdividing the respective subgroups. One molecule, in particular, captivated their attention: the protein Flattop.* It was present in about 80 percent of all beta cells. These cells effectively determined the glucose concentration of their environment and secreted the corresponding amount of insulin, thus showing the metabolic properties of mature beta cells. Cells without Flattop proliferate more frequently Conversely, the team of researchers observed that beta cells in which no Flattop was measurable showed a particularly high rate of proliferation. "In our experimental model, these cells proliferated up to four times more often than the Flattop-positive cells," said study leader Lickert. A type of precursor cells? To pursue the hypothesis that the actively dividing cells (without Flattop) could be precursors of metabolically active cells, the scientists made use of a genetic trick to map the fate of single cells. This so called lineage tracing revealed that the proliferative progenitor cells were able to develop into mature beta cells with metabolic properties. This was also the case, when the scientists placed them in an artificial mini-organ-like 3D environment. Moreover, genetic analyses confirmed that in beta cells without Flattop, primarily genes responsible for sensing the environment were expressed, while in cells with Flattop primarily classic metabolic programs took place. "Our results suggest that the Flattop-negative cells are a kind of immature reserve pool, which constantly renews itself and can replenish the mature beta cells," Lickert said. According to the study leader this new possibility of subdividing these two subgroups allows a comprehensive analysis of the signaling pathways involved. The results of the researchers raise hopes for the development of regenerative therapies: "The heterogeneity of the beta cells has been studied for more than 50 years, now with enabling technologies it looks like we are beginning to understand how the cells behave," said Lickert. In the future, the scientist will focus on two major aspects: on the one hand in terms of regenerative therapy their goal would be to regenerate endogenous beta cells in a targeted manner to replace dysfunctional or lost cells in patients. On the other hand the findings are a milestone in the generation of functional beta cells from stem cells in cell culture for cell replacement therapy, which was not possible so far. Advertisement Circadian blood pressure variation is a controversial indicator of cardiovascular disease risk. Research suggests that having a smaller blood pressure decline from waking to sleep increases cardiovascular risk. Previous studies examining ethnic variation in the waking-sleep decline have compared African Americans or Asian Americans to European Americans and have shown that the European Americans have a larger decline than either group.The study conducted by James and his colleagues is the first to make waking-sleep comparisons among multiple groups of women: African American, Hispanic American, European American, and Asian American. The results of the study confirm that the average blood pressure decline of African American and the Asian American women is less than the European American women, but it turns out that those differences are also similar with Hispanic American women.African American women and Asian American women differ in the same way with the Hispanic American women as they do with the European American women. The Asian American women also had higher pressures during sleep than all the other groups, so that their decline during sleep was the smallest, even smaller than the African American women.What is interesting about this, said James, is that the differences mostly reflect changes from being at work to sleeping; there were no ethnic differences in the decline in pressure from being at home in the evening to sleeping."Hypertension develops over time. What the results of this study suggest is that it's developing differently, in different groups, over time," said James. "You can see a clear difference in the way blood pressure is changing over the course of the day. It would suggest that some aspect of cultural upbringing might be contributing to this. There could be some genetic differences also.But, more than likely, it's probably a combination of both. The kinds of behavior people engage in are a source of what causes hypertension, and those behaviors are probably different in different groups. Why this is important is that if you want to treat hypertension and prevent cardiovascular diseases, you need to know a lot about your patient. Treatment is not just a generic thing."James thinks that having 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, done for the purpose of determining hypertension, should be the norm. In Europe, they will not diagnose hypertension until they've done ambulatory monitoring at least two or three times. In America, a blood pressure taken at a doctor's office is often sufficient to make a diagnosis."Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is not something that is done routinely in medical practice," he said. "In America, we are just now coming around to the idea of having people take their blood pressure with a home monitor. These out-of office blood pressures provide a significant amount of added information. They at least tell clinicians what blood pressure is like when patients are relaxing at home, as opposed to when they are in the relatively unusual situation of being at the doctor's office.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. Advertisement Addressing challenges affecting access to social services in informal settlements, and rural and hard-to-reach areas; Strategies to address the vulnerability of migrant and mobile populations and substance abuse; Interventions to address harmful gender norms and gender based violence; Lessening the impact of HIV, TB and STIs on orphans/children/youth ensuring that they have access to the social services they need, including basic education. "Today, South Africa is seen by the global community as having a model AIDS response. The biggest sea change in the national AIDS response has been a strong demonstration of political will and leadership to address the massive HIV epidemic. South Africa invests heavily in its own HIV response and now funds 85% of the national AIDS response through public and private sector funds" said Mr France K Morule.In 2010-11, it successfully implemented a mass HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) campaign, which saw 20 million people tested for HIV in 20 months. The HCT campaign was a catalyst for the rapid growth in the HIV treatment programme. The country now has nearly 3.2 million people on HIV treatmentthe biggest HIV treatment programme in the world. As a result, HIV related deaths decreased from 330,000 in 2010 to 140,000 in 2014. The evidence-based, multi-pronged approach adopted for prevention of mother-to-child transmission programme in South Africa has seen the rate of babies born with HIV decrease significantly from 8% in 2008 to 2.6% in 2013. The number of 014 years children living with HIV and on anti-retroviral treatment, while still lagging behind, has also increased fourfoldfrom 42,000 in 2009 to 166,000 in 2014, informed Mr France K Morule.Education: Mr France K Morule said that part of South Africa's dramatic strides in the battle against HIV/AIDS can be attributed to its education programme around the disease. The programme has targeted various levels of academic and social institutions through a multi-pronged approach. By engaging the population from a young age the programme has been able to reinforce the message, throughout the developmental years of children, about the need to practice safe sex. Coupled with the mainstreaming of knowledge about HIV/AIDS, the programme was also able to deal with the critical issue of de-stigmatizing the disease.In South Africa there was structural/societal as well as the personal/self-imposed stigmatization of HIV/AIDS and TB. The relevance of stigma cannot be underestimated due to the causal relationship between stigma and people seeking alternative remedies, that are better concealed, than going to government run programs, which may create/reinforce the already present stigma. These programs have sought to change the perception that HIV/AIDS is a death sentence and further remove the myths relating to the transmission of the disease.The overall guidance and framework for the National Service Plan (NSP) was provided by the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC). The NSP provides a national framework that covers issues relating to basic education, safety and security, employment, skills development, economic infrastructure, rural development, human settlements, responsive local government, environmental protection, public service and citizenship, as well as health. It will guide the development of detailed implementation plans at provincial and sectorial levels for dealing with both HIV/AIDS as well as TB, shared Mr France K Morule.The NSP is based on a 20-year vision for reversing the burden of disease from HIV, STIs and TB in South Africa. The NSP and related provincial implementation plans are based on evidence and experience, and at the same time are flexible enough to accommodate new research findings.Interventions must also have high impact and must be able to be rolled out to scale. Finally, the plans must include all sectors involved in HIV, TB and STIs: they must promote partnerships across sectors and at all levels of society.South Africa has experienced both TB and HIV epidemics in alarming proportions. It has the third highest incidence of TB in the world, after India and China. Approximately 1% of the South African population develops TB every year. New TB infections have shot up by 400% over the last 15 years, reaching 970 new infections per 100,000 people in 2015. The HIV epidemic is driving the TB epidemic as 73% of the 450,000 TB patients in South Africa, are also co-infected with HIV, said Mr France K Morule.The highest prevalence of TB infection is in people who are in the age group 30-39 years, and living in townships and informal settlements. This confirms the fact that TB is a disease that affects poor communities disproportionately. Groups that are more likely to be exposed to HIV and TB, or to transmit them are called key populations and special efforts have to be made to reach out to these groups with services for prevention, treatment and care said Mr France K Morule.Key populations for HIV services include young women in the age group of 15-24 years; people living close to national roads and in informal settlements; young people not attending school; people with low socio-economic status; uncircumcised men; people with disabilities; sex workers and their clients; substance abusers; men who have sex with men; and transgenders.Mr France K Morule added that key populations for TB services include people who share the same living space with confirmed TB cases; mine workers; correctional services staff and inmates; people living with HIV; people with diabetes; malnourished people; users of drugs tobacco and alcohol; mobile, migrant and refugee populations; and people living and working in poorly ventilated and overcrowded environments (including informal settlements).Many of the obstacles that impeded effective HIV prevention and treatment programs in 2000 still exist today. More than 60% of people living with HIV remain without anti-retroviral therapy, including women and girls, men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, young people, and people who use drugs and other marginalized groups remain under-prioritized in the response; investments in HIV prevention research appear to have flattened; and widespread violations of human rights including criminalization continue to undermine effective responses, said Mr France K Morule.In an exclusive media webinar on 11th July 2016 in lead up to TB 2016 and AIDS 2016, Nomampondo Barnabas was on the panel of experts. Nomampondo is presently the Civil Society Liaison Officer for International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She presented her patient's perspective in this webinar, sharing her experience of living with both diseases: HIV and TB."I was diagnosed with HIV in 1997. We know that with HIV advancing one of the leading opportunistic infections is TB. I was diagnosed with TB in 2006. Dr Fuad Mirzayev of WHO Global TB Programme has highlighted the importance of shorter, cheaper drugs. Back then in 2006 I had to take (because of my weight) 5 TB drugs, 5 anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, 2 antibiotics to prevent further infections, and other medications to prevent side effects. I want to emphasize on importance of accelerating research for shorter TB regimens and also for decreasing pill burdens. Longer regimens and huge pill burden are also responsible for those who are forced to interrupt treatment midway. Shorter regimens and reducing pill burdens are a major priority for researchers. Today I am on just one pill a day - this needs to become a reality for others too who deal with co-infections or co-morbidities."The magnitude of the HIV and TB epidemics reduced South Africa's chances of achieving the MDG goals related to reversing the epidemics of HIV and TB and reducing maternal and child deaths. Therefore the implementation of the NSP must assist South Africa to reach these goals. HIV and TB management must be mainstreamed into the core strategies of all relevant government departments in all spheres of governance, as many interventions lie outside the domain of health. The mainstreaming of HIV and TB into the core mandate of all government departments will lead to a streamlining of work, allowing them to make relevant policy decisions and interventions.With a view to eradicate these diseases in future, a long term plan that seeks to address social, economic and behavioral drivers of HIV, STIs and TB is being rolled out as part of the countries National Development Plan.This includesIt is also trying to reduce the vulnerability of young people to HIV infection by ensuring that they stay in school until Grade 12. Besides this, a Stigma Reduction Framework and the People Living with HIV Stigma Index is also proposed to be implemented nationally.Source: Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)Source: Medindia Advertisement UNESCO did not detail the nature of the security threats but Mali has been threatened for the last four years by Islamist militant groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Ansar Dine.The site was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List of the world's outstanding natural and cultural wonders in 1988.UNESCO says its list of heritage in danger is designed to inform the world of risks to the very characteristics that led to a site being listed as World Heritage and encouraging corrective action.In 2012, jihadists destroyed nine mausoleums in the ancient Malian town of Timbuktu, as well its famous Sidi Yahia mosque which dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries.One of the alleged attackers, Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi, will go on trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague from August 22, 2016, the tribunal announced on June 1, 2016.Including Djenne, Mali now has three sites on the world heritage in danger list. Timbuktu and the Tomb of Askia in Gao were both added in 2012 when the fighting first broke out.Meanwhile, the committee also added the historic center of the southern Uzbek town of Shakhrisyabz to the in-danger list, due to the over-development of tourist infrastructure in the site.The town contains an unrivaled collection of religious and secular monuments built during the empire led by the great Turco-Mongol leader Timur in the 15th century.The committee said, "The destruction of buildings in the center of the site and the construction of modern facilities such as hotels had affected irreversible changes to the appearance of historic Shakhrisyabz."It requested a mission to assess the extent of damage and propose appropriate corrective measures. The site was given world heritage status in 2000.In a reverse move also announced on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, the committee decided to remove the complex of churches and holy sites in the Georgian town of Mtskheta from the in-danger list, where it had been listed since 2009."The Committee's decision reflects recognition of Georgia's efforts to improve the safeguarding and management of the site," the UNESCO statement said.Previously, UNESCO had been concerned by the deterioration of its stone fabric and fresco paintings caused by work carried out to its edifices, as well as urban sprawl.Source: AFP On July 13, the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) met at the level of ambassadors in Brussels, days after the July 8-9 NATO summit in Warsaw.[1] The meeting focused on the Ukrainian crisis and on the implementation of the Minsk agreements. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that Russia's actions in Ukraine had undermined Euro-Atlantic security and NATO-Russia relations, adding that a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis would contribute to improved NATO-Russia relations.[2] Stoltenberg said of the gathering, "There was not a meeting of the minds."[3] However, despite major disagreements, NATO welcomed Russia's proposal to ensure air safety in the Baltic Sea, originally suggested by the Finnish President Sauli Niinisto during a July 1 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.[4] Russian media also reported that "military personnel" took part in the NRC meeting.[5] In advance of the NRC meeting, the director-general of the pro-Kremlin Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), Andrey Kortunov said: "The... NRC meeting will be a sort of thermometer that will allow us to measure the temperature of Moscow's relations with the West. It's quite clear that today they are at a fever point... "It's good to have such a thermometer even though it will not be able to replace an aggressive treatment."[6] NATO froze all practical cooperation with Russia after it annexed Crimea in 2014. However, the NRC continued to operate, in order to keep political dialogue channels open. Yesterday's meeting was its third since the cooperation freeze; its first was June 2, 2014, and its second was April 20, 2016. Also on July 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Hollande; in the conversation, the three leaders exchanged views on the outcome of the NATO summit in Warsaw and expressed "a mutual desire to pursue constructive dialogue and take concrete steps to strengthen confidence between Russia and NATO."[7] On July 14, U.S. Secretary John Kerry is scheduled to be received by Putin in Moscow, and they will discuss the Syria and Ukraine crises.[8] NATO-Russia Council (Source: Sputniknews.com, July 13, 2016) Russian Special Envoy To NATO Grushko: "[NATO's] Measures Are... Confrontational... Bringing Us Back To The Safety Models Of The Cold War" At the NRC meeting, Russian envoy to NATO Alexander Grushko criticized the outcome of the NATO summit in Warsaw, in which NATO members agreed to deploy four multinational battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland on a rotational basis. Grushko stated that the deployment of additional NATO personnel close to Russian borders is confrontational, saying: "We believe these measures are superfluous [and] counterproductive; they are confrontational, essentially weakening pan-European and regional security while bringing us back to the safety models of the Cold War era." He also stated that Moscow represents no threat to NATO members, and that the threat is actually posed by NATO's "military planning and military preparations" at Russia's borders. He specifically raised concern at the increased militarization of the Baltic States: "The danger lies in the fact that today's confrontational policy, which is built on the basis of the mythical threat from Russia, takes the form of military planning and military preparations at our borders. In fact, the East European members of the alliance, who declared themselves the frontline becomes a springboard for military deployments and the provision of military and political pressure on Russia." Another main reason of concern for Russia is the U.S./NATO missile defense system in Eastern Europe. Grushko noted that the system poses "a threat to Russia" and added that Moscow will do everything needed to "ensure the security" of its territory.[9] As the U.S. holds dogs representing NATO member countries, it says to Russia: "Hey, open up, I want to come to talk!" Russia responds, "Here, people don't come visit with their dogs!" Vitaly Podvitsky, Ria.ru, July 11, 2016. Russian FM Lavrov: In NATO, There Is A "Desire To Perpetuate An Artificial Image Of Russia As An Enemy" On the day of the NRC meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that in NATO there prevails "the desire to perpetuate an artificial image of Russia as an enemy," in order "to enforce unity" in its ranks and consolidate positions. Talking from Kazakhstan's capital Astana, where he attended the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Caspian States, Lavrov said: "Unfortunately, our NATO partners are again uniting on the basis of the lowest common denominator, which is formed by the openly Russophobic minority in Western nations." Concerning relationship with NATO, Lavrov stated: "It was not us who broke off the agreements on counterterrorism cooperation or who froze all cooperation to support the Afghan security forces so they can more effectively fight ISIS and other radicals. It was not us who suspended all other forms of cooperation between Russia and NATO. When our partners announced that they were willing to hold today's Russia-NATO Council meeting, I heard someone saying that they presented it as a gesture of goodwill. They said they agreed to hold the Russia-NATO Council meeting. They did not agree to hold it, because we didn't ask them to. If they froze this mechanism, then it's up to them to take steps to revive it. They did ask us to agree to a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council. We met them halfway because, by and large, we never turn down a conversation. I hope that this will be a responsible conversation, not a show for the public, not a staged event to score some propaganda points, but rather a conversation that is consistent with the grave situation that has developed in the wake of NATO's policy on military and political security in Europe." With regard to future NRC activities, Lavrov said that Russia knows for a fact that leading NATO countries, primarily European, have called for the council to meet regularly again. Lavrov then added: "But the minority, that derives immense pleasure from adopting Russophobic positions, completely blocked this proposal, saying that they will have to meet before they can take a decision. It looks like that they are playing a game of their own and fail to understand the important events that are unfolding."[10] Endnotes: Col. [Ret.] Igor Korotchenko, the editor-in-chief of "National Security Magazine," said that Russia needs to declare the entire post-Soviet area as "the zone of its special and exclusive interests" and to "bare our teeth at the Americans and at NATO, because this Anglo-Saxon breed understands nothing but force." He was speaking on the Russia 1 Sunday evening flagship talk show on July 10, following the Warsaw NATO summit. Following are excerpts Igor Korotchenko: We Russians have to officially declare that the entire post-Soviet area is the zone of the special and exclusive interests of the Russian Federation. Neither NATO or the US should be there. [...] We cannot be constantly retreating. We are constantly surrounded [by NATO], and this policy is set for the coming decades. That's why - willingly or unwillingly - we have to bare our teeth at the Americans and at NATO, because this Anglo-Saxon breed understands nothing but force. [...] University of Utah researcher Nicholas Wolfinger says he has found the optimal age range for a lasting marriage. In July 2015, University of Utah researcher Nicholas Wolfinger announced that he had found the optimal age range for a lasting marriage, after looking at data published by the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) from 2006-2010. Wolfinger, an adjunct professor of sociology at the university, claimed that the likelihood of divorce was lowest when a couple married between the ages of 28 and 32. "The odds of divorce decline as you age from your teenage years through your late twenties and early thirties," Wolfinger wrote. "Thereafter, the chances of divorce go up again as you move into your late thirties and early forties." While Wolfinger's research generated considerable interest in the media, it was also met with a healthy dose of skepticism. Unsplash So is there really such a thing as the "best" age to get married? One of the UK's best-known marital therapists, Andrew G Marshall, feels that we may be trying too hard to show we're in the "perfect relationship". "It fits in with our idea that there's such a thing as a full partner, who understands us 100 per cent, and because we're on exactly the same wavelength all our problems are going to fall away and we're going to have a perfect relationship," he tells The Independent. "I think its wishful thinking, that if we do it on the right day, in exactly the right way, we will set off in the right way and have the right marriage. And we're terrified of making mistakes, so we guard against that by these sort of superstitions."He suggests that these superstitions take place, in part, in the wedding day, where some couples will spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on everything from the "perfect" dress to the "perfect" location. "They think: 'if I've said it in front of all my family and friends, and on Instagram, I've got to get the marriage right,'" Marshall says. How does he feel about this notion of there being an ideal age to get married?"I think the best age to get married is when you're both ready and want to do it," he says. "Marriage is a wonderful institution. Because living together is a private arrangement, whereas getting married is a public one: it brings your partner into your family, and provides them with more loving support. Unsplash "It also makes you think twice before you separate, and that's generally a good thing. We choose people for a reason, and that reason is normally growth. And growth involves conflict, which we're often terrified of, but actually it's really good for us."He suggests that couples often get caught up in the cliche of " I love you, but I'm not in love with you", because they suppress their differences. "They think conflict is terrible, so they undermine their relationship by tip- toeing around it."Marshall also believes social media is a "complete and utter disaster" for modern relationships.10 years ago, he says, no one he spoke with complained about how their partner was "always on their phone" or "always on Facebook". Now, he hears it all the time. "It also makes infidelity much easier," he says, "and when you're trying to get over them it's much harder, because the other party can pop into your house with a "bing" at any time of day or night." (This article was originally published in The Times Of India) In almost back-to-back progression, Alston Sterling and Philando Castile were fatally shot by the police. The world had no time to rest or grieve before the news that 5 police officers being fatally shot in Dallas, at a Black Lives Matter protest, broke. A year ago, on July 13th, 2015, Sandra Bland, an African-American woman was found hanging in her jail cell. She was in there after being arrested at a routine traffic stop. This wasnt an isolated incident. Over a 100 black men and women died at the hands of white police in 2015 alone; names unheard, stories untold. Facts tell it as it is: according to The Washington Post, black people are 2.5 times more likely to be killed than Caucasians. Making up roughly 15% of the population and almost 25% of officer-involved deaths in the United States, African-American people have been neglected and degraded to nothing more than a statistic. Rueters Even though these tragedies occur at an alarming rate, America seems to be divided. There are protests rising in the #BlackLivesMatter movement, but many counter the argument with #AllLivesMatter. And yes, while all lives do matter, the ones being targeted are those of black people, and it is important for us to make this distinction. As a daughter of Indian immigrants living in the United States, I am hyper-aware of the prejudice against people of colour. My Sikh friends who wear turbans are looked upon with fear, my Muslim friends are referred to as ISIS, my Hispanic friends are looked down upon as poor and uneducated. The racism in America against every minority group is prevalent, and the only way to deny it is if you have white privilege. Racism has also become insidious. It has been passed down for generations, instilled in our brains, even in the most subtle of ways. A police officer once stopped my friend for driving a nice car, one he could not have unless he stole it because he was black. Another stopped a black 16-year-old, one of my other friends, who was with a white girl, asking her if she was in anyway forced to be in that relationship, simply because it was odd that a white girl would willingly be with a black man. Reuters These everyday events are detrimental to the progress of our society, but more than anything, prove dangerous to the black community. The black community is criminalised and painted as violent and drug-abusing, and these stereotypes are engraved and memorised in our minds to automatically profile a black man as a threat. This stereotype, along with blatant racism, sparks the killing of black people by police. In a sense, the stereotypes justify the murders. It is assumed that a black man would be up to no good regardless,so, innocent or not, his death does not matter. He is merely another number to add to the death toll. And this, this is why it is more important now than ever to emphasise that #blacklivesmatter. Although slavery was abolished and other forms of transparent racism, including Jim Crow laws, have been since removed, the sentiment that black people are of a lower class has remained, and time and time again, the systematic oppression ensures they remain one of the poorer minority groups with less opportunities. But they arent the only mistreated minority group. Reuters The constant belittling, degradation, humiliation, stereotyping, racial profiling against black people and other minority groups ensures that white American power remains stagnant. The Irish, Italians, Jews, Mexicans, even the Japanese, and more have faced subjugation and inferiority due to their immigrant status. This subjugation is not something we can turn our backs on. It was our grandparents generation that faced colonization by the British. Less than 100 years ago, signs that said No dogs and Indians were displayed in our own country. We faced similar oppression, and now it is our duty to remember our history before we let history repeat itself. As Indians, we cannot stand by and watch the cruelty against black people continue. We have to join the fight with people of colour to earn equality. Black, white, brown no matter the colour, no matter the race or religion, we must stand together for the Black Lives Matter movement. While all lives matter, right now, we need to focus on those in need, because you never really know when the prejudice could be against us. Georgia-Armenia discuss transport cooperation Georgia and Armenia are jointly examining ways to better harmonise the international transit corridor through Georgia the E60 Highway to ensure the swift, efficient transporting of goods via European-standard roads.Today, Georgias Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili met Armenias Minister of Transport and Communication Gagik Beglaryan in Tbilisi.The two officials spoke about moving cargo through Georgia as a transit corridor and along its main highway. While transit traffic currently uses this route, both officials agreed that more could be done to improve the local infrastructure and develop the countrys transit potential.Kvirikashvili and Beglaryan noted the importance of the E60 Highway, which spanned the width of the country, from east and west. The road connected Black Sea coastal Batumi and Poti to Tbilisi in the east, and continued on to the Tsiteli Khidi (Red Bridge) border checkpoint between Georgia and Azerbaijan.The highway is regarded as part of a corridor that connects Europe with Asia via a network of international standard roads.The two officials also spoke about several other main roads in Georgia that connected the country with neighbouring nations, such as the Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Larsi road that heads up from Tbilisi towards Russia and the Tbilisi-Bakurtsikhe-Lagodekhi road that goes east towards Azerbaijan.Kvirikashvili and Beglaryan agreed that the most efficient way to transit cargo from Armenia through Georgia was via Rustavi and on to Sadakhlo, and from Tbilisi to Geguti. At the invitation of his Italian counterpart Sandro Gozi, the Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Nikos Xydakis, will participate as an observer in the informal meeting of Socialist European Affairs Ministers, members of the EU General Affairs Council. The meeting will take place tomorrow, Friday, 15 July, in Rome. The meeting, which is of a coordinating nature, will look at, among other things, the future of the EU, developments following the British referendum, and the refugee and migration issue. For two decades ASEM has played a key role as a forum for dialogue and cooperation connecting Asia with Europe. ASEMs value and continuing importance in todays politics and inter-regional relations is uncontested. Nevertheless, as an informal forum ASEM is destined to evolve along with a transforming global environment. Since its inception in 1996 the forum has significantly changed. More specifically, it has substantially enlarged, adapting itself to an increasingly multipolar world, a growing European Union and a more interdependent Asian region. The impressive growth of newly emerging Asian economies and the increasing interdependence between Europe and Asia in the early 1990s, along with the creation of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), constituted the backdrop of the need for Europe to re-think, re-evaluate and hence re-launch its relations with countries from the Asian region. At the same time, economic and political developments in Asia served as the foundation to build stronger and closer relations with European partners. Following these developments ASEM was launched in 1994 and it was supported by ASEAN and the EU. Once the initiative was endorsed by the European Council in June 1995, European and Asian countries engaged themselves in building a new partnership aiming at promoting political dialogue, deepening economic relations and strengthening cultural ties. Within this framework, further impetus was given to the process, during the Hellenic Presidency of the EU in 2003. ASEM has so far met many of its objectives by facilitating direct contacts between European and Asian leaders, encouraging people-to-people understanding and exploring new areas of cooperation in the political, economic and social sectors. Over the last few years ASEM is covering much more ground, reflecting newly emerging global challenges (such as migration and climate change to name a few) that Asia and Europe need to tackle together. It is to be noted that ASEM has gone to great lengths to strengthen coordination and to translate the informal dialogue process into tangible policy. Driven by biennial Summits, ASEM has created a unique platform enabling dialogue on a wide variety of issues between European and Asian partners. We should not lose sight of this achievement, having also in mind that the added value of the forum resides in its informal character which should be preserved. For that reason, it would be meaningful to try to work on a more structured agenda for ASEM Meetings, making them more productive and result-oriented placing particular emphasis on sectoral issues. Just to mention a recent positive paradigm, we are particularly satisfied that the 5th ASEM Education Ministers Meeting (ASEM ME5) held in Riga, Latvia, on 27-28 April 2015, stressed the significant role of education in todays rapidly changing labour market. Taking initiatives and promoting sectoral cooperation in education and vocation can be proven quite beneficial for young people as well. At the same time, we are very pleased that ASEM has paid particular attention to issues such as Science and Technology. In this context, Greece has constructively engaged in ASEMs initiative, along with China and Singapore, for establishing the ASEM Cooperation Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation (ACCSTI), which was conceived, as a platform for policy dialogue, experience-sharing between Asian and European universities, institutes, agencies and other scientific entities. Greece is willing to play a leading role in the establishment of a Regional Coordination Mechanism, and we are extremely interested in being the European host of this Centre. With a view to obtaining concrete results and safeguarding this important added value of the process, it is imperative for the Senior Officials, under the Ministers guidance, to concentrate their efforts on the following issues: a) regular follow-up, evaluation and monitoring of the progress on a series of initiatives already launched in previous Summits, Ministerial Meetings and Conferences, b) drafting an Action Plan, preferably for a two-year period, to facilitate the monitoring of the initiatives, c) preparing targeted informal meetings towards a better coordination between the Asian and European partners, d) enhancing coordination among various ASEM stakeholders. The positive convergence of these factors could substantially transform ASEM into a more effective and operational forum, providing also the opportunity for further tangible results in the cooperation between the two regions. In todays inter connected world, non-state actors are increasingly active and influential. The ASEM process has recognised this and has developed initiatives to foster dialogue and better understanding between the two regions, by enabling strong interaction and effective participation of civil society, business representatives and academia. By taking advantage of its unique characteristics, ASEM can further enhance people-to-people contacts and provide a variety of socio-cultural links. The interaction of several actors undoubtedly sets the groundwork for establishing stronger links and cultivating relations based on confidence between peoples of Europe and Asia. To this extent connectivity could become a flagship for further progressing ASEM function and effectiveness. Both Asian and European partners have decided on a number of concrete projects to covering different aspects of connectivity, either hard connectivity that is physical infrastructures, transport, energy, or soft connectivity, including people-to-people links. Connectivity should be conceived as the engine for growth, trade and inclusive development for Asian and European countries. Being at the crossroads between East and West Greece provides the natural gateway between Europe and Asia while constituting at the same time a factor of stability in the region. Given its vast experience and know-how acquired by its membership over 35 years in the EU Greece can only play a positive role in connecting Asia with Europe and promoting active cooperation between the two continents in many sectors to the benefit of both sides. By concluding, I would like to stress that in order for ASEM to be able to provide added value, it has to maintain its informal character, strengthen its coordination mechanisms, increase civil society input, improve the quality of its profile and finally, prepare an Action Plan which would outline the key issues for dialogue and joint initiatives in the years ahead. At a time of global changes, understanding and discussion among states from different regions is more necessary than ever. At tomorrows ASEM Summit, we will promote this understanding and take a step forward for cooperation between the states of Europe and Asia. You should be aware that Greece will have a prospect of becoming a center of technological cooperation and connectivity for ASEM. Cooperation in the economic sector, in science and research, with countries developing new technologies and new forms of economic development, is of great importance for our country, now that the period of crisis is ending. Moreover, we are connected to these countries by a historical parallelism of major cultural links, a common search for answers to the great questions regarding the nature of human society and the prospects of humankind themselves. As a result, we are also discussing issues of economy, practical and technological cooperation, as well as issues bearing on humanitys survival and its good governance. Greeces main message is the need for this cooperation to be extended and expanded; to become more regular and have more immediately feasible results. I will also have the opportunity to talk with the leaderships of, among others, Singapore, Vietnam and Mongolia. Saint Hood Productions based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is scheduled Wednesday to announce a new project around Sister Blandina Segale a 19th-Century nun whose clashes with Old West outlaws and work with immigrants has been the stuff of legend. "At the End of the Santa Fe Trail" aims to be a fictional account based on Segale's life and largely will use material from her 1932 book with the same name. That book consisted of Segale's letters she wrote to her sister about the lawlessness in Trinidad, Colorado, and in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. She also discussed working with immigrants and prisoners. Her encounters with Old West outlaws later became the subject of an episode of the CBS series "Death Valley Days," titled "The Fastest Nun in the West." According to one story, she received a tip that Billy the Kid was coming to her town to scalp four doctors who refused to treat his friend's gunshot wound. Segale nursed the friend to health, and when Billy went to Trinidad to thank her, she convinced him to abandon his violent plan. Allen Sanchez, president and CEO of CHI St. Joseph's Children an Albuquerque community health organization born of Segale's work said the nun is a perfect subject for a television series since many of the same issues she faced still resonate. "She saw a divided country. She fought violence with nonviolence. She worked to stop discrimination against immigrants," Sanchez said. "These are all things we are seeing today." The new production comes as Albuquerque has become a popular filming location for television series, ranging for AMC-TV's "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" and NBC's "The Night Shift." It also comes just as the Roman Catholic Church is examining Segale for Sainthood. In October, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe formally closed its inquiry on why the legendary nun should become a saint and sent its findings to the Vatican. The public inquiry, headed by former Archbishop Michael Sheehan, was aimed at determining if there was enough evidence to move her case through the largely secret process at the Vatican. Witnesses said Segale fought against the cruel treatment of American Indians and sought to stop the trafficking of women as sex slaves. They also testified that in death, Segale has helped cancer patients and poor immigrants who have prayed to her for help. It's the first time in New Mexico's 400-year history with the Roman Catholic Church that an inquiry was completed in the state on the cause of beatification and canonization. Officials say determining whether Segale qualifies for sainthood could take up to a century. The Vatican has to investigate her work and monitor for any related "miracles." Segale, a nun with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati and an advocate for Hispanics and Native Americans, founded schools in New Mexico and St. Joseph Hospital, a predecessor of the Albuquerque health organization. She worked as an educator and social worker in Ohio, Colorado and New Mexico. Tomas Sanchez, executive producer and director of the Segale production, said 98 percent of the cast and crew will be from New Mexico. "I am honored to tell Sister Blandina's story," he said. "This task requires lots of attention to history and demands that we hire the best New Mexican cast and crew to execute some very technically challenging film sequences." Officials said the production is working on finding a network to air the series. The Freedom From Religion Foundation says ark field trips would expose children to religious proselytizing in violation of the constitutional separation of church and state. Foundation co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor told the Lexington Herald-Leader that warning letters went to more than 1,000 school districts in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia. Kentucky Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt sent a message to school districts Monday in response saying that neither outside groups nor state education officials should dictate field trip selection. A school's site-based decision making council approves trips. The Madison, Wisconsin-based group says it heard from parents concerned their districts will organize trips to the ark. BAD AXE The Huron County Road Commission (HCRC) had a $1.6 million surplus in 2015, according to its annual report given to the Huron County Board of Commissioners this week. Reduced costs and increased state revenue account for the surplus, which was significantly more than previous years, said Steve Watson finance director for HCRC. We kind of had what you might term a perfect storm, he said. The commission received $300,000 more than in 2014 from state general fund dollars, and $224,000 more in Michigan Transportation Fund revenue. We just had a good year as far as reduced costs almost across the board, he said. Snow plowing, equipment and fuel costs were down. I wouldnt plan on that for next year, he said. It would be nice. We do have a surplus budgeted at this point, but not to that extent. Primary road reconstruction or resurfacing totaled 15.5 miles in 2015, Watson told the Tribune. In 2014, 19.6 miles were improved. This year, 14.3 miles of primary roads are expected to be improved, he said. Local road work can vary from laying a coat of gravel for $25,000 per mile to asphalt overlay at $120,000 per mile. Grinding a road and repaving it costs $150,000 to $160,000 per mile, said Gary Osminski, county highway engineer and deputy drain commissioner in an interview. In 2014 and 2015, 110 miles of local roads were improved, Watson told the Tribune. Of Huron Countys 169 bridges, one was replaced last year and one will be replaced this year, Road Commissioner Mike Power said. We would like to have a lot of bridges replaced, Power said. The (HCRC) submits a list of five bridges to be funded annually when seeking state and federal assistance, Power told the Tribune. Sometimes we get one; sometimes we get two; sometimes we dont get any, he said. Federal and state grants funded most of the construction of Stoddard Road Bridge over the Bird Creek Drain in 2015, and the county paid 25 percent, Osminski said. The same budget will apply to construction of Huron Line Road over the State Drain, which is out for bids, and construction should start in the next 30 days, Osminski said. Since 1980, the county has spent $136 million on roads and bridges, Watson told the county board. County property taxes that went toward roads in 2015 totaled $1.84 million. Township taxes accounted for nearly $5.8 million in revenue. ELKTON The disbanded Elkton Chamber of Commerce will recover $8,000 in embezzlement restitution following a settlement on Tuesday. Former chamber treasurer Angela Peyerk has until Dec. 31 to pay the restitution, or the total increases to $9,400, Elkton Trustee Kurt Damrow told the Village Council on Tuesday night. Chamber officials had originally requested $9,400, Huron County Prosecutor Timothy J. Rutkowski told the Tribune. Most people go into a restitution hearing from an embezzlement, and youre lucky to get anything, Damrow told the council. Its hard to prove exactly how much Peyerk embezzled because no receipts were given if payments or donations were made in cash, Damrow told the Tribune. The settlement was reached before a scheduled hearing in Huron County Circuit Court. Chamber debts will be paid with the money, Damrow said. The chamber was a corporate sponsor of the tractor pull at last years Autumn Fest, and owes the Tractor Pull Association $4,200, Damrow said. This has been 11 months. Its hard to believe, he said. Financial irregularities were first discovered following Autumn Fest in September. Peyerk was sentenced in March to 45 days in jail and placed on 18 months of probation. The chamber disbanded after Peyerk was arrested last year. The Elkton Community Club has since been formed, and will handle the Chambers outstanding debt, which is about $10,000, Damrow told the Tribune. At least well get something back to the people who supported the former chamber, he said. Material costs should be covered, although labor costs may not be entirely reimbursed, he said. A lot of people who quit the chamber over the past several years have signed on as members of the community club, which will put on this years Autumn Fest over Labor Day weekend. It looked like we would lose Autumn Fest, Damrow said. A lot of events will return to Autumn Fest that have been eliminated in the past couple of years because of fund shortages, he said. He said checks and balances also would be in place for the club so as to avoid further possibilities of fund mishandling. The biggest problem with the former chamber was that the debit card did not require two signatures, Damrow said. The club will not have a debit card. Two signatures will be required on any bank transactions, he said. The treasurer will not sign for any transactions, and will only be responsible for the monthly financial report, he said. In other council business: Trustee Kim Asmondy said she would likely resign soon because she is in the process of moving out of the village. Village officials remind residents of the ordinance requiring that garbage be put out no sooner than the day before it is picked up. The council appointed Carrie Williams to the Downtown Development Authority. Police Chief Scott Jobes informed council that he would be turning in his and officer Adam Csanyis handguns, as well as a gun the department had seized for two new handguns for himself and Csanyi. This will save the village $900. The council adopted Roberts Rules of Order as its formal means by which to conduct meetings. Some military base officials are warning service members to stay away from a series of rumored protests that could take place in major cities across the U.S. tomorrow. The protests, which will supposedly be organized by the hacker group Anonymous, have been called "Day of Rage" and are supposed to occur in 37 cities, including Washington, D.C., Denver, Colorado, and St. Louis, Missouri. Internet rumor debunker Snopes.com, however, reports that reports of the protests are likely an unfounded, very similar to a rumor circulated in 2014. "Those inclined to question the likelihood that an actual 'Day of Rage' is being planned by Anonymous, we note that this rumor is virtually identical to one that was circulated two years earlier after the shooting of teenager Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri," the site says. Nonetheless, military officials with several commands including U.S. Army North, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois and Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado are urging troops to stay away from locations that could become host to violence. "Please be advised that the Air Force Office of Special Investigations has posted a safety warning not to be at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 15 due to potential protests and criminal activity. Please be safe and avoid this area during that time," the original post to Scott Air Force Base's Facebook page made this morning says. It was later edited to note that "although these rumors do not appear to be credible, both the National Park Service at the Gateway Arch and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police have been made aware." A post by Schriever Air Force Base officials this afternoon, however, does not specifically direct troops to stay away from any rumored protests, but instead asks them to be careful. "The Air Force recognizes the right of assembly and free speech, it is one of the rights military members serve to defend," the post says. "However we also recognize how important each and every one of you are to us and our mission. Please be aware of your surroundings and exercise caution if you are in an area where the possibility of violence increases and make every effort to safeguard you and your family." -- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com A former secretary of defense under President Bill Clinton told a Senate panel on Wednesday that going ahead with development and deployment of the long-range standoff cruise missile only makes nuclear holocaust more likely. "We're now today on the threshold of a new Cold War. We're on the threshold of a new nuclear arms race, and in addition but not related to that there's a rising threat of nuclear terrorism and a regional nuclear war," former Defense Secretary William Perry said. "For all these reasons, I assert today the likelihood of a nuclear catastrophe is actually greater than it was during the Cold War." Perry, who served as Pentagon chief from 1993 to 1997, supported a modernization of the country's nuclear triad, but said that could be done without the LRSO. "We can reject a modernization program that would increase the risk of a nuclear war by accident or miscalculation," he said. Perry's warnings against moving ahead with the LRSO were not shared by the panel's other witnesses, former Clinton Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre and Franklin Miller, who served as special assistant on defense policy and arms control to President George W. Bush. Hamre said the LRSO, which could be air-launched from about 1,500 miles from its target, is less provocative than intercontinental ballistic missiles and would be flown aboard aircraft that, if necessary, could be recalled before launch. He also rejected Perry's contention that cruise missiles, because they carry both nuclear and conventional bombs, could confuse a potential adversary who might respond to a conventional bomb launch with a nuclear weapon. "I do not think it's a plausible argument that people will be confused about what we're doing," he said. Miller agreed. "The launch of a conventional weapon and the launch of a nuclear weapon occur in context," he said. "So the launch of [U.S.] cruise missiles against Iraq or indeed the launch of Russian cruise missile against Syria did not raise any questions of nuclear use." Russia rebuilding nuclear forces Both men also pointed out that Russia is busy rebuilding its conventional and nuclear forces, already has new weapons deployed, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia would launch a nuclear first strike if it believed its territory was threatened. Russia has also engaged in military exercises designed to combat U.S. and European allies, they said. Perry has made his opposition to the LRSO known for some time. He told lawmakers that to go ahead with the weapon is to accept the heightened dangers of a nuclear catastrophe as inevitable. "Should we accept it as inevitable? If not, where do we draw the line?" he asked. He also said that if he believed not having the LRSO would jeopardize the U.S.'s ability to deter a nuclear threat from any adversary, he would support it. Advocates of the LRSO believe it is necessary to ensure that the U.S. can strike deep into contested airspace with a nuclear weapon if necessary without relying on manned bombers. The modernization program, including the LRSO, has backing from much of Congress and the White House. Hamre also noted that the program already is fully funded. "It's not about trying to use it," Hamre said, "It's about having flexibility." "Nobody ever talks about the impact of these [weapons], about what they do," said ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California. "It's always deterrence, it's always more, more, more, newer, newer, newer. It's hard for me to accept this as the answer, because the answer to it really lies in reason and understanding and diplomacy and work between leaders." What is not needed, she said, is a "hardening of attitude when both sides are developing new nuclear weapons." As a woman, she said, she thinks about what the nuclear bombs "would do if dropped." "It's not mentioned by the men -- ever," she said. "But it's a very big deal if you vote for this." Bearing responsibility Perry has been open about his opposition to the LRSO for some time. Though he agrees that with the rise of Vladimir Putin Russia has engaged in reckless actions -- in particular in Georgia, Crimea and Ukraine -- he said the U.S. bears some responsibility for its current relationship with Russia. He told the panel that "a series of questionable policy decisions in the United States alienated us from Russia" starting in the 1990s. Though none of the lawmakers asked and he did not elaborate, Perry has previously said that warming relations and cooperation that the U.S. and Russia enjoyed after the collapse of the Soviet Union began to fall apart when the U.S. moved aggressively to expand NATO into Eastern Europe. President George H.W. Bush, in office when the Soviet Union collapsed, reportedly had pledged NATO would not push eastward. That changed during Clinton's presidency. Perry said that in the first years after Russia shook off communism. the U.S. and Russia cooperated in dismantling 8,000 nuclear weapons, and Russia even embedded a brigade into an American military division for a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. "So at that time I believed we had ended the Cold War, that we ended the threat of a nuclear holocaust. That was not to be," he told lawmakers. -- 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. Pentagon officials on Wednesday assured members of Congress that the United Kingdom is still a strong ally to U.S. and NATO, despite its recent decision to leave the European Union. "We have a very close relationship ... with the United Kingdom," Rachel Ellehuus, principal director of Europe and NATO Policy for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, told members of the House Armed Services Committee's Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee. In the wake of its recent Brexit vote, the U.K. has reinforced its commitment to a number of important initiatives, Ellehuus said. U.K. officials "have publicly committed at the Farnborough airshow" to purchase nine P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and 50 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, she said. In addition to the U.S., the U.K., Germany and Canada have agreed to station four battalions on Europe's eastern flank to bolster efforts to deter Russian aggression, Ellehuus said. Pentagon officials testified at the July 13 hearing to brief lawmakers on the European Reassurance Initiative. Quadrupling funding The president's budget request for FY 2017 includes a quadrupling in ERI funding over 2016 levels to approximately $3.42 billion. In 2017, the ERI will expand the scope of 28 joint and multinational exercises, which annually train over 18,000 U.S. personnel alongside 45,000 NATO allies and Partnership for Peace personnel across 40 countries. Subcommittee chairman Vicky Hartzler, R-Missouri, said she was concerned about Russian anti-armor threats to U.S. ground combat vehicles. Many in the Army, including Gen. H.R. McMaster, the commander of the Army Capabilities and Integration Center and deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Futures at Army Training and Doctrine Command, have stated that "our ground combat vehicles are losing their qualitative edge over our adversaries," she said. "With Russia demonstrating the capability to field advanced anti-tank weapons and thermobaric warheads, our armored vehicles and service members will be vulnerable in a fight." Hartzler, a self-proclaimed advocate of Active Protection System technology, wanted to know the U.S. European Command is working with the Army to address these threats "sooner rather than later, especially if the APS solution already exists." Air Force Maj. Gen. David Allvin, the J-5 of EUCOM, told lawmakers that the U.S. military has learned "what combat might look like if God forbid it did happen, through some of our contingency planning and wargaming." EUCOM has alerted the Defense Department of several capability gaps that U.S. forces have in countering Russian adversaries, Allvin said. Allvin added that "I would say that this particular one has not elevated above others." Risk of miscalculations Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, expressed his worry that the recent escalation for forces to counter Russian aggression will increase the risk of miscalculations that could lead to an unintended war. "I would view continued escalation to be a failure," he said. "Nothing that I can think of condones Russia's behavior in the areas we have talked about, but there is a logic to it, and I can understand them responding to the growth of NATO. "Also want to ensure we are thinking through adding $3.4 billion to the fire, bringing more forces in and potentially setting us on a trajectory where we will be obligated as things continue to escalate, to bring more forces and more dollars into play thereby provoking additional responses that may not be wise." Rep. Austin Scott, R-Georgia, said that it is clear to him the ERI has caused Russian President Vladimir Putin to think twice about mounting aggressive military moves similar to his decision to send Russian troops into Eastern Ukraine. Putin "clearly would not have stopped in Ukraine, in my opinion, had the United States not shown the resolve, had our NATO allies not shown the resolve that they did to stop him." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. HONOLULU Sailors assigned to the "Red Lions" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 15 provided emergency care to a Japanese tourist in medical distress on the Diamond Head Trail in Honolulu, July 12. Several members of the HSC-15 aircrew division were hiking Diamond Head early in the morning and were beginning their descent down the trail when they came across a 52-year-old female tourist who required assistance. Chief Naval Air Crewman Jason Lessley and Naval Air Crewman 2nd Class Hunter Price were first responders to the situation. Both are experienced Navy rescue swimmers with a background of extensive emergency response training, and Lessley is a former emergency medical technician. They treated the woman for heat exhaustion and attempted to escort her down the trail. The tourist became weak and disoriented, so the Sailors contacted local authorities. Local firefighters hiked up the trail, and after assessing the woman's condition called for an emergency medical evacuation helicopter to airlift the patient. Both Sailors waited for more than 30 minutes before a helicopter arrived. While they were waiting, they downloaded a language translator application on a smartphone to establish basic communication with the tourist. "I'm glad to know we can make a difference, not only to the people we serve next to, but also to someone we have never met," said Price. "When we are required to perform our job, it's usually because something bad has happened. It's in that moment that the training you think you'll never use comes into action like it is second nature." Lessley said what started as a day of physical training for 15 of his search and rescue air crewmen ended with a real-life practical application of their emergency medical training. "My Sailors train hard every day, and today that training paid off; Price performed flawlessly," said Lessley. HSC-15, homeported at Naval Air Station North Island, California, is an active augmented squadron participating in the 2016 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 30 to Aug. 4, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971. FARNBOROUGH, England -- The Marines' F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has four deployments lined up across the next five years, a senior official said this week -- and some of them could take it into the heart of the coalition fight against the Islamic State. Speaking at the Farnborough International Airshow on Monday, Col. William Lieblein said by 2021 the aircraft will have completed three shipboard pumps with a Marine Expeditionary Unit, and one on an aircraft carrier. "2021 will be here before we know it," he said. "And that's about the same time we start really standing up a significant number of squadrons." The F-35B "jump jet" variant of the Lockheed Martin aircraft declared initial operational capability just a year ago, and its first deployment has already been announced: Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 [VMFA-121], in Yuma, Arizona, will move permanently forward to Okinawa, Japan, where the aircraft will be sent out aboard the 31st MEU, which is also permanently forward-based in the Pacific. Lieblein said other F-35 squadrons will then deploy with two West Coast MEUs, though he could not specify which units would take out the aircraft or when those deployments would take place. The three West Coast MEUs, based at Camp Pendleton, California, are the 11th, 13th and 15th. The 13th MEU deployed in February and began launching airstrikes on Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria from the Persian Gulf. Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Sarah Burns confirmed that it was a "very real possibility" that a West Coast-based MEU with a squadron of F-35s aboard could receive a similar tasking. The first carrier deployment for the Marines will come in 2020, Lieblein said. While he could not name the carrier to deploy the aircraft, a Marine official said it may be the USS George H.W. Bush. The Marine Corps plans to acquire 63 F-35C carrier-variant Joint Strike Fighters, which have larger wings and foldable wingtips and are designed for arrested recovery landings. The F-35C is set to achieve IOC in 2018 or early 2019, shortly ahead of the planned deployment. Lieblein said the transit across the Atlantic of three F-35Bs, two Marine Corps aircraft and one Royal Air Force bird, to the United Kingdom for participation in the Royal International Air Tattoo and Farnborough was a confidence-builder and was accomplished seamlessly, with the same mission profile and the same number of in-flight tanking evolutions that Lieblein had previously done in a Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet. "That was a major milestone for us and it demonstrated to ourselves and to everyone else that we can forward deploy this program whenever we want to," he said. The F-35B is set to enter full-rate production in 2018, and the Marines' aggressive deployment schedule demonstrates how eager officials are to make use of the long-awaited platform. But it's possible U.S. troops won't have to wait until late 2017 or 2018 to test the mettle of the fifth-generation fighter in combat. The commander of Air Combat Command, Gen. Herb "Hawk" Carlisle, said Wednesday that he was prepared to deploy the F-35A Air Force variant immediately after the aircraft reaches IOC later this year. "The minute I declare initial operational capability, if the combatant commander calls me up and says they needed F-35s, I would send them," Carlisle said, according to Bloomberg News. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at@HopeSeck. Related Video: A growing number of states are encouraging entrepreneurship among veterans by either waiving or steeply discounting fees for new business incorporation and annual report filing -- a move that can save veterans hundreds of dollars or more. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), veterans make up 1 out of every 10 small business owners across the country. Along with having put their lives on the line to protect our country, these military heroes are responsible for providing jobs to nearly 6 million Americans. Additionally, not only are veterans more likely to run more than one business, veteran-owned businesses tend to last longer, thus making significant contributions to the American economy. Because of veterans' business success rate, an increasing number of states are recognizing that it pays to support veteran entrepreneurs. For example: West Virginia recently implemented a policy that allows veterans to save as much as $200 through the Boots to Business program, which exempts veterans from paying the registration fee for a new business and the annual report filing fee for the first four years. The Washington State Veteran Linked Deposit Program decreases interest rates on small businesses, improving access to capital for certified business enterprises owned by veterans and service members. The New York Business Development Corporation's Veterans' Loan Program offers term loans at a below market fixed rate to current or former members of the armed forces. The Business License, Tax, and Fee Waiver benefit in California waives municipal, county and state business license fees, taxes and other fees for veterans. Michigan, Texas and Georgia also clear veterans from some business formation fees if they meet specific guidelines outlined by each state. For veteran entrepreneurs looking to take advantage of these programs, here are a few tips to follow: Look out for other incentives: State offices aren't the only entities extending deals to veterans. Many organizations have programs geared toward assisting veterans looking to start their own companies. The International Franchise Association's VetFran Directory features more than 600 franchise systems that offer incentives to veterans. Search the VA's Veterans Entrepreneur Portal for more opportunities. State offices aren't the only entities extending deals to veterans. Many organizations have programs geared toward assisting veterans looking to start their own companies. The International Franchise Association's VetFran Directory features more than 600 franchise systems that offer incentives to veterans. Search the VA's Veterans Entrepreneur Portal for more opportunities. Fortify your interests: Set up the business the right way from the beginning to help protect personal assets and property. Make incorporation or LLC formation a first step. Set up the business the right way from the beginning to help protect personal assets and property. Make incorporation or LLC formation a first step. Bring your backup: Organizations such as the SBA, SCORE, the Center for Verification and Evaluation, the National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA), and The Veterans Corporation offer assistance to entrepreneurs who are veterans. Trusted advisors also can help, including professional registered agents who can track requirements and legal deadlines to help ensure a business stays in compliance. Organizations such as the SBA, SCORE, the Center for Verification and Evaluation, the National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA), and The Veterans Corporation offer assistance to entrepreneurs who are veterans. Trusted advisors also can help, including professional registered agents who can track requirements and legal deadlines to help ensure a business stays in compliance. Share your veteran status: Americans want to help our soldiers succeed. According to NaVOBA, 70 percent of Americans say they are more likely to support a business if it's veteran owned. Veterans are at the core of America's small business community. By encouraging veteran entrepreneurs and offering incentives to make it easier to run and grow their businesses, states and other government entities are not only benefiting the veterans themselves, but the American economy as a whole. About Rex Caswell As Vice President of Sales for Wolters Kluwer's CT Corporation, Rex Caswell helps corporate legal departments and small businesses find ways to embrace regulatory compliance solutions and best practices while reducing operational and brand risk. A veteran of the United States Navy, Rex has served in various sales positions and leadership roles at LexisNexis, OneSource and Thomson Reuters Westlaw. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati and his MBA from Florida State University. The Ayeyarwady Region minister for planning and finance has re-sent blueprints for a 300-acre industrial zone in Maubin township to the Union government. Regional officials approved the zone in 2014, but it was shelved by the central government because the land is designated as farmland, which means it cannot be used for any other purpose. U Hla Kyaw told The Myanmar Times the zone would create job opportunities and improve living standards in a region that relies heavily on farming. We have just submitted the project again. We want the Union government to look specifically at issues including electricity supply and the land designation, the regions planning and finance minister said. We want to get the process going again, and hope that the zone can be built in the long term, though many more rounds of approvals are needed before [the project] can begin. Maubin Development Public Company, a farmers cooperative formed in 2014 with 134 shareholders, would put up 30 percent of the US$246 million investment, said the companys general manager U Aung Kyaw Min. Chinese firm Shanghai-Yuandong would invest 55pc and Myanmar-registered Southern Metal would pay 15pc, he said. He said the project was shelved two years ago because the government was unable or unwilling to change the land from farmland to industrial land. All 283 acres are farmland, bought from farmers, he said, adding that his company is ready to start work. We have already discussed the project with international investors. For the infrastructure such as drains, water supply, electricity and roads, we will split the costs according to our share in the project. He hopes to encourage investment from sectors including garments, food and beverage, consumer products, literature, and electronics. In total we will have space for 50 factories and will be able to create jobs for 77,000 local people, he said. Finished products can be shipped along the Ayeyarwady River to Yangon and electricity can be supplied from nearby Kyaiklat, he added. Our project is an interesting proposal for foreign companies that want to invest in Myanmar. Translation by Khant Lin Oo Representing around 4500 bars and restaurants, Carlsberg Myanmar plans to send a petition to the government by the end of August, in protest against a recent crackdown on serving draught beer without the right papers, a company spokesperson said. Beer stations across the country have received letters from the General Administration Department warning that the FL17 licence the standard alcohol retail licence does not cover draught beer sales. Of around 7000 beer stations serving draught beer only 2500 hold the right licence FL9 or FL10 while the home affairs ministry, which is responsible for issuing these licences, said it will not issue any more for now. This has caused alarm among beer station owners, who have been allowed to sell draught beer under their FL17 licence for years, and believe their customers will go elsewhere if they stop selling beer on tap. Anthony Clark, managing director of Myanmar Carlsberg Company said he would support his customers by petitioning on their behalf. One of our ambitions at Myanmar Carlsberg is to be the most professional brewer in Myanmar, he said. This includes providing the best customer service of all the brewers and also being ready to support our customers when they need our help, such as when they face these types of difficulties. Mr Clark said the letter will ask the Minister of Home Affairs, Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe, to lift the restrictions on FL17 licence holders. We hope to represent as many of the 4500 affected bars and restaurants as possible. If the petition is successful, the minister may revisit the directive and lift the restriction on FL17 holders in light of the impact it has on the livelihoods of those who own or who are employed in those bars and restaurants, he said. FL17 licence holders pay K2.4 million every year in licence fees, while FL9 licences cost K1.2 million in annual fees. Myanmars fourth mobile operator should have applied for its licence by now, according to a proposed timeline released earlier this year by its joint-venture formation committee. But the parties involved preferred foreign partner Viettel, government shareholder Star High Public Company Limited and local consortium Myanmar National Telecom Holding Public Limited are still at the negotiation table, according to the committees chief. The negotiations are going very fast, actually, U Zaw Oo, chair of the joint-venture formation and tender selection work committee, said. We are going into very detailed negotiations. The stakeholders think it is important to get everything on the table and try to get agreement rather than wait and see. Once the joint venture is formed we should be able to apply for the licence. Meanwhile a source familiar with the situation said the negotiations are taking more time than anticipated and that though there has been agreement on many items, a few significant sticking points remain, particularly around decision-making and the future CEOs role. It is still unclear how decisions will be split between the board and executive staff, the source said. While the fourth operator will combine local and international partners, the government intends the fourth telco to be Myanmar-led. The new joint ventures board will be majority-Myanmar, but it is likely that the Viettel side will propose a CEO, subject to board approval. U Zaw Oo said the business model would take cues from what Viettel has done in other countries. Another challenging item is financing, he said. Thats where we are really trying to make sure that there is ... a sufficient line of credit and also that the financial sources are ready to kick in, he said. To join the local special purpose vehicle that would become Myanmar National Telecom Holding, applicants had to demonstrate they could contribute a minimum of US$3 million to the joint venture. The source with knowledge of the situation said the three parties together had financial firepower, but that a question was whether they felt comfortable putting their money into a project that could be very challenging in a maturing market. If a fourth nationwide licence is granted, the new mobile operator must do battle in a tough market against competitors state-owned incumbent Myanma Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) and foreign firms Ooredoo and Telenor. It may not be starting from scratch, however. Government shareholder Star High Public Company has access to 1000 towers and more than 13,000 kilometres of fibre, as previously reported by The Myanmar Times. The firms parent company, Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), also owns the markets current, unofficial fourth operator, MECTel. As a general principle, the idea is to leverage MECTels assets at least those ones that can be commercially used as well as the existing subscriber base, to make sure there [are] four operators, not five, said the source. The idea is also that MECtel, through Star High, together with an international operator and the local consortium, becomes a full part of the licensed telecom landscape consisting of four telecom operators. U Zaw Oo said the fourth operator will have to move very quickly. It will face fierce competition in a market that has gone from almost zero connectivity to selling nearly enough SIM cards to match Myanmars population with some operators already moving to fourth-generation (4G) services. Though U Zaw Oo says Viettel is quite familiar with 4G operations, it will not necessarily launch the service in Myanmar. 3G is definitely there, but 2G or 4G is something we have to think carefully [about], he said. We are quite prepared to take on the 4G challenge, but at the same time we should not lose sight of the call customer base we are targeting. A recent BMI Research note said that much of Myanmars rural population which makes up the majority of the country may be sensitive to pricing, and could be a hard sell on using more data. U Zaw Oo earlier told The Myanmar Times it was suggested the fourth operator focus more on rural areas as a way to narrow the digital divide. The telco will face the same network coverage requirements as Ooredoo and Telenor. Its licence fee will come at a reduced price, though, as the landscape has changed from when Telenor and Ooredoo entered a greenfield telecoms market only two years ago. A licence is not an absolute guarantee, as the March press release from the joint-venture committee mentioned the possibility that negotiations could fail. Ideas on what to do in this case have been floated but not deeply discussed, according to the source. The Secretariat building casts an almost ghostly shadow over the Yangon cityscape: Closed to visitors, few go in or out of its locked gates. On July 19, the 69th anniversary of Martyrs Day, visitors will be given a rare opportunity to explore the historic site, where Myanmars founding father and independence leader, Bogyoke Aung San, was assassinated in 1947. A representative of YCDC, Daw Hlaing Maw Oo, confirmed to The Myanmar Times that the building will be open to the public from 9:30am until 5pm, free of charge, after government officials and family members have paid their respects. The colonial-era building, where parliament sessions were held from 1948-1962, has only occasionally granted public access since it closed more than half a century ago. City officials have been hesitant about allowing access due to the fragile state of building, and YCDC has been carrying out major repair work ahead of next weeks opening. Last year on Martyrs Day, the building was opened to visitors, though a representative of the Yangon Heritage Trust, Daw Moe Moe Lwin, complained about curious members of the public exploring outside of the allowed areas. It has been reported that approximately 3000 police officers will be on duty in and around the compound on the day an increase from last year. The Secretariat Building is one of Yangons oldest heritage structures. Built in the 1800s, it is an example of striking Victorian architecture associated with the colonial era. On July 19, 1947, paramilitaries of former prime minister U Saw broke into the Secretariat, where Bogyoke Aung San was meeting with members of his cabinet, and gunned them down. Bogyoke Aung San was assassinated just six months short of Burmese Independence on January 4, 1948. Twenty years ago, expatriate society in Yangon was a byword for the six or seven Westerners who muttered darkly to each other in the Traders Hotel bar each and every evening. Now the country has opened up, Special Branch can no longer count on two hands the number of foreigners who need their phones tapped, and all sorts of weird and wonderful critters have come out of the global woodwork to make the city their home. Here are five of them. The TEFL Partyhound A dearth of serviceable nightlife has not stopped the rapid spread of these nocturnal creatures in the last two years, lured by the twin siren call of 80s cock-rock ballads and two-for-one cocktail specials. Otherwise unproductive members of the ecosystem, collectively this group plays an important role in keeping Myanmars banks solvent through fees collected on remittances sent by their mothers from their home countries. The females of this species can often be seen walking in heeled footwear, signalling a bold defiance of the jagged topography of Yangon sidewalks freak decapitations after stumbling on a patch of jagged pavement are rare but not unprecedented. In quieter settings, the males are often heard to bemoan their lack of Tinder prospects, ignorant of the permanent toll the previous weekends projectile vomit incident on the 7th Joint dance floor has taken on their mating prospects. Identification during daylight hours is somewhat trickier, though studies suggest a close correlation between employment in the developing worlds education sector and the recurrent posting of inspirational quotes to social media. The Hectoring Kurtz Migratory by nature, this mammal likely flew in from Afghanistan, South Sudan or Cornell some years before. While belonging to a relatively affluent order of the animal kingdom, this species customarily attempts to renounce its privileged heritage by living in squalor, eating exclusively at roadside beer stations and loudly declaring a commitment to rid the world of all evil. Epidemiology surveys suggest this creature is one of the most common vectors for cholera, typhoid, antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis and self-righteousness, and direct contact is not advised. While the species is known to mimic a number of quintessentially human traits in an exaggerated manner notably compassion, guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder there have been no recorded instances of this creature copulating solely for pleasure. Between trips to conflict zones and northern Rakhine, they are usually spotted whispering conspiratorially to embassy staff in Yangons hotel bars occasionally pausing to dramatically evince disgust for their surroundings. The Blue-Striped Salary Man A model of decorum compared to its expat cousins, the Blue-Striped Salary Man is a retiring and rarely-spotted mammal, easily identified for wearing short-sleeved shirts with ties its one concession to the blistering climate. Occasionally demonstrating a curious fervour for trains and arterial roads, this creature can be spotted at one of any number of lunchtime bento restaurants within walking distance of Sakura Tower. Often yearns to join its brothers and sisters dwelling in Bangkoks Thonglor neighbourhood, where sufficient facilities exist to engage in a religious ritual characterised by repeated group renditions of Oasis songs. The Gin-Crested Journalist Obnoxious to the senses even in fleeting encounters, sightings of this increasingly rare pest species can be attributed to a plague influx ahead of last years general election. The remnants of this species reside on the Alfa rooftop, where at 3:30am each morning they herald the new day, like a cock crowing at dawn, by fruitlessly demanding another drink from the long-suffering hotel staff. Twitchy and prone to menacing shrieks, this creature justifies its hoarding of material and aggressive posturing by claiming to be in the process of writing a book, but usually becomes evasive and flighty when pressed for details. The Red-Bellied Oil Man Close in appearance to its distant Sexpat cousin, a lack of mating opportunities (and foreign investment restrictions) has kept this portly creatures numbers to a minimum. Forced out of the North Sea due to habitat loss, he is often domiciled in the seats around the Fat Ox pool table while awaiting the next Air Asia flight via Bangkok to Pattaya. Long stretches of solitude in the Bay of Bengal have cultivated the Red-Bellied Oil Mans more contemplative traits, though he is known to revert to an aggressive posture with prolonged exposure to the Premier League or casual references to the European Union. Have something on your mind? Send it in to Weekend at [email protected] and we might just print it! A charity group has filed a defamation lawsuit against firebrand monk U Wirathu, a Tarmwe township police officer confirmed yesterday. A group called Thet Daw Saunt [bodyguard] has filed a complaint to us. We are waiting for the township religious bodys suggestion to continue the legal process, said a police officer who asked not to be named. The outspoken monk is a prominent figure of Ma Ba Tha, or the Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion, an anti-Muslim lobby force that was yesterday disowned by the state Buddhist authority. The police added that the complaint against U Wirathu stems from a 2015 public demonstration spearheaded by Ma Ba Tha monks against UN special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar Yanghee Lee. During the protest, U Wirathu called the UN official and academic a whore for criticising the governments treatment of self-identifying Muslim Rohingya. U Wirathu has become notorious over the years for his slurs against Muslims and for pushing an agenda of violence at a time of inter-religious tensions between Buddhists and Muslims. U Wirathus use of Facebook to spread his message has seen posts removed by moderators as hate speech. The complainant in the defamation case against U Wirathu was unreachable for comment, but said in a brief statement released yesterday, The police said that since he [U Wirathu] is a monk, they must first consult the Sangha authorities and then proceed after they receive input from the religious authority. In contrast with U Wirathus reputation as the scornful mouthpiece of Ma Ba Tha, the nationalist organisation defended itself yesterday as an abettor of peaceful coexistence. The self-appointed guardians of race and religion suffered a serious blow to their credibility as the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee (Ma Ha Na) officially disowned Ma Ba Tha. No Sangha order has endorsed Ma Ba Thas legitimacy or even used the term, Ma Ba Tha, the Sangha said in a statement that leaked on social media on July 12. Ma Ba Tha has previously claimed that it was formed as an order of the Buddhist clerical authority in 2013. But the State Sangha denied that any Buddhist convention had ever endorsed the nationalist force in any of the years of its existence. Just before the statement emerged, Ma Ba Tha had announced the cancellation of its plans to stage nationwide protests against the ruling party if it did not reprimand a chief minister for saying the nationalist group is redundant and unnecessary. Hitting back against the Sanghas repudiation, U Wirathu yesterday released a statement of his own, accusing the government of manipulating the Sangha in a plot to dismantle Ma Ba Tha. The State Sanghas announcement, released under the governments influence, will not create any division in the brotherhood that exists between them and us, all of whom are the sons of Buddha, the statement said. U Wirathu added that he would continue wishing well the military dictators that have sent, or sought to send, him to prison, including the new dictatorial womans government, an apparent allusion to State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Hoping to quickly recover its legitimacy, Ma Ba Tha yesterday sought to clarify that it is not a Sangha-endorsed association, but rather a religious missionary group of monks and individuals. It also said in a statement that its existence is in accordance with rights of association guaranteed by the constitution, and urged members not to despair of the Sanghas ruling but to continue their good works. The National League for Democracy has often pointed to the 2008 constitution when trying to undercut the legitimacy of Ma Ba Tha, as using religion for political purposes is outlawed. The two groups have often clashed, and Novembers watershed election dealt a severe blow to Ma Ba Thas political capital as members had campaigned against the NLD last year. Ma Ba Tha claimed in its statement to have always worked hard through peaceful means to resolve religious tensions around the country, and to protect communities from religious strife. The nationalist group is widely perceived as a disseminator of anti-Muslim hate speech, and an agent provocateur of religious feuds. During Ma Ba Thas celebration of its three-year anniversary last month, the group vowed to keep fighting against citizenship for Muslim Bengalis in Rakhine State. Since the Rakhine incident happened on June 8, 2012, I resumed my preaching for sermons on nationalism, U Wirathu said in his post. He also claimed that he has since worked to bolster nationalist networks and groups. Additional reporting by Toe Wai Aung During a trip to Sittwe this week, head of the armed forces Senior General Min Aung Hlaing urged citizens to avoid religious extremism. The commander-in-chief told assembled military officials and families that adherents of every religion must safeguard their beliefs without resorting to extremism. The township where he made the remarks has been subject to waves of nationalist protests, including most recently at the beginning of the month when monks and residents protested against the government dropping the term Bengali to refer to self-identifying Rohingya Muslims. Rakhine State is also dotted with IDP camps home mainly to Muslim families who have been confined with severe restrictions on their movement since communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims ripped through the state in 2012. We must systematically maintain and safeguard our country and prevent any misunderstanding between national races in the post-independence period that can cause a lack of peace and stability due to various isms and different political, racial and religious ideologies, the military-run Myawady newspaper reported of the speech. Last month, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing also said that the Tatmadaw would help shoulder the burden of protecting Myanmars predominantly Buddhist character, a remark that triggered suspicion among ethnic minority political and rights groups. U Thopaka, a member of the hardline nationalist Committee for the Protection of Race and Religion, better known as Ma Ba Tha, told The Myanmar Times yesterday that the commander-in-chiefs Sittwe speech should be seen as a warning. We dont accept religious extremism and it can be damaging to our country. I hope that the Rakhine issue is resolved without racial and religious extremism, he said. Ma Ba Tha pledged at its recent three-year anniversary to continue campaigning against citizenship for Muslim Rohingya. U Kyaw Nyein, a member of the Myanmar Citizens Muslim Association, said that the Tatmadaw and the government must take action against perpetrators of hate speech seeking to ignite violence between Buddhists and Muslims. Religious extremism is one of the effects of hate speech. So the authorities need to take stern action against them. But now, I see the authorities only say do not share hate speech, but they do not punish the people who spread religious extremism, he said. Attackers involved in two separate, recent bouts of mob violence directed at Muslims one in Bago Region and one in Kachin State have largely escaped punishment. Five people out of a mass of over 100 were arrested in Myitkyina, while the Bago chief minister said justice would not be pursued for fear of provoking more unrest. Daw Naw Sar War, secretary of the Hpa-an Anglican missionary, said religious minorities feel targeted by Buddhist extremists in the country who wish to suppress other faiths. All people know that Ma Ba Tha provokes Buddhist extremism ... We are disappointed the government hasnt taken action against them, she said. More than 100 people representing over half a dozen ethnic groups participated in a peace workshop held in Lashio on July 11 and 12, the first of several planned community discussions. The workshop was held as the government prepares for the 21st-century Panglong Conference, a summit with ethnic armed groups and political parties slated for August. We shared perspectives on federalism, the current peace process, and also discussed future plans and how to be included in the peace process, as well resource-based conflict, Sai Aung Myint Oo, from the Tai Youth Network. Nearly 100 representatives of Kachin, Shan, Taang, Lahu, Maung Zi, Kokang, Wa and Lisu political parties, literature and cultural organisations, and youth groups attended the two-day event. One of the intended outcomes of the workshop is to build friendship and trust among northern Shan State ethnic youths, said Mong Myo Aung, a Taang student. Further peace workshops will be held in Kyaukme and Namkham townships, and will aim to incorporate youth and women from all area ethnic groups. The Shan Human Rights Foundation is calling for an urgent inquiry into the murders of seven Shan State villagers believed to have been killed by the Tatmadaw in the last week of June. The rights groups yesterday demanded in a statement that the government take action to bring the killers to account. According the statement, interviews with local witnesses all substantiated a similar account of two murders and the detention of five suspects later found dead near Mong Yaw village, Lashio township. On June 25, around 100 soldiers from the Tatmadaws Light Infantry Battalion 362 arrived in Mong Yang (about 10 kilometres west of Mong Yaw). Approximately half a kilometre from Mong Yaw, the soldiers began halting traffic, according to the witnesses accounts. Cars and motorbikes en route from Lashio were stopped, and a 2-mile segment of the roadway was blocked. A motorcycle carrying two people from a side road was told to stop, but did not heed the order. The soldiers fired a warning shot in the air, and when that too went unacknowledged, both the driver and the passenger were shot dead, according to yesterdays statement. The shots set off a chain reaction, and further up the road soldiers fired guns and mortar shells. The soldiers were then seen going into the surrounding fields and arresting villagers who were farming, the Shan Human Rights Foundation said. Five male villagers later came to ask about their detained relatives. The men were also detained and not seen alive again. On July 2, military mouthpiece Myawady reported that the bodies of seven people had been found after the Tatmadaw was attacked by the Shan State Army (SSA) and the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) near Mong Yaw. U Myat Min Oo, of the Tatmadaws true news department, was unable to comment on the incident yesterday. Tar Gyoke Ja, vice chair of the TNLA, said, No TNLA members were killed in that area. Our troop pitched a camp on the mountain far away from there. On July 3, the deputy regional commander Major General Kyaw Kyaw Soe gave each of the victims families K300,000, warning them not to see the money as compensation or related to the investigation, according to the Shan Human Rights Foundation. He said the money was a personal donation and reportedly told the villagers, This kind of incident will not happen again. SHRF deplores these crimes, the high-level attempts to cover them up, and the reluctance of local authorities to assist with the cases, the group said in yesterdays statement Kachin, Shan and Taang ethnic youth groups also published a statement demanding justice for the murdered villagers. The statement said such killings of civilians could have repercussions for the peace process and the coming 21st-century Panglong Conference. In response to reports of human-elephant conflict across Myanmar, the forestry department held a workshop with international conservation groups on July 8 to review an action plan. Workshop participants including co-hosts WWF-Myanmar, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute assessed the human-elephant conflict section of the Myanmar Elephant Conservation Action Plan. The groups agreed on the need to conduct an elephant population assessment, to investigate the community-specific drivers of conflict, to raise awareness, and to educate communities and authorities about human-elephant conflict (HEC). With increasing habitat loss and rising levels of HEC, elephant conservation in Myanmar is a challenge no one group can address alone, said Nick Cox, conservation program manager with WWF-Myanmar. Since 2010, there have been 35 human deaths and 95 wild elephant deaths related to poaching and conflict across nine regions of Myanmar. Human populations face problems related to crop and property loss because of wild elephants, while the elephants are squeezed into ever-diminishing territory. Minister for Natural Resources and Environment U Ohn Win spoke of an alarming increase in human and wild elephant deaths because of a loss of habitat, in part due to shrinking forests. Forest coverage in Myanmar has rapidly decreased, dropping 42 percent since 1990, according to a report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Saving the gentle giants Last year, six wild elephants wandered from their native habitats in the Bago Mountain Range to Natmauk township, Magwe Region. In April 2015, a group of 10 lost elephants found their way to the Nay Pyi Taw-Yangon highway. Asian elephants are classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which is the worlds largest global environmental organisation. The IUCN has estimated that only 4000 to 5000 wild elephants continue to roam Myanmar. On a cloudy afternoon in June, Lieutenant Bo Bo Win Htut and several officers of the Kalay Police Station were hiding in the long grass near a bridge in Sagaing Region. Dressed in plain-clothes, and with back-up provided by a local armed militia and members of the civil service, they waited to ambush a small-time drug dealer heading to Tamu, a town on Myanmars western border with northeast India, located some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Kalay. As dusk fell, a middle-aged man and a young man on a motorcycle covered with mud crossed the bridge. With his hand on the pistol in his waist, Lt Bo Bo Win Htut jumped onto the road and blocked the bike. Other officers simultaneously surrounded the two and then handcuffed them. Give it up openly, if you have any material, said the officer, but the men did not respond. Ko Maung Maung, 45, was found to be carrying 1.2 grams of low-grade heroin and a bottle of what appeared to be methamphetamine pills. The young man on the bike, a 21-year-old university student named Ko Aung Kyaw Kaung, was also taken in. After quickly questioning the detained, the police sped off to West Khone Thar village, located on Kalays outskirts, to find a man who allegedly provided the confiscated drugs. At 8pm, they arrested Ko Maung Maung Oo, a man with a criminal record for dealing, but no narcotics were found at his bamboo hut. It was June 26, International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, and Kalay police allowed Myanmar Now reporters to join their operations to show they were combating the rampant narcotics trade in Kalay, a rundown market hub of around 400,000 inhabitants a mix of ethnic Bamar and Chin in the mountainous border region. In other cities that day, top police officers held their annual ceremonies to burn large amounts of seized illicit drugs. In the former capital Yangon, state media reported, US$20 million worth of narcotics was torched in the presence of representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Despite such public shows of intent, Myanmar authorities have long failed to stem the vast, entrenched narcotics trade. In lawless conflict areas in the countrys rugged north, pro-government militias, transnational criminal gangs and some ethnic rebel groups produce vast amounts of opium, heroin and methamphetamine that are destined for China, Thailand, India and the domestic market. Much of the law enforcement response has focused on arresting drug users and small dealers for illegal possession, which carries stiff penalties under Myanmar drug laws. Asked if they were making gains against the Kalay drug trade, Lt Bo Bo Win Htut sighed and said, You arrest one dealer, but then 10 more pop up. His officers made about 80 drug-related arrests in the past half year, he said, adding that because of the mountainous terrain and lack of resources, police struggled to catch any ringleaders. The big drug dealers drive land cruisers, but we have only motorbikes, he said. They know their areas well, but we dont and the locals there are also not very helpful If you are unlucky, you could even get shot. Heroin is much cheaper than beer In the last five to 10 years, drug abuse has reached crisis levels among Myanmars ethnic communities in Kachin and Shan states, as well as in transport nodes and border towns such as Lashio, Muse, Kalay and Tamu. Transnational drug-smuggling routes pass through the towns. Vast amounts of precursor chemicals such as pseudo-ephedrine, which is used to make methamphetamine are imported illegally from India and China and flow through the border towns. In the mountains surrounding Kalay, poverty-stricken ethnic Chin farmers are reportedly also turning to opium poppies to sustain their livelihoods. On June 26, Ko Maung Maung and his nephew Ko Aung Kyaw Kaung, were taken handcuffed to Kalay Police Station to be photographed, along with the other alleged dealer, Ko Maung Maung Oo. Ko Aung Kyaw Kaungs mother came to visit him and wept at the sight of her son in handcuffs. Just eight months before, Ko Maung Maung had been released after serving a prison term for a drug offence. I used to be a truck driver and got a lot of back pain from my job thats why I started using drugs and became involved in this business, he told a reporter. Ko Si Thu Win, an emaciated-looking young man loitering on Kalays streets, told Myanmar Now later that drug addiction was a widespread problem in Kalay. You can buy heroin easily here its much cheaper than beer, he said, adding that he tried repeatedly to quit drugs but failed. According to data collected by the UNODC in 2014, there are 1200 injecting drug users in Kalay, making it one of the cities with highest number of users after Mandalay, Lashio, Yangon and several towns in Kachin State. Dr Htet Myat Soe, a physician at Kalay Hospital who specialises in drug addiction and related psychiatric issues, said 200 addicts receive methadone at the state-run hospital every day in order to wean themselves off heroin and opium. The main problem is that when they meet their old friends they tend to relapse, he said. Police net only small fry According to police records obtained by Myanmar Now, a total of 35,481 people were arrested across the country between 2011 and 2015 on drug-related charges. One of them was a 38-year-old ethnic Chin man from a village in the mountains around Kalay who gave his name only as Thang. He was imprisoned in 2012 for drug trafficking and released last August. Thang explained in an interview that he was assigned by traffickers to move pseudo-ephedrine coming from India. He would pick up the precursor chemicals at various places around Kalay and bring it to a warehouse. Then someone above me would go and carry all of those materials down to Mandalay, he said. Kalay Prison and the prison labour camps around the city are filled with poor Chin who had become drug users and small dealers like him, Thang said, estimating that more than half the prison population was arrested for drugs. Lalremthang, a Chin community activist, said poverty among her people was driving the Chin into the trade and drug abuse. They have nothing for their survival. So they turn to the drug trade, for which they dont need any capital, she said. In recent years, as sweeping reforms ripple through Myanmars government, there has been a growing recognition among top law enforcement officers that harsh penalties for drug users and small dealers who often spend years in prison for possession of small quantities of drugs are ineffective in combating the drug trade and abuse problems. Dr Win Mar, UNODC Myanmars national program specialist for HIV prevention and care, said the police approach to drug users was slowly changing. But drug users are sometimes still targeted during special operations, she said. Incapable or corrupt cops? While Kalays prisons overflow, the drug trade continues unabated, addiction levels remain high and few ringleaders are arrested, said Daw Aye Aye Mu, a lower house lawmaker who holds a seat in Kalay for the ruling National League for Democracy. Authorities hardly arrest any major drug traffickers instead they arrest many users, she told Myanmar Now. Daw Aye Aye Mu said police had failed to break up drug rings because of a lack of capability and resources, or because they are corrupted. They will definitely know the prominent drug traffickers. I wonder why they have difficulty arresting these traffickers, she said, adding that the central government should boost law enforcement efforts in Kalay. In 2013, a special police team from the capital Nay Pyi Taw investigated allegations of corruption in the Kalay police force. A district-level officer and several of his lower-ranking officers were later dismissed or imprisoned. Kalay Police Chief Lieutenant-Colonel Tin Zaw Tun told Myanmar Now that his force was now clean, but struggled to fight the trade due to high demand from traffickers in India, who use the Indian border town of Moreh and the Reed Mountain Range in Chin State to move drugs. Ko Kyi Ya Aung, 35, is a former addict and member of a local volunteer group Kalay Lwin Pyin, which helps communities hit by last years devastating floods. He said the continuous influx of cheap drugs made it nearly impossible for Kalay addicts to quit, adding that he recovered only after he left for Yangon, where he worked for 10 years as a trader before returning to Kalay. Ko Kyi Ya Aung said he had only one piece of advice for local addicts wanting to quit the habit: Drugs are so abundant here Get out of the town. Republished with permission of Myanmar Now Sagaing workers, facing trial for their protest march to the capital, will be sentenced to a month in prison or a K5000 fine after being held in contempt of court yesterday. The workers irritated court staffers by refusing to take the proceedings seriously and instead staging civil disobedience by yelling out and singing during four straight hearings. The workers have also pledged to stage a hunger strike if parliamentarians do not intervene in the case by the middle of the month. On May 18, the workers were forcefully arrested by Nay Pyi Taw police between Tatkon township and Yamethin township while protesting for better conditions at the Myanmar Veneer plywood factory in Sagaing Region. At yesterdays hearing, after yelling and singing for the fourth time, they were found in violation of section 480 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which relates to contempt of court. They were yelling out slogans in the court, Tatkon township Judge U Aung Kyaw Oo said. We told them not to make noises in the court because the legal officer and prosecution police had arrived. We warned them three times. But they did not stop it and kept on disturbing the process of the court by influencing the judge with their sounds. It reached the fourth court hearing but the case could not be put on trial so the dignity of the court is lost. The punishment is very lenient, he added. They will be punished again if they keep disturbing the court process at their next hearings, he said. A sentence in the case is expected on June 15, he said. Since the first time they were sent to court, they were yelling out slogans and singing their songs, said Police Colonel Ko Ko Aung, head of Nay Pyi Taw district polices. So far, their case cannot be put on trial. Ko Yan Naing Tun from the Progress Labour Union, who has been detained, said he had no comment on the courts decision. Today, while we kept on boycotting the court, the court sentenced us for disobedience, he said. But, I have nothing to say about the order of the court. It is doing its duty. However, he went on to express his dissatisfaction with the trial. As we have been wrongly arrested, we dont need to face trial, he said. The court is under the influence of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Weve seen that the judge cant decide the case on his own. Police are positioned in the courtroom so that they can give the judgement against us. There wont be truth and justice under a judiciary system controlled by the executive sector. Ko Khaing Min, leader of the worker protesters, said they will wage hunger strikes aimed at MPs, asking that parliament amend labour laws. Force was used against us when we were arrested, he said. To settle that case, we will give MPs 10 days from today. We have decided that we will wage a hunger strike on the 11th day if they dont do anything for us. Translation by Thiri Min Htun Teams have been formed to compile a list of unofficial residents in Yangon Region as the government attempts to sort out the profusion of illegal settlements in the commercial capital. In May, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein officially announced that the government would not tolerate new squatters while it collected lists of illegal dwellings and recorded the information in a computerised system. The chief minister said his administration intended to assist real squatters but would not tolerate other kinds of unofficial residents, suggesting that landlord squatters, professional squatters and anarchistic squatters were taking advantage of tangled tenure claims and weak enforcement of the law. We will help only those who are really in trouble, he said at a May 25 press conference. But let me be clear that breaking the law and being deceptive about the truth wont be accepted in Myanmar any more. Though the regional government has said the census of unofficial residents is the first step to sorting out the thorny issue of illegal houses, a timetable for the rosters completion does not yet appear to have been established. We have yet to compile a list of squatters, U Tun Tun Win, administrator of Yangons North district from the Ministry of Home Affairs General Administration Department, told The Myanmar Times yesterday. Now what we are doing is collecting household lists. We cant say when we will start forming that list. Led by township general administrators, teams made up of members of several government entities have been formed to make the lists. Involved with the data collection are the heads of township municipal offices, officials from the Settlement and Land Records Department, Immigration and Population Department, local MPs, and ward or village administrators. We are supposed to help the general administrator so the team will work under his plan, said U Maung Maung Zaw, head of Yangon City Development Committees Department of Administration. The teams will start in Hlaing Tharyar township, an industrial hub that has drawn tens of thousands of migrant workers to the commercial capital in recent years. Fieldwork has not yet been conducted, though new illegal shanties are being destroyed as soon as they appear in the township, U Khin Maung Gyi, head of Hlaing Tharyar townships municipal office, said yesterday. The Yangon Region government estimates that there are 430,000 unofficial tenants living on state-owned or private land. Hlaing Tharyar township, which has nine industrial zones and a labour force of more than 300,000, likely has the highest population of unofficial residents in the region, said U Kyi Soe, former chair of the townships city development committee. I havent heard [about the squatter lists] yet, he said. If they are making lists of squatters in Hlaing Tharyar, that sounds quite difficult. Illegal dwellings in the township are being monitored by ward or village administrators and being counted to prevent further increases in the squatter population. But that may not prevent new shanties from popping up on the outskirts of town, said Ko San Shae, a resident in an industrial zone near the BOC bus stop in Insein township. I heard about new illegal huts appearing in remote areas of the township, he said. Translation by Zar Zar Soe [July 13, 2016] Technavio Announces Top Five Vendors in the Global Magnetic Field Sensors Market Until 2020 Technavio has announced the top five leading vendors for the global magnetic field sensors market in their latest research report. To identify the top vendors, Technavio's market research analysts have considered the top contributors to the overall revenue of this market. The report segments the market on the following bases: Application: Automotive, wireless and consumer electronics, data processing, military, energy, and medical Technology: Hall effect, anisotropic MR, and giant MR sensors Geography: EMEA, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and the Americas Request sample report: http://bit.ly/29q4VFm "Due to high potential market growth, the competition among vendors is also expected to increase during the forecast period. Manufacturers are targeting the growing consumer electronics market. Though affordability is still low, but vendors are expected to develop magnetic field sensors to meet the requirements of the consumer electronics market as well as other growing markets," said Asif Gani, one of Technavio's lead industrial electronics for sensors. Top five leading vendors in the global magnetic field sensors market: Allegro MicroSystems Allegro MicroSystems was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts, US. The company operates as a subsidiary of Sanken Electric, which is one of the leading analog IC product manufacturers in Japan. Its products are divided into six categories: current sensor ICs, magnetic digital position sensor ICs, magnetic linear and angular position sensor ICs, magnetic speed sensor ICs, motor driver and controller ICs, and regulators and lighting. In addition, the company sells products manufactured by Sanken Electric. Aahi Kasei Asahi Kasei was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is mainly engaged in the chemicals business and is one of the main chemical companies in Japan. It operates through four segments: chemical and fabric, homes and construction materials, electronics, and healthcare. Infineon Technologies (News - Alert) Infineon Technologies was established in 1999 and is headquartered in Neubiberg, Germany. The company offers semiconductor and system solutions for the automotive and industrial sectors. It is a leading developer of chip card and security systems for these sectors. The company is known for its high quality, reliability, and innovation of cutting-edge technologies in analog solutions and radio frequency and power control systems. Micronas Semiconductor Micronas Semiconductor was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. The company is one of the leading suppliers of intelligent and sensor-based system solutions that are used in automotive and other industrial applications. The company's products are divided into six categories: Hall switches, linear Hall sensors, direct angle sensors, current transducers, gas sensors, and embedded microcontrollers. Bosch Sensortec The Bosch Sensortec portfolio of motion sensors includes gesture- and motion-based products: Accelerometers, Gyroscopes, Geomagnetic sensors, eCompass, Inertial Measurement Units, Absolute Orientation sensors, Smart Hubs & Nodes as well as the Sensor Fusion software. Motion sensors are designed for various applications in the field of Mobile devices, Wearables, IoT and Smart Home, Gaming and Imaging devices as well as Industrial applications. Browse related reports: Global Consumer Motion Sensor Market 2015-2019 Global Mobile Card Reader Market 2016-2020 Global Passive Infrared Motion Sensor Market 2016-2020 Global WLAN Market 2016-2020 Do you need a report on a market in a specific geographical cluster or country but can't find what you're looking for? Don't worry, Technavio also takes client requests. Please contact [email protected] with your requirements and our analysts will be happy to create a customized report just for you. 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 [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160713005029/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 14, 2016] GCI and Teck Red Dog Operations Announce High-Speed Internet to Noatak and Red Dog Mine ANCHORAGE, Alaska, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GCI, Alaska's largest telecommunications company and Teck Red Dog Operations, one of the world's largest zinc producers, today announced an agreement that will bring high-speed broadband internet service to Red Dog Operations and the community of Noatak. "Red Dog is a world-class mining operation that requires world-class internet service and this partnership is a win/win for GCI, Red Dog and the residents of Noatak," said Martin Cary, GCI's senior vice president of business services. "Our team understands the challenges of building infrastructure and providing service to more than 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle. In addition to the 72 rural communities already served by TERRA, GCI is expanding TERRA to 10 more rural communities in 2016. When Red Dog and Noatak are complete, GCI's TERRA network will deliver high-speed internet to a total of 84 rural Alaska locations." Once the network expansion is complete, which is targeted for 2017, Red Dog employees and Noatak residents will be able to stream rich media and stay easily connected with family and friends. The network will also advance the performance of online business, health, education and other services for both Noatak and Red Dog. "This partnership will help connect many more Northwest Arctic residents with important online services, while also providing business benefits to Teck Red Dog Operations and mine employees," said Henri Letient, General Manager, Teck Red Dog Operations. "Bringing high speed internet connection to Noatak is a strong example of the local benefits generated by Red Dog, and of our commiment to helping support local residents and communities." "The mining sector is a cornerstone of Alaska's resource development economy and with more than 450 employees, Red Dog mine is a major employer in the region and in the state. Red Dog is also leading the way in workforce development through the use of Registered Apprenticeship, creating career paths for Alaskans in the region," said Heidi Drygas, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. "As Alaskans work to diversify our economy, we need to make sure that businesses have the tools and access they need to stay competitive. The partnership announcement is part of a broader GCI strategy to connect Arctic communities to high-speed internet. In June, GCI announced plans to expand its Terrestrial for Every Rural Region in Alaska (TERRA) network to include 10 new communities in the Northwest Arctic Borough and Norton Sound region. This expansion will result in high-speed, data rich broadband service for schools and clinics in Buckland, Kiana, Noorvik, Selawik, Koyuk, Elim, Golovin, White Mountain, Stebbins and St. Michael. About GCI GCI delivers communication and technology services in the consumer and business markets. Headquartered in Alaska with additional locations in the U.S., GCI has delivered services for more than 35 years to some of the most remote communities and in some of the most challenging conditions in North America. Learn more about GCI at www.gci.com About GCI's TERRA Network GCI's TERRA network delivers low latency network connections and high-speed internet access. TERRA launched in 2010 and currently delivers broadband services to 72 communities and services more than 43,000 residents. TERRA won the 2013 NATOA (National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors) Community Broadband Wireless Network of the Year award and the 2014 Engineering News Record (ENR) Best Projects Regional Award. About Teck Red Dog Operations Red Dog Operations is one of the world's largest zinc mines, located 106 miles north of the Arctic Circle in northwest Alaska, near Kotzebue. In 1989, Red Dog Operations was developed through an innovative operating agreement between the operator Teck and the land-owner NANA, a Regional Alaska Native corporation owned by the Inupiat people of northwest Alaska. Concentrates produced at Red Dog are shipped to our metallurgical facilities in Trail, British Columbia, and to customers in Asia and Europe. Learn more at www.teck.com/reddog. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gci-and-teck-red-dog-operations-announce-high-speed-internet-to-noatak-and-red-dog-mine-300298907.html SOURCE GCI [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 14, 2016] GameAnalytics Behavioral Analytics Platform Acquired by Mobvista COPENHAGEN, Denmark, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GameAnalytics, a leading behavioral analytics platform for game developers, today announces that it has been acquired by Mobvista, Asia's largest and fastest-growing mobile ad tech company. Through this acquisition, Mobvista significantly expands its international reach and service offering to bring game developers a complete advertising technology platform that drives revenue and maximizes lifetime value (LTV). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. With a global mobile ad network that captures more than 10 billion daily impressions from integrated ad spots and websites across more than 240 countries and regions, Mobvista is pursuing an aggressive overseas growth strategy. The acquisition of GameAnalytics in Europe follows the March 2016 purchase of NativeX in the U.S. With the addition of GameAnalytics, Mobvista is extending its international footprint while enhancing its advanced optimization capabilities and monetization solutions. Mobvista, whose clients include Baidu, Tencent, Alibaba, Uber, Electronic Arts, SGN and Machinezone, selected GameAnalytics, whose clients include hit game studios such as Flaregames, PopCap Games, Illusion Labs and Hipster Whale, for its leading technologies and rich player insights. Together with Mobvista's proprietary ad tech and unique native ad mediation service, used by companies such as Camera360 and 360 Security, mobile developers will gain the ability to automate the understanding, retention, and monetization of users to maximize eCPM (effective cost per thousand impressions). Robin Duan, founder and CEO of Mobvista, says, "Acquiring GameAnalytics in Europe, like NativeX in the U.S., is helping us to rapidly develop a multi-dimensional, global ecosystem of mobile traffic. We're confident that GameAnalytics' best-in-class technology and 20,000-strong developer community will increase our mobile marketing solution's effectivenes to the benefit of both the supply and demand sides." Post-acquisition, GameAnalytics will continue to operate as an independent platform providing its core service, free analytics. GameAnalytics CEO Luke Aviet, previously Vice President and MD EMEA at AOL, says, "When I met Robin we quickly realized our companies shared similar visions for the mobile content and advertising industries. Since our businesses were global by design and had rapidly risen to market leading positions, the synergies were obvious. The combined services of each company will significantly increase the appeal to developers, publishers, and advertisers across the world." Morten Wulff, founder of GameAnalytics, said, "Together, the strengths of Mobvista and GameAnalytics create a one-stop, revenue-boosting solution for game developers. By combining the best monetization platform with powerful in-game behavior analytics, we can ensure the right ad is pushed to the right audience at the right time." Wulff continues: "We're very excited to join the Mobvista family, and we look forward to accelerate platform innovation and continuing to improve the ways game developers across the globe identify and monetize their most valuable players." About GameAnalytics GameAnalytics' free analytics service platform for game developers is one of the largest in the world, with over 25,000 registered developers and more than 1 billion unique players tracked since launch. Currently, the platform maintains over 350 million monthly active users and 22,000 active games. Founded in 2012 by Danish serial entrepreneur Morten E. Wulff, GameAnalytics has received over $8M in funding from investors including Sunstone Capital as well high-profile individuals such as AOL Content & Consumer Brands President Jimmy Maymann, Maker Studios President Rene Rechtman, GoViral Founder Claus Moseholm, TechCrunch Founder Michael Arrington, Podio Founder Tommy Ahlers and Paypal Head of Corporate Development Anil Hansjee. The company is headquartered in Copenhagen with an office in London. For more information, visit http://gameanalytics.com. About Mobvista Mobvista is the world's leading mobile advertising and game publishing platform, serving over 10 billion impressions each day from users in more than 240 countries and regions worldwide. The company's user database covers over 2 billion devices and 3000+ user-targeting labels, ensuring clients' achieve maximum monetization on a global scale. The company was listed on the NEEQ In November 2015, with a listed market value of nearly $1 billion. In the 2016 Appsflyer Performance Index Global Android Power Rankings, Mobvista held the No. 1 position in Asia and No. 3 worldwide, following Facebook and Google AdWords. The company has nearly 400 employees across global offices in Guangzhou, Beijing, Hong Kong, San Francisco, New Delhi, Singapore, Minneapolis, Sartell, and Jakarta. For additional information, visit www.mobvista.com . To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gameanalytics-behavioral-analytics-platform-acquired-by-mobvista-300298758.html SOURCE GameAnalytics [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] It was a bright Sunday afternoon as I made my way to Rasta, an area along the bush road (from La to Teshie) to joined a group of young corporate executives for the opening of a multi-purpose grooming centre owned by a young guy committed to making a difference in society. Cheerful, smart, vibrant and enterprising! These are some of the attributes of Christian Dordoe, who I can best describe as a perfect example of a go-getter, filled with a positive energy and possesses the spirit of a winner. Just like his idol, Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba and a man who has single-handedly impacted the entire economy and internet industry in China, Christian has an inspiring story to tell from a village boy to becoming an owner of a multiple unit thriving business. Chris, as he is mostly called, arrived in Accra in 2004 from the Volta Region convinced of finding the best opportunities in the nation's capital to make life more meaningful and also realise his dream of becoming a successful business owner. Without a roof over his head and a place to call a home, Chris wasn't deterred, rather, he got himself a job as a workhand at a construction site to enable him keep body and soul together. He carried bags of cement, buckets of water on his head all day and also supplied mortar to the bricklayers in a wheelbarrow all day for a stipend which could barely buy him three square meals. His God gifted skill is his most priced asset barbering, which he discovered earlier in his life as a teenager growing up in his hometown, Mafi-Adidome. After completing his elementary education at Pentecost Preparatory Junior High School in Tapa Abotoase, Chris became a barber with his family and friends becoming his initial clientele. Growing up for me was an exciting and challenging experience. My family did their best and provided me with basic education at one of the best schools in the village at the time. After I was done with JSS, I started barbering as that was the only thing I could do best. It is my gift from God as I didn't learn how to barber, it comes to me naturally. With the level of development in the village, I know the only way to keep my dreams alive was to relocate to Accra and I was ready to do that no matter the cost it came with. It was convinced I was going to make it in Accra so I embarked on the journey, Chris said. After months of working on the construction site, he went on to work with a couple of barbershops. There, he realised how he could make a livelihood as a barber and also achieve his dreams. Apart from the barber shop, he did other menial jobs to save up to enable him to rent a small place which served as his shop and residence. Business was sometimes very good and at other times very bad. There were times I got excited and other times I got disappointed and very frustrated as I had the rest of the family back in the village to support. There were times I did extra jobs including buying and selling just to augment what I was getting from the shop. To be honest, it was a challenging moment for me as I had underestimated how frustrating Accra could be before leaving the village, according to Chris. Chris kept his head up in spite of all the challenges and was motivated to realise his dream to succeed in Accra. He was regular at church and had few friends who continually encouraged him never to give up. Others would disappoint him sometimes but that made him stronger than discouraging him. From one business to the other in addition to the shop, Chris continued to work hard to acquire a bigger place to transform the business. This led him to register and establish C- Dors Executive Grooming, an exclusive men's grooming outfit currently with two branches, one in Osu, behind Radio XYZ and the other at Rasta, along the bush road from La to Teshie. Services offered by his outfit are haircut, shaves, manicures & pedicures, shoe shine, facials & massage, waxing services and hair laser removal. They also provide private and special services in the comfort of the clients' home or office. His clientele base is diverse, from corporate executives, politicians to showbiz personalities including Black Avenue Music's boss, Desmond Blackmore (D Black), DJ Breezy, Mic Smith and Castro. Others are Sekou Nkrumah, Obed Psych (of urban gospel group, Preachers), Kojo Bonso (former Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Mayor), Joseph Adu (CEO, Devtraco) and Eric Goka (owner of Twist Pub). About his future ambitions, Chris said I am very grateful to God for how far he has brought me and also to everyone who has contributed to the success of this business, it's a dream come through. At this point, I wish to establish a big retail outlet to stock several lifestyle products and brands, from clothing to other fashion accessories with an exclusive eatery and wine shop. It's going to be a one stop shop for everything lifestyle. He subscribes to the philosophy of Pope John Paul XXIII Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. 11059238 100603223609671 499916848878995160 N 13335594 281792415490750 896458201681086082 N 13432370 290079441328714 502043924390413190 N Mother of the late Ghanaian hip life /dancehall artiste,Terry Bonchaka; Mrs Charlotte Adjetey, has praised Shatta Wales exploits in the Ghanaian music industry. "I'll like to take this opportunity to compliment Shatta Wale for being regarded as the hottest Ghanaian musician presently.He has done marvelously well," she noted. Auntie Charlotte who made the pronouncement in an inspiring interview with Ebenezer Anderson aka Dr.Who,host of Hot and classic showbiz review on Hot Fm, further indicated that she is surprised Shatta Wale has never paid her a visit: "I know Shatta Wale was by son's (Terry Bonchaka) bosom friend whom he (shatta Wale) took much inspiration from so i have been wondering why he hasn't pay me a visit so that i bless him more. "Any time i look at Shatta Wale,i see a little bit of my Terry Bonchaka in him because he is also very hard working like my son(Bonchaka) "honestly am so proud of him but he should come and look for me,please make sure you let him know am really looking for him", she noted with humor. According to Auntie Charlotte , there is going to be an event organization that would seek to nurture talents and to hold on to Terry Bonchaka's idles by the name "Boomgi Alliance " She urged fans of her late son, Terry Bonchaka to watch out for "Boomgi Alliance" Bonchaka met his untimely death at aged 21 in a fatal accident on the Legon-Madina road when the vehicle in which he was riding, together with his friend, Rasta, suddenly veered off the road and hit a tree. This occurred on Thursday October 30, 2003 after performing at the Akuafo Hall of the University of Ghana in their Hall Week Celebrations Terry Bonchaka, known in real life as Terrence Nii Okang Adjetey, left behind tunes Known in real life as Terrence Nii Okang Adjetey,Terry Bonchaka letf behind tunes such as Poulele, Ghana Lady, Lomnava, Bonchaka-ta, African Chow, Zoozey, Nkabom, Sweetie, Chichinapi, Ewurade, Kaasha Flash and others Anti-corruption crusader, Vitus Azeem 14.07.2016 LISTEN Mr. Vitus Azeem, a Ghanaian Anti Corruption activist is a man I have known for the past two decades, since his working days at Integrate Social Development Center (ISODEC) till he landed a job at the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) the local branch of transparency international. He had been known for fighting against corruption in favor of accountability, transparency and probity in governance. For that matter he had been a darling figure to the media, who would often want to hear his views on issues regarding corruption. No wonder that when the issue of the 5million dollars hand out to Rawlings by late General Sani Abacha in the late 90s erupted in the media, the ubiquitous media house Citi Fm jumped on Vitus for his views. As usual he was forthright. He told the media house that the matter must be investigated. He told Citi that it must be established whether the amount was given personally by late Abacha or from the government of Nigeria to the government of Ghana through former President Rawlings. Even though some people might not understand vitus and think he hates Rawlings that is not it, I think his reaction to the media is on point because we all need to help unravel the truth about the matter to be able to nail or exonerate our former head of state who until now is a role model. The issue is out there on the international scene with Ghana in a limbo in terms of credibility. Vitus is right because there are conflicting accounts about the quantum level of the cash. While President Rawlings in admitting to collecting the cash says the amount was $2m dollars the emissary of Abacha says he handed over a whooping 5m dollars to Rawlings for specific duties which had since been carried out. All these are matters that need to be gone into to arrive at the truth. Which were the duties? Were they beneficial to the nation or Rawlings himself and late Abacha? What is even frighteningly damning about the entire issue is that a huge media person like Mr. Kwaku Baako who says he has knowledge about the issue says he believe that the mount given to Rawlings was $5million dollars. Willian Nyarko now a lawyer in the US who followed the issue in 1998 for Ghanaian Chronicle also says that per a memo that he had on the issue President Rawlings was given $5million dollars. What is important about this matter is that Rawlings has a reputation as former leader of Ghana who fought against corruption through whom some Ghanaians high and low suffered and had to pay dearly in his time. According to Dr Arthur Kennedy, Abacha was the Nigerian dictator who stole billions of USD and extinguished every democratic right of Nigerians during his ill-fated, 5 year rule. Noble laureate Wole Soyinka condemned him with passion. US Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said of Abacha in 2014, Rather than serve his country, Gen. Abacha used his public office in Nigeria to loot billions of dollars, engaging in kleptocracy". Nigeria recovered over a billion dollars from his loot. Therefore for Rawlings to have collected money $2 or $5m dollars from Abacha now Known to have stolen billions of dollars from the coffers of Nigeria , the entire nation needs to know why the amount was given and what It was used for. The truth is needed to guide the current and future leaders to know which money to receive from foreign leaders and which ones to reject. If the truth is established the nation would know whether Rawlings was shortchanged by Guarzo or some other person or Rawlings was telling lies. Though he Rawlings may not be prosecuted the findings would serve as a means of giving guidance to future leaders on the issue. Therefore you are right Vitus ride on for I know whoever past as president Kufuor is involved you would have asked the same questions to get the air cleared Executive director Eanfoworld for sustainable development 0244 370345 (Airtel)/ 0274853710 /0208844791 / [email protected]/[email protected] Spokesperson for former President John Kufuor, Frank Agyekum, has called on former President Rawlings to state what the $2 million he confessed to receiving from a former Nigerian president was used for. If former President Rawlings has come out to say that he did take the money, the $2 million, it is for us to start asking questions like what happened to the money, Mr. Agyekum said on Eyewitness News. Mr. Rawlings, while speaking to the Guardian Newspaper in Nigeria, admitted to receiving $2 million from the President of Nigeria in 1998, Sani Abacha. Reports about the money were rife in 1998, and a former Member of Parliament for New Juabeng North, Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, was at the forefront of calls for a probe into the allegations. But following Mr. Rawlings confession, Mr. Owusu Agyeman has now said it should warrant forgiveness from Ghanaians. The confession notwithstanding, Mr Agyekum has noted that though Mr. Rawlings confessed to receiving the money, he has not disclosed to Ghanaians what the money was used for. How was the money accounted for because as far as I am concerned, I have never heard it being accounted for to the state and by the state and we don't know what happened to the money. Ghanaians should demand answers Ghanaians should also be more interested in what became of the $2 million dollars and demand answers from Mr. Rawlings according to Mr. Agyekum. I think it is for all of us to start asking questions as to how the money came to be and the purposes for which it was used. It is not just for President Kufuor to ask those questions we should know why he took the money, what use the money was put to and whether the state was informed and accounted to, he said. Mr. Agyekum further challenged Mr. Rawlings to live up to his anti-corruption rhetoric by coming clean on what the money was used for. He [Rawlings] is forever talking about integrity, about transparency, about accountability. I think this is the time that he should show the transparency and the accountability and the integrity so that we know what happened to this money. By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana 14.07.2016 LISTEN The United Nations warned yesterday that all those leading and perpetrating hostilities and acts of violence against civilians, UN and humanitarian personnel, assets and premises may face war crime charges. The international community, through its wide-ranging security, legal and human rights mechanisms, will be carefully monitoring developments in the coming days precisely in order to be able to identify on whom the burden of accountability for war crimes should ultimately be placed. Addressing a press encounter at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday ( July 11, 2016) about the unfolding crisis in South Sudan, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said that "The renewed fighting is outrageous. It is yet another grievous setback. It deepens the countrys suffering. It makes a mockery of commitments to peace". He expressed deep condolences to the families and loved ones of all those who have been killed in the fighting that has consumed Juba over the past five days. He also condemned the killing of two Chinese peacekeepers and one UN national staff. "I am appalled by these indiscriminate attacks on civilians and peacekeepers. The two UNMISS compounds in Juba have been caught in the cross-fire and sustained mortar and heavy artillery fire. At least two internally displaced persons have been killed in the UNMISS protection of civilians sites, and some 35 injured. "Thousands of civilians have fled to various locations in town, including the two UNMISS compounds.Yet again, the leaders of South Sudan have failed their people. Rarely has a country squandered so much promise, so quickly. "What kind of leadership is it that resorts to deadly weapons and identity politics, time and again? Failed leadership". he asked. The UN boss was emphatic that "There must and will be accountability for the atrocities that have been committed in South Sudan since 2013. It is not just leaders who must face a reckoning, but all those in the chain of command, including chiefs of staff and other officials complicit in the violence". While I understand that President Kiir reportedly issued an order to the SPLA last night to stop fighting, hostilities continue today and have spread to parts outside of Juba in Central Equatoria. To this end, the Secretary General charged Sudanese President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar to do everything in their power to de-escalate the hostilities immediately, by ordering their respective forces to withdraw to their bases. He assured that the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) "is doing all it can to contain a very volatile situation. Our peacekeepers maintain a proactive posture, conducting patrols within and immediately outside the protection of civilians sites. It has reinforced perimeter security to enhance protection for IDPs and UN staff at its two compounds". Welcoming a statement by the Security Council that the gravity of the situation demanded a rapid response, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon urged the Council to immediately impose an arms embargo on South Sudan, enact additional targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders blocking the implementation of the peace Agreement and thirdly to fortify the UN Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS. The Secretary-General urged the South Sudanese Government to ease all restrictions immediately so that the UN peacekeeping mission can freely move around, allow normal operation of UNMISS and all other diplomatic missions there since the many roadblocks and safety checks do not allow movement, and really makes it very difficult for provide humanitarian assistance and also to take care of wounded civilians and soldiers. Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur says electricity tariffs in Africa are high. Mr. Amissah-Arthur made the disclosure on Tuesday while delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA) held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra. The meeting, under the theme: 'Energy Development through Customer Management, Revenue Collection and Energy Efficiency," brought i together the continent ' s power utility operators to exchange ideas to improve the energy sector across Africa. The Vice President warned that if tariffs continue to increase, power will be affordable only for the rich, a situation that would significantly restrict development on the continent. "In many of our countries, there are large segments of the population that cannot afford to pay economic tariff. Their circumstances have to be factored into the tariff regime," he said. He added that if the circumstances were not considered "power will be a service available only for the wealthy and not for the poor or rural resident which will definitely restrain the development of our societies," he said. "There are five important aspects to be addressed. The first is the planning' approach in developing energy sources. This must be comprehensive, embracing thermal, hydro and renewables. We must avoid the adoption of the haphazard, piecemeal approach," he declared. Slow Growth According to the Vice President, in most of Africa, energy development has not matched increasing demand. "I am told that in the last decade, power consumption in Africa increased by three times the rate of capacity growth," he said. He pointed out that there was an increasing energy gap, whose implication impacts not just economic growth, but also progress in the social sectors such as education, health, tourism among others." Suggestions Efficient energy use, he said, must reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services, adding that "in this respect, demand side management is crucial and we must educate and encourage the use of energy-saving building architecture and industrial, commercial and domestic devices." He stated that an ambitious objective of developing an effective, efficient and sustainable power sector can be facilitated through tine exchange of knowledge, experiences and the pooling of resources in APUA. National Outlook Ghana, he said, has worked to diminish the energy gap, especially in rural communities. He also touched on some of the successes that the country has chalked over the years. On the African continent, excluding island nations, Ghana is behind only Gabon and South Africa in terms of energy access, the Vice President said. According to him, about 80.5 percent of Ghanaians currently have access to electricity. By 2020, he said, there should be a universal access to electricity in Ghana and called on other African nations to expand their electricity reach. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Volta River Authority (VRA), Ign. Kirk Koffie, in a remark, explained that APUA over the last 50 years has promoted the development and integration of the African power systems through network interconnections, exchange of experiences and knowledge, as well as the pooling of energy in a win-win approach for all. He said the power sector in Africa was faced with challenges such as low accessibility and insufficient capacity, poor reliability and high tariffs. It is every citizen's dream to feel part of his or her government they elect based on promises to better their lives in all areas. How then, is it that many citizens today do not care about who leads them? In a democracy, this behaviour is what is termed VOTER APATHY. Voter apathy occurs when eligible voters do not vote in public elections due to disillusionment with the political process or politicians in general. When a voter feels helpless and unable to influence important events through elected leaders, they tend to stay out of the political process such as registration to vote, verification during voter register exhibition exercise and voting itself. The phenomenon of voter apathy is a global malaise political scientists and governments are battling to arrest. It is common in many developed democracies including the United States of America (USA) where, for example, less than 15% of eligible voters participated in state-wide primaries in 2014, according to the Center for the Study of the American Electorate (CSAE). In fact, the number of Americans heading to the polls each election has been declining for the last fifty years ( http://thinkprogress.org/election/2014/11/10/3590959/turnout-in-the-midterm-election-was-the-lowest-since-1942/ ). In Ghana, District Level Elections tend to record alarming voter turnouts. In 2015 for example, only 39% of eligible voters participated in the local elections, according to the Electoral Commission of Ghana. Several factors underly voter apathy in Ghana. One of the key reasons for the worsening voter apathy is lack of agency - a situation where citizens doubt their ability to make a difference or feel under-represented in government due to lack of proportional representation. Additionally, scandalous and sensational media reports about politicians and their surrogates make voters see politics as inconsequential and politicians as dishonest and unfaithful. Another major cause of voter apathy is a lack of interest in the political process due to disenchantment with existing interventions made by elected officers in the course of their administration. The absence of reliable and inexpensive basic needs such as electricity, water, healthcare, security and housing can also cause citizens to decide to stay indifferent to the process of election. Some voters are also simply put off by the affluence and profligacy exhibited by politicians who before getting into elected public offices were modest and frugal in their lifestyle. The overall effect of voter apathy is that, the few who turn out to vote in an election choose leaders who do not necessarily represent majority of the population. A high voter turnout, on the contrary, is thus seen as evidence of the legitimacy of the elected. General Elections in Ghana tend to record very high turnouts. In 2012, for example, the average voter turnout across all administrative regions was 79%, according to official figures released by the Electoral Commission of Ghana. This means that some 21% of eligible voters, representing 2,911,908 votes, did not vote. That number may include the dead, people who may have lost their ID cards in the intervening periods of registration and voting or were prevented from voting, or people who were holed up in private engagements that could not enable them make it to their polling stations to vote. A significant percentage of that number would have fallen in the voter apathy category. In a country where Presidential elections are won by as low as 40,000 votes, no politician should wish away a single vote. It is for that reason that voter apathy must be treated with utmost seriousness. Although there is no reliable statistical evidence about elections in Ghana which shows that voter apathy tends to favour opposition candidates, the causes of voter apathy suggest that ruling political parties are more likely to bear the brunt. This is because they are seen, rightly so, as chiefly responsible and duty-bound for representing the interest of the masses and providing their needs at all times. With election 2016 around the corner, political parties, including the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), have accelerated their campaigns. The ruling party set their campaign in motion with the live TV launch of what has become known as the "Green Book" which contains major projects the government has completed or is in the process of completing. Some of its content are the universities built by the current government in the Volta and Brong Ahafo Regions, the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange, Eastern Corridor Road, Community Day Senior High Schools, hospitals among others. Some members of the party have formed many unofficial campaign groups such as Celebrities for Mahama, Doves for Mahama, I Choose JM and Zongo for Mahama. Their core mandate is to work with the official campaign team at national, regional and constituency levels to win over both existing and first-time voters to the NDC whilst maintaining their core, devoted base to vote for the party in the 2016 General Elections. With new political parties being outdoored by splinter groups from opposition parties, no party can leave their campaign and its outcome to chance. This is particularly imperative in the case of the ruling party, which has a determined combination of an ageing flag bearer and ever vociferous and vibrant Vice Presidential hopeful on its heels. The NPP, despite their unending intra-party conflict, is daring to make or break this time around. Therefore, they are promising heaven without immediate responses to how to actualize them, yet hoping to dethrone the ruling government. As such the NDC, if they really mean business, will have to do thorough and realistic analyses of their chances in the upcoming elections and then devise practical means by which they can reach out to all and sundry. A chunk of the eligible voters that may threaten their chance to retain their position in government from 2017 is the often forgotten "Apathetic Voter". In my business trips across the length and breadth of Ghana in the last few months, I have come across many of them. They are often reserved, unenthusiastic and indifferent to whoever wins the next elections. They no more believe in promises. They don't believe that their lives can be improved directly through policies and programmes by governments. They don't believe that if they vote, their votes will be counted. Also, they don't believe that the things that the ruling government pats itself on the back for are worth celebrating. They consider them all average achievements that are expected of every government. They have therefore decided to put their destiny in their own hands and leave politics for people who wish to engage in it. They're the ones who will jump on any available flight to anywhere on the globe apart from Ghana. Unfortunately for the ruling NDC, many of those I have encountered on my trips are their professed sympathisers. Many of them claim they voted in previous elections for the NDC but will stay out this year because they are sorely disappointed in the John Mahama-led administration. They have no or regular electricity despite paying realistic bills. Also they have little or no access to potable water. They leave in fear of armed robbery in their homes and businesses. They pay too much rent because the 6-month legally acceptable rent advance is not being implemented. Worse yet they have limited access to Medicare. These are the issues bothering the growing number of voters who intend to stay out of the upcoming elections. If they are to be believed, we should expect a significant drop from the 2012 turnout of 79%. It may not be as bad as the 39% turnout recorded in the 2015 District Level Elections, but it can be enough to deny the ruling party another chance at ruling Ghana from 2017. So, how can the NDC stem the tide? How can they disabuse the minds of eligible voters who are apathetic towards voting this year, even though it appears late in the day to cause any dramatic turnaround in the fortune of the nation and their individual lives? The solution is simple: stop the wholesale campaign, identify and deal with the specific needs of each segment of the voter population. A range of measures can be adopted in that direction. 1. Fix the power crisis now The tendency to blame external saboteurs, often Nigeria, for our crippling power crisis is no more fashionable. And it is more annoying and shuttering hearing the President lead that chorus. With the promise of putting an end to the crisis for good failing to materialise, the least the apathetic voter wants to hear is excuses. The government and its campaigners should therefore focus attention on propagating cogent messages to voters when they go out on their outreach. Did I hear someone say that fighting establishments over subsidies-realignment debates do not auger well for the ruling party? 2. Launch party manifesto now and disseminate its content speedily and widely among the populace. In the course of propagating what the party intends to bring onto the table from 2017 if re-elected, the party ought to consciously and methodically match its previous campaign and manifesto promises with actuals. Performance measurement is very important because it is a sure and realistic way of assessing one's performance fairly and realistically. This will then result in a review and readjustment of old promises to meet reality. When voters realise that what is promised is delivered or will be reshaped to be doable, they tend to manage their expectations more realistically and then give politicians ample time to achieve them. Anything below that calls for mistrust and apathy or rejection. 3. Focus on the real issue; don't run away from the truth. The average voter is growing smarter and wiser by the day. They can no longer be fooled with propaganda. The things you promise to do, work hard at them and deliver. Ruling a nation is a serious business that must not be done playing to the gallery in the company of a usually distractive opposition. The practice whereby people in government leave their core businesses and spend the whole day trying in vain to win time-wasting media wars ought to cease. Talk little, do more. Discerning and unenthusiastic voters will see in between. 4. Keep your campaign frugal and measured (at least on the outside). It is often the case for politicians in power to exhibit gross elegance by dissipating state resources during campaigns. For whatever the reason, they believe this will best endear them to the voter. Wise up, Mr. Politician. Such practices only put people off and send you across as insensitive and mean in the face of hardship. The discerning voter will not give you his or her vote, even if they decide not to vote for your opponent. Sad we still see 100-car convoys in our dear country today during campaign tours! 5. Wear a listening ear, and don't consider every critic an opposition member. In our part of the world, dissent is seldom appreciated, and anyone who opines a contrasting view about governance is seen as an ungrateful opposition member or sympathiser, who should not be countenanced but crushed or ignored at least. This is so wrong and detrimental to the success of a party that needs votes to win a critical election. Many stay out of elections because they do not feel represented or heard. When they talk, they're clothed in opposition apparel as though they do not have minds of their own and cannot independently assess economic circumstances and take a decision on who leads them. Politicians, especially ruling parties, should understand that hardship is not a respecter of persons, race, party or religion. If a government in power imposes hardship on the citizens through incompetence, it affects everybody including those whose vote catapulted them into power. As a result, not all of the people will stay mute and wallow in the mess. A few may join the usual career naysayers to voice out their frustrations. They must be identified and appealed to in modest and respectful ways so as not to draw their ire or indignation towards deciding to withdraw their franchise for the party. As the NDC attempts to drive its way back into power come 2017, it is my humble advice that they consider the aforesaid as well as many others unlisted here in order to reinvigorate their supporters who are fast growing into a powerful constituency of indifferent and apathetic voters. They must identify these people and their needs and adequately address them or show great signs and understanding of their needs and assure them of revival should another chance be given them. Long Live Democracy! Long Live Ghana! Stephen Agbai is a Supply Chain Management (SCM) Professional, an administrator and the producer of Accra based Prime 89.1 FMs weekend current affairs programme, Wonsom Wonsom. Writer's e-mail: [email protected] Corruption is a persistent phenomenon in Nigeria. It has always been the subject matter of discussion right from time immemorial. Corruption has eaten deep into this nation and thus become incurable. It is a disease affecting the progressiveness of this Nation thus inhibiting National developments. At this point, it is not incorrect to state that Nigeria is a victim of bad governance cum high level of corruption. The last administrations under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party displayed high level of corrupt practices thus wounding the economy of the Country. Corruption has been defined as a form of dishonest or unethical conduct by a person entrusted with a position of authority, often to acquire personal benefit. It may include many activities including bribery and embezzlement, though it may also involve practices that are legal in many countries. Corruption occurs when an office-holder or other governmental employee acts in an official capacity for personal gain. President Muhammadu Buhari speaking about the subject matter defined same as the greatest form of human right violation. With the advent of the Change Mantra in 2015, many Nigerians were having great faith that corruption in the country will be minimized. In that year, power left the hands of People's Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressive Congress (APC). One of the campaign promises made by the present President Muhammed Buhari was massive eradication of corruption in the country. Nigeria is presently witnessing several war against corruption and the corrupt people. Mention must be made of the third citizen of Nigeria who is currently facing trial of alleged corrupt practices and embezzlement of public fund. Many have tagged the administration with bad names concluding blindly that it is not a war against corruption but Political witch hunting. Political witch hunting in this regard is the searching out and deliberate harassment of those (as political opponents) with unpopular views. The Buhari led Administration has distinguished itself from the past administrations by taking up the challenge openly and boldly towards combating corruption and the corrupt people. Irrespective of the campaign promises and the efforts of the Administartion, Nigeria ranked low in transparency and high in corruption in that year. In the year 2015, out of the 168 countries surveyed, Nigeria was seen at the bottom of the table in the category of number 136. This implies that Nigeria was the 32nd most corrupt country in the world in 2015. It is clear to every citizen that the level of corruption in the country is high. It is found in every sector of society. Be it a small or big sector, there is every possibility of observing corrupt practices when critically examined. It is among the greatest challenge Nigeria has ever confronted after modern system of governance was introduced in the country. In the first republic, Corruption was prevalent but it was kept at manageable levels. However, the cases of corruption during the period were sometimes clouded by political infighting. In this present day, it has become pervasive and glaring. It occurs on different scales ranging from petty corruption, grand corruption and systematic corruption. The influence and impacts of petty corruption led to the conclusion that eradication of corruption cannot be achieved. Petty corruption occurs at a smaller scale and takes place at the implementation end of public services when public officials meet the public. Examples include the exchange of small improper gifts or use of personal connections to obtain favours or a speedy completion of routine government procedures. This form of corruption is usually pursued by junior and middle level officials, who are significantly underpaid. The fight against corruption by this present administration has proved abortive. Government agencies such as the police keeps extorting money from innocent people, employers keep requesting for bribe and the students who are believed to be the agent of change keep syphoning public funds through students unionism and thus becoming agents of destruction. It is however sad that the sardonic act can never be defeated in this black nation of ours. The rationale for this immediate assertion stems from the desperate and lackadaisical attitude of this present generation. The actualization of the massive and absolute eradication of corruption in Nigeria starts with you and I although it involves a simple but difficult process. A learning friend once said, ending corruption in Nigeria is like stopping a goat from eating a yam. Obviously, it can never be done. Harare (AFP) - The Zimbabwean pastor who has emerged as leader of a new protest movement against President Robert Mugabe's authoritarian government called on Thursday for further strikes and shutdowns. "Tell everyone that you know... tell them that the pastor said we carry on with our 'stay-away' and shutdown," Evan Mawarire said in a Facebook video, the day after a court threw out a case against him of attempting to overthrow the government. Mawarire, who started the popular ThisFlag internet protest campaign, was one of the organisers of a day-long nationwide strike last week that closed offices, shops, schools and some government departments. "There is a hope inside you that this country needs, and if you don't get involved, you are robbing us of that hope," he said, wearing the national flag around his neck. Recent demonstrations, the largest in several years, have been triggered by an economic crisis that has left banks short of cash and the government struggling to pay its workers. But calls by the ThisFlag movement for another nationwide strike this week fell flat as shops, schools and offices opened as normal across the country. Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo had warned that anyone taking part in strikes would face "the full wrath of the law", and in recent days many civil servants were paid their delayed June salaries. Mugabe, 92 and increasingly frail, has previously used his ruthless security forces to crack down on any public show of dissent during his 36 years in power. - 'Repressive police state' - Mawarire was arrested on Tuesday, but released after a magistrate dismissed the case against him. The judge's surprise decision late Wednesday was greeted as a major victory by anti-government protesters, hundreds of whom had waited, singing and praying, outside the court all day as riot police looked on. "Zimbabwe functions as an inefficiently repressive police state, and regime critics 'disappear'," John Campbell, an analyst with the Council of Foreign Relations, said in a note Thursday. "Zimbabweans have been remarkably passive (but) driven by and fear of hunger, passivity may be giving way to anger and manifesting itself outside conventional politics." Amnesty has said about 300 people have been arrested for participating in protests around the country since last week. The surge in demonstrations has revealed long-simmering frustration in a country where 90 percent of the population is not in formal employment. Millions have also been left hungry by a collapse in the agriculture sector and a severe drought. Despite his advanced age and fragile health, Mugabe has refused to step down and has avoided naming an successor. He still gives fiery 90-minute speeches on his feet, and has vowed to stand again for election in 2018, but his ZANU-PF party is riven with factions jockeying for position. Regime loyalist Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa is viewed as the most likely next leader, with Mugabe's wife Grace, 50, also a possible candidate. Mugabe easily defeated the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party to win the last election in 2013, in a vote that was described by the United States as not credible. The previous presidential election in 2008 was marred by widespread violence and intimidation of voters. Last week, security forces used tear gas and water cannon to disperse angry protests outside Harare that erupted over police officers allegedly using road blocks to extort cash from motorists. Television footage showed police beating protesters with sticks. Other protests have broken out at the border with South Africa over a ban on imports such as canned vegetables, powdered milk and cooking oil. In April, the MDC held a large rally through central Harare -- the first such protest since 2007 when police beat up party leader Morgan Tsvangirai and supporters who had gathered for a prayer meeting. Juba (AFP) - A heavily-armed Ugandan military convoy crossed into South Sudan on Thursday to evacuate citizens trapped in the capital Juba as fears persist that days of fierce fighting might reignite despite a ceasefire. The United Nations has warned of tension and the possibility of fresh fighting in Juba, where a ceasefire has held since late Monday. President Salva Kiir on Thursday called on arch-rival Riek Machar to meet for talks to salvage peace. "I don't want any more bloodshed in South Sudan," Kiir said. Kiir spoke in public for the first time at the bullet-scarred presidential palace where four days of fighting erupted on Friday, standing alongside ceasefire monitoring chief Festus Mogae, a former Botswanan president, and African Union special envoy Alpha Oumar Konare, a former president of Mali. Earlier Thursday a convoy of around 50 Ugandan trucks escorted by machine gun-mounted armoured vehicles crossed the border at Nimule to open up a secure corridor for fleeing civilians on the 200 kilometre (120 mile) Juba-Nimule road. Uganda's army chief Brigadier Leopold Kyanda said the mission involving 2,000 soldiers would likely last "two to three days" but an intelligence officer said some Ugandan troops may remain in Juba. "Why not? We have the capacity to support the government of South Sudan and we were there before," said the plain-clothed officer accompanying the convoy. - One city, two armies - The Ugandan army joined the conflict in South Sudan soon after it began in December 2013, fighting on Kiir's side against a rebel force led by Machar, now the country's vice president. The troops only pulled-out late last year. While the situation remained calm in Juba on Thursday concerns remain that fighting might flare once again. "The current situation in the country remains fluid and uncertain," UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the Security Council late Wednesday. Four days of intense battles in the capital left hundreds dead and forced around 40,000 to flee their homes. Aid agencies are warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis with a lack of both water and food. The recent violence in the capital echoed the fighting that triggered the civil war and marks a fresh blow to last year's deal to end the bitter conflict that began when Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup. Kiir is a member of the Dinka tribe, while Machar is a Nuer, and the dispute has split the country along ethnic lines and caused tens of thousands of deaths. The August 2015 agreement paved the way for Machar's return to the capital in late April to take up the deputy post in a so-called unity government. Machar's return with a 1,400-strong bodyguard meant there were two hostile armies in the city. A shoot-out between Kiir's and Machar's guard units triggered the fighting that began on Friday afternoon. It appears that Kiir's forces -- which outnumbered Machar's in both troops and heavy weaponry in the city -- dominated the battles, with Ladsous stating they were in "full control" of the capital while Machar's former rebels were "scattered" nearby along the city's western outskirts. - 'Further clashes' - "Further clashes, therefore, cannot be ruled out," he said. One of Machar's spokesmen said the former rebels' base was "destroyed" and Machar is "a vice-president in hiding" not far from Juba. "He's trying to survive. His life is in danger," claimed Goi Jooyul Yol in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. However, Kiir insisted that neither Machar nor his allies were in danger. "If there was anyone hunting for them, they could find them," Kiir said. "I am ready to protect Machar if he comes." Outside Juba there were reports of fighting in the towns of Leer in Unity State and Wau in Western Bahr el Ghazal and of army and rebel forces mobilising around Malakal in Upper Nile. "We remain very worried about the potential for the resumption of violence and spill-over into other parts of the country," said Ladsous. Commercial flights resumed to Juba on Thursday morning, with planes arriving almost empty and leaving full of people desperate to get out of the city. Specially chartered evacuation flights have been taking foreign nationals out of the country since Wednesday. Service to humanity and ones country is not a do and die affairs. The communist revolutionary leader of China, Mao Zedong (1893-1976) asserted that politics is a war without bloodshed. The famous French leader, Napoleon Bonaparte once reportedly said: in politics, stupidity is not a handicap. This reveals beyond plausible doubt that whenever there is a competition there is nothing like fair play. Politicians life will be very whimsical without the word expediency and some go extra miles to utilize any opportunity at their disposal to score political points. In his book: Europe since Napoleon, page 4, David Thomson intimated that revolution may begin, as wars often begin, not because people positively want them. They happen because people want other things that, in a set of circumstances, implicate them in revolution or in War. In Europe for example, the social injustice and administrative ineptitude gave birth to the revolutionary spirit. This spirit, a spirit of rationalist criticism and of resistance to the established powers of the Roman Catholic Church, monarchical absolutism, the privileged nobility, was fostered particularly by the work of a remarkable series of French philosophes. A prime example of such philosophes was Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778). Rousseau best remembered for his famous book the social contract, where he remorselessly said, Men are born free, yet everywhere are in chains, came out with a theory known as natural inequalities. According to Rousseau, the only natural inequalities are differences in physical strength, because these are inequalities that arise in the natural state. In modern society, man is corrupted, and the inequalities that result from laws and property are not natural and thus must not be tolerated. From my novice commonsensical analysis, the 1992 constitution of the republic of Ghana can best be described as the tyrant of the executive president. The powers given to the executive president are inimical to the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances as espoused by one of the French philosophes, Baron de Montesquieu. The executive president is responsible for the appointment of Chief Justices, Inspector-General of the police, Head of the bureau of national investigation, the head of the electoral commission, and the head of the commission on human rights and administrative justice. What is particularly lamentable and nauseating emanate from the fact that 50% of the ministers of state are appointed from parliament. The then leadership of the opposition must be blamed for the defects of the 1992 constitution of Ghana. The opposition members did not only refuse to take part of the constituent assembly that drafted the 1992 constitution but refused to participate in the first parliamentary elections. In his book, the history of Ghana, page 217, Roger Gocking asserted that many who had voted for the NDC, the NPPs refusal to participate in the first parliament was very unfortunate, as an effective opposition offered the real possibility that Rawlings would have been forced to adopt a more conciliatory style of rule as compared to the PNDC era. Notwithstanding the aforesaid assertion on the significance of effective opposition, Professor Adu Boahen, the NPPs leader, felt that the poor turn out for the parliamentary elections was an ample testimony of the fraudulent nature of the whole elections. Not all NPP members agreed with this position. The pro-J.A Kufuor faction, though they believed that the election had been fraudulent, still felt that even as a minority in parliament, NPP would help government to conduct its affairs in a responsible manner. Mr. Kufuor would have benefitted more from this situation than Professor, Adu Boahen. He had made an arrangement to stand for election as the MP from his constituency of Atwima in the Ashanti region after he lost the contest with Boahen to lead NPP. Certainly, he would have won this seat and very likely would have emerged as the leader of opposition in parliament. On the contrary, this would have dealt a lethal blow to the presidential ambitions of Adu Boahen. The boomerang effects of NPPs anti participatory stands on the parliamentary and constitutional discourse are what we are experiencing now. I believe we shall prevail our challenges and that all stakeholders in the coming elections must stop protracting litigations especially on the electoral commission. I believe the sovereign will is vested in the electorates and if the voters decide to change no amount of manipulations would suffice as a solution to the change. The same electoral commission has transferred powers from the running government twice and it is imperative we stop putting pressure on the commission. The coming election must focus on issues rather than personal vendetta and character assassination. Education, economy, energy, unemployment and health must be our focus. I have personal concerns about high import duties while Ghana is not industrialized. I dont see the wisdom of putting high taxes on goods we dont produce in Ghana. This high taxes have staggered the citizens under serious economic burdens. In his book, from third world to first world, The Singapore Story: 1965-200, page 356, the benevolent dictator of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, made the following observation about Ghana: my fears for the people of Ghana were not misplaced. Notwithstanding their rich cocoa plantations, gold mines, and high Volta dam, which could generate enormous amounts of power, Ghanas economy sank into disrepair and has not recovered the early promise it held out at independence in 1957. Definitely, economy, energy, health, education, housing, unemployment must be issues to consider. Political commentators on the radio and journalist must use assertive communication. One of the main features of assertive communication is I language. Thus instead of saying: candidate A is incompetent, an assertive speaker will say I disagree with candidate A on this issue. Instead of saying candidate B is divisive an assertive speaker will say I disagree with candidate B. If I look at the relationship between President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and his opponent Dr. Kizza Besigye, we are lucky to have both president Mahamah and Nana Addo as leaders. Let us move toward a peaceful and violent-free elections by embarking on issue-based campaign. I am intelligent because I know that I know nothing (Socrates). I humbly Stand for Corrections. Nana Yaw Osei (Padigo), PhD Candidate Minnesota, USA Email: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] A local governance analyst, George Kyei Baffour, is calling for investigations into the work of former Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Kojo Bonsu saying that he should answer to calls for accountability. Mr. Bonsu announced his resignation on Tuesday, following weeks of pressure from the Kumasi Traditional Council and other interest groups. The Council had accused Kojo Bonsu of gross insubordination and called for his removal from office. Some Assembly Members in Kumasi have also made allegations of corruption against the immediate past Chief Executive, and have called for investigations into his tenure. Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Kyei Baffour said Kojo Bonsu could have cooperated with the chiefs and the assembly members to avert the troubles that have forced him out of office. He explains that all the allegations are related to matters of accountability. If you are a chief executive, you are expected to implement decisions of the assembly and by so doing, you have to report to the assembly so when the assembly demands accountability, you are obliged under the law to respond to it. If you refuse, it becomes an issue. Mr. Baffour suggested that, the assembly should set up a committee to probe the allegation further. Now that he is out of office, I think that the assembly should hold on. If it is properly constituted and starts working, the assembly has the capacity to set up a committee to go into all the issue. Bonsu has no legacy Assembly member for Abusuakuruwa Electoral area in Kumasi, Maxwell Ofosu Boakye, who called for the probe, cited some instances of financial malfeasance against Mr. Bonsu. He stated that, the cost of the development of the Rattray Park had been inflated. Mr. Baffour also believes the park project cannot be touted as a legacy of the ex-mayor. I have strong reservations as to people attributing that development to him and touting it as Bonsu's legacy. How can development undertaken by Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly be a legacy of Kojo Bonsu? It cannot be and should not be and must not be. These are projects by the assembly and he as the chief executive only acts to implement them. President must make right replacement In his recommendation for a replacement for the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Baffour appealed to President Mahama to appoint persons who can work well with the people. If he is appointing anybody for any district or metropolis, the person must be somebody who understands the social economic and political dynamics of the area; somebody who is a team player and can work with the people. He must be somebody who has very good human relationship who understands the decentralized system. These are things that are important that need to be check. he concluded. By: Farida Shaibu/citifmonline.com/Ghana 14.07.2016 LISTEN However heady some Nigerians may feel on this critical topic, it is not over-flogged because it is a livewire in the political coexistence of the nation. Nigerians are talking about it in their inter and intra-city sojourns, in the busses, on board the air, in markets, on the radio/television stations, the social media and even at extended family levels. The online media have gone weird on it. In short, any group of average Nigerians gathered together has it as a point for discussion in their agenda. Inibehe Effiong and Prince Charles Dickson in the Blue Print Newspapersand more recently Leke Baiyewu of the Punch Newspapers shed light on some interesting aspects of the burning national issue. Jibrin Ibrahim capped it all with his article on Daily Trust captioned: Buharis Appointments and the Theory of Access. A post ascribed to the facebook wall of former Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika was quite baffling. Conversely, it is noteworthy to recall that President Muhammad Buhari is a President loved by the people of Nigeria and the world. He came into the leadership of Nigeria at a time the whole world looked unto Nigeria as a failed state. He was overwhelmingly accepted by the citizenry to mount the mantle. I had no doubt and still have none that the duo of justice and fairness will be his watchwords. He is gradually distinguishing himself, though now more liberal than before, in the task of pulling Nigeria out of the dungeon of corruption, waste, scion, physical and spiritual filth, injustice, faithlessness, hopelessness, wretchedness and total misdirection. This is on one part. On the other part, since the beginning of his appointments of Nigerians into the federal government, despite his efforts to ensure that the right persons are selected to fill the right positions, there have been deafening outcries from all quarters of imbalance in the appointments. While some observe that only the northerners are appointed, others are more critical that only northern Hausa-Fulani have benefited massively in the federal government. But a fair and critical analysis of all the federal political appointments reveals that Muslims of the north and Christians of the south have gotten proportional quotas of the appointments. Further analysis shows that Christians of the north have been appointed by President Buhari into top positions but NO SINGLE slot to Muslims of the Southeast and Southsouth. Go just further, you find that Igbo minorities in the Southsouth have been appointed into very sensitive and key federal positions. Fair judgment and not prophetic witticism is required to know that while the governors of some northern states with insignificant number of Christians have deemed it fit to appoint Christians as commissioners and special assistants into their cabinets, it is still a taboo for Igbo Muslims to be appointed commissioners in their own states of origin. Assuredly, it is neither because the Igbo Muslims are not qualified nor politically active. It is simply because they are Muslims they are Hausas as they are called by their Igbo natives. So, should the Igbo Muslims be appointed into the federal government as Hausas because they are Muslims? It seems no body is worried or concerned about this matter? Where do Igbo Muslims belong to in all matters concerning restructuring and national integration? Late last year and early this running year, I wrote two articles entitled: Balancing geopolitical appointments across Nigeria andPresident Buhari and Nigerian religious minorities in which I exerted much effort in an attempt to juxtapose the appointments into the federal government by the past presidents of Nigerian in relation to entho-religious diversities in the country. I was quick to note that the balancing of appointments in Nigeria had become an accepted norm in the pursuit of equity and fairness in governance. Besides, in furtherance to thespirit of equity and fairness in the distribution of political positions, some broad-mindedleaders take the minorities into unique consideration to give them the sense of belonging. But Nigerian leaders of the past and state governors merely displayed thegood spirit on papers than in reality. The cry of marginalization by ethnic, religious, socio-cultural and political groups has always been a routine one each time a new government comes to power. This has been more pronounced in a political setup advertently or inadvertently divided into north and south. The whole of Southern Nigeria, maybe in the exception of Southwest, is bitterly complaining now that the leadership of Nigeria is in the north; just like it was the opposite in the past leaderships of Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan when the Christians of the Northern Nigeria were made political gladiators in Nigeria. It has never been so for the Igbo Muslim of the South. Rather, investigations have revealed that during the two regimes, over 10% of the total federal political appointments were reserved for Northern Christians. More insights showed that the Christian minority had over 30% of the total federal appointments allocated to Northern Nigeria. Not a single appointment was allocated to Igbo Muslims. These were leaders who claimed ethno-religious tolerance; who only propagated religious understanding on the media. Today, with more appointments being made, the Igbo, the South-South and the minority Christians of the north as well strongly feel shortchanged by President Muhammadu Buhari. This has been their position since the inception of this government. So many statements have been issued by prominent northern Christians and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on the matter. Although many have defended the Presidents action, the complaints persist. Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole believes that the nation has come to a point where the best hands to confront the peculiarity of problems should be used instead of descending to the level of geopolitical balancing. He suggested employment of unusual methods to solve the nations unusual problems. The level of decay in the country at present, he argued, required very seasoned hands and incorruptible Nigerians that would help to translate the APC agenda of change for the benefit of all Nigerians. We must not reduce governance to political patronage of bread and butter, were the governors words. But the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Rev. Yakubu Pami, in a statement in Jos decried the exclusion of qualified northern Christians in the federal appointments. Pam advocated for fairness and equity in the process. The President of Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), Eng. Daniel David Kadzai also in a statement to journalists in Jos picked holes in what he described as the lopsided appointments into key federal positions. And the Secretary General of the Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nwosu, said the Igbo have had a long history of marginalization from governance in Nigeria. But former Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika opposed this notion. He was said to have posted on his facebook wall that for six years the Igbo occupied the offices of Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker, SGF, Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister of the Nigerian Economy, Ministers of Health, Aviation, Labour, Petroleum (by marriage), Chief of Army Staff etc, yet nobody complained that the Igbos got too much of the federal power rations and neither did the highly placed Igbos develop their brethren and area. He observed that other ethnic groups watched carefully and played their politics towards national relevance while the Igbos got carried away and played politics of the pocket where semi-illiterate money bags charted the cause for them. Those who have access to Aso Rock and got fat contracts sustained the lies to hoodwink both Aso Rock Gods and the Igbos. In blind response devoid of any logical reasoning the Igbos put all their fragile eggs in one basket that had lost form and shape to protect them. As the results of those fatal errors, he maintained, the same money-miss-roads are now fanning the ambers of secession as their next meal ticket bargaining chip while the teaming youth they lure with money and lies risk losing everything including their lives for nothing in the end. Compare the Igbo TAN money bags and/or failed politicians to the likes of Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Femi Otedola who are hardly seen or heard playing partisan talk less of ethno-religious politics! Imagine Dangote gathering the leaders of Northerners in Lagos and imposing political party or candidate in Lagos State politics on them. Such is near impossible! The Igbos have allowed derogatory pocket politics to puncture their natural nobility as a people! he averred. Nonetheless, Mr. President himself has assured Nigerians that he would administer the country with honesty and fairness towards salvation and prosperity. At the palace of the Emir of Daura, Dr. Farouk Umar Farouk, he noted that issues and situations would be considered objectively without action taken for or against any section of the country on the basis of prejudice. At the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, President Muhammadu Buhari identified the unnecessary recourse and divisive application of Nigerians to religion and ethnicity as the greatest dangers facing Nigerias democracy. He said as defenders of the nations territorial integrity, resistance and rejection of ethno-centricism and religious intolerance are paramount. These evils, he opined, threaten Nigerias existence as a sovereign and indivisible nation. As urgent necessity, the nation needs an elite prepared to stick together, fight corruption and other national ills side by side; an elite who would insist on justice even when friends are at the receiving end. This is because Nigeria is more complex and more difficult than before. The nature of warfare is also vastly different. At his palace while hosting delegations of Peace Revival and Reconciliation Foundation in Nigeria and other stakeholders, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Saadu Abubakar recalled that the problem of Nigeria are the elites who have politicized everything in the country including religion, every positive thing and bad happening. He lamented that when a Hausa man is appointed into a vacant position, sentiments of northernization are aroused, and when a Muslim leader visits an Islamic country, he is accused of trying to Islamize Nigeria. He noted that there have been many people from other religions and tribes manning other offices as well as many Christian leaders who visited Christian countries without Muslims raising any alarm of Christianizing the country. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang carpeted people trying to incite others against the President over matters of appointments, describing them as being unfair in their judgment. All that is required to note here is that in the second half of the second year of this administration, people are complaining bitterly of imbalance in federal appointments. No doubt, Mr. President has a large heart to fix Nigeria and must be very careful in choosing Nigerians that will help him in the onerous task. Yet, considerations should be made to carry every segment of Nigeria along. The Nigerian atmosphere has been captivated by the fear of Buhari and any Nigerian appointed to serve under Buhari has an opportunity to make a positive difference or be made a sample. Simply, the fear of Buhari in Nigeria today is the beginning of good governance. The Christian minority of northern Nigeria has had a fair share nay a fat share in Nigerias economic and political existence. None and affirmatively no single share has been granted the Igbo Muslims. Muhammad Ajah is an advocate of humanity, peace and good governance in Abuja. E-mail [email protected] Up to eight people dying each month as a result of desperately overcrowded conditions in Maroua Prison More than 100 people, including women, sentenced to death before military courts Boko Haram attacks in Cameroon killed nearly 500 people in the last year More than 1,000 people, many arrested arbitrarily, are being held in horrific conditions and dozens are dying from disease and malnutrition or have been tortured to death, as part of the Cameroonian government and security forces crackdown on Boko Haram, Amnesty International revealed in a new report published today. The report Right cause, wrong means: Human rights violated and justice denied in Cameroons fight against Boko Haramdetails how the military offensive against Boko Haram has resulted in widespread human rights violations against civilians in the Far North region of the country. In seeking to protect its population from the brutality of Boko Haram, Cameroon is pursuing the right objective; but in arbitrarily arresting, torturing and subjecting people to enforced disappearances the authorities are using the wrong means, said Alioune Tine, Amnesty International West and Central Africa Regional Director. With hundreds of people arrested without reasonable suspicion that they have committed any crime, and people dying on a weekly basis in its overcrowded prisons, Cameroons government should take urgent action to keep its promise to respect human rights while fighting Boko Haram. The findings come just weeks after a suicide attack by Boko Haram in Djakana, near Limani killed 11 people. This was the latest in an onslaught that has claimed 480 civilian lives this year. Approximately half of Boko Harams 46 suicide attacks have been carried out by children. Up to eight people dying each month in Maroua Prison More than 1,000 people accused of supporting Boko Haram are currently detained in desperately overcrowded prisons, in insanitary conditions where malnutrition is rampant. In Maroua prison, for example, between six to eight people die each month. Despite some efforts to improve the water supply and begin the construction of new cells, conditions in the prison remain inhumane with nearly 1,500 people detained in a building built for 350. Family visits to detainees are strictly limited. Arbitrary arrest and extrajudicial killings Arrests conducted by security forces, often on the basis of little information or arbitrary criteria and sometimes targeting whole groups, have swelled prison populations. In February 2015 for example, in Kossa, 32 men were rounded up and arrested based on accusations that the village was providing food to Boko Haram. Most were later released, but one man died in custody. Arrests have also often been accompanied by unnecessary or excessive use of force. In November 2014 members of the Rapid Intervention Brigade (BIR) unlawfully killed seven unarmed men during an operation in the village of Bornori, and arrested 15 others, before returning in the following weeks to burn houses. In another example from July 2015, soldiers from the regular army rounded up and assaulted approximately 70 people in Kouyape. Tortured to death while detained incommunicado Amnesty International documented 29 cases of people being tortured by members of the security forces between November 2014 and October 2015, including six who subsequently died. Most cases of torture were committed while people were held incommunicado at illegal detention sites in military bases run by the BIR in Salak, near Maroua, and Mora, before being transferred to the official prisons. Victims described being beaten for long periods with sticks, whips and machetes, sometimes until they lost consciousness. One 70 year-old man detained at Salak told Amnesty International how he had watched men in plain clothes torture in the BIR base his son for 10 days, and how he saw two men beaten to death: We were all interrogated in the same room, one by one, by a man dressed with the BIR uniform. Two other men in plain clothes carried out the beatings and other torture. That day, two prisoners were beaten up so badly that they died in front of us. The men in plain clothes kicked them and slapped them violently, and hit them with wooden sticks. The same 70 year-old man said: I was not beaten because I am old, so I was the one to help carrying the two dead bodies from the interrogation room to the cell. That night we slept in the cell with two dead bodies, and the day after the BIR came, threw plastic bags towards us, asked us to put the bodies inside and then came to collect them. I dont know where the bodies were taken and whether they were ever buried. Torture was also documented at the General Directorate of External Research (DGRE) in Yaounde, including the Radio France Internationale (RFI) journalist Ahmed Abba who was stripped and beaten following his arrest in July 2015. Amnesty International also documented the cases of 17 victims of enforced disappearances whose whereabouts remain unknown following their arrest since almost two years. More than 100 people sentenced to death in unfair military trials In cases where detainees suspected of supporting Boko Haram are brought to trial, they face military courts in which the death penalty is by far the most likely outcome. More than 100 people, including women, have been sentenced to death in Marouas military court since July 2015, although none have yet been executed. Defendants are often convicted on the basis of limited evidence, including the testimonies of anonymous informants who cannot be cross-examined, or circumstantial evidence such as a defendants failure to explain a journey away from their home village or the loss of an identity card. Poorly paid and over-stretched government-provided lawyers are too under-resourced to provide an adequate defence. Amnesty International observed the trial of four women who were convicted and sentenced to death in April 2016 solely on the basis of a statement made by a member of a local vigilante committee after they returned from Nigeria where they were working as domestic servants. Their only contact in the whole process with a lawyer was during a short break in the court proceeding. After being arrested without reasonable cause and suffering in dire prison conditions while awaiting trial, people from all across Cameroon risk being convicted and sentenced to death by military courts, based on little or no evidence, in patently unfair trials, said Alioune Tine. Draconian anti-terror laws Most defendants are charged under an anti-terrorism law introduced in December 2014. This law provides ambiguous definitions of terrorism that threaten freedom of expression. The law has been used against a 27 year-old man, Fomusoh Ivo Feh, who was arrested after having sent a sarcastic SMS message to his friends, joking about Boko Haram recruiting young graduates. He is being tried by the military court in Yaounde and could face the death penalty. If a student can face the death penalty for sending a sarcastic text message, it is clear that there is a serious problem with the design and use of Cameroons anti-terrorist legislation. The authorities should reform the law and ensure it provides a framework for protecting the population without stripping away their rights, said Alioune Tine. Amnesty International is calling for the government to urgently implement a range of measures to prevent human rights violations in its fight against Boko Haram. These include ending mass and arbitrary arrests, bringing suspects directly to official detention sites, stopping torture, ensuring detainees access to families and lawyers, establishing a central register of detainees, improving prison conditions, reforming the anti-terrorism law and investigating all allegations of human rights violations. 14.07.2016 LISTEN Number 13 is a lucky number when not on a Friday. This day of July 2016 the German Government announced its ambition to engage foreign nationals into their Army wanting to play a bigger role on the international stage to shape and regulate history. Newly elected Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Abe, had clearly expressed his wishes to change Japans constitution and send Military Personal into the world forbidden until now based on the role Japan played during World War II. During World War II Japan was the last country to end its war activities being a close Allie to Nazi Germany only be stopped by two Atomic Bombs. Japan and Germany have traditionally close relationships based on identical characteristics like being on time, hardworking, very precise, honesty, well organized and alike making their spirits comparable in the light of cultural and historic differences. Does this development come to anybody as a surprise considering that the Earth 100 years ago was in the middle of its 1st ever experienced World War at a turning point to a peace process that changed the face of the world for ever leaving hundreds of years of political, social and traditional structures behind? While Germany is the fourth riches country in the world, Japan is in position three. UK is the fifth riches country in the world while USA holds position number one. When USA is asking other countries to engage in military actions as world police officers, UK traditionally is standing close by while Germany has an independent view in respect to its western approach for which reason Gerhard Schroeder, former Chancellor of Germany, refused to send German soldiers into Iraq and took a different strategy to handle the Afghan crisis. While only USA soldiers were mandated to destroy the Poppy fields in Afghanistan to end the money supply to the Taliban and refused to do so, German soldiers had to stand frustrated at the side line seeing their comrades die in the bombings of the Taliban. UK is leaving the European Union and re-definding its political and economic position in this world. Once Donald Trump becomes the next US President UK will no longer blindly follow the Americans into War but develop an independent and more distant relationship with the brother on the other side of the Atlantic. Based on Adolf Hitlers killings Israelis hate German Nazis while at the same time pay tribute to Germans for their economic Wirtschaftswunder to come out from Zero in 15 years time to be the richest country in Europe again; even the largest and mineral rich country on earth, Russia, has only reached position number 8 among the richest countries on earth. The decision taken by the German Government is a significant game changer that is of great importance over time also for the African Continent. Germany, and in line with it to come, Japan will be a new important international power force with a different view on historic unfoldings. While USA is interested in the demonstration of Power to dominate the world and bring it under its feet, Germany and Japan have a more philosophical approach to solve on a long term basis the violent problems of our times. Once these two forces are fully in place certainly other countries want to engage into their line of thinking and actions such as France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Holland and others away from the dominance of USA and UK. As China is traditionally a rival of Japan time will tell in which direction this powerhouse will go as historically this country has not been engaged into military actions outside its region but certainly being very interested in the German position to be a counterpart to the USA and UK axle. Once Japan will have changed its Constitution on the deployment of Tropes it is most likely that other Asian countries will follow to join hands with European Partners in thinking and acting on the international power stage leaving USA as a corpus of only a rich country between two great oceans politically meaningless with a sad look unto the past presented before world history except of two short intervals. The decision taken opens up the way for Germany to contribute more Soldiers to combat missions of the UN specifically on the African continent. Sending soldiers into conflict zones is a first step followed by civil engagement for as a much needed exist strategy. Once leaving behind tanks, weapons, soldiers (and their made babies during conflict times) humans bonds on a personal and political level will subsequently be established. It is obvious to believe that the declared move will change, over time, the political, social and economic landscape of the world with great significance to Africa as the problem making continent number one. As Germany has a Professional Army and Foreign Nationals can apply to become German Soldiers (never seen in German History) it will become obvious that many young men from Africa will apply to become German soldiers bringing the values of Germany further more into the hearts and minds of Africans to improve their political and economic conditions. Former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, was not known in his home country by many, but known to the American Administration and placed by the former US President G. W. Bush into his position working on their behalf. This twist in history will have a great impact on the situation in African countries as it will influence the various societies on a hands-on and human like approach that makes European values very much be able to grap with bare hands wanting more and more of it to settle Africa in the end as a happy continent with happy people to prosper and usher it into the Black Stars of this world. Black people seeing the road ahead with wisdom will be able to take advantage of the upcoming process and design their road in life to handle their countries to the Glory of GOD after a transition period of learning to do the right things at the right time for the benefit of the fellow Africans. To GOD be the Glory; He is great and all the time! Author: Dipl.-Pol. Karl-Heinz Heerde, Sakumono Estate, Block D10, Aprt. 9, Tema West, Ghana, phone +233(0)265078287, [email protected] , 13.07.2016 Introduction Greetings Fellow Compatriots. Election year is here with us again, and for the first time, I am writing you a Peace Letter. I shall write you again in the post-election era, somewhere in January 2017, to commend or condemn you, concerning your role in the outcome of the elections. Since, I do not want any of you to tell me if you had understood my Peace Letter you would have done or not do what you did, I am writing you this self-explanatory letter, which is different from the traditional/formal letter or an article. I will first explain to you the meaning of peace, secondly, I will open your eyes to the global respect for Ghanas peace process, and tell you the effects of conflicts, including electoral violence, and warn you against certain electoral violence entrepreneurs who may want to use you (the youth) to cause violence in order for them to make a profit. The Meaning of Peace Traditionally, peace has been associated with the absence of war and other forms of large-scale violent conflicts, which Galtung refers to as negative peace Galtung (1996). Galtung argues that negative peace is a perception of peace produced when forces from inside or outside of an individual, relationship, or community function to avoid or suppress the reality of violent conflict. Murithi (2009) adds that positive peace postulate the presence of negative peace (absence of war or violence) together with social, economic and political justice. Generally, peace is defined as a state of freedom, rest, quietness, and calmness and, especially respite from war and civil disorders. Adding to the previous assertions, Marfo (2014) postulates that peace is a web of safety, welfare, justice, prosperity and respect. Marfo reiterates that peace is construed as a state of being devoid of destruction, fear, harm, threat or physical attack together with socio-economic justice. As Francis (2004) rightly puts, peace is a valuable public good, it is also the basis for development. In a similar vein, Quantson (2003) add that peace is the basis for survival, stability, security and progress; hence, nobody can controvert the fact that there can be no meaningful progress and development in the midst of electoral violence. I am sure by this time you understand the basic meaning of peace. Now let me take you to the next stage; the reasons why Ghana is respected globally in terms of her peaceful environment. The Global Respect for Ghanas Peace Ghana is among the few African countries that have not experienced any form of large-scale violence or civil war since independence in March 1957. This is why the country has often been described at both the local and international levels as an oasis of peace and stability on a continent besieged by conflicts. Ghana is considered one of the most peaceful countries in West Africa because, since 1992, the country has witnessed peaceful democratic transitions. The outcomes of the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 general elections made Ghana a beacon of hope for democracy, good governance, stability and peace in Africa. Moreover, Ghana has also played an active role in resolving conflicts and maintaining peace in the West African sub region and beyond. For instance, Ghana has been at the forefront of peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone. In addition, the Ghana Armed Forces have been instrumental in peacekeeping assignments in Rwanda, Lebanon and Cambodia. Furthermore, Ghana has accepted and hosted a significant number of refugees from some West African states like Liberia and Cote D'Ivoire. It is for this and other related reasons that the American Fund for Peace in 2009 was prompted to describe Ghana as the most peaceful and stable country in Africa. Effects of Electoral Violence There is no denying the fact that Africa is a continent ragged with cases of armed conflicts and struggles over political posts among others. Political power struggle is a key cause of violence among groups in Africa. Consequently, in Africa, the youth, particularly women and children are the most affected before, during and after electoral/political violence, yet, they have no role in creating them, but the most vulnerable (Issifu, 2015). For example, before the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, all Tutsi women in their youthful age were targeted and large number of them were killed and sexually abused by the Hutu. In addition, it is estimated that 250,000 Rwandese women and girls were victims of some form of sexual violence, in effect 66 per cent of the raped victims tested positive for HIV/AIDS after the genocide (Mutamba & Izabiliza, 2005). Besides, in the DR Congo, hundreds of women were subjected to rape every week during the war, and in Darfur, gruesome rape cases have been reported (Mzvondiwa, 2007). It is also on record that at least 100,000 people were killed in the civil war in Burundi, which included many youth, aged women and children (Mpangala, 2004). This is the reason why it is argued that in Africa, the youth, especially women and children are the violated during the violation, the victims of the victimization and the captured of the captives during periods of violent conflicts (Alaga, 2010). After exposing you to the effects of violence, I am confident that by this time you are fully aware of the consequences that might occur from your negative role in the forthcoming election 2016. I am also assured that you will not indulge in anything that will endanger women and girls as seen from DR Congo, Rwanda and Burundi among others. Beware of Electoral Conflict Entreprenuers in The 2016 Polls The youth is one of Ghanas major resources. They represent its potential for the future and beyond. However, the Ghanaian youth is also a group that faces many challenges such as unemployment and social related problems. The lack of personal and professional growth and development standpoints for the youth has created high levels of social disaffection in many regions of the country and increasing problems of marginalised youth in many urban slum areas. This is a major disadvantage for the Ghanaian youth. As such, electoral conflict entrepreneur takes advantage of the plights of the Ghanaian youth to cause mayhem in order for them to benefit. The economic theory of conflict sees the manifestation of violent conflict, including electoral violence in societies as arising from the human tendency to fight over things that are materialistic in nature. The theory further argues that, few people commonly referred to as conflict entrepreneurs economically benefit from conflict; chaos, mayhem, civil war, strife, hostility, upheaval, xenophobia etc., and would want to see violence occur, while the majority of the people are negatively affected by the violence instigated by the conflict entrepreneurs (Faleti, 2006). These conflict entrepreneurs could be politicians and government officials among others who take advantage in violence. For example, some politicians at times mobilise the aggrieved unemployed youth to cause violence so that they can benefit economically. It is also the case that politicians who are knowledgeable about the electoral process and its rules and regulations perpetrate some acts of election violence. During the last biometric voters registration in Ghana, some politicians publicly declared that they would physically prevent applicants they deemed ineligible to register and would not abide by the regulations and procedures outlined by the Electoral Commission to deal with such cases. The electoral regulations that govern the conduct of elections in Ghana (CI. 15) clearly list people who are permitted to enter polling stations. The list includes voters, candidates and their spouses, candidate agents, persons authorized by the Electoral Commission (accredited media personnel and observers), security officers on duty, persons who are accompanying physically incapacitated voters and Electoral Commission officials. Yet, some politicians behaved contrary to the CI. 15. It is also becoming a norm as some government officials, especially Regional Ministers and District Chief Executives go round polling stations ostensibly to supervise the electoral process without accreditation from the Electoral Commission. Meanwhile, the CI. 15 list do not include Regional Ministers and District Chief Executives so why will they arrogate to themselves the power to supervise elections when they know very well that they are not authorized to do so? Also, the use of Machomen (most of whom are the youth) by some politicians whom I call conflict entrepreneurs has become an emerging phenomenon in the Ghanaian political and electoral system. Machomen are used as bodyguards of political leaders, they are used to intimidate voters, especially in areas considered to be strongholds of opposing parties, and they are also used to disrupt the electoral process where one perceives defeat. Is it not the state institutions like the Ghana Police Service with the primary responsibility of providing the required security in the electoral process? Consequently, when opposing political party agents object to their unauthorized presence (I mean the Machomen, Regional Ministers and District Chief Executives, and other politicians) at the polling station, it usually leads to confrontation and sometimes violence between their bodyguards and the agents who are diligently discharging their duties. Therefore, if these persons are not electoral conflict entrepreneurs why will they behave so? Interestingly, when the confrontations become violent and unembellished, some of these conflict entrepreneurs make profits, thereby supplying small arms to the conflicting parties. Other conflict entrepreneurs often participate in the violence because it offers them immediate economic gains via thievery and looting. As Collier (2006) rightly puts, conflicts in societies are always caused by some people called conflict entrepreneurs who are anxious to make a profit from violence. In a similar vein, Berdal and Malone (2000) add that, social conflicts are generated by many factors, some of which are deep-seated, including the desire to make conflict a profit-making enterprise Reflections on the Issues Looking at the effects of violence as discussed above, I am sure that by this time we are not going to allow ourselves to be used by the so called conflict entrepreneurs for their personal gains. In addition, a greater understanding and knowledge of the youth is important for policy making to address the challenges they face. Nothing about the youth can be changed without the youth. In order to meet the needs and expectations of the youth for them not to indulge in violence or be manipulated by the so called conflict entrepreneurs, policies should be based on comprehensive knowledge and well-researched understanding of the youths situation, needs and expectations, especially job creation and employment opportunities. Religious leaders and respected persons in our societies have a role to play in cautioning the youth about such conflict entrepreneurs. Finally, as I have indicated earlier, I shall come back somewhere in January 2017 to condemn or commend you for your role in the 2016 polls. Thank you. Author Bio ([email protected]) Abdul Karim Issifu holds a BA degree in Integrated Community Development from the University for Development Studies-Ghana. He is currently an MPhil candidate (Peace and Development Studies) and a Senior Research Assistant at the Institute for Development Studies, University of Cape Coast-Ghana. Additionally, he holds membership in a number of reputable organisations and associations, including Peace and Collaborative Development Network. His research interests include conflict management and peacebuilding, and traditional conflict resolution and peacebuilding. References Alaga, E. (2010). Challenges for women in peacebuilding in West Africa. Policy Brief. AISA, Briefing No. 18. Faleti, S. A. (2006). Theories of social conflicts. In G.S. Best (Ed.), Introduction to peace and conflict studies in West Africa: A Reader (pp.3560). Ibadan: Spectrum Books Ltd. Francis, D. (2004). Uniting Africa, building regional security systems. London, Sage Publications. Galtung, J. (1996). Cultural violence: Peace by peaceful means. Journal of Peace Research (27) 3. London: Sage Publication Ltd. Issifu, A. K. (2015). An analysis of conflicts in Ghana: The Case of Dagbon chieftaincy. The Journal of Pan African Studies, 8(6), pp. 28-44 Collier, P. (2006). Economic causes of civil conflict and their implications for policy. Oxford: Oxford University. Marfo, S. (2014). Thinking of peace, democracy and politics of insults in Ghana: The paradox of freedom and culture of violence. Online Journal of Africa Affair, 3(8), 139-144. Mpangala, G. P. (2004). Origin of political conflict and peace building in the Great Lakes region. Paper presented at the symposium "Ramifications of Instability in the Great Lakes Zones", organized by the Command and Staff College, Arusha, Burundi. Murithi, T. (2009). The ethics of peacebuilding. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, (Preface & Chapter 1). Mutamba, J., and Izabiliza, J. (2005). The role of women in reconciliation and peacebuilding in Rwanda: Ten Years after Genocide 1994-2004. Available at http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/un/unpan031033.pdf (Accessed on 12 July 2015). Mzvondiwa, C.N. (2007). The role of women in the reconstruction and building of peace in Rwanda: Peace prospects for the Great Lakes Region, Africa Security Review, 16:199-106. Onlinehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2007.9627637. (Accessed on 4/08/15) Quantson, K. B. (2003). National security. Accra: NAPAS VIL VENTURES. 14.07.2016 LISTEN The Mandela Washington Fellowship of the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI), a programme by the United States government is a great opportunity for all young leaders who believe in Africa and are taking steps in their own small way to develop the continent. This is according to Josephine Marie Godwyll, who is among 41 young leaders representing Ghana at the ongoing 2016 YALI programme in the United States, which aims to invest in the next generation African leaders. So far, I have had an amazing experience. I have learned so much about the African continent during these few weeks. Getting exposure to citizens from different countries has changed and broken so many stereotypes and has guided me to see Africa as a united front. Yes, we have problems, but I have realized that these problems have served as a common ground for sharing, learning and resolving to lead change, says the 2015 co-winner of Tigo Digital Change-maker competition and Founder of Young At Heart, an organization that empowers children with practical Information Communications Technology (ICT) skills of programming, robotics and digital art, among others. Being introduced to top leaders in American businesses, institutions and social enterprises such as Sedona, City of Peace, and Habitat for Humanity, among others, the 27-year-old trained Geomatic Engineer explained that the academic sessions are a mixture of discussions and tasks which allow participants to learn from the US organisations. After the six-week Mandela Washington Fellowship, she hopes to leverage on the YALI network to empower the next generation of digital innovators in Africa. She notes that Tigo Digital Change-makers competition has enhance her potential as a leader. The financial support and professional development activities has been amazing, and I am grateful Tigo Ghana and Reach for Change. She believes the youth can lead change to spur growth and prosperity in Africa saying: The problems that threaten you could be the key to unlocking your potential. Instead of complaining, ask yourself how you can be part of fostering a solution, then look for like-minded people who also yearn to foster change. Together with other young volunteers from Young At Heart Ghana the problem of digital illiteracy and utilisation among Ghanaian children is getting solved one community at a time. You can be that change as well. Launched by the US President Barack Obama in 2010, YALI brings together over 500 young leaders from sub-Saharan African countries to the United States. The fellows, who are between 25 and 35 years of age, have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive change in their organisations, communities, and countries. They come from different sectors of entrepreneurship like energy, security, media and art. Nearly 1 in 3 Africans are between the ages of 10 and 24. Around 60 percent of Africas total population is below the age of 35. The programme is a long-term effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders and strengthen partnerships between the United States and Africa. The programme is six weeks long and consists of leadership training, networking, and mentoring at 20 U.S. universities and colleges. It focuses on three areas business and entrepreneurship, civic engagement and public administration. From August 1 to 3, participants will assemble in Washington, D.C., for a Presidential Summit convened by President Obama. In my last week's article titled Grass root gold, I explored how young people in this country risk themselves to defend politicians for favors. Political fanaticism and patronage are about to plunge Ghana into destruction. All of us, including the president, the police, all state institutions who are supposed to be able to do something, seem to have lost the ability to do anything to stop the self-destructive attiude. As the 2016 elections get closer, the political atmosphere is getting hotter, and as usual the hawks are feeding on the temperature. The first to fire at the tail end of the month of June was Kennedy Agyapong. He thinks the president has previously been sexually active with the Electoral Commissioner, Charlotte Osei, and therefore her appointment was a compromise. Last week a young man, Alistair Tairo Nelson, sitting as a panelist on Montie FM, issued a threat to Ghana's Supreme Court, warning to kill them if they messed with the Electoral Commission. This young man spoke with such arrogance and impunity, that at one point I felt he was an immortal God. Both issues are getting interesting. Elsewhere, or if the police were potent enough, Alistair would have been arrested before he completed his threats, and Kennedy Agyapong would have been in court by now, to answer civil claims. Nearly one week since Alistair Tairo Nelson issued the threat, I just received information that the BNI has detained him, Richard Asante-Yeboah has sued him for contempt, and Mrs Charlotte Osei is yet to sue Kennedy Agyapong for defamation. The threat Alistair issued is just in the same taste as a threat to kill our president, or to kill the speaker of Parliament. The weight of this threat is potentially treasonable enough to warrant high security concerns across all of our security agencies. It appears to me that people resort to insults, threats and abuse when they feel deficient in being able to contribute constructively to national debates. The poverty of knowledge and analysis in this country is getting out of hands. And people with such deficiencies hide behind partisan insults and threats to run away from their own thought deficiencies. Kweku Baako will continue to be one of my heroes in this country. This is somebody who is supposed to be a member of CPP, but whose contribution to public discourse is so rich, so analytical, and so inspiring, so objective, fearless in expressing issues, and always avoiding personality attacks and threats. I'm told Kweku Baako does not have even a first degree. I have a number of degrees. But I wish to get to half of the depth of the intellectual capacity held by Kweku Baako. He is what I will call a self-educated personality, well read, and informed. I look forward to seeing most of our university and college students growing to become the likes of Kweku Baako, strategic thinking, potent analysts, matured statesmen and women who put Ghana first before their partisan sympathies. If we have self-confident people in this country, so many people would never have been elected into governance. If we had independent thinkers filling our schools, voting in this country will be violence-free, and people would have taken wiser decisions than we are seeing presently. The world has become a very complex market. Transactions have become very technical. Contracts are emerging in such impeccable technical details, and analysis, that people who sign these documents themselves needs to be extremely analytical in order to follow proceedings, and in order to vote. We need a self-reliant mindset in order to make informed decisions, and to be able to put the interest of Ghana first. We need well read individuals, we need critical thinkers, people with serious attention to detail, to govern, and to make laws for Ghana. I have said in a previous article that education is not only the passing of examinations. Education is not only the collection of knowledge. Education also includes a thorough personality, a square confidence of the self and of the predictive future. Education includes the adaptive abilities of the individual to provide and propose solutions to problems regardless of the circumstances. I have a lot of fears for Ghana. Sometimes I have wondered if we know we are just about destroying this country. We have all become so selfish, to the extent that we do not care about the future implications of any of our actions or inactions. We are only thinking about ourselves, and the political parties we belong to. There have been very powerful people in this country who have now gone into oblivion. Kwesi Botwe, Kwame Salah Mensah, Kwame Peprah, PV Obeng, J. H. Mensah, were all once very powerful people who inspired great respect. They earned their respect through superior intellectual discourse, and strategic thinking, not abuse and threats. Who thought Rawlings could be so powerless, so much so that Kofi Adams, his own former spokesperson, could tell Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, in her face, that she is not God? Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings of 31st December Women's Movement? The then, virtually, Vice-President of Ghana? Receiving such vociferous attacks from some members of her husband's own NDC? It is because these once very powerful people are no longer in charge. They no longer control the army, the police, and they no longer control the state resources. We do have to take lessons from this, that power is as transient as human life itself. This is simple. There is a government in power. That government has the mandate to govern the country. There is an opposition party legitimately trying to win back power. What we need is for the government in power to state what they have been able to achieve with respect to what they promised Ghanaians. And I believe the current government has been able to state what they believe they have achieved, in their Green Book. Going forward they will have to prove their achievements, and they will have to tell us what more they can do if their mandate is renewed. If you don't believe the Green Book, you should feel free to expose it. In this case, it is up to the opposition party to criticize the government's achievements, and to offer alternatives, as to tell us what they will do differently if elected into government. In doing so they have to offer hope beyond what exists presently, and guarantee that what they are proposing is achievable. We don't need threats on the Supreme Court, we don't need personality attacks. We don't need any violence. Whether Nana Akufo-Addo is too short or President John Mahama has 15 children is not part of the governance of Ghana. Those who use these for a debate are intellectually very poor. On the other hand if you think the Electoral Commission is not acting properly, or if you think the Electoral Commissioner is a potential compromise, and therefore might give unfair advantage to the incumbent government, the right thing to do is what Abu Ramadan has done; go to court, argue your case out, and if there are any violations, the court will grant your reliefs. If another person does not agree with the court rulings, there is another civilized avenue to seek redress. That person also goes back to court; you don't threaten the court! All these are happening because we depend too much on political patronage. Our former President Jerry John Rawlings once said, people get appointments in government when they become star of insults on him. So was he encouraging more people to insult him, so that they could attract more political appointments? How do you make a good minister if you insulted your way into office? How do you make good laws if the reason you were elected a law maker was because your competencies are in threatening of your opponents? This is exactly the point. If our youth are powerful, and are not allowing themselves to be polluted by these same politics, we will be able to ensure that there is a transparent processes in recruiting high caliber non partisan police persons into the Ghana Police Service. We will be able to ensure that the Ghana Armed Forces recruit people who are effective and loyal only to the state of Ghana. We will be able to ensure that the Attorney General is non-biased. If the youth are powerful we will hold government accountable. There will be more transparency in the recruitment of the staff of the Auditor-General's Department. We will ensure that there is a truly independent Judiciary. In this way, public corruption will be rooted out. There will be fairness, and the resources of the state will be distributed equitably. If the youth are guaranteed a predictable future, and they can fairly predict judicial justice, and a reward for hard work, the quest for political patronage and abuse will stop. By James Kofi Annan email: [email protected] Two persons have been confirmed dead in an accident on the Cape Coast-Takoradi road this morning. Twenty five others have also been injured and are currently on admission at the Effia Nkwanta hospital in Takoradi and the Interberton hospital in Cape Coast. Confirming the incident to Citi News, the Regional Manager for National Road Safety in Cape Coast, Stephen Anokye said he received a call from a traveler at 5 am about the incident. Around 5:00 in the morning, I had a call from a traveler who was on his way to Takoradi and he confirmed that there has been an accident involving an Ambulance travelling from Accra to Takoradi and another Sprinter bus from Takoradi also on its way to Accra. As I speak to you I'm on my way to the facility at the hospital and also the accident scene. A similar incident occurred at Beposo, on the Cape Coast-Takoradi stretch in February l eading to the death of one person. A number of passengers who sustained various degrees of injuries were also rushed to the Effia Nkwanta Hospital. By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power, And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, Awaits alike th'inevitable hour. The paths of glory lead but to the grave. Thomas Grey; Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. KOJO BONSU, or rather Kwadwo Bonsu, would have been my mother's name(Adwoa Bonsu) if she had been born a man. Being an Asante, my mother's first name would have been scripted as Kwadwo NOT Kojo, just as my former room-mate, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu spells his. Bonsu is the Akan name for a whale. But that is where the similarity between my mother and the 25th Mayor, or Metropolitan Chief Executive of Kumasi ends. For, the dissimilarities between the two are very wide. Where my mother was simple, Kojo was complex; where she was an introvert, he was an extrovert; where she was unassuming, he was brash; where she was shy, he was boastful; where she was poor, he was rich; where she was Lilliputian (dwarf-sized), he was Brobdingnagian (giant-sized). I have spoken to a few chiefs in Ashanti (rather, few chiefs, because I do not know many of them) and not a single one had any 'nice' word to say about Kojo. The chiefs sang a common refrain: Kojo was boastful and disrespectful! Period. On assuming office as the Metropolitan Chief of the Kumasi Metropolis, Kojo caused many elegant, gargantuan-sized billboards to be made, welcoming visitors to the city, which belongs to King Osei Tutu. His administrative style left much to be desired. He preferred working alone, to the neglect of the various committees that were available; a serious gaffe he made was to complete a contract before pushing the document to the Legal Branch only for the lawyers to sign! There were far too many administrative blunders he committed and which could plunge the metropolis into wading through the courts with huge public debtsjudgment debts. Remember the stalemate with Frico, or that wasn't the name? Kumasi is the capital city of Ashanti where the Asante King, the Asante Queen and the Golden Stool reside. Asantes believe in tradition and custom. They have respect for their chiefs. All lands in Ashanti belong to Otumfuo, the Asantehene, and all the subordinate chiefs know for whom they hold their lands in trust. One cannot do a project in Kumasi without getting a nod from Manhyia. So that, the Kejetia Project which was started before Kojo assumed office had to have Otumfuo's blessing even as the project was on-going. Manhyia appointed Amoamanhene, Nana Boateng, to represent Asanteman on the project. Nana Boateng was not selected out of fancy. In his few years of reign as Amoamanhene, Nana Boateng has developed the township of Amoaman to the delight of all and sundry: an ultra modern J.H.S., a community hall, a block for a police post you name it. Kojo Bonsu snubbed Nananom when he refused to recognize Amoamanhene as Otumfuo's representative on the Kumasi Market Project. Kojo Bonsu had dug his own grave, having stepped on so many toes. Before the government could react, Kojo had tendered his resignation. The Asanteman Council had called on the government to replace him over acts of insubordination and a show of disrespect to Asanteman and the Council. Was he trying to avoid the ignominy that would go with a dismissal? But before he tendered his resignation, Kojo had launched a 55-page book highlighting his achievements since becoming the Chief Executive of KMA. Characteristic of his style of administration, the book Changing Lives, Transforming Kumasi, the book speaks of impressive infrastructure that includes the Rattray Park, the Central Market Redevelopment Project, and the KNUST footbridge. His resignation did not say anything about the decision of the Kumasi Traditional Council, the first time Asanteman had considered an official a persona- non-grata. Kumasi taxpayers, including kaya-yei (the head porter) who is harassed each morning to part with fifty pesewas; the distraught office worker who has to pay GH1.00 per hour to park his car in the street; the market woman who has to pay 50 pesewas to attend to nature's call are all asking for accountability. The records should be available to tell the costs of various projects. How much did it cost KMA to construct the Rattray Park (was it the Assembly approved budget of some US$40m or US$170m as is being peddled). Kojo Bonsu's predecessor was Samuel Sarpong. This man, Sammy, whom I lodged with in a hotel and chatted with in Johannesburg, South Africa, was so successful in the discharge of his duties that he was 'promoted' into a Regional Minister. What contributed to the success of Samuel Sarpong's administration was his humility- not so, Kojo Bonsu- 'Sekan-tia gye ne ho wo abofra nsam' (A knife wriggles itself from the hands of a child). My father used to say: 'Kumase-man, obiara ntumi nkukuru nsoa' (No one can carry Kumasi on his head) As the events unfolded, Kojo Bonsu was summoned more than ten times to appear before the Asanteman Council. He refused to heed the invitations and at the last count, Mr. John Alexander Ackon, the Ashanti Regional Minister appeared to seek permission for Kojo Bonsu with the excuse that Kojo was unwella Minister being sent on an errand by a Metropolitan Chief Executive. Nana Acheamfour Kwame Akowuah II Asafohene and Otumfuo's Akwamuhene and the entire Council were irate. They poured their venom on John Alexander Ackon. This was followed by the slaughtering of a ram to signify the severance of Asanteman's relations with Mr. Kojo Bonsu. A ram sacrificed at Bogyawe! That was the point of no return. There is an Asante proverb which says: Opanin nte ntasuo nto fam na w'asan atafere (An elder does not lick his own spitum). Nana Yaw Owusu, Otumfuo's Mpaboa-hene as well as the Amakom-hene Nana Adu Mensah have all spoken. Rumours are rife that following the slaughtering of the sheep, many high-powered delegations have held private meetings with Otumfuo, all pleading with Otumfuo. Otumfuo as King of Asante would definitely have a large heart, but given the circumstances, no one could fault him for not acceding to the appeal by the peace-seeking emissaries. The Rubicon had been crossed, and there was no turning back. In the resignation letter, Kojo Bonsu, had stated: I have conveyed my resignation as the Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly to the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. He thanked the President for giving him the opportunity to serve the country. He was grateful to the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu and the Kumasi Traditional Council as well as the staff of the Assembly for their support during his three-and-a-half year stint at the Assembly. In the fifties, I had a friend at the Army Children's School at Kumasi. He was called Samuel Osei with his parents hailing from Bongo-Soe, in the Upper East Region. He was named after his parents' landlord. With time, the name would stick, but his ancestry would be lost, especially when he married an Asante woman, and had children of his own. In Asante, it is taboo to 'reveal' someone else's ancestry- unless the person sought to be a chief. Kojo Bonsu was a lovely person, liked by one and all for his height and looks. He was touted as Ohemaa-ba. I will miss him for the reception he gracefully organized for the lawyers during the last Conference of the Ghana Bar Association: 'the salsa' dancers were marvelous in their intricate syncopations. Perhaps that is all I will miss. My Latin friends or my friends who did Latin will say: Finis coronat opus (The end crowns the work) Africanus Owusu-Ansah [email protected] Istanbul (AFP) - The UN's cultural agency on Thursday added Libya's five World Heritage sites to its danger list, saying armed militias posed a grave danger to the archaeological treasures. The sites named by UNESCO include the Old City of Ghadames, often referred to as "the pearl of the desert" and the archaeological site of Cyrene, one of the principal cities in the Hellenic world. The rock-art sites of Tadrart Acacus on the border with Algeria that feature thousands of cave paintings dating back as far back as 12,000 BC to 100 AD are also listed. The other two are the coastal archaeological sites of Leptis Magna and Sabratha, a Mediterranean trading post that was once part of the brief Numidian Kingdom of Massinissa before it was taken over the by Romans. "The committee noted the high level of instability affecting the country and the fact that armed groups are present on these sites or in their immediate surroundings," UNESCO said at the 40th meeting of its World Heritage Committee in Istanbul. "It invoked the damage already incurred and the serious threat of further damage to explain the decision," it said in a statement. Since the 2011 NATO-led military intervention, Libya has been in the grip of a conflict which has killed thousands as rival militias fight for territory and control of the country. The three archaeological sites of Cyrene, Leptis Magna and Sabratha were added to UNESCO's World Heritage List of the world's outstanding natural and cultural wonders in 1982, following Ghadames in 1986 and Tadrart Acacus in 1985. UNESCO says its list of heritage in danger is designed to inform the world of risks to the very characteristics that led to a site being listed as World Heritage and encouraging corrective action. The agency says it also allows the committee to allocate immediate support from the World Heritage Fund to at-risk sites. H. E John Dramani Mahama's naked tour in Mamprugu is enough grounds to subject that his second term ambition is in limbo. This is because the crowds that the President received in previous visits to the area had reduced unprecedentedly. The president, was met on arrival, by angry nursing trainees whose protest for their withdrawn students allowances and postings nearly marred the ocassion. Better still the defections of over 107 NDC members to NPP on the eve of his entry to Mamprugu further vindicates my position that NDC government led by H. E John Dramani Mahama has lost touch with the people in the northern region especially mamprusi east and west. H.E John Dramani Mahama recently crowned himself with the title of 'Commissioner General'. Interestingly, there were no projects to commission in many parts of Mamprugu. Simply there is no major project that he commissioned in the Nalerigu/Gambaga constituency as an example. I don't remember the last time a major project was commissioned here in the last eight years of NDC's rule. So is it the case that government has solved all the problems of the constituency? Nalerigu, the traditional capital of the Mamprugu traditional area has no good roads linking it to other places. For instance, the Nalerigu Gbintri roads are in a very deplorable state. The Nalerigu, Sakogu, Nakpanduri roads are equally in very bad state including the BMC roads in the Nalerigu township. The president's proverb in Mampruli 'ka ban doa nyi nin soa nya ima biya' meaning not the one you are born with is your brother denies him the moral right to campaign based on the fact that he is one of us-a northerner. This is inconsistent with his earlier claim that he is one of us as his umbilical cord was cut in the northern region here. He was thus expecting unmerited votes on the basis of that statement. The people of Mamprugu would not vote based on where one is coming from or their tribal affiliations. They will vote based on their prevailing economic conditions and developmental needs. As it stands now, the economy is in badly managed by the NDC under H. E John Dramani Mahama leading to an explosion of suffering across Ghana. We, in the NPP, are of the firm believe that Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo and Dr. Mahamud Bawumia have what it takes to salvage our national economy from sinking further. Eight years of hardship under the NDC is enough. Eight years of high cost of agricultural inputs is enough. Eight years of high school fees and cancellation of students allowances, high unemployment amidst high utility tariffs and dumsor coupled with high cost of living under the NDC government is enough. The people of mamprugu, are well rehearsed to vote for a political candidate who is best placed to surmount the problems of our country to improve our living conditions and that is Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo. With Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo as president and DR. Mahamud Bawumia as vice president, development would once again knock at the door step of Mamprugu and the nation at large. ..... signed........ Samuel Abdul-Aziz Nambo, Member, NPP 's Communication team, Nalerigu/Gambaga constituency. Tel. 0201262187 14.07.2016 LISTEN Nothing can stop the word of God. Joseph believed this so much. As a young man, God had shown him that he was going to be a very great man. Though, he didn't quite understand the dreams, but he gladly announced them to his brothers; who out of envy did everything to stop the vision from coming to pass. God manipulated them into not killing him, but they disrobed him, put him in a pit, and later sold him away. In Egypt, where he was taking to, he became a house boy, falsely accused, disgraced and sent to the prison. And there, the word of the Lord still came for him. He was brought out of the prison and made the Prime Minister of Egypt. Though he went through various difficult (sometimes extreme) processes, God was still watching over His words upon him to bring them to pass. But we will comment more on these in subsequent articles. Let's quickly go to our main text in part one of this message. When Joseph was about to die at the age of 110 years, he called his brothers and gave them his words. You know the last word of a man is always very important. Every last word of a man always reveals the mind and the most important concern of the person. This is just why a will; which is regarded as the last wish of a deceased is very much respected, final and legally binding. People will always tell you all their heart at the point of death. And this was exactly the same with Joseph. Though, he was very prosperous, influential, wealthy, respected and taken good care of in Egypt, he still believed and longed for that land which God promised by oath to give to the descendants of Abraham. Now, he told them that God would unfailingly come to take them (the children of Israel) to the Promised Land and he made them to swear an oath that they must, without fail, take his body as they leave to Canaan. Great! This was 80 years after they arrived Egypt and about 350 years before they left to the Promised Land. This man, though about to die, held tenaciously to God promise. Just look at his statement there, "Soon I will die,' Joseph told his brothers, 'BUT GOD WILL SURELY COME FOR YOU, to lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he vowed to give to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. "Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, 'when God comes to lead us back to Canaan, you must take my body back with you'. So Joseph died at the age of 110. They embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt." This is what faith in God is all about. Your ability to believe his promises beyond the present circumstances. There was no visible sign then that what God promised them would come to pass. But Joseph had learnt over the years that His word does not fail. And here, he is transmitting the same faith to his brothers and the next generations of Israel. I love Israel for that. They know how to transfer their belief, culture, traditions and history to their young ones. Or how did Joseph come to know that God would definitely come to take the Israelites to the Promised Land? This promise was originally given to Abraham when God told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land for 400 years, but that He would later bring them out and get them established in Canaan. Abraham believed and passed the same information and faith onto Isaac. Isaac to Jacob, and Jacob to his sons, including Joseph. Now, what are you passing on to your children and the next generations? The Children of Israel led by Moses did exactly what Joseph told them. As they were leaving Egypt that night, Moses gathered the bones of Joseph (as there was no more body to carry) and took them along. About nine generations after! That promise did not fail. What do you say about Jesus? God started talking about him from the very beginning. From Genesis. In fact, the bible said that he is a lamb slain before the foundation of the world. You will find a link to him in almost all the books of the bible. This promise of God travelled for thousands of years until it found a young virgin to express itself, at the appointed time. Even when the enemy tried to mock and abort it in the womb and at infancy, it stood firm. Even betrayal and death also could not. Jesus fulfilled all that God sent him to do. The word of God upon your life will ultimately come to pass. But you must trust and obediently follow His plans and directions. What has God told you? He cannot lie. Numbers 23:19 said it all, "God is not a man, that he should lie. He is not a human, that he should change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?" NO! Till next week, God bless! Rev Agbo is the author of the book Power of Midnight Prayer. Website: Pastor Gabriel N Agbo (author) on AuthorsDen E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 08037113283 Juba (AFP) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir called on arch-rival Riek Machar on Thursday to meet for talks to salvage peace after days of intense gun battles in the capital Juba. "I don't want any more bloodshed in South Sudan," Kiir said, speaking in public for the first time since fighting erupted on Friday. "I want Dr Riek Machar, the first vice president of the republic, to be near me, so we can chart the way forward." Kiir spoke at the bullet-scarred presidential palace, standing alongside ceasefire monitoring chief Festus Mogae, a former Botswanan president, and African Union special envoy Alpha Oumar Konare, a former president of Mali. He called for Machar to meet him for talks to save the peace deal but acknowledged the deep mistrust that led to days of intense fighting that has left hundreds dead. "I talked with Dr Machar today, in the morning, and I asked him to come, but it was difficult for him to accept," Kiir said, adding that he did not know Machar's exact whereabouts but that neither he nor his allies were in any danger. "If there was anyone hunting for them, they could find them," Kiir said. "I am ready to protect Dr Machar if he comes." Ghana has started a visa-on-arrival scheme at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) for all African Union Nationals whose countries do not have a visa-free agreement with the country . All AU nationals affected by the policy who arrive in the country must have a passport, valid for at least three months from the date of entry; they must have a return ticket or evidence of onward travel; they must show evidence of sufficient funds and proof of accommodation before they are granted visas according to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS). This is very great news for many travelers. However, what does it mean for the Tourism and Hospitality industries? Jumia Travel , Africas leading online hotel booking website looks at the advantages and disadvantages of this development to these industries. For many travelers from African Union countries who plan on coming to Ghana either for business or for a vacation, this is welcoming news. What this basically means is that there is no need for running around embassies hustling for a visa before entering Ghana. All you have to do is be on that plane and you can acquire the visa once you arrive at the airport in Ghana. This eliminates the headache most travelers get from the processes and the bureaucracy involved. Coming to Ghana has never been easier than this. Secondly, the visa on arrival saves time and money. For many travelers , it was very time consuming filling out various forms and assembling many supporting documents to process a visa. The stress involved even discourages travelers and they tend to end the process as fast as they begin it. The monies involved in acquiring these visas also exorbitant. From transportation costs to visa fees and agent fees, some travelers end up spending so much money to secure a simple visa to Ghana which discourages them. The new system means that more people will be willing to come down to this country as it has become very convenient, cheaper and less time consuming. For the hospitality industry, the more people who arrive in Ghana, the more need for accommodation (Hotels) and the more use of restaurants which means more business for stakeholders in the industry. For the Tourism sector, as more people are able to travel freely to Ghana , sales at tourist sites will be boosted and referrals from tourists to other travelers will also increase. There will be increased pressure on stakeholders to improve infrastructure and services in order to accommodate the large numbers of tourists trickling into the country. On the other hand, many Hotels are already selling their rooms at high rates due to certain socio-economic factors. If the number of foreign entry increases a bit more, then rates will be out of range because of the need to compete and provide adequate and efficient services to these travelers. This will have an adverse effect on the hospitality sector and a rippling effect on tourism. If travelers have to pay huge fees to get comfortable accommodation, they will be hardly any money left at all to tour and visit historic destinations and attractions that will fetch good revenue for the nation. Significantly, the issuance of visas on arrival is a very limiting service. Although highly beneficial, it is limited to only air travelers and doesnt make room currently for travelers who enter Ghana by road and sea. This means that many African travelers who cannot afford to travel by air would not benefit and this will stop them from planning trips to many beautiful destinations in Ghana. What this also means is that, there will be long queues at the airport as every African traveler will be in line for a visa on arrival at the airport. This may be frustrating especially for the old, children or disabled. Finally, making it easy for African travelers to get visas on arrival in Ghana means that a few people might enter the country and not return to their various home countries. This will have grave effects on the demographics of certain areas of the country, putting excess pressure on the already scarce resources. The new visa on arrival policy for AU countries is a very good initiative and all stakeholders must ensure that it operates smoothly and with less disadvantages so as to grow the Hospitality and Tourism industries and cause a positive effect on foreign exchange and Ghanas GDP. Some youth of Aflao in the Volta Region, have accused government of being insensitive to the imminent downsizing of Diamond Cement, a local cement manufacturing company, as a result of a lingering rift between Nigerias Dangote Cement and the local manufacturers. Diamond Cement has constantly raised concerns about Dangote's involvement in the retail of the product in Ghana, describing it as unfair competition. The development is said to have reduced Diamond Cement's annual production capacity of 1.8 million bags, to 1.3 million bags. The youth group; Aflao Youth Association, mostly casual workers of Diamond Cement, said the situation is threatening their livelihoods as businesses that fall within the Company's market chain are gradually folding up. Hundreds of our brothers and sisters have been directly employed by this company, thousands indirectly and the clear and present danger posed by cement importation to the continued existence of Diamond Cement, has created some uneasiness among those who directly and indirectly earn their upkeep from the company and their dependents. Governments resolve to create jobs questioned The statement signed by the Chairman Christian Yevunya, said their petitions to the government about the situation have not been unanswered. We took many steps including writing petitions, demonstrations, press statements and conferences to register our concerns and fears. It appears our concerns have fallen on deaf ears. We are yet to have our petitions responded to and never engaged by the powers that be to make an input into any step that the Ministry may want to take, they lamented. The group further questioned government's resolve to create jobs for unemployed youth in the country. It clearly beats our imagination why in one breath we revive collapsed Komenda Sugar Factory to produce for domestic consumption thereby reducing huge sugar import bill that weighs heavily on our finances, and creating thousands of jobs for Ghanaians whereas in another breath, we open the flood gates for imports in a sector that has sufficient, in fact surplus production capacity. The supposed desire of Government to create jobs for the teaming unemployed youth of this country is now weighing heavily on our minds as to whether the Government really cares about our joblessness or its only when the jobs will give votes that they care, the statement added. The group is however calling on government through the Trade Ministry to expedite action to avert the negative impact of the operations of Dangote Cement in the country. By: King Norbert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana By Lydia Asamoah, GNA Hwidiem (B/A) July 14, GNA - The First Lady, Lordina Mahama has urged charitable organizations, donors, and the private sector to complement Government's effort at working to attain health for all. Presenting various medical supplies to selected communities in the Brong Ahafo Region during a recent working visit, Mrs Mahama said since the development of a nation depends on the health of the people, government would not relent in its effort in ensuring good health for Ghanaians. She said as government continues to invest heavily in healthcare, as well as train healthcare professionals, and build new medical facilities all over the country, the citizenry must also play their parts in ensuring that more people, especially adolescents and women get access to required health care. She said government was also retooling and providing equipment and logistics for these healthcare facilities that were being provided. The working visit also took the First Lady to communities in the Upper West Region where she donated some of the medical supplies to hospitals at Gwollu, Nadowli and Wa. In the Brong Ahafo Region, Mrs Mahama presented the medical supplies to government hospitals in Hwidiem, Kenyasi, Mim, Kukuom and Sankore. The First Lady said the Lordina Foundation's medical mission module was to assist government by conducting medical outreaches across the country and such outreach efforts provide free HIV, cervical and breast cancer screening and counselling services. In addition the Foundation provides medical supplies and equipment to health facilities in deprived districts, adding that through such efforts, lives were being saved. 'Many lives can be saved if we have access to the right healthcare facilities, personnel and equipment' she said. The Lordina Foundation, with the support of partners and sponsors, has been mobilising support over the past several years to enhance quality healthcare in under-served and deprived localities. 'By so doing, it has been our fervent hope that these items will benefit all these communities, of course including Kenyasi, and that they will be put to good use' Mrs Mahama said. She said there is the need to put the welfare of the people at the heart of all our development programmes, saying that 'there is no better way to do this than to invest in the adolescents and youth of today'. The time has come when adolescents must be positioned to contribute in our effort to realize the much talked about demographic dividend'. She urged all stakeholders to advocate and work harder, to ensure that the needed investments in the health of the people, particularly the younger ones are made. She congratulated the staff of the various hospitals for their hard work and commitment in helping make a difference in healthcare delivery in the country. GNA 14.07.2016 LISTEN Sometimes a country may abdicate its leadership role if the financial and emotional costs may exceed what it can bear. These are the main reasons given to the supporters of Brexit, which the world found to be tenuous at best or unfounded at worst. Financially Britain may lose more money than it contributes to European Union and the migration in and out may not change in the foreseeable future to the disappointment of those that voted mainly on the two. Some African ethnic groups have gone further, comparing their existence in different countries with those in European Union. They are now calling on their people to demand a referendum in the country to find out if they can win the exit votes. The irony is that they cannot even win an exit vote in their enclaves, not to mention in a whole country. Most of the people voted from their regions want to be part of the center in sharing national cake. It is doubtful if Britain can have it both ways, which is cut off immigration of poorer Europeans while getting the benefits of trading in the European Union. They want control over their own destiny made in London, not anywhere else. Russia is happy because the other shoe, which is NATO may follow since it is already under threat by U.S.A presumptive Presidential Candidate. Who is going to pay back billions lost in stock markets after the Brexit votes? While champions of Leave European Union recoiled at the sight of the loss, which is more than what Britain pays the Union, others try to reassure the market, hoping it will bounce back. Yes, it will but gainers will not be exactly the same as the losers. Indeed, some of the stock losers might have jumped to their deaths unannounced. Others, with pension in the market, shot themselves in the foot. Brexit results demanding the exit of Britain from the European Economic Market is a symptom of underlying problem facing some western countries and the world in general. The developing countries led by China are opening more factories making finished products from raw materials instead of shipping out and importing them at ten times the price. Western workers of finished products want more raw materials brought in and finished products sent out to keep good jobs. It is not only in United Kingdom but the whole world is becoming narrow minded clutching for the good old days where the world order were dictated by a few that still remain largely at the top but fear diversity of the new generation. As they aged, they now rely on social security or welfare that is largely supported by the younger generation that are white, brown and black. Firmly on their side are those producers of manufacturing goods for the world in Europe and Americas that have lost these jobs to technologies and regional factories where the products are sold and produced cheaper but profits only go to the very rich. The Japanese have learned how to produce smaller luxury cars overtaking the American and the Europeans at their turf. Without high skills and education, those left behind in western countries have been pushed on welfare for the first time in their lives and they are angry as hell that they are no longer the only makers of the worlds goods. So when they cried that their jobs were shipped overseas, it is the goods that were no longer exported: to where they can be cheaply made. Indeed, Asia countries where there are cheaper labors are also supplying the rest of the developing world. Industrious developing countries have taken over textiles, plastics and manufacturing goods and services from low skilled workers in Europe and America. Highly skilled entrepreneurs have relocated back home to China, India, Pakistan and Indonesia while highly skilled Africans still complain about lack of infrastructure in their home countries. Even our African entrepreneurs export their profits in the guise of importing essential parts and materials for their factories. It is so easy to generate passion and slogans without any substance to back it up. Eyes always clear the morning after. This has divided the old and the young, the uneducated and educated, the opportunists leading the uninitiated looking for quick solutions to their anger. By the time they realized what they voted for, they found themselves in a bigger hole than before. Despite all the assurances, recession may be closer than previously predicted. Listen to Bernie Sanders . Therefore the elders and manufacturing jobs losers on the dole are flaming resentment and revolts to keep immigrants out so that they can have jobs that no longer exist or those they are too old and unskilled to perform. There are not even enough of them to pay the taxes in order to support their welfare, healthcare, social and infrastructure systems. United Kingdom may turn out to be anything but united. Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay in the European Union but dither on staying in United Kingdom. It is doubtful if both would be encouraged to stay separately in European Union as that may encourage other disgruntled parts of member states in the Union. All these may expose the fault lines in their economic unity, which they had hoped would cement their interests. It is not the same as the unification of Germany. They are one people split into political interest and war the same way most African countries were divided. Africans along border countries that are in the same ethnic group but different countries are further divided today by locations natural resources and they fight over who can control its income. African still fight over oil even as it is becoming obsolete. Nobody thinks about the future. Instant gratification matters more. South Sudan is still struggling as a nation with ethnic leadership tussle that never ends in most African countries. Instead of forming big African economic blocks, we use limited income from resources sold outside to fight one another to death. We brag about some new countries in the sky that is going to be heavenly bliss, knowing their followers would suffer the consequences. Nowhere is this true than in Nigeria. Separate ethnic groups have their own militia to extort money from the Federal Government into their pocket but not a single one of them has a clear-cut demarcation line that can form a country. They each have their own Scotland and Ireland that dithers in their enclaves. Barely 24-hours after President John Dramani Mahama re - nominated Hon. Samuel Oppong as Municipal Chief Executive for Agona West Municipal Assembly in the Central Region, Assembly Members have commended H. E John Dramani Mahama for the re - nomination. Assembly Member for Abora Electoral Area, Hon. Frank Abban says he and his colleagues appreciates the renomination and would confirm the MCE accordingly. In an interview with newsmen, Hon. Frank Abban noted that they were really ready to confirm the MCE to complete all ongoing projects. " We are not surprise over the renomination because President Mahama knows Hon. Samuel Oppong and his commitment towards changing lives, transforming Ghana Agenda" The Assembly Member for Yaabem South Electoral Area, Hon. Ofori Amanfo expressed his happiness towards the renomination adding he was hopeful that uncompleted projects in his area would be completed to improve the lives of the people. When contacted, the Presiding Member for Agona West Municipal Assembly, Hon. Haruna Sanni confirmed almost all the Assembly Members have been calling him yo ask about the renomination. " Am relief now that Hon. Samuel Oppong has been renominated to continue his work as MCE. I always tell them President John Dramani Mahama is a listening President and would do right thing for Agona West Municipality. What we the Assembly Members are waiting for is the date for confirmation. We are equally grateful to Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Collins Dauda for the confident imposed in our MCE and his subsequence renomination" There is hardly any Nigerian who is not in a state of despair right now. Since Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as president last year, despondency has enveloped the nation. Disappointment makes the misery worse. In the build-up to the 2015 elections, Buhari was cast in the mould of Charles Andre Joseph Marie de Gaulle (Charles de Gaulle), the legendary French military general and statesman who founded the Fifth Republic in 1958 and was elected the 18th president of France, a position he held until his resignation in 1969. To some others, he was Nigerias Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Turkish army officer and revolutionary, who became the first president and founder of modern Turkey. So beholden was Ataturk to his people that his surname, which means father of the Turks, granted to him in 1934, was forbidden to any other person by the Turkish Parliament. Many of the promoters of the Buhari candidacy then assured us that by the time he was done with governance, he would be deified. To be fair, there are still some Nigerians who believe that Buhari is Nigerias messiah but they are in a pathetic minority now. And that is a big tragedy, not only for us but for the man himself, who failed to rise to the occasion when it mattered most. The president has demystified himself. Yes, demystified himself because his injuries are self-inflicted. A friend raised a poser last week which I consider very pertinent. What do you do when you have a president who did not come to power through the barrel of a gun but the ballot box and yet does not care a hoot about public opinion, about national mood? What do you do when even the most sincere attempt to say, hey, wait a minute Mr. President, you are going the wrong direction,is hoisted on the pole of deceit as evidence of corruption fighting back? The answer to this poser, I must confess, is not as easy as it seems; which, perhaps, explains the melancholic atmosphere all around us. But it seems Buhari is beginning to take the people for granted. His grandstanding is becoming offensive. His do as I say and not as I do attitude is beginning to rankle. So, when he reminds Nigerians of former military Head of State, Yakubu Gowons refrain in the 1960s that keeping Nigeria as one indivisible entity was a task that must be done, as he did last week, even in the face of his absolute contempt for Section 171 (5) of the Constitution, which states that In exercising his powers of appointment the President shall have regard to the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, Buhari does so believing that he has conquered Nigeria. He told those who paid him Sallah homage that the slogan in the 1960s, Go on With One Nigeria (GOWON) was very apt now, as keeping Nigeria one was a task that must be done. On security, we have made a lot of improvement We are now concentrating on the (Niger Delta) militants to know how many of them in terms of groupings and leadership, and plead with them to try and give Nigeria a chance. I assure them that on the saying by General Gowon that to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done. In those days, we never thought of oil, all we were only concerned with was one Nigeria. So please pass this to the militants that one Nigeria is not negotiable and they had better accept this. But who said? Is it Buharis prerogative to decide for the rest of Nigerians the negotiability or otherwise of their countrys unity? The president is his own worst enemy. The tendencies he has brought to bear on his presidency are antithetical to unity. They are the very ingredients that spice up the dish of disunity. His politics of exclusion is so ill-advised that it beggars belief just as his inclination to nepotism and prejudice. The biggest threat to Nigerias unity today is Buhari himself. His governance philosophy is so blinkered that it rankles. Only justice, equity and fair play can keep Nigeria one and guarantee its unity. The politics of inclusion rather than exclusion is the magic wand. Keeping Nigeria one is a task that can be accomplished but not by force of arms because if the Soviet Union could disintegrate, then there is no force of arms that can keep an unwilling people together in an unjust and inequitable union. It is only a question of time. Buharis biggest problem is that he is frozen in time. Psychologically, mentally and emotionally, he never went beyond the 1980s when N1 exchanged for $1. Someone needs to tell him the world, and indeed Nigeria, has changed and fundamentally too. The Nigeria of the 1960s is not the same with 21st Century. Perhaps, he has not noticed that no ethnic group is afraid of the other any longer. Time was when the rest of the country caught cold whenever the fabled Kaduna Mafia sneezed. Time was when the fear of the Caliphate as embodied and personified in the Sultan was the beginning of wisdom in Nigeria. Not anymore! It is tragic to note that Buhari is unaware of how difficult it will be in todays Nigeria to build the kind of coalition that included not only the North and West but even the minority groups in the then Eastern region, which isolated Ndigbo and made them easy pick. Today, the Ogoni are seething with rage. The injustice the Igbo fought against, and for which they were visited with pogrom and genocide with their active connivance, is being meted out to them. The Ijaw are wiser, so are the Christian minorities in the far North. The fear of rampaging Fulani herdsmen has made Middle Belters and people from Southern Kaduna, whose sons actually did the yeoman job during the civil war, wiser. Buhari, the world has changed. When Gowon made that statement in the 1960s, there was Soviet Union. Today it is no more. Blacks, who the obnoxious Jim Crow laws kept away from the ballot box despite the 15th Amendment in 1870, which gave black people the right to vote, until the Civil Rights Acts of the 1950s and 1964 ended them, today occupy the White House, the seat of power of the United States. Buhari, the world has changed. Today, women, who were not even granted the right to vote until August 18, 1920 (19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution) are poised to have one of their own occupy the White House. When Gowon made that statement Sudan was one country. The idea of an independent Scotland was an anathema. But today, the Scots are working assiduously for a second referendum that would annul their union with England sealed 309 years ago with the treaty of January 16, 1707. Buhari should be told that his blinkered policies, contempt for other Nigerians and politics of exclusion are the biggest threat to Nigerias unity. He should also be told that the joke is on him and his co-travellers on the boulevard of insular government because it should have occurred to him that those who survived the scorched earth post-war economic policies of the federal government will survive him and his myopic policies in the 21st Century. The journey will, no doubt, be arduous but Nigerians will survive this nightmare. At the very worst, this bad dream will last for eight years. One year is already out of the way. There will be collateral damages along the line, no doubt, but Nigerians are survivors. Is keeping Nigeria one a task that must be done? The answer is ensconced in the womb of time. But even if it is, Buhari does not have the final say. *Ikechukwu Amaechi writes from Lagos ( [email protected] ) 14.07.2016 LISTEN There is a reason why countries like the United States and United Kingdom maintain bicameral legislatures. While some might argue that the US is so large and will want equal and qualitative representations for its citizens, that argument may not hold water for the UK because members of the Upper Chamber (the House of Lords) are not elected. The UK still maintains the largely unelected body, partly because of its tradition of maturity or because it has a history of order and decorum as against what applies in the Lower Chamber (The House of Commons). Those who have witnessed debates at the Commons will know how busy the House can be as compared to the Peers in the Lords. This is not to say that there is no decorum, but because most of the debates are done by the Commons (or Commoners) this may sometimes get messy. The Senate, which is the Upper Chamber in the US Congress, has been largely quiet in recent times, save for a brief noisy moment President Obama appointed a Federal Judge. Again, like their British colleagues, there is much emphasis on order in the Senate. One can now guess why apart from President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden being former US Senators, a major presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, also has had a stint in that legislative chamber. Let us come back home. In Nigeria, the National Assembly a body that is ordinarily meant to fight corruption, but it has in itself become engrossed in the vice. Its members refer to themselves as Honourables or Distinguished senators depending on which chamber they belong, but nothing is really distinguished or honourable in their behavior if the display of some of them is anything to go by. A Senate has members like Buruji Kashamu, a wanted US drug baron helps explain this point better! The Nigerian Senate is presently suffering from legitimacy crisis. The June 9, 2015 leadership election that produced the duo of Dr. Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as Senate President and Deputy is still controversial till date. This is not because they won but because the very ground on which their election is based is faulty. The contentious Senate Standing Order 2015(?) is said to have been forged. Can we build something on nothing and expect it to stand? The forgery of the Senate rules is serious criminal issue if proven to be true. This country will start to get better if the so-called big men start going to jail for crimes they commit! Some days ago, I saw a news piece, (I cant remember on which media platform), Forgery Trial Of Senate Leaders: Buhari Threatened With Impeachment; Dino Melaye Threatens To Beat Up Senator Tinubu. I told myself that Nigerians can be dramatic with the online media known to reel out (for want of better words-)lies and half-truths just to get traffic, but the news has to be fake. I waited for Dino to deny making the unfortunate statement, but no he wont. In reaction to the news, someone asked on Facebook: Dino threatened to beat who? I immediately went online to seek confirmation, and alas, Dino did issue the threat. At the point, my empathy for the Senator (if he is not properly so-called) changed to sympathy. Senator Dino Melaye (APC - Kogi West) reportedly said in his remarks about the ongoing forgery trial of the senate rules involving Saraki and Ekweremandu that the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, must be brought before the Senate to be thoroughly grilled and humiliated for charging the Senate leadership with forgery in court. Melaye reportedly issued threats, including impeaching the President (which he will later deny). The climax of the meeting was when it was Senator Remi Tinubus turn to speak. How dare Remi, a woman and a wife for that matter speak where Dino is talking? He is probably used to his wife keeping quiet while he is speaking so Remis audacity was too much for Dino to bear. She has to be giving some home trainings, so must Dino be thinking after he said and I quote I will beat you up on this floor and nothing will happen Melaye has a history of being a wife beater and women molester so no one should be surprised that the Kogi-born Senator threatening to beat another man's wife. There was a time Melaye physically assaulted his ex-wife Tokunbo even threatening to kill the poor woman. But Tokunbo, unfortunately for Dino does not have a surname that is Tinubu! While one has no problem with anyone being ambitious, everything is wrong with being overambitious like Dino. One also understands that he is Sarakis Man Friday, who must dance to his masters music no matter how poor the melody is, there is need for order even in madness! Dino should have grown (at 45?) after serving in the House of Representatives well enough to have learnt proper parliamentary conduct. Those encouraging his misdemeanor are only enjoying his public display, like everyone enjoys watching the madman dance in the market square. Not only does he have a history of harassing women, he has a glittering resume of defending corruption and corrupt people. The led the gang in is term as House of Representatives member in defence of Hon. Patricia Etteh then House Speaker whose scandal includes refurbishing a house with N628million. In the present forgery case against the Senate President and his Deputy is not an attack on the National Assembly as it is being misconceived in certain quarters. The Senate alone has 109 members out of which only two (elected by other senators) are on trial for forgery. The House of Representatives has 360 members out of which no one is on trial for any criminal matter presently. So, the case should be put in proper perspective. Saraki, Ekweremadu and the two bureaucrats at the National Assembly are standing trial for offences they allegedly committed on their own, not on behalf of the Senate as an institution! With persons like Dino, a woman molester; integrity-challenged Saraki and Ekweremadu wanted drug baron Kashamu and others in the Senate, I am so convinced that I see a house that is not in order! Olalekan Waheed ADIGUN is a political risk analyst and independent political strategist for wide range of individuals, organisations and campaigns. He is based in Lagos, Nigeria. His write-ups can be viewed on his website http://olalekanadigun.com/ Tel: +2348136502040, +2347081901080 Email: [email protected], [email protected] Follow me on Twitter @adgorwell Khartoum (AFP) - Sudan will begin evacuating its nationals from Juba on Friday after fears that fresh fighting could erupt in South Sudan, which split from the north five years ago. South Sudanese voted for independence from Sudan under a peace agreement in 2011 but the world's newest country fell into a civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people. Hundreds have died in the latest round of violence that broke out in the South Sudanese capital ahead of the country's independence anniversary last week. Although a ceasefire has held since late Monday, the United Nations has warned of tension and the possibility of fresh fighting in Juba. Specially chartered evacuation flights have been taking foreign nationals out of the country since Wednesday. "The first flight evacuating Sudanese from South Sudan will arrive tomorrow," said a statement issued by Sudan Media Centre, an outlet close to the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service. An estimated 3,000 Sudanese are currently in Juba. Commercial flights resumed to the South Sudanese capital on Thursday morning, with planes arriving almost empty and leaving full of people desperate to get out. Four days of intense battles last week between soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir and former rebels backing Vice President Riek Machar left hundreds dead in Juba and forced around 40,000 to flee their homes. Aid agencies are warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis with a lack of both water and food. The violence marks a fresh blow to last year's deal for ending the conflict, which erupted in December 2013 when Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup. Kiir is a member of the Dinka tribe, while Machar is a Nuer, and the dispute has split the country along ethnic lines. The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei, has criticized the media for ignoring relevant reforms the commission has rolled out to ensure the success of this year's election. She said the media reports with glee spurious allegations about how the EC and its Chair intend to rig the election. There has been no publication in the media seriously examining the more than 20 reforms which the electoral commission is implementing in this year's election cycle and their consequences on the elections. We have not seen a single report on how the results can actually be compromised or manipulated from an operational perspective; which will now require that the media will call on the EC to resolve those operational gaps that they have identified. She made the comments at a workshop organised by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping training Centre. The theme for the workshop was: Towards a peaceful elections: Reporting on elections and security in 2016. Yet every day, we are inundated with spurious reports in the media of how the EC and the chair of the EC as a person are rigging the election; and these comments are reported with extreme speed and glee and it's just amazing to us, she said. Charlotte Osei added that a discredited EC is a recipe for disaster. Harare (AFP) - Pastor Evan Mawarire was barely known beyond his small congregation in Harare when he posted an unscripted video on the internet in April passionately denouncing the failures of Zimbabwe's government. The clip of Mawarire wearing a national flag around his neck marked the birth of the "ThisFlag" protest movement that has shaken the all-powerful regime of President Robert Mugabe. Mawarire, who stresses he has no political affiliations, spoke out in desperation after struggling to pay school fees for his two young daughters in a country that has suffered years of economic collapse. Now he finds himself as the public face of a wave of opposition to Mugabe -- and his family fear the consequences. "You could really call him an accidental activist, he has never been into politics," his sister Telda Mawarire, who is a researcher based in Johannesburg, told AFP. "This is not something that was planned or that he had a prior discussion about with anyone. "As a family we are alive to the danger that he is in, but this is not about making him a hero or thinking that he can fix things overnight -- he can't. "My brother is really an ordinary person. He is not immune to fear, he is a very sensitive person, he cries easily if he is upset." Telda said their parents are devout Christians who had two sons and four daughters and who still do church community work in Harare. Their eldest child, Evan, is now 39 and married to Samantha. He was a clever youngster, taking the role as "president" in Zimbabwe's youth parliament in 1994 and becoming a young pastor with the evangelical Celebration Church. The couple worked for the church in Britain between 2007 and 2010, and returned to Zimbabwe to set up their own church called "His Generation" that has a congregation of about 90. - An unexpected role - "He is dedicated, hardworking and lots of fun," Tutsirainyasha Kativhu, a church administrator, told AFP. "He knows how to speak to the young. He is always running around as he juggles his multiple roles. The guy does not sit still." Mawarire preaches most Sundays and patches together an income working as a master of ceremonies at weddings, parties and other functions and as a motivational speaker. He has also written a frank book about marital relations called "What He Wants", and was known to some before his current fame for video clips doing comedy impressions of President Mugabe and Nelson Mandela. Since the ThisFlag movement took off, Mawarire has embraced his unexpected role -- though he steers clear of directly criticising Mugabe. Instead, Mawarire has focused on calling for non-violent shutdowns -- when workers stay at home and shops and offices are shut in a passive expression of protest. "I ask as many Zimbabweans as possible to carry our national flag as a way of saying to our government 'enough is enough'. This is how political reform is going to happen," he told AFP last month, describing himself as "just a regular guy who likes to express himself." Mawarire's profile rocketed this week after he was arrested by police, held overnight and then released when a judge threw out a case against him of attempting to overthrow the government. He was engulfed by a jubilant crowd of thousands outside the courtroom. "Reminiscent of the Arab Spring, Mawarire appears to have no political program beyond overcoming Zimbabwean passivity about a rotten regime," analyst John Campbell wrote on Thursday. But the stakes are high for Mawarire, who was held in handcuffs while his home and office were searched on Tuesday. His calls for further national shutdowns this week fell flat however and the ThisFlag movement faces a difficult challenge to keep up momentum. With Mugabe aged 92 and increasingly frail, Zimbabwe looks on the brink of change. The protest pastor may play a prominent part in its future. Kinshasa (AFP) - The Democratic Republic of Congo said Thursday it was expelling two investigators from the British environmental watchdog Global Witness, accusing the pair of fomenting revolt against the logging industry. "The government of the Republic has tasked me with declaring (them) undesirable... and to ask them to leave the country by tonight," Environment Minister Robert Bopolo told a press conference, where he showed the two to the media. Global Witness has gained a widening reputation for detailed investigations, sometimes under cover, into environmental and human rights abuses. Its campaigns cover so-called "conflict" diamonds and minerals and illegal logging of tropical forests. Global Witness identified the two as Jules Caron, a Canadian, and Reiner Tegtmeyer, a German national. Bopolo said the two had been in the country since June 22 with "irregular" visas and had visited five sites where logging was carried out. "They took the liberty of telling lies to local people, seeking to make them rise up against the holders of logging rights, with all the negative consequences that this entails for peace in this country, for poverty, health, education, and even for the political regime," Bopolo said. "Deceitful behaviour of this kind is a threat to the country." The two went to Orientale Province in the northeast of the vast country, and to the provinces of Bandundu, in the southwest, and Equateur, in the northwest, Bopolo said. In a statement, Global Witness said its two employees were innocent and were being expelled "on false pretences" -- a sign, it said, the authorities were trying to limit external scrutiny of its forestry sector. "This was a routine trip," the statement quoted Alexandra Pardal, a Global Witness campaign leader, as saying. "Global Witness was in DRC to meet with communities living on the edge of logging sites in Equateur Province to find out whether the benefits promised by logging companies had materialised." Under DRC law, logging companies are required to meet local communities to discuss social and economic benefits from their business, which can include the construction of roads, schools or medical clinics, the group said. "We were in the country legitimately, on authorised visas, and with all of the relevant documents outlining our intended work. "The fact that our staff has been expelled from the country on false pretences is a worrying sign the DRC government is trying to limit the critical role played by civil society in ensuring the country's forest sector is transparent, lawful and corruption-free." Bopolo criticised those who sought to carry out external checks. "We are able to monitor our logging concessions ourselves," he said. Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. By Godwill Arthur-Mensah/Mildred Siabi-Mensah, GNA Sekondi (W/R), June 14, GNA - The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has admonished activists of the various political parties, to refrain from personality attacks and rather focus on pertinent issues that would promote development. Mr Alphonsus Arthur, the Western Regional Director of NCCE, said this at a stakeholders' forum organised by the Regional Peace Council in collaboration with the Commission and Electoral Commission (EC) in Sekondi. He said election is a contest of ideas; policies and programmes intended to better the lives of the people and, therefore, asked the political parties to tolerate each other as they propagate their messages to the electorate. The event held on the theme: 'Peace, Civic and Voter Education towards Election 2016,' was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Regional NCCE Boss noted that key indicators of strong democratic governance includes fair, transparent, credible and peaceful elections and, therefore, entreated all well-meaning Ghanaians to put their hands on the deck for a successful poll. Mr Damien Asobayire, the Regional Secretary of Peace Council, asked the various religious and traditional leaders to be vigilant, adding that some politicians use religion and ethnicity during elections for their personal gain. He said election is a process that requires the participation of the electorate in the various activities lined up by the EC including the voter register exhibition, as well as the deletion of minors, deceased persons and unqualified persons from the voter register in order to ensure a credible register. He noted that the Council had identified some election hot-spots in the Region and had intensified voter education in those areas to ensure violent-free polls. Nana Ekua kodu II, the Paramount Queenmother of Essikado and a Member of the Regional Peace Council, charged mothers and women in general to actively participate in the election processes and not allow their teenage sons to be influenced by monetary consideration to cause violence on November 7 polls. GNA you are here: business Granules India up 4% as arm acquires 12.5% stake in USpharma "Granules Pharmaceuticals Inc has entered into an agreement with USpharma to acquire 12.5 percent of its stake," says the Hyderabad-based company in its filing. business Find out why Tulsian is bullish on logistics stocks In an interview with CNBC-TV18, market expert SP Tulsian gave his views on public sector undertaking (PSU) bank stocks and told why he is bullish on logistic stocks. BKL shares exploded in the second half of 2015, and 2016 has been a difficult period for Blackmores stocks in general. What happened to the Blackmores share price? Blackmores Limited [ASX:BKL] picked up another 1.23% by afternoon trading. The Aussie market was slightly higher for the day while the miners were lower. BKL shares exploded in the second half of 2015, and 2016 has been a difficult period for Blackmores stocks in general. It gained to around 200% by the end of 2015, and has been on a downhill slide ever since. Why did BKL shares do this? Yesterday Credit Suisse gave a big thumbs-up to BKL, releasing a target price of $175. That has reignited the excitement around Blackmores, or at least for now. BKL has been on-and-off my watchlist for some time. Since the introduction of the stock onto the ASX100 in June, BKL has been an interesting momentum stock to watch. Look, BKL has gotten so big that it is now on the ASX100. That means the stock is among the less-volatile stocks in the Aussie stock universe. Bigger firms tend to have less volatility than the smaller firms. Of course, that doesnt mean big companies cant get bigger or shrink much smaller, it just means they are under the spotlight all the time, and there is plenty liquidity for trading them. What now for Blackmores Limited? Should you have a position in BKL? Thats complicated. As I said, BKL has been on-and-off my watchlist. If you look at the stock price, you can easily see that the stock isnt on any solid trend. However, if Credit Suisse is right on their valuation, then the stock can still have a lot of room to gain over the coming months. However, it is unlikely the stock will see the kind of consistent rally it experienced in the second half of 2015. If you look at the fundamentals of the company, there is uncertainty on how the Chinese would regulate their borders. I talked about the situation a few months ago and will repeat. Its likely Chinese regulators will increase the cost of imports at some point. However, the policy shift appears to be more flexible this time. They want to encourage consumption, market liberalisation, and honour Chinas trade agreement with Australia. So we will continue to see those policy moves be quite murky. Blackmores is a leading producer of vitamins in Australia. The company is also partnering to expand its interest in the infant formula business. If you buy Chinas consumer story, then you ought to buy into the stock. The companys Chinese business will continue to expand. Health products and healthy food are on high demand in China, and thats sure to continue. Ken Wangdong+ Emerging Market Analyst, Emerging Trends Trader Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive. To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research. Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process. The Bank of Canada addressed household spending and provided an outlook for the housing market in its latest Monetary Policy Report. This is what brokers need to know Household spending is expected to increase, according to the Bank. Consumption is projected to grow at a moderate pace, supported by continued employment growth in the non-resource sector and federal fiscal measures (notably, the Canada Child Benefit), the Banks of Canada said in its latest Monetary Policy Report. A comparison of employment and retail sales across regions illustrates divergent adjustments to low oil prices, with households in the energy-producing provinces cutting expenditures sharply. Real gross domestic income is expected to increase along with real GDP, according to the BoC. While household expenditures will continue to be restrained by the ongoing wealth and income effects of the past decline in Canadas terms of trade, the impact is expected to gradually diminish, the Central Bank said. New construction and resale activity are expected to continue to drive the British Columbia and Ontario markets. That will align with strong demand which is due, in part, to strong employment factors. All things considered, strong house price increases are expected to continue in the nations two hottest markets. The Bank did, however, have a warning for those two markets. Sharply rising prices in these markets over the past year raise the possibility that prices are also being driven by self-reinforcing expectations, making them more sensitive to an adverse shock to housing demand, the Bank said. Initial signs of a possible housing bubble burst have started appearing in Vancouvers overheated real estate market, according to an industry analyst. As reported by Jill Slattery of Global News, real estate observer and Sauder School of Business (UBC) associate professor Thomas Davidoff said that over the past few months, warning signs such as declining sales volume, growing inventory, and rising vacancy have become more evident in Vancouver. The citys sales-to-listings also went down drastically on a year-over-year basis last month, from 86 to 49 per cent in East Vancouver and from 82 to 46 per cent in the western part of the city. Vancouvers overall sales-to-listings ratio sat at 59 per cent as of June 2016, with MLS data showing 2,618 detached-home listings and only 1,555 sales. These developments came in the wake of the CMHCs statements earlier this year that it has found strong evidence of overvaluation in Vancouvers housing segment. Last month, the benchmark price of detached homes in the Greater Vancouver area was at $1,561,500, and a property on the West Side can cost as much as $3,547,300. Davidoff said that while a 59 per cent sales-to-listings ratio is not yet in crash territory, the trends are nonetheless alarming. When this ratio is high, buyers perceive poor options outside of bidding on a given home. Theres little reason to think that the next home they bid on will be a bargain. When the ratio is low, buyers can be picky, because if they dont get the house in question they are likely to find another home available soon, Davidoff explained. If we see inventory pile up, we should be concerned about a bust, he added. The ostensibly nonstop growth of prices in Canadas most overheated housing markets continues to outpace incomes in all but the highest-paying vocations in these cities, according to a recent study.In his analysis for Macleans, journalist and market observer Aaron Hutchins stated that there has never been a better time for home investors in Vancouver and Toronto, as the latest numbers from the Canadian Real Estate Association showed that residential real estate in the two cities yielded greater revenue than a vast majority of jobs.Only judges earned more than homes in Vancouver, where the annual price growth rate as of last year has been pegged at $193,000. Meanwhile, Toronto annual price growth in 2015 stood at $103,000, outstripped only by the incomes of dentists and senior government managers.However, Hutchins noted that these numbers shouldnt lead people to think that a home is the same as a 9-to-5 job.A primary residence is an asset, and any appreciation in value cant be direct deposited into your bank account like paycheques from a job. You cant buy groceries with your houseunless you sell it. But then youd forgo any potential future gains and still have to find somewhere else to live, Hutchins wrote.On the other hand, the analyst also pointed at a troubling trend of home owners earning more than those in employment, citing figures from B.C. mathematician Jens von Bergmann which showed that Vancouver owners netted $25 billion in the previous year alone (compare to employees $18 billion).This is obviously problematic because soaring house prices need to be underpinned by an abundance of well-paying jobs and rising paycheques. And while those two cities currently account for all new job gains, wage growth has been meagre, Hutchins said.A recent warning by Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz should also give consumers some pause when contemplating the benefits of investing in a home.Home buyers and their lenders should not extrapolate recent real estate performance into the future when contemplating a transaction, Hutchins quoted the Governor as saying. Republican frontrunner Donald Trump has reportedly chosen former congressman and current Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate. Pences conservative credentials have the potential to draw in Republican voters worried about Trumps positions; as a congressman, he pushed back against bailouts in the wake of the financial crisis. While Trump is scheduled to announce his vice presidential nominee Friday at 11 a.m., several media outlets have already broken the news, according to a Reuters report. While Pences popularity among conservatives may be an asset for uniting the GOP around Trump, he brings liabilities to the table as well. As a congressman, he voted against a number of Bush initiatives including the Medicare prescription drug benefit in 2003, according to a Bloomberg report. And as governor, Pence signed a 2015 religious freedom law widely seen as anti-gay; the law prompted such a backlash that he was forced to sign a non-discrimination bill to walk back the original law. He also signed a law restricting abortions in the state that prompted widespread backlash. But Pence was also an early voice in Congress against taxpayer bailouts an important cause to many Republicans. He led House opposition to TARP in the wake of the financial crisis, according to ConservativeHQ. Nationalizing every bad mortgage in America is not the answer, Pence wrote to his colleagues in the House at the time. Pence was on Trumps shortlist for VP along with GOP notables like Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Trump advisor Eric Brookover said that Trump first and foremost wanted a running mate with whom he has good chemistry, and who could help him govern best, Reuters reported. In 2013, when the energy industry was booming, high school freshman Matthew Diaz knew exactly what he wanted to be: A petroleum engineer. He enrolled in Houstons Energy Institute, a magnet high school funded in part with nearly $200,000 from the oil industry, in hopes of eventually landing a job that pays an average of $130,000 a year. Then, the oil crash hit, and the attraction faded. Diaz still plans to get an engineering degree but might take it instead to the world of finance hes interning this summer with a Houston commodity brokerage. It has shifted students from being really focused on petroleum to being more generalized into engineering, said Diaz, sitting in the BP Spot, a green room furnished with a $50,000 contribution from the international oil giant. So if the oil market tanks all the way to zero dollars a barrel thats not going to happen, but engineering is still key to everything. Diazs assessment is central to how the local education system is reconsidering an industry that doesnt seem as sure a bet as it did five years ago and rethinking how it prepares students for careers so vulnerable to boom-and-bust cycles. Rather than just cultivating a crop of recruits for big oil companies, high schools are equipping students with engineering skills that could take them into a broad range of fields, from wind energy to cyber security to financial services. Thats a safer strategy for young people, who run the risk of getting caught jobless if they graduate into a downturn, as many realized this year after finishing college degrees in petroleum engineering. And it may be more than an economic calculation: Young adults increasingly rank tech companies like Apple and Google as the most exciting potential employers, according to a survey by the National Society of High School Scholars. Thats a problem for oil and gas companies, which will need plenty of engineers in the not-too-distant future, even as they continue to work through layoffs now. And its not just the inevitable rebound that will drive the need for talent: A wave of people who joined the industry during the boom of the early 1980s are beginning to retire. But for this generation of prospective hires, theres an additional layer of uncertainty that may discourage bright, young minds from oil and gas. Over the longer term, technological advances and increased automation could render many engineering positions obsolete as companies find ways to extract more oil with fewer humans, said Chad Hesters , managing director in the Houston office of the global recruiting firm Korn Ferry. He predicts artificial intelligence and increased computing power eventually will take care of a lot of tasks that required college graduates jobs that are supposed to come back after an oil crash and pay good wages to kids who did what was expected and got a degree in petroleum engineering. Thats something that schools, parents and students havent yet figured out how to handle. Petroleum academies Only a few years ago, the personnel needs of the petroleum industry seemed boundless. The oil crash of the 1980s not to mention rising awareness about the role of fossil fuels in climate change turned a generation of science-minded young people away from careers in drilling and prospecting. Energy companies were having a hard time finding qualified engineers and knew the need would only grow as baby boomers advanced into their 50s and 60s. In mid-2014, the trade group American Petroleum Institute launched a public relations campaign to change perceptions of the industry, touting job growth projections and six-figure entry-level salaries. A couple years earlier, the Independent Petroleum Association of America which represents smaller producers teamed up with another trade group, the Petroleum Equipment and Services Association, to sponsor four petroleum academies in Houston and one in Fort Worth to expose young people to careers in energy. The IPAA said that 1,500 students are enrolled in the academies for the upcoming year but declined to disclose how much it spends on the program. The most ambitious of academies was Houstons Energy Institute High School, which was the only one to focus exclusively on energy (the others operate as enrichment tracks within a larger traditional high school). The school was overwhelmed with applications, with more than three kids applying for every available spot. The first classes, chosen by lottery, have enjoyed mentoring opportunities, guest speakers, and visits to corporate campuses of oil and gas company sponsors. But within a few years, principal Lori Lambropoulos learned through surveys that students were gravitating more toward climate-friendly subjects like algae-based biofuel and super-efficient tiny houses whether they sensed change in the economic winds or because they thought clean energy is just cool. For Lambropoulos, the answer to changing interests and job markets was to make sure kids had a broad grounding in math, science, and engineering skills and concepts, which became the Houston Independent School Districts approach for all vocational programs. Were still going to need engineers, maybe not in oil and gas so much, says Renee Zuelke, head of the districts career and technical education office. The key for us is keeping it diverse. Were always looking at whats going on in our local economy and building those skills that cant go away, like good math and science. Milby High School, in southeast Houston, got one of the citys first petroleum academies. Enrollment remained strong last year, with 145 kids participating in the program, but principal Roy de la Garza said he noticed fewer seniors headed to petroleum engineering programs in college. Also, the curriculum shifted after he changed teachers, from focusing specifically on the oil industry to emphasizing a range of engineering skills and types of energy development. At the end, they can make a choice, Garza says. Some schools decided to stop preparing kids for oil and gas careers altogether. Furr High School, in East Houston, had a partnership with Houston Community College that allowed students to get associates degrees in petroleum engineering technology. But Principal Bertie Simmons said the school dropped the program because students werent finding jobs and because she wanted to focus more on renewable technologies instead. Need to be job-ready High schools, of course, have a luxury: They can prepare students for a wide range of occupations, leaving them to choose later. Not so with colleges and universities, which need to focus students in specific courses of study so theyll be job-ready when they graduate. That means the schools have to decide how many to enroll in each degree program. Starting in the early 2000s, colleges and universities accepted a tidal wave of petroleum engineering students. Nationwide, enrollment in petroleum engineering soared from about 1,300 undergraduates in 1997 to more than 11,389 in 2015, eclipsing the previous high of 11,014 in 1983, according to data maintained by Lloyd Heinze, a Texas Tech professor. At Texas A&M, petroleum engineering enrollment tripled between 2003 and 2013. Growth was capped in 2013, only because the department couldnt hire enough teachers, said Dan Hill, head of the petroleum engineering department. Now, another factor is limiting enrollment. The placement rate for Hills students has declined from 100 percent of graduates finding jobs three years ago to only about two-thirds this spring. Those getting hired arent making as much, either. Nevertheless, Hill expects hiring to pick up within the next five years. Thats the catch-22 of petroleum engineering education: The best time to start a degree may be at the bottom of an oil price cycle, when students first instinct might be to run the other way. Jonathan Holstein was one of those caught at the top. The A&M senior always knew he wanted to go into oil and gas. His dad is an independent driller. He liked science and math, and it seemed like a stable, lucrative career. We all came into the program and were pretty well guaranteed a job upon graduation, Holstein says. But in spring 2015, the bottom fell out and kept falling until prices hit of $26 a barrel in February, down from more than $100 in June 2014. Now, he and his classmates are preparing themselves as best they can for a harsh job market. Its an anxiety-ridden existence. Holstein graduates in December and checks oil prices every day. He takes advantage of every networking opportunity, hoping the memory of his face will jump out at a recruiter from a stack of thousands of resumes. If it doesnt, he plans to apply to the Armys Officer Candidate School. Adding to the uncertainty for Holstein and other petroleum engineering graduates: When companies start hiring again, its not clear theyll be for the same kind of jobs. Eric van Oort, who heads a technology research group at the University of Texas, says robotics eventually will eliminate the need for people to physically operate drilling rigs in the field. Those jobs are going to disappear, he said. Engineering jobs might not disappear, but they will change, van Oort said. Theyll focus more on skills needed to operate large, extremely advanced computer systems skills in high demand across many industries that wont lay people off when oil prices turn south. The demand (by energy firms) for people will be very acute very soon, van Oort says. But you have to see if students are willing to dedicate their lives to this industry rather than going to Google, Tesla, SpaceX, which are quite a bit sexier right now. At that point, the boom-bust cycle of petroleum education may become more of a problem for the oil companies than the students theyre trying to recruit. C&J Energy Services says it will file for bankruptcy by the end of the week as it struggles to recover from the industrys extended downturn and the sudden death earlier this year of the companys founder and chief executive. The Houston company, which has had two other CEOs since Josh Comstock died in March at age 46, will seek Chapter 11 protection in an effort to shed crippling debt it took on to complete what proved to be an ill-timed acquisition. Comstock had hoped the company would grow into one of the worlds top three or four onshore oil field services providers but the crash in oil prices, followed by his death from acute bacterial pneumonia, kept that hope from being realized. The company has locations throughout the Permian Basin, from Carlsbad, New Mexico, in the west to San Angelo in the east, Andrews to the north and Sonora to the south. It has Midland locations for fracturing and coiled tubing, cementing, cased hole and fluid management, as well as a regional service and regional sales office. C&J represents another example of energy companies that expanded too quickly and took on too much debt as the shale boom came to an end. As prices slid, the cash flow needed to support heavy debt loads dried up. Nearly 160 North American companies more than half based in Texas have filed for bankruptcy since 2015, according to the Haynes and Boone law firm. Its easy to look back and say the woulda, coulda, shoulda kind of thing, but no one anticipated this type of drop, Comstocks immediate successor, Randy McMullen said in an April interview. C&J, founded in 1997, grew to about 10,000 employees by early 2015, before slashing nearly 4,000 jobs to bring employment to about 6,100 in February. More jobs have been cut since then, but the company wont disclose the number. At its peak in mid-2014, the companys stock traded for $33 a share; it closed Tuesday at 45 cents. Comstocks death left a leadership vacuum. Mc-Mullen, who had served as chief financial officer under Comstock, was abruptly removed as CEO in June. Just a month later, the new CEO, Don Gawick, is taking the company through bankruptcy. C&J has warned bankruptcy was a possibility since May. The company, which lost nearly $900 million in 2015, will enter bankruptcy with $1.6 billion in debt and an agreement with creditors to convert $1.4 billion of the debt into stock. C&J said it will continue to operate during the bankruptcy process. We are confident that we have reached a deal that is highly advantageous for C&J and will provide solid financial footing to enable us to capitalize on future opportunities as (oil pricing) begins to recover, Gawick said in a statement. C&Js growth was spurred in part by acquiring the well production and completion businesses of Nabors Industries, another Houston company. Oil was trading at more than $106 a barrel when the deal was announced in June 2014; by the time the deal closed in early 2015, prices had slid to about $47. Prices kept falling until February, when they hit a low of $26.21 a barrel. Oil settled at $46.80 per barrel Tuesday in New York. Marshall Adkins, director of energy research at Raymond James in Houston, noted that C&Js reorganization, if approved by the court, would eliminate most of its debt Members and visitors of Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church gathered Wednesday evening for a special service. Led by the pastor, the Rev. Tommie Hale, A Prayer Service for Love and Peace was a response to the recent shootings of Philando Castile in Minneapolis and Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as well as the July 7 attack on Dallas police at a protest that resulted in the deaths of five officers. The service, which also featured guest pastors and city officials, pushed for unity among communities and law enforcement. Hale said before the service that there is one answer to the racial tension and violent outcomes of late. The news stations ask what is the answer to these social ills involving law enforcement and African-Americans. That answer is simple: Jesus, he said. The only way this is going to be resolved is to invite the Prince of Peace to his proper place at the head of the table. The message resonated through music, Scripture and prayers throughout the service and the spirited congregation. The evening began with words by the Rev. David Derrickson and Paul Morris, both with Mount Calvary, followed by praise and worship music. After the opening prayer, District 2 City Councilman John Love spoke of his own take on race relations in Midland. Its not a black and white issue. I dont even think its a police issue. I think we are sometimes not viewed as citizens, he said. When I try to talk about how there is a problem of interaction with black and Hispanic communities, this is what happens, he said, covering his ears with his hands. There is a segment of individuals who dont look at us as citizens, and I dont believe they ever will. My heart is heavy and it hurts. Love then discussed empowering the community with a call to action as a beginning to a solution. Long term, there are things that can be done -- economic empowerment and participating in the political process, he said. Prayers through the night were for forgiveness, love, law enforcement and for the families of the victims. There was no direct mention of Castile or Sterling and only slight mentions of the shootings in Dallas. Federal Judge Robert Junell participated by reading Scripture, and the service ended with a symbolic moment with Midland Police Department Deputy Chief Jeff Darr and Kahlen Hale, 19, reading Scripture hand-in-hand. Youll see a white police officer and my son, a young black male joining together for a final prayer of unity and benediction, Hale said earlier. Midland ISDs director of Early Childhood education said this week that more than $500,000 in state funding the district recently received will impact the districts pre-kindergarten program in three areas. Della Frye said in an email that the $547,658 will be used for professional development of MISDs pre-K teachers, to purchase education materials and to support the districts family engagement plan. The state of Texas, according to Texas Tribune, had divvied up $116 million among 578 school districts and charter schools to bolster high-quality pre-kindergarten programs. The grant program was approved during last years legislative session. Frye said the district already meets several of the indicators of quality that the state was looking for in the high-quality pre-K grant. For example, we already meet the child-to-adult ratio of 11:1, conduct kid-friendly assessments three times a year to inform our instruction and use a curriculum approved by the state, she said. Frye said the first of the three high-impact areas was to increase the knowledge and skills of the districts pre-K teachers by providing professional development. That includes 12 hours of professional development this summer with a strong focus in mathematics. The training is hands-on and interactive so teachers are having fun while they get a deeper understanding of the Texas PreKindergarten Guidelines, Frye said. Teachers and paraprofessionals will also get six hours of training in August related to social and emotional development to help students learn to calm themselves, manage their own behavior and focus their attention. Additional training will be provided throughout the year in other domains of the Texas PreKindergarten Guidelines, Frye said. The second area involves the district purchasing materials that support its learning pre-K learning targets. Frye said an example of this is that the district will purchase math materials that support students as they learn to count, pattern, graph, add and subtract. The last area, according to Frye, is the use of grant funds to support the districts family engagement plan. This will include activities and events to help parents learn more about how to work with their child, how to support their childs education and how to be involved at their childs school. Funding Funding ISD 2015-16 2016-17 Midland $272,143 $275,515 Ector $397,269 $402,191 Andrews $48,156 $48,752 Source: TEA LISLE, Ill. (AP) Vigils and ceremonies are planned this week to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Sandra Bland, a black woman who died in a Texas jail cell after a traffic stop. Bland died a year ago Wednesday after a Texas state trooper pulled her over three days earlier. She was taken to the Waller County jail in Hempstead, Texas, where she was found hanging from a jail cell partition three days later. A plastic garbage bag was around her neck. A medical examiner ruled it a suicide. Dashcam video of her arrest and the circumstances of her death provoked national outrage. Bland had been moving to Texas from the Chicago area at the time of her death. A vigil is planned Wednesday evening in Chicago's Federal Plaza to mark the anniversary of her death hosted by the group Women's All Points Bulletin, which supports female victims of police violence, and Black Lives Matter Chicago. One of Bland's sisters, Shante Needham, is scheduled to introduce the vigil, which will include prayer, poetry readings and a gospel music performance. Separately, the suburban Chicago church where Bland grew up, DuPage African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lisle, plans candle-lighting ceremonies Sunday during its 8:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services. Bland's mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, is scheduled to speak at the church Aug. 13 and the church plans a trip to Prairie View, Texas, Nov. 9-12. There church members plan a peaceful prayer meeting outside the jail where Bland died. They also plan to tour Prairie View A&M University, Bland's alma mater, and celebrate services with Hope AME Church in Prairie View, which has hosted rallies and prayer gatherings in Bland's memory. DuPage AME Church also plans its Sandra A. Bland Diversity Institute on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January. The Rev. James Miller, pastor of the church, said the ceremonies are designed to comfort Bland's family and congregants who knew her. The anniversary comes the week after five Dallas police officers were killed by a sniper during a protest over recent killings of black men by police. Miller said it's clear from the current landscape in the U.S. that social inequities exist. "The African-American community cannot be the only ones talking about civil rights and equity," Miller said. "It's when white people start talking about it that real action can take place." HOUSTON (AP) A 57-year-old East Texas man convicted of fatally shooting his neighbors 13 years ago has received an execution date. Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark says the agency has received court documents setting inmate Barney Fuller for lethal injection Oct. 5. Fuller, from Lovelady in Houston County, was convicted of killing his neighbors, 43-year-old Nathan Copeland and his 39-year-old wife, Annette, in May 2003. Their then 14-year-old son also was wounded in the gunfire but a 10-year-old daughter escaped injury. At the time, Fuller was awaiting trial on charges of making a terroristic threat against the couple two years earlier. He was arrested at his home after a nearly nine-hour standoff with police. He's among at least seven Texas prisoners with executions set for the next few months. MEXICO CITY (AP) Ronald James Wooden flexes the large blacksmith's hands with which he once forged everything from large chandeliers to intricate jewelry. He's says he is still regaining feeling in them three years after a four-hour beating with fists and rifle butts by municipal police in southern Mexico. The officers tightened his handcuffs and then stood on them to inflict maximum damage to his hands, said Wooden, 46, who had set up a workshop in the hills outside the silver-mining city of Taxco along with his Mexican-born wife. Police detained him for allegedly disturbing the peace, but Wooden says the beating arose from a dispute with his neighbor, a former cop who claimed to belong to a local drug cartel. "They beat me for close to four hours. Some would get tired and then others would come in. They were going to kill me and disappear me," said Wooden, who said he suffered nerve damage, broken ribs and injuries to his genitals. He said what saved him was "divine intervention and the love that my family has for me." His wife, Carmen, waited outside the police station for hours until she was allowed to pay Wooden's 200-peso ($12 fine) and took him to a hospital after he was released. Human rights groups say police torture remains all too common in Mexico, but Wooden's case from 2013 is unusual in two respects: He's an American citizen and he's won a court order for a criminal investigation into the beating. A probe in 2014 by the governmental Human Rights Defense Commission in Guerrero state found that Taxco police illegally detained Wooden, contradicted themselves about how he sustained his injuries and essentially lied about their extent. It found that the American had been covered in bruises, scrapes and cuts. The commission issued a directive that municipal authorities should punish those responsible and pay reparation. After two years of no action, a federal judge on June 30 ordered Mexico's government to open a formal criminal investigation for torture and kidnapping in Wooden's case. "This opens a new road, little explored and little used" to force authorities to investigate the thousands of torture complaints in Mexico, said Mario Santiago, a lawyer for the human rights group Idheas, which is representing Wooden. "We know there are hundreds or thousands of torture complaints all the time in the country. There is no investigation; these go unpunished." Wooden, who had been living in Texas, was drawn to Taxco by its famed silver jewelry industry, which had been revived by American adventurer William Spratling in the 1930s. But in recent years, the colonial-era town south of Mexico City has been in the grip of drug cartels. In 2010, authorities discovered 55 rotting bodies that had been tossed into an abandoned mine shaft near Taxco. Wooden said that as soon as he set up his shop, he began receiving threats from a neighbor who claimed to be a member of the Guerreros Unidos drug gang and demanded a 10,000-peso monthly protection payment. When the neighbor got out a machete and threatened to send Wooden back to the United States in pieces, both men called the police, Wooden said. He said that when officers showed up, they went straight for Wooden, kicking and punching him to the ground. They arrested him for being drunk and disturbing the peace allegations he denies. Wooden is under no illusions about what could have happened to him: Taxco's police were so notorious that the federal government disarmed the whole force a year and a half after Wooden's arrest and handed policing over to federal officers. The city's former police chief, Eruviel Salado Chavez, was arrested last month on charges of organized crime and kidnapping. He is accused of close ties with Guerreros Unidos, which is blamed for many of the 100 bodies found in mass graves around Taxco and the nearby city of Iguala. The federal government says 43 college students who disappeared in 2014 in Iguala were kidnapped by corrupt municipal police and turned over to Guerreros Unidos, which supposedly killed them. "Part of what has protected me is that I'm a foreigner, and I have no fear," Wooden said. "What happened to me has happened to other people ... Whole families have disappeared in those situations." He said that when he came to his senses in the jail cell after the beating, "I realized that there is dried blood on the floor, and it's not mine so much." Mexico passed a law setting out punishment for police abuse in 1986 amid horror over the discovery of tortured bodies at an earthquake-damaged police headquarters. The law, on paper, was toughened in 1991, banning the use of testimony obtained under torture. Still, scandals involving Mexican police, soldiers and marines keep mounting. And Wooden's case is an example of how hard it is to punish such abuses. The artisan initially filed a criminal complaint after the beating. But he said he dropped the effort when a man at the magistrate's office pulled him aside, saying: "They're planning to disappear you from here if you continue to make noise and press charges.'" Besides suffering physical damage, Wooden said some of his equipment was stolen. He and his wife left Taxco, fearing for their lives, and moved to other parts of Mexico. He said he's been unable to get new projects due to his injuries and a lack of money to buy materials. Nobody has gone to jail for torturing Wooden. Two of the police officers got warnings and were required to take human rights classes, though Santiago said it's unclear if they did. "There is no investigation, these go unpunished. What happened to him happened to a lot of people," said Santiago. "What we are looking for is structural changes, so these abuses don't continue to happen." AUSTIN, Texas (AP) The University of Texas System Board of Regents has struck down a rule that would have barred chambered rounds in concealed semi-automatic handguns on the flagship UT-Austin campus. But the board has rejected efforts to overturn other rules adopted by the university to limit the guns on campus in the wake of a new state law that allows handgun license holders to pack their guns inside campus buildings. WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama will keep the focus Wednesday on building trust between police officers and the communities they serve, as the White House acknowledged that the challenge will extend to future presidents. Obama was meeting Wednesday with police officers at the White House the second such session this week. This time it will be expanded to include mayors, academics and civil rights activists, including people the administration said were involved in the Black Lives Matter movement. "We'll share solutions from communities that have already found ways to build trust and reduce disparities," Obama said on Facebook. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden met with representatives from eight police organizations Monday before flying the next day to Dallas to lead a memorial for five police officers killed by a suspect who said he wanted to kill whites, particularly white officers. The officers were working at a rally in which protesters gathered to voice complaints about the shooting deaths of two black men by police officers, one in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the other in Minneapolis, Minnesota. "Going forward, I want to hear ideas from even more Americans about how we can address these challenges together as one nation. That means you," Obama said. He is calling on people to submit their stories and ideas to go.wh.gov/VDPvKz. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he was confident that there will be law enforcement officers in the room who are deeply troubled by the actions and comments of some people who associate themselves with the Black Lives Matter movement. But he reiterated that Obama has cautioned against judging any one group by the actions of some members. "Resisting that impulse and keeping open our hearts will be necessary to make some progress on this challenge," Earnest told reporters Wednesday. As the meeting got underway the White House released a list of attendees, which included elected officials and police chiefs from Louisiana and Minnesota, where the recent shootings of two black men by police officers sparked protests around the country. Among the elected officials were Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana and Mayor Chris Coleman of St. Paul, Minnesota. Also on the list were Mica Grimm, an activist with Black Lives Matter Minnesota, and DeRay Mckesson, who was arrested Saturday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on a charge of obstructing a highway. A police affidavit of probable cause says Mckesson "intentionally" placed himself in the road after protesters were repeatedly warned by loudspeaker to remain on private property or the curb. Mckesson was released from jail Sunday. Biden told CNN after Monday's meeting that a couple of the police groups at the meeting voiced some displeasure with the president while others told him he was "doing it just right" with his comments. Biden did not offer detail about the complaints, but said Obama stressed how he has repeatedly voiced support for law enforcement and offered to send critics a list of when he has done so. Biden said Obama asked the police officials at the meeting: "Fellas, what do you think I'm not doing? What have you not heard me say?" Biden also said some of the police organizations voiced concerns for the safety of their members. "It's the first time I've ever heard police organizations say, 'My guys are frightened,'" Biden said. Through her We Are Here movement, Alicia Keys recruited a number of artists including Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Kevin Hart, Bono and Adam Levine to create a public service announcement video that highlights the ongoing racial injustice in the country. The title of the video is 23 Ways You Could Be Killed If You Are Black In America, or 23 Ways for short. In the video, the various artists each give out the reasons behind the deaths of certain black individuals in the U.S., according to ET Online. All of the reasons stated in the video are very random and ordinary, yet they still led to the deaths of certain people. This notion seems to further highlight the point of the PSA that if a non-black did those things, the outcome would have probably been different. Keys opens the video by saying "failing to signal a lane change," which refers to the case of Sandra Bland, who was arrested on July 10, 2015 due to a minor traffic violation. She was then found dead three days later inside her jail cell in Texas. Beyonce then follows this up with the reason "riding in your girlfriend's car with a child in the back," which is in reference to the scenario that Philando Castile was in when he was shot and killed by a police officer in Minnesota last week. This happened just a day after Alton Sterling was shot several times by a member of the Baton Rouge Police department in Louisiana. Common, who is also in the video, states "walking away from the police," which is then followed by Queen Latifah's reason "walking toward police." These two statements respectively refer to Mario Woods and Laquan McDonald. The video ends with Keys telling viewers to visit the We Are Here movement's website to learn more about the social issues that they are tackling, People reported. "We demand radical transformation to heal the long history of systemic racism so that all Americans have the equal right to live and to pursue happiness," she said in the PSA. 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The nightclub bouncer that Lil Wayne reportedly punched last month after attending the BET Awards is preparing a lawsuit against the rapper. According to reports, the unnamed bouncer, who works at the Hyde nightclub, has already hired a lawyer to handle the case. The incident occurred on the evening of June 27 when Lil Wayne hosted a BET Awards after-party with 2 Chainz at the nightclub in Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, according to TMZ. However, when several members of the "Lollipop" rapper's entourage arrived at the venue, they were turned away by the bouncer. That's when Lil Wayne got into an argument with the staffer, which then led to the former punching the latter in the face. The rapper's bodyguards also reportedly got involved in the scuffle and shoved the bouncer against a wall. Although Lil Wayne has already admitted that an altercation took place at the nightclub, he maintained that he never punched the bouncer. The Hyde employee, on the other hand, wants to take legal action against the artist due to the injuries he suffered from the incident, which include a dislocated jaw. He has already enlisted the help of Arsineh Aghakhani, a lawyer from Los Angeles, to prepare the lawsuit against Lil Wayne. The rapper, however, has not yet issued a new statement regarding the possibility of a lawsuit. Weeks after the incident at Hyde, Lil Wayne caught the attention of the public after it was reported that he had suffered a seizure while in Las Vegas, according to Billboard. Although initial reports indicated that the incident was so serious that the rapper had to cancel his performance for the UFC 200 pre-party, Lil Wayne clarified that the health scare was a false alarm. False Alarm! I appreciate da prayers and konsern but I'm good!!! Luv!!!! Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi) July 12, 2016 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Some government officials and politicians are ... Daniel McElfresh, TCSO Booking Photo View Photos Angels Camp, CA A Sacramento man wanted on a warrant was booked into Calaveras County Jail after a late-night traffic stop over the tinted windows on his vehicle. According to Angels Camp Police Chief Todd Fordahl, an officer made the stop Monday evening at around 11:35, near the intersection of North Main Street and Dogtown Road. Once stopped, according to Chief Fordahl, the driver shared upfront that his driver license was suspended and that there might be an outstanding warrant for his arrest out of Placer County. A records check confirmed the information was true and the driver, 43-year-old Daniel Earl McElfresh of Sacramento, was taken into custody. After receiving consent to search the vehicle, police found a glass methamphetamine smoking pipe; hypodermic syringes; plastic packaging material containing suspected methamphetamine residue along with a digital scale. The passenger in the vehicle, whose name has not yet been released, was also determined to be carrying contraband, including a large plastic baggy with approximately 58 grams of methamphetamine; a hypodermic syringe loaded with suspected liquid methamphetamine; five smaller plastic baggies containing approximately one gram each of methamphetamine; and approximately ten grams of marijuana. McElfresh faces charges of possession and transportation of meth for sales; possession of meth; and driving on a suspended license. Charges are still pending against his passenger, who was transported to Mark Twain Hospital under a medical clearance due to an existing injury and admitted for treatment. The Tuolumne Visitors Bureau exhibit display at the California State Fair, once again, received the Gold Ribbon. Anna Davies, Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau Special Projects Coordinator, was Thursdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. We took home the Gold once again, which feels wonderful, said Davies. A lot of hours and work went into this display, which we couldnt be more proud of. This was the eighth consecutive year for a Gold Ribbon for the Tuolumne County display. Every year, a new display must be built in order to meet the annual theme. Davies describes this years display as a gigantic, beautiful exhibit and booth. With our local volunteers working in three to four hour shifts at the State Fair, we see each year that the time and effort of our displays pays off, said Davies. We think this is a great reminder to most of the attending public that Tuolumne County is really close to their home. Calaveras County also won a Gold Ribbon for their display at the Fair. Lisa Boulton, Executive Director for the Calaveras Visitors Bureau, said that the Calaveras display is centered around Mark Twain. Mark Twain discovered himself while he was here explains Boulton. In other words, he began to write stories that showcased a sense of humor. We are inviting people to Calaveras, where they can begin to write their own stories, as they discover themselves. Volunteers are needed to work three hour shifts at the Tuolumne County exhibit. Each shift runs for three hours and volunteers receive free parking and admission into the State Fair. According to Davies, Its a great opportunity for residents to tell others about what a great county we have to visit. Our theme this year is One Destination, Three Vacations: Gold Country, Yosemite, High Sierra. For more information, contact the TCVB at 209-533-4420. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45am. California Department Of Education View Photos Sacramento, CA Today Californias Board of Education will review a proposed plan to introduce LGBT history into state classrooms. Senate Bill 48 took effect in 2012 and it requires public schools to include information about prominent gay people and LGBT rights milestones in history classes. The plan has been controversial, as the Associated Press reports that implementation has been delayed due to two attempts by opponents to overturn the new law. The delay has also been attributed to competing educational priorities and budget cuts that put drafting recommendations for textbook purchases on hold. The curriculum outline calls for the introduction of discussions about diverse families in second grade and lessons about Californias role in the gay rights movement in fourth grade. Gender role discussions would also occur in grades fifth and eighth. As more cases of travel related Zika pop up in Central Florida, mosquito control in Orange County is stepping up their patrols. 25 total cases of Zika in Orange County Orange county is stepping up mosquito patrols Wednesday, 11 more more cases of Zika were announced in Florida, two were in Orange County. Since February, Orange County officials have been notified of 300 at risk Zika cases. With each of those cases, mosquito control increases neighborhood inspections around the homes of those at risk of having the virus. The increased patrols is to prevent the spread of the virus through the domestic mosquito population which primarily feeds off of humans, and can be found in and around peoples homes. Their favorite meal is humans, and thats the three viruses. Dungue, Chikunguna, and Zika are mosquito to human viruses, said Kelly Deutsch, with Mosquito Control in Orange County. Mosquito control workers are going door to door, on the hunt for standing water and mosquito larvae around your home. They are also working to spread education and awareness about the type of mosquito that preys on people and spreads Zika. Here are some tips on what you can do to reduce the risk of mosquitos thriving around your home: Remove any and all standing water on a daily basis. That includes water which could be water in a bird feeder, caught in drains, pooling in pots or any other objects around your home. Make sure to wear bug spray outside when outside your home, even during the day. Remove standing water inside your home. This type of mosquito can thrive, and lay eggs inside your home as well. Using about $115,000 in state funds, Orange County Mosquito Control hired 10 new temporary employees and got more equipment to help handle the increase in cases. Zika in Florida The most recent Zika cases as of July 13, 2016: County Number of Cases (all travel related) Alachua 5 Brevard 6 Broward 43 Charlotte 1 Citrus 2 Clay 3 Collier 4 Duval 6 Escambia 1 Highlands 1 Hillsborough 6 Lake 1 Lee 6 Martin 1 Miami-Dade 78 Okaloosa 1 Orange 25 Osceola 12 Palm Beach 13 Pasco 5 Pinellas 7 Polk 8 Santa Rosa 1 Seminole 9 St. Johns 2 St. Lucie 1 Volusia 2 Total cases not involving pregnant women 250 Cases involving pregnant women regardless of symptoms* 43 *-Counties of pregnant women will not be shared In February, health officials in Dallas confirmed that a case of the Zika virus had been acquired through sexual transmission, making it the first active transmission of the virus in the United States. A second case of Zika that had been transmitted sexually was confirmed in Polk County. A locally-transmitted case has been confirmed in Puerto Rico. Officials say the primary concern is that a mosquito may bite an infected person, thus becoming infected itself, and then spread the virus that way. The virus has a suspected link to birth defects in newborns, primarily microcephaly, where the newborn's head is smaller than expected. Police Officer William Anderson doesnt remember much from the July 13, 2015, traffic stop that left him critically injured. But hell always remember the date. Officer William Anderson was hit during a traffic stop one year ago He may never be an Orlando police officer again Raising money for trauma kits for police officers Its a day thats going to come around forever, said Anderson. Despite nearly losing his life, and not being able to walk at one point, Anderson walked into OPD headquarters on Wednesday. It was the end of a very difficult year for Anderson and his family. Its been a long road, but Im here and Im breathing and able to spend time with my family, and thats all that matters, said Anderson. The crash has left Anderson with constant pain, body tremors and memory loss. It almost cost him his life again after complications from surgery. I sat in ICU in April begging God for my husband not to die, said Jessica Anderson. Anderson says the most challenging thing hes dealt with is not being able to pick up his daughter. I was on a 10-pound limit for a while, still on that actually, said Anderson. Doctors say Anderson, whos been with Orlando Police for nine years, will likely never be able to serve as a police officer again. Fellow first responders and chaplains joined Andersons family at OPD headquarters Wednesday to pray for healing. Anderson says his fellow officers have helped him through the last year, doing things like mowing his lawn to help out. And now his family is giving back. Theyre pushing an initiative that would give police officers across the state a trauma kit with things like a tourniquet that could save an officer or civilians life if theyre shot or stabbed. Lets go back to June 12, which was actually my birthday the Pulse tragedy, said Anderson. Who knows how many lives it wouldve saved there? You can find more information on the initiative to supply trauma kits to law enforcement officers in Florida at https://www.gofundme.com/WillAnderson. GoFundMe.com sites are not managed by Bay News 9/News 13. For more information on how the site works and the rules, visit http://www.gofundme.com/safety After last weeks shooting deaths of two black men by police officers and the killing of five officers in Dallas, the majority of viewers stated in a poll that race relations in America have not gotten better. Second highest category shows people believe relations are getting better somewhat Poll was prompted by recent racial shootings that left black men, officers dead In the Do you believe race relations are improving in America? poll, 3,885 (or 55 percent) voted no, while the category of somewhat had the second highest votes with 1,432, or 20 percent. Those who felt race relations are getting better cast 1,204 votes, or 17 percent, while the not sure category received 8 percent of viewers votes, or 580. The poll was prompted by recent racial shootings throughout the country. Last week Alton Sterling was shot and killed by a police officer in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, while he was being detained on a parking lot ground at a convenience store. A few days later, Philando Castile was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights in Minnesota. These shootings created nation-wide protests about police violence against black Americans, especially in Dallas, Texas, last Friday. At that protest, shooter Micah Johnson, 25, killed five police officers and wounded seven officers and two civilians during a peaceful protest. Twice this week President Barack Obama spoke with police groups, civil activists and community leaders about racial issues and law enforcement. This was not a scientific poll. July 14, 1946: W.B. Jones, pioneer Hale Center resident, suffered serious burns about the face, arms, shoulder and chest last Wednesday as he fought a fire in the bathroom of his home, which started when a bolt of lightning struck the house. He was able to extinguish the blaze, which caused considerable damage to the one room. He was in serious condition at the Plainview hospital. --S1C Curtis Parker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ottis D. Parker, landed in Oakland, Calif., Friday from Okinawa. He will go to Norman, Okla., where he will receive his discharge. --T/4 James M. Carroll, Pfc. Thomas R. Reeves, and Staff Sgt. Charles G. Rogers, all of Plainview, were discharged from the Army last week at Fort Sam Houston. July 14, 1956: Fire completely destroyed a four-room farmhouse near Sterley on Sunday morning, The house was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bybee, former Plainview residents, who were able to escape injury after he discovered the fire about 4 a.m. after changing water on his crops. --Jerry Chapman, son of Mr. and Mrs. A.A. Chapman, received the most calls last week as Herald Carrier of the Week. His route covers Portland to Quincy, from 11th to 17th streets. --Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new $85,000 National Guard Armory, to be built on the southeast edge of the Hale County Airport, will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday. It will house A Battery, 132nd Field Artillery, after being completed in early 1957. July 14, 1966: Plainview firemen were called to the Johnny Turner residence, 1 1/2 miles northeast of Plainview, at 10:05 p.m. Saturday after a butane stove ignited the one-story frame house. Turner, who works on the Robert Cobb farm, was away from the house at the time and his seven children managed to escape injury. The home and family car were destroyed. --Dwain Dodson, who manages two billiard halls in downtown Plainview, is asking the City Council to change the current ordinance that requires such businesses to close no later than 10:30 p.m. He wants the businesses to remain open until midnight. --Mary Ella Fore, a graduate of PHS and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O.B. Fore, has been named to the Deans Honor Roll at Abilene Christian College for the spring semester. July 14, 1986: Officers of Soroptimist International of Plainview are Sandi Miller, president; Paula Ybarra, vice president; Barbara Herring, recording secretary; Ann Turner, corresponding secretary; Wanda Lindemann, treasurer; Betty Gonzales, delegate; and directors Sharon Morgan and Linda Holland. --Nina Jo Morris and Allene Wallace have been selected as Democratic nominees for County Commissioner Precinct 1 and District Clerk, respectively. The two have been appointed to fill the vacant posts and now will be listed on the ballot in November following action by the Democratic Executive Committee following the deaths of Morris husband, Ronald, and District Clerk Dorothy Sinclair. They could face Republican opposition. --Leah Kay Lyle of Plainview, as Miss Haltom-Richland Area, was a top 10 finalist in the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant. The crown went to Stephany Samone, Miss Grand Prairie. Lyle is a junior at Baylor and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lyle. Compiled by Dug McDonough BERLIN The police department removed an article blaming the Black Lives Matter movement for increased crime from its Facebook page after the post drew criticism from some residents, a town councilor and the NAACP. The article titled The Danger of the Black Lives Matter Movement was taken down late Wednesday. Police also issued the following statement: The intent to post the ... article was to show crime numbers (murder) in urban areas that are not widely published elsewhere and to show the difficulties police face in reducing crime. No support for a political position or insensitivity was intended. The department shared the article on its Facebook page earlier in the day. It was written by conservative political commentator Heather Mac Donald. Deputy Chief John Klett said Wednesday the article was posted for statistical value at the request of Chief Paul Fitzgerald. Town Councilor Kristin Campanelli, a Democrat, was among several critics. This post is inappropriate, especially given the state of our country. Why further divide when we should be uniting? she wrote. Since this site uses the name of our town and gives the impression that this is our opinion of our town, Id ask that this post be taken down. Republican Town Committee Chairwoman Anne Reilly supported the post. This is an excellent factual report, she commented. Sensitive issues always create a variety of responses and it is good to see statistics, etc. The post was also criticized Wednesday by NAACP Connecticut President Scot X. Esdaile. After the post was taken down Wednesday night, Campanelli praised the department on Facebook. Thank you very much for taking residents concerns seriously and removing the link! Proud to be from a town where our police force listens to its residents and works collectively with them for the greater good of public safety, she wrote. SACRAMENTO State Sen. Sharon Runner, who left the Legislature in 2012 to undergo a double lung transplant and three years later made a dramatic return to the Senate, died Thursday, her family said in a statement. She was 62. Sen. Runner, a Republican from Lancaster (Los Angeles County), died at home following respiratory complications. Sen. Runner and her husband, George Runner, a member of the state Board of Equalization, were a powerful force in the California GOP. They were the first couple to serve concurrently in the Legislature after she Runner won her husbands Assembly seat in 2002, when he moved up to the Senate. The duo co-authored Californias Jessicas Law, approved by voters in 2006 to restrict sex offenders from living near parks, schools and other places where children congregate. Sen. Runner often called herself the funner Runner compared with her more serious husband. She was absent from the Legislature for much of this year after her health again took a turn for the worse, and she had opted not to seek re-election this year. We take comfort in the fact that the Lord truly directed her path, and she is now home in the arms of her Savior, Runners family said in its statement. Before embarking on their political careers, the Runners co-founded Desert Christian Schools, which has grown to three campuses with nearly 1,700 students. Sharon Runner was a conservative who served in the state Assembly from 2002 to 2008. She was elected to the Senate in a special election in 2011 but did not seek re-election in 2012 after her transplant. She was treated for limited scleroderma, or CREST syndrome, an autoimmune condition that attacks the bodys connective tissue. After recovering, she won a special election last year and returned to the Senate. Her bill to allow the governor to cancel a special primary election and declare a candidate elected if there is only one qualified person on the ballot was sent to the governors office for final consideration a day before her death. Sen. Runner was a role model for Republican women in politics, said Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, R-Modesto, who served with Sen. Runner on the board of California Women Lead, which helps women run for office. She was one of the people who caused me to realize, you have to continue to push, to stand up for what you believe in, Olsen said. She did it, and I think she made it easier for others of us to do the same. MISSION Citrus groves in South Texas have become collateral damage of the Mexican drug war with the resurgence of a super-sized, yellow-winged fly. Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said cartels controlling smuggling plazas south of the Rio Grande have made it nearly impossible for U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors and their Mexican counterparts to combat the insidious insect. Queensbury A wood shavings plant says it will shut down if it is not successful in appealing $197,820 in fines from the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which claims the plant is exposing its employees to "potential fire and explosion hazards." OSHA cited RWS Manufacturing in Queensbury which makes woodchips for Quebec-based Royal Wood Shavings for half a dozen violations totaling about $50,000 and levied an additional $147,000 in penalties against RWS for failing to fix previously-identified violations. Don Student, general manager of the plant, which has 26 employees, said he is "definitely going to contest every vowel that's on the citation." The claims of excessive wood shavings and dust causing a fire hazard, several fire extinguishers not being inspected and empty extinguishers not being replaced, Student said, are "unwarranted" and "absolutely ludicrous." The inspection also notes a fire at RWS in December and cites the plant for installing and operating equipment in a way that allowed for excessive heat buildup. Student said the fire was quickly contained and was something that could not have been avoided. The largest fine claims the plant failed to fix its dust collection system after being told, in 2015, that it did not comply with National Fire Protection Association standards. If the appeal fails and RWS is forced to pay the fines, Student said, it would be "devastating" to the company. "The owners would probably put a padlock on the door and move it back to Canada," he said. Student questioned why citations from the January inspection were issued Tuesday. The inspector "states in the paperwork that we're putting the safety of our employees in jeopardy," Student said. "If that's the case, they waited six months to tell us that. That seems a little far-fetched to me." He said the plant would provide documentation to OSHA from an outside firm that shows it is in compliance with all requirements. RWS was penalized for 21 violations in 2013 and originally fined $204,820, although that was later reduced to $87,800. nburroughs@timesunion.com 518-454-5012 @Nickatnews Popular country music venue Cowboys Dancehall one of Bexar Countys most successful watering holes and concert venues owes almost $10 million to banks, auto companies, government agencies and individuals, according to a new filing detailing the venues assets and debts. The document, filed Monday in the Western District of Texas, gives the clearest picture of the dance halls finances since Cowboys Far West Ltd., the Arlington-based partnership that owns the dance hall, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June to stall a foreclosure sale on the venues $5.3 million, 16.6-acre property on the citys Northeast Side. A man was found dead near in Oakland near the Emeryville border Thursday morning after police responded to shots fired near a gas station in the area. The unidentified victim, in his 30s, was discovered just after 4 a.m. in the middle of 35th Street near San Pablo Avenue in the shadow of Interstate 580, police said. He was shot multiple times. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Fourteen people who say they were attacked by anti-Donald Trump protesters outside the presumptive Republican presidential nominees rally in San Jose last month sued the city Thursday, claiming police officers did nothing as the Trump fans were punched, spit upon and beaten with rocks. The suit filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose claims that Mayor Sam Liccardo, Police Chief Eddie Garcia and more than 40 protesters deprived rally attendees of their rights to free speech and assembly through assault, intimidation and harassment. It claims that the officials held back the citys police force as violence broke out before and after the June 2 rally because they disagree with Trumps political views. The suit depicts a violent mob that police officers allowed to protest adjacent to the San Jose McEnery Convention Centers entrance. It was filed on behalf of the plaintiffs by Harmeet Dhillon, an attorney and vice chair of the California Republican Party, and seeks class-action status on behalf of others who attended the rally. No citizen should have to feel that he is risking life and limb to attend a political event, or feel that his or her rights are somehow less important just because they happen to be different than those of the mayor and/or the chief of police, Dhillon said in a statement. Hit by bag of rocks The suit says one plaintiff, Juan Hernandez of Santa Clara, suffered a broken nose when an anti-Trump protester punched him. Another plaintiff, Andrew Zambetti of Walnut Creek, was hit in the head with a bag of rocks, and plaintiff Rachel Casey of Loxahatchee, Fla., was attacked by a mob of protesters, who threw eggs, a tomato (and) a bottle of water and spit on her, the suit says. Barbara Arigoni, a 71-year-old plaintiff who lives in San Jose, was attacked by three protesters who pulled her hair and broke her glasses, according to the suit. Instead of stopping the attacks ... several (police) officers and other city personnel, including members of the San Jose Fire Department, refused to respond to pleas for help from several of the Trump supporters, the suit says. Several officers told Trump supporters that the police were not permitted to provide assistance to those trying to return to their vehicles and leave the area. The lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive damages and an order that the city protect people attending future political rallies in San Jose. City Attorney Richard Doyle said Thursday that he couldnt comment on specific allegations because his office hadnt been served with the lawsuit. But he said there was no basis for the accusation that city employees political views influenced their response to the demonstration. From what I know, the police did everything they could, Doyle said. They were very respectful to everyones First Amendment rights. On social media after the rally, Trump accused the mayor of doing a terrible job of ordering the protection of innocent people. He also called the protesters thugs and illegals. Garcia denounced the violence the day after the rally and assigned a team of investigators to identify alleged attackers through photos and videos taken at the event. At a news conference June 3, the chief called protesters actions reprehensible, completely unacceptable and unrepresentative of our democracy. Mayor backs Clinton Liccardo, a Democrat and Hillary Clinton supporter, similarly condemned the violence in a statement that day but also said the Trump campaign bore some responsibility for the divisive climate. It is regrettable that this has become a pattern for cities hosting Mr. Trump across the nation, the mayor said. On Thursday, he called the claim that he told police not to intervene utterly false. In fact, I have no authority to issue such an order. Liccardo said police have arrested 20 people on suspicion of taking part in the violence, and added, We will do everything necessary to support the successful prosecution of the perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov The Motor (Transport) Insurance Bureau of Ukraine (MTIBU) has introduced new tariffs for Green Card policies for travel abroad by road from July 15, 2016. According to the bureau, the MTIBU recalculated the price of Green Card insurance certificates downwards by 3.7%. The last time the tariffs were revised was on May 5, 2016. Two types of Green Card policies have been sold since 2009: for Europe, and for Belarus, Moldova, and Russia. Ukrainian Green Card policies are now used in Azerbaijan since January 1, 2016. According to the MTIBU, the cost of a Green Card policy in Ukraine for 15 days for car travel around Europe decreased to UAH 672 (previously it was UAH 698), for buses to UAH 2,527 (UAH 2,622), trucks UAH 1,586 (previously UAH 1,646). The cost of a Green Card policy for one month for cars is UAH 1,070 (formerly UAH 1,111), buses - UAH 3,509 (previously UAH 3,642), and trucks - UAH 2,105 (previously UAH 2,185). The cost of six-month and annual Green Card policies for passenger cars is UAH 4,753 and UAH 5,884 respectively, for buses - UAH 12,284 and UAH 22,814, and for trucks - UAH 9,968 and UAH 18,813 respectively. The price of trips to Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova and Russia by car for 15 days is UAH 490 (previously UAH 508), for a month UAH 720 (UAH 748), for six months UAH 1,652 (UAH 1,715), for 12 months UAH 2,352 (UAH 2,441). Rates on one-time insurance premiums under agreements of international compulsory insurance of car owners' civil liability were defined by the Ukrainian Cabinet decree dated January 6, 2005, and are calculated in euros. The Green Card system provides insurance coverage for those affected by a traffic accident regardless of their country of residence and the country of vehicle registration. The Green Card operates in 47 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. According to the decision made by the General Assembly of the Council of Bureau of the Green Card system in Luxembourg in May 2004, Ukraine became a full member as of January 1, 2005. San Antonio's adopted Hollywood A-lister, Eva Longoria, educated Chelsea Handler on everything Mexican on today's episode of the outspoken talk host's new Netflix show, "Chelsea." The latest installment, devoted to Mexico and featuring a visit to a Mexican fish market by Handler as well as an interview with the country's former president Vicente Fox, can be viewed indefinitely by subscribers to the streaming service. Dear Mr. Premack: My father was in his second marriage. While he was on hospice, my step-mother had him sign a power of attorney with a notary. She transferred all the assets into her name and he died two days later. Is it legal? LG A Power of Attorney delegates authority from one person (the Principal) to another (the Agent). The Agent is a fiduciary for the Principal, and must always put the best interest of the Principal above any other consideration. Further, the Agent must act within the scope of the powers granted in the Power of Attorney. If a particular action is not authorized, the Agent may not perform that action. As such, before any action can be judged proper or improper, we must know a) what the Power of Attorney document says, and b) whether the Agent's actions are in the Principal's best interests. Finally, the Principal must have adequate legal capacity to sign a Power of Attorney. This means that the Principal must understand the reason for entering into the transaction, must appreciate the consequences of the action, and must be acting consistently with long-term commitments and values. A person in hospice, four days from death, may have such capacity; but it is likely to be diminished and should be examined closely. You say that your step-mother used the Power of Attorney to transfer assets into her name before your father died. To have that authority, the Power of Attorney must explicitly grant her as Agent the power to make gifts to herself individually. The gifting power must not be limited to the annual exclusion of $14,000. The Power of Attorney must make it clear that it is not a breach of fiduciary duty to divest the Principal of all his assets. The action must also be consistent with his wishes. If his Last Will and Testament did not make her his sole heir or if this new Power of Attorney contradicted a prior one, then her actions may have been a breach of fiduciary duty. Whether her actions were legal or not is a fact question. This is certainly a situation that calls for investigation of the facts. You could start with Adult Protective Services (APS) to see if they could determine whether her actions were exploitation of your father. APS may decline to help since he has died and cannot benefit from their services. In the alternative, you can hire an attorney experienced in litigation and fiduciary duty law. Creating a Power of Attorney is a vital and important part of estate planning. However, it should be created when the Principal is healthy and of clear mind. It is quite difficult to reverse wrongful actions by an Agent, hence selection of an Agent who will take their duties seriously is of the utmost importance. Additionally, requiring the Agent to account to the Principal and another third party (like the alternate Agent) may enhance honesty. Always work with a qualified Attorney when creating important legal documents, and create them now while strong and healthy. Paul Premack is a Certified Elder Law Attorney with offices in San Antonio and Seattle, handling Wills and Trusts, Probate, and Business Entity issues. View past legal columns or submit free questions on legal issues via www.TexasEstateandProbate.com or www.Premack.com. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO Dr. Thomas Jeneby, a local plastic surgeon, is becoming well-known for his work in breast augmentations, liposuction and tummy tucks all of which he broadcasts on his Snapchat and Facebook Live. The San Antonio physician, who has been practicing for 14 years, is being sought after by clients for this new feature of his because many people want to see their surgeries and like the appeal of being featured on social media, Jeneby said. RELATED: Rose McGowan blasts film critic who bashed Renee Zellweger's appearance, possible plastic surgery The social media portion of his practice has become so popular that theyve hired a full-time social media expert to handle video recording the surgeries, he said. The Facebook Live videos offer an opportunity for Jeneby to educate viewers on the procedures he does, as well as wash away any worries of surgery for those potentially interested in getting work done on themselves. Its great for marketing but its wonderful for alleviating fears and patient education, he said. RELATED: As more millennials undergo plastic surgery, safety concerns rise So far, the doctor has shared about 50 Snapchats of his work and 20 Facebook Live videos, with the latter receiving much more response from the public. He said his Facebook Live videos reach about 17,000 people within the first hour and have reached more than 24,000 people within a day. Theres a lot of interplay between commenters and the doctor, who is very encouraging to those who are interested in getting surgery. His most commonly performed work is the Mommy Makeover, which typically includes breast augmentation with liposuction or tummy tucks. When it comes to breast augmentations, his adjustable implant has become very popular, as it allows women to increase their breast size even further if desired after surgery by allowing doctors to inject more saline into breast implants. RELATED: Social media: Meg Ryan doesnt look quite like her old self at Tony Awards Those interested in having their surgeries broadcast on Facebook and Snapchat must sign three forms that pertain to the release of pictures, modeling and social media posts, Jeneby said. His office is located at 7272 Wurzbach Road, Unit 801. His office can be contacted at 1-888-353-6329. Jeneby has previously worked in Philadelphia and Washington D.C. twhite@mysa.com Twitter: @tylerlwhite This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BETHEL Democrat Thomas Burke has dropped his candidacy for the states 107th Assembly District, leaving incumbent State Rep. Stephen Harding (R-Brookfield) unopposed in the November election. From the moment he was nominated, Burke had been a reluctant candidate. His focus remained on the neighboring 2nd District, where party delegates rejected his candidacy in favor of Raghib Allie-Brennan. Even after accepting the nomination for the 107th District, Burke had tried to force a primary against Brennan. I never wanted to run in the 107th, Burke said. I know Steve (Harding) is a great guy and hes done a lot of great work. The 107th District comprises Brookfield as well as parts of Bethel and Danbury. The 2nd District includes Bethel, Danbury, Newtown and Redding. Harding, who defeated Democrat Howard Lasser in a February 2015 special election, said the lack of an opponent will not change the way he campaigns. Im still focused on the issues facing the state and community, Harding said. Im still focused on reaching out to my constituency to hear their concerns and to be a better advocate. If elected, Harding said, he will focus on improving the states fiscal health and seek to repeal laws that burden municipalities, such as a controversial affordable housing statute known as 8-30g. The law allows developers to supersede local zoning restrictions if their projects include a certain proportion of affordable units. Harding unsuccessfully tried to repeal the law this spring when a developer proposed using it to push a six-story apartment project that local officials and many citizens opposed. My biggest concern is bringing our fiscal state back in order, Harding said. We run deficits year after year, we fall deeper and deeper into debt and thats driving businesses and residents out of Connecticut. The second aspect is bringing autonomy back to the community, he added. We do a good job of telling municipalities what to do and thats absolutely wrong. We need to start listening to municipalities and allow them to make decisions. Burke believed he was eligible for a primary because he received the votes more than 15 percent of the 11 delegates in the 2nd District. But Democratic Party officials ruled last month that Burke, who registered with the party in March, has not been a member long enough to run in the primary. Nick Vitti, who chairs Bethels Democratic Town Committee, said he is disappointed that Harding will run uncontested, but added that Burkes candidacy was unlikely to succeed. I think when we have an unopposed position, you get an incumbent who gets too comfortable, Vitti said. But with all thats happened in the 2nd and 107th, it would have been difficult for Burke to continue on in that spot. Brookfield Democratic Party Chairwoman Eileen Straiton said she supports Burkes decision, although no other candidates have stepped forward. It is important to me that we work hard to put forth candidates with the experience, qualifications and passion required to lead instead of just trying to fill empty seats, she said. While we had some wonderful candidates for this position, we did not find the right person for this particular role at this time. Burke, a U.S. Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, has vowed to challenge the ruling in court, but is no longer seeking to run against Allie-Brennan. Instead he will focus on his professional ministry. This is a decision that should be made by a judge, he said. awolff@newstimes.com; 203-731-3333; @awolffster JOHNSTOWN A jury found a former teacher's aide guilty of sexually abusing a girl she was supposed to be helping, Fulton County prosecutors said. Kimberly J. Gittens, 41, of Gloversville was found guilty Wednesday of violent felony criminal sexual act and faces a maximum sentence of seven years in state prison with 10 years of post-release supervision when sentenced on Sept. 15, officials said. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has started his official visit to Azerbaijan, the Ukrainian leader's press service has said. "In Baku, the head of the Ukrainian state will hold a face-to-face meeting with his counterpart - President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev," it said. Poroshenko and Aliyev will also preside over the fifth session of the Council of the Presidents of Ukraine and Azerbaijan, after which a number of bilateral documents are expected to be signed. During his visit, the Ukrainian president also plans to hold separate meetings with the Azerbaijani prime minister and the speaker of the Milli Mejlis, Azerbaijan's parliament. Poroshenko is also expected to meet with Azerbaijan's Ukrainian community. It was reported earlier that a series of agreements intended to further promote the two countries' cooperation in different areas were expected to be signed during Poroshenko's visit. Contributed: Bridgeport Police Department BRIDGEPORTNarcotics agents from the Connecticut State Police and members of the Bridgeport SWAT team seized 10 guns and over 1,000 pills Wednesday morning, according to a statement from city spokesperson Av Harris. Through this action we have disrupted more sales of addictive prescription drugs, and taken away more guns that could be used to hurt people in Bridgeport, said Bridgeport Police Chief AJ Perez. We clearly have more work to do, and we intend to do it. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD The city has placed more high school students than ever in paid summer internships aimed at providing actual job experience for the sixth year of the Mayors Youth Employment Program. Mayor David Martin on Thursday praised his predecessor, Michael Pavia, for creating the program, which since 2011 has expanded to employ 91 city students in high-demand fields that organizers hope theyll return to after college. This is an investment in youth that actually pays off for those running the internship, Martin told a group gathered at the government center. We have things weve done in the city of Stamford that we couldnt have done without the contributions of interns. This has proven especially true for Thomas Madden, the citys economic development director. Madden has 18 interns, 10 of whom are part of the five-week youth employment program. And they do more than coffee runs. This summer, theyre working on a Discover Stamford app, adding to the citys economic development plan and contributing to a report on the citys roadways. Ive really been inspired by the diversity weve had in the projects. Its opened my mind to be more broad in education, said 17-year-old Viraj Attre, an Academy of Information Technology and Engineering graduate attending Dartmouth College in the fall. Attre worked last summer with the Board of Education. Now he spends 28 hours a week creating a policy for driverless cars. Its pretty cutting-edge stuff, he said. The interns are also a boon to the agencies that employ them. Maddens department spends $1,700 per student, paying them $10 an hour 40 cents above the states minimum wage. Madden said to hire non-interns to do the same work would cost the city around $300,000. His department which consists of only himself during the school year spends $17,000 to participate in the mayors program. Its probably one of the most valuable programs we offer in the city, Madden said. It gives that first step into a lot of companies that you may never get. Juanita James, CEO of the Fairfield County Community Foundation, said without opportunities for paid summer work a significant number of students would be unemployed and at a statistical disadvantage for completing college. Many of us can attest to the fact that first-time jobs provide connections, skills and experience, James said. She said digital media, information technology, finance, construction and fitness are some of the fields here doing the most hiring. The mayors program this year has added nine new employers: Comradity, Affinion, Netology, Beyond Limits, Stamford Health physical therapy department, Caring Hospice Services, Burning Tree Country Club, Stamford Probate Court and City of Stamford Department of Sanitation. Student salaries are funded by the city, which kicked in $25,000 for its interns, as well as donors. Fairfield County Community Foundation contributed $30,000. Bank of America and Starwood, the hotel company headquartered in Stamford, each donated $20,000. Organizers said many students come back after their first year, even when theyre in college. Tim Bott, 18, returned to the economic development department this summer as an intern, but not with the youth employment program. The incoming sophomore at New Jersey Institute of Technology now earns $15 an hour as a college intern, and credits his earlier experience with helping him decide to study urban planning rather than civil engineering. If you want to get change done in the city, I know how to go forward and do it, Bott said. eskalka@scni.com BRIDGEPORT - A long-distance trucker, who police said stopped in the city to buy some drugs, ended up running over his dealer. Lorenzo Doke, 33, was brought back from New York where police said he fled following the crime. Doke was charged with first-degree manslaughter and evading responsibility with a motor vehicle and was ordered held in lieu of $400,000 bond by Superior Court Judge William Holden. Shortly after 1:30 a.m. on July 2, police found the body of Ricardo Ricky Rose, of Bridgeport, lying in a pool of blood in the middle of Wordin Avenue. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A cell phone was found near the body. Police said video footage from a nearby surveillance camera showed Rose being run down by a tractor-trailer truck. Lt. Chris Lamaine was able to geolocate the last number called on the cell phone to the British Airways World Cargo loading dock at JFK Airport. Doke was taken into custody there along with his fiance, Allisa Bayliss. Police said Doke subsequently told them he had been traveling from Massachusetts to JFK when he decided to stop off in Bridgeport to buy some cocaine. He said he spotted Rose walked on State Street and stopped to ask him if he could get him some cocaine, police said. Police said Doke told them that Rose got him the drug but Doke didnt have the $150 to pay him. They drove around for a while Doke made excuse after excuse why he couldnt get the money until they got to Wordin Avenue, police said. Doke then said he thought he saw a friend with money and when Rose leaned out of the truck to see, Doke swerved the truck so that Rose fell out, police continued. Doke then ran over Rose. Police said Bayliss, who had been in the trucks cab with the other two men, said after running over Rose, Doke kept hitting the gearshift yelling, I murdered him! This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In 1981, Rod Canion had to make a decision, and fast. He could either continue at his day job, plugging away for the next two years on a project he knew ultimately wouldn't succeed in the current marketplace. Or he could take a risk and dive into the deep end, quickly. In the computer industry's formative years, any time wasted could be the difference between long-term success and constantly coming in last. Ultimately, Canion decided this time was too valuable to waste. "There's a stage in your career where you really don't know whether something is right or wrong, but you do it because your boss asked you to do it," Canion said. "But at some point, you begin to have enough understanding, visibility of what's going on in the world." So Canion and two colleagues from Texas Instruments stepped out of their comfort zone and left to start Compaq, a computer company that forever altered the tech industry not from the innovation mecca of Silicon Valley, but thousands of miles away from their home base in northwest Houston. To get there, Canion and co-founders Jim Harris and Bill Murto benefitted greatly from pragmatism and some good timing. They decided to stay in Houston not only because of their families, but also because they already knew people who could join their startup team. Also, the oil bust of the 1980s proved to be an undeniable advantage for Compaq when it came to recruiting and hiring top engineering talent that otherwise wouldn't be available. Canion and team knew to not only tread water but rather snatch up the same market share of industry sharks such as IBM, their product would have to stand for something more. It had to be portable, and more importantly, compatible with software made for IBM products, the current industry standard. More Information TIMEline 1982:Compaq develops its first portable computer, clocking in at 28 pounds. 1983:The company hits $111 million in sales in one year, a record first. 1986:Compaq lands on the Fortune 500, after four years. 1988:Along with 60 other companies, Compaq pushes for an extension to industry standards for computer architecture, halting IBM's push for a proprietary model. 1991:Compaq sees its first quarterly loss, a record $70 million that led tolayoffs and theeventual ousting of CEO Rod Canion. 2002:HP purchases Compaq. 2012:Compaq celebrates its 30th anniversary at Minute Maid Park. See More Collapse "This was like the early days of the auto industry," Canion said in a recent interview from his home in River Oaks. "Everyone was out there, with no barrier to entry." Startups were fast forming in garages, buying parts and piecing together their own modified take on a computer. Computers were becoming the way of the world. Instead of choosing someone as TIME's "Man of the Year," the magazine chose the computer, giving it the "Machine of the Year" distinction. So Canion's idea to create a portable version that could run spreadsheets and other software written for an IBM PC immediately felt right. He knew that the practical approach would be the answer. Now all they had to do was figure out how to make it. First, the team met at a computer store along Westheimer Road near the Galleria to check out the Osborne, a portable computer with a 5-inch screen and strap to help lug around the 24.5 pound mound. Aesthetically, it was the exact opposite of what Canion was going for. "It's ugly," Canion said. He wanted something smooth, curved and eye-catching that looked like it would belong in an office. After the field trip, they walked across the parking lot to House of Pies to talk things over. They sat down at a booth for a cup of coffee, only to realize no one had a pen or paper handy. So, they borrowed a pencil from a waitress, flipped over the paper menu and sketched out a preliminary vision of what the Compaq portable could look like. The keyboard had to look exactly like the IBM PC, they insisted. They wanted smoother edges made out of molded plastic, less of a utilitarian look compared to the existing Osborne portable. Think less Jeep and more Audi. That paper menu eventually became one page out of their original four-page business plan, touted around to secure investors in business meetings. Within weeks of that House of Pies brainstorming session, the company was up and running in early 1982. Compaq resembled the standard definition of a startup with the expected fast pace and rapid growth, but with a more practical flair that came from more than a decade of professional experience. Founders Canion, Murto and Harris all worked on projects at TI, where they developed basic business know-how, including how to market, forecast and consider all aspects before finalizing a decision. Within their first year, Compaq made a record $111 million in sales. "The truth is, you can't go from 0 to $111 million in 12 months without a lot of planning," Canion said. "The PC business overall was growing rapidly, with a lot of demand. The ability to get manufacturers to even agree to sell us this many parts took a lot of work." Murto and Canion took their portable computer to retailers for show-and-tell, all of whom loved the concept, Canion said. "When they found out it ran IBM software, they almost did backflips," he said. "They really wanted them right then." While Compaq achieved several milestones in its early days, with record sales and a quick ascent to the Fortune 500 in four years, Canion considers their lead in establishing an industry standard key to the company's legacy. When IBM wanted to switch to a proprietary model where it would sell licenses for other companies to use its software, Compaq rallied the ever-growing number of computer companies to challenge the tech giant's will. "We also knew IBM's brand was so powerful. If we just went up against them, they would win," Canion said. Instead, Compaq and 60 other companies teamed up in 1988 to support an extension of the industry standard for software rather than IBM's preference. It worked. That's why it's Mac or PC today, and not Mac or IBM, he explained. It also would've severely limited the pace of technological growth. "If we had lost in the '90s, would we have iPads and iPhones today?" he asked a stadium full of former Compaq employees at the company's 30th anniversary party at Minute Maid Park in 2012. Consequently, the industry standard that Compaq fought for also leveled the playing field for its competition, too. By opening up the doors to dozens of companies to develop cheaper computers, Compaq limited its own dominance. Eventually, its record pace for sales and growth slowed down, at the hands of newer computer companies such as Dell with direct-to-customer sales models and lower price points. In late 1991, the company saw a record $70 million quarterly loss and its first ever instance of layoffs. Shortly after, Canion was replaced as CEO. In 2002, HP purchased Compaq, in theory relegating its story to only Compaq insiders. Canion had different plans. He's since written a book on his time at the head of his company, which then became a documentary called "Silicon Cowboys." He may be drawn by equal parts nostalgia and pride for what he and his team created, but it's also about the legacy that lasts until today. "Everybody thinks of it as a Silicon Valley story, and to a degree it was," he said. "But no one knew what Compaq had done, the things we did that molded the industry." In the context of a $100-billion vision to reimagine the states roads and rails, a $1.2-million investment is loose change from a coffee run. But this money needs to be followed carefully. The State Bond Commission approved the $1.2 million Tuesday to be spent on studying the feasibility of whether Interstate-95 can be widened between the New York border and New Haven. So, if youre reading this while car-pooling from, say, Westport to Greenwich, consider the roads around you. Adding a lane without seizing the breakdown corridor probably looks unlikely in many spots. It looks inconceivable from sections that are elevated. If you spend weekdays dreading the slow crawl that bookends your work hours, though, the will is surely there to find a way. Rush-hour is a contradiction in Fairfield County; a crisis that residents have become resigned to. Every morning feels like a holiday weekend commute when aiming south on I-95. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy pointed to the obvious Tuesday when he commented that traffic is one of the reasons Connecticut had a hard time in recovery. You need a road system that you can get from point A to B in a reasonable time. The line between Point A and Point B may be too thin. That doesnt mean it can reasonably be widened. James Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group, says he would prefer to see investments made to enhance the mass transit infrastructure. Thats not a surprise, as the mission statement of his group aims to hold elected officials accountable for addressing the railroads problems. The railroad does indeed have more than a few problems. The Bond Commission also earmarked $3 million to study upgrades to Metro-North Railroad tracks. Cameron does not see the widening of the interstate as the solution to traffic, suggesting more parking and increased frequency of trains is the solution. These problems are not exclusive. Were not suggesting a wider interstate is the answer, but taxpayers deserve to know if its a possibility. Hopefully, this study can settle the matter of whether it could happen so a fruitful discussion can take place about whether it should. Sen. L. Scott Frantz, R-Greenwich, has become fond of commenting that he has wealthy friends who have fled Connecticut or are poised to because of irresponsible spending and overtaxing. After the Bond Commission vote (Frantz is a ranking member), he and Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, called for a moratorium on bonding outside the core responsibilities of the state. They are not wrong about the perils of bonding becoming a rubber stamp, but solving the transportation crisis is a vital core responsibility of these elected leaders. Yes, that $1.2 million represents far more than loose change. The state needs to collect useful data, share it with taxpayers, and determine next steps. All thats riding on it is state growth, and that ride has been stuck in traffic for too long. Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has held a meeting with the leadership of the U.S. Department of Energy regarding the direction of deepening cooperation in the energy sector, Groysman wrote on his Facebook page. "The energy sector reform is now one of the priorities for the government. The tasks that are on the agenda are as follows: to open access to the energy market for new companies, to lower prices through real competition, increase the share of alternative energy sources, such as, for example, hydropower, promote energy efficiency," he wrote. During the meeting the parties discussed the preparation of Ukraine's energy system for the winter season, as well as support for energy efficiency projects in Ukraine. "We already have a two-year experience of successful cooperation and new tasks for its continuation," Groysman added. Baku is ready to discuss reviewing freight tariffs with Kyiv as part of the Europe-Caucasus-Asia transport corridor to raise its efficiency, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said. "We have decided to raise the economic appeal of this corridor and review the tariffs. These must be such as to suit consigners and ensure freight going in both directions in even greater volumes," Aliyev said in a joint statement with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Thursday. Azerbaijan is keen on developing transport cooperation with Ukraine, he said. Some goods have already been shipped from Ukraine via Azerbaijan to Central Asia on a trial basis, the Azeri president said. "We will also launch the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad that will become part of the Great Silk Road. This will open up new opportunities for Ukrainian companies," the Azeri president said. Azerbaijan, jointly with its partners, is working to create a North-South transport corridor, Aliyev said. "In the future, Ukraine will be able to use this path as well," the Azeri president said. Militant forces have shelled Ukrainian military positions in Donbas 72 times in the past 24 hours, the press center of Kyiv's army operation said on Facebook on Thursday morning. Thirty-seven instances of shelling have been recorded near the city of Mariupol, the press center said. In particular, 152mm artillery weapons were used near Maryinka, 120mm self-propelled systems were fired at Krasnohorivka, and 120mm mortars were used against Starohnativka, Bohdanivka, Novohorivka, Vodiane, Shyrokyne, Maryinka and Krasnohorivka. The militants opened fire on 30 occasions in Donetsk region, where Opytne and Pisky came under 122mm artillery fire, and 120mm artillery weapons were used in Avdiyivka and Zaitseve, it said. Furthermore, 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of different systems and small arms were used against Ukrainian army positions in these populated areas. Five strikes against Ukrainian military positions were recorded in Luhansk region, the press center said. Anti-aircraft guns and 82mm mortars were used in Novotoshkivka, and grenade launchers of different systems were fired in the vicinity of Stanytsia Luhanska. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Elementary and middle school students in Texas made limited gains on state exams this year, though new, tougher standards proved a challenge, according to data released Thursday. The Texas Education Agency for the first time this year increased the number of questions that students would have to answer correctly to pass the battery of standardized exams known as the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR. The agency had delayed raising the passing standards for several years following unusually stagnant performance. Using the higher standards, test scores improved from 2015 to 2016 on six of the 17 exams taken by students in third through eighth grade. However, based on the old standards, the picture was brighter, with scores up on 13 of the tests. The state agency did not release test scores for individual school districts, and none were immediately available. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement that the improved results reflect "the day-in, day-out hard work of teachers in the classroom throughout our state." He acknowledged problems with state's new testing vendor, Educational Testing Service, but said the higher scores provided "additional confidence in their use." Morath agreed to waive grade-level promotion requirements tied to the STAAR scores this year based on the various problems, which included glitches with online testing and districts receiving incorrectly reported results for students. Superintendents from the Houston area asked Morath in June not to evaluate schools based on the test scores this year because of the issues. However, Morath has said he thinks the results are reliable, and school ratings are set to be released in mid-August. On the math, science and social studies exams, test scores rose in all grade levels based on the old standards. Results overall were worse in reading and writing, though results for the oldest students, eighth-graders, were more promising. Last year, 78 percent of eighth-graders passed the reading exam, compared with 82 percent at the tougher standard this year or 84 percent at the easier one. In math, the passing rate for eighth-graders was 75 percent in 2015. It dropped to 73 percent using the new standard but rose to 79 percent under the old one. The results do not include students taking the exams in Spanish. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate On July 1 the Texas-based brand Yeti filed paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to take the company public, according to Forbes. Once the application is approved, the brand will be known on the New York Stock Exchange as the stock symbol YETI. RELATED: Yeti finds no lid on the high end of coolers The companys Rambler mug has been a hot seller across the board with hunters, fishermen and everyday commuters alike. Its coolers remain highly popular, even with prices ranging from $249 to $1,200. Call it a status symbol, a totem Texas pride or both -- the brand reported in its initial public offering, or IPO, filing that it had a net sales growth from $89.9 million in 2013 to $468.9 million in 2015. The companys net income increased from $7.3 million in 2013 to $74.2 million in 2015. Thats a lot of coolers and drinkware. RELATED: Texas couple credits a Yeti cooler for saving their lives after boat trouble None of the advertising materials Yeti uses shows the Rambler in two settings that we know to be common: held by a harried commuter white-knuckling it on the way to work in rush hour hell or filled with a mixed drink at a family function. Most of the time were seeing Yeti's products used by guys relaxing on boats, at campsites or next to babbling streams without a care in the world. We need to hang out with those people more. Having filed the application to go public, the company is in a quiet period that's heavily regulated by the securities commission, so it was unable to comment or participate in this story. AUSTIN - Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will take part in President Obamas televised town hall Thursday night to talk about race relations. The event comes after Patrick got national attention and criticism for sharp comments blaming the Black Lives Matter movement for the slaying of five Dallas officers. Patricks office said he was invited to appear in The President & the People: A National Conversation, a one-hour special that will air at 7 p.m. Central time on ABC and ESPN. Obama at a memorial service for the Dallas officers on Tuesday condemned the slaying of officers doing their job of protecting society, while also mourning the deaths of black men in police shootings that have drawn widespread protests. He urged Americans to open their hearts to each other. ABC said the Washington town hall will be moderated by "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir, joined by ESPNs Jemele Hill. It will focus on candid discussions on race relations, justice, policing and equality by the members of the community, according to ABC News. The Dallas officers were shot by a sniper last week at the end of a peaceful demonstration over the police shooting deaths of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. The sniper, who was killed following failed police negotiations, said he was upset about those shootings and that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers, according to the Dallas police chief. Last Friday, the day after the shootings, Patrick on Fox News blamed the Black Lives Matter movement and suggested Dallas protestors were hypocrites for running from the sniper and expecting police to protect them. Asked about the hypocrites remark in a subsequent CNN interview - also last Friday -- Patrick said, Maybe its the wrong choice of a word. Ive seen a lot of death in the last 12 hours. Asked what Obama hopes to accomplish with the town hall, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, I think the President is hopeful that those kinds of interactions will both illuminate a variety of perspectives for the American people to see. I also think hes hopeful that it will illustrate what can happen when people open up their hearts to a different perspective. Hes certainly going to try to do that when hes talking to people in the audience, Earnest said, and I'm confident that people in the audience will do that as he speaks, as well. And I think that will be not just an opportunity that could be illuminating in terms of different ideals or perspectives or potential solutions, I also think it's a pretty effective way to model the kind of conversations that the President believes should be happening all across the country. pfikac@express-news.net Twitter: @pfikac A federal judge has ruled against a failed City Council candidate who sued San Antonio over what he considered unfair representation of conservative voters. Mike Kueber sued the city more than a year ago, challenging the 10 council districts redrawn after the 2010 census. The one-time candidate, who lost a three-way race for the District 8 seat in 2013, wants local political jurisdictions redrawn so that the population distribution is equal across all 10 districts. He also sought an injunction barring the city from conducting future council elections until redrawing the lines. But U.S. District Judge Alan Ezra ruled in favor of the city, writing that San Antonios single-member districts neither violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment nor the Citys Charter. Kueber wasnt happy with the outcome and is contemplating whether to pursue an appeal a decision he said he and his attorney would make in the coming days. I was very disappointed. I think the judge missed the point, he said. He kept interpreting it as a constitutional case. We emphasized throughout that it was not a constitutional case it was a charter case. Acting City Attorney Martha Sepeda said officials were confident about the validity of the most recent redistricting efforts. The City Council undertook a thorough and public analysis of population, demographics, and council boundaries and met the difficult task of balancing legitimate redistricting factors while complying with constitutional obligations, federal statutes and the Voting Rights Act, she said. We are pleased that the court recognized this. For more on this story, visit www.expressnews.com or read the Friday edition of the San Antonio Express-News. jbaugh@express-news.net Twitter: @jbaugh Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are holding negotiations in Baku on Thursday morning. The meeting is taking place as part of the Ukrainian leader's official visit to Azerbaijan, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported. Upon completion of their bilateral meeting, Poroshenko and Aliyev will preside over a session of the Council of the Presidents of Ukraine and Azerbaijan, after which several bilateral documents are expected to be signed. They include the session's protocol, a document on interaction between the two countries' customs services to crack down on customs violations during air cargo transportation, as well as a 2016-2020 program for the Ukrainian and Azerbaijani Culture Ministries' cooperation in culture and art. Poroshenko and Aliyev will make statements to the press after the documents are signed. During his visit, the Ukrainian president also plans to hold separate meetings with the Azerbaijani prime minister and the speaker of the Milli Mejlis, Azerbaijan's parliament. Poroshenko is also expected to meet with Azerbaijan's Ukrainian community. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN - Gov. Greg Abbott will remain hospitalized in San Antonio for a fourth night due to severe burns that occurred during an out-of-state trip, his office said Thursday. He is in good spirits. Hes doing well, said Abbott spokesman John Wittman. Surgery to address the burns was successful. The governor received second- and third-degree burns to his lower legs and feet last Thursday after being scalded while on a vacation trip to Wyoming, according to his office. Abbotts office has declined to say exactly how Abbott was burned. He returned to Texas to address the sniper shooting of Dallas officers, including appearing at a Friday news conference. He didnt publicly disclose that he had been burned until Sunday, however. His office said he didnt want to distract from the Dallas tragedy. On Monday, Abbott was admitted after an outpatient visit to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where it was determined he had a minor infection as a result of the burns. He underwent a skin graft procedure to address significant burns on both feet, according to his office. He is in the high-profile burn unit of the San Antonio Military Medical Center. Because of his injuries, Abbott was unable to attend a memorial service for the slain officers in Dallas on Tuesday where President Obama and former President George W. Bush spoke. He also had to scratch plans to attend next weeks Republican National Convention. His chief of staff, Daniel Hodge, will go to the convention and attend a couple of events on the governors behalf, said Abbott spokesman Matt Hirsch. Wittman reiterated Thursday that Abbott was getting ready for a Republican Governors Association dinner when he came into contact with scalding hot water which resulted in second and third degree burns. Steven Galvan, public affairs officer for the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, said Thursday that Abbott is in stable condition. pfikac@express-news.net Twitter: @pfikac SAN ANTONIO Police believe a report of a shooting at a Northwest Side hospital that prompted a large response from law enforcement was a "hoax." San Antonio Police Department acting assistant chief Anthony Trevino said officers received a call for shots fired at Methodist Hospital in the 7700 block of Louis Pasteur Drive around 1:35 p.m. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A San Antonio man who ran over a stranger in a bar parking lot after arguing with his friend about the noise of a car alarm has pleaded guilty to murder and faces up to 16 years in prison. Christopher John Cerna, 39, entered his plea Wednesday before state District Judge Melisa Skinner. He is expected to be sentenced Aug. 11. Cerna admitted killing Miguel Alonzo, 29, on Nov. 13, 2011, in a parking lot in the 280 block of Bitters Road on the North Side. According to court records, Alonzo, of Canyon Lake, forgot his ID and was waiting on three friends who were inside Falls Night Club. When Cerna and his then-girlfriend, Veronica Garcia, 31, left the club and did not remember where they had parked, Cerna clicked the panic button on his keys so the alarm would sound on his Jeep. One of Alonzos friends, Robert Herrera, 26, yelled, Shut that (expletive) thing up, and Cerna replied, You dont know who youre messing with, and the men began to argue, a narrative filed with the court states. The couple got into the Jeep, and Cerna sped toward Herrera, clipped him and knocked him to the ground, court documents state. Alonzo, who was nearby, started running after the vehicle. Witnesses told police that Cerna made a U-turn, chased Alonzo in the parking lot and hit him. Alonzo landed on top of the vehicle, rolled off and then was run over. Cerna left the scene. Alonzo died at a hospital hours later. Police arrested Cerna in August 2012 following a lengthy investigation. Court documents indicate surveillance video from a Hobby Lobby in the parking lot showed a dark-colored SUV run over the victim and continue on to the Bitters Road exit, and that it rocked from side-to-side as it ran over the victim. Additionally, the investigator who saw the video stated that it appears that the SUV had to over steer to hit the victim, the documents state. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Jacob Joe Pauda's run-ins with the law over the past few years have documented the 30-year-old Texas man's transformation into a tattooed ghoul. SEE MORE: Hot Pocket arrest uncovers mugshots tracking evolution of hipster Aryan Brotherhood member in Texas Pauda was indicted by a Lubbock County grand jury on Wednesday on a charge of aggravated assault. The 30-year-old Lubbock man has been accused of repeatedly punching his pregnant girlfriend on Feb. 8 and chasing her around with a knife after he accused her of cheating on him and questioned whether he is the father of her unborn child. RELATED: Texas man with crazy mugshot pleads guilty to threatening to blow up federal courthouse in Amarillo But, the Feb. 8 incident isn't Pauda's first run-in with the law. According to the indictment, Pauda was convicted in 2003 on another charge of aggravated assault. SEE ALSO: 3 arrested for making false kidnapping claims that caused widespread searches in New Braunfels And, arrest records detail at least nine other arrests from 2013 to 2016. Over the years, Pauda has faced charges ranging from public intoxication to racing on the highway. During the same time, the tattooed canvas of Pauda's face has become more cluttered and elaborate. RELATED: The 18 craziest tweets by Robert Morrow, newly elected chairman of Travis County Republican Party Scroll through the slideshow to see Pauda's tattoo transformation over three years and 10 arrests. jfechter@mySA.com Twitter: @JFreports This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO The Texas Commission on Jail Standards this week paid an unexpected visit to the Bexar County Jail following three deaths two that have been ruled suicides and one stemming from natural causes inside the facility within a span of 10 days. TCJS Executive Director Brandon Wood said the commission, which reviews any in-custody death at county facilities it is tasked with overseeing, sent an inspector to the jail to view video footage and collect documents and records to assist in an investigation into the deaths. RELATED: Following scuffle, security guard shoots man who was in apartment pool drinking after-hours Wood said authorities at the jail likely did not expect the visit, as the TCJS typically requests any required documents be sent to them, rather than travelling to the facility themselves. There was a concern because there were two suicides in a very short period of time, he said. The first suicide came on June 30 when deputies found 40-year-old Victor Casas hanging in his cell around 10 a.m. Casas had been in the facility since August on charges of assault and theft. RELATED: Officials: Suspect in shooting death of 7-year-old Iris Rodriguez found dead in his cell Nine days later, deputies found 22-year-old Jonathan Campos dead inside his cell as well. The Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled that he, too, hanged himself. Campos was facing a capital murder charge for an alleged role in the death of 7-year-old Iris Rodriguez. Shortly after his arrest, he told members of the media that he was innocent. Another inmate died at the jail on July 6, but authorities have said that his death was natural, and no foul play was suspected. Wood said the investigation into the incidents is still ongoing, and would not comment on any findings. He did, however, say that the jail has passed an annual inspection. We welcome any and all insight from outside agencies, said BCSO spokesman James Keith. We want to find any weaknesses in our system if any exist and correct them. KSAT 12 news reported on Wednesday that Campos mother believes that her son was killed, citing reports from him before his death that he was assaulted and that there was a hit out on him. RELATED: 40-year-old inmate who died at the Bexar County Jail hung himself, officials say BCSO spokesman James Keith said that there is no evidence to support any wrongdoing on the part of deputies, or that any other inmate had a hand in Campos death. Keith said the man was housed in a maximum-security unit of the jail. Each of the inmates in that unit are assigned to (single-inmate) cells where they spend the majority of the day. They have limited or no access to other inmates. While the investigation is still open, there is nothing that indicates anything other than this young man took his own life. A database produced by The Huffington post tracking inmate deaths lists 811 people who have died while in custody in the United States since the death of Sandra Bland in July of 2015. mdwilson@express-news.net Twitter: @MDWilsonSA A San Antonio man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on an eighth conviction for driving while intoxicated. Repeat DWI offender Raymond Trevino pleaded guilty Tuesday before state District Judge Melisa Skinner. It was the toughest punishment possible under a plea agreement. SAN ANTONIO A security guard shot a man on Thursday morning during a struggle at an apartment complex on the Northwest Side. According to the San Antonio Police Department, the guard approached the man at the pool of the Woodhill Apartments, 4090 Woodstone, after it had closed around 11 p.m. and asked him to leave and get rid of a beer he was drinking. A 32-year-old man was arrested Wednesday morning for allegedly dressing up in womens clothing and robbing a Prosperity Bank in Victoria last weekend. Alex James Partida was arrested in the 4900 block of North Navarro Street on a charge of aggravated robbery. He was booked into the Victoria County Jail, according to a news release issued Wednesday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In two days, four girls running a lemonade stand in a North Dallas neighborhood raised $10,000, which was presented to the Dallas Police Officer's Association on Monday in the form of a check for families of the five officers killed while policing a protest last week. In the past, Kimberly Nelon's 11-year-old daughter Landry would raise anywhere between $50 and $100 through her curb-side 50-cent lemonade stands. RELATED: First black Miss Alabama suspended from TV job after calling Dallas shooter a 'martyr' Donating proceeds to charitable causes including the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and Operation Kindness, Nelon's daughter and friends, Lauren Roach, 11, Emmy Roberts, 9, and Lily Roberts, 8, outdid themselves 100-fold last Friday when they advertised that funds raised from their stand would go to Dallas Police. "On Thursday (Landry) and sister had a lemonade stand at their baby sitters house," Nelon's mother said. "That day, she asked if they could do it again Friday, and she asked if she could invite friends over to do it together." After news of the police shootings broke last Thursday, Nelon's daughter and her friends made an their own decision to donate the funds raised from their stand to families of the officers who were killed in the shooting, she said. Armed with "Honk if you love DPD" signs advertising lemonade sales, the North Haven Park neighborhood became the go-to for Dallas Police donations on Friday. RELATED: Obama urges unity at Dallas ceremony for police officers slain in ambush "Lots of people who didn't want lemonade would drive by, turn the corner and hand the girls money," Nelon said. "It was just really really awesome. They were really really excited to be able to give the families that money." When the girls shut down shop on Friday, they had raised $300. Word of the lemonade stand had spread to Nelon's church, who incentivized the four girls' efforts by agreeing to match up to $1,000 of funds raised. Nelon said the girls put together plates of brownies, cookies and more lemonade in preparation for a second day of lemonade sales this time with the goal of raising the full $1,000 the church agreed to match. Additionally, Nelon's daughter and friends received support from their Sunday school missions class, which raised $3,000 to give to the girls, and countless donations from the Dallas community. Although the circumstances were less than favorable, Nelon said she didn't have much trouble explaining the Dallas situation to her daughter. RELATED: More than 30 SAPD officers, including chief, headed north to support grieving Dallas police "Unfortunately you have to explain to your kids earlier and earlier, I think, that there are bad people in the world and your hope is that you can make them feel secure, but that we have to be careful," Nelon said. "My explanation was that this was a really bad person who did a really bad thing and couldn't find a more positive or productive way to deal with it. I think all the kids are well aware (the slain police officers) have families, but I don't think the kids can grasp what that loss could mean for them." While the Roberts girls and Roach were unable to make it to the presentation of the check on Monday as a result of summer camp, Nelon said she believes there will be other opportunities for compassionate acts as all of the girls possess "big hearts" for service. MMedina@mySA.com Twitter: @MariahMedinaaa Ukraine during the Warsaw Summit has offered NATO a project of cooperation in the aviation sector and joint work to counter hybrid threats, the director of the military policy, strategic planning and international cooperation department at the Defense Ministry of Ukraine, Anatoliy Petrenko, has said. "I would like to note our potential in the field of air transportation, cooperation between NATO and Russia in the framework of the target aviation project has been halted. We offer NATO, using the potential of our state-owned company Antonov, to establish the use of our Ruslan and Mriya aircraft for strategic carriage of troops and goods," Petrenko said at a briefing in Kyiv. The Defense Ministry representative also noted Ukraine's experience in combating hybrid war threats. "The Minister of Defense [Defense Minister of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak] made a proposal to introduce a special interactive platform for studying hybrid threats and fighting against them. The primary perception of the proposal was extremely positive. And we expect that in the coming months we'll be at the stage of launching the project," Petrenko said. More police officers have died in the line of duty in Texas during the last 18 months than any other state, a number bolstered by the downtown Dallas ambush last week that left five officers dead. At least 23 law enforcement officers in Texas, including 11 this year, have died in Texas since Jan. 1, 2015, according to data compiled by the Officers Down Memorial Page, which tracks officer fatalities in real time. Before the Dallas ambush July 7, Texas had the most officer fatalities with six in 2016. In 2015, Texas also had more officers killed in the line of duty than any other state with 12 fatalities. Those deaths stemmed from eight incidents involving gunfire, six of which happened this year, including the five in Dallas. Most of the other deaths involved a vehicle. RELATED: Obama pays tribute to Dallas officers shot in racial attack Since the July 7 ambush in Dallas, four officers across the country have died including one in Texas bringing the year's total halfway through 2016 to 62 fatalities in the U.S. Four officers died in Louisiana, which has been riddled with protests since the death of Alton Sterling, making it the second-deadliest state in the country for police officers. The gallery above features images of officers who died in the line of duty since last August in Texas. Fatalities include employees from local police department, sheriff's offices and state police. Last year, Texas saw 12 officer fatalities, making up nine percent of the total 130 deaths across the country. The Lone Star State was followed by New York, which had 11 officer fatalities. And since 2015, gunfire deaths involving officers are up 75 percent in the U.S., data shows. RELATED: San Antonio police officers honor slain Harris County deputy Darren Goforth in somber ceremony In 2014, 26 officers died in the line of duty in New York, the most of any state that year, followed by California and Texas, which had 16 and 11 deaths, respectively. Sixteen of the deaths of New York officers in 2014 were associated with injuries sustained during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The violence and threats toward police has continued since the Dallas ambush, reports show, even though, according to the Washington Post, the average number of police intentionally killed each year under Obama is 62 annually through 2015, the lowest its ever been. Under President George W. Bush, the average was 72, and 81 deaths before that under President Bill Clinton. On Tuesday, the same day President Barack Obama visited Dallas to speak at the police memorial honoring the five who lost their lives trying to stop shooter Micah Johnson, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo declared a staffing emergency, enabling the department to force officers to work overtime for the next two weeks, after a threat to kill officers on 6th Street was made on social media. "We know there is evil in this world," Obama said Tuesday. "That's why we need police departments." Two days after Johnson, 25, killed five police officers, the Dallas Police Department received a threat against law enforcement across the city. That same day, a Bexar County Sheriff's Office spokesperson was followed to her car, a brick was thrown at a BCSO Tahoe and shots were fired at the San Antonio Police Department headquarters in three separate incidents. Outside of Texas on Saturday, two people made threats to police officers via social media. A Wisconsin man was arrested after he allegedly posted calls on social media for black men to kill white police officers. And in Waveland, Mississippi, police received threats via phone and social media involving possible gunfire attacks Saturday night and Sunday. RELATED: Manifesto found at the home of Dallas gunman One day after the Dallas attack, the Fayetteville Police in North Carolina said they received more than 60 threats during a 6-hour period and a Connecticut man was arrested for allegedly telling a gas station clerk he wanted to "snipe" police officers. Additionally, a Chicago woman was arrested at her home after she allegedly posted a threat to Facebook to shoot any police officer who pulls her over and asks her to get out of her car. A Louisiana man was jailed Friday after he allegedly posted a video to social media showing a police unit in front of him at a fast-food drive thru where he says he wants to shoot and kill an officer. MORE: Two bailiffs were shot dead in Michigan. Detroit police arrested four men who allegedly made threatening Facebook posts toward officers. Three were arrested in North Carolina after police said they ran into the Bryson City Police Department yelling "let's kill us a cop." The Associated Press contributed to this report. kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 A transgender woman is accused of taking photos a woman in a dressing room at a Target in Idaho Monday, police say. RELATED: Man charged with stalking transgender neighbor Shanua Patricia Smith, 43, was booked in Bonneville County Jail Monday on a felony count of voyeurism under her birth name Sean Patrick Smith, according to a police report. The East Idaho News reported Wednesday, citing an arrest affidavit, that an 18-year-old woman was trying on swimsuits at Target July 11 when she saw a person holding an iPhone over her changing room. The 18-year-old's mother confronted the person who fled from the store. RELATED: Massachusetts GOP governor signs transgender rights bill The Bonneville County Sheriff's Office responded to a call from the Target located in the southeast corner of Idaho in Ammon, where they were told by the teenager's mother that the suspect was a white male "wearing a dress and a blonde wig," according to the affidavit obtained by East Idaho News. RELATED: 10 states sue over restrooms transgender students can use Detectives used security footage and information from witnesses to pinpoint a car registered to Smith leaving the parking lot of the Target. Detectives went to Smith's house where her roommate confirmed she was the suspect after being shown photos. Courtesy/Bonneville County Sheriffs Office Police interviewed Smith, who admitted she took videos of the 18-year-old changing in the dressing room. According to the affidavit, Smith took the video for the same reason "men go online to look at pornography." Police are investigating to determine if any other victims exist relating to this incident. kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Popular local artist Brother Cletus Behlmann, whose colorful works hang in both public buildings and private homes throughout the U.S., died Tuesday at 82. Raised one of 12 children in St. Louis, Missouri and educated in Catholic schools, Behlmann attended St. Marys University, graduating in 1956 before taking his final vows as a Marianist brother in 1958. Teaching elementary and high school in Victoria, El Paso, and St. Louis, it wasnt until the late 1950s, when he was 28, that Behlmann gained permission from the Society of Mary to pursue art as his vocation. Attending the Chicago Institute of Art and Washington University, Behlmann became part of a community of artists, also Marianists, who lived in St. Louis. He moved to San Antonio in 1977, opening an art studio the following year. Thats when he became an entrepreneur trying to push forward the arts, also helping to bolster the art program at St. Marys University, said longtime friend Paul Garro. He always was very involved in the community; he had this attitude of I would love to do that. A prolific painter, Behlmann donated hundreds and hundreds of paintings to nonprofit organizations, Garro said. And because Cletus painted and donated his art work, they raised millions of dollars. Even so, Behlmann never inflated his prices. More Information Bro. Cletus Behlmann Born: Nov. 3, 1933, Florissant, Missouri Died: July 12, 2016, San Antonio Preceded by: Parents Mary A. and John H. Behlmann Services: Services are pending. See More Collapse He wanted people to be able to afford to have art and the enjoyment of art, Garro said. His stuff is very, very easy to afford. Though an introvert by nature, Behlmann used his artistic talent to connect with all sorts of people, longtime friend Erin McGinnis said. He used his gift to bring people together. Encouraging creativity in others, Behlmann was unfailingly supportive. Never, never, never did I ever see Brother Cletus more happy about his own success over that of others, McGinnis said. And those who admired him, and those who collected his art I believe, have no idea how much he cared for them, their families, their well being. Although he worked in various media, including metal, stained glass, ceramics and crayola, Behlmann was probably best known for his exuberantly-hued paintings. Marianists are asked to reflect, to discover their gifts, and through those gifts, work and create a relationship with God, Garro said. Behlmann was always full of life, energy and joy. Thats why his art was always colorful; that was his personal gift. Garro, who is president of Central Catholic High School and who first met Behlmann as a student at St. Marys University, said he spoke to him about an art center named after him to be built at Central Catholic, so that people themselves will know what it means to have a joy-filled life. mheidbrink@express-news.net The aid package approved at the NATO summit in Warsaw is unprecedented, since it allows using the alliance's assistance in virtually all sectors of security and defense in Ukraine, director of the military policy, strategic planning and international cooperation department of the Ministry of Defense Anatoliy Petrenko, has said. "The summit resulted in the adoption of a political declaration, as well as the introduction and implementation of a comprehensive assistance package and this is an unprecedented example of the alliance's help to a partner country. This package allows using aid from all the allies in almost every field of activity of the Ukrainian security and defense sector," Petrenko said at a briefing in Kyiv. He noted today Ukraine and NATO cooperate in 13 fields, including 40 target areas "which help us strengthen and improve our defense capability." "In addition, this helps us strengthen our potential and implement the reforms which are fully reflected in the strategic defense bulletin," the official said. He added the adopted aid package would help expand cooperation between Ukraine and NATO not only in the military sphere but also in a number of humanitarian areas. SAN ANTONIO I never really understood how fascism could have come to Europe, but I think I understand better now. You start with some fundamental historical transformation, like the Great Depression or the shift to an information economy. A certain number of people are dispossessed. They lose identity, self-respect and hope. They begin to base their sense of self-worth on their tribe, not their behavior. They become mired in their resentments, spiraling deeper into the addiction of their own victimology. They fall for politicians who lie about the source of their problems and about how they can surmount them. Facts lose their meaning. Once facts are unmoored, everything else is unmoored, too. People who value humility and kindness in private life abandon those traits when they select leaders in the common sphere. Hardened by a corrosive cynicism, they fall for morally deranged little showmen. And then perhaps theres a catalyzing event. Societies in this condition are culturally tense and socially isolated. That means there are a lot of lonely, alienated young men seeking self-worth through violence. Normally, nations pull together after tragedy, but a society plagued by dislocation and slipped off the rails of reality can go the other way. This happened in Europe in the 1930s. Were not close to that kind of descent in America today, but were closer than weve been. Blood was in the streets last week victims of police violence in two cities and slain cops in another. Americas leadership crisis looked dire. The FBI directors statements reminded us that Hillary Clinton is willing to blatantly lie to preserve her career. Donald Trump, of course, lies continually and without compunction. Its very easy to see this country on a nightmare trajectory. How can America answer a set of generational challenges when the leadership class is dysfunctional? I never really understood how a nation could arise as one and completely turn itself around, but I think Im beginning to understand now. In the 1880s and 1890s, America faced crises as deep as todays. The economy was going through an epochal transition, then to industrialization. The political system was worse and more corrupt than ours is today. Culturally things were bad, too. Racism and anti-immigrant feelings were at plaguelike levels. Urban poverty was indescribable. And yet America responded. A new leadership class emerged, separately at first, but finally congealing into a national movement. New sorts of political leaders emerged. In city after city, progressive reformers cleaned up politics and professionalized the civil service. Theodore Roosevelt went into elective politics at a time when few Ivy League types thought it was decent to do so. He bound the country around a New Nationalism and helped pass legislation that ensured capitalism would remain open, fair and competitive. This was a clear example of a society facing a generational challenge and surmounting it. The Progressives were far from perfect, but they inherited rotting leadership institutions, reformed them and heralded in a new era of national greatness. One way to think about it is this: America still has great resources at the local and social level. Here in San Antonio, there are cops who know how to deescalate conflicts by showing dignity and respect. Everywhere I go there are mayors thinking practically and non-dogmatically. Can these local leaders move upward and redeem the national system, or will the national politics become so deranged that it will outweigh and corrupt all the good that is done block by block? Im betting the local is more powerful, that the healthy growth on the forest floor is more important. But last week was a confidence shaker. Theres a cavity beneath what we thought was the floor of national life, and there are demons there. David Brooks is a columnist for the New York Times. The statistics on the youngest members of our population are grim. The number of babies in Bexar County who do not celebrate their first birthday is higher than the national average. A recommitment by local health officials to address the root problems could improve survival rates. In 2013, 140 infant deaths were recorded in our community, placing the infant mortality rate for that year at 6.09 percent, above the national average of 5.96 percent. It is but one of many disturbing statistics on pregnant moms and the babies they deliver in Bexar County. San Antonio recently received an F rating from the March of Dimes for its 11.5 percent premature birth rate, which is among the highest in the country. Earlier this year, an investigation by the Express-News found that in 2014, 4 of every 10 women giving birth in Bexar County did not receive prenatal care or did not see a doctor until the second or third trimester. The above-average infant mortality rate has prompted the Metropolitan Health District to restart the Fetal Infant Mortality Review Program, which had fallen victim to city budget cuts, Express-News Staff Writer Filipa Ioannou reported. Under the revamped program, a team of health professionals will review medical records of babies who die before their first birthday and interview parents to identify problems and risk factors. A similar program in Tarrant County has been a great success, the Express-News reported. In that city, the review of baby deaths between 2008 and 2012 found that unhealthy weight was a common health risk among many of the mothers. The record review found that 64 percent of the expectant moms were overweight or obese. Insufficient monitoring of medical conditions and a lack of follow-up medical visits were also found to be major problems. Access to health care continues to be an issue for many expectant mothers. State budget cuts in 2011 undermined the health safety net. Many dont know where to get medical care during pregnancy because they are not under a doctors care and have no one to advise them. The states failure to expand Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act has not helped. Many Texans find they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to qualify for federal insurance subsidies. We applaud the Metropolitan Health Districts efforts to ensure successful pregnancies and healthy babies, but those efforts can only go so far. Preventive health care is a key component of the bigger picture, and we need state officials to step up and do their part. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg now says she regrets expressing misgivings in print about a Donald Trump presidency. She says that her comments in a wide-ranging interview published recently in the New York Times were ill advised. They were more than that. They did real damage. Ginsburg is not your average voter. She is a Supreme Court justice, one whose code of judicial conduct generally bars her from endorsing or opposing candidates. Yet it is difficult to conclude that she hadnt done precisely that. I cant imagine what this place would be I cant imagine what the country would be with Donald Trump as our president, she said. For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be I dont even want to contemplate that. Supreme Court nominations should be on all voters minds come November. But one can be in full agreement with her premise and still realize the harm she has done. There already is a common perception that the court has been politicized, a notion that began before Bush vs. Gore and persists today. Understand, we believe judges can have heartfelt political views and candidate preferences, and still be able to impartially weigh facts, evidence and the law when considering cases. It is a skill set the public legitimately demands. Going public with such views sows doubt. Despite her expression of regret, the damage is done. What if a Trump vs. Clinton case comes before the court out of this election? On a 4-4 court, it seems to us that Ginsburg has just made it necessary to recuse herself. But what if any case involving Trump comes before the high court? Its not as if Trump and litigation are strangers. Ginsburg has a right to her views. But she also has an obligation to protect an institution on which Americans depend to be as fair and impartial as possible. She crossed a line. Re: Welcome to Comeys FBI in Wonderland, Ruben Navarrette, Other Views, July 6: Thank you for describing FBI Director James Comeys press briefing accurately: Thats crazy. There is an ominous acceptance of delusional thinking in our country. If necessary, we change the meaning of words. The wording of the law concerning handling classified information is clear. Karen Kendrick Kudos to Dallas PD Re: Use of killer robot called a bold move, front page, Saturday: My condolences and love to all in Dallas who were involved in that horrible ambush. One small light: the decision to kill the perpetrator with a bomb-carrying robot brilliant. You have saved many more lives and injuries with your bold move. Hope this will be the go-to method from now on. Thank you, Dallas Police Department. Barbara Wright Right for Lucky Re: Lets at least agree that we want the best for Lucky, Josh Brodesky, Other Views, July 6: Kudos to the San Antonio Zoo personnel for having the good judgment and backbone to do what is best for Lucky in the face of unrelenting criticism by people who know little or nothing about her and what is best for her. As a former zoo docent, I trust these dedicated professionals to provide the best care, both physical and emotional, for Lucky and all the zoo animals. The effort made to find the right companion for Lucky is a good example of that dedication. Perry Lane, Medina A sweet thought Re: Frightening choice, Your Turn, June 30: The letter writer proclaims President Barack Obamas administration has been terrible, but we will miss him because the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is so frightening. The writer presents no facts to back up his claim that Obamas administration has been terrible. President Obama has been nothing short of magnificent. Consider that for most of his two terms, he had to fight Republicans who opposed anything he put forward. Look how far weve come since the George W. Bush administration. Now, that was a disastrous administration. It was so refreshing to hear the Canadians cheer four more years for Obama. Now, that would be so sweet. Richard Sharer Racist goals Re: Latino voters group nears big stage, front page, June 27: I read with great interest this article on Eva Longoria and her role in the Latino Victory Project but was appalled at the projects blatant racism. As started in the story, The goal for Latino Victory was elect Latinos to public office. So the goal is to elect people to public office based solely on their ethnicity, without regard to qualifications? Pure, glaring racism indeed! I wonder what the reaction would be if an Anglo actor or actress were to spearhead an organization with the stated goal of electing Anglo candidates without regard to their qualifications. William C. Cooper Love at warp speed Re: Seniors try out speed dating, aiming for spark of attraction, front page, July 5: It works. We met on a church seniors bus trip to Palo Duro Canyon. Last on the bus, we sat across from each other. A built-in, eight-hour visit. Seat mates at the play Under the Stars. Back home for coffee on Thursday, lunch on Friday, dinner on Saturday. With both familys support, married six months later! At 83, we celebrated our 10th anniversary last March. Speed dating? It worked for us! Don and Adana Hilkemeier Water supply Re: The Next Million, front page, June 26: This special section discussed several areas of growth that will be problems for the greater San Antonio area over the next 24 years. The concern that should top all others water was discussed only in the context of the construction that blocks large areas of the aquifer recharge zone. We already know that the aquifer alone can barely sustain the present population in times of extended droughts. Yet there was no mention of what could or must be done to provide the liquid gold required to support this projected growth. I hope that in the near future, people will come up with some long-term solutions for this problem before its too late. Instead of worrying about climate change, we should be worrying about what man-made growth will do to the water availability. Id prefer not to be digging my own water well when Im 104. Al Koppen, Fair Oaks Ranch Judicial fraud Re: Court exposes state abortion bill as fraud, O. Ricardo Pimentel, July 3: The only thing the Supreme Court exposed in this case is the fraudulent five justices appointed to uphold the Constitution but who have instead decided to legislate on behalf of their political masters. They have shown they are willing to drop any pretense of integrity to achieve the results they want. The hardship that was really at the heart of the matter was to the abortion industry that refused to bear the cost of providing safe facilities for patients. Also, there seems to be a real hardship for this group of providers to hire physicians with enough credentials to get admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. And so part of this court has decided it is medically qualified to determine what is medically necessary. Missing from your commentary was any mention of a dissenting view that had equally compelling testimony from witnesses who believed otherwise. Of course, you are not about the truth. To Gov. Greg Abbott and the state of Texas, I highly recommend nonacquiescence. To our representatives in Congress, you must now pass legislation that will overturn this opinion and rebuke the court. Leo Dye, Bulverde This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SACRAMENTO Bay Area residents have the most upbeat assessment of Californias prospects, with a Field Poll released Thursday finding 65 percent of those voters feel the state is headed in the right direction. While regional moods vary inland counties hold a more negative than positive view of the states future overall the poll found 52 percent of California voters believe the state is generally moving in the right direction. The last year a majority of voters reported feeling this confident about the states future was 16 years ago, when a 2000 Field Poll found 58 percent of voters felt California was headed in the right direction. That optimism stops at the states borders. A majority of California voters, 54 percent, said the United States is seriously on the wrong track, an assessment that hasnt been that negative since the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, said Field Poll Director Mark DiCamillo. Only 1 in 3 voters in the state feels the country is headed in the right direction. That pessimism is particularly prevalent along party lines. Republicans reported a much gloomier outlook for the state and nation than Democrats. Just 14 percent of GOP voters feel the country is headed in the right direction, while 29 percent said the state is on the right track. Among Democrats, 44 percent said the country is headed in the right direction, while two-thirds say the state is on track. DiCamillo said the gap between how voters feel about the state versus the country has been getting wider over the last few polls. Whats underlying it is there is a feeling of a certain dysfunctionality in the operations of the federal government, DiCamillo said. There doesnt seem to be any way to get any major legislation through, and there is hyper-partisanship. How California voters feel about their own state depends on where the voter lives, the poll found. Inland voters in California take a bleaker view of whether the state is on the right track. Among voters in inland counties, 49 percent say the state is seriously on the wrong track while 41 percent said California is headed in the right direction. The Bay Area is the strong engine of the California economy, and the most positive assessments are coming from the Bay Area, DiCamillo said. The inland voter is much less positive. The economic situation inland is not as positive, and its a more Republican region than the coastal areas, which tend to be more Democratic. The Field Poll, which surveyed 560 registered voters in California between June 8 and July 2, was conducted in six languages English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Korean depending on the voters preference. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez A girl who was involved in a bike accident last month is still in recovery. Details about the Bicycle Accident CBC News is reporting that an 11-year-old was hit and dragged by a garbage truck last month. The father of Joanne Sisson credits her safety helmet for saving her life during the bike accident. Joanne Sisson was riding her bike on her way to Velma E. Baker School when she found herself on the wrong side of a garbage truck. According to CBC News Edmonton, the victim thought the truck was turning right when in fact it turned left. As a result, Jessica Sisson was dragged and suffered deep cuts and a crushed pelvis. The victim was required to have multiple surgeries to set her pelvis and numerous skin grafts on her right arm. Recovery is expected to be a lengthy for the Grade 6 student and she will be most likely spending the rest of the summer break in the hospital. A total of $6,600 has been raised towards a goal of $10,000 after the parents' association at the victims school started a GoFundMe page to help the family offset any costs that they may encounter. An investigation into the accident remains ongoing and no charges have been filed at this time. Important Information about Motor Vehicle Accidents According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are thousands of wrongful deaths of people involved in motor vehicle accidents every year in the United States: In 2014, there were a total of 32,675 people who were killed in motor vehicle accidents in the United States. During the same year, a there were 219 fewer motor vehicle accident fatalities than there were the previous year. There were 25,000 more people injured in motor vehicle accidents in 2014 than there were in 2013. Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com. 1 Baghdad bombings: Three bombings in Iraqs capital on Wednesday killed at least 12 people, including a suicide bombing in a mainly Shiite neighborhood that had been attacked the day before, Iraqi officials said. Six civilians and two policemen were killed when the bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into the checkpoint in the al-Rashidiya district, police said. Two separate bombings elsewhere killed four civilians and wounded 16. The Islamic State group frequently launches attacks targeting Iraqs Shiite majority and the Shiite-led security forces. 2 Train crash: Italian officials on Wednesday pointed to delayed, EU-financed rail improvements and the risky, antiquated telephone alert system used in parts of Italy as possible underlying causes of a violent head-on train crash that killed about two dozen people. Recovery operations continued Wednesday using a giant crane and an extra locomotive to remove the mangled cars and debris of the two commuter trains that slammed into one another Tuesday in southern Puglia. The official death toll stood at 23, including a farmer working his fields who was killed by flying debris from the crash. For many Canadians, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is a key part of their future retirement plans. Many others currently rely on it as a foundation of their retirement income. Last week, after two weeks of negotiations with the federal government, Manitobas provincial government reached an agreement that will work to make the CPP not just bigger, but better. This followed an agreement by the provinces to increase the CPP over time. The federal government has agreed to undertake further reviews to better the CPP for those who need it most. Some of the proposals that were recommended by our government and that will be reviewed include; the elimination of the claw back of guaranteed income supplement payments for widowed seniors CPP survivor benefits, the indexation of the CPP death benefit, and the comprehensive review of CPP survivor and disability benefits. The agreement by the federal government to consider these proposals in the future is the result of the Manitoba government working to support those Manitobans who rely on CPP both now and those in the future. These proposals also received support from other provinces. It demonstrates the ability of governments to work together and in the interests of all Canadians. The Canada Pension Plan needs to remain strong for all Manitobans. The changes agreed to and those that are being examined will not only make CPP bigger, but also better. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has pointed out deficiencies in the official investigations of events during the so-called Revolution of Dignity from November 13 to February 20 and the tragedy in Odesa on May 2 that killed dozens. "We see the spread of the already commonplace practice of violating basic human rights, including the right to life, as well as physical safety, in the country. The war has given birth to a war. If you look at the figures, 181 involved in demonstrations on Maidan [Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine] and the Odesa May 2 demonstration have been killed," Fiona Frazer, head of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said on Thursday at a briefing in Kyiv devoted to the UN report, entitled "Responsibility for killings in Ukraine from January 2014 to May 2016." She said that responsibility for the deaths has not been assigned. Courts have found no persons guilty for any of the deaths. Frazer said there have been improvements in the investigation of deaths on Maidan. "As of June 1, 2016, 55 people were named suspects in connection with killings of protesters on Independence Square," she said, noting that some of the cases have already been taken to trial. The report says the biggest obstacle to punishing the guilty is finding suspects, most of whom are not located in Ukraine. Another problem is that evidence has been destroyed. As for the May 2 tragedy in Odesa, UN human rights officials pointed to systemic institutional deficiencies [in Ukraine's judiciary] and procedural violations. The report recommended Ukraine separate technical and human resources in investigating the crimes and punishing those responsible for murder. The OHCHR says Ukraine should strengthen oversight over military prosecutors operating in combat zone [in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions]. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has passed amendments to the legislation that introduced biometric passports for Ukrainian citizen. Corresponding bill No. 3224 was repeatedly put to the vote and in the end it was supported by 226 lawmakers, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent said. According to the document, passports will be issued to people aged 14 and older. In addition, there will be no stamp about the registration or annulment of a marriage in new passports. The law stipulates that fingerprints will be taken for issuing foreign passports, diplomatic passport, service passports and other documents. At present, when foreign passports are issued fingerprints are taken only with the consent of a person. Under the new law, digitized fingerprints will be also included into internal passports only with the consent of a person. According to the law, each citizen who reached the age of 14 must get a passport. Passports will be issued for four years to persons under 18 years of age, and for ten years for all the rest. Passports will contain text in the Ukrainian and English languages. Passports of citizens of Ukraine will not have a mark about the registration of marriage or its annulment, but each spouse will be issued a marriage certificate. MCLEAN, Va. While there is no official holiday to celebrate bovines, that didnt stop Chick-fil-A from declaring Cow Appreciation Day to be July 12and bringing even more customers through its doors as a result. Chick-fil-As 12th annual Cow Appreciation Day event encouraged customers to dress up like a cow and receive a free entree at any of the QSRs 2,000 restaurants nationwide. Mark Baldwin, the companys public relations manager, told USA Today that the annual event is part of Chick-fil-As Eat Mor Chikin campaign, and that participation has soared by 30% per year since 2010. In 2015, Chick-fil-A handed out one million chicken sandwiches, and #CowAppreciationDay was mentioned more than 700,000 times on social media, he noted. This week also began with 7-Elevens annual birthday celebration, 7-Eleven Day, held appropriately on July 11. Customers received free small Slurpees at participating stores, and the convenience retailer anticipated it would give away about nine million from 7 am to 11 pm. The first Friday of June commemorates National Doughnut Day, an unofficial holiday that Krispy Kreme says was established by The Salvation Army in 1938 to honor The Salvation Armys Doughnut Lassies, who served the treats to soldiers during World War I. The Doughnut Lassies are often credited with popularizing the doughnut in the United States when the troops returned home from war. Today, convenience retailers and QSRs alike celebrate the day by offering guests a free doughnut of their choice either with or without a beverage purchase. We find these celebrations drive lots of conversation and excitement around our brands, Justin Drake, senior manager of public relations at the Dunkin Brands Group, told USA Today. And thanks to social media, according to Michael Katz, economics professor at University of California-Berkeley, unofficial holidays have been able to grow a following without overwhelming consumers. The ability to target an audience creates room for more of these, he told the news source. Lynn Dornblaser, director of innovation and insight at Mintel International Group, told USA Today that while the advantages for businesses promoting unofficial holidays are appealing, they should also do their homework before launching a campaign, such as researching logistics and marketing. Make sure you dont run out [of the giveaway products]. That will blow up in your face, she said. Want to see which unofficial holidays are coming up for the remainder of 2016? Check out the Quick Hits section of the December 2015 NACS Magazine! The Irish government has just told such a howler that the media took notice yesterday. Admittedly, saying your economy grew over 26% in a year, absent massive foreign rebuilding after a war, is so incredible as to elicit well-deserved scorn. From the Financial Times: The Irish have written some notable works of fiction James Joyce and Flann OBrien produced imperishable classics. Now there is a new addition to the national oeuvre the official narrative of the countrys economy. According to data released on Tuesday, it grew by 26.3 per cent last year. That is the highest level of growth for decades and far outstrips the original estimate of Irish economic activity last year, which the official Central Statistics Office had put at 7.8 per cent. A growth rate of more than 26 per cent is nearly three times the highest level recorded during Irelands Celtic Tiger boom years in the early 2000s. In fact, what was the supposed cause of this miraculous result? Again from the pink paper: The official explanation was that the surge in gross domestic product was caused by inversions, in which companies move their assets or their domicile to Ireland to avail of its super-low 12.5 per cent corporate tax rate; companies moving intellectual property to Ireland for the same reason; and corporate restructurings. In other words, it has only a tenuous relation to activity in the real economy and tangible things such as the creation of jobs This latest revision is the most extreme by far. This revision primarily reflects statistical reclassifications relating to the treatment of inversion deals involving US multinationals, purchases by aircraft leasing firms and companies relocating assets to Ireland, said Philip OSullivan, an economist at Investec Ireland. In fact, back in April, we ran a post by illian Doyle, an economist with the People Before Profit Alliance of Ireland, that debunked the 7.8% growth figure published earlier as unduly rosy, again due to how Ireland is as a tax haven for multinationals. From his article: Irelands is a recovery built on sand and some highly suspect statistics. The Great Recovery; The Hope vs the Hype The final lines of CNNs report alluded to the real reason for our eye catching growth figures, namely Ireland is widely known as a tax haven. Yes owing largely to our status as a tax haven/offshore financial centre, our headline figures are dodgier than Donald Trumps hairdo. You see right now we have two rival economic narratives vying for supremacy. The first one, which can be considered the establishments version, tells the tale of a great recovery and finds regular expression amongst the talking heads in our mainstream media. The second, which is one of ongoing hardship, has to fight hard to get its message across. Total Fixed Asset Investment or FAI is a measure of capital spending in terms of things like machinery, infrastructure, land, technology, etc. After all, you need to be building stuff if you are going to build the economy. Chart 2. Eurostat. Construction is included under the heading Total Construction to give you an idea of the impact that a decline in a major sector can have on an economy such as ours in the post 2008 period. Intellectual Property Products, which arise from investment in things like patents, trademarks, industrial design and copyrights, is included to highlight what is arguably the real driver of our current economic growth. Take a close look at this Intellectual Property Products measure. Anything look peculiar? Well wee see spikes (Q2 2012; Q2 and Q3 2015) which seem to just double in the space of a few weeks and then disappear. Theres clearly something up here, and that something is patents. With multinationals starting to relocate some of their intellectual property out of bad tax havens (Bermuda, Cayman Islands, etc) and into good tax havens (Ireland, Luxembourg, etc) our growth figures were give a massive shot in the arm. Our final a chart plots our nominal GDP growth together with GDP growth minus this IPP component. When we do this our supposed growth of 7.8% does the kind of disappearing act that the late great Paul Daniels would have been proud of. Some recovery, huh? Chart 3. Eurostat. As weve seen from above, the lions share of this growth is illusory. How many people does it take to administer the relocation of a patent to Ireland? Just a handful of select individuals, customarily derived from the usual firms Goldman Sachs, Arthur Cox, KMPG, etc, what the Tax Justice Network calls the pinstripe mafia. Yves again. Look at the last chart. It shows growth falling to zero. Now since it was positive previously, the Irish economy probably did show some growth, but a guesstimate is under 3%. So the effect of putting out the barmy 26.3% figure was in fact a masterstroke of propaganda. Economists and the media piled on, saying the figure was clearly too high, but no one questioned the basic premise that there was growth. And of course, the fact that the figures are now so dubious allows for another statistical correction down the road, which means analysts will also have trouble tracking trends over time unless they unpack the data. If you want to get an idea of how this all works, please read Lee Sheppards story in Forbes as to how Apple organized its affairs so as to have an Irish principal company and an Irish holding company that have tax jurisdiction nowhere (and this story of how Apple operates is very much simplified from her version in Tax Notes, which is paywalled). All of Apples foreign revenues go through these entities. Now as I understand it, per conversations with Sheppard, here is the even doozier part. None of the revenues of these Irish entities go through Ireland. Nada. Those Irish companies have accounts at US banks and are managed out of Nevada as an internal hedge fund. Mind you, I dont believe this ongoing chicanery is part of the 2015 Ireland GDP story, Apples arrangement is different than that of most other tech companies that use Ireland to greatly reduce their taxes. The others locate the intellectual property in Ireland or another tax haven. By contrast, Apple has the intellectual property in the US and the Irish companies license it. This arrangement works because it appears to be grandfathered. However, if Apple acquired a business, or even bought some patents, and moved that intellectual property and moved that into Ireland, that would count as an increase in GDP. So you can now better understand Doyles consternation. The growth story is one of at best a few professionals getting a bit more income to move intellectual property around. And theres no reason to think that even that work necessarily went to anyone in Ireland. But the Irish government can use its story of impressive growth to hold supposedly uninformed people in the real economy at bay when the demand that officials do more, and tell them that they just arent seeing the miraculous improvements, which are simply miraculous sleight of hand. Listen up, because you are about to get another object lesson in how brazen the private equity industry is in defending its dubious looting, um, fee extraction practices. We will also see captured public pension funds, in this case CalSTRS, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the private equity industry and against the interests of its beneficiaries and California taxpayers. Background: How Private Equity General Partners Have Been Violating Broker-Dealer Registration Rules for Decades The private equity industry is up in arms over the idea that the SEC might finally address a long-standing abuse, that of the failure of private equity firms to register as broker-dealers. We alerted readers to this misconduct in 2013: The violations result from the long-established practice of PE firms charging transaction fees to investors in their funds when the PE firms, as managers of various funds, buy and sell of portfolio companies. They also levy transaction fees when portfolio companies issue debt or equity securities. Bear in mind that these fees are not in lieu of fees paid to investment bankers and brokers; they are additional charges, on top of both those third party fees and the private equity firms management fee, the famed 2 and 20 (2% annual management fee, 20% of the gains, although the management fee is lower for the very large funds). And these transaction fees are typically comparable in size to the fees paid to investment bankers. This controversial practice has been going on for decades, and it is no secret. The PE firms collectively have reaped billions of dollars through this ruse. Dozens, if not hundreds, of articles have been written about it. Typically, these stories depict these transaction fees as an abuse of both the portfolio companies and the private equity fund investors, since portfolio company revenues are diverted into the pockets of private equity managers. For instance, a account about the whistleblower published last week by the usually pro-industry CNBC, where the headline itself described transaction fees as private equitys crack cocaine. But as scandalous as this ongoing looting ought to be, the whistleblower focuses on another glaring problem with the private equity firm transaction fees: the private equity firms are not registered broker-dealers. Anyone who has been in the securities industry will know how big a deal being a broker-dealer is. Even as a small firm consultant, Id take care with how my engagements were defined so that there was no way theyd be considered to be securities dealing and hence oblige me to register my firm as a broker-dealer. Being a broker-dealer involves not just registering with the SEC but complying with a long list of requirements to make sure you are dealing with customers fairly, including: Becoming a member of a self-regulatory organization (usually FINRA) Training and licensing principals and staff Obeying state securities laws Being subject to SEC inspections and disciplinary actions Complying with customer protection and commission disclosure rules, recordkeeping, financial reporting requirements, and Treasury anti-money laundering requirements See this Davis Polk discussion for more detail. As we indicated then, this misconduct goes back at major players like KKR to at least the 1980s, and has been widespread since the 1990s* Virtually all the big firms charge transaction fees and financing fees; the only noteworthy exceptions are Hellman & Friedman and Warburg Pincus.** It isnt as clear if the practice is as universal among smaller general partners, since pulling the same level of fees out of their portfolio companies as the big boys charge would be a bigger drag on returns. Note that the SEC warned in a 2013 speech that it was looking into the issue. The general partners were apparently so confident of their protected position as to ignore the heads up. Why Are General Partners Outraged About Being Required to Register? Astonishingly, what the general partners are screeching about is the prospect of having to register as broker-dealers. They arent even contemplating the idea that the most of the entire industry should be required to disgorge the impermissible fees (which lucky for them are subject to a statute of limitations). If the SEC got out of bed to sanction the private equity industry, it would be hit with billions of dollars in fines. Bear in mind that the SEC has issued a fine for broker-dealer violations.a mere $3 million for a firm no one ever heard of, Blackstreet Capital Management. Admittedly, Carlyle has also warned in recent SEC filing that it might be charged for broker-dealer violations. But the noise from the industry is mainly over registering going forward. Why is this anything more than an inconvenience? As Eileen Appelbaum, co-author of the landmark book Private Equity at Work, explained via e-mail: The purpose of SEC oversight of broker-dealer activities is to rule out a situation in which a PE firm that needs cash can have one of its portfolio companies acquire an add-on business, even when this does not make economic sense for the portfolio company, and charge very high, undisclosed fees for providing this service. The transaction may enrich the PE firm while impairing the value of the portfolio company and reducing the ultimate returns paid to PE fund investors. SEC oversight guards against self-dealing by PE firms, and against PE firms charging excessively high transaction fees for providing broker-dealer services. Transaction fees related to the acquisition of a portfolio company or to an add-on to an existing company are paid directly to the PE firm. Investors in the portfolio company have no say over the acquisition and receive no information about the size of the transaction fee the PE firm has pocketed. Institutional investors turn a blind eye to this because the PE firm uses these fees to rebate as much as 80 to 100% of the management fee they pay to the PE firm. The LPs then advertise the low management fees they pay to private equity, without counting up all the ways in which this transaction may reduce the funds earnings and the profit they will ultimately earn from their PE investments. The PE firm, meanwhile, gets to collect and pocket a bonanza in transaction fees. If anything, Appelbaum is too charitable. The fundamental approach that most general partners take to transaction charges is arguably self-dealing, even before getting to cases where the general partner makes questionable acquisitions merely for the purpose of generating fees. Recall what we described earlier: that in most cases, the fees being charged are in addition to charges made by third parties, like investment banks or specialized boutiques, for executing the transaction. In other words, these fees are at best grotesque overcharges for hiring firms that do the actual work. If you look at the first embedded document at the end of this post, a monitoring agreement for Samson Resources with KKR, youll see the typical money for nothing arrangement, as described by Oxford professor Ludovic Phalippou. Section 1 says, The Advisory Fee shall be payable regardless of the level of services actually provided during any fiscal quarter and shall not be refundable under any circumstances. In addition, in section 3 on page 2, the agreement provides that the Managers may charge the Company a customary fee for services rendered in connection with securing, structuring and negotiating equity and debt financing,. Mind you, this is not providing these services. This is a fee for arranging for other parties to supply them. Moreover, the balance of the section contemplates that the Managers (as in KKR and friends) may decide they want to do the heavy lifting and be paid for that too: .the Group may, from time to time after the Effective Date, engage one or more of the Managers or their affiliates to provide additional investment banking or other financial advisory services in connection with any acquisition, divestiture or similar transaction by the Group, in respect of which (i) separate agreements may be entered into and (ii) such Managers or their affiliates may be entitled to receive additional compensation in respect thereof pursuant to such separate agreements. Let us look at a second, more explicit example, the EP Energy Transaction Fee Agreement embedded at the end of this post among EP Energy Global and a related entity, Apollo, and other investors. To keep your eye on the ball, Apollo is the Initial Service Provider. In the Section 3 (a), Apollo gets a fee for arranging the deal. Mere mortals would think all that work would be covered by the management fee, since private equity firms are in the business of buying companies and all the things described in that section are typical activities. But lo and behold, Section 4 shows they are subject to additional fees. Even better, in Section 6, the first part states that if there are any future investment banking services (meaning actual work), EP Energy agrees to negotiate with Apollo and its co-conspirators (who divided the closing fee very much in favor of Apollo and presumably that type of split would apply) for those transaction fees. Notice that that is in addition to the the one percent investment banking fee or $100 million (sporting of them to cap it on this deal) that Apollo and friends gets automatically that Apollo get irrespective of whether they do any work (see the part starting with In the absence of an express agreement to the contrary though the end of that section). The Astonishingly Dishonest Defenses of Broker-Dealer Abuses With that background, you can now understand the snow job the private equity industry is trying to pull on the unwashed public and interested policy makers. Consider a recent story in Pensions & Investments by Arleen Jacobius, Private equity firms fear broker-dealer registration. The brazen misrepresentations start at the top of the article: Once a loosely regulated bunch, private equity firms might have to register as broker-dealers or find their ability to charge transaction fees or provide bank-like services impaired. These are the very services that help them attract portfolio companies. This is ludicrous. First, private equity firms do not attract portfolio companies. Portfolio companies have no agency. They are sold, most often in auctions, to the highest bidder. Some mid-sized and smaller firms work hard at trying to source companies on a non-competitive basis, most often by persuading an owners of private companies that the general partners are nice guys who will respect whatever is important to them (preserving brand name, keeping a neer do well son-in-law employed for at least a few years, maintaining operations in the local community) and giving them a juicy price. In other words, providing services that private equity firms rent all the time from financial firms has nothing to do with being successful at buying companies. Theres also an statement that will give readers who are not up on this beat the wrong impression: In 2014, the SEC released a no-action letter on the issue, which provided limited relief only for brokers that solely worked on mergers and acquisitions, making relief generally unavailable to most private equity firms. While this is technically accurate, its irrelevant to private equity. Its inclusion in this article appears intended to create the impression that private equity firms are being treated unfairly. Gee, the really big fees that private equity firms charge are M&A fees. Why are M&A boutiques exempt but not private equity firms? In reality, the no-action letter established a safe harbor, where registration is not necessary for parties meeting all of a set of requirements. The most important of them, as far as private equity firms are concerned, is that the party never touch the money funding the transaction. Obviously, any type of asset manager could never meet that standard. Moreover, the article offers a bogus claim that the industry thought it had a loophole: In order to avoid broker-dealer registration, many private equity firms have been offsetting as much as 100% of transaction fees against the management fees and/or carried interest..executives at private equity firms believed they could avoid registering as a broker-dealer if they refund 100% of transaction fees to investors. This is utterly misleading. First, notice the as much as. The management fee offsets are negotiated as the same percentage level across all specified fees subject to offsets. In recent years, on large funds, private equity funds have created size buckets, so limited partners making larger commitments get bigger fee offsets. Investors committing early may also get a better deal on offsets. And since limited partners have many older commitments at lower fee offset levels, it is a virtual certainty that no limited partner has a contractual management fee offset of 100% across all his fund investments. And thats before you get to the fact that the realized fee offsets are routinely below the nominal fee offsets. A few of many reasons: * General partners can time when they impose their fees, which in a year when they are engaging in a lot of transactions in a particular funds, can allow them to charge more fees in a particular quarter than the management fee due. That allows them to keep the excess (note some limited partnership agreements requires that excess fees in any period be offset against future management fees, but this is far from universal). General partners set up their agreements so they can deduct out of pocket expenses and broken deal expenses for other deals that didnt happen from the fees subject to offsets. Late in a funds life, investors will be subject to stranded offsets, because the particular fund vehicle will never again charge a management fee. This occurs when the fund is no longer earning management fees (e.g., an exit fee is earned on sale of a company in year 14 of a fund, when the management fee sunset at the end of year 12) * Co-investments are popular with limited partners because they avoid management fees. The result is no fee offset, which in turn means those investors bear the full effect their share of any fees charged to the portfolio companies, including transaction fees. And the article includes CalSTRS either playing dumb or revealing how ignorant it is: While CalSTRS is following the SEC settlements, we dont yet have enough information to comment on the impact to our partners or portfolio, said Ricardo Duran, spokesman for the $188.8 billion California State Teachers Retirement System, West Sacramento. Ahem. As mentioned earlier, a registered broker-dealer would be held to the standard that the transaction and fee be appropriate. Even though this protection would clearly be a benefit to them, CalSTRS professes ignorance. Finally, the article closes by noting: KKR, Apollo Global Management LLC, TPG and The Blackstone Group all have registered as broker-dealers. While it does not say so explicitly, the implication is that these firms are complying with the broker-dealer requirements as far as private-equity related transactions are concerned. Theres good reason to think thats not the case. TPGs broker-dealer filings with thee SEC show transaction fees far below the transaction fees they reported taking in SEC filings for the subset of companies that are public registrants. Its not hard to envision what is at stake and why the private equity industry is so upset. The Dodd Frank requirement that private equity firms register as investment advisers has exposed widespread misconduct, including what in other walks of life would be called embezzlement. But the SEC investment adviser exams cover only a portion of private equity firms activities. Broker-dealer registration would subject more of their activities to supervision and disclosure, as well as basic protection, like not overcharging customers. In 2015, eleven state treasurers, plus the New York state and New York City comptrollers, asked the SEC to assist them in getting better disclosure of private equity fees. To further this aim, they should demand that private equity firms register as broker-dealers, and call for fines for past abuses to make sure the general partners take these responsibilities seriously. ____ * You might very reasonably ask, why was the SEC not all over this abuse long ago? The short version is that the SEC has a show up and be registered policy toward broker-dealer licensing, as in it does not actively look for violations. And the fact that its deterrence is large, as in dollar for dollar fines for the amount of fees charged, would seem to provide plenty of incentive to register. The way the SEC normally finds out about broker-dealer violations is much the same way that state medical boards find out about doctors practicing medicine without a license: a customer who has been abused makes a complaint. But private equity industry though it had set up the perfect crime. The customers for its broker-dealer services were companies it owned and controlled. Its investors were captured and would never complain. And when they finally woke up to the fact that broker-dealer and other fees that the private equity firms were hoovering out of the portfolio companies were significant in aggregate, rather than insist the general partners cut it out, they allowed themselves to be appeased by getting partial rebates (the percentage of the rebate has a lot to do with how much money is chasing private equity at various points in time, and how hot a particular manager is perceived to be). And why havent former portfolio company employees turned in any general partners? The short answer is the code of omerta is astonishingly strong because the perceived cost of not having access to the private equity gravy train is very high. ** Warburg and Hellman do not charge transactions fees when they own a company through funds they control but they will take them in a group deal when others are also taking fees. Samson-Resources-Monitoring-Agreement-sanitized Samson Resources Monitoring Agreement sanitized EP-Energy-Global-Monitoring-Agreement-sanitized EP Energy Global Monitoring Agreement sanitized Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang (C) and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin (L, 1st) attend the third China-Russia Exposition in Yekaterinburg, on July 13, 2016. [Photo: gov.cn] The third China-Russia Exposition is underway in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. The five-day expo is showcasing products, technology and projects in sectors and fields like equipment manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, finance and tourism. Denis Manturov is the Russian Minister of Industry and Trade. "We underestimated the potential for cooperation between the two countries, because we will have far more opportunities for cooperation than we do today. Just like presidents Putin and Xi Jinping expect, we can completely achieve a total trade volume of 100 billion U.S. dollars between our countries." A highlight of the expo is the 770-kilometer Moscow-Kazan high-speed railway, Russia's first high-speed rail line linking the country's capital and the capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan. It is also the first segment of a transnational high-speed railway set to connect Moscow and Beijing over a distance in excess of 7-thousand kilometers. China and Russia are jointly funding the project, which is expected to be completed in 2020. 'It just flipped': Busch details final season with Joe Gibbs Racing in 'Race for the Championship' In the latest episode of USA Network's "Race for the Championship," Busch describes the change at JGR and is introduced with a new team. Independent Tipperary TDs Seamus Healy and Mattie McGrath have reacted angrily to reports that a new threat has arisen to emergency and trauma facilities at South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel. A Sunday newspaper claimed that a new report from the Trauma Steering Committee considered the closure of EDs in nine hospitals, including Clonmel. Save Our Acute Hospital Services Committee chairman Seamus Healy and fellow Independent TD Mattie McGrath have vowed to fight any such proposal - the latest in a long line of threats to services at the Clonmel facility. Deputy Healy said he will be raising the issue with Health Minister Simon Harris in the Dail later this week and again when the Minister visits the hospital in the near future. Minister Harris, at my request, will be visiting the hospital shortly to see both the excellent work being done at the hospital and the difficulties being experienced by patients and staff due to under resourcing and shortage of beds, he said Indeed we are currently in discussion with the Minister with a view to getting approval for a quick build 40 bed capacity modular/hotel type unit for the hospital for the coming winter, he continued. Warning the Department and the HSE to keep its hands off our hospital, he added that as in the past, people power will defeat any attempt to downgrade services at the hospital. He continued - Saturday 27th March, 2010 was a red letter day for hospital services in South Tipperary. That was the day the people of South Tipperary stood, 15,000 strong, on the streets of Clonmel and defeated the last attempt to downgrade and transfer our hospital services. I have no doubt the people of Tipperary will do the same again if needed. The closure of the emergency department at South Tipperary General Hospital would be dangerous and irresponsible and would indeed put lives at risk with seriously ill patients bypassing the hospital going to already overcrowded services at Cork and Waterford. Far from downgrading and closure, South Tipperary General Hospital needs to be supported with additional resources, funding and staff. The hospital is bursting at its seams working at 120% capacity every hour of every day. Meanwhile Deputy McGrath has called for immediate clarification on the future status of the emergency department at the hospital He said any proposal to remove the A&E by stealth or downgrade its services will be vigorously resisted. It is inconceivable that closure of a vital local and regional department like the one operating at South Tipperary General Hospital is even being considered. Already there are attempts being made to spin this as an opportunity for STGH to focus on the provision of other services; but that kind of tactical approach will no longer carry any weight. The Minister must make it absolutely clear that there is a commitment at the highest levels to not only retain existing services but to improve upon them. We know that what STGH needs is increased bed capacity, infrastructure funding and expanded staff provision. What it does not need is to be listed in some obscure Report that will only manage to generate confusion and uncertainty for the thousands of patients who depend on the A&E at South Tipp General," concluded Deputy McGrath. RealtyUSA has merged with Pittsburgh-based Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. The deal, which was announced Wednesday by Howard Hanna III and RealtyUSA President and Chief Executive Merle Whitehead, will create the third largest residential real estate company in the country. Discussions regarding a merger began six months ago, the companies said. The merged company's combined performance last year represents $16.2 billion in closed sales volume from 89,737 closed transactions. Whitehead will serve as chairman of the combined company in New York. Prior to the deal, RealtyUSA was the largest residential broker in New York and the ninth largest nationwide, with more than 2,200 sales associates and employees and 23,023 closed transactions last year. RealtyUSA is also the parent company of 1st Priority Mortgage. "RealtyUSA and Howard Hanna agents will benefit from each other's markets for referrals in areas they do not serve. When we expand our reach, everybody within the Howard Hanna family of companies benefits," Howard Hanna President and Chief Executive Helen Hanna Casey said in a news release. Howard Hanna was the largest broker in Pennsylvania and Ohio and the fourth largest in the country before the deal. The company, which is privately owned, also has operations in Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Maryland and North Carolina. Howard Hanna said that the transition post-merger "will be seamless for both agents and clients, and the range of services offered will be expanded for both." The merged company plans to expand its insurance unit and marketing and technology systems, adding up to 40 employees. BEIJING, July 13 -- "Let those who tied the bell on to the tiger be the ones to untie it," runs the Chinese proverb: Trouble is best solved by those who caused it. Whatever the government of the Philippines was thinking when it decided to put its disputes with China before a kangaroo court, it was surely not that the process would bring peace and harmony to a tranquil tropical sea. China has stated time and time again that it would not accept the tribunal's opinion and will adhere to settlement of disputes through direct negotiation. That policy stands still, like a rock. As neighbors facing each other across the sea, China and the Philippines have been friends for generations. There were no territorial disputes between them until the 1970s, when the Philippines suddenly decided that some of China's islands and reefs were in fact theirs and occupied them without so much as a by-your-leave. China's reaction to this affront has been restrained, to say the least. It is not too great a leap of understanding to conclude that China is the encroached upon rather than the encroacher. In 2013, the government of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III ignored previous agreements with China and went running to The Hague. Aquino has since become a figure of purely historical relevance, and the job of cleaning up his mess has fallen to the new Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte, who seems ready and willing to talk directly with China. Even after the absurd arbitration award, China retains its faith in a peaceful solution and would welcome direct talks over the negotiating table. A statement issued by the Chinese leadership on Tuesday said that China is still ready to resolve disputes peacefully through negotiation and consultation with those states directly concerned. China will make every effort to seek win-win results and maintain the peace that is so vital to stability and prosperity in the region. Bringing the issue back to the negotiation table, and thereafter to a long-term solution, is in the interests of all parties, and is now down to the Philippines. President Duterte has begun to make positive gestures, but is his country ready to walk his talk? China has said that the door is always open, but will not welcome any unreasonable demands nor sit idly by if deliberately provoked. China will now decide whether to declare an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the South China Sea in accordance with the extent of a threat. "If our security were threatened, of course we have the right," Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin told the press. Chinese people do not make trouble, but are not cowards when trouble is made for them. Whether the South China Sea becomes a troublesome tempest of confrontation or the peaceful waters of cooperation and common prosperity is up to the Philippines and its friends. Is it not better to remain friends with a good neighbor than to allow some faraway superpower to stir up conflicts at the doorstep? The destiny of the Philippines is in its own hands. When swimming in the open ocean, your every movement gives off invisible signals to the fish and sea creatures around you to betray your presence. Sharks, lobsters, crayfish, rays, eels, lampreys, ratfish, lungfish, sturgeons and some dolphins all have the ability to detect these tiny electrical impulses given off by the movement of muscles and the beat of your heart. But a new wetsuit could allow divers to slip undetected through the water by preventing these signals from being given off, acting like a kind of underwater 'invisibility cloak'. It promises to let divers to get close to large predators like sharks that often use this 'sixth sense' to detect prey. When you are swimming in the ocean, your body gives off invisible signals warning marine creatures of your presence. Sharks, lobsters, crayfish, rays, eels, lampreys, ratfish, lungfish, sturgeons and some dolphins can all detect the electrical impulse given off with each beat of your heart. The wetsuit was tested by marine biologist Ricky Elliott during a research trip in Hawaii, who was featuring in a series of stunning photographs showing him up close with a variety of animals. 'I was testing a cutting edge wetsuit technologycomprised of a Faraday cage weaved into the wetsuit fabric to block the bodies electrical signal, enabling researchers, photo/videographers, spearos and divers, closer and more natural encounters with animals' Mr Elliott said. Animals in the sea can detect muscle movement, heartbeat and brain activity through electroreception. The beating of a heart or contracting of a muscle sends a spontaneous electrical signal. But this new wetsuit blocks the electrical signals, meaning people can get closer to animals without scaring them away. The 'Stealth wetsuit' was invented by HECS Aquatic, a concealment technology company based in New Zealand. But a new wetsuit (pictured) prevents these signals and works as a kind of 'invisibility cloak' for the sea, allowing divers to get closer to the animals of the deep. The 'Stealth wetsuit' was invented by HECS Aquatic, a concealment technology company based in New Zealand. It blocks the electrical signals, meaning people can get closer to animals without scaring them away. Marine biologist Riley Elliott testing the suit out with a tiger shark, pictured. The wetsuit principle is based on a Faraday cage, invented by the scientist Michael Faraday in 1836. Faraday discovered that inside a sphere of conducting material, the electric field balances out to become zero, even in an external electrical field. HECS Aquatic built a conductive grid that attenuates electrical fields into their wetsuit. 'HECS is made with a conductive carbon fibre mesh designed to reduce your electrical energy field,' the company website says. The technology 'blocks 95 per cent of the electrical signals given off by your muscle movement,' Ricky Elliott said in a YouTube video explaining how it works. It works using the same principle that means you will never be struck by lightning while inside your car. The principle is based on a Faraday cage, invented by the scientist Michael Faraday in 1836. Faraday discovered that inside a sphere of conducting material, the electric field balances out to become zero, even in an external electrical field. This is because external electrical field causes the electric charges within the cage's conducting material to be distributed such that they cancel the field's effect in the cage's interior. HECS Aquatic built a conductive grid that attenuates electrical fields into their wetsuit. 'HECS is made with a conductive carbon fibre mesh designed to reduce your electrical energy field,' the company website says. Mr Elliott is not the only one to enjoy the proximity of creatures of the deep after donning the wetsuit. 'I've noticed a marked difference in how close I can approach certain marine life underwater while wearing the HECS suit a worthwhile advantage for any cameraman,' said Dave Abbot, a filmmaker in New Zealand. '[The] first time diving in my HECS suit I got all three cray species in the one dive. I never thought it would be possible or this easy,' said Jordan Murley, a marine biologist. 'The crays were slow or non responsive to touch and movement when I was wearing the HECS suit.' 'During a recent trip to the Bahamas I had the opportunity to wear the HECS dive skin,' said Jason Scanlon, a diving instructor. 'During the first set of dives I started to notice that most of the wild life ignored me and would swim around and near me as if I wasnt even there. 'I was able to get very close to the life, which allowed me to capture photos and video that others on the dive could not. As the week progressed I noticed that most of the life would treat me as if I were one of them instead of an intruder into their space, some even ran into me.' The wetsuit is available starting from $399 (300) in Europe, Australia and New Zealand and $449 (338) in the US, Canada and Mexico. Mr Elliott pictured in the wetsuite with a sandbar and galapago sharks. The sandbar shark is also called the thickskin shark or brown shark. It is one of the biggest coastal sharks in the world. Galapagos sharks are active predators often encountered in large groups. The technology 'blocks 95 per cent of the electrical signals given off by your muscle movement,' Ricky Elliott said in a YouTube video (above) explaining how it works. Shown in picture swimming alongside a poisonous stingray. Mr Elliott is not the only one to enjoy the proximity of creatures of the deep after donning the wetsuit. 'I've noticed a marked difference in how close I can approach certain marine life underwater while wearing the HECS suit a worthwhile advantage for any cameraman,' said Dave Abbot, a filmmaker in New Zealand. The award on the South China Sea dispute has proven that the arbitration tribunal has degenerated into a political tool of external powers, the Peoples Daily said on Tuesday. The arbitration is a political provocation and its true purpose is to violate Chinas territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and interests over the islands features in the South China Sea, noted the editorial published under the pen name Zhong Sheng, a homonym in Chinese for voice of China that is often used to express the paper's views on foreign policy. The following is an abridged translation of the editorial: The arbitration tribunal announced its award on the South China Sea dispute on Tuesday. It is ridiculous that this award supports every single illegal claim unilaterally made by the Philippines. Such a biased award has exposed to the world that, from the very beginning, the arbitration lacked any legal basis or fairness and is nothing more than a political farce. In truth, the arbitration is a political provocation and its true purpose is to violate Chinas territorial sovereignty, maritime rights, and interests over the islands features in the South China Sea. Whenever the law is used as a tool of political manipulation, it loses impartiality. The tribunals actions during the arbitration prove that the court has degenerated into agent of external powers who only seek their own benefit. Through this case, the Philippines has sought to overturn the dashed-line established by China in the South China Sea and to undermine Chinas maritime rights and interests by arguing that Chinas historic rights in the sea are in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Throughout the arbitration process, the tribunal has run counter to the basic principles of UNCLOS and neglected international customary laws that carry the same legal force. Founded on international customary law, the historic rights of China in the South China Sea came long before UNCLOS. Moreover, UNCLOS never established unified provisions concerning historic rights nor did it state that it would replace historic rights. Instead, UNCLOS has respected historic rights by classifying such rights under customary international law. Another appeal of the Aquino administration is concerning the legal status of several reefs and islands in the South China Sea. Although the tribunal is fully aware of the fact that it has no jurisdiction over disputes concerning territory and sovereignty, it turned a blind eye to the Philippines' intention to undermine China's sovereignty by putting forward the so-called islands-legal-status appeal. The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines published a Q&A document at the start of the arbitration, claiming that the case aimed to protect its territory and waters. Such a statement shows that the case is related to territory and sovereignty from the very beginning. To achieve its illegal motives, the tribunal deliberately packaged the case as a non-sovereignty issue by fragmentizing the Nansha Islands. Such a move, which overstepped the tribunals authority and abused Chinas rights, went far beyond UNCLOS jurisdiction. Moreover, some of the arbitrators of the case, notably Alfred Soons, completely steered away from their previous stances concerning the relation between the legal status of the islands and maritime delimitation. Such quick betrayal, almost incomprehensible from academic perspective, adds to the lingering doubts over the tribunals legal consciousness and impartiality. In addition, the tribunal totally disregarded the procedures that should be upheld in judicial practice. The Chinese Society of International Law and many other academic institutions have already challenged and criticized these practices in previous reports. For example, in its reference to relevant international arbitration cases, the tribunal deliberately avoided the general practices used in most cases, only adopting a few highly-controversial and examples or opinions which support its pre-determined conclusions. When it came to the presentation of facts, the court turned a blind eye to or disparaged factual information that favored China. The fundamental value of international justice and arbitration lies in its fairness and objectivity. Looking back at the behavior of the arbitration tribunal, it has derailed from the right track from the very start. This farce has finally come to a close. Chinas sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea will not be affected by this so-called arbitration under any circumstances. Nor will China accept any actions based on such a verdict award. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the value of political dialogue following the NATO-Russia Council on Wednesday (13 July 2016). Today we had very useful discussions. We addressed some of the most important issues on the Euro-Atlantic security agenda. This shows the value of the NATO-Russia Council, he said. The NATO-Russia Council discussed the crisis in and around Ukraine and the need to fully implement the Minsk agreements. NATO Allies made clear that they stand united in their support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. All signatories to the Minsk agreements have to stick to their commitments, and Russia has a significant responsibility in this regard, said Mr. Stoltenberg. He stressed that Russias actions in Ukraine have undermined Euro-Atlantic security, as well as NATO-Russia relations. He added that a settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine by peaceful means would contribute to an overall improvement in the relations between NATO and Russia. Transparency and risk reduction was also a topic of discussion. NATO briefed Russia on Warsaw Summit decisions, and Russia briefed NATO Allies on their analysis and the steps they are taking. The Russian delegation also raised a proposal on air safety in the Baltic Sea. I welcome that Russia has signalled that it wants to pursue risk reduction measures, said the Secretary General. The security situation in Afghanistan was also discussed. Mr. Stoltenberg highlighted NATO's decisions at the Warsaw Summit to sustain the Alliances military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2016 with current troop levels and to continue funding for the Afghan security forces until 2020. The NATO Secretary General underlined that the NATO-Russia Council remains an important forum for dialogue. There was not a meeting of the minds today. But it was an important opportunity to clarify our positions to each other, he said. Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow discussed recent developments in NATO-Ukraine relations with Ukraines Acting Chief of Mission Yehor Bozhok on Thursday (14 July 2016). They discussed the outcome of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at the Warsaw Summit on 9 July, which brought Allied leaders together with President Poroshenko. At the Summit, Allies reaffirmed their firm support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, and encouraged the government to continue implementing reforms. Allies endorsed a Comprehensive Assistance Package to support reforms in key areas, notably in the security and defence sector, and to help Ukraine better provide for its own security. The Deputy Secretary General also briefed Mr. Bozhok on the NATO-Russia Council of 13 July, at which the crisis in and around Ukraine was discussed. Ambassador Vershbow underlined that Allies and Russia have profound and persistent disagreements on the crisis. He stressed that Allies expressed firm support for Ukraine, and for a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the conflict, as well as the immediate need to sustain a comprehensive ceasefire at the line of contact. On July 13, news of a student in Henan splashing her teacher with ink after getting caught cheating on an exam became a popular story online. The student, surnamed Yu, was apprehended by a teacher, surnamed Mo, during her school's final exams. After being caught, Yu quickly planned her revenge. The next day, Yu intentionally splashed ink onto Mo, claiming that her father was the deputy director of a police department, and that Yu could never be punished under the law as long as she was in her fathers jurisdiction. Based on photos of the incident, ink splashed onto Mo's face, neck and dress, and Mo also had several scratches on her arms. It was later revealed that Yus father is indeed the deputy director of the police department in Henan's Huangchuan county. The incident is still under investigation. Top six popular products that could slowly be killing your family and pets: Never relinquish control of your home environment Roundup weed killer contains 50 percent glyphosate and is WAY more toxic than most people think (NaturalNews) You can clean up your food, and you can clean up your medicine, but if you don't "detoxify" your home and the products you use there, you'll be left wondering why your organic food and natural medicine still aren't preventing you from catching colds, suffering from allergies and being diagnosed with diseases and disorders you thought you had under complete control. Powerful forces are secretly at work that are making you sick and slow. They undermine your day-to-day activities, making you lethargic, depressed, stressed, sick and wondering what's wrong. Medical doctors have no advice to offer in this realm. There's no schooling that teaches this.#1.: The world's most popular and highly toxic weed killer that consists of about 50 percent glyphosate, was deemed a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organization's IARC.#2.: Yes, tap water is a by-product of Big Pharma and the chemical industries in China, as it contains other people's medications, toxic sodium fluoride (imported from China), artificial sweeteners, heavy metal toxins like lead and aluminum, bleach and much more.#3.: From Lysol to Febreze, people spray horrific chemicals all over the bathroom and kitchen, soaking, lacing, andtheir walls, floors, countertops, food, air and lungs with some of the most toxic ingredients on earth.#4.: Burn baby burn! Lung cancer is not just reserved for smokers and those inhaling that secondhand smoke. Over 90 percent of candles sold today are loaded with toxins that go straight into your lungs, never to escape.#5.: Lotions, perfumes, colognes, powders, cosmetics, deodorants, toothpaste and mouthwash sadly, the personal care products and cosmetics industries are even less regulated than food and medicine, as inregulated at all. Corporations could just as well put snake venom in your mouthwash and get away with it.#6.: This one most people don't even think twice about. Only high quality water filters, like the Big Berkey , filter all the toxins from tap water. Make your own ice with clean water!Life can be beautiful and a blast, or it can be a walking, talking nightmare. How do you feel right now? What's your outlook? Are your dreams coming true, or falling apart? Your health and happiness can be invaded and disturbed in three major realms: First, there's what you eat and drink; then there's what you put on your skin, hair, nails, teeth, etc; and lastly, there's the environment all around you including inside and outside your home , in addition to your workplace. You may or may not have complete control over the toxins at your workplace, but you certainly do at home. Take control today, and never relinquish it again.Since there are over 70,000 toxins approved by the FDA for food and beverages, it's overwhelming to try to filter them all, and that's why cancer iscommon in the USA. Eating clean is a huge start, and is part of a lifestyle that fosters longevity and prosperity. But that's just the beginning. Many of today's allergy and headache sufferers watch what they eat and drink and put on their skins, but completely ignore the chemicals that float around their homes, settling on furniture, on countertops and getting into the lungs of all in the family. So many health problems are exacerbated by cheap products that infect your immediate surroundings.So, stop eating cancer and stop spraying it around your house. Throw that toxic weed killer in the trash can, get rid of that horrific flea killer "bomb," and toss those expensive Yankee candles in a dumpster. It's over. You're done creating and fueling sickness. It's time to create and fuel "awesomeness," by taking control of everything that fuels ideal health and happiness.There are currentlyregulations on glyphosate to protect humans, animals or agriculture. It's absolutely astonishing and unbelievable. Despite hundreds of tests, and independent, reliable studies that have been conducted that expose glyphosate as a major threat to human health, the FDA and EPA still rely solely on safety tests done by the manufacturer, so no safety regulations are put in place.The chemical is absorbed through foliage and even seeps into roots. Glyphosate is also used as a drying agent that is sprayed heavily on crops, including wheat and sugarcane, just before harvesting for storage in silos. According to TruthWiki (the new, honest health encyclopedia online), the term "Roundup Ready" means the crop's seeds are genetically engineered to contain the toxic and deadly herbicide. Scientific correlations have also been made between glyphosate and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).Also, glyphosate, one of the deadly ingredients in Agent Orange used in Vietnam, will now be used to "carpet bomb" American agriculture. In fact, all over the world, Roundup-resistant weeds are a growing problem for all countries that grow GM crops, and it's no coincidence. Farmers that spread the deadly herbicide are committing suicide in record numbers, after battling fits of depression that come directly from constant exposure to the toxin. Solution? Look for the USDA certified organic label, buy from local honest farmers, and grow your own food using organic soil, organic seeds and clean water. Oh yeah, anduse Roundup! The inception of Non Toxic Irvine The importance of grassroots activism and independent research (NaturalNews) The efforts of four Southern Californian moms have succeeded in transforming the city of Irvine into the region's first pesticide-free community , proving that grassroots-level activism can accomplish more in protecting children from exposure to deadly toxins than relying on state and federal regulators to do so.When Laurie Thompson's 2-year-old daughter Caelin was diagnosed with brain cancer, Laurie began hearing about other similar cases in the community. In fact, there were 16 cases of cancer reported among Irvine children between the ages of 1 and 15 many of whom had developed brain cancer leading Thompson to begin wondering whether there might be an environmental cause.Thompson was particularly concerned about the spraying of pesticides in the community, including glyphosate the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), which was one of the main ingredients in the notorious Vietnam-era defoliant, Agent Orange.Glyphosate, the most widely-used herbicide in the history of the world, has been labeled by the World Health Organization as being "likely carcinogenic," and has been linked to a number of other illnesses, including birth defects, diabetes, liver disease and obesity, to name a few.Exposure to 2,4-D has also been linked to cancer, infertility and birth defects. 2,4-D is also an endocrine-disruptor, which means that it can "mimic or inhibit" the body's hormones, leading to thyroid disorders and other hormonal imbalances.Thompson soon learned that she wasn't the only Irvine mom with concerns about pesticide use in the community. (Note: although glyphosate and 2,4-D are technically considered herbicides, they fall under the general classification of pesticides, which includes both herbicides and insecticides).Irvine resident Ayn Craciun, who suffered a miscarriage 11 weeks into her pregnancy, was also concerned about the spraying of pesticides in the community, and suspected that they might have caused her to lose her baby.Two other concerned Irvine moms, Kathleen Hallal and Kim Konte, joined forces with Craciun and Thompson to create Non Toxic Irvine, an organization whose intent was to make Irvine the first pesticide-free city in Orange County.Non Toxic Irvine enlisted a team of scientific advisers, including several doctors, professors and other experts, and began a successful campaign to inform the public about the dangers of pesticide use and the fact that there are no "safe" levels for toxic chemicals.The campaign resulted in the eventual ban on the use ofpesticides in Irvine.From"The City Council voted 5-0 to eliminate the use of toxic pesticides, making Irvine not only the first city in Orange County to eliminate these chemicals from the landscaping plan, but also the first city in all of Southern California to adopt an organic, integrated pest-management program, which eliminates the use of synthetic pesticides, such as Roundup and 2,4 D, under all circumstances and incorporates manual removal, weed whacking and, if necessary, the use of organic pesticides as a means for weed abatement."The victory in Irvine illustrates the potential of grassroots activism to bring about positive change on the local level, but it also calls attention to the serious issue of pesticide use and the associated health hazards in nearly all communities.Pesticide residues are among the many dangerous toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis. To learn more about the toxins lurking in our food supply, for instance, be sure to purchase a copy of Food Forensics , the new book by Health Ranger Mike Adams, founder/editor ofIn, you'll find out just how much poison is present in many of the foods we buy even those labeled as organic and how to minimize your exposure to these dangerous chemicals and heavy metals.The bottom line is that we cannot rely on the government and its regulatory agencies to inform and protect us against exposure to toxins. We must rely on the independent efforts of people like the Health Ranger to uncover the truth, and we must organize at the local level to bring about change, as the four Irvine moms have proven is entirely possible. GMO 'science' is not valid Why the difference in trust? (NaturalNews) Americans who claim "progressive" as their political mantle are an odd bunch. Some would say they are like a mystery wrapped in an enigma surrounded by a riddle. And they tend to be a little hypocritical in their thinking.Take the issue of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and mass vaccination. The way progressives feel about one should actually dictate how they feel about the other, but the opposite is true: How they view GMOs is nothing like how they view mass vaccination, though they claim their viewpoint in both cases is based onFirst, GMOs.Earlier this month, the Senate voted to essentially deny Americans the right to know exactly what is in their food, by nullifying a clear and concise (and popular) law in Vermont requiring that all food labels list genetically modified substances. In fact, in addition to nullifying the Vermont statute, the Senate measure, if it becomes law, will effectively preempt and nullifyto require food makers to list GMOs on their labels.As reported by, if the bill makes it to President Obama's desk and he signs it, the food industry will win what will essentially be voluntary labeling requirements under legislation that is being touted as a GMO labeling "compromise." In actuality, it does not mandate any recalls, fines or penalties for non-compliance, so, in other words, companies can basically ignore it with impunity, much like Washington and Colorado have been allowed to ignore federal statutes prohibiting the sale and recreational use of marijuana (which is a).Most progressives are against GMOs and for good reason: The science behind them is questionable because so much of it has been, so to speak, by Big Food.We've proven that here at Natural News. In a September 2015 report founder/editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, pointed out thatspilled the beans on a host of so-called "academic experts" who were nothing more than shills for Monsanto and the biotech industry which produces GMOs in general.Their "science," then, was little more than propaganda, as Adams noted:Progressives instead believe the independent research that says GMOs, over the long term, are detrimental to our health, and that's why they oppose GMOs.Now, the mass vaccination issue.Here, progressives tend to believeand recommendations that claim mass vaccination is 100 percent safe, effective and reliable, when several studies and the existence of the federal government's own vaccine injury fund should prove otherwise. You can read our coverage on this here , but a sampling of the evidence that official vaccine dogma is bogus includes:-- From 2011, a report by Adams noted that the Institutes of Medicine, long a front group for Big Pharma, which received tens of millions a year in annual funding from drug companies and globalists like Bill Gates and Ted Turner, issued a report declaring that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine waslinked to autism. But thestory, not reported widely in the traditional media, "still openly admits that vaccines cause measles, febrile seizures, anaphylactic shock and other potentially fatal side effects," Adams wrote.-- From 2014, a report noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionthat seasonal flu shots were all but worthless. And a a January report from this year that further noted thatwasn't very effective, either. And yet, more and more we are mandated by companies, by government and by academic institutions to get a flu vaccine.One way to better overall health that most researchers can agree on, by the way, is via better nutritional support for our immune systems As for man-caused global warming, progressives latch onto this issue too, as though it were real, when there is well-documented evidence that warming istaking place. In fact, on average, the earth is cooling , not warming, and that's a trend that has been occurring for years. But progressives swallow the government science lie that warming is taking place, humans are responsible, and that most climate scientists agree, which is also not true . Confusing. A bevy of cases Having a license issued by government is no guarantee of protection (NaturalNews) In January 2002, a report the first in a lengthy, Pulitzer Prize-winning series shocked the world of Catholicism to its core when it revealed that a beloved local parish priest had sexually abused choir boys for over three decades.What's worse, the Globe reported that the offending priest, Fr. John J. Geoghan, was known by the Catholic hierarchy to be sexually abusive of children, but was moved from parish to parish in a concerted effort to hide his behavior. From there, the story grew, and more priests were eventually identified.The same pattern appears to be repeating itself in the medical community. As reported by thein its own special report, doctors all over the country are betraying their patients' trust by engaging in physical and verbal acts of sexual abuse. And like the priest scandal, many of those doctors are allowed to continue practicing.In conducting its national investigation, the paper found more than 3,100 cases of sexually abusive doctor-initiated patient contact, 2,400 of whom were disciplined, but not always run out of the industry.In Missouri, one physician asked a woman who wasif she liked being tied up and urinated on, and whether she was easily stimulated.In Texas, a doctor fondled female patients' breasts during exams and pressed his erections up against them.In New Mexico, for years a physician performed genital exams under anesthesia that she claimed were part of necessary screening for ear, nose and throat patients , even though the patients had not given their consent.In California, a male psychiatrist put his hand down a female patient's blouse, took out one of her breasts and put his mouth on it, while exposing himself and ejaculating into her hand.In Kentucky, a male doctor examining an infection on a female patient's abdomen told her she had sexy underwear before he rubbed her genital area and placed his mouth on it.The paper noted further:Some of the worst abuse included rapes by OB/GYNs, psychiatrists who seduced vulnerable patients, fondling by anesthesiologists and ophthalmologists, and outright molestations by pediatricians and radiologists. What's more, the victims were diverse: babies and 80-year-old women; jail inmates; drug addicts; evenWhile some physicians were disciplined after a single episode of sexual misconduct, more than half were not, the paper found.How does this happen? How are doctors permitted to get away with such regular abuse of their patients?Investigators found a number of reasons. Some patients stay silent over shame. Some say they don't speak up because they don't think their word will be believed over the testimony of a physician.Another reason is that nursing and support staff either condone the abuse or don't reveal it, essentially making themselves accessories.The investigation also found that hospitals and medical organizations do what the Catholic Church did with some priests for decades: They quietly move doctors around or push them out without reporting them to police, in an attempt to protect their own reputations. Sometimes, like the Church, they simply brush off accusations.Offenders are also often given second chances by medical review boards.Talk radio host Ronald Scott Bell talked recently about thereport, noting in particular that it well-justified his long-held view that government licensure is no guarantee of competence or safety. He's right of course; just because someone has to obtain a government-issued license or permit does not mean he or she won't abuse someone's trust.While the vast majority of doctors arepredators, the paper noted, you can improve your chances of staying safe in a number of ways , like by avoiding the need to visit the doctor in the first place, with better nutrition. Chicago and Boulder already glyphosate-free, proving that green spaces can be properly managed without Monsanto (NaturalNews) Is your favorite public park a green, weed-free oasis? Chances are if it looks too manicured to be true, it's brimming with chemical herbicides like glyphosate that are putting you, your children and your pets at risk.Many cities spray these poisons by theper year on grass and in flowerbeds to keep things looking tidy, but at a huge price: Many of these chemicals are linked to neurological damage, birth defects and cancer.In New York City alone, local governments apply more than 100,000 pounds of pesticides annually in green spaces, and that amount is constantly increasing. According to a parks report from 2014, NYC parks workers applied pesticides 162,584 times that year, the immense scope of which you can see visually in the following infographic (compliments of parks data compiled by the performance activist group, Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir):As you can see, glyphosate in the form of Monsanto's "Roundup Pro Max" herbicide is being appliedthroughout New York City, without the public's consent. Most New Yorkers and those visiting the city aren't aware of this mass chemical poisoning, because it isn't visible to the naked eye, save for the artificial uniformity it creates in the natural landscape.The average onlooker sees the result of these chemicals as beauty look, no weeds! but little does he or she realize what's hiding beneath the surface . As children traipse through all those lush blades, they pick up traces of a chemical that the World Health Organization (WHO) agrees is probably carcinogenic, meaning it causes cancer.Glyphosate has also been shown in independent studies to damage vital organs even at very low levels and environmentally to strip growing plants of nutrients, rendering our food crops nutritionally deficient.The even worse news is that New York City isn't the only place where glyphosate is used: San Francisco, Seattle, Oakland, Portland, Philadelphia and many other major cities use this popular weedkiller in their public spaces as well."It is not acceptable that ourselves, our children and the animals we share our community with are being routinely exposed to these chemicals whether we like it or not," says Elli Rivers , founder of a campaign in the UK seeking to stop the spraying of glyphosate in Salisbury city parks."This is a matter of great importance for those of us who care about each other's health and the health of our children, our cats, our dogs and all the flora and fauna of this city, of course including our beloved bees."The Toxics Action Center (TAC) advises against the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, advocating instead for integrative lawn management strategies that focus on soil pH, water retention and soil compactness. If a lawn is mowed correctly and the soil in which it's grown is managed properly, weeds and even insects can be avoided.TAC's full report on how to grow a truly "green" lawn is available here Other major cities like Chicago and Boulder are already utilizing some of these green practices both urban areas have banned the use of glyphosate but there's still a lot of work to be done elsewhere.The New York City Parks Department has also indicated its willingness to adopt an alternative management approach that would "reduce the need for these herbicides," an open-minded position that we hope many other cities will adopt as well. Chlorella , in case you weren't aware, is a powerful detoxifying nutrient that's helped many people overcome health damage caused by pesticide exposure. More people need to speak out Coleman calls idea of herd immunity 'insane' Vaccine adjuvant likely behind the paralysis (NaturalNews) At just 17 months of age, Otto Coleman's life changed drastically and suddenly. After receiving a shocking number of vaccines 37 to be exact he ended up being paralyzed with transverse myelitis, and will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.His father, Joshua Coleman, said that he took a close look at his son's vaccination records and was startled by what he found. "At seventeen months old, he had received thirty-seven vaccines, which is about three times the amount I got in my entire adult life."He said that doctors initially gave him the runaround, despite initial MRIs pointing to vaccine injury as the likely culprit . Incidentally, this was later proven to be the cause at Johns Hopkins. He says that doctors did not seem too interested in investigating to pinpoint what made his son go from being a normal toddler who was walking and running to someone who would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He says no one told him about the Vaccine Injury Court, and he was taken by surprise by the expenses that were involved in taking care of his paraplegic son. That's why he fought against SB277.Coleman points out that while autism rightfully garners a lot of attention as a part of vaccine injury, it's not the only type of vaccine injury people need to worry about. This does a great disservice to those who have non-autism vaccine injuries, particularly when such a big segment of society still erroneously believes that the link between vaccines and autism has not been proven, and that there is therefore nothing to worry about when it comes to vaccines.He says that when people ask him why his son is wheelchair-bound, he doesn't hesitate to tell them it's because of a vaccine injury, and most people respond that they have never heard of vaccine injury. He finds this particularly concerning given the fact that many times the people saying this are parents themselves, which means they are vaccinating their children without being aware of the risks.Coleman says that although there is a vocal group of people banding together to try to bring about change, more people need to speak up and fight, especially medical professionals.In an interview with Age of Autism , Coleman mentions that it has become a political issue. He feels that if Hillary Clinton becomes president, federal vaccine mandates will come down that will be nearly impossible to fight against. He says that Donald Trump , on the other hand, has acknowledged that vaccines do cause autism, and that the vaccine program is problematic. Coleman feels that a lot of people will vote based on this issue.He also calls out those who claim we need herd immunity in order to protect everyone. He says that the idea is "insane," adding: "There is no product ever that has required every single person on the planet to use it in order for it to work. How convenient for them." 2009 study from the Sheba Medical Center in Israel looked at 37 different cases of transverse myelitis that were linked to vaccines, including MMR, DTP and hepatitis B. They believe that the fact that so many different vaccines are linked to this one autoimmune phenomenon indicates that an adjuvant or other common denominator of the vaccines in question could be the cause.Unfortunately, vaccines are highly profitable for Big Pharma, which is why they will continue to devote a lot of resources to trying to get everyone to get vaccinated, ignoring less profitable yet incredibly healing supplements like turmeric . This means it is up to each individual to educate themselves on the issue of vaccine damage, and make an informed decision for themselves and their children. On 24 April, the distinguished Palestinian astrophysicist Imad Ahmad Barghouthi was arrested and detained without charge by the Israeli military for the second time in less than 18 months (see Nature http://doi.org/bk44 ; 2016). We protest against his imprisonment and renew the call for his release. Once again, it was alleged that Barghouthi made statements on Facebook and on television in opposition to Israeli military attacks and occupation. Subsequent international pressure again contributed to a ruling by the military court of appeals a month later for his release (see go.nature.com/299v9nd). This has not happened. Barghouthi has instead been transferred to a facility run by Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet, for further interrogation. A new computer model for the origin of the universe lends credence to the idea that the Big Bang was actually more of a Big Bounce. If the model is correct, that means our universe will not be facing demise in the form of a Big Crunch several millennia from now - so you can let out a sigh of relief. The Big Bang is the more well-known theory of how the universe came to be: emerging from a singularity of infinite temperature and density. According to Science Alert, the Big Bounce is a similar concept, but it proposes that the expansion of our universe was preceded by a state of contraction. That is, the universe is alternately expanding and contracting - it has done so before, and it will do so again. The idea has been bouncing around since 1922, although the popular nickname did not appear in scientific literature until the '80s. The theory did not manage to gain much acceptance among cosmologists, since Big Bounce theorists have been unable to explain how the universe would be able to transition from the state of contraction to that of expansion. A new study published in Physical Review Letters has come up with a plausible explanation. Penned by Steffen Gielen of the Imperial College London and Neil Turok of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada, the article proposes that when the universe contracts, it becomes so tiny that its physics is defined entirely by quantum mechanics, the science of the very small. Quantum mechanics deals with the world of sub-atomic particles, which is very different from our everyday world of regular matter. Physics is different for objects on a quantum scale. But some cosmologists think that this divide did not exist in the very early universe - back then, physics at the sub-atomic scale would have been the same as physics of much larger matter. Gielen and Turok's model envisions the universe in contraction as experiencing quantum effects that keep it from collapsing permanently in a Big Crunch, instead allowing it to transition into a new expansion. Their model includes the minimal requirements needed for the universe's expansion - that it is filled with radiation and contains almost no matter. Turok says on Phys.org, "The big surprise in our work is that we could describe the earliest moments of the hot Big Bang quantum mechanically, under very reasonable and minimal assumptions about the matter present in the universe. Under these assumptions, the Big Bang was a 'bounce', in which contraction reversed to expansion." The "Transformers" in real life are actually less than an inch big. Water fleas may only just be microscopic in size, but apparently, they are big when it comes to battle. A recent study conducted by researchers in Germany found out that water fleas (Daphnia lumholtzi) are able to grow helmets and spines when faced with predators. And what's even more surprising is that the "armor" that they grow depends on the environment that they are in. So how do they do this? Linda Weiss, a professor at Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany and lead researcher, explained that the water fleas are able to detect scents of their predators through appendages called antennules. Once they detect the scent, it creates brain signals that trigger the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine will then prompt the release of juvenile hormones that trigger the growth of the armor in different parts of their body. "As they grow up and moult, juvenile Daphnia can develop formidable 'armor,' including helmets, spines or crests, when they detect specific chemical cues in the water left by predators such as fish, phantom midge larvae and backswimmers," Weiss told Science Daily. She added that these defenses seem to act like an "anti-lock key system," that interferes somehow with the feeding apparatus of their predators, usually freshwater fish. And since the armor that they grow depends on the type of environment they are exposed to, Weiss said further research on this subject will help in understanding the composition and population ecosystems, especially in fresh waters where water fleas reside. Live Science describes water fleas as usually less than 0.2 inches (5 millimeters) long, and look much like translucent versions of the land-based fleas. UK Microscopy notes that they are very common in fresh water: In Britain. you can find about 80 different species, while about 100 species in The Netherlands. Water fleas are amazing creatures to observe through a microscope. Though tiny, they are interesting to researchers because their internal organs are visible from the outside. At one New York City press conference, Yuri Milner held up a postage stamp-sized device. This, he said, was an early version of the StarChip, a miniature space probe that will hunt for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. TheStreet notes that Milner, a Russian billionaire and physicist, has invested in many tech startups, being one of the earliest buyers of shares in Facebook, Groupon and Twitter. But his most audacious investment to date has him aiming for the stars - literally. Breakthrough Starshot is a $100 million initiative that hopes to build extremely lightweight robotic probes that can travel to Alpha Centauri, the star closest to our solar system. It is 4.37 light-years away. The StarChip probes are intended to arrive there after a journey of 20 years. The idea is for each StarChip to be carried aloft through interstellar space by a lightsail, which looks a lot like a kite. With no wind in space to push the sail, it will be moved using concentrated laser light beamed from the Earth. Propelled in this fashion, the tiny "nanocraft" will supposedly achieve a speed of 100 million miles an hour. Milner attended the Brainstorm Tech 2016 conference in Aspen, Colorado, where he spoke Tuesday on his reasons for investing in the $100 million nanocraft scheme. Fortune reports that he highlighted his personal need to know - which he thought reflected humanity's need to know - the answer to the mystery of whether we are alone in the universe. "According to the latest NASA data, there are about 20 billion planets like ours, with water, just in our galaxy... and there are 100 billion other galaxies. It's hard to believe that we're alone," Milner said, adding that there's a good chance that alien civilizations would use technology like ours, therefore generating radio signals that we can detect. Milner is not alone in his need to know, or his support of the Starshot project. The famous physicist Stephen Hawking is part of the initiative, and so are mathematician Freeman Dyson, former astronaut Mae Jemison and Pete Worden, the recently retired Director of NASA's Ames Research Center. Several Western media outlets have accused China of losing control of its satellite, Tiangong-1, saying that the satellite's freefall could end in a dangerous collision with Earth. Chinese experts have responded to these stories, explaining that the reports are nothing more than ongoing China threat rhetoric. After 1,630 days in orbit, Chinas first space lab Tiangong-1 satellite officially closed its data service in March, and has since been working on exiting orbit, the China Manned Space Engineering (CMSE) website reported. However, amateur astronomers watching the satellite claim that it has gone into freefall, and that parts of the satellite colliding with Earth could end up as a hot molten mass, The Independent reported. If I am right, China will wait until the last minute to let the world know it has a problem with [its] space station It could be a real bad day if pieces of this came down in a populated area, but odds are it will land in the ocean or in an unpopulated area, amateur astronomer Thomas Dorman told Space.com. An anonymous space science expert told Global Times on Wednesday that the reports are inexpert, and that the current situation is completely different from when an early U.S. space lab lost control and entered freefall over Australia and the Indian Ocean. Some Western media tends to hype up Chinese astronomy technology, claiming that we are posing a threat to them. This is basically transferring China threat to space-related topics, he said. The expert also said that smaller spacecraft in near-Earth orbit generally burn up when passing through the atmosphere, and pieces that do not burn up do not constitute a major threat. At the same time, larger spacecraft in near-Earth orbit are usually guided manually to fall into the South Pacific. Since Tiangong-1 first launched in 2011, the satellite has lived up to its life expectancy of two years. During those two years, the satellite successfully entered orbit and docked with spaceships from the Shenzhou series. It also carried out a series of invaluable scientific experiments, according to the CMSE website. Conspiracy theorists are accusing NASA of cutting its International Space Station (ISS) live feed when a mysterious object, believed to be a UFO appeared last July 9. UFO hunters believe that this is part of a cover-up to prevent humans in discovering alien life in space. But experts explain that the ISS feed can sometimes be disrupted due to uncontrollable causes such as loss of broadcast signal. This happens even on Earth and it is not surprising for the ISS to experience the same. But how can the mysterious object be explained? The Internet is bursting with analysis from various individuals, believers and non-believers alike, professing their belief on what could have been captured in the video. "Remember a UFO is an unidentified flying object," said the page administrator who uploaded the video. Although the Youtube page Streetcap1 admitted that it could be a meteor, they highlighted the fact the NASA cut the ISS feed when the object appeared. There's no way to tell whether or not the lost signal was cut due to the object or it just happened unintentionally but conspiracy theorists believe it is the former. But it looks like there's a more logical explanation to this; it could be the Chinese space station cargo satellite Tiangong-1, according to Daily Mail. This is based on reports suggesting that China lost contact with its cargo ship. The cargo ship might be spinning towards Earth in a dangerous manner after China lost contact with it. The first Chinese Space Station Tiangong-1 made news last week when claims proliferated saying it is spiraling towards Earth when China lost control of the spacecraft during a supposedly controlled crash, according to the Independent. It is supposed to land on an inhabited ocean. Another strong theory is that it could be a meteor that naturally roams in space. But despite plausible explanations on what the object could be, conspiracy theorist are asking NASA to explain why the live feed was cut short. This is not the first time NASA and its astronauts were accused of hiding information about UFO. In 2015, astronaut Scott Kelly tweeted a photo of India as seen from space with what initially appeared as a UFO. But it was discovered later on that the cylindrical image capture on the photo was a reflection of an equipment mounted on the ISS itself. Scientists discovered a rare new species of orchids that looks like the devil's head. With a lone population of only 30, the reddish to dark violet-maroon colored orchid grows in a small patch of land in a south Colombian dwarf montane forest between the Putumayo and Narino regions. While it resembles other orchid varieties, the new flower, however, has some unique characteristics. The aptly named Telipogon diabolicus has claw-like petals and, interestingly, its heart-shaped gynostemium looks like a devil's head. The Telipogon diabolicus, which was discovered by Dr. Marta Kolanowska and Prof. Dariusz Szlachetko from the University of Gdansk in Poland, together with Dr. Ramiro Medina Trejo in Colombia, has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, which keeps a list of plants and animals that are threatened with extinction. "This species is only known from the type specimens, which represent one location in [a] highly vulnerable habitat near the main road Pasto-Mocoa," the researchers said in the study, which was published online on PhytoKeys. "It is expected that the current reconstruction of this road will have [a] negative impact on the habitat of T. diabolicus." The new orchid, which grows a stem that measures between 5.5 to 9 cm in height, was discovered by the researchers in 2015 while cataloging different Colombian plant species, which included about 3,600 different orchid species representing almost 250 genera. But according to the researchers, there could be hundreds more that are yet to be discovered. "There is no doubt that hundreds of species occurring in this country remain undiscovered. Only in 2015 over 20 novelties were published based on material collected in Colombia," the researchers said. What is it like to live in a country where emotions run high? In its recent Global Emotions Report, Gallup surveyed 148 countries to determine how often residents feel both positive and negative emotions on a daily basis. The study found that majority of the most emotional countries can be found in Latin America. Here are five of the countries where people either laugh the most, cry, get angry or experience a variety of emotions. 5. Iraq (58%) Iraq ranks high particularly in the negative emotion index. Factors like Saddam Hussein's rule and foreign involvement have contributed to the Iraqis challenging emotions. Iraqis are also fond of listening and playing sad music. 4. Guatemala (58%) According to Portuguese blogger Zara Quiroga, who lives in Antigua, Guatemala, locals are very welcoming and expressive, almost to the point of comfortably sharing intimate personal details to strangers. 3. The Philippines (58%) Filipinos are known to feel intense negative emotions, although they are not expressive or straightforward about how they feel, said Ulysis Cababan in an interview with BBC. According to Cababan, the Filipino culture is very warm, family-oriented and very hospitable. 2. Cambodia (57%) Historical events, such as the reign of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rogue, have left Cambodians in an emotional trauma. According to Kounila Keo of Phnom Penh, Cambodians are very emotional but many, especially the elders, are less expressive of their emotions. 1. Bolivia (59%) According to Gallup's index, Bolivia got the top spot, where 60 percent of people feel a surge of positive and negative emotions on any given day. In an interview with BBC, Pauline Kucharew, who lived in Sucre, said that locals tend to be welcoming, warm, open and curious. The country is less frequented by tourists, and because of this, residents - especially in the rural areas - tend to be overly shy. Apart from the countries mentioned, other highly emotional countries included in the list are El Salvador (59%), Ecuador (58%), Nicaragua (58%), Colombia (57%) and Costa Rica (57%). A waking volcano on the outskirts of Rome has the potential to erupt as violently as Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed Pompeii. That's not likely to happen in the immediate future, but volcanologists are nevertheless keeping a watchful eye on recent rumblings of the Alban Hills in Italy. Pompeii vanished under a plume of volcanic ash followed by fiery pyroclastic flows in 79 AD. Since that time, Mt. Vesuvius has erupted many times, most recently in 1944, though not to such a devastating degree again. Vesuvius is currently the only active volcano found in mainland Europe. Colli Albani (Alban Hills) is the name for a cluster of hills that lies 12 miles (24 km) to the southeast of Rome. Although known to be the site of a volcanic complex, Colli Albani has not ever had an eruption in human history. The last time it erupted was 36,000 years ago. Colli Albani was therefore thought to be an extinct volcano until recently. Scientists have started to detect tectonic movement and new steam vent formation in the area, reports the GeoSpace blog. The landscape around Colli Albani has been found to be rising slowly, pushed up by pressure exerted by a huge magma "bubble" deep in the earth. In addition, scientists have collected new geophysical evidence of past eruptions and gathered information from satellite observations. The researchers have published their findings in Geophysical Research Letters, offering the conclusion that Colli Albani is entering into a new eruptive cycle and is likely to erupt one day. Fortunately, that day is 1,000 years in the future, by the volcanologists' reckoning. But when it does happen, it will probably be a massive explosion. The eruption will send immense clouds of fiery ash and smoke far out the countryside. Rocks will be hurled down on nearby cities, including Rome, whose metropolitan center is presently 19 miles (30 km) away from Colli Albani. So far, the main effect of the Colli Albani awakening has been a series of small earthquakes that lightly rocked Rome from 1991 to 1995, according to LiveScience. Scientists have unearthed something strange in Argentina: A fossil from a two-legged carnivorous dinosaur with a big body, but tiny arms just like the Tyrannosaurus Rex. According to the study published in the journal PLOS ONE, the strange meat-eating reptile is called Gualicho shinyae. Gualicho is from a spirit revered by the Tehuelche in Patagonia called "Gualichu," while shinyae is derived from the famous discoverer Akiko Shinya. Standing at an estimated 20 to 26 feet, the Gualicho shinyae is a bipedal theropod that features very short forelimbs at about two feet, with each arm having two fingered claws. "Something totally new has been discovered, a new lineage that we didn't know of before," said palaeontologist Sebastian Apesteguia in a conference, as quoted by The New York Times Gizmodo notes that even though it has similar features with the T. rex, it is totally unrelated to it. Belonging to a different family tree means that the Gualicho shinyae's physical features evolved independently through parallel evolution along with other dinosaur species. Gualicho is kind of a mosaic dinosaur, it has features that you normally see in different kinds of theropods, said Peter Makovicky, co-author of the study. He notes the newly discovered species is unique and does not fit with other categories of carnivorous dinosaurs. However, further studies are needed to know the reason behind the Gualicho's small arms and similarity with the T. rex. "Why did this species have a reduction regarding the size of their arms, having only two fingers similar to a Tyrannosaurus? That's something that we still don't know. But we need to investigate it," Apesteguia said. China and the EU will form a joint working group to monitor China's steel export volume and to solve the country's overcapacity issue, announced Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, at a press conference on Wednesday. This decision was made by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang together with the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk. Li and Tusk formalized the agreement at a small meeting held before the 11th EU-China Business Summit on July 13. Juncker expressed his hope to Premier Li that the EU could gain access to clearer figures about China's steel exports. "According to China's official statistics, the export volume increased by 28 percent in the first quarter of the year, but the price decreased by 31 percent," Juncker explained during the press conference. Juncker said the new working group will monitor the export volume of steel in order to evaluate whether China is taking effective measures to control its overcapacity. Speaking at the 11th EU-China Business Summit, Premier Li said that although China faces a big challenge from the overcapacity, nearly 90 percent of the country's steel is used for urbanization and infrastructure purposes in central and western China. He also said that China imposes a 20 percent tarrif on steel. At a press conference in May, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that only 7.6 percent of Chinas exported steel goes to Europe, and only 14 percent of the EUs imported steel comes from China. It therefore makes no sense to blame the malaise of Europe's steel industry on China, Hua added. Juncker said that he has discussed China's economic position with various Chinese leaders, and that he hopes the European Council will be able to deliver a final decision after the scheduled discussion on July 20. Prosecutors filed additional charges Wednesday against the accused San Jose cat killer. Robert Farmer is now accused of killing up to 21 cats, more than double the amount he was charged with last year. The new charges stem from missing cats, and DNA of those cats allegedly found in Famer's car and clothing. The prospector called it the Jane Doe approach, where a body has not been found, but DNA links a suspect to a missing person who presumed dead. "I filed a second amended felony complaint, adding 11 felony counts of animal cruelty for 11 additional victims we were able to obtain the identity through DNA analysis," Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Ellis said. Investigators said Farmer was caught on surveillance cameras last year trying to round up on of his alleged victims. The cats were sometimes mutilated and abused, according to investigators. When police arrested Farmer, they said there was a dead cat in his car. The incident occurred in San Jose's Cambrian Park neighborhood. On Wednesday, animal rights activists and cat lovers gathered outside the Hall of Justice during Famer's arraignment on the new charges. Other carried pictures of their cats, saying they were among Farmer's victims. "I think it's understandable," Ellis said of the response from activists and cat lovers. "Pets are family members to many people and I'm sure there's a sentiment to many people that animals don't get as much justice as people do in the criminal justice system, which isn't true from our perspective." If convicted on all counts, Farmer can now spend up to 16 years in prison. A California Highway Patrol officer was injured in a crash while responding Wednesday afternoon to a pursuit on eastbound Interstate Highway 80 in unincorporated Solano County near American Canyon, a CHP spokesman said. The crash was reported shortly before 1:45 p.m. on eastbound Highway 80 near the exit to American Canyon Road, CHP Officer Dave Harvey said. A motorcycle officer was responding to the pursuit when he fell down onto the roadway with the motorcycle, Harvey said. No other vehicles were involved and investigators are trying to determine why he crashed. The officer was taken by medical helicopter to a hospital to be treated for his injuries. An update on his condition was not immediately available. The medical response and investigation into the crash has prompted the closure of all eastbound lanes of Highway 80, which reopened at about 4:30 p.m. No information was immediately available about the pursuit the officer was responding to. The PG&E federal jury asked for relief Wednesday from the seemingly endless questioning of witnesses while the judge lashed out at the constantly bickering lawyers in the case. After a month of testimony, U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson urged defense lawyers to expedite their cross examination of government. Were so far behind in the predicted eight-week timetable for the prosecution case, lets move faster, the judge said. He also asked whether the jury would be willing to extend the court day by as much as two hours, given that it currently ends at 1:30 p.m. Jurors agreed to stay longer, but in a note to the judge, they asked the attorneys to commit to be succinct. Neither prosecutors nor the defense responded when Henderson mentioned the jurys plea. Earlier this week, Henderson lamented about the seemingly endless evidence disputes, saying that the case was the most awful trial he has ever presided over in his more than three decades on the bench. The bickering continued Wednesday after testimony ended. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Schenk presented the court with a box of documents PG&Es entire articles of incorporation citing the defenses refusal to agree that PG&E fell under the definitions of a company under federal pipeline safety regulations. Lead defense lawyer Steve Bauer said he was happy to stipulate that PG&E was indeed a company. Im tired of this, the normally low-key judge thundered in response to the dispute. This is outrageous. Henderson sarcastically suggested that any contact between the two sides should be tape recorded and vouched for by five witnesses before being summarized to the court. In the end, he said, the attorneys should stop making arguments on evidence disputes before him and instead make legal motions. I dont know how to sift through this to find out who is telling the truth and what is going on. Prince Harry took an HIV blood test live through Facebook on Thursday to show how easy it is be checked, NBC News reported. Video of the test, which was completed at a London hospital and included an unidentified health worker's explanation, was streamed live on the British royal family's Facebook page. "It is amazing how quick it is," the 31-year-old Harry said. His test came back negative. He added, "So whether you're a man, woman, gay, straight, black or white even ginger why wouldn't you come and have a test?" Prince Harry announced on Thursday he will attend the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, on July 20. The Double Door must vacate its Wicker Park space, a judge ruled Thursday, according to the Chicago Tribune. The iconic music venues lease in the 1500 block of N Milwaukee Ave expired at the end of October 2015, an attorney for the property's owners said in December. The landlord then took to Cook County Circuit Court just days after the lease expired to push for the eviction. Attorney Bonita Stone said the building's lease states that the tenants had to ask to have their lease extended 180 days before it ended. She claimed the Double Door did not do that, and the property owners filed a forcible detainer complaint. "From my perspective the lease is clear and it's kind of game over," Stone said in December. Representatives for Double Door did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but the venue has shows scheduled through November, according to their online calendar. According to the Tribune, the judge asked the Double Door and the property owner to return to court in August to determine when the club must vacate the premises. Sen. Mark Kirk made it clear Thursday that he would not back presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump Thursday, even if he names Indiana Gov. Mike Pence his running mate. I like and respect Mike Pence but I will not be supporting Donald Trump, Kirk said in a statement Thursday. He does not have the temperament to serve as our Commander in Chief. Trump is set to announce his vice presidential pick on Friday at 11 a.m. in Manhattan. Kirk, who served with Pence in Congress, told Bloomberg that he hopes Pence gets the nod to be Trumps running mate Thursday, saying I love Mike. Kirk explained that during their time together in the House, the senator represented moderate Republicans while Pence represented conservatives. After being asked if hed back Trump if Pence became his running mate, Kirk said well see. A spokesperson later clarified that the senator wouldnt back Trump either way. The Democratic Party of Illinois responded to Kirks comments to Bloomberg Thursday, claiming the senator is getting his wish and extreme social conservative Mike Pence will be ignorant buffoon Donald Trumps running mate. Kirk even opened the door to supporting Trump again if Trump were to pick his friend Pence, DPI spokesperson Sean Savett said in a statement. While Kirk has gone to great lengths to try and disavow his Republican roots, its worth noting his enthusiasm for Pence, a staunch conservative with a history of attacking womens reproductive rights and who signed one of the countrys most discriminatory anti-LGBQT bills into law. Last month, Kirk rescinded his tacit endorsement of the divisive billionaire after Trump made a series of inflammatory statements about the heritage of a Hispanic judge presiding over civil fraud lawsuits against his beleaguered Trump University. Kirk called the comments un-American. As the presidential campaign progressed, I was hoping the rhetoric would tone down and reflect a campaign that was inclusive, thoughtful and principled, Kirk said at the time. While I oppose the Democratic nominee, Donald Trumps latest statements, in context with past attacks on Hispanics, women and the disabled like me, make it certain that I cannot and will not support my partys nominee for president regardless of the political impact on my candidacy or the Republican party." This comes after months of walking a veritable Trump tightrope. In a March exclusive, Kirk told NBC Chicago that he would support Trump if he were the Republican presidential nominee. Then in May, Kirk told USA Today that he would be willing to serve as a national security advisor to Trump. I had my reservations, Kirk said at the time. Ive been thinking, in an age of Trump where you dont know the direction of the country, the person you need most is a steady conservative hand like Mark Kirk in the Senate to be advising the president, especially on national security topics which is my particular expertise after 23 years in the Navy. Nevertheless, Kirk also called Trump a "riverboat gamble." In April, the senators campaign announced that Kirk would be skipping the upcoming Republican National Convention in Cleveland to focus on his hotly-contested Senate race with Rep. Tammy Duckworth. Kirk originally condemned incendiary comments Trump made about Mexicans last June. When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best, Trump said during the announcement of his campaign. Theyre bringing drugs, theyre bringing crime, theyre rapists. Kirk disavowed the statements and distanced himself from Trumps foreign policy in a conversation with John Gregory last June. In a typical Chicago way, to my Mexican-American friends, I would say, Donald Trump collate shut up, Kirk said. Residents of a quiet North Side neighborhood are shaken after waking up to seemingly random gunfire early Wednesday that damaged three cars parked on the block. The cars were struck by bullets in the 2600 block of W Sunnyside in Chicagos Lincoln Square neighborhood around 1:05 a.m., according to Chicago police. That was when there was a call of shots fired, according to police, but police said responding officers were unable to find anyone injured or any damage at that time. A few hours later at 5:45 a.m., a woman called police to report that her car, which was parked on the street, had been damaged by gunfire. When she went outside at 5:45 a.m., she found a bullet hole in the front fender, according to police. The car parked directly in front of her was also damaged, according to police, having been struck on the hood, rear passenger door, and passenger side tire. We couldnt tell if it was firecrackers or gunshots, said Lincoln Square resident Matt Novak, who woke up to the gunfire. It sounded like gunshots so we checked the windows, checked the kids rooms, didn't find any holes. But when Novak was headed to work Wednesday morning, he did find a bullet holein his car. His was one of the three hit in what 47th Ward Alderman Ameya Pawar called a random act of violence. The shooting was not targeted toward any particular individuals or groups of individuals, Pawar said in a statement. It is certainly a troubling incident that is being taken very seriously. "You get scared, you run into your kids rooms, you check on them first and foremost, Novak said. Just to see how close it is to your home, its scary" One of the cars had a flat tire and was towed away Wednesday morning, and while neighbors are upset by the incident, they also expressed relief that no one was injured. If Chicago landmarks could talk, Navy Pier would have a lot to say. One of the citys largest tourist attractions, Navy Pier has humble beginnings dating back to its grand opening in 1916 and a storied history since then. Youll be surprised to know how many planes are at the bottom of Lake Michigan from aviation training accidents near the Pier or what Illinois school took over for a few years. As the Pier turns 100 on Friday, here's a look at some of the landmark's evolutionary moments. 1909 - 1916: The idea of the attraction started with architect Daniel Burnham envisioning five recreational and docking piers near the Chicago River, according to Navy Pier history. However, Burnham was given one pier that stretched 1.5 miles long and was constructed under the direction of architect Charles Sumner Frost. Over the span of two years, the project totaled $4.5 million and opened to the public in 1916 as the Municipal Pier, the first of its kind to offer a combination of business and fun. 1917 1926: As the country entered World War I, the pier served as a military safe haven for units such as the Red Cross and Home Defense as well as soldiers and recruits. Between 1918 and 1921, the attraction added an emergency hospital, theater, restaurants and a streetcar line. WCFL, deemed as the the voice of labor, opened in 1926 as the station under the Chicago Federation of Labor. 1927: The Municipal Pier became Navy Pier to honor individuals in the Navy who served in WWI. 1930 1940: The Great Depression changed the Pier into a military location where over 60,000 individuals were trained for jobs such as pilots, metal smiths and engine technicians. Accidents from years of training have left behind at least 200 WWII planes in Lake Michigan. 1946 - 1975: By 1946, the University of Illinois set up a two-year undergraduate campus that remained until 1965 and supposedly held the largest reading room. Navy Pier continued to host recreational and business events following the fire of McCormick Place and was recognized as a top inland port in the world. 1977: Due to all the contributions, Navy Pier earned the title of a Chicago Landmark in 1977. 1978 2000: Throughout the remaining decades, the Pier has hosted a range of festivals, opened on the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, invited multiple vendors and has been featured in multiple publications. Navy Pier's free birthday event on Friday includes complimentary slices from The Elis Cheesecake Company, a performance of Twelfth Night by the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, a toast to the Pier and concludes with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Further details can be found on the Navy Pier Facebook event. A South Side man who committed a string of sexual assaults, including three attacks in five days in 2013, has been sentenced to 70 years in prison. Kerwinn Cross, 31, was convicted of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated criminal sexual assault, attempted criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to the Cook County states attorneys office. Cross was driving his vehicle with a male friend in the early morning hours of June 25, 2013, when he approached a 15-year-old girl, prosecutors said. After she got into the vehicle, Cross drove around for awhile, then drove to his home, where he demanded the girl engage in a sex act, prosecutors said. After she refused, Cross choked her, forcefully took off her clothes and sexually assaulted her at gunpoint, prosecutors said. He then forced the naked teenager out of the house, into his car and drove her to the 9400 block of South Eggleston, where he stopped and threw her out of the car. After being assisted by a citizen, the girl was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital and a sexual assault kit was collected, prosecutors said. DNA recovered from the victim matched Cross, and she identified him as her attacker in a lineup. Cross, of the 9300 block of South Normal, was sentenced to 70 years in prison during a hearing late Wednesday for the charges in that attack, according to the states attorneys office. However, he still faces charges in two other attacks that occurred within five days in 2013. On June 23, 2013, Cross and Courtney Richardson approached a 16-year-old girl as she was walking home from a party and offered her a ride, posing as brother and sister, according to prosecutors. They then took her to Cross home where they both violently sexually assaulted her multiple times. Three days earlier, Cross and Richardson approached a 25-year-old woman walking near 63rd and Racine and offered her a ride home, prosecutors said. After driving her around the South Side, Richardson got out of the vehicle and Cross drove to his home, where he choked and slapped the victim, forcefully removed her clothing and sexually assaulted her multiple times. The woman managed to escape and ran to a nearby home. Richardson pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse charges and is currently serving a 58-month sentence, prosecutors said. If they gave awards for getting outrageously snubbed, Samantha Bee would be a winner, at least once over. While shes said she was never interested in replacing Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, some fans believe Bee, the programs longest-running (12 years) and perhaps strongest correspondent, earned the job. But theres no doubt she was done wrong Thursday by Emmy nominators, who skipped over "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee," her by turns hilarious and searing TBS show, in the Outstanding Variety Talk Show category. The slight represents the product of narrow-minded Emmy voters and a wide array of high-quality comedy programs. Sure, some of Bees fellow "Daily Show"-tied performers Stephen Colbert, Larry Wilmore and Trevor Noah didn't make the cut, either. And its hard to argue against the nominees, among them "Daily Show" alumnus John Oliver, Jimmy Fallon and Jerry Seinfeld, who crashed the late-night comedy field with his "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" web series (not that there's anything wrong with that). Yet there is something deeply wrong with the lack of recognition accorded Bee, whose "Full Frontal" employs unflinching humor to expose absurdities and hypocrisies like no other current show in the fake news game Oliver's standout "Last Week Tonight" included. Bee stormed her new perch in February, armed with her "Daily Show"-honed deadpan interviewing style (just check out her focus group with Donald Trump supporters, in which one fan notes the simplistic, but evocative language used by the presumptive GOP presidential candidate. "So you acknowledge Trump speaks to our lizard brains?" Bee calmly asked). But she's newly distinguished herself with powerful and precise verbal gymnastics during in-studio segments no more so than in her emotional monologue after the Orlando massacre. "Maybe we're not praying right can we check the instruction manual?" Bee said, slamming politicians who focus on calls for prayer, rather than gun control after mass shootings. Like Oliver, her strongest material is driven by research (spotlighting backlogs of untested rape kits across the country) and stunts with a point (showing its far easier to legally buy guns than purchase a costume of Eddie the Eagle, the NRAs kid-aimed mascot). Bees labor-intensive weekly show has taken her around the country and even to Jordan, where she interviewed Syrian refugees the people were incoherently yelling about. Fueled by outrage, Bee does some yelling herself, but rarely loses sight of the punch line. The Canadian comic brings a much-needed feminist voice to a late night talk show comedy game that's still a boy's club, aside from Chelsea Handler's new Netflix show. Bee doesn't deserve an Emmy nomination because she's a woman. She deserves a shot at the prize because week in and out she is fearlessly operating at the highest levels of TV comedy, boldly making the most of her big moment. Its just too bad that Emmy voters are behind the times on "Full Frontal." 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. Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech after arriving at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain on July 13, 2016. Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May arrived at Downing Street on Wednesday after gaining consent from Queen Elizabeth II. (Xinhua/Han Yan) LONDON, July 13 -- British Home Secretary Theresa May became prime minister Wednesday after an audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. She becomes the 13th prime minister of the Queen's reign. Her audience with the Queen at the palace came just minutes after outgoing prime minister David Cameronarrived at the palace to tender his resignation to the British monarch. Cameron arrived at the palace in a police-escorted convoy with his wife Samantha and their children. After Cameron's final private audience with the Queen, the monarch said her farewell, again in private, to Cameron's family. A large crowd gathered at the gates of the palace to watch the transition of power from one prime minister to his successor. May arrived at the palace with her husband Philip for her private audience with Queen Elizabeth II just minutes after the Camerons left. As soon as Cameron departed from the palace a spokesman for the Queen issued a formal statement stating that the monarch had "graciously accepted the resignation of the prime minister." Cameron announced his resignation on June 24, just hours after the Britons voted by a 52-48 majority to leave the European Union. He had intended to carry on at 10 Downing Street until September to enable time for Conservative Party members to vote for his successor. But after the only other candidate for the job, Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom, dropped out of the contest, it left May as the sole candidate, leading to a swift transition. Earlier Wednesday Cameron performed his final official duty at Prime Minister's Question Time in the House of Commons, earning warm praise from all sides of the house, including from his main adversary, Jeremy Corbyn, leader of main opposition Labour Party. After the audience at the palace May headed to 10 Downing Street to start the task of choosing her new front bench, with her first appointments expected Wednesday night and Thursday. British outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron(1st, L) gives a speech before leaving 10 Downing Street in London, Britain on July 13, 2016. Cameron bid farewell to 10 Downing Street and headed to Buckingham Palace to offer his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday afternoon. (Xinhua/Han Yan) Two Rhode Island men are facing drug charges after a traffic stop in Groton Wednesday, according to state police. Police said Arnulfo Hiciano, 33, of North Providence and Giovanni Carmona, 31, of Providence were arrested after troopers found 29 kilograms of cocaine in their vehicles. The incident started when troopers conducting traffic enforcement on Interstate 95 near exit 88 stopped two vehicles. According to police the vehicles, a 2012 Nissan Maxima and a 2014 Dodge Ram, were weaving in and out of traffic. Hiciano, who was driving the Nissan, allowed troopers to search the vehicle. Police said K9 Albert detected narcotics in two boxes in the trunk of the car. Hiciano told police they were not his and allowed police to open the boxes, according to a press release. Hiciano also told police he was traveling with Carmona, who was driving the Dodge. Inside the boxes police said they found 29 kilograms of packaged cocaine. The drugs have a street value of around $2.9 million. Police said both men were arrested and the cocaine, $5472 in cash and the two vehicles were seized. They were both charged with failure to maintain established lane, possession of cocaine, and possession of cocaine with intent to sell. Hiciano and Carmona were both held on $100,000 bonds and expected in New London Superior Court Thursday. Aquarion Water Company is asking residents to conserve water and reduce non-essential water use because of an extended dry spell across parts of the state. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Connecticut is experiencing conditions between abnormally dry to moderate drought. Aquarion says its reservoirs and wells are below normal capacity and is asking customers to reduce outdoor water use. The company offers the following tips: Allow grass to grow longer; taller grass is healthier and requires less water Use brooms or blowers instead of water to clean decks, driveways and sidewalks Dont wash cars or boats with a hose Shut off ornamental water displays Do not leave water running while washing hands, shaving, or brushing teeth Take shorter showers Hand-wash dishes in a basin, not under running water Repair leaks in plumbing and fixtures The company also asks that customers using irrigation systems or hose-end sprinklers only water twice a week. For more information visit their website. Bridgeport police and state police have arrested a woman accused of participating in an illegal prescription drug ring. Bridgeport police said Miriam Cotto Almourtada, 49, was arrested early Wednesday morning after police executed a warrant at her home on Bell Street. Authorities seized over 1,000 pills, five semi-automatic handguns, two revolvers, three long rifles, various ammunition and $523, according to Bridgeport police. The arrest is the result of a joint operation between Bridgeport police and the Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force. This joint action by the Connecticut State Police and our officers sends a strong message to anyone running illegal drug sales and trafficking guns in Bridgeport: we are coming for you, said Bridgeport Police Chief AJ Perez in a press release. Almourtada was charged with sale of a controlled substance, sale of narcotics within 1,500 feet of a school, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, and failure to keep prescriptions in proper containers. She was released on a $100,000 non-surety bond and expected in Bridgeport Superior Court on July 27. Police said the Department of Children and Families was also contacted and a referral was made for a child in her custody under the Drug Endangered Children Act. A state's attorney said police officers responsible for the death of a 26-year-old man, who was shocked with a Taser during a disturbance, were in conformance with the department's procedures and policies. On Aug. 7, Matthew Russo, 26, resisted when Hartford's Mobile Crisis team, Hartford police and Emergency Medical Services personnel responded to his home at 38 Kelsey Street at 8:30 p.m. A Hartford police officer deployed a Taser, assigned to the officer, on Russo when he continued to be combative, state police said. After Russo was transported to the hospital, he was having trouble breathing and died, police said. The state medical examiner's office said Matthew Russo died from "cardiac arrest during a physical struggle with prone positioning and chest compression." His death was linked to an enlarged heart, the office reported. According to the Connecticut General Statute, an "electronic defense weapon" is "capable of immobilizing a person temporarily, but is not capable of inflicting death or serious physical injury." State's attorney Maureen T. Platt of the Waterbury District said the officer in question "subjectively and reasonable" believed that the Taser would not cause death or serious physical injury during the time of the incident. "It can be determined the Taser employed by (the officer) is an electronic defense weapon under our law," Platt wrote in a statement. The Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice said they will not be taking further action against the Hartford officers. The clouds lifted a bit and the heat dropped as the USS Springfield returned to base on Thursday afternoon for a warm homecoming in Groton. Under the tent fly gathered families that hadn't seen fathers since January. One woman held a sign reading, "one less lonely girl" and another sign read, "best day ever". After six months at sea the crew watched the traditional first kiss then the first hug, with a son who started walking two weeks after the last time his father, Chris Caldwell, saw him. Some of the wives were able to visit when the submarine visited European ports, and one couple made the most of it a few months ago. Amy Yantis explained, "We were trying for a long time so we got, we really got blessed in Scotland and so, definitely excited to tell him!" To tell him he's going to be a father she held a sign in front of her, hoping he'd read the whole thing, and he made it to the bottom where it said he'd be a dad. "She's always pulling stuff like this on me!" said Charles Yantis. "I've never been a crier but I'm trying to keep that a way down inside and this is amazing. I couldn't be happier to come home to such a thing." It's never happened to Lois Barber or Aref Ahmed before. Someone stole a donation jar meant to help a wounded veteran. "I'm not from a military family, but I'm an American. These are American soldiers, and we must step forward and help them," said Barber. Barber fundraises for Homes for Our Troops, which builds specially-adapted houses for veterans returning home with life-changing injuries. For the fundraiser she created a Beautiful Baby Photo Contest that's been running for years. It costs $10 for people to enter a photo of their baby on a donation jar, and then people donate. The baby that gathers the most cash gets to participate in the Newtown Labor Day parade. And the money goes to help a wounded warrior. But the jar inside Aref Ahmed's Le Bobadel Gourmet Market in Middlebury is the second one. That's because the first one was stolen. "I feel kind of responsible because it happened at the store," said Ahmed. During the busy Independence Day holiday weekend, organizers say someone ran off with the jar and cash inside. "It's just terrible," said Ahmed. Terrible because the donations were meant for Army Specialist Sean Pesce, a fire support specialist with the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. In 2012, while on his first deployment to Afghanistan, his unit was ambushed. Pesce was shot 13 times, and it left him paralyzed from the waist down. The now 24-year-old lives in West Haven and had to relearn everything, so a home fit for his needs is the next big step to getting his life back on track. "He has lost so much for us, and we need to give back to him," said Barber. From the crime, came kindness and charity. Ahmed donated money from his own business, and customers have streamed in after hearing about the theft - giving more than what was taken. And Barber and Ahmed hope many more will give. "Come on down. We have the jar here. I'll protect it personally. Donate as much as you can," said Ahmed. Specialist Sean Pesce hopes to study business and political science and eventually open his own restaurant. To learn more about him and his story, you can head here. Another wounded warrior in Connecticut is also in need of getting a home built. To read about Marine Corporal Roguer Rua, head here. If you would like to donate to Homes for Our Troops, head here. You can request that your donation go to a specific wounded warrior. The former Yale University employee arrested for breaking a stained glass window depicting slaves tells NBC Connecticut he wants his job back. The attorney for 38-year-old Corey Menafee said she expects his criminal charges to be dropped at his next court date. Yes, Im wrong for my actions, however, what did a lot of other people wanted done as well, Menafee said in a sit-down interview Thursday afternoon. Menafee described the support he is receiving from the New Haven community, Yale alumni and students as overwhelming and phenomenal. The father of two noticed the stained glass window of two African American slaves carrying baskets over their heads in a cotton field after a Yale alumnus pointed it out to him, his attorney Patricia Kane said. I just decided you know, its time for that picture to come down, he said of his actions on the morning of June 13 in the Calhoun College dining hall. How did you break it? NBC Connecticut asked. I used a broom handle and with two hands smashed it up, he replied. In an apology letter to the university and residential college, Menafee said he expressed remorse and regret. As a man with a sound mind and who can articulate and think, he said, thats not the way you go about bring change, Im aware of that. Kane said she has spoken with Yales attorney. She said she is confident at Menafees next court date on July 26, the states attorney will say it is unwilling to prosecute him for misdemeanor reckless endangerment and felony criminal mischief. The press interest, the publics interest makes Yale pay attention to this, Kane said. Yale may think this is finished; it isnt finished for Mr. Menafee. Yale law students have published this open letter urging Yale President Peter Salovey to immediately offer Mr. Menafee reinstatement at his position. Do you want your job back? NBC Connecticut asked Menafee. I would love to have my job back, he said, yeah, I love my job. I dont want anything to get misconstrued. I love Yale University, I love working for Yale University , alright, thats an isolated incident as far as me breaking that image. In a campus wide email, Salovey called this situation regrettable for all concerned. He added a committee recommended removing several images from Calhoun College for study and exhibitions, including the stained glass window Menafee shattered. The employee apologized for his actions and subsequently resigned from the University. The University has requested that the States Attorney not press charges. Yale is also not seeking restitution, a Yale University spokesperson said earlier this week. Live video of a funeral for Dallas Police Department veteran Sgt. Michael Smith will appear in the player above beginning at noon Thursday. Dallas Police Patrol Sgt. Michael Smith was remembered at a public service Thursday, one week after he and four other officers were killed in the shooting at a Dallas protest. The service was held at noon at Watermark Church in Dallas. "Mike closed his eyes in history, and then opened them in heaven. That's the belief we hang on to," said Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown. Speaking at the funeral for slain Dallas police Sgt. Michael Smith, Chief of Police David Brown leans on his faith in a message directed at the officers family. Brown reiterated that the police community will be support for Smith's wife Heidi and his two daughters, Victoria and Caroline. Retired Dallas Police Officer Lance Wyatt remembered Smith as the man who served as a protector during his years of service to the U.S. Army and the Dallas Police Department. Retired Dallas police officer Lance Wyatt remembers his friend, slain Dallas police Sgt. Michael Smith, during his memorial service July 14, 2016. Smith once received a "Cops' Cop" Award for the Dallas Police Association, and Wyatt said Smith was the recipient of 51 internal and 28 external commendations. "I personally witnessed that Mike was the police officer that could be counted on by citizens that he served, by fellow officers, and by his supervisors, that included me," said Wyatt. Dallas police Sgt. Anthony Tyrone Pickens remembers his friend, slain Dallas police Sgt. Michael Smith, during his memorial service July 14, 2016. Sgt. Anthony Tyrone Pickens recalled Smith's friendship, they had worked 16 years together on an extra job at Cinemark movie theater and attended the same church. "When promoting to sergeant Mike bought me a gift -- a gold pen and a bottle of Advil aspirins. He said 'you will need the Advil more than the pen,' and said 'welcome to my world,'" said Pickens. Pickens also recalled Smith as a Christian and devoted family man. "Our hearts are heavy, we all are heartbroken," said Pickens. An individual whose identity cannot be released, remembers his friend, slain Dallas police Sgt. Michael Smith, during his memorial service July 14, 2016. An undercover officer also spoke to the hundreds of mourners about his mentor and one-time supervisor. "10 and a half years ago, Mike stood behind me, urging me on, but now our roles have changed, Mike, now it's my turn to stand behind you, support you, your family and challenge everyone in this room and listening to be courageous in the days and weeks and months ahead." he said. "This desire to uphold what is right and the unity that has been created between law enforcement and the community can not stop once the last officer has been laid to rest." At the funeral for slain Dallas police Sgt. Michael Smith, Pastor Todd Wagner gives the opening remarks on Smith and his relationship with service and faith. Smith's Public Visitation Tuesday Hundreds attended Smith's public visitation Tuesday at the Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Farmers Branch. Officers from as far away as New York and Boston attended. "So happy all these police officers from all over the country are here. That means a lot," Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said. The Dallas Police Department choir sings at the funeral for slain Sgt. Michael Smith, July 14, 2016. Smith's flag-draped casket arrived at the church earlier in the afternoon, escorted by fellow Dallas police officers. "He's an amazing person. He was a professional from start to finish," said Dallas officer and former partner Marcie St. John. "He was a family man. He was a cop's cop. He was just a good, all around person. What mattered most to him was taking care of other people. His whole life was about service." Dallas police Sgt. Anthony Tyrone Pickens remembers his friend, slain Dallas police Sgt. Michael Smith, during his memorial service July 14, 2016. Rawlings and Dallas Police Chief David Brown were among the many who filed past Smith's casket, which will be guarded by two Dallas police officers overnight. Smith's wife, Heidi, is a fourth-grade teacher at Mary Immaculate Catholic School, where his 9- and 14-year-old daughters attend school. "It's tough on me. It's tough on my staff. It's heart-wrenching," said Father Michael Forge. Funerals were held Wednesday for Dallas Police Sr. Cpl. Lorne Ahrens and Dallas Area Rapid Transit Officer Brent Thompson. Dallas Police Officer Michael Krol's funeral is set for Friday, and Dallas police Officer Patrick Zamarripa's funeral will be held Saturday. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Thursday she regrets her "ill-advised" public criticism of Donald Trump. On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them," Ginsburg said in a statement issued by the court. "Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect. Ginsburg first disparaged the candidacy of the presumptive Republican nominee in interviews with The AP and The New York Times, saying she was frightened of what the country, and the Supreme Court in particular, would become if he were elected. Ginsburg had said that she felt Trump was unqualified for the position. She said in an interview with The Associated Press last week that she didn't want to think about the possibility that Trump would be president and predicted that Democrat Hillary Clinton would win. "I can't imagine what this place would be I can't imagine what the country would be with Donald Trump as our president," Ginsburg told The New York Times. "For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be I don't even want to contemplate that." If he wins, "everything is up for grabs," she said. On Tuesday, she continued her assessment of the candidate, telling CNN he was "a faker." "He has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment," Ginsburg said in an interview with CNNs Joan Biskupic. "He really has an ego. ... How has he gotten away with not turning over his tax returns? The press seems to be very gentle with him on that." Trump retorted that her comments were not fitting for a Supreme Court justice. "I think it's highly inappropriate that a United States Supreme Court judge gets involved in a political campaign, frankly," Trump told The Times. "I think it's a disgrace to the court and I think she should apologize to the court. I couldn't believe it when I saw it." Her comments only energized his base, he said. "And I would hope that she would get off the court as soon as possible," he said. He also tweeted, "Justice Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me. Her mind is shot resign!" At 83, Ginsburg is the oldest justice. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday called her remarks "totally inappropriate." Justices should refrain from commenting on elections, McConnell, the Kentucky Republican, told The AP. "It raises a level of skepticism that the American people have from time to time about just how objective the Supreme Court is, whether they're over there to call the balls and strikes, or weigh in on one side or another," he said. As part of the countdown to Clear the Shelters Day, NBC Connecticut's Heidi Voight sat down with Comcast Newsmakers to discuss the initiative to find forever homes for animals in shelters across Connecticut. The event happens July 23, and is a joint partnership between the NBC Owned Television Stations and Telemundo. See a list of participating Connecticut shelters here. Comcast is the parent company of NBC Connecticut. TOKYO, July 13 -- Japanese Emperor Akihito has expressed the intention to end his reign in coming years, local media reported, quoting government sources. The 82-year-old emperor, who has reigned for over 27 years since 1989, has expressed his hope to abdicate to the Imperial Household Agency, said public broadcaster NHK. His 56-year-old son, Crown Prince Naruhito, is expected to succeed to the throne, said NHK. But Kyodo News denied the news, quoting Shinichiro Yamamoto, a senior official from the Imperial Household Agency. "I know there are media reports about this, but it is definitely not true," Shinichiro Yamamoto was quoted by Kyodo News as saying. Emperor Akihito has no health issues requiring immediate abdication, said Kyodo News, quoting another source who said the emperor has been expressing his intention to abdicate to people around him for about a year. Meanwhile, according to local media, if the emperor is to abdicate, the Imperial House Law might need revision, as the law, enacted in 1947 to rule for imperial affairs, does not include any provision for a reigning emperor to abdicate. The process of revising the law, involving deliberations by an expert panel to the government, is expected to require a few years, said Kyodo News. The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters have learned the state does not plan to pursue legal action against the companies at the center of the crumbling foundation issue. In a letter from Attorney General George Jepsen to Governor Dannel Malloy and Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris, the AG lays out several reasons why his office does not plan to pursue any claims under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act against the Joseph J. Mottes Company or Becker's Construction. Over the past several months, the state has issued several investigative demands of those companies and others that have knowledge of the concrete issues in Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties. In the letter, the Attorney General writes "we do not anticipate that our investigation is likely to provide a sufficient basis to support viable and worthwhile claims for violations of Connecticut consumer protection laws. As a result, CUTPA claims should not be relied upon as a source of significant financial relief for the homeowners afflicted by crumbling foundations." The Troubleshooters investigation brought the crumbling foundations problem to light last July and was the catalyst for the state to launch its own multi-agency investigation into the issue. In June, NBC Connecticut broke the news that the state has negotiated with several large insurance companies to create a $52.5 million pool of money to provide homeowners with up to 90-percent of the cost of replacing their concrete foundations. To date, only four companies have agreed to take part, and the state says several more need to agree to join the program for it to become viable. Construction experts say the concrete is slowly deteriorating and must be replaced at a cost of $100,000 and up. "While my office's investigation is not yet complete, these unusual circumstances require that I make this interim report available to the public and to policymakers so that their attention can be focused most productively and important decisions made with all available knowledge. In all instances - and particularly when so many families have so much at stake - it is my responsibility to give an honest and transparent assessment of the law. In this case, I do not anticipate that evidence developed through our investigation would support a viable legal claim by the state against any party under the consumer protection authority available to me - the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, or CUTPA," Jepsen said in a statement to NBC Connecticut. "Nevertheless, I remain committed to bringing some relief to the situation by working towards implementing an insurance program to provide affected homeowners some financial assistance. Many have expressed frustration about insurance companies conduct in denying claims, including by filing lawsuits against them. My investigation did not encompass insurers actions relating to crumbling concrete - the authority to conduct such an insurance investigation does not rest in my office - but we will continue our attempts to engage insurance companies in discussions to explain why their participation in this voluntary assistance program is in their interests and the interests of their policyholders and our affected communities," Jepsen said in the statement. NBC Connecticut reached out to the companies at the center of the investigation. John Patton, spokesman for the J.J. Mottes Company, told the Troubleshooters in a statement: As we have stated for months now, we support an unbiased and thorough investigation of all of these foundation issues so homeowners can get the answers they deserve. The extensive media and governmental scrutiny has led to another issue arising in addition to the homes affected by damage, there are now large numbers of homeowners and potential home buyers who do not have problems but are being conditioned to believe they could. Certainly those homes with damage need to be remedied, but a comprehensive solution is called for - one that will assist those who are not financially capable of helping themselves, one that guards against predators of all kinds and one that helps to ease the burden that has been placed on the real estate market. We believe that effective low cost preventive remedial actions exist, that appropriate independent authorities can and should identify these techniques, and that this information needs to be widely shared and adopted." To date, 235 Connecticut homeowners have filed complaints regarding crumbling concrete with the Department of Consumer Protection. Ed. Note: As the Troubleshooters have reported on this issue over the past year and a half, the Joseph J. Mottes Company (JJ Mottes) has evolved its response. Click on this link to see the companys most recent full statement to NBC Connecticut and its response to the State of Connecticut. A Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago was diverted en route to Austin Wednesday following "severe turbulence" that one passenger said forced him out of his seat at one point as the plane stabilized. Southwest Flight 1265 traveling to AustinBergstrom International Airport from Chicago's Midway International Airport diverted to Kansas City, according to Southwest Airlines, based in Dallas. "Out of an abundance of caution, the flight crew elected to divert to Kansas City International Airport (MCI) to conduct a post-turbulence check of the aircraft," spokesman Brian Parrish said in a statement. Nick Dunbar, a passenger on the flight, said he never experienced anything like it. "Heavy anxiety on the plane as passengers became uneasy and there were a few starting to be visibly scared and even a few screams," Dunbar told NBC 5 on Twitter. "I was literally out of my seat for a few seconds as the plane was stabilizing." Emergency crews were seen assessing the plane at Kansas City International Airport after the landing. Parrish said there were no reports of any injuries to passengers or crew. "Crew was great and calm and made sure everyone was OK," Dunbar said. The flight continued on to Austin after it was cleared to fly. The Midwest was expected to see severe weather Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, with scattered showers and storms forecast for the Chicago area. Three people, including a battalion chief from the McKinney Fire Department, were injured Wednesday afternoon in a stabbing at a Wal-Mart in Collin County, the sheriff's department says.[[386692061,C]] The incident happened at the Wal-Mart on U.S. Highway 380 in Princeton at about 4 p.m. Princeton City Manager Derek Borg told NBC 5 that a Wal-Mart employee cut the throat of the off-duty McKinney firefighter and also injured one other person. Both were expected to make full recoveries, Borg said. Police took the accused attacker, identified as 20-year-old Nicolas Francisco Martinez, to the hospital to be treated for a hand wound. It was unclear what prompted the attack. Martinez is charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and public intoxication. The Wal-Mart location opened on May 11, according to a report in The Princeton Herald. Princeton is about 30 miles northeast of Dallas, east of McKinney. In a statement released Wednesday evening, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman said: "Todays events are deeply troubling. Our thoughts are with everyone who was a part of this terrible situation. We are thankful to the first responders for their quick action, and we are continuing to work closely with the police. The associate who did this was arrested and his employment at our store was immediately terminated." About a dozen men and women at Dallas Police Headquarters Thursday completed their first day of recruit field testing. It's the first step in a long process that will take them from police recruits, to Academy cadets, to rookie officers. The first days of field testing and paperwork for new recruits happens at headquarters. Most of the classes and testing has been canceled this week, especially for those who live in the area. An exception was made for a group of about a dozen men and women who live out-of-state and had hotel or flight reservations. For them--despite their heavy hearts--their journey has begun. Rachel Fischer is among that group. She's 21-years-old, and recently graduated from University of Oklahoma with a degree in Criminology. She was born and raised in Oklahoma, but she said she wanted out of the Sooner State. And she wants to be part of Dallas. "I like the area. It's a big city, a fun city Im tired of Oklahoma. Its so small," she joked. "There's nothing to do." Dallas Police Ambush Five officers were killed and nine were injured in an ambush at a peaceful protest on July 7, 2016. Dallas Marks 6 Years Since 5 Officers Killed in Downtown Ambush Shooting Her journey to becoming a rookie Dallas police officer will take about a year. Today, her soul is filled with sadness. "It's a little overwhelming to be here in Dallas today, considering everything that's happened," she said. Fischer drove into town from Norman late last night, checking into her hotel around 11-o'clock. There are three days of testing at police headquarters, then she'll drive back to Oklahoma. "I'm very excited at the prospect of working with Dallas. It would definitely be a dream come true," she said. On this first day of testing, she did a 300 meter sprint and a 1.5 mile run. There was also a lot of paperwork to fill out, documents to review and waivers to sign. "There's some pre-polygraph test work and reviewing booklets, signing waivers so they can pull your information from previous employers and criminal background, a lot of things online to review. Then, they schedule you for your civil service test and polygraph test. Then you're done for day one. It's a long day," she said with a smile. As the deadly ambush unfolded one week ago, she got countless phone calls and texts from friends and family. "They were very concerned. Some of them were asking, 'Are you sure you want to do this? It's so dangerous.' Others were like, 'I'm proud of you. Don't let this discourage you. Don't be afraid.'" "Did it discourage you?" asked NBC 5. "No. Truthfully it does make you afraid. But the reality is there are bad people everywhere. Bad things happen every day. I want to be one of the people that makes a difference," she said. "The events that happened, its clear that this city needs good officers, good role models, a positive change," she added. "I want to be part of that change." During her first day of testing at headquarters, she met several officers and her group had a brief discussion with them about the tragedy. The officers told them to keep their heads up, and be proud to serve the city. "They were just kind of saying small words of motivation. 'Dont let it get you down. Dont let it discourage you. We need you guys.' Very, very supportive. You can tell the department is close-knit and supportive," she said. Before she left the building and drove to her hotel, Fischer paused at the memorial outside. She reflected on the flowers and signs dedicated to the five officers killed. She signed a private note on one of the placards. "Im very sad about what happened here. Its a horrible loss, and a difficult time for everybody," she said. Fischer said she's more committed than ever to serving on the streets of Dallas. "I want to help people, to make things better," she said. If all goes well, she could start the police academy in October. Meanwhile, Dallas police recruiters said they've received close to 1,000 e-mails over the last week alone from people interested in becoming a Dallas police officer. Police said it'll take weeks to sort through all of those inquiries. France is sending an aircraft carrier to help fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria, NBC News reported. French President Francois Hollande said Wednesday a battle group will be deployed in the fall. The country intensified its military campaign after 130 people were killed in Paris in November. The previous January, gunmen attacked the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, killing 17 people. France sent the aircraft carrier near the Syrian coast to carry out airstrikes in November following the Paris attacks. The Michigan man who killed two bailiffs before he was fatally shot at a courthouse Monday was facing life in prison on kidnapping and rape charges, according to authorities, NBC News reported. Larry Darnell Gordon, 44, was escorted Monday from his holding cell to a hearing when he grabbed a gun from a sheriffs deputy, shot two bailiffs and briefly held hostages. He was fatally shot after other bailiffs and law enforcement converged on the scene. Gordon was in court to have a misdemeanor domestic violence charge dismissed in place of 17 felony counts involving a teenager six of which carried maximum life sentences according to Berrien County Prosecutor Michael Sepic. In April, police found a 17-year-old girl held against her will for about two weeks in a shed at the home Gordon shared with his ex-wife, authorities said. Prosecutors said Gordon gave the girl methamphetamine and assaulted her sexually, and recorded the assaults on video. A defiant Bashar al-Assad expressed confidence that Syria's bloody war could be won within months, saying Russia's intervention has helped tip the scales toward victory. Assad spoke exclusively to NBC News on Wednesday at his office in Damascus in a wide-ranging interview about the Syrian war, ISIS, the U.S. and his legacy. He was unruffled by the State Department branding his vow to retake every inch of Syria as "delusional," saying it was only a matter of time until he regained full control of his country. "The Syrian army has made a lot of advancement recently," Assad told NBC News. "It won't take more than a few months." Watch the full interview here. Dallas Police Chief David Brown had a message for lawmakers in the wake of the deadly shootings that took the lives of five officers last week. "Do your job. We are doing ours. We are putting our lives on the line. The other aspects of government need to step up and help us," Brown said. They were listening. Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz along with Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina have now introduced the "Back the Blue Act." "This is in response to what Chief Brown asked and demanded, and I think he has a right to," Cornyn said. Cornyn released the background of the bill, which calls for harsher penalties for a person who kills or assaults a police officer. It also calls for grant money to help strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the community. "What we saw happen in Dallas last week was just completely unacceptable. This represents a threat to the very glue that holds our society together," added Cornyn. And while this bill is new, what is known as the "Police Act" is not. That bill had already cleared the U.S. Senate, but on Tuesday, the U.S. House voted to pass it, too. It says grant money can be used for active shooter response training. The next step is the president's desk. U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, was one of its co-sponsors, and he said passage in the House was also due to Chief Brown's words. "But I think it's my colleagues on a bipartisan basis, Republicans and Democrats, understanding this is an important response that comes from a lesson learned. And no one wants it in their community," Sessions said. A woman implicated in a crash that killed a young girl and seriously injured her friend in Tierrasanta might have been texting just before the crash, police said in court Wednesday. A judge decided that Julianne Little, 30, should be bound over for trial on manslaughter and hit and run charges in connection to the February crash. Little told investigators that she fell asleep at the wheel on Feb. 20 when her vehicle hit two girls, 10-year-old Raquel Rosete and 12-year-old Mekayla Lee. The impact seriously injured both girls and Rosete later died. San Diego police said Little swerved off the road and hit the girls as they were walking along the sidewalk at about 6 p.m. in the area of Santo Road near Shields Street. In court on Wednesday, San Diego police Officer Jason Costanza said he noticed an outgoing phone call and text from Little's phone at the time of the accident. "It said, 'I'm going to miss you, my friend,'" Costanza said. Further details about the phone activity and the connection to the case were not revealed in court. However, a prosecutor told NBC 7 that Little is being investigated for gross negligence. She was initially arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs, but now police said there is no evidence of impairment. Little initially fled the scene; however, after driving home, police said, Little returned to the scene with her father. The defendant appeared to struggle with her emotions in court at times when witnesses spoke about the crash. Lee, the living victim, testified in the preliminary hearing about what she remembered. She wore a shirt in Rosete's honor. "I was like in a bush, and I remember seeing bright lights and a woman and a man, I guess with the ambulance," she said, noting she didn't remember the impact. Little faces charges of vehicular manslaughter and hit and run; investigators say she drove along the sidewalk for at least 100 feet before striking the girls. As a defense, her attorney has told NBC 7 that his client was stressed over a stalker, causing her to lose sleep. Three Chinese and one Rwandan peacekeeper injured over the weekend during renewed fighting between rival factions of South Sudan's army were airlifted to Uganda on Wednesday for treatment. The peacekeepers were wounded on Sunday after a mortal shell hit their vehicle near the UN compound in the country's capital, Juba. Sunday's fighting between government troops of President Salva Kiir and forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar also caused the deaths of two Chinese peacekeepers under, as well as at least 271 people. A group of protesters calling for the ouster of Police Chief Charlie Beck and demanding a meeting with Mayor Eric Garcetti gathered again in front of City Hall on Wednesday, continuing a sit-in that began after the Police Commission determined an officer's fatal shooting of a 30-year-old black woman was within department policy. Tuesday's decision sparked shouts of protest from the commission audience, which was packed with activists and some Black Lives Matter members calling for the officer to be disciplined or fired for the Aug. 12, 2015, shooting in the aftermath of a pharmacy robbery in the Crenshaw district. The commission, after meeting in closed session for more than an hour, announced that it found fault with some of the tactics used by officers surrounding the shooting of Redel Jones, but found that Officer Brett Ramirez's shooting of the woman did not violate LAPD policy. Jones was shot in the 4100 block of Marlton Avenue after police responded to a call of a pharmacy robbery in the 3700 block of Santa Rosalia Drive. According to an internal report obtained by the Los Angeles Times, money and a robbery demand note were found in Jones' clothing. Following the Police Commission's ruling, some protesters left thePolice Administration Building and gathered a block away on the east steps of City Hall in an impromptu sit-in. The sit-in continued into late afternoon, and a small group of people remained camped there overnight. As of 9 a.m., no arrests had been reported, according to the LAPD. The protesters' call for a meeting with Garcetti was not likely to meetwith immediate success, since the mayor is in Washington, D.C., with Beck, attending a White House meeting on police-community relations. Beck told reporters earlier he believes the city has made progress inimproving relationships. "I think that we have successes to share in Los Angeles,'' he said. "We have been through a tremendous amount as a city, a city torn apart not that many decades ago by racial unrest and mistrust of the police. I think we've made a lot of progress on that regardless of what you see from a handful of people.'' At 6 p.m., the Institute for Nonviolence in Los Angeles will host a "Days of Dialogue'' event in Exposition Park aimed at discussing the "future of policing.'' The event is aimed at fostering one-on-one discussions between residents and police officers in an effort at sharing viewpoints and building relationships. The organization is planning a series of similar events in the coming weeks, at locations across the city. Jury deliberations began Wednesday in the trial of a Palm Springs High School teacher accused of sexually assaulting two boys and trying to seduce another student with games and other favors. Ronald Steven Bishop, 44, could face life in prison if convicted of 43 felony charges, including sodomy of a minor, lewd acts on a child under 16 years old, forced penetration resulting in bodily injury and performing sex acts on an unconscious victim. Testimony in his two-week trial concluded Tuesday, and the prosecution and defense delivered closing statements today, after which Riverside County Superior Court Judge Samuel Diaz sent jurors behind closed doors to begin weighing Bishop's fate. According to the District Attorney's Office, the defendant's alleged offenses came to light in early 2013 after a former student revealed that Bishop had been pursuing him with frequent online communications, text messages and offers of assistance. The boy, whose name was not disclosed, told investigators that he became close to the English teacher after his parents began divorce proceedings. The defendant expressed an interest in helping the youth cope with the family split, leading to regular conversations via instant messaging and texts, which numbered in the thousands, according to police. Bishop bought the boy a PlayStation game and took him to different locations when the victim had no other means of transportation. Prosecutors allege that the former teacher sent explicit pictures and raised the topic of masturbation with the teenager, who indicated that he and the defendant were not intimate. However, two other boys, whose names also were not released, alleged that Bishop had engaged in sex acts with them, including when they were under the influence and not aware of what was happening, according to the prosecution. After serving a search warrant at Bishop's Indio residence, investigators seized more than 150 VHS tapes and three-dozen DVDs containing child and adult pornography, police said. One tape purportedly showed the defendant molesting one of the victims, according to the District Attorney's Office. The offenses occurred in 2012. Bishop was arrested in the high school parking lot on Baristo Road in January 2013. He was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the case, according to the Palm Springs Unified School District. Bishop had taught language arts at Palm Springs High since 2006 and at Nellie N. Coffman Middle School in Cathedral City from 2004 to 2006. Bishop is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. Deliberations were to resume at 9 a.m. Thursday. Mayor Eric Garcetti and police Chief Charlie Beck were among city and law enforcement leaders from across the nation at a meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., Wednesday to discuss efforts to build bridges between communities and law enforcement agencies following a recent rash of violence. "Not only are there very real problems but there are still deep divisions about how to solve these problems,'' Obama said after the meeting. "There is no doubt that police departments still feel embattled and unjustly accused. And there is no doubt that minority communities, communities of color, still feel like it just takes too long to do what's right.'' Garcetti called the meeting ``urgent, detailed, and constructive.'' "I think everyone came away with valuable insight into how we can broaden the conversation around race and policing, continue to support officers who work to protect us, and deepen the work to improve community safety and our criminal justice system,'' Garcetti said. "These are difficult times for our country, but L.A. has a deep past of living through the difficult moments that the rest of America is dealing with right now. President Obama asked us to learn from each other and to share what is working in Los Angeles.'' Garcetti said the meeting ``underscored one of the most important lessons we have learned -- whether you're talking about the last 50 years, or just the past few days, moving forward requires us all to go to places we don't normally go, talk to people we don't always see, and take personal responsibility for being part of an ongoing solution.'' "The tragedies of the last week have brought momentum and focus to those relationships, and I'm grateful to the president for bringing new energy to the work of saving lives and building peaceful, just, and healing communities,'' Garcetti said. Those attending included Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait, and police chiefs from Pittsburgh, St. Paul, Minnesota and New Haven, Connecticut. Attorney General Loretta Lynch also attended, along with five other administration and Department of Justice officials. A Black Lives Matter activist from Minnesota also attended, along with NAACP President Cornell Brooks and Dawn Collins, a community organizer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "There's still a diversity of views around this table, and that's by design,'' Obama said. ``Not everybody agrees on everything.'' The meeting came one day after the Los Angeles Police Commission upheld the actions of an officer who fatally shot a black female robbery suspect in August 2015. The commission agreed with Beck's assessment that Officer Brett Ramirez acted within department policy when he shot Redel Jones, 30, who was wielding a knife and allegedly lunged toward officers. The commission's decision sparked angry chants from activists who packed the meeting room, and from hundreds of people gathered outside police headquarters. Many called for Beck to be fired. Several dozen activists staged an hours-long sit-in on the Main Street steps of City Hall, the main public entrance to the building, and a handful of people camped there overnight and vowed to remain until they are able to meet with Garcetti and Beck. No arrests or violence were reported. Beck told reporters earlier he believes Los Angeles has made progress in improving relationships between police and the community. "I think that we have successes to share in Los Angeles,'' he said. "We have been through a tremendous amount as a city, a city torn apart not that many decades ago by racial unrest and mistrust of the police. I think we've made a lot of progress on that regardless of what you see from a handful of people.'' Tensions between police and the black community have been running high following two fatal shootings by police in the past week -- of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. The tensions escalated into last week's sniper shootings during a protest in Dallas, killing five police officers. "The roots of the problems we saw this week date back not just decades -- they date back centuries,'' Obama said. "There are cultural issues and there are issues of race in this country. And poverty. And a whole range of problems that will not be solved overnight.'' Glendale police are growing beards to raise money for a longtime employee who suffered a stroke last summer. The fundraiser began as an effort to get the remaining $8,000 needed to install a wheelchair lift in the home of Jorge Acevedo, who has served the department since 2001. He joined as a volunteer after an unsolved shooting in 1999 left him wheelchair-bound. For years, his parents have had to carry him over the steps of his house -- a hardship that's become more and more difficult as they have gotten older. As of Wednesday, the department had exceeded their goal by more than $5,000. The extra money will go toward Acevedo's medical expenses, and the beard-growing rule will continue until the end of the month: every Glendale officer who donates $50 to the cause gets permission to take a break from shaving. "It was actually the idea of one our lieutenants," said Glendale Police Sgt. Robert William. "The chief said, 'Usually we won't do that, but it's for a good cause,' and so he allowed it. And so everyone's excited to finally grow some beards." The department had previously raised thousands of dollars for the wheelchair lift, and wanted to something different for the final push, William said. It's not a common occurrence. Uniformed personnel were last allowed to grow beards in 1956, in celebration of the city's 50th anniversary, according a Glendale police news release. But Acevedo has never been a common member of the police department. His path to becoming a police officer was tragically cut short in December of 1999 when he was shot multiple times while delivering Christmas presents to his sister. The injuries left him in a coma for months. Nonetheless, he went on to join law enforcement as a volunteer helping with clerical work, and later became an employee. His duties included taking photos, manning the front desk and doing community outreach. But last summer, Acevedo's ability to serve suffered another hurdle when a stroke left him unable to talk, and rendered him mostly immobile. He is still recovering and hasn't been able to resume his job. But he has been attending therapy and "desperately wants to return to work," the news release said. A 24-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the defacement of a Venice mural dedicated to POWs and troops missing in action during the Vietnam War, officials said. Angel Castro was taken into custody on Wednesday in the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles after detectives put out a warrant for his arrest, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Castro, who uses the moniker "LITER," was one of the four alleged people identified earlier this month accused of painting graffiti over a Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall just before Memorial Day this year. Detectives said Castro admitted to his role in the vandalism. Vandals sprayed a thick sheen of silver paint over most of the 2,273 names of Vietnam veterans on the memorial near the rear of a Metropolitan Transit Authority property on Pacific Avenue near Sunset Court. The mural, painted in the early 1990s, has a message at the top reading "You Are Not Forgotten" and bears the names of the soldiers counted as prisoners of war or missing in action in Vietnam. The vandalism occurred just as the nation was getting ready to observe Memorial Day in honor of fallen soldiers and inspired scores of veterans some from as far as Arizona to clean up the spray-painted mess ahead of the holiday. Castro was booked on suspicion of felony vandalism and is being held in lieu of $95,000 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned later this week. Sheriff's officials continue to seek additional information on suspects with the monikers "PHEB," "NONER," and "SNAKE" who are believed to be connected with the tagging. A reward for information was offered in the case. Authorities arrested a man who allegedly tried to evade police early Thursday morning at a hotel in Orange County, police said. The incident began around 12:45 a.m. when a woman at a hotel on 19th Street in Costa Mesa told police she saw a man with a gun, according to the Costa Mesa Police Department. The woman also told officers that the man looked like the suspect in a sketch photo of a wanted serial killer in Phoenix, Ariz., according to the Costa Mesa Police Department. Police responded as the man allegedly fled the scene in a silver Subaru. The chase extended onto the 91 Freeway in Riverside where the driver was allegedly engaged in a standoff with police. The man was taken into custody around 4:30 a.m. Local police contacted law enforcement officials in Arizona and confirmed the man arrested in the pursuit was not the suspected serial killer in Phoenix. Kevin Labeach and Corey Arvin contributed to this report. A man was injured after being pistol-whipped by home-invasion robbers in North Hills early Thursday morning, police said. The robbery was reported at 3:20 a.m. in the 9200 block of Valjean Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. "The screen was broken but I don't know they got past the sliding door," the man's wife said. She recalled that they robbers were tall and skinny, dressed in black. The four thieves armed with handguns woke them up demanding money, police said. The man's wife and kids were in the home but were not injured. Police said the family pet was limping when they arrived and believe it may have tried to protect the homeowners. "We believe the dog was in the interior of the home at the time and might have been injured during the struggle," said Sgt. Umberto Najera with the LAPD. The robbers, who police say covered up their faces with masks, left with an $5,000 in cash. The victim suffered head trauma and was taken to a hospital. Detectives have taken surveillance footage from the home while wrapping up the crime scene. "We're scared that it could happen again," the wife said. Miami-Dade Police Department detectives found plastic bins clearly marked "BIOHAZARD" and medical backboards among stolen items during a raid as part of an investigation into stolen plastics. The bins and backboards are supposed to be closely tracked but how they ended up among the stolen items is being investigated. In March, NBC 6 Investigators were there when 20 people were arrested and accused of stealing plastic crates and other items from retails stores. The arrests came after an investigation by Miami-Dade Economic Crime detectives. The 20 are accused of stealing $1.5 million worth of plastic crates from local retail stores. Police say the plastics were ground up into bits to be sold. During the raid, NBC 6 photojournalist Adam Rice captured images of the plastic medical bins and backboards. The bins are used at hospitals to store medical waste. The backboards are used to transport injured and sick people. Because these items could hold biohazardous waste, health officials expressed concerns about who is handling them. "Only authorized people, only people with training should be handling this type of waste," said Dr. Samir Elmir, the Division Director for the Environmental Health and Engineering unit of the Florida Department of Health in Miami Dade County. He said people handling the items could be exposed to infection. So, NBC 6 Investigators wanted to find out how these items ended up with stolen plastics. The Florida Department of Health in Miami Dade County attempted to determine how the medical items ended up at the warehouse, but was unsuccessful. The bins that were found are typically used at area hospitals. The backboards are shared among six fire departments including Miami Beach Fire, Hialeah Fire Rescue, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the City of Miami. One of the backboards found at the raided warehouse appeared to belong to the City of Miami Beach. However, records from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue show that the backboards went into general circulation to be shared by all six departments in 2012. Now all backboards used by the six departments are labeled with a multi-agency logo. That logo was not visible in the stack of backboards found at the warehouse. Late Wednesday, the Miami-Dade Fire Department said the private company that has a contract to sterilize and distribute the backboards sold old backboards. They now believe those backboards are the ones found at the warehouse. "We take the security of our equipment backboards very seriously, said EMS Chief Officer for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Rowan Taylor. "They are purchased to be used by the residents of this county." Stericycle, a waste-management company in Doral, has a $56,000 yearly contract with Miami Dade County to sterilize and re-distribute used backboards and miscellaneous medical equipment to be shared among the six fire departments, according to Miami Dade County records. The contract states Stericycle is "responsible for collecting multi-governmental agency orange blackboards," among other medical equipment from Miami Dade and Broward County hospitals. Stericycle did not respond to our questions late Wednesday about if the backboards had been legally sold. In a previous email asking for response about the plastic items found, Jennifer Koeing, Vice-President of Corporate Communications for Stericycle, wrote "We appreciate that you have contacted Stericycle about this issue. However, we are not open to an interview or commenting as it is our policy not to publicly discuss services provided to our customers." Miami Dade Fire Rescue sent this statement: "The safety of our patients is our top priority, as we follow strict guidelines to ensure we provide top quality services to our residents and visitors. We can positively assure our residents that none of the backboards in question in this investigation ever belonged to MDFR." BEIJING, July 14 -- Three UN peacekeepers from China injured on Sunday during violence in South Sudan have been airlifted to a UN hospital in Kampala, capital of Uganda,the Ministry of National Defense announced Thursday. Of the two other Chinese peacekeeper injured in the attack, one has made a full recovery and the other remains in a UN hospital in South Sudan, the ministry said. The ministry also confirmed that the Corporal Li Lei, 22, and Master Sergeant Yang Shupeng, 33, were killed in the incident. On Sunday evening local time, a mortal shell hit the armored vehicle carrying the peacekeepers as the fighting between government and anti-government forces continued in Juba, capital of South Sudan. Also on Thursday afternoon, Chinese military sent a specialist medical rescue plane from Beijing to transport the injured peacekeeper, according to the ministry. A team dispatched by Chinese military to handle the matter also arrived in Uganda on Thursday noon, the ministry said. UPDATE: Hollywood Police said they found the man and determined he had no criminal intentions. Hollywood Police are looking for a man who they say tried to interact with a one-year-old child on several occasions. The man was seen at a home on Polk Street over the weekend, lingering and acting suspiciously, Hollywood Police said Wednesday. Surveillance cameras captured the man knocking on the door of the home where the child lives, during his third attempt to talk with the child, police said. The homeowner demanded that he leave the property. The child's mother, who didn't want to be identified, said the man showed up at a yard sale on Saturday. "He didn't stop to see any of the items at the garage sale. He just walked straight toward the back of the garage which is where we were sitting in the shade," she said. The woman said the man didn't say anything for two minutes and just kept looking at her two-year-old daughter. "He just kept peering over my shoulder, I was like 'if you're not here to buy anything then you need to leave.' Then my demeanor changed drastically obviously," she said. She said the man left - but drove up and down her street a few times. Then Sunday he was back. She explained he wasn't welcome and to get off her property and he left, but said one thing that alarmed her before he did. "I asked him several times to leave and he just kept staring at me. Like no words again. Then when he finally left he drove up the street one more time and when he drove back down he was like 'bye,' and he said my daughter's name. Like twice," she said. The man allegedly showed up again Monday afternoon, forcing the mother to call the police who are now asking for the public's help. "I really want to make this clear. He did not try and grab my daughter, he did not try to push me or push through me or aggressive," she said. "For all I know this could be an elderly gentleman that's misled or off his meds or God knows." Police described the suspect as a white male about 50-65 years old. He is balding and wears glasses and was driving a beige GMC. Anyone who knows anything about the man is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. What to Know A man with a hammer allegedly entered a Northwest Miami-Dade home Thursday morning, taking property while the owner was inside. A 61-year-old woman was the victim of an armed home invasion in Northwest Miami-Dade early Thursday morning, and now police need help finding the person responsible. Around 2:30 AM this morning, Mary Mister was awakened at her home off Northwest 141st Street and 2nd Avenue. As she entered a hallway inside the home, she was confronted by a man with a hammer. The burglar grabbed Mister by the neck and placed her on the ground before covering her with a sheet. He then destroyed items in the home before stealing three televisions and an estimated $9,000 worth of jewelry. Mister was not hurt in the incident. Her husband said he's just glad she's okay after the ordeal. "She was in bed sleeping and she woke up and he was standing over her with a hammer, 'don't you move,'" George Mister said. "She just stood there...she didn't move, thank God she didn't move." The suspected burglar is described as a black male in his 30s, reportedly 59 and wearing beige shoes with orange shoelaces. Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Police or Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. What to Know David Samson pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy-related count. The former Port Authority chairman and Christie ally was being investigated for his role in flights out of Newark. Samson resigned from the Port Authority in 2014, several months after the scandal around lane closings at the George Washington Bridge. The former Port Authority chairman and Gov. Christie ally who resigned amid an investigation into the George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal pleaded guilty in a separate investigation involving an airline route out of Newark Airport, officials said Thursday. David Samson pleaded guilty to a single bribery-related count for his role in having United Airlines reinstate flights between Newark and Columbia, South Carolina, between 2012 and 2014. He faces two years probation for the crime. Jamie Fox, the former head of the New Jersey Department of Transportation and a onetime lobbyist for United Airlines, was also charged with conspiracy to commit bribery. Authorities said that he worked with Samson to get the route that had been canceled in 2009 reinstated. Port Authority Special Inspector Michael Nestor called the case "another example of a public official gone astray." Samson admitted to taking a proposal for a new hangar for United off of a Port Authority agenda in 2011 after learning the airline wasn't going to reinstate the flights to the South Carolina capital about 50 miles northeast of Samson's vacation home in Aiken, a small town near the Georgia border popular with horse lovers and golfers hoping to play at Augusta National and other courses in the area. He also admitted to taking 27 flights between Newark and Columbia after United added the flight, which he called the "chairman's flight." The twice-weekly direct flight was canceled days after he resigned last year. After the hearing, an attorney for Samson said, "It's a sad day." Fox's attorney, Michael Critchley, said his client "unfortunately has found himself caught in the middle of an arrangement that he believed was reviewed and approved by the necessary business and legal professionals." Fox "will not allow this unfair stain to be the last word on his distinguished career," Critchley said in the statement. U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said that the case "breeds more life into the view that all public officials are corrupt." United Airlines employees won't face charges in the case, but the company will have to pay a financial penalty of $2.25 million and step up compliance on its anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies. Oscar Munoz, president and CEO of United, said in a statement, "We will continue to act with the utmost integrity in everything we do, ensuring that we are always conducting business ethically and with the best interests of all of our stakeholders in mind." Samson was Port Authority chairman during the 2013 George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal that led to criminal charges against three other Christie allies, including the governor's deputy chief of staff. Christie appointed Samson, a former state attorney general, to the Port Authority chairman's post in 2011 after he led the governor's transition team in 2009. Samson wasn't charged in the bridge investigation. But an email from a Port Authority official to a Christie aide, both of whom were later charged, described Samson "helping to retaliate" after Port Authority executive director Patrick Foye ordered the lanes reopened. Samson resigned from the Port Authority in March 2014, a day after a law firm's taxpayer-funded report cleared Christie of wrongdoing and laid much of the blame for the lane closures on the Christie aide. Samson was among several key figures in the drama who weren't interviewed for the report. The bridge investigation, combined with an earlier audit that called the Port Authority "challenged and dysfunctional," trained a spotlight on the powerful agency and eventually led to questions about Samson's interactions with United Airlines. What to Know A homemade explosive was inside a plastic bag in Central Park when it went off Sunday The teen who stepped on a rock covering it, setting it off, had part of his leg amputated, relatives said Police believe the explosive was created by a hobbyist or experimenter who didn't intend to hurt people The explosive compound that blew off the foot of a college student in Central Park over the July 4th weekend contained products and chemicals readily found in hardware stores, a senior law enforcement official tells NBC 4 New York. Investigators still believe the person who left behind the homemade explosive inside a plastic bag was experimenting with chemical mixtures to make a small explosion, the official said. When the bag failed to detonate, the person left behind the volatile mixture of chemicals in the park. There was no sign of any triggering mechanism, and authorities don't believe the device was designed to intentionally hurt people. Police previously said they believe it was created by "an explosive hobbyist or experimenter" who had some knowledge of chemistry. The victim, identified by relatives as 19-year-old Connor Golden, a University of Miami student from Fairfax County, Virginia, was walking in the park with two friends when he stepped on a rock covering the explosive. Breaking. Loud boom in Central Park. Man suffers major injury to leg. #nbc4ny pic.twitter.com/qI6reOjvuN Lori Bordonaro (@Lori4NY) July 3, 2016 The teen's grandparents told NBC 4 Washington that doctors had amputated his leg below the knee. An official said he underwent surgery at Bellevue Hospital. Friends of Golden have started an online fundraiser for him as he remains in the New York City hospital. The GoFundMe page describes him as a talented sound technician studying music engineering at the University of Miami. It says he's also an outdoors enthusiast and an Eagle Scout. A 53-year-old man with a history of erratic behavior was shot and killed by police Wednesday after calling 911 to say he had forced his way into his ex-girlfriend's home with a gun and would shoot any police who arrived, authorities say. Richard Dinneny was arguing with his ex-girlfriend at her Overlook Drive home in Middletown shortly before 7 p.m. when he apparently threatened to kill her and she called 911, police said. Minutes after the ex-girlfriend called 911, Dinneny called 911 and told the dispatcher he wanted to die, and that he had pushed his way into the woman's home and would kill police who responded. When two officers arrived, they encountered Dinneny outside the home with a weapon and ordered him several times to drop his gun. He refused, police said, and the two responding officers, both men with at least 10 years of service, fired several shots, striking and killing Dinneny. Neither officer was injured. According to police, neighbors say Dinneny and his ex-girlfriend argued often. Armed police soldiers prepare for the breach of the embankment on the dike of Niushan Lake in central China's Hubei Province, July 13, 2016. The Hubei provincial government Tuesday decided to break the embankment between Liangzi Lake and Niushan Lake, to prevent possible flood overflow over the dike. The operation will be executed on July 14. (Xinhua/Cheng Min) WUHAN, July 14-- Armed police blew up a dike between two lakes in central China's Hubei Province Thursday morning to disperse surging floodwater. In the southeastern suburbs of Hubei's capital Wuhan, the 3.7-km-long embankment separating Liangzi Lake and Niushan Lake was destroyed at about 7 a.m., according to local authorities. This move is supposed to bring down the water level of Liangzi below safety level. Liangzi is the second largest lake in Hubei, which has been among the regions worst hit by the recent deadly downpours. Due to persistent rain since mid-June, water level of the lake hit record high, 0.12 meters above the safety level. A total of 1,658 people were evacuated for the explosion. The Iran nuclear accord is fragile at its one-year anniversary. Upcoming elections in both the U.S. and Iran could yield new leaders determined to derail the deal. The Mideast's wars pit U.S. and Iranian proxies in conflict. Iran's ballistic missiles are threatening American allies in the Middle East. Congressional opposition remains. But for now, the seven-nation nuclear pact is holding. Washington and Tehran are expanding cooperation. And Boeing's recent announcement of a multibillion-dollar plane deal with Iran Air suggests some of the agreement's early problems may be getting resolved. "It really wasn't long ago that we saw a rapidly expanding nuclear program in Iran, only months away from having enough weapons-grade uranium to build 10 to 12 nuclear weapons, and we were on the cusp of confrontation," Secretary of State John Kerry said recently. "We have changed the strategic equation." One year ago, on July 14, 2015, the United States, six other world powers and Iran finalized almost two years of negotiations on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The pact outlined what Tehran had to do to pull back its nuclear program from the brink of weapons-making capacity. And it spelled out the West's obligations to end many financial, trade and oil sanctions that had battered Iran's economy. Iran has lived up to its end of the deal. It shut down thousands of centrifuges for enriching uranium and exported almost its entire stockpile of the bomb-making material. It disabled a heavy water plant that would have produced plutonium usable in a weapon. It opened up its supply chain to far greater scrutiny. An underground enrichment facility near Fordo operates under strict limits. If Iran were to race now toward an atomic weapon, the Obama administration and most independent experts say it would need at least a year. The U.S. and its partners Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia say that is enough time to discover the effort and intervene. Before the deal was struck, the timeframe for Iran to "break out" toward a bomb was a couple of months. Iran's compliance and the expanded breathing room have eliminated for now the threat of a military confrontation. In the presidential campaign, discussion about the Iran deal focuses largely on the implications of the agreement and today's limited U.S.-Iranian cooperation, no longer on whether to attack Iran. Presumptive Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton backs the deal; GOP rival Donald Trump has spoken of "renegotiation." The situation is uneasy in Iran. A year before elections, President Hassan Rouhani is under pressure to show his people the benefits of the agreement. Iran is struggling to attract big investments, with banks and companies fearful of U.S. prosecution or fines. June's Boeing announcement, involving dozens of planes and worth as much as $25 billion, could open the floodgates if it survives challenges from many of the same Republican and Democratic critics who opposed last year's nuclear deal. Last week, the House passed two measures that would block the sale. The Senate hasn't acted yet; if it does, Obama would likely veto the bill. But Iranian threats to renege on the deal have the Obama administration on the defensive. It sees Rouhani's success as critical to the accord's survival. To that end, Kerry has lobbied European banks to make greater investments in Iran and U.S. officials even have explored softening financial restrictions on Iran. Such considerations haven't gone over well with Republican critics. Obama's Iran outreach is "a textbook example of the failure of appeasement," House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., wrote in a 23-page national security agenda published last month. Ballistic missiles pose another test. The U.S. bragged after the deal that it secured a key concession: Prolonging a U.N. ban on Iranian missile development by eight years. Tehran has flaunted the restriction, testing missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv and bearing "Death to Israel" lettering. It has suffered few repercussions. Administration officials say pressures on the nuclear deal make it that much more valuable. Iranian ballistic missiles would be more worrisome if carrying nuclear warheads, the argument goes. Syria's bloody quagmire would be even harder to end if a nuclear-armed Iran were added to the equation. "Measured by whether the agreement has prevented Iran from developing or obtaining a nuclear weapon, this deal has so far been successful," said Sen. Chris Coons, a fence-sitting Democrat a year ago who ultimately backed the accord. The nuclear deal's future is "highly uncertain," said Ariel Levite at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He outlined several potential paths forward. But even Iranian compliance poses a threat, because the deal could let Iran start ramping up nuclear activity again after eight years. "The clock is steadily ticking one year down, seven more to go," Levite said. Faith leaders and musicians delivered messages of hope Thursday at a funeral for a black Minnesota man who was fatally shot by a suburban St. Paul police officer. Mourners filled the 3,000-seat Cathedral of St. Paul to pay their respects to 32-year-old Philando Castile, whose white casket arrived and left on a horse-drawn carriage. After the ecumenical service ended, people lined up on either side of the cathedral's long stairs holding "Unite for Philando" signs as pallbearers dressed in white raised clenched fists while carrying out Castile's casket. Castile was shot several times during a July 6 traffic stop in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights. Castile's girlfriend streamed the aftermath live on Facebook. The Rev. John Ubel, rector of the Catholic cathedral that overlooks downtown St. Paul, said the day will prove to have been a good one if it brings people of different backgrounds together and gives them a "tiny measure of peace." In his eulogy, the Rev. Steve Daniels Jr. of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church questioned why racial profiling still occurs in the U.S. He said he grew up in Mississippi in the 1950s and '60s and understands the frustrations expressed by today's protesters in response to police shootings of black people. They want to feel respected, valued and are tired of being "wrongfully murdered," Daniels said. He said he's thankful for police and their service, but that people need to find a way to work together. Gov. Mark Dayton, who has suggested that race played a role in Castile's death, attended, as did U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison. A local kiosk operator is speaking out after he was told by the Cherry Hill Mall to stop selling shirts that protest police brutality. Amir Miller, the operator of the Teary Eyez kiosk, says he began selling and wearing the t-shirts at the Cherry Hill Mall on Friday. The shirt has the words, This Has to Stop, along with a picture of stick figures beating a fallen person. During a time in which protests continue across the nation over deadly police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota, Miller insists his shirts are anti-police brutality but not anti-police. Miller told NBC10 a shopper whose father is a police officer, disliked the shirt and the two had a discussion about it. Miller recorded the end of their conversation and posted it on his Facebook page. Miller also said two Camden County Police officers saw the shirts and alerted the Cherry Hill Mall. Miller then received a voicemail Tuesday from a Cherry Hill Mall representative telling him to stop selling and wearing the shirt because it was offensive. I was trying to reason by saying its nothing negative about the shirt, Miller told NBC10. Its a silhouette. Some stick figures. If this design had two white cops beating a black guy, understandable. Thats totally offensive. Miller posted a Facebook Live video of himself taking the shirts down Tuesday. In the video, he claims he tried to explain his side of the story to the Cherry Hill Mall rep but to no avail. They were very rude about it, Miller said. They werent trying to hear nothing. They just said to take them down. Miller says he wasnt trying to be controversial but instead intended to promote a positive message through the shirt. This has to stop, Miller said. Its not geared to any race. No color. Police brutality is bad. Why wouldnt you want to stand for that? A spokesperson for the Cherry Hill Mall sent NBC10 a statement Wednesday about their request for Miller to take down the shirts. Cherry Hill Mall does not condone any type of violence, but we do support our tenants rights to peacefully conduct their business, she wrote. We made a hasty request that the merchant stop selling the specified t-shirts and as a result, have contacted the merchant to invite him to continue the sale of the t-shirts. We encourage peaceful unity in the region. Despite the statement, Miller told NBC10 the mall never contacted him and he plans to boycott it as a result. He took all of his merchandise out of the mall, leaving only the kiosk and mannequin behind. He now plans on selling his shirts at the Philadelphia Mills Mall instead. However, he also said hes not ruling out a chance to sit down and talk with the Cherry Hill Mall management in the future. Police say a man was drunk when he drove onto the property of a Sam Adams brewery in Pennsylvania and crashed into a guard rail. Upper Macungie police say 59-year-old John Raab had been drinking prior to the July 1 incident at the plant in Breinigsville. Raab was charged with drunken driving. No one was injured, and it wasn't clear why he was at the facility. No current phone number for Raab was available. No lawyer information was listed in online documents. The brewery is one of three plants operated by Boston Beer Co. The others are in Boston and Cincinnati. The Pennsylvania facility is the lone producer of Sam Adams' canned beers. A one-car wreck left two men dead and a Lehigh Valley road for hours overnight. The Honda Civic lost control and crashed into a tree along Broadway near Crestline Avenue in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania around 2:05 a.m. Thursday, said Salisbury Township Police. The driver, identified by the Lehigh County Coroner's Office as 22-year-old Jesus Rodriguez of Allentown, and his passenger, 20-year-old Julian Delacruz of Allentown -- both died at the scene. No word yet on what caused Rodriguez to leave the roadway. Two Marine Corps veterans playing "Pokemon Go" in Fullerton, California, helped nab a man wanted for attempted murder and other crimes, police said. Friends Seth Ortega and Javier Soch were playing the wildly popular mobile app game in a park near Wilshire and Pomona avenues Tuesday morning when they noticed a man acting suspiciously toward a woman and her three children, they said. "It was just out of place, just didn't seem like he fit in with the group with the mom and her kids," Soch said. Ortega and Soch said they watched as the suspect walked away and approached another mother with her two children. When he started touching the young boy on the playground, Ortega and bystander Keith Sanders decided to act. "At this point I'm already running across the street," Ortega said. "I jump over a park bench, Keith is coming from the parking structure next to the park. We're yelling at the suspect to get away." They kept an eye on the man until officers arrived and arrested him on suspicion of child annoyance. He was identified by the Fullerton Police Department as 39-year-old Jacob Kells. Fullerton police discovered the Kells was wanted for multiple offenses, including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. He was being held at the Orange County Jail awaiting transfer to Monterey County. No one was hurt. It wasn't immediately clear if Kells had an attorney. Local Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. Deputies in San Diegos North County are searching for two men who burglarized a pet clinic in Encinitas, stealing pricey computers from the business in a crime caught on tape. In very clear surveillance video released by the San Diego County Sheriffs Department (SDSO) North Coastal Station on Thursday, two unidentified men are seen breaking the glass door to the Pacific Coast Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery in the 500 block of Saxony Place. Seconds after the men are inside the clinic, the security alarm sounds off and the suspects begin to move quickly, grabbing an Apple computer from a nearby desk. About 38 seconds into the surveillance footage, one suspect appears to slightly slip as he tries to run through the clinic. The SDSO said that as the alarm sounded, one of the suspects dropped a machine used for analyzing blood and a possible clue in the crime. In the end, deputies said the two suspects stole two Apple computers from the business. The loss and damage to the clinic is estimated at more than $34,000. The burglary happened just after 5 a.m. on March 21, but details of the crime were released for the first time Thursday. San Diego County Sheriff's Department The SDSO said one suspect is described as a man between 25 and 30 years old, standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing approximately 195 pounds. He was wearing dark clothing and a black beanie cap. The second suspect is described as being between 23 and 28 years old, 5-foot-9 and about 160 pounds. In the surveillance video, he appears unshaven. He was wearing a black beanie, plaid jacket and dark-colored jeans. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone who recognizes the suspects on the video can call the North Coastal Sheriffs Station at (760) 9663500 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. Firearms shooting is banned on all federal land in the County of San Diego until further notice due to fire danger. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued the new shooting guidelines Thursday. Areas like Bee Canyon and other federal land that is popular for shooting will be off limits until advised to the contrary the BLM stated in a written release. other than in defense of person, it shall be unlawful for anyone to discharge any pistol, revolver, shotgun, rifle, or any other firearm or device fired or discharged with explosives during any period in which a high-fire hazard has been declared by the California Department of Forestry, according to the BLM statement. For now, San Diego County Sheriffs Deputies will increase patrols around the BLM areas known for shooting and will cite shooters when appropriate, officials said. San Diego Police are working to put a new face to the suspect in the series of homeless murders and brutal beating of another. Anthony Alexander Padgett, 36, of Chula Vista was arrested on Thursday last week in connection to the murders. He was released on Monday after investigators say they found reason to exclude him as a suspect. The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) say Padgett's physical features were similar to the man recorded on surveillance video buying supplies to light a fire just before the first victim, Angelo De Nardo was found beaten and burned under a tree near Bay Park. Shawn Longley,41, was found dead in Ocean Beach with blunt force trauma to his upper body. Dionicio Derek Vahidy, 23, died in the hospital after being found attacked and set on fire in Downtown San Diego. But Padgett told NBC 7 that he was innocent. I look like that person. I am innocent, Padgett said. The store clerk who sold the suspect a gas can and gasoline, also told NBC 7 that Padgett was never in his store. The clerk, who asked not to be identified, says the man in the enhanced photos is closer to 50 years old. Investigators are now starting over, going back to the store clerk who is the only person who can identify the suspect. For about two hours on Wednesday, he spent time with investigators helping them create a composite sketch based on his recollection of the suspect. The suspect hasn't struck again since last week but police say the case is still their number one priority. So far, SDPD has not responded to NBC 7s requests for a copy of a composite sketch. WUHAN, July 14, 2016 -- Xu Ziyan, a child who has moved out from her former community with her family, sleeps in her grandma's arms at a makeshift shelter after the dike between the Liangzi Lake and the Niushan Lake was blown up in central China's Hubei Province, July 14, 2016. Armed police destroyed the 3.7-kilometer-long embankment separating the Liangzi Lake and the Niushan Lake on Thursday to disperse surging floodwater. More than 1,600 residents who lived nearby have been transferred to makeshift shelters for further settlement. (Xinhua/Cheng Min) What to Know Search for suspect in series of homeless killings is first priority for San Diego Police Department. Three men died and one was critically injured in attacks that occurred July 3-6 in San Diego. Anyone with information can call SDPD homicide (619) 531-2293 or CrimeStoppers at (888) 580-8477. San Diego Police released a new composite sketch in the series of homeless murders and brutal beating of another. One person is believed to be responsible for the attacks that began July 3 in the Bay Park area of San Diego. Angelo De Nardo was found beaten to death and set on fire under a tree along Morena Boulevard. The next morning, on July 4, two men were found with similar injuries. Shawn Longley, 41, was found dead in Ocean Beach with blunt force trauma to his upper body. A third victim who is hospitalized in critical condition was found beaten in the Midway area, police said. He has not regained consciousness since the attack. On Wednesday, a fourth attack was connected to the crime spree. This time, a homeless man was beaten and set on fire in a well-populated area of Kettner Boulevard. That victim, later identified as 23-year-old Dionicio Derek Vahidy, died in the hospital. Images: Person Sought for Questioning in Homeless Attacks San Diego Police have been looking for new evidence in the case now that a man arrested last week has been released from custody. Homicide investigators said they had found evidence that led them to determine the man was not a suspect in the crime spree. Homicide investigators want to question a man spotted on store surveillance video near the Morena Boulevard scene. The man purchased a gas can, a gallon of gasoline and a lighter about 15 minutes before De Nardo's body was discovered. Bastille Day is a celebration of the fall of tyranny in France -- and the decadence of French cuisine. Various restaurants, bars and cafes are hosting French-inspired festivities in the name of French independence. Washingtonians looking to celebrate French culture have many options throughout the city. Bastille Appropriately enough, Bastille (606 N. Fayette St., Alexandria) will have special dishes on Bastille Day. The dishes are inspired by traditional cuisine from the Bordeaux region of France and include French staples such as foie gras, cheese and wine. Bastille Day Concert & Celebration Head to CityCenterDC for wine tastings, mini-facials and discounted special menu items. The Bon Musique Quartet will also be performing for the audience. The festivities start at 6 p.m. and last until 9 p.m. Thursday. Also at CityCenterDC, Louis Vuitton (943 Palmer Alley NW, Suite 307) will celebrate Bastille Day with champagne and French snacks, and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., will have a sketch artist on location. Bistrot Lepic & Wine Bar Trout fillet with almonds, boeuf bourguignon and sweetbread are on the menu at this French-themed restaurant (1736 Wisconsin Ave. NW). Additionally, Thursday will feature live jazz performances. Cafe du Parc From 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday night, Cafe du Parc (1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) will have $10 crepes and live music for guests. Eno Wine Bar Eno Wine Bar (810 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) is celebrating Bastille Day with their collection of French wines. A glass is $9 and bottles of French wine are 30 percent off. Flats 8300 This apartment complex (8300 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda) will host a party from 6 to 8 p.m. with complimentary beer, wine, and champagne. Be sure to RSVP, as it is required in order to attend. French Embassy The French Embassy (4101 Reservoir Road NW) welcomes guests to learn about French history, culture and cuisine at their celebration on Bastille Day. An open bar and live performances will surely make for a vibrant evening. Le Diplomate The popular French cafe (1601 14th St. NW) will provide exquisite treats for their customers from Thursday to Sunday. You'll also find mime performances, a French ice cream cart, and an assortment of French cocktails The usual savory menu of escargot, baguettes and lobster will also be available. Quarter+Glory This bar (2017 14th St. NW) will have two special decadent cocktails for those celebrating French independence, the "Call Me" cocktail and the "Zelda." A Maryland homeowner accused of shooting two firefighters as they tried to enter his home has been indicted on six weapons charges, but not the shooting itself, officials said Thursday. Police have said the homeowner believed his house was being broken into and fired in self defense. The homeowner, Darrell Lumpkin, was not legally allowed to own guns due to a previous assault charge in the 1980s, said Angela Alsobrooks, state's attorney for Prince George's County. One firefighter died and another was wounded after they forced their way into Lumpkin's home April 15 in Temple Hills, Maryland. Lumpkin's brother had called for help, fearing Lumpkin was having a medical emergency. But when the firefighters got inside, the homeowner opened fire with a handgun, police said. John Ulmshneider, 37, was fatally shot. He was a 13-year veteran of the Prince George's County Fire Department, a husband and the father of a 2-year-old girl, fire officials said. Volunteer firefighter Kevin Swain, 19, survived four gunshot wounds. Lumpkin has been charged with six charges of owning a firearm after being disqualified of owning one. But he was not charged with shooting the firefighters, Alsobrooks said Thursday. The grand jury didn't believe that the law supported murder charges, she said. "We understand, based on the prosecutor who responded to the scene that night, that it appeared that the homeowner was asleep" when the firefighters tried to get inside, and that he thought his home was being broken into, Alsobrooks said Thursday. "We rely on the law to tell us what is fair, based on facts," she said. The gun charges together carry a maximum penalty of 60 years, but Alsobrooks said she believes it would be 45 years maximum after the charges merge. A trial date has not been set yet. Lumpkin had three weapons in his possession, Alsobrooks said: a .380-caliber handgun that was used in the shooting, and .40-caliber and .25-caliber handguns that were recovered from the home. He was not allowed to legally purchase guns because he'd been previously convicted on a crime of violence, she said. Alsobrooks didn't have much more information on that charge but said it happened in Washington, D.C., in the 1980s and believed it was a simple assault charge. Alsobrooks said there was no good possible outcome to the case. "This is the kind of case that, unless you can bring back the firefighter who lost his life... to me, it's a difficult case," she said. Alsobrooks previously said prosecutors would have to assess whether the homeowner believed he was in danger, and whether his belief and actions were reasonable in the mind of an ordinary person. Prince George's County Fire Chief Marc Bashoor said in the wake of the shooting that he believed the firefighters did everything right. "They acted in a crisis situation, and I believe they did everything right that night with the information that they had," he said. Bashoor has said that the fire department will make changes to try to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. According to current protocol for welfare checks, firefighters typically will wait for police if there is no indication of an emergency, he said. However, in this case, the homeowner's brother had indicated a possible diabetic crisis, Bashoor said. A transgender woman has died after she was shot in Washington, D.C. on the Fourth of July, and police are investigating her death as a homicide. Deeniquia Dodds, 22, was attacked on July 4 just a few blocks from home, on the 200 block of Division Avenue NE, police said Thursday morning. The woman known to loved ones as Dee Dee was "brutally shot in the neck and left to die," LGBT rights activist Earline Budd said in a statement. "Her murder reminds us all of how often the transgender community is targeted for violence in our society," Budd said, identifying herself as a representative for Dodds' family. Sixth District police officers were flagged down about 3 a.m. The Northeast D.C. resident was found with an gunshot wound and rushed to a hospital. She was placed on life support for nine days and died Wednesday, Dodds said. Dodds was "a beautiful person," according to Joeann Lewis, who raised her. "Loved to make you laugh. Loved to make you smile," she said. Police did not immediately release any information on a suspect or what may have preceded the shooting. It is not being investigated as a hate crime. "We have no information to suggest the crime was motivated by hate, at this point," Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said. Family members worried about Dodds' safety because she worked as a prostitute, Lewis said. Dodds' family urged acceptance of transgender people. "Regardless of what their sexuality is, they are human beings just like we are," Lewis said. The Montgomery County police chief met with members of the LGBT community Tuesday night, in what is believed to be the first meeting of its kind. Chief Tom Manger was asked about the killings of two transgender women in the county. News4s Jackie Bensen reports. A vigil was held in Dodds' honor Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the courtyard at 5255 Clay Terrace NE, where she lived with her family. "The LGBTQ community encourages everyone to participate and show solidarity against hatred and violence," Budd said. Dodds' funeral will be held the week of July 25. The former H.D. Woodson High School student would have turned 23 this month. Transgender people face an increased rate of violence, and more transgender people were killed in 2015 -- 21 people -- than in any other year on record, according to the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy organization. Five other transgender people have been killed in D.C. since August 2002, according to police records. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 202-727-9099. Information also can be submitted anonymously by sending a text message to 50411. A reward of as much as $25,000 is offered. "Whoever did it, I hope that justice be done to them," the woman who raised Dodds said. A Virginia school board is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block a transgender male from using the boys' bathroom until the court decides whether to review his discrimination case. In an emergency appeal filed Wednesday, The Gloucester County School Board urged Chief Justice John Roberts to prevent Gavin Grimm from using the restroom that matches his gender identity when he returns to school in September. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals sided in April with Grimm, who argued the board violated federal education discrimination laws by forbidding him from using the boys' bathroom. The case was sent back to the district court for further consideration. The district court issued an order that the school must allow Grimm to use the boys bathroom while the court considers the case. The school board said it will suffer "irreparable harm" if Grimm is allowed to use the boys' restroom this fall. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is seeking $10 million in damages from former senior campaign consultant Sam Nunberg, alleging that Nunberg leaked confidential information to reporters in violation of a nondisclosure agreement. In a court filing obtained by The Associated Press, Nunberg accused Trump of trying to silence him "in a misguided attempt to cover up media coverage of an apparent affair" between two senior campaign staffers. Such a legal dispute is highly unusual for a presidential candidate. It reflects Trump's efforts to aggressively protect the secrecy of his campaign's inner workings, as he has for years fought to protect the secrecy of his businesses and family. The AP reported last month that Trump requires nearly everyone in his campaign and businesses to sign legally binding nondisclosure agreements prohibiting them from releasing any confidential or disparaging information about the real estate mogul, his family or his companies. Trump has also said he would consider requiring such agreements in the White House. Nunberg's filing comes at a crucial political moment for Trump. He's on the verge of picking his running mate and is preparing for next week's Republican convention, one of his highest profile opportunities to reach voters and ease the concerns of GOP leaders who are concerned about his unconventional candidacy. In the court filings, Nunberg denied disparaging Trump and accused the presumptive GOP nominee of attempting to "bully" him into silence after Nunberg decided to publicly support Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential bid. "Mr. Trump's actions in starting a $10 million arbitration, seeking to silence Mr. Nunberg and have the proceedings sealed are a cautionary tale of what the American people face if Mr. Trump is elected president," said Andrew Miltenberg, Nunberg's attorney. Miltenberg said Trump's attorney argued for the documents to be sealed in a hearing Wednesday morning. Trump attorney Alan Garten repeatedly declined to refer to Nunberg by name, but described him as "a person who has a history of making untrue, outlandish and outrageous allegations." Nunberg was a consultant to Trump's presidential campaign but was fired in August because of racist posts he wrote on Facebook. Nunberg has been highly critical of Trump's former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, both professionally and personally. In a recent GQ Magazine interview, he said he would suck the "blood of out of (Lewandowski's) skull by the time I'm done with him." In the court filings, Nunberg said Trump filed a $10 million arbitration claim against him and falsely accused him of being a source of a New York Post story from mid-May that recounted a public quarrel between Lewandowski and campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks. Lewandowski was fired from the campaign in June after months of tension with other senior Trump advisers. Nunberg denied being the source of the article, but in court papers referred to the quarrel as being part of an "apparent affair." Garten told the AP that Nunberg's allegations about Hicks and Lewandowski are "categorically untrue." Reached by phone, Lewandowski said he was "not familiar with the court case" and would not comment on Nunberg's allegations. Hicks did not respond to detailed requests to respond to the allegations sent via email and text, as well as a voicemail. Lewandowski helped Trump upset 16 primary rivals, a stunning feat for the political novice and a campaign manager with little presidential campaign experience. But Lewandowski clashed with other campaign staffers and was viewed by GOP leaders as unprepared to oversee a general election campaign. Since Lewandowski's firing, Trump's campaign has shown flashes of operating more professionally, with the candidate giving more prepared speeches in addition to his freewheeling rallies. Nunberg's filed the court documents in an attempt to block private arbitration proceedings initiated by Trump in May. In addition to asserting a right to discuss the campaign on free speech grounds, Nunberg's lawsuit also argued that the campaign's arbitration claim was invalid because it was brought by an exploratory group Trump formed for his 2012 campaign, "which has nothing to do with the Trump Campaign's activities in the 2016 presidential campaign cycle." "The Trump Campaign was not in existence prior to or at the time of the agreement, and Mr. Nunberg did not agree or intend that it apply to any future entity such as the Trump Campaign," Nunberg's complaint said. In an affidavit, Nunberg's mother, Rebecca Citron Nunberg, said the Trump entity bringing the claim against her son is not registered in the state of New York, depriving it of its ability to pursue legal claims against him. Associated Press writer Jeff Horwitz contributed to this report. Law enforcement has released the Pulse nightclub in Orlando to its owner just a month after it was the scene of the worst mass shooting in recent U.S. history. Officials with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Wednesday that the agency and the Orlando Police Department have ended their control of the property. They said that the investigation by the FBI and the FDLE is continuing. Gunman Omar Mateen opened fire at Pulse during "Latin Night" on June 12 in a rampage that left 49 victims dead and injured 53 people. In a statement, Pulse owner Barbara Poma described it as a "bittersweet day." She said she can now make plans for the future of Pulse, though she said she is uncertain what those next steps will be. "None of us will ever understand why this unspeakable event happened at Pulse, which was always intended to be a safe place for the LGBT community. We continue to be grateful for the efforts of law enforcement as well as the love and support we have received from our Orlando community and the world," Poma's statement said. A Lowell, Massachusetts, man is facing animal cruelty charges after he allegedly dragged his dog behind a van. Timothy Nicholas, 60, was arraigned Thursday and is charged with animal cruelty, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan announced. Police responded to a report on June 26 that a dog was being dragged by a van in the area of Hildreth Street and Aiken Avenue in Lowell and found a bleeding pit bull. Nicholas reportedly told police that he let the dog out of the van and forgot about it when he started driving. The pit bull suffered serious injuries to its paws and was treated at a Dracut veterinary hospital. The dog remains hospitalized. Nicholas was released on personal recognizance. The alleged victim in the so-called Snapchat rape trial is testifying Thursday in a Salem, Massachusetts, courtroom. Rashad Deihim, 21, Kailyn Bonia, 20, both of Saugus, are accused of raping the female victim - who was 16 at the time - in September 2014 in Saugus. Investigators say the assault was captured on the social media app Snapchat. The victim - who is not being named by necn - testified that she met up with Deihim and Bonia in the woods behind Waybright Elementary School in Saugus. They shared a bottle of vodka, and she said the last thing she remembers was one of the defendants groping her hair. "We were just talking at first... and then we started drinking," she said. She said she remembers saying, "What are you doing?" and then seeing flashing lights and a camera. At first, she said she didn't want to say anything. "I wanted it to go away. It started coming back slowly." Snapchat videos of the assault sent to another teen in September of 2014 are what led police to the victim. She was later found in the woods partially naked, alone and under the influence of drugs. Sydnee Enos, the teen who received the videos of the attack, testified Wednesday about what she saw. "She was trying to walk, couldn't really speak," Enos said. "It was a fast video." Defense lawyers argue the sex was consensual, but prosecutors say the alleged victim was not coherent enough to say no. Two others have already pleaded out in this case, including a teenager who admitted recording the Snapchat video. Connecticut state police have arrested a local television meteorologist on child porn charges. Police said Justin Goldstein, 33, of Hamden, was arrested at his place of work, WTNH-TV, in New Haven Wednesday. He has been charged with first-degree possession of child pornography and promoting a minor in an obscene performance, police said. The investigation began in June when videos of suspected child pornography were downloaded from an account assigned to Goldstein, according to a news release from police. Investigators went to Goldstein's home on Aspen Glen Drive in Hamden Wednesday to execute a search warrant and police said they seized various computer equipment and found files of suspected child porn at the scene. Stay informed about New England news and weather. Get the NECN app for iOS or Android and pick your alerts. Goldstein was released on a $200,000 surety bond and expected in court in Meriden on July 26. WTNH-TV confirmed his arrest and released the following statement. "We are deeply concerned by the allegations," Mark Higgins, general manager of WTNH-TV, said. "Until the matter is resolved, Justin Goldstein is suspended from his duties at WTNH." It wasn't immediately clear if Goldstein had an attorney. New Hampshire State Police and the Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday they are investigating the suspicious death of a man in Chesterfield. The identification of the victim has not been released. Authorities said they are looking for the man's vehicle which may be driven by Peter Giandalone, 22. The vehicle is a 2012 red Subaru Impreza with New Hampshire license plate number: 3241274. Anyone who sees the car or Giandalone is asked to contact Sergeant Justin Rowe, New Hampshire State Police, at (603) 223-4381. A Massachusetts man who lured teenage girls he met online into real life sexual encounters has been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. Matthew Clem was sentenced Wednesday in federal court after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including four counts of aggravated child rape. Prosecutors say the 31-year-old North Brookfield man between 2011 and 2014 persuaded teens he met online to send him explicit photos of themselves and met some for sex. Some victims were as young as 14. Prosecutors say Clem earned the girls' trust by pretending to be a teen himself. When he met them, he said he was the teen's older cousin. Clem in a statement read in court said he suffers from mental illness and will never forgive himself for what he did. Police in Newport, Rhode Island, say a Portsmouth man kidnapped his ex-girlfriend and sexually assaulted her for nearly a week. According to necn affiliate WJAR, Timothy Haslam, 58, allegedly abducted the woman on July 2. The two dated for five years prior and a no contact order was issued against Haslam. Haslam allegedly followed the woman in his truck and dragged her into his truck as she attempted to flee him in the Easton Beach parking lot. The victim said Haslam broke her arm to prevent her from escaping. She said she was sexually assaulted at his house for several days and was eventually taken to a hotel in Seekonk, Massachusetts. The victim was ultimately able to escape and call for help. Haslam was arrested at the Clarion Motel in Seekonk and was held without bail following his arraignment on Monday. Police on Cape Cod are searching for a missing 125-pound pig that escaped earlier this week. Charlie Lewis, the animal control officer in Barnstable, Massachusetts, said the pig is still on the loose in the Centerville section of town. He said the owners are aware it is missing, and several residents have reported seeing it in recent days. Pig on the loose in Centerville. If spotted, call Barnstable animal control at 508-790-6274. Help #getthepighome pic.twitter.com/jis6ADwBal Brian Mannal (@BrianMannal) July 13, 2016 "The pig doesn't want to be caught," Lewis said. "I missed it with my leash and there was a guy behind me helping out who grabbed it and wrestled it, but it got away. Another time I had it under my net and it flipped the net and me!" The pig's owner had apparently just gotten it from someone else in the Marstons Mills section of Barnstable, Lewis said. The owner's children were apparently playing with the pig in its pen and the gate wasn't latched properly, allowing it to escape. The last sighting was around 11:10 a.m. Thursday. Lewis said the animal is friendly. Anyone who sees the pig is urged to call Barnstable Animal Control at 508-790-6274. The Cambridge Police Department is taking a hard look at the public perception of policing in America and inside its own department. "I feel like young people and police officers are at each other's throats right now," said Cambridge Police Officer Steven Allen. Allen thought they were making progress in the community, but that was before all the officer involved shootings captured on cell phone cameras started shocking the nation and relationships between law enforcement and communities of color deteriorating - dragging all departments down. "Absolutely some of the lowest moral that I have seen officers are really feeling," said Deputy Superintendent Christine Elow. Even in this new environment of policing in America, Elow says they're sticking to their plan for reform especially after their own watershed moment. "That was our piece of humble pie," Elow said. In 2009, one of their officers mistakenly arrested Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Junior, suspected of being a burglar outside his house, stirring a national debate on racial profiling. Since then, the department took major steps toward reform and discovered that most officers are trained to think their authority comes from the written law and their badge, when in reality; it should come from the community, an idea called the legitimacy theory. "Increased communication, de-escalation, management of situations as opposed to control," said Elow. Richard Harding leads the Cambridge NAACP and says change will take time, and the challenge is getting all officers to buy in, including neighbors. "So until you have a mindset as a community that your police are there to police you in a respectful way, you may still act accordingly to the old rules of engagement," said Harding. City Councilor Leland Cheung is hopeful the progress made in Cambridge, could be a model for other agencies. "And other cities can look at what we've done, learn from our mistakes and learn what we've done well," said Cheung. Police in Pelham, New Hampshire, say several children were injured when a school bus crashed into another vehicle Wednesday afternoon. The crash happened around 2:30 p.m. on Mammoth Road. Police say the bus driver, 41-year-old Veronica Mellor, crashed into the back of another vehicle as the driver was waiting in traffic to make a left turn. Three children were treated for "very minor injuries" and Mellor was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital for minor injuries. The driver of the other vehicle refused treatment. The front of the bus and back of the other vehicle were heavily damaged and both vehicles were towed from the scene. All children were released to their parents and guardians. Police say they expect to cite Vellor for Following Too Closely. We have the feel of Florida with air coming in from the southwest, temperatures near 90 and high humidity today. A front in New York State approaches late day with the threat for strong to severe thunderstorms. With scattered showers this morning, we have breaks of sun, it is muggy with the dewpoint near 70, wind from the southwest gusting 15 to 25 mph. A squall line develops in New York State late this morning in early this afternoon, arriving in Western New England between 2 and 4 p.m. necn At 5 o'clock a line of strong to severe thunderstorms is expected along the Connecticut River Valley. These storms are able to generate wind gusts greater than 55 mph, with torrential downpours. Movement of the storms from west to east 30 to 40 mph means that any one thunderstorm should only last 20 to 30 minutes. Storms will weaken rapidly as they cross the Merrimack River Valley, and into Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts near sunset. By 8 o'clock most of the thunderstorms will have diminished, with the possible exception of central New Hampshire and southwestern Maine. necn Partial clearing is likely overnight, mild and muggy, with a low temperature 65 to 70. The hottest weather of the week is in southern New England tomorrow. The high temperature in Boston may exceed 95, making it the hottest day since the 96 in Boston September 8th of last year. A weakening weather front nearby may generate a few spot showers and storms, but nothing as organized as what's occurring today. We should have more sun than clouds with wind from the southwest 15-20 mph, and moderate humidity. The weekend forecast is not clear cut. The same front stalls over New England, with warm to hot weather on Saturday, high temperatures near 90. But we have to keep the chance for a shower or thunderstorm just about anywhere in the region during the afternoon. The beaches should be bright, with light variable wind and moderate humidity. necn It appears a wave of low-pressure may form on a front stalled in southern New England for Sunday. That may result in a mostly cloudy day, and we have to add the chance for showers, and a thunderstorm, maybe even periods of rain. It will remain warm and humid with a high temperature close to 80. Monday looks less humid, with a mixture of sun and clouds, high in the 80s. Another front arrives on Tuesday with a chance of showers and thunderstorms, again in the 80s. Norwich screening of blind theologian Norwich screening of blind theologian film The critically acclaimed and award winning film Notes on Blindness which documents theologian John Hulls journey to acceptance over the loss of his sight, is being shown at Norwichs Cinema City from July 15-20. The newly released feature film Notes on Blindness, which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and has won the Special Jury Prize at the 59th San Francisco Film Festival, will be screening at Cinema City in Norwich from Friday, July 15 to Wednesday, July 20. The film documents the late theologian and writer John Hulls journey from grief over his recent blindness to what he described as the discovery of a world beyond sight. The film was written and co-directed by James Spinney and graduate of Norwich School of Art and Design Peter Middleton. Theologian John Hull developed cataracts at the age of 13 and, after a number of operations, in 1980 at age 45 he was registered blind. He was newly married, working as a lecturer training religious education teachers at the University of Birmingham and his wife had just given birth to a son. In 1983 John completely lost all sight and light sensation and so to confront the enormousness of this loss he began to make audio diary recordings. Over the next three years John recorded over 16 hours of audio diaries. These original audio recordings form the structure of the film complemented by recent audio interviews conducted by the film makers with John and his wife Marilyn. These audio interviews are used throughout the films narration with the couple reflecting on events from a distance of thirty years. Until 2015 when he died John Hull was an Honorary Professor of Practical Theology in the Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education in Birmingham where he trained students for the Anglican and Methodist ministries in prophetic ministry and also Emeritus Professor of Religious Education at the University of Birmingham. In 2012, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) granted him a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the literature of blindness. His writings in education, theology and disability have been translated into over a dozen languages. To find out more about the film, times of screenings and to book tickets click here . Praise God for challenges! Proverbs 27:17- Iron sharpens iron as one man sharpens another In the 1800s, with the dawn of worldwide travel, rich Californians developed an appetite for Atlantic salmon having tasted it in Europe, but there was a problem: The Panama Canal hadnt been built (it wasnt finished until 1914), and in order to get to California from the Atlantic Ocean ships would have to sail right around the Cape Horn of South America. Many salmon died en route in the cargo hold, and the ones that made it lost muscle tone and didnt taste so good. So, some bright spark suggested the sailors throw a Northern Pike into the tank of smolts young salmon. This changed everything, whilst a few salmon got eaten the rest arrived toned and healthy as they out swam their natural predator. This is a true story with a simple moral - conflict can be good for us. It can keep us toned and sharp. As we flex and manoeuvre through the difficulties of life we become strong and fit for purpose. Praise God for the folks who get up your nose, or the situation that requires increasing patience and self-controlthese things are dumb bells to your character; Pick em up and get pumping! Lord please help me to see those who wind me up as your gift to me to help me stay flexible and fit for your purposes for me. The salmon image is courtesy of https://pixabay.com Ruth Tong is the Coordinator of Womens Ministries at Eternity Downham Market, and is the author of Love Drops from Heaven. Ruth regularly blogs at ruthtong.com/blog The views carried here are those of the author, not of Network Norwich and Norfolk, and are intended to stimulate constructive debate between website users. We welcome your thoughts and comments, posted below, upon the ideas expressed here. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang(L) and Mongolian Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat attend a press conference after their talks in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, July 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) ULAN BATOR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China and Mongolia agreed to speed up the alignment of their development strategies and boost bilateral practical cooperation in major fields for better accomplishment of mutual benefits and win-win results, visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Thursday. Li made the remarks during a joint press conference with his Mongolian counterpart Jargaltulga Erdenebat. Li said the two sides pledged to effectively accommodate their complementary advantages with each other's demands, propelling practical cooperation in such fields as the deep processing of agricultural and animal products, housing and infrastructure construction, and building materials. "We both agreed to steer the development of bilateral ties into the right direction," said Li. Among rising uncertainties and instabilities hindering the recovery of global economy, the European refugee crisis, along with the spread of regional terrorism, have posed challenges to regional peace and stability in Eurasia, Li told reporters. "They are affecting the whole continent, and the impact of Brexit on the global financial market has also emerged," said the premier. Against this backdrop, Li said China stands ready to work with other parties to address these challenges, shore up confidence and unleash positive signals of growth, so as to make contribution for the peace, stability and prosperity in Eurasia and the whole world at large. Hailing Li's visit as important and significant, Erdenebat said the visit injects new impetus into the development of Mongolia-China ties. To bring benefits to the two peoples, Mongolia is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with China, deepen practical cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, infrastructure construction, energy, investment, agriculture and finance, said the prime minister. He noted that Mongolia is full of confidence in the future development of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership -- the highest rank in Mongolia's diplomatic relations. Li arrived here Wednesday for an official visit to Mongolia and the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting summit. This is Li's first trip to the landlocked Asian country since he took office as Chinese premier in 2013, and the first official visit by a Chinese premier to the country in six years. New report sheds light on state of Norfolk churches New report sheds light on state of Norfolk churches A new research report by Christian statistics expert, Dr Peter Brierley, has shed new light on the state and numbers of rural churches across East Anglia. Of the 40,300 churches in England in 2015, 6.8% of them were in the region of East Anglia (the counties of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk), but only 4.2% of the countrys churchgoers were in this region. The reason for this difference is that East Anglia has a large number of rural churches, which are attended by fewer people than churches located in urban or suburban areas. The relevant proportions are shown in the Table, the figures being taken from the 2005 Church Census: Location of churches in East Anglia Area Urban % Suburban % Rural % Base (=100%) Cambridgeshire 23 25 52 675 Norfolk 11 21 68 1,064 Suffolk 8 25 67 874 Regional Total 13 24 63 2,613 England 19 40 41 37,501 East Anglia has the highest proportion of rural churches of all the 10 regions in England, the nearest being the South West where 56% of churches are in rural areas. There are three counties which have more rural churches pro-rata than Norfolk or Suffolk Lincolnshire (72%), Cornwall (71%) and North Yorkshire (70%). Rural churches have the disadvantage of smaller congregations an average of 39 across England in 2005 against an overall average of 84 people. In East Anglia the average rural congregation was only 19 people, half the national average. Rural congregations are often made up of a majority of elderly people, as younger people will frequently travel (by car) to a church where others of their age and marital status may be found. Ageing members are more likely to die, so numbers decrease. Energy is often less, and lay leadership is tough. Their minister may be shared across several congregations. It is of course very easy to paint a negative picture, but there are rural churches which have changed. Sometimes this is because of creative leadership (for example, one Essex vicar started an extra morning non-communion service under the theme Give God an hour a week with fewer hymns and no prayer book). In other churches increase may come through a family or families newly moving into a village, determined to become part of village community life. Ryedale in North Yorkshire is a District where numbers of new families actually caused the numbers attending the churches there to increase between 2005 and 2012. Three-fifths, 62%, of the churches in Norfolk were Anglican in 2015, 53% of churches in Suffolk, and 42% of the churches in Cambridgeshire. Only Herefordshire has a higher percentage of Anglican churches (67%), although Somerset and Worcestershire both have 60%. The Church of England Dioceses of Norwich, St Edmundsbury and Ipswich (St Eds), and Ely are not totally coterminous with the civil boundaries of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire but are fairly close. In their latest Statistics for Mission, the C of E show that Norwich and St Eds had the smallest Christian population per C of E church in 2014, with Hereford the smallest general population per church. While ideally the parish system would allow at least one minister for each parish, in practice Dioceses have combined several parishes in an area into a Benefice, often led by a smaller number of ministers than one-per-parish. The overall average across England is that there are 2.1 churches per benefice, but the proportion in Norwich is 3.4 and St Eds 3.7, although the highest proportions are in Hereford and Salisbury (3.9 each) and Gloucester at 3.6. Ely, by comparison is 1.9. This simply means that East Anglia has fewer Anglican ministers than elsewhere. Do other denominations compensate for this lack? Unfortunately, not. The general group of Smaller Denominations (of which the Salvation Army is the largest), which form 11% of the churches in England, comprise 8% of Norfolk churches, although 11% of Suffolk churches (and 16% in Cambridgeshire). Pentecostal churches are 10% of Englands churches, but just 2% in Norfolk, 3% in Suffolk and 4% in Cambridgeshire. Independent churches are 7% overall in England and are 7% of Norfolks churches, 9% of Suffolks and 6% in Cambridgeshire. New Churches are 6% of the countrys total but just 4% in Norfolk and 2% in Suffolk but 8% in Cambridgeshire. So, in broad terms, the energy in starting new church plants is, on the whole, lacking in Norfolk and Suffolk, making church life in general a question of survival rather than growth, though, of course, there are exceptions. Farming, the main occupation of rural areas, is a seven-day occupation each week, making it difficult for farming families to attend church activities any day of the week. Employed rural dwellers often commute to cities or even London to go to church. There is also the challenge of churchmanship. 40% of English churches are Evangelical, but only 32% of Norfolks churches, 38% of Suffolks and 36% in Cambridgeshire. As Evangelical churches usually have larger congregations than others, 39% of Norfolks churchgoers are Evangelical, as are 47% of Suffolks and 50% of those in Cambridgeshire. A quarter of Norfolks churches are Broad/Liberal (the same as the national average), 29% of Suffolks and 27% of those in Cambridgeshire. The Catholic proportion in all three counties is the same or below the national average of 20%. A fifth, 22%, of Norfolks churches describe themselves as Low Church, 9% of those in Suffolk and 11% of those in Cambridgeshire, against an overall 11% for England. What then can the churches in Norfolk and Suffolk do? A number of events have been started by retired ministers and others, which cater for people beyond the formal church groups, such as the Mens Breakfasts held in Kings Lynn. New Wine hosted a Worship School in Norwich in 2015. Norwich and Norfolk has a very vigorous church news email system ( Network Norfolk ) sending out details every week. The University of East Anglia has a very active Christian Union. There is a Christian Conference Centre (Belsey Bridge) on the Norfolk /Suffolk border attracting thousands of guests every year. Others merge meetings between the different denominations. Some years ago when there were insufficient young people in one church in Selby, North Yorkshire, six churches combined their youth to form one larger group, meeting each week in one of these six churches. It worked and the gang grew. The Westminster Theological Centre has an active hub based in a Mid Norfolk church under Freddy Hedley. It would be wrong to suggest there is limited witness in East Anglia. There is much activity, but not all of this sees people joining the more traditional churches. Noted iPhone leaker OnLeaks (aka Steve Hemmerstoffer of Nowhereelse.fr) published an interesting tweet earlier today indicating that the iPhone 7 may finally address one of the more longstanding complaints about Apple's iconic smartphone: battery life. To be clear, Apple has made tremendous improvements in the iPhone's battery technology over the years, but as we continue to demand more and more from our smartphones, many people find they can't even go a full day on their iPhone with a single charge. That being the case, OnLeaks's tweet relays that the iPhone 7's battery will have nearly 15 percent more capacity than the iPhone 6s battery. Pretty reliable (not 100% but almost...) source told me #iPhone7 battery = 1960mAh (#iPhone6s = 1715mAh) OnLeaks (@OnLeaks) July 13, 2016 This should be encouraging news, but we should stress that battery life is determined by any number of factors. So, even though the battery on the iPhone 7 might be able to store more juice, it's entirely possible that new components or technologies included on the iPhone 7 may demand more power than previous models. In such a scenario, battery life on the iPhone would more or less remain the same. At the same time, with rumors suggesting that the iPhone 7 will be short on exciting new features, perhaps Apple's key selling points will consist of three separate factors: improved battery life, more bang for the buck with respect to storage, and a huge leap forward in camera technology. One thing is for sure, though. With reports that Apple this past quarter experienced yet another year-over-year decline in iPhone sales, the iPhone 7 will be released with a whole lot of pressure to succeed right out of the gate. Cisco is known as many things: the market leader in networking, collaboration, security and other markets. The company is also widely regarded as a thought leader in both the enterprise and service provider segments. Investors consider Cisco to be strong, stable stock. Much of your opinion of Cisco depends on the lens through which you look at the company. Cisco should also be known as being a great citizen of the world because of all the good work its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team does. Using the companys massive resources to make the planet a better place was always a passion of former CEO John Chambers and thats carried over to current CEO, Chuck Robbins. Its Networking Academy has educated millions of people across the globe, including many in underdeveloped nations, giving people an opportunity to get jobs and be successful. Chambers was often quoted as saying there were two great equalizers in life: the internet and education. Cisco was instrumental in building the internet and had a passion to help educate people. Global education training That has been particularly beneficial to women in countries where its very difficult for females to get jobs because of culture. For example, in Saudi Arabia 30 percent of women looking for work are unemployed and 78 percent of those have university degrees. A Cisco certification from Networking Academy can expand the job search opportunity greatly. Cisco certification is globally recognized and can often lead to jobs with foreign companies that want to hire remote individuals. As far as I know, Networking Academy is unique and there is no other global education training program that has impacted as many lives and careers as Ciscos. Ive always had a tremendous amount of respect for the work Cisco CSR does and was pleased to see the group get some main stage time during Robbins and CMO Karen Walkers keynotes. They discussed all the good work the group is doing and how Cisco is trying to build a culture of becoming a global problem solver that can help solve some of the worlds biggest challenges, such as getting medicine to remote locations, helping refugees, and educating people in underdeveloped nations. Ciscos stated goal is to positively impact the lives of 1 billion people by 2025. Assistance efforts around the world CSR also had a presence within the show. There was an area set up for any attendee to help put together meal kits to be distributed around the world to help fight hungerpart of Ciscos partnership with Stop Hunger Now. Last year, 100,000 meal kits were assembled at Cisco Live. The goal for the 2016 show was to assemble 200,000 of them, as well as 5,000 hygiene kits. CSR was also prominent in the World of Solutions (WOS) exhibition area, which is where attendees see all the latest and greatest technology from Cisco and its technology partners. CSR had its own booth complete with a Network Emergency Response Vehicle (NERV) truck. In the truck, I had an opportunity to talk to with Sue-Lynn Hinson, who manages the Cisco Tactical Operations (TacOps) team. TacOps sets up highly secure communications on the ground for first responders, government agencies and relief organizations during emergencies. One example of the work TacOps does: It put up Wi-Fi networks and charging stations along migration routes so refugees can contact loved ones. Hinson told me its been a busy year for TacOps, as the group has been supporting Syrian refugees; Nepal residents, who are still feeling the effects of the 2015 earthquake; and Vanuatu, which is recovering from Cyclone Pam. One of the more interesting pieces of technology TacOps had on display was an inflatable satellite dish (pictured below). This folds up small enough that a TacOps person can fold it up and carry it with him on a plane. This type of satellite dish allows people to establish instant communications. Also, it can continue to operate after several bullets have hit it, making it ideal for hostile areas. Zeus Kerravala Cisco's inflatable satellite dish Cisco also set up in the CSR area global problem solver wall where attendees could go pick different stories to see how Cisco is trying to change the world. The wall is in alignment with the branding campaign of Never Better, as the motto of CSR is that there has never been a better time to change the world. Some of the things on the problem solver wall: How telepresence saves lives Mobilizing refugees in Europe Benefits of women in IT Text messages creating social good Transforming rural healthcare Overcoming poverty in Africa Cisco CRS is run by Tae Yoo, senior vice president of corporate affairs. I had the opportunity to catch up with her during the analyst program, C-Scape. Its clear that changing the world is a passion for her and is something that drives her. Most of the CSR activities do not lead to any revenue, and the group has no quota to meet. The groups sole goal is to make the world a better place, and I was delighted to see it so well represented at Cisco Live. I hope Cisco continues this, and I urge other technology vendors that have CSR programs, such as Microsoft and Oracle, to follow a similar path. I would also urge customers to consider the contribution a vendor makes back to the world part of their decision making criteria when deciding who to partner with. With all the terrible things going on in the world today, dont we all want to make it better? China-made 3,000-ton frigate.(Photo provided to People's Daily Online) A frigate designed and manufactured by China Shipbuilding Industry Group was officially delivered to the customer on July 12. So far, three ships from the project have all been successfully delivered. The frigate was the third combat ship constructed for a North African country. The first two were delivered respectively on August 15, 2014 and January 26, 2016. The frigate is 120 meters in length, with a full load displacement of about 3,000 tons. Compared to previous exported military ships, the new frigate has increased tonnage and more interior space. The shipbuilding company applied new standards during the research and development phase, and new installation techniques and equipment were also used during construction. The frigate is designed not only to meet the demands of coastal defense, but also to carry out long-range combat missions at sea. The frigate has set several news records in tonnage, fire and combat capability for exported Chinese military ships. These advances reflect the maturation of China's shipbuilding industry, including electronic weapons system capabilities that have reached international levels. From all appearances, the successful construction of this latest frigate is only the beginning of China's expanded influence in military ship trade around the world. China-made 3,000-ton frigate. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) A man found his son at a detention center in Foshan, south China's Guangdong province on Monday after a 12-year search, local media reported on July 14. The son, surnamed Gui, was detained for 15 days by Foshan police after stealing a bicycle on June 4. While Gui was in police custody, officers at the detention center learned that he had been out of contact with his family for 12 years. Gui said he lost both his cellphone and ID card shortly after leaving home for work in Foshan 12 years prior. With no steady income, he finally made the mistake of stealing the bicycle. After police mailed a document detailing Guis crimes to his hometown, Gui and his father finally reunited. He never stopped looking for his son after they lost contact, Gui's father said. On July 11, Gui saw his father for the first time in over a decade in the visiting room of the detention center. Gui promised to turn over a new leaf and change his life after he returns home. A restaurant in northeastern China's Harbin recently became an Internet sensation. The restaurant, called Gengxin, a Chinese homonym for "renewal," has a history that goes back 60 years. Gengxin first opened its doors in 1956, then as a state-owned restaurant. It operated smoothly until 1989, when most state-owned restaurants closed their doors. However, even then Gengxin still managed to stay in business, simply transitioning to become a private enterprise. Despite the changeover, the traditional style of state-owned restaurants is still carefully maintained at Gengxin. Customers must order food through meal tickets bought from the restaurant's clerk. In addition to the original dishes served at the restaurant in its first heyday, Gengxin has also updated and expanded their menu. Nowadays it is a prosperous business with high rankings on restaurant forums and mobile apps. The restaurant will soon move to a new location, but it will continue to keep its traditions alive, drawing locals and visitors alike. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 14 By Anakhanum Idayatova Trend: Settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will remain among the priorities during Austrias OSCE chairmanship, said Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz. He was commenting on priorities during his countrys upcoming OSCE chairmanship July 14 at an OSCE meeting in Vienna. Kurz said the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is of particular concern and the OSCE considers its settlement as important, especially after the escalation of tension along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in April. He added that Austria will continue working for settlement of all conflicts in the OSCE area. 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: @Anahanum Playboy/Ellen von UnwerthShe's at it again -- rapper Azealia Banks has gone on another social media tirade. The controversial recording artist recently went on Facebook, leaving a trail of "fun facts" for her followers, such as accusing Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift of plagiarizing some of her artistic ideas. Banks writes, "FUN FACT: Azealia Banks created her own genre of music called 'Witch-Hop.' 3 days after 'Witch-Hop' was declared by Azealia Banks to be a legitimate genre, Lady Gaga (also a fan of Azealia Banks) suspiciously titled her upcoming studio album, 'Artpop.'" "FUN FACT: 'SLAY-Z' is a nickname given to Azealia Banks by one of her fans in 2014...the nickname was lifted from her twitter account and featured as one of the characters in Taylor Swift's 'Bad Blood' video," Azealia writes. Banks finishes her diatribe by claiming she's just misunderstood. "Azealia Banks is the most widely criticized and widely ignored artist of all time. While her equally controversial male peers are given an excess of room and public forgiveness to express themselves, Azealia Banks has been demonized by the public at large for simply......tweeting," she states. Azealia Banks is known for her social media gaffes, particularly on Twitter, in past years. Celebrities including Zayn Malik, Perez Hilton, Disney actress Skai Jackson, Nicki Minaj, and Sarah Palin have all engaged in past Twitter beefs with Banks. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 14 Trend: OSCE is expected to monitor the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops July 15, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said July 14. It is planned to hold the monitoring under the mandate of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative on the contact line to the south of the Horadiz town in Azerbaijan's Fizuli district, the ministry said. On the Azerbaijani side, the monitoring will be held by the field assistants of OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative Jiri Aberle and Simon Tiller, as well as representative of the OSCE High Level Planning Group, lieutenant-colonel Dan Harvey. On the opposite side, the monitoring will be carried out by the field assistants of OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative Hristo Hristov and Peter Svedberg, as well as head of the OSCE High Level Planning Group, colonel Hans Lampalzer. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 14 By Elmira Tariverdiyeva Trend: Results of settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will not bring any unpleasant surprises, said Russian Foreign Ministrys spokeswoman Maria Zakharova July 14. Zakharova made the remarks during a briefing July 14, said a message posted on the Russian Foreign Ministrys website. The main thing is the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, she said. Zakharova added that it is necessary to exclude the potential for new bloodshed and new victims. Commenting on the visit of Turkeys foreign minister to Baku on July 15 for discussions on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Zakharova noted that any constructive contribution to the process will benefit the conflicts settlement. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 14 Trend: Following the official welcoming ceremony in Baku, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko held a one-on-one meeting July 14. The importance of Poroshenkos first official visit to Azerbaijan was stressed at the meeting. It was also stressed that the Azerbaijan-Ukraine relations have a long history and the peoples of the two countries have always had friendly relations. The sides discussed prospects for bilateral relations in political, economic, energy, transportation and humanitarian spheres. The sides also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest for the two countries. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 14 Trend: The fifth meeting of the Council of Azerbaijani and Ukrainian presidents was held in Baku July 14, following the one-on-one meeting between Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko. Azerbaijani and Ukrainian delegations took part in the event. President Aliyev noted that wide discussions were held during the meeting on various spheres of bilateral relations. He also pointed to the significance of Poroshenkos visit for development of relations, and said the fifth meeting of the Council of Azerbaijani and Ukrainian presidents creates a good opportunity for holding discussions and adopting decisions. Azerbaijani president said there is a good potential to settle the discussed issues taking into account the mutual interests. President Aliyev expressed hope that Poroshenkos first visit to Azerbaijan will create a good opportunity for cooperation between the two countries in various spheres and for better familiarization with Azerbaijan. Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko, in turn, expressed gratitude for the hospitality towards the Ukrainian delegation and noted that they were deeply impressed by what they saw in Azerbaijans capital. Poroshenko said they saw not only the beauty of Baku, but also the good mood of people in the capital. During the meeting, the parties also exchanged views on cooperation in political, economic, energy, transportation, humanitarian and other spheres. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 14 By Elmira Tariverdiyeva Trend: Baku has become much more beautiful over the recent years, says Russian Foreign Ministrys spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. It is an amazing city with benevolent people and great cuisine, she said during a briefing July 14 while commenting on the Russian Foreign Ministry delegations recent visit to Baku and the photos of Baku by Trend Agency posted on the Russian Foreign Ministrys Instagram page. Russian Foreign Ministrys employees, who run the ministrys Instagram page, fully reflected the delegations point of view about the wonderful city of Baku, said Zakharova. She also noted that Baku is a very beautiful city, which continually gets renewed and evolves. Earlier, a collage of photos of Baku by Trend Agency was posted on the Russian Foreign Ministrys official Instagram page @mfarussia. The post was timed to coincide with the visit of Russian FM Sergey Lavrov to Baku on July 11-12. Sunny Baku a hospitable and beautiful city! Photos from one of Azerbaijans leading news agencies Trend were provided to the press attache of the Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan A. S. Mammadova, read the ministrys post. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 14 Trend: Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko made statements for the press following the ceremony of signing documents in Baku July 14. We attach great importance to your visit, said President Aliyev addressing his Ukrainian counterpart. This is your first visit to Azerbaijan and I am glad that it is going on successfully. The conducted talks and the signed documents once again prove this. We met with you in Davos in early 2016. That meeting was very significant, because after it, very important steps were taken to develop the Ukraine-Azerbaijan relations, said Azerbaijani president. After that, high-level delegations from Ukraine started to visit Azerbaijan. A meeting of the intergovernmental commission was held in early July, and today, we are meeting you in Azerbaijan on an official visit, said President Aliyev. I take this opportunity to thank you for accepting our invitation and visiting Azerbaijan. He said expansive discussions were held on various aspects of the Ukraine-Azerbaijan relations and further steps were determined for the future joint activities both during the one-on-one meeting and the meeting of the Council of Azerbaijani and Ukrainian Presidents. The Councils agenda was very extensive, said the president. Very important issues our energy, transportation, military and technical cooperation, political relations and activities in international organizations were discussed. It can be said that very serious instructions were given regarding all the discussed issues, he added. I am confident that as a result of fulfilling those instructions, our countries will become even closer to each other and the volume of trade turnover will increase, because currently, the trade turnover is satisfactory neither for us, nor for Ukraine. President Aliyev said expansive discussions were held on the development of political relations. We successfully cooperate within international organizations, support each other and will further intensify our cooperation in those organizations, especially, in the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe and other international organizations, he added. In general, I highly appreciate the meeting of the Council of Presidents, and I am confident that in the future the Ukraine-Azerbaijan relations will continue in the directions defined in Baku today, said President Aliyev. President Aliyev also pointed out that Poroshenkos official visit to Azerbaijan is a very important and very serious political step in the current stage of bilateral relations. He expressed confidence that the excellent results of the visit will bring Ukraine and Azerbaijan and the peoples of the two countries even closer to each other. Spare Change: Hard-working farmer Louis Escobar was one of a kind Louie performed the kind of job most try to avoid. And he did it with little, if any, complaint. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 14 Trend: The sale of AN-178 aircraft to Azerbaijan will be among the most promising projects, said Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko. He made the remarks while making press statement jointly with Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev in Baku July 14. Poroshenko said he is very satisfied with his visit to Azerbaijan. I can sincerely say that I was deeply impressed by the visit. Baku is a city that includes ancient history and modernity in itself, said Ukraines president. The citys largeness shows the power and greatness of Azerbaijani people. Poroshenko said he walked on Baku streets and visited the Old City (Icheri Sheher). He further noted that the National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev was the founder of modern Azerbaijan. Poroshenko said Azerbaijan has turned into such a prosperous country thanks to Heydar Aliyevs activities, and all countries reckon with Azerbaijan on international arena. He also expressed gratitude to Ilham Aliyev for high-level organization of the 5th meeting of the Council of Azerbaijani and Ukrainian presidents. Poroshenko further touched upon the prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Ukraine in economy. I believe the sale of AN-178 aircraft to Azerbaijan will be one of the most promising projects, and establishing their joint production here, in Azerbaijan, is also an interesting project, he said. I think it will be an interesting project for discovering new markets. We discussed our cooperation in the fuel and energy sector, said Poroshenko, explaining that the discussions were on using Azerbaijans resources and Ukraines transit resources. Copy Editor/Entertainment Editor Frank Pieper is a copy editor and entertainment editor at The News-Gazette, and the author of Frank's Faves and Frank's Weekend Faves. His email is fpieper@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@frp308). Reporter Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey). Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). Baku, Azerbaijan, July 14 Trend: Relevant instructions have been given to revive the Odessa-Brody project, said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev while making a press statement jointly with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko in Baku July 14. President Aliyev said there is a great potential in economic relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine. There are opportunities to expand the bilateral trade. We agreed that Azerbaijan will give consideration to Ukrainian companies while importing products, said the president. Azerbaijan has great export opportunities and Ukraine has a big market, and it is very interesting for us. Concrete instructions have been given. The president also said it is planned to implement joint investment projects. Relevant instructions have been given for exploring the investment opportunities in both countries, as there is a great interest in this sphere, he added. As for the energy sphere, it was noted that Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR has already started to actively operate in Ukraine, it has invested over $200 million and owns 60 filling stations there, said President Aliyev. SOCARs operation in Ukraine is very successful and it even more unites our countries. Meanwhile, relevant instructions have been given to revive the Odessa-Brody project, which was very seriously discussed at one time, he noted. Azerbaijan exports large volumes of oil to world markets, including to Europe, added the president. Meanwhile, it plays a transit role for the countries located on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, Oil is exported to world markets from Azerbaijans territory and I believe there are opportunities for reviving the Odessa-Brody project. In general, I believe the cooperation in the Caspian SeaBlack SeaMediterranean SeaBaltic Sea format has a great potential, added the president. Undoubtedly, the operation of transportation corridors is very important here, said President Aliyev, adding that the first test project has already been implemented and some cargoes were transported from Ukraine to Central Asia through Azerbaijan. Today, we agreed that in order to make this corridor more attractive from the economic point of view we should review the tariffs, because the tariffs should be reasonable for shippers, so that more cargoes are transported in both directions, he added. President Aliyev said he informed Poroshenko that the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will be commissioned in the near future. This route implies the restoration of the Silk Road and new opportunities are opening up for Ukrainian companies here, said President Aliyev. Meanwhile, efforts are being made jointly with the partner countries to create the North-South corridor. Ukraine will be able to use this route in the future. There are great opportunities in transportation and I am confident that the instructions given today will bring good results, said the president. An exchange of views on creating joint industrial spheres was also held. This covers the heavy industry, and also there are great opportunities for developing the military and technical industry, he added, pointing to the good cooperation experience in this sphere. These issues too were discussed, said President Aliyev. Reporter/Columnist Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth). One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 The AAPS Foundation is pleased to announce the 2016 New Investigator Grant recipient, Yizhou Dong, Ph.D of the Ohio State University, for his research entitled "Development of nonviral gene-engineering delivery systems". The AAPS Foundation New Investigator Grant is a $40,000 USD award given to an assistant faculty member at a U.S. institution to help support their research efforts. The AAPS Foundation received 24 applications for this prestigious award. "I'm certain that the future of the pharmaceutical sciences is in great hands," said Phil Mayer, Ph.D., Past Chair, AAPS Foundation. "Our new investigators, including AAPS Foundation award winner Yizhou Dong, Ph.D., have novel research ideas which can only lead to better treatment of human disease." Nearly 240 million people are infected worldwide with Hepatitis B virus (HBV), and more than 780,000 people die every year due to complications of the disease. This viral infection attacks the liver and is spread through contact with bodily fluids or blood. "We hypothesize that the direct cleavage of the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome is a superior strategy for HBV therapy," noted Dong. "The goal of this project is to develop non-viral gene-engineering nanotherapeutics in order to eradicate the HBV genome from infected hepatocytes. Through designing such a platform, we aim to achieve a cure for Hepatitis B. This research will have broad impacts on drug delivery and therapeutic applications." Diabetic patients who undergo heart bypass surgery are living longer and have much better long-term outcomes when cardiothoracic surgeons use arteries rather than veins for the bypasses, according to a new study published online today by The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. "Going into this study, we believed that diabetic patients would do better using total arterial techniques," said James Tatoulis, MD, FRACS, from the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia. "But it was gratifying to actually prove it and also be able to document the significant magnitude of the difference." Dr. Tatoulis and colleagues in Melbourne examined more than 63,000 cardiac surgical cases from the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) Database. In their review, they identified 34,181 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery for the first time from 2001 to 2012. Of those, 2,017 were diabetic patients who had CABG using only arteries (total arterial revascularization, TAR) and 1,967 diabetic patients who had conventional CABG, predominantly using veins. This study showed that when TAR/CABG is used for diabetic patients, long-term survival improves significantly. For every 100 diabetic patients undergoing CABG surgery, four more will be alive at 10 years when arteries are used for the bypasses rather than just one arterial graft together with veins (82 vs. 78, respectively), explained Dr. Tatoulis. A strong correlation exists between coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes. According to the American Heart Association, adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease than adults without diabetes. In addition, the American Diabetes Association estimates that 29.1 million Americans have diabetes, with 1.4 million more being diagnosed each year. "With the incidence of diabetes increasing in the United States, happening together with the continued improvement in life expectancy, it is probable that there will be more and more diabetic patients requiring CABG surgery in the future," said Dr. Tatoulis. "Thus, the superiority of TAR/CABG will assume progressive importance." Another important finding from the study was that TAR/CABG can be performed on diabetic patients without increasing the rate of complications, such as angina (chest pain), heart attacks, heart failure, and hospital readmissions. CABG surgery has been performed for more than 50 years. In the US, it is one of the most common major surgeries, with almost 400,000 CABG surgeries performed each year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CABG surgery is designed to help restore blood flow to the hearts of patients with CAD. CAD is caused by a buildup of plaque (calcium, fat, cholesterol, etc.) in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart and other parts of the body. During CABG surgery, a blood vessel is removed or redirected from one area of the body and placed around the narrowed area to "bypass" the blockages and restore blood flow to the heart muscle. This vessel is called a graft. Dr. Tatoulis said the average conventional CABG surgery involves three to four grafts: one artery is usually used, along with vein grafts from the leg or thigh for the remaining new bypasses. In TAR/CABG surgery, only arteries are used. Currently, only 5% of all patients in the US who undergo CABG surgery receive multiple arterial grafts, stated Dr. Tatoulis. "As a result, there is room for a much larger proportion of patients to have this type of coronary surgery and receive the benefits of a longer life, better quality of life, and reduced medical costs," he said. The study also confirmed that TAR is achievable and can be performed by any well-trained cardiothoracic surgeon. "TAR/CABG is definitely within each cardiothoracic surgeon's ability and should be part of their repertoire," explained Dr. Tatoulis. Source: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons insights from industry Dr. Mark Rutstein VP, Oncology Clinical Development, Bayer When people think about the fight against cancer they often focus on the development of new therapies, but why is it important to consider existing therapies too? Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, and the global cancer burden is expected to increase by 70 percent over the next two decades. In spite of these statistics, there is still much to celebrate in the progress we have made in the fight against cancer. In the past five years alone, 70 new oncology therapies have launched, and there are countless other pipeline agents in development that show promise for improving patient outcomes. While there continues to be great value in progressing the development of new therapies, success here does not happen quickly. The highly complex and risky process can take well over a decade. Not only that, but as few as 1 in 5,000 compounds tested actually reach patients. Because of this, it is important to also invest in the wider utilization of existing, approved therapies while this new exploration is underway. Researcher inspecting tissue samples How can we maximize the clinical utility of existing therapies? The knowledge our industry has amassed on cancer has readied us to address its mounting burden. We have long known that cancer is not a single disease, but over 100 different diseases. However, there are patterns in the way it forms and grows which hint at the way certain therapies may perform in certain areas of disease. At Bayer, we have continued to study our existing therapies to expand our understanding of their clinical use across different tumor types, so that we can extend these treatments to additional patients that may derive benefit. Why do certain cancer types and tumor micro-environments behave in similar ways? Through industry research, we have come to understand the commonalities among various types and subtypes of cancer, along with the underlying mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression that exist when key molecular signaling proteins and pathways are mutated or activated. The same cellular processes that play a critical role in the modulation and angiogenesis of healthy cells can malfunction and spur the growth of cancer cells that keep dividing in an uncontrolled fashion until tumors form. Then, signaling pathways within the surrounding tumor create new blood vessels, which bring the tumor oxygen and nutrients and fuel survival. Because these processes are replicated across different areas of the body, both in normal cell growth and cancer cell growth, we can reasonably predict where a given targeted therapy or other treatment modality may work in multiple tumor types. Researcher conducting genome analysis Can you please give some examples of commonalities amongst cancers? One common pattern we see in cancer is the overexpression of proteins. For example, mesothelin is a protein that is overexpressed in many solid tumors, including mesothelioma as well as pancreatic and ovarian cancers. In other settings, like in hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer, mutated growth factors can attach to tyrosine kinase growth receptors, causing the signaling pathway within the cell to over-activate and produce cancer cells. There are also commonalities in how certain types of cancers advance and metastasize, or spread, to other areas of the body. We have learned that breast and prostate cancers, among others, typically metastasize to the bone in advanced stages, and so are conducting research to understand whether the same bone targeting agents that have a proven survival benefit in one tumor type can be replicated to others. What research is needed to discover new ways to utilize existing therapies? Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today There are several clinical studies underway across the industry which are evaluating existing therapies in new tumor types. Also, efforts are ongoing to collect real-world clinical outcomes data to help identify existing, effective treatments for cancers based on their genomic profiles. Bayer has recently joined one such effort ASCOs Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR) study, its first-ever clinical trial. The TAPUR study is a non-randomized clinical trial that aims to describe the performance both safety and efficacy of commercially available, targeted anticancer drugs prescribed for the treatment of patients in a range of cancer types with a genomic variation thought to be a drug target. Is this something Bayer is focusing on at the moment? Yes, this is an area that Bayer has been focused on for some time now. Perhaps the best and most recent example of Bayers efforts in this area is our RESORCE study. In this study, a targeted therapy from Bayer which is already approved for certain stages of colorectal cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors showed a statistically significant improvement in overall survival in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who progressed during treatment with sorafenib. Biobank with frozen samples How important is the exploration of predictive or prognostic biomarkers in identifying patterns of disease? Biomarkers make it possible to detect and classify pathological processes, monitor the course of therapy and help provide early indications on how likely side effects are to occur or how likely an individual patient is to respond to a particular treatment. In some cases, biomarkers may be prognostic, and define the affects a tumor will have on patient outcome, or predictive, and define the effect of a treatment on the tumor. Ultimately, biomarkers may help tailor medicine to patients with particular characteristics an underlying approach to targeting the right patients with the right treatment at the right time. What do you think the future holds for expanding the potential of existing cancer therapies? Bayer, like many others, is investigating patterns in how the immune system is activated in fighting cancer, through the exploration of existing and novel immuno-oncology agents. In addition to the oncology research that is advancing our understanding of the patterns of cancer, there are a number of projects, like The Cancer Genome Atlas, which are synthesizing genomic data and creating molecular tumor maps with unprecedented precision and detail. With projects like these and Vice President Joe Bidens announcement during ASCO about the public release of the National Cancer Institutes Genomic Data Commons, we are in a better position than ever before to identify the core cancer genes and pathways that will broaden treatment options for patients in need both those that are novel and those that are already proven in other cancer types. With this understanding, there is an incredible opportunity to expand the clinical benefit of existing cancer therapies. In particular, with better companion diagnostics, we will also be able to better stratify patients according to particular characteristics to potentially further improve patient outcomes, while minimizing treatment complications and side effects. Whats Bayers vision with regards to exploration of current cancer therapies? At Bayer, we are advancing one of the industrys most diverse oncology portfolios, with a mix of targeted therapies, radiopharmaceuticals and other treatment approaches that can offer meaningful progress to doctors and patients battling the toughest cancers with high unmet medical needs. As we progress the development of novel approaches to cancer treatment at Bayer, which include immuno-oncology, antibody drug conjugates and targeted thorium conjugates, among others, we are also prioritizing extending our existing treatments to additional patients that may derive benefit. Where can readers find more information? To find our more information about Bayers research focus in oncology, readers can visit http://pharma.bayer.com/en/innovation-partnering/research-focus/oncology/. About Dr Mark Rutstein Mark Rutstein currently holds the position of Vice President, Group Head, Global Clinical Development Therapeutic Area Oncology at Bayer where he oversees the clinical development strategy of several oncology therapeutic kinase inhibitors. Prior to joining Bayer in February 2013, Mark was the Associate Vice President for Oncology Clinical Development at ImClone Systems where he led the clinical development of anti-angiogenic and anti-lymphangiogenic oncology therapeutic agents. Previously, he was a Clinical Research Director at Amgen where he contributed to the global regulatory approval of a novel hematologic agent. Mark received a medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1999, completed an internal medical residency at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston in 2002, and received a master of business administration from Cornell University in 2004. A board certified medical internist, Mark worked as a hospital based medical internist prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry in 2004. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 13 By Elena Kosolapova Trend: Kazakhstans Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov met with his counterparts from Turkmenistan and Iran during the meeting of the Caspian countries FMs in Astana, said the Kazakh Foreign Ministry July 14. During the meetings with Turkmenistans Rashid Meredov and Irans Mohammad Javad Zarif, Idrissov discussed Kazakhstans relations with their countries. Bilateral cooperation, interaction on multilateral platforms and the regional countries cooperation as part of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea were discussed at the meeting with Meredov. Intensification of bilateral political, trade, economic and investment cooperation were discussed during the talks with Zarif. Idrissov and Zarif also stressed the importance of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayevs visit to Iran in April 2016 for strengthening the partnership and friendship between the two countries and expanding the economic and regional cooperation. They also stressed that the bilateral trade, economic and investment relations stand at a qualitatively new level. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova University of Leicester academic comments on how the media shapes perceptions, anxieties and emotions arising out of birth An academic from the University of Leicester has discussed ways in which the media shapes societys perceptions, anxieties and emotions arising out of birth. In an article for Think: Leicester, the University of Leicesters platform for independent academic opinion, Dr Ranjana Das from the Universitys Department of Media and Communication outlines five of the key reasons why we should examine the relationship between childbirth and the media, and how the media is used to cope with emotions post-birth one of the most vulnerable phases in a womans life as a parent. The five reasons why we need to look at childbirth and the media outlined in the article are: Media images and texts shape the kind of expectations and emotions women carry to the laboring room. The demands women make of themselves, the expectations they have of what can, to an extent, be an unpredictable process, and the yardsticks with which mothers assess their birth experiences all occur within a mediated context While the majority of births in the UK go well, there are many who leave the moment of birth with lasting trauma and look for support on social media. This is evidenced by pages upon pages of anonymous discussions on parenting websites Global flows of people mean that practices and advice from cultures of origin often collide with those in the UK. The contrast (and connection) of cultures and generations is re-negotiated by birthing mothers, using information, advice and support that is constantly mediated Birth is idealised, or conversely medicalised, and too often graded on the media and this could contribute to feeling of in/adequacy post birth. Birth experiences shape the earliest phases of parenting - and the ways in which social media is or can be used at these times deserve critical attention Dr Ranjana Das said: Women are increasingly turning to social media to discuss their expectations and anxieties around birth, and to discuss post-birth trauma. Video sharing platforms and twitter document the births of many babies around the world. The media has a long line of examples to show how womens birthing bodies are represented shows like One Born Every Minute, or Call the Midwife and newspaper articles on multivitamins in pregnancy and the desirability of natural births have joined artistic and fictional representations of birth for a long time now. In a society which is rightly invested in post-natal emotional health, the fact that social media forums witness a whole host of emotions from anonymous mothers before and after birth leads to the question why do we need to look at the media and birthing? Dr Das is involved in a new project on this topic beginning this summer with a grant from the British Academy. Titled Birth Stories the project is generating a body of qualitative data including 50 unique birth stories recounted by 50 mothers in England during fieldwork, 50 online discussion and support threads bearing the voices of countless anonymous mothers, and media texts and visuals from television, the press and social media. The project aims to explore how British society presents the birthing body, how natural/medicalised births are positioned in the public eye and the experiences of mothers giving birth in the country who are not native to the United Kingdom. A study of patients undergoing corneal transplants indicates that subtle differences between men and women may lead to poorer outcomes for a woman who has received a cornea from a male donor. The findings, which are published in the American Journal of Transplantation, suggest that gender matching may be beneficial to potentially reduce the risk of failure and rejection in patients undergoing corneal transplantation. In this latest study, a team led by Stephen Kaye, MD of The University of Liverpool and The Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Cathy Hopkinson of NHS Blood and Transplant investigated whether donor and recipient gender incompatibility influences corneal transplant rejection and failure up to five years post-transplant. More than 18,100 patients were identified in the UK who had undergone a first corneal transplant. While over 80 percent of all patients included still had a functioning graft at 5 years, a higher proportion of male to female transplants failed or rejected during this time, when compared with gender matched transplants. For every 1000 people transplanted with a gender matched cornea, on average 180 will fail, compared with 220 for male to female mismatched grafts. The effect of gender matching was especially evident in patients with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, a condition that affects a thin layer of cells that line the back of the cornea. Of 4,046 patients with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, 18 percent of male to female mismatched grafts failed compared with 12 percent of female to female transplants. After adjusting for various factors, female to female transplants were 40 percent less likely to fail and 30 percent less likely to reject compared with male to female mismatches. "These findings are most likely a result of H-Y antigen incompatibility associated with the male Y chromosome," explained Professor Kaye. "Females do not have a Y chromosome so there is no H-Y incompatibility from female donors to male patients. This effect, however, is not reciprocated when the roles are reversed, that is, when male donors are transplanted to female recipients." He noted, however, that further studies will be necessary to confirm the findings and to justify the potential allocation of corneas from male donors to male recipients and those from female donors to either female or male recipients. "If confirmed, this would be relatively straightforward to put into place without delay in donor tissue allocation to patients or any significant added cost," said Professor Kaye. "The long-term impact this could have on patient care may be substantial." Source: Wiley Mayo Clinic has been recognized by the U.S. Business Leadership Network and the American Association of People With Disabilities for its efforts in its disability inclusion efforts. On a survey of Fortune 1,000 companies, Mayo Clinic was 1 of 42 companies that scored a perfect 100 on the Disability Equality Index. Mayo Clinic is featured on the 2016 DEI Best Places to Work list. "It is an honor for Mayo Clinic to be recognized among the leaders in disability-inclusion practices," says Sharonne Hayes, M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and director of Mayo's Office of Diversity and Inclusion. "Mayo prides itself on bringing healing, hope and inclusiveness for not just our patients, but our employees, as well." The Disability Mayo Employee Resource Group plays a vital role in improving the work environment and patient experience for those with disabilities. Mayo Clinic created its Return to Work Program more than 30 years ago. Mayo collaborates with a variety of external organizations, including Rochester Public Schools, Olmsted County, the Minnesota Department of Education, and Regional Workforce Investment Board. Return to Work brings together Occupational Health Services, employees, their supervisors and Human Resources to bring supports to employees as they recover from an injury or illness by providing accommodations that allow employees to return to the position they held before their disability, keep employees at work in a transitional job until a return to a regular assignment, or help employees in a job search if they cannot continue in their current role. "We look at retention of employees with disabilities as just as important as hiring and recruiting employees with disabilities," says Jane Ryan, section head of Return to Work at Mayo Clinic. "Our job is to find out what the obstacles are and to find a solution." Disability Equality Index points are awarded in four categories: Culture and Leadership, Enterprise-wide Access, Employment Practices, and Community Engagement and Support Services. Highlights from the 2016 Disability Equality Index include: In the inaugural index, 66 percent of surveyed companies had a disability-focused employee resource group , with 64 percent having an executive sponsor (vice president or higher). In the 2016 survey, 84 percent of participating companies had an employee resource group and 81 percent had an executive sponsor In the first index, 75 percent of companies reported senior executive teams (within first two levels of the CEO) supporting disability inclusion through board or working group membership or public statements. "The Disability Mayo Employee Resource Group gives a voice to people's concerns and stories, lets people know it is OK to talk about having a disability and how change can be initiated," says Kristi Carrington, a return to work consultant at Mayo Clinic and past chair of the Disability Mayo Employee Resource Group. "I think that's one of the best things about Mayo," Carrington says. "We have so many resources internally that we can really make things happen." Source: Mayo Clinic Sepsis patients can be diagnosed and treated earlier with the help of new technology available for hospitals and homecare settings. Healthcare organisations can now use a patient monitoring platform called the Patient Status Engine (PSE) to help doctors and nurses rapidly pick up the illness, saving some of the 44,000 lives lost to it each year in the UK. The PSE uses vital signs, early warning scores and data analytics to flag up any changes in a patients condition and alert clinicians to what could be the early onsets of sepsis faster than they would have otherwise been able to detect it. Rebecca Weir, cofounder of Isansys Lifecare which has developed the PSE, says: Sepsis is a killer, not because doctors dont know how to treat it but because the recognition of the condition is complex and often not early enough. By collecting the patients vital signs in real-time and continuously we are proactively driving a response to this problem. This can give doctors and nurses a better chance to diagnose and treat this condition much more quickly which is crucial as the risk of death from sepsis increases with every passing hour it goes untreated. Early detection of patient deterioration is vital to improving patient safety and avoiding preventable deaths Research into critical care shows that if diagnosed and treated in the first hour following presentation with sepsis, the patient has more than an 80 per cent survival rate. After the sixth hour, the patient only has a 30 per cent survival rate. It consumes over a third of our most expensive hospital beds in Intensive Care and costs the NHS around 2.5 billion a year. Rebecca added: Changes in a patients health status often linked with a sepsis diagnosis include fast breathing, fast heartbeat, change in heart beat pattern and a high or low temperature. Due to the integrated nature of the PSE, these parameters are monitored constantly by the platform. If any one of the parameters register at an abnormal level a patient is deemed to be at risk of developing sepsis. The clinician is then alerted to a change in the patients condition and they can react much more quickly than they would be able to otherwise. Sepsis, often called septicemia or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening illness that can affect people of every age. It is killing five Britains every hour and health chiefs warn it should be treated as an emergency just like heart attacks. There are now 150,000 cases of Sepsis in the UK each year and 44,000 deaths linked to the condition. Without prompt treatment with antibiotics, sepsis can lead to multiple organ failure and death. Existing research highlights early detection of patient deterioration is vital to improving patient safety and avoiding preventable deaths. GPs are now being encouraged to re-evaluate the way they view infections in order to avoid overlooking sepsis. The new guidance, issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says that thousands of lives could be saved by implementing these measures. The guidance comes in the wake of the death of toddler William Mead, who died after several warning signs that he had sepsis were missed. Rebecca says: It is vital for patient care that doctors are able to initiate crucial treatment earlier for sepsis in order to save lives. Without effective monitoring, early warning signs, which could have been detected and acted upon are often missed, as was sadly the case here. Last year, Isansys Lifecare, based in Abingdon, near Oxford, won a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare development contract to reduce the risk of sepsis in cancer patients. One of the hospitals the company is now working with in the UK is the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where the PSE is being used to monitor cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. These patient groups are at high risk of sepsis and by collecting the patients vital signs continuously and in real-time with the use of wireless sensors, the platform will be able to enable the detection of sepsis much earlier and ensure they are treated within the time-frame set out by the Sepsis Six. This helps avoid any readmissions into hospital, or even worse, any deaths linked to the condition. Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that becomes dangerous when it spreads, but is treatable in its early stages. Doctors diagnose melanoma by cutting away a piece of a suspicious skin lesion -- a procedure known as a biopsy -- and testing it for malignant cells. It's an imperfect, invasive method that Colorado State University researcher Jesse Wilson wants to improve. His goal is to make early detection of melanoma faster, cheaper and less invasive than a biopsy. An assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Wilson's expertise is in pushing the boundaries of biomedical optics. He has received a one-year, $30,000 grant from the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute to develop a new microscope that can distinguish between benign and malignant pigmented skin lesions, without the need for biopsy. If his idea works, it could lead to low-cost, in-vivo imaging of melanin, the skin pigment that's made by cells called melanocytes, which can become cancerous and lead to melanoma. The grant is through the CCTSI's "CO-Pilot" program, which provides start-up funds for early-career researchers embarking on multidisciplinary new ideas. Wilson, who did his undergraduate, master's and Ph.D. work at CSU, has returned to campus as a faculty member to continue applying cutting-edge biomedical optics to early cancer detection. The CO-Pilot is funding Wilson's development of an experimental microscope that uses a technology called pump-probe, which can provide contrast between normal tissue and melanoma without stains or dyes. Pump-probe is a type of multiphoton microscopy, an established technique used for deep imaging of living tissue. In standard multiphoton microscopy, an extremely short laser pulse is used to excite fluorescent molecules in the sample, which can then be detected when they light up. In pump-probe, excited molecules are detected not through fluorescence, but through their interactions with a second laser pulse. This allows pump-probe to distinguish molecules based on their absorption properties, which provide strong contrast between different types of melanin. Pump-probe microscopes that can detect melanoma were developed in the lab of Warren Warren at Duke University, where Wilson completed his postdoctoral training. However, these microscopes require a short-pulse laser source that costs upwards of $300,000 - a major barrier to commercializing the technology for widespread use. That's the problem Wilson will tackle with the CO-Pilot grant. He is designing a pump-probe microscope that can distinguish between benign and malignant melanoma in vivo, but built around a simpler laser source that's already widely used in telecommunications applications to encrypt voice communications. That laser only costs about $5,000, and would make the pump-probe technology more realistic for melanoma applications. Wilson will work with Ali Pezeshki, associate professor in ECE and mathematics, on the signal processing that will be central to constructing images with the new microscope. He also plans to collaborate with Dan Gustafson, director of research at the Flint Animal Cancer Center. Wilson's lab is also pursuing other pump-probe applications, including imaging cytochromes, molecules involved in metabolic activities that can't be imaged with conventional techniques. Differences in circadian blood pressure variation due to a combination of genetic and cultural factors may contribute to ethnic differences in cardiovascular morbidity, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. Gary D. James, professor of anthropology, nursing, and biomedical engineering and director of the graduate program in biomedical anthropology at Binghamton University, studied a group of women all working in similar positions at two major medical centers in New York City. These women were classified into four broad ethnic groups: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, European Americans, and Asian Americans. Each woman wore a 24-hour blood pressure monitor over the course of one mid-week workday. The monitor took blood pressures every 15 minutes, at which point each woman would write down what they were doing at the time (e.g. their posture, location, mood, and activity). Circadian blood pressure variation is a controversial indicator of cardiovascular disease risk. Research suggests that having a smaller blood pressure decline from waking to sleep increases cardiovascular risk. Previous studies examining ethnic variation in the waking-sleep decline have compared African Americans or Asian Americans to European Americans and have shown that the European Americans have a larger decline than either group. The study conducted by James and his colleagues is the first to make waking-sleep comparisons among multiple groups of women: African American, Hispanic American, European American, and Asian American. The results of the study confirm that the average blood pressure decline of African American and the Asian American women is less than the European American women, but it turns out that those differences are also similar with Hispanic American women. African American women and Asian American women differ in the same way with the Hispanic American women as they do with the European American women. The Asian American women also had higher pressures during sleep than all the other groups, so that their decline during sleep was the smallest, even smaller than the African American women. What is interesting about this, said James, is that the differences mostly reflect changes from being at work to sleeping; there were no ethnic differences in the decline in pressure from being at home in the evening to sleeping. Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today "Hypertension develops over time. What the results of this study suggest is that it's developing differently, in different groups, over time," said James. "You can see a clear difference in the way blood pressure is changing over the course of the day. It would suggest that some aspect of cultural upbringing might be contributing to this. There could be some genetic differences also. But, more than likely, it's probably a combination of both. The kinds of behavior people engage in are a source of what causes hypertension, and those behaviors are probably different in different groups. Why this is important is that if you want to treat hypertension and prevent cardiovascular diseases, you need to know a lot about your patient. Treatment is not just a generic thing." James thinks that having 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, done for the purpose of determining hypertension, should be the norm. In Europe, they will not diagnose hypertension until they've done ambulatory monitoring at least two or three times. In America, a blood pressure taken at a doctor's office is often sufficient to make a diagnosis. "Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is not something that is done routinely in medical practice," he said. "In America, we are just now coming around to the idea of having people take their blood pressure with a home monitor. These out-of office blood pressures provide a significant amount of added information. They at least tell clinicians what blood pressure is like when patients are relaxing at home, as opposed to when they are in the relatively unusual situation of being at the doctor's office. The University of California San Diego School of Medicine Center for Community Health recently received a $3.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase affordable food access to low-income community members who are part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formally known as the Food Stamp Program. Working in conjunction with Northgate Gonzalez Market, the Center will develop a program to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables among SNAP participants by providing incentives at point-of-purchase at markets in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. The effort will promote long-term health for SNAP participants and will include financial incentive rebates on fruit and vegetable purchases, special fruit and vegetable promotions and in-store cooking classes, store tours and education on food labeling. The program will also provide researchers with key data to better understand healthy purchasing behaviors. "This funding will enable us to significantly increase the number of consumers participating in nutrition incentive programs and the amount of USDA dollars spent on healthy eating," said Joe Prickitt, senior director of the Southern California Nutrition Incentive Program with UC San Diego School of Medicine Center for Community Health. "The program will both encourage and reward participants to purchase and consume a greater variety of healthy food." "We are honored to work with UC San Diego to support the USDA in the development, implementation and evaluation of a nutrition incentive program. It is our goal to develop an effective, efficient and replicable financial incentive rebate system that can serve as a national model for retailers and contribute to the enhanced health and well-being of low-income community members," said Victor Gonzalez, owner and vice president of Northgate Gonzalez Market. The grant is one of 27 Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) allocations for similar projects in 18 states. "This is a great opportunity for San Diego and communities across California to better understand the dynamics of food insecurities and the effects on healthy eating," said Kim McCoy Wade, chief, CalFresh Branch at California Department of Social Services. "We are incentivizing and increasing access to nutritious fruits and vegetables in low-income communities and using that experience in the development of model programs which make it easier for families and adults to make healthy choices." Nearly half of California nursing home residents complete end-of-life care orders Grassroots outreach has helped to bring attention to the form, but a UCLA-led study finds room for improvement UCLA-led research finds broad acceptance of written end-of-life care orders among California nursing home residents, with nearly half completing a Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, or POLST, form in 2011. The study, published online in the peer-reviewed Journal of General Internal Medicine, also found no difference in completion of the form by race or ethnicity, suggesting wide acceptance of these orders among California's highly diverse population. The researchers did, however, identify a few areas where the use of the forms in nursing homes could be improved. The POLST document records a patient's end-of-life care preferences regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation, aggressiveness of medical interventions and artificial nutrition. Printed on bright pink paper, and signed by the patient as well as a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant, the form is designed to travel with a patient to different care settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes or doctor's offices. It was enacted for use in California through AB 3000 legislation in 2009. Completion of the order by the individual is voluntary. "POLST is an especially useful tool for nursing home residents because they often experience transitions from the nursing home to the hospital or emergency department and back again," said Dr. Lee Jennings, assistant professor of medicine in the division of geriatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and the study's lead author. "It is an effective tool for reducing unnecessary transfers and communicating a patient's preferences to a doctor in a new care setting who may not know the patient well, especially if a patient does not want aggressive medical interventions at the end of life." This is the first study of a life-sustaining treatment form using the Long-Term Care Minimum Data Set, or MDS, a federally mandated clinical assessment of all residents in nursing homes certified by Medicare or Medicaid. To date, California is the only state to have added questions about completion of the orders to the data set. "The broad adoption of POLST in California's nursing homes is possible due to a combination of state-level efforts such as passing legislation and developing a standardized POLST form and curriculum and the grassroots efforts of local POLST coalitions who educate providers and consumers in cities and counties throughout the state," said Judy Thomas, study co-author and CEO of the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California, the organization that runs the POLST program in California. "Analysis of the MDS data confirms the effectiveness of grassroots outreach efforts, and will also help us focus on the facilities or communities in need of additional support to ensure best practices are being followed for POLST implementation." The researchers evaluated use of the form among all California nursing home residents, including variation by resident characteristics and by nursing home facility. They used statewide data of POLST completion in nursing homes, which included 296,276 people with a stay in one of 1,220 California nursing homes in 2011. Among their findings: Completion increased from 33 percent at the beginning of 2011 to 49 percent by the end of that year. Long-stay nursing home residents were more likely than short-stay residents to have completed the form. Severely cognitively impaired long-term care residents were 24 percent less likely than unimpaired residents to have completed the order. The study shows no difference in completion among white non-Hispanic, black and Hispanic residents. There was wide variation between facilities in completion of the form, with 20 percent having low completion (less than 10 percent of their long-term care residents) and 40 percent having high completion (more than 80 percent of their long-term care residents) 13 percent of the forms lacked a signature, rendering the order invalid. "We need to better understand why some facilities are able to complete POLSTs with many of their residents while others complete very few," Jennings said. The authors note that up-to-date data are needed in order to guide intervention. "But these results demonstrate how MDS data can be used to target quality improvement," they write. Kolkata: Bottled 'Gangajal' from Rishikesh has vanished from the shelves within two days of India Post having launched the sale from its 47 head post offices throughout West Bengal. "We have seen a surprising demand for this bottled Gangajal from Rishikesh. We started selling it from Sunday and by Tuesday the stock was totally sold out," Chief Post Master General, West Bengal Circle, Arundhaty Ghosh told PTI. Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Manoj Sinha on Sunday launched the new scheme which made easy availability of Ganga water at all post offices across the country. Two varieties of Gangajal one bottled in Gangotri and the other one in Rishikesh, some 300 km downstream were available. Gangajal, packaged in bottles of 200 ml and 500 ml in Rishikesh were sold from the city's General Post Office (GPO) and 46 other head post offices including Howrah, Midnapore, Tamluk and Siliguri. "The demand is quite high and we were unable to match it because the supply was quite meagre for the first batch," Ghosh said. While the city saw 15 bottles of 'Gangajal' collected in Rishikesh vanishing on the first date, five bottles of 200 ml were sold out within minutes in Siliguri. "Those bottles we have sold so far were bottled in Rishikesh. We are yet to receive those bottled in Gangotri. But the response was very encouraging," the CPMG said. On the reasons behind the "sold out" of the Gangajal, Ghosh reasoned that "the great sentiment associated with the holy water of the Ganges from Rishikesh". The 200 ml bottled Gangajal from Rishikesh is priced at Rs 15 while the 500 ml costs Rs 22, Ghosh said. "The Gangotri water will be slightly costlier with the 200 ml bottle pried at Rs 25, the 500 ml bottle is priced at Rs 35," the CPMG added. In fact, orders have been placed for a quick supply of bottles to meet the demand, she stated. "We have placed new orders for an immediate supply. But it may take some time to reach West Bengal because of bad roads in Uttarakhand," Ghosh said adding that a small consignment will arrive soon. "So far we have managed to get a small consignment because the demand from other parts of the country is also quite high. But we are trying to get more," the official said. Talking about the sale online, the CPMG said, "People can place their order directly online to get the bottles packed in a beautiful box at the doorstep." For bottles online, one need to pay the charges equal to that of charges of the Speed Post. "Here, in West Bengal online charges are likely to vary depending on the distance. There can be a price difference," another official at the Postal department said. According to Ghosh, this will definitely be a big boost for business of the Postal department. The initiative was taken up by the Narendra Modi government to deliver the holy water from the Ganga at the doorstep of every Indian across the length and breadth of the country using the vast postal network. New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday pronounced all three accused guilty of abducting and murdering IT executive Jigisha Ghosh in 2009. The three accused - Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik and Ravi Kapoor - were convicted of murder, criminal conspiracy, abduction and robbery. Jigisha who worked as a Manager Operations at an IT firm - was abducted and killed in March 2009 while returning home from work in Vasant Vihar area of Delhi. The recovery of the weapon used in the murder had led to the cracking of another murder case - that of journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. Soumya was shot dead on September 30, 2008 while she was returning home from office in her car, early in the morning. Delhi Police had claimed that robbery was the motive bhind the murders of both Jigisha and Soumya. Kyrgyzstans President Almazbek Atambayev said July 14 he looks forward to establishing closer relations between his country and the European Union, Sputnik International news agency reported. German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Kyrgyzstan July 13 on an official visit for bilateral cooperation talks, where she will stay until later in the day. Increased cooperation of Kyrgyzstan with the European Union is much needed, Atambayev said after the bilateral meeting with Merkel. I very much hope that an agreement, at least similar to the one the European Union has signed with Kazakhstan, would be signed with Kyrgyzstan as well. Merkel in turn said Germany is ready to fully support Kyrgyzstan on its way to closer cooperation with the European Union. Earlier in the day, Merkel said the meeting with Atambayev is aimed at discussing the means by which Germany could provide support to Kyrgyzstan in order to ensure its bright future, adding that Germany understands that Kyrgyzstan is facing some difficulties amid following the democratic path of development it had chosen. Merkel is set to meet with Kyrgyz lawmakers, including parliament's spokesman later in the day. New Delhi: Wing Commander Pooja Thakur, who has dragged the Indian Air Force to court alleging gender bias, did not initially opt for a permanent commission, senior officials said on Thursday. The IAF officials told CNN-News18 that 10 of the 12 women officers in Thakur's batch got a permanent commission, while she opted out citing personal reasons. Two weeks before she was released, Thakur sought a permanent commission which could not be granted, an official said. She retired in June and is currently undergoing pre-release course at MDI Gurgaon which is funded partly by IAF. In her petition, Thakur termed the IAF's decision as "biased, discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable". The Armed Forces Tribunal has admitted her plea and asked the IAF to respond in four weeks. Pooja Thakur has been in the limelight after she became the first lady officer to lead the Inter-Service Guard of Honour which was inspected by US President Barack Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan in January 2015. She joined the IAF in 2000 and belongs to the administrative branch. Her father served in the Army and retired as a Colonel. New Delhi: Hitting out at Pakistan over its strong comments on Kashmir situation in the wake of killing of Burhan Wani, India on Thursday accused it of not only infiltrating terrorists but also fanning discontent within the Valley by providing support to terrorist outfits. Asserting that Wani issue was internal to India, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said Pakistan has no locus standing in the matter and asked it to refrain from interfering in it. Asked if there was a shift in Pakistan strategy vis-a-vis Kashmir where one sees increase in number of 'home-grown militants', he said, "It is part of the continued strategy of Pakistan of not only infiltrating terrorists from across the border but also fanning discontent within the Valley by providing various support to terrorist outfits." Terming Pakistan's continued effort to internationalise the Kashmir issue as "a self-serving exercise towards narrow political end", Swarup said the world has a clear view about which country in the region covets the territory of others, uses terrorism as state policy, provides sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists and terror groups and violates human rights. "Terrorism is terrorism and no amount of justification on part of Pakiatan is going to change that," he said. Referring to summoning of Indian envoy in Islamabad by Pakistan Foreign Office to raise Kashmir situation, Swarup said, the envoy conveyed to Pakistan that it was an internal matter of India. He also said India rejected the demarche issued in the matter to him. Rejecting reports that Pakistan envoy here Abdul Basit will be summoned on the issue, Swarup said since it is an internal issue, India sees no reason to involve Pakistan which has no locus standi in the matter. He also said that recent comments by Pakistan after the killing of Wani, Hizbul commander, reflect its continued attachment to terrorism and its usage as an instrument of State policy. While Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed "shock" over Wani's killing his Foreign Office termed it "extra-judicial". According to the latest figures available, most deaths over the last four days have taken place in Anantnag district followed by Kulgam, Shopian, Pulwama, Srinagar and Kupwara. The situation in Kashmir continues to be tense as the death toll in the Valley has risen to 34. The state witnessed widespread violent protests following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8.Shattering the fragile peace, clashes erupted again on Wednesday evening at Harnag in Koimoh with a group of youth pelting stones on passing vehicles of security forces. One youth was injured when security forces tried to control the mob, officials said.In another incident, one person was injured when security forces fired at Koil in Pulwama district to disperse a mob which was pelting stones at the Indian Air Force base, officials said. They said Reyaz Ahmad Padder was admitted to District Hospital Pulwama where his situation is stated to be stable.Earlier, barring some incidents of stone-pelting, Kashmir was relatively calm through the day as curfew remained in force in some parts of the Valley, including Pampore and Kupwara towns. Restrictions were in place on movement of people in the rest of the Valley.A police spokesman said barring "some incidents" of stone pelting at various places, the situation "remained under control" in the valley.Stray incidents of stone-pelting were reported from Khudwani, Kulgam, Iman Sahib, Shopian and Kakpora in south Kashmir. Kralpora, Kupwara, Trehgam, Langate, Lalpora, Putkha Sopore and Main Chowk Sopore in north Kashmir also reported incidents of stone pelting.Reaching out to people, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti sought their "support in pulling J&K out of the vortex of violence and bloodshed."She said she needs people's support in realising the dream of a politically-emancipated, economically self-reliant and socially secure Jammu and Kashmir."The 27-year-long violence has left deep wounds in almost each home here and we have to jointly safeguard our state and our people from further bloodshed and destruction," she said after paying homage to the martyrs of 1931 at the Martyrs graveyard in Khawaja Bazar area of downtown Srinagar.Commenting on the current unrest, Mehbooba said, "My heart is overwhelmed with great sadness and sorrow as a result of the killings in the latest spate of violence in Kashmir."Asserting, "I won't let the people down, despite facing a challenging task", she said, "While my government's immediate priority would be to reach out to the affected families with a healing touch, in the long run a concerted effort shall have to be launched to make peace and stability a reality in J&K, with youth being the focus of the government's welfare initiatives."Urging people not to "play with peace", she asked them not to fall prey to the machinations of those elements who want to disturb peace in the state."I think the biggest tribute to them would be to protect that peace and not fall prey to the machinations of those elements who want to disturb peace here," said Mehbooba who was accompanied by some of her Cabinet colleagues, legislators, party functionaries and top officers of the civil and police administration.Meanwhile, militants fired at the vehicle of a Sub Divisional Police Officer in Shopian district but he escaped unhurt, police said.Normal life remained affected due to the shutdown called by separatist groups to protest the civilian killings in the clashes with securityforces. The separatists today extended the shutdown by two more days till July 15.Shops and business establishments remained closed while public and private transport remained off roads due to the strike.Mobile Internet and train services remained suspended while mobile telephony has been snapped in Kupwara area.Hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were detained by police after they tried to defy restrictions and lead a march to Martyrs graveyard in downtown Srinagar.(With additional information from PTI) Attikkad: At least three Kerala youths, who are suspected to have joined the Islamic State (IS), are believed to be radicalized into the salafist ideology at Attikkad village near Neelambur Forests in Malappuram District. The missing trio who are believed to be a part of IS network is: Abdul Rahid Abdualla and Hafesuddin from Kasaragod and Easa from Palakkad. CNN-News18 traveled to Neelambur Forests and found that nearly 200 people (Dammaj Salafi Sect) living in 50 houses kept themselves away from modernity and recreated a true Islamic ambiance at Attikkad. Beyond following true Salafis, they devoted themselves to imitate the life in the times of the Prophet himself. With no modern education, phones and TV gadgetry, the Attikkad village is completely apolitical and dominated by a non-polluting plainness. With the startling revelation, sources in the intelligence agencies are now trying to find Attikkad-IS link behind the missing Kerala youths. Despite strict restrictions for outsider, CNN-News18 managed to get in to the village and found how the villagers are leading a reclusive life from society to recreate a Prophet age in the jungles. They are also trying to start a goat farm to replicate life in Arabia in the 7th century. In last few years, a lot of money and funds came through Gulf remittances. But the villagers shunned the external influence, while sending out a strong message to stay away from their way of living in the age of Prophet. New Delhi:A 17-year-old Delhi boy, who left home 14 months ago fed up by his father's beatings, has been traced to the home of a Kashmiri family in Srinagar where he has been living like a family member, police said on Wednesday. The teen left his home in east Delhi's Khazuri Khas as his father used to beat him when drunk, police said. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav told IANS that the boy, whose name is withheld, left his home on May 8, 2015. "He was sitting in a park at a lonely place when a Delhi resident located him and took him to his home." "The boy stayed at the house of the Delhi-based man for sometimes. One of the relatives of the man took the boy at his native place in Kashmir where he had been staying since then like a family member. He had also adopted the religious and social lifestyle of the family. "The boy has learnt to read the Quran and daily routine activities. He also helps the Kashmiri family in their small grocery business and was living there happily," the officer said. The officer said the investigating team recovered the boy from Dalal Mohalla in Srinagar on July 6 after tracking the IP (Internet Protocol) address of his Facebook account. "The boy was accessing his Facebook account and used to chat with his elder brother. After technical analysis of the different IP addresses of his Facebook account, we managed to trace his location in Dalal Mohalla in Srinagar. We conducted a raid and recovered the boy," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ravindra Yadav said. The officer said: "We found different IP addresses of the Facebook account of the boy as he was using it from different mobile numbers. "The call details and subscriber application forms of these mobile numbers were sought from concerned mobile operators and we finally got the exact location of the boy," the officer said. "The missing boy has been handed over to his parents. During interrogation, the boy informed us that he had left his house because his father used to drink and beat him." Chennai: Two women were found dead inside Indian Institute of Technology, Madras campus on Wednesday night. One of the victim is a research scholar and the second victim is the wife of a professor. According to the police, the professor's wife had attempted suicide earlier. A 34-year-old woman research scholar allegedly committed suicide in her hostel room today, police said. P Maheswari's body was found hanging in her hostel room, police said, adding the motive behind her taking the extreme step was being probed. Officials claimed that personal reasons could be the motive in both the cases. Kotturpuram Police has registered a case of suspicious death under Section 174 of CrPC. Condoling the scholar's death, IIT-M announced full cooperation to officials in the case. IIT-M had witnessed suicide of two students in September and October 2015. (With additional information from PTI) IAF says Pooja Thakur was offered permanent commission in 2012, she declined it then & now no new offer can be given: Pooja Thakur's lawyer ANI (@ANI_news) July 14, 2016 Wing Commander Pooja Thakur has moved court after the Indian Air Force denied Permanent Commission to her. In her petition, Thakur termed the IAF's decision as "biased, discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable".The Armed Forces Tribunal has admitted Thakur's plea and asked the Air Force to respond in four weeks.She is the first lady officer to lead the Inter-Service Guard of Honour which was inspected by US President Barack Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan in January 2015.She joined the IAF in 2000 and belongs to the administrative branch. Her father served in the Army and retired as a Colonel.She was commissioned into the IAF in 2001. In 2014, she was offered Permanent Commission but she refused to accept it at that point of time citing personal reasons.She now wants Permanent Commission.According to Thakur's lawyer, IAF says Pooja Thakur was offered Permanent Commission in 2012, she declined it then and now no new offer can be given.But former IAF officers denied that there is any gender bias in the force. "There is no question of anybody being denied or selected. IAF selects an officer through a selection panel. IAF is not a rozgar yojana. There is no gender bias in Air Force. She has commanded a Guard of Honour does not mean that she qualifies for Permanent Commission. There are many yardsticks based on which a selection is done," former Wing Commander Praful Bakshi said."The government has not yet cleared women officers for Permanent Commission. There is a ruling that women officers can serve for 13 to 14 years. The case is still being discussed," Air Marshal (Retd) PS Ahluwalia said.The 37-year-old officer hails from Rajasthan and is a para jumper.Three Flying Cadets created history just a few weeks back when they became the first women pilots to be commissioned in the fighter squadron of the Indian Air Force. The Flying Cadets -- Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh -- passed out from the IAF Academy in Hakimpet in Telangana. London: Looking for ways to shed those extra kilos around your waistline? Worry not, according to a study, drinking water along with a meal can fill the stomach and signal the brain to stop eating. The findings showed that the brain listens to the stomach during eating. Drinking more water can alter messages from the stomach which can be interpreted as fullness by the brain. Further, intake of water along with a meal can increase stomach distension, curb appetite in the short term as well as increase the regional brain activity. This means anyone who is looking to lose weight or cut down on eating would benefit from a large drink with their meals. For the study, the team collected data from 19 participants during two separate sessions with different consumption procedures. In the experiment, participants drank a milk-shake on an empty stomach, which was followed by a small (50 mL) or large glass of water (350 mL). The large glass of water doubled the content in the stomach compared to the small glass. Those who drank the large glass also felt less hungry and felt fuller. The real time data of the brain, the stomach, and people's feelings of satiety was measured simultaneously during the meal. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images were used to see how the different amounts of water affected stretching of the stomach -- the large glass of water doubled the stomach content compared to the small glass. "Combining these types of measurements is difficult, because MRI scanners are usually set-up to perform only one type of scan," said lead author Guido Camps from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. "We've been able to very quickly switch the scanner from one functionality to another to do this type of research," Camps added. This new research approach can be used to investigate the interplay between satiety feelings, volume of the stomach and activity in the brain, the researchers suggested. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior, held in Portugal. I you Chandigarh. Wore my heart on my sleeve for you today :) @varundvn #JaanemanAah . My heart sweatshirt by the amazing @mayyurrgirotra :) A photo posted by Parineeti Chopra (@parineetichopra) on Jul 13, 2016 at 9:29am PDT Hollywood makes it a point to make every year an enjoyable ride for children and animation-lovers alike. We are half way into 2016 and almost all the animated films released so far have hit the right chords with the audience. Call it the power of big production houses like Disney and Illumination or the craze of a franchise- that 4 out of 10 of the highest grossing films have been animated children's films so far.While Bollywood shies away from making films dedicated solely to under 15 years audience, Hollywood gives domestic market enough material to binge on with little ones. Just like last year, 2016 animation also moved out of the age bracket and dealt with problems even grownups could relate to, be it finding one's identity or controlling and directing anger to a positive outcome.Let's take a look at five animated movies released till now that have all the right ingredients for an ideal children's watch:Second highest grossing film of the year so far, Disney's Zootopia deals with the raging subject of stereotyping, racism and set prejudices in the best way possible. Time and again the main lead of the film, Judy Hopps, a bunny-cop keeps stressing on dreaming big and Zootopia keeps striking as that ideal state where everyone can be anyone they want. The film sets itself apart by attacking prejudice head-on. Rather than preaching or putting on kid gloves, Zootopia attempts to question the reasons behind such prejudice. Through its clever, endearing characters, hilarious jokes, and honest sentiment, 'Zootopia' comes away as a film thats not only a joy to watch, but also one with a message that couldnt feel more relevant to adults alike. One of the best movies by Disney so far, the film deserves all the appreciation it's getting.Third film of the popular Kung Fu Panda franchise, the film is a visual splendour with the soul of the first film. The innocent Po searches his inner chi as he reunites with his family which he thought was extinct. This light hearted mega franchise film has a huge message of believing in yourself and power of love and unity. The film has everything that kids love, from huge panda to no-harm action and a message to take home. This is the one of the finest DreamWorks Animation effort mainly because of its astonishing visuals and dramatic kung-fu sequences. Panda love for all!You know you are playing a huge gamble when you decide to touch upon something as dear and lovable as Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. Disney's experiment to redo their popular animation film into a live-action worked well and we got one of the finest films of this decade in terms of CGI. Mowgli made his way back to our screen and his innocence and courage made us fall in love with him all over again. Fighting his right to be in the jungle and not getting intimidated by Shere Khan's threats, Mowgli and his friends teach the value of self-worth, fearlessness and friendship in 3D real time graphic. This immersive experience of the jungle and adventure is not to be missed this year.A sequel to 2004 modern animation classic Finding Nemo, this film might not fit into the same bracket but is enjoyable nonetheless. Following the journey of lovable blue tang fish Dory, the film brims with hope, adventure and laughter. Finding Dory through various characters, very subtly puts forward the point that what appear to be impairments might better be understood as strengths. Each and every misfit character has a strength and unite to help Dory find her long lost parents. A perfect summer watch, from underwater laughter ride to a teary eyed reunion, the film has everything a child would love to watch.While Disney Pixar makes it a point to deliver a message through their grandness, Illumination depends more on goofy fun and regular, unnoticed circumstances. Secret Life of Pets refrain from giving out any heavy laden message other than friendship is the strongest bond and animated animals have more fun life than us. The film is a delightful watch for kids with ultra cute characters that are beautifully and dramatically voiced. The film plays subtly on the theme adopting pets from shelter home and receive a lot of love in return. A perfect entertainer for this half-year. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 13 By Farhad Daneshvar Trend: While Iran faces an increasing energy demand, Tehran is after increasing its capacity for generating electricity from solar energy as the Islamic Republic has a high solar power potential among renewable energy sources. Although Iran enjoys the fourth largest oil reserves and the largest natural gas reserves in the world, many experts believe that conventional energy sources alone cannot meet the Middle Eastern countrys energy demands. Irans current power generation capacity stands at around 74.5 megawatts (MW), of that some 12,000 MW is generated via hydroelectric power plants, 1,000 MW via a nuclear power plant and the remaining is produced by thermal power plants. In the meantime, Energy Ministry has drawn up plans to produce 5 percent of the national generation of electricity from renewable sources. The plan envisages installation of 500 MW of new solar capacity by 2018. It is noteworthy that the countrys current capacity for producing renewable energy stands at about 232 MW, 0.31 percent of the countrys total power generation capacity. This is while, the German Solar Industry Association in a report last December suggested that Irans potential for photovoltaic (PV/solar) cells is extremely high, having an excellent solar irradiation and high electricity demand. Considering the fact that Irans total area is around 1,600,000 square kilometers with about 300 clear sunny days in a year and an average 2,200 kilowatt hours (kWh) of solar radiation per square meter, the governments plan to lure foreign investors sounds realistic. The government has already launched several solar energy projects, but the financial issues still remain as a major obstacle to developing the countrys solar energy sector, therefore it is not clear when all the effort is going to show some results. Just last July, when the historic nuclear deal was clinched between Tehran and the worlds major powers, hopes of reaping fat profits from Irans untapped market grew inside investors. The nuclear deal also brought up hopes that Irans ailing economy and aged industry will be built up again. The countrys energy sector drew much attention and a number of international investors rushed for Iran to join lucrative contracts and projects introduced with an aim to develop the countrys energy sector, including solar power plants. However, difficulties in re-establishing banking ties with the world seem to be among the main obstacles to fulfilling the plan. Although the official announcements suggest that the sanctions against Iran have been removed, concerns over running afoul of US regulations have made the global bankers reluctant to do business with Iran, a main obstacle to doing any businesses in the Islamic Republic, including the energy sector and solar power plants. --- Farhad Daneshvar is Trend Agency's staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @Farhad_Danesh New Delhi: Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Narendra Modi government on Thursday reached out to the principal opposition party Congress over the contentious issue of Goods and Service Tax Bill. Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu spoke to senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma. Both Congress leaders assured Naidu that they will get back to him soon after consultations within their party. The Monsoon Session will begin from July 18. Top Congress leaders had on Wednesday discussed its strategy in parliament on the GST Bill at party president Sonia Gandhi's residence. Congress has been pressing for a cap of 18 per cent as part of the Constitutional Amendment bill to which government is not agreeing. Insiders say this very demand has become a sticking point between Congress and the government but Congress may relent on its rigid stand by agreeing to a cap in the statues and not as part of the Constitution bill. The government plans to push the Constitution Amendment bill in the Rajya Sabha for roll-out of GST in the Monsoon session beginning July 18. The bill was approved by the Lok Sabha earlier. (With additional information from PTI) New Delhi: Buoyed by the Supreme Court verdict on Arunachal Pradesh, Congress plans to corner the government in Parliament during the first week of the Monsoon session starting July 18. Sources said the party intends to demand a reply from the government on the Arunachal Pradesh issue and press for the dismissal of Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict. Top Congress leaders on Wednesday discussed the strategy with party president Sonia Gandhi at her residence, where they are also learnt to have discussed its strategy on Goods and Service Tax Bill. Congress has been pressing for a cap of 18 per cent as part of the Constitutional Amendment bill to which government is not agreeing. Insiders say this very demand has become a sticking point between Congress and the government but Congress may relent on its rigid stand by agreeing to a cap in the statues and not as part of the Constitution bill. Government has also proposed a meeting with senior Congress leaders on the issue to iron out differences and this meeting is likely to take place in a day or two between senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The government plans to push the Constitution Amendment bill in the Rajya Sabha for roll-out of GST in the Monsoon session beginning July 18. The bill was approved by the Lok Sabha earlier. In a major blow to the BJP earlier in the day, a five-judge Constitution bench of Supreme Court ordered restoration of Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh by quashing all decisions of the Governor that had precipitated its fall in January, holding them "violative" of the Constitution. The apex court's verdict came as a shot in the arm for the Congress, paving the way for the return of its dismissed government headed by Nabam Tuki. Tuki hailed the verdict as a victory of democracy and met Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and discussed the situation. He said he would soon hold a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party in Arunachal to chalk out further strategy and convene a session of the state assembly. He also appealed to the rebels to come back to the party fold as the Supreme Court had restored his government. Mumbai: Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday appealed to textile industry to join 'Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana' (PMSBY) for the benefit of workers. "I congratulate the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) for organising largest ever apparel trade show and urge the industry to take part in the 'Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana' in which by paying a premium of Rs 1 per month, the worker will get an insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh," Irani said after inaugurating the 63rd National Garment Fair in Mumbai. The PMSBY will benefit garment workers immensely, as largest number of people work in the textile sector in the country after agriculture, she said. CMAI president Rahul Mehta said the total size of the domestic apparel industry is estimated at around Rs 2.5 lakh crore. "Out of this, the (size of) organised market is Rs 74,250 crore (30 per cent) whereas (size of) unorganised market is Rs 175,750 crore (70 per cent). The domestic apparel industry's size is estimated to double within next 7 years," he said. The garment B2B Fair, said to be the largest ever so far in country, has 742 stalls displaying 812 brands. Approximately, 40,000 retailers from across the country are expected to visit the three-day expo. "For the first time, an Iranian delegation with 12 members belonging to Tehran Garment Union will visit the fair. The Iranian garment market is estimated at US $16 billion, of which, 40 per cent comes from domestic sources and rest through imports. "India has been absent from there due to an extremely high import tax by Iranian government 55 per cent on apparel and 32 per cent on textiles," Mehta said. He said Iran has agreed to reduce import duty to 20 to 25 per cent in 2 years. "Iran offers immense opportunities for Indian export with a combination of western, traditional taste, he added. Textile Commissioner Kavita Gupta said the draft National Textile Policy is ready and it would be presented to the Cabinet for approval. New Delhi: In choosing Sheila Dikshit, Congress hopes that the 78-year-old three time Delhi chief minister would give the party some space in the crowded Uttar Pradesh battle ground. Sheila Dikshit, who had at first refused to be the CM candidate, finally had to agree to the request from the Gandhis.While one may wonder what Sheila stands to gain from this new assignment, the question also arises as to what Congress stands to gain. First the stature. Congress felt that she would be better equipped for a face-off with Mulayam Singh, Mayawati and PM Narendra Modi. Congress needs to be in the talking space and Sheila could ensure that Sheila is a Brahmin face and is also 'UP ki bahu' - her father-in-law is from Unnao - who could use both her arguments to ensure upswing for the Congress. She could also use her Delhi development model to counter Modi and Amit Shah's pitch for development in the state . But choosing Sheila also means Rahul's logic of giving youth a chance has taken a backseat. For Sheila, a defeat after years in politics may not sit well. She had taken her crushing defeat at Kejriwal's hands badly and has not yet recovered completely. Sheila's name as CM has certainly put pressure on the BJP to announce their cM face as well. Talking about her new role, Sheila said, "UP is a big challenge. I wish to fulfil the responsibility sincerely and help Congress improve its performance." Dikshit also said she would request Priyanka Gandhi to campaign across the state, though the party is yet to announce an active role for her in the UP polls. "All Congress workers want her to campaign as she is very popular among the people. I do hope that she will make up her mind to campaign," said Sheila, adding "she will be very big asset," he said. Sheila's 15-year tenure in Delhi as CM ended with the emergence of AAP in 2013 polls in which Congress lost power. She was later appointed governor of Kerala by the UPA government in March 2014, and she resigned from the post in August that year. New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday broke with tradition and named senior leader Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial candidate for elections in Uttar Pradesh. Immediately after the announcement at a press conference, the 78-year-old for former chief minister of Delhi thanked the party High Command for the trust in her. "I am totally confident we will come up with good results in Uttar Pradesh," Dikshit said. There was no word from the Congress on whether party president Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka would play a more active role in the UP polls, but Dikshit said she would formally request her. For the Congress, it was a departure from tradition when they named a chief ministerial candidate ahead of a state poll. The decision was reportedly prompted by political strategist Prashant Kishor. What worked for Dikshit was that she has connections with UP - her father-in-law is from Unnao - and that she is Brahmin, a community which the Congress is trying to woo in the state. "What you have speculated for so long is true this time. Sheila Dikshit is the CM face for UP," senior leader Janardhan Dwivedi said at the press conference. The announcement comes two days after the party named Raj Babbar as its president in the state which goes to polls in the first half of next year. This is also a comeback for Dikshit who has been keeping a low profile after she was ousted as CM of Delhi in 2014. Itanagar: The Arunchal Pradesh governor has asked Chief Minister Nabam Tuki of the Congress, reinstated by a Supreme Court order on Wednesday, to prove he has a majority in the state assembly in a Trust Vote on Saturday. However, Tuki, who led a Congress government that fell in January after the controversial role played by Governor JP Rajkhowa, said that he needed time to face the floor test. Talking to reporters after attending office, Tuki said he would request the acting Governor Tathagata Roy to defer the proposed floor test as it is "not possible" within a short span of time. The Governor in a communique informed Tuki that in obedience to the Supreme Court verdict he has been reinstated as chief minister of the state with effect from Wednesday. He also asked the chief minister to call the assembly session immediately and prove his majority in the house by July 16. The communique said in order to ensure peaceful proceedings, the floor test should be videographed throughout and the majority proved by division and not by voice vote. Roy further emphasised that the conduct of the proceedings, including the videography in the house should strictly follow the principles laid down by Supreme Court in its order of May 6 regarding imposition of Presidents Rule in Uttarakhand (SLP C 11567/2016) Union of India Vs Harish Chandra Singh Rawat, a Raj Bhawan release said. A note to this effect has also been sent to the assembly secretariat, it said. Tuki arrived here this evening after assuming charge of chief minister of the state at Arunachal Bhawan in New Delhi yesterday following the apex court verdict. Speaker Nabam Rebia, who too attended office today, said the assembly needs at least 10 to 15 days to summon a session. "I have received the governor's order asking the state government to go for floor test on July 16 which is practically impossible keeping in mind the uneven topography and inclement weather besides the communication bottlenecks in the state," he told reporters. The Speaker also appealed to all the Congress members to strengthen Tuki's hands for overall development of the state. In a major setback to BJP and the Centre, the Supreme Court yesterday ordered restoration of the Congress government, saying the "clock should be turned back", as it quashed all decisions of Governor Rajkhowa that precipitated its fall in January, holding them "violative" of the Constitution. With PTI Inputs. Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia): China will not recognise or accept the adverse international tribunal ruling on the South China Sea and the issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of "historical facts", Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday. "The South China Sea (SCS) issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of 'historical facts' and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC)," he said here in the Mongolian capital in his first comments on the issue. Li made the remarks while meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the sidelines of the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, which will be held from Friday. The ASEM summit will be the first major multilateral diplomatic gathering since the July 12 ruling by a UN-backed tribunal that struck down China's claims of "historical rights" in the SCS on a case brought by the Philippines. Besides the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan challenged China's claims. The Chinese premier called on Vietnam to value the hard- won momentum in the development of bilateral relations and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the SCS with China. On the verdict issued by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague, Li said, "China has been very clear on its stance of not recognising or accepting the award. The DOC has helped maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea over the past years." The DOC, signed in 2002 by China and The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, including the Philippines, stipulates that the parties concerned undertake to resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Nguyen, on his part, said Vietnam respects China's stance on the arbitration, which was unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, and Vietnam maintains that the disputes should be solved peacefully through negotiations, the Xinhua report quoted the Vietnamese Premier as saying. On bilateral ties, Li said China-Vietnam relations have shown a positive momentum since last year, with early results yielding in maritime, land and financial cooperation. Vietnam stands ready to push forward the mechanism of bilateral maritime negotiations and properly manage differences with China, so as to contribute to regional peace and stability, Phuc said. Tokyo: Japan's Emperor Akihito has no plans to step down, the imperial household has insisted, denying reports the 82-year-old wants to abdicate, in what would be an extraordinary move for a more-than 2,600-year-old royal line. The country's establishment was been thrown into tumult after respected public broadcaster NHK -- citing palace sources -- said Akihito wanted to pass the throne to his son. Any such abdication -- the first in 200 years -- would be a huge shock to a country where the revered royal family symbolises stability and continuity. Observers say NHK and Kyodo News, which separately carried a similar report, would be extremely careful before committing on such an explosive story, and would certainly have strong sourcing. But the Imperial Household Agency, the government body that runs royal affairs, offered a categorical denial. "It is absolutely not true," Vice Grand Steward Shinichiro Yamamoto told reporters on Wednesday. The emperor "has long refrained from discussing systematic issues out of consideration for his majesty's constitutional position," he told reporters. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declined to comment, hinting at the sensitivity of the matter, as did Yoshihide Suga, the government's top spokesman. Akihito's role is strictly limited to one of "symbol of the state" under a constitution imposed by the United States in the aftermath of Japan's defeat in World War II. A court official told AFP that the agency has not been discussing a possible abdication by the emperor. However, Japan's top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported that the government has been secretly reviewing such a possibility. There is no provision in the Japanese constitution for an abdication, apparantly a mechanism to prevent the arbitrary replacement of emperors. Akihito's father Hirohito, in whose name Japan's military campaigns of the 20th century were prosecuted, was treated as a living god until defeat in 1945. The throne, which Japan claims to be one of the world's oldest, is held in deep respect by much of the public, despite being largely stripped of its mystique and quasi-divine status in the aftermath of the war. The much admired Akihito, who has suffered from numerous health issues, including prostate cancer and heart problems, publicly hinted late last year at his growing limitations in the performance of his ceremonial duties. Long before he was made UK's new foreign secretary, Boris Johnson made a name for himself around the world - with a spew of colourful insults against important people. Sample this: He called US president Barrack Obama half-Kenyan, he compared Hillary Clinton to a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital and he wrote a limerick on the Turkish president having a carnal affair with a goat. The language is stronger than that of his blonde tousle-haired lookalike across the Atlantic, Donald Trump, whom he once accused of "stupefying ignorance." Here's an anthology - collated from British and American media reports - of Johnson's famous insults. Hillary Clinton In November 2007, he supported Hillary Clinton's bid for presidency with these strange lines in his column:"She's got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital." Clinton, he said, had carried out the job of First Lady like "Lady Macbeth, stamping her heel, bawling out subordinates and frisbeeing ashtrays at her erring husband." Barack Obama Johnson was one of the leading voices of the successful Brexit campaign. And he took on everybody on the other side of the argument, including Obama. Writing in The Sun tabloid, Johnson called Obama a "part-Kenyan president" referring to the birth country of Obama's father and said the president had an "ancestral dislike of the British empire." He also said Obama's views on the EU were "incoherent ... inconsistent and ... downright hypocritical." Donald Trump Much of the civilised world loved it when Johnson took aim at Trump for suggesting that Muslim-dominated regions of London were out of bounds for police. He said Trump was "clearly out of his mind" and that his "ill-informed comments are complete and utter nonsense." He accused the Republican of "stupefying ignorance" for suggesting immigration had created "no-go" areas of London. "I would invite him to come and see the whole of London except that I wouldn't want to expose Londoners to any risk of meeting Donald Trump," he said. "The only reason I wouldn't go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump." Recep Tayyip Erdogan Boris Johnson won a 1,000 prize in May for penning a rude poem about Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, having sex with a goat. His limerick was published by the Spectator as a rebuff to Erdogan's efforts to prosecute a German comedian's offensive poem. Israel Johnson's visit to the occupied Palestinian territories was curtailed in 2015 because of protests over a series of strong pro-Israel remarks. They included telling an audience in Tel Aviv that a trade boycott of Israeli goods was "completely crazy" and supported by "corduroy-jacketed, snaggletoothed, lefty academics in the UK". Manila: The Philippines asked Beijing on Thursday to respect an international tribunal's ruling that rejected Chinese claims to most of the South China Sea, escalating a row that has raised the prospect of conflict. China reacted furiously to the verdict by a UN-back tribunal on Tuesday, insisting it will ignore the decision while warning its rivals too much pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich and strategically vital waterway into a "cradle of war". The Philippines, which launched the legal challenge, had initially refrained from asking China to abide by the ruling. This followed President Rodrigo Duterte's directive to achieve a "soft landing" with the Philippines' much more powerful Asian neighbour. But Manila hardened its stance today with a statement detailing Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay's priorities when he attends an Asia-Europe summit, known as ASEM, in Mongolia this week along with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. "Secretary Yasay will discuss within the context of ASEM's agenda the Philippines' peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision," the foreign affairs department said in a statement. Even just raising the issue at the two-day summit starting tomorrow will anger China, which has long bridled at Philippine efforts to have the dispute discussed at multilateral events. Chinese assistant foreign minister Kong Xuanyou insisted on Monday the ASEM summit was "not an appropriate venue" to discuss the South China Sea. But China appears to be in the minority - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said today as he left for Mongolia that he wanted to discuss the South China Sea at the summit. China claims nearly all of the sea - which is of immense military importance and through which about USD 5 trillion worth of shipping trade passes annually - even waters approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. China justifies its claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named and exploited the sea, and outlines its territory using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940s. However the tribunal, in The Hague, ruled China's claimed historic rights to resources within the nine-dash map had no legal basis. It also declared that China had acted unlawfully by violating the Philippines' sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone - waters extending 200 nautical miles from the Filipino coast. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 14 By Farhad Daneshvar Trend: The European Union intends to open an EU Delegation in Iran, High Representative of EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini announced. The European Union supports a strategy of gradual engagement that is comprehensive in scope, cooperative where there is mutual interest, critical when there are differences and constructive in practice. As part of that, the European Union intends to open an EU Delegation in Iran, Mogherini said in a declaration on behalf of the EU on the one year anniversary of the nuclear deal (JCPOA) clinched between Tehran and the world powers. The European Union reaffirms its commitment to further developing relations with Iran, in particular in areas such as trade, energy, human rights, civil nuclear cooperation, migration, environment, fight against transnational threats such as drugs, humanitarian cooperation, transport, research, education, culture and regional issues, the message read. The JCPOA is for the benefit of the entire region and creates the opportunity for improved regional cooperation that should be seized by all parties. The European Union calls on all parties to work towards a cooperative regional environment and to help reduce tensions. The EU reaffirms its commitment to help make an improved regional situation a reality, she added. The Lynchburg Planning Commission has recommended approval of a conditional use permit to convert a house near Virginia Baptist Hospital into a residential substance abuse recovery facility for women and babies. The petition came before the planning commission during a Wednesday public hearing. The property comprises two parcels on Oak Lane and Fairway Place. The Oak Lane tract has a two-story, three-bedroom house that will serve as a group home for up to four pregnant or postpartum women with babies. The Fairway Place tract is a wooded parcel. According to information included within planning documents, the primary mission of the Oak Lane Residential Recovery Program for Pregnant and Post-Partum Women is to promote sustained recovery and self-sufficiency to perinatal peers, while increasing healthy pregnancies and parental skills. Centra is partnering with Roads to Recovery, Inc. to provide the services. Roads to Recovery has three residential homes for men in Lynchburg. Our program is about providing peer-recovery support for anyone who wants to recover from alcohol or other drug addiction, said Sandy Kanehl, director of Roads to Recovery, in an earlier interview. Centras Director of Women and Childrens Services Kim Price said during the public hearing there has been an increase in the number of babies born with substance abuse issues. Price spoke of being proud of the community coming together to address the issue. Some of these ladies need a place to go to just get away from their home life and have a chance to really turn their lives around and be with their babies, Price said. According to planning documents, the property is surrounded on three sides by other Centra-owned properties. City Planner Tom Martin said staff has not heard of any neighborhood opposition to the project, adding staff feels the group home will fit well in an otherwise institutional area. During the public hearing, no one spoke against the petition. Although the home currently contains three bedrooms, Price said one of the bedrooms is large, and the expectation is it will be partitioned into an additional bedroom. Commissioner Nancy Marion asked how the women are selected for the program. Women would be invited into the program, Price said, adding once a patient is identified as having a substance abuse issue, she would go into a referral process that involves various members of Centras staff Based on similar facilities, residents typically will stay about nine months, Price said. The facility would have a resident manager and 24-hour supervision. Final approval of the conditional use permit is up to City Council. Last week, in the wake of a series of deadly and racially charged shootings across the country, Starbucks executive Tony Byers sent a letter to some of his colleagues. The letter, which Byers read Wednesday at a meeting of hundreds of Richmond-area human resources professionals, emphasized the need for business leaders to take concrete and positive actions as a response to the violence. Acknowledging the loss of life in each city and the need for us to come together for a more humane and just society is needed, Byers said. He said there are really only two sides to the issue: What is right and what protects human life and development, and what impedes it. The letter set the tone for the opening day of CommUnity, a symposium on diversity and inclusion held by the Greater Richmond Society for Human Resources Management and Virginia Commonwealth University. About 285 people are attending the two-day meeting at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, most of them representing human resources departments for a variety of organizations. Byers, the opening keynote speaker, leads diversity and inclusion programs for Starbucks, a global chain of coffee retail stores with 300,000 employees. He urged the human resources professionals to think of diversity and inclusion as a strength that can promote innovation, creativity and profitability, and to look for tangible ways to promote it. The action piece is where we have been missing, Byers said. Not every effort works, he said. Starbucks itself faced ridicule in early 2015 over its Race Together campaign, in which baristas at its coffee shops were supposed to try to spark conversations with customers about racial issues and diversity. After an overwhelmingly negative response, the company course corrected, Byers said. Later in 2015, it partnered with 33 other companies to create the 100K initiative, in which the companies committed to hire 100,000 disadvantaged young people ages 16 to 24 from across the country. A panel of six Richmond-area business, health care and state government leaders also described ways Wednesday in which their organizations are trying to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Ken Ampy, chief executive officer of Astyra Corp. a minority-owned staffing and consulting company based in Richmond said that a few years ago his company was voted by what is now ChamberRVA as the best place to work for young professionals in the Richmond area. It is no surprise to me that when we won that award, we had someone from South Africa working in our office, we had someone from India, someone from London, someone from Ireland, as well as folks from Richmond and other places throughout the United States, he said. Certainly we have seen that diversity and inclusion drives the things we do in our business in terms of bringing new ideas to us. Carter Reid, senior vice president and chief administrative and compliance officer for energy giant Dominion Resources Inc., said the Richmond company made a commitment several years ago to focus on finding jobs for veterans. Twenty percent of our new hires last year were veterans, Reid said. It really showed us what we could accomplish when we focus on a topic. So we have had a razor-sharp focus on diversity the last couple of years. If Tesla Motors Inc. prevails in being allowed to open a company-owned dealership in the Richmond region, its location has been approved. The Henrico County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Tuesday to amend the conditions of a 2015 rezoning case to allow for the sales and service of the companys all-electric vehicles. The proposed Tesla dealership at a former Bassett furniture store along Stillman Parkway north of West Broad Street would feature a showroom, outdoor charging stations and an indoor maintenance facility. The charging stations would be available 24 hours a day, according to county documents. Although the location has been approved, progress on the dealership hinges on a decision from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. The Virginia Automobile Dealers Association has opposed the California-based companys request to seek an exception to state law that bars vehicle manufacturers in most circumstances from owning dealerships. The dealers association argues that Tesla should have to sell vehicles through independent dealers like other manufacturers. An administrative hearing on the request concluded July 1. A decision could take up to five months. Tesla, founded by tech magnate Elon Musk, sells its vehicles directly to customers at fixed prices. The company argues independent dealers could not sell its cars profitably under its one-price business plan. Its sole Virginia dealership, near Tysons Corner, opened in February 2015 after a legal settlement with the DMV and the dealers association. According to the dealers association, the opening of a second Tesla dealership would violate the terms of the settlement. In the September 2013 settlement, Tesla was allowed to open one company-owned store until August 2017, when it had to be turned over to an independent dealer. If Tesla does not prevail in its current case with the DMV and the dealers association, there are several other allowed uses for the property under its zoning, said R. Joseph Emerson Jr., Henricos director of planning. Tesla representatives were not available for comment Wednesday. The new UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, and French President Francois Hollande have agreed on joint work on border control in the French city of Calais, Mays spokesperson said. Earlier on Wednesday, Hollande congratulated the new British Prime Minister with her appointment as government head, urging her to speed up the process of the country's exit from the European Union (Brexit). Mays spokesperson said that preparations for Brexit talks would take time, but expressed hope that they would be constructive. May held telephone talks with the French leader, as well as with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday. On June 25, Calais Mayor Natacha Bouchart called for a revision of the bilateral agreement between the United Kingdom and France on border control rules, known as the Treaty of Le Touquet, following the British decision to leave the European Union. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus in the Marvel Universe ... and he's a mutant! No, really. Is starting the holiday season sooner and sooner every year Santa's Marvel mutant power? GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Heres why you can trust us. Despite the hardline decisions approving military buildups taken at NATOs Warsaw summit last week, the alliance was rocked by reactions to the UK vote to leave the European Union, or Brexit, and by concerns over the dictates of US war hawks, analysts told Sputnik. Executive Intelligence Review editor Jeff Steinberg told Sputnik that the really dramatic issues discussed at the NATO summit were the priorities addressed "in the hallways." "They were Brexit [and] the splits growing in Europe over relations with NATO," Steinberg stated. Alliance leaders also privately expressed concern among themselves over the threat of an overall financial crisis jeopardizing the very survival of the European Union, and, by extension, even that of NATO itself, Steinberg observed. At the summit, "German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was the punching bag for hardliners, who accused him of crossing the line by calling for normalization of relations with Russia," Steinberg noted. However, Steinmeier was not isolated in his concern, Steinberg pointed out. "French President [Francois] Hollande arrived in Warsaw and immediately publicly said that Russia is neither an enemy nor a threat," he recalled. Former NATO Defense Committee Chairman and former German Air Force and German armed forces chief of staff Gen. Harald Kujat was also outspoken in his opposition to NATO escalation and confrontation against Russia at the summit, Steinberg continued. "Kujat told German media that Russia should be viewed as a friend and even an ally. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, he said, should have been invited to Warsaw," Steinberg remarked. The decisions to send four Western military battalions into Eastern European NATO member states and other confrontational moves approved in Warsaw had actually been choreographed by Washington well in advance of the summit, Steinberg recollected. "The deployment of battalions to the Baltics and Poland was endorsed by the NATO defense ministers, weeks before Warsaw," he added. The Warsaw summit also reflected the efforts to invent new enemies such as Russia to justify the alliances survival, University of Arizona History Professor David Gibbs maintained. "NATO really lost its function with the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet Union. However, there is a large range of vested interests associated with NATO on both sides of the Atlantic, which have lobbied with great success to find NATO a new mission," Gibbs noted. Alliance leaders wanted to find new enemies that NATO could defend against, as a replacement for the Soviet Union, Gibbs pointed out. "It would appear from recent events that NATO boosters are seeking to establish post-Soviet Russia as the new enemy and as the new justification for NATO's continued existence," he cautioned. The Warsaw summit also rubber-stamped the US deployment of Patriot missile interceptor batteries and radars in Poland and Romania, allegedly against Iran, but of potential use against Russia. The Manning Touch It is easy to forget that Manning, who has earned accolades as the consummate Caribbean statesman and, as the charismatic, gun-talking leader of the PNM had his roots in the energy sector, a geologist and Texaco man who made the crossover into politics. Beyond his achievements in that arena, however, Manning leaves an indelible mark on the energy sector. In the 80s and early 90s, Trinidad and Tobago was an oil economy. At its peak, TT was producing some 250,000 barrels of oil a day. We also produced Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), but we didnt export it. However, we were also producing much more natural gas than oil, some oil to gas equivalents estimating that we were producing 850,000 barrels of natural gas per day. Patrick Manning, along with several energy stakeholders realised that LNG might be the way of the future. This coincided with a global movement toward cleaner, greener fuels. Kevin Ramnarine, former energy minister under the Peoples Partnership administration recalled, In 1992, our economy was still very weak and fragile. It was now starting to show what I call a fragile recovery from the recession of the 1980s. A Boston company named Cabot came to Trinidad and made a proposal to the government to do a liquefied natural gas project. Why this is special is up to that point, liquefied natural gas had been written off around the world. It was Patrick Mannings taking what Ramnarine called a brave decision to go into LNG production for export that let the LNG genie out of the bott le, paving the way for others to see the benefits to be derived from natural gas. Aft er us, Nigeria, Angola, Australia and Equatorial Guinea would enter the market. Manning would make plans for Atlantic trains 1, 2 and 3, but his election loss in 1995, would see the execution of these done by Basdeo Pandays United National Congress government. When he returned to government in 2001, Patrick Manning would establish an additional 4th train. Altogether, this would lead to a tripling of the size of the countrys economy, said Ramnarine. When Patrick Manning took office in 2001, during the period he was in office, revenue moved from $12.9 billion to about $46 billion, said Conrad Enill, another former Energy Minister, who served from 2007 to 2010 under Manning. Enill continues, He was the architect of TTs modern infrastructure. He was also able to use the fiscal regime to att ract large players into TT. A lot of the major players, BP, BG, that is the result of policy positions taken by the government led by Patrick Manning. It was the increase in revenues, said Ramnarine, that enabled social programmes like the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses programme (GATE) and the Chronic Disease Assistance programme (CDAP). But beyond this, Enill said Manning also sought to streamline the functioning of the energy industry through the Standing Committee on Energy. This was one of the devices he created where all of the decisions that needed to be made about energy matt ers could be processed through that committee. All the ministers and technocrats that were required to be there were present, facilitating quick action by the players. Decisions, once made, could be moved along quickly. he said. Curti s Williams, an energy journalist who has covered the beat for over two decades, credits Patrick Manning with att empti ng to create linkages between this countrys energy and manufacturing sectors. Manning, he said, also laid the legislative ground work for the establishment of the Heritage and Stablisation Fund and was responsible for the significant number of funds in it, left over successive Manning administrations. Williams also said the former PM was responsible for the globalisation of TTs energy expertise. Manning was able to convince several members of the African Union to turn to Trinidad and Tobago to help develop their nascent energy industries and human resources. His legacy is really his industrial vision for Trinidad and Tobago, said Ramnarine, former Minister of Energy under the Peoples Partnership administration. The Neighbourhood Crime Watch Programme This week, we would like to highlight a project of our Crime and Justice Committee which has proven to be an effective way of empowering residents to curb criminal activity within communities that is, the Neighbourhood Crime Watch Programme (NCW). Without a doubt, one of the most pressing and visible areas of concern in our country today, is the scourge of criminal activity. The Neighbourhood Crime Watch Programme is intended for anyone who would like to feel safer in their home and in their community. It encourages neighbours to get to know one another, to watch out for one another, and to call the police when something just doesnt seem right. The programme relies on the willingness of people to get involved, stay informed about problems in the community and work together to find solutions. NCW is a programme that was initiated locally over 20 years ago, under the purview of the then Crime and Delays in Judicial Hearings Committee (which became the present Crime and Justice Committee). The objectives of the programme include the establishment of an effective mechanism to facilitate and maintain Crime Watch group formation and community development; implementation of an ongoing general education and awareness programme aimed at highlighting the importance of NCW groups; providing general tips on improving personal and community safety and; facilitating partnerships between the various stakeholders including communities, community-based organisations, the police and business. The concept of the NCW was developed in the United States and has been in existence for well over three decades. Statistics have shown that wherever a strong and vibrant neighbourhood watch exists, there is a drastic reduction in criminal activity. A Crime Watch group must not be construed as a vigilante group, however, but one that allows the community to become the eyes and ears of the police, assisting them to be more effective in preventing and detecting crime. While the programme seeks the involvement of the entire community, roles and responsibilities are clearly defined to ensure a smooth transfer of information to the police. Training for watch groups is also provided to improve on observation, accurate informationgathering and timely reporting. Community ties become stronger through the programme as a result of Neighbourhood Crime Watch meetings, school visits and social functions. Signage sponsored by corporate investors are erected in participating communities, notifying everyone that a Neighbourhood Crime Watch is active in the area. Any community group interested in starting a Neighbourhood Crime Watch can contact the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce for more information. A member of the TT Chambers Crime and Justice Committee will be more than willing to visit at a mutually convenient date and time to talk about the programme and how to set it up. Interested parties can contact Halima Khan on 637 6966, extension 1227. The use of state funds This country is replete with examples of misspending and lack of accountability for use of public funds. Recently we have been informed of the extraordinary sums of legal fees paid to attorneys for the Commission of Inquiry into the failure of CLICO and related companies, and the Hindu Credit Union (HCU) has cost taxpayers about TT$80 million. In fact, for all other commissions of inquiry the use of state funds has to be a major source concern to the country as a whole. Several pertinent questions arise. Did we use these funds appropriately? Did we get value for money? Did the enquiries address the issues they were set up to? There are also questions about the misuse of funds by ministries, state bodies and institutions: are there well established guidelines that specify how funds are to be used? If this is the case, why do we find that such apparently serious allegations are made in Parliament of all places, yet we hear no follow through on these allegations. Could another example of misuse of public funds be the hiring of Bob Lindquist for Forensic Accounting Investigations and other such variations? On the surface, this was considered a good action on the part of government or state body. However, if we have someone coming in to investigate a matter it would seem that the end result should not only be a report but testimony in court or parliamentary sub-committee if wrong doing is discovered. Has any action ever been taken based on a Lindquist investigation? If not, why not? Does his contract possibly include an exemption from providing testimony in court? If so, doesnt this defeat the very purpose of the investigation? Of course if the attempt is to white wash the matter to be investigated then that objective can be achieved, but what about who seeks the public interest? This raises the question about the Lindquist report of the Central Bank intervention into CLICO and CIB; what has come out of all this? What about the Coleman enquiry? Can we expect any result from this investigation? What about the use of our money to pay exorbitant compensation packages to directors of state boards? These sometimes include personal expenses and travel allowances? In fact, consideration should be given to the standardization of board compensation packages. We should be publishing the salaries of all state board CEOs, fees to Chairmen, all expenses incurred by these individuals as is the case in Canada. The abuse and misuse of our money must stop. Let us put in the proper procedures now and stop the pillage. One wonders whether those in authority believe that we the citizens are very stupid and only interested in rumors and salacious gossip. To prevent such a perspective, we need to demand follow through on these statements or insist that those persons who make these allegations desist from doing so if no pursuit of wrong doers takes place. blink | bmobile, IFC showcase TT to overseas firms The summit, organised by the Trinidad and Tobago International Financial Centre (IFC) and held at the Hilton Trinidad, made the case for Trinidad and Tobago being a first choice destination for international firms looking to outsource their financial and accounting services. Ewart Williams, former TT Central Bank governor and a director of the IFC, told delegates, Trinidad has many if not more of the strengths that other successful Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) centres possess. In addition, We believe we have the capability and maturity to provide higher value -- more complex services. Among the strengths that TT possesses as a BPO, highlighted by Richard Young, chairman of the IFC, are its highly educated English-speaking workforce, its stable democracy, resilient economy, attractive lifestyle for expatriate workers and robust, cost-effective telecommunications infrastructure. TSTTs Executive Vice President Strategic Alliance, Enterprise and Tobago Operations, Rakesh Goswami, shared with the delegates, his insights of the telecommunications infrastructure available to their companies in Trinidad and Tobago. He highlighted the Metro E network service for business communities. The Metro E network allows you to connect multiple locations both within Trinidad and Tobago and internationally to your head offices, data centres, branches, etc. wherever you are in the world. And it is all seamless and at very competitive prices, Goswami told delegates. Other services available, Goswami told them, were cloud services, hosted e-mail services, video communication clouds, disaster recovery, a service allowing firms to keep data on island, and data centres. We have won the award to build a data centre in Tobago, which will be ready in 12- 15 months, he added. Young explained that through these and other advantages, Trinidad and Tobago was seeking to capitalize on and to position itself as the premier location in the Western Hemisphere for financial services...to act as a gateway to Latin America for financial institutions from North America, Europe, and Asia. The IFC initiative was part of a major thrust to diversify the economy as outsourced financial services offer the potential for significant revenues and sustainable high employment. Former Central Bank governor, Williams, said though the BPO industry in the Caribbean and Central America was relatively small, its value is already estimated at between U$3 and 5 billion. Further, it is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. In addition, Data indicates there is growing interest by US and European investors to set up regional headquarters and shared service centres in the Caribbean. Demand seems to be greatest for financial accounting services. The former governor said that structural changes in the global energy markets over the last couple of years, combined with stagnation in gas and oil output, had convinced TTs authorities of the need to accelerate efforts to diversify the economy. He said in building the BPO industry, We are committed to using the spirit of innovation, enterprise and passion that helped us build a world class energy sector. Gazprom is expecting an approval of the Nord Stream-2 project from the Polish authorities, Chairman of Gazproms Board of Directors Viktor Zubkov told reporters, TASS reported. "This project has very good prospects. I think the Polish side should approve it," he said. In December 2015, the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) received a request for the assessment of the joint venture Nord Stream-2 in December last year. It was reported, that it Russian Gazprom and companies from Germany, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland were going to participate in it. In February, UOKiK extended the deadline for consideration of creating a joint venture for the gas pipeline Nord Stream-2. Earlier the Polish government has repeatedly criticized plans to build the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline, calling the project "a geopolitical project of Russia". The Nord Stream-2 projects includes the construction of two lines of the offshore gas pipeline with a total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters of gas a year from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, in addition to the existing two lines. The project is to be implemented by the new engineering company New European Pipeline AG. The stakes of partners in Nord Stream 2 AG will be distributed as follows: Gazprom will hold 50%, while BASF, E.ON, Engie, OMV and Shell will own 10% each. Protocol blunders: Do they matter? Dumas expressed his disappointment in the manner with which the blunders were allowed to transpire one after the other, starting with the deplaning of the Chinese President, and the First Lady, Ke Lingling. The debacles resulted in a national debate around the new age diplomacy, a term offered by another former Ambassador, with the debate being further compounded by a permanent secretary stating that the Prime Minister at that time simply applied a personal touch, relaxing the formality required for State visits. State visits require a formal level of planning, and protocol arrangements so as to ensure a smooth engagement between the visiting delegation and the receiving delegation. We recall the matters that pervaded this particular State visit including, but not limited to: Both Excellences deplaning without a proper an escort or umbrella; Improper or complete lack of an order of precedence in the Ministerial greeting line; Inadequacies at the formal State banquet As much as we may offer the argument that we are in a more contemporary age, and we do operate within the confines of a society seemingly less focused on refinement, former Ambassador Dumas was absolutely correct in citing that protocol is in fact protocol, particularly in matters of State. Further, protocol exists to ensure that our formal and informal relationships are conducted with a manner of decorum to strengthen and enhance relationships. In Trinidad and Tobago, we have seen many examples of protocol blunders, missteps and faux pas, which really, if we simply follow the stated and proven guidelines, we would always err on the side of what is correct. Whilst it is argued that protocol is both an art and a science, ceremonial protocol remains by far a science that informs and supports the art. Further, once we are engaging in ceremonial protocol, particularly for matters of State, the rules exist to guide our actions. In such formal scenarios, guidance usually comes from the States authority on such matters, resident within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which includes the Chief Protocol Officer, along with a suite of protocol officials, charged with the responsibility to guide, implement, outline and ensure that matters of ceremonial protocol are adhered to, as in such circumstances, they, more than most, understand the potential impact of a negative experience on a foreign partnership. We all recall the national discourse that was sparked when a former Prime Minister, on a formal visit to India, touched the feet of former President of India, Her Excellency Pratibha Devisingh Patil, citing a religious custom and mark of respect. The debate on this gesture sparked many considerations, as some argued that this was simply a demonstration of custom and respect, whilst others argued that it was a demonstration of poor protocol and practice. The knowledge of cross cultural awareness and communication becomes an integral part of the art, science and practice of protocol, as examples such as these based on cross culturalism will arise in many scenarios, and a working knowledge of cross cultural awareness, informs ones behavior in various interactions with those of other cultures. The examples of protocol gaffes at various levels are numerous; however, once we are willing to understand and appreciate the fundamentals factor, that protocol exists to provide guidelines to strengthen relationships based on mutual respect, we are on the correct path. This is the first in a series of articles to assist business and other organisations understand the importance of protocol and to establish best practice in their various undertakings. The author is trained and certified by The European School of Protocol. Next week: Modern Business Etiquette Meiling makes call for fashion factories The warning comes from local fashion designer Meiling Esau, known simply as Meiling, who shared her assessment of the industry with young designers on Sunday (July 10) during the fourth annual Fashion Focus. (Regionally), TT is looked at as one of the most creati ve islands in fashion. I get calls from all the (other) Caribbean islands where theres no manufacturing. So could you imagine if Trinidad had a manufacturing plant that not only supplied the local designers but other designers could come in here and have their stuff made? Thats a way of diversifying, thats a way of bringing foreign currency to our country. Speaking with reporters during a break in the event at Hilton Trinidad, Meiling added that with manufacturing prices on the rise in China and with that countrys requirement for bulk orders, there is a great opportunity for TT to become a regional hub in fashion producti on. You cant go with 20 dresses to be made in China, you have to go with 20,000 dresses in one patt ern. Think about it. If we had a small manufacturing plant, as I was told by a designer who taught at UTT (University of TT), Could you imagine the young US designers who could not fi ll China (came) here? We speak the language, logisti cally we are easier and cheaper to get to, so this is a whole area where hopefully one government, this Government, will (act on), Meiling said. Earlier during her presentati on, Meiling urged design students to learn the necessary skills to make their creati ons themselves, because right now, no one wants to sit at a machine and sew clothes. The well-known designer also called for the establishment of a technical school or programme at UTTs Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design (CAFD) to address the lack of qualifi ed producti on staff . I can stand and design ti ll the cows come home. If I didnt have an atelier of women who would sit and make my designs, then its no good. Its a whole process, Meiling told reporters aft erward. I had to learn how to make a patt ern, how to braid the patt ern, how to make the dress. I dont have to do that now because I have a studio but I think its absolutely necessary that there is a technical aspect of the whole industry. Local design students also heard from Frances Ross, former Principal Lecturer for Fashion Management courses in the Graduate School of the London College of Fashion (LCF). Ross is now a visiti ng lecturer to LCF postgraduate and undergraduate courses. She also teaches Creati vity and Innovati on, and Research Methodologies to MA, MBA and MSc students at Coventry Universitys London Campus. Designers at Fashion Focus 2016 heard about the importance of sending samples of their work to exhibitors/shops to get your name out there, using social media to connect with clients and customers, and that runway shows now mostly take place aft er a designer has already secured orders for the collecti on. Speaking with Business Day aft er her presentati on, Ross said students also need to gain experience in completi ng real briefs. A brief usually comes from a commercial brand, such as Top Shop and H&M but it can also come from an emerging designer. The brief sets out the budget, length of ti me, consumer profi le and the trends of forecasti ng the designer must work with when designing a collecti on for the client. Students need to learn the business before they graduate. So I think in Year Two, you should be starti ng to do internships or you could be starti ng to real briefs rather than just working on your own ideas. This helps you to understand whats commercially viable. If you worked on a real brief, which is what we do at the LCF, you have a budget, a target market and you know that you need to be able to work within that, Ross explained. Asked if aspiring designers can skip a formal educati on in their chosen fi eld and sti ll be successful, Ross indicated this was not a wise move. Basically when you graduate, youve got to have the business savvy to know whats needed and how to do it. Today you cant just fall into it. Maybe 20 years ago, even 15 years ago, if the right doors could open, if you had contacts, you could network. Now, youre expected to know and be able to do everything. So I think you need to train as a designer, you need to do other things, such as short courses on forecasti ng and brand management. Ross pointed out that fashion and promoti on have become interlinked, hence the need for proper training before someone decides to pursue a career in high fashion. Cops body brought back from Bahamas Newsday was told that when Buchaan died on June 29, her husband, who is also a senior police officer, was assisted by the TT Police Service to go to the Bahamas to do the necessary paperwork to have his wifes body returned. Newsday understands that due to a delay in the processing of documents, this resulted in the body being retained at a funeral home in the Bahamas pending all the necessary arrangements to have the body returned to this country. Following the two-week delay, the body was finally returned this week and the funeral service is expected to take place tomorrow at 2 pm at the Tranquility Methodist Church followed by cremation at the Crematorium, Long Circular Road, St James. Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams and his executive, as well as colleagues of Buchaan, are expected to attend the funeral service. The Police Service will bear the full cost of all expenses incurred by the Buchaan family for having the body returned as well as the funeral. Acting Senior Superintendent, Anthony Buchaan, the husband of the deceased officer, received countless messages from his colleagues in the police service urging him to stay strong in his time of grief. UWI Open Campus principal to get award Reacting to the announcement of the award, Longsworth said in a UWI release that she was truly humbled by this signal acknowledgment, especially since she has always had an abiding admiration for the work of COL throughout the Commonwealth in supporting online, flexible and distance learning. She was accepting the reward, she said, not just on her own behalf but on behalf of UWI. I am so pleased that the work of the UWI and in particular the UWI Open Campus in Distance Learning is being acknowledged and honoured by this prestigious organisation, she said. Longsworth has more than 30 years of experience in academia and business in Jamaica, the British Virgin Islands, and in Belize where she was the resident tutor and head of the then School of Continuing Studies. She was officially appointed pro vice-chancellor and principal of the Open Campus this year. Previously, as a senior administrator at UWI, she served in various posts at the Mona and Open campuses, including as director of the UWI Open Campus Country Sites, and director of the UWI Mona Western Jamaica campus in Montego Bay. Longsworth, the third person from the UWI in the last 13 years to be conferred this award, is preceded by Dr Olabisi Kuboni in 2011 and Professor Badri Koul in 2003 of the Open Campus and the former UWI Distance Education Centre. This is a testimony to our sustained impact, Longsworth said. Offering congratulations, UWI Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles said it was a great honour for our colleague and recognition of the Open Campus and the UWI. Professor Asha Kanwar, COLs president and chief executive officer, said through the conferment COL would be able to acknowledge a great contributor to education and skills development in the Commonwealth while noting Longsworths exceptional service and leadership to learning for development, change management, and organisational transformation. COL, an intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth heads of government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning and distance education, knowledge, resources and technologies, awards honorary fellowships every three years at its triennial Pan-Commonwealth forums. Since 1998, the award has been bestowed on several distinguished educators/ administrators across the Commonwealth. Thanks to FDA, Women Will Be Told of Their Breast Density Prime Minister Binali Yldrm vowed on July 13 that Turkey will eventually normalize relations with Syria, saying such a move was necessary amid ongoing efforts to restore diplomatic ties with Israel and Russia, Hurriyet Daily News reported. We will expand the circle of friendship as far as possible. This is our aim. We will expand the circle of friendship inside and outside the country. We have already begun to do this. We have returned our relations with Israel and Russia to normal. I am sure that we will return to normal relations with Syria as well. We need that. Syria and Iraq need to reach stability for success in the fight against terror, Yldrm said at a meeting of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) provincial leaders in the capital Ankara. He also stated there malicious intent in the heated recent debates over granting Syrian refugees Turkish citizenship. Our heart is rich. We will increase our population and number of citizens, just as we have shared the food and bread of this homeland, Yldrm said. It has once again been revealed that some have malicious intent on the issue, despite necessary statements that were made. It has been seen that no one else cares about the future of Syrians. Citizenship is something that has existed for many years of human history. Countries naturalize and denaturalize. Those have rules, standards and conditions. Anyone who fulfills those conditions is naturalized. It is out of question that people involved in particular crimes, terrorism crimes, or have been involved in other illegal affairs, can ever be granted citizenship, he added. Merciless accusations against those who have been left stateless, homeless and searching for a safe port, an honorable people who have escaped death, do not exist in the genes of the Turkish nation or in its traditions. If we extend a hand for those who are in trouble, particularly Syrians, we are doing this as a necessity of our humanity and faith, Yldrm said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ignited the citizenship debate on July 2 when he said Syrians in Turkey could be granted citizenship if they filed an application and met particular criteria. Interior Minister Efkan Ala subsequently said only Syrians whose citizenship would be beneficial for Turkeys interests would be offered identity cards. The suggestion has been slammed by members of all three opposition parties as a political move aimed at garnering the votes of Syrians and tilting sensitive demographic balances in the countrys southeast. (Newser) Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, President Obama, the people of Papua New Guinea, and many others around the world have something in common: They've all been insulted at one point or another by Boris Johnson, Britain's new top diplomat. The colorful former mayor of London and prominent Brexit supporter was appointed as foreign secretary by new Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday, Reuters reports. The move was greeted with disbelief by critics who noted that over a long career in politics and journalism, Johnson has offended many of the people and countries he will be dealing with in his new role. A partial list, per the Atlantic, Slate, and the Washington Post: President Obama. In April, Johnson responded to Obama's suggestion that the UK would be better off staying in the EU by noting that a bust of Winston Churchill had been removed from the Oval Office, possibly because it was "a symbol of the part-Kenyan President's ancestral dislike of the British empire." Hillary Clinton . "She's got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital," Johnson wrote in his Telegraph column in 2007. . "She's got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital," Johnson wrote in his Telegraph column in 2007. George W. Bush . In the Spectator in 2003, Johnson described the president as "a cross-eyed Texan warmonger, unelected, inarticulate, who [epitomizes] the arrogance of American foreign policy." . In the Spectator in 2003, Johnson described the president as "a cross-eyed Texan warmonger, unelected, inarticulate, who [epitomizes] the arrogance of American foreign policy." Donald Trump . "The only reason I wouldn't visit some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump," Johnson said late last year. . "The only reason I wouldn't visit some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump," Johnson said late last year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan . Johnson not only insulted the Turkish leader, he won first prize in a contest to compose an offensive poem about him. "There was a young fellow from Ankara, Who was a terrific wankerer. Till he sowed his wild oats with the help of a goat, But he didn't even stop to thankera," Johnson wrote. . Johnson not only insulted the Turkish leader, he won first prize in a contest to compose an offensive poem about him. "There was a young fellow from Ankara, Who was a terrific wankerer. Till he sowed his wild oats with the help of a goat, But he didn't even stop to thankera," Johnson wrote. Papua New Guinea . Conservative Party members "have become used to Papua New Guinea-style orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing," he wrote in 2006, a decade before the party turmoil that put May in power. . Conservative Party members "have become used to Papua New Guinea-style orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing," he wrote in 2006, a decade before the party turmoil that put May in power. Liverpool. Johnson denounced the British city's "mawkish sentimentality" and "unattractive psyche" in 2004 after it held a two-minute silence to mourn a resident kidnapped and killed by insurgents in Iraq. The Guardian reports that reactions around the world to Johnson's appointment range from amusement to bemusement to anger. His support for Brexit has made him particularly unpopular in EU countries. "There's justice after all. As foreign minister, Boris Johnson now has to lie in the bed he made himself," tweeted the deputy editor of Germany's Bild tabloid. (Johnson, who was born in New York, gave up US citizenship after being hit with a huge American tax bill .) (Newser) A person who identifies as a transgender woman was booked into jail as a man after being accused of voyeurism in a Target store in Idaho. The Bonneville County Sheriff's Office says 43-year-old Shauna Patricia Smith has been charged with felony video voyeurism for allegedly reaching over the wall of a dressing room with a phone and taking photos of an 18-year-old woman who was getting changed, WJLA reports. Cops say the suspect ran out of the store after being confronted, and video surveillance footage led them to Smith, whose legal name is still Sean Patrick Smith. In court papers, investigators say Smith admitted taking videos of women undressing. Trans activist Sierra Gormsen tells BuzzFeed that Smith contacted her a few months ago asking about a support group, though she's not clear if Smith was on hormones or planned any kind of surgery. "In all reality, being transgender has nothing to do with this and really is an unnecessary detail," Gormsen says. "If they are transgender, this would be the first time a transgender person has been guilty of such a crime." She adds: "This is an unfortunate incident and the entire transgender community as a whole is completely disgusted by Smith's actions. The actions of one now has the power to fuel a setback in equality for all genders." (Target announced earlier this year that workers and shoppers should use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.) (Newser) Futures trader Michael Coscia has earned himself a footnote in books about financial crime and a cell in a federal prison for three years after becoming the first person ever convicted of "spoofing" in the US. Coscia, the 54-year-old chief of the Panther Energy Trading firm, was the first to end up in court after the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial overhaul banned spoofing, which involves using algorithms to place orders the trader has no intention of executing, the Wall Street Journal reports. The tactic is used to shift prices in the trader's favor, and prosecutors say it tripled Coscia's earnings of $150,000 a month in 2011, reports Reuters. Prosecutors explained how Coscia manipulated prices in such markets as soybean meal, British pounds, and coppers, using an algorithm for high-frequency trading, Bloomberg reports. "It's hard to see why he was doing that other than greed," said US District Judge Harry Leinenweber in Chicago, who sentenced Coscia to two years less than prosecutors had sought. The trader plans to appeal the conviction but may still have to report to federal prison by Sept. 30. He has already paid a $3 million fine. Former prosecutor Renato Mariotti says that when the case first surfaced, many people thought the government wouldn't be able to prove its case. "I think that skepticism is gone," he says. "I think any trader who hears this sentence has to be thinking, 'I don't want to go to jail.'" (The SEC is trying to rein in high-frequency trading.) (Newser) The FBI has collected 434,000 eye scans from people arrested in the US since 2013, according to a Verge investigation based on records obtained through the California Public Records Act. The scans can be used for identification much like a fingerprint, and critics are worried about abuse. The FBI says scanning began as part of a pilot project to "develop a system capable of performing iris image recognition services" as agents work to expand the FBI's identification system to include facial recognition and palm prints. The FBI collaborates with other agencies to collect the scans, along with California, Texas, and Missouri. The ACLU says the database now availableto which 189 scans were added daily by authorities in San Bernardino, Calif., alone at the start of the yearis "without any public debate or oversight" and "very troubling." ACLU's technology director calls it "runaway surveillance," per the BBC. The FBI says the technology could be crucial in helping track down criminals. In the search for an escaped prisoner, for example, officers could use iris scanners to check people at a roadblock. But no privacy impact assessment has been submitted "as a way of anticipating and mitigating possible overreach," reports the Verge; officials say one should be complete by September, per Mashable. "It is deeply concerning" that this data is collected "without public debate, proper safeguards, or even awareness that such data has been taken and is being stored," says Privacy International. "If our biometric data is to be collected at all, such systems should not be introduced or continued before a public debate, strong legal frameworks, and strict safeguards are in place." (Read more FBI stories.) (Newser) Firefighters at Disney World were warned to stop feeding alligators two months before a gator killed 2-year-old Lane Graves, according to employee emails. Emails from employees of Reedy Creek Emergency Serviceswhich operates inside the parkshow firefighters had been feeding at least one of two gators apparently living in a pond near their fire station, less than a mile from where Lane was killed, reports the Orlando Sentinel. One alligator was believed to be four or five feet long, and the other was a juvenile. In one email to the fire station's commanders, a communications rep said an alligator had been spotted near the station where communications staff parked their cars, and some "expressed concern of becoming alligator food. ... (C)ould you ask your crews to stop feeding the gator." A Reedy Creek dispatcher later complained about two gators in the parking lot. "They are not docile gators, they are mean and they are out looking for food because people are feeding them," he wrote. "It's getting uncomfortable." A Reedy Creek district administrator says firefighters received "just a talking to"though feeding gators is illegal in Florida. It's not clear whether these gators have any connection to Lane's death. The administrator is skeptical because they would have had "to travel across a couple roadways" to get to the Seven Seas Lagoon near the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, where the June 14 incident took place. Still, notes the Washington Post, trying to avoid such attacks is "one reason it is illegal to feed alligators in Florida." The resort area has since added signs warning people about feeding them, reports People. (The June attack was the result of a "perfect storm" of circumstances.) (Newser) "Dr. Phil" McGraw and the National Enquirer are lining up for a courtroom brawl after the television talk show host and his wife filed a $250 million lawsuit against the tabloid and its sister publications, charging that they falsely accused him of being an abusive husband and a hypocrite who doesn't practice what he preaches. The lawsuit was filed last week in Palm Beach County, Fla., against the Enquirer, its owner American Media Inc., and its sister publications, Star magazine and the website Radar Online, the AP reports. According to the suit, the publications damaged McGraw's reputation by falsely accusing the TV psychologist of physically and verbally abusing his wife, Robin. The articles also said that Robin McGraw tolerated the abuse and that the couple are getting divorced. The suit also says the Enquirer threatened to run a false story accusing McGraw of busting a man's head with a beer mug during a drunken melee while in college in the early 1970s. The suit says such allegations unjustly harm the McGraws' reputation as outspoken opponents of spousal abuse. It adds that Robin McGraw started a foundation aimed at helping battered spouses and that the couple's marriage is solid. "Dr. and Mrs. McGraw, after enduring years of the National Enquirer, Star, and other American Media Inc. publications knowingly and recklessly printing outrageous lies about them, their marriage, their integrity, and their character, have finally concluded that enough is enough," attorney Lin Wood said in a statement. American Media said it will defend itself and expose Phil McGraw's "stale and fraudulent claims for what they really are." "It's a delicious irony that Dr. Phil, whom a California judge has called a 'charlatan' and the Daily Beast has called a 'quack' whose 'unseemly melange of exploitation, celebrity parasitism, and credential mining goes back years' has filed a lawsuit against AMI and accused it of being a 'trashy tabloid,'" the statement said. "This from the man who visited Britney Spears in the hospital in 2008, then issued a public statement about the visit in violation of her family's trust." Click for more on the suit. (Read more Dr. Phil McGraw stories.) (Newser) Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been roundly criticized since slagging Donald Trump in multiple interviews over the past week. On Thursday, the Supreme Court justice conceded that perhaps it wasn't a well-thought-out campaign after all, the Wall Street Journal reports. "On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised, and I regret making them," she said in a statement. "Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office." The 83-year-old's mea culpa comes after newspaper op-eds, legal aces, and politicians came down on her. One of her harshest critics: Trump himself, who's been tweeting furiously about Ginsburg's "misconduct" and "ethical and legal breach" and calling for her to resign. No response yet on Trump's Twitter feed, but he can rest assured that Ginsburg doesn't plan to react similarly next time. "In the future I will be more circumspect," she noted in the statement. (Read more Ruth Bader Ginsburg stories.) (Newser) San Bernardino County deputies received a disturbing call Wednesday: Three young children were wandering around a Twentynine Palms-area desert. When they arrived on the scene around 11:30am, one of the hottest parts of the day (KESQ notes it was around 94 degrees; the New York Daily News says temps hit 104 on Wednesday), they found two boys, ages 6 and 5, and their 7-year-old sister all alone without shoes or anything to drink, the Desert Sun reports. Even more disturbing: Their mom and her boyfriend allegedly left them there as a form of punishment. The children had endured the desert heat for about 45 minutes by the time they were found. Mary Bell, 34, and Gary Cassle, 29, who were said to be living in their car just down the road from where the kids were discovered, were arrested and charged on suspicion of felony child abuse. They're now being held in the Morongo Basin Jail on $100,000 bond, per a San Bernardino Sheriff's Department release. The kids are now with Children and Family Services. (Cops say an Arizona man left his 5-year-old granddaughter in the desert with a loaded gun.) (Newser) The legal battle over whether Jahi McMath is dead or alive continues. The family of McMath, who never recovered after suffering complications from a 2013 tonsil surgery when she was 13 years old, has sued UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland and the doctor who did the surgery. The hospital and the doctor claimed that since McMath was determined to be brain-dead and was declared legally dead in January 2014, she should be considered a deceased person in the civil trial. But this week, a California appellate court denied those appeals, and said McMath's familywhich has never accepted that the girl is dead and has kept her on life support machinescan attempt to prove the teen is still alive, the San Jose Mercury News reports. It makes a big difference to the McMath family's case: If a court rules McMath is alive, the family can sue for millions; if McMath is dead, all they can sue for is $250,000, the cap on a wrongful death lawsuit. A health law expert says McMath's family will have to present evidence she's still alive, which will likely involve bringing in their own medical experts to examine the girl. (Read more Jahi McMath stories.) U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby's comments regarding the Human Rights Watch report on southeastern Turkey do not reflect reality, the Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday, Anadolu reported. Tanju Bilgics remarks came two days after Kirby's press briefing, in which he said: "Were obviously aware of the report stating that the Turkish government has not responded to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights the letter requesting permission for a UN team to conduct an investigation in southeastern Turkey to examine potential violations by the security forces during military operations in urban areas." On July 11, Human Rights Watch accused the Turkish government of blocking access regarding independent probes into alleged abuses against civilians in southeastern Turkey. Bilgic said in a written statement that international organizations operating in the field of human rights could "easily" visit Turkey's southeast. "Having been one of the 116 countries offering an open invitation to the UN special procedures since 2001, Turkey cooperates closely with the thematic rapporteurs," said Bilgic. Bilgic said the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances in March, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks in April and Turkish co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in May all paid official visits in the southeastern region. "Moreover, our invitation with a statement on May 16 to Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the UN high commissioner for human rights, in our country, including the southeast, for a visit is extant," he added. Bilgic also said: "Without knowing all of the truths, Kirby's comments that we prevent investigations in the southeast are not compatible with any reality." The spokesman also said Turkey will continue with its "uninterrupted constructive cooperation" with all UN mechanisms on human rights. Turkeys southeast has been the scene of significant military operations since December 2015, as the police and army seek to clear the PKK terrorist organization from urban areas. The PKK listed as a terrorist organization also by the U.S., and EU resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015. Since then, nearly 600 security personnel, including troops, police officers, and village guards, have been martyred, and more than 5,000 PKK terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq. (Newser) In a new cover interview with Marie Claire, Amy Schumer reveals that she was raped when she was younger. "My first sexual experience was not a good one," she says. "I didn't think about it until I started reading my journal again. When it happened, I wrote about it almost like a throwaway. It was like, And then I looked down and realized he was inside of me. He was saying, 'I'm so sorry' and 'I can't believe I did this.'" Later in the interview, per the Huffington Post, she said, "This was 17 years ago. There are just so many factors," and then added, "I had another time with a boyfriend where I was saying, No, stop, and it was just completely ignored." Though Schumer did discuss "rape survivors" in the interview, she apparently didn't use the term "rape" specifically about herselfand neither did a lot of media outlets. Salon's headline: "Amy Schumer reveals her first sexual experience was not consensual." New York magazine's headline: "Amy Schumer Opens Up About Losing Her Virginity Without Consent." The New York Daily News: "Amy Schumer says she wasn't ready to lose her virginity." Refinery29: "Amy Schumer Reveals That Losing Her Virginity Was Non-Consensual." Elite Daily: "Amy Schumer Reveals the Upsetting Way She Lost Her Virginity." Mediaite calls the phenomenon "stunning," noting, "That timidity is, as our friends at Salon might say, 'problematic,' because it sends the message that maybe there are kinds of rape that arent as rapey as other kinds, or that a 'sexual experience without consent' is a thing other than rape. It isnt." (Read more Amy Schumer stories.) (Newser) Multiple sources are reporting that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence will be Donald Trump's running mate, but the New York Times cautions that the "mercurial presidential candidate" could still change his mind. Trump isn't scheduled to announce his choice until Friday. Three anonymous sources tell the Times Trump advisers have "signaled strongly" to Republican officials that Pence will be Trump's running mate. Another source tells CNN Pence is the pick. And Newt Gingrich, once seen as the frontrunner for Trump's VP, says he "would not be at all surprised" if Trump went with Pence. But Trump's campaign chairman says they haven't informed anyone of a final decision, and a communications adviser says Trump himself hasn't even made a final decision. The Indy Star reports Pence has ended his re-election campaign, confirming he'll be Trump's running mate, despite a Trump spokesperson telling the Star that "a decision has not been made." Pence was the leading candidate of the Republican establishment and is seen as a "cautious choice." The Pence pick could be an indication Trump is coming around toward more standard political behavior, according to the Times. The Hill has a list of five things to know about Pence, including factors that could both help and hurt Trump in the general election. Pence, a former congressman, is still well-liked by Republicans on Capitol Hill, including Paul Ryan, which could be a boon for Trump. He also has "deep ties" with the Koch brothers and other GOP donors, who Trump needs in order to make up fundraising ground against Hillary Clinton. Pence is also "deeply religious" and has a reputation as being anti-gay, especially after supporting a controversial religious freedom bill as governor. (Read more Mike Pence stories.) (Newser) Uh-oh. A 60-page report released Thursday by the Union of Concerned Scientists says America's current defense system is "simply unable to protect the US public" from nuclear attacks by the likes of Iran and North Korea. The report calls the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system (GMD) a "system in tatters" and recommends the US stop expanding it before fixing its existing problems, the Los Angeles Times reports. According to the International Business Times, the GMD fires interceptor missiles based in California and Alaska into space, where they destroy approaching enemy nuclear warheads. Or at least that's what's supposed to happen. A physicist who co-authored the report tells Reuters the GMD is a "disaster." The problems started in 2004 when the Bush administration exempted the GMD from what Reuters calls "normal oversight and accountability." It didn't get much better under Obama, who ordered the interceptor fleet to be increased from 30 to 44 by the end of 2017. After spending approximately $40 billion, the US has a defense system that can't even pass "heavily scripted" tests. The GMD has been tested only nine times since 2004. It failed six of those tests despite GMD personnel having access to enemy missile speed and trajectory and the location of the target, none of which they would have in a real-life scenario. In a recent test, the interceptor's thrusters failedsomething that happens with regularitycausing it to miss its target. The Pentagon called the test "successful" anyway. (A German man claimed to have found Nazi nukes.) (Newser) A pair of explosions in a small Nevada town Wednesday evening killed one person and prompted a request for a bomb unit to respond from Las Vegas, about 165 miles away, the AP reports. Authorities say a second person was injured in the explosions on a residential street in Panaca. Las Vegas police, the FBI, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives also are investigating. Early reports stated the explosions were caused by a car bomb, but few other details have been released by authorities. A neighbor says shrapnel from the explosions landed as far as a block away on his property. Dave Free said he has broken windows, car parts in his driveway, and shrapnel next to his horse feeder. He said his family and animals weren't hurt, though they were shaken by the blast. Free says the shrapnel could have hit his young grandsons, who feed the horses. He says they could have been killed and that "it could have a real bad deal." One witness shot video of the explosions' aftermath. Watch it here. (Read more Nevada stories.) A man holds up his phone as he plays the Pokemon Go game on July 13, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. The augmented reality app requires players to look for Pokemon in their immediate surroundings with the use of GPS and internet services turning the whole w (Photo : Getty Images/Robert Cianflone) Pokemon Go players have reacted to the use of landmarks in the app on Tuesday. The popularity of the app was struck with negative feedback from fans and critics following a playing sequence where New York's 9/11 Memorial and Washington's Holocaust Museum were used as landmarks. The places not only have historical importance but they also have sentiments attached with those associated with the tragedies directly or indirectly. Advertisement The sequence featured a large purple monster, Koffing, at a reflecting pool of the memorial. Not only this, but the sequence also displayed the named thousands of those who were killed in the 2001 tragic attacks. The monster at the landmark had a skull as well as belly crossbones. The players are assigned the task of finding the monsters and training them. "It's quite rude. This is a place to mourn innocent people who died because all of these politics, not for games," the New York Post quoted a New Brunswick resident, Jung Kim. "It makes me feel so sad." Pokemon Go has been grabbing the attention of the players since its launch. However, its controversy has somewhere hurt people's attention. The Verge reported that the gathering of Pokemon trainers at the NY's 9/11 memorial, Washington's US Holocaust Museum as well as Arlington National Cemetery was acknowledged on Twitter on Tuesday. Moreover, in the sequence, the museum requested the players to be "respectful of our role as a memorial." On the other hand, the cemetery asked the visitors not to play Pokemon Go on its grounds as it did not fall into "appropriate decorum." One of the players, 24-year-old Kyle Goguen, appreciated the popularity of the Pokemon Go app. He called it "insane," according to Courant. He added that around 20 to 30 players gathered Main Street libraries outer space in Manchester on Monday and struggled to fit into the same rare Pokemon. Goguen said that some players came on bikes and few on scooters. He said he had a great experience as he got an opportunity to talk to strangers. Pokemon Go is a good work of technology where players see a map on their smart device and a GPS tracker identifies their real-life locations. The smartphone maps show the players as 3-D players and makes the process thrilling and enjoyable. New York Daily's video shows how players gather at the 9/11 Memorial and Holocaust Museum. Washington: Google said its efforts to fight online piracy have yielded USD 2 billion paid out to copyright holders whose content is shown on its YouTube platform. The US online giant, updating its anti-piracy efforts, said its system has been generating income for copyright holders when content is posted to YouTube. At the same time, Google is also offering more convenient, legitimate alternatives that allow consumers to buy music, films and other content, according to a statement. We take protecting creativity online seriously, and were doing more to help battle copyright-infringing activity than ever before, said a blog post from senior policy counsel Katie Oyama. Google and YouTube have been using a system called Content ID, where a copyright holder can notify the company if its music or other content is being shown on YouTube. The copyright owners have an option to remove the content or leave it up and reap advertising revenue from it, and 95 perc ent of music owners choose the latter option, according to Google. Half of the music industrys YouTube revenue comes from fan content claimed via Content ID, Oyama said. The umbrella group of the music industry, which has been trying to steer fans to sites that generate more revenue than YouTube, took issue with Googles report. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry said that Content ID failed to identify 20 to 40 per cent of recordings. Google has the capability and resources to do much more to tackle the vast amount of music that is being made available and accessed without permission on its platforms, the groups chief executive officer, Frances Moore, said in a statement. She also faulted Googles signature search engine for directing music consumers on a large scale to unlicensed sites. But Oyama said that Googles engineers have taken action and that a vast majority of queries went to legitimate sites. Google is also cutting out sites specializing in piracy from its advertising network. Rogue sites that specialize in online piracy are commercial ventures, which means that one effective way to combat them is to cut off their money supply, Oyama said. As a global leader in online advertising, Google is committed to rooting out and ejecting rogue sites from our advertising services. Since 2012, Google has blacklisted more than 91,000 sites. She added that Google has paid out some USD 10 billion to creators for content purchased on Google Play and YouTube. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Actor Riteish Deshmukh, who welcomed his second child with wife Genelia D'Souza recently, said that the actress will always be his favourite co-star. The "Great Grand Masti" star said he would love to reteam with his actress wife in future. "Right now she is enjoying the role of a mother but as far as work is concerned I would love to work with her. I've done three films with her," Riteish, 37, said."Genelia was, is and will always be my most favourite co-star," he added.The couple, who got married in 2012 and had their first baby Riaan in November 2014, recently welcomed their second child, a baby boy, last month. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Operation 'Sankat Mochan' has been launched by India to airlift 600 stranded Indians in South Sudan. Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj tweeted the information saying Gen VK Singh will lead the operation. We are launching OP #SankatMochan to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan. My colleague @Gen_VKSingh is leading this operation./1 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 13, 2016 Two C-17 military transport aircraft took a flight to war torn South Sudan's capital city Juba to evacuate over 300 Indians stranded there. #OperationSankatMochan begins at crack of dawn. Two C 17 aircraft leave for Juba with @Gen_VKSingh on board. pic.twitter.com/DsmQJK5eHz Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 14, 2016 "The General takes charge again! 2 C-17s proceeding to Juba tomorrow with @Gen_VKSingh leading evacuation from South Sudan," MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. Singh had also supervised evacuation of nearly 4,000 Indians from conflict-ridden Yemen last year. The relief flight is expected to reach Juba on Thursday morning, an official advisory said, adding only Indian nationals with valid Indian travel document will be allowed boarding with maximum five kg cabin baggage and no check-in pieces. It also said that women and children will be accommodated on priority. India has been closely monitoring developments in South Sudan, which is witnessing heavy fighting between former rebels and government soldiers in several parts of the city. A task force has been set up for the purpose. According to the ministry, there are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of them 450 are in Juba and nearly 150 are outside the capital. According to official sources, so far nearly 300 Indians have registered with the Indian embassy for evacuation. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Islamabad: Concerned over the deteriorating situation in the violence-hit Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a special Cabinet meeting in Lahore on Friday to chalk out future course of action on the issue. The Cabinet will discuss the oppressive actions of Indian security forces against innocent civilians and the overall situation in Kashmir after the brutal assassination of Burhan Wani, the Prime Ministers Office said in a statement. The meeting at the Governor House in Lahore will discuss the rapidly deteriorating situation in Kashmir and the Prime Minister will chalk out future course of action on the issue, it said.The statement also noted that on the directions of the Prime Minister, the foreign office summoned Indian high commissioner to the foreign office and conveyed strong concerns of the Pakistani government and people on rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir and increasing oppression by Indian security forces. It said that a detailed briefing was also given to ambassadors of all permanent members of UN Security Council of UN regarding atrocities of the security forces. India had asked Pakistan to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs after Sharif issued a statement expressing shock at the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. Sharif today said the voice and struggle of the people of Kashmir cannot be suppressed through use of brutal force and human rights abuses.He said this during a meeting with PoK Parliament Special Committee Chairman and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Lahore. During the meeting, Rehman apprised the Prime Minister on his recent talks with separatist leaders over the human rights violations by Indian military and paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir.Rehman said the Kashmiri leadership looks towards Pakistan in difficult times, according to an official statement. Sharif said, The government and people of Pakistan respect the sentiments of their Kashmiri brethren and will continue to support the Kashmir cause at each and every forum internationally come what may. The resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is only possible by the realisation of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as per the UNSC resolutions, through a fair and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices, Sharif said. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary also briefed the Islamabad-based Ambassadors of the member countries of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir (Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Niger) over the situation in the Valley.In the meeting, Pakistan called on the OIC member states to raise their voice against the blatant human rights violations of Kashmiri Muslims.The Foreign Secretary also briefed the Ambassadors of the European Union over the situation and emphasised the need for a fair and transparent inquiry against individuals responsible for these killings. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Beijing: A state-run Chinese newspaper presented India as one of the supporting nations for China over the South China Sea issue after Beijing rejected the verdict of a UN-backed tribunal that struck down the Communist giants claims of historical rights in the disputed area. State-run China Daily showed a world map in its website showing India among the countries supporting Chinas stand. More than 70 countries have publicly voiced support for China's position that South China Sea disputes should be resolved through negotiations and not arbitration. In contrast, just several countries, mainly the United States and its close allies, have publicly supported the Philippines and called for observing the ruling as legally binding, according to the text displayed above the map. Within hours of the tribunals ruling, Indias External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi asked all parties involved in the SCS row to resolve the maritime dispute through peaceful means without threat or use of force and show utmost respect to the verdict by Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. Indias reaction came after the tribunal ruled that China has no legal basis to its claims of historic rights to islands in South China Sea, through which USD 3 trillion passes in trade annually. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea waters in the face of rival claims from its southeast Asian neighbours. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Srinagar: Amarnath Yatra was suspended yet again on Thursday over growing security concerns. The pilgrims were halted at Ramban until safe passage could be ensured for further journey. The Yatra was resumed on Monday three days after it was suspended in wake of the violence in the state. Meanwhile, the death toll in the clashes between protesters and security forces in Kashmir crossed 36, as another person shot in police fire scummed to injuries on Wednesday. Normal life remained paralysed due to curfew-like restrictions in the Valley. Separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yaseen Malik also called for the strike in the Valley to be extended by two more days (July 14 and 15) and have also asked the people to stage protests after Friday prayers. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has cancelled his press conference which was expected from Saudi Arabia. He was expected to face the Indian media via Skype at the World Trade Centre in Mumbai on Thursday. This comes after he failed to found a venue for the press conference. Mumbai police is likely to submit its report on controversial Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik to the state government before the commencement of the monsoon session of Maharashtra Legislature next week, a top Home Department official today said. Contrary to media reports, Zakir Naik has not been given any clean chit by the Mumbai police. All angles are being probed and a report will be submitted to the government before the Monsoon session of the state Legislature (commencing on July 18), a senior government official told PTI, requesting anonymity. Facing heat over allegation of inspiring some of the Dhaka attackers through his speeches and under scanner of the state and the central agencies, Naik is expected to clarify his position during the media interaction. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. China has Hands full Censoring Ultra-nationalist Calls for War against the Philippines and the US Weibo post urging Chinese to boycott Philippine mangoes (top) and CHexit, the Filipino slogan calling for China to leave the South China Sea. (Photo : Weibo/Facebook) The Chinese government's censors have gone into overdrive to delete posts on Weibo, WeChat and other popular social media sites calling for China to declare war against the Philippines and its chief ally, the United States. The spike in ultra-nationalist warmongering follows China's defeat to the Philippines at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The arbitration tribunal on July 12 nullified China's "nine-dash line" claim, which China says proves its ownership of the South China Sea based on "historical rights." Advertisement Voting unanimously, the court upheld practically all the points raised by the Philippines, which filed the case against China in 2013. "The Tribunal concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the 'nine-dash line'," it declared in a statement. It also ruled none of China's reefs and holdings in the Spratly Islands entitle China to a 200 mile exclusive economic zone. The court said China had breached the Philippines' sovereign rights by endangering Philippine ships and fishing and oil projects. China has ignored the ruling, declaring it "null and void." A mammoth wave of anger flooded Chinese social media sites and the internet after the ruling unfavorable to China was announced 5:00 p.m., Beijing time. Many posts called for immediate retribution against the U.S. and the Philippines. One called for Chinese to boycott Apple's iPhones since China is Apple's largest foreign market. Another urged Beijing to "Struggle for every inch of land." Some posts called on Chinese to boycott Filipino mangoes and mango products. "If you want to eat mango, buy Thailand's," said one post on Weibo. Another said "Starve the Filipinos to death." Anti-censorship website Freeweibo, however, said the bulk of deleted social media posts were ultra-nationalist messages calling for war against the United States or the Philippines to defend China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. Freeweibo (https://freeweibo.com/en/) provides uncensored and anonymous Sina Weibo Search. "War is finally going to break out in the South China Sea," said one post before censors deleted it. "The South China Sea arbitration itself is an insult to China. Why would we wait for the result for this kind of crap? With such a large military, why don't we just go fight to get back (what is ours)?" said another post later deleted. Analysts said Beijing is coming down hard on ultra-nationalists to dampen the risks to the ruling Communist Party of China that might arise from unchecked ultra-nationalism. "The Chinese government tends to suppress grassroots nationalism when it wants room for maneuver in handling foreign incidents," said Jessica Chen Weiss, a professor of government at Cornell University who studies Chinese nationalism to Foreign Policy. She said "censoring extreme voices is part of China's risk management strategy." And, unbeknownst to many, the Communist Party's budget for internal security remains far larger than that for external defense. China expert Dean Cheng who writes for the Heritage Foundation think tank revealed that for the past several years, "the internal security budget has grown more quickly than the defense budget, to the point where overall spending on internal security may outpace that for external defense." New Delhi: Soumaya Jain, the daughter of Delhis Health Minister Satyendra Jain, has resigned from her position as the manager of Mohalla Project after an uproar about alleged nepotism in the Aam Adami Party. Delhi government came under heavy criticism after media reports revealed that Health Ministers daughter was overseeing the Mohalla Health Clinic project without any official appointment or merit. Although, Satyendra Jain admitted the involvement of his daughter, but he denied that it was a case of corruption or nepotism, as she has not been provided with any facilities or benefits by the Delhi Government. Saumya Jain is not being provided any facility from the government and she is working as a volunteer. Saumya has been involved with me in the work on the Mohalla Clinic project from much earlier, he said. Jain also claimed that his daughter gave up her admission in IIM Indore to help the people of Delhi. However, media investigations had revealed that Saumaya has been given an office ninth floor on the Delhi Secretariat building with a team of seven people with laptops, guided by a doctor from the Health department. Soumayas resignation is being seen as an attempt to kill the controversy against Aam Adami Party, as the political party prides in its battle against nepotism. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has expressed confidence that the crucial GST bill will be passed in the coming Monsoon session of Parliament as he touted the various reform measures implemented by the government to boost economic growth and attract billions of dollars of foreign investment and technical expertise across sectors. GST is the most important issue and I am confident that in the coming session of the Parliament we will pass the bill as a lot of parties are supporting it, Gadkari said yesterday at a press conference organised at the Indian Consulate during the last day of his visit to the city. The Minister for Roads and Highways said the Narendra Modi government has been taking various measures to implement economic reforms and to create an investor-friendly environment in the country. Gadkari, who is on a week-long official visit to the US, said the government is focussed on economic and administrative reforms as well as fast-tracking the decision making process to boost economic development. The procedures for getting environment and forest clearance for various infrastructure and development projects have also been fast-tracked, he added. The way the decision-making process is now moving, there will be no doubts in the minds of people including investors. The countrys image has changed and foreign investors are very much interested in investing in India, he said. Gadkari had a series of interactions with a large number of investors at global financial giants JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs earlier yesterday. He said the response of investors has been very positive and they showed keen interest to invest in India. Arriving from Washington on Tuesday, Gadkari had toured the New York City and State Departments of Transportation and meet officials to understand the intelligent traffic system that uses information technology for improving traffic management and which he said he plans to implement in Indias metro cities. Later in the day, he participated in an industry interaction organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce and the Business Council for International Understanding. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Wing Commander Pooja Thakur today moved court against the Indian Air Force after she was denied a permanent commission. Thakur termed IAF's decision as biased, discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable, especially since air force recently allowed women fighter pilots for short service commission, a move hailed by all quarters. Denial of commission to Pooja Thakur by IAF is seen in contradiction with PM Modi's call for empowering women in armed forces and Defence Minister's assertion that women will have a bigger role in such services. Thakur was the commander who gave Guard of Honours to US President Barack Obama when he visited India as Guest of Honour of Republic Day Parade in 2015. She is daughter of an army colonel and joined the Air Force in 2000. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated Theresa May for being appointed as the new Prime Minister of United Kingdom. PM Modi also said that he is looking forward to work with her for stronger bilateral ties. "Congratulations to @theresa_may on taking over as the new UK PM. Looking forward to working with her for stronger India-UK ties," Modi tweeted. Congratulations to @theresa_may on taking over as the new UK PM. Looking forward to working with her for stronger India-UK ties @Number10gov Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 14, 2016 He also praised the outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron, saying he had contributed significantly instrengthening the India-UK ties. I also appreciate the significant contribution of @David_Cameron in strengthening India-UK ties. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 14, 2016 "I also appreciate the significant contribution of@David_Cameron in strengthening India-UK ties," Modi added. 59-year-old May on Wednesday became Britain's second woman Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Juba: India on Thursday evacuated more than 146 of its nationals stranded in war-torn South Sudans capital city Juba who will reach Delhi tomorrow after a halt in Thiruvananthapuram. However, the evacuation exercise faced a hurdle as many Indians, who had registered with the External Affairs Ministry for leaving South Sudan, refused to return, despite an appeal by Minister Sushma Swaraj on Twitter asking them to move out. If situation worsens, we will not be able to evacuate you, she had further tweeted. Operation #SankatMochan Safely out of the danger zone. The first flight makes a technical halt at Entebbe, Uganda, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh tweeted. It was not immediately known how many Indians were onboard the second aircraft. Earlier briefing reporters, MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the aim is to evacuate all the Indian nationals who have expressed their interest in leaving. The evacuation has been meticulously planned in coordination with the local authorities as well as the support of the Indian peace keeping contingent in UNMISS. Soon after landing, Singh met the Foreign Minister of South Sudan Deng Alor Kuol. He also met Vice President James Wani Igga. Both aircraft first travelled to Entebbe, Uganda for a re-fuelling halt of approximately 3 hours, Swarup said, adding from Entebbe they will depart for India, first landing in Thiruvananthapuram early tomorrow morning and thereafter coming to Delhi. This entire operation has been under the direct supervision of Swaraj who had formed a high level task force to monitor the situation in South Sudan, he added. In governments assessment this was an opportune moment to arrange for the evacuation, especially since the ceasefire is holding and there is a lull in hostilities. Singh is accompanied by Amar Sinha, secretary (economic relations) in the external affairs ministry, joint secretary Satbir Singh and director Anjani Kumar. According to the ministry, there are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of them 450 are in Juba and nearly 150 are outside the capital. South Sudan is witnessing heavy fighting between former rebels and government soldiers in several parts of the city. Opn #SankatMochan Indian rescue team headed by @Gen_VKSingh lands in Juba in the first C-17 Globemaster pic.twitter.com/tilGk5nXZn Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 14, 2016 External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today tweeted that the plane carrying Gen VK Singh has reached Juba. She had requested all Indians to evacuate from the country with these planes as it will be difficult to make similar efforts if the situation worsens in the future. Indian nationals - Pls move out of South Sudan. We hv sent two aircrafts. If situation deteriorates, we will not be able to evacuate u.Pl RT Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 14, 2016 MEA spokesperson Vikas Swaroop had also tweeted pictures of rescue operation in progress, from evacuation formalities to Indian Blue Berets. Operation #SankatMochan Check-in formalities begin for evacuation as the first C-17 expected to land in Juba soon pic.twitter.com/xsvHGobqmy Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 14, 2016 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Maharashtra: The Shirdi Airport is likely to be inaugurated in October this year for which Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will soon invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Airport Development Authority Managing Director Vishvas Patil said. Patil visited Shirdi yesterday to supervise the progress of work at the airport, which is in its final stage and also held a meeting with the concerned officials. The process of getting permission from various departments is in the final stage. It was discussed in a meeting where our Chief Minister said he will send an invite to the Prime Minister for the inauguration, Patil told reporters last evening. He said the tower for Air Traffic Control (ATC) has been installed and work of the terminal building has reached up to 250 metres and will be completed by October till a height of around 1,000 metres. A modern machinery will be set up for security set-up, Patil said, adding that X-ray machine has been installed, while a special fire tender machinery will be imported from Australia. So far, Rs 225 crore have been spent and works worth Rs 100 crores are still pending. The airport is being set up on 900 acre land having run way of 2,500 metres, which is likely to be extended by 3,200 metres. Other works like parking bay, taxi-bay, lighting are completed. Functioning of Shirdi airport will soon begin, Patil said. He said many devotees from countries like UK, Singapore, and Dubai enquire about the air services to visit the shrine of Saibaba and they can now reach here via flights from Mumbai and Delhi airports. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: An Indian tea company has delivered a huge consignment containing 6,000 bags of famous Assam green tea to Donald Trump with a message to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee that it is never too late to cleanse yourself. Dear Mr Trump, namaste from India, we are sending you lots and lots of natural green tea. It fights against harmful free radicals. It helps purify mind and body and regain a healthy balance. It has also proven to make people smarter. Please Mr Trump drink the tea. For your sake, for Americas sake, for the worlds sake, Kolkata-based Te-A-Me Teas said in a video explaining the idea of sending green tea to Trump. The message is simple: Mr Trump, its never too late to cleanse yourself, the company said yesterday, a day after its representatives delivered a consignment of some 6,000 green tea bags to the Trump Towers in New York. Donald Trump has the whole world worried... we cant stop him, but maybe we can change him, the video said. While the cost of the tea consignment, sufficient for four years, was not made public, Sumit Shah, Managing Director of the company said its health potential is immense. We believe that green tea with all its goodness can help Mr Trump and in turn benefit his country and the world at large, Shah said, adding that the consignment of tea bags is based on the presumption that the real estate tycoon would drink three cups a day. If he needs more, well be happy to provide. Green tea has been proven to fight against harmful free radicals and cleanse the mind and bodies, helping one regain a healthy balance, Shah said, adding that these green teas can help change Trump for the better. The Trump Campaign did not respond to questions on the green tea bags from India. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Micro blogging site tweeter has blocked the official account of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed after Indian intelligence agencies raised the issue. On Wednesday, the most wanted terrorist in India had reportedly threatened to launch an attack after which agencies asked Twitter to suspend his account, HafizSaeedLive. Hafiz Saeed reportedly claimed that the ongoing protests against the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani have become a mass movement. All the wings of the Hurriyat have become one. Those who have died in Kashmir, their deaths will not be in vain. An accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, Saeed has reportedly been active on Twitter and has been tweeting about the ongoing protests in Kashmir, triggered after security forces gunned down 21-year-old Wani on July 8. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has tweeted his journalist wife Amrita Rais decision to give up her claim on his property in favour of his son Jaivardhan Singh. 68-year-old Digvijaya took it to twitter to announce the same in an apparent bid to silence his haters, who have been criticising his marriage to 44-year-old Amrita. My wife Amrita Rai has sacrificed her right in my family and earned property in favour of my son Jaivardhan. She stuck to her words, Singh tweeted. Amrita has also been criticised for marrying Digvijaya in pursuit of money, while the latter has been facing criticism for marrying a woman much younger to him. Taking a dig at this marriage, the Congress leaders opponents too have launched attacks against him in public on several occasions. Digvijaya and Amrita confirmed their relationship in April 2014 and entered wedlock in September last year. I have married Digvijaya Singh for love. Therefore, I have already requested him to transfer all his property and belongings to his son and daughters. I only want to embark on this new journey with him, working towards a dignified, professional career, Amrita had said at that time. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Lahore: Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), today warned that violence in Indian-ruled Kashmir will escalate. Saeed, designated a terrorist by the United States with a USD 10 million bounty on his head, also told AP that he will lead nationwide demonstrations in Pakistan to force its government to sever ties with the US if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute. Besides, the US-declared terrorist group LeT is suspected of carrying out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and was banned in Pakistan in 2015 but Saeed travels freely and gives speeches inciting people to attack Western and Indian interests. Indian government has long demanded Islamabad to arrest Saeed. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The Gualicho shinyae dinosaur appears to be a smaller T. rex with the same short arms. (Photo : Jorge Gonzalez and Pablo Lara/Field Museum) Until now, scientists are still quite unsure how the Tyrannosaurus rex possessed small, short arms however, these distinct, stubby arms were passed over to other subspecies, and even evolving with different versions. Now, scientists discovered this new dinosaur species in Patagonia, Argentina which also possessed these recognizable arms and claws even if these dinosaurs were already very distant cousins of the T. rex. Advertisement This T.rex lookalike is known as the Gualicho shinyae which also belongs to the Therapoda suborder. These bird like dinosaurs that are also known as therapods, can be described having two legs and lighter bones and distinct feathers or plumage. Scientists reveal that there are several species that also had these small distinct arms. This special dinosaur that is almost like the T. rex is discovered and named after the Chicago Field Museum's preparator, Akiko Shinya. Shinya explains that the Gualicho was also discovered during the end of the expedition where Shinya knew right away that it was something good. Since the G. shinyae belongs to a different branch of the T. rex family tree, scientists now suggest that their arms have evolved separately. This branch is also part for the Allosauridae family where the G. shinyae belongs to. This unique dinosaur appears to be a smaller carnivorous dinosaur with long legs, much similar to a dinosaur indigenous in Africa known as the Deltadromeus. According to Peter Makovicky, who is a curator at Chicago's Field Museum, the Gualicho may appear as a mosaic dinosaur, since its features are also seen in different kinds of dinosaurs especially theropods. This dinosaur is really unusual he adds, as it is also different from other carnivorous dinosaurs that are recovered from the same rock formation, which is does not also clearly fit into any category. This new study is published in the journal PLOS ONE. New Delhi : With Congress naming Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial face in Uttar Pradesh, BJP today said the retired leader has been projected so that she can be blamed for the certain loss of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi in the state and dubbed the party as a sinking ship. Dikshits elevation has also sparked fresh buzz in the saffron party over whether it will also name a chief ministerial candidate as all other major parties, SP, BSP and Congress, will join the fray with their pick for the top post. Brahmin votes are crucial for the BJPs fortune in the state, which goes to the polls early next year, and Congress has apparently chosen the former Delhi Chief Minister, who is daughter-in-law of the state Congress heavyweight Umashankar Dikshit, in a bid to win a section of them to their side. National Secretary Shrikant Sharma, however, played down the buzz and said BJPs face was development and other parties were doing a debate on the chief ministerial nominee to dilute its plank of progress and good governance. He also sought to puncture Dikshits credentials, referring to her long hibernation following Congress loss in Delhi. She is almost 80 and a retired and elderly leader. There were first reports about Rahul Gandhi being his partys face in UP and then Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was projected. Now they have named Dikshit. She has been projected so that she could be blamed for the certain loss Rahul and Priyanka will suffer in the state. Congress is a sinking ship and has no relevance in the state. Whatever experiments Congress may do in UP, none of them will work. Our fight is with Samajwadi Party and Congress is not even in reckoning. It is sinking ship, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Srinagar: Over 3100 people, including 1500 securirty personnel, have been injured during the ongoing unrest in Kashmir that began after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last Friday, the Jammu and Kashmir government said today while releasing the data. Majority of the injured people have either been discharged from hospitals or treated for minor injuries in Out Patient Department (OPD), while 244 patients are still admitted in various government run hospitals, an official spokesman said. He said 276 surgeries have been performed in various hospitals which received 1640 civilians injured during the last five days. Of the wounded, 134 people have eye injuries and a large number of them have been discharged after specialised treatment, the spokesman said adding 46 such patients are currently admitted in SMHS hospital here and have undergone eye surgeries. While tackling the unruly crowds, over 1500 security personnel have also received injuries and have been provided treatment, he said. He said government has been regularly reviewing the arrangements, particularly for the treatment of the injured persons. The required facilities including the availability of medical specialists, para medical staff and medicines have been ensured in all the hospitals, to facilitate timely and free treatment to all the patients, the spokesman said. He allayed the apprehensions in certain quarters with regard to inadequacy of health care services for the injured. Meanwhile, Health Minister Bali Bhagat today chaired a high level meeting here and reviewed the availability of medicine and other medical supplies in hospitals across the Valley. Expressing satisfaction over the adequate stocks of medicines and blood in the hospitals, the minister directed the concerned to extend every possible medicare to the injured for their early recovery. He also directed for ensuring free supply of medicines to the patients. Bhagat said the team of senior ophthalmologists from AIIMS, which is on tour of Valley, expressed satisfaction over the healthcare facilities being provided to the injured persons. There is no shortage of medicines and other surgical appliances in the hospitals, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mongolia: China will not recognise or accept the adverse international tribunal ruling on the South China Sea and the issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of "historical facts", Premier Li Keqiang said here today. "The South China Sea (SCS) issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations by relevant parties on the basis of 'historical facts' and in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC)," he said here in the Mongolian capital in his first comments on the issue. Li made the remarks while meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the sidelines of the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, which will be held here from tomorrow. The ASEM summit will be the first major multilateral diplomatic gathering since the July 12 ruling by a UN-backed tribunal that struck down China's claims of "historical rights" in the SCS on a case brought by the Philippines. Besides the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan challenged China's claims. The Chinese premier called on Vietnam to value the hard- won momentum in the development of bilateral relations and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the SCS with China. On the verdict issued by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague, Li said, "China has been very clear on its stance of not recognising or accepting the award. The DOC has helped maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea over the past years." The DOC, signed in 2002 by China and The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, including the Philippines, stipulates that the parties concerned undertake to resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Nguyen, on his part, said Vietnam respects China's stance on the arbitration, which was unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, and Vietnam maintains that the disputes should be solved peacefully through negotiations, the Xinhua report quoted the Vietnamese Premier as saying. On bilateral ties, Li said China-Vietnam relations have shown a positive momentum since last year, with early results yielding in maritime, land and financial cooperation. Vietnam stands ready to push forward the mechanism of bilateral maritime negotiations and properly manage differences with China, so as to contribute to regional peace and stability For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. There were ongoing rumors that Pangu plans to release a jailbreak for Apples iOS 9.3.2 or 9.3.3; however, this information seems unlikely. (Photo : YouTube/ iCrackUriDevice) Apple fans have been waiting for iOS 9.3.2 jailbreak, but it seems the Chinese-based jailbreak, Pangu, is yet to jailbreak iOS 9.3.2. However, Pangu displayed a jailbreak version of the iOS 10 at the recently held Mobile Security Conference (MOSEC) in Shanghai on July 1. Pangu and PoC, a Korean-based hacker team, jointly hosted the event. Advertisement Pangu unveiled its expertise by running the Cydia app manager on the iOS 10, although there were no jailbreak tools revealed. The company as well gave a presentation about the absence of security for Apple devices running on the iOS 9.3.2. During MOSEC, Pangu reportedly announced that they have a working jailbreak version of iOS 9.3.2 and that they intend to release it soon. However, PoC denied that such an announcement has not been made, according to Superphen. Pangu was successful in making a jailbreak version of iOS 10, but it was just a beta version of the latest iOS. According to one of the Chinese hackers, iOS final versions are hard nuts to crack. Jailbreakers easily target beta versions because they presumably have no security features. However, Pangu has gained some considerable insights on the weak security parts of iOS 10. The group could easily take advantage of these weaknesses if the Cupertino-based tech giant does not patch up the less protected areas in the full and ultimate version. The rumor has triggered excitement for fans that are clamoring for a jailbreak tool for their iPhone and iPads. Although PoC denied the availability of a working iOS 9.3.2, many are still optimistic. Apple device users resort to jailbreaking so that they can gain access to applications that are not permitted by the Apple App Store, according to Mac Rumors. The move is dangerous because it effectively voids any warranty from the manufacturer in the event something goes wrong with their smartphones or tablets. Users could as well be inadvertently providing their personal and financial information to unauthorized apps loaded with malware. As a result, jailbreak users are advised only to download apps verified by Cydia or other trusted sources. Here is footage for more information on iOS 10 jailbreak: Rallies In Manila Over The South China Sea Dispute (Photo : Getty Images) The U.N. Permanent Court of Arbitrations (PCA) decision on the South China Sea islands dispute further deeply divided China and the Philippines as it has escalated to calls for boycott of imports. China started with Taobao vendors boycotting the sale of Cebu dried mangoes and other Philippine food in the online platform. Advertisement Filipinos countered and also called for the boycott of made-in-China products many of which are known for being low-quality and some even dangerous to health. While the U.S., Japan and a lot of countries sided with the Philippines and called on China to respect the tribunals decision, Beijing found two unexpected allies. Taiwan, which has been pushing for independence from the mainland, and recently at odds with China over Taiwanese involved in crimes in other countries, sent a naval frigate to patrol the area on Wednesday, Bloomberg reported. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said the deployment of the vessel aimed to defend its national interest. In response, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin approved of Taiwans efforts to defend rights it shared with the territory it considers only a Chinese province. He said, The arbitration has damaged the rights of all Chinese, and its the common interest and responsibility of both sides to protect the maritime rights of the South China Sea. Meanwhile, several Hong Kong celebrities with business ties in mainland China also spoke against the tribunals decision. They include Wong Cho-lam, Hins Cheung, Leanne Li Yanan, Donnie Yan Ji-dan, William Chan Wai-ting and Yang Ying Angelababy, reported Hong Kong Free Press. They did it by posting an image with the message: China can not lose even one bit of itself. From the mainland, about 20,000 Chinese has so far signed an open letter to voice their protest against the U.N. PCA verdict favoring the Philippines by stating the islands are within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, while dashing Chinas nine-dash line defense. It turns out that the anger of many Chinese over the decision stems from having been taught in school the four extremities of the countrys territory, reported Quartz. Official high school textbooks identify that point in the south as the shoal 1,100 miles from the mainland and 50 miles from Malaysias coast. Geography textbooks carried those information since the 1940s and China never taught its students that over the years, there were counter claims from other Asian nations. The government says the move aims to push moderate Islamic ideology and ensure that radical ideas do not spread The Egyptian government said Tuesday that Muslim preachers in the country must now adhere to uniform pre-written weekly sermons, a controversial move that authorities say is aimed at combating extremism but has irked some clerics. The Ministry of Religious Endowments has since 2014 been setting topics for weekly sermons delivered during Friday prayers across the country, but the new move would further restrict preachers in Egypt's more than 100,000 mosques to read out the same text. "The objective [of the decision] is not at all political," Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa said Tuesday, stressing that the aim is to push moderate Islamic ideology and ensure that radical ideas do not spread. Officials say the move will help address problems in preaching, including being lengthy or politicising topics. The sermons will be drawn up by ministry officials and senior scholars from Egypt's Al-Azhar the highest seat of Sunni Islam learning with contributions from members of parliament's religious affairs committee, psychologists and sociologists, the head of the ministry's religious division Gaber Tayea told Ahram Online. The minister, who has yet to set a date for implementing the decision, said he would start with himself and deliver the pre-written sermon next Friday. He said clerics aged up to 45 years would be selected by the ministry to be trained for preaching at mosques. Criticism Several preachers have been incensed by the move, arguing that it would squander preaching talents and stifle eloquence, and that it fails to cater to cultural and demographic diversity in separate communities that may require specific speeches tackling local issues. "This would turn a sermon into a useless news bulletin that does not appeal to the audience and obliterates the imam's personality and talent by turning him into a machine reading out a script," Ibrahem El-Zafery, an Al-Azhar imam at a mosque in Upper Egypt's Qena, told Ahram Online. "How would a pre-written sermon fit every community and audience?" El-Zafery asked. The decision in 2014 mandating that Muslim clerics conform to topics set by the religious endowments ministry for the weekly Friday sermons also sparked anger among some preachers at the time. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has more than once blamed outdated religious discourse for holding back Egypt and called for reform, saying that radicalised thinking has become a source of destruction for the rest of the world. Following the 2013 overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, the religious endowments ministry revoked the licences of all non-authorised Al-Azhar clerics and preachers some 55,000 and forced them to apply for new ones. The move was part of the government's efforts to stop the use of mosques as a platform for political groups and to clamp down on extremist views that authorities said were being spread by preachers supporting Morsi's now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group and its ultraconservative allies. Some 12,000 freelance preachers were barred from delivering sermons in 2014. Around 100,000 clerics and preachers are now licensed in Egypt, including some 57,000 employed by the religious endowments ministry, officials say. The rest are Al-Azhar-educated clerics. Search Keywords: Short link: The Egyptian nationals are among nine civilians wounded by a mortar shell in Libya's second-largest city Three Egyptians were among nine civilians wounded in a mortar shell bombing that took place in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi late Wednesday, Egypt's state news agency MENA said. The civilians suffered shrapnel injuries and were admitted to a local hospital, MENA quoted hospital media official Fadya Al-Barghathy as saying. Libya plunged into chaos following the 2011 toppling and killing of dictator Muammar Gaddafi and is now torn between two rival governments and a UN-backed unity government. Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city, has seen some of the worst fighting, with violence spiking when military commander Khalifa Haftar launched a campaign in 2014 against Islamists and other armed groups. Egypt's foreign ministry has repeatedly called on Egyptian nationals to avoid travelling to Libya due to the unstable security conditions in the war-torn country, urging those living there to stay away from conflict zones. Last week, six Egyptians were kidnapped by an armed group in the northwest Libyan city of Bani Walid, where 13 Egyptians were killed in a clash with smugglers in April, but were later released and returned to Egypt. Eight others abducted days later were also released. Search Keywords: Short link: How do you justify spending thousands of dollars in building a product and quitting just midway through the entrepreneurial journey? Wantrepreneurs find excuses, whatever the situation. On the other hand, entrepreneurs build businesses. Its a well-documented fact how some of the most successful startups have evolved over the years and they are a very different product from when they first launched. Every product goes through several iterations, sometimes a pivot, but its only the wantrepreneurs that quit after launching the first version of their product. Here are some of the differences between wantrepreneurs and entrepreneurs that Ive come across in my experience of helping 100+ entrepreneurs build mobile and web apps. 1. Competitor weakens their stance. We built an app for a customer in a niche space that was uncharted until then. Just when the product launched on the app store, another app in the same space launched and garnered press and customer traction. The wantrepreneur shut shop because a competitor launched and got press and customers ahead of them. How would an entrepreneur approach this situation? They would take a competitor launching ahead of them as a validation of their idea (in an uncharted space). Related: The 5 Components of the Mindset That Will Let You Live Your Dream Life In fact, theres a school of thought which says let the first comers educate the customers and make all the mistakes, while you launch in a market where you dont have to sell a concept before the product. 2. More for marketing than product development. A fantastic product with no marketing budget is far better than a crappy product with over a million dollars in marketing. Customers can see through bad products and experiences. No amount of advertising or promotion can engage a customer with your product if it doesnt live up to its promise. Wantrepreneurs want to build a product on the cheap, keeping a larger share towards marketing. By looking for the cheapest deal in product development, theyre hurting their business directly and eventually shut shop, often making excuses on why their product didnt work. 3. Underestimating resources. Wantrepreneurs underestimate the resources required to build a business. Its surprising to see the sheer number of people who still believe that theyd get customers to buy from them once they launch the product. Related: Cultivating The Mindset of a Successful Entrepreneur The resources needed by entrepreneurs can get overwhelming if one isnt prepared for every step of journey. This can be as basic as requiring funds for product iteration, funds for marketing to a lack of understanding of the kind of resources that can push their startup forward. For instance, many make the mistake of not having any analytics in the first version of their product. They are left with no intelligence of what customer acquisition campaigns work, whats driving signups and which customer acquisition channel gives the maximum ROI, whats the consumer behavior, etc. Theres no dearth of availability of resources today, which are far more accessible than they ever were. Wantrepreneurs blame it on the lack of availability of resources. Entrepreneurs find the resources they need to build their business. 4. Lack of experience in marketing. Wantrepreneurs blame their lack of experience in marketing as a reason why they arent able to scale growth. Im a technical person, Im a sales guy, are the excuses. Marketing is nothing but an experiment. Related: 9 'Mindsets' You Need to Switch From Employee to Entrepreneur Its an experiment in finding the relevant target audience, crafting a message that resonates with that audience and ties in well with the products proposition, being able to identify the right growth channel and being able to effectively use it to scale growth for the product. Wantrepreneurs are often overwhelmed by marketing and fail to use their common sense while doing their initial experiments. Entrepreneurs explore every medium and run small experiments on each channel with different messaging. They learn from the mistakes and build on those that work. Theres an important lesson here for every person thats looking to build a business of their own. Dont be a wantrepreneur that looks for excuses. Rather, be an entrepreneur that seeks out solution to their problems. Related: Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved According to the website for their 2015 documentary We Are Twisted F**king Sister!, the five-member group was one of the biggest glam rock bands of the [80s], their over-the-top live shows drawing sell-out crowds and their music videos defining an early MTV network. However, most people dont realize that the Sisters platinum-selling success was 10 years in the making: starting in the early 1970s, the band began a har- fought journey that included headlining every club within 100 miles of New York City, from New Jersey bowling alleys to Long Island beach bars. Playing four gigs a night, six nights a week, they were the #1 draw in suburban New York, selling out 5,000-seat shows fueled by their no-holds-barred stage presence and aggressive metal setlists. Along with creating timeless, fist pumping anthems such as You Cant Stop Rock n Roll, Were Not Gonna Take It, and I Wanna Rock, Twisted Sister did a lot of other things right to sell over 10,000,000 albums around the world. Here are five examples of their righteous recipe: 1. Deliver consistent excellence to your customers. In their years as the tri-state areas premier bar band, Twisted Sister didnt just want to entertain their suburban audiences, they aimed to assault and delight them with dangerous volume, manic energy and over-the-top outrageousness. When the Sisters discovered spontaneous stage banter or bawdy antics that their fans responded to, they not only added it to their shows, they sought to tweak and improve it every night. They had a deep understanding of their fans frustrations, aims, and pleasure points, and they designed their concerts -- and wrote their songs -- to leverage these insights. As a result, Twisted Sister garnered tens of thousands of SMFs (the bands fan club), who traveled for hours through any weather to experience their unforgettable performances. Image credit: Jay Jay French Takeaway: If you want to thrill your customers, have them become enthusiastic ambassadors for your brand, and entice them to swear allegiance to your company forever, never settle for the delivery of adequate service and quality. Instead, relentlessly strive to delight them with exceptional service, peerless quality, and well-executed enhancements of your offerings. Related: Big Business Lessons From Three Rock 'n' Roll Legends 2. Super-stardom for your organization requires a super-star team. Jay Jay French, Twisted Sisters guitarist and founder, went through dozens of members in search of the perfect tandem of talent, ambition, and personalities. He struck gold when he added vocalist Dee Snider and guitarist Eddie Ojeda to the group. But when he invited drummer A.J. Pero (whose sledgehammer style was legendary on the Staten Island rock club scene) and bassist Mark The Animal Mendoza (an original member of influential proto-punk pioneers The Dictators) to join TS, he knew that hed finally assembled the lethal combination of players that he needed for the Sisters to achieve global domination. Takeaway: Dont expect to attain superior results if less than superior executives and employees are on your roster. Instead, fill your ranks with proven rock stars (and budding rock stars) whose fresh perspectives, energy/enthusiasm, and cohesiveness will bring your organization to the next level. Related: 3 Business Lessons From Miley Cyrus and Her Infamous Twerk 3. Seek influential advocates for your organization. Twisted Sister had zero luck getting an American record deal in the early 80s. But when their self-pressed singles were exported to the U.K. in 1982, influential English critics sang the bands praises -- which helped to build interest and sales. An early TS fan and ally was Lemmy, the charismatic leader of the groundbreaking speed metal trio Motorhead. Lemmy not only introduced Twisted Sister to the crowd of 80,000 metalheads in their performance at the hugely important 1982 Reading Rock Festival, he also joined them onstage in a widely seen national TV performance on the popular music program The Tube. Lemmy further showed his support by enlisting Fast Eddie Clarke, Motorheads guitarist, to contribute a solo to the TS song Tear It Loose, which appeared on Twisted Sisters first studio album. Takeaway: While pursuing perfection in the creation and delivery of your product/service, simultaneously aim to develop positive engagements with authoritative tastemakers. You never know when an influential voice in the broadcast media, social media, or print/online media worlds will sing your praises and put your organization in the spotlight, so take these interactions seriously and nurture them carefully. Related: From Paper Boy to Music Mogul: Entrepreneurship Lessons from Sean 'Diddy' Combs 4. Listen to the marketplace. While Twisted Sister was - in the words of Dee Snider -- the poster child for the unsignable band, they had a true major label believer in the States: Atlantic Records Jason Flom. In 1982, Flom heard about TS from members of Zebra, a rock trio that he had signed to Atlantic. According to Zebra, Twisted Sister was the best live band in the world: we cant touch em, nobody can touch em. Intrigued by Zebras enthusiastic testimonial, Flom caught the Sisters sold out shows in Poughkeepsie, NY (3,000 tickets) and Aberdeen, NJ (5,000 tickets) and was blown away by TS music and their fans enthusiasm. When he presented his findings back at the office, Flom was told to take a hike and actually threatened with termination by the companys CEO: the band was regarded as a joke by Atlantics executives, their audiences were viewed as idiots, and their songs were derided as garbage. But thanks to their growing popularity in the U.K., Twisted Sister was signed by Atlantics London office (Flom made the connection possible), and the bands career would soon hit the bigtime. Were it not for Floms recognition of the tastes and zeal of their fans, TS might have remained unsignable -- and unsigned. Image credit: Jay Jay French Takeaway: Its been said that the most dangerous place to view your customers is through your office window. To find out what the marketplace wants, achieve a competitive edge, and acquire useful ideas that can improve your product/service, you need frequent and direct interactions with your buyers and prospective buyers. Related: Richard Branson on How Music Can Save Your Business 5. Bounce back and keep moving forward. The road to fame was long and bumpy for Twisted Sister: In 1979, the band sold out the famed 3000-capacity Palladium in Manhattan in two days with no radio play of their music and barely any advertising - an achievement that was unprecedented for an unsigned act. The show would be the big debut of Twisted Sister in the Big Apple, and executives from all of the major record labels in the city agreed to attend. Two days before the gig, guitarist Eddie Ojeda suffered a grand mal seizure, and the concerts cancellation cost TS an invaluable opportunity to lock in a record deal. In 1981, the president of German label X Records flew to the States to sign the band to his company. On the flight home, he had a heart attack and died, as did the deal. In 1982, London-based Secret Records, which signed and distributed TS in the U.K., was seeing sales of, and hearing marketplace excitement about, their release of the bands debut album Under The Blade. Later that year, Secret Records went bankrupt, and the Sisters were, once again, label-less. The bands persistence and ability to rebound from crushing disappointments ultimately paid off: in 1984, their second album on Atlantic Records Stay Hungry sold three million copies, and transformed them into one of the biggest bands on the planet. Takeaway: When bad luck continually slows your momentum, shrinks your confidence, and messes with your life, feelings of rage, self-pity and the temptation to give up are normal and understandable. But if your product/service is outstanding and your team is depending on you to come up with a plan, the inspirational words of Twisted Sisters co-manager Joe Gerber will keep you going: You pick yourself up, dust yourself off, strap your Spandex back on, and get back out there. Whether fans of their music or not, entrepreneurs in any industry can learn from the amazing wins that Twisted Sister achieved in their 40-year career. The bands ability to capitalize on opportunities, pivot when faced with obstacles, and create a product that resonated with millions of customers are attributes that are embedded within the DNA of all effective business owners and profitable organizations. Entrepreneurs who aspire to become market-dominating shredders would be wise to turn up TS success lessons to 11 and adapt the Sisters badass wisdom to their own endeavors. Need a quick fix of classic metal to get you stoked? Check out Rafes mash-up of head banging anthems by Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, Van Halen, and KISS (click on song #2). Related: 5 Blasts of Rockin' Business Wisdom From Twisted Sister 10 Insider Secrets From App Empires Lessons From Brexit: How Not To Communicate Your Cause Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Issues addressed with counterparts included the conflict that has reignited in South Sudan and concerns over Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shouky held talks Wednesday with African counterparts on the conflict in South Sudan and relations between Nile Basin countries as part of his current visit to Rwanda. Shoukry is in the Rwandan capital Kigali for an African Union summit on human rights and women's rights. The Egyptian minister held talks with his Sudanese counterpart Ibrahim Ghandour on "regional and international efforts to contain the conflict in South Sudan," a statement by the ministry said, after heavy fighting erupted last week in the capital Juba between followers of President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, the former rebel leader who became vice president under terms of an agreement to end a two-year civil war. Shoukry also sat with Uganda's foreign minister, Sam Kutesa, on the sidelines of the 29th ordinary session of the African Union's executive council, two leaders tackling relations between Nile Basin countries. Shoukry reitated that "achieving the interests of all parties and causing no harm should be the governing rule of relations between Nile Basin countries," the statement added. Egypt has been particularly concerned by a mega dam project Ethiopia is building that Cairo fears will hugely diminish its share of Nile water its main source of potable water. Shouky also held discussions with Ghana's foreign minister, Hanna Tetteh, in which the two addressed mutual ties and counter-terrorism efforts. Search Keywords: Short link: MONTREAL, July 13, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - For the fifth consecutive year, Air Transat has been voted Best North American Leisure Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. Every year, travellers from around the world take part in the largest airline passenger satisfaction survey, a global benchmark of airline excellence, to determine the winners. "We are extremely honoured to receive this international award for the fifth year in a row," says Jean-Francois Lemay, President and General Manager of Air Transat. "Air Transat particularly stands out for its specially tailored passenger experience. Our attentive crew, cabin comfort, Option Plus and Club Class upgrades, and little extras for families like priority check-in and boarding, as well as the Kids Club to keep youngsters busy, help get the vacation started before even arriving at the destination." The World Airline Awards began in 1999 when Skytrax launched its first global, airline passenger satisfaction survey. The survey collects travellers' opinions on 280 airlines over a 10-month period and in 160 countries. Airlines are ranked according to 40 criteria, from check-in and boarding to staff service and seat comfort. This year's survey polled more than 19 million passengers worldwide. In addition to its international win, Air Transat was recently voted Best Charter Airline at the 17th annual Agents' Choice Awards, conducted by Canadian Travel Press, Travel Courier and TravelPress.com, for the ninth consecutive year. Air Transat also placed third among the top customer-oriented airlines, after Porter and KLM, according to a recent survey carried out by Protegez-Vous among Quebec consumers. To learn more about the World Airline Awards, visit www.worldairlineawards.com. About Air Transat Air Transat is Canada's leading holiday travel airline. Every year, it carries some 3 million passengers to nearly 60 destinations in 30 countries aboard its fleet of Boeing narrow-body and Airbus wide-body jets. The company employs more than 2,500 people. Air Transat is a business unit of Transat A.T. Inc., an integrated international tour operator with more than 60 destination countries and that distributes products in over 50 countries. Air Transat was named Best North American Leisure Airline at the Skytrax annual World Airline Awards, held in June 2015. SOURCE Transat A.T. Inc. For further information: Caroline Gagnon, Public Relations and Marketing Advisor, Transat Tours Canada, 514-987-1616, ext. 4662 Agnico Eagle provides a third Progress Update on the Barsele Au-VMS Project VANCOUVER, July 14, 2016 /CNW/ - Barsele Minerals Corp. (TSX-V: BME) ("Barsele") is pleased to provide a third operational progress update for the current exploration program within the Barsele Au-VMS Project area in Vasterbottens Lan, northern Sweden. The exploration program is being operated by joint venture partner Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. (TSX, NYSE: AEM) ("Agnico Eagle"). Ownership in the project is 55% Agnico Eagle and 45% Barsele. Phase-2 drilling commenced with one drill on April 29th. A second drill was placed in operation on June 7th. Currently the two drills are in the Avan (Au) and Norra (VMS) area, testing IP and MT anomalies identified in the Titan-24 geophysical survey. The anomalies being tested have similar characteristics to the Central (Au) Zone. During May 2016, diamond drilling totalling 1,464.65 meters was completed, with accumulated meterage since January 2016 being 6,383.00 metres. Hole SKI 16006 was completed and the majority of hole SKI 16007 was drilled during the month of May. Highlights of the latest exploration drill results include 2 intercepts in the Skirasen Zone, with hole SKI 16005 yielding 105 meters core length (estimated 78.80 meters true thickness) grading 1.25 g/t gold, plus hole SKI 16006 with 93 meters core length (estimated 69.80 meters true thickness) grading 1.31 g/t gold including, 25.70 meters core length (estimated 19.30 meters true thickness) grading 2.17 g/t gold. These drill intercepts are located roughly 850 meters southeast of the core of the Central Zone. Drill hole SKI 16006 was drilled to a depth of 788.10 m and tested the SE down-dip extension of the Skirasen Zone. The 69.8 m intercept extends the known Skirasen mineralization by approximately 200 meters down plunge from the 78.8 m intercept in hole SKI 16005. Drill hole SKI 16007 was drilled to a depth of 882.10 m. This hole was designed to probe for mineralization 100-125 m below SKI 16006. Analytical results are pending. Ongoing Highlights of the Barsele 2015-2016 Drilling Program Barsele 2015-2016 Drilling Program (to May 29, 2016) Hole From (m) To (m) Core Length (m) True Thickness (m) Au (g/t) Top-Capped at 20 g/t Au (g/t) SKI 16002 414.00 419.00 5.00 3.80 3.15 3.15 515.00 531.00 16.00 12.00 1.10 1.10 SKI 16003 40.00 44.00 4.00 3.00 2.70 2.70 154.00 185.75 31.75 23.80 1.13 1.13 249.00 257.00 8.00 6.00 1.10 1.10 SKI 16004 No results reported SKI 16005 193.00 213.00 20.00 15.00 1.19 1.19 365.00 379.00 14.00 10.50 1.15 1.15 399.00 504.00 105.00 78.80 1.25 1.25 593.00 609.00 16.00 12.00 1.86 1.86 SKI 16006 279.00 303.50 24.50 18.40 1.08 1.08 461.00 471.00 10.00 7.50 2.51 2.51 551.00 644.00 93.00 69.80 1.31 1.31 More assays pending for SKI 16006 SKI 16007 All assays pending for SKI 16007 Barsele's President, Gary Cope comments, "Drilling has yielded very significant thicknesses of good grade rock at Skirasen in holes SKI 16005 and SKI 16006. We remain optimistic that Agnico Eagle will continue to extend the Skirasen zone at depth and to the southeast." As project operator, Agnico Eagle is continuously involved with a community relations program to engage the various stakeholders in the project area. Meetings at least twice a year are planned in order to discuss project progress and future planning. Environmental base line studies (water chemistry, biota in water, nature inventory) continue. In total, 117 old drill casings have been cut back to ground level and 34 old drill holes have been plugged. Down hole surveying of old RC and top hammer and conventional drill holes has been carried out where possible. Diamond drilling is ongoing with two drills. 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 were released for the Barsele Project in four zones, the Central, Avan and Skirasen Gold Zones and the Norra VMS Zone. 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. Art Freeze, P.Geo. is the Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and takes responsibility for the technical disclosure contained within this news release. 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. 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, July 14, 2016 /CNW/ - Nearly 37 million people are currently living with HIV, with approximately 2 million new infections occurring annually. Recognizing the public health challenge this poses, Canada remains a steadfast partner in the global effort to end this threat to public health. The Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, will travel to Durban, South Africa next week to participate in the 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016). This major international health event is attended by more than 18,000 delegates from around the world and is organized by the International AIDS Society. This year's theme, Access Equity Rights Now, brings focus to the need to address the specific vulnerabilities of key populations including gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, transgender persons, women, girls, people in prisons and Indigenous communities. The conference will provide Canadian representatives with the opportunity to further collaborate with those who are dedicated to addressing HIV/AIDS through innovative research and by improving prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for those living with HIV/AIDS. While in Durban, Minister Philpott will address key stakeholders and audiences, and meet with international leaders and organizations working towards the common goal of eliminating HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Quick Facts In September, 2016, Canada will host the Fifth Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Canada has also pledged $785 million to the Global Fund for 2017 to 2019. will host the Fifth Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. has also pledged to the Global Fund for 2017 to 2019. In 2016-17 the federal government will invest more than $75 million domestically through the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada and the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative. Quotes "The Government of Canada is committed to working with the global community to reach our collective goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Canada supports equity, access and rights for key populations because we understand that eliminating AIDS cannot be achieved unless we address the health inequities and persistent stigma and discrimination faced by those living with, and at risk of HIV." The Honourable Jane Philpott, P.C., M.P. Minister of Health Associated Links SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada For further information: Contacts: Andrew MacKendrick, Office of Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983 LONDON, July 13, 2016 /CNW/ -- SKYTRAX, a global provider of professional aviation evaluation services and research firm with a focus on airline and airport services, announced the winners of the 2016 SKYTRAX World Airline Awards at the Farnborough International Airshow. Hainan Airlines Co., Ltd., the only carrier in China that was nominated, was awarded the SKYTRAX Five-Star Airline award for the 6th consecutive year. The airline was also honored with the designation as Best China Airline and received the Best China Airline Staff Service award. SKYTRAX president Edward Plaisted, while presenting the award to Hainan Airlines president Xie Haoming, said, "Hainan Airlines, one of the world's leading airlines, has been a preferred airline of travelers worldwide with quality services that embed the concept of Oriental beauty into everything that it does. This has proven to be a distinct advantage as the airline competes internationally." "To be a Five-Star Airline, we must excel in operations, provides quality customer services and constantly carry out innovations in technology," said Xie. "Winning the SKYTRAX Five-Star Airline award for six consecutive years is the result of Hainan Airlines' tireless efforts in the areas of hardware installation, service systems, route expansion and flight safety." In the past year, Hainan Airlines upgraded not only the overall mission of its services but also many of the details of how the services are carried out, as well as listened to what passengers had to say in order to meet a higher level and more diversified set of expectations, as these continue to evolve. In addition, the airline built out a "Voice of the Customer" (VOC) management system for improved communications and interactions with passengers. In tandem with the changing expectations, Hainan Airlines upgraded products. Furthermore, Hainan Airlines is an advocate of Green Flight, and, in 2015, became the first civil airline in China to receive third-party certification from the Management System for Energy.The airline, as a result of complying with the Green Tour program, by the end of 2015 had saved 251,000 tons of fuel, reducing carbon dioxide emission by approximately 790,000 tons, equivalent to the amount absorbed by 20 square kilometers of forest a year. Hainan Airlines has been actively engaged in addressing environmental issues worldwide! Hainan Airlines, as a global full-service airline, has opened over 700 domestic and international routes flying to nearly 100 cities worldwide. It owns and maintains a young and luxury fleet of Boeing 737 and 787 and Airbus 330 aircraft, and has accumulated more than 5 million hours of safe flights, making the airline one of the world's safest. Hainan Airlines is also one of the eight SKYTRAX Five-Star Airlines. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160712/388706 SOURCE Hainan Airlines Co., LTD For further information: Lv Ting +86-898-6673-9807, [email protected] Unique Montreal-based coffee house arrives in trendy West Queen West, placing milk at the forefront of the cafe experience TORONTO, July 14, 2016 /CNW/ - Montreal-based cafe chain java u, in partnership with Natrel, today opens the Natrel Milk Bar by java u in Toronto. This brand new type of cafe concept enhances the consumer experience by shining a spotlight on milk and featuring a menu of delicious recipes, some of which have dairy as an essential ingredient. The new cafe is situated on one of the most highly visible corners in West Queen West (1092 Queen Street W. at Dovercourt Road), arguably the city's trendiest neighbourhood. "We launched this unique cafe concept in Montreal in May last year, and it was very well received," says Brian Cytrynbaum of java u. "Our mandate in Toronto remains the same as it was with our first opening we want to raise the profile of the milk we use in our coffee and offer customers a one-of-a-kind gourmet experience in our cafes, which promote personalization and choice. After all, many specialized coffees are comprised of only one-third coffee; the other two-thirds are milk!" The collaboration between Natrel and java u is also innovative because it reflects an emerging consumer trend towards co-branding. Cytrynbaum says the idea was conceived in 2014 after java u asked some of its customers to complete a blind taste test of coffee made with different milk brands, and they preferred the coffees that were prepared with Natrel milk. Being very pleased with Natrel's premium milks in terms of their taste and foam, java u then approached the milk brand with an idea about launching a new coffee-house experience in Montreal. "We are proud of the innovative partnership with java u and the Toronto opening of The Natrel Milk Bar by java u," explains Jean-Francois Couture, vice-president of Marketing at Agropur Cooperative, Canada Operations. "This cafe provides us with a unique opportunity to allow consumers to enjoy our products while fully experiencing the brand promise of 'making everyday more delicious.'" Deliciously original The new West Queen West location welcomes coffee aficionados and foodies in a spectacular setting where design and architecture express the concept's originality and freshness. Customers will enjoy their choice of seven varieties of Natrel Milk (lactose free, fine-filtered, organic, flavoured, etc.), available through a barista or self-serve, allowing customers to personalize the full range of coffee beverages, as well as a seasonal menu featuring dairy products. In the summer, ice-cream and milkshakes in a variety of flavours will make a fun and delicious addition to the mix. The partnership between Natrel and java u has also produced two iced coffees to go latte and mocha available at all java u locations. The branding and design atelier lg2boutique was charged with the visual and architectural side of the concept; the website (http://experience.natrel.ca) and marketing campaign were handled by lg2. Additionally, a mini-boutique has been created at the Queen Street W. cafe, and online at experience.natrel.ca, to offer consumers branded clothing and accessories, including 100-percent organic milk-fibre cotton T-shirts, mugs, thermoses, and more. The official Toronto launch event was hosted by local radio host and TV lifestyle expert Pay Chen, and featured an appearance by world-renowned coffee artist Michael Breach, who dazzled guests by creating their portraits in latte foam. Breach also put his artistic touch to the "Toronto Latte," a new offering created by java u's coffee experts. The new flagship cafe, located at 1092 Queen Street West, is open Monday to Friday, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on the weekend, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. #NatrelMilkBarTO About Natrel As a leader in the dairy industry, Natrel is a modern and committed national brand that likes to innovate and set trends. With its range of products, strategic associations and newly opened Milk Bar by java u, Natrel allows consumers to enjoy an enthusiastic and delicious dairy life. Natrel is a symbol of quality, and it recently topped the list of the most trusted dairy brand in Canada in the 2015 Peter B. Gustavson national study by the University of Victoria. Natrel is a source of pride for the 3,473 member-owners of Agropur Cooperative, Canada Operations, which offers an extensive line of brands, including OKA, iogo and BI-PRO. www.natrel.ca/en About Java u Founded in 1996, java u operates 43 cafe-bistros in Montreal, Vancouver, the UK and the Middle East. It employs over 200 people, distributes more than 1 million fresh sandwiches a year and offers its clients superior quality coffees and espressos as well as a refined healthy menu for breakfast and lunch that is tailored to each community it serves. www.java-u.com For access to the online media kit (photos, press release, fact sheet), please visit: https://experience.natrel.ca/en/media SOURCE Natrel Image with caption: "Game of Foams: Internationally renowned coffee artist Michael Breach paints the 'Toronto Latte' in milk foam, which was unveiled today at the grand opening of the new Natrel Milk Bar by java u in Torontos trendy West Queen West neighbourhood. (Photo credit: Max Kopanygin) (CNW Group/Natrel)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160714_C7919_PHOTO_EN_734880.jpg Image with caption: "Local Brew: The 'Toronto Latte' is now available at the Natrel Milk Bar by java u, which officially opened today at 1092 Queen St. West. Toronto's iconic skyline was painted by renowned coffee artist Michael Breach at the grand opening of the new cafe. (Photo credit: Max Kopanygin) (CNW Group/Natrel)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160714_C7919_PHOTO_EN_734881.jpg For further information: Media Contact: Alistair Kyte, LexPR Canada, [email protected], 416-542-9140 x3362 CALGARY, July 13, 2016 /CNW/ - Stuart Olson Inc. (TSX: SOX, SOX.DB.A) ("Stuart Olson" or the "Company") today announced that it will release its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 on Tuesday, August 9, 2016 after the close of the Canadian capital markets. Conference Call The Company will host a conference call and webcast to discuss its 2016 second quarter results on Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at 7:30 a.m. MT (9:30 a.m. ET). The conference call will include prepared remarks from David LeMay, President and CEO, and Daryl Sands, Executive Vice President and CFO. After the prepared remarks, Stuart Olson will accept questions from analysts and institutional investors. Date: Wednesday, August 10, 2016 Time: 7:30 a.m. MT (9:30 a.m. ET) Call: 1-888-390-0546 (Canada and USA) or 1-587-880-2171 (outside Canada and USA) Participants are asked to call at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. For those unable to participate on the live call, a replay will be made available until Wednesday, August 24, 2016, by dialing 1-888-390-0541 (Canada and USA) or 1-416-764-8677 (outside Canada and USA), pin 012608. The public is invited to listen to the live conference call or the replay. Webcast A presentation and webcast link will be posted on Stuart Olson's website prior to the call under the "Investor Relations" tab, within the Presentations and Events section. To listen to and view the live webcast, visit Stuart Olson's website at least 10 minutes early to register and download and install any necessary audio software. For those unable to listen during the live webcast, a replay will be available on Stuart Olson's website shortly after the conclusion of the conference call for a period of 90 days. 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 SOURCE Stuart Olson Inc. For further information: Daryl Sands, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Stuart Olson Inc., (403) 685-7777, Email: [email protected] Egypt's traffic authorities said a major thoroughfare in the capital's Mohandiseen district will be partially closed for 45 days for construction work on the third line of Cairo's metro system, state news agency MENA reported. Ahmed Orabi Street was due to be closed as of Thursday in one direction, towards the busy Sphinx Square, MENA added, a move expected to increase traffic congestion in the already crowded neighbourhood, whic his located a few kilometres away from downtown Cairo. Cairos underground metro, launched in 1987, is one of the oldest in the Middle East and Africa, serving over 3.5 million passengers daily. Construction operations in the fourth and final phase of the capital subway's third line started last year. Once fully completed, the third line is expected to span over 47.8 km from Cairo airport to Cairo University, passing through downtown Cairo and into the Giza part of Greater Cairo, including the neighbourhood of Mohandiseen. Construction of the fourth metro line, expected to reach 6 October city, a satellite city in Cairo's western suburbs, began earlier this year. This line is expected to begin operations in 2019 or 2020, according to government statements. There is a reason why countries like the United States and United Kingdom maintain bicameral legislatures. There is a reason why countries like the United States and United Kingdom maintain bicameral legislatures.While some might argue that the US is so large and will want equal and qualitative representations for its citizens, that argument may not hold water for the UK because members of the Upper Chamber (the House of Lords) are not elected. The UK still maintains the largely unelected body, partly because of its tradition of maturity or because it has a history of order and decorum as against what applies in the Lower Chamber (The House of Commons).Those who have witnessed debates at the Commons will know how busy the House can be as compared to the Peers in the Lords. This is not to say that there is no decorum, but because most of the debates are done by the Commons (or Commoners) this may sometimes get messy. The Senate, which is the Upper Chamber in the US Congress, has been largely quiet in recent times, save for a brief noisy moment President Obama appointed a Federal Judge. Again, like their British colleagues, there is much emphasis on order in the Senate.One can now guess why apart from President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden being former US Senators, a major presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, also has had a stint in that legislative chamber.Let us come back home.In Nigeria, the National Assembly a body that is ordinarily meant to fight corruption, but it has in itself become engrossed in the vice. Its members refer to themselves as Honourables or Distinguished senators depending on which chamber they belong, but nothing is really distinguished or honourable in their behavior if the display of some of them is anything to go by. A Senate has members like BurujiKashamu, a wanted US drug baron helps explain this point better!The Nigerian Senate is presently suffering from legitimacy crisis. The June 9, 2015 leadership election that produced the duo of Dr. BukolaSaraki and Ike Ekweremadu as Senate President and Deputy is still controversial till date. This is not because they won but because the very ground on which their election is based is faulty. The contentious Senate Standing Order 2015(?) is said to have been forged. Can we build something on nothing and expect it to stand? The forgery of the Senate rules is serious criminal issue if proven to be true. This country will start to get better if the so-called big men start going to jail for crimes they commit!Some days ago, I saw a news piece, (I cant remember on which media platform), Forgery Trial Of Senate Leaders: Buhari Threatened With Impeachment; Dino Melaye Threatens To Beat Up Senator Tinubu. I told myself that Nigerians can be dramatic with the online media known to reel out (for want of better words-)lies and half-truths just to get traffic, but the news has to be fake.I waited for Dino to deny making the unfortunate statement, but no he wont. In reaction to the news, someone asked on Facebook: Dino threatened to beat who?I immediately went online to seek confirmation, and alas, Dino did issue the threat. At the point, my empathy for the Senator (if he is not properly so-called) changed to sympathy. Senator Dino Melaye (APC - Kogi West) reportedly said in his remarks about the ongoing forgery trial of the senate rules involving Saraki and Ekweremandu that the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. AbubakarMalami, must be brought before the Senate to be thoroughly grilled and humiliated for charging the Senate leadership with forgery in court. Melaye reportedly issued threats, including impeaching the President (which he will later deny).The climax of the meeting was when it was Senator Remi Tinubus turn to speak. How dare Remi, a woman and a wife for that matter speak where Dino is talking? He is probably used to his wife keeping quiet while he is speaking so Remis audacity was too much for Dino to bear. She has to be giving some home trainings, so must Dino be thinking after he said and I quote I will beat you up on this floor and nothing will happenMelaye has a history of being a wife beater and women molester so no one should be surprised that theKogi-born Senator threatening to beat another man's wife. There was a timeMelaye physically assaulted his ex-wife Tokunbo even threatening to kill the poor woman. But Tokunbo, unfortunately for Dino does not have a surname that is Tinubu!While one has no problem with anyone being ambitious, everything is wrong with being overambitious like Dino. One also understands that he is Sarakis Man Friday, who must dance to his masters music no matter how poor the melody is, there is need for order even in madness!Dino should have grown (at 45?) after serving in the House of Representatives well enough to have learnt proper parliamentary conduct. Those encouraging his misdemeanor are only enjoying his public display, like everyone enjoys watching the madman dance in the market square. Not only does he have a history of harassing women, he has a glittering resume of defending corruption and corrupt people. The led the gang in is term as House of Representatives member in defence of Hon. Patricia Etteh then House Speaker whose scandal includes refurbishing a house with N628million.In the present forgery case against the Senate President and his Deputy is not an attack on the National Assembly as it is being misconceived in certain quarters. The Senate alone has 109 members out of which only two (elected by other senators) are on trial for forgery. The House of Representatives has 360 members out of which no one is on trial for any criminal matter presently. So, the case should be put in proper perspective. Saraki, Ekweremadu and the two bureaucrats at the National Assembly are standing trial for offences they allegedly committed on their own, not on behalf of the Senate as an institution!With persons like Dino, a woman molester; integrity-challenged Saraki and Ekweremadu wanted drug baron Kashamu and others in the Senate, I am so convinced that I see a house that is not in order!OlalekanWaheed ADIGUN is a political risk analyst and independent political strategist for wide range of individuals, organisations and campaigns. He is based in Lagos, Nigeria. His write-ups can be viewed on his website http://olalekanadigun.com/Tel: +2348136502040, +2347081901080Email: olalekan@olalekanadigun.com, adgorwell@gmail.comFollow me on Twitter @adgorwell The Lagos chapter of the #BringBackOurGirls group has lambasted Dino Melaye for his threat to beat up his colleague, Oluremi Tinubu, du... Look this is not Bourdillon (in reference to the famous Lagos residence of Mr. Tinubu), I will beat you up,. impregnate you and nothing will happen. The Lagos chapter of the #BringBackOurGirls group has lambasted Dino Melaye for his threat to beat up his colleague, Oluremi Tinubu, during a disagreement in a closed-door session held by the senators.In a statement issued Wednesday and jointly signed by Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, Aisha Oyebode, Ayo Obe, and Habiba Balogun, the group described Mr. Melayes actions as disgusting.While the issues of the senate and their disagreements remain strictly their issue, it is pertinent to put an end to this recurring act of threat of violence against women, the group said in the statement also signed by Yemi Adamolekun, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Ngozi Iwere, Olalere Babasola, and Adwoa Edun.It is further disheartening that there is no indication to suggest that the leadership of the Senate has referred this weighty allegation for investigation by its Committee on Ethics and Privileges.Those who witnessed the Tuesday incident revealed that trouble started when Mr. Melaye (APC, Kogi) urged the Senate to descend heavily on members who had offered to serve as prosecution witnesses in the ongoing forgery case against Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.Mrs. Tinubu (APC, Lagos) had reportedly criticised Mr. Melayes attitude of always threatening people and behaving childishly and at times like a thug.In response, Mr. Melaye was said to have charged towards Mrs. Tinubu, who is the wife of national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, saying,The #BringBackOurGirls group said Mr. Melayes actions sent the country back to the dark ages, and called on the National Assembly to stop tolerating misogynists like Mr. Melaye in their ranks.With the likes of Senator Dino Melaye in the Nigerian Senate, the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill which we are campaigning for might never see the light of day, the group said.How can we encourage women to take elective positions without fear when the senate, which has only seven (7) female members out of the 109 members, has men like Senator Dino Melaye threatening the few that have dared the odds to get into politics?How can we put an end to violence against girls and women when those who lead/make these laws are guilty of the same acts? Are there no rules and code of conduct in The Senate? Are there no penalties for irresponsible behavior?Our future and that of our children depend on the actions we take now and we must put an end to this recurring act of violence, abuse and threats.The group noted that with the Lagos #BringBackOurGirls group being members of the constituency represented by Mrs. Tinubu, they are calling for an action against Mr. Melaye.The Nigerian Senate should not aid and abet him this time, they said.If we, as BBOG Group, are asking the State to protect our girls, then such statements in our hallowed chambers should most definitely be strongly condemned and properly dealt with. An 80-year-old, Pius Chuka Enebeli, on Thursday made history as being the oldest new wig ever produced by the Nigerian Law School. Ene... An 80-year-old, Pius Chuka Enebeli, on Thursday made history as being the oldest new wig ever produced by the Nigerian Law School.Enebeli and 2,217 others including a daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari, Halima, were called to the Bar at two separate ceremonies held in Abuja on Thursday.Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, was at the morning session ceremony during which her daughter, Halima, who was part of the the first batch of 1,132 new wigs, were called to the barThe ceremony was conducted for the rest 1,127 new lawyers during the after session which began 3pm on Thursday.The two ceremonies which held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja were presided over by the Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Bandele Aiku.He performed the Call ceremony during the first session around 10.23am.At about 10.26am after performing the Call, he asked the new lawyers to wear their wig.The filled-to-capacity hall spontaneously erupted into a triumphant cheers of the new lawyers as their parents and well-wishers occupying the gallery also clapped to celebrate the candidates cross-over to the bar.The total of 2,218 new wigs were the successful candidates at the April 2016 and previous Bar Final Examinations of the Nigerian Law School.The Director-General of the NLS, Mr. Olanrewaji Onadeko, acknowledged Enebelis record breaking feat, while presenting the candidates for the actual Call on Thursday.He said, Let me also congratulate one of the new wigs, who is making his history in his own right, by being the oldest new wig ever produced by the Nigerian Law School.He is 80-years-old and we wish him a very successful career at the bar. Former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, yesterday, described Dino Melaye ... Melaye and Tinubu's wife His reaction came against the backdrop of last Tuesdays shouting match between his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and Melaye during the closed-door session of the Senate. Melaye, who represents Kogi West senatorial district in the Senate, had reportedly threatened to beat up the APC leaders wife during the altercation between them, boasting allegedly that nothing would happen if he did so. But Tinubu in a statement by his spokesman, Sunday Dare, yesterday, warned Melaye that something would happen, if he dared it. Dino Melaye sank to the lowest ever on Tuesday. From this point, it is downhill for him.A disgrace to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.If Dino thinks nothing will happen if he dares to beat up another senator, then he must be living in a fools paradise.Things will happen, Tinubus spokesman wrote on Twitter. Efforts, last night, to reach Melaye for his reaction failed as calls to his mobile number were not returned; he also failed to respond to text messages sent to his phone.However, senators representing Lagos State in the Senate, yesterday, warned Senator Melaye to desist from harassing and intimidating Senator Oluremi Tinubu or face their wrath.The senators, who described Melaye as lilly-livered, vowed to testify in court on the side of truth, as part of the resolution of any conflict in the Upper Chambers. Recall that Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, are currently standing trial over forgery of Senate Standing Rules. The Lagos senators, Olugbenga Ashafa (APC, Lagos East), and Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Lagos West), said in a statement:We, the two senators representing Lagos East and Lagos West, having reviewed the recent happenings in the hallowed Chamber of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly at the executive session of July 12, 2016, which dwelt on the running of the Senate and now in the public domain without any denial from the affected parties, feel compelled to state as follows: We deplore in very strong terms the use of abusive, threatening, uncouth, vulgar and un-parliamentary language by any senator against any other senator, particularly our female colleagues.As distinguished members of the Red Chamber, we are strongly in favour of resolving any conflict that has arisen in the course of our representation and national duty through dialogue and due process and we will not be part of any solution obtained through any form of coercion, threat, intimidation and ungentlemanly conduct of the distinguished office of a senator.We dissociate ourselves from the comments and behaviour of Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) at the executive session of July 12, 2016, as we represent people known for finer character and nobler culture of social interaction. We equally state that we will be part of efforts to instill and enshrine decorum and gentlemanly conduct associated with the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.While condemning the use of any vulgar and un-senatorial language in all ramifications, we particularly take offence at the use of such abusive and denigrating words against the person of distinguished Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central) as such words greatly demeaned the female gender and the hallowed chamber of the Senate.Finally, pursuant to the threat of physical abuse against Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central) by Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West), we state that we are not lily-livered and cannot be intimidated or deterred from our primary assignment of representing the good people of Lagos State and carrying out our national duties of law-making, even if it entails testifying in court on the side of the truth as part of the resolution of any conflict in the upper chamber. Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says the PDP has already rejected the candidate of one of its factions, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, wi... Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says the PDP has already rejected the candidate of one of its factions, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, with the cold shoulder he got from Governors and other leaders of the party at the flag-off of his campaign, two weeks ago.Speaking at a stakeholders meeting of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Benin City, Wednesday, he said the campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the forthcoming governorship election in the State is dead on arrival. He said the APC is the only party that offers hope to all our people, adding whether you like it or not, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) engine is dead on arrival.The early morning signals are clear. For the first time since 1999, a candidate was being presented to the people of Edo State for the most important single job, and the key pillars were there fastened to their chairs and their tables, none of them could stand on their feet to say one word. Has the Oracle not spoken?Also, the applicant pastor said we have our fathers here and he called the fathers and you know when a child calls more than one father, you know what he is! But if you have three fathers seated next to each other, none of your fathers could stand up, take the microphone and said, yes you are my son; I present you. Did you observe that? Has papa not already disowned his child? Did papa testify for the child?According to him, while the PDP couldnt get any national person of note to present a tattered flag, our own national chairman will be around, as a former governor, former federal Permanent-Secretary and National Chairman of the governing party to present the flag to our candidate.And my brother governors will be coming from Friday, all the Progressives Governors will be here to show solidarity. We are not going to be represented by one governor. The Governors will come.Taking a swipe at former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi, over his comments at the PDP flag-off, Oshiomhole said the APC will have a big outing, unlike what happened with the PDP, with the Papas seated, speechless and pickin wobbling and an old man crying over a pot of soup on Live television.He commended the Deputy Governor of the State, Dr Pius Odubu, for the reconciliation achieved and agreeing to campaign for the APC candidate, Mr Godwin Obaseki. He said: let me again publicly appreciate my brother. In this hall, I have made some statements in the past.I cannot but again reiterate what I said to the Deputy Governor yesterday that I particularly value the fact that he had no difficulty in recognizing that for him, it is not an option.I think the Deputy Governors position reminds us that truly anyone who labours to build a house will find no comfort in undermining the foundation of that house, no matter the level of provocation.I submit and I decree that the fact that he readily accepted in the manner that he did shows that he knew that he has a stake in this house because his sweat together with your sweat was used to mould the blocks with which this house was built.The reason the Deputy Governors position is extremely important is that there is nobody that has any reason to be more aggrieved in status, in rank than him.He was the next after Godwin in terms of number of votes. He is number two citizen in the state. And so, if in spite of this he has done what he did, Pius, I want to tell you, your space in my heart has been deepened, reinforced.He called on members to work for the success of the party. Having said that, I want to associate myself with what the chairman said.We must continue to work for reconciliation. I need every one of us to go back home and truly from the heart because we have one party, and God has helped us to do it transparently, successfully. It is time to move on.The same thing should happen in each of the 192 wards. When you do us that favour, you are demonstrating leadership ability at your own level. I want to appreciate all of you. My personal apologies to anyone I might have offended.Different leaders of the party, including the Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, Mr Gentleman Amegor and others agreed to work for the success of the party.The meeting was attended by key stakeholders of the party across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state including the governorship candidate of the party, Mr. Godwin Obaseki with his running mate, Hon. Philip Shuaibu. A Cairo court on Thursday sentenced ten people to three years in prison for protesting in April against a deal that put two Red Sea islands into Saudi hands, a judicial source told Ahram Online. The defendants, one woman and the remainder men, were also fined EGP 100,000 (approximately $11,250) each for the convictions, which include "belonging to a terrorist group that incites to topple the regime, spreading false news, disturbing public peace and security and inciting protests." A Cairo misdemeanour court issued the sentences, which can still be appealed. The court had previously released all the defendants in the case on bail pending investigations except for one, activist Hamdy Kamal, who is standing trial in another case. The Egyptian governments decision to transfer the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia sparked widespread public outcry, with some critics accusing the government of "selling the islands." At demonstrations against the deal in Cairo, dozens were arrested and subsequently tried. Many have since been released. Egypt's government insists the islands belong to Saudi Arabia and that Cairo has merely been administering them temporarily since the 1950s. Last month, an administrative court "cancelled the signing "of the deal and said the two islands "remain Egyptian." A higher court started on 3 July to hear the government's appeal against the verdict and a recusal request by Khaled Ali, a well-known leftist lawyer who brought the lawsuit against the agreement, has been postponed to 30 July. Search Keywords: Short link: The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday sealed a Dubai real estate firm, The First Group, over a phony $200 billio... The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday sealed a Dubai real estate firm, The First Group, over a phony $200 billion deals.Several documents, including a list of high profile patrons, were recovered from the premises.The anti-graft agency is screening the list.A prominent Nigerian may have lost about $402,000 (N136.6 million).This is the second in some of the deals, it was learnt time since May the EFCC has raided the firm, which is allegedly involved in assisting politicians to launder money in the United Arab Emirates(UAE).EFCC operatives shut down the companys office on the seventh floor at the Bank of Industry building in the Central Business District, Abuja.A source said: This is the second time our team will go to the company for investigation following intelligence report. We had initially arrested two staff of the Dubai-based firm.The company is implicated in a phony real estate scam in which innocent Nigerians were duped $200 billion.Investigation into the scam showed that the company, originally known as TFG Real Estate Limited, operates in Nigeria in the guise of being The First Group, a Dubai-based real estate firm, which is not registered in Nigeria.The modus operandi of the company is to lure Nigerians interested in owning property in Dubai into parting with their money. They are mandated to make the payments in instalments.However, the payment process is deliberately structured in such a way that the debt is difficult to offset, and as soon as one defaults, the money will be seized by the company.Another source said: We are probing clues on how some political office holders used some officials of the company to launder looted funds.The scope of investigation is wider. In fact, some of the foreign staff of the company have relocated from the country to evade arrest. But we will get them wherever they are.Those under searchlight in Dubai for stashing funds or acquiring property in Dubai are seven ex-governors, six former ministers, a former presidential aide implicated in the $2.1 billion arms deal, ex-military chiefs under probe, agents/ front of some of these public officers and about five chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).A Federal Government team, comprising the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami; EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu and crack detectives from the anti-graft agency, have met with their UAE counterparts to collate intelligence on the PEPs.A senior management staff of TFG, simply called Machenry, said: The EFCC did not tell you the truth. We did not defraud anybody or group. We do legitimate property business in Dubai.What happened is that some of these subscribers will go into an obligation to pay for properties within a three to four-year frame but midway they will say they want to terminate the contract in order to launder money. But on our part, we have been sticking to the rules that funds paid are not refundable even if you cannot meet up with terms of payment.Some of them apply to buy property in order to launder money but we have refused to be used. We always insist that they either get their properties or forget cash refund. They are always uncomfortable with our strictness to terms of purchase.These people who are closer to the powers that be are the ones trying to use EFCC against us. They failed to meet up with the laid down terms for buying properties in the UAE and they want to make U-turn on the non- refundable clause.This is purely a civil matter. Why cant they go to court instead of running to the EFCC. The agreement on property purchase with our group is explicit.On whether the company had been fronting for political office holders, the source added: I dont know what you mean by that. I am aware that we conduct due diligence before engaging any individual or group in property business. We believe in business fidelity.Asked if the firm sold two mansions to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai and his wives, Machenry said: We did not sell the properties to them. They are not on our list. Former Chairman of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria, PMAN, Abuja chapter, Mr. Collins Adeyemi has been reported ... Former Chairman of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria, PMAN, Abuja chapter, Mr. Collins Adeyemi has been reported dead.It was gathered that the renowned Master of ceremonies cum actor, gave up the ghost on Wednesday in Abuja.Adeyemi was last seen at the 6th Edition of the prestigious African Achievers Awards, which took place July 8, 2016, at the International Conference Centre, ICC, Abuja.He was said to have slumped and died after a brief but yet-to-be ascertained ailment.A close associate to the deceased, Nicki Nwadinobi, told newsmen that the deceased had been on and off work but the sickness was not so serious.Also speaking with Adeyemis friend, co-founder of the African Achievers Award, Ambassador David James Egwu, he said Collins demise was really sad.He said, The death of Adeyemi calls for sober reflection. What really killed Adeyemi remains a mystery to me as we were both at the Award event together.Unfortunately, before his death, he told me he was not feeling too well and we did not even know he would make it to the event but he did; only for me to get a call early this morning that Adeyemi is gone.Death is so inevitable and sometimes I wonder why we are struggling. Whats all the struggle for?If someone as hardworking and persevering like Adeyemi can die untimely, then I wonder, the event manager said. A suspected oil thief, Chemede Anre, has confessed to his involvement in illegal oil bunkering, saying his mother introduced him to the cr... A suspected oil thief, Chemede Anre, has confessed to his involvement in illegal oil bunkering, saying his mother introduced him to the crime.The 19-year-old fisherman was paraded on Wednesday along with five other accomplices Ibrahim Kwenu, 23; Savig Videjon, 20; Celestine Soru, 20; Simon Posu, 22, and 21-year-old Lekan Wesu at the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Ikeja.Anre told reporters that his mother took him to one Savie, the mastermind of the crime, when he could no longer cater to his wife and child.He added that he was compelled to join Savie because he was not catching enough fish due to drought.It was gathered that the suspects were apprehended on Friday around the Topo, Badagry area of Lagos, by the anti-vandal squad of the corps.They were said to be ferrying 86 drums of petrol, suspected to have been siphoned from vandalised pipelines of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, to Benin Republic, when they were intercepted on the sea.Each of the drums reportedly contained 250 litres of the product.Speaking with our correspondent, Anre, who was the boat captain, said he regretted heeding his mothers advice, adding that Savie, who was at large, had promised to pay him and members of his crew N4,000 each.He said, I am a fisherman, but it has been very difficult to catch fish in the sea these days because of drought. When it became difficult to take care of my family, my mother introduced me to Savie.He (Savie) asked me to help him transport the fuel from Badagry to Asipa in Seme. I invited five other fishermen to carry out the job and he promised to give us N4,000 each after the deal. We were on the way to deliver the product to him when we were arrested. I know what I did was wrong and I regret my action. It was hunger that forced me into it.The other suspects equally blamed drought for their involvement in the act.Videjon explained that his friend, Kwenu, connected him with Anre, saying he was not aware of the nature of the deal until the boat took off.Kwenu said, I am married with two children. Chemede (Anre) informed me that there was a trip that would fetch us money and since I had been idle, I agreed to go. I also invited Videjon. It was when the boat was about leaving the shore that I knew it was fuel we wanted to transport.Kwenu was, however, silent when asked why he did not back out from the trip when he discovered what was involved.The NSCDC Commandant in Lagos State, Tajudeen Balogun, said his men swooped on the suspects after an intelligence report.Balogun said the command was making efforts to arrest the kingpin, adding that the suspects would be charged to court at the end of investigations.Our marine unit has been on surveillance in the Badagry area for some time. The officers recovered 86 drums of 250 litres each filled with petrol, totalling 21,250 litres. Ten empty drums and one wooden boat were also recovered from the suspects.Investigation revealed that the product was being transported to the Republic of Benin. We plan to arrest their mastermind so that we can curb this economic sabotage, he said. Leaders of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) have apologised to monarchs and community leaders in Sagamu, Ogun State, for the killings of... Leaders of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) have apologised to monarchs and community leaders in Sagamu, Ogun State, for the killings of 12 Yoruba villagers by people suspected to be Niger Delta militants.The INC condoled with the families that lost their loved ones and property, when the suspected militants invaded the communities.The Ijaw leaders said the perpetrators of the killings were criminals.Imushin, Elepete, Igbo-Olomu and two others in Ogijo-Sagamu area of Ogun State were reportedly attacked by suspected militants.The Chairman, Bayelsa Elders Council, Chief Francis Dokpola, who led a delegation of the INC to the Palace of Akarigbo of Remoland in Sagamu, Oba Adeniyi Sonariwo, yesterday, said the suspected militants were not sent by them.The delegation was received at the Akarigbos Palace by Oba Sonariwos representative, the Odofin of Sanyindo, Oba Samuel Gisanrin; Oba Oladele Dawodu, Onigbepa of Igbepa Sagamu Oba Solagbade Tijani, Alado of Ado Sagamu Oba Mufutau Adeoye Sanni, leaders of the Yoruba Unity Forum, led by Mr. Yinka Odumakin and others.Addressing the Yoruba leaders, Dokpola said they were at the Akarigbo Palace to pay a condolence visit and discuss the issue with them on how to bring lasting peace to the troubled communities.He said those who carried out the attacks on the villagers were bunkerers and criminals and not militants or Ijaw people living peacefully among the Yoruba.The chairman noted that their kinsmen, who lived in the areas, did not flee after the incident, because they were not the perpetrators of the violence.These Ijaw people have stayed with you for many years. They did not leave the place after the incident. It means they are not the ones that did it.Those who carried out the carnage are bunkerers and criminals. Ijaw people could be among them, Igbo could be there and Ghanaian could be part of the criminals.Militants are not killing people; yet they are causing economic sabotage. But killing human beings cannot resolve the matter.The security should go after the criminals. INC will investigate. We dont send them to kill people. We dont know them. It behoves the Police, the Army, Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest the criminals. On our part, we are investigating and we will submit the report to the appropriate authority.We are sorry for what has happened. Our leaders are disturbed; Ijaw people are disturbed, Dokpola said.Other Ijaw leaders in the delegation include Chairman, Lagos State INC Chief Patrick Keku; Chairman Ijaw Youth Council, Lagos State, Boma Johnbull and leader of Ijaw Monitoring Group, Andrew Elija.Oba Gisanrin hailed the meeting, saying such criminal act would not happen again.The oba agreed that the people that attacked the villagers were not Ijaw people, but criminals.But the YUF and INC yesterday called for the establishment of state and community police to tackle the spate of attacks and killings in Ogun riverine communities.YUF and INC said although the Nigeria Police were doing their best to protect lives and properties, he said state and community policing might be the lasting solution to security challenges in Ogun and other parts of country.Odumakin said the YUF was disturbed by attacks and killings, and hence the need to chart the way forward to forestall such in future.He said the way out of the problem was for the government to consider the option of state and community policing to deal with crimes.Odumakin said: The consensus we have reached here today is that the perpetrators are criminals, who go about disturbing the peace and killing people.We have given the Police the mandate to go after the criminals, arrest them and let them face the law. Nobody condones criminality. This must come to an end and whoever they are, they must be smoked out, dealt with and allow peace to reign in our communities.We have also said here today that this kind of conflict have brought to fore, the need for state and community policing in Nigeria. Single policing has proved that they are helpless in this kind of situation. Weeks after killing and maiming innocent residents while raiding communities in Ogun state, suspected Niger Delta militants have blown up ... Weeks after killing and maiming innocent residents while raiding communities in Ogun state, suspected Niger Delta militants have blown up a gas pipeline in PZ Estate in the Ogijo area of the state.Members of the community told Channels Television that the incident, which is the first known attack on a pipeline in the south-west under President Muhammadu Buhari, occurred late Tuesday.Apart from Imo state in the south-east, where a Shell pipeline was blown last month, all other attacks in recent times have happened in the south-south, mainly Delta state.The suspects in Ogun were said to have attacked the facility while pretending to be officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on maintenance patrol.The affected pipeline is said to serve an 11.4 distribution line for some companies in Ikorodu, Lagos state.The scene of the attack has been cordoned off by security personnel.Though officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) believe it is too early to conclude on the identity of those behind the attack, sabotage of such nature has been orchestrated by the creek manors.Mohammed Tijani, divisional police officer (DPO) of Ogijo police station, said investigations were ongoing.What we heard is that during the day, some people disguised as NNPC staff. They reportedly came with two Hilux vehicles and pretended as if they carried out some repairs, he said.Later at night, the explosion occurred.The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the group which has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks under the current administration, has threatened to storm Lagos.The group said its aim is to cripple the nations economy.After threatening to clampdown on the militants, President Muhammadu Buhari appealed to them to give peace a chance.Nigerias production capacity, which sunk to an all-time low as a result of the attacks, soared during a two-week ceasefire declared by the militants.However, the group resumed hostilities some weeks back, accusing the government of insincerity. British's new Prime Minister, Theresa May, has reshuffled her country's cabinet hours after she became Prime Minister. British's new Prime Minister, Theresa May, has reshuffled her country's cabinet hours after she became Prime Minister.George Osborne was sacked as Chancellor and replaced by Philip Hammond. Boris Johnson is the new Foreign Secretary and Amber Rudd was appointed Home Secretary.Michael Fallon will continue as Secretary of State for Defence while Liam Fox will head a new department for international trade.Mrs May also vowed to lead a government that works for all not just the "privileged few". Nigeria is in need of $164 million in humanitarian funding to prevent thousands of deaths from malnutrition in its war-torn northeast, a... Nigeria is in need of $164 million in humanitarian funding to prevent thousands of deaths from malnutrition in its war-torn northeast, a United Nations humanitarian coordinator said this week.The ongoing conflict between Nigerias military and the Boko Haram insurgency is to blame for the growing hunger crisis in the northeast, humanitarian officials say.The seven-year-old war has disrupted planting and marketplaces, killed more than 20,000 people and forced 2.7 million to flee in Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon, Chad and Niger, reports VOA.Weve got as many as 250,000 children in the northeast of Nigeria who are severely acutely malnourished and we could lose up to 50,000 children before the end of the year if we dont scale up right now, Toby Lanzer, the U.N.s regional humanitarian coordinator for the Sahel, told VOA.The northeast coordinator for Nigerias National Emergency Management Agency Muhammed Kanar said camps in the northeast set up to house people displaced by the Boko Haram conflict are swelling with new arrivals. The situation is getting overwhelming, because of the liberation of [displaced people] from local governments, liberated communities, Kanar said.One camp in the town of Monguno recently grew from 4,000 people to 30,000, and he expects it to grow further. Lanzer said 4.4 million people in northeastern Nigeria are severely food insecure, but the country doesnt have the resources to tackle this problem alone.The price of oil, Nigerias top export, has declined globally, and the country has been particularly hard-hit by militant attacks on its petroleum infrastructure that have dropped production from around two million barrels per-day to about 1.5 million barrels.The economy contracted in the first quarter, and many economists believe Africas biggest economy is poised to enter a recession. Last week, the IMFs representative in the country told Bloomberg News that he expects Nigerias economy to shrink overall this year.Lanzer says international donors need to step in to stop thousands of deaths from malnutrition. Nigerias fiscal situation is such that the country is stretched. And to expect Nigeria to step up all the way to type of levels of assistance that are required may be a very big ask for the international community, Lanzer said.In total, $221 million needs to be raised for the four countries affected by the fighting and resulting food insecurity. The crisis may worsen. Last week, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network said famine could already be occurring in parts of northeastern Nigeria that aid agencies cant reach.(VOA) The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, has kicked against the purported plot by a section of the Senate to impeach Preside... The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, has kicked against the purported plot by a section of the Senate to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari.The Secretary-General of Afenifere, Pa Sehinde Arogbofa, said the solution to the problem facing the country was not the impeachment of the President. He called on the National Assembly to settle whatever the problem it had with the President for the country to move forward.Arogbofa added, What have they done to correct the situation of the country? It is their government, it is an APC government. What have they done within their party internally to make things better? We have been hearing of corruption everywhere even among them. I dont think they (members) are sincere with the move of saying they want to impeach the President.Their hands are not clean; if they are clean, people will support them; if their hands are clean, they will not be talking about pension and gratuities and other benefits for themselves, when people are hungry; when people are dying on the street; no food, no work for people and they are doing nothing about it.The Afenifere chieftain charged the National Assembly and the APC-led government to find solutions to the problems of the country rather than taking issue with the President.Let them go and settle the internal problem they have within themselves and give Nigeria better government. Nothing is moving. We need better government; it is not the impeachment of the President that we need now in Nigeria, the Afenifere secretary stated.Also the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said, The impeachment clause is a provision in our constitution and no one can query its use if there is a reasonable need for it.But as it is, we are dealing with a breaking rumour. The country will look at the grounds upon which such action is being contemplated if it ever comes on stream. For now, we have no such thing before us and we therefore cannot form any reasonable opinion yet.The Secretary-General of the pan-Igbo organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, declined comments when one of our correspondents contacted him on Wednesday.I dont want to make any comments on this matter. Let the political parties make their decisions, Nwaorgu said.We wont support impeachment motivated by vengeance OhanaezeBut the President of Ohanaeze Youth Council, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said Ohanaeze would not support the impeachment of the President if it was motivated by vengeance.He, however, believed that Buhari should be impeached if he had committed an impeachable offence.Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone, Isiguzoro said, If the President has committed any offence that warrants his impeachment, I think it will be in order to impeach him, but if it is done out of vengeance, malice or anger, especially because of the ongoing prosecution of the Senate leadership, then we will not support it.We advise the President to reconcile with the leadership of the Senate. He should stop the prosecution of the principal officers.We also advise Mr. President to stop his Northernisation agenda. He should not continue to appoint only people from the North.In the same vein, we also advise the Senate to tread carefully. Impeachment is a serious matter and they should be careful so as to avoid any crisis that could undermine democracy in this country.We dont want anything that could lead to another military intervention in Nigeria.Neither the Chairman of the pan-northern socio-political group, the Arewa Consultative Forum, and former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Commassie, nor the National Publicity Secretary of the group, Alhaji Muhammadu Ibrahim, returned several calls to their mobiles on Wednesday.Also, there was no response to text messages sent to their telephones.The President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Mr. Malachy Ugwummadu, described the alleged impeachment threat against the President as one joke too many.Ugwummadu, a lawyer, insisted that the AGF, under the constitution, has the power to institute criminal proceedings against anybody and take over as may deem fit.He said, I think it is one joke too many. The National Assembly, particularly, the Senate, must recognise that they (members) are there in representative capacity whereby their duty includes that of lawmaking, oversight duties and budgetting.However, this penchant of overreaching the other arms of government as though it is more of competition than collaboration doesnt augur well at all.Reacting to the allegation of the threat of an impeachment against Buhari, the Senator, representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, who was at the closed-door session of the upper chamber on Tuesday, denied the existence of such a plot.Melaye, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, described the report as false and the handiwork of individuals, who believed that a Nigeria that was not led by them must not exist.In a statement he signed, he described the allegation as the narrative of the attack dogs of demagogues who have decided to turn Nigeria upside down for failing to choose leaders for Senators.Melaye said, It is pertinent to note that the incredulously machinated misinformation was orchestrated by forces bent on destabilising the upper chambers of the Nigerian parliament for selfish reasons. Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State on Wednesday described the plan of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to reclaim the state i... Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State on Wednesday described the plan of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to reclaim the state in the September 10 gubernatorial election as a campaign dead on arrival.Governor Oshiomhole, who stated this during a stakeholders meeting of the All Progressive Congress in Benin, note that absence of the PDP governors at the flag-off of the party governorship campaign showed that they had already rejected the candidate of one of its factions.He said, The campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party for the forthcoming governorship election in the state is dead on arrival. Whether you like it or not, the PDP engine is dead on arrival.The early morning signals are clear. For the first time since 1999, a candidate was being presented to the people of Edo State for the most important single job and the key pillars were there fastened to their chairs and their tables, none of them could stand on their feet to say one word.Ahead of the official flag-off of the gubernatorial campaign of the APC, he said that while the ruling party was the only party that offers hope to all our people, the PDP lacked the support of its leadership.Oshiomhole said, While the PDP couldnt get any national person of note to present a tattered flag, our own national chairman will be around, as a former governor, former federal permanent secretary and national chairman of the governing party to present the flag to our candidate.My brother governors will be coming from Friday; all the progressives governors will be here to show solidarity. We are not going to be represented by one governor. The governors will come.The governor, who recently reconciled with his deputy, Pius Odubu, over the emergence of the partys flag bearer, said, I submit and I decree that the fact that he (Odubu) readily accepted in the manner that he did shows that he knew that he has a stake in this house because his sweat together with your sweat was used to mold the blocks with which this house was built.The reason the Deputy Governors position is extremely important is that there is nobody that has any reason to be more aggrieved in status, in rank than him, he added. Acting in the capacity of President Muhammadu Buhari while away in the United Kingdom on a 10-day medical vacation, Prof Yemi Osinbajo sen... Acting in the capacity of President Muhammadu Buhari while away in the United Kingdom on a 10-day medical vacation, Prof Yemi Osinbajo sent to the senate, name of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Mustapha Magu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP for screening and subsequent confirmation as the substantive Chairman of the anti- graft agency.In a letter which was read today at Senate Plenary by the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, President Buhari also sought the Senates approval of Nasule Moses; Lawan Maman; Garandaji Imam Naji- and Adeleke Abebayo Rafiu to be confirmed as members of the board of the EFCC.The letter which was signed by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo as Acting President, read, The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act of 2004 established the commission and makes it responsible among other things for the coordination and enforcement of all Economic and Financial Crime Laws and Enforcement functions conferred on any person or authority.Section 2 (1) of the Act also provides that the Commission shall consists of a Chairman who shall: Be the chief executive and accounting officer of the commission; Be a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of assistant commissioner of police or equivalent and Possess not less than 15 years cognate experience.Apart from other ex-officio members of the commission provided for in section 2. The Act also provides for four eminent Nigerians with any cognate experience of the following that is finance, banking, law and accounting.Section 2 (3) further provides that chairman and members of his commission other than ex-officio members shall be appointed by the president and the appointment shall be subject to confirmation of the senate.Section 3 of the Act provides that the chairman and members of the commission other than the ex-officio members shall hold office for a period of four years and maybe reappointed for further term of four years and no more.In view of the following, I hereby draw your excellencys attention to the vacancy that existed in the EFCC. Having carefully considered eminently suitable qualified Nigerians for the vacant position. I am pleased to inform you of the appointment of the following and to propose them for confirmation of the Senate as provided by the EFCC Act.1.Magu Ibrahim Mustapha, ACP- Chairman2. Nasule Moses- Member3. Lawan Maman- Member4. Garandaji Imam Naji- Member5.Adeleke Abebayo Rafiu-MemberThe curriculum vitae of the appointee are attached for the information of the distinguished senators. I hope the screening will as usual be carried out expeditiously by the distinguished senate.Please accept the assurances of my highest regards. Professor Yemi Osinbajo Acting President The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has justified its continued detention of former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Iyiol... The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has justified its continued detention of former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Iyiola Omisore.The EFCC gave details of its findings as regard how states funds were allegedly transferred to Omisore from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).It said its investigation of Omisores alleged involvement in the diversion of states funds through the ONSA was still on-going and that it would need to hold on to the ex-Deputy Governor to prevent him from absconding.An EFCCs investigator, Kassim Yusuf, said these in a counter-affidavit the commission filed against an application for bail filed by Omisore before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.Yusuf, who stated that Omisores arrest and detention were backed by court orders, said the commission was planning to invite a number of the ex-Deputy Governors associates, who he named during interrogation.He said the EFCC is investigating cases of alleged payments $ade by the office of immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) to individuals and companies, with nothing to show for it.In one of the alleged cases which the 1st respondent (EFCC) is investigating, the name of the applicant (Omisore) featured prominently as a sole signatory to Firmex Gilt Ltds bank account domiciled at United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc.A copy of a letter to UBA, forwarding signatory mandate card and statement of account of Firmex Gilt Ltd is hereby attached.Several payments were also made by the office of the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki Trtd) into the bank account of Sylvan Menamara Ltd domiciled at Diamond Bank, with nothing to show for for it.Copies of e-payment schedules from ONSA and statement of accounts of Sylvan Menamara Ltd are hereby attached.From Sylvan Menamara Ltds Diamondaccount, the sum of N160,000,000 was deposited into the said account on 4th August, 2014 by the then NSA. Thus sum was subsequently transferred into Firmex Gilt Ltds bank account domiciled at UBA Plc on 8th August 2014.Investigation so far carried out, reveals that the applicant received hundreds of millions of naira from the office of the National Security Adviser, with nothing to show for it.In the course of interviewing the applicant, he has mentioned names of persons and companies through which monies from the office of the National Security Adviser got to him.There is need to those persons and companies mentioned by the applicant to make some clarification. If the applicant is granted bail, he will interfere with witnesses and he will also prejudice and frustrate our on-going investigation, Yusuf said.Arguing the counter-affiadvit yesterday, EFCCs lawyer, Takon Ndifon argued that Omisores detention was not unlawful and did not amount to an abuse of his rights.He contended that the fundamental rights enforcement suit initially filed before the court by Omisore, was merely intended to frustrate his investigation.Ndifon stated that Omisore was invited by the EFCC on April 11, in relation to the investigation, but promised to honour the invitation on April 14.Instead of honouring the invitation in line with his rescheduled date of 14th April, 2016, he came and misled this court by obtaining an order of interim injunction restraining the 1st respondent (EFCC) from unlawfully arresting and detaining him without following the due process of law, Ndifon said.He stated that his agency, in compliance with the law, obtained a warrant of arrest and remand warrant to keep the applicant in its custody for 14 days pending the conclusion of its investigation and the arraignment of the applicant in court.Ndifon faulted Omisores claim to ill health, noting that he did not mention his ailment in his motion and that he also failed to establish that his purported ailment cannot be treated in the country.We further submit that, based on the applicants antecedent, if he is granted bail, he will abscond and he will never willingly present himself to the 1ts respondent for arraignment before any court of law.Omisores lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN) urged the court to grant his client bail. He faulted Omisores continued detention and argued that the court, having restrained the EFCC from arresting him, his current detention was illegal.Uche also referred to his cleints ill health, which he said required that he be released from custody and allowed to attend to seek medical attention outside the country.Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, after listening to parties, fixed ruling for Friday. The House of Representatives on Thursday, resolved to probe issues surrounding bailout funds given to states by the Federal Government. ... The House of Representatives on Thursday, resolved to probe issues surrounding bailout funds given to states by the Federal Government. It said that it would set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the terms and conditions of disbursement of the funds. The ad hoc committee, according to the lawmakers, will investigate utilization of the funds, level of compliance with targets and determine the necessity of further disbursement as being planned by the Federal Government.This followed a motion raised under Matters of Urgent National Importance by Rep. Sunday Karimi (PDP)-Kogi), which was unanimously adopted by members through a voice vote. Moving the motion, Karimi said that the need to investigate the disbursement and utilisation of the funds was geared toward ensuring the welfare of citizens in the affected states.He explained that the Federal Government approved and disbursed N689.5 billion to 27 states in July, 2015, and gave N20 billion to Kogi four months ago.The lawmaker expressed dismay that many of the beneficiary-states had failed to utilize the funds for payment of workers salaries and had continued to owe the workers their salaries. He disclosed that reports had alleged that many state governments lodged the bailout funds in interest-bearing accounts and allowed their employees to continue to wallow in hunger and lack. States like Abia, Osun, Bayelsa, Benue, Ekiti, Kwara, Plateau, Oyo, Delta, Niger, Ogun, Nasarawa, Kogi, among others, are still owing workers salaries for several months. Contributing to the motion, House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, said that the intention of giving out the bailout funds was good, but that the application seemed to be wrongly done.He said that in order to have transparency, the house should look into the matter and avoid same mistake in the bailout to be given soon. Also contributing, Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, said that based on the provisions of the Constitution, the house was empowered to look into the methodology and legality of the bailout funds. Dino Melaye, the senator representing Kogi west senatorial district at the national assembly, says it is impossible for him to impregnate ... Dino Melaye, the senator representing Kogi west senatorial district at the national assembly, says it is impossible for him to impregnate Oluremi Tinubu, who represents Lagos central senatorial district, because she has already arrived menopause.Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Melaye refuted reports that he threatened, during a closed door session of the senate on Tuesday, to beat up Tinubu and impregnate her.He said he did not use any insolent, abusive, or degrading language when the disagreement ensued.It is malicious and a lie that I said I would impregnate Mrs Tinubu, Melaye said.Biologically, it is even impossible to impregnate Mrs Tinubu because she has arrived menopause. How can you say you want to beat somebody and at the same time impregnate the person.Melaye explained that he only told the senate that since it had passed a resolution saying that its rules were not forged, senators who went to court should withdraw the case of face suspension.Unfortunately, Senator Oluremi Tinubu got up and was recognised to speak and immediately she started speaking, she specifically mentioned my name, he said.For reasons only known to Senator Remi Tinubu, she got up and the first thing she said was that she was being harassed in this chamber by Senator Melaye at this point.She went ahead to say that why would he come here and be threatening senators and there was a large chorus from senators. At that point I was still calm. She got up again and said that this thug must be tamed. At that point, I got up and told her that she was very stupid.The next statement from her was You are a dog. She called me a dog, and when she called me a dog I stood up and reacted and I told her that this was not bourdillon and she should look at my face, I am not one of those senators who normally come to prostrate to them in bourdillon and I am from Kogi and not from Lagos.He also said that there was no talk about the reported impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari.Somehow she got falsehood sold to SaharaReporters; nobody among those of us who spoke there talked about impeachment. The issue of the presidency was not the subject matter. But because of deliberate wickedness and satanic manifestation, they brought in the issue of presidency to garnish their aim and purpose. Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has advised wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, to wait till end of his tenure on October 16, 2018,... Fayose, in a letter by his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, a copy of which was made available to reporters in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, said he enjoys constitutional immunity from civil and criminal proceedings as governor.The governor said the statement he made regarding the alleged involvement of Mrs. Buhari in the Halliburton scandal was correct and justified in law, having regards to a court judgment convicting Mr. William Jefferson of bribery in the case.The counsel to Mrs. Buhari, Mary Ekpere & Co, had written to Fayose on June 22, demanding a retraction of the governors statement that her client (Mrs. Buhari) was involved in the Halliburton scandal.The legal firm threatened a legal action, if the retraction was not made within five days.However, Ozekhome said Fayoses statement was correct and justified, having been factually premised on an existing court judgment.The letter reads: Our client has referred to us your letter of June 22, 2016, on the alleged defamation of the character of your client, the wife of Muhammadu Buhari, with firm instructions to reply to and reject same.Our client states and reaffirms that the statement he made as regards the involvement of Mrs. Aisha Buhari, in the Halliburton scandal, is correct and justified in law; having regards to a court judgment convicting Mr. William Jefferson for bribery in the Halliburton case.Therein, the name of the Presidents wife featured conspicuously. On Page 22 of the judgment delivered by the United States District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division, USA, in Criminal No 1: 07CR209, Mr. William Jefferson was sentenced at 9 am on November 13, 2009, by Mark D, Lytle. Your client, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, was mentioned in the judgment. The judge referred to exhibits 36-87 in the following words, for clarification;See also Government Exhibits 36-87 (6/26/02 $170,000 wire transfer from account in Nigeria in the name of Aisha Buhari to an account in the name of The ANJ Group, LLC, identifying William Jefferson as beneficiary) Given the age of the defendant, the severity of the sentence calculated by the Probation Office, the defendants frequent travel overseas and unexplained wire transfers from overseas locations to financial accounts used by the defendant, the defendant cannot rebut the presumption at sentencing that he is a risk of flight.The statement added: Williams Jefferson is serving a jail term in the USA and to the best of our clients knowledge, this judgment has not been challenged or set aside by any appellate court of law anywhere in the world.The statement of our client, is therefore correct and justified, same having been factually premised on an existing court judgment above referred to.On the immunity enjoyed by Fayose against civil and criminal proceedings, the senior advocate said: Your attention is also drawn to Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as altered, on the immunity enjoyed by our client from civil or criminal proceedings for the period that he occupies the office of the governor of Ekiti State.You may, therefore, advise your client to wait until after October 16, 2018, when our clients tenure expires. When that happens, we shall join issues with your client in a competent court of law, in the event that your client does not have a change of heart. Ardo Basso, leader of the Fulani community in Enugu state, says it is not possible to prevent herdsmen from carrying machetes and daggers... Ardo Basso, leader of the Fulani community in Enugu state, says it is not possible to prevent herdsmen from carrying machetes and daggers.He said so long herdsmen do not harass residents, they can go about armed in residential areas and market places.Basso was however opposed to the carrying of guns, calling on security agencies to arrest those caught with firearms without licence.Basso said this on Wednesday while testifying at the commission of inquiry into the Nimbo killings in the Uzo Uwani local government area of Enugu.I dont like the way our people carry guns but it is a police matter and any herdsman held carrying gun without licence should be arrested, he said.But there is no how you will tell a herdsman not to carry dagger and machete.We use the machete to clear the road and rescue our cattle while the dagger is to promptly slaughter any cattle in distress if not it will be a terrible loss to us.He called on the state government to set up a biometric centre to register herdsmen in the state, saying Enugu had recorded an unprecedented influx of herdsmen, including Shua Arabs, whom he said, were strange to the Fulani community in the state.Basso said that taking biometric registration of herdsmen would also discourage cattle rustling in the state.He said that the influx of strange herdsmen had contributed to the heightened insecurity in many rural communities in the state, adding that some were moving freely without any form of identification.Before we enter any community we usually meet with traditional rulers and town union presidents of such communities and even with the police, he said.But our brothers who come from other parts of the country to graze between the months of December through March just enter without telling anybody and these are the people causing trouble.I have lived in Enugu State for 34 years while some have been here for upwards of 40 years. Those of our people that live here dont foment trouble in our locality.The major problems we have are the Fulani herdsmen and others that come into the state from Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and Niger states. Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has realised over N1.4 trillion in its operations in the first quarter of 2016. Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has realised over N1.4 trillion in its operations in the first quarter of 2016.Umar Danbatta, professor and executive vice chairman of the commission, said in Kano on Wednesday while paying a courtesy call on Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of the state.Dambatta revealed that the generated money was part of their contribution to the countrys gross domestic product (GDP).He also said multiple taxation, coupled with obstruction of right of way for development in states of the federation has been identified as the major challenge militating against the growth and development of telecom service providers in the country.Danbatta urged Ganduje to mobilize his counterparts in the 19 northern states to fashion out modalities of a downward review of the multiple taxation imposed on telecommunication industries in Nigeria.According to him, his mission in Kano, among others is to draw the attention of the state government to the resolution of the National Economic Council (NEC) on multiple taxation, levies and charges on ICT infrastructure in Nigeria to which all state Governors accented to, which calls for urgent downward review.He disclosed that Lagos state government has already commenced the full implementation of the provisions of these recommendations, which has become a model from which other states can borrow a leaf.Danbatta emphasized that the resolution has ample provisions for addressing these challenges of multiple taxation and levies, including obstacles to right of way in which NCC observed that most agencies of state governments are either unaware of have failed to implement the provisions of NEC documents in their scheme of planning, implementation and service delivery.He said that about 40 million have been denied access to service delivery by operators, due to their formation impediments, which has made it difficult for service providers to deliver excellent and efficient services to their numerous subscribers.Danbatta, note that the realization of these objectives will depend largely on the level of support and partnership that we are able to establish with critical stakeholders, like state governors in achieving the set objectives.Also, the NCC boss said that the issue of achieving broadband penetration target and associated benefits is of mutual benefits and importance to the telecom regulator, to the federal government, the citizens and particularly state governments, which would enhance their sources of revenue in various ways other than taxes and charges that are capable of driving away investments.The executive vice chairman emphasised that Nigeria was one of the fastest growing nations in the communication sector in the world.Apart from providing home to the Zonal office of the Commission for the entire Northern part of the country in the last two decades, Kano is also host to one of the three major campuses of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), a human capacity building institute established by the NCC in 2005, Danbatta said.Today more than 78 million people in Nigeria have access to the Internet. And we are all witnesses to the level of growth of the use and application of the social media and Internet-related products and services. HACKENSACK -- Bergen County Freeholders on Wednesday introduced a ban on exotic or wild animal shows on county property, The Record reported. The League of Humane Voters pushed for the ban after years of protesting at local circus events. The ordinance would ban exotic animals including tigers, snakes, kangaroos and elephants. Aside from circuses, it would keep such animals from being exhibited at carnivals, trade shows, or other events where "the animals have no permanent residence or are removed from their permanent residence for a period of more than 18 hours at a time for the purpose of performance or exhibition." It has some exemptions, including zoos. Gov. Chris Christie recently signed a law that would prohibit the remains of exotic animals like lions and cheetahs from being imported into the state. A group including conservationists who advocate hunting, taxidermists and hunters have challenged the law in court. Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. PARAMUS -- A Bloomfield man broke into two Paramus businesses and stole $3,000, police said. Police say video footage caught Mark Piacenza, 34, of Bloomfield, during burglaries at Paramus businesses. (Paramus Police) Mark A. Piacenza, 34, was charged on Monday with two counts of burglary and one count of attempted burglary. The break-ins happened July 6 at about 7 p.m., Paramus Police Chief Kenneth R. Ehrenberg said. Three storefront glass doors were broken at a strip mall on Route 17 southbound. The cash registers at SuperJuice Nation and Supercuts were broken open, Ehrenberg said. A small safe was taken from SuperJuice Nation. PetValue also had its glass door broken, but nothing was taken, Ehrenberg said. A video recording caught Piacenza as he committed the burglaries, Ehrenberg said. Paramus Detective Nicholas Luciano put out the pictures via a statewide all points bulletin. Madison Police Department identified the man as Piacenza on July 8, Ehrenberg said. Police there sought him for similar crimes. The same day, Luciano learned Newark Police had arrested Piacenza on unrelated charges, Ehrenberg said. Luciano interviewed Piacenza Monday. Piacenza admitted to the burglaries, Ehrenberg said. Piacenza led police to the location of the SuperJuice safe and other proceeds from the burglaries, Ehrenberg said. He was sent to Essex County Jail on $10,000 bail. Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. WILDWOOD -- A citizen reporting early-morning trespassers at an abandoned Wildwood property last week led police to the arrest of a man on sexual assault charges. Haronid Rosario-Falcon, 27, lured a 13-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy to a location on West Oak Avenue after falsely telling them there was a party there, police said. When the trio arrived, the citizen of the Dominican Republic brought the boys to what police described as a secluded location. He then tried to perform sex acts on them, authorities said. After being tipped off about three possible trespassers, police showed up and arrested Rosario-Falcon. He was also charged with criminal sexual contact and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child when taken into custody at about 4:30 a.m. on July 7. Rosario-Falcon was held on $175,000 bail with no 10 percent option at the Cape May County jail. As of 1:15 p.m. Thursday, he remained held there. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. The column that apologizes for the lack of consistency -- Good morning! -- Was at Cumberland County College Wednesday night and saw a bunch of Pokemon players around the campus. I have to admit it was really cool to watch. Also Cumberland County College is full of pidgeys and rattatas. -- "Many Americans believe that history in the United States began when the Europeans arrived. If you were to ask Salem County residents, 'Who were the earliest inhabitants of this region?' they would most likely answer the English, Swedes, Dutch, or Finns. While they were indeed the earliest Colonists to arrive, the earliest inhabitants were actually the Lenni Lenape Indians. "Our guest speakers for this evening will be Mark Gould and his wife Gail Gould. They will speak about the challenges the Nanticoke-Lenni Lenape have faced, and continue to face in their efforts to hold and promote their heritage. "The Lenni-Lenape have inhabited South Jersey for over 10,000 years. For many years it has been difficult for the general public to obtain factual and reliable information about these important people in our shared history. Information about the Native Americans in the area has been limited and at times distorted. "Mark Gould has been tribal leader and Chief of the Nanticoke-Lenape for 40 years will tell you about the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation and the members descended from five native families from Southern NJ and the Delmarva Peninsula. These families chose to remain in their ancestral homeland in Salem, Cumberland, and Gloucester Counties, determined to keep their land and their culture alive. "Mark's wife Gail, is also of Lenni-Lenape heritage and manages the tribal headquarters and office in Bridgeton. Gail will speak of her first-hand experiences and the lack of information in modern day textbooks indicating that many students in public schools today rarely learn about the history of South Jersey's earliest inhabitants, they instead have developed their information from inaccurate age-old portrayals from wild West type movies which lacks the rich, modern day, discussions about the Lenni-Lenape and their truly gentle culture. Many of today's adults are equally unaware of the past and present challenges the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape have faced in their efforts to hold onto and promote their heritage. "Come join us for what is certain to be a very informative program about the Nanticoke Lenni Lenape people of Southern N.J., the services and contributions they provide in our shared communities, and the educational initiatives and programs they offer. If you are unable to join us in person, you can learn about the Nanticoke Lenni Lenape Tribal Nation -- the original people of the Delaware Bay Region, by visiting their official government website at http://nanticoke-lenapetribalnation.org/ and visit http://nanticoke-lenapetribalnation.org/home/tribal-museum-under-construction/ to learn about their educational programs and museum being constructed at their tribal land in Fairton. This meeting is open to the public and will be held at the Senior and Community Center, 69 Spruce Street, Pennsville. on July 20 at 7:00 p.m. "Light refreshments will be available following the meeting and presentation. For more information call Don Walton 856-381-2510 or Email historyofpennsville@gmail.com." - Pennsville Historical Society -- Millville's Crime Watch Unit and Taking Back Millville are holding a special community event Saturday, Aug. 27 from noon till 3 p.m. at Captain Buck Park, according to Mary Messeck. Everyone is invited. There will be food, games and special information. -- Messeck recently did the honor of referring to me as a community member. To be completely honest, it was an honor to hear. Your move Bridgeton and Vineland. -- MY KIND OF TOWN: Where, if there was ever a nice thing to happen in the world, it could happen here Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Israel's newly appointed ambassador to Egypt David Govrin is set to arrive in the Egyptian capital Sunday to begin his diplomatic mission, replacing the current Israeli ambassador of two years Haim Koren. Govrin, who served in the Cairo embassy in the 1990s as first secretary, was named the new Israeli envoy to Egypt last February following Koren's request to return to Israel for "personal reasons" after only two years at the post. According to media reports, the new 53-year-old ambassador served most recently as the head of the Jordan and Morocco desk at the Israeli foreign ministry. Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid told Ahram Online Tuesday that the Israeli Ambassador was appointed several months ago but was has not been working in any capacity in Cairo until now. The reasons behind the Israeli ambassador's undertaking of operations from outside of Egypt following his appointment remain unknown. His arrival in Cairo next week comes only days after Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry's visit to Israel on Sunday, the first by an Egyptian foreign minister since 2007. Search Keywords: Short link: Making a round of TV appearances to promote the current season of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," Teresa Giudice has appeared the picture of calm. Released from prison this past winter after serving almost a year for bankruptcy fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, Giudice, 44, remains the star of the Bravo reality show. Now, instead of throwing tables and screaming at her castmates, she's taken up yoga -- that and beaming contentedly. But when Giudice made an appearance on "Access Hollywood Live" Thursday with her sister-in-law, fellow cast member Melissa Gorga, something clearly set her off, enough for her to storm out of the frame. The awkward moment transpired when guest host Dave Karger asked a question about Joe Giudice, Teresa's husband. "Do you worry that it's the end of your family unit as you know it?" he asked. "Because there is all of this talk that Joe could be deported since he's an Italian citizen. Do you think about that?" Joe Giudice is currently serving a 41-month term at the Federal Correctional Institution at Fort Dix for bankruptcy fraud, conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and tax evasion. Giudice may be deported after he finishes his sentence since he was born in Italy and never became a citizen of the U.S. "Um, next question, please?" Teresa Giudice replied. "I don't think that's something you should be asking." "Well, everybody's talking about it and it could be your reality," countered Kit Hoover, the show's regular co-host. "Sorry, I think that's really rude," Giudice said, claiming the topic would not come up in the reality show. As Hoover continued with another question, Giudice announced she was leaving, causing her microphone wires to trail behind her as Gorga stammered "OK, OK, OK, OK," and let out a deep sigh. Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook. Screen Shot 2016-07-14 at 10.42.32 AM.png Robert C. Garrett, co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health; Dr. Bonita Stanton, Founding Dean of the new School of Medicine; and Dr. A. Gabriel Esteban, President of Seton Hall University. (Courtesy Yasmeen Anderson Photography) NUTLEY -- A future medical school has signed a deal to build its permanent home on the site of a former biomedical campus in New Jersey. Seton Hall University and Hackensack Meridian Health announced in a joint release Thursday morning that they have signed an agreement to lease part of the former Hoffmann-La Roche campus in Nutley and Clifton. The 16-acres and two buildings they plan to lease will house the duo's new School of Medicine, which is slated to open in the Fall of 2018. The agreement, signed with the real estate development firm Prism Capital Partners, finalizes a plan initially announced by the two entities last January. The 25-year lease deal, set to begin this October, is pending local municipal approvals, officials said. The former Roche site will also house Seton Hall's College of Nursing and School of Health and Medical Sciences, which are currently located at the university's main campus in South Orange. "Seton Hall is proud to partner with Hackensack Meridian Health in the signing of this lease agreement to create a state-of-the-art health and medical sciences campus that will serve as the home for our new School of Medicine," University President A. Gabriel Esteban said in the release. "The new campus will allow us to become the preeminent center for Catholic-based health sciences education in the Northeast." As part of the partnership, officials said, Hackensack hospitals will serve as clinical teaching sites for Seton Hall students. Once completed, the site will be home to the only private medical school in the state. In a statement, Hackensack CEO Robert C. Garrett said he was "pleased" about the terms of the lease agreement. "The longevity of the lease indicates our confidence that this school of medicine will thrive and become one of the nation's best," he said. "We look forward to providing a world-class medical school on a world-class campus." Earlier this year, the school appointed pediatrician Bonita Stanton to serve as the new medical school's first dean. A Seton Hall spokeswoman declined to discuss the financial specifics of the lease agreement Thursday. School and hospital officials have promoted the project as one that will provide a needed "economic boost" to the region, which was hit by Hoffmann-La Roche's shuttering in 2014, which cost the area about 1,000 jobs. School officials say the new campus is expected to eventually serve about 1,600 students, as well as faculty, staff, and administrators. Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook. NEWARK -- It was a welcomed introduction to the kids who will likely be watching them play. Recently signed players with the New Jersey Devils lugged 75 cases of water into Newark's 13th Avenue School Wednesday, a donation met by cheers from summer school students and staff members. The drop-off on was the first donation made by Prudential Center and Pepsi Co. since school officials announced in March that elevated lead levels were found in drinking water at more than 30 city school buildings. Player Kevin Rooney, 23, said he enjoys helping out in the community he plays games in. "As players, we like to give back," Rooney said. Another thousand cases of donated water will be stored in a warehouse at the request of the school district, said Brian Fisher, director of public relations at the Prudential Center. The boxed water donation was the immediate remedy to the water crisis, Fisher said, but it isn't the last fix. "Our reaction (to learning about the leaded water) was 'how can we help? What can we do immediately?'" said Jeff Scott, vice president of community investment at Prudential. The companies are also looking into longer-term solutions, like various filtration systems that they could help bring to the schools in the future, Scott said. He was unable to say how much money the companies spent on the water, saying the water was collected by donations and sponsorships. In a statement to NJ Advance Media, the district said it plans to continue working with Prudential and Pepsi. "We are grateful for the donation and look forward to future partnerships," it said. Other companies have donated water following the discovery of contaminated water in Newark. Last month, Charles Sessa and Jeffrey Seidenberg of Harness Homes Group, a business that buys out and renovates homes in Newark, spent $10,000 to donate 50 boxes of water to John F. Kennedy High School. Since mid-March, Newark students who were enrolled in the lead water impacted-schools and centers were tested for elevated levels of lead in their blood. Officials said the level of lead in the water was attributable to the buildings' infrastructure, not to the water supply itself. Health officials also said the level of lead poisoning is less potent in drinking water with lead compared to ingesting lead paint chips. Katie Park may be reached at kpark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kathspark. Find NJ.com on Facebook. TRENTON -- An Ocean City firefighter who may lose his job for being a registered medical marijuana patient cannot proceed with a lawsuit against the city until he undergoes a departmental hearing, a state judge has ruled. If the case makes its way to court, it would likely to be the first of its kind in the state involving the legality of a public safety employee's use of medical marijuana. Another case, involving an NJ Transit employee who used medical marijuana, is pending. Veteran firefighter Donald Brad Wiltshire sued Ocean City in February for discrimination and violating the whistleblower act after he disclosed he uses cannabis to manage a rare and painful muscular condition. The city suspended him in October with the intent to fire him for violating the fire department's drug testing policy, according to the lawsuit. Last month, state Superior Court Judge J. Christopher Gibson, sitting in Cape May County, ruled that Wiltshire first must "exhaust the administrative process" by participating in a disciplinary hearing before he can sue. The Atlantic City Press was the first to report the June 9 court decision, on Wednesday. It will be up to Ocean City "to establish that the lawful use of medical marijuana has impaired the plaintiff's ability to perform his job responsibilities as a firefighter," according to the judge's decision. "The defendant's determination of impairment is based on mere suspicion and not supported by any expert or medical testimony," according to the decision. Wiltshire is serving his suspension on paid medical leave, according to court documents filed by Ocean City response to the suit. Ocean City's issues with the firefighter are broader than just his marijuana use, according to the brief the city filed in response to his lawsuit He also admitted to Fire Chief Christopher Breunig in October that he had taken the anti-seizure drug Klonopin for two years but stopped because it made him "drowsy." "His failure to disclose his use of both these prescribed drugs violated city policy and departmental rules and regulations," Ocean City Attorney Dorothy McCrosson's brief said. "That is not disputed, and that alone is sufficient reason for the city to move forward with disciplinary proceedings." Wiltshire's use of medical marijuana may be legal in New Jersey, but the law "does not bestow upon him a statutory right to continue to serve as a firefighter while he is using it," McCrosson wrote. Wiltshire, a firefighter since 1995, enrolled in the state-regulated marijuana program in 2013 to help treat Dystonia a painful illness affects eye, facial and jaw muscles and can be debilitating if not treated. Wiltshire's attorney, Louis Barbone of Atlantic City, could not be reached for comment. Ocean City's public information officer Doug Bergen declined to comment because the case involves a personnel matter under litigation. Wiltshire has the support of the Drug Policy Alliance of New Jersey, a lobbying and research organization that helped pass the medicinal marijuana law in New Jersey six years ago. "New Jersey has long honored its local first responders who make our communities safe. Brad Wiltshire is one of these heroes, with a spotless 20-year record of courage and service," said Roseanne Scotti, the group's executive director, noting his numerous commendations, including some for responding to the attack on the World Trade Center. "No individual and no family should be punished for following their doctor's order and the laws of their state." Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Abdel-Al said relations will only be normalised if Turkey refrains from commenting on Egyptian domestic affairs Cairo is ready to cooperate with any state, including Turkey, given it does not interfere in Egyptian domestic affairs, Egyptian speaker of parliament Ali Abdel-Al told Sputink news during an official visit to Russia. "My judgment on a matter is taken in balance with the opinion of the Egyptian people. We do not and we would not allow other states to interfere in our internal affairs. If a country respects this principle, we are ready to cooperate with any state, including Turkey," Abdel-Al said. Abdel-Al's comments came as a response to Sputnik in response to a question regarding Egypt's reaction to the improvement of relations between Turkey and several of its neighboring states, including Russia and Israel. Following Ankara's successful reconciliation with both Moscow and Tel Aviv, talks of a respite from three years of high tensions between Egypt and Turkey have dominated the media in both countries, with Turkish and Egyptian officials commenting on the issue of reconciliation. The relationship between the two countries deteriorated after the 2013 ouster of Egypts Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP). On Wednesday, Turkey's deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus said in an interview that his country would like to normalise ties with Egypt if it stays the execution of the Islamist former president, adding that Egypt should review the trials of Morsi and other Brotherhood leaders in independent courts. The pattern of back and forth statements between the two countries revolves around Turkey criticising Egyptian policies and domestic affairs, and Egypt firing back that Ankara should focus on its own internal issues. Last week, the Egyptian foreign ministry said it already has "reservations on dealing with Turkish leadership, which is adamant on adopting blundering regional polices," following the Turkish president's criticism of Egyptian leadership. The ministry stressed that Egypt's leadership was selected in a "free, democratic poll", adding that the "starting point of establishing a normal relationship between countries is respecting the will of the people." Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian MP's participation at an Iranian opposition rally in France was neither governmental nor official, Egypt's foreign ministry said in an official statement on Thursday. Earlier, Iran summoned Egypt's top envoy in Tehran to "strongly protest" the participation by the MPs in a rally held by oppositional National Council of Resistance in Iran (NCRI) on 9 July in France, referring to it as "a clear interference in our [Iranian] domestic affairs". In its Thursday statement, Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said that the Iranian summons of the Egyptian charge d'affairs in Tehran was to express Iran's denunciation of the Egyptian lawmakers' participation in a rally held by Iranian opposition. According to Abu Zeid, the top envoy, who was not identified, said that the participation by the Egyptian MPs was not representative of the Egyptian government and was not informed of the lawmakers' decision to attend the event, clarifying that the parliament enjoys independence due to its nature as a legislative authority separate from the executive authority. Cairo and Tehran officially severed diplomatic relations following Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979. However, in February 2013, ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi made a historic visit to Tehran, which was followed shortly thereafter by an official visit of then-Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In April 2013, a tourist group of more than 50 Iranians visited Upper Egypt as part of a bilateral tourism agreement between Cairo and Tehran signed in February of that month. However, soon afterward, under pressure from ultra-conservative Salafists, the ousted Islamist president cancelled incoming trips from Iran. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's General Prosecutor ordered on Thursday the detention of silo owners involved in local wheat procurement corruption, as well as the members of the governmental committee tasked of receiving the wheat. According to an official statement released by the General Prosecutor's office, top prosecutor Nabil Sadek also imposed a travel ban on the defendants. The statement added that the defendants face charges of "seizing public funds, forging official documents, and undermining the Egyptian economy and national security of the country". The statement by the General Prosecutor's office referred to investigations conducted by the public funds prosecutor which revealed that the local wheat was procured by the government on documents, but never delivered. According to investigations, the defendants replaced the local wheat with imported wheat that was lower in price and quality and illicitly seized the funds resulting from the difference in prices between the two shipments. The top prosecutor also issued an arrest warrant for the defendants pending trial and froze all of their assets and their families. Egypt has procured five million tons of domestic wheat, around 25 percent more than the targeted amount for this year. A parliamentary commission formed at the end of June has been tasked with looking into allegations that local wheat procurement figures are inflated, which may reveal further corruption. Search Keywords: Short link: Yemen's government threatened Thursday to boycott UN-brokered peace talks, on the eve of their expected resumption in Kuwait, unless Iran-backed rebels commit to the terms of a United Nations resolution. The UN said however that it still had not been informed of any boycott from any side while affirming that the talks were scheduled to resume on Friday after a two-week break. More than two months of negotiations between President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's Saudi-backed government and the Houthi rebels and their allies have failed to make any headway. "Our delegation will not travel to Kuwait until the United Nations fulfils its commitments" to pressure the rebels to "implement (Security Council) Resolution 2216," a presidency official told AFP from Riyadh. Security arrangements under Resolution 2216 require the rebels and their allies to withdraw from areas they have occupied since 2014, including Sanaa, and hand over heavy weapons. For the talks to resume, UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed must obtain "written guarantees from the other party to commit to the references of the talks that have been agreed on," including the resolution, said the source who requested anonymity. Hadi on Sunday warned his government would boycott the talks if the UN envoy insists on a roadmap stipulating a unity government that includes the insurgents. But in response to an AFP enquiry, a spokesman for the UN envoy said Ould Cheikh Ahmed "will return to Kuwait tomorrow (Friday) and the talks will resume as planned". "No delegation has yet announced that it will not participate," the source added. A government official said, however, that "a decision on the return to the negotiating table will be taken after the Arab summit," scheduled to take place in Nouakchott late this month. The UN envoy was still in Sanaa where he met with rebel leaders after holding consultations with Hadi in Riyadh on Tuesday. Hadi's government wants to re-establish its authority across the entire country, much of which is rebel-controlled, and restart a political transition interrupted when the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014. The rebels have conditioned their withdrawal on both sides agreeing on a new president to manage the transition. More than 6,400 people have been killed in Yemen since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi's government in March last year. Another 2.8 million people have been displaced and more than 80 percent of the population are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, according to UN figures. Search Keywords: Short link: Sudan will begin evacuating its nationals from Juba on Friday after fears that fresh fighting could erupt in South Sudan, which split from the north five years ago. South Sudanese voted for independence from Sudan under a peace agreement in 2011 but the world's newest country fell into a civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people. Hundreds have died in the latest round of violence that broke out in the South Sudanese capital ahead of the country's independence anniversary last week. Although a ceasefire has held since late Monday, the United Nations has warned of tension and the possibility of fresh fighting in Juba. Specially chartered evacuation flights have been taking foreign nationals out of the country since Wednesday. "The first flight evacuating Sudanese from South Sudan will arrive tomorrow," said a statement issued by Sudan Media Centre, an outlet close to the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service. "We have registered 2,000 Sudanese who want to return to their homeland," the statement quoted Sudanese government official Hajj Magid Suor as saying. He said Sudan will operate three to four flights daily to bring home its nationals. "Most of them are traders and those working in international NGOs. They are in thousands," Suor said. Commercial flights resumed to the South Sudanese capital on Thursday morning, with planes arriving almost empty and leaving full of people desperate to get out. Four days of intense battles last week between soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir and former rebels backing Vice President Riek Machar left hundreds dead in Juba and forced around 40,000 to flee their homes. Aid agencies are warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis with a lack of both water and food. But the latest bloodshed had so far not triggered a jump in the number of South Sudanese refugees arriving in Sudan, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said. "No substantial increase in the number of arrivals into Sudan has been observed since the eruption of violence in Juba on 8 July," OCHA said. UN officials say a key reason for this was that the latest fighting was not in areas along the border between the two countries, which otherwise would have led to a jump in refugee influx into Sudan. Also those South Sudanese who wanted to flee were possibly finding it difficult to travel to Sudan from Juba, a UN official told AFP. South Sudanese refugees have been entering Sudan since a civil war erupted in their country at the end of 2013. OCHA said 80,758 South Sudanese arrived in Sudan between January 1, 2016 and July 10, fleeing conflict and food shortages in their war-torn country. It did not say how many entered the country since the violence erupted in South Sudan. The majority of new arrivals have taken refuge in East Darfur. The latest violence marks a fresh blow to last year's deal for ending the conflict, which erupted when Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup. Kiir is a member of the Dinka tribe, while Machar is a Nuer, and the dispute has split the country along ethnic lines. Machar's sacking set off a cycle of retaliatory killings that split the poverty-stricken, landlocked country along ethnic lines. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than two million have been driven from their homes. The conflict has been characterised by horrific rights abuses, including gang rapes, the wholesale burning of villages and cannibalism. Search Keywords: Short link: The Islamic State (IS) group claimed its fighters shot down a Syrian regime warplane near the eastern city of Deir Ezzor and killed its pilot, in statements on militant websites. The extremist group said the MiG fighter jet was downed over the south of Deir Ezzor city after it had carried out several raids on villages in the area. The pilot died when the plane crashed, it said. There was no immediate confirmation from the Syrian government. But state-run SANA news agency reported that Syrian warplanes had carried out several sorties on Thursday to the east and south of Deir Ezzor city. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that IS fighters shot down the regime plane as it flew over an area adjacent to a military airport. IS group controls large parts of Deir Ezzor city and most of oil-rich Deir Ezzor province, but has so far failed to overrun the airbase. The Observatory -- which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information -- says it determines what planes carried out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved. It said the plane downed on Thursday was the fourth shot down by IS group fighters since April. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. Senior US national security officials on Thursday warned about a possible rise in extremist violence with the spread of a "terrorist diaspora" once the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq and Syria is defeated. "We all know there will be a terrorist diaspora out of the caliphate as military forces crush the caliphate," FBI Director James Comey told a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee, referring to the Islamic state proclaimed by the militant group. Thousands of fighters will spread worldwide "and our job is to spot them and stop them before they come to the United States to harm innocent people," he added. The IS group's defeat in Iraq and Syria will make it "desperate to demonstrate its continued vitality, and that is likely to take the form of more asymmetric attacks, of more efforts at terrorism," Comey said. CIA director John Brennan estimated last month that some 18,000 to 22,000 IS fighters remained in Iraq and Syria, and he predicted they would probably intensify attacks around the world even as they come under pressure in Iraq and Syria. The jihadi group has ceded an increasing amount of territory in recent weeks, especially in Iraq, where it lost control over the Sunni city of Fallujah and a major air base in Qayyarah, some 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the city of Mosul, the IS group's de facto capital in Iraq. However, that has not stopped the militants from staging deadly attacks in Baghdad and elsewhere. Although the IS group's grip in Iraq and Syria is weakening, there may be a significant lag between the US-led coalition's battlefield victories and reducing the IS group's capability to stage attacks, Nicholas Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, told the committee. Brennan said on Wednesday that three suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia last week bear the hallmarks of IS group. Search Keywords: Short link: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday she had invited Britain's new prime minister Theresa May for talks in Berlin and that she was looking forward to working with her. "It's our task to work very closely with governments of ally countries," Merkel told a news conference after talks in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, adding there were many problems in the world that made such close cooperation necessary. The chancellor said she spoke to May on the phone late on Wednesday and invited her for talks in Berlin. "I look forward to working together," she added. Merkel declined to comment on May's surprise decision to appoint Boris Johnson, a leading Brexit campaigner who had until recently been seen as her main rival for the prime minister's job, as foreign secretary. On Wednesday, May's office said that she had told Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on the phone that her government would need time before beginning talks on Britain's exit from the European Union. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. A suspected recruiter for Somalia's al Shabaab militant group being held in a west Kenyan police station shot dead at least four officers there on Thursday after snatching a weapon from a guard, an officer said. The incident took place at Kapenguria police station in a region near the Ugandan border. Al Shabaab has launched a series of attacks against Kenya in recent years, including using local recruits. The group says the attacks are aimed at driving Kenyan forces out of Somalia where they are part of an Africa force fighting al Shabaab. The suspect was detained on Wednesday for interrogation and grabbed the weapon during a routine roll call early on Thursday morning, said the officer, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak publicly. "I can confirm that four police officers have been killed but they could be more," the officer told Reuters. Kenyan television channel KTN said as many as six officers had died in the continuing stand-off. KTN and other Kenyan media said police reinforcements had been deployed. "The suspect has locked himself inside one of the rooms and we are trying to get him out," the officer said. "We have surrounded the station." A police spokesman and a regional official had no immediate comment. Search Keywords: Short link: The European Union filed new anti-trust charges against Google on Thursday, piling pressure on the US tech giant over the alleged abuse of its market dominance. Brussels targeted the Silicon Valley firm's advertising business, saying it had restricted some websites from displaying ads from Google's competitors. The EU also beefed up its charge sheet in an earlier case against Google which alleges that the firm abused the dominance of its search engine for online shopping. There are now three EU cases against Google in total, with the EU having also filed charges in April against it for its Android mobile phone operating system. "Dominance is not a problem under EU law, you can be big," EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager told a news conference in Brussels. "However, it is illegal to abuse a powerful market position by restricting competition." Google now has 10 weeks to respond to the complaint. It was not immediately available for comment. Former Danish economy minister Vestager has launched a series of EU anti-trust cases against US firms in the past two years, drawing complaints from Washington. Other EU investigations include cases against Starbucks, Amazon and McDonald's. On Thursday, Vestager said the EU had "raised concerns that Google has hindered competition by limiting the ability of its competitors to place search adverts on third party websites, which stifles consumer choice and innovation." Brussels also "further strengthened our case that Google has unduly favoured its own comparison shopping service in its general search result pages." The new charges came a day after the EU gave Google more time to answer the Android charges, extending the deadline to September 7 from June 27. Google's response will be the company's last chance to avoid sanctions, which could amount to fines up to 10 percent of the group's annual global sales or $7.4 billion based on their 2015 results. The extension was announced on the day US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew visited EU officials including Vestager in Brussels. The many battles opened by Vestager against US companies on competition issues has put a strain on transatlantic ties. Vestager's team is expected to close a long-running state-aid inquiry into Apple's tax arrangements in Ireland, which some have suggested could see the iPhone maker on the hook for $19 billion in back taxes. Lew has repeatedly complained to Vestager that EU anti-trust regulators unfairly target US firms, a charge the former Danish finance minister firmly denies. Search Keywords: Short link: EgyptAir has signed a TrueChoice Materials Agreement with General Electric for maintenance, repair and overhaul consulting services for CFM56-7B engines, the national carrier's chairman Safwat Mosalam announced on Thursday. The comprehensive agreement covers technical support and consulting for maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), facility readiness, tooling optimization and other necessary services required to achieve facility certification, according to a GE statement. In an official statement, Mosalam said that 60% of EgyptAir's fleets were powered using GE engines, adding that both EgyptAir and GE agreed to review the possibility of operating an EgyptAir engine shop as a regional maintenance center. EgyptAir Maintenance and Engineering is growing its MRO business and expanding its capabilities with the state-of the-art technology to be an independent MRO provider for various aircraft, aircraft engines and components," chairman and CEO of Egypt Airs Maintenance and Engineering Company Abou Taleb Tawfik said. "We look forward to working with GE to enhance our CFM56-7B MRO capabilities and be a major player in the MRO industry," Tawfik continued. According to a GE statement, the president and CEO of the company's engine services, Kevin McAllister, said that EgyptAir is the only full-service MRO provider in Egypt, and GE is excited to help the airline through this TrueChoice Material agreement to extend its overhaul and repair expertise to the CFM56-7B engine line and help create high-tech employment opportunities in the region." Established in 1932, EgyptAir currently operates 80 aircraft that travel to more than 75 global destinations. Search Keywords: Short link: The launch of the Maulana Azad Centre Film Club will feature a screening of the recent Bollywood blockbuster Fan, starring Shah Rukh Khan Wednesday 21 July will witness launch of the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) Film Club, an initiative which will see monthly screenings of Indian films, including the Bollywood productions. The inaugurating evening will include screening of the film Fan, a Bollywood blockbuster starring Shah Rukh Khan that will precede a discussion about the movie and Indian cinema moderated by Nadia Jereidini, Vice President of the Egypt-Indian Friendship Association. According to MACIC, 'Fan' is the story of Gaurav, a young man who resembles the mega movie star Aryan Khanna. Both roles are played by Indian super star Shah Rukh Khan. "From the by lanes of Delhi, young Gaurav embarks on a journey to the city of dreams, Mumbai, in order to pray to his God on his birthday. When things don't go according to plan, Gaurav's love and passion for his God turns in to a dangerous obsession that crosses the fine line." Released in April 2016, the film has become one of the blockbusters of Indian commercial cinema. Just like most Bollywood productions, film 'Fan' is rich in visuals and music composed by Vishal-Shekhar with lyrics written by Varun Grover. With the MACIC Film Club, the Indian Embassy makes a step forward a large scores of the Egyptian fans who follow Bollywood productions, Indian actors and directors. The cultural links between India and Egypt are among the most visible relations in cultural spheres; Indian films, as well as all other Indian art forms find many followers across the country. This link is emphasised by the India by the Nile Festival, which this year held its fourth edition, spreading India's arts across many Egyptian cities. The most recent festival included classical dance, exhibitions, musical performances, yoga, cuisine, and other events. The festival always includes a segment dedicated to Indian cinema with screenings of films featuring a chosen actor or director. Naturally, to many Egyptians, Bollywood is one of the most shining gems as Indian stars are welcomed with frenzy by local fans. One only has to recall Amitabh Bachchan's visit to Cairo in 2015 when thousands of fans tried to appear in locations that hosted the mega star. Equally, Bollywood dance performances and workshops, held mainly during India by the Nile, find a large following. In 2013, on an initiative of then-Indian Ambassador to Egypt Navdeep Suri, Chennai Express, starring Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan, was screened in eight cinemas in Cairo and Alexandria. The initiative -- which paralleled the world-wide celebrations of the centennial anniversary of India's rich cinematic history -- aimed also to bring back Indian films to Egypt's main stream movie theatres, a practice that was popular until late 1980s. The release of Chennai Express was followed by screenings of films such as Krissh 3, starring Hrithik Roshan, and Dhoom 3, starring Aamir Khan, among others. On a smaller scale, there have been many screenings of Indian films not limited only to Bollywood productions. Many of such events were held in the MACIC premises when the centre was still located in downtown Cairo. Though the practice has been suspended when the centre was moved to its new location at Abu El Feda St. in Zamalek in February 2015, the new cinema club is now being revived by the Indian Ambassador to Egypt, Sanjay Bhattacharyya, and the Second Secretary of Culture and MACIC Acting Director, Rakesh Kawra. With the launch of the MACIC Film Club, the Indian Embassy looks forward to establishing regular screenings and discussions of Indian movies, with films representing a variety of sectors of India's cinema world, including the increasingly popular Bollywood films. The club inauguration and screening of 'Fan' willl take place on Wednesday 21 July at 6pm at MACIC premises (2nd floor, 3 Abu El Feda St., Zamalek) For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: UPDATE: The drowning victim has been identified as 20-year-old Samson Charles of Tanzania. His birthday is July 17, 1996. The search is still in progress. By JOB VIGIL The search for an apparent drowning victim is continuing in a sand pit near the North Platte River. The sand pit is located along the west edge of the North Platte River about 200 yards northwest of the Highway 30 bridge east of North Platte. A kayak carrying a 20-year-old man capsized about 7:20 p.m. Monday in the sand pit owned by Western Engineering, officials said. "There were three individuals kayaking down the river," said Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer. "The river goes past this pit, but theres also a turn into the pit, and its easy to get caught in that current and be pulled into here. Due to that current and trying to get back out of here, the victims kayak capsized." Kramer said there is "really no warning that youve gone from 2 feet of water to 50-80 feet of water. So nobody realized they were in that depth of water until it was too late." Law enforcement will meet with the Army Corps of Engineers at 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon to get permission to close off the flow of water out of the sand pit, Kramer said. "Nebraska Game and Parks is still trying to locate any possible object with the sonar equipment, but its being hindered by all the debris," Kramer said. "We need to stop the flow into this pit. The water is flowing in from the north and out the south end of the pit. Once we get permission from the Army Corps of Engineers to block off this south end and stop the flow of water, we can clear the water up and then hopefully get a better picture." He said that it will be safer for the divers to go down at that point. Look for updates on the Telegraph website, Facebook and Twitter accounts. The South Sydney Rabbitohs have terminated the contract of player Kirisome Auvaa following a second breach of the NRLs Testing Policy for illicit and hazardous substances. Whilst Auvaa did not return a positive test for an illicit or hazardous substance in this instance, he contravened the rules as set out in the NRL Policy. Under the terms of the policy, the club has the right to terminate the contract of players following a second breach, which it has decided to do. The club will continue to offer welfare assistance and support to Kirisome. The Egyptian community and antiquities lovers worldwide now have the opportunity to take part in the selection of the Egyptian Museum's Piece of the Month The Ministry of Antiquities is set to begin a new tradition in an attempt to raise Egyptians' archaeological awareness as well as provide them an opportunity to participate in the ministry's decision making process. Elham Salah, head of the ministry's Museums Sector, told Ahram Online that the selection of the Egyptian Museum's Piece of the month would not be chosen by the museum's board but instead by the community and antiquities lovers throughout the world through voting on a dozen of artifacts posted on the Ministry's official Facebook page. The first collection featured in the voting process was posted Wednesday on the ministry's Facebook page. Voting on what will eventually be selected as the July Piece of the Month will be conducted through comments on the post. Salah asserted that in the future the museum's Piece of the Month, which is displayed for the entirety of the month in the museum's foyer, will be selected by a popular vote. The monthly selection seeks to distinguish an object that is of profound historical or artistic value that may otherwise go unnoticed in the museum's vast gallery. Search Keywords: Short link: If its a good day for a walk, try a stroll around Valparaisos courthouse square. Theres a lot of history in those buildings, and in the ones no longer there. Porter County Historian Kevin Pazour led a couple of walking tours of downtown Valparaiso with 1926 as the theme. You can see the photos associated with that tour here. A lot of the great downtown we have today was built in the 1920s, Pazour said. One of the biggest changes was Lincolnway. It was Main Street up until 1921. With the automobile craze in the 1920s, gas stations were popping up. The county assessors records reflect that change. 1926 was the first time in Porter County history that there were more automobiles than there were horses. There were 4,000 automobiles; there were 3,800 horses in Porter County, Pazour said. Next door to the Porter County Jail is the Memorial Opera House, which in the 1920s became one of the first theaters to acquire the new technology to show talkies. The courthouse, of course, is the centerpiece of the square. What you see today is a smaller version of its former self. After the 1936 fire, the county commissioners decided they didnt need such a fancy building and didnt rebuild the cupola that many county courthouses have. The building is full of stories, but one Pazour told was particularly charming. Its set at lunchtime, in an era when people didnt eat at their desks to continue working. They forgot the commissioners were in session and locked them in to their chamber and then promptly left the building, Pazour said. This newspaper article goes into great detail that they panicked; they tried to knock the door down, unsuccessfully. They even tried to jump out the window. Their game plan following that was just to scream as loudly as they could, and Bill Pennington, the sheriff at that time, came running. Pennington got a custodian to unlock the door and let them out. You would think that this would be something that would happen if they were locked in there for days. It turns out it was actually less than an hour. It was kind of funny that the article ends that all three commissioners kind of threatened Penny. It said that if he ever did it again, he would be fired and relieved of his responsibilities. Keep Pennington in mind. Well get to another story about him soon. Indiana Avenue used to be Mechanic Street, because so many mechanics worked there. In the 1920s, Lincoln Oil Refinery Service was on the southwest corner of Franklin and Indiana, where Fidelity Title stands today. Next to that spot are 16 Indiana Ave. and 18 Indiana Ave. It used to look like one building, but it was actually two. That will become more clear as the Porter County Museum expands into those two buildings. No. 18 was a print shop in 1926. The storefront, which is being restored, will be the new entrance to the expanded museum. No. 16 was the central fire station with a city hall chamber on second floor. In later years, it became the City Hall and police station. City Hall then moved to the old downtown post office on Lincolnway at Napoleon Street, and the old R.W. Poole building on Washington Street was later repurposed into a police station. But lets go back to 1923, when the city bought a new pumper truck. It was a common ploy across the country at the time that if you buy a bigger truck, youre going to need a new fire station. Not so much in Valparaiso. The old fire arch was cut out and a new, larger, opening put in with a garage door. They said here you go, now you can fit your truck in just fine. The fire arch is being restored for the museum. At 14 Indiana Ave. was the State Bank of Valparaiso. Theres a little plaque on the side that says something to the effect of keeping the driveway unblocked. Theres no longer an alley there. The southeast corner of Washington Street and Indiana was the site of a hotel building in 1926. The Merchants Hotel building was a very significant building as it was the first brick building constructed in Valparaiso, in 1856. Also, it was the first building with merchants on the lower level and hotel rooms on upper level a model that a lot of towns followed and still follow today. There were some familiar names in that area, including John Marks Barber Shop. Linkimers was a general merchandise shop and didnt focus on shoes until much later. Louie Leetz, who had a grocery business, was where Figure 8 Brewing is now, 1928, became mayor of Valparaiso. Hes known in the record as the buttermilk mayor. Mayor William Spooner passed away unexpectedly, so the City Council members had to choose a successor from among themselves. I believe it was in July of 1928, Pazour said. It was really hot. Everybody got together, and they couldnt figure out who was going to be mayor. Louie decided to run across to his grocery store, and he decided to grab some buttermilk because he thought everybody needed to cool off a little bit. And with that, everybody finished and said, You know, he should be mayor, and then served the term then as mayor of Valparaiso. Washington Street holds quite a story. The only remnant from this block is the store that is now occupied by Old World Market, Pazour said. In 1926 there was a lot of great change in Valparaiso. Ninety years ago was the first time McGill Manufacturing Co. produced ball bearings, for the Rolls Royce Co. It was unheard of at the time to build a new plant and produce goods in six months. If you go just west of the Porter County Administration Building, the giant white government building, youll find what looks like a futuristic doghouse. It was built in 1926 by Urschel Laboratories. Across Washington Street from the courthouse was a building, built in 1864, that was known as Valparaiso Hall. The third story had a performance space. It became known as Academy Block. There was about a decade when people didnt like the term opera house, so they changed the naming, Pazour said. That building saw so many different acts that would come in along the railway, perform here, and go on to perform in Chicago, and important people. In fact we have records that show Frederick Douglass came here and spoke in 1869 on that third floor. My next blog post will tell of the tragedy that occurred there on Feb. 19, 1926. Richard Leverett credits his late parents Richard and Betty Leverett for encouraging him to discover the path that has led him to success as an attorney, chief of staff for Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, and now AT&T director of external affairs for 20 counties in the northern third of Indiana. My mom and dad were married for 32 years before mom passed. She was one of seven children, and my dad was one of nine, Leverett recalled. She rode the train to Chicago for 30 years, and worked as a secretary for an insurance company. Thats why I became an actuary, he said. A Vietnam veteran, Leverett's father came to Gary from Georgia for a job at Inland Steel and worked there for 35 years. They are a culmination of a lot of different parts of my life, said Leverett, who was born and raised in Gary and graduated from West Side High School in 1999. I was the first in my family to go to college and received my B.S. degree in actuarial science from Butler University in Indianapolis in 2003, he said. Following graduation, Leverett worked as a consultant with the Perrin Group in Chicago for more than four years before enrolling at the University of Chicago Law School, and received his J.D. degree in 2010. Other honors include a fellowship with the Chicago-based Civic Consulting Alliance. With the Civic Consulting Alliance, I worked with the city of Chicago on transit and public housing, Leverett said. He also was a trustee for one year with Horizon Banks employee stock ownership plan in Michigan City. In 2010, Leverett began working on Karen Freeman-Wilsons mayoral campaign. I worked on the transition team and then joined the staff, he said. Freeman-Wilson said Leverett is proof-positive good people come out of Gary. And some of them come back to give back in a big way. He is a prime example of what great things happen and still happen in the City of Gary. He is dedicated, educated and hes never forgotten Gary, Freeman-Wilson said. Richard went to Butler and came back. He went to the University of Chicago and came back, she said, adding that she first met Leverett during her first mayoral campaign when he wanted to help her win that election. Leveretts commitment to Gary after earning his degrees is such a clear signal that there are good things that come out of the Gary school corporation. So many of his peers havent returned to Gary, Freeman-Wilson said. I just love him for that. During his three years with the mayors staff, Leverett served as assistant city attorney and deputy chief of staff. For the last 1 1/2 years of his tenure, he was Freeman-Wilsons chief of staff. Leveretts work for the city of Gary included three special projects. Beginning in the fall of 2012, he managed University of Chicago students with the Harris School of Public Policys Urban Revitalization Project. The graduate students enrolled in this practicum collaborated with Freeman-Wilsons administration on efforts to revitalize the city, including developing and implementing solutions for significant urban policy changes. Leverett also worked with the Legacy Foundation/HUD collaboration to redevelop the University Park East section of Gary that includes Indiana University Northwest and the Ivy Tech Community College Gary campus. Gary received $500,000 to help develop a revitalization plan for the University Park East neighborhood an area that experiences high rates of poverty, crime and housing vacancies. The city was one of seven applicants across the country to receive a $500,000 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Leverett said. While on staff, Leverett also worked with the Knight Cities Challenge grant. In January 2015, four projects submitted in November 2014 for renewal and civic engagement in the Steel City were named finalists in round one of the multimillion-dollar Knight Cities Challenge. Based in Miami, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation sponsors the grant competition, investing $15 million over the next three years to encourage everyone to have a stake in the future of Gary and 25 other cities throughout the U.S. hit by declining circumstances. That same year, Leverett accepted the position of director of external affairs with AT&T. My duties include government, corporate and community stakeholder relations in the northern one-third of Indiana. Thats 20 counties from Lake to Newton, Adams to Steuben, including Fort Wayne and South Bend, he said. I interface with different government units, Leverett said. Leveretts accomplishments with AT&T include helping launch AT&Ts program to provide high-speed internet service directly to the homes of low-income families in Hammond, Gary and Crown Point. It was the first program of its kind in the state. In his role with AT&T, Leverett said, Im also able to speak to groups of students from Gary and East Chicago about not texting while driving and about cyberbullying. Through the Hack-A-Thon program, he worked with volunteers to engage people with technology for social and civic needs. Now I advocate for it, he said. Drop-out prevention is another of Leveretts passions. I worked with Colin Powells group and ROTC leadership at Notre Dame and Purdue University, he said. Whatever the future holds for Leverett, he continues to take inspiration from his past. Im a fan of civic engagement, law, policy, local government and finance. Thats what shaped my career, he said. The way my father and mother raised me stays with me, Leverett said. They taught me to listen to folks. DYER Police are seeking the publics help in identifying two men believed to have stolen liquor from a grocery store Friday. Dyer police were dispatched just before 8 p.m. to the Jewel Osco, 805 Joliet St., in Dyer, in reference to a theft report. An employee noticed two men steal liquor bottles from inside the store and flee the parking lot, according to police. The two drove off northbound on Calumet Avenue in a silver Nissan, police said. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact Dyer Police investigators Sgt. Dave Stein at dstein@townofdyer.com or Det. Kyle Kozubal at kkozubal@townofdyer.com. The public can also call (219) 865-1163. EAST CHICAGO A 31-year-old woman was in custody Thursday after her boyfriend suffered a stab wound to the abdomen, police said. Police were dispatched about 3:30 a.m. to their apartment in the 500 block of Columbus Drive for a report of a stabbing. An arriving officer heard shouting coming from the apartment, approached the front door and saw a 24-year-old East Chicago man lying on his back on the kitchen floor bleeding from the lower left abdomen, according to a police report. Two kitchen knives were on the floor, and the woman was kneeling over the man applying pressure to his wound, police said. The woman was being held at the Police Department pending investigation, Lt. Marguerite Wilder said. CROWN POINT A Lake County jury deliberated for six hours Wednesday before deciding that Shelton "T-Man" Curtis, of Gary, acted in self-defense when he shot James Powell, 18, of Gary, nine times. He was acquitted of murder, but he was found guilty of attempted dealing in marijuana. Lake Criminal Judge Salvador Vasquez will sentence Curtis July 21. Raymond Washington-Whitehead, 17, of Merrillville, also was fatally shot in the incident. Curtis had faced a charge of murder in his homicide. The Lake County prosecutors office dismissed that murder charge Monday when the trial started. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michael Toth told jurors during closing statements that Washington-Whitehead and Powell on Aug. 6 went to the 1100 block of Lane Street in Gary to purchase marijuana from Curtis. There was a dispute about the marijuana. Defense attorney R.B. Woodward told jurors that the case wasnt about a drug deal gone bad. Instead, he argued Washington-Whitehead and Powell had planned to rob his client at gunpoint. Curtis, 23, testified that he sold drugs to his friends. When the shooting happened, he had a total of about 4 ounces of marijuana, including 1 ounce he planned to sell to Washington-Whitehead and Powell. He was armed with a loaded gun he had purchased at an auction in Crown Point. Kevin Blackmon, who faced a charge of assisting a criminal in the case, testified that he was at the home when Curtis and Washington-Whitehead began discussing the marijuana. Powell was standing near the door and at one point told Washington-Whitehead that they could wait to buy marijuana from someone else. Toth told jurors that Washington-Whitehead pointed a gun at Curtis during the discussion. That led to a tussle between Curtis and Washington-Whitehead. Curtis said Washington-Whitehead slammed him to the ground, which is when he got out his gun and started firing with one hand while his other hand covered his eyes. Once I realized what was going on, I thought they were gonna kill all of us, Curtis said. Washington-Whitehead was shot in the chest and died in the living room. Powell was shot nine times and died outside of the home. Toth, who prosecuted the case with Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Nadia Chivers, argued there wasnt any evidence that Powell was a threat. He showed jurors autopsy photos showing the nine times Powell was shot. He argued the three shots to the back were the most egregious. Thats vengeance, he said. Thats not self-defense. Woodward countered by telling jurors that crime scene photos show Powells shoe and a blood trail that indicate he could have been near the tussle. He showed a photo of Powells hand that was clenched in a way that Woodward said indicated he was holding a gun. Toth said Curtis story didnt make sense. He said the shell casings indicate Curtis was standing, and he had to have reloaded or used an extended magazine. The closing arguments by the attorneys reflected the countrys ongoing debate with guns and police. Woodward argued if police officers can shoot someone until the threat subsides, the same standard should apply to civilians. Youre darn right he ran, he ran for his life, Woodward said. And he fired his pistol for his life. After the shooting, Curtis went to his grandmothers home where he consulted with an attorney before turning himself in. When he surrendered, he gave police the clothes he wore during the shooting. Toth said the officers embroiled in controversial shootings will have their day in court. He said society cant dissolve itself to shooting someone because they are scared. Three people were wounded Wednesday in three separate shootings in Gary and East Chicago, police said. * Gary police were dispatched about 5 a.m. to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus for a gunshot victim, Lt. Dawn Westerfield said. A man with a gunshot wound to the leg told police he got a ride to the hospital after a group of people pulled up in a White Buick as he walked west on Sixth Avenue and shot at him. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Sgt. William Fazekas at (219) 881-1210. * East Chicago police were dispatched about 3:40 p.m. to the 500 block of Nava Place for a gunshot victim, Lt. Marguerite Wilder said. Officers found a man with a gunshot wound in a second-floor apartment. The man has an address in Chicago Heights, but also has been living at the East Chicago apartment, police said. Further investigation is pending on the cooperation from the man who was shot, Wilder said. * Gary police responded about 11:45 p.m. to a report of shots fired in the 4000 block of Monroe Street, Westerfield said. Officers found a 36-year-old Gary man, who told police he was sitting on his porch when he heard multiple gunshots. The man told police he couldn't get his door open and then felt pain in his lower back area. The man suffered a gunshot wound to his buttocks and was taken to a hospital by ambulance, Westerfield said. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Sgt. Jon Basaldua at (219) 881-1210. Anyone with information about crime in Gary who wants to remain anonymous should call (866) CRIME-GP. WHITING Whiting officials on Wednesday introduced a new reason to visit the downtown area, the Sheridan Plaza. The Sheridan Plaza, developed at the corner of Sheridan Avenue and 119th Street, was dedicated Wednesday morning. Sheridan Plaza is a civic, open space capable of accommodating activities ranging from daily passive gatherings to large community events and festivals. Special features of the plaza include a restroom building on the north end of the green space. The pavilion's open-air shelter can be used to shade tables and chairs, but also has the capability to host small performances and concerts. Munster native Katie Day, now of San Francisco, christened the pavilion Wednesday with a performance during the dedication. The plaza will eventually showcase a public art feature. Hitting key stops throughout the Whiting-Robertsdale area, like the new plaza, just got easier, thanks to the Southern Shore Connector's free shuttle. Sponsored and financially underwritten by the Whiting-Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce and Wal-Mart, the 25-passenger bus began operating Memorial Day weekend and will run through Labor Day weekend from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays only. This is the third year of the shuttle's operation. Riders can look for the Southern Shores Connector sign at 12 stops, including: the East Chicago and Hammond marinas, the Wolf Lake Splash Pad, the Whiting Post Office, Oil City Stadium, Strack & Van Til on Calumet Avenue in Whiting and Wal-Mart on 5th Avenue in Hammond. Other pickup points are at 121st Street and Lincoln Avenue; 121st Street and Indianapolis Boulevard; 121st Street and White Oak Avenue; 119th Street and LaPorte Avenue and 115th Street and Indianapolis Boulevard. Karen Anaszewicz, executive director for the chamber, said the shuttle helps address the fact there is no public transportation in the Whiting-Robertsdale area. "We have a lot of elderly people in the neighborhood who don't drive any longer," Anaszewicz said. She said the marina stops allow boaters to shop and go out to dinner in downtown Whiting while not having to worry about driving back after consuming adult beverages. "They're not permanently stuck at the marina and they have options of what they can do on the weekends," Anaszewicz said. The bus stops at each point approximately every 35 minutes until 4 p.m., at which point the entire run takes about an hour. That is because the East Chicago Marina stop is incorporated at that time, with stops there at 4, 6, and 8 p.m. The shuttle will not run on July 23 during the Festival of the Lakes nor on July 30 due to Pierogi Fest. The shuttle service is not the only means of transportation available in the city. Another inexpensive mode of transportation is provided by the chamber's bike rental program that runs til Labor Day. Bikes are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, at the chamber office, 1417 119th St. Bikes can also be rented at the Wolf Lake Guard House on those same days until dusk. The cost is $5 for four hours or $10 for all day. Anaszewicz said bikes were donated by Wal-Mart and community members and available to check out local trails. "They just repaved the George Lake Trail over in Robertsdale," Anaszewicz said. "The Wolf Lake Trail is amazing. I mean, how many trails will take you for a half a mile over a lake?" It's a legal case illustrating one of the highest ideals to which the Hoosier state and our entire nation should aspire but sometimes fails to embody. Through one of its pro-bono cases, the Valparaiso University Law School's Immigration Law Clinic reminded us that all parts of America even a Hoosier state maligned in recent years for short-sighted human rights polices remains a safe haven for the persecuted. The clinic recently helped a Tanzanian woman win U.S. asylum from appalling persecution in her native country. The heart-wrenching story of Mary, a name used to protect her real identity, began when she was 13 as she fled her village to escape her culture's ritual practice of female genital mutilation. She then began working at a restaurant in exchange for housing and ultimately was raped by one of her customers. After it was revealed she was pregnant, she was forced to live with the rapist, who abused her and forced her into a life of prostitution, law students working Mary's case said. Ultimately, Mary began a romantic relationship with another woman something punishable in her country by up to 30 years in prison. She fled all of the harrowing tragedy for the United States and applied for asylum. Valparaiso law students Jacquielynn Wolff and Tamir Tommalieh, under the supervision of clinic Director Geoff Heeren, took Mary's case. And on April 18, 32-year-old Mary was granted asylum. Its a welcome story as Indianas reputation attempts to recover from past mistakes. The Religious Freedoms Restoration Act ignited a firestorm in spring 2015 that scorched the state's reputation by creating perceptions that businesses could discriminate against prospective gay customers. The law, signed by Gov. Mike Pence, required a quick-fix in wording in an attempt to undo the social and political damage it caused. And on the national level, rhetoric espoused in the 2016 presidential campaign often has been less than welcoming to immigrants. We thank the Valparaiso University legal clinic for providing free services to people like Mary and reminding us all what American ideals are all about. Representatives from several state authorities will attend a parliamentary meeting on Monday to formulate a response to Italy's decision not to supply Egypt with military spare parts Kamal Amer, head of the Egyptian parliament's Defence and National Security Committee, told reporters that representatives from various state bodies will attend a high-level parliamentary meeting on Monday upon the orders of speaker Ali Abdel-Al and in response to Italy's decision not to supply Egypt with some spare parts for F-16 fighter planes. The meeting will be attended by intelligence officials, the ministries of interior and foreign affairs and the prosecution-general. Italy's decision, adopted by the Italian parliament on 7 July, came in response to what it says is Egypt's failure to cooperate in the investigation into the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni in Cairo last January. Amer said the representatives of the above-mentioned authorities will participate in a joint meeting with parliament's three committees of defence and national security, foreign affairs and human rights. Amer told reporters that MPs affiliated with the three committees held a preliminary meeting Sunday to prepare for Monday's meeting and issue a report to be submitted to parliament speaker Abdel-Al. Amer said "Italy as a sovereign state has the right to adopt the decision that suits its interests and we on our side will try our best to convince it to scrap this decision." However, Amer, who is a former chief military intelligence and is close to President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, warned that "Egypt's efforts not to adopt a confrontational agenda against Italy does not mean that it does not have other options." Amer told reporters that "We, Egypts MPs and government, are very keen on seeing Egyptian-Italian relations remain strong. Italy was, after all, the first European country to support Egypt's 30 June Revolution against the Muslim Brotherhood, and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was the first to visit Egypt after the revolution," said Amer. Amer added that in appreciation of Italy's post-30 June stand, President El-Sisi spoke on the phone with Italian PM Renzi several times to assure him that Egypt will provide Italy with all the necessary information about Regeni's death. "Several Italian delegations visited Egypt, the last of which was on 7 May and after they returned to Italy they stressed that they got all the information they needed from Egyptian prosecution authorities," Amer said. He disclosed that a high-profile Egyptian internal law professor attended the three committees' preliminary meeting yesterday. "We wanted to seek his advice on how to contain the crisis with Italy," said Amer, concluding that "for the moment we will refrain from any rough diplomacy with Italy." "Among the proposals put forward to contain this crisis is that an Egyptian parliamentary delegation visit Italy's parliament," said Amer, adding that "all Italy needs to know is who killed Regeni, and this is also what Egypt wants to know." Meanwhile, MPs showed mixed reactions to the Italian parliament's decision to halt some military spare parts to Egypt. Many MPs, like Free Egyptians Party MP Tarek Radwan, accused Rome of using the "criminal" Regeni case "as a tool of political exhortation." "Italian parliament's hasty and arrogant decision comes while Italy has never given Egypt any information on the killing of several Egyptians in Italy," said Radwan. Radwan and many other MPs believe that it is easy for Egypt to get the F-16 spare parts from several other sources. "Italy will be wrong if it thinks that this measure can hit Egypt very hard," said Radwan. An MP who asked not to be identified said "it is no secret that in combating terrorists in Sinai and elsewhere, Egypt is currently depending on different fighter aircraft like the French Rafale and the Russian MIG, and not just the American F-16. "This is the result of what President El-Sisi, Egypt's former military chief, diversifying Egypt's military imports," said the MP, also indicating that "the US itself, rather than Italy, is Egypt's major supplier of F-16 spare parts." Another Free Egyptians Party MP, Nadia Henry, begs to differ with her colleague MPs. Henry accuses the Egyptian government of "not dealing seriously enough with the Regeni case." "Despite its claims to the contrary, the Egyptian government has not been serious about cooperating with Italian judicial authorities in investigating the Regeni case. They thought that the Regeni case will come to an end without any repercussion and this allowed radical MPs in the Italian parliament to exert pressure on the Renzi government and issue their arrogant decision," claimed Henry. Search Keywords: Short link: CHICAGO Social service providers working without pay for more than a year because of Illinois unprecedented budget struggles said Wednesday that they still havent been paid after the approval of a short-term spending plan and will push ahead with a lawsuit to force funding. The Pay Now Illinois coalition, made up of about 100 providers, sued Gov. Bruce Rauner and state agencies in May because of fallout from the yearlong budget impasse. Last month, lawmakers approved a stop-gap measure covering, in part, the past and current fiscal years. But the coalition said almost none of their providers had been paid. Attorneys for the coalition and Attorney General Lisa Madigans office briefly appeared in court Wednesday. Both sides said they needed time to assess recent budget developments and revise court filings. They return to court July 25. Part of the issue is confusion over how Illinois will proceed in doling out funds authorized by the partial budget, which allows schools to open on time and funds other services until January. However, state officials were unable Wednesday to provide detailed answers about social services. Groups in the lawsuit provide health care, youth and elderly counseling and programs to fight sexual assaults and homelessness. Comptroller Leslie Munger, whose office writes Illinois checks, couldnt say how much had been paid related to the short-term budget. Mungers spokesman, Rich Carter, said vouchers sent to the office by state departments dont make the distinction and the situation was complicated by the partial budget dealing with two fiscal years. He said Munger would prioritize service provider payments. Department of Human Services spokeswoman Marianne Manko said the office, which holds most of the coalitions contracts, was working diligently on helping those who served the states most vulnerable during the impasse get paid. We ask for patience as we process payments as quickly as possible, she said in a statement. Many groups have already had to scale back programs, lay off employees or close their doors completely. The lawsuit claims the infrastructure of state-supported social services is at the risk of collapse. Coalition spokeswoman Andrea Durbin estimated the groups are owed at least $161 million for unpaid work. Every day that goes by, that number grows, she said. Pay Now Illinois seeks court intervention for immediate payment, arguing Rauner created an unconstitutional situation by vetoing money last year for services and then enforcing contract terms anyway. Rauners spokeswoman has said the governor understands the frustrations but the answer lies in a balanced, reform-oriented budget agreement. In a court filing, the coalition said it would add 18 more plaintiffs, bringing the total to 99. Among the most high-profile groups already in the lawsuit is the Chicago-based Ounce of Prevention Fund, which is run by Diana Rauner, the governors wife. The stop-gap plan doesnt end gridlock on a full budget. Since he took office last year, the first-term Republican governor has demanded union-weakening and pro-business reforms as a condition to a budget that includes a tax increase. But Democrats, who run the House and Senate, argue those ideas hurt the middle-class and should be separate from a budget. GARY John Gregg, Democratic candidate for governor, on Wednesday called for investing $3.2 billion in Indianas infrastructure as a long-term strategy over the next 10 years, without raising taxes. Surrounded by supporters at the Gary/Chicago International Airport terminal, the gubernatorial candidate unveiled the Gregg/Hale Infrastructure Plan as a comprehensive, fiscally responsible, intermodal and bipartisan proposal that addresses both the short- and long-term needs of the states crumbling infrastructure. The plan issued by Gregg and Christina Hale, lieutenant governor candidate, also calls for using existing Major Moves dollars now to make new investments in the Hoosier states roads, airports, railroads and maritime ports. It also proposes investing in sidewalks, green spaces and other projects to improve the quality of place and livability of communities across the state. This will create over 54,000 new temporary and permanent jobs paying a living wage, Gregg said. There is no place better to unveil this than here in Northwest Indiana where there are interstate highways, airports, fresh water ports, which are underutilized, and rail capacity, he said. There has been no money for local governments under previous administrations, yet two-thirds of roads and bridges belong to municipalities. In addition, Gregg said about Northwest Indiana, No place knows better what happens when the economy slumps and well-paying jobs are lost. During the news conference, Gregg said he remembered when Northwest Indianas three counties of Lake, Porter and LaPorte took care of the rest of the state. The Gregg/Hale Infrastructure Plan includes the following proposals: Create the Hoosier State Infrastructure Bank overseen by the Indiana Finance Authority to support local projects using $200 million of the existing $500 million Next Generation Trust Fund, money that came from the sale of the Indiana Toll Road. The revolving loan fund would supply low-interest loans for high-priority local projects including local roads, bridges, bike paths, sidewalks, mass transit and building broadband access and capacity. These funds would be in addition to what is already distributed to local governments. Use the remaining $300 million to leverage up to $3 billion in bonds for new local and state projects that are critical to future economic growth and development. The bonds would be paid by future federal highway distribution dollars. Establish a permanent infrastructure roundtable with private sector/industry experts to research long-term state and local infrastructure needs. Instruct the Indiana Department of Transportation to include GIS maps, databases and other related information in an open data portal so Hoosiers can search by road or bridge name to see conditions and bids. It never hurts for the public to know where their money goes, Gregg said. Address Indianas long-term water needs, noting that Indiana will need at least an additional $16 billion over the next 20 years to fix the states outdated water infrastructure, which Gregg said is a ticking time bomb. Dan Klein has worked in the private, public and nonprofit sectors during his varied career. In all three, he has always tried to make a difference in people's lives, said the lifelong Crown Point resident. Klein is presently the executive director of Habitat for Humanity Northwest Indiana. He retired as a service executive for AT&T, working with companies like Motorola and McDonald's, after 22 years of service in 2000. In 2004, he was elected mayor of Crown Point and served one term. During his tenure with AT&T, Klein also served in several positions with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Klein said after his tenure as mayor, a friend approached him about taking the job with Habitat. He agreed. "What got me to take the job was the Restore," he said, saying the store was dark and dreary, but he saw potential. The Restore is a nonprofit home improvement store, selling furniture, building materials and other new and gently used products. "I thought I can turn this around," Klein said. Walking into the Habitat job, said Klein, wasn't easy. The executive director, who was to be moved to the position of development director, quit the same day he started. Three months later a tornado went through Griffith and tore down the Habitat building. It set the organization back. They stopped construction on houses. Klein, with the help of others, began rebuilding the organization. Those first few years, Klein said he worked 60 hours a week, doing whatever needed to be done. "I would mow the lawn if it needed it," he said. Habitat partners with families to build homes. The families pay for the homes with a zero percent mortgage held through Habitat and must provide labor for their own home as well as others. Klein said Habitat is a combination mortgage company, construction company, retail outlet and social service agency. He hired a development director, then a manager of the Restore. "Once I got Kim (DeRisi) on board to run the Restore, I could concentrate on mortgages. People had stopped paying their mortgages and we were able to get them back on track," he said. The funds from the Restore, which is rated in the top 5 percent of all the Restores in the nation, provided funds for the organization's operations. That, said Klein, allowed 100 percent of the donations to be used on building homes. Habitat for Humanity Northwest Indiana went from building two to three houses per year the first few years to building six to seven houses a year now. He also emphasized new homeowners take classes in both finance and homeownership. "You can't take a person who has lived in an apartment all their lives and expect they know what to do when the pipes leak," he said. Habitat for Humanity Northwest Indiana's efforts now include a Veterans Build, established two years ago, in a partnership with the Northwest Indiana Veterans Council. "It was a collaboration of both groups. It continues to move forward and we have a commitment to serve one veteran a year," he said. The organization also began expanding where they built Habitat homes. Previously most had been built in north Lake County, in Hammond and Gary. That expanded with homes being built in Lowell and Merrillville. They received grant money to also build homes in the 17th Avenue and Adams Street area of Gary, known as the Field of Dreams. They also constructed a new office. It is furnished with items from the Restore, Klein pointed out. With the new building, they also dedicated a conference room that can be used by any other nonprofit needing a space. "I'm a huge believer in collaboration and giving back," Klein said. Bob Johnson, president of the board for Habitat for Humanity Northwest Indiana, agreed. "He brings leadership skills to the Habitat organization," Johnson said of Klein. "And he brings many, many contacts from the community to the organization." "Dan brings a genuine passion for the mission of Habitat to the organization," Johnson said. The second Restore opened in January on U.S. 30 in Merrillville, which, he said, is already beating their expectations. "Kim has done a great job in making it welcoming for women because they do most of the shopping," Klein said. Klein sees connections between his private, public and nonprofit sector jobs. "I was serving people in all three of those, trying to do something for someone. I always try to make a difference. I enjoyed all three of them because you are always trying to make a difference," he said. Building homes for deserving families is fulfilling, Klein said. "Helping people, giving someone a chance to better themselves and their family, that they might never have had before is satisfying," he said. "We're giving them hope and a positive attitude that if you want something bad enough and if you work at it, you can attain it." Klein, who also serves as president for the state Habitat organization, said they are now working to grow the local board of directors. "I am motivated by challenges. Everyday, coming in here, there is a new challenge. Having a job with a nonprofit, there is not a normal day," he said. "I think we have turned the corner from being reactive to being proactive." Activists rallied in Brooklyn Wednesday, demanding justice for black women who died in police custody. Wednesday night's protest marked one year since the death of 28-year-old Sandra Bland. Bland was pulled over during a traffic stop in Texas and jailed after getting into a confrontation with an officer. She was found dead in her jail cell after officials say she hung herself. Protesters say the circumstances surrounding her case highlight the struggles many minority women face. "To see this whole support, and all of this coming towards us, being a black female, it is hard, just as it is hard being a male. It means a lot," said one protester. "I think a lot of people are feeling just the incredible frustration and powerlessness around everything that's happening in the country right now, and feeling like the importance of showing up, and being a physical presence, and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, especially supporting black women who are systematically targeted and killed in a way that doesn't get the attention that other things in this country do," said another. The family of Kyam Livingston was also at the protest. Livingston died after suffering seizures in a Brooklyn holding cell nearly three years ago. The mayor and City Council speaker Wednesday vigorously defended their agreement with the NYPD to implement a number of police reforms internally, rather than push through City Council legislation but the blowback was swift from police reform advocates, who say the changes dont go nearly far enough. Our Bobby Cuza has that story. The bill is actually package of City Council legislation known as the Right To Know Act. Backed by a majority of Council members, it would have reshaped police interactions with the public, requiring officersamong other things to inform people of their right to refuse a search in some cases. Now, after years of debate, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito is shelving the legislation in favor of an agreement with the NYPD to implement some of the changes internally. And reformers, including some Council members and family of those killed by police, are accusing her of undermining real reform. "Without a real law, we have little to no legal recourse or oversight when the rules are not followed," said Beverly Tillery, an activist with the NYC Anti-Violence Project. "The chokehold has been banned for decades," said Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who died in a police chokehold. "Did they follow it? No. Did they stand accountable for it? No." But Mark-Viverito is standing her ground. "I believe that this is the right approach," Viverito said. Fielding numerous questions on the topic at two separate events Wednesday. She said the bills sponsors were informed throughout the process, and that these changes are more likely to stick and more immediate, with all officers trained within the next nine months. "There are concerns that the legislation may have been challenged," Viverito said. "Any challenge to any law puts a hold on the implementation of that law. This is going into effect right away." She was backed by the mayor, who called it a practical way to effect change. "Theres more than one way to win," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "Were going to address the very concerns the City Council had right now in a tangible way that will improve lives in our communities." Speaker Mark-Viverito said the Council will monitor the progress of the NYPDs implementation, including holding oversight hearings. And she left open the possibility that pieces of the Right to Know Act could be revived, saying the door is not closed to legislation. Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump is preparing to pick Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate, according to multiple reports. No formal decision has been announced, but that could change within the next few hours. Trump had said he will announce his pick for vice president on Friday morning in Manhattan. Trump has been meeting with potential running mates in recent weeks, including Pence. The pair hit the campaign trail together earlier this week and had breakfast with Trump's family Wednesday. Pence compared Trump to former president Ronald Reagan and touted his ability to lead the country. "I truly do believe that Donald Trump has the right vision for America. I think he's going to provide the kind of strong leadership at home and abroad that's going to make America great again," Pence said. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is also considered one of Trump's top picks. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions and former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency Michael Flynn are also said to be in the running. People who spoke with NY1 on Thursday had different thoughts on who would best compliment the Queens native. I dont think people will vote for Chris Christie," said one New Yorker. "I think the only shot hes got is to choose Gingrich because Christie is too much of a hothead, too much like him. He needs someone whos unlike him, whos experienced politically," said another New Yorker. "Where Im from, most people think Newt Gingrich is a good choice because of his leadership in the Clinton administration and working with Bill Clinton to bring the various sides together, noted a third passerby. Meanwhile, nearly a year after giving him the boot, Trump is suing his former campaign consultant for $10 million. Trump is accusing Sam Nunberg of violating a non-disclosure agreement. He says Nunberg leaked information to media about an alleged affair between two senior campaign staffers. Nunberg was fired from the Trump campaign late last summer after writing a series of racist posts on Facebook. In the court filing, Nunberg denies having damaged his former boss in any way, and says he's being targeted for publicly supporting Trump's former rival, Texas Senator Ted Cruz. In a statement Trump's attorney says that he will enforce the strict confidentiality agreements his employees are required to sign, and accuses Nunberg of seeking free publicity using "categorically false" claims. State and local officials are taking new steps to combat the use of synthetic marijuana, after dozens of people in Brooklyn overdosed on the drug earlier this week. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said authorities will revoke a store owner's licenses to sell liquor and lottery tickets if they are caught manufacturing or peddling the illegal substance. Violators would face a fine of up to $500 and they could spend up to 15 days in jail. Wednesday, police inspected a number of stores near Broadway and Myrtle Avenue following a string of overdoses along the busy strip. Witnesses said dozens of people were passed out on the sidewalk. "Even though the general trend of K2 usage is down, a bad batch of K2 can result in adverse reactions and that's what we've seen in Brooklyn over the last couple of days," said Robert Messner, the assistant commissioner of the NYPD's legal bureau. "So the users of K2 are literally playing Russian Roulette with their bodies: they have no idea what chemicals are in that package or at what concentration," Messner continued. K2 is made up of plant material coated by chemicals that are supposed to mimic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Side effects include rapid heartbeat, vomiting, suicidal thoughts, and violent behavior. A new class of NYPD recruits is sworn in amid a new focus in the city and the nation on the relationship between the police and communities of color. NY1's Ruschell Boone has the story. "I've been waiting for this all my life," NYPD recruit Joseph Vigiano said. "As a kid, I always wanted to be a police officer." Vigiano was among the hundreds of NYPD recruits that were sworn in at the academy Thursday in College Point, Queens. It was a bitter sweet moment for him. "His dad, Joe, was killed on 9/11. [He was a] New York City police officer, served in our emergency services unit," Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said. "His uncle, a New York City firefighter, was also killed on that day." "My father truly did love his job, and if I could just experience a fraction of that then it will be all worth it," Vigiano said. The latest class is made up of 600 recruits; 478 men and 122 women. The class also reflects the recent push by the city police department to further diversify the department, although the number of African-American recruits has not changed much. According to Bratton, 284 of the new recruits (47 percent) are white; 75 are black (12.5 percent); 156 (26 percent) are Latino and Hispanic; and 83 are Asian the highest percentage ever coming into the academy for 13.8 percent clip. There was also one Native American recruit. But they are coming in at a time of great challenges amid a national debate about race and policing, following the shooting deaths of two black men by police officers, and the revenge killing of five white Dallas police officers by a black gunmen. "I'm sure everybody in front of me saw what transpired last week in Minneapolis, Baton Rouge, and in Dallas," NYPD Chief of Department James O'Neill said during the ceremony. "I am sure it weighs heavy on your mind. I see it in your faces: I see some anxiety, some apprehension." Bratton said the city police department is bridging differences between the community and the police in this city, and he expects this class to further close that gap. "The only people I want to fear you to fear us, the police to fear this profession, are those who should, and that's the criminals," Bratton said. But before they hit the streets, they'll have to spend the next six months training at the NYPD academy. At a town-hall meeting, President Obama discusses the recent shootings in Dallas, Minneapolis and Baton Rouge, La. 30 for 30 follows the rise and fall of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry. And Jerry Seinfeld goes cruising with Lorne Michaels. Whats on TV THE PRESIDENT AND THE PEOPLE: A NATIONAL CONVERSATION 8 p.m. on ABC, ESPN and Freeform; also streaming on ABCNews.com, Yahoo, Facebook and YouTube. President Obama will speak about the recent shootings of black men by the police and the killing of five white police officers in Dallas in a Washington town-hall meeting moderated by David Muir. Im here to insist that we are not as divided as we seem, Mr. Obama said at a memorial service for the Dallas officers on Tuesday. And I know that because I know America. 30 FOR 30: DOC & DARRYL 9 p.m. on ESPN. Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio chronicle the lives of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry, stars on the 1986 World Series-winning Mets team whose substance abuse and destructive behavior sent them crashing. Reunited at a Queens diner, Mr. Gooden and Mr. Strawberry look back at their glory days and their falls from grace, while Bill Maher, Keith Hernandez, Jon Stewart, Ella Mae Gooden (mother) and Tracy Strawberry (wife), offer commentary. They were going to be our guys for years, Mr. Stewart says. CAPITAL 10 p.m. on Pivot. The residents of Pepys Road in South London finally learn who wants what they have. One of the biggest deal makers at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, a pre-eminent law firm on Wall Street, is poised to take over its top spot and become the first woman to do so. Cravath plans to announce on Thursday that Faiza J. Saeed, one of the two leaders of its mergers practice, will become the 16th presiding partner in the nearly two-century history of the law firm. Ms. Saeeds 25 years at the firm have been punctuated by some of the most prominent corporate deals in recent history. Im very honored to take the role, she said in a telephone interview. I think its going to be a great opportunity to focus more on Cravath, both on our strategy and maintaining our excellence. She is scheduled to assume the post, the highest at Cravath, on Jan. 1, though she will first serve as deputy presiding partner through the end of the year. Ms. Saeed will take over from fellow corporate partner C. Allen Parker, who will return to advising clients full time after spending three years in the top role. I do not know why the issue of cheating in the Thanaweya Amma, or secondary school final exams, was not discussed during iftar al-osra Al-Misreya the iftar banquet attended by President El-Sisi and many public figures. I believe there is a dire need for a presidential statement about the issue since it concerns a key component of comprehensive development that we all want namely nurturing an honest and aware citizen who is loyal to his country. This is primarily a matter of rearing during all stages of education, and no matter how much theoretical planning goes into it, and best practices employed, the presence of a cheater and troublemaker who ignores the law will remain a major obstacle to any system. The cheating that took place and the leaks that many conspired in started with a couple of teachers who sold their conscience to the devil, with printers who do not know the meaning of integrity, supervisors who ignored the matter during exams, other subversives who use technology to spread their corruption, ending in lazy and careless students who just want to pass by any means, and parents who pay for stealth modern technology in order for their children to pass by cheating and fraud. Some parents are even proud and post pictures of their children cheating using cell phones during exams. Meanwhile, the education system is calcified and has not changed its mechanisms and systems for many decades, although the definition of knowledge, education, and upbringing have changed at the core. We have stayed the same without making any progress. All this makes us feel we are facing a crisis of a society that has lost its mind and a crisis of conscience and commitment that no longer exist for a great many Egyptians. How could we possibly ask our youth to work hard, rise up, innovate, and seek knowledge within this system that is contradictory to the simplest principles of citizenship and equality of opportunity? How can we ask them to trust in the future and that it bodes well for them at a time when they see their colleagues very easily score higher grades and have better opportunities to join top universities, compared to others who only rely on themselves and study hard but score lower? How can we possibly trust those who earned high scores by cheating and fraud to become officials whom we trust in leading or sovereign or security positions? Although some harsh comments by MPs were not justified, the discussion between the minister of education and members of parliaments education committee revealed the lack of societal understanding of the concept of cheating. Although the minister talked about the measures taken and his contacts with other bodies and ministries to control cyber cheating, he concluded it was impossible to completely eliminate this phenomenon. It is a technical development and not many teachers and exam monitors know the nature and form of modern gadgets used by cheating students. These types of crimes are advancing at a quicker pace than the means to combat them. There are incredibly rapid advances in communication technology and some use this to further cybercrime. In Egypt, we are ignorant of these advances as they occur, which leaves them almost always to the advantage of the corrupt and cheaters. The cost of jamming communication signals at exam locations everywhere in the country, namely 1,581 sites, is unaffordable, but there are simple measures that can be immediately taken to curb this phenomenon until there is technology to entirely eliminate it in the coming years. Measures include prohibiting and criminalising the presence of any cell phones on students; stiffer penalties against students who carry any transmitter or receiver equipment by preventing them from taking high school exams for 10 years; hefty fines for their parents to be paid to the schooling renovation fund; imprisonment for no less than five years for grave offences while exam monitors who allow cheating or cell phones should be suspended for six months and held back from promotion for at least five years. Some may feel that stiffer penalties are not beneficial, but right now it is the best immediate measure. As the saying goes, for those who are not deterred by gentle persuasion there is no escape from the stick. And in our case, we need a very heavy stick. I also believe that the minister of educations request to suspend Internet or Facebook services during exams is a very rational request. Anything that benefits society and its stability is constitutional not otherwise as some have claimed. Constitutions are drawn up to protect the country and citizens and provide them with a cohesive way of life based on discipline. Therefore, the duty of MPs is to work hard on drafting laws that assist the Ministry of Education and society to confront this phenomenon, and allow the ministry to partner with others to take technical measures to prevent cheating via the Internet. The security of society takes priority over superficial claims of unconstitutionality about blocking the Internet during exams, which is no longer than three hours a day for two weeks. This interpretation read in reverse means that cheating using electronic gadgets has constitutional immunity, which is a calamity. In a nutshell, we have ended up here because our country needs a new way of thinking, outside the box. Search Keywords: Short link: Seller-financed home sales are toxic transactions, a prominent national consumer law organization said on Thursday as it released a report and called for greater federal and state oversight of the sales. In its report, the National Consumer Law Center said that many of the contracts in such transactions were built to fail and were predatory in nature benefiting sellers at the expense of lower-income and minority buyers who could not qualify for mortgages. Such a transaction, called a contract for deed or land contract, is similar to buying a home on an installment plan, with a high-interest, long-term loan. For buyers lured by the dream of homeownership, the transactions can turn into money pits that result in a quick eviction by the seller, who can then flip the home again, an investigation by The New York Times found earlier this year. The National Consumer Law Center study describes a shadow housing market that has emerged after the financial crisis. These contracts have flourished in communities where there was a large supply of cheap, foreclosed homes and a paucity of mortgages for properties worth substantially less than $100,000. When Gretchen Carlson sought her day in court with a sexual harassment lawsuit against Roger Ailes, her former boss at Fox News, Mr. Ailess lawyers had a quick response: Move the case to arbitration. Experts and lawyers who have studied arbitration cases say that process, if enacted, could significantly impede Ms. Carlsons chances of prevailing. While arbitration is normally a secretive process, a typical plaintiff involved in arbitration would at least be able to speak publicly about his or her case. But Ms. Carlson, a former anchor who was let go last month, had a contract that makes the process even more secret, stipulating that all filings, evidence and testimony connected with the arbitration, and all relevant allegations and events leading up to the arbitration, shall be held in strict confidence. The clause has much broader secrecy language than is common in arbitration, said F. Paul Bland Jr., an arbitration expert and executive director of the advocacy group Public Justice. This clause explicitly put in gag-order language on all facts and evidence relating to these types of allegations. An anonymous voice yelled from the back of the room: Youve got to be careful shooting at camels. You cant just wound them. Youve got to kill them. Otherwise they turn into man-eaters. It is not hard to imagine whose voice that was; probably the same correspondent who wrote, Every war must have its humor its the balance to the madness. There was, however, nothing funny to say about the accidental bombing of the town of Neak Luong by one or more American warplanes in August 1973. Hundreds of Cambodians were killed or wounded. Image Mr. Schanberg covered the 13-day war between India and Pakistan in 1971. Credit... Raghubir Singh United States officials were determined to keep Mr. Schanberg and Mr. Dith from observing the destruction with their own eyes. They had not counted on Mr. Diths resourcefulness and tenacity. (Schanberg Defies Official No-Nos to Get News Beat, September 1973.) Denied air transportation, they set out down the Mekong River in a boat Mr. Dith chartered for $45. When they arrived in Neak Luong, they found the hospital that an American colonel described at a briefing the day before as having sustained a little bit of damage. In fact, Mr. Schanberg said, one-third of the hospital had been blown away, with the rest so badly damaged it was unusable. In the end, nothing in Cambodia functioned. Nothing was usable. Times Talk pieces are supposed to be about reporters experiences and all the odd and amusing things that happen to them but Im going to tell you about Cambodian experiences instead, he wrote from Phnom Penh on March 21, 1975, a month before the capital fell to the Khmer Rouge. (Reporters Lot Is Rough in Cambodia, but Peoples Plight Is Much Worse, March-April 1975.) I know its depressing but maybe I think everybody ought to be as depressed as I am. In Neak Luong, a river town about 40 miles southeast of Phnom Penh that is encircled and being bombarded to death, the shells are falling so heavily that no one can come out of the bunkers to cremate the dead according to Buddhist tradition. The bodies just lie where they fall, or get stacked in piles, if someones brave enough to slip out for a few minutes to gather and pile them. Donald Trump says he will be announcing his running mate selection within a few days, almost certainly by Friday. For all the suspense, manufactured or otherwise, Trump claims it wont matter. History has said nobody ever helps, he told Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post on Monday. He is mostly right: No running mate has proved decisive in a presidential election since Lyndon Johnson helped John F. Kennedy carry Texas in 1960. But precedent has proved a cruel mistress in 2016, so really, who knows? Either way, Trumps sidekick will immediately step into one of the most difficult roles any running mate has ever assumed. This, like so many things in 2016, is a sui generis Trump phenomenon. No nominee in memory has offended more people than Trump has while seeming to care so little about it. No nominee has spit-balled so extravagantly about what he might do as president without providing details or fearing contradiction (sometimes by himself, within the space of a few sentences). In a tonal sense, no nominee has so defied conventional norms of decency as Trump has while being so loath to apologize for any of it. All of which is about to drop onto the shoulders of whoever finds him or herself on a stage next to Trump. You can understand why so many potentially attractive No. 2s (Rubio, Corker, Ernst, Haley) have sprinted in the opposite direction rather than have Trump consider them for this mission. The people who seem to crave the job the most are not exactly your rising-star types. The likes of Chris Christie and Newt Gingrich would seem to have little to lose. (Whos less happy these days about Christie being governor of New Jersey Christie or New Jersey?) Fellow short-lister Mike Pence, the Indiana governor who nearly ran for president himself, has been damaged by his widely panned handling of the states controversial religious freedom law; being Trumps running mate could actually be his easiest path to rehabilitation and a national profile. The tallest challenge for our lucky contestant will be to simply answer questions, hard questions, probably starting Sunday with one or a series of roll out interviews. The inquisitors will come in ornery. Trump has been toying with them for months. He has shown a maddening ability to duck and bluster and filibuster and falsify his way through even the most pointed interrogations, not to mention offend his interrogators well-tended egos by not always bothering to show up in person for their conversations. The running mate the presumed pro, the straight man will be on the hook for all of this. Two former commanders of the New York Police Department and a Brooklyn businessman were arraigned on Wednesday on federal corruption charges that prosecutors say stem from illegal gifts made in return for police favors. The three men, former Deputy Chief Michael J. Harrington, former Deputy Inspector James M. Grant and the businessman, Jeremiah Reichberg, pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Judge Frank Maas in Federal District Court in Manhattan. In doing so, they gave their first public responses to the charges since their arrests last month. Image Michael J. Harrington, a former deputy chief at the New York Police Department. Credit... Bryan R. Smith for The New York Times Mr. Reichberg is among two men at the center of one of several federal corruption investigations focused on campaign fund-raising, Mayor Bill de Blasio and his inner circle. The other man, Jona S. Rechnitz, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud in the scheme and is cooperating with the authorities. When Darcel D. Clark was a judge in the Bronx, she used to see criminal cases in her courtroom delayed for weeks, even months, as they were handed from one prosecutor to another. At a minimum, every case would pass through the hands of three prosecutors, each of whom oversaw a different step in the legal process, from writing the initial complaint to going to trial. If a prosecutor changed jobs, yet another person would have to scramble to become familiar with the case. I saw the way the delays were built in, Ms. Clark said. How many times did I hear, Oh judge, I need another two or three weeks. Ms. Clark, now the Bronx district attorney, intends to reduce those delays by adopting a new system of handling all cases starting this month. The system known as vertical prosecutions will assign every incoming case to a single prosecutor who will be responsible from beginning to end. Ms. Clark said the system would allow prosecutors to get to know their cases better and to take ownership of them. It would also foster closer relationships with victims and their families, she added. Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorneys office argued that Harco had ignored repeated warnings about dangerous conditions at the site, and that the companys negligence had contributed to the collapse on April 6, 2015, of a 14-foot trench in which Mr. Moncayo was crushed by thousands of pounds of dirt. Last month, Justice Bartley agreed with the prosecutors and found Harco guilty of second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, both felonies, and reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. The excavation subcontractor, Sky Materials, as well as two managers Alfonso Prestia, of Harco, and Wilmer Cueva, of Sky Materials were also indicted after an investigation that involved the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, New York Citys Investigation Department and the Police Department. No trial date has been set in that case, but the felony charges being considered could result in jail time. Construction accidents have been climbing in the city in recent years, and many of the victims are undocumented and sometimes poorly trained immigrants. A recent investigation by The New York Times into construction fatalities found that the rise in deaths and injuries has far exceeded the rate of new construction over a comparable period, and that in the cases in which workers died, supervision was lacking and basic steps had not been taken to prevent workers from falling. The investigation also found that because of the urgency to finish projects as quickly as possible, the workers were forced to take dangerous shortcuts or were inadequately trained. So far this year, five construction workers have died. Twelve workers died last year, according to the citys Buildings Department, up from eight in 2014. The death toll had not been that high since the previous construction boom, when 12 workers died in 2007 and 19 in 2008. Yet criminal liability has often been hard to prove in construction accidents in New York. In 2012, the owner of a crane company, James F. Lomma, was acquitted of all criminal charges in connection with the collapse of a tower crane that killed two workers. New York City police raided five bodegas in Brooklyn on Wednesday, a day after a wave of suspected overdoses from the synthetic drug K2 sent at least 33 people to the hospital and raised fears that the use of a substance that officials had indicated was on the wane was instead on the rise. The police found no K2, the synthetic chemical drug meant to mimic marijuana which is illegal in New York State in any of their raids, James Byrne, a spokesman for the Police Department, said. People at three stores, including the Big Boy Deli on Broadway, were arrested on charges of selling improperly taxed cigarettes, Mr. Byrne said. The raids were just one reverberation from the localized public health emergency, which unfolded in several square blocks around an intersection on the border of the Bedford-Stuyvesant and Bushwick neighborhoods. As it happens, the trauma surgeon running the Dallas emergency room last Thursday when seven police officers were brought in with gunshot wounds is a black man, Brian Williams. He fought to save the lives of those officers and wept for those he couldnt help. But in other contexts he dreads the police: He told The Associated Press that after one traffic stop he was stretched out spread-eagle on the hood of a police car. Williams shows his admiration for police officers by sometimes picking up their tabs at restaurants, but he also expressed his feelings for the police this way to The Washington Post: I support you. I defend you. I will care for you. That doesnt mean I will not fear you. Thats a narrative that many white Americans are oblivious to. Half of white Americans today say that discrimination against whites is as big a problem as discrimination against blacks. Really? That contradicts overwhelming research showing that blacks are more likely to be suspended from preschool, to be prosecuted for drug use, to receive longer sentences, to be discriminated against in housing, to be denied job interviews, to be rejected by doctors offices, to suffer bias in almost every measurable sector of daily life. In my mind, an even bigger civil rights outrage in America than abuses by some police officers may be an education system that routinely sends the neediest black students to underfunded, third-rate schools, while directing bountiful resources to affluent white schools. If America is to be America, we have to engage in a larger conversation than just the criminal justice system, notes Darren Walker, the president of the Ford Foundation. If you were to examine most of the institutions that underpin our democracy higher education, K-12 education, the housing system, the transportation system, the criminal justice system you will find systemic racism embedded in those systems. Yet Walker is an optimist, partly because of his own trajectory. In 1965, as an African-American child in rural Texas, he was able to enroll in Head Start soon after it was founded and everything changed. It transformed my life and created possibilities for me and a glide path, he says. It provided me with a life I would never have imagined. As Walkers journey suggests, we have tools that can help, although, of course, racial inequity is complex, involving not just discrimination but also jobs, education, family structure and more. A starting point is for us whites to wake from our ongoing mass delusions, to recognize that in practice black lives have not mattered as much as white lives, and that this is an affront to values that we all profess to believe in. There is no question that we should examine incidents of police violence for traces of bias, if for no other reason than to rule it out if it isnt present. Indeed, we should all search ourselves for manifestations of racial bias. But the current conversation is and must be larger than that. Interpersonal racism, when it exists, is only one part of the equation. Another part is systemic, structurally racist policies, and yet another is class conflict between the police and the poorest, most dangerous communities they patrol, and between those who are better off and those who are not. That strand is nearly absent from this conversation altogether. At the Tuesday memorial service in Dallas for five murdered police officers, President Obama said: As a society, we choose to underinvest in decent schools. We allow poverty to fester so that entire neighborhoods offer no prospect for gainful employment. We refuse to fund drug treatment and mental health programs. We flood communities with so many guns that it is easier for a teenager to buy a Glock than get his hands on a computer or even a book. And then we tell the police, Youre a social worker; youre the parent; youre the teacher; youre the drug counselor. We tell them to keep those neighborhoods in check at all costs and do so without causing any political blowback or inconvenience; dont make a mistake that might disturb our own peace of mind. And then we feign surprise when periodically the tensions boil over. The comment underscores that this is not simply a conflict between police departments and minority communities that everyone else can watch from a comfortable distance, convinced that the battle doesnt belong to them. A negative opinion of NGOs has continued throughout multiple political regimes in Egypt. Thus, the new NGO law must take into consideration ways to change this attitude and to cope with the problems NGOs may face According to official estimations, the number of local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Egypt is about 47,000, with another 93 foreign NGOs working according to the 2002 Law. This huge number is distributed on a wide spectrum of fields and activities covering Egypts governorates and cities. However, there is an extremely small number of human rights organisations that raise problems with the government concerning their role, working mechanisms, funding sources and their relation with politics in a wide sense. These NGOs are actively defending political, social and economic human rights, including women rights and the right to organise trade unions and encouraging political participation and elections monitoring. The governments problems with the human rights NGOs can be summarised in their relation with foreign countries and how to specifically harmonise the requirements of the international human rights environment with Egyptian society. For the government, a section of the elite and the street see that since those organisations receive financial and technical support from European and American organisations or transnational non-governmental organisations, the priorities of interests and activities of the local NGOs - the reports they publish, training and qualification workshops they set up - are affected. This influence is understandable in the light of globalisation and networking between human rights NGOs across the world. However, there are some people inside and outside the government who view that this influence, as well as the globalised networking, represents a form of vassalage and may be an agent for foreign countries, as the current media discourse antagonistic to human rights activists propagates. The evidence is that those activists played a big role in confronting the rule of Hosni Mubarak and faced administrative and legal problems. They also suffered under Mubaraks rule from security harassment, distorted media campaigns, accusations of being foreign agents, receiving huge sums of money and profiteering without justification. It is noteworthy to mention that the culture of human rights and human rights NGOs activities are new to the Egyptian state and society. Egypt knew nothing about these organisations except during Mubaraks rule, when in 1985 when the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR), as a branch of the Arab Organisation for Human Rights (AOHR), was founded. The irony is that the majority of those who founded the EOHR were affiliated with the Nasserite regime, which committed wide scale human rights violations, as well as some leftist Marxist elements and leaders who suffered from the horrors of detention and imprisonment during the rule of Presidents Gamal Abdel-Nasser and Anwar Al-Sadat. The second irony is the EOHR did not receive the approval of the Ministry of Social Affairs as a legal NGO except through a court verdict 18 years after announcing its founding and commencement of activities. This illustrates the states non-positive handling towards this and other NGOs as Mubaraks regime viewed the Egyptian human rights movement as a political opposition movement. Hence, many human rights activists circumvented the current NGO Organisation Law and founded non-profit companies through which they practised their activities without submitting to the Ministry of Social Affairs charged with applying the law and organising the NGOs' work. The truth is that the negative outlook towards the role and work of human rights NGOs kept haunting the organisations during the rule of Mubarak, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the Muslim Brotherhood and onto the current regime under which a number of human rights activists were questioned concerning receiving foreign money and tax evasion. This was accompanied before and after with the predominance of the conspiracy theory which links NGO activities inside Egypt with the criticisms issued by Western organisations regarding human rights violations in Egypt. According to this narrative, there is no place for the idea of globalisation and the growing roles of the transnational NGOs and civil society organisations. There is also no place for independent roles for human rights NGOs. Consequently, conspiracy theory supporters conclude that the human rights NGOs play a direct role in conspiring against the Egyptian state, especially that those NGOs do not care about the danger of terrorism that constitutes a threat to citizens security and the societys safety. Besides, they do not declare clear standpoints towards the war on terrorism. The accusations which haunt human rights NGOs and their activists persisted through political regimes and continued in spite of the positive roles they played in paving the way for whats known as Egypts Revolutions in 25th January against Mubarak and 30th June against the Muslim Brotherhood. This continuity indicates the existence of real problems that transcend the notion that all the worlds governments do not welcome human rights NGOs activities and reports. Consequently, this problem must be raised for discussion in a transparent and profound way that goes beyond political conflict or the extreme, opposing standpoints with or against human rights NGOs and activists, especially that the government is making a serious attempt to issue a new legislation that organises the work of NGOs in Egypt, including Egyptian and foreign human rights NGOs. This legislation aims to make the procedures of registration, financing and the activities of all the organisations transparent and clear. Thus, the administrative and legal problems are reduced and the chances of security agencies interference are limited. A bill was raised to a wide debate in which many human rights NGOs and activists as well as representatives from political parties and forces have participated. I think that the new law must take into consideration a set of facts related to the emergence and development of the human rights movement and its resources as well as the human rights culture in Egypt and the mechanisms of human rights NGOs and the problems they face. In this frame, four main observations can be mentioned: 1- Human rights NGOs played an extremely important role in disseminating human rights culture in the Egyptian society, despite the unwelcoming climate surrounding their emergence and development as well as the criticisms haunting them and affects the elements belonging to it or those known as human rights activists. It is hard for human rights NGOs to dispense with foreign funding or to be independent from the global human rights movement. This is due to the weakness of the civil society and lack of independent sources for funding human rights activities in Egypt. There are alternatives represented in augmenting volunteering and consequently reducing dependence on foreign funding and building societal partnerships that may secure national funding supported by increasing volunteer work. On the other hand, NGOs can set up independent societal mechanisms for monitoring funding sources and ensuring the commitment of all NGOs to rules of disclosure and transparency in the light of the new NGO Organisation Law and its executive regulations in coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs. 2- There is no option for the state and society but to accept the existence and continuity of truly independent human rights NGO activity. Therefore, there is no reason for containing or employing NGOs or to see that the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) activities suffice and consider it an alternative to independent NGOs and a sole representative of Egypt in international circles. The NHCR was established in 2003 presided over by Boutrous Ghali, former UN General Secretary, as an independent authority. However, the Council's dependence on governmental funding led to accusations of it being a vassal to the state even if it repeatedly criticised some governmental bodies during Mubarak's rule and the current regime. I think that the NCHR is indispensable provided that its financial and administrative independence is guaranteed. 3- The necessity that human rights NGOs increase their activities and tools and renew its discourse and show commitment to internal democracy within these organisations and openness towards society instead of the elitist outlook focusing on Cairo and shunning rural areas. 4- The final draft of the new law must resolve the problem of registration and funding in order to decrease the prerequisites for founding non-governmental organisations, liberating them of the bureaucracy of the task and the corruption of some officials. The law must clearly stipulate the kind of activities for which it is allowed to receive foreign financial or technical support, and must encourage groups to notify the Ministry of Social Affairs about the funding objectives and its items of expenditure. The Ministry of Social Affairs should be granted the right to object within 21 days. In this case, the non-governmental organisation has the right to go to court, which should adjudicate the dispute in a timely manner without procrastination. The writer is dean of the Faculty of Communication and Mass Media at the British University in Egypt (BUE). Search Keywords: Short link: In Cleveland, the Secret Service will not permit guns inside the convention hall. But delegates have been talking of bringing their personal pistols to other events. I think its a very pragmatic solution, Jamie Klein, a Pennsylvania delegate for Mr. Trump, told NPR News. I think its part of Republican values, American values, to be responsible for our own safety. Mr. Klein, who plans to be packing his concealed 9-millimeter pistol at dinner each night, sounds all too right about Republican values. Ohios Republican-led Legislature, prodded by the gun lobby, has barred local governments like Cleveland from having stronger gun controls, all the while encouraging citizens to arm themselves. In Washington, the Republican-majority House of Representatives is heading off to vacation without taking up even minimalist proposals for gun safety. Right now, what we want to do is have a good conversation where we calm things down and we talk about solutions, Speaker Paul Ryan explained in retreating from an issue the ease with which terrorism suspects can buy guns that Republicans had vowed to take up after a confessed devotee of the Islamic State last month opened fire in an Orlando nightclub, where 49 people were killed. Mr. Ryans words deserve close inspection. Theyre ludicrous. What hes saying is that action urgently prompted by one gun massacre must be put off because of the distraction and grief caused by the next atrocity. This is a formula for endless procrastination in a nation where the mass shooter nightmare erupts with savage regularity. The people vowing to swagger with their guns in Cleveland will, in a literal sense, be law-abiding. But their self-indulgence, protected by timorous politicians, can only make it easier for the next killer to obtain a military-style weapon in what amounts to an open market for mass mayhem. The Dallas shooter is reported to have obtained weapons through loopholes in the background check law that Republicans have fiercely refused to close. In vulgar street talk here, Puerto Rico has been stripped naked and put on show to be shamed. This after wed grown up being told we had a unique, privileged relationship with the United States we were full citizens, free to migrate north, and autonomous to govern our own affairs. A bit like a state, without surrendering our Latin personality. But now it is clear that was a charade. Weve learned how much it left us at the mercy of an unsympathetic Washington. Even as he offered debt relief, the Senates majority leader, Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, rubbed it in. The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico is in crisis, he declared. Territory? Really? I thought as did Justice Stephen G. Breyer in his dissent from the prosecutorial powers ruling that Washington granted us a far better status in 1952. As the United Nations pushed for global decolonization, Justice Breyer wrote, we and the Truman administration entered into a social contract that made us neither colony nor state, but something new, called a commonwealth in English and, in Spanish, an "estado libre asociado (free associated state). My generation, the baby boomers, was told autonomy made us equal but exceptional as citizens, and indeed there were advantages. Tax breaks initiated in the 1970s attracted employers like pharmaceutical producers. Billions of federal dollars flowed to us. All we had to do was behave, serve in the military when called (I was wounded in Vietnam as a combat medic), and not call ourselves a colony. Dissenters advocating statehood warned that self-government was a mirage without a vote in Congress, or for president. Still, Congress never showed interest in accepting a bicultural Hispanic state that had more workers than jobs. A lot has happened since Britain voted on June 23 to leave the European Union, most of it unexpected including the result of the vote itself. That was followed by the swift exit of Prime Minister David Cameron, the unintentional instigator of the needless referendum, along with Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom, all of whom had hoped to exploit their support of Brexit to win a promotion to Mr. Camerons office. In the end, it has been left to a competent, experienced and staid political veteran who did not support Brexit, but didnt much campaign against it, to clean up the mess. In different times, Theresa May would have been celebrated on Wednesday as only the second woman ever to serve as Britains prime minister. The story line now is the mission impossible that Ms. May, the former home secretary, faces in creating a future for Britain outside the European Union. Ms. May brings to the job a reputation for seriousness and practicality. She had been home secretary since May 2010, an achievement in itself given the history of the Home Office as a dead end for political careers. No ideologue, she is a hard-liner on immigration but supported gay marriage and has described her Conservative Party as the nasty party in need of modernizing. Kenneth Clarke, a former cabinet minister, was overheard to describe her as a bloody difficult woman, and that is not necessarily a handicap for the tasks that lie before her. At age 18, Francis ONeill, an aspiring young painter, went on a train trip around Europe and was struck by the Rembrandt masterpieces he saw in galleries. Like many before him, he was astounded by Rembrandts technical accuracy. I thought, What sort of magic has this guy imbued in himself? said Mr. ONeill, who today produces art and teaches from his studio in Oxford, England. Now, Mr. ONeill thinks hes found an answer to that question and he says it has more to do with optics than magic. In a paper published Wednesday in the Journal of Optics, Mr. ONeill lays out a theory that Rembrandt set up flat and concave mirrors to project his subjects including himself onto surfaces before painting or etching them. People in the travel industry shared a number of tips to help travelers minimize concerns about water safety, crime and staying healthy aboard cruise ships, which often carry hundreds, if not thousands, of passengers. Swim At Your Own Risk: Because most cruise lines dont provide lifeguards, children should never be allowed to swim without supervision, said Julie Danziger, a cruise specialist at the New York City travel consultancy Ovation Vacations. Either you need to be watching them or make sure that if theyre going to the pool as part of an activity with the cruise ships kids club, that there will be an attendant with the group at all times, Ms. Danziger said. She also said that adults should bear in mind their own water safety. Recent drownings have not been confined to children. In August 2014, a 29-year-old woman drowned aboard Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess, and a British marine accident investigation found that the absence of properly trained employees in the pool area contributed to the womans death. Ms. Danziger advises adults who are not strong swimmers to avoid swimming alone at off-peak hours such as early morning or late at night. Watch Your Belongings: Many travelers have a false sense of security when theyre on a cruise, experts said. You feel like youre in a cocoon away from the rest of the world and nothing can happen to you, but, in reality, if youre on a bigger boat, youre surrounded by hundreds and even thousands of strangers, said Ruth Turpin, the owner of Cruises, Etc., a cruise-focused travel agency in Fort Worth, Tex. Ive had clients who feel so carefree on cruises that they leave their rooms unlocked and all their belongings out. Thats not a good idea. Ms. Turpin recommends always locking your room, putting away valuables like cash and passports in the room safe and not leaving your belongings unattended in public areas. Its common to save lounge chairs on a cruise by putting your handbag or iPad on the chairs, she said, but, if you do so, youre putting yourself at risk for theft. Wash Your Hands Frequently. The most common cause of gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships is norovirus, an infection characterized by vomiting and diarrhea, according to Dr. Henry Murray, an infectious disease expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York. With norovirus, you run the risk of being sick for several days and ruining your vacation. However, your chance of contracting the virus can be reduced by washing your hands often, especially before you eat and after using the bathroom, Dr. Murray said. The virus can live on any surface you touch, so hand washing is a good way to protect yourself, he said. But, he emphasized that cruise passengers should not be overly concerned about getting the stomach bug because most cruises are safe from food- and waterborne illnesses. Dont Book a Cruise on a Ship Without an Infirmary Any cruise ship youre considering should have an infirmary, preferably one thats open 24 hours, said Ms. Danziger of Ovation Vacations. This infirmary would typically be staffed by a nurse, and possibly a doctor, capable of treating a range of medical issues from a sore throat to a broken bone, she said. She added that on a reputable cruise line, travelers are more likely to receive high-quality care at the infirmary. If the cruise youre considering doesnt have an infirmary, Ms. Danziger doesnt recommend booking it. If something does happen, you need the assurance you have somewhere to go for help, especially if youre in the middle of the ocean, she said. Be Cautious on Port Visits Even if your cruise ship is luxurious and safe, thats not necessarily the case when it comes to the port cities it docks in, said Ms. Turpin of Cruises, Etc. If your boat stops in Rio de Janeiro, a city where crime is known to be a problem in certain areas, for example, the cruise line will probably warn passengers not to navigate through the city alone. And you should heed that warning. Instead, you might take one of the cruise lines group excursions or book a private guide. Also, its best to leave your cash and flashy jewelry behind. LOS ANGELES A Chinese businessman who pleaded guilty in March to conspiring to hack the computer networks of the Boeing Company and other major American military contractors was sentenced on Wednesday to nearly four years in prison, prosecutors said. The businessman, Su Bin, 51, was charged with taking part in a scheme by Chinese military officers to obtain sensitive United States military information over several years. In addition to the 46-month prison term, a judge in the United States District Court in Los Angeles also ordered Mr. Su to pay a fine of $10,000. Su Bins sentence is a just punishment for his admitted role in a conspiracy with hackers from the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force to illegally access and steal sensitive U.S. military information, John P. Carlin, the assistant attorney general for national security, said in a statement. Su assisted the Chinese military hackers in their efforts to illegally access and steal designs for cutting-edge military aircraft that are indispensable to our national defense, the statement said. WASHINGTON The Senate on Wednesday approved a bill to tackle the nations opioid crisis, sending to the presidents desk the most sweeping drug legislation in years in a rare instance of consensus in Congress. The measure, which passed, 92 to 2, would strengthen prevention, treatment and recovery efforts, largely by empowering medical professionals and law enforcement officials with more tools to help drug addicts. It would also expand access to a drug that emergency medical workers could use to help reverse overdoses and improve treatment for the incarcerated. Senator Ben Sasse, Republican of Nebraska, and Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, voted against the measure. President Obama is expected to sign the bill. This is a historic moment, the first time in decades that Congress has passed comprehensive addiction legislation, and the first time Congress has ever supported long-term addiction recovery, said Senator Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, whose state has been plagued by opioid addiction. This is also the first time that weve treated addiction like the disease that it is, which will help put an end to the stigma that has surrounded addiction for too long. Tensions over spending threatened to derail the measure as Democrats insisted the Senate also vote on immediate funding to pay for the programs the bill authorizes. Republicans said funding would be addressed in the appropriations process later this year. Washington President Obama said on Wednesday that the profound tensions between the police and African-American communities were likely to worsen for quite some time after the series of wrenching shooting deaths this month, urging law enforcement officials and civil rights activists at a lengthy and at times tense White House gathering to keep pressing to bridge their differences. Not only are there very real problems but there are still deep divisions about how to solve these problems, Mr. Obama said at the White House, after meeting for over four hours all afternoon and into the evening with the group. There is no doubt that police departments still feel embattled and unjustly accused, and there is no doubt that minority communities, communities of color, still feel like it just takes too long to do whats right, Mr. Obama added. We have to, as a country, sit down and just grind it out solve these problems. During a session that lasted for more than four hours in a large conference room across from the West Wing and included administration officials and community activists from the Black Lives Matter movement among the 40 or so in attendance, Mr. Obama led what he later called an excellent and encouraging session about building trust between law enforcement and communities of color. The lawsuit came after the teenage son of Mr. Sterling faced reporters to urge the nation to protest peacefully in his fathers name. I feel people in general, no matter their race is, should come together as one united family, Cameron Sterling, 15, said at a news conference held in front of the convenience store where his father died. There should be no more arguments, disagreements, crimes everyone should be one united family. Mr. Sterling was killed July 5 after two Baton Rouge officers went to the Triple S Food Mart in north Baton Rouge responding to a complaint of someone who had threatened another man with a gun. The police said Mr. Sterling matched that description, but he refused to obey police orders. Video showed the officers sitting on top of him and firing upon him after another officer alerted that Mr. Sterling had a gun. An affidavit filed in court to obtain a search warrant for the stores surveillance video asserted that Mr. Sterling reached for his gun, but protesters who have watched the video over and over again say Mr. Sterling had already been subdued. My father was a good man: That was his sacrifice to show everyone what had been going on in life, Cameron said. It should give everyone a push that everyone should be together, not against each other. Everyone needs to be on one chord, not a different note. Everyone needs to be together, not apart. NEW DELHI Patients, some with severe eye trauma, have overrun hospitals in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, doctors said on Wednesday, after security forces used pellet guns to break up demonstrations that have shaken the region. Widespread protests broke out on Saturday across the Kashmir Valley over the death of a young separatist militant, Burhan Muzaffar Wani, who was killed in a gun battle with the security forces the day before. Mr. Wani had gained a following over the years, in part through his prominence on social media. Both India and Pakistan claim the Kashmir region. More than 30 people have been killed during the demonstrations, including one police officer, and more than 2,000 injured, said Asgar Hassan Samoon, a senior administrative officer of Kashmir from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir State. The police also fired on demonstrators with bullets in addition to the less-lethal pellets. As the protests faded, hospitals have been overwhelmed with people seeking treatment for eye injuries, and the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, has asked the health minister in New Delhi to send a team of specialists to Kashmir. Turkish-Israeli diplomatic relations will resume without Turkey's two demands being met: lifting the embargo on Gaza and an Israeli apology for attacking a Turkish aid ship, killing and wounding activists Six years have passed since the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara was attacked by Israel off the Gaza coast and after Erdogan escalated his hollow rhetorical stance against Israel with the aim of acquiring a certain amount of support in the Arab region and among Islamist movements, opening wider spheres for Turkish influence in the paths of the Palestinian cause. After all these manoeuvres, it was declared earlier that there was an agreement on the return of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel without the fulfillment of the main demand Erdogan clung to: lifting the embargo on Gaza. The agreement's most important terms were the return of ambassadors and coordination in international forums, making arrangements concerning Turkeys buying of Israeli natural gas and exporting it to Europe, and Israels paying $21 million in compensation for the families of the victims and wounded in the ship incident. Israel stipulated that this shouldnt be done until the Turkish parliament issue a law closing all complaints Turkey filed after the incident. At the same time, Israel did not offer the apology Erdogan insisted on. Rather, Netanyahu presented a formula that expresses sorrow for the fall of the victims. As for Gaza, Israel refused to lift the blockade, stipulating that not a single act against Israel be launched from Turkish lands along with the expulsion of any Hamas member working within the military wing and that Turkey mediate the return of Israeli corpses missing in Gaza. In return, Israel allowed the entry of Turkish food aid to Gaza through Israel and not to Gaza directly. Israel also agreed that Turkey build a hospital and construct an electric power plant without softening the land, naval or air blockade. Israel justified this by stating it agreed on helping the population in Gaza, intimating that its policy is to make a separation between the population and Hamas and the projects agreed upon, which are related to matters such as water, electricity, hospitals. It further intimated that in Gaza there are worrying signs concerning the collapse of civil infrastructure, which ultimately would harm Israel. Thus, it is in Israel's interest to handle the situation and seek that other countries lend a hand. It is noticeable that security and military relations were not cut during the period of apparent estrangement with Israel. Trade exchange between the two countries amounted to $6 billion last year. What, then, drove Erdogan to end his theatrical show and retreat? What were Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhoods reactions in general towards Erdogan, who was long portrayed as a hero brandishing his sword in the style of the Middle Ages? As for Erdogan, it is clear that his illusions that were augmented following the Arab Spring revolutions and his attempts to embody the Ottoman sultan or caliph began to fall apart after the failed results of his misguided wagers became obvious and the negative repercussions started to arrive within Turkey on both the economic and security levels. Perhaps this may explain Turkey's new policy of seeking to minimise the number of its enemies and increase the number of its friends. As for Hamas, it issued a statement welcoming Turkish efforts to alleviate the suffering of Gazans. The Muslim Brotherhood also issued a statement conveying the same meaning. There is no interpretation of these standpoints outside their common opportunistic characteristics, for Hamas is treating Gazans as captives in order to stay in power and consequently it makes itself availed to any regional project supporting its continuance in power. As for the Muslim Brotherhood, they are opportunists due to their intellectual and psychological composition. Thus, they change their colours with every change in situation. The writer is head of the Nile Basin Studies Department at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies. Search Keywords: Short link: Bernardo Provenzano, the godfather of Sicilys flesh-and-blood Corleone crime family who eluded the police for 43 years and who was a convicted conspirator in the murder of Italys two leading Mafia prosecutors, died on Wednesday in Milan. He was 83. His lawyer, Rosalba Di Gregorio, said he had been suffering from Parkinsons disease, cancer and a stroke, and that he had been hospitalized since 2014 under the supervision of prison authorities. In 2006, Mr. Provenzano was arrested in a squalid shepherds shack where he had been living about a mile from Corleone, the hardscrabble hilltop town where he was born, which Mario Puzo mythologized as the original home of the New York gangsters who swaggered through novels and movies about organized crime, most notably The Godfather. Mr. Provenzano was originally nicknamed the Tractor, a name he earned by viciously mowing down investigators, journalists and other victims. Goran Hadzic, a former leader of rebel Serbs in Croatia, died on Tuesday in Novi Sad, in northern Serbia. He was 58. The Hospital Center, where he died, announced the death. Mr. Hadzic had brain cancer. Mr. Hadzic was arrested in 2011 and faced war crimes charges in connection with his leadership of a campaign to carve off one-third of Croatia and join it to Serbia. The United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague dropped the case against him because of his terminal illness and released him from jail last year. He had pleaded not guilty to involvement in the murder of hundreds of Croats and the expulsion of tens of thousands more from their homeland during a war from 1991 to 1995 in which ethnic Serbs in Croatia rebelled against a Croatian push for independence from Yugoslavia, which was led by Serbs. Mr. Hadzic was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in 2004 but evaded arrest and lived as a fugitive in Serbia, Russia and elsewhere for seven years before being captured. He was the last suspect wanted by the tribunal. The United Nations received a stunning rebuke on Wednesday from a human rights panel attached to its troubled Kosovo peacekeeping mission, which described the panels efforts to make the mission accountable for rights violations as a total failure. The 49-page report by the Human Rights Advisory Panel, part of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, or Unmik, contains extraordinarily strong language criticizing the missions handling of civilian grievances, including failures to investigate disappearances and killings as well as negligence in the mass lead poisoning of displaced Roma, also known as Gypsies, at United Nations camps. The reports conclusions are a potential source of embarrassment for the United Nations, which regularly assails governments for a lack of accountability and defends victims whose human rights have been violated in conflict zones around the world. Mr. Kerry cited Irans participation in the effort to bring about a cease-fire in Syria one that critics view as a cynical effort to extend Mr. Assads rule and the quickness with which Iran released American sailors after it seized them in the Persian Gulf in January as some of the positive results of the relationship. But he also acknowledged that forces in Iran that didnt want the agreement in the first place were doing all they could to stoke terrorism and press ahead on other ways to challenge the United States and Saudi Arabia, both of which are regularly denounced in Iran. Missile tests, cyberattacks and support of the militant group Hezbollah are not covered in the nuclear agreement. It is a measure of the ugly tone, in both nations, that all talk of Mr. Kerry visiting Tehran before the end of Mr. Obamas term is now dead. Its not even under discussion, said Mr. Kerry, in a tone that contrasted sharply with his optimism a year ago, when the agreement was struck. He added, Im not sure they would even want me to come at this moment, because of the perception in Iran that the long-anticipated result of the deal a freeing up of tens of billions of dollars in frozen assets, a flood of investment and an economic boom was a false hope. He added, Ive got much bigger fish to fry than that right now, a striking comment given the centrality of the Iran deal to Mr. Obamas and Mr. Kerrys legacies. Few national security issues divided Washington like the nuclear deal, reached a year ago Thursday in Vienna. Every Republican in Congress who voted on the agreement opposed it. A year later, the battle continues. The House recently passed, overwhelmingly, an amendment to block a $17.6 billion deal for Boeing to sell aircraft to Iran Air. It would be the largest transaction between the United States and Iran since the hostage crisis 37 years ago. Yet the congressional action has caused frustration in the aviation industry, because everyone agrees that if the Boeing deal falls through, Airbus will get Iran Airs business. And it has become a symbol in Iran of an American effort to undermine the sanctions relief negotiated under the agreement. Freedom comes from your classroom material? Yes. Ive done several different versions. Then everything went down in our nation last week. The company was on tour in Saratoga Springs, and I noticed a lot of our dancers were clearly in some type of emotional duress. As the dance progressed, it allowed me to release a lot of my emotions, so I proposed it to the company: If anyone wants to come and dance whatever youre feeling out, we have 30 minutes lets have that moment so we can leave it in the studio and take our fresh selves to the stage. Why did you shoot it in black and white? I based it on Janet Jacksons Rhythm Nation. Every shade of brown, tan, white were all gray in black and white. Did you get Beyonces permission? No. I tag her, but Im worried that her people might say, We appreciate it, but you didnt get the rights to this and this is Alvin Ailey so we have to take it away. I knew I couldnt not tag her. I just want to get it out there and if it happens that it gets taken away, fine. We can make something else happen. Do you have plans for it to become part of a bigger piece? That is the hope. This has put a seed, not even in the back of my mind, but somewhere in the middle. I can feel it starting to sprout. The more classes I teach, Ill probably use my students as guinea pigs and start to build upon it brick by brick. Eventually Ill have a house. Hopefully. Toward the end of Freedom, the dancers separate and perform brief, improvised solos. What were your instructions? I have two sets: One for my students and another for the Ailey dancers. I told the students: You have this much time. This is the rhythm. Dont go to the melody; it should be sharp, staccato, free, fluid. I dont need to see tilts, I dont need to see fouette turns, I dont need to see your tricks. I want you to release something from inside of you. And if you dont have anything? Pretend. I gave the dancers in the company the same rhythmic objective and told them: I dont have to tell you a single thing about what you should do. We all know whats going on in our country. We all have our visceral responses to it. Im going to put the music on. Give me everything you have. And thats what happened. At the bustling offices of Evergreens Cemetery in Bushwick, Brooklyn, staff members often pore over hefty reference books with frayed spines and tattered pages. These handwritten burial records, dating to 1849, when the still-active graveyard was founded, hold the answers to unsolved mysteries and various queries, including research requests from genealogists, biographers, historians and descendants of the more than half-million buried there. Evergreens Cemetery, like other expansive 19th-century American burial grounds, has set out in recent years to organize its archives, repair damaged paperwork and create searchable databases. Among the administrators goals are to attract and educate visitors and uncover connections between their entombed residents and historical events. Anthony Salamone, the family service representative at Evergreens Cemetery, compares the latest archival findings with inscriptions on gravestones and mausoleums. He drove along meandering lanes during a recent tour of the cemeterys 225 acres of leafy glades, which are divided into little neighborhoods with names like Ascension and Redemption. It remains unclear, he explained, how the original layouts, with gravestones in irregular rows, were chosen. Nobodys alive who can answer the question, he said. He pointed out a puzzling metal mausoleum built in the 1870s for the family of William H. Guild, a steam pump manufacturer; the cylindrical structure may have been adapted from the wheelhouse of a warship. Its flared dome rises around the corner from a green slope where Mr. Salamone plans to install stones on the unmarked graves of African-American Civil War soldiers. The music acts as emotional connective tissue, imbuing the images as they pass with an episodic, operatic quality. Edited into thematic groups, the whole program has an elemental narrative arc. People make love, marry, become pregnant, have children, grow old and die. Certain characters recur, including Ms. Goldins boyfriend, identified only as Brian, who seems always to be unnervingly brooding and glowering. There are cameos by demimonde celebrities like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, John Waters and Jim Jarmusch. Near the end come lingering images of cemeteries and gravestones as Dean Martin warbles Memories Are Made of This. Its heartbreaking. The final slide shows a graffiti image of two skeletons making love, rendered in white paint on a black door, a severe send-off that a 17th-century Puritan would endorse. While there are moments of beauty, comedy and festive joy, especially in pictures of irresistibly cute and energetic children, and the full range of the sexual-orientation spectrum is lovingly embraced, the world according to Ms. Goldin is not a happy one. The Ballad mostly feels bleak, claustrophobic and funereal. Its far from the deliriously liberating optimism of the 60s. Thats partly because so many of Ms. Goldins friends were derailed by addiction or died from AIDS. One of the saddest pictures shows the actress Cookie Mueller in her open coffin after her 1989 death from AIDS. Ms. Goldins darkly circumscribed vision also may have something to do with her heavy drug use during the 80s. She has said that after Aperture published its book version of the Ballad in 1986, she fell deep into addiction, finally going into a detox center two years later. Ms. Goldin will be seen by some as a forerunner of todays internet selfie culture. Her Ballad is open to charges of narcissism, exhibitionism, voyeurism and the glamorization of bad behavior, qualities that are partly what make it so riveting. Ms. Goldins snapshot candor also influenced untold numbers of serious artists like Wolfgang Tillmans and Ryan McGinley, both of whom became known in the 1990s and 2000s for diaristic photographs of friends and lovers naked and clothed. What she has that few others have so fully possessed are the gifts of a captivating storyteller, the ability to turn messy life into a tale for the ages of lost innocence and squandered youth. The Dallas Museum of Art, which has been without a leader since the unexpected departure of Max Anderson last September, announced Thursday that its board had selected Agustin Arteaga, a veteran museum administrator and curator, to be its new director. Mr. Arteaga, who has been the director of the Museo Nacional de Arte in Mexico City since 2013, and before that was the director of the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico, said in an interview that he was interested in the job, his first in the United States, because he saw the Dallas Museum as an ambitious institution, one whose wide-ranging, encyclopedic collection was a symbol of human community at a time of great political division around the world. Museums are first and foremost educational institutions, said Mr. Arteaga, 58, who was born and educated in Mexico City, and my goal has always been to show, through objects, how we are more alike than different. Mr. Arteagas selection, taking place against the backdrop of the presidential campaign and Donald J. Trumps call for a border wall between the United States and Mexico, sends a strong signal that the Dallas Museum wants to be seen as an international institution, with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. Asked whether the board had considered rising nativism and other election-season issues that have underscored deep divisions within the United States, Catherine Marcus Rose, the board chairwoman, said: As far as politics, Id say no. But I think that our mission and history mandated that we look internationally for the best candidate we could find, and thats what we did. But forging such an emotional relationship with a subject, which led to establishing one with a viewer, too, required some learning. Several of the early pictures at the Met Breuer of well-dressed shoppers and window displays are mild-mannered and ordinary. Arbus seems to be trying to do something in them, maybe take a swat at the ideal of female glamour she grew up with. But she hasnt yet figured out how to make it complicated and personal. At the same time, other images are magnetic exactly because they feel idiosyncratic and deliberately upsetting: They destabilize common standards of normality, ugliness, beauty and privacy. Early on, Arbus often generates this impression circumstantially, by seeking out unsettling things: morgue autopsies, gruesome murder tableaus in wax museums, horror movie scenes that she shoots in theaters. She made repeated visits to Huberts Dime Museum in Times Square, which offered live acts, so-called freak shows. There she photographed contortionists; snake dancers; human pincushions; and Hezekiah Trambles, The Jungle Creep. And she went further, following performers like the Russian dwarf actor Andrew Ratoucheff, the spectacularly tattooed Jack Dracula and a few celebrity street crazies into their homes and haunts. She focused on people who reflexively grab our attention, and just as reflexively make us look away, nonplused with embarrassment. As for Arbus, she just looked and looked, and moved in closer the air of sexual heat that pervades the pictures is part of their allure until she had looked long enough to get the images she needed. And in the process of photographing unconventional, sometimes outre subjects, she was training herself to detect strangeness when it occurred in a lower key, in everyday life. She would stop people on a Lower East Side street or in a park, and talk to them, and start to shoot, capturing a wide range of postures and expressions. Back in the studio she would pick one image. Was it the true one? They were all true. She usually went with the one that conveyed the most dramatic, least absorbable sensation of difference. One of the most naturally gifted painters in the history of Western art, Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) has been beloved for his bucolic, operatic scenes of Rococo frivolity and elegant hedonism known as fetes galantes. In his masterpiece Pilgrimage to the Isle Cythera (1717), aristocratic lovers attended to by fluttering cupids prepare to set off in a golden boat for the fabled island of love, the birthplace of Aphrodite. With his delicate, sensuously flickering touch, lush colors and luminous atmospheres, Watteau anticipated Impressionism, and his dreamlike visions of erotic yearning and melancholic hypersensitivity inspired the 20th-century Surrealists. What are not so famous are paintings that first drew the attention of discerning collectors to Watteau, pictures focused on the lives of common soldiers in a time of war that he made between 1709 and 1715. While the military subject matter differs markedly from that of the fetes galantes, theres an allusive, bittersweet poetry about these early works that looks forward to the later scenes of pastoral dalliance. Of the seven such works known to have survived, four are featured along with 13 related drawings in Watteaus Soldiers: Scenes of Military Life in Eighteenth-Century France, a captivating exhibition at the Frick Collection. Organized by Aaron Wile, a curatorial fellow at the Frick, its the first exhibition devoted to this subject. Considering the subject matter, these works appear remarkably nonviolent. Ranging in width from about 12 inches to 20 inches, the paintings depict scenes far behind the front lines of battle. If you had only these images to go by, you wouldnt know there was a war going on, much less one as horrendously bloody as the War of the Spanish Succession, an 18th-century worldwide conflict over Frances King Louis XIVs attempt to take over the Spanish empire after the death of King Charles II of Spain. The Television Academy announced the nominees for the 68th Emmy Awards earlier Thursday. HBO once again had the most nominations of any platform, with 94 though thats down substantially from last years 126. FX and Netflix made up the difference: FX had 56 nominations and Netflix had 54, up from 38 and 34 last year. But while worthy series, like The Americans, finally received some Emmy recognition, there were also some inevitable disappointments. Our critics take a look at the field Mike Hale handles the drama and limited series categories, while Margaret Lyons tackles comedy and variety. DRAMA SERIES Surprises: The Americans Not actually a surprise, since the drumbeat for FXs domestic spy thriller had built throughout its fourth season. But it feels like a surprise, since the show, one of the very best dramas on television since its inception, had been inexplicably ignored before this. Snubs: Happy Valley There were no real snubs or surprises in the category, though fans of Orange Is the New Black, The Good Wife, Outlander and UnREAL will be disappointed. So well just mention that this taut, emotional British cop drama, carried by Netflix, is the best show no ones talking about (but a lot of people you know are watching). [ Our full report on the 2016 Emmy Awards | the list of Emmy winners | red carpet looks | our critics review of the show ] The 68th Primetime Emmy Awards will honor televisions best shows and performances from June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016. The awards will be presented in a Sept. 18 ceremony on ABC. What was it like to be asked to come back to host Saturday Night Live? It wasnt even like that. For many years, Lorne Michaels is like a dad to me. Thats just the way our relationship is. The minute it happened, Lorne called my wife a million times to see what was going on. Hes always been there for me. I remember being in my car one day, talking to Lorne Michaels on the phone, and I just broke down and I said, Lorne, I want to come home. And he said to me, The doors always open. And a week later, I got the call: Youre hosting on Oct. 17. I love Lorne Michaels like I love my daddy. Hes always taken care of me. Were you anxious on the night of your show? It felt like the first day I was ever there. I was nervous. When youre doing the dress rehearsal, theres a wardrobe person her name is Donna she pulls you from set to set, because you have to change. So I started to get in my own head, and thinking that the audience was looking at me like I was crippled or something was wrong with me. In between dress and air, I spoke to Lorne. I said: Lorne, I dont know if I can do this. It seems like the audience is feeling sorry for me. He said, Tracy, they dont care about the funny theyre just happy youre here. [chokes up] In that moment, I shed my tears, and I said, Im going to let go. This young cast is giving me 100 percent, and Im going to give them 150. And we had fun. Youve continued to perform stand-up comedy in clubs and theaters. How has that been going? I just want to spread my love. God gave me a tool to do it its called a sense of humor. You go down to earth, and you spread your love with your comedy. Now Im going hard, giving them everything I got, every show. The world that we live in today, we need it. We stop being angry and hateful and just laugh together. Is there rehabilitation work that you continue to do? Every day. I just got out of the gym with my therapist just now, five minutes ago. Working on my legs. But more than that, its my emotions. I realized, and I told my wife, Baby, that wreck made me an emotional wreck. I had to deal with that. People dont deal with things, and then they explode later. It manifests itself in other ways, like alcohol and drugs. No! I want to deal with it! My sense of humor is my way of dealing with things, so I had to get back onstage. People sometimes say its an honor just to be nominated I imagine you know what that feels like now? It will feel like a familiar affair at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, with Game of Thrones, Modern Family and Julia Louis-Dreyfus once again landing nominations on Thursday. But the occasionally stodgy Emmys, which sometimes latch on to winners (like Ms. Louis-Dreyfus) and stay with them, was also infused with new blood. Popular shows like The People v. O.J. Simpson, Roots and Fargo drew attention to the limited series category, James Corden emerged as a force in the late-night competition, and there was recognition in the best drama category for the widely praised but previously overlooked The Americans. Game of Thrones, HBOs fantasy epic, will again be the leader of the pack heading into the awards. The drama, which just completed its sixth season, received 23 nominations, the highest total for any show. The show received 24 nominations last year and won its first best drama Emmy. The Irish writer Claire-Louise Bennetts first novel, Pond, dabbles in a black art we dont get enough of in summertime: misanthropy. Ms. Bennetts unnamed narrator is a young academic whos gone to live in a stone house in a remote coastal village in Ireland. Shes in flight from something, though from what is not entirely clear. When a favorite wren is killed by a cat, she thinks, I wanted to take that cat to a hot pan and sear its foul backside in an explosion of oil. (Ezra Pound liked to say something similar about his editors.) When she gives a small party, it cheers her to consider the people she is pointedly not inviting. She recalls an academic conference at which a man condescended to her. In one of the many rudely funny passages in this auspicious debut, she internally responds: Why dont you fall over. Why dont you become tangled in some cables near the screen at the front on your way out and fall over and why dont you smack your head off a very sharp corner of the desk where earlier I sat and delivered my oh so charming missive and cut your head open ever so slightly so that a little bit of blood drops out. Just a little trickle of blood so that you dont look injured, only stupid and a bit iffy. The German industrial giant Bayer raised its all-cash takeover bid for Monsanto on Thursday, turning up the heat in its pursuit of the American agricultural company. In a news release, Bayer said that it had increased its offer to $125 a share from $122 a share. Bayers new offer still the largest takeover bid by a German company comes after weeks of discussions between the two companies, after Bayer went public with its offer. The merger would combine Monsanto, famous for its genetically modified crop seeds, and Bayer, a maker of a wide array of pesticides, as well as aspirin. Putting the two together could create an agricultural one-stop shop, one with annual sales of $67 billion. Monsanto rejected Bayers initial bid and reportedly has held discussions with another big chemical maker, BASF. New York Citys employee pension fund will sell all its holdings of three American retailers because they sell guns, and will continue to press ahead in its efforts to get Walmart and a division of the supermarket chain Kroger to remove guns from their store shelves. The $59 billion New York City Employees Retirement System voted to divest itself of the shares on Thursday at its board of trustees meeting. The fund is selling shares in Dicks Sporting Goods, Cabelas and Big 5 Sporting Goods. The holdings, worth $10.5 million as of mid-June, are about 0.02 percent of the pensions portfolio, according to a letter to the board of trustees from the citys public advocate that was reviewed by The New York Times. However small the divestment is on behalf of New Yorks city employees, the move culminates a yearlong effort by some in city government to take action against the gun industry. The public advocate, Letitia James, proposed last July that the citys pensions sell their holdings of Walmart. She has also filed complaints with the Securities and Exchange Commission about disclosures made by the gun makers Sturm, Ruger & Co. and Smith & Wesson, in addition to putting pressure on local banks to stop lending to gun makers. Mayor Bill de Blasio has also called on New Yorks pension funds to sell their holdings of companies that make assault rifles. Its surprising to me that Trump doesnt know many of our members and they dont know him, Mr. Engler said. Romney knew almost everyone. Inflation F.A.Q. Card 1 of 5 What is inflation? Inflation is a loss of purchasing power over time, meaning your dollar will not go as far tomorrow as it did today. It is typically expressed as the annual change in prices for everyday goods and services such as food, furniture, apparel, transportation and toys. What causes inflation? It can be the result of rising consumer demand. But inflation can also rise and fall based on developments that have little to do with economic conditions, such as limited oil production and supply chain problems. Is inflation bad? It depends on the circumstances. Fast price increases spell trouble, but moderate price gains can lead to higher wages and job growth. How does inflation affect the poor? Inflation can be especially hard to shoulder for poor households because they spend a bigger chunk of their budgets on necessities like food, housing and gas. Can inflation affect the stock market? Rapid inflation typically spells trouble for stocks. Financial assets in general have historically fared badly during inflation booms, while tangible assets like houses have held their value better. Mr. Trump and his campaign staff did not respond to requests for comment. Although not going quite as far as Mr. Trump in repudiating existing free trade deals, the Republican Party largely embraced his protectionist philosophy this week, declaring in its draft party platform that all trade deals should put America first. In sharp contrast, the Business Roundtable says on its website, Open markets for international trade and investment are essential for supporting U.S. economic growth and jobs. The business groups support for free trade has widespread bipartisan support among economists. Mr. Trumps positions show a complete lack of understanding of international trade, said Alan S. Blinder, a professor of economics at Princeton, a former economics adviser to President Clinton and a former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve. Throwing up barriers doesnt work. It will raise the exchange rate, which will hurt exports and push the deficit up. Barriers may help a favored few, but at the expense of everyone else. Professor Mankiw agreed. There are few things economists are unanimous about, but support of free trade comes pretty close. There are good reasons for international specialization, and by and large Americans have benefited tremendously. Do we really want to produce T-shirts here and pay $60 for something that now costs $15? He acknowledged, Technological progress has displaced many manufacturing jobs. That raises productivity, which is the main driver of a better standard of living. But economic change is rarely good for everyone. In the short term, workers lose their jobs, and thats hard. There are winners and losers, and Trump is tapping into the losers. On immigration, the Business Roundtable argues for expanded legal immigration, especially for highly educated and skilled workers: America has a long history of welcoming immigrants who through their own drive and hard work contribute to our society and economy, its website says. The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to require the labeling of foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients, clearing the bills final obstacle before it heads to the White House, where President Obama is expected to sign it into law. Todays vote is a resounding victory not only for consumers and common sense but also for the tremendous coalition of agricultural and food organizations that came together in unprecedented fashion to get this solution passed, said Pamela G. Bailey, chief executive of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. The long road to labeling foods with genetically engineered, or G.M.O., ingredients is drawing to a close after a battle that cost food and biotech companies hundreds of millions of dollars over the last few years. But the wrangling over how the language of the law will be interpreted and put into practice will probably go on for years. What today really means is that weve left the legislative period of this battle after seven years and moved into the regulatory and marketplace phase of it, which was where it was always headed anyway, said Gary Hirshberg, a founder of Just Label It, a coalition that advocates labeling. When Theresa May pulled up at 10 Downing Street as Britains new prime minister, her husband, Philip, got out of the car and waited for her to emerge. He trailed slightly as the pair walked toward cameras. Then he quietly stood far to the side as she gave her speech. Philip May, Britains new first gentleman, has rarely been a man for the limelight. But as a wealthy financier suddenly thrust onto one of the worlds biggest stages, he is quickly confronting the scrutiny that accompanies the modern political power couple. The news had barely broken that Ms. May was taking office when headlines questioning a possible conflict of interest blared in the news media. Theresa Mays husband is a senior executive at a $1.4 trillion investment fund that profits from tax-avoiding companies, The Independent, a British newspaper, wrote, reminding readers that Ms. May had vowed to make multinational companies pay their fair share of taxes. The article was picked up by the likes of RT, a Russian news website, and quickly made the rounds on Twitter. (Beijing) Executives from several cash-strapped coal firms in the northern province of Shanxi travelled to Beijing to persuade potential investors of their creditworthiness and to convince them that lending to them was safe, although the industry was struggling with weak demand and low prices. Led by vice provincial governor Wang Yixin, managers from seven provincial government-controlled coal companies and two private firms sought to impress more than 200 representatives from financial institutions including banks, securities firms and trust companies, in a promotion event held in Beijing's downtown financial district on July 13. Wang urged banks and institutional investors to continue lending to or buy bonds issued by what he called "good-quality" coal firms. The appeal comes as many firms in heavy industries, especially those in coal and steel, reported an increase in the risk of defaulting amid the economic downturn. Data from the Shanxi government showed that the seven largest local state-owned coal companies, including Datong Coal Mining Group, Shanxi Coking Coal Group and Shanxi Jinneng Group Co. saw their combined debt rise to nearly 1.2 trillion yuan by the end of 2015, close to one-tenth of the province's GDP last year, which stood at 12.8 trillion yuan. But Wang said Shanxi's coal companies have a sound asset base and had good credit records. He also said the provincial government will "work with" all firms to prevent defaults, but he did not explicitly say whether the government would step in with a bailout in case of a default. But several analysts said they were concerned that government endorsement of certain companies or intervention in the industry could affect the market's ability to assess risks. The seven firms that were part of the roadshow have accumulated bonds worth 216 billion yuan, including 60 billion yuan scheduled to mature in one year and 200 billion yuan due in five years, a research report published by Everbright Securities Co. Ltd. on July 11 showed. Shanxi is China's largest coal and coke producer with production topping 977 million tons in 2014, about a quarter of the national output. The region's top five coal companies employed 750,000 people, or about 2 percent of its population, in 2014, local government data showed. "The coal industry is still essential for Shanxi, but it is in trouble now," said Wang. The province, which relies on coal for its income, saw its GDP growth drop to 3.1 percent in 2015, the lowest since 1982, official data showed. That is because local coal companies, the biggest contributors to the regional coffers, sustained a combined loss of 9.4 billion yuan in 2015, over six times the amount in the previous year, according to government data. Ailing coal companies have also got caught in the central government's campaign to trim excess capacity in heavy industries. The State Council, China's cabinet, said earlier this year that the country needs to slash 500 million tons of yearly coal production capacity, and 100 to 150 million tons of annual steelmaking capacity over the next three to five years. Shanxi government says it will cut 100 million tons of coal production capacity by 2020. Wang said this will force out inefficient companies, giving more breathing space to "good-quality" companies. In recent months, the Shanxi provincial government has announced a series of policies aiming to prop up the coal sector, including halting approvals of new projects, measures to support companies' bond issues and encourage smaller companies to merge. (Rewritten by Han Wei) DENAIR, Calif. The last time Wendell Naraghi tried to make money from organic nuts, in the 1980s, he failed miserably. Basically, we stopped because no one paid me, said Mr. Naraghi, whose father started the familys large nut orchards here in the Central Valley in the 1940s. There just was no market premium for organic. Today, the problem is turned upside down: Companies cant get enough organic ingredients to satisfy consumer desire for organic and nongenetically modified foods. The demand for those crops outstrips the supply, leaving farmers like Mr. Naraghi racing to convert their land to organic production, an arduous and expensive process. Customers are asking for it, said Mr. Naraghi, who is in the process of transitioning 300 of his 3,000 acres of orchards this year. And we listen to our customers. The science-fiction drama Equals imagines a future where emotions have become pathologized and criminalized. Nicholas Hoult plays a man who is diagnosed with switched-on syndrome, what his colleagues see as a disease that begins to bring his suppressed emotions to the forefront. Kristen Stewart plays the object of his forbidden longings. In this scene, which takes place after hours in their workplace, the two are no longer able to prevent themselves from acting on their emotions. In a recent interview the films director, Drake Doremus, discussed the scene. Here are edited excerpts from the conversation. After making a pair of contemporary dramas (Like Crazy, Breathe In), what got you interested in a more futuristic film? What interested me was trying to do something that seemed really out of my comfort zone and foreign to me. The genre seems to be a distant, cold one and I wanted to try to turn it on its head and do something really warm. Im a huge fan of Truffauts Fahrenheit 451 and Ridley Scotts Blade Runner. I love this idea of an emotional, musical and visual odyssey that you can let wash over you. Thats what I wanted to do here. The films design and architecture has a stark, uniform look. Could you tell me about the locations? Wrestling may be fake, but Lucha Mexico works overtime to portray the men and women who participate in it as heartfelt and lovable. This documentary from Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz introduces the stars of lucha libre, or freestyle fighting, the Mexican version of professional wrestling. The movie watches, repetitively, as they train hard, sign autographs, spend time with family and nurse injuries. It aims to do for wrestling what the Magic Mike movies did for male stripping. But imagine a much slacker Magic Mike, without the fun or the social commentary. We meet Shocker, who, with his frosted tips, has adopted the catchphrase 1,000 percent guapo (handsome) and who, partway through, is sidelined with a knee injury. There is Blue Demon Jr., who has assumed an alter ego originated by his father, who played the role in the ring and in low-budget movies. Jon, who is American and known as Strongman, has traveled to take work where its offered. In what amounts to a cameo for womens wrestling, there is Faby Apache, who suggests that her animosity toward a rival is genuine. But Lucha Mexico often plays less like a character study than like a simple promotional effort, with repetitive platitudes If youre totally healthy, that means youre not pushing it, Strongman says that seem better suited to a motivational workout video than to theatrical nonfiction. Toward the end, theres discussion of whether death in the ring makes a legend. Its a measure of the films lack of persuasiveness that its hard to comprehend that sentiment. When Clint Eastwoods Unforgiven won four Oscars, including best picture, in 1993, it was said that hed created the ultimate western. A generation later, that doesnt mean filmmakers have stopped making them. Still, in trying to find new uses for the genre, too many have subverted it. Sadly, Clints daughter Francesca Eastwood finds herself in Outlaws and Angels, which seems to aspire to horror festivals. (Ms. Eastwoods mother, Frances Fisher, makes a brief appearance as well.) Written and directed by JT Mollner, the film is a home-invasion flick stomping around in dung-crusted cowboy boots. It opens in New Mexico Territory in 1887, with masked men killing two bystanders while robbing a bank. On the run and with a bounty on their heads, the gang, led by Henry (Chad Michael Murray), rides south, hoping to cross the border. Needing fresh horses, food and water, they find a dirt-poor frontier farm and the God-fearing family that lives there. Of course, the mother, father and two daughters all have their secrets, which come to the fore during the twists and turns of a hellish night and the vengeful morning after an ordeal that starts when the younger daughter, Florence (Ms. Eastwood), catches Henrys eye. The sensibility is more grindhouse gore than spaghetti western, perhaps hoping to mine the same vein as Quentin Tarantinos The Hateful Eight, but lacking Mr. Tarantinos lively dialogue and wicked sense of humor. Nor are there any angels in Outlaws and Angels. Virtually every character has a dark side, and every victim has it coming. That gets old, too. DANIEL M. GOLD Outlaws and Angels is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for strong bloody violence, disturbing sexual content and language. David Samson, a longtime friend of Gov. Chris Christie, pleaded guilty to a felony count of bribery on Thursday and admitted that he had pressured United Airlines to operate a weekly flight to South Carolina for his personal convenience. The plea, which was offered before Judge Jose L. Linares of United States District Court in Newark, appears to put an end to Mr. Samsons career as a public official and power broker. And it casts a shadow over the political fortunes of Mr. Christie, a New Jersey Republican who until this week had been considered a potential running mate for Donald J. Trump, the partys presumptive nominee for president. One of the problems with Chris Christie is there are skeletons in his closet that still have skin on the bones, Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said. The prosecution of Mr. Samson grew out of a federal investigation into the closing of access lanes to the George Washington Bridge in 2013. Federal prosecutors contend that allies of Mr. Christie at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey conspired to tie up traffic on the New Jersey side of the bridge to punish a local mayor for declining to endorse Mr. Christies bid for re-election as governor. Mayor Bill de Blasios re-election campaign said on Thursday that it had raised $1.1 million over the first six months of the year. His campaign said nearly three-quarters of its contributions were for $250 or less and came about as the mayor, a Democrat who is seeking a second term in 2017, held 21 fund-raisers around New York City. These included large events headlined by marquee names such as the comedian Louis C. K. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Mr. de Blasios birthday and former Mayor David N. Dinkins in Harlem, as well as smaller affairs. By comparison, just 31 of the campaigns more than 500 donors had given $250 or less through early January, a period in which it also amassed about $1.1 million. The campaign released its numbers to reporters a day before the public filings were due; the information provided does not include details of the contributors or the amounts given. That data will be available on Friday. Almost as soon as the young man crouching on a trash-strewed street in Brooklyn pulled out a crumpled dollar bill from his pocket and emptied its contents of dried leaves into a wrapper, he had company. A half-dozen disheveled men and women walked swiftly to where the young man was rolling a cigarette of a synthetic drug known as K2 to wait for a chance to share. The drug has been the source of an alarming and sudden surge in overdoses over three days this week, 130 people across New York City were treated in hospital emergency rooms after overdosing on K2, almost equaling the total for the entire month of June, according to the citys health department. About one-fourth of the overdoses, 33, took place on Tuesday along the border of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Bushwick, the same Brooklyn neighborhoods where, despite a heightened presence of police officers, people were again openly smoking the drug on Thursday. In response to the overdoses, the city is sending a health alert to emergency rooms and other health care providers warning about the drug. The outbreak comes after officials this spring lauded what they described as a successful campaign to severely curb the prevalence of K2. On Thursday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the State Police would step up enforcement against the drug and aggressively go after merchants who illegally sell it. That information, the report found, was not conveyed by the agency to the first deputy mayor, Anthony E. Shorris, who had been involved in discussions over Rivington House since 2014. Image When deed restrictions were lifted on a former nursing home, Rivington House, the property was sold to a condominium developer for $116 million. Credit... Dave Sanders for The New York Times Memos reached his desk related to the sale, the report said, but Mr. Shorris explained that he simply did not see them. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mr. de Blasio said, as he had before, that lifting the deed restrictions was a mistake but that he laid the blame on a policy he had inherited, and played down administrative breakdowns detailed in the report. He said no one would be fired. I think it was a mistake, he said. It shouldnt have happened. If I had known about it, I would not have allowed it to happen. The report makes quite clear that I did not know about it. I think its clear that the right hand and the left hand were not coordinated. There wasnt a good flow of information, and people were adhering to an old and mistaken policy. But thats the extent of it. Mr. de Blasio denied that City Hall had not cooperated with the investigation. I dont agree with that characterization, he said. Theres been a huge effort made by various elements of the administration to be cooperative and helpful to D.O.I. and obviously the other entities that are investigating. A huge amount of material was provided. There was a lot of transparency. The report included an Aug. 3, 2014, email from Mr. Shorris to Mr. de Blasio simply listed as B in the email flagging a report from a monthly agency meeting in July in which the topic of Rivington arose. TEL AVIV In death, Esti Weinstein has started a national conversation. A 50-year-old mother of eight, Ms. Weinstein disappeared on June 21 and was found dead in her car six days later in an apparent suicide. She left behind a note and a manuscript of a memoir. She also left a long list of questions that have rekindled animosity between Israels secular majority and its ultra-Orthodox minority. Ms. Weinstein had been a member of the Hasidic sect known as Gur, Israels largest, and she came from a distinguished family within the community. She was married at age 17 by arrangement and thrown into a relationship that she ultimately decided she could not endure. She left her family and the closed-off community eight years ago to lead a secular life. Her book copies of which have been distributed by mail and social media throughout Israel chronicles in detail some of the esoteric habits of the sect from which she escaped. (After I submitted this article, Kinneret-Zmora-Dvir Publishing, by which I am employed, acquired rights to the book.) The Gur sect is rigid in its approach to marriage and modesty, with the aim of reaching a higher level of kedushah, or holiness. As researchers have documented, and as newspaper reporters have further detailed, Gur Hasidim have sexual intercourse only once a month during which they aim to minimize physical contact. A Gur Hasidic man will not use his wifes name and he will reportedly sometimes get prescriptions for antidepressants to suppress his sex drive. Peeping into the bedrooms of the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim, and mocking their habits real or imaginary has long been something of an Israeli national pastime. In Ms. Weinsteins suicide story, the news media found a gold mine. But the issues go beyond mere voyeurism. The biggest problem with the bill is that it would provide funds for contraception and maternal care only through public health departments and Medicaid-run clinics. This provision is intended to freeze out private providers like Planned Parenthood, which Republicans love to hate. For no good reason, it would deny many women in Puerto Rico and Southern states who do not live near public health centers the care they need. It will not be lost on anyone that Republicans who are insisting on this condition are usually eager to embrace the private sector and to criticize government programs. Another troubling aspect of the bill is that, to offset costs, it would rob other important programs of about $750 million; funding for Ebola, for example, would be cut by $107 million. The bill would also relax environmental laws by allowing businesses to spray pesticide near lakes, rivers and other waterways without notifying the Environmental Protection Agency. Republicans say this would make it easier for local governments to control mosquitoes even though the law on pesticide spraying already has an exception for health emergencies. The absence of funding, however temporary, is expected to cause major problems. Many local governments need federal assistance to control mosquitoes in the coming weeks. And researchers at the National Institutes of Health may be forced to stop tests on a potential vaccine as well as efforts to develop tools that can quickly diagnose Zika infections, which in most people do not cause any visible symptoms. Its always troubling to see good legislation hijacked to score political points. In this case the timing could not be worse. To the Editor: Saving Women From Their Abusers (editorial, July 1) rightly commends the Supreme Court for upholding a ruling barring convicted domestic abusers from owning firearms, whether they committed the underlying offense intentionally or recklessly. When an abusive partner is permitted access to firearms, the risk that the other partner will be killed increases more than fivefold. This year, Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, with the Consortium for Risk-Based Firearms Policy, released a blueprint for ways that jurisdictions throughout the United States can prevent domestic abusers from having firearms. Among our reports numerous recommendations: Congress should expand existing law to prohibit the purchase and possession of firearms by people subject to temporary domestic violence restraining orders, when the risk of violence is most immediate. HAMBURG, Germany This citys port is one of the largest in the world, a 7,150-hectare landscape of sea containers and shipping, smokestacks and heavy industry, split by the River Elbe. And at its heart is the largest urban regeneration project in Europe. The plan is to turn the area, known as HafenCity, into a thriving residential and commercial zone. Amid the working industry of the port, which covers nearly 28 square miles, the Hamburg authorities have encouraged a mix of apartments, cafes, boutiques and galleries in district of about 160 hectares. One benefit for HafenCity is location. It is close enough to Hamburgs center that visitors and residents can easily walk or cycle between the two. The way the zones planners see it, HafenCity is effectively increasing the city centers size by 40 percent. And, as is the current trend in urban expansion, several new buildings intended to become iconic are rising in HafenCity. These include the already famous twisted stack of the Marco Polo Tower apartments and Dockland, a rhomboid office building on the waterfront. Some of the worlds most cataclysmic volcanic eruptions are associated with the collapse of a caldera, a depression in the top of the volcano that forms and deepens as a reservoir of magma below it empties out. The two largest of the 20th century Pinatubo in 1991 in the Philippines and Novarupta in Alaska that formed the spectacular Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in 1912 both blew their tops this way. Caldera collapses are rare, and when they do occur they usually happen quickly, in hours or a few days. But when Bardarbunga, a large volcano under an ice cap in central Iceland, erupted in August 2014, the caldera sank and collapsed gradually over the course of the six-month eruption. That gave scientists a unique opportunity to study it. In a report published Thursday in the journal Science, volcanologists reveal that the sinking caldera actually helped drive the eruption, by keeping pressure on the magma chamber as the hot rock flowed out. When it comes to Europes lengthy investigations into Google, Margrethe Vestager, the regions competition chief, is hoping that the third times a charm. Ms. Vestager announced on Thursday a new round of antitrust charges against the company the third set since early 2015 claiming that some of the companys advertising products had restricted consumer choice. The efforts are part of her continuing push to rein in Googles activities in the European Union, where the Silicon Valley company has captured roughly 90 percent of the regions online search market. Googles conduct, based on our evidence, is harmful to consumers, Ms. Vestager told reporters in Brussels on Thursday. Googles magnificent innovations dont give it the right to deny competitors the chance to innovate. The announcement represents a setback for Google, which vigorously denied any wrongdoing in two previous European antitrust charges linked to Android, its popular mobile operating system, and some of its dominant online search services. It also comes at a difficult time for Europes competition authorities, which have been unable to land a knockout punch against Googles perceived abusive activities in the region, despite investigations that date back to 2010. For the last few years, American technology giants have been embroiled in a power struggle with the United States government over when authorities get to see and use the digital data that the companies collect. On Thursday, Microsoft won a surprise victory in one such legal battle against the government over access to data that is stored outside the United States. In the case, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed a lower courts ruling that Microsoft must turn over email communications for a suspect in a narcotics investigation stored in a Microsoft data center in Dublin. The case had attracted widespread attention in the technology industry and among legal experts because of its potential privacy implications for the growing cloud computing business, with implications for internet email and online storage, among other services. Had the United States government prevailed, Microsoft and others warned, it would set a dangerous precedent that would make it increasingly difficult to resist orders from foreign courts demanding data, such as email from human rights activists or political dissidents. Corporate and government customers abroad also might be unwilling to use cloud services from Microsoft if they thought their data could be seized by American courts, Microsoft said. But as you said, its best to focus on the average. Right now, the balance of data remains consistent with a modest Clinton lead. A single high-quality poll showing a tied race isnt enough to change that: If Clinton is up by, say, 3 or 4 points, you would expect a few high-quality polls to show a very tight contest, while others would show a larger Clinton lead. Its also possible that the NYT/CBS result is dead-on, and a wave of new data will confirm a closer race than the balance of recent evidence. Im not sure well get to find out, since the convention is just around the corner. Toni This is the speculative part of the program. Her lead is shrinking. Why? On the one hand, you have the rebuke from the F.B.I. director over the emails, and you also have a calamity in which an African-American killed five police officers in Dallas amid a sense of racial strife. On the other hand, Bernie Sanders endorsed her, although that was very recent (so it wasnt captured by the polling). Nate Well, I think the F.B.I. is the easiest explanation. I wouldnt discount racial tension, either. Id note that Obamas approval rating in Gallup dipped to 48 percent today, the lowest in a while. Ill be interested to see whether other polls show that, too. Toni Stating the obvious, but there are more whites than African-Americans, so black-white strife is not normally a political winner for Democrats. When we talk about whites favoring Trump, we tend to skip the explanation. Republicans have won whites for decades, but readers should take a look at Nick Confessores article for how Trump is taking white identity politics to a new level. Or read Jamelle Bouie in Slate, whos been writing about this a lot. Nate I certainly agree that racial polarization would be bad for the Democrats. But Trump isnt doing much better than Mitt Romney among white voters, if at all. Hes losing as many well-educated white voters as hes gaining among less educated white voters. I think Clintons polling numbers may be particularly vulnerable to these sorts of fluctuations in the media environment. Shes counting on the support of a lot of people who simply dont like her very much. Id guess a lot of them know, deep down, that theyll support her eventually. But right now, the act of telling a pollster that they intend to support someone they dont really want to support might be fairly agonizing. The sheriffs deputies arrived at the home in San Antonio on a call that a woman had been injured in a domestic dispute. A bystander started recording a video as they pursued a shirtless man armed with a knife outside the home. Though taken from a distance, the video seemed to show the 41-year-old man, Gilbert Flores, raising his arms as the deputies opened fire, killing him. The video appeared on television, and local officials opened an investigation. But the case, which took place last year, has drawn limited national attention a stark contrast with the fatal police shootings of black men in recent days in Louisiana and Minnesota, which have ignited protests and calls for reform around the country. To some Latino advocates, it is just one example of how the killings of Latinos in encounters with the police do not generate the same level of scrutiny, outrage or discourse as the fatal shootings of blacks. Why isnt the community aggressively championing the victims of these crimes? said Juan Cartagena, the president of LatinoJustice, a legal advocacy group, who sees parallels in the strained relationship many African-Americans and Latinos experience with law enforcement. When I saw a photograph in my Twitter feed last Thursday of a protester holding a flag in Union Square, it was difficult to look away from the flags blocky, capitalized type. A Man Was Lynched by Police Yesterday. It shouted the words so matter-of-factly that I felt myself physically flinch. The flag waved unadorned, just black and white, with a word that seemed to invade all my senses: lynched. As a digital designer who works with illustrators and is constantly wrestling with how to boil down complex stories into an immediately understandable visual language, I couldnt help but pause and recognize the flags potent simplicity. I was still reeling from all that was happening with the police, shootings and justice in this country. Just days before, the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police officers had been captured on video, and while its not unusual for me to deal with difficult imagery at work, when I watched the Facebook Live video of Mr. Castile bleeding to death in his car I couldnt stop the tears. I cried for the terror I saw in him, in his girlfriend and her child, and even in the police officer who shot him. It was the same feeling of terror that hit me later last Thursday when five Dallas police officers were killed by a sniper. Even though its campus sits nearly five miles from the arena hosting the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University on Monday announced a virtual shutdown of its operations next week for the conventions duration, citing concerns that last weeks shootings in Dallas, Louisiana and Minnesota could provoke a significant degree of conflict in the city. But students believe the decision to essentially close the campus relates to protests over another safety issue the fear created by having 1,900 armed police officers and National Guardsmen housed in campus dormitories. They are part of an auxiliary force that will assist the Cleveland Police Department during the convention. Students voiced their objections to the police presence during campus forums last week and in a Change.org petition, Student Safety During Riot Police Occupation of Case Western Reserve University. The primary concern is the safety of the campus community, said Taru Taylor, a Case Western Reserve law student from Washington, D.C., and a co-author of the petition. Mr. Taylor, citing police misconduct in Cleveland and across the nation, said he was concerned that by agreeing to house the police, the university was implicitly siding with them. ST. PAUL A Baptist preacher delivered a eulogy in a Roman Catholic cathedral, black and white worshipers joined hands in prayer, and nearly every inch of pew was occupied as friends, family and supporters mourned the death of Philando Castile at his funeral on Thursday. Mr. Castile, 32, was shot by a police officer during a traffic stop on July 6, and a video of the grisly aftermath streamed live by his girlfriend drew widespread anger and protests. But the Rev. Steve Daniels said in his eulogy that people must embrace unity. If we dont come together, he said, we cannot survive. Mr. Daniels, of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, acknowledged the circumstances of Mr. Castiles death and the sentiment among many that his race contributed to the officers decision to fire. On the eve of the major party conventions, voters are grudgingly rallying around the nominees while expressing broad misgivings about the candidates, the campaign and the direction of the country, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll. More than a third of Republicans say they are disappointed or upset that Donald J. Trump, who crashed the partys nominating process, will represent them in the fall campaign; an equal number say he does not represent the values the party should stand for. Democrats are only marginally happier with Hillary Clinton as their partys candidate. A quarter of Democratic voters say they are disappointed in her as the nominee; an additional seven percent say they are upset. More promisingly for her, three-quarters say Mrs. Clinton stands for the core values and principles of the Democratic Party. The broad discontent is reflected in the head-to-head contest, which has Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton tied at 40 percent. Mr. Trumps standing has held steady for weeks at around 40 percentage points, while Mrs. Clinton has polled in the mid-40s in most public surveys. House Democrats will roll out their campaign season agenda on Thursday, hoping that their new message will help them replicate the takeover of the House that was spurred by their Six for 06 platform in 2006. After months of polling, focus groups and consultation with experts, Democrats have settled on Stronger America: A New American Security Agenda, unveiling it just in time to give lawmakers a chance to test it out over the coming seven-week break. All of that research comes down to one thing, said Representative Steve Israel, Democrat of New York, who is in charge of the partys communications and messaging. We are in an intense security environment. People are concerned about their security. Mr. Israel said that the Democratic themes of securing our nation, securing our future, securing our democracy went beyond worries about terrorism in an unsettled world to include economic security as well as guaranteeing rights through campaign reforms, voting law improvements and an immigration overhaul. All of Trumps recent mistakes will be wiped away if the convention coherently frames this race as change vs. more of the same, Mr. Schmidt said. The biggest threat to that could be Trumps own actions. Mr. Trumps management of the convention has not been reassuring to many Republicans. While he said in the interview that Cleveland would be overbooked with speakers, his list of speakers came out only on Wednesday night a week later than originally planned and he has so alienated leading Republicans and rising party stars that many of them, from the two former presidents Bush to various Senate candidates, plan to stay away. At one point, Mr. Trump even said that Mr. Cruz, a Texas senator, and Mr. Kasich, the Ohio governor, would not be invited to speak at the convention unless they endorsed him. Mr. Cruz, after a meeting with Mr. Trump last week, is now expected to speak; Mr. Kasich has indicated that he wont be spending time inside the convention hall an unheard-of snub for a governor of the state hosting his own partys convention. What we consider before using anonymous sources. Do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. Learn more about our process. At his office at Trump Tower in Manhattan, Mr. Trump has been hands-on about the four-day event calling up political allies and friends to invite them to speak but also delegating organizing duties to top aides who already have enormous responsibilities, given the relatively small number of campaign staff members. Trump is a guy who sees he has three weeks to plan a convention, but thinks he only needs the last week to pull the whole thing together, said Newt Gingrich, the former speaker and a possible running mate. Hes still new to all this, but at the same time wants a lot of control over how the convention will work. Two Trump advisers declined to predict how the nominee would react to the day-to-day proceedings and media coverage of the convention, though one of them expressed concern that Mr. Trump might say something or unleash a Twitter post that undercuts a unifying message or roils Republicans in the arena. They described planning for the convention as somewhat haphazard, saying that Mr. Trumps focus on lining up speakers had been hot or cold on any given day, and that he had not spent much time making calls to convention speakers to strategize about their remarks and encourage them. How much time did that take? I worked on the book for four years. Of that, two or three were spent with the six characters, including the intensive writing and rewriting. But this, of course, is just a fraction of their own lives. The way I engineered the book, the first two-thirds its told chronologically is back-reported and then the stuff that I witnessed myself is in the final third of the book, when I catch up, so to speak. So a lot of it was delving into the past with them, digging up old photos, old videos, traveling with them back to their hometowns, talking to their parents and friends. What can we learn from their stories? I think they are already bringing change to China at a deeper societal level, if not on the political level, which is what we tend to read about. Han Han [a prominent blogger], who was once the spokesman of this generation, said fundamentally he was optimistic, because they are fundamentally better than previous generations. They dont spit on the street; they dont cut queues. Id go beyond that and say its increasingly true of young urban generations in China that theyre more liberal about social issues such as L.G.B.T., more aware of womens rights, more intolerant of injustice and have fewer inhibitions to speaking up when they see it. They are better educated, more international in their outlook and connected online to each other. Image Contrary to conventional wisdom on China right now, Im a meliorist. I think that Chinese society is improving despite regressive politics, and I think that comes down to these new generations who are more open while they still have very different opinions from a lot of us. How much can we generalize about people who end up in Beijing? Would we find the same thing, or something similar, if we were in Changsha or Nanchang? I am talking about the urban vanguard because social change has so often happened in China through those groups. But, yes, when I go out to the boondocks and talk to young Chinese a step or three down the ladder, more often than not they are totally consumed by their own personal challenges in finding a job or finding a partner and have little time to think about anything else. But thats also true of city dwellers, and I would still emphasize the same positives. NEW DELHI Nearly a year after a mob bludgeoned to death a Muslim man, Mohammad Ikhlaq, over rumors that he had illegally killed and eaten a cow, a court ruled on Thursday that villagers could open a criminal case against the dead mans family for cow slaughter. The killing in Dadri, in northern India, in September came amid a rising mood of conservative Hindu nationalism in India and set off passionate debate about religious tolerance. Nineteen men face murder charges in Mr. Ikhlaqs killing. Villagers rallied around them, saying the attack was necessary because the state failed to enforce the 1955 Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act. They say that they tried to file criminal charges against Mr. Ikhlaqs family in the days after the murder, but that the police prevented them. Sanjay Rana, the father of one of the suspects, said the group would file charges against seven people, including Mr. Ikhlaqs brother, wife, sons and daughters. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan A Taliban commander responsible for the 2014 attack on a Pakistani school in which more than 130 children died has been killed in an airstrike in Afghanistan, United States and Pakistani officials said. The commander, Omar Mansoor, also known as Umar Naray, was killed in an American airstrike on Saturday in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, said Peter Cook, the Pentagon press secretary, according to The Associated Press. Mr. Mansoor was the leader of the Taliban faction Tariq Gidar and was known as one of Pakistans most brutal militants. MANILA At a Shakeys restaurant in Manila this week, dozens of Filipinos some with Philippine flags painted on their faces wept with joy and cheered when a tribunal in The Hague announced that Beijings claims in the South China Sea were invalid. Around the country, others took to social media and bought rounds of drinks in celebration. But in the aftermath of Tuesdays ruling, which China has said it plans to ignore, a post-celebration hangover has set in, with the Philippine government taking a cautious approach in its response to China that has left some Filipinos grumbling that the government is raining on their parade. The ruling delivered a sweeping victory to the Philippines. Not only was the nine-dash line that China used to claim most of the South China Sea invalidated, but the tribunal agreed with nearly every assertion made by the Philippines in the case. WASHINGTON After an international tribunal in The Hague ruled emphatically against China in a territorial dispute with the Philippines, many Chinese state media outlets responded on Wednesday by publishing a map. It showed the South China Sea, with most of the waters encircled with the nine-dash line that has long represented Chinas claims there. This weeks ruling may have delivered a sweeping victory in court to the Philippines, which argued that its maritime territory was being illegally seized by China. But it has only escalated the larger dispute, which involves several Asian nations as well as the United States, and which is as much about Chinas rise into a major world power as it is about this one sea. What follows is an explanation of why this body of water is considered such a big deal, and why it may be a harbinger of global power politics in the decades ahead. 1. What is the dispute about? At its most basic level, this a contest between China and several Southeast Asian nations over territorial control in the South China Sea, which includes some of the most strategically important maritime territory on earth. The main strip through Nice was littered with bodies, one after the other. Whatever the nature of what happened in Nice, the threat of terrorism is particularly high, Mr. Brandet, the Interior Ministry spokesman, said on the iTele television station. He added that security forces were on high alert in the area and in cities around France. Dozens of people were seriously injured, and many more were psychologically shocked, Mr. Brandet said. The region has activated a so-called White Plan, put in place during the Nov. 13 Paris terrorist attacks that killed 130 people, to open all emergency rooms to receive victims, he added. The Islamic State, the militant group that asserted responsibility for the attacks in Paris, did not make any immediate claims for the assault in Nice. It typically takes the Islamic State several hours, and sometimes up to one and even two days, to assert responsibility for attacks in Western countries. It typically does so through its Amaq channel on the encrypted telephone app Telegram, which serves as the groups news wire. However, as in the hours immediately after the Paris, Brussels and Orlando attacks, there was a now familiar celebration on channels run by groups that support the Islamic State, as well as on at least one channel affiliated with the group, also known as ISIS and ISIL. They cheered the carnage. On a channel created on Thursday, called the United Cyber Caliphate, run by a group that has previously tried to carry out cyberattacks in the Islamic States name, a message included a single word France followed by a smiley face. The channel of an Islamic State member, Aswarti Media, which has repeatedly been shut down and claims 1,987 members, was posting the phrase Allahu akbar. Yet another channel suspected of being for the Islamic State showed an image of the Eiffel Tower going up in flames. The attack in Nice took place just as the Euro 2016 soccer tournament had concluded. France had hosted the tournament, and the entire country had been on high alert. There had been reports that suspects linked to the attacks in Paris and the Brussels assault in March had planned an attack during the tournament. With tens of thousands of people gathered at stadiums and in designated fan zones during the games, the police and private security took extraordinary measures to try to secure the sites. It was difficult to know if the measures were successful or if in fact there were no plans to attack the soccer tournament. One question people will be asking is whether the security forces, as well as civilians, let their guard down once the tournament was over thinking that the danger had passed. Several witnesses spoke on iTele. A man who gave his name as Michel, working at the Voilier Plage restaurant in front of the Promenade des Anglais, said that around 10:30 p.m., a large white truck drove into a crowd that had gathered near the beach. A huge number of people started running, then there was a lot of gunfire, he said. Another witness who owns a restaurant nearby, whom iTele did not identify, said that when the truck plowed into the crowd, it crushed everyone in its path. French television showed footage of a panicked crowd running from the scene. On Twitter, witnesses posted grim photographs of bodies lying in a pile on the asphalt. Russias Ministry for the Development of the Far East, the agency managing this latest development gambit, cited a survey it commissioned, saying that 20 percent of Russians would be ready to move east if given free land. Younger Russians, the ministry said, were even more enthusiastic, with more than 50 percent expressing an interest in heading east to take advantage of the offer one free hectare, about two and a half acres, a person. But as often happens in Russia, grandiose hopes and plans have run far ahead of the reality on the ground, where bureaucrats, appalling weather and immense distances conspire to smother the Kremlins ambitions. It is all pie in the sky, said Vladimir V. Mishchenko, the head of the Khankaisky district, one of nine pilot areas chosen by Moscow to test the free land program. He complained that the whole thing had been dreamed up by people in Moscow who had no understanding of the Far East but needed to show the Kremlin that they were doing something. For the moment, the free land is restricted to small areas, like the Khankaisky area around Kamen-Rybolov, an isolated settlement north of Vladivostok, and is open only to Russians already living in the Far East. Starting in February, however, all Russian citizens can apply, and Mr. Bugaev wants to make sure he is ready to help save Russia. At the start of his scouting mission, after a nine-hour flight to Vladivostok from Moscow, he found his hotel packed with Chinese, mostly tourists. Donning his Cossack fur hat, he declared his mission even more urgent than he had thought. LONDON Firing adversaries and promoting allies, Prime Minister Theresa May was finalizing a cabinet on Thursday intended to carry through Britains withdrawal from the European Union while underscoring her desire to pursue more centrist policies at home. But her moves to put her mark on the government also highlighted how the referendum on Britains relationship with the Continent, intended to settle a long-simmering battle within the Conservative Party, left the party still split over how to go about decoupling from Europe. British politics has been in flux since last months vote to quit the European Union, followed by leadership battles in both main parties, and finally a change of prime minister when Ms. May took over on Wednesday from David Cameron. Steady and serious, Ms. May wants to end the turmoil. But on Wednesday, she surprised her own country and many allies by choosing Boris Johnson, the former London mayor and the public face of the campaign to leave the European Union, to be foreign secretary, although he has a long record of impolitic remarks. Despite the criticism that Mr. Johnsons appointment brought, Ms. May apparently judged that it was better to have him as a member of her team than as a free agent outside of it. Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said Thursday that much work remained to be done. Weve always made clear that we would welcome a military contribution from Russia, as long as they were focused on ISIL and Al Qaedas presence in Syria, Mr. Earnest said, referring to the Islamic State. Unfortunately, weve seen them devote too much attention to using their military might to prop up the Assad regime. The agreement has also raised alarms because it might lead the United States to countenance or even participate in strikes against groups fighting Mr. Assad. One of the great complications of the Syrian civil war is figuring out which groups should be considered rebels focused on ousting the Assad government a goal the United States supports and which are aligned with Al Qaeda or the Islamic State, organizations that Washington has designated as terrorist and has vowed to defeat. Andrew J. Tabler of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy said in a telephone interview that the proposed agreement, if put in place, would ensure that the government remained in power, that the civil war in Syria would continue and that terrorism would continue to spread in the Middle East and around the world. The Russians want Assad to stay, Mr. Tabler said. Theyre very upfront about that. And by giving into this agreement, were buying into that. Russias stated position is that it is not wedded to Mr. Assad personally, but does not wish to see any head of state removed by what it sees as Western-engineered change. The other complication is that the Syrians and Russians have routinely undermined previous commitments regarding cease-fires and other measures to spare civilian lives. In just the past week, the Syrian Army has repeatedly announced cease-fires only to conduct an extensive military campaign around the rebel-held section of the stricken city of Aleppo, leaving about 300,000 people there besieged. The government is also advancing on the Damascus suburb of Daraya, one of the first areas to revolt against the government, with many of its 8,000 residents fearing an imminent massacre. In recent days, a refugee camp near the Jordanian border was bombed, and civilians were killed. Whether it was the Russians or Syrians who undertook the operation is not known. Why do we keep? Beyond preservation insuring the safety of a thing keeping can be an act of self-preservation. It is about what brings us together as people, said Ms. Hendeles, who archived images of people posing with teddy bears. Her intention was to create a portrait of the century, much like the photographer August Sanders documentary project Face of Our Time in 1929. The cuddly teddy bear, sometimes ratty with affection, turned out to be an icon of the first order, appearing like a totemic ghost in thousands of images. In one, a Nazi wearing an arm sling holds a bear on his knee. Another shows children who later died in the Holocaust. The toys were considered totems of protection and sympathy in grief, such as the black bear produced in 1912 to memorialize the Titanics victims. Ms. Hendeless project is displayed in a two-story architectural setting meant to resemble an academic library with steel mezzanines and polished wood vitrines. It questions the authority of the museum, the past, and what we think we know, she said, an intention shared by Mr. Gionis show. Ms. Hendeles is the only child of two survivors of Auschwitz. I was touching on unconscious needs that I had, because I didnt have any family photographs, she said of the genesis of the project. Im keeping other peoples memories. One might call Partners a family album of man. LOS ANGELES In an early episode of the new Netflix supernatural drama Stranger Things, a single mother played by Winona Ryder sits in a cubby hole communicating with her youngest son through a tangled ball of blinking Christmas lights. He has vanished under mysterious circumstances. To better understand how to sell such a strange, emotional moment, Ms. Ryder looked no further than her own mother, Cynthia Palmer. I dont have kids, so my mom helped me a lot on this, Ms. Ryder, 44, said while sitting on a big leather couch at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel here, dressed in black jeans and a faded Leonard Cohen T-shirt she bought at a concert in 1988. Id call her sometimes and say: Mom, what would you do if every indication is that your child is dead, but you believe that lights are telling you that he isnt? And shed say: Honey, Id totally believe that. Its primal. The pint-size Ms. Ryder storms through Stranger Things (available for streaming on July 15), generating what Matt and Ross Duffer, the twins who created the series, described as an essential Winona-ness, an air of fragility and feisty determination. She has a very intense energy about her, Winona does, a wiry unpredictability, a sort of anxiousness that we thought wed really lean into, Matt Duffer said about what inspired the brothers to incorporate some of Ms. Ryders traits. Back in the late 80s and through much of the 90s, Ms. Ryder, whose godfather was the LSD enthusiast Timothy Leary, was a sort of emblem of cool: dating Johnny Depp and the Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner and inspiring an 80s punk band to call itself the Wynona Riders. According to the Duffers, 32, online reaction to the trailer for Stranger Things, which is set in the 80s, revealed a deep nostalgia for Ms. Ryder. Its the Winona Forever fans, theres just a lot of them, Matt Duffer said. Shes such an icon. She certainly hasnt been forgotten. He rattled off some of Ms. Ryders greatest hits, including two of Tim Burtons films, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. We grew up on her movies. We were hoping that if we wanted so desperately to see her onscreen that other people would feel that, too. The 2009 Nobel laureate and author of the recently translated The Fox Was Ever the Hunter had no books of fairy tales as a child: The only fantastic stories came from religion class. What books are on your night stand now? David Grossmans A Horse Walks Into a Bar an anguish-ridden self-portrait of a standup comedian in Israel. Even if the surface cleverness seems somewhat at odds given the deep biographical despair, the book has won me over. But I still havent finished it. The other is Peter Esterhazys new book, Simple Story Comma One Hundred Pages The Mark Version. Unfortunately I cant say much about that one yet. A family in Hungary after 1945 are declared to be enemies of the state and are banished from the city to a village where they have to live in a single room. A young boy, the narrator, pretends to be mute. And then theres Georges-Arthur Goldschmidts book about Kafka: The Person Youre Looking for Is Living Right Next Door: Reading Kafka. Whats the last great book you read? Liao Yiwu, For a Song and a Hundred Songs. In 1989 Liao Yiwu wrote the poem Massacre in response to the Chinese Armys massacre of protesters at Tiananmen Square. For that he was sent to prison, where he spent four years in a cell with inmates who had been condemned to death; he often wrote out their last wills. He was tortured like all the other prisoners. In describing this and much more, the book shows the ruthlessness and brutality of the Chinese dictatorship. It has all the exactitude of documentary prose, but the language is so poetic I was left speechless. Which writers novelists, playwrights, critics, journalists, poets working today do you admire most? Deirdre Wall, an actress in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, was eight months pregnant when she was married on a New Hampshire mountaintop on June 25. While planning for the wedding, even amid a whirlwind engagement and impending motherhood, she found the task of dress shopping the most worrisome. There is a real hole in the market for cool maternity bridal dresses, said Ms. Wall, 36. I looked really hard throughout New York and couldnt find a place to try one on that would also let me return. After perusing Etsy and Anthropologie, Ms. Wall ordered two gowns from Tiffany Rose, a British-based designer of bridal and special-occasion maternity dresses. One gown featured a lace bodice with cap sleeves, while the other had a classic sweetheart silhouette. The best part was that Ms. Wall could try them at home and send one back. Both dresses are beautiful yet stretchy, and I felt like I could gain 30 pounds next month if I wanted to, she said. Im relieved that I have options. A few stories above a blessedly calm Midtown street, the elevator doors opened and I stared straight at a Garuda fearsome mythic eagle, mount of Lord Narayana, reflection of the divine power of the kings of Thailand inlaid into the seal of the Royal Thai Consulate General. I had come to talk with the consul general about shrimp salad. I had heard that his wife made a good one, a tart, spicy version, almost crunchy with herbs, called pla goong. Andy Ricker, the chef of the Pok Pok restaurants in Portland, Ore., and New York, had told me about it, and assured me that because the Thai government sees its food as one of its great contributions to the world, the consul general would take my calls. Pornpong Kanittanon greeted me, flanked by his deputy, Suwanit Sombatpiboon, and an assistant standing with perfect posture. I shook Kanittanons hand, noticed my crumpled jacket sleeve and immediately regretted not wearing a nicer suit. But Kanittanon was indeed glad to spread word of his countrys cuisine and economy, and he and Sombatpiboon courteously remarked on Thailands status as one of the worlds largest net food exporters, on the healthfulness and appeal of Thai dishes, on an initiative by the Ministry of Industry to train Thai chefs to better promote the cuisine abroad. The visit was informative and very diplomatic. I should have worn a nicer suit. Afterward, we planned a visit with Jaisamarn Kanittanon, the consul generals wife, who goes by Koi and who would teach me to make her pla goong. When I pulled up to their handsome house in eastern Queens, I said a little secular prayer: Please, let me know how to act in a diplomats home. Koi and Sombatpiboon welcomed me in. I started dipping my head to bow, as Ive seen Thai people do, but realizing that it might be more appropriate to shake hands, I panicked, then made a bizarre show of wiping my feet on the doormat. My hosts smiled. They led me toward a table surrounded by gorgeous Thai teak chairs, intricately carved with a motif of peacocks. Next to it was a set of Western furniture. I asked about the meaning of the arrangement: Is it ceremonial to use one set or the other? Its where everything fit when it came out of storage, Koi told me. Perhaps we should get to cooking, Sombatpiboon said. The crepe is moon-white. Folded, it looks like a beaded clutch, studded with pearls from the worlds tiniest oysters. The pearls are hydrated tapioca flour, sifted into a dry hot pan until they stick together. The result looks brittle, but under the teeth it sinks and clings, as chewy inside as Japanese mochi. At Beach Bistro 96, a low-slung Brazilian sea shack that opened in May a block from Rockaway Beach in Queens, the crepe may come engorged with guacamole, whole spinach leaves and relaxed, if not quite melted, mozzarella; or, for dessert, strawberries striped with condensed milk, under an anarchy of coconut flakes like a parades morning after. On the menu, it is called simply tapioca, which may confuse those for whom the name conjures up milky pudding or the little eyeballs in bubble tea. The word belonged first to Tupi, the language of Brazils indigenous coastal tribes, whose other gifts to English include jaguar and piranha. That leaves the wines of Mr. Foti, who has had the most to do with the success of carricante. Aside from working with Benanti through 2011, he has consulted with Biondi and has made one of the few carricante wines outside the Etna region, with Gulfi, which is based near Vittoria in southeastern Sicily. (Its richer and less distinctive than the Etna versions.) His own Etna Bianco Superiore, called Vigna di Milo and issued under the I Vignieri label, is superb. The 2014 was fresh, floral and almost oceanic, with great salinity and minerality. Through his work with Benanti and others, Mr. Foti is spreading the gospel of carricante. One convert is Kevin Harvey of Rhys Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. Around 10 years ago, while traveling in Italy, he tasted the 2001 Pietra Marina. The lights went on for me, he said. It had all the aspects of a truly great white wine: ageworthiness, complexity, completeness. I think carricante is one of the worlds great white wine grapes. Never one not to act on his wine intuitions, Mr. Harvey tracked down Mr. Foti and eventually became a partner in buying and planting the Aeris vineyard. Early bottlings of Aeris show great promise. Full production under the Aeris label should begin next year, Mr. Harvey said. More exciting for Mr. Harvey than owning a vineyard in Milo is his plan to plant both carricante and nerello mascalese in the mountains of the northwest Sonoma coast. The soils are not volcanic like Etnas, but Mr. Harvey believes the elevation, the proximity to the ocean and the sites diverse rocky soils will be just right for carricante. We have so many great soils in California in climates that are too warm for chardonnay or riesling, he said. Carricante could be a way to make a profound wine in those places. Updated July 14, 2016 JPMorgan Chase Posts Profit That Beats Estimates SECOND-QUARTER RECAP: The nations largest bank reported better-than-expected financial results and gave credit to improvement in the American economy. JPMorgan said that it was seeing broad demand for loans from consumers and businesses in the United States. That speaks well for the U.S. economy and the consumer in particular, said Marianne Lake. Were expecting continuing moderate growth and demand in the U.S. Nathaniel Popper NEW YORK ABCs news president says the sense that the public is hungry for progress on race relations and policing led the network to quickly schedule a town hall meeting with President Barack Obama in prime time on Thursday. Theres a real thirst for understanding and a desire to hear other perspectives and make progress on these issues, ABC News President James Goldston said. ABC pulled the event together in three days following the shooting deaths of five Dallas police officers last week and the police shootings of men and Minnesota and Louisiana that sparked Black Lives Matter protests. Town halls have been revived this year as a hot television commodity, especially with the election campaigns and the cable news networks. Obama, who spoke extensively on the topic at Tuesdays memorial service for the fallen Dallas officers, is the headliner. Goldston said ABC is hoping to include family members of people involved in last weeks shootings, but did not announce any other participants. The event will be taped Thursday afternoon in Washington. We feel like were really delivering on our public service mission here, Goldston said. The event reaches back to ABC history, when Ted Koppel hosted town halls on Nightline and Peter Jennings did specials answering childrens questions on major issues. David Muir will anchor the event, joined by ESPNs Jemele Hill. Cameron Collins has a job many people might covet: creator of Orange Countys beer festivals. This years third annual Brew Hee Haw Craft Beer Roundup at the Orange County Fair is the most recent variation of an idea that started like many great ideas do, with a question. It happened back in 2008, Cameron said. My in-laws and I had been talking about all the great beer festivals in San Diego, which we didnt have in Orange County. I said, Somebody should be doing that. Somebody else said, Well, it could be us. In 2010 we finally got off the couch and made it happen. The first Brew Ha Ha event sold just 800 tickets, but the Collins family was ecstatic. We couldnt believe it, Collins said. All these people liked beer as much as we did. Since then Collins has expanded, producing a Christmas ale festival, Brew Ho Ho, and the OC Fair event. The fair people approached us three years ago, he said. They had tried other kinds of beer events, but they didnt work out well. We sat down and talked, and we found that everyone shared the same vision. The idea is to offer a series of tastings from quality brewers, Collins said. Participants can come and go as they please, sampling two-ounce pours from more than 45 breweries as many times as they wish during the four-hour event while enjoying in-and-out privileges. Ive been to beer festivals where youre on site for hours and its kind of overwhelming, Collins said. We didnt want that. I imagined something where people could eat dinner and enjoy the other events at the fair as well, and this kind of complemented their visit. Trevor Walls, head brewer at Pizza Port in San Clemente, plans on pouring four beers for Brew Hee Haw: Dusk Till Dawn, an American Porter; Haole Passion Fruit IPA; Walberger, a German lager; and El Camino IPA. This event attracts beer fans and the public at large, Walls said. There are people who will be seeking out their favorite breweries, and people trying things for the first time and getting exposed to the world of craft beer. Thats the great thing about events like this you get all kinds of beer drinkers and make some new fans in the process. Last year, Brew Hee Haw attracted 3,100 tasters. This year were in a new location next to the amphitheater, and our capacity is 6,000, Collins said. We can have 1,500 people per session. Thats pretty aggressive growth. But Collins said the move is looking more and more like a good idea. As of last week, we were 34 percent ahead of last year. The phone just keeps ringing. Contact the writer: 714-796-7979 or phodgins@ocregister.com WASHINGTON The Senate on Wednesday approved a bill to tackle the nations opioid crisis, sending to the presidents desk the most sweeping drug legislation in years in a rare instance of consensus in Congress. The measure, which passed, 92-2, would strengthen prevention, treatment and recovery efforts, largely by empowering medical professionals and law enforcement officials with more tools to help drug addicts. It would also expand access to a drug that emergency medical workers could use to help reverse overdoses and improve treatment for the incarcerated. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, voted against the measure. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill. This is a historic moment, the first time in decades that Congress has passed comprehensive addiction legislation, and the first time Congress has ever supported long-term addiction recovery, said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, whose state has been plagued by opioid addiction. This is also the first time that weve treated addiction like the disease that it is, which will help put an end to the stigma that has surrounded addiction for too long. Tensions over spending threatened to derail the measure as Democrats insisted the Senate also vote on immediate funding to pay for the programs the bill authorizes. Republicans said funding would be addressed in the appropriations process later this year. Congress has yet to send a spending bill to Obama for his signature this year. With the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, Congress will have just a few weeks to do so when it returns from a seven-week recess, which begins at the end of this week. Portman, who has long pushed for improved policies on opioid and heroin addiction, said he was optimistic the Senate Appropriations Committee would fully fund the policy measure which, he said, calls for increasing overall funding by 47 percent. This is an authorization bill, Portman said. It authorizes more money than weve ever even dreamed about for opioids. Democrats were unmoved, citing Congress chronic difficulties in passing spending bills. The Obama administration had urged Congress to add funding into this bill, including $920 million for states to help treat addicts. Democrats pressed to start on Wednesday with a measure that would devote $600 million in emergency funding, which typically means the money would not need to be made up with cuts to other programs. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the bill was an empty promise without the funding to increase the number of hospital beds and treatment providers resources necessary to really address the crisis. What it says is this: that colleagues on the other side of the aisle are more interested in showing voters theyre doing something about opioids than actually doing something, Schumer said on the Senate floor. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican, dismissed the idea that the drug programs would ultimately not receive the funding needed. Theres plenty of money, he said. The bill, which the House passed on Friday, is a compromise between the House and the Senate, combining 18 measures that passed the House in May with the Senates more comprehensive legislation, which was approved in March. A beer can. A dog bite. A shoelace. Each sliver of evidence recently helped detectives solve local killings that, for years, were viewed as stone-cold whodunits. Now, those cases are making their way to trial. And that, prosecutors say, is evidence of another kind that the Orange County Cold Case Homicide Task Force is paying dividends. The county-funded task force, formed in 2014, includes a dozen investigators from the District Attorneys Office, the Orange County Sheriffs Department and some of the countys largest police agencies. The mission is simple: Solve homicides that others couldnt solve before. The task force has crafted cases against at least three accused killers. It also played a key role in investigating La Palmas oldest unsolved killing. All four cases are awaiting trial. But numbers alone dont do justice to the importance of the task force. From 1970 through 2010, Orange County had roughly 1,100 unsolved homicides, about 24 percent of all reported killings in the county. Having a task force dedicated to solving those mysteries helping bring justice for families that long ago gave up hope or taking killers off the street after decades of skirting the law is just part of why it exists. Its also a reminder that justice doesnt have an expiration date. The family of these victims have had to endure the horror of having their loved one brutally murdered, said Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. We are hoping that the cold case homicide unit helps bring closure for families. THE COLDEST CASE For decades, cold case investigations have been conducted by individual police agencies in the county, on a piecemeal basis. The idea to centralize those efforts to form a single, multiagency task force came in a simple way: when Anaheim police and county prosecutors solved a crime that they shouldnt have been able to solve. The case started Jan. 17, 1998, as a brazen killing. Prison guard Elizabeth Begaren was shot to death as she ran from her SUV, which was parked near the East Street on-ramp to the 91 freeway. Begarens husband, Nuzzio Begaren, told police at the time that he pulled over the SUV just before the shooting after realizing he and his wife had been followed, by men in a sedan, since theyd left a mall in Burbank. He also told investigators that while they were at that Burbank mall, he gave his wife several thousand dollars and told her to carry it. Nuzzio Begaren had a history of failed business ventures and no reportable income. Hed taken out a $1 million insurance policy on his wifes life shortly after he married her. And he liked to gamble. He was, in short, a prime suspect. But the only physical evidence from the crime scene was a torn note with a license plate number that Begaren scrawled down minutes before his wifes death. The plate was traced to a street gang in Los Angeles, but in the late 1990s, it didnt produce anything solid. Detectives had suspicions but no case. The investigation went cold. A decade later, a letter written by Elizabeth Begarens father came to the attention of Rackauckas, who passed it on to Larry Yellin, a senior prosecutor for the county. Yellin turned to Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt, who at the time was working as a detective. My family and I are asking you to please look into this matter and take the necessary action, wrote Robert Wheat, who noted that his daughters killing was far from forgotten. Rather than go after Nuzzio Begaren directly, Wyatt tracked the gang members. He believed they had carried out the killing, and he figured it was more likely that they would turn on Begaren than Begaren was to admit his own guilt. Time proved Wyatt right. It turned out that the gang members who had been hired by Begaren to shoot his wife had left the lifestyle. By September 2013, when Begaren went on trial for murder-for-hire, they were willing to testify against their onetime employer. He was convicted and, in May 2014, sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. The conviction became Exhibit A for creating the Cold Case Homicide Task Force. After that conviction, the District Attorneys Office, working with a half-dozen police agencies and the sheriff, put together a crew of investigators some active, some recently retired to work only cold cases. The investigators work with a specific county prosecutor on a case, from start to finish. It really showed how we can all work together, Wyatt said. As part of the process, police officers and prosecutors began evaluating the countys long list of unsolved homicides, assigning each case a solvability rating. A case gets a higher solvability rating if there is DNA or fingerprint evidence that can be looked at with modern technology. The same is true if the case involves living witnesses or suspected accomplices. Another factor is victim advocacy; if somebody has been in an investigators ear for decades, the cases solvability rating is bumped up. So far, the task force has identified more than 130 cold cases that warrant serious re-examination. That relatively small number means task force investigators spend more time on a case than investigators in other departments spend on their cases. That can help them focus on everything from deeper background information to previously unknown details about key evidence. They also can take more time developing witnesses and informants. In short, the process isnt a treadmill. Investigators arent at a police agency, where they have to move onto the next one, then the next one, said Louie Martinez, an investigator for the District Attorneys Office. The process also is personal. Its the rare investigator or prosecutor who doesnt recall a homicide that they were this close to solving or making an arrest, one who doesnt wish for a second chance or more time or, short of either, better luck. Or one who doesnt wish to help the survivors. What we hear a lot is, We thought our loved one was forgotten, Fullerton police detective and cold case unit member Ed Contreras said. Its nice knowing they were not. RESULTS The first task force-related arrest came in December 2014. More than a quarter century earlier, Santa Ana police took a call from Douglas Gutridge, who said hed read a story in the Register about the death of Carla Salazar, a transgender phone operator. Gutridge told police in 1989 that he wanted to help. Now, police say, Gutridge wasnt a good Samaritan. They say a new look at old forensic evidence from the crime scene, a Santa Ana apartment, shows that Gutridge once placed his hands on Salazars body. Gutridge had already volunteered his DNA to investigators, back when DNA testing wasnt as precise as it is today, allowing them to make the comparison. Gutridge, now 64, pleaded not guilty to murder last year. His trial is pending. The task force isnt just an investigative unit; its also a consulting agency of sorts. Last year, the unit helped La Palma police put together a case in the citys oldest unsolved homicide. Patricia Annie Ross was strangled in her La Palma apartment on the night of Dec. 11, 1974. Tiny smears of blood were at the scene. Investigators suspected the killer had been bitten by Ross small dog, who was found unharmed in a drawer. The case didnt come together in the mid-1970s. When La Palma police reopened the investigation in 2008, when DNA testing was vastly improved, they quickly tested the blood smears. The tests didnt tell them much initially. Then, in March 2015, authorities in Sonoma County arrested Larry Stephens, a retired postal worker, on suspicion of domestic violence. His DNA sample came back as a match with blood spilled by the bite of a tiny dog in La Palma 41 years earlier. Authorities say Ross and Stephens were strangers. But they note that Stephens lived in the area at the time of the slaying and may have been friends with residents in Ross apartment complex. Stephens has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial. Members of the task force helped La Palma investigators prepare for the interview with Stephens. He denied, denied, denied, said district attorney investigator Martinez. But Stephens didnt know, or didnt remember, that the dog bite had produced a DNA sample in 1974. Task force officials urged La Palma police to use their knowledge to their advantage during the interview. There is nothing like walking in, and they think they got away with it, and the next thing, you are hitting them up with questions, said district attorney investigator Dean Fulcher. Time doesnt just mess with a suspects memory. Over time, the weight of a homicide also can become life-changing for the perpetrator or people who saw it happen. One of the great things about human nature is our conscience and our guilt, said prosecutor Yellin. It may have gnawed at them for five years; it may have gnawed at them for 15 years. Or it may have gnawed at them to where they ask, I wonder if they are coming to get me? LITTLE BECOMES BIG In cold cases, time can turn little things into big things little things like an empty beer can. Two years ago, DNA collected from an empty beer can solved the 1991 slaying of Salvador Guillen Murillo. The beer had been sipped by one of the men who saw Murillo before Murillo was found dead, shot in the head and stomach, under an orange tree in Yorba Linda. The motive was a drug deal gone bad. The beer was a Budweiser. Another big little thing was the shoelace used to tie up the son of Ariet Girgis in 2004, on the night she was shot dead in her Westminster home. In 2010, DNA found on the shoelace eventually led investigators to change their theory about the crime. Initially, they thought it was a home invasion. But by 2014, when prosecutors convicted Magdi Girgis, the husband, they argued that the killing was a murder for hire so that Girgis could dodge an expensive divorce. But if time can turn seemingly inconsequential things into evidence that can make or break a case, its also an ally for investigators. Task force detectives say their best resources often are the original detectives in the case the people who, in theory, couldnt solve it the first time but who rarely forget the little details. Eric Wiseman, a district attorney supervisor with the cold case unit, recalled taking a phone call from an investigator who had retired more than a decade earlier. He called to ask if a specific piece of evidence in a particular case had ever been checked. The question had been gnawing at him. In another case, task force investigators reached out to a retired detective, asking if he knew the whereabouts of a particular case file. Yeah, the detective said, I have it right here. Investigators often keep information on cold cases for decades, hoping that one day theyll find answers. We all have boxes in our garages, Wiseman said. Contact the writer: semery@ocregister.com, kpuente@ocregister.com FBI Director James Comeys conclusion that no reasonable prosecutor would bring criminal charges against Hillary Clinton for her handling of her emails should be accepted as a definitive conclusion that nothing illegal was done. The criminal law, in virtually every area, requires more than carelessness. A thorough investigation that took over a year and involved hundreds of FBI agents came to the conclusion that there was carelessness, but that no crime was committed. The conclusion should have special credibility because of the source. FBI Director Comey is a lifelong Republican. He served as a high-level official in the United States Department of Justice under President George W. Bush. He repeatedly has been involved in aggressively investigating the Clintons. In the mid-1990s, he was a Deputy Special Counsel to the Senate Whitewater Committee. In 2002, Comey, then a federal prosecutor, took over an investigation into President Bill Clintons 2001 pardon of financier Marc Rich. Comey earlier had prosecuted Rich. To put it mildly, Comey is no friend of the Clintons. It is unusual for the FBI director to announce whether criminal charges are recommended. The decision whether to initiate a prosecution is always made by prosecutors, not the police. But Attorney General Loretta Lynch wanted to leave no doubt that the choice whether to indict Hillary Clinton would be based on the law and not on politics. She said that she would abide by whatever the FBI recommended, and thus it was left to Comey to announce his conclusions. To be sure, Comey was critical of Hillary Clinton. On Thursday, July 7, Comey testified at a House Committee hearing and said, I think she was extremely careless. I think she was negligent that I could establish. What we cant establish is that she acted with the necessary criminal intent. Importantly, Comey stressed that Clinton did not lie to the FBI during their yearlong probe. Key to the FBIs decision to recommend against criminal charges is that there was no evidence that Clinton had the criminal intent required for a prosecution and conviction. Virtually every crime requires proof of mens rea, or intent or knowledge in order for it to be crime. First-degree murder, for example, requires proof of premeditated intent to kill. A person is guilty of the crime of receiving stolen property only if it is proven that he or she knew that property was stolen. For Clinton to have violated the law, it must be proven that she knew that what she was doing was illegal. As Comey explained, prior prosecutions have been for clearly intentional and willful mishandling of classified information, and there is no evidence of this for Clinton. As Comey said, Should have known, must have known, had to know, does not get you there. Comey emphasized that there has not been a single instance in which any person ever has been prosecuted for behavior like Clintons. Many have likened Clintons conduct to that of David Petraeus, former director of the CIA, who was convicted for the unauthorized removal and retention of classified information. But former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, also a Republican who had been appointed to a federal judgeship by President Ronald Reagan, explained that there was no comparison. Petraeus knowingly gave classified material to his biographer and girlfriend and then lied to federal investigators. In sharp contrast, Clinton did not knowingly give classified materials to anyone, and Comey explicitly said that she did not lie to investigators. As Stephen Vladeck, an expert on national security law at the University of Texas, explained: Its just not a crime under current law to do nothing more than share sensitive information over unsecured networks. Clintons poor judgment in handling emails certainly is a relevant campaign issue. But those who claim that she broke the law and should have been prosecuted are wrong both in light of the evidence and in light of the FBIs conclusion. Donald Trump declared that this shows that the system is rigged and expressed his view that Clinton is guilty. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said that the Average Joe would have been led off in handcuffs had he done what Clinton did. Setting aside whether the average Joe ever would get access to classified information, it is crucial to remember that no one has ever been prosecuted for anything remotely like Clintons actions. Conclusions about the criminal law, and whether it has been broken, should be based on the evidence and the law. And it is clear after the FBIs investigation that Hillary Clinton broke no law. Erwin Chemerinsky is dean of the UC Irvine School of Law. Re: Death from above [Opinion, July 13]: In the first place, you are talking about actions being taken where a war is being waged. People die in wars, both combatants and noncombatants. Instead of demonizing the militarys attempts to limit noncombatants deaths, you should be applauding then. If you do not believe the U.S. governments tally, why do you so readily accept the account of others? They could be just as wrong. Today, when there is no clear line between combatants and noncombatants, unlike in World War II where combatants wore uniforms, how can anyone say a person in civilian clothes is or isnt a combatant? As a matter of fact, the majority of the combatants on the other side wear civilian clothes at all times. It is well documented that the opposition uses women and children to carry concealed explosives to blow up both combatants and noncombatants. Are these bombers combatants or not? It is easy for civilians to criticize the members of the military who are tasked each day to put themselves and others in harms way. We do not have to be responsible for causing the death of another human being and live with that knowledge for the rest of our lives. Robert O. Dettloff Huntington Beach Obama pushes his agenda Re: Obama pays tribute to Dallas officers shot in racial attack [News, July 12]: Obama has the audacity to try to legitimize Black Lives Matter at the funeral for the slain officers. Are you kidding me? He only cares about pushing his agenda. Steve Christle Orange LONDON A French company that dismissed a Muslim woman for wearing a headscarf when dealing with clients unlawfully discriminated against her, according to an advisory opinion that the European Unions highest court released Wednesday. The opinion while not the final word in the case was the latest intervention in a debate in Europe over the role of Islam in public life and the challenge of integrating foreigners, an issue that has gained resonance in recent years with the large influx of refugees and asylum seekers, many of them from Muslim countries. The question of religion in the public sphere is particularly fraught in France, which has a strong tradition of secularism. In the advisory opinion, Eleanor Sharpston, an advocate general with the European Court of Justice, sided with the Muslim woman, Asma Bougnaoui, who lost her job with Micropole, a French information technology consultancy, in 2009 after she refused to abide by the companys request that she remove her headscarf when meeting with clients. She took her case to a French court, which referred it to the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice. Sharpston found that Bougnaouis dismissal amounted to direct discrimination on the basis of religion or belief. She said that there was nothing to suggest that Bougnaoui was unable to perform her duties as a design engineer because she wore an Islamic headscarf, and she noted that the company had affirmed her professional competence. She indicated, however, that she would not have had the same view if Bougnaoui had covered her face completely, given that Western society regards visual or eye contact as being fundamentally important in face-to-face communications between representatives of a company and its customers. Micropole did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The opinion is not the final word on the matter; a formal judgment is expected in the coming months. But advisory opinions are usually a reliable guide to the thinking of the court, which interprets European law for the 28-nation union. In an advisory opinion issued in May, in a separate case, Juliane Kokott, another advocate general with the court, said that a company could bar a Muslim female employee from wearing a headscarf at work provided the policy applied to all religious attire and did not single out Islam. That opinion came after a Muslim woman in Belgium, Samira Achbita, was dismissed from her job as a receptionist at a security company. Legal experts said that the two advisory opinions appeared somewhat contradictory and that the court as a whole would need to balance freedom of religion with the rights of companies to have policies requiring religious or ideological neutrality. At the same time, they said, the court would consider the national identity and traditions of the country where each case arose. Nicola Countouris, a professor of European law and labor law at University College London, said he expected the court to examine jurisprudence at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, where, he noted, the right to freedom of religion had prevailed in a landmark case in which a British Airways flight attendant had been asked not to wear a white-gold crucifix with her uniform. The European Court of Justice has a hot potato on its hands, Countouris said. My money is that the Sharpston view will win out, he added, but it may upset the French authorities. In France, public servants are barred from wearing garments or conspicuous insignia that display religious beliefs, such as a head scarf or a skullcap. The rules do not apply to workers in the private sector, where companies have more discretion over dressing norms. In 2010, the French Parliament voted to ban the wearing of clothing that conceals the face in public places, becoming the first European country to restrict a custom that some Muslims consider a religious obligation. In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights upheld that ban as a legitimate attempt to preserve the norms of Frances diverse society. Part 1: 1955, the year Disneyland opened. Part 2: 1956-1959. Part 3: 1960-1969. Part 5: 1980-1989. Part 6: 1990-1999. Part 7: 2000s. The seventies at Disneyland started with an invasion, then went into space, and ended with a wild ride in the frontier. Unfortunately for Disneyland, the riots that had been happening in cities across America during the latter half of the sixties and some of the protesters turned their attention to Walt Disneys Magic Kingdom. On Aug. 6, 1970, the Yippies (an offshoot of the hippies of the sixties) decided to invade Disneyland. The Yippies were members of the Youth International Party, a counter culture offshoot of the free speech and anti-war movements. They had long hair and wore loud clothing, bandanas and more. But the park and area police were ready. The protesters were told, upon entering the park, to behave or they would be asked to leave. But they didnt listen and for a short time tried to take over Tom Sawyer Island. When some tried to incite violence and confront police, they were arrested and escorted out. Finally, Disneyland officials decided to close the park, fearing that families with children could get hurt. Disneyland instituted a dress code for park visitors shortly after that to try and keep any Yippies from entering the park in the future. 1970-72 That event did not deter visitors, as the park continued to enjoy record attendance. Though Disney Imagineers were busy building Walt Disney World, which opened in October 1971, they did not neglect Disneyland, opening up a new land in 1972: Bear Country. It occupied space that was previously the Indian Village. The new land was reached via a pass after walking by the Haunted Mansion. Above the pass, could be seen an entrance to a cave. A hibernating bear could be heard snoring from inside that cave. The centerpiece of the new land was a new Audio-Animatronics show: Country Bear Jamboree. Big Al, who sang Blood on the Saddle, was the hit of the show. Female cast members working in the area took a liking to the character, naming their canoe team for years to come: Big Als Gals. That same year, the Main Street Electrical Parade kicked off, with more than a million twinkling lights on the floats as they slowly rolled down Disneylands parade route each evening, playing a synthesized version of Baroque Hoedown along the way. 1973 Disney Imagineers decided to honor Walt Disney, who passed away in December 1966, with an attraction called The Walt Disney Story. The film-based show featured interviews with Walt. The show also meant the end of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, but that only lasted a couple of years as visitors started a letter-writing campaign demanding the return of the nations 16th president. So in 1975, Lincoln was restored into the Main Street Opera House, but included the tribute to Walt. 1974 The nations bicentennial was approaching, and Disneyland wanted something patriotic. The Imagineers came up with a new show called America Sings for the building that housed the Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland. The lead character was Sam the Eagle, voiced by Burl Ives. The four-act show in the rotating building took guests on a musical journey of American songs. Meanwhile, the Carousel of Progress was packed up and sent to Walt Disney World, where it opened in 1975 and is still playing to this day. A small change also happened to the Disneyland Railroad, when the Santa Fe Railroad decided it would no longer sponsor the attraction. 1975-76 Disneyland decided to ring in 1975 with a two-year celebration of Americas Bicentennial and a new parade called America on Parade. The Main Street Electrical Parade took a sabbatical while the patriotic procession took over, with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy leading the way. One of the features were newly designed characters representing different American eras, including Betsy Ross. Since Americans had walked on the moon, Disney Imagineers decided it was time to send guests on a journey farther into space. In 1975, the attraction known as Flight to the Moon was closed and re-designed as Mission to Mars. Most of the buildings changes were cosmetic, with images on the monitors in Mission Control and inside the rocket were changed to represent the trip to Mars. Construction also began that year of a long-awaited attraction that had been on Disneyland souvenir maps for years: Space Mountain. During construction, crews excavated a large hole, which was the eventual location for the Spaceport, also known as the load/unload station. But that winter, El Nino hit California hard and the hole filled up with water for a while. Cast members decided to have some fun and put a sign on the construction fence that said: Future site of employee swimming pool. 1977 The hole was drained of water, the uniquely shaped building was completed and Space Mountain launched, with several Mercury astronauts on hand for its initial flight. The enclosed roller coaster was an immediate smash hit, creating a line that would snake out of Tomorrowland and down Main Street U.S.A. Disneys Imagineers were fearful that some would get inside the building and get cold feet, so several chicken exits were thoughtfully provided even one right by the load area. 1978 What had gotten into the Matterhorn? With the success of Space Mountain, Disney Imagineers decided to up the thrill level on the Matterhorn Bobsleds by joining two bobsleds together, making it a faster ride. In addition, there was a new element added: the Abominable Snowman. Harold, as he was named by cast members, has been scaring riders in the Matterhorn ever since. 1979 It was time to shake things up in the Old West. Attendance on the Mine Train Through Natures Wonderland had been declining, and the opening of Space Mountain sealed its fate. The Pack Mules were sent packing in 1973 and the attraction was closed in 1977. But after the old railroad was derailed into Yesterland, bulldozers moved in and Disney Imagineers reshaped the land to look like a scene out of Bryce Canyon National Park. The new structure was called Thunder Mountain, and all around it, rails for another roller coaster were laid for the wildest ride in the wilderness: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. For more details about Disneyland in the 1970s including additions and changes to attractions and shows click through the slideshow. Reporter Mark Eades worked as an Imagineer for Walt Disney Imagineering, the company that designs Disneys theme parks, from 1982 to 1993. Contact the writer: meades@ocregister.com COSTA MESA An armed man fitting the description of a suspected serial killer being sought by Phoenix police led Southern California law enforcement agencies on a pursuit spanning three counties before ending in a standoff on the 91 freeway early Thursday. Costa Mesa police received a tip that a man fitting the wanted suspects description was seen near 19th Street and Newport Boulevard shortly before 1 a.m., Sgt. Mike Manson said. The (witness) told us theyd seen a gun and gave us a description of the suspects vehicle, Manson, said. The driver, Hector Vasquez, 43, of Beverly Hills refused to stop and led officers along the I-405, I-605 and 91 freeways, said Dan Olivas, a California Highway Patrol officer and spokesman. The suspect eventually stopped on the 91 freeway in Corona, east of South Promenade Avenue. Vasquez emerged from his vehicle and brandished what appeared to be a handgun, Olivas said. The CHP shut down the freeway in both directions, and an hours-long standoff ensued. He [Vasquez] was not following directions, but began complying when Corona SWAT arrived, Olivas said. He put the gun on the ground, laid down and we thought it was over. Then, for reasons we dont understand, he got up again, grabbed the gun and threw it across the freeway. Vasquez was taken into custody by the CHP and faces charges ranging from DUI to brandishing a weapon in the presence of a peace officer and evading police, Olivas said. It was later determined that Vasquez was not the suspect being sought by Phoenix police, and the weapon hed been waving around was a low-power pellet gun, Olivas said. The freeway re-opened shortly before 5 a.m. Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or jsudock@ocregister.com The beleaguered California Public Employees Retirement System has been plagued by exceedingly generous retirement benefits for government employees, overly optimistic actuarial assumptions and some years of poor investment performance exacerbated by excessively risky, politically-driven and otherwise bad investment decisions, including the questionable use of private equity firms with large fees. It now has only about 73 percent of the assets needed to cover its liabilities. Unfortunately, the news is not getting any better, as the pension fund lost 2 percent of its market value during the just-ended fiscal year, the Register reported. That is significantly below the pension systems 7.5 percent assumed annual investment return and discount rate. If the pension fund underperforms, or other actuarial assumptions turn out to be overly optimistic, taxpayers have to make up the difference. And it looks to be much more than the case of just a bad year or two. In fact, the next three to five years are expected to be a challenging market environment, not just for CalPERS, but for all investors, CalPERS chief investment officer Ted Eliopoulos said during a committee meeting. Its going to test us. State Sen. John Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa, knows a thing or two about failed government investments, having gained fame and public office after predicting Orange Countys bankruptcy in 1994. What has me baffled is that this is causing me great anxiety, but it does not seem to have the same impact on my colleagues in Sacramento, Sen. Moorlach told the Register. The governor has just signed the largest budget in state history, but he is not making any effort to prepay CalPERS, a 7.5 percent interest-rate charging debt. CalPERS, like virtually all of its peers, is in deep denial about its fix, writes Yves Smith on the nakedcapitalism.com blog. While CalPERS is effectively accountable to no one, by virtue of having a protected status in the state constitution and an exceptionally weak and cronyistic board, if it continues with its delusional posture that it can earn its way out of its underfunded position, pushback is inevitable. More realistic assumptions would be welcome, but real reform will necessitate reining in government pay and benefits to private-sector levels and replacing the current pension system with 401(k)-style defined-contribution retirement plans for employees. Some defenders of the status quo, particularly public employees unions, pooh-pooh the dire pension fiscal warnings. Those beating the drum for public pension reform are merely crying like Chicken Little about how the sky is falling, Dave Low, chairman of Californians for Retirement Security, a coalition of unions representing 1.6 million active and retired public employees, insisted to the Register. But the tales of financial ruin have proven all too true for many governments. Look at San Bernardino. Or just ask Sen. Moorlach, who heard the derisive Chicken Little claims more than a few times before O.C. went bankrupt. His license plate, as he fondly related in his recent e-newsletter, says it all: SKY FELL. DANA POINT Tim McCune still wakes up excited to go to work every day. The 65-year-old owner of Salt Creek Grille got into the restaurant business after a short stint at Loves BBQ in Brentwood and in Marina del Rey as a kitchen prep guy and dishwasher. Getting out of the kitchen, though, is what got him hooked because it gave him exposure to guests enjoying the food and restaurant ambiance. He worked on the floor busing tables, then as a waiter before moving on to management and then to the executive office at Islands Restaurants. Hes been in the restaurant business for 45 years. When McCune and former partner Pete Truxaw thought up Salt Creek Grille, they envisioned a neighborhood restaurant and tavern tailored to locals. The idea was make it upscale, yet casual and affordable. They wanted an American-themed grill, where friends and family would gather to relax and enjoy themselves. On Sunday, McCune celebrated 20 years of owning Salt Creek Grille at his Dana Point location at Crown Valley and Pacific Coast Highway with a private party and fundraiser. The restaurant has become a neighborhood favorite for locals from Dana Point, Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel. McCune also owns Salt Creek Grille restaurants in El Segundo and in two locations in New Jersey. The party raised $10,000 for the Irvine-based Jessie Rees Foundation, which raises awareness and research funds for pediatric cancer. The foundation is named after Jessie Rees, who died of brain cancer in 2012. McCune attributes the restaurants success to a simple formula fresh fish, sizzling steaks and burgers cooked atop a hardwood grill. A key part of Salt Creek Grilles appeal is that everything is homemade with local ingredients. McCune, of Laguna Niguel, talks about being a restaurateur, why its fun and how the community and local resorts help provide a steady stream of business. Q. A. What kind of restaurant is Salt Creek Grille? What makes it cool? A. Salt Creek Grille is all about the food and our warm surroundings that include the beautiful Craftsman-style ambiance but most importantly I like to believe its the warmth of our staff that have kept us relevant for 20 years. What makes us cool is the element where many see us as their neighborhood haunt where comfort and warmth reign. It has been a place where friends meet friends, neighbors and friends host their lifes special events such as anniversaries, birthdays, rehearsal dinners and weddings. I feel my most proud when I walk through the restaurant and see friends with their families creating lifelong memories. Q. What stands out to you as a favorite memory over the past 20 years? A. I have two favorite moments: The first day we opened on July 9, 1996, when as a brand new entrepreneur opening his first restaurant, I had the feeling of what if no one comes in? Those fears were quickly put to rest as the house filled over the course of that night and it was at that moment I took a step back to appreciate our first mini taste of success. The next favorite memory was our 20th anniversary event and fundraiser Sunday at the restaurant. We invited former employees, regular guests, friends and family. The love that was shared during open mic time were some of the most profound and impactful moments of my long career. Q. Has your menu changed? A. We learned a long time ago that you cannot be all things to all people and if you attempt going in that direction you chances of failure increase exponentially. It is within that backdrop we quickly decided to be a neighborhood steak and fish house that you could return to again and again and find quality and consistency. Offer a few items and do them well. To stay relevant you must keep your menu fresh by rotating out the slower movers and then take that opportunity to infuse more current items such as lighter and healthier options. We go through this process about three times a year and that formula has kept regular guests on their toes. Contact the writer: eritchie@ocregister.com or on Twitter:@lagunaini PALO ALTO A Stanford Shopping Center has temporarily docked its futuristic security robots after one of the 5-foot-tall, 300-pound mechanical guards reportedly ran into and hurt a young child last week. We are investigating this incident thoroughly, and the K5 units have been docked until the investigation is complete, the mall said in a statement Tuesday. The Shopping Center introduced the gliding K5 robot, built by the Mountain View startup Knightscope, last year. The robot uses an array of cameras and sensors to monitor and report suspicious activity while hopefully deterring crime with its watchful presence. Since its debut, the novelty has fascinated many shoppers. But Thursdays incident called the robots into question. San Jose resident Tiffany Teng said she was walking with her husband and their 16-month-old son, Harwin Cheng, when the robot collided with the child, knocking him face down on the ground. Instead of stopping, Teng said, the robot proceeded to roll over Harwins right foot, leaving swelling and a scrape on the childs leg. Teng said that she screamed and pushed against the robot to stop its movement forward, but without success her husband had to pull the child away. Harwin suffered no serious injuries, but was crying like crazy after the incident, she said. At Tengs request Stanford Shopping Center security personnel ultimately called an ambulance, which confirmed that the boy was all right but advised seeing a doctor, Teng said. Still, Teng, a regular at the upscale shopping center, was rattled enough by the incident to be wary of returning and said she had heard of a similar prior incident. Right now I dont think I would ever go there again, Teng said. The shopping center did not comment on Tengs mention of a previous robot incident, and declined to say how many robots the Center operates. But a spokesperson emphasized that the mall prioritizes shoppers safety. Stacy Stephens, Knightscopes vice president of marketing and sales, said via email Tuesday night that Knightscope takes the issue at Stanford Shopping Center very seriously has invited Teng and her family to meet the companys team in person. Hearing a report that one of our machines may have injured someone is absolutely horrifying, Stephens wrote. Many of our team members are parents and understand the importance of protecting our children at all costs. According to Stephens, Knightscope has not heard of any similar incidents with its machines, which have collectively traveled over 25,000 miles. K5 can be found in other places around California including Qualcomm in San Diego and Northland Controls in Fremont. Knightscope told CBS in 2014 that the company had a long waiting list of about four dozen companies waiting for its roving robot. It has inspired awe in the God-fearing, and in those who mock them. The elaborate campus of Trinity Christian City International in Costa Mesa home of Trinity Broadcasting Networks studios has been likened to a mashup of a Disneyland castle, the White House and a wedding cake. Visitors are free to wander the opulent grounds, marvel at historic Bibles, have their pictures taken with the giant archangel Michael, and get what no other attraction in Orange County can give: A creepy adventure AND salvation! one fan recently enthused online. Admirers across the religious spectrum may be disappointed to learn that two attractions are closing at TBN campuses in Costa Mesa and Nashville: Trinitys Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh Gift and Book Shops (a tempting array of items for every budget, including music, tapes, Bibles, gifts and a complete selection of TBN souvenirs), and the Virtual Reality Theaters, once described as state-of-the-art, high-definition experiences featuring a 48-channel sound system that virtually puts you in the picture. This comes as Trinitys revenue has taken a precipitous dive, from $207 million in 2006 to $121.5 million in 2014, according to a Register review of its most recent tax filings. More on that in a minute. Trinity is moving toward an internet-based model for the gift shop because people simply dont visit brick-and-mortar gift shops like they used to, and it simply is not economically sound to continue to operate under said conditions, said spokeswoman Tanya Wiley. This is a decision which has been reviewed and discussed for well over a year. The Virtual Reality Theaters were essentially high-definition digital projection and display experiences, which were once cutting-edge. However, today, this technology is commonplace, Wiley said. Some home theater systems can now do the same, therefore it does not make economic sense to keep the theater open. The complex on Bear Street will continue to house Trinitys production facility, studio and offices, and other attractions remain open to the public, including Bible displays and some studio productions, she said. TBNs vision, long-term plans and short-term goals have not changed, and that is telling the world about Jesus through traditional and non-traditional broadcasting, she said. OVER-SPENDING? Trinity calls itself the worlds largest Christian broadcasting network. Its religious programming, designed to spread the Gospel across the globe, can be seen throughout Europe, Central and South America, the Middle East, Africa, Russia, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific islands. Its built on the Have a need? Plant a seed philosophy, or what critics call the prosperity gospel. The idea is that if you give money to God, God will send riches back to you. Trinitys tax filings suggest the seed hasnt been sprouting as it once did. The company spent millions more than it took in for six straight years. The widest gap was in 2014 the most recent year available when revenue was $121.5 million but Trinity spent $162.6 million. Trinitys meaty net assets whats left after liabilities are subtracted from assets help it through. That nest egg, though, shrank from a high of $857.9 million in 2009 to $755.8 million in 2014. These are very clear signs of trouble, said Sandra Miniutti, vice president at nonprofit watchdog Charity Navigator. Charity Navigator does not rate Trinity, but has posted a donor advisory informing potential donors of tumult within the organization, as reported by the Register, The New York Times and The Christian Post. Trinitys returns are public because its a nonprofit in the eyes of the IRS and must file financial details in exchange for tax-exempt status. The next chapter in Trinitys evolution waits to be written. Founder Paul Crouch who heard God tell him to start a Christian TV network while tooling down MacArthur Boulevard nearly 40 years ago died in 2013. His wife and co-founder, Jan Crouch, died May 31. Their heir apparent was eldest son Paul Crouch Jr., until fissures within the family opened in 2012, including back-and-forth allegations of financial mismanagement and a claim that some in the family covered up sexual abuse. Paul Crouch Jr. and his family were ousted from Trinitys board of directors and its employ. The empire is now in the hands of the Crouches younger son, Matthew. Trinity declined to share Matthew Crouchs plans for the nonprofit, or to comment further on its financial situation. Contact the writer: tsforza@ocregister.com SANTA ANA A convicted con man accused of plotting to put a federal judge in a wood chipper is once again facing trial for allegedly planning to kill the judge and several other law-enforcement officials. Jurors will decide whether John Arthur Walthall concocted his own plan to kill U.S. District Judge Andrew J. Guilford and four FBI agents and federal prosecutors, or whether merely a pair of jailhouse informants planted the scheme in Walthalls head to shave time off their sentences. Less than three months after a previous jury deadlocked on the felony solicitation charge, opening statements began Wednesday in the retrial. Walthall himself was only in the courtroom for half the morning, removed for interrupting his attorneys comments to the jury. Walthall, 61, was serving a 14-year sentence at the federal Lompoc prison in June of 2014. He is accused of sitting down with a man he believed could set up the kidnapping, torture and murder of the judge, the agents and the prosecutors. Walthall, who years earlier had been caught tricking investors with plans to draw gold out of abandoned mines and was ordered to pay back millions of dollars, was actually talking in the prison yard to an undercover FBI agent. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Sheppard told the jury that Walthall wanted Guilford, who sentenced him for the gold mine caper, tortured until he admitted to collusion with the government. Walthall specifically indicated that he wanted the judge put in a (expletive) wood chipper. He is accused of having wanted to kill others, too: Two FBI agents who investigated the earlier case, and the two U.S. attorneys who prosecuted him. Above all else he wanted them to die, Sheppard said. He made clear that in the end, they had to go. Sheppard described Walthall as spending years methodically and slowly putting the alleged plan together, eventually relying on fellow inmates Antonio Rodriguez and Crisanto Diego Trejo-Ortiz to find someone willing to carry it out. Instead, the two men alerted the FBI and, according to the prosecutor, Walthall believed the FBIs undercover agent was the middleman who would be able to actually set up the killings. What he brought with him to prison was not just the scheming that made him so successful with fraud, but also a seething anger, Sheppard told the jury. The difference is rather than cash in his hand, he wanted blood on the street. Walthalls attorney, Timothy Scott, accused the informants of cooking up the scheme and pretending they were trying to stop it, to gain favor with the federal authorities. Then, he said, they planted the idea in the unstable Walthalls head so it appeared more credible. These two got a paranoid, delusional man to say paranoid, delusional things so that they could be seen as heroes, Scott said. During their years as government informants, Rodriguez and Ortiz have been paid thousands of dollars in cash, Scott said. They have made a career out of entrapping others in criminal activity and selling it to the government for their own rewards, the defense attorney said. Scott said some at the prison considered his client to be a nut who was unpleasant to talk to, given to long diatribes about religious and government conspiracies. Walthall angrily interrupted Scott as the attorney read to the jury excerpts from a 500-page manifesto that Walthall had written. Enough of this, I did not agree to a defense of insanity! Walthall yelled at Scott. You dont represent me. You were terminated. If there is anyone out there who can get me an attorney, please, God, get me an attorney. U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney ordered a marshal to take Walthall out of the courtroom after the defendant refused to stop talking. He was allowed to watch the proceedings on a video feed from inside a holding cell. Carney told the jury to disregard Walthalls outburst. Scott apologized for his client, noting that sometimes when people are mentally ill, they dont want other people to say they are mentally ill. I knew it was coming, Carney said while the jury was out of the courtroom. I just didnt think it would be this early. Testimony in the trial is expected to last through next week at the federal courthouse in Santa Ana. Contact the writer: semery@ocregister.com The D+ Kirishima spa in Japans Kagoshima Prefecture is believed to be the first one in the world to offer a Pet Dog Exorcism Plan. The ritual is performed by a Shinto priest at the revered Shingariyu shrine. Seven-year-old, 10-year-old, and 13-year-old dogs need to be careful of their health, as its easier in those years for them to gets diseases of aging, the D+ Kirishima website reads. To help improve their condition, the spa offers an exorcism plant performed by an actual Shinto priest, which allegedly drives away the evil spirits wreaking havoc on the animals health. The Pet Dog Exorcism Planv costs 31,000 yen ($293) and includes the 30-minute exorcism ritual, a lavish room for two owners and their dog, breakfast and dinner. The senior Shinto priest willing to help dogs in their unlucky health years will conduct a ceremonial blessing to rid the pooch of evil spirits and pray for its future health. A short video on the D+ Kirishima Instagram account shows a priest in traditional Shinto dress waving an onusa wand (a traditional Shinto ceremonial tool) while the owner holds the animal in his arms. The animal seems pretty calm, so Im guessing dog exorcisms are a little different than the way they are depicted in horror movies like The Exorcist. Once the dog has been exorcised, the Japanese spa recommends that it spend some alone time at their new private swimming pool which caters exclusively to canines. They are then reunited with their owners for a relaxing kaiseki meal and champagne. Photos: D+ Kirishima Spa/Facebook via The Toronto Sun Loading... OilVoice will be with you shortly... Facing ones demons takes incredible courage, especially when their grip is tight. I turned a 12-week rehab program into a year-long program,said Karlyn Walker of Omaha. She grew up on the north side of the city surrounded by addiction. The negativity eventually overpowered her, leading to a decade-long struggle with her own alcohol and meth habits. About three years ago, her piercing wake-up call arrived a drug charge while she was in the midst of raising her daughter and attending nursing school. I was months away from completing the nursing program, she said. From rock bottom, Karlyn began to claw her way back. She completed treatment and learned, from her counselor, about Wellbriety Family Nights. Sponsored in part by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Wellbriety falls under the umbrella of the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition and its Soaring Over Meth and Suicide (SOMS) program. A woman of Native American descent, Karlyn has been attending loyally with her 13-year-old daughter, Adrionna, for more than two years now. It opened my eyes to things that I had shut out a long time ago, Karlyn said. During twice-monthly meetings, Wellbriety focuses on community and cultural connectedness. It brings recovering parents and children together to strengthen the bonds between them, steeping them in Native American culture and tradition through singing, dancing and crafts, whether its making medicine pouches or a pair of moccasins. Its bringing them back to learning their ways, Karlyn explained, because thats something that were losing. In addition to influencing youth, Wellbriety encourages adults to go beyond their sobriety and recovery, commit to a life of wellness, and realize that they can be role models. Its my hope that our community members are not only equipped with the skills needed to live healthy and productive lives but to also have a feeling of belonging and self-worth, says Nicole Tamayo, SOMS program director. If we can positively reach even one youth or family in our community to work toward a better tomorrow, then our dedication and hard work is worth it. With Adrionna starting high school this fall, Karlyn wants her to know that there is a healthy life out there and she can have it. She credits the Wellbriety program and its staff and volunteers for giving them another way to relate to each other. Forging that bond, in the wake of her struggles, is helping Karlyn keep a promise made long ago. I remember my father telling me to be a good mom to be the best mom. Ive got a promise to keep, she said. As hopeful as ever, Karlyn recently started a job as a research interviewer with MSR Group. She and Adrionna enjoy going to the library together and seeing movies. Mom is thrilled with the young woman her daughter is becoming. Thats indescribable. Its awesome. It makes my heart feel really good, she said. Knowing that she is overpowering her demons that feels good, too. I think the biggest thing in terms of recovering was going back to day-to-day life, not knowing how to be sober, function day-to-day and do things as a normal family, she said. Now, I feel like I can approach society again, not feel out of place and not feel like people are whispering behind my back. To others who are facing struggles, her advice is straightforward: Youve got to close your eyes, hold your breath and take that step. You cant ever give up. Faces of Fearless is a storytelling series in Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraskas Live Fearless campaign celebrating people living their very best lives and inspiring others to do the same. Premiums in employer-provided health insurance plans tripled in cost from 1999 to 2015. This has to stop, said Scott Stevens, a health insurance consultant in Omaha. He was one of three health care and insurance experts who spoke Wednesday at the Scott Conference Center about insurance, medical care, the Affordable Care Act and what comes next. Stevens said factors contributing to the premium increases include high utilization of medical care in the United States, an effort to counter lower profit margins in insurance, and the fees and taxes assessed by the Affordable Care Act. He, Douglas County Board member Mary Ann Borgeson and Fergus Hoban, CEO of Think Whole Person Healthcare in Omaha, spoke at the session, which drew about 60 people with business, insurance, human relations and health care interests. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported that, on average, a family-coverage premium in employer-sponsored insurance rose to $17,545 last year, up from $5,791 in 1999. Stevens said after his talk that health care consumption in the United States rose significantly over that time. Thats the reason our premiums are so high, he said. Thirty years ago, he said, employers paid the entire tab for health insurance premiums. Increasingly, he said, employees are being asked to share the burden, and theyre paying higher deductibles and copays. Stevens also said fees and taxes associated with the Affordable Care Act are driving up premiums, which are the fixed fees that individuals or employers pay for a policy. He said one tax in particular, the health insurance providers fee, is forcing premiums up. The tax on insurers aims to help cover the cost of federal subsidies for Obamacare policies that provide insurance to lower-income people without prior coverage. The tax is not placed on self-funded plans. Other fees include one to fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and one called the transitional reinsurance fee, which helps offset the costs of high-risk individuals. The latter fee expires at the end of the year. There is a moratorium next year on the health insurance providers fee, and some hope to have it permanently repealed. Borgeson said Douglas County has paid out about $173,000 for the transitional reinsurance fee and research institute fee. The county doesnt have to pay the health insurance providers fee because its plan is self-funded. She is chairwoman of the health services committee of the National Association of Counties. Jerry Byers, chief financial officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, said his companys insurance operations havent generated a profit since 2011. The two main culprits would be the increase in claims and the increase in taxes, said Byers, who didnt attend Wednesdays meeting. Both the cost per claim and the number of claims have increased over time, he said. He agreed that the taxes have added to premium costs. The providers tax cost his company a total of $72 million from 2014 through 2016, he said. Transitional reinsurance, he said, is generally paid by employers to subsidize the individual insurance exchanges. Blue Cross collected about $34.4 million from those groups from 2014 through 2016. Stevens said he hopes a trend toward value in health care and reimbursement, as opposed to volume, will slow the premium rise. More and more, with the Affordable Care Acts encouragement, doctors and hospitals are joining accountable care organizations that strive to de-emphasize waste and unnecessary costs and are rewarded for providing excellent care that remains within a budget. Hoban, founder of the large Think primary care center at 7100 West Center Road, said problems in U.S. health care include an emphasis on hospitals and specialists. Costs in the United States rocket upward when patients hit 55 and begin to develop chronic diseases such as diabetes and congestive heart failure, he said. Think strives to provide primary care in coordination with pharmacists, he said. By listening to patients aims, developing care plans for them and providing coordinated care, he added, patients can lead healthier, longer lives and spend less on medical care. Hoban, who opened his clinic last year, said he hopes to build two more in Omaha and one each in Seattle and Pittsburgh. He said after the meeting that hell move on those goals as soon as were happy that we have a model proven with the first Omaha clinic. The session was sponsored by Think, Stevens firm and the Nebraska Health Care Alliance, a coalition of businesses, health care providers and health care associations. A conservative think tank from Omaha said Wednesday that five states Texas, Florida, Arizona, Colorado and Iowa are Nebraskas top economic competitors. The Platte Institute for Economic Research said it would study those states public policies to see whether there are changes Nebraska could make to improve what the institute said were unfavorable trends of people and their incomes leaving the state. Sarah Curry, policy director for institute, said Nebraska cant duplicate Colorados mountains or the warmer weather of Texas, Florida and Arizona, but taxes, education, regulation and other policies also may be factors people consider when they relocate. Iowa, for example, has a similar climate and yet attracts people from Nebraska, at least in part because of lower taxes on retirement benefits, she said. The institutes report, based on research from economist Russell Sobel of the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, cited U.S. Census figures, tax data and a study by the Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based conservative think tank. The Heartland study said that between 1992 and 2014, people with incomes totaling $3 billion left Nebraska. The top five states receiving that income were Texas, Florida, Arizona, Colorado and Missouri. Curry said the report listed Iowa as a top competitor rather than Missouri because the Census Bureau said 8,600 people moved from Nebraska to Iowa in 2014, the most of any state, while 3,250 moved to Missouri. Besides Iowa and Missouri, the states and the number of Nebraskans who moved in 2014, the survey said, were led by Texas, 3,340; California, 3,140; Colorado, 2,900; Kansas, 2,640; Florida, 1,785; Arizona, 1,780; South Dakota, 1,410; and New Mexico, 1,200. Curry said the report didnt cite figures on people moving into the state because it is aimed at finding where Nebraskans are moving. The institute is publishing a series of reports to identify what it says are policy barriers on taxes, education, economic policy and entrepreneurship that stand in the way of greater economic growth in Nebraska. Separately, demographer David Drozd, research coordinator for the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said in an interview that although climate and family ties are important in choosing where to live, taxes or other policy matters also can be reasons. Nebraska does not score real well, especially on treatment of military pension income and other pension income, Drozd said. Its one of a handful of states that tax Social Security benefits to the full extent. Were not necessarily real competitive for taxation, among seniors especially. In 14 of the past 15 years, he said, the state had a net loss of people to both South Dakota and Wyoming, states with similar weather but no state income taxes. It is a factor, Drozd said. People do vote with their feet. As for the state losing income in state-to-state migration, he estimated an average net loss for Nebraska of about $156 million in each of the past three years, even though more people moved into the state than out. That income figure doesnt include people who dont file income taxes, he said, such as full-time students who dont have incomes, he said, and people who move into the state from other countries and havent filed U.S. tax returns. Migration is complex, and trying to break it down is difficult, Drozd said. We do know that we lose people, net, with bachelors degrees and more education, and those are folks that tend to have the higher incomes. There are some challenges that the state faces. Drozd said data from the Census Bureau show net gains in the states population each decade since the 1990s, the first decade since at least the 1920s that the state had a net in-migration. Since then, Drozd said, 68,200 more people have moved into the state than out, including 14,400 between 2010 and mid-2015. The reason is that more international people have come to Nebraska than domestic people have left, he said. Drozd said people in two age groups are the most likely to leave the state: in their early 20s, after college or while starting careers, and at retirement age, 55-74. People are most likely to move into the state between ages 30 and 34 many of them returning to their native state in search of better schools, safer streets and closeness to relatives and after age 75, often retirees coming back home, he said. Curry, from the Platte Institute, said looking at the five competing states can prompt discussion about changes in policy to improve Nebraskas economy. She said the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based research group, ranks Nebraska 27th in business tax climate, with Iowa 40th, Arizona 24th, Colorado 18th, Texas 10th and Florida fourth. That means Nebraska isnt the worst, she said, but has room to improve. There is something that is attracting people to leave Nebraska and causing people to move to other states, Curry said. Theyre looking for something that obviously Nebraska doesnt have. Contact the writer: 402-444-1080, steve.jordon@owh.com SAN FRANCISCO The past few months have been good to Uber the worlds most valuable startup raised a record-breaking $3.5 billion in June and in April escaped a high-profile trial that threatened to upend its entire business model. But as Uber celebrates those milestones, it faces an army of attackers. The ride-booking giant is spending millions fighting dozens of lawsuits over everything from the way it vets its drivers to how it advertises. Industry experts say Ubers deep pockets the company is worth more than $60 billion and has $11 billion in cash and its disruptive habit of flouting traditional industry rules as it expands around the globe make it an attractive legal target. Ubers ultracompetitive company culture doesnt help, said New York University professor Arun Sundararajan, author of The Sharing Economy. Its the personality of the early team, he said, which is very much were going to dominate the world, and were going to ask for forgiveness rather than asking for permission. And as the company puts out one fire after another in court, its also battling unfriendly regulations in places like Austin, Texas, and struggling with criminal charges overseas. Uber declined to comment on its legal and regulatory battles. The company is fighting more than 70 federal lawsuits in courts across the country and has resolved at least 60 others, according to a search of a national database of federal court cases. And that doesnt include actions in state courts. Uber was sued 46 times in federal court this year alone. Airbnb, the next most valuable U.S. startup, racked up six lawsuits during that time. Lyft, Ubers chief competitor, faced seven and Facebook had 27. Uber has been hit disproportionately hard in court, but thats hardly surprising, Sundararajan said. Part of the problem is Ubers lukewarm relationship with its drivers which the company is trying to change with perks like its recently launched quasi union in New York City. But the courtroom showdowns could become an issue for 6-year-old Uber as it continues fundraising, said Paul Boyd, managing partner at ClearPath Capital Partners. Even Uber, with its breakneck growth and massive war chest, isnt immune to the power a lawsuit has to taint a companys image. It will make investors question, Boyd said. So far, the company hasnt faced any devastating legal losses. Uber dodged what could have been a major blow in April when it reached a settlement worth up to $100 million to resolve claims that its drivers were entitled to employee benefits such as overtime pay and reimbursement for expenses. The deal, which is awaiting approval from a San Francisco federal judge, allows the company to avoid a high-profile trial and the expense of reclassifying its drivers as employees a major win. The ride-booking platform announced public settlements in at least six cases during the past year, agreeing to shell out up to $163 million. Those deals seem to represent a shift for the company, which originally made a show of fighting litigation tooth and nail, said Joshua Davis, associate dean for academic affairs at the University of San Francisco School of Law. One possibility is that youre seeing a kind of maturing of the company in a way, he said. That it is going from sort of a cowboy mentality, if you will, to more of the attitude of an established company. France in June fined Uber and two executives up to $1.1 million for criminal convictions of violating transportation and privacy laws. The charges targeted the low-cost UberPop service, which the company has had to suspend there and in several other countries throughout Europe. At home, the California Public Utilities Commission fined Uber $7.6 million in January for withholding information about its trips. And Uber has spent an additional $2.3 million since 2013 lobbying Congress and the state Legislature, according to OpenSecrets.org and the secretary of state website. Thats nothing compared with the more than $8 million Uber and competitor Lyft reportedly spent fighting an Austin rule requiring drivers to undergo fingerprint background checks, only to lose a vote in May and pull their services from the city. Uber also pays a massive in-house legal team. A LinkedIn search turned up nearly 50 members around the world, and the companys website lists 24 openings in its legal department. Some lawsuits are backed by Ubers enemies in the taxi industry, who cry foul because Uber doesnt adhere to their regulations. Others target Ubers driver background checks some argue they are too lax; others claim they dig too deeply. The company also has been accused of failing to protect female passengers from being sexually assaulted by drivers, leaving driver information vulnerable to a data breach, and refusing to accommodate blind passengers service dogs. Nine nonprofit organizations are vying for a $10,000 prize and they need votes from the public to win. On Wednesday, First National Bank of Omaha announced the Nebraska/South Dakota finalists for the 2016 Community First Award, said Alec Gorynski, Senior Director, Community Development and Social Responsibility. The 2016 Community First Award recognizes and celebrates nonprofit organizations who are contributing to the success of communities across most of the banks seven-state service area. The public is invited to vote until July 27 online at http://woobox.com/wydgye for the organization they feel has made the biggest impact in their community. Individuals are allowed one vote per day. The nonprofit organization receiving the highest number of votes will receive a $10,000 cash donation and one runner-up will receive a $2,500 cash donation. Nominations for the 2016 Community First Award were open to the public in June. The following nonprofit organizations were selected as the finalists following a two week nomination period. Nominations were evaluated and scored based on their responsiveness to and impacts on community needs. There will be one winner and runner-up selected from each of the following areas: Nebraska/South Dakota, Kansas, Illinois and Colorado. First National Bank of Omaha will announce the winners in early August. The nine finalists are: Food Bank of the Heartland (Omaha/statewide) distributes food to 244 schools and 225 food pantries, emergency shelters and nonprofit partners in 93 counties in Nebraska and Iowa, ensuring that children, seniors and families do not go hungry. Omaha Home for Boys (Omaha) provides a continuum of services to more than 300 at-risk youth to become independent and transition successfully to adulthood. Big Brothers Big Sisters (Omaha) provides children facing adversity with strong, professionally supported relationships that improve their lives, and make them less likely to engage in risky and dangerous behavior. Visiting Nurses Association (Omaha) provides healthcare and educational services to more than 50,000 individuals in Douglas, Sarpy and Pottawattamie counties each year, many of whom are elderly, disabled or homeless. Nebraska Humane Society (Omaha) serves more than 30,000 animals annually by providing medical and shelter services to stray, lost, abandoned and abused animals, as well as training, education and advocacy to promote responsible pet ownership. 100 Black Men (Omaha) provides mentoring, education, health & wellness and economic empowerment programs to improve the quality of life for more than 6,000 individuals in Omaha. Child Guidance Center (Lincoln) meets the mental health needs of children and families in the Lincoln area through a variety of inpatient, outpatient, and community-based programming. Family Advocacy Network (Kearney, Nebraska) serves 14 counties and more than 525 children and adult victims of sexual and physical abuse, by conducting interviews, medical exams, and providing advocacy, care coordination and training. Creative Unlimited Arts Council/Prairie Arts Center (North Platte, Nebraska) enhances collaboration and cultural opportunities for Western Nebraska by providing community artist space and featuring traveling exhibits typically only found in larger cities. The Center (Yankton, South Dakota) serves seniors by providing 48,000 meals annually, as well as recreation and socialization activities that enable seniors to remain independent, safe and healthy. Six north Omaha ministers said Thursday that theyre committed to keeping the city peaceful during demonstrations about conflicts in other cities between police officers and blacks. At the top of that united effort by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance is its Seven-Day Action Plan, an effort aimed at reinforcing the Black Lives Matter and Black Votes Matter initiatives. The ministers said they also plan to pray regularly for those who lost family members recently in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; the Twin Cities; and Dallas. The Rev. Tony Sanders of Koinonia and Friends of Christ Church, president of the alliance, said Thursday that the group was working toward keeping violence, bigotry and hatred out of Omaha through discussions and community events. These national events could easily happen in Omaha, he said. The ingredients are here, too, and ugly events can rear their heads at any time. A longtime north Omaha activist, Preston Love Jr., agreed with Sanders, saying that unrest could develop in Omaha because of such issues as poverty and a lack of jobs. Were OK right now, Love said, but it could happen here, too. The Seven-Day Action Plan also includes: Fridays 6:30 p.m. town hall meeting on The Talk, a conversation black parents and guardians are urged to have with their young boys about relations with police, at Koinonia and Friends of Christ Church, 3208 Corby St. Saturdays 9:30 a.m. reception for U.S. Reps. James Clyburn, D-S.C., and Brad Ashford, D-Neb., at the Preston Love Jazz Center, 2510 N. 24th St. Saturdays 11 a.m. voter registrar training at the Jazz Center. The voter-registration goal: 10,000 new voters in Douglas County. A citywide interdenominational prayer service at 6 p.m. Sunday at Clair Memorial United Methodist Church, 5544 Ames Ave. One reason Omaha has remained peaceful and out of the national spotlight is the good relationship north Omaha residents have with Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and his force, Sanders said. The chief has put forth a healthy effort at maintaining solid ties to the community, he said. But we always want to improve the relations between black and blue, he said. The Rev. Kenneth Allen of Zion Baptist Church said black churches in Omaha have had a history of social activism and will continue to provide leadership when violence occurs. Sometimes we misunderstand the power of evil, he said. And because evil never stops, we have to remain vigilant at all times. Contact the writer: 402-444-1259, jay.withrow@owh.com Mayor Jean Stothert will present the last budget of her first term to the Omaha City Council next week, and she said Omahans will see a continued emphasis on public safety, streets and providing good city services. I think people are going to be very, very satisfied and happy with the budget, she said. The mayor was mum, however, on whether shell seek a change in the citys restaurant tax, which she opposes. Youll have to wait and see, Stothert said. She said that, under her 2017 budget proposal, day-to-day operational spending will grow less than 3 percent from last years $359 million. My goals are always the same, Stothert said on The World-Heralds 10 Minutes with the Mayor. Public safety is No. 1. I want to add more money to the cash reserve. I want to do more for infrastructure and roads. I want to improve the services that we deliver to the city. But I want to do it very efficiently, and I want to do it without raising taxes. She also offered several details about her spending plans: Stothert wants to add nine police officers, to bring the total sworn force to 860, including officers added under her 2016 annexation package, which has not yet been approved by the council. As previously announced, she wants to add $2 million to the street resurfacing budget, bringing the annual budget for resurfacing to almost $11 million, and add 16 street maintenance workers to plow snow, fill potholes and work on street projects. And the mayor intends to further beef up the citys cash reserves, though she didnt specify a figure. You cant do all of those things and completely wipe out taxes too, she said. Stothert didnt offer specifics about her proposal for library spending but said she thinks itll cause less controversy than in previous years, when library funding has been a point of contention in Stotherts budget. In the 2015 budget, the council added $175,000 for libraries then overrode the mayors veto. The next year, the Library Board of Trustees pushed for $850,000 more than Stothert allocated; council members attempted to add $250,000, but that proposal failed to gain the five votes necessary. Were not going to see any problems with the library this year, Stothert said. Council President Ben Gray said he has attended a few briefings on the mayors budget and hes happy with what he has seen. He said his priority is to see the city maintain the additional $400,000 that was allocated for the Heartland Workforce Solutions job training program in the 2016 budget. And, he said, hes pleased that the mayor plans to focus on street funding. He said Stotherts proposed increase for streets is not enough to solve the problem, but given the resources that we have and the tax burden that a lot of people currently face, I dont know what we do other than that. Councilman Pete Festersen, who chairs the councils finance committee, said he expects a smooth budget process. We will want to see a strong commitment to street resurfacing and to public safety with another large police recruit class, he said. Demolitions and housing inspectors are important as well. As for taxes, the 2017 budget proposal will be Stotherts last chance before next years election to address the restaurant tax. She said Wednesday that she plans to run for a second term. Her opposition to the 2.5 percent restaurant tax was a central piece of her 2013 campaign for mayor. When then-Mayor Jim Suttle enacted the tax in 2010, the city projected it would bring in about $15 million per year. This year, its expected to generate nearly double that amount. Stothert successfully advocated for a 2 percent property tax cut in the 2015 budget, but she has not pitched a change in the restaurant tax rate. A year ago, when she unveiled her 2016 budget proposal, the mayor said her position on the restaurant tax hasnt changed but that other issues were more pressing. The city has an additional $8.6 million in the 2017 budget from a surplus in 2015. And the city could receive an additional bump from property taxes if the Nebraska Tax Equalization and Review Commission prevails in its order that the county adjust property values. That change is projected to bring in roughly $4 million for the city. I want people to know were watching their pennies, but we also want to deliver good city service, the mayor said. Stothert is scheduled to present her budget to the City Council at its 2 p.m. meeting on Tuesday. A public hearing is set for Aug. 9 and the vote for Aug. 23. Contact the writer: 402-444-1084, roseann.moring@owh.com WASHINGTON Sen. Deb Fischer has turned down an opportunity to speak at next weeks Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Convention speeches have long been considered a prime opportunity for politicians to bask in the national spotlight and build their profiles, but many prominent Republicans this year have taken a pass on speaking from the same stage where Donald Trump is expected to accept his partys nomination. Fischer is planning to attend the convention all week and cited no particular concern with Trump. Rather, the Nebraska Republican said, it was a difference of opinion with party officials over the best direction for her speech. I think they were hoping for a more political speech, and Id rather talk about either of the subcommittees I chair, Fischer told The World-Herald on Wednesday. They just had a different direction they wanted me to go and I do realize its a political convention but Im kind of known as a policy person, so I wanted to focus on that. Perhaps a discussion of pipeline safety regulations or maritime infrastructure wasnt what Trump had in mind when he promised to bring more flair to this years gathering. Fischer was more willing to dole out the red meat when she addressed the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. She was running for the Senate at the time to succeed Sen. Ben Nelson, a Democrat, and spoke for a little more than two minutes during a relatively dead time on a Tuesday afternoon. With a large image of a covered wagon on the screen behind her, Fischer touted Nebraskas economic success but decried the record spending, the record debt and the record unemployment nationally under President Barack Obama. The Obama administration has been out of touch with the American people and theyve driven our country toward the edge of a fiscal cliff, she told delegates four years ago. This years convention attendees will hear from Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a first-term senator who has landed a prime-time speaking spot. Ernst was tapped last year to deliver the Republican response to Obamas State of the Union address and was under consideration as a potential running mate for Trump. Convention plans differ for other Republican members of the Nebraska and Iowa congressional delegations. Rep. Steve King of Iowa is an official delegate who backed Sen. Ted Cruz in the primaries and has yet to endorse Trump. He said Wednesday that he continues to make progress in talking through policy issues with advisers close to Trump. Reps. Adrian Smith and Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska said theyd be in Cleveland for at least some part of the week but were still finalizing their plans. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa plans to attend a couple of days in Cleveland before heading home to focus on his own re-election efforts. Freshman Rep. David Young, of Iowa is in a competitive race as he seeks re-election and will likewise be at home talking to constituents. And Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska has made clear that hes going nowhere near Cleveland next week. A spokesman for Sasse, a vocal Trump critic, told the Hill newspaper recently that Sasse would prefer to watch dumpster fires back home. In a statement provided to The World-Herald, Sasse spokesman James Wegmann was less colorful. Sen. Sasse will not attend the convention, Wegmann said. He has multiple commitments that week in Nebraska, including a visit to U.S. Strategic Command. Doesnt everyone have an outspoken Jewish grandmother? That was my thought on reading the indignant commentary on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs unflattering assessment of Donald Trump. To put the point more seriously, theres nothing wrong with a sitting Supreme Court justice expressing her personal political views when they dont implicate any case thats currently before the court. Justices arent priests and the myth that they are is bad for democracy and constitutional law. If a justice chooses to open up, the skies wont fall. Ginsburgs rigorous ethical reputation will remain intact. And the legitimacy of the court will not be harmed. Dont let the black robes fool you. Nothing in the Constitution which, by the way, also says nothing about robes demands that the justices be nonpartisan, or even pretend to be. John Marshall, the greatest chief justice, served as John Adams secretary of state at the same time that he was chief justice. Sure, Marshalls dual role, which ended after Thomas Jefferson defeated Adams and became president in 1801, would be unthinkable today. But its good proof that the Founders generation, at least, wasnt obsessed with the idea that justices have to be outside the reach of politics. Indeed, Marshall, a loyalist of the Federalist Party, was understood to retain his beliefs while serving as chief justice subsequently. Two of his most revered opinions, Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v. Maryland, are historically incomprehensible except through the lens of partisan politics. In the first, he went to great lengths to embarrass the Jefferson administration by insisting that Marbury had a right to a justice-of-the-peace commission granted by Adams, before tacking back and holding that the law that would have allowed the court to force the delivery of the commission was unconstitutional. In the second, he upheld the constitutionality of the Bank of the United States, originally such a fundamental partisan issue that it helped drive the creation of his Federalist and Jeffersons Democratic- Republican parties. Turning to the present, a judge shouldnt announce her views about the case pending before her court. But theres no Trump-related case before the justices now. And any case arising during a Trump presidency would be likely to involve the executive branch, not Trump personally. I suppose I can imagine (although God forbid it) a case of Bush v. Gore II, the sequel, in which Ginsburg might be called upon to decide the fate of the presidency between Trump and Hillary Clinton. In that unlikely event, Trump could argue that Ginsburgs comments mean she should recuse herself. That would be a plausible argument. But under the Supreme Courts rules, it would remain up to Ginsburg to decide. The arguments against Ginsburgs candor almost all come down to the idea that she should have respected propriety and upheld the myth of judicial neutrality. But who, exactly, believes in that myth in the year 2016? Its been 16 years since Bush v. Gore killed off any vestiges that might have existed. Since then, the justices individual and collective reputations havent declined. The court remains legitimate in the eyes of the public. Thats because the public understands that hard cases in constitutional law inevitably involve judgments of political morality. This term, the court ruled on affirmative action and abortion rights, two issues where the Constitution alone doesnt provide a definitive answer. The public understands that Justice Anthony Kennedys views and beliefs determined the outcome in both cases. So theres no harm to the court or to Ginsburg in acknowledging that shes worried by Trump. Its true that if the tables were turned, Democrats would be upset about pro-Republican remarks by conservative justices. But they would be wrong. If Ginsburgs comments help put to rest the myth that the justices are uninterested in politics and unaffected by it, thats good. A strong democracy rests on a correct understanding of its institutions not myths that no one has ever really believed. Website data on missing kids not updated since 2007: HC told Ahmedabad oi-PTI Ahmedabad, Jul 13: The Gujarat government on Wednesday told the High Court that the data related to missing children from the state posted on the website managed by the Union Women and Child Development Ministry had not been updated since 2007. The government gave this information in an affidavit filed before a division bench of chief justice R Subhash Reddy and justice Vipul M Pancholi. Last month, the Gujarat High Court had directed the state government to file an affidavit on the number of missing children in the state. The direction had been given based on a PIL which claimed that over 22,000 children had gone missing in the state in last one year. "The total figure of missing children from 2007 till date has been put up on the website without regularly revising it, which is why the number appears large," the government said in the affidavit. However, the affidavit did not provide any specific number of missing children. The PIL, filed by Girish Das, had said that according to a website on missing children managed by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, more than 22,000 children went missing in Gujarat between May 2015 and May 2016, of whom only 11,066 were found. Das had raised a question on the "staggering high number of children missing in the state" and sought the court's direction to the police to file FIR for each missing child complaint. He had also sought the court's direction to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to restart the missing children cell. The cell was started some years ago by CBI on the direction of the Delhi High Court but was stopped as the government failed to provide the right infrastructure, the PIL states. PTI Decision to install Shaktiman's statue final: Harish Rawat Dehradun oi-PTI Dehradun, Jul 14: A day after the sudden removal of a statue of police horse Shaktiman by authorities kicked up a row, Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Wednesday said the decision to install the statue at Rispana chawk and renaming the place after the horse was final. A statue designed in a better way will be installed at an appropriate time, he told reporters here, asking people not to read too much into the removal of the statue within a few days after being installed at the place where the police horse was injured during a BJP demonstration near state Assembly in March. Removal of Shaktiman statue had sparked a buzz that Rawat, who was to unveil it shortly, had decided otherwise after being advised by soothsayers that the statue of a horse without a rider could bring bad luck to his government. [Police horse Shaktimaan's statue erected, later removed] Terming the decision to withdraw the horse's statue as personal, Rawat said it will be done at an appropriate time. BJP reacted by saying the abrupt removal of the statue on the advice of pundits proves the CM is "superstitious". "A superstitious CM cannot do anything for the development of his state," Pradesh BJP president Ajay Bhatt said. Shaktiman who died of injuries sustained during a BJP protest had led to a political crisis in the state in March with a BJP MLA arrested in connection with the incident and nine rebel Congress MLAs revolting against the CM. PTI Hyderabad ISIS module busts myth that poverty, lack of education cause for terrorism Feature oi-Vicky The profile of the persons arrested in Hyderabad who were allegedly part of an ISIS module just goes on to show that poverty and lack of education are no longer reasons to be part of a terrorist group. Engineers, BBA students and graduates- these were the profiles of the persons arrested. In this context we must also look at the six different incidents relating to Hyderabad and the ISIS that have taken place since 2014. The city which has its fair share with terror was always vulnerable to radicalisation. What is worrying that is that in most of the cases, one has found that the persons taking to terror are educated and from good backgrounds. Educated and lethal: Ataullah Rehman Ghouse the 32 year old English teacher has been accused of administering an oath of allegiance to the ISIS. The other person to be arrested was Mohammad Ibrahim Yazdani a 32 year old engineering graduate from Anwarul Uloom College of Engineering and Technology. Mohd Iliyas Yazdani a graduate in computer applications was also arrested by the NIA. Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Amoodi alias Fahad the 31 year old BBA graduate is considered to be one of the brains behind this module. NIA busts ISIS module in Hyderabad- 11 arrested, explosives Habeeb Mohammad the 32 year old computer science engineer from Kakatiya University, Warangal worked as a system's administrator in an IT company too was arrested by the NIA. The other two to be arrested are Naimathullah Hussaini and Muzaffar Rizwan. These two persons worked as salespersons. Missing the signs: Since the year 2014 there have been several incidents relating to the ISIS reported from Hyderabad. On September 11 2014 15 students including a girl attempted joining the ISIS. Theywere however picked up in West Bengal while trying to cross over. On January 15 2015 the 32 year old Salman Mohiuddin was arrested from the airport. He was planning on going to Dubai first and later to Syria. On May 3 2015, Hafiz a student from Hyderabad joined the ISIS in Syria but was killed in an air strike. A Caliphate in Hyderabad: NIA probe on ISIS module reveals On September 11 2015, Afsha Jabeen originally from Hyderabad was deported to the city from Abu Dhabi after it was found that she was recruiting people into the ISIS. On December 26 2015, Faruqui Hussaini, Abdul Basit and Mohammad Hussain arrested by Maharashtra ATS for trying to join the ISIS. All of them hailed from Hyderbad. On January 22 2016 three persons Mohammadn Nafees Khan, Mohammad Shareef and Abu Zarar arrested by NIA for allegedly being part of an ISIS module. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, July 14, 2016, 18:12 [IST] Kashmir burning: Right-wing activists allegedly tried to disrupt peace march in Delhi? Feature oi-Oneindia By Maitreyee Boruah A protest rally was hosted at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi to condemn the "violence unleashed on unarmed civilians in Kashmir" on Wednesday (July 13). The "silent" protest was attended by students, trade union activists, women's rights groups, lawyers and queer groups. It was a "silent" protest, where participants were seen holding placards condemning the death of civilians in the Valley. Reports say the death toll in clashes between protestors and security forces climbed to 34 in Kashmir on Wednesday. Kashmir has been on the boil ever since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, who was the poster boy militant, on Friday (July 8) in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag. The participants at the Jantar Mantar rally alleged that few right-wing activists tried to disrupt the peaceful march, without any success. "The silent march and public meeting took place peacefully despite provocations from four or five right-wing men," said a statement published in IndiaResists.com. The right-wing men alleged to have raised threatening slogans but dispersed, as they were heavily outnumbered by the participants. IndiaResists.com is a free and open online platform for updates and perspectives on people's struggles and democratic movements in India. It's run by a group of independent researchers and activists. "Indian government needs to take a humane approach towards Kashmir," said civil society activist Shabnam Hashmi at the rally. JNUSU vice-president, Shehla Rashid, said, "Unless the government works for a long term political solution for the issue of Kashmir that is in keeping with the wishes of the Kashmiri people, such events will keep happening." Kavita Krishnan, secretary, All India Progressive Women's Association, made an appeal to all Indian citizens to step away from the shrill media propaganda over Kashmir, and open their hearts and minds to the voices of the Kashmiri people. The participants at the protest rally were seen holding placards asking the government to repeal the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts (AFSPA) and initiate a dialogue process for a peaceful political solution of the Kashmir problem. OneIndia News Partial Solar Eclipse updates: See stunning photos of Surya Grahan from Chennai, Bengaluru, Patna and more More Facilities for People Living in India on Long Term Visa Feature oi-Lisa By Lisa The Union Cabinet has approved numerous facilities that are being extended to persons from Minority communities of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who are staying on Long Term Visa (LTV) in India. The move is aimed at easing out the difficulties being faced by such people. The facilities that they will now get are: 1. The can now open bank account 2. They will have permission to purchase property for self-occupation and self-employment 3. They will have permission to employee themselves 4. They can apply for driving licence, PAN card and Aadhar card 5. They will be allowed free movement within the state or union territory where they are staying 6. They can seek transfer of LTV from one state to other 7. The penalty on non-extension of short term visa or LTV on time will be waived 8. They can apply for LTV from their present place of residence in case they have moved to that place without permission In case such people want to acquire citizenship of India, the provisions of Citizenship Rules 2009 are amended to facilitate such people. 1. Now the Collector or DM have power to authorise and officer who is not below the rank of Sub Divisional Magistrate to administer the oath of allegiance to the applicant. 2. The power will be delegated to the Collectors of the following 16 districts in the seven states only and just for a period of two years so that they can register such people as citizens of India. The names of the districts and states are: Raipur in Chhattisgarh; Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Kutch in Gujarat; Bhopal and Indore in Madhya Pradesh; Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune and Thane in Maharashtra; West Delhi and South Delhi in Delhi; Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Jaipur in Rajasthan; and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. 3. Also the registration fees for citizenship of India is being reduced for such people from Rs. 3000 to Rs. 15000 to Rs. 100. Why so many facilities: India has always been one country where refugees feel safe and welcome irrespective of the country they come from and the religion they follow. India today hoses refugees from Tibet, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other neighbouring countries. Till date India had generously granted long term visas and work permits to refugees. The measures taken by the present Union Government are in continuation of India's policy to welcome needy people and help them live a dignified life. These measures will make life much easier for the refugees and they will be able to gainfully add to India's progress. If India has to sign NPT to enter NSG, China must respect sea law to remain in UNCLOS Feature oi-Shubham Ghosh The verdict of the international court rejecting China's claims to the vast swathes of the South China Sea couldn't have come at a worse time for Beijing. For it happened at a time when the debate over China's obstructing India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on the grounds that the latter is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty is yet to be settled. Now, after the Hague court have its verdict which has created quite a shockwave in the geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific, New Delhi has every right to ask: "If we can't become an NSG member on grounds of not signing the NPT, how can China flout the laws despite being a member of the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)?" [South China Sea verdict: When nationalism clashes with internationalism] A pertinent question put across to Beijing now. China's hyper-nationalist journey has become an irreversible process The South China Sea verdict may not see China obeying the norms but it will undoubtedly put the latter in a serious diplomatic disadvantage. In a pursuit of the "Chinese Dream" as has been envisioned by the current Chinese leadership under Xi Jinping, China has made its hyper-nationalist journey virtually a no-reversal process and seeing itself clashing with the international community. China's loss of face is India's diplomatic victory And just as one nationalism's loss is another's victory, the verdict on South China Sea will give an immense sense of satisfaction to both India and the United States, both of which have been facing a considerable amount of challenge from the Dragon Land. In fact, it is even more of a moral victory for India and a diplomatic high point for the US and those smaller maritime neighbours with which the Chinese are at loggerheads often. India, in fact, did not lose the opportunity to take an indirect dig at China after the tribunals' verdict came out. "Sea lanes of communication passing through the South China Sea are critical for peace, stability, prosperity and development. As a State Party to the UNCLOS.. India urges all parties to show utmost respect for the UNCLOS, which establishes the international legal order of the seas and oceans" the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. India had an adverse sea law verdict in July 2014 against Bangladesh but the two countries welcomed it It was exactly two years ago when India faced a similar experience when a ruling by the same court over a maritime boundary dispute in the Bay of Bengal went in favour of Bangladesh. But that did not make the relations between the two countries worse as both welcomed the verdict. India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, made it clear that it would pursue a 'good neighbour' policy while the friendly government of Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka said it was a "win-win situation for both Bangladesh and Dhaka". At South China Sea, the overdose of nationalism has put China in a spot Compare it with the South China Sea dispute where an overdose of nationalism has made the Chinese blind towards any amicable solution. They have made the entire issue so heated now that even a move back by the Jinping regime to comply with the verdict would be seen as a blow to the idea of "Chinese Dream" while a "who cares" approach could see tension building up in the region between China and its smaller neighbours and the US. Former foreign secretary Shyam Saran described the development as a "damning indictment", saying China can escalate things more but it would only look a rogue state which has little respect for the international law. Can Beijing risk to get bracketed with countries like North Korea and Pakistan that have the ill-reputation of being reckless? India's opportunity post the verdict Besides China's loss of face, the South China Sea episode would also give India the opportunity to engage more with South-east Asian countries who would now feel boosted and be ready to welcome new friends on board. Those having problems with China will now have the best period now to come together and prepare a counter mechanism for the future. Focusing on Asean New Delhi should now focus on improving its ties with Asean, the regional body of South-east Asia and try extract maximum benefit by playing the role of a balancer in case it gets polarised over the South China Sea issue. Even India's NSG bid could benefit from the new dramatic situation which has emerged post the verdict on South China Sea. Taking up fight against environmental degradation On the environmental part, too, the South China Sea episode could boost the Modi government's emphasis on climate and environment. China's mammoth exercises in the South China Sea have inflicted huge environmental damage and it also gives New Delhi the ideal opportunity to corner Beijing more on a matter of soft internationalism to ultimately serve its own interest. South China Sea verdict: When nationalism clashes with internationalism Feature oi-Shubham Ghosh The verdict given by an international court scrapping China's exclusive claims to the sovereignty over the South China Sea and Beijing's subsequent rejection of the judgment shows when it comes to clash between internationalism and nationalism, it is the latter which prevails. China has moved very fast in consolidating its claims on the waves of the South China Sea and cared little for its small maritime neighbours. It has built military bases and even artificial islands to make the sea its own territory and the aggression has seen its disputes with countries like the Philippines (the latest verdict favoured this country) and Vietnam and even minor skirmishes and naval standoffs. [If India has to sign NPT to enter NSG, China must also abide by sea law to remain in UNCLOS] The South China Sea issue went to a point of no return The conflict between China's own national ambitions and the international law was bound to happen soon since Beijing had taken the matter to a point of no return. There are a number of aspects to Beijing's escalating the South China Sea issue which finally brought it in conflict with the international law. China's claims over South China Sea are consistent with the Jinping leadership's pursuing "Chinese Dream" China sets its eyes firm on the South China Sea not only to control the natural resources beneath the sea/ocean floor but also because it gives the former a chance to establish its position at par with a super power like the United States and address matters of what experts say "historical grievances". The aim to secure busy sea lanes to boost its security and flex the muscle on the international stage is not inconsistent with the current Chinese leadership's call for the "Chinese Dream". Chinese President Xi Jinping is considered the most powerful leader of that country since Mao Ze Dong who emphasises on a prosperous society coupled with a national rejuvenation. In fact, the Chinese today are echoing the sentiments of the American leaders of the 19th and 20th centuries when Washington promoted isolationist policies that eventually paved the way for hegemonic tendencies abroad. China echoes the American isolationist thoughts of the 19th and early 20th centuries Be it the Monroe Doctrine (1823) of the then US president James Monroe or the "Big Brother policy (1880s) of former secretary of state James G Blaine or Roosevelt Corollary (1904) of another former American president Theodore Roosevelt, the US had in the past showed similar tendencies to curb the influence of the Europeans to make its own strategic space. All great powers have violated international law which is weak against sovereign states During the inter-war period between 1918 and 1939, too, the hyper-aggressive nationalism of Nazi Germany saw the second big war despite the presence of an international body called the League of Nations. During the Cold War, too, the erstwhile Soviet Union had made inroads into a number of countries while the US cared little for the United Nations and the international law to invade Iraq in 2003. In 1986, Washington ignored the International Court of Justice which said the American mining of the harbours in Nicaragua in Central America as illegal. The US had not ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and is yet to do it. Great Britain, too, defied an international verdict that said the former's proposed marine reserve in the Indian Ocean would violate the fishing rights of the people of Mauritius. There is, in fact, a similarity between China's expansionist designs in the Asia-Pacific with the USA's past actions in the Americas where it sought to dominate and intervened in various smaller states to plant friendly governments. No international law could ever dissuade it once it decided to go after its diplomatic manipulation. South China Sea verdict is likely to see more conflict than cooperation in the region Hence, no matter what the world says against the Chinese for trying to make the South China Sea its own 'blue soil', there is very little force to make Beijing comply for internationalism has little binding on national governments. There is world government to make the states behave. On the contrary, the latest ruling on the South China Sea will see confrontation and conflict between Beijing and its adversaries only intensify. Why should India be bothered with the South China sea dispute? Feature oi-Pallavi Sengupta The United Nations Permanent Arbitration Tribunal has made itself clear on the South China Sea row. After a complaint by the Philippines, it has specified that China has by no means any authority over the sea. Interestingly, unlike its way China can be seen taking a subdued demeanour but not even close to relenting to what the Tribunal's verdict. Chinese leaders have stated that they would like to settle disputes in the South China Sea through negotiations and as per international law. Justifying its stance, China further pointed out that it was Philippines alone that approached the UN and China did not have a role to play. Going by the law of arbitration, both disputants have to approach the tribunal for the verdict. But, why is India dragged here and why bother? US, China war, India in a fix India is no party to the issue, but there are four factors that may bother India. Firstly, the fact that standing against China's stance is the US, a close ally of India, has put India in a fix. Although it believes China has every right to claim the rights, it cannot be vocal about its opinion, given the recent strengthening of ties between the two countries. On the contrary, if it took a stand different from China, the trading route on the South China sea will be forever jeopardised. Beijing is placed at a position of strength in the South China Sea, where it has control over the critical islands in the sea. China has placed its military control over the features, which will be perilous for freedom of navigation, making Beijing the main arbiter of the accepted range of legitimate operation in the sea. [Read: Know all about South China Sea Dispute] Beijing may soon impose its air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the South China Sea. However that seems to be distant possinility for now. More so, because it may have other areas of interest- including critical spaces in the Indian Ocean.This would help India in strategically determining China's behaviour after the PLA has established a foothold in critical Indian Ocean states. The PLA might play a role in assisting Sri Lanka, Pakistan or Maldives secure vital sea and air pockets in the Indian Ocean. This, however, has to be analysed and accepted by the Centre, after determining the aftermath of the move- politically and security-wise. China and its maritime tactics The Chinese maritime tactics have always earned the discern of International bodies as it uses excessive forces on disputed islands. Earlier this month, Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, lamented China's use of paramilitary agencies in territorial disputes, complicating U.S. attempts to avoid violence in disputed areas. China's non-military vessels like coast guard and fisheries fleets have affected Naval operations in the region as such vessels are not governed by agreements like the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES). If that is the case in South China Sea, India may be bothered with a similar involvement in the Indian Ocean that may jeopardise the security situation in South Asia. While the US is demandinf reforms in the CUES, India may require a new set of rules of engagement to deal with increased Chinese non-military presence in the IOR. Military presence on islands China's attempt is to project itself as a dominant player in the Pacific. It placed a missile in the Woody Islands at a time when US President Barack obama was meeting with ASEAN leaders at California. Beijing's actions are primarily focussed on the image it creates of its presence in the South China Sea. China-US relations add to the confusion China and US are known to play the hot and cold response game with each other. For instance, just a few days ago, after the passage of the Curtis Wilbur for the second freedom of navigation operation (FONOPS), the US Chief of Naval Operations consulted with his Chinese counterpart about the unplanned encounter at sea. After coming to a satisfactory solution, China went ahead and placed missiles on the Woody island even though that was not part of the plan. [Read: South China Sea verdict: When nationalism clashes with internationalism] India's dilemma India now needs to strike a balance between the two countries. Its real dilemma is while it opposes the agression by China in the sea, it also does not agree to the policies US sets for international waters, demanding free passage even in terrotorial proximity of the subject nation. India understands the latter better as it has the Indian Nation and the users of the neighbouring territories. Having said that Indian experts and media believe that India should take an anti-China stance, a pay back for China's showdown during the NSG bid. But India has to play it safe, considering that it has to maintain relations with the US as well as embrace the fact that it is the next leading power in the world after China. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, July 14, 2016, 15:03 [IST] Accession Day: Valley lights up on this day when J&K became part of India 'Shaurya Diwas': Rajnath Singh says J&K entered new era of peace & prosperity after Article 370 abrogation In India terror down by 34%, civilian deaths by 90% since Art 370 scrapped: Shah Back to the past: Cycle of violence takes toll on Kashmir youth India oi-IANS By Ians English Srinagar, July 14: Has the death of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani acted only as the trigger to set off the kind of widespread violence Kashmir hasn't seen for many years? If the answer is Yes, then why does Kashmir become the victim of cyclic violence that often devours its own children without making any material difference to the overall ground realities here? The answers to these questions are not easy to find unless we accept the basic reality that despite cosmetic efforts to win hearts and minds since insurgent violence started here in 1990s, nothing much has changed on the ground. If it had been the rigging of the 1987 elections by the then state government headed by National Conference (NC) patron Farooq Abdullah that triggered an armed insurgency, why and how do people continue to hit streets to attack the security forces and invite pellets and bullets 29 years hence? The separatist leadership definitely becomes more relevant each time Kashmir explodes with anti-India protests, but assuming that the separatist call all the shots here would be flawed logic. Violence cannot be calibrated and delivered in measured volumes. It spirals out of control each time it gets a trigger to begin. In the summer unrest of 2010, 112 protesters, almost all youths, were killed in clashes when unruly mobs resorted to large-scale violence, including stone pelting, burning public property and lynching local policemen. The present current cycle of violence that started on Saturday has claimed 36 lives. Over 1,000 people, including civilian protesters and security personnel, have been injured. Nearly 100 injured civilians, including a girl, face the horrifying prospect of losing their eyesight -- either completely or partially. Police stations have been torched, weapons have been looted and the authority of the administration has been trashed in its face. Once again after 2010, it appears we might be back to where we started in the early 1990s. Mainstream politicians are still engaged in a game of political brinkmanship. The NC's Omar Abdullah does not lose a minute to tweet who died in the latest firing incident and the ruling PDP continues blaming the NC for sowing the seeds of discontent, whose fruit the present government is doomed to harvest. Mainstream and separatist politicians are acting in a manner that gives one an impression that Kashmir is a chess board on which the pawns (read the public) are expendable foot soldiers. While mainstream politicians must immediately stop chiding and ridiculing each other for who was responsible for 2010 mayhem and who is responsible for its possible repeat in 2016, the separatists need to take an even closer look at their strategy. If it is the future of Kashmir the separatists are worried about, then the first step towards realising that dream is to help end the ongoing cycle of violence. What use is a bright tomorrow for Kashmir when it's most valued asset, the youth keep on dying today? Burhan Wani was a 22-year old youth who died fighting the security forces after becoming a militant. If another 36 youths have to follow Wani to the grave because violence must be sustained, then whose war was Wani fighting? IANS Amarnath yatra suspended today in the wake of strike called by separatists in valley Burhan Wani killing: Here is what he did before his death India oi-Jagriti New Delhi, July 14: Burhan Wani, the poster boy for the Hizbul Mujahideen, started crying infront of Indian Army before his death. According to Defence News, Wani started crying when he realised that his end was near. Wani was killed along with two other terrorists on July 8 in an encounter at Bumdoora village of Kokernag in Jammu and Kashmir by a joint team of police and Army. His death led to wide spread protests in which nearly 38 people have been died in Jammu and Kashmir. Burhan picked up arms when he was merely 15-years-old. He was carrying a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head. Kashmir death toll 38 as curfew, shutdown continues He used the social media to his advantage and his posts and pictures had become a rage with the youth. Curfew was imposed in the valley on July 9 to control large scale violence following the death of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Wani, 22. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, July 14, 2016, 16:35 [IST] Centre prefers clarification over review in Arunachal Pradesh case India oi-Vicky New Delhi, July 14: In the aftermath of the verdict on Arunachal Pradesh, a clarification is likely to be sought before the Supreme Court. After consulting with legal experts, the centre is unlikely to file a review or encourage one either. The success guaranteed in a review petition is remote since it goes up before the same bench that passed the verdict. However the centre is in favour of seeking a clarification from the Supreme Court regarding the position of the government led by Kalikho Pul. He had formed the government after proving his majority on the floor of the house and this means the due procedure had been followed. What to expect in Arunachal Pradesh after SC verdict Clarification not review: While Pul had said yesterday that he would seek a review there is a likelihood that he may not be encouraged to do so. The centre instead would seek a couple of clarifications from the Supreme Court. It would seek to know if a floor test will need to be held. If a floor test is to be held, then would it be Nabam Tuki or Pul who would need to prove their majority. The centre contends that there is already a majority government in place. In such an event, what would be the next course of action. Although the Supreme Court yesterday restored the Tuki government, the centre still has certain doubts which would need to be clarified. If it is about the numbers then Pul has them. Going by the existing numbers, Tuki will not be able to prove his majority on the floor of the house. This would mean he would have to step down and pave the way for the faction with the numbers an official in the law department informed. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, July 14, 2016, 9:12 [IST] Govt trying to get US charges against Khobragade dropped Devyani Khobragade appointed Pvt Secy to Athawale India oi-PTI New Delhi, Jul 14: Former Deputy Consul-General of India in New York Devyani Khobragade has been appointed as the Private Secretary to Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale. A source close to the Republican Party of India (RPI-A) chief said an order appointing Devyani was passed today. Her father Uttam Khobragade, a former IAS officer, is the national executive president of RPI-A, which is part of the Bharatiya Janta Party-Shiv Sena-led Mahayuti (grand alliance) in Maharashtra, and had joined the party in September 2014. The 1999-batch IFS officer was arrested on December 12, 2013, in the US when she was India's Deputy Consul-General in New York on visa fraud charges and for allegedly providing false declarations in a visa application for her maid. She later was released on a USD 250,000 bond. The incident had triggered a diplomatic row between the US and India. PTI Registrations for CEED, UCEED 2023 to commence in October: All the details here IIT-Madras research scholar commits suicide in hostel India oi-PTI Chennai, Jul 14: A 34 year-old woman research scholar at the IIT Madras allegedly committed suicide in her hostel room today, police said. P Maheswari's body was found hanging in her hostel room, police said, adding the motive behind her taking the extreme step was being probed. Condoling the scholar's death, IIT-M announced full cooperation to officials in the case. "IIT, Madras, reports with deep sadness the death of a post-doctoral research scholar in the campus. The scholar's family has been informed. The institute is taking necessary action and extending full cooperation to civil authorities," it said in a statement. Manohar Parrikar thanks PM, Irani for approving Goa IIT "The institute extends its deep felt condolences to the family and the near and dear ones of the scholar for the unfortunate, untimely and devastating loss," it said without divulging any further detail. IIT-M had witnessed suicide of two students in September and October last year. PTI Inside story: How male prostitutes in Bengaluru are hired India oi-Shreyas Bengaluru, July14 : The IT city is advancing at a high pace. And Technology is helping flourish unique aspirations and dreams in the city that is experiencing massive migration of the working class. If you are looking for lucrative jobs, its here. But this particular job requires you to be handsome. No, it is not modelling. Going through an advertisement featuring a website 'Locanto' will certainly make you stop for a minute when it reads 'adult jobs in Bangalore'. A click at adult jobs leads you to job offers that are termed illegal under Indian law; 'Male Prostitution'. There are many illegal escort companies ready to provide a job if one fulfills their conditions. OneIndia did a brief 'layer 1 investigation' on these, contacting the advertisers to understand the recruitment process. A classified read, "Live life King Size. Give pleasure and earn money call now to join." This correspondent got in touch with a person Teji Singh (name changed) whose name and contact number was divulged in the advertisement. "Yes we are hiring males who are ready to offer sexual pleasure to our female clients," a soothing voice said. He cut to the chase without wasting a second. "Send me your details immediately to this number through Whatsapp. Your name, age, location, a photograph. Following this, I will instruct you how to go about it," he said and disconnected the call. After details were sent to his mobile, he sent a note on his escort company. The name of the escort company is 'Erotica' (name changed). Astonishingly his note said the company was a registered company and was registered in 2007. In the next lines he provided further details: Read the details below CALLBOY JOBS UNDER (18) NOT ALLOWED -------------------------------- 1)JOINING FEES (MANDATORY) 2500/3 MONTHS IN ADVANCE (IN SBI & CANARA BANK ONLY.) 2)AFTER FEES CLIENTS WILL CALL U DIRECTLY. ------------------------------------------------------ 3MEETINGS WILL BE IN HOTELS. 4)HOTEL CHARGES WILL BE PAID BY CLIENTS. -------------------------------------------------------- 5)INCOME: DAY SHIFT...15000/- (4 hrs.) NIGHT SHIFTS..20000/- (6hrs) 6)DONT USE DRUGS OR ALCOHOL BEFORE SERVICE. ------------------------------------------------ 7)BE ON TIME. 8)WE WILL NOT POST ANYTHING ABOUT YOU WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION ------------------------------------------------- SERVICES IN MAHARASHTRA, MUMBAI, PUNE, DELHI, RAJSHTHAN, TELANGANA, KARNATAKA, ANDHRA PRADESH, TAMIL NADU, ORISSA, MADHYA PRADESH, INDORE, BHOPAL, GUJRAT, CHENNAI, HYDERABAD, BANGALORE, KERALA WHATSAPP YOUR NAME, AGE, LOCATION AND LATEST PHOTOGRAPH IN 80532-xxxxx ------------------------------------ KUMAR xxxxxx SCO -78, RAJAURI xxxxx NEW DELHI -11xxxx In a next text, Robin Sigh sent, bank account details saying "pay Rs 2500 fee to register your name." This amount will be for three months of membership. The account detail he sent was Name: Sonxx SBI: 318073xxxxx IFSC: SBIN000xxx However, a quick Google search on the IFSC to track the branch popped out an account with a Khira branch of a well-known Government Bank in Himachal Pradesh. It has to be noted that the company does not provide services in Himachal Pradesh. Services beyond Gender Another escort company (name not mentioned in the advertisement) placed a contact number of a girl Bhavani (name changed). A call, she in a rugged tone said "pay Rs 10,000 fee for three months of membership. We will provide you services. You can earn up to Rs 30,000 per day. On asking when and where the payment can be done, Bhavana questioned, "from when you can start your work." On learning the joining date to be after 2 two days, she said, "then call after two days" and dropped the call. On calling again and preponing the date of joining that very day, she demanded a call after 10 minutes. A call after 10 minutes revealed: "since there is no service today in Bengaluru, you cannot start work. Please ring me tomorrow, send your details. I will send account number." A phone call to three other such companies had similar hiring patterns. All demanded details on Whatsapp. Many such companies have issued advertisements but cannot be reached. A senior crime branch officer from Bangalore told this correspondent that it is a pan-Indian scenario and is not exclusive to Karnataka. "They sit in one state and run their racket in another state online. In many instances, they are untraceable." It's beyond our reach now, the officer admitted. OneIindia News My life is 1%, dear death: The spooky diary of the accused in J&K DGPs killing Jigisha murder case: Court convicts 3 men India oi-PTI New Delhi, July 14: Three men were today convicted for murdering and robbing IT executive Jigisha Ghosh here in 2009 by a city court which said it was "abundantly clear" that they had committed the crime. 28-year-old Jigisha, working as an operations manager in a management consultancy firm, was abducted and killed on March 18, 2009 after she was dropped by her office cab around 0400 hours near her home in Vasant Vihar area of South Delhi. Her body was recovered three days later from a place near Surajkund in Haryana, police had said. Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav held accused Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla and Baljit Singh Malik guilty of the offences of murder, abduction, robbery, forgery and common intention under the IPC. Kapoor was also convicted for the offence of using firearms under the Arms Act. While pronouncing the judgement, the judge said "they (accused) committed her murder and disposed of her body in bushes and circumstantial evidence makes it clear that it was these men who committed the crime. "It is abundantly clear from evidence that they committed the crime. There is no missing link of crime (and) hence innocence is ruled out. It is proved on record that Jigisha did not return home on expected time on the day of incident." The court said it was proved that the three convicts had abducted Jigisha, robbed her of her gold chain, two mobile phones, two rings and debit and credit cards and killed her. The court fixed August 20 for hearing arguments on quantum of sentence. It also asked Delhi's Home Secretary to immediately appoint probation officers for filing reports on the background of the convicts and their conduct in jail. The court had reserved the verdict on July 5 after hearing final arguments of the prosecutor and defence counsel. Earlier, Special Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan had said there was ample evidence against the accused to hold them guilty of the offences. Advocate Amit Kumar, appearing for accused Amit Shukla and Baljit Singh Malik, had argued that prosecution has not been able to probe its case beyond reasonable doubt and there was no evidence which could connect the accused persons for the offence of murder. The three convicts are currently in jail under judicial custody. PTI Targeted killings in Kashmir: Do not react in panic and hurry for quick solutions Kashmiri Pandits observe 'black day' against 1931 riots India oi-PTI Jammu, Jul 13: A group of displaced Kashmiri Pandits today observed 'black day' to commemorate the July 13, 1931 riots against the community in the Valley and demanded better security, especially in the wake of violence following the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. "The situation has not changed from 1931 till today. Kashmiri Pandits were attacked then and even today in 2016 they are attacked," Ravinder Raina, President, All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC) said. He demanded better security to the community in Jammu and Kashmir after he alleged that stones were pelted at the houses of Kashmiri Pandits following the death of the Hizbul commander. Kashmir Cauldron: Peaceniks appeal to security forces, angry youth to end violence Anoop Bhat, Coordinator, Roots in Kashmir (RIK), said "whenever the majority population of the Valley has any issue with the ruling dispensation, the minority community faces the brunt." "The July 13, 1931 riots, 1986 South Kashmir riots or the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits are the prime examples of how the Kashmiri Pandit community has constantly lived in fear of life and honour," he said. RIK spokesperson Aroop Rayu said the Kashmiri Pandits currently living in the state are in dire need of a "full proof security" and that the Centre should rethink its composite township model. PTI Kejriwal's remark: What really is the meaning of "thulla" India oi-Vicky New Delhi, July 14: Yesterday the Delhi High Court asked Arvind Kejriwal to explain his "thulla" remark. The court had asked him to explain the word while observing that it was not in the dictionary. A complaint had been filed after the Delhi chief Minister, Kejriwal had allegedly referred to police men as thulla. Now what exactly does thulla mean and how has this word originated. It is basically a slang used against the policemen. It is a slang that is used mostly in the Eastern Part of India and often refers to a lethargic cop with a big gut. The word originates from the uniform of a police man. It resembles the colour of a sack. Hence the word jhute sack was morphed and the word thulla cropped up. The word is often used in very lose terms. Some common usages include, " aage thulla khada hai ( a policeman is standing in front). The usage of the word today refers specifically to corrupt policemen. However originally it was used against a slow cop with a big tummy. It has also been used against people who are slow or not motivated. In some companies it is used as a slang against employees who are less productive when compared to the rest. Employees who take long breaks at office are also called by this name. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, July 14, 2016, 8:26 [IST] Kerala CM accuses Gov of 'acting as RSS tool' on his order to VCs to resign Kerala: One of the missing woman contacts family, refuses to disclose location India oi-Preeti Panwar Kochi, July 14: In Kerala, 21 people are said to be missing (17 from Kasargod and four from Palakkad) and it is being suspected that they might have joined the Islamic terror group ISIS. As the state government has inititated investigation to know about their whereabouts, one of the missing woman has reportedly contacted her family. As concerned families approached police, a team of 27-member led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) has been formed to trace them. According to media reports, Rifaila, wife of Dr Ijas from Padanna village in Kasargod, contacted her father through an Internet call on Sunday, July 10 and told her family that she had gone in search of a job and had not joined any terror outfit. She also informed him that she has got a job and is looking for an accommodation. The couple is also carrying their one-and-half-year-old son alongwith them. However, she did not disclose from where she was making the call. After her call, her family informed the investigating team and they are trying to trace her location via the IP address, as it was an internet call. A report published in Indian Express said that one of the missing person is in Afghanistan and other one is hiding in India. Five out 21 persons had converted to Islam last year, the report added. [Kerala: Mother of pregnant woman who joined ISIS, meets Union minister] Out of 17 missing persons, six are women- four from Kasargod and two from Palakkad. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the mysterious case. Who are missing? Nimisha alias Fathima Merlin alias Mariyam Issa and Yahiya - brothers married to Nimisha and Merlin Sonia alias Ayisha Abdul Rasheed (Sonia's husband) 2-year-old Sara (Sonia & Abdul's daughter) Rifaila Dr Ijas (Rifaila's husband) Their 1 and half year old son Shihab Shihab's wife 2 youths who were working in Qatar and Abu Dhabi OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, July 14, 2016, 16:02 [IST] Marine Commandos get a new Base at Visakhapatnam News oi-Lisa By Lisa Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, Chief of the Naval Staff commissioned the Marine Commandos Unit as 'INS Karna' in a solemn ceremony held at the Naval Base at Bheemunipatanam recently. @SpokespersonMoD Adm S Lanba CNS & Mrs Reena Lanba at the commissioning ceremony of INS Karn (Marcos unit at Vizag) pic.twitter.com/GT1zh6OkIf SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) July 12, 2016 The commissioning of INS Karna, has added a new base to the Special Forces of the Indian Navy as they deploy to safeguard our nation's vast maritime interests. The event commenced with an impressive parade which was reviewed by the Chief of the Naval Staff. Conveying his best wishes to the newly commissioned unit, the Chief of the Naval Staff said that MARCOS have established themselves as Special Operations Force of international repute in a short span and have won well deserved gallantry awards for their acts of courage and valour. He further added that the MARCOS proved their excellence wherever they have been deployed in various operations. Over the years, the Special Force has conducted numerous independent missions of direct action, reconnaissance and surveillance, and recovery operations. Admiral Lanba emphasised the need to for all Marine Commandos to keep their "steel sharp and powder dry" as they would be the first into the battle and the need to be 'Mission Ready and a Winner' always. As the roles and responsibilities of the Indian Navy have expanded in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond, Special Operations Force would be required to be deployed in future combat at the strategic and operational level, said the Admiral. Vice Admiral HCS Bisht, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command and senior naval dignitaries were also present on the occasion. The Marine Commando Force (MCF), also called as the 'MARCOS', was raised in February 1987 as the Indian Marine Special Force (IMSF), capable of operating in all three dimensions, at sea, in air and on land. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, July 14, 2016, 15:29 [IST] Media supporting terrorists happens only in India: Former R&AW official India oi-Vicky New Delhi, July 14: The killing of Burhan Wani, the commander of the terrorist group, Hizbul Mujahideen has led to widespread violence. Problems in Kashmir are bound to occur and simplistically speaking it was a historic blunder created post independence not to integrate the state fully like the other states. Instead it was decided to refer the matter to the United Nations. It is a fact that historic blunders will be rectified only by history and not people. Problems in Kashmir will continue to occur. There is no immediate end to the problem in Kashmir and with a neighbour so belligerent and with militants thriving in Pakistan one really cannot expect much says, former officer with the Research and Analysis Wing, Amar Bhushan. In this interview with OneIndia, Bhushan says that it is a battle that we need to fight ourselves and not expect selfish nations such as the US which does not act against the likes of Hafiz Saeed because he does not hurt their interests to help us. What are your thoughts on the Kashmir situation today? I would actually first point to a lot of positive things. The border has been reinforced, infiltration is under control to a large extent and the forces are killing terrorists one by one. In Jammu the government is going for whole hog development and this can be a beacon in due course. What about the killing of Burhan Wani? He was a known militant. The problem was that he was ensuring more locals were taking to militancy. The militant issue is becoming more localised. Problems are bound to occur as Pakistan realises it is more difficult to operate in Kashmir when compared to before. My take is one should not over react to these killings. I foresee similar such incidents in future as well. What we need to do is be more prepared and also tighten our screws along the border. How does one deal with the violence? When the local Kashmiri begins to suffer then the violence will end. First and foremost we need to protect our own establishments like the army camps, police stations etc. Let them pelt stones and destroy their own properties. When they pelt stones and damage buildings where essential services are there, they will suffer first. If they continue to damage hospitals and schools then the locals will realise it and this will put and end to the violence. What do you feel about police men too pelting stones at the protestors? I do not agree with this. I feel that the forces should do what is done in Israel where they use numb bullets. These bullets are very effective in such a situation. Pelting stones at the protestors according to me is pathetic. The government was upset with the coverage in some outlets on this issue. What is your take on it? Supporting a terrorist by some media personnel. Well this happens only in India. The Information and Broadcasting should switch off the transponders for a couple of days if they feel that the media is making a hero out of a terrorist or backing a separatist. This ought teach them a lesson. OneIndia News PM Modi to interact with participants of Smart India Hackathon finale on August 25: MoE IT industry veteran appeals to PM for a 'corruption-free' Karnataka Thailand: PM Prayuth can stay in office, court says UK PM Liz Truss resigns after 45 days in office, successor to be elected next week Modi congratulates Theresa May for taking over as UK PM India oi-PTI New Delhi, July 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated Theresa May for taking over as the Prime Minister of United Kingdom and said he looked forward to working with her for stronger bilateral ties. "Congratulations to @theresa_may on taking over as the new UK PM. Looking forward to working with her for stronger India-UK ties," Modi tweeted. He also praised the outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron, saying he had contributed significantly in strengthening the India-UK ties. "I also appreciate the significant contribution of @David_Cameron in strengthening India-UK ties," Modi added. 59-year-old May yesterday became Britain's second woman Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher. Congratulations to @theresa_may on taking over as the new UK PM. Looking forward to working with her for stronger India-UK ties @Number10gov Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 14, 2016 PTI Naidu urges Azad to push GST bill in Monsoon session India oi-PTI New Delhi, Jul 14: Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today urged Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad to back the crucial GST bill in the Monsoon session of Parliament starting July 18. Sources said, in a telephonic conversation with Azad, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, who earlier held the charge of Parliamentary Affairs, sought Congress' support for the passage of the GST bill. The government has also proposed holding talks with opposition Congress to iron out differences on the issue. A meeting of top Congress leaders like Azad and Anand Sharma with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on the issue is likely to be held in a day or two. The Constitution amendment bill for roll-out of GST is pending in Rajya Sabha for a long time and the government is keen to see its passage. The Goods and Services Tax seeks to bring a uniform tax structure subsuming a number of imposts and the government claims that it will help add 1 to 2 per cent to the country's GDP. Top Congress leaders had yesterday deliberted on the strategy for the session with party president Sonia Gandhi at her residence where GST was also discussed. Congress has been pressing for a GST cap of 18 per cent as part of the Constitutional Amendment bill with which the government is not in agreement. Insiders say the demand has become a sticking point, but Congress may relent and agree to a cap in the statute and not as part of the Constitution bill. PTI PM Modi speaks to Rishi Sunak, says 'agreed on importance of early conclusion of FTA' Modi govt toppling elected govts in greed for power: Sonia India oi-PTI Nanded (Maharashtra), July 14: Stepping up attack on the Modi government, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today accused it of disrespecting people's mandate in its "greed for power." With the Supreme Court ordering restoration of the party's government in Arunachal Pradesh yesterday, Gandhi charged that the Modi government dismissed duly elected governments in these states and insulted the popular mandate. "The present government, in its greed for power, toppled duly elected governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and disrespected the people's mandate," Gandhi said, addressing a rally organised by the Congress here. "We all are very proud of the Supreme Court for protecting our Constitution and democracy," Gandhi said, after unveiling a statue of Congress stalwart and former Union minister Shankarrao Chavan and a memorial library named after him. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh was also present at the function. The modi government dismissed duly elected governments in these states and insulted the popular mandate, she said. "Had Shankarrao been alive today, he would've been deeply hurt to see all this and would have objected to these unconstitutional steps," Gandhi said. The Congress chief also accused the NDA dispensation of putting farmers and vulnerable sections at disadvantage by diluting the welfare schemes launched during the previous UPA rule. "It is sad that today, welfare schemes made by our Manmohan Singh government, for farmers, tribals, minorities and women are being weakened. As a result, lakhs of families are bearing the brunt," she said. "The Modi government has to be reminded that there is drought in the country. Due to your (Modi government's) policies, farmers have been alienated," she said. "You have waived off thousands of crores of loans of capitalists but left farmers to their fate," Gandhi charged. "The BJP government is weakening welfare measures taken in last 60 years for benefit of farmers," she said. Congress would not allow farmers' voice to be stifled, she said. PTI No comment on Pranab Mukherjee book before reading it: Former Union Minister President Pranab Mukherjee asks Darjeeling tea industry to maintain quality India oi-PTI Darjeeling, July 14: President Pranab Mukherjee today asked the exporters of Darjeeling tea to maintain quality and its brand name while complying with global norms. Addressing the annual general meeting of Darjeeling Tea Association here, he said tea production is an important element of the country's planned economic development. "Currently India is the second largest producer of tea next to China. There are many other countries like Kenya and Sri Lanka which produce tea. "Among all teas, Darjeeling tea requires a special mention as it occupies a very unique place particularly for the connoisseurs," Mukherjee said as he asked the producers to uphold the quality and brand name of Darjeeling tea. The total tea production in India is nine lakh tons annually in comparison with China that produces a million tons of tea. The President said Darjeeling Tea has the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, which is to protect the rights of special products in specified countries, and it was essential that producers comply with the formalities as it would be advantageous for them. The tea estates in Darjeeling have reportedly been ailing for long and incurring losses due to various accounts. The Darjeeling tea industry provides employment to one lakh workers, including 40,000 seasonal workers. He complemented the Darjeeling Tea Association for having upheld the unique brand name of 'Darjeeling Tea' which is a welcome item on the breakfast tables of many people. Mukherjee, who is on a three-day visit to Darjeeling, also appreciated that various cultural, minority and linguistic groups are living together in Darjeeling. "The essence of Indian culture and civilisation is synthesis. Acceptance of diversity and celebrating plurality, underlining the unity amidst rich diversity are the true of characteristics of India. "I find that Darjeeling is being melted in a pot and emerging as a symbol of this process of synthesis action," he said. West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and other dignitaries were present during the function. PTI Jet's revival looks bleak as Anil Agarwal pulls out of race for acquiring cash-strapped airline Prepare to pay Rs900 for extra cabin bags in Jet Airways India oi-Jagriti New Delhi, July 14: The Jet Airways is set to charge Rs900 from passengers flying from the six metros for extra cabin bags. The decision has been taken as airline faced the issue of multiple handbags being carried by the passengers. The new rule is set to become effective from this Friday. A passenger can carry a hand bag weighing up to seven or 10 kg, depending on whether they are flying economy or business or are Jet's "privilege platinum and gold members", a laptop bag, and a purse for women without paying extra. "Some guests carry hand baggage over and above limit, resulting in lack of storage in the overhead compartments in the aircraft. This leads to boarding delays, causes inconvenience to other guests and affects the airline's on-time performance. Jet Airways will therefore ensure adherence to the carriage of cabin baggage policy for the convenience of all guests," a Jet spokesman was quoted as saying by the Times of India. "Duty-free bags will be exempted from additional cabin baggage charge," Jet said in a note to travel agents. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, July 14, 2016, 13:33 [IST] 'They want Congress-mukt Bharat': Kharge in his first address as Cong chief Nothing will change in Congress: For Gandhis, power stays but the onus shifts Uniform civil code: Congress for public hearing, all party meet India oi-PTI Hyderabad, July 14: The Congress has favoured a public hearing on uniform civil code, followed by an all party meeting to discuss its draft, and has said that consensus is the only way forward on the issue. Senior party leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh said it's not easy to implement uniform civil code in a multi-ethnic and multi-religion country like India. "There are ethnic tribes, different religions, different castes, communities. Even among Hindus, there are different forms of marriages, different forms of burials (of performing last rites) also. So, it's not easy," the AICC General Secretary said. "The Government of India has asked the Law Commission to look into this. So, the Law Commission should discuss with all groups, in a public hearing and let the Law Commission come out with a common draft. Then a meeting of all political parties should be called. Common civil code can only be brought by consensus, not division," Singh said. The Department of Legal Affairs had last month asked the Law Commission, a recommendatory body, to submit a report on the issue of a common code that has always been dear to BJP and the Sangh Parivar. The move assumes significance as the Supreme Court had recently said it would prefer a wider public debate before taking a decision on the constitutional validity of triple talaq, which many complain is abused by Muslim men to arbitrarily divorce their wives. PTI What to expect in Arunachal Pradesh after SC verdict India oi-Vicky Itanagar, July 14: The Supreme Court yesterday restored the Nabam Tuki led Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh. While the Congress has termed this as a victory, there lies another test for the party and that is to prove its majority on the floor of the house. In the 60 member assembly, the Congress has 26 MLAs. The rebels have 21, the BJP 11. Two MLAs had resigned and currently the house strength is at 58. With these numbers it is not possible for Nabam Tuki to prove his majority on the floor of the house. The rebels on the other side with the support of the BJP will sail through. Let us examine the possibilities in Arunachal Pradesh in the aftermath of this verdict. What next in Arunachal Pradesh? Nabam Tuki will be Chief Minister as Kalikho Pul to step down. Demand for special assembly session will be made. Floor test to prove majority will be conducted. With existing numbers, Congress will lose floor test. Pul can stake claim to form government with support of BJP. Centre and Pul can seek review of judgment. Success in review petitions not guaranteed as it goes before same Bench. If political crisis continues after floor test, President's rule can be imposed. What will Congress do? The Congress after this victory in the Supreme Court would try and form the government. Congress sources say that they are willing to even talk to Pul and find a way to work together. The Congress would also give the option for the selection of a new leader. Tuki's leadership was frowned upon by many and this is what led to the rebellion. Congress may give an option to led Tuki go and elect a new leader. The Congress feels that this may force a change in heart and many rebels may return. The Congress is fully aware that it does not have the numbers to form the government. It will look to get back at least 18 rebels who had complained about Tuki's leadership. Tuki too is ready to sacrifice his post if the rebels return. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, July 14, 2016, 8:25 [IST] Zakir Naik wants Indian Muslims to migrate to Kerala, a state he mastered in radicalising The crimes of Zakir Naik: Extolling every Muslim to be a terrorist, paid Rs 50k per Islamic conversion Prosecutions story may be attractive but should be backed by evidence Zakir Naik: From liberal Muslim to Islamist India oi-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, July 14: He began with talks on comparative religion, exhibiting a huge storehouse of knowledge that attracted a large number of Muslims and many non-Muslims too. But as his popularity grew, Zakir Naik turned Islamist, declaring non-Muslims as "disoriented", justifying sex with female slaves and calling upon Indian Muslims to refrain from saying "namaste". Naik, now 50, is founder of the Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and Peace TV, which has over 100 million viewers. A doctor by training, Naik is now in trouble over allegations that his interpretation of Islam has radicalized young Muslims in India and beyond. In his early speeches, Naik referred to popular misconceptions about Islam. In a 2006 talk, he even claimed that the "Kalki Avatar" in Hinduism was a prophesy for Prophet Mohammad. He drew parallels between jehad and Lord Krishna's call in the Bhagavad Gita to fight evil. As the years rolled by, Naik turned against other religions, calling some hoax. Some, he told gatherings, were no religion. He quoted the Upanishad and other texts to claim that idol worship was against Hinduism. Naik said it was wrong for Muslims to say "Namaste" or "Vande Mataram" and greet Christians with "Merry Christmas". "The Bible has over 50,000 errors, it's unscientific," he declared in some lectures. He made fun of Jesus Christ's sermon to offer the other cheek if slapped on one. He told a young Christian at one crowd: "It's baseless. Would you keep offering your cheek if we keep slapping you?" At his gatherings, Naik would often bluntly ask questioners if he or she would embrace Islam if he answered their questions correctly. Some agreed and ended up changing their religion. He said Muslims too could embrace other religions. But the punishment for this, he would quickly add, was "maut" (death). Asked by a man if he considered Hindus as humans since he did not consider Hinduism as a religion, Naik replied: "If by Hindu you mean a geographical definition, then I don't have any problem." "For peace to prevail, you have to follow the guidance of the Quran," he said while answering a question from a Jew at a conference in India. Among Naik's other controversial teachings: * "It is the duty of every Muslim to convey the message of Allah to non-Muslims." This comment triggered a ban on his entering the UK. * He defended Osama bin Laden and called 9/11 an "American conspiracy". * "If the word 'terrorist' means to terrorize the ememies or unsocial elements, then every Muslim must be a terrorist." * "A Muslim can have sex with his wife or what his right hand possesses, which means a slave." He referred to slaves as "prisoners of war". * Guantanamo Bay, which houses imprisoned terrorists, was holding "Muslim slaves". * Asked why many Muslims become terrorists, Naik said: "It is a media strategy to malign Islam." * Justifying polygamy, Naik said there were more women in the world than men and polygamy saved "extra women" from becoming "public property". * Campaigning against pork, Naik argued that pig invited other males to have sex with his female mate. "Something similar happens in the Western society where they go to dance parties and do (wife) swapping." This, he said, was because Westerners ate pork. As Naik's hate poison spread, he began to face bans in many countries including the US, Canada and the UK. He has also been denied permission in some Indian cities to hold meetings. And more than once, the Darul Uloom Deoband, India's largest and oldest Islamic seminary, issued fatwas asking Muslims not to go by Naik's sermons and teachings. IANS India wants good ties with Pak, but 'importing' of terror big issue: Gadkari International oi-PTI New York, Jul 14: India has intention of having a good relations with Pakistan, but the "importing" of terror is a big issue, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said. "We always have an intention to make good relationship with Pakistan. From our side we don't have any problem but importing of terror and terrorist organisation is a big issue for that," Gadkari said in response to a question on India-Pakistan relations at an industry interaction organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce here yesterday. The Union Minister for Roads and Highways, who is on a week-long official visit to the US, declined to make any further comment. The war of words between India and Pakistan has escalated over the unrest in the Valley after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. Gadkari said India hopes to complete the Chabahar port within the next 18 months. The port, he said, will give India access directly to Afghanistan and Russia without going through Pakistan. He said the port will be a gateway for new development opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs. PTI Indian firm delivers Assam green tea to Donald Trump to 'purify mind' International oi-PTI Washington, July 14: An Indian tea company has delivered a huge consignment containing 6,000 bags of famous Assam green tea to Donald Trump with a message to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee that it is never too late to "cleanse yourself". "Dear Mr Trump, namaste from India, we are sending you lots and lots of natural green tea. It fights against harmful free radicals. It helps purify mind and body and regain a healthy balance. It has also proven to make people smarter. Please Mr Trump drink the tea. For your sake, for America's sake, for the world's sake," Kolkata-based Te-A-Me Teas said in a video explaining the idea of sending green tea to Trump. Donald Trump declares himself the 'law and order candidate' "The message is simple: Mr Trump, it's never too late to cleanse yourself," the company said on Wednesday, a day after its representatives delivered a consignment of some 6,000 green tea bags to the Trump Towers in New York. "Donald Trump has the whole world worried... we can't stop him, but maybe we can change him," the video said. While the cost of the tea consignment, sufficient for four years, was not made public, Sumit Shah, Managing Director of the company said its health potential is immense. Trump overtakes Clinton in key states of Florida, Pennsylvania: Survey "We believe that green tea with all its goodness can help Mr Trump and in turn benefit his country and the world at large," Shah said, adding that the consignment of tea bags is based on the presumption that the real estate tycoon would drink three cups a day. "If he needs more, we'll be happy to provide. Green tea has been proven to fight against harmful free radicals and cleanse the mind and bodies, helping one regain a healthy balance," Shah said, adding that these green teas can help change Trump for the better. The Trump Campaign did not respond to questions on the green tea bags from India. PTI Japanese Emperor Akihito is reportedly planning to abdicate the throne in favor of his son within the next few years, Japanese media reports. The 82-year-old monarch, who has suffered in recent years from a number of health problems, reportedly told members of the Imperial Household staff of his intentions. Akihito has been cutting back on his official duties and increasingly transferring them over to his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, 56. Pak describes slain Hizbul commander as 'freedom fighter' International oi-PTI Islamabad, Jul 14: Upping the ante, Pakistan today described slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wani and other militants as people "fighting for freedom" and accused Indian security forces of committing "state-terrorism" in Kashmir. "The Indian security forces are involved in state- terrorism in Kashmir and the international community should take notice of it," Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said at his weekly briefing here. In response to a question, Zakaria described slain Hizbul commander Wani and other militants as people "fighting for freedom." He said Pakistan has informed the international community including the OIC, P-5 and EU about alleged atrocities by the Indian forces and human rights violations in Kashmir. Zakaria said Pakistan's ambassadors have been tasked to brief the host governments and human rights organisations on the issue. He also asked the UN to get its resolutions on Kashmir implemented as it was UN's responsibility to solve international disputes including Kashmir. "We want resolution of Kashmir in accordance of UN resolutions. If you (UN) want to intervene in helping resolution of Kashmir then it is your obligation," he said. He said Pakistan wants to resolve all outstanding issues including Kashmir with India through talks, as war is not a solution to any issue. "We have fought wars over Kashmir and also have been in talks but there was no result. So, the international community should put pressure on India to hold talks with Pakistan for resolution of Kashmir issue," he said. Zakaria claimed that India was not qualified to become a permanent member of UNSC as it was constantly violating UN resolutions. To a question, he said that the planned SAARC Summit will be held in November in Islamabad. PTI Tulsi Gabbard asks California Board to describe Hinduism accurately International oi-PTI Washington, July 12: Tulsi Gabbard, the first ever Hindu elected to the US House of Representatives, has asked a Californian educational board to give Hinduism its due place in school text books and not to describe it inaccurately as 'religions of ancient India'. California State Board of Education is in final stages of revising and updating the K-12 History-Social Science Framework for public schools. In a letter ahead of their final hearing on Thursday, Gabbard who represents the Democratic Party from Hawaii - urged the board to preserve Hindu history and identity by restoring all references to "Hinduism" that were removed or replaced with the ahistorical and inaccurate phrase, like "religions of Ancient India, including but not limited to early Hinduism". Just as other religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism are given their own separate and distinct space for discussion in the Framework, so should Hinduism. "Replacing Hinduism with the term 'religions of Ancient India, including but not limited to early Hinduism' is not only inaccurate, but it will cause confusion for students and teachers alike," she said in her letter dated July 8, a copy of which was obtained by PTI. In the letter, Gabbard also urged the board to acknowledge the positive roles played by women in Ancient Indian and Hindu society. "While it is important to discuss the existence of patriarchies in ancient civilisations, it is also critical to discuss the positive contributions and unique roles played by women in those societies," she noted. "In the context of Ancient India, Hindu women were able to perform their own religious rites and also authored the Vedas, Hinduism's sacred texts. "The framework should thus acknowledge these historical facts when describing the roles of women in ancient Indian society," she argued. Gabbard asked the California Board to accurately represent the caste-system in the framework by not depicting it as a defining feature or a foundational religious belief of Hinduism. "While caste-based discrimination is a reality that must be dealt with, it goes against the essence of Hindu teachings and scriptures, which posit that divinity is inherent in all beings," she said. Gabbard said as the first and only serving Hindu-American Member of Congress, she has worked actively throughout her many years of service to promote diversity, equality, and pluralism. "I firmly believe in the significance of creating an education system and textbooks that uphold these important American values," she said. Meanwhile, in another letter to the board, some two-dozen Indian-American organisations requested "fairness and equity" in the way Hinduism and Ancient India are taught in comparison to other world religions and civilisations. "Hinduism and Indian history are taught to 6th and 7th graders in an outdated, inaccurate, and stereotyped manner. The teachings and histories of other religions are highlighted positively, while Hindu teachings are oversimplified and inaccurate," the letter said. "Gender bias, subjugation and discrimination are only conflated with Hinduism, in spite of their presence in every religion's history. And Hinduism's pluralistic ethos, concept of spiritual unity of everyone and everything, and contributions of women are ignored," these organisations said. PTI 'Never invited or met him': Hamid Ansari on row over Pak journalist BJP uses photo to back its claim of Hamid Ansari's connection with Pak journalist Vice President arrives in Mongolia to attend ASEM Summit International oi-PTI Ulaanbaatar, July 14: Vice President Hamid Ansari today arrived here in the Mongolian capital to attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit. He was received at the airport by P Tsagaan, the head of Mongolian President's administration. The two-day ASEM Summit will be held here from tomorrow. The theme for the Summit is "20 Years of ASEM: Partnership for the Future through Connectivity". At the Summit, India's efforts would be inclined towards more successful outcomes and the building of a resilient and multidimensional web of interconnectivity between the two continents - Asia and Europe, officials said ahead of the meeting. ASEM comprises of 53 entities - 51 countries from Asia and Europe and two regional bodies - the European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat. It represents around 62.3 per cent of the world's population, 57.2 per cent of the global GDP and almost 60 per cent of the world's trade. ASEM is a unique platform that serves to bridge the two continents of Asia and Europe for constructive partnership and exchange, under the three key pillars of political dialogue, economic collaboration and socio-cultural exchanges, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. The 11th ASEM Summit assumes special importance in view of the fact, that 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the dialogue forum, officials said. Since the Summit is the first ever international event of such stature that Mongolia is hosting, the participation of Vice President Ansari signifies the importance India attaches to its strategic partnership with Mongolia, they said. Ansari will also hold bilateral meetings with a few other participating leaders on the sidelines of the Summit. PTI Delhi-NCR likely to choke in the coming days 'Red light on, gaadi off' postponed as LG hasn't given nod: Delhi Minister VK Singh arrives in South Sudan to evacuate Indians International oi-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, July 14: Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh on Thursday reached South Sudan leading the government's 'Operation Sankat Mochan' to evacuate Indians from the African country which has been hit by violence that has claimed hundreds of lives. "South Sudan - My colleague @Gen_VKSingh has landed in Juba to evacuate Indian nationals from there," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted. V K Singh leads mission to evacuate Indians from South Sudan South Sudan crisis: Sushma Swaraj assures Akshay Kumar of swift evacuation South Sudan - My colleague @Gen_VKSingh has landed in Juba to evacuate Indian nationals from there.OP #SankatMochan. /1 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 14, 2016 Stating that the government has sent two aircraft for the evacuation, she appealed to all Indian nationals to move out of the troubled African nation. "In case situation deteriorates, we will not be able to evacuate you," she added. All Indian nationals - We have sent two aircrafts. This is the right time. Pls move out of South Sudan./2 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 14, 2016 According to Vikas Swarup, spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry, Indian Blue Berets who are part of the UN Mission in South Sudan (Unmiss) are helping in the evacuation process. In a separate tweet, Swarup said Singh has also met with South Sudanese Foreign Minister Deng Alor Kuol. Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said that Singh would be accompanied by Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the External Affairs Ministry, Joint Secretary Satbir Singh and Director Anjani Kumar. She said India's Ambassador in South Sudan Srikumar Menon and his team were organising this operation on the ground. Opn #SankatMochan Close co-ord'n with local authorities. MOS @Gen_VKSingh meets with S Sudan FM Deng Alor Kuol pic.twitter.com/aZbkS7p60R Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 14, 2016 There are around 500 Indians in the country. South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Monday evening ordered a ceasefire after days of heavy fighting between government troops and forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar in Juba. President Kiir directed all commanders to cease all hostilities, control their forces and protect civilians, Information Minister Michael Makuei said in a televised speech on state broadcaster SSTV. The ceasefire took effect from 6 p.m. on Monday and any member of the Machar-led forces who surrendered must also be protected, Makuei said. The latest bout of violence started on July 7 after a localised gunfight outside Kiir's residence in Juba when he was holding a meeting with Machar. The Indian embassy in Juba said in a statement on Wednesday the aircraft were expected to land at 11 a.m. and Indian nationals with valid travel documents would be allowed to board. The return flights would be only up to New Delhi, the statement said. The UN has said 36,000 South Sudanese civilians have fled their homes due to the fighting. Embassies and aid organisations in South Sudan were moving to evacuate staff from Juba amid the tenuous ceasefire. The US military in Africa said it has sent 40 additional soldiers to Juba to help secure American personnel and facilities in the war-torn city, Fox News reported on Wednesday. IANS Govt clueless as cable operators transmit Peace TV illegally New Delhi oi-Vicky New Delhi, July 14: INTELSAT 12, Position: 45.0 East, Downlink Frequency: 11632, Symbol Rate: 27689, FEC: 5/6, Polarization: Vertical, Modulation: DVB-S, MPEG-2, Reach: India. This is the frequency details and the tuning method for the Peace TV in standard definition. The details of the same are available on Peacetv.in, which belongs to the controversial Islamic preacher, Dr Zakir Naik. Rs 15 crore funding to Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation under scanner While the government has initiated a probe against Naik, these details are still available on his website. Moreover cable operators and MSOs latch on to this beam and transmit the channel which does not have telecast rights in India. First things first The probe against Naik was initiated after it had been found that one of the Dhaka attackers was inspired by his speech. His speeches are freely available on the internet. The Peace TV also beams illegally in many parts of India. The website for the channel itself has put out details on how to tune it in India. The website also gives out details on how to tune in various other countries such as Italy, UK, Europe, Africa, Middle East, USA, Canada, Caribbean Islands among others. In most cases the cable operators latch on to the beam illegally and transmit it. The most number of cases in India have been found at Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Zakir Naik's return to India may take time Apart from giving out the details on how to tune the channel, the website further has a list of programmes. Among the many programmes includes talk shows for India on an hourly basis starting at 3 pm and ending by 11 pm. The names of the speakers are listed and a variety subjects are discussed. The government is now mulling on asking the NIA and the IB to probe these aspects. The brief would be to find out how these channels are beaming illegally in India. Where India lacks? The problem is that India has a law, but no mechanism to track the relay of illegal channels. Reports have been submitted on various occasions in the past by the Intelligence Bureau. It had red flagged 24 channels while referring them to channels of hate. Peace TV had been included in this list and the channel was refused a license in 2009. 'Peace Schools' under scanner after ban on Zakir Naik's TV The Information and Broadcasting Ministry continues to look at options on how to monitor the beaming of these channels and also its content. The other problem is that such channels are not being tracked as there is no monitoring capabilities. Only the channels which have a license to transmit in India are monitored through the Electronic Media Monitoring Centre. This would mean that the cases are filed against the channel or those relaying it only if a specific complaint is given. A few years back in Hyderabad four persons were arrested for beaming an illegal channel. This had come to light only after a specific complaint had been lodged. In short this means there is no mechanism to monitor such channels automatically. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, July 14, 2016, 10:58 [IST] Sadhvi Prachi announces bounty of Rs 50 lakh for Zakir Naik New Delhi oi-Sandra Marina Fernandes New Delhi, July 14: While Islamic preacher Zakir Naik continues to dodge the police and mediapersons, controversial VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi has announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for Naik's head. Prachi on Wednesday spoke to mediapersons and announced the reward for any person who would behead Naik. A Daily quoted her saying: "I have announced the reward because Zakir Naik is not a religious preacher, but a terrorist." Zakir Naik cancels conference for third time Prachi said that the government must probe Naik and such preachers for terror links. She also alleged that once she made the announcement, she received an anonymous phone call threatening her. Zakir Naik is currrently being investigated for his links to the Dhaka terror attack after two of the attackers said that they were inspired by Naik and his speeches. Meanwhile, Naik who was scheduled to return to India cancelled his press conference for the third time on Thursday, July 14. He was supposed to address mediapersons on Wednesday night but later cancelled the event. Zakir Naik's channel Peace TV too has been banned in India and Bangladesh through which he would deliver his speeches. An advisory has been put into effect on the transmission of Peace TV. As per the advisory issued to all states, a directive has been issued to ensure that the channel is not broadcast. OneIndia News It's official: Sheila Dikshit named UP CM candidate for Congress New Delhi oi-Sandra Marina Fernandes New Delhi, July 14: Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit was named as the Congress chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, to be held next year. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad addressed a press conference on Thursday, where he announced that Dikshit will be the party's CM candidate for UP assembly polls. I am daughter-in-law of UP, ready for any role: Sheila Dikshit Azad rubbished corruption charges against her and said: "Sheila Dikshit is experienced and hard working. No one can undermine her 15 year work in Delhi." While there is still no clarity over Priyanka Gandhi's role in the elections beyond campaigning in Amethi and Rae Bareli, Dikshit had earlier told reporters: "I am a bahu of Uttar Pradesh and there's no retirement age in politics," thereby indicating that she was open to a bigger role in the elections if the party needed her. News reports also suggest that Prashant Kishor, whom the party roped in to manage the election campaign suggested that Dikshit be named as the UP CM candidate. Kishor recommended Dikshit's name as she being a Brahmin, would help the party with Bramhim votes in the state. Though there is some skepticism relating to her representing the party in UP, it is said that the Congress high command have given the go-ahead to Dikshit being named as the chief ministerial candidate. Meanwhile, Congress had on Tuesday appointed Raj Babbar as the chief of the Uttar Pradesh Congress replacing Nirmal Khatri. OneIndia News U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump are waging an unprecedented war of words over his fitness to become the American leader. U.S. Supreme Court justices almost never voice their opinions about U.S. political campaigns, adhering to long-standing legal ethical standards against such commentary and because they could be called on to help decide an election, as occurred in 2000. But Ginsburg, in several interviews with news outlets this week disparaged Trump, the billionaire real estate mogul who surged past a large field of Republican presidential contenders and is expected to claim the party's nomination at its national convention next week. Ginsburg, who has well-known liberal views, said she expects Trump's Democratic opponent, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to defeat him in the November national election. But she told The New York Times, "I can't imagine what this place would be I can't imagine what the country would be -- with Donald Trump as our president. For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be -- I don't even want to contemplate that." Later, Ginsburg, at 83 the oldest justice, told the CNN television network, "He is a faker. He has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment." She added, "He really has an ego.... How has he gotten away with not turning over his tax returns? The press seems to be very gentle with him on that." Trump called her comments "highly inappropriate," as did legal analysts who cited normal strictures against judges offering their opinions about political candidates. A Washington Post editorial said it agreed with her political comments about Trump, but said they "were still much, much better left unsaid by a member of the Supreme Court." The unabashed Trump continued to denounce her Wednesday, saying on his Twitter account, "Justice Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me. Her mind is shot -- resign!" 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Queen Elizabeth has confirmed Theresa May as Britain's prime minister and invited her to form a new government, after the monarch accepted the resignation Wednesday of David Cameron at Buckingham Palace. The 59-year-old May is expected to unveil her Cabinet lineup soon, which will include a minister in charge of implementing Britain's exit from the EU. In her first speech as prime minister, May said she plans to lead in the spirit of unity and build a country that "works for everyone." She said she will fight against social injustice, and she believes in the unity of all aspects of Britain. "We will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union, we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us," she said. "The government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives." Acknowledging the everyday life difficulties faced by many Britons, May said her government will first think about and listen to common people. "When we take the big calls we will think not of the powerful, but you, when we pass new laws we will listen not to the mighty, but to you, when it comes to taxes we will prioritize not the wealthy, but you." The United States congratulated May and said it is confident in her ability to lead Britain through the Brexit negotiations. Although May, former Home Secretary in Cameron's cabinet, supported Britain staying in the bloc, she said earlier this week that "Brexit means Brexit," but stressed the need "to negotiate the best deal for Britain in leaving the EU." May, the second female British prime minister after Margaret Thatcher, also has said she will not initiate the exit negotiations before the end of the year. Before heading to the audience with the queen, Cameron said outside the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing Street that it was the "greatest honor'' of his life to serve as prime minister. Surrounded by his wife and their three children, Cameron offered an assessment of his tenure, saying he left the country stronger and better off. Newsy 22 Oct 2022 Watch VideoA surge in migration from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua in September brought the number of illegal crossings to the.. Oil and gas company, Horizon Oil, has donated much needed emergency and medical evacuation equipment to Kiunga Hospital.Horizon Oil Community Affairs Supervisor, Nick Wambare, when presenting the equipment said it was a small gesture to the hospital and hopes it will help save lives.This is a small gesture to contribute to saving lives in the province which is a most important thing, he said.Mr. Wambare explained that these equipment items were purchased for their exploration project and have hardly been used. They feel donating it to Kiunga hospital was the right thing to do.We have not used these equipment from our exploration project and we have also given other medical equipment to Rumginae hospital and Catholic Health Services but we feel these emergency and evacuation equipment should go to Kiunga Hospital. He explained.He added that he believes the equipment will be fully utilized, I believe the hospital will utilize this equipment and to be honest, it might save Horizon Oil staff as we all seek medical treatment here at the hospital.Hospital Administrator Graeme Hill thanked Horizon Oil saying this was not the first time the company has assisted the hospital.I thank Horizon Oil as these will be a very useful contribution to the hospital. This is not the first time you have assisted, he said.Mr Hill said the hospital is still to decide how to utilize the equipment, but thinks that equipping their ambulance to make it ready for use is a good option.Dr Asael Kaptigau, who looks after the Emergency department at Kiunga hospital, said this was a timely donation.A few weeks ago I asked Graeme about these exact items and today we get this equipment. I thank Horizon Oil as these equipment will boost our emergency capacity, he explained.The emergency and evacuation equipment is worth over K21, 500 and includes items such as an aspirator, stretcher, traction splint, mobile examination light, resuscitation Kit, stabilizer and a suction pump.Kiunga Hospital is supported through the North Fly Health Services Development Program, a public private partnership between local health services, Ok Tedi Mining Ltd, Ok Tedi Development Foundation Ltd and Abt JTA as the implementation partner. Pennsylvania Gambling Legislation Stalls, Momentarily Published July 14, 2016 by Lee R Other states are silently watching to see if online gambling will be included. Hope for regulation in a fourth state in the US, Pennsylvania hit a minor road bump. Cause for optimism On the heels of an optimism-yielding Pennsylvania House of Representatives approval of a legislative package for online gambling and daily fantasy sports, slots at off-track betting parlors and in six state airports offering mobile games to waiting passengers, Gov. Tom Wolf signed the spending portion of the states budget over the weekend. Final hurdle The final step is the investment revenue portion, which legislators hoped to pass on Tuesday, or Wednesday at the latest. Fall realistic However, the Associated Press now quotes Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Browne saying the gambling legislation would not be included in any revenue plan passed this week. He updated the approval ETA to the fall, further acknowledging that the state has already deemed the estimated $100m gambling revenue yield the primary solution to its budget gap. Impact Asked about the fiscal impact of deferring resolution, a candid Brown provided a message of hope for iGaming stakeholders: One hundred million dollars in the scope of a $31.5 billion budget its not needed right away. But if its probable? You can book something that is probable. That probability scales all the way up to a 400 million dollar revenue windfall at highest estimates, requiring investment in all possible forms of gambling, including the online format. Upshot Pennsylvania remains likely to become the fourth state to regulate gambling in the fall. The question is whether online gambling will be included in the states investment. Influencing Factors Factors that could influence inclusion of online gambling provisions include the casino table gaming tax increase from 12 percent to 14 percent, increasing demand for online operation and play as an alternative; and increased availability of slot machines in the state, when there are so many popular slot games available online as among the most popular online forms of gambling in general. Watching State Sentiments Other states reported to be taking a closer look at the results include West Virginia, where State Lottery spokesman John Myers acknowledged that his staff is closely monitoring the developments:to stay competitive, well have to consider these (results)... Outlook Whether Penn approval and inclusion starts a trend of more states regulating online gambling remains to be seen. It would certainly increase the likelihood. Social Gaming to Take Center Stage at Casual Connect USA Published July 13, 2016 by Elana K Casual Connect USA, July 18-20, will focus on social casino gaming, with a line-up of nearly 100 speakers from a wide array of companies, including Google, Facebook, Big Fish, Zynga, GSN Games, Microsoft, and more. One of the biggest iGaming events of the year is just around the corner: Casual Connect USA, scheduled to take place from July 18-20 at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco, California. This years Casual Connect will focus on social casino gaming, with a line-up of nearly 100 speakers from a wide array of companies, including Google, Facebook, Big Fish, Zynga, GSN Games, Microsoft, and more. Social Gaming Social gaming is gaining more and more popularity throughout the world, and iGaming companies, both new and veteran, are interested in growing this particular area that seems to have unlimited potential. Casual Connect USA will address issues that iGaming companies are dealing with on a very real basis: the state of the current market, changing trends, player retention, marketing, how to expand operations, monetize, and more. Networking Casual Connect USA will also offer networking events, during which attendees, who are iGaming professionals, will have the opportunity to connect with each other and forge valuable partnerships that can stand them in good stead in the future. There will be networking events every day of the conference. Developers and Newbies There will also be a Developer Showcase, which offers young developers the chance to gain exposure and learn how to succeed in the new games ecosystem. Additionally, the 2016 Indie Prize Awards will take place at Casual Connect USA, during which selected teams will showcase their games and compete for the Indie Prize. The Indie Prize is well-known for giving budding developers the jump-start they need to break into the iGaming industry. Casual Connect International Casual Connect USA is part of the larger Casual Connect enterprise, which hosts multiple yearly iGaming conferences around the world. Casual Connect Asia was a notable success this past May, while Casual Connect Tel Aviv is scheduled to take place in November. Every year, the Casual Connect conferences attract thousands of attendees and feature hundreds of lectures from international iGaming experts. Amnesty International has called on Vietnam to end what it says is torture and ill treatment against prisoners of conscience. In a report released Tuesday, the human rights group said prisoners of conscience have to endure abuses including prolonged periods of solitary confinement, beatings and the denial of medical treatment. The report was based on a year of research, including interviews with 18 former prisoners of conscience. Five of the prisoners told Amnesty International that they spent lengthy periods of time in solitary confinement in dark cells without access to fresh air, clean water and sanitation. They said some prisoners were frequently beaten. Chau Heng, a land rights activist who was imprisoned, told Amnesty International that when he was taken to see a prison doctor, he opened his mouth to gesture that he could not speak. The doctor hit me in the mouth with a round piece of rubber, he was quoted as saying. He knocked my teeth out, including my wisdom tooth. I lost so much blood and I passed out again. Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty International's director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said even though Vietnam ratified the United Nations Convention Against Torture in 2015, the government must do more. "Vietnam's authorities should seize the moment as the country's amended penal and criminal procedures codes are being reviewed," Djamin said in a statement Tuesday. "Now is the time to make good on their international obligations by bringing to book those responsible for torture and other ill-treatment and ensuring this appalling practice ends." Vietnam's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Vietnam has said that there are no political prisoners in the communist country, and that only law breakers are put behind bars. Benedicte Gravrand, Opalesque London: Two investment giants, BlackRock and State Street Global Advisors, have released their outlook for the second half of 2016. Both see volatility ahead, low rates for longer, and are concerned about the impact of Brexit, the UKs vote to leave the European Union, on the rest of the world. Our current low-growth and low-return world is not an easy one for investors, who may opt for riskier strategies and riskier assets to get the returns they are seeking. But this would be a good time for those who can navigate volatility. Volatility raises the importance of diversification According to the BlackRock Investment Institute (BII)'s Mid-Year 2016 Global Investment Outlook, there is more volatility ahead for global markets. The BII has updated its three themes for this year to: 1) We are living in a low-return world; 2) Monetary policy has been a key driver of asset prices but its effectiveness looks to be waning; 3) We see more volatility ahead as Brexit-related anxiety weighs on Europes economy and the business cycle matures. Up till now, easy monetary policies suppressed volatility, prompting many investorsto flock to similar assets, such as the yen, US equities and precious metals. The BII sees volatility driving more investment flows into high-grade credit, quality equities and dividend gro...................... To view our full article Click here Opalesque Industry Update - Windham Capital Management, an investment management firm specializing in risk-based solutions announced the addition of a Liquid Alternatives team with the hiring of Richard Lindsey, Ph.D. and Andrew Weisman. Lindsey and Weisman, both formerly of Janus Capital bring unsurpassed experience in the implementation and management of liquid alternatives strategies to Windham. While at Janus Capital, Lindsey and Weisman co-managed Risk Premia strategies. In their roles at Windham, Lindsey and Weisman will serve as co-heads of the Windham Liquid Alternatives group. The product offering Weisman and Lindsey bring aligns naturally with Windhams investment culture of providing investment solutions with embedded risk management. I am thrilled to welcome Andy and Rich to the Windham team, said Mark Kritzman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Windham Capital Management. Their addition to Windham will allow us to expand our offering of risk-driven solutions. Prior to joining Windham, Richard Lindsey, PhD served as the Chief Investment Strategist, Liquid Alternatives for Janus Capital. In this role he developed and co-managed the liquid alternative strategies and was also a member of the Janus Capital Group Global Allocation Committee. Prior to joining Janus in August 2012, Dr. Lindsey was a principal of the Callcott Group, LLC, a quantitative consulting group, where he was responsible for directing research activities and advisory services. For eight years Dr. Lindsey was president of Bear, Stearns Securities Corporation and a member of the Management Committee of The Bear Stearns Companies, Inc. Before joining Bear Stearns, Dr. Lindsey served as the Director of Market Regulation for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and as the Chief Economist of the SEC. He was a finance professor at the Yale School of Management before joining the SEC. Dr. Lindsey has also served on several corporate boards including, The Investment Fund for Foundations (TIFF), the Options Clearing Corporation, the International Securities Exchange, and Strike Technologies. Dr. Lindsey has done extensive work in the areas of portfolio construction, risk management, and the trading of securities. He has held the positions of Visiting Academic at the Nikko Research Institute in Tokyo, Japan, and Visiting Economist at the New York Stock Exchange. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, an MS in chemical engineering from Berkeley, an MBA from the University of Dallas, and a Ph.D. in finance from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Fellow of the Courant Institute, the Chairman of the International Association for Quantitative Finance as well as an Executive Vice President of the Quantitative Group for Finance. Andrew Weisman has more than 25 years of experience as a portfolio manager of alternative investment strategies. Prior to joining Windham, Mr. Weisman was the Chief Investment Officer of Janus Capitals Liquid Alternative Group from 2012 to 2016. Prior to joining Janus Capital, he was Chief Executive Officer of WR Managed Accounts, LLC from 2008 to 2012, and Managing Director and Chief Portfolio Manager for the Merrill Lynch Hedge Fund Development and Management Group from 2005 to 2008. Mr. Weisman has a Masters in International Affairs/International Business from Columbia Universitys School of International and Public Affairs, and a BS in Philosophy/Economics from Columbia University and has completed all of the course work and comprehensive exams toward a PhD from Columbia Universitys Graduate School of Business. In 2002 he was awarded the Bernstein Fabozzi/Jacobs Levy Award for outstanding article published in the Journal of Portfolio Management. In 2016 he was awarded the Roger F. Murray Prize (First Place) by the Institute for Quantitative Research in Finance. Windham Capital Management is a Boston-based independent asset management firm that offers risk-based investment solutions. Founded in 1988, Windham is recognized for our pioneering research and our impact on the way investors manage assets. We apply our innovative research and proprietary risk management to create and manage portfolios designed to grow and protect client wealth through changing market conditions. From our roots in researching risk and asset allocation, we have kept our mission clear: Manage investment risk to maximize returns for each client we serve. Windham provides investment solutions for institutional clients, financial advisors and private investors. The 2016 Democratic Platform on racial injustice amounts to nothing more than rhetoric at a time when the black community is deeply hurting from systemic injustices. It is an attempt to get people out to vote or the equivalent of promising a chicken in every pot. As if vague platitudes will console the wounds of black America. If the Democratic Party is serious about challenging racial, economic, political and social inequity, it needs to look in the mirror for the biggest culprit of all. Democrats have sponsored some of the most damaging bills that have devastated black America. The 2016 Democratic Platform on Racial Injustice Democrats will fight to end institutional and systemic racism in our society. We will challenge and dismantle the structures that define lasting racial, economic, political and social inequity. Democrats will promote racial justice through fair, just, and equitable governing of all institutions serving the public and in the formation of public policy. We will push for a societal transformation to make it clear that black lives matter and there is no place for racism in our country. 2016 Democratic Platform, Racial Justice, p10 What is missing in the 2016 Democratic Platform on racial, social and economic injustices is specifics on how the Democratic Party plans to do all of this. How can it fight to end institutional and systemic racism when some of its own policies helped to create the injustices? Also, what mechanism will the Democratic Party use to dismantle racist structures and exactly which institutions will it target first? Pointedly, how will the Democratic Party both support and restructure law-enforcement agencies to address longstanding injustices against blacks? It must be one heck of a plan that can undo 400 years of racism against black people and transform society into accepting that black lives matter. Institutional and systemic racism in our society is concentrated within structures of power such as federal, state and local governments and all levels of law enforcement. The murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile provides a close-up view of how racism operates in local law-enforcement agencies. On a larger scale we can see how racial injustice works through the Democrats' very own 1994 crime bill, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, signed into law by Bill Clinton, husband of current Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The Democrats' 1994 crime bill helped to build the current prison-industrial complex by providing $30.2 billion over six years to build prisons. States had to agree to cut early paroles and lengthen sentencing so that inmates serve more time in prison. Over 60% of those impacted by the bill were serving time for drug offences. According to FactCheck.org, the bill created incentives for states to build prisons and increase sentences, which led to mass incarceration. As if this was not enough, the Democrats also floated a bill that transferred weapons and vehicles from the Department of Defense to local police. The 1997 National Defense Authorization Act provided $5.4 billion worth of supplies to local law enforcement, effectively militarizing police forces such as seen in Ferguson, Missouri. The tough-on-crime policies sponsored by the Democrats under Bill Clinton have helped to create the current civil unrest we are witnessing as over-militarized and -empowered police commit violence against black citizens. "I think where we are today partly can be attributed to what went on in the '90s," wrote Marc Schindler, executive director of the Justice Policy Institute. To the credit of President Barack Obama the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 was signed to help address the disparity in sentencing for crack and powder cocaine, which saw more blacks receive mandatory five-year sentences as opposed to whites. Although, it was a step in the right direction it did nothing to help counter the 1994 crime act that even Bill Clinton later acknowledged helped to create racial injustices in the black community. During the '90s getting tough on crime and referring to black youth as super predators was the Democrats' response to white conservative America's growing concern over increased crime in the nation. Black Americans became the sacrificial lamb that the Democrats were more than willing to offer Republicans during negotiations. Further evidence of how the Democratic Party actually promotes social injustice is through their welfare-reform bill, the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWOR), once again sponsored by Bill Clinton. The bill changed Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and gave states authority on how they could spend the funds, which increased discrimination against blacks in the programs. The new reforms limited recipients to receiving no more than five years of assistance over the course of their life. There were also work requirements with no considerations for child-care or adequate wages. States were pushed to reduce welfare rolls and many stooped to making the application process more complicated, fingerprinting and drug testing. A 2012 study by the Urban Institute revealed that overall TANF despite the emphasis on job training did little to help recipients find jobs. The Democratic welfare reform bill was a dismal failure that ended up hurting the poorest blacks who needed assistance the most. The Democratic Party has a long history of using blacks to their advantage whether it be as dependable voting bloc such as the 94% blacks who put Obama back into office in 2012 or as sacrificial lambs to policies introduced in the '90s under Bill Clinton. Today the Democratic Party has the audacity to push for amnesty of over 11 million illegal immigrants knowing full well the devastating impact it will have on black Americans. Cut one demographic in order to appease another has been a longstanding game of the Democratic Party. During the current Democratic Obama administration there has been a push to provide some form of amnesty for the over 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. Yet, several studies have shown that this will cause a negative impact to blacks. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights concluded in 2010 that, "Illegal immigration to the United States in recent decades has tended to depress both wages and employment rates for low-skilled American citizens, a disproportionate number of whom are black men. Vernon M. Briggs, Jr., professor emeritus in labor economics at Cornell, in testimony before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, "The Impact of Illegal Immigration on the Wages and Employment Opportunities of Black Workers," Washington, D.C., October 14, 2010, has noted that both illegal immigrant and black workers tend to "cluster in metropolitan areas," thus increasing the likelihood that they will compete for the same jobs. Dr. Briggs adds, "There is little doubt that there is significant overlap in competition for jobs in this sector of the labor market. Given the inordinately high unemployment rates for low-skilled black workers (the highest for all racial and ethnic groups for whom data is collected), it is obvious that the major loser in this competition are low-skilled black workers. Dr. Briggs concludes, "The continued reluctance by our national government to get illegal immigrants out of the labor force -- and to keep them out -- by enforcing the existing sanctions at the work site against employers of illegal immigrants is itself a massive violation of the civil rights of all low-skilled workers in the United States and of low-skilled black American workers in particular." One of the most helpful studies yet to be done is why a majority of black people habitually support and defend a political party that continuously and historically panders to our own demise. The 2016 Democratic Platform has been washed in disingenuousness and rinsed in political correctness rendering it useless as a vehicle for building solutions to the racial injustices that blacks suffer today. Short on details but big on buzzwords, the 2016 Democratic platform is a slap in the face to the critical crisis of racial injustice our nation is facing. Reprinted from Reader Supported News While the corporate media painted a picture of Bernie Sanders riding off into the sunset after throwing his support behind Hillary Clinton, Bernie was rallying his troops for another fight. This time the fight isn't for the Democratic Party nomination, but to transform the party and the country. That was always the focus, but the media only understood the horse race. Bernie Sanders did endorse Hillary Clinton and pledged to help her beat Donald Trump in November. A few hours later, Bernie was on the phone with his delegates letting them know that there was still work to do and to prepare for a possible floor fight at the convention. Bernie wants to reform the nominating process. End the influence of the party bosses who were exposed in this election. Bernie thinks the super delegates should no longer have the influence over the process that currently have. Sanders also believes the primaries and caucuses should all be open to all voters. Not allowing independents to vote in the Democratic Primary is exclusionary. Bernie believes by opening up the process the party will grow and will get more support on Election Day. As I have been saying for months, both parties are shrinking while more and more people identify as independent. Open primaries will help the Democrats reach out to those voters. Senator Sanders also told his delegates he wanted them at the convention for the roll call. He has not released his delegates. He acknowledges the math but wants to come out of Philadelphia united in the struggle for the progressive issues he raised during the campaign. Most of the media failed to report that Bernie did not suspend his campaign. Bernie Sanders is still a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president. He does not have any delusional plan to steal the nomination from Hillary Clinton. It's no longer about the nomination, and really never was. Of course a win would have been nice and would have accelerated the rate of the political revolution. Click Here to Read Whole Article http://www.lobbydelegates.com/delegates.php Dear Friends of Bernie, It's easy to send letters to each and every superdelegate- it took me about 10 minutes using the site above. First, compose your letter- mine is below. Go to the site, and click on the first state- Alabama. Put in your information- you only have to do it once. Double lick on "select all", then send. Use the back button and go to the list for the next state. Very easy. Here's the letter I sent this week: Dear Fellow Democrats- When the roll is called at the Democratic Convention, please vote for the most electable candidate- Bernie Sanders. As of June 2016, Clinton's favorability rating is 39%, Sanders is 49%. Many Sanders supporters have vowed to vote for the Green candidate, Dr. Jill Stein, rather than for Hillary. Hillary is vulnerable to Trump's epithet of "crooked Hillary", because of the pending investigation into the Clinton Foundation. FBI Director James Comey refused to comment when asked if such an investigation is underway. A new congressional letter circulating among lawmakers charges the William, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation is a "lawless, 'Pay-to-Play' enterprise that has been operating under a cloak of philanthropy for years." The letter calls upon the FBI, IRS and FTC to launch a "public corruption" investigation into the ties between Clinton Foundation donors and Hillary Clinton's policies as secretary of state. http://www.allenbwest.com/matt-palumbo/busted-heres-what-the-fbi-will-investigate-hillary-for-next Comey chastised Hillary for being "extremely careless in handling of very sensitive, highly classified information." This has not helped her election chances; in fact, her poll ratings have slipped at least 5%. Hillary is only winning because of voter fraud, especially in California, NY and Arizona. A study by Stanford students revealed widespread primary election fraud favoring Hillary Clinton, in multiple states. http://yournewswire.com/stanford-university-confirm-democratic-election-fraud/ Aren't you tired of fraud and corruption? Bernie is clean. His many years in Congress, and his speeches, make it clear that he sees public office as a chance to serve the people, not to amass money and power for himself and his wealthy supporters. And the people appreciate it, and want him to be president. He has overwhelming support among people 45 years and under- the future of the Democratic party. His plans will benefit our children. Do what's best for the party and the country. Listen to your conscience, and vote for Bernie Sanders in Philadelphia. 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 just returned from Poland where I was speaking at a NO TO NATO, NO TO WAR Conference and rally in Warsaw. Earlier this week I spoke with a young man in Krakow, Poland who described the ironies of holding the 2016 NATO summit in his country. Tomas, a university trained historian and now tour guide, reminded me how Germany, one of the strongest partners in NATO, invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. As Tomas commented, "Seventy years ago Germany virtually destroyed Europe and ironically now is the most powerful country on the continent -- again. During World War II we in Poland had our land taken, our people murdered and then with the defeat of the Nazis, we were given by the U.S. and the U.K to the Soviet Union and had to endure decades of communist rule while Germany was rebuilt and prospered. Now again, we find ourselves in midst of a military confrontation that will do no one any good." He added, "I do not believe the Russians want a war and I wish the US missiles would not be on Polish soil as we become a target again. I don't like that we are having big NATO military exercises in Poland -- it's giving our politicians the rationale to reintroduce mandatory military service which I do not want. Where are these NATO countries getting the idea that Russia is going to invade anyone? I just don't see it." A Little World War II History During World War II, Nazi Germany wrecked havoc on the people of Poland -- Jews and Poles alike -- as they colonized the whole of Poland, enslaved the entire population and quickly began exterminating minorities in their campaign to eliminate all but the Aryan race. Entire cities were cleansed and given over to German families and many of the cities, such as Warsaw, were destroyed by the Nazis as they fled at the end of the war. Six million Jews from all over Europe were executed, gassed and their bodies burned. 2,400,000 Poles, 3,000,000 Ukrainians, 1,593,000 Russians, and 1,400,000 Byelorussians were killed in Poland during World War II. The Soviet Union joined Nazi Germany on September 17, 1939. The Soviets killed 22,000 Polish Army officers and intellectuals in May 1940 in the Kaytn forest, a massacre the Soviet Union did not officially acknowledge until 2010. The Nazi-Soviet alliance didn't last long with Germany double-crossing the Soviets by invading the Soviet Union in June 1941. In 1945, the Soviet Union pushed Nazi Germany first out of their country, then out of Poland and other areas of Eastern Europe at the expense of 27 million Soviet lives. However, Poles will not forget that the Soviet Union waited across the Vistula River to liberate Warsaw until the Nazis had murdered virtually everyone in the Warsaw uprising. Stalin had struck a deal with Roosevelt and Churchill and the Soviet Union was rewarded for its key role in defeating the Nazis by acquiescence of the United States and Great Britain to Soviet control of the Eastern block countries, including Poland. For 60 years, until 1989, Poland was a communist state in the Soviet sphere and the Warsaw Pact, the organization formed by the Soviets to mirror NATO. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Solar Power Plant (Image by theglobalpanorama) Details DMCA Sacrificing green for green. That's what cutting down woodland and using farmland to erect solar power systems is about. Solar energy is great! We have solar panels on our more than century-old saltbox house in Sag Harbor on Long Island and it is marvelous seeing the utility meter going backwards as the panels generate plentiful electricity. But on Long Island and elsewhere there is a push to clear forests and exploit agricultural land for solar systems--sacrificing green for green. The forests that would be eliminated provide a home for many animal species and birds, they absorb carbon dioxide, provide aquifer protection and places for people, especially on crowded Long Island, to find peace and for recreation. Using farmland--the most precious of all land--for solar facilities is outrageous. An especially outrageous example of this in Long Island's Suffolk County involves the most historic farm in all the county--the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center in Yaphank--and a push by some county officials to erect a massive solar system on 25 acres of agricultural land at it. The Suffolk County Farm is that beautiful farm one can see just to the south of the Long Island Expressway west of the William Floyd Parkway exit. It is living testimony to what all of Long Island once was--and much of it still is. Suffolk, the eastern half of Long Island, remains one of the top counties in New York State in value of its agricultural produce. The county's pioneering Farmland Preservation Program, initiated in 1974 and since emulated around the United States, is emblematic of Suffolk's commitment to save farmland. The farm was an adjunct to the county's almshouse or poorhouse that opened in 1872, land on which its indigent residents could grow their own food. Since 1974 it has been operated by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County as, notes the state's "I Love NY" website, "A model farm education facility and also a real working farm." It's a tourist attraction--and so important for youngsters in Suffolk, particularly those from its suburban communities, a place for them to visit and learn about cows and chickens and how food is grown on the earth. The farm is not very large, a little over 200 acres in total. The solar system would go up on this earth, be run by a private company and send electricity to county offices in Yaphank. Fortunately, the Suffolk County Council on Environmental Quality, established in 1970 as the environmental watchdog of county government, tabled action last month on the bid to use the farm for a solar facility. The application will come back this month. Among the issues: the farmland on which the solar panels would be placed was specifically put in a category of protected farmland by the county in 2003. The push to build the solar facility at the Suffolk County Farm comes amid other "utility-scale" solar schemes in Suffolk, among them, a 72-megawatt set-up for which 350 acres of coastal forest in Shoreham would be destroyed, and a 9.5 megawatt facility on 60 acres of a sod farm also in Shoreham. Meanwhile, in Long Island's Brookhaven and Riverhead Towns, laws have been enacted barring large-scale solar facilities on farmland. Solar is a stupendous energy source. As Reuters recently reported: "Solar power is on pace for the first time this year to contribute more new electricity to the grid than will any other form of energy." Inventor Thomas Edison is credited with saying nearly a century ago: "I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power!" And this was way before, in year after year in recent decades, the efficiency of solar panels (their ability to convert sunlight into electricity) has skyrocketed while their costs have plummeted. Solar is now totally economic. And the sun doesn't send bills. There are hundreds of thousands of houses on Long Island the roofs of which could provide usable platforms for solar power. There are thousands of industrial buildings on top of which solar panels could be placed. There is an ocean of parking lots where solar panels can be installed. The solar panels at the parking lots at Suffolk government's Hauppauge and Riverhead centers point to that. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). The Most Interesting Man In The World (Image by image flip commons) Details DMCA "Global Citizens" are made regardless of their pedigree. It matters not if they are born into affluence, self-made 'bootstrap pullers', or intellectual snobs. It is a really privileged notion to be able to consider one-self a "Global Citizen". Not everyone has the privileged opportunity. The Global Citizen thinks that globalization means only nice places where they are privileged to lead luxurious lifestyles. Their world does not contain North Korea, Daesh, Nigeria or even Chad. They couldn't even find those places on the map. How nice to have the luxury of choice! The Global Citizens look down their noses at the "plebs and proles": those they consider of a lower social, economic and intellectual status. The Global Citizens are the tutees of the lofty pedagogues of enlightenment. The Global Citizen characterizes the 'plebs and proles' as flag waving jingoistic bigots that cling to their Bibles and their guns, and lack the Global Citizen's cosmopolitan sophistication (read: higher degree of privileged cultural 'appropriation and plundering') that makes the 'plebs and proles' a lower class of being; "those people" that shop at Wal-Mart and drive a Ford 150 truck with big tires. The Global Citizens, by contrast, consider themselves of higher status and are suitably high-minded for having obtained an unearned exalted status. They shop online at the best websites, do Twitter and have lots of "Friends" just like them on Facebook. The Global Citizens are correct enough in their rejection of narrow chauvinism and of explicitly crude racism, sexism, homophobia and nationalism; but they are far off the mark in their motivation for rejecting such. Their 'politics of decency' as I call it, leads them to reject Donald Trump, David Duke, and the Republican Party (or here in the United Kingdom the UK Independence Party and the British National Party) on the grounds that such 'disorderly' types are really rather low and crass. They say it is simply not 'good form' to be a bigot, we don't like 'those people' at our dinner parties and we wouldn't want 'one of them' giving a keynote speech at our private university. No true rocker or edgy sculptor would entertain having one of 'those people' about the place. The elitists Global Citizen makes up a certain privileged section of the 'left', and certainly have their own pompous 'them-folkery' about them which they are rarely shy of indulging themselves in. They have no empathy for the 'plebs and proles' and those that smell offensive after a day's work. All that said: empathy needs be selective, of course. That, I do not dispute. But in empathy, not all 'choices' are equal. To be able to empathize with some hateful people, and not with others, and without any apparent reason for recognizing a shared humanity with A and not with B, is potentially problematic. But this, perhaps, gives the conspicuously enlightened Global Citizen but little pause for reflection. Strictly speaking, of course, one does not have to have had the experience of poverty, poor living conditions, racism, sexism, homophobia or nationalism in order to empathize with either the oppressor or the oppressed (and how often is it hard to tell who is who?). But to lack empathy when one has never experienced a particular situation, and to hold forth and condemn without considering the context, is hardly as innocent as it may appear to some. None of this, of course, is to excuse hatred, bigotry or narrowness. In fact, one could argue that in many cases, one cannot even mitigate such hatred, let alone excuse it. And yet, for a mortal feasting on Ambrosia to highmindedly condemn mere mortals scrabbling over a few square inches of earth, or a muddy river lacking the crystalline virtue of paradise, is an attitude that can hardly be declared free of the stain and the taint of highly principled mediocrity. All this being so, it seems, that the Global Citizen is a fundamentally 'classist' being! And also a 'classed' one. These supreme 'classifiers' thinks they are free and easy and not tied to any particularistic dogmatic vision. However, their contempt for the flag waving 'plebs and proles' of society is no less partisan and self-interested than the views of the far from fully representative segment of working class folk that support the reactionary right. In other words, a mere reversal of hatred, bigotry or narrowness into a rootless globalist ethic of 'humanism' and 'cosmopolitanism' implies commitment to a false and counterfeit neutrality and impartiality that does nothing to oppose chauvinism. Indeed, it merely provides a more high-minded and noble rationale for egotism and the most pernicious manifestations of self-seeking egotism. Indeed, the recent EU referendum on the Brexit is only one example in a long line of cases of the slick, chic and highly virtuous Global Citizen weaponizing their class privilege to reinforce the sense of their own superiority and greater merit vis-a-vis the great unwashed 'plebs and proles'. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. Think of them as omens of our age. While global temperatures have been soaring lately -- May was the 13th month in a row to break all-time heat records -- the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just reported, more parochially, that this was the hottest June on record for the lower 48 states. (USA! USA!) No state came in below the norm and in the West and Southwest, it was hot as hell. Record hot. Then consider this: Arctic summer sea ice is heading for oblivion at a remarkable pace (which, since ice reflects sunlight, means that those waters will now be absorbing yet more heat). In June, that ice was disappearing at a rate 70% faster than the norm. Looked at over the longer term, as Suzanne Goldenberg of the Guardian explained, "a vast expanse of ice -- an area about twice the size of Texas -- has vanished over the past 30 years, and the rate of that retreat has accelerated." By the way, if you want to keep your eye on the horizon for future such omens, a possible 2016 record is already looming when it comes to billion-dollar-plus weather disasters with eight of them so far this year. The average had once been five annually, but in recent years has been around 11. If you'll excuse a mixed (but appropriate) metaphor, given the subject TomDispatchregular Michael Klare takes up today, there seem to be an awful lot of canaries in the coal mines at the moment, and wherever you turn, they're expiring. Klare's latest report on our fossil-fueled planet suggests that the use of coal, oil, and natural gas will not fall, but actually continue to rise in the next decades and so, of omens, there will be plenty to come. Tom Hooked! The Unyielding Grip of Fossil Fuels on Global Life By Michael T. Klare Here's the good news: wind power, solar power, and other renewable forms of energy are expanding far more quickly than anyone expected, ensuring that these systems will provide an ever-increasing share of our future energy supply. According to the most recent projections from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the U.S. Department of Energy, global consumption of wind, solar, hydropower, and other renewables will double between now and 2040, jumping from 64 to 131 quadrillion British thermal units (BTUs). And here's the bad news: the consumption of oil, coal, and natural gas is also growing, making it likely that, whatever the advances of renewable energy, fossil fuels will continue to dominate the global landscape for decades to come, accelerating the pace of global warming and ensuring the intensification of climate-change catastrophes. The rapid growth of renewable energy has given us much to cheer about. Not so long ago, energy analysts were reporting that wind and solar systems were too costly to compete with oil, coal, and natural gas in the global marketplace. Renewables would, it was then assumed, require pricey subsidies that might not always be available. That was then and this is now. Today, remarkably enough, wind and solar are already competitive with fossil fuels for many uses and in many markets. If that wasn't predicted, however, neither was this: despite such advances, the allure of fossil fuels hasn't dissipated. Iindividuals, governments, whole societies continue to opt for such fuels even when they gain no significant economic advantage from that choice and risk causing severe planetary harm. Clearly, something irrational is at play. Think of it as the fossil-fuel equivalent of an addictive inclination writ large. The contradictory and troubling nature of the energy landscape is on clear display in the 2016 edition of the International Energy Outlook, the annual assessment of global trends released by the EIA this May. The good news about renewables gets prominent attention in the report, which includes projections of global energy use through 2040. "Renewables are the world's fastest-growing energy source over the projection period," it concludes. Wind and solar are expected to demonstrate particular vigor in the years to come, their growth outpacing every other form of energy. But because renewables start from such a small base -- representing just 12% of all energy used in 2012 -- they will continue to be overshadowed in the decades ahead, explosive growth or not. In 2040, according to the report's projections, fossil fuels will still have a grip on a staggering 78% of the world energy market, and -- if you don't mind getting thoroughly depressed -- oil, coal, and natural gas will each still command larger shares of the market than all renewables combined. Keep in mind that total energy consumption is expected to be much greater in 2040 than at present. At that time, humanity will be using an estimated 815 quadrillion BTUs (compared to approximately 600 quadrillion today). In other words, though fossil fuels will lose some of their market share to renewables, they will still experience striking growth in absolute terms. Oil consumption, for example, is expected to increase by 34% from 90 million to 121 million barrels per day by 2040. Despite all the negative publicity it's been getting lately, coal, too, should experience substantial growth, rising from 153 to 180 quadrillion BTUs in "delivered energy" over this period. And natural gas will be the fossil-fuel champ, with global demand for it jumping by 70%. Put it all together and the consumption of fossil fuels is projected to increase by 177 quadrillion BTUs, or 38%, over the period the report surveys. Anyone with even the most rudimentary knowledge of climate science has to shudder at such projections. After all, emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels account for approximately three-quarters of the greenhouse gases humans are putting into the atmosphere. An increase in their consumption of such magnitude will have a corresponding impact on the greenhouse effect that is accelerating the rise in global temperatures. At the United Nations Climate Summit in Paris last December, delegates from more than 190 countries adopted a plan aimed at preventing global warming from exceeding 2 degrees Celsius (about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial level. This target was chosen because most scientists believe that any warming beyond that will result in catastrophic and irreversible climate effects, including the melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice caps (and a resulting sea-level rise of 10-20 feet). Under the Paris Agreement, the participating nations signed onto a plan to take immediate steps to halt the growth of greenhouse gas emissions and then move to actual reductions. Although the agreement doesn't specify what measures should be taken to satisfy this requirement -- each country is obliged to devise its own "intended nationally determined contributions" to the overall goal -- the only practical approach for most countries would be to reduce fossil fuel consumption. As the 2016 EIA report makes eye-poppingly clear, however, the endorsers of the Paris Agreement aren't on track to reduce their consumption of oil, coal, and natural gas. In fact, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise by an estimated 34% between 2012 and 2040 (from 32.3 billion to 43.2 billion metric tons). That net increase of 10.9 billion metric tons is equal to the total carbon emissions of the United States, Canada, and Europe in 2012. If such projections prove accurate, global temperatures will rise, possibly significantly above that 2 degree mark, with the destructive effects of climate change we are already witnessing today -- the fires, heat waves, floods, droughts, storms, and sea level rise -- only intensifying. Exploring the Roots of Addiction Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). If there's any debate right now in the major U.S. media regarding blowing people up with missiles from drones, it's about "transparency" (official reporting on who's killed) or death counts of those people somehow identified as civilians. But unless drones are just a means of vicariously venting rage, or of profiting drone manufacturers, they are -- like the wider wars they are part of -- supposed to serve some purpose. Although terrorism keeps increasing during the Overseas Contingency Operations Formerly Known as the Global War on Terrorism, in theory the war making is supposed to (1) not be terrorism itself, and (2) reduce terrorism or end it. While I think a strong case can be made that neither of those conditions has been or ever could be met, and that even as mass therapy or economic catalyst the whole thing is doomed to failure, the drones are the piece of it that has begun to be recognized as counterproductive. In a master's thesis from a student at Georgetown University, summarized in a recent article, Emily Manna took data on terrorism in Pakistan between 2006 and 2012 from the Global Terrorism Database and data on drone strikes where it was corroborated by both the New America Foundation and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Manna found that after the United States begins attacking a province with drones, terrorism increases there. Three years ago, a young man from Yemen whose village had been attacked by a U.S. drone the week before, testified before Congress. Farea Al-muslimi said that, as with many known drone strikes, the supposed target was a well-known man who could very easily have been arrested. Al-muslimi said that when his neighbors think of America, they think of "the terror they feel from the drones that hover over their heads ready to fire missiles at any time. What violent militants had previously failed to achieve, one drone strike accomplished in an instant. There is now an intense anger against America." President Barack Obama used to hold up Yemen as the example of a successful drone war. That was before the drone strikes contributed to creating a wider war, and before the wider war waged by Saudi Arabia and the United States further strengthened al Qaeda in Yemen. The Chicot report recently highlighted the fact that Prime Minister Tony Blair was warned before the attack on Iraq that it would increase terrorism and could result, as it did, in something like ISIS. The U.S. government had the same understanding as well, and also had the same expectation of likely chaos for Syria if its government were overthrown, before beginning to work for that overthrow. Later Obama asked the CIA for a report on whether arming proxies had ever worked. The closest the CIA could come to a successful case was 1980s Afghanistan. Need I spell out what that created? (Yes, Obama proceeded to arm proxies in Syria anyway.) A CIA report warns that drone strikes can increase terrorism: "The potential negative effects . . . include increasing the level of insurgent support ["], strengthening an armed group's bonds with the population, radicalizing an insurgent group's remaining leaders, creating a vacuum into which more radical groups can enter." Former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Paterson's cables published by WikiLeaks stated that drone strikes "risk destabilizing the Pakistani state, alienating both the civilian government and military leadership, and provoking a broader governance crisis in Pakistan without finally achieving the goal." According to Mark Mazzetti, "The CIA station chief in Islamabad thought the drone strikes in 2005 and 2006 -- which, while infrequent at that time, were often based on bad intelligence and had resulted in many civilian casualties -- had done little except fuel hatred for the United States inside Pakistan and put Pakistani officials in the uncomfortable position of having to lie about the strikes." Former Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair said that while "drone attacks did help reduce the Qaeda leadership in Pakistan, they also increased hatred of America." Another Obama advisor, Michael Boyle, said drone strikes have "adverse strategic effects that have not been properly weighed against the tactical gains associated with killing terrorists " The vast increase in the number of deaths of low-ranking operatives has deepened political resistance to the U.S. program in Pakistan, Yemen and other countries." Yet another, Gen. James E. Cartwright, the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, according to the New York Times, that "America's aggressive campaign of drone strikes could be undermining long-term efforts to battle extremism. 'We're seeing that blowback. If you're trying to kill your way to a solution, no matter how precise you are, you're going to upset people even if they're not targeted.'" Micah Zenko at the Council on Foreign Relations has found that "There appears to be a strong correlation in Yemen between increased targeted killings since December 2009 and heightened anger toward the United States and sympathy with or allegiance to AQAP ... One former senior military official closely involved in U.S. targeted killings argued that 'drone strikes are just a signal of arrogance that will boomerang against America ... A world characterized by the proliferation of armed drones ... would undermine core U.S. interests, such as preventing armed conflict, promoting human rights, and strengthening international legal regimes.' Because of drones' inherent advantages over other weapons platforms, states and nonstate actors would be much more likely to use lethal force against the United States and its allies." Robert Grenier, who was Director of the CIA's Counter-Terrorism Center from 2004 to 2006, has asked: "How many Yemenis may be moved in future to violent extremism in reaction to carelessly targeted missile strikes, and how many Yemeni militants with strictly local agendas will become dedicated enemies of the West in response to U.S. military actions against them?" Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). A school board in the eastern state of Virginia has filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to halt a ruling that allows a transgender student to use the boys' restroom next school year. The Gloucester County School Board is trying to prevent Gavin Grimm from using the bathroom that matches his gender identity when school resumes later this year, saying it will "put parents' constitutional rights in jeopardy." Grimm sued the school district last year for the right to use the boys' restroom after the school board enacted a policy limiting bathroom use to the one corresponding with a person's biological sex rather than the gender with which the student identifies. Grimm was born female but identifies as male. "Depriving parents of any say over whether their children should be exposed to members of the opposite biological sex, possibly in a state of full or complete undress, in intimate settings deprives parents of their right to direct the education and upbringing of their children,'' attorneys for the school board wrote. The ACLU, which is defending Grimm, has argued that forcing him to use the girls' bathroom is a violation of Title IX and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Progressive Content Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing. To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here. Biosensors Market To Be Driven By Increasing Demand For Early Medical Diagnosis And Specific Detection Techniques Till 2020: Grand View Research, Inc. http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/biosensors-market Global Biosensors Market() is expected to reach USD 21.17 billion by 2020, according to a new study published by Grand View Research, Inc. Biosensors, owing to their capability to resolve various analytical issues in diverse areas such as medicine, pharmacology, food & agriculture safety and defense, are expected to witness a rapid growth in demand over the next six years. Increasing demand for specific detection techniques for early diagnosis in the healthcare sector is expected to drive the overall biosensors market during the forecast period. Furthermore, the expanding role of biosensors in the real world environment has led to a hike in R&D efforts globally.Further key findings from the study suggest: Optical biosensors are identified as the most lucrative technology segment of this market and are expected to grow at a CAGR of over 7.0% during the forecast period. Growing use of these sensors in the field of environmental scanning is one of the key drivers of this market. The recent progress in optical biosensors has made them apt for environmental scanning wherein they are used for quantifying and characterizing environmental pollutants. Biosensors are mostly used in devices enabled with point of care testing. The biosensors based point of care testing segment accounted for over 40% of the end-use market in 2013. Moreover, rising demand for portable and integrated technologies that can be operated by untrained personnel outside conventional laboratories is expected to improve usage rates. North America accounted for more than 35% of the market in 2013. Biosensors witness the highest market penetration rates in this region owing to the presence of high procedure volumes supported by favorable government initiatives. Moreover, rapidly growing demand for point of care and home healthcare markets in the U.S. is expected to drive regional market growth during the forecast period. Asia Pacific has high future growth potential owing to the presence of large untapped opportunities in the emerging markets of India and China. Presence of favorable government initiatives aimed at improving environmental conditions and enhancing healthcare infrastructure in Japan and Australia are also expected to serve as a high impact rendering driver for this market. Key players of this market include Abbott Point of Care Inc., Roche, Lifescan Inc., Bayer AG, Medtronic Inc., Universal Biosensors, Siemens Healthcare and Nova Biomedical Corporation.For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global biosensors market on the basis of application, technology and end-use:Global Biosensors Application Outlook (Market Revenue in USD Million, 2012 2020) Medical Applications Cholesterol Testing Blood Glucose Monitoring Blood Gas Analyzer Pregnancy Testing Drug Discovery Infectious Diseases Food Toxicity Detection Industrial Process Control (Bioreactor) Agriculture Environment OthersGlobal Biosensors Technology Outlook (Market Revenue in USD Million, 2012 2020) Thermal Biosensors Electrochemical Biosensors Piezoelectric Biosensors Optical BiosensorsGlobal Biosensors End-use Outlook (Market Revenue in USD Million, 2012 2020) Home Healthcare Diagnostics Point of Care Testing Food Industry Research Laboratories Security and Bio-DefenseBiosensors Regional Outlook (Market Revenue in USD Million, 2012 2020) North America U.S. Canada Europe UK Spain Germany Asia Pacific India China Japan RoWAbout Grand View ResearchGrand 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.Press ContactSherry James - Corporate Relations Specialist28 2nd Street, Suite 3036San Francisco, CA 94105United StatesPhone: 1-415-349-0058Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Scope e-Knowledge Center Implements First Of Its Kind Program For The Visually Impaired www.scopeknowledge.com www.scopeknowledge.com www.scopeknowledge.com Chennai, India, July 11, 2016: Scope e-Knowledge Center (Scope), a leading provider of knowledge services and a Quatrro Global Services company, is pleased to announce a unique partnership with an exclusive technology centre for the visually impaired. As part of this initiative, Scope recently extended employment offers to twelve visually impaired candidates.Tram Venkatraman, President of Scope, commented, To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time ever that visually challenged people have been employed in our industry. We at Scope are very excited about the successful outcome and the difference we will be making in the lives of these visually challenged people. We look forward to having them on board.A team from Scope recently conducted a test and interview process with a number of candidates. Sixteen qualified for employment, twelve of whom joined the Scope team on July 1, 2016, 4 others are undergoing training before coming on board.The program was implemented in partnership with the Karna Vidya Technology Centre (KVTC), a not-for-profit training and placement centre for the visually impaired. KVTC is fully supported by the Rotary Club of Madras Coromandel. Working with the motto Empowerment through Employment!, the Centre conducts technology aided certificate courses for the visually impaired, utilizing professional trainers for specific subject areas. A team of advisors helps the centre execute courses that best suit the needs of the candidates. Scope's training teams also partner with KVTC to build customized training modules so as to skill the visually impaired.About Scope e-Knowledge CenterScope, a Quatrro Global Services company, is an award-winning provider of outsourced, cost-effective Content Enhancement Services, Data Management Services, Business Research Services and Patent Analytics for various clients across the globe. Scope, a niche knowledge services provider, has employees from various educational backgrounds and experience delivering knowledge solutions across multiple industry verticals and domains. Scope fulfils customer needs by leveraging its experience and capabilities using in-house developed proprietary technology solutions and platforms for service delivery as well as its internal needs. Scope is also the publisher of the daily newsletter Knowledgespeak, a comprehensive news service focusing on the STM information industry.For more information, please contact:Scope e-Knowledge CenterRichard KobelVice President,Business Development,USAScope e-Knowledge Center+1 631 375 1555rkobel@scopeknowledge.comDeborah HarmanAssociate Vice President,Business Development,UK & EuropeScope e-Knowledge Center+44 770 203 6704Deborah@scopeknowledge.comAbhinav ShankarBusiness AnalystUSAScope e-Knowledge Center,+1 908 845 7889abhinav.shankar@scopeknowledge.com Industrial Fasteners Market Is Expected To Witness Growth On Account Of Increasing Government Investments In Commercial Aircraft & Aerospace In Asia Pacific Region Till 2020 http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/industrial-fasteners-market Global Industrial Fasteners Market() is expected to reach USD 104.32 billion by 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing demand for fasteners in automotive industry coupled with growing construction spending as a result of economic growth and industrialization in emerging markets of China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Indonesia and India is expected to drive demand for fasteners over the next six years. Asia Pacific is expected to witness growth on account of increasing government investments in commercial aircraft & aerospace, defense and non building construction. Advanced processing technique and improved mechanical properties of fasteners is expected to serve new growth opportunities for the market. In addition, development of railroad fasteners is expected to open new market avenues for manufacturers over the next six years.Externally threaded fasteners were the largest product segment and accounted for over 45% of market share in 2013. Growth can be attributed to increasing use of fasteners in the automotive OEM, machinery OEM and construction industry.Further key findings from the study suggest: Automotive OEM was the second largest application market accounting for over 20% of revenue share in 2013 and is expected to show significant growth over the forecast period as a result of increasing production of automobiles in China, Japan, Australia, Mexico, U.S. and India. Construction is expected to witness swift demand growth at an estimated CAGR of 6.9% from 2014 to 2020, due to rising government funding for large scale infrastructure and residential construction in emerging markets of China, Argentina, India, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Asia Pacific was the largest regional market accounting for over 30% revenue share in 2013 and is expected to witness growth at an estimated CAGR of around 7% from 2014 to 2020, owing to increasing production of motor vehicles, industrial machinery and electrical & electronic components. In addition, growing construction industry in China, Japan, India, Thailand, Australia, South Korea and Taiwan is expected to further fuel market growth. Key market participants include Acument Global Technologies, ITW, Nifco, LISI Group, Alcoa, Standard Fasteners Ltd., Dokka Fasteners, Kova Fasteners Pvt. Ltd., Hilti, Penn Engineering, Precision Castparts Corp., EJOT, ATF Inc., Stanley Black & Decker and MW Industries Inc. Various companies are employing nanocomposite material processing technique for the production of aerospace fasteners which is anticipated to improve performance characteristics along with cost reduction.For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global industrial fasteners market on the basis of product, application and region:Global Industrial Fasteners Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2020) Externally Threaded Aerospace Grade Other Standard FastenersGlobal Industrial Fasteners Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2020) Automotive OEM Machinery OEM Construction MRO Other OEMGlobal Industrial Fasteners Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2020) North America Europe Asia Pacific RoWAbout Grand View ResearchGrand 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.Press ContactSherry James - Corporate Relations Specialist28 2nd Street, Suite 3036San Francisco, CA 94105United StatesPhone: 1-415-349-0058Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Global Piston Pin Industry demand, analysis & forecast to 2021 available in new report Piston Pin http://goo.gl/lCYL5x http://goo.gl/82Y2Se Global Piston Pin Industry 2016The report provides a basic overview of Piston Pin 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 Piston Pin 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.Browse Full Report with TOC @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 Piston Pin industry. Development proposals and the feasibility of new investments are also analyzed. Companies and individuals interested in the structure and value of the Piston Pin industry should consult this report for guidance and direction.The report begins with a brief overview of the Global Piston Pin market and then moves on to evaluate the key trends of the market. The key trends shaping the dynamics of the Global Piston Pin market have been scrutinized along with the related current events, which is impacting the market. Drivers, restraints, opportunities, and threats of the Global Piston Pin market have been analyzed in the report. Moreover, the key segments and the sub-segments that constitutes the market is also explained in the report.Get Free Sample @Table of ContentsChapter One Piston Pin Industry Overview1.1 Piston Pin Definition(Product Picture and Specifications)1.2 Piston Pin Classification and Application1.3 Piston Pin Industry Chain Structure1.4 Piston Pin Industry Overview1.5 Piston Pin Industry History1.6 Piston Pin Industry Competitive Landscape1.7 Piston Pin Industry International and China Development ComparisonChapter Two Piston Pin Market Data Analysis2.1 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Piston Pin Price List2.2 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Piston Pin Gross Margin List2.3 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Piston Pin Capacity and Market Share List2.4 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Piston Pin Production and Market Share List2.5 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Piston Pin Production Value and Market Share ListChapter Three Piston Pin Technical Data Analysis3.1 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Piston Pin Product Quality List3.2 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Piston Pin Product Line Capacity and Commercial Production Date3.3 2016 Manufacturing Base(Factory) Global Regional Distribution3.4 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Piston Pin R&D Status and Technology Sources3.5 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Piston Pin Equipment Investment and Performance3.6 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Piston Pin Raw Materials Sources AnalysisChapter Four Piston Pin Government Policy and News4.1 Government Related Policy Analysis4.2 Industry News Analysis4.3 Piston Pin Industry Development TrendAbout 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 The Need To Conserve And Optimize Energy Utilization Will Act As Key Growth Drivers For Home Energy Management Systems Market Till 2020: Grand View Research, Inc. http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/smart-home-energy-management http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/smart-home-energy-management The Global Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) Market() is expected to exceed USD 2 billion by 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. Owing to increasing energy cost coupled with growing environmental concerns, energy management has emerged as a significant priority, which is expected to fuel the HEMS market. The need to conserve and optimize energy utilization is expected to serve as a key market driver. Increased connectivity and widespread adoption of smartphones is also expected to favorably impact the market growth. Energy management products demand has gained momentum over the last few years owing to use of variable pricing schemes offered by service providers. Favorable regulatory initiatives in the U.S. pertaining to energy conservation are expected to propel regional HEMS market growth.High installation cost coupled with system complexity is expected to pose a challenge to market growth over the forecast period. Lack of consumer awareness regarding home energy management systems and the benefits they offer may also hinder the HEMS market. Technological proliferation along with decreased sensor and display costs, improved device-level information processing capability, and roll-out of smart utility meters provide avenues for market growth.Browse full research report on Global Home Energy Management Systems Market:Further key findings from the study suggest: Wi-Fi emerged as the dominant segment in 2013; it is expected to continue accounting for considerable market share over the forecast period. ZigBee, a standard for wireless networks, is expected to be a high growth segment over the forecast period. This can be attributed to its ability to support needs of various utilities, government groups and product manufacturers. The HEMS market is dominated by control devices and systems; these include thermostats, whole home lighting systems and home automation systems. Enabling technologies are expected to witness high growth over the next six years due to popularity of technologies such as home area network, ZigBee and sensing. On account of favorable government initiatives and growing need to address issues related to aging infrastructure, North America is expected to emerge as the most dominant regional market over the forecast period. Smart meter mandates by utilities is primarily expected to drive the HEMS market in Europe. Key market participants include Intel Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Cisco Systems Inc, General Electric Co. and Honeywell International. Innovations and extensive product development are expected to be the key growth strategies over the forecast period.For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global HEMS market on the basis of technology, component and region:HEMS Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2020) Wi-Fi ZigBee Wireless M-Bus HomePlug Z-Wave OthersHEMS Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2020) Enabling Technologies User Interface Control DevicesHEMS Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2020) North America Europe Asia Pacific RoWAbout Grand View ResearchGrand 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.Press ContactSherry James - Corporate Relations Specialist28 2nd Street, Suite 3036San Francisco, CA 94105United StatesPhone: 1-415-349-0058Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com A great insight of the Spanish Fiesta was given midst the heat of the bulls www.Costadevalencia.com Language students from Valencia in the middle of a Spanish adventure.Valencia. If you ask students of a Spanish language school what comes into their minds when thinking of Spain, many answers are given: sun, beach, Fiesta and of course bulls or in Spanish los toros. However, the traditional bull fights are not the only thing meant by that. In Valencia, for example are days were the so-called running of the bulls takes place. The animals run through the streets and the visitors have the chance to watch or even run along.The opportunity to get to know this Spanish tradition was given to students of a Spanish language school. Together they went to Picassent, a little burgh of Valencia, where they were warmly welcomed with Bocadillos and drinks. Who wished could also try a typical Spanish anise schnapps made in Valencia. Right after drinking one shot, it is custom to get splashed with water. After a short while, this custom turned into a small water battle, which felt good considering the sun and the heat. The best thing was that everybody had fun together, regardless of the knowledge of the Spanish language or ones origin. What counted was the mutual experience!Than it was time to go on the street were the bulls would run. A fence separated the students from the track, who was brave enough could just slip through and witness the happenings up close. Everybody sought shelter just in time for the bulls of course, but it was still very exciting.Typical for the loose and open Spanish lifestyle there was a multitude of bars alongside the street in which one could refresh oneself in a different manner: sprinkler systems were installed on the ceiling, which soaked the visitor wet. People from all over had the opportunity to celebrate with the locals without any concern of a language barrier it was a whole day of joy and Fiesta! Students of a Spanish language school do not just learn the Spanish language, they also learn the Spanish way of life.Here and there, the running of the bulls could be seen from the bars and if one wanted to go somewhere else, one had to cross the street. This was not very dangerous but gave still the students a kick of adrenalin to not get tired from all the dancing. The especially brave ones even reached for the horns of the bulls or tried to touch them. This turned out to be rarely successful. Still, what mattered on this trip with the Spanish language school Costa de Valencia were not only the animals but also to have a lot of fun with this Spanish tradition.In the evening, the opportunity was given to get to know the newly found friends even better, with good Paella. This was the crowning finish of an exciting day, which will not be forgotten by the Spanish Students in Valencia. In short: a Spanish adventure for the Spanish students.Since 1995 the language school Costa de Valencia has focused on teaching Spanish to non-native speakers. This language school, which is situated in the heart of Valencia, is a Centro Acreditado of the Instituto Cervantes and a member of many associations.The teaching material, which is used during the lessons, is worked out by a team of well-versed teachers. One of the most important aspects of teaching in this school is the individual involvement of every single student. This way every student has the possibility to speak very much during the language course. Furthermore, both managers place big value the quality of the language lessons and a broadly diversified leisure programme.Costa de Valencia, S.L.Avda. Blasco Ibanez, 66E-46021 ValenciaTel.: (+34) 96 361 03 67Fax: (+34) 96 393 60 49info@costadevalencia.comContact person:Andreas Temer (manager)Andreas@Costadevalencia.com Florida is top target for foreign US property buyers www.feltrimgroup.com Foreign buyers bought more United States property in 2015/16 and their top target was Florida, new data shows.Buyers purchased 214,885 residential properties across the US in the year to March 2016, up 2.8% on the year before, according to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors.Florida accounted for more than one in five (22%) of all sales to foreign nationals, states the 2016 Profile of Home Buying Activity in US Residential Real Estate, which has just been published. Latin Americans, Europeans and Canadians who tend to buy in warm climates for vacation purposes mostly sought properties in Florida.Chinese buyers were the leading purchasers at $27.3billion, exceeding the value of the next four ranked countries combined, with $8.9billion spent by Canadians, $6.1billion by Indians and $4.8billion by Mexicans.Overall, 102.6billion was spent on residential property, just 1.3% lower than last year, mainly due to a strong dollar and foreign economic pressures.Foreign buyers typically spent $277,380, higher than the median price of all U.S. existing home sales of $223,058. Chinese buyers typically spend the most, with a median price of $542,084.Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says this years findings highlight the tremendous appeal U.S. real estate still has on many foreign nationals despite the price of property becoming less affordable.Weaker economic growth throughout the world, devalued foreign currencies and financial market turbulence combined to present significant challenges for foreign buyers over the past year.While these obstacles led to a cool down in sales from non-resident foreign buyers, the purchases by recent immigrant foreigners rose, resulting in the overall sales dollar volume still being the second highest since 2009.Foreigners especially those from China continue to see the U.S. as a solid investment opportunity and an attractive place to visit and live.Although Chinas currency modestly weakened versus the U.S. dollar in the past year, its much stronger than it was 5 to 10 years ago, thereby making U.S. properties still appear reasonably affordable over a longer time span.Garrett Kenny, Chief Executive Officer of top Central Florida developer and agency, Feltrim Group, which has a high proportion of international buyers in its luxury resorts, says education is a strong motivator for many Chinese investors.With around half of our homes in our newest luxury lakeside development, Balmoral at Waters Edge, being snapped up by Chinese buyers, demand from Asia continues to be strong.Many buyers are looking for homes near good schools, as they see the benefits of their children being educated here. Others see business opportunities of being in the Orlando region and want to take advantage of strong buy-to-let demand from the 66 million tourists the area attracts.A majority of foreign buyers over the past year purchased a single-family home, and nearly half bought in a suburban area, says the National Association of Realtors report.Twothirds or more of buyers from each China, India, Mexico and the United Kingdom purchased detached single-family homes, while Canadian buyers were the most likely to buy a multi-family home.NARs 2016 Profile of Home Buying Activity in U.S. Residential Real Estate, conducted in April 2016, surveyed a sample of Realtors to measure the share of U.S. residential real estate sales to international clients, and to provide a profile of the origin, destination, and buying preferences of international clients, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by Realtors in serving foreign clients.The survey presents information about transactions with international clients during the 12-month period between April 2015 and March 2016. A total of 5,960 Realtors responded to the 2016 survey.The National Association of Realtors is Americas largest trade association, representing 1.1million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.Feltrim Group began almost 20 years ago with CEO Garrett Kenny's vision of operating a world class, internationally connected real estate firm.The group is headquartered in the heart of Florida in the city of Davenport and now brings together construction, real estate, management and immigration services for international and local buyers as well as investors.Feltrim Group constantly strives to embrace new technologies, social media and traditional and non-traditional advertising platforms. Feltrim has evolved with the times and now has a multinational approach to Florida real estate and US-wide immigration services.For more details, seeFeltrim Group116 Polo Park East BlvdDavenport, FL 33897CEO, Garrett Kenny1-866-668-8326 Coil Coatings Market Premium Analysis with Future Insight by 2023 http://www.mrrse.com/coil-coating-market http://www.mrrse.com/sample/1521 Coil coatings are multilayered complex coatings of resins, pigments, and primers over metal rolls. Metal substrates (usually steel and aluminum) are roll coated in order to provide weather resistance and corrosion resistance. Coated metal rolls, sheets, and strips are then molded into necessary shapes. These coil coated metal objects are used in construction projects, automotive fabrication, appliances, HVAC systems, and furniture.This report provides detailed description of the global coil coatings market based on volume share (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) from 2014 to 2023. It highlights factors contributing to the growth of the market. It also enumerates the restraints of the market. Detailed forecast for coil coatings from 2015 to 2023 has been provided separately for better understanding of the market scenario. The coil coatings market is described with respect to various segments along with potential opportunities during the next six years.Complete Report with TOC @In terms of geography, the global coil coatings market has been segmented into the following regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Each region has been further divided into countries that are key markets for coil coatings. The study also analyzes market attractiveness for key countries with the help of the market attractiveness tool.The study segments the global coil coatings market on the basis of products (active ingredients) such as polyester, silicone modified polyester, Polyvinylidene fluoride, polyurethane, plastisols, and others (including epoxides and acrylics). It provides forecasts and estimates for each product segment in terms of revenue and volume during the forecast period for each region, including countries as well.The study also segments the global coil coatings market on the basis of end-user industries such as construction, automotive, appliances, and others (including packaging, furniture and HVAC). It provides forecasts and estimates for each application segment in terms of revenue and volume during the forecast period for each region, including countries as well.Increasing demand for coil coatings in key end-user industries such as construction, especially non-residential construction, is projected to fuel the global coil coatings market. Swift growth in global population, especially in developing countries, is anticipated to boost the construction, automotive, and appliances markets in these countries. This, in turn, is projected to propel the demand for coil coatings. Rapid pace of industrial development and rising prosperity of the population in developing countries is a stimulant for growth of sales of products such as furniture, appliances, automotive, and houses. Coil coatings used in the manufacture of these products in order to impart longevity through weather resistance, corrosion resistance, and aesthetic appeal. However, demand for coil coatings in Europe is likely to decline from previous levels owing to severe debt crisis in the region. Market players are shifting their focus from the once dominant Europe market to Asia and other fast growing regions. Middle East & Africa is projected to offer opportunities for market growth primarily owing to growth in construction and appliances industries in the region.Request a Free Sample Copy of the Report @Value chain analysis and Porters Five Forces Model have been included in the report to provide a comprehensive view of the market. These would also help understand specifics of the industry structure apart from providing an overview of the degree of competitiveness. The report also comprises detailed profiles of key players such as Akzo Nobel N.V., The Valspar Corporation, Beckers Group, Nippon Paints Co. Ltd., BASF SE, The Dow Chemical Company, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Dura Coat Products, Inc., Bulk Chemicals Incorporated, Axalta Coating Systems LLC, and PPG Industries, Inc. Detailed description of players includes parameters such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, upcoming facilities, capacity addition, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, new products, and recent developments.About MRRSEMRRSE stands for Market Research Reports Search Engine, the largest online catalog of latest market research reports based on industries, companies, and countries. MRRSE sources thousands of industry reports, market statistics, and company profiles from trusted entities and makes them available at a click. Besides well-known private publishers, the reports featured on MRRSE typically come from national statistics agencies, investment agencies, leading media houses, trade unions, governments, and embassies.ContactCorporate OfficeState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.com Hwachae or traditional punch made with various fruits or edible flower petals is one of the popular drinks to help Koreans beat the summer heat. The first step to preparing a bowl of hwachae is to dice seasonal fruit and then soak them in sweetened water or juice. Flower petals can be added as a garnish. Ancient books on festive occasions at the royal court describe the punch as being made with omija (red Korean berries), diced pears and honey. Pears used to be the favorite, but watermelons, peaches and strawberries can be used instead. Smart Cities: A Challenging But Attractive Opportunity For Network Operators http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/306545 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/306545 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Smart Cities: A Challenging but Attractive Opportunity for Network Operators provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"DescriptionSmart Cities: A Challenging but Attractive Opportunity for Network Operators, a Research Report by Pyramid Research, analyzes the smart city proposition for network operators worldwide and how they are addressing the opportunity. The report discusses the urbanization trends worldwide and provides an in-depth analysis of elements of smart city services, the stakeholders in smart city projects and effective operator approaches and business models built around five, detailed operator case studies (AT&T, KT, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica and KPN) and reviews of developments in China and India.View Full Report at:Key FindingsAt a fundamental level, the smart city is an important and attractive opportunity for network operators. Cities are the engines of economic growth, but with growing populations they face important challenges many of which can be addressed through ICT and digital technologies.By their nature, smart city projects are complex, long term and unique with many stakeholders and a variety of priorities and business models. There is also strong competition from global and local vendors.Smart city growth is often not continuous and network operators need to carefully consider potential growth across their footprint, combined with their positioning in the different markets where they are present.Network operators are well positioned for the growth of M2M and IoT, which are the basis for many smart city services such as transport related, surveillance/ security and smart metering. Partnerships enable access to smart city expertise.Prior to allocating significant resources, operators need to both see a significant emphasis by governments on smart city investment and be sure they are positioned to take advantage.In most countries, however, there is no significant central government involvement, and city projects tend to move forward only when funding is made available locally, with only limited market potential.The most common approach is for operators to address various verticals that are attractive in themselves on a nationwide basis, but can also form part of a broader smart city project.Pyramid does not believe that the option of investing into dedicated smart city resources is viable for most operators, and rather recommends focusing on M2M and IoT services (and networks) which lowers risk and leaves smart city opportunities open.Download Detail Report With Complete TOC at:SynopsisSmart Cities: A Challenging but Attractive Opportunity for Network Operators, a Research Report by Pyramid Research, analyzes the smart city proposition for network operators worldwide and how they are addressing the opportunity. The report discusses the urbanization trends worldwide and provides an in-depth analysis of elements of smart city services, the stakeholders in smart city projects and effective operator approaches and business models built around five, detailed operator case studies (AT&T, KT, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica and KPN) and reviews of developments in China and India.The report is organized as follows:Introduction Background and overview: This section looks at the key trends that form the context of smart city projects, highlighting the rise of megacities. A discussion of how to define a smart city is also included.Smart city scope, stakeholders and value chain: This section analyzes the elements of a smart city, city priorities and smart city stakeholders. It also presents the smart city value chain and provides a theory of a virtuous circle triggered by smart city projects.Analysis of operator approaches: This section reviews the various smart city opportunities available to operators and an examination of most effective operator approaches to smart city services.Case studies: This section includes five operator-specific case studies (AT&T, KT, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica and KPN) analyzing a sample of smart city initiatives. It also includes two country-level case studies that analyze the smart city plans of the Chinese and Indian governments as well as operator initiatives in the two countries.Reasons To BuyThis Report provides a comprehensive examination of the smart city proposition for network operators, smart city projects, value chain and key stakeholders as well as effective operator strategies to help operators make informed decisions pertaining to investments in networks and technologies, develop key partnerships and optimize return on investment.This report compares smart city strategies and operator footprints and analyzes various smart city business models and approaches to help executives understand the growth opportunities and challenges facing their companies in the emerging field of smart city services.The comparative analysis of smart city go-to-market approaches from five leading operators will help service providers to determine key considerations for assessing smart city projects and develop innovative, effective business models to maximize their opportunities.The report incorporates an easily digestible, executive-level assessment of smart city projects and the role of network operators worldwide built around insights directly from the market stakeholders, which enables decision makers to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends and make informed business decisions.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 Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Therapeutics Market: Global Industry Analysis, Prevention, Management, Mechanisms and Symptoms Report 2015 - 2023 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/non-small-cell-lung-cancer-market.html http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=497268 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=497268 http://www.researchmoz.us/ Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Therapeutics Market: (By Drug Class: Angiogenesis Inhibitor, EGFR Inhibitor, Kinase Inhibitor, Microtubule Stabilizer, Folate Antimetabolites, and PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitor): Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023 Size and Share Published in 2015-11-27 Available for US$ 5795 at Researchmoz.usDescriptionFuul Report@$#This report on the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) Therapeutics market studies the current and future prospects of the global market. Non-small cell lung cancer is a type of lung cancer which accounted 85-90% of all lung cancers. There are three major subtypes of NSCLC namely squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. NSCLC is relatively insensitive to chemotherapy compared to small cell lung cancer. Increasing awareness along with incidence rate are expected to propel the global non-small cell lung cancer therapeutics market.The NSCLC market report comprises an elaborate executive summary, which includes a market snapshot that provides information about various segments and sub-segments of the market. It also provides information and data analysis of the global NSCLC therapeutics market with respect to the segments based on the type of drug class, and their geographic analysis. A detailed qualitative analysis of driving and restraining factors for the market growth and future opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. This section of the report also provides market attractiveness analysis, and market share analysis by key players, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global NSCLC therapeutics market.Based on drug class, the NSCLC therapeutics market has been segmented into six major categories: angiogenesis inhibitor, epidermal growth factor receptor blocker, kinase inhibitor, microtubule stabilizer, folate antimetabolites, and PD-1/ PD-L1 inhibitor. The market segments have been extensively analyzed based on usefulness, efficacy, revenue, and geographical coverage. The market size and forecast in terms of USD million for each segment has been provided for the period from 2013 to 2023. The report also provides the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for each market segment for the forecast period from 2015 to 2023, considering 2014 as the base year.Download Sample of this Report at:Geographically, the global NSCLC therapeutics market has been categorized into four major regions and the key countries in the respective region: North America (U.S., Canada), Europe (U.K., Germany, Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (Japan, China, and Rest of Asia Pacific), and Rest of the World. The market size and forecast for each of these regions and the mentioned countries has been provided for the period from 2013 to 2023, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2015 to 2023, considering 2014 as the base year. The research study also covers the competitive scenario in these regions.The report also profiles major players in the global NSCLC therapeutics market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments. Major players profiled in this report include Genentech, Inc. ( a Roche Company), Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer, Inc., Novartis AG, Astra Zeneca plc, and Celgene Corporation.The global non-small cell lung cancer therapeutics market is segmented as follows:Global Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Therapeutics Market, by Drug Class, 20132023 (US$ Mn)OverviewAngiogenesis InhibitorAvastin (bevacizumab)Cyramza (Ramucirumab)Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor BlockerTarceva (erlotinib)Gilotrif (afatinib)Iressa (gefitinib)Kinase InhibitorXalkori (crizotinib)Zykadia (ceritinib)Microtubule StabilizerAbraxane (paclitaxel protein bound)DocetaxelFolate AntimetabolitesAlimta (pemetrexed)PD-1/ PD-L1 InhibitorOpdivo (nivolumab)Keytruda (pembrolizumab)Pipeline Analysis: Global Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Therapeutics MarketOverviewLate Stage (Phase III) Forecast for Phase III Drugs Post Expected Launch till 2023 (US$ Mn)Avelumab - Pfizer, Inc.MPDL3280A - RocheMEDI4736 - AstraZenecaAbemaciclib - Eli Lilly and CompanyOthersEarly Stage (Phase I and II) (Qualitative Analysis - Tabular representation)Global Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Therapeutics Market, by Geography, 20132023 (US$ Mn)OverviewNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeU.K.GermanyRest of EuropeAsia PacificJapanChinaRest of Asia PacificRest of the WorldMake an Enquiry:Table of Content1. Preface1.1. Report Description1.2. Research Methodology1.3. Market Segmentation2. Executive Summary2.1. Market Snapshot2.2. Comparative Analysis: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Market, by Geography, 2014 & 2023 (Value %)About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives.Contact Us:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare, +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948sales@researchmoz.us Managed Equipment Services (MES) and Enterprise Compliance and Quality Management (ECQM) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2162 Managed Equipment Services (MES) and Enterprise Compliance and Quality Management (ECQM) are software and programs that deal with streamlining data in organizations. These programs are used for identifying and preventing high risk events through integration, automation and collaboration. Most ECQM software target FDA compliance in the healthcare sector to deliver information at the right places whenever required. The softwares also perform risk analysis across all value chains along with a trend analysis which is essential in preventing future quality and compliance problems. In industries such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices, maintaining the highest quality levels, and a strict state of control and regulatory compliance not only affects the bottom line and in many cases is a matter of life and death.Read More :The surging demand for medical devices, pharmaceuticals and research of these industries is driving the demand for MES and ECQM. Increasing governmental regulations and stringent quality control guidelines established by regulatory authorities will compel the healthcare industry to opt for strong support programs if they are to sustain in the market. With large volumes of data from medical research, patient medical history and other areas such as clinical trials and biotechnology, manufacturers have increasing found it challenging to continue expansion. The greatest challenge for the MES and ECQM market is the low awareness and reluctance of these programs in the developing regions of the world. North America and Europe remain the highes t adopters of these softwares with an aggregate share of over 65%. Asia-Pacific is observing a reluctant acceptance within its otherwise family-held private healthcare business sectors. The market for MES is also increasing due to rising energy costs and the softwares assist significantly in reducing ambient costs for manufacturers.In terms of market players, the industry is highly fragmented with hundreds of global and regional players vying to garner respectable revenue generation. Some of the companies offering these programs are Assurx, SpartaSystems, PilgrimSoftware, IBS-US (Siemens), ETQ, GEHealthcare, Syniverse, SAP, Invensys and Infosys.About UsTMR is a 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 business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Oakmere Advisors in Tokyo, Japan, Singapore: Learn How to Invest in Stocks http://oakmereadvisors.com/ A friend recently said that she got an old laptop from her son in order to go into stock investing. So, she is not only beginning to learn how to use a laptop, as well as a tablet, but also how to invest in stocks. At way past, 65 years, it is never too late.Investing in stocks overtakes other instruments, such as treasury bills, cash or gold in the long run. Within a short period, however, other assets may outperform stocks, but, in general, stocks have outperformed other instruments hands down.How do you invest in stocks? There are several ways: individual stocks, index funds, mutual funds, ETFs, domestic, foreign. Which should one choose? Here, as a beginner-investor, you will gain insight into how you can make your money grow through stock investing. But before we start, kindly answer this first question.Ask this important questionWhich are you: a risk-taker, risk-hater or in between? Do you grab at any chance to make a big gain or do you take time to make a sure profit? Is a 10% drop in a single stock in a day or a 30% drop over a couple of weeks enough reason to unload in a hurry?Answering this vital question might determine whether you enjoy taking risks or would rather avoid it. If the latter applies, you might have a better time dealing with mutual funds or index funds since they are well diversified and contain many different stocks which have reduced risks and require no research into an individual stock.Do you have the time and aptitude to invest?Depending on how much time you have, you may choose between investing in funds or stocks.The choice depends on the time you want to spend on this endeavor. Proper selection of mutual or index funds will allow you to invest money and letting the fund manager do the difficult job of selecting stocks for you. Even simpler are index funds since they vary depending on the class of industry, firm or market they are meant to monitor.Investing in individual stocks, on the other hand, consumes a lot of your time since it involves making evaluations about management, incomes and potential growth. You now endeavor, as an investor, to make a distinction between revenue-making stocks and financial failure. Educate yourself about what they can do financially, how they can create wealth for you, the potential risks, prospects for your future and many others.Hence, determine your comfortable extent of involvement in terms of time for this venture. Will you devote two or more hours a week evaluating various firms, or are you already too busy to put in the time? Like any other skill, investing in individual stocks requires ample time to nurture.A single basket of eggsPreferably, do not limit yourself to just one asset. As an example, do not invest only in small biotech firms. Although the prospects of gaining can be bright, certain actions -- particularly by the Food and Drug Administration rejecting many applications for new drugs can affect your investments, if not totally wipe them out.Diversifying over a wide choice of various sectors, for instance, real estate (a real estate investment trust is a good prospect), insurance, consumer goods, commodities, etc., instead of only a few of these candidates will favor your potential success. Think of choosing several asset types along with putting some money in cash and bonds, as opposed to investing fully in stocks. Decide how you want to spread your investment across these sectors and classes as long as you do it as broadly as possible to minimize losing everything all at once.A Beginners PortfolioAs a beginner, consider investing a big bulk of your money in two or more index funds, those which track the broad market (such as the S&P 500) and another one which provides some global exposure. Also add one that tracks small companies (such as the Russell 2000) to boost your portfolio.Such a portfolio consisting of those three would provide sufficient variety, the more stable performance of big firms and the dynamic qualities of both global companies and small caps.A Portfolio with Individual StocksIndividual stocks can offer plenty of diversification if you build a portfolio of 12 to 20 good choices, just the right number you can comfortably monitor on a regular basis. Nevertheless, make sure you completely decipher every company concerned, from its operations to its various risk sources. If you intend to engage only in stocks, spread your money over various sectors, for instance, technology, health care, big as well as small cap.If time is a big concern for you or have no intention of choosing so many stocks to monitor, think of selecting a combination of individual stocks and index funds. In addition, particularly if you begin with minimal funds, investing in 12 to 20 stocks may be undoable. Thus, investing a big share of your money in funds would offer more stable returns often generated by such funds. Augmenting maybe five or six individual stocks more could spice up your portfolio.Time to InvestOnce you have determined the contents of your portfolio, it is time to invest. Find a broker you are comfortable with, whether online or through a local office or both. Call and talk with this person, if necessary. Then do the necessary documents, deposit some money and open an account.Once you have decided which to invest in, enter slowly that is, do not buy everything at one time. The danger lies in the dire possibility of a market downturn and you invest all your money at once. Such a turn of events could be disastrous for you, financially and psychologically. Spread all your investment funds over several months to reduce any diverse market risks. Finally, remember to set aside time each week to review or catch up on the news for your investments.Continue AddingAs time goes on and you gain confidence through experience, your asset distribution habits will certainly improve. You can then amend your portfolio regularly, yearly or so, by disposing of some stocks in one class of investment and investing more in another class. Eventually, you can shift your portfolio by adding more funds to those sectors where you desire more exposure.These increased funds can be utilized to increase the number of stocks you hold or can be augmented to your present holdings. Once you practice this regularly, you could have a sizeable portfolio that can support your retirement well, finance a new dream house or satisfy other needs you may have which led you to invest in the first place.The Bottom LineThe first step in deciding to invest in the stock market is to consider what you wish to achieve and how to attain your goals while remaining within the limits of your risk capability. Evaluate the amount of time you can send in investing. Do this even before you let go of a single dollar and you will never have to falter along the way through moments of indecisiveness. Possessing prudence and knowledge before and after you begin your investing career will go a long way than merely chasing the latest hot stock. Remember, your money matters to you and you have a say as to what you want to get out of it and why.Oakmere Advisors works untiringly for its clients to ascertain that their assets serve their most vital needs to the highest level. In the present world of an ever-expanding information technology, our company believes that to serve you in the most efficient way, we have to obtain a comprehensive perspective of your objectives and dreams.KD Building 7F, Hirakawacho, Chiyoda-ku,Tokyo 102-0093, JapanEmail: info@oakmereadvisors.comTel: +8198-812-7446 Global Delivery Systems in Personal Care Market : Estimated to Value US$ 543,373.2 thousand by 2020 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3373 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/delivery-systems-in-personal-care-market/toc According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Delivery Systems in Personal Care - Asia to Witness Highest Growth by 2020, the global personal care delivery system market was valued at US$ 345,287.3 thousand in 2014 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.8% from 2014 to 2020, to reach US$ 543,373.2 thousand by 2020.The skin is one of the most important and largest organs of the human body. The personal care industry is constantly working towards developing effective products to maintain the health and beauty of this organ.Delivery systems are used in personal care to enhance active stabilization. The performance of cosmetic products is boosted by the stabilization of active ingredients on the surface of the skin through delivery systems, which deliver active ingredients to defined areas of the organ.Globally, the personal care delivery system market is witnessing significant growth due to increasing prevalence of skin diseases, harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, growing aging population and increase in disposable income leading to rising in spending on personal care. However, stringent regulatory requirements for the approval of cosmetic ingredients are key restraints for delivery systems in the personal care market.The global personal care delivery system market is anticipated to grow from an estimated US$ 345,287.3 thousand in 2014 to US$ 543,373.2 thousand by 2020 at a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period.Interested in report: Please follow the below the links to meet your requirements; Request for the Report Sample:In terms of revenue, Europe dominates the personal care delivery system market due to the increasing aging population. In addition, growing awareness about therapeutic applications of delivery systems is also contributing to the growth of personal care delivery systems market in the region.The personal care delivery systems market in North America is growing due to increasing aging population and availability of advanced personal care products in the region. In addition, increased awareness about potential applications of personal care products in the treatment of skin and hair diseases is also contributing to the growth of this market in North America.Request TOC (table of content), Figures and Tables of the Report:Asia represents the fastest-growing region in the personal care delivery systems market. This is due to growing geriatric population and rising awareness about various skin diseases in the region. In addition, increasing disposable income is also supporting the growth of the personal care delivery system market in the region.BASF SE, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Salvona Technologies Inc., and Lipotec SAU are some of the leading players in the personal care delivery systems market. Other major players of personal care delivery systems market include Clariant International Ltd., Centerchem Inc., Croda International Plc, Lonza Group Ltd, Minerals Technologies Inc., International Flora Technologies Ltd, Unipex Group Inc., Lipo Chemicals, Inc., and Glenn Corporation.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.ContactPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Medical Image Analysis Software Market Will Grow Sharply Based On Rising Incidence Of Chronic Diseases As Cancer Till 2024: Grand View Research, Inc. http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/medical-image-analysis-software-market The medical image analysis software market() is expected to reach USD 4.5 billion by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The clinical urgency to incorporate medical image analysis software for the diagnosis of chronic diseases is presumed to fuel the market growth throughout the forecast period. Moreover, the increased use of electronic health records to efficiently store, manage, and distribute patient health information in the form of medical images is also contributing towards the market growth. Additionally, continuous advancements in the technology, such as computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) are expected to provide potential growth opportunities for the utilization of the new and improved medical image software tools in a wide range of disease application areas including cancer and urology.The steady demand for diagnostic and treatment procedures with greater efficiency have consequentially boosted the industry share of the medical image analysis software tools with enhanced features. Improved image quality, high resolution, and multi-modal imaging platforms are the key associated benefits driving the physician preference, thereby fuelling the market demand. Furthermore, the incorporation of the software tools facilitates sharing of medical image records among physicians to facilitate rapid and accurate treatment delivery, thus the implied demand for the medical image analysis software systems. These aforementioned factors are expected to drive the emergence of the medical image analysis software market over the forecast period.Further key findings from the study suggest: On the basis of software type, the stand-alone software segment is anticipated to grow at a lucrative CAGR of over 7.5% over the forecast period due largely to the associated benefits, such as the systems with a user-friendly interface in use, which eliminates the requirement of skilled workforce to operate these systems In terms of modality, ultrasound imaging is expected to register a lucrative growth rate of over 8.9% in the coming eight years. According to a report by NCBI, the ultrasound imaging segment can detect around 92.5% of the breast lumps. Moreover, the use of high-frequency radiation is not involved, thus ensuring patient safety; the high diagnosis efficiency and patient safety factors are anticipated to further fuel this segments demand. On the basis of applications, the cardiology segment is expected to register the fastest growth owing to the rising in corporation of medical imaging systems used for the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), such as Merge Cardio, which integrates digital health records from various cardiology-based modalities thus furnishing cardiologists with comprehensive patient record files with additional features, such as remote location access, along with the high prevalence rate of the CVDs synergistically accelerating the growth of this segment. Diagnostic centers are anticipated to grow at a lucrative CAGR amongst the end-use market segment as a consequence of the increasing number of imaging diagnostic labs and the government initiatives in this direction. For example, Moldovan Ministry of Health along with International Finance Corporation are trying to attract private sector investors through public-private partnerships to set up and modernize radiology and diagnostic imaging. As of 2015, North America dominated the regional medical image analysis software market at over 33.0%as a result of the presence of leading industry players and the supportive reimbursement policies. The rising government funding directed towards improving the imaging facility is also a prime growth driver for this regional market. Asia Pacific is expected to be growing at the fastest CAGR of over 9.0% during the forecast period due to the rising penetration of the medical imaging systems in fast emerging economies of the Asia pacific region, such as China and India, investments in the healthcare industry, high R&D intensity by the major market players, and the presence of untapped opportunities Some key players catering to this industry are Philips Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, ClaroNav, Inc., GE Healthcare, Agfa Gevaert Corporation, Spacelabs Healthcare, Inc., Aquilab GmbH, MIM Software, Inc., Merge Healthcare, Inc., Carestream Health, Inc., Esaote, Inc., Bruker Corporation, and Xinapse Systems Ltd. These market players are adopting strategies, such as technological innovation, new product development, and strategic collaborations as well as mergers & acquisitions to maximize their industry share. In August 2015, GE Healthcare received an FDA approval for its low dose Computed Tomography for lung cancer screening thereby expanding its product portfolio.Grand View Research has segmented the medical image analysis software market on the basis of software type, modality, application, end-user, and region:Global medical image analysis software, software type outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Integrated Software Stand-alone SoftwareGlobal medical image analysis software modality outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Tomographyo CT (Computed Tomography)o MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)o PET (Positron Emission Tomography)o SPET (Single-Photon Emission Tomography) Ultrasound Imaging Radiographic Imaging Combined ModalitiesGlobal medical image analysis software application outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Orthopedic Dental Neurology Cardiology Oncology Obstetrics & Gynecology Mammography Urology & NephrologyGlobal medical image analysis software end-use outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Hospitals Diagnostic Centers Research CentersMedical image analysis software regional outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) North Americao U.S.o Canada Europeo UKo Germany Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao India Latin Americao Mexicoo Brazil MEAo South AfricaAbout Grand View ResearchGrand 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.Grand View Research, Inc.Press ContactSherry James - Corporate Sales Specialist, USA28 2nd Street, Suite 3036San Francisco, CA 94105United StatesPhone: 1-415-349-0058Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Coffee Market In Mexico To Dominate Food Industry At CAGR of 5.83% By 2020 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/741869 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/741869 About the Coffee Market in MexicoBrowse Full Report:The coffee market in Mexico comprises fresh roasted and ground coffee, instant coffee, RTD coffee, and coffee pods. Increasing demand from the millennial population has contributed to the rise in demand for coffee in Mexico. An improved economy and increased job opportunities have made different types of coffee more affordable for younger consumers. This demography is more likely to spend on premium beverage brands. This has led to a spurt of cafs and coffee shops, which has further strengthened Mexico's coffee market.Mexico has many certified organically grown coffees, sold in many North American specialty coffee stores. These coffees are certified by independent monitoring agencies. Coffee from Mexico is exported to the US, Japan, and Europe, especially to Germany.Technavios analysts forecast the coffee market in Mexico to grow at a CAGR of 5.83% during the period 2016-2020.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the coffee market in Mexico for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, Technavio considers the revenue generated from the total consumption of coffee in Mexico. The report does not include revenue generated from the aftermarket service of the product.The market is divided into the following segments based on types:Instant coffeeFresh roasted and ground coffeeRTD coffeeCoffee podTechnavio's report, Coffee Market in Mexico 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.To Download Sample Copy Of This Report:Key vendorsGrupo LALANestleSabormexSigma AlimentosOther prominent vendorsCafincoMondelz InternationalMarket driverDemand for organic coffeeFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengePrice volatility of coffeeFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendHigh demand for single-serve coffee podsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?You can request one free hour of our analysts time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.Marketresearchreports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. Marketresearchreports.biz services are especially designed to save time and money of our clients.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz U.S. Solar PV Market To Witness Growth Based On Rising Demand For PV Panels In Residential And Commercial Segments Till 2022: Grand View Research, Inc. http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/u-s-solar-pv-market U.S. solar PV market() is expected to reach to reach 60 GW by 2022. Rising demand for PV panels in residential and commercial segments is projected to drive industry growth. Also, favorable regulatory framework coupled with incentives is anticipated to augment further the growth. Furthermore, the decline in module prices owing to federal subsidies and rise in the number of module installation is expected to drive growth over the forecast period. Falling raw material prices along with improved manufacturing processes for manufacturing solar cells is expected to bolster market growth.Utility accounted for over 50% of the P.V. market installation in 2014. Also, the non-residential segment is also projected to witness substantial growth at a CAGR of over 14% during the forecast period. This increase can be attributed to federal subsidies and state incentives. Furthermore, rising awareness among people regarding environmental protection is projected to boost Solar PV industry over the forecast period.The residential sector witnessed significant growth over the past few years owing to rising consumer awareness and subsidized module cost. Furthermore, the low maintenance cost of solar panel in comparison to other power generating units is expected to drive demand in a residential application. Moreover, Investment Tax Credit is further projected to augment growth till 2016.California had the largest installed capacity of 7,815 MW in 2014 owing to the exposure to superior solar irradiance and rising number of installation in utility and residential sectors. In addition, tax subsidies provided by the state are expected to result further in high demand for Solar PV installations over the next few years. Furthermore, with the large-scale installation of Solar PV in California, there is a steep decline in equipment cost which is projected to spur growth in the region.North Carolina is expected to witness high growth over the forecast period owing to rise in some residential installations. Moreover, high power price in North Carolina as compared to other states such as Kentucky, Washington, and Louisiana is further expected to bolster growth in the region.Some of the major market players in the industry are Auxin Solar, Itek Energy, Green Brilliance, First Solar, Lumos, SunPower, Advance Power, BORG Inc., Pionis Energy, Solar Cynergy, Solar World, Suniva, 1Soltech, Alps Technology and Zebra Energy.First Solar implements cadmium telluride thin film technology which offers increased yield and high-performance efficiency as compared to monocrystalline and polycrystalline modules. Furthermore, the production costs of Cadmium Telluride are lower than other modules, making it favorable among solar PV installers.Grand View Research has segmented the U.S. solar PV market on the basis of application and state:U.S. Solar PV Application Outlook (Installed Capacity, GW; Shipments, Units, 2012 - 2022) Residential Non-Residential UtilityU.S. Solar PV State Outlook (Installed Capacity, GW; Shipments, Units, 2012 - 2022) California Arizona New Jersey North Carolina Nevada Massachusetts Hawaii Colorado New York TexasAbout Grand View ResearchGrand 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.Press ContactSherry James - Corporate Sales Specialist, USA28 2nd Street, Suite 3036San Francisco, CA 94105United StatesPhone: 1-415-349-0058Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Deep Brain Stimulator Market Analysis, Trends, Forecast, 2016-2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1338 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1338 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/deep-brain-stimulator-market www.futuremarketinsights.com Deep Brain Stimulation (DMS) is a neosurgical procedure which helps to treat a variety of disabling neurological symptoms. It involves the implantation of a battery-operated medical device called neurostimulator which sends electrical signals to specific parts of brain that control movement and affective disorders like pain, mood, weight and awakening. This procedure also helps in treating essential tremor, a common neurological movement disorder. DMS system consists of three components: a thin, insulated wire, called a lead or electrode that is placed into the brain, the neurostimulator which puts out the electric current and is generally placed under the skin near the collarbone and another thin, insulated wire, called an extension which connects the lead to the neurostimulator. The neurostimulator device is also referred to as brain pacemaker. FDA approved DMS as a treatment for essential tremor in 1997, for Parkinsons disease in 2002. Before this procedure, a neurosurgeon uses either MRI or CT scanning to detect the exact target area within the brain where the electric signals will generate the Parkinsons disease symptoms.Deep Brain Stimulator Market: Drivers and RestraintsIncreasing incidence of Parkinsons disease is the main driving force for the fast growth of deep brain stimulation device market. Deep brain stimulation does not involve destruction of any part of the brain and thus, has fewer complications than thalamotomy and pallidotomy.Moreover this electrical injection is adjustable and can be changed as the persons disease change or his or her response to medication change. No further surgery is needed to make the adjustments. All these has led to the growth of deep brain stimulation device market. However, with any surgical procedure there involves risk. The implantation of any foreign object in the body leads to increased risk of infection. If the battery fails then the device would stop working properly (the battery normally lasts 3 to 5 years).DMS placement may even lead to allergic reaction to the DMS parts. These may obstruct the deep brain stimulation device market to grow.Request Free Report Sample@Deep Brain Stimulator Market: SegmentationDeep Brain Stimulator Marketis segmented based on product type, application, end user and geography.Based on product type, deep brain stimulatormarket is segmented into the following:Single Channel Deep Brain StimulatorDual Channel Deep Brain StimulatorBased on application, deep brain stimulatormarket is segmented into the following:Parkinsons diseaseEssential TremorChronic PainDystoniaTourette syndromeBased on end user, deep brain stimulatormarket is segmented into the following:HospitalsAmbulatory Surgical centersNeurological clinicsDeep Brain Stimulator Market: OverviewGlobally deep brain stimulation devices market are the main causes of mortality. Parkinsons disease is the most common neurological movement disorder after Alzheimers. Deep brain stimulation devices market is expected to grow at a healthy rate during the forecasted period 2013-2019. Rise in the number of neurological movement diseases like Parkinsons disease, essential tremor, Alzheimers disease has led to the huge growth of deep brain stimulation devices market. Parkinsons disease includes symptoms like tremors, stiffness, rigidity and walking problems.Request For TOC@Deep Brain Stimulator Market: Region-wise OutlookRegion wise, the global deep brain stimulator marketis classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. North America region has a sizeable market share in the global deep brain stimulation market. Countries like US, Canada, Europe, Germany, UK, France and Spain has led North American and European market of deep brain stimulation device to grow at a faster rate. Increasing awareness regarding the application of deep brain stimulation device contributes its larger share in this region. However, emerging economies like India and China with their growing disposable income and advanced technological awareness enabling them to enter into this market and contribute towards its growth.Deep Brain Stimulator Market: Key PlayersKey players pertaining to Deep Brain Stimulator market includes Medtronic Inc., St. Jude Medical, Boston scientific. These companies hold huge amount of share in global deep brain stimulation devices market. Functional Neuromodulation, a startup backed by Medtronic and the National Institutes of Health, will advance its deep brain stimulation implant into a Phase III trial to treat Alzheimers disease patients. St. Jude Medical has received a CE mark for its latest neuromodulation technology-the Infinity Deep Brain Stimulation System to treat movement disorders. Key players across all locations use deep brain stimulation device market to treat Parkinsons disease, essential tremor thus, leading to the growth of this particular market.Browse Full Report@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, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: 3D TSV Packages Market 2016-2026 Shares, Trend and Growth Report http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1398 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1398 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/3d-tsv-packages-market www.futuremarketinsights.com Currently, 3D Packaging using Through Silicon Via technology (3D TSV) is one of the hottest topics in the semiconductor ecosystem. 3D TSV is vertical electrical connection (via) passing completely through a silicon wafer or die. These short vertical interconnects are replacing the long interconnects of 2D packaging technologies including wire-bond and flip chips.Growing demand for high density and multifunctional microelectronics with improved performance, and the reduction of timing delays is currently driving the market for 3D TSV packages. . However, the challenges encountered during assembly and packaging, handling ultrathin semiconductor components in front-end and back-end process owing to its fragility are some of the factors restraining the market growth.Market Overview:Several 3D packages, such as System in Package and Chip Stack MCM, are available in the market providing smaller form factor and greater connectivity. The stacked chips are wired together along their edges in these packages. This wiring increases the length and width of the package, thus requiring an extra interposer layer between the chips. The new 3D TSV package creates vertical connections through the body of the chips, replacing edge wiring and in turn reducing the extra added length and width.3D TSV technology allows stacking of LSIs which facilitates manufacturing of smaller products such as wearable devices. , Semiconductor fabricators globally are adopting 3D TSV technology in order to cater to the increasing requirements of functional integration.Request Free Report Sample@Market Dynamics:Growing demand for innovative chip architectures with improved features such as low power consumption, high aspect ratio, and smaller form factor is driving the market of 3D TSV packages. Additionally, factors such as proliferation in the cloud based applications, robust outlook for the Information & Communication Technologies segment, and persistent developments in the DRAM and smart lighting sectors are further cementing the adoption of 3D TSV packages for fabrication process.The market is expected to witness potential revenue opportunity mainly due to growth in its application areas such as MEMS, CMOS image sensors, optoelectronics and high end LED solutions. Additionally, 3D TSV packages are expected to gain more traction in its adoption in the DRAM memory domain with the advent of innovative technologies such as HMC (Hybrid Memory Cube) and HBM (High Bandwidth Memory).Several challenges are encountered while handling this wafer for packaging process as the TSV wafer is thinned down to the thickness of 40-50um. TSV wafers are thinned in order to meet the diverse needs, including temporary adhesion strength, and chemical and thermal stability in the fabrication process. These challenges are constraining the growth of the market and are expected to continue hampering the market growth during the forecast period. Furthermore, 3D TSV assembly process is more complex, compared to traditional flip-chip process which is also one of the primary constraint for this market.With the up surging demand for improved and advanced electronic products having smaller form factor, superior functionality, reduced power consumption with a lower overall cost the market is expected to witness adoption of advanced packaging technologies such as 3D TSV during the forecast period.Market Segmentation:3D TSV Packages market is mainly classified on the basis of process realization, applications, verticals and geography.On the basis of process realization, 3D TSV Packages market is segmented as:via firstvia middlevia last segmentsOn the basis of applications, 3D TSV Packages is segmented as:Logic & memory devicesMEMS & sensorsPower & analog componentsThe basis of verticals, 3D TSV Packages is segmented as:Consumer electronicsInformation & Communication TechnologiesAutomotiveMilitary & defenseOther sectors (aerospace and medical)Request For TOC@On the basis of geography, global market of 3D TSV Devices is segmented as:North AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia Pacific Excluding JapanJapanMiddle East & AfricaKey Market PlayersThe leading players of this industry include Amkor Technology Inc., Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology Co. (STATS chipPAC), Toshiba Electronics Co.Ltd., Samsung Electronics Co.Ltd., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), United Microelectronics Corporation, Xilinx Inc., Teledyne DALSA Inc., and Tezzaron Semiconductor Corporation.Browse Full Report@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, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Korea and the U.S. on Wednesday confirmed that they have chosen Seongju in southern Korea as the site for a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery. Defense Ministry official Yoo Jeh-seung told reporters the largely rural county in North Gyeongsang Province is "the optimal place" for the deployment. The ministry pushed the announcement forward due to mounting opposition from local residents after the location was leaked to the press. Seongju is just west of Daegu some 296 km southeast of Seoul, and stationing the THAAD battery there will allow the military to "more firmly secure the safety of people living in two thirds of the country while dramatically increasing the capacity to defend key facilities like nuclear power plants and oil storage areas as well as Korea-U.S. alliance forces," Yoo said. The battery is to be up and running by the end of 2017. Global and Chinese IP Storage Market 2016: Industry Segments, Opportunity, Growth and Forecast By End-use to 2022 http://goo.gl/saiBNH http://www.mrsresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/global-and-chinese-ip-storage-market-2016-industry.html http://goo.gl/oYSqA7 http://www.marketresearchstore.com/ The Global IP Storage Industry 2015-2022 Market Research Report is the professional and comprehensive in-depth analysis of the global as well as China market. The report provides quantitative forecasting and trends analysis on the IP Storage market status. The report also provides important and manufacturers and key sources includes in the study which guide and direct companies and individuals interest in the industry.Request For Sample:The global IP Storage market is affected by many internal and external elements. The report represents synopsis of the industry including definition, types, applications, DROS, technology and others. The report has provides forward-looking insight of the experienced team of analysts and researchers. The report includes major competitors in global IP Storage us sources, tool and techniques use to gather information like company profile, product specifications, future trends, value chain analysis and 2015-2022 revenue for each company.The report helps to clear market picture with suitable schematics diagrams, statistical analysis, company profit, supply-demand and Chinese importexport. The global IP Storage market is categorized on the basis of types, application, technology and end-users, geography whichever is applicable.The report has studies in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels and possible segmentation, dominant segments in terms of types, application, end-user, downstream demand, along with current market dynamics. Moreover, includes future projects in the market with most reliable information indispensable for marketplace.Access Full Report With TOC:Table Of Content:Chapter One Introduction of IP Storage Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of IP Storage1.2 Development of IP Storage Industry1.3 Status of IP Storage IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of IP Storage2.1 Development of IP Storage Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of IP Storage Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of IP Storage Manufacturing TechnologyChapter Three Analysis of Global Key Manufacturers3.1 Company A3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Product Information3.1.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.1.4 Contact Information3.2 Company BInquiry Before Buying Report Here: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 MRS Research cover more than 30 industries includsing energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 FREE (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803 FREEWebsite: https://www.epressrelease.org/roofing-market-size-growth-trends-2021-by-smr/ http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/request-for-sample.html?flag=S&repid=73712 http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/market-analysis/roofing-market.html http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com The report covers forecast and analysis for the Roofing market on a global and regional level. The study provides historic data of 2015 along with a forecast from 2016 to 2021 based on volume and revenue (USD Million). The study includes drivers and restraints for the market along with the impact they have on the demand over the forecast period. Additionally, the report includes study of opportunities available in the Roofing market on a global level.In order to give the users of this report a comprehensive view on the Roofing market, we have included a detailed competitive scenario, and product portfolio of key vendors. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters five forces model for the Roofing market has also been included, strategic development along with patents analysis is included in this report. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, where in type segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness.Get sample report@Bituminous, Metal, Tile and Others are the major types of Roofing. Roofing finds widespread applications in Residential, Commercial, Non-residential, and other. All the segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends and the market is estimated from 2015 to 2021.The regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa with its further bifurcation into major countries including U.S. Germany, France, UK, China, Japan, India and Brazil.Read More@The report covers detailed competitive outlook including company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Atlas Roofing Corporation, Duro-Last Roofing, Inc., CertainTeed Corporation, Braas Monier Building Group Services S.A., GAF, Johns Manville, IKO Industries Ltd., Owens Corning, Firestone Building Products Company, TAMKO Building Products, Inc., and Carlisle.This report segments the Roofing Market as follows:Roofing Market: Type Segment AnalysisBituminousMetalTileOthersRoofing Market: Applications Segment AnalysisResidentialCommercialNon-residential ApplicationsRoofing Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East and AfricaSyndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries includsing energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sale@syndicatemarketresearch.comWebsite: Micro Actuator Market : Quantitative Market analysis, Current and future trends to 2016 2024 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/10945 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/10945 Transducers are those devices which helps to convert one form of energy to another form of energy. Actuator is a type of transducers which helps in producing mechanical movement through converting a source of energy. Here the source of energy may include electric current, pneumatic pressure or hydraulic fluid pressure. Whereas micro actuator helps to transmit a measure or fixed amount of energy for the operation of other mechanism. In other words it is mainly used to produce small forces in entities of small sizes and motions at over small distances. Growing advancement in industries such as automotive, healthcare and wellness is expected to drive the demand of micro actuator in the forecast period.Micro Actuator Market SegmentationOn the basis of types micro actuator can be segmented as electric micro actuators, functional material based micro actuators, shape memory alloy (SMA) micro actuator, and others. Electric micro actuator can be further sub segmented as electromagnetic micro actuators and electrostatic actuators. Among both these sub segments electromagnetic micro actuator is expected to account for larger market share as compared to electrostatic actuator. Rising wide application of electromagnetic micro actuator devices especially in space crafts is expected to support the demand of electromagnetic micro actuator across the globe. Furthermore, functional material based micro actuator is further sub segmented as piezoelectric micro actuator. Rising application of piezoelectric devices in various applications ranging from energy generation in medical instrument, or gathering of pedestrian traffic to power localized street lightening or portable devices to power the sensors in vehicles is expected to support the demand of functional material based micro actuator in the forecast period. Moreover, shape memory alloy (SMA) micro actuator is further sub segmented as electroactive polymer (EAP) based micro actuator. Rising considerable attention for the use of sensors for micro fabricated devise is driving the growth of electroactive polymer (EAP) based micro actuator in the near future. In addition, the others segment of micro actuator includes bimetallic thermal actuator and magnetostrictive actuators.View Sample Report @The micro actuator market can also be segmented on the basis of region which includes North America, Latin America, Easter Europe, Western Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Japan. Among all the regions North America is expected to account for the highest market share followed by Europe. In North America United States is expected to be the major contributor as compared to other countries in the region. Rising demand of automotive products and, health and wellness industry is expected to support the growth of micro actuator market across the region. Moreover, Asia Pacific is expected to register a substantial growth in the forecast period. Among all the countries in Asia Pacific China is expected to be the major contributor. Rising number of aging population have led to the increased production of innovative medical instruments, which is expected to support the growth of micro actuator market in China in the forecast period.Micro Actuator Market Drivers & RestraintsRising wide number of application in automobile industry, health and wellness industry and other industry such space crafts or industries where heavy machineries are required is expected to support the demand of micro actuator market across the globe. Moreover, rising demand of micro fabricated sensors in above mentioned industries is also expected to support the growth of micro actuator market across the globe in the forecast period. However high cost incurred in manufacturing of micro actuator devices may hamper the growth of micro actuator market in the future.Request Report TOC @Micro Actuator Market: Key PlayersThe key international players operating in micro actuator market includes IBM Corporation, ST Microelectronics, Agilent Technologies, Stmicroelectronics Ltda, NanoSniff Technologies Pvt. Ltd., SAES Group and others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based 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 Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com ABACUS updated to support The Open Group's ArchiMate 3.0 standard www.avolutionsoftware.com The ArchiMate standard sets a common language for describing business processes, organizational structures, information flows, IT systems, and technical infrastructure. It assists users of enterprise modeling and analytics tools such as ABACUS in describing data, designing models, and communicating their decisions.Avolutions ABACUS toolset complies with industry best-practice open standards. As well as ArchiMate 3.0, ABACUS also supports the latest Open Group Architecture Framework, TOGAF 9.1. It is the only tool which provides out-of-the-box support for the complete metamodels of both Open Group standards.Avolutions Andrew Lewthwaite said: Enterprise or Solution architects who choose ArchiMate as their common language for describing IT and business systems can confidently use ABACUS 4.5 Avolution's training, professional services and partners to support their practice.ArchiMate 3.0 now represents the strategic aspects of an enterprise, covering the important business and IT alignment challenges that companies face today. Common approaches such as capability maps are now supported within the language.New concepts have also been added to model the physical world. For example, facilities, equipment and materials. The inclusion of these concepts allows for improved modeling of the integration between IT Systems and physical entities, as is required for the Internet of Things (IoT).Overall, ArchiMate is now much more aligned with TOGAF and other standards. The enhanced notation and the increase in cross-layer relations and robustness of the language will certainly improve the practical usability of ArchiMate going forward.ABACUS also supports more than 100 other industry frameworks and notations, including DoDAF, MoDAF, FEAF, PEAF, BPMN and UML. The ABACUS toolset is designed to allow users to easily adapt or create meta-models through a straightforward drag-and-drop interface.Download a free 30 day trial or find more information atFollow @AvolutionAbacus on Twitter and LinkedInABACUS is used by companies worldwide to manage enterprise architecture, IT and business strategy and digital transformation. ABACUS users deliver insights and value quickly: Import data in minutes from SharePoint, Excel, Visio and other sources Choose an off-the-shelf framework or metamodel or configure an enterprise specific meta-model Analyze your architecture using KPIs and metrics such as TCO, Performance, Availability, Agility etc. Create future state architectures and roadmaps Report with rich visuals including heat maps, treemaps, timelines, lifecycles, capability spaces, trade-off diagrams, charts and dashboardsABACUS supports Enterprise Portfolio Management (EPM), Business Process Management (BPM), Customer Experience (CX), Solution Architecture (SA), IT Service Management (ITSM), Business Intelligence (BI), and Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC). It is available either on premise or as a Windows-free SaaS tool.The Podium1 Eversholt StreetEustenLondonNW1 2DN Nyassa Body Mists: A Light Body Spray that provides Instant Fragrance and Perfumes http://nyassabathandbody.com/ Nyassa came into existence in 2007. The founder, Ishween Anand, who had her roots down in the financial world yet her strong obsession to make natural homemade soaps and body spray eventually, drove her to start Nyassa. Today, Nyassa has earned the reputation of being a leading online market store that displays the most iconic personal products for sale. The entire Nyassa team is dedicated to bringing something unique and original to the table. As a result, the experts linked with this company place immense efforts to introduce the most exotic products that are useful for personal care.Developing an innovative homemade personal product is not an easy task. Everything, right from preparing the right mixture, blending ingredients, categorizing the products into diverse groups, researching and brainstorming endlessly come up with effective formulas, and finally summing up the manufacturing process to develop the end product can be a daunting task. Despite all these odds, the Nyassa team takes great pleasure in dipping their activities and investing their time and energies to introduce effective body mist and natural soaps.With its inception in 2007, Nyassa in has managed to set the bar high for numerous competitors. Very few retailers place the same efforts as that of Nyassa in terms of manufacturing and dispensing hand cream, face wash, face cream, and shampoos. The ingredients used by the Nyassa team involve exceptional and magical fragrances sourced from different parts of the globe. As a result, customers making a purchase get to witness a stress-relieving aroma that is simply indescribable.Manufacturing and dispensing 100% vegetarian homemade personal products is a primary objective that drives the Nyassa team to take the lead in the prevailing competitive market. The term preservative is something that cannot be found in the dictionary of the Nyassa team. Thus, a customer making a purchase from the online web store of Nyassa can be sure of its unmatched quality and the nature of the product being free of any artificial or added preservatives. Over the years, Nyassa has developed from being a mere name to a reputed brand.Nyassa has expanded its line of activities to produce a number of different products, right from body mist to shampoos. Nyassa has been sealing deals with numerous multinational companies and clients from across the globe to serve customers. Visit the official website of the Nyassa group atto know more about their about and services.Nyassa a six-year-old online retail store committed to offering exceptional handmade natural soaps, face wash, essential oil, and other related personal products for the masses. Every product bearing the Nyassa tag over it is sure to win the hearts of customers. Nyassa makes an effort to offer these personal products at budget friendly prices for customers.Contact :13/104, Anandnagar,Santacruz (East), Mumbai 400055Phone : 9664830989EmailID: onlinesupport@nyassabathandbody.com Cocaine Hydrochloride (CAS 53-21-4) Global Market Growth, Trends and Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2022 Cocaine Hydrochloride http://goo.gl/Btbxoi http://www.mrsresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/global-and-chinese-cocaine-hydrochloride-cas-53-21.html MRS Research Group added new research report on Global Cocaine Hydrochloride (CAS 53-21-4) Market 2016 Market Share,Size,Trends and Forecast to 2021 to its database.The Global and China Cocaine Hydrochloride (CAS 53-21-4) industrial analysis on the basis of market size, annual report etc.The report includes current and future scenario of the company.The industry was steadily improving in the last few years and moving fast to achieve standard position in the Global market. The entire analysis is given by our experts on some strong basis. So that client will be able to see the current and projected realities of the Global and China Cocaine Hydrochloride (CAS 53-21-4) Industry.Thus, company is focuses on the new product launches, R&D initiatives acquisition decisions etc. The mergers and acquisition has open new opportunities in the market. It has affected the economic status of the company. It also includes macro and micro economic factors which is responsible for the growth in the Global and China Cocaine Hydrochloride (CAS 53-21-4) Industry. The report successfully delves into specific areas within the IndustryGet Free Sample Report @The information share on the basis of analysis and guidelines it offer client more transparent picture of the growth drivers, restraints, etc that currently prevail in the Global and China Cocaine Hydrochloride (CAS 53-21-4) Industry. The report covered the strategic information from both sides the supply side and the demand side. The company strategy is to grab market position in near coming future.The entire reports consist of an array of tables, graphs and figures to pictorially analyze the Industry which offer clear picture of the market. Furthermore, it tries to cover some major points to understand market and reasons behind the maximum potential for growth.Read Complete Report @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 Defense Robotics Market : Facts, Figures and Analytical Insights 2015 to 2021 Defense Robotics Market http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/5087 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/5087 Most of the countries utilize the defense robotic system or are in the process of acquiring or building the technology to incorporate into military programs. These robots are used in form of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned group vehicles (UGVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). Unmanned group vehicles are robots that move on wheels or tracks and perform the function of sentry duties and examine the potential hostile location. Unmanned aerial vehicles are essentially remotely controlled or automated robots. The use of all these robotic system includes same purpose of replacing or supplementing human in battlefield situations. Deployment of autonomous or semi autonomous robotic system in the battle field helps in improving the military efficiency, operational performance and accuracy.View Sample Report @Defense robotics has many advantages, the important one being performance similar to human being without danger of human casualties. Robots can endure damage done by bombs or other types of weapons that can destroy the human body. Another advantage includes various sizes of robots which enables them to fit into spaces that are not accessible for humans. Other advantages include transportation, drones and bomb disposal. The defense robotic system market across the globe is expected to show a substantial growth with a single digit increase in CAGR by the year 2019. The growth is due to the procurement of robotic vehicles for control, communication, simulation, training and other applications for military purposes.The market for defense robotics system is driven by factors such as desire to reduce the casualties in the field of operation and reduce the military spending. Development in the field of computer programming, sensing technology and material science help to create more advanced tools. Some of the factors restraining the market growth include reduced spending on defense system due to weak economic conditions, and high cost required in manufacturing of robots. Technological availability is enabling diverse applications of robots besides improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the system. Applications such as border patrolling are creating an increasing demand for UAVs and UGVs in countries such as Israel, South Korea, China and United States.The segmentation of defense robotics market can be done on the basis of product type, application and geography. On the basis of product type, the market for defense robotics can be segmented as unmanned group vehicles (UGVs), unmanned underwater vehicle (UUVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). On the basis of applications, the market can be segmented as simulation, control command and security, training and others. Global defense robotics market can also be segmented based on geographical markets as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the world. North America is the most technological advanced region in defense robotic system and Asia Pacific represents a strong opportunity due to the availability of technology in countries including China, Japan and India.Request Report TOC @Some of the players in the defense robotics market include iRobot Corp., Allen-Vanguard Corporation, Honeywell Aerospace, GeckoSystems Intl. Corp., Honda Motor Co. Ltd., Bluefin Robotic Corp., AB Electrolux, Deep Ocean Engineering Inc., ECA Hytec SA, McArtney Group, Fujitsu Ltd., Toyota Motor Corp., AeroVironment, Lockheed Martin and others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.ContactPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United StatesUSA - Canada Toll Free: +1 800-961-0353 Wiring Devices Market : Value Chain, Dynamics, Regional Outlook and Key Players (2015 - 2021) Wiring Devices Market http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/5735 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/5735 Wiring devices refers to any electrical devices that are used to provide and control connection points or joining points for low voltage lighting control systems, electrical sockets and wall switches. Wiring devices includes current carrying wiring devices and non-current carrying wiring devices. Current-carrying wiring devices market is highly variable depending on certain factors such as consumer purchasing power, growth in GDP, economic conditions and overall health of domestic construction and housing industry. Non-current carrying wiring devices contains boxes, plates, conduit and fitting, among others. The electrical conduits are used to protect the electrical wiring from weather conditions and mechanical injury.View Sample Report @Wiring devices market can be segmented on the basis of products and geography. Based on the products the wiring devices market can be categorized into receptacles, light dimmer, lamp holders, metal contacts, electric switches, wire connectors and other current carrying devices. Switches are used for controlling inductive and resistive loads mostly in the electric discharge lamps. Increasing use of electronic switches in construction and residential industry is one of the factors which is driving the growth of wiring devices market across the globe. The automated electronic switch owing to a number of features are widely being used in residential, construction and institutional occupancies. For instance, the fully automated lighting control system allows outdoor or indoor light to be operated remotely from any point within the system containing receiver and controller. The technological displacement in the field of wiring devices is expected to fuel the market growth. The company such as Schneider-electric is offering self-powered and wireless switches which allow instant installation and location flexibility. These switches are deprived of batteries which result in low maintenance and low running cost. These switches are self-powered and scavenging ambient energy powers the switches.Construction activity, consumer spending and private spending are expected to increase over the forecast period owing to the rising number of households which in turn is expected to stimulate the market growth. The boost in industries such as tourism, hotel and real estate will furthermore trigger the demand of wiring devices market owing to the huge investment in current carrying wiring devices. Moreover, the increasing use of light dimmers are expected to fuel the market growth due to the energy efficient nature of the light dimmer. The light dimmer is increasingly used for limiting the brightness of the light. The dimmer light switch can be controlled with the help of knob which ultimately results in energy efficiency. Increasing regulations for use of tamper resistant receptacles in the developed economies are expected to fuel the market revenue. National Electrical Manufacturers Associations (NEMA) and U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) are focusing on the extensive use of straight-blade and locking-type receptacle and plug caps and temper-less receptacles for safe usage of wiring devices.Request Report TOC @Some of the key players in this marketplace include ABB Incorporated, Cooper Industries plc, Eaton Corporation, Hewlett-Packard (HP) Development Company L.P., Hubbell Inc., Legrand Group, Leviton Manufacturing Co Inc., OREL Mfg. (Pvt.) Ltd., Schneider Electric SA, and SMK Corporation, among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.ContactPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United StatesUSA - Canada Toll Free: +1 800-961-0353 Report on Global Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) Systems Market highlights the growth in North America, Europe and Asia region to 2020 just published http://www.marketintelreports.com/report/9dime2606/global-etc-systems-industry-2016-market-research-report http://www.marketintelreports.com/pdfdownload.php?id=9dime2606 http://www.marketintelreports.com/purchase.php?id=9dime2606 www.marketintelreports.com Global ETC Systems Industry 2016 Market Research Report was a professional and depth research report on Global ETC Systems industry that you would know the world's major regional market conditions of ETC Systems industry, the main region including North American, Europe and Asia etc., and the main country including United States ,Germany ,Japan and China etc.Electronic toll collection (ETC) system is an automated system, eliminating manual operations by toll payers and receivers. The global ETC market is expected to steer towards a strong double-digit growth rate in the coming five years (2015-2020). The primary drivers of the upcoming growth comprise the need to save travel time, cashless travel facility, the need to stop/minimize the traffic congestion and fast toll transaction. However, factors like high installation cost and a high dependence on government are hindering the growth of this market to some extent. The ETC market is expected to continue its rapid expansion to meet the surging demand for an improved, safe and secure infrastructure. The ETC system provides fast, efficient and cost-effective services. They have easy to operate buttons with a user-friendly design. They are also beneficial for traffic agencies and companies as these systems eliminate the need for multiple toll plazas, acting as a cost-saving factor for road operator agencies. Electronic toll collection systems have a positive impact on the environment as it reduces the amount of exhaust emitted from vehicles during start-up and stop at manual toll booths.Global ETC Systems Industry 2016 Market Research ReportThe ETC market can be categorized into products, technologies, applications and geographies. Transponders, antennae, communication systems, treadles, inductive loops, scanning devices, weigh-in-motion devices, cameras and film storage devices are some of the major products of the system. An electronic toll collection system consists of various subsystems, such as automatic vehicle identification (AVI), automatic vehicle classification (AVC), back-office &integration and violation enforcement system (VES). These subsystems are useful for specific functions -AVI for vehicle identification, AVC for vehicle classification, toll collection transaction by integrating the back-office and payment system and VES to reduce unpaid tolls, by vehicle imaging.Geographically, the ETC market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Japan, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Middle East & Africa. Present market scenario represents a strong presence of ETC system in the US, Canada and Mexico in North America, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines and Singapore in Asia Pacific, and the UK, Ireland, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Spain in Europe.Request a Sample Brochure of Report @Some of the key players in the ETC market are Honeywell International, Inc., Transurban, Transtoll Pty Ltd., Transcore Holdings, Inc., Toll Collect GmbH, TRMI Systems Integration, Sensor Dynamics, Xerox Corporation, 3M, Connect East, EFKON, SAIC, DENSO, Q-Free, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Perceptics, Thales Group and Kapsch TrafficCom AG. The ETC ecosystem participants offer a wide range of solutions, such as software services and system integration and toll system operations including maintenance, payment handling and revenue assurance. It is the future solution to alleviating traffic congestion problems.In a word, it was a depth research report on Global ETC Systems industry. And thanks to the support and assistance from ETC Systems industry chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.The report including six parts, the first part mainly introduced the product basic information; the second part mainly analyzed the Asia ETC Systems industry; the third part mainly analyzed the North American ETC Systems industry; the fourth part mainly analyzed the Europe ETC Systems industry; the fifth part mainly analyzed the market entry and investment feasibility; the sixth part was the report conclusion chapter.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the ETC market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry validated market data &projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology. It provides analysis and information by categories, such as products, technologies, applications and geographies.Order a copy of Global ETC Systems Industry 2016 Market Research Report @About us:MarketIntelReports (MIR) aim to empower our clients to successfully manage and outperform in their business decisions, we do this by providing Premium Market Intelligence, Strategic Insights and Databases from a range of Global Publishers.A group of industry veterans who are well experienced in reputed international consulting firms after identifying the sourcing needs of MNCs for market intelligence, have together started this business savior MarketIntelReports.2712 Centerville Road, Suite 400Contact us:Sales ManagerMayur S.2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400,Wilmington,Delaware,19808United Statessales@marketintelreports.comTelephone: 1-302-261-5343 Key Factors based on Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer Market Analysis 2016 MarketIntelReports http://www.marketintelreports.com/report/ditl2016001/estrogen-receptor-positive-er-breast-cancer--treatment-landscape--competitive-analysis-2016 http://www.marketintelreports.com/pdfdownload.php?id=ditl2016001 http://www.marketintelreports.com/purchase.php?id=ditl2016001 Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer - Treatment Landscape & Competitive Analysis, 2016, report provides comprehensive insights about the treatment landscape across this indication. This report also provides the deep understanding of the stages of the Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer, epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis etc.A key objective of the report is to establish the understanding of the treatment landscape and competitive analysis of the Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer which mainly describes the treatment of breast cancer at different stages. Breast cancer is the condition where the cells of the breast area become tumorous, that is, they undergo unlimited cell division. Both women and men are affected but chances of men being diagnosed with breast cancer are rare. Each year about 2,300 new cases of breast cancer in men and about 230,000 new cases in women are diagnosed. It is the second most common cancer among women in USA.Check complete report @This report provides the insights of the marketed drugs for the Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer which includes the Targeted Therapy, Hormone Therapy and Chemotherapy. In case of Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer, Hormone therapy is the main focus of treatment after surgery and chemotherapy. Hormonal therapy is usually recommended after 5 years of surgery and can be divided into Estrogen blocking hormonal therapy and estrogen lowering hormonal therapy based on the mechanism of action of the hormonal therapy drugs. Of all the late-stage pipeline drugs, Buparlisib is expected to reach the market in the next few years.Recent report of MarketIntelReports covers the treatment landscape which provides the treatment options by different stages and type of the breast cancer. There are four chemotherapy drugs, six hormone therapy drugs and one targeted therapy drugs in market for the treatment of Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer.Note: This report will be delivered to the client in 48 hoursAvail more information from Sample Brochure of report @Report Highlights: The new report, provides a Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer Treatment Landscape across the globe The report provides profiles of the marketed drug which includes the product description, cost of treatment, development partner, patent expiry date, sales data etc. Comparative analysis of marketed drugs by therapy, cost of treatment, Therapeutic Class. Coverage of the Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer Phase III and Pre-registration Drugs Analysis by product type, molecule type, route of administration, Median Progression Free Survival The report reviews key players involved in the therapeutics development for Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer and also provide market barriers, market drivers and opportunities Provides Phase III products assessment by line of therapy and target.Order a copy of Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer - Treatment Landscape & Competitive Analysis, 2016 Report @About us:MarketIntelReports (MIR) aim to empower our clients to successfully manage and outperform in their business decisions, we do this by providing Premium Market Intelligence, Strategic Insights and Databases from a range of Global Publishers.A group of industry veterans who are well experienced in reputed international consulting firms after identifying the sourcing needs of MNCs for market intelligence, have together started this business savior MarketIntelReports.MIR intends to be a one-stop shop with an intuitive design, exhaustive database, expert assistance, secure cart checkout and data privacy integrated. It curates the list of reports, publishers and studies to ensure that the database is constantly updated to dynamically meet the targeted, specific needs of our clients.MarketIntelReports currently has more than 10,000 plus titles and 35+ publishers on our platform and growing consistently to fill the Global Intelligence Demand Supply Gap. We cover more than 15 industry verticals being: Automotive, Electronics, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Chemicals, Building & Construction, Agriculture, Food & Beverages, Banking & Finance, Media and Government, Public Sector Studies.Contact us:Sales ManagerMayur S.2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400,Wilmington,Delaware,19808United Statesmarketintelreports.comsales@marketintelreports.comTelephone: 1-302-261-5343 Direct flights between Seoul and Tehran will be increased to 11 times per week from the current four, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday. Under the aviation agreement in 1998, only Korean Air was allowed to run four flights per week to Teheran. But at a meeting earlier this week, the two countries agreed to bolster the bilateral cooperation thereby giving flight permits to other Korean airliners, including Asiana Airlines. The restriction which only allowed flights from Bangkok and Istanbul to land in Teheran has also been lifted. A Midland native, known for a life of commitment to family and to country, has died at his Montana home. Retired Lt. Col. Cecil G. Foster died July 5 and will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. His memorial service at the St. Regis Community Bible Church included a fly-by of Air Force jets, a fitting tribute for a military man who last year received the Congressional Gold Medal and was recognized as an Ace pilot for his daring fighter combat techniques in the Korean War. Foster was born Aug. 30, 1925 in Porter Township in Midland County, and graduated from Midland High School in 1943. According to his obituary, Foster grew up living on various farms with his grandparents after his mothers death from polio. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program and met his future wife, Margaret Mary Frazer, while attending preflight school. They were married Jan. 13, 1945 in San Antonio, Texas, the same year that Foster achieved the rank of second lieutenant and became the Air Corps 23rd Ace pilot. It was just one feature of a military career that spanned three decades, over 5,000 hours of flying time and fighter combat missions in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. He shot down nine enemy aircraft during service in the Korean War, a fact that Foster said did not upset him when he spoke with the Daily News last year about receiving the Congressional Gold Medal (http://bit.ly/29RIPfg). The Lord blessed me with the ones I got, he said. He was accompanied by his family at the medal ceremony at Emancipation Hall along with 36 former combat pilots. Foster said it was a special day he was able to share with several family members, including two great-grandchildren, who accompanied him to the U.S. Capitol. We had a real great ceremony, Foster said on the phone last year with the Daily News from the Capitol. I dont think there are too many people who get to have all the congressmen we had, and all the representatives, and have pictures with them all. In addition to the Congressional Gold Medal, Foster earned more than 20 military decorations including two Silver Stars and a Purple Heart. He retired in 1975 after 32 years in the military. His service is commemorated in an exhibit at the Michigans Own Military and Space Museum in Frankenmuth, where a black-and-white photo of Foster in his fighter plane rests alongside a piece of metal pockmarked with bullet holes. His obituary describes Foster as a devoted husband, loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather and a man of faith ... who lived his religion every day. He is survived by his wife, Margaret; five sons and their families; and two sisters. The family has requested memorial donations be directed to Community Bible Church, 401 Main St., St. Regis, MT 59866. To read the full obituary, go to http://bit.ly/29vB2WY. The 353rd Special Operations Group and III Marine Expeditionary Force joined forces July 8 to deploy approximately 22 Special Tactics Airmen and eight Marines to integrate into the world's largest international warfare exercise at Bradshaw Army Airfield, Hawaii. From June 30 to Aug. 4, Special Tactics Airmen and Force Reconnaissance Marines are teaming up to train in a complex, multinational environment during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016. This exercise sets the stage for the valuable partnership between Air Force Special Operations Command, theater special operations forces, and III MEF, as their units each bring unique skills to a joint effort. These skills, together, optimize the capability of the U.S. military to provide an immediate, joint response to contingencies within the Pacific Command theater. "Over the next two weeks, RIMPAC will test our capabilities to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, infiltrate and control the air inside a complex environment, recover personnel, and provide close-air-support operations with a fire control center," said U.S. Air Force Capt. John Rulien, 352nd SOG mission commander for RIMPAC. Although this is not their first time working together, these units will use their specialized skillsets to showcase the partnership between conventional forces and SOF and their ability to band together to produce desired effects in a crisis. According to U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Joshua Winters, platoon commander of 2nd Platoon, Force Reconnaissance Company, III MEF, the difference between being able to respond rapidly, as a mutually-known entity, or having to restart from the ground up every time is established by building a sustainable relationship before a crisis begins. Although the exposure to this partnership has been limited, their relationship provides a textbook example of the benefits of a conventional force and a SOF enterprise. "Combining our efforts as a joint task force at a major exercise allows us to bring greater exposure to what we've been doing for over a year, which is demonstrating the best possible outcome of joint conventional force and SOF integration," Winters said. During RIMPAC, Air Force combat controllers from the 353rd SOG will apply their extensive experience in responding to international crises by opening an expeditionary airfield in a remote location and practicing their expertise in air traffic control, as well as aiding communities with humanitarian efforts. In addition, pararescuemen, some of the most highly trained emergency trauma specialists in the military, will practice skills honed in rapid-response personnel recovery and combat trauma medicine. Force Reconnaissance Marines from the III MEF offer area reconnaissance in far reaching austere locations to shape the battlefield during some of these major exercise events, providing the mission commander with timely information, and amplifying the knowledge about potential areas of operation. Winters and Rulien said exercises like this will build a bridge between the reconnaissance and SOF communities and by coupling reconnaissance Marines' ability to gather information with the unique capabilities of special operators, the range of operations for mission commanders throughout the armed forces will expand. "This exercise enables us to showcase our partnership to geographic combatant commanders, regardless of their uniform, the capabilities available at their fingertips that they can tap into to shape the battlespace," Winters said. "By using resources from a wide variety of sources, be it in their home area of operations or in an environment where a different branch of the military is the primary stakeholder, commanders have various options to achieve a desired end-state." Using RIMPAC as an opportunity to showcase their partnership, Special Tactics Airmen and Force Recon hope to continue to build their relationship and work together in joint operations. A responsibility of every leader is to find adaptive, innovative ways to improve ones organization, Rulien said. Our service component leaders have identified the importance of conventional force and SOF relationships; now it is on us to innovate concepts that are successful across the range of military operations. Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971. 5 Hidden Crime Gems From The New Wave Of Korean Cinema You Need To See By Petr Knava | Lists | July 14, 2016 | Are you a fan of crime movies? Do you ever find yourself bemoaning the lack of decent, grown up releases that satisfy that itch these days? Like, you sometimes find yourself wondering: where the hell is mid-90s/early-2000s Michael Mann? You can only watch Heat so many times (okay thats obviously not true, Heat can never be watched out). And what even was Blackhat? Seems awfully frustrating at times, doesnt it? Occasionally youll have a little moan about it, wont you? Why arent there more decent grown up crime movies I can watch? youll say while gazing wistfully at an artfully crimson sky at dusk, revolver in hand and tattered suit blowing in the shoreside breeze. Well shut up for a second, turn around, and look to the East, because I got news for you the South Koreans have got that shit covered. Grown up, morally complex, visually glorious, twisty-but-not-in-a-cheap-way, and filled with spectacular performances, the Korean New Wave is like most mini-eras in movies relatively fluidly defined when it comes to timeframes and the main players, but one thing about it is pretty concrete: these motherfuckers dont play around. Doubtless youre familiar with some of their work; after all the beachhead established by Oldboy in the early 2000s lead to a mini influx of quality Korean imports. That movies director, Park Chan-wook, also delivered Thirst; and you watched and loved the rest of his Vengeance trilogy too; noted auteur Bong Joon-ho offered up The Host and Mother before switching to English for the mind-blowing, gonzo, Gilliam-esque joyride that was Snowpiercer. And while not all of what made it across could be said to belong to the crime genre per se, it was still a pretty rich harvest for those of us looking for a certain fix. But Im here to tell you theres so much more out there. Nuggets of slick greatness that may have escaped your attention and which I crime movie porcine truffle sniffer and your humble servant that I am have unearthed for you. Lookie here: A Bittersweet Life (Dalkomhan insaeng), 2005 dir. Kim Jee-woon An impossibly cool, Alain Delon-channelling, Lee Byung-hun (I mean just look at the motherfucker up there) plays a high ranking mob enforcer who is charged with killing a cheating mistress and her paramour, but who on the brink of fulfilling his mission finds his emotions leading him to disobey an order for the first time. A simple act of mercy and an attempted cover-up reveal divided loyalties and suddenly the loyal soldier finds himself a target of his former boss. Swiftly coming to the conclusion that the best defence is a good offence, he goes on a hell-bent and messy journey of revenge. A neon-drenched neo-noir packed with visceral violence and balletic action scenes, A Bittersweet Life should be watched during a late evening thunderstorm. Let it wreath you in its cool. The Chaser (Chugyeogja), 2008 dir. Na Hong-jin Before anything else you should know that The Chaser is a movie that more than lives up to its name: within it you will find some of the best goddamn foot chases you will ever see on film. The climactic pursuit especially is a thing to behold. Street-level, twisty, and exhausting, its a tour de force of spatially aware camera work and pure physical acting. Lest it sounds like The Chaser is a movie that rests purely on its action set pieces, however, rest assured that director Na Hong-jin has crafted a wholly satisfying and accomplished piece of work. Our hero though not very deserving of that title is an ex-cop, now pimp, played with a weary and fatalistic aura by Kim Yoon-seok, who comes to suspect that there might be a link between several of his girls having recently gone missing. A chance encounter with a man who he instinctively distrusts leads him down a trail that involves a brutal serial killer, local politics, and frustrating dead ends. Grisly and grim-as-fuck, The Chaser is formally brilliant, with the ticking-clock tension being ratcheted up at times in such a way so as to rival Hitchcock, which considering the fact that it is the directors debut is a little bit batshit insane impressive. The Yellow Sea (Hwanghae), 2010 dir. Na Hong-jin Na Hong-jins follow-up to The Chaser is, in a way, another chase flick; but the scale, scope, and flavour of it is worlds apart from his debut. An impoverished ethnic Korean man named Gu-nam, played by Ha Jung-woo, works as a taxi driver in the northeastern Chinese city of Yanji. Crippled by debt he is also haunted by nightmares of his wife who had left for South Korea some time ago to work and promised to send back money but from whom he has heard nothing since cheating on him. Seeing an opportunity, a local gangster promises Gu-nam a hefty reward, and opportunity to find his wife, if he takes the relatively short train-and-boat journey to South Korea to kill a businessman for him. Gu-nam, desperate, obliges. Arriving in South Korea he sets about his lethal task while simultaneously searching for his wife. Before long he begins to see that not everything is as it seems and soon the local police, the South Korean mafia, and the ethnic Korean Chinese mob are all after him. A relentless and ruthless movie, The Yellow Sea packs every frame with detail and geographical specificity, making you feel like youre alongside Gu-nam for every step of his doomed mission. Its sense of place is unmatched. The depths to which this movie will take you can sometimes feel like almost too much and you will need a warm shower afterwards but it is more than worth it to experience such a taut, ambitious narrative. New World (Sinsegye), 2013 dir. Park Hong-jung Did somebody mention Heat? And did you say you wouldnt mind seeing another super-slick urban crime opera featuring shifting allegiances and overtones of classical tragedy? Boom. Done. Get yourself a copy of New World, open up a good whisky, and put your feet up and enjoy. Glossy-as-fuck, Park Hong-jungs movie shot by frequent Park Chan-wook collaborator Chung Chung-hoon has everything for fans of the genre. Theres a deep undercover cop, terrified for his life and anxious about his disappearing former identity; a morally dubious, chain-smoking police chief (played by Choi Min-sik!); a violent and ambitious rising mob player; imploding chains of criminal hierarchy; violent reprisals; artfully choreographed brutality; moments of tension thick enough to cut with a knife; and swells of mournful orchestral themes combined with a pulsating kinetic score. There might be a few cracks in its armour due to instances of over-reach, but they are nothing experience-killing. You want a satisfying, ultra-refined crime opera? This is it. Watch it. Memories of Murder (Salinui chueok), 2003 dir. Bong Joon-ho Heres the thing about Memories of Murder: its almost too good. I had to put it at the end of this otherwise chronological list because if I had gushed as much as Im about to gush over it at the start, you wouldnt still be reading right now, youd be finding the nearest towel to wipe all of my raw gush off you. Sorry about that by the way. Actually, no Im not. Memories of Murder is a fucking masterpiece. The name Bong Joon-ho here should be a clue. Quentin Tarantino named it one of his Top 20 favourite movies since 1992, and thats underselling it. Set in a small town in a South Korea still under military dictatorship in the late 80s, it concerns the countrys very first serial killer case, and the efforts of the rough-and-ready small-town detectives in trying to solve it with the un-asked for and unwanted help of a much more nuanced detective from Seoul. Primitive technology and even more primitive attitudes to the rights of presumed suspects collide with the big city policemans more enlightened approach. Sparks, predictably fly, but Memories of Murder being a Bong Joon-ho movie and working within very culturally and historically specific lines manages to extract original material out of a tired premise. Ensemble and medium shots abound, running on long enough to let us really get to know the characters in the frame, as well as their very real, evolving relationships to each other, as the case at the heart of the story drags on. And drag on it does. It remains, to this day, unsolved. Joon-ho uses this fact, and a beautiful narrative wraparound that I wont detail here, to imbue the movie with a palpable melancholy that will stay with you long after the credits roll. The miracle of it all although a believable one to those who are familiar with his work is how he manages to juggle so many other emotions alongside that. There are several laugh out loud moments in this otherwise bleak and tense movie (one repeated, character-revealing visual gag in particular is never not hilarious); there are stretches of pure fear; and spikes of anger. He evokes all these wildly disparate emotions with perfectly timed and delivered dialogue; with slapstick; with sublimely framed and lit scenes; and with a stunning cast led by his regular collaborator a never-better Song Kang-ho. I have seen Memories of Murder four or five times now, and Im still discovering new reasons for loving it. It really is a gem of a movie. Petr Knava lives in London and plays music Petr is a staff contributor. You can follow him on Twitter. 'The Hollars' Trailer: John Krasinski, Anna Kendrick, Charlie Day, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, | Hillary Clinton's New Ad is a Potent Reminder of What's at Stake BLOOMINGTON Soon after news hit the internet Wednesday afternoon that Beningo's will close next month, the phones at the landmark Italian eatery in west Bloomington began ringing off the hook. "I can't believe the response that I've had," said Janet Whitworth, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Denny. "People are just devastated. I never thought they would be. "I know they love us, but I'm just overwhelmed." Whitworth told The Pantagraph on Wednesday afternoon that the restaurant, which was built by her grandfather 46 years ago and staffed by four generations of Beningos, is closing Aug. 13. In a span of a couple of hours, Whitworth already had bookings nearly filling the restaurant for the next three weeks. "They're not just making one reservation, but three or four," said Whitworth. "That's why we came here," said Linda Hagerbaumer, a patron of the restaurant for more than 30 years, upon arriving shortly after the restaurant opened at 5 p.m. Wednesday. "We've got to get as much of this in before they close." The Whitworths were going to retire and close the restaurant in 2008, but the announcement prompted a surge in the number of diners that made them reconsider. A similar outpouring is not likely to persuade them to keep the eatery at 610 W. Chestnut St. open this time. After 45 years of running the restaurant, Whitworth said she and her husband are ready to retire. "I'm going to be 70. My husband is 71," she said. "And 90 hours a week is a little hard on you. "I want to spend time with my family not working. I want to live my life a little bit." The Whitworths' son, Jeff, the general manager, recently married and is pursuing other career opportunities, the Whitworths said. Janet Whitworth's sister, Mary Brennan, also works there but she also wants to retire. "My boy is leaving and we're done," said Denny Whitworth. They are among 30 people employed by the restaurant. "A lot of mine are students," said Janet Whitworth of the staff. "It breaks my heart. This is home to them. So it is hard." Janet and Denny Whitworth and her parents, Robert and Eleanor Beningo Hayes (both now deceased), purchased Beningo's from her grandfather in 1971, a year after he built the restaurant. "When Denny married me I was a hairdresser, and my grandfather owned the tavern across the street," said Janet Whitworth. "He built this restaurant when he was 75 years old and he came to me and said, 'Janet, you want a business?' I thought I was going to have a beauty shop." Nestled in a residential neighborhood a block off of West Locust Street and several blocks west of Holy Trinity Catholic Church at Chestnut and Main streets, the restaurant wasn't the easiest to find, but many found their way there as its reputation grew. The family took pride in specializing in homemade Italian favorites like lasagna, pasta, fresh seafood, pizza and sandwiches all made from scratch. But the laughter and conversation humming in the dining room were just as important as the items on the menu. "I met the most wonderful people in the world here," said Janet Whitworth. "I know we will really be missed, and I will miss them, too." "I hate to hear it," said Ken Mattingly. "It's just sad to see a family restaurant like this close," added his wife, Donna. The Bloomington couple has been dining at the restaurant ever since Joe Beningo built it. It was "the food, the atmosphere, the people" that kept the couple coming back, Ken Mattingly said. The age of the building makes selling the restaurant to a new owner difficult, said Janet Whitworth. She said she thinks her grandfather, who emigrated from Palermo, Sicily, at the age of 14, would be proud of how his restaurant turned out. "We've done really well," said Janet Whitworth. "To have a business on the west side of Bloomington this long with the kind of competition there is in Bloomington-Normal you have to be pretty good. We're unique. There is nothing like it." NORMAL When last we encountered Deborah Staples on the stage of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, she was deep into the biggest power trip any actress could hope to have on alternating midsummer's eves. One night, Staples could be found draped in the shoulder-length raven tresses of Nile queen Cleopatra (in "Antony and Cleopatra"). The next, she swept onto the Theater at Ewing stage crowned in the regal glory of Queen Elizabeth (in "Elizabeth Rex," Timothy Findlay's imagining of her majesty taking in a performance of "Much Ado About Nothing" on the eve of lover Essex's execution). The Milwaukee-based actress called the dual assignment "an actor's dream." And the festival's artistic director, Kevin Rich, echoed the sentiments of wowed audiences by calling her "simply stunning." In a prescient GO! interview at the time, Staples noted that "what both plays ask is for the queens to examine their shortcomings and weaknesses ... when a woman is the leader of a kingdom, there's a dance that goes on between the two sides of feminine and masculine." In fact, at one point in Findlay's play, Staples as Elizabeth confesses "there's no woman left in me." And, of course, the third festival offering that year was "Much Ado About Something," staged with an all-male cast and upping the sensation of gender lines being routinely erased and/or crossed that summer. The dance between masculine and feminine is going on two fests later, but in a way that even Staples might not have imagined when she was pulling dual queen duty. In addition to her role as Olivia in "Twelfth Night" (a smaller but no less committed role that Staples calls "a rich dessert"), the main course for her return to Ewing is wearing the pants, so to speak, in "Hamlet" ... where the dance takes a decidedly masculine turn under the direction of Leda Hoffman. "I thought that Kevin's production (of 'Much Ado') was so cool, and it worked so well," Staples recalls. "I loved the way the audience was on board with it, and they loved it. I thought, OK, I'm really ready to start playing the men roles." To play the two queens, she'd gotten her hair cut short in order to wear the elaborate wigs. "And one day she came into rehearsals with a pageboy haircut," recalls Rich. "I thought, 'oh my gosh, she looks like Hamlet!'" At season's end, "we were sort of tossing around roles that I could play (at a future fest)," Staples recalls. "She listed the very few female roles that were left," says Rich, "and then added, 'my husband always said I should play Hamlet ...'" Between that observation and Rich's early reaction to her pageboy 'do, there was no dilemma of her being, or not being, the princely Dane. The tradition of opposite genders taking Shakespearean roles is nothing new, from men playing all the parts until women were allowed to take the stage in the mid-17th century to grand dames like Sarah Siddons and Sarah Bernhardt fearlessly crossing lines, as they each did with Hamlet. Even so, it takes a fearless and deeply intuitive actress to cross that particularly gender line, where there is none of the inherent frivolity built into, say, an all-male "Much Ado." "My husband is my biggest fan, and he just loves my work," says Staples of David Cecsarini, artistic director of Milwaukee's Next Act Theatre. "But every time a job offer comes up we both have to look at it and go, 'can we fit this into our family life?' He runs a theater, and I'm a mother of two, so there's always a lot of consideration whether to take a job or not." Still, when the "Hamlet" offer came along, "it was one of those that if you don't consider it, then shame on you for not expanding your imagination by doing it." As for Cecsarini, "you could tell that in his world something had just gone really right." This, says Staples, is his favorite Shakespeare play. And his long-held wish that the title role could be performed by his favorite actress had just come true. Staples admits to being "terrified" by Shakespeare at the dawn of her acting life, and that, accordingly, "Hamlet" was a play "I was very scared of." The role of Ophelia was not for her, though that is the role she would have played as a young actress. "It's a very, very difficult role that in a play I didn't quite understand well enough," she says. "Then, of course, all it takes is one great teacher to turn that around." Which is what happened to Staples, and which led her into a period of "doing nothing BUT Shakespeare," convinced, at last, that there was "something there for me." Three years ago, "I felt that I was very much ready for this play." To that end, Staples finally appeared in a production of "Hamlet" ... playing Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, little knowing that a couple years later she'd be playing Gertrude's deeply troubled, balefully conflicted boy. And there's something fresh in Denmark this time. Having tested the waters of gender-crossing once before in a production of the dinner theater staple, "Greater Tuna," in which two actors play all the roles and genders, Staples learned one important fact of the acting life. "It doesn't matter that you're anatomically a bit different or that your voice is constructed differently, it's all about playing the truth of it," she says. "Live theater is great because people come and they freely invest themselves in the experience, suspending disbelief and going with you." Staples hopes that by doing so, a journey will have been made, and not just across gender lines. On the day after "Hamlet's" preview performance, she says her feeling is that "we have 11 more chances with an audience to take them somewhere ... and I'm going to use every single one of them ... do everything in my power to make each moment count, and maybe crack open their hearts and minds, and fill them with something they maybe didn't have before." OPENED WEDNESDAY The Infiltrator 127 min.; R (strong violence, language throughout, sexual content, drug material) A U.S. Customs official uncovers a money laundering scheme involving Colombian druglord Pablo Escobar. NEW OPENINGS Ghostbusters 116 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG-13 (supernatural action, crude humor) When ghosts invade Manhattan, a team of female parapsychologists unites to stop a powerful demon known as Rowan. ONGOING The BFG 117 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG (action/peril, scary moments, brief rude humor) A girl encounters the Big Friendly Giant, ostracized by his fellow giants because he won't eat children. Central Intelligence 114 min.; PG-13 (crude/suggestive humor, nudity, action violence, brief strong language) A mild-mannered accountant is lured into the world of international espionage after reconnecting with an old buddy. Finding Dory 103 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG (mild thematic elements) The forgetful blue tang fish crosses an ocean with Nemo and Martin to find her family. Independence Day: Resurgence 120 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG-13 (sci-fi action/destruction, language) Two decades after the first alien invasion, Earth is faced with a new extraterrestrial threat. Legend of Tarzan 109 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG-13 (action-violence, sensuality, brief rude dialogue) Lord Greystoke is called back to his former jungle home to investigate the activities at a mining encampment. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates 98 min.; R (crude sexual content, language throughout, drug use, graphic nudity) Two brothers place an online ad to find dates for a wedding and the ad goes viral. Our Kind of Traitor 108 min.; R (violence, language throughout, sexuality, nudity, drug use) A couple find themselves lured into a Russian oligarch's plans to defect. The Purge: Election Year 105 min.; R (disturbing bloody violence, strong language) The front-runner in the next presidential election vows to eliminate the Purge, leading to security threats. The Secret Life of Pets 90 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG (action, rude humor) Two pet dogs unite against a cunning bunny building an army of abandoned pets. AT THE NORMAL Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 118 min.; PG (violence) Indy sets out to reclaim a gem stolen by a secret death cult beneath the catacombs of an ancient palace in India. (July 14) Tale of Tales 133 min.; R (sexuality, nudity, violence, bloody images) A collection of stories inspired by the fairy tales by Giambattista Basile. (July 15, 17) Drunken Master 111 min.; PG-13 (martial arts violence, language) An undisciplined boy must learn Drunken Fist Kung Fu in order to stop an assassin. (July 15) April and the Extraordinary World 105 min.; PG (action/peril, gun-play, thematic elements, rude humor) Animated tale about a teen girl who goes in search of her missing scientist parents. (July 16, subtitled; July 17, English dub) Coming soon Scheduled to open in area theaters July 22 are: Ice Age: Collision Course: Scrat's back chasing acorns and about to trigger something MUCH bigger ... a veritable chain of cosmic events that threatens the world as he and we know it. Vocals by the the usual iced suspects, including Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary. Lights Out: A young woman and her kid brother confront the terrifying reality of what happens in the, yes, dark. It's not their imagination, needless to say. In fact, it involves an entity linked to their own mom. Teresa Palmer and Gabriel Bateman star. From some of the folks over at the "Conjuring" franchise. Star Trek Beyond: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, et. al, are back, going boldly, but not without obstacles: the U.S.S. Enterprise is destroyed by alien forces; the crew is stranded on an unknown rock. Sadly, the death of Chekov actor Anton Yelchin has cast a pall over No. 3 in the re-booted franchise. Film clips Choose one: The Normal Theater is offering an unusual opportunity usually reserved for folks at home selecting options from the DVD/Blu-ray menu. For the French-made animated film April and the Extraordinary World, the theater is screening the film in two different versions this weekend: the original French-language version, with English subtitles, will be shown at 7 p.m. Saturday, while the English-dubbed edition, featuring well-known American actors like Susan Sarandon and JK Simmons, will be shown in a special matinee at 1 p.m. Sunday. Fade to temporary black: Speaking of the Normal Theater, the 79-year-old cinema will be taking a special two-week hiatus following Sunday's showings, all the better for some needed renovations. "In order to maintain the integrity of our historic facility, there will not be any programming from July 18-31," says manager Adam Fox. "We have a few projects to get done during this time to ensure that the theater keeps going strong for another 80 years. For updates, follow us online at: facebook.com/normaltheater." Movie magic: In addition to "Finding Dory" showing this weekend at the Princess Theatre in LeRoy, the bijou will also be the site of a live magic show, "Oh Hey!," at 6:30 p.m. Sunday featuring Harrison Lampert and Kayla Drescher. Tickets are $10 advance at 309-287-6224 and $12 at the door. BLOOMINGTON Since 2009, every summer's been Abe's 200th. And the long-term partying shows no signs of ending any time soon this weekend included. The occasion: the eighth edition of Bloomington's Lincoln's Festival, which arrived on the scene seven Julys ago as a one-shot "happy birthday, Abe!" fete, thrown to celebrate the bicentennial of POTUS No. 16. Around 1,500 showed up ... not bad for a first-time event on a midsummer's weekend. And, honestly, everyone had such a great time, with a little historical enlightenment on the side, that "we wanted to keep sharing it with the community," says Barb Adams, director of the first fest and each one since. She estimates that attendance has grown by around 1,000 with each successive fest, "which is what we want we want to keep doing so people, especially kids, stay excited about Lincoln's local history." The fest's notable feature, from that first party onward, has been its sprawling nature: spread out over multiple eclectic locations. They range from the downtown square to surrounding locales to the nearby north and east, all within walking distance for those, like the fest's namesake, who don't mind a bit of a hike. For attendees not ready to follow in the steps of Abe to all seven sites by foot, each of the seven locales is just minutes away via the transportation mode of your choice. This year, there's even more icing on the birthday cake. "Something we are very pleased to have received," says Adams, "is that we were chosen as a 2016 Looking for Lincoln Signature Event. There are only three events in the 42-county Looking for Lincoln National Heritage Coalition Area that receive the designation." Also received: a grant from the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, part of the Mirza Arts and Culture Fund. "It is great to be recognized as an event that provides an educational and entertaining experience for the community and tourists to the area," says Adams. The festival kicks off, as it has for the past three years, on Friday evening, from 5 to 8 p.m., with "Encounters with Lincoln's Bloomington," featuring theatrical vignettes honoring his legacy. The continuous vignettes are at two locations inside the McLean County Museum of History, as well as Heritage Plaza and the Ensenberger Condominiums lobby. This year's focus: the Civil War's impact on the lives of Bloomington's citizens during the postwar years, with performers from the local Historic Acting Troupe as soldiers, women, immigrants and others who struggled to heal the wounds of war and rebuild their lives. Visitors should begin making the rounds no later than 6 p.m., with the last performance at 7:40 p.m. The festival proper expands Saturday and Sunday into its traditional wide-ranging offerings at six other sites, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (times may vary from locale to locale). This year's official Lincoln for the fest is Chicago-based portrayer Kevin Wood, who'll be visible at all festival sites over the weekend, notes Adams ... arriving via Amtrak train in stovepipe hat and then chauffeured to the festival sites via vintage auto. Following are scheduled highlights from each site, with full details available at www.lincolnsfestival.net: McLean County Museum of History/Cruisin' with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center: New and highly pertinent to the festival is the just-opened "Lincoln in Illinois" permanent exhibit ... a perfect starting point for activities. Also offered will be live presentations, a walking tour narrated by local historian Greg Koos, kids' crafts, Lincoln trivia and a downtown scavenger hunt. Bloomington Public Library: Returning as a festival site this year, the library is offering storytelling, Lincoln-themed movies, live period music and kids' activities. Franklin Park: Old-time games and kids-activities will be on tap, along with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival Touring Company performing "Rodeo," Civil War-era music, free carriage/wagon rides and presentations by Lincoln historian Guy Fraker. Burr House Bed & Breakfast: All-day events include quilting/embroidering demonstrations, Civil War-era crafters, house tours, Lorton's Trading Post and Grandma's Kitchen. IWU Ames Library lawn: The 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Civil War Era Encampment returns, along with cavalry skirmishes, exhibits, discussions and presentations. David Davis Mansion: Mansion tours by costumed docents will explore Davis family life and its direct connections to Lincoln's time in the Twin Cities. BLOOMINGTON Hearing the McLean County jail population hit a six-month high in June with a daily average of 234 inmates housed there, a county panel on Wednesday reviewed initial plans for an addition that would add about 100 beds. John Bishop with the Farnsworth Group told the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council on Wednesday that preliminary interior design drawings have been completed. Farnsworth is doing design, engineering and architectural work for the $45 million project expected to be built just east of the Law and Justice Center on what is now a parking lot. Bishop explained that the first of three levels of the new building would include an inmate visitation center and food service. The two upper floors would be divided into sections that would allow jail staff members to better separate inmates by their level of offense, mental health needs and gender, said Bishop. The County Board approved the project last year to address housing deficiencies for mentally ill and female inmates as well as a recurring shortage of beds. Construction is expected to begin in early 2017. In another matter, the panel heard a report that the county is on track to meet its goal of using the jail to house only the most serious offenders. Frank Beck, director of the Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development at Illinois State University, told the CJCC that the 2,104 bookings so far in 2016 that resulted in overnight jail stays is the lowest since 2007. The population is up overall even though overnight bookings are down because the people held at the jail are staying longer for more serious offenses. The jail has seen longer stays by inmates charged with Class 2 felonies, higher level misdemeanors and driving under the influence charges, according to Beck's research. Lori McCormick, director of McLean County adult court services, said a pilot program to promote pretrial release of suspects has completed 1,173 inmate assessments since January. Court services staff start their day at 6 a.m. to complete assessments for 1 p.m. daily bond hearings, said McCormick. "You're looking at the person, you're not looking at the charge," McCormick said of the evaluations that rate the risk of releasing a suspect on misdemeanor and felony charges. "We're seeing them within 24 hours of their arrest," said McCormick, noting that the 86 percent success rate for those released on pretrial detention in 2015 has continued this year under the pilot program. Bloomington The McLean County Board of Health gave embattled health department Administrator Walt Howe a list of performance goals Wednesday in hopes of repairing damaged relationships between his department and others in county government. The board's closed-door evaluation of Howe came amid accusations that three Board of Health members broke state public meeting rules and after the disclosure in June of more than 4,000 pages of emails between Howe and Board of Health members containing personal attacks on county officials. The 60-year-old administrator waited in his office Wednesday while the board met for an hour and 15 minutes in closed session. Board President Judy Buchanan said the board would take no action after its evaluation of Howe beyond giving him performance goals that will be periodically reviewed. Improvements to Howe's performance would help the department move forward and improve communication at all levels, said Buchanan, who began her term as board president July 1. Buchanan said the board recognizes that the health department is part of county government and that a respectful, collaborative and cooperative relationship is expected. Howe had no comment in response to the statement. In June, the county released the emails between Howe and former Board of Health President Becky Powell and current members Jane Turley and Cory Tello. Turley was vice president and Tello was secretary at the time the documents were released under a Freedom of Information Act request by The Pantagraph. Powell left the board July 1 when her term expired. Documents that were released in April in response to a FOIA request from Laurie Wollrab, a former Board of Health member, expressed frustrations felt by Howe and Board of Health members toward county officials and other BOH members on several issues. Many of the emails contained disparaging remarks aimed at other public officials. Howe told The Pantagraph in a June 10 interview that he had made a plan to end his tenure of more than two decades with the county health department. Buchanan was elected board president in May after the board was forced to repeat officer elections in March in which Turley was named vice president and Tello, secretary. The McLean County state's attorney's office informed the board that Turley and Tello were ineligible for more terms as officers under board bylaws. The emails also laid out a pattern of meetings of the three officers and Howe that may have violated the state's Open Meetings Act, according to State's Attorney Jason Chambers, who has asked the Illinois attorney general's office to review the legality of the sessions at which board business was conducted without notice to the public or other board members and at which no minutes were kept. Howe ran afoul of the County Board in May after county officials learned of his scheduled testimony before the General Assembly in Springfield for a proposed measure that would have expanded the authority of health boards. The county was caught off-guard by Howe's support for the bill that was contrary to the County Board's legislative agenda. I have never been entirely comfortable with the name that the Black Lives Matter movement chose for itself. I get their point. The group's founders didn't mean to imply that other people's lives don't matter. Their hashtag #BlackLivesMatter aims to protest how black lives didn't seem to matter in a growing list of scandalous police killings. But right-wingers easily pushed back, dismissing the movement with the retort, "All lives matter." I used the term "right-wingers," not conservatives, because true conservatives deplore abuses of state power against individuals. It is the grumpy right-wingers who want those black protesters and their uppity liberal allies to shut up and go away. To them, "All lives matter" isn't a slogan or a movement. It is a dismissal. It is an attempt to end dialogue before it has begun. But the tragic events of recent days should sober all of us Americans up to the need to show that all lives really matter and take action to show it. The first casualty last week was Alton Sterling, who police in Baton Rouge busted for selling bootleg CDs. A viral cellphone video shows police forcing him to the ground and restraining him. An officer further away from the camera shouts that the restrained man has a gun. The closer officer draws his weapon and shoots the man on the ground at close range. Shocking. We might have had better quality video if both officers' cameras had not fallen off in the scuffle, according to police. What a sorry coincidence. The following evening, another black man, Philando Castile, 32, was fatally shot by the St. Anthony Police Department in Minnesota, apparently during a traffic stop. His girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, turned on the one tool she had available, her cellphone. Talking to the officer and repeatedly addressing him as "sir," she feeds video and her agitated narration to her Facebook page. As her boyfriend bleeds to death in the driver's seat and her 4-year-old daughter cries in the back seat, we can't see the officer's face but we can see his gun, still aimed at Reynolds as she speaks. Castile was a licensed gun carrier, according to Diamond, and alerted the officer in advance that he had a gun on his person as he reached for his wallet. Where, I wonder, is the National Rifle Association when a gun owner like Castile has his concealed-carry rights violated? The news turned even more tragic during nationwide protests last Thursday night. A peaceful Dallas protest march turned violent. Sniper fire killed five police officers and wounded seven more, police said. Two civilians also were wounded. Two suspects were taken into custody and a third was killed by police. Ironically, earlier in the day, President Barack Obama told reporters in Warsaw that the shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota were "symptomatic of a broader set of racial disparities that exist in our criminal justice system." He cited statistics that showed that blacks and Hispanic Americans were far more likely to be arrested and shot by police and, once charged, to receive longer sentences for the same crimes. When people feel they have been treated unfairly and don't trust the police, the president said, it makes the job harder for "those law enforcement officers who are doing a great job, and are doing the right thing." So, when people say "black lives matter," he said, "it doesn't mean 'blue lives' don't matter, it just means all lives matter." Indeed, President Obama could have mentioned a recent case that most major media overlooked. Video shows Dylan Noble, an unarmed 19-year-old Fresno teen, was fatally shot June 25 by police as he was lying on the ground after a traffic stop for speeding, according to the Los Angeles Times. Release of the video led to a large protest vigil. Mourners, not too surprisingly, planted protest signs. Appropriately, they read, "White Lives Matter." Indeed, they do. So do the lives of people of color and police lives, too. The Dallas massacre of innocent police officers hurts everyone. So do misbehaving cops who make it harder for honest cops to do their jobs properly. Those of us who truly believe that "all lives matter" need to elect leaders who can put some action behind those words. There is near-universal agreement that Silicon Valley needs more diversity. Attaining it is usually thought of as a numbers game in which organizations try to get the percentage of their non-white staff to reflect that of the U.S. population. The reason usually cited for the need to diversify is the "business case." The thinking goes that diverse backgrounds make for better products, services and innovations. In a recent Harvard Business Review post, "We're Making the Wrong Case for Diversity in Silicon Valley," diversity consultant Todd L. Pittinsky challenges this assumption. "Does that case have any relevance in Silicon Valley? Here we have one of the least diverse sectors of the U.S. economy. According to data obtained from the Labor Department and reported by Mother Jones, the top Silicon Valley tech firms lag well behind the general population in diversity. And the problem is most pronounced in the very belly of the beast: the technical jobs. The Valley's tech workers are overwhelmingly men (83 percent) who are white or Asian (94 percent)," wrote Pittinsky. "Yet Silicon Valley is also by far one of the most innovative collections of people not only in the U.S. today but perhaps anywhere, ever. This might explain why the creativity and innovation arguments for workplace diversity, while seemingly compelling at first blush, haven't had the expected impact on business investment in diversity." Still, even for high-tech companies that are already commercially successful, there are other compelling arguments. Daisy Auger-Dominguez, one of Google's highest-ranking Hispanics, tells this story about the indefinable impact she sees. "I've been in diversity and inclusion for 10 years and I'm keenly aware of being the Latina in the room advocating for Latinos and women and not apologizing for it," Auger-Dominguez told me. "But it's not the same situation as being a young, new Latina hire. That became clear to me one day when I met with a younger Latina on staff. I've been in my career long enough that I don't have to worry about what other people think, so when we were introduced, I greeted her with a hug, a kiss on the cheek, I spoke in Spanish and we had a nice talk. I later found out because she blogged about it, a very Google-y thing to do that when we broke off she went into the elevator to cry because she had never in her career seen herself reflected in a leader that looked like her mother or her aunt. I was really struck by that, it reminded me of the phrase, 'You can't be what you can't see.'" Auger-Dominguez, who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage, joined Google as global head of diversity staffing a year ago to help bring up its diversity numbers. The tech giant recently released its latest statistics and though the company is committed to boosting its ranks of women, Hispanics and blacks, it remains a work in progress. As of January of this year, only 31 percent of their staff was female, and a scant 2 percent black. Hispanics represented 3 percent of the workforce compared with 32 percent Asians and 59 percent whites. Auger-Dominguez says that Google is putting in a wide variety of long-term programs aimed at cultivating potential Google candidates starting in kindergarten with K-12 school curriculum. From there, the focus is on university programs that develop a steady stream of graduates who are ready to join Google after. The company is also changing internal hiring processes to eliminate interviewer and hiring bias. Her task goes beyond the operational, however. "Internally and externally, my role is to create narrative images, profiles and stories to help others outside of Google see themselves at Google and to help those who are already here feel they are at home and can aspire to be anywhere in the organization." Pittinsky suggests that we need to think larger than the "business case" reasoning. "We should embrace diversity because it provides a foundation for a healthy society. If we can become more disciplined and precise in learning how to create and maintain it in the right ways, this will make for a more prosperous and productive economy in the future." In other words, channeling people from the most disadvantaged populations toward excellent career opportunities is good for us all. Theme parks may be a lot of fun for children, which can sometimes get too overwhelming for those who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. A theme park in Tennessee came up with an area to soothe the park goers with autism fby allowing them to have a place to relax and enjoy their stay. Dollywood, a theme park which was founded by Dolly Pacton from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee managed to gather gratitude from parents who has children with autism. Dollywood is said to be the first amusement park in the United States to have a sensory room. It was mentioned that the room is equipped with tents, comfy chairs and other sensory items including strings of fiber-optic lights. Jamie Pacton, a writer from Parents, describes the room as calming, wherein the park goers can bring in their child with autism to relax and unwind. Pacton then noted that Dollywood's sensory room made a huge impact on their quality time as a family. Stating that she has a child who was diagnosed with autis and the sensory room made their trip to the Dollywood more relaxing as she can easily calm her son down through the sensory room when he gets too overwhelmed with his surroundings. She then added that they would need to look for a calming place for their son with autism. Parcon noted that she would usually take her son to under a tree when they're in a park, or take him to a corner stall in a bathroom which can be uncomfortable for both of them, thus she is grateful for Dollywood's sensory room. Aside from Dollywood, who is tagged as the first amusement park to have a sensory room for children with autism, Parent Herald previously featured a mall that implemented a "Quiet Hour" for shoppers with autism. "The Leftovers" Season 3 is filming its third and final season in Australia, and on Thursday, July 14, the world of television will be announcing its best of the best in the annual Emmy Awards nominations. There's a good chance "The Leftovers" will finally get a spot on the best drama category, if only regular and avid TV viewers are the ones who will cast the vote. 'The Leftovers' Best Drama Series Nomination? At the Gold Derby site, fans declare "The Leftovers" as one of its top choices for the drama category and it is, in fact, the show with the most mentions. It has received the most votes over "Game of Thrones," with "The Americans" also emerging as another top drama show. Vanity Fair notes that "The Leftovers" should be in the Emmy nominations this year, citing that the how is "quite unlike anything else on television." Hidden Remote also makes a case for "The Leftovers," calling Season 2 "near perfectly executed." Hopefully, Emmy voters have indeed given the show a lot of consideration. The Television Academy previously posted its Emmy nomination ballots on its website, where actor like Justin Theroux (as Kevin Garvey), Carrie Coon (as Nora Durst), Amy Brenneman (as Laurie Garvey), Christopher Eccleston (as Reverend Matt Jamison), Ann Dowd (as Patti Levin), Regina King (as Erika Murphy) and Liv Tyler (as Meg) were listed to be recognized. The results of the nominations will be officially announced in the morning of July 14. 'The Leftovers' Cast News - Carrie Coon, Christopher Eccleston Meanwhile, Carrie Coon of "The Leftovers" has recently been cast to lead the FX drama series "Fargo" for Season 3. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actress is going to star in the anthology series as the chief of police and a single mother. The show will also feature Ewan McGregor in the lead role and will premiere in 2017. In an interview with NPR, Christopher Eccleston revealed that working on "The Leftovers" has made him re-assess his beliefs in religion and faith, as the show delved on these themes a lot. "There is certainly a huge part of me that feels intense anger against organized religion," the actor said, who is a self-confessed agnostic. "But I do feel, at the moment, a little more spiritually open to what may be religious beliefs," he added. "The Leftovers" returns for Season 3 in 2017. The show runs on HBO. When everyone thought that "Prison Break season 5" would never come, that notion has just been debunked. It appears that Michael and Lincoln Scofield are not yet done with their final porridge. The first trailer for the revived "Prison Break season 5" has been unleashed. The new promo reunites Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell as the unlucky brothers, but this time, it is Michael who needs to be freed. "Prison Break season 5" also brings Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell in Morocco and are rumored to have swept the place with such enormity. "Prison Break season 5" has sparked much interest for those that have followed the series for many seasons. Recent reports from Game & Guide have claimed that the upcoming scenes of Prison Break Season 5 would be erratic for Michael as the underdog and tantamount hurdles for Lincoln, T-Bag and Sarah. Assumptions took places that Michael would fake his death and work for an organization that would fully divert his whole life based on the storyline of "Prison Break season 5." The revival will be a limited series affair, and will reportedly reunite the two stars, Miller and Purcell, who escaped from prison in the original run. Both of them have confirmed they will return to "Prison Break season 5" to play the fan's favorite characters, Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows. As both Miller and Callies have confirmed their return, it could imply that there will be a Michael and Sara reunion in the show. Michael may have been asked to fake his death and thereby could return to reunite with Sara in Fox's revival series, "Prison Break season 5." The first and third seasons of "Prison Break season 5" featured attempts to escape from a high security prison, and the second followed the fugitives on the run. If Fox is reviving the series of "Prison Break season 5" it should go back to basics and with Lincoln in the upfront to save Michael, there is more than meets the eye for the series, reports iDigital Times. "Prison Break season 5" is expected to showcase the same scenario such as prison breakout and keep up with the thrill and mystery element in the series. The series could dig deeper into the sinister covert organization The Company, or dig deeper into the Scofield/Burrows family tree. The legalization of marijuana in all of the states in America is one of the pressing issues of 2016, the election year. As such, the stand of presidential candidates -- Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump -- about legalized marijuana, matter greatly to the voters. Fortune reports that at least 89 percent of Americans believe marijuana should be legalized in the United States, and the call is strong especially among medicinal marijuana advocates. The news outlet also notes that legalized marijuana is the one matter that the opposing candidates actually agree on. So, what do Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump really have to say about legalized marijuana? Here are the facts below. Hillary Clinton On Legalized Marijuana In an ABC interview, Hillary Clinton said that if she becomes president she will make it possible to move marijuana from Schedule 1. The category, stipulated by the DEA, also includes LSD, heroin and Ecstasy, which are deemed unsafe and dangerous. But Hillary Clinton acknowledges that marijuana can be helpful in treating medical conditions and easing pain. In this instance, she is "100 percent" in favor of legalized marijuana for medical use. However, the presidential candidate also expressed some hesitation in the legalization, citing this might need more research and scientific proof. She also said she is closely watching states like Colorado, which have legalized marijuana, to understand if the law actually works or not. The Marijuana Policy Project has graded Hillary Clinton's stand on legalized marijuana as a B+. The group recognizes that the presidential nominee is for legalization, albeit stressing on the need for more research. Donald Trump On Legalized Marijuana While less explicit about his plans, Donald Trump has also expressed support for legalized marijuana. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, Donald Trump has been in favor of this, including even recreational marijuana, as far back as the 1990s. High Times reports that Donald Trump understands that medicinal marijuana has helped some individuals with serious health problems. However, as the election fever heigthens, the news outlet notes that Donald Trump has expressed caution when it comes to legalized marijuana, even for medicinal purposes. "In some ways, I think it's good and in other ways, it's bad," Trump said. Just like Hillary Clinton, he would like to see more proof of its effects, especially in medical issues. The Marijuana Policy Project has graded Donald Trump a C+ for his stance, for lack of a clearer policy. The larger-than-life anime segment "Tokyo Ghoul" Season 3 is anticipated to return. However, before its projected comeback, rumors have already escalated regarding the series. Notions of the renewal series being shortened are rising as well as the series facing a dilemma. In a report from Game & Guide, the rumors regarding the option to not wait for the anime segment and its airing date have heaved. It was even speculated that the series is dying out sooner than expected so fans and followers are feeling the apprehensions regarding "Tokyo Ghoul" Season 3. Despite the rising rumors, fans and followers should be wary as the mere speculations have no basis and the creators have not affirmed the varying hearsays. The same report mentioned that Touka and Kaneki is speculated to face negative circumstances when "Tokyo Ghoul" Season 3 airs on the small screen. A separate report from Parent Herald also mentioned that the storyline is in disarray and that it would affect the overall storyline of "Tokyo Ghoul" Season 3. However, it does not indicate that it would be in effect nor is the speculations influence the direction of the anime series. According to the same post, the notions of the series facing a dilemma of cancellation has also rendered some unprecedented mindset on how "Tokyo Ghoul" Season 3 would deal with the circling rumors. Given the fact that "Tokyo Ghoul" Season 3 is a highly anticipated sequel, it is undeniable that rumors and predictions would arise. For the fans and followers, it has already been made known that the series is delayed and one of the reasons that are being considered are the actions and decisions of the showrunners of the series. "Tokyo Ghoul" Season 3 is being delayed partly due to the live action film that would be released first. For the fans and followers, waiting might be the best option for now until the creators themselves render confirmation for the "Tokyo Ghoul" sequel. For those waiting for the return of the return of the American drama-thriller TV series, "Mr. Robot," the wait is over. "Mr. Robot" season 2 has premiered but did you know that USA network leaked the first hour of its premiere episode? 'Mr. Robot' Season 2 Premiere Episode Leaks According to Nerdist, "Mr. Robot" season 2 arrived a little early. The first hour of its second season premiere made its arrival on Facebook. However, they didn't post the video afterward, so it was actually a miss and hit. If you saw it on Facebook Live, then congratulations because you are among the few who saw the first hour of "Mr. Robot" season 2. But for those who didn't see the live streaming, well then, we assumed you had seen it on USA. 'Mr. Robot' Season 2 Episode 1 Recap The premiere episode of "Mr.Robot" Season 2 revealed that it was Elliot who executed the Evil Corp hack but Tyrell was with him. While Elliot was filling the gaps, he took the viewers back to his childhood years, Refinery29 reported. The "Mr. Robot" hacker had a rough childhood. He was pushed out of his bedroom window that resulted in a head trauma. Elliot revealed that he doesn't trust his friends, all the more his dad. His father has been hurting him and has been threatening the people who come close to him. Meanwhile, Darlene hacked the smart house of Susan Jacobs and demanded $5.9 million dollars from the Evil Corp. Then it featured Jacob meeting CEO Phillip Price and the new CTO Scott Knowles explaining that the banks will be down for five days. What To Expect In 'Mr. Robot' Season 2? Per Wired, "Mr. Robot" Season 2 will be darker and deeper. Elliot will continue to battle E Corp as he struggles with his addictions and internal demons. There are also high chances to see an epic battle between the Chinese super hacker Whiterose and the Dark Army. Are you happy that "Mr. Robot" season 2 has finally premiered? What do you want to see in the new season of "Mr. Robot?" Share your thoughts in the comment section below. Mothers worldwide are sharing their breast milk with other mothers through the use of Facebook. According to its Facebook page, Human Milk 4 Human Babies Global Network is "dedicated to fostering community between local families who have chosen to share breastmilk." In its website, the network is shown to have chapters all over the world, from Africa, Caribbean, Canada, United States, Mexico, South America, Asia, Australia and Europe. In the United States, places from Alabama to Wyoming have their individual Facebook pages where mothers can post breast milk offers or request for breast milk from willing mothers. Increasing number of mums turning to Facebook for breast milk donations https://t.co/hzHZHjXxLj Kidspot (@KidspotSocial) July 13, 2016 A Community Of Mothers Sharing Breast Milk "It's mums helping mums. It's a very supportive community out there," said breast milk donor Natalie McGrath, as per Daily Telegraph. McGrath is a mother of two from Australia and has reportedly donated around eight liters of her breast milk to four mothers through their local Human Milk 4 Human Babies Facebook group in Victoria. One of the mothers who received breast milk from McGrath is Kim Pennell. Pennell has four children. Her youngest, two-week old Lucy, consumed the donated breast milk. Pennell had difficulty breastfeeding. Through the Facebook group, she received a total donation of 100 liters of breast milk from six mothers. Health Risks From Shared Breast Milk According to the Daily Telegraph, Australian Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Tim Vainoras called for caution in sharing breast milk. "The milk can be affected by a range of factors including lifestyle habits, such as drinking alcohol and smoking, personal hygiene, as well as correct storage and transportation." Vainoras added that the breast milk had no safety guarantees. RMIT School of Health and Biomedical Sciences lactation consultant and lecturer Jennifer James said in an interview with ABC.net.au that sharing breast milk goes way back. "A woman might breastfeed her sister's child, if their sister became ill; a grandmother might re-lactate and feed her grandchild if the mother died. There are communities where women regularly breastfeed other women's children." Are you open to sharing your breast milk through Human Milk 4 Human Babies? Write your comments below. Now that David Cameron has formally handed in his resignation as the United Kingdom's prime minister, questions arise about the next steps his family will undertake. The former prime minister's biographer claimed that Cameron will send his children to an expensive private school after his dismissal of the idea years ago. Isabel Oakshott, the co-author of "Call Me Dave: The Unauthorised Biography of David Cameron," said there's a huge possibility that Cameron's children will be transferred to private schools especially now that the family has left 10 Downing Street and is away from the public eye. Cameron and his wife Samantha have three kids: daughters Nancy (12) and Florence (5) and a son named Elwen (10), Independent reported. Nancy is currently studying at Grey Coat Hospital, a top academic state-funded secondary school in Westminster, Oakshott wrote in her Daily Mail column. Elwen and Florence, meanwhile, are studying at a primary school in Kensington. In January 2016, it was reported that the Cameron couple will send Elwen to a prep school in southwest London. That private school reportedly costs 18,000 per year. Attending Private School Is 'Crazy' Cameron, 49, said in 2009 that it's "crazy" to send his children to expensive private schools when there are excellent state schools in the country. Back then, he said he would like his children to attend state school. This week, the Cameron family was present when the former prime minister handed in his resignation to the palace in an audience with Queen Elizabeth II. The Cameron children's appearance was one of the first times that they presented themselves to the public eye. Whereas Samantha is constantly seen beside her husband during public appearances, the Cameron children are kept out of the spotlight, which is unlike the tradition in the United States. According to Quartz, photographing the children of prime ministers isn't illegal but there are guidelines about the matter firmly in place to prevent abuse. The press follows these rules and rarely takes pictures of the children. David Cameron's Legacy Cameron has served as the U.K.'s prime minister since 2010. His position is now filled by Theresa May. Cameron's colleagues said his most notable achievements during his tenure as prime minister are same-sex marriage legalization and record employment figures and reforms, BBC reported. He also worked on landmark child protection reforms. Cameron's legacy, however, is marked with a couple of lows. That includes Brexit, Scotland's independence, and his role in ousting Libyan Prime Minister Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, The Huffington Post listed. He was also criticized for the increase in borrowing, the wide gap between the rich and poor, and for the government's cuts to social programs. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has penned a commentary recently and he talked about education making or breaking the economy of the United States. He also recently gave his opinion on the growing Black Lives Matter protests due to the recent police-related fatal shootings. In his commentary, Haslam said that since 2012, conversations about economic development were linked to education noting that they have talked about needing 55 percent of Tennesseans to have a post-secondary degree or a certificate by 2025. This would mean that if this is reached, the economy of Tennessee will keep growing. In 2012, only 32 percent of their citizens held post-secondary degree or a certificate. The administration and their state legislature then worked with universities and education advocates in order to launch the initiative called Drive 55 in an attempt to reach the 55 percent target. Haslam continued to reveal that in 2014, he signed Drive 55 into law. NBC reported that Tennessee is the first state to guarantee two years of tuition-free community or technical college as well as mentorship to high school graduates for them to better understand what they want to take up after graduation. This is part of the Drive 55 initiative. In the commentary, Haslam said that the youth is embracing the initiative as there have been many remarkable changes since the initiative was signed into law. Accordingly, the first-time freshman enrollment at public institutions in the state has increased by 10.1 from 2014 to 2015. Also, the increase of college enrollees for the class that started in the fall of 2015 increased to 4.5 percent compared to the same time in 20114. Another major outcome from the Drive 55 of Tennessee is that it has become the leading state in the nation for the most high school seniors completing Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 68 percent of the 2015 class have submitted and completed the form. Haslam also recently commented on the Black Lives Matter protests that have started to pick up once again after the shootings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Haslam said that all lives matter since five Dallas police officers were also shot and killed by a gunman after the killings in Louisiana and Minnesota. Early pregnancy has been a problem worldwide and 50 Grade 10 to 12 students were able to know more about the dangers of the matter. The students are from the Hage Geingob Senior Secondary School in Katutura, Namibia. New Era reported that the program was started by the Monica Gender Violence Solution (MGVS) organization. The MGVS organization was recently established and it seeks to help and involve both genders in the fight against violence. The organization visited the school in order to educate the students about the dangers and the repercussions of early pregnancy amongst the female students. The organization visited Hage Geingob Senior Secondary School last Friday and aside from talking about early pregnancy, they have encouraged children to stay optimistic as well as focus on school. The organization also urged the students to ignore unnecessary temptations that could lead to their future being ruined. Accordingly, the students were eager to hear the lecture as they had to sit out in the open while listening to the speakers talk about early pregnancy. There was no school hall available to house the learners and the speakers during the talk but the children reportedly were attentive and happy about the lecture. More on the content of the organization's lecture to the students, they talked about gender violence, HIV and AIDS. Aside from early pregnancy, the MGVS also said that there are negative effects of being sexually active at a very young age. The children were also told that having an older partner could be hazardous. The speakers added that the difficulty of reaching success should not be used by the students as a reason for them to run to men and would rather have sexual intercourse rather than study. The MGVS speakers said that this will not solve their problems. After discussing the dangers of early pregnancy, MGVS continued to talk about single mothers. MGVS secretary Petronela Namushinga said in a statement, "We also dissuaded them from that route, but advised that if they do fall pregnant, abortion and baby dumping are never a solution. If there is no family member to look after the child, they can drop the child off at our organization." MGVS have also set up a suggestion box so that students could drop topics that they want to talk about. Follow-ups will be made at the Hage Geingob Senior Secondary School. Be careful of dressing rooms; sometimes they aren't all private. At a Target store in Idaho, a transwoman was caught taking photos of a clueless teen when she was inside a supposed-to-be private fitting room. According to Duhaime's Law Dictionary, voyeurism is defined as the "secret viewing of another person in a place where that person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy, for the purposes of the viewer's sexual arousal." Buzzfeed reports a recent incident of voyeurism in a Target store at Idaho involving a transwoman and teen girl. An 18-year-old girl was checking if a bathing suit fits her in one of the dressing rooms in Idaho Target when an iPhone popped up on top of the barrier that separates the changing rooms. Apparently, the teen was being observed by a person at the other dressing room and wanted to take her photo while changing. As per The Blaze, the teen begged for help and wanted the pictures deleted. According to Buzzfeed, her mother immediately came to the rescue but the suspect was quick and was able to run away in a vehicle. When the police asked the mother and daughter to describe the suspect, they said that they saw a white male in a dress and a blonde wig. The police would found out later that the white male is a self-identified transwoman whose legal name is Sean Patrick Smith but goes with Shauna Patricia (via Buzzfeed). Shortly after, a detective interviewed Smith and found out that the transwoman liked taking videos of women changing their clothes because it is sexually gratifying. She is currently facing one count of voyeurism and is jailed as a male because that is still Smith's legal gender (via Buzzfeed). As per Buzzfeed, the transgender community condemns the act of Shauna Smith and emphasizes that this is not a crime related to her being a transwoman. Tri-States Transgender Group facilitator Emily Jackson-Edney describes the incident as a setback in the fight for gender equality. Do you think that Smith's identity as a transwoman has something to do with the crime of voyeurism when she took a photo of the teen girl in the dressing room? Comment your thoughts below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates. Months ago, this Tennessee lawmaker from the Republican party was facing charges of sexual harassment. After a thorough investigation, findings confirm the allegations against Rep. Jeremy Durha: he sexually harassed 22 women in his job. According to The Washington Times, investigators released a 48-page final report of Durnham's sexual acts while on office. It details romantic and sexual encounters with his female staff, interns, lobbyists, and political workers who most of which reported that they could not say no to their boss. Despite the sexual harassment cases, Durnham refused to resign and is running a re-election bid. Voting for state primaries will begin on Friday and Appointed Chairman of the special committee presiding over Durnham's case, Rep. Steve McDaniel, said this is how Durnham's punishment would be decided upon. The outcome of the elections will be his fate. The Washington Times narrates some of the stories of the 22 anonymous women who had sexual contact with Durnham. Some of them have lost their interest in politics; many of them said they refused Durnham's sexual advances but the lawmaker did not retreat from the act. He made sexual comments, offered hugs, kisses and alcohol and continually communicated with females he wanted to see alone again (via The Washington Times). Currently, Durnham is holding office at a different building and has limited access to the Capitol. House Speaker Beth Harwell said this arrangement would continue even if the Republican lawmaker is re-elected to protect female staff (via The Washington Times). As per Daily Mail last April, Jeremy Durham is being accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by 34 women, and not just 22. Because of this, Harwell investigated Durnham's 'pattern of conduct' in terms of interacting with women which led to the relocation of the Republican lawmaker's office. According to The Tennessean, the young Republican is described by his colleagues as overly aggressive, unpredictable, inappropriate, pushy and short-tempered. He is the son of two small business owners in Adamsville, Tennessee. His major was Political Science at the University of Tennessee. In 2003, the present lawmaker was arrested on charges of aggravated burglary, vandalism and theft. In 2005, Durnham's student government party overspent during the election campaign. Aside from the troubles, he started his own law practice, Durnham and Associates, shortly after passing the bar in 2009. In 2014, he became a managing partner at Battleground Title & Escrow. In 2012, he bested two other candidates and won in the Republican primary. Would you vote Republican lawmaker, Jeremy Durnham, for reelection? If he gets elected, what punishment could he have endured after being proclaimed guilty by an investigation that he sexually harassed his women staff? Sound off your thoughts in the Viewpoint Discussion and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates. "How to Get Away with Murder" season 3 is definitely making a lot of buzz lately. In fact, the hit ABC series is not only making headlines in the United States but also overseas, particularly in Italy where the show has recently stirred some controversy due to the NSFW gay sex scene between Connor (Jack Falahee) and Oliver (Conrad Ricamora). The upcoming television premiere of "How to Get Away with Murder" season 3 is just around the corner and several reports have already teased some interesting events that may happen in the series. But in spite of being on hiatus, Shonda Rhimes' brainchild has become controversial in Italy, Movie News Guide reveals. 'How To Get Away With Murder' Controversial Sex Scene "How to Get Away with Murder" made headlines in Italy after Rai Due, an Italian television network, aired a censored version of an episode on Jul. 8 where the raunchy sex scene between two main characters, Connor (Jack Falahee) and Oliver (Conrad Ricamora) was deleted. According to Refinery29, the censorship caused a major social media outrage where Falahee, as well executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Pete Nowalk expressed their disappointment over the network's decision on Twitter. In addition, "How to Get Away with Murder" season 3 star Falahee also shared a Change.org petition against the Italian network with a hashtag #LoveIsLove. Meanwhile, Rai Due had already responded with an apology and the full uncensored version of the episode was aired on Jul. 10. Do you really believe that audiences in Italia aren't "ready" for real life? Even Vatican has begun to open its eyes https://t.co/SoF6pA2h7l Jack Falahee (@RestingPlatypus) July 9, 2016 Italian viewers, here is the Coliver scene as we intended you to see it: #HTGAWM pic.twitter.com/5r51LMSzPM Pete Nowalk (@petenowalk) July 9, 2016 'How To Get Away With Murder' Season 3 Hints Crazy And Complicated Plot Fans are just two months away from the upcoming fall television premiere of "How to Get Away with Murder" season 3. According to actor Matt McGorry, who plays the role of Asher Millstone in the series, the storylines of the new season remain a mystery for him. "I don't know how to describe the new episodes yet," McGorry told Bustle. "Your guess is a good as mine. We just got the new script, and I haven't read it yet. It could be anything." "How to Get Away with Murder," however, has a penchant for some "crazy" happenings and it didn't exactly end in the previous season. The publication hinted that more complicated and crazy plotlines are coming in the upcoming season. 'How To Get Away With Murder' Season 3 Episode 1 Set Photos And Release Date Meanwhile, "How to Get Away with Murder" season 3 episode 1 set photos were recently released on Instagram by executive producer Pete Nowalk. In a Design & Trend report, several snaps were shared showing actors Karla Souza (Laurel), McGorry (Asher), Falahee (Connor) and Liza Weil (Bonnie) in the court room with two guest stars during their first day of filming. Fasten your seat belts for season 3!!! #HTGAWM #TGIT #72Days #Sept22 #FirstShootDay #AnnaliseKeating A photo posted by Viola Davis (@violadavis) on Jul 11, 2016 at 5:22pm PDT In a separate photo, "How to Get Away with Murder" season 3 lead star Viola Davis (Annalise) took a selfie with her costars but Charlie Weber (Frank) appeared to be absent. Directed by Bill De'Elia, "How to Get Away with Murder" season 3 episode 1 is set to premiere on Sept. 22 at 10 p.m. on ABC. Are you looking forward for the upcoming premiere of "How to Get Away with Murder" season 3? Sound off below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates. 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 Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions On 12 June 2016, an apparently non-apologetic website called Infants on Thrones posted an interview with John Dehlin (by Glenn, Randy, Heather, and Matt) entitled John Dehlin: The Reluctant Atheist. (Thanks to Gregory L. Smith, a careful student of John Dehlins public statements, for bringing this to my notice.) I havent listened to the recording, which is over two hours long. I dont have the time to do it right now and, frankly, will probably never find the time. If, however, somebody else would like to listen to it and report, I would be mildly interested. Im not sure on what basis the proprietors of Infants on Thrones, who seem to be sympathetic to Mr. Dehlin, characterize him as an atheist. Presumably, their description is drawn from his interview with them. Anyhow, six days later on 18 June 2016 Scott Gordon, the president of FairMormon, spoke in Kungsbacka, Sweden. In his remarks, Scott (a longtime friend of mine) briefly alluded to John Dehlin and, in passing, described Mr. Dehlin as not believing in God. People who dont believe in God are commonly called atheists. As I noted yesterday, though, Mr. Dehlin and some of his supporters have taken passionate exception to Scott Gordons description of Mr. Dehlin as an unbeliever in God ever since a video of Scotts remarks went online four days ago, on 10 July 2016. Im puzzled by the difference between the responses to the two postings. There was none to the first. But the response to the second has been one of fiery outrage. So far as Im aware, neither John Dehlin nor any of his followers have expressed even the slightest discomfort with the 12 June Infants on Thrones characterization of Mr. Dehlin as an atheist. Perhaps Ive just missed it. I skimmed through the fifty-nine comments following the item on Infants on Thrones, and, unless Im mistaken, I saw nothing from Mr. Dehlin. No protest. Nothing at all. And yet, since he was interviewed for the podcast by Glenn, Randy, Heather, and Matt, he must surely have been aware of it. Curious. If I could live anywhere I wanted, I wouldnt live in Texas. Id live in Wales or Ireland, or maybe in the Pacific Northwest some place where the climate is cooler and wetter, without being horribly cold. But I cant live anywhere I want, at least not without making where I live more important than how I live, and more important than who I live with. Like so many before and after me, I came to Texas for economic opportunity. My job in Atlanta was going away, a job was open in Dallas, and so I came here. Its not where I wanted to live, but Ive built a nice life here, and Im happy living in Texas. Ive always had strong connections with the land where ever I lived, but pride in being part of a political partition of the land never made much sense to me. Ive been honest about the problems with the cities and states where Ive lived. I grew up hearing America: Love It Or Leave It and that seemed like sheer idiocy. If you really love something, be honest about its flaws and work to improve them. With all that said, Im starting to get really annoyed with some people whove never set foot in Texas talking about it like it was Saudi Arabia or North Korea. Like all people of good will, Im sad and angry that twelve police officers were shot and five were killed in Dallas last Thursday night. But Im dismayed at many of the internet comments (some from my friends) that said something along the lines of its Texas what did you expect? Its something I hear every time something bad happens in Texas, and every time a Texas politician says something stupid. [This post was precipitated by reactions to the Dallas shootings, and the police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota that preceded them. I held off posting it for a week to avoid implying any moral equivalency between naive anti-Texas commentary and the prejudice and bigotry of racism. There is no equivalency: one is occasionally insulting, the other is frequently deadly. But we are capable of addressing more than one issue at once, particularly when one is easy to remedy, and when those who need to address it generally consider themselves fact-friendly, open-minded, and progressive.] Stereotyping and overgeneralization. Most stereotypes have at least a bit of truth in them. On the whole, Texas is a conservative state. It has elected some politicians who regularly say and do highly offensive things. Its taxes are low and regressive, making it very attractive to large corporations. Its cities are relatively new and there are few natural barriers to expansion, which has led to an explosion of suburbs and suburban values (i.e. keeping our children safe from them). Our Lieutenant Governor (a fairly powerful position in Texas government) is a fascist theocrat pro-business Republicans should be ashamed of themselves for allowing him to oust a conservative but professional Republican in 2014. But to assume that Texas is uniformly or even overwhelmingly conservative is to overgeneralize. Barack Obama won 41% of the Texas vote in 2012, down from 44% in 2008. In 2000, Al Gore won 38% of the vote against George W. Bush, the sitting Governor of Texas. The cities tend to be progressive. Annise Parker, an out lesbian, was elected mayor of Houston three times in this decade. Denton passed an referendum banning fracking in 2014, only to see the state legislature overturn it. The problem isnt that Texas is uniformly conservative it isnt. The problem is that except where progressives tend to congregate (i.e. big cities) conservatives have a majority, and theyre able to pass much of their regressive and oppressive agenda into law. Those who claim more democracy is the solution to everything should be careful what they wish for. Meanwhile, those of us who are trying to act as a moderating and liberating force would appreciate your support, not your erasure and victim blaming. Ignoring your own problems. Yes, Texas has its problems, and a state legislature that wants to insert itself in peoples private lives is at the top of the list. But Texas is hardly alone. Philando Castile Minnesota. Freddie Gray Maryland. Ferguson Missouri. Rep. Joe Walsh Illinois. Rep. Peter King New York. 30 states passed bans on same sex marriage and 16 were still in effect when the US Supreme Court overturned them in Obergefell v. Hodges. Abortion rights are under attack in all but the most progressive of states. Texas is very vocal about gun rights, but mass shootings are a nation-wide problem. I could go on and on and on. Most of the problems that lead smug liberals to say its Texas what do you expect? are present in every state in the union. Thats because theyre not Texas problems: theyre American problems, theyre Western (i.e. North America plus Europe) problems, and theyre human problems. Finger-pointing is not helpful to the people of Texas or to the people where you live. Eating the clickbait. Much of the aint Texas awful stuff you see is pure clickbait Facebook posts that are exaggerations, half-truths, and outright lies. Shortly after the UKs Brexit referendum, a post was making its way around Facebook shouting JUST IN: Texas Republicans DEMAND To Secede From America After Witnessing The Brexit (no, I wont link to it). That headline makes you think the Governor immediately called a special session of the legislature to pass a secession resolution. The actual content of the article was three random tweets and a quote from another article that mentions Texas. Pure fact-free clickbait. The headline should have read: A tiny group of Texas Republicans repeat their never-ending call for secession, which cant happen legally and went very poorly the time it was tried illegally. Political clickbait riles peoples emotions and distracts us from our real problems. Dont eat the clickbait. A Pagan in Texas. Ive lived in the Dallas Fort Worth area for almost 15 years. Ive visited most of the state except for El Paso and the High Plains region. Its far from perfect, but Im happy here, and unless my job goes away unexpectedly before I reach retirement age, I plan to stay here. The cost of living is low, the cities have almost anything you could want, and while I dont like the heat Ill gladly take it over the three winters I spent in South Bend, Indiana (average annual snowfall: 72 inches). Im part of a local Pagan group thats been doing public circles on the eight high days for the past 16 years. Weve never had a problem with disruption or harassment. There are Pagan groups throughout the state and when we get together we realize there are more of us than we think. On two occasions Ive helped lead Pagan ritual in the largest public park in the city of Dallas and both times it went beautifully. Im part of a UU church thats a Welcoming Congregation and is not afraid to take a stand on controversial issues. The fire weve been struggling to recover from was an act of random vandalism by a disturbed teenager, not a hate crime. I freely admit I have a lot of privilege when it comes to living here. Im a straight white man who works a professional job. That makes things easier anywhere. But I look around my workplace and I see Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, atheists, and at least one Pagan. I see gay people. I see women and racial minorities in leadership positions. Say what you will about large corporations (and theres plenty to criticize them for), most of them have realized that discrimination is bad for business. If youre poor and able-bodied, Texas is a good place to be the job situation here has been far better than average through the recession and into the so-called recovery. Its slowed a bit lately as low oil prices have shut down some of that industry, but the Texas economy is highly diverse and resilient. If youre poor and sick, Texas is a bad place to be. Taxes are regressive, public assistance is minimal, and Medicaid is very difficult to get. If youre a Democrat, Texas is a frustrating place to be. No Democrat has won a state-wide election in Texas this century. We keep expecting demographic changes to turn Texas from red to purple, but that keeps not happening in large part because voter turnout in Texas is low, particularly among the poor and ethnic minorities. Gerrymandering, voter ID laws, and other voter suppression activities dont help, but a sense of it doesnt matter the Republicans are going to win anyway is mostly to blame. Texas is an open primary state and I live in a red district I frequently vote in the Republican primary to try to elect the lesser evil. Im not leaving the United States if Donald Trump wins the Presidency. I havent left Texas just because we elected Ted Cruz Senator and Dan Patrick Lieutenant Governor. Texas is worth fighting for, and so are the millions of good, compassionate, inclusive people who live here. This is my home. Even after living here for 15 years, I dont really think of myself as a Texan. I find my identity in my religion, not in geography or politics. Theres a lot thats wrong with Texas, and if youd rather live somewhere else I completely understand. But Texas has become my home, and Im getting pretty damned tired of people who should know better bashing it because of stereotypes, othering, and clickbait. Margaret Alice Murray was born on this day 1863 in Calcutta, a second generation Anglo Indian. As a child she didnt receive a formal education but her natural curiosity and love of learning were indulged by her wealthy parents. Following her interests, she qualified both as a nurse and a social worker. Soon, however, she turned to Egyptology, enrolling at the University College of London. It was the first time she walked into a classroom. And she found her true calling within the academy. Her brilliance was quickly recognized as she dove into research. Murray was soon delivering the lectures. She began to write and her publications became a major entrance for many into the wonders of archeology and specifically of Egyptology. Murray became the first woman in the United Kingdom to be formally appointed a university lecturer in Egyptology. Professor Murray was also what we now call a first-wave feminist. She worked hard to improve conditions for women. And, perhaps connected, she had an abiding interest in the rise of witchcraft in Europe. When Egypt was closed to her during the first world war Professor Murray focused on the witch-cult hypothesis, the idea that there was a pre-Christian pan-European cult of the mother goddess and her horned consort. Inspired by the work of French and German scholars as well as the brilliant American feminist Matilda Joslyn Gage and the folklorist Charles Godfrey Leland, who further developed the idea, believing he had found a continuing pagan community in Tuscany, which he described in his Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches. Professor Murray was the linchpin in moving this work into the public imagination. She began by examining the Arthurian legends, and feeling there was something of great antiquity in them. She published an important paper, Egyptian Elements in the Grail Romance, which was both seriously criticized and embraced by people who felt an intuitive sense there had to be a pre-Christian survival. Murray provided the superstructure for what this might look like with three books, the Witch-Cult in Western Europe, the God of the Witches, and the Divine King in England. A number of scholars embraced her ideas, and she was particularly well received by the general public. But the trend of scholarship in fact did not support her thesis. Over the years the weight of the academic consensus was that there was in fact no significant survival of a pre-Christian paganism in Europe. Bits and pieces, here and there. But, nothing coherent. And nothing pan-European. And so the mainstream of the academic community moved on. However. Two things. One, the intellectual and occultist Gerald Gardner declared publicly that not only was Murray right, but he stood in the tradition and was continuing to teach it. Soon students were flocking to him. And, before long there were a number of people teaching that pan-European faith in a mother goddess and her horned consort. Quickly, so quickly one must assume there was a deep hunger for something like this, a modern Wicca began to take shape. And, two. The development of the Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, which would reinvent the whole approach to the English encyclopedia. It was so successful it would remain the standard reference of many, many things for many, many years. In compiling it as the editors came to the subject of witchcraft, they considered among themselves who should we ask to write it? Of course the obvious choice, the only choice was Professor Margaret Murray. Margaret Murrays thesis was now accessible to pretty much everyone as a stated fact in the go-to reference work. And remained so for a generation. And, there were people, only starting with Mr Gardner, who offered initiation into that very same once and future tradition, what we now call modern Wicca. Gerald Gardner has been called the father of modern Wicca. There is truth to that. But, I would add, if it is true, then Margaret Murray is the mother of modern Wicca. Of course Wicca has grown much beyond these humble origins. Like any authentic religious tradition it is messy and complicated. And, while I have no affinities for the magical parts, it is obvious to me how Wicca has become a significant spiritual tradition in our contemporary times. Something that offers a healing message for our planet in ways many people can hear. And, I think, thats amazingly important. So, we all owe much to Professor Murray. by Steven Tramel Gaines Do you really believe white racism exists? A BLM activist asked me that question as we ended our march at the site of Dr. Kings martyrdom. After an awkward pause, I responded with something like this: If youre asking if I think many white people are racist, yes. (Surely she had understood white racism as racism enacted against whites.) Her friend asked to see my sign again. I showed it to her. The sign said, End white supremacy. She smiled and exclaimed, Oh, we thought it said, End white racism. Then she wanted to take a picture of her friend and me. I posted it as my Facebook cover pic. It got mixed responses, mostly from white friends. All the negative comments and some of the positive ones responded not to my sign (End white supremacy) but to the other sign in the picture (Black lives matter). That was in January. This week I shared on Facebook a link to an article about white fragility. The responses were similar. Some of the commentators seemed to accept the reality of white fragility. Objectors unanimously redirected the conversation instead of dealing with the issue at hand. Why are we whites more likely to argue about which actions are appropriate and whether racism exists? Why are we less likely to admit white supremacy as the cause of racial inequality? At least part of the answer is white fragility, which often hides behind language of color-blindness. Last weeks events shed painful light on claims of color-blindness. Those events challenge the assumption that black citizens oppression is due to their own failures. Those events show that racial inequalities are currently real and undeniable. And at least some national news sources public discussions expose an ignorance (or an ignoring) of centuries of history. In this historical context of continual racial oppression enacted by the legally powerful, is the recent violence any surprise? When racial strife ends life, the cause is more than any single incident. The cause is deeply rooted in our history, deeply rooted in our humanity. Our history prevents surprise but should not prevent tears and must not escape the attention of our cultures leaders, including those in religious communities. Recently I presented a conference paper about radio sermons against racism in the summer of 1968. John Allen Chalk, a white preacher, addressed a predominately white audience in the aftermath of the Lorraine Motel tragedy. According to Chalk, white racism says that the Negro belongs to a distinct race, that the Negro race has no common ancestry with other human beings. White racism says that the black [person] is a distinct biological species that falls somewhere between white [people] and apes and that all white [people] in America are part of one common racial group that is superior. And white racism says that regardless of personal ability and achievement, every Negro is more similar to all other Negroes than to a person of comparable skills and intelligence who happens to be a member of the white race. Chalk preached that racism threatens the very heart of Christianity, strikes at the root of all Biblical truth, and directly violates Christian faith. He said, Tenets of racism conflict with the teachings of the God of the Bible. Chalk added that racism counters the biblical view of the church as including all kinds of [people] all nations. He played on the Great Commission: Racism would modify Christs words to mean, Go ye therefore and teach your own kind, or even worse, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, making sure to keep them in their place. He continued, Racisms future depends on my attitudes and yours. Will you oppose racism in a loving, courageous manner? Apparently assuming the answer to that question was not certain, he proclaimed, One thing is certain: A day of judgment has dawned on America as a nation. He said, Traditional Christianity has failed to answer the challenge of racism. Where racism flourishes Christianity dies. And where Christ rules the hearts and lives of [people] racism is destroyed. Recent events continue trauma that is centuries old, and I pray that more religious leaders will follow John Allen Chalks example. They might receive hate mail as he did, but thats nothing compared to the deaths that continuously plague our culture. Religious speech isnt all thats needed. Laws and policing practices and more need to change. But religious leaders must stand against injustice and speak for peace and love. Preachers need to play their parts in equipping religious communities to live as peoples of justice and mercy. Whatever the risks, we must keep the faith. We must proclaim the truth. We white preachers must admit white supremacy and work to end it. Steven Tramel Gaines ministers with Cordova Community Church in Memphis, TN. As the first Michael and Suzanne Osborn Fellow for the Study of Rhetoric and Public Address at the University of Memphis, he teaches communication courses and is a PhD student researching rhetoric, race, religion, and gender. He is a graduate of Abilene Christian University and Harding School of Theology. You may follow him on Twitter (@steventgaines) and go to his ministry website to contribute to his work. Donate to the Work of R3 70-Year-Old Man Sentenced to Flogging for Demanding Information on Missing Son 07/14/16 Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran The wife of Hashem Zeinali, a 70-year-old man who was given a lashing and prison sentence after peacefully demanding information about his missing son while standing outside Evin Prison, is hoping that the Appeals Court will overturn the ruling. Hashem Zeinali with his wife Akram Neghabi holding photo of their son Saeed My husband, whos an old man, has been condemned to imprisonment and floggings for a charge that has no basis in reality. He was standing in front of Evin Prison with a portrait of our missing son Saeed, and the authorities prosecuted him on the charge of participating in a gathering in support of Mohammad Ali Taheri, the imprisoned leader of a spiritual group, Akram Neghab told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. I already lost my son. I cant tolerate seeing my husband jailed and flogged. While holding a portrait of his son Saeed Zeinali, Hashem Zeinali was arrested in front of Evin Prison on November 21, 2015 along with a group of 13 other peaceful demonstrators who were mostly followers of Mohammad Ali Taheri. Even though some of the demonstrators, including Hashem Zeinali, were not connected to Taheri, everyone who was apprehended outside of Evin Prison that day was sentenced to 91 days in prison and 74 lashes by Branch 1060 of the Tehran Criminal Court on February 22, 2016 for disturbing the public order by participating in an illegal gathering in support of the head of the Erfan-e Halgheh sect. The United Nations has declared lashing a cruel and inhuman punishment tantamount to torture. Saeed Zeinali was a 22-year-old computer science student at Tehran University when he was arrested at his home on July 10, 1999, five days after student protests-brutally repressed by the government-erupted across university campuses in Iran. Three months later, during a short telephone conversation, Saeed Zeinali told his parents he was well, but he has not been seen or heard from since. I have not heard from my son for 17 years. I know I wont get any answers, but I will not stop asking what happened to him until my last breath, Akram Neghab told the Campaign. Iranian officials have denied having any knowledge about Saeed Zeinalis arrest even though his parents insist they saw him arrested by security agents at their home. In January 2016 Judiciary Spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said: so far no document has been found showing that [Saeed Zeinali] was arrested. One Year After Iran Nuclear Deal, Sides Remain Compliant but Wary 07/14/16 By Chris Hannas, VOA WASHINGTON- One year ago, exhausted diplomats from Iran and a group of six world powers emerged from a meeting at a luxury hotel in Vienna, Austria with what they had been seeking for nearly two years: a comprehensive agreement limiting Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting harsh economic sanctions. Headline on front page of Iranian daily JCPOA stays put Headline on front page of Iranian daily Etemad Today the pact is in effect with clear results on its major components, but there are lingering suspicions on both sides that the other may take advantage and not live up to their responsibilities. "We need to continue to work and we will continue to work and we have a specially designated ambassador whose day-to-day effort is leading a team to make sure that this deal continues to be lived up to, that we continue to be able to resolve any problems," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday. The negotiations sprang out of Western fears dating back to 2002 that Iran was working to develop nuclear weapons, which the Iranian government repeatedly denied. There were United Nations sanctions and others imposed by the United States and European Union to pressure Iran into abandoning any nuclear arms ambitions. Iran kept up its nuclear activity, largely focused on enriching uranium, while the sanctions badly hurt its economy. The talks hit a breakthrough point in late 2013 when Iran and the group that included the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany reached an interim agreement with some limits on Iran's nuclear activity and the easing of some sanctions. They gave themselves until the middle of 2014 to come to a comprehensive deal, but like with much of the negotiation process, the talks hit roadblocks and blew past multiple deadlines. An intense final set of meetings over the course of three weeks in Vienna finally clinched the deal. President Barack Obama called it the world's best "means of ensuring Iran does not get a nuclear weapon," while the diplomats involved pointed to the negotiations as an example of how countries can peacefully resolve their differences. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini praised the agreement as a path to "a new chapter in international relations" that uses diplomacy to overcome decades of tensions. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that while the pact was not perfect, it was an important achievement and represented a foundation for a new diplomatic beginning. FILE - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini hold a press briefing after their meeting in Tehran, Iran, April 16, 2016. FILE - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini hold a press briefing after their meeting in Tehran, Iran, April 16, 2016. After getting legislative approval, the agreement went into effect in January. Iran removed thousands of centrifuges that had been used to enrich uranium and shipped out the vast majority of its existing stockpile. World powers lifted their sanctions, unlocking billions of dollars for Iran and paving the way for new business opportunities there. Last month, U.S. aerospace giant Boeing announced a tentative deal to sell 100 jets to Iran's state-owned airline. But throughout the past 12 months, officials on both sides, particularly from Iran and the U.S., have spoken about the deal with comments that range from suspicion to outright rejection. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that if the world powers fail to meet their responsibilities, then Iran stands ready to restore its nuclear program. Meanwhile, some members of the U.S. Congress want to ban the United States from purchasing nuclear-related material from Iran, accuse the Obama administration of giving up too much too soon in the negotiations, and are wary about how Iran is spending its newly unlocked money. Iran has complained that despite the lifting of sanctions that once barred financial institutions from doing business with the country, foreign banks remain reluctant to be involved in transactions. The agreement spells out a 10-year limit on Iran's centrifuges, a 15-year limit on how much it can enrich uranium and a 25-year period for U.N. inspectors to have access to its nuclear facilities, all pushing its major effects beyond certain changes in leadership among the nations involved in the negotiations. But the United States and nuclear experts point to the main result, extending the timeline under which Iran could rush to build a nuclear bomb without being interrupted from a few months to at least a year. "Fundamentally I think the world can take pride in the fact that this multilateral complicated negotiation has produced a result that makes the region less volatile and makes the world itself safer in terms of nuclear proliferation," Kerry said. Health Official Says Sexual Transmission Of HIV Rising In Iran 07/14/16 Source: RFE/RL A senior official in Iran's Health Ministry says sexual transmission of HIV is on the rise in the country, in part, because of taboos about discussing sex. Deputy Health Minister Ali Akbar Sayari said the share of HIV transmission through sexual intercourse had doubled during the past decade from 15 percent to 30 percent of all cases. cartoon by Naeem Tadayyon, Iranian daily Shahrvand Speaking at a July 13 press conference in Tehran, Sayari said, "The pattern of AIDS transmission through sex is on the rise and people need to be openly informed about it if it's going to be controlled." He said health officials "cannot explain all these issues openly and transparently to the people" in the conservative Islamic country -- including information about using condoms as protection against infection. In recent years, in an effort to increase the birthrate, Iran has passed laws restricting the use of contraception. On July 12, the Health Ministry said there are now about 32,000 people in Iran who were infected with HIV. It said nearly 28,000 of the HIV cases are men and about 5,000 have contracted AIDS. Based on reporting by AFP and IRNA Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org Iran to buy planes from Mitsubishi 07/14/16 Source: Press TV Iran has reportedly started talks to purchase planes from Mitsubishi Aircraft - the aviation arm of Japan's industrial giant Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Japan's media say the country's Mitsubishi Aircraft is negotiating with Iran to provide the country with its regional passenger jets that are currently under development. The Nikki newspaper says in a report that Mitsubishi Aircraft - the aviation arm of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries - began market surveys into Iran last September, four months before the U.S. lifted sanctions. The company has been negotiating over jet sales with Iran's flag carrier Iran Air and Iran Aseman Airlines, as well as the country's aviation authorities. Iran Air is weighing purchasing 80 70-seat Mitsubishi Regional Jets and using them for domestic routes, Nikki added. Executives from both sides also discussed a possible deal last month during the International Air Transport Association conference in Dublin. The report added that Mitsubishi is trying to use the help of the Japanese government over the purchase and wants to make use of state-backed financing. Iranian airliner Iran Air and Boeing reached a memorandum of agreement in June, under which a total of 80 aircraft will be sold to Iran and a further 29 will be leased with Boeing's support as part of a $25 billion contract. Meanwhile, Boeing's European rival Airbus is also awaiting Washington's approval of an agreement with Tehran over the purchase of 118 planes, worth over $27 billion. The deals with Boeing and Airbus came after aircraft sanctions against Tehran were lifted under a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of nations-the US, Russia, France, Britain, China and Germany-reached in July last year. body was formed last year to implement the economic views of the Leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Caspian Sea legal regime must guarantee littoral states' interests: Iran FM 07/14/16 Source: Press TV Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Caspian Sea's legal regime should guarantee that the interests of the littoral states are met in view of the geopolitical developments. Zarif made the remark in a ministerial meeting of the Caspian Sea littoral states in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Wednesday. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (2nd L) and his counterparts from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan pose for a photo during a ministerial meeting of the Caspian Sea littoral states in the Kazakh capital of Astana on July 13, 2016. Mehr News Agency Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (2nd L) and his counterparts from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan pose for a photo during a ministerial meeting of the Caspian Sea littoral states in the Kazakh capital of Astana on July 13, 2016. Mehr News Agency The Caspian Sea littoral states - Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Russia - are discussing a convention on the seas legal regime that would be a comprehensive document outlining the duties and rights of the five littoral states as well as the framework of cooperation among these countries. Zarif and foreign ministers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Russia have come together in Astana to discuss key issues pertaining to the Caspian Sea, including its legal status, and to outline a plan for a summit of the seas littoral states scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan. An Iranian working group arrived in Astana earlier this week to participate in the expert-level sessions to devise a convention on the Caspian Seas legal status. Caspian Sea Countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan In the Wednesday ministerial meeting, Iran's top diplomat noted that the legal regime of the Caspian Sea should take into account peace and security. Sustainable peace and security in the Caspian Sea [region] is of fundamental significance to regional governments and nations, Zarif said. He added that the Islamic Republic of Iran, acknowledging the key issue of security, believes that "transparency, peaceful use of the sea and avoiding an arms race" will ensure peace and stability in the region. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water by area and is variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The issue of the legal status of the Caspian Sea was given significance after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of new independent states bordering the sea. Death of a Director: Medical Team Blamed For Death of Abbas Kiarostami 07/14/16 Source: Tehran Times TEHRAN -- Dariush Mehrjui, the director of the acclaimed drama The Cow, has said that top Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami died because of his Iranian medical teams negligence. Photo: Memorial service for Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in Tehran on July 12, 2106. (Mehr/Mahmud Rahimi) Photo: Memorial service for Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in Tehran on July 12, 2106. (Mehr/Mahmud Rahimi) Im angry over this accident that is the outcome of the carelessness and irresponsibility of the surgeons who killed Abbas Kiarostami, he said during a memorial service for Kiarostami that held at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in Tehran on Tuesday. The murderers are among us, noted Mehrjui who was weeping bitterly and asked the countrys judicial authority to bring them to trial. Photo: Director Dariush Mehrjui addresses the audience during a memorial service for Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in Tehran on July 12, 2106. (Mehr/Mahmud Rahimi) Photo: Director Dariush Mehrjui addresses the audience during a memorial service for Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in Tehran on July 12, 2106. (Mehr/Mahmud Rahimi) Talking to the Persian service of ISNA on Tuesday, Ahmad, the elder son of Kiarostami, announced his familys plan to file a lawsuit against the medical team. Kiarostami who was suffering from a severe gastrointestinal disease died at a Paris hospital on July 4. Kiarostami was hospitalized in mid-March at Tehrans Jam Hospital and underwent several operations. Although he didnt recover fully, he left the hospital in late April. Meanwhile, some reports published on social networks have accused his surgical team of negligence. Read related reports by Arman daily (in Persian) Due to the repercussions of the operations, he was admitted again to Arad Hospital in Tehran, but on June 27, he decided to leave the hospital to resume his medical treatment at the Paris hospital. The Iran Medical Council has assigned a special committee to examine Kiarostamis medical file in several sessions. The council has also asked Kiarostamis family doctor to submit the file of Kiarostamis French medical team to the committee. The first session was held on Wednesday and the committee is scheduled to submit its comments late next week. In addition, the Majlis Health Committee has announced that it is scrutinizing the medical file. 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 Using a password manager on your desktop computer is definitely easier than memorizing tons of strong passwords. They're even more of a boon on your smartphone's tiny keyboard. Password Genie 5.2 let you sync your saved passwords across all of your PC, Mac, Android, and iOS devicesor rather, across as many of them as your licenses permit. It handles essential password management functions nicely, but its form-filling is weak, and the price can add up if you have a lot of devices. A basic subscription, at $15 per year, lets you install Password Genie on up to five PCs or Macs. Password Genie Mobile has almost precisely the same functionality; for $11.99 per year you get one license for iOS or Android. The Password Genie Bundle, reviewed here, shaves a bit off the combined price of those two, coming in at $24.99 per year for five desktops and one mobile device. Got more phones or tablets? Password Genie Mobile (Professional) gives you three mobile licenses for $29.95 per year, and Password Genie Mobile (Family) doubles that, for $49.95 per year. Passwords for you, the master user, synchronize across all your devices. You can optionally create additional users on your desktop devices, each of whom gets a separate password collection. If you want to install Password Genie on mobile devices for other family members, without giving them access to all of your passwords, you'll have to create a separate, non-syncing account for each. This per-device pricing scheme is rather unusual. Sticky Password Premium($14.99 at Sticky Password)(Opens in a new window) and Dashlane 4($0.00 at Dashlane)(Opens in a new window) don't put any limits on the number of devices for a single account, nor does LastPass 4.0 Premium. If you have a large number of devices, Password Genie can get expensive. Getting Started During the installation process, Password Genie requires that you either enter the activation code you received with your purchase or connect with an existing account. There's no option for a free trial. Dashlane and Sticky Password, by contrast, are free to download and use, requiring payment only if you want to sync multiple devices. You can use quite a few competing products for free if you keep the number of saved passwords below a certain limit. And of course, there are plenty free password managers that are very effective. For my evaluation, the company set up an account in advance, so I logged in as an existing user. Connecting to the account was simple. I entered my email and received verification of the account's existence. To complete the process, I entered the master password, typed a description of the computer, and clicked Register. Password Genie offered to import passwords from my browsers (Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer) at startup. If you skip this process initially, you can request it later. The program can also import passwords from a CSV file in the format exported by LastPass 4.0 Premium($36.00 Per Year at LastPass)(Opens in a new window) or AgileBits 1Password 4 for Windows. Those with some minor spreadsheet skills can probably massage exported data from other products into the correct format. The product's grey and white main window is attractive and not at all busy. Six big panels represent Logins, Wallet, Form Fill, Bookmarks, Users, and Settings. There's also a direct connection to the product's 24/7/365 support, with links to FAQs and how-tos, instructions for phone support, and a live chat option. Security Considerations As always, you should protect your password collection with a strong but memorable master password. But don't rely on Password Genie to tell you what's strong. I complained about the lax standards in F-Secure Key($32.99 Per Year for Synced Devices; Desktop Version is Free at F-Secure)(Opens in a new window), which accepted "password" as moderately strong. Password Genie proved laxer still. When you click the link to change your master password, it takes you to the product's website. The page instructs that a master password must be at least six characters and contain at least one letter and one number. That's setting the bar really, really low, but the actual strength indicator dips lower still. I thought I'd see how it rates "Password." As soon as I typed "Pa" the indicator changed from Weak to Strong. Absurd! Memorize a long, strong master password, please. Password Genie does offer several ways to enhance your security. By default, it protects against brute-force password guessing on mobile devices by suspending all logins for 30 minutes after three failed attempts. You can change that from one to five failed attempts and set the lockout from five minutes to an hour. And if you fumble-finger yourself into a locked state, you can send an unlock code via email. The available two-factor authentication system is also email-based. You can enable it so you need an emailed code for every login, or just each time you add a new device. In Dashlane or LastPass, you can run a security audit to get an actionable report on weak and duplicate passwords; these two can automatically update passwords on some common sites. Password Genie is more proactive; if you have weak passwords it displays a warning on the main window; it also marks entries that have weak passwords with a red unhappy face icon. The password rating system for logins is different than for the master password, but has its own quirks. One of my passwords is 15 characters long, with uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and punctuation. But because it has no digits, Password Genie flagged it as weak; tacking on a digit jumped it to strong. The same password with digits and no punctuation rated moderate. And "1!Passwo" earned a strong rating. I have more faith in the deeper analysis performed by KeePass 2.34(Visit Site at KeePass)(Opens in a new window). If KeePass says your password is strong, you can rely on it. Password Capture and Replay Like most password managers, Password Genie installs add-ons for popular browsers so as to automatically capture credentials when you log in to a secure site. When it detects a login, it pops up a retro-looking window that lets you give the item a friendly name and optionally assign it to a new or existing folder. If there's already a saved login for the site, you can choose to either create a new login or replace the existing one. Password Genie handles password change events, and can capture credentials during creation of a new account. In testing, I found that it captured passwords from standard login pages without trouble. However, anything out of the ordinary gave it trouble. LastPass, Sticky Password, Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault 8($20.99 -- $30% Off at Keeper Security UK)(Opens in a new window), and RoboForm Desktop 7 manage oddball logins by letting the user choose to capture all fields on the page. Password Genie should be able to capture known multipage logins like those used by Yahoo Mail and Gmail, though my company contact noted that changes to those pages can temporarily cause problems. In my testing, I initially thought this feature wasn't working. It turns out that when I copy/pasted the password, it didn't work, but if I typed it in, the way a normal user would, it worked fine. When you return to a site, Password Genie automatically fills in the saved credentials. If you have more than one set of credentials, it offers a pop-up menu. And, as with most similar products, you can pull down a menu of all your saved logins from the browser toolbar button. Selecting one both navigates to the site and logs you in. Password Generator This product's password generator defaults to creating 10-character alphanumeric passwords, with no symbol characters. That's better than Symantec Norton Identity Safe, which creates eight-character alphanumeric passwords by default. However, for proper security, you should go into the settings, raise the default length to 16 or more, and enable use of all character sets. There's no reason to use shorter, less secure passwords when you have an app that takes care of remembering them. When Password Genie detects a password change or new account creation event, it automatically pops up the password generator. Dashlane does something similar, displaying a password generator button near the password field. Password Genie lets you tweak password length and character sets for a particular site without changing the defaults. However, it doesn't automatically fill in the generated password; you must copy and paste it. What's in Your Wallet You might think that Password Genie's Wallet component would only store things like bank accounts and credit card information, but it's actually more versatile than that. In addition to those two categories, it includes templates to store birthdays, car rentals, frequent flyer accounts, hotel loyalty accounts, insurance data, passports, prescriptions, and vehicle information, as well as a general-purpose secure notes field. Each category includes its own collection of data fields. For example, besides the name and date, a birthday entry includes the option to email you a reminder up to five days before the big event. Along with the expected credit card data, you can fill in the customer service number. And so on. These wallet items sync to all your devices, along with your passwords, so they'll always be at hand. You use the Bookmarks component to make your favorite webpages ubiquitous in a similar fashion. Weak Form Filling Password Genie lets you create any number of profiles for filling personal information into Web-based forms. Each profile includes name, address, email, and four types of phone number. You can also add one credit card and one bank account, optionally pulling these from existing Wallet entries. There's no option for multiple instances of fields like you get with RoboForm or Password Boss Premium($29.99/Year at Password Boss)(Opens in a new window). If you want the option to choose between multiple credit cards, you'll need make a copy of the profile for each. LastPass lets you choose profile and credit card separately. Dashlane not only stores multiple credit cards, it displays them next to the card-entry field as images using the color and bank logo you selected. I filled in all fields in a profile with imaginary data and put it to the test. The results were unimpressive. On RoboForm's All Fields Test page, Password Genie filled in the last name, but not the first. It inserted city, state, and zip, but not street address. The fax number field was filled, but not the home, work, or cell phone numbers. And so on. Admittedly, that's just a test page. For a real-world test, I visited Target online, selected a Chewbacca mask, and began to check out as a guest. Password Genie did not fill a single one of the name and address fields, not even when I clicked the browser button and actively selected Form Fill from the menu. My experience at Walmart's website was also strange. On this site's checkout page, Password Genie filled the first name, last name, and email address correctly. However, when I submitted the data, the website somehow didn't see the entered data. It flagged each field in red, saying, "This information is required." I corrected the problem by cutting the data from each field and pasting it back in, but I don't know if the average user would figure that out. I reported these problems, in great detail, to my company contact, who responded, "We will forward this information to our development team and make sure we fix these in upcoming releases." I do hope that happens, but I experienced a similar weakness in the form fill component when I reviewed an earlier version of this product. Mobile Experience Depending on which license or licenses you purchased, you may be able to install Password Genie on one or more Android or iOS devices. Install the free app from the appropriate store, log in to your account with your master password, and create a PIN. Now your passwords sync with the mobile device. Do note that by default passwords sync every five minutes. You can change that to one or 10 minutes, or request an immediate sync. The product's mobile interface is almost identical to its appearance on the desktop, especially if you hold the mobile device so the display is in landscape mode. There's no Users panel, because that feature isn't part of the mobile version. A Support button takes its place. That PIN you created takes the place of the master password; you only need the master at the time you connect the device to your account. If you've protected your device with a lock screen, that plus the PIN may be sufficient security, especially if you retain the default setting that automatically locks the program after five minutes of inactivity. And, as noted, a phone thief who tries to guess your password will, by default, get locked out for 30 minutes after each three failed guesses. For added security, enable the email-based two-factor authentication. Those using iOS devices can log in using Touch ID. On both iOS and Android, your saved logins launch in an internal browser. That makes it easy for Password Genie to fill in the credentials. LastPass, Dashlane, Sticky Password, and a few others manage to fill forms in other iOS browsers using the Share icon menu. F-Secure Key, among others, accomplishes Android autofill using a special keyboard. But using an internal browser is a fairly common solution. It's also possible to invoke the Web form filling component on a mobile device, but it's a bit awkward. You must navigate to the page using the built-in browser, which doesn't have history or bookmarks built in. When Password Genie detects a fillable form, it pops up an offer to fill in the blanks, with the same scattershot results as under Windows. Online Management You can't access your passwords online the way you can with LogMeOnce Password Management Suite Ultimate, Zoho Vault(Free Trial at Zoho Vault)(Opens in a new window), LastPass, Dashlane, and many others. This could be considered a virtue, since if you can't log in remotely, neither can a crook. What you can do online is manage your account overall. As noted, changing your master password is an online occurrence. The list of users includes a forgotten password link for each. Of course, if you're the only user, you couldn't reach this page without knowing your password. In an alarming lapse of security, clicking the forgotten password link emails the password directly to the user, in plain text! The online console also lists all of your devices, along with details like when the product was installed. Other detail elements proved a bit confusing. For my Windows installation and my two iOS installations, the Version field displayed the name I chose for the device. The Android installation displayed 5.0 in the Version field, and omitted the name. Next to each device is a button to remove it from the account, for example, if you got a new phone. Ups and Downs Password Genie 5.2 does a good job capturing and replaying passwords, even handling new account setup and password change events. However, oddball login pages can baffle it, and in testing the form-filling feature proved spotty. It also lacks advanced features like secure password sharing, password inheritance, and automatic password changing. Two-factor authentication is nice, as is the ability to shut down a password-guessing thief. But its rating system for master passwords is terribly lax, and the similar system for website passwords is quirky. Our Editors' Choice password managers give you everything this product does, and more, and they don't put limits on how many devices you can sync. LastPass 4.0 Premium, Dashlane 4, and Sticky Password Premium are our top recommendations. How Your Password Was Stolen How Your Password Was Stolen Smaller niche browsers such as Maxthon have to do more than their larger rivals just to be recognized, let alone downloaded. Maxthons MX5 browser offers free features that youd normally pay for, like password managementand that alone makes it worth checking out. (Editors Note: We were informed Wednesday, July 14 that Maxthon isnt prepared to release MX5 today as planned, for reasons that were not explained. Our review code was obviously given us before the browsers final release. After we wrote our review, serious security concerns have also come to light regarding user data sent to Maxthon. You can read the report for yourself, but the bottom line is this: whether or not you agree to participate in the user experience (UEIP) program to improve the browser, an earlier version of Maxthons browser allegedly sends your entire browsing history, a list of all software installed on your machine, and other details of your PC to a Maxthon server in China. Note that we did ask CEO Jeff Chen if data is passed to China, and he denied it. For now, wed recommend that you hold off from downloading MX5, even when the browser becomes available. As of Friday, Maxthon issued a statement claiming that the data sent via the user experience program was a bug, dating back to 2007, and it has been fixed. According to Maxthon, if a user opts out of UEIP, the browser should not report any information. Maxthon also confirmed that it does send back the URLs users visit, but does so to check if the Web site is safe or not. The shipping version of MX5 will have an option to turn off the scanner, Maxthon said. Were leaving our review intact, but strongly urge you to consider these caveats when deciding whether or not to download.) Youre forgiven if youve never heard of Maxthon: The company releases major updates to its browser every two years or so, with an emphasis on cloud data that debuted in conjunction with its 2014 release, Maxthon 4. The company doesnt register on NetApplications list of the top browsers, falling somewhere into the last 0.14 percent of the browser market under other. That isnt stopping Maxthon chief executive Jeff Chen. The goal of the new browser, he said, was to provide an information assistant with three key features: an infobox to save web pages to the cloud; a Passkeeper password vault; and UUMail, a way of developing email aliases or shadow email addresses to insulate you from spam. As before, Maxthon uses both the Trident and Webkit rendering engines in a bid to render older and newer web pages efficiently. But its the additional value-added features that the company wants to make its selling points. Maxthon may look a little rough around the edges, but it renders Web pages quick and accurately. A 1986 Ford Mustang for the Web Maxthons not the most polished of browsers: Spelling errors crop up in various menu and settings pages, and the browsers homepage when you first launch it provides a rather clunky collection of news and top sites. The alpha version of the browser that Maxthon provided me slyly tried to install itself as my preferred browser by default, and wedged itself into my taskbar. Its terms of service forbid you from blocking its own advertising (which, to be fair, I barely saw, save for a shopping box on the home page, plus one banner ad farther down.) Icons for Adblocker Plus, developer tools, the night mode, and Snap hide in the upper right. Once youve pulled out of Maxthons garage and onto the information superhighway, however, Maxthons MX5 provides a sturdy, speedy vehicle for navigating web pages, even if it feels a bit hastily put together at times. Maxthon did have problems with some Flash-heavy games I tried to load, crashing once, but otherwise didnt seem to have any issues. Overall, the UI feels fairly intuitive. When you dig deeper, things get a little complicated. For one thing, though Googles Chrome browses with HTTPS enabled, Maxthon doesnt, and that might worry security-minded users. Importing bookmarks and other data from other browsers isnt all that intuitive (go to to the three-bar menu icon in the upper right, then Tools > Import User Data, then select the other browser). Private browsing is included, and launched via a new window. As for help, well, youre sort of on your own, as both the Help Desk and Maxthon Community take you to a community forum page. You can set a sidebar with some quick actions, if youd like. Ad blocking has been a staple of the platform for over five years, and Maxthon built Adblock Plus into the new version. That ensures browsing is just as fast as any other browsers: Web pages were responsive in under two seconds, which is very goodand the browser itself consumed about 528MB of memory with only five tabs. Thats the typical amount of memory consumed by three browser tabs, based on the browsers I tested in conjunction with Vivaldis release earlier this year. But those browsers did not have ad-blocking baked in, either. Theres a wealth of interesting little features under the hood, and thats even before you start poking around the new stuff. Developer tools let programmers view pages on a number of simulated mobile devices. A night mode dims the display to minimize eyestrain. Click the RSS icon on a web page, and MX5 helpfully directs you to the Feedly RSS reader. You can set a small sidebar column with icons to trigger actions, though Opera or Vivaldi do a better job here. About the only feature I could do without is Snap, which zooms in to an extreme level to allow those with poor eyesight to interact with a small section of the page. Maxthon even has extensions, which appear to be custom-crafted for the browser itself. The most useful seem to be bundled with the browser, including a translation tool. The Maxthon extensions web page offers dozens more, including ones for Twitter and YouTube. Unfortunately, Maxthon sprinkles in warnings about downloading malicious extensions, and its sort of hard to believe that anyone would believe that an Angry Birds Go extension is really just 5KB in size. (In fact, its just a spammy ad.) However, its the small user icon at the upper left that hides the new features in MX5: Infobox, PassKeeper, and UUMail. Infobox: Way too many options for saving web pages When Chen first told me about the Infobox feature, my first reaction was that this was just another version of the Reading View feature already in Edge: Strip out the ads, format it neatly on a gray background, and so on. Nope! Maxthon has Reader Mode already enabled, by clicking the book icon next to the URL. You can save Web pages or snippets of information in all sorts of formats to your Infobox. Infobox goes it one betterwell, make that several better. Right-click a web page, and you can choose to save it to Infobox. You then have several options: You can bookmark the page, of course. But you can also save the web content, creating a static HTML page with live links and embedded pictures (but not video). Or you can take a snapshot of it as an image, zoom in on a block of text and annotate it, complete with thought bubbles and even a blur feature for anonymizing data. Or you can copy a selection of the text. Or you can take a snapshot of the whole web page and save it as an image. Orwhew!if thats not enough, you can save the entire page as an HTML page, just like you can do with other browsers. Once youve saved itwell, Maxthon wants to make sure you dont lose it. So while the file can be saved to your hard drive, its stored to the Maxthon cloud as well, and synced with other instances of the browser. (An Android version is also available.) Youll end up with a long list of stored web pages and snippets, enough to keep you occupied on the commute home. Passkeepers password management falls a bit short Passkeeper is Maxthons answer to services like LastPass, which generate complex, unique passwords for various web sites and then store them so youll never have to remember what they are. Passkeeper does the same, relying on you to choose a strong master password to secure the browser itself, including passwords and the Infobox records youve cached there. Passkeeper automatically generates passwords for Web services, then stores them. Once you sign up for a web service like Yahoo Mail, Passkeeper will generate a password to your specifications, including the number of characters, numerals, upper and lower case, and so on. It will then offer to save it as an encrypted password in its digital storehouse. Unfortunately, MX5 doesnt suggest special characters, which are becoming a staple of more and more web sites. (It does, though, include an underscore option, which seems to randomly insert an underscore every few new passwords.) You can also manually create an encrypted entry with your own site name, password, and notes, although this is kind of a pain. The more important question, though, is whether you trust Maxthon with those passwords. Passwords will sync with the cloud, and Passkeeper uses multiple encryption techniques including AES256 and multiple verification techniques, according to the company. Data stored in the cloud has been double-encrypted and cant be seen by Maxthons own staff, the company claims. You can set a custom length for your passwords, as well as other options. Maxthon was originally a Chinese company, and incorporated in Beijing. But Chen says the company is now based in San Francisco, with a San Francisco-based server, and your data does not enter China. UUmail: your last mailbox? We all hate spam. Email services like Outlook.com or Gmail.com do a good job of filtering it, but spam tends to creep through. Maxthon set up UUmail both to block spam as well as provide some anonymity online. UUmail sets up one or more shadow mails as a way to protect your actual email address. You may know that if you add + to your Outlook or Gmail address, it creates a sort of alias. If you give a web site jcruz+eagle@gmail.com as your email address, you know that any spam you receive originated from the site, or the site sold your email to a spammer. UUmail allows you to set up your own email alias. With UUmail, you can set up actual dead-drop email forwarding services, which is a slightly better option. Maxthon provides a host server (uu.me), but you provide part of the domain: pleasenospam.uu.me, for example. You then can set up various disposable email addresses on that domain. Mail sent to justme@pleasenospam.uu.me, for example, will be routed to whatever real email inbox youd like. The idea is that you can surreptitiously sign up for a web site, while still using a fake name; Maxthon suggests adult web sites as one example. A toggle switch also allows you to turn off that disposable email address for any reason. You can turn off shadow emails whenever youd like. I didnt have a chance to extensively use UUmail, so its not clear whether outbound email will be routed back through UUmail to the third-party web site. But the idea seems to be that UUMail provides an address to receive and filter potentially unwanted email, not an alias to email back and forth. Web browsers are perhaps the best value of all PC software, given the amount of time a typical user spends online, and all facilitated by a number of free browsers. That makes them easy to try out and evaluate, though users tend to land on a favorite and remain there. Maxthon MX5 is certainly competent, with some value-added features that are worthy of checking out. Will it usurp Chrome or Edge? Probably not. But there are no obvious flaws, and some handy features in the latest MX5 edition just might lure a few new users away from the big players. Updated at 11:23 AM on July 23 with additional details from Maxthon on the browsers release, and then at 1:22 PM with details about a potential security breach. When it comes to benchmarking software, Futuremarks 3DMark Fire Strike is the gold standard among PC enthusiasts. But there are limits to what Fire Strike can measure; as a DirectX 11 implementation, the tool cant quantify how graphics cards perform with Microsofts cutting-edge DirectX 12 graphics technology. Thats a problem as more and more DX12 games hit the streets. Or rather, it was a problem. Today, Futuremark released its new Time Spy benchmark for the 3DMark suite, which is loaded with DirectX 12 features to put graphics cards to the next-gen test. Time Spy isnt Futuremarks first DirectX 12 benchmark; that honor goes to the API Overhead Feature Test released in March 2015. But the Overhead Feature Test merely measured draw call performance in DirectX 11 versus DirectX 12 (or the now-defunct Mantle). Time Spy is a full-blown benchmark composed of several subtests that factor into an overall combined score. Its the DX12 equivalent of Fire Strike, basically. And it lets you test with asynchronous compute both enabled and disabled, which leads to some interesting insights. More on those in a bit. Better yet: Time Spys coming to all versions of 3DMark, including the Basic Edition thats free for personal, noncommercial use. (You can download it on Futuremarks site or by clicking the Download demo button on 3DMarks Steam page.) Time to start your engines, folksat least if you have Windows 10. The paid-for Advanced Edition of 3DMark (which offers additional features and benchmarks) is rising in price from $25 to $30 thanks to Time Spys inclusion, however. If you already own 3DMark Advanced Edition, you can purchase Time Spy separately for $10. But if you buy before July 23 youll be able to upgrade for $5 or buy the complete Advanced Edition for $10. Futuremark provided PCWorld early access to Time Spy to see how it handles. Lets take a deeper look at this new DirectX 12 benchmark, and the performance results for a range of AMD and Nvidia cards. Meet Time Spy Futuremark developed Time Spy with input from AMD, Intel, Nvidia, and Microsoft, with an eye towards testing DirectX 12s unique advantages. By giving developers lower-level access to hardware, DX12 offers reduced processor overhead, better multi-threading support, and the ability to get closer to the metal of graphics cards. To drive home how much more DirectX 12 can process compared to DirectX 11, Futuremark provided a chart showing the average amount of processing per frame in Fire Strike versus Time Spy. Beyond merely being built in DirectX 12, Time Spy also supports many of DirectX 12s highlight features. That includes asynchronous compute, which allows compute and graphics rendering tasks to run simultaneously, rather than one after the other; explicit multi-adapter in the linked-node configuration, which essentially performs similarly to SLI or CrossFire, but allows the benchmark to pool the resources of the two graphics cards; explicit synchronization between CPU, GPU, multiple GPUs, and multiple GPU queues; and several other under-the-hood tricks like resource binding and data heaps, all running in a custom engine. Time Spys actually broken up into a trio of tests running at 25601440 resolution in the official benchmark configuration. It starts off with two graphics-focused tests that stress your GPU in differing ways while minimizing the CPU load, to get as much of a pure GPU result as possible. The first graphics test (pictured above) stars the titular time spy wandering through a museum that features artifacts and weapons from throughout time and space, complete with easter-egg-style nods to other 3DMark benchmarks and games like Halo, Far Cry, and Deus Ex. This first test focuses more on rendering of transparent elements, according to Futuremark. The second graphics test pans and zooms throughout the same museum, showing different areas illuminated by different light sources than the first test. It focuses more on ray-marched volume illumination with hundreds of shadowed and unshadowed spot lights. The two graphics tests each receive separate scores, which are combined into an overall graphics score. Then a third test hammers your CPUthe fans on our test systems closed-looped cooler screamed during this sectionwhile minimizing the GPU load. It features ice-like crystal clusters spreading throughout the screen using procedural generation, constantly transforming and growing. The CPU test measures performance using a demanding combination of physics simulation, occlusion culling, and procedural generation, Futuremark says. Once everythings done running, the CPU score and GPU score are combined to generate an overall score using a weighted harmonic mean. So what does weighted harmonic mean, well, mean? Heres how Futuremark describes it: For a balanced system, the weights reflect the ratio of the effects of GPU and CPU performance on the overall score. Balanced in this sense means the Graphics and CPU test scores are roughly the same magnitude. For a system where either the Graphics or CPU score is substantially higher than the other, the harmonic mean rewards boosting the lower score. This reflects the reality of the user experience. For example, doubling the CPU speed in a system with an entry-level graphics card doesnt help much in games since the system is already limited by the GPU. Likewise for a system with a high-end graphics card paired with an underpowered CPU. Got it? Good. Lets see how several modern graphics cards compare in Time Spy. Time Spy tested We selected six cards to put Time Spy through its paces. With AMD pushing DirectX 12 so hard, as it takes superb advantage of the dedicated async compute engine hardware inside Radeon graphics cards, testing the Polaris GPU-based $200 Radeon RX 480 was a no-brainer. That cards competitive with Nvidias older Maxwell GPU-based EVGA GTX 970 FTW. We also wanted to test AMDs older Hawaii GPU, so MSIs R9 390X Gaming was added to the mix, along with its GeForce counterpart, the reference edition of the GTX 980. Finally, we also tested the Asus Strix Fury and Nvidias GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition to ensure AMDs Fiji GPU and Nvidias Pascal GPU were each tested. Why no Fury X? Because we were under time constraints and installing its integrated closed-loop water cooler into our test systems Corsair Obsidian 750D case is a pain if youre swapping out a bunch of cards. Lets see how things shook out. Focus mainly on the graphics (GPU) score. First impressions: The power of the dedicated async shader hardware inside Radeon graphics cards shines in this test. Excluding the ridonkulously powerful GTX 1070, Radeon hardware dominates Nvidias GeForce cards in this DirectX 12-focused test, lending yet more credence to the idea that AMDs cards have an advantage in next-generation graphics technologies. Even the $200 RX 480 thoroughly trounces the GTX 980. (Note that Nvidia tends to hold an advantage in DirectX 11 performance, however, which still accounts for the vast majority of game releases.) The CPU scores are largely similar across the board, but were using a $1,000, eight-core Core i7-5960X. Theres a decent chance wed see more variance in a system with a weaker processor, as closer to the metal APIs like DirectX 12 show larger performance increases in systems that are CPU-bound. Heres the thing, though: Time Spy leans heavily on asynchronous compute to overlap rendering passes to maximize GPU utilization, which naturally favors the dedicated hardware in Radeon graphics cards. While many DX12 games will feature async compute, its not a required feature of the API. You can disable async compute in a custom run, however. We did so to see how AMD and Nvidias cards compare with that crucial feature turned off, and to see how the GTX 1070which includes key new async compute featuresperforms in relation to the older GTX 970 and GTX 980. (Note that there is no overall score assigned in custom runs.) And heres a graph comparing just the graphics scores of the cards, with async compute both enabled and disabled. Now isnt that interesting. Nvidias GTX 970 and GTX 980 see very minor graphics score decreases running Time Spy with async compute disabled, but remain static for the most part. Meanwhile, the GTX 1070 sees a larger decrease (while still dominating overall), indicating that the async improvements Nvidia built into the Pascal GPU indeed make a difference. But the graphics scores for AMDs cards positively plummet, driving home just how important the dedicated async shaders are for Radeon graphics cardsat least in DX12 games that take advantage of asynchronous compute. With async compute disabled, the Radeon cards tumble back down to relatively equal scores with their Nvidia counterparts, similar to what wed see if testing these cards in DirectX 11. Also compare the CPU scores between the two runs. Its clearly dependent on the GPUs async compute scheduling in some way, resulting in a fairly big difference when async compute is disabled. Go forth and benchmark But dont necessarily take our word for it. Want to see how your system handles DirectX 12, or simply try to push your rig to the top of the Time Spy leaderboards? Go download Futuremarks 3DMark suiteand expect to see Time Spy results show up in PCWorlds graphics card reviews in the future. Get it? Time Spy? In the future? Okay, Ill stop now. A Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that was passed by the Senate on Wednesday has excluded key privacy provisions, including a requirement that commercial and government users of drones must disclose if they collect personally identifiable information of a person. The bill, which is a compromise short-term extension to ensure continued funding at current levels to the FAA, was passed by the Senate and goes to President Barack Obama to be signed into law, two days before the current authorization is to expire. It was earlier passed by the House of Representatives. But Senator Edward J. Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts and a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, on Wednesday said that the new bill, called the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016, was a missed opportunity. It does not include drone privacy provisions that he authored and were included in the Senate version of the FAA reauthorization bill that passed in April this year, the senator said in a statement. Civil rights groups have demanded drone privacy regulations, in the wake of moves to to liberalize the use of the unmanned aircraft for commercial and other purposes. On Wednesday, the Electronic Privacy Information Center said that the reauthorization had grounded privacy safeguards, though its proposal to require remote identification of drones had been included in the new bill. The provisions in the bill passed by the senate in April would require that government and commercial drone operators should disclose if they collect personally identifiable information about an individual, including by using facial recognition. Operators would also be required to disclose how they would use the personal data, its use for advertising or marketing purposes, and when the sensitive information would be destroyed, according to Markey. The April bill would also require that government operators should disclose their drones location, purpose of flight and technical capabilities, such as cameras or license plates readers. Last week, leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee announced a bipartisan and bicameral agreement on an extension of the FAA authorization through Sept. 30, 2017, while Congress brokers a long-term reauthorization of the FAA. The FAA released in June its final rules for the operation of what it describes as small unmanned aircraft, limiting their weight to 55 pounds (25 kilograms) and to flying only during day at less than 400 feet within visual line-of-sight of operators. Some companies have said these rules, which take effect in August, make large-scale deployment of drones for deliveries unfeasible. The bill passed Wednesday would prohibit drones from interfering with emergency response activities, such as wildfire suppression and law enforcement, and provides for civil penalties of not more than US$20,000 for those found in violation. Drones are also to be used for firefighting and restoration of utilities. The legislation also has provisions for the setting up of a pilot program for mitigation of airspace hazards at airports and other critical infrastructure using unmanned aircraft detection systems. The FAA in consultation with other agencies shall also convene industry stakeholders to arrive at consensus standards for remotely identifying operators and owners of unmanned aircraft. The FAA extension will provide short-term stability for the commercial drone industry, said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of drone advocacy group, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, in a statement. Its provisions will help expand commercial operations, advance research and keep the airspace safe for all users manned and unmanned, Wynne added. The National Telecommunications & Information Administration released in May a list of voluntary privacy best practices for commercial and non-commercial drone users, which were arrived at by drone organizations and companies like Amazon and Googles parent Alphabet. It was recommended, for example, that drone operators that collect personal data should explain in a privacy policy what personally identifiable information they will collect, for what purpose and if it will be shared with others, including law enforcement agencies. Microsoft is doing new things with its Surface tablets, and hoping that enterprises will find a lot to like. The company is taking steps to tailor the tablets to the needs of enterprises. The goal of customization is to differentiate the Surface from look-alike products, and to tie devices closely to a companys operations. Were going to meet the enterprise on their terms, said Hayete Gallot, general manager of Microsoft Devices, in an interview with the IDG News Service. Surface tablets have been successful with consumers and professionals, and Microsoft is giving it an additional enterprise twist. The effort comes as companies look to upgrade to Windows 10 PCs, with tablet-laptop hybrids like Surface being popular replacements. The customization plans are centered around software and buying options, but Microsoft is also open to the idea of customizing Surface hardware. Microsoft is partnering with IBM and Booz Allen Hamilton to develop custom software for Surface devices. The software will be tuned specifically to a companys needs. Working with IBM is like bringing the big dog to develop custom software for Surface, Gallot said. IBM will use its expertise in analytics and big data to develop apps for the retail, consumer goods and health care industries. IBM will develop applications for retailers and consumer packaged goods companies to access analytics that will help maximize employee productivity. Interactive applications will also be made for demand forecasting and product and sales management. The partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton will be on tuning Surface tablets for government, public sector and health-care organizations, with a focus on security and manageability of devices. For example, Booz Allen Hamilton will able to offer lock-down features that will increase the security of devices, Gallot said. Microsoft can also customize hardware to meet enterprise needs, if needed. We are open to it, Gallot said. Its not uncommon for enterprise customers to ask for specific hardware features when it comes to security, memory and storage capacity. But theres no demand yet for custom Surfaces, as the tablets are being widely used in enterprises in their current configurations, Gallot said. Microsoft also announced the Surface as a Service program, which provides flexibility on hardware purchases. Surface devices can be packaged with cloud services and paid for on a subscription basis. The subscription program is becoming popular as customers try to retain financial flexibility when purchasing new hardware, Gallot said. Such programs last from one to three years, and also give customers quicker access to hardware upgrades, Gallot said. HP also launched a similar hardware-as-a-service program last week. Such programs reduce the up-front cost of paying for hardware, and instead break them down into monthly chunks that are similar to installment payments. IDC says PC upgrades may pick up after Microsoft ends its free Windows 10 upgrade program on July 29. Companies may buy new PCs instead of paying for a Windows 10 OS license. There are questions lingering around the release of a possible successor to Surface 3, which Microsoft said it will stop making by the end of the year. Gallot didnt definitively say if such a device would be released, but said the Surface 3 sold well in the enterprise. The European Commission has added new antitrust charges against Google in the areas of search and advertising as it continues to investigate into the Internet search giant. On Thursday, the EC charged Google in a statement of objections that it has placed restrictions on the ability of certain third party websites to display search advertisements from the search giants competitors. Google places search ads directly on the its search website but also as an intermediary on third party websites through its AdSense for Search platform, according to the Commission. As a result, the company has prevented existing and potential competitors, including other search providers and online advertising platforms, from entering and growing in this lucrative area, according to the Commission. By European Commission rules, a statement of objections is a formal step in its antitrust investigations in which the commission informs the parties concerned in writing of the objections raised against them. The Commission also added a supplementary statement of objections to earlier charges that it leveled against the company in April 2015 that Google used its dominant position to favor its own comparison shopping product in search results Today, we have further strengthened our case that Google has unduly favored its own comparison shopping service in its general search result pages, Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said. It means consumers may not see the most relevant results to their search queries. The Commission said it had examined Googles argument that comparison shopping services should not be considered in isolation, but together with the services provided by merchant platforms such as as Amazon and eBay. On April 15 last year, the Commission announced a statement of objections against the search giant in an investigation into charges that its Internet search in Europe favored its own comparison shopping product. The Commission said it considers comparison shopping services and merchant platforms as separate markets. The supplementary statement of objections finds that even if merchant platforms are included in the market impacted by Googles practices, comparison shopping services are a significant part of that market, and Google by its practices has weakened or even marginalised competition, the Commission said. Google and parent Alphabet have eight weeks to respond to the supplementary statement of objections and 10 weeks to respond to the statement of objections regarding AdSense. We believe that our innovations and product improvements have increased choice for European consumers and promote competition. Well examine the Commissions renewed cases and provide a detailed response in the coming weeks, said Google spokesman Mark Jansen in an email. The Commission in April also made antitrust charges against Google, alleging that the company foisted its search application and the Chrome browser on Android smartphones makers as a condition to license its other apps and services. Vestager said that the Google had asked for an extension to reply to these charges. Todays Supplementary Statement of Objections to Google, reinforcing the Commissions preliminary conclusion that Google has abused its dominant position by systematically favoring its comparison shopping service in its search result pages, is another decisive step towards restoring the level playing field required for competition and innovation to thrive, said Shivaun Raff, CEO and co-founder of Foundem, the lead complainant in the Commissions Google Search case, in an email. A U.S. appeals court has quashed a search warrant that would have required Microsoft to disclose contents of emails stored on a server in Ireland, in a case that has broad ramifications for privacy, diplomatic relations and the ability of American companies to sell web services abroad. We think Microsoft has the better of the argument, said Circuit Court Judge Sarah Carney, in an opinion written for a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York. The panel based its judgment on the 30-year-old U.S. Stored Communications Act. The act, Carney wrote, does not authorize courts to issue and enforce against U.S.based service providers warrants for the seizure of customer email content that is stored exclusively on foreign servers. The opinion was posted Thursday. Microsoft in 2014 asked the appeals court to reverse a ruling requiring it to turn over the emails, sought by law enforcement as part of a drug-trafficking case. The name and country of residence of the person whose email is being sought has not been revealed. The case has had the U.S. technology industry worried. American tech companies have said they will not be able to sell web-based applications and services abroad if they cant keep U.S. officials from unilaterally seizing records stored in foreign countries. In addition, a ruling for the U.S. government, they said, could clear the way for foreign governments to order local companies to hand over data stored in the U.S. This is a big casethe technology companies have a very good point, said Robert Cattanach, a partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney, noting that Europe is looking more carefully than ever at international data transfer rules. In October last year, the Court of Justice of the European Union declared invalid a safe harbor agreement, on which thousands of companies including Google, Facebook, and Apple rely for the transatlantic transfer of personal data. The court ruled that the accord inadequately protected the privacy of EU citizens. The U.S. and the EU, meanwhile, have negotiated a new pact, called the Privacy Shield data protection agreement. Given the turmoil in the legal arena, ordering U.S. service providers to turn over data stored abroad could make them run afoul of foreign laws, Microsoft lawyer E. Joshua Rosenkranz said in a letter to the appeals court. Tech companies, lobbying groups and media associations have written briefs to support Microsofts position, including Verizon, Apple, Accenture, Rackspace, the American Civil Liberties Union and the German Magazine Publishers Association, known as VDZ. The case goes back to December 2013, when Magistrate Judge James Francis of the District Court for the Southern District of New York authorized a search warrant for all emails and other information belonging to the Microsoft user under investigation. Microsoft complied by providing non-content information held on its U.S. servers but after it determined that the account was hosted in Dublin, it filed to quash the warrant. It argued that U.S. courts are not authorized to issue warrants for extraterritorial search and seizure. Microsoft also argued that to obtain data stored abroad, the U.S. government should turn to mutual legal assistance treaties, or MLATs. The U.S. has MLATs, which are separate from the Safe Harbor accord, with Ireland and the EU. In addition to the Privacy Shield agreement, Microsoft has cited the broad new General Data Protection Regulation, due to go into effect in 2018, to support its claim that the U.S. government should use inter-governmental agreements rather than a warrant to require technology companies to turn over data stored in the EU that are required for an investigation. The government countered that the location of records is irrelevant under the Stored Communications Act, which was passed as part of the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act and was the law on which the court relied to issue the warrant. If territorial restrictions applied to SCA warrants it would be very easy for criminals to evade investigations, the government said. Otherwise, relying on MLATs would dramatically slow down and undercut investigations, the government said. The MLAT process is subject to national laws, can be lengthy and a country can deny assistance to a nation with which it has a treaty for a variety of political, security or other reasons. In April 2014, Judge Francis sided with the government, saying that the order to produce the emails stored in Ireland was not a conventional warrant; rather, the order is a hybrid: part search warrant and part subpoena. It is obtained like a warrant, with a judge finding probable cause that the records requested would provide evidence of a crime, but it is executed like a subpoena, since it is served directly on the company and does not involve federal agents seizing and searching company servers. It has long been the law that a subpoena requires the recipient to produce information in its possession . . . regardless of the location of that information, Francis wrote. Francis also said the search would take place only when the emails were opened and read, and that would be in the U.S. However, in the appeals court decision, Judge Carney rejected these arguments: When, in 1986, Congress passed the Stored Communications Act as part of the broader Electronic Communications Privacy Act, its aim was to protect user privacy in the context of new technology that required a users interaction with a service provider. Neither explicitly nor implicitly does the statute envision the applications of its warrant provisions overseas. This is the second time Microsoft has appealed a decision against it in the case. The company appealed Francis ruling but in July 2014, District Court Judge Loretta Preska, also of the Southern District of New York, rejected the companys appeal. Preska ruled that Microsoft would not have to turn over the emails while it filed another appeal, this time to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. A group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, company founders, engineers, and investors have signed an open letter regarding Donald Trump. The gist: They dont like him and think his presidency would be a disaster for the business of innovation. The letter, published Thursday on Medium, accuses Trump of running a campaign based on fear of new ideas and new people, as well as anger, bigotry, and a fundamental belief that America is weak and in decline. We have listened to Donald Trump over the past year and we have concluded: Trump would be a disaster for innovation, the letter said. Signatories are many CEOs, founders, venture capitalists and a few well-known names, including Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay; Ev Williams, co-founder of Twitter and founder of Medium; Vinod Khosla, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems; and Reed Hundt, former chairman of the FCC. Noting that 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children, the letter says progressive U.S. immigration policies keep Silicon Valley vibrant because they help the country attract foreign talent. Theres no doubt about Silicon Valleys thirst for knowledge workers from overseas. Several large tech companies dominate the H1-B visa program, putting in thousands of requests each year. Cutting that supply off could have a big impact on their businesses. Trump has proposed raising the lowest allowable wage under the H1-B program, with the hope it will push companies to hire more local workers. The letter also took Trump to task over comments about shutting down parts of the internet to fight terrorism, saying it demonstrated both poor judgment and ignorance about how technology works. In late 2015, Trump proposed talking to Bill Gates and a lot of different people about shutting off internet access for certain people, but he never expanded on the issue. The letter also said the government plays an important part in the tech economy, but that could be at risk under Trump. Donald Trump articulates few policies beyond erratic and contradictory pronouncements, the letter said, adding a Trump presidency would risk growth and job creation. We stand against Donald Trumps divisive candidacy and want a candidate who embraces the ideals that built Americas technology industry, the letter ended. It stopped short of mentioning Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton or anyone else. The Trump campaign could not immediately be reached for comment. Privacy advocates, especially those outside the U.S., can rest a little easier now. A federal court has rebuked the U.S. governments attempt to access emails stored on a Microsoft server in Ireland. But the legal battle may be far from over. Thursdays ruling could affect how the U.S. conducts surveillance over suspected criminals and terrorists overseas, so expect the government to appeal, said Roy Hadley, a lawyer at Thompson Hine who studies cybersecurity issues. Theres a fine line between privacy and national security, he said. And its a difficult line to walk. So far, the U.S. Department of Justice is remaining mum on what it might do. We are disappointed with the courts decision and are considering our options, the department said on Thursday, without elaborating. Hadley thinks the government will probably appeal the decision to another circuit court or the Supreme Court. It might also explore other legal means to force Microsoft to quickly hand over the emails. The U.S. government will always try to be in a position to gain access to that data, he said. Thursdays ruling deals with a case that goes back to December 2013, when the U.S. government obtained a search warrant for emails belonging to Microsoft user who was under investigation. The subjects identity hasnt been revealed, but some news reports have said it was not a U.S. citizen. The emails reside on a Microsoft server in Ireland. Microsoft objected to the search warrant and argued that the U.S. had no authority to conduct email searches in other countries. On Thursday, Microsoft hailed the ruling as a win for privacy rights and said dozens of other tech and media companies have supported its legal battle. The courts decision ensures that peoples privacy rights are protected by the laws of their own countries, Microsoft said in a statement. Craig Newman, a privacy attorney at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, said the tech industry is no doubt breathing a sigh of relief. Many U.S. companies, including Microsoft, have data centers around the world and serve millions of foreign customers. Handing over any of their data to U.S. authorities could violate the privacy laws of those countries and hurt business for the companies that store it, he said. The tech companies have really been put in an uncomfortable position, he said. Part of the problem is that some U.S. privacy laws may be outdated. At the center of Microsofts legal battle has been the Stored Communications Act, which the U.S. government argued gave it the authority to use a warrant to collect the emails. The judges who ruled Thursday didnt agree. The law was enacted in 1986, long before the mainstream Internet or any remote computing, wrote judge Gerard Lynch. To avoid these legal disputes with the tech industry, Congress should modernize laws on data privacy and clearly define them, Newman said. Youre dealing with analog rules in a world that has totally changed, he said. Congress needs to roll up their sleeves and figure out the right balance. As controversy rages over police shootings of black people across the nation, a Riverside filmmaker is working to bring one of the biggest cases in the past two decades to the big screen. Tensions between law enforcement and minority groups boiled over after last weeks killings of five police officers in Dallas and the shootings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. Rickerby Hinds, a 51-year-old UC Riverside playwriting professor, has been planning the movie for months and said the news makes it even more important to use his art to help bridge the racial divide. What is continuing to happen, especially with the shootings of the police officers in Dallas, has made it even more vital that we find ways to have this conversation that everyone seems to agree that we need to have, Hinds said. Hinds is making a movie based on a watershed moment in Riverside history 18 years ago. Riverside police fatally shot Tyisha Miller, a 19-year-old Rubidoux woman, who was unconscious, with a gun on her lap, in her car at a Riverside gas station. The four officers, who were white, say they fired after Miller reached for the gun. Millers relatives say police shot her because she was black. The officers were later fired, but none faced criminal charges. The Dec. 28, 1998, shooting of Miller stoked accusations of excessive force and racial discrimination, and led to protests, investigations and police reforms. Millers death garnered international media attention and was the impetus for changes at the Riverside Police Department, including use-of-force training and video cameras in squad cars. Hinds is turning Dreamscape, his 2004 screenplay based on the shooting, into a drama set to begin filming in the Riverside area in October. His goal is a mid-2017 release. Hinds said theater and cinema offer an opportunity for insight and for exchange that I dont believe is offered in any other venue when it comes to dealing with issues such as the ones were dealing with currently. Instead of taking sides or trying to make a political point, Hinds said he is striving for an even-handed portrayal of the shooting. He seeks the same depth in the character of the officer who fired in self-defense as the young woman whose life was cut tragically short. I chose not to focus on the controversy and the politics and focus on the humanity of the story, Hinds said. A BALANCED PORTRAIT I wanted to explore the life of a fellow human being who is no longer with us, he said by phone in a recent phone interview from his native Honduras, where he is participating in a four-month Fulbright Scholar Program and directing a bilingual version of the play. Whether what happened was justified or not, this person had faults, dreams and all of those things we all have. Hinds said the play has received a mostly positive response. It got a negative reaction from a member of a group critical of police treatment of minorities when it was performed in Los Angeles last year. Hinds wont be surprised if the movie provokes a similar backlash from those with the same viewpoint. If you demonize one group and deify another group, you end up weakening your theme to the point it becomes incredulous, said Hinds, who has lived in Riverside since 1986. My goal isnt to convince you one way or the another. My goal is to present two sides of the narrative and you land where you land. Ive tried to present more of a balance than Ive seen in other works of this sort. The Rev. Paul Munford of Riversides New Joy Baptist Church led interfaith healing services in Riverside after Millers death and served on a city steering committee created after the shooting. Munford, who has heard of the play but hasnt seen it, said the movie should send a strong message of fairness and criticize the senselessness of police brutality. The movie definitely should show it was a tragic and unnecessary event and that it should not have happened, Munford said. There doesnt need to be any soft-pedaling of that. The play has been performed since 2012 nationally and internationally, including Poland, Hungry, Romania and Turkey. MORE RELEVANT TODAY The idea for a movie emerged last year when Los Angeles-area filmmaker and director Gus Krieger saw the play and asked Hinds about doing a film adaptation. Krieger co-wrote and is directing the film. The movie idea comes as racial chasms widened across the nation after the killings in Dallas, Louisiana and Minnesota. Previous police shootings in Cleveland, New York City and Ferguson, Mo., also stirred unrest. The issue is more relevant today than ever, in light of the current political situation and the killing of young men and women across the country, mostly citizens of color, said Stu Krieger, a professor of theater, film and digital production at UCR. Stu Krieger is Gus Kriegers father and a producer and investor in Hinds project. Hinds and a group of investors have raised nearly $200,000 for the film, My Name is Myeisha. Funding sources include $20,000 from UCRs Office of the dean of the College of Humanities Arts and Social Science and the Office of Research and Economic Development. A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE The movie keeps the plays script a minimalist production with two actors sitting in back-to-back chairs that describes a young woman being shot 12 times. Hinds fleshes out the character based on Miller, Myeisha Mills, by telling stories of her being a cheerleader, going dancing, getting her hair done, eating a Kwanzaa dinner and visiting a cousin in the hospital. He plans to use dozens of actors and film at 20 to 30 locations including a nightclub, gas station, beauty salons and a barbecue restaurant. We slow time down to a crawl to give the audience an opportunity to experience this persons existence as its disappearing, Hinds said. Rhaechyl Walker, a 29-year-old Banning resident, played Mills in Dreamscape and has the lead role in the movie. Walker has been acting since middle school and has a theater degree from UCR. She is a former student of Hinds. I think its brilliant, she said of the screenplay. He doesnt take away the special writing and the story that was originated on stage. If anything, he just brings it more to life. John Merchant, 31, will portray the dispatcher, officer and coroner. In a bass voice, he will describe the trajectory and impact of each bullet. The movie helps people understand the essence of black culture, he said. It captures all the nuances that the audience may not necessarily understand, said Merchant, a Pomona native who recently moved to Inglewood. Its more dynamic (than the play) and fills in the empty spaces. Hinds said Millers grandmother saw the play a few years ago at UCR. It was an eye-opening performance that brought her to tears, he said. This is an opportunity to keep Tyisha Miller alive in a way thats not just purely political or pure protest, Hinds said. But using the arts to give us a different perspective on something or have us think about something we might not have previously thought about in our own existence. Contact the writer: 951-368-9292 or swall@pressenterprise.com A car crashed into a power pole in Moreno Valley, injuring the driver and prompting a street closure, on Thursday morning, July 14. The crash was reported about 5:10 a.m. near the intersection of Pigeon Pass and Cougar Canyon roads said Riverside County sheriffs deputy Mike Vasquez. The pole fell over and left power lines strewn in the lanes of Pigeon Pass. All northbound lanes of the road were shut down after the crash, Vasquez said. The driver had minor injuries and Southern California Edison was called to repair the pole. The companys map showed 14 customers impacted and expected power to be restored by 8 p.m. Every year as summer ramps up, the researchers who manage the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve near Temecula brace for the arrival of trespassers seeking a spot to have fun and, sometimes, get into trouble. They leave behind graffiti and trash, marring a place thats meant exclusively for wildlife and contains the last free-flowing river in Southern California. Theyre not just harming the environment; they run the risk of hurting themselves, too. Already this summer, a teenager was badly injured jumping into a popular swimming hole. And officials say the water isnt healthy for people to be in. Trespassing has always been a problem, but its become worse within the past year, said Jamie Bourdon, a volunteer with San Diego State University, which manages the reserve. This is the point when well get 50-100 people a day now, he said. Bourdon said that while most of the time, people will leave the area when he requests them to, sometimes they will become belligerent and not want to leave. Thats when he says he needs to reach out to the Riverside County Sheriffs Department, which is sometimes too busy with other crimes to deal with trespassing issues. Every summer we receive complaints from San Diego State University sheriffs Capt. Jeff Kubel, who serves as Temeculas police chief, wrote in an email. Its typically an issue of people hiking into the reserve and trespassing. A DANGEROUS DESTINATION Paul Ganster, director of field studies at San Diego State, said one of the most popular areas of the reserve to trespass is the confluence of the Murrieta and Temecula creeks, where the Santa Margarita River begins. The area is commonly referred to by locals as Bum Creek or Bum River. That area of the reserve, south of Temecula Parkway and Old Town Front Street, consists of cliffs and a swimming hole. People often jump from the cliffs into the water. Donna Thomas-McNeely, mother of 16-year-old Spencer McNeely, said her son was injured there June 20 when he landed on an underwater rock after a 40-foot jump. She said he broke one of his heels in three places, broke his tailbone in four places, cracked his pelvic area and shattered the No. 1 and 2 lumbar vertebrae. Though he is expected to make a full recovery, she said, he will have titanium screws and rods in his lower back for the rest of his life. Thomas-McNeely said she is glad people were in the area who could call paramedics while helping her son. He could have died, Thomas-McNeely said. He could have been paralyzed. There are so many ifs, that thank God someone was there that could get him through this. Others who have trespassed at the reserve have not been as fortunate as Spencer. In January 2013, Nicholas Lovato, 23, of Menifee was killed at the reserve when a rocky outcropping he was sitting on collapsed beneath him, causing him to plunge more than 30 feet into a canyon and get hit by a falling boulder. Though emergency personnel quickly found Lovatos body, it was hours before they could remove it because of the rocky conditions. Its not just the terrain thats problematic. Ganster said the water quality at the reserve also is questionable, as there are lots of contaminants in the water and also because treated wastewater is pumped into it. Its certainly no place Id ever go swimming, he said. Dr. Cameron Kaiser, health officer for Riverside County, said swimming in that type of water is a bad idea. You can easily get an illness or infection with even limited contact, Kaiser wrote in an email. Even water that looks or tastes clean can be a source of disease. There are reasons why places are closed to swimming, and its not worth it to ignore those warnings. ILLEGAL ACTIVITY Ganster said the risks of going to the reserve can be attractive to teens and young adults. Its a daring thing to do and sometimes theyre simply not aware that its not a legal thing to do and that theyre setting themselves up for tickets or possible legal repercussions, he said. He said other trespassers are people who go to there to partake in more nefarious activities like drug use, drinking and vandalism. Bourdon, the San Diego State volunteer, said he has found all sorts of items left behind empty beer bottles, paper trash, food wrappers. Marijuana grows sometimes pop up in parts of the reserve, he said. In a single day, we can be clearing all this out and in the next day, it will all be back, said a frustrated Bourdon as he pointed to bags of trash and an emptied case of beer among some rocks. Across the reserve, signs that discourage trespassing have been painted over while others have been destroyed. San Diego State workers regularly have to power-wash graffiti off rocks, only to find more when they come back, Bourdon said. The vandalism is particularly harmful to the area because of its history, Ganster said. Some of the graffiti and problems have been in an area thats a fairly important cultural site of the indigenous people, he said. These people are going and putting graffiti on and destroying certain rock formations and things. Theyre violating federal law and really doing a disservice to local cultural heritage. Staff writer Aaron Claverie contributed to this report. Contact the writer: 951-368-9693 or agroves@pressenterprise.com Updates with comments from interview Moreno Valley resident Sabine Durden, whose son was killed by an undocumented immigrant and became a supporter of Donald Trump because of his position on illegal immigration, will speak at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on Monday, she said Thursday, July 14. Going from being afraid of microphones and public speaking to this? Im still in shock, Durden said in a phone interview from Arkansas, where she is vacationing. Durden, 58, is not on the Republican National Committees list of dozens of people expected to speak at the convention, but that list is incomplete, a spokesman said Thursday. Durden said she is due to fly to Cleveland from Little Rock, Arkansas, on Saturday and rehearse on Sunday. On July 12, 2012, Dominic Durden, a Riverside County sheriffs dispatcher, was riding his motorcycle to work when Juan Zacarias Tzun made a left turn in front of Durden on Pigeon Pass Road in Moreno Valley. Durden, 30, was thrown from his motorcycle and died. He was his mothers only son and lived with her. Tzun, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, had two convictions for driving under the influence and one for burglary and had never had a California drivers license. Yet he remained in the country. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in the Durden collision and served about 30 days of a nine-month sentence.He was deported March 20, 2014. Since that time, Sabine Durden, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Germany, became an outspoken critic of undocumented immigrants. She spoke to local groups and radio shows, but found a national stage when the Trump campaign contacted the Remembrance Project, which advocates for families of those killed by undocumented immigrants and had worked with Durden. Members of the project, including Durden, appeared at the Unite IE Conservative Conference in Riverside in February. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, embraced her on stage. Trump met with Durden and several others in 2015. I sent letters to Obama and he sent invitations to illegals, Durden said, lamenting a lack of response to her concerns. But Trump, in announcing his campaign for the presidency, vowed to build a wall on the Mexico border. When (Trump) said illegals, he changed the course of my life. He did in five minutes what many of us had tried for years to share. Since then, Durden has appeared on national television and radio shows and spoken at Inland rallies for Trump and a campaign event in San Diego attended by Trump himself. He gave Dominic a voice, Durden said. Now Durden could have an audience of millions. She said she will share the story of her son, a former pilot, volunteer firefighter and Moreno Valley volunteer of the year, and talk about immigration policy. I always tell people its not about race or keeping people out, said Durden, who describes her son, born to a black American serviceman, as half black, half German. Its about, Durden said, doing it the right way. John Berry, a cabinet member in the Redlands Tea Party Patriots, hailed news that Durden would speak at the convention. This is great news and it shows that Trump is going to address one of the serious issues that we have, which is the impact of illegal immigration, said Berry, who added he was almost killed by an undocumented immigrant who ran a red light. San Bernardino residents welcomed a state regulatory bodys decision Thursday, July 14, rejecting plans for a 65-mile natural gas pipeline that would have gone through some of the citys most prominent neighborhoods. The California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to deny the North-South pipeline and the $621 million in rate increases requested by Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric, both subsidiaries of Sempra Energy. The pipeline would have gone from Adelanto to Moreno Valley but its proposed route through an a north San Bernardino neighborhood is what raised particular objections. City officials said the project would have required 8-foot trenches to be dug through streets near Cal State San Bernardino, Arrowhead Country Club and some major shopping centers, causing traffic disruptions for a few years. Gill Snyder, 80, a lifelong San Bernardino resident whose neighborhood near Valencia Street would have been among those affected, said he was delighted with the commissions decision. This would have been a huge disruption for 40th Street, Valencia, Kendall, he said. This was just absolute idiocy to pick this route. John Hillman, president of the North End Neighborhood Association, said he was worried that the project would be another blow to the city, which has already endured four years of bankruptcy. Its just one thing on top of another, he said. In denying the project, the five-member commission agreed with the findings released in April by an administrative law judge with the San Francisco-based agency. He determined that there are less costly alternate projects that would go through more sparsely populated areas and pose less of a safety or an environmental risk. Applicants have failed to demonstrate theres a need for the North-South project, Commissioner Mike Florio said. Melissa Bailey, a spokeswoman for SoCalGas, released a statement describing the company as profoundly disappointed with the vote. We remain concerned about energy reliability for our southern system customershomes, businesses and power plants in the high-growth areas of San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego and Imperial counties, the company statement read. Officials with the utilities have said the 3-foot-diameter pipeline is needed to carry natural gas between two east-west pipelines that enter California at Needles and Blythe to ensure a reliable source of fuel for future electricity-generating plants. Southern California customers rely on just one pipeline from the east and alternatives are necessary to avoid shortages such as one that occurred after the Porter Ranch gas leak last October according to Bailey. The proposed route was to run from a pumping station in Adelanto, in the High Desert, to one in Moreno Valley. It would have roughly followed I-15 through the Cajon Pass and then along I-215 to Kendall Dr. and south through San Bernardino along streets with the final stretch going from rural Reche Canyon Road to Moreno Valley. Members of the commission agreed that the agency should take a look at the reliability of the natural gas system in Southern California but that this project was not the solution. It just doesnt seem sensible at a time when were talking about decreasing our reliance on fossil fuel, including natural gas, that we would spend $632 million on a pipeline that simply moves gas around and doesnt increase supply to the state, Florio said. Among those opposing the project was the Southern California Generation Coalition, a group made up of municipal utilities that would have seen rate increases. The largest of them, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, alone would faced millions of dollars a year in rate hikes, said Norman Pedersen, an attorney for the group. We all want to see reliability but there are much more economical ways to handle the southern system, he said. contact the reporter at: 951-368-9558 or ighori@pressenterprise.com RELATED What you need to know about proposed gas pipeline CASSIE MacDUFF: Back to the drawing board for pipeline Judge proposes rejecting Southern California gas pipeline http://cdn.thinglink.me/jse/embed.js The Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) has called for Ghanaians to unite in their opposition to the deal to lease the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to a foreign entity for 25 years, warning that, letting go the national asset would have dire consequences. The whole concession arrangement, it indicated, was bad for the people, the nation and the economy. It presented a very grim outlook - tariffs are going to hit the roof as the case has been in countries that have travelled this road. Thousands of workers would lose their jobs and rural electrification doomed, it added. Mr. Ato Kwamina Bondzi-Quaye, the General Secretary, said the Union found it disheartening that Ghana should be bulldozed into consenting to lease the ECG for a mere grant of US$490 million. Addressing their 11th quadrennial delegates conference in Kumasi, he accused the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), the body implementing the decision, of misleading the people with lies, half-truths and distortion of reality. The three-day meeting was held under the theme Ensuring an efficient and reliable service delivery in the utilities sector: The role of stakeholders. Mr. Bondzi- Quaye insisted that the solution to problems of the ECG was not to give the company to a private entity. Government should pay its debts to the company amounting to over GH2.4 billion, end the political interference, tackle the inadequate power supply and unfair tariff structures. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Chief Economist at the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), Dr. Yaw Ansu has urged politicians not to use issues related to youth unemployment for propaganda ahead of the November polls. Dr. Ansu made the call during the first of two national policy dialogues on youth employment challenges in Ghana organized by ACET and INCLUDE, a Dutch research firm, yesterday in Accra. According to him, as the crucial November 7 polls draw closer, it was necessary for each political party to come out clearly and explain to the masses how it intends to tactically solve the problem of youth unemployment when elected into office. Dr. Ansu explained that it was important for the nation to give the youth the right skills, create the right policies that could create jobs or enable them to create jobs for themselves to ensure a bright future. Unemployment Affects Everyone Christabel Dadzie, a social protection specialist at the World Bank, said the problem of youth unemployment affects not just those who cannot find a job, adding that it was one of the main impediments to developing Ghanas economy. Ms. Dadzie added that the issue was not unique to Ghana, adding that authorities lack effective solutions to addressing unemployment in Ghana. Major Issues In Ghana, those between the ages of 15 and 35 are classified as youthful. According to Dr. William Baah-Boateng, a senior research fellow at ACET, the youth population had grown considerably in Ghana to current encompass more than a third of the total population. One of the main sources of youth unemployment, he said, was the fact that the number of jobs available could not support the growing influx of youth workers. According to data from the 2014 Integrated Business Enterprise Survey, 400,000 new workers, presumably youth, entered the market that year, but only 207,000 new jobs were created. Dr. Baah-Boateng said a major point of confusion was trends in youth unemployment. He cited the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS) that showed a drop in unemployment from 12 percent in 2000 to 8 percent in 2013. The jobless population of youth rose from 24.7 percent in 2010 to 25.8 percent in 2013. Better Education Meanwhile, Eben Anuwa-Amarh, Commissioner of the NDPC, highlighted the failures of the Ghanaian education system to prepare students for jobs. He therefore emphasized the need to improve quality and accessibility of education, especially third-level education to keep up with changes in the labour front. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Tamale Magistrate Court 2, presided over by Anthony Aidoo Aduku, has sentenced Ibrahim Issah, 29, to 12 months imprisonment for stealing mobile phones from students of the Tamale Polytechnic. Drama unfolded at the court when the accused pleaded with the judge to have mercy on him because he had become a born-again Christian. The accused person was charged with six counts of stealing and he pleaded guilty to all charges during court proceedings. Ibrahim Issah, a notorious criminal who is known for robbing students of their properties, was apprehended by one of the security personnel of the Tamale Polytechnic. DAILY GUIDE gathered that the security man on duty at the Tamale Polytechnic saw him removing a SIM card from a cell phone behind a lecture hall and he became suspicious. The convict became nervous and a search was conducted on him by the security man, who found three mobile phones stolen from some of the final-year students. Further investigations showed that he broke into the rooms of some of the students at the hostel during the time that they were writing their exams. He was handed over to the Tamale Police Station for further interrogations. Some students, who spoke to DAILY GUIDE, said cases of theft had become rampant on campus, especially during exams period. On several occasions we go into the exam hall to write a paper and after we come out our bags would be nowhere to be found. I guess today wasnt the thiefs lucky day but this security man prevented us from beating him, Sadik Abukari, one of the students said. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Female judges in Ghana need to prepare themselves in order to meet the criteria to serve on international courts when the positions become available. These were comments contained in the remarks made by Justice Akua Kuenyehia, a former judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague in the Netherlands and Her Ladyship Justice Sophia Akuffo, a current Supreme Court judge of Ghana and former judge and president of the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights (ACtHPR) based in Arusha, Tanzania. The judges made this call at a conference dubbed Women Judges Demystifying International Courts organised by the Institute for African Women in Law (IAWL) in conjunction with the Ghana chapter of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), in Accra at the High Court Complex on Wednesday 29th June, 2016. On her part, Dr. Josephine J. Dawuni, a Professor at Howard University in the USA and the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for African Women in Law shared her research findings which indicate that African women judges are making important contributions to international law and international justice. She encouraged the participants to break outside the mould and to pursue jobs within international courts. In her address, she advised the prospective candidates to research on past and present women judges on international courts in order to enable them gain more knowledge on the needed qualifications to apply for such positions. She noted that the Institute for African Women in Law is a forum that seeks to enhance the capacity of African women lawyers, judges and legal academics in using the law as a tool for social change. Delivering a speech as one of the guest speakers at the event which had a heavy presence of women judges, Justice Kuenyehia expressed her hope that Ghanaian women judges will seek ways to build on their expertise in order to bring their experiences to international courts. In sharing her experiences and the numerous benefits of being part of the ICC, she challenged all female judges in the country to embrace the opportunity to improve their judicial knowledge adding that there is no age restriction to serving as a judge on the ICC. Justice Sophia Akuffo, on her part, recounted the work she and other judges had to do to build the newly established African Court in 2006. She was of the opinion that national governments across Africa needed to do more to meet the gender balance requirement contained in the Article 12 (2) of the Protocol Establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights establishing the African Court. This, she said needed to be addressed considering that consistently, only 2 out of 11 (18%) of the total number of judges on the court have been women. Justice Mariama Owusu, a judge of the Court of Appeal and current President of the IAWJ-Gh, thanked the invited speakers for sharing their experiences and providing the much needed mentoring opportunities for other women judges. The event was chaired by Justice Rose Owusu, a retired Supreme Court judge and in attendance was Justice Harriet Abban, a retired Court of Appeal judge and female judges drawn from all levels of the judiciary. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Audio Attachment: Listen to Kweku Baako 18 years down memory lane, Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings has revived the controversial 5-million Abacha saga that was reported by the then Crusading Guide newspaper in November, 1998. The newspaper had leveled a "bribery" allegation against the former President when one Ismalia Gwarzo visited the Ghanaian Head of State to personally hand over an alleged sum of 5 million dollars to him. The report dubbed "The Alleged $5m Abacha Money...Ismalia Gwarzo Still Talking" indicated that "Ismalia Gwarzo divulged details of his 1996 visit to Accra, claiming he personally handed over the 5 million dollars in physical cash to the Ghanaian Head of State. "According to the grapevine sources, Gwarzo has revealed how the whole deal was allegedly struck in Accra, Ghana to some media circles investigating the financial transactions and dealings of the discredited Abacha regime." the Crusading Guide reported. The newspaper further disclosed that close sources from Nigerian had also revealed that "Gwarzo has given names of those present when he allegedly delivered the cash to the Ghanaian Head of State. He has mentioned 2 prominent Ghanaian State Officials, one of them, a Deputy Minister of State as eye witnesses to the delivery of the $5m physical cash." Years later, Ex-President Rawlings has discounted the amount involved in the deal, stating emphatically that it was rather 2 million dollars that was given to him by Gwarzo. So I was at the Air Force Station when a gentleman came over there and when he said he had a message from Abacha, I cancelled my flight and they set out to wait for me. I drove after them to the Castle. As we were about to move up, this elderly gentleman, Gwarzo he is called, had one of his Assistants try to bring out a suitcase from the boot of a car. I had an idea of what it could beHis Assistant then went and brought in the parcel: 2 million Dollars: new notes packed in plastic bags, fairly heavy This therefore contradicts the reports by the Crusading Guide in 1998. Addressing the issue on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide (then Crusading Guide) Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has insisted that Mr. Rawlings indeed collected a whopping 5 million dollars from Gwarzo and not 2 million as stipulated by the former President. Kweku Baako noted that Mr. Rawlings has come out to debunk the reports because there are some grapevine reports that the present Head of State of Nigeria, Mohammadu Buhari is engaging in some swooping exercise in his government. According to him, President Buhari has started a probe into all cases of bribery and "names are popping up. Incidents are popping up. I have also heard they will be consolidating all those things and make them public." He suspected a smart move by Mr. Rawlings to preempt the probe by President Buhari, purportedly to clear his name. "Our own President Rawlings is seeking to do a pre-emptive strike ahead of that official disclosure...Rawlings thinks hes smart. Mr. Baako further debunked the claims by Mr. Rawlings, saying he collected the money to "do some few things here and there; activities. So, you cant tell whether its campaign or whether its for the party or even the government that was needing money for certain things. Either way, its not true. The money came November 1996. The thing got exposed in 1998 but Gwarzo 1996. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi /Peacefmonline.com/Ghana 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 Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West Ursula Owusu Ekuful has said it is a shame that Ghana prides itself as being at the forefront of the democratic experiment when only 10 per cent of its MPs are women. Speaking on Womens Manifesto on Class 91.3FM Tuesday July 11, she feared that the next parliament will not see an improvement but a decline in the number of women in parliament. Its so shameful when Ghana prides itself as being in the forefront of the democratic experiment on the African continent. When it comes to the way we relate to our women, we are doing so badly. People will say we have 30 women in parliament, 30 out of 275, it's still around 10 per cent, we really havent done much. Since 1960, what are we going to do differently? And I agree with you that we have lobbied, we have cajoled, we have threatened, we have pleaded, we have wept, we have been beaten, we have done the advocacy, we have done the sensitisation, we have done it all. I am terrified that in our next parliament if we are not careful, we will not even have 30 women there. The 30 that we have now, the numbers will reduce if we are not careful, she told host Awurama Bennin. Meanwhile, Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) parliamentary candidate for Klottey Korle Madam Eva Lokko has said none of the portions of the Womens Manifesto has been implemented. This, according to her, is because the people in charge of the manifesto are not ready to relinquish their authority. The Women's Manifesto for Ghana is a political statement by Ghanaian women demanding rights and equality. This manifesto was launched long ago, in fact I was privileged enough to be asked to launch that manifesto. If you read it, it makes sense but where has any of the things that was written found their way in practical terms? We are all women, we all know portions of this manifesto. Some people know it from first chapter to the last chapter. Where has it gotten us? Because the people who are in charge are not ready to relinquish their power and their authority and we are saying lets sit down and let's them give quotas, they are not going to do it. We have to get up by the bullet and stand up for our right and demand our right in a polite but firm way. So we really need to sit up as women if we want things to change; we have to look at gender in a different light altogether, she stated. Source: Classfmonline 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 A communication team member of the opposition New Patriotic Party [NPP], Samuel Jinapor has chastised government for their rebuttal on Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos recent Ghana-Ivory Coast comparison. The NPPs flagbearer during his campaign tour was purported to have highlighted and praised the developmental strides being made by neighbouring country, Cote dIvoire. According to him, Cote dIvoire has magnificently overcome the effects of its 2011 civil conflict and become an economic ball of fire in Africa due to good leadership a methodology he promised to emulate if elected President come November 7. But government rubbished the NPP leader's idealogy insisting that his comparison was a blanket analysis which lacks basis. Deputy Communications Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu who interpreted Nana Addos comparison of good leadership helping developing Ivory Coast argued that Ghana has seen higher growth rates than Cote dIvoire. He told Class FM that Ghanas economy is much larger than the economy of Cote dIvoire. It is just like saying that because over a brief period of time Ghana has had higher growth than the US economy, the US should model their growth around Ghanas; that is how inexplicable the position Nana Akufo-Addo has taken. Again they create the impression [that] because Cote dIvoire produces cash crops, they have done something extraordinary that Ghana should necessarily emulate. They even create the impression that it is only recently under President Mahama that Cote dIvoire became the worlds leading producer of cocoa. The fact of the matter is that Cote dIvoire since 1976 has been the worlds leading producer of cocoa. In fact, Ghana used to be the worlds second leading producer of cocoa in the world until 2006, under Nana Akufo-Addos NPP government, that Indonesia overtook us. So, if a man, looking to be president displays such limited vision, it is even inappropriate for us to be having a discussion on such blanket, baseless comparison because what it does is to create the impression that we are a homogenous country and that all conditions in Ghana are the same as the conditions in Cote dIvoire, he added. However, in an interview with Peacefmonline.com, Samuel Abu Jinapor spurned off Felix Kwakyes assertions. To him, the latter lacks the expertise to educate others on what good leadership entails. Nana Addo never said he is going to adopt an Ivorian economic model. What he has been talking about is that after several years of war in Ivory Coast, it has achieved excellent achievements under President Alassane Ouattara. Ivory Coast is now the fastest growing economy in Africa under the leadership of President Ouattara and Ghana is the worst, he said. He explained that, that eminence of leadership is what Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo talked about when he compared Ivory Coast to Ghana. As this form of quality leadership is what Nana Addo is talking about. La Cote dIvoire is now overtaking India in the production of cashew and becoming the world leading producer of cashew. The point Nana Addo is making is that if you look at Ghana and La Cote dIvoire now, we are not really different, and our population and other things are similar. But as a result of sound leadership, the La Cote dIvoire government has led them to make giant and monumental strides in terms of development. So that is the point Nana Addo is talking about. Akufo-Addo is talking about the leadership effort and not about economic tactics as claimed by the NDC, he told Peacefmonline.com. Abu Jinapor also maintained that Ghana is doing much better in education and other sectors than Ivory Coast. The point is, where was La Cote dIvoire some five [5] years ago? And where was Ghana five years ago. Where is La Cote dIvoire today in terms of quantum development and where is Ghana today? Anyone who will assess the two countries today will admit Cote dIvoire has made more progress than Ghana and that is as a result of the quality of leadership President Ouattara is offering the people of La Cote dIvoire, and that is what Akufo-Addo is calling Ghanaians to pay attention to. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Washman007 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 If the fact an estimated 5.2% of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths are officially registered as suicides rattles you, consider this: experts reckon the actual figure could be closer to 10%. In the Kimberley alone, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are suiciding at 8 times the national rate. The catastrophic frequency at which people in the Indigenous community are taking their own lives has prompted a Change.org petition calling for an urgent royal commission into how and why this is happening. Suicide prevention researcher Gerry Georgatos created the call to action addressed to PM Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten and wrote that a royal commission with the resources and manpower to investigate the soaring rates thoroughly is the only shot we have left at addressing the issue. I have travelled to hundreds of homeland communities and the people who are losing their loved ones are crying out to be heard, they are screaming, he says. It is a myth and a dangerous perception that there is a silence, shame, taboo its the listening that is not happening. This humanitarian crisis needs to translate to a national priority. More than 21,000 Aussies have put their name to the petition since it went up on Sunday, with those numbers climbing by the hour. A bunch of well-respected Indigenous Australians have joined Georgatos plea for a royal commission, including this years National Indigenous Human Rights Awards recipients and several past NAIDOC winners, among them Australian of the Year awards finalist Rosalie Kunoth-Monks. But the plea from Kimberley mother Lena Andrews whose daughter Phillinka took her own life at age 18, in 2014 is the most humbling / heartbreaking aspect of the petition. Phillinka Andrews, 18, committed suicide in 2014. She says nobody was there for them when her family, and Phillinka, needed help. There was nobody there for us. We are living in neglect, in racism, forgotten by everyone. Please allow our stories to be told at a royal commission. Too many are dying too young. You can sign the petition HERE. Source: change.org. Photo: Getty / Ian Waldie. Look, the idea of Berghain isnt for everyone; clubs arent always everyones cup of tea (theyre certainly not this particular writers). Standing in a line for up to three hours with no guarantee of actually getting in, with the only reward being a place with way too many people in it and not nearly enough places to sit down? Call me an old man, but that is legitimate nightmare fuel. Regardless, the place certainly has an aura about it, and its seemingly fluid admittance policy is the stuff of legend; a code that no one seems to have cracked 100%. The rules once you actually get inside are legendary too: No mirrors. No photography. And absolutely no taking liberties with the venue. A little while ago one punter fortunate enough to get through the door also managed to get out of the building with a drinks menu from the famed upstairs Panorama Bar inside the club. And as you do in this modern, work-a-day world, he attempted to flog it off on eBay. The story caught the attention of the internet, and evidently that of Berghain management as well, because the world famous nightclub called the one-time. German Police subsequently found the thieving bastards ID details, and sent him a reportedly threatening letter which old mate is now also trying to sell on eBay. For those of you who dont speak German, Google Translate indicates that the text reads roughly as follows: Policy / Written statement in Criminal Proceedings Dear Mr. [Redacted], They are accused of having committed the following offence: Accusation Stealing a drink menu. Time of the crime Between Thursday 07/04/2016 8:51pm, and Friday 08/04/2016 7:45pm. Crime Scene 10243 Berlin, on Wriezener Bahnof. Tatortlichkeit (Google had no earthly clue what this meant): Nightclub (Berghain / Panoramabar) You get the picture. The eBay listing states that the letter is an original and rare collectors item which look, its a factually accurate statement. I (allegedly) stole a drinks menu from Berghain to sell it on eBay and someone went to the police to sue. lol So the cops wrote me a letter. I am now offering you this rare collectors item in great condition. If owning a piece of evidence in a needlessly protracted and profoundly trivial German civil case seems like your kind of thing, the current bidding is sitting at a tidy 12. Theres definitely worse investments, to be fair. Source: Deep House Amsterdam. Photo: ullstein bild/Getty. Five days after unfurling a defence of New South Wales impending greyhound racing ban on Facebook, the states premier Mike Baird has condensed his reasoning into a 14-point Twitter bombardment. His FB debunking reassured punters the ban was justified due to the contents of a scathing inquiry into the industry. This time around, Baird has plucked TL;DR excerpts from that very same report, to really demonstrate the systemic and irreconcilable cruelty within the industry. In a slew of posts, Baird manages to address the cruelty, obfuscation, and dire financial realities endemic to the industry. Policy justifications via Twitter? Sure, its questionable in theory, astounding in practice: Had a hard but constructive discussion with greyhound industry reps. Reiterated this is a difficult decision based on Mr McHughs report. Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 I encourage everyone to actually read the report into greyhound racing. I did. I didnt need to read it twice. Heres a sample in 14 tweets. Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 The industry has implicitly condoned as well as caused, the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of healthy greyhounds. (1.113) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 It is not uncommon for unwanted greyhounds to be drained of their blood under anaesthetic before being euthanased. (21.5) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 The industry has engaged in the barbaric practice of live baiting. (1.113) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 One trainer said after using a live rabbit as a lure hed unclip the rabbit, break its neck, gut it and then throw it to the pups. (3.200) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 But wait, theres more. It is an industry where the peak body Greyhounds Australasia has said that the industry has preferred profits to welfare. (1.44) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 Giving the industry further time to address overbreeding and wastage appears likely to be fruitless. (1.135) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 The industry has caused and will continue to cause injuries to greyhounds that range from minor to catastrophic. (1.113) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 The Commission finds that GRNSWs policy of misreporting of injuries, was calculated, and intended, to mislead the general public. (4.115) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 Dwindling Crowds: In 2015, an ave 352 persons attended race meetings at metro tracks and just 78 people attended at non-TAB tracks. (28.106) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 The industrys own proposal is to reduce the current 34 tracks by at least 20, closing tracks across regional NSW. (28.107) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 Even if the industry could reform, the outlook for participants is bleak. (27.46) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 Only 8 countries allow commercial greyhound racing. Worldwide, the social licences of the industry are being withdrawn. (1.112) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 It appears unlikely that the issue of the large scale killing of healthy greyhoundscan be addressed successfully in the future. (1.125) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 The Commission is of the view that the industry has lost the integrity-based trust of the community. (1.113) Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 Christ. Swiftly following up that litany of anti-racing reasoning, Baird again said those who are currently enmeshed in the industry will be offered assistance during the shutdown period: I feel deep empathy for innocent participants & we will work to support them. But the report is clear and the right decision has been made. Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) July 14, 2016 The Tweets end with a pledge to push through the relevant legislation when parliament resumes, and an assurance itll pass. Thats quite possibly the only redeeming feature of the entire screed, TBQH. If youre interested / mentally and emotionally prepared, you can read the full report here. Bonus: If youre even curious about giving one of these fantastic pups a new home once their racing days are over, have a gander right here. Source: Mike Baird / Twitter. Photo: Matthias Hangst / Getty. Grab your marshmallows, cause weve got ourselves a flame war. It was to be expected that Sydneys Lord Gladstone Hotel and their sensitively-titled F*CK Pauline Hanson event (and its chippo snack packs) would draw some heat from some of Australias more conservative internet denizens. After all, the newly-minted senator and her One Nation supporters have historically compensated for their lacking numbers with incredible volume. Still, the torrents of True Patriotic Australians currently hammering the pubs Facebook page with one star reviews are absolutely boggling. If youre wondering who could possibly have started such a backlash, or which online arbiter of truth, justice and Australian-ness could mobilise such a dedicated faction, the answer is The Great Australian Patriot. That 20k-strong page let our nations most trenchant defenders of freedom know that somewhere, there was a pub that wanted to capitalise on anti-Hanson sentiment, and something had to be done: How Mr or Mrs Patriot ascertained there will be ANZAC-hating flagburners present is currently unknown, but the watering hole itself is apparently using the opportunity to demonstrate the kinda clientele theyre not cool with: They knew what they were getting into with an event with such a provocative title, and boy oh boy are they making the most of it. So, here we are, folks. Our political divisions are expressed through the medium of pub reviews. Our factional urges can be channeled against those we disagree with by hitting a singular blue star on a screen. Whether you agree with politicising a pub night or not, watching two sides throw pixelated memes at each other over Facebook is one of the most uniquely modern expressions of democracy we have. Truly Australian, even. Source: Facebook. Photo: Bradley Kanaris / Getty / Facebook. Alrighty then. This is the story that will *literally* never stop giving. Remember the Melbourne hipster? Of course you bloody do. Anyway, The Australian has outed him a being from a family of actual billionaires. Samuel Hains, whose alter ego Samuel Davide Harris described his style as bucolic socialist with improvised elements, is in fact the grandson of David Hains, Australias 14th richest person with an estimated worth of $2.46 billion. The Hains family, the report continues, is notoriously private (awks), and must all consult one another before making a public statement about their conservative investment group, Portland House. They rarely speak to media. This is fucking glorious pic.twitter.com/FzBJnrjXAh Nicole (@pickle2401) July 4, 2016 Sams mum is American 80s film star Jane Badler, and his dad Stephen helps drive Portland House, whatever that means. His brother Harrison is an aspiring actor / model, which we interpret as being uber rich, kinda hot, and really into the LA lifestyle. Honestly, this all makes perfect sense. Of course someone who would joke about Chanel capes paired with K-Mart slog would be filthy rich. Of course someone who would falsely attribute a beret to his dear uncle would be rolling in it. Of bloody course. The world, you see, makes sense again. Source: The Australian. Photo: The Age. Sexsmonia otherwise known as sleep sex is a little known sleep disorder that causes you to do exactly what youd expect: have sex, but when youre dead asleep. It falls into the same category as sleepwalking or sleep eating, except for the crucial difference in that it makes you engage in sexual activity without your consent, including fondling, masturbation, oral sex or full-blown intercourse. Sexologist Dr Janet Hall tells us it can wreck havoc on your mental well-being and relationships. A person with sexsomnia may experience negative emotions such as shame, confusion, anger, denial, fear, guilt or frustration, she says. These negative emotions can lead to enourmous stress. What triggers an episode of sexsomnia differs from person to person: stress, alcohol, illicit drugs, sleep deprivation, primary sleep disorders or even sex itself. It occurs during the first few hours of sleep, when the cortex (the thinking, planning and awareness part of the brain) gets switched off, but the brain stem (the part responsible for basic urges like the drive to eat or have sex) is still working. By this stage, the sexsomniac is acting completely without inhibition, says Dr Hall. This obviously paves the way for extremely murky grounds; more than one person accused of rape has used sexsomnia in their defence, and more than one legitimate sexsomniac has been charged with sexual assault. The most recent case was 26-year-old Mikael Halvarsson, a Swedish national who was sentenced to two years prison for sexually assaulting a woman sleeping beside him, but was acquitted in 2014 when the appeals court found him to be in a state of sleepiness, unconscious of what was happening. Very little is known about this disorder, not least because people are extremely reluctant to report it. A 2010 study found that almost three times as many men experienced sexsomnia than women, but as their entire study consisted of people who had checked in to a sleep disorder clinic, researchers admitted their data might be skewed. To shed some light on it, we spoke to Mark*, a 24-year-old Queensland bloke whos been dealing with it since his teens. PEDESTRIAN: How did you find out about your condition? MARK: I first became aware of it when I was a teenager. One morning my long term partner at the time started to talk to me about my strange uncharacteristic behaviour while we were having sex the night before. I told her I had literally no memory of the interaction but didnt think much of it until it began to happen frequently. I was aware that while growing up I had a tendency to sleep walk and sleep talk quite often and I think of these experiences as connected and rooted from the same place in my psyche. PEDESTRIAN: What was your initial reaction? MARK: Initially I was a little embarrassed and wanted to keep the experiences secret but after learning more about sexsomnia I became more open about sharing with close friends. I was also disappointed by the fact that I missed out on the fun All the work with no reward! PEDESTRIAN: Can you describe what happens? MARK: Its hard to tell you exactly what happens because Im unconscious during, so all the knowledge I have stems from information given to me. From what I understand it generally seems to happen very early morning around 2/3am, which I suspect is connected to the REM sleep cycle. Im told I usually instigate with sexual advances and dirty talk although its as if Im sleep talking because Im unresponsive the sex is is generally the same as if I were awake except I dont acknowledge anything said to me and afterwards Im straight back to sleep. Occasionally I will wake up during, but more often I wont. Its hard to say how often it will occur because there doesnt seem to be a pattern other than it only happens with a partner or someone Im very comfortable with. If Im in a relationship, I would say roughly a few times a month. PEDESTRIAN: Are there any triggers youre aware of? MARK: Like I mentioned earlier it only seems to only happen with someone Im very comfortable with, as if my subconscious is aware of whom Im sharing my bed with so I would say that is my trigger. I also have found its more likely to happen if Ive recently had sex, kind of similar to how if youve watched a scary film just before bed youre more likely to have a nightmare. PEDESTRIAN: Have you ever sought treatment for it? MARK: I have spoken to my GP about it and he recommended that I could try some sleeping aids but it was not necessary unless it was really causing me or my partner stress. I have opted to avoid medication unless it begins to cause more severe problems. I decided to seek treatment options to educate myself on what was happening to me and how I could be controlled, for peace of mind. PEDESTRIAN: How has this affected your relationship with partners? MARK: Sometimes its had a very positive affect on my relationships for obvious reasons but it has also caused a little tension in previous relationships mainly due to the loss of sleep for my partner. I remain reasonably unaffected but it can be difficult for my partner to face a full day of work after losing sleep because of our early morning escapades. Although I am reasonably easily deterred, it just takes annoyed groan and not tonight push or maybe two. To find out more about sleep disorders and sexsomnia, go to Sleep Disorders Australia or Australasian Sleep Association, or speak to your GP. Photo: Sleeping Beauty. Ah, It. The source of many paralysing phobias of clowns. Pennywise is the shapeshifting alien who takes the form of a fucked up clown in Stephen Kings original novel It. He was played by Tim Curry in the 1990 TV miniseries of the same name. Hes the one in that image up there. It wasnt a good series, but his performance was good. Well, its being made into a new film, if you werent aware. Originally tied to True Detective director Cary Fukunaga, its now being directed by Andres Muschietti, who was behind the deeply creepy short film Mama which I urge you to seek out on YouTube if you havent already. Anyway, weve got our first peek at what the clown himself looks like as played by Bill Skarsgard. Check it out. Boo! The film has begun shooting in Toronto, and looks like itll be out in September 2017. Source & photo: Entertainment Weekly. AP_01071302327.jpg Clair Horn, an Archeology instructor from State University of New York in Binghampton, N.Y., right, and student Steve Shoemaker, left, work at dig site where the colony of Azilum once stood in 1793, in Asylum, Pa., Wednesday, July 11, 2001. About 250 French expatriates settled on the 200 acres along the Susquehanna River in the Endless Mountains along Pennsylvania's Northern Tier. ((AP Photo/Chris Gardner)) It's Bastille Day! So what? you ask. This is Pennsylvania. We're aware of the roles of German, Polish, Italian and Irish immigrants on our life and culture. But French? Well, if you head up to Towanda, French Azilum is located a few miles off Routes 6 and 15 in Bradford County. It is open May-October. Here's why that's interesting. Today is French National Day, which in France is formally called La fete nationale and commonly Le qautorze juillet. It commemorates the storming the the Bastille on July 14, 1789, a key date in the French revolution. What's the tie to Pennsylvania? As our travel blogger Jim Cheney wrote earlier this year, "The story of French Azilum is rooted in French support for the United States during the Revolutionary War. Feeling a debt of gratitude, many in the U.S. wanted to help the French aristocracy during the French Revolution, but the American government didn't want to get involved in the war. Prominent Philadelphians such as Robert Morris and Steven Girard decided to take matters into their own hands in 1793, and purchased a 1,600-acre plot of land along the Susquehanna River in northeastern Pennsylvania in Bradford County. This land was set aside to be a community for French aristocrats fleeing the French Revolution." Not much remains of the original settlement, but for those who love untold history it's a gold mine. Read the full article to find out more. In other Bastille Day news, free PLCB tastings are starting in honor of the holiday. Supreme Court Ginsburg Trump Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington in 2015. Ginsburg's public criticism of Donald Trump is dividing legal experts over whether the leader of the court's liberal wing should recuse herself in any future case involving him. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) (Manuel Balce Ceneta) BY MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) -- Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg apologized Thursday for "ill-advised" public criticism of Donald Trump, promising to be more discreet in the future. The leader of the court's liberal wing sought to quiet complaints that she crossed a line in her remarks about Trump, saying in a statement that judges should not comment on candidates for public office. "On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them," the 83-year-old justice said. Ginsburg told The Associated Press last week that she did not want to think about the prospect of the Republican winning the presidency over Democrat Hillary Clinton. She escalated her criticism in subsequent media interviews, including calling Trump a "faker" who "really has an ego," in a CNN interview. Trump jumped into the fray on Wednesday. He tweeted that Ginsburg was an embarrassment for making "very dumb political statements about me. Her mind is shot - resign!" In subsequent tweets, Trump called Ginsburg "incompetent" and wondered whether she would apologize. Is Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg going to apologize to me for her misconduct? Big mistake by an incompetent judge! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2016 If I win the Presidency, we will swamp Justice Ginsburg with real judges and real legal opinions! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2016 Other Republicans have chimed in, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who called Ginsburg's remarks "totally inappropriate." "She oughta stay out of it," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. "It hurts the court when she does that." Ginsburg was appointed to the high court in 1993 by Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton. She said in the AP interview that she expects the next president, "whoever she will be," probably will have several Supreme Court appointments. Two other justices in their late 70s, Stephen Breyer and Anthony Kennedy, also could retire in the next few years. 18187796-mmmain.jpg Naloxone can reverse an overdose that is caused by an opioid drug, which includes prescription pain medications and heroin. Expanding the use of nalaxone is one of several measures included in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which passed Congress Wednesday. (Associated Press) A bill designed to address the nation's opioid and heroin addiction crisis has passed the Senate and is on its way to President Barack Obama's desk to become law. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act was approved in the Senate with a 92-2 vote. It passed the House of Representatives on Friday. The package of 18 measures covers a range of areas in an attempt to attack the addiction crisis from multiple angles. Some key aspects of the act are expanding education and prevention programs and improving addiction treatment resources. The act would also adjusting drug monitoring programs to prevent patients from "doctor shopping," one of two measures championed by Sen. Pat Toomey. "Today, the Senate showed it can work together on a bipartisan basis to address a deadly epidemic affecting so many families in Pennsylvania and across America. By passing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, we can begin to reduce the scourge of prescription drug and heroin abuse that has touched almost every corner of our commonwealth," said Sen. Toomey in a press release. Still, there is an issue of funding. The Washington Post reports: Republicans argued that the legislation's existing funding is already dramatically more than the federal government has ever committed to fighting this sort of drug abuse and said they will return to the matter when considering spending bills later this year. But Democrats aren't buying it. They put the opioid bill in the same category as ongoing battles over funding to combat the Zika virus and address the water crisis in Flint, Mich. The passage comes one day after the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency released its annual report of drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania. The Army has yet to settle any of the damage claims related to the runaway blimp that crashed last October in central Pennsylvania. "We are working to resolve them," Army spokesman Dov Schwartz said Thursday. The Army has received 32 claims for damages totaling $1,559,530, he said. That is an increase of four since the last report issued in April. Although the Army has not released details of the claims, the one filed by PPL Electric Utilities is thought to be a major one. Approximately 35,000 customers in Columbia, Montour and Schuylkill counties lost power due to snapped lines. The more than a mile-long tether caused the damage as the aerostat, as the Army calls it, descended in central Pennsylvania and crashed in western Montour County. The 243-foot-long blimp, containing sophisticated surveillance equipment, broke loose from its mooring at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland on Oct. 28. The aerostat was part of a three-year Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) exercise to assess its ability to contribute to the North American Aerospace Defense Command cruise missile defense. The exercise was suspended after the incident and there is no money in this fiscal year to resume it. Investigators determine a malfunction of a pressure-sensing device caused the aerostat to become unstable. The increase in wind drag and subsequent loss of aerodynamic efficiency increased the tether tension to the point of breakage, they said. The Army will accept damage claims for two years from the date of the incident, Schwartz said. harrisburg skyline.jpg Harrisburg from the air. There is a bit of good news in the completed state budget for the City of Harrisburg. The tax code approved Wednesday ends Harrisburg's ineligibility to apply for the creation of a relatively new redevelopment program called the City Revitalization and Improvement Zone program, or CRIZ. When the program was launched in 2013, Harrisburg was specifically excluded because it was in receivership. Sen. Rob Teplitz, D-Dauphin County, and Rep. Patty Kim, D-Harrisburg, have been trying to change that ever since, and on Wednesday they won their fight. The program was revamped to include Scranton, another Pennsylvania city in long-term fiscal distress, all Third Class cities like Harrisburg, and Home Rule municipalities with populations of 20,000 or more. Eligibility is not to be confused with entry, however. The city still would have to go through a competitive application process that yields state Department of Community and Economic Development approval for only two new CRIZ zones each year. But at least the door is open. "I feel vindicated that the city is now able to apply, and I feel happy that they have another tool," Teplitz said after Wednesday's votes. A CRIZ, specifically, uses tax incentives to help spark commercial redevelopment in blighted areas of Pennsylvania's smaller cities. In the approved zones, which can be up to 130 acres, managing authorities can borrow money to finance redevelopment and new construction within the zone. Most new state and local taxes realized from the development are used to help pay the debt service, or some direct construction costs. The state requires a private investment match in qualifying projects of at least 20 percent of the CRIZ dollars. The amendments also made other changes that officials in cities with CRIZ's already in place believe will give the program more impact, like including hotel taxes on the list of taxes that can be swept into the CRIZ fund. Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse has expressed interest in the CRIZ program in the past, but the administration could not be immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday's developments. U.S. Courthouse The U.S. Courthouse in Harrisburg (Matt Miller, PennLive) A Carlisle man has pleaded guilty to the armed robberies of two midstate banks, U.S. Attorney Peter Smith said Thursday. The pleas Jeffrey Turns, 32, entered before U.S. Middle District Judge John E. Jones III carry penalties of up to life in prison. Turns was charged with robbing A Fulton Bank on Route 15 in Carroll Township and a Santander Bank in Mechanicsburg last August. The crimes netted him more than $11,000. When arrested soon after one robbery, Turns was driving a stolen car in which 10 stolen guns were found, investigators said. flight-800-montoursville-PA-20-years-later.jpg One thing has flourished in the 20 years since TWA Flight 800 crashed into the inky Atlantic Ocean off Long Island, N.Y.: The various conspiracy theories over what caused the inferno-like fireball that doomed the 747 and all 230 people aboard. (File) MONTOURSVILLE - One thing has flourished in the 20 years since TWA Flight 800 crashed into the inky Atlantic Ocean off Long Island, N.Y.: The various conspiracy theories over what caused the inferno-like fireball that doomed the 747 and all 230 people aboard. A four-year National Transportation Safety Board investigation concluded that the July 17, 1996, explosion and crash were caused when fuel vapor in the airplane tanks ignited, probably by a spark or shorted circuit, creating the spectacular fireball that brought down the plane, killing all 230 people aboard. Pieces of debris continuing to burn on the ocean's surface long into the night. But from the very beginning there were eye-witness accounts of spotting the red glow of a missile or rocket's tail streaking up towards the plane an instant before the explosion. In fact, the cause early on was suspected to be some kind of explosive device. In other words, terrorism some five years before 9/11. The FBI launched a criminal investigation to parallel the NTSB probe. However, that criminal case was closed 16 months later, with the FBI announcing no evidence of criminal activity related to the crash was found. As for those reports of glowing missile tails streaking up towards the plane? The sightings were explained away as ignited fuel from the jetliner's exploding tank streaming down toward the ocean, not up to the plane. Others blamed optical illusions created by the reflective properties of the Atlantic at twilight. Before concluding that fuel vapor caused the plane's fuel tank to explode, the NTSB painstakingly re-assembled all of the plane's debris, virtually reconstructing the aircraft from all those blown-apart parts. But if anyone believed this government-sanctioned conclusion, announced on August 23, 2000, would cease speculation over the cause of Flight 800's crash, they were wrong. If anything in the years since, the confidence in the government's conclusion has grown weaker and the interests in two main conspiracy theories has accelerated. MORE: Flight 800: A walk among Montoursville's tombstones, 20 years later Flight 800 mother's lament: 'I want grandchildren' Flight 800 father receives heaven-sent message: 'His daughter's OK' Flight 800 forces Montoursville, Pa., to bury part of its future The two most-cited theories in various books, documentaries and National Geographic Channel specials are that Flight 800 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired by a terrorist on the ground, or that the plane was hit by a missile fired accidentally by a U.S. Navy submarine. Either way, the theories require a massive governmental cover-up that some say could have been motivated to prevent a panic that could have undermined the Olympic Games set to take place in Atlanta, Georgia, that next month or to avoid damage to President Bill Clinton's re-election hopes later that fall. But it's not just government skeptics on the fringe of the Internet who subscribe to these theories. A Montoursville father who lost his 16-year-old daughter aboard Flight 800 has believed from nearly the very beginning that the plane was shot down by a missile fired accident by a U.S. submarine conducting exercises off Long Island. Asked by a reporter about this, Donald Nibert, now 72, leans forward from his living room couch and says, "Some of what I'm going to tell you is a little bit strange. I think I have had a couple attempts on my life." From there, Nibert proceeds to spin a 20-year tale of trying to get to the bottom of the Flight 800 explosion, only to be frustrated by what he insists where various attempts on his life. After spending only a few days at a hotel set up for grieving Flight 800 family members in Long Island, Nibert insisted that he and his wife be transported back to Montoursville. Their daughter, Cheryl, was one of the first victims recovered and identified, and Nibert said he could no longer tolerate the claustrophobic concentration of grief inside the hotel. In all, sixteen teens, all members of the Montoursville High French Club, were tragically taken in the fiery crash of Flight 800, along with five adult chaperons also from Montoursville. While most remained in shock in the days following the crash, Nibert was already espousing his belief that the plane was shot down. Meanwhile, many press accounts at the time were openly speculating about terrorism. But it wasn't until the police-escorted trip back to Montoursville, however, that things became more than a little interesting - and dangerous -- for Nibert. As Nibert tells it, the police escorts would change as his chauffeur-driven car raced at high speed from New York to Montoursville. At one point, they seemed to lose their police escort. That's when Nibert says a car with smoked windows began swerving into their lane. Nibert's driver reacted, nearly rolling the racing rental. The other car again swerved aggressively. This time, Nibert shouted for his driver to slow down. Soon, their police escort was back, and the Niberts completed their travel to Montoursville without incident. But for Nibert, it was proof not only that there was much more to the downing of Flight 800, but also that unknown forces would stop at nothing to keep those secrets. "I expressed my concerns about friendly fire, and it didn't go over well at all," Nibert says now about a possible motive behind what he calls the Pennsylvania Turnpike attack. Yet, the strange events were only beginning. A year or so later, invited to speak before a gathering of Pennsylvania newspaper editors, Nibert was driving to State College when his steering wheel began to shake uncontrollably. He pulled over to find just one loose lug nut holding one of his front tires to the axil. "I can't prove anything," Nibert said. "That was one or two years after the crash." Several months after the Flight 800 crash, he was contacted by a mysterious woman who wanted to meet him. When he showed up at the agreed-upon place, the woman was there but there was no other vehicle in the otherwise deserted lot of a local church. He couldn't get a plate number, and the woman would not give her name. She proceeded to inform him that she was the aunt of a Navy submarine crewmember who she said accidentally fired the missile that took down Flight 800. The woman said her nephew, who had been reassigned by the Navy out of the country, was seeking forgiveness. Something that Nibert said he couldn't grant. "If he wants to forgiveness, he better look above and ask God," Nibert said. "It's not going to come from me." As for the woman? Nibert never heard from her again. "That was that," he said. "I didn't try to follow her or find out her name." But he did keep on trying to find out what really happened to Flight 800. He and his wife twice visited the hangar where the NTSB reconstructed Flight 800, and he has met with NTSB investigators. He's read all the reports, and delved into various accounts of the alternate theories of the crash. He remains convinced that friendly fire from a Navy sub took down the plane by accident - an accident that our government will never admit. Still, Nibert won't let it go. "I would like some people involved to pay the price they should," he said. And it is not just Nibert who believes something more happened to Flight 800 than a fuel vapor explosion. None other than Montoursville's mayor of 34 years said this: "I've had more people come to me and tell me that it was impossible what had happened - that the fuel tank could not have blown," Mayor John Dorin said just days before the town will mark the 20th anniversary of the crash and the loss of 21 of its own. "Something else happened," he insisted. "There are books written about the flight. Helicopter pilots saw something on the radar screen. We know our Navy was out there shooting at drones. Whether they were shooting at drones when the flight went out, I don't know." Just one thing is for sure: Two decades later, the continuing controversy over the cause of Flight 800's fiery crash is fueling still more interest in the story, not less. MORE FLIGHT 800 COVERAGE: Look for more coverage of Flight 800, 20 years later, including the tale of a Montoursville father who says he received a heavenly message about his daughter at the very moment her doomed flight was crashing over Long Island. He has clung to that message as comfort ever since. Read how the tiny town of Montoursville lost a big part of its future the day the plane went down, taking the lives of 16 teenage members of the high school French club, along with five adult chaperons. Two decades later, parents and community members wonder about all that could have been had their lost loved ones lived to lead lives that promised so much potential. A Montoursville mother explains how the shocking, searing grief of losing her daughter in the crash has deepened into an unending ache and gaping absence of all the future possibilities that were lost along with her. This can be summed up in a single sentence: "I want grandchildren," the still-mourning mother says. Finally, we take a somber walk among Montoursville's tombstones, where this small town was forced to bury a significant part of its promising future some twenty years ago. Look for all of these stories this week on PennLive as Montoursville pauses to mark the loss of Flight 800 and 21 of its own on July 17, 1996. As a fashion stylist, Tia Aigne knows how to create a "look." Now, the Harrisburg High School graduate is trying to help create a fashion scene in her hometown. Aigne, 32, who was born and raised in Harrisburg, is staging her second annual fashion show this Saturday in the capital city featuring local designers, vendors and models. "There aren't very many stylists in the city," she said. "There's really no fashion scene." Tia Aigne But Aigne would like to change that. Instead of moving away to a bigger city to ply her trade, she said she wanted to stay in Harrisburg and collaborate with other local artists and fashonistas. Her Street Style Summer Sixteen show starts at 8 p.m. July 16 inside the Kappa Omega of Omega Psi Phi house at 2020 State Street. Tickets must be purchased in advance. They cost $15 for general admission or $25 for VIP tickets that guarantee front-row seats and swag bags. Her show last year, at Braxton Hall inside the Big Ugly Warehouse, sold about 115 tickets, including one to Cornelius Johnson, now a city councilman. "It was amazing," Johnson said. "It was great to see the incorporation of all the local talent that was used to put on the event with a highlight on the urban fashion scene in Harrisburg." Aigne said she's upping her game with this year's show and hopes to sell 150 to 200 tickets. She doubled the models to 20 and partnered with three designers, including Paris Rafeal, of Harrisburg. The venue this year has temperature controls, which is a step up from the warehouse for last year's chilly show in March, she said. Last year, she worked with Rayon Braxton to put on her first show. Eight months later, he was shot to death inside the space where he had sponsored numerous arts and youth events A fashion stylist's job is different from a designer or artist, Aigne said. Designers and artists actually create the clothes and pieces, while the stylist assembles various pieces to put together the "look." Aigne completed a two-year program at the Art Institute of York in 2009, and attended a School of Style in New York City in 2013, where she got advice from celebrity stylists. Last year, she started her own fashion blog, FashionIsMyFWord.com. On her blog, she defined "street style," the theme for this year's fashion show as "any offbeat or avant-garde fashion inspired by contemporary culture of urban street people." Aigne promised to highlight different pieces from local artists and designers to create "numerous original looks of summertime dopeness for a show you do not want to miss." For more information, contact Aigne at 717-317-4161 or FashionIsMyFWord@gmail.com. Screen Shot 2016-07-14 at 10.59.00 AM.png July 14, 2016 weather map (submitted) We shouldn't be in store for the deluge of rain that parts of Lancaster and York counties saw Wednesday, says the National Weather Service at State College. Predicted temperatures July 14, 2016 The biggest concern for the midstate today is the heat and its effect on the elderly, said Paul Head, NWS meteorologist. Temperatures barely dipped below 75 last night, and the heat index will approach 100 degrees. The biggest chance for heavy rain in the state today is in the north central and northeastern areas, with storms moving east of Williamsport late this morning, Head said. The Chesapeake Bay was partly to blame for yesterday's torrential downpours in Lancaster and York, Head said. The thunderstorms drew in moisture from the bay, and winds continued pulling in that moisture after the storms moved out. That resulted in "training" of rain bands for a prolonged period across the region. The area with the biggest chance of that happening today is north of New York City and the lower Hudson River valley. Yesterday's rain was "heavier than we perhaps expected, but it was not unexpected," Head said, adding that the prediction was up to 2 inches of rain. From radar, it looks like there could have been 5 inches in some isolated pockets, Head said. The highest total was 4.5 inches in St. Thomas in Franklin County, with 2.47 inches in Blue Ball, Lancaster County, and 2.41 inches in Landisville. Weather spotters reported 2.31 inches at Manada Gap in Dauphin County, and 0.44 inches in Enola. Today's forecast calls for isolated heavy thunderstorms with strong winds this afternoon and evening, and heat indexes approaching 100 degrees. A high of 92 is forecast, and low of 73 overnight. Friday should be sunny, with a high of 91. Saturday will see a slight chance of showers and storms, and a high of 86. Sunday will be mostly sunny, with a high of 89. CTP issues Public Information Statement (PNS) https://t.co/KImg98cSRv NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) July 14, 2016 For the latest forecasts, visit PennLive's weather page. You can see live weather updates via the National Weather Service and other Twitter sources below. Tweet us at @pennlive with photos of inclement weather at your place, incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com. END COPY OF CODE HERE three charged in Gilhart death.jpg Christian Harris (left), Ryan Horton (center), and Emily Tucker (right), have been charged in the June 2 shooting death of Edward Gilhart. (Franklin County Prison.) CHAMBERSBURG - Christian Harris thought the plan was just to rob somebody. He testified Thursday that when he and Ryan Horton were lying in wait in the early-morning hours of June 2, Horton's plan was to place a duffle bag in the middle of the road to entice a passing motorist and check it out. "I told him, 'I don't think this is going to work, let's go back,'" Harris said, testifying against his friend, Horton, at a preliminary hearing on Thursday. "'I don't want to do it.'" Both had handguns, but Harris believed the guns were for "the worst-case scenario." What happened next was definitely not part of the plan -- as far as Harris knew, anyway, he told the court. They watched as Edward Gilhart of Hancock, Maryland, stopped his SUV after spotting the duffle bag near the intersection of Routes 16 and 456 outside of Mercersburg. Edward Gilhart. And that's when Horton ran out from behind the rock where they were hiding, pointing his gun at Gilhart, Harris said. "The victim said, 'Don't shoot, don't shoot,'" Harris testified. "That's when Horton fired." Horton only said, "Shut the (expletive) up," as he opened fire, Harris said. Horton, Harris and Horton's girlfriend, Emily Tucker, are now all facing criminal homicide charges in connection with Gilhart's killing. But on Thursday, both Harris and Tucker took the stand against their mutual acquaintance, who is accused of actually pulling the trigger. Their testimony, along with that of the investigating state troopers and the coroner, was enough for Magisterial District Judge Jody Eyer to bind all charges against Horton over to trial. He is set for formal arraignment in Franklin County Court on Aug. 10 on charges of criminal homicide, robbery, theft, and three counts of conspiracy. Franklin County First Assistant District Attorney Lauran Sulcove added two additional firearms charges against Horton, who, as someone convicted of a prior burglary, is prohibited from possessing guns. The star witness for prosecutors on Thursday, though, was Harris, who provided the only first-hand account of what happened that day - and in the days that followed before they were all put behind bars. Harris said that on June 2, he went to Tucker's apartment where Horton was gathering the materials he needed for his plan to rob somebody. Horton said, "We're going to make a come up," meaning he wanted to obtain some money, Harris said. According to Harris' testimony, the events unfolded like this. At first, Horton wanted to stage a roadside robbery closer to town, so they drove around, looking for an old farm truck to steal. The plan was to make it look like that truck had broken down so they could rob whomever pulled over to help. Horton wanted to use a stolen truck instead of his car so he could not be identified. When they failed to find that truck, though, Horton decided to go with Plan B - that involved having Tucker drop them off on Route 16, just up the mountain from Route 456, where they would throw a duffle bag in the road to waylay a passing motorist. That motorist turned out to be Gilhart, who was heading to work at JLG in McConnellsburg around 3:30 a.m. Harris testified that Horton shot Gilhart three times, though Coroner Jeffrey Conner said he was shot twice - once in the shoulder and once in the head. Harris, after cross-examination from public defender Ian Brink, said it was dark and it was possible Gilhart was only hit with two of the three shots. After shooting Gilhart, Horton went through his wallet, pulling out five or six $20 bills. Initial police reports stated Gilhart only had $24 on him, but Harris testified that amount was the cut he was given the next day. And according to his testimony, he was given more than $24 -- and a threat. When Tucker showed up at his home the next day, she handed him the cash and a message. "She said not to tell no one, or else (Horton) had plans of tying up loose ends with me," Harris said. In the coming days, as police investigated Gilhart's mysterious killing, Harris and Horton got together a few more times. In one instance, Horton was thinking about getting rid of the two guns, which he never did. And Horton, two different times, told Harris he wanted to "get rid of her," referring to Tucker. Horton at first wanted to stage Tucker's death to make it look like a suicide, and then he asked Harris to take care of it for him, Harris testified. The case went unsolved for four days, but investigators soon got an unexpected break. Tucker showed up at the state police barracks in McConnellsburg to report that Horton had assaulted her, and in doing so, she also told them that Horton had killed Gilhart. Those assault allegations leveled by his girlfriend led to a separate set of charges of simple assault and harassment against Horton, which were also sent on to Franklin County Court on Thursday. Tucker took the stand against her boyfriend and said Horton assaulted her twice in the days following Gilhart's death. He tried to stop her from leaving town, she said, and he assaulted her, leaving her with bruises. He also, at one point, got on her and covered her mouth while holding her nose closed. Horton is set for arraignment on those charges Aug. 10, as well. Harris has already waived his hearing, and Tucker is set for a preliminary hearing on July 26. patricia halgash.png Patricia J. Halgash (East Lampeter Township police) A 43-year-old Land O' Lakes, Florida woman is facing a lengthy prison sentence after she was found guilty for her role in a fatal drunken-driving crash last March. The verdict holds Patricia J. Halgash responsible for the crash that killed Sharon M. Mulhatten, 71, of Lancaster. Halgash was convicted on all counts after about five hours of deliberation, said Brett Hambright, a spokesman with the Lancaster County district attorney's office. The crash happened on March 3, 2015, shortly after Halgash left a bar on the 1800 block of Old Philadelphia Pike in East Lampeter Township. Troy M. Mulhatten, 52, of Ronks was injured in the crash, sustaining broken bones and a torn aorta in his heart, Police initially said Halgash drank between four and six high alcohol volume beers before the crash. Halgash refused a blood-alcohol test, so police went to the bar and found that her bill showed she paid for six pints of Troeg's Nugget Nectar beer. During testimony, Halgash admitted to drinking three beers, though she was billed for six, according to a LancasterOnline.com report. Dr. Wayne Ross, a forensic pathologist with the Lancaster County Coroner's office, estimated that Halgash's blood-alcohol content would have surpassed the legal limit of 0.08. Halgash will be sentenced in a couple of months after a pre-sentence evaluation. She is being held on $500,000 bail following the verdict. UPDATE: No bomb found at Lebanon VA Medical Center, evacuation ends The Lebanon VA Medical Center received a bomb threat around 8:30 a.m. today and is evacuating, officials say. Building 17, which is where a threat was called in this morning, has evacuated, said Douglas Etter, VA spokesman. "Police are searching floor by floor, room by room," he said. All appointments in Building 17, which houses the center's outpatient offices, are being rescheduled, Patients with questions about their appointments can call 717-272-6621 for more information. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device 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 and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Year-round residents only: Marion Township plans for new type of housing A housing development is being considered exclusively for people who live in the Charlevoix area all year. AirAsia is currently the largest operator of Airbus single aisle aircraft. With the announcement of an additional 100 aircraft, AirAsia has ordered a total of 575 A320 family aircraft from Airbus. Currently, Airbus has delivered more than 170 A320 aircraft to the AirAsia family including its affiliates in Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines. However, this is the first order for the 240-seat Airbus A321 aircraft placed by the Asian budget carrier, recently voted World's Best Low-Cost Airline for the eighth consecutive year AirAsia plans to use the aircraft to increase capacity, while enjoying the lowest operating costs in the single aisle aircraft category by leveraging the increased efficiency and higher capacity of the A321neo on high-density routes. Currently, AirAsia's A320 fleet seats 180 passengers. The new version of the A321neo has the ability to seat up to 240 passengers, which will provide AirAsia with 33% more capacity that will enable the carrier to optimise service on high-density routes. According to AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes, the carrier recorded a robust load factor in the first quarter of 2016 and it is believed that the positive momentum will continue well into the future. "AirAsia Group currently operates close to 1,000 flights per day to more than 120 destinations in 24 countries. The A321neo will help us to meet ongoing strong demand as well as further reduce our cost per Available Seat Kilometre across the group, which will translate to lower air fares for our guests," said Fernandes. Congestion at airports in Southeast Asia remains a major problem for carriers that are trying to meet growing demand. This is especially evident at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, where slots are at a premium due to their limited availability. This has triggered both Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, the nation's largest low-cost carrier, to also place orders for the larger A321 aircraft. Meanwhile, AirAsia Philippines faces a similar problem in that the only way it can expand capacity in Manila is to increase the size of aircraft it utilises on existing flights, as increasing the number of flights out of Manila is not possible at this time. That makes it highly likely that some of the new A321 aircraft ordered by AirAsia will be headed for the carrier's Philippine unit. "The A321neo will be operated on our most popular routes and especially at airports with infrastructure constraints. It will allow us to bring higher passenger volumes with the same slots, therefore providing immediate benefits to the airports. These include, among others, more efficient operations, higher revenues from passenger service charges, and more airport retail purchases. We will also continue to maintain our 25-minute turnaround with two or three-step boarding where permitted to ensure on-time performance," added Fernandes. Cebu Pacific President and CEO Lance Gokongwei Philippine Airlines President and COO Jaime Bautista AirAsia Philippines COO Capt. Dexter Comendador PAL Express President Bonifacio Sam Cebgo President and CEO Michael Ivan Shau Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions AVP Leah de Guzman Jore. The Duterte administration is beginning to make changes at the country's primary international gateway as it seeks to shed its reputation as one of the world's worst airports. The nation's new Transportation Secretary, Arthur Tugade, has sought the help of airlines operating at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila to maintain the public restrooms at all terminals.According to Tugade, the company that originally won the bidding to maintain the airport's utilities has been performing below the standards necessary to maintain a quality service, which triggered the new Transportation Secretary to make changes."One of the basic problems which irritated the community is the issue of maintenance of the washrooms and utilities inside the airport. So it has come to me that one way to approach this is to remove the activity from government and give it to the people that are operating in the airport," Tugade said. The plan now is to remove the existing company from government service and transfer maintenance of the facilities to the private sector, led by the nation's top airlines.On July 7, Philippine carriers were asked to sign a memorandum of agreement indicating that they would accept responsibility for improving and maintaining the airport's toilets and utilities. The airlines welcomed the decision, which came as a surprise to Tugade given that it would mean increased costs for the nation's carriers."I asked Mr. Lance (Gokongwei, CEO of Cebu Pacific), sabi ko, 'Sir puwede ho bang humingi ng tulong?' At sabi niya, 'You know Art just ask for help and my company and group of companies will extend our support and cooperation,'" Tugade said. "That was the same situation when I talked to other airlines." he added.The airlines that signed the Memorandum of Agreement include Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, AirAsia Philippines, PAL Express, Cebgo, and Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions. The signatories included the following:Tugade added that the entire experience was positive as it demonstrated cooperation between the airlines and the new government. "Napakaganda nitong experience at ceremony na ito because it shows how far the business community is willing to show the support and cooperation to the Duterte administration," Tugade said. GIGANTIC ADDORMENTATO Words & Photography // Dave Trumpore & Mathew Delorme Out of Switzerland and into Italy. It was time to get some proper food and some great riding in. Warp speed up and over the Splugenpasse from the Lenzerheide World Cup to reach this weekend's EWS round in La Thuile. Happened upon the Giger Bar in Chur, Switzerland on the way out of Lenzerheide. Crazy detail in the metal floor tiles of the Giger Bar. The Swiss Alps in the distance while picking wild flowers, one foot in Italy and the other still in Switzerland. Rolling across the Swiss Alps and into Italy, passing remnants of a time long gone by on the way. Keeping watch over the Aosta Valley. Mother Nature has been in a bit of a mood here the past few days, but the forecast for the weekend looks much more promising. Welcome to Italy. The alpine Village of La Thuile. You know you are in Italy when Ape's whizz (putter) by you every few minutes. The hills just above the village of La Thuile are simply breathtaking. The summit of Monte Bianco, towering some 3200 meters above the village of La Thuile, dictates much of the weather here in the Aosta Valley. Weather that can change quickly and often. Heading up the 1000 meter climb to the top of Stage 1 will bring racers up to and almost into the clouds. The racers can shuttle half of this climb in practice, but must pedal all 1000 meters on race day. The media crew however, might just cheat a bit with E-Bikes. Well above the treeline and the valley floor below lies the start of Stage 1. Enrico and Baller lead us up to the top of an amazing stage one. So many expletives left our mouths about the views, you might have thought we all had Tourettes. Hands down, La Thuile is just a lovely place to ride bikes. Dave being dwarfed by Monte Bianco after the top lift station. Dave Trumpore and Sven Martin dive into the top of an ever so fresh stage five. Monte Bianco not quite ready to reveal all of her glory just yet. EWS director, Chris Ball, surveys the incredible views from the top of Stage 1. Richard Bord brought the French cheese, Chis Ball supplied some English crackers, and a plethora of media from all around the world enjoyed a snack high on an Italian mountaintop. Swiss blades, French cheese, and Italian granite. The hillsides here are extremely steep, nearly vertical in many spots, so a festival of switchbacks have been cut into many of the stages. Once below the tree line, the slopes continue their steep ways, but the soil begins to change over to perfect fresh loam. If you look closely at the hillsides above La Thuile and alongside a few of the stages, you begin to see some unique dwellings. There is a ton of fresh track out here this time in La Thuile, which made for some fun cornering sessions during the recce. Chris Ball with the arm drag on stage one. Bar drags in every switchback if you're on the gas. Matthew Delorme silhouetted against some dynamic skies on Stage 5. Just for a second and not a moment longer, Monte Bianco finally appeared through the veil of clouds. Stages 2 and 5 both share this magnificent view right out of the start gate. Richie Rude is all smiles about getting on it tomorrow in practice. After a massive crash a few weeks ago while racing Mountain of Hell in Les 2 Alpes, Isabeau Cordurier says she is fully recovered and ready to go in La Thuile. Perhaps the only serious photo I'll ever get of Graves. The racers that arrived early spent the first few days walking the tracks as they are not allowed to ride until practice opens on Thursday, but all in attendance are grinning from ear to ear at what they've seen. Guess the riders who belongs to each respective pair of footwear Sam Hill finished 2nd at the last round in Ireland and the long, loose, steeps of La Thuile plus a few hundred switchbacks should be right up his alley. Josh Carlson getting excited while looking at the course maps and the few thousand meters of vertical descending that lie ahead. It was Troy Brosnan's birthday on Wednesday and he was all smiles after walking a few of the phenomenal stages hidden in La Thuile's steep hillsides. The techs were super busy in the lead up to practice as racers brought suspension and brakes in for servicing ahead of this weekend massive undertaking. The SRAMish Armada. Iago getting prepping his whip for maximum drift. Rain showers are making for some hero dirt conditions. Just a little evening "light bro" before the rained moved in. Premier Li Keqiang and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker attended the 11th EU-China Business Summit and delivered speeches, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 13. Premier Li noted that China has always viewed its relations with EU from a strategic and long-term perspective, and firmly supported European integration. Enhanced cooperation between China and Europe is not only in line with the common interests of both sides, but also contributes to world peace and development, he added. He also noted that despite the sluggish world economic recovery, the strong growth momentum in China-EU investment cooperation shows that the development of both sides offers opportunities for each other. He hoped that both sides will, in the spirit of mutual respect, mutual trust, equality, openness and mutual benefit, continue to deepen the implementation of China-EU 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation, and better align their development strategies, in order to continue opening up new horizons for China-EU relations and cooperation. The Premier said that China is willing to join efforts with EU to build a peaceful and stable environment, advocate peaceful settlement of disputes through negotiations, and handle differences in a constructive way, to make positive contributions to safeguarding world peace and development. He called for exploring the potential in bilateral trade cooperation, further opening markets on both sides, and proper settlement of trade disputes to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. The Premier urged both sides to speed up negotiations on a bilateral investment agreement, and welcomed EUs investment in Chinas advanced manufacturing, modern services and Midwest regions. He also hoped that EU will also take measures to facilitate Chinese enterprises investment in Europe. The Premier called on both sides to strengthen cooperation in finance, innovation and inter-connectivity to promote the comprehensive and balanced development of China-EU pragmatic cooperation. Premier Li stressed that opening up is Chinas basic State policy. China will continue to reform the management system of foreign investment and gradually implement the pre-establishment national treatment and negative list. Enterprises will be treated equally, market access will be further relaxed and protection on intellectual property rights will be strengthened, to create a more fair and transparent business environment, according to the Premier. Talking about the Chinese economy, the Premier said that it is running in a stable manner as the second quarter witnessed a stable growth momentum. Amid complex international and domestic challenges, efforts will be made to maintain stable macroeconomic policies, develop new economies and new economic engines, and upgrade traditional driving forces. China has the ability to accomplish this years economic and social development tasks. This will also provide the European Union and European companies with more business opportunities, he said. Juncker said that both sides have witnessed great achievements since the establishment of diplomatic relations 40 years ago. Currently, as both European Union and China are advancing economic structural adjustment, there is huge potential for mutual cooperation. The European Union is willing to make joint efforts with China to strengthen the partnership, coordinate development strategies, make good use of the inter-connectivity platform, promote innovation cooperation, and boost negotiations for a bilateral investment agreement, according to Juncker. A Jefferson County Sheriff's deputy was attacked off duty and wounded. But in an exchange of fire, one of his bullets went down the barrel of the attacker's pistol. (Photo: Jefferson County SO) A Jefferson County (CO) sheriff's deputy who was involved in an off-duty shooting has been cleared. The Aurora Sentinel reports that Arapahoe County prosecutors on Wednesday said Deputy Jose Marquez acted appropriately when he exchanged gunfire with attempted robbery suspects in an apartment parking lot in Aurora in January. Marquez was visiting his girlfriend when two armed suspects approached him with their guns drawn. He was shot multiple times in the chest and abdomen before the suspects ran away. One of the suspects was wounded in the leg and arrested. The other suspect fled and has not been identified, KUSA TV reports. One of Marquez's bullets struck the suspect's pistol, traveling straight down that gun's barrel and disabling it. Officials say such a shot is "one in a billion." The city of Phoenix will name Jeri Williams its new police chief soon, a source told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday. Williams, a former assistant police chief in Phoenix, will be the first female chief in the citys history. She will take over the department in October, when current Chief Joe Yahner retires. Williams left the Phoenix Police Department in early 2011 to take over as chief of police in Oxnard, California. During her first stint in Phoenix, Williams was in charge of the departments southern division and oversaw about 1,000 sworn and civilian personnel. Williams has 28 years of law enforcement experience. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print *The following is an opinion column by R Muse * While Republicans generally oppose spending any money on anything other than corporations, the military-industrial complex or their wealthy donors, they hold a special hatred for spending on education. Obviously, an informed and well-educated populace, while crucial for a democracy, is anathema to Republicans who would not exist without the level of ignorance infecting America. After Kansas voters re-elected failed trickle-down advocate Governor Sam Brownback after he single-handedly decimated Kansas to enrich the already wealthy, it is glaringly apparent that the level of stupid in Kansas is epidemic. Knowing their population is prone to fear, religion and idiocy, Kansas Republicans have wholly embraced a Koch-Libertarian policy position with the intent of using it to finish destroying Kansas public schools once and for all time. As if Kansas embattled public school system had not been attacked mercilessly, and unconstitutionally since Brownback has been governor, the new tactic may not provide immediate success, but it will pay dividends the Kochs will celebrate when Kansas voters start supporting the abolition of public education. The tactic is a simple semantic shift of sorts with Kansas conservatives using the term government schools in a major rebranding of the Kansas public school system. Of course like everything Republicans do, this propaganda serves the Republican anti-government and privatization agenda to starve public schools into extinction and shift taxpayer dollars directly to for-profit religious, corporate and failed charter schools and help fund trickle down tax cuts for the rich. Last year in an op-Ed, a Kansas Republican state senator, Forrest Knox, wrote publicly what Republicans say privately about Kansas school system: Our local grade school is now the government school and his intent was nothing less than frightening Kansas residents to advance Koch and conservative propaganda that the liberal government was inserting itself unnecessarily into education to indoctrinate children and interfere with parents involvement. Republicans comprehend the government is not in the indoctrination business, unless teaching facts, history, and empirical data are indoctrination tools, but using catch phrases and buzzwords has proven successful with stupid people in the past. A columnist for the Wichita Eagle wrote the obvious last month and said state legislators deaf and blind ideology threatened the states public schools. The columnist, David Merrit said, Some have begun to call public schools government schools, a calculated pejorative scorning both education and anything related to government. According to a highly-regarded linguistics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, George Lakoff, who tracked the GOPs propaganda trend for decades, what Kansas Republicans and conservatives are doing is extending the semantical positioning of liberal government to education to convey the message that public schools are a form of government imposition. The idea of government intrusion into Americans private lives did indeed begin with B-movie actor and trickle down advocate Ronald Reagan, but this idea that government schools are a nasty liberal plot, the idea Kansas GOP are embracing, was an important plank of the 1980 Libertarian Partys anti-government platform. The party and platform, by the way, that boasted none other David Koch as its vice-presidential candidate. The platform opposed public education out-of-hand and said precisely what Kansas Republicans are saying today; Government schools lead to the indoctrination of children and interfere with the free choice of individuals. In Kansas, Republicans have started regularly using the government schools term as a political wedge to convince Kansas residents that Brownbacks drastic education cuts are really about protecting children from the nasty government and preserving parents ability to raise their kids without government interference. The truth is something quite different and convincing voters that public schools are dangerous is only to rob more money from public schools to enrich corporate, religious and private charter schools, protect trickle down tax cuts, and put the Kansas Constitution and State Supreme Court in the toilet. Two years ago the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that Brownbacks education cuts violated the State Constitution. The Justices kindly afforded the governor and Republican legislature leniency by giving them ample time to rectify the situation. Brownback refused and a second ruling slammed him for violating the State constitution and the High Courts ruling. Brownbacks response was tasking the GOP-controlled legislature to pass laws to punish the Court for daring to cite the states Constitutional requirements for education spending and defying Brownback as dictator. In another retaliatory move, Brownbacks Republicans launched an attempt to nullify the Kansas judiciarys authority and to put the entire state judicial systems existence in jeopardy; all because the Court would not allow him to violate the constitution to enrich corporations and the wealthy. Like many Republican states across the nation, the far-right and libertarian wings of the Republican Party are demanding that states either abolish or drastically scale back laws regarding the funding of public schools. The reason is typically Koch and ALEC: Republicans demand that they are allowed to shift public school funding to private religious and horrendously underperforming for-profit corporate charter schools. Something the American people overwhelmingly reject as an abomination. In fact Republicans so hate the idea of anything going to public education that they have blatantly opposed school programs offering free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches. Their contention is that feeding poor students makes schools an integral part of the liberal nanny state that was created to usurp and eventually completely eliminate the role of parents in their childrens lives. According to experts, and any American with a brain and a pulse, this is not the first time that conservatives have embraced twisted semantics to sway an ignorant and religious voting publics opinion. Professor Lakoff noted that the right has been successful at framing issues related to abortion, health care, labor unions and the very concept of functioning government. Devising carefully crafted catchphrases to fool ignorant Americans, Republicans have used terms like Tax relief, Pro-life, The Democrat Party, and Death panels to a fairly high degree of success in advancing their dangerous agendas with support from their ignorant base. Rebranding the public school system as liberal government schools to indoctrinate children and erase parental involvement in their childrens lives, although absurd on any level, will certainly have great effect on Americans suffering from rank ignorance and religious fear. That is very bad news for Kansas public schools because despite saddling the state with enormous debt, incurring several credit downgrades, and slashing social services, transportation funding and most importantly public education, frightened religious ignoramuses re-elected Brownback and Republicans seemingly to systematically dismantle whatever was good about Kansas. On July 14, Premier Li Keqiang and Mongolian Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat held a meeting at the Mongolian Government Palace in the capital Ulaanbaatar. Premier Li expressed congratulations to the newly appointed Mongolian PM, saying that China and Mongolia are good neighbors, friends and partners, and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides is growing. The two countries respect each others core interests and major concerns, said the Premier, who added that China respects Mongolian sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as the independent choices of Mongolia for its development path. Premier Li Keqiang and Mongolian Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat held a meeting at the Mongolian Government Palace in the capital Ulaanbaatar on July 14. [Photo/Xinhua] The Premier expressed appreciation for Mongolias firm stance on the One China policy, saying he hopes to work with the new Mongolian government to consolidate political mutual trust, maintain high-level exchanges, and increase practical cooperation in various fields, all to bring benefits to people of the two countries. Premier Li stressed that the economies of China and Mongolia are highly complementary, which brings new opportunities to further cooperation. He said China is willing to carry out the connection of the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative to Mongolias prairie road program, and start a feasibility study soon on a free trade agreement. He also expressed willingness to expand deep processing of agricultural and animal products, housing and infrastructure construction into new highlights of cooperation, and make new breakthroughs. China hopes to enhance bilateral cooperation in the financial sector, with efforts to expand currency exchanges, said the Premier, adding that he looks forward to closer cultural exchanges, to enhance understanding and friendship between people of the two countries. Erdenebat welcomed the first Mongolia visit by Premier Li, who will attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the capital. Mongolia appreciates Chinas long-term support of its economic and social development, said Erdenebat. The new Mongolian administration will continue to maintain the traditional friendship and enhance the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Economic and trade cooperation is one of the cornerstones of the ties between the two nations. Mongolia is willing to strengthen mutual connections, and deepen bilateral cooperation in agriculture, animal husbandry, energy and mining, infrastructure, and port construction. Mongolia welcomes Chinese investment, holds a positive attitude toward an early feasibility study on a bilateral free trade agreement, and appreciates Chinas support in the organization of ASEM by Mongolia, said Erdenebat. After the talks, Premier Li and Erdenebat witnessed the signing of 15 cooperation agreements in trade, economy, technology, infrastructure, and radio & television. Prior to the meeting, the Mongolian prime minister held a grand welcome ceremony for visiting Premier Li at Chinggis Khaan Square. A guard of honor and cavalry in traditional clothing were lined up in front of the Mongolian Government Palace. Erdenebat greeted Premier Li, then the Premier received flowers from a local Mongolian girl. Erdenebat and Premier Li reviewed the guard of honor together. Later on, Premier Li and Erdenebat also attended a launching ceremony of a development center for children with disabilities, which was built with help from China. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Its official: On Friday in New York, Donald Trump will announce the poor soul hes chosen to be his running mate. Paul Manafort, Trumps campaign chairman, broke the news to CNN on Wednesday night, capping off a day full of speculation about who will have their name plastered next to Trumps for the next three and a half months. Trump will announce his VP on Friday in New York, Paul Manafort tells CNN. Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) July 13, 2016 Earlier in the day, Trump and his family had meetings in Indiana with those seen to be the top two VP finalists: Gov. Mike Pence and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. According to CNN, the presumptive Republican nominee had breakfast with Pence in the morning. Later in the day, Gingrich met with Trump and was also seen leaving a hotel in a motorcade with Trumps children. Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions also met with the presumptive GOP nominee in the Hoosier State, but the senator is reportedly serving in an advisory role as opposed to being a possible vice presidential nominee. All of this took place in Indiana to allow Trump to have more time with the Pence, CNN said, citing a Trump spokesman. It was also noted that Trumps plane had mechanical issues that forced him to stay overnight Tuesday. Not wanting to leave out poor Chris Christie, apparently the only Trump ally not in Indiana on Wednesday, the spray-tanned billionaire still set aside time to have a phone conversation with him, which did include running mate talk. However, the unpopular New Jersey governors star has faded since he sold out to be a top Trump supporter (and coat carrier, as Hillary Clinton recently said). Either way, this speculation will finally come to an end on Friday when Trump will announce the guy who will have to pretend to like him for the next few months. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print It is being reported that the candidate Trump really wants to choose to be his running mate is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. CNN reported: One source said Trump wants a fighter and Christie the tough-talking former prosecutor fits the bill. Im getting attacked from all sides, Trump told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday. Though he was not in Indianapolis on Wednesday, Christie, one of the first major politicians to back Trump before he captured the nomination, is still very much under consideration, multiple sources told CNN. Trumps gut is Christie, one source said. The New Jersey governor spent the day in back-to-back meetings in Washington as he leads Trumps transition team. It has long been speculated that Christies bully, blowhard, attack Hillary Clinton as a criminal style has drawn Trump to him like a bug to light. Trump may want Christie in heart, but Gov. Bridgegate is so scandal-riddled and unpopular that it may make even Donald Trump shy away from him. Plus, the Republican Party itself seems to be pushing Trump to pick Pence. A selection of Chris Christie would be a dream come true for Democrats. If Trump picks Christie as his running mate, he will have selected one of the few politicians in the world that rival Trumps unfavorable numbers. Voters dont like Chris Christie, but Christie has a big personality, and ability to kiss up the GOP nominee that he values most. If the Republican Party get their way, the pick will be Mike Pence. If Trump goes with what he wants, dont be surprised to see a Trump/Christie ticket unveiled in New York on Friday. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print During an interview with the Washington Examiner, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump defended Fox News Chief Roger Ailes, saying he thinks the charges are unfounded based on what hes read. I kid you not: I think they are unfounded just based on what Ive read, said Trump. Totally unfounded, based on what I read. Ok. Roger Ailes has been accused of sexual harassment by former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson. She has filed a lawsuit alleging that she was fired in retaliation for saying no to her bosss demands for sexual subservience and due to her objection to severe and pervasive sexual harassment. What could Donald Trump have read that would have convinced him that this suit is unfounded? Did he read the New York Magazine story about the six other women who said they, too, had been sexually harassed by Roger Ailes? Four of whom told the author, Gabriel Sherman, for a 2014 biography on Ailes that the Fox News chief had used his position of power to make either unwanted sexual advances or inappropriate sexual comments in the office. Did Trump read the part about the more than a dozen women have contacted Carlsons New Jerseybased attorney, Nancy Erika Smith, and made detailed allegations of sexual harassment by Ailes over a 25-year period, dating back to the 1960s, when he was a producer on The Mike Douglas Show from the same article? What about all of these womens stories is so easy to dismiss as unfounded? Did Trump read this excerpt in which retaliation for refusal to be Ailes play thing was obvious: A week or two later I went in and mentioned to him I was going down to D.C. the following week to sign a major contract with the National Republican Congressional Committee. He said, Im going to be in D.C. too. Would you like to have dinner before you go in? So we had a nice dinner at a restaurant in Union Station. There was nothing untoward about it at all. He had a driver and a car, and after dinner he said, Can I take you to your friends? So we get in the car and thats when he said, You know if you want to play with the big boys, you have to lay with the big boys. I was so taken aback. I said, Gosh, I didnt know that. How would that work? I was trying to kill time because I didnt know if he was going to attack me. I was just talking until I could get out of the car. He said, Thats the way it works, and he started naming other women hed had. He said thats how all these men in media and politics work everyones got their friend. I said, Would I have to be friends with anybody else? And he said, Well, you might have to give a blow job every once in a while. I told him I was going to have to think about this. He said, No, if you dont do it now, you know that means you wont. The next morning I show up to get my assignment and was told the guy I was supposed to be meeting with was unavailable. Back in New Jersey, I got a call from Roger Ailes. He said, Howd your meeting go? I said, Actually, he wasnt available and Im hoping to hear back from him. He said, Ah, well, Im sure you will. Have you changed your mind yet? I said, Ill have to pass, Roger. Im married and really committed to my husband. No offense. He said, Well, well be in touch. And that was that. A couple weeks later, I called a friend who was very high up in the RNC and I asked him what happened. He said, Word went out you werent to be hired. Did Trump read the other allegations heartbreaking and triggering to anyone who has experienced sexual harassment, and lets face it, if youve worked in media you have probably witnessed it at the very least and think, meh, Ive never acted like that so it cant be true? Because in truth, Donald Trump has acted like this and I suspect that is the problem. The first issue is that it is ridiculous to speculate on the merit of the accusations if you werent there, arent a woman, have never experienced sexual harassment, and have political incentive to pretend you dont see them. Presidential it is not, when you make a decision about something when you have no facts upon which to make a decision. And worse yet, Donald Trump is a harasser of women. He sees women as a piece of meat, eye candy at best and trash to be threatened and hit when he isnt happy. The allegations against Donald Trump are too numerous to list here, but from his ex-wifes account of his assaulting her to his relentless harassment of a female journalist who rebuffed him until she had to threaten him legally, he sounds a lot like the Roger Ailes described by so many women. The truth is that sexual harassment is so pervasive in media that it is a given, because power and money invite and enable sexual harassment. So for Donald Trump to say something that is so common it is a joke is likely unfounded when he has no facts is nuts. Donald Trump incites sexual harassment against female journalists at his rallies, when his supporters scream You b*tch! at women in the press pen and his supporters said such ugly things to Megyn Kelly on Twitter that Id rather not repeat them. Suffice it to say, misogyny had a starring role in trying to intimidate Megyn Kelly from doing her job. To deny this happens often around Trump is pure willful fantasy. The man makes no sense. His failure to grasp basic logic when it comes to vetting stories is utterly terrifying he relies on conspiracies and things hes heard. He recalls things that never actually happened and refuses to believe it when hes called out on this. This kind of automatic dismissal to respecting a womans allegation is to be expected. This is the same part that cannot bring itself to listen to Black Lives Matter. So of course, every woman who doesnt want to give in to get ahead is a liar in Trumps eyes. Donald Trump knows the truth, and that is that it is more likely that Gretchen Carlson is telling the truth than it is likely that she is making it up. Thats the horrible reality under which too many women go to work every day and try to do their jobs. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Ruth Bader Ginsburg has garnered much negative attention for her remarks about Donald Trump and his unsuitability for the office of president (i.e. because Trump is a madman), but she is far from alone. On Facebook, a group of prominent historians led by Pulitzer Prize winning author David McCullough and documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, have issued their own verdict on Donald Trump, and it is a far from encouraging one. Ken Burns Stanford commencement address is what got the ball rolling, by encouraging McCullough to contact Burns. The result is a Facebook page, Historians on Donald Trump, that became active on Wednesday. At Stanford, Burns told students that though the government has made its fair share of mistakes, they would be hard pressed to find in all of human history a greater force for good. Which, because he would have the chief culprit of our woes be that same federal government, brought him to Donald Trump: We see nurtured in his campaign an incipient proto-fascism anti-immigrant Know Nothing-ism, a disrespect for the judiciary. The prospect of women losing authority over their own bodies, African Americans asked to go to the back of the line, voter suppression gleefully promoted, jingoistic saber-rattling, a total lack of historical awareness, a political paranoia that, predictably, points fingers, always making the other wrong. Thats right. Dont let Trump fool you into thinking he had any respect for Ruth Bader Ginsburg to begin with. He didnt. In fact, the Religious Right long ago issued a fatwa against Ginsburg. The mainstream media wont tell you about any of this as they scold Ginsburg, and neither will Trump, who will not apologize for Ginsburg being 100% right about him. But history matters. Which brings us to registered independent McCullough, author of numerous works of American history, who says Trump is clearly unsuited to be president and remarks that, Like so many others, I keep asking myself, how in the world can it be that the Republican Party, the party of Abraham Lincoln, is on the verge of nominating the likes of Donald Trump for president of the United States? McCullough asked, Why would we ever choose to entrust our highest office, and our future, to someone so clearly unsuited for the job? Why indeed. Dont think McCulloughs voice matters? If you want his own qualifications, here they are, as provided by Historians on Donald Trump: David McCullough has twice received the Pulitzer Prize for Truman (1992) and John Adams (2001) and twice received the National Book Award for The Path Between the Seas (1977) and Mornings on Horseback (1982). His other acclaimed books include The Greater Journey (2011), 1776 (2005), Brave Companions (1991), The Johnstown Flood (1968), The Great Bridge (1972) and The Wright Brothers (2015). He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian award. He knows a thing or two about American history, and about American presidents. You know, compared to the GOPs fake historian, David Barton (or Bill OReilly). Ron Chernow, whose biography of Alexander Hamilton inspired the play, tells us that, Im disturbed by the words missing from the Trump campaign: Liberty, justice, freedom and tolerance. The only historical movement that Trump alludes to is a shameful one: America First. Ron Chernow is an American writer, journalist, historian and biographer. He has written bestselling and award-winning biographies of historical figures from the world of business, finance, and American politics, including Alexander Hamilton (2004) and Washington: A Life (2010), for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. American historian Joseph Ellis said the future and the fate of the Republic is at stake and asked millennials to follow the election and to vote in November. The nominee of the Republican Party sets unprecedented standards for incompetence, inexperience, self-absorption, and delusional levels of self-confidence that defy clinical descriptions of narcissism. No presidential nominee of a major party has ever failed to serve in any public office, elected or appointed, civilian or military. No nominee has devoted his entire public life so completely to self-aggrandizement and self-promotion without even an inkling of civic responsibility. No nomineehas displayed such nonchalant disdain for the complicated domestic and foreign policy problems facing the nation. Until Donald Trump, that is. Ellis qualifications? Joseph Ellis was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his work Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation (2000). He also won the National Book Award for American Sphinx (1996), a biography of Thomas Jefferson and wrote the New York Times bestseller His Excellency: George Washington (2004). While the New York Post is accusing Ginsburg (but not Trump) of supreme bias, and Fox & Friends is celebrating, the facts are being buried. Which is why we have historians. In a word, these men and women know what they are talking about. The fact is, Ginsburg spoke truth, and so do these prominent historians. If anyone is qualified to judge Trumps own qualifications, it is this group, and their verdict is damning. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print After boarding the Doomsday plane, Senator Angus King (I-ME) imagined Donald Trump in charge during a nuclear attack. Kings knees were a little weak thinking about how much power the President has in that situation And he knew he had to vote for Hillary Clinton. When I got off the plane, my knees were a little weak with that realization how much power is in this one person, the Independent Senator from Maine said to CNNs Chris Cuomo on New Day. And then I thought about Donald Trump. And its a question of judgment and temperament and this guy has not demonstrated to me the kind of coolness that you need in that situation, King concluded. Watch here: .@SenAngusKing, an Independent, tells @ChrisCuomo that he is voting for Hillary Clinton. He explains why on @NewDay. https://t.co/zthiTn5nUg New Day (@NewDay) July 14, 2016 Recounting his experience of boarding the Doomsday Plane the plane is built and equipped to keep the US government running in the event of a nuclear war or other disaster Sen. King said, Ive got to vote for Hillary Clinton. I just cant in good conscience put someone in that airplane whose coolness and patience and judgment I have doubts about. King also pointed to Clintons calm composure during her testimony for a House Benghazi investigation. Never lost her temper. Never lost her cool. Never lost her patience, King said. Answered every question. Was very solid. And I think most people even people who were opposed to her felt that was an amazing performance. Thats as good as youre going to get as a photograph of somebody making decisions under pressure. King usually caucuses with the Democrats, so this endorsement might not be a huge surprise but what makes it so important is the reason why he made it. After going through a simulation of a nuclear attack, King was shaken to his core to imagine Donald Trump with that power. If that isnt enough to send people flocking to Clinton, they havent been listening to Donald Trump. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Donald Trump is claiming that he didnt invite Sarah Palin to the Republican convention because Alaska is too far away from Cleveland, Ohio. The Washington Examiner reported: She was asked, Trump told the Washington Examiner in a phone interview on Thursday. Its a little bit difficult because of where she is. We love Sarah. Little bit difficult because of, you know, its a long ways away. This may come as a newsflash to Trump, but Alaska is in the United States of America, and they have airports. Trump has given an excuse that wouldnt fool a seven-year-old child. The real reason that Trump didnt invite Palin is that the Republican Party didnt want her there. It isnt like the Republican Party doesnt have access to air travel. The Republican Party is erasing Sarah Palin, much in the same way that they have erased both Bush presidencies. When Republicans talk about the White House, they act like George W. Bushs two terms in office never happened. America cant wait for President Trumps first executive order where he demands that Alaska is moved closer to the rest of the country. Trump isnt fooling anybody. Palin could be in Cleveland right now, and he still wouldnt invite her. The reality is that even professional loser Donald Trump thinks that Palin is too big of a loser to be given a spot at his winners convention. Getting dissed by professional fraudster and washed up reality television star Donald Trump signals that Sarah Palin has truly hit rock bottom. Hungary Magyar Telekom develops fixed-line broadband network in Budapest (x) In the frame of the nationwide fixed-line network modernization programme, Magyar Telekom, Hungarys leading telecommunications group, is set to implement substantial developments in numerous districts of Budapest, the company announced earlier this week. Consequent to the development started last year, MTels high-speed, broadband internet service becomes and/or became available in Angyalfold (13th district) to 68,000 households and to 8,700 households in in Csepel (21st district). In the first half of 2016, in Kobanya (10th district) 1,400 households were affected by the development. In June, network modernization also started in the 12th district of Budapest. Construction works in this district will take place in several stages. The first few hundred households can already enjoy services based on fast internet from September 2016, with the new network gradually becoming available in a larger area. MTel plans to make its broadband network available in 10,000 households by the end of this year and to nearly 17,000 households by the summer of 2017. Developments started last year in Zuglo (14th district) and in Ujbuda (11th district) will continue. By the end of the summer, 22,000 households in Zuglo, and altogether more than 10,000 in Ujbuda can enjoy the new Telekom service quality. In addition, significant network capability improvement is also expected in the second half of 2016 in certain parts of Obuda (3rd district) and Jozsefvaros (8th district). In the summer, developments will be completed in the settlements of Pilisborosjeno, Biatorbagy and Torokbalint - as well as in their agglomeration. Resulting from the developments, customers can enjoy higher transmission speeds and a faster internet. This offers simpler communication, fast and secure picture and video download and sharing," MTel said in a press release on Monday. Consequent to the modernization subscribers are offered a wider TV channel assortment, as well as video-on-demand (VOD) available on multiple screens. New services will also become available. These include numerous existing features of interactive TV becoming available also in these settlements, such as the pause and rewind functions of live broadcasting, programmable recording of programs by touching a single button, digital electronic program guide, as well as versatile online applications available on the TV screen. Last year Telekom accelerated the development of its high-speed broadband fixed network, making at least 30 Mbps transmission speed available in further 464,000 households, all across the country. This year the company plans to cover another half a million households with internal funding, of which by the end of June more than 400,000 were covered. Therefore, the high speed broadband internet is currently available in altogether more than 2.5 million households on the Magyar Telekom network. 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. The ongoing dispute between Kahler Hospitality Group and a union local representing employees has led to the cancellation of a planned union convention in Rochester this fall. The Minnesota Association of Professional Employees had scheduled its annual statewide convention for the weekend of Sept. 23-24. MAPE now plans to hold the convention at a hotel in St. Paul. "We didn't feel like we could patronize a hotel that treats its employees like that," said MAPE President Chet Jorgenson. "We are very disappointed to not go to Rochester. We hate to see Rochester get tarred by the actions of this one company. It's really a shame." He said about 200 members usually attend the convention. They prefer to have the convention outside of the metro area, but it's required to be held in hotels with union workers. The four Kahler Hospitality Group hotels in downtown are the only union properties in Rochester. MAPE has held conventions in Rochester before, with the most recent one being in 2006. Jorgenson said this is the first time the union has moved its convention for a reason such as this. ADVERTISEMENT The Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau lined up the convention. RCVB President Brad Jones told the Post-Bulletin by email that he is "disappointed" it won't be held in Rochester. "All meetings and conventions, of all sizes, are important to the health of our local hospitality industry. We appreciated the opportunity to serve the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees in the past, as every meeting and convention held in Rochester serves as a valuable economic driver for our community," Jones said. He estimated the economic impact at about $41,000. "The Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau is committed to earning back the business" of MAPE in the future, he said. The change came about after a union board member noticed news coverage of the National Labor Relations Board rulings against Richfield Hospitality, the firm managing the four Kahler Hospitality Group hotels in downtown Rochester. Judge Sharon Levinson Steckler found Richfield Hospitality guilty on 16 of 17 charges brought by the Unite Here Local 21 union. Unite represents 270 members who work for Kahler Hospitality Group. KHG is led by health-care executive and real estate investor Javon Bea, of Oronoco. The charges against the Richfield staff ranged from "unlawfully discontinuing longevity pay increases," "refusing to collectively bargain upon request with the union" and "proposing confusing terms and conditions of employment with the intent to stall negotiations." Bill Dwyer, Kahler Hospitality's area managing director, said his staff pointed out to MAPE officials the hotels are appealing the NRLB ruling, which they dispute. "They were cordial about it. We tried to get them to continue with the convention," he said. Nonetheless, Dwyer said the cancellation "didn't hurt us. We have filled that space in September. It just hurt their members." MAPE's Jorgenson said the cancellation of the convention cost the Kahler about $100,000. Dwyer disputed that claim. ADVERTISEMENT "The real number is about half of that," he said. A Rochester woman with several arrests for drug crimes, including two in a six-month span within the last year, has been arrested and charged again. Meredith Amber Dirksmeyer, 27, made her first appearance Tuesday in Olmsted County District Court, where she faces two counts of second-degree controlled substance crime and one count of third-degree controlled substance crime, all felonies, as well as one count each of providing the name of another to a peace officer, a gross misdemeanor, and driving after revocation, a misdemeanor. She remains in custody in lieu of $100,000 unconditional bond and is due back in court July 25. The investigation began Sunday, when police received a tip that Dirksmeyer, who had warrants for her arrest, was driving without a license. She was stopped in the 2600 block of 18th Avenue Northwest and initially identified herself as someone else, the complaint says. Dirksmeyer allegedly said there "might" be drugs in a cooler in the car; a search of the vehicle turned up several small bags, .6 grams of methamphetamine, a blend of marijuana and meth that weighed 4 grams, a digital scale and $100 in cash, the reports say. ADVERTISEMENT In April, authorities issued an arrest warrant for Dirksmeyer after she failed to appear at three different hearings that month. The appearances were for a drug case stemming from August, when Dirksmeyer was charged with a felony count of storing meth paraphernalia in the presence of a child. She posted $7,500 conditional bail in November. Three months later, she was arrested after a search warrant executed at a Rochester home turned up about 4 grams of meth. Dirksmeyer, who posted $12,500 conditional bail five days later, faces one count of third-degree controlled substance possession, a felony, in that case. She and Brett Aaron Kuehl, 27, were both staying at the house temporarily at the time of the search. Law enforcement executed a search warrant about 6 a.m. Feb. 17. Four people were in the living room, including Kuehl and Dirksmeyer, who was sitting in a chair. When officers removed her, they found a small plastic bag with a white substance in it on the seat of the chair. The substance later tested positive for meth, the complaint says, and weighed 3.7 grams. Also in the living room were two hypodermic needles, a mirror and Kuehl's ID with white residue on the edges, court documents say. All tested positive for the presence of meth; one of the needles allegedly contained 0.2 grams of meth. ADVERTISEMENT Two other females were in the house, including a 17-year-old who said she had been there about three days. According to the complaint, though she wasn't being held against her will, she was being "forced to shoot up" meth. The teenager claimed Kuehl held her down, with her arm between his legs, and allegedly told her "this is how you're getting high" and injected her with meth. Kuehl had done it three or four times a day since she'd been there, the reports say. Kuehl was charged with felony counts of second-degree drug sale and fifth-degree drug possession. The Post-Bulletin's Aug. 3 Dialogue event featuring Rochester City Council President Randy Staver and challenger Sean Allen has been moved to the Rochester Art Center. The event was planned for the Rochester Public Library auditorium, where the monthly public forums typically are held. This one's expected to draw a large crowd, however, and Rochester Art Center Director Megan Johnston offered the larger venue. The Art Center is at 40 Civic Center Drive SE , and the Dialogue will begin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3. Staver, a Mayo Clinic employee, has been council president since May 2013 and was first elected to the council in 2010. Allen is co-owner of Forager Brewery, has a real estate consulting business and was executive director of the Rochester Area Foundation's First Homes initiative from 2001 to 2012. They'll join Post-Bulletin Managing Editor Jay Furst for a dialogue about key issues facing Rochester in the Destination Medical Center era. Furst will ask advance questions from the public, and the final 30 minutes of the 90-minute session will be direct Q & A with audience members. If you have a question for the candidates, send it to furst@postbulletin.com or call 507-285-7742. ADVERTISEMENT The event will be videotaped by the Rochester Public Library for posting at their website, http://www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org . LAKE CITY In the sky above rural Lake City farmlands Saturday rose a plume of white smoke, signaling another farmstead was being cleared of debris four days after a vicious storm ripped up roofs and tore down trees from Pine Island to Wabasha. In this case, it was Larry Harvey's land along Wabasha County Road 15 several miles west of Lake City. Smoke was coming from two fires he, his children, grandchildren and other relatives and friends were using to get rid of old pine branches and a large shed. Harvey downplayed the damage. It was nothing like others suffered. "I guess for me, it don't make no difference," he said. "It ain't making me sad as long as no one got hurt." It's just some big pines and old sheds. And shingles from an old barn and doors from a shed. Heck, without the trees, he can now see the farm where a daughter lives. ADVERTISEMENT The story at the Harveys is one that I've heard so often in covering the region for nearly 40 years a storm, a fire or a flood, hits an area and people suffer. Maybe they grieve at first but take stock, get help and move on. Some, like the 2007 floods, were catastrophic; others like the storms of July 5 were comparatively minor. Those who suffer always seem to say, yes, I had it bad, but my neighbor got hit worse. There's a need for help but seldom greed for playing victim. Mike Harvey, one of Larry's three sons, was there, dressed in shorts, a funky straw hat and a Goodhue school jersey. He's principal at Goodhue High School and added another side of the story many of those who were out Saturday afternoon had been at the high school gym earlier in the day. About 800 gathered for the funeral of much-loved Goodhue Fire Chief Mike Kehren who was killed in a hay-wagon accident early July 4. "All those people, all are coming together," Harvey said. "Everyone is doing the same thing, pulling together. It's neat to see how they are cleaning up together." The funeral was tough for Harvey to attend. But even before that, before the storm, the Goodhue community had lost some students, or their parents, to cancer or an ATV crash. Those deaths, like the storm and Kehren's death, can help strengthen a community. "It's what we do," Harvey said. "It's the story of ups and downs," he said. This week, there should be more ups because of the Wabasha County Fair that runs through Saturday. "This is really about perspectives," Harvey said. "None of this matters," but only relationships. He even got another example he can use when he speaks to seniors at the end-of-the-year breakfast. "I tell them it really doesn't (matter what) awards you won, what your class rank was or how many points you scored," he said. "People remember what kind of person you are." ADVERTISEMENT He knows many of the seniors who listened to his talk more than a month ago were out doing what he was doing helping clean up. One who helped at the Harvey's farm was Janet Baker, mother of Jason Elsmore who is the husband of one of Larry Harvey's daughter, Deanna Elsmore. Baker came from Inver Grove Heights to help and was happy with what she saw. "It's looks really good compared to this morning," she said. In another part of the area, Dave Harvey, another of Larry Harvey's sons, was on the roof of the collapsed shed, chainsawing boards so the roof could be broken up. When it was ripped to smaller pieces, old wood was added to the fires that would send more smoke into the air, signalling a bit more of the cleanup was done. AUSTIN After Philando Castile's death in an officer-involved shooting in Falcon Heights on July 6, Gov. Mark Dayton asked the crowd gathered outside his mansion: "Would this have happened if the driver and passenger would have been white? I don't think it would." Now, some law enforcement officials are calling Dayton's remarks "damning of all peace officers." Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi, who was in her squad car listening to Dayton's statements, became furious. What worried her was the potential impact of Dayton's remarks toward law enforcement officers, including "grouping them in a racist category." "Inflammatory comments do nothing to help it," Amazi said. "The mass shooting in Texas was a prime example. It inflames people to do stupid things." ADVERTISEMENT Deciding to make her thoughts known, Amazi at first tried sending an email on Monday. However, after some glitches, she sent a typed letter through snail mail to Dayton's office. She is one of several law enforcement officials in Southeast Minnesota who publicly criticized the governor over his comments regarding the Castile shooting. "I am contacting you to let you know how deeply troubled I am regarding your comments made about the Philando Castile shooting death," Amazi's letter reads. "To say that you did not think this incident would have taken place if the driver and passenger were white is irreprehensible (sic) and irresponsible." The letter also implores Dayton to take back his statement until all details from the Castile shooting come to light. "Due process must be afforded to all in this country," it says. "Peace officers are no exception. It appears you have forgotten that. As this investigation continues, I would implore you to withhold comments until it is completed." While Dayton was scrutinized over his comments, he did not retract them, according to the Pioneer Press , saying that "I'm not going to go back and rehash them. I stand by what I said." During the aftermath of the Dallas shootings, Mower County residents dropped by the Law Enforcement Center in Austin to show their support. Amazi was surprised by the gifts of baked goods and words of encouragement given to the staff. Amazi also noted that her letter received mostly positive remarks while she was around town. "I was very surprised and it was very nice to see that we're not disrespected. We have a lot of community support," she said. "I also am saying that we need to support our law enforcement. If we're not safe, then the public isn't safe either." After hours of discussion and public comment, the Rochester Planning & Zoning Commission voted to delay its decision on a $110 million Second Street Southwest housing and commercial project late Wednesday. Developer Alatus LLC brought a preliminary plan for a high-end 13-story housing and commercial complex to be built on more than two acres at the southwest corner of 14th Avenue Southwest and Second Street. Beside putting it in the shadow of Mayo Clinic's Saint Marys campus, the plan calls for the development to extend into the quiet Folwell neighborhood. Many residents of the neighborhood shared their concerns about the project, but it was a plea from the developer that spurred the vote to continue the decision. That means an updated version of the preliminary plan will go before the planning commission on Aug. 10. The commission then has the choice to recommend the city council approve or deny the project. If the city council approves the preliminary plan, a final development plan would go back to the planning commission. The city council would then have the last say on approving the final plan during a public hearing. City staff members had recommended 18 major changes to the preliminary plan and requested more details. The major concern was the lack of a finalized traffic study on the proposed changes to the Folwell neighborhood's streets and the impact on the Folwell Elementary School. That was brought up in public comments by many neighbors, like Mark and Lori Bransford, Kevin Lund and Della Derscheid. ADVERTISEMENT Alatus submitted a preliminary traffic study to the city, but it had not yet been approved by a city engineer and was not given to the commission for consideration. City staff requested "the completion of a Traffic Impact Report and implementation of mitigation recommendations." Despite positive statements about the developer and the project, the commissioners were put off by the lack of details. "I'm supportive of the project, enthusiastic even, but there's just not enough information," said commissioner Paul Sims, just before he made the first of two motions to continue so the developer could work out more details. Commissioner Regina Seabrook seconded his motion. It failed to pass, with Tom Hill, Steve Sherwood and Kraig Durst voting against it. Hill then made a motion to recommend the city council approve Alatus' preliminary plan. Commissioners Lindsey Meek, Wade Goodenberger, Seabrook and Sims indicated that they would vote against it, despite their positive comments about the project. "I can't see this (proposal) meeting the preliminary criteria," said Goodberger. "I like the building, but I can't in good conscience vote to move it forward." However, before a vote could be taken, Chris Osmundson of Alatus requested that the commission continue the issue. That request reversed the situation. Hill, who had just opposed Sims' motion to continue, made his own motion to continue. Durst seconded it and the motion was passed unanimously by the weary commissioners. ADVERTISEMENT Bob Lux, the president of Alatus, had told the commission earlier that continuing the issue could cause problems with the project's deadlines for purchase agreements. Following the meeting, Lux said he thought having until Aug. 10 would give his team time enough to flesh out more details for the commission and still meet their purchase deadlines. Earlier in the meeting, Lux said he believed developers "get the best project by listening and adjusting." His staff reported that they planned to reduce the size of project's parking ramp from 883 spaces to 609. The massive size of the ramp, which would feed onto 15th Avenue, had been a major source of concern from the neighbors. The change eliminated any contract parking from the ramp, but still supported the project's 359 apartments and townhomes, commercial businesses and 70 public parking spaces. In response to city staff critiques, the Alatus team also proposed to increase the distance the buildings were set back from the street and eliminate a 52-foot spire on top of the building. There was a concern the spire might cause problems for the Mayo One helicopter, which flies from the nearby Saint Marys Hospital. The changes brought praise from the commissioners and some in the public for the developers' willingness to be flexible. Others saw the changes as something else. "It feels like a re-design on the fly to me," said Mark Bransford during one of times making comments to the board. "It doesn't feel fully cooked." Bransford was one of 14 to 16 community members to comment on the project. Here are some of the comments made during the meeting. * "It's a tight fit in the neighborhood ... It's like trying to jam a foot into a shoe two sizes too small," Lori Bransford, Mark Bransford's wife. ADVERTISEMENT * "I'd like to bring my support to the table I'm really excited about the project," said Nick Powers, who manages the nearby Canadian Honker restaurant. * "It casts an unacceptable shadow over our neighborhood There are more questions than answers about this project," said Olmsted County Judge Kevin Lund, who lives nearby. "I was not happy when I learned my business will need to move In spite of that, I strongly support the project," said Mary Jo Majerus, who owns Healing Touch Spa On Second in the Brentwood on 2nd hotel and commercial building. It is slated to be demolished to make way for the project. Enough is enough is not the best explanation for the mass killing of police in Dallas, but it's a case of enough is too much. The blame game is still alive and thriving. President Obama is blamed for being active, rather than pro-active, in reacting to the tragedy. Some people blame Black Lives Matter thinking as the trouble maker. Being racist is not the answer because more blacks are killed by blacks than whites, just as more whites are murdered by whites than blacks. Because people are more important than profits, we need to rid our violent culture of the automatic weapons of mass murder and accept the fact that "God, guts and guns" will never make any country great or morally correct. Orin Doty ADVERTISEMENT Rochester With the recent federal policy on non-renewal of H-2 visas impacting the islands workforce supply, Guam Community College has raised concerns over potential decreases in funding from the Manpower Development Fund, which could impact the school's apprenticeship program. MDF revenues are sourced from the registration fees of non-immigrant temporary foreign (H-2) workers. The size of the fund directly correlates to the number of H-2 workers on Guam. GCC utilizes the fund to support its apprenticeship training program. The program combines on-the-job training provided by employers with trade-related classroom instruction. Successful completion of the program enables the apprentice to earn journey worker status. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. GCC President Mary Okada reported during a legislative budget hearing for the school on July 7 that GCC's current appropriation from the fund is $879,906. However, she said they anticipate a decreased level of funding. We know that the number of H-2 workers are decreasing, primarily due to the renewal processes, she said. Okada said when she started nine years ago at GCC, the program had 98 apprentices. We have grown quite a bit in this area, she said. According to the school's trade report for the second quarter of fiscal year 2016, there are currently 540 apprentices enrolled in more than 80 trade categories. GCC partners with more than 70 employers for the job-site-training component of the program. During the reporting period, the largest numbers of apprentices were at Docomo Pacific, GTA Teleguam and Cabras Marine Corp. 'Some concerns' With the number of apprentices, we do have some concerns on the funding to support these programs, Okada said. In its most recent audit finding for fiscal year 2015, the Office of Public Accountability noted that GCC has experienced a decline in MDF funding and an increase in the number of participants in the apprenticeship program. Although GCC was allocated $988,586 from the MDF in fiscal 2015, in comparison to the $709,000 received in fiscal 2014, the apprenticeship program also saw an increase in participants. The program served 528 and 459 apprentices over 84 and 81 active employers in Fall 2015 and 2014, respectively, which is an increase of 15 percent of apprentices in the program as compared to the previous year. Potential impact During the budget hearing for the Guam Department of Labor on Tuesday, July 12, Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz also raised concerns about the potential impact of the H-2 visa renewal issue on the fund. Greg Massey, administrator of the GDOL Alien Labor Processing and Certification Division, told legislators that there could be a potential solution, with the amendment introduced by Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (NDAA). It looks like there is going to be a fix in place through the NDAA Act that is going to take into effect probably in the 3rd quarter FY2017, he said. Massey said while the workforce numbers could drop in November and December there could be mass hiring in the third quarter or the first quarter of next year, should the amendment take effect. The NDAA provision would give U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services flexibility in renewing H-2B visas on Guam, specifically for workers in the construction and health care sectors. Heather Mac Donald is the author of the book of the moment if not the year: The War On Cops: How the New Attack On Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe. This is the books chapter 11, Americas Legal Order Begins to Fray. Heather writes: Im deliberately not getting involved in things I would have in the 1990s and 2000s, an emergency-services officer in New York City tells me. I wont get out of my car for a reasonable-suspicion stop; I will if theres a violent felony committed in my presence. He is not alone in this reluctance to engage. This is what law enforcement has come to after two decades of the most remarkable crime drop in U.S. history. The virulent antipolice campaign that began with a now-discredited narrative about a police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, has made police officers think twice before undertaking precisely the type of enforcement that led to that twenty-year crime drop. The Black Lives Matter movement proclaims that the police are a lethal threat to blacks and that the criminal-justice system is pervaded by racial bias. The media amplify that message on an almost daily basis. Officers now worry about becoming the latest racist cop of the week, losing their job or being indicted if a good-faith encounter with a suspect goes awry or is merely distorted by an incomplete cell-phone video. With police so discouraged, violent crime has surged in dozens of American cities, as we have seen. The alarming murder increase prompted an emergency meeting of the Major Cities Chiefs Association in August 2015. Homicides were up 76 percent in Milwaukee, 60 percent in St. Louis, and 56 percent in Baltimore for the year through mid-August, compared with the same period in 2014. Murder was up 47 percent in Minneapolis and 36 percent in Houston through mid-July. But something even more fundamental than public safety may be at stake. There are signs that the legal order itself is breaking down in urban areas. Theres a total lack of respect out there for the police, says a female sergeant in New York. The perps feel more empowered to carry guns because they know that we are running scared. The lawful use of police power is being met by hostility and violence, which is often ignored by the press. In Cincinnati, a small riot broke out in late July 2015 when the police arrived at a drive-by shooting scene, where a four-year-old girl had been shot in the head and critically injured. Bystanders loudly cursed at officers who had started arresting suspects at the scene on outstanding warrants, according to a witness I spoke with. During antipolice demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2015, 18-year-old Tyrone Harris opened fire at police officers, according to law-enforcement officials, and was shot and wounded by police in response. A crowd pelted the cops with frozen water bottles and rocks, wounding three officers, while destroying three police cars and damaging businesses, Ferguson police said. Some protesters reportedly chanted, Were ready for what? Were ready for war. That same month, an officer in Birmingham, Alabama, was beaten unconscious with his own gun by a suspect in a car stop. There was gloating on social media. Pistol whipped his ass to sleep, read one Twitter post. The officer later said that he had refrained from using force to defend himself for fear of a media backlash. Officers are being challenged in their most basic efforts to render aid. A New York cop in the Bronx tells me that he was trying to extricate a woman pinned under an overturned car in July 2015 when a bystander stuck his cell-phone camera into the officers face, trying to bait him into an argument. You cant tell me what to do, the bystander replied when asked to move to the sidewalk, the cop reports. A few years ago, I would have taken police action, he says. Now I know it wont end well for me or the police department. Supervisors may roll up to an incident where trash and other projectiles are being thrown at officers and tell the cops to get into their cars and leave. What does that do to the general public? wonders a New York detective. Every time we pass up on an arrest because we dont want a situation to blow up, weve made the next cops job all the harder. Jim McDonnell, head of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, the nations largest, tells me that the current anti-cop animus puts the nation in a place where it hasnt been since the 1960s. The last ten years have witnessed dramatic decreases in crime, Sheri McDonnell says. Now, in a short period of time, we are seeing those gains undone. Even the assassination of police officers doesnt appear to cool the antipolice rhetoric. The day after a Houston police deputy, Darren Goforth, was murdered while filling his gas tank in August 2015, Black Lives Matter protestersas an online video chillingly attestsmarched in St. Paul, chanting: Pigs in a blanket, fry em like bacon. An organizer with the Organization for Black Struggle in St. Louis refused to apologize for the tenor of the movement, while denying that it condoned violence. Until the police arent the dangerous force that black people fear, the rhetoric wont change, she told the New York Times, after Houston sheriff Ron Hickman, in the wake of Deputy Goforths murder, pleaded for antipolice protesters to temper their language. A Texas state senator, Garnet Coleman, assailed Sheriff Hickman for showing a lack of understanding of what is occurring in this country when it comes to the singling out of African-Americans. The irony is that the historic reduction of crime in the United States since the 1990s was predicated on police singling out African-Americans for their protection. Using victims crime reports, cops focused on violent hot spots; since black Americans are disproportionately the victims of crime, just as blacks are disproportionately its perpetrators, effective policing was heaviest in minority neighborhoods. The cops were there because they do believe that black lives matter. In the recent eruption of violent crime, the overwhelming majority of victims have been black. The Baltimore Sun reported that July 2015 was the bloodiest month in the city since 1972, with 45 people killed in 30 days. All but two were black. Police officials have told me that they long to hear Americas leaders change the tone of the national conversation before respect for the rule of law itself deteriorates even further, and more innocent people suffer as a consequence. So far, theyre still waiting. Heather Mac Donald is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. This piece is excerpted from her new book, The War on Cops: How the New Attack On Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe, published by Encounter Books. It appeared in slightly different form in the Wall Street Journal of September 13, 2015. It appears here with the kind permission of Heather Mac Donald and Encounter Books. Copyright Heather Mac Donald 2016. All rights reserved. African-American leaders and pundits are tripping over themselves talking about the talk. For example, in his Dallas speech, President Obama referred to black parents giving their children the talk about how to respond if stopped by a police officer yes, sir, no, sir.' Is there evidence that black parents give their children such a talk more often than white parents? I havent seen any. Nor have I seen evidence that the talk, if widely given in the African-American community, is having the desired effect. Michael Brown wasnt saying yes sir, no sir when he twice attacked Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, first in Wilsons police car and later on the street. Freddy Gray wasnt saying yes sir, no sir when he made a scene and then threw himself about in the police van in West Baltimore. How about the black teenagers in McKinney, Texas who crashed a pool party and then refused to disperse when the police arrived and told them to? One of the kids repeatedly disobeyed reasonable police orders. Yes, one officer badly overreacted to this incident. However, my point for purposes of this post is that the behavior of the teenagers suggests that either they didnt get the talk or didnt take it seriously. Heather Mac Donalds new book, The War on Cops: How the New Attack on Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe, documents what she calls the virulent antipolice campaign that began with a now-discredited narrative about a police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri. Even assuming that many African-American parents are giving the talk, a competing and seemingly more powerful narrative has taken hold. Mac Donald describes how, in Cincinnati, a small riot broke out in late July 2015 when the police arrived at a drive-by shooting scene where a four-year-old girl had been shot in the head and critically injured. African-American bystanders loudly cursed at officers who had started arresting suspects at the scene on outstanding warrants. The next month in Ferguson, 18-year-old Tyrone Harris opened fire at police officers, according to law-enforcement officials, and was shot and wounded by police in response. A mostly black crowd pelted the cops with frozen water bottles and rocks, wounding three officers, while destroying three police cars and damaging businesses, Ferguson police said. Some protesters reportedly chanted, Were ready for what? Were ready for war. The same month, in Birmingham, Alabama, an officer was beaten unconscious with his own gun by a suspect in a car stop. There was gloating on social media. Pistol whipped his ass to sleep, read one Twitter post. The officer later said that he had refrained from using force to defend himself for fear of a media backlash for alleged racism. All of this is a long way from yes sir, no sir. Im not saying that the talk is an urban legend. I assume that well-to-do black politicians and pundits are telling the truth when they describe the advice they give their children, and that a non-trivial number of other black parents are giving the same kind of advice. But the political point I think these politicians and pundits are trying to make that the talk is given because more than a few police officers are racists looking for an excuse to hurt black kids depends, among other things, on the claim that the talk is common more common in black households than white ones. This claim may be true, but as noted, I havent evidence come across to back it up. Talking about the talk also obscures a crucial point in the debate about crime, police, and the criminal justice system the role of the breakdown of black families. I agree with Roger Clegg that the catastrophic out-of-wedlock birthrate among African Americans is the main driver of racial disparities in our country, including disparities in crime rates and the amount and nature of encounters with the police. President Obama said nothing about this problem in his Dallas talk even though, controversially, he chose a memorial service for slain police officers to talk, big picture, about race problems in America. Talking about the talk, seems like a way to air brush problematic parenting out of the picture. I cant say that this is being done consciously. However, I do believe that Obama is doing the nation a disservice when he brings up the talk but excludes from his discussion more relevant events that are occurring in black households. PR-Inside.com: 2016-07-14 15:36:01 Taza Agua, the go-to name in premium water for brewing coffee and tea, has entered into the hospitality and tourism industries in Mexico to improve the in-room coffee and tea experience Taza Agua Premium Water for Coffee and Tea Enters Mexicos Luxury Hotel Markets Taza Agua Francini Retana Rodriguez, 506-2654-5871 (Costa Rica) betterwater@tazaagua.com Taza Agua, the worlds only supplier of premium water bottled at the source in the Juan Castro Blanco region in northern Costa Rica specifically for brewing coffee and tea, has officially entered the Mexican hospitality and tourism markets. From its global headquarters and newly built bottling plant in Costa Rica, Taza Agua was recently endorsed by internationally certified coffee judge Kattia Barrantes Zuniga. "Innovations in coffee making machines have dramatically improved," says Francini Retana Rodriguez, co-founder of Taza Agua. "The missing link for many hotels and their guests has always been the waterconsumers are learning that 98 percent of every cup of coffee and tea is water, and like wine, not all water is equal. Consistently ranked among the cleanest drinking water sources in the world, the Juan Castro Blanco region provides pure volcanic spring water, which Taza Agua bottles using a special anti-bacterial filtration system to deliver safe, naturally refreshing drinking water. According to World Bank, Mexicos tourism sector hosts more than 29 million visitors [..]. Taza Aguas experienced management team has already drawn the attention of hotel suppliers and operators looking to create further brand loyalty. Hotel operators are now viewing specialty water for brewing coffee and tea as a desired amenity as well as a nice touch. To avoid traveler's diarrhea, a common medical problem for people traveling from developed, industrialized countries to developing areas of the world, the Government of the United Kingdom advises all visitors to Mexico to drink only boiled or bottled water and avoid ice in drinks. Taza Aguas safe water eliminates the fear of contaminated water many tourists experience that leads to abstaining from drinking coffee for the duration of their vacation. The Mexican Tourism Board values the international tourist sector at $14.15 billion per year. According to Hotelers.com, in-room, high-end coffee makers or espresso machines are travelers favorite modern in-room amenity. Taza Agua believes that it can have a positive impact on overall guest satisfaction ratings from travelers who enjoy having a cup of coffee or tea in the privacy of their room. We have discovered that visitors to Mexico continue to be skeptical about drinking local water, Rodriguez says. Taza Agua comes from one source, high up in the mountains of Costa Rica. In its natural state it happens to be an excellent choice to brew with espresso and drip coffee machines. The worlds leading experts agree that the water quality in Costa Rica makes all the difference to Taza Aguas unique character and refinement. To maintain exclusivity, only a select number of operators involved in keeping the wheels of the Mexican hospitality and beverage sectors turning will be hand-picked to partner long term with Taza Agua. Shipments from Costa Rica to Mexico commence in August 2016. To learn more, visit the Taza Agua website. About Taza Agua: Taza Agua was established in 2016 to distribute the worlds first bottled water specifically collected and processed for brewing tea and coffee. Taza Agua is a niche player and does not compete with traditional bottled water companies. Please visit our Facebook, Instragram and Pinterest sites to follow Taza Aguas growing international following. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201607140057 Taza Agua, premium water for #coffee and #tea, enters Mexicos luxury #hotel markets. The Federal Government and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Wednesday agreed a new funding model to help end the perennial Joint Venture cash-call problem in the countrys oil and gas industry. The workers and representatives of the Federal Government also approved the repayment structure proposed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to off-set the arrears of the old cash calls inherited by previous governments over the years. These were part of the resolutions reached by PENGASSAN with the government, before the union suspended its recent strike. Details of the new funding model proposed by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in conjunction with the NNPC were not stated, however. But, PREMIUM TIMES understood it will not be different from the proposal by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, early last year on the issue. Nigeria has hardly met its oil and gas industry development plans over the years as a result of the inability of government, through the NNPC, its representative in the six joint ventures, to meet its statutory funding obligations to its partners. But, Mr. Kachikwu said that rather than continue to wait for government to provide all the funding for cash call obligations, an external private financing mechanism could be adopted to relieve government of the burden. Under the arrangement, he said commercial banks could provide funding for the execution of approved JV work programmes at cost-effective and market-driven borrowing rates, while the repayment would be structured in a way that the lenders have no recourse to the JV assets. Besides, government could adopt an arrangement that would allow a certain percentage of oil revenues to be set aside regularly to take care of cash call payments to the JVs. During the meeting, the oil workers were said to have argued that adequate funding of oil industry programmes would help the international oil companies (IOCs) check the high rate of redundancies and job losses by oil workers. The meeting expressed satisfaction with the report by the minister that almost all the IOCs had agreed to the new funding proposal. On unresolved industrial relation issues, the meeting agreed that where redundancy has to be declared by IOCs without going through Section 20 of the Labour Act, Cap L1 LFN 2004, such companies must revert to the situation before the crisis. On IOCs that have laid off workers without passing through due process of law and the workers had either gone on strike, or were locked out by their employers, the meeting directed that both parties have to create the atmosphere for free and fettered negotiation. While the workers should unlock the affected premises, the employers should ensure that their actions to lock the workers out be put on hold till further notice. The joint communique was signed by PENGASSAN President, Francis Johnson, and his National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Igwe Achese, along with the General Manager, Human Resources, NNPC, BM Isah, and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, OC Illoh. On restructuring and resourcing in government agencies under the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Minister of Petroleum Resources affirmed that the exercise had been done without any job loss, while the October 2016 deadline was agreed for the conclusion of modalities for the implementation of integrated personal payroll information system (IPPIS) in the relevant agencies.